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By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy PolicyRouhani is the elected president and Trumps counterpart as leader of the Iranian government, but Khamenei is the countrys ultimate religious and political authority. He usually aligns with hard-liners, has not traveled abroad since he became supreme leader nearly three decades ago and has declined to meet with representatives of Western powers. Rouhani, on the other hand, is a comparative moderate and had been seen as the likely face of any Iranian attempt to repair relations.Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) pushed back at McConnell and Senate Republicans in unusually personal terms, criticizing him for a promise last week to plow right through the proceedings despite the drama over the accusers. Does that sound like someone whos treating these allegations with respect and fairness and evenhandedness? Schumer asked. Does that sound like someone who wants to get the real facts no matter where they fall? Certainly not to me. Not to the American people.In the interview with host Chris Berg televised Monday, Cramer said that if something like what California professor Christine Blasey Ford alleges about Kavanaugh is accurate, its tragic, its unfortunate, its terrible. But, he added of Kavanaugh, even if its all true, does it disqualify him? It certainly means that he did something really bad 36 years ago, but does it disqualify him from the Supreme Court?Abdur Rehman, 37, a leader of one camp in Qaleh-ye Now, said the regions problems with drought date back to the years the Taliban held power, from 1996 to 2001. But he said conditions have recently grown much worse. He said the displaced villagers do not want to cause any trouble or bring the war with them from the countryside. Nevertheless, Milisic, the World Food Program official, was surrounded by armed security troops and vehicles during his brief visit here, and snipers were posted on the nearby hills.In the latest reports of civilian deaths from such incidents, more than 25 villagers were killed Saturday in two separate strikes in Kapisa province northeast of Kabul and in Wardak province southwest of the capital, several lawmakers and residents from the two regions said. They said women and children were among the victims.A Chinese delegation had been expected in Washington this week for talks on resolving the trade dispute, but the visit was canceled after President Trump last week announced tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods  televisions, toys and more. That means that about half of the products that Americans buy from China now have an extra 10 percent duty added.The Aquarius made international headlines in June, when Italys new populist government refused to allow it to dock in Sicily. Macron initially accused his Italian counterparts of cynicism and irresponsibility for refusing to admit the Aquarius, but he soon came under fire for doing the same. The ship was stranded off the coast of Malta at the time, with 629 migrants aboard. It then had to sail an additional three days to the port of Valencia in eastern Spain.Some officials said that Matt Whitaker, Attorney General Jeff Sessionss chief of staff, had told people he would be taking over for Rosenstein  an indication that the deputy attorney generals departure was all but certain  and were surprised when it was announced that Rosenstein would remain in his job. Sessions began telling people on Sunday that Rosenstein might be in trouble, according to people familiar with the matter. Others said they learned all the developments from news reports that evolved throughout the day.They seem to be implying that were trying to counter China, and in the same breath, Kevin implies that we should just withdraw in all the places that dont vote with us all the time, the senior U.S. official said. I dont know what it means to both counter China and cede territory to it.There has been always competition between the U.S. and Iran, but not publicly like it is now, said Youssef al-Kilabi, a lawmaker aligned with Abadi. Both of them are using their leverage to choose the prime minister. . . . If this competition continues like this, I dont know who will win, but for sure I know who will lose, and its the Iraqi people.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.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.Business groups have warned Prime Minister Scott Morrison that any move to create a new public holiday to celebrate Indigenous Australia could cost the economy $3 billion.

Mr Morrison's hand-picked envoy on Indigenous affairs, Tony Abbott, has also offered a cool response to the Prime Minister's idea of a new national day, urging Australians to instead unite behind existing acknowledgments of Aboriginal history.

Fairfax Media understands Mr Morrison is not proposing a public holiday but wants a national conversation about a day marking Indigenous history that also preserves Australia Day. He made the suggestion while criticising Byron Shire Council for becoming the latest local government to stop holding citizenship ceremonies on the date that attracts annual debate over Australia's colonial legacy.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:AAP

Mr Morrison said Australia Day was a day for all citizens to celebrate and criticised "indulgent self-loathing".New York: US President Donald Trump has attacked "unelected, unaccountable" global bureaucrats who want to undermine American sovereignty in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, while also threatening to cut foreign aid to countries who aren't friendly to the US.

Trump's speech, in which he attacked Iran for promoting "death and destruction" in the Middle East, sparked a war of words with the Iranian president, who suggested in a later speech that Trump exhibited a "Nazi disposition".

The speech carried many of the same "America First" themes Trump outlined in an address to the UN last year but was in one way starkly different: warnings that the US would "totally destroy" North Korea were replaced by praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom Trump previously called "rocket man".

Trump appeared taken aback at the start of his speech when he declared he had made more progress in two years than "almost any other administration in the history of our country" - a claim that prompted audible murmurs and laughter from the foreign leaders and diplomats in the room.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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Hearst Connecticut Media / Tara ONeill

MILFORD  A man is accused of refusing to leave a store after he was fired and allegedly threatened another employee, police said Tuesday.

Dustin Redd, 29, of Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, was charged with second-degree breach of peace, second-degree threatening and first-degree criminal trespass.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.WESTPORT - A Waterbury man and two juveniles were arrested Monday after leading police in a chase with a stolen car.

Jomar Perez, 18, was charged with two counts of risk of injury to children, and one count each of interfering with an officer, first-degree larceny, motor vehicle theft, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny and motor vehicle charges.

Perez was held in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Police said an officer saw a vehicle traveling westbound on Post Road East at a high rate of speed. He followed the vehicle and observed it stopped in the middle of the Post Road at the intersection with Long Lots Road with no tail lights illuminated. A registration check for the vehicle showed it had been stolen out of Darien on Sept. 19.

The officer attempted to stop the vehicle but police said the vehicle would not yield and engaged the officer in pursuit. The vehicle led officers northbound on local roads into Fairfield.

The Fairfield Police department assisted and deployed stop sticks ahead of the oncoming suspect vehicle on Congress Street, which the suspect vehicle struck. The pursuit continued up Black Rock Turnpike onto Towne House Road where the vehicle crashed into a utility pole and the operator fled on foot, police said. A brief foot pursuit ensued and Perez was taken into custody a short distance away.

The two 15 year old passengers, both from Waterbury, were transported to St. Vincent's Hospital for minor injuries.

During a search of the vehicle police said two loaded 9mm handgun magazines were located in the drivers side door pocket. Numerous debit/credit cards and several car keys to other vehicles were also located during the search. The vehicle and surrounding area were searched, but no firearm has been recovered.Authorities say a 9-year-old boy has accidentally shot his 10-year-old sister in the leg in suburban Kansas City.

Police in Merriam, Kansas, said in a news release that the shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Saturday after the gun was left unattended. Police say the girl's wound wasn't life threatening. She was taken to a hospital.

No one has been arrested. The shooting remains under investigation.

Police urged gun owners to properly secure their firearms in the news release.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...Mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk speaks at a rally of her supporters at Canadian Inns Monday.SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO  One of the accused conspirators in the Adam Anhang murder trial testified Monday that the victim was very dear to him, that he had nothing to do with the killing and that the murder actually wrecked his own personal fortunes.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO  One of the accused conspirators in the Adam Anhang murder trial testified Monday that the victim was "very dear" to him, that he had nothing to do with the killing and that the murder actually wrecked his own personal fortunes.

Jose Ferrer-Sosa, 45, a cook at the restaurant financed by Anhang in Old San Juan, is accused of plotting the murder-for-hire of the millionaire businessman in 2005, in a conspiracy along with Anhangs widow Aurea Vazquez-Rijos and her sister Marcia. They are charged with promising a hit man $3 million for the killing, which was to look like a robbery.

SUPPLIED Adam Anhang.

"How did you feel when you heard that (Adam Anhang) had been killed?" defence lawyer Ovidio Zayas asked.

"That I lost it all," Ferrer-Sosa replied. The first defence witness in the trial, he told the San Juan jury that he was expecting that the restaurant, called the Pink Skirt, would someday belong to him. With Anhang dead, he said, that possibility ended.

The man who attacked and killed Anhang, a drug dealer known as Alex "El Loco" Pabon, has already confessed that he used a cobblestone and a knife to commit the murder 13 years ago on a quiet street in Old San Juan, a popular tourist site.

Pabon testified last week that Ferrer-Sosa and the two Vazquez-Rijos sisters met with him on the day before the killing and discussed how "to kill the Canadian." He said he was told that Aurea Vazquez-Rijos was worried about an impending divorce, and wanted Anhang dead so she could get access to his estate, valued at $24 million.

Two hours before the killing, Pabon said, Ferrer-Sosa telephoned him and alerted him to the fact that Anhang and his wife were having dinner at a particular restaurant, and it was time to set the murder plan into motion. Pabon then followed the couple for several blocks, staying in the shadows until an opportune time for the attack, just after midnight.

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On the witness stand Monday, Ferrer-Sosa told an entirely different story. He said that when he first got to know Anhang, they had a "wonderful" relationship. "When we met, he was super cool," he said. "He loved how I cooked. I prepared lunch for him, and he loved it . . . He became very dear to me."

He said Anhang, a real estate developer, even took him around to look at projects in the San Juan area that Anhang was involved in.

He denied taking part in any conspiracy to kill Anhang, his boss at the Pink Skirt, and said that on the afternoon of the murder, he did a few odd jobs at the restaurant, bought some marijuana from a dealer he knew, and went home. He testified that he got a phone call from a hospital in the early morning hours of Sept. 23, 2005, telling him that Vazquez-Rijos was being treated for injuries in the attack, and that Anhang was dead.

He got up, he said, and drove to the Pink Skirt to shut it down for the morning. Then he went to collect the BMW that Anhang had left in a parking lot near the murder scene.

Ferrer-Sosa will be cross-examined Tuesday.

city.desk@freepress.mb.caAfter more than a decade suffering chronic pain and filling prescriptions that led to her taking more than a dozen opioid pills daily, a 52-year-old Manitoba woman says she turned to street drugs to supplement her cocktail of medications, hoping for a better quality of life.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After more than a decade suffering chronic pain and filling prescriptions that led to her taking more than a dozen opioid pills daily, a 52-year-old Manitoba woman says she turned to street drugs to supplement her cocktail of medications, hoping for a better quality of life.

The woman, who spoke to the Free Press on the condition of anonymity, was arrested buying $580 worth of fentanyl from a dealer who was later sentenced to 10 years in prison. It was an arrest, she said Monday, that may have saved her life.

"It was a blessing in disguise," she said in an interview, after she was spared jail time based on her medical history, in which she has been prescribed a staggering number of prescription opioid medications to manage pain.

"I had no idea what I was dealing with," she said of the night she went out in search of the highly toxic opioid fentanyl, which has been blamed for 69 deaths in Manitoba in 2016. On a friend's suggestion, she wound up knocking on a dealer's door on Strauss Drive and was caught by police with 29 blotters of fentanyl in hand.

"Since then, I have completely educated myself on fentanyl and I gotta say, (the arrest) probably did save my life that night," she told Court of Queen's Bench Justice Ken Champagne, who agreed the woman shouldn't go to jail.

She was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking because of the amount of fentanyl police saw her buy while they had the dealer under surveillance Jan. 14, 2017.

"I'm not making excuses, but that was a very low point in my life," she said in court Monday, after she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of simple possession, acknowledging the drugs were for her own personal use.

She bought them while her partner was dying of cancer. The stress of caring for him in his final days, she told the Free Press, worsened her physical pain. She took more than her usual dosage of oxycodone, ran out of prescription painkillers, and got desperate.

"It was a bad situation. I wasn't thinking clearly," she said, adding "you'd be surprised how many professionals" could find themselves in similar situations.

She's been in severe, chronic pain since surviving a car accident in 2007 that left her on disability and unable to work, despite undergoing several surgeries.

Defence lawyer Carley Mahoney filed medical information in court showing the woman has been prescribed various painkillers and now takes 11 to 13 oxycodone pills per day. She's gone to counselling because she was concerned about taking such a high quantity of prescription medication, and said she's is now trying to wean herself off them.

"You have to be your own advocate, and that's what people don't understand in this chronic pain fight," she said. "You really have to be careful."

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Federal Crown attorney Raegan Rankin recommended the woman be spared jail time and a fine considering her medical history, saying the woman is "very lucky that none of those blotters had hotspots that killed her, particularly when she already has that level of opioid in her system that's being prescribed."

Champagne imposed a suspended sentence with 18 months of probation, including 20 hours of community service work he suggested the woman could complete by continuing to give presentations on the dangers of fentanyl.

"It's unfortunate that you suffered this terrible accident and the lifelong injuries that you're dealing with," the judge said. "And it's unfortunate that you've had to turn to the street to try and obtain drugs that can assist in managing that pain."

The dealer, Trevor Petrowski, 32, was sentenced this summer to 10.5 years in prison. He admitted having $25,000 worth of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking, which police found during an October 2017 search of his girlfriend's apartment.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemaySanta Claus won't be comin' to town without your help.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Santa Claus won't be comin' to town without your help.

Organizers of the annual Santa Claus Parade say $68,000 is needed by Oct. 5 in order to hold the 109th edition of the parade, which is scheduled for Nov. 17 along Portage Avenue.

Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade board chairman Rennie Zegalski issued a public plea Monday for financial help. The statement said parade organizers had begun building a replacement float to carry Santa and his sleigh after a sponsor stepped forward with a $50,000 pledge that has now been withdrawn.

Now money is desperately needed to finish the job and replace St. Nick's rickety old ride.

The Streets are alive with Christmas cheer for last year's Santa Clause Parade Nov. 18.

"This will be the 109th this year so it's another generation of families who have enjoyed this tradition," said parade director Monica Derksen.

"The concept and the feeling of community is something that never become irrelevant so we want to continue this whole beloved tradition."

"We are still looking for other sponsorships. We're looking for corporate partners, we're looking for a benefactor or fund"  parade director Monica Derksen

In July, it was announced that Santa's float had been declared unsafe and organizers asked Winnipeggers to help raise $100,000 for a new one through GoFundMe. As of Monday, $33,380 had been donated.

"Because it (the Santa float) is in production  we started building it in April, as it's an eight-month process  so we have been making our payments in building this. So come parade day, we don't have enough money for operations itself," said Derksen.

The need for a new float for the jolly old elf has doubled the cost of the event this year for the independent, registered not-for-profit organization, she said.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Employees of StuartOlson volunteer their time to prepare the Santa float for last year's parade.

"We are still looking for other sponsorships. We're looking for corporate partners, we're looking for a benefactor or fund," she said. "At this point, we're very open to however that comes.

"We definitely do love the community aspect of the GoFundMe. That way people can feel personally like they're contributing and helping out."

The fundraising campaign offers rewards for donors who give amounts of $500, $1,250, $2,500 or $5,000.

Manitoba Hydro, on board as the presenting sponsor, is in its 20th year of supporting the parade.

The now-defunct department store Eatons launched the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade in 1909.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FRESS PRESS FILES Bubbles from the Kickin' Up Kountry float were popular during the Santa Claus Parade in 2016.

The largest night-time parade in Canada and the second largest Santa parade in the country, Winnipeg's November event kicks off the winter season and typically draws about 60,000 people. About 75 floats roll through the downtown area on Portage Avenue.

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Spectators standing or sitting on lawn chairs or curbs line the street to view the spectacle of lights and floats and catch a glimpse of Santa in his sleigh on the final float.

Two weeks ago, a team of Winnipeg Jets' wives and girlfriends and families were announced as the 2018 parade's grand marshals.

"Obviously, everyone at True North and with the Winnipeg Jets Wives & Girlfriends thinks its a really unfortunate circumstance that the Santa Claus Parade might not go forward after 108 years," team spokesman Scott Brown told the Free Press in an email.

"Hopefully, the proper funding can be found and the girls and their families will be able to still be the grand marshals."

Individual donors can click here, and businesses are asked to email sponsor@winnipegsantaparade.com.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.caA candidate for mayor in Thompson haunted by his social media history of supporting white supremacy is dropping out of the race.

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This article was published 25/9/2018 (1143 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A candidate for mayor in Thompson haunted by his social media history of supporting white supremacy is dropping out of the race.

"My family is incredibly affected by this news, and by people's reactions to this matter," said Ryan Brady, who announced on Facebook Tuesday that he was no longer running for mayor.

FACEBOOK Thompson mayoral candidate Ryan Brady says he is working to make amends for a past he left behind a decade ago.

"I hate to withdraw, but I am doing what is asked of me by my wife and by others," said the 29 year old.

His posts on social media nearly a decade ago came to light on the Anti-Racist Canada blogs. In them, he referred to immigrants as "vermin," Jews as "filthy creatures," Asians as "sly and cunning" and said that Indigenous people should stick to their reserves "and not bother us." The former Winnipeg resident founded a group that he called the "Winnipeg White Pride Warriors."

On Monday when contacted by the Free Press, Brady said those aren't his views and haven't been since he left the group 10 years ago.

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"The things I posted 10 years ago were wrong and disgusting," he said, adding that he was working to make amends with his community, friends, family "and our indigenous people here and the communities surrounding Thompson.... If I can change for the better, so can anyone else. That's how we progress as humans; learning from our mistakes and moving on."

Critics of Brady's mayoral bid said they weren't satisfied that he's proved he's changed.

"When you used to be the founder of a hate group, you don't get to say, 'Whoops! My bad'!" said one commenter on his Facebook page. Others used vulgar language to describe him.

Brady said he wanted to do "great things for my community and everyone in it."

"I guess people don't want these issues worked on, or repaired," he said on Facebook. "I'll still be working with the indigenous community and others, to show my views have changed. But enough is enough, fighting hate with hate isn't progression."

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.caHey there, time traveller!

This article was published 25/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Orange will be everywhere this week.

Orange Shirt Day is held annually on Sept. 30 to honour survivors of residential schools. It was an event started in 2013, in Williams Lake, B.C., to recognize the month Indigenous children were removed from their parents and the story of Phyllis Webstad, who had her new orange shirt (given by her grandmother) taken away upon arrival at St. Joseph Mission residential school.

Phyllis Webstad Phyllis Webstad at the age of six

The event is popular at schools, businesses and organizations. This year, due to Sept. 30 being a Sunday, it is being held throughout the work week, thus its more like Orange Shirt Week.

Im in Toronto speaking at a few school districts, and then Ill join my daughters school in Winnipeg on Friday for a walk administrators have organized to the Assiniboia Residential School site. The Assiniboia school operated from 1958 to 1973 and was attended by more than 600 Indigenous students.

Orange Shirt Week will culminate Sunday when, for the first time, an Orange Shirt Day powwow will be held (from 1-7 p.m.) at the former Assiniboia school site.

Survivors will be honoured in a ceremony at 3 p.m.

What led to and happened at residential schools is well-documented. There is no excuse not to know anymore. Residential schools, according to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), were an act of cultural genocide with legacies that can be found in all parts of Canada  and all Canadians.

The final report of the TRC is vital reading. Its long  nearly 4,000 pages in six volumes  but this should tell you how extensive this policy was. Its also emotional and meticulously researched and documented, encompassing nearly 7,000 statements from survivors, participants and witnesses.

Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press Files A 1958-59 class photo from Assiniboia Residential School. A powwow is planned at the former schools site on Sunday for Orange Shirt Day.

If all this sounds daunting, its because the truth often is.

The truth is the removal of Indigenous children from their families and their indoctrination into institutions intended to "kill the Indian" is a defining feature of Canada. Residential schools are a part of the fabric of the country.

For survivors and their families, the legacies of residential schools live in their poverty and struggles, interactions with governments and institutions and engagements with each other. For Canadians, the legacies of the schools live in the laws, policies and practices that embody a sense of Canadian superiority and Indigenous inferiority while stubbornly refusing to change.

Id like to tell you certain attitudes and policies are changing  and some are. But this week, the the Winnipeg-based Frontier Centre for Public Policy released a radio ad under the title: "Are Canadians being told the whole truth about residential schools?"

Voiced by radio journalist Roger Currie, the ad states: "For many years now, weve been told that the residential school system deserves the blame for many of the dysfunctions in Indigenous society," including the "abuse of alcohol and drugs, domestic violence and educational failures."

Its a "myth," the ad claims, that Indigenous schools robbed Indigenous children of their childhoods, languages, cultures and resulted in intergenerational trauma.

"In fact, former students of residential schools were more likely to have retained more of their language and traditional culture than those who did not attend," the ad said.

Um, this is wrong. There are about a hundred studies that rebuke this.

The truth has a funny way of exposing nonsense for what it is.

A few days after posting it, the Frontier Centre quickly removed the ad and scrubbed all evidence of it from its platform.

This is a part of a movement to tell the "alternative" story of residential schools. The "positive" stories. The "fake news," as it were.

Just because someone learned to play a sport or piano or became a leader later didnt mean the schools werent genocidal. It means survivors are incredible, resilient and dynamic human beings who found opportunities to live out that humanity in the violence.

Evidence of this truth lies now in the families of survivors, who make our lives rich in so many ways. We arent perfect, but who is.

None of the truth about residential schools is intended to make us paralyzed. The truth should encourage us to act, to change and to make a society different then what we inherited.

We all carry the truth. Doing something about it might, one day, encourage us to reconcile.

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"Reconciliation must support Aboriginal Peoples as they heal from the destructive legacies of colonization that have wreaked such havoc in their lives," the TRC summary report states. "But it must do even more. Reconciliation must inspire Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples to transform Canadian society so that our children and grandchildren can live together in dignity, peace and prosperity on these lands we now share."

This is why the TRC gave the nation 94 calls to action, calling on virtually all segments of society to commit to one another. To move. To grow.

Call to action No. 80 calls for a "National Day for Truth and Reconciliation."

Some have said that should be Orange Shirt Day.

Maybe we should make it a week like we did this year. Maybe even always.

niigaan.sinclair@freepress.mb.caLA BROQUERIE  Premier Brian Pallister won't apologize for his past comments about the Manitoba Metis Federation, and the MMF believes his refusal to do so implies racial bias against the organization.

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This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LA BROQUERIE  Premier Brian Pallister won't apologize for his past comments about the Manitoba Metis Federation, and the MMF believes his refusal to do so implies racial bias against the organization.

"This man without a doubt has racial bias in him, without doubt," MMF president David Chartrand said Monday, after hearing the premier refused to apologize to the MMF, despite its call for him to do so a day earlier.

"Hes trying to pit one group of people against the Indigenous people and its unfortunate this premier is using that kind of racial-divide mentality"  MMF president David Chartrand

"This leader of the Conservative party truly has a racial connotation in his remarks and it doesnt take much for somebody to see between the lines what hes trying to do and what hes trying to say. Hes trying to reference that Indigenous people dont actually own land and should have no rights to that land," Chartrand said.

"Those that are private owners that have bought the land, purchased the land, theirs are the rights that should be compensated.... Hes trying to pit one group of people against the Indigenous people and its unfortunate this premier is using that kind of racial-divide mentality."

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILESManitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand said 'it doesn't take much to see between the lines' of what Premier Brian Pallister is trying to say.

At a Bell MTS announcement about extended cell service to southeast Manitoba Monday, the premier told reporters he had "nothing to apologize for" regarding his past comments about the MMF.

In March, after nine out of 10 Manitoba Hydro board members resigned at once, Pallister said the reason for the departures was his governments decision to veto a planned Hydro payment of close to $70 million to the MMF to keep the organization from pressing for extended environmental hearings on a proposed Manitoba-Minnesota transmission line.

"I dont believe its right to stand back as a government thats committed to trying to fix the finances in this province for Manitobans... and then watch as a Crown corporation makes a $70-million payment to a special-interest group," Pallister told media in March, referring to the planned payout as "persuasion money."

Former Hydro board members, including onetime board chair Sanford Riley, refuted the premier's claim, arguing Pallister refused to meet with them to discuss several critical issues, leading to their resignations.

Chartrand said the payment  which would have been made in instalments over 50 years  was intended as compensation for myriad projects, including the Manitoba-Minnesota transmission line.

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ANDREW RYAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says the government's practice of not spending money to curry favour will continue.

"Were not in the business as a government of trying to buy favour by paying money to people so they like us"  Premier Brian Pallister

At the organization's annual general assembly over the weekend, more than 3,000 delegates voted unanimously in favour of a resolution demanding an apology from Pallister "for his disrespectful statements about the MMF and its leadership, and more significantly, his ongoing disrespect of the rights and claims of the Manitoba Metis Community."

On Monday, Pallister said he doesn't regret his past statements "at all."

"Were not in the business as a government of trying to buy favour by paying money to people so they like us. What were in the business of doing is making sure that people are compensated fully and fairly when a Hydro project or any other government-led project is built," the premier said.

"And so, thats our approach as a government. We will not be continuing with the old practices of paying millions of dollars to buy favour with people. Instead well treat everyone fairly and fully compensate them when there are damages."

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbuClose to 120 members of "The Jenny Army" rallied Monday night for mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk at an event one month before the Oct. 24 civil election.

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This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Close to 120 members of "The Jenny Army" rallied Monday night for mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk at an event one month before the Oct. 24 civil election.

At the CanadInns Polo Park rally, Motkaluk revved up the mostly middle-aged crowd talking about public safety and putting down the leadership of her main rival, incumbent Mayor Brian Bowman.

"There are people in this room tonight myself included who grew up in a Winnipeg where we didn't lock our doors at night...where leaving your belongings in your car outside your house wasn't an open invitation to vandalism and violence," Motkaluk said. Bowman isn't to blame for "all the increases in crime," she said.

"But until Oct. 24, this is Mr. Bowman's Winnipeg and it's on his watch that riding a bus or taking a walk at any hour of the day or night can no longer be considered a safe activity," she said. "Is that the Winnipeg we want for our kids? For our seniors? What about for ourselves? As mayor, I promise you something - this is going to stop," she told the crowd that included several of Bowman's critics such as Winnipeg councillor Jeff Browaty, former mayoral candidate Peter Kaufman and Qualico's vice president of community development Eric Vogan.

"We're done putting band-aids on bullet wounds," said Motkaluk. "...We're done losing the battle to keep our streets safe." The candidate didn't say how she would keep the streets safe or what it would cost but she said she knows how she'd pay for it.

"Why don't we spend some of the money that Mayor Bowman wants to spend opening Portage and Main and lets put it towards solving our crisis of crime instead?" Motkaluk went after Bowman for supporting the opening of Portage and Main to pedestrians, which is now a ballot questions for voters on Oct. 24. The intersection was closed to pedestrians in 1979, as part of a deal with developers and property owners on the intersection corners to construct the underground shopping concourse.

Motkaluk said reopening Portage and Main is one of Bowman's "vanity projects" that he's paid more attention to than issues like public safety that should be his priority. Motkaluk said aside from safety, infrastructure and growing Winnipeg's economy are her two other priorities that have also been neglected under Bowman's watch.

"Our ability to grow has a been a major challenge for our current administration," said Motkaluk, who has her own consulting firm. "Even the effects of a cultural phenomenon like Folklorama - which should act as a global testament to our culture and diversity - can't be fully realized when you can't offer visitors and new Canadians a safe and prosperous place to live," she told the crowd while taking shots at the mayor for his expansive social media presence.

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"Brian Bowman sees Folklorama as nothing more than 43 photo opps."

A late-August online poll found that a majority of Winnipeggers were uncertain as to who they want as mayor.

It found that 57 per cent of voters remain undecided as to who theyd endorse for mayor.

Bowman has the support of 22 per cent of respondents, with his closest challenger  Motkaluk  at 11 per cent.

Seven other candidates  Chris Clacio, Tim Diack, Umar Hayat, Venkat Rao Machiraju, Desmond Thomas, Doug Wilson and Don Woodstock  split the support of five per cent of respondents. Ed Ackerman, a late entry, was not included in the online poll of 600 Winnipeggers conducted in late August by Probe Research for the CBC.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.caWith a month or so to go until the civic election, the most recent poll suggests that many Winnipeggers have yet to make up their minds about who their choice for mayor will be. Still, Brian Bowman likely has a good chance of keeping his job and serving another four-year term.

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This article was published 25/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

With a month or so to go until the civic election, the most recent poll suggests that many Winnipeggers have yet to make up their minds about who their choice for mayor will be. Still, Brian Bowman likely has a good chance of keeping his job and serving another four-year term.

Bowman also has history on his side, because every incumbent running for mayor of Winnipeg in the past 60 years has been victorious. As Free Press columnist Dan Lett has pointed out, incumbents for the mayoralty and city council have built-in advantages over their opponents: name recognition, constant media attention and financial resources.

Dave Bonner / Winnipeg Free Press Files Former Winnipeg mayor Stephen Juba, seen here receiving the chain of office in 1964, was a rare exception in civic politics  an outsider who defeated an incumbent.

The last time a sitting mayor lost an election was on Oct. 24, 1956, when George Sharpe, a genial 49-year-old electrical engineer and head of his familys electrical business, was defeated by 42-year-old Stephen Juba, arguably the most colourful and lovable character to ever serve as the citys mayor. This marked the beginning of Jubas unprecedented 20-year reign as Winnipegs mayor.

Sharpe was expected to beat Juba, just as he had done in the 1954 election. Sharpe was a typical anglophone Winnipeg leader of his day.

His father, Thomas, had served as the citys mayor from 1903 to 1905 and later was the president of the Winnipeg Conservative Association. Following in his footsteps, George had been elected as a city alderman in 1946.

He was a member of the Winnipeg Winter Club, St. Charles Country Club and the Manitoba Club. Moreover, he had been endorsed by the citys business establishment and former mayor Garnet Coulter. Former Manitoba premier Douglas Campbell had helped Sharpes campaign by promising a new site for city hall.

Juba, on the other hand, was the son of Ukrainian immigrants and had grown up in Brooklands. He had dropped out of school after completing Grade 10. He became an entrepreneur, hawking car alarms and paint before eventually establishing Keystone Supply, a plumbing and electrical distributor, in 1945. Juba chalked up more losses than wins until he finally won a seat in the provincial legislature in 1953.

During the mayoralty contest against Sharpe, Juba made exactly one speech and distributed 40,000 pamphlets. He only announced his candidacy at the beginning of October. With nearly unlimited resources, Sharpe spent about $15,000 (with a purchasing power today of approximately $140,000) on his campaign, while Jubas expenses were less than $1,000.

Sharpe also refused to participate in a major public debate eight days before the vote. Juba, on the other hand, was a visionary  if only Winnipeg had a monorail today, as Juba proposed two decades later  and took advantage of Sharpes absence at the public forum to offer his ideas about reforming the city government.

Sharpe remained the choice of both the Free Press and the Tribune. A few days before the election, the Free Presss editors concluded that Juba "would be a larger risk than the citizens of Winnipeg should wisely take."

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A sufficient number of voters, however, did not heed that advice. Juba only defeated Sharpe by 1,931 votes  46,197 to 44,266  yet his victory was a significant moment in Winnipeg history. Juba was perceived as a "man of the people," an image he fostered for the next two decades. In subsequent elections, no opponent ever came close to beating him.

Moreover, like the election of William Hawrelak, who was also of Ukrainian heritage, as mayor of Edmonton in 1951, and the elections of the first Jewish mayors in Toronto and Halifax  Nathan Phillips in Toronto 1954 and Leonard Kitz in Halifax in 1955  Jubas victory was evidence that Canadian attitudes were changing and that a slight power shift was taking place in all four cities as the so-called "ethnic" middle class asserted itself politically.

During a typical Winnipeg civic campaign, candidates for mayor, including the incumbent, offer voters big plans to accomplish much: removing the barriers at Portage and Main, freezing property taxes, cleaning up the rivers, fixing roads  the list is endless and very expensive.

After the votes are counted, reality sets in and the new mayor soon learns that, unlike a prime minister or premier, his or her power is limited. Not only is the mayor dependent on the support of (in theory) independent and non-partisan city councillors, but more importantly, the mayor must adhere to provincial dictates.

The overriding factor in civic politics is that the City of Winnipeg is a creature of the province, and for the most part, its finances and ability to effect change is entirely in the hands of the provincial government. Ontario Premier Doug Fords unilateral decision to cut Toronto city council in half is an example. On Oct. 24, Winnipeg voters should keep that political reality in mind and temper their expectations, because whatever grand promises have been made, the odds are high that most of them will not be delivered upon by the next election four years from now.

Now & Then is a column in which historian Allan Levine puts the events of today in a historical context.It has been almost two years since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to enacting an Indigenous Languages Act, co-developed with Indigenous Peoples, to preserve, protect and revitalize Indigenous languages in Canada. Last spring, the Trudeau government promised to table legislation this fall, following a summer of consultations. It is said this act will recognize the use of Indigenous languages as a fundamental right.

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This article was published 25/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

It has been almost two years since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed to enacting an Indigenous Languages Act, co-developed with Indigenous Peoples, to "preserve, protect and revitalize" Indigenous languages in Canada. Last spring, the Trudeau government promised to table legislation this fall, following a summer of consultations. It is said this act will recognize the use of Indigenous languages as a "fundamental right."

Little is publicly known about how the act will concretely guarantee such rights.

Some stakeholders are understandably concerned that the proposed legislation will be merely symbolic. We say "understandably," because Ottawa has a history of toothless language legislation  a history that seems doomed to repeat itself unless a new approach to language-rights protection is adopted.

Few know of Bill S-212, an act for the advancement of the Aboriginal languages of Canada and to recognize and respect Aboriginal languages rights, introduced in the Senate in 2015. In his introduction speech, Sen. Serge Joyal optimistically affirmed that Bill S-212 would re-establish Aboriginal peoples rights to their identity, including their languages.

Sen. Joyal was surely drawing upon his extensive leadership in protecting French (and English in Quebec), particularly his involvement in amending Part VII of the Official Languages Act (OLA) in 2005, by which Parliament intended to impose positive language obligations on the government. Indeed, Bill S-212 bears striking resemblance to Part VII of the OLA.

The OLA imposes a general duty on the federal government to take "positive measures" to enhance "the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada" by "supporting and assisting their development" and "fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society."

Sound familiar? Bill S-212 would enunciate the federal governments commitment to take measures to implement a general commitment to "preserving, revitalizing and promoting" Indigenous languages by "protecting them and using them where appropriate."

While many were optimistic about the 2005 OLA amendments, the intended beneficiaries could not have more greatly misjudged their impact. In subsequent years, the OLAs inherent limitations became clear.

In May, the Federal Court released its decision in Federation des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique v. Canada (Employment and Social Development), a case regarding French-language services within the context of a multi-year, multimillion-dollar federal transfer agreement. The Federal Court was tasked with determining whether sufficient "positive measures" (Bill S-212 uses similar language) had been taken regarding the quality and availability of services in French.

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The Federal Court confirmed what skeptics were afraid of: while the OLA requires the federal government to advance French and English as official languages, it does not establish any specific performance obligations, nor, for that matter, any precise rights. Instead, the OLA relies on Ottawas bureaucrats to draft regulations necessary to realize Parliaments objectives.

No such regulations were ever passed, leaving Parliaments commitment toward anglophone and francophone minority communities undefined, and those communities without any legal recourse. Bill S-212 resorts to the same approach.

Some foreshadowed the limitations of the OLA. In the early days, despite insistence to the contrary by Brian Mulroneys Progressive Conservative Party, Liberal senators (such as Sen. Pierre De Bane) questioned whether the OLA would confer any concrete, positive obligations on the federal government, particularly given its lack of enforceability provisions.

Roughly 30 years later, and despite targeted amendments, the Federal Court  giving credence to these concerns  confirmed that the OLA is, indeed, a toothless tiger. For his part, Trudeau recently committed in Parliament to, yet again, modernizing the OLA. He even vowed to "get it right" this time.

Canada has a complicated history of legislating language rights, but our point is simple: mistakes must not be repeated. With its similarities to the current OLA, Bill S-212 is unlikely to "preserve, protect and revitalize" most Indigenous languages. But a new parliamentary session has begun and its not too late to circumnavigate known dangers.

Madelaine Mackenzie, Darius Bosse and Melanie Power are lawyers at the Ottawa/Vancouver-based firm Power Law.U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, in a university speech three years ago, recalled a rule of his Roman Catholic high school in Bethesda, Md.: What happens at Georgetown Prep stays at Georgetown Prep, Judge Kavanaugh quoted.

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This article was published 24/9/2018 (1144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, in a university speech three years ago, recalled a rule of his Roman Catholic high school in Bethesda, Md.: "What happens at Georgetown Prep stays at Georgetown Prep," Judge Kavanaugh quoted.

That rule may have been repealed while Kavanaugh wasnt watching. Drunken parties at Georgetown Preparatory School  and later at Yale Law School  are now being widely discussed and hotly debated in Washington and around the world.

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (Alex Brandon / The Canadian Press files)

The New Yorker magazine, which has developed a specialty in ferreting out sexual misconduct, has spoken to a vast array of sources and found some evidence of disgraceful conduct by Kavanaugh during his teenage and university years. Some other sources told the magazine no such thing ever happened.

Who exactly did what to whom is far from clear in these incidents from the 1980s. Many of the people present were in varying stages of drunkenness at the time. But enough people remember enough misbehaviour that Kavanaugh may be forced, despite the efforts of Republicans on the Senate judiciary committee to ram through his nomination, to drop out of the running for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. In that event, U.S. President Donald Trump may have to wait until after the November midterm elections to seek congressional approval for a Supreme Court nominee.

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According to a promotional slogan that seems ever more out of touch in the #MeToo era, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." That principle reflects a time when women who had been sexually abused were so ashamed of what had happened that they would not denounce the perpetrators. The #MeToo movement has brought that era to an end. Hardly a week passes this year without a prominent woman disclosing sexual misconduct, sometimes involving prominent men who should definitely know better.

For people  mainly men  who grew up under the old rules and are now climbing the career ladder under the new rules, the change of rules is a delicate matter. For a few of them, it will be an unmitigated disaster. Those who went through early adulthood in a drunken haze cannot now be sure what they did. They may be genuinely astonished to learn what footprints they left in the sands of time, and in the memories of their friends and classmates.

For those who know perfectly well what they did and who are anxiously expecting denunciation, it may not be too late to renew old acquaintances and seek forgiveness. That sounds like a hard thing to do, but the spectacle of Brett Kavanaugh twisting in the wind this week should be instructive.

These events mark a large, long overdue shift in the power relations between men and women. For too long, victims of abuse could not count on society to deliver on its moral duty to deliver justice.

Women subjected to abuse have been justifiably reluctant to step forward, fearful of having their trauma compounded by being dismissed or shamed for speaking of what had been done to them.

That sense of shame is ebbing away, and mens sense of impunity is eroding with it. The generation now in young adulthood can profit from the Kavanaugh story and mind their manners while there is still time.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.Celebrate National Voter Registration Day

Today, Tuesday, Sept. 25, is National Voter Registration Day, and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign urges everyone in Wisconsin to celebrate this day by making sure you're registered to vote and by helping others to get registeredA shocking new report by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details a case in which Attorney General Brad Schimel sought no jail time for a man convicted of second-degree sexual assault of a child.

Schimel, who was an assistant attorney in Waukesha County at the time (2003) blamed the two 15-year-old victims for being assaulted and showed great leniency in sentencing Dustin Yoss.

Schimel repeatedly has failed to pursue lawsuits involving his campaign donors, such as opioid manufacturers, but theres no evidence that he knew or had any connection with Yoss.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writer Patrick Marley reported:

As an assistant district attorney in Waukesha County in 2003, Schimel prosecuted Dustin Yoss for attacking two 15-year-olds. In one incident, Yoss was alleged to have held down a girl and pulled down his pants before she escaped.

In another, Yoss allegedly badgered a different 15-year-old to have sex with him ... she told him to stop but he wouldnt stop, according to the criminal complaint.

Both victims consider their decisions they made that night to be very bad judgment to put themselves in the bedroom alone with Mr. Yoss, Schimel told the judge.

As to the victim who eventually agreed to have sex, Schimel told the judge, She said, no, no, no, no, but then eventually gave in and then let the defendant do it out of fear. Thats a little tougher call to  or a lot tougher call to make the force allegation, and she knows that.

Brad Schimel clearly doesnt care about crime victims or keeping Wisconsin safe, said Courtney Beyer, Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson. If he did, he would have treated these two young women with a modicum of respect and made sure justice was delivered. Unfortunately, this is what Wisconsinites have learned to expect from their attorney general, who failed to test Wisconsins rape kit backlog in a timely manner, denying timely justice to thousands of survivors of sexual assault.

Two years after he first took office and learned of the Wisconsins rape kit backlog, Brad Schimel had tested only 9 of the over 6,000 backlogged kits. He then went on to outright lie about the backlog, claiming there was none. Brad Schimel stood in the way of efforts to expedite testing of the backlog, shutting down legislative efforts to provide the DOJ with more funding while wait[ing] for a bargain price to begin testing.

Schimels handling of rape kits is just one of many areas in which Democrats say the AG has neglected or mismanaged his duties.

Schimel faces Democrat Josh Kaul in his bid for re-election on Nov. 6. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

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4.8 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Chinook Energy has received 294 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Chinook Energy has received 118 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Chinook Energy has received 71.36% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Chinook Energy and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe CKE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe CKE will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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Next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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..There is not enough analysis data for Just Eat.

5.0 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Just Eat has received 946 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Just Eat has received 249 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Just Eat has received 79.16% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Just Eat and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe JE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe JE will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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NextCambrex Corporation, a life sciences company, provides various products and services for the development and commercialization of new and generic therapeutics worldwide. Its products comprise active pharmaceutical ingredients and pharmaceutical intermediates that are used in the production of prescription and over-the-counter drug products, as well as finished dosage forms. The company serves generic drug companies; and companies that discover and commercialize small molecule human therapeutics. The company sells its products directly, as well as through independent agents. Cambrex Corporation was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Read MoreCanadian Utilities Limited and its subsidiaries engage in the electricity, natural gas, and retail energy businesses worldwide. It operates through Utilities, Energy Infrastructure, and Corporate & Other segments. The Utilities segment provides regulated electricity transmission and distribution services in northern and central east Alberta, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories; and integrated natural gas transmission and distribution services in Alberta, the Lloydminster area of Saskatchewan, and Western Australia. It owns and operates approximately 9,000 kilometers of natural gas pipelines, 16 compressor sites, approximately 3,700 receipt and delivery points, and a salt cavern storage peaking facility located near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta in Canada. The Energy Infrastructure segment provides electricity generation, natural gas storage, industrial water, and related infrastructure development solutions in Alberta, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Australia, Mexico, and Chile. The Corporate & Other segment retails electricity and natural gas business in Alberta. The company was incorporated in 1927 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Canadian Utilities Limited is a subsidiary of ATCO Ltd.

Read MoreFOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIAFBL Financial Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, sells individual life insurance and annuity products. The Annuity segment sells various traditional annuity products that primarily consist of fixed rate and indexed annuities, and supplementary contracts. The Life Insurance segment offers whole life, term life, and universal life policies. It also involved in the property-casualty business; and provision of wealth management, investment advisory, and marketing and distribution services for the sale of mutual funds and insurance products, as well as leasing services. The company markets its products to Farm Bureau members, and other individuals and businesses through exclusive agents and agency managers under the consumer brand name of Farm Bureau Financial Services in the Midwestern and Western sections of the United States. The company was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Read MoreTCF Financial Corporation operates as the financial holding company for TCF National Bank that provides various financial products and services in the United States and Canada. It operates through Consumer Banking, Commercial Banking, and Enterprise Services segments. The company offers checking, savings, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit; individual retirement accounts; debit and credit cards; and check cashing and remittance services. It also provides investment management and custodial services, trust services, financial and estate planning, and retirement planning and employee benefit programs; residential, consumer, and small business lending products; and consumer real estate secured lending, consumer loans, loans secured by personal property, and unsecured personal loans. In addition, the company offers 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. Further, it provides commercial and industrial, commercial real estate banking, and lease financing; and treasury services comprising investment and borrowing portfolios, as well as manages capital, debt, and market risks. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 478 branches, including 373 traditional branches, 102 supermarket branches, and three campus branches located in Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona, and South Dakota; and 1,062 ATMs. TCF Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

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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.TelefAnica Deutschland Holding AG provides integrated telecommunication services to private and business customers in Germany. It offers voice, data, and value-added services in mobile and fixed line networks; access to infrastructure and services for its wholesale partners; and digital products and services in the fields of Internet of Things. The company provides its products and services through a network of independently operated franchise and premium partner shops, and online and telesales channels, as well as indirect selling channels, such as partnerships and co-operations with retailers. It markets its products and services under the O2, Blau, AY YILDIZ, Ortel Mobile, FONIC, netzclub, and TArkeiSIM brand names. As of December 31, 2020, TelefAnica Deutschland Holding AG had approximately 47 million customers. The company was formerly known as TelefAnica Germany Verwaltungs GmbH and changed its name to TelefAnica Deutschland Holding AG in September 2012. The company is based in Munich, Germany. TelefAnica Deutschland Holding AG is a subsidiary of Telefonica Germany Holdings Limited.

Read MoreImpact Shares YWCA Womens Empowerment ETF's stock was trading at $20.26 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, WOMN shares have increased by 76.5% and is now trading at $35.76.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management and Analytic Investors, LLC. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors, with an emphasis on the utilities sector. The fund primarily invests in dividend-paying common and preferred stocks of companies which have dividends that qualify for a more favorable long-term capital gains tax rate. It invests in stocks of companies across diversified market capitalizations. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against a composite benchmark comprised of 55% Bank of America Merrill Lynch Preferred Stock DRD Eligible Index and 45% S&P 500 Utilities Index. John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund was formed on February 27, 2004 and is domiciled in the United States.

Read MoreNovaGold Resources Inc. explores for and develops gold mineral properties in the United States. It primarily owns 50% interest in the Donlin Gold project consisting of 493 mining claims covering an area of 71,420 acres located in the Kuskokwim region of southwestern Alaska. The company was formerly known as NovaCan Mining Resources (1985) Limited and changed its name to NovaGold Resources Inc. in March 1987. NovaGold Resources Inc. was founded in 1984 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC.President Energy Plc engages in the exploration, evaluation, and production of oil and gas properties primarily in South America. The company holds exploration assets in Argentina, the United States, and Paraguay. It also sells hydrocarbons. The company was formerly known as President Petroleum Company PLC and changed its name to President Energy Plc in September 2012. President Energy Plc was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Leeds, the United Kingdom.

Read MoreWhite Mountains Insurance Group Ltd. engages in the acquisition of businesses and assets in the insurance, financial services and related sectors. It operates through the following segments: HG Global/BAM, NSM, Kudu, and Other Operations. The HG Global/BAM segment refers to the White Mountains's investment in HG Global Limited, and the consolidated results of Build America Mutual Assurance Company (BAM). The NSM segment comprises of full-service managing general underwriting agency and program administrator for specialty property and casualty insurance. The Kudu Segment provides capital solutions for boutique asset managers for a variety of purposes including generational ownership transfers, management buyouts, acquisition and growth finance and legacy partner liquidity. The Other Operations segment comprises of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiary, WM Capital, its wholly-owned investment management subsidiary, WM Advisors, and its other intermediate holding companies, as well as certain consolidated and unconsolidated private capital and other investments. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Hanover, NH.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Sysco: 2234829 Alberta ULC, 2234842 Alberta ULC, A. M. Briggs Inc., A.M. Briggs, Almacen Fiscal Frionet Caldera S.A., Almacen Fiscal Frionet Limon S.A., Appert's Foodservice, Arnotts (Fruit) Limited, Asian Foods, Bahamas Food Holdings Limited, Bahamas Food Services Limited, Brake Bros, Brake Bros Foodservice Ireland Limited, Brake Bros. Foodservice Limited, Brake Bros. Holding I Limited, Brake Bros. Ltd., Brakes Foodservice NI Limited, Buchy Food Service, Buckhead Beef Co., Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Houston Inc., Buckhead Meat Company, Buckhead Meat Midwest Inc., Buckhead Meat of Dallas Inc., Buckhead Meat of Denver Inc., Buckhead Meat of San Antonio LP, Buzztable Inc., CAKE Corporation, Central Seafood Co., Christys Wine & Spirits Limited, Clafra Aktiebolag, Colorado Boxed Beef Co - Specialty meat-cutting division, Corporacion Frionet Sociedad Anonima, Crossgar Foodservice, Crossgar Foodservice Limited, Crown I Enterprises Inc., Cucina Acquisitions (UK) Limited, Cucina Finance (UK) Limited, Cucina French Holdings Limited, Cucina Fresh Finance Limited, Cucina Fresh Investments Limited, Cucina Lux Investments Limited, Curleys Quality Foods Limited (Third Party), Davigel Belgilux S.A., Davigel Espana S.A., Desert Meats & Provisions, Distagro, Doerle Food Service, Doughtie's Foods Inc., Dust Bowl City LLC, Eko Fagel Fisk o mittemellan AB, Enclave Insurance Company, Enclave Parkway Association Inc., Enclave Properties LLC, European Imports, European Imports Inc., Figg Inc., Freedman Meats, Freedman Meats Inc., Freedman-KB Inc., Fresh Direct (UK) Limited, Fresh Direct Group Limited, Fresh Direct Limited, Fresh Holdings Limited, FreshPoint, FreshPoint Arizona Inc., FreshPoint Atlanta Inc., FreshPoint California Inc., FreshPoint Central California Inc., FreshPoint Central Florida Inc., FreshPoint Connecticut LLC, FreshPoint Dallas Inc., FreshPoint Denver Inc., FreshPoint Hawaii LLC, FreshPoint Inc., FreshPoint Las Vegas Inc., FreshPoint North Carolina Inc., FreshPoint North Florida Inc., FreshPoint Oklahoma City LLC, FreshPoint Pompano Real Estate LLC, FreshPoint Puerto Rico LLC, FreshPoint San Francisco Inc., FreshPoint South Florida Inc., FreshPoint South Texas Inc., FreshPoint Southern California Inc., FreshPoint Tomato LLC, FreshPoint Vancouver Ltd., Freshfayre Limited, Fruktservice i Helsingborg AB, GHS Classic Drinks Limited, Gilchrist & Soames Inc., Gilchrist & Soames UK Limited, Guest Packaging LLC, Guest Supply, Guest Supply Asia Limited, Guest Supply Singapore Pte. Ltd., International Food Group, Isakssons Frukt & Gront AB, J & M Wholesale Meats, J. Kings Food Service Professionals, J. Kings Food Service Professionals Inc., Kent Frozen Foods, Les Ateliers Du Gout, Liquid Assets Limited, M&J Seafood Holdings Limited, M&J Seafood Limited, Manchester Mills LLC, Mayca Autoservicio S.A., Mayca Distribuidores S.A., Menigo Foodservice AB, Mitshim Etatu Supply LP, Newport Meat Company, Newport Meat Northern California Inc., Newport Meat Pacific Northwest Inc., Newport Meat Southern California Inc., Newport Meat of Nevada Inc., North Star Holding Corporation, North Star Seafood, North Star Seafood Acquisition Corporation, North Star Seafood LLC, PFS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Palisades Ranch Inc., Pallas Foods, Pallas Foods Farm Fresh Unlimited Company, Pallas Foods Unlimited Company, Pauleys Produce Limited, Promotora del Servicios S.A. de C.V., Restaurangakdemien AB, Restaurant of Tomorrow Inc., Rohan Viandes Elaboration SAS, SMS Bermuda Holdings, SMS GPC International Limited, SMS GPC International Resources Limited, SMS Global Holdings S.a.r.l., SMS International Resources Ireland Unlimited Company, SMS Lux Holdings LLC, SOTF LLC, SYY Netherlands C.V., SYY Panama S. de R.L., Serca Foodservice, Servicestyckarna I Johannes AB, Servicios Ameriserve S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Co. Limited, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Bianchi Montegut, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Boiseau, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Garcelles, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) J.D. Lanjouan, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Le Dauphin, Specialty Meat Holdings LLC, Stockflag Limited, Stockholms Fiskauktion AB, Supplies on the Fly, Sysco Albany LLC, Sysco Asian Foods Inc., Sysco Atlanta LLC, Sysco Autoservicio S.A., Sysco Baltimore LLC, Sysco Baraboo LLC, Sysco Bermuda Partners L.P., Sysco Boston LLC, Sysco Canada Holdings S.a.r.l., Sysco Canada Inc., Sysco Central Alabama LLC, Sysco Central California Inc., Sysco Central Florida Inc., Sysco Central Illinois Inc., Sysco Central Pennsylvania LLC, Sysco Charlotte LLC, Sysco Chicago Inc., Sysco Cincinnati LLC, Sysco Cleveland Inc., Sysco Columbia LLC, Sysco Connecticut LLC, Sysco Corporation, Sysco Corporation Director's Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Employee's 401(k) Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Good Government Committee Inc., Sysco Corporation Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan Trust, Sysco Detroit LLC, Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation Inc., Sysco EI VI S. s.r.l., Sysco EU II S.a.r.l., Sysco EU III S.a.r.l., Sysco EU IV Capital Unlimited Company, Sysco EU IV S. s.r.l.., Sysco EU V S. s.r.l., Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin LLC, Sysco Foundation Inc., Sysco France Holding SAS, Sysco France SAS, Sysco George Town II LLC, Sysco George Town Limited S. s.r.l.., Sysco Global Finance LLC, Sysco Global Finance LLP, Sysco Global Holdings B.V., Sysco Global Resources LLC, Sysco Global Services LLC, Sysco Grand Cayman Company, Sysco Grand Cayman II Company, Sysco Grand Cayman III Company, Sysco Grand Rapids LLC, Sysco Guernsey Limited, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc., Sysco Guest Supply Europe Goods Wholesalers LLC, Sysco Guest Supply Europe Limited, Sysco Guest Supply LLC, Sysco Gulf Coast LLC, Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Sysco Hawaii Inc., Sysco Holdings II LLC, Sysco Holdings LLC, Sysco Indianapolis LLC, Sysco International Food Group Inc., Sysco International Inc., Sysco Iowa Inc., Sysco Jackson LLC, Sysco Jacksonville Inc., Sysco Kansas City Inc., Sysco Knoxville LLC, Sysco Labs Europe Limited, Sysco Labs Pvt. Ltd., Sysco Leasing LLC, Sysco Lincoln Inc., Sysco Lincoln Transportation Company Inc., Sysco Long Island LLC, Sysco Los Angeles Inc., Sysco Louisville Inc., Sysco Memphis LLC, Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Canada Inc., Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Inc., Sysco Metro New York LLC, Sysco Minnesota Inc., Sysco Montana Inc., Sysco Nashville LLC, Sysco Netherlands Partners LLC, Sysco North Central Florida Inc., Sysco North Dakota Inc., Sysco Northern New England Inc., Sysco Philadelphia LLC, Sysco Pittsburgh LLC, Sysco Portland Inc., Sysco Raleigh LLC, Sysco Resources Services LLC, Sysco Riverside Inc., Sysco Sacramento Inc., Sysco San Diego Inc., Sysco San Francisco Inc., Sysco Seattle Inc., Sysco South Florida Inc., Sysco Southeast Florida LLC, Sysco Spain Holdings SLU, Sysco Spokane Inc., Sysco St. Louis LLC, Sysco Syracuse LLC, Sysco Technologies Cayman Ltd., Sysco Technologies LLC, Sysco UK Holdings Limited, Sysco UK Limited, Sysco UK Partners LLP, Sysco USA I Inc., Sysco USA II LLC, Sysco USA III LLC, Sysco Ventura Inc., Sysco Ventures Inc., Sysco Virginia LLC, Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., Sysco Western Minnesota Inc., The SYGMA Network Inc., Upsys, Victua SAS, Walker Foods Inc., Waugh Foods, and Wild Harvest Limited.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).Zalando SE operates as an online fashion and lifestyle retailer. It offers a range of products, including shoes, apparel, accessories, and beauty products for women, men, and children, as well as free delivery and returns services. The company also sells its products through its Zalando Lounge; and brick-and-mortar stores in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig, Hamburg, Hanover, MAnster, Stuttgart, Mannheim, and Ulm. It serves in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The company has a strategic partnership with Sephora SAS to create the online prestige beauty destination. Zalando SE was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany.

Read MoreFrom left, Albert R. Beauparlant, a member of the board of directors of the Heritage Harbor Foundation, and Woonsocket City Councilwoman Denise Sierra, present a Heritage Harbor grant of $10,000 to members of the Laotian Community Center of R.I. Accepting the funding for development of a telling of the Laotian migration to R.I. are, from left, Phetsamoune Phrasavath, Dee Ratsapho, Khay Sayasit, Somphone Sayasit, Chanthy Phannavong and Silaphone Nhongvongsouthy.Water ministers of Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan met on Tuesday in capital Addis Ababa to discuss a report on a multi-billion dollar dam project on the Nile.

In May, leaders of the three countries agreed to conduct an independent study with a team of experts in order to dispel worries on water flow of the $4.8 billion hydroelectric dams.

Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopias Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, and his Sudanese and Egyptian counterparts Kedir Gasmedin and Mohammed Abdulati gathered to come up with a filling strategy that would be acceptable within the board.

This is the first time the three countries came together to discuss a filling strategy of the largest dam under construction in the entire African continent to date.

Abdulati said that there were differences in the process followed by the experts team to study the filling, but they could be resolved through dialogue.

Bekele, for his part, hailed the team for the study which began three months ago -- the details of which has yet to be made public.

Ethiopia launched the 6,450 MW project, officially known as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), in 2011.

It was scheduled to be completed within five years, but more than seven years down the line it is nowhere near complete.

According to Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the military-based local contractor Metal and Engineering Corporation was to blame for the unnecessary delays in construction as it failed to supply the electro-mechanical equipment as obliged under contract.

We have not even been able to install two turbines so far let alone complete according to timetable, Ahmed said, in his first news conference after taking office this April.Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera has told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that the Tamils were discriminated by the Vellalas and not by the Sinhalese.

In his speech on racial discrimination he said the majority Sinhalese are charged with discriminating the Tamil minorities but in fact it was a section of the Tamils who discriminated another section of the Tamils.

The high caste Vellalas kept away the low caste Tamils from Temples, schools, and Kovils. They did not share a drop of water with the low caste. In 1968, one C Sundaralingam went as far as the Privy council to defend Vellala supremacy denying low caste people from entering a Hindu kovil. Ponnambalam Ramanathan went to London to urge the colonial masters to legalise the caste system in Jaffna. In 1951, when Sinhala leaders brought social disabilities act to protect the rights of the low caste Tamils the Vellala Tamils travelled to Britain to demand the British government to annul the Act, he said.

Mr. Weerasekera said Vellalas could maintain their supremacy only if they could pose as saviours of the Tamils.

So it were the vellalas who manufactured anti-Sinhala Buddhist venom in the name of protecting the Tamils. If the majority Sinhalese were that bad how did the Tamil-speaking Muslims and more than 50% of the Tamil population peacefully co-exist with the majority? Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneshwaran, after living among the Sinhalese for 65 years, ending up as a Supreme court judge, has the audacity to say Sinhalese have no right to live in the North. He generates hate against Sinhalese but yet when the Northern hospitals run short of blood, Sinhalese soldiers are the ones who give blood to the Tamils because Wigneshwaran and his fellow Vellalas do not like their blood mixed with that of the low caste people. It is high time the Tamils in Sri Lanka woke up to this truth, he said.The conference will formally be inaugurated by Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sept. 28 and the keynote address will be delivered by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya.

Representatives from nine countries would be attending an international conference to mark the 20th anniversary of the Colombo Declaration on Media Freedom and Social Responsibility from September 27 to 30, 2018, a media release said.

The conference is organised by the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) in partnership with its constituent partners, UNESCO and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

The release said:

The conference will also coincide with the UN-designated International Day for the Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).

The conference will be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on September 27 and on the following day, the keynote address on IDUAI will be delivered by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya followed by an address by Mahinda Gammanpila, Chairman, RTI Commission.

The working sessions will be held at the Cinnamon Grand and the Mt. Lavinia Hotel and will be attended by local editors, publishers, journalists, academics and information technologists. Representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Germany, India, Norway, Pakistan and the UK will be participating.

The 12 sessions that will cover the 3   days will include topics: Revisiting the Colombo Declaration of 1998; Regulating the Media; Public Service vs. Private Broadcasting, an event to mark the International Day for the Universal Access to Information, the RTI and the way ahead; Truth and Trust: Fake news and Media Credibility; Contempt of Court; Training and Preparing for the Future and Power of Journalism.

The last day will look at the achievements of the Colombo Declaration, take stock of what has been achieved and map out the way ahead.

The international conference is supported by the media industry comprising The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL), Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka (NSSL), Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL), Sri Lanka College of Journalists (SLCJ), WAN/IFRA, Commonwealth Media Trust, Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI).On September 21, the Guardian newspaper published claims, based on unnamed sources, that Ecuador, Russia and WikiLeaks had conspired to smuggle Julian Assange out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London and transport him to another countrymost likely Russia.

According to the article, the plan was set for Christmas Eve 2017. Ecuador had granted Assange diplomatic status to represent its government in Russia. He was to be picked up by consular vehicles. However, the supposed plot was abandoned as too risky, because British authorities outright rejected any recognition of diplomatic status for Assange and vowed to arrest him as soon as he set foot outside the embassy.

Julian Assange

The claims were immediately rejected as false by Russian officials and former British whistleblower and WikiLeaks supporter Craig Murray.

A representative of the Russian embassy stated in a letter to the Guardian that the article had nothing to do with reality. The letter declared that it was puzzled by the sensationalist attitude of the authors.

Craig Murray publicly stated that he had been involved in earlier talks with Ecuadorian consul Fidel Narvaez over possible future destinations for Assange. Russia, he insisted, was specifically ruled out as undesirable.

Assange was granted Ecuadorian citizenship in early December 2017 as part of considerations as to whether holding that status could assist in getting him out of the embassy. British authorities left no doubt that it would not.

On March 28, 2018, under intense pressure from Washington and London, the Ecuadorian embassy cut off Assanges ability to communicate with the outside world or even receive personal visitors, in a vindictive effort to force him to leave the building.

Murray linked the Guardians allegations directly to the Mueller investigation in the United States. The investigation appears to be trying to construct a case that WikiLeaks and Assange conspired with Russian intelligence during the 2016 presidential election to hack the Democratic National Committee and publish emails that impacted on the campaign of Hillary Clinton.

The authors of the Guardian article are Stephanie Kirchgaessner, Dan Collyns and Luke Harding. For more than seven years, Harding, in particular, has used the pages of the newspaper to seek to discredit Julian Assange and undermine support for WikiLeaks.

The Guardian article alleges: The involvement of Russian officials in hatching what was described as the basic plan raises new questions about Assanges ties to the Kremlin. The WikiLeaks editor is a key figure in the ongoing US criminal investigation into Russias attempts to sway the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

Assange cannot speak for himself to answer such assertions, as Ecuador has denied him his right to communicate for close to six months.

Craig Murray, however, wrote: It is very serious indeed when a newspaper like the Guardian prints a tissue of deliberate lies in order to spread fake news on behalf of the security services. I cannot find words eloquent enough to express the depth of my contempt for Harding and Katharine Viner [ Guardian editor-in-chief], who have betrayed completely the values of journalism.

The aim of the piece is evidently to add a further layer to the fake news of WikiLeaks (non-existent) relationship to Russia as part of the Hillary didnt really lose narrative. I am, frankly, rather shocked.

The sole objective of the efforts to associate WikiLeaks with Russia and the Trump campaign is to legitimise the unsubstantiated accusations of Russian meddling by the Democratic Party and US intelligence agencies. The allegations have no credibility.

The DNC emails were published by WikiLeaks on July 22, 2016. They exposed that the Clinton camp had sought to undermine the campaign of Bernie Sanders in the primary elections. As a result, top DNC officials were forced to resign in disgrace over their attempt to manipulate the outcome. Later, in October 2016, WikiLeaks also published emails leaked from Clinton campaign director John Podesta, which shed further light on the right-wing, militarist character of her policies and campaign.

WikiLeaks has flatly denied that it obtained the DNC and Podesta leaks from purported Russian sources. Craig Murray has publicly stated that he knows the emails came from disgruntled employees within the DNC who were disgusted by the anti-democratic attempt to undermine Sanders and benefit Clinton.

The claim that Assange coordinated with Roger Stone, a figure who by that time was only loosely associated with the Trump campaign, is even more absurd. Stone did not even attempt to establish contact with WikiLeaks until after the publication of the DNC leaks and it was already in possession of the Podesta emails. Apart from a few business-like exchanges, there is no record of any collaboration between Stone and WikiLeaks.

The effort to paint Assange as a Russian tool is nevertheless relentless. On September 18, Associated Press published a letter by Assange dated November 30, 2010, authorising an individual, Israel Shamir, to act on his behalf in seeking to get a visa to go to Russia. AP asserts that the letter was an early hint of Assanges budding relationship with Moscow which would become increasingly salient before the 2016 presidential election.

In fact, the letter serves only to underscore the immense peril that faced Assange in late 2010. Politicians and media figures in the US were publicly calling for him to be murdered over WikiLeaks publication of information exposing American war crimes and diplomatic intrigues. A Swedish prosecutor was pursuing manufactured allegations that he had possibly committed sexual assault. The government of Australia, where Assange is a citizen, was refusing to provide him with any assistance.

For Assange to consider leaving Britain for Russia, or any another country that was less likely to collaborate with a politically-motivated extradition request, was entirely rational. As it was, Sweden blocked that possibility by successfully issuing an Interpol Red Alert for Assanges arrest on the same day, November 30, 2010.

Within days, Assange had handed himself in to British police, beginning the protracted 18-month legal battle against extradition to Sweden from where he could have been rapidly dispatched to the US to face espionage charges. The legal campaign culminated with his request for political asylum in the small Ecuadorian embassy in June 2012.

Speaking last week at the World Ethical Data Forum, Assanges legal representative Jennifer Robinson stated: We have used every legal avenue available to us, in the UK and at the UN, to challenge this situation. This is and has always been about the risk of US extradition. This case could be resolved tomorrow if the UK would give this assurance.

Instead, all indications suggest the British, Australian and Ecuadorian governments are collaborating to have Assange indicted and extradited to the US to appear as part of the Mueller investigation.On Saturday, The New York Times featured an article by Maggie Astor in their online edition headlined with the question: Are You a Democratic Socialist? The article, just short of an advertisement to join the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), is the latest piece in a series of favorable reviews of the organization by the newspaper.

The main purpose of the article is to convince young people interested in socialism that they should become involved in the DSA. In doing so, it falsifies the essential role and purpose of the DSA, which is an adjunct of the Democratic Party, for which the Times is the main media mouthpiece.

The questions are organized to accomplish several interrelated functions. First, several are posed to encourage anyone opposed to inequality to identify with the DSA. One question, for example, asks the reader, Do you believe that everyone is entitled to a certain minimum standard of living? while another asks, In a capitalist system, do you believe government regulations are helpful or harmful? Those who answer that they agree that everyone should have a minimum standard of living or that government regulations are helpful receive the response, You agree with Democratic Socialists.

Another question in Astors quiz dealing with health care associates support for universal health care with the DSA. It states that democratic socialists believe the health care industry should be socialized like in Britain, which in fact is not universal, quality health care and is suffering from relentless budget cuts and attempts at privatization.

Tellingly, however, the explanation goes on to say that democratic socialists acknowledge that a fully socialized system isnt politically achievable right now, so they support Medicare for All in the meantime. This proposal, which will never be implemented, has been taken up by leading Democrats to give them a left cover, including Obama, whose Affordable Care Act has been a mechanism for cutting costs and shifting the burden of health care onto workers and young people.

Second, the quiz falsifies the actual program advanced by the DSA. There is only one question that deals directly with socialism, which asserts that the DSA advocates workers control of production. In fact, the DSA-backed candidates in the Democratic Party, such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Julia Salazar, say nothing about transforming the relations of production or altering the basic structure of economic life. They campaign on the basis of proposals for mild reforms, claiming that these can be achieved within the framework of capitalism.

Third, the quiz obscures the most important component of the DSAs politics and role, which is to promote the Democratic Party. There is no question, for example, Do you support the Democratic Party and all its candidates? Many young people interested in socialism would say no, but this is in fact the position of the DSA candidates. Ocasio-Cortez recently told CNN, for example, that she looks forward to rallying behind all Democratic nominees, including [New York Governor] Andrew Cuomo, to make sure that he wins in November.

In the 2016 elections, the DSA supported Bernie Sanders, who received widespread support for his statements of opposition to social inequality, before backing Hillary Clinton, the candidate of Wall Street, in the general elections. Sanders is now effectively a leading figure in the Democratic Party.

Notably absent among the Times questions is any reference to war. In the elections, the DSA candidates are saying almost nothing about foreign policy, as they cover up for the many CIA and military candidates running as Democrats, and for the pro-war, militarist program of the Democratic Party in general. This is because the DSA candidates have no fundamental differences with the foreign policy of the Democratic Party. They are instead contributing to the suppression of opposition to imperialism, a central component of any genuinely socialist program. (See, Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Socialists of America candidate, covers for CIA Democrats)

Perhaps the most significant question is the final one, which reads, Ideally, how should major social or political changes be achieved? Among the answers opposed to the views of the DSA include, By any means necessary, including violence and/or revolution. If one chooses this answer they are met with the following explanation: This is a common point of misunderstanding for people who conflate democratic socialism with communism. Democratic socialists dont support a revolution to overthrow capitalism.

This is, in fact true, insofar as the DSA opposes the development of a revolutionary movement of the working class against the capitalist system. The implication of the question, however, is that while the DSA is peaceful, socialists who criticize its role as an adjunct of the Democratic Party are violent and associated with what an answer to an earlier question calls authoritarian forms of communism, including Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism, which are not democratic.

This is the traditional anti-Communist political amalgam, which falsely conflates the revolutionary uprising in Russia in 1917, led by Lenin and Leon Trotsky, with the bureaucratic counterrevolution headed by Stalin, who carried out political genocide against those who led the Russian Revolution.

Of course, the Times says nothing about the violence of capitalist society, for which the Democrats are responsible as much as the Republicanspolice murders, imperialist wars, and the starving of billions of workers of the resources they need to survive. The bloodiest events of the twentieth century in the US and around the world have been carried out against the working class by the capitalist class.

As telling as any of the questions is the publication that has produced it. What sort of socialist organization claiming to challenge the capitalist system receives the blessing of The New York Times, the leading mouthpiece for the Democratic Party? This is the same newspaper that is an ardent proponent of American imperialism. It is playing a central role in spearheading the Democrats anti-Russia campaign, which has been used to channel mass opposition to Trump behind the pro-war policies of the military-intelligence apparatus.

The DSA is being promoted by the Democratic Party-affiliated media even as the Democrats use the anti-Russia campaign to censor the internet, the main target being genuinely left-wing and socialist publications, particularly the World Socialist Web Site.

The New York Times promotes the DSA because, far from posing a threat to the capitalist system, the DSA is a principal political instrument for the Democratic Party to block and divert a leftward movement of workers and young people. Those looking for genuine socialism, including workers and young people who have joined the DSA, should be advised that such a program will not come out of the pages of the bourgeois press.In the face of overwhelming popular opposition, the German grand coalition government announced Sunday that it would keep Hans-Georg Maassen, the former head of the secret service, in the interior ministry.

After thousands of neo-Nazis rioted in the East German city of Chemnitz last month, Maassen publicly defended the fascists, disputing well-documented claims that the demonstrators attacked foreigners.

In response to a wave of popular revulsion, Maassen was removed from his post as the head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), and was to be appointed as a state secretary in the interior ministry. After widespread public protest over Maassens promotion, the government announced on Sunday that Maassen would be retained in a lower-level position, as special adviser on European and international affairs in the Interior Ministry, and will continue to receive his current salary.

The leaders of the parties of the grand coalition rushed to defend their backing for Maassen. Chancellor Angela Merkel (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) stated that she regretted the fact that she had not paid enough attention to...how the people would justifiably feel when they hear about a promotion. The issue therefore had to be re-evaluated, she added. The new result was very fair and explicable.

Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Andrea Nahles declared, We have found a solution. It is a good sign that the coalition is able to take public criticism seriously and correct itself. SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil said it was good that the original decision had been altered. If Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) wants to keep Maassen in his circle of advisors, that is his decision, he added.

In fact, the decision to keep Maassen in the interior ministry sends a clear message to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and all of its supporters in the state apparatus that they enjoy the full backing of the grand coalition.

Normally, a top official who so openly challenged their own government and explicitly aligned with far-right forces would be immediately sent into early retirement. This has happened to dozens of leading officials, including several BfV presidents.

But the grand coalition does not want to part with Maassen under any circumstances. The more support the grand coalition loses in the polls, the more it relies on those elements in the police and security apparatus who admire Maassen for his support for the authoritarian and xenophobic policies of the AfD, and hatred for everything that they describe as left-wing.

A typical example of these forces is the leader of the German Police Union, Rainer Wendt, who defended Maassen two weeks ago against what he labelled left-wing forces. One has to appreciate that we really need all of our forces to combat political or religious motivated extremism of all kinds and we have nothing better to do than weaken the BfV president in these debates, the absurdity could hardly be greater, wrote Wendt.

Wendt then attacked the parties of the grand coalition, using the jargon of an authoritarian regime. Instead of strengthening the intelligence services, he wrote, the parties are obsessing over their own political affairs and neglecting this task, engaging in symbolic replacement talks and loud shouting matches.

Maassen is only the tip of the iceberg and his far-right positions have long been known. In 2002 under Interior Minister Otto Schily (SPD), Maassen ensured that Murat Kurnaz, who grew up in Bremen and was detained in the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay without charge, could not return to Germany. He was held for a further four years without being charged of any crime.

As an official in the Interior Ministry and president of the BfV since 2012, Maassen was heavily involved in covering up the role of intelligence agents in the far-right NSU terrorist cell, and for organising the illegal data exchange with the American NSA.

Shortly before the events in Chemnitz, the secret service report 2017, for which Maassen bore responsibility, was released. The AfD and the far-right figures and organisations aligned with it (Bjorn Hocke, Gotz Kubitschek, Jurgen Elsasser, Pegida) were not named as extremists in the report. By contrast, critics of capitalism, nationalism, and the AfD were denounced as left-wing extremists. The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP) in particular was identified as an object of surveillance and a left-wing extremist party, even though the BfV presented no evidence of violations of the law or acts of violence.

Although this report shows where the BfV and Maassen truly stand politically, not a single deputy from any of the parties represented in parliament protested against it. For the same reason, they now celebrate the continued employment of this AfD sympathiser in the Interior Ministry as a success.

However, the issue at stake is not merely a personal decision by Seehofer, as SPD general secretary Klingbeil would have it, or an attempt by Seehofer to get back at Merkel at the end of his political career, as many media outlets claim. Fundamentally, the grand coalition is increasingly based on the authoritarian forces in the state apparatus embodied by Maassen. This is why SPD leader Andrea Nahles initially had no problem agreeing to Maassens promotion.

Under conditions of growing international tensions, particularly with the US, an escalation of trade war, and the breaking apart of the European Union, the ruling elite is planning an escalation of militarism and social austerity that they cannot enforce through democratic forms of rule. As at the end of the Weimar Republic, they are increasingly relying on the authoritarian forces in the state apparatus and on far-right elements such as the AfD.

SPD leader Nahles made this clear in a letter to the party membership. She justified her continued support of the grand coalition and Maassen by stating, Europe faces a crucial test, trade war is looming with the US, the situation in Syria requires all of our diplomatic efforts. Therefore, it is important for the SPD to maintain a functioning federal government.

Nahles functioning federal government, which according to the latest polls is supported by just 43 percent of voters, 10 percentage points less than the last election, isas the Maassen affair demonstratesa breeding ground for the most right-wing, reactionary forces.

This right-wing conspiracy is plain for all to see. The issue now is to politically arm widespread opposition among workers and young people. The SGP therefore reissues its demands for an end to the grand coalition and the calling of new elections. These elections must be made the starting point for a broad mobilisation of the working class based on a socialist and internationalist programme. This is the only way to stop the right-wing conspiracy, which is supported by all parties in parliament and large sections of the European bourgeoisie. Our demands are:

 Stop the conspiracy by the grand coalition, the state apparatus, and right-wing extremists!

 No more war! Stop Germanys return to a militarist great power policy!

 The dissolution of the secret service, and an immediate halt to the surveillance of the SGP and other left-wing organizations!

 Defend the right to asylum! No to the militarisation of the state and surveillance!

 End poverty and exploitationfor social equality! The super-wealthy, banks, and corporations must be expropriated and placed under democratic control.On September 26, Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) will host a job and internship fair aimed at recruiting college students at its Annandale campus into the US spy agencies.

According to the official announcement, the event will provide an overview of the function and hiring needs of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies. The information session is organized by the NOVA Career Services team and the school office of Student Activities.

The event is presented as a typical job fair for students, many of whom are eager to find a decent career that utilizes the talents and skills they are paying thousands in tuition to receive. However, it is, in fact, an ominous expression of the integration of college campuses with the US military and intelligence apparatus, which is responsible for countless crimes and is preparing many more.

The NOVA college system, with over 75,000 students and nearly 3,000 staff, is the second largest community college system in the US, hosting a diverse student body from over 180 countries. The six campuses comprising NOVA are in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC, only a short drive from the CIAs headquarters at Langley and the Pentagon in Arlington.

The school has developed an increasingly direct relationship with the military-intelligence apparatus. In 2017, it initiated a Military Appreciation Day at its Woodbridge campus. The school is a founding member of the National Cyberwatch Center, which is a national consortium of colleges and universities focused on cybersecurity education.

In 2013, NOVA was selected by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the DHS as a National Center of Academic Excellence in the field of Information Assurance. According to the NSAs website, Information Assurance is aimed at securing National Security Systems, which [include] systems that handle classified information or are otherwise critical to military or intelligence activities planning to successfully outmaneuver any adversary.

The school boasts numerous courses and programs associated with law enforcement and cyber security. The Cybersecurity Credit Program declares that its goal is to prepare students for careers as cybersecurity technicians or analysts. Many of the professors teaching these courses are former government officials or contractors who are also involved in intelligence gathering.

In a demonstration of NOVAs effort to ingratiate itself with the US intelligence apparatus, it recently honored US Senator Mark Warner in a ceremony celebrating the schools 50-year anniversary in 2016, naming the Annandale campus student services building after the Virginia Democrat. As the ranking Democratic Senator on the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee, Warner is one of the main figures demanding internet censorship, supposedly in the name of combating fake news and Russian meddling in the US 2016 elections, but in fact targeting left-wing and socialist political opinions.

While NOVA frames occupations in the spy agencies in the relatively benign terms of national service and protecting American citizens, the function is to train and recruit students as operators in the criminal activities of the US spy agencies.

In 2013, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden exposed the agencys illegal spying on the global populations electronic communications, including US citizens, whose phone calls, text messages and emails were regularly swept up in surveillance dragnets. A 2011 NSA internal document declares that the agency intends to Collect it All, Process it All, Exploit it All, Partner it All, Sniff it All and Know it All.

The CIA, famously dubbed Murder, Inc. has been responsible for numerous crimes and assassinations: from the attempted assassinations of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and Cuban President Fidel Castro, to the program of assassination and murder during the Vietnam War; the funding of Islamic fundamentalists during the proxy war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s; and the program of extraordinary rendition and torture under the Bush administration.

For its part, the DHS is the chief agency created to oversee the US governments war on terror, which has functioned as a means to shred democratic rights at home and pursue militarism abroad. As the parent agency of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, the department directly oversees the US deportation machine and President Donald Trumps illegal program of separating immigrant children from their families, thousands of whom remain trapped within the US detention system.

The threat to international and immigrant students is especially dire. According to a 2017 news report, over 700 students in the NOVA system are registered Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients, who at any time may have their temporary status ended by the federal government. More broadly, over 500,000 individuals throughout the Washington DC area are undocumented immigrants.

The military and intelligence agencies operate on the principle of authority and control. Those who are part of these organizations, including students, are expected to do as they are told and follow orders. This principle is in direct conflict with what should be the basis of educationfree discussion, education and the exchange of ideas.

Despite the intelligence agencies advances in infiltrating the campus system, militarism and spying are broadly opposed at Northern Virginia Community College. As is the case throughout the US and internationally, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at Northern Virginia Community College has received a warm response from students in support of socialist policies opposed to inequality, militarism and war.

The IYSSE at Northern Virginia Community College demands an end to all associations between the college and the US military and the spy agencies. Under conditions of increasing political radicalization of youth and workers, the presence of such agencies and their operatives at NOVA is a threat to the democratic rights and free political association of students and workers on campus.As the Socialist Equality Party candidate for US Congress in Michigans 12th district, I condemn the moves by the administration of Governor Rick Snyder to use National Guard troops to replace locked out highway construction workers.

Some 2,000 heavy equipment operators, members of Operating Engineers Local 324, have been locked out by private construction companies organized by the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) since September 4 over a dispute, involving contracting out jobs and employer health care contributions. The lockout has halted construction on more than 100 highway projects in the state.

The intervention of the Snyder administration in the dispute is a blatant attack on democratic rights and must be opposed by all workers. It follows a long pattern of government strikebreaking operations, including the use by the Reagan administration of military personnel to replace striking PATCO air traffic controllers in 1981.

It should be recalled that in 1937 Michigan Governor Frank Murphy sent 4,000 National Guard troops to Flint to battle autoworkers occupying General Motors factories seeking union recognition. US military as well as National Guard troops were deployed in the midst of the 1967 urban rebellion in Detroit. Governor George W. Romney dispatched National Guard troops to Detroit again the following year, after the assassination of Martin Luther King.

The attack by the Snyder administration on operating engineers is in line with its policies directed against the working class, including its criminal indifference relating to the poisoning of Flint residents in the lead in water crisis and its overseeing the bankruptcy of Detroit and the robbing of retiree pensions.

In these attacks the Snyder administration has had the full support of the Democratic Party. My opponent Debbie Dingell, a long-time lobbyist for General Motors and an heiress to the Fisher Body fortune, has not issued a statement on the threat to deploy National Guard troops in what amounts to blatant strikebreaking. This demonstrates once again that despite the claims by Democratic Party apologists that this party defends workers, on basic questions it stands on the side of the corporations.

At the same time, workers should have no illusions in the unions. Instead of mobilizing workers throughout Michigan and beyond to defend the operating engineers, Local 324 has isolated the workers, leaving them on their own in the face of the gang-up of the employers and the state. Local 324 kept workers on the job throughout the summer, even as the MITA withheld benefit payments, jeopardizing the healthcare and retirement of workers.

All indications are that the unions are preparing another climb down, agreeing to Snyders proposal for a cooling off period, only to see the agreement scotched by the MITA. The union is now planning to meet with the governor even as he threatens to deploy the National Guard.

The working class cannot find support in aligning with either of the two big business parties. Workers must mobilize their own independent strength to oppose the strikebreaking by the Snyder administration and the employers. This should include preparations for a general strike against the use of National Guard troops. This can only be prepared by workers forming rank-and-file committees independent of the unions, to be the democratic voice and fighting organizations of workers. These committees must link up all construction trade workers and join their struggle with other sections of workers, including autoworkers, teachers, Amazon workers and United Parcel Service workers in a common fight to defend jobs, safety conditions, healthcare and decent wages.The World Socialist Web Site demands the immediate and unconditional release of Austrian graduate student and journalist Max Zirngast and two Turkish left-wing activists, Mithatcan Turetken and Hatice Goz, who were detained September 11 by the political police of the right-wing authoritarian regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on trumped-up charges of support for terrorism.

Anti-terror units dragged Zirngast out of his Ankara apartment at 5 oclock in the morning, arresting the two Turkish citizens, also in Ankara, at the same time.

After being held incommunicado and interrogated for 10 days, Zirngast, Turetken and Goz were finally formally arrested and remanded to custody by Judge Fatih Yilmaz, who claimed that, despite the authorities investigations being incomplete, their conviction on the offense of being members of a terrorist organization was likely and that the defendants posed a flight risk.

Pre-trial detention in Turkey is a form of legal limbo that can drag on for years without defendants ever being brought to court.

Zirngast has written regularly on Turkish politics for the Austrian publication re: volt, the German daily Junge Welt as well as the US website Jacobin. His articles have criticized the reactionary and despotic measures of Erdogan and his ruling Party for Justice and Development (AKP).

He has also contributed to the newspaper of Toplumsal Ozgurluk Partisi (TOPSocial Freedom Party), whose members, Mithatcan Turetken and Hatice Goz, are charged along with him.

Zirngast is quoted in the Turkish media as forthrightly telling the prosecutor and the judge: I am a socialist, I defend universal values.

Among the accusations mounted by the police against Zirngast was that he possessed Marxist literature, including books by the well known Turkish Marxist and Communist Party founder Hikmet Kivilcimli, who died in 1971. He pointed out, in his defense, that he had lectured on Kivilcimlis work as part of a course on Political ideologies in Turkey at the Technical University of the Middle East, where he is a graduate student in political science.

Students at the university have protested his arrest, writing on Twitter last Thursday that he is a valuable member of their student union.

In addition to all the left-wing publications at my home, there are also many publications that are more likely to be associated with right-wing ideology, Zirngast told the court. You can even find literature and art. I am a researcher. In my home there are about 300 books and other publications. In my apartment in Austria, there are twice as many books. But the police only took books related to left-wing ideology.

The rest of the evidence against him consisted of pictures on his cell phone of a terrorist organization, i.e., Kurdish separatists.

Zirngast also refuted the prosecutions charge that he was the Ankara leader of the TKP/Kivilcim, pointing out that there is no such organization. I cannot be a member of an organization that does not exist, he said.

His attorney, Teoman Ozkan, cited two court decisions from 2012 and 2015 that also affirmed that no such organization exists. Its name also fails to appear on Turkeys lengthy list of alleged terrorist organizations.

Murat Yilmaz, another attorney representing Zirngast, stated, The investigation did not provide anything concrete against my client, just a few of his articles. He is being prosecuted for his thoughts and imprisoned for his social contacts.

Meanwhile, the Social Freedom Party (TOP) charged that the arrest of Zirngast and its two members was part of an attempt by the Erdogan government to suppress legal socialist political activity. It said that the party was in the midst of submitting papers to attain legal status, enabling it to participate in elections, when the raids were carried out, and that the arrests followed a long period of harassment by the Turkish secret police.

Zirngast made it clear that he was not a member of any political party in Turkey, but supported those that shared his ideas and had written for the TOP publication and attended those activities of the party that interested him and contributed to his research.

This latest anti-democratic crackdown coincides with the police state measures undertaken by the Erdogan government against the mass protests by construction workers at the site of a new Istanbul airport, where strikers were brutally attacked, hundreds were arrested and 24 of them remain imprisoned on the orders of a Turkish court.

The only crime committed by these three political prisoners is that of criticizing and exposing the crimes of the Erdogan government. They join thousands of others imprisoned for similar offenses, most of them jailed pending trial and convicted of no crimes.

According to the Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF), 237 journalists and media workers are currently behind bars in Turkey, while over 150 newspapers and television stations have been shut down by the Erdogan regime.

Among the governments latest actions is the shutting down of the television channel Haytin Sesi TV, which advanced socialist views. Its owners and general director have been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison on charges of propagandizing for terrorist organizations. Prosecutors accused the station of supporting both the Kurdish separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Islamic State, which are at war with each other in Iraq and Syria.

That similarly absurd charges have been leveled against Max Zirngast, Mithatcan Turetken and Hatice Goz is a measure of both the reactionary character of the Erdogan regime and its increasing desperation in the face of a deepening economic and political crisis and the growth of the class struggle in Turkey.

The World Socialist Web Site demands their release, along with that of all Turkish political prisoners, and calls for the widest mobilization of workers and youth all over the world to fight for their freedom.A Fundamental Rights (FR) petition would be filed in the Supreme Court if the fuel pricing formula was not disclosed, PHU Leader Udaya Gammanpila said today.

The MP said he requested for the formula from the Finance Ministry and it responded saying that revealing the formula could result in negative consequences to the economy of Sri Lanka.

He also said the government increases the prices of fuel in exorbitant amounts though the fuel prices in world market had only been increased slightly.

"Therefore, we have a right to know why we have to purchase fuel for enormous prices. If the pricing formula was not disclosed even after I make an appeal to the Appeals Board, I expect to file a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court," he told a news briefing.

He said there could be two reasons as to why the Finance Ministry is keeping the pricing formula as a secret. "One reason is that there is no such formula as mentioned and the other reason is whatever they have is unjustifiable formula," he said.

Meanwhile, he said that an impartial investigation on DIG Nalaka Silva cannot be expected as long as Pujitha Jayasundara remains as the IGP.

Therefore, the government should take steps to remove him. In terms of Removal Officers (Procedure) Act No 5 of 2002, the IGP can be removed only by Parliament. There are several grounds for such removal. Corruption, partiality, abuse of power, misconduct and mental infirmity are among them. As witnessed by the entire nation, all of these grounds are applicable to him. Hence, the government should take immediate steps to bring a resolution to remove the IGP, he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)

Video by D RuwandiBodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera had been transferred to the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital from the Prisons Hospital today to undergo medical tests, sources said.

He is currently serving a six-year prison sentence. The BBSs media unit said the Thera was taken to the hospital at 11 a.m.

The Thera, who was serving a six-year prison sentence, was transferred to the Prisons Hospital on August 30 after undergoing surgery at the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital. However, the Thera was again transferred to the SJGH on September six due to an allergic reaction.

Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera is convicted of four charges over Contempt of Court and sentenced by the Appeal Court on August 08 to 19 years of Rigorous Imprisonment, to be completed within six years. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)Country

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From left: Mr. Jude Fernando - Director / Chief Executive Officer of Janashakthi Insurance PLC, Mr. SumithBandara Udawasala - Deputy Mayor of Kurunegala, Mr. Anurasiri Karunarathne -

Provincial Sales Manager of Janashakthi Insurance PLC and Mr. Mahinda Dissanayake - Senior Superintendent of Police, Kurunegala Police Division

Continuing to forge ahead with the expansion of its dedicated Life branch network, Janashakthi Insurance PLC unveiled 8 new Janashakthi Life branch offices in the towns of Ambalangoda, Anuradhapura, Galle, Kalutara, Kurunegala, Padukka, Panadura, and Thambuththegama over the past month.

As the first phase in an eventual island wide roll out of state-of-the-art, dedicatedLife Insurance branches, the new branches will mirror the facilities and capabilities of the Companys recently opened model branch in Nugegoda. This expansion is part of Janashakthi Lifes efforts to take its innovative Life Insurance solutions closer to the customer, in line with Janashakthis long term strategic plans which include transitioning the Company towards becoming a purpose driven entity.

Janashakthi Life, which celebrated its 24th year anniversary on September 15th, believes that these branches symbolize the next step in itsjourney to becoming one of Sri Lankas leadingLife Insurers. The Company remains committed to providingits loyal customers with easier access to themost innovative Life Insurance products thereby ensuring that the shadow of financial hardship does not loom over them if fate should intervene in the life of a loved one. This expansion of its dedicated Life branch network is seen as an effort to spread this sense of security across the island.

Members of the Janashakthi Life team outside the Panadura branch office

Janashakthis first model branch in Nugegodaopened its doors in July at No. 19, Railway Avenue, Nugegoda. The company anticipates the completion of the entire branch network by November 2018 as a crucial step in spreading the strength and light of the Janashakthi Life brand to all corners of the nation.

Janashakthi Insurance PLC, founded in 1994 as a Life Insurance company, made its mark in the industry as an innovator and household name over a span of over 23 years. Janashakthi has a strong presence across the island, with an expanding Life Insurance network and a dedicated call center. In line with its purpose of uplifting lives and empowering dreams, Janashakthi remains committed to becoming a leader in the Life Insurance industry by delivering a service beyond Insurance to its customers and stakeholders.UNP needs a dark horse-a candidate whose baggage does not carry within itself dark secrets of corruption and nepotism





A dark horse, which had never been thought of, rushed past the grandstand in sweeping triumph.

~Benjamin Disraeli

In the last few columns, I have tried, maybe in vain, to make a case for a plausible scenario in which a Presidential Candidate representing the same UNP-led coalition that brought current President Maithripala Sirisena to office could be successful again.

Maithripala Sirisena, although he did not seem to be formidable as a Presidential candidate, eventually proved to be above average and an ideal mix which an unsuspecting electorate would accept.

However, the coalition Government that was formed after the electoral victories in January and August in 2015, though it has managed to survive, the breakage of the relationship between the UNP leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Sirisena who is barely holding on to the leadership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), seems almost final and done.

That is a very sad ending of a once-promising political partnership that was in the making. The ideological differences alone between the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party are wide and vast enough and too disparate to survive in nasty and cruel political storms.

The UNP needs a fifth horseman, so to speak who will be seen as a deliverer beyond all expectations

In the meanwhile, the Rajapaksas seem to have woken up from their defeat-ridden slumber that followed the immediate aftermath of the 2015 Presidential Elections.

The sheer magnitude of power and access to the national coffers and the natural proximity to the luxuries of administrative power machinations has apparently awakened them to muster their forces for another game of national ransacking and corruption-ridden governance.

The disqualifying elements of the Rajapaksas and their cohorts have been articulated not only at the last Presidential Elections, the parade of their kith and kin to and from the various investigative bodies has gone a long way to convince a curious electorate as to how and what these political hooligans of the Rajapaksa era corrupted a gullible civil service which ultimately became even more corrupt than their corruptors!

Nevertheless, the following changes and their inescapable cascade of consequential by-events have at times struggled to transform the political landscape of Sri Lanka.

1. The defeat of the Rajapaksa Presidency



2. Election of Maithripala Sirisena as President as a common candidate of a coalition of socio-political forces of Sri Lanka



3. Election of a UNP-led Parliament



4. The evisceration of the 100 Day programme



5. Bond-Scam scandal



6. The eruption of the fissures between President Sirisena and Premier Wickremesinghe



7. Non-event of the Rajapaksa prosecution to an end



8. Local Government Elections



9. Resultant meandering in the political woods

Each of these events and sub-events has engendered another sequence of events which in turn have turned into a cause and thereby producing a never-ending cycle of cause and effect dynamic.

Whatever happens in the aftermath of each event or sub-event, what one must bear in mind is the universal truth of facts and hard cold facts that definitively have had a serious impact on the lives of all Sri Lankans.

Political pundits and statisticians have gone back to their drawing boards. They ponder, more often than not, on the what-if phenomenon of life and in that maddeningly uncertain socio-political drama, they have repeatedly failed to understand one simple and crushingly ugly fact that facts do matter in the ultimate analysis of politics and its history.

In the context of such an unequivocal brutality of the political life of a nation, the current impasse in todays scenario looks natural and inconsequential. A reversal to a once-defeated power-cabal, which is the Rajapaksa rule, seems, at least to their own political friends and supporters, a vindication of their deeds and thoughts.

Sloganeering that consisted of electric chairs, selfless patriotism and sovereignty of the nation that ruled a frenzied world of delusion and cultivated deceit are looming ominously on the horizon again.

It is going to be extremely difficult and practically impossible to confront an emotion-driven mob and convince them that what occurred in the recent past was corruption, nepotism and the avaricious pursuit of power and is no good for the greater good of the country.

It is no secret that given the right social and political milieu, excessive expression of deeply held prejudices and partialities would be welcome as an open invitation for unrestricted assault on reason and justice

Sloganeering and political branding have its own niche and it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt by Donald Trump in another part of the world- an advanced capitalist society such as the United States of America.

Dont ever forget that just before the Nazi takeover Germany was a well-educated, steeped in high cultural and social values. They were a steeply-read nation that enjoyed Wagners serene music and Van Goughs sensitive lines of painting as their pastime.

It is no secret that given the right social and political milieu, excessive expression of deeply held prejudices and partialities would be welcome as an open invitation for unrestricted assault on reason and justice.

We in Sri Lanka experienced this obscenity of political propaganda under the Rajapaksa cabal. Entrenched in a bubble of all-consuming power and greed, the Rajapaksas released within this bubble a force under the cover of patriotism and partisanship for the land, the race and the faith.

The same forces are threatening to raise their ugly profiles today and the unhindered participation of the mob variety of the average men and women in the country do not seem to care.

Forthcoming Presidential Elections are being planned and scheduled against this backdrop. It is no easy task to challenge them.

The UNPs task looks even more desperate. The repeating mistakes and misjudgments are taking the Party of Ranil Wickremesinghe to the edges of extinction and sure death.

Superficial operational adjustments introduced into the traditional structures of the Party do not seem to produce a fundamental change in its very outlook.

The coalition and its operational arms that delivered the Presidency to Maithripala Sirisena need to be mustered and coalesced to a new Presidential candidate. Who could it be? That is the proverbial sixty-four million dollar question.





Here are some of the would-be contenders:

1. Ranil Wickremesinghe 2. Sajith Premadasa 3. Navin Dissanayake 4. Dark Horse candidate

Arguments for and against the current leader of the UNP and Prime Minister of the land, Ranil Wickremesinghe have been made almost to exhaustive lengths

and breadths.

In fact, they seem to have been foreclosed. The overwhelming loyalty of the Northern and Upcountry Tamils and Eastern Muslims towards Wickremesinghe is beyond doubt.

It is not conceivable that any other aforementioned candidate would enjoy such uncontested loyalty from the minorities, except perhaps Navin Dissanayake.

The leadership of the Tamil communities, both Northern and Upcountry, has been quite vocal about their political grievances and their adherence to the fundamentals of reconciliation and Tamil homeland concepts.

A reversal to a once-defeated power-cabal, which is the Rajapaksa rule, seems, at least to their own political friends and supporters, a vindication of their deeds and thoughts.

Political expediency and misplaced sense of patriotism might derail Sajith Premadasa on these fronts, yet he might be of the opinion that his popularity among Sinhalese Buddhists and especially amongst the Buddhist Clergy, cultivated over a decade or so by giving away goodies of sorts to the temples around the countryside, would overcome the deficit that he has with the Northern Tamils.

Yet, one brutal fact that Sajith needs to confront is, despite all these efforts towards pacifying the Buddhist Clergy, he has not been able to translate that gesture into votes.

Even in the recently held LG Elections, he did not win his electorate, nor could he secure the district.

The argument that he is in the SLFP den- Rajapaksa-led Hambantota- cannot hold water as a leader is supposed to carry his own electorate when all other chips are down.

Navin Dissanayake, on the other hand, did manage to win not only his electorate; he managed to win his entire district, Nuwara Eliya which in the context of a Presidential Election is a microcosm of the country.

Nuwara Eliya within its geographical boundaries has some ancient Sinhalese Buddhist villages. Both Kotmale and Hanguranketha from which Navin Dissanayakes paternal grandmother and grandfather respectively hailed, are steeped in tradition and culture that is unmatched by some other such villages in the country.

If the people of such tradition and culture could depart from the rest of the normal pattern of voting, it certainly speaks volumes for such an allegiance to a political leader in the district. Gamini Dissanayake, Navins father, enjoyed such unquestioned and unquestionable personal loyalty from his supporters. Navin, it looks like, has retained that loyalty.

Yet, both Sajith and Navin might not be able to gather around them the coalition forces that assembled around Maithripala Sirisena in 2015.

That is not due to a special personal attraction of Sirisena; it is solely due to the fact that the coalition Government that was formed after the 2015 elections failed to deliver on its election pledges.

The UNP and its friends need a dark horse; a candidate whose baggage does not carry within itself dark secrets of corruption and nepotism; a fifth horseman, so to speak who will be seen as a deliverer beyond all expectations.

Only Karu Jayasuriya, the current Speaker of the House of Parliament, fits into that module- a dark horse or the fifth horseman.

I will delve into this possible candidate in my next column, yet could not suppress the urge to throw this thought out for our readers to ponder upon. Fifth horsemen or a dark horse candidate who could possibly mount a formidable challenge to any Pohottuwa candidate, a Rajapaksa or any other, has more than an outside chance of victory in the next Presidential Elections.

The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@gmail.comCall of Juarez: Bound in Blood Demo Now Available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 neighbor on Sunday called the emergency services to his residence 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 U.S. 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, Matthews began his acting  and also singing  career in the U.K., making the top 20 with a single called Fool in 1975.

He went on to play Benny Greens father in several episodes of the U.K.-based series Grange Hill, and also appeared in British 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 the actor reprised years later in the 2013 video game Aliens: Colonial Marines.

Apone reportedly inspired the character of Sergeant Avery Johnson in the Halo game series.

Matthewss other notable roles came in such movies as The Fifth Element, the Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, and the Burt Reynolds vehicle Rough Cut before he semi-retired and relocated to Spain in the early 2000s.

According to IMDb, Matthewss last role, in a Western called The Price of Death, is currently in post-production.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:



At least two dozen law enforcement agencies are searching for a 6-year-old boy who vanished on Saturday while at a North Carolina park with his father.

Authorities say Maddox Ritch, who has autism and is nonverbal, was walking with his father and another adult at Gastonias Rankin Lake Park around 1:30 p.m. when he took off running, according to WSOC. His father lost sight of him, and the boy hasnt been seen since.

They were walking around the lake, Gastonia spokeswoman Rachel Bagley told WSOC. They got around to the back side of the lake. He started running, according to the parents. When they started running after him, they lost sight of him.

FBI officials in Charlotte have also joined the search, and one agent, Jason Kaplan, said in a weekend news conference that authorities are working to determine whether Ritch was abducted or is simply lost.

If you were at Rankin Lake Park on Saturday and saw Maddox or took video or photos of their outing at the park, call us, Gastonia Police Department chief Robert Helton urged the public at a news conference on Sunday.

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. No piece of information is too small. Something you may think is insignificant could be helpful to our case.

Ritch is 4 feet tall and was last seen wearing an orange t-shirt that read I am the man along with black shorts. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is also assisting in the search, and officials wrote on the site that Ritch may be in need of medical attention.

Thanks to our law enforcement partners for helping @GPDNC in the search for 6-year old Maddox Ritch. Call the tip line at 704-869-1075 if you have any information to help #FindMaddox. Search teams are focused on the area around Rankin Lake Park. pic.twitter.com/JSuTVyaVpF  FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) September 23, 2018

Ritchs father did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

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Search teams have even been scouring the lake for the little boy and the FBIs Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team arrived to the scene on Sunday, according to the Gaston Gazette.

Unfortunately its 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 its something we deal with, unfortunately, with some frequency so the FBI has special resources, Kaplan said, according to the Gazette.

We deal with local resources, sometimes we talk with specialists and generally the family is part of that resource, and the most useful, because they let us know what the child may respond to.

Authorities have urged anyone with information to call the police departments tip line at 704-869-1075.The 2018 primaries by the numbers originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

After a dramatic and historic primary season came to a close two weeks ago, voters are now just six weeks away from taking to the polls to decide the winners in the first major election since the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

2018 is already a history-making year in numerous ways, but one inescapable takeaway from the 2018 primaries is the political power demonstrated by women, who won nominations for U.S. House, Senate and gubernatorial seats in numbers never before seen in the United States.

Four incumbents lost primaries for U.S. House seats, three African-Americans were nominated for gubernatorial seats (there have only been two elected African-American governors in American history), and 25 LGBTQ candidates advanced to November.

PHOTO: Primaries by the Number: Female Candidates Comparison (ABC News)

November is fast-approaching, and many of these potentially historic candidates face tough races that will capture the nation's attention this fall. But for now here's a look at some of the key numbers that show who won (and lost) the 2018 primaries.

Women shattered records in 2018

According to data from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, more female candidates ran for the U.S. House (476), U.S. Senate (53) and gubernatorial seats (61) this cycle, all of those numbers broke previous records.

PHOTO: Primaries by the Numbers: Females (ABC News)

But women didn't only run at record rates this cycle, they also won at record rates. Of the 476 women that ran for a U.S. House seat this cycle, 239 won their primaries, breaking the previous record of 167 set in 2016. 22 women are now their party's nominee for U.S. Senate, breaking the previous record of 18 set in 2012. 16 women won nominations for gubernatorial seats in 2018, breaking the previous record of 10 set in 1994 and 2010.

Candidates of color, LGBTQ candidates are overwhelmingly Democrats

Of the 202 candidates of color running in Senate, House and gubernatorial elections this year, 148, or 73 percent, are members of the Democratic Party.

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PHOTO: Primaries by the Numbers: General Election (ABC News)

The vast majority of the candidates of color -- 186 -- are pursuing House seats, while seven are seeking Senate seats and nine are taking aim at governorships. Stacey Abrams, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, would be the first female African-American governor in U.S. history if elected in November, and Paulette Jordan of Idaho could be the first Native American governor if she is able to upset Republican Lt. Gov. Brad Little.

All 25 candidates that identify as members of the LGBTQ community in federal and gubernatorial races are also Democrats. Christine Hallquist of Vermont would become the first transgender governor in U.S. history if she defeats Gov. Phil Scott.

Trump endorsements a path to victory

Of the 51 candidates that President Trump endorsed in primary contests in 2018, 49 of them were successful and are now looking ahead to general elections in November, with the remaining two being something of outliers.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump looks on as Republican candidate for senate, Rep. Kevin Cramer, speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at Scheels Arena, June 27, 2018, in Fargo, N.D. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, FILE)

One of the failed candidates was Wyoming multi-millionaire Foster Friess, whom Trump only endorsed on the final day of the primary campaign. In West Virginia, Senate candidate Evan Jenkins fell short, though Trump's endorsement of Jenkins was a dual affirmation of both his and Patrick Morrisey's candidiacies. Morrissey won the election.

Trump's record has been somewhat less successful when his preferred candidate faces a Democrat however. Since becoming president, Trump is 6-3 in inter-party general and special elections.Maldives opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who fought a bitter election campaign against President Abdulla Yameen, said he won Sundays presidential vote with a 16 percent margin after 92 percent of the votes had been counted.



Provisional results counted in 446 of 472 ballot boxes by 1943 GMT showed the opposition leading by a margin of 16.6 percent, news website Mihaaru reported.



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, Solih, popularly known as Ibu, told reporters in Male.



The message is loud and clear. The people of 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, he said. Hundreds of people gathered outside the main opposition campaign centre in Male in a jubilant mood, chanting Ibu, Ibu, Ibu and calling on Yameen to concede defeat.



Transparency Maldives, one of the few election monitors on the ground, said the initial vote had gone smoothly and that Solih was on course for an emphatic victory.



Yameen had been expected to cement his grip on power amid criticism over the fairness of the vote on the islands best known as a luxury holiday destination.



The Indian Ocean nations Election Commission extended voting by three hours because of long queues at polling stations.



Officials from Yameens PPM party told Reuters if we win or lose, PPM has the courage to accept the decision of Maldivian people, the ruling partys parliamentary leader MP Ahmed Nihan wrote on Twitter. The Election Commission said it would release official results by Sept. 30, as stipulated in the constitution. The United States and India both congratulated the Maldives on its peaceful elections and noted that it appeared likely Solihs opposition coalition



had won. Rohana Hettiarachchi, a member of the Asian Network for Free Elections, which was named as an election monitor, said his organisation could not take part.

MALE REUTERS,

Sept 24 2018COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  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.

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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."

___

Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.A range of designers at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul.

Tucked in away between New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week, an exciting schedule of fashion simmered in Eastern Europe.

Istanbul isnt somewhere youd first associate as a fashion hub. Walking the streets of the Turkish capital, youre not hit with a distinct sense of creative freedom: the street-style falls on the conservative side, which is owed to the largely Muslim population and tumultuous political climate.

However, bubbling in the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul show space there was a different story to be told. MBFW offered up three-days of emerging designers, New Gen talent and local names, hailing from Turkey. Rousing sets, loud music, and young designers with something to say for themselves were the order of the day  and that was all before we get to the fashion.

It seems apparent that the fashion world in Istanbul operates as a form of escapism and self-expression: its a space to be unapologetic, particularly for young designers studying in the city.

Theres is a lot of support for the young designers in Turkey, says Raf Stesmans, Creative Director & Fashion Design Lecturer at Istanbul Moda Academy.

Its a culture mix. Theres a lot of ready to wear here in Turkey and we produce a lot for brands outside of Turkey.

Its an advantage to be in Turkey, you can immediately develop a print and the next day its ready. In London or Belgium you have to wait two or three weeks. They are focused on production here so you can immediately try a digital print and its ready.

Speaking about how Turkey fashion is moving forward, Stesmans says Its not always easy in Turkey, a lot happens. Its slowly moving but its moving.

The founders of Brand Who, Volkan Guzelce and Koray Arc, who showed their collection on the schedule, concurred, saying: We have our own unique language in Turkey, we are trying to put something else on from the international world. Thats what makes us different from other fashion designers internationally.

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We love to push limits, we are trying new patterns, new colours. Right now we are not really strong as a country but we are coming up. 

From Brand Whos buzzed-about streetwear, to Mehtap Elaidis heritage pieces, and Meltem Ozbeks covetable evening-wear, we round up five Turkish designers to get on your radar.

Brand Who

Brand Who at MBFW. [Photo: Didem Kendik]

With a headline show on the schedule  sponsored by Mercedes-Benz as part of MB presents  Brand Who were one of the most-buzzed about designers.

The menswear brand (who told us they werent opposed to a foray into womenswear  stay tuned) is known for its urban yet elevated streetwear. Founders of Brand Who, Volkan Guzelce and Koray Arc, presented their new Sunseeker collection, an homage to the colours of the light, which showed a collection of relaxed beach styles, sunset hues and painterly accessories.

The idea is making practical easy wear clothes off the beach and the guy is looking for the beach, they told us.

With a headline show on the schedule  sponsored by Mercedes-Benz as part of their International Designer Exchange Program (IDEP)  Brand Who were one of the most talked about designers. For almost a decade, the program has given up and coming designers an opportunity to present their collections outside of their local markets to an international audience.

Mehtap Elaidi

Mehtap Elaidi at MBFW [Photo: Burcin Ergunt/Didem Kendik]

Mehtap Elaidis spring summer 2019 collection showed a wardrobe every girl dreams of owning: luxurious silk kimonos, bell-sleeved sequin dresses, Babouche mules and high-shine head-ties included.

Elaidis collection masterfully ties in her Turkish heritage with hues of midnight blue, deep reds, and sleek textiles while her experimental cuts (a brand trademark) took centre stage.

Meltem Ozbek

Meltem Ozbek at MBFW. [Photo: Burcin Ergunt/Didem Kendik]

Stunning fringed evening dressed, ethereal lace creations and silk slip skirts made up Meltem Ozbeks collection. The Izmir-native is gaining recognition in her home country, for her covetable evening-wear.

Exquise

Exquise at MBFW [Photo: Burcin Ergunt/Didem Kendik]

Exquise focuses on strong workmanship and quality materials in all production processes, which was apparent in the brands spring summer 2019 collection. With a distinctly feminine selection of sheer blouses, ruffled skirts and 50s swimmer hats and sunglasses, its sure to be a successful collection.

Tuba Ergin

Tuba Ergin at MBFW. [Photo: Didem Kendik]

Tuba Ergins designs cater for the strong, environmentally conscious and refined women, as the brand outlines in their mission statement. Inspired by art, natural materials, technology and street cultures, Ergins spring summer 2019 collection included dark and grungy net dresses, gothic chic jumpsuits and heavy duty utility boots.

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:

10 London Fashion Week trends youll want to wear immediately

Alexa Chung showcases departure lounge-inspired collection at debut London Fashion Week show

These are the London Fashion Week street style stars well be copying this seasonFile photo provided by the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office shows Amber Renee Guyger, a former Dallas police officer accused of fatally shooting her neighbour, Botham Shem Jean, inside his own apartment: Kaufman County Sheriff's Office via AP, File

Dallas police department has sacked the officer who shot and killed her neighbour inside his apartment.

The death of Botham Jean sparked protests across the city and after an internal review officer Amber Guyger was fired.

Police Chief U Renee Hall said in a statement the investigation found Ms Guyger "engaged in adverse conduct" when she was arrested having fatally shot her neighbour earlier this month.

She has been free on bond and an on administrative leave for the past few weeks. Ms Guyge has been charged wit manslaughter

Ms Guyger, a white woman, claimed she thought she was entering her own home, which is downstairs from the late Mr Jeans flat.

When she saw Mr Jean she thought he was a burglar and invading her home.

It is unclear why Ms Guyger thought she was entering her own home.

A lawyer for Mr Jeans family have confirmed he was unarmed when Ms Guyger entered his flat.

Under police administrative rules, the suspect is allowed to appeal the departments decision.

The National Rifle Associations spokesperson Dana Loesch waded into the debate and characteristically caused controversy with her comment Mr Jean would have been alive had he been armed and able to shoot back at Ms Guyger.

At the news of the officers sacking, Ms Loesch tweeted a one word response: Good.

Ms Hall had previously claimed she could not sack the suspect because of federal, state, and local laws, but did not specify which laws she was referencing.

She had also said she didnt want to risk interfering with a criminal investigation into the matter of Mr Jeans death by firing Ms Guyger, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The criminal investigation has not been completed as yet, but the move may have been in response to immense public pressure on the department to do something.

The Texas Rangers are the agency currently investigating the incident and will turn it over to the District Attorneys office once it is complete.

Mr Jean is expected to be buried in his home country of Saint Lucia.Amber Guyger, the Dallas police officer who was off duty when she killed her neighbor, Botham Jean, in his own apartment, was fired by Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall on Monday morning.

In a statement released on Twitter, the department concluded that Guyger engaged in adverse behavior after she shot and killed Jean. She turned herself in on Sept. 9 and was charged with manslaughter.

She was terminated after a hearing by the departments internal affairs bureau Monday morning.

Despite Guygers firing, the spotlight has been on Jean since the beginning of the investigation. Guyger initially stated that she mistook Jeans apartment for her own, and when she entered, she saw Jean as an intruder.

She was charged three days later. She then claimed that Jean ignored her verbal commands before she shot him. She then called 911. Jean died in the hospital.

But even after Guyger was charged, her fellow officers continued to smear Jeans name, according to attorney Lee Merritt, who represents Jeans family. They released a search warrant affidavit that included details about marijuana found in Jeans home, which some news outlets latched onto.

The seizure was nothing but a disgusting attempt to assassinate his character now that they have assassinated his person, said Benjamin Crump, another attorney representing Jeans family.

David Menschel, an Oregon-based criminal defense attorney and activist, previously told HuffPost that the release of the search warrant was propaganda.

An off-duty cop goes into the wrong apartment and shoots the man who lives there dead, and so, as weve come to expect, local law enforcement is doing what it can to cast aspersions at the innocent victim  to suggest he was no angel  and therefore apparently deserved to be shot dead in his own home, Menschel said. And much of the media plays along, amplifying law enforcements propaganda.

Story continues

After she was charged, Guyger was freed from jail on a $300,000 bond. A hearing date has not yet been set.

This story has been updated with more background information.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story referred to a sentencing date. That reference was to a hearing date, and the story has been updated to reflect this.

Related Coverage

Dallas Officer Claims Botham Jean Ignored Her 'Verbal Commands'

Search Of Botham Jean's Apartment Ignites Outrage Over Victims Character Assassination

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Brett Kavanaugh has doubled down on the defense of his Supreme Court nomination and refused to withdraw  even as a second woman came forward with an allegation of sexual misconduct from decades ago.

I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process, Kavanaugh said in a letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. 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.

Kavanaughs vow came less than 24 hours after The New Yorker published an account from Deborah Ramirez, who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party during college while they were both at Yale. Kavanaugh is already facing an accusation by another woman, Christine Blasey Ford, who says he drunkenly pinned her down, covered her mouth and attempted to remove her clothes while they were both in high school.

Kavanaugh denies both allegations. In his latest letter he says he categorically and unequivocally denies Fords account, and that Ramirezs story is false and uncorroborated.

Read More: How Brett Kavanaughs Second Accuser Just Raised the Stakes for Everyone

These are smears, pure and simple, Kavanaughs letter says. 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.

Kavanaugh and Ford are set to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing on Sept. 27. Read the full text of Kavanaughs letter below.

Dear Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Feinstein:

When I testified in front of the Senate three weeks ago, I explained my belief that fair process is foundational to justice and to our democracy.

At that time, I sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee for more than 31 hours and answered questions under oath. I then answered more questions at a confidential session. The following week, I responded to more than 1,200 written questions, more than have been submitted to all previous Supreme Court nominees combined.

Story continues

Only after that exhaustive process was complete did I learn, through the news media, about a 36-year-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. 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. All of the witnesses identified by Dr. 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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

I have devoted my career to serving the public and the cause of justice, and particularly to promoting the equality and dignity of women. Women from every phase of my life have come forward to attest to my character. 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.

Sincerely,

Brett M. KavanaughBy Michel Rose PARIS/LISBON (Reuters) - France, Portugal, Spain and Germany struck a deal on Tuesday to take in migrants from the Mediterranean rescue ship Aquarius sailing off the coast of Malta, the French government said, after Italy refused to let the vessel dock. The agreement marks the second such co-operation between European countries since Italy's new anti-establishment coalition started turning away from Italian ports ships carrying migrants rescued in the Mediterranean earlier this year. Portugal said it had agreed to take 10 of the 58 migrants on board as part of a "response of solidarity to the flow of migrants seeking to reach Europe across the Mediterranean". Malta said migrants would be transferred to a patrol boat in international waters and taken to the island, which will then send them to four other European Union states. It was not immediately clear how many migrants Spain and Germany had agreed to take in, though a French government source said France would take 18. The French prime minister's office said the Aquarius, whose registration was revoked by Panama earlier this week, would head to Marseille once its passengers had disembarked. "Malta and France again step up to solve (the) migrant impasse," Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Twitter, adding that he, French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders wanted to show a multilateral approach was possible. On Sunday, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini of the far-right League Party said the Aquarius had hindered the work of the Libyan coast guard and Italy's ports would remain shut. A public backlash over the arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants in the past five years has fueled a swing toward far-right parties in many countries in Europe and helped bring Italy's anti-establishment ruling coalition to power this year. France had initially refused to let the Aquarius dock in Marseille, as requested by the charities operating the ship, arguing that under European rules, the ship was supposed to dock at the nearest port, in this case Malta. In August, France and Malta struck a deal to let the Aquarius dock in Valletta harbor after France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain agreed to take in the migrants, ending a five-day tug-of-war among EU countries. Aquarius 2 is the one remaining charity rescue vessel still operating in the central Mediterranean, picking up migrants who are in most cases trying to get to Europe from Libya, often in overcrowded, unseaworthy boats. Italy became the main route into Europe for hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers arriving by sea since the other main route from Turkey to Greece was largely shut in 2016. On Monday, Panama authorities revoked the Aquarius's registration, meaning that once it docks it will be 'de-flagged' and will not have the right to sail unless a new registration is found. (Additional reporting by Axel Bugge in Lisbon; Brian Love and Jean-Baptiste Vey in Paris; and Chris Scicluna in Valletta; writing by Michel Rose; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Richard Balmforth)Photo credit: Car and Driver

From Car and Driver

Attempting to match Tesla's successful and overloaded reservation list, Audi dealers will not stock a single e-tron in their showrooms as the automaker begins selling its first battery-electric car.

That means nothing-no test drives, walkarounds, or buttocks in seats-until the first deliveries arrive by summer 2019. Audi of America president Scott Keogh confirmed it to Automotive News, and C/D was given the same line by a sales rep at a popular Connecticut dealership. Audi will only accept a $1000 credit card deposit online, after which you configure the exact spec, choose the dealer, and forget about the whole deal for months until the factory gives you 30 days' notice before your car's production starts. Already, according to our dealer, Audi has secured "thousands" of reservations-and this is after the 999 First Edition models arrive for buyers who placed deposits last year. Those cars come loaded with special colors, trim, and plaques for $87,695. Regular buyers can spend almost as much for an e-tron Prestige or could snag a plainer, but still well-equipped, Premium Plus starting at $75,795.

Photo credit: Car and Driver

Audi's sales strategy isn't as much an exclusive buyer's club as a precise method to curb production of a car with limited mass-market appeal. A complete run of paid-for cars ensures Audi dealers will make full profit while avoiding a glut of unsold cars. Even dealers in EV hot spots such as San Francisco wont be allowed to stock inventory or demos, and as of now, Audi isnt planning to let anyone drive the car except the media. Major details, like the estimated EPA range, arent final. Youll just have to take Audis word-and possibly ours, once we do drive it-that the e-tron will be exceptional.

Thatll be tough once Jaguar sells and physically stocks the I-Pace later this year, without a reservation system. There are more alternatives within Audi showrooms, where dealers currently have stocked more than 290 brand-new A3 e-tron plug-in hybrids they would be happy to discount. Audi customers can also leave with a 602-hp R8 on the same day versus waiting a year for a family SUV theyve never seen, touched, or driven. The choice is yours.

('You Might Also Like',)Motley Fool

While there are no sure bets in the stock market, companies that have a track record for paying and growing their dividends offer one of the best ways to generate passive income. When the market is regularly setting all-time highs, a 2% dividend yield may not seem like much. With that in mind, we asked some of our contributors which blue chip dividend stocks they saw as particularly strong buys now.Donald Trump is not even the most notorious accused sexual harasser in Brett Kavanaugh's circle. (Photo: Jim Bourg/Reuters)

Brett Kavanaugh, the embattled Supreme Court nominee facing multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, stands on the shoulders of some of the countrys most powerful and influential misogynists.

The man who nominated him to the Supreme Court is Donald Trump, himself accused by more than a dozen women of sexual misconduct. His high school pal is Mark Judge, a well-known conservative author whose writing reveals a deep disdain for women and especially feminists.

But perhaps one of the most influential figures in Kavanaughs career is his longtime mentor: Alex Kozinski, a well-known federal judge who resigned last December after many women came forward to describe his sexual harassment and misconduct.

Kavanaugh has steadfastly claimed he knew nothing about Kozinskis behavior, and couldnt recall anything inappropriate about him. Yet considering the overwhelming evidence thats piled up about Kozinski, Kavanaughs denial seems preposterous.

Everybody knew, writes longtime legal columnist Dahlia Lithwick for Slate, explaining she had experience with Kozinski since the late 1990s.

Theres no way Kavanaugh didnt know, a man who clerked for Kozinski more than a decade ago told HuffPost recently. Others have asked how Kavanaugh could have possibly been ignorant of the judges sexism and misconduct.

Alex Kozinski, then a judge for the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, looks on during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on March 16, 2017. (Photo: Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)

The former clerk is the rare man to speak up about Kozinski  most of the judges accusers are women. Indeed, this man says he even took the almost unheard-of step of telling Kozinkski that his behavior was inappropriate.

During the mans clerkship, Kozinski showed him a video of naked women skydiving, he told HuffPost. He thought it was hilarious to watch their breasts flap back and forth, he recalled.

The former clerk declined to be named in HuffPost for privacy reasons, but Catharine MacKinnon, a prominent professor at the University of Michigan Law School who first conceptualized the notion of sexual harassment in the legal system, confirmed his story.

Story continues

He spoke of hearing in the chambers things Judge Kozinski said that I vividly recall were sexually salacious, she said, adding that the judge made this man extremely uncomfortable. The former clerk was MacKinnons research assistant years ago.

Men werent typically the butt of Kozinskis jokes. The former clerk remembered that while Kozinski was evaluating the application of a woman who was second in her class at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, the judge had described her as the sort of woman who would only give you a handjob.

Even as a bystander, the former clerk said, he was offended.

He thought it was discriminatory, harassing to everybody in the chambers. He was absolutely horrified and attempted to convey his lack of enjoyment of this to the judge, MacKinnon said.

The former clerk said he set up a meeting with Kozinski to directly confront him, telling him these comments about women were just too much and that the overall atmosphere felt abusive.

He said Kozinski responded by telling him a joke: How can you tell if a woman has an orgasm? The answer: Who cares.

The message was: Kozinski didnt care.

A week later, the law clerk quit.

He tried to get another clerkship, but found that Kozinski had thrown up roadblocks, he said.

Suddenly, he had no prospects, MacKinnon recalled. He struggled professionally for some time trying to recover.

MacKinnon said she never again recommended Kozinski to students who were looking for coveted legal clerkships.

The former clerks story perfectly illustrates why someone like Kavanaugh, an ultra-ambitious lawyer on a glide path to the Supreme Court, would never admit to knowing what his mentor was truly like.

That kind of complicity is how harassers stay in power.

Brett Kavanaugh looks on as his former boss Alex Kozinski testifies during a Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing. (Photo: Scott J. Ferrell via Getty Images)

Kavanaugh clerked for Kozinski in 1991 and remained in close contact with him over the years. They co-authored at least one book and sat on panels together. They even helped vet law clerks for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, an incredibly influential role.

Judge and law clerk are in fact tethered together by an invisible cord for the rest of their mutual careers, Kozinski famously wrote in a paper called Confessions of a Bad Apple, published in the Yale Law Review the same year Kavanaugh clerked for him.

Kozinski, of course, is THE ultimate judicial bad apple.

Fifteen women, including one judge and several former clerks, told The Washington Post last year how Kozinski, a Reagan appointee on the countrys biggest federal court, had shown them pornographic images in his chambers, made grossly inappropriate comments, and stared at and groped their breasts.

Heidi Bond, who clerked for Kozinski in 2006 and 2007, described how the judge showed her photos of naked people, asking her if she was turned on.

When I first arrived in chambers, the outgoing clerks suggested that we should watch The Aristocrats, a documentary about a notorious dirty joke, to prepare ourselves for the upcoming year, Bond, who left the legal profession entirely, wrote in Slate recently.

Having clerked in his chambers, I do not know how it would be possible to forget something as pervasive as Kozinskis famously sexual sense of humor, she said.

Kozinski was one of a handful of federal judges known for feeding clerks to the Supreme Court. If you landed a job clerking with him, you scored a golden ticket to a prestigious legal career in the United States.

Indeed, after Kavanaughs clerkship with Kozinski ended, he went on to work for Justice Anthony Kennedy on the high court and subsequently skipped down the path to his current nomination.

Crossing Kozinski almost certainly wouldve put a halt to all that.

Even if we take Kavanaugh at his word that he had no idea one of his most important professional contacts was a serial abuser, it raises a crucial question: Does he understand what sexual misconduct looks like?

Who knows what kinds of sexual harassment issues Kavanaugh will have the opportunity to decide on over the next 30 years or so, Elie Mistal wrote in Above the Law this summer. Whether the man can even recognize sexual harassment WHEN HE SEES IT is relevant.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Attorney Michael Avenatti says third woman reached out about sexual misconduct allegations against supreme court nominee

A third woman is expected to publicly make accusations of sexual misconduct against supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh this week, her attorney Michael Avenatti said, plunging the judges confirmation to Americas highest court into further uncertainty.

She reached out to me. We vetted her claim and she satisfactorily passed that vetting, Avenatti said of the new accuser in an interview with the Guardian on Monday.

Avenatti said the woman has also asked to testify at a hearing before the Senate judiciary committee on Thursday, which will hear from California professor Christine Blasey Ford, who has alleged the judge drunkenly sexually assaulted her while in high school.

The fresh allegations relate to Kavanaughs school days when he attended the elite Georgetown prep school in Maryland, where Ford has already accused him of a violent sexual attack at a party there when he was 17 and she was 15. Those allegations turned his confirmation process upside down earlier this month.

A second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, came forward Sunday to say that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when he was a freshman at Yale.

Matters relating to the additional individual date back to Georgetown preparatory school, Avenatti said.

Im going to be representing her and I may be representing some corroborating witnesses, and we plan on releasing additional information, he told the Guardian.

Avenatti is better known as the combative, anti-Trump lawyer representing Stormy Daniels, who made her name as an actor and producer of pornographic films. Daniels is involved in multiple civil cases with the president and his one-time lawyer, Michael Cohen, over her account that she had an affair with Trump in the past. Trump denies the affair but paid Daniels hush money before the 2016 election to stay quiet about it.

Avenatti pointed out on Twitter on Monday morning that his new client is currently planning on identifying herself publicly prior to the expected hearing on Thursday.

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He called for her to be able to testify before the Senate judiciary committee, which is holding Kavanaughs confirmation hearings, and also demanded that the committee question Mark Judge, a contemporary of Kavanaughs at Georgetown whom Ford says was involved in the alleged assault upon her.

Avenatti tweeted on Sunday evening that: 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.

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

Within minutes on Sunday night, Avenatti had been contacted by Mike Davis, the chief counsel for nominations for the judiciary committee, asking that any additional information be submitted so that Senate investigators may promptly begin an inquiry.

Avenatti replied that he was aware of significant evidence of Kavanaugh and Mark Judge, in summary, participating in the targeting of women with alcohol or drugs at house parties in the Washington DC-area in the early 1980s in order to allow a train of men to gang rape them.

Avenatti then posted: Senate investigators should pose the following questions to Judge Kavanaugh without delay and provide the answers to the American people, and then listed detailed questions, including: 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?

On Monday he further posted that his new client has previously worked within the state department, the US 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, he added.

Avenatti acknowledged that the list of detailed, questions about various aspects of the alleged sexual misconduct which he thought the committee should ask Kavanaugh, were noticeably specific.

They are very pointed because they are designed to elicit answers that go directly to the facts, he said.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell described the various and growing accusations against Kavanaugh as a choreographed smear campaign. Trump once again spoke in support of his ultra-conservative nominee, who had appeared to be sailing towards an almost certain, if controversial, confirmation until Fords allegations emerged.

A defiant Kavanaugh on Monday wrote a letter to committee chairman and Republican Chuck Grassley and ranking Democrat Diane Feinstein, saying: I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process. The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out... The last-minute character assassination will not succeed.A high-powered investment delegation led by Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama will make a strong pitch this week for German investments to Sri Lanka.



The delegation will visit Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin and meet with senior German officials, as well as captains of German industry.



The Sri Lankan delegation will comprise senior officials involved in vital aspects of the economy, including Board of Investment (BOI) Director Mangala Yapa, Director General Duminda Ariyasinghe, Export Development Board (EDB) Chairperson Indira Malwatte as well as other senior officials of the Development Strategies and International Trade Ministry.

This delegation will also include representatives from leading Sri Lankan companies, which have an interest in Germany, as well as officials from the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK).



Germany is of considerable importance to Sri Lanka as it is the largest economy within the European Union and also a dynamo in the manufacturing sector, which is a focus sector for Sri Lanka. In addition, Germany is also a leader in the field of logistics, notably in Hamburg and software knowledge services, including state-of-the-art incubator services, which are centred in Berlin. This highly targeted mission will include investment forums, where top German and Sri Lankan companies can share experiences and presentations by the BOI and EDB will be conducted.



The private sector delegates will consist of Diesel and Motor Engineering PLC Chairman Ranjith Pandithage, Expolanka Holdings PLC Strategic Planning and Business Development Head Shiraz Immarudeen, Live Room (Pvt.) Ltd Director and Chief Technical Officer Sameera Nilupul, MAS Holdings (Pvt.) Ltd Chief Operating Officer Shirendra Lawrence, Colombo Dockyard PLC Chairman Dr. Toru Takehara, CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt.) Ltd Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Liang Thow Ming and CHEC Port City Strategy and Business Development Head Thulci Aluwihare.



The German companies that have invested in Sri Lanka in the past include Kramski, a high-tech engineering company which recently celebrated 25 years in the country. Kramski produces components for many German and international brand names including Blum, Bosch, Delphi, Roche and Sumida. Germany has taken a strategic interest in investing in Sri Lanka as the government policy actively encourages private sector-led growth. This is reflected by the decision of the AHK to open a full-time office in Colombo in March 2018 in support of expanding investment and trade from Germany to Sri Lanka.



The forums are to be held in the chambers of commerce in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin.Reuters

Latvia, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in European Union, was the first in the bloc to reimpose a lockdown this autumn as a surge in COVID-19 cases threatens to overwhelm its health system. The restrictions on vaccine-rejecting lawmakers, which includes docking their pay, was supported by 62 of its 100 lawmakers, and will last from Monday until mid-2022. The ban on unvaccinated MPs in parliament was necessary to promote public confidence in the government's policies to control COVID-19 infections, the legislation's sponsor, lawmaker Janis Rancans, was cited as saying by the parliamentary press service.Sarah Flint, an eponymous shoe company founded in 2013, is making a name for itself in the fashion world. One of the shoe companys investors is none other than Cindy Crawford.

The business, run by CEO Sarah Flint, began wholesale and was selling to stores such as Barneys and Bloomingdales. It switched to direct-to-consumer about a year ago as the landscape was changing, Flint said. The company then dropped prices by almost 50% in order to sell the best possible price and quality to its customers.

Since then, the brand has become increasingly popular among celebrities.

What I think is really amazing about my brand and the way that the celebrities are wearing them is that theyre really wearing them in their everyday lives, Flint said on Midday Movers (video above). So you see, say, Amal Clooney walking down the street with George Clooney and at the UN the next day in a pump.

Meghan Markle wears a pair of Sarah Flint flats. (Samir Hussein and Karwai Tang/WireImage/Yahoo Finance)

Kate Bosworth has also been spotted wearing Sarah Flint, as was Meghan Markle when she made her first public appearance with Prince Harry last September.

The important part about any kind of celebrity out in your shoes is really just being where your customers are, Flint said. And so many of our customers are paying attention to what these tastemakers are wearing and doing. For these tastemakers to opt into the brand when they really have access to everything is very exciting.

Giving customers a unique experience

Gaining that celebrity following isnt easy.

Its working with publicists, she said. Its reaching out to stylists. Its even me sometimes direct messaging people on Instagram, which sounds like it wouldnt work, but it does.

Cindy Crawford (L) and Erica Pelosini attend Cindy Crawford x Sarah Flint to celebrate the Sarah Flint spring footwear collection at a private residence on April 10, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images)

While celebrities wearing the brand is exciting, Flint didnt start the business for that reason. She wanted to make shoes that were comfortable and wearable.

As a child, Flint spent a lot of time drawing. She moved to New York to attend a fashion design school before heading to Italy to study manufacturing alongside factory workers to learn how to make comfortable shoes.

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The Perfect Pump is available for $355. (Screenshot/www.sarahflint.com)

One of her newest shoes, called the Perfect Pump, has arch support and six millimeters of padding and rubber on the front.

Its sort of all these details that I never had in shoes that I wanted my customers to have, Flint said.

Sarah Flints shoes are made entirely in Italy and available only online, with prices starting at $195.

Follow Adriana on Twitter.

Read more: Coach signs Michael B. Jordan as its face of menswear



Want to get your hands on some free Chick-fil-A without having to wear a cow costume? Try showing up for a weekly poultry fix for 20 years  and then turn 100 years old.

As local affiliate Fox 13 reports, the fast food chains Oldsmar, Fla., branch paid tribute to one of its most loyal customers on Sept. 21, throwing diner Stephen Bellissimo a surprise birthday party to mark a century on the planet.

Bellissimo has certainly earned the celebration. Known as Mr. Steve, hes reportedly racked up about 20 years worth of daily visits  not counting Sundays, of course  though a fall last year limited his chicken pilgrimages to about once a week.

Hes bound to pick up the pace now, however, as Chick-fil-A is treating him to free meals for the rest of his life. Bring. On. The. Waffle. Fries.

Its a heartwarming gesture  but some cynical Twitter users are expressing doubt about the deal.

Free food for life when he about to die next week? Nice try Chick-fil-A do better smh https://t.co/VCMdheqp8R  I ain't shit  (@sheslulu) September 25, 2018

Imma start a gofundme to buy this man cyborg parts so he stays alive indefinitely and ChickfilA gotta pay for his chicken for decades  violue  Stanning Castiel since 2008 (@violue) September 24, 2018

Howgenerous.  Billy Corben (@BillyCorben) September 24, 2018

i hate to be that guy but they kinda to late  Father Justin  (@ChazinMyDreams) September 24, 2018

Chick-fil-A management when homies still coming in at 113 pic.twitter.com/B2CSEEAv7v  reKT (@Reverse_TK) September 24, 2018

But if he does a Benjamin Button, then its over for Chick-Fil-A.  Nichelle Stephens, Human Being (@niche) September 24, 2018

But hey  free food is free food, and Mr. Steve may just prove the naysayers wrong.

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As it happens, hes not the only one whos scored free chicken nuggets for life. A baby girl who was suddenly delivered in a Chick-fil-A bathroom in Texas this summer has also been promised a lifetime supply of food and a job when shes older.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.(Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Last week I catalogued the reasons for crediting Christine Blasey Fords assertion that, as a teenager, she was sexually assaulted by a 17-year-old Brett Kavanaugh.

My logic was straightforward. Dr. Blasey, as the California professor is known professionally, first told her story during marriage counseling in 2012  a revelation captured in her therapists notes. Her account is most vivid when most traumatic: a drunken Kavanaugh covering her mouth to suppress screams, causing her to fear suffocation. She placed another witness in the room, Mark Judge, making her an extremely incautious  therefore, I proposed, improbable  liar.

I further noted the ample evidence that Kavanaugh and Judge were active participants in a culture of teenage binge drinking  about which Judge subsequently wrote a book describing himself as a blackout drunk. The gaps in Blaseys memory, I noted, are consistent with trauma and the passage of time; her failure to report this as a teen squares with feelings cited by countless victims of sexual assault  trauma, self-blame, and the fear of shaming and ostracism.

Unlike Kavanaugh, I reasoned, there is no compelling motive for Blasey to lie about this now. By coming forward, Blasey is poisoning the rest of her life  Anita Hill personifies the opprobrium she must endure. And Blaseys request that the FBI investigate her charges, I concluded, further buttresses her credibility.

Foolishly, I suggested all this means that she deserves a fair and respectful hearing. But nothing impeded Kavanaughs dauntless internet defenders from exposing her insidious plotting. A sample: Blasey, lucky woman, stands to make millions from TV interviews and book deals. As for me, you liberals are very very special with your never ever ending lies.

Blasey, another insisted, is a Democratic activist. Still another intimated that she had major connections to a pharmaceutical company. One sage grasped that liberals already have the FBI in their back pocket, rendering an investigation pointless.

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If Blasey was assaulted, a particularly astute informant advised me, Kavanaugh wasnt her attacker  omitting, to my distress, the source of this dispositive insight. After all, a compatriot insisted, politics is her reason to lie.

Why hadnt I thought of that?

President Donald Trump defended his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, at the White House earlier this month amid allegations of sexual assault. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Chastened, I scoured the Internet for further revelations, only to be thwarted. Dr. Ford received harsh negative reviews from students  sadly, the wrong Dr. Ford. She made sexual assault allegations against Trumps previous Supreme Court pick, Neil Gorsuch  which, strangely, went unreported until now, no doubt concealed by her agents in the liberal media.

Her brother worked at a law firm connected to the Russian investigation  cleverly covering his tracks by leaving 12 years before the probe commenced. Finally, paydirt: Blasey is a major Democratic donor  with contributions totaling less than $100 between 2013 and 2017, she trails her competitor in funding the party, George Soros, by mere multiples of millions. No wonder she needs a book deal.

To my astonishment, I stumbled on what an oversensitive soul might misinterpret as misogyny. Some peerless wits circulated a caricature of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with the caption, Abe Lincoln pinched me, doubtless provoking hearty chuckles from Harvey Weinstein and Les Moonves.

The everamusing Alex Jones (on trial for exposing the hoax perpetrated by the phony parents of the fictitious kids never murdered in Newtown, Connecticut) took time to describe a picture of a young girl with her face obscured as that hussy and captain of the sluts Christine Blasey  who, he somehow divined, passed out at parties to secure plausible deniability.

In search of higher moral ground, I turned to Republican evangelicals. But Ralph Reed was simply concerned that a failure to confirm Kavanaugh would depress evangelical turnout. Franklin Graham confused me by revealing facts apparently unknown to Kavanaugh  even if the encounter happened, she said no and he respected it and walked away. Anyhow, Graham assured the faithful, whatever Kavanaugh did was irrelevant.

Fortunately, the newly preeminent moral leader of Republican evangelicals, Donald Trump, was there to fill the void. I have no doubt, he tweeted, 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. Helpfully, he added: Facts dont matter.

Still, I thought, a coherent theory might be nice. So I was pleased to locate a source for my earlier informants revelation that Blasey had confused Kavanaugh with another teenage male  Twitter postings by Ed Whelan, a Kavanaugh friend and supporter with close ties to the right-wing judicial pipeline, the Federalist Society, which sponsored the embattled nominee. And I was even more relieved when Whelan posted photographs of the real assailant, one of Kavanaughs high school classmates.

Clarity at last. After all, dont all teenage sexual assailants look alike? No wonder Blasey was confused! Imagine my distress, then, when Whelan was forced to apologize for making a false charge against a blameless guy as part of a disinformation campaign orchestrated by a public relations firm which represents, of all things, the Federalist Society.

So the last thing I needed was more reportage from Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow (the latter being the Pulitzer Prize-winning scourge of Weinstein and Moonves). But there they were, writing in The New Yorker that a female college classmate of Kavanaughs asserts that, amid a drunken gathering, he thrust his penis at her, forcing her to touch it. More charges and counter-charges began swirling.

So I guess Im on my own. As a public service, I hereby render my best assessment of what Kavanaughs defenders are really saying:

Christine Blasey Ford is no mere academic  shes a keen observer of the judicial totem pole, bent on destroying innocent Republican aspirants to the Supreme Court. In 2012 she realized that she once knew one guy among many who might actually get nominated to the bench, assuming a Republican got elected president in 2016.

That same year, with diabolical foresight, she commenced marriage counseling in order to plant an accusation against Kavanaugh during a therapy session, making it vivid enough that her therapist would write it down. Patiently, Blasey waited six more years for the dominoes to fall  first, the election of Trump; second, after the detour of Gorsuchs ascension to the high court, the nomination of Kavanaugh. The rest is history.

Feel better now? I certainly do.



Richard North Patterson is the New York Times best-selling author of 22 novels, a former chairman of Common Cause, and a member of the Council On Foreign Relations.

ALSO ON HUFFPOST OPINION

Kavanaugh's Lesson For Democrats Is That It's Always Worth A Fight

Donald Trump Will Never Actually Go After Jeff Bezos And Amazon

Republicans Dont Care About Women And Their Sham Hearing For Blasey Ford Proves It

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.By Keith Coffman

ROCKY FLATS, Colo. (Reuters) - Less than two miles (3 km) from where triggers for thermonuclear weapons were once manufactured and against the backdrop of Colorado's Rocky Mountains, a bull elk bugles as he defends his harem of cows from rival males.

"It's rutting season and this is mating behavior," said David Lucas of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and manager of Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Denver.

He was escorting a Reuters journalist on one of the first official tours of the 5,237-acre (2,119-hectare )Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge since it opened on Sept 15.

The unique prairie ecosystem, is home to 239 wildlife species, ranging from elk and mule deer to black bears, cougars, numerous bird species, and monarch butterflies, Lucas said.

It's unclear how long the refuge will remain open.

Five environmental and community activist groups have sued the government, arguing the Rocky Flats refuge should be closed until more testing is done. A judge last month rejected their request to delay the opening while the lawsuit is heard.

The suit is pending in Denver federal court.

The Rocky Flats plutonium plant had a history of fires, and radioactive spills during its 37 years in operation before shutting down permanently in 1989 during a criminal investigation into environmental violations.

Now that it's a refuge, its 10.2 miles (16.4 km) of trails are open to naturalists, hikers, cyclists and equestrians. About 1,300 acres (526 hectares) immediately surrounding the old production facility is permanently closed off to the public.

Because the weapons production was a classified defense operation, no development was allowed on the site so the area has been untouched by human encroachment, leaving it in pristine condition, Lucas said.

REMNANT PLUTONIUM

In the lawsuit, pending before U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer, opponents of the refuge argue that a $7.7 billion Superfund cleanup overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency was flawed and a new environmental study should be conducted.

Story continues

"Our case will clearly demonstrate that the government does not have an up-to-date assessment of risks to the environment and human health from allowing unlimited public visits to the refuge," Randall Weiner, an attorney for the coalition, told Reuters.

Human activity could stir up remnant plutonium, which if ingested by refuge visitors or residents downwind can cause cancer, Weiner said.

Both the EPA and Colorado health officials have determined that the site is safe and background radiation is within acceptable limits.

"This is one of the most studied pieces of land on the planet," said Lindsay Masters, an environmental protection specialist with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, noting that several studies of the soil, water and air have found that the site is not a public health hazard.

Rocky Flat's demise began in 1989, when FBI agents and EPA investigators raided the plant based on a whistleblower's tip that contractors were illegally disposing of hazardous materials.

The contractor at the time, Rockwell International Corp., pleaded guilty to violating environmental laws and paid $18.5 million in fines. In 2015, Rockwell and the plant's previous contractor, Dow Chemical Co., paid $375 million to 12,000 homeowners downwind from the plant after a federal jury found the companies were liable for devaluing their properties due to plutonium releases.

It is unknown when Judge Brimmer will rule on the current lawsuit, but it may not end the controversy. The losing party could appeal and a lawsuit filed by the nearby town of Superior seeking to close the refuge is in its early stages.

(Reporting by Keith Coffman; editing by Bill Tarrant and Sandra Maler)MEPs voting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg (Getty)

Efforts to end secrecy over the expenses of members of European parliament has been rejected by judges.

Its estimated that the 751 MEPs claim more than 35m a year in expenses without any public scrutiny of what the money is spent on.

In a bid to end the secrecy, a group of 28 journalists  one from every EU member state  made freedom of information requests to the European parliament in 2015 for details of MEP expenses.

When their requests were rejected by the parliament, they launched a legal challenge.

MORE: Revealed: The full list of gifts given to EU Brexit chief Michel Barnier

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, Natasa Pirc Musar, a spokesperson for the group, told the Times.

But their three-year battle for the right to know ended in defeat on Tuesday when the Luxembourg-based EU court upheld the parliaments decision.

The court ruled publishing documents could breach EU privacy laws and said the journalists had failed to show how the transfer of personal data at issue is necessary to ensure an adequate review of the expenditure.

A suggestion that documents with personal details redacted was also rejected by the court which said doing so would render the information useless.

The main court room of the ECJ in Luxembourg (ECJ)

Transparency International called the judgement hugely disappointing.

Heidi Hautala, vice-president of the parliaments Green/EFA group, responded: The fact that journalists even had to go to court over documents that should be public in the first place shows the urgent need for openness around MEPs expenses.

On top of their salaries, MEPs receive a general allowance of 3,950 a month, which is paid directly into their bank accounts and is designed for office and administrative costs.

The fact MEPs are not required to provide receipts for how the money is used  because the parliament say it would be an administrative burden  has led to concerns of misspending.

Story continues

MORE: EXCLUSIVE  Conservative MEPs get thank you letter from Viktor Orban

The European parliaments bureau had rejected moves to make the system more transparent earlier this year.

They are required to provide proof of purchase for travel expenses, and receive an annual allowance for staffing costs  although this money does not go directly to them.

Some MEPs voluntarily declare details of their expenses online, but campaigners are set to keep pushing for this to be made compulsory.

Hautula said: The rules need changing now, otherwise the misuse of expenses will continue in the shadows. Secrecy around MEPs expenses only damages the image of the European parliament and emboldens Eurosceptics.



Washington (AFP) - Rights advocates on Tuesday blasted the state of Virginia for a "humiliating" new policy that bans female visitors to state prisons from wearing tampons or menstrual cups to prevent possible smuggling.

"Such a policy discourages those who wish to visit people who are incarcerated & requires them to set aside their dignity & health," said the American Civil Liberties Union, the leading US rights group.

"This policy is not only invasive, it is discriminatory and humiliating," the group said on Twitter.

The ACLU slammed the new policy, which was approved on Monday by the state corrections system, as "simply unacceptable."

Prison visitors will be notified of the new policy and offered menstrual pads instead.

State prison officials say the ban is aimed at cracking down on drugs, which some women in the past have smuggled into the prison in their vaginas.

According to the new rules, the female prison visitors will have to submit to a body scan to ensure compliance.(WASHINGTON)  Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was heading to the White House on Monday expecting to be fired by President Donald Trump following reports that he had made critical comments of Trump, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

Trump himself was in New York for a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.

The development comes three days after news reports indicating that last year Rosenstein had raised the idea of secretly recording 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. Rosenstein appointed Mueller and oversees his investigation.

Solicitor General Noel Francisco, the highest-ranking Senate confirmed official below Rosenstein in the Justice Department, would take control of the Mueller investigation.

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 hours of interviews with Mueller.

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 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.

Story continues

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.

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.

As of Sunday, the president 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.

Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel in May of last year and has strongly defended his work and independence.

He has announced two indictments brought by Mueller  one against Russians accused of hacking Democratic email accounts, the other against Russians accused of running a social media troll farm to sway public opinion during the 2016 election.Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, is adding another exotic destination to its expanding network. Athens, the capital of Greece, is the new destination that Oman Air will be flying to, as of June 2019 and it will be on offer for guests next year. Oman Airs daily flight to and from Athens will be operated with the new-state-of-the-art Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Announcing the news, Eng. Abdul Aziz Al Raisi - Chief Executive Officer, Oman Airsaid: We are extremely proud and happy to add Athens to our rapidly growing network, as the first of several new routes to be launched in 2019. Oman has strong bilateral relations with Greece and the introduction of this new flight will certainly help strengthen relations even further. The new route will also enable Oman Airs guests to explore a remarkable city with an ancient civilization, steeped in history and amazing landscapes.

Oman Air flights to Athens, WY 191, will depart Muscat at 1445 and reach Athens at 1950 hrs. The return flight will depart Athens at 0020 and arrive in Muscat at 0635 hrs. The flight duration is approximately five hours.

Dr. Yiannis Paraschis - CEO, Athens Airport, commented:We are very pleased with Oman Airs decision to add Athens to its continuously growing network! This significant network addition is great news for travellers on both ends of the route, offering them the possibility to discover Athens and Muscat, two historic and exciting destinations. Furthermore, it is also an important development that enhances Athens connectivity towards strategic markets beyond Muscat. We wish all the best to Oman Air and we are committed to supporting our new airline partner towards a highly successful presence in the Athens market.

Oman Air is currently undergoing an exciting fleet and network expansion programme, which will see the airline operate up to 70 aircraft to around 60 destinations by 2022. The airline is committed to consistently providing its guests with an award winning product, coupled with their legendary hospitality and seamless service.

Oman Airs fleet consists of four Boeing 787-8, four 787-9 Dreamliners, six Airbus 330-300s, four Airbus 330-200s, five Boeing 737-900s, 21 Boeing 737-800s, four Embraer 175s and three 737 MAX. By the end of 2018, Oman Air will have taken delivery of five new MAX aircraft and three 787-9s bringing their total fleet size to 51 aircraft.President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would not support Puerto Ricos efforts to obtain statehood if San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz continued to hold office in the U.S. territory.

Speaking on Geraldo Riveras radio show, Trump called Yulin Cruz grossly incompetent and a horror show who could stand in the way of Puerto Rico being granted statehood.

I will tell you this, with the mayor of San Juan as bad as she is and as incompetent as she is, Puerto Rico shouldnt be talking about statehood until they get some people that really know what theyre doing, Trump told Rivera.

When you do have good leadership, that certainly could be something they talk about, the president continued. But with people like that involved in Puerto Rico, I would be an absolute no.

Yulin Cruz, a vocal Trump critic, fired back at the president on Monday, tweeting that he had attacked her for telling the truth. She also argued that most Puerto Ricans arent in favor of statehood anyway.

Trump vuelve a acusarme por decir la verdad. Ahora dice que la estadidad no llega por mi. pic.twitter.com/hOwwdlt3n7  Carmen Yulin Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) September 24, 2018

More than 3 million U.S. citizens live in Puerto Rico, although they are not afforded many constitutional rights, such as voting in presidential elections, because of the islands territorial status.

Congress is the only body with power to grant statehood, but many past presidents, including Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, have supported Puerto Rican statehood if thats what the majority of the islanders wanted.

Puerto Ricos pro-statehood political party won control of the local legislature, the governors mansion and the islands non-voting congressional seat in 2016. In a June 2017 referendum, Puerto Ricans voted in favor of becoming the 51st U.S. state  although less than a quarter of registered voters went to the polls, due in part to a boycott by the major parties opposing statehood.

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In any case, efforts to obtain statehood have stalled in recent months.

Earlier this month, Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rossello reiterated his call for statehood while addressing the aftermath of last years back-to-back hurricanes.

We are second-class U.S. citizens, Rossello told CBS News. We live in a colonial territory. It is time to eliminate that. I implore all of the elected officials, particularly now with midterm elections, to have a firm stance: Youre either for colonial territories or against it. Youre either for giving equal rights to the U.S. citizens that live in Puerto Rico or youre against it.

Since hurricanes Irma and Maria ravaged Puerto Rico last September, Trump and Yulin Cruz have repeatedly traded barbs in the media over the federal governments response. While Trump downplayed the severity of the devastation in the days after Maria made landfall, Yulin Cruz frequently pleaded with the president to send additional aid.

We are dying, and you are killing us with inefficiency and bureaucracy, the mayor said at a news conference last September, days before Trump arrived for his first and only post-Maria visit to Puerto Rico. I hope as the president comes next week, he doesnt just get an aerial view of the situation. Let him hear the cries of elderly people outside windows and doors screaming, Help us.

Rossello raised the official death toll of Hurricane Maria from 64 to 2,975 last month following the release of a study on storm-related fatalities commissioned by the Puerto Rican government.

Still, Trump has insisted the federal governments response to Hurricane Maria has been under-appreciated and was an unsung success.

On Sunday, he called into question the credibility of the study, as he has done several times since its release, claiming some Puerto Rican officials just wanted to blame everything on him.

The truth is you have incompetent leadership and the mayor of San Juan is a grossly incompetent person, he said. I love the people of Puerto Rico. And I did a great job. I got things to Puerto Rico that nobody could have gotten. ... And instead of getting thank you, we got nothing but bad publicity.

Related Coverage

Donald Trump Denies That 3,000 People Died In Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria

San Juan Mayor Responds To Trump's 'Appalling' Denial Of Puerto Rico Deaths

Hurricane Maria Took Almost Everything From Them. Now These Families Fear A Future Storm.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Paris (AFP) - After more than a century of conflicting evidence, Anglo-French animosity and a H.G. Wells novella involving murder most fowl, scientists said Wednesday they have finally solved the riddle of the world's largest bird.

For 60 million years the colossal, flightless elephant bird -- Aepyornis maximus -- stalked the savannah and rainforests of Madagascar until it was hunted to extinction around 1,000 years ago.

In the 19th century, a new breed of buccaneering European zoologist obsessed over the creature, pillaging skeletons and fossilised eggs to prove they had discovered the biggest bird on Earth.

But a study released Wednesday by British scientists suggests that one species of elephant bird was even larger than previously thought, with a specimen weighing an estimated 860 kilogrammes (1,895 pounds) -- about the same as a fully grown giraffe.

"They would have towered over people," James Hansford, lead author at the Zoological Society of London, told AFP. "They definitely couldn't fly as they couldn't have supported anywhere near their weight."

In the study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, Hansford examined elephant bird bones found around the world, feeding their dimensions into a machine-learned algorithm to create a spread of expected animal sizes.

Until now, the largest-ever elephant bird was described in 1894 by the British scientist C.W. Andrews as Aepyornis titan -- a larger species of Aepyornis maximus.

But a French rival of Andrews dismissed the discovery of titan as just an outsized maximus specimen, and for decades the debate remained deadlocked.

Hansford said his research proved titan was indeed a different species. But he also found that its bones were so distinct from other elephant bird specimens that titan was in fact an entirely separate genus.

Named Vorombe titan -- Malagasy for "big bird" -- the creature would have stood at least three metres (10 feet) tall, and had an average weight of 650 kilogrammes, making it the largest bird genus yet uncovered.

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"At the extreme extent we found one bone that really pushed the limits of what we now understand about bird size," said Hansford, referring to the 860-kilogramme specimen.

"And there were some that led up to that too, so it's not an outlier -- there was a range of masses that are extraordinarily large."

- Extinct, but not forgotten -

A close cousin of the now-extinct moa in New Zealand, the elephant bird belonged to the same family of flightless animals that today includes the kiwi, emu and ostrich.

Its petrified eggs still fetch large sums at auction, and it stars in Wells' 1895 work "Aepyornis Island" alongside a pugnacious mercenary named Butcher who improbably ends up living with -- and eventually killing -- one of the creatures.

Despite having one of the longest existences of any animal in Madagascar -- whose isolation from the rest of Africa led to the development of several entirely unique species -- the elephant bird died out after a new wave of human settlers arrived around a millenium ago.

"You start to see large amounts of agricultural settlements and habitat change with burning of forests... that seems to have driven all the megafauna in Madagascar, including the elephant bird, to extinction," said Hansford.

Far from being an ancient curiosity, Hansford believes the elephant bird could hold vital clues as to how to manage Madagascar's future ecosystem, despite being extinct for 1,000 years.

Elephant birds "probably played the most significant roles in maintaining and developing the landscapes that were natural to Madagascar before humans got there," he said.

"We need to understand the role of these animals within these landscapes in order to start regenerating and conserving what we have left."The front page used on this mans placard has been singled out for criticism by a European Commissioner (Getty)

An EU leader has criticised British tabloids for creating division with its Brexit coverage.

European justice commissioner Vera Jourova took a swipe at UK newspapers in a speech about what she called the bad version of nationalism that promotes exclusion and hate.

She spoke out days after the Sun branded EU leaders dirty rats for inflicting a humiliation on prime minister Theresa May over the Chequers plan at the recent Salzburg summit.

That was one of two controversial front-pages she singled out as examples of how the media can sow division.

MORE: Court blocks bid to end secrecy over MEP expenses

The other was a Daily Mail front page from November 2016 which branded three UK judges enemies of the people for ruling the government needed Parliaments consent to trigger Brexit.

Speaking in Vienna on Tuesday, Jourova said the media have played a role in spreading the disease of exclusion as well as in fighting it.

And she said: Media should build the culture of dialogue or, on the contrary, sow divisions, spread disinformation and encourage exclusion. The Brexit debate is the best example of that.

The Sun front page which drew criticism from the EU

Again, do you remember the first page of a popular British daily calling the judges the enemy of the people? Or just last week, the EU leaders were called dirty rats on another first page.

Almost daily we could find examples of stories that are spiced up to point out the enemy; to paint the picture black and white.

Jourova put the headlines down to enormous pressure on the newspaper industry from digital, which she said had caused them to cut costs with the result of less quality reporting.

MORE: EU blames uncompromising May for Brexit tension

She then added: I would advocate for a European approach to media based on quality and smart regulation, if needed.

That sparked suggestions that the EU was planning new legislation to regulate the media, which were raised with the European Commission at its daily press conference in Brussels.

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Commission deputy chief spokesperson Mina Andreeva insisted no new laws were planned.

Andreeva said of the speech: She was speaking about the responsibility of the media, which of course youre all very well aware of the responsibility that you all do have in informing people, and afterwards she said there might be consideration if smart regulation might be needed.

European justice commissioner Vera Jourova (EU)

She didnt call for smart regulation and as we explained to you there is no new regulation as regards to the media in the pipeline.

The European Commission has launched a crackdown on fake news which includes a code of conduct for popular online platforms like Facebook.

The legislation was brought forward because the EU are concerned about a repeat of the Cambridge Analytica scandal effecting next years European elections.

But the UKs European commissioner, Julian King, said it wouldnt inhibit tabloid journalism.

Partisan journalism, freedom of speech, freedom to disagree, freedom in some cases to be a bit disagreeable, is not what were targeting here, he said in April.

I think there is a rich tradition of partisan journalism in the UK and indeed there may be some colleagues in this room who proudly practice that. Thats not what were talking about here.

MORE: EU crackdown on fake news not designed to stop British criticism of Brussels



Brussels (AFP) - 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."

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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.By Matt Spetalnick and Jason Szep WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. government investigation has found that Myanmars military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Southeast Asian nations Rohingya Muslim minority. The U.S. State Department report, reviewed by Reuters ahead of its expected public release on Monday, could be used to justify further U.S. sanctions or other punitive measures against Myanmar authorities, said U.S. officials. But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity, an issue that other U.S. officials said was the subject of fierce internal debate that delayed the report's rollout for nearly a month. The findings resulted from more than a thousand interviews of Rohingya men and women in refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh, where almost 700,000 Rohingya have fled after a military campaign last year in Myanmar's Rakhine State. 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, according to the 20-page report. The scope and scale of the militarys operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated. Survivors described in harrowing detail what they had witnessed, including soldiers killing infants and small children, the shooting of unarmed men, and victims buried alive or thrown into pits of mass graves. They described widespread sexual assault by Myanmars military of Rohingya women, often carried out in public. One witness described four Rohingya girls who were abducted, tied up with ropes and raped for three days. They were left "half dead," he said, according to the report. Human rights groups and Rohingya activists have put the death toll in the thousands from the crackdown, which was sparked by attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in Rakhine State in August 2017. U.N. REPORT FOUND 'GENOCIDAL INTENT' The results of the U.S. investigation were being released nearly a month after U.N. investigators issued their own report accusing Myanmars military of acting with "genocidal intent" and calling for the countrys commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law. The military in Myanmar, also known as Burma, where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied accusations of ethnic cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism. U.S. Senior State Department officials said the objective of the investigation was not to determine genocide but to "document the facts" on the atrocities to guide U.S. policy aimed at holding the perpetrators accountable, but the report proposes no new steps. One of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would be up to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo whether to make such a "legal" designation in the future and did not rule out the possibility. A declaration of genocide by the U.S. government, which has only gone as far as labeling the crackdown "ethnic cleansing," could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar. The International Criminal Court last week said it had begun an examination of whether the alleged forced deportations of Rohingya could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. Asked whether the new U.S. findings could be used to bolster such international prosecution, the State Department official said no decision had been made on seeking "judicial accountability" over the Rohingya crisis. Sarah Margon, director of the Washington office of Human Right Watch, said: "What's missing now is a clear indication of whether the U.S. government intends to pursue meaningful accountability and help ensure justice for so many victims." "The stories from some refugees show a pattern of planning and pre-meditation" by the military and other attackers, the report said, citing confiscation in advance of knives and other tools that could be used as weapons. About 80 percent of refugees surveyed said they witnessed a killing, most often by military or police, according to the report. Reports of mutilation included the cutting and spreading of entrails, severed limbs or hands/feet, pulling out nails or burning beards and genitals to force a confession, or being burned alive," the report said. In a few cases, witnesses said Rohingya were either killed in pits bulldozed by the military or buried alive. The State Departments investigation was modeled on a U.S. forensic examination of mass atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region in 2004, which led to a U.S. declaration of genocide that culminated in sanctions against the Sudanese government. The Trump administration, which has been criticized by human rights groups and some U.S. lawmakers for a cautious response to Myanmar, could now face added pressure to take a tougher stand. The United States on Monday announced it was almost doubling its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar, with an extra $185 million. Any stiffer measures against Myanmar authorities could be tempered though by U.S. concerns about complicating relations between civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and the powerful military which might push Myanmar closer to China. The U.S. government on Aug. 17 imposed sanctions on four military and police commanders and two army units but Myanmars military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, was spared. Further targeted sanctions have been under consideration, officials said earlier. The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine state, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar's Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship. (Reporting By Matt Spetalnick and Jason Szep; Editing by Alistair Bell)Donald Trump addressing the UN general assembly in September 2017 - Anadolu

When President Donald Trump made his United Nations debut a year ago, addressing the general assembly for the first time, he was determined to make waves.

And, of course, he did.

The president, by then eight months into the role, launched into a hair-raising tirade that shook the usually-staid chamber. He began by trumpeting his own domestic economic policies, before switching to give his take on world affairs. Kim Jong-un was labelled a suicidal rocket man, whose depraved country Mr Trump may decide to totally destroy. The Iran nuclear deal was an embarrassment.

On Tuesday Mr Trump is back, speaking shortly after 9am in what will, unsurprisingly, be one of the most closely-watched moments of the annual jamboree.

Last year we started UNGA and it was trying to figure what the US presence was going to be, said Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, on Monday. This year, we're here with a bang.

Sovereignty

Mr Trumps America First rhetoric raised eyebrows last year, with critics seeing it as a disturbingly isolationist and unilateral message  a sharp, deliberate contrast to the globalist view of Barack Obama.

I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries, will always, and should always, put your countries first, said Mr Trump.

Its a message he intends to hammer home again this year.

Mrs Haley noted, ahead of Tuesdays speech, that he wants to talk about protecting US sovereignty.

She added: Its not saying multilateralism cant work. It is saying sovereignty is a priority over all of that.

Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, agreed, saying on Monday: Whether it's security issues, economic issues, human rights, or anything else, the president is asking for countries to exert their sovereignty to solve challenges and listening to what America can do to help.

Domestic triumphs

Equally, Mr Trump is likely to use his speech once again to trumpet his own domestic policies.

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Last year he surprised many by opening with a recap of his successes, boasting how well the US stock market was doing, and how the US unemployment rate was falling.

Expect more of the same.

His diehard supporters may not pay attention to what Mr Trump himself derided, as president-elect, as just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time  but Mr Trump is never one to miss an opportunity to shout about his own successes.

Our economy is the envy, right now, of the world, said Mr Trump on Monday, ahead of his talks with South Korean president Moon Jae-in.

We are the fastest-growing economy in the world.

Since Mr Trump took office, the nation's gross domestic product has grown an average of 2.7 per cent per quarter, and unemployment is at a generational low. Business is booming, and the stock market is soaring. He will want everyone to know.

Iran

He is also certain to return to the topic of Iran  especially given that its his first UN speech since pulling the US out of the nuclear agreement, in May.

You can bet the president will have well-deserved strong words for the Iranian regime, which is among the worst of violators of UN Security Council resolutions, if not the absolute worst in the world, said Mr Pompeo on Monday.

He'll call on every country to join our pressure campaign in order to thwart Iran's global torrent of destructive activity.

Its not a position that has received universal support in the US. Ahead of the general assembly, a bipartisan group of national security leaders, including Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state, and James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, strongly criticised Mr Trumps Iran strategy in a statement issued on Sunday.

The Trump administrations Iran strategy is to assert maximum economic, political and military pressure to change Irans behaviour and threaten, if not cause, collapse of the regime, they wrote.

But since it has not undertaken diplomatic engagement on any of its twelve demands on Iran, the administration has left Iran the option of either capitulation or war.

Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani. The two men are believed unlikely to meet this week in New York

Mr Trump will also likely preview the Security Council meeting that he is chairing on Wednesday morning  an eagerly-watched gathering, not least to see how the freewheeling president copes with hosting a tightly-scripted diplomatic dance.

Watch closely to see how Mr Trump describes that Security Council meeting.

His aides have been trying to explain that the meeting needs to be about a broad range of issues, including Iran: if it is just about Iran, the Iranian leader, Hassan Rouhani, can have a seat at the table  a scenario US diplomats are keen to avoid.

The state department has since been at pains to describe the meeting as being about non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and instability in the Middle East in general.

On September 7, the US mission to the UN issued a statement saying the meeting would focus on a broader range of issues, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in addition to Irans destabilising activities.

Yet on Friday, Mr Trump tweeted: I will Chair the United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran next week!

I will Chair the United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran next week!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018

Furthermore, Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron and Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, all plan to attend the meeting  meaning that fireworks could ensue if Mr Trump steers the meeting towards open condemnation of the nuclear deal. US diplomats are deeply worried about a possible confrontation with key allies.

Trump risked a collision with the UK and France over Iran at the UN, said Richard Gowan, a senior fellow at the United Nations University, a global affairs think tank.

He told The Washington Post that Mrs May and Mr Macron would have had no choice but to defend the nuclear deal in the council.

I dont think anyone liked the idea of the president having to sit through stern defences of the Iran deal from May and Macron. He could have got very tetchy, as he did at Nato and the G-7, or walked out of the council causing a diplomatic fuss.

North Korea

The most dramatic change in tone from last years address will certainly come when Mr Trump moves to discuss North Korea.

Gone will be the insults and threats; in their place, expect to see warm words of encouragement for a man he now considers almost a friend.

Chairman Kim has been really very open and terrific, frankly, said Mr Trump on Monday, adding that he hopes to meet him again soon.

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in June in Singapore Credit: Evan Vucci/ AP

Buoyed by the thrill of his historic June summit in Singapore  the first time the leaders of the US and North Korea had ever met  Mr Trump is keen to emphasise that he is making progress on the Korean peninsula, despite critics pointing out that little of note has actually been achieved.

His speech will doubtless recap the triumph of the meeting, and stress its unprecedented nature.

His assurance that "everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office", because "there is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea", saw eye rolls from experts, who pointed out that no actual steps had been taken to remove the threat.

But that doesnt mean Mr Trump wont repeat the assertion on Tuesday.

Syria and Yemen

The US president will have little choice but to mention two of arguably the biggest crises in the world today  Syria and Yemen.

Yet dont expect any dramatic announcement, or change of policy.

Syrian rebel fighters in Hama province, pictured on September 17 Credit: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP

The two conflicts are too intractable to shout about. And, given the involvement of Russia and Saudi Arabia respectively, too much of a hornets nest to kick.

Venezuela

Mike Pence, the vice president, is hosting an event focusing on Venezuela during the week  and Mr Trump is likely to use his podium to berate the socialist regime in Caracas.

Last year, Mr Trump was brutal, describing the government of Nicolas Maduro as a corrupt regime which has destroyed a prosperous nation by imposing a failed ideology that has produced poverty and misery everywhere it has been tried.

Donald Trump is unlikely to have changed his tone on Venezuela Credit: Reuters

He added: To make matters worse, Maduro has defied his own people, stealing power from their elected representatives to preserve his disastrous rule.

The Venezuelan people are starving and their country is collapsing. Their democratic institutions are being destroyed. This situation is completely unacceptable and we cannot stand by and watch.

He is unlikely to have changed his tone. Cuba may well also come in for a kicking - despite this being the first general assembly since the Cuban Revolution without a Castro at the helm. Miguel Diaz-Canel, elected in April, is making his own UN debut.

Praising his own team

And finally, expect Mr Trump to lavish praise on his own team.

Mr Pompeo is visibly happier as secretary of state than his poor predecessor, Rex Tillerson. On Monday Mr Pompeo was beaming and jovial as he previewed the days ahead, telling the assembled crowd in a New York hotel that he was relishing what he termed the Super Bowl of diplomacy.

Americans can be proud of how our entire team is executing on the field today, said Mr Pompeo.

Americans expect the United States to assert bold leadership on the world stage that reflects our values. And under President Trump, we are certainly leading from the front.

Mike Pompeo, seen meeting North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong-ho, spoke of his enjoyment of the UN gathering Credit: AFP

He is helped by the fact that he has been able to bring with him a slew of envoys, aides and diplomats  Mr Tillerson, by contrast, was proud to bring a skeleton staff, to save money.

Mr Pompeo has in recent weeks appointed a special envoy for Iran policy and another for North Korea nuclear talks, and also hired two to focus on Syria, and one for reconciliation in Afghanistan.

What we will try to do is have all hands on deck, said Mrs Haley.

The US delegation this year includes Mr Pence, Steve Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, and Mr Trumps daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner.

On Monday, Mr Pompeo was positively glowing at the thought of the week ahead.

The gathering, he concluded, would enable Mr Trump to deliver a recap about how his call for every nation to do its part has paid dividends for the United States, and the world, over this past year.Imagine the worst, most traumatic content the internet has to offer. Now imagine a job that inundates you with it all day, every day.

Such was the life of Selena Scola, a former Facebook content moderator who, along with 7,500 or so other people, collectively screened around 10 million posts a week. Now, after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, the San Francisco resident is suing Facebook and an independent contractor for failing to enforce workplace safety standards, according to a copy of the lawsuit provided to HuffPost.

The suit, filed Friday in state court in San Mateo County, seeks class-action status on behalf of Facebooks California-based content moderators. Most of those employees, like Scola, worked at the companys Menlo Park campus for an independent contractor named Pro Unlimited, Inc.

Scola worked her moderator job from June 2017 to March 2018, according to the suit. Per the complaint, Scola had to regularly sift through videos, images, and livestreamed broadcasts of child sexual abuse, rape, torture, bestiality, beheadings, suicide, and murder.

That lines up with the experience of a Facebook moderator who told The Guardian last year he earned $15 an hour scrubbing decapitation videos from the platform.

There was literally nothing enjoyable about the job, the man, who is not a party in Scolas suit, told the outlet last May.

Youd go into work at 9 a.m. every morning, turn on your computer and watch someone have their head cut off, he said. Every day, every minute, thats what you see. Heads being cut off.

The suit claims Facebook has failed to adequately prepare moderators for the psychological stress inherent to the job or to provide the necessary support for those suffering as a result.

Facebook is ignoring its duty to provide a safe workplace and instead creating a revolving door of contractors who are irreparably traumatized by what they witnessed on the job, Korey Nelson, a lawyer for the firm representing Scola, said in a statement.

Story continues

The suit seeks to create a Facebook-funded medical monitoring program to cover medical treatment costs for moderators.

Facebook Director of Corporate Communications Bertie Thompson told HuffPost on Tuesday that the company is reviewing Scolas claims, but that it stood by its training and support structure for moderators.

In an emailed statement, Thompson said Facebook requires contractors like Pro Unlimited to provide resources and psychological support, including on-site counseling, which was available at the Menlo Park facility.

The suits status depends on a forthcoming class action certification hearing before a judge.

Two former Microsoft content moderators sued that company last January after they, too, say they developed PTSD. Their suit claims that Microsoft, after being asked to provide more mental health support, instead encouraged employees to play video games to redirect their thoughts, limit their exposure, and take more walks and smoke breaks.

This article has been updated with comment from Facebook.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.



Jamie Campbell Bower is back as young Gellert Grindelwald in the new Fantastic Beasts movie.

The British actor originated the role in Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 and has returned for the latest movie Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

His appearance comes as Jude Laws Albus Dumbledore looks into the Mirror of Erised and sees his former friend and lover.

While the film wont explore Dumbledores romantic relationship with the dark wizard the scene does seem to show they were more than just friends as an even younger Albus Dumbledore can be seen holding his hand up to Gellerts.

Jamie Campbell Bower returns as Grindelwald

The trailer also showed more of Claudia Kim, confirming a fan theory about Nagini, Voldemorts infamous snake.

Kims character was listed as Maledictus on IMDb but that is what a witch or wizard is called when they carry a blood curse where the victim is destined to transform into a beast, according to Pottermore.

Now the trailer shows her transfigure into the famous green snake with Credence uttering her name Nagini before the transformation.

On Naginis character poster it says shes aiding a fugitive, which looks likely to be Credence who disappeared at the end of Fantastic Beasts after the MACUSA believe it has killed him.

It was revealed that Credence was the Obscurial wreaking havoc New York but Newt (Eddie Redmayne) saw a fragment of his black form escape the subway tunnel they had executed him in.

Heres the full synopsis for the new film:

At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.

In an effort to thwart Grindelwalds plans, Albus Dumbledore (Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

Story continues

Zoe Kravitz, Johnny Depp, Callum Turner, Katherine Waterson and Ben Fogelman also star in the Harry Potter prequel directed by David Yates.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is in cinemas on 16 November.

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Climax reinforces a barbaric stereotype of black peopleALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  A former New Mexico priest, who fled the U.S. decades ago amid allegations of child sex abuse, appeared in U.S. District Court on Tuesday as a federal magistrate decided to keep the 80-year-old behind bars pending trial as his accusers in the audience applauded.

Defense Attorney Samuel Winder argued that Arthur Perrault was not a flight risk as he had no passport, no family and no means of leaving the country. But prosecutors described him as a danger to the community who fled before.

"He is known to manipulate and gain the trust of people," federal Prosecutor Sean Sullivan told U.S. Magistrate Karen Molzen. "Honestly, a jail setting is the best setting for the defendant to be."

Molzen agreed and called Perrault a "very charming man" who once fled to a country that didn't have an extradition treaty with the U.S.

Court documents filed late last week said victims described Perrault showering them with gifts and meals before abusing them. They also described Perrault as someone who smoked pipes and wore silk underwear.

The documents said the Connecticut-born Perrault also once wrote an apology letter to the parents of one victim in 1971 and blamed his actions on cancer, which prosecutors said he was never diagnosed with.

Perrault was extradited to New Mexico last week from Morocco in connection with sexual abuse cases that are said to have taken place between 1991 and 1992 at Kirtland Air Force Base and Santa Fe National Cemetery.

The former Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and a former Air Force chaplain has been charged in a federal indictment with seven counts of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.

Perrault pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Friday. He also told a U.S. magistrate judge he'd had a stroke three years ago, was deaf in one ear, and had trouble walking.

In court Tuesday, a frail Perrault repeatedly asked a judge and lawyers to speak up and needed headphones to listen to arguments.

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Winder, his attorney, said he had not seen all the evidence in the case. But he cautioned that Perrault's health remained fragile. "He doesn't have any relatives. He can't hear very well," Winder said.

Winder suggested that he may ask a federal judge to reconsider the decision to hold Perrault until his trial and instead have he assigned to a halfway house.

After the detention hearing, Perrault's accusers and their families  some who were seen crying  left without talking to reporters.

Perrault, a one-time pastor at St. Bernadette parish in Albuquerque, is one of many priests sent to New Mexico in the 1960s from around the country for treatment involving pedophilia.

Victims, lawyers and church documents show the priests were later assigned to parishes and schools across New Mexico  especially in Native American and Hispanic communities.

Perrault vanished in 1992, just days before an attorney filed two lawsuits against the archdiocese alleging Perrault had sexually assaulted seven children at his parish.

The FBI said Perrault first fled to Canada and then to Tangier, Morocco, where he worked until last year at an English-language school for children.

Perrault denied abusing children in a handwritten letter sent in November 2016 to a judge related to sexual abuse lawsuits in Albuquerque. Perrault said his assets included money from military retirement and Social Security.

Church records released last year by a New Mexico judge show Perrault is also accused in state lawsuits of sexually abusing at least 38 boys in other cases.

Records also show Perrault was sent in 1965 to Servants of the Paraclete  a religious order that ran a treatment center for pedophile priests in Jemez Springs, New Mexico  after he was accused of molesting young men while serving in Connecticut.

___

Follow Russell Contreras on Twitter at http://twitter.com/russcontrerasToday is the 59th death anniversary of SWRD Bandaranaike





Recorded history reveals that from very ancient times there had been political murders . As an example, during the roman empire, there had been blatant and devastating political murders of the highest magnitude. The assassination of Julius Ceasar on 15th March 44 BC, can be attributed as the most famous political murder in history. He was promoted and ordained as the supreme commander and also as the dictator for life, by his colleagues and friends but differences of opinion culminated among his closest comrades and it led to his murder and he was killed in the name of liberty.

Brutus was the leading figure, behind the assassination. Cicero, the Roman politician who earned his mark as a philosopher, poet, orator, was not a party to the plot, but was an eyewitness to the murder.

There had been political murders even in the land of Mother Democracy-in the United Kingdom. The serving British Prime Minister, Spencer Perceval was killed in the Lobby of the House of Commons on 11th May 1812 by John Bellingham, a merchant who blamed the government for his debt. British police records reveals that the militant Irish republicans have assassinated six members of parliament from 1882 to 1990. The first female MP to be assassinated was Helen Joanne Cox, a British Labour party politician who was the member of parliament for the Batley and Spen constituency from her election in May 2015, until her murder in 2016. She was a graduate of Cambridge, specializing in political science.

She was assassinated on 16 June 2016 by Thomas Mair, a white supremacist.

In the USA, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, the 16th President was brutally assassinated on April 14, 1865, by a well known stage actor, John Wilkes Booth, while attending the play OUR AMERICAN COUSIN at Fords Theater in Washington, DC.

At the end of 1963, the White House occupied by charismatic President John F. Kennedy and his trusted political advisers were hurriedly preparing for the upcoming presidential campaign. President Kennedy was advised by his closest supporters that a feud among party leaders in Texas could jeopardize his chances of carrying the state in 1964, and one of his strategies was to strengthen the bonds of democrats in the State of Texas. He was also aware of the fact that a small group of disgruntled extremists in Texas was contributing to the political tensions in this state. In Dallas, Texas the US ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson was physically manhandled and attacked by a group of extremists a month earlier after making a speech there. However, John F. Kennedy a born political strategist decided to move the people in Texas and jump into the political fray.

However, THE MAN OF WHITE HOUSE, President John F. Kennedy was killed by a gunman in the evening of November 22, 1963 as he rode in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in downtown, Dallas, Texas.

Martin Luther King, the unchallenged leader of the civil rights movement in USA was gunned down at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennesse on April 4, 1968. He was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. For this crime, James Earl Ray, a fugitive from the Missouri State, was arrested on June 8, 1968 and prosecuted and was sentenced to 99 years imprisonment.

On February 21, 1965 another Negro leader Malcolm X took to the stage of the Audobon Ballroom, a site often used for civil rights meetings in USA and was gunned in the presence of his wife and children. Investigations into the murder revealed that the assassination came after a public feud between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islams founder, Elijah Muhammad.

On 25th September 1959, Somarama dressed in a yellow robe gunned down the Prime Minister who believed in the power of the ballot throughout his illustrious life. On the following day, the lovable Prime Minister, the great democrat departed from us

There were a series of attempts to kill the legendary revolutionary leader Fidel Castro by the Central Intelligence Agency and mercenaries but all these attempts were foiled by the intelligence units of the revolutionary armed forces in Cuba. The investigations carried-out so far into the clandestine operations into the killing of Mahathma Gandhi in India and SWRD Bandaranaike in Sri Lanka reveals the fact although there were only two killers directly involved in these murders, there were hidden factors and mysterious ring leaders behind these conspiracies. The motives behind these two murders remains the same. They were motivated by communalism, hatred and greed for wealth.

Extensive research conducted by Larrry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, best illustrated in their thesis, Freedom at Midnight explains in detail why Gandhi was liquidated. It has been proved here, that Gandhis assassination was the outcome of a well planned conspiracy launched by Hindu fundamentalists to eliminate Gandhi from the Indian political scene. Further, scholars and historians like A.G. Noorani have relentlessly written about how V.D. Savarkar, the Hindutva ideologue and former President of the Hindu Mahasabha, were involved in this treacherous act. Further, Noorani referred to communications written by the home minister V. Patel to Prime Minister Jawarharlal Nehru in 1948, conforming that it was a fanatical wing of the Hindu Mahasabha directly under the commission of Savarkar that hatched the conspiracy and saw it through.

The killer Nathuram Vinayak Godse, who pumped three bullets into Gandhis chest was also a Hindu extremist.

Gandhi never wanted a divided India, he wanted A United India in the true sense of the word.

Even in India today, patriotic historians believe that the Hindu extremist ideology which killed Gandhi is the same as the one which threatens India today. Professor Mridula Mukherjee of the Delhis Jawaharlal University is of the view that the communal forces and their divisive ideology which killed Gandhi is the same as the one which threatens India today in the form of the Ghar Wapsi and Love Jihad campaignsThe main objective of communal forces is to increase antagonism between communities. Its their aim to promote the idea that religious identities must be at loggerheads with each other. The vicious atmosphere that was created by them at the time of Gandhis assassination is the same as it is today.

In India, Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi, were also assassinated for political reasons, cemented with a communal anger. In Egypt, President Sadam Hussein was also brutally killed for political grievances.

In Sri Lanka, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike who swept to power in 1956 with the backing of the organized left movement in the country took several progressive measures including nationalization, closing of foreign bases in the country, opening diplomatic connections with the socialist camp, paddy lands act and paving the way for a public sector economy, sweeping agrarian reforms by introducing the paddy lands act etc. He made Sinhala, the official language of Sri Lanka and was moving forward to ameliorate the grievances of the Tamil people by implementing the provision of reasonable use of Tamil in government administrative affairs. Further, he signed the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact to heal the wounds of the Tamil People.

Vested interests saw a developing threat to their inherited way of life. Buddharakhitha, very cunningly introduced his nominee to the cabinet, Wimala Wijewardena. Several deals, including setting up of shipping contracts and disposal of scrap iron in a big way were some of the business deals introduced by the vested interests to the Prime Minister, Bandaranaike. Due do the inner struggle, Philip Gunawardena and William De Silva had to leave the government. However, the Prime Minister was not ready to bow down his head to each and every demand of the right-wing forces.

The struggle came to a final point, where Buddharakkitha and fellow accomplices decided to get rid of the Prime Minister. They made use of frustrated Somarama for the devastating act.

On 25th September 1959, Somarama dressed in a yellow robe gunned down the Prime Minister who believed in the power of the ballot throughout his illustrious life. On the following day, the lovable Prime Minister, the great democrat departed from us.PARIS (AP)  France has chosen clay as the surface for the Davis Cup final against Croatia as it bids to win back-to-back titles in the team competition.

The final will be held at the 26,429-capacity Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille from Nov. 23-25, under a retractable roof.

It will be the third time in five years that Lille has hosted the final after France lost Switzerland in 2014 at the same venue and won the title against Belgium last year.

France beat Spain on an indoor hardcourt in the semifinals this month, while Croatia played on clay at home as they ousted the United States.Paris (AFP) - France is pushing for the Aquarius rescue ship to dock in Malta and unload the 58 migrants on board, a source in the presidential office said on Tuesday.

"We are clear on the fact that it shouldn't spend four to five days at sea going towards France or Spain or anywhere," the source said on condition of anonymity. "It needs to dock soon and it is close to Malta at the moment."

France, which is reluctant to accept a request to take in the Aquarius in Marseille, wants a "solution worked out with its European partners" along the same lines as the one found in August when the boat docked in Malta.

The 141 migrants on board at the time were then distributed between France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain.

The French presidency said it was seeking to uphold international law under which the nearest safe country should take in the boat, pointing out the ship was also close to Italy.

But Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed to prevent the Aquarius ever entering his nation's territory again and has accused it of offering a "taxi service" for migrants from Libya to Europe.

The aide to French President Emmanuel Macron lambasted the Italian government for its attitude to immigration and for blocking a new permanent solution to manage the docking and distribution of migrants rescued by charity boats in the Mediterranean.

"It's not moving forward because those who criticise the lack of French or European solidarity, starting with Italy, don't want a permanent, durable mechanism," said the aide.

"Why? Because a number of politicians are living off the migrant crisis, which is a political crisis," he added.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, center, called the latest accusation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh "another orchestrated, last-minute hit on the nominee." (Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republicans made it clear theyre pressing forward with a vote on Judge Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court despite the fact that a second woman has accused him of sexual misconduct.

Deborah Ramirez came forward in an article published by The New Yorker on Sunday and alleged that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were students at Yale. The nominee denied the accusation in a Fox News interview Monday evening, maintaining that hes not going anywhere.

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, Kavanaugh said in an interview alongside his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh.

Top Senate Republicans also dismissed the latest accusation, attacking Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee for withholding information about the alleged incident from their GOP counterparts despite hearing about Ramirezs story last week.

They just wanted it to wind up in the press. Another orchestrated, last-minute hit on the nominee, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Monday in a fiery speech on the Senate floor, vowing to hold a vote on Kavanaughs nomination no matter what comes out during a scheduled hearing on Thursday with Christine Blasey Ford, the research psychologist who last week accused Kavanaugh of groping her at a high school party while they were both teens.

Ramirez, meanwhile, alleged that Kavanaugh pulled down his pants and thrust his penis in her face at a Yale party during the 1983-84 school year. She says both she and Kavanaugh were intoxicated at the time and that she wasnt entirely sure of her memories. The New Yorker interviewed multiple people who Ramirez said were at the party, but none of them said they could recall such an incident.

Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans pointed to the lack of corroborating witnesses in Ramirezs story as well as Democrats involvement with her coming forward behind the scenes as reasons to dismiss her allegation.

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Youre always going to have these phony allegations come.... thats always the case when you have such an invested situation, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) told reporters on Monday when asked if he wanted to see Ramirez testify before the Senate.

When a reporter pressed the Utah Republican to explain how he knew the allegation was phony, Hatch simply said, Because I know it is, thats why.

Hatch also said he didnt see any reason to call Kavanaughs high school friend Mark Judge to testify before the Senate, despite the fact that The New Yorker reported Sunday that Judges ex-girlfriend once recalled how he and other classmates took turns having sex with a drunken woman in school. Democrats said the latest allegation concerning Judge is even more reason why the FBI ought to reopen a background investigation into Kavanaughs nomination. Last week, Blasey claimed that Judge was in the room while the now-Supreme Court nominee allegedly groped her  an incident Judge said in a letter he has no memory of.

Hatch said of the committee vote on Kavanaughs nomination: It ought to be done before the end of this week.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), another Judiciary Committee member, told reporters he believed that Democrats are just taking shots in the dark with the latest allegation against Kavanaugh, adding that he is prepared to move forward with the vote on the nomination barring any new incriminating information that may arise at Thursdays hearing with Blasey.

Republicans who are considered swing votes on Kavanaughs nomination similarly didnt appear to find the latest sexual misconduct allegation against him as disqualifying.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told CNN she believes that Senate Judiciary Committee investigators should interview Ramirez. The centrist Republican did not, however, call on Ramirez to testify in public, as she had done with Blasey last week. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), another undecided senator on the nomination, told reporters she didnt know whether Ramirez ought to testify.

Kavanaughs firm denials on Monday  as well as his unusual decision to address the allegations in a television interview with his wife by his side  also appeared to give Republicans some reassurance about firmly sticking by their nominee despite not yet having heard Blaseys testimony and the possibility that more allegations involving Kavanaugh could surface in the future.

I think part of it is Judge Kavanaughs resolve, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said Monday when asked why top Republicans seemed to have so much faith in the nominees denials. He said hes not going to withdraw, that this is a smear. Hes staying in this and obviously willing to go out and make his own case even before the hearing.

The Missouri senator, who is the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, added that GOP leadership believes a vote on Kavanaugh is something that everybody should be prepared to have a position on in the foreseeable future.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.By Dave Graham NEW YORK (Reuters) - The president of Honduras said on Monday cuts in U.S. support for Central America would hinder efforts to stem illegal immigration as he welcomed China's growing diplomatic presence in the region as an "opportunity." In an interview, President Juan Orlando Hernandez expressed regret that prior U.S. commitments to step up investment in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador had been scaled back since his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump took office. The U.S. president has pledged to build a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border to curb illegal immigration. The bulk of migrants stopped trying to cross the border are now from those three violent and impoverished Central American nations. Since Trump became president, Hernandez said the United States had shown great willingness to work on combating street gangs known as maras that have menaced Central America. But it was less ready to support the region financially, he noted. Under a scheme to strengthen Central America launched in 2014 known as the Plan of the Alliance for Prosperity in the Northern Triangle, the United States pledged to put forward a dollar for every four invested by Honduras, Hernandez said. But that commitment has not materialized, he added. "That will obviously have repercussions," he told Reuters. "Because the whole idea of the Alliance for Prosperity ... was to attack the migration problem at the root." Between 2016 and 2018, combined U.S. foreign aid for Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador declined by more than one third to $195 million, according to official U.S. data. Adding to the challenges facing the region, the Trump administration announced earlier this year it would end temporary immigration protection for tens of thousands of Hondurans and Salvadorans living in the United States. Meanwhile, China is strengthening ties with Central America. Last month, El Salvador broke off diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of China, citing economic reasons and following on the heels of Panama in 2017. Honduras is one of a dwindling number of countries that still has formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Hernandez said China's growing diplomatic presence posed a "quandary" for the region, but also "an opportunity for all," provided there are "clear rules." Other countries would likely follow the lead of El Salvador and Panama soon, he added. "We see that things are changing in Central America. I think the United States has been a bit late to see it," he said. When asked whether Honduras would switch to China, the president gave a careful answer on what the future held. "We're still with Taiwan. Each country follows the principle of self-determination, that it can make its own decisions," he said. "For the time being, we're betting on a commercial relationship with Taiwan, a window to enter the Asian market." A crucial test of whether Washington was prepared to reaffirm its commitment to the region would be a meeting planned for mid-October with officials from the United States, the Central American nations and Mexico, Hernandez said. (Reporting by Dave Graham; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)Dubai (AFP) - Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused Yemen's Huthi rebels of hostage-taking, torture and other serious abuses against people in their custody.

The New York-based watchdog said it had documented 16 cases of illegal imprisonment by the Iran-backed Shiite insurgents, "in large part to extort money from relatives or to exchange them for people held by opposing forces".

"Huthi officials have treated detainees brutally, often amounting to torture," HRW said, adding that former detainees described being beaten with iron rods, wooden sticks and assault rifles.

Prisoners were shackled to walls, caned and threatened with rape, it said, noting that hostage-taking "is a serious violation of the laws of war and a war crime".

"The Huthis have added profiteering to their long list of abuses and offences against the people under their control in Yemen," said HRW Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson.

"Rather than treat detainees humanely, some Huthi officials are exploiting their power to turn a profit through detention, torture and murder."

The Huthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, forcing the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee south.

Nearly 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened on the side of the Yemeni government in 2015.

UN investigators said last month that all sides in the conflict may have committed war crimes, pointing to widespread arbitrary detention, rape, torture and the recruitment of children.

HRW called on the UN Human Rights Council to renew the mandate of a group of experts on Yemen to investigate and identify all parties responsible for abuses.

"The United Arab Emirates, UAE proxies, and Yemeni government forces have also arbitrarily detained, tortured and forcibly disappeared scores of people in the Yemeni conflict," it said.Veteran Bob Money leads hundreds of bikers for a victory lap. (Photo: Robert Todd Wilcke via Facebook)

Bob Money, a Vietnam veteran, was told by doctors at the veterans hospital that his heart was failing. According to his nephew, Richard Money, his heart is functioning at 15 to 20 percent, and Bob has only a couple of months left to live.

The 77-year-old vet told his nephew that hed like visitors at his Wahoo, Neb., assisted living home. He always wanted people to visit him in Wahoo, Richard and his wife, Linda, told WOWT News.

At one point, according to KETV, Bob asked his nephew, You got biker friends, dont you? and Richard replied, Sure I do.

He said, Could you bring a few of them up? Id like to have you guys come up and visit me, Richard said.

Richard and Linda quickly started to plan how they would bring motorcyclists to visit Bob. Bob assumed that the pair would be able to get maybe 20 bikers, and that would be plenty. Pulling the motorcade together in just six days, Richard and Linda put the word out to their friends and hoped for 100 people to come surprise Bob.

Instead, more than 300 bikers from five states showed up on Sunday, some coming from as far as South Dakota.

We cant express to him just how much his service meant to the world and to our family, Linda said. We can hopefully send him off with a really great powerful memory.

For the motorcade, Bob was stationed outside of his assisted living facility, assuming that hed see his family and a few bikers. When the parade of hundreds of bikers began riding past him, Bob was speechless. Something like this, you know, [its] like in the movies, he finally said.

Supporting our veterans is very important  especially our Vietnam vets that were treated so poorly at first, Kevin Dubbs, who traveled from North Bend, Neb., said.

Bobs brother, Charlie Money, a decorated Vietnam veteran himself, rode along as his brother led his parade away from town  at 6 mph on his personal ride, his wheelchair.

It will help his family have an absolutely positive, wonderful last memory of Bob, Linda said. For me, its like weve been able to give him a last gift.

Story continues

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Photo credit: EPA/INDONESIAN CONSULATE GENERAL OSAKA

From Popular Mechanics

An Indonesian teenager has been rescued from the ocean after spending 49 days adrift at sea. The 19-year-old Aldi Novel Adilang was rescued by a passing cargo ship and taken to Japan, where hes made a full recovery and returned home to Indonesia.

Aldi works as a lamp keeper, a type of fisherman common in southeast Asia. For months, Aldi and other lamp keepers would live on small rafts called rompongs, lighting lamps to attract and catch fish. Once a week, the company that employed Aldi would collect the fish and resupply his raft. He worked at this job for three years.

A typical rompong is moored so it stays in the same place, and as such has no motor, sails, or oars to maneuver. On July 14, a storm broke the moorings on Aldis rompong, setting him adrift. With only a weeks worth of supplies, he was quickly forced to resort to catching fish and drinking seawater filtered through his clothes.

Aldi drifted and survived this way for seven weeks, at times nearly giving up. Multiple vessels sailed past his raft, but none saw him or stopped. After nearly losing hope, he was spotted by the cargo ship Arpeggio and taken to Japan. He spent two days in the country before being handed off to the Indonesian consulate in Japan and put on a plane back home to Manado.

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, said Indonesian consul general Mirza Nurhidayat.

Source: Newsweek

('You Might Also Like',)NEW YORK (Reuters) - Iranian oil exports are declining ahead of a second round of U.S. sanctions to be imposed on Nov. 4 and Iran's economy is likely to contract 3 percent this year and 4 percent in 2019, the Institute of International Finance said on Tuesday.

Exports of crude oil and condensates have declined by 0.8 million barrels a day (mbd) from April to September 2018, the IIF, which represents major banks and financial institutions from around the world, said.

It said crude oil and condensates exports were 2.8 mbd in April and are now estimated at 2.0 mbd in September.

The IIF said in an updated note on Iran's economy that oil exports are falling even although Iran is selling key grades at a deep discount and using its own tankers to ship products to China and India at no extra cost.

The IIF said Iranian shippers were also providing generous payment terms and, in some cases, accepting euros and Chinese yuan instead of U.S. dollars. The IIF said barter trade and cash could play a bigger role as U.S. sanctions are enforced.

The updated report comes as U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani exchanged taunts at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

The remaining parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which curbed Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and from which Trump withdrew the United States in May, agreed on Monday to work to maintain trade with Tehran despite scepticism this is possible as U.S. sanctions to choke off Iranian oil sales resume in November.

In a statement after a meeting of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran, the group said they were determined to develop payment mechanisms to continue trade with Iran despite scepticism by many diplomats that this will be possible.

The European Union's plans for a "special purpose vehicle" (SPV) designed to circumvent U.S. sanctions against Iran's oil exports is deeply counterproductive, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday.

Story continues

Several European diplomats said the SPV idea was to create a barter system, similar to one used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, to exchange Iranian oil for European goods without money changing hands.

The IIF said such a system would likely fail to persuade major European companies to do business with Iran for fear of U.S. sanctions.

"Iran may continue to be committed to the 2015 nuclear deal providing the EU and others do the same," the IIF said. "However, failure to renegotiate the deal with the U.S. would likely bring about even deeper damage to Iran's economy," it added.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by James Dalgleish)President Maithripala Sirisena called upon the world leaders to emulate Nelson Mandela, who showed the correct path by his humanitarian qualities and the love for the people.

Addressing the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit held on the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, President Sirisena said Mandela was a great statesman and epitome of reconciliation.

He thanked the UN Secretary General and others for organizing the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit to honour such a great humanitarian leader who showed the path of true reconciliation to the world.

He said Mandela was a leader who showed how to use power for the benefit of the people and give up power without any greed for power.

There is a dearth of such leaders today. I wonder how many of the leaders have the qualities displayed by Nelson Mandela and I feel that it is for the leaders to emulate Mandela and enter the correct path displayed by him, he told the assembly of world leaders and other top delegates.

The Plenary Session of the Mandela Peace Summit will also adopt a Political Declaration covering policing guidelines for a gamut of areas including peace, democracy, rule of law and human rights.

President Sirisena is scheduled to address the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly today.

This years theme of the general debate is Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable, and Sustainable Societies.Tehran (AFP) - Iran's intelligence ministry said Tuesday that investigators had found last week's deadly attack on a military parade in the mainly ethnic-Arab southwestern city of Ahvaz was mounted by "jihadist separatists".

"The five members of a terrorist squad affiliated to jihadist separatist groups supported by Arab reactionary countries were identified," the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

"The terrorists' hideout was found and 22 people involved (in the attack) were arrested," it said, adding that explosives were seized along with military and communications equipment.

"Foreign sponsors and supporters of this terrorist act have also been identified. More information will be provided on them in due course," the statement said.

Twenty-four people were killed when gunmen attacked the Saturday parade in Khuzestan province commemorating the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

Iranian officials were quick to point the finger at Arab separatists, backed by Gulf Arab allies of the United States. They said that the four gunmen had been killed.

Khuzestan, which has a large ethnic Arab community, was a major battleground of the 1980s war with Iraq and it saw unrest in 2005 and 2011.

A movement called the "Ahvaz National Resistance" and the Islamic State jihadist group both claimed responsibility.UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to overthrow his government, rejecting bilateral talks after President Donald Trump denounced Iran's leaders and predicted stepped-up U.S. sanctions would get Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.

Addressing world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, Rouhani accused the Trump administration of violating the rules of international law and "state obligations" from the Obama administration by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the U.S. and five other major powers.

"On what basis and criteria can we enter into an agreement with an administration misbehaving such as this?" Rouhani asked. "It is ironic that the U.S. government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks."

Rouhani invited the U.S. to come back to negotiations within the U.N. Security Council, which endorsed the nuclear deal. There, he said, both sides can listen to each other.

"Beginning the dialogue starts with ending threats and unjust sanctions that negate the principles of ethics and international law," he said. "What Iran says is clear: no war, no sanctions, no threats, no bullying. Just acting according to the law and the fulfillment of obligations."

In remarks released while Rouhani was still talking, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton doubled down on the decision to withdraw from the deal, calling it "the worst diplomatic debacle in American history." He echoed Trump's strong language and used blunt words to dismiss any entreaties from Tehran.

"According to the mullahs in Tehran, we are 'the Great Satan,' lord of the underworld, master of the raging inferno," Bolton said in remarks prepared for delivery at a New York meeting convened to oppose Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"So, I might imagine they would take me seriously when I assure them today: If you cross us, our allies, or our partners; if you harm our citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat, and deceive, yes, there will indeed be HELL to PAY," Bolton said.

Story continues

The capitalizations were included in the text of the quotes released to journalists.

In his General Assembly speech, Rouhani targeted Trump in language if not directly in name.

"The United States' understanding of international relations is authoritarian," he said. "In its estimation, might makes right."

Rouhani condemned "recklessness and disregard of some states for international values and institutions." He laid into leaders who believe they can "ride public sentiments and gain popular support through the fomenting of extremist nationalism and racism" and through what he called "xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition."

Trump, in his own speech, said Americans "reject the ideology of globalism" in favor of what he called "the doctrine of patriotism." He also blasted what he called Iran's "corrupt dictatorship" and said its leaders "sow chaos, death and destruction" and "spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond."

The Iranian president took a dig at Trump's opposition to nations working together, adding a personal twist.

"Confronting multilateralism is not a sign of strength. Rather, it is a symptom of the weakness of intellect. It betrays an inability in understanding a complex and interconnected world." Rouhani said.

Rouhani accused the U.S. of pressuring other countries to violate the nuclear agreement and threatening to punish those who comply with the Security Council resolution endorsing it. He said Iran appreciates the European Union, Russia and China for supporting its implementation.

Foreign ministers from the five remaining signatories to the nuclear deal  Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China  agreed at a meeting with Iran's foreign minister Monday to establish a financial facility in the European Union to facilitate payments for Iranian imports and exports including oil. That was sought by Tehran to counter U.S. sanctions.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo harshly criticized those countries for attempting to subvert U.S. sanctions, telling an anti-Iran meeting: "This is one of the most counterproductive measures imaginable for regional and global peace and security."

Trump's administration reinstated sanctions on Iran after pulling Washington out of the 2015 nuclear deal. The administration has accused Iran of promoting international terrorism.

In remarks earlier Tuesday, Trump predicted that the pressure from renewed sanctions would force Iran back to the table to negotiate. But Rouhani noted that Iranians have endured sanctions before and cannot be "brought to the negotiating table by force."

The Iranian president said his country will remain a link between East and West, noting that it fought Iraq's ruling party before Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, battled the Taliban and al-Qaida before 9/11 and was opposing the Islamic State extremist group before its attacks in Europe.

"Appreciate these historical realities about Iran," Rouhani told leaders at the end of his speech. "Quit imposing sanctions and end extremism. The world will not have a better friend than Iran, if peace is what you seek."

___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz and Maria Sanminiatelli contributed to this report.By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin LONDON (Reuters) - The top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader on Tuesday rejected a U.S. offer for top-level meetings, as both countries' presidents were due to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards also kept up the anti-U.S. rhetoric in the build up to the U.N. session, calling President Donald Trump "evil and adventurous" and accusing him of waging economic war on Tehran. Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran in May, and has since started reinstating economic penalties and pressing other countries to stop buying Iranian oil. Trump said in July he was ready to meet Iran's President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions to negotiate a new deal. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repeated the offer on Sunday and expanded it to Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, telling Fox News: "That's who's running the show in Iran. I think that would be an important and interesting conversation." President Rouhani, seen as a moderate, has stopped short of ruling out meetings between the two countries. But he has come under increasing pressure from hardliners, including the Guards, since Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord. Asked about the offer of talks, Khamenei's top aide, Ali Akbar Velayati, said "Trump's and Pompeo's dream would never come to reality," according to the IRNA news agency. The Revolutionary Guards' statement read: "The evil and adventurous American president has focused on an economic war and cruel sanctions to deviate the Iranian nation from the revolutionary values and its national interests." Iran curbed its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief in the 2015 nuclear accord. Trump pulled out, saying the agreement did not go far enough. But the other countries that signed it - who think the pact offers the best chance of stopping Iran developing a nuclear bomb - agreed on Monday to keep working to maintain trade with Tehran. Separately, the Guards also said the Saturdays attack on a military parade that killed 25 people was a miscalculation by the enemies as this crime has only made the Iranian nation more united. Iran accused the United States of supporting the assailants who carried out the attack, but Washington has denied any prior knowledge of the incident. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Andrew Heavens)Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday to continue combatting Iranian "entrenchment" in Syria and coordinating with Russia after the downing of one of Moscow's planes.

"We will continue to act to prevent the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, and continue the security coordination between the Israel Defence Forces and Russian army," Netanyahu told reporters.

On September 17, Syrian air defences mistakenly shot down a Russian military plane following an Israeli raid in Syria, killing 15 people.

Moscow has blamed the friendly fire incident on Israeli pilots using the larger Russian plane as "cover".

Israel disputes the Russian findings and says its jets were back in Israeli airspace when the plane was downed.

Russia 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.

Those moves prompted Netanyahu on Monday to warn Putin against "transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands".

Speaking at the airport before travelling to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu stressed Israel's "great success" in preventing Iranian military entrenchment in Syria and the transfer of advanced arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon over the past three years.

"That doesn't mean that there weren't exceptions, but altogether it has been very successful," Netanyahu said.

"We did this with maximal and very successful security coordination with the Russian army."

Netanyahu also noted he had agreed with Putin to have Israeli and Russian military teams meet soon to enhance the coordination.

Russia and Israel set up a hotline in 2015 to avoid accidental clashes in Syria. Israel is now concerned Russia will seek to limit its actions there.

Israel's main enemy is Iran and it has pledged to stop it from entrenching militarily in neighbouring Syria.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah is also one of its enemies.

Both Iran and Hezbollah are supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in his country's civil war alongside Russia.GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man and wounded dozens of others on Monday taking part in a protest near the border between Israel and Gaza, Gaza health officials said. The Israeli military said thousands had taken part in the demonstration, throwing burning tires, rocks and explosive devices toward 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. Gaza health officials said 90 people were hurt, 10 of them by live fire. Since Gazans began holding border protests on March 30, the Israeli army has killed 184 Palestinians. A Gaza sniper has killed one Israeli soldier. Israel accuses Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that controls Gaza, of having deliberately provoked violence in the protests, a charge Hamas denies. Protest organizers say the demonstrations aim to press demands for a right to lands lost to Israel in the 1948 war of its foundation and for an end to an Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the coastal Gaza Strip. Israel says the blockade is intended to prevent weapons from reaching militant groups, including Hamas, which it designates as a terrorist organization and with whom it has fought three wars in the past decade. More than 2 million Palestinians are packed into tiny Gaza, which is experiencing deep economic hardship. Around 10 Palestinian boats sailed off the coast to challenge the blockade on Monday, drawing warning shots from the Israeli navy. There were no reports of Palestinian casualties. (Reporting by Saleh Salem and Maayan Lubell; Editing by Mark Heinrich)A Maldives court released five political prisoners 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 to free all dissidents he had incarcerated.

Opposition lawmaker and former police chief Abdulla Riyaz and four others were released by the Criminal Court in the capital Male on Monday.

They had been held indefinitely following an alleged plot to impeach Yameen in February that saw dozens detained.

Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the country's longest-serving leader and estranged half-brother to Yameen, was among several other political prisoners brought to Male to lodge appeals against their sentences. Their cases were referred to the country's High Court.

Officials said Gayoom, 80, and the other political prisoners were taken back to the Maafushi prison island near the capital and their appeals would likely be heard on Tuesday.

Gayoom, who ruled the Maldives for 30 straight years before its transition to democracy in 2008, was among those arrested during a February crackdown in the Indian Ocean island nation.

He was sentenced to 19-months in prison for obstructing an investigation into an alleged plot to oust Yameen who -- suspecting a plot to impeach him -- declared a state of emergency, arresting top judges and a host of others.

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.Wellington (AFP) - Beneath the carved timber roof of a traditional "marae" meeting house at Wellington High School, dozens of students watch entranced as a play performed entirely in the Maori language unfolds.

Many only understand a smattering of the indigenous language, but pick up emotional cues from the performers. Some audience members are close to tears as the production in the New Zealand capital ends.

It is a scene that actor Eds Eramiha says would have been difficult to imagine as recently as two decades ago, when te reo Maori was widely regarded as a dying language not worth teaching.

"Attitudes have changed immensely," he said. "When I was at school, te reo Maori wasn't held in high value, it wasn't spoken, it wasn't as freely available as it is to our kids today."

Te reo was banned in schools for much of the 20th century which, combined with the urbanisation of rural Maori, meant that by the 1980s, only 20 percent of indigenous New Zealanders were fluent in the language.

That number was virtually unchanged by 2013, when census figures showed that just 21.3 percent of the Maori population could converse in te reo.

An official report published in 2010 warned the language was on the verge of extinction.

"Te reo Maori is approaching crisis point," it said, with older native speakers "simply not being replaced" as they passed away.

The contrast with New Zealand today is striking. The language is enjoying a surge in popularity among Kiwis -- Maori or otherwise -- embracing their South Pacific nation's indigenous culture.

Te reo courses are booked out at community colleges, while bands, poets and rappers perform using the language.

Te reo words such as 'kai' (food), 'ka pai' (congratulations), 'whanau' (family), and 'mana' (prestige) have entered everyday usage.

Even the way Kiwis define themselves has taken on a te reo tone, with an increasing number preferring to use 'Aotearoa' rather than New Zealand.

Story continues

- 'More than a language' -

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a passionate champion of the language, saying one of her great regrets is not being able to converse fluently in it.

"We have a guardianship role, a duty of care to te reo Maori," she said this month.

"It's our job to nurture it because it's about more than a language."

Ardern chose to give her daughter Neve a Maori middle name 'Te Aroha' ('the love') when she was born in June.

Her government has set a target of having one million fluent te reo speakers by 2040.

With the Maori comprising only about 15 percent of New Zealand's 4.5 million population, that would mean many non-Maori adopting the language.

It is a prospect that excites Charles Royal, a Maori academic and storyteller at the national museum Te Papa (Our Place).

"We've never had so many te reo speakers as we have now," he said.

"What te reo enables me to do is articulate who I am in a very particular way...as a New Zealander," he added.

"It's the vehicle by which humanity first gained a voice in this part of the world."

Royal said the earlier rejection of te reo stemmed from a sense of inferiority and a mistaken belief that European history was more important that that of New Zealand.

But he said Kiwis now felt more positive about their place in the world and the rising popularity of te reo was an expression of this confidence.

- 'Flies off my tongue' -

As an actor, Eramiha observes that te reo "flies off my tongue a bit better (than English), the flow's different".

Head teacher Angela Fieldes has noticed a similar phenomenon among toddlers exposed to te reo at the Wellington child care centre she helps run.

"They pick it up really, really quickly, so it just becomes part of their day," she said after the children performed a 'waiata' (song), reciting Maori colours, numbers and vowels.

"They love the singing and I think a big part of learning te reo is that it's so rich in the way you can use song."

Royal said there were still New Zealanders who maintained Maori culture was not valuable, but they were an ageing minority.

He said the fact that so many non-Maori, including 'pakeha' (New Zealanders of European descent) wanted to learn te reo was "absolutely fantastic".

"It makes me feel proud to be Maori, it's an act of generosity on both sides," he said.

Eramiha echoes the sentiment, saying the passion for the language has been evident as his Taki Rua theatre troupe performs in te reo across the country.

He expressed confidence in the language's future, saying: "People from other cultures come up to me after our shows and say 'can you teach me how to say hello?'.

"It's a treasure for us to be able to pass it on and a great gift to see other people wanting to learn it. It's amazing."Labour is not ruling out offering people the option of remaining in the EU in a future Brexit referendum, Sir Keir Starmer has told the partys conference.

To rapturous applause from party delegates in Liverpool, the shadow Brexit secretary said all options should be kept on the table, including a so-called Peoples Vote.

Party members will debate the possibility of a second Brexit referendum and then have their own vote on the contentious issue later today.

Sir Keir also said opposition MPs will be ordered to vote against any withdrawal deal that Theresa May agrees with the European Union, unless the deal fulfils the six tests set by Labour  an extremely unlikely scenario.

He said the Chequers plans look set to fail the tests, and will therefore not be supported by Corbyns party.

Delegates stand and applaud shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer at the party conference (Picture: PA)

The announcement that the option of a Remain choice in a second referendum was not being ruled out drew a lengthy standing ovation, with about two thirds of delegates getting to their feet to applaud.

Sir Keir said Labours preferred option if Theresa May fails to secure a satisfactory deal would be an early general election, but that failing that we must have other options.

He said: That must include campaigning for a public vote.

It is right that parliament has the first say but if we need to break the impasse, our options must include campaigning for a public vote and nobody is ruling out Remain as an option.

Earlier, speaking about Mrs Mays potential EU deal, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I think it is going to be a very bad deal. I dont think it is going to meet our tests and we shouldnt be voting for a deal which we dont think is in the national interest.

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His pledge is at odds with that of shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who said on Monday that any public vote would only be on the terms of a deal  not a repeat of 2016s decision.

In one of a series of media interviews before his speech, Sir Keir told the BBC: The question would be wide enough to encompass the option of Remain.

He added: There isnt this difference of opinion between me and John McDonnell and the whole Labour Party is united around the motion that is going forward this morning.

Sir Keir confirmed he would vote to remain in the European Union if there was a second referendum.

Oh yes, I would vote in. I voted in last time, Id vote in if the question was ever put again, he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

He declined to rule out extending the Article 50 process, under which the UK leaves the EU two years after declaring its intention to quit.

Asked whether he could guarantee Britain would leave the EU on March 29, Sir Keir told TalkRadio: Well, the answer is it depends, because we dont know when were going to get a deal.

The October deadline might slip to November, November might slip to December. I dont know, Im not conducting the negotiations so the timeline is not in our control.

I dont think at this stage anybody is talking about extending Article 50 but if it has to be extended quite frankly it will be because of the collapsing failure of the discussions and the negotiations.

The general secretary of Labour Leave, Brendan Chilton, warned that the party was playing with fire by discussing a second referendum.

He said: The fact that people like Keir Starmer are throwing around the possibility of a second referendum is devastating to the partys brand. It makes us look like the party of Remain.WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh (all times local):

8:50 p.m.

The attorney for the second woman to accuse Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct says Senate Judiciary Committee GOP staffers are involved in "game playing."

John Clune said he was supposed to talk Tuesday evening with staffers about how his client, Deborah Ramirez, can tell her story. But Republicans kept changing conditions of the call. He says at one point they demanded all evidence before they'd pick up the phone. In the end, Clune joined the call and found no GOP staffers there.

Clune told CNN's Anderson Cooper: "There's a lot of game playing that's going on with the majority party."

Clune reiterated that Ramirez wants an FBI investigation into her claims that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drinking game at Yale University 35 years ago. Kavanaugh denies it.

___

7 p.m.

The attorney for Brett Kavanaugh's second accuser says his client wants to give a sworn statement to the FBI.

John Clune tweets that he's been trying to talk to Senate Judiciary Committee staffers about how Deborah Ramirez can swear to her account of sexual misconduct by President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee. Ramirez told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh exposed his genitals to her during a party at Yale 35 years ago.

"Ms. Ramirez is ready to swear to the FBI under penalty of perjury," Clune tweeted. "Why won't the Senate Judiciary Committee welcome that?"

___

6:30 p.m.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a vote Friday on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

The committee vote is being set for the day after Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford are to testify about her allegation he sexually assaulted her when they were teens. That public hearing is set for Thursday.

The committee scheduled the vote as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday he was moving forward with Kavanaugh's nomination.

Story continues

Kavanaugh has denied Ford's claim and that of another woman who has come forward with an allegation from his time at Yale.

The committee will be voting on whether to recommend Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate.

Senators were told to be prepared for a rare weekend session and McConnell said he was confident Kavanugh would be confirmed.

___

3:55 p.m.

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray says President Donald Trump is sending the wrong message by diminishing the account of a woman who's accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct while both were students at Yale.

Trump says Deborah Ramirez acknowledges being drunk and having gaps in her memory, casting doubt on her account.

Murray asked, "How many women have heard that before? How many women have kept their experiences quiet because they knew they would hear that?"

Kavanaugh has denied Ramirez's accusation.

The Washington state senator was elected in 1992, a year after explosive hearings involving then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Murray says Thomas's accuser, Anita Hill, was not treated fairly.

She says, "I have been very, very focused on making sure that this time around, 27 years later, this Senate acts appropriately."

___

2:45 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he's confident Brett Kavanaugh will be confirmed to the Supreme Court.

McConnell told reporters Tuesday the Senate is "moving forward" on the nomination.

The GOP leader says he's "confident we're going win."

Pressed if he had the 50 votes needed for Kavanaugh amid sexual assault allegations from the judge's time as a teenager, the Kentucky Republican indicated he did.

McConnell says he's confident Kavanaugh "will be confirmed in the very near future."

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hear Thursday from Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused him of sexual assault from high school. The committee could vote Friday.

Senators may stay in session over the weekend to begin voting on the nominee, with a final vote possible early next week.

___

2:15 p.m.

Senate Republicans are considering a weekend session to begin the process of voting on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court.

A final vote on Kavanaugh could come early next week, according to a GOP aide not authorized to discuss the plans on the record and who insisted on anonymity.

Kavanaugh is set to appear Thursday for a Judiciary Committee hearing with Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses him of sexual assault when they were teens. Kavanaugh denies the allegation.

After the hearing, the Judiciary panel could vote as soon as Friday on whether to recommend Kavanaugh's confirmation to the full Senate. Then the Senate could take up the nomination over the weekend. Senators are being told to keep their schedules open.

Republicans worry that prolonging the process for Kavanaugh would open him to more rumors and accusations about his past, which they say are being orchestrated by Democrats.

Lisa Mascaro

___

12:20 p.m.

Republicans have hired a female attorney to handle questioning during this week's hearing with Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The attorney's name has not been released. The hire was confirmed by a GOP aide to the Senate Judiciary Committee who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Ford's lawyers have objected to Republicans hiring someone they call an "experienced sex crimes prosecutor." They say the move is inconsistent with the GOP pledge to avoid a "circus."

Attorney Michael R. Bromwich asked Republicans for the name of the attorney and the opportunity to meet with her before Thursday's hearing.

Republicans want a woman to conduct their questioning of Ford, who accuses Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teens. Kavanaugh denies the allegation.

All 11 Republicans on the Senate panel are men.

Lisa Mascaro

___

12: 15 p.m.

The attorney for the second woman accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct says she wants an FBI investigation.

Attorney John Clune tweeted that he is in contact with the Senate Judiciary Committee. He said: "We remain adamant that an FBI investigation, where all witnesses are questioned under threat of perjury, is the only way to get the truth."

Clune said his client, Deborah Ramirez, stands by her account of drunken wrongdoing by Kavanaugh that she told to The New Yorker. The account was published Sunday.

Ramirez alleges that while in his first year at Yale University, Kavanaugh put his genitals in her face after a drinking game. Kavanaugh denies the accusation.

___

12:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump says Democrats are playing a "con game" against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Trump is seeking to cast doubt on sexual misconduct allegations lodged against Kavanaugh by a Yale classmate, Deborah Ramirez, who made her claims in an article published in The New Yorker magazine.

Trump says Ramirez says it might not have been Kavanaugh and there were gaps in her memory. He says she says "she was totally inebriated and all messed up."

Trump says: "This is a con game being played by the Democrats."

Kavanaugh is set to testify Thursday at a public hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, is also expected to testify.

___

11:15 a.m.

A key Republican senator is indicating she believes there should be a new FBI investigation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after allegations of sexual misconduct.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is one of a handful of Senate Republicans undecided on Kavanaugh's confirmation. When asked Tuesday if there should be a full FBI investigation about the claims, she said: "Well, it would sure clear up all the questions, wouldn't it?"

President Donald Trump and most Senate Republicans have said an FBI investigation isn't needed. Kavanaugh and his initial accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, will testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ford says he sexually assaulted her when both were teenagers.

A second woman told the New Yorker magazine that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her in college. Kavanaugh denies both claims.

___

11 a.m.

The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell owes Christine Blasey Ford an apology for calling her allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh a smear job.

Schumer says "he should apologize to her immediately."

Two women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct decades ago. He has denied sexually assaulting anyone.

Schumer, the minority leader, also says it is galling that McConnell is making charges of partisanship by Democrats. He says McConnell has done more than maybe anyone else to politicize the Supreme Court nomination process.

Schumer says that if McConnell truly believed the allegations were a partisan attack, he would join Democrats in calling for a background investigation.

Schumer says "I think they're afraid of the facts."

___

10:35 a.m.

The Senate's top Republican says unconfirmed, decades-old allegations of sexual misconduct by Brett Kavanaugh are no reason to block his Supreme Court nomination.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says such charges are "nowhere near" a reason to "nullify someone's career." He says in the United States, accused people are supposed to be treated with fairness and a presumption of innocence.

McConnell's emphasis on fairness comes as Republican leaders have ramped up efforts to solidify support for Kavanaugh among GOP senators.

Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of molesting her during an early 1980s high school party. Deborah Ramirez has said Kavanaugh forced her to touch his penis during a Yale dormitory party when both were freshmen. Kavanaugh has denied both allegations.

McConnell says the Senate will vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation soon.

___

7:25 a.m.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says "we would be open" to Deborah Ramirez, a second woman accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, testify before the Senate Judiciary panel this week.

Sanders says that "process could take place on Thursday," when Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who has separately accused him of assaulting her in high school, are scheduled to testify.

She says President Donald Trump "has said a number of times these individuals should be heard." At the same time, she noted that Kavanaugh has been "unequivocal in his denial" of sexual assault allegations. She adds, "This is a country where you're innocent until proven guilty except when you're a conservative Republican."

Republicans have accused Democrats of a smear campaign by using the women's accusations of misconduct by Kavanaugh in high school and college to try to defeat his nomination.

___

12:40 a.m.

Brett Kavanaugh says he won't let "false accusations" drive him from his quest to win Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court. That's part of an aggressive drive by President Donald Trump and top Republicans to rally the public and GOP senators behind Kavanaugh's teetering nomination.

Trump and Republican leaders are accusing Democrats of a smear campaign by using accusations by two women of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh in the 1980s to try scuttling his Senate confirmation.

There were no immediate indications that the emergence of a second accuser had fatally wounded Kavanaugh's prospects. But Republicans tried projecting unflinching support for Kavanaugh that included the nominee taking the unusual step of defending himself in a television interview.

Kavanaugh said Monday on Fox News Channel, "I've never sexually assaulted anyone."



Expedite investigations

Access to family

Communication

A massive gathering which included family members, friends, human rights activists and other supporters, staged a silent protest at the Independence Square last Tuesday seeking fair treatment and to expedite the investigations into the arrest of alleged terrorist-accused Kamer Nizamdeen. The protesters claimed that Nizamdeen, who has been detained by the Australian authorities, has been framed and is innocent.

Nizamdeen, a 25 year old PhD student was arrested in Sydney on August 30 by the New South Wales Police. Since then his family and friends have come forward to show support claiming that Nizamdeen has been framed.

Speaking on behalf of Nizamdeens family, his maternal uncle, Dr. Khaleel Cassim said that the family is very alarmed at the manner in which the formers arrest took place hastily based on flimsy evidence which was a notebook. The Police had allegedly found a notebook that named a number of locations and individuals as potential targets.

We have utmost confidence in the judicial process in Australia.Kamer has been framed and we have faith that he will be proved innocent

The notebook was not found in Kamers possession at the time of arrest. It was found in his old work station where he had not been working at since August 2, 2018, he said. Since the time of his arrest up to now Kamer has reiterated consistently that the alleged notes in the notebook are not his hand writing, he added. Placards held at the protest read Handwriting is unique. Can be identified instantly. Why is it taking time?, Expedite investigation on notebook and 18 days and yet no signs of investigating the notebook.

The uncle urged the investigators to apprehend the person who actually wrote the statements. We have utmost confidence in the judicial process in Australia.Kamer has been framed and we have faith that he will be proved innocent. At the moment the matter is in the hands of the investigators. The actual culprit is at large and is a danger to life and property in Australia, he said at the protest where around 750 protesters had gathered in support.

The family has not heard from him since the day he was arrested. Family members have still been denied access to him. Kamer has not been allowed to access telephone calls which he is legally entitled to, and we are deeply concerned. This lack of communication between him and his parents and close family is causing mental agony, stress and hardship to the family. It is tearing our family apart, said the uncle. Placards read 18 days, yet no phone calls allowed.

Family members have still been denied access to him. Kamer has not been allowed to access telephone calls which he is legally entitled to, and we are deeply concerned. This lack of communication between him and his parents and close family is causing mental agony, stress and hardship to the family tearing our family apart

A public statement issued stated that Kamer Nizamdeen was permitted to contact one family member at the time of arrest, but was denied access to legal counsel and family members immediately thereafter. The statement claimed that he did not have legal representation when he was produced before court to consider granting bail and was denied bail. He had been granted access to an attorney only on September 7, a week after his arrest. It further stated that he has been placed in solitary confinement under high security.

Human Rights Activist Sandun Thudugala said that the protest was to ensure that Nizamdeen had access to a fair legal process, and his family. Nothing has been proven yet. We are deeply concerned by how some media outlets have reported this incident, he further said.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mahishini Colonne said that the Consul General was working with close cooperation with Australian authorities in this regard. He has been provided consular access, she said.

Protesters said that the travesty has to be addressed immediately. However, Nizamdeen is to appear in court only on October 24.

Former Principal of Asian International School (AIS), Goolbai Gunasekara writing in the Daily Mirror said that it was impossible to accept that Nizamdeen was radicalized.

Kamer was gentle, sweet natured and comfortable with himself. He had no hang-ups. He had a happy home and projected an aura of personal calmness and self control. Perhaps he was too successful at what he did and that upset his contemporaries, she stated.Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) suggested on Tuesday she would support an FBI investigation into the sexual assault allegations that have surfaced against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Murkowski, considered a crucial swing vote on whether Kavanaugh can win confirmation in the closely divided Senate, briefly remarked to reporters on Capitol Hill that an investigation would sure clear up all the questions, wouldnt it?

She did not elaborate. A spokeswoman for Murkowski did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment.

Asked if there should be an FBI investigation into Judge Kavanaughs past, Sen. Murkowski says: It would sure clear up all the questions, wouldnt it? pic.twitter.com/jMKzXjqY8h  NBC News (@NBCNews) September 25, 2018

Christine Blasey Ford, one of the two women to come forward with allegations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted them, had called for a full FBI investigation into the incident, which she says occurred when they were in high school.

Republican leaders on Capitol Hill and the Justice Department have so far rejected her request. Blasey is expected to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. So is Kavanaugh, who has vehemently denied the assault allegations.

So far, the accusations by Blasey as well as Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaughs at Yale University, have done little to deter GOP Senate leaders from attempting to move full speed ahead with Kavanaughs confirmation.

Murkowski is perennially seen as a swing vote on conservative judicial nominations because of her pro-choice views on abortion. She has faced increasing pressure from constituents in Alaska to vote against Kavanaughs nomination. Also, the states governor, an independent, and its Democratic lieutenant governor have come out in opposition to Kavanaugh.

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Story continues

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Panama City (AFP) - With music and fanfare, US hotel chain Marriott on Tuesday took over a hotel in Panama City mired for months in a legal spat with the Trump Organization.

"Marriott International takes control as of today, managing the building in all aspects," Demetrio Maduro, general manager of the new JW Marriot Panama City, told reporters.

Until recently, the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel was located in the building, managed by the US president's property company, the Trump Organization -- now run by his sons.

But last year, the hotel and most of the apartments in the tower were bought by Miami-based Cypriot businessman Orestes Fintiklis, who in March evicted the Trump Organization before its management contract had ended.

Blaming the Trump name for a drop in business, he expelled the management company from the building and removed the president's name from the front of the luxury 72-floor high rise, triggering a flurry of retaliatory legal action.

The Trump firm has launched legal proceedings to regain control of the hotel, which cuts a distinctive sail-shaped figure among the towers crowding the capital city.

Inside are more than 1,000 rooms, apartments, shops, a spa and a casino. It even has a small private beach.

The hotel was inaugurated in 2011 by Trump in the company of Panama's then-president Ricardo Martinelli, who is currently serving a prison sentence for spying on opponents.

"Marriot took it over because it's an iconic building in Panama City and the important thing is to make it grow as a tourist destination," said Maduro, the new general manager.

Fintiklis said he was delighted the running of the hotel was being taken over by Marriott, but declined to comment on the still simmering dispute with Trump.

Lawyers for the Trump Organization lobbied Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela to use his influence to resolve the long-running court case, but the government ruled out interceding in the dispute.Johannesburg (AFP) - Former South African president Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday accused the ruling ANC of abandoning its multiracial principles and becoming a "black party" due to its new land redistribution policy.

Current President Cyril Ramaphosa has said South Africa's constitution will be changed to explicitly allow for the expropriation of land without compensation so as to redistribute land to black people to tackle severe inequality 24 years after the end of apartheid.

Mbeki said the African National Congress, which led the fight against white-minority rule in South Africa, had "stood for the freedom of all humanity, black and white."

"The argument that has been advanced by the ANC leadership... about the land question communicates the firm statement that the ANC has changed in terms of its character," he wrote in a pamphlet leaked to the press.

"It is no longer a representative of the people of South Africa. Rather, as its former president, Jacob Zuma, said, it is a black party!"

Mbeki said that Zuma had refered to the ANC as a "black" party last year.

The pamphlet was meant for internal discussion only, the Thabo Mbeki Foundation told AFP.

Land reform has become the country's fiercest political battleground ahead of elections next year, when Ramaphosa will try to revive fading support for the ANC, which has ruled since the end of apartheid in 1994.

Mbeki succeeded Nelson Mandela, and ruled from 1999 to 2008.

The government's land policy has spooked foreign investors but Ramaphosa has vowed reforms will be within the law and not threaten stability.

According to Ramaphosa, whites, who make up eight percent of the population, possess 72 percent of private farms.Believe it or not, some completely everyday medicines are banned in other countries. [Photo: Getty]

Every country has its own rules on what substances are allowed and which are banned  and failing to comply might have devastating consequences, as one unlucky British woman found out.

Yesterday, Laura Plummer, 34, from Hull, lost her appeal after being jailed for three years for travelling to Egypt with Tramadol pills, a strong painkiller, in her suitcase.

She was arrested by officials as she arrived at the Red Sea resort in Hurghada, after being found with the pills  which she has claimed were for her partner Omar Caboos back pain.

While Lauras situation might seem shocking, it is nonetheless a risk many of us take. According to a Foreign Office survey, just 33 per cent of us seek advice on the medication rules of countries we travel to.

This is despite almost half of the population taking prescription medication  and a greater number taking over-the-counter medications, which might also fall under a countrys controlled substances list.

The Home Office provides a list of drugs commonly controlled under certain countries drugs legislations. Here are some common ones you should be looking out for:

Codeine

This is a painkiller drug sometimes used by heroin addicts to mimic the effect of the drugs. It is banned in Hong Kong, Greece and Indonesia.

Did you know that cough medicine is banned in Japan? [Photo: Getty]

Tramadol

This is another anti-pain medication, the same carried by Laura Plummer. It is banned in Egypt and a number of US states, while Greece and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have strict laws controlling the misuse of this drug.

Anti-anxiety medication

If you take medication for anxiety, be sure to obtain a license before you travel to Singapore, where these medicines are controlled by law.

Sleeping pills

Also banned in Singapore  you will need a license to permit travelling with these substances. Some sleeping pills are banned in Indonesia, also.

Did you know cough medicine is banned in Japan? [Photo: Getty]

Cold and cough medicines

Psuedophedrine, a common ingredient in Sudafed and Vicks, is banned in Japan, while many over-the-counter cold and cough remedies are banned in Qatar and must be accompanied by a doctors prescription.

Story continues

Any prescription medicine

This should be accompanied by a doctors note if you are travelling to Costa Rica or China. You should also only bring the amount required for your stay.

Travelling abroad soon? The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises tourists should contact the embassy, high commission or consulate in the UK to ask whether your specific medication could be banned. The UK government website provides a full list of foreign embassies.





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Your 10,000 steps a day goal appears to be built on bad scienceAttorney Michael Avenatti has issued a stark warning to those attempting to discredit a new accuser of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

On Monday night, Stormy Daniels lawyer told CNNs Chris Cuomo that the woman was both a witness and a victim of Kavanaughs who had a number of security clearances issued by the federal government over a number of years. He also claims she will publicly come forward within 48 hours.

So let this be a warning to Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh and other surrogates on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Avenatti said. Be very, very careful if you launch some smear campaign against my client because you will ultimately be shown to be a fraud.

Stormy Daniels lawyer Michael Avenatti, right, told CNNs Chris Cuomo that the woman he represents is both a witness and a victim of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. (Photo: CNN)

During the interview, Avenatti also disputed the Supreme Court nominees absolutely unbelievable claims that he couldnt have sexually assaulted anyone as a teenager because he was a virgin in high school and for many years thereafter.

I think the American people are smarter than this, Avenatti said. I dont believe that America is going to believe what Brett Kavanaugh just stated on Fox News.

Avenatti leveled accusations at Kavanaugh in a tweet on Sunday that showed what appeared to be a screenshot of an email sent to the chief counsel for nominations to the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the email, he claimed to have significant evidence that Kavanaugh and a friend from high school participated in targeting women at house parties with alcohol/drugs.

Avenatti has yet to publicly specify the nature of Kavanaughs involvement or cite evidence for the allegations.

Check out the full segment in the clip above.

Related...

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell denounced the latest allegation as another orchestrated, last-minute hit on the nominee. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell dug in on Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court on Monday, characterizing the sexual assault allegations against the judge as a smear campaign and promising that Kavanaugh would get an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor in the near future.

McConnell was filled with indignation on the Senate floor, graduating from previous assurances of a fair process for Kavanaugh accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to unwavering certainty that all the women coming out against Kavanaugh are lying. The majority leader appears to have made up his mind.

He called the latest allegation against Kavanaugh released Sunday night another orchestrated, last-minute hit on the nominee, and he vowed to hold a floor vote no matter what comes out during a scheduled hearing with Blasey and Kavanaugh on Thursday  or before or after that.

The Kentucky Republican charged that Senate Democrats were trying to destroy a mans personal and professional life on the basis of decades-old allegations that are unsubstantiated and uncoordinated.

That is where we are, McConnell continued. 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.

Even as McConnell thunders on in the Senate, however, more voters now oppose Kavanaughs confirmation, according to a Fox News poll released Sunday. Only 40 percent would confirm him, as opposed to the 50 percent who would not. More importantly, a few Republican senators seem to be on the fence about President Donald Trumps Supreme Court pick.

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has said these are serious charges, and he made it clear to McConnell and other GOP leaders that if the Senate didnt give Blasey a chance to be heard, he would vote no on the nominee.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) are also potential no votes, although Collins recently told Showtime that she didnt believe Kavanaugh would repeal Roe v. Wade.

Story continues

Still, with Kavanaughs support wavering among the public, at least one GOP senator told Politico on Monday that the electoral considerations in abandoning Kavanaugh might weigh more on McConnell and other GOP leaders than a potentially embarrassing vote where a couple of Republicans defect and join the Democrats in voting no  and that McConnells promise to hold a vote whether or not Kavanaugh has enough support seems to be a message aimed at those possible defectors, telling them he will make them go on the record in their opposition to the nominee.

But with voters increasingly siding against Kavanaugh, and with the Thursday hearing moving forward, McConnells threat to hold a vote might not scare those wavering Republicans enough.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.United Nations (United States) (AFP) - One year after mobilizing the international community against North Korea, Donald Trump is trying to force another arch enemy to the negotiating table by targeting Iran with a similar campaign of "maximum pressure."

But if North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has seen his standing with the US president transformed in the 12 months since Trump's United Nations debut, the prospects of Hassan Rouhani undergoing a similar transformation appear far from clear.

In his debut speech before the UN General Assembly last September, Trump gave an initial airing to his "maximum pressure" philosophy as he railed both against Iran and North Korea.

But Kim, derided a year ago by Trump as "a little rocket man" who was on a "suicide mission" is now being hailed as a "terrific" leader by the US president after their historic summit in Singapore in June. A second get-together could be announced shortly.

According to one senior European diplomat, the Trump administration is convinced that its tough talk -- allied with a massive program of sanctions -- forced the North Korean leadership to change course, even if doubts remain about how many concrete measures the North has actually taken towards ending its nuclear program.

The Trump administration therefore plans to "do the same thing with Iran: hit hard and then negotiate from a position of strength", the diplomat added.

Much to the dismay of Washington's Western allies, Trump slammed the door in May on a deal that the US and European powers brokered with Iran back in 2015 that allowed for a lifting of sanctions in exchange for restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program.

With the Iranian economy showing increasing signs of strain, the Trump administration is hoping that Tehran will have no option if it wants to survive and return to the negotiating table.

Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, whose organization is known for its hardline stance towards the regimes in both Pyongyang and Tehran, said there were clear parallels.

Story continues

"It's hard not to mention Iran and North Korea in the same breath when talking about rogue regimes and nuclear non-proliferation," he told AFP.

"I believe that a 'maximum pressure' strategy towards both regimes is wise and warranted, but it will be challenging to conduct," added Ben Taleblu.

While both regimes have been accused of trying to develop nuclear weapons, Washington's complaints against Iran are more extensive -- encouraged by its Sunni Arab allies who have long been hostile towards the mainly Shiite regime in Tehran.

- Changing behavior -

Various administration officials have accused Tehran of destabilizing large parts of the Middle East by becoming directly or indirectly involved through proxy militias in the conflicts in countries such as Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

"What we expect from Iran is massive changes in their behavior. And until that happens, we will continue to exert what the president has called 'maximum pressure,'" Trump's national security advisor John Bolton told reporters in New York on Monday.

While Trump has not totally ruled out meeting with Rouhani on the sidelines of the General Assembly, the Iranian president appears in no mood to meet his US counterpart and rejects any comparison with the situation with North Korea.

"The North Korean model cannot be a correct model, because we cannot draw such comparisons," Rouhani, who is to make his own address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, told the NBC network.

While US hardliners reject the president's reputation as a moderate, the Iranian government -- with Rouhani resoundingly re-elected last year on a platform of better relations with the world -- is far more multifaceted than North Korea where Kim's family has ruled with an iron fist for more than a half-century.

Thomas Countryman, who served in the State Department under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, said that one of the reasons why Trump's strategy appears doomed to fail with Iran is that he has failed to work with key allies such as fellow members of the Security Council and has been instead too heavily guided by Tehran's enemies.

"The campaign of pressure against Iran is driven in part by Middle Eastern friends of the Trump administration who wish to draw the US into an active confrontation with Iran," said Countryman who now heads the Arms Control Association pressure group.

"The US is burning up its traditional credibility on the Security Council," he added.Following the Supreme Court (SC) verdict over the SAITM graduates issue, the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) was confused as to whether they should implement the SC verdict or the amended Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Act, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said yesterday.

Addressing a press conference GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said that the SLMC would be liable for contempt of Court in both instances, even if it implemented the SC verdict and violates the KDU Act or implements the KDU Act and disregards the SC verdict.

He said that during the GMOA Central Committee meeting many issues that could arise as a result of the SC ruling had been discussed.

The GMOA represented the case as an intervening party in the case filed by the SLMC. However, the GMOA claimed that both the SLMC and the GMOA were not aware of the date of the ruling and were only informed on the morning of the day when the verdict was given.

We will not challenge the Supreme Court decision. But we urge the President and the Government to intervene in the matter and explain the contradicting terms in the Supreme Court decision and the KDU Act, he said.

Meanwhile, GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Nalinda Herath said there should be strong communication and connection among the countrys Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

He said that the GMOA Central Committee had given authority to its Executive Committee to decide on the probable trade union action against the Governments double standards over this issue.

The Supreme Court on Friday (21) upheld the Court of Appeals (CA) judgement issued to allow the graduates of South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) to be registered with the SLMC.

The CA on January 31ordered the SLMC to allow registration of the SAITM graduates at the SLMC. However, the SLMC challenged this decision at the Supreme Court. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)

Video by BuddhiThere has been a 57 per cent spike in calls to America's National Sexual Assault Hotline after misconduct allegations were made against Donald Trump's nominee for the US Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh.

Christine Blasey Ford, will give evidence to the Senate Judiciary Committee later this week. She has alleged that he drunkenly tried to remove her clothing, pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth at a high school party when she was 15 and he was 17.

The allegation sparked the #WhyIDidntReport hashtag to go viral on Twitter last week.

Deborah Ramirez, his former Yale University classmate has claimed Mr Kavanaugh once exposed himself to her at a party when they were students.

Judge Kavanaugh, who currently serves as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, has strenuously denied the allegations.

Appearing Fox News alongside his wife, Ashley, he told host Martha MacCallum that he was "not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process".

Denying the latest allegation saying he added that he "never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise".

He said: "We're looking for a fair process where I can be heard defending my integrity, my lifelong record of promoting dignity and equality for women - starting with the women who knew me when I was 14 years old."

Despite his denials, Sara McGovern, press secretary at the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) which runs the National Sexual Assault Hotline, said it had been inundated with calls since the allegations emerged.

"There was a 57 per cent uptick in calls to the National Sexual Assault Hotline from Friday to Sunday compared to an average Friday to Sunday, she told CNN. "We often see an increase in calls when sexual assault stories are in the news. For example, following the [Harvey] Weinstein case and the #MeToo movement, the Hotline saw a 46 per cent increase."

Story continues

She added that the demand for RAINN's services has been off the charts since the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault."

She said: "Our victim service programs went from helping about 15,000 victims per month to helping about 22,000 per month."

The #MeToo movement exploded last autumn after a series of sexual misconduct allegations were made against powerful men in Hollywood and a number of other industries.

Nevertheless, the call line is wholly confidential and anonymous so she said she was not able to give details on the actual calls.

In January, Scott Berkowitz, the founder and president of RAINN, said the anti-sexual violence organisation had added 40 employees to its staff of 200 and stepped up volunteer recruiting.

At the time, he said that had helped to chip away at the wait times.JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that supplying advanced weapon systems to "irresponsible players" would increase dangers in the region, Netanyahu's office said. In a telephone call held shortly after Russia announced it would supply an S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria within two weeks, 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. Russia's announcement on the missile system came a week after Moscow blamed Israel for indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military plane in Syria. Israel said Syria was responsible. Israel has long lobbied Moscow not to provide the S-300 to Syria, fearing this would hinder its aerial capability to strike buildups of Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Syria. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow had in the past obliged Israel by refraining from supplying Syria with the system. But last week's crash, which killed 15 Russian service members, had forced Moscow to take "adequate retaliatory measures" to keep its troops safe. 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. But it blamed Israel for creating dangerous conditions that caused the crash. Israel, which has struck Syria scores of 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. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Gareth Jones)MANAGUA (Reuters) - A Managua judge issued an arrest warrant on Monday for opposition leader Felix Maradiaga, accused by the Nicaraguan government of financing violent protests that have rocked the impoverished Central American nation. The government of President Daniel Ortega has alleged that Maradiaga financed the protests and trained protesters through a think tank he heads, the Institute of Strategic Studies and Public Policies. "My conscience is clean. I've always been guided by justice, non-violence and integrity. Today I have more moral conviction than ever before," Maradiaga wrote on Twitter. "Those of us who love Nicaragua and believe in liberty have the ethical obligation to continue firmly in this civic struggle," he added. Maradiaga is currently not in Nicaragua. About 300 people have been jailed since protests erupted in April, according to local human rights activists. More than 300 people were killed during those protests in crackdowns by Nicaraguan police and armed groups backing the government, human rights groups have said. The protests began after Ortega's leftist government moved to reduce welfare benefits, but soon escalated into broader opposition against Ortega, who has been in office since 2007. He also held power in the 1980s during Nicaragua's civil war. The current violence is the worst since his Sandinista government battled U.S.-backed "Contra" rebels in the 1980s. (Reporting by Ismael Lopez; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Peter Cooney)UK farmers are expected to struggle if theres a no-deal Brexit. Photo: Getty Images

Bare store shelves after Brexit? Higher food prices? Stockpiling?

Food industry veterans say these doomsday scenarios could become reality if the UK government is unable to reach a comprehensive trade deal with the European Union before the Brexit deadline in late March.

Expect serious disruption to food supplies along with higher prices and chaos at the ports for transporting food, according to Ian Wright, the CEO of the UKs Food and Drink Federation.

While the UK may not run out of food and drink it will certainly be scarcer and more expensive, he said.

About 30% of the food consumed in the UK comes from the EU, according to UK government data. Another 11% comes from other countries that have trade deals with the EU. A no-deal scenario will make it more difficult and costly to import all these items as the UK would be ousted from the EU single market and its numerous trade deals.

Disrupting these established [EU-UK] trading arrangements would have a much more significant impact on consumers in terms of access to the food they enjoy than can be demonstrated by statistics alone, FoodDrinkEurope warned in a written statement this year.

Here are some of the key concerns for the food industry as the UK looks increasingly likely to exit the EU without a Brexit deal:

1. Replacement is not an option

A recent House of Lords report laid out the problem in stark terms: EU food imports cannot easily be replaced by either producing more in the UK or importing more from non-EU countries. UK self-sufficiency has been declining for the past 30 years.

The report added that there is no evidence that non-EU imports could increase significantly to replace any lost trade with the EU.

Close proximity between the EU and UK is a big factor that has promoted food trade and makes it difficult for Britain to find other suppliers, said Kiti Soininen, director of food and drink research at Mintel, a London-based market research company.

The geographical fact is that Europe is closest to the UK when it comes to shipping fresh food over, she said. If youre having to ship [food] from further afield, then youre looking at [issues with] the freshness of the food  it might have a shorter shelf life, it might have a higher carbon footprint.

Story continues

2. Chaos at the ports

Britain relies on an integrated system and harmonised rules that allow food items to move between EU countries with minimal checks and zero tariffs.

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, trucks, ships and planes carrying food items are set to face new red tape, tariffs, costs and serious delays. They may even be turned away at the border.

Additionally, the UK government warned it would no longer be allowed to use an EU system called TRACES to track its imports. Instead, its planning a new replacement system that should be available in January. The government warned the new system would require more border checks but it was training border agents to reduce the chance of delays.

The UK Food and Drink Federation said: [Items] heading to the continent will require physical and documentation inspections as they enter the EU and within hours this will result in turmoil at [the French port city of] Calais, which does not have a border inspection post. A transport backlog will mean our essential imports from the EU will be similarly disrupted.

3. Tariffs

UK food could be hit by new tariffs as they enter the EU if theres a no-deal Brexit.

A House of Lords report from mid-2018 found that average tariffs on UK food items would be around 22%, hurting businesses relying on exports.

British producers ship 13bn ($17bn) worth of food to the EU each year, according to the farming industry group, NFU.

These tariffs would make many [British] products uncompetitive, warned Wright from the UKs Food and Drink Federation.

If EU consumers are unable to access UK food and drink, the chances are they will switch to other sources of supply and those export markets will be lost forever, he said.





4. Product labelling problems

The UK government outlined on Monday that UK producers would have to change their labelling and packaging because it wouldnt be accurate to say their products come from the EU after Brexit.

The Food and Drink Federation warned this change would be costly for manufacturers, leading to the possibility that these costs would be passed to consumers.

5. Worker shortages

UK farmers and producers, which supply 50% of Britains food, are known to rely on EU workers to help in the fields. But more than half of British growers are already having trouble hiring the seasonal workers they need, according to a House of Lords report.

If, already, the UK farm sector is struggling to find seasonal labour  it is likely to get worse post-Brexit, warned Professor Tim Benton, a food security expert from the University of Leeds. Some UK production is likely to move offshore, but the costs of doing so will reflect in prices.Addis Ababa (AFP) - When Ethiopia released thousands of prisoners earlier this year, Hannah Tesemma hoped her three siblings and cousin, seized from the streets 24 years ago, would be among them.

They were not, so Hannah and her sister took a banner calling for their release to a rally for new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, sticking around even after a deadly grenade attack disrupted the gathering in the capital Addis Ababa.

"We aren't living, so why should we hide?" Hannah said of her decision to openly challenge the popular prime minister in public.

Still, she has received no word on their whereabouts.

Since taking office in April, Abiy has pursued an aggressive reform agenda that includes trying to right some of the wrongs committed by his party, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

He has released scores of jailed dissidents and publicly admitted that the security forces tortured detainees.

But he has yet to bring closure for Hannah and many other Ethiopians whose friends and family opposed the EPRDF and were never seen again.

"Our family has been torn apart," Hannah told AFP, tears in her eyes. "Why do we have to suffer like this?"

- Enforced disappearances -

The EPRDF took power in 1991 after defeating the Derg military junta, establishing itself as the sole ruler in Africa's second most-populous country.

Hannah's brother Menelik Tesemma, 19 at the time, was active in an opposition party, the All-Amhara People's Organisation.

Not long after giving a forceful speech at a party meeting in 1994, plainclothes security agents in an unmarked car intercepted Menelik and his cousin.

That evening Hannah's other brothers, twins aged 21, went out looking for the pair after neighbours told them about the arrests. Security agents seized them too.

None has been seen since: there were no court appearances, no police records.

Once, Hannah secured a meeting with a government official who listened to her story before dismissing it, saying, "Our government would not do such things."

Story continues

But in the early 1990s, as the EPRDF consolidated power, the enforced disappearance of opponents was an explicit strategy, said Fisseha Tekle, a researcher with Amnesty International.

Having survived the Derg's bloody purges against his Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP), 47-year-old Berhanu Ejigu was arrested by plainclothes police in 1994.

It was months before his brother Gebeyehu Ejigu was told he could visit Berhanu in a jail cell.

But when he got there, the man they showed him was not his brother.

"There are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, loved ones mysteriously disappeared. Every one of those needs closure," Gebeyehu said.

He believes his brother is one of tens of thousands of disappeared, but Fisseha says the exact number is hard to know.

"You can count the allegations, but you can't find out the number of people who have 'been disappeared' (under) this kind of government," he said.

- The search for truth -

A prime target for the government's tactic of enforced disappearance was the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).

"Some people who disappeared just left the office and never returned," said Leenco Lata, a top official in the OLF when it fell out with the EPRDF in the early 1990s.

Family members sometimes made desperate attempts to find their vanished loved ones.

After Lencho Bati's brother, an OLF official, was taken in 1992, their father travelled to the northern Tigray region where the disappeared were thought to have been put to work building roads.

He would watch work crews closely, hoping to catch sight of his missing son Yosef Bati. He never did.

"I do not expect my brother is alive," said Lencho, a former OLF spokesman, who still hopes one day to recover his brother's remains, so he can bury them.

Today, the EPRDF and its allies hold every seat in parliament and political opposition is weak.

Abiy has welcomed once-banned groups like the OLF back into the country and made forgiveness a theme in speeches, but has yet to resolve the issue of enforced disappearances.

"Right now, the government is talking about forgiveness, but the truth should be a priority," said Fisseha.

Recently billboards with the words "Where are they?" have appeared in Oromia, alongside images of the missing, such as Bekele Dawano Hebeno, an OLF member who disappeared in 1992.

His son, Edao, has made repeated trips from his home in the US, seeking information, but to no avail, leaving him and his family in a terrible limbo.

"Right now my family are standing in between death and life," he said during a recent trip to Addis Ababa.

That will only change, he said, when he learns the truth of what happened to his father.Sixty-eight percent of Americans classify as middle class, down from 70% in 2017, according to a new Northwestern Mutual study conducted by Harris Poll that explores the state of Americas middle class.

Of the 2,003 American adults surveyed, 32% of respondents said they can see a time when the middle class disappears completely. Twenty-four percent feel uncertain about its future. Though 60% believe mobility out of the middle class is possible, more foresee movement into the lower-income bracket, not the upper echelon.

Union members from many different New York City unions attend a labor rally in front of City Hall to demand fair contract negotiations (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

The middle class is a cornerstone of our nations culture and identity, said Emily Holbrook, director of planning at Northwestern Mutual. Clearly people are losing optimism in its longevity.

The reality is that 52% of American adults actually live in middle-income households. Twenty-nine percent are lower-income and 19% are upper-income households, according to new Pew Research Center analysis of government data.

Most of Northwestern Mutuals survey respondents define middle class as an income bracket. Eighty-eight percent said having a certain level of assets . A little over half of the respondents (52%) said $50,000-$99,999 would qualify one as middle class.

What does it really mean to be middle class?

Work ethic and homeownership were the top personality traits cited with being middle class, with 84% and 69%, respectively, choosing them as defining features. In contrast, humility and thriftiness were cited the least, with 30% and 39% of respondents, respectively, saying they associate it with being middle class.

According to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, 2017 median household income was $61,372 in 2017, an increase of 1.8% from the 2016 median of $60,309. Its the third year in a row that the median value has increased for American households.

But the idea of the middle class is nuanced, nebulous and far from objective. As the Brookings Institution points out, middle class is viewed through three different lenses  cash (income, wealth, freedom from poverty), credentials (educational achievements, occupation) and culture (attitudes, lifestyle).

Story continues

This discussion around class status is a complicated topic. We found that Americans are feeling an incredibly tremendous financial squeeze because of higher levels of debt and financial decisions around saving strategies. They really feel like the middle class is shrinking as opposed to more wealth creation opportunities. Theres a discrepancy where they see themselves versus where they see the rest of society, said Holbrook.

Melody Hahm is a senior writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm.

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Homebuyers are demanding one amenity right nowBy Mohamed Junayd MALE (Reuters) - 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 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. Solih's 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 Monday in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. The Maldives, a string of palm-fringed islands and atolls lying 325 miles (523 kilometers) 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. 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. ISLAND PRISON Since coming to power in a contested election in 2013, Yameen has been criticized 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, whose five-year term was set to end in November, 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. Voter turnout was 89.2 percent, the Elections Commission said, adding the official results would be released by Sept. 30. 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 also jailed his half-brother and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who led the country for 30 years. He is being held in a prison on a remote island along with the former head of the top court and ex-ministers. The opposition has said it would make the release of all political prisoners, including Gayoom, a priority. (Reporting by Mohamed Junayd in MALE, Shihar Aneez in COLOMBO and Alasdair Pal in NEW DELHI; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)Since Fashion Week kicked off in Paris, influencers, muses and style icons from around the world have touched down in the city for a week-long fashion-fest. They are also treating their followers to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life backstage by sharing all kinds of pictures on social media. Monday, September 24, fashion icon Chiara Ferragni was in the French capital to attend the Dior and Jacquemus shows, much to the delight of the waiting photographers, who were quick to snap the influencer and her outfit choices.

The blogger-turned-businesswoman and designer, Chiara Ferragni, is still clearly an avid fashion fan who wouldn't miss Paris Fashion Week for the world. The Italian influencer, who is particularly close to Dior, was evidently one of the fashion house's special guests for its show at the Longchamp racecourse, but she also attended the Jacquemus show.

Here, the recently married influencer turned up in a head-to-toe Jacquemus lok, posing for photographers in the streets of Paris. She wore a long dress with a thigh-high split and a low-cut neck in a very pale shade of blue, matched with one of the Jacquemus mini bags likely to be hit next season. The blogger picked the yellow model -- the perfect choice to take in the French designer's sunny "La Riviera" collection.By Dave Graham NEW YORK (Reuters) - Peru rejects a military solution to the crisis in Venezuela but further options are under discussion to increase pressure on the Maduro government to restore democracy, including a human rights complaint, Peru's president said in an interview. Venezuela, which has suffered an economic collapse and mass emigration under Nicolas Maduro, is likely to be a focal point of the latest U.N. General Assembly in New York this week. To that end, Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra said that fresh economic and diplomatic measures were under consideration against Venezuela, including a "human rights" complaint. But there could be no question of military action, he added. "As a country, we must be clear to say we reject a warlike, military solution," Vizcarra told Reuters in New York. "What we need to do is find a way to sanction the regime without affecting the population," he added. Vizcarra did not elaborate on the rights initiative, though shortly after he spoke, Colombia's president Ivan Duque, also in New York, told an event that he and other heads of state would this week sign a declaration to denounce Maduro's government with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. In May, the Organization of American States (OAS) accused the Maduro administration of committing "crimes against humanity", and vowed to present evidence to the ICC. Peru and Colombia both belong to the so-called Lima Group of nations formed last year to address the crisis in Venezuela. Venezuela has rejected criticism of the Maduro government as hostile propaganda and attempts to set the stage for an intervention by foreign powers in the country. Pressure is steadily growing, however. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the United States was preparing a "series of actions" to raise pressure on Maduro, whom Washington and its allies accuse of stifling democracy by jailing opposition leaders. DOMESTIC REFORM Separately, Vizcarra, who last week won a confidence vote in Congress over his planned political and judicial reforms that seek to combat corruption in Peru, said he expected the remaining measures to pass before an Oct. 4 deadline. Because of that, he saw no need to consider dissolving Congress - which could have occurred if he had lost the vote. "Given the events of the past week, we can say that the problem is en route to being resolved," he said. Vizcarra, who became president in March after his predecessor Pedro Pablo Kuczynski stood down when facing near-certain impeachment over a graft scandal, vowed to respect rulings made by the judiciary in pending probes of politicians. To fail to do so would be to undermine the very confidence in the political system that he was trying to restore, he said. Turning to trade, Vizcarra said that the Pacific Alliance - a bloc comprising Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru - could admit its four associate members Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Canada as soon as this November. (Additional reporting by Dan Bases and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Michael Perry)On Board the Papal Plane (Italie) (AFP) - The way the Church views sexual abuse has evolved, just as it has in wider society, the pope said Tuesday, adding events in the past should not be judged with today's eyes.

"It's true that the Church is accused, we all know it, we know the statistics," the pope said in the plane bringing him back from a visit to the Baltic states.

"But if just one priest abuses a child, it's monstruous."

"I understand that young people are outraged by such massive corruption," he said, echoing his speech to youths in Estonia earlier in the day.

"They know that this happens everywhere, but in the Church, it's more outrageous because they're supposed to take children to God, not to destroy them."

The Catholic Church has been rocked by a fresh wave of devastating claims of sexual abuse committed by clergy across the globe.

Scandals in Australia, Europe, and North and South America have involved widespread claims of abuse -- and cover-ups -- by clergymen and lay members with one Vatican archbishop describing it as the church's "own 9/11".

Citing a report released in August about thousands of cases of abuse committed by priests in Pennsylvania, the pope noted the situation has changed greatly since the 1970s.

"In the most recent times, it (abuse) has diminished because the (American) Church realised that it had to fight in a different way."

"In past times, things were hidden. They were also hidden at home, when uncles raped a niece, when the father raped his children. These things were hidden, because it was a great shame."

"That was the way of thinking in past centuries, or in the last century," the pope said, adding that the past should not be judged with today's eyes.

He cited the example of the death penalty, which the Vatican applied until the late 19th century: "Then the moral conscience grows."

But the pope declined to answer a question about a damning report released in Germany on Tuesday showing that almost 3,700 minors -- mostly boys -- were assaulted between 1946 and 2014.

The German Catholic Church apologised for the abuse, saying the perpetrators must be brought to justice.Global winner of the Professional Achievement category,Study UK Alumni Awards 2018, Asha de Vos (centre) receives her award from Sir Ciaran Devane,CEO, British Council (right).

The three global winners of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2018 were presented with their awards by the British Councils CEO, Sir Ciaran Devane, at a celebratory lunch at the British Councils headquarters in London.

The three winners, from Colombia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines are visiting the UK to build their professional networks, expertise and respective careers in e-health, marine biology and filmmaking.

Global winner of the Professional Achievement category 2018 is Asha de Vos,a marine biologist from Sri Lanka who is passionate about conserving the worlds oceans. Asha is the founder of Oceanswell, Sri Lankas first marine conservation research and education organisation. Asha studied marine biology and biosciences at the University of St Andrews and the University of Oxford.

Jose Ignacio Valenzuela was awarded for Entrepreneurialism for his ground-breaking work in Health Informatics in Colombia and across Latin America. Jose Ignacio's work is changing the way Spanish-speaking communities around the world can access the vital healthcare that they need. Jose Ignacio studied health informatics at City, University of London.

The Social Impact award was awarded to Baby Ruth Villarama,an award-winning film maker from the Philippines. Baby Ruths films are generating national conversations and raising international awareness of modern day issues such as human trafficking and slavery. Baby Ruth studied film distribution and marketing at Birmingham City University, and is a Chevening Alumna.

The winners UK visit coincides with the launch of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2019  open to recent alumni of UK universities living in any country outside the UK.

The Study UK Alumni Awards celebrate and showcase the impact and value of a UK higher education and raise the international profile of UK alumni, their former universities, and the whole of UK education. Award winners and finalists are leaders in their fields who have used their experience of studying at a UK university to make a positive contribution to their communities, industries and countries.

Follow our global Alumni Awards on Study UK Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.Tallinn (AFP) - Pope Francis on Tuesday admitted the clerical sex abuse scandals have put off some young people who believe the Catholic Church has not expressed enough condemnation.

"We know -- and you have told us -- that many young people do not turn to us for anything because they don't feel we have anything meaningful to say to them," the pontiff said during a visit to Estonia.

"They are outraged by sexual and economic scandals that are not met with clear condemnation," he added on his last day of a tour of the three Baltic countries.

Speaking to young Estonian Christians at a Lutheran church in Tallinn, the pope said many youths find the Church's presence "bothersome or even irritating".

"We ourselves need to be converted. We have to realise that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off," he added.

The Catholic Church has been rocked by a fresh wave of devastating claims of sexual abuse committed by clergy across the globe.

Scandals in Australia, Europe, and North and South America have involved widespread claims of abuse -- and cover-ups -- by clergymen and lay members with one Vatican archbishop describing it as the church's "own 9/11".

Germany's Catholic Church on Tuesday released a damning report showing that in Germany alone, almost 3,700 minors were assaulted between 1946 and 2014.

- 'Love is not dead' -

The pope himself has yet to respond to cover-up allegations levelled against him.

Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano has claimed the pontiff ignored abuse allegations against prominent US cardinal Theodore McCarrick for five years.

The now 88-year-old cardinal was accused of sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy half a century ago, a charge he denies.

But in an unprecedented move, Francis accepted his resignation as a cardinal in July.

In an interview broadcast Tuesday, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite came to the defence of the pope, whom she welcomed to her majority-Catholic Baltic country over the weekend.

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Without naming sexual abuse scandals, Grybauskaite told public radio LRT that the pontiff carries a "huge cross for all those who made mistakes that need to be corrected".

"This pope is not afraid to do that. He is not afraid to talk about that but he sees a huge resistance inside and outside the church. It is not easy for him."

Ahead of his Baltic tour, the pope accepted the resignations of two more bishops from Chile, which is investigating more than 100 cases of sexual abuse by the clergy.

On Tuesday, the pontiff tried to reassure Estonia's young Christians.

"Love is not dead," he said, rebutting the lyrics of a popular local song.

- Resistant to religion -

The pope was notably responding to the story of Lisbel, an 18-year-old Lutheran who spoke of finding comfort in religion after growing up with an unloving alcoholic father.

Many young people "see that their parents no longer love one another, that the love of newlyweds soon fades," he said.

"They see a lack of love in the fact that nobody cares that they have to migrate to look for work."

Adeele, an 18-year-old Lutheran, said she was "grateful" to the pope for the visit, adding that "he creates an atmosphere of understanding and respect".

Like the country as a whole, many of the young people in attendance said they are not religious.

Thirteen-year-old Linda Pajula for example told AFP that she came to the meeting because "it seemed like a fun experience".

She said the pope's speech "might have been difficult for me, but I did understand most things."

An EU and NATO member, Estonia is a small Baltic country where a quarter of the population is ethnic Russian.

Sixteen percent of the population is Orthodox, 10 percent is Lutheran and only 6,000 residents are Catholics.

The majority of Estonians say they are resistant to religion.FARGO, N.D. (AP)  A North Dakota woman convicted of killing her pregnant neighbor by cutting the baby from her womb testified Tuesday that her boyfriend had pressured her to "produce a baby" after figuring out she had lied about being pregnant.

Brooke Crews told the court that she had concocted a phony pregnancy to keep from losing William Hoehn, who is on trial for conspiracy in the August 2017 death of 22-year-old Savanna Greywind. Hoehn has admitted helping to cover up the crime but says he didn't know that Crews had planned to kill Greywind and take her baby. Crews testified that she never "explicitly" told Hoehn that was her plan.

Crews said Hoehn appeared surprised when he entered the bathroom in their apartment and discovered she had cut Greywind's baby from her body. Crews said Hoehn then retrieved a rope and tightened it around Greywind's neck, saying: "If she wasn't dead before, she is now."

Greywind's daughter survived and is being raised by family.

Hoehn spoke regularly with his attorney, Daniel Borgen, during Crews' testimony but showed little emotion. Crews was crying and sniffling throughout.

"You never told Will that you had planned to do this, is that right?" Borgen asked.

"Not kill Savanna for her baby, no," Crews replied.

"In fact, there was never a conversation at all about killing Savanna and taking her baby," Borgen said.

"Not explicitly," she said.

It wasn't clear what Crews meant by "explicitly."

Crews later disputed Borgen's assertion that she had told a fellow inmate at her New England prison that she had strangled Greywind. She also disputed that she told the same inmate that Hoehn and Greywind were having an affair and the baby might be Hoehn's.

Crews described her relationship with Hoehn as rocky and violent, saying it was fueled by drugs and alcohol. She said they broke up at one point, and that's when she lied to him about being pregnant. She went so far as to email him a phony positive pregnancy test and sonogram photo.

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In early August, Hoehn told Crews he didn't believe she was pregnant and said she needed "to produce a baby." Crews said she believed this was "an ultimatum."

"I took that to mean I better have a baby, no matter how it happened," Crews said.

Crews originally told police that Greywind had given her the child. She later told police they had argued and that she pushed Greywind down and knocked her out before cutting her open. A medical examiner testified Monday that there was no evidence of any head injuries.

Crews stuck to her story Tuesday, saying she pushed Greywind, who was knocked out when her head hit the bathroom sink. Crews said that's when she got a knife and began cutting the baby out.

Crews said the couple kept ropes around the house because Hoehn liked to tie her up during sex, including around her neck. She also said Hoehn expressed fantasies about killing people and Crews said she initially told him she would be interested in that too.

The medical examiner who performed the autopsy, Dr. Victor Froloff, testified Monday that he isn't sure whether Greywind died from blood loss or strangulation .

Greywind's disappearance sparked several searches before her body was found several days later, shrouded in plastic and dumped in the Red River. Crews testified Tuesday that police missed Greywind's body and her baby during three searches of the couple's apartment.

Crews testified that Greywind's body was in the bathroom closet and the baby was covered up next to Hoehn on a bed during one of those searches. She said Hoehn eventually moved Greywind's body to a hollowed-out dresser and the two of them carried it out of the apartment.

Fargo Police Chief David Todd did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Crews' testimony.

Crews pleaded guilty to murder and is serving life in prison without parole. She said she has no agreement with prosecutors for a lesser sentence in exchange for testifying.

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.

___

The Latest updates from the trial: https://bit.ly/2Q2dR7tProtesters stormed a restaurant in Washington, where Republican Senator Ted Cruz was dining with his wife on Monday, September 24, calling on him to withdraw support for Donald Trumps embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

These videos of the incident were shared on Twitter by protest group Smash Racism DC. The protesters could be heard chanting; We believe survivors in reference to allegations from two women about Judge Kavanaughs alleged sexual misconduct when he was a teenager. Cruz and his wife Heidi left upmarket Italian restaurant Fiola minutes later, after which the protesters were ejected by restaurant staff, the Washington Examiner reported.

In an interview with FOX News on Monday, Kavanaugh continued to deny all allegations of sexual assault against him, adding that he was a virgin throughout high school and for many years thereafter, TIME magazine reported. He has been scheduled to testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, September 27, in response to claims that he sexually assaulted Palo Alto University professor Christine Blasey Ford while they were high school students, USA Today reported. Credit: Smash Racism DC, Resist This, DC IWW, MDC DSA via StoryfulNew US research has found that the taller a person is, the higher their risk may be of developing varicose veins.

Led by Stanford University School of Medicine, the new study analyzed the genes of 493,519 individuals gathered from UK Biobank -- a large, long-term study which looks at conditions such as cardiovascular disease in UK residents and includes genomic data on about a half-million people.

The findings, published in the journal Circulation, confirmed that current known risk factors -- including being older, female, overweight or pregnant, or having a history of deep vein thrombosis -- are all associated with varicose veins.

In addition, the study also identified surgery on the legs, family history of varicose veins, lack of movement, smoking and hormone therapy as new risk factors, with the team surprised to also find a correlation between varicose veins and height, with those who are taller appearing to have a higher risk of the condition.

The researchers then conducted further tests to see if height was an actual cause for the disease.

"Our results strongly suggest height is a cause, not just a correlated factor, but an underlying mechanism leading to varicose veins," said Erik Ingelsson, co-lead author of the study.

"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," added another of the study's lead authors, Nicholas Leeper, MD.

The research 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. While some believe the problem is a cosmetic one, the condition 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.

Story continues

Treatment is mainly limited to surgical procedures, such as laser treatment or vein stripping.

"The condition is incredibly prevalent but shockingly little is known about the biology," said co-lead author Alyssa Flores. "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."

"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."The fate of deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein  the man overseeing the independent investigation into Donald Trumps alleged collusion with Russia  is up in the air, after it was announced he will meet the president at the White House to discuss his future.

After a dramatic morning in Washington, riven with rumours and counter-rumours, Mr Trump confirmed he will speak to Mr Rosenstein on Thursday, when he returns to the capital from New York. That announcement followed a meeting at the White House between the deputy of the attorney general Jeff Sessions, and Mr Trumps chief of staff John Kelly, at which Mr Rosenstein had expected to fired. From the White House, he spoke to Mr Trump by phone.

Im going to be meeting Rod Rosenstein when I get back to from all these meetings, Mr Trump told reporters at the United Nations.

We will be meeting at the White House and we will determine whats going on. We want to have transparency. We want to have openness, and I look forward to meeting with Rod at that time.

Earlier, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Rosenstein and Mr Trump had an extended conversation, at the deputy attorney generals request, to discuss the recent news stories. Because the president is at the UN, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington DC.

The flurry of events appear to suggest that Mr Rosenstein will remain in his position at least for a few more days. On Monday morning, a succession of reports said he had resigned, that he was planning to resign, and then that he would refuse to resign. Hes expecting to be fired, a source told Axios.

The day chosen for the meeting may be significant; Thursday is also the day that Mr Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, and one of two women who have accused him of sexual misconduct, will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

There has been speculation for months about the future of Mr Rosenstein, who took on oversight of the Mueller probe after Mr Sessions recused himself. There have been suggestions the president wants to remove both men, possibly as a precursor to terminating Mr Muellers inquiry itself.

Story continues

Speculation about Mr Rosensteins future grew over the weekend after it was reported by the New York Times he had last year suggested secretly recording the president to demonstrate chaos in the administration and raised the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. The Justice Department has said Mr Rosenstein was joking when he talked about taping the president.

He also denied the report. The New York Timess story is inaccurate and factually incorrect, he said in a 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 be clear about this: based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.

In an interview that was recorded before Monday mornings flurry of rumours and speculation, the president had left open the prospect that he might fire Mr Rosenstein.

I dont want to comment on it until I get all the facts, Mr Trump said in an interview on Geraldo in Cleveland on WTAM radio in Cleveland that is set to air on Monday.

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.

Some of Mr Trumps allies urged him against firing Mr Rosenstein, suggesting he was in danger of walking into a trap.

Sean Hannity, a broadcaster with Fox News who is a strident supporter of the president and who has interviewed him frequently, told his viewers: I have a message for the president tonight. Under zero circumstances should the president fire anybody.

He said he had multiple sources confirming the presidents enemies were hoping and praying Mr Trump fired someone so they could turn it into a scandal.

The president needs to know it is all a setup, Mr Hannity said. He needs to know that regardless of whether he steps in or not, and I would argue he should definitely not, the deep state tonight is crumbling from within at this very hour.

The Times said in the case of Mr Rosensteins exit, 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.United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused his US counterpart Donald Trump of trying to topple his government Tuesday as he poured cold water on the idea of resuming talks with Washington after its pullout from an international nuclear accord.

"It is ironic that the US government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks," Rouhani said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

"For dialogue to take place, there is no need for a photo opportunity. The two sides can listen to each other right here in this Assembly.

"I am starting the dialogue right here, and state, in unequivocal terms, that the question of international security is not a toy in American domestic politics."

Rouhani took the podium a few hours after Trump called for Iran's isolation in his UN address, accusing the leadership of Iran of sowing "chaos, death and destruction" as he defended his decision to ditch the Iran nuclear accord.

The five remaining parties to the 2015 accord -- France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia -- agreed during a meeting in New York late Monday to set up a payment system to preserve business ties with Iran despite US sanctions.

The Iranian leader said he was pleased that the international community did not follow the Trump administration's "unilateral and illegal withdrawal from the JCPOA," the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as the nuclear deal is known.

"Unlawful unilateral sanctions in themselves constitute a form of economic terrorism," said Rouhani.

Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in May, to the dismay of European allies, Russia and China which had invested years in negotiations to achieve a milestone agreement on keeping Iran's nuclear ambitions in check.

In his UN address last year, Trump bashed the nuclear deal as "an embarrassment," signalling that the United States was ready to walk away.

Trump and Rouhani declined to meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly session.Guardians of the Galaxy (Credit: Marvel/Disney)

The script penned by James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy 3 will be used for the next movie, his brother Sean Gunn has said.

Gunn was fired by Disney from the third movie in July, after offensive tweets he sent in the late 2000s were unearthed and republished online.

But Sean Gunn, who played Kraglin in the movies, as well as working on motion capture scenes, has said that it will still have his brothers stamp.

I dont really know yet whats going on with Guardians 3, he revealed in an interview with Tulsa World (via Screenrant).

James Gunn (Credit: AFP)

I know that Disney still wants to make the movie. I know that they have every intention of using the script that my brother wrote.

Obviously, that was a very unfortunate situation for everybody, most of all him, but I am also somebody who had been preparing to spend half a year making that movie and now thats up in the air.

Gunn was about to head into pre-production on the film when right wing news site The Daily Caller unearthed the controversial tweets, which joked about subjects like rape and child abuse.

Its thought that Gunn was targeted in retaliation for his outspoken views and criticisms of Donald Trump.

The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studios values, and we have severed our business relationship with him, read a statement from Disney.

Gunn said himself in a statement: Many people who have followed my career know when I started, I viewed myself as a provocateur, making movies and telling jokes that were outrageous and taboo.

As I have discussed publicly many times, as Ive developed as a person, so has my work and my humor.

In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies.

A petition was launched and signed by over 400,000 people, compelling Disney to re-hire him, but CEO Bob Iger said that he stood by the final decision of executives at the studio.

Story continues

Its not yet known who will take over, but production currently remains on hold.

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Shopify founder warns about U.S. tech giants invading the Canadian market

Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke insists Canada needs more of one type of technology company  big.

The man behind the popular Ottawa-based e-commerce platform said 98 per cent of todays roughly 40,000 Canadian tech firms are micro-companies. Thats a problem, he said, if the country is serious about becoming a global hub for high-tech innovation.

What we need is a couple of bigger tech companies, because they have a very outsized impact on the ecosystem, he told the Elevate tech week conference in Toronto on Tuesday. I can talk about this from a personal experience of having a hyper-growth company for the last 12 years now.

Shopifys (SHOP.TO) growth been a virtual outlier in Canadas tech sector, which has produced few global breakout stars since the height of BlackBerrys (BB.TO) popularity in the early 2000s.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains joined Lutke on stage for the discussion, which ranged from the importance of teaching computer coding, to the need for better high-speed internet access in rural Canada, and stronger protections for intellectual property.

The sit-down between the government minister and the tech industry leader coincided with the release of an interim report on Canadas global competitiveness, including proposals on six high-growth potential sectors.

The chapter on digital industries found Canada is exporting our most precious assets to the benefit of other countries, and needs to double down on our own inventiveness to capture more of that wealth at home.

Bains said Canada has fallen behind the U.S., China and European countries when it comes to protecting intellectual property.

Only nine per cent of small business actually have intellectual property. Only 10 per cent actually have IP strategies, he told attendees at the conference.

Lutke, who chairs the federal governments digital industries table, said he hopes visitors to Canada will one day be in awe of the countrys tech sector. The CEO went so far as to say he wants people to feel like they left a time machine to the future when they arrive.

Story continues

Both he and Bains are confident that the all hands on deck approach being led by industry and supported by government will see that dream realized in time.

At this point right now, a lot of companies sell (to an international buyer). That is something that hasnt been addressed by the spectrum of government programs before, said Lutke.

Governments arent going to pick winners and losers, said Bains. Were not in the business of betting on a particular technology. We want to create the conditions for success.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today urged the government to introduce short-term measures without delay so as to stabilize the rupee on the basis that the rupee depreciation against other currencies would lead to a severe economic crisis.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a news conference that the rupee depreciation was the result of the governments botched economic policies and unfortunately it had no plans to rectify the situation.

The rupee is depreciating by the day with there being no plans to curb this situation. The Finance minister had recently claimed recently that the rupee depreciation did not amount to an economic collapse. But the rapidly depreciating rupee is a clear sign of such a catastrophe, he said.

Mr. Dissasnayake said the government claims that rupee was depreciating because of the strengthening of the US dollar was only half the truth because the rupee was not only deprecating against the US dollar but also against the other currencies as well.

Rupee has deprecated by 7.3% against the Euro, 10% against the Yen, 2% against the Australian dollar, 4% against the Singapore dollar, 4% against the Chinese Yuan, 8% against the Bangladesh Taka and 7% against the British pound. This is a clear reflection on the governments disastrous economic policies, he said.

Mr. Dissanayake said it was not only this government but also past governments must take the responsibility of this unacceptable situation.

He said several reasons including the mounting trade deficit, contraction of the Sri Lankas share in the world market and selling of dollar earning state resources to foreigners had aggravated the issue.

We have lost dollar earning resources while increasing imports. We had a positive trade balance in 1970. Today we have a 100% trade deficit. We have sold 64% of the container terminal in the Colombo port. Countrys bunkering services was handed over to foreign companies. Sri Lanka telecom was sold to a foreign company. All these are lucrative dollar-earning business ventures, Mr. Dissanayake said. Our share in the world market which was 5 per cent in 1970 has now dropped to 0.045 while the countrys production sector had collapsed with Sri Lankas share in the world market dropping by tenfold."

He said it was vital for the government to introduce short-term measures to stabilize the rupee because the fluctuation of the rupee had restricted the inflow of dollars to the country while it was equally important to take steps to reduce the trade deficit and acquire a fair share of the world market as a long-term measure.(Ajith Siriwardana)Singapore (AFP) - One of Singapore's most influential diplomats called Tuesday for the repeal of a law criminalising sex between men, saying it was time for the modern city-state to abandon the "antiquated" legislation.

The Indian Supreme Court's decision earlier this month to decriminalise homosexual sex has sparked fresh debate in Singapore, and a new legal challenge has been lodged against the city's anti-gay sex law.

Sex between men remains illegal in Singapore under "Section 377A" of the penal code, inherited from the British colonial era, although it is rarely enforced.

Tommy Koh, a veteran diplomat and former ambassador to the United Nations and the US, wrote in a column for the pro-government newspaper The Straits Times that the statute should be abandoned.

"Section 377A is an antiquated law, not supported by science, and should be repealed," said Koh, an international law expert and ambassador at large in the foreign ministry.

The 80-year-old said Singapore is one of a minority of countries that still outlaw sodomy because the law was inherited from the old British penal code.

"For a country which embraces science and technology, it is surprising that, on this one aspect, the law has not been updated in light of the scientific evidence," he said.

Koh said the World Health Organization had removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, and while religious leaders consider sodomy a sin it should not be a crime.

The last time a challenge was brought against the law was in 2014 but the city-state's appeals court dismissed it, saying it was up to parliament to repeal the law.

Singaporean DJ Johnson Ong lodged a new challenge earlier this month. Lawyers for Ong, known as DJ Big Kid, said they will seek to show the ban runs counter to the constitution's guarantee of personal liberty.

While affluent Singapore boasts a modern and vibrant culture, official attitudes toward homosexuality remain conservative.

But public support for gay rights has been growing, with thousands turning up in recent years for Singapore's annual Pink Dot gay rights rally.A man killed instantly alongside his fiancee in a skydiving plane crash had left a haunting message just hours before boarding the fatal flight.

Joey King took to Facebook in March 2014 ahead of his first skydive with his fiance Rahi Hohua to reveal his anxiety about the upcoming flight from Caboolture Airfield, north of Brisbane.

SO I woke up this morning nervous as hell about skydiving today. Im about to conquer my greatest fear. I love everyone, he wrote, oblivious they would be his last words to family and friends.

Joey King and his fiance Rahi Hohua. Source: Facebook/ Remembering Joseph King

Some even joked in the comments section it was nice meeting him while others joked about claiming his belongings just in case anything was to happen.

Yet humorous comments quickly turned to panicked responses from loved ones as news filtered through of a fatal crash in Queensland.

Cuz hope it wasnt yous on that plane, one response read.



As more comments emerged begging for answers, there was to be no response from Mr King.

Mr King, alongside Ms Hohua, the planes pilot, Andrew Aitkin, and instructors Glenn Norman and Juraj Glesk, died in the crash.

Four years on, Mr Kings family have gathered in Brisbane this week for the inquest into what caused the crash.

Skydiving company warned about faulty seat, inquest hears

On Tuesday, the inquest heard that the skydiving company which operated the Cessna 206 plane was warned about the dangers of a faulty pilot seat.

The aircraft crashed and burst into flames after rolling left about 200 feet in the air.

An inquest has heard unwanted movement by the pilot seat may have been the cause of the crash, which occurred during clear weather.

Friends and family of the victims pictured at the inquest on Monday. Source: AAP

Mechanisms to prevent Mr Aitkens seat suddenly sliding backwards on its rails away from the controls were missing, according to transport safety investigators.

Independent pilot Ronald George Creed, who owned an airstrip the skydiving company rented, said he noticed a week before the fatal accident the plane did not have seat-stop mechanisms.

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I told them about the seat stops, he said in evidence on Tuesday.

Ive always got my stops in because I know how critical it is.

Investigators at the scene of the crash in March 2014. Source: AAP

Mr Creed said he would also check for unwanted movement when flying himself by performing a check known as the Cessna wiggle.

He said he also noticed the pilots seat was off its rails before fixing it, warning it presented a significant safety risk.

But the Adrenalin pilot didnt treat it very seriously, he claimed.

(I said) this has to be on the rails. It was obvious he didnt understand, Mr Creed said.

Mr Creed said he believed Adrenalin ran a safe operation apart from the pilot seat issue.

The inquest continues.

With AAPBUDAPEST (Reuters) - U.S. billionaire George Soros's Open Society Foundations (OSF) said on Monday it would challenge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg Hungarian laws that make it a crime to help asylum-seekers. But Budapest, which accuses Soros and the liberal groups and causes he backs of trying to destroy Europe's Christian culture by promoting mass migration, said it would not repeal the laws, whatever the outcome of the court appeal. Under legislation named "Stop Soros", anybody who helps migrants not entitled to protection to apply for asylum, or helps illegal migrants gain status to stay in Hungary, can be jailed. Orban has also introduced a 25 percent special tax on aid groups it says support migration. OSF said the "Stop Soros" legislation, approved by the Hungarian parliament in June, "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 toward silencing all dissent," OSF president Patrick Gaspard said in a statement. The provisions of the legislation are 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," said the OSF statement. "WILL OF THE HUNGARIAN PEOPLE" Budapest responded with defiance to the OSF move. "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 told Reuters. "The Soros organization 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 organizations supported by him is to flood Europe with migrants." Hungarian-born Soros denies trying to promote mass migration into Europe from the Middle East and elsewhere. In May the OSF announced it would shut its office in Budapest after more than 30 years and move to Berlin. Orban, who has been in power since 2010 and won a third consecutive term in April with a big majority, has increased his control over Hungary's media and courts and put allies in control of once independent institutions. The legislation on asylum seekers has drawn condemnation from the U.N. refugee agency and the European Union. This month the European Parliament voted to sanction Hungary for flouting EU rules on democracy and civil rights. (Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Gareth Jones)Madrid (AFP) - Spain's justice minister faced calls to resign on Tuesday after audio recordings emerged of her having lunch nearly a decade ago with a retired police chief under investigation for money laundering.

In a secret recording released by online news site moncloa.com, Justice Minister Dolores Delgado can be heard talking over lunch in 2009 with retired police chief Jose Villarejo, who has been in jail since November 2017 awaiting trial.

In the recordings she also appears to call openly gay Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska a "faggot".

Delgado was working in the prosecutor's office in 2009.

During a heated exchange in the Senate, Delgado said the audio recordings had been "manipulated", adding she had meet with Villarejo only three times during her previous 30-year career as a public prosecutor.

"I am sorry if I appear angry. But I am. Because I am not going to allow anyone to question my principles and my honesty," she added.

Pablo Iglesias, the leader of far-left party Podemos which helps prop up Delgado's minority Socialist government, demanded she resign for having met with the graft-tainted former policeman, saying "it is not acceptable that there are ministers who are friends with people like Villarejo".

"Anyone who meets in a friendly way with a character of the gutter, of garbage...should stay away from political life," he added.

Villarejo made headlines in July after he was heard in another recording talking to Spain's former king Juan Carlos's alleged former mistress, German aristocrat Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein.

In the recording Sayn-Wittgenstein alleges Juan Carlos used her name to hide property he had in Morocco, and claims he also pocketed money from a high-speed train contract with Saudi Arabia.

Government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa said the government had "full confidence" in Delgado and Grande-Marlaska said he was "not offended" by the recording.

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Socialist Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez took over on June 2 after toppling his conservative predecessor amid a graft scandal.

But his Socialist party has only 84 seats in Spain's 350-seat parliament, the smallest amount for a government since the country returned to democracy following dictator Francisco Franco's death in 1975, and two of his ministers have already resigned.

Health Minister Carmen Monton resigned earlier this month after reports of alleged irregularities in her educational qualifications, while Culture Minister Maxim Huerta resigned over reports of an unpaid tax fine shortly after taking office.

The Socialists would win 30.5 percent of the vote if an election was held today, a poll showed on Tuesday, up from a previous survey held in August which predicted the party would win 29.9 percent.The judge presiding over Stormy Daniels' defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump has said the president was engaging in free speech when he posted a controversial tweet about the adult film actor.

US District Judge James S Otero has not yet made a decision in the case, but appeared to support Mr Trumps attorneys during a hearing, saying the message appears to be rhetorical hyperbole by a public official involving a public figure.

The tweet in question arrived after Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and her attorney released a composite sketch of the man they said approached her in a parking lot after she agreed to publish an interview about her alleged affair with Mr Trump.

The president called the story "a total con job" on social media, describing the person Ms Daniels alleged was threatening to her as a "nonexistent man."

Charles Harder, a lawyer for Mr Trump, claimed the president was simply calling the claims "hogwash," rather than stating a fact about the alleged incident. Mr Harder also said the president was "calling BS" in the tweet posted to his personal Twitter account 18 April.

"A sketch years later about a nonexistent man," he wrote, sharing an image of the sketch. "A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!"

A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)! https://t.co/9Is7mHBFda  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018

Meanwhile, the same judge is presiding over a separate lawsuit involving an alleged $130,000 "hush money" payment the presidents former lawyer sent Ms Daniels during the 2016 election to remain silent about her supposed affair with Mr Trump.

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He announced a hearing would be held in December to determine the validity of the payment deal, which Ms Daniels lawyer, Michael Avenatti, has called erroneous.

Mr Trumps attorneys previously threatened Ms Daniels with legal action if she continued to speak out about the payment, claiming she was breaking the agreement they had agreed during the campaign.

Mr Avenatti, who has expressed interest in running in the 2020 presidential elections, has said his goal in the lawsuit is to depose the president and his former attorney, Michael Cohen, forcing their sworn testimony to discuss what they knew about the payment, which is a potential violation of campaign finance laws.Senator Ted Cruz and his wife were forced to leave a Michelin-starred restaurant after being heckled by opponents of Brett Kavanaughs confirmation who kept chanting: We believe survivors.

The senator from Texas and his wife, Heidi, were confronted by protesters as they entered the restaurant in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Washington DC.

In videos of the incident, posted online by the group Smash Racism DC, a woman can be heard approaching the senator and saying: Hi, Id love to talk to you about Brett Kavanaugh tonight. Im a constituent, love to know what your vote is going to be tonight. I know that youre very close friends with Mr Kavanaugh.

At one point a woman tells Mr Cruz that she is a survivor of sexual abuse and he says: God bless you, maam. She responds: Bless you as well, I really appreciate you. Im a survivor of sexual assault. I believe all survivors. There are now three people who have come forward and who have said that Brett Kavanaugh has attacked them.

I know that youre close friends with him. Could you talk to him about that? Could you talk to him about his position?

The incident at Fiola, which describes itself as the flagship restaurant of chefs Fabio and Maria Trabocchi, came just days before the Senate Judiciary Committee is due to hear from Mr Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, one of at least three women who have accused the 53-year-old judge of sexual misconduct.

Mr Kavanaugh has denied all such allegations and in an unprecedented step for a nominee still awaiting conformation, appeared on Fox News to rebut the accusations.

p6. This is a message to Ted Cruz, Bret Kavanaugh, Donald Trump and the rest of the racist, sexist, transphobic, and homophobic right-wing scum: You are not safe. We will find you. We will expose you. We will take from you the peace you have taken from so many others.  Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

Mr Cruz is a member of the committee and will be among those that decide if the judge is voted up to the full senate for a confirmation. During his questioning of Mr Kavanaugh, Mr Cruz heaped praise on the judges qualifications for the job Donald Trump nominated him for.

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Judge Kavanaugh is, by any objective measure, unquestionably qualified for the Supreme Court. Everyone agrees that he is one of the most respected federal judges in the country. He has impeccable academic credentials, the senator said in his opening remarks.

Mr Kavanaugh has also been accused of sexual impropriety by a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who claimed Mr Kavanaugh exposed himself to her and forced his penis into her face during a drunken dormitory party at Yale University 30 years ago.

On Tuesday morning, the White House said it was open to the idea of Ms Ramirez also testifying on Thursday, something committee chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, has not yet agreed to.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the process could take place on Thursday. She said Mr Trump has said a number of times these individuals should be heard.

She also noted that Mr Kavanaugh has been unequivocal in his denial, according to the Associated Press. This is a country where youre innocent until proven guilty, except when youre a conservative Republican, she continued.

Meanwhile, Michael Avanatti, a lawyer best known for representing adult actress Stormy Daniels in her legal battles against Mr Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has said that a third woman has contacted him to make other allegations about Mr Kavanaugh.

Let me be clear: We will disclose the clients name and accusations only when SHE is ready and we have adequate security measures in place. And not a moment before that. It is her choice and hers alone as to when to surface bec it is her life. We expect it within the next 36 hrs, Mr Avanatti, who is considering a presidential run, wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump, who addressed the UN General Assembly, launched another attack on Mr Kavanaughs accusers. On Monday Mr Trump said: Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person. I am with him all the way. 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 its totally political. Its totally political.

On Tuesday, he said Ms Ramirez, Mr Kavanaughs second accuser has nothing and admits she was drunk.

Neither Mr Cruz or Smash Racism DC immediately responded to inquiries on Tuesday.

Fiola said in a statement: Last night, a group of protesters unexpectedly entered Fiola with the purpose of confronting Senator Cruz. Recognising that there was a potential for escalation and concerned for the safety of all our customers, our management did what they could do to diffuse a difficult situation and, as is our policy, if there is ever an event of this nature, the police were immediately called.Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and his wife left a restaurant in Washington, D.C., Monday night after activists began shouting about allegations of sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Videos posted online by a Washington, D.C.-based activist group called Smash Racism DC showed a group of protesters confronting Cruz and his wife, Heidi, at a restaurant, chanting we believe survivors. One video showed an activist, who identified herself as a survivor of sexual assault and a constituent of his, asking Cruz directly about Kavanaugh, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by two women, which he denies.

I know that youre very close friends with Mr. Kavanaugh, the activist says in the video. And do you believe survivors, sir?

As the couple sits down at a table at the restaurant, the activist continues: Senator, I have a right to know what your position is on Brett Kavanaugh.

Cruz responds: God bless you, maam.

The protester then asks Cruz to speak with Kavanaugh about the accusations made against the nominee. Moments later, Cruz and his wife put on their jackets, and walk through the crowd of heckling protesters toward the exit. One protester yells, Vote no on Kavanaugh, and another raises her middle finger at Cruz as he walks toward the exit.

Sexual assault survivor questioned Cruz during disruption at fancy Washington DC restaurant. Cruz ignores her. #CancelKavanaugh pic.twitter.com/bbtQ8TqE4H  Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

BREAKING. Activists just chased @TedCruz out of a fancy Washington DC restaurant, chanting We Believe Survivors!



Cruz has been friends with creep Kavanaugh for 20 years. Now Cruz is on judiciary committee hearing his testimony.



Fascists not welcome! #CancelKavanugh pic.twitter.com/7mx6Tc32za  Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

Kavanaugh has been accused by sexual misconduct by two different women. California professor Christine Blasey Ford came forward publicly with her story in mid-September, claiming Kavanaugh pinned her down to a bed, covered her mouth and attempted to remove her clothing when they were in high school in the 1980s  a story Ford shared with The Washington Post. This week, another woman, Deborah Ramirez, came forward in an interview with The New Yorker, claiming Kavanaugh exposed himself to her while at a college party.

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Ford is set to testify about her allegation in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. Cruz is a member of that committee, and has voiced his support for Kavanaugh, who was nominated by President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Cruz, who is currently fighting to keep his seat in the Senate against Democratic challenger Beto ORourke, called for Ford to testify publicly.

On Tuesday morning, ORourke criticized the protesters in a tweet.

Not right that Senator Cruz and his wife Heidi were surrounded and forced to leave a restaurant last night because of protesters. The Cruz family should be treated with respect.  Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 25, 2018

These allegations are serious and deserve to be treated with respect, Cruz said in a statement, according to The Texas Tribune. Professor Ford should have a full opportunity to tell her story before the Judiciary Committee, and Judge Kavanaugh should have a full opportunity to defend himself. That hearing should be sooner, rather than later, so the committee can make the best assessment possible of the allegations.

Several other prominent Republicans, including Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, have also recently been accosted by protesters in public places.Washington (AFP) - 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.New York (AFP) - President Donald Trump said Tuesday he had no plans to meet with Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations "despite requests" to do so.

"Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!" Trump tweeted just hours before both leaders were set to speak at the UN General Assembly, and four months after the US president ditched the Iran nuclear deal.

Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in May to the dismay of European allies, Russia and China which had invested years in negotiations to achieve a milestone agreement on keeping Iran's nuclear ambitions in check.

Rouhani earlier said that as a precondition for any dialogue, Trump would need to repair the damage done by exiting the nuclear deal. "That bridge must be rebuilt," he told NBC news.

The United States maintains that it is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran which it accuses of sowing chaos in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon.

In his General Assembly address, Rouhani was to stress that Iran continues to stick to the 2015 deal and portray the United States as a pariah for breaking its international commitments.AFP, 24th SEPTEMBER, 2018-US President Donald Trump said Monday he expected to meet again soon with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying he saw tremendous progress in easing tensions.



It looks like well have a second summit quite soon, Trump told reporters at the United Nations.



As you know Kim Jong Un wrote a letter -- a beautiful letter -- asking for a second meeting and we will be doing that, added Trump, who met with Kim in Singapore in June.



He said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- whose last planned visit to Pyongyang was abruptly scuttled by the White House -- would arrange the summit in the immediate future. Trumps remarks come one year after he stunned the United Nations General Assembly with a blistering attack on North Korea in his speech, threatening to totally destroy the communist state and mocking the projectile-building Kim as rocket man.

But Trump has since billed his diplomacy with North Korea as a key diplomatic success, saying that risks of a conflict have receded.

Tremendous progress on North Korea, Trump told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

That was a very dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time.By Steve Holland and Parisa Hafezi

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani exchanged taunts at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday with Trump vowing more sanctions against Tehran and Rouhani suggesting his American counterpart suffers from a "weakness of intellect."

Trump used his annual address to the United Nations to attack Iran's "corrupt dictatorship," praise last year's bogeyman North Korea and lay down a defiant message that he will reject globalism and protect American interests.

But much of his 35-minute address was aimed squarely at Iran, which the United States accuses of harbouring nuclear ambitions and fomenting instability in the Middle East through its support for militant groups in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

"Iran's leaders sow chaos, death and destruction," Trump told the gathering in the green-marbled hall. "They do not respect their neighbours or borders or the sovereign rights of nations."

Rouhani, addressing the assembled world leaders later, sharply criticized Trump's decision to withdraw from the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran. He said he had "no need for a photo opportunity" with Trump and suggested the U.S. president's pull back from global institutions was a character defect.

"Confronting multilateralism is not a sign of strength. Rather it is a symptom of the weakness of intellect - it betrays an inability in understanding a complex and interconnected world," he said.

Trump's address was met largely by silence from world leaders still not comfortable with go-it-alone views that have strained U.S. relationships with traditional allies worldwide.

His speech, while delivered in a low-key fashion, was nonetheless a thunderous recitation of his "America First" policies. He has disrupted the world order by withdrawing the United States from the nuclear deal and the Paris climate accord, and threatened to punish NATO nations for not paying more for their common defence.

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"We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy," Trump said, in language popular with his political base. "America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism."

Besides calling out Iran, Trump also criticized China for its trade practices but made no mention of Russia's interference in Syria's war or its suspected meddling in U.S. elections.

Rouhani was defiant in his speech to the world body.

"What Iran says is clear: no war, no sanctions, no threats, no bullying; just acting according to the law and the fulfilment of obligations," Rouhani said.

MACRON'S ALTERNATIVE VIEW

Offering an alternative view when it was his turn at the podium, French President Emmanuel Macron told the delegates that the law of the survival of the fittest, protectionism and isolationism would only lead to heightened tensions.

Defending multilateralism and collective action, he said nationalism would lead to failure and if countries stopped defending basic principles, global wars would return.

"I do not accept the erosion of multilateralism and don't accept our history unravelling," Macron told the assembly, at times raising his voice. "Our children are watching."

Macron, citing the example of Iran, said that this unilateralism push would lead directly to conflicts.

Trump, who begins his political rallies with boasts about his economic record in less than two years in office, used the same rhetoric before the crowd of world leaders and diplomats, telling them he had accomplished more than almost any previous U.S. president.

The remark led to some murmuring and laughter in the crowd, taking the president slightly aback.

"I didnt expect that reaction, but that's OK," he said.

Trump attempted to drive a wedge between Iran's leadership and its people, days after an attack in southwestern Iran on a military parade killed 25 people and unsettled the country.

In remarks to reporters on his way to his speech, Trump said he would not meet the Iranians until they "change their tune." Though he held out the possibility of a better relationship in the future, he made clear economic pressure on Iran would not abate.

Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, addressing a group called United Against a Nuclear Iran, called the 2015 accord "the worst diplomatic debacle in American history" and had a warning for "the mullahs in Tehran."

"If you cross us, our allies, or our partners; if you harm our citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat, and deceive, yes, there will indeed be HELL to PAY," he said.

In May, Republican Trump withdrew the United States from the deal to put curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for easing sanctions. France, Britain, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union were part of the accord with Iran.

Foes for decades, Washington and Tehran have been increasingly at odds since May. The accord with OPEC member Iran was negotiated under Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama.

"Additional sanctions will resume November 5th and more will follow and we are working with countries that import Iranian crude oil to cut their purchases substantially," Trump said.

He said the United States would help create a regional strategic alliance between Gulf nations and Jordan and Egypt, a move the United States sees as a bulwark against Iran.

Trump compared U.S. relations with Iran to what he called improved ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who Trump had met in Singapore in June as part of a still-unfulfilled drive to get Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

In his address last year to the U.N., Trump insulted Kim as a "rocket man" bent on nuclear destruction. On Tuesday, Trump praised Kim for halting nuclear and missile tests, releasing Americans held prisoner and returning some remains of U.S. soldiers killed in the 1950s Korean War.

The two leaders are trying to arrange a second summit. Trump has said sanctions on North Korea would remain for now.

Delivering a harsh message to OPEC members, Trump called on them to stop raising oil prices and to pay for their own military protection. He threatened to limit U.S. aid only to countries that are friendly to the United States.

Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said oil prices were driven only by markets, by supply and demand. "These are not things that can be manipulated by a decision here or there," said Gargash, whose country is an OPEC member.

Crude oil prices shot to a four-year high on Tuesday, catapulted by imminent U.S. sanctions on Iranian crude exports and the apparent reluctance of OPEC and Russia to raise output to offset the potential hit to global supply.

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Parisa Hafezi; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols, Jeff Mason, Arshad Mohammed, Yara Bayoumy, John Irish; editing by Yara Bayoumy and Grant McCool)President Donald Trump has been criticised as insensitive and disrespectful after saying he does not support the idea of recognising Puerto Rico as a US state because the mayor of San Juan is incompetent.

The president made the comments on Monday, suggesting he would not support the idea of Puerto Rican statehood as long as Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of its capital and largest city, remained in office.

With the mayor of San Juan as bad as she is and as incompetent as she is, Puerto Rico shouldnt be talking about statehood until they get some people that really know what theyre doing, Mr Trump said in an interview with Geraldo Rivera.

The comment is the latest in a long feud between Mr Trump and Ms Yulin Cruz in which the two have criticised one another over issues such as the federal response in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

In response, Ms Yulin Cruz wrote the following on Twitter: Trump once again accuses me of telling the truth. Now he says statehood won't arrive because of me."

Mr Trumps opinion also drew criticism from Puerto Ricos governor, Ricardo Rossello , who defended Ms Yulin Cruz.

Video: Puerto Rico Mayor Calls Trump's Comments 'Despicable'

The president said he is not in favour of statehood for the people of Puerto Rico based on a personal feud with a local mayor. This is an insensitive, disrespectful comment to over 3m Americans who live in the US territory of Puerto Rico, Mr Rossello said in a statement.

Mr Rosello, who had previously avoided publicly butting heads with Mr Trump, continued on to criticise the US and Mr Trump over the lack of statehood for Puerto Rico, especially in light of Mr Trumps trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

How can the United States make the case for democracy at the United Nations this week, when they have under their flag the most populous colony in the world? I urge all political leaders in the nation to define their views towards our quest for equal treatment for the US citizens in Puerto Rico, he continued.

Mr Rosello and Mr Trump publicly disagreed just last week about the impact of Hurricane Maria, after the president suggested that the death toll was much lower than estimates have suggested. Mr Rosello pointed to a study conducted by George Washington University, which determined that 2,975 people died as a result of that storm.The following statements were posted to the verified personal Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) The opinions expressed are his own. Reuters has not edited the statements or confirmed their accuracy. @realDonaldTrump : - "Remarks by President Trump at 'Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem' Event" #UNGA http://45.wh.gov/FaDM6c [1017 EDT] - Today, we commit to fighting the drug epidemic together! #UNGA [1255 EDT] - It was my great honor to welcome and meet with President @moonriver365 Jae-in of South Korea today, in New York City! http://45.wh.gov/VeuCcD #UNGA [1642 EDT] - US-Korea Free Trade Agreement Signing Ceremony! [1644 EDT] - Brett Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley, will be interviewed tonight at 7pmE on @marthamaccallum @FoxNews. This is an outstanding family who must be treated fairly! [1733 EDT] - Joint Statement on the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement: http://45.wh.gov/HksKua [1746 EDT] - It was my great honor to welcome President @AlsisiOfficial of Egypt to the United States this afternoon, in New York City. Great meetings! #UNGA [1833 EDT] -- Source link: (http://bit.ly/2jBh4LU) (Compiled by Bengaluru bureau)President says: We embrace the doctrine of patriotism



Laughter breaks out when Trump boasts of achievements

Donald Trump urged other nations to reject globalism and embrace patriotism at a speech to the United Nations that was interrupted by derisive laughter from other world leaders.

In the course of the bombastic address, Trump highlighted the achievements of his presidency, lashed out at enemies  Iran foremost among them  and railed against multilateralism in its spiritual home, the UN general assembly (UNGA).

In one of the more remarkable moments in the history of the annual UN summit, the chamber broke out in spontaneous laughter at Trumps claim that in less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.

Clearly taken aback, Trump said: I didnt expect that reaction, but thats OK.

The president arrived late for the summit, only leaving Trump Tower at the time he was due to speak. His turn in the running order was taken by his counterpart from Ecuador. When he arrived at the green marble podium, Trump expounded on his visceral dislike of multilateral institutions, which he portrayed as inherent threats to US sovereignty.

America is governed by Americans, Trump said. We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism.

Irans leaders sow death and destruction. They do not respect their neighbours or the sovereign rights of nations Donald Trump

In its emphasis on sovereignty, the 34-minute speech echoed much of his first UNGA speech last year.

The greatest contrast with the earlier speech was a list of friends and enemies. Most notably, Trump included the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un, in the first group. Just over a year after threatening to totally destroy North Korea, Trump thanked the countrys leader for his courage, and for the steps he has taken.

Trump presented his June summit with Kim in Singapore as a dramatic breakthrough, saying missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction, nuclear testing had stopped, US prisoners had been released and the remains of fallen US soldiers had been returned.

Story continues

He said the summit represented a moment that is actually far greater than people would understand.

Nuclear experts have been unconvinced, pointing out that Kim has showed no sign of being ready to dismantle his nuclear arsenal, and Pyongyang has said it has no interest in unilateral disarmament.

The main target of Trumps rhetoric was Iran, who he blamed for the Syrian conflict.

Trump said: Every solution to the humanitarian crisis in Syria must also include a strategy to address the brutal regime that has fueled and financed it: the corrupt dictatorship in Iran. He made no mention of Russia, which has provided air support for the Assad regime in Damascus, helping it to survive and prevail in the civil war.

Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, were conspicuous by their absence from the speech, although Germany was scolded for buying Russian oil and gas. Trump, whose campaign is under investigation over possible collusion with the Kremlin during the 2016 election, did not address deep differences between the US and the Russia over Ukraine and Syria.

Trump, meanwhile, poured contempt on the Iranian leadership, with a vehemence all the more striking considering he had sent a tweet earlier in the morning that said he was sure that Irans president, Hassan Rouhani, was an absolutely lovely man.

From the UN lectern, however, Trump declared: Irans leaders sow chaos, death and destruction. They do not respect their neighbours or borders or the sovereign rights of nations.

He also accused Iranian leaders of embezzling billions of dollars and lining their own pockets.

We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices Trump on Opec

Rouhani, who was also due to speak on the opening day of the summit, was not in the chamber to hear Trumps speech, nor were any Iranian diplomats or officials, only a note-taker.

Another notable target of Trumps speech was the oil producers organisation, Opec, which he said was ripping off the rest of the world. He said: I dont like it. Nobody should like it. We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good.

However, elsewhere in his speech, Trump praised leading Opec members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar for pledging billions of dollars to aid the people of Syria and Yemen.

He made no mention of the role of Saudi and UAE forces in the Yemeni conflict, where they have been accused of war crimes because of the civilian death toll from their coalitions bombing campaign. They are also accused of dragging their heels over efforts to find a peace settlement. Trump, however, claimed his Gulf allies were pursuing multiple avenues to ending Yemens horrible, horrific civil war.

The main theme of Trumps speech though, was patriotism, and he urged states to focus on their own national interests.

He said: Around the world, responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from other, new forms of coercion and domination.

The tone and theme of the speech was in direct contradiction to the leaders who preceded and followed him to the podium. The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said that democratic principles are under siege.

He said: The world is more connected, yet societies are becoming more fragmented. Challenges are growing outward, while many people are turning inward. Multilateralism is under fire precisely when we need it most.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, cemented his role as the anti-Trump on the world stage. Macron decried the the spread of global lawlessness, in which everyone pursues their own interest.

He said: All against all ends up to everyones detriment.United Nations (United States) (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday sharply criticized the use of economic sanctions "as weapons" in his address to the United Nations, in an implicit swipe at the United States.

"None of us can remain silent to the arbitrary cancellation of commercial agreements, the spreading prevalence of protectionism and the use of economic sanctions as weapons," Erdogan told the UN General Assembly.

Ties between Washington and Ankara hit a low in August when President Donald Trump announced steep new tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum in response to the detention of an American pastor in Turkey.

The Turkish lira has taken a beating on the currency market, sparking fears in Turkey of a full-blown economic crisis.

"Nobody wants the world to experience a new economic rupture," said Erdogan.

He did not accuse the United States directly but pointed to "countries that are persistently trying to create chaos."

"It is very easy to create chaos but it's difficult to re-establish order, and today some countries are persistently trying to create chaos."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday he was hopeful Turkey would release this month the American pastor, Andrew Brunson, who has been detained for nearly two years on terror charges.

Erdogan urged world leaders to crack down on followers of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Turkish preacher whom the president has accused of backing a failed coup in 20016 and considers the leader of a terror organization.

Calling once again for his extradition, Erdogan alleged that Gulen was living in Pennsylvania "in a very well-off fashion."- REUTERS

Trump calls Iran "world's leading sponsor of terrorism"

Trump earlier turned down meeting with Tehran

US President was due on stage around 10am, he arrived at 10.15am

What to expect from the US President's speech

Donald Trump was forced to pause his UN speech amid laughter at claims he has "accomplished almost more than any administration in the history of our country".

In an almost 40-minute address to the assembled United Nations General Assembly members in New York, he reserved his most stinging remarks for Iran, who he described as the "world's leading sponsor of terrorism".

He also praised his team in Washington for its work surrounding the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and touched on some of the world's most devastating conflicts, including Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Venezuela.

Opening his speech, he said: "One year ago I stood before you at this grand hall. I addressed the threats facing our world and presented a vision for a brighter future.

"Today, I stand before the United Nations to share the extraordinary progress we've made.

"In less than two years, my administration has accomplished almost more than any administration in the history of our country."

Laughter and applause filled the room, forcing the President to pause, before continuing: "America...it's so true...I didn't expect that reaction, but OK."

Video: Trump Comments on Iran and N. Korea Before U.N. Speech

For more news videos visit Yahoo View.

Ahead of his address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald Trump has said he had no plans to meet with Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani at the gathering of world leaders "despite requests" to do so.

4:26PM

Trump doubles down on messages from 12 months ago

Trump has just wrapped up a 35-minute speech that was, well, very Trumpian, writes Harriet Alexander.

Story continues

There were no real surprises - although he was somewhat taken aback by the laughter that greeted his claim to have achieved more than any other administration - and it followed the pattern set last year.

There was the recap of domestic success, the celebration of his North Korea tactics, and the defence of some of his more controversial decisions - reducing the refugee numbers to 30,000; withdrawing from the UN human rights council; pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.

Of course, Iran came in for the strongest attack - he described the country as the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism, and called on other nations to back their economic warfare against Tehran.

Venezuela and Cuba also came in for a predictable kicking.

In essence, he was doubling down on the previous 12 months, in an unapologetic fashion. He did, however, manage to stick to the script, avoid rambling, and keep his cool.

His team will be pleased with that performance.

4:15PM

'Let us choose a future of patriotism'

Closing his speech, Mr Trump said: "In America we believe in the majesty of freedom, self-government and the rule of law.

"A culture build on strong families, deep faith and fierce independence. "e celebrate our heroes and above all we love our country

"Inside this great chamber and in all those listening around the globe, there is the heart of a patriot that feels the same powerful love to your nation, the same intense loyalty to your homelands.

"It has inspired reform and revolution, sacrifice and selflessness, scientific breakthroughs and magnificent works of art.

"Our task is not to erase it, but to embrace it, to build with it, to draw on its ancient wisdom, and to find within it a way to make out nations greater and the world better.

"Together let us choose a future of patriotism

"Forever strong, forever sovereign, forever just and forever thankful for the grace and the goodness and the glory of God.

"Thank you, God bless you and God bless the nations of the world."

4:07PM

Trump to the world - 'Make your countries great again'

Having earlier talked about the ongoing building of the wall on the Mexican-US border, Mr Trump told the room that illegal immigration was behind the "flow of deadly drugs" in America.

"It hurts hard-working citizens and has produced a vicious cycle of crime and poverty. Only by destroying criminal gangs can we establish a real foundation for prosperity."

The President called for every country to be in control of their own migration policies, stating that he respects each nation's decisions, "just as we ask every country to respect ours, which we are doing".

"Migration should not be governed by a national body which is unccountable by our own citizens.

"Make their countries great again."

4:02PM

Most stinging criticism reserved for Iran

As expected, the strongest words have come so far on Iran, writes Harriet Alexander.

Trump last year at this podium said the Iran nuclear deal was an embarrassment, adding: "The Iranian government masks a corrupt dictatorship behind the false guise of a democracy. It has turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos. The longest-suffering victims of Irans leaders are, in fact, its own people."

This year, it's more of the same - calling Iran the world's largest supporter of terrorism, and demanding that other nations back the US in its economic warfare.

Tomorrow Trump holds a UN Security Council meeting on Iran; definitely one to watch.

4:01PM

The ICC has 'no authority' in America, Trump says

"America will always act in my country's interest," Trump said.

He accused the International Criminal Court of "shielding human rights abusers while bashing the US".

"As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no authority. We will never surrender America to unelected," he said.

"America is governed by Americans," adding that he rejects globalism.

3:59PM

Measured address so far from Trump

So far, so measured from Trump, writes Harriet Alexander.

He's opened with a defence of his domestic policies - unusual, but not for him - and then gone on to talk about his successes in North Korea, progress in the Middle East, and policy on refugees.

This is interesting; at the end of August the Trump administration announced it was ending financial backing for the UN refugee body supporting Palestinians, and on September 17 the US dismayed many by announcing it was slashing, once again, the number of refugees admitted.

In the 2018-19 fiscal year, beginning on Oct 1, only 30,000 refugees will be allowed.

This is down from 45,000 last year - already a historic low.

Under George W Bush, even after 9/11, 70,000 were permitted. And only 60 Syrian refugees have been allowed into the US this year.

He's defending that policy here, saying it's the best option for the refugees, and the best use of finite resources.



3:54PM

Iran is 'world's leading sponsor of terrorism', Trump says

Mr Trump said: "The Iran deal was a windfall for Iran's leaders. In the years since the deal was reached, Iran's military budget increased by 40%."

The President said the money was used to finance terrorism and "fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen".

"The US has launched a campaign of economic pressure to deny the regime the funds to its pursue its agenda. Additional sanctions will resume, and war will follow.

"We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on earth.

"We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues."

3:52PM

Trump moves on to Syria

"The ongoing tragedy in Syria is hearbreaking," the President said.

He said that "bloodthirsty" Isil had been flushed out of their territories in Iraq and Syria.

Mr Trump added: "I commend the people of Jordan and other neitghbouing countreis for hosting refusges from this very brutal civil war."

3:46PM

US 'will not tell you how to live, work or worship'

The US President continued: "The US will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.

"It has been my honour to represent the US abroad. Our approach has always yielded change.

"We have engaged with North Korea with a bold and new approach to peace.

"The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction.

"I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and the steps he has taken."

3:45PM

Trump opens with his administration's success

Once again, Trump opens by trumpeting his own success, writes Harriet Alexander.

This is pretty unusual at this international forum - indeed, when he did it last year, everyone was taken aback.

But, of course, Trump writes his own rules.

He plays, as ever, to his base: the stock market, border wall and military are all emphasised.

We knew this was coming - he has been tweeting, in the run up, about how he was looking forward to talking about US triumphs, with him at the helm.

3:42PM

Laughter from leaders causes Trump to pause speech

"One year ago is stood before you at this grand hall.

"I addressed the threats facing our world and presented a vision for a brighter future.

"Today I stand before the United Nations to share the extraordinary progress we've made.

"In less than two years, my administration has accomplished almost more than any administration in the history of our country."

Laughter and applause fills the room, forcing the President to pause, before continuing: "America...it's so true...I didn't expect that reaction, but OK."

3:38PM

Trump takes to the stage

After the Ecuadorian leader took his place, the US President is now up.

3:34PM

Trump won't meet Iran until "they change their tune"

President Donald Trump says he won't meet with Iran's leadership "until they change their tune."

Questioned as he arrived late at United Nations headquarters Tuesday, Trump said Iran has acted "very badly." He says the US is doing "many things" right now with respect to Iran, including sanctions.

Trump earlier this year withdrew the U.S. from a nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers and reinstated economic sanctions.

Trump says he looks forward to having a "great relationship" with Iran but "Iran has to change its tune."

While Trump spoke in sour terms about current relations with Iran, he spoke glowingly of his budding friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump and Kim met in June in Singapore. Trump says, "We're doing very well with North Korea."

3:20PM

Trump arrives late with Melania and Ivanka

It's 10.15am in New York, and Trump is only just arriving at the UN now, writes Harriet Alexander.

You would have imagined he'd be here a good half an hour ago.

He's accompanied by his wife, Melania, daughter Ivanka, and Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN.

We can only speculate as to why he's running late - last minute speech changes, perhaps?

3:15PM

Confusion over Trump's absence

Donald Trump was scheduled to speak second at the podium, but the Ecuadorian leader Lenin Moreno Garces is on stage.

From New York, Harriet Alexander reports:

In a surprising turn of event, Donald Trump is not speaking second, as advertised. The president of Ecuador is going next.

Why is Trump late?

This is really strange.

The White House press pool reported half an hour ago, at 9:27am local time, that they were still at the hotel. I wonder what is going on?

2:52PM

Brazilian President talks of human rights struggles

Maria Fernanda Espinosa, President of the United Nations General Assembly, greeted the gathered leaders with her welcoming speech, before inviting Michel Temer to the podium.

The Brazilian President talked of his country's resilience in the face of the world's challenges, specifically mentioning human rights.

2:36PM

Trust at breaking point amid 'increasingly chaotic' world, Secretary-General says

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned leaders on Tuesday that world order is "increasingly chaotic," trust is at breaking point and shifts in the balance of power may increase the risk of confrontation, though he did not lay blame.

Talking to the 193-member UN General Assembly, he said that multilateralism is under fire when it is needed most.

Guterres said: "Individual leaders have the duty to advance the well-being of their people. But it runs deeper ... As guardians of the common good, we also have a duty to promote and support a reformed, reinvigorated and strengthened multilateral system."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Credit: Richard Drew/AP

He called for a renewed commitment to a rules-based order with the United Nations at its center and warned against a spreading "politics of pessimism."

"Those who see their neighbors as dangerous may cause a threat where there was none. Those who close their borders to regular migration only fuel the work of traffickers," Guterres said.

"And those who ignore human rights in combating terrorism tend to breed the very extremism they are trying to end."

He also urged leaders to tackle climate change with a greater sense of ambition and urgency and said he would hold a summit on the issue in September next year.

The Trump administration withdrew from a global accord to reduce emissions last year.

"If we do not change course in the next two years, we risk runaway climate change," Guterres said.

2:31PM

The General Assembly schedule

Donald Trump is the second country representative to speak today, as per tradition, writes Harriet Alexander.

The general assembly always opens with remarks by the Secretary-General, and then the president of the general assembly - this time, it's Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, from Ecuador.

Then comes Brazil - a tradition dating back to 1955. According to the United Nations, during the organisation's early years no one ever wanted to be the first to speak, and Brazil always ended up volunteering to go first. The host country, which is the United States, always speaks second.

After that, it's a bit of a free-for-all - heads of state go first, and then prime ministers, followed by foreign ministers and more junior representatives. But there's always some jostling for priority; it's more prestigious to speak on the first day, in the morning, than later on in the week.

The UN General Assembly Credit: Timothy A Clary/AFP

Here's who else is speaking today - France, Iran and Turkey being the obvious highlights of the morning session.

1. Secretary-General of the United Nations

Antonio Guterres

2. President of the General Assembly

Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces

3. Brazil

Michel Temer

4. United States of America

Donald Trump

5. Ecuador

Lenin Moreno Garces

6. Turkey

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

7. Rwanda

Paul Kagame

8. Mexico

Enrique Pena Nieto

9. France

Emmanuel Macron

10. Seychelles

Danny Faure

11. Peru

Martin Vizcarra Cornejo

12. Jordan

King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein

13. Qatar

Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al -Thani

14. Iran

Hassan Rouhani

15. Finland

Sauli Niinisto

16. Nigeria

Muhammadu Buhari

17. Togo

Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe

18. South Africa

Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa

AFTERNOON

19. Guatemala

Jimmy Morales

20. Malawi

Arthur Peter Mutharika

21. Egypt

Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

22. Paraguay

Mario Abdo Benitez

23. Argentina

Mauricio Macri

24. Switzerland

Alain Berset

25. Sri Lanka

Maithripala Sirisena

26. Slovenia

Borut Pahor

27. Zambia

Edgar Chagwa Lungu

28. Democratic Republic of the Congo

Joseph Kabila Kabange

29. Kyrgyzstan

Sooronbai Zheenbekov

30. Gambia

Adama Barrow

31. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bakir Izetbegovic

32. Mozambique

Filipe Jacinto Nyusi

33. Marshall Islands

Hilda Heine

34. Dominican Republic

Danilo Medina Sanchez

35. Japan

Shinzo Abe

36. Armenia

Nikol Pashinyan

37. Morocco

Saad-Eddine El Othmani

2:27PM

Harriet Alexander, Telegraph's US Correspondent, live from New York

The Telegraph's US Correspondent Harriet Alexander is at the United Nations General Assembly - here is an update from a soggy Big Apple:

Good morning from a very rainy New York, where the skies are leaden and everyone is currently dodging umbrella spikes and wading through puddles to get inside the main UN complex.

Yet today is going to be a good day! Donald Trump is due to speak in around half an hour's time, and it's something you won't want to miss.

You can read below what to expect from his speech.

It's likely to be a good day for Trump - regardless of the outcry his speech provokes, he loves nothing more than a headline. It'll be a good day for Israel, as he will doubtless leap to their defence once again.

It'll be an interesting day for North Korea - expect a far more conciliatory tone than last year, where he mocked "rocket man" Kim Jong-un and threatened to "totally destroy" the country. But don't expect him to announce an easing of sanctions - something Pyongyang desperately wants.

And it'll be a bad day, for sure, for Iran - Trump is champing at the bit to have a go at them - probably Venezuela too.

It's also a pretty bad day for New Yorkers in general. The streets are totally gridlocked, traffic is diverted, and the already-stinky subway smells like a wet dog.

2:24PM

Trump to praise his own team

Expect Mr Trump to lavish praise on his own team, writes Harriet Alexander.

Mr Pompeo is visibly happier as secretary of state than his poor predecessor, Rex Tillerson. On Monday Mr Pompeo was beaming and jovial as he previewed the days ahead, telling the assembled crowd in a New York hotel that he was relishing what he termed the Super Bowl of diplomacy.

Americans can be proud of how our entire team is executing on the field today, said Mr Pompeo.

Americans expect the United States to assert bold leadership on the world stage that reflects our values. And under President Trump, we are certainly leading from the front.

Mike Pompeo, seen meeting North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong-ho, spoke of his enjoyment of the UN gathering Credit: AFP

He is helped by the fact that he has been able to bring with him a slew of envoys, aides and diplomats  Mr Tillerson, by contrast, was proud to bring a skeleton staff, to save money.

Mr Pompeo has in recent weeks appointed a special envoy for Iran policy and another for North Korea nuclear talks, and also hired two to focus on Syria, and one for reconciliation in Afghanistan.

What we will try to do is have all hands on deck, said Mrs Haley.

The US delegation this year includes Mr Pence, Steve Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, and Mr Trumps daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner.

On Monday, Mr Pompeo was positively glowing at the thought of the week ahead.

The gathering, he concluded, would enable Mr Trump to deliver a recap about how his call for every nation to do its part has paid dividends for the United States, and the world, over this past year.

2:21PM

Syria, Yemen and Venezuela

The US president will have little choice but to mention two of arguably the biggest crises in the world today  Syria and Yemen.

Yet dont expect any dramatic announcement, or change of policy.

Syrian rebel fighters in Hama province, pictured on September 17 Credit: OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP

The two conflicts are too intractable to shout about. And, given the involvement of Russia and Saudi Arabia respectively, too much of a hornets nest to kick.

Venezuela

Mike Pence, the vice president, is hosting an event focusing on Venezuela during the week  and Mr Trump is likely to use his podium to berate the socialist regime in Caracas.

Last year, Mr Trump was brutal, describing the government of Nicolas Maduro as a corrupt regime which has destroyed a prosperous nation by imposing a failed ideology that has produced poverty and misery everywhere it has been tried.

Donald Trump is unlikely to have changed his tone on Venezuela Credit: Reuters

He added: To make matters worse, Maduro has defied his own people, stealing power from their elected representatives to preserve his disastrous rule.

The Venezuelan people are starving and their country is collapsing. Their democratic institutions are being destroyed. This situation is completely unacceptable and we cannot stand by and watch.

He is unlikely to have changed his tone. Cuba may well also come in for a kicking - despite this being the first general assembly since the Cuban Revolution without a Castro at the helm. Miguel Diaz-Canel, elected in April, is making his own UN debut.

2:17PM

North Korea - a year on

The most dramatic change in tone from last years address will certainly come when Mr Trump moves to discuss North Korea.

Gone will be the insults and threats; in their place, expect to see warm words of encouragement for a man he now considers almost a friend.

Chairman Kim has been really very open and terrific, frankly, said Mr Trump on Monday, adding that he hopes to meet him again soon.

Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in June in Singapore Credit: Evan Vucci/ AP

Buoyed by the thrill of his historic June summit in Singapore  the first time the leaders of the US and North Korea had ever met  Mr Trump is keen to emphasise that he is making progress on the Korean peninsula, despite critics pointing out that little of note has actually been achieved.

His speech will doubtless recap the triumph of the meeting, and stress its unprecedented nature.

His assurance that "everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office", because "there is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea", saw eye rolls from experts, who pointed out that no actual steps had been taken to remove the threat.

But that doesnt mean Mr Trump wont repeat the assertion on Tuesday.

2:12PM

Trump to mount pressure on Iran

Mr Trump is also certain to return to the topic of Iran  especially given that its his first UN speech since pulling the US out of the nuclear agreement, in May, writes Harriet Alexander.

You can bet the president will have well-deserved strong words for the Iranian regime, which is among the worst of violators of UN Security Council resolutions, if not the absolute worst in the world, said Mr Pompeo on Monday.

He'll call on every country to join our pressure campaign in order to thwart Iran's global torrent of destructive activity.

Its not a position that has received universal support in the US. Ahead of the general assembly, a bipartisan group of national security leaders, including Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state, and James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, strongly criticised Mr Trumps Iran strategy in a statement issued on Sunday.

The Trump administrations Iran strategy is to assert maximum economic, political and military pressure to change Irans behaviour and threaten, if not cause, collapse of the regime, they wrote.

But since it has not undertaken diplomatic engagement on any of its twelve demands on Iran, the administration has left Iran the option of either capitulation or war.

Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani. The two men are believed unlikely to meet this week in New York

Mr Trump will also likely preview the Security Council meeting that he is chairing on Wednesday morning  an eagerly-watched gathering, not least to see how the freewheeling president copes with hosting a tightly-scripted diplomatic dance.

Watch closely to see how Mr Trump describes that Security Council meeting.

His aides have been trying to explain that the meeting needs to be about a broad range of issues, including Iran: if it is just about Iran, the Iranian leader, Hassan Rouhani, can have a seat at the table  a scenario US diplomats are keen to avoid.

The state department has since been at pains to describe the meeting as being about non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and instability in the Middle East in general.

On September 7, the US mission to the UN issued a statement saying the meeting would focus on a broader range of issues, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in addition to Irans destabilising activities.

Yet on Friday, Mr Trump tweeted: I will Chair the United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran next week!

I will Chair the United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran next week!

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018

Furthermore, Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron and Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, all plan to attend the meeting  meaning that fireworks could ensue if Mr Trump steers the meeting towards open condemnation of the nuclear deal. US diplomats are deeply worried about a possible confrontation with key allies.

Trump risked a collision with the UK and France over Iran at the UN, said Richard Gowan, a senior fellow at the United Nations University, a global affairs think tank.

He told The Washington Post that Mrs May and Mr Macron would have had no choice but to defend the nuclear deal in the council.

I dont think anyone liked the idea of the president having to sit through stern defences of the Iran deal from May and Macron. He could have got very tetchy, as he did at Nato and the G-7, or walked out of the council causing a diplomatic fuss.

2:05PM

The US' domestic triumphs

Equally, Mr Trump is likely to use his speech once again to trumpet his own domestic policies.

Last year he surprised many by opening with a recap of his successes, boasting how well the US stock market was doing, and how the US unemployment rate was falling.

Expect more of the same.

His diehard supporters may not pay attention to what Mr Trump himself derided, as president-elect, as just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time  but Mr Trump is never one to miss an opportunity to shout about his own successes.

Our economy is the envy, right now, of the world, said Mr Trump on Monday, ahead of his talks with South Korean president Moon Jae-in.

We are the fastest-growing economy in the world.

Since Mr Trump took office, the nation's gross domestic product has grown an average of 2.7 per cent per quarter, and unemployment is at a generational low. Business is booming, and the stock market is soaring. He will want everyone to know.

2:00PM

Trump will again put America first

Mr Trumps America First rhetoric raised eyebrows last year, with critics seeing it as a disturbingly isolationist and unilateral message  a sharp, deliberate contrast to the globalist view of Barack Obama.

I will always put America first, just like you, as the leaders of your countries, will always, and should always, put your countries first, said Mr Trump.

Its a message he intends to hammer home again this year.

Mrs Haley noted, ahead of Tuesdays speech, that he wants to talk about protecting US sovereignty.

She added: Its not saying multilateralism cant work. It is saying sovereignty is a priority over all of that.

Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, agreed, saying on Monday: Whether it's security issues, economic issues, human rights, or anything else, the president is asking for countries to exert their sovereignty to solve challenges and listening to what America can do to help.

1:51PM

What to expect from Donald Trump's speech

When President Donald Trump made his United Nations debut a year ago, addressing the general assembly for the first time, he was determined to make waves, writes Harriet Alexander.

And, of course, he did.

The president, by then eight months into the role, launched into a hair-raising tirade that shook the usually-staid chamber.

He began by trumpeting his own domestic economic policies, before switching to give his take on world affairs.

Kim Jong-un was labelled a suicidal rocket man, whose depraved country Mr Trump may decide to totally destroy. The Iran nuclear deal was an embarrassment.

On Tuesday Mr Trump is back, speaking shortly after 9am in what will, unsurprisingly, be one of the most closely-watched moments of the annual jamboree.

Last year we started UNGA and it was trying to figure what the US presence was going to be, said Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, on Monday. This year, we're here with a bang.Discussions were held between Western Province Chief Minister Isura Devapriya and the Japanese officials at the Chief Ministers office yesterday on utilization of waste materials and technical assistance to put up a factory to incinerate waste materials. Pix by Nimalsiri EdirisingheKabul (AFP) - The United Nations said Tuesday it was investigating "credible reports" that nine members of a family had been killed in an air strike in Afghanistan, but US Forces denied the victims were civilians.

Women and children were among those reportedly killed on Saturday after an "aerial ordnance" hit the home of a teacher in Tagab district in the eastern province of Kapisa, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a statement.

Six other family members were wounded in the attack on Badrab village, UNAMA added, citing "multiple, credible allegations".

"All the victims from the attack were from the same family, including grandparents and children aged between two and 12," it said.

Latif, whose home was one of three damaged in the strike, told AFP on Monday that 15 members of a family including three children were killed when a "bomb" hit their house on Saturday night.

But local officials told AFP they had not received any reports of civilian casualties.

US Forces spokesman David Butler said Afghan ground troops involved in a gunbattle had been forced to call in US air support.

"Only militants" were killed, Butler said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that US Forces "suppressed the target, killing the militants who were firing against our partners".

The Afghan National Army later reported that locals had been told to claim civilian casualties, Butler said.

A US Forces assessment showed nine militants were killed.

Initially, before the UNAMA statement was published, US Forces had said that "six militia" were wounded in the incident after a US forces helicopter returned fire "in self defense" and were being treated in a US hospital.

Local militias often work with overstretched security forces in Afghanistan.

UNAMA said it was in contact with Afghan and US forces as part of its "ongoing independent verification process".

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In a separate incident, 12 members of a family were killed in airstrikes targeting Taliban fighters in Wardak province near Kabul on Monday, provincial council member Ahmad Jahfari told AFP.

But provincial governor spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal said there had been "no reports of any civilian casualties" in the ongoing operation in Jaghato district that had so far killed more than 40 Taliban.

US Forces did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Civilian deaths from air strikes have risen sharply this year as Afghan and US forces intensify the aerial bombardment of Taliban and Islamic State group militants.

UNAMA documented 353 civilian casualties -- 149 deaths and 204 injuries -- from aerial attacks in the first six months of this year -- up 52 percent from the same period in 2017.

The Afghan Air Force was responsible for 52 percent of the casualties, UNAMA said.

"International military forces" accounted for 45 percent. The US is the only international force known to conduct air strikes in Afghanistan.

str-mam-emh-amj/st/smChina expressed "strong dissatisfaction" on Tuesday over US plans to sell a batch of military parts to the self-governing island of Taiwan, adding to tensions between the global superpowers.

The $330 million contract would see the US ship standard spare parts for several aircraft including the F-16 fighter and the C-130 cargo plane, the State Department said in a statement on Monday.

China lashed out at the deal, saying it "severely violates" international laws and norms governing foreign relations, and expressed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to the sales.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting unification, and is deeply suspicious of the island's relations with the US.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing that Beijing has lodged "solemn representations" -- an official protest -- with the United States.

"We urge the US side to... immediately withdraw this armed sales plan and stop military contact with Taiwan lest it should cause severe damage to US-China relations, cross-straits stability and peace, and our cooperation in other important areas," he said.

Congress has 30 days to raise objections to the sale, though this is unlikely given the State Department has determined Taiwan continues to be "an important force for political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region."

Washington remains Taipei's most powerful unofficial ally and its main arms supplier despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

China has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen took office two years ago, including staging a series of military exercises near the island.

Taiwan on Tuesday welcomed the US announcement, saying it would help the island strengthen its defence capabilities.

"As Taiwan faces gradually heightened threats, the US arm sales would... also boost Taiwan's confidence in strengthening self-defence to help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

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Taiwan's presidential office said the island's government would continue to increase its defence investment and "maintain close communication and cooperation" with the US on security issues.

Beijing has been incensed by recent warming ties between Washington and Taipei, including the approval by the US State Department of a preliminary licence to sell submarine technology to the island.

The US recently sanctioned a Chinese military procurement organisation, drawing a sharp protest from Beijing and a decision to postpone planned military talks.

Beijing and Washington are also at odds over China's wooing of Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

The new arms sale was announced on the same day that President Donald Trump's administration enacted new tariffs against China covering another $200 billion of Chinese imports.

The move brings the amount of Chinese goods hit by duties to more than $250 billion, roughly half of China's US exports.Dallas has seen a relatively large increase in finance jobs since the financial crisis. Source: Wikimedia Commons

September marks the tenth anniversary of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, a key moment in the greatest financial crisis of our times. Unsurprisingly, the financial crisis affected employment in the financial industry, defined here as the finance and insurance subindustry. The financial industry only recovered to its 2007 employment level at the end of 2016 and, as a share of employment, is still not back to its 2007 level.

Crises often lead industries to change work patterns and where they locate jobs. Census data show how industry employment has evolved over the past ten years. It has largely remained the same. The cities that had the most finance jobs in 2007 remain dominant. But, around the edges, some changes have taken place. Metros on the coasts have lost finance jobs, while metros in the middle of the country have gained.

Where is the financial industry concentrated now?

New York is still far and away the biggest hub for finance, with 10% of finance jobs nationally located in the metro area. But New York has lost some of its dominance over the past decade. While its prominence is unlikely to be challenged anytime soon, other localities are luring finance jobs to new places.

Metros that gained the largest share of finance jobs tend to be cities in the middle of the country. Generally, these metros gained more finance jobs than they did jobs overall during this period. Chicago and Austin are interesting standouts. Chicago, while losing jobs overall, gained positions in finance. Austin, while a top gainer of finance jobs, got a similar percentage to its change in overall share of jobs, suggesting that this gain is really about its growth as an employment center.

Source: Indeed

Many of the metros that lost the largest share of financial jobs are coastal cities. They also are cities conventionally thought of as finance or, more broadly, white-collar job hubs: New York, Boston, Charlotte. For none of these metros is loss in share of finance jobs about losing jobs overall. For instance, the New York metro area actually has more of the overall share of jobs than it did in 2007. Los Angeles in particular had a big hit to finance jobs, causing it to cede its second place financial hub ranking to Chicago.

Story continues

Source: Indeed

The housing crisis continues to affect finance industry

Looking at the industrial breakdown, insurance carriers and related activities have become more important to the financial industry, while credit intermediation types of activities  which often involve mortgages  have become less important. The fact that financial industry jobs that can be more involved in mortgages represent a smaller share of the financial industry today, and in fact are still below their 2007 employment level, shows how the overhang of the housing crisis continues to affect sectors of the economy. But, overall, these changes havent greatly changed the composition of finance industry jobs. Insurance jobs are still the biggest sector, followed by depository credit intermediation.

Source: Indeed

Financial industry has changed around the edges

Overall, the financial industry in many ways looks similar to 2007  New York is still the biggest finance hub and insurance carriers are the biggest subindustry. But, on the edges, weve seen changes. Metros like Dallas are gaining ground in the finance industry, while New York is losing ground. Insurance carriers are becoming even more important, while credit intermediation is becoming less important. As the finance industry leaves the financial crisis behind, it will be interesting to see whether it moves further towards the middle of the country and insurance activities, and away from the coasts and credit intermediation.

Methodology

Analysis was performed using the County Business Patterns on NAICS 52. For the city shifts, analysis was also done removing the insurance industry and central banking and just on NAICS 522, 523 and 525. It did not change the results. City rankings for change of national share done by NAICS 52 were correlated 99% with city rankings for change of national share done by NAICS 522, 523, and 525. Because County Business Patterns data only go to 2016, that was the latest year used.Neno (Malawi) (AFP) - Hundreds of people who fled to Malawi from fighting in Mozambique are finally poised to go home, desperate to reach their untended farms now that the guns have fallen silent.

Patricia Ekeson, 32, was among thousands who fled to the safety of Malawi four years ago after Renamo rebels and government troops renewed a bloody cycle of violence.

She escaped with her husband and three of her daughters after her village in the coal-rich Moatize region was engulfed by the conflict, killing several close relatives.

But with the rains expected within months, the family is desperate to return to their farm.

"We have to go back home and start living independent lives again," said Ekeson, whose youngest daughter was born at the Luwani refugee camp in southern Malawi.

They are not alone.

Hundreds of people at Luwani have already registered to go back to their ancestral villages across the border in Tete province and the camp is bustling with preparations.

Trucks are piled high with reed mats, wooden stools, clothing and whatever scant possessions the refugees have to return home with.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials have faced "mounting pressure" since last year from the refugees wanting to go home, according to the organisation's representative in Malawi, Monique Ekoko. But the process of signing a formal repatriation agreement between the neighbouring nations had delayed the move.

- Cycle of conflict -

Mozambique has been scarred by repeated convulsions of violence, sending people fleeing across the country's border.

Renamo fought a brutal 16-year civil war against the Marxist-inspired Frelimo government that devastated the economy and left one million people dead.

The group, which operates both as a political force and as an armed militant group, has participated in elections since the first multi-party democratic vote in October 1994.

The 2013 unrest raised fears of a return to the bloody civil war, but Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama declared a truce in 2016.

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Despite his unexpected death in May, peace talks with the government have continued.

And in a key tests of the detente, the country is due to hold municipal elections on October 10.

The hopeful mood has galvanised those who were forced to flee the fighting.

While UNHCR says more than than 12,000 Mozambicans crossed the border into Malawi from 2015 to 2016, many have already returned home.

- 'Picking up the pieces' -

The Luwani camp was initially set up during the civil war and was reopened to house refugees of the more recent fighting in its single-room brick shelters.

Some 3,000 people remain at the camp, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, but Luwani officials say more than 500 individuals have been processed to leave.

Ekoko said those in the camps are pushing to go back because they want to plant their crops before the rainy season begins in November. If they do not make it in time, they will have to endure another year in the camp.

"The timing is quite crucial for them," she said, adding that "spontaneous returns have been very common".

One of those readying to leave is 26-six-year-old Luis Pasengese, who was born at the camp after his parents fled from Mozambique's civil war.

He is eager to see the end of his second stint in Luwani.

"The war has stopped and people are living peacefully so we have no excuse to be living here as refugees," he told AFP, making final preparations for his departure on Tuesday.

Pasengese was forced to leave Mozambique in 2015, with his wife, two children and ailing mother, when his house was torched during the latest violence.

His third child, a girl, was born at the camp six months ago.

With signs of stability returning to his homeland he can only hope that the country can consign its conflicts to history -- and that his family can bid a final farewell to Luwani.

"We just have to go back and pick up the pieces and see where this road leads us," he said.Silver Bow/Deer Lodge Counties, Mont. Silver Bow Creek/Butte area, Silver Bow/Deer Lodge counties, Mont., 1986. (Photograph by David T. Hanson)

In 1980, the U.S. Environmental Projection Agency created the Superfund program to address the catastrophic problem of toxic waste sites. Studying some 400,000 contaminated sites throughout the country, the EPA identified 400 highly hazardous sites in dire shape that were wreaking ecological disaster on a poisoned landscape.

With the support of a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1985, American photographer David T. Hanson traveled to 67 Superfund sites across 45 states that represented a cross section of industries whose practices have decimated the environment. Now, the full series has been published for the first time in Waste Land (Taverner Press, September 2018).

American artists have long documented the landscape as a space of freedom, heroism, and grandeur  but, as Hansons work reveals, things have radically changed. Over a year-long period, he visited nuclear weapons plants, nerve gas disposal areas, petrochemical complexes, water contamination sites, wood-processing plants, mines, smelters, landfills, and illicit dumps, creating a series of photographs that expose the transformation of the American landscape by our increasingly industrialized and militarized culture.

Hansons aerial photographs survey the scenes of industrial crimes, from waste ponds leaking into local streams and rivers to a dirt road in the woods that companies used for midnight dumping. In the words of sociologist Andrew Ross, Hansons Waste Land series is a stunning documentary of a century of organized state terrorism against the North American land, its species, and its peoples.

The sites in Hansons book are sequenced according to the EPAs hazard ranking system. Each location is presented in a triptych format, with an aerial photograph by Hanson, a modified U.S. Geological Survey topographic map, and a contemporaneous U.S. Environmental Protection Agency site description detailing the sites history and hazards, as well as the remedial action taken  or not, as some entries reveal the elaborate legal strategies used to avoid responsibility for both the contamination and the cleanup.

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Born and raised in Montana, Hanson is one of the most critically acclaimed photographers of our time. When his photographs of Colstrip, Mont., a coal mining town, were first exhibited by John Szarkowski at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1986, the work signaled a shift from the cool modernism of the new topographies and questioned the belief in a triumphant march of civilization across the U.S.

Waste Land is Hansons third book in a trilogy that began with Colstrip, Montana and Wilderness to Wasteland (Taverner Press, 2010 and 2016), which document some of the most enduring monuments in Western civilization. Rather than iconic sites such as Stonehenge or the Nazca Lines, the most enduring legacy of the U.S. will be the hazardous remains of industry and technology, permanently etched into the land. For example, the radioactive contamination from American plutonium factories will remain deadly for the next 250,000 years  10,000 generations, which is far longer than homo sapiens have been in existence.

Waste Land is a haunting meditation on a ravaged landscape. Although the photographs were made in the 1980s, they seem even more relevant today given growing concerns about energy production, environmental degradation, and climate change. In the words of poet Wendell Berry, [Hanson] has given us the topography of our open wounds.

Photography by David T. Hanson

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.By Richard Cowan and Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, fighting to shore up his nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in a divided Senate, on Tuesday called sexual misconduct allegations against the judge "a con game being played by the Democrats." Trump's escalation in his rhetoric defending Kavanaugh came as the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee announced the hiring of a woman lawyer who is "an expert sex crimes prosecutor" to question one of the nominee's accusers, Christine Blasey Ford, at a high-stakes hearing scheduled on Thursday. The committee also scheduled a vote on Kavanaugh's nomination for Friday at 9:30 a.m.. Senior Senate Republicans said a vote in the full Senate could happen as early as next Tuesday. In a break from convention, the outside lawyer, whose name was not released, will question Ford and Kavanaugh on behalf of the committee's Republican senators, 11 white men. Typically, senators do the questioning themselves. The move brought a rebuke from Senator Kamala Harris, a Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee. "By hiring a private attorney to cross-examine Dr. Blasey Ford, Republicans are trying to intimidate her and avoid being held accountable by voters," Harris said in a Twitter posting. Senate confirmation of Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge chosen by Trump for a lifetime post on the high court, has been imperiled by the decades-old allegations by Ford and another woman, Deborah Ramirez. "We're going to be moving forward," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters. "I'm confident we're going to win, confident that he'll be confirmed in the very near future." Ford, a university professor in California, has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in 1982 when both were high school students in Maryland. Ramirez accused Kavanaugh in an article published on Sunday in the New Yorker magazine of exposing himself to her at a drunken dormitory party during the 1983-84 academic year at Yale University. Kavanaugh has denied both allegations. Trump said Ford's allegation was 36 years old "and nobody ever heard about it." Of Ramirez's allegation, Trump said: "And now a new charge comes up. And she says: 'Well it might not be him.' And there were gaps. And she said she was totally inebriated, and she was all messed up, and she doesn't know it was him, but it might have been him." "Oh, gee, let's not make him a Supreme Court judge because of that? This is a con game being played by the Democrats," Trump added. Asked whether Ramirez should also be allowed to testify, Trump said: "The second accuser has nothing." The Kavanaugh confirmation fight comes just weeks before Nov. 6 congressional elections in which Democrats are trying to take control of Congress from Republicans, against a backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault. Kavanaugh's confirmation would firm up conservative control of the Supreme Court and advance Trump's goal of moving the high court and the broader federal judiciary to the right. Kavanaugh and his Republican allies have framed the allegations as part of a "smear campaign" by Democrats who have opposed his nomination from the beginning. 'A DIFFERENT DECISION' Republicans hold a slim 51-49 Senate majority, meaning Kavanaugh's confirmation prospects may hinge on the votes of a handful of moderate Republican senators who have not yet announced their intentions, They include Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Jeff Flake. Comments by Murkowski on Tuesday after she met with McConnell could be an ominous sign for Kavanaugh. Murkowski told reporters: "We have kind of moved beyond the qualifications of the nominee, and it has become more about whether or not women who have been subject to any form of assault, violence, intimidation are to (be) believed. That's a different decision than 'is Judge Kavanaugh qualified?'" McConnell said the outside lawyer would question Ford "in a respectful and professional way." The panel's Democratic senators, four women and six men, were expected to question Ford and Kavanaugh but those details were still not final, Senator Dick Durbin said. Ford's legal team on Monday had objected to the possibility Republicans would use an outside lawyer to question her. Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, said in an interview published in the Washington Post last week that Kavanaugh attacked her and tried to remove her clothing while he was drunk at a party when he was 17 years old and she was 15. In an interview with Fox News aired on Monday night, Kavanaugh said he "never sexually assaulted anyone," had "always treated women with dignity and respect" and "did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter." Regarding alcohol, he said he never drank so much that he could not remember what happened the night before. "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," Kavanaugh said in the interview, sitting alongside his wife. "I'm a good person," Kavanaugh added. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called on McConnell to apologize to Ford "for labeling her allegations a 'smear job,'" adding: "I challenge you, Leader McConnell, if you are so convinced this is a smear campaign, you'll have no problem with an FBI investigation to prove your case." (Reporting by Richard Cowan and Lawrence Hurley; Additional reporting by David Morgan, Amanda Becker, David Alexander, Jeff Mason and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Will Dunham and Peter Cooney)Midway through Monday morning, there was a period when the world believed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would be fired. Though this was not the case in the end (at least not on this particular day), the Sept. 21 New York Times report of Rosenstein making inappropriate remarks about the possibility of removing the President in the days following the firing of FBI Director James Comey have still seemingly led to the possibility he could well resign or be fired. The central question  to both the publics and the Presidents calculations  is whether such a departure would jeopardize Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation, which Rosenstein has been overseeing, given Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusal. Firing Rosenstein could give President Donald Trump the opportunity to rid himself and his associates of Mueller and his prying, which Trump has reportedly expressed his desire to do before. But importantly, there is good reason to believe its too late for that to do him any good.

If Rosenstein were gone, Trump would have two routes under prevailing Justice Department rules to rid himself of Mueller. The President could press Rosensteins next-in-line colleague, Solicitor General Neil Francisco, a conservative lawyer and former partner of White House Counsel Don McGahn, to either fire Mueller or leave him in place and sharply control and limit the scope of his investigation. If Francisco refuses, Trump can instead, under the 1998 Vacancies Act, appoint a temporary officer to do so, as long as that officer has been previously confirmed by the Senate. (He could do this for either Rosensteins position or Sessions.)

Would Trump dare do that? The public outrage would be severe, and it would test the integrity of the Republican Congressional leaders who have reportedly warned Trump not to fire Mueller  though the likelihood of this House and this Senate impeaching and convicting Trump is slim.

The more important reason to not fire Rosenstein, though, is that getting rid of him may not solve Trumps Mueller problem. Mueller has by now put together a huge dossier of his findings, some of which may jeopardize not only Trump, but members of his family. What that means is: firing Mueller will not make his investigation go away.

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There are Justice Department divisions, U.S. attorneys and State Attorneys General who could run with a Mueller hand-off  and Mueller has already shown a willingness to give them what they need. Mueller has already referred several cases  on Trumps former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, alleged unregistered Russian agent Maria Butina and 12 Russian intelligence officers  respectively to federal prosecutors in New York, the U.S. attorney in D.C. and the Justice Departments National Security Division. He has also worked with the New York Attorney General on its investigation into former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort. There is no reason to believe Mueller wouldnt share his intelligence with all relevant possible prosecutors if the investigation was threatened before its end.

For Trump, that would bring about the worst of both worlds: he would suffer adverse publicity and still be legally hounded.

And in the be-careful-what-you-wish-for department, Watergate is a powerful lesson in this instance. The Administration might do well to break it down for the President, if it has not done so already. President Richard Nixon too was annoyed with an inquiring Special Prosecutor. He complained that Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox was too vigorously inquiring into the Watergate break-in of Democratic headquarters. Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson, whom I knew personally after negotiating the resignation of my client Vice President Spiro Agnew, to fire Cox. I was not surprised when Richardson refused to obey Nixons order and resigned. Next in line was Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus, who did the same. The chore thus descended upon the shoulders of Solicitor General Robert Bork, who obeyed the Nixon directive, fired Cox and appointed Leon Jaworski in his place. And what was the upside of all that pain and bad publicity, in the end? Jaworski then pursued Nixon, forced him to resign and convicted many members of his staff.

While Rosensteins fate may not be decided until Trump returns from the United Nations meetings on Thursday and meets with Rosenstein, the President has no good options here. This investigation is too far along to be effectively derailed, and any attempt to do so might provoke not only a Constitutional crisis, but could also threaten to make the so-called Blue Wave into a Blue Tsunami.Ruling cancels indefinitely a controversial sport hunt of grizzlies in Wyoming and Idaho

A US judge ordered that grizzly bears living in and around Yellowstone be returned to the endangered species list.

Photograph: Steve Hinch/Solent News/REX/Shutterstock

In a ruling hailed as historic for wildlife conservation in America, a US judge on Monday ordered that the world-famous grizzly bears living in and around Yellowstone national park be returned to the endangered species list.

The move means that a controversial sport hunt of grizzlies in Wyoming and Idaho  outside the boundaries of the park  will be canceled indefinitely, extending protections against hunting that have lasted 44 years.

Tim Preso of the environmental law firm EarthJustice, who served as lead attorney in a case challenging the removal of protection for bears, was ecstatic when reached at his office in Bozeman, Montana, after word arrived of the decision.

He called the ruling momentous, given the high profile of grizzlies and growing threats to their survival in the 21st century, including climate change, which has affected a key grizzly bear food, the seeds inside whitebark pinecones.

Judge Dana Christensen, who sits on a district court in Montana, had had done a huge amount of homework, as was evident by the questions he asked when we presented our case, and, because of that, we were hopeful, Preso said. This is a case that he will be known for and its an important part of the legacy of American conservation. He did what a judge does  apply the law without being prejudiced by politics.

There are four other grizzly populations in the northern Rocky Mountains in the US, only one of which is significant in size. Saving grizzly bears from near-extinction in the Yellowstone area is considered one of the greatest wildlife success stories. Numbers of bears have rebounded to more than 700 from a low of about 135 three decades ago.

As such, the three states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have aggressively pushed to have bears removed from federal protections.

Yet questions remain about the recovery.

A key argument made by Preso and his colleagues is that as an island population of grizzlies, isolated and cut off from other clusters of bears, the Yellowstone bruins face ongoing challenges.

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True biological recovery, as spelled out in the Endangered Species Act, the judge said, means reconnecting the population of greater Yellowstone bears with others in the Lower 48. That hasnt happened. In fact, the judge labeled the rationale behind the governments case for delisting the bears arbitrary and capricious.

Wildlife officials in the states expressed disappointment. Leaders of the Wyoming game and fish department were eager to authorize the first hunt of bears in two generations, which would have allowed up to 22 to be taken this year. That plan was met with fierce public resistance, including some 650,000 comments from people across the country and around the world who were overwhelmingly opposed to the sport killing of creatures that have become synonymous with Yellowstone, Americas first national park.

Preso said he expects that lawyers for the states will appeal against Christensens ruling and will probably be joined by pro-hunting groups such as Safari Club International.

The superintendent of Yellowstone national park, Dan Wenk, who is stepping down after 43 years, expressed concern last weekend at his retirement party about the safety of grizzlies that wander beyond park boundaries and could be killed by hunters, like the infamous case of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.

In an interview in Wyoming last week, the celebrated naturalist Jane Goodall also spoke out in support of the bears.

We should not be killing any animals for fun. We should be celebrating grizzlies being alive not rushing to shoot them.New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made history again this week, becoming the first female head of state to attend the United Nations General Assembly with her infant.

Ardern arrived in New York with her partner Clarke Gayford and their three-month-old daughter Neve Te Aroha, the Guardian reports. When Ardern delivered a speech Monday at the Nelson Mandela peace summit, Neve enjoyed a front-row seat from Gayfords lap.

I have the ability to take my child to work, theres not many places you can do that, Ardern said, according to the Guardian.

Ardern, 38, became New Zealands third female prime minister and the worlds youngest female head of state in October 2017.

Read more: Jacinda Ardern Is on the 2018 TIME 100 List

In June, Ardern became only the second sitting world leader to give birth while in office, after former Pakistani prime minister Benzir Bhutto. Ardern said she discovered the pregnancy within a week of her election victory last year. She returned to work from six weeks of maternity leave early last month.

Arderns dual roles as mother and head of state have prompted a steady stream of sexist criticism. Im not the first woman to work and have a baby, Ardern told skeptics shortly after announcing her pregnancy.

Her work-life balance was again questioned last month when breastfeeding baby Neve necessitated an extra flight in order for Ardern to both attend to her newborns needs and appear at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru.

Some creative last-minute negotiations allowed Aderns family to accompany her to New York this week for the general assembly.

On Monday, Gayford posted a photo of Neves official U.N. identification, which reads first baby.

Because everyone on twitter's been asking to see Neve's UN id, staff here whipped one up.

I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change.

Great yarn for her 21st. pic.twitter.com/838BI96VYX  Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) September 24, 2018

Read more: Jacinda Ardern Rolls Up Her Sleeves

As to whether the trailblazing baby will make further appearances at official events, Ardern said the couple would be playing it by ear, according to the New Zealand Herald. It depends what the jet lag does to them both, Ardern said, referring to Gayford as well. She added that Neve is a good sleeper.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.TOPPENISH, Wash.  Two former Toppenish priests have been accused of sexually abusing a child in a lawsuit filed Monday in Yakima County Superior Court.

The lawsuit was filed against the Catholic Diocese of Yakima and St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Toppenish by a woman identified as L.L.

The lawsuit alleges that two priests sexually, physically and emotionally abused her as a child for nearly a decade in the 1950s and 1960s.

The lawsuit names the Rev. Michael J. Simpson, who died in 1977, as one of the priests. The other is not named.

The Yakima Herald-Republic has reached out to the Catholic Diocese for comment.

This story will be updated.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.Satellite images of recent Israeli airstrikes in Latakia, following which a Russian spy plane was shot down leading to an international crisis, show a military rocket factory and a 155 by 35 meters ammunition depot were completely wiped out.

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In addition, satellite footage of the attack on Damascus International Airport were published, showing the remnant of an aircraft, apparently Boeing 747 of Fars Air Qeshm, an Iranian airline affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards.

(Photo: ImageSat International (ISI) )

After launching an investigation into the incident, the Kremlin published Sunday its findings.

(Photo: ImageSat International (ISI))

According to the Russian Defense Ministry's report, the IAF deceived the Russians by presenting false information regarding the area in which the strike in Latakia was planned on September 17 which prevented the Russian plane from leaving the danger zone.

According to a statement issued by the IDF after the attack, "The IDF aircraft attacked a facility from which the Syrian army intended to transfer systems for manufacturing high precision-guided weapons for Iran and Hezbollah.

"The weapons is meant to attack Israel and constitutes an intolerable threat to it," the IDF said.

Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin presented on Thursday findings in Moscow related to the downing of the Russian plane.

The findings were presented at a special meeting held in Moscow, after the head of the defense ministry in Moscow accused Israel of indirectly causing the downing of the Russian reconnaissance plane.

(Photo: ImageSat International (ISI))

According to the report, the coordination system between the IDF and the Russian army prior to the attack operated according to procedure and fixed orders, as shown in more than 200 similar attacks in the last two years, with an emphasis on recent attacks.

The report added that the Syrian air defense system operated several anti-aircraft batteries deployed throughout Syria.

These batteries fired for more than half an hour, even while the Israeli fighter jets were en route to Israel.

(Photo: ImageSat International (ISI))

According to the IDF maps presented to the Russians, there was no room for doubt: the Syrian anti-aircraft attack included dozens of missiles of various sorts, including the advanced Soviet S-200 missile that downed the Israeli fighter plane in the Galilee in February.

The Syrian warplanes fired missiles in all directions: south towards Lebanon, east to Syria, and west towards the coastwhere the Russian plane was shot down. The Israeli report argued that this multifaceted attack demonstrates the Syrian army's "rampage."

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said on Tuesday that the Syrian facility the IAF targeted was about to transfer weapons to Hezbollah on behalf of Iran.

Satellite images presented by the IAF prove that in contrast to the official footage released by Syrian media, the structures struck were rocket factories and not aluminum factories, as Assad's regime claimed.

(Photo: Photo: ImageSat International (ISI) )

For several years, Israel and Russia have maintained a special hotline to prevent their air forces from clashing in the skies over Syria. Russia has provided key air support to President Bashar Assad's forces since 2015, while Israel has carried out dozens of strikes against Iran-linked forces. Israeli military officials have previously praised the hotline's effectiveness.

Russian plane, file photo (Photo: Shutterstock)

But Russian defense ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov on Sunday accused Israel of using the hotline to mislead Russia about its plans. He said the Russians were unable to get the Il-20 to a safe place because an Israeli duty officer had misled them, telling them of an Israeli operation in northern Syria while the jets were actually in Latakia, in the country's west.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that Moscow will supply an S-300 anti-missile system to Syria within two weeks.

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.

Weapons keep being transferred from Iran to Syria

It was reported last week that Syria's army Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft are being routinely transferred from Iran to Damascus to supply Assad's army with arms and ammunition.

However, one civil flightbelieved to be linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guardswhich landed in the Syrian capital led to a new pattern of Syrian cargo flights near the Syria-Iraq border.

The aircraft took off at 4pm, and due to radar reception disruptions, it disappeared near the Iraqi border. The fact the plane landed back in Damascus at 8:30pm suggests it operated near the border.

On Thursday, Syrian planes were detected on their route to Teheran. At 8:30 an Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft left for Iran's capital and returned with cargo to Damascus at 4pm.

Another plane departed from Syria at 6pm heading towards the Iraqi desert. However, contact was lost with the aircraft due to reception problems. At 10pm it returned to Syria.British Prime Minister Theresa May will lobby for the release of detained British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe during a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani when both attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

A senior British official said that the meeting with Rouhani would discuss consular cases, including that of Zaghari-Ratcliffe who has been sentenced to five years in jail in Iran.

"The PM will express serious concern at Nazanin's ongoing detention and call for her to be released upon humanitarian grounds," the official said.The World Bank is expected to present a report to the representatives of the countries donating to the Palestinian Authority regarding the deterioration of Gaza's economy as a result of the blockade over it.

The bank stresses that recently there has been a significant exacerbation in the strip's economic situation amid money shortage.The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee announced Tuesday a general strike would take place on Monday marking 18 years to the October 2000 riots which saw 13 Arab citizens killed.

Education institutes, businesses, and local authorities will go on strike.

A demonstration in the memory of those killed in the October riots will take place Tuesday in the village of Jatt.On the backdrop of tensions raised between Russia and Israel following the downing of the Russian plane by Syrian fire attempting to intercept an Israeli attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart Tuesday for New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

Netanyahu is expected to deliver a speech before the assembly on Thursday at 9:15pm.

Associates of the prime minister said Netanyahu is expected to reveal information regarding Iran during his speech.The Gaza Strip's economy is in "free fall," a report from the World Bank warned Tuesday, calling for urgent action by Israel and the international community to avoid "immediate collapse."

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The report was released ahead of a high level meeting of the bank's Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, responsible for coordinating development assistance to the Palestinians, on September 27.

According to the report, the unemployment is now over 50 percentand over 70 percent among Gaza's youth.

Gaza Strip (Photo: AFP)

Mark Aharon, director of the World Bank's economic program in Gaza and the West Bank, said in an interview with Ynet that Gazas economy faces a rapid economic decline.

"In the first quarter of 2018, Gaza's economy contracted by 6 percent, which is very significant, and it has continued to plummet ever since, Aharon stressed.

Aharon predicts negative growth in the second quarter as well. He explained that although the Gaza blockade is a key factor in this economic trend, there are additional aspects that affect the situation.

Gaza Strip (Photo: Reuters)

"The Palestinian Authority's decision to reduce the monthly transfer of $ 30 million to the strip, the elimination of $ 50-60 million that was provided through US aid programs, and cuts to UNRWA's budget," all play a major role in the current crisis that has developed, according to Aharon.

Aharon also pointed out that the rate of school dropouts has increased, indicating that situation will continue to worsen in the future if no significant changes are made to stimulate Gazas economy.

The World Bank's economists, similarly to the defense establishment, see a direct correlation between the economic crisis and the surge of border violence.

"It is not surprising that the dire economic situation entails a violent reaction, and it is not surprising to me as an economist that the people feel desperate and do not feel that a change is ever going to happen, he explained.

The bank is not involved in economic projects as part of a possible long-term ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Hamas.

Marina Wes, the World Bank's director for the region, reiterated the sentiments.

"A combination of war, isolation, and internal rivalries has left Gaza in a crippling economic state and exacerbated the human distress," she bemoaned.

Gaza Strip (: AFP)

Wes said the increasingly dire economic situation in Gaza "has reached a critical point."

"Increased frustration is feeding into the increased tensions which have already started spilling over into unrest and set back the human development of the region's large youth population," she added.

Gazans have staged near weekly demonstrations along the border with Israel since late March, in part to protest the blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt since 2007, when the militant group Hamas seized the territory. Hamas has led and organized the protests, but turnout is also believed to be driven by growing despair over blockade-linked hardship, including lengthy power cuts and soaring unemployment.

The report indicates the crisis can no longer be contained by the declining foreign aid or by the strips business sectorwhich suffers from restrictions imposed by Israel.

The sanctions imposed on Gaza by Mahmoud Abbas also add to the already deteriorating fiscal situation.

The Palestinian Authority itself suffers from a decline in financial donations and has an annual deficit of $ 1.24 billion.

The World Bank believes the solution to help improve Gazas economy is for Israel to lift restrictions on trade and movement of goods and people, and to develop "legitimate institutions to govern Gaza in a transparent and efficient manner."The Security Cabinet is convening Tuesday at the Prime Minister's Office to discuss the raised tensions between Israel and Russia due its announcement it would supply Syria with the S-300 ant-missile system.

Later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart for New York to attend the UN General Assembly.According to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen news channel, Russia provided Syria with electronic warfare systems meant to disrupt satellite communication over Syria's shores.

This move comes after relations have heated between Moscow and Jerusalem amid the downing of the Russian spy plane by Syrian fire attempting to intercept an Israeli attack on Latakia.The parents of combat soldier Staff Sgt. Ronen Lubarsky, who was killed by a Hamas terrorist three months ago, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday to ask him to speed up the demolition of Islam Yusuf Hamid's house.

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Speaking with Netanyahu, Lubarsky's family insisted that the military court's panel of judges reviewing Hamid's case should to be of higher rank, which will enable them to impose the death penalty on the terrorist.

Staff Sgt. Ronen Lubarsky (Photo: Ronen Luvarsky's Facebook page)

Netanyahu stressed he cannot intervene in the court's decision. However, he was puzzled regarding the choice of judges appointed to determine the terrorist's sentence.

Hamid dropped a marble slab on Lubarsky's head during an operation near Ramallah.

The Duvdevan soldier was critically wounded, and was later pronounced dead in the hospital.

The terrorist was arrested three weeks later and brought to Israel to stand trial.

Since his death, Ronen's family has been waging a struggle to demolish the terrorist's house.

Lubarsky's father, Vladimir, has written a letter to GOC of the Central Command Maj. Gen. Nadav Padan, urging him to stop delaying the demolition of Hamid's house and demanded him to impose the death penalty on him.

PM Netanyahu (Photo: Flash90)

In an interview with Ynet, Vladimir said, "We were glad to hear about Netanyahu's intention to continue with his policy against terror."

"During our meeting with the Military Advocate General, we were told that the current policy is not to impose the death penalty on terrorists.

The Prime Minister's Office said Monday that "the Prime Minister emphasized in his meeting with Staff Sgt. Ronen Lubarsky' s parents that changing the panel of judges (appointed to review the case-ed) is not under the prime minister's purview.

Last week, the IDF notified Lubarskys parents that the demolition order issued three months ago has been extended and that now the army intends to take down the entire building in which the terrorist's family resides, instead of only tearing down the family's house.

The extended demolition order was issued after Vladimir Lubarsky had sent his letter to the GOC.

Matan Peleg, the CEO of the right-wing Im Tirtzu movement, who accompanies the Lubarsky family said, "Every terrorist that intends to carry out a terror attack against Israel should know his house will be demolished, his family expelled and that a chance exist he will receive the death penalty."The Security Cabinet meeting over Israel's relations with Russia adjourned Tuesday after two and a half hours.A UN agency that supports Palestinian refugees said schools and health centers are at risk if it is unable to plug a $185 million funding gap needed to keep operating until the end of the year, the agency's head said on Monday.

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"Currently we have money in the bank ... will last I presume somewhere into ... mid October," said Pierre Krahenbuhl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in New York, where world leaders are attending the annual UN General Assembly.

United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Photo: AFP)

"But it's clear that we still need approximately $185 million to be able to ensure that all of our services, education system, health care, relief and social services and our emergency work in Syria and Gaza in particular can continue until the end of the year," Krahenbuhl said.

The United States last month announced a halt in its aid to UNRWA , calling it an "irredeemably flawed operation", a decision that further heightened tensions between the Palestinian leadership and the Trump administration.

UNRWA provides services to about 5 million Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza. Most are descendants of some 700,000 Palestinians who were driven out of their homes or fled fighting in the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation.

The growing refugee count was cited by Washington, UNRWA's biggest donor, in its decision to withhold funding.

Nikki Haley, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, has been critical of the UN's count of Palestinian refugees. She has also questioned the "right of return" to Israel , claimed by the Palestinians as part of any eventual peace settlement.

US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley (Photo: EPA)

"When you don't tackle the underlying causes of conflict, that's when you get 70 years of UNRWA, it's not UNRWA that perpetuates itself, it's because the refugee community is still there waiting for a political solution to address its situation," Krahenbuhl said on Monday.

Under Trump, Washington has taken a number of actions that have alienated the Palestinians, such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital , a reversal of longtime US policy. It led to the Palestinian leadership boycotting Washington's peace efforts being led by Jared Kushner, Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law.

Krahenbuhl compared the Palestinian refugee "right of return" issue with those of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar who have fled into Bangladesh and the return of Bosnian Muslim refugees to areas under Serb control in the 1990s.

"So the only question one should ask is why should Palestine refugees be the one community where this question is not a justified question," Krahenbuhl said.US President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday, "Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel will continue to act in order to prevent Iranian entrenchment in the region, even after Russia supplies Syria an S-300 anti-missile system following the downing of the Ilyushin IL-20 by the Syrian forces, who tried to repel an IAF attack.

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Netanyahu spoke shortly after the Cabinet meeting, where ministers were updated on the ongoing crisis with Russia and ahead of his departure to New York for the UN General Assembly.

"To this end, I agreed with President Putin that IDF and Russian military working teams would meet soon. We will do what is necessary to defend the security of Israel," he stressed.

PM Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu (Photo: GPO)

"In the past three years, Israel has been very successful in preventing the Iranian military from setting up bases in Syria and attempting to supply lethal weapons to Hezbollah. We did this with maximum and successful security coordination with the Russian military, the prime minister exclaimed.

Netanyahu went on to emphasize his regret over the tragic incident that killed 15 Russian servicemen.

Since the tragic events in the skies over Syria I have spoken twice with President Putin. I expressed to him our deep regret over the loss of the crew of the Russian plane that was brought down by irresponsible Syrian anti-aircraft fire," he explained.

Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu (Photo: GPO)

"This morning the Cabinet received a full update regarding the latest developments," Netanyahu added. "The ministers also send their condolences the Russian people.

The IDF has full backing of the government. We will continue to act in order to prevent Iranian entrenchment in Syria and we will continue the security cooperation with Russia," Netanyahu concluded.

On Monday, Prime Minister Netanyahu held a phone conversation with President Putin, during which he blamed the Syrians for last week's shooting down of a Russian spy plane after an IAF strike in Latakia, despite Russia's conclusions that Israel bears responsibility for the incident.

Netanyahu and Putin's phone call came on the backdrop of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's earlier announcement that Moscow will supply an S-300 anti-missile system to Syria within two weeks.

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.

"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.A 27-year-old woman from Tel Aviv was attacked during a violent ultra-Orthodox demonstration between Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak on Friday, but managed to escape with the help of a young Haredi couple.

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In her Facebook post, Shir Feferbeg recalled how hundreds of Haredim charged at her vehicle, hit her, spat, and threw chairs at her.

Violent Haredi protest near Bnei Brak

X

After she contacted the police, a Haredi couple came to her rescue and took her to their house.

"I have no way of freeing myself from the lynch I went through during the past two hours and it will take me along time to calm down," she wrote.

"I arrived this afternoon at Terem emergency medical center on Jabotinsky Street on Ramat Gan adjacent to Bnei Brak to receive my prescription," she addded.

"When I entered my vehicle to go home, I realized I was in a jam. I was caught in a Haredi demonstration that has lost control.

"It did not take long before hundreds of Haredim gathered around me, spat at my vehicle, climbed on top of it while hitting it and shouting "Shabbes" (Shabbat in Yiddish).

Violent Haredi demonstration (Photo: Yuval Hen)

"I called my mother and she heard everything that was going on and sensed my panic. She told me to call the police," the 27 year old explained.

"I called the police emergency line. A nice police officer told me they are aware of the demonstration. I tried to explain that I'm in danger and that I need help," she said.

"The police officer replied that someone will call me back. After five minutes, I called the police again because one of the demonstrators climbed on top of my car and started banging on my windshield."

According to Feferbeg the police told her that they were unable to deal with the situation at that moment due to the fact that all roads were blocked. The police also told her, she said, that they had lost total control over the demonstration and that she should stay on the line.

Shir Feferbeg

"'Nice' Haredim brought plastic chairs to throw at my windshield," she continued. "At the same time, a young Haredi couple that saw me in distress from their window pulled me out of the vehicle through the window into their home, with the demonstrators shouting and screaming at them and me."

"Luckily, I came across good people who saved me at the last minute. I'm ashamed my country looks like this. We have the same God. I'm the granddaughter of Odessa's Chief Rabbi Yaakov HaLevi Gliksberg," the woman said.

"Apparently evil has no limits. I'm hoping for a change," she stated.

In an interview with Ynet, Feferbeg said, "Proper behavior precedes the Torah. Where are the rabbis? I would like to know what they think about this kind of violence. I was alone in my vehicle, this is a life-lasting trauma," she lamented.

The police issued a statement saying that its forces "dealt with a mass demonstration, with the attendance of thousands of demonstrators."

"Hundreds of policemen and Border Police officers were deployed in the area. A police force was immediately called to rescue citizens who reported they were sensing danger.

"In Shir Feferberg's case, police forces were sent to search for her since she didn't state the exact location where she was attacked," the police statement explained.

"The recorded conversation with the emergency hotline five minutes after the initial report of the incident shows the forces resumed routine after Feferberg said she had willingly gone with two civilians and that she was not in any danger," the statement concluded.US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as world leaders gathered in New York but signaled he was open to a future meeting, despite simmering tensions over Tehran's nuclear deal.

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Both countries' presidents were due to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. Trump is scheduled to address the gathering at 10:15am (1415 GMT).

Foes for decades, Washington and Tehran have been increasingly at odds since May, when the Republican US president pulled out of the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran and announced sanctions against the OPEC member.

President Trump ahead of speech (Photo: AP)

The accord, negotiated under Democratic US President Barack Obama, lifted most international sanctions against Tehran in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear program.

Over the summer, Trump had said he would meet with Rouhani without preconditions to negotiate a new deal, an offer reiterated on Sunday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and extended to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

Rouhani said on Monday Tehran would not talk to Trump until the United States returned to the 2015 deal..

The top adviser to Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, rejected the US offer on Tuesday, saying "Trump's and Pompeo's dream would never come to reality," the IRNA news agency said.

"Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

He said the Iranians have no choice but to change before a meeting with him can occur, but he looks forward to having a great relationship in the future.

"I'm not meeting with them until they change their tune. It will happen. I believe they have no choice. We look forward to having a great relationship with Iran, but it won't happen now," he said shortly before delivering his speech.

Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for Iran's UN mission, told Reuters that Iran has not requested a meeting with Trump.

President Trump at UNGA in 2017 (Photo: AFP)

Some Iranian insiders have said any talks between Rouhani and Trump would effectively kill the existing nuclear accord.

Tensions have been rising after a deadly attack on a military parade in southerwestern Iran in which 25 people were killed. Khamenei said on Monday the attackers had been paid by US ally Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and that Iran would "severely punish" those behind the bloodshed.

Quashing the current pact would come at a political cost for the Iranian president, who championed the deal with the supreme leader's guarded backing and could lose support from European allies.

Rouhani is also under increasing pressure from Iranian hardliners, including Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, which have kept up the anti-American rhetoric ahead of the UN session.

President Rouhani (Photo: AP)

Trump's administration is pushing allies to cut imports of Iranian oil to zero as Washington prepares to restore sanctions on Iran's oil sales in November.

The remaining countries in the deal, which see it as the best chance to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, on Monday agreed to keep working to maintain trade with Tehran.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, following a meeting on Monday with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran in New York, warned that the US strategy of applying maximum pressure on Tehran and going it alone could risk a regional escalation.Israel opened a high-speed rail link between Ben Gurion International Airport and Jerusalem on Tuesday, part of a $2 billion project that has been long-awaited by Israelis.

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The train will cut travel time between Ben Gurion Airport and a new, 80-metre-(260-foot)-deep underground terminal at the entrance to Jerusalem to around 20 minutes. By road, the trip takes at least 40 minutes.

At the airport, the bright red train drew smiles from eager passengers.

PM Netanyahu and Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz on test run last week (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

"It was like a dream come true ... It's really quite amazing and will be a valuable asset to people wanting to get to and from the airport," said Manchester-born Eli Rothbard, 45, a ground services employee at Ben Gurion.

The train, travelling at speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour (100 mph), traverses a series of new tunnels and bridges, passing through hills between Jerusalem and the airport, about 40 km (25 miles) away.

(Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

The line runs through sections of the outskirts of Jerusalem, and in the Latrun Valley, about midway between the holy city and Ben Gurion Airport.

On a test run last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the opening of the line was "an historic moment" heralding a "new era for Jerusalem and the state of Israel."

There have been plans for a fast train between Jerusalem and the city of Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial hub on the Mediterranean coast, since 1995. But the projectinfrastructure work began in 2005has been slow-moving, plagued by a lack of funding and environmental concerns.

(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Completion of electrification work and the opening of the 60-km (37-mile)-long route between the two cities has been frequently postponed. No firm inaugural date has been announced.

When completed, the train journey time between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem will take under half an hour. The drive takes at least an hour. An existing rail line built by the Ottoman Turks more than 100 years ago meanders around picturesque hills and the journey takes more than 90 minutes.US President Donald Trump criticized Iran on Tuesday as a "corrupt dictatorship" that is plundering the Iranian people to pay for aggression abroad, using his speech to the United Nations General Assembly to lay down a tough message for Tehran.

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"Iran's leaders sow chaos, death and destruction," Trump told the annual gathering. "They do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations."

Trump compared US relations with Iran to what he called improved ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, praising him for halting nuclear and missile tests and returning some US remains from the 1950s Korean War. Trump had called Kim a "rocket man" bent on nuclear destruction in his UN speech last year.

President Donald Trump at UNGA 2018 (Photo: Reuters)

Trump used his speech to call for international trade reforms and insist that his main objective as president is to protect American sovereignty. He called on OPEC to stop raising oil prices and criticized China's trade practices.

And Trump prompted some murmuring from the crowd of world leaders and diplomats when he declared that he had accomplished more as president than almost any other administration in history.

"I didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay," he said.

But Trump's main message was aimed at Iran and attempting to drive a wedge between its leadership and its people, days after an attack in southwestern Iran on a military parade killed 25 people and unsettled the country.

In remarks to reporters on his way to his speech before the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said he would not meet the Iranians until they "change their tune."

Both Trump and Rouhani were attending the annual UN event.

"Iran has acted very badly," said Trump. "We look forward to having a great relationship with Iran, but it won't happen now."

Foes for decades, Washington and Tehran have been increasingly at odds since May, when the Republican US president pulled out of the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran and announced sanctions against the OPEC member.

The accord, negotiated under Democratic US President Barack Obama, lifted most international sanctions against Tehran in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear program.

Over the summer, Trump had said he would meet with Rouhani without preconditions to negotiate a new deal, an offer reiterated on Sunday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and extended to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

Rouhani said on Monday Tehran would not talk to Trump until the United States returned to the 2015 deal..

The top adviser to Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, rejected the US offer on Tuesday, saying "Trump's and Pompeo's dream would never come to reality," the IRNA news agency said.

"Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter earlier on Tuesday.

Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for Iran's UN mission, told Reuters that Iran has not requested a meeting with Trump.

Some Iranian insiders have said any talks between Rouhani and Trump would effectively kill the existing nuclear accord.

Quashing the current pact would come at a political cost for the Iranian president, who championed the deal with the supreme leader's guarded backing and could lose support from European allies.

Rouhani is also under increasing pressure from Iranian hardliners, including Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, which have kept up the anti-American rhetoric ahead of the UN session.

Trump's administration is pushing allies to cut imports of Iranian oil to zero as Washington prepares to restore sanctions on Iran's oil sales in November.

The remaining countries in the deal, which see it as the best chance to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, on Monday agreed to keep working to maintain trade with Tehran.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, following a meeting on Monday with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran in New York, warned that the US strategy of applying maximum pressure on Tehran and going it alone could risk a regional escalation.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that those who remain silent in the face of repression against the Palestinians only embolden their oppressors.

The remarks appeared to be intended as a swipe against US President Donald Trump who has taken a series of decisions supporting Israel which have angered Palestinians and their allies.

Even if the world turns its back, we will continue to be by the side of the oppressed Palestinians and we will defend the legal status of Jerusalem, Erdogan said.Israels Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said on Tuesday that US President Donald Trumps speech to the UN General Assembly proved that he stands on the right side of history.

With its strong stance by Israels side and its battle for stability in the Middle East, the US is leading the UN to a new era that disintegrates the obsession with Israel and which is stopping the Iranian regime, Danon said.US President Donald Trump told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that he is committed to brokering a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, stressing that the goal can only be advanced by acknowledging obvious facts.

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This year we also took another significant step forward in the Middle East in recognition of every sovereign state to determine its own capital. I moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem," Trump said in his 35-minute speech.

President Trump at UNGA 2018 (Photo: AP)

"The United States is committed to a future of peace and stability in the region, including peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, Trump told the state representatives in the chamber.

That aim is advanced, not harmed, by acknowledging the obvious facts, he added.

Americas policy of principled realism means we will not be held hostage to old dogmas, discredited ideologies and so-called experts who have been proven wrong over the years time and time again.

Trump announced last December that the United States was officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and stated his intention to move its embassy there. In May he followed through on his promise.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, Trump also praised US allies, including Israel, noting that the country was celebrating its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land.

President Trump addresses UN General Assembly (: )

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Dedicating a significant chunk of his speech to the aggression demonstrated by the regime in Tehran, Trump said that it could not be allowed to pursue a nuclear weapons program, especially in light of the incendiary rhetoric against the US and Israel.

We cannot allow the worlds leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planets most dangerous weapons. We cannot allow a regime that chants death to American and that threatens Israel with annihilation to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on earth  Just can't do it, Trump said.

Israels Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said that Trumps speech to the UN General Assembly proved that he stands on the right side of history.

With its strong stance by Israels side and its battle for stability in the Middle East, the US is leading the UN to a new era that disintegrates the obsession with Israel and which is stopping the Iranian regime, Danon said.

And Trump prompted some murmuring from the crowd of world leaders and diplomats when he declared that he had accomplished more as president than almost any other administration in history.

"I didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay," he said.

But Trump's main message was aimed at Iran and attempting to drive a wedge between its leadership and its people, days after an attack in southwestern Iran on a military parade killed 25 people and unsettled the country.

Speaking after Trump, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the UN General Assembly that those who remain silent in the face of repression against the Palestinians only embolden their oppressors.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Photo: AFP)

Even if the world turns its back, we will continue to be by the side of the oppressed Palestinians and we will defend the legal status of Jerusalem, Erdogan said.

French President Emmanuel Macron also delivered an implicit rejection of Trump's initiative, telling the General Assembly that the unilateral initiatives or trampling on the legitimate rights of the Palestinians will not solve the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

There is no credible alternative to the two-state solution, Macron said.

He also called for open, constructive and multi-faceted dialogue" to solve the crisis that has developed with Iran following the USs withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord.Saudi Arabia denied it had backed the gunmen who killed 25 people at a military parade in southwestern Iran over the weekend, almost half of them Revolutionary Guards, the Saudi state news agency reported on Tuesday.

"Saudi Arabia rejects and condemns the false accusations that Iranian officials have made about Saudi Arabia supporting the events that took place in Iran last Saturday," SPA quoted a foreign ministry official as saying.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that the attackers were paid by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and pledged that the Islamic Republic would "severely punish" those behind the assault.

The deputy head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards also accused the United States and Israel of involvement and said they should expect a devastating response.US President Donald Trump will hold a news conference on Wednesday following his meetings at the United Nations in New York, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Tuesday.

Trump will discuss the UN General Assembly meeting and other news at 5pm local time (2100 GMT), Sanders said in a post on Twitter.French President Emmanuel Macron told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that the unilateral initiatives or trampling on the legitimate rights of the Palestinians will not solve the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

There is no credible alternative to the two-state solution, Macron said.

He also called for open, constructive and multi-faceted dialogue" to solve the crisis that has developed with Iran following the USs withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear accord.Jordans King Abdullah told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that only a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders with east Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinain state could produce comprehensive peace deal between Israel and Palestinians.

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Only a two-state solution based on international law and relevant UN resolutions can meet the needs of both sides: an end to conflict, a viable, independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital, and a secure Israel, fully part of its own region, recognised by Arab and Muslim states around the world, Abdullah said in his speech, delivered in English.

King Abdullah (Photo: AFP)

The remarks were made in defiance of what appears to be a shift in US policy away from the two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.

In September, the Jordanian government rejected an American peace plan that was allegedly presented to the Palestinians based on the concept of a Palestinian-Jordanian confederation.

Arab and Muslim countries are committed to a comprehensive peace; the Arab Peace Initiative has been on offer for more than 16 years, Abdullah said as he continued his 12-minute speech.

Indeed, every major country in the world, the UN, the European Union, all have worked to help the parties reach a durable peace that can last. The US administration has long been committed to peace, and has a leading role in our progress going forward, he added.

Acknowledging that the world had a long way to go, Abdullah urged countries not to be deterred from attempting to solve the conflict.

The alternative, he argued, was one which would tie the worlds most strategic regions to an endless cycle of violence.

Seeking to emphasize the mutual repercussions of the ongoing conflict for both Palestinians and Israelis, the king asserted that the status quo of continuing crisis and bigotry only perpetuates a situation in which Palestinians are displaced for generations and in which Israeli families are compelled to live in continuing national self-isolation; without the security of peaceful relationships worldwide.

King Abdullah addresses UNGA (:  ")

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The leader of the Hashemite kingdom also categorically rejected the notion of a bi-national state whose very foundation is a rejection of the equality of its own people.

Any peace accord based on a bi-national state, he said, would constitute the ugly, undemocratic reality.

It is by no means an alternative to a two-state peace settlement, it is an abandonment of peace, a new way to go AWOL from the work of reconciliation, and the opposite of what both sides need, and have sought for so long," he asserted.

In what appeared to be a jab and US President Donald Trump, Abdullah called on the world to reject his initiatives, hinting at the US administrations halting of all funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) , which Palestinians complain will impact financing of schools and other institutions.

Our countries need to pull together to get this peace process back on track. That means utterly rejecting actions that jeopardize negotiations, whether by illegal encroachments, land confiscations, or threats to the welfare of innocents, especially children, he said, refraining from berating or even mentioningTrump directly.

We need to support full funding of UNRWA and other vital efforts to protect families, keep communities stable, and prepare young people for productive lives. It would be a terrible mistake to abandon youth to the forces of radicalism and despair. Such support is urgently needed to ensure UNRWA fulfils its role, in accord with its UN mandate, he said.

Turning his attention to Jerusalem, King Abdullah warned that the holy citys future is not Jordans concern alone, and decisions relating to it could have global implications if they threaten religious worship or undermine international law.

President Trump at UNGA 2018 (Photo: AP)

Trump announced last December that the United States was officially recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and stated his intention to move its embassy there. In May he followed through on his promise.

Earlier, Trump told the UN General Assembly that he is committed to brokering a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, stressing that the goal can only be advanced by acknowledging obvious facts.

This year we also took another significant step forward in the Middle East in recognition of every sovereign state to determine its own capital. I moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem," Trump said in his 35-minute speech.

Americas policy of principled realism means we will not be held hostage to old dogmas, discredited ideologies and so-called experts who have been proven wrong over the years time and time again.In recent months, several senior security experts have expressed support for an alternative to Israels status quo with the Palestinians. The plan, known as the New State Solution , proposes joining a coastal section of the northern Sinai Peninsula to the territory of Gaza, forming an expanded Palestinian state to the south of Israel.

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Irrespective of the political dimensions of this proposed configuration of Palestinian sovereignty, as the immediate past Commander of Israels Air Defense Forces, I see distinct advantages in such a plan from the perspective of air defense.

Not reducing Israels strategic depth

Every mile of air space under Israels control contributes to our reaction time. We are a small country lacking strategic depth.

To understand the value of a mile to air defense, we do not need to look beyond events of recent months, which demonstrate the kind of time frames our air defenses are afforded. Some weeks ago, two missiles fired by ISIS in Syria landed in Israels Sea of Galilee. Within seconds of recognizing their trajectory, a decision had to be made whether to intercept the missiles or allow them to impact harmlessly in the water, reportedly within fifty meters (150 feet) of the shoreline.

Just one day prior to that, a Syrian fighter jet, taking off from the T4 Airbase in central Syria approached the Golan Heights at high speed and flew a mile into Israeli airspace before being downed by Israels air defenses. The decision to shoot down the plane had to be made and acted upon in the few short seconds it takes for a fighter jet to traverse a mile at high speed.

The day before that, Israel activated its David's Sling missile-defense system for the first time in its operational history, in order to fire at two Syrian surface-to-surface missiles which were calculated to impact within Israeli territory. Though the Syrian missiles ended up falling short and impacted within Syria, Israeli Air Defense forces had only moments to assess what actions were needed, and to react decisively.

Iron Dome missile defense system (Photo: AFP)

Israel possesses remarkably advanced air defenses, but it is crucial to understand that there is a limit to how much technology can compensate for a lack of strategic depth. In the context of Israeli air defense, geography, topography and territory matter.

It is for that reason that maintaining Israeli air defense control over our skies is vital. Reducing the territory under our air control means reducing Israels protective envelope over an already narrow strip of land.

In this context, when discussing alternative security configurations relating to our conflict with the Palestinians, I would consider the expansion of Palestinian territory along Israels southern border, as in the New State plan, because it does not reduce Israels strategic depth.

Not compromising Israels topographical advantage

Expanding the territory of Gaza into Sinai would not negatively compromise Israels control over the high ground. Both Gaza and the northern Sinai are situated on the coastal lowlands, with Israel retaining the strategic benefit of the Negev highlands, so a Gaza Sinai plan presents an air defense advantage in the case of airborne attacks launched toward Israel.

By contrast, the Palestinian population of Judea and Samaria (The West Bank) sits on the mountainous ridge overlooking Israel's populous central coastline. Millions of Israelis live and work in that coastal area. A Palestinian state perched atop the West Bank high ground would render Israeli territory and citizens exposed.

Mountains surrounding Ma'ale Adumim (Photo: AFP)

A Palestinian State in the hills surrounding Jerusalem, Hebron, or Samaria could cause harm to the cities of central Israel and could target our strategic sites.

Israels Ben Gurion International Airport could be exposed to weapons such as shoulder-fired missiles targeting aircraft during take-offs and landings from the nearby Samaria hills. On their landing routes, many aircraft also fly near Route 6, which straddles Samaria, bringing them even closer to potential enemy fire in the event of Palestinian control over this topography.

The Jerusalem Hills are up to 3,000 feet high. Israel's presence there enables early detection of long-range threats coming from our eastern flank, including airborne attacks from as far away as Iran. These same hills grant Israel aerial control to the west, and any threats emanating from the direction of the Mediterranean. Palestinian control of the Jerusalem hills would expose Israel to a widened variety of projectile attacks.

Not reducing this distance between our populace and potential belligerents

During Israels 2012 Operation Pillar of Defense and 2014 Operation Protective Edge, short-range mortar fire from Hamas in Gaza killed Israeli civilians and soldiers and caused significant migration of Israeli residents out of the area adjacent to Gaza. Today, we bear witness to the advent of improvised fire kites launched by Gazans to indiscriminately set fires wherever they land, causing significant damage to open areas, including agricultural fields and woodlands.

While the areas of Israel closest to Gaza are sparsely populated, the opposite is true when it comes to Israels central region which is located in proximity to Judea and Samaria. For example, the Palestinian city of Tulkarem is less than nine miles from the major Israeli city of Netanya. Should Palestinians control Judea and Samaria, these areas and more beyond them would be under immediate risk, not just from fire kites, but all manner of airborne attacks, including short-range enemy fire.

Extending the Gaza Strip into part of the Sinai would not reduce Israels limited strategic depth. Israel would not cede control of the high ground losing its topographical advantage. Israel would not shorten the distance between belligerents and the Israeli populace.

If the political will for the New State plan can be garnered, I would not oppose it from an air defense perspective. If the people of Gaza would benefit on a humanitarian basis, I would consider that a positive outcome for both the Palestinians and Israel. Bringing stability to Sinai and Egypt would be a boon for Egyptians, the region and the world.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday described Israel as the most terrifying threat to the peace and stability of the region and the world.

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Israel, which has a nuclear arsenal and is blatantly threatening others with nuclear annihilation, is the most terrifying threat to the peace and stability of the region and the world, the Iranian president said.

The countless crimes by Israel against the Palestinians would not have been able to take place without assistance and support from the US, Rouhani said in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

President Rouhani (Photo: Reuters)

He also added that the passage of the years cannot justify what he described as the continued occupation.

Rouhani further emphasized that the US decision to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was a flagrant example of Washington undermining regional peace.

He also slammed Israels recent passage of the Nation-State Law was another clear example of the country being an apartheid state.

Rouhani criticized Washington for its hostile policy toward his country and said the US approach was doomed to failure.

He said the United States had waged "economic war" against Iran by reimposing unilateral sanctions, which were lifted under the country's 2015 multinational nuclear deal in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear program.

"The United States policy vis-a -vis the Islamic Republic of Iran has been wrong from the beginning, and its approach of resisting the wishes of the Iranian people as manifested in numerous elections is doomed to failure," Rouhani said.

President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the pact in May, and his administration reimposed sanctions on Iran in August. Harsher sanctions on Iran's oil and banking sector are expected in November.

"The economic war that the United States has initiated under the rubric of new sanctions not only targets the Iranian people but also entails harmful repercussions for the people of other countries, and that war has caused a disruption in the state of global trade," Rouhani said.

"What Iran says is clear: no war, no sanctions, no threats, no bullying; just acting according to the law and the fulfillment of obligations."

Mounting pressure from the Trump administration combined with discontent among many Iranians at the state of the economy are rattling the Islamic Republic, with little sign that its leaders have the answers, officials and analysts say.

The rial has lost 40 percent of its value against the US dollar since April. Iran has blamed US sanctions for the currency's fall, saying the measures amount to a "political, psychological and economic" war on Tehran.

Threat for threat

To pile on the pain, Washington says all countries must end crude imports from Iran by November 4, hitting the oil sales that generate 60 percent of the country's income. Iran says this level of cuts will never happen.

Tehran has suggested it could take military action in the Gulf to block other countries' oil exports in retaliation for US sanctions intended to halt its sales of crude. Washington maintains a fleet in the Gulf that protects oil shipping routes.

"The security of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz has always been important for us ... we will confront any and all disruptive efforts in this critical waterway in the future," said Rouhani.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic artery linking Middle East crude producers to key markets in the Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and beyond. A third of the world's seaborne oil passes through the strait in southern Iran.

Trump, in his annual UN speech, said he would keep up economic pressure on Tehran to try to force a change in its behavior. But Rouhani said Iran had no intention of succumbing to the US pressure.

"The United States' understanding of international relations is authoritarian. ... Its understanding of power, not of legal and legitimate authority, is reflected in bullying and imposition," Rouhani said.

"No state and nation can be brought to the negotiating table by force," said the pragmatist president, adding that Iran did not want any war.

President Trump (Photo: EPA)

"Our proposal is clear: commitment for commitment; violation for violation; threat for threat; and step for step, instead of talk for talk," he said.

Rouhani expressed Iran's willingness to improve ties with the regional countries. Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia has been at loggerheads with Shi'ite Iran for decades, fighting a long-running proxy war in the Middle East and beyond that has influenced conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

Riyadh and its Gulf allies have hailed Trump's decision to exit the nuclear deal and to reimpose sanctions on Tehran, reflecting their concern about Iran's influence in the region.

"We believe in the formation of a collective mechanism for the Persian Gulf region with the presence and participation of all regional countries," Rouhani said.By RALPH ANSAMI

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Ironwood  The Ironwood Tourism Council has agreed to increase its potential contribution to a trail project to better the odds of obtaining total funding of $400,000.

The Ironwood City Commission on Monday learned the ITC is willing to provide $66,000 for the local match, increasing its original total by $10,000.

Ironwood Community Development Director Tom Bergman said that will mean 10 more points on project application scoring toward a $320,000 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant.

The plan is to establish a Miners Memorial Heritage Park bike trail network.

The remaining $14,000 of the project cost would be provided by the city in the form of an in-kind contribution, Bergman said.

In other business Monday, commissioners agreed to extend the talks on a tolling agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for claims related to the former manufactured gas plant site that was cleaned up near the Montreal River. The citys cost of the project is to be determined.

City manager Scott Erickson said he expects that a final agreement will come before the commission in the next month or so.

The extension carries through Nov. 1.

The commission agreed to adopt a resolution ordering the clean-up of an eyesore at 207 N. Curry St. Code enforcement officer Jason Alonen said quite a bit of improvement has been made at the property, which was the topic of a Monday public hearing that was concluded without any comments from the public.

The parcel owners will have another week to complete the clean-up, or the city may take action.

Alonen said the parcel has been a problem off and on for the past few years, but a real effort has been made by the owners recently to improve the situation.

Erickson noted 1,400 children will visit the downtown Wednesday afternoon as part of the Coles Foundation special day. The main street will be blocked off for a motorcycle stunt riding demonstration, there will be a speaker and Ms. America will attend, with programs planned at the Historic Ironwood Theatre.THE OLD pavilion on Sunday Lake, shown here earlier this month, may see an upgrade, thanks to a Monday vote by the Wakefield city council to fund an engineering study on both Eddy Park pavilions. Council members then hope to get grant help to fund recommended improvements.

By P.J. GLISSON

[email protected]

WAKEFIELD - The Wakefield city council voted Monday in favor of a resolution supporting the continued operation of Marenisco's Ojibway Correctional Facility as "a housing unit for Upper Peninsula prison inmates."

The unanimous vote for Resolution No. 245 took place with no discussion after mayor John Granato read aloud its eight parts to an audience-filled room.

Michigan's Department of Corrections announced in August its plans to close OCF as of Dec. 1, but the resolution states the facility has been among the "most efficiently operated" MDOC prison...The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) recently revealed that Australias yearly population growth rate slowed for the fourth consecutive quarter, and the Housing Industry Association (HIA) argued that this could result in slower growth in retail and residential building.

Overseas migration has fallen by 9% since the changes to visa requirements were implemented in April 2017, reducing the population growth rate to 1.6%.

Changes to visas for skilled workers have delivered an immediate hit to Australias population growth, said Geordan Murray, HIA Principal Economist.

The current phase of Australias 28 years of continuous economic growth is built upon the arrival of skilled migrants. Skilled migration is necessary to offset the impact of our aging population, he added.

Early last year, Australia introduced a range of visa changes, which have decreased the number of skilled migrants arriving in the country  in fact, South Wales and Victoria, which have benefitted the most from overseas migration over recent years, are currently seeing population growth rates declining.

HIA noted that population growth is still high for a developed economy, but the organisation warned that the slowing rate may contribute to slower growth of household consumption.

This means slower growth in sectors such as retail and residential building. Given that these two sectors are amongst the nations largest employers the risks presented a decline in population growth should not be underestimated, explained Murray.

Over the year through March 2018, Victoria saw the strongest growth in population, up by 2.2%. Coming in the second spot was the Australian Capital Territory (+2.1%) and was followed by Queensland (+1.7%). New South Wales was the fourth fastest, increasing by 1.6 %. Tasmania was fifth (+1.0 %), Western Australia sixth (+0.8 %) and South Australia seventh (+0.7%). Meanwhile, the population of the Northern Territory dropped over the last two quarters and the annual rate of growth has slowed to 0.1%.Border News

San Angelo, Texas - Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Angelo arrested a Peruvian national Monday wanted in Peru in connection with the 1991 Santa Barbara Massacre.

On Sept. 17, HSI San Angelo special agents arrested former Peruvian Army Second Sergeant Dennis Wilfredo Pacheco-Zambrano, 48, in San Angelo. Pacheco is wanted in Peru for his alleged role in the July 4, 1991, torture, rape and extrajudicial killing of 15 Peruvian civilians in the rural village of Santa Barbara, Peru.

HSI San Angelo first learned that Pacheco might be residing in the area after receiving a tip from the ICE Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC). HSI San Angelo special agents launched an investigation into the whereabouts of Pacheco and tracked him down residing in San Angelo, Texas.

Following Pachecos arrest, Special Agent in Charge Katrina Berger, HSI Dallas, praised the special agents who successfully apprehended the alleged war criminal and made clear that Texas is the wrong place for human rights violators to seek refuge.

Human rights violators will find no safe haven in the United States, said Berger. HSI special agents are uniquely trained to track down human rights violators and war criminals to ensure they face justice.

Since 2003, the HRVWCC has issued more than 75,000 subject records for individuals from more than 110 countries and stopped more than 260 suspected human rights violators and war criminals from entering the U.S. It has supported ICEs removal of 908 known or suspected human rights violators from the U.S. and has facilitated the departure of an additional 122 such individuals. The HRVWCCs support of the field has led to the arrest of more than 410 individuals for human rights-related violations of the law under various criminal and immigration statutes. It is currently supporting more than 135 criminal investigations into suspected human rights violators and is pursuing more than 1,750 leads and removal cases involving suspected human rights violators from 95 different countries.

HSI encourages the public to report foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.Latest News

Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commission is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the opening of its first regional offices, and the important role they play in protecting consumers and promoting competition through law enforcement, partnerships, and outreach to community and industry groups.

In June 1918, the FTC opened its first three regional offices in the Northeast Region (New York), Midwest Region (Chicago), and Western Region (San Francisco). Since that time, the FTC has opened additional regional offices in the Northwest Region (Seattle in 1925), East Central Region (Cleveland in 1954), Southeast Region (Atlanta in 1957), and Southwest Region (Dallas in 1972), as well as a second Western Region office (Los Angeles in 1961).

To celebrate this important milestone, the FTC is launching a revamped webpage for each regional office to provide information about cases involving the regional offices and upcoming regional events.

The FTCs regional offices play a key role in advancing our mission to protect consumers and promote competition, FTC Chairman Joe Simons said. These offices bring groundbreaking cases and obtain significant relief for consumers. Beyond their many contributions to the FTCs law enforcement work, they also engage in critical on-the-ground outreach and education in the communities they serve.

Staff in the Commissions regional offices work with the Bureaus of Consumer Protection and Competition to conduct investigations and litigation, provide advice to state and local officials on the competitive implications of proposed actions, recommend cases, provide local outreach services to consumers and industry, and coordinate activities with local, state, regional, and cross-border law enforcement authorities. The regional offices host events such as Common Ground conferences that bring together state and federal consumer protection officials, legal services attorneys, and other consumer advocates to discuss emerging trends and challenges facing consumers, and routinely meet with small businesses and other industry groups.

In addition, the regional offices have taken the lead on several major consumer protection law enforcement and education initiatives, including the Midwest Region and Southeast Regions Operation Tech Trap targeting tech support scams, the East Central Region and Western Regions Operation Main Street targeting scams against small businesses, and most recently, the Northwest Regions Donate with Honor, a nationwide crackdown on fraudulent charities that conned consumers by falsely promising their donations would help veterans and servicemembers.

Other noteworthy cases include the Southeast Regions case with the State of Florida against Helping America, an alleged phony debt relief operation that agreed to turn over approximately $35 million to return to consumers, the Southwest Regions case challenging an allegedly deceptive money-making scheme involving cryptocurrencies, and the Western Region-Los Angeless $100 million settlement against DeVry University. As part of the settlement, the FTC provided refunds to tens of thousands of students allegedly deceived by DeVry about their likelihood of finding jobs in their field of study and the income level they could achieve upon graduation.

In addition to their work protecting consumers, the regional offices in New York, San Francisco, and Seattle are also integral to the FTCs competition mission. For example, the Northeast Region successfully litigated the FTCs challenge to the proposed $2.5 billion merger between Penn State Hershey Medical Center and PinnacleHealth System.Living Section

San Luis, Arizona - The San Luis Library will join libraries across the nation to celebrate Teen Read Week October 8th-13th. Celebrated every October, Teen Read Week encourages teens to read for the fun of it and check out whats new at their library!

Tuesday, October 9th  Saturday, October 13th  4:00 p.m.

Read a Book!

Visit the YA Room and choose a book to keep from a wide selection of books on display.



Thursday, October 11th  4:00 p.m.

Bookface Photo Contest

Use a library book to create a bookface illusion, and submit your photo to the library for a chance to win a prize! Photos will be displayed on the wall in the Teen Room.



Saturday, October 13th  2:00 p.m.

When Books Become Movies

Enjoy a film adaptation of a popular book.



The San Luis Library is located at 1075 N 6th Avenue in San Luis, Arizona. For more information, call (928) 627-8344.Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - On Saturday, September 22, 2018 at about 1:46 a.m., Yuma Police Officers responded to a single vehicle collision in the 800 block of S. Redondo Center Drive.

The initial investigation revealed a 1997 Honda motorcycle was traveling south bound in the 800 block of Redondo Center Drive. The rider failed to negotiate a curve and struck the opposing curve causing the rider to be ejected.

The rider, a 31 year old male, was pronounced deceased on scene. The rider was not wearing a helmet. Speed appears to be a factor.

UPDATE: The rider of the motorcycle has been identified as 31 year old Jason Ray.

The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to please the Yuma Police Department at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.Ormat Technologies, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the provision of geothermal and recovered energy power business. It operates through the following segments: Electricity, Product and Energy Storage. The Electricity segment focuses in the sale of electricity from the company's power plants pursuant to PPAs. The Product segment involves in the manufacture, including design and development, of turbines and power units for the supply of electrical energy and in the associated construction of power plants utilizing the power units manufactured by the company to supply energy from geothermal fields and other alternative energy sources. The Energy Storage segment consists of battery energy storage systems as a service and management of curtailable customer loads under contracts with U.S. retail energy providers and directly with large commercial and industrial customers. The company was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Reno, NV.

Read MoreImagine a society without lawyers, what would happen to the law, the citizens and even the society as an entity? If it were not for the presence of lawyers, the law would be abused, civil rights of virtually every citizen would be violated with no one there to stand in the gap for the citizens. Also, criminals would be on the rampage without a saviour to bring evil acts under the subjection of the law. There are even possibilities that many people in power would abuse it with no one there to call them to order. The list goes on. So, in this article, we take a look at some law firms in Ghana and how you can get in touch with them.

Depending on the issues at hand, there are so many good law firms in Ghana. While some of them operate internationally, there are those whose operations are within the boundaries of the country. In this article, I have taken the time to come up with a list of registered law firms in Ghana and also attempted to group them based on their various areas of speciality. There are those who specialize in human rights, and those who deal with intellectual property cases. These reputable law firms in Ghana are discussed below alongside the operations of each of them together with their contact information.

Corporate law firms in Ghana

Here is a list of corporate law firms in Ghana with their contact details.

1. Clinton Consultancy-International Law Firm

Contact information

Physical location: Presidential Floor, Movenpick Ambassador, Independence Avenue Ridge, Accra, Ghana

Phone: +233 27 252 2695

Email: info@clintonconsultancy.com

amanda@clintonconsultancy.com

Year of establishment: 2010

Working hours: 8 a.m to 8 p.m (weekdays), 10 a.m to 3 p.m (Saturdays and Sundays)

Clinton Consultancy is considered one of the best commercial law firms in Ghana.

They are regularly instructed by local and international clients who require litigation and compliance assistance as well as Due Diligence Reports and Legal Opinions.

For business clients entering the Ghanaian market, they register companies and fulfil a wide range of compliance requirements

They have in the last 12 months been retained in the most high profile cases in Ghana-Ghana Football Association/FIFA as well as representing different international corporate clients who invested in Ghanas largest ponzi scheme to date (Menzgold).

They provide legal, lobbying and business services to local and international clients and are distinguished by their ability to navigate different risks within Africa.

Their Five Pillars:-

- Litigation (Criminal and Civil)

- International Counsel (general advisory; market entry; cross-border transactions; corporate governance advice)

- International Dispute Resolution (legal advice and representation; mediation and negotiation; international arbitration; investor disputes)

- Strategic Communication (including reputation and crisis management; stakeholder and media engagement; government relations; effective philanthropy)

- Public and private International Law (assisting clients to navigate international laws and regulations)

Their mission is ultimately to achieve and maintain excellence in terms of the bespoke service they provide to their clients.

2. Appea Law Firm

Contact information

Physical location: #304 Manralo Lane, East Cantonments, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana.

Phone: +233 278 058 568, +233 237 160 389

Fax: +233 237 160 389

Email: info@appearlawfirm.com

Year of establishment: 2010

Working hours: 8 a.m to 6 p.m (weekdays), 10 a.m to 1 p.m (Saturdays).

Appea is a Ghanaian law firm that acts as a bridge to investors who wish to establish their businesses in Ghana, West Africa and other jurisdictions. They work with these clients to ensure that their investments are well secured and legally protected. Apart from that, the law firm guides the investors through the intricacies of the Ghanaian and West Africa legal system.

READ ALSO: Law lecturer calls for a review of Ghanas legal rules

3. William Mills and Advocates

Contact information

Physical location: 3rd floor, the Elizabeth, 68 Senchi link, airport residential area, Accra, Ghana.

Phone: +233 (0) 30 321 7767

Year of establishment: 1990

Working hours: 8 a.m to 5 p.m (weekdays).

For all commercial and insurance laws that are backed by extensive experience, then you can count on William Mills and Advocates.

4. Law Offices of Kwame Agati

Contact information

Physical location: Kotomase Chambers, Museum of Science & Technology complex, opposite TIGO Head Office, Adabraka, Accra.

P.O Box CT 4757, Cantonments, Accra.

Phone: +233 (0) 30-2230989

Website: www.kwameagati.com

Email: kwameagati@lawyer.com

Year of establishment: 2000

The law firm offers legal services in practice areas that include corporate and commercial, banking and finance, and Information Communication and Technology (ICT). Other areas include real estate, Intellectual Property (IP), and litigation and alternative dispute resolution, among others. They are always available to help out in these areas.

Intellectual property law firms in Ghana

Basically, what these IP law firms in Ghana do is to protect intellectual properties. These include trademark, copyright, trade secret, patent, and licensing. Some of these firms are discussed below:

1. Law Bureau-Attorneys & Consultants

Contact information

Physical location: 3rd Floor, Teachers Hall Complex, Off Barnes Road, Adabraka Accra.

Phone: +233 (30) 2257-732

Website: www.lawbureaugh.com

Email: info@lawbureaugh.com

Year of establishment: 2008

The law firm offers a full service on both corporate and commercial law. Apart from that, they focus on litigation, intellectual property, and employment and labour relations, among others. The Law Bureau-Attorneys & Consultants handles a different range of legal matters both locally and those that cross the border market. They make effort to provide solutions that are client-focused and innovative with maximum professionalism and integrity. The Law Bureau-Attorneys & Consultants is also affiliated with the International Court of Arbitration of ICC (International Chamber of Commerce), so you can be sure of professionalism in their services.

2. Swiftlaw

Contact information

Physical location: Apt 2. Sandios Apartments, no. 7 Nana Adobea avenue, West Legon, Accra Ghana.

Phone number: +233 (50) 653-5272

P. O. Box KN 432, Kaneshie, Ghana.

Website: www.swiftlaw.co

Email: info@swiftlaw.co

Year of establishment: 2015

The Swiftlaw firm operates in a unique way in that they have an online legal technology platform that allows their clients to interact with them. They corporate your business, create legal documents, and even register intellectual property (copyright, patents or trademarks) in the shortest possible number of days. More so, they ensure that the business or whatever, as the case may be, is registered with the relevant regulatory bodies while you as the client enjoy comfort.

International law firms in Ghana

For every legal international issue of concern you may have, the law firms discussed below are good options to contact.

1. Fugar & Co.

Contact information

Physical location: 2nd Floor, World Trade Centre, Independence Avenue & Liberia Road Intersection, Accra Ghana.

Telephone: +233 (0) 302 679 222 / 302 679 220 / 302 679 230

Fax: +233 (0) 302 669 589

Email: fugar@ghana.com / pmanager@fugarandco.com

Year of establishment: 1977

Working hours: 8 a.m to 7 p.m (weekdays).

The law firm offers a comprehensive range of transactional, advisory, and litigation services that have to do with the evaluation, protection and effective exploitation. They also ensure an enforcement of intellectual property rights in Ghana. More so, the law firm makes sure there are proper registrations, renewal, licensing and searches, and protection of the intellectual property rights of their clients and so on.

2. Shawbell Consulting

Contact information

Physical location: 9 Klottey Crescent, Ring Road East, Labone Junction ByPass, North Labone, Accra.

Phone: +233 (0) 30 2774112, +233 (0) 20 8149262

Fax: +233 30 2767599

P. O. Box KIA9022, Airport, Accra, Ghana.

Website: www.shawbellconsulting.com

Email: info@shawbellghana.com

Working hours: 8:30 a.m to 5 p.m

Year of establishment: 2002

If you need a law firm that can provide different legal activities to you like legal advisory, In-Country Representation, transaction advisory and due diligence, then, you should consider Shawbell Consulting. They also offer services like licenses and permits, research and other professional services locally and at the international level. Apart from that, they perform other core services like developing policy and strategic business planning, human resource development and job evaluation services. Then, you can also contact them for institutional renewal and change management as well as executive search services among others.

3. JLD & MB Legal Consultancy

Contact information

Physical location: 1B Quartey Papafio Avenue Airport Residential Area, Accra, Ghana.

Post Office Box 410, Accra.

Tel +233 (0) 302 784298 / (0)302 782711

Fax +233 (0) 302 784477

Website: www.jldmblaw.net

E-mail: info@jldmblaw.net

Working hours: 9 a.m to 6 p.m

JLD & MB Legal Consultancy is one of the international law firms based in Ghana that deal in corporate and commercial law. With more than 20 years experience, the law firm is known for servicing and advising clients locally and at the international level. They also provide advisory services that are innovative and solution-oriented to their various clients. The practice areas of JLD & MB Legal Consultancy include the Oil, Gas and Petroleum; Minerals and Mining; Capital Markets; Mergers and Acquisitions; and Banking and Finance, and a host of others.

Private law firms in Ghana

1. Kimathi and Partners

Contact information

Physical location: No 6. Airport Road, Airport Residential Area, Accra, Ghana.

P. O. Box CT 6217, Cantonments, Accra.

Tel: +233 (0) 247960465, +233 (0) 302770477

Website: www.kimathilegal.com

Email: kimathi@kimathilegal.com

Working hours: Opens 24 hours every day.

Kimathi and Partners is a law firm that focuses on the provision of top-notch legal services to their clients that are comparable to the international standard. They specially provide corporate legal advisory services to investors from foreign nations and investee companies that are based in Ghana. Among other things, the firms areas of practice include Oil and Gas, Power (including renewable energy), mining and metals, telecoms and corporate, finance and projects.

2. Ashong Benjamin & Associates

Contact information

Physical location: No. 6 4th Norla Street, Labone, Accra Ghana.

P.O. Box CT 6265, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana.

Phone: +233 30 2774378

Website: www.ashongbenjamin.com

Email: info@ashongbenjamin.com

Year of establishment: 2015

Working hours: 8 a.m to 5 p.m (weekdays).

Ashong Benjamin and Associates is a firm that offers legal services to different clients in areas including oil and gas (upstream and downstream), banking and finance, and capital markets. Other areas include complex corporate and commercial transactions, corporate governance and compliance, and so on. They also render specialized assistance to those who need to navigate through the Ghanaian regulatory environment and also guide them through the process of applying for licences and registering. The firm offers anti-corruption programmes through their tailor-made programmes which allow them to train and set up compliance structures.

READ ALSO: Court orders Obinim to give his signature for examination

3. Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah

Contact information

Physical location: 4 Momotse Avenue, Adabraka - Accra.

P. O. Box GP 1632, Accra, Ghana.

Phone: +233-302-208888 / 220516 / 221171 / 224612 / 227187 / 229396

Fax: + 233-302-226129

Website: www.belonline.org

E-mail: bel@belonline.org / belm@africaonline.com.gh

Year of establishment: 1990

Working hours: 8 a.m to 5 p.m (weekdays).

The law firm operates three major departments like corporate department which handles issues relating to bank finance, corporate finance, investment, mining and natural resources. The other departments are commercial / property department, and Litigation and dispute resolution department. Their major areas of practice also include energy and natural resources; construction, infrastructure and transport; pensions, employment and immigration.

Human rights law firms in Ghana

1. Legal Ink Lawyers & Notaries

Contact information

Physical location: N0. F 89/7 Emmaus road, off 2nd Labone street, Labone, Accra, Ghana.

Postal Address: PMB 24, Kanda Accra.

Phone: +233 (020) 2909481, +233 (024) 339 5832, +233 (050) 323 4787, +233 (055) 460 5216.

Website: www.legalinkonline.com

Working hours: 8 a.m to 8 p.m (weekdays).

Year of establishment: 2003

Legal Ink is a full-service law firm that provides different services to their clients in areas that pertain to corporate law, investment advice, recovery of debt and commercial law. They are also into arbitration and civil litigation, land law and conveyancing, and due diligence. With their modern infrastructure, especially in the area of information technology, they are able to deliver their services in such a fast and reliable manner. Another area of practice of the law firm include intellectual property law where they advise their clients on different aspects of corporate deals like corporate acquisitions, sale, licensing and assignments of intellectual property rights. They also help in the preparation of shareholders agreement where they work with clients to spell out the powers that the management of a company will have. The firm works with companies to help determine how the directors will be appointed or removed, the matters that will be reserved for shareholders decision and so on.

2. Oak & Wuuds Law

Contact information

Physical location: 1st Suite Oak House, No. 7 Nii Yemoh Avenue, OIC Road, Shiashie, East Legon.

Postal Address: P.O. Box ST 237, Accra.

Phone: +233 302 544270.

Fax: +233 302 522461

Website: www.oakandwuudslaw.com

Email: info@oakandwuudslaw.com

Working hours: 8 a.m to 6 p.m (weekdays).

Oak & Wuuds facilitates capacity building programs in various disciplines to equip human resource. They also specialize in company secretarial services including incorporation of companies filing annual returns. Other areas are litigation, intellectual property copyright, and due diligence like administration of contracts and project management, etc.

3. Aelex Legal Practitioners and Arbitrators

Contact information

Physical location: 7th Floor, Ste. B701, The Octagon Building, Accra Central, Accra.

Phone: +233 (0) 302 224828; 224845-6

Fax: +233 (0) 302 224824

Website: www.aelex.com

E-mail: accra@aelex.com

Year of establishment: 2004

Working hours: 8 a.m to 6 p.m (weekdays).

Aelex is a legal firm known for their global commercial and political awareness as well as an extensive network of associations and contacts. They have their areas of practice to include aviation, banking and finance, and business re-organisation and insolvency. Under business re-organisation and insolvency, they provide business advice to companies and corporate shareholders in all aspects of insolvency law. There are other areas of practice they are involved in. Some of them include capital markets, corporate commercial which entails due diligence and company secretarial services, and energy and natural resources. They also act for underwriters, brokers and reinsurers in product liability, personal injury and damage/total loss claims. Moreover, their Dispute Resolution practice group is always available to handle issues that deal with corporate and commercial claims that may emerge from transactions. Then, they represent their clients in different courts.

With these names of law firms in Ghana grouped in their various categories listed above, you should be prepared whenever you have legal issues or services you may need.

Source: YenWeb hosting can be defined as the service offered by a company, Web host, that helps your website to be viewed by others on the internet. A web host is someone or a company that rents space on their servers for your website at a fee. Leaning how to host a website for free would be a dream come true for many people.

Starting a website is sometimes the first step to get a profitable online business. However, as a small business, you should not rush to pay for hosting a website. You can do it for free. In this article we are going to discuss the various ways on how how to host a website for free.

How to host website for free

There are two ways of hosting a website for free;

1. The DIY method

2. Using third part web hosting providers.

The DIY method (using MAMP servers)

This DIY method is a simple method that teaches you on how to host a website from home on your own computer. Scroll down and learn different free host web site techniques you can do yourself.

Requirements

Before trying to host a website on your own, there are things you should put into considering now that you are using your own computer at home. The first thing is to ensure that your ISP allows web hosting which sometimes it many dont. If your company does not allow, you can upgrade your subscription to see if you can be allowed. You can also contact the ISP to know what can be done if they do not allow web hosting.

You should have a working internet 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. You should also update the computer to the latest operating system. You will also need to move your websites source code to your computer.

Lastly you need to download the database management software, MAMP, that will help you host your website on your own computer at home.

1. Hosting on Windows

Once you download the MAMP on your computer, double click on its set up icon. It resembles a white elephant on a grey background.

Click on yes and a MAMP installer will open.

Now you will need to complete the MAMP set up process and to do so, you need to click language and select on of your choice then click next. Uncheck the MAMP probox and then click next, check again and click I accept].. To finish up click the next button three times.

The next thing is to is to copy your websites source code. To do so click on start, file explorer, docs folder and then select the doc you want to copy. Copy the source code (ctrl+c).

Double click the MAMP icon and not the set up icon here.

When you are prompted click OK, if a warning, error 80, click OK it will be dismissed.

On the left top side of the MAMP window, there is an icon that resembles a gear, it is a preferences button, click on it.

Click ports which will be at the top of the preferences window.

Here, you will click on set MAMP ports to default. It is on the middle of the page. This will reset the ports that MAMP uses and therefore, port error 80 will be solved.

Click on the web server tab that is just on top of the preferences window and click open. The open button is near the bottom of the window.

Paste your source code document in this folder by pressing CTRL and V at the same time. The source code will now appear in the MAMP root folder. Click OK to save the settings.

Now close the MAMP and reopen it again. To do this, click on quit which is at the bottom left side of the MAMP window. Then click on the MAMP icon again to reopen it.

Click start servers which will be on the right side. The MAMP server will start with your websites source code and your port preferences. Your website should now be live and anyone can access it by using your websites URL. Remember that the websites addresses will keep changing until you purchase a dynamic IP service.

If you have been researching on how to host your own website on your machine, then the above procedure will work perfectly with your Windows computer. You will host your website for free right at the comfort of your home or even office.

READ ALSO: List of web hosting in Ghana

2. Hosting on Mac

The requirements for hosting on Mac and windows are the same, you will still have to contact your ISP to inquire if they allow web hosting. The procedure below will help you in your journey of hosting a website from home for free using a mac computer.

Double click on the MAMP set up file if have already downloaded it. Complete the installation.

Click on continue on three pages then click agree.

Then click install for all users on this computer and click continue.

Put in your macs user name and password and then install software.

Wait for MAMP to be installed which will take approximately five minutes to complete installation.

Open finder by clicking the face shaped icon on your macs dock.

Go to your websites source code that you had created earlier the copy the document by clicking edit and copy on the document.

Click on applications, which is in the far left side of that finder window. Click on the MAMP folder which is in the middle of the applications folder.

Double click the ht-docs folder which will be in the middle of the MAMP folder. Here is where your websites source code folder will go.

Paste your source code on the folder by clicking on edit then paste.

Open the MAMP software by clicking on the MAMP folder sometimes you will need to type the word MAMP on the spotlight.

Click on the preferences tab which is on the far left side and click on the ports tab which is in the preferences window

Click on the set to default tab that can be found in the middle of the ports tab. Setting to default will save your website from being blocked away by your own routers default firewall.

Click OK to save your settings, then close and reopen MAMP by clicking quit and then clicking on the MAMP icon again.

Click start servers and your website will be live now. Now anyone can access your website by entering your websites URL.

Third party hosting

If you have been looking for ways on how to host a website using a third party for free then you are in the right place. Third party hosting is for those who do not anything on hosting a website. Free host website companies have recently been coming up in order to meet the demand of the large numbers of people who want to set up websites.

If you have been asking this question, can i host my own website for free if I do not have any technical know how? Then this is for you. These companies that offer web hosting also offer free web hosting for small or medium sites. It is easy and you dont have to do the work all by yourself.

These are the companies that can help you do the work:

1. WordPress

2. Wix

3. Weebley

4. Googlesites

5. Freehosting.com

There are so many companies you can contact to get free web hosting.

Source: YenKente is a rich fabric known for its beautiful lively colors and quality. A few decades ago, ladies used to wrap the kente fabric around their waists forming an elegant floor-length skirt. Today, the African designers have taken this rich fabric to a whole new level. There are fashionable designs and styles for women that bring out their sensuality and beauty. In simple words, kente styles can fulfill every womans title- 'An African queen'. In Ghana, kente fabric comes in variety of sizes, designs and colors. It is mostly embraced during social and religious events such as graduation ceremonies and traditional engagements.

You can style the kente fabric into a kaba and slit, a peplum dress, jackets, suits, pants, and shorts. It gives ladies the liberty of letting their creativity flow.

Kente designs embraced in Ghana

Trendy and fashionable materials such as the renowned kente designs can never go unnoticed. They are usually identified by their different unique colors and patterns. They include:

1. Sika futuro kente designs

These designs are way too beautiful. You could also refer to them as gold dust. They have alternating unique patterns of orange, yellow and red. This design is so precious, significalty pointing out royalty and wealth in every aspect of its creation.

2. Obaakofo Mmu Man kente designs

This kente fabric design is mostly embraced during engagements in Ghana. It has very beautiful and unique patterns. A clothe fabric that will make you stand out as you walk by the streets!

3. Kyeretwie kente designs

Kyeretwie designs are known for their large boxes with black lines that run vertically. This specific design signifies courage to deal with challenging situations.

Beautiful kente styles for engagement

The Kente engagement designs come in many varieties. The patterns and the intertwining threads are used bring out the differences. Ladies are lucky because most African designers know how badly they want to look classy and angelic on their special occasions. This makes the market to overflow with trendy modish designs. The Ghana dress styles pictures are proof for the excellent work of art that the designers put in their work.

1. Lengthy off-shoulder dresses for traditional engagements

Most couples in Ghana prefer yellow kente designs because they symbolize preciousness, fertility, as well as wealth. The traditional off-shoulder kente dresses are quite popular in Ghana because they give the bride an attractive feminine look that earns them attention. The off-shoulder dresses also highlights the beauty of the light jewelry that jazz up their trendy outfit.

2. Flayed kente engagement dress with ankara details

Kente and ankara fabric blend well making a lady to look angelic on her engagement day. What you need is to create a beautiful kente dress piece and add Ankara details or patches on the chest area, neckline, sleeves, the top part, or the skirt part. Note that the fabrics should match for you to look outstanding on your big day.

3. Straight kente engagement dress with lace patches

Every lady requires to have a feminine and an attractive look. To achieve that impressive look in your engagement day, you should consider kente dresses with lace patches or details. If you are truly a fashionista. Kente incorporates excellently with lace fabric as far as the colors match. You can add the lace details on the sleeves, chest part, top part, skirt part, or maybe the neckline part.

4. One-shoulder Kente dress styles for engagement

The one-shoulder styles will bring out your beauty. They are usually inspired by refined and femininity looks. In Ghana, engagement dresses are mostly lengthy because they represent respect and dignity. Long dresses also create a very unique image with their numerous folds that are voluminous.

READ ALSO: New fashion dresses 2018

Kente styles for ladies tops

Kente tops will definitely give you an outstanding look. You can rock the classy kente tops with skirts, jeans, African print pants, or shorts. There are a variety kente patterns and it remains your personal choice to create a piece using one of the kente designs. Kente top styles gives one solutions to both formal and casual looks. Casual tops should be free as well as flexible to suit any event or occasion. Some of the kente top designs and styles include crop tops, high-low tops, and open-back tops. Read on our kente top collection that will make you rock.

1. Kente off-shoulder blouse with jeans

Kente off-shoulder tops are versatile pieces, which can successfully pair with skirts, jeans, or shorts. It should reveal the neckline well. Complete your cute looks with a classy hairstyle and beautiful accessories.

2. Kente crop tops with straight skirts

Every lady wants to proclaim femininity and that is the major reason why designers are working tirelessly to decorate Ghanaian ladies' figures. Kente crop tops will give you a romantic and a feminine look. You can complete the outfit with a pencil skirt, jeans or shorts.

3. Open-back kente tops

The open-back tops are mostly created with elegant X-shaped neckline or a closed neck. They make Ghanaian ladies look timely and futuristic. The variations are minimal, such as short blouses, which are relevant for social events. Create a piece to rock with during hot weather. You do not have to overload the style with extremely excessive details.

4. High-low kente tops

High-lows made from kente fabric are so beautiful. To complete your outfit, put your kente high-low top with jeans, pencil skirt, shorts, or pants. With well-applied make-up and a trendy outfit, you will be outstanding.

African Kente styles for skirts

Do you love Kente skirts? Well, they make ladies to look unique and stylish. This is the major reason why the African fashion is recognized across the world. You can look outstanding in a lengthy maxi kente skirt, a kente pencil skirt, a flayed kente skirt, or even a wrapped kente skirt. Here is our skirt collection to inspire you to create a piece for that event.

1. Maxi modern kente styles

Maxi kente skirts make one look decent as well as presentable in Ghana. They also make one feel comfortable to attend any event from the church event, a date, a funeral, a wedding, and a birthday party. To spice up your looks, you can add details of other fabrics such as kitenge, ankara, dashiki, and lace. Kente blends very well with other tunics as far as they are matching. To complete your trendy looks, you can wear classy comfortable shoes such as wedge, high heel, low-heel, or even flat sandals.

2. Kente high-low skirt

High-low styles are so beautiful. To complete your outfit, you should put on a tight lace top, a polished cotton blouse, or maybe a kente top. A pencil top of a matching color will best suit the outfit.

3. Kente pencil skirts

You have to own a kente pencil skirt considering the fact that it is the most fashionable style. They make ladies have the perfect look. If you are a plus size, consider dressing on pencil skirts because they will make you look beautiful.

Kente styles for women are extremely beautiful. What you need to know is that kente fabric is very rich and you should not limit it. Create creative pieces that will allow you to turn heads of those who appreciate fashion.

READ ALSO: Types of fashion styles

Source: YenPresident Akufo-Addo, speaking to the Ghanaian community in New York, United States of America, has admitted that Ghana is facing economic challenges.

According to him, the dramatic increase in crude oil prices and the strengthening of the US dollar have resulted in the present predicament.

He however noted that the Bank of Ghana was doing its best to fight depreciation, so that Ghanaians can enjoy a better standard of living.

READ ALSO: Nana Appiah Mensah reveals why Ibrah 1 has been attacking him

Some Ghanaians, reacting to his statement, took to social media to express their opinions:

President Akufo-Addo added that his government will work to find a cure to the situation and future ones.

Its a difficult situation, but a difficult situation also require some amount of fortitude and firm action and thats what we are trying to do at home, he said

Meanwhile, back in Ghana, Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has lauded the achievements of the government so far.

Speaking at the fourth National Policy Summit at the University of Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale Monday, Dr Bawumia listed a number of feats he argued would be non-existent without the Akufo-Addo-led administration.

These included the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the restoration of training allowances.

READ ALSO: Top 5 Ghanaian celebrities who have married this year

Ghana Funny Tricky Questions: 6X9? | #Yencomgh

Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos

Source: Yen- 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

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: Yen.com.gh- The son of the former President, Sharaf Mahama turned 21 on Friday, September 21, 2018

- Abronye DC has alleged that the former president of Ghana, had spent GHc1 million on his son

Ex-president John Dramani Mahama has hit out at the Brong Ahafo Regional first vice chairman of the NPP over allegations that he [Mahama] spent GHc1 million on his sons birthday.

Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, had claimed that Mahama spent lavishly on the birthday of his son, Sharaf.

Abronye DC alleged that the former president bought his son a Range Rover worth over $100,000, and a Mercedes Benz SLK which is also worth over $56,000 as birthday gifts.

READ ALSO: Sarkodies manager replies Shatta Wale

Its been less than three months now since Mahama was crying over hardships, but I just heard he has spent over $156,000 on his son. President Mahama bought for his son on his Birthday a Range Rover worth over $100,000, and a Mercedes Benz SLK costing over $56,000, he alleged.

After all this huge expenditure by John Mahama, he will later go and cry to his NDC foot soldiers that, he is poor and that, the Akufo-Addo administration is ill-treating him. He further tells them that, the economy is very porous and that, he (Mahama) is even being catered for by his wife Lordina.

However, responding to the allegations, Mahama described the NPP communicators comments as propaganda.

In a Twitter post, the ex-president said the claims by Abronye DC are only 'fevered hallucinations'.

The 'fevered hallucinations' you have when you've emptied your propaganda tool kit and have nothing left to deceive the people, Mahama wrote.

Mahamas son, Sharaf, turned 21 on Friday.

Ghana News Today: Drivers angry over hike in Fuel price | Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: Popular radio presenter passes on

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish on YEN.com.gh? Please contact us on Facebook or Instagram now!

Source: YenThe odds seem to be going against Menzgold Ghana Limited with each passing day following a latest investigation into the companys dealings in the United Kingdom (UK).

The gold dealership firm has been in the news in recent weeks following disagreements with the Bank of Ghana (BoG) regarding its operations.

The latest development is that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked the company to shut down its gold trading activities.

READ ALSO: Bank of Ghana freezes NAM1s accounts

But although the embattled company still retains the confidence of some Ghanaians, it remains unclear whether it will come out of this case unscathed.

A short investigation conducted by Joy News Israel Laryea has revealed that the Menzgold office in the UK is not actually engaging in the same business as it does in Ghana.

The journalist visited the Menzgold office in London but said the gold dealership firm occupies just a small space in the Berkely Square House building.

However, he disclosed that he met only two ladies at the Menzgold office, and that it was the only clue about the companys existence in the UK.

This is a photo of when the MenzGold London office was opened on Sunday, July 15, 2018. Source: Ghafla.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Mahama slams Abronye DC for claiming he spent Ghc1m on son's birthday

It will be recalled that in July last year, the CEO of Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, posted a photo of he and his staff walking in front of the Berkely Square House following the launch of the gold dealership company.

Ghana News Today: Drivers angry over hike in Fuel price | Yen.com.gh

READ ALSO: Conversion of single-sex halls into mixed not solution - UG VC

Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos.

Source: Yen.com.ghA young midwife has become an internet sensation after she helped a woman in labour deliver her baby safely while on board a commercial bus on Sunday, September 23.

The midwife, YEN.com.gh gathers, was a passenger on a Bolgatanga bound bus. Midway through their journey, a co-passenger who was pregnant went into labour.

The midwife sprang into action and with the help of two other nurses on board, the baby was safely delivered at about 3:34am after the driver stopped the moving bus somewhere along the Buipe road.

Sophia Safia Sulemana

Source: Facebook

After the delivery, the newly-born baby and her mother were reportedly handed over to the husband who is said to have taken them to the West Hospital in Tamale for further care.

READ ALSO: Mahama takes Abronye DC to the cleaners for alleging he spent Ghc1m on sons birthday

According to a social media user, Mawunyo Bubutor, who shared the story on Facebook, the beautiful midwife is Sophia Safia Sulemana of the Kunkwa Health Centre in the Mamprugu District of the Northern Region.

Posting photos of Sophia and the baby, Mawunyo said: "Nursing is said to be a science, skills and an art. At 3:34am of 23rd September, 2018. Whilst travelling to Bolgatanga, a lady was in labour on the bus whilst the bus was still moving. It took the intervention of this spectacular angel and who is a practicing midwife on board to deliver this woman in the bus. The driver has to stop for the midwife and two other female nurses to help deliver this woman on the Buipe Road. I just wanna celebrate staff Midwife by name Sophia safia sulemana of Kunkwa health centre in the Mamprugu moaduri district of the Northern Region. The child and the mother was later handled over to the husband who took the wife to West Hospital in the tamale metropolis.God bless you. Please let us share this good story."

Sophia's extraordinary sense of duty has not gone unnoticed as many Ghanaians have been showering praises and blessing her.

READ ALSO: Menzgold London office without the usual highly visible displays the company is known for in Ghana

Adisa who noticed Sophia's beauty asked for God's blessings for her:

Remie also blessed her:

Ahenkan shared a similar post:

Vida was impressed that Sophia went the extra mile:

Winnie asked for God's strength to save more lives:

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has sighted a video of something unusual which happened in a Christian church, a pastor has giving away offering received during service to a needy church member.

READ ALSO: Popular radio presenter loses his life

In the video, it could be seen that many church members were taking turns to give their offering but after some time, the head pastor announced that God had told him to give away the offerings to one member.

He thus called a woman 'living in lack and sadness' who brought with her a big polythene bag to start packing the plenty money amid sobs.

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Source: Yen- Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has stated that it will be dangerous for Ghana to reject foreign aid

- According to him, Ghana needs foreign aid to help in various sectors of the country

- Ghana has signed 8 agreements with China in different sectors of their respective economies

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor, has argued that Ghana still needs foreign aid to boost development in the country.

According to him, there is an urgent need to drive development at all levels of the economy.

His comments are in reaction to concerns expressed by a cross-section of Ghanaians, with regard to deals signed with China.

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor Source: Ghananewsagency.org

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Radio presenter loses his life

Governments decision to sign eight new co-operation agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with China in different sectors of their respective economies, has been widely criticized by some stakeholders who have primarily argued that government has no new ways of generating wealth internally for development.

The criticism in most cases, has been occasioned by the governments own pledge that it is seeking to build a Ghana Beyond Aid.

There are also concerns that the country is not getting the best from the aid largely due to rising corruption levels.

Speaking to the media at the graduation of first batch of students of the Kufuor Scholars programme , Kufuor insisted that Ghanas current phase of development requires some form of financial support from international partners.

It is a matter of phasing. We are in a phase of development. We just do not get up and say no aid. They have exploited us enough so we take to empower ourselves, to build ourselves through education and through attracting investment, creating employment, so it gets to a point where now when they come, they meet their equals.

So we have to be careful to say that now where we are, we will not go and ask for aid. We will do it, but only as a stage to empower us.

Kufuor added that Ghana needs to strategically position itself to get the best out of international agreements.

READ ALSO: Modric wins 2018 best FIFA award

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Source: Yen GhanaA former nurse of Obengfo Hospital who worked at the facility between 2013 and 2017 has reportedly leaked a list of celebrities and non-celebrities in Ghana who are beneficiaries of Dr Obengfos plastic surgery.

According to a report sighted by YEN.com.gh on Mynewsgh.com, Dr Obengfo allegedly kept a list of his clients very confidential however sometimes, he relied on the nurse to update the list for him with names, dates and photographs

The first set of Ghanaian celebrities reported to have been beneficiaries included actress and TV personality, Joselyn Dumas, Moesha Buduong and Princess Shyngle.

Dr Obengfo. Credit: Supplied

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Oman FM radio presenter Kwadwo Fordjuor dead

According to reports, the nurse is alleged to have revealed that she started taking notice of Moesha when she started making waves all over the place.

The nurse is alleged to have indicated that Moesha got a waiver of some of the cost in return for an option to model for the hospital.

Moesha upheld her end of the deal until later when she backed off and paid the money difference to Obengfo.

The report went on to state that in return for topping up, Dr. Obengfo was to delete all her model photos for the hospital on social media. One such photos of Moesha for the hospital was reportedly posted by Dr Obengfo in December 2016.

READ ALSO: Young Ghanaian midwife delivers pregnant woman of her baby on a moving bus (Photos)

Joselyn Dumas, according to reports, visited Obengfo Hospital as one of its early clients before it made a name. The nurse purportedly indicated that Joselyn Dumas linked her Nigerian friends to Dr Obengfo.

The nurse also made reference to a December 2014 story which Dr Obengfo sponsored in the Graphic showbiz to hype some of his select clients. This included Joselyn Dumas, Shyngle, among others.

The Graphic showbiz story was shared by Dr Obengfo himself in 2014 on Facebook to encourage more clients to visit his facility.

Dr Dominic Obeng- Andoh, popularly known as Obengfo, is the owner and manager of Advanced Body Sculpt in Ghana.

He has been in the news, and lately, was caged by the police after he was linked with the death of the deputy chief executive officer of National Entrepreneurship Innovation Programme (NEIP), Stacy Offei-Darko.

READ ALSO: Kumawood actor Lil Win builds school (Photo, Video)

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Source: Yen.com.gh- Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said the government will not be forced to take decisions that is counter the interest of the people

- The Vice-President believes the opposition NDC are scoring cheap political points from on-going issues in the country

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has cautioned that the government will not be pushed into taking economic decisions that are not in the interest of Ghanaians. He was speaking at this year's National Policy Summit in Tamale.

According to Graphic.com.gh, the Vice-President said the economic decisions and policies taken so far by the Akufo-Addo adminstration were geared towards improving the well-being of Ghanaians.

He criticised what he believes was the attempt to score cheap political points from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

READ ALSO: Joyce Blessing slams Twitter user who criticised Zylofon's investment in her career

The Akufo-Addo government, he said, would continue to come up with social intervention policies that would make the ordinary Ghanaian feel the impact of the economic gains made so far in their lives.

The criticisms about the economy have not only come from the NDC. NPP lawmaker Kennedy Agyapong reacted to a statement by Dr Gideon Boako, the spokesperson for the Vice President, on the assessment of the depreciating cedi.

Agyapong was not enthused with the explanation from government and did not hide what he thought was a failure of the administration.

READ ALSO: Menzgold does not operate in London

Meanwhile, areas that were discussed at the summit include the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (One-constituency, one million dollar policy), free Senior High School.

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Source: Yen- Some security personnel were at the residence of Collins Dauda to arrest him

- They however met his absence but the matter has gained a lot of attention

Some eight armed police officers raided the home of Assutifi South Member of Parliament, Collins Dauda, at dawn in a bid to arrest him, YEN.com.gh has learnt.

According to a report sighted by YEN.com.gh on Classfmonline.com, Member of Parliament for Asawase and Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, confirmed the incident.

The officers reportedly stormed the Minority lawmakers home in his constituency at around 4 am on Tuesday, 25 September to effect the arrest.

Alhaji Collins Dauda. Credit: Pulse.com.gh

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Oman FM radio presenter Kwadwo Fordjuor dead

It has however come to light that the Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu, ordered the arrest of the Asutifi South Member Parliament.

Hon. Mubarak indicated that the former Minister of Works and Housing was on his way to Accra following the recall of parliament when the incident happened.

Collins Dauda called me and told me that he has received news that some AK47-wielding police officers have stormed his home to arrest him and that he didnt know the reason behind the action.

READ ALSO: Young Ghanaian midwife delivers pregnant woman of her baby on a moving bus (Photos)

So, I told him that if that be the case, he should report himself to the IGP when he reaches Accra because the regional commander said it was an order from above, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak said.

He added that, So, yes, they were in his home in his constituency to arrest him but he was not at home.

General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia disclosed on Accra-based Okay FM that Collins Dauda was being accused of masterminding the recent attacks by some unknown thugs at Sankore in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Collins Dauda has been arrested by IGP. He told me this morning that some police personnel stormed his house at night and said they were sent by the regional commander that the IGP says he should report to the headquarters because he has been accused of leading the thugs to attack, the General Secretary claimed.

READ ALSO: I want to impart my knowledge to the next generation before I die  CEO of Emmas Stuffed Toys

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Source: YenPopular journalist and newscaster, Israel Laryea has defended himself against insults from Ghanaian businessman, Nana Appiah Mensah who is popularly known as NAM 1.

According to the Joy FM/TV presenter, it is highly unnecessary for NAM 1 to attack him instead of focusing on solving problems concerning one of his companies, Menzgold Ghana.

NAM 1 whose Menzgold has been shut down following troubles with the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC), in an uncharacteristic fashion took to Instagram on Tuesday to blast the broadcaster.

Nana Appiah-Mensah (left) and Israel Laryea

Source: UGC

Hello Israel Laryea, today I celebrate your stupidity and retarded mindedness. Set up a provision store today in a kiosk and employ just one Ghanaian. That is more than the pursuit of this evil smear campaign agenda. Maybe you need to be reminded, I am a businessman and not a politician. You cant break me! Business is not a thing for the pope. Think about it. God bless you," he posted.

READ ALSO: Photos of beautiful nurse who safely delivered a woman in labour on a moving bus go viral

NAM 1's attack followed a video report by Israel Laryea about Menzgold Ghana Limiteds office in the United Kingdom which suggested the outfit was not operating a business model like that in Ghana.

In the video report which has since gone viral, Laryea indicated that in July 2018, the businessman took a photo with some staff members at Berkerley Square in London. This, Laryea went on, was to signify the opening of Menzgolds office in London.

A trip into the building, however, revealed that Menzgold is not listed as one of the companies in the building. This was however explained by a receptionist in the building that Menzgold indeed has an office in the building.

Laryea's report has led to many concluding that the Menzgold London office was just hoax. A conclusion which has obviously not pleased NAM 1.

But in a swift response to NAM's 1 insults, the Joy FM/TV newscaster pointed out that he was only doing his work as a journalist and must therefore not be the focus of the attack.

READ ALSO: Kumawood's Lil Win builds plush school 1 month after being made a chief (Photo+Video)

"No need for insults Mr Appiah-Mensah. If the people who are jittery about losing their funds do this, I can understand. You need to focus and figure out how best to manage the situation. I'm not SEC, neither am I BoG, just a journalist sharing my observations. #FOCUS," he said.

Screenshot of Israel Laryea's reply to NAM 1

Source: Instagram

Meanwhile, on-air-personality, Afia Schwarznegger has waded into the exchanges between Nana Appiah Mensah and Israel Laryea.

READ ALSO: Princess Shyngle puts her hot body on display in latest wild bikini photos and video

Taking to social media, Afia Schwar, who has been on the neck of NAM 1 to refund a GHC4m investment made with Menzgold, wondered by the businessman is yet to respond to messages she posed to him.

She went on to say that she is aware Mensahs accounts have been frozen by the Bank of Ghana, and again, his company breached confidentiality by releasing her mothers phone number.

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Source: YenGhanas president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has received the 2018 Outstanding Leaders Award.

According to www.presidency.gov.gh, the award was given to him by the United States Chamber of Commerce and its U.S. Africa Business Centre.

A cross-section of Ghanaians took to social media to express their opinions on the recognition given to the president:

READ ALSO: I don't want to go to my grave without sharing my talent - 83-year-old CEO

Source: presidency.gov.gh

Source: Facebook

Source: presidency.gov.gh

Source: Facebook

Accepting the award, President Akufo-Addo noted that it is good to know that advocating for Ghana to opt for a partnership with the rest of the world on the basis of trade and investment co-operation, not aid, has its rewards.

He further stated that the receipt of the award represents a summary of his focus as Ghanas president, since assuming the reins of office about 21 months ago.

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Source: Yen- A Circuit Court in the Ashanti region has jailed a dustbin thief 2 years

- The suspect Mohammed Lufai pleaded guilty to the theft charge brought against him

- He was sentenced with hard labor for the act

An Nkawie Circuit Court presided over by His Lordship Michael Abbey has sentenced 48-year old Mohammad Lufai, to 24 months in jail for stealing a dustbin belonging to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.

The accused person Mohammed Lufai was on September 22, 2018 arrested by Suame District Police Command for stealing dustbins meant for the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) under the auspices of Operation Keep The City Clean And Green.

Eva Amoateng who is a KMA night sweeper, spotted Mohammed Lufai carrying the dustbin on that day around 6:30pm and confronted him.

Mohammed Lufai. Credit: Mynewsgh.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Oman FM radio presenter Kwadwo Fordjuor dead

Mohammed Lufai broke down in tears after pleading guilty when the charge was leveled against him but told the court he found the dustbin on a dumping site.

Police Prosecutor Inspector Stephen Amugbel told the court that stealing of KMA dustbins had become rampant making the Assembly's "Operation Keep The City Clean And Green unsuccessful.

Stephen Amugbel told the court to prosecute the accused person to serve as a deterrent to those whose actions were affecting KMA's aim of making Kumasi a clean city.

His Lordship Michael Abbey, however sentenced the accused person, Mohammed Lufai, to 2 years imprisonment with hard labour indicating it would serve as a deterrent to others

The Convener for KMA Environmental Sub-Committee, James Nana Prempeh, in an interview said the Assembly was happy with the judgement saying it was going to be a lesson for those sabotaging the exercise.

Mohammed Lufai. Credit: Mynewsgh.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Gun-wielding policemen storm residence of Collins Dauda to arrest him

James Nana Prempeh revealed that 10 out of 500 dustbins placed at some vantage points in the metropolis had been stolen.

According to him the Assembly was putting measures in place to establish a sanitation court to deal with sanitation offenders.

We have declared war on those whose attitude is affecting our aim of making Kumasi a clean city. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Nkawie Circuit Court for the judgement. We will continue to prosecute sanitation offenders to ensure that our aim has been achieved he added.

In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported the story of a man who stole some T-rolls from the Parliament house. The T-rolls were meant for Members of Parliament

READ ALSO: Menzgold: Focus on solving your problems - Israel Laryea replies NAM 1's insults

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Source: Yen.com.gh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 San Diego Asian Americans for Equality will hold a candidate forum for Area 5 San Dieguito Union High School District candidates on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Pacific Highlands Ranch Clubhouse, 5950 Blazing Star Lane.

The forum will include Area 5 candidates Kristin Gibson, Cheryl James-Ward and Lea Wolf.

To RSVP, email info@sdaafe.org

On Thursday, Oct. 18, San Dieguito Academys school newspaper, The Mustang, is hosting a School Board Candidates Night for SDUHSD Areas 1 and 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Mustang Commons at San Dieguito High School Academy in Encinitas. Those candidates include Mo Muir and Amy Flicker from Area 1 and Melisse Mossy and Rhea Stewart from Area 3.

The event will begin with introductory statements from all the candidates, a question and answer session with questions generated by students and questions from the audience.

The school is located at 800 Santa Fe Drive.By Yvette Sierra Praeli

24 September 2018

(Mongabay)  Illegal mining is destroying the Amazon. Most people know this, but it is chilling to see the destruction in aerial images that show details of the mining camps, trucks and backhoes operating 24 hours a day. The images also show dredges extracting material from riverbeds, as well as the continuous movement of dozens of people operating them without consequences.The Peruvian Air Force has given us a look into what is occurring right now at 327 different points in the provinces of Tambopata and Manu, which are in Perus Madre de Dios department. Using drones and airplanes, more than 20,000 high-resolution photos and videos of the devastation have been captured.Monitoring this part of the Amazon took place from 7 August 2018 to 9 August 2018 and was known as Operation Harpia. While the Peruvian military captured the images, two police operations were also carried out in real time on the ground near the Madre de Dios River, in the communities of Puerto La Pastora and Tres Islas.

Immediate actions taken against mining On the morning of 9 August 2018, a team of 12 people carried out this operation using images they received on their cell phones immediately after the images were captured by the Peruvian Air Force. The team was comprised of members of the police force, lawyers specializing in environmental matters, the harbor master of Peru, and the Peruvian Air Force.It was a real-time operation, says attorney Karina Garay, who specializes in environmental matters in Madre de Dios. That day, according to Garay, while the Peruvian Air Force captured the photos in 327 different areas, they used WhatsApp to send confidential information to the team on the ground. In the following hours, the team entered several of those areas.The georeferenced data shared by the Peruvian Air Force included the exact location coordinates of the mining camps. They also sent the team on the ground the number of people and dredges in certain areas, along with other information that the team could expect to find when they reached an identified location.The result was the destruction of four dredges, seven rafts, 11 motors, 11 suction pumps, an electric generator, hoses and other equipment used to extract gold from the rainforest. The coordinated effort put into the operation allowed the team to ensure the effectiveness of their intervention.Many times, they inform us about places where there is illegal mining, and when we arrive we dont find anything because they had time to flee. However, under this system, when we arrived, we found everything that the images had indicated, Garay said.Each of the places monitored by experts from the Center for Amazonian and National Vigilance (CEVAN) has now been georeferenced and will be watched vigilantly in the coming years. The CEVAN belongs to the Aerospace Control Command within the Peruvian Air Force.

Gen. Jose Miguel Davis Molina of the Peruvian Air Force told Mongabay Latam that the team will continue to apply this type of operation in other areas of Peru. We began in Madre de Dios because of the quantity of information that we received about the area, but we have planned to be prompt in other settings in the country, he said.A second operation, also based on the information from the Peruvian Air Force, took place on Aug. 14 along the Malinowski River near the indigenous community of Kotsimba. The area lies in the buffer zone of Bahuaja-Sonene National Park. Garay, who also participated in this, said the Peruvian Navy requested the inspection in this area. When the images from the first operation were collected, it was decided that the second operation would follow.According to the Public Ministry of Peru, the equipment destroyed in the second operation included two backhoes, six motors, a set of generators, and nearly 3,000 liters (600 gallons) of fuel. [more]

Chilling images of illegal mining operations in PeruBy Bob Henson

24 September 2018

(Weather Underground)  Storms are being classified and declassified at a snappy pace in the Atlantic, as several weak systems have been fighting off dry air and wind shear. We may yet see one or more of these systems strengthening as the week unfoldsand there is no question about the ferocity of Super Typhoon Trami in the Northwest Pacific. []

Super Typhoon Trami heading toward Japans Ryukyu Islands

UPDATE: Trami was updated to Category 5 status with the 5 pm EDT Monday advisory from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), with top sustained winds of 160 mph. Trami now qualifies as a super typhoon. Trami bolted to Category 4 strength over the weekend, then took a brief pause to reorganize after an eyewall replacement cycle.Trami is now restrengthening around its new, larger eye, as it traverses very warm waters (29C or 84F) in very low wind shear (less than 10 knots) for the next several days. JTWC predicts that Trami will become a Category 5 equivalent by Monday night local time, and it could stay in the Cat 5 range for a couple of days. Watch for some spectacular satellite imagery of this very well-structured storm.A dip in the mid-latitude jet stream will try to pull Trami northward on Tuesday, after which the typhoon should resume a west-northwest or northwest track. There is some model disagreement on how far Trami will get during its northward jog, but it appears the jog will be big enough for Trami to steer clear of Taiwan later this week. The most immediate threat from Trami is to the Ryukyu Islands of southernmost Japan, which include Okinawa island. Unfortunately, long-range runs of the European and GFS model agree that Trami will recurve toward the northeast around this point. Such a track could take Trami over a large number of the Ryukyu Islands by this weekend and across the heart of Japan around Sunday or Monday. Trami should weaken below super typhoon strength by the time it reaches the islands of Japan, but it is projected to remain a dangerous storm. [more]25 September 2018 (Desdemona Despair)  The first anniversary of the destruction of modern Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands by Hurricanes Irma and Maria brought numerous retrospectives in the media. Not many focused on the actual cost to rebuild PR. Although there are stories of recovery, a picture of widespread infrastructure failure and poverty emerged. Puerto Rico is in dire straits, and it will take immense quantities of money to make PR habitable again for 3.5 million people.With its critical infrastructure wiped out, Puerto Rico essentially must be rebuilt from scratch. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria, it was clear that this would be an enormously expensive undertaking, on the scale of tens of billions of dollars. The final report on reconstructing Puerto Rico, Transformation and Innovation in the Wake of Devastation: An Economic and Disaster Recovery Plan for Puerto Rico [pdf], was released on 8 August 2018, and it calls for $139 billion. This is on top of the $120 billion of debt owed by the government of PR before the disaster.The official plan strikes an optimistic tone and portrays the reconstruction effort as a huge opportunity. It reads a bit like a pitch to investors: opportunity appears 69 times in the 531-page report, and theres an entire chapter titled Puerto Ricos Opportunity.Governor Ricardo Rossello Nevares writes:

As bad as the situation has been, there is reason for real hope. The complete and widespread devastation gives us an opportunity to view our island as a blank canvas, upon which we can

implement innovative solutions that can make Puerto Rico a showcase for the world with a

modern and more resilient infrastructure, a newer and stronger housing stock, and a more

vibrant and competitive economy.

Realistically, theres no other way to position this overwhelming project. Investors need to see an upside but may be discouraged by the unavoidable fact that another Hurricane Maria is inevitable. The report focuses on resilience, so that the island will be ready for the next global-warming amplified hurricane, but the list of immediate needs doesnt include much about surviving the next hurricane. The report lists these priorities to guide the near-term reconstruction effort:

Reestablish lifeline systems to provide affordable and reliable energy, telecommunications, water, and transportation.



Repair or rebuild the approximately 166,000 residential structures damaged or destroyed during the hurricanes.



Improve emergency preparedness infrastructure and develop the government workforce so that all residents and businesses are better protected in advance of a future disaster.



Clarify ownership and responsibility for various infrastructure, assets, and services so that repairs can be completed efficiently and rebuilding reduces risk.



Stem the flow of residents away from the Island and encourage economic growth by lowering the costs of doing business, incentivizing formal labor force participation, broadening the tax base, and increasing fiscal discipline.



Revitalize urban centers to focus economic recovery efforts.



Scale social services, health, education, and infrastructure systems to meet the health, social, and economic needs of the current and future population.



Rebuild infrastructure to meet modern codes and standards, and enforce the laws and regulations governing construction, water supply connections, and electricity metering.



Establish modern methods for providing both the public and private sectors with timely, accurate, and

comprehensive information to make effective decisions about recovery and day-to-day operations.

This list applies to the next three years and wont do much to help people if another hurricane hits within that time. In the words of 70-year-old Ramon Cantero, a longtime resident of Naguabo, The next one will wipe Puerto Rico off the map.From this list, stemming the flow of people out of PR may be the highest priority  PRs population was already falling before the hurricanes. After the disastrous 2017 hurricane season, the mass emigration accelerated, with more than 200,000 people fleeing the devastation to the mainland, mostly Florida. If the islands population falls by another million people, PR may never recover. Brad Setser, an economist at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, says, If Puerto Rico doesnt experience strong growth in fiscal 2019, it never will. He adds, I am not hugely optimistic.The economic forecast for Puerto Rico remains grim. Immediately after Hurricane Maria, PRs economic activity plummeted to a level not seen since 1980. This is on top of the already declining economic state of the island  the hurricanes hit after nearly 20 years of recession. Puerto Rico was $120 billion in the hole, burdened with $70 billion of bond debt and $50 billion of unfunded pensions. The government has been trying to restructure its debt since May 2017 through bankruptcy in U.S. court and other deals with creditors, and in September 2018, creditors approved a plan to restructure bonds issued by Puerto Ricos insolvent Government Development Bank. But restructuring the debt burden just kicks the can down the road for awhile. With a continuously decreasing population, the goal of digging out of the debt hole continuously recedes. Looming over the reconstruction effort is the ever-present threat of another powerful hurricane strike. The official plan places a great deal of emphasis on resilience, but its hard to imagine how to build an island society thats resilient against both inexorable sea-level rise and increasingly powerful hurricanes. In the face of global warming, its possible that tropical islands around the world will have to be abandoned.Hurricane Maria was the first true climate catastrophe to strike North America and generate a wave of climate refugees, but it surely wont be the last. At what point do we acknowledge that some places will become uninhabitable, and society should stop throwing money and resources into the vortex?Subscriber content preview

DALLAS (AP)  More than two dozen homes in north and central Texas have blown up since 2006 along a network of pipelines operated by one of the largest natural gas companies in the U.S., leading to nine deaths and badly injuring at least 22 other people, a newspaper reported Sunday.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Atmos Energy has some of the nation's oldest pipes and that the company's largest division, Atmos Mid-Tex, has received five times as many state safety violations as Houston's CenterPoint, the other large gas distribution company in Texas.





. . .NY Times is doing now, I prefer district polling to get a better idea of what's going to happen in November. Polling in battleground districts is predictive-- and CBS News did just that Sunday: NY Times' silliness. Kabir Khanna and Anthony Salvanto reported that "Democrats remain in a stronger position than Republicans to win the House of Representatives, with their chances having gradually improved over the summer. We estimate that Democrats would win 224 seats if the elections were held today, which is more than the 218 needed for a majority. As we saw a month ago, This morning we took a look at the lay of the land nationally (and in two bellweather Midwestern states, Minnesota and Iowa). Unless they're the kind of worthless polls theis doing now, I prefer district polling to get a better idea of what's going to happen in November. Polling in battleground districts is predictive-- and CBS News did just that Sunday: House control edges toward Democrats - CBS News poll . Their operation has its drawbacks as well, but not as overwhelmingly as the' silliness. Kabir Khanna and Anthony Salvanto reported that "Democrats remain in a stronger position than Republicans to win the House of Representatives, with their chances having gradually improved over the summer. We estimate that Democrats would win 224 seats if the elections were held today, which is more than the 218 needed for a majority. As we saw a month ago, CBS is extremely tepid and conservative in their polling, but their results in 61 battleground districts is still worth looking at.









The Democratic estimate has slowly but steadily increased over the past three months. It's two seats higher than one month ago and five seats higher than in June. One reason for the Democratic lead is a pattern we have consistently seen: people who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 are more unified in their support for Democratic congressional candidates than Donald Trump voters are for Republicans. While few voters are crossing over in absolute terms, the difference between parties favors Democrats. Six percent of Trump voters say they are voting Democratic, while only two percent of Clinton voters say they are voting Republican now.



...Likely voters in key districts who say they are not sure about their House vote look genuinely conflicted. Though most identify as independents, they lean conservative in terms of their expressed ideology, and more voted for Mr. Trump than for Clinton. On the other hand, they give Republicans negative marks on several issues. They are more likely to say recent Republican changes to health care and trade policy have been negative than positive, and they are ambivalent about the Republican tax bill, with half saying they have not felt its effects. Six in ten say the Republican Party works for the interests of large corporations over working people. These feelings offer an opening to Democrats to win over voters currently on the fence, most of whom say their vote isn't about which party controls the chamber.

The biggest short-coming of the CBS report is that they don't break down any of their information by district. They just give us the average of these 61 districts:













At this point FiveThirtyEight.com predicts that The Republicans have a 1 in 6 chance of holding onto the majority in the House (18%) and the Democrats have a 5 in 6 chance of gaining control (82%). Let's take a look at some Republican-held districts targeted by Democrats that were looked at as long shots, starting with WA-08, where Dave Reichert is retiring and where the GOP is putting up a very well-known politician, Dino Rossi, and where the Democrats have a first-time candidate, physician Kim Schrier:













It's still rated a toss-up by the numbers. But when voters fill out their ballots, Trump will be foremost in their minds and Schrier is going to take the seat. In Omaha (NE-02), the Republican incumbent, Don Baconis having a rougher time defending his seat from a full-fledged grassroots progressive, Kara Eastman and the race went from a toss-up last month to "leans Dem" now, largely because Eastman is campaigning on issues people are interested in (like Medicare-For-All ) and Bacon is a complete Trump rubber-stamp.













With Robert Hurt retiring, Virginia's 5th district is an open seat and the DCCC had exactly zero interest in helping a very outspoken and very progressive Leslie Cockburn beat Republican Denver Riggleman, one of the GOP's most flawed candidates of the cycle. And without DCCC acknowledgement...













Democrats have been fighting to take CA-10 for many years, unsuccessfully. Josh Harder isn't any better-- to put it generously-- than any other DCCC-picked candidate for the district but this is a special year and incumbent Jeff Denham appears to be... a dead man walking:













Now I want to point out a major flaw in the kind of-- by the numbers-- prognostication FiveThirtyEight does. In CA-50, drunken crooked incumbent Duncan Hunter has been indicted on dozens of charges and Ammar Campaigns-Najjar is one of the most compelling candidates the Democrats have running for Congress anywhere. One racist at the DCCC has prevented him from being endorsed and the cockroach DCCC staffer in Orange County has been working against him, despite his victory in the primary and despite endorsements from President Obama, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris. Fuck the DCCC here . FibeThirtyEight doesn't understand how to grok the race and the most recent poll shows gigantic moment for Ammar and a 46-46% dead heat. That said, this is FiveThirtyEight's boneheaded prediction:







The 2018/19 Uganda Premiere League season gets under way on the Friday, 28 September 2018 and the first round fixtures have been finally released.

Seven matches will be played on Friday, the opening day while one game will be played on Saturday.

Reigning champions Vipers will host newcomers Ndejje University, KCCA will be at home against Tooro United (formerly Soana FC), URA host Paidha Black Angels at Namboole while Bright Stars host Maroons in Mwererwe.

On the same day, sixteen time record champions SC Villa Jogoo will travel away to Jinja against Kirinya Jinja SS. Onduparaka hosts Nyamityobora while Mbarara City host Express at a venue yet to be confirmed.

Stories Continues after ad

Two games will be shown Live on match day one; Vipers Vs Ndejje and Police against Bul on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Matchday one fixtures;

Friday September 28, 2018

KCCA Vs Tooro United, StarTimes stadium, Lugogo

URA Vs Paidha Black Angels, Namboole stadium

Vipers Vs Ndejje University, St. Marys stadium, Kitende

Bright Stars Vs Maroons, Champions Stadium, Mwererwe

Onduparaka vs Nyamityobora, Green Light stadium, Arua

Mbarara City vs Express FC, To Be Confirmed

Kirinya Jinja SS Vs SC Villa, Arena of Visions, Jinja

Saturday September 29, 2018

Police FC Vs Bul FC, StarTimes stadium, Lugogo 4pmBlog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)Laura Lezza/Getty Images(FLORENCE, Italy) -- A controversial performance artist was attacked Sept. 23 at a book signing in Florence, Italy.



Marina Abramovic was meeting fans at the opening of a retrospective exhibition of her work when another artist smashed a framed portrait over her head. The incident was caught on cellphone video and shows a stunned Abramovic, who was not seriously injured in the attack.



The assailant was quickly wrestled to the ground by security officials.



Abramovic, 71, said in a statement afterward that a man was holding a rather distorted portrait of her which she initially thought was gift.



"He came forward, staring me straight in the eyes and I smiled thinking that it was a present for me," she said. "In a fraction of a second I saw his expression change and become violent."



Museum officials identified the assailant as 51-year-old Vaclav Pisvejc, an aspiring artist from the Czech Republic who has been detained before for acting out at art exhibits. Earlier this year, Pisvejc was questioned for spray-painting a statue that was being displayed in Florences famed Piazza della Signoria.



Pisvejc, according to The New York Times, told authorities why he went after Abramovic.



I had to do it for my art, he said.



Abramovic is a performance artist from Serbia and has been called one of the most celebrated and controversial personalities of contemporary art.



She's often the subject of her own art. Her retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in March, "Artist is Present," involved her sitting in a room, staring at museum visitors as they examined her. Abramovic sat silently but expressively for 736 hours and 30 minutes over the course of her performance.





Other performances have included inflicting pain on herself.



In her statement, Abramovic scolded Pisvejc for using violence on others to obtain recognition but said she would not press charges against him.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Month-on-month, Ugandas merchandise trade deficit narrowed by 7 per cent to US $175.3 million in July from 188.4 million in June 2018, according to the Performance of the Economy Report for the month of August, published by the Ministry of Finance.

The contraction, according to the report is mainly attributed to reduced import payments that offset a reduction in export receipts.

Year-on-year, the report shows that the merchandise trade deficit widened by 72.8 per cent to US $175.3 million in July 2018 from US $101.4 in July 2017. This development is explained by an increase of 24.9 per cent in the import bill which offset the rise in export receipts, says the report.

Stories Continues after ad

Ugandas merchandise exports

According to the report, the value of merchandise exports increased on annual basis but decreased on a monthly basis. Export earnings reduced by 2.3 per cent to US $to 291.3 million in July from US $298.04 million registered in June 2018. The drop in the value of exports is a result of a drop in earnings of cotton, tea, beans, maize, hides and skins, fish and its products following a decline in their respective volumes.

Year-on-year, export receipts increased by 7 per cent to US $ 291.3 million in July 2018 from US $272.1 million in July 2017. The report attributes the increase to higher earnings of gold, tea, fish and its products.

Still year-on-year, coffee earnings reduced by 17.8 percent to US $40.7 million in July 2018 from US $49.5 million in July 2017. The report says the reduction in coffee earning was due to low international coffee prices on account of higher crop harvest in Brazil as well as lower production from the main harvest in Masaka and South-Western regions compared to the previous year. Coffee volumes and prices fell by 8 per cent and 10.6 per cent respectively.

Destination of Ugandas exports

The East African Community was the largest market for Ugandas exports followed by the rest of Africa. Exports to the EAC region grew by 28.5 per cent to US $126.5 million in July 2018 from US $ 98.4 million in July 2017. Ugandas exports to all EAC Partner States increased save for Burundi which registered a drop of 34.6 per cent.

Ugandas merchandise imports

According to the report, the value of merchandise imports declined on a monthly basis and increased on annual basis. The import bill reduced by 4.1 percent to US $466.5 million in July 2018 from US $486.4 million in June 2018. This drop was primarily driven by a decline in government project imports and oil imports, the report says.

The report tags the decline in the value of oil imports to the lower import volumes. The value of merchandise imports increased by 24.9 per cent in July 2018 compared to the same period last year. This increase was mainly driven by formal private sector imports (both oil and non-oil imports) which grew by 31.4 per cent, the report says.

Oil imports increased by 5.5 per cent whereas non-oil imports increased by 38 per cent. A combination of higher import prices and volumes registered during the month contributed to the increase in the value of formal private sector imports, says the report.

Import categories that recorded high increase included; miscellaneous manufactured articles; machinery equipment, vehicles & accessories; plastics, rubber and related products, vegetable products, animal, beverages, fats and oil.

Origin of Ugandas imports

According to the report, during the month of July 2018, Asia remained the main source of Ugandas imports followed by the Middle East and EAC. Of the imports from Asia, 81.1 per cent were from India, China and Japan combined. Within the EAC, 47.1 percent of the imports were from Kenya followed by Tanzania which contributed 39.4 per cent.Image capture from video shot by ZEMBLA team

Zembla tracked down the colonel who ordered the murder of the four Dutch. The now 79-year-old Mario Reyes Mena has been living in the United States for four years. Zembla found him through his three adult children, who are active on social media.

In 1993 a United Nations truth commission concluded that Reyes Mena was responsible for the ambush and the murder of the Dutch journalists - Koos Koster, Jan Kuiper, Joop Willemsen and Hans ter Laag. That same year an amnesty law was passed in El Salvador, which meant that he could not be prosecuted in that country.

The ambushed Dutch journalists.

Another Salvadoran war criminal has been located living in the United States. Colonel Mario Reyes Mena is alleged to have given the orders in 1982 to kill four Dutch journalists covering the civil war in El Salvador. At the time he was commander of the 4th infantry brigade based in El Paraiso, Chalatenango. The massacre occurred close by in Santa Rita.Dutch journalists from ZEMBLA tracked Reyes Mena down through social media activity to a house in the United States. He has reportedly been living in the US since 1984, two years after the massacre. From NL Times The ZEMBLA team tweeted the video of meeting Reyes Mena at his front door where they asked to speak to him about the allegations in the Truth Commission report.Reyes Mena is seen answering the door in an ARENA T-shirt and angrily telling the reporters that he was never charged with anything. The video begins in English and later their conversation switches to Spanish.There is a petition to open proceedings in El Salvador seeking to hold persons criminally responsible for the 1982 massacre. The complaint is backed by the Dutch government and names as defendants Reyes Mena as well as Colonel Francisco Antonio Moran, ex-director of the Treasury Police, General Rafael Flores Lima, ex-chief of the Estado Mayor General of the armed forces; and General Jose Guillermo Garcia, ex-minister of Defense.Locating Reyes Mena in the United States raises the question whether he could be deported, like former Salvadoran general Eugenio Vides Casanova who was deported under US law which provides for deportation of those guilty of human rights violations.Malcolm Xs daughter praises Turkey and Erdogan

Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of the late Muslim civil rights leader Malcolm X, said Erdogan "represents" the legacy of her father.

Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in New York to attend the 73rd General Assembly of the United Nations.

Yesterday Malcom Xs daughter met with Turkeys President Erdogan and Emine Erdogan in New York amid the president's visit for the U.N. General Assembly session.

Erdogan met with Malcom X's daughters WATCH

"ERDOGAN REPRESENTS THE LEGACY OF MY FATHER"

Shabazz said the meeting with the Erdogans was particularly meaningful because they "represent" the legacy of Malcolm X.

"My father's legacy points to the humanity of each individual. We are all brothers in the sight of Allah. Therefore, he doesn't go on about religion, color, race. He talks about dividing the wrong from the right. When we see something wrong, we should to do something to change it," she said.

SHE PRAISED TURKEY'S HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS

Shabazz also praised Turkeys humanitarian efforts. "The country has opened its doors to 3.5 million refugees, leaving no room to say anything else, because there are people talking about building walls around the world and those who do not understand mercy." said Shabazz.Written by ACM



*Stuttgart(Germany: on the Road from EU's Salzburg Summit [Austria] back to Strasbourg [France]*)/Angelo Marcopolo/- The PanEuropean, 47 Member States-strong (including Russia, etc), Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law's (CoE) Highest Political body, that of its Committee of Ministers, officially declared Today, that it "Deplores" Turkey's Refusal to "Cooperate" in pending issues of Massive and Continuing Violations of Human Rights of Refugees and/or "Missing" Persons, (for which Ankara has been repeatedly Condemned by ECHR) in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, still controlled by Ankara's Military since the 1974 Bloody Invasion by its Foreign Troops.



+Moreover, it appears Proven, now on 2018, that Turkey hasn't set up Any efficient means at all in order to Prevent "UnLawful Sales or Exploitation" of Greek Cypriot Refugees/IDPs' usurpated "Homes and Properties" located in the Occupied Territories controlled by Ankara's Army since the 1974 Military Invasion (See infra), that it may, therefore, have been Abusing for 54 Years, and still persist to do so, with the "Complicity" of those who Cover up such Crimes, (See Facts Infra)...



---------------------------

>>> It's the 1st Time in the soon 70 Years-old History of the CoE, (whose 1949-2019 Anniversary is due to be celebrated Next Year), that a State dares so Bluntly Defy the PanEuropean landmark Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights, which is Widely considered as the Best among all those currently existing in various Continents accross the World, particularly because of a Pioneer Case-Law (thanks also to its key Judgements on Cyprus' Refugees/Displaced persons and "Missing" People) as well as its Legaly-Binding character.



=> Indeed, CoE's Statute clearly makes it an Obligation for all its Member States to abide by the Judgements of the (Pan)European Court of Human Rights.



Turkey is the Only Non-European Member State of the CoE, since an Exceptional Situation, during the "Cold War" and even the Korea War, when Greece had faced a Civil War, and USA's Western Allies had been Anxious to Stop an eventual Extension of the "Socialist" Block (which included then all Northern Neighbours of Greece : Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, etc) in South-Eastern Europe until Deep into the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, facing the Middle East and Suez Channel.



In order to do so, CoE even suddenly Abandoned, then, its Initial Plans to adopt a European Flag including not just a Circle of 12 Golden Stars at a Blue Background, but also, at its Center, a Globe with a Christian Cross, (Identical to Famous Coudenhoven-Kallergis' Historic Symbol for "PanEuropa"), and Replaced it with Only that Circle but Empty inside, (See, f.ex. : ..., etc).



However, during the 1960ies, CoE's then Director for Human Rights and Democracy had reportedly Urged to Oust Turkey, as InCompatible with such European Values, when the Elected Turkish Prime Minister Menderes was Brutally Lynched by a Mob and His Government replaced by a Military regime's cronies. But his voice wasn't heard then by the majority of politicians, and, paradoxically, Ankara remained still a Member, (Contrary to what happened, just a few time later, with the Colonels' regime even in a European Country : Greece, which was, notoriously, Obliged to briefly Leave the CoE somewhere during that Exceptional Period of 1996-2004).



+ Nowadays, the Main Problem is even Greater for Turkey, Because CoE's Membership is, in real practice, a sine-qua-non, Necessary Condition for any 3rd Country wishing to become a fully-fledged Candidate for EU Accession, (with all the Financial and Legal various Advantages that such an official Status gives). Indeed, EU's famous "Copenhagen Criteria", are practically the Same with what became CoE's main Focus of Action, (i.e. Human Rights, Democracy, Rule of Law, etc). And Turkey's Controversial and UnPopular EU Candidate Status wasn't fully given and didn't lead to the Beginning of Accession Negotiations with the EU, but Only After a (very much Contested) CoE's Report claimed on 2004 that Ankara's Government would have met, then, at least a Minimum Threshhold of those CoE's Standards.



So that Cyprus' President, Nicos Anastassiades', bilateral Meetings during EU's Heads of State/Government's Summit in Salzburg, (Austria), the 19th and particularly the 20th of September 2018, (i.e. Yesterday, when it had reportedly become Obvious in Strasbourg that Turkey was Obstinated into Refusing to Cooperate at all with the CoE in the Implementation of ECHR's Judgementw which have Condemned Ankara's Government for Massive Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Part of Cyprus, (Comp. Supra + Infra), should, logically, have offered a Timely Opportunity to Include, also, Possibly, most or all of that Negative Behavior by Turkey.



Among those Anastasiades' Interlocutors in Salzburg, were apparently Included, f.ex., the New EU's Chairman-in-office, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, EU Commission's President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council's President, Donald Tusk, and even the current CoE's President-in-office Andreij Plenkovic, Croatia's Prime Minister, as well as the French President Emmanuel Macron, who is due to Chair the CoE on 2019, (etc).



Meanwhile, in Strasbourg, at CoE's HeadQuarters, during this Autumn 2018's Session of the PanEuropean Organisation's Highest Body, its Committee of Ministers, entitled to Supervise the Execution of ECHR's Judgements by Member States, was Examining the current Situation concerning many Greek Cypriot Refugees/Displaced persons, (a Total of more than 190.000 People, i.e. about 2O% of the legal Population of the Island), as far as it regards their Rights to Access their Family Homes and/or other Private Properties and Ancestral Land located in the Territories of Cyprus still under Foreign Military Occupation by Ankara's Troops since the 1974 bloody Turkish Invasion, (that they had been Obliged to Flee), as well as the situation of Prolonged but Fruitless Queries on What really Happened to around 1.950 "Missing" People, and Find and Punish those Responsible for their EnForced Disappearances, according to a well-established ECHR's case-law.



Turkey has just put Nowadays into real practice, for the 1st Time, its earlier Threat, (reportedly made already as early as since July 2017), to Stop Participating in CoE's Committee of Ministers' supervision of the Implementation of ECHR's Judgements by the Condemned States, particularly as far as it concerns the Deadly Turkish Military Invasion and still persisting Occupation of the Northern Territories of Cyprus.



The ECHR has repeatedly Judged, (after also a landmark Public Hearing held in Strasbourg as early as, already since 1994 : See "Eurofora" co-Founder's NewsReport, Published then, inter alia, also at CNAgency, PIO, etc, followed by various Convergent Decisions of 1996, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, etc), that the Turkish Government, whose Military Troops still Control that Occupied Area of Cyprus, is Responsible for Many Continuing Violations of Greek Cypriot Refugees' Human Rights to Access their Family Homes, other Private Properties and Ancestral Land, in addition to those "Missing" Persons' Rights to Life and Liberty, as well as of the Victims' Families' Right to Know what happened to their beloved ones, provoking situations tantamount to Inhuman and Degrading Treatments, etc.



Those ECHR's Judgements on Cyprus' cases are among the First and Most Important in the World, concerning the Protection of the Human Rights of Refugees/Displaced People, as well as of "Missing" Persons, etc., and have been repeatedly Published, Analysed, cited, Quoted and Used all over across the Planet, (including by various UNO's Reports, Official Booklets, etc: F.ex., the Famous "Pinheiro Principles", on Refugees/DPIs' Rights to Return and for Restoration of their goods, etc), as Historic and World-wide Landmark Examples of what must be done in such Tragic Cases in order to Defend an elementary Human Dignity.



>>> So that, by Threatening to seriously Undermine and/or Belittle them, if not Brutaly and Massively Dismiss them, under any Hollow Pretext or even withOut really one, would be no only a Crime committed against the Victims who Suffered from manifold Violations of their basic Human Rights, but also, practically tantamount into Depriving Europe from some among its most Important core Values, and the whole World from a Key Part of its Sources of Hope for Truth and Justice.



F.ex., among various others, It's not for nothing that ECHR's Great Chamber clearly Warned, on 2014, against anyone might, eventually make such Attempts to "Illegaly Sell or Exploit" the Family Homes and/or other Private Properties of Greek Cypriot Refugees/Displaced Persons in the Turkish-Occupied Territories of Cyprus, and/or those who might attempt to Cover up such persistent Wrong-doing, i.e., practically behaving as "Accomplices", (according to ECHR's Judgement's own original Wording)...



=> Therefore, in the Resolutions adopted Yesterday and published Today by CoE's Highest Body, its Committee of Ministers officially "Called on Turkey to Cooperate" on the collective supervision of ECHR's Judgements' execution, and "Deeply Regretted the Decision of Turkey Not to Participate in the Discussion" held inside the PanEuropean Organization for Human Rights.



+ Moreover, CoE's Highest body, "Also Regretted" that "the Turkish Authorities" have "Not Replied" yet to a Recent Question, raised by the CoE since "December 2017", "as regards the Issue of Property Rights of Displaced Persons" in Cyprus, and concerning the "Existing" ways "to Address the Issue of possible UNLAWFUL SALE AND EXPLOITATION" of Greek Cypriot Refugees/IDPs Properties located in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus :



- Turkey, in fact, had initially Claimed that such Ways to Address that Problem would already Exist there, But, when CoE asked Ankara "to present ...INFORMATION on their PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION", in order "to ASSESS the EFFECTIVENESS" of such Tools, Suddenly, the Turkish Government, (instead of providing any concrete Statistics, etc, on the Contrary), Started to ...Threaten to Stop Cooperating, (from June 2018), and, finally, Now, it really Stopped !



=> In other words, as the Facts cited by the CoE Reveal, Turkey's Behavior shows that Ankara had done practically NOTHING serious TO AVOID ILLEGAL "SALES" AND "EXPLOITATION" of Greek Cypriot Refuges/IDPs' "HOMES and PROPERTIES" in the Territories of Cyprus still Occupied by the Turkish Army...



Therefore, the Risk of "COMPLICITY in any UnLawful Sale and Exploitation of Greek Cypriot Homes and Property" in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, existed, still Today, for "Any possible Permission, Participation, (or)Acquiescence", by anyone in such acts, as the ECHR had already Warned since 2014...



Cyprus' Government said it was "Gravely Concerned about Turkeys continued ...Attempts to create an irreversible de facto situation permanently Obstructing the Return of Greek Cypriots to their properties in the Occupied Areas of Cyprus", (i.e. perpetuating the Division of the Island, Contrary to a Peaceful ReUnification via a Solution of Cyprus' Political Issue).



Therefore, it asked CoE to Confirm that the Transfert or Use of Greek Cypriots' Properties, withOut Consent of Lawful Owner, is a Violation of Property Rights, and, therefore, should be Prevented, and Not Promoted.



-------------------------------------------



+ But it's even on Tragic Cases of "Missing" People in Cyprus, that Turkey now Started to Refuse to "Participate" in CoE's meetings on ECHR Judgements' Implementation, obliging Today the CoE's Ministers to officialy "Deply Regret" that, and to "Call on Turkey to Cooperate with the(ir) Committee", also in the Famous "Varnava and Others" cases.



-------------------------

(../..)

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***

(*NDLR : A Series of UnPrecedented Blockades in the German Train from Salzburg's EU Summit in Austria back to our Base in Strasbourg, surprizingly Hindered a Timely Return back Home, obliging to Complete our Reporting -which had Started earlier this Week inside the CoE in Strasbourg- Later than initialy expected and by using also various Phone Calls, EMails, etc).This Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon!

Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page?Members of the tourism industry were this week invited to attend workshops on Failte Irelands newest regional experience brand, Irelands Hidden Heartlands.

Taking place at three locations throughout the Midlands region, The Irelands Hidden Heartlands  The Road Ahead workshops, which kicked off today, aim to give members of the local tourism industry an update on the brand since it was unveiled in April this year and explore opportunities to use the new brand to boost tourism and drive visitor growth in their area.

Local industry will be introduced to the Irelands Hidden Heartlands team which has now been appointed and mobilised on the ground and hear about:

the tourism potential of the region;

upcoming training and industry supports in the region;

the brands presence at Irelands most influential annual trade event, Meitheal, in 2019;

tips on how to use the brand toolkit to maximise the brands potential.

Failte Irelands Head of Irelands Hidden Heartlands, Paddy Mathews, said:



We are bringing local industry and stakeholders up to speed on some exciting developments since we launched the brand and exploring how we can work together to transform the offering here over the coming years, driving visitor growth for the benefit of all in the region. These workshops are extremely important as now that we have a team on the ground for the Irelands Hidden Heartlands brand, our focus is on working closely with key partners, industry and communities in the area to develop the top-class visitor experiences that will be key to the success of the initiative.



Failte Irelands first domestic consumer marketing campaign for Irelands Hidden Heartlands went live in early July. The multi-media brand awareness campaign worth 1m ran on TV, outdoor, radio and digital channels, and will revolve around the creative idea Yours to Uncover.



The Irelands Hidden Heartlands  The Road Ahead workshops are taking place this week throughout the region: Lough Rynn Castle, Mohill, Co. Leitrim (25th September), the Sheraton Hotel, Athlone, Co. Westmeath (26th September) and the Lakeside Hotel, Killaloe, Co. Clare (27th September).



See a link to the Ireland's Hidden Heartlands industry update here.

Jump to topCONCERNS have been raised that farmers in the drought-affected Eastern States may not be able to heavily rely on WA grain and fodder as the summer months near closer, with local and export demand likely to limit supply.

Large amounts of grain have already been transported from WA to New South Wales and Queensland, with the CBH Group shipping about 10 cargo ships each loaded with 35,000 to 40,000 tonnes to Brisbane, Newcastle and Port Kembla between June and early September.

CBH Group general manager of marketing and trading Jason Craig said a substantial amount of last years crop had already been sent or was on the shipping stem to be sent, with a significant amount of grain from the up-coming harvest also tipped to head east.

There are projections that between 1.5mt and 2mt of WAs crop from the 2018-19 harvest will be shipped to areas on the east coast affected by the drought, with similar volumes expected from South Australia, Mr Craig said.

However, according to Croker Grain general manager Damian Maloney who attended last weeks Grain Industry Association of Western Australia (GIWA) Oat Spring Forum at Narrogin, WA grain could soon head elsewhere.

The whole east coast market now is getting supported by WA grain so what will have an impact on that for the east coast is if global futures rally and the price in WA is more attractive, well see more grain going from WA to export, Mr Maloney said.

Mr Maloney said there was a large degree of uncertainty in Eastern States markets as to where demand would sit heading into summer, as it was difficult to gauge how much grain stored on-farm had already been fed out to livestock.

One of the big unknowns for the east coast is how much grain has gone down a sheep or cows throat, Mr Maloney said.

A huge thing for us this year will be the on-farm storage vacuum  there is an enormous amount of storage on-farm that is completely empty so there will have to be a lot of grain harvested and stored on-farm before it starts to roll through to the system.

According to Mr Maloney after initially targeting barley, drought-affected farmers had turned to cheaper grains including wheat and oats and were even purchasing alternative feed options such as cotton seed and almond hull to sustain their livestock.

Milne Feeds ruminant feed sales manager Dean Toovey said pellets were also in high demand heading east.

Mr Toovey said the company had managed to secure a competitive freight rate and was trucking pellets across the country, while also exploring the option of shipping pellets in bulk to Sydney, before transporting them via rail to central NSW.

He said Milne was running at full capacity sending between 1000t and 1500t of its EasyOne and EasyBeef products to Parkes and Dubbo in central NSW each week.

With the live export trade a key market for Milne pellets, Mr Toovey said the recent interruptions to trade meant supplying large quantities to Eastern States customers was possible.

Were sending the export pellets we had at the wharf for the live sheep trade over, so with the live export boats going down thats really freed up capacity, Mr Toovey said.

Usually this time of the year is our quietest time  theres a few people feeding whatever lambs are left in WA but in general this is pretty quiet.

We normally do quite a bit to the north of WA now, but thats fairly quiet as well at this stage.

However, Mr Toovey said Milne was unlikely to continue sending large quantities of pellets to NSW, with local demand set to increase as the WA season dried off in the next couple of months.

He said the company had to prioritise its local customers at the expense of its Eastern States counterparts.

Those in the north of WA are mustering and that will start picking up in the next month or so and we start really ramping up domestically in WA at about Christmas, Mr Toovey said.

Its not now that they (Eastern States farmers) are going to have problems, it will be in three months  in November and December  when theyve fed them for a year and a half then and theyve got to do it again.

It will depend on how hard the finish is here; if its a soft finish we can send pellets over there longer and if its a hard finish local demand will start ramping up pretty quickly

Were all just sending as much as we can at the moment while capacity allows here.Indias anti-bribery and anti-corruption regime recently went through a massive change with the enactment of the 2018 Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. What is the impact of the so-called Amendment Act and what measures should companies put in place to ensure compliance?

The Amendment Act is prospective in nature and takes effect from the date it received presidential assent, July 26, 2018. Companies doing business in India dont need to retrospectively assess their compliance and will only be regulated by these provisions prospectively.

Offense of giving bribes. In the earlier version of the PCA, bribe giving was merely an indirect offense and punishable as abetment. The offense of giving a bribe was hinged upon the bribe taker being prosecuted and punished. However, with the Amendment Act, giving or promising to give a bribe or undue advantage to a public servant is now a distinct offense. This means the number of prosecutions and convictions would increase and companies need to watch out for a likely rise in enforcement activity.

Where a person is compelled to give an undue advantage, they wont be prosecuted if they report the matter within seven days from the date of giving the undue advantage. This provision therefore allows for a defense in cases where a person is coerced into giving a bribe to a public official.

Offense of bribery by commercial organizations. Prior to the Amendment Act, the PCA lacked any provision about the liability of commercial organizations for acts of bribery. However, the amended PCA creates the offense of bribery by commercial organizations and provides that a commercial organization shall be punishable if any person associated with such commercial organization bribes a public servant. This means the legislation now explicitly targets companies and, in the absence of an affirmative defense, companies will be penalized for paying bribes.

The capacity in which the person performs services for the organization is immaterial. So if an Indian subsidiary of a multinational corporation commits bribery, the parent company may also be held liable for the offense. In India, any commercial organization has to engage multiple third parties  sometimes very small mom and pop shops  who then interact with public officials to secure licenses or approvals. Because of the Amendment Act, the way they perform their services now becomes extremely relevant.

The amended PCA also provides a defense to commercial organizations accused of bribery.An organization than can satisfactorily prove it had adequate procedures to prevent bribery will have a valid defense. No guidelines have yet been formulated defining what adequate procedures would entail. But assuming this provision was inspired by the UK Bribery Act, then it will help bring Indian companies to the same level as their global counterparts.

Liability of management. The Amendment Acts most significant change for company management is the creation of a specific offense where officials of a commercial organization may also be penalized. By introducing such a provision, it is likely that the law enforcement authorities will come down heavy on personnel involved while also prosecuting the organization for acts of bribery.

This translates into the need to conduct management focused compliance training. D&O liability insurance will also likely have higher premiums. This is also a strong reminder to set the tone at the top and ensure that a zero tolerance approach to bribery and corruption is clearly communicated.

* * *

What do these changes mean for a global chief compliance officer with significant operations in India? Here are some immediate next steps:

Update internal policies for consistency with with the changed legislative requirements.

Re-train key management personnel. With heightened focus on the liability of personnel, companies need to ensure that management knows when to say no.

Ensure that the third parties are not only complying in form but in substance as well. An organizations compliance systems should be geared to address third party risks.

Revisit the whistleblower hotline and SOPs around the handling of complaints and tips. If a payment is made under duress, it is important for the company to discover and report it in a timely manner.

Revisit compliance infrastructure to ensure that adequate procedures, in line with the changed legislative requirements, are put in place.

____

Kunal Gupta, pictured above, is partner and head of the white collar investigations practice at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas in India. He is regularly involved in assisting clients with multi-jurisdiction investigations in Asia. He can be reached here.

This article is published courtesy of Spot Blue International Property Ltd

An announcement in the official Gazette of Turkey reports revised changes for gaining Turkish citizenship by investment. Financial criteria has been massively reduced in an aim to attract more foreign investment into the country.

Previously the required financial outlay for gaining citizenship through real estate acquisition was 1 million USD. The revised figure is just a quarter of that, and now anyone buying a home worth $250,000, can become a Turkish citizen.

Capital investment requirements have been reduced from 2 million USD to $500,000, while bank deposits held for three years have been reduced from 3 million USD to $500,000.

Foreign business executives will also be pleased because gaining citizenship by creating jobs has been reduced from 100 people to 50.

Turkish Real Estate Market Welcomes the News

The news will be welcomed by many industry experts, especially the real estate sector who have repeatedly asked for the citizenship investment level to be lowered. The Turkish real estate market already appeals to various nationalities for investment and expat living.

In recent years, it has experienced a surge in demand from Middle Eastern nationalities who particularly prefer areas like Trabzon in the North East coast, due to similarities in culture. European, Russian and British nationalities buy in the Aegean and Mediterranean coastal resorts.

Buying Citizenship Throughout the World

The revised amount puts Turkey ahead of other countries, who also offer citizenship through property purchases. Greece charges $300,000, the smallest requirement for the USA is $500,000, while Cyprus is one of the worlds priciest citizenship investment participants by charging a staggering $2.4 million Dollars.

Spot Blue International Property Ltd

Click on the advert to the right of the page or on link below for further details about Spot Blue.

Spot Blue  making your dream come trueEvery small business needs a strong online representation. It is not only about eCommerce websites that sell products on the Global Web. Having a solid site may result in wider accessibility as well as higher recognition and customer awareness of your brand among users worldwide. Whether you run a small fitness center or crave for selling services globally, building a website is an essential stage to handle a growing competition in the small business niche.

While most business owners search for the slightest chance to save a buck and refuse from hiring custom web developers and full-cycle agencies, website builders appear to be a better and more cost-effective alternative. On the one hand, users are not supposed to deal with coding or programming. No special skills are required. On the other hand, web-building software is affordable offering various plans to meet any budget. What is more, you can launch your small business online almost instantly. The path from signing in to publishing a ready-to-use site will hardly take you more than several hours. The only challenge is to choose a proper platform for your business. This is where our list of leading website builders for small business might be helpful.

SITE123: FREE WEBSITE BUILDER

Site123 is a great option for those who lack technical skills. The platform is extremely easy to learn and use thanks to the intuitive interface. Although professional developers and web designers might find the software pretty basic, newbies will appreciate its ease of use in addition to its core features.

SITE123 Features:

Responsive Templates  SITE123 offers various themes for different types of websites that are ready to use on various mobile devices.

 SITE123 offers various themes for different types of websites that are ready to use on various mobile devices. Digital Store  The selection of themes includes ready-to-use online store templates for different types of online shops. Users only need to choose the template they want, add content, and start selling products online.

 The selection of themes includes ready-to-use online store templates for different types of online shops. Users only need to choose the template they want, add content, and start selling products online. Email Marketing  SITE123 allows integration with various tools necessary for user acquisition. They include email subscription instruments like MailChimp, Robly, GetResponse, and more.

 SITE123 allows integration with various tools necessary for user acquisition. They include email subscription instruments like MailChimp, Robly, GetResponse, and more. Multi Language Websites  You can reach a wider global audience with multilingual websites with SITE123. The system will automatically translate your text into the language you want as well as generate separate URLs for every website version.

 You can reach a wider global audience with multilingual websites with SITE123. The system will automatically translate your text into the language you want as well as generate separate URLs for every website version. Custom Form Builder  This feature makes it easy to design and customize users unique custom forms. You can choose from 11 layouts available and change different elements, from send button text to running scripts.

SSL/HTTPS Encryption  SSL certification ensures website protection from attacks and online frauds. When you opt for SITE123, you get a built-in free SSL encryption protocol.

SITE123 Pricing

SITE123 offers several affordable plans that start from $10.80 per month for a basic package. However, you might need advanced plan to meet your small business requirements. It costs from $16.80/month, containing up to 1000 mailing list messages, 50 monthly orders, etc. If you need a more complex eCommerce website, A Professional Plan is the one you need. It costs from $22.80 per month. Try SITE123 today!

UCRAFT

Designed particularly for building professional landing pages and small business websites, Ucraft is a good option for those who seek for a platform that is easy to use and update. The software lets users create straightforward business pages that hit the target audience directly. Creating an eCommerce website is easy thanks to platforms webshop templates with already integrated product pages, buy or add to cart buttons, item filters and more.

Ucraft Features:

Ease of Use  newbies will like the editing process that is very simple due to a drag-and-drop feature. Simply select a necessary element and adjust it on the page whenever you need it. The same thing with adding files and content;

 newbies will like the editing process that is very simple due to a drag-and-drop feature. Simply select a necessary element and adjust it on the page whenever you need it. The same thing with adding files and content; Wide Selection of Templates  Ucraft boasts a diverse selection of templates. They include one-page themes, templates for blogs, professional landing pages as well as themes for eCommerce and small business;

 Ucraft boasts a diverse selection of templates. They include one-page themes, templates for blogs, professional landing pages as well as themes for eCommerce and small business; Logo Maker  the software has its own tool to create a logo for your business. The tools are free and let users design icons, shapes, and other elements to establish a unique style for a website;

 the software has its own tool to create a logo for your business. The tools are free and let users design icons, shapes, and other elements to establish a unique style for a website; Landing Page Creator  a user can create a professional landing page with the help of this tool. You need to choose any of the available templates and organize it in the way you need. You can also optimize the content and implement necessary SEO settings;

 a user can create a professional landing page with the help of this tool. You need to choose any of the available templates and organize it in the way you need. You can also optimize the content and implement necessary SEO settings; Designer Tools  simple tools let users easily change and edit texts and headings as well as page layouts. UIKit makes it easy to customize forms and add exclusive style to your site;

 simple tools let users easily change and edit texts and headings as well as page layouts. UIKit makes it easy to customize forms and add exclusive style to your site; eCommerce Features  the platform makes it easy to implement SEO for each product setting tags at any time. Users will appreciate the ability to sell products from the website and social media platforms at the same time.

Ucraft Pricing

The platform offers several plans including a FREE plan for landing pages. It already includes SEO app. Integrated Google Analytics and other options. However, if you need a more complicated web store with a bunch of management and user acquisition tools, Pro Shop plan looks like a bargain for $31/month. The plan includes 24/7 support, free domain and hosting, SSL security, real-time sales tracing and more.

MOBRISE

Unlike other websites builders from our list, Mobirise is an offline software. It means that a download is required to start building a website. The platform is compatible with both Windows and Mac. It is good for building small and medium websites as well as landing pages and business sites for services and product. The software was designed for newbies who are not involved in technical issues of the building process. At the same time, it is good for professional coders who are looking for fast prototyping capabilities.

Mobirise features:

Easy-to-Use Interface  users can drag and block to a page and adjust it effortlessly. Editing content inside the box is as easy as using the text editor;

 users can drag and block to a page and adjust it effortlessly. Editing content inside the box is as easy as using the text editor; Mobile Friendliness  the platform delivers adaptive bootstrap platforms that are mobile responsive on default. Mobirise has a Mobile Preview feature. It lets you have a look at the website appearance before publishing it

 the platform delivers adaptive bootstrap platforms that are mobile responsive on default. Mobirise has a Mobile Preview feature. It lets you have a look at the website appearance before publishing it Ready-to-Use Shops  the software has a range of prebuilt shop templates with already implemented carts, product settings, and filters to range products by price;

 the software has a range of prebuilt shop templates with already implemented carts, product settings, and filters to range products by price; AMP Website Builder  AMP builder ensures a faster and smoother site loading. Your articles get the AMP icon and will be shown first when a user access them via a mobile device;

 AMP builder ensures a faster and smoother site loading. Your articles get the AMP icon and will be shown first when a user access them via a mobile device; Absolutely Free  the platform is free for all users whether they use it for non-profitable or commercial purposes.

Mobirise pricing

As it was mentioned before, the software is free to use. However, you will need to think of hosting facilities for the website. This is where Github Pages may be a good solution to save a couple of bucks. At the same time, you will need to pay for a wider selection of premium themes, extra blocks and extensions for your website. The price for a customized template starts from $29.

uKit

This SaaS software was designed for non-technicians who do not want to deal with coding. uKit is a good platform for building small and medium websites as well as landing pages and portfolios. It has enough features to come up with a solid digital store that will run smoothly on the desktop as well as smartphones and tablets.

uKit Features:

Responsive Templates  users can choose from over 250 different templates. They include landing pages and small online shops that are mobile-friendly;

 users can choose from over 250 different templates. They include landing pages and small online shops that are mobile-friendly; eCommerce Functionality  the feature lets site owners edit cart and product functions as well as handle the store settings and checkout pages;

 the feature lets site owners edit cart and product functions as well as handle the store settings and checkout pages; Integration with CRM  amoCRM is a handy widget to track your sales in real time. The tool lets users manage their products and monitor customers from a single dashboard;

 amoCRM is a handy widget to track your sales in real time. The tool lets users manage their products and monitor customers from a single dashboard; Mobile Site Editor  using this feature, you can tune your website mobile appearance, remove or add blocks without affecting the desktop version.

uKit pricing

uKit offers a $4-dollar Premium plan. It would be enough to build a decent website for small business. However, if you need a small or medium online store, uKit also has an eCommerce plan that will meet your requirements. Costing from $9.6/month it provides a full access to all Premium+ features in addition to digital store building instruments.

IM CREATOR

IM Creator represents a free flexible multi-purpose website building platform. It will be a good option for both individuals running small or medium online shops as well as companies looking for a chance to extend their business. The software delivers some great eCommerce features in addition to White Label opportunities.

IM Creator Features:

Mobile Responsive Templates  users can select from an array of professionally designed themes as well as ready-to-use web shops. They might require some slight customization;

 users can select from an array of professionally designed themes as well as ready-to-use web shops. They might require some slight customization; Simple Editing  although IM Creator does not have a drag-and-drop feature, the platform uses so-called stripes. You can edit the template, remove any bloc and arrange the content the way you see it;

 although IM Creator does not have a drag-and-drop feature, the platform uses so-called stripes. You can edit the template, remove any bloc and arrange the content the way you see it; eCommerce  web store owners will find it easy to add and manage their products, implement SEO settings, offer various currencies and payment options to their customers;

 web store owners will find it easy to add and manage their products, implement SEO settings, offer various currencies and payment options to their customers; Blogging  the tool makes it easy to design your own blog. t has a simple editor where you can change elements, add new posts, change page name, add white papers and link your blog to social networks.

IM Creator pricing

Premium Plan starts from $8 per month if you pay for a year in advance. It can be good for small websites and digital stores while artists, students and non-profit organizations can access IM Creator features free. The plan includes unlimited hosting facilities in addition to premium support and no ads.

The Bottom Line

Website builders made it easy for small business owners to create a site and represent their brand online. From now, there is no need in spending thousands of dollars to have a functional platform for any niche. Whether you face the need of building an eCommerce website or enter any other field that refers to small business, web building platforms come as a good alternative. Most of them are easy to use. They do not require special skills and make it possible to build a solid online shop from scratch within several hours.

At the same time, you need to be 100% sure a chosen platform meets your requirements when it comes to functionality and tools. You must ensure it provides all necessary options to launch your business online. This is where free trials may come in handy. They give you a chance to try the platform free and check how the system works. Examinations and tests reveal the software insights making it clear whether it suits your needs or not.

About the author: Howard Steele is a professional web developer with over 12 years of experience. In his blog https://superbwebsitebuilders.com he observes modern web building tools and provides in-depth website builders comparisons.Luciole Medical AG, a Zurich, Switzerland-based developer of a platform of brain monitoring devices, closed a CHF 5.3m (4.7m) in Series A financing.

The round was led by new investor SVC Ltd. (SVC Ltd. for Risk Capital for SMEs, a subsidiary of Credit Suisse), with participation from Blue Ocean Ventures, Investiere and B-to-V and existing shareholder ZKB (Zurcher Kantonalbank).

The company will use the funds to initiate commercialization of its minimally-invasive monitoring probe designed to measure blood oxygen levels in the brain, specifically for patients in intensive care units, and further develop its non-invasive patch that is designed to measure oxygen saturation and blood flow of brain tissue in patients undergoing surgery.

A spin out from the Swiss Polytechnic Institute and the University of Zurich and led by Dr. Philippe Dro, CEO, Luciole Medical has developed a platform of next-generation devices to monitor such parameters as brain oxygenation and blood flow. The technology measures oxygenated and de-oxygenated hemoglobin content in the brain as well as cerebral blood flow, thus giving precious information on tissue metabolism and brain function.

The company has received the CE mark in 2016 for its minimally invasive probe for use in comatose patients following stroke or traumatic brain injury. Luciole Medicals second product, a non-invasive patch, is currently under development and will be used in anesthesia and in other conditions where the brain may be exposed to desaturation.

FinSMEs

25/09/2018Urban Plates, a Cardiff, California-based, upscale fast casual restaurant brand, closed a $38m growth and working capital facility.

Goldman Sachs Specialty Lending Group provided the financing.

The company will use the proceeds to expand the brand by building new restaurants in various geographic areas around the country.

Founded by and industry veterans Saad Nadhir and John Zagara, Urban Plates has a philosophy combining a modern food marketplace with a fine-dining culinary experience. It provides fresh, meals, entree salads, hand-carved sandwiches, hot and chilled sides, seasonal soups and braises, as well as natural juice Replenishers and desserts.

The brand operates 15 locations, including 13 California restaurants and two East Coast restaurants in the Washington D.C. area.

FinSMEs

25/09/2018.    ,     ,   80%  . ,     ,        .    ,        .    ,      .     ,          ...This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.The 1987 Buick Grand National was one of the brawniest cars of its day, the kind that any American muscle enthusiast would have given their right foot for the chance to drive into the ground.

That is except for one person in Virginia, and he actually bought one.

The black coupe in question is currently being auctioned on Ebay with just 74 miles on its odometer, as first reported by BarnFinds.com, and the window sticker still displayed.

The broker handling the sale told Fox News Autos that its been in storage since 1991 and driven only about 2 miles after a recent tune-up to make sure everything was running fine before it was listed for sale.

TWIN 1987 BUICK GRAND NATIONALS SOLD FOR OVER $200G

Aside from a new gas tank, spark plugs, wires, fuel pump, fuel filter, air filter and fuel sending unit, the car is all-original and the replaced parts have been preserved and are included with the sale. The grey interior is spotless, while the black paint has undergone a 60 hour correction and looks as perfect as possible.

The car cost $18,000 when new and is listed with a buy it now price of $64,900, but the auction runs through the end of Tuesday. A similar car with a whopping 375 miles on it attracted a high bid of $90,000 at a Mecum Auction last fall, but failed to meet its reserve.

The only question if you buy the one on Ebay is: do you drive the heck out of it, or park it for another quarter-century and treat it like a retirement fund?

UPDATE 9/27: The Ebay seller, Davis AutoSports, clarified that it is the current owner of the Buick and listed it on Ebay on its own behalf. The auction ended without a sale, but the car is still available directly from the dealer.

MORE CLASSIC CAR NEWS FROM FOX NEWS AUTOSA judge has declared that Bill Cosby will be legally labeled a sexually violent predator after the 81-year-old comedian was found guilty of drugging and raping Andrea Constand in 2004.

The classification means that Cosby must undergo monthly counseling for the rest of his life and report quarterly to authorities. His name will appear on a sex offender registry sent to neighbors, schools and victims.

Judge Steven ONeill made the declaration on Tuesday after hearing both the prosecution and Cosbys defense team argue about whether the Cosby Show star fits the criteria for the label.

Prosecutors believed that Cosbys predatory behavior is something that persists and, even at 81, he still poses a threat. His defense team, on the other hand, argued against the labeling calling it unconstitutional and unnecessary given his age and that there have been no reports of any sexual misconduct in the last 14 years.

As previously reported, Cosby was found guilty in April of drugging Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home before raping her in 2004. Constands case is significant as its the only one of the more than 60 women who have come forward with similar allegations against Cosby that fall within the statute of limitations to prosecute.

O'Neill said prosecutors had met their burden of proof by "clear and convincing" evidence.

When the ruling came down, a woman in the courtroom shot her fist into the air and whispered, "Yessss!"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby will serve three to 10 years in state prison, Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O'Neill ruled on Tuesday. The former television superstar, who traded on a squeaky clean, fatherly image, was sentenced after being found guilty of three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault in April in one of the most widely publicized trials in modern history.

BILL COSBY FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT: A LOOK AT THE CASE

Cosby's legal team asked that he be released on bail, pending his appeal. However, the judge denied that request. He will be sent to prison immediately as Judge O'Neill deemed that he could "quite possibly be a danger to the community."

The sentence is significantly lighter than the possible maximum sentence for his crimes, each of which carry up to 10 years in prison, meaning he could have served a 30 year maximum sentence. However, District Attorney Kevin Steel asked ONeill Monday to sentence Cosby, 81, to five to 10 years in state prison. However, Cosbys defense team argued that even that would cause excessive hardship to the elderly star.

What does an 81-year-old man do in prison? attorney Joseph Green asked the court. How does he fight off the people who are trying to extort him, or walk to the mess hall?"

However, Cosbys accuser, Andrea Constand, as well as the more than 60 women who have come forward with allegations against him in recent years, argued that the man once heralded as Americas Dad should not get a pass for his crimes just because of his age and status.

I wasn't sure what had actually happened but the pain spoke volumes, Constand said in an impact statement to the court. The shame was overwhelming. Self-doubt and confusion kept me from turning to my family or friends as I normally did. I felt completely alone, unable to trust anyone, including myself.

Cosby's sentence comes after a lengthy trial that resulted in one mistrial and an eventual guilty verdict, over accusations from former Temple University employee Constand. He was found to have drugged and sexually assaulted Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. Since then, multiple women have come forward against "The Cosby Show" star with similar allegations of assault.

"So to say that he's too old to do that  to say that he should get a pass, because it's taken this long to catch up to what he's done?" Steele said, his voice rising. "What they're asking for is a 'get out of jail free' card."

The first part of the sentencing hearings focused on the prosecutions efforts to label Cosby a sexually violent predator. Despite efforts from Cosbys defense team to argue that he is no longer a threat to anyone, Judge ONeil ruled Tuesday that Cosby will be given that label. The classification means that Cosby must undergo lifetime counseling and report quarterly to authorities. His name will appear on a sex-offender registry sent to neighbors, schools and victims.

Cosbys trial was heralded as the first major celebrity trial of the #MeToo movement, and the first to result in a conviction. Cosbys reputation sank after comedian Hannibal Buress brought up the numerous sexual assault allegations against the comic in 2014. Since then, more than 60 women have come forward with allegations against him.

"The victims cannot be un-raped. Unfortunately, all we can do is hold the perpetrator accountable," said Gianna Constand, the victim's mother, who testified Monday that her daughter's buoyant personality was forever changed after the attack.

More than a decade prior, Constand sued Cosby in 2005, settling for nearly $3.4 million. In the deposition for that case, Cosby admitted to buying Quaaludes and giving women drugs and alcohol before sex  although he said every interaction was consensual. Constands allegations were the only ones that could bring about a criminal case against Cosby as many of the other womens accusations fell outside the statute of limitations.

The Associated Press contributed to this reportBill Cobsy's wife, Camille, is claiming that the disgraced comedian was "denied his right to a fair trial."

Following her husband's Tuesday sentencing of three to 10 years in state prison for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, Camille Cosby issued a statement accusing District Attorney Kevin Steele of using "falsified evidence," claiming that at trial he presented doctored audio of a recorded phone conversation between Cosby and Constand's mother, Gianna.

"After being tipped off by a recent online publication that a tape-recording Mr. Steele played during trial was doctored, Mr. Cosby retained a forensic expert to conduct an audio authenticity analysis of the recording," the statement read.

"Gianna Constand, the mother of Andrea Constand, had surreptitiously and illegally made the recording of Mr. Cosby in 2005 without his knowledge or consent," the statement continued. "That recording was provided to Bruse Castor while he was DA of Montgomery County. Mr. Castor determined that Gianna Constand's surreptitious recording constituted a potential felony under Pennsylvania law, which required Ms. Constand to obtain Mr. Cosby's consent to the recording."

According to The Associated Press, Steele rejected the allegation, saying, "It that's what they've got, it's beyond a Hail Mary."

In her statement, Camille alleged that Steele "beat" Castor for district attorney "by unethically attacking him for not prosecuting my husband."

"He thereafter used the illegal recording in both trials, claiming that it was an authentic recording of the 2005 conversation," Camille alleged. "Mr. Steele relied heavily on the recording in both trials, ultimately convincing the jury in the second trial to return a guilty verdict."

Camille went on to claim that on Sept. 12, an online publication reported that a Montgomery County Court official, requesting anonymity, said "the original recording" by Gianna was "doctored and contained information that would exonerate Mr. Cosby."

"The defense team immediately sent its copy of the recording to a forensic expert, who, after extensive analysis, has unequivocally concluded: 'This is not a true representation of the original content or conversation. Without question this is not an authentic recording.'"

Camille Cosby claims that the district attorney never disclosed that the recording "was inauthentic, much less that it had been falsified," and that following the media report, Montgomery County detectives "acknowledged to the defense team that they could not authenticate the recording and did not know who made the version of the recording played at trial."

Camille concluded her statement by noting that Cosby's defense team "will be filing a motion seeking immediate relief for the prosecution's use of this falsified evidence."

"The DA's use of the falsified audio clip at trial is deeply prejudicial, yet it represents just one of many issues that resulted in the denial of Mr. Cosby's right to a fair trial," the statement read. "These egregious injustices must be corrected."

The former television superstar, who traded on a squeaky clean, fatherly image, was sentenced after being found guilty of three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault in April in one of the most widely publicized trials in modern history.

Fox News' Tyler McCarthy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh has been under a microscope, with a barrage of media coverage since he was hit with sexual misconduct allegations. But the same media largely ignores physical and verbal harassment claims against Rep. Keith Ellison, a top Democratic National Committee (DNC) official.

NewsBusters Managing Editor Curtis Houck told Fox News that the double standard is striking when comparing coverage of damaging allegations against Kavanaugh and Ellison.

The networks have shown an incredible disregard for Ellison's accuser and her supporting evidence, which is far more than what's been alleged so far in either case against Judge Kavanaugh."  NewsBusters Managing Editor Curtis Houck

The networks have shown an incredible disregard for Ellison's accuser and her supporting evidence, which is far more than what's been alleged so far in either case against Judge Kavanaugh, Houck said. Ellison knows that his voters will overwhelmingly support him, so the desire to fight or even respond to these claims is minimal.

The accusations made against Ellison have barely been covered by the broadcast news networks  where many voters still consume their news. There have only been 3 minutes and 28 seconds of Ellison coverage on CBS, with none on ABC or NBC during their morning and evening newscasts, according to the Media Research Center.

Houck said that Kavanaugh, on the other hand, is up against most of the mainstream media and his claim is backed up with statistics.

From Sept. 17-21 alone, the ABC, CBS and NBC morning and evening newscasts spent a combined 223 minutes covering Kavanaugh, according to MRC. ABC spent 89 minutes on the topic, while CBS spent 69 minutes and NBC spent a 65 minutes on the allegations against President Trumps Supreme Court nominee.

The media's virulent desire to stop Kavanaugh from being another conservative vote on the Supreme Court has boiled over at the expense of their journalistic ethics and commitment to objectivity, Houck said.

ABC, NBC and CBS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to the MRC, the Ellison story was ignored by CNN from Aug. 15 until Sept. 22  when host S.E. Cupp brought it up on her show, Unfiltered, to point out the very obvious double standard in outrage when comparing Ellison to Kavanaugh.

Ellisons ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan, on Sunday claimed there's been a smear campaign against her in an attempt to help Ellison. Last week, she said many Democrats haven't believed her claims: I've been smeared, threatened, isolated from my own party.

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.

Kavanaugh denied all wrongdoing he has been accused of.

Fox News Frank Miles contributed to this report.Bill Clinton spokesperson-turned ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos has been called out for hypocrisy after a combative interview with press secretary Sarah Sanders on Tuesday, when the Good Morning America star accused President Trump of always siding with men when it comes to sexual misconduct claims.

"It is absolutely amazing that Stephanopoulos has the gall to say it seems like President Trump is always siding with the men when it comes to accusations of sexual impropriety and sexual assault given his work in the Clinton administration, conservative strategist Chris Barron told Fox News.

"It is absolutely amazing that Stephanopoulos has the gall given his work in the Clinton administration.  Conservative strategist Chris Barron

The interview started off with a series of questions about Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein before the conversation shifted to the ongoing sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

The president consistently, every single time, takes the side of the man, Stephanopoulos said.

Sanders fired back, Its interesting that you say that. Its a lot of Democrats that like to ignore Keith Ellison and Cory Booker. They love to fight and champion women until they disagree with them.

Stephanopoulos reminded Sanders that Al Franken lost his job over inappropriate sexual behavior.

A number of other Democrats should have the same type of scrutiny, Sanders said, before Stephanopoulos interrupted, Every single time, the president has taken the side of the man against women accusers.

Sanders said that Trump knows Brett Kavanaugh and has heard his story, explaining that there hasnt been a shred of evidence to back up claims made against the Supreme Court nominee -- but the "GMA" star quickly changed the subject.

Maybe ABC should have found someone with a little more credibility around this issue to ask these questions, Barron said. Factually, Stephanopoulos is also flat wrong. President Trump has been a high-profile defender of women like Juanita Broaddrick who were victimized by President Clinton and demonized by the main stream media."

"Stephanopoulos is also flat wrong. President Trump has been a high-profile defender of women like Juanita Broaddrick who were victimized by President Clinton and demonized by the main stream media"  Conservative strategist Chris Barron

Fox News host Mark Levin took to Twitter to express frustration at Stephanopoulos for the interview.

Hey George, didnt you always take the side of Bill Clinton against the myriad of women who accused him of sexual assault? Levin asked.

Before converting from Democratic operative to news anchor, Stephanopoulos famously pushed back against rumors of Clintons infidelities and was once captured on film bullying a reporter into killing a story about one of Clintons affairs. He also once told Sam Donaldson that stories about Clintons infidelity were the result of a "Republican attack machine" and chalked up Clintons affairs as side issues that Americans dont care about.

Mediaite columnist Joseph Wulfsohn told Fox News that theres obviously a bit of irony that George Stephanopoulos would accuse this president of always taking the side of the alleged abuser considering his own background.

His own former boss Bill Clinton has been accused of far worse than anything Kavanaugh supposedly done."  Columnist Joseph Wulfsohn

His own former boss Bill Clinton has been accused of far worse than anything Kavanaugh supposedly has done. I'm actually surprised Sarah Sanders didn't invoke Clinton in her response since she's known for being very combative, Wulfsohn said.

Author James Hirsen added, Stephanopoulos apparently cant remember taking the side of the accused Bill Clinton.

Stephanopoulos ties to Clinton became a source of embarrassment to ABC during the presidential campaign, when he was caught secretly giving money to the Clinton Foundation. He had to recuse himself from hosting any presidential debates.Southern Charm star Thomas Ravenel was arrested in South Carolina Tuesday and charged with second-degree assault and battery following an investigation into an alleged sexual assault that occurred in 2015.

Ravenel, 56, was booked into Charleston County jail just after 10 a.m. and is being held without bond, according to Charleston County Sheriff's Office's jail records.

The arrest was in connection with a 43-year-old woman's alleged assault, Charleston police told Fox News. The woman previously revealed herself to People magazine as "Dawn," a former nanny to Ravenels children. She told the magazine that she had filed the police report.

According to an incident report, authorities began investigating the Bravo TV star in May, after the woman claimed she was sexually assaulted by Ravenel in January 2015.

The allegations stem from an incident said to have occurred while the woman was employed as the nanny, according to Ravenel's arrest affidavit from the Charleston Police Department.

WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE

Before trying to undress the woman, Ravenel allegedly took her hand "and placed it on his penis," the affidavit said.

"While attempting to remove the victim's clothing, the victim's underwire bra cut into her skin and her shirt wrapped around her neck, which caused the victim to struggle to breathe," the affadavit said.

"The defendant pulled down the victim's pants and said, 'Show me your p---y,' and began grabbing at the victim's vagina," the affidavit continued. "The victim crouched down to the ground to try and prevent further assault, and the defendant then put his penis in her face and asked, 'Do you like big d---s?'"

The woman ultimately fled and told "several family members," including her then ex-husband and sister, of the alleged incident, the affidavit said.

"Photographs were then taken immediately of the injuries to her neck and chest," the affidavit said, adding that detectives obtained the images which were "appropriately time-stamped in reference to the incident."

A second woman came forward earlier this year accusing Ravenel of sexual assault.

Model Ashley Perkins told Fox News that her mother, Debbie Holloway Perkins, met Ravenel over Tinder in October 2015. She said that after a few months of talking, Ravenel asked Debbie on a last-minute date on Dec. 25.

"[My mother] told me that he grabbed her by the wrist and held her down. He then proceeded to pull his penis out," Ashley told Fox News. "She said 'no' and then he shoved his fingers inside of her vagina and later her anal area."

She continued, "...She finally screamed at him, 'You're a rapist!' And apparently that was a trigger word for him because he jumped right off of her."

MODEL CLAIMS 'SOUTHERN CHARM' STAR THOMAS RAVENEL SETTLED SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE WITH HER MOTHER

As for Dawn, she told People that the star had corralled her to a bedroom and proceeded to rip [her] clothes off. Dawn told the magazine she was eventually able to escape the alleged attack.

Haymaker, the production company behind the Bravo series, said it started an investigation into the claims against Ravenel.

Ravenels lawyer previously denied the allegations in a statement to People.

My client enjoys a certain degree of fame, which has unfortunately made him a vulnerable target for such claims, Ravenels attorney, Richard P. Terbrusch, said in a statement. The person this woman describes is simply not the man that I know. My client is a loving father, successful businessman, and upright member of the community. He is appalled and hurt by these allegations  and is committed to defending his reputation in the appropriate legal forum.

Ravenel announced in August that he was leaving Southern Charm because show producers took advantage of him. Bravo also confirmed to Page Six on Tuesday that Ravenel will not be returning to the series.

Im not doing the show anymore. In the contract they have the right to fictionalize your story. They took advantage of me. I decided Ive got too much to lose and informed them Im not coming back, Ravenel tweeted from his private account in August.

THOMAS RAVENEL QUITS 'SOUTHERN CHARM' AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS

He had been on the show since it began airing in 2014.

Prior to his stint on TV, Ravenel was South Carolinas state treasurer in 2007, but resigned from the position after he was indicted on federal cocaine distribution charges.

Fox News' Sasha Savitsky and Elizabeth Zwirz contributed to this report.In 2008, when she was 17, Shanina Shaik finished as a runner-up on the Australian reality TV series Make Me a Supermodel  but her rise to stardom had been one with quite a few bumps and bends.

The 27-year-old Australian stunner, whose father is Pakistani and her mother is of Lithuanian descent, said she was frequently bullied as a child for her ethnically ambiguous features. And while a career in the fast-paced fashion world seemed promising, Shaik claimed she struggled to book jobs in an industry that seemed far from being diverse.

Shaik spoke to Fox News about leaving her native Australia for New York City at age 17, coping with discrimination and why shes not fazed by temptation.

Fox News: What were some of the sacrifices you had to make early on to make it as a model?

Shanina Shaik: I moved to New York when I was 17. I didnt finish high school in Australia. That was a big decision for me to make, but I knew I wanted to try modeling. I also knew that great things could happen for me. So it was certainly a huge risk for me to make. Especially being away from my family. I had to travel from Australia by myself and I was alone most of the time without anyone to look after me.

I didnt have any family or friends when I moved to the States. Even to this day, it can be really hard. When it came time for my wedding, it was difficult for me to prepare without having my mom or any of my family present with me to enjoy that time. Thankfully, I have amazing girlfriends who supported me along the way. And even the relationship I have with my husband. My job can take me away from him for a long time. Im still making sacrifices for my job.

Fox News: Was it difficult being different from the typical blonde, blue-eyed model?

Shaik: Oh, definitely. Especially when I started my career in Australia. I didnt look like the typical Australian beachy girl with blonde hair. I had to move to New York to get a job. And at times I didnt fit into a category of a look. I wasnt Caucasian, I wasnt black, I wasnt Asian. But at the same time, thats what makes my look so unique. And in that sense, it has helped me to be booked for other jobs. But certainly, there were times that I just didnt get the jobs I wanted. Rejection is really hard to deal with in our industry.

Fox News: Growing up, how did you overcome bullying?

Shaik: Honestly, anyone can be bullied. It doesnt matter your skin color or your physical appearance. Growing up I was bullied to the point where I was cutting class and my grades were failing. I just didnt have the courage to tell my mom. When it came to my mental health, I wasnt in a good place.

I urge people today that if they are being bullied in any way, tell someone. There is always help out there and its nothing to be embarrassed about. I think thats what I was more scared of, being embarrassed. But thankfully, my mom did help me through the process.

Fox News: Is the fashion world becoming more diverse?

Shaik: I definitely think that the fashion industry has come a long way from the last eight years or so. Its become more diverse in terms of editorials, campaigns and magazine covers. Over time, I do think its going to get better and better. I would love to see more mixed girls on the cover like myself *laughs* because the world is so rich, amazing and beautiful. But were in the right direction. And Im so grateful because it wasnt like that seven, eight years ago.

Fox News: How do you avoid the temptations that modeling brings?

Shaik: Ive been modeling for a really long time at this point, so I guess those scenes dont really do anything for me *laughs*. You have to find moderation. Theres always a time and a place to have fun... But the job always comes first. And I love my sleep. *laughs*.

Fox News: Could you describe that moment when you first walked the Victorias Secret fashion show?

Shaik: I was extremely happy. It was always a dream of mine to walk in Victorias Secret. It was always a goal of mine from the moment I arrived to New York City. I just remembered the huge smile that I wore on that runway. I was over the moon. And my mom was there! So to just walk down the runway and see my mom from Australia cheering me on, it was one of the most special moments in my life.

Fox News: What is married life like for you with DJ Ruckus?

Shaik: Its been great. We travel a lot so we dont see each other as much as we would like. But, we just came back from a three-week vacation in Europe, which has been amazing just being together. I think its great we can live both of our lives separately, but also come back together and miss each other.

Fox News: Why did you return to reality TV for a show like Model Squad?

Shaik: I was really excited that this project came along because I think everyone has an idea of what modeling is. Everyone thinks its a very glamorous life. But I wanted to show an audience what it really takes for a model to make a name for herself. We really do deal with a lot of hard times in our lives and somehow, we have to keep a sense of normality in our lives.

We dont always see our families and we have to constantly stay working to really succeed. Theres not really a lot of time to take a break. So I think its great that this show will really give them an idea of what our job is really like.A 30-year-old Florida man was arrested Monday morning after he stripped off his clothes and challenged passersby to a fight in a Chick-fil-A parking lot.

A witness told police her boyfriend called her, alleging he was being chased by a man  who was later identified as Cory Michael Hatzl  while he was riding his bicycle in Palm Coast, WJXT-TV reported. When she arrived at the Chick-fil-A, she said Hatzl took off his clothes, ranted about his genitals and challenged her boyfriend to fight.

A Flagler County police officer said he observed multiple vehicles drive by while [the man] was nude and yelling look at my [expletive], according to a report obtained by WJXT.

OKLAHOMA DOMINOS PIZZA CUSTOMER ARRESTED FOR PLACING EMPLOYEE IN HEADLOCK OVER WRONG ORDER

He also allegedly yelled youre gay for looking at my penis at the boyfriend, WKMG-TV reported.

Hatzl was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence just before 2 a.m., according to his arrest records.

The Chick-fil-A on Palm Coast Parkway is closed from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

CHICK-FIL-A EMPLOYEE FIRED, CUSTOMER ARRESTED AFTER INCREDIBLY DISTURBING BRAWL INSIDE DC RESTAURANT

Hatzl was booked in the Flagler County Sheriffs Office Jail later Monday morning.

The couple did not press charges, according to WKMG.

Palm Coast is about 60 miles south of Jacksonville.A Utah high school student got the last laugh after receiving a fake invitation to homecoming from bullies, as it led to a Miss Utah hopeful taking him to the big dance.

Shortly after Labor Day, Taylorsville High School student Michael Conrad was the target of a cruel prank in which anonymous tormenters egged his house and left behind a homecoming invitation, Fox 13 reports.

Im sorry for the mess. But how about I make it up to you by taking you to Homecoming? the note read.

MICHIGAN HIGH SCHOOL REPLACES HOMECOMING QUEEN WITH 'EXCELLENCE AWARD,' SPARKS DEBATE

According to KSL, the fake invite was attributed to a cheerleader whom Michael is friends with. His mother, Jennifer Conrad, told Fox 13 that someone even kissed the paper.

Working up the courage to approach his friend in school about her supposed offer, she was sad to deliver bad news.

She said, 'Michael, I already have a date. Im so sorry. I had nothing to do with that.' She felt bad, his mom recalled.

Though Michael brushed the matter off, Jennifer wasnt so easily forgiving. Her son has autism and ADHD, and she said the incident impacted him negatively.

I was out for blood. Mama bear was awoken, Jennifer told Fox 13.

Word of the cruel stunt spread quickly, and debate teacher Jenn Palomino was determined to right the terrible incident for her former student, KSL reports, so she reached out to Miss Greater Salt Lake, Dexonna Talbot.

The second I heard about this, I knew I wanted to do something, Talbot said. I automatically broke down into tears, because just thinking about the fact that someone would go out of their way to make someone else feel bad is so heartbreaking to me.

Luckily, "angel" Talbot was quick to intervene, Jennifer said.

Surprising Michael during history class with a poster and a bucket of Starburst, Talbot asked him to attend the homecoming dance with her, and he happily accepted.

Footage of the sweet scene has since gone viral on Twitter, racking up over 25,000 views.

Talbot says she felt the small gesture of asking Michael to the dance would have a major impact on the school community.

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 told Fox 13.

On Saturday night, the pair dressed up, hit the dance and had a great time.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

This wasnt a publicity stunt of any kind for her. Shes just got a tender heart. And she has really made my son's year. So, thank you! Jennifer said.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to take him to his homecoming and witness so many people coming together to support a really good cause. We had a fantastic time! Talbot told Fox News of the highly anticipated event. I am so inspired by Michael and his conviction to not let the bullies get him down.

Talbot is a freshman at the University of Utah, where she is currently pursuing a degree in ballet and hopes to obtain a Masters Degree in special education.

She will compete for the Miss Utah crown next year.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

After a week of horrible accusations, Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh joined Martha MacCallum on Fox News' "The Story" Monday night for an extended interview discussing the Democratic campaign targeting him for political assassination.

I do believe something happened to Dr. Christine Ford, and the new accuser from Yale, Deborah Ramirez. But after days of uncorroborated accusations, witnesses who contradict the accusers, zero evidence, and an obvious political apparatus facilitating the attacks, I do not believe Brett Kavanaugh was the perpetrator.

What is clear is both women are being used as pawns by a political establishment that doesnt give a damn about them, and instead is using the epidemic of sexual violence against us as a political chit. Weaponizing the issue is a grotesque abuse of all of us who have dealt with the issue.

Whats happening to Dr. Ford, Ms. Ramirez and the Kavanaughs in this deliberately mangled process is deeply and fundamentally unfair.

Whats happening to Dr. Ford, Ms. Ramirez and the Kavanaughs in this deliberately mangled process is deeply and fundamentally unfair.

Appearing on Fox News with his wife Ashley, Kavanaugh found himself having to defend himself against vile allegations which now absurdly include rape, gang rape, and drug distribution.

Just when you think youve heard it all, Amnesty International won the Smear Kavanaugh Follies on Monday night demanding a halt to a vote until his possible involvement in human rights violations, like torture, is declassified and made public.

When the only thing that matters is an allegation, we can expect every allegation to be made.

If the Senate allows these uncorroborated and refuted smears to succeed, this insanity will be the new order, taking our system and justice for everyone, with it.

Smears can be especially successful when they are made against someone you dont know.

The circus of the Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this month ensured that the news coverage was of the protests during the hearing. Legacy media made sure you knew what protesters were screaming, but not so much what Judge Kavanaugh had to say.

The interview with MacCallum is the first time the majority of Americans have a had a chance to hear directly from a man the Democrats and media are desperately painting as a frightening combo of Charles Manson and Pol Pot.

What I know is the truth, and the truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone, said Mr. Kavanaugh.

His 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."

The demand by the Democrats throughout this circus is that women making accusations are to be believed simply because theyre women.

Yet Mrs. Kavanaugh was immediately mocked on social media when news of the interview broke.

Margaret Sullivan, the media columnist for the Washington Post (and former public editor at the New York Times) tweeted about Mrs. Kavanaughs appearance with a sneer, Wife at your side, check.

Suddenly the woman who is supposed to be believed isnt, and instead is reduced to a prop. She is then mocked for standing up for herself, her husband and her family in the midst of obscene attacks leading to grotesque attacks on social media and death threats.

Mrs. Kavanaughs crime which exempts her from the always believe rule is that shes not the right type of woman. Shes a conservative. She does not conform to the liberal narrative.

In other words, she thinks for herself.

For decades, and throughout this debacle, the Democrats and media have sent a specific, misogynistic message that only certain kinds of women matter, and all men are the problem.

I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity, and I know I'm telling the truth. 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," Judge Kavanaugh told MacCallum.

Democrats are determined to destroy a mans life because theyre mad they lost an election.

Democratic senators are insisting Judge Kavanaugh prove his innocence, which is the antithesis of the system our Founders designed and what is necessary for a free people to remain genuinely at liberty. Pundits are arguing that all of this is fine because hes not going to jail and its just a job hed be losing.

The fact is, theyre conducting a worldwide smear of a man as a sexual predator because it serves a grotesque political purpose. Brett Kavanaughs reputation, lifes work, and future will be ruined over accusations that are increasingly appearing to be baseless.

Mrs. Kavanaugh spoke for all of us when she said to MacCallum: I know Brett. I know who he is. 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."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell can stand up for every American, man and woman alike, by helping Judge Kavanaugh get confirmed to the Supreme Court.

If the Senate allows these uncorroborated and refuted smears to succeed, this insanity will be the new order, taking our system and justice for everyone, with it.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump put Iran on notice Tuesday at the U.N., and illustrated his vision for a world marked by sovereign nation states peacefully pursuing their own national interests.

In this his second speech at the U.N., Trump continued to put his approach in stark relief to that of his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, who often waxed poetic about a rules-based international order  a phrase of globaloney that simply doesnt reflect the real world.

The globalists who comprise most of the U.N. audience laughed when Trump listed solid domestic economic accomplishments that have global implications, especially rapid economic growth, full employment for minorities and women, and record-high stocks. But grateful Americans and those around the world who wish their leaders would follow Trumps example arent laughing.

Trump also showed how the United States is pursuing a foreign policy that is not interventionist, but actively pursues critical national interests just as other sovereign nations do.

For example, Trump continued to evolve our policy toward the expansionist Islamist theocracy that runs Iran from the disaster he inherited.

These basic concepts of sovereignty and eschewing interventionism are the fundamental pillars of a Trump doctrine. What progressives have dismissed as nationalism and populism is actually a return to the sovereignty of the democratic nation state.

Trump lamented Irans sweetheart nuclear deal from Obama and European governments that opened spigots of money while allowing Tehran to keep the key components necessary for a nuclear weapons program.

Obama also sent the Iranians a plane-load full of cash in the middle of the night; Trump referred to this windfall for Irans leaders, which they used to spread mayhem and slaughter around the region.

Trump has methodically replaced this policy with one of toughness, which nonetheless leaves the door open to negotiations. Trump affirmed in New York that oil sanctions would take effect on Iran in early November. (While unmentioned, the Trump administration is also debating whether to force the SWIFT system, which facilitates international financial transactions, to cut off Iran.)

All of Americas Middle East allies support us in this effort. But unpopular leaders currently running the governments of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have not only opposed the tougher measures against Iran, but worked actively to undermine the sanctions.

Trump made clear that the United States would stick to its guns and sanction companies doing business with Irans government. That vow plus his explanation of Irans nefarious attempts to spread violent jihad around the Middle East should convince erstwhile European governments to back down.

Trump also reiterated that America is through playing the sucker on trade. The U.S. trade-in-goods deficit with China had spiraled to $376 billion in the year he took office, and the European Unions had reached $147 billion the previous year.

Since then, Trump has reached landmark agreements with Mexico and South Korea on trade, with more agreements expected in the coming months.

Contrary to self-proclaimed free traders who moan that Trump is turning to protectionism (from a free trade ideal that has never actually existed), Trump made clear at the UN that the United States merely seeks fair and reciprocal trade arrangements  namely equivalent tariffs and the absence of other barriers to fair trade.

But the most fundamental takeaway from the speech is Trumps focus on sovereignty, not only for America but for other countries.

He began his speech saying that the United States seeks independence and cooperation, rather than global governance and domination.

The president promised to continue his efforts to return to a traditional American foreign policy that will not tell you how to live or worship. He specifically rejected the ideology of globalism, embraced patriotism, and lamented uncontrolled immigration. Even when it comes to Iran, he called not for regime change but a change in conduct.

He also pointed out some of the many shortcomings of the United Nations, observing that he pulled the U.S. out of the Orwellian-named Human Rights Council and continues to ignore the International Criminal Court  also known as the World Court  which is more interested in prosecuting Americans than thugs.

These basic concepts of sovereignty and eschewing interventionism are the fundamental pillars of a Trump doctrine. What progressives have dismissed as nationalism and populism -- not only with Trumps election and administration, but also with the vote in Britain to leave the globalist European Union and the election of new right-leaning leaders in many European nations -- is actually a return to the sovereignty of the democratic nation state.

As with other nations, we will decide our laws. We will decide whom to allow to immigrate. We will decide what culture we want. And we will decide our destiny. Trump has given more form to this fundamental patriotic impulse that is swelling in America and elsewhere in the world.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

If you think the debate over Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court feels like an ominous turning point for the nation, you're not alone.

We have certainly had bitter and partisan debates over judicial nominations before. There was Robert Bork in '87, Clarence Thomas, four years later many others. Even further back, in 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt tried to take over the entire judicial branch of government by packing the court with extra Democrats so he could impose his program on Congress by force. Thankfully, FDR failed.

But never in our lifetimes have sitting members of Congress attacked our justice system as they now are. Lawmakers had never mocked the idea of due process, called for the collective punishment of American citizens or declared that the burden of proof is on the accused.

If the Bill of Rights doesn't apply to Brett Kavanaugh, it probably doesn't apply to you, either.

All of that is happening right now in Washington.

It's not just Kavanaugh under assault. Elected officials have announced they no longer believe in our Western understanding of justice. There's no precedent for that. It's stunning.

I just want to say to the men in this country, 'Just shut up and step up. Do the right thing for a change,'" said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Ha. "Not only do women, like Dr. Ford, who bravely comes forward, need to be heard, but they need to be believed.

Read her words carefully. She is saying all men are guilty, not because they've been proven guilty, but because they are men. They are inherently guilty, by their nature. All women must be believed, not because we can show they're telling the truth, but because they are female.

Evidence is suddenly irrelevant. All that matters is gender. All of us are condemned or redeemed at birth and there's nothing any of us can do to change that. It's baked in the cake.

That's what she said.

No living U.S. senator has ever said anything like that in public. Yet, none of Hirono's Democratic colleagues recoiled or even scolded her or suggested she was wrong. Their silence suggests they agree.

And Hirono doubled down, in subsequent interviews.

"I put his denial in the context of everything that I know about him in terms of how he approaches his case," she told CNN's Jake Tapper.

"Look, we're not in a court of law, she told MSNBC's Hallie Marie Jackson. "We're actually in a Court of Credibility at this point."

Court of Credibility?

Remember, if the Bill of Rights doesn't apply to Brett Kavanaugh, it probably doesn't apply to you, either. It would seem to all depend on what Mazie Hirono thinks of your political views. If she agrees with you, you'll be fine. If not, you won't be fine.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., graduated from Yale Law School. Apparently, he skipped the class on the Constitution.

We have a constitutional duty to get to the bottom of these allegations," he said. "They are serious, and credible. And now, the person with the most knowledge about them, namely, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, has a responsibility to come forward with evidence to rebut them.

Got that? We accuse you of a felony. Your job is to show you're innocent. You're a sex criminal, prove you're not.

We have tried to get to the bottom of Christina Ford's claims regarding Judge Kavanaugh. We would like to know if something terrible happened to her and who was responsible. But there are key questions that must be answered.

When did this alleged assault take place? Ford can't say. When did it happen? She doesn't know. Where are the witnesses to this? Well there aren't any. The few people Ford has named deny it happened. When was this first reported to authorities? Well, it never really was.

The story came out in stages. It was a recovered memory, apparently summoned by a psychotherapist 30 years after the fact. And even then, it was another six years before Ford named Brett Kavanaugh specifically - at exactly the point he was being nominated for the Supreme Court.

That's not our analysis of the case. It's the position of Ford's lawyers, nearly all of whom double as Democratic Party activists and operatives and some of whom defended Bill Clinton from far graver sexual assault claims when he was accused.

That doesn't mean Ford is lying, but it does raise legitimate questions. Especially in a new place called the Court of Credibility.

Last week, Senate Republicans declared in effect that all allegations against Brett Kavanaugh must be heard no matter how frivolous or obviously fraudulent they are. We can't control the Senate Republicans, obviously. They exist in their own world. But we can remind them what is at stake here.

If Brett Kavanaugh, who is a mainstream, moderate judge, a man who's literally married to George W. Bush's assistant, can't get confirmed to Supreme Court, then no Republican can.

But it's worse than that. There's a mid-term election just weeks from now. If you're a Republican, you may be wondering why you should bother to vote. You backed Trump two years ago, your brother-in-law from Brooklyn, your neighbor and people at work mocked you for it, but you did it anyway.

You wanted secure borders. You wanted an end to ObamaCare and you wanted non-crazy people on the Supreme Court of the United States.

You didn't get the first two. You're starting to realize you probably never will, because Republicans in the Senate don't care enough to protect you.

Don't feel too bad: They don't care enough about Brett Kavanaugh or our Constitution to protect them, either.

Adapted from Tucker Carlson's monologue on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Sept. 24, 2018.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for adult-film star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Trump, now says he has a client who will reveal allegations against embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh within 48 hours -- shortly before Kavanaugh is set to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee amid other sexual misconduct accusations.

"Let me just be really clear about something," Avenatti said in an interview with CNN on Monday night. "They know that I do not traffic in rumor and nonsense. I state facts and I have evidence to back it up. I would not make these allegations lightly."

Earlier Monday, Avenatti said that the unnamed woman knew Kavanaugh around the time of high school but attended a different school. The woman, according to the attorney, has had multiple security clearances from the U.S. government, including the State Department and Justice Department.

"Im highly confident in the accusations that are going to be made by my client," Avenatti said. "As it relates to the woman whose name will be publicly disclosed, multiple security clearances have been issued by the federal government."

Asked if he was prepared to prove his client's allegations, Avenatti said that "it is our burden. We are going to embrace and meet it."

In a separate interview Monday night on MSNBC, Avenatti said he thought "there very well may be a criminal complaint relating to this conduct."

Kavanaugh has been accused of committing sexual misconduct decades ago by Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez. He has denied all the claims.

Ford said a friend of Kavanaugh's, Mark Judge, witnessed her alleged assault. Judge denied it as well.

GOP SENATORS DEFEND KAVANAUGH: 'WE'RE IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE HERE'

Avenatti revealed new claims Sunday on Twitter. His client, he said, had knowledge of Kavanaugh, Judge and others in high school "targeting women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a train of men to subsequently gang rape them."

Kavanaugh elaborated on his denials in an exclusive Fox News interview on Monday, while explaining the environment where he grew up.

"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."

Avenatti wasn't buying the judge's explanation.

"I think it's just absolutely unbelievable and I think the American people are smarter than this," he said.

Fox News' Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Samuel Chamberlain and The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Regardless of whether Senate Republicans succeed in confirming embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, it is increasingly likely that procedural hurdles will prevent him from taking his seat on the bench prior to the start of the court's term Oct. 1 -- a fixed date set by federal law.

However, legal experts tell Fox News, the immediate impact of any delay filling the ninth seat on the Supreme Court may be minimal. The upcoming Supreme Court term is "fairly benign when it comes to hot-button issues," Adam Feldman, a Supreme Court expert who runs the blog Empirical SCOTUS, told Fox News.

"This makes me think that the justices were aware of [Justice Anthony] Kennedy's likely departure when they starting granting cases for this term," he added.

"The caseload for OT 2018 is fairly benign when it comes to hot-button issues."  Supreme Court expert Adam Feldman

And, as the confirmations of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito demonstrated, a justice who arrives at the Supreme Court mid-term can get up to speed quickly, and can cast key votes in cases that have already been argued, the experts have said.



The Supreme Court also has shown a willingness to delay arguments and decisions on cases that might end up deadlocked until a ninth justice can be seated, as well as setting cases for re-argument in future terms.

In 2016, when Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly, the Supreme Court bucked its usual procedure of hearing cases in the order in which they were granted certiorari to review a lower court's decision.

Instead, justices opted to postpone arguments on several important cases in the hopes of avoiding a 4-4 tie that effectively would uphold the lower courts' decisions by default. Administrative matters such as whether to delay cases are typically decided by a vote of justices; four votes are required to grant certiorari to a case.

WATCH: KAVANAUGH, WIFE EXCLUSIVELY RESPOND TO ALLEGATIONS IN FOX NEWS INTERVIEW



"The term after Justice Scalia died, the Court took forever to schedule the most controversial cases for argumentthat is, they just didnt schedule them, month after month after month, even as cases granted later were scheduled and argued," John Elwood, a prominent Washington, D.C. law firm partner and former senior Justice Department lawyer who has argued several cases before the Supreme Court, told Fox News.

For example, the now-widely known case Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which pitted a Colorado baker against local officials who argued that his religious preference against baking a cake for gay couples was illegal, lingered for months before the court took it on. Arguments in the case were delayed repeatedly before Gorsuch was confirmed -- a move that legal observers said isn't uncommon when a new member joins the court.

WATCH: COLORADO BAKER NOW INVOLVED IN NEW LEGAL FIGHT AFTER TRIUMPHING IN SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court, with Gorsuch as the deciding vote, this past summer ruled that Colorado officials had acted with improper animus against religious beliefs when they penalized the baker for refusing service to the gay couple.

The justices may take a similar approach for the upcoming term, pending the uncertainty over Kavanaugh's fate.

"My sense is that they will proceed without taking on cases in very contentious issue areas until they know with certainty who will fill the open spot on the court," Feldman said. He noted that Chief Justice John Roberts "seems to be very concerned about 4-4 decisions and, from the other justices' own words, Roberts is savvy at finding means of consensus. "



For his part, Elwood cited a handful of upcoming cases that might be deadlocked without a ninth justice.

"I could see some of the three arbitration cases being split 4-4 if there is no ninth justicethose cases are sometimes contentious," Elwood told Fox News, referring to a series of cases involving the Federal Arbitration Act and related matters. One case, for instance, is set to determine whether federal law permits courts to decline to enforce arbitration agreements that allow an arbitrator to determine issues of arbitrability, if the court independently determines any such claim of arbitrability is meritless.

WATCH: TOP DEMOCRAT SAYS KAVANAUGH ISN'T ENTITLED TO DUE PROCESS BECAUSE HE'S A CONSERVATIVE

Another major case implicating the Takings Clause of the Constitution, Knick v. Township of Scott, is scheduled for arguments on Oct. 3 and has the potential to result in a 4-4 split.

The case "asks to overrule a precedent that makes it harder to bring takings claims in federal court, and its scheduled to be argued in October, so its among the likeliest to be argued without the full complement of justices," Elwood said.

"I could also see the upcoming case on overruling the so-called 'dual sovereigns doctrine' (which allows both state and federal authorities to prosecute someone for the same offense without running afoul of the Ex Post Facto Clause) potentially being divided 4-4, but not on ideological lines," Elwood added.

Feldman also cited Madison v. Alabama, which is currently set for argument Oct. 2, as a potentially "ideologically divisive" case. The court will resolve, among other issues, whether a state can constitutionally execute a prisoner suffering from a mental disorder who, as a result of the disorder, lacks any memory of committing the crime.

Still, Republicans have been holding out hope that any delay in getting Kavanaugh seated wouldn't be long. Friday is most likely the earliest the Senate Judiciary Committee could reasonably vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation, given that a hearing has been scheduled for Thursday into sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, Senate sources tell Fox News.

FOX NEWS POLL SHOWS KAVANAUGH SUPPORT SLIPPING



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., would prepare a cloture petition to end debate on Kavanaugh's nomination. But that couldn't be filed until the next day -- which would ordinarily be Monday, Oct. 1, which is legally established as the first day of the next Supreme Court term.



McConnell theoretically could fast-track the cloture vote for Saturday, which would entail unusual weekend sessions. By rule, efforts to limit debate and overcome a filibuster in the Senate must lay over for one day before the procedural vote. If a cloture were filed on Saturday, then, the layover day would be Sunday.

The vote to halt the filibuster would then be taken on the following day, Oct. 1. Under current Senate precedent to break a filibuster on Supreme Court nominees, 51 senators must vote to end debate. Still, because of procedural delaying tactics, the vote likely would not be able to occur until Oct. 2 at the earliest.

Republicans and media watchers have condemned The New Yorker for publishing uncorroborated accounts of alleged sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh on Sunday, and key details have shifted in the story of Christine Blasey Ford, another Kavanaugh accuser. But even as they maintain that the decades-old accusations against Kavanaugh are last-minute smears, however, Republicans have acknowledged that a quick vote carries its own political risks.

JUDGE JUDY WEIGHS IN, URGES SENATORS TO LISTEN TO 'BOTH SIDES'

With a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate, GOP senators cannot afford more than a single defection. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., has said that Ford, the first woman to allege misconduct by Kavanaugh, should testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee prior to any vote on Kavanaugh.

That sentiment has been echoed by Maine moderate Sen. Susan Collins, considered a potential swing vote. Collins has sharply criticized Democratic senators for keeping the allegations against Kavanaugh a secret until late in the process, saying their behavior was "not fair" to either Kavanaugh or Ford.

But she has joined other Republicans, including President Trump, in saying that she wants to hear from Ford without rushing to put Kavanaugh on the bench.

Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed a major agreement of Trumps trade agenda Monday, on a busy day at the U.N. General Assembly during which Trump also revealed he'd meet again with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un quite soon.

The U.S. and South Korean presidents signed an update to an existing U.S.-South Korea free-trade agreement. Trump called it a very big deal and said the new agreement would make significant improvements to reduce the trade deficit between the countries and create new opportunities to export American products to South Korea.

This agreement will reduce bureaucracy and increase prosperity in both of our countries. Workers in South Korea and America will find new customers and new opportunities to expand and grow, Trump said. Our teams will be working hard to ensure that the terms of the deal are fully implemented.

He said U.S. automobiles, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products will gain better access to Korean markets.

I think our farmers are going to be extremely happy. It was very limited as to what they could do and what they could send, and now its an open market, Trump added. That makes me feel very good. I love our farmers.

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 U.S. will help solidify their cooperation in other areas.

Moon said: Im hopeful that this will provide us with a platform, upon which our bilateral economic ties will be elevated to a higher level, in a freer, fairer and more mutually beneficial direction.

During his appearance with Moon, Trump also raised hopes at the United Nations on Monday that a second meeting with North Koreas Kim Jong Un could happen 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.

The softer tone toward the erstwhile pariah state of 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 also praised Egypt for doing an outstanding job in the fight against terrorism.

Trump told Egypts President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Monday that the fight is not easy, but his country is at the forefront.

El-Sissi replied that Egypt will be able to eliminate terrorism with Trumps support. El-Sissi said its an obligation Trump has made clear.

Trump told el-Sissi, We will work with you, and we will go all the way.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

After Rep. Paul Gosars six siblings appeared in campaign ads for his opponent, the Arizona Republican placed the blame on former President Barack Obama.

Gosar is running for re-election in Arizonas 4th congressional district, which hes represented since 2013. Six of his siblings recently appeared in campaign ads supporting his opponent, Democrat David Brill.

Gosar told KFYI-AM that it does sting that his siblings turned against him in the ads. He said his children have taken the ads very negatively as well.

You know, blood is supposed to be thicker than water, Gosar told radio host Mike Broomhead.

Gosar added that his siblings move was indicative of what liberals have been instructed to do by political leaders.

But, you know, this actually details exactly what the left, what Barack Obama, actually asked progressives to do, is to get into family and friends, in their face and not let up.

FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION HEADQUARTERS

One television ad featured interviews with Gosars siblings who asked voters to usher their brother out of office because he has broken with their familys values. Several of his siblings had previously condemned the congressmans false accusation in 2017 that wealthy Democratic donor George Soros was a Nazi collaborator in World War II.

It's intervention time, Tim Gosar says in the ad, endorsing Brill. And intervention time means that you go to vote, and you go to vote Paul out.

REP. PAUL GOSARS OWN SIBLINGS ENDORSE DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT IN SCATHING AD

In another video segment, the siblings urged voters to hold the congressman accountable on health care, employment and environmental issues.

Gosar addressed the advertisement in a series of tweets, calling his siblings disgruntled supporters of failed 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton from out of state who put ideology before family.

My siblings who choose to film ads against me are all liberal Democrats who hate President Trump, Gosar said. Stalin would be proud.

The 4th congressional district encompasses the western and northwestern part of Arizona.

Fox News Kathleen Joyce and The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump on Tuesday traded fiery accusations with Iran's president on the floor of the U.N. General Assembly, calling on the international community to isolate the regime as Hassan Rouhani accused Trump of having a "Nazi disposition."

"We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues," Trump said during his speech to the assembly.

Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 Iran deal in May, and the administration imposed economic sanctions in August. The administration is expected to slap further sanctions on Irans crude oil exports in November.



Trump said Tuesday that the regime embezzled billions of dollars from Irans treasury, seized valuable portions of [the] economy and looted people's religious endowments to export war abroad. He alleged Iran uses funds from the nuclear deal to repress its people and "fund havoc and slaughter in Yemen and Syria."



The U.S. has launched a campaign of economic pressure to deny the regime the funds it needs to advance its bloody agenda, he said.

"We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons," he said. "We cannot allow a regime that chants 'Death to America' and that threatens Israel with annihilation to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on Earth.

"Just can't do it."

In his address later in the day, Rouhani didn't hold back in responding to Trump, albeit without naming him.

"It is unfortunate that we are witnessing rulers in the world who think they can secure their interests better -- or at least in the short-term ride public sentiments and gain popular support -- through the fomenting of extremist nationalism and racism, and though xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition, as well as through the trampling of global rules and undermining international institutions; even through preposterous and abnormal acts such as convening a high-level meeting of the Security Council," he said.

Trump is scheduled to lead a meeting of the Security Council on Iran on Wednesday.

Rouhani went on to accuse the administration of being "determined to render all international institutions ineffective." He later accused the U.S. of having an "authoritarian" understanding of international relations.

"In its estimation, might makes right. Its understanding of power, not of legal and legitimate authority, is reflected in bullying and imposition. No state and nation can be brought to the negotiating table by force, and if so, what follows is the accumulation in the grapes of wrath of those nations, to be reaped later by the oppressors," he said.

Ahead of the speech, Trump told reporters that he wasnt going to meet with Rouhani until they change their tune.



I look forward to having a great relationship with Iran, but it wont happen now, Trump told reporters before his speech. On Wednesday, Trump will chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the issue of Iran.



Earlier in the day, he had tweeted that he had no plans to meet Rouhani, although he added: I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!



Trumps speech was highly anticipated, coming a year after he made headlines at the 2017 General Assembly by warning rocket man Kim Jong Un that the U.S. is prepared to annihilate North Korea.

Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime, he said at the time. The U.S. is ready, willing, and able, but hopefully, this will not be necessary.

Since that speech, Trump and Kim have met in person and relations between the South and North Koreans have thawed. On Tuesday, Trumps rhetoric toward the North Korean regime was much softer, with Trump telling reporters ahead of his speech that it has been a good relationship and that there have been no recent nuclear tests from the North Koreans, and noting that the regime had recently returned boxes of remains of American servicemen killed in the Korean War.

Rockets and missiles are no longer flying in every direction, he said in his speech to the General Assembly, before thanking Kim for his courage in coming to the table. But he warned that the sanctions would remain in place until denuclearization occurs.

On Syria, he warned that the U.S. will respond if President Bashar Al-Assad uses chemical weapons against his people.

Trump, who has repeatedly expressed skepticism about the U.N., is certain to encounter frostiness from some officials at the gathering of world leaders, who grimace at the administrations America First policies, both at home and at the U.N.

When Trump declared in his speech that in less than two years, we have accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country, the claim was met with laughter and gasps from the assembly.

Trump laughed off the reaction and said he didnt expect that reaction, but OK. Trump later told the assembly that the U.S. will not tell you how to live, work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.

In his speech on Tuesday, Secretary General Antonio Guterres took what was likely to be seen as a swipe at Trumps immigration policies when he warned against a politics of pessimism and those who see their neighbors as dangers may cause a threat where there was none.

Those who close their borders to regular migration only fuel the work of traffickers and those who ignore human rights in combating terrorism tend to breed the very extremism they are trying to end, he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron also appeared to take a shot at Trump in a speech in which he criticized nationalist impulses and a unilateralist approach that he said entails "a certain lawlessness where everyone pursues their own interests."

I will never stop upholding the principle of sovereignty even in the face of a certain nationalism, which were seeing today, brandishing sovereignty as a way of attacking others," he said.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee acknowledged Tuesday she cant guarantee the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault will show up to testify at a looming hearing, as her attorneys raise concerns about the format.

The news comes as Republicans scheduled a Friday morning Judiciary Committee vote on whether to recommend Kavanaugh's confirmation to the full Senate -- a move the ranking Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called outrageous.

For Republicans to schedule a Friday vote on Brett Kavanaugh today, two days before Dr. Blasey Ford has had a chance to tell her story, is outrageous, Feinstein said in a statement. First Republicans demanded Dr. Blasey Ford testify immediately. Now Republicans dont even need to hear her before they move ahead with a vote.

It is not necessary for Kavanaugh to secure a majority vote by the committee in order for the full Senate to vote on his confirmation. In 1991, Clarence Thomas was confirmed by the Senate after the Judiciary Committee passed on recommending him.

On Monday, Christine Blasey Fords attorney Michael Bromwich specifically complained about Republicans hiring outside counsel to question his client during the public hearing set for Thursday morning. In a late Monday letter to the committee, Bromwich requested the prosecutors resume immediately and asked to meet with the lawyer.



Sources told Fox News that committee Republicans hired a female prosecutor who specializes in sex crimes in preparation to hear Fords testimony -- though it remains unclear whether she would lead the committees questioning. The planning, though, prompted the letter of concern from Bromwich, once again throwing into doubt whether the hearing will go forward.

As of Tuesday afternoon, a Republican aide told Fox News the committee reserves its right to have counsel ask questions of Ford but beyond that has not determined how to proceed.



Feinstein, for her part, could not guarantee Ford would attend if the prosecutor were to lead questioning on behalf of Republican members.

I have no way of knowing, Feinstein told Fox News.

Meanwhile, Fox News confirms that Senate Judiciary Committee staffers interviewed Kavanaugh Tuesday about the sexual misconduct allegations by another woman, Debbie Ramirez, that appeared Sunday in The New Yorker. A source familiar with the interview tells Fox News Republican staffers led the phone interview and Democratic aides listened in, but did not ask any questions. Kavanaugh again denied the allegations.

Fox News is told Democrats were told about the call only about 15 minutes before it happened and had effectively no time to prepare.

In his letter Monday, Bromwich took issue both with plans for the outside counsel as well as fiery comments made by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., accusing Democrats of a smear campaign.

We are finding it difficult to reconcile your letter and [staff member Mike Davis'] note with the Majority Leaders speech this afternoon on the Senate floor, wrote Bromwich.

You said in your letter that you intend to provide a fair and credible process ... Yet earlier today, the Majority Leader dismissed Dr. Fords experience as a smear campaign, claiming mistakenly that the witnesses statements to the Committee constitute a complete lack of evidence, implying that there has been a thorough investigation, the letter read.

KAVANAUGH BREAKS SILENCE IN FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

Bromwich then raised concerns with an email from Davis that apparently suggested an outside counsel would question Ford.

This hearing plan that Mr. Davis described does not appear designed to provide Dr. Blasey Ford with fair and respectful treatment, Bromwich wrote. In our view, the hiring of an unnamed experienced sex crimes prosecutor, as Mr. Davis described in his email, is contrary to the Majoritys repeated emphasis on the need for the Senate and this Committees members to fulfill their constitutional obligations.

He added: It is also inconsistent with your stated wish to avoid a circus, as well as Dr. Blasey Fords requests through counsel that senators conduct the questioning. This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate.

At this point, the female prosecutors identity has not been revealed.

Bromwichs letter is the latest twist in the tumultuous talks between the committee and Ford. Her story first emerged in the media, though was relayed over the summer to Feinstein, who has since faced GOP criticism for sitting on the accusations citing Ford's initial desire for confidentiality.

Ford 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.

The committee has offered for Ford to share her testimony in public or private, or over the phone. She and her team previously accepted an invitation to testify Thursday.

Meanwhile, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on McConnell to apologize for describing the accusations against Kavanaugh as part of a smear campaign by Democrats.

McConnell on Tuesday expressed his confidence that Kavanaugh will be confirmed to the high court.

Our goal is to have a respectful hearing, McConnell said. Its not uncommon to have outside counsel to do questioning for this type of hearing. Once the hearing is done, we plan to move forward in the very near future.

McConnell added that everyone understands there is a presumption of innocence, and that we should go into these hearings with a presumption of innocence.

I am confident we are going to win and he will be confirmed in the near future, McConnell said. I believe he will be confirmed.

Kavanaugh has denied Ford's allegation, as well as that of another woman who alleges he exposed himself to her while at Yale University.

What I know is the truth, and the truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone, Kavanaugh told Fox News' Martha MacCallum in an exclusive interview on Monday.

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.

Fox News' Peter Doocy, Mike Emanuel, Samuel Chamberlain and Martha MacCallum contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Tuesday rejected the requests from Democrats to delay a key hearing on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused the federal judge of sexual assault during a party when they were in high school, are due to testify before the committee on Thursday. Kavanaugh has denied Ford's allegations.

In a letter to ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Grassley wrote: "I am not going to silence Dr. Ford after I promised and assured her that I would provide her a safe, comfortable, and dignified opportunity to testify ... There is no reason to delay the hearing any further."

Grassley added that any further delay would be unfair to both Ford and Kavanaugh, whom Grassley said "has asked the Committee repeatedly for the chance to testify as soon as possible ... We can no longer stand in the way of him presenting his testimony before the Committee."

Feinstein had asked for the hearing to be delayed after the New Yorker magazine published claims by Deborah Ramirez, a Yale classmate of Kavanaugh who says he exposed himself to her while drunk at a college party in the 1980s. Kavanaugh has denied that allegation as well.

Feinstein also asked that the committee refer Ramirez's allegations to the FBI along with Ford's claims.

Also Tuesday, the committee announced that it had tentatively rescheduled a vote on Kavanaugh's nomination for Friday morning. Grassley took to Twitter to add that the hearing was added to the committee's schedule as required by it rules.

"After [hearing] Dr Ford & Judge Kavanaughs testimony- if were ready to vote, we will vote," he tweeted. "If we aren't ready, we won't."

In a statement, Feinstein said the committee's action in scheduling a vote was "outrageous."

"First Republicans demanded Dr. Blasey Ford testify immediately. Now Republicans dont even need to hear her before they move ahead with a vote," she said. "It's clear to me that Republicans dont want this to be a fair process."

In response, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News' "The Story" that Grassley had "bent over backwards to be fair" to both Ford and Kavanaugh.

"Dr. Ford is being abused as much as anybody else," Graham told Martha MacCallum. "Shes been a victim of this as much as Kavanaugh has."

Graham added that Kavanaugh "is not Bill Cosby. He is not [Harvey] Weinstein. He's lived a good life. This is an allegation 35 years old thats unverified and Im not going to ruin his life based on that. Show me something credible, theyve yet to do it."

Fox News has been told Grassley and Feinstein are expected to give opening statements to kick off Thursday's hearing, followed by Christine Blasey Ford, who would speak with no time limit.

That would be followed by a round of five-minute questioning periods for each senator, who could turn over questioning to other counsel. The process would repeat for Kavanaugh.

Fox News has learned that Judiciary Committee staffers interviewed Kavanaugh by phone about the Ramirez allegations on Tuesday. A source familiar with the call told Fox News that Republican staffers led the interview, while Democratic aides listened without asking any questions. Another source told Fox News that Democratic staffers were told about the call with Kavanaugh 15 minutes before it took place, giving them no time to prepare.

The allegations by Ford, who went public with her claims Sept. 16, have caused cracks in what initially appeared to be a smooth path to confirmation for Kavanaugh. Multiple Republican senators have told Fox News that they want to hear Ford's testimony before deciding which way to vote on Kavanaugh's nomination.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a key undecided Republican, told reporters she will be "glued to the television" during Thursday's hearing.

However, GOP lawmakers sounded more bullish about Kavanaugh's chances on Tuesday, with some discussing keeping the Senate in session this weekend so that they can begin the process of confirming Kavanaugh right away.

FEINSTEIN CAN'T GUARANTEE KAVANAUGH ACCUSERS SHOWS UP TO HEARING

"I go into the hearings with very positive feelings about him, and I hope Thursday goes well," Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told reporters.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., accused Democrats Monday of mistreating Kavanaugh using "vague, unsubstantiated and uncorroborated allegations of 30-plus-year-old misconduct" that were "nowhere near grounds to nullify someone's career or destroy their good name."

TUCKER CARLSON: IF GOP WON'T BACK KAVANAUGH, VOTERS SHOULD DO THIS

Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., retorted that McConnell owed Ford an apology for asserting that the Democrats' use of the women's accusations was a smear campaign. Schumer said McConnell's comment "demeans many, many women."

A successful committee vote is not necessary to advance Kavanaugh's nomination to the full Senate. Current Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas received no recommendation from the Judiciary Committee in 1991, but was still confirmed by the Senate. Conversely, Robert Bork received an unfavorable recognition from the committee in 1987, though his nomination was rejected by the full Senate.

Fox News' Chad Pergram, Mike Emanuel, Jason Donner, Martha MacCallum and The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

National Security Adviser John Bolton delivered a no-holds-barred warning to Iran at a major summit in New York on Tuesday, telling the regime in a fiery speech that "we are watching, and we will come after you" and that there will be "hell to pay" if it continues on its current course.

Bolton's saber-rattling remarks came hours after President Trump, in his own dramatic address to the U.N. General Assembly, called on "all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues."

Tensions have dramatically escalated in recent weeks between Iran and the U.S., as well as its regional allies. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has claimed that an attack Saturday at an Iranian military parade, which left dozens of Iranian military personnel dead, was carried out by militants trained by Israel and the Gulf states, and supported by the U.S.

"If you cross us, our allies, or our partners ... yes, there will indeed be hell to pay."  National Security Adviser John Bolton

American officials have denied having played any role.

On Tuesday, a threatening video showing a simulated Iranian ballistic missile strike on Israel and Saudi Arabia was posted to the Twitter account of the semiofficial state Fars News Agency, before it was quickly deleted.

And a top military official in Iran warned the U.S. and Israel on Monday that there would be a devastating response to the parade attack.



WATCH: TRUMP CALLS ON UN TO 'ISOLATE' IRANIAN REGIME

In his speech to the United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) annual summit, Bolton took aim at the threatening rhetoric long used by Khomeini and other top Iranian politicians.

"According to the mullahs in Tehran, we are 'the Great Satan,' lord of the underworld, master of the raging inferno," Bolton said. "So, I might imagine they would take me seriously when I assure them today: If you cross us, our allies, or our partners; if you harm our citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat and deceive, yes, there will indeed be hell to pay." Applause broke out in the room.

He continued: "The ayatollahs have a choice to make. We have laid out a path toward a bright and prosperous future for all of Iran, one that is worthy of the Iranian people, who have long suffered under the regimes tyrannical rule."

Iran, Bolton said, "brazenly supports the criminal Assad regime in Syria" and was "complicit in Assad's chemical weapons attacks on his own people." He also called Iran the world's "worst kidnapper of U.S. citizens."

JOHN KERRY SLAMMED FOR CONDUCTING 'SHADOW DIPLOMACY' WITH IRAN -- IS IT ILLEGAL?

Bolton also dismissed the now-defunct Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran in no uncertain terms as "the worst diplomatic debacle in American history."



Last month, the Trump administration restored major sanctions against Iran that had been suspended under former President Barack Obama's 2015 nuclear deal, threatening to further unravel the Islamic country's already-struggling economy. Bolton on Tuesday said the sanctions had already had a "crippling" effect on Iran's economy, and threatened to send its housing market into a recession.

Thousands protested across Iran in the wake of the decision, as soaring unemployment and poverty prompted demonstrators to torch police vehicles and burn tires. At least one person was shot and killed in the protests, with some shouting, "Mullahs get lost!" and "Death to the dictator!" the Fars news agency reported at the time.

WATCH: VIDEO ON SEMI-OFFICIAL STATE NEWS AGENCY SHOWS SIMIULATED IRAN MISSILE ATTACK

Iranian lawmakers, on video, burned American flags and chanted, "Death to America" after Trump ended the deal.

Even more severe U.S. sanctions against Iran's banking and energy sectors are slated to go into effect in the first week of November, including restrictions on Iran's oil industry that could cut off a crucial source of hard currency. The sanctions already reimposed target Iranian trade in automobiles, gold and other key metals.

"We expect purchasers of Iranian oil to reduce to their imports to zero by November 4, or face the risk of sanctions," Bolton said. "After November 5, President Trump intends to pursue addiitonal sanctions" beyond those that existed prior to the Iranian nuclear deal, Bolton added, as he vowed a "maximum pressure" campaign against those who defy the sanctions.

The nuclear deal, which Trump has derided since his presidential campaign as a "horrible, one-sided arrangement," was touted by the Obama administration as a breakthrough in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

But it contained numerous provisions -- including "weasel words," Bolton said Tuesday -- that White House officials found insufficient, such as limited inspection mechanisms to ensure Iran's compliance with the deal, as well as sunset provisions that would lift various restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in as little as 10 years.

TRUMP BRUSHES OFF LAUGHTER FROM UN AUDIENCE AS HE TOUTS ACHIEVEMENTS

Trump charged Tuesday that Iran used funds from the nuclear deal to repress its people and "fund havoc and slaughter in Yemen and Syria," and said Iran has increased its military budget by more than 40 percent since the deal was reached.

"We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons," Trump said. "Just can't do it."

The Iran nuclear deal, Bolton said Tuesday, "did nothing to address the regimes destabilizing activities or its ballistic missile development and proliferation. Worst of all, the deal failed in its fundamental objective: permanently denying Iran all paths to a nuclear bomb.

"The United States is not naive," Bolton added. "We will not be duped, cheated, or intimidated again. The days of impunity for Tehran and its enablers are over. The murderous regime and its supporters will face significant consequences if they do not change their behavior. Let my message today be clear: We are watching, and we will come after you."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also spoke at the UANI summit earlier on Tuesday, and criticized other nations for "enabling" Iranian-sponsored terrorism by working with Iran to bypass U.S. sanctions.

"Just a few months ago, authorities across Europe arrested several Iranian operatives ... as part of a plot to plant a bomb at a political rally in France," Pompeo said, before praising France for taking retaliatory economic action against Iran.

"Unfortunately, just last night, I was disturbed and indeed deeply disappointed to hear remaining parties in the [nuclear] deal announce they are setting up a special payment system to bypass U.S. sanctions," Pompeo said. "This is one of the most counterproductive measures imaginable for regional and global peace and security."

Fox News' Greg Norman contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A U.S. federal judge in Los Angeles on Monday appeared poised to throw out adult film actress Stormy Daniels defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump on free-speech grounds, Reuters reported.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, sued the president in April over a tweet in which he denied her claims of being subtly threatened by a man in a Las Vegas parking lot in 2011.

TRUMP MOCKS STORMY DANIELS' SKETCH OF 'NONEXISTENT' HARASSER: 'TOTAL CON JOB'

Daniels said the man was threatening her for going public about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump has denied the affair took place, and cast doubt on her story of being threatened.

A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)! Trump tweeted.

Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti said the tweet damaged her credibility by portraying her as a liar. Trumps attorneys have asked a federal judge in Los Angeles to dismiss the suit.

To allow the complaint to go forward and to have one consider this to be defamatory in the context it was made would have a chilling effect.  U.S. District Judge James Otero

The question is whether the tweet by the president is protected communication or political hyperbole and non-defamatory on its face, U.S. District Judge James Otero said during Mondays hearing.

Hes a public official, hes president of the United States, so it doesnt get much higher than that, Otero said. Its free speech by a public official on a matter of public concern.

He continued, (Allowing) the complaint to go forward and to have one consider this to be defamatory in the context it was made would have a chilling effect, Otero said during the hearing.

Avenatti told reporters he expects a ruling within days and plans to appeal if the suit is dismissed.

Otero scheduled a hearing Dec. 3 to discuss Trumps efforts to dismiss another lawsuit by Daniels over a hush-money agreement related to their alleged affair.

Daniels sued Trump and his former lawyer Michael Cohen, who negotiated the deal, so she could speak publicly about the alleged affair without fear of reprisal. Cohen had threatened to sue her for $20 million.

COMPANY SET UP BY MICHAEL COHEN OFFERS TO DROP STORMY DANIELS HUSH-MONEY AGREEMENT

Lawyers for Trump and Cohen now say the deal that paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet was invalid and they won't sue her for breaking it. Cohen has pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations for arranging payments to both Daniels and a former Playboy model to influence the election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

In the midst of his confirmation process, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including an accusation of assault stemming from when he was in high school.

Kavanaugh and the White House have unequivocally denied the allegations, and the federal judge is expected to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee later this week. One of his accusers, Christine Blasey Ford, has also agreed to testify before lawmakers.

Read on for a look at the women who have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct  and what exactly they have alleged.

Christine Blasey Ford

Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor, first sent a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, in July, alleging Kavanaugh attacked her at a house party in the early 1980s.

In the letter, Ford claimed Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed during a party in Maryland, attempted to remove her clothes and put his hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming. She said he and Mark Judge, Kavanaughs friend who was also in the room at the time of the alleged incident, had also turned the music up to a loud volume.

At the time, Ford said she was 15, and Kavanuagh was 17 and allegedly intoxicated. She said she was able to escape when Judge jumped on top of them.

I thought he might inadvertently kill me, Ford, now 51 years old, told The Washington Post. He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.

Kavanugh called the allegation completely false.

A LOOK AT THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS FOR SUPREME COURT NOMINEES

I have never done anything like what the accuser describes  to her or anyone, the federal judge said in a statement.

Aside from Kavanaugh, three people who Ford said was at the party have told lawmakers they were not aware of the incident she alleged. They include: Judge, Patrick "PJ" Smith and Leland Ingham Keyser.

Ford, on the other hand, has submitted declarations from four people, including her husband, who say they can corroborate her accusation.

Ford is expected to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday morning, with Kavanaugh appearing after her.

Deborah Ramirez

In a second claim of sexual misconduct, Deborah Ramirez told The New Yorker Kavanaugh exposed himself to her while at a Yale University dormitory party during the 1983-84 academic year.

After being contacted by the magazine, Ramirez claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her, adding she inadvertently touched his penis while trying to shove him away. However, she also admitted to having gaps in her memory about the party because she had been drinking.

Kavanaugh dismissed the accusation as a smear, plain and simple in a statement released by the White House.

This alleged incident from 35 years ago did not happen, Kavanaugh said. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so.

KAVANAUGHS ACCUSER WANTS FBI TO INVESTIGATE ASSAULT CLAIM: WHY THE BUREAU LIKELY WONT

The magazine stated it had not corroborated that Kavanaugh was at the party in question. But an anonymous male classmate said he was told Kavanaugh had exposed himself to Ramirez within the following days.

Still, another male classmate who Ramirez said egged Kavanaugh on during the party has denied any memory of the gathering. In addition, six of Kavanaughs classmates  including some who Ramirez said were involved  released a statement doubting the incident happened.

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.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said "we would be open" to having Ramirez testify before the same Judiciary Committee hearing at which Ford and Kavanaugh are scheduled to appear, but there is no indication GOP Chairman Chuck Grassley is considering that.

Julie Swetnick

Attorney Michael Avenatti  who represents adult film star Stormy Daniels in a lawsuit against President Trump  said he is representing a woman who has knowledge of Kavanaugh, Judge and others in high school targeting women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a train of men to subsequently gang rape them.

According to a sworn declaration, Julie Swetnick said she met Kavanaugh and Judge in the early 1980s and would often see them at social events.

"On numerous occasions at these parties, I witnessed Mark Judge and Brett Kavanaugh drink excessively and engage in highly inappropriate conduct, including being overly aggressive with girls and not taking 'No' for an answer," Swetnick said. "This conduct included the fondling and grabbing of girls without their consent."

Kavanaugh, specifically, would "engage in abusive and physically aggressive behavior toward girls, including pressing girls against him without their consent, 'grinding' against girls and attempting to remove or shift girls' clothing to expose private body parts," Swetnick alleged. She also said he would make "crude sexual comments" to young women to "demean, humiliate and embarrass them."

She went on to allege that Judge and Kavanaugh would "spike" drinks at house parties with drugs and alcohol "so as to cause girls to lose their inhibitions and their ability to say 'No.'" They would then "target" certain girls, including ones who were alone or shy, and take advantage of them, Swetnick claimed.

She said girls who became inebriated would be "gang raped" by a "train" of boys at the parties, who would line up outside of rooms to wait their "turn."

"These boys included Mark Judge and Brett Kavanaugh," she said.

"This is ridiculous and from the Twilight Zone. I don't know who this is, and this never happened," Kavanaugh said in a statement to Fox News.

Taylor Foy, a spokesperson for Grassley, told Fox News that lawyers for the committee are reviewing Swetnicks declaration.

Denver allegation

Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., received a letter from an anonymous individual alleging Kavanaugh "shoved" someone up against a wall "very aggressively and sexually" during an outing with four witnesses.

Kavanaugh denied the allegations in the letter, which was received on Sept. 22, and told Senate investigators he does not recall socializing with anyone from Colorado in 1998. At the time, he was a key lawyer working for independent counsel Ken Starr.

"We're dealing with an anonymous letter about an anonymous person and an anonymous friend," Kavanaugh said. "It's ridiculous. Total Twilight Zone. And no, I've never done anything like that."

Recanted claim

Committee investigators have asked Kavanaugh about a call received by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., this week, in which an anonymous constituent claimed in 1985, two "heavily inebriated men" referred to as "Brett and Mark" had sexually assaulted a friend of hers on a boat. The constituent apparently recanted the claim on Twitter ahead of Thursday's hearing.

In response, Kavanuagh categorically denied the claim, saying, "I was not in Newport, haven't been on a boat in Newport. Not with Mark Judge on a boat, nor all those three things combined. This is just completely made up, or at least not me. I don't know what they're referring to."

According to the transcript, the person making the accusation appears to be associated with a Twitter account advocating for the removal of a military coup.

Fox News Samuel Chamberlain, Mike Emanuel, Andrew O'Reilly, Gregg Re and The Associated Press contributed to this report.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!

An attorney for the woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her decades ago has raised fresh concerns about the format for Thursday's highly anticipated hearing with her and the Supreme Court nominee.

The letter raising those issues once again could throw into doubt the scheduled hearing, which has been the subject of ever-changing negotiations since Christine Blasey Ford first went public.

In the message, sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley late Monday and obtained by Fox News, her attorney took issue with apparent plans for an outside counsel to ask questions -- as well as fiery comments made by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., accusing Democrats of a "smear campaign."

We are finding it difficult to reconcile your letter and [staff member Mike Davis'] note with the Majority Leaders speech this afternoon on the Senate floor. As Dr. Blasey Ford has been clear since her experience was first made public, she came forward because she believes it is her civic duty to tell the truth about the sexual assault she experienced, wrote Michael Bromwich, her attorney and a former Justice Department inspector general.

You said in your letter that you intend to provide a fair and credible process ... Yet earlier today, the Majority Leader dismissed Dr. Fords experience as a smear campaign, claiming mistakenly that the witnesses statements to the Committee constitute a complete lack of evidence, implying that there has been a thorough investigation, the letter read.

KAVANAUGH BREAKS SILENCE IN FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

Bromwich specifically raised concerns with an email from Davis that apparently suggested an outside counsel would question Ford.

This hearing plan that Mr. Davis described does not appear designed to provide Dr. Blasey Ford with fair and respectful treatment, Bromwich wrote. In our view, the hiring of an unnamed experienced sex crimes prosecutor, as Mr. Davis described in his email, is contrary to the Majoritys repeated emphasis on the need for the Senate and this Committees members to fulfill their constitutional obligations.

He added: It is also inconsistent with your stated wish to avoid a circus, as well as Dr. Blasey Fords requests through counsel that senators conduct the questioning. This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate.

He went on to request the prosecutor's resume "immediately" and asked to meet with her Tuesday.

A Judiciary Committee source told Fox News that Republicans hired a female attorney with experience as a sex crimes prosecutor. At this point, the attorney's identity has not been revealed.

A Republican aide also told Fox News the committee reserves its right to have counsel ask questions of Ford, but beyond that has not determined how to proceed.

The note is the latest twist in the tumultuous talks between the committee and Ford. Her story first emerged in the media, though was relayed over the summer to the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has since faced GOP criticism for sitting on the accusations citing Ford's initial desire for confidentiality.

Ford 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.

The committee has offered for Ford to share her testimony in public or private, or over the phone. She and her team previously accepted an invitation to testify Thursday.

Kavanaugh has denied Ford's allegation, as well as that of another woman who alleges he exposed himself to her while at Yale University.

"What I know is the truth, and the truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone," Kavanaugh told Fox News' Martha MacCallum in an exclusive interview on Monday.

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."

Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

The chairman of the House Freedom Caucus is calling on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to appear before Congress this week to testify about reports claiming he suggested wearing a "wire" to record President Trump and broached invoking the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office.

It comes amid an uncertain future for Rosenstein, who has disputed the accuracy of those reports and is scheduled to meet with President Trump on Thursday amid rumors of his exit from the Justice Department.

You can't have the number two official at the Department of Justice making comments about wiring the President and not address it, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., tweeted Tuesday. Rod Rosenstein must come before Congress this week, under oath, and tell the truth about his alleged statements.

A Justice Department spokesman told Fox News Rosenstein had not received an invitation from any committee to testify.

ROSENSTEIN TO MEET WITH TRUMP IN WAKE OF 'WIRE' REPORT

Rosenstein, 53, has been targeted by Republicans for months and frequently finds himself in the political crosshairs due to his role overseeing the special counsel's Russia probe. In July, Meadows and Jim Jordan of Ohio, another 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.

Rosenstein 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. 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 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.

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.

Special Counsel Robert 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.

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 Catherine Herridge, Jake Gibson and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A Michigan candidate for state representative has been asked by her own party to suspend her campaign after she was accused of embezzling more than $100,000 while working at a law firm.

Jennifer Suidan, 34, is the Democratic nominee for state House in the 39th district. On Monday, Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner accused Suidan, who was his re-election campaign committees record keeper, of having misappropriated money from his campaign.

Suidan has betrayed my trust and the trust of all who expected her to perform her duties honestly and in compliance with the law, Meisner said, adding he withdrew his endorsement of her campaign.

Suidan allegedly took more than $100,000 from Meisners campaign when she was employed with Goodman Acker, a Southfield, Michigan-based law firm, WJBK-TV reported. Goodman Acker said Suidans employment has been terminated and the findings have been reported to Oakland County law enforcement.

FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION HEADQUARTERS

The Oakland County Prosecutors Office confirmed the alleged embezzlement has been referred to the sheriffs department for an investigation, but no charges have been filed yet, WXYZ-TV reported.

The allegations against Jennifer Suidan are serious, and the only appropriate response is for her to suspend her campaign and we expect her to do so immediately, the Michigan Democratic Party said in a statement. These allegations have no impact or connection to the rest of our candidates and we remain focused on the issues that matter to Michigan families.

In his statement, Meisner, who has held the office of county treasurer since 2008, said the stolen money was from his campaign coffer and no taxpayer resources were affected.

MICHIGAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE JOINED BY NASSAR VICTIMS PARENTS IN PAIR OF CAMPAIGN ADS

According to the Detroit Free Press, Suidan was Meisners campaign manager in 2012 and 2016. She worked for Goodman Acker for five years  not as a lawyer, but in a position where she managed the campaign funds for Meisner and others, according to the newspaper. She had reportedly taken a leave of absence from the firm to run for office.

Suidan faces Republican Ryan Berman and libertarian Anthony Croff in the general election for the state House seat. It was largely seen as a potential pick-up for Democrats since incumbent Rep. Klint Kesto, a Republican, is term-limited, the Detroit News reported.

Suidan has yet to make a public statement about the allegations, according to local news outlets. Her Facebook page appears to have been taken down or made private.

Michigan House District 39 encompasses part of Oakland County, just outside of Detroit.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Sen. Ted Cruz became just the latest target Monday of a harassment campaign that has gone after GOP lawmakers and Trump administration members, as protesters forced him and his wife to flee a restaurant in Washington, D.C.

The mob scenes have followed California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters call earlier this year for critics to accost Republicans in public places.

In this case, a group of protesters calling themselves Smash Racism DC hounded Cruz over his support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing sexual assault allegations which he denies.

The activists shouted We believe survivors and Sexist, racist, anti-gay! while a woman quizzed the Texas GOP senator whether he believes the women making the allegations against Kavanaugh.

How are you gonna vote, sir? the woman asked as Cruz got up and headed for the exit with his wife. A video posted by the group shows Cruz struggling to get through the crowd. Excuse me, let my wife through, Cruz told the hostile group. The crowd cheered after Cruz eventually left the restaurant.

TED CRUZ HECKLED BY RADICAL PROTESTERS IN DC RESTAURANT: VIDEO

The tense scene follows a string of other incidents involving high-profile Republicans and administration officials who were confronted by crowds of activists in public spaces.

On Twitter, former Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer voiced concern these protests are spinning out of control.

"I lived in DC for 21 years. There were many contested, emotional battles. But this is awful. Washington has become a sick town," he wrote.

Such scenes were encouraged by Waters earlier this summer when she told supporters, 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.

In a TV appearance, she doubled down on her remarks, saying officials are not going to be able to go to a restaurant, theyre not going to be able to stop at a gas station, theyre not going to be able to shop at a department store.

MAXINE WATERS URGES SUPPORTERS TO FIGHT TRUMP WH, SAYS 'THE PEOPLE' WILL 'ABSOLUTELY HARASS' TRUMP STAFFERS

Her remarks followed the harassment of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen at a Mexican restaurant over the administrations controversial zero-tolerance policy at the U.S.-Mexico border that resulted in family separations.

Shame! one protester was heard shouting at Nielsen. If kids dont eat in peace, you dont eat in peace, yelled another.

How can you enjoy a Mexican dinner as youre deporting and imprisoning tens of thousands of people that come here seeking asylum in the United States? another protester was heard yelling in a video posted by the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America.

VIDEO SHOWS DHS BOSS KIRSTJEN NIELSEN BEING HECKLED, HARASSED AT DC RESTAURANT

Stephen Miller, the controversial White House adviser, was accosted the same week as Nielsen when he stopped in an upscale Mexican eatery in Washington.

Hey look guys, whoever thought wed be in a restaurant with a real-life fascist begging [for] money for new cages? one customer allegedly yelled upon seeing Miller, before the Trump staffer scurried away, according to the New York Post.

White Press Secretary Sarah Sanders blamed Waters rhetoric for fueling the harassment campaign against supporters of Trump. She herself was booted out of a Virginia restaurant over her role, with the restaurants owner citing morality and living up to certain standards as the reason for the ejection.

Healthy debate on ideas and political philosophy is important, the press secretary said. But the calls for harassment and push for any Trump supporter to avoid the public is unacceptable. America is a great country and our ability to find solutions despite those disagreements is what makes us unique.

Protest groups have begun targeting not only Trump administration officials. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife  Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao  were confronted by protesters in late June as they left an event at Georgetown University.

Chao told the activists to leave my husband alone!

In an interview with Shannon Bream on "Fox News @ Night, McConnell praised his wife and criticized the protesters who in his view cross the line when they start threatening others.

I'm a big believer in free speech, and sometimes what people say is not great, he said. I do think poor behavior is not a great way to convey your views. And I think getting in people's faces in public places and trying to make them uncomfortable certainly is not a great way to sell your point of view."

MCCONNELL 'LOVED IT' WHEN ELAINE CHAO CONFRONTED PROTESTERS: 'I'VE GOT ONE TOUGH WIFE'

McConnell faced protesters again in July when he was verbally harassed by protesters calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as he left a Louisville restaurant.

Where are the babies, Mitch? shouted another protester, presumably in reference to the Trump administrations zero tolerance policy.

Fox News' Brooke Singman, Adam Shaw, Bradford Betz, Elizabeth Zwirz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A Democratic state congressional candidate in Oklahoma has challenged his GOP rival to a shooting match to see who is better suited to support Second Amendment rights, The Tulsa World reported.

Tom Stites, a Democrat from Sallisaw, said in a video posted last week that Republican Jim Olsen is (not) a real gun guy. Both men are running for Oklahomas vacant seat in House District 2, which is located in the eastern part of the state.

Im sick and tired of being told as a conservative Democrat I cant be pro-life or pro-Second Amendment, Stites said, according to The World. I think that if you talk guns, you had better be ready to back it up. So lets go shoot it out on targets and see who wins.

Stites has used the subject of firearms to chastise Olsen. In a video advertisement posted to Stites Facebook page, he said Olsen (used) the Second Amendment for politics.

My opponent was born and raised in New York and moved here eight years ago, Stites said. We need to know if he really knows guns.

Stites, an NRA member, has offered his farm for the potential shooting event. He suggested the event could be a vehicle for a charity fundraiser and organized by off-duty law enforcement officers, gun dealers, and local NRA members, The World reported.

Olsen has called the contest unnecessary, saying there that the two candidates were not running to be the sniper of Sequoyah County, but we are running for state representative. He has not responded directly to Stites advertisement, according to The World.

The general election is Nov. 6.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

With world leaders in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, one of the underlying storylines of the meeting is the simmering tensions between the United States and China after the Trump administration last week slapped economic sanctions on a Chinese military agency and its director over the purchase of Russian fighter jets and surface-to-air missile equipment.

The U.S. Treasury and State Departments, using a new sanctions power mandated by Congress last year to target Russian intelligence operations and its defense industry, sanctioned Chinas Equipment Development Department and its director, Li Shangfu, for the recent purchases of Sukhoi Su-25 jet fighters and S-400 surface-to-air missiles from Russia.

These Department of State sanctions actions are the result of United States implementation of Title II of (the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act), which Congress passed in response to Russias aggression in Ukraine, annexation of Crimea, cyber intrusions and attacks, interference in the 2016 elections, and other malign activities, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

We will continue to vigorously implement CAATSA and urge all countries to curtail relationships with Russias defense and intelligence sectors, both of which are linked to malign activities worldwide.

U.S. officials noted that sanctions are not meant to curb the defense capabilities of other nations, but instead send a message to countries considering similar Russia arms deals and to curbing an important revenue stream and diplomatic tool for the Kremlin.

The sanctions, however, infuriated officials in Beijing and drew immediate calls for the U.S. to rescind the measure.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Beijing has lodged stern complaints with Washington over the action, which triggers a ban on entering the U.S., forbids conducting transactions with the U.S. financial system and forces the blocking of all property and interests in property within U.S. jurisdiction.

"China is strongly outraged by this unreasonable action by the U.S.," Geng told reporters at a daily news briefing. "We strongly urge the U.S. to immediately correct its mistakes and revoke the so-called sanctions. Otherwise, it must take all the consequences," Geng said, without giving details.

The sanctions, along with the Trump administrations recent implementation of $250 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, have created a sharp deterioration in the relationship between Washington and Beijing.

The Pentagon on Tuesday confirmed that China had canceled a Washington visit by the head of its navy, and U.S. officials said China had denied a request for a U.S. Navy ship to make a Hong Kong port visit.

Also on Tuesday, Chinese officials demanded the U.S. cancel a planned $330 million sale of military equipment to Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing considers a renegade province. The Chinese foreign ministry warned of "severe damage" to bilateral relations and cooperation if the sale announced Monday goes through.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could meet for a second summit before the end of 2018, according to the South Korean president.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in replied yes when asked during an interview Tuesday with Fox News Bret Baier whether he expected the two world leaders to meet in the coming weeks.

And when asked whether that meeting could take place before the end of the year, Moon replied: Yes, I believe so.

I traveled to Pyongyang last week and had a very good meeting with Chairman Kim. And through the summit meeting, we had achieved some progress on denuclearization, Moon recounted. And also, President Trump yesterday congratulated me on the major success of the meeting I had in Pyongyang. And I look forward to a summit meeting taking place between Chairman Kim and President Trump in the not-too-distant future.

TRUMP, AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY, SIGNS MAJOR TRADE DEAL WITH SOUTH KOREA, REVEALS POSSIBLE KIM JONG UN MEETING SOON

Moon elaborated on his meeting with the North Korean dictator, saying that he felt he had ascertained Chairman Kims commitment to complete denuclearization.

He added that Kim vowed to permanently dismantle both a missile engine test site and a launch platform, in addition to destroying the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon subject to corresponding measures from the United States.

If the United States could take corresponding measures, then I believe we will be able to expedite North Korea by further denuclearization measures, Moon said.

For the United States, they promised to end its hostile relations with North Korea to provide security guarantees and also work towards a new U.S., North Korea relations, Moon said. So, although, all these actions would not happen simultaneously, broadly I believe that these actions need to be taken in parallel.

KOREAS SUMMIT KICK-STARTS STALLED NUCLEAR TALKS WITH US

So if the United States could provide this kind of trust, I believe that we will be able to accelerate the denuclearization process. This is why I believe that the denuclearization is achievable within the first term of President Trump's term, Moon said.

Moons interview on Fox News Special Report comes on the heels of Trump and the South Korean leader signing an update to an existing U.S.-South Korea free-trade agreement while the leaders were at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.

Trump called it a very big deal and said the new agreement would make significant improvements to reduce the trade deficit between the countries and create new opportunities to export American products to South Korea.

During his appearance with Moon, Trump also indicated that a second meeting with the North Korean dictator could happen quite soon.

Fox News Bret Baier and Frank Miles contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Donald Trump reaffirmed his support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in a tweet late Monday and blamed Democrats for working to destroy a wonderful man by casting a series of false accusations.

The support comes amid new allegations of decades-old sexual misconduct against the nominee.

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, Trump tweeted.

Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of covering her mouth and trying to remove her clothing at a party in the early 1980s, when they were both in high school. The New Yorker reported allegations from Debbie Ramirez on Sunday, who claimed Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party at Yale University when he was a freshman.

Michael Avenatti, the attorney for porn star Stormy Daniels, said he has information that Kavanaugh and high school friend Mark Judge had plied women with drugs and alcohol at parties so other men could gang rape them. Kavanuagh called the allegations "totally false and outrageous."

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Martha MacCallum on Monday, Kavanaugh denied the allegations against him and said he wants a fair process where I can defend my integrity, and I know I'm telling the truth.

"What I know is the truth, and the truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone," Kavanaugh said. "I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity, and I know I'm telling the truth. 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."

Kavanagh and Ford are set to testify at a hearing on Thursday after days of back-and-forth negotiations between Ford's legal team and Senate Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who delivered a nationally televised speech on the Senate floor Monday defending Kavanaugh, vowed an up-or-down vote on the nominee after the planned hearing on Thursday.

This shameful smear campaign has hit a new low," McConnell said, recalling that Democrats had promised to stop a generational rightward shift on the Supreme Court by "any means" available. "Senate Democrats are trying to destroy a mans personal and professional life."

McConnell also reiterated that none of the allegations against Kavanaugh -- including the claims published Sunday in The New Yorker and last week by The Washington Post -- had any first-hand corroboration.

Republicans on the Judiciary Committee do not expect, however, to be able to vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation until Friday at the absolute earliest. That would almost certainly mean that the Supreme Court would be without a ninth justice when its next term begins Oct. 1, a date set by federal law.

Fox News' Gregg Re and Samuel Chamberlain contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Trump used a warning from Rush Limbaugh on Tuesday to increase pressure on fellow Republicans to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, suggesting control of Congress is at stake.

Rush Limbaugh to Republicans: You can kiss the MIDTERMS goodbye if you dont get highly qualified Kavanaugh approved, Trump tweeted, as Kavanaughs confirmation hangs in the balance amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.

On his show Monday, conservative talk radio icon Limbaugh warned Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and other Republicans not to allow Democrats to delay a vote on Kavanaugh until after November's midterms.

If the Republicans do not get this vote taken and have Kavanaugh confirmed, you can kiss the midterms goodbye, Limbaugh said. You can kiss goodbye holding the House and you can kiss goodbye holding the Senate.

He said Republicans have already demonstrated they are open-minded and want to hear accuser Christine Ford testify, but Democrats have continued to try and delay the process.

"If you guys dont conduct this vote in defiance of all this ... then you can kind of kiss goodbye Republican chances in the midterms in November. Because people are gonna logically say, 'What good does it do?'" Limbaugh said.

Kavanaugh and Ford, who accuses him of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers, are both scheduled to testify on Thursday at an election-season hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In a second allegation, another woman, Deborah Ramirez, told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party at Yale in the 1983-84 school year. Kavanaugh has denied both accusations.

Trump on Tuesday challenged the account of the second accuser, saying she has "nothing."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have focused on accusing Democrats of railroading Kavanaugh by using decades-old, "vague, unsubstantiated and uncorroborated" claims of sexual misconduct.

"Justice matters. Evidence matters. Facts matter," said McConnell.

The leader of the chamber's Democrats fired back, demanding that McConnell apologize to Ford for his assertion that Democrats are using the allegations to wage a smear campaign against the nominee.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said McConnell's comment "demeans many, many women" who have gone public with sexual harassment accusations, saying, "They're doing a noble thing."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

As Brett Kavanaugh denied the sexual misconduct allegations levied against him throughout his Supreme Court confirmation process, his wife, Ashley, remained by his side.

She told Fox News in an exclusive interview she found the allegations hard to believe.

I know Brett. Ive known him for 17 years. Hes decent, hes kind, hes good, Ashley said. I know his heart. This is not consistent with Brett.

Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexually assaulting a teenager at a house party when he was in high school as well as exposing himself to another woman while at a Yale University party.

Kavanaugh and Ashley first met when they both worked in the Bush White House and went on their first date just before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Now the manager of a Maryland town just outside of Washington, D.C., read on for a look at what else to know about Ashley.

Assistant to President Bush

Ashley served as former President George W. Bushs personal secretary  and it was in that White House where she would meet her future husband. Prior to that, she worked on Bushs campaign, according to her LinkedIn page.

Her ties to the Bush family, according to Politico, are still thought to be stronger than that of her husbands.

She is also a part of a team of former Bush aides that helped the Supreme Court nominee navigate the confirmation process, Politico reported. This group is different than the one deployed by the White House.

Maryland town manager

Ashley serves as town manager of Chevy Chase, Maryland, Section 5.

According to The Washington Post, Ashley organizes the neighborhoods Fourth of July parade and cookout, bringing in a salary of about $66,000.

She is the antithesis of the name-dropper, Gregory Chernack, a Democrat who serves as chairman of the town council, told the newspaper. And she doesnt talk about what her husband does. If I didnt know it independently, I would never know it.

Chevy Chase is just outside of Washington, D.C.

Marriage to Kavanaugh

Then Ashley Estes, her first date with Brett Kavanaugh was on Sept. 10, 2001.

The next morning I was a few steps behind her as the Secret Service shouted at all of us to sprint out the front gates of the White House because there was an inbound plane, Kavanaugh said when President Trump nominated him to the Supreme Court. In the difficult weeks that followed, Ashley was a source of strength for President Bush, and for everyone in this building.

Through bad days and so many better days since then, she has been a great wife and inspiring mom, the federal appeals judge said.

The pair married in 2004 and have two daughters.

During the swearing-in ceremony for Kavanaugh to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 2006, Bush joked their marriage was the first lifetime appointment I arranged for Brett.

The former president and first lady reportedly attended the wedding.Dust storms have been spotted on Saturn's moon Titan for the first time ever, raising the prospect the storms could be a precursor to alien life on the celestial body.

Prior to its epic death plunge into Saturn that earned NASA an Emmy, Cassini explored Saturn and its satellites between 2004 and 2017. The new data comes from Cassini and the findings have been published in a paper in Nature Geoscience.

"Titan is a very active moon," said Sebastien Rodriguez, an astronomer at the Universite Paris Diderot, France, and the paper's lead author, in a statement. "We already know that about its geology and exotic hydrocarbon cycle. Now we can add another analogy with Earth and Mars: the active dust cycle, in which organic dust can be raised from large dune fields around Titan's equator."

REAL-LIFE 'PLANET VULCAN' FOUND 16 LIGHT-YEARS AWAY FROM EARTH

Titan is similar to Earth, in that it is the only moon in the Solar System that has a "substantial atmosphere and the only celestial body other than our planet where stable bodies of surface liquid are known to still exist," NASA added in the statement.

Cassini made its dramatic death plunge into Saturns atmosphere in September 2017, ending an epic 20-year space journey. With Cassini low on fuel, scientists opted to destroy the spacecraft rather than leaving the orbiter to drift around space.

The spacecraft, which has spent 13 years exploring the Saturn system, has generated a trove of scientific data on Saturn and its moons. Earlier this year, for example, NASA announced that Saturns moon Enceladus could support life thanks to the discovery of hydrogen.

SCIENTISTS HAVE FOUND THE 'BUILDING BLOCKS' FOR LIFE ON SATURN'S MOON ENCELADUS

Dust storms

It's possible the storms are comprised of "organic molecules" NASA said, due to the chemistry of the atmosphere. Titan's atmosphere is comprised of 98.4 percent nitrogen, 1.6 percent methane and 0.1-0.2 percent hydrogen.

However, once the organic molecules get big enough, they eventually fall to Titan's surface and may play a part in the dust storms.

"We believe that the Huygens Probe, which landed on the surface of Titan in January 2005, raised a small amount of organic dust upon arrival due to its powerful aerodynamic wake," Rodriguez added in the statement.

Rodriguez continued: "But what we spotted here with Cassini is at a much larger scale. The near-surface wind speeds required to raise such an amount of dust as we see in these dust storms would have to be very strong -- about five times as strong as the average wind speeds estimated by the Huygens measurements near the surface and with climate models."

SATURN'S ICY MOON ENCELADUS, A POSSIBLE HOME FOR LIFE

The prevalence of dust storms and strong winds on Titan implies that the underlying sand can be moved as well and that the "giant dunes" that cover the moon's equatorial regions are constantly changing and still active.

Fox News' James Rogers contributed to this report. Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_CiacciaAdolf Hitler's plans to blow up London with a nuclear bomb very nearly succeeded, a new documentary has revealed.

A Nazi ship with the secret mission of transporting heavy water  an ingredient used for nuclear reactors  has been found by scientists and naval historians in Norway.

The 170ft Hydro ferry, which Winston Churchill ordered to be sank in 1944, has been dragged up from the bottom of a 460-feet Norwegian lake near Oslo.

CLICK ON THE SUN FOR MORE

Churchill was unaware of the ship's purpose but ordered its sinking anyway, a choice that is now believed to have saved Britain's capital city.

The National Geographic series "Drain the Oceans" sees teams discover 40 barrels of heavy water when they virtually lifted the vessel.

This quantity of heavy water would have been more than enough to catapult Germany on her way to becoming a nuclear power.

Naval historian professor Eric Gove told the Daily Telegraph: "After the war, those involved in the German nuclear program said that the loss of heavy water was absolutely decisive. It stopped their reactor program in its tracks."

Norway became a target of the Allies after it began producing water in 1934, above Lake Tinn at Vemork.

Five years later, in 1939, the country began its "uranium club." Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann had placed Germany at the head of the pack in the nuclear race after they discovered fission.

Fission is the radioactive decay process where an atom's nucleus splits into smaller parts.

The scientists needed heavy water in order to control the fission process.

After Hitler invaded Norway in 1940, he ordered his troops to move straight for the nuclear plant in Vemork.

Consequently, Operation Gunnerside was launched in 1943 after Britain feared Hitler would use this substance against his enemies.

Despite blowing up the plant while the Hydro was sunk, the Norwegians did not destroy all the Germany supply of heavy water the Nazis began to move the following year by train and ferry.

However, Churchill was already a move ahead.

He and his generals had already ordered their Norway counterparts to attach a bomb to the vessel.

The mission was later documented in The Heroes of Telemark.

"Drain the Ocean" will appear on National Geographic every week since Sept. 6.

This story originally appeared in The Sun.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Scientists in the U.K. have eliminated malaria-carrying mosquitoes in lab experiments touted as a breakthrough in the battle against the killer disease.

There were 216 million malaria cases worldwide in 2016, according to World Health Organization data, which resulted in 445,000 deaths, most of which were children under the age of five.

Researchers at Imperial College London used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology to spread a genetic modification that blocked female reproduction in the lab mosquitoes. The research study is published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

BILL GATES DONATES $4M TO CREATE MOSQUITOES THAT KILL EACH OTHER USING SEX

CRISPR, which has been compared to a pair of molecular scissors, lets scientists alter or replace specific sections of DNA.

The team used a technique called gene drive to target the mosquito species Anopheles gambiae that is responsible for transmitting malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

Scientists were able to crash the caged population of mosquitoes in just 7 to 11 generations. Researchers specifically targeted a 'doublesex' gene that determines a mosquitos gender. The gene drive altered part of the gene 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, they explained in a statement.

JOHNS HOPKINS SCIENTISTS GENETICALLY ENGINEER MALARIA-RESISTANT MOSQUITOES

After eight generations, no females were produced and the mosquito populations collapsed because of lack of offspring, according to the study.

This breakthrough shows that gene drive can work, providing hope in the fight against a disease that has plagued mankind for centuries, said lead researcher, Professor Andrea Crisanti, in a statement. 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.

Crisanti says it will be some time before the gene editing is used on mosquitoes outside of a laboratory setting. 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, he said. Gene drive solutions have the potential one day to expedite malaria eradication by overcoming the barriers of logistics in resource-poor countries.

SOUTH TEXAS RESIDENTS SEE INCREASE IN MOSQUITOES, SOME REPORTEDLY QUARTER-SIZED

The Imperial College project received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.K.s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Massachusetts General Hospital as part of a team supporting DARPAs Safe Genes program.

The World Health Organization reported in November that the global response to malaria is at a crossroads. There were an estimated 5 million more malaria cases in 2016 than the prior year, it 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, said Crisanti.

GENE EDITING BREAKTHROUGH COULD PAVE WAY FOR PIG-TO-HUMAN ORGAN TRANSPLANTS

An estimated $2.7 billion of funding was invested in malaria control and elimination efforts during 2016, according to WHO data. However, the organization warns that the 2016 funding was still well below the $6.5 billion annual investment required by 2020 to meet the 2030 targets of the WHOs global malaria strategy.

Only 40 related species of the approximately 3,500 mosquito species worldwide can carry malaria, according to Imperial College London.

Technology could prove a vital weapon in the fight against the malaria-carrying insects. In a separate project earlier this year, scientists at Johns Hopkins University genetically engineered malaria-resistant mosquitoes.

DNA BREAKTHROUGH: SCIENTISTS REPAIR GENES IN HUMAN EMBRYOS TO PREVENT INHERITED DISEASES

Gene editing has been generating plenty of buzz in recent years.

Last year scientists in another project harnessed gene-editing technology to eliminate viruses in pigs that could be harmful to people, potentially laying the foundations for pig-to-human organ transplants.

Researchers have also used gene-editing to correct a disease-causing gene mutation in human embryos, preventing the mutation from passing to future generations. In the stunning discovery, a research team led by Oregon Health and Science University reported that embryos can fix themselves if scientists jump-start the process early enough.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogersBrian Lewis felt a sense of panic when his dog's loud barks in the backyard "suddenly stopped" last week. He rushed outside to discover his pup, Winnie, had been injured.

Lewis of Cary, North Carolina said he was working from home last Tuesday when the terrifying incident occurred.

I heard her and my other dog barking in the backyard and they were unusually frantic, he explained to Fox News.

FLORENCE COULD SWEEP VENOMOUS SNAKES INTO FLOODWATERS

He found Winnie in the garage with her right paw extended upward. When he brought her inside to examine the wounds, he saw fang marks, likely delivered by a venomous copperhead snake.

Lewis rushed Winnie to a nearby animal hospital, which confirmed his suspicion and treated the canine for a copperhead bite.

VCA Cornerstone Animal Hospital, where Winnie was treated, told WNCN- News they had seen a recent influx of pets coming in with snake bites  partially due to Hurricane Florence, which displaced many creatures from their habitats.

TEXAS SHELTER PUPPY FINDS HOME WORKING WITH DISPATCHERS AT CITYS COMMUNICATION CENTER

After returning from the vet, a furious Lewis found the copperhead likely responsible for the attack in his backyard and smashed it with a shovel.

[The snake] was in about a dozen pieces before I regained my composure," Lewis admitted to WNCN-News.

Winnie has been treated with antibiotics and pain medication. She hobbled around for days after the incident, but Lewis said she's now on the mend.Courtesy Fleishman Hillard(NEW YORK) -- Dozens of iconic landmarks in cities around the world will turn off half their lights throughout this week to raise awareness for the importance of global gender equality and illustrate the power that is lost when the world excludes half its population.



The eye-catching #MorePowerfulTogether campaign, sponsored by the United Nation Women's HeForShe initiative, calls on men to stand in solidarity with women in the fight for gender equality in all aspects of society.



"We are turning off half their lights, to create a visual metaphor of the power that is lost when you eliminate half the population that is women and girls," Elizabeth Nyamayaro, the senior adviser to under secretary-general and executive director of U.N. Women, told "Good Morning America."



The campaign kicked off with the Empire State Building in New York City on Monday night, but other seminal landmarks from the Burj Khalifa in Dubai to the CN Tower in Toronto to Tel Aviv City Hall in Israel will all be "lit in half," Nyamayaro added.



"It's an important metaphor," she said. "Women and girls not being represented around the world in terms of decision-making."



As a result, "We are missing out on huge opportunity of untapped resources," she said.



Studies show that "companies and societies only prosper from gender equality," Nyamayaro added.



In addition to creating a visual metaphor that is changing city skylines around the world, Nyamayaro said, "We want to make sure this momentum translates into action."



"Raising awareness is really the first step, it should not be the end goal," she said.



Whether it's closing the gender pay gap in the U.S. or ending child marriages in other parts of the world, "We want to end gender inequality, and we need men's full participation as well," Nyamayaro said.



"It isn't a women's issue," Nyamayaro said of global gender inequality. "It's a human rights issue."



"We also know that there are a lot of men out there who want to do the right thing," she said, noting that this is where the HeForShe movement comes in.



The movement is not about being rescued, however, it's all about solidarity, she added.



"It's not about men coming in to help women -- women are not helpless -- they don't need men's help," she said. "It's really about solidarity, and men recognizing their privilege and what they can do to be a part of the solution.



"And that we are more powerful together," she added. "That's really the key message."



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Are honey bees getting fatally stung by a type of weed killer?

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin recently discovered bees lose some of the beneficial bacteria in their guts and are more susceptible to infection and death from harmful bacteria when exposed to a popular herbicide called glyphosate.

A study, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describes the method scientists used to draw that conclusion.

The researchers exposed honey bees to glyphosate at levels known to occur in crop fields, yards and roadsides. The researchers painted the bees backs with colored dots so they could be tracked and later recaptured, UT Austin said in a statement.

Glyphosate was found to have significantly reduced healthy gut microbiota when scientists looked after three days.

STUNNING SHIPWRECK DISCOVERY: 400-YEAR-OLD WRECK THRILLS EXPERTS

The study examined how bees were affected when they were faced with a type of pathogen called Serratia marcescens, too.

About half of bees with a healthy microbiome were still alive eight days after exposure to the pathogen, while only about a tenth of bees whose microbiomes had been altered by exposure to the herbicide were still alive, the school explained.

Erik Motta, a graduate student who co-led the project, called for improved protocols.

We need better guidelines for glyphosate use, especially regarding bee exposure, because right now the guidelines assume bees are not harmed by the herbicide, he said in a statement. Our study shows thats not true.

ALIEN LIFE ON SATURNS MOON? DUST STORMS ON TITAN SPOTTED FOR THE FIRST TIME

The school says glyphosate is possibly indirectly killing bees.

But Monsanto -- whose product Roundup contains the herbicide -- has denied that glyphosate is harmful to them.

Claims that glyphosate has a negative impact on honey bees are simply not true, a spokesman for the company told The Guardian. No large-scale study has found any link between glyphosate and the decline of the honeybee population.

The representative added, More than 40 years of robust, independent scientific evidence shows that it poses no unreasonable risk for humans, animal, and the environment generally.A 400-year-old shipwreck discovered off the coast of Portugal has been hailed as a significant archaeological find.

The municipal council of Cascais, a resort city near Lisbon, said Monday the Portuguese ship was involved in the hugely lucrative spice trade between Portugal and India. Pepper corns, cowry shells used in the slave trade and bronze artillery pieces litter the wreck site. The cannons feature the Portuguese national coat of arms.

Experts say that that shipwreck dates from the late 16th century to the early 17th century. The site, which is 39 feet below the waters surface, covers an area spanning an estimated 328 feet by 164 feet.

SITE OF 1503 SHIPWRECK TIED TO VASCO DA GAMA FOUND OFF OMAN

Cascais Mayor Carlos Carreiras described the wreck as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Portugal over the last decade, according to Sky News, citing Portuguese newspaper Publico.

In addition to the city of Cascais, the New University of Lisbon and the Portuguese Navy also participated in the project.

Officials said in a statement the wreck was found last month during dredging at the mouth of the River Tagus, on Portugal's Atlantic coast.

500 YEAR-OLD SHIPWRECK LOADED WITH GOLD FOUND IN NAMIBIAN DESERT

Preliminary excavations have also found porcelain dating from the period of China's Wanli Emperor in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

The wreck is located in an area known as the Underwater Archaeological Chart of the Municipality of Cascais (PROCASC) that contains a host of shipwrecks dating back to the Roman era.

The shipwreck dates back to a time when Portugal was the center of a far-flung trading and colonial network that linked Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.

In 2016, archaeologists said that they had discovered the 500-year-old wreckage of Portuguese ship off Oman. The ship, Esmeralda, was piloted by an uncle of explorer Vasco da Gama.

Also in 2016, diamond miners in Namibia found the remains of a gold-laden Portuguese ship that went missing 500 years ago en route to India.

Walt Bonner and The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogersThe first so-called "robot sex brothel" in the U.S. slated to open in the Houston area this month has prompted a massive backlash from residents and activists who say it will ruin the neighborhood.

The company opened its first location last year near Toronto, where $60 buys a half-hour alone with a robot sex doll, according to the Washington Examiner. The dolls start at $2,500 to buy.

Yuval Gavriel, the founder of KinkySdollS, made the announcement during an interview with the Examiner last week, telling the paper he plans to expand to 10 locations throughout the United States by 2020.

Elijah Rising, a Houston-based non-profit organization aimed at ending sex trafficking, started a petition titled Keep Robot Brothels Out Of Houston. The non-profit has more than 6,500 signatures as of early Tuesday morning.

As a nonprofit whose mission is to end sex trafficking we have seen the progression as sex buyers go from pornography to strip clubs to purchasing sexrobot brothels will ultimately harm men, their understanding of healthy sexuality, and increase the demand for the prostitution and sexual exploitation of women and children, the petition states.

The organization plans to present the petition to citys mayor, according to FOX 26 Houston.

Residents are also expressing their opposition to the brothel, which Gavriel described as a showroom where customers can test and rent dolls before deciding to purchase one.

"There's kids around here and it's a family-oriented neighborhood and I live right here and to have that here is just gross," Andrea Paul told KTRK.

City officials told KHOU 11 on Friday they have not heard of the business, and a spokesperson with the City of Houston's Public Works said they do not have an address for where it will be located. Fox News reached out to the mayors office early Tuesday and did not immediately get a response.

The business does not meet the definition of a sexually oriented business and requires simply an occupancy permit, ABC 7 News reported.

Despite concerns, there are no regulations for the sex robot business, the Examiner reported. Activists and legal experts call on legislative action.

"I can buy two or three or four of these on the Internet and in Washington, D.C., or New York, or anywhere I want, I can set them up and charge people $100 an hour to use them," John Banzhaf, a law professor at George Washington University, told the Examiner.

In June, Congress voted to ban the importation and transportation of sex robots and dolls that look like children.A tweak to the Chrome browser is prompting concern that Google is angling to suck up everyone's browser histories.

With Chrome 69, signing into any Google service, from Gmail to YouTube, will also automatically log you into Chrome and display your account profile pic in the right-hand corner. "This is nuts," Matthew Green, a cryptographer and professor at John Hopkins University, wrote in a blog post. "User consent matters."

Chrome can sync your browser history across all devices, meaning your history is stored on its servers. So users were left wondering if the company was collecting browser data without permission.

Google says no. "Signing in does NOT turn on Chrome Sync," Chrome browser manager Adrienne Porter Felt wrote in a series of tweets. "If you want to turn on Sync, it's an additional step after you're signed in."

This can be done by clicking on your profile pic in the browser and signing in there.

Porter Felt explained the change was made to better alert Chrome users that their browser was still logged into a Google service when sharing their computer with someone else.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.The two co-founders of Facebook Inc.s popular Instagram app are stepping down, a move marking continued tumult at the social-networking giant.

The co-foundersKevin Systrom, Instagrams chief executive, and Mike Krieger, chief technology officerclashed with Facebook executives over the extent of Instagrams autonomy in recent months, according to people familiar with the matter. Earlier this year, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg shifted a senior Facebook executive, Adam Mosseri, over to Instagram in anticipation that the founders might leave, one of the people said.

Among other things, Facebook officials, including Mr. Zuckerberg, clashed with the co-founders over growth tactics and how to more rapidly expand the photo-sharing apps user base, another person said. Senior Facebook officials had known the two men were frustrated working within a large company and had begun making preparations for them to leave, another person familiar with the matter said.

Were planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again, Messrs. Systrom and Krieger said in a joint statement. Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs; thats what we plan to do.

EX-FACEBOOK CONTENT MODERATOR CLAIMS DISTURBING IMAGES GAVE HER PTSD

Messrs. Systrom and Krieger founded Instagram in 2010 and sold the photo-sharing app to Facebook in 2012 for about $1 billion. It has become a bright spot within Facebook as the company for the first time deals with slowing growth.

Kevin and Mike are extraordinary product leaders and Instagram reflects their combined creative talents, Mr. Zuckerberg said in a statement. Ive learned a lot working with them for the past six years and have really enjoyed it. I wish them all the best and Im looking forward to seeing what they build next.

Current and former employees expressed surprise late on Monday about the moves, earlier reported by the New York Times but which hadnt been announced widely within the company yet. The two men were seen as key defenders of Instagrams culture within Facebook and widely respected among Instagram employees.

The departure represents the second major exit by the founders of an acquisition that had become central to Facebooks growth. WhatsApp co-founders Jan Koum and Brian Actonleft after a series of disagreements over how to wring more money from the messaging service, which Facebook bought for $22 billion in 2014.

The disagreements at Instagram were similar, said a person familiar with the matter, saying the relationship between the co-founders and Facebook officials had been tense in recent months. One distinction is that the WhatsApp disputes centered on the debate over whether to allow ads within the messaging service, which the co-founders had long opposed, whereas Instagram embraced ads early on.

Some of the tension began this year, according to people familiar with the dynamic, as Facebook and Instagram executives began to clash over the extent to which Instagram could chart its own direction within Facebooks orbit. Some Facebook teams began exerting more control over their Instagram counterparts, one of the people said.

Facebooks Instagram purchase was a relative bargain compared with WhatsApp. After Messrs. Systrom and Krieger reaped a massive payday despite the company having no revenue and only about a dozen employees, it quickly became a go-to app for young people, many of whom had slowed their use of Facebook.

TECH GIANTS USE AI TO FIGHT FAMINE IN COORDINATION WITH INTERNATIONAL GROUPS

This year Instagram topped more than 1 billion monthly active users, after adding hundreds of millions of users in roughly the past 18 months.

Instagram had become a key cog in the Facebook empire as the social-networking giant enjoyed seemingly unstoppable growth and a stock price that climbed steadily upward. Those trends reversed in July, when the company sent tremors through the stock market by warning that its growth was slowing, an announcement that chopped almost $120 billion from the firms market value.

The news in some ways heightened Instagrams importance within the company, as its popularity among younger users is seen as more stable than at Facebooks main platform. Instagram has also largely stayed out of the negative glare of Facebooks privacy issues, which intensified earlier this year on the revelation that political firm Cambridge Analyticahad accessed the personal data on tens of millions of users without their knowledge.

Among the many efforts to turbocharge Instagrams popularity, the company in June launched a new hub for long-form video, called IGTV, which was Facebooks latest attempt to tap into growing demand among consumers and advertisers for mobile video.

Marne Levine, Instagrams chief operating officer who helped develop the app into a full-fledged business, was moved back to Facebook this month to become head of global partnerships. It isnt decided who will take over leadership at Instagram, according to a person familiar with the matter.Bali is worried the quality of its tourists is declining  and it's considering tough new rules to stop offensive behavior.

Sick of Western tourists climbing on holy sites or disrespectfully posing for photos in skimpy swimwear, authorities on Bali, known as the island of 1000 temples," are considering tough new restrictions on tourists' access to those sacred areas.

And it could mean tourists will be banned from visiting Hindu temples unaccompanied, Balis deputy governor Tjokorda Oka Artha Sukawati, known as Cok Ace, said.

The quality of tourists is now different from before, he said at a recent regional council meeting. It is because we are too open with tourists, so too many come.

MALDIVES RESORTS FED UP WITH INSTAGRAM MODELS REQUESTING FREE STAYS

Balis annual visitor intake reached five million in 2017. But with them have come increased bad behavior, and Cok Ace said in coming weeks the regional council would be rethinking what tourists could and couldnt do around Balis Hindu temples.

That may include no longer letting tourists visit the temples unaccompanied.

This is the governments attempt to maintain the Pura (temples), Cok Ace said. The temples need to be preserved since they are the spirits of Balis cultures and customs.

His comments appeared to be prompted by a recent viral photo of a Danish tourist sitting on the holy Linggih Padmasana shrine at Puhur Luhur Batukaru temple. The tourist can be seen squatting on the throne, which is supposed to be left vacant for Balinese Hinduisms most important deity.

The photo caused a scandal in Indonesia, where blasphemy is illegal. Authorities are reported to be looking for the tourist.

Earlier this year, a Spanish vlogger also came under fire after he posted a video of himself climbing up a temple. He was forced to issue an apology. And in 2016, a young woman dressed in a bikini sparked outrage in Bali when she was photographed in a yoga pose in front of a temple.

Australian expat and Bali resident Rachel Bergma previously urged tourists to cover up around sacred sites. As she told News.com.au, wearing skimpy clothes, or going totally topless, was not OK on the holiday island.

It is not new to Bali to see girls dressed inappropriately. It has been a problem with Europeans for a while now, she said.

What is new  is the latest fashion that young people wear. The shorts that show actual bum cheek and the crop tops.

SEE IT: TOURISTS BANNED FROM MALAYSIAN MOSQUE AFTER TOURISTS FILMED DANCING PROVOCATIVELY OUTSIDE

Many sites of importance to religions around the world require visitors to dress respectfully, but many destinations have struggled with underdressed tourists.

In Thailand, for example, an American couple was charged with indecency last year for dropping their pants for a bare-bottomed photo at the sacred Wat Arun temple.

Earlier this month, Australian expat Matthew Smith, who has lived in Thailand for 10 years, said tourists needed to be reminded of the little things that can upset the locals, like dressing inappropriately around holy sites.

He said he often saw it happen at Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site north of Bangkok.

A few times in Ayutthaya, while visiting the historical city ruins district with my wife, we saw tourists fail to comply with the rules of etiquette, he told News.com.au.

We saw tourists climbing on ancient walls, not wearing proper attire even after being told by ticket sellers or whatnot, being in spots to take photos that were not permitted.

Authorities at Cambodias sacred Angkor Wat site imposed strict dress codes on tourists in 2016, which outlawed exposed knees and shoulders. The crackdown followed a series of nude photographs at the Buddhist site.

The same year, Indias tourism minister told female tourists to stop wearing short dresses, skirts and other skimpy clothes to protect their safety.

Indian culture is different from Western culture, Mahesh Sharma said.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

This story originally appeared on News.com.au. Read more from News.com.au here.A passenger on a GoAir flight from Delhi to Patna, India, created pandemonium when he tried to open the emergency exit door midflight, claiming he mistook it for the lavatory.

Other passengers onboard the Saturday flight said the man, a first-time flier in his late 20s, began tugging on the door and said he needed to use the washroom urgently, the Independent reported.

NAKED MAN OUTSIDE FLORIDA CHICK-FIL-A ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO FIGHT PASSERSBY

When people realized what he was trying to do, they alerted crew members, who persuaded him to return to his seat for the remainder of the flight.

Sanowar Khan, the officer in charge of the local police, told the Times of India there was pandemonium as the man attempted to unlock the exit door. Some passengers reportedly even wrestled with the man and were injured in the struggle.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a branch of the Indian military in charge of airport security, told the Times that the man was able to get the door unlocked, but was unsuccessful at opening it due to the cabin pressure. However, a spokesperson from the airline said he wasnt able to unlock it, either, according to the Independent.

Once the flight landed safely, the man was taken into custody and questioned by authorities, who deemed the incident to be a genuine mistake. There was no ulterior motive behind his act, Khan told the Times.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

This isnt the first time a passenger has tampered with the emergency exit door on a flight. Earlier this year, a 25-year-old man who had just flown from the island province of Hainan in Southern China to Sichuan, China was preparing to deplane when he deployed the aircrafts emergency exit.

He said he was feeling hot and pushed down on the window handle, not realizing it would open the door. The man was fined more than $11,000 and was reportedly detained for 15 days for the unauthorized removal of aviation facilities.

Fox News Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.A woman flying to Manchester from the Greek island of Zakynthos on a Thomas Cook flight last Thursday claims she was threatened by airline staff with removal from the plane because of her severe strawberry allergy.

Chloe Fitzpatrick, 19, and her boyfriend Matthew Higson were reportedly boarding the flight when Fitzpatrick informed the airline crew of her airborne allergy to all strawberry products.

According to Lancashire Telegraph, airline crew told Fitzpatrick that they would make an announcement to the other passengers. However, shortly after the pair took their seats, a member of the airline staff came over and told Fitzpatrick she was not comfortable having someone with her allergy on the flight, the Telegraph reports.

AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING NEEDLE FOUND IN STRAWBERRY IN NEW ZEALAND AS REPORTS OF CONTAMINATION CONTINUE

The 19-year-old then claims she was told to figure out her own way home.

I was told I would have to sort out an alternative way home, she said to the Lancashire Telegraph. [The crew member] then listed times where other passengers who had been refused to fly due to their allergies.

She said the pilot had agreed with her and was not comfortable having such a passenger on board, Fitzpatrick continued. I was then told it was an unfair expectation to refuse other passengers full access to the onboard menu.

Fitzpatrick said she was told the flight would not cater to one person at the expense of the other 200 on the plane.

The manager then asked if she could serve the products just to customers at the front of the plane, Fitzpatrick said to Lancashire Telegraph. She appeared to have no understanding of the concept of an airborne anaphylactic allergy. I felt belittled and patronized and embarrassed about my condition.

However, the airline crew did agree to remove the strawberry products from sale for the duration of the flight, and allowed Fitzpatrick to stay on the plane.

NEWLYWEDS SLAM POLICE ESCORT OFF THOMAS COOK FLIGHT AFTER PLANE FOOD COMPLAINT

Fitzpatrick, who was diagnosed with the allergy at 10 months old, said she has always advised cabin crew of her allergy when she travels and never had an issue.

I feel very badly let down by Thomas Cook and find it difficult to comprehend the difference in attitude of the cabin crew on our way to Zakynthos compared to the way I was treated on the return flight home. On our outbound flight the cabin crew were so understanding and could not have done more for me, she said.

I hope lessons can be learned from my experience and that they will review their cabin crew training, she added.

Thomas Cook Airlines told Fox News it is up to the captain and crew to decide the best course of action for the safety of the passengers.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The safety of our customers and crew is always our first priority. When a customer lets us know that they have an allergy, the cabin manager will share the information with the captain and crew as part of their pre-flight briefing to decide on the best course of action, based on the severity of the allergy.

On speaking with both Ms. Fitzpatrick and the captain, the cabin manager made an announcement to all customers asking them to refrain from opening products containing strawberries that they may have brought on board, and advised that no products containing strawberries would be sold on the flight.An Alaska man was charged Monday in the death of a 10-year-old girl whose remains were found more than a week after she was reported missing.

State prosecutors charged Peter Wilson of Kotzebue with first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual abuse of a minor and tampering with evidence Monday in connection with the death of Ashley Johnson-Barr. An autopsy revealed signs of strangulation and sexual abuse, and DNA evidence also linked him to the crime, according to prosecutors.

Wilson, 41, pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges of making false statements as FBI agents and others searched for Ashley in Kotzebue, a remote Inupiat town on Alaska's northwestern coast.

The girl disappeared Sept. 6. Her remains were found eight days later in rugged tundra accessible only by a four-wheeler or on foot.

The state charges come after Ashley's family had asked that any further legal action be delayed until after the girl's funeral Saturday, said John Skidmore, criminal division director for the state Department of Law.

Wilson took a cellphone from Ashley and lied when he said he had found it on the ground, according to an indictment filed last week from a federal grand jury. The indictment also says Wilson lied about knowing the girl and using a four-wheeler the day she vanished.

Ashley had her cellphone with her when she was last seen playing with friends at a park. The phone was found later that day in the pocket of a jacket belonging to Wilson, a woman named in an FBI affidavit only by the initials of JJ told authorities. The woman said Wilson often stayed at her home.

Wilson told authorities that he found the phone on the ground about a half-mile from the park.

On the afternoon the girl went missing, Wilson also disappeared with a four-wheeler for about two hours, according to authorities. The FBI affidavit said the girl's body was found on tundra outside Kotzebue, in an area concealed by thick alder and willow brush.

After the girl disappeared, Kotzebue residents helped search for her, holding vigils at the park where she was last seen. Similar prayer vigils were held across Alaska. The FBI sent 17 agents to help investigate.

Kotzebue is 26 miles (42 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle and 550 miles (885 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage. It serves as a regional hub for northwest Alaska villages.

___

Follow Rachel D'Oro at https://twitter.com/rdoroAn Arizona mother was arrested Sunday after she allegedly left her young daughter home alone while she went out partying.

Alexandra Ciliento, 29, left her house around 11 p.m. Saturday night while her 4-year-old daughter remained at home, Fox 10 reported.

While her mother was out, the young girl managed to escape the home and make her way over to a neighbor's house.

The neighbor reportedly waited 45 minutes before calling police, who were finally able to reach Ciliento just after 8:00 the following morning, according to AZCentral.com.

Ciliento admitted to Scottsdale Police that she left her apartment and didn't try to get a babysitter to watch her daughter, police indicated in court records.

Additionally, Ciliento "was not aware that her child could open a locked door and leave the residence."

Her daughter is in the custody of her father, and Ciliento is reportedly not allowed to see her. Online records show Ciliento was charged with one count of child abuse.Police in Dallas, Texas are looking for a man who allegedly followed a woman walking her pet and stabbed her to death.

The incident occurred around 7:55 p.m. on Friday, according to police. A woman was walking the animal outside in the Churchill on the Parks apartment complex when the man followed her home, investigators said.

When police arrived at the scene, two people were in their apartment with stab wounds. One of the victims was pronounced dead by fire officials.

It was not immediately clear whether the suspect knew the victim.

Police described the man as a white male, between the heights of 6'0" to 6'2" with a tall, skinny frame, and wavy hair. He was wearing a white and red t-shirt with a black design at the time of the incident.

Anyone with information on the attack is asked to call the Dallas Police Department at 214-671-3675 or Crime Stoppers at 214-373-8477.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest and indictment, police said.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 of flooding, which is expected to begin Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

If youve received a message from your county emergency management office telling you to evacuate due to floodingyou need to do exactly that: leave, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) tweeted.

SCEMD advised Carolinians to avoid flooded roads and limit unnecessary travel.

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, warning people not to wait for an official evacuation order if they begin to feel unsafe.

Residents along the Waccamaw were bracing for water expected to peak Wednesday at 22 feet near Conway. Thats twice the normal flood stage, and far higher than the previous record of 17.9 feet, according to charts published by the National Weather Service on Monday.

The Cape Fear and Neuse rivers also remain swollen, and arent expected to return to normal levels until October, the charts show.

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.

FLORENCE AFTERMATH SEES NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS STEPPING UP

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 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 killed at least 43 people since it slammed into the coast Sept. 14.

FLORENCE FLOODING REVEALS FISH WASHED UP ON INTERSTATE

In Washington, lawmakers have been 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 todays dollars, while last years Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion. Moodys 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 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.

North Carolina environmental officials also said theyre closely monitoring two sites where Florences floodwaters have inundated coal ash sites.

Elsewhere in the tropics, Subtropical Storm Leslie maintained maximum sustained winds of 40 mph while drifting east over the central Atlantic, and Tropical Depression Kirk dissipated over open waters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A Wisconsin robbery suspect reportedly surrendered to police after he couldn't take mosquitoes biting at him anymore.

John Wilson allegedly led Campbellsport police officers on a chase Tuesday as he drove another suspect, who has not yet been arrested, away from a store he had just robbed, WDJT-TV reported.

TEACHER ACCUSED OF PUTTING KID IN GAME MACHINE TO STEAL PRIZES TURNS SELF IN, PLACED ON LEAVE

Authorities reportedly followed Wilson as part of a high-speed chase, before Wilson got out of the car and fled on foot.

The area was flooded with mosquitoes  so much so that Chief Thomas Dornbrook said when sheriff's office officials arrived, he immediately asked for bug spray.

GIRL SCOUT TREASURER EMBEZZLED MORE THAN $88G FROM TROOPS, CANCER CENTER, SHERIFF SAYS

"That's the first thing I asked for, if he could give me some spray because it was crazy," Dornbrook told the news station.

Nearly an hour later, Wilson turned himself in to police because he could no longer endure the mosquitoes nipping at his skin.

"When we handcuffed him he asked us to wipe his forehead because he had 15-20 mosquitoes on his forehead at that time," the police chief said.

'INSIDE EDITION' CREW GETS ROBBED WHILE REPORTING ON SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA CRIME

"I think if it werent for the mosquitoes he would have kept walking and trying to get a ride from someone," Dornbrook said. "I tease Sergeant Zitlow, he along with a million mosquitoes helped capture the guy."

Wilson was reportedly charged with fleeing officers, retail theft and obstructing an officer.A self-proclaimed "mommy blogger" has been arrested upstate  accused of shaking her boyfriends 2-year-old daughter until she passed out, and causing serious injuries that eventually led to the little girl's death, cops said.

Brianna Valenti, 26, of Grand Island, faces numerous charges for the vicious act, including reckless assault of a child.

The victim's father, Cody Fuller, told WKBW on Monday that doctors believe she had been shaken "almost to death" by Valenti on the afternoon of Sept. 10. The toddler died over the weekend as a result of her injuries.

Valenti had been looking after her that day  along with her own 5-year-old daughter  when the alleged assault unfolded, Fuller said.

She reportedly called him, saying his daughter had passed out and was having "trouble breathing." Paramedics were called and the little girl was rushed to John R. Oishei Children's Hospital with "injuries resulting in her being unresponsive," cops said.

She was admitted into the intensive care unit, and deputies with the Erie County Sheriff's Office were contacted by Erie County Child Protective Services soon after.

"CPS suspected she was a victim of child abuse," police officials said in a release.

On Sep. 11, authorities arrested Valenti and charged her. She was still being held Monday at the Erie County Holding Center on $150,000 bail. Cops wouldnt say if she'd be hit with more charges following the death of Fullers daughter on Saturday.

Click for more from the New York Post.Eleven days ago, Lee Gantt was at a Hurricane Florence party in her neighborhood in Georgetown, where the story goes that some houses haven't flooded from the Sampit River since they were built before the American Revolution.

She will spend Tuesday with sandbags, watching the nearby river rise from Florence's heavy rains and seeing if the luck finally runs out on her home built on Front Street in 1737.

"We thought this might be coming. We just left everything up above the floor just like from the hurricane. I'm nervous. Can't you see me shaking?" she said, stretching her arms out.

The Sampit is one of five rivers that reach the Atlantic Ocean in and near Georgetown on the South Carolina coast. And Florence  which arrived as a hurricane dumping record rainfall in North Carolina  is expected to cause record flooding downriver in Georgetown County as its final act. So much water is coming that it is backing up other rivers that aren't even flooding.

And still more is coming: The National Hurricane Center said a broad area of low pressure about 260 miles (420 kilometers) south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, is producing showers and thunderstorms on its north side. Forecasters said it could become a tropical depression Tuesday as it approaches the coast, and will dump rain regardless on coastal areas of North and South Carolina.

The county has recommended almost 8,000 people leave their homes  more than 10 percent of the population. Officials expect floodwaters to top several bridges, nearly cutting Georgetown County in two and leaving only one highway out during the expected crest early Thursday.

The deluge has made its way so slowly down the Lumber, Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers that the state last week released detailed maps on where it expects flooding. Upstream in Horry (OR-ee) County, the floodwaters have invaded close to 1,000 homes near Conway as the Waccamaw River was slowly making its way to a crest a full 4 feet (1.2 meters) over its record level set just two years ago after Hurricane Matthew.

But in North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said it was time to start concentrating on recovery. "Florence is gone but the storm's devastation is still with us," Cooper said at a news conference.

About 400 roads across North Carolina remained closed due to the storm that's claimed at least 46 lives since slamming into the coast Sept. 14. Crews have reopened the major highways closed in the storm. Interstate 95 was reopened to all traffic Sunday night for the first time since the floods, and Cooper said Monday that a previously closed portion of Interstate 40 had reopened sooner than expected.

Power outages and the number of people in shelters also were declining. Around 5,000 people were without power, down from a peak of about 800,000, and about 2,200 people were in shelters, compared with a high of around 20,000, the governor said.

In Washington, lawmakers considered almost $1.7 billion in new money for disaster relief and recovery. And the economic research firm Moody's Analytics estimated that Florence has caused around $44 billion in damage and lost output, 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.

Down in Georgetown County, it is a disaster nearly two weeks in the making. Georgetown County spent days under hurricane warnings before Hurricane Florence made landfall about 110 miles (175 kilometers) up the coast near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

The worst of the storm stayed well north, causing only minor flooding in Georgetown and some downed limbs.

"We had a hurricane party," Gantt said. "Now I don't know what to do."

Several blocks up Front Street, the main business district was busy, but with people leaving. All along the sidewalk were piles of artwork, antiques, and boxes as owners emptied out their inventory to take to higher ground.

Tomlinson department store sent an empty truck normally used to stock stores and employees rushed to fill it with everything. The store has never flooded, but predictions call for up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water by Thursday. "The anticipation has been nerve-wracking. Though, I'm glad we had the time to do this," said district manager Kevin Plexico.

Georgetown was positioning ambulances and firetrucks in the busy, tourist section along the beaches in case the floods cut off the U.S. Highway 17 bridges as expected. National Guard troops were prepared to float more equipment across the river if needed. Exhausted emergency officials said they have lived nothing but Florence for more than two weeks.

"The work has been done," Georgetown Mayor Brendon Barber said. "We just need to pray."

___

Associated Press writers Gary D. Robertson and Alex Derosier in Raleigh; Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina; Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia; and Sarah Brumfield in Washington contributed to this report.

___

For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/HurricanesA 13-year-old boy who was found naked and chained at the ankles in an Alabama home was forced by the three people who took care of him to sleep in a dog crate, officials said Monday.

Danielle Nicole Martin, 32, Joshua Daniel Martin, 26, and Vickie Seale Higginbotham, 58, appeared in court on charges of aggravated child abuse, the Montgomery Advertiser reported. Danielle and Joshua Martin  the boys mother and stepfather  and Higginbotham, the boys grandmother, were taken into custody after police received an anonymous call Thursday about the child being chained inside the Prattville home.

How can you do these things, allow these things to take place, when you are in a lucid, conscious state? Autauga County District Judge Joy Booth said during the Monday court appearance.

An investigation showed the 13-year-old boy had been bound by chains and padlocks for at least 18 hours before police went to the house, the Montgomery Advertiser reported. The child had been chained before, and was even forced to sleep in a dog crate at night, officials said.

NEW YORK 'MOMMY BLOGGER' ACCUSED OF SHAKING BABY BEFORE ITS DEATH

The Martins blamed Higginbotham for the alleged abuse and claimed they didnt know what was happening to the child. Joshua Martin placed blame on his long work hours.

"How can you do these things, allow these things to take place, when you are in a lucid, conscious state?"  Autauga County District Judge Joy Booth

We didnt know what [Higginbotham] did, Danielle Martin told Booth on Monday, adding she was not on drugs when the alleged abuse happened. My mother has a mind of her own. I tried to stop her when she put him in the dog crate.

Higginbotham also told the judge: They didnt know that I chained the child to the bed at night. Danielle and Josh had nothing to do with this. I would never harm a child on purpose. I made a mistake.

Booth did not buy into the three family members claims, the Montgomery Advertiser reported. They are being held on $30,000 bond.

The 13-year-old was taken to the hospital and treated for malnutrition. Two other children, ages 5 and 12, were taken away from the home and placed in custody with the Alabama Department of Human Resources.Video footage shows a disgruntled deli customer setting a Bronx, N.Y., shop on fire after he got into a fight with a worker over cigars, authorities said Tuesday.

The customer got into an argument with the 30-year-old shop clerk at the White Plains Road Deli around 5 a.m. Sunday because the worker wouldnt let him leave with a box of cigars without immediately paying for them, law enforcement sources said Tuesday.

The suspect  wearing a black hoodie and a denim jacket with leopard-print sleeves  told the clerk he would come back and pay for the stogies, but the worker refused to let him have the smokes, authorities said.

About an hour later, the suspect returned  and poured a flammable liquid from a red canister on the front of the Wakefield store, police said.

Click for more from The New York Post.The founder of the controversial Texas company that sells blueprints for untraceable 3-D printed guns has resigned after his arrest on charges of having sex with a minor, the company announced Tuesday.

Cody Wilson, 30, tendered his resignation to his own company, Defense Distributed, on Friday evening to tend to personal matters, said Paloma Heindorff, the companys director of development.

She said she will be taking over Wilsons duties as director of the company and that she is not trying to replace Wilson as a character.

Im a different person, Heindorff added.

Heindorff wouldn't comment on the criminal charges against Wilson. But she said his leaving "was his own decision and we support it."

"Going forward, as it stands, he has no role in the company," she said during a news conference.

Wilson is accused of paying a 16-year-old girl $500 to have sex with him in Austin. He was arrested in Taiwan and brought back to the U.S. over the weekend. He has since been freed on $150,000 bond.

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. Heindroff said there are no plans to stop doing that. She said morale at the firm remains high.

We believe in something and that something is not one man, Heindorff said. That something is an idea and we are fully committed to that idea.

Wilson, a self-described "crypto-anarchist," has said "governments should live in fear of their citizenry."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.The FBI Tuesday announced a $10,000 reward for information about a missing 6-year-old boy with autism who last was seen at a North Carolina park Saturday.

The Gastonia Police Department said Maddox Ritch, who has nonverbal autism, was seen Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rankin Lake Park, located about 20 miles west of Charlotte.

His mother, Carrie Ritch, spoke out Tuesday, while begging for the safe return of her son, Fox 46 reported.

Maddox is my whole world and my reason for living, she said, crying and shaking.

The boys father and another adult were walking on the back side of the lake at the park when Maddox took off running and got out of their sight, police told Fox 46. When the adults werent quickly able to locate the boy, they called 911.

Police are asking anyone near the popular park on Saturday to try to remember any details that could help them find the boy.

FBI JOINS SEARCH FOR 6-YEAR-OLD NORTH CAROLINA BOY

More than 20 agencies are involved, and Gastonia police are using drones and checking dumpsters to search any possible spot for the boy, Fox 8 reported.

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.

Fox News Travis Fedschun contributed to this report.Hurricane Florence was the nation's second rainiest storm in 70 years, a top rainfall meteorologist calculated.

Only last year's Hurricane Harvey rained more over a 14,000 square mile (36,260 square kilometers) area during a four-day time period, said Ken Kunkel, a meteorologist at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and North Carolina State University.

Scientists said climate change likely boosted rainfall totals for both storms.

Kunkel's preliminary analysis found more than 17.5 inches (0.4 meters) fell on average over five weather stations in the 14,000 square miles of the eastern Carolinas stretching from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Florence, South Carolina. The amount is second to Harvey's 25.6 inches (0.6 meters).

"That's a lot of water," Kunkel said.

The third rainiest storm was in March 2016 in northern Louisiana and the seventh was in southern Louisiana in August 2016. The three rainiest and four of the top seven have all occurred in the last three years  which Kunkel said is no coincidence.

Kunkel, who specializes in analyzing rain data from thousands of weather stations, based his work on rainfall since 1949 when recording became more widespread across the continental United States.

Kunkel examined rainfall over a compact area  14,000 square miles, a figure based on latitude and longitude squares  and larger areas such as 20,000, 30,000 and 80,000 square miles. Florence's unusual amount was most noticeable on the smallest scale.

When the scientist looked at a bigger area, 20,000 square miles, Florence fell to seventh place, behind Harvey, 1998's Hurricane Georges, the two Louisiana rainstorms, a 1962 northern California downpour and a 1994 Texas drenching.

The analysis has not been published or peer reviewed yet, but will be, Kunkel said.

It is "not surprising  but still terrifying  that the two top ranked soakers happened over the past two years," said Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann, who wasn't part of Kunkel's research but praised it. He said warmer oceans, more moisture and slower moving storms due in various ways to climate change make storms dump more rain.

___

Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter: @borenbears . His work can be found here .

___

The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (Source: VNA)



The interview took place as the PM prepares to lead a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to the High-Level General Debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, The event, themed Making the UN Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable, and Sustainable Societies, is scheduled to take place during September 25th-October 1st in New York, the US.

He said the Party and State have long considered multilateral diplomacy an important pillar in Vietnams external policy. When the country gained independence, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter asking the UN to recognise Vietnam as an independent country and admit it as a UN member. During its fight for national liberation, Vietnam flexibly combined multilateral and bilateral external policies to create a united external front, pooling the support of international peace-loving friends.

Multilateral external activities, namely the 1954 Geneva Conference and the 1973 Paris Conference, contributed to ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam. In the wake of national reunification, Vietnam overcame embargoes and gradually joined international organisations. During its process of global integration, the country has signed a number of bilateral and multilateral economic and trade agreements, and strived to be a responsible member of various international organisations, a trustworthy partner, and an open and promising market.

Since its 1977 entry into the UN, the worlds largest multilateral organisation, Vietnam has been a responsible member, making positive contributions to each field of UN operations, and even one of the bodys pioneers in promoting global peace, progress, cooperation, and development.

Vietnam has also actively contributed to the building and enforcement of the UNs international conventions and formation of a fair, transparent, and effective global multilateral mechanism, thus meeting the common aspirations of humankind.

Vietnams contributions have been welcomed by the international community, especially activities at the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Socio-Economic Council, as well as many other UN agencies.

As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 tenure, Vietnam contributed to common efforts to settle disputes in several areas, strengthened UN peacekeeping activities and raised specific initiatives to promote the role of women in the peace and security segment.

On the back of such successes, Vietnam has received support from multiple countries to seek a seat at the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure. The country has also actively contributed to the building and fulfilment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals until 2030 and taken the lead in adopting new cooperation models, including the Towards Unity in Action, One UN model.

Over the past three years, Vietnam has played a crucial role in and directed the drafting of an annual Resolution of the UN Human Rights Council on climate change response and the promotion of human rights.

In late 2016, a Vietnamese official was elected as Second Vice Chairman of the International Law Commission for the first time.

PM Phuc said Vietnam has actively participated in many important multilateral organisations and forums in the region and the world, such as the Francophone community, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

Joining ASEAN, Vietnam has proved its role as an active and even proactive member, with many initiatives focused on building the ASEAN Community and the 2025 vision for a united, resilient and innovative ASEAN that plays a central role in regional security mechanisms, he said.

Such activities have shown Vietnams new, pivotal position in multilateral diplomacy, he said, adding that from the position of a participating party, Vietnam has affirmed its capacity to directly contribute to shaping international and regional mechanisms for the peace and prosperity of humankind, thus improving the countrys stature.

The Government leader stated that the rapid and complicated developments of traditional and non-traditional challenges in the world today require the shared efforts of all countries and regions. The role of multilateral cooperation mechanisms, primarily the United Nations, is becoming more important than ever.

Vietnam has been consistent in promoting the basic principles of international law and the UN Charter in terms of: solving international conflicts and disputes by peaceful means on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; non-interference in the internal affairs of any country; and no use  or threaten to use of force, he affirmed.

Stepping up multilateral diplomacy in the spirit of Decree No.25 CT/TW  issued by the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee on August 8th, 2018  not only aims to improve the position, strength, and prestige of Vietnam on the international arena; but also reflects the trust of Vietnamese people in a world of multilateral dialogue with respect for international law, peace, and equal cooperation for development.

According to PM Phuc, the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly takes place amid rapid and complex changes in the world, with war, conflict, and poverty remaining severe challenges to the international community.

At the event, themed Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies, the PM and high-ranking leaders from the 193 UN member nations will discuss and propose effective measures to deal with global challenges to security and development, as well as ways to help the UN serve the interests of all nations and people in a more practical and effective manner.

In attending this important event, the high-raking Vietnamese delegation and I will transmit a strong message that as an active member, and reliable and responsible partner of the international community, Vietnam vows to do its utmost, within its own capabilities and conditions, to make more effective contributions to the common affairs of the international community, towards a world of peace, cooperation, and development, as well as a fair, democratic, and rules-based international political and economic order, he stressed.

As a country hit by many fierce wars, Vietnam deeply feels the pain and losses caused by war and treasures the value of peace. At the same time, Vietnam is also an exemplary narrative in overcoming poverty, healing the wounds of war, and reconciling contradictions.

From a poor, underdeveloped nation, Vietnam has made every effort to become a middle-income developing country since 2010 and one of the economies with rapid growth.

Vietnam has been held by the UN, the World Bank, and many other international institutions as one of the nations with a positive tale of poverty reduction and successful implementation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

We will continue our pioneering role in responding to climate change in Asia and succeed in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and other important UN cooperation frameworks and agendas, he said.

Vietnam wishes to learn from the international community, as well as share experience in boosting socio-economic development, reducing poverty, ensuring social security, and improving peoples living conditions.

Attending the UN activities this time round, Vietnam aims to take advantage of the available resources and opportunities for it own development as well as accelerate the realisation of UN action initiatives, plans, and priorities at national and regional levels.

Vietnam and the UN signed the joint One Strategic Plan (OSP) for the period from 2017 to 2021 between the Vietnamese Government and 18 UN agencies.

The OSP is built in accordance with Vietnams five-year 2016-2020 Socio-economic Development Plan, the SDGs, and the countrys international commitments on human rights.

The good implementation of these initiatives will help Vietnam achieve more inclusive growth goals in the future, thus raising its prestige and position at the UN as well as on the international arena.

This working trip is a chance for Vietnam to promote its achievements in economic and human development towards inclusive and sustainable goals, he said.

It also offers an opportunity for Vietnam to share and propose policy initiatives in promoting and ensuring human rights in line with the development context of each country, in particular regarding the rights of vulnerable groups and disabled workers, child labour, the trafficking of women, and climate change, he added.

Vietnam is not only a candidate of ASEAN, but also of the 54-member Asia-Pacific Group running for non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure.

The country was honoured to undertake its mission during the 2008-2009 tenure and made important contributions which were hailed by international friends.

With its past experience, active and sincere spirit of cooperation, and support from the UN member states, the PM expressed his belief that Vietnam will successful fulfil all tasks at the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure, thus making greater contributions to peace, development, and prosperity worldwide.

Now in Africa, Vietnamese army officers are standing side-by-side with military counterparts from all over the world to accomplish the peacekeeping mission entrusted by the UN and international community, he said, adding that Vietnam is ready to join hands for a better future for humankind./.A man in Florida was arrested Sunday after he threw another man off a bridge into a river just as an officer was passing by, according to police.

The Daytona Beach Police Department said that Derrick Goodin, 21, was involved in an argument with a woman over money as she and a friend crossed the bridge over the Halifax River on Sunday. After throwing the woman's bike in the water, the 21-year-old then threw over her friend, an unidentified man, after he got involved in the argument.

"A Daytona Beach Police officer was just heading over the bridge when he spotted Goodin tossing the victim into the water," police said.

In bodycam video released by police, Goodwin can be seen standing with the man before police say he tossed him over. The officer then gets out of the car and tells the 21-year-old to surrender.

On the ground right now! Get the f--- on the ground! Main Street Bridge, I've got a male throw another male off the bridge. I got one at gunpoint, the officer can be heard saying in the video.

Goodin is then heard saying "he jumped over the bridge, before throwing his wallet in the water before he was arrested.

"It's not every day that we're driving and we see a human being throwing another human being into a body of water," Daytona Beach Police spokeswoman Lyda Longa told FOX35.

NAKED MAN OUTSIDE FLORIDA CHICK-FIL-A ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO FIGHT PASSERSBY

McKenzie Reijonen, who heard the commotion as he was fishing on a rowboat nearby, told FOX35 he jumped into action as soon as he realized what was happening.

I mean over there it's pretty shallow but he fell I think into the channel which is even worse because, you know, he could have been unconscious and been hit by a passing motorboat," he said.

Reijonen said he rowed his boat over to the bridge and brought the man, who had a gash on his head but was otherwise fine, to shore.

I was just worried that he could have been punched unconscious or drowning or somewhere down there in the water and I did what I hoped somebody would do for me, he said.

Goodin is now at the Volusia County Jail and has been charged with aggravated battery and breach of peace, according to police.A girl was killed and her cousin was injured Saturday when a tree fell on top of them while they were swinging on a hammock at their grandparents Virginia home, officials said.

Sabina Surjit Henderson, 7, and her cousin were on the hammock about 6 p.m. when the elm tree the sling was fastened to fell on top of them, FOX5DC reported. Henderson was airlifted to the hospital where she later died.

Her 8-year-old cousin, who was not identified, was taken to the hospital and treated for internal injuries. He is expected to survive, FOX5DC reported.

The children were at the Seven Elms Farm in Purcellville for a family gathering and had been swinging on the hammock all day, Hendersons family said.

Henderson had just started second grade before her death. A preliminary investigation indicated Henderson died in a tragic accident.

"Sabina was a smart, witty girl who loved to tell jokes and make other people laugh," the girls father, Ben Henderson, said in a statement to NBC Washington. "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, her father said.An illegal immigrant from Mexico was charged with murder after one person was killed and two others were injured in a Sunday attack aboard a fishing vessel sailing off Massachusetts, officials said Monday.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 27, was charged Monday in federal court in Boston with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States for the incident.

Prosecutors said in a charging document the fishing vessel, the Captain Billy Haver, was sailing approximately 55 miles off the island of Nantucket with seven crew members aboard when Vazquez assaulted one crew member with a hammer in one hand and a knife in the other.

That crew member reported seeing another man lying on the ship's deck, bleeding, and the 27-year-old then allegedly struck a third crew member.

"It is further alleged that Vazquez then climbed up the mast of the ship as the others onboard tried to capture him," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The ship's captain placed a distress call reporting the attack, and a German cruise ship, the Mein Schiff 6, responded. Two of the wounded crew members were taken aboard the cruise ship, and one was pronounced dead by the ships doctor.

People who were on the cruise ship said the captain announced they had to go help a fishing trawler that had an incident overboard.

"They just let us know we had to rescue two people," Fiona Peters told Boston 25 News. I was sitting in a bar having coffee and reading a newspaper. And then I looked outside and saw that."

NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN US MAY BE TWICE WHAT'S REPORTED: YALE-MIT STUDY

The Captain Billy Haver is an 82-foot fishing vessel out of Virgina.

The Coast Guard joined the investigation into the attack, Boston 25 reported.

Vazquez, who was in the U.S. illegally after previously being deported, was arrested in Newport News, Va. in March for abduction by force, intimidation or deception -- but he was released on bond, according to the U.S Attorney's Office.

The 27-year-old is scheduled to appear in federal court on Tuesday, and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and $500,000 in fines if convicted of the murder. He also will be subject to deportation after serving any potential sentence.Floridians received a surprise on Tuesday when a kangaroo was spotted hopping the streets of Palm Beach County.

The 5-year-old kangaroo, named Storm, somehow escaped from an animal sanctuary in Jupiter Farms, The Palm Beach Post reported.

Owner Eric Westergard told the news outlet he wasn't sure how Storm  one of six kangaroos he owns  got out, but said "sometimes they get spooked."

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission (FWC), volunteers from the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and Florida Highway Patrol are all reportedly searching for the kangaroo, which was first reported missing around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

FWC spokesperson Tyson Matthews said that since kangaroos are nocturnal, investigators might have to search for Storm into the night.

He noted that when the kangaroo is found, he'll most likely be shot with a tranquilizer and returned to Westergard.

Anyone who spots the kangaroo is urged to contact FWC at 888-404-3922.The Latest on a trial (all times local):

6 p.m.

Mississippi emergency workers say that a dying woman was hard to understand, but many say they heard her say that someone named Eric had set her on fire.

At least six firefighters and paramedics testified Tuesday they heard Jessica Chambers say what they understood as Eric. Earlier, a speech pathologist testified that Chambers was so severely burned that she wouldn't have been able to produce "articulate" sound.

The five men and one woman testified Tuesday in the capital murder retrial of Quinton Tellis, who is accused of killing Jessica Chambers in 2014 by setting her on fire. Jurors couldn't reach a verdict in the first trial last year.

Tellis' defense lawyers say prosecutors have the wrong man on trial and are urging jurors to believe what firefighters, paramedics and others heard on a roadside on the outskirts of rural Courtland.

Prosecutors say evidence including cellphone locations, video, DNA on a keychain, Tellis' statements and a witness point to him killing Chambers.

3:45 p.m.

At least four Mississippi emergency workers say they heard a dying woman tell them someone named Eric had set her on fire.

The men testified Tuesday in the capital murder retrial of Quinton Tellis, who is accused of killing Jessica Chambers in 2014 by setting her on fire. Jurors couldn't reach a verdict in the first trial last year.

Earlier Tuesday, a speech pathologist testified that Chambers was so severely burned that she wouldn't have been able to produce "articulate" sound.

Tellis' defense lawyers say prosecutors have the wrong man on trial and are urging jurors to believe what firefighters, paramedics and others heard on a roadside on the outskirts of rural Courtland.

Prosecutors say evidence including cellphone locations, video, DNA on a keychain and Tellis' statements point to him killing Chambers.

___

Noon

A speech pathologist says a Mississippi woman who suffered fatal burns could not speak clearly after she was set on fire.

Carolyn Wiles Higdon testified Tuesday in the trial of Quinton Tellis, who is being retried for capital murder in the 2014 death of Jessica Chambers. Jurors couldn't reach a verdict in the first trial last year.

Higdon says Chambers was so severely burned that she wouldn't have been able to produce "articulate" sound within two to three minutes after she was burned.

That testimony could help undercut a key defense argument  that multiple emergency workers heard a dying Chambers say someone named "Eric" attacked her. Defense attorneys urged jurors to trust that testimony  a foundation of their arguments in the first trial.

Prosecutors say evidence pointed to Tellis killing Chambers.

___

10 a.m.

Prosecutors say evidence will show a man killed a Mississippi woman by setting her on fire, but defense attorneys say prosecutors can't prove it and that someone else killed her.

Quinton Tellis is being retried on capital murder charges in the death of Jessica Chambers in 2014, after jurors couldn't reach a verdict in a first trial last year.

This trial could last a week. Prosecutors say cellphone locations, video, DNA on a keychain and Tellis' statements link him to Chambers' death. A new witness may testify she picked up Tellis that night near where Chambers was burned.

The defense emphasizes multiple emergency workers heard the dying Chambers say someone named "Eric" attacked her.

Tellis faces another murder indictment in 2015's death of Meing-Chen Hsiao in Monroe, Louisiana.The Latest on flooding caused by former Hurricane Florence (all times local):

12:20 p.m.

Red Cross officials say that residents displaced by Hurricane Florence could face difficulty finding temporary housing because of storm damage and an already-tight rental housing market.

Red Cross Vice President of Operations and Logistics Brad Kieserman said that North Carolina's rental market was already tight before the storm. He said that much of the rental market in rural North Carolina was in homes and one-story structures that were susceptible to flooding damage.

He said that FEMA data indicates that tens of thousands of structures have been damaged by the storm.

He said that Red Cross shelters in North Carolina have about 1,700 people in them on Tuesday, down from a peak of 22,000. He said the number is in sync with state data because the Red Cross is operating virtually all shelters in the state now. He said about 200 people are in Red Cross-run shelters in South Carolina.

___

12:20 p.m.

Funeral services are being held for the two women who drowned while being driven to a mental health facility in South Carolina through a flooded area.

An obituary notes that 43-year-old Nicolette Green will be buried Wednesday in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania. Services for 45-year-old Wendy Newton of Shalotte, North Carolina, are listed as happening Friday in Hamlet.

It took authorities more than 24 hours to recover the women's bodies from the Horry County Sheriff's Office van that was swept away last week in floodwaters in Marion County. Crews retrieved the van itself on Monday, nearly a week after the deaths.

The two deputies driving the women were able to escape the sinking van. They have been placed on leave as the incident is investigated.

___

12:20 p.m.

The flooding in northeastern South Carolina from Hurricane Florence is providing the ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Horry County officials said in a news release Tuesday that they would begin spraying for mosquitoes Tuesday night and continuing on Wednesday and later this week.

The news release said the chemicals being used are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and pose little risk for people or animals. But county officials say those with asthma or respiratory problems may want to stay inside with doors and windows closed during the spraying.

___

12:20 p.m.

Sheriff's deputies in North Carolina are trying to determine whether the death of a man whose body was found in a ditch is related to Hurricane Florence.

News outlets reports the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said the body of 32-year-old Marcus Jamal Wiley was found by a landscaper who was cleaning up the area along U.S. 117 south of Goldsboro on Monday.

The sheriff's office said the ditch where the victim was found had been flooded for more than a week and the water had just receded.

An autopsy hasn't determined how Wiley died, and detectives are constructing a timeline.

___

11:50 a.m.

Forecasters say a storm system off the coast of the Florence-battered Carolinas will dump even more rain on the already saturated states.

The National Hurricane Center said on its website Tuesday that a broad area of low pressure about 260 miles (420 kilometers) south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, is producing showers and thunderstorms on its north side. Forecasters said it could become a tropical depression Tuesday as it approaches the coast, and will dump rain on the coast regardless.

County officials have recommended that almost 8,000 people leave their homes  more than 10 percent of the population. Officials expect floodwaters to top several bridges, nearly cutting Georgetown County in two and leaving only one highway out during the expected crest early Thursday.

The hurricane center also warned of dangerous surf and rip currents along portions of the North Carolina coast on Tuesday.

___

1 a.m.

Eleven days ago, Lee Gantt was at a Hurricane Florence party in her neighborhood in Georgetown, where the story is that some houses near the Sampit River haven't flooded since they were built before the American Revolution.

Gantt will spend Tuesday with sandbags, watching the nearby river rise from Florence's heavy rains and seeing if the luck finally runs out on her home built in 1737.

The Sampit is one of five rivers that reach the Atlantic Ocean in and near Georgetown on the South Carolina coast. And Hurricane Florence  which started with record rainfall in North Carolina  is expected to cause record flooding downriver in Georgetown County as its final act. The county has recommended almost 8,000 people leave their homes  more than 10 percent of the population.A Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy was wounded in a shootout after confronting three individuals in a car on Monday, officials said, making the incident the county's third deputy-involved shooting in the last week.

One of the people in the car was killed in the shootout and the two others were detained, officials said.

The incident began when two deputies said they saw suspicious activity in a vehicle with three passengers, Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said in a news conference on Tuesday.

One of the individuals allegedly got out of the vehicle with a gun and an altercation ensued over control of the weapon, McDonnell said.

SUSPECT ARRESTED IN BRUTAL BAT ATTACKS ON HOMELESS MEN IN CALIFORNIA

The gun discharged and wounded the deputy. The other deputys partner, a patrol trainee, saw the altercation and fired several rounds. Officials said they were investigating the incident.

McDonnell said the deputy, a 10-year veteran of the sheriffs office, was shot in the upper torso and went into surgery, but was in stable condition and doing well.

DALLAS POLICE OFFICER AMBER GUYGER FIRED AFTER FATALLY SHOOTING NEIGHBOR BOTHAM JEAN

The other two individuals in the vehicle were not involved in the altercation with the deputy, authorities said. A gun was recovered at the scene.

The incident follows a shooting last week that left two deputies wounded and a suspect dead, the Los Angeles Times reported.With a mock security pass, 3-month-old Neve Te Aroha made history on Monday when she attended the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit at the U.N. General Assembly to listen to a speech given by her mother, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

In her fathers arms, Neve looked on as her mother, who is only the second elected leader to give birth while in office, after Pakistans Benazir Bhutto in 1990, addressed the assembly.

Before the address, Arderns partner and stay-at-home dad joked in a tweet Monday that Neve had kept them awake until 3:45 a.m., without any regard to the changing time zones.

He also shared a photo of Neves U.N. security pass.

I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside U.N. yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change. Great yarn for her 21st(birthday), he tweeted.

At 38 years old, Ardern is her countrys youngest premier and the first to ever take maternity  six weeks  while in office.

She told the New Zealand Herald after her address that it was a practical decision to take Neve to the General Assembly.

Neve is actually nearby me most of the time in New Zealand, shes just not always caught, Ardern said. But here, when shes awake, we try and keep her with me. So that was the occasion.

The couple has said Neve will accompany her mother on official business because Ardern is breastfeeding.

The United Nations was delighted to see Neve in the assembly hall, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told Reuters.

Prime Minister Ardern is showing that no one is better qualified to represent her county than a working mother, he said. Just 5 percent of the worlds leaders are women, so we need to make them as welcome here as possible.

Samantha Power, a former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. under former President Barack Obama, appeared to echo Dujarrics statement saying on Twitter: I cannot stress how much the @UN  and the governments that comprise it  need this.

While in New York for the convergence of world leaders, Ardern is set for some high-profile interviews, including on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Her agenda includes combating climate change, promoting global trade and supporting the rights of women and children.

Ardern's government has passed a number of measures over its first year in office. It has raised the minimum wage, increased support to low-income families and new parents, banned most foreigners from buying homes, and announced an ambitious policy to combat climate change by making the country carbon neutral by 2050.

And during Ardern's tenure, the economy has kept growing at a steady annual rate of 2.7 percent, despite some surveys indicating a downturn in confidence among businesses and consumers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A recently engaged runner who was brutally stabbed to death last week will be buried in the dress that she was set to wear at her wedding in two months, her mother said.

When I saw my daughter  trying out her dress, I never imagined she was buying the dress for her burial, Cora Martinez told WRC-TV.

Martinez was stabbed six times in the head and neck, and once in the back Tuesday while running near her apartment in a residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Police said she stumbled into a takeout restaurant, where customers attempted to save her life. She died at a hospital.

She understood that she had to fight and she got up and she ran into this restaurant and she asked for help, so that makes us so proud she had the energy, the strength and the audacity to fight, her mother told WRC-TV.

Police have charged Anthony Marquell Crawford, 23, with first-degree murder in her death.

Crawford approached detectives the next day and said officers were accusing him of stabbing a "little girl," according to records, WTOP-FM reported. Officers hadn't mentioned the slaying, records said.

Police have called the crime an apparently random attack and have not found a motive, the report said.

Crawford has a history of paranoia and drug use, records said.

Martinez's mother said she forgives Crawford, according to the reports.

The Associated Press contributed to this reportAt one time, a 3-year-old pit bulls life was confined to a fighting ring in Canada. But three years later, the young pup has been given a new lease on life, training to become an official K-9 officer for the Honaker Town Police Department in Virginia.

The dog, Dallas, along with 30 other pit bulls, were confiscated by officials with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) in 2015, according to The Washington Post. Court documents from the time said the pups were constrained by stakes in the ground and multiple dog fighting items, including steroids, were found on the property, the newspaper reported.

NORTH CAROLINA MAN CHOPS COPPERHEAD SNAKE INTO 'A DOZEN PIECES' AFTER IT BITES FAMILY DOG

Though 21 of the dogs  including Dallas  were slated to be euthanized, 18 of them were eventually saved after Rob Scheinberg, co-founder of Dog Tales, a rescue group in Ontario, hired a lawyer to fight for the pups.

Following a lengthy legal battle, Dallas and some of the other dogs were taken by Pit Sisters, a Florida organization which helps breeds that have difficulty getting adopted  such as pit bulls  find homes.

After observing Dallas, Jen Deane, founder and president of Pit Sisters, soon realized he could find his next home with a police department.

We knew that his combination of ball drive and his wanting of human praise was the perfect combination to be a police dog, Deane told The Washington Post.

Thats when Deane decided to team up with the Pennsylvania-based Throw Away Dogs Project, which is now training Dallas to sniff out narcotics. Dog Tales agreed to cover the pups pricey training costs, which can exceed $10,000.

TEXAS SHELTER PUPPY FINDS HOME WORKING WITH DISPATCHERS AT CITYS COMMUNICATION CENTER

The dog is an absolute sweetheart and has tons of energy, Carol Skaziak, founder of the Throw Away Dogs Project, told Fox News on Tuesday. She said Dallas has been in training since the end of August, making him one of a few pit bulls in the country to go from a fighting ring to training as a police dog, according to The Washington Post.

Skaziak echoed Deane, describing Dallas as ball crazy, which is a plus for police dogs in training.

Having a dog thats so enthused by a ball is a positive for police dogs, she said, noting Dallas hyper personality is also a plus.

He has a great back story and he really needs this second chance. We are thrilled to be a part of it."  Carol Skaziak, Throw Away Dogs Project founder

Dallas is slated to move to Virginia on Sunday where he will complete his training with his future handler. Once an official K-9 he will save many lives, Bruce Myers, who is working with Dallas, told The Washington Post. 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."

The police department is super excited" to welcome Dallas, Skaziak said.

He has a great back story and he really needs this second chance. We are thrilled to be a part of it, she added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.China sends twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space on a single carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Sept. 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Liang Keyan)

XICHANG, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday evening successfully sent twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space on a single carrier rocket.

The Long March-3B carrier rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 10:07 p.m. It was the 285th mission of the Long March rocket series.

The twin satellites are the 37th and 38th editions of the BeiDou navigation system. After a series of tests and evaluations, they will work together with 12 BeiDou-3 satellites already in orbit.

The twin satellites will provide danger alerts and navigation services for global users. A basic system with 18 orbiting BeiDou-3 satellites will be in place by the end of the year, which will serve countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The satellites and the rocket for Wednesday's launch were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, respectively.

Named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper, the BeiDou system started serving China in 2000 and the Asia-Pacific region in 2012.

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1

[ Editor: WPY ]A former New Mexico priest, who fled the U.S. decades ago amid allegations of child sex abuse, once blamed his behavior on a cancer diagnosis which prosecutors say he didn't have, according to court documents.

Arthur Perrault is scheduled Tuesday to appear in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque for a detention hearing as prosecutors seek to hold the 80-year-old priest until his aggravated sexual abuse trial.

Court documents filed in federal court late last week said victims described Perrault showering them with gifts and meals before abusing them. Victims also collaboratively described Perrault as someone who smoked pipes and wore silk underwear.

Documents also said the Connecticut-born Perrault wrote an apology letter to the parents of one victim in 1971 and blamed his actions on cancer, which prosecutors said he was never diagnosed with.

Perrault was extradited to New Mexico last week from Morocco in connection with sexual abuse cases that are alleged to have taken place between 1991 and 1992 at Kirtland Air Force Base and Santa Fe National Cemetery.

The former Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and a former Air Force chaplain has been charged in a federal indictment with seven counts of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.

Perrault pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Friday. He also told a U.S. magistrate judge he'd had a stroke three years ago, was deaf in one ear, and had trouble walking.

Perrault, a one-time pastor at St. Bernadette parish in Albuquerque, is one of many priests sent to New Mexico in the 1960s from around the country for treatment involving pedophilia.

Victims, lawyers and church documents show the priests were later assigned to parishes and schools across New Mexico  especially in small Native American and Hispanic communities.

Perrault vanished in 1992, just days before an attorney filed two lawsuits against the archdiocese alleging Perrault had sexually assaulted seven children at his parish.

The FBI said Perrault first fled to Canada and then to Tangier, Morocco, where he worked until last year at an English-language school for children.

Perrault denied abusing children in a handwritten letter to a judge related to sexual abuse lawsuits in Albuquerque. Perrault said his assets included money from military retirement and Social Security.

Church records released last year by a New Mexico judge show Perrault is also accused in state lawsuits of sexually abusing at least 38 boys in other cases.

Records also show Perrault was sent in 1965 to Servants of the Paraclete  a religious order that ran a treatment center for pedophile priests in Jemez Springs, New Mexico  after he was accused of molesting young men while serving in Connecticut.

Quinton Tellis is the man on trial for killing a Mississippi woman by setting her on fire, but much of the first day's testimony focused on emergency workers' reports that Jessica Chambers told them an "Eric" had attacked her.

That testimony came Tuesday after prosecutors tried to plant doubts about what Chambers really could say with severe burns, calling a speech pathologist to say the 19-year-old Chambers would have lost her ability to speak clearly within minutes of being burned.

Tellis' retrial on capital murder charges began in Batesville after jurors couldn't reach a verdict in a first trial last year. In his opening statement, Panola County Assistant District Attorney Jay Hale urged jurors to look to the other evidence besides what firefighters and paramedics say they heard from Chambers after they found her staggering away from her burning car on a rural backroad in December 2014 near Courtland. She would die hours later in a Memphis, Tennessee, hospital.

"Once you hear all the evidence the state offers, you're going to have plenty of evidence to convict him of capital murder," Hale told jurors.

But the Eric testimony was the cornerstone of Tellis' defense in the first trial and defense attorney Darla Palmer told jurors to trust it.

"This evidence is always going to show, it's always going to say Eric did it, no matter what the state does to diminish that, and we would ask that you find Quinton not guilty," Palmer said.

The testimony of speech pathologist Carolyn Wiles Higdon was the first new wrinkle prosecutors introduced in the retrial. Higdon said Chambers could have made sounds, but wouldn't have been able to control them or pronounce consonants with a swollen tongue and charred lips, testifying that it would have been impossible for her to say "Eric."

"There is no way she could have produced an articulate sound soon after this inflammation started, this burn started," she testified.

But that was followed with a parade of volunteer firefighters and paramedics. Some say they couldn't understand what Chambers was saying or didn't hear. But six testified they heard her say Eric, identifying words and short sentences even though Chambers was speaking in a quiet, abnormally low voice they described as breathy or raspy.

"It was hard, but what I thought I heard was Eric," said Courtland firefighter Jody Morris. He said when Chambers came shuffling out of the woods, "it looked like Hollywood, like a movie. She looked like a zombie"

Panola County fire coordinator Daniel Cole was among the responders who concluded Chambers was dying.

"I didn't think we'd ever speak to her again after we left the scene," Cole testified. "I was trying to obtain as much information as I could for law enforcement."

He described the word Chambers struggled to get out as sounding like "hair, hair, hairic."

In his opening statement, Hale told jurors in that investigators interviewed many people named Eric or Derek but none "were ever found to be viable suspects in this crime." Palmer, though, said investigators "did not check every viable lead."

Hale said investigators were at a dead end when they re-examined Tellis, who had been an early suspect. Hale said investigators focused on Tellis after he changed his story and admitted he had been with Chambers later on the Saturday of her death.

"Quinton Tellis had not been truthful to investigators," Hale said.

Prosecutors said cellphone locations, video, DNA on a keychain and Tellis' statements link him to Chambers' death. A new witness may testify she picked up Tellis that night near where Chambers was burned. Palmer described that evidence as "speculation" or "unreliable."

The 29-year-old Tellis faces another murder indictment in the 2015 stabbing death of Meing-Chen Hsiao in Monroe, Louisiana. He's already pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of her debit card. The 29-year-old Tellis is currently serving a prison sentence in Mississippi on an unrelated burglary charge.Authorities in Los Angeles on Monday said they arrested a suspect in connection to a string of brutal attacks on sleeping homeless men in the citys downtown that left two dead and several more critically injured.

Ramon Escobar, 47, was arrested after police said he attacked a homeless man in Santa Monica, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Escobar was booked on two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, the Times reported.

The victim in Mondays attack was unconscious at a nearby hospital, authorities said. The motive behind the attack was not clear and no weapon was recovered, the paper reported.

The paper previously reported that three homeless men were attacked while they slept in the citys downtown area with a bat on Sept. 16. Two of the victims later succumbed to their injuries and a third victim was hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said.

Authorities are also investigating whether Escobar was involved in two attacks on homeless men near the beach in Santa Monica, the paper reported.

Surveillance footage was key in leading to the arrest of Escobar, the paper report, citing unnamed law enforcement officials. Video allegedly showed the suspect rummaging through the pockets of victims.

Police are expected to release additional information on Tuesday.President Donald Trump poured scorn on the "ideology of globalism" and heaped praise on his own administration's achievements Tuesday in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly that drew headshakes and even mocking laughter from his audience of fellow world leaders.

"The U.S. will not tell you how to live and work or worship," Trump said as he unapologetically promoted his "America First" agenda. "We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return."

Speaking in triumphal terms, Trump approached his address to the world body as something of an annual report to the world on his country's progress since his inauguration. He showcased strong economic numbers, declared that the U.S. military is "more powerful than it has ever been before" and crowed that in "less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country."

Just sentences into the president's remarks, the audience began to chuckle and some leaders broke into outright laughter, suggesting the one-time reality television star's puffery is as familiar abroad as it is at home. Trump appeared briefly flustered, then smiled and said it was not the reaction he expected "but that's all right."

Later he brushed off the episode, telling reporters, "Oh it was great. Well, that was meant to get some laughter so it was great."

The leaders' spontaneous response to Trump's address only reinforced the American president's isolation among allies and foes alike, as his nationalistic policies have created rifts with erstwhile partners and cast doubt in some circles about the reliability of American commitments around the world.

Barely an hour before he spoke, in fact, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared to the assembly that global cooperation is the world's best hope and "multilateralism is under fire precisely when we need it most."

Since taking office, Trump has removed the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, promoted protectionist tariffs and questioned the value of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other alliances in furtherance of what he termed on Tuesday a strategy of "principled realism."

To that end, Trump flaunted his embrace of negotiations with North Korea's Kim Jong Un just a year after he had warned of raining down "total destruction" on a leader he branded "Little Rocket Man." As Trump praised Kim's "courage" on Tuesday, he unloaded harsh rhetoric on nuclear-aspirant Iran as a persistent malign influence across the Middle East.

"We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues," said Trump. The president has removed the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, citing the country's destabilizing actions throughout the region and support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah, and he accused its leaders on Tuesday of sowing "chaos, death and destruction."

His national security adviser, John Bolton, was to go even further in a speech Tuesday, issuing a dire warning to Iran: "If you cross us, our allies or our partners; if you harm our citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat and deceive, yes, there will indeed be hell to pay," Bolton said, according to prepared remarks released by the White House.

In addition to his keynote speech, Trump is to chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council about nuclear proliferation on Wednesday. His four days of choreographed foreign affairs were designed to stand in contrast to a presidency sometimes defined by disorder, but they were quickly overshadowed by domestic political crises.

The fate of his second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, was in fresh doubt after a second allegation of sexual misconduct, which Kavanaugh denies. Kavanaugh and his first accuser testify to Congress on Thursday.

Drama also swirls around the job security of Trump's deputy attorney general. Rod Rosenstein was reported last week to have floated the idea of secretly recording the president last year and to have raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. He will meet with Trump at the White House, also on Thursday.

At the U.N., Trump seized his opportunity to assert American independence from the international body. He showcased his decisions to engage with the erstwhile pariah North Korea, remove the U.S. from the international Iran nuclear accord and object to U.N. programs he believes are contrary to American interests.

"We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism," Trump said.

He referenced a list of U.N. bodies, from the International Criminal Court to the Human Rights Council, that his administration is working to undermine.

"America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination," Trump declared. His denunciations of globalism drew murmurs from other members of the organization that stands as the very embodiment of the notion.

Shortly before he spoke, in fact, U.N. Secretary-General Guterres had defended international cooperation as the only way to tackle the challenges and threats of increasingly chaotic times.

"Democratic principles are under siege," Guterres said. "The world is more connected, yet societies are becoming more fragmented. Challenges are growing outward, while many people are turning inward."

On other tense subjects, Trump's criticism of Germany's pursuit of a direct energy pipeline from Russia drew a dismissive headshake from a member of the U.S. ally's delegation, and his mention of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar all in one breath was received with stone-faced expressions by Saudi officials. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been boycotting Doha since last year as part of a dispute tearing apart the typically clubby Gulf Arab nations.

The laughter in the first moments of Trump's address evoked a campaign line Trump frequently deployed against his predecessor Barack Obama  who embraced international engagement  suggesting that due to weak American leadership, "the world is laughing at us."

In 2014, Trump tweeted "We need a President who isn't a laughingstock to the entire World. We need a truly great leader, a genius at strategy and winning. Respect!"

Appearances on the global stage tend to elevate the stature of presidents both abroad and at home. But even before his arrival for the annual gathering of world leaders and diplomats, the desired image was being eclipsed as Trump was forced to confront the salacious and embarrassing in the controversies over Rosenstein and Kavanaugh.

With cable news chyrons flashing breathless updates about both Beltway dramas, news of Trump's foreign policy moves from the U.N., led by a new trade deal with South Korea, struggled to break through.

___

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Miller at http://twitter.com/@zekejmillerThe decision to cancel major military exercises on the Korean peninsula this year caused a slight degradation in the ability of American and Korean forces to work together and remain ready to fight, the U.S. general nominated to take command of troops in South Korea told senators Tuesday.

Gen. Robert Abrams said that commanders are planning a number of smaller staff exercises to rebuild the ability of U.S. and allied forces to operate together. And he was non-committal when asked if the major exercises currently being planned for next year will be held.

"I think the temporary suspension of exercises that were previously scheduled for August and September were a prudent risk based on the opportunity to open up additional diplomatic efforts and negotiation between the United States and the DPRK," said Abrams, using an abbreviation for North Korea. "Going forward we know inherently by not conducting training and exercises that there will be a degradation of readiness and capability and interoperability of the combined forces."

He said any decision on the major exercises planned for next spring will be made by alliance leaders. But Abrams also warned that Pyongyang continues to pose a significant military threat  with both nuclear and conventional capabilities  and "America must remain clear-eyed about the situation on the ground and allow diplomacy to continue to work."

President Donald Trump caught military leaders by surprise in June when he announced the suspension of major military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea, in the wake of his landmark summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June. He has criticized the wargames as costly and provocative, saying late last month that there was no reason to spend a lot of money on the drills. But he also has warned that the U.S. could "instantly" relaunch the exercises again if needed.

The cancellation was an olive branch to Pyongyang, which has long complained that the exercises were invasion preparations. There was some hope that the gesture of shelving the fall exercises would foster goodwill and help nudge the North in the denuclearization talks. But beyond returning the potential remains of about 55 U.S. troops missing from the Korean War, and its continuing suspension in its missile and nuclear tests, there has been little movement from the North.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told reporters last month that the drills planned for spring could go on, but said no final decision has been made. Other military officials have said the planning is continuing because the wargames require months of preparation.

Senators on Tuesday spent much of their time quizzing Abrams about North Korea, including how difficult it would be to evacuate civilians from the peninsula in the event of an attack. Abrams agreed it would be a "wicked problem," but said there are plans in place and they are rehearsed twice a year.

Asked if the U.S. should have American troops serve in South Korea without having their families with them, Abrams said all options should be considered, but he would want to make his own risk assessment. If confirmed for the new post, he said his top priority would be to conduct a full assessment of the military's warfighting ability in Korea.

Abrams would replace Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, the outgoing commander who has been in Korea since spring 2016.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Abrams has done multiple combat tours including in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan and currently heads U.S. Army Forces Command. He comes from a legendary military family -- his father and two brothers all served in the Army. His father, Gen. Creighton Abrams Jr., commanded military operations in Vietnam for about four years and served as the Army chief of staff. The Army named the M1 Abrams tank after him.Washington state workers were acting unconstitutionally when they seized belongings and medical records of those living in homeless camps, a lawsuit filed earlier this month claims.

Puyallup workers bulldozed property in 2016 and 2017 without notice, according to the lawsuit. The suit states the city discarded the property they seized, The News Tribune reported Friday. The suit was filed Sept. 14 and seeks unspecified damages.

Here, we believe that the city and county have violated the rights of people living without housing in Puyallup, said attorney Tristia Bauman, who works for the National Law Center on Homelessness & Property and represents one of the six plaintiffs.

The City of Puyallup and Pierce County defended their actions, saying they gave those in the encampment plenty of time to leave and they prioritize health and safety for all citizens in our community.

When it is necessary to conduct a homeless encampment clean-up due to the clear presence of dangerous and unhealthy conditions, all affected persons are given ample notice and sufficient time to collect and remove their belongings, Puyallup officials said in a statement. They are also referred to resources and services which can assist them if they choose to accept such services.

Nancy Boyle, 57, and Glenn Humphreys, 54, are among those suing Puyallup. They claim they left their camp to stay in a shelter when temperatures got colder and when they returned they found a three-day notice to leave their camp, according to The News Tribune. The following day, police told them they had three minutes to leave.

The city workers allegedly tossed things like Humphreys tools, documents he needed to get Veterans Administration services, his Social Security ID card, Boyles German birth certificate and naturalization papers, according to The News Tribune.

Jerome Connolly, 34; Christian Rainey, 51; Nicki Wedgeworth, 50; and Terry Linblade 55 were also listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit and shared similar experiences.

Connolly and Rainey claim they had their medicine destroyed, while Wedgeworth and Lindblade had family photos and a GED certificate allegedly thrown away.A Washington state fire department is feeling a different kind of heat after an investigation revealed that some employees used the body of a recently deceased person to practice multiple intubations, according to a new report.

In July, the unidentified body was taken to the Bellingham Fire Departments Fire Station 1 to await pickup from a funeral home. While there, several department members including a division chief and EMS captains, practiced multiple intubations on the body, the Bellingham Herald reported, citing information received from the citys communications director.

The fire chief confirmed the report to the newspaper, saying in a prepared statement that he had first learned of the incident in early August.

This incident was neither normal nor acceptable, Fire Chief Bill Newbold said. The chief officer directing this activity was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a complete and thorough investigation.

He added: The investigation confirmed to me that the actions of the personnel involved were unacceptable and constitute serious misconduct.

Vanessa Blackburn, the citys communications director, told the newspaper that the fire department did not seek nor did it receive permission to perform the medical procedure from the deceased persons family, adding that officials acted at the direction of the chief officer present. She said the chief officer wrongly believed that the situation was an appropriate training opportunity.

That direction was inappropriate and inconsistent with our expectations of chief officers, she said.

The staff involved in the incident received suspension without pay or letters in their personnel files, depending on the extent of their involvement, Blackburn said. One officer who had been with the department for 28 years retired, while another officer, a 23-year veteran with the department, resigned, she added.

The names of the employees involved were not released.

These actions stand to violate the trust between our department and the community we serve, which we have earned through over a century of exemplary service, Newbold said. Going forward, the firefighters, paramedics and staff of the Bellingham Fire Department will continue to work hard in service to our community.

Mayor Kelli Linville told the newspaper in a prepared statement that she was very disturbed when she learned of the incident and praised the swift actions by Newbold.

We took it very seriously, taking the steps to make sure that the people who were responsible have been held accountable, she continued. What happened was wrong and I want to assure the community that it wont happen again.A North Dakota woman claimed Tuesday she cut a baby from her neighbors womb, ultimately killing the woman, because she felt pressured to "produce a baby" after lying about being pregnant to keep her boyfriend from leaving.

Brooke Crews spoke out in the trial of her now-ex, William Hoehn, in Fargo. Hoehn is charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Crews pleaded guilty last year to murdering 22-year-old Savanna Greywind, and is serving a life sentence without parole.

Crews said she killed Greywind and stole her baby was because she felt pressured from Hoehn to have a child. She told defense attorney Daniel Borgen that she did "not explicitly" tell Hoehn she planned to kill Greywind and steal her baby; however, she said he had presented her with what she believed was "an ultimatum."

Hoehn has admitted he helped cover up the crime but said he didn't know that Crews had planned to kill Greywind and take her baby. The child survived the ordeal and is being raised by family.

Crews described her relationship with Hoehn as rocky and violent, saying it was fueled by drugs and alcohol. She said they broke up at one point, and that's when she lied to him about being pregnant. She went so far as to email him a phony positive pregnancy test and sonogram photo, she claimed.

In early August 2017, Hoehn told Crews he didn't believe she was pregnant and said she needed "to produce a baby." Crews said she believed this was "an ultimatum."

"I took that to mean I better have a baby, no matter how it happened," Crews said.

She said that Hoehn was surprised when she appeared in their apartment later that month with Greywinds baby but that he retrieved a rope and strangled the victim to ensure she was dead.

"If she wasn't dead before, she is now," Hoehn allegedly said, according to Crews testimony.

Crews told police she pushed Greywind down and knocked her out before cutting her open.

However, the medical examiner testified Monday that there was no evidence of any head injuries. The autopsy report could not rule whether Greywind died from blood loss or strangulation.

Greywinds body was found several days after her killing. Police discovered the body wrapped in plastic and dumped in the Red River.

Crews claimed the woman's body was in the bathroom closet of their apartment, something police missed during three separate searches. She said Hoehn eventually moved the body to a hollowed-out dresser and the two of them carried it out of the apartment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A 92-year-old woman has been buried in Nebraska with British military honors for a secret that she held for decades: her World War II service as a code breaker of German intelligence communications.

The Union Jack was draped over Jean Briggs Watters' casket during her burial Monday, the Omaha World-Herald reported. Watters died Sept. 15.

The tribute honored Watters for her role decoding for a top-secret military program led by British mathematician Alan Turing, who was the subject of the 2014 Oscar-winning film "The Imitation Game ." Watters was among about 10,000 people, mostly women, who participated in the Allied effort to crack German communication codes throughout the war.

She operated an electro-mechanical machine , known as a "bombe," to decipher signals the German armed forces sent out from its sophisticated Enigma encryption machines. The effort at Britain's famed codebreaking center, Bletchley Park, saved lives and helped bring an end to the war. But it was kept classified until the 1970s.

"She never told anyone," said Watters' son, Robin Watters. "She was fully aware of the gravity of what she was doing. It was haunting to her, what might happen if she made a mistake."

Jean Briggs Watters was 18 when she enlisted in the Women's Royal Naval Service. She had attended an art school in Cambridge, England, before joining the Allied war cause.

She met her husband, a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot named John Watters, during the war and they married soon after. She and her husband retired to the U.S. in 1969.

Watters was placed Monday in a burial plot next to her husband, who died in June at age 101.

"She had a seriousness, and a sense of duty," Robin Watters said. "She was a really special lady. But she was tough. She did the hard things."next Image 1 of 2

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To the Indonesian government, the 39-year-old factory worker and globe-trotting Polish traveler is a danger to the state, a man who plotted with shadowy gunmen to foment revolt in isolated eastern jungles.

But to his supporters, Jakub Skrzypski is just an idealistic tourist with no money to his name, a man with an oddball combination of sympathies for right-wing and liberation causes. Even Indonesian police say it's unlikely Skrzypski could have arranged the arms deal they say he promised to make with rebels.

But Skrzypski, who is charged with treason, still faces up to 20 years in prison if he's found guilty. His detention was extended by 40 days on Sept. 17 as police prepare their case against him.

He was arrested in Wamena in Papua province in late August along with four Papuans who police said had ammunition and described as linked to "armed criminal groups"  the authorities' usual description of Papuan independence fighters.

"The true jungle is in Papua, and I've been there, among lizards, mosquitoes, leeches" and other stuff, Skrzypski wrote on Facebook while on the second of back-to-back trips to the region in July and August.

The case highlights Indonesia's extreme sensitivity about the low-level but long-running insurgency in the Papua region, which occupies the western half of the island of New Guinea. Though most nations recognize Indonesia's sovereignty over the territory, the Papuan independence movement has vocal sympathizers in numerous Pacific island and Western countries.

Indonesia annexed the Dutch-controlled half of the island in 1963 when the Netherlands was preparing indigenous Papuans for self-rule. Decades later, though, large areas of the mountainous jungle territory still remain outside of Jakarta's control. Police and military personnel are frequently attacked and killed by rebels, while Indonesian security forces have been accused of dozens of unlawful killings in the past decade, including targeted slayings of political activists.

Police say Skrzypski had been in contact for a "long time" with Papuan independence supporters and separatist fighters. They say he planned to publicize their cause on social media and promised to help supply them with weapons.

"We have strong evidence that he was guilty in helping the armed criminal group in Papua," said the province's police chief, Martuani Sormin. "No one should disturb the integrity of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia, whether he is a foreigner or local. Anyone who violates the law in this country must be dealt with."

But evidence of an actual plot against the Indonesian state appears flimsy.

Photos police cited of Skrzypski with guns were taken at a recreational shooting range in Switzerland, where he has lived since 2008, said his Indonesian lawyer, Latifah Anum Siregar, and a Polish friend, Artur Sobiela.

Siregar said Skrzypski denies any wrongdoing. The case against him is "very weak," she said.

Civil society organizations have also protested his arrest and the arrest several days later of a 29-year-old Papuan student, Simon Magal, who met Skrzypski and communicated with him on Facebook.

"Mr. Skrzypski's choices may have been irresponsible and regrettable, his circumstances appear those of an idealistic and naive traveler and not one of a criminal," the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network and London-based rights group Tapol said in a joint statement.

National police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo said Skrzypski had unfettered access to an "armed criminal group" in Papua that had designated a liaison to meet and escort him on his trips to the region.

Skrzypski encouraged the group to fight against the Indonesian government and also promised weapons, but even Prasetyo acknowledged it was "very unlikely" he could do that.

"We consider this case to be quite serious because it involves a foreign national," he said.

Two friends said Skrzypski, a long-term resident of Switzerland, where he moved for economic opportunities, is an avid traveler who's fascinated by other cultures. In one online profile, he lists about 50 countries he's visited.

Skrzypski's Facebook page indicates he supports right-wing European nationalist movements and is also interested in ethnic groups that have faced state persecution or genocide, including Armenians and Kurds.

In 2017, he traveled to both Armenia and the Kurdish-controlled area of Iraq. On Facebook, he follows some high-profile figures in the Papuan independence movement. Rafal Szymborski, who describes himself as the coordinator of the Free West Papua Campaign in Poland, has protested his arrest online. Szymborski didn't respond to emailed questions.

Some of Skrzypski's postings indicate a sympathetic interest in Julius Evola, an Italian fascist philosopher who decades after his death remains an influence on neo-fascists. He supported a "sovereign money" movement to dismantle the Swiss banking system that was defeated in a referendum this year, and also posted photos of himself wearing an ultra-nationalistic "Defend Helvetia" T-shirt that superimposes an automatic rifle over a map of Switzerland.

Artur Sobiela, a friend from Skrzypski's hometown of Olsztyn in Poland's northeast, said Skrzypski had traveled to Indonesia numerous times and has many friends there but "isn't on any side of Indonesian-Papua conflict."

He said it was "nonsense" that Skrzypski was plotting to undermine the Indonesian state.

"He hasn't any money for supporting any political groups in any region in the world," said Sobiela, who has known Skrzypski for nearly two decades.

"He's working all year in Switzerland as a regular worker in a factory near Lausanne and saved part of his salary for traveling," Sobiela said. "In Switzerland, he hasn't house, car and other property. His only property are books, music records."

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Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini in Jakarta and Monika Scislowska in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report.next Image 1 of 2

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An Indian and an Irish sailor rescued from damaged sailboats in the remote southern Indian Ocean will be delivered to land on Tuesday when they reach an island and undergo medical assessments, an official said.

The French fisheries patrol boat Osiris rescued injured Indian Abhilash Tomy, 39, and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, late Monday after their boats lost masts in a storm Friday while competing in the around-the-world Golden Globe Race.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which coordinated the rescues in the Australian search and rescue zone 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) southwest of the Australian city of Perth and 3,000 kilometers (1,875 miles) southeast of the French island of Reunion, said the sailors would land at a French research station on remote Amsterdam Island later Tuesday.

The station has a doctor and a small hospital where the conditions of both sailors would be assessed, the authority's response center manager Alan Lloyd said. Tomy had reported a back injury during the storm that had left him bedridden.

"Both sailors have been reported as well," Lloyd told reporters. "Tomy was able to assist himself by transferring off the vessel on to the Osiris."

India's defense minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, tweeted on Monday that it was "a sense of relief to know that naval officer" Tomy was "rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's conscious and doing okay."

She said an Indian navy frigate would take Tomy from Amsterdam Island to Mauritius for medical attention.

Lloyd said an Australian navy frigate would reach Amsterdam Island on Friday with plans to take the two sailors to the Australian port of Fremantle.

Whether Tomy went to Mauritius or Fremantle would depend on his medical assessment at Amsterdam Island, Lloyd said.

"At this stage, we would suggest his condition is stable, but obviously we await the final medical advice," Lloyd said.

An Indian Armed Forces P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft flying from Mauritius had helped authorities assess the conditions of the sailboats.

McGuckin had lost both masts, but had constructed a temporary jury-rig to get his sailboat to within a few kilometers (miles) of Tomy's boat. McGuckin was rescued a few hours after Tomy, Lloyd said.

Indian navy spokesman Capt. D.K. Sharma said Monday that Tomy was in third place in the race that began in France on July 1 when he lost his mast.

"I'm sure he 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."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.next Image 1 of 2

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Five European Union countries struck a deal Tuesday to distribute between them 58 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea and left stranded by continuing disagreements in the bloc over how to cope with the influx of people trying to enter illegally from North Africa.

A Spanish official who wasn't authorized to be named in media reports said Spain, France, Portugal, Germany and Malta agreed to take the migrants, who were rescued by charities off Libya last week but then stuck on a private rescue ship because it couldn't find a country which would let it dock.

The breakthrough came after days of uncertainty, with EU countries either reluctant to act on the divisive migrant issue or determined to halt the migrant flow. Humanitarian boats loaded with rescued migrants are increasingly shunted between European governments under political pressure to stem newcomers.

All the migrants from the Aquarius 2 rescue ship will disembark in Malta, and Spain will take 15 of the passengers, according to the official. Earlier, Portugal had said it would take 10 of the migrants. The other EU countries did not immediately specify how many they would accept.

Malta said it would send a military boat to take the migrants to shore, before they proceed to the other European countries.

Because the ship had its Panama registration flag yanked earlier, it will sail to its home port in Marseille, France, to "rectify its stateless position" after the migrants disembark, the Maltese government said in a statement.

Humanitarian groups SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders operate Aquarius 2. It is the sole private rescue boat operating near the deadly central Mediterranean human trafficking route, and Panama's decision to remove its registration threatened to put it out of action.

Panama's maritime authority said it made the move after Italy's anti-migrant leaders complained the boat's captain failed to follow orders. It said Italy argues the captain of Aquarius 2 defied instructions to return migrants to Libya that it had rescued from unseaworthy vessels launched by Libyan-based traffickers.

But the humanitarian groups say violence-wracked Libya doesn't meet international standards for safe harbor.

Meanwhile, about 400 asylum-seekers who had been held in the severely overcrowded Moria migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos arrived Tuesday in Greece's main port of Piraeus to be transferred to other camps and residences on the mainland.

The asylum-seekers, mainly families from Syria, Afghanistan and African countries, arrived Tuesday onboard an overnight ferry from Lesbos. They were among around 2,000 people whom the government has pledged to move out of Moria, a facility built for 3,100 people but which is at nearly three times capacity.

Charities have slammed conditions in the camp, citing cases of sexual attack, deplorable sanitation and an increase in suicide attempts among residents.

___

Barry Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. Frances D'Emilio in Rome, and Sylvie Corbet in Paris, contributed to this report.next Image 1 of 2

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A gaping ideological divide cuts through this year's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations. It's not between capitalists and communists, rich and poor, East and West. It's between multilateralists who advocate nations working together and unilateralists who are pushing for national sovereignty.

Despite near-universal hand-wringing about the U.N.'s failings, it was clear who was in the minority on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump stood alone in his unashamed defense of the "America First" agenda that helped propel him to power  an isolationist worldview that questions the worth of international organizations and is embraced by a small but growing number of populist governments.

Trump was surrounded by multilateralists, many of them traditional U.S. allies, who want more cooperation, not less, to tackle global ills such as climate change, poverty and mass migration.

Key quotes from the opening session of this year's U.N. General Assembly:

U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES: "Multilateralism is under fire precisely when we need it most."

Guterres, who heads the 193-member U.N., warned of the dangers of nations turning inward in a speech that was the inverse of Trump's.

"In the face of massive, existential threats to people and planet ... there is no way forward but collective, common-sense action for the common good," he said.

He warned of "a pivotal moment" in global warming that risks runaway climate change if leaders don't act in the next two years. He urged nations to implement the Paris climate agreement that the U.S. is withdrawing from.

He also warned against rising polarization and populism, saying those who view their neighbors as dangerous "may cause a threat where there was none."

TRUMP: "America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism."

Although it was Trump's chance to speak to the world, he appeared to play to a domestic audience and struck a triumphalist tone.

He boasted that America is a "stronger, safer and a richer country" than when he took office. He defended his trade protectionism and said the U.S. is taking a "hard look" at its foreign assistance to countries that don't have American interests "at heart."

He lambasted the U.N. Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, and rejected a global pact on the rights of migrants.

"We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy," he said.

Trump didn't mention climate change. He said the U.S. stands ready to export "our abundant, affordable supply of oil, clean coal, and natural gas."

BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT MICHEL TEMER: "We live in times clouded by isolationist forces. Old forms of intolerance are being rekindled."

Temer urged world leaders to recommit to international cooperation. He said that his administration has done its part by opening Brazil's economy and by welcoming Venezuelans fleeing their country's economic collapse.

He urged reforms of the U.N. Security Council, which is dominated by five permanent members  the U.S., China, France, Britain and Russia.

RWANDAN PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME: "The current two-track system of global governance is unsustainable."

Kagame said the trend in Africa is for more cooperation, not less. He cited the signing his year of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and increased support for African Union peacekeeping operations.

He said multilateralism is critical for the planet's future but requires more fairness.

"A few get to be the ones to define the norms, by which others shall be judged," he said.

TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN: "If we cannot create a minimum level of peace and prosperity for all, all over the world, no one can live safely within their own borders."

Erdogan highlighted Turkey's aid to 4 million Syrian refugees  a contrast to Trump's defense of securing U.S. borders from undocumented migrants.

He declared the U.N. to be "very important for the future of the world" but with a caveat: Security Council reform.

Erdogan struck a nationalist note too  warning "friendly countries" that fail to extradite terrorists wanted by Turkey would carry a "hefty price." The increasingly authoritarian leader referred to a U.S.-based Islamic cleric whom he blames for a failed 2016 coup attempt.

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: "Nationalism always leads to defeat."

Macron noted there has been increasing skepticism toward the U.N., European Union and other international bodies. He said that "you may be tired of multilateralism," but urged against complacency and isolationism.

PRESIDENT OF THE SEYCHELLES, DANNY FAURE: "In this unique forum we have equal representation."

Faure defended the U.N. and said the existence of his Indian Ocean island nation depends on states upholding global commitments to fight climate change.

IRANIAN PRESIDENT HASSAN ROUHANI: "Confronting multilateralism is not a sign of strength; rather it is a symptom of the weakness of intellect."

Rouhani's speech was dominated by Iran's bitter rivalry with the U.S. which under Trump has withdrawn from a 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers that provided sanctions relief to Tehran. The U.S. accuses Iran with supporting terrorists.

Rouhani said Trump seems determined to make international institutions ineffectual which he said, "betrays an inability in understanding a complex and interconnected world."

___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz, Edith M. Lederer, Angela Charlton and Cara Anna contributed.Bahrain charged 169 people on Tuesday with being part of a militant group they referred to as the "Bahraini Hezbollah," the latest mass prosecution in the kingdom amid a yearslong crackdown on all dissent.

Prosecutors said in a statement they already have 111 people in custody after a series of raids on the island nation off the coast of Saudi Arabia. Charges against suspects in the case range from attempted murder to damaging property, as well as illegally possessing and hiding weapons.

It offered no names for the accused. It wasn't immediately clear if they had legal counsel.

Prosecutors also accused Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard of providing arms and training for the militants. Iran long has denied supporting militants in Bahrain. Iranian state media did not immediately acknowledge Bahrain's accusation Tuesday.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry separately announced that police arrested 15 people over "Iran-backed" vandalism, without elaborating. The case likely refers to people spray-painting "Down with Hamad" on roadways recently, referring to Bahrain's King Hamad.

In the years since its 2011 Arab Spring protests, Bahrain has rolled back some of the reforms it made. It has dismantled opposition political parties, imprisoned activists and forced others into exile. The kingdom also has revoked the citizenship of over 700 people since 2012, including 115 in a mass terrorism trial in May.

Amid the crackdown, local Shiite militant groups have carried out several attacks on security forces. Bahrain is a majority Shiite kingdom ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa family.

The United States previously pushed back against Bahrain on human rights matters, using its influence as the island's defense guarantor, with over 7,000 U.S. troops attached to a sprawling base in Manama that hosts the Navy's 5th Fleet. Britain also recently opened a naval base there.

President Donald Trump's administration has approved a multibillion-dollar sale of F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain without the human rights conditions imposed by the State Department under President Barack Obama.next Image 1 of 2

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Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls launched a bid on Tuesday to become Barcelona's mayor in an election next year with the aim to "rescue" the Catalan capital from "deterioration."

The 56-year-old Valls, who was born in Barcelona but was raised in France and made a career in local and national politics there, said he would resign as a French lawmaker in order to focus on his bid in the neighboring country.

His jump to Spanish politics raises the stakes for the May election as a battleground between those who want the wealthy northeastern Catalan region to either break away or remain part of Spain.

After months of negotiations with the anti-secession Ciutadans (Citizens) party, Valls finally announced on Tuesday that he was choosing to lead an independent ticket. His bid has the backing of the Spanish center-right party led by Albert Rivera but Valls said that he seeks wider support.

"Barcelona should be an antidote against populism," Valls said, adding that the city "has to be a meeting point and a space of cohabitation."

But rather than focusing on the territorial dispute, Valls chose to emphasize plans to bolster security and fight inequality in the city of 1.6 million, while promising efforts to boost the local economy and raise the international profile of the "Barcelona brand."

The city, he said switching between Catalan and Spanish at a packed auditorium, "is deteriorating and none of us should be indifferent."

The comment was an attack on far-left incumbent Ada Colau. The former anti-eviction activist wants to earn re-election but is facing mounting criticism for her handling of street vendors and the prevalence of drug trafficking in the city center.

Valls has been a household name in French politics for more than a decade. He served as the mayor of Evry, a town on the outskirts of Paris, before becoming interior minister in 2012 and then prime minister between 2014 and 2016, when Francois Hollande was the country's president.

After failing in his bid to become a presidential candidate last year, Valls left the Socialist party and joined Emmanuel Macron's Republic on the Move centrist party.

On Tuesday, Valls announced that he would leave his seat in France's National Assembly.

French political opponents, on the left and right, had criticized him in recent weeks for holding onto his lawmaker's salary while launching a political career abroad.next Image 1 of 2

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A top German bishop has apologized for thousands of sexual abuse cases that took place inside the Catholic Church in Germany, according to a devastating report released Tuesday that concludes at least 3,677 people were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

"Sexual abuse is a crime," Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who is also the head of the German Bishops Conference, told reporters. "I'm ashamed for so many (of us) looking away, not wanting to recognize what happened and not helping the victims. That goes for me as well."

The apology came on the same day that Pope Francis acknowledged that the sex abuse scandal rocking the Catholic Church was driving people away. He said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations.

The report on sex abuse inside the German Catholic Church found that more than half of the victims were 13 or younger and most were boys. Every sixth case involved rape and at least 1,670 clergy were involved. Some 969 abuse victims were altar boys.

On average, the abuses happened multiple times over a period of at least 15 months.

The German Bishops Conference released its report Tuesday, but it was already leaked earlier this month and was heavily criticized for the lack of transparency and the church's refusal to let the researchers access the original documents.

Instead of looking at the original church files, they sent questionnaires to the dioceses, which then provided the information.

The report was commissioned by the German Bishops Conference and researched by experts from the Universities of Giessen, Heidelberg and Mannheim.

The researchers wrote that there was evidence that some files were manipulated or destroyed, and many cases were not brought to justice. Sometimes abuse suspects  primarily priests  were simply moved to other dioceses without the congregations being informed about their past.

"The figures are only the tip of the iceberg," said Harald Dressing, a psychiatrist from Mannheim University who presented the report together with Marx and others in the central German city of Fulda during a convention of the German Bishops Conference.

"Generally, the risk of sexual abuse of children inside the Catholic Church continues to exist," Dressing warned. He said celibacy, the clergy's power and homosexuality inside the church were all issues that promote abuse.

German Justice Minister Katarina Barley said "the dioceses and religious orders must finally take on responsibility for decades of suppression and denial ... the church must press criminal charges in every case."

The Catholic Church has been struggling with sex abuse by its clergy for a long time.

In 2010, the German church was roiled by a sex abuse scandal triggered by the head of a Jesuit school in Berlin who went public about decades-long sexual abuse of high school students by clergy. Following that, a whole wave of victims who were sexually abused by clergy spoke out across Germany.

The church's failures in confronting sex abuse scandals have also roared back to the headlines recently with revelations of abuses and cover-ups in the United States and Chile.A Toronto man who was slated to inherit a multimillion-dollar aviation company was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder in his fathers 2012 death.

Dellen Millard, 33, is currently serving two consecutive life sentences in the unrelated murder cases of Tim Bosma, 32, and Laura Babcock, 24.

Justice Maureen Forestell said Millard had carried out a planned and deliberate killing of his father, whose death was initially ruled a suicide, according to The Canadian Press.

Millards father, Wayne Millard, 71, was a wealthy businessman who inherited Millardair  a Canadian airline from 1963 to 1990 and maintenance and servicing firm from the 1990s to 2012.

Wayne Millard was found dead in his bed on Nov. 29, 2012. Millard had pleaded not guilty in the death of his father.

US DIPLOMAT IN MADAGASCAR FOUND DEAD IN HOME, SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

I am satisfied that Dellen Millard killed his father by shooting him in the left eye as he slept, Forestell said. I can find no theory consistent with innocence.

Dellen Millard cried when the decision was read in the courtroom.

Millard wanted to kill his father to protect his inheritance, according to the BBC. Millard blamed his father for the companys financial troubles. After his fathers death, Millard fired everyone at Millardair.

Millard told police the last time he saw his dad alive was the afternoon of the day before his death, but phone records indicated he traveled to his fathers home around 1 a.m. on the day the elder Millard was found dead. A gun bought by Dellen Millard was found next to his father with Dellen's DNA on it.

Dellen Millard's friend, Mark Smich, was also found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of Babcock and Bosma.

THAI COURT FINDS 9 MUSLIM MEN GUILTY IN BANGKOK BOMB PLOT

Millard was already serving time in a pair of murders.

A few months before his fathers death, Millard killed Babcock, a woman he was seeing. Her body was burned inside an animal incinerator dubbed the eliminator. Officials believe he killed Babcock because he was seeing another woman.

In 2013, Bosma, 32, went on a test drive with Millard and Smich, who told him they wanted to buy his truck. Bosmas remains were found in an incinerator on Millards farm, CBC News reported. A motive for that killing was unclear.

Millard is slated be sentenced Nov. 16.

Fox News Christopher Carbone contributed to this report.next Image 1 of 2

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Masked gunmen shot dead a human rights activist and mother of four outside a supermarket in Basra on Tuesday, a brazen afternoon assassination that threatens to worsen tensions in the southern city wracked by violent protests.

A police official said Soad al-Ali, who has been involved in organizing protests demanding better services in the city, was killed instantly by the gunmen who fled the scene after shooting at her and her husband as they were getting in their car. Al-Ali, 46, was killed on the spot while her husband was wounded and was being treated in a hospital.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give official statements.

The assassination, which occurred on a street in the Abbasiya district in the center of Basra, is the first such incident since protests erupted this summer. Angry Basra residents have repeatedly taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest failing government services, including water contamination that sent tens of 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. Protest activists have described a campaign of intimidation and arbitrary detentions by the powerful militias and political groups that control Basra, a city of more than 2 million people in southern Iraq's Shiite Muslim heartland.

Some militia leaders in Basra accused protesters of colluding with the U.S., which has long worked to curb Iranian influence in Iraq. Al-Ali has been pictured during a meeting she held with the U.S. Consul General in the province of Basra Timmy Davis more than a month ago.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's attack, which came as protests resumed following a two-week hiatus. Protesters are demanding basic services and the release of those detained in previous demonstrations. Dozens of young men and activists have been arrested over the protests.next Image 1 of 2

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The Latest on Europe's migrant crisis (all times local):

4:25 p.m.

The European Union says it is not legally responsible for dealing with an NGO rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea with 58 migrants aboard and has not been asked to help find safe harbor for the vessel.

EU Commission spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud said "this is not a boat with an EU state flag, and it was also operating in the Libyan search and rescue area, so as such it does not engage European responsibility."

In a tweet earlier, the humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres, which jointly operates the ship the Aquarius 2, said the vessel was headed north toward France.

Bertaud said "we sympathize with the people aboard and hope that a solution can be found" but underlined that "the sole legal responsibility lies with the Libyan authorities, who coordinated the rescue operations."

___

1:05 p.m.

A rescue vessel carrying 58 migrants pulled from the Mediterranean north of Libya is heading toward France and an uncertain welcome.

In a tweet Tuesday, the humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres, which jointly operates the Aquarius 2, said it was "headed north towards France."

On Monday, the ship asked French authorities to let the migrants disembark in the southern city of Marseille. France deflected the request, saying there were closer ports and a need for a European solution.

Humanitarian boats loaded with rescued migrants are increasingly shunted between European governments under political pressure to stem newcomers. The EU has trained Libya's coast guard in sea rescues, but aid groups say Libya in no way meets the definition of a safe harbor.

___

12:20 p.m.

About 400 asylum-seekers who had been held in the severely overcrowded Moria migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos have arrived in Greece's main port of Piraeus to be transferred to other camps and residences on the mainland.

The asylum-seekers, mainly families from Syria, Afghanistan and African countries, arrived Tuesday onboard an overnight ferry from Lesbos. They are among around 2,000 people whom the government has pledged to move out of Moria, a facility built for 3,100 people but which is at nearly three times capacity.

Charities have slammed conditions in the camp, citing cases of sexual attack, deplorable sanitation and an increase in suicide attempts among residents. The local regional governor has threatened to shut the facility unless the government improves conditions.Editors note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening-up, and huge changes have been made in Beijing, capital of China, over the past 40 years. We have invited 40 foreign experts to participate in a series of interviews named New Era, New Insight jointly hosted by GMW.cnThe official website of Guangming Daily and the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and share their Beijing Stories.

In the 1980s, there really wasn't an art scene in China. There was institutionalized out through , the national gallery, some official museums, but there wasn't an industry if you like, there are no private galleries, and so the emerging contemporary artists faced a challenge which is common historically, it's like the French impressionists in the 1890s. They were not part of the academy, they were not part of the formal system, and so they look for other ways to exhibit their art.

And one of the most common ways back in the 1980s was artists to exhibit their works in diplomatic apartments and I held many exhibitions in my apartment. And there was some works you'll see out of the studio from analyse your server from the 80s analyse and this gave them exposure to an international connecting community.

Over time, of course, an industry developed around the artists but it wasn't and this is quite extraordinary until 1991 that the first contemporary art gallery opened in Beijing. and that was the first contemporary art gallery in all of China. And interestingly enough, the person who opened Brian Walters is a Australian and the gallery called the Red Gate and the first opened in a shop front  China World Hotel, and after any months so it moves to the Watch Tower and that's where it took its name the Red Gate from.

And successfully operating there continuously until late last year when the cultural relics bureau wants to reclaim the cultural centers and Red Gate moved to 798 and it's doing very well there and it's appropriates in the art district and Brian are still running the gallery and he's an amazing figure and made an incredible contribution to the cultural life of Beijing, but also to the cultural exchanges between Australia and China. And it's in that tradition I guess that I myself promoted China's contemporary up when I was ambassador.

One thing people ask me, when they come to the embassy and see China's contemporary art. Why I was so interested in? Why did I want to show it in the embassy. And answered those questions with one, but I had a strong connection among sciatic community of many my close friends and still. And two, I felt through Art you could demonstrate to people who were unfamiliar with China, the incredible creative potential of the country. Like any developing country, China has been through a period of imitation and copying its normal with its Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hongkong, but as countries develop, they start to create their own intellectual property and their own creativity moves to the front.

And I said to people look how creative these artists are and look at this work, and it's only a tiny percentage, huge population. Imagine once that creativity space more widely in the population, what to potential theories for creating new ideas and shifting parameters and people got the message that way and I was very pleased to be able to convey what I think for me was a profound insight into China through the work of contemporary artist.

Now there's also a very strong connection between many of the contemporary Chinese artists and Australia. In the 1980s through these friendships and the Australia embassy was very active in the space in those days and you need to remember that relatively few countries had diplomatic missions in China.

In the 1980s, the Australia embassy because the prime minister at the time was very committed to the relationship with China was one of the biggest and most active embassies in Beijing. Of course such change now every country in the world has not only an embassy here that huge embassies and the Australia embassy is not the biggest embassies anywhere in the world, but the embassy in Beijing.

But we were disproportionately big members of the diplomatic community back then, so we had much more contact in relations with the artistic community, and many of them to develop their careers internationally because they look to international art scene. Receive scholarships and opportunities to come to Australia and study, and study art and many stayed in Australia for several years.

And during that time, build the international reputations and as artists they have to make a living from their work and it wasn't really until the end of the 1980s, that within China, I (have an) art business had developed. as I've said 91 there were no galleries very few still through the 90s.

So it's very hard to make a living in China as a contemporary artist up until about the late 1990s and then there was an explosion international recognition took off prices became very high, and many galleries opened throughout China but particularly Beijing again it was concentrated in Beijing, and these Beijing artists who had gone to Australia to develop their art learned more about the international community and to make a living came back to Beijing, and all of them came back to Beijing, and establish themselves either in 798 or  or art villages and their own ??? took off even further as a result.

One of them  is a very well established that in Australiahis single biggest collector in the world is Cate Blanchett, the famous Australian actress, who is now also the UN human rights ambassador and she has a huge collection of hiswork. Sometimes she comes to Beijing, just a visit  to see what his doing and to buy work from him.

So the art has built a very strong connection between Australia and China, and of course it's not just Australia and China, similar stories can be told now between China and the united states, China and Europe. It's true the contemporary out say that there be these bonds created, and they continue to flourish and I think are extremely important for helping peoples in different countries understand each other and camera grips with the contemporary reality.

Coming back to Beijing itself, one of the biggest challenges of being an ambassador is to help your home country and your home government stays across the contemporary reality of modern China. No one in history has seen a country transform itself as rapidly as China, and I've had the opportunity of moving here in Beijing through much of that transformation. So I understand it in a way that very few people outside of China really do and Ive had whereas ambassador it was a big challenge for people to understand what was going on, and particularly the period I was here starting in the mid 2000 change accelerated in a way we had never expected and continued to do so.

And so having to explain the contemporary reality to people back home is as I said a big challenge and I've been dedicated to their task of Beijing is the best example of how much China has changed, and it's one of the things I want to say to people, you have to come to Beijing to experience. China is contemporary reality.

Beijing welcomes me and that's how I feel about Beijing. I've made my home in total for 18 years. And I have to say China has been very good to me, professionally and personally, and Beijing has been the bulk of my experience in China. I've been to every single province in China and the only Australian ambassador to ever done that efficiently. And I'm very proud of that achievement. The Beijing's home, it's been home as I said for 18 years I feel very welcome in Beijing. It's a very welcoming place.

[ Editor: Xueying ]A satellite communicated with the doomed MH370 jet close to where a "plane wreckage" has been spotted on Google Maps, it has been claimed.

The Malaysian Airlines plane vanished on March 8, 2014, en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur sparking one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history.

Satellite company Inmarsat continued to exchange signals, known as handshakes, with the aircraft every hour before it crashed.

The firm has now released data which maps out two radius zones  spanning thousands of miles  where MH370 could have traveled.

One of the areas  known as the northern corridor  is where the satellite exchanged its last handshake with the troubled plane, reports the Daily Star.

This vast radius zone runs through Cambodia  along with several other countries.

Earlier this month, British sleuth Ian Wilson believes he found the wreckage of MH370 using Google Maps - despite millions being spent on the search for the jet.

MH370 REPORT SAYS SOMEONE DELIBERATELY 'MANIPULATED PLANES CONTROLS

Video producer Wilson believes the plane is lying in a high-altitude area of the Cambodia jungle - 60 miles west of Phnom Penh.

The Brit, who says he found the image of the plane after spending hours searching on his own computer, now wants to visit the site himself.

After learning about Inmarsats data, Wilson told the Daily Star: Initially I thought it crashed into the sea.

"But then there's the northern and southern corridors. That seventh ping is almost exactly where the plane is."

The northern corridor runs from southern China to Uzbekistan  a zone which spans over 1,400 miles  while the southern arc runs through the Indian Ocean where parts of the plane have been found.

Wilson's images from Google Maps show the outline of a large plane in a remote part of southern Cambodia  which could simply be an aircraft flying directly below the satellite which photographed it.

MH370 DISASTER: HOW NEW SPACE TECH CAN KEEP TRACK OF AIRCRAFT

Following the Brit's revelation, and with a $69M finder's fee up for grabs, a group of experts hired a helicopter to scour the area highlighted by Wilson.

However, on September 13, it was reported that the group had failed to find anything in the zone where Wilson believes the plane crashed.

The Chinese government also used observation company Space View to focus in on the high-altitude area of the south east Asian country.

However, the firm claim there was no sign of any plane, least of all the Malaysian Airlines aircraft.

In a tweet, Space View wrote: Stakeholders and bystanders plead Space View to shoot at the site.

"So we found out three images, shot in 2015, 2016 and 2018 from our archive.

"Sorry, no plane found there."

In July this year, the Malaysian government released the findings of their investigation admitting they still do not know what happened to the passenger jet.

This story originally appeared on The Sun. Read more content from The Sun here.North Korea remains a "significant" threat more than three months after the Singapore summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un, Trumps nominee to be the next American commander for U.S. and allied forces in South Korea told lawmakers Tuesday.

"There still remains a significant conventional and strategic (nuclear) capability on behalf of [North Korea]," Army. Gen. Robert B. Abrams told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Abrams' comments came one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel, in her first public remarks since being confirmed in May, said North Korea viewed its nukes as essential to its survival.

"The North Koreans view their capability as leverage, and I dont think that they want to give it up easily," Haspel said in a speech at her alma mater, the University of Louisville. "We're certainly in a better place than we were in 2017 because of the dialogue we've established between our two leaders."

On Tuesday, Abrams was asked by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., about the impact of cancelling joint military exercises -- or "war games" -- with South Korea as a result of President Trump's summit with his North Korean counterpart.

Abrams answered that there had been "slight degradation" to the U.S. military on the Korean Peninsula since the war games were suspended, but he also called it a "prudent risk" to see if North Korea would scrap its nuclear weapons program.

It's not clear if or when those joint exercises will resume. Abrams told the senators that Pentagon officials "are proceeding with planning" for the next installment of scheduled spring war games but no final decision had been reached.

Asked by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., about the challenges required to evacuate hundreds of thousands of civilians from South Korea in the event of war, Abrams admitted its a "wicked problem."

Abrams, a West Point graduate, is the son of Army Gen. Creighton Abrams, who led U.S. forces in Vietnam from 1968-1972. If confirmed, Abrams will lead all 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea.

On Monday, President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed a trade agreement on the sidelines of the United Nations in New York.

Last week, the North Korean leader hosted his South Korean counterpart in Pyongyang and offered to permanently dismantle the rogue regime's main nuclear complex and launch pad if the U.S. took "corresponding measures."

While tensions on the Korean Peninsula appear to be waning in recent days, relations between the United States and China appear to be souring.

China announced Tuesday it had cancelled a planned visit by a U.S. warship next month as a trade war between Washington and Beijing continues.

"The Chinese Government did not approve a request for a U.S. port visit to Hong Kong by the USS Wasp, according to Army Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn, a Pentagon spokesman.

The Wasp is a large amphibious assault ship capable of carrying 2,000 Marines and dozens of helicopters.

Beijing also cancelled a scheduled visit to the U.S. by its top naval officer. Vice Adm. Shen Jinlong was due to meet with Chief of National Operations Adm. John Richardson on the sidelines of a symposium at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.

Last week, the State Department announced new sanctions on China over Beijing's purchase of Russian fighter jets and missiles. Those sanctions are in addition to the Trump administration's recently announced tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese goods.

In July, two U.S. warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait, drawing the ire of Beijing. Four months earlier, the USS Carl Vinson visited Vietnam, the first time an American carrier sip had been to that country since the Vietnam War.

In her Louisville speech Monday, Haspel also warned that China sought to dominate the Pacific region and is "working to diminish U.S. influence" there.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials tell Fox News that China is continuing its build-up of artificial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea.

Chinese officials also erupted this week when the State Department announced the potential sale of American parts to Taiwan for use in the its F-16 fighter jets and cargo planes. The total value of that potential deal amounts to $330 million.Pope Francis acknowledged Tuesday that the sex abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church have outraged the faithful and are driving them away, and said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations.

Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-up in Germany.

Francis told a gathering of young people in Estonia, considered one of the least religious countries in the world, that he knew many young people felt the church had nothing to offer them and simply doesn't understand their problems today.

"They are outraged by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them," he told a gathering of Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox young people in the Kaarli Lutheran Church in the capital Tallinn.

He said the Catholic Church wants to respond to those complaints transparently and honestly.

"We ourselves need to be converted," he said. "We have to realize that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off."

It was a very public admission of the church's failures in confronting sex abuse scandals, which have roared back to the headlines recently with revelations of abuse and cover-up in the U.S., Chilean and now German church. The German bishops conference on Tuesday was releasing a report that found that some 3,677 people  more than half of them 13 or younger and nearly a third of them altar boys  were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

The report, compiled by university researchers, found evidence that some files were manipulated or destroyed, many cases were not brought to justice, and that sometimes abusers were simply moved to other dioceses without the congregations being informed about their past, according to the results that leaked earlier in the German press.

The abuse scandal, which erupted in Ireland in the 1990s and subsequently Australia and the U.S., now threatens Francis' own papacy since a former Vatican ambassador accused him of rehabilitating an American cardinal who slept with seminarians. In addition, Francis badly botched a case of cover-up in Chile for which he has tried to make amends.

Francis has declined to respond to the accusations he himself covered for the U.S. cardinal, but the Vatican is expected to soon.

Francis' visit to Tallinn marked the last stop in a four-day pilgrimage that also took him to Lithuania and Latvia. He aimed to encourage the Christian faith in the Baltics, which saw five decades of Soviet-imposed religious repression and state-sponsored atheism, as well as the World War II-era occupation by Nazi Germany.

Upon arrival Tuesday, Francis praised Estonia's social and economic transformation in the quarter century since the Soviet collapse. But he warned that a certain "existential ennui" can set in when societies lose their cultural roots and put their faith in technological progress alone.

"One of the evident effects of technocratic societies is a loss of meaning in life and the joy of living," he said. Interpersonal and intergenerational bonds can be lost, depriving young generations of foundations to build a common future, he said.

Estonia is considered both one of the most tech-advanced countries in Europe and one of the least religious societies in the world. More than half of Estonia's 1.3 million people profess no religious affiliation. The Lutheran and Russian Orthodox churches count the most followers of those who do, while 6,000 people are Catholics.

In her welcoming speech, President Kersti Kaljulaid acknowledged that rapid changes taking place amid robust economic growth  something particularly visible in the Baltic nations  shouldn't mean the "vulnerable among us" are neglected.

She presented Francis with a special digital ID card giving foreigners access to dozens of digital services in the Baltic country ranging from medical services to signing legal contracts and filing taxes.

The government says over 37,000 people from dozens of countries have currently been registered as "e-residents" in Estonia.

Pickaxe-wielding policemen have demolished a semi-submerged art gallery in the Maldives for being "offensive to Islam".

The British-designed installation at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort was destroyed last week after being criticized by religious leaders in the country.

Islam is the official religion of the paradise island chain which is also a popular destination for honeymooners.

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Outgoing president Abdulla Yameen ordered the removal and destruction of the sculptures, deeming them "idols" which are banned by the religion.

This is despite the statues having no religious meaning whatsoever.

The Coralarium was designed by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor and allowed guests at the island hotel to swim from the shore to the underwater gallery.

GERMANY'S SALAFIST MUSLIM CHILDREN BEING RADICALIZED FASTER AND YOUNGER: INTELLIGENCE REPORT

The gallery structure was designed to act as a sheltered space offering a sanctuary for fish other sea-life.

In the evening, a light system illuminated the gallery attracting underwater critters and creating an impressive sight for guests.

But Yameen said in July that there was "significant public sentiment" against the Coralarium, making him decide to raze the structure.Russia announced Monday that the Syrian government will be supplied with S-300 missile defense systems amid the downing of a Russian plane by Syria last week, a move the Trump administration calls a major mistake.

The transfer of advance missile systems comes after a friendly fire incident between Syrian and Russian forces that led to the deaths of 15 Russians on board on a Russian military aircraft. The Kremlin initially blamed Israel, which reportedly carried out over 200 strikes on Iranian-linked targets in Syria.

The Trump administration urged Russia to reconsider the move, warning that that supplying Syria with an advanced missile defense system would be a major mistake and significant escalation.

U.S. National security adviser John Bolton said on Monday: "We have American forces in the area we're concerned about.

"The Israelis have a legitimate right to self-defense against this Iranian aggressive behavior, and what we're all trying to do is reduce tensions, reduce the possibility of major new hostilities. That's why the president has spoken to this issue and why we would regard introducing the S300 as a major mistake."

RUSSIAN MILITARY AIRCRAFT DOWNED BY SYRIAN FORCES, KILLING 15; MOSCOW BLAMES ISRAELI AGGRESSION

Russian officials said that the current S-200 systems used by Syria are not sophisticated enough to identify Russian aircraft as friendly.

Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, accepted that the downing of a Russian jet was a case of friendly fire, blaming a chain of tragic, fatal circumstances. But Sergei Shoigu, his defense minister, put the blame on Israel for putting the Russian crew at risk.

The Israeli crews, who knew perfectly well the situation in the air, found cover behind the Russian airplane, which led to its destruction and the deaths of 15 members of the service, the defense minister said on Monday. This compelled us to take reasonable measures in response, intended to improve the safety of Russian soldiers.

UN REPORT BLASTS SYRIAN REGIME, MILITIAS FOR CARRYING OUT CHLORINE ATTACKS AND WAR CRIMES

He added that Russia will go ahead with the shipment of the advanced missile systems because the situation has changed, and it's not our fault, noting the supply of S-300 will calm down some hotheads who threaten Russian military in the Middle East.

Israel pushed back against accusations leveled against their pilots, claiming their jets were already in Israeli airspace before the Syrian missile was fired.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Putin on Monday that transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region.

He reiterated that Israel wont be deterred from continuing to defend its security and its interests and will keep attacking Iranian-affiliated targets in Syria.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov reportedly told Russia news media that the governments decision to supply S-300 is the countrys own right and said the transfer wont hurt its relationship with Israel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A suspect has been detained in connection with the mysterious death of an American diplomat inside his Madagascar residence late last week, the U.S. State Department revealed Monday.

The unnamed diplomat was found dead during the overnight hours Friday in the capital of the Indian Ocean nation off the coast of Africa, officials said.

We are deeply saddened to confirm that a U.S. Foreign Service Officer was found dead in their residence, Heather Nauert, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said in a statement. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and the U.S. Embassy Antananarivo community.

Nauert told Reuters a suspect is in custody and said U.S. and local authorities have opened an investigation into the death.

Police spokesperson Herilalatiana Andrianarisaona told Agence France-Press the male suspect was caught trying to jump the perimeter fence fleeing from the house.

No other details were released.

Madagascar is one of the worlds poorest nations despite having reserves of nickel, cobalt, gold, uranium and other minerals. It has struggled with high crime rates and political instability.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Alexei Navalny, one of Russian President Vladimir Putins fiercest critics, was released from jail at the end of a 30-day sentence on Monday  before being immediately detained again and ordered to spend 20 more days behind bars.

Navalny, 42, Putins most visible opponent, has served numerous jail sentences for spearheading a series of unsanctioned protests across Russia. As he walked out of a detention center in Moscow for organizing an unauthorized rally that was held earlier this year, an officer took him away on Monday night.

US WARNS RUSSIA OVER MISSILE DEFENSE FOR SYRIA

The Simonovsky District Court later sentenced him to 20 days in custody on charges of staging another rally on Sept. 9 that caused bodily harm to police officers and damaged a patrol vehicle, Reuters reported. Navalny denied the allegation and argued he was not at the rally because he was behind bars serving his sentence. However, police claimed he called on people to go along with the protest as planned.

I had no means of communication, no Internet...I was completely isolated, he said, according to Reuters.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WARNS RUSSIA OF MAJOR MISTAKE IF IT SUPPLIES SYRIA WITH ADVANCED MISSILES

Navalny accused the court of concocting the allegations against him so they can use it to build a more serious criminal case against the opposition leader. His supporters said the move was an attempt to keep Navalny sidetracked as Putins approval ratings dropped. The Kremlin was planning on raising the retirement age in Russia, an issue that angered Russians across the political spectrum.

"You are just inventing a case, you are completely brazenly fabricating an administrative case, which is a step towards fabricating a criminal case," he told the judge, according to Mediazona.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.SEARCH

A minimum of 3 characters are required to be typed in the search bar in order to perform a search.The conclusion was reached by economists at an international workshop on promoting the coordination mechanism for the development of KERs in Vietnam which was held in Hanoi on September 24 by the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) in collaboration with the "Australia Supports Economic Reform in Vietnam" (Aus4Reform) programme.

The event is held under the framework of Aus4Reform, sponsored by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which assists the Government of Vietnam in achieving its objectives of improving the business investment climate towards high labour productivity and increased quality and competitiveness of the economy aimed at fast and sustainable development. The programme is worth US$6.5 million and will be deployed from 2017-2021.

Limited connectivity among economic zones

Presenting the research report on the coordination mechanism for the development of KERs in Vietnam carried out by CIEM, Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Head of Economic Institutions Department (under the CIEM) said that the formation of key economic areas is an astute policy, aiming to create breakthroughs and provide the driving force for socio-economic development for the whole country.

In recent years, the KERs have always achieved higher growth rates than the national average, at 8.61% for the 2011-2015 period. The income of people in these areas is also higher than those in other economic regions. Meanwhile, the contribution to the nations total export turnover of KERs also accounts for a high proportion, reaching 80.6% in 2015. However, economic growth has been uneven in the four KERs across nation.

In addition to the imbalanced level of development and economic capacity among the regions, one of the major causes for this mismatch, as indicated by experts at the seminar, was a lack of regional connectivity. Hieu emphasised that the division into 63 provinces and cities throughout the country made it difficult for regions to coordinate, resulting in fragmented and inefficient economic activities.

Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Head of CIEMs Economic Institutions Department, said that the current division of key economic regions in Vietnam causes difficulties for the coordination mechanism between economic regions. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung)



Moreover, the mechanism of intraregional coordination between localities in KERs is not really optimal. Citing the results of a study in 2012, Hieu said that localities in the Mekong Delta region tend to associate with large provinces and cities like Ho Chi Minh City, while not holding much interest in coordinating with other localities in the region. The economic structure of these localities is often similar and does not promote comparative advantages, leading to the fact that localities often compete with one another.

According to experts, the maintenance of a closed production chain in many localities makes the competition between units in the region more powerful and thus they limited each other. This results in great difficulties for connectivity among them, leading to a failure in developing a regional linkage strategy.

Solve the issue of coordination

In order to create a new mechanism that promotes linkages and synergies in socio-economic development among economic regions, experts recommend moving from the "closed" approach, that is gathering localities close together to form economic zones, to a more open approach to create a regional economic space that is not only based on administrative boundaries, but also promoting regional connections, both within the region and among provinces and cities in different areas on a regional basis of comparative benefits.

According to CIEM's Deputy Head, Phan Duc Hieu, there needs to be a broader connection, even forming "triangle" or "quadrangle" development, to create areas with related interests to build general plans of action together.

Le Anh Vu, former Deputy Head of the Institute of Regional Sustainable Development, under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, speaks at the event. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung)



To make connections become sustainable, Le Anh Vu, former Deputy Head of the Institute of Regional Sustainable Development, under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, said it is necessary to ensure the interests of the entities in the region. This problem can be solved by a policy mechanism that facilitates the interests of stakeholders so that linkages are voluntary based on common interests.

In particular, it is necessary to issue a breakthrough policy, for example, a law or a decree, on the development of KERs in order to institutionalise and address their institutional bottlenecks. In addition, there should be a binding mechanism for linkages, allowing local authorities to benefit from the State budget when implementing regional linkages, along with a mechanism for reward/monitoring of the implementation of joint commitments on coordination.

In addition, as linkage information is an important factor, it is necessary to build a database system of key economic zones for the planning and monitoring of the implementation of regional cooperation.The "African American Military Experience" exhibit will run at the Long Beach Arts Expo Center until May.Third blaze in three weeks : Another car burnt out near the Thomas chapel

PLITTERSDORF In the early hours of Monday morning, a car parked near the Thomas chapel was burnt out - its the third similar case in three weeks. The crimes awaken memories of a series of fires in 2012.

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Only the bare wheel rims are left of what were the front tyres, around the car theres extinguishing foam everywhere: Police and fire brigade were called to a burning car early on Monday morning. The car was parked at the Thomas chapel, on the corner of Kennedyallee and Kolumbusring. The black Nissan X-Trail was just three years old, as the owner Ehrenbrief Schindler told the GA in an interview. He said he heard that burning cars seem not to be a once-off case.

The police did check this detail and found other cases indeed: On September 8 at 4.10am, a Fiat burnt out at the Herbert-Wehner-Platz (Rheinaue), on September 12 it was 4.15am when a Ford went up in flames on the Ludwig-Erhard-Allee near the Sudbrucke.

All this stirs memories of 2012 when 21 vehicles were set on fire between April and May. It has never been reported by the police whether a culprit was caught. These old cases will be checked again by the police to see if there are possible connections with the recent car fires - despite this the cause of the Nissan fire still needs to be found, according to the officers.

Schindler is currently on holidays with his wife at the lake Garda. We got a message from a neighbour that our car was burnt out, the Plittersdorf man said. The children at home had not noticed anything, they didnt hear the police calling on the phone during the night.

According to the police the incident happened on Monday morning at 1.40am. The vehicle burnt out completely, said police spokesperson Simon Rott. He estimates the damage to be about 20,000 Euro.

Crimes were not single-cases

It is awful. For me this means a paper war, said Schindler in regard to the insurance case. He thinks that he will be paying more in the long run. Because the corner is usually quite lonely, he should have parked the car at the main road, said the Plittersdorf man.

The series of fires in 2012 began on April 16, when the first car burnt out at the Kanalstrae, two hours later there was a car fire at the Turmstrae. The incidents continued on April 18 and 21: Once it was also a motorcycle that burnt out. Then it got quieter, until May 6 when two cars were set on fire. Up until May 17, every day or every other day fires were recorded without any culprit being found. The final times the firebug tampered with cars, it was a Mazda at the Gotenstrae and a Renault Twingo at the Promenadenweg. The police suspected arson and a connection between all the incidents.

The cases in Bad Godesberg back then were clearly not once-off. Every year cases of arson and vandalism happen all over North Rhine-Westphalia. In Bonn, cars often get scratched with a sharp object along the side of the bodywork. Problem: There are seldom witnesses as night - especially not in dark corners.Vice Chairman of the Government Office, Nguyen Cao Luc, made the request while leading the Prime Minister's Working Group to work with the gas station operator in Hanoi, on September 25.

The Vice Chairman of the Government Office said that the working session aimed to inspect Petrolimex's implementation of the tasks assigned to the company by the Government. The group has been assigned with nine tasks since 2017, with six completed and three unfinished.

In addition, the meeting intended to assess the production and business activities of Petrolimex, while removing obstacles for the group, Luc said.

Through the PM Working Group, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked Petrolimex to make a number of issues clear, including promoting the consumption of E5 bio-fuel, the inadequacies in the consumption of domestic oil refinery products and the delay in divestment.

Chairman of Petrolimex Board of Management, Pham Van Thanh, said that Petrolimex has completed the establishment of six corporations operating effectively in the form of parent company - subsidiary company and joint stock companies. In the future the group will accelerate the restructuring of PGBank and the divestment from areas in which Petrolimex does not need to hold dominant shares.

Thanh noted that the group has asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to delay the divestment until 2019-2020 instead of 2018 as planned.

The interview took place as the PM prepares to lead a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation to the High-Level General Debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. The event, themed Making the UN Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable, and Sustainable Societies, is scheduled to take place in New York, the US, from September 25 to October 1.

He said the Party and State have long considered multilateral diplomacy an important pillar in Vietnams external policy. When the country gained independence, President Ho Chi Minh sent a letter asking the UN to recognise Vietnam as an independent country and admit it as a UN member. During its fight for national liberation, Vietnam flexibly combined multilateral and bilateral external policies to create a united external front, pooling the support of international peace-loving friends.

Multilateral external activities, namely the 1954 Geneva Conference and the 1973 Paris Conference, contributed to ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam. In the wake of national reunification, Vietnam overcame embargoes and gradually joined international organisations. During its process of global integration, the country has signed a number of bilateral and multilateral economic and trade agreements, and strived to be a responsible member of various international organisations, a trustworthy partner, and an open and promising market.

Since its 1977 entry into the UN, the worlds largest multilateral organisation, Vietnam has been a responsible member, making positive contributions to each field of UN operations, and even one of the bodys pioneers in promoting global peace, progress, cooperation, and development.

Vietnam has also actively contributed to the building and enforcement of the UNs international conventions and formation of a fair, transparent, and effective global multilateral mechanism, thus meeting the common aspirations of humankind.

Vietnams contributions have been welcomed by the international community, especially activities at the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Socio-Economic Council, as well as many other UN agencies.

As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2008-2009 tenure, Vietnam contributed to common efforts to settle disputes in several areas, strengthened UN peacekeeping activities and raised specific initiatives to promote the role of women in the peace and security segment.

On the back of such successes, Vietnam has received support from multiple countries to seek a seat at the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure. The country has also actively contributed to the building and fulfilment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals until 2030 and taken the lead in adopting new cooperation models, including the Towards Unity in Action, One UN model.

Over the past three years, Vietnam has played a crucial role in and directed the drafting of an annual Resolution of the UN Human Rights Council on climate change response and the promotion of human rights.

In late 2016, a Vietnamese official was elected as Second Vice Chairman of the International Law Commission for the first time.

PM Phuc said Vietnam has actively participated in many important multilateral organisations and forums in the region and the world, such as the Francophone community, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

Joining ASEAN, Vietnam has proved its role as an active and even proactive member, with many initiatives focused on building the ASEAN Community and the 2025 vision for a united, resilient and innovative ASEAN that plays a central role in regional security mechanisms, he said.

Such activities have shown Vietnams new, pivotal position in multilateral diplomacy, he said, adding that from the position of a participating party, Vietnam has affirmed its capacity to directly contribute to shaping international and regional mechanisms for the peace and prosperity of humankind, thus improving the countrys stature.

The Government leader stated that the rapid and complicated developments of traditional and non-traditional challenges in the world today require the shared efforts of all countries and regions. The role of multilateral cooperation mechanisms, primarily the UN, is becoming more important than ever.

Vietnam has been consistent in promoting the basic principles of international law and the UN Charter in terms of: solving international conflicts and disputes by peaceful means on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; non-interference in the internal affairs of any country; and no use  or threaten to use of force, he affirmed.

Stepping up multilateral diplomacy in the spirit of Decree No.25 CT/TW  issued by the Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee on August 8, 2018  not only aims to improve the position, strength, and prestige of Vietnam on the international arena; but also reflects the trust of Vietnamese people in a world of multilateral dialogue with respect for international law, peace, and equal cooperation for development.

According to PM Phuc, the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly takes place amid rapid and complex changes in the world, with war, conflict, and poverty remaining severe challenges to the international community.

At the event, themed Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies, the PM and high-ranking leaders from the 193 UN member nations will discuss and propose effective measures to deal with global challenges to security and development, as well as ways to help the UN serve the interests of all nations and people in a more practical and effective manner.

In attending this important event, the high-raking Vietnamese delegation and I will transmit a strong message that as an active member, and reliable and responsible partner of the international community, Vietnam vows to do its utmost, within its own capabilities and conditions, to make more effective contributions to the common affairs of the international community, towards a world of peace, cooperation, and development, as well as a fair, democratic, and rules-based international political and economic order, he stressed.

As a country hit by many fierce wars, Vietnam deeply feels the pain and losses caused by war and treasures the value of peace. At the same time, Vietnam is also an exemplary narrative in overcoming poverty, healing the wounds of war, and reconciling contradictions.

From a poor, underdeveloped nation, Vietnam has made every effort to become a middle-income developing country since 2010 and one of the economies with rapid growth.

Vietnam has been held by the UN, the World Bank, and many other international institutions as one of the nations with a positive tale of poverty reduction and successful implementation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

We will continue our pioneering role in responding to climate change in Asia and succeed in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and other important UN cooperation frameworks and agendas, he said.

Vietnam wishes to learn from the international community, as well as share experience in boosting socio-economic development, reducing poverty, ensuring social security, and improving peoples living conditions.

Attending the UN activities this time round, Vietnam aims to take advantage of the available resources and opportunities for its own development as well as accelerate the realisation of UN action initiatives, plans, and priorities at national and regional levels.

Vietnam and the UN signed the joint One Strategic Plan (OSP) for the period from 2017 to 2021 between the Vietnamese Government and 18 UN agencies.

The OSP is built in accordance with Vietnams five-year 2016-2020 Socio-economic Development Plan, the SDGs, and the countrys international commitments on human rights.

The good implementation of these initiatives will help Vietnam achieve more inclusive growth goals in the future, thus raising its prestige and position at the UN as well as on the international arena.

This working trip is a chance for Vietnam to promote its achievements in economic and human development towards inclusive and sustainable goals, he said.

It also offers an opportunity for Vietnam to share and propose policy initiatives in promoting and ensuring human rights in line with the development context of each country, in particular regarding the rights of vulnerable groups and disabled workers, child labour, the trafficking of women, and climate change, he added.

Vietnam is not only a candidate of ASEAN, but also of the 54-member Asia-Pacific Group running for non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure.

The country was honoured to undertake its mission during the 2008-2009 tenure and made important contributions which were hailed by international friends.

With its past experience, active and sincere spirit of cooperation, and support from the UN member states, the PM expressed his belief that Vietnam will successful fulfil all tasks at the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 tenure, thus making greater contributions to peace, development, and prosperity worldwide.

Now in Africa, Vietnamese army officers are standing side-by-side with military counterparts from all over the world to accomplish the peacekeeping mission entrusted by the UN and international community, he said, adding that Vietnam is ready to join hands for a better future for humankind.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.A Cure Arrives

Stigma

A series of recent court rulings and settlements, including one last week in Indiana, have found that states cannot withhold potentially life-saving but expensive medications from Medicaid beneficiaries and prison inmates who have chronic hepatitis C.Hepatitis C kills far more Americans than any other infectious disease. But when new antiviral drugs that for the first time promised a cure for hepatitis C hit the market in 2014, states blanched at their eye-popping prices and took steps to sharply limit the availability of those treatments for Medicaid beneficiaries and inmates. According to one recent survey, only 3 percent of inmates in state penitentiaries with hepatitis C receive the cure.The antiviral drugs have since become cheaper, but judicial decisions and settlements have consistently found that states cannot deny treatment because of cost in any case.In the latest ruling, U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson, chief judge of the U.S. Southern District of Indiana, said that withholding or delaying treatment from hepatitis C-infected inmates was unconstitutional, amounting to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The U.S. Constitution requires state penitentiaries to provide health care to prisoners.The ruling follows a similar decision in Florida last year and settlements reached this year in Massachusetts and Colorado that require correctional systems in those states to provide treatment to virtually all infected inmates. Colorado has set aside $41 million over two years to treat all inmates with the virus. Similar lawsuits are pending in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Missouri and Tennessee.Likewise, states have been on the losing end of lawsuits involving Medicaid beneficiaries who have been denied hepatitis C treatments in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri and Washington, forcing changes in policies to make the cure more broadly available. And settlements have been reached elsewhere, including in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Florida, according to the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation at Harvard University. States run Medicaid agencies, which provide health care to the poor, and split the costs with the federal government.While providing the treatments will cost states tens of millions of dollars, health policy experts insist the spending will provide an overall economic and public health benefit. Attacking hepatitis C in prisoners and in Medicaid patients, they say, will go a long way toward eradicating the disease while also saving money by preventing patients with untreated hepatitis C from progressing to liver failure and cancer.The most important thing to remember about cost-effectiveness is that something that is really expensive can still be cost-effective if it is really, really effective, said Mark Roberts, chairman of the University of Pittsburgh department of health policy and management who has written studies about the new hepatitis C medications. And these drugs are very, very effective.The new antivirals, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration late in 2013 and first sold the following year, represented a giant leap from previous treatments. The treatment period for the old drugs lasted as long as 48 weeks, entailed severe side effects, and delivered a cure rate lower than 50 percent.By contrast, the new antivirals usually require 12-week treatment periods, carry virtually no side effects and boast an effective rate above 95 percent. For the estimated 3.5 million Americans with hepatitis C, the new drugs promise a pain-free cure. Hepatitis C is particularly prevalent among baby boomers, who were susceptible to the disease at a time when infection controls were less prevalent, and among drug users who share contaminated needles.When the drugs first hit the market, a single course of treatment cost as much as $84,000.States were terrified by their cost exposure, said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. And they had no idea how many people would show up on Day One demanding the cure. Would it be 75 percent? Twenty-five percent? One percent? They had no idea what their exposure was.The prevalence of hepatitis C is thought to be higher among Medicaid beneficiaries than the general population, Salo said, with estimates ranging from 700,000 to 1 million Medicaid patients infected. And the rate is higher still in prisons because of illicit drug use and do-it-yourself tattooing common in penitentiaries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 3 prisoners in U.S. jails and prisons has hepatitis C.In response to the high prices, state Medicaid agencies and prisons decided to essentially ration the new drugs.They relied on blood tests to determine the severity of a patients disease, measuring the level of fibrosis, or liver scarring. Patients were given scores, from F0 (no fibrosis) to F4 (cirrhosis, or late-stage scarring of the liver).In the corrections and Medicaid systems, only patients with higher scores were eligible for treatment. Many states also denied treatment to active drug users, and in Medicaid programs, they limited the numbers of doctors who could prescribe the new antivirals.Nationwide, at least 144,000 inmates at state prisons with hepatitis C (97 percent) arent getting the cure, according to a new survey by Siraphob Randy Thanthong-Knight at Columbia Universitys Graduate School of Journalism.In Vermont, according to VTDigger, one state lawmaker called it appalling when he learned at a legislative hearing last week that in 2017, of 258 state prisoners with hepatitis C, only one had received the cure.Those restrictions drew a firestorm of criticism, not only from advocates for Medicaid beneficiaries and prisoners, but from human rights and medical organizations, such as the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the World Health Organization. Many argued that policymakers stigmatized patients with hepatitis C in a way they would never consider with other diseases.If there were a cure for breast cancer or Alzheimers or diabetes, people would be storming the White House to make sure those medicines were available to everyone, you can be sure of that, said Robert Greenwald, a professor at Harvard Law School and the faculty director of the schools Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation. But weve responded completely differently with the cure for hepatitis C because of the stigma associated with that disease.Greenwald and others insist that treating prisoners with hepatitis C is an indispensable step toward eradicating the disease in the whole population.(Stateline contacted communications offices for a dozen state Medicaid offices that restrict hepatitis C antivirals to those patients with fibrosis scores of F3 or F4. None responded.)In 2015, the Obama administration urged state Medicaid agencies to lift restrictions on the drugs. By 2017, at least 17 states lifted restrictions based on severity. Many others retained the restrictions but loosened them to make the drugs available to beneficiaries with less severe liver damage.The movement in prisons has been slower, nudged along mainly by the lawsuits. They have been slow to respond, said Tina Broder, interim executive director of the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, a coalition working to eradicate hepatitis B and C.Kellie Wasko, deputy executive director at the Colorado Department of Corrections, said the settlement the state reached with the American Civil Liberties Union last month only formalized what the state had decided to do on its own, which was to treat all the estimated 2,200 Colorado prisoners with hepatitis C.As a health care professional, I do believe it is right to treat everybody, said Wasko, who is a nurse.She acknowledged that the drugs lower costs made the decision easier for the prison administrators and the legislators who appropriated the $41 million for treatment.Originally, she said, the price for a single course of treatment was $56,000. Because of contract requirements, she said she couldnt reveal the price Colorado pays now, but it is significantly less.Other experts say that with discounts, Medicaid and corrections systems can now pay as little as $10,000 for a course of treatment.Even at those prices, Harvards Greenwald said, states are waiting for us to litigate before theyll remove these restrictions. And the only explanation for that is the stigma.Immigrants who rely on public benefits for food, housing and medical care could be denied green cards under new rules put forth Saturday by the Trump administration that would in effect limit family-based "chain migration," as the president calls it.The administration said the rule announced by the Department of Homeland Security would affect about 382,000 people a year, but opponents have said it could have a far greater chilling effect, leading current green card holders to stop using public benefits for fear of being deported."Those seeking to immigrate to the United States must show they can support themselves financially," Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a Saturday statement, adding that the new rule would "promote immigrant self-sufficiency and protect finite resources by ensuring that they are not likely to become burdens on American taxpayers."The rule is one of several efforts by the Trump administration to further restrict legal immigration, including limits on those seeking green cards to immigrate to the U.S. and those already in the country on temporary visas trying to adjust their status to stay permanently.It does not need to be approved by Congress but faces a 60-day public review once published in the Federal Register in coming weeks."After DHS carefully considers public comments received on the proposed rule, DHS plans to issue a final public charge rule that will include an effective date," the agency said.Immigrant advocates and congressional Democrats have already vowed to fight the rule, and political observers said it could become a factor in upcoming midterm election that will determine which party controls Congress."I see the Trump administration's hostility towards immigrants as part of a strategy of mass distraction to keep the focus on fomenting outrage directed at Latinos while keeping the focus off of the corruption and graft that are gripping the White House and the GOP," Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.), chairman of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said in a statement."Self-sufficiency has been a basic principle of United States immigration law since this country's earliest immigration statutes," the nearly 500-page proposal states, insisting that "the availability of public benefits not constitute an incentive for immigration."Under federal law, those seeking green cards must prove they will not be a burden to the state, or a "public charge." But the administration's new public charge rule would require immigration officials to give added weight to an applicant's potential dependency on public assistance.Officials would also have to consider certain medical conditions such as mental illness, cancer and heart disease as deciding factors because, according to the new rule, "an alien is at high risk of becoming a public charge if he or she has a medical condition and is unable to show evidence of unsubsidized health insurance."Elderly immigrants receiving discounted prescriptions through Medicare Part D could be forced to stop participating or lose their legal status.Applicants who don't qualify for green cards under the new rule could be asked to pay cash bonds of at least $10,000 to avoid being rejected.Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, which advocates for limits on legal migration, called the new rule "long overdue.""How wealthy do you have to be to be able to pay your own bills?" Krikorian said. "The point here is, can you support yourself? There's no justification for admitting poor immigrants who need my money and your money to feed their kids.... We've already got enough people we have to support."Krikorian said we live in a new age of immigration in which the poem inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty -- "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" -- no longer applies."Nobody coming over from Sicily to Ellis Island was accepting food stamps," he said.Until now, someone has been considered a public charge if they rely on government cash assistance for more than half their income. Under the new rule, officials would have to take into account non-cash benefits, such as food stamps, Section 8 housing assistance and Medicare prescription drug programs."The idea that you can receive food stamps, housing [assistance] and somehow be considered magically self-sufficient because you don't get cash benefits is a lie," Krikorian said. "It's introducing honesty into our immigration policy."The announcement drew a strong reaction from Democrats and immigration advocates.Gutierrez noted that Stephen Miller, the president's top immigration advisor, pushed for the new rule in addition to limits on refugee admissions, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and temporary protected status, "restricting the ability of legal immigrants to fully assimilate and apply for citizenship."Shawn Fremstad, senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for American Progress, said the rule would create a caste system that favors wealthy immigrants and hurts the working class from Mexico, South America and Asia."Historically, the public test was all about, can you work, will you work and do you have family here? Are you attached, say, married, to someone who will work? Now it's about, will you work at a high enough wage level in a good job?" he said, which boils down to "are you going to be middle class?"Those who pay bonds of $10,000 or more must live without a safety net, knowing an accident could land them in the hospital and force them to choose between receiving care or being deported."You're doomed to a sort of second-class citizenship," Fremstad said.Nearly 20 million children in immigrant families could be affected by the new rule, most of them U.S. citizens, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation on a draft of the rule.Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti called the proposed rule a "disgrace.""Our federal government should not be in the business of penalizing low-income parents, punishing kids, or targeting immigrants who work hard, strengthen our economy, pay taxes, and play by the rules," Garcetti said in a statement."Los Angeles communities stand to be hit the hardest by this change. Hundreds of thousands of our neighbors may be unable to see their doctors, keep a roof over their heads, or afford a trip to the grocery store, if they wish to remain in the United States. The leaders in this City and across our country will fight tooth and nail to keep this anti-family policy off the books."California officials had urged the White House to reconsider the new rule before it was announced due to its disproportionate impact on poor immigrants and their families.In June, representatives of Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra's office, Gov. Jerry Brown's office and state health officials outlined the potential economic impacts of the proposal to budget officials in Washington.In July, San Francisco Mayor London Breed sent a letter to Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, warning that the regulation would potentially cost her city $129 million to $368 million in benefits as families withdrew from programs.Chandra Johnson, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Human Services Agency, said officials there were analyzing the new rule and working to dispel misconceptions."We are making sure people understand what has and has not changed, and most importantly, that the people who qualify for benefits are continuing to receive them," she said.It's unclear how many people the proposed rule could affect in California, a state home to roughly 2.3 million people in the country illegally. The 2 million California children enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, a part of Medicaid, make up a quarter of enrollees nationwide.Rumors of the proposal have already led immigrants to leave Medi-Cal; the state's food stamp program, CalFresh; and the Women, Infants and Children nutrition assistance program, advocates said. Some green card holders have even stopped using nongovernmental programs such as food pantries that do not record participants' immigration status.Francesca Costa of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank works with CalFresh and said she and her staffers have stopped short of encouraging immigrant residents without legal status to apply for benefits in recent months over the concerns."This policy will make people choose between feeding their families now or the possibility of being able to get legal status later," she said.She called the Trump administration's announcement Saturday "devastating," particularly for the elderly and pregnant women.Certain categories of immigrants, including refugees, asylum seekers, and Afghans and Iraqis with special immigrant visas would be exempted from the changes, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Legal permanent residents with green cards who apply to naturalize as U.S. citizens would not be subject to the proposed changes.Of the 41.5 million immigrants living in the United States, 3.7% received cash benefits in 2013, and 22.7% accepted non-cash benefits including Medicaid, housing subsidies or home heating assistance, according to statistics compiled by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The percentages of native-born Americans who get the same forms of assistance are nearly identical. In 2015, 3.4% of 270 million non-immigrant Americans received cash welfare payments, USCIS research found, and 22.1% received non-cash subsidies.SPEED READ:

Arkansas voters could decide in November whether to bring back stricter term limits for the legislature.

In 2014, lawmakers snuck a term-limit extension onto the ballot, which passed.

Since then, several lawmakers have been convicted on corruption charges.

The new rules would limit House members to six years and Senate members to eight.

Legislative term limits have created a host of problems since they first won favor at the state level in the 1990s. They erase institutional memory, leaving newbie lawmakers to stumble their way through complicated issues like revising the tax code and managing pensions. Inevitably, that puts more power in the hands of the executive branch. It also gives added clout to lobbyists -- a consequence no one intended.But if there's a legislature that has earned itself term limits, it's the one in Arkansas.Term limits are nothing new there. Arkansas voters approved term limits as strict as any in the nation in 1992. House members were limited to six years' service, senators to eight. Politicians who had been around for decades and ran the place were ushered out, with the subsequent constant turnover weakening a legislature that wasnt very strong to begin with.Four years ago, Arkansas legislators found a way to extend their careers. There was an ethics measure going on the ballot to put limits on lobbyists and their campaign contributions. But lawmakers also inserted a major extension of term limits, allowing members to serve up to 16 years in either chamber. What's more, they included a mechanism to permit salary increases for themselves.The ballot measure passed. Supporters of term limits tried to repeal it back in 2016. They failed, but it may have turned out they were lucky in having to wait until this year's ballot to try again.Legislators have been busy proving the argument that they can't be trusted, with a series of bribery scandals rocking the capitol. Five former legislators have been convicted or pleaded guilty over the past year -- so many that there are mordant jokes about the Arkansas Senate not having enough members for a quorum."There's been a constant drumbeat here in Arkansas for the last year," says Ark Monroe, a longtime Little Rock lobbyist. "They see this and it's just like, 'We've got to get rid of all these people.'"In August, state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson -- a nephew of Gov. Asa Hutchinson -- resigned in the face of a federal indictment. He has pleaded not guilty to wire and fraud charges. Among those who have been convicted is former Sen. Jon Woods. In September, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison on fraud and money laundering charges. It was Woods' idea to sneak the term-limits extension onto the 2014 ballot."We cannot allow the legislature to trick voters," says Tim Jacob, a spokesman for the term-limits campaign. "Regardless of how you feel about term limits, this was a piece of legislation sponsored by a convicted felon."Ongoing trials have offered voters regular reminders of why they don't like politicians. They've also helped make passage of stricter term limits -- going back to the old formula of six years in the House and eight in the Senate -- appear a certainty this year.That is, if the proposal gets voted on. A special master on Tuesday announced that the secretary of state's office had mistakenly counted more than 14,000 signatures toward the measure's total. The state Supreme Court will determine whether the question should be removed from the ballot.If they are voted on, the new lifetime limits would be retroactive, meaning large majorities of the legislators reelected this month would suddenly find themselves serving their final terms. Just five senators would be eligible to run again, out of 35, along with only 20 of the 100 House members."There's no telling what bills will be introduced in this next legislative session," says Monroe, "because nobody has anything to lose by putting things in."Feelings of vindication mixed with fear for Vondell Wilbourn, one of 18 men whose drug convictions were tossed in a historic hearing Monday because the charges were linked to corrupt former Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts.Wilbourn, 42, who said he was framed and arrested twice by Watts in 2004 and 2005, worried the attention would put another target on his back."At the time this was happening, we were telling everyone, but no one listened," Wilbourn said. "Even though it's in the past, there will never be closure."The hearing marked the second time that a group of men targeted by Watts and his tactical team at an affordable housing complex on the South Side had their convictions overturned in a mass hearing. So far, 42 people have had convictions dismissed as part of a review by the Cook County state's attorney's office and lawyers for the victims. The men have accused Watts of making up the cases when they refused to pay him protection money, sell drugs for him or let him steal weapons.Yet those numbers may represent just a fraction of the people victimized by Watts, according to attorney Joshua Tepfer of the Exoneration Project at the University of Chicago.Tepfer, who represented 12 of the men on Monday, said he has determined from public records requests that more than 1,000 people were arrested by Watts or his team members from 2004 to 2012. Based on the same data, Tepfer estimates as many as 500 of those cases resulted in convictions."These were officers of a tactical team that were so poorly supervised, they were just making enormous amounts of arrests," Tepfer said. "We are committed to vetting every single one of those convictions."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.There's also more work left for the state's attorney's Conviction Integrity Unit. Lawyers are reviewing 30 to 40 additional cases tied to Watts, according to a spokeswoman. The unit investigates only the cases that are referred to its attorneys and does not actively seek them out.Following the hearing Monday, Foxx stood in front of a gaggle of news cameras to offer an apology to the 18 men, whom she shook hands with in court. She vowed to help correct errors in the justice system that have caused some Chicagoans to lose faith in authorities."We could not stand behind the integrity of these cases because of the behavior of Mr. Watts," Foxx said.Watts had been able to operate for years despite mounting allegations and a lengthy investigation by the police internal affairs division, as well as investigations by the state's attorney's office and the FBI, according to court records.When Watts was finally caught, in 2012, it was on relatively minor federal charges of shaking down a drug courier who turned out to be an FBI agent . Watts and Officer Kallatt Mohammed both pleaded guilty, and Watts received only 22 months in prison. He was released in 2015 and has since moved to Las Vegas, records show.Since the Watts allegations were realized, Foxx's administration has banned 10 officers who worked closely with Watts from testifying for prosecutors in future criminal cases because of concerns with their credibility.The fallout is still unfolding at the Police Department as well. For the last year, 15 officers associated with Watts' crew have been placed on desk duty pending an internal Police Department investigation. Some of those officers were under investigation by the FBI but were never charged.A police spokesman on Monday said the internal investigation was still pending. A spokesman from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which investigates allegations of officer misconduct, did not respond to a request for comment Monday.Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger, who fatally shot 26-year-old Botham Jean in his Cedars apartment, was fired Monday -- days after Police Chief Renee Hall said doing so would compromise the criminal investigation.Police said in a news release that Hall fired Guyger after an internal investigation found the officer had engaged in "adverse conduct" when she was charged with manslaughter three days after the shooting.Guyger's firing was lauded by the mayor -- who called it "the right decision in the interest of justice" -- and others who have been calling for her termination for weeks. Guyger has been on administrative leave since the shooting and is free, as she awaits trial, on a $300,000 bond.Guyger shot Jean, her upstairs neighbor, the night of Sept. 6. She told authorities she mistook his apartment for her own and believed Jean, who was unarmed, was a burglar. Lee Merritt, an attorney for Jean's family, has cast doubt on Guyger's version of events.Hall's decision to fire Guyger came after widespread calls for action. Protesters had called for her to be fired for weeks. Her employment status even became an issue in the U.S. Senate race between Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Beto O'Rourke. The latter, a Democrat, had called for her firing, while Cruz had said O'Rourke was rushing to judgment.Guyger is allowed to appeal the decision under civil service rules, police said.The announcement of Guyger's firing came shortly before Hall stepped into a City Council Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee hearing. The only discussion of the firing during the meeting came when council member Kevin Felder said he had heard Guyger had been fired and asked the chief to confirm."That is a true statement," Hall said, without elaboration.Hall's decision to fire the officer seemed to contradict statements she had made in recent days about why she wouldn't fire Guyger yet.The chief said at a town-hall meeting Tuesday that she couldn't fire Guyger before an internal investigation was completed because of federal, state and local laws. She didn't specify to which laws she was referring. Hall's chief of staff, Thomas Taylor, had said the internal investigation was on hold until a criminal investigation into Guyger was complete.On Thursday, Hall released a statement saying she didn't want to risk interfering with a criminal investigation by making a decision about Guyger's employment."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," Hall said in a written statement.The Dallas Police Department turned over the investigation to the Texas Rangers shortly after the shooting. The Dallas County District Attorney's office is also conducting its own investigation.Those investigations aren't complete, but Hall said Monday police were notified that a "critical portion" of the criminal investigation -- the part that she said could've been compromised by an internal investigation -- had concluded over the weekend."As a police chief, my job is to ensure the highest level of integrity in this investigation, and that is what I did," she said. "I waited until the critical portion of this investigation was complete."Michael Mata, president of the Dallas Police Association, said Monday he had no idea Guyger was going to be fired until Hall's statement was released. He said he was "perturbed" by the news, and confused by what he called "short-sightedness and short cuts" leading to her firing."Four days ago she said she couldn't fire her because of the investigation, and now, four days, later you can?" Mata said. "Just be honest with the public. There is a process in place that not only afford an office due process but allows the department to have security if and when an officer attempts to get their job back."But Mayor Mike Rawlings said in a statement that Hall "made the right call" in firing Guyger."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," he said in the statement. "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."Attorneys for the Jean family said Jean's parents got a call from Hall on Sunday, in which she told them she intended to fire Guyger and explained the delay.Merritt, one of the family's attorneys, said that while the delay was frustrating, he's glad the chief waited until all the statements made about Jean's killing had been thoroughly investigated.He said the trial of former Balch Springs officer Roy Oliver was complicated by complaints that the officer's Fifth Amendment rights had been violated by his department's decision to fire him just days after he shot into a car and killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards.The Jean family was satisfied with both the termination and explanation, the attorneys said, but they will continue to fight for a murder charge and appropriate sentencing."When you fire someone, it's an implicit admission that what they did is wrongful," Merritt said. "The inference is hard to miss."Next Generation Action Network's Dominique Alexander said Guyger's firing was a positive step. But he said he was "not a fan of" what he perceived to be special treatment for Guyger during the investigation."The community cannot start to heal until this officer is held and justice is served," Alexander said. "The first step in the process of it is making sure she's off taxpayer dollars."Jean's body will be buried Monday in his home country of Saint Lucia.Starting next month, any women who visit inmates in Virginia's prisons are banned from wearing tampons or menstrual cups.The state's Department of Corrections says its new rule is aimed at preventing contraband from being smuggled into its prisons."If someone chooses to visit a Virginia Department of Corrections inmate, he or she cannot have anything hidden inside a body cavity," spokeswoman Lisa Kinney told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "There have been many instances in which visitors have attempted to smuggle drugs into our prisons by concealing those drugs in a body cavity, including the vagina."Body scanners are used to check visitors for contraband. If possible contraband is seen on the scanner, the visitor must consent to a strip search or body cavity search, or have their request for visitation denied.Description

GIS 25 September, 2018: Government is committed to assist small planters and key stakeholders of the cane industry to face the challenges that they are faced with in the exceptional context regarding the harvest of Crop 2018. Thus support is being provided to sugarcane planters who are facing financial difficulties due to the decline in sugar price on the world market. Government is committed to assist small planters and key stakeholders of the cane industry to face the challenges that they are faced with in the exceptional context regarding the harvest of Crop 2018. Thus support is being provided to sugarcane planters who are facing financial difficulties due to the decline in sugar price on the world market.

This statement was made yesterday afternoon by the Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr M. Seeruttun, during a press conference held at the Head Office of the Ministry in Port Louis. Earlier during the day the Minister participated at the opening ceremony of the Annual General Meeting of the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate.

Mr Seeruttun listed out the various measures that are being proposed for providing immediate relief to planters for Crop 2018. They are:

 a cash compensation of Rs1,250 per ton of sugar to all planters

 additional remuneration from bagasse of Rs1,250 per ton of sugar thus bringing the revenue accruing from bagasse to Rs2,500 for small planters and Rs1,700 for other planters

 for planters with less than 100 hectares of cane cultivation, the advance of 80% would be extended on all the revenue received from sugar and co-products instead of the ex MSS price on sugar only

 the Mauritius Cane Industry Authority would also assist planters with less than 100 hectares under cane cultivation through an advance from the Planters Fund for the purchase of fertilizers for crop 2019

 the advance would be around Rs13,000 per hectare

The Agro-Industry Minister underscored that Government would continue to explore new markets for sugar, in particular special sugar, with remunerative prices. In this respect, after protracted negotiations with the Chinese authorities under the Mauritius China Free Trade Agreement, Mauritius has managed to obtain a tariff rate quota of 50,000 tons of special sugar, he underpinned.

He further underlined that competitiveness and diversification are essential for the sustainability of the Cane industry and appealed to small planters, planters and the captain of the sector to further collaborate to ensure that the harvest 2018 reach a minimum of 400 000 tonnes.

Mr Seeruttun recalled that various schemes are provided to small planters and research plays a vital role to ensure that the best adapted varieties of sugar canes are used. As regards the future of the Cane industry, he pointed out that avenue of organic sugar should be pursued and that the country has the necessary know-how to tap into this segment. He added that a pilot project regarding this is already ongoing.Description

GIS  25 September, 2018: The ninth General Assembly and Meetings of the African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC) opened yesterday at the Intercontinental Resort in Balaclava.

AFRACs General Assembly and Meetings is being hosted from 24 to 28 September 2018 by the Mauritius Accreditation Service in collaboration with the AFRAC. Thirty-one Member States are represented through their national and regional accreditation at the event.

In his address, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection, Mr Ashit Kumar Gungah highlighted that AFRAC has made considerable progress having established itself as an internationally recognised accreditation cooperation from the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). AFRACs international recognition, he stated, comes at an opportune time with the establishment of the African Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in March 2018. The AfCFTA is set to become the worlds largest Free Trade Area and is expected to boost intra-African trade by 52% by 2022, he pointed out.

Government, said the Minister, has placed international accreditation high on its agenda. Mauritius, with its economic trajectory, aspires to achieve sustained growth so as to become a high-income economy and one of the determining factors in this endeavour is the accessibility of products and services in the regional and global market place, he recalled.

Speaking about infrastructure, Minister Gungah observed that poor quality infrastructure in many African countries is the main obstacle for the development of the export sector which affects competitiveness of products on the international market. Therefore, it is important to develop a Quality Infrastructure based on International Standards, he emphasised. The Minister reiterated commitment in ensuring that institutions which constitute the conformity assessment infrastructure adopt the best international practices in their day-to-day operations.

For his part, AFRACs Chairperson, Mr Araya Fesseha, stated that AFRAC has been able to meet its primary objective of being an internationally recognised cooperation that evaluate the competency of African accreditation bodies. AFRAC, he observed is giving priority attention to the scopes that support the AfCFTA, that is, green economy, communication, agro-processing, mining and trade and industry. As Africans, he said, everyone needs to work hard on the selective and economically viable value chains of agricultural products.

In his speech, the Senior Economist, Consultant and Key Expert from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Mr Martin Kaiser, pointed out that the PTB has since 2009 supported the vision of an AFRAC. This support has always borne fruits, he emphasised. AFRAC has not only been recognised by the ILAC and IAF but has also gained political recognition from the African Union, and this achievement is remarkable as it has been obtained in only eight years since its establishment, he added.

AFRAC

AFRAC was established in 2010 following three years of extensive consultative preparatory work including the development of its laws and project document. It has as objectives to facilitate the use of accreditation as a tool to support trade and development, improve competitiveness of African products and enhance the protection of the health and safety of the public.(TNS) - More than a year since Hurricane Irma blew through Orlando, hundreds of low-income families are still dealing with the aftermath: Punctured roofs, downed fences and infestations of mold.Now, those families will be the beneficiaries of a new Florida Department of Economic Opportunity program that aims to help those who were most affected by the hurricane  and still need help. The program will offer $616 million in aid to Floridians and open 10 Rebuild Florida centers across the state to help families sign up for assistance.Orange County, one of the 10 counties most impacted by Irma, will get a Rebuild Florida center at 6101 Chancellor Drive, Suite 100-B, in Orlando. The center, opening Wednesday, will focus on helping families get registered through the program, said Erin Gillespie, a spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.Gillespie said the program, which is in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is designed to provide assistance to any unmet need after all other funding sources dry up, which is why the money comes in typically a year after a natural disaster. It will target the most vulnerable populations first, including the elderly, people with disabilities and families with young children.The other nine centers will open in Brevard County at 297 Barnes Blvd. in Rockledge, as well as in Fort Myers, Winter Haven, Jacksonville, Naples, Marathon, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, which will have two centers. About 80 percent of the total funds will go to the 10 most-affected counties.In Orange County, 4,443 insurance claims related to Hurricane Irma were still open with the states Office of Insurance Regulation as of last month  the fifth-highest figure in Florida. Locally, hundreds of families are just now beginning repairs after months of sporting large blue tarps on their roofs.Katharine Purnell, executive director of the Orange County Long Term Recovery Group, said her group was established after the Federal Emergency Management Agency left the area, handing off long-term recovery. According to an assessment done by the group in August, 565 local families need $6.6 million worth of repairs.Its sad  many of these homes have holes in the roof and mold in the homes now, Purnell said. Typically [the families affected] dont have insurance or have very little insurance or were denied.The challenges involved in paying for extensive repairs  and securing insurance coverage  is why many low-income families have put off addressing the damages, instead opting for temporary solutions such as tarps.But as summer storms rolled in, tarps stopped holding up.Ive seen pictures where the tarps have been blown or shredded, and the water damage is whats causing the severe mold, Purnell said. This month so far, the group has been able to put in two new roofs, and it has another six pending roof repairs lined up.In the Orlando area, roof damage was the most common result of Irmas wrath. Of the more than 500 people the group surveyed, Purnell said, 205 said they had major roof damage. Of those, 116 said they have mold in their homes.A quarter of all those surveyed live in single-parent homes, and 20 percent are disabled. The Long Term Recovery Group, like Rebuild Florida, aims to help vulnerable groups first. It will work with Rebuild Florida to refer people in need of financial assistance, Purnell said.We are working to help those who dont have the means to help themselves, she said.To register for the program, visit RebuildFlorida.gov or call 844-833-1010. Eligible Floridians have until Dec. 23 to register.cherrera@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5660; Twitter @ChabeliH2018 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.)Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.(TNS)  SACRAMENTO, Calif.  With an eye toward destructive wildfire as Californias most immediate climate emergency, Gov. Jerry Brown took action on Friday to broadly expand state prevention efforts while allowing utility companies to shift some fire-related costs to their customers.The far-reaching proposal signed by Brown boosts government fire protection efforts by $1 billion over the next five years, providing funds that could help clear thousands of acres of dense, dry forests and brittle coastal brush. The bills combination of cash and regulatory relief mark a major escalation in addressing whats been called the new normal of fire danger for the state, far beyond whats been spent on immediate emergency responses.Wildfires in California arent going away, and we have to do everything possible to prevent them, the governor said in a written statement. This bill is complex and requires investment  but its absolutely necessary.Negotiations over the details of the 112-page law dominated the state Capitol during the final weeks of the legislative session. The proposals fine points emerged just hours before the final vote on Aug. 31. While many lawmakers found parts of the proposal unpalatable, few were willing to be seen as not having done everything they could to protect the lives and property of their constituents.This new law is the most comprehensive wildfire prevention and safety package the state has passed in decades, state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, the bills co-author.The new law links together two distinct challenges for changing the trajectory of Californias fire future: controlled growth of fire-prone vegetation and reduced financial exposure for utility companies. In a less combustible year, opposition to either could have doomed the effort. But the topic was hard to ignore during a summer marked by a number of deadly blazes and weeks of wildfire smoke choking the skies above Sacramento.Lawmakers from the states most threatened regions  rural foothills with forests overgrown from decades of fire suppression, and coastal communities with kindlinglike chaparral  were adamant about expanding efforts to remove fire fuels. They pushed for $1 billion in funding, paid over five years from proceeds of Californias cap-and-trade climate program, so that government and landowners alike had the money needed to carry out the work.Cal Fire officials will oversee those dollars, generally divvied into two categories: $165 million a year for fire prevention grants to landowners and for community prevention efforts, and another $35 million to continue Cal Fires year-round prescribed burns, research and monitoring.Under the law signed by Brown, landowners will have new permission and help to reduce overgrowth by cutting down more small and mid-sized trees  a historic change, given Californias logging limits on privately owned lands date back to 1973.Timber harvesting permits for small landowners will be made cheaper and some property owners will be allowed to build temporary roads to reach otherwise inaccessible overgrown areas. In some instances, both small and large landowners will have new permission to sell that timber to help offset the costs of the fire-prevention activity.Property owners who apply for new conservation easements  to preserve natural landscapes in exchange for tax incentives  will have to ensure the density and health of their trees doesnt exacerbate fire danger. The new law also allows a streamlined state review for tree-removal efforts on federal lands.Californias Board of Forestry and Fire Protection will have an expanded role in setting regulations to lower fire risk while hiring more technical experts to ensure the rules actually work. Many of the new laws provisions will expire in five years unless the Legislature decides to continue or expand the programs.The tree and brush removal provisions of SB 901 were subject to intense lobbying by environmental groups. But those disagreements paled in comparison to the bitter brawl over its concessions to municipal and investor-owned utilities.Downed power lines have sparked devastating fires across the state in previous years. Two of the states largest electricity providers  Pacific Gas & Electric and San Diego Gas & Electric  both face steep costs related to past wildfires. PG&E has yet to finish tallying the damages it must pay from fires in Napa and Sonoma counties last fall.SB 901 makes two significant changes to determining how much utilities must pay. First, it enhances the wildfire mitigation plans that companies must file with the California Public Utilities Commission. Utilities will have to provide new details on vegetation removal and electricity shut-off plans. Regulators will have to formally sign off on the wildfire mitigation plans, ensuring more accountability in the aftermath of a devastating blaze.The bill requires independent evaluation of utility compliance with mitigation plans, and doubles the amount of fines that can be levied upon a utility for failure to comply, Dodd said during legislative debate last month.Second, utility regulators will be given new guidelines to help determine a companys liability. For fires that begin in 2019 and beyond, utility companies will be able to shift some fire-related costs to consumers  but only to the extent that regulators determine the company wasnt negligent.For fires that burned in 2017  a year in which state investigators have linked PG&E equipment to at least a dozen Northern California fires  the utility will be allowed to borrow billions of dollars using ratepayer fees to pay it back, even if it was found to have acted improperly. The amount charged to customers would be determined after an independent analysis of the companys finances.Utility officials have given a general rule of thumb: $1 billion in borrowing would result in a $5 annual surcharge for most customers, assessed every year until the loan is paid off. Some lawmakers insisted it will amount to an unfair bailout of companies such as PG&E.Shouldnt we focus on requiring PG&E to improve the safety of their electric system that theyve been neglecting all these years? state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, said during last months floor debate in opposing SB 901. Instead, this bill rewards their bad behavior.Brown, who originally pushed for a more generous plan to lessen the industrys fire liabilities, insisted the states energy needs would be threatened by the specter of utility bankruptcy without some kind of concessions.The utilities have to stay in business, Brown said in an interview with thelast week. They have to make enough return to be a viable corporation.Even so, the new law will not insulate PG&E from additional financial stress. Last week, Moodys Investor Service downgraded the companys credit rating, specifically citing the Legislatures refusal to go along with Browns proposal to revise the liability standard known as inverse condemnation.Even if a utility prudently managed its infrastructure at the time of a fire, the utility could be held accountable for damages if its infrastructure was substantially involved in causing the fire, potentially exposing the states utilities to significant liabilities, Moodys analysts wrote.While SB 901 was the centerpiece of the effort by lawmakers this year in responding to fire danger, Brown also signed several other bills on Friday designed to boost Californias fire preparedness.Senate Bill 1260 will gives Cal Fire a larger role in identifying risks as local communities turn undeveloped land into new housing. Assembly Bill 2911 expands a utilitys right to cross private land to reduce fire threats around power lines, and it sets in motion statewide efforts for new fire-resistant building standards.Brown and lawmakers from both major political parties insisted the package of new laws are important but only a first step toward preparing Californians for longer dangerous fire seasons in the years to come.This year alone, 1.3 million acres of California have burned, said Assembly Republican Leader Brian Dahle, R-Bieber. The loss of life and property has been staggering. We are taking steps to ensure that this doesnt happen again.As the former chief risk officer for the state of North Carolina, Maria Thompson is an expert on working to manage and mitigate cyber threats. She has become a prominent national voice on the issue of cyber resilience in the public sector. Now, as the cybersecurity leader for state and local government at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Thompson is focused on helping government organizations protect their hybrid cloud environments from phishing, ransomware, and other increasingly sophisticated attacks.Paula Bronstein/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The U.S. is not declaring Myanmar's violent campaign against the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority long persecuted in the country's northwest, to be "genocide" in a new fact-finding report.



The decision comes one month after a similar report by the United Nations argued Myanmar leadership should be prosecuted for genocide, which is a deliberate campaign to violently destroy a particular group of people.



Since August 2017, Myanmar's military has orchestrated attacks on Rohingya in Rakhine State. While the government said it's a legitimate counterterrorism operation and denies any wrongdoing, the operation has driven more than 700,000 new refugees across the border into Bangladesh.



"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," according to the fact-finding report, published Monday after teams of U.S. investigators interviewed Rohingya refugees in Bangladeshi camps. "The scope and scale of the military's operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated."



While that seems to fit the definition of genocide, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is not declaring the violence to be genocide -- at least not yet.



There was no word from the agency on why.



In fact, after months of anticipation, the detailed report was published quietly online without an accompanying press release.



When asked, a State Department official told ABC News the U.S. had "previously characterized the events described in the report as 'ethnic cleansing.' We believe the findings of this report fully support that conclusion." Then Secretary Rex Tillerson announced that determination last November amid global outcry on the Rohingya crisis.



The U.S. will remain focused on "promoting accountability for those responsible for these crimes," the official added.



The decision prompted anger and disappointment from advocacy groups, who urged the administration to follow up by promoting a U.N. investigation and a referral to the International Criminal Court, which National Security Adviser John Bolton has bashed and threatened to sanction in recent weeks.



"This represents a significant missed opportunity on a crucial human rights issue and sends a worrying message about how the United States plans to address crimes under international law moving forward," Francisco Bencosme, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific advocacy manager, said in a statement to ABC News. "Ultimately, the United States' words mean nothing if it fails to pursue genuine accountability for victims and their families."



The U.S. announced Monday it would provide $156 million more in aid for Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh, which has been straining under the enormous needs of the nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees who now live there. That brings total U.S. aid to nearly $389 million since the latest outbreak of violence last August.



U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley praised the U.S. as "the leading donor of life-saving assistance to displaced persons, refugees and host communities in Burma and Bangladesh."



But after the decision Monday, the U.S. stands behind the U.N. in calling for action against Myanmar leadership.



Still, the new U.S. report provides a powerful picture into the brutal campaign against the Rohingya. According to a survey of 1,024 Rohingya refugees randomly selected in Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh, the majority directly experienced violence to their homes or families perpetrated by Burmese military and security forces.



In particular, 82 percent saw a killing or their homes or villages were destroyed, while 65 percent witnessed an abduction, arrest or detention, and 64 percent saw a family member or fellow villager injured. More than half witnessed an armed assault.



More than 50 percent witnessed sexual violence, including 45 percent who said they witnessed a rape and 18 percent who saw a gang rape. One-fifth reported witnessing a mass-casualty event, where more than 100 victims were killed or injured.



Haley had presented many of those findings to the U.N. security Council in August after the U.N. report was released, saying at the time that the U.N.'s findings were "consistent" with those of the U.S.



But a senior State Department official tempered expectations then, telling ABC News at the time: "I'm not a lawyer. You're not a lawyer. As far as I know, Ambassador Haley is not a lawyer."



While a "genocide" designation requires complex legal analysis, the U.S. has historically hesitated to designate atrocities a "genocide" because it's believed to carry legal requirements for action.



But that's not entirely true. As a signatory to the Geneva Convention in 1948, the U.S. agreed genocide is a "crime under international law which [signatories] undertake to prevent and to punish," but the agreement doesn't say what responsibility each country has for genocides in another country.



The Obama administration determined it did not have special obligations when it declared ISIS's actions against Iraqi religious minorities a genocide in March 2016.



"Acknowledging the genocide or crimes against humanity have taken place," State Department deputy spokesperson Mark Toner said at the time, "would not necessarily result in a particular legal obligation for the United States."



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Before opening the 58th WIPO, the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) recently held a minutes silence in memory of Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang who passed away on September 21 in Hanoi.

The 58th series of meetings attracted about 1,200 delegates from 191 WIPO member states. The Vietnamese delegation consists of seven delegates led by Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac.

Ambassador Duong Chi Dung, head of Vietnams permanent mission to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and other international organisations in Geneva chaired the meeting. This is the first time he has held the chairmanship of the WIPO General Assembly for 2018-2019.

The 58th series of meetings will look into the proposed measures, convene high-level negotiations on the drafting of IP law, copyright and related rights, patents for inventions, trademarks, industrial design and geographical indications, among others.

Deputy Minister Tac said the Vietnamese delegation will take an active part in the activities of the WIPO General Assembly. This is also a chance for the country to enhance bilateral cooperation on IP through organising meetings and working sessions with other countries and WIPO.

On this occasion, Vietnams National Office of IP under the Ministry of Science and Technology will sign a range of bilateral cooperation documents, including cooperation agreements with WIPO and the IP Office of the UK and a cooperation plan for 2018-2019 with the Cuban Industrial Property Office.

He added that Ambassador Dungs chairing of the 58th series of meetings is a new milestone in Vietnams integration into WIPO, reflecting other member states recognition of the active performance of the country as well as the ambassador over the past years. The chairing will be a driving force for Vietnam to fulfill its responsibility towards the worlds IP system and further contribute to WIPOs activities in the time ahead.(TNS)  Jared Joslin really wanted to be in law enforcement , the Logan County, Okla., sheriff told KFOR. I want to pull people over and go on bank robberies, the 19-year-old told police, according to News9.But he went about it all wrong, KOCO reported  and got himself arrested by the cops he wanted to be like Joslin is accused of stealing several police radios, handheld devices, a deputy jacket and other police-related items from the Logan County Sheriffs Office within the last year, KOCO reported.He was able to steal one of the radios by smashing a deputys car window, KFOR reported.He has an obsession with law enforcement and what we do, and once they get to that point of stealing equipment and the things that he had, its kind of concerning, Logan County Sheriff Damon Devereaux told News9.Once the Guthrie, Okla., man stole the radios, he used his cellphone and laptop to send an email to the Department of Public Safety, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KOCO. In the email, he pretended to be the Guthrie fire chief and requested that the stolen radios be activated.It worked.He got access into the citys GeoSafe system, investigators told News9, and was able to view officer location information and other sensitive content.This particular breach was disturbing to us, Sgt. Gibbs told the TV station in a video interview. It seemed, not easy, but possible for somebody to gain access to this system.In a statement to News9, GeoSafe said the support staff member who responded to Joslins email did not follow our standard protocol to verify the authenticity of the password reset request.This allowed the person to gain access to the account, the statement said. Once we became aware of the breach, we immediately locked out the account and notified the Guthrie Fire Department. The breach only affected their agency and not any other agencies.Police then went to serve an arrest warrant at Joslins home on Sept. 7, KOCO reported.When police arrived, they heard a loud emergency service radio coming from a cabinet, the station reported. The radio was hooked up to a large speaker.Its scary, Deveraux told KFOR.Joslin was arrested on suspicion of violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, concealing stolen property and using a radio to commit a felony, KFOR reported.(TNS)  COLUMBIA, S.C.  Duncan Buell paints a nightmare scenario of how South Carolina's elections could be hacked.Someone armed with a smartphone, a palm pilot  even a personal electronic ballot purchased online, like the ones used by S.C. poll workers  could sign in to vote at a polling site and load a bit of malicious code onto one of the state's touchscreen voting machines without anyone noticing.A voter carrying their own personal electronic ballot might stand out in the line to cast a ballot, said Buell, a computer science professor at Clemson University who consults on election technology.But, he added, "If it's a day when it would not be unusual to be wearing a trench coat, someone could get it in, slot it and insert malware into the machine."Buell is not the only one worried that South Carolina's aging voting machines are vulnerable to outside interference in an election. Last week, a federal court in Georgia ruled against an effort to force the Peach State to switch to paper ballots in time for the Nov. 6 election.U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg decided it would be too disruptive for the state to change its whole election system only seven weeks out from Election Day. But she did tell state election officials "further delay is not tolerable in their confronting and tackling the challenges before the state's election balloting system," according to the Associated Press.Georgia uses a different touchscreen voting system than South Carolina. But the neighbors are two of only five states whose voting systems do not include a paper component to audit vote totals.A similar suit, brought by the nonprofit group Protect Democracy, is making its way through South Carolina's court system. That suit alleges the South Carolinians' right to vote is being violated by the vulnerability of the state's 14-year-old voting machines to hacking attempts, like the one described by Clemson's Buell.The group's complaint cites a 2007 study by researchers at Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania citing numerous vulnerabilities in the iVotronic system, which South Carolina uses.State officials stress South Carolina's voting machines are not connected to the internet and, as a result, can't be hacked remotely. But the 2007 study showed how a malicious user with access to one machine could spread an infection to other machines as poll workers connect them to the same memory card. Once an infected machine makes it back to county headquarters, it could infect the vote from an entire county.Once it is loaded onto a voting machine, the malicious code could change the vote total, cause a machine to malfunction or prevent votes for a certain candidate from being entered. Critics say without any way to independently verify the recorded vote totals -- by using a back-up, paper-trail system -- such a hack could go completely unnoticed."They are more vulnerable than a modern machine should be," said Larry Schwartztol, attorney pressing the S.C. lawsuit. "There's no way to know, and no way to undo the damage once it happens."Schwartztol said the S.C. suit doesn't seek to force the state to use paper ballots this November. But it does want the current S.C. voting machines replaced with machines that either scan votes recorded on paper ballots or that print out a voter's digital selections, giving officials a record with which to verify the results.That would be Buell's preference, arguing his own study of election data has found enough apparent instances of misrecorded vote totals in one precinct or another that he questions the current system's reliability."They would say, 'It's human error,' " Buell said. "But if the system is so complicated, it can't be used by the people who are supposed to be using it, then I'd say the system's at fault."S.C. Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire wouldn't comment on the pending lawsuit against the state or measures that election officials are taking to prevent election interference. But, he added, election officials are taking the issue seriously.In August, for instance, election officials from across the state met with the FBI and federal Department of Homeland Security to prepare possible responses to cyberattacks.Whitmire noted the state's 13,000 voting machines are tested regularly to ensure they work correctly and are secured to avoid any tampering when they are not in a polling place. The state also takes efforts to keep the vote count is accurate, he added.Votes are totaled and posted at each precinct before they are sent to be counted at a county election office. Also, each county's results are audited twice before the final vote tallies are certified.The Election Commission estimates it could cost as much as $50 million to replace the state's current iVotronic voting machines. Only about $15 million currently is set aside to buy new voting machines for the whole state.Even if they can imagine ways the state's voting machines could be compromised, Whitmire says voters should be confident in the current system's reliability."You can theorize around any system," Whitmire said. "If you think about a ballot box, there are ways to tamper with that ... You have to make sure there are no ballots in there already, that nobody is taking ballots out."Security is not a new concept in elections."Former F1 driver Jarno Trulli has slammed the way the sport has changed since he stopped racing seven seasons ago.

The Italian, now 44, contested over 250 grands prix, but now laments the state of formula one today.

"What has formula one become?" he told the blog of Italian journalist Leo Turrini.

"Do you realise that in Singapore the drivers were 10-12 seconds per lap slower than the pole time? It's absurd, ridiculous.

"I imagine the dismay that guys like Kimi, Fernando, Lewis and Seb must feel, as they knew the formula one that really was formula one," Trulli said.

"That F1 pushed from the start to the finish, but now you need to look after consumption, the tyres, so on. Without intervening quickly, this distortion of formula one risks becoming irreversible.

"I regret it enormously because I love this world -- it represented so much of my life. What a pity," he added.

However, Trulli said he has been genuinely impressed with Lewis Hamilton this season.

"He has always been strong but usually something goes wrong with him, but this time he has made no mistake. I'm sorry to say it but he has been better than Vettel," he said.

"For Ferrari, the dream is fading once again."

(GMM)The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Hyundai America Technical Center $4.95 million over three years as part of an $80-million Co-Optima funding round (earlier post) to conduct research and development for an advanced mixed-mode gasoline (spark/compression ignition) engine to attain significant improvements in both fuel economy and CO 2 emissions.

The project will leverage existing work with advanced valve-train and previous DOE-funded technologies. The project is part of Hyundais advanced engine technology strategy and is planned to be used in future production vehicles as both stand-alone (engine only) and hybrid (PHEV, MHEV) configurations.After a brief lull, the hot summertime trend of protesting politicians over dinner is back in full force. Last night, a group of protesters tracked down Senator Ted Cruz and his wife at an Italian spot in D.C. and confronted him over Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court until the senator was forced to leave.

BREAKING. Activists just chased @TedCruz out of a fancy Washington DC restaurant, chanting We Believe Survivors!



Cruz has been friends with creep Kavanaugh for 20 years. Now Cruz is on judiciary committee hearing his testimony.



Fascists not welcome! #CancelKavanugh pic.twitter.com/7mx6Tc32za  Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

The restaurant in question has been identified as Fiola, an exceedingly pricey restaurant, which Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema has called the most glamorous place in the city to twirl pasta. But conservatives and supporters of Senator Cruz dont feel the same way apparently, taking to Fiolas Yelp page to voice their displeasure with a string of one-star reviews.

They allow paying customers to be abused and harassed by people coming in off the streets, reads one review from Paul S. of St. Louis, Missouri, while Michael B. of Peoria, Arizona, wrote that conservatives are not welcome and will not be protected here. The staff will allow randoms inside to yell at you while you try to eat your meal. Its very sad.

Since last night, nearly 25 negative reviews (and one negative review with five stars from someone who maybe doesnt know how Yelp works) have appeared on Fiolas page. When reached for comment, owners Fabio and Maria Trabocchi sent the following statement to Grub:

Last night, a group of protesters unexpectedly entered Fiola with the purpose of confronting Senator Cruz. Recognizing that there was a potential for escalation and concerned for the safety of all our customers, our management did what they could do to diffuse a difficult situation and, as is our policy, if there is ever an event of this nature, the police were immediately called. We are trained at hospitality not public safety, and our highest priority is always the well-being of our customers. Separated from the protesters, the Senator exited the restaurant and the protesters left soon thereafter.

That said, with so many of the reviews coming from outside the D.C. area, its likely theyll weather this particular storm.Spencer depicts Diana at breaking point

Right off the bat, let me just say, I have never ever liked any of Kristen Stewarts movies. I have always found her acting mediocre and of course, th...At the reception, the guest offered the Belarusian parliaments condolence to Vietnam over the passing of President Tran Dai Quang. In conveying President Alexander Lukashenkos condolence, he said the Belarusian leader keeps good impressions of his Vietnamese counterpart during President Quangs official visit in 2017 and their meetings on the sidelines of various international conferences and forums.

The NA Chairwoman thanked the chairman of the Belarus upper house for coming to Vietnam to attend President Tran Dai Quangs funeral.

Mikhail Myasnikovich took the occasion to discuss Vietnam  Belarus cooperation potential with NA Chairwoman Ngan, stressing the fact that Belarus is among five member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which signed a free trade agreement with Vietnam. Increased cooperation between the two countries law-making bodies is key to push for effective implementation of the pact, he added. He said bilateral economy  trade ties expanded significantly in recent years but still can attain better outcomes.

According to Myasnikovich, in addition to traditional goods like footwear, apparel, and farm produce, Vietnam now exports phones and computers to Belarus. He suggested Vietnamese firms set up joint ventures with Belarusian peers to gain a foothold in the European market.

For her part, Chairwoman Ngan said Vietnam attaches importance to the implementation of bilateral commitments agreed between Vietnamese and Belarusian leaders, including cooperation documents signed during President Tran Dai Quangs official trip last year. She noted Vietnam wants stronger ties with Belarus in economy-trade, defence, science-technology, culture-education, tourism, and cooperation between localities.

The sides should also capitalise on advantages brought about by the EAEU  Vietnam free trade agreement to expand their economic, trade and investment cooperation, she said. The top legislator stressed the Vietnam National Assembly is willing to work with the Belarusian parliament in creating favourable legal conditions for their enterprises to boost investment and trade.

Expressing her satisfaction with effective joint work between the two law-making bodies, Ngan expected the sides to continue their coordination at multilateral parliamentary forums, consultation sessions concerning issues of common interest, and legislative experience exchanges. They should also increase the role of their groups of friendship parliamentarians in boosting bilateral relations, she said.

Mikhail Myasnikovich took the occasion to invite the NA Chairwoman to make an official visit to Belarus.



Haiti - Politic : Appointments of 3 new DGs and 2 deputy directors





In the Official Journal "Le Moniteur" No. 166 of Monday, September 24, 2018, were named 5 personalities in the Haitian public administration:



The citizen Yves Penel, is appointed Director General of the Ministry of Culture (replaces Jean Michel Lapin Guyler promoted Minister of this Ministry);



Citizen Fritzner Bernadel is appointed Director General of the Office of Vehicle Insurance Against Third Party (OAVCT). Without DG since the June 2017 revocation of Elie Blaise https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21353-haiti-politics-towards-the-final-reorganization-of-the-oavct.html



The citizen Romel Bell, is appointed Director General of the General Administration of Customs (AGD); replaces Jean Jorel Janvier



The Citizen Fritz Alcindor, is appointed Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs (AGD) responsible for administrative reform within the Customs.



The Citizen Oldy Dubreus, is appointed Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs in charge of tax within the Customs.



HL/ HaitiLibre





















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Cap-Haitien : New earthquake

The Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) informs us that several people, including officers of the DPC, said they felt an earthquake in Cap-Haitien and Quartier Morin, Monday, September 24, 2018, at 8:08 pm. No damage is to report for the moment.



PetroCaribe : Beginning of the instruction

The instruction of the PetroCaribe case begins on Thursday, September 27, 2018 with the hearing of plaintiffs Johnson Colin and Garry Alliance.



Cancer : more than 10,000 cases per year in Haiti

More than 10,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed each year in Haiti, said oncologist Jean D. Cantave, President of the Haitian Oncology Society, which draws the authorities' attention to the need to define a national program to fight against cancer .



"Better serve the diaspora and listen to it"

On Friday, Marnatha Irene Ternier the new Minister of Haitians Living Abroad (MHAVE) held her first major working meeting with the Board of Directors. "Serving the Diaspora Better and Listening it" is what the Minister is committed by soliciting the cooperation of all Ministry staff. The discussion also focused on the development of human resources and the availability of financial and material means to achieve these objectives.



Exercise simulation of air piracy, postponed

The air piracy simulation exercise initially scheduled for Tuesday 24 was postponed to Thursday 27 September at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, starting at 10:00 am.



Weekly report of the Parliament

For the week of September 17 to 21, no session is to report to Parliament. This situation follows the ratification of the new Government and the return on holiday of the deputies. On the other hand, the Haitian Constitution imposes on the Senate a functioning permanently which does not prevent to note that the Senators also shone by their absence during this week.



HL/ HaitiLibre

















(Reuters) Hedge funds are betting big against sterling, the most since May last year. And following last weeks Brexit debacle in Salzburg, that bet will probably be even bigger now, closing in on the largest on record.

To read this article:Taskila told Uusi Suomi on Monday that the cash was found in a plastic bag but declined to disclose the exact location of the discovery.

The National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) discovered at least 500,000 euros in cash during the house searches it conducted in South-west Finland between Saturday and Sunday, reveals Tomi Taskila, the chief superintendent in charge of the pre-trial investigation.

He also reminded that the investigators have yet to examine all of the items seized during the large-scale operation.

We seized so many documents and data storages from the premises that going through and examining them will take a while, probably at least until the end of next spring, he added in a press release from KRP.

KRP on Monday also announced it has issued a warrant of arrest for two employees of the company under investigation on suspicion of aggravated money laundering and aggravated tax fraud. One of the suspects is Russian and the other Estonian.

Media reports have suggested that the company at the heart of the economic crime investigation is Airiston Helmi, a Finnish listed company with ties to Russia. KRP, however, has neither denied nor confirmed such reports.

Ari Rajala, an analyst for Kauppalehti, told yesterday that the business operations of the company appear to make no sense. Airiston Helmi, he highlighted, has reported operating losses of a total of 5.5 million euros since its foundation, has roughly 10 million euros in debt and has only 6,100 euros in cash assets.

Airiston Helmi describes itself as a tourism and accommodation company that also operates in property ownership and leasing. The company has garnered media attention in recent years by acquiring de-commissioned vessels from auctions held by the Finnish Defence Forces.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi Suomi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.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.[File 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.The Battle of Westport and, Indeed, the War Out West May Well Have Been Decided by a Stolen Gray Mare

It was a chilly fall morning in western Missouri, and George Thoman was a decidedly unhappy man. Rebel soldiers operating near Thomans residence in Westport had stolen his horse during the night, and the immigrant farmer from the Franco-German province of Alsace wasnt going to let the matter rest. Little did Thoman realize he was about to play a critical role in what would be the largest battle fought west of the Mississippi River during the Civil War. That missing horse not only helped turn the battles outcome, for all intents it put an end to Southern hopes in the Trans-Mississippi Theater.

In 1856, Thoman left Alsace for a new life in America, making his way to Jackson County, Mo., with an opportunity to farm a plot of land just south of Brush Creek, a small stream running east from the Kansas border to the Big Blue River, a tributary of the Missouri River. Thoman, however, soon found it impossible to ignore the increasingly troubled state of affairs along the MissouriKansas border, which made engaging in meaningful economic activity in the western Missouri countryside problematic. By the fall of 1864, Thoman and his family had relocated to the home of a friend in nearby Westport, his decision to do so undoubtedly influenced by Union Brig. Gen. Thomas Ewings General Orders No. 11, which mandated the relocation of potential Confederate-leaning residents from the countryside to more settled points in western Missouri.



Wake-Up Call: In this painting by Samuel Reader of the 2nd Kansas Militia, Union skirmishers contest an attack at the October 22 Battle of the Big Blue. Reader was captured during the fighting but later escaped. (Kansas State Historical Society)

Westport was a jumping-off point for those heading west on the Santa Fe and Oregon trails and, therefore, was at the peak of its prosperity when the fractious slavery debate in the region turned violent in the 1850s. Sizable Union and Confederate armies happened to be operating around Westport in October 1864. Inevitably those armies would clash.

Major General Sterling Price commanded the Confederate force, the Army of Missouri. A former governor of the Show Me State, Price led victories at Wilsons Creek and Lexington in 1861 that elevated his stature among pro-Confederate Missourians beyond what his abilities merited. Unfortunately for the South, by the time Prices command entered Jackson County in October 1864, the limits of what it and its commander were capable of were quite evident. To be sure, in the time since Price and his men had crossed the border from Arkansas into southeast Missouri on September 19, they did manage to cover an impressive distance in the course of a whirlwind campaignhighlighted by engagements at places such as Pilot Knob, Glasgow, and Boonville. Yet, for all the noise produced by Prices activities, there was precious little proof they had done much to shake the grip Federal authorities enjoyed on the state.

What Price and his men were undeniably capable of was bringing the hard hand of war to those they deemed insufficiently sympathetic to the Southern cause. That would unfortunately include George Thoman. During the 1850s, a major influx of European settlers into Missouri became a significant source of friction within the state. Many of these newcomers were influenced by the liberal ideals of the European revolutions of 1848-49. That, combined with their sheer numbers, aroused great anxiety in Missouri, especially among the conservative slaveholding elite that had traditionally dominated the states politics and economy. Further exacerbating tensions was the fact that Missouris German population provided the manpower behind the May 1861 coup led by Union Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyons that overthrew Missouris duly electedbut proslaverygovernment.

Price had long hoped he could drive the states provisional government from power or at least pose a serious menace to St. Louis, the lifeblood city on the Mississippi River. By October 1864, however, those were essentially just dreams and his commands operations had degenerated into little more than a looting expedition. Moreover, by that point Federal authorities had directed Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis to assemble what would be called the Army of the Border to defend Kansas, and had ordered Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecransin charge in St. Louisto dispatch a force, commanded by Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, to chase Price as he ventured along the Missouri River toward Kansas.

As a consequence, on October 22, Price found himself in a decidedly challenging position. Curtis command was in his front, and the gap between it and Pleasontons was rapidly diminishing. Furthermore, the generals ability to move with the expediency the situation required was seriously hampered by some 600 wagons laden with property that had been liberated from various Missourians.

Price was fortunate that day to claim a tactical success when he defeated elements of Curtis command at Byrams Ford, a Union-defended crossing point of the Big Blue River. Aware that Pleasontons force was on Prices heels and could be expected at the Big Blue the next day, Curtis response to the setback was to place the Army of the Border in good position within the lines of field works that inclosed Kansas City and leave a small force at Westport.

Curtis actions, though, left considerable real estate exposed to the depredations of Prices Confederates on October 22. However sensible the decision might have been from a military standpoint, it proved quite unfortunate for George Thoman, as soldiers likely from Prices command found their way to his residence that night. After the intruders made off with hams and tableware, Thoman became frazzled by their interest in his gray mare, which was about to give birth. Thomans vehement, heavily accented objections proved unavailing.

Anyone pondering the military situation as the sun rose over Brush Creek on October 23 could be forgiven for believing the stealing of a single horse and the distress it caused its owner were of little consequence. During the night, Price decided he and the 8,0009,000 men still with his command would fight. If he could somehow take advantage of his possession of interior lines to win a victory, it might reverse the perception of his raid as a waste of time and effort. This would be the best scenario, though admittedly a long shot.



War on the Doorstep: Before the war, Westports Harris House Hotel provided lodging for those using the Santa Fe Trail. Children of the hotels owner, Jack Harris, reportedly watched the battle from the top floor. (Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library)

At the least, Price thought his men could put up enough of a fight to provide sufficient space and time for the wagon train to get away from danger. Thus, Price decided to post Brig. Gen. John S. Marmadukes Division at Byrams Ford to fend off Pleasonton. His other two divisions, under Brig. Gen. Joseph O. Shelby and Maj. Gen. James Fagan, would advance north from positions south of Brush Creek and attack whatever elements of Curtis command might be found.

For his part, by 3 a.m. on October 23, Curtis was confident his force of about 15,000 men was in good position to move against Prices command. My purpose, he informed Pleasonton, [is to] attackthe enemy at daylight. Under the direction of division commander Maj. Gen. James Blunt, Colonel Charles Jennisons and Colonel James H. Fords brigades, supported by Colonel Charles W. Blairs, would advance from Westport to Brush Creek, which was skirted by a dense forest some two miles wide. After crossing the creek, Blunts men were to continue their push south through the timber following a road that passed the house of John Wornall, a mile and a half south of the stream, and attack any Confederates they might find on the open prairie. On the Union right, a brigade commanded by Colonel Thomas Moonlight would advance to a position from which it could defend Kansas along the road that marked the border with Missouri, while menacing the western flank of any enemy force Blunt might encounter. If Pleasonton could quickly defeat Marmaduke at Byrams Ford and Blunt do the same to the Rebels south of Brush Creek, a victory putting the very existence of Prices army in jeopardy was a distinct possibility.

The morning of October 23, however, would be a frustrating one for the Army of the Border. At daylight, Jennisons and Fords commands were ready for action and their commanders promptly ordered them across Brush Creek, breaking the thin layer of ice that covered the water, and then up the heights on the south side. With skirmishers leading the way through the mist that covered the prairie, Blunts 1,500 or so men continued their advance south. At that point, though, Shelbys and James Fagans divisions were moving north from their camps near the Wornall House to see what they could do. Shelby later proclaimed it was a day clear, cold, and full of promise.

When the two sides made contact north of Wornalls home, it became clear rather quickly that the Rebels had more effectively massed their forces. After about an hour of fighting, in which clouds of dense and sable smokedraped the scene, Jennisons and Fords commands were pushed back to the cover of the timber along Brush Creek. Moonlight, meanwhile, fell back toward Shawnee Mission. Blunts men did force the Confederates to expend so much ammunition, though, that Shelby couldnt press his advantage. Thus, as the Federals crossed back to the north side of Brush Creek, Shelby and Fagan were content simply to take up a defensive position on the high ground overlooking the creek and push skirmishers forward into the timber south of the creek.

The Swamp Fox Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson led Jo Shelbys famed Iron Brigade at Westport. A transplanted Virginian, Thompson, born Meriweather Jeff, moved to western Missouri as a 21-year old in 1847. After working as a railroad surveyor and engineer in St. Joseph, he turned to politics and served as the citys mayor (1857-60). As the nation drifted into civil war in the spring of 1861, he was appointed colonel and then brigadier general in the Missouri State Guard (MSG). Although this border states population was split on slavery and secession, pro-South politicians controlled the state government. At the wars outset, Thompson was assigned defense of waterlogged, marshy southeastern Missouri, earning the nickname The Swamp Fox of the Confederacy. A Confederate sidewheel ram was named in his honor. Despite early Confederate victories at Wilsons Creek and Lexington, the Federals soon gained control of Missouri. Following a loss at Fredericktown in October 1861, Thompson fled into northern Arkansas. He led ironclad rams in Confederate riverine forces and participated in John Marmadukes famed 1863 raid into Missouri. Captured later that year, Thompson was exchanged for a Union general in early 1864. He commanded the Iron Brigade for the first time during Prices Raid in 1864. Thompson unsuccessfully petitioned Richmond for a Confederate commission and ended up retaining his MSG generalship throughout the conflict. Moving to New Orleans after the war, he worked as an engineer draining Louisiana swamps until 1876 when, terminally ill with tuberculosis, he returned to St. Joseph. He died there that September. Jerry Morelock



As this was going on, Curtis made his way to the roof of the Harris House Hotel in Westport to get a sense of the mornings fighting. He learned the enemy had skirmishers in the timber south of Brush Creek and could see beyond rebel lines deployed in endless lines on the open prairie. With his men along the creek exchanging what Jennison described as a desultory fire with the Confederates, the redoubtable Federal commander ordered reinforcements forward and directed Blunt to make vigorous use of his artillery. Then, as Blairs brigade advanced to the front line, Curtis decided to take a more hands-on approach. Accompanied by the six guns of Captain James H. Dodges 9th Wisconsin Batterywhich since April had spent most its time protecting wagon trains along the Santa Fe Trailhe made his way personally to Brush Creek.

Although Price had established army headquarters east of the Wornall House in order to keep an eye on the fighting at both Brush Creek and Byrams Ford, he spent the night with Shelbys and Fagans commands near that home. Price later declared he was in full view of Generals Fagan and Shelby during the fighting, but he clearly had little direct influence on the outcome of the battle along Brush Creek. The same could not be said of Curtis.



(Map Graphics  DFL Group 2018)

In any case, despite the arrival of Blairs brigade and Curtis personal presence at Brush Creek, things looked promising for the Army of Missouri about 11 a.m. All attacks by the Federals proved to be exercises in futility. As his beaten men once again fell back to the woods along Brush Creek, it must have seemed to Curtis that whatever hopes existed of a Federal victory that day rested on Pleasontons shoulders.

But there was little evidence Pleasontons 5,500-man command was faring much better. By 11 a.m. the Federals had fought their way across the Big Blue, only to find Marmaduke occupying a strong position on a rock ledge overlooking an open meadow. Not until noon could Pleasonton get enough men into the fight to get the upper hand on Marmaduke, with Lt. Col. Frederick Benteens brigade driving the Rebels from what they called Bloody Hill.

As Marmadukes men fell back, Pleasonton ordered his troopers to pursue. By the time the Confederates reached Harrisonville Road, the Army of Missouri seemed in serious trouble. A Union victory was now quite possible, but the extent of that victory would depend on whether Curtis could find a solution to the problem he faced along Brush Creek.

Regardless of the sounds of battle filling the air that morning, it was insufficient to blunt Thomans determination to locate and reclaim possession of his stolen mare. By 11 a.m., his search had brought him close to the Union lines and the desperate Curtis. In interviewing Thoman, the Federal commander learned that a few hundred yards west of Wornall Road a stream flowed into Brush Creek from the south and west that cut a defile into the heights upon which the enemy was posted. According to Thoman, this defileknown as Swan Creekcould be used to maneuver behind the Confederates undetected.

Curtis wasted no time. He promptly assembled a force composed of Dodges gunners and his own personal escort and, guided by Thoman, was soon following the new route. (Curtis owed his most notable military accomplishment of the war to that point, the victory at Pea Ridge in March 1862, largely to the superiority of his artillery, which undoubtedly shaped his thinking as he put together this force.) Meanwhile, under Blunts direction, the Federals at Brush Creek once again ventured forward to test the enemy linethough given the way the past few hours had played out, those in the ranks could certainly have been forgiven for wondering why their commanders expected a better result than previous efforts.

As Thoman had promised, by following the Swan Creek defile, Curtis and his force made their way undetected to a point just south and west of the home occupied by famed Western Indian agent and fur trader William Bent.

With his force now to the left and rear of the Confederates Brush Creek line, Curtis had Dodge fire his guns upon Shelbys and Fagans commands. This, as well as a renewed push by Blunt, was too much. The Rebels fell back about a half-mile to the south, to a new line along a lane running west from the Wornall House to the Bent House.

Price, alerted that his wagon train was in danger, told Shelby and Fagan to hold on as long as they could. Curtis pushed his artillery forward, with 30 pieces soon in action. Both armies were now in full view of each other on the open prairie, a Union officer later declared, presenting one of the most magnificent spectacles in nature.

Curtis army then advanced, forcing a valiant but ultimately fruitless response from the Confederates. The weight of Federal power proved too great. Realizing they had no chance to hold out, Shelby and Fagan called for a retreat. As their lines began to crack, a unit of Arkansas cavalry was ordered to make a charge on a Colorado battery whose fire had been taking an especially heavy toll on the Confederate position. That prompted Jennison to personally lead Captain Curtis Johnsons company of the 15th Kansas in a countercharge. A ferocious melee ensued. The Federals emerged victorious, helped by the arrival of two squadrons of Colorado cavalry.

Both armies were now in full viewpresenting one of the most magnificent spectacles in nature

Nevertheless, Shelby managed to establish a new line in the vicinity of the Wornall House. It did not hold for long, however. With Pleasonton pressing west to and beyond the Harrisonville Road and threatening the right and rear of the army, the Confederate commanders decided the only option was to send reinforcements from their fight with Curtis to Marmadukes aid. A fierce engagement with Pleasontons cavalry at the Thomas Mockbee Farm ended with a Confederate retreat, but critical time had been bought for Prices beleaguered army to escape. A brief stand by Shelbys cavalry also failed, and the rout was complete.

As night fell October 23, Curtis, Pleasonton, and their men could take great satisfaction in their efforts that day. Though Price did get his wagon train away, the broken remnants of the Confederate army retreating south left no doubt the Union army had pulled off a truly decisive victory.

Sadly, whether George Thomans contribution to the Union effort resulted in reunion with his missing horse has been lost to history.

Ethan S. Rafuse is Charles Boal Ewing Chair in Military History at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.Freedom is not something you win once and have forever.

As those who fought in Vietnam continue their 50th anniversary commemoration on Veterans Day this year, the nation also marks the 100th anniversary of the Nov. 11, 1918, armistice that ended World War I. For Gerald York, both of those commemorations are personal.

He is a combat veteran of Vietnam and the grandson of Sgt. Alvin C. York, who received the Medal of Honor for sharpshooting that persuaded 132 Germans to surrender to the Tennessean and his seven-man unit on Oct. 8, 1918.

Gerald York, son of George Edward Buxton York, graduated from an ROTC program and volunteered for service in Vietnam, where he was an intelligence officer advising South Vietnamese units in the Phoenix Program, formed to track down and capture or kill top Viet Cong leaders. Later assignments included intelligence officer, 18th Airborne Corps staff, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; base commander for the Defense Intelligence Agency at Fort MacArthur, California, and in Yongsan, South Korea; chief of operations for human intelligence services at DIA offices in Washington.

York retired from the military in 2000 and founded a government services consulting company in Pall Mall, Tennessee. Since 2005 he has been chairman of the Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation, which supports the Alvin C. York State Historic Park and is raising money to establish the Sgt. York Center for Peace and Valor, a multipurpose educational facility.

He shared memories of his grandfather and his own service in an interview with Editor Chuck Springston.

When did you learn that your grandfather was famous? I was in the fifth grade. The teacher called on me one day and said, I would like for you to come up and get the encyclopedia and look up your grandfather. Im thinking, Why would my grandfather be in the encyclopedia? I opened the encyclopedia, and she said, I want you to read what it says. So I read it to the class and thought, Wow, my grandfathers in the encyclopedia. Even though Id seen visitors coming in and I knew there was movie [Sergeant York, 1941, starring Gary Cooper] because we had a copy of it, thats the first time I really realized that he was known outside of our family.

But to me, he was just a grandfather and was always jovial. One time I got in trouble and hid behind him and he wouldnt let my father spank me. He said, No, no its OK. He was just a very nice, very good grandfather.

What impact did the knowledge of his fame have on your life? The values he gave me had more of an impact than him being famous. You always told the truth. You always respected others.

Fast-forward to college graduation and service in Vietnam. What was your experience like as an adviser to South Vietnamese troops? I was commissioned on graduation and went into military intelligence. I volunteered to go to Vietnam, but wanted to be with an American unit. When I got there, as a first lieutenant, a major said, We have a special program in MACV [Military Assistance Command, Vietnam], and we want to make you an adviser. I said, Sir, I appreciate it, but I really didnt volunteer to come over here to observe. I want to be here with an American unit. I dont want to be an adviser. He said, Well, lieutenant, there are sometimes the needs of the Army. So I went into the Phoenix Program.

They assigned me to Saigon. I was there about four days, and they reassigned me to the Phoenix Program in Loc Ninh district, Binh Long province, up on the Cambodian border. We lived on a compound where we worked with our South Vietnamese counterparts in the Phoenix Program. I guess I had been there about 30 days when we got a major attack and had about a five-day battle. Im like, Well, welcome to Vietnam.

Did anyone know you were related to the World War I hero? Maybe two to three weeks after that battle, I got a call that the colonel wanted me in Bien Hoa [near Saigon]. Im thinking, Am I being canned? I report to the colonel, and he said, Sit down lieutenant. Im trying to decide what to do with you. I said, Sir, I thought I was doing a decent job.

Youre doing an excellent job, he said. Thats not my issue. Was your grandfather a medal of honor winner? I said, Yes, sir. He said, What was his name? I said, Alvin York. He said, Sgt. Alvin C. York? I said, Yes sir. He said: Thats what somebody told me. I had a guy in my command whose father won a Silver Star in World War II. He was determined to get a Silver Star. And he didposthumously. So I need to know, whats your objective here? You volunteered to come. Why are you here?

I said, Sir, I volunteered to come with an American unit because I figured I was going to go to Vietnam sometime. Im here to serve my country. He said, Youre not trying to outdo your grandfather? I said, Sir, what my grandfather did, he didnt set out to do. It was something he did to save lives, not to take lives. It was just the time and the place, and he had the skill sets to accomplish what he did. I could never equal my grandfather. My objective in Vietnam is to do the best job I can do, keep my people safe and go home safe.

He said, OK, as long as thats your objective, you can go back to Loc Ninh. Otherwise, Im going to keep you in Saigon. You wont see any action. And I said, Well sir, Im not planning on doing anything crazy. He said, OK, and sent me back to Loc Ninh.

Do you see similarities between World War I and the Vietnam War? In Vietnam and World War I the U.S. was really not prepared. World War I was the first time the U.S. had really gone on the world stage as a power. And in Vietnam we had never fought a war like that. Vietnam was a guerrilla war. We had fought conventional wars. In World War I, Gen. [John] Pershing had to develop tactics [different from those used previously]. In Vietnam, Gen. [William]Westmoreland had to say, we cant fight this like we fought World War II or Korea; we have to learn to fight differently. Similar to World War I, we had to fight a war like we had never fought before.

We were used to static lines, large numbers of troops attacking an enemy that was dug in and was clear. In Vietnam you could be fighting here, and the enemy could be behind you. The enemy could be the barber that comes in and cuts your hair on Friday and comes back as a sapper [commando] on Saturday night. In World War I you worried about [poison] gas. You worried about artillery. In Vietnam you worried about roadside bombs and ground-up glass that was put in drinks and given to the soldiers. Theyd go by your jeep and drop a grenade in the gas tank. There are no similarities in how the two wars were fought but similarities in that they were both an introduction to a different type of warfare.

Apart from the nature of the enemy, are there any other major differences with past wars? When I came back, they told us dont go outside the airport in your uniform. Dont let anybody know youre coming back from Vietnambecause of the protesters. In World War I and World War II people were welcomed back as troops who had defended freedom. In Vietnam, they were seen as baby killers or whatever. I dont think the country really appreciated Vietnam until recently. It was different for Desert Storm [1991 Gulf War]. And now with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, people are more supportive of the military. During Vietnam, the military was seen as something that was almost evil; today it is seen completely different.

Could anything have been done in Vietnam to make that war turn out differently? I think it could have been different. Every time we started making major gains and the Viet Cong or NVA [North Vietnamese Army] really got hurt, they would ask for a cease-fire and say lets talk. I was there for a couple of cease-fires. They lasted a couple of weeks, and we would see increased activity, major movements. You couldnt do anything about it because youre in a cease-fire. But they used cease-fires to replenish, refresh, resupply, and then once they got built up, theyd attack again.

The military if left to its own procedures could probably have done better, but we were fighting an unwinnable war because it was so political. The time I was there we couldnt go into Cambodia. We had NVA mass on the Cambodian border. They could come across the border, hit us and go back across the border. You couldnt follow them.

Should we have taken the constraints off the military and invaded North Vietnam? I think the North Vietnamese were close to a breaking point, and thats the reason they said [in fall 1972], Lets do a peace treaty. If it looked like we had broken them and were getting ready to invade North Vietnam, I think at that point China would have probably put pressure on North Vietnam to stop and keep a border, like in Korea. It could have remained South Vietnam, North Vietnam.

Is there any military leader that you particularly admire? There are a couple. Gen. Pershing was the right man for the right time. He did an excellent job. Gen. [George] Patton in World War IIhe was a little gruff, but as a tactician and as a warfighter was very good. Eisenhower is more of a political general. Patton was more of a soldiers general. He was one who would go in and win.

The Vietnam era was also noted for its pop culture. Is there any particular music or group that you were interested in? My favorite song when we were in Vietnam was Im Leaving on a Jet Plane [sung by Peter, Paul and Mary]. I hear it today played some, and it brings a lot of memories. Of course, I liked the Beatles back then. Elvis Presley was from Tennessee.

As the World War I commemoration comes to an end, how do you think your grandfather would look back on his war? His thinking was we had gone and won peace [in World War I], won freedom forever. Later in life, as World War II was coming, his thinking changed. We learned that freedom is not something that you win once and have forever. You only get a lease on freedom. We made a payment on it in World War I. Now that the worlds involved again in conflict, its time for us to make another payment. Freedom is not something you are guaranteed. Freedom is something that you have to constantly defend.

For more information on the Sgt. York Center for Peace and Valor and its programs for veterans and others, go to www.sgtyork.org.As North Carolina cleans up from the damage wrought by Hurricane Florence, the scale of the devastation is now coming into focus - including to victims who usually get less attention in disasters like this.

North Carolina's Department of Agriculture last week issued a livestock casualty report: 3.4 million chickens drowned in Hurricane Florence.

That's an eye-popping statistic, but livestock casualties in such numbers are in fact not unusual: Factory farming exists on a much bigger scale than most people realize, and there are often economic incentives to let millions of chickens die or even outright kill them without using their meat.

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Source: Press ReleaseUlysse Nardin brought the Marine Torpilleur Military US NAVY timepiece to Annapolis, an ideal ven-ue for the American launch, celebrating the ties between the brand and the United Stated Naval Academy since 1905.

 Ulysse Nardin

A story of time

The partnership between Ulysse Nardin the United States Navy began in 1905, when the Washington Naval Observatory organised a competition for Precision Torpedo Boat Timepieces. The goal of the competition was to supply the US Navy with the best available on-board chronometers. These precision timepieces, given to superior naval officers, were meant to provide the torpedo boats with an hour of ref-erence as accurate and reliable as those on the largest naval vessels. Ulysse Nardin won the competition several years in a row and became the official supplier of the American Navy.

 Ulysse Nardin

SEMPER FORTIS

Semper fortis, always strong - the US Navy motto, equally describes the philosophy of Ulysse Nardin and its engineering team. The Ulysse Nardin team called upon its horological experience to create the first on-board chronometers, which quickly gained a reputation among navies around the world.

 Ulysse Nardin

Using that same savoir-faire today, Ulysse Nardin has perfected the Marine Torpilleur Military US Navy, the new US Navy Torpedo Boat watch. A limited edition of 173 pieces - for the 173 years since Ulysse Nardin founded the company - it pays tribute to the brands marine heritage. The 44 mm wrist chronome-ter carries the DNA of its ancestors, the historic US Navy timepieces of the past. Guaranteed water-resistant to 50 meters, its sapphire-protected dial is faithfully based on the first on-board timepieces to equip navy vessels. The blue hands, too, are identical to those on the earliest pieces. Precision is guar-anteed by the certified UN-118 automatic-winding movement, which uses Ulysse Nardins silicon technol-ogy and has a 60-hour power reserve. One of the striking elements of the design is the number 24 writ-ten in red on the power reserve indicator, a direct reference to the warning system on the original marine chronometers, which let sailors know that only 24 hours of power reserve remained and that the watch needed to be rewound immediately. The open case back is laser engraved with US Limited Edition and the Semper Fortis motto. Four oversized stitches adorn the blue sailcloth strap, another reminder of its storied past.

The Ulysse Nardin Marine Torpilleur Military US Navy is a representative of the brands origins and prow-ess - a guardian of marine history and a modern archetype turned decisively towards the future.China's top naval officer canceled a visit to the US to meet with his American counterpart less than 48 hours before the meeting was scheduled to occur, according to two US defense officials.

"We were informed that Vice Adm. Shen Jinlong has been recalled to China and will not conduct a visit with Chief of National Operations Adm. John Richardson. We have no additional information at this time," Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn told CNN in a statement.

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Somali government troops accompanying the U.S. unit killed two other fighters of the al Qaeda-linked group with small arms fire during the clash that took place on Friday, it said.

"The U.S. airstrike was conducted against militants after U.S. and partner forces came under attack," U.S. Africa Command said in a statement. "We currently assess no civilians were injured or killed."

The clash took place about 30 miles (50 km) northwest of the Lower Juba port city of Kismayo.

U.S. forces are in Somalia supporting a U.N.-backed government against al Shabaab, an Islamist extremist group that lost control of most of the country's towns and cities after withdrawing from the capital Mogadishu in 2011.

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Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.Cyprus PIO: Turkish Cypriot and Turkish Media Review, 18-09-25 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-25.09.18 No. 185/18 [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS Contents [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Akinci alleges that a result focused process with a time limit is needed [02] Ozersay: The guarantor powers will seek for an answer to the question of what will happen in Cyprus [03] Ozersay: The Cyprus negotiations will not continue from the point they were left off [04] Ozersay is carrying out contacts in NY [05] BKP and the "Left movement" call on both leaders to show a constructive stance in New York [06] The Turkish settlers' YDP party demands "presidential spokesman" Burcu to be removed from his "post" [07] A fishing boat carrying 13 refugees was found out yesterday off the coast of occupied Karpasia [08] A "court" in the occupied area of Cyprus "ruled out" against the two suspects involved in the incidents occurred on January 22 A. Turkish Press [A] TURKISH CYPRIOT / TURKISH PRESS [01] Turkish Petroleum awards Houston's Rowan first drill contract in Mediterranean [02] Erdogan holds closed-door meetings in New York [03] Commentary: "The biggest obstacle of solution in Cyprus is the Turkish Cypriots" [04] MHP submits amnesty draft bill to Parliament [05] Cumhuriyet reporter faces investigation due to report on court's Brunson ruling [A] Turkish Cypriot Press [01] Akinci alleges that a result focused process with a time limit is needed Illegal Turkish Cypriot daily Bayrak television(25.09.18) reports that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci has alleged that the period of the old negotiating processes in the Cyprus problem was closed and now a result oriented process with a time limit is needed. In statements at the illegal Tymbou airport this morning prior to his departure for New York, Akinci said that he will be launching some contacts in the US as of tomorrow, the most important of which is his meeting with the UNSG. He alleged: "Undoubtedly the contacts this year have a different aspect. As it is remembered, Mrs Lute, the temporary special advisor appointed by the UNSG Mr Guterres, has completed her meetings with all sides concerned. She is expected to submit her report to the UNSG. Mr Guterres would like to share with the sides his evaluations in the light of this report and to listen to our thoughts. Actually just like we have said both to him last September when we met with him after the Crans Montana and Mrs Lute during the meeting we held with her two months ago [], the period of the old negotiating processes in the Cyprus problem has ended now. Only time can be consumed with negotiating processes without a time limit and without being result focused. Time that passes serves nothing else than the strengthening of the status quo. Therefore, since it has been understood that we could reach nowhere with the methods implemented for years, it has become obligatory now for a proce ss with a time limit and focused on the result to come onto the agenda and to exhibit political will and determination. []" Reiterating the allegation that the Turkish Cypriot side has undertaken many initiatives for reaching a solution, Akinci claimed that the most important reason for not having a solution is what he called as the fact that the Greek Cypriot side does not accept to really share power and the prosperity with the Turkish Cypriots in a federal partnership. Noting that the continuation of the non-solution will negatively influence both communities, Akinci reiterated the view that the solution will benefit not only the Cypriot communities but also Greece and Turkey and argued that Eastern Mediterranean will also become a place of a new cooperation and not new tensions. He claimed: "Progressing in the direction of the solution in Cyprus on the one hand and cooperating in the natural gas which is our right also on the other, but at the same time starting a new momentum by updating Turkey's customs union in its relations with the EU should be seen as developments which will secure benefit to all sides concerned. In brief, this should be the common vision. [] At the point we have reached, we have the historic responsibility to meet at a reasonable point and lead our communities on the way for solution and peace. This responsibility belongs not only to me but to Mr Anastasiades as well. And beyond this, all the other sides have the responsibility to help". Responding to a question on the unofficial meeting between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Greece and Britain today in New York, Akinci noted that any kind of dialogue within the context of the solution to the Cyprus problem is beneficial. He added: "Therefore it is very natural for the officials of the guarantor countries to meet and make assessments. However, the following issue should never be forgotten: The Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots will be those who will actually build and implement any solution to be found in Cyprus. []" Responding to a question on the opening of the crossing points in Deryneia and Apliki areas, Akinci admitted that this opening was delayed. He alleged that the basic delay is happening at Apliki on the issue of the building of the road in the government-controlled side of the area and added that this road will end in October. He claimed that the occupation regime has completed the road in the occupied areas of Apliki and Deryneia and that what remained is to settle the issue of building a cabin for the "police" and connecting electricity, telephone and internet. He said that there have been some delays in the past and argued that the current "government" is working speedily. He alleged: "[] If I am not mistaken, two cabins were taken to Deryneia and one to Apliki. Works are continuing for temporary electricity connection. [] I want to say the following: As the chairman of the building constructors' union has said, they say that they could complete this permanently within 20 days []". Reiterating that the Turkish Cypriot side has also delayed on this issue, he noted that the "government" says that they will be ready when the Greek Cypriots are ready to open these crossing points. "Mr Anastasiades could raise the issue in New York. Let him raise it. At least, let us have our response ready", he added arguing that the Turkish Cypriot side continues to support the entire package of confidence building measures agreed by the two leaders such as the cell phone network connection, the permanent connection of the electricity networks etc. (I/Ts.) [02] Ozersay: The guarantor powers will seek for an answer to the question of what will happen in Cyprus Illegal Turkish Cypriot Bayrak (24.09.18, http://www.brtk.net/garantor-devletler-kibrista-bundan-sonra-ne-olacak-sorusuna-cevap-arayacak/) reported that Kudret Ozersay, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has described as "very useful" the meeting he held yesterday in New York with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, adding that he also had the opportunity to talk with Turkish President Erdogan prior to his meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister. Referring to the meeting to be held today between the Foreign Ministers of the three guarantor powers of the Republic of Cyprus, Ozersay alleged the following: "Turkey, Greece and Britain will hold an unofficial meeting here. I want to underline that the Cyprus problem will be discussed in this meeting. That is, it will not be something like a deadline, like continuation of the negotiations. The UNSG has assigned Mrs Lute with the duty of what will happen from now on in Cyprus. Negotiations have been held for 50 years in Cyprus both between the sides and with the guarantor powers. We could reach nowhere. There is one UN official who is seeking for an answer to the question of what will happen next. Not only the UN and the two sides in Cyprus seek an answer to the question of will happen from now on in Cyprus, the guarantor powers are also seeking for this answer. Behold, this is the framework within which the three guarantor powers will be unofficially meeting". Ozersay said that during his meeting with Cavusoglu, he had the opportunity to directly convey his views to the Turkish Minister as to what could come onto the agenda during the unofficial meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the guarantor powers and coordinate. Noting that he is in contact with Turkish Cypriot leader Akinci on this issue, Ozersay said that Akinci will also join the process after arriving in New York today. Referring to his contacts in New York, Ozersay said that he will meet with officials of countries which participate in various ways in the negotiating process in Cyprus and from time to time express views as to what should happen in the island. He noted that he did not want to reveal which Foreign Ministers and officials of which countries he will be meeting, because the Greek Cypriots and Greece might interfere and prevent his meetings. Describing as "very important" the fact that the Turkish Cypriot side and the "TRNC", as he called the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, will have the opportunity to express their views on the Cyprus problem and other international issues in New York, Ozersay argued that they have to underline their views and values and make everyone feel that the Turkish Cypriots are a part of the world. Replying to a question, Ozersay said that they discussed the natural gas issue with Cavusoglu and concluded: "I can say that during our meeting last night with Cavusoglu, we discussed the explorations which have been carried out and will be carried out as well as the steps to be taken". (I/Ts.) [03] Ozersay: The Cyprus negotiations will not continue from the point they were left off Turkish Cypriot daily Star Kibris newspaper(25.09.18) reports that Kudret Ozersay, self-styled foreign minister of the breakaway regime in the occupied area of the Republic of Cyprus, has alleged that the negotiations in Cyprus will not continue from the point they were left off. In statements to illegal TAK news agency after meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in New York, Ozersay replied to a question regarding the unofficial meeting to be held today between the Foreign Ministers of the three guarantor powers of the Republic of Cyprus. He alleged: "Yes, it is correct that there is such a thought, but I cannot say that the meeting's agenda will be the Treaty of Guarantees or the international aspect of the Cyprus problem, just like the Greek and the Greek Cypriot press allege. On this issue there will be a statement after the meeting tomorrow [today], if this is considered to be necessary. When the duty assigned to Mrs Lute and the fact that she has held meetings with all sides concerned until today are taken into consideration, it is natural for not only the two sides but the guarantor powers as well to seek an answer to the UNSG's question as to what should be done in Cyprus from now on. At this stage let be contented with saying the following: Those who see this meeting of the guarantor powers and try to present it as continuation of the negotiations from the point they were left off are deceived. Creative approaches are needed and not debates which were repeatedly made and are exhau sted". (I/Ts.) [04] Ozersay is carrying out contacts in NY According to illegal Bayrak television (25.09.18, http://www.brtk.net/?english posts=ozersay-in-new-york-2), Kudret Ozersay, "deputy prime minister and foreign minister", is holding a series of contacts in New York. As part of his contacts, Ozersay met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is in New York in line with the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly. The meeting at the UN Headquarters was held closed to the press. He also met with Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. Later, Ozersay met with the UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Jonathan Allen and attended and addressed a meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization, which the "TRNC" is an observer member under the name "Turkish Cypriot State". Ozersay, during his speech called on the member states to take concrete steps and cooperate in the fields of higher education, trade and tourism. [05] BKP and the "Left movement" call on both leaders to show a constructive stance in New York Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi newspaper (25.09.18) reports that the chairman of the United Cyprus Party (BKP) Izzet Izcan issued a written statement, recalling the importance of the discussion of the Cyprus problem within the framework of the contacts and meetings which are to take place in New York and called on all the relevant parties to show a constructive stance during their meetings with the UN's Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The BKP underlined further in the statement the need for the resumption of the Cyprus negotiation talks without preconditions in the framework of the Guterres report and from the point they were interrupted at Crans Montana. Izcan, demanded further from the Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci to undertake decisive steps towards the direction of a United Federal Cyprus. He further added that the priority of the Turkish Cypriot side at the negotiations should not be the regional economic and military interests of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, but indeed, the future of all Cypriots, in order to be able to live in peace. Izcan also said that another deadlock in the negotiation process would enable the risk of the division of the island. Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the "Left Movement", has called on both Akinci and the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiades, to be constructive during their meetings with Guterres. Abdullah Korkmazhan, speaking on behalf of the movement, has stressed the need for the resumption of the Cyprus negotiation talks within the Guterres framework. Korkmazhan called on both leaders to show political will during the talks in New York in order to be able to convince the UN Secretary-General. (AK) [06] The Turkish settlers' YDP party demands "presidential spokesman" Burcu to be removed from his "post" Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (25.09.18) reports that the deputy chairman of the Revival Party (YDP) Enver Ozturk alleged that "spokesman" of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, Baris Burcu should immediately be removed from his "post", due to the views and the positions he expresses in his master thesis. According to Ozturk, Burcu has described the "1974 peace operation in Cyprus", as it is called by Turkey and the occupation regime, as an invasion. He expresses the view that after Burcu's statements, the "1960 Treaty of Guarantees loses its meaning". "According to Mr. Baris Burcu, Cyprus belongs to Cypriots and thus no state which is not a Cypriot state has the right to speak or to be legal", Ozturk said, claiming that these positions by Burcu serve only the Greek Cypriots. Addressing Akinci, Ozturk wonders whether Akinci was aware of these positions as they were expressed by Burcu in his master thesis, before appointing him as his "spokesman" and he also calls Akinci to state whether he agrees with these positions. Also, the same paper in its column called "Gunun Kahramani [Translator's note: The hero of the day], points out that Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci when he briefs the opposition parties, he also includes in his briefing Erhan Arikli (the leader of YDP) which is considered as responsible for the incidents occured in occupied Deryneia. At the same time, Akinci listens also the views of Arikli on the Cyprus problem. But, on the contrary, Arikli without losing time, demands for Burcu to be removed from his position, providing as an excuse the views he expresses in his master thesis. (AK) [07] A fishing boat carrying 13 refugees was found out yesterday off the coast of occupied Karpasia Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris newspaper (25.09.18) reports that the "coast guard authorities" of the occupation regime found out yesterday a "refugee boat" off the coast of occupied Karpasia and only 13 nautical miles away from Cape Apostolos Andreas. According to the paper, the "coast guard team", after receiving a notice, launched an air-scale operation, accompanied by helicopters and found out the "refugee boat". According to information acquired, the boat was carrying 13 refugees. The captain of the boat was a "citizen of the TRNC". All people were rescued and are safe. (AK) [08] A "court" in the occupied area of Cyprus "ruled out" against the two suspects involved in the incidents occurred on January 22 Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika newspaper (25.09.18) reports that the occupied "Lefkosia district court announced yesterday its "ruling" concerning the two "suspects who were taken into custody"" concerning the attacks against the Afrika newspaper and the incidents occurred in the so-called assembly, on January 22. According to the paper, the "decision" of the "court" to impose 4,000 TL as fine to the two suspects, Ahmet Turkmen and Metin Tas, has caused a shock in the Turkish Cypriot community, writes the paper, supporting that the "sentence" is not dissuasive but stimulus. Meanwhile, the paper writes that the two "suspects" who accepted all accusations against them, expressed their apologies to the "court", claiming that they regret for their actions. (AK) A. Turkish Press [01] Turkish Petroleum awards Houston's Rowan first drill contract in Mediterranean According to Turkish daily Sabah newspaper (25.09.18, https://www.dailysabah.com/energy/2018/09/25/turkish-petroleum-awards-houstons-rowan-first-drill-contract-in-med), Turkey's oil firm Turkish Petroleum (TP) awarded Houston-based Rowan Companies a two-well contract in the Mediterranean Sea with an estimated duration of 100-140 days. The company's N-class jack-up rig Rowan Norway is expected to commence operations in late 2018. The Rowan Norway is currently warm-stacked in the U.K. sector of the North Sea. In late May, Turkey's first drilling vessel, which was named after Istanbul's conqueror Ottoman Sultan Fatih Sultan Mehmet, sailed off to the Mediterranean to start the country's first deep-sea drilling operations. () It is capable of drilling to a maximum depth of 12,000 meters. The first drilling well will reach 2,600 meters in depth. 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-deep-water drill ships. () Additionally, the company is a 50/50 partner in a joint venture with Saudi Aramco in ARO Drilling, which owns a fleet of five self-elevating jack-up rigs that operate in the Arabian Gulf. Its Class-A Ordinary Shares are traded in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). [02] Erdogan holds closed-door meetings in New York According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (25.09.18, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-president-erdogan-holds-closed-door-meetings-in-new-york-137190), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as Iranian and Japanese leaders, in New York on Sept. 24. The closed-door meeting with Guterres came a day before Erdogan's address to the General Assembly's 73rd session. The UN said Guterres "commended the excellent UN-Turkish cooperation, including in support of Turkey's hosting of more than 3.5 million refugees". "The Secretary-General and the President discussed the situation in Syria, with the Secretary-General welcoming the agreement reached on 17 September to create a demilitarized zone in Idlib," the UN said in the statement. Later, Turkish presidential sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media, said the two men confirmed their resolution to further develop close cooperation between Turkey and the UN. Erdogan and Guterres also discussed measures taken for the de-escalation zone in Idlib following a deal between Ankara and Moscow in the Russian city of Sochi as well as the political process in Syria. Some key global and regional issues were also addressed, according to the sources. Turkey and Russia also signed a memorandum of understanding on that date calling for the "stabilization" of Idlib's de-escalation zone, in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited. Under the pact, opposition groups in Idlib will remain in areas where they are already present while Russia and Turkey will carry out joint patrols in the area to head off renewed fighting. On Sept. 24, Erdogan also held closed-door meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York. The theme of this year's general assembly meetings is Making the United Nations Relevant to All People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank were also present at the meeting. Erdogan's schedule in New York runs through Sept. 26. [03] Commentary: "The biggest obstacle of solution in Cyprus is the Turkish Cypriots" Under the title "The biggest obstacle of solution in Cyprus is the Turkish Cypriots", columnist Metin Munir, writing in online-only Turkish newspaper T24 (25.09.18, http://t24.com.tr/yazarlar/metin-munir/kibrista-cozumun-en-buyuk-engeli-turklerdir,20490?utm medium=social&utm content=sharebutton), reports the following: "On Sunday, while I was sitting at my home, I got a txt message from UBP (National Unity Party) 'deputy' Ersin Tatar. Tatar was briefing me and probably thousands of others on his telephone list that the Cyprus issue could only result in an agreement with the Greek Cypriot side if they come to reason, but such condition is not seen for today. Tatar is one of the most valuable, perhaps the most valuable deputy of UBP, which is the biggest party. Tatar has rare qualities: he is well-educated and honest. He is the candidate, who is closer to be elected leader at the UBP Congress to be held next month. If I have a vote, I would have given it to him. But, unfortunately, like all other politicians on the Cyprus issue, he is parroting (repeating) the classic statements of the Turkish Cypriot side. I replied to him: 'If an agreement in Cyprus is desired, the Turkish Cypriots need to come to reason, but you cannot say this as a politician'. I want to explain you why I think like this, knowingly I cannot convince anyone. I don't claim that the Greek Cypriots are bathing in zam-zam water (Holy water). However, the Cyprus problem cannot be solved due to extreme and in some cases unreasonable demands of the Turkish Cypriot side. At the beginning of these demands, the continuation of Turkey's guarantorship, which includes the right to unilateral intervention and the Turkish army on the island to protect the Turkish Cypriots come to stay. This demand is unreasonable. Humans establish a partnership with the people they can trust. If you don't trust the Greek Cypriots, if you are worried that one night they will come suddenly and cut our throats, why do you want to enter under the roof of a joint/common state? Those days are over. The Turkish Cypriots live now in a single region and not scattered in hundreds of villages who will easily be the prey of the Greek Cypriots. They will have their own armed police force in a future federation. The roof of the European Union is an additional guarantee. And the Greek Cypriots know that if they attempt an ethnic cleansing again, their economy will collapse. Turkey in order to intervene in Cyprus needs neither the Treaty of Guarantees nor the presence of Turkish soldiers on the island. Nowadays, a state in order to intervene in another state has to be strong enough; it does not need an agreement as the guarantee agreement. The intervention of Turkey to Syria and Iraq as well as U.S.A.'s intervention to Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia are examples. If you have the power, you enter another country to protect your interests; everyone yells but no one does anything. Then, why do you insist on the guarantee agreement and on the military presence? Because, the Greek Cypriots will not approach any agreement unless the island is cleared from the Turkish guarantor and the Turkish army. And they are right. Would you be comfortable with 40 thousand Greek soldiers on your frontier? Solution for Cyprus is the demilitarization of the island. Another issue that hampers the agreement is that the Turkish side asks for veto power in all important institutions starting from the Council of Ministers. The Greek Cypriots accept this power only for the Council of Ministers and for important committees closely related to the Turks. Why is not that enough? If you have the veto power everywhere, it means that you manage the island and not together. In the world, there is not such federation model, where the minority administers the majority. I am sorry to say this, but it is the fear, the insecurity and inferiority that determine our position in the negotiations. If we go with this head, the lawlessness, lack of authority, illicitness and the corruption in the 'TRNC' which cannot manage to become a state, will finish us and not the Greek Cypriots. The path to the solution is not the demagogue and the lies, but the facts. Let's talk to them" (DPs) [04] MHP submits amnesty draft bill to Parliament According to Turkish daily Hurriyet Daily News (24.09.18, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/mhp-submits-amnesty-draft-bill-to-parliament-137163), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) submitted Sept. 24 a draft bill seeking amnesty for some prisoners to the Parliament Speaker's Office, with party officials saying a total of 162,989 prisoners would "benefit" from the amnesty. The bill encapsulates crimes committed before May 19, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. "The number of people who will benefit from the bill is 162,989," MHP deputy chair Feti Y?ld?z had said, Demiroren News Agency reported over the weekend. Crimes committed before May 19 will be subject to one-off five-year conditional reduced sentences, he added. "Crimes committed against the state, terrorism, sexual abuse, and murder will be excluded from the bill," he said. "The physical conditions in prisons are pretty insufficient. Occupancy rates are causing violation of human rights for people there. The capacity of 449 prisons is 211,274," he said. "But, as of yesterday [Sept. 21], a total of 253,535 people were recorded to be imprisoned. The health of people in prisons deteriorates and it becomes harder to live with dignity and self-respect," Y?ld?z said in their reason behind presenting the bill. The MHP has long called for granting pardons for some prisoners, mounting its calls and vowing to bring it to the country's agenda during election campaigns ahead of the June polls, which it entered in alliance with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). But the AKP at the time had said it did not have the issue on its agenda. On Sept. 23, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said their principle was to grant amnesty only to convicts who committed crimes against the state, saying crimes against individuals cannot be subject to amnesty. He said they will discuss the bill if submitted to Parliament by the MHP. [05] Cumhuriyet reporter faces investigation due to report on court's Brunson ruling According to news portal Turkish Minute (25.09.18, https://www.turkishminute.com/2018/09/25/cumhuriyet-reporter-faces-investigation-due-to-report-on-courts-brunson-ruling/), Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into the Cumhuriyet daily's court reporter, Alican Uludag, due to a report he wrote about a Turkish court's decision in July to put an American pastor under house arrest after keeping him in pre-trial detention for almost two years, according to a tweet from the Turkey branch of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF). After he was kept in pre-trial detention in an Izmir prison for almost two years on terrorism and espionage charges, US pastor Andrew Brunson was moved to house arrest in July despite expectations of the US administration for his release. Following the court's decision on Brunson, Uludag wrote an article questioning the independence of the court because the same court had ruled for the continuation of Brunson's pre-trial detention a week earlier. "Is it the judiciary or the state that both jailed and released [the pastor]?" was the headline of his story. The journalist claimed Brunson was jailed by the government and was put under house arrest by the government and not by the court. The investigation into Uludag has been initiated based on Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which concerns insulting the Turkish Republic and the state's agencies and organs. Uludag will testify to prosecutors next week, according to RSF. () TURKISH AFFAIRS SECTION (DPs/ AM) Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Cypriot Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleIn a landmark ruling yesterday, a federal district court in Montana held that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cut corners and ignored science when it rushed to remove federal protections for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The courts order restores federal protection to this celebrated and imperiled population of bears.

Following FWS 2017 decision to remove protectionswhich prioritized politics over principles enshrined in the federal Endangered Species Actthe Humane Society of the United States and other conservation organizations and Native American Tribes filed lawsuits in opposition. After a hearing on August 30, Chief Judge Dana L. Christensen issued a temporary restraining order that prohibited Wyoming and Montana from commencing the first grizzly bear trophy hunt in decades, which the states planned to open on Sept. 1.

The courts final ruling not only prohibits this years trophy hunt, but completely restores federal protections, invalidating newly adopted state rules to allow liberal killing of bears by hunters. State wildlife managers unfairly malign bears based on perceived threats to livestock, without evidence that individual bears pose an imminent threat to cattle or other animals grazing on federal or private land.

We are grateful to Judge Christensen for upholding the fundamental tenets of the Endangered Species Act and reviving essential protections for grizzly bears, said Nicholas Arrivo, staff attorney for the Humane Society of the United States, who argued the case on behalf of HSUS and the Fund for Animals. The Fish and Wildlife Service brazenly repeated the same errors that we successfully challenged when the agency tried to remove protections for wolves in the Great Lakes and we hope the agency will finally stop playing politics with our native carnivore species.

The district court ruled in favor of the HSUS and co-plaintiffs, holding that the federal government failed to consider the impacts that removing protections for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem would have on other populations of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states. The court agreed with plaintiffs that the Fish and Wildlife Services choice to rubberstamp the states dubious conservation strategy was based on a concession to the states in order to reach a deal and constituted a failure of reasoned decision making.

Grizzly bears continue to be threatened with extinction due to dwindling food resources in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, and the courts overturning of the FWS delisting rule ensures that the full force of federal resources will be devoted to the species recovery across the lower 48 states. The court held that the agency failed to logically support its conclusion that the current Greater Yellowstone population is not threatened by its isolation, a decision that the court found to be both illogical and inconsistent with the cautious approach demanded by the ESA.The Mount Greylock Regional School District Transition Committee holds its first meeting in the new middle-high school's meeting room on Thursday.

Mount Greylock Committee Hears Concerns About Disparities at Elementary Schools

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Complaints about perceived inequities between the district's two elementary schools were brought to the Mount Greylock Regional School District on Thursday evening.

Mixed in with concerns about the ongoing labor strife in the newly expanded district were several comments about disparities between Williamstown Elementary School and Lanesborough Elementary School, where, committee members were told, pupils do not have access to the same opportunities for music instruction and a currently unfilled library position is straining resources.

"When I was hired eight years ago, I was asked to get the instructional music program off the ground," Lanesborough Elementary specialist Jacqueline Vinette told the committee. "When I spoke to parents, they were overjoyed. They were glad to see our students receiving an equal opportunity for success at Mount Greylock."

The current Mount Greylock Regional School's student population reflects that success in greater participation by LES-educated students in the middle-high school's band and orchestra, Vinette said.

"A few days before the current school year started, I was informed we would not be hiring a librarian  and I would be covering time in the library," Vinette said. "My time as an instrumental teacher was cut by half."

Vinette told the committee that instrumental lesson periods were down to 20 minutes and that given the time it takes to tune instruments and settle children down for lessons, "We're lucky if we get 10 to 15 minutes of productive time.

"Williamstown still has 30 minutes per week," she said.

Lanesborough sixth-grade teacher Marsha Vinette echoed the sentiment.

"Having worked eight years at LES, I've always been outspoken about the need for [the music specialist] position," Masha Vinette said. "For me, art and music and technology can be what makes a kid want to come to school. ... It almost brings tears to my eyes to see students who struggle in the classroom standing there [at a concert] with confidence and beaming with pride.

"What are we having to fight for such programs, particularly when our sister school [WES] has them?"

Later in the meeting, Mount Greylock Superintendent Kimberley Grady sought to assure the de facto school committee that there has been no diminution of opportunities at LES.

"There have been no programs eliminated at Lanesborough Elementary," Grady said. "It's the person in the front of the room doing the program who might be different.

"They still have instruments, they still have technology. They still have art, music and gym. The programs they receive are the same and in line with what they had last year."

Grady said the district has been working to maintain programs at the school despite changes to student population.

"As one of the parents said tonight [during public comment], it's a declining enrollment, and the staffing hasn't changed at LES from when they had 390 students," Grady said.

She said Jacqueline Vinette remains a music teacher first and foremost, and Grady likened the reallocation of staff resources  like splitting time between music and library  to a decision at Mount Greylock this fall to assign a gym section to an English teacher.

As for the library position itself, the district is actively trying to fill a currently vacant slot.

"We are looking to figure out the library role as we're becoming a 1-to-1 device school," Grady said. "So library at its core would focus on PreK-second grade, and 3-6 would have a media specialist approach."

As far as the bigger picture is concerned, Grady said the entire K-12 curriculum in the district continues to be aligned in order to maximize the success of all students entering seventh grade at Mount Greylock.

"I can sit here confidently saying our alignment PreK-12 is happening, and it continues to happen with the hard work fo the women in the back of the room," Grady said, indicating WES Principal Joelle Brookner and first-year LES Principal Martha Wiley.

In other business on Thursday, the Transition Committee heard a request from Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity to allow the non-profit to host more than 160 volunteers for one week next summer.

Andrew Hogeland of Habitat explained that the group is applying to a Maryland non-profit that organizes large groups of high school students to travel to various sites on the East Coast and volunteer on projects like the one the Northern Berkshire Habitat group is organizing in Williamstown.

Hogeland said that if the group chooses Williamstown, its students would camp on the gym floor and it would be willing to compensate the district for any expenses the district incurs during the visit.

"They're willing to cook prepare their own meals in your kitchen, but if the school wants its food service person there, they will pay for them," Hogeland said.

Committee members inquired about whether the district would have any liability issues to deal with it if ended up hosting the group, and Grady said she would address that with Mount Greylock's insurance carrier and legal counsel if the volunteer group chose to come.

Hogeland asked the committee for its approval of the idea so he could finalize Northern Berkshire Habitat for Humanity's application to the Maryland group in time for its Oct. 1 deadline.

After receiving assurance that both Grady and Mount Greylock Principal Mary MacDonald were OK with the idea, the committee voted 7-0 to endorse the plan.Owner Yuki Cohen tells the board there was a miscommunication and the doorman didn't show up at work.

Methuselah's Liquor License Suspended Following Overcrowding



A team from the Hangar including the owner, the bartender on that night, the manager, and the restaurant's attorney gave their side of the story Monday afternoon. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Methuselah Bar and Lounge will be closed for the next five days after the Licensing Board issued a suspension Monday afternoon.

The board issued the suspension after the Police Department found about double the amount of people allowed by its occupancy permit inside the bar.

"This is the third overcrowding incident we've had with them on record, two with the Pittsfield Police Department and one with the ABCC," said Capt. Michael Grady.

The issue dates back to July 6 when police came upon an "extremely intoxicated man" just a few blocks away from the bar. Police allege that the man said he was drinking at Methuselah  a violation of overserving.

An officer then went to the North Street bar and began counting people but "stopped when he hit 80 and he guessed there was another 20 in the bar," Grady said.

In 2015, the establishment was cited for overcrowding by both Pittsfield Police and the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. In response, owner Yuki Cohen had the bar hire a doorman to manage the crowds.

"On the night in question, the doorman didn't show," her attorney, Dennis Egan, said.

Egan doesn't dispute Grady's allegation that there were too many people inside but he did contend the charge of overservice, saying it couldn't be proved that the man found a few blocks away was ever actually in the bar.

Beyond the overcrowding issues, the bar narrowly avoided a license suspension a year and a half or so ago when police alleged it was serving minors  particularly a minor who was ultimately shot outside of the establishment. In that case, the board agreed to stay a five-day suspension as long as Cohen donated profits during said period to a nonprofit organization.

Methuselah was unable to avoid a suspension this time, though it will only have to sit out one Friday night and won't miss a Saturday. The Licensing Board enacted the five-day suspension from Monday through Friday, Sept. 28. The bar is allowed to re-open on Saturday.

While the punishment isn't overly severe, the Fire Department's warnings sent on Monday may be even more important. Fire Inspector Lt. Randy Stein said the department can require a sprinkler system be installed once an establishment goes 50 percent over its capacity.

Stein said if there is another capacity violation of even one person, there will be at minimum a fine and at maximum an order that a new sprinkler system be installed, which could lead to the closure of the business.

"If you go over capacity by half of your capacity just once it can be ordered to be sprinklered," Stein said.

The costly installation of a sprinkler system would be the landlord's responsibility.

In other business, the Hangar of Pittsfield was given a warning after allegedly overserving a man who was later hospitalized when he crashed his vehicle and for refusing to provide video footage of the evening.

Grady said Officer Michael Schilling on June 27 responded to an accident near Pittsfield High School involving a man who had just recently turned 21. Charges of operating under the influence are being sought and officers went to the Hangar the following day to see how much he had had to drink  the man allegedly told paramedics he had 10 shots.

But managers at the Hangar refused. And now the footage is no longer available at all.

"This is the first time I've ever had an establishment tell us no," Grady said.

The bartender on that night claimed that the man had five Moscow mules in less than 90 minutes. The bartender said she had cut the man off and given him water, and then he "ran" out of the restaurant, leaving an unpaid bar tab behind.

When officers came the following day for the video, manager Rabekah Ashley Simeone said she was unsure of what to do and that someone higher in the company's management told her not to hand over the video. Now the video is missing.

Licensing Board member Richard Stockwell remembered just two years ago when the owner of Michael's Restaurant in Stockbridge faced criminal charges after deleting video of a man drinking at the restaurant who was later in a fatal crash. He said even if the Hangar didn't want to hand it over right away, it should have at least protected the video in case the courts needed to subpoena it.

"That film should have been taken out and kept someplace," Stockwell said. "When somebody tells me the film is no longer in existence, I think of the Commonwealth vs. Michaels."

Nonetheless, the board agreed that five drinks in less than 90 minutes is excessive. The charge of excessive service is being kept on file given it is the only blemish in the Hangar's record. The board is also considering creating a policy requiring restaurants and bars to hand over any video the police seek in order to keep a liquor license  Grady chimed in to say that if there is ever a criminal issue, the department wouldn't hesitate to secure a search warrant for it.The Lanesborough Board of Selectmen are asking Town Manager Kelli Robbins to talk about the service with private providers.

Lanesborough Again Seeking Interest of Private Ambulance Service

LANESBOROUGH, Mass.  The Board of Selectmen are once again looking to privatize the ambulance service.

The town had sought to help the service by hiring an emergency medical technicians to work in the Highway Department, giving the town coverage during the day because the workers could leave to take ambulance calls. The town hired two and, for a while, it was working out well.

But, one of those  Nico Amuso  just took a job elsewhere and left the town's employment. There need to be two EMTs per call, so the one on staff hasn't been able to take any calls. The squad also lost another volunteer in recent months.

The Board of Selectmen have been seeking another EMT to join the department but Town Manager Kelli Robbins said, "we haven't had anybody actually apply for the job." So the Selectmen are going to again look for a private company to handle the town's calls, at least during the daytime.

"The Fire Department is doing the best they can and they are losing help," said Selectman Henry "Hank" Sayers.

The Board of Selectmen is now asking Robbins to call around to the private companies about service. At one point, County Ambulance had put in an offer to field the town's emergency and medical calls and Chairman John Goerlach mentioned that somebody from Action Ambulance had asked about it as well.

The future of the volunteer ambulance squad has been in peril since last January. For the last few years, the service has had to dip into its reserves to account for growing operational costs, patients not paying bills, and a lack of revenue from calls being fielded.

A major concern is that the service will be needing a new ambulance and the squad doesn't have enough money set aside for that purpose. The Board of Selectmen doesn't want to make that capital purchase either.

Sayers last January reached out to County Ambulance and brought the idea of having that private company field the town's calls. That, however, outraged the Fire Department, which runs the ambulance squad and protested the closure.

The particular issue with the department is a lack of volunteers able to answer calls. The cost and hours to keep up with certifications and the time it takes for a call becomes a fairly thankless task for the volunteers. The Fire Department has found very few individuals interested in being EMTs. The state requires two EMTs per run  though there is a bill in the Legislature looking to change that  so if two volunteers aren't available when the call comes in, another squad has to respond.

The lack of volunteer EMTs isn't just a Lanesborough issue. Small towns through Western Massachusetts have been urging the passage of the bill allowing first responders who are not EMTs be able to drive an ambulance while an EMT works on the patient in the back. That is hoped to allow small services to respond to more calls and thus bring in more revenue.

The measure has faced opposition from the state Department of Public Health and even if it does pass, it may be too late for the town of Lanesborough.

In other business, Town Hall's roof is leaking, particularly around the cupola. Robbins said the cupola has been repaired a couple times but now is too rotten. The Board of Selectmen will have to decide whether to pay extra to keep it  or just repair the roof without it.

"We have someone giving a price on both things," Robbins said.

Goerlach said the cupola was taken off the roof, repaired, and resealed in the late 1980s or early 1990s. He would like to see what the difference in price is between the two options before taking a stance. Selectman Robert Ericson agreed.

"It would be good if we had a whole set of pricing on it," Ericson said.

Sayers is leaning toward kicking in the extra cash on the 100-year-old Town Hall building.

"It is an important part of the building if you ask me. I wouldn't want to see it removed. I'd rather see it repaired," Sayers said.

Also, in a joint statement read by Goerlach, the Board of Selectmen condemned a recent incident in which a racist word was written on a resident's garage.

"The town of Lanesborough is appalled that any resident of our town was targeted in such a hateful and ignorant manner," Goerlach read as part of the statement.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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Public Safety Committee members Jason LaForest, Chairman Benjamin Lamb and Joshua Moran support maintaining the 60-year-old shooting range for use by the public.

Resolution Endorsing Gun Range Goes to North Adams City Council

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The Public Safety Committee on Monday approved forwarding a resolution in favor of the continued public use of the city's shooting range to the City Council.

The draft resolution strongly urges the administration to work with the permitted users of the range to find a solution to the liability and insurance issues that prompted the decision to close public access to the facility effective Jan. 1, 2019.

"We don't have the direct yea or nay approval on this but we're hoping to make a case that this is something the administration has to review a bit more before they just make a decision to close it," said Chairman Benjamin Lamb at Monday's meeting. Lamb developed the resolution based on notes he took during the committee's several meetings about the gun range.

The resolution states the City Council, "Strongly disagrees with the proposed decision to close the range to all public use, as it would eliminate a public resource of importance to a significant portion of the North Adams community."

Mayor Thomas Bernard made the decision to close the range to all but Police Department use after being informed the city's insurer, the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, would not cover the range after learning how it was being used.

MIIA had apparently not known that the range had been in public use but agreed to continue coverage to the end of the year.

The range had been established by a sportsmen's club and was acquired along with some other parcels of land on Pattison Road in the 1960s. Some users had approached the city about the regulations and improving the condition of the range, which also brought out neighbors who cited concerns about noise and possible pollution.

The Public Safety Committee had held several meetings to discuss its operations and felt blindsided by the abrupt decision in June to close it. Councilors also questioned the cost being cited for additional insurance to cover the range.

The resolution calls for the administration to work with the permitted users to find "appropriate insurance and coordinate any needed financial action to support said insurance cost."

Committee member Jason LaForest said the quotes they had been provided at the last meeting by an insurance agent was "not significant in terms of cost" and thought it could be included in the budget. He was concerned about one clause in the resolution that refers to the permitted users being willing to support it financially.

"I don't the users should necessarily be responsible for the cost of procuring insurance for the gun range ... if it's $700, $1,000, I think the city should just pay it, frankly," LaForest said. "We have a budget of $42 million. Adding $700 to cover a rider for the gun range seems, to me, reasonable."

Lamb said he'd put that clause in because the council cannot add to the budget. "They're going to have to work together to get there," he said.

The resolution also references the 2nd Amendment right of citizens to bear arms and states the range provides a safe venue for practice shooting and sighting of guns that might otherwise have to happen in other wooded or public spaces. The range's users, it states, "have proven to be safe, conscientious, and caring gun owners and users" who have contributed "their own time and energy to keep the range as nice as possible."

The committee reviewed the language in the resolution and made several changes, replacing "members" in several places with "permitted gate keyholders" to avoid portraying the range's users as part of a club. Gun-range users are required to pay for a yearly permit through the Police Department and are given a key allowing them to enter through the locked gate. There had been concern over the number of keys and duplicates that might be floating around but the Police Department has begun switching out the lock, requiring users to apply to get a new key.

The city currently has 82 permitted keyholders, an increase from about 60 at the beginning of the year. Lamb wasn't sure if the new permits had been issued after the publicized discussions about the range or after the mayor's announcement it would close.

Although the amended resolution is on the agenda for Tuesday's City Council meeting, it is expected to be postponed until October.The project has been 10 years in the making. Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash. Lt. Gov. Polito. BIC Chairman Stephen Boyd. State Sen. Adam Hinds. Shawna Axenroth. PreviousNext

Ground Broken For Berkshire Innovation Center



Gov. Charlie Baker helped break ground on the $13.7 million project. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Shawna Axenroth and her daughter go hiking in the scenic Berkshire Hills and talk about the environment. They run science experiments in their kitchen. And they are both looking to pursue scientific careers.

Axenroth is at Berkshire Community College and her daughter is just starting the first year of high school. They both want to live and work fruitful careers in the science field in their hometown.

But the way it has been going in the region, there hasn't been much reason to be optimistic about that prospect. The population has been declining, particularly with the younger generation, and educational attainment and incomes have been trailing. The general feeling for years has been that one has to leave the area to find a successful career.

But Axenroth now has a little bit of hope. On Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Baker headlined the groundbreaking of the Berkshire Innovation Center  a $13.7 million project eyed to be the key connection between science education and science jobs in the area. It's considered an important piece of growing the area's life sciences and advanced manufacturing fields.

"It is nice to know that we can both stay here, in a place we love, and also have great STEM careers. Growing up in Western Mass makes it hard to imagine living anywhere else, especially this time of year," Axenroth said.

The 20,000 square-foot center at the William Stanley Business Park has been a decade in the making and brings together businesses and educational institutions with cutting-edge technology.

"We view this as a tremendous opportunity for region, not just for Pittsfield, to create a game-changing, think-tank, accelerator, incubator, place where smart people go to trade big ideas with people who have been there and done that and find investors and other sponsors to do really great things," Baker said.

Member businesses will be able to use the equipment to research and develop new products to take to market and schools will have a direct connection between what skills companies need their employees to have and the training offered by the schools.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said 40 percent of the state's workforce is connected to the innovation economy and that schools and communities have a "responsibility" to train the workforce for those jobs.

"A measure of success is when the next generation is graduating from schools here, from high school, from Berkshire Community College or MCLA, or any school in the area, stays here, stays here because the opportunity is here," Polito said.

The nonprofit Berkshire Innovation Center Inc. was formed a few years ago and the member businesses and educational organizations pay a fee to be part of it. It has already launched various training seminars and lectures available for members and has purchased equipment for their use.

But, for the last few years, it has lacked a home.

There had been a 2008 state earmark of $6.5 million for what was seen as an incubator building and Rod Jane of New England Expansion Strategies was hired to head the project. But the incubator concept didn't seem to really fit in the Berkshires. Instead, he helped craft a plan that would focus on small and medium-sized businesses, helping them grow by tapping into new markets, and bringing in educational institutions for the workforce development piece.

It was too expensive. The Berkshire Innovation Center was formed and companies and education groups were all on board. But the bids came in too high. Despite the project being scaled down and the earmark being scaled up to $9.7 million, the ends couldn't meet and the project started collecting dust.

There was a $3 million funding gap.

Mayor Linda Tyer took over the project at that point, becoming the third mayor to work on it. Baker, who inherited the project from Gov. Deval Patrick, said it never fell off the radar, it was just a matter of turning that concept into a realistic program. The administration pushed on local officials to more fully develop the educational piece.

"Our goal was always to take this high concept, 40,000-feet thing, and turn it into a program that we could make a big investment in," Baker said.

The administration, through MassDevelopment and Mass LifeSciences, raised the earmark in March when it hit that point at which the state felt confident. The city raised its share and the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority did the same. In the end, the $13.7 million project had all of the funding mechanisms in place and enough operational cash to fund the non-profit.

"Ten years. That seems to be the magic number of years for the city of Pittsfield. Ten years ago Pittsfield began planning for a new high school and this September the very first class of students walked through the front doors of our cutting-edge career technical high school," Tyer said.

The ground was broken on Tuesday and the path for students like Axenroth and her daughter is being realized. Tyer and others see the center combined with the new Taconic High School as major pieces in providing the pipeline of skilled workers to the local tech and life science companies.



Mayor Linda Tyer said the center will couple well with the new Taconic High School that opened earlier this month. "This is a great opportunity for all of us to be able to promote innovation around life sciences, around advanced manufacturing, and most importantly around workers, especially our younger workers," Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash said.

While state and local officials clapped each other on the back and praised each other's work on the project, Pittsfield High School senior Trista Dearstyne was taken aback that everybody in the crowded tent had come together not for individual reasons but for a collective goal of ensuring the Berkshires' economic future.

"It is comforting to know that I won't have to move to Boston or New York to receive the training I need to get the job that I want. I will be able to explore the STEM field in a world-class facility while still being able to stay in my hometown of Pittsfield," Dearstyne said.

"The Berkshire Innovation Center is an investment the Berkshires need in order to keep future generations who are interested in STEM connected with opportunities to stay in the Berkshires and secure their future."

BIC Chairman Stephen Boyd also took a regional look at it saying the building's "form and function will be a beacon of aspiration and a hub for collective wisdom" that will make a huge impact on the regional economy.

"We owe it to ourselves to lean in, to recognize we have a spot on the dance floor, and it is time to move our feet. I believe deeply and passionately that the BIC is a key to the innovation ecosystem we seek," Boyd said.

It may have taken a decade but so did Taconic High School, said state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, who inherited the project from her predecessor, Chris Speranzo, but the region's "persistence" made both projects come together.

State Sen. Adam Hinds, who inherited the project from Benjamin Downing, has his sights now on 2020.

"By 2020, we are going to have every single town in Berkshire County with high-speed internet  no small part due to the lieutenant governor. By 2020, we are going to have a pilot service for a train from New York City to Pittsfield thanks to the Department of Transportation. And by 2020, the Berkshire Innovation Center is going to be open," Hinds said.

"We are hitting critical milestones in each step to make sure we are doing well in transitioning from a GE economy to a modern economy."



iciHaiti - Delmas : Distribution of furniture and school kits





On September 20, the Deputy Mayor of Delmas, Mrs. Rose Trinita Louis on behalf of the Municipal Council headed by Mayor Wilson Jeudy, distributed school benches, chairs for teachers and school kits to the students of the municipal schools Pierre Labitrie and Pierre Maurice.



Distributed supplies are needed and each kit is adapted to the student's grade level.



This initiative is in line with a series of Mayor Jeudy's activities during the school year. This distribution of school kits aims to relieve parents and support other arrangements already made to accompany children such as : school canteen and others.



Comments from parents, students and teachers point out that this distribution of school kits will greatly improve children's performance, as they now have the equipment they need to work. In addition, this distribution prompted several parents who had difficulty acquiring school supplies, top registering their children at Delmas communal schools.



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iciHaiti - Tourism : Summit Meeting on the Heritage Preservation Project





Friday, Marie-Christine Stephenson the Minister of Tourism, Jean-Michel Lapin the Minister of Culture, Patrick Durandis the Director General of the National Heritage Preservation Institute (ISPAN), the Consultant Patrick Delatour, Isnel Pierreval the Adviser to the President of the Republic met with representatives of the World Bank about the prospects on the Heritage Preservation and Tourism Sector Support Project (PAST).



The strengthening of the National Historic Park Management Committee, institutional strengthening of the Regional Directorate of Northern Tourism, restructuring of the inter-ministerial commission and a mission of evaluation and supervision of the World Bank on the project were the main elements addressed in this meeting.



The North Destination Management Organization (OGDNH) and the Ministries of Culture and Tourism intend to make every effort on the threshold of the celebration of the bicentenary of the creation of the citadel and the 350 years of the city of Cap baptized Cap 2020.



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Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, has accused her own Aide De Camp, Sani Baba-Inna, of defrauding her and has ordered his arrest. According to Premium Times, Baba-Inna, a chief superintendent of police, was accused of receiving huge donations from politicians and business people on her behalf and then kept the cash to himself.

As a result, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has been ordered by the wife of Buhari to arrest and compel Mr. Baba-Inna to refund the money, put at over N2.5billion.

However, Premium Times reports that Baba-Inna, who was arrested Friday and has remained in detention ever since, with relatives having no access to him, family members , strongly denied the accusation.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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President Muhammadu Buharis wife, Aisha, according to recent reports ordered the arrest of her own Aide De Camp, Sani Baba-Inna for allegedly defrauding her of N2.5b.

Aisha was said to have asked the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim to drill her ADC, a chief superintendent of police, whom she accused of pocketing huge donations from politicians and business people, he received on her behalf.

The report has since sparked an online debate, as many Nigerians are calling out Mrs Buhari for claiming to fight corruption yet has assess tpbsuch amount.

see reactions below

Aisha Buhari was probably saving her money to buy her Presidential form and the ADC stole it.If you check the clues somebody didn't have the money to buy his own form.. Now lift off the mask from the ADC!

And I would have gotten away with it if not for these meddling kids" pic.twitter.com/OLMYWgTPHp  Imoh (@ImohUmoren) September 25, 2018

Wife of your Mr Integrity President, Aisha Buhari got over N2.5bn DONATIONS? From who?

Ole GBE, ole GBA Thief don thief from thief.  Lere Olayinka  Aresa 1 (@OlayinkaLere) September 25, 2018

Aisha Buhari and her aide are dragging 2.5 billion but some of you contributed your peanuts to buy nomination form for Buhari so that he can continue to ruin our economy while his family accumulate wealth. Una mumu never do.  Maybeks (@MayUbeku) September 25, 2018

https://twitter.com/TWEETORACLE/status/1044602192081104897?s=19

https://twitter.com/SKSolaKuti/status/1044557068768878593?s=19

https://twitter.com/YemieFASH/status/1044593486606061569?s=19

The All Progressives Congress(APC) as rescheduled its presidential primary to September 28  This, according to the ruling party is to avoid a clash in dates with the Osun governorship rerun election.

In a statement signed by Yekini Nabena, acting National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, the Osun State Governorship rerun election which has been scheduled for Thursday, September 27th, 2018, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) has now rescheduled the presidential primary election to Friday, September 28th, 2018.

The APC says is to enable registered Party members in all 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participate in the exercise.President Muhammadu Buhari is currently in New York to participate in the 73rd United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) .

Theme for this years Session is: Making the United Nations relevant to all People: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies.

According to presidency, the highpoint of Buharis participation will be his address to the General Assembly on the opening day of the General Debate, today.

The presidency noted that Buharis address will reaffirm Nigerias commitment to international peace and stability.

Speaking via twitter on Tuesday, the presidency also stated that Buharis address will further affirm it is full commitment to empowerment, denuclearisation, fight against corruption and illicit assets.A Twitter user identified as Director Flo (@amflomotion), has taken to the social networking platform to reveal a letter written by a female student to her teacher who is a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in her school.

According to the letter, the young girl identified as Aisha, says she is deeply in love with her corps member teacher and is ready to do anything to prove her love to him.

Aisha further disclosed that she knows her teacher does not have a girlfriend because he doesnt talk about her in class but she is promising to be a good lover to him.

Flo posted a screenshot of the letter and wrote;

Isnt this the beginning of trouble for corper Jide? He is a corps member currently serving in Kaduna. I dont even know what to say.

Read the letter in full below:

Corper Jide, you might be thinking I am too small for you but I know I love you very much. I have liked you since the very first time you introduced yourself in our class. Anytime I look at you, I feel very happy and I know you are nice, you dont flog.

I love you very much and I will do anything to show you how much I love you. I know you dont have a girlfriend because you dont talk about her. So I want to be your girlfriend and promise to always be there for you whenever you need me, I am not too small and I know what love means that is why I have written this letter.

I cant stop thinking about you, I always want to be around you. How you joke and play with us in class makes me like very much. I know I am beautiful and I know I am also very neat. I love you so much and I will do anything to prove it.

Please reply. Abubakar Aisha.Jeremy D. Morley concentrates on International Family Law. The firm works with clients around the world from its New York office, with a global network of local counsel. Mr Morley is the author of "International Family Law Practice", the leading treatise on international family law in the U.S., and "The Hague Abduction Convention", published by the American Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a former law professor.From an annual service project to the first-ever student organization showdown, another Business Week has come to a close.

"We are very pleased with the results, engagement and overall attendance, said David Spalding, Raisbeck endowed Dean of Iowa State's Ivy College of Business.

Casey Cunningham, president of the Business Council and a student representative for Business Week, agreed.

Business Week went super well. We had a lot of involvement with students and student organizations, Cunningham said.

For the last four years, Business Week has included a service project, with this year's being Meals from the Heartland," a non-profit organization that distributes packaged meals to orphanages and schools around the world.

Out of all the activities during business week, Spalding said this service project was his favorite this year. Faculty and students packed 20,000 meals within a span of three hours on Thursday.

However, Cunningham said his favorite event this year was the student organization showdown.

It was exciting to watch clubs compete against each other. The event had a fun and high energy atmosphere the entire time.

Business Week also leads into the Business, Industry and Technology Career Fair.

This year the career fair is on Wednesday, Sept. 26 from noon to 5 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.

+5 College of Business: Students compete in 'Student Organization Showdown' Ten clubs from Iowa States College of Business gathered in the Memorial Union on Thursday n

These two events are strategically placed together, Spalding said.

We do Business Week around the career fair to help students prepare for the career fair and to provide higher visibility to the career fair, Spalding said.

+5 College of Business: Students compete in 'Student Organization Showdown' Ten clubs from Iowa States College of Business gathered in the Memorial Union on Thursday n

Most every event during Business Week is sponsored by companies that attend the career fair, and the CEO speaker series is another tool for students that was provided during Business Week.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.A mugshot of Collin Daniel Richards from his Sept. 17 arrest for the murder of ISU student Celia Barquin Arozamena. Richards is being held without bond at the Story County Jail.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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When Apple debuted Face ID with the iPhone X in 2017, it claimed it was even more secure than Touch ID. While this might be true, the biggest issues with Face ID are that it is slower than Touch ID and despite being more secure, it could be easily bypassed by ones identical twin brother or sister.

For the 2018 iPhone XS series, Apple has only made claims of Face ID being faster than ever and that it is still more secure than Touch ID. Yet again though, as tests conducted by twin brothers running the LifeofTwinz YouTube channel show, Face ID on the iPhone XS still unlocks if one identical brother registers their face and another tries to unlock the phone.

Face ID was also fooled when one identical twin tried opening the iPhone XS Max with a beard. That seemed to have made little to no impact as Face ID still unlocked the device. In the third test, the identical twins wore a hat and then tried to open the same iPhone XS Max. And once again, they were able to do so successfully.

To Apple and Face IDs credit though, the company had said last year that identical twins might be able to bypass Face ID. Plus, the identical twins in the video really do look identical so Face ID getting confused between them should be forgiven.

How has your experience with Face ID been so far on the iPhone X or iPhone XS? What are the areas where you think Apple can further improve it? Drop a comment and let us know!iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- President Donald Trump is preparing for his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, he said on Monday while meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.



While critics have warned against holding another meeting when North Korea has taken no meaningful steps toward dismantling its nuclear arsenal, Trump had nothing but praise for Kim, and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the potential sit-down as something of "enormous value" but only "if we can continue to make progress and have conversations."



Trump said that the meeting would happen "in the not too distant future," not in Singapore but a "location to be determined." He added that Kim had shown "tremendous enthusiasm ... toward making a deal" and praised their relationship as "very good. In fact, in some ways it's extraordinary."



"We are in no rush. There's no hurry. ... We've made more progress than anybody's made ever, frankly, with regard to North Korea," he added.



But that kind of talk has negatively impacted the push to have North Korea denuclearize, according to diplomats and experts. By praising Kim and saying there is no rush while North Korea has taken no concrete steps to dismantle its nuclear-weapons program, he takes the pressure off North Korea.



That's why the North Koreans "want to go right to President Trump," according to Michael Green, senior director for Asia on George W. Bush's National Security Council, "because they want to try to get big symbolic agreements like a peace declaration without any details on dismantling nuclear weapons."



Green, now a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, added that the regime wants to skip meetings with Pompeo the U.S. would prefer to have first.



Still, Pompeo said Monday he will head to Pyongyang soon for those conversations, which need to happen to see if the two sides are to be on the same page, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told ABC News on Sunday.



"When the president meets with North Koreans," she said, "that's in itself a bonus ... so until we find out a little bit more, the president won't be meeting with them."



Pompeo declined to give details on when he would travel beyond, "Lord willing, I will be traveling before the end of the year."



To prepare for that trip, Pompeo offered to meet with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho this week at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, but the North Koreans have still not accepted that meeting.



Still, Kim remains committed to denuclearization, according to Moon, who said he would debrief Trump on his own meetings with the North Korean dictator just last week.



"North Korea's decision to relinquish its nuclear program has been officialized to a degree that not even those within North Korea can reverse," he added.



But talks have been stuck in a deadlock over the sequencing, with the U.S. insistent that it will make no more concessions until North Korea denuclearizes -- although it's unclear how far along that process it will have to be before the U.S. responds. North Korea wants some actions, like signing a declaration to formally end the Korean War, first.



Pompeo muddied those waters on Sunday, implying that a declaration may not be a concession and that the U.S. would agree to one: "Everybody's got their own idea of what a concession might be," he told Fox News.



What was a concession, he made clear Monday, and one the U.S. won't make, is sanctions relief.



But experts have warned against a peace declaration for the potential "domino effect" it could have, leading to "prematurely signing a peace treaty, reducing U.S. deterrence and defense capabilities, and abrogating the mutual defense treaty" between the U.S. and South Korea, according to Bruce Klingner, former CIA deputy division chief for Korea and now a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation.



Klingner has warned that Kim's flattery of Trump and Trump's appreciation of it are getting in the way of the need for real progress.



But Moon continued to pour on that adulation during his meeting with Trump, telling him, according to a translator, "Chairman Kim also repeatedly conveyed his unwavering trust and expectations for you, while expressing his hope to meet you soon to swiftly complete a denuclearization process with you because you are indeed the only person who can solve this problem."



Moon's meetings in Pyongyang last week resulted in a joint declaration that he and Kim signed, committing to shutting down a missile-engine test site with inspectors present and offering to take other steps towards denuclearization, such as shutting down its main nuclear site at Yongbyon, but only if the U.S. takes "corresponding measures."



It was enough to revive this peace process, but much less than the North Koreans have committed to in previous negotiations. It's also still unclear what corresponding measures the U.S. would be willing to take.



"The North Koreans have agreed to shut down, with inspectors, these two old facilities that we can see from satellite, but have not put on the table the most dangerous weapons they're developing, which were the cause of this crisis in the first place," said Green, comparing it to finally offering to sell the U.S. their Dodge Dart and Ford pickup after 30 years, now on cinder blocks, and still at a high price -- while hiding a Lexus and BMW in the garage.



The question becomes, should Pompeo and his team pursue that "sale" to keep talks alive, or do they stay focused on their original ask?



The U.S. has been asking North Korea to provide detailed information about its nuclear arsenal and facilities, but the North has refused to even discuss it, multiple sources told ABC News.



After Pompeo's last visit to Pyongyang in July, North Korea released a blistering statement about the U.S.'s "gangster-like demands," but a top North Korean official wrote later in its state newspaper that it was the U.S. team's demands on "suspect North Korea's secret nuclear facilities, a fiction" that really "derailed dialogue."



The following month, as Pompeo prepared to return to North Korea for more talks, the U.S. received a letter that warned the American team not to get on a plane if the delegation again would not stop with its "gangster-like demands." Trump canceled Pompeo's trip the next day.



But now, even though little seems to have changed in each side's position, the administration is moving full-steam ahead with plans for two meetings -- Pompeo's in Pyongyang and Trump's with Kim.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.She was still in her early teens when she came face to face with her possible other self. Egyptian-Armenian born Nairy Hampikian was waiting at the gates of the Ramses College for Girls (RCG) in Ghamra, Cairo to hear the teacher call out her name to get on the school bus that would take her to her parents house in Heliopolis, but her name was not called.

I thought they had forgotten me, so I went to the teacher to enquire. She told me that she had called my name. You are Naira Harras Karkar, she said. You can get on the bus.

Up until this point, Hampikian had lived secluded in the Egyptian-Armenian community in the multi-ethnic suburb of Heliopolis. Born as a third-generation Egyptian-Armenian to a family whose ancestors had escaped the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire for the safety of Egypt, Hampikian had long been accustomed to moving strictly within the large Egyptian-Armenian community in Heliopolis.

Like her sister Anais and other boys and girls from her community, she attended the Nubarian Armenian School in Heliopolis before moving to the RCG.

For the first 14 years of her life, she did not think of herself as being Harras Karkar, a typically Upper Egyptian family name, but always as Hampikian.

Perhaps until that point she was more Armenian than Egyptian.

Like other families in the Armenian diaspora, the Hampikians, especially Nairys father, wanted to make sure that their children did not lose their identity.

When my father would take me around the Egyptian Museum as part of the many cultural activities he liked to observe, he would not read from any of the many guides written in Arabic, English or French, but instead would read from the pieces that an Armenian historian had collected in a small book on the subject, she recalls.

Until she joined the Architecture Department of Ain Shams University in Cairo in the early 1970s, Hampikian was very much a reflection of her first name, Nairy, an Armenian name found in an excavated Mesopotamia manuscript discovered in 1956, the year in which I was born, she says.

However, once at university, Hampikian decided that she would not accept any remarks suggesting that she was less Egyptian than others in her year because of her Armenian origins.

I had broken out of the bubble, and I thought to myself that I was not just third-generation Egyptian-Armenian but also third-generation Cairene. Some of my classmates, on the other hand, had only come to Cairo from the Delta or Upper Egypt to attend the university very recently, she remembers.

Having put her foot down and insisted that she was no less Egyptian than the people around her, Hampikian then decided to explore the whole of Egypt with her friends.

In a small, two-door Seat car, she drove to historical sites across the country, and it was perhaps during these excursions that Hampikian further developed the affinity for archaeology that her father had first instilled in her.

After her graduation from Ain Shams University, Hampikian was ready to examine the Armenian part of herself more closely. She went to the Armenian capital Yerevan to do her Masters degree in the early 1980s when Armenia was still part of the former Soviet sphere.

It was perhaps Soviet rule that made the Armenians feel so very Armenian at that time in a way that was maybe more intense than it is today, now that the country is no longer under Soviet control, she recalls.

For close to three years, Hampikian lived her Armenian life to the full. She was not only surrounded by Armenians in the streets of the capital, but the dorms of the University were also full of Armenians from the diaspora who had come to Yerevan from all over the world.

However, though she felt very Armenian during these years, Hampikian was not giving up on her other Egyptian identity. When I decided to do a national dish in Yerevan, it was obviously molokhiya, she says, laughing. She sips her coffee. Call it Armenian coffee not Turkish coffee, she laughs.

Back in Egypt, with a degree in Armenian architecture, Hampikian tended to view her fellow Egyptian-Armenians as lesser Armenians.

I thought that they were not Armenian enough, she says. She then started her career as a restoration architect and conservator working with leading foreign missions, later opting for further postgraduate studies in Islamic history and architecture.

A few years down the road when she was working on a restoration job in Islamic Cairo in the early 1990s, she stopped in front of a store bearing the family name Karkar, and she started to debate who she was once again.

I thought to myself that I was enriched by two equal identities that I belonged to equally and in no uncertain terms, she comments.

She was working on all types of restoration projects at the time, Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic and of course Armenian, with Italian, German and Egyptian supervisors and mentors, before earning a PhD in archaeology from UCLA in the US.

When I was doing my application to go to UCLA, I thought I would do a PhD in architecture, but in the end it was in archaeology, and I became as much an archaeologist as an architect, just like I am both Armenian and Egyptian at the same time, Hampikian says.

As both an Egyptian and an Armenian and as both an architect and an archaeologist, Hampikian was heartbroken to see the demolition of the old Kalousdian Armenian School recently, whose students have been sent off to Heliopolis to what is now the Kalousdian-Nubarian Armenian School.

This was not just an Armenian piece of architecture that was lost. This was the loss of a piece of Cairo architecture that was used as a school for boys and girls who were Egyptian-Armenians.

This is not the only loss I lament in the destruction of the Maspero Triangle, however. These buildings could have been kept, and there could have been development around them, she says with a sigh, referring to the development that is taking place in the area around Maspero in downtown Cairo.

To avoid further losses, Hampikian is now working on the documentation of property owned by the Armenian Patriarchate overlooking Ramses Street in the downtown area. I helped restore this building, and I am currently doing the paperwork to have this building, put up in 1920, added to the list of registered monuments, she says.

Hampikian strongly believes that the countrys heritage should be conserved. Ownership doesnt matter. Property rights should not give the right to destroy heritage.

The heritage belongs to the nation and to humanity as a whole, she comments as someone, an Egyptian-Armenian, who had been working on the preservation and documentation of Egypts architectural heritage for over a quarter of a century.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 September 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: A for Armenian

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The long and winding road leads to Penny Lane Bobby Entel didnt watch the Beatles Feb. 9, 1964 performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was 7 years old at the time and in bed. He never saw them in person. He was 11 when they recorded their rooftop album on Jan. 30, 1969, their last time together. He...

Shoppers calling out retailers Hanukkah miscues Deck the halls with matzo balls? Hanukkah menorahs with 12 candles? Products with misfired Hanukkah messages have drawn gripes for years, but this year major retailers are responding quickly to customer complaints about inappropriate Hanukkah products. Theres even an Instagram account, Hanukkah Fails, dedicated to pointing out culturally inappropriate items....

Florida sanctions Ben & Jerrys parent company (JTA)  Florida state entities ceased new investments in Unilever, Ben & Jerrys parent company, as of Tuesday, Oct. 26 because the ice cream maker plans to stop selling its product in the West Bank. Gov. Ron DeSantis in July called on the state Board of Administration to place Unilever...

New York State bans hate symbols on public property New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Tuesday, Nov. 2, that bans the selling or displaying of hate symbols on public property and taxpayer-funded equipment. State Sen. Anna M. Kaplan and Assembly member Michaelle Solages, both of Long Island, introduced the legislation after an incident last year in which a...Apkar-Vahram Proudian is slowly walking down Ramses Street from the Armenian Patriarchate on his way home a few blocks away.

It is a pleasant Friday morning in central Cairo.

He had attended the Friday morning mass along with a dozen or so other people, returning to the house where he and his wife Sonia Sandaljian-Proudian have been living since they were married back in 1955.

He slowly opens the door to greet Sona, as he calls her. She joins him for coffee  never call it Turkish coffee in a good Armenian household and certainly not in the house of a man whose hyphenated name is there as a reminder of paternal and maternal uncles who were killed as children in different contexts by the Ottomans and Ottoman sympathisers during the Armenian Genocide in the early 20th century.

The Proudians drink their coffee and refreshing lemonade and eat cakes at a table adjacent to a window overlooking Ramses Street. This was once called Abbas Street. Then it was named after Queen Nazli, and then it was called Nahdet Misr.

For the last few decades it has been Ramses Street. I dont think the name will change again, muses Apkar-Vahram.

Both the Proudians have many memories of the way life has looked from their living and dining room windows over the past six decades. They remember the area turning from a generally residential one to an area full of office buildings.

They also recall the construction of the 6 October flyover and of the first line of the Cairo Underground.

It has been a lifetime for us in this apartment. So much has happened, and so much more has changed, Sonia says.

The past 65 years make up some two-thirds of the life of Apkar-Vahram, who was born in 1920 in Gammaliya in Cairo to a family of second-generation Egyptian-Armenians.

His paternal grandfather had come to Egypt in the early decades of the 19th century long before the Armenian Genocide carried out by the Ottomans against the Armenians starting in 1896.

Like many Armenians at the time, the first Proudian to come to Egypt worked in the tobacco industry.

It was not to Cairo that they came. It was to Zagazig in the Delta, where my grandfather worked for the Gamsaragan Company, he recalls.

His maternal grandfather, however, came to Cairo during the years of the genocide. He too worked at a tobacco concern, this time in downtown Cairo. It was next to the Hotel Victoria, the famous Melkonian Company, Apkar-Vahram says.

Shortly after the beginning of World War I, Hovagim and Vartevar, the father and mother of Apkar-Vahram, met and got married in Heliopolis where Hovagim was working with the company then building this Cairo suburb.

A few years down the road, they moved closer to the heart of the city where they had children, of which Apkar-Vahram is the only surviving member.

Like the vast majority of the Egyptian-Armenians of his generation Apkar-Vahram attended the Kalousdian School in Cairo, after which he went to the Lycee Liberte in Heliopolis.

On graduation, he started his career at a contractor agency in Bab Al-Louq. He then moved to work in the offices of the Swiss restaurant and tea-room Groppi.

A few years after that, he took up a teaching job at the Kalousdian School, and it was there that this teacher of French and mathematics first set eyes on Sonia.

Typical of many in the Armenian diaspora, Sonias parents had come to Egypt after the genocide began in the late 19th century. She was born in 1932 in Alexandria.

My parents were living in Alexandria when they met. My father was working for the British army at the time, and by the early 1940s, in the middle of World War II, he moved to Cairo. I also moved from the Melkonian School, founded by tobacco-dealers, to the Kalousdian School, she says.

Sitting next to each other in their Cairo living room, the Proudians share recollections of their early outings. They speak of attending grand performances at the old Cairo Opera House and lament its destruction.

They recall cinema evenings downtown and strolls through the streets. They talk of the delicious desserts once available at Groppis tearooms. They nod their heads at the recollection of a growing affinity that turned into a love story, eventually seeing them as bride and groom in the aisle of an adjacent church.

Apkar-Vahram moves from the table to go through some photograph albums he keeps in two big cupboards. He is digging around for an original of their wedding photograph taken by Antro, one of the many Armenian photographers working in Cairo from the 1930s to 1960s, whose studio still overlooks Suleiman Pasha (now Talaat Harb) Street next to the Cinema Metro.

These photograph albums go back to my early years as a child. They have so much of my life in them: my youth, my parents, my children and my grandchildren  a whole lifetime of photographs and so many documents, he says.

Having failed to dig out the picture, Apkar-Vahram then takes a framed photograph off the wall of the living room. He points to the black-and-white picture of his wedding in the middle and the colour photographs of his son Vazkan, born in Cairo in 1958 and now living in Brazil, and his daughter Anie, born in 1961 and now living in Switzerland.

They also studied at the Kalousdian School before my son joined the Faculty of Architecture and my daughter joined the American University in Cairo.

We were very happy to have brought them up in Egypt where it was easy to provide them with a good life. We did not want to leave Egypt for Canada or the US as many friends did in the second half of the 1960s. We wanted to be here with our elderly parents, and we felt that we belonged here in Egypt, Sonia said.

In 1951, Apkar-Vahram received his Egyptian nationality. He had a job at one of the European airlines in Cairo, and life was going well, he says.

We had friends who were leaving for North America and Australia in the 1960s and 1970s, and we also had friends who were moving back to Armenia after the fall of the former Soviet Union in the early 1990s. But we had no wish to leave Egypt, Apkar-Vahram said.

The Proudians made several trips to Armenia, however  the land of their ancestors and their home apart from their diaspora home in Egypt.

Even so, they did not wish to leave for good. Our life has been here, not elsewhere, Apkar-Vahram says, as he puts his hands on some more photograph albums.

Sonia nods, adding that we have seen history unfold before our eyes. We saw World War II and then the 1948 War, after which many of Egypts Jews started to leave. We were in Alexandria visiting my aunt when we woke up one morning to find that 1952 Revolution announced on the radio.

We saw king Farouk leave and then Gamal Abdel-Nasser arrive. We saw the wars of 1956, 1967 and 1973, and we saw the end of the Cold War. Through all of this we were here in Egypt  learning, bringing up our family, living and feeling that we were Egyptian-Armenians, she says.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 September 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: The Proudians  a life in photographs

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed to US President Donald Trump the importance of continued joint Egyptian-American cooperation to eradicate terrorism during their meeting in New York Monday on the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

In an official statement, Egyptian Presidency Spokesman Bassam Rady said the US President praised Egypts successful efforts in firmly confronting the dangers of terrorism, and added the country is both at the forefront in the fight against terrorism and a central partner in this war.

El-Sisi said both countries should continue cooperating to prevent terrorists groups from gaining access to funding, weapons and members.

Well, I want to thank you, and I want to congratulate you on doing an outstanding job with respect to terrorism. I know youre working very hard on that. Its not easy. And youre at the forefront. But youve done an outstanding job, and I just want to congratulate you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Trump told El-Sisi according to a White House statement.

Trump stressed to El-Sisi that his country will work with Egypt in eliminating terrorism, saying we will go all the way, according to the briefing.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral cooperation between Egypt and the US in the economic front, as well as means to increase investments by American companies in Egypt in light of Cairo's ongoing economic reform program.

Trump praised the successful steps El-Sisi has undertaken to reform the Egyptian economy and increase its competitiveness, expressing his wish to increase the size of trade exchange between the two countries and boost joint investments.

Egypt is the second largest recipient of US economic and military aid.

Trade exchange between Egypt and the United States has risen by 29.2% to reach $3.8 billion in the first seven months of 2018 from $2.96 billion for the same period last year, according to statements by Egypts trade minister last September.

El-Sisi and Trump also discussed a number of regional issues including the conditions in Libya, Syria, Yemen, as well as the Palestinian issue and ways to revive the peace process.

The Egyptian President affirmed Egypts steady stance towards the Palestinian cause, stressing the importance of reaching a fair and comprehensive solution which guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of their independent state within the framework of international accords.

El-Sisi expressed Egypts keeness to cooperate with the US on revitalizing the Palestinian-Israeli negotiation process, and shared with Trump Egypts efforts in accomplishing Palestinian-Palestinian reconciliation as a main step to resume negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

Shortly after the meeting, the two Presidents sent out messages on their official social media accounts, expressing happiness over the meetings.

Its an honor for me to meet a great personality like President Donald Trump, who has brought about unique changes in the policies of the US on a world scale, El-Sisi said on his Facebook account.

Meanwhile, Trump described the meeting also as an honour.'

It was my great honour to welcome President @AlsisiOfficial of Egypt to the United States this afternoon, in New York City. Great meetings! #UNGA, Trump posted on his Twitter account.

Mondays meeting was the first meeting between both leaders since Sisi won a second presidential term last April. However, it was the fifth meeting between the two presidents since both presidents took office.

The last meeting between Sisi and Trump took place in September 2017 in New York, when the Egyptian leader was attending the 72nd session of the UNGA.

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Egypts irrigation and water resources minister flew to Ethiopia on Tuesday to participate in a tripartite meeting with his Sudanese and Ethiopian counterparts, where they will resume negotiations on the technical issues surrounding the construction of the Grand Renaissance Ethiopian Dam (GERD).

In an official statement, Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Ati said that Egypt's participation in the meeting is to advance joint studies  in accordance with the agenda of the Tripartite Commission of experts  to determine the impact of the dam on Egypt's share of the Nile.

Addis Ababa maintains that its $4 billion hydroelectric project will help with Ethiopia's development and will not reduce Egypts share of the river's water.

According to Egyptian irrigation ministry spokesman Yosri Khafaga, Egypt seeks to preserve its water rights, as well as respect Sudanese and Ethiopian developmental goals as detailed in the Declaration of Principles signed by the leaders of the three countries in March 2015.

Last August, Egypts Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and the Chief of Intelligence Abbas Kamel met with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, where they agreed to overcome obstacles in negotiations over the dam.

The visit by the Egyptian officials came a few months after the Egyptian and Ethiopian presidents hinted at a breakthrough to resolve differences over the project.

Ahmed said at the time that his country was committed to securing Egypt's share of Nile water.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  An Oregon man accused of crashing four weddings in Junction City on the same day and stealing more than $13,000 in gifts has pleaded guilty.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 42-year-old Brian Keith Starr of Eugene pleaded guilty Friday to charges of aggravated first-degree theft and felon in possession of a firearm.

Court records show he also acknowledges he stole $5,300 in gifts from a fifth wedding weeks before his big haul on July 29.

He received a 2 1/2 year prison sentence in exchange for his plea.

Starr is scheduled to be sentenced Monday.

Starr became a suspect after one of the newlyweds he stole from circulated a photo that her mother took of Starr at the reception on social media.

He was arrested in August.8:15PM UPDATE: GPDPS say Breonna Rose has been found safe in Medford.

MEDFORD, Ore.  Police are hoping to find a 12-year-old girl who ran away from her home in Grants Pass in an attempt to reach Iowa, according to Grants Pass Department of Public Safety (GPDPS).

Breonna J. Rose reportedly ran away from home on Sunday night. She may have met a woman online and is trying to meet up with her in Iowa.

Rose was last seen at the Medford bus station, where she attempted to buy a bus ticket. GPDPS says that Rose was refused the ticket and she left the station around 2 p.m. on Monday.

Police describe Rose as 5'5" and 150lbs, with short curly brown hair, brown eyes, a medium build and pierced ears. She was last seen wearing dark gray pants, black and white checkered Vans shoes, a black hoodie and a black/teal backpack.

If you see her, please contact Medford Police and reference case #18-19464 or Grants Pass Police and reference case #18-46989.KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.  After several years without reliable passenger air service from the Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport, officials in Klamath County say that they are in talks with SkyWest Airlines to restore at least some flights in and out of the airport.

Every effort is being pursued to restore air service to the Klamath community," said Trina Froehlich, Air Service Consultant with Mead & Hunt, Inc. "The community is well-represented by the Klamath team and a strong business case has been made to the airlines.

Froehlich's company helped to facilitate a meeting between a coalition of Klamath Falls officials and community leaders and representatives from SkyWest earlier this month, according to a statement from the airport.

This meeting is just the latest in a series over the last year. Klamath leaders met with SkyWest in March of this year and in September of 2017  the latter at SkyWest headquarters in St. George, Utah.

The "Klamath team" has continued to push for SkyWest to bring nonstop service from the airport to San Francisco.

"Local representatives reinforced the difficulties of traveling to Medford, particularly in the winter, as well as the need for a passenger air carrier to service both inbound and outbound business and leisure travelers," the airport statement reads.

According to the airport, SkyWest has indicated that they are "continuing to assess the market" to potentially resume service in summer of 2019.

"While restoring air service to the community will be challenging, we remain optimistic and the support we are receiving is encouraging," said John Barsalou, Director of the Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport.YREKA, Calif.  Investigators are looking for answers after a man showed up at a Siskiyou County hospital suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office (SCSO).

Around 1:15 a.m. on Tuesday morning, a deputy responded to reports of a man who had surfaced at Fairchild Medical Center, seeking treatment for multiple gunshot wounds he sustained at an "unknown location."

Upon further investigation, deputies came to believe that the man had been in the Hornbrook area near Tarpon Drive and Moonfish Drive before he came to the hospital, but the identity of his attacker remained unknown.

"An investigation was initiated at the locations previously visited by the victim," said SCSO in a statement. "No one was found at the locations that could corroborate any criminal activity but one site was found to have an illegal marijuana cultivation site on the property."

"It is unknown at this time if there is any link with the illicit marijuana site."

Investigation by the responding deputy and SCSO's Major Crimes Unit did find that the gunshot victim is currently on parole. They are now working with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on the case.

We are pleased the victim in this case appears to be recovering from his gunshot wounds but there is a lot of work that needs to be done in this case to determine who else is involved and other pertinent circumstances surrounding the incident need to be further investigated," said Sheriff Jon Lopey.

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the SCSOs 24-hour Dispatch Center at (530) 841-2900.We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to formPolitical and economic experts say Sisi's meetings with world leaders helped a lot in explaining Egypt's vision on counter-terrorism and economic reform issues

Since he came to office in May 2014, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has been keen to participate in the annual meetings of the United Nations General Assembly's meetings.

President El-Sisi left Egypt on 21 September for New York to participate in the 73rd session of UN General Assembly meetings for the fifth time.

Political analyst Hassan Abu Taleb told Ahram Online that President El-Sisi views the meetings of the UN general assembly in New York as a unique opportunity to communicate with world leaders, build relations and activate Egypt's foreign policy.

"The dramatic developments in Egypt over the last seven years left the country a little bit isolated from what is going on in the world, a fact which has negatively affected its pioneering roles in world politics, particularly in the Arab world and Middle East," Abu Taleb said.

Abu Taleb said El-Sisi's active participation in the UN general assembly meetings has helped Egypt a lot in opening channels with Western countries, particularly Germany, which adopted hostile positions in reaction to the removal of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

"But now and thanks to an active foreign policy and an ultimate keenness to participate in the annual UN General Assembly meetings, the picture has completely changed," Abu Taleb said, arguing that "Egypt has now excellent relations with most Western countries, and was able to a large extent to recover prominent position on the world stage."

"I want to refer to Germany in particular which has helped Egypt a lot in rebuilding the energy sector, he said.

On Monday, President El-Sisi met with US President Donald Trump. It was the fourth meeting between the two leaders in two years.

"This shows how Egyptian-American relations have improved in a relatively short period of time," Abu Taleb said, "adding that this is a dramatic shift from the situation when Barack Obama was the President of the US."

Al-Sayed El-Sherif, the deputy speaker of Egyptian parliament, told Ahram Online that El-Sisi's active foreign policy has helped Egypt a lot in recovering its influential regional and political roles on the world stage.

"Through mutual meetings and mini-summits with world leaders during the annual UN general Assembly, President El-Sisi was keen to re-introduce the image of Egypt as a world peacemaker and a country which is trying to achieve high economic growth and democracy," El-Sherif said.

Hussein Abu Gad, head of the parliamentary group of the "Future of Homeland" political party and a member of parliament's economic committee, told Ahram Online that he believes that President El-Sisi's desire to attend the UN General Assembly meetings on a regular basis stems from his high interest in mustering world support for Egypt's economic conditions.

"President El-Sisi believes that these annual UN meetings represent a golden opportunity to explain Egypt's economic conditions and inform leaders, particularly in Western circles, of economic reforms," Abu Gad said, adding that El-Sisi's meetings with head of the IMF Christine Lagarde was highly important to reviewing the latest progress on implementing Egypt's economic reform agreement with the IMF.

El-Sisi also met on Monday with Jim Young Kim, President of the World Bank; with Donald Tusk, head of the European Council; Irna Solberg, prime minister of Norway , and Sebastian Kurz, chancellor of Austria.

He also held a very important meeting with members of the American Chamber of Commerce which is playing a big role in strengthening economic partnership between Egypt and the United States.

Mohamed Abu El-Enein, a high-profile Egyptian businessman and honorary chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) described El-Sisi's meetings in the annual UN General Assembly meetings as highly important in explaining Egypt's role in fighting terrorism, and promoting peace in the Middle East.

Abul-Enein, who participated in a number of events held on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, clarifying the Egyptian Presidents achievements and Egypt's positions on issues related to the Middle East and the Arab world.

Abul Enein first participated in Nelson Mandel Peace Summit, at the presence of Mourad Wahba, the assistant secretary-general of the United Nations, and where El-Sisi gave a speech to the peoples of the world, expressing his pleasure to participate in the summit which coincides with the centenary of the birth of the late great African leader.

Abul Enein seized the summit to show members of PAM a documentary about the achievements realized by Egypt during the first 4-year term of El-Sisi in office in all fields such as infrastructure, industry, and electricity, as well as his efforts to promote social protection and education reform programmes.

Abul-Enein also spoke on the issues of terrorism, referring to the defeats suffered by Daesh in Iraq, Syria, and its affiliate in Sinai.

"The United Nations and the Security Council should take all resolutions necessary to penalize states sponsoring or financing terrorism or hosting its leaders who were convicted of terrorism crimes," Abul-Enein said, adding that "the UN must also impose sanctions against these states and that its leaders must be put on trial before the International Criminal Court.."

"The International community must support Egypt's vision that is based on the argument that the political vacuum caused by the collapse of a number of states in the Middle East has given terrorist movements a fertile ground to spread and expand," he said.

In particular, Abul-Enein emphasized the importance of the courageous initiative of El-Sisi in the field of reforming religious discourse and entrusting the moderate Sunni Islam institution of Al-Azhar to play a leading role in this respect.

He also pointed to President El-Sisi's initiative for holding dialogue conferences with Egypt's young people to play a greater role in decision-making.

Abul-Enein also spoke on Egypt's mediation efforts in the Syrian crisis.

"Egypt has made mediation among opposition factions which have contributed to containing tension in Syria," Abul-Enein said, adding that Egypt has received more than 500,000 Syrian refugees in recent years.

They were not transferred to refugee camps, but rather they were allowed to enjoy the same rights of Egyptian citizens," Abul-Enein said.

MP Nadia Henry told Ahram Online that El-Sisi's participation in the UNGA meetings is very important in explaining Egypt's vision on Middle East's crises.

"Egypt is very eager to tell the world that there should be political solutions for these crises and that all efforts should be exerted to stem the tide of terrorism in this regime and to cut all lines of support to terrorist movements," Henry said.

"El-Sisi's meetings with a large number of world leaders and prominent politicians in just two days aim to send a message to the international community: that all efforts should be exerted to bring peace to the Middle East, particularly in Palestine, Libya and Syria," she continued.

"We should not allow terrorists to gain any foothold and the UN should play a greater role in stripping terrorist movement with all kinds of weapons in order to stem their malicious spread in this region," Henry concluded.

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MINNETONKA, Minn. (AP)  Police in Minnetonka say a 12-year-old boy has been arrested in the stabbing death of his 16-year-old brother.

A police statement Monday says he's being held in the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center while the county attorney's office decides on charges.

Officers were called to an apartment in Minnetonka around 8:15 p.m. Saturday. They found a 16-year-old with a stab wound to his chest. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The suspect was initially evaluated at a hospital, then released to his parents. Police continued to investigate, then arrested him Sunday night.

Police believe the weapon was a kitchen knife. The mother and other family members were home at the time. Police haven't disclosed a motive except that there was some sort of altercation between the two boys.BERLIN TOWNSHIP, Minn.  The Steele County Sheriffs Office is investigating its second armed home invasion in a little more than a month.

Deputies were called to the 5800 block of SW 128th Street just before midnight Sunday. Two unknown male individuals reportedly broke into the home and threatened the people inside with a gun. The Sheriffs Office says cash and jewelry were taken.

This is the second armed home invasion reported in Steele County since August 15. No one was injured. Both crimes are under investigation. Anyone with information about these cases is asked to call the tip line at 1-866-878-7964.

The Steele County Sheriffs Office is urging residents to take extra precautions, secure unlocked doors, and be aware of any suspicious activity or unusual vehicles.WORTH CO., Iowa  The Worth County Sheriffs Office has identified a man killed in a grain bin accident.

Norman Backhaus, 80, of rural Manly, was killed Monday in the accident.

The Sheriffs Office says it got a call around 11:27 a.m. Monday about an 80-year-old man possibly trapped inside a grain bin in the 1300 block of 370th St. Deputies were joined at the scene by fire and rescue crews from Manly, Kensett, and Northwood, the Manly Police Department, Mason City Ambulance, Life Flight 2 out of Fort Dodge, Viafield Coop, POET, as well and neighbors and friends.

When the bin was emptied, the man's body was found.JOICE, Iowa - It's been three days since the public library in Joice unexpectedly caught fire. Now, community members are coming together to help rebuild.

Tyler Schroader says he was shocked when he heard of the fire at the library.

WATCH: Drone footage captures damage.

"I spent a lot of time in Joice as a kid, and that was the place to hang out. There's not a lot to do in town. And I know a lot of people that learned how to read at that library. and I think it's important. I think it's an important part of the community."

Schroader's grandmother recently passed away, and left behind a trove of books, between 1,000 and 2,000.

"She was an avid reader. She's got cards in the front cover of all the books saying the last time she read them. I think 1984 was the earliest date, so we got books that she's been buying since the early 80s."

After KIMT reported on the fire, the idea of donating the extensive collection of books came up.

Schroader's fiance Ashley Melton tells KIMT she is happy they can help out.

"Everybody likes books. I can't think of a single person who doesn't have a book that they read in childhood or adulthood that didn't touch them on a more personal level."

Melton adds that the outpouring of support is impressive.

"I think it's great. I think it speaks a lot to people's character. Everyone falls on hard times, and it makes it easier when you have somebody there saying 'hey it's ok, we're gonna help make this better.' So I think it's great that everyone's coming together making it whole again."

And if Schroader's grandmother was around, he says she would likely be OK to part with her collection for others enjoyment.

"If she was still here, I don't know if she would be willing to part with the collection, but I think if she was here today, and knew that she wouldn't be here tomorrow, that this is something that she would approve of, definitely."

Joice Mayor Mark Thoma says that there is no set timeline as to when the library will be rebuilt, but city council is looking at options, including a mobile trailer to house a temporary location.

For those who are interested in donating, you can donate money and/or books to the Farmers State Bank in Joice as well as their other locations across North Iowa. There is also a GoFundMe page set up that is looking to raise $1,000 for the library.DAKOTA CITY, Iowa  Separate trials have been ordered in a Humboldt County attempted murder case.

Nicholas Joseph Bradley, 35, and Vilma Cyreena Velasquez, 26, are accused of trying to kill Austin Dean on April 29. They are both charged with attempted murder and Velasquez is also charged with domestic assault.

The entered not guilty pleas Monday. Bradleys trial is set to begin on November 27. Velasquez will stand trial starting on October 16.

Authorities say the two were angry with their victim and went looking to attack him. Bradley is accused of intentionally running into Dean with his pickup truck while Dean was riding a bicycle. Velasquez is accused of chasing after Dean with a bat.

Law enforcement says the attack happened in Humboldt and was captured on video.ROCHESTER, Minn.  An accused sex abuser is now competent to stand trial.

Majed Isaac Ijong, 25 of Stewartville, is charged with three counts of 1st degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of 2nd degree criminal sexual conduct, all involving a child under the age of 13. Ijong was charged in October 2017 and arrested in California a month and a half later.

He was ruled incompetent to stand trial in March 2018 after a court-ordered evaluation but he was found competent at a hearing Tuesday morning.

A plea hearing in Ijongs case is now set for October 5.

For previous coverage of this case, click here and here.MANLY, Iowa  A man is dead after a grain bin accident in Worth County.

The Sheriffs Office says it got a call around 11:27 am Monday about a 80-year-old man possibly trapped inside a grain bin in the 1300 block of 370th Street. Deputies were joined at the scene by fire and rescue crews from Manly, Kensett, and Northwood, the Manly Police Department, Mason City Ambulance, Life Flight 2 out of Fort Dodge, Viafield Coop, POET, as well and neighbors and friends.

When the bin was emptied, the man's body was found. His identity is not being released immediately so relatives can be notified.GRAND MEADOW, Minn. - Schools across the nation are continuing to see a shortage of teachers and Grand Meadows High School is doing something about it.

The school is offering and Introduction to Education course where high school students are the teachers. Principal Jake Schwarz and course teacher Jodi Munson tell KIMT they've had fewer teacher applicants in recent years and hope this class can help retain some talent in Grand Meadow.

The benefits of the class for students seem almost endless. Students get real-life teaching experience and learn how to handle kids and prepare lesson plans. The class also gives them 3 college credits before they graduate high school.

High school senior Elizabeth Jacobsen said a career in education is an option for her and this class is helping her figure it out before she invests time and money.

"Basically getting the teaching experience without having all the responsibility and getting thrown into it," she said. "Some kids in college don't get into a classroom until their third year of college so if they decide that's not what they want they're out two years of college."

While not all the students in the course are sold on a career in education just yet, they agree the class is giving them a new appreciation for all that teachers do.

"They put in a lot of time behind the scenes that no one really sees," Jacobsen said.

"I, like, have a whole new respect for teachers and how they get prepared every day and every night, just working so hard to get prepared for the next day for the students," Ethan Gilbert, high school junior, said.

The hands-on class is made possible through a grant by Southwest Minnesota State University. The school applied for and received a grant that funds the course.European Union Ambassador in Cairo Ivan Surkos expressed on Tuesday his organization's commitment to backing Egypt in the face of climate change.



Surkos' statements came in the inaugural conference of the climate week which is organized by EU delegation in Cairo in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment.



The European diplomat said the EU is financing climate projects in Egypt through grants worth 700 million euros, pointing out that such projects help factories and companies reduce air and water pollution.



He described Paris climate agreement as an important step towards a better future along with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda as the two have the ability to accelerate economic and social devolution the peoples need to maintain their common future.



He also said the EU took part in financing the biggest wind farm in Gabal El Zite through a grant worth 30 million Euros.

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AUSTIN, Minn.  Hormel Foods is donating $5,000 to the Salvation Army and $5,000 to Hot Meals on Wheels.

We are inspired by The Salvation Army and Hot Meals on Wheels and their efforts to fight hunger in our community and we are honored to join them in that fight, said Clint Walters, Austin plant manager. I would like to thank our employees, whose dedication and hard work make it possible for us to help those in need. On behalf of Hormel Foods, we are impacting the lives of our neighbors with the power of food. We are excited to help do our part in making a difference.



Photo courtesy of Hormel foods. Photo courtesy of Hormel foods.

Hormel Foods gave $300,000 to local hunger relief groups in 30 communities across the country in 2017.

Hormel Foods is committed to fighting hunger in communities around the world where our employees work and live, said Wendy Watkins, vice president of corporate communications at Hormel Foods. By working with organizations at a local level, our locations have found great success in helping meet their communitys unique needs to help end hunger.MASON CITY, Iowa - KIMT got the chance to speak with two candidates vying for Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture position Monday, and we wanted to know where they stand on one of the country's hottest topics.

Democrat Tim Gannon and Libertarian Rick Stewart made stops in Northwood and Mason City, so we asked the candidates about tariffs, which have largely come under fire, being particularly unpopular with farmers.

And despite representing different parties, both say there needs to be a change.

"The administration has not had a coherent strategy to address some of the issues with China. Rather than getting our allies or traditional trading partners to join us in trying to fix the issues that China definitely has. They're a bad actor in international trade. "

"Tariffs don't work. You always hurt yourself worse than you hurt the other guy. And we'd be much better off if the United States just said we're a free trade nation, and if you don't want to trade with us, that's your problem because you're going to impoverish your citizens, but we're not going to impoverish our citizens."

The two candidates are running against Republican incumbent Mike Naig for the position. Both Gannon and Stewart will debate each other at Iowa State University's Sustainable Agriculture event on October 3rd at Memorial Union in Ames.NORTHWOOD, Iowa  A man accused of nearly hitting a sheriffs deputy while drunk driving is pleading not guilty.

Daniel Alejandro Garcia, 46 of Titonka, is charged with operating while intoxicated, a serious misdemeanor.

The Worth County Sheriffs Office says Garcia nearly struck a deputy around 2:19 am in August 23 while the deputy was conducting a traffic stop on another vehicle.

His trial is set to begin on November 7.MASON CITY, Iowa  Fake IDs and drivers licenses are sending a North Iowa couple to prison.

Aleksandr Antolyevich Sagaydak, 37, and Galina Mikhaylovna Sagaydak, who turns 39 on Tuesday, were arrested after a May search where authorities say they found at least 50 phony Wisconsin drivers licenses. The Mason City couple were also accused of traveling to department stores in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin and using the fake IDs to fraudulently buy things.

The Sagaydaks pleaded guilty to two counts of forgery and were each sentenced Monday to five years behind bars. That sentence, however, will be served after the Sagaydaks finish serving their sentences for violating their probation for 2016 convictions in Winneshiek County for 2nd degree theft.PLEASANT VALLEY TOWNSHIP, Minn.  A South Dakota rider is hurt after a motorcycle/deer collision in Mower County.

The Minnesota State Patrol says Christopher Leonard Willman, 36 of Sioux Falls, SD, was riding west on Interstate 90 when a deer ran out of the ditch near mile marker 198 and they collided. Willman suffered a non-life threatening injury and was taken to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester for treatment.

The State Patrol says he was wearing a helmet.

The Mower County Sheriffs Office and Grand Meadow Fire Department and Ambulance assisted at the scene. This accident happened around 10:50 am Tuesday.ROSE CREEK, Minn.  A man wanted for murder in North Dakota is arrested in Mower County.

Miguel Jay Cooley Sr., 44 of Moorhead, is a suspect in an early Sunday morning killing that happened at a McDonalds in Fargo. Authorities say a man named Gabriel Perez was found in the parking lot with several gunshot wounds. He was late pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement says it appears to have been a drive-by shooting.

The Clay County Sheriffs Office and Fargo Police Department then notified Mower County law enforcement that Cooley could be hiding in southern Minnesota. The Mower County Sheriffs Office and Austin Police SERT Team then helped U.S. Marshals search a home in the 200 block of Elm Street in Rose Creek that belonged to distant relatives of Cooley. Thats where he was found and arrested.

Cooley is being held in the Mower County Jail, pending transfer back to Fargo.FORT SNELLING, Minn.  A Winona man is dead after a high-speed crash early Saturday morning near the Minneapolis airport.

The Minnesota State Patrol says Emmanuel Onsongo, 25, drove an SUV into the terminal area at a high rate speed, lost control, and hit a cement pillar. He was killed in the crash and the State Patrol says it is not clear if he was wearing his seat belt or not.

Minneapolis airport police assisted at the scene. This crash happened around 1:13 am Saturday.(Reuters) - Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday said she hoped to meet her Saudi counterpart this week on the sidelines of a U.N. meeting to discuss a diplomatic dispute between the two nations. Freeland made her remarks to an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. In August Saudi Arabia froze new trade with Canada, blocked grain imports, expelled Canadas ambassador and ordered all Saudi students home after Ottawa called for the release of activists from detention. Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Automotive supplier Bosch is to team up with Chinese-funded electric vehicle startup Byton in the areas of powertrain, brake and driver assistance systems, Byton said in a statement.

Byton, which has financial backing from Chinese carmaker FAW Group and battery producer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), on Tuesday signed a cooperation agreement with Bosch.

Bosch has years of experience in cooperating with premium carmakers. We are convinced that Bosch, through its enormous automotive competence, will become one of the most important partners of Byton, Byton Chief Executive Carsten Breitfeld said.

Both companies will also work together on brand advertising, product marketing, technology development, quality training, customer services and staff training, Byton said.

In June, Future Mobility Corporation (FMC), the Chinese parent company behind Byton, placed an order for a paint shop capable of handling 150,000 cars per year from German supplier Duerr.NEW DELHI, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Cutting banks' cash reserve ratio (CRR), or the amount of funds they set aside with the central bank, are among options that the central bank could look at to improve liquidity in the system, a finance ministry official said on Tuesday.

The Reserve Bank of India could also consider buying more bonds from the open market and open a special window for mutual funds to inject liquidity, the official told reporters, declining to be identified as the discussions are not public. Presently, the CRR is at 4 percent of banks' total deposits.

After the comments, the 10-year benchmark bond yield eased 1 basis point to 8.12 percent from before the news.

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Krishna N. Das)

neha.dasgupta.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met on Tuesday with King Abdullah of Jordan, where they discussed the latest regional developments on the sidelines of the 73rd meeting of the United National General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the Egyptian presidency announced.

According to a statement by the Egyptian presidency, the two leaders also discussed boosting Egyptian-Jordanian bilateral relations.

El-Sisi and Abdullah also discussed the latest developments in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, reaffirming their total support for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Earlier in the day, President El-Sisi met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, where they discussed the developments in Syria, Libya and Yemen as well as the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Guterres expressed his appreciation for Egypts efforts in the United Nations as well as its support to the international organisation's efforts in achieving peace and stability worldwide.

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LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Britains opposition Labour Party is set to vote against any deal Prime Minister Theresa May clinches with the European Union and is open to a second referendum with the option of staying in the bloc, Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said on Tuesday.

With just over six months until Britain leaves the EU, May has yet to reach a deal on the terms of the divorce, and her plan for future trade ties has been rebuffed by both the EU and many lawmakers in her own Conservative Party.

Labour has listed six tests it would apply to any Brexit deal, including whether it ensured a strong future relationship with the EU and delivered the same benefits Britain has as a member of its single market and customs union.

Starmer said May was on course to fail these tests.

He called for an election to allow a Labour government to steer Britains departure from the EU, the biggest shift in the countrys foreign and trade policy in decades.

If Theresa May brings back a deal that does not meet our tests - and that looks increasingly likely - Labour will vote against her deal, he told Labour members at the partys conference in the northern city of Liverpool.

He repeated Labours argument that if parliament rejected Mays Chequers deal, named after the prime ministers country residence where she hashed out a plan with her ministers, the party would press for a general election.

But if we need to break the impasse our options must include campaigning for a public vote and nobody is ruling out remain as an option, he said to a standing ovation and prolonged applause in a packed conference hall.

The Conservative Partys chairman, Brandon Lewis, accused Labour of breaking their promises and taking us back to square one on Brexit.

The EU indicated officials in Brussels saw a new referendum as a complication rather than a solution.

That does not sound like a solution to anything. The first referendum is still keeping us busy. And will they want to have a third one in another two years? asked a senior EU diplomat in Brussels. Its more about power struggles in Britain than about managing Brexit seriously.

But with Mays plan for maintaining close ties with the EU for trade in goods facing opposition from her own lawmakers, Labour could play a decisive role in whether any Brexit deal is approved by parliament.

May has a working majority of just 13 in the 650-seat parliament and a former junior minister said this month as many as 80 of her own lawmakers were prepared to vote against a Brexit deal based on the Chequers plan.

BETRAYAL

But like the governing Conservatives and much of the country, Labour is split over how to leave the bloc, with its veteran eurosceptic leader, Jeremy Corbyn, under pressure from many members to move to a more pro-EU position. [L8N1WA260]

Brendan Chilton, general secretary of Brexit campaigning group Labour Leave, accused Starmer of launching a leadership bid and of trying to undermine Corbyn.

This is a betrayal of the very highest order. It is a betrayal not only of the millions of Labour voters, but of our 2017 manifesto, he said, referring to the partys campaign at last years election that gained Labour more votes than many expected.

Labours conference will vote later on Tuesday on keeping a second Brexit referendum as an option if May fails to get her Brexit plan through parliament.

In the published motion which the Labour conference will debate later on Tuesday, the party again set out is position on Brexit - it wants full participation in the EUs single market after Brexit and will reject a no deal Brexit.

The wording on a possible second referendum was left vague, opening the way for some to describe it as a fudge when the partys finance spokesman, John McDonnell, said any such vote should be on how to leave the EU, not whether to do so.

But Starmer was clear. He understood that the motion could allow Britain to vote to stay in the EU.

This isnt about frustrating the process, he said. Its about stopping a destructive Tory Brexit. Its about fighting for our values and about fighting for our country.UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump praised North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday for his courage in taking steps to disarm, but said much work still needed to be done and sanctions must remain in place on North Korea until it denuclearizes.

The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction, nuclear testing has stopped, some military facilities are already being dismantled, Trump said in his speech to the annual United Nations General Assembly.

I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken, though much work remains to be done, Trump said. The sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization occurs.

Trumps remarks on North Korea were dramatically different from those in his speech last year at the U.N. assembly, when he threatened to totally destroy North Korea and mocked the North Korean leader as Rocket Man on a suicide mission.

Trump held an unprecedented summit with Kim in Singapore in June which yielded a broad pledge by Kim to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

However, Kims commitments and actions so far have fallen far short of Washingtons demands for a complete inventory of North Koreas weapons programs and irreversible steps to give up a nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States.

Trump has nevertheless heaped personal praise on Kim and expressed enthusiasm for a second summit.

On Monday, he said he expected this to be announced pretty soon but that the location had yet to be determined.

During a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the United Nations on Monday, Trump said Kim has been really very open and terrific, frankly.

I think he wants to see something happen.

Trump singled out Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe, Moon and Chinese President Xi Jinping for their support over North Korea, in spite of some questions about the commitment of the latter two leaders to maintaining tough sanctions on Pyongyang.

At a meeting last week with Moon, Kim promised to dismantle a missile site and also a nuclear complex if the United States took corresponding action.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday he hoped to travel to North Korea again before the end of the year to make final preparations for a second Trump-Kim summit.

Pompeo has proposed a meeting with North Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho at the General Assembly this week. U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said last week the two had agreed to meet but that the meeting could take place later.

Moon and Abe met on the sidelines of the U.N. assembly and the South Korean leader highlighted the importance of improved relations between Tokyo and Pyongyang to accelerate North Korean denuclearization, South Koreas Yonhap news agency reported.

I believe the normalization of North Korea-Japan relations is required in the process of establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula, and I will actively support and cooperate so a North Korea-Japan summit will be held, Yonhap quoted Moon as telling Abe.NEW YORK, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Canada is failing to make concessions needed to reach a deal with the United States for a trilateral NAFTA pact, and is running out of time before Washington proceeds with a Mexico-only agreement, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Tuesday. Lighthizer, speaking to the Concordia Summit in New York, said there was "some distance" between the United States and Canada on North American Free Trade Agreement issues, including dairy and trade dispute settlement. "The fact is, Canada is not making concessions in areas where we think they're essential," Lighthizer said. "We're going to go ahead with Mexico. If Canada comes along now, that would be the best. If Canada comes along later, then that's what'll happen." (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Bernadette Baum) david.lawder.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.(Adds quotes from Lighthizer, Canadian prime minister, details, background) By David Lawder NEW YORK, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Canada is not making concessions needed to reach a deal with the United States for a trilateral NAFTA pact and is running out of time before Washington proceeds with a Mexico-only agreement, a top U.S. official said on Tuesday. The administration of President Donald Trump has recently begun increasing the pressure on Canada, urging it to conclude a deal by Sept. 30 or face exclusion from a revised North American Free Trade Agreement. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said there was "some distance" between the two sides on issues such as access to Canada's dairy market and how best to settle trade disputes. "The fact is, Canada is not making concessions in areas where we think they're essential," Lighthizer said at the Concordia Summit in New York. "We're going to go ahead with Mexico," he said. "If Canada comes along now, that would be the best. If Canada comes along later, then that's what will happen." He added: "We're sort of running out of time." Trump has demanded major changes to NAFTA, which he says caused U.S. manufacturing jobs to move to low-wage Mexico. Markets are nervous about the impact on a deal that underpins $1.2 trillion in annual trade. Canadian officials say that despite the U.S. threats to go it alone with Mexico, they do not believe Trump can by himself turn the 1994 pact into a bilateral deal. U.S. business groups, alarmed by the potential disruption to the three increasingly integrated economies, have lobbied the White House to keep NAFTA as a trilateral deal. The office of Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland,

who sits opposite Lighthizer at the negotiations, did not respond to a request for comment. The two are in New York for a U.N. meeting but it is unclear whether they will meet. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke before Lighthizer at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and took a more cautious tone about the outcome. "They (the United States and Mexico) made certain agreements," he said. "I think there's a possibility there to build on what they agreed." The Trump administration says the text of a deal is needed by Saturday to allow the Mexican government to sign it before leaving office on Nov 30. "With Mexico, we're not going to say 'no deal' because of Canada," Lighthizer said. "That doesn't make any sense at all, so hopefully we'll end up with something with Canada." Canada also has made clear the United States needs to withdraw Trump's threat of a 25 percent tariff on autos for a deal to be possible. The United States, citing security reasons, imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in late May. Lighthizer said those tariffs would be addressed once NAFTA had been completed. (Reporting by David Lawder in New York and David Ljunggren in Ottawa Writing by David Ljunggren Editing by Bernadette Baum and Bill Trott) david.lawder.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.(Adds details on previous buyback)

LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Commodities trader and miner Glencore said on Tuesday it would repurchase more of its shares worth up to $1 billion, increasing the size of an existing buyback programme that followed a subpoena from U.S. authorities.

Glencore said in July it would buy back shares worth up to $1 billion in a programme of purchases running to the end of 2018. It has now extended the programme to the end of February 2019.

The London-listed miner, with a market capitalisation of $61 billion, announced plans to repurchase shares after the U.S. government investigation into bribery and corruption sent the stock down more than 15 percent since the start 2018. Companies across the mining industry have been handing money back to shareholders after a recovery from the mining and commodity crash of 2015-16 and in response to pressure from investors not to spend cash on buying assets that they say may never deliver returns.

Global miner Rio Tinto said last week it will return $3.2 billion to shareholders from its sale of Australian coal assets in addition to existing buyback programmes. Glencore's share price had already been hit by concerns about political risk in Democratic Republic of Congo, where it mines just over a quarter of the global output of cobalt, because of a mining code that was signed into law in June.

After publishing first-half results just below analyst forecasts in August, the company, which has aggressively slashed its debt since 2015, said it would favour share buybacks over deal-making.

Many mining stocks have pared gains over the past few months as metals markets weakened in response to global trade tensions and uncertainty about Chinese demand.

(Reporting by Justin George Varghese in Bengaluru and Clara Denina in London Editing by Bernard Orr and Edmund Blair)

Reuters Messaging: justin.varghese.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))(Recasts with comments on meetings, adds detail and background)

By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin

LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The top adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader on Tuesday rejected a U.S. offer for top-level meetings, as both countries' presidents were due to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards also kept up the anti-U.S. rhetoric in the build up to the U.N. session, calling President Donald Trump "evil and adventurous" and accusing him of waging economic war on Tehran.

Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran in May, and has since started reinstating economic penalties and pressing other countries to stop buying Iranian oil.

Trump said in July he was ready to meet Iran's President Hassan Rouhani without preconditions to negotiate a new deal.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repeated the offer on Sunday and expanded it to Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, telling Fox News: "That's who's running the show in Iran. I think that would be an important and interesting conversation." President Rouhani, seen as a moderate, has stopped short of ruling out meetings between the two countries. But he has come under increasing pressure from hardliners, including the Guards, since Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord. Asked about the offer of talks, Khamenei's top aide, Ali Akbar Velayati, said "Trump's and Pompeo's dream would never come to reality," according to the IRNA news agency.

The Revolutionary Guards' statement read: "The evil and adventurous American president has focused on an economic war and cruel sanctions to deviate the Iranian nation from the revolutionary values and its national interests."

Iran curbed its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief in the 2015 nuclear accord. Trump pulled out, saying the agreement did not go far enough.

But the other countries that signed it - who think the pact offers the best chance of stopping Iran developing a nuclear bomb - agreed on Monday to keep working to maintain trade with Tehran. Separately, the Guards also said the Saturdays attack on a military parade that killed 25 people was a miscalculation by the enemies as this crime has only made the Iranian nation more united.

Iran accused the United States of supporting the assailants who carried out the attack, but Washington has denied any prior knowledge of the incident.

(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Andrew Heavens)Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi says there is an imbalance in the credibility of the United Nations, especially when it comes to the Arab region and the African continent.

In a speech in front of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, El-Sisi said he speaks for those who question the integrity and the values of the UN at a time of disintegration and collapse of nation states.

How do we blame an Arab who questions the integrity of the UN and what it represents in values at a time when his region is endangered with dissolution and the collapse of the nation state before a wave of terrorism and sectarian conflicts that drain the capabilities of Arab states? El-Sisi said.

The president added that the same Arabs would wonder why the Palestinian people have not obtained their legitimate rights to live in dignity and peace in an independent state that reflects their national identity, aspirations, and wishes.

Is it possible that an African is seen as exaggerating if he complains about the lack of efficiency of the international order as his continent faces an economic regime that establishes poverty, inequality, and the reproduction of social and political crisis, and does not offer aspect for developments? he questioned.

I present to you the questions of our nations, as Egypt chairs the Group of 77 and China, which constitute the majority of this worlds population, El-Sisi said.

El-Sisi said that developing countries cannot tolerate living amid an international order that is not governed by law and lofty principles, upon which the UN was established; and is in threat of polarisation and attempts by some to dominate the international order based on their affiliations within the international community.

Road to recovering UN credibility

The Egyptian president said there is no room for the international order to function if the principle of the nation state, which is based on the values of citizenship, democracy, and equality, is threated with disintegration.

I speak from the experience of Egypt as a nation that has exerted massive efforts to recover its state and save its identity, and chose its nation state to be the door for reform and the achievement of aspirations for freedom, honour, and development, he said.

El-Sisi added that the disintegration of states in civil conflicts and the relapse of sectarian allegiance as an alternative to national identity is responsible for the modern worlds most dangerous phenomena such as armed conflicts and the outbreak of human trafficking, illegal migration, organised crime and the illegal trade in arms and narcotics.

There is no doubt that the Arab region faces the worst in terms of the fragmentation of nation states and what follows in a rich atmosphere for terrorism and sectarian conflicts, he said.

Political solutions are the only way for Arab states in conflict

The perseverance of states comes as a top priority for Egypts foreign policy in the Arab region, he stressed.

Speaking on Syria and Yemen, El-Sisi stressed the importance of the recovery of the nation state and safeguarding of its sovereignty and the safety of its institutions while meeting the legitimate aspirations of its citizens.

Egypt is a leading supporter of political resolutions led by the UN in the two countries; refusing any exploitation of the hardships of people in Syria and Yemen as a means to serve regional greed and interference, or as an incubator for terrorism, extremism, and sectarianism, he said.

On Libya, El-Sisi said that his country has a pivotal role in supporting the reconstruction of the state, especially when it comes to the unity of its military institutions to offer a structure that is able to defend Libya and face the dangers of terrorism.

A year has passed since the UN adopted an initiative for a comprehensive plan to resolve the Libyan crisis without any progress in executing [the plan], which calls on us to reiterate our commitment to the political resolution as outlined by this initiative, he said, adding that there is no room for incomplete resolutions on Libya, as well as Syria and Yemen.

Moreover, he said that such crises need comprehensive treatments and not partial solutions if we wish to overcome the depletion of human beings and resources and start construction.

The president spoke about the need for commitment to finding peaceful and sustainable solutions for international conflicts, which was a main goal of the initial founding of the UN.

Despite the UNs role in South Sudan and Central Africa; it remains incomplete when it comes to reaching a final settlement for the conflicts. There is a dire need for support for countries surviving past conflicts and rehabilitating their institutions, he said.

Palestine issue, proof of shortfall in intl order

El-Sisi said that the Palestinian case is proof of the international orders shortfalls in finding a fair solution in accordance with international accords, which ensure the establishment of a Palestinian state with its capital as East Jerusalem

There is no time to waste in conflicts regarding the matter. What is needed is a political determination to resume negotiations and hasten reconciliation in accordance with these accords, he said.

The president stressed that Arab states deserve to turn over this sad page of their history.

2030 Development

E-Sisi also spoke about the 2030 development vision by the UN.

Reform of the global economic system cannot be postponed; we look up to the UN as a gateway for ideas to achieve this reform, especially within a mechanism that stops a stream of illegitimate funding in developing countries, he said, adding that these are key principles required to reassert the UNs integrity.

He spoke of a need to boost the partnership between the UN and regional institutions, highlighting the cooperation between the UN and the African Union as an exemplary model in burden-sharing.

As Egypt approaches his chairmanship of the AU in 2019, we look forward to activating strategic partnership between the AU and UN, he said.

Human Rights, fighting terrorism

The president highlighted Egypts domestic efforts, including the comprehensive anti-terrorism Operation Sinai 2018, to fight and eradicate terrorism.

We assert that the magnitude of funding for terrorist groups, as well as the ease by which foreign terrorists travel, indicate that there is no way other than establishing an international anti-terrorism system, he said.

El-Sisi added that the protection of human rights will not be achieved with media campaigns of defamation and a neglect of all fields of human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights.

We have a constitution which is based on preserving human rights, as well as advancing the empowerment of women and youth, he said.

According to El-Sisi, women in Egypt now hold 25 percent of ministerial positions, and more than 15 percent of parliament seats.

Youth are also being relied on in leading positions, as well as conferences on youth to address their challenges and capabilities.

We are keen on putting the issues of women and youth empowerment, as well as scientific research and innovation, at the top of our priorities in the Group 77 and China, he said.

El-Sisi restated the need to recover the integrity of the UN, before ending his speech with his symbolic and well-known Long Live Egypt motto three times.

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Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Overcast skies and windy. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low near 25F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with U.S. Donald Trump at the Lotte New York Palace hotel during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Monday. AP



South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday discussed possible ways to reward North Korea for its denuclearization measures that will apparently include a second U.S.-North Korea summit.

"The leaders agreed to continue communicating closely about corresponding measures," said Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

In their bilateral summit held in New York, the leaders of South Korea and the United States also agreed on the need to show North Korea a bright future following its denuclearization.

"The leaders agreed to seek ways to encourage North Korea's denuclearization process by showing a bright future it may enjoy once it reaches complete denuclearization," the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said.

Still, the leaders noted the need to maintain international sanctions against the North for the time being, the spokesman added.

Moon arrived here Sunday for a four-day trip that follows his three-day visit to North Korea last week for his third bilateral summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that was largely aimed at breaking a deadlock in denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea.

The U.S.-North Korea talks stalled after Trump called off a scheduled North Korea trip by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, citing a lack of progress in the North's denuclearization process.

North Korea has been calling for corresponding measures by the U.S. to reward it for the denuclearization steps it has taken already.

In his meeting with Moon, the North Korean leader offered to dismantle the country's key nuclear facilities in Yongbyon should the U.S. take such measures.

Trump welcomed the outcome of the latest inter-Korean summit, saying he too will meet with the North Korean leader in the "not too distant future."

"We'll see what happens, but we will be having a second summit in the not too distant future," he said at the start of his bilateral summit with Moon.

Explaining the outcome of his Pyongyang summit, Moon said the North Korean leader wishes to hold a second U.S.-North Korea summit with Trump at an early date, and to conclude his country's denuclearization process swiftly as well.

"While repeatedly expressing his high expectations for President Trump, Chairman Kim expressed a hope to meet with President Trump at an early date to quickly conclude the denuclearization process," Moon told Trump.

Trump and Kim held the first-ever U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore in June.

The U.S. president said the date for his second meeting with Kim will be announced soon, adding the meeting will likely be held in a place other than Singapore.President Moon Jae-In, left, is greeted by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at U.N. headquarters, Monday, AP



South Korean President Moon Jae-in sought to rally international support for his efforts to denuclearize North Korea and improve his country's ties with the communist state Monday in a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"President Moon expressed gratitude to the U.N. secretary-general for expressing his support and urging international attention every time there is an important change in conditions on the Korean Peninsula, such as an inter-Korean summit, North Korea-U.S. summit or reunion of separated families," Moon's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.

The meeting between Moon and Guterres came four days after Moon returned from his first-ever trip to Pyongyang for his latest and third bilateral summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"President Moon explained the outcome of the third inter-Korean summit (in 2018) held last week in Pyongyang," Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.

The South Korean president then asked for the U.N. chief's continued support, it added.











U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-In at the Lotte New York Palace hotel during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Monday. AP



South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday discussed plans for a second meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, agreeing they would work on it together, the White House said.

Moon and Trump met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly following a third summit between the South Korean and North Korean leaders last week.

Moon shared the outcome of that meeting with Trump, including Kim's renewed commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the White House said in a readout.

"President Trump commended President Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with Chairman Kim, and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea," the statement said.

It also said the two men agreed that sanctions on North Korea had to be maintained through "vigorous enforcement" to make sure the regime understands that denuclearization is the only way to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the peninsula.











Portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are seen on the facade of a government building in Pyongyang, North Korea, September 11, 2018. Reuters

Overseas North Korean citizens pay their respect in front of paintings of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il at a silk factory in Pyongyang, North Korea, September 7, 2018. Reuters



One of the first things any traveller to North Korea notices is a huge portrait of Kim Il Sung, pictured in front of an airplane and workers alongside the road as you drive out of Pyongyang International Airport. It's an image that soon becomes very familiar.

Millions of portraits, mosaics and paintings of Kim Il Sung, founder of North Korea, and his son Kim Jong Il, the father of current leader Kim Jong Un, offer daily reminders to the public of the central role of the Kim dynasty in their nation's story.

Smiling images of the Kims are everywhere you go. Portraits are mandatory not just in public places like train stations, hospitals, schools and factories, but even in private spaces such as the living rooms of apartments.

Portraits must be hung high, so that no one can stand above the leaders, according to government minders who accompany visiting media and tourists.

As the night falls over Pyongyang, giant portraits on various buildings get lit up.

North Korea remains one of the most tightly controlled societies on earth, with most of the country closed to outsiders, but groups of tourists are allowed to visit Pyongyang and a few other sites, providing the impoverished country with one of its few remaining sources of foreign currency.

For those visitors, another reminder of the all-encompassing influence of the Kim family is the lapel badge, bearing the image of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, worn by all North Korean citizens.

The badge is presented to every North Korean when he or she turns 12, and from then on they are required to wear it whenever they leave their home. The badges are considered sacred and are not for sale, say government minders.

"We, all North Koreans, always wear the portrait badge like this. The most important part of a human body is the heart, right?" said An Sol Yong, a music teacher at a teacher training college in Pyongyang, during a government organised visit for foreign reporters. All her students wore the badges pinned to their white shirts.

"Being together with our dear leaders through a badge hung on the closest place from our heart means that our belief that we won't be alive if the great leaders had not existed is kept in all our hearts." (Reuters)Israeli occupation troops shot dead a Palestinian man and wounded dozens of others on Monday taking part in a protest near the border between Israel and Gaza, Gaza health officials said.

Gaza health officials said 90 people were hurt, 10 of them by live fire. Since Palestinians in Gaza began holding border protests on March 30, the Israeli army has killed 184 Palestinians. A Gaza sniper has killed one Israeli soldier.

Israel accuses Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that controls Gaza, of having deliberately provoked violence in the protests, a charge Hamas denies.

Protest organisers say the demonstrations aim to press demands for a right to lands lost to Israel in the 1948 war of its foundation and for an end to an Israeli blockade of the coastal Gaza Strip.

Israel besieged Gaza since 2007, waging three wars against the strip 2008, 2012 and 2014, leaving more than 3000 Palestinians killed, thousands injured and infrastructure in shambles.

More than 2 million Palestinians are packed into tiny Gaza, which is experiencing deep economic hardship.

Around 10 Palestinian boats sailed off the coast to challenge the blockade on Monday, drawing warning shots from the Israeli navy.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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China's foreign ministry said Tuesday it supports the ongoing discussions on formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War, claiming Beijing will actively take part in signing the agreement.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a press briefing that Beijing supports Washington and Pyongyang's efforts to build trust and bring about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The spokesperson said that, as a participating country of the cease-fire agreement, Beijing will play its role in establishing perpetual peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The two Koreas are technically still at war as the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.











South Korea's prime minister on Tuesday departed for Hanoi to attend the state funeral for a late Vietnamese leader, his office said.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who left Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, will attend the funeral for former Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, who died last week at age 61. The funeral is slated for Wednesday.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met with Quang in November last year and in March, both times in Vietnam, earlier wrote in a Facebook message that Quang was his "friend and partner."

Lee will return home late Wednesday.

With Moon currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, the presidential office said the government will take a close look at overall affairs amid the absence of both Moon and Lee at home. (Yonhap)In this undated photo released by Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka, 18-year-old Aldi Novel Adilang sits on the deck of a Panamanian-flagged vessel, MV Arpeggio after being rescued in the waters near 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 MV Arpeggio off Guam on Aug. 31 and returned to Indonesia earlier this month. Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka via 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.''

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. (AP)Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the president-elect of the Maldives interacts with his supporters during a gathering in Male, Maldives, Monday. AP



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 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.

Solih's 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 Monday in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.

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.

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.

ISLAND PRISON

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 be an unfair contest.

But Yameen, whose five-year term was set to end in November, 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.

Later on Monday, a court released a former police chief, three opposition legislators, and a son-in-law of former leader and Yameen's half brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who were in police custody facing trials.

Gayoom was not released as he was already convicted, the court said. Yameen jailed Gayoom, who led the country for 30 years. He is being held in a prison on a remote island along with the former head of the top court and ex-ministers.

The opposition has said it would make the release of all political prisoners, including Gayoom, a priority.

Voter turnout was 89.2 percent, the Elections Commission said, adding the official results would be released by Sept. 30.

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. (Reuters)Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers this afternoon. High 46F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

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Cloudy. Snow showers developing late. Low 31F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%.Butler, IN (46721)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 48F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. A shower of rain or wet snow possible. Low 32F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Iran on Tuesday as a "corrupt dictatorship" that is plundering the Iranian people to pay for aggression abroad, using his speech to the United Nations General Assembly to lay down a tough message for Tehran.

"Iran's leaders sow chaos, death and destruction," Trump told the annual gathering. "They do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations."

Trump compared U.S. relations with Iran to what he called improved ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, praising him for halting nuclear and missile tests and returning some U.S. remains from the 1950s Korean War. Trump had called Kim a "rocket man" bent on nuclear destruction in his U.N. speech last year.

Trump used his speech to call for international trade reforms and insist that his main objective as president is to protect American sovereignty. He called on OPEC to stop raising oil prices and criticized China's trade practices.

And Trump prompted some murmuring from the crowd of world leaders and diplomats when he declared that he had accomplished more as president than almost any other administration in history.

"I didnt expect that reaction, but that's okay," he said.

But Trump's main message was aimed at Iran and attempting to drive a wedge between its leadership and its people, days after an attack in southwestern Iran on a military parade killed 25 people and unsettled the country.

In remarks to reporters on his way to his speech before the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said he would not meet the Iranians until they "change their tune."

Both Trump and Rouhani were attending the annual U.N. event.

"Iran has acted very badly," said Trump. "We look forward to having a great relationship with Iran, but it wont happen now."

Foes for decades, Washington and Tehran have been increasingly at odds since May, when the Republican U.S. president pulled out of the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran and announced sanctions against the OPEC member.

The accord, negotiated under Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama, lifted most international sanctions against Tehran in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear program.

Over the summer, Trump had said he would meet with Rouhani without preconditions to negotiate a new deal, an offer reiterated on Sunday by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and extended to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

Rouhani said on Monday Tehran would not talk to Trump until the United States returned to the 2015 deal..

The top adviser to Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, rejected the U.S. offer on Tuesday, saying "Trump's and Pompeo's dream would never come to reality," the IRNA news agency said.

"Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter earlier on Tuesday.

Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for Iran's U.N. mission, told Reuters that Iran has not requested a meeting with Trump.

Some Iranian insiders have said any talks between Rouhani and Trump would effectively kill the existing nuclear accord.

Quashing the current pact would come at a political cost for the Iranian president, who championed the deal with the supreme leader's guarded backing and could lose support from European allies.

Rouhani is also under increasing pressure from Iranian hardliners, including Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, which have kept up the anti-American rhetoric ahead of the U.N. session.

Trump's administration is pushing allies to cut imports of Iranian oil to zero as Washington prepares to restore sanctions on Iran's oil sales in November.

The remaining countries in the deal, which see it as the best chance to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, on Monday agreed to keep working to maintain trade with Tehran.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, following a meeting on Monday with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran in New York, warned that the U.S. strategy of applying maximum pressure on Tehran and going it alone could risk a regional escalation.

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Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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Angelenos who rely on cars to get around already know that fixing your vehicle can be a pain. But it may have just got even worse.

That's because dozens of auto parts are on the long list of Chinese-made products subject to a new 10 percent tariff starting Monday.

Car batteries, spark plugs and brakes are just some of the items that could become more expensive under President Trump's largest round of tariffs yet, covering $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Wheels are on the list too. And that's bad news for Ultra Wheel, a 35-year-old Orange County company that makes sleek, custom wheels for the kind of enthusiasts who love upgrading their cars, trucks or off-road vehicles.

Lately, Ultra Wheel's Fullerton warehouse has been brimming with more boxes of wheels than usual. They've been stocking up before the new tariff gets slapped on everything they have coming through the Port of Long Beach.

"What we're doing is trying to bring in as many wheels as possible by Monday," said Ultra Wheel President Fred Dobler last week. "Which is tough, because everybody's trying to get containers out of the port."

Ultra Wheel currently has about 40 employees in the U.S. They used to have hundreds more, back when they made their wheels in Orange County. But about 15 years ago, in order to stay competitive on pricing, Dobler said they made the difficult call to transition manufacturing to China.

That decision now leaves Ultra Wheel right in the middle of an escalating trade war between the U.S. and China.

"It is going to hurt us," Dobler said. "Sales are probably going to go down. We may have to lay off people. And hopefully it doesn't close our doors."

Dobler said a lot depends on how long it takes for the two countries to resolve their trade disputes. If an agreement isn't reached by next year, the tariffs could jump from 10 to 25 percent. Ultra Wheel estimates the higher tariff would increase its annual costs by $8.6 million.

That "would put us out of business," Dobler recently told U.S. trade officials. "We can't absorb that type of cost with our current profitability."

Chris Kersting, president of a Diamond Bar-based trade association called the Specialty Equipment Market Association, said many other small businesses throughout Southern California could soon be in a similar position.

"We have in excess of 800 manufacturers just here in California who will be affected by these tariffs," said Kersting. "And those companies employ tens of thousands of Californians."

The Trump administration may be trying to bring manufacturing jobs back from China. But UC Davis economics professor Deborah Swenson said they're actually giving a leg up to companies that have outsourced to other countries like Mexico or Thailand.

"As long as you're facing competition that doesn't face the same tariff as you do, it's going to be very difficult for you to bring back the jobs to the U.S. and pay the higher wages that go with that," Swenson said.

Ultra Wheel president Fred Dobler is a Donald Trump supporter. And he likes the idea of bringing factory jobs back to the U.S. But he doesn't see that happening any time soon.

"This didn't happen overnight," Dobler said. "It'd be hard for us just just to pick up and come back, or go anywhere else."Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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We've had the pink pussy hat protests, but today the color of choice took on a stronger tone: black.

Across the country, women dressed in all-black followed the call of the Time's Up movement and walked out of their offices, homes, classrooms, or wherever on Monday at exactly 10 a.m. (on the West Coast) in a message of outrage, frustration and solidarity.

They were protesting the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh in the light of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's accusations that he sexually assaulted her in high school.

Ford is scheduled to testify Thursday in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. But then there's Deborah Ramirez's new sexual misconduct allegations from their time at Yale. And Attorney Michael Avenatti promises more evidence still to come.

About 40 of those women (and almost a dozen supportive men, too) protesting in Studio City, walked out to the corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon. Many of their signs carried the trending hashtag #BelieveSurvivors, and they chanted "Kava-no."

Actress Lea Thompson stood at the front of the pack and cheered as cars drove down the busy street and honked in solidarity. She's not usually one to protest, but she says America's democracy is being tested, and confirming Kavanaugh is unacceptable.

"I'm not a real rabble-rouser but this makes me mad," she says. "I feel so helpless against this whole process that it just makes me feel better to protest. It's a tiny thing you can do to make yourself feel heard."

In the back of the crowd stood Matt Belknap, sporting a black shirt that reads, "May the force be with you." He chanted with the women but clapped a little quieter. He said he felt a little awkward as a man in a woman's protest, but the cause was important enough to show up anyway.

"I feel kind of embarrassed...it's not my place to stand here and lead this crowd, but I just want to show support," he says. "We need to believe women and we have to stop supporting men who abuse women. I just feel like we have to draw a line in the sand at some point and say some things aren't acceptable."

Protester L.E. Charles said her disapproval is solidified by mounting accusations, and with so many options for a Supreme Court nomination, she called the support for Kavanaugh ridiculous.

"There's more fish in the sea. We can find another person to put on the Supreme Court," she says. We already have a president with too many skeletons in the closet. We don't need that on the Supreme Court for even longer."Freely accessible local news is vital. Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.

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As Los Angeles leaders push to address the homelessness crisis gripping the city, some residents have pushed back with protests, petitions and calls for removing district representatives from office.

Those who oppose housing homeless people in their neighborhood share a common opinion: opening shelters will draw more homeless people to their communities, boost crime, weaken public safety and tank home values.

And it is those opponents who have dug in their heels in communities around the city, including Koreatown, Venice and most recently in Sherman Oaks, where a neighborhood meeting meant to provide residents with information about homeless housing initiatives and potential sites devolved into angry shouting last week.

In a planned protest, residents drowned out the conversation with boos and chants of "No common sense" and "Recall!" -- directed at City Councilman David Ryu, who hosted the open house event at Notre Dame High School on Sept 20.

"As soon as Councilmember Ryu got the microphone and started to talk, it all broke loose," said Robin Marcelli, 64, who attended the meeting with her husband, Rick Marcelli.

The Marcellis, who own a home in Sherman Oaks, said they and their neighbors have had to deal with trespassing, theft, break-ins and death threats from people they call "criminal transients." The Marcellis say the troublemakers live in and around a nearby river wash.

The couple said despite constant calls to the police and letters to the offices of councilmembers Ryu and Paul Krekorian, things have only gotten worse -- and that's why they don't want homeless housing sites opened in residential neighborhoods.

"A line had to be drawn here," said Rick Marcelli, 69, adding that's what motivated the couple to confront Ryu last week.

The Marcellis, who lead their neighborhood watch group, said they weren't expecting such a large turnout and were "shocked" at the level of anger of the crowd.

Advocates for homeless services within the neighborhood were also at the meeting, some of them waving signs reading "Everyone in," referring to an initiative by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. But the opposition was louder and more fierce, shouting down Ryu and other officials who tried to speak and holding signs including "It's our $ and we have a say," "PSH = more crime" and "Cover up."

From Councilman Ryu's perspective, the contentious meeting was a success.

"I was very, very encouraged at the meeting," Ryu said in an interview with LAist. "We had a phenomenal turnout. It would have been worse if nobody came."

Ryu described angry residents booing him and threatening to remove him from office as "passionate about solving homelessness."

"Everybody knows homelessness is a huge issue (and) Sherman Oaks is not exempt from it," he said. "This is where we start that discussion."

In August, Ryu proposed two locations within his Council District 4 to construct housing for homeless residents. The first, at 15314 Dickens St., is Los Angeles Department of Transportation property being eyed for a Permanent Supportive Housing site. The second, at 5161 Sepulveda Blvd., has been suggested as an "emergency temporary housing" site under Mayor Eric Garcetti's bridge housing initiative.

District 4 Councilman David Ryu has proposed using a portion of land at 5161 Sepulveda Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, owned by the U.S. Army, as an emergency homeless shelter under Mayor Eric Garcetti's bridge housing initiative. (Image courtesy Councilman Ryu's office)

The site at Sepulveda is owned by the U.S. Army and Ryu said city staff has yet to visit, but plans to do so soon to conduct a feasibility study.

"It's so early in the process, but I wanted to include the community early," he said.

A petition against proposed housing plans in the neighborhood has nearly 2,100 signatures.

Ryu said supportive housing is only one part of addressing homelessness crisis. He also noted that L.A. voters overwhelmingly supported Prop HHH with 77% of voters approving the $1.2 billion bond to build some 10,000 units of homeless housing.



MAP: Where Emergency Homeless Shelters Could Be Built In L.A. Under Mayor's Plan

But the Marcellis are among Angelenos who feel the city's efforts to help homeless people are coming at the expense of taxpayers, which makes them more anxious about their future here.

"It's almost as if we're being forced to go live someplace else," Robin Marcelli said. She said she's still waiting to hear how city officials will vet potential residents at these new homeless housing sites.

The city's plan calls for housing people in the same neighborhoods where they currently are living on the streets. That's why, according to District 4 officials, the sites won't "attract criminal elements to the neighborhood and are intended to make the community safer."

When Garcetti announced the plans, he laid out a carrot-and-stick proposal, promising additional resources from police and sanitation crews in the areas that open bridge housing shelters.

That said, Ryu acknowledged, "many (residents) are scared, many are uninformed." He said he empathized with worried community members and would continue to work to address "fears and concerns."

LA EXPLAINED: Why does L.A. have so many homeless people?

Rick Marcelli draws a distinction between homeless residents in need of a helping hand -- which he supports -- and those he calls "criminal transients." Either way, he argues that "tough love" is the answer.

"You already comply as a citizen, as a taxpayer, or you don't," he said. "You want me to have compassion for people who don't care about themselves?"

The lifelong Los Angeles resident has an extreme alternative: have the federal government step in and move them out of the urban area.

"I'm proposing maybe you build a reservation for these homeless somewhere out it the desert with all the help that can be given," he said. "When we interned the Japanese during the second World War, we didn't intern them in the city."

[Note: The United States has apologized for incarcerating more than 100,000 people -- mostly Japanese immigrants and their families, many of whom were American citizens -- during WWII. In 1988, then-President Ronald Reagan called the decision a "grave wrong" when he signed a federal law that paid reparations to those held in internment camps.]

Ryu said the concept of sending homeless people to remote camps is illegal -- and dangerous.

"These are residents of Los Angeles, citizens of the United States," Ryu said. "These are individuals who also have human rights... they are our neighbors and we have to work together to come to a solution."

If the two proposed sites do end up getting approved, they would join two other projects already in motion to address homelessness in Ryu's district.

The LGBT Center's Anita May Rosenstein Campus will create more than 200 affordable housing units in the heart of Hollywood. (Courtesy Councilman David Ryu's office)

The LGBT Center's Anita May Rosenstein Campus broke ground in March 2017 in the heart of Hollywood and is set to open in 2019. The site will include 98 units of affordable housing for seniors, 25 units for youth, and 100 beds for homeless youth, according to Ryu's office.

The other project will create a women's bridge housing site with 30 beds at 1403 North Gardner St. in Hollywood, the site of a former city library branch. The project was approved for funding in May 2018 under Proposition HHH, which voters passed in 2016. Now city officials are working with community members to select a service provider and hash out plans to beautify and preserve as much of the existing site as possible.

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.Addressing the 58th Session Series of Meetings of the WIPO General Assemblies today, 24 September 2018, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez, stated that WIPO is pivotal to a rule-based global order built on sustainable peace and shared progress and prosperity. Speaking further he said we should continue to strive together to make this vision a reality. Sri Lanka looks forward to proactively contributing to the effective realization of that vision, ensuring rich dividends of IP for its people.

Ambassador Azeez stressed the importance of IP for economic development with its potential to uplift the lives of millions. Referring to reconciliation, peace-building and economic development in Sri Lanka, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka stressed the continuation of targeted empowerment efforts, particularly since 2015 has resulted in more and more innovations enjoying IP protection while unleashing the potential for innovation among youth and women in all regions of Sri Lanka.

However, while advantages abounded, challenges too remained, he noted, highlighting the requirement for a more balanced representation of regions in the composition of the WIPO Governing Bodies, which is more pronounced today.

Emphasizing the need for a fair and balanced Intellectual Property system for economic development, Ambassador Azeez urged sustained efforts in mainstreaming the Development Agenda into WIPOs work are vital for the long term relevance and success of the Organization.

Sri Lanka also expressed appreciation for WIPOs valuable assistance in implementing the 10 Point Action Plan for cooperation in the field of IP which has brought tangible benefits to Sri Lanka including capacity building, expertise and guidance of WIPO.

Director General of the National Intellectual Property Office of Sri Lanka, Mrs. Geethanjali Ranawaka and Minister Counsellor Ms. Shashika Somaratne also participated in this session. WIPO General Assemblies will continue from 24 September to 2 October 2018 in Geneva.

Full Statement

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka

Geneva

24 September 2018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.Trampling on the Palestinians and pushing unilateral initiatives will not resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday, taking a swipe at U.S. counterpart Donald Trump's policy on the issue.

"What can resolve the crisis between Israel and Palestine? Not unilateral initiatives, nor trampling on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to legitimate peace nor underestimating Israel's fair right to security."

"There is no credible alternative to the two-state solution living side by side in peace and security with Jerusalem as capital."

Doubts have mounted over whether Trump's administration can secure what he has called the "ultimate deal" since December, when the U.S. president reversed decades of American policy and recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital and then moved the U.S. Embassy there.

Trump's move outraged the Palestinians, who have since boycotted Washington's peace efforts, led by the U.S. president's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner.

The Trump administration has said it would support a two-state solution if the two sides agree.

Jerusalem is one of the major issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its capital, a claim not widely accepted internationally. The Palestinians want the citys eastern part as the capital of a future state.

The United States has also cut off aid to the Palestinians and to UNRWA - the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees -- and has ordered the Palestine Liberation Organizations office in Washington shut, further angering Palestinian leaders.

Macron said Paris had unwavering friendship toward Israel, but called on Israel to end policies that undermined the possibility of a peace agreement.

"Continuing this path would be a mistake," he said.

French and European officials acknowledge they have little room to maneuver on the Middle East peace process.

However, in talks with Trump, Macron on Monday told the U.S. president that his policy of putting all the pressure on the Palestinians was not tenable and a solution had to be found, a French presidential source said.

The source said Trump had said he agreed that there needed to be progress and he would act quickly, the source said.

Macron's comments were echoed by Jordan's King Abdullah.

"There is no such thing as a unilateral agreement; it takes at least two parties to make an agreement. Helping the parties achieve that agreement, and work together to build a new future, deserves the strong, steady support of all our world," the king said.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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Change has never come easily to CBS News.

Even in the age when viewers get instant information on a digital device, the storied division still proudly associates itself with the tradition of journalistic TV giants Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite.

But in the last 10 months, the #MeToo movement has shaken the operation to its core. Allegations of sexual misconduct ejected Charlie Rose from his anchor role at CBS This Morning in November. The program has declined in ratings this past year after having grown steadily during his tenure.

A second blow came Sept. 12 when Jeff Fagers long run as executive producer of the newsmagazine 60 Minutes ended after he faced allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior. His departure stunned his loyal staff of producers and correspondents who saw him as a protector of the networks journalistic crown jewel.

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Adding to the unease in the news division is the tumultuous exit of CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves, who resigned Sept. 9 amid his own sexual harassment scandal, handing the reins to second-in-command Joseph Ianniello.

The crisis comes after a period in which CBS News has effectively positioned itself as a place for serious journalism on TV. Tom Bettag, a former network news producer and visiting fellow at the University of Marylands Merrill School of Journalism, believes that image was cultivated by Roses presence on CBS This Morning and Fagers stewardship of 60 Minutes, which remains the most watched news program on television after 50 years.

They are losing the brand identity they have, and I dont know how they are going to get back on track, Bettag said.

Its now up to David Rhodes, the 44-year-old president of CBS News, to try to repair the damage while forging a new path. A former executive at Fox News and Bloomberg, he joined CBS News in 2011 when Fager served as chairman of the division and helped oversee the divisions current positioning as a destination for hard news and original reporting.

Unlike Fager, Rhodes did not work his way up the producer ranks at the network. A low-key strategic thinker, he is not in the mold of the larger-than-life characters who roamed the halls of the CBS Broadcast Center during its long history. He remains an enigma to some of the hidebound longtimers in the division.

But Rhodes allies, none of whom were authorized to speak on the record, said the change in the CBS executive suite could offer an opportunity to grow the news operation.

While CBS News is profitable, producers were asked to cut their budgets in recent years as cable news and the internet continue to siphon viewers.

The news divisions two daily programs  CBS This Morning and CBS Evening News  have run behind their broadcast competition on ABC and NBC for years. But 60 Minutes is still a top 10 prime-time performer. CBS Sunday Morning has a devoted following that makes it the most watched morning program on TV. While not a big money maker, the division remains vital to the CBS brand.

Rhodes would like to build on that legacy, and he received some encouragement from Ianniello, who visited CBS News headquarters in Manhattan on Sept. 14. The interim boss said the news division will be included in his plan to boost investment in content, according to two people at the meeting. (A representative for Ianniello declined to comment.)

One network associate of Rhodes said the executive has long been frustrated by the lack of investment in CBS News. The division does not have the revenue that cable news networks generate from subscriber fees. Better-funded competitors such as NBC  part of media conglomerate Comcast  have taken stakes in digital media properties such as BuzzFeed, Snapchat and Vox in order to reach younger news consumers who dont watch television.

Joe talked about investing to give us what we need and get out of our way, the associate said. David is more optimistic than he was under Les.

Rhodes has attempted to push CBS News into the digital future with its 24-hour streaming network CBSN, which launched in 2014 and is profitable. It also reaches an audience that is younger than the traditional TV news viewer, but does not have the influence of cable channels such as CNN, Fox News Channel or MSNBC.

Pressure to contain costs has also given CBS News a reputation for holding down talent salaries, angering agents. During negotiations, they would bring up the compensation of Moonves, who earned $70 million a year, according to one former CBS News executive.

Rhodes, who declined to be interviewed, is charged with keeping CBS News profitable while maintaining its standards and managing its talent.

But his goals were not always in sync with Moonves, such as the handling of Roses future before misconduct allegations surfaced.

CBS News executives had begun discussions about naming a successor to him in 2017 before the Washington Post reported that the veteran journalist had been accused of sexually harassing women who worked for his PBS talk show.

Earlier that year, Rose, then 75, underwent heart surgery. He appeared tired on the air on some mornings but refused to slow down, often flying to locations overseas on the weekend to conduct interviews.

CBS News executives wanted Rose to announce in early 2018 that he would leave later in the year, giving them enough time to have his successor appear on the program as a fill-in.

But while those plans were gestating, Moonves was in negotiations with Roses friend and representative David Geffen on a new two-year extension that would have raised the anchors salary $1 million to $5 million a year, said a person familiar with the talks.

The deal was not finalized before Rhodes fired Rose on Nov. 21, a swift dismissal intended to demonstrate that CBS News was serious about changing its workplace culture. An outside law firm continues to conduct an investigation into the company and the news division regarding harassment allegations.

Now Rhodes has to deal with the fallout from Roses departure.

The gravitas projected by Rose, even on his bad days, signaled to viewers that CBS This Morning was a substantive news alternative to NBCs Today and ABCs Good Morning America. Alongside co-anchors Gayle King and Norah ODonnell, the CBS program saw its audience grow in its first five seasons starting in 2012.

The programs ratings momentum stopped after Rose left. In the 2017-18 TV season that ends this week, CBS This Morning will finish with an average of 3.3 million viewers, down 7% from the previous year. (ABCs Good Morning America and NBCs Today were down as well.)

Morning shows are the biggest profit drivers for network news. Even in third place, CBS This Morning is still the most lucrative program for CBS News, earning $90 million a year.

Rhodes moved John Dickerson, the well-respected moderator of CBS top-rated Sunday public affairs show Face the Nation, to join King and ODonnell in the morning in January. But research conducted by CBS shows that 25% of the CBS This Morning viewers were tuning in for Rose and have been leaving because hes no longer there.

Anchor transitions are the toughest part of running a news division, and CBS has a mixed record under Rhodes. The hand-off from longtime CBS Sunday Morning host Charles Osgood to former Today star Jane Pauley worked flawlessly. The move of Jeff Glor to the CBS Evening News  six months after Scott Pelley abruptly departed in June 2017 to be at 60 Minutes full time  has been far less successful, as the broadcast has fallen deeper into third place behind ABC and CBS.

But the toughest task for Rhodes is naming a replacement for Fager, who fiercely protected the independence of 60 Minutes just as his predecessor, Don Hewitt, did. CBS News executives have wanted 60 Minutes to be more integrated into the rest of the news operation.

They have to right the ship, especially at 60 Minutes, which has been the centerpiece for so many decades now, said Betsy West, a former CBS News executive who is now a professor at Columbia Journalism School. It still does serious, in-depth reporting, the kind of reporting we could use more of these days.

Fager  who reported directly to Moonves  fought to preserve the broadcast as a self-contained operation, which has served it well. The program continues to score major awards for its reporting. While its profits arent at the monstrous levels they were in the 1990s, it still nets $75 million to 80 million a year.

Fager was dismissed because of a threatening text he sent to CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan during her reporting on misconduct allegations against him. Since then, Rhodes has been meeting with 60 Minutes personnel to assure them that the high journalistic values of the program will be maintained.

Bettag believes 60 Minutes would be best served by a leader who is already known and respected in the news division. Susan Zirinsky, a veteran producer who oversees the true crime newsmagazine 48 Hours, is considered a leading candidate. Bill Owens, the executive editor of 60 Minutes who has taken over in Fagers absence, is also considered a top contender favored by veteran staffers.

If they pick somebody who is experienced, such as Zirinsky, you dont have to worry for a second, said Bettag, who once worked with her at CBS News. She is a strong woman who will stand up for her operation and is a great newswoman. If they pick an unknown, then you have to wonder.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglioThe U.S. is moving forward on its bilateral trade deal with Mexico even if Canada is left out because negotiators cant resolve their sharp differences over dairy and a dispute resolution system, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said.

The Trump administration soon plans to present to Congress a text of the U.S.-Mexico trade agreement that was announced last month to revise portions of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Lighthizer said at an event in New York on Tuesday. The timeline is important because current Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto wants to sign the deal before hes succeeded by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in December, Lighthizer said.

Under a U.S. legal process known as Trade Promotion Authority that was invoked to revamp NAFTA, American lawmakers need to review the text of the agreement 60 days before President Trump can sign it.

Lighthizer said the timetable for the new deal was set up so Pena Nieto can approve it before he leaves office Nov. 30  an arrangement thats acceptable to Lopez Obrador.

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If we push it beyond that date, then we have a new negotiation with Lopez Obrador, and we dont know where that would go at all, Lighthizer said. It would be unfair to all the people that have been involved  certainly the U.S. workers, farmers and ranchers  to start a new negotiation with a new president of Mexico.

The U.S. and Canada are at odds over anti-dumping dispute panels contained under Chapter 19 of the current deal, which the U.S. wants to remove and Canada wants to keep. Another sticking point is Canadas protected dairy industry, which isnt in the current deal but where the U.S. wants concessions.

Whether Congress will pass a deal that doesnt include Canada remains unclear. Although some lawmakers have ratcheted up pressure on Canada to sign, others such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) have said the Trump administration should reach a trilateral deal. Some have warned that U.S. trade law wont allow a Nov. 30 vote on a U.S.-Mexico deal, because the Trump administration began the process seeking a trilateral one.The Trump administration appears ready to go to the mat for chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide that has been linked to developmental disorders in children whose mothers were exposed to it during pregnancy.

The Justice Department filed an appeal on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, saying the San Francisco-based U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals erred when it reinstated an Obama-era ban on the chemical. The appeal asks the court to allow a full panel of 22 judges to reconsider the case.

A rejection by the appeals court would leave the administration with one final attempt to keep the chemical on the market  the Supreme Court.

Scott Pruitt, then the newly approved director of the federal EPA, overturned the ban in March 2017, in what was widely seen as a bellwether move for an administration that had promised less regulation to its agribusiness supporters.

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In August, however, an appeals court called Pruitts actions improper and reinstated the ban.

Chlorpyrifos is the most widely used pesticide in agriculture. The agriculture and chemical industries pushed hard to keep it available for more than 60 crops, including grapes, citrus fruit, almonds, walnuts, alfalfa and cotton. California growers apply about 900,000 pounds of the organophosphate compound, which attacks the nervous system, on about 640,000 acres, according to the state Department of Pesticide Regulation.

The department said use has declined steeply from more than a decade ago. Growers have struggled to find a replacement. They have switched to more pest-resistant crop varieties and tried alternative ways to control pests, including disruption of their mating cycles.

The original ban, enacted in November 2015, was the result of pressure from lawsuits brought by environmental groups. Those groups cited studies that linked the nerve-agent chemical to enduring intellectual deficits in children born to mothers who were exposed to the pesticide during pregnancy.

The court said the EPA had violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The laws require the EPA to ban a pesticide from use on food unless there is reasonable certainty that it will cause no harm, the court said.

The EPA has never made any such determination and, indeed, has itself long questioned the safety of permitting chlorpyrifos to be used within the allowed tolerances, New York District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who was filling in on the 9th Circuit, wrote for the panel in August.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue disagreed Monday, saying the decision to ban the chemical was based on a misunderstanding of both the available scientific information and EPAs pesticide regulatory system.

Environmentalists vowed to continue their opposition to chlorpyrifos.

The Trump administration is shameless in its refusal to ban this dangerous chemical that is poisoning our childrens brains, said Erik Olson, senior director of health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the environmental groups that originally petitioned the EPA to ban the chemical in 2007.

Earlier this month, Californias Department of Pesticide Regulation proposed listing chlorpyrifos as a toxic air contaminant, which would bring tighter rules on its use in the state.

geoffrey.mohan@latimes.com

Follow me: @LATgeoffmohanA federal appeals court Tuesday ruled that Uber can force its drivers into individual arbitration over pay and benefit disputes, voiding an effort by thousands of drivers to join in a class-action suit against the ride-hailing company.

The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco overturned a lower-court order that had certified the drivers class-action effort.

In the ruling Tuesday, U.S. Circuit Court Judge Richard R. Clifton cited a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision in May that employers could enforce so-called arbitration agreements that require workers to give up the ability to collectively pursue claims that they were shortchanged or treated unfairly.

Uber said in a statement that it was pleased with the courts decision.

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But the legal dispute over how workers are classified in the so-called gig economy is complex and Tuesdays decision might not be the end.

In addition to a potential appeal, the California Supreme Court weighed in this spring with a ruling that made it harder for employers to classify their workers as independent contractors. That state ruling doesnt directly affect the case but could be a factor if Uber drivers in California take their cases to arbitration.

Current and former Uber drivers had filed suits starting in 2013 against the San Francisco company, saying it had misclassified them as independent contractors instead of employees. The classification means that drivers are responsible for their own work-related expenses such as gas, car repairs and insurance.

The drivers wanted to join together to sue Uber over the classification. But Uber said that they had to pursue their claims separately in individual arbitration cases. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco certified the class-action effort in 2015.

Shannon Liss-Riordan, a lawyer for the drivers, said that Tuesdays decision was expected given the earlier Supreme Court ruling and that the drivers were considering an appeal to the full 9th Circuit.

In the meantime, she said they were urging Uber drivers nationwide who want to pursue claims against the company to contact us immediately to sign up for individual arbitration.

Thousands of drivers have already signed up for individual arbitration, she said in an emailed statement. If Uber wants to resolve these disputes one by one, we are ready to do that  one by one.

Eve Wagner, a mediator and arbitrator who has practiced employment law for 30 years, called the 9th Circuit decision a staggering blow to the drivers and their lawyers.

It is much easier to have a class action than to have thousands of individual arbitrations, she said, adding that some drivers who were part of the class may simply decide not to pursue the claims.

In a class action, most of the work is done by a few workers who represent the class. Now individuals will have to take a more proactive role if they want to press their claims, she said.

The California Supreme Court ruling in April said that in order to classify a worker as an independent contractor, businesses must show that the worker is free from the control and direction of the employer; performs work that is outside the hirers core business; and customarily engages in an independently established trade, occupation or business.

But that ruling applied to issues such as minimum wage, overtime and rest breaks. It does not apply to the work-related expense disputes at the heart of the federal case.

Once those cases go to arbitration, the drivers can cite the California Supreme Court decision, legal experts said. The California ruling applies only to workers who live in the state, Wagner said. Workers in other states would be governed by laws there, in addition to federal law.

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

Twitter: @JimPuzzanghera

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan

UPDATES:

3:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information about the effect of the California Supreme Court decision on arbitration cases.

This article originally was published at 1 p.m.The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold a hearing Wednesday on Examining Safeguards for Consumer Data Privacy, intended as an opportunity for lawmakers to learn about possible approaches to safeguarding privacy more effectively.

Thats great except for two small things.

No consumers were invited to speak on safeguarding consumer data privacy.

No consumer advocates were invited to speak on safeguarding consumer data privacy.

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Who was invited? That would be representatives of some of the countrys biggest tech and telecom companies  businesses that have a highly vested interest in collecting and exploiting as much consumer data as they can get their mitts on.

If the purpose of the hearing is to educate lawmakers, youd want a diverse set of voices, said Ernesto Falcon, legislative counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a privacy-rights advocacy group. Thats not happening.

Whats on tap instead, he told me, is allowing industry to define what would make a good privacy law.

Witnesses scheduled to address lawmakers Wednesday include senior officials from AT&T, Amazon, Google, Twitter, Apple and Charter Communications.

Each one of these companies relies on consumer data for a significant portion of its revenue, either as the foundation of marketing efforts or as a commodity to be sold to others.

A likely upshot of the hearing, Falcon said, is that each company will make the case for why a federal data-privacy law should preempt state laws. And theres a good reason for that.

Theyre terrified of a landmark privacy law passed by California in June and set to take effect at the beginning of 2020.

The California Consumer Privacy Act  AB 375  provides state residents with sweeping rights, including the ability to find out what kinds of information a business has collected and what it plans to do with it.

It allows consumers to request that a company delete any personal information it holds, to be able to opt out of the sale of such info and to sue if reasonable security practices arent maintained to prevent data breaches.

The law also defines personal information as broadly as possible to encompass personal identifiers, biometric data, internet browsing history, location and any inferences a business might make based on a consumers digital footprint.

The California statute represents a huge shift in the balance of marketing power, recognizing that consumers have a right to control what companies know about them and what they do with all that information.

The law doesnt go as far as recently enacted European privacy rules, but its still the toughest, most consumer-friendly privacy regulation ever adopted in this country.

What well likely see Wednesday, therefore, is Big Data telling lawmakers that they feel consumers need to be better protected and that they benevolently support federal safeguards to accomplish this.

What theyll really be saying, though, is that they want Congress to adopt rules that are far less stringent than what California has passed, and they want the federal rules to trump anything imposed by states.

We dont know what this committee was thinking when it decided it was a good idea to hear only from powerful tech interests that are fighting against real privacy laws, said Ed Mierzwinski, senior director of the federal consumer program for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

Sure, there are minor differences in their individual messages, but none of them represent consumers or citizens, and as a group would welcome a terrible federal law that lets them do what they want to collect, analyze, use and sell our information, he said.

Theyd be happy to make state privacy leadership obsolete.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the committee, said in a statement that consumers deserve clear answers and standards on data privacy protection.

This hearing will provide leading technology companies and internet service providers an opportunity to explain their approaches to privacy, how they plan to address new requirements from the European Union and California, and what Congress can do to promote clear privacy expectations without hurting innovation, he said.

Thats fine and dandy, but doesnt Congress want to know what consumers and consumer privacy experts have to say?

Frederick Hill, a committee spokesman, said that we expect there will be opportunities for other voices at future hearings on privacy.

Cool. When will those hearings be held?

No additional hearings are scheduled, Hill replied.

I contacted each of the companies set to testify this week. I asked what points they hoped to get across to lawmakers, how they felt about Californias privacy law and what theyre looking for in a possible federal law.

I didnt learn much.

AT&T said it has long supported federal legislation to protect consumer privacy through a clear and consistent set of safeguards that apply equally to all platforms. Google said it has long been supportive of thoughtful privacy legislation that both protects consumers and encourages all businesses to continue innovating.

The other companies either declined to comment or ignored my questions.

Falcon at the Electronic Frontier Foundation said a congressional hearing isnt a venue for spirited debate. However, its important to have informed participants who can prevent lawmakers from being misled.

If you dont have witnesses that are able to point to assertions that are misleading, then those misleading assertions are the ones that will sink into the heads of senators, he said.

If nothing else, heres what lawmakers need to keep in mind: The federal government can and should set regulatory base lines for businesses. But states  as conservatives keep telling us  know their citizens best and should have the last word.

Enact a federal privacy law. Please.

But make it clear that any such law will be superseded by stronger provisions at the state level.

Because Republicans believe in states rights.

Right?

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.As Facebook Inc.s hottest property, Instagram appeared like one of its users carefully curated photos: trendy, attractive and spectacularly happy.

The resignations Monday of the photo-sharing apps co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger show that, like on many social media posts, things arent so perfect beneath the surface.

The pair reportedly decided to step down because of growing tension with Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive, over the direction of Instagram.

Zuckerberg wanted the app to prioritize boosting revenue, knowing that Facebook was reaching a saturation point and could not sustain its high growth rates, analysts said.

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That did not sit well with Systrom and Krieger, who founded Instagram in 2010 and sold it to Facebook in 2012 for $1 billion  a then-shocking amount that now looks like a bargain after Facebook bought WhatsApp two years later for $22 billion.

One of the reasons the founders left is because Facebook has been forcing them to modify the site to maximize revenue for the last several years, and they feel dictated to rather than in complete control, said Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush Securities. Thats the selling entrepreneurs lament: if you take the money, you answer to a new boss.

Facebook did not respond to questions about the tension. Systrom, who had been Instagrams chief executive, and Krieger, who was the companys director of engineering, could not be reached for comment.

In a prepared statement, the founders said they were ready for [their] next chapter and were grateful for the six years they spent at Facebook.

Were planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again, Systrom said. Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs; thats what we plan to do.

In a separate statement, Zuckerberg praised the founders.

Kevin and Mike are extraordinary product leaders and Instagram reflects their combined creative talents, he said. I wish them all the best and Im looking forward to seeing what they build next.

With the founders gone, Zuckerberg now has nothing in his way to shape an app thats become a cultural phenomenon by creating an ecosystem of highly polished influencers and inspiring legions of users to embrace exhibitionism.

Whether Zuckerbergs free rein is a good thing or not depends on how seriously one weighs Facebooks string of missteps the last two years. Among them: Downplaying fake news and foreign meddling, and failing to protect user data in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Those controversies have cast doubts regarding the companys leadership, despite heady financial numbers that show Facebook generated more than $40 billion in revenue last year.

Investors seemed largely unbothered by the Instagram news, with shares of Facebook closing down Tuesday less than half a percent at $164.91. Still, the stock has shrunk nearly 25% since Facebooks second-quarter earnings call-in when executives explained company growth would slow in the coming years.

Some experts say Zuckerberg deserves more credit for Instagrams sharp growth. The app, which had 13 employees when Facebook bought it, now has a billion monthly users, 200,000 more than it did a year ago. Instagram could not have done it without access to Facebooks resources.

The whole idea of joining Facebook was that we could scale way more quickly than we would independently, Systrom told the Wall Street Journal Magazine in an interview conducted before he announced his resignation.

Instagram is projected to bring in $20 billion in revenue by 2020, equal to about a quarter of Facebooks total revenue, according to Ken Sena, an analyst at Wells Fargo Securities.

Theres a little overreaction to these two gentlemen leaving Instagram, said Jason Schloetzer, a professor at Georgetown Universitys McDonough School of Business. Theyre obviously important as founders of the Instagram concept, but Facebook has been able to digest what Instagram does and how it works since acquiring it. Facebook is more than capable of finding people internally who can competently operate the company after the founders departure.

Adam Mosseri, who used to head Facebooks news feed, was named Instagrams head of product earlier this year and appears to be a top candidate to run the company, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

Founders departing is nothing new in the tech industry. Apple and Microsoft have both continued to thrive without Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, namely because the companies had already matured.

Kevin and Mike are unquestionably the creative forces behind what made Instagram what it is today, said Steve Anderson, founder of Baseline Ventures and one of Instagrams seed investors in 2010, though today, Instagram could be considered mature and able for new talent to further its enormous success.

david.pierson@latimes.com | Follow me @dhpierson

UPDATES:

1:15 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional details and analysis, and with Facebooks closing stock price.

9:20 a.m. Sept. 25: This article was updated with more background, a statement from Mark Zuckerberg and comments from analysts.

This article was originally published at 8:50 p.m. Sept. 24The Getty Research Institute announced Tuesday the creation of an African American Art History Initiative with the acquisition of the archives of Los Angeles assemblage artist Betye Saar.

The initiative, which launched with a $5-million endowment, aims to establish the Getty as a primary center of scholarship, research and education for African American art and as a model for like-minded endeavors in the field.

Its taken a long, long time for the art world in general to figure out that there are African American artists, said Saar, 92, over the phone from her studio. Fifty years ago, we didnt have the kind of recognition we have today, and it still has a long way to go.

The Getty initiative, however, signals some real advancement, Saar said.

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RELATED: For Betye Saar, theres no dwelling on the past; the almost-90-year-old artist has too much future to think about 

The programs mandate includes acquiring archives; the appointment of a curator and bibliographer in African American Art History; annual research fellowships; a plan to conduct oral histories of notable African American artists, scholars, critics, collectors and art dealers; and institutional partnerships with the goal of digitizing existing archival collections and collaborating on joint conferences, publications and research projects.

Its not about building these things at the Getty for the sake of the Getty; its about building these things for the sake of the community, said James Cuno, president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust. Weve got the experience and resources for building up a rich archive to advance our greater understanding of African American art in our history.

Its taken a long, long time for the art world in general to figure out that there are African American artists. Betye Saar

Kicking off the initiative with the acquisition of Saars archive is a promising start to accomplishing those goals, said Sophia Belsheim, deputy director of the Leimert Park-based gallery and social services organization Art + Practice, which was co-founded by artist Mark Bradford.

A+P is one of the groups that the Getty initiative plans to collaborate with. Belsheim doesnt know what form that collaboration might take yet but says that public exhibitions will likely be a key part of it and that shed love to start with Saars work.

Its always so exciting to see artists who have had these very long careers be recognized while theyre still alive, Belsheim says of Saar. She is phenomenal. Im a huge fan.

REVIEW: Betye Saars gun-totin mammies turn stereotype into power at the Craft & Folk Art Museum 

Saar said that she was in talks with the Getty about her archives for quite some time before they brought up the idea of an African American art history initiative. She toured their archive and research facilities and was hugely impressed with the level of care and efficiency she saw. For her, it was a relief to know that her extensive personal collection of journals, art and general life ephemera would be kept in a place where her grandchildren could one day come to see it.

Betye Saar in her Los Angeles studio, 2015. (Ashley Walker / Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles)

Saars archive spans her entire life, beginning in 1926 through the present day, and catalogs the groundbreaking work she did in the 1960s and 70s when she was a part of a vibrant arts scene in Los Angeles. She used found objects in conjunction with her own drawings, prints and etchings to create powerful assemblages, often with potent political messages.

One such piece is The Liberation of Aunt Jemima (1972), which re-imagined the derogatory female back figurine from the popular pancake brand as a symbol of black power, complete with a rifle and raised fist.

When youre 92, it takes a lot to get you excited. I paid my dues, and now, Im reaping the rewards, Saar said with a laugh. Im very happy that anybody can go [to the GRI] to discover my work, not just the art community. Its my contribution.

To help shepherd that contribution and those to follow, the GRI has recruited MacArthur Fellow and African American art scholar Kellie Jones as a senior consultant. Jones books include South of Pico: African American Artists in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s and Now Dig This: Art and Black Los Angeles 1960-1980, published as a companion to an exhibition by the same name in the 2011 Getty-funded Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles Art 1945-1980.

Additional institutional collaborations include the UC Berkeley Oral History Center, the California African American Museum and the Studio Museum in Harlem, as well as a variety of historically black colleges and universities such as Spelman College in Atlanta.

The really important thing is we can do this, but we cant do it alone  we need partners and need resources to fund this, said Cuno, adding that as word spreads about the initiative and the many programs get rolling, the GRI will continue to forge valuable relationships across the country. At the Getty we are devoted to  and rooted in  building up research and promoting scholarship.

jessica.gelt@latimes.com

@jessicageltDrag queens. Comics. College kids, hoping to immerse themselves in Hollywood, if only for the night. An eclectic group descended upon the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on Monday for the L.A. premiere of A Star Is Born.

Steven Spielberg, hand in hand with his wife Kate Capshaw, navigated the crowds that gathered just outside the USC Shoah Foundation he founded. This Is Us actress Chrissy Metz was smiling wide at the premiere, hours before her own (Season 3 of the NBC series debuts Tuesday).

Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw (Emma McIntyre / Getty Images)

It was fitting for the event to render such a wide variety of attendees. The film itself has been generating steady awards buzz since debuting at the Venice Film Festival last month and features a mix of industry talent. The movie marks Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Coopers directorial debut. Hes billed as one of the writers and also stars alongside pop superstar turned Golden Globe-winning actress Lady Gaga (nee Stefani Germanotta).

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Referring to himself as a friend of Bradley and Stefani, even Jerry Seinfeld made an appearance. But the comedy legend teased that his so-called pals should not expect an invitation to his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee anytime soon. You gotta be a comedian to get that job.

But if there was one theme that stood out most Monday night, it was the power of career transitions.

It looks like the pigeon-hole days are over, comedian and actor Eddie Griffin, who plays a pastor in the film, summed it up best. Hes juggling promotion of this drama with the Eddie Griffin Experience comedy tour in Las Vegas.

Comedians dont have to just stay in comedy clubs. Actors dont have to just stay acting. They can actually get behind the camera, Griffin asserted. Times are changing, and people are expressing themselves fully, 360 degrees.

Jerry Seinfeld (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images)

Seinfeld couldnt agree more. Weve always known [Cooper] as a funny guy, charming actor. Now we can see the larger, creative force. Then, he confidently made a prediction: I think this is going to happen. Hes going to become a great director. Shes going to become an actress.

As someone who made his own shift from stand-up comedian to Golden Globe-winning actor, perhaps Seinfeld sees himself in some of the comics demonstrating their acting chops in the film. Along with Griffin, A Star Is Born features funnymen Dave Chappelle as a friend to Coopers country superstar Jackson and Andrew Dice Clay as the father of Gagas insecure ingenue Ally. The latter even previewed 20 minutes of his new comedy material on the set, recalls co-star Michael Harney (Orange Is the New Black). I was crying, I was laughing so hard, Harney told The Times.

When A Star Is Born hits U.S. theaters Oct. 5, it will also showcase musicians and drag queens pivoting from the stage to the big screen for the first time. Dennis Tong said the opportunity still feels like a ridiculous dream. We meet Tong and other drag actors, including RuPauls Drag Race alumni Shangela Laquifa Wadley and Willam Belli, in a drag bar scene. Thats where Jackson first meets Ally. The leading lady supported the inclusion of the drag moment, for which Tong and Belli are especially grateful.

Dennis Tong and Willam Belli (Neilson Barnard / Getty Images)

Growing up, it was kind of hard to embrace this, Tong gestured to his intricate makeup, hair and nylon dress. Youre taught as a guy to be this way, this masculine ... to actually be able to do this and be celebrated and be part of a movie is just incredible.

Anytime theres drag, its a good thing, Belli added. Its mainly people that arent afraid to step outside the box, and thats very Gaga.

If stepping outside the box is very Gaga, then thinking outside the box is very Cooper. The director scouted for musicians to include in the film at small L.A. venues, like the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Thats where he found New Zealander Marlon Williams, after hearing about the show on the local radio station KCRW. Williams didnt hesitate to play himself in the film. It was so wild and so crazy an opportunity to pass up. Its a mad world.

Bradley Cooper (Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic)

The soundtrack also features Lukas Nelson and Diane Warren collaborations. Cooper met Nelson at Desert Trip in 2016, a festival that takes place in the same Indio, Calif., venue later used in the movie. Warren previously worked with Gaga on the song Till It Happens to You, which scored a 2016 Oscar nomination. She says she had her fingers crossed then for an Oscar win. Maybe she and the team will get lucky and take home the gold this year.

But speaking with reporters, Cooper made it clear he does not care to keep up with the awards season talk or reviews, even when theyre positive. Hes just happy to hear that moviegoers are seeing the movie the way that I wanted them to. Thats all you can hope for.

As for Gaga, she just smirked and timidly shook her head as reporters posed the Oscar question. Yet draped in a Givenchy dress and a matching cloak, she presented herself with conviction as a force to be reckoned with and a true star thats just been born.

Read More: Lady Gaga on letting go for A Star Is Born and what Bradley Cooper insisted she do before filming Like more than a few documentaries  even though it is unlike perhaps any documentary youve seen recently  Bisbee 17 features a dramatic reenactment. The events being depicted occurred July 12, 1917, at the height of a bitter labor dispute that pitted mining companies against their workers in the copper-rich town of Bisbee, Ariz. A sheriff and his 2,000-strong posse rounded up around 1,200 striking miners and their supporters at gunpoint, forced them into railway cars and abandoned them 200 miles away in New Mexico, warning them they would be killed if they ever dared return to Bisbee.

The reenactment, planned to commemorate the centennial of what became known as the Bisbee Deportation, is impressive in its scale and sweep, and in the passionate commitment of its participants. Even with the distance of time and the safety net of a collaborative undertaking, it is sobering to see a tragedy restaged in such meticulous detail. (When its over, the actors exchange friendly chuckles and back pats with a palpable sense of relief.)

But the quality of the production is largely beside the point. Robert Greene, the director of this remarkable new documentary, may be fascinated by the historical pageantry, but he doesnt want us to get passively swept up in what were seeing. He has spent much of his career blurring the lines between filmed performance and lived experience, something he did to artful, brainteasing effect in Actress (2014) and Kate Plays Christine (2016), both portraits of professional performers testing the limits of an especially challenging role.

Although the scope of his investigation is broader in Bisbee 17, the director once again opens an eerie, liminal space between reality and its representation, in which minds as curious as his own are free to wander. He turns a reconstruction into a deconstruction, inviting participants and viewers alike to feel the tension of uncertainty, the weight of the past bearing down on the present. By the time we see the men and women of Bisbee stepping into their assigned roles  marching or being marched grimly through the streets in period garb, shouting angrily at each other through the slats of a boxcar  we have gotten to know several of them and heard their thoughts about the tragedy that has marred their towns legacy.

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One of the pleasurable discoveries of this continually surprising movie is that artifice can be the most direct route to the truth.

It should come as little surprise that those thoughts are often complicated ones. Some residents, whose families have lived in Bisbee for generations, echo the rationale once trotted out by the mining companies, offering a sad reminder that history is written by the victors. Those who enforced the deportation at the time said they were preempting an inevitable bloodbath, and accused the Industrial Workers of the World (which organized the strike) of fronting for terrorism, anarchy and obstruction: The U.S. had just entered World War I, after all, and copper was essential to the effort.

For all its teasing intellectual layers, Bisbee 17 is fairly unambiguous about where it stands. Its most persuasive arguments frame the conflict as a case of human rights being devoured by an unholy maw of rapacious capitalism and undisguised xenophobia. One interviewee suggests that the deported strikers, many of whom were of Mexican and Eastern European descent, were victims of an ethnic cleansing. Among the deportees strongest sympathizers is a local artist, Laurie McKenna, who is shown working tirelessly on an installation to honor them. Others are more conflicted, among them the descendants of Edward Leslie Cook, who found himself in the extraordinary position of arresting and deporting his own brother, Archie.

The most moving arc belongs to a young man named Fernando Serrano, whom we see trying to reconcile his role in the reenactment  he plays a striking miner  with his own experience of having seen his mother deported to Mexico when he was 7. Greene doesnt milk Serranos story for tears, though if he did, you suspect he would immediately and explicitly implicate himself for doing just that. The director never wants you to forget that youre watching a movie, an intellectual and aesthetic construct whose fastidious design  from the dissonant strings of Keegan DeWitts score to the eerie, deliberate framing of Jarred Altermans cinematography  always keeps the viewer slightly off-balance.

Greene frames his subjects with sly formal detachment, often keeping them at a visual distance and letting the camera run for several moments before or after someone has spoken. Elsewhere, when hes in an even more form-busting mood, he embraces the theatrical possibilities of the pageant itself, filming his subjects as they perform musical numbers drawn from the historical material.

If that makes Bisbee 17 sound like a curious, hyper-alliterative fusion of Bertolt Brecht and Busby Berkeley, its experimentation never feels forced or alienating. On the contrary, one of the pleasurable discoveries of this continually surprising movie is that artifice can be the most direct route to the truth. Thats especially the case here, perhaps, given that the issues raised remain as urgent and upsetting in the present as they were 100 years ago. The lesson of Bisbee 17, signaled by that sly apostrophe in its title, is that the past is never really past. Greene has made a hard movie to argue with, even as he invites you to do exactly that.

------------

Bisbee 17

(Not rated)

(In English, Spanish dialogue with English subtitles)

Running time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Playing: Laemmles Playhouse 7, Pasadena, and Laemmles Monica Film Center, Santa Monica

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

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justin.chang@latimes.com

@JustinCChangIranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday criticized Washington for its hostile policy toward his country and said the U.S. approach was doomed to failure.

Rouhani, in a speech to the United Nation General Assembly, said the United States had waged "economic war" against Iran by reimposing unilateral sanctions, which were lifted under the country's 2015 multinational nuclear deal in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear work.

"The United States policy vis-a-vis the Islamic Republic of Iran has been wrong from the beginning, and its approach of resisting the wishes of the Iranian people as manifested in numerous elections is doomed to failure," Rouhani said.

President Donald Trump pulled the United States from the pact in May and his administration reimposed sanctions on Iran in August. Harsher sanctions on Iran's oil and banking sector are expected in November.

"The economic war that the United States has initiated under the rubric of new sanctions not only targets the Iranian people but also entails harmful repercussions for the people of other countries, and that war has caused a disruption in the state of global trade," Rouhani said.

"What Iran says is clear: no war, no sanctions, no threats, no bullying; just acting according to the law and the fulfillment of obligations."

Mounting pressure from the Trump administration combined with discontent among many Iranians at the state of the economy are rattling the Islamic Republic, with little sign that its leaders have the answers, officials and analysts say.

The rial has lost 40 per cent of its value against the U.S. dollar since April and Iran has blamed U.S. sanctions for the currency's fall, saying the measures amount to a political, psychological and economic war on Tehran.

To pile on the pain, Washington says all countries must end crude imports from Iran by Nov. 4, hitting the oil sales that generate 60 percent of the countrys income. Iran says this level of cuts will never happen.

Trump, in his annual U.N. speech, said he would keep up economic pressure on Tehran to try to force a change in its behavior. But Rouhani said Iran had no intention of succumbing to the U.S. pressure.

"The United States understanding of international relations is authoritarian ... Its understanding of power, not of legal and legitimate authority, is reflected in bullying and imposition," Rouhani said.

"No state and nation can be brought to the negotiating table by force."

Rouhani also said Iran believed in setting up a collective mechanism for the Persian Gulf with the presence and participation of all regional countries.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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Nick Jones, a former writer for Netflixs GLOW, says that he is ashamed of domestic violence allegations that resulted in him leaving the Emmy-nominated series.

In a statement issued Monday evening on Twitter, Jones broke his silence and admitted that during a toxic relationship last year, he struck his girlfriend at the time. The fallout led to his departure from the comedy several months ago.

He also publicly apologized to the woman, who has remained anonymous but whose identity The Times has confirmed, and to the GLOW team for being pulled into the subsequent maelstrom.

My former colleagues should bear no brunt of any outrage, Jones wrote. I was proud of my conduct and my life up until this point, both as a professional, and a human being. It is because of my values and not despite them that I am so deeply ashamed. I know I have a lot of work to do, and Im doing it.

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I am sorry for the hurt I have caused. To my now ex, and to anyone else who has been affected, he added.

Jones apology came after GLOW executive producer Jenji Kohan responded Monday to teeming online criticism of the show  on the same day that many in Hollywood and beyond walked out in support of women accusing U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

Jones ex-girlfriend, an actress who has asked to maintain her anonymity, told The Times that there were several instances of abuse during their year-and-a-half relationship.

Jones ex alleged that after a verbal argument, Jones was angered and punched her in the face in September 2017, an incident described in a November police report that she filed after alleging a second assault. The Times has obtained a copy of that report.

A representative for Jones directed The Times to Jones statement on Twitter on Monday. On Tuesday, his rep did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment.

After filing the report, the actress contacted GLOW creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch via email detailing the allegations of domestic violence, but said she never heard back from them.

Flahive and Mensch confirmed that they received the email in January 2018, which was after Jones had wrapped on the show.

She ended her email with: If you have any questions, please let me know, but there is no obligation to reply. Which is an offer we took her up on, Flahive and Mensch said in an email to The Times on Tuesday.

The producers then spoke with Jones about the allegations and he resigned, which was detailed in Kohans public statement as well as identical statements posted to Flahive and Menschs private social media accounts.

Jones ex-girlfriend said she kept the incidents quiet because she feared for her professional career. But her friends knew about it and started posting on Instagram after Jones showed up at a few Emmys parties.

Kohan, creator of Weeds and Orange Is the New Black, said in the statement released on Instagram that during the second season of GLOW, which championed a #MeToo narrative, staff members became aware that Jones was in a toxic relationship. As the show wrapped, she said, Jones ex-girlfriend contacted them to share her side of the story, which included allegations of domestic violence.

Shortly thereafter, the executive producers addressed the situation with Nick, and he resigned from the show. He is no longer working on GLOW, Kohan said.

Representatives for Netflix also confirmed that Jones no longer worked on the show. (Season 2 began streaming in late June.)

Kohan, Flahive and Mensch also addressed criticism that Jones was representing GLOW at Emmy events (Season 1 was nominated for five awards and won one) despite staff knowing about the physical-abuse allegations by then. That criticism was leveled on Instagram over the weekend by comedian John Mulaney and writer-comic Andy Blitz, a friend of Jones ex-girlfriend.

As one of the nominees, [Nick] recently attended an Emmy party celebrating Season 1 of the show, and we took a group picture, Kohan, Flahive and Mensch wrote on Instagram. We understand how that picture might seem to normalize what he did, and we regret it.

We have consistently made clear where we stand on these issues, personally and professionally, and we are not okay with what he did, Kohan added. We remain proud of the way we run our show as a safe place for women.

Times staff writer Meg James contributed to this report.

Follow me: @NardineSaadThe Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday moved to limit the keeping of roosters in unincorporated areas, citing public complaints about noise, sanitation and illegal cockfighting.

The new policy limits the number of male birds depending on a residents property size  and it allows county officials to levy fines of $100 for those who dont comply.

It comes in response to a massive cockfighting bust in Val Verde last year involving thousands of roosters that prompted county officials to address the practice while also seeking to limit the impact the birds have on neighborhoods.

There are other quality of life issues, said Marcia Mayeda, who directs the countys animal care and control efforts, citing concerns about noise, odor and disease. We feel that this is a reasonable solution that balances the interests of rural and urban areas.

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The ordinance doesnt prevent residents from keeping egg-producing hens, but limits the number of roosters on a sliding scale. Owners of half-acre lots would be able to maintain two roosters, for example, while lots with more than five acres can have as many as 10.

Property owners who want more birds would have to pay a fee to receive a $25 animal facility license, like those issued for pet shops and groomers. Doing so would require an annual inspection in which county workers could assess the neighborhood impact based on the proximity of neighbors, sanitation and animal care.

With some exceptions, no property would be permitted to have more than 25 roosters.

The city of Los Angeles limited residents to a single rooster in 2009, and many other municipalities in the county have their own rules. Other unregulated cities now have the option of adopting the countys new ordinance, which is similar to others passed in recent years across California.

Before adopting the ordinance, the board heard from several speakers, including representatives from the Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who supported the policy in an effort to curb the blood sport of cockfighting and the cruel treatment of birds.

The board also considered what supporters of the ordinance said were crimes associated with the practice, which has prompted hundreds of calls for service in recent years to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Capt. Jeff Perry said that in addition to the calls, the department had also executed more than 35 search warrants in recent years on suspected cockfighting sites, where deputies discovered illegal drugs and weapons, examples of child endangerment and the theft of utilities.

These raids have significant costs, said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes swaths of unincorporated areas in the northern parts of the county. Theres no question in my mind that this county has to take action.

Since the Val Verde raid in May 2017  which authorities say was the largest seizure of fighting roosters in American history  county officials have held several community meetings to get input from property owners, including poultry hobbyists.

Despite lingering concerns, the effort earned support from some members of the Los Angeles Urban Chicken Enthusiasts, a group with 2,200 members.

One of its founding organizers, Laura Bonilla, said the ordinance is fair to her members, who dont support cockfighting.

Its horrible and its cruel and it is illegal, said Bonilla, who years ago moved to Riverside County to accommodate her flock, which now includes three roosters, Omar, Michael and Samy.

Another member of the group, Chris Loomis, said he appreciated the countys sensitivity to other hobbyists.

He now has only one rooster to comply with the city of L.A.s ordinance, which he said threatens his ability to maintain a genetically consistent flock if his single black Australorp rooster were to die.

Loomis also worries that the public conflates the keeping of roosters with cockfighting and other associated crimes without much concern for their owners love of the birds and way of life.

I feel like roosters get a bad rap, he said. Its part of our neighborhood soundscape. There are dogs barking and ice cream trucks and roosters crowing.

matt.stiles@latimes.com

Twitter: @stilesFor three days, an SUV was parked in front of Sunrise Elementary in Boyle Heights, with homemade posters taped onto its windows. They featured photos of teachers and administrators at a new charter school along with warnings that they lacked both experience and adequate professional credentials.

Dont trust Excelencia Charter Academy  that was the clear message, which the new charters supporters saw as nothing less than harassment.



For the record: An earlier version of this article said that enrollment in the district had increased by about 1,000 students last year. It should have said that enrollment in charter schools had increased by about 1,000 students.

For some staff members at Sunrise Elementary, however, the display was justified. The two schools are in a competition for survival that may be especially fierce because they share the same campus.

Excelencia ended up at Sunrise because of a state law that allows charter schools to use available space  at cost  on public school campuses. Dozens of local charters take advantage of this opportunity. But this gunshot marriage of competing programs can be fraught, and tensions were exacerbated here because the neighborhood is saturated with old and new public schools during a time of steadily declining enrollment in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

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It is by no means certain that both schools will attract enough students to survive, which makes some at Sunrise particularly bitter.

(Los Angeles Times)

Its not just that the nations second-largest school system is losing about 2.5% of its students a year, which added up to about 13,000 last year. Or that enrollment this fall appears to have dropped below 500,000 for the first time in decades because of a dramatic decrease in immigration as well as local residents who are aging, having fewer children or moving to more affordable areas.

The growth of independently operated charter schools like Excelencia is also a central factor; 224 charters now enroll more than 112,000 students. There are no limits on how many new charters can open, and their growth is boosted by a steady infusion of money from philanthropists.

Although some charters in the district have waiting lists, there are indications that demand may be slowing. Overall enrollment in charter schools increased relatively modestly last year, by about 1,000 students. And though Excelencia was one of 10 new charter schools to open this fall, seven charters have closed in recent months.

Enrollment at Sunrise, a traditional neighborhood school, dropped over the last five years from 463 to 374  and it was that decline that opened up classroom space for a charter to move in. Excelencia, which offers transitional kindergarten through first grade this year, seized the opportunity but began the school year with only 68 students, about half as many as it had hoped for.

Excelencia founder Ruben Alonzo said his school is needed to provide families with a high-quality alternative to local traditional public schools with low test scores. Those schools, he said, are failing students for whom education is a way out from poverty.

This is where a quality school needs to be built, he said.

Sunrise Elementary kindergarten teacher Mimi Guzman-Duncanson ends her protest vigil last month against the arrival of a charter school at her campus. Her display was meant to show the lack of experience of the charters teachers. Charter supporters called it harassment. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Sunrises student population reflects the area it serves: 90% low-income, with 40% of students learning English, according to recent state data.

Sunrise Principal Luis Barraza said schools like his are getting a bad rap from charter school recruiters and other critics, although its great that people have choices, and I know that there are a lot of choices.

Too many choices, given the departure of families from the area, he suggested: We do see now a lot more people going than coming.

L.A. Unified has tried to fight the competition by opening more of its popular dual-language programs as well as dozens of new specially focused magnet schools. The hope is that the programs will win students back from charters, though they also draw them away from other L.A. Unified schools.

Sunrise has one of the new dual-language programs, with lessons taught in English and Spanish. The school also has begun to go door to door and attend events to recruit families, as charters have done for years. Tests scores in reading and math have bumped upward, though they remain below the state average.

Sunrise also counts as a selling point the experience of its staff. The average Sunrise teacher has been in the classroom for 20 years, and three-quarters of them have masters degrees.

Excelencias head of school, Alonzo, is 29. He majored in economics at MIT and received a masters in education at Harvard. He previously worked for four years at a Texas charter school  as a teacher for half the time and assistant principal for the rest.

Ive tutored, mentored and student-taught, and studied education for over a decade, Alonzo said.

His teachers average two years experience, he said, though nearly two-thirds have masters degrees.

Sunrise kindergarten teacher Mimi Guzman-Duncanson, who is responsible for the anti-Excelencia SUV display, pointed out that most of Sunrises teachers graduated from local schools.

We are committed hometown kids who love our community, she said.

Guzman-Duncanson is angry about having to share the campus, calling charters leeches and parasites that want to destroy the host school. Shes been involved in at least eight protests  one of which drew about 80 people  and delivered a petition with 400 signatures to Excelencia, asking the school to go elsewhere.

Alonzo, for his part, originally had other plans  to launch the school in nearby East L.A., where he had been recruiting families. When he couldnt find a spot there, the district offered seven rooms in a corner of the Sunrise campus.

Alonzo lost some East L.A. families with the location switch, and has struggled to make up the difference in Boyle Heights.

One taker was Lori Atwater, who is raising her granddaughter while her daughter recovers from illness. The local L.A. Unified schools were never an option, she said, because of low test scores.

Theyre small, theyre starting and theyre eager to do well, she said of Excelencia. You can text a teacher and they call back within the hour.

Alonzo said opening a school has long been his dream. In rural Texas, where he grew up, his father worked as a public teacher during the school year and as a farmworker during the summer.

Excelencias instructional approach will stand out in part, he said, by emphasizing writing and character development and by training students to devote 100% of their attention to learning.

By last week, Alonzo was down to 59 students, with most of the departures from families moving out of the area. But he hopes to grow his school all the way up to eighth grade, which would put him in competition with another charter, KIPP L.A. Prep, which serves students in grades five to eight. That school isnt on the Sunrise campus but is right next door, across a fence from the classroom bungalows Excelencia is using.

In Sunrises ZIP Code, there are five charter schools that serve elementary students as well as nine other district-run elementary or early education campuses.

As Alonzo talked about his plans, a KIPP staff member could be heard giving a motivational talk over a loudspeaker: Im going to say: Who is going to college? And youre going to say: `I am going to college!

All the competition had Sunrise Principal Barraza worried as the school year began and the official day to count enrolled students approached. Schools with too few students often end up losing teachers and other staff. It hurt that the district transferred two small classes for disabled students, which also cost Sunrise two students who were siblings of disabled students.

Last year Barraza lost teacher Roxana Okamoto in this way because she had less seniority than other faculty members, despite 17 years in the classroom. Okamoto was able to return this year when a teacher retired.

Yesenia Gonzalez has enrolled all four of her children  ages 7 to 15  in Sunrise and kept them there even after she moved from the area. One child had reading problems, and the teacher would stay after school to help. Another child needed emotional support, and that was available too. And her older daughter has had no problem moving into a middle-school program for gifted children and taking a college course.

Her family and the school staff, she said, developed a bond: You begin to feel that this is your neighborhood and this is your school.

She was delighted to learn this year that her youngest would have Okamoto as her second-grade teacher.

Teacher Roxana Okamoto helps second-graders Damian Cortez, left, and Melody Camarena in a lesson about hurricanes at Sunrise Elementary, which is competing for students with a charter school on the same campus. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

When the enrollment was officially counted this month, Sunrise had gained six students since the start of the year  but the total of 337 was not enough.

Okamoto, the school learned, would have to be reassigned elsewhere in the district. Her students would be split up among the remaining teachers.

howard.blume@latimes.com

Twitter: @howardblumeA Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy who was shot during a scuffle with a suspect in East Los Angeles underwent surgery and is in stable condition Tuesday, authorities said.

The deputy, who has been with the department for more than 10 years, was shot in the upper torso as he struggled to get a gun away from a suspect during a traffic stop near De Garmo Drive and Meisner Street in City Terrace about 11:30 p.m. Monday, officials said.

The injured deputys partner witnessed the struggle and fatally shot the suspect, who was identified by authorities as a 42-year-old man. A 30-year-old woman and another 42-year-old man, who also were in the vehicle during the stop, were detained for questioning.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell told reporters early Tuesday that he had not been able to speak with the wounded deputy but met with his wife and his attending physician.

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Were very thankful for the outcome at this point, he said. Were optimistic about his chances for a full recovery.

California Highway Patrol officers who were monitoring radio traffic Monday night heard about the shooting, rushed to the scene and took the injured deputy to LAC+USC Medical Center, McDonnell said.

News footage from the scene showed law enforcement helping their wounded colleague into the hospital.

The events leading up to the shooting are not clear, but McDonnell said the encounter occurred when one of the vehicles passengers, who was sitting in the back seat of the car, got out and brandished a gun.

The shooting is the third involving a deputy in about a week. Last week, a gunfight in East L.A. left two sheriffs deputies wounded and a suspected gang member dead. A second deputy-involved shooting occurred in Compton earlier Monday, authorities said.

This is the third deputy-involved shooting in less than a week. In all three cases, there were tremendous acts of selflessness of putting themselves in between the threat and the communities they serve, McDonnell said.

The sheriff praised the deputies involved and emphasized the dangers they face during traffic stops, especially at night when visibility is poor.

Most times, you really dont know how many occupants are in the vehicle until youre right there and you get them to roll down the windows, he said. The deputies put themselves in harms way every time they stop a vehicle. Theyre walking into the unknown.

Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.

Im very thankful that our @LASDHQ Deps are ok & doing well. Im proud of their actions. This is the 3rd Dep Involved Shooting in less than a week. In all 3 cases there were tremendous acts of selflessness of putting themselves in between the threat & the communities they serve pic.twitter.com/c09ffJk2fj  Jim McDonnell (@LACoSheriff32) September 25, 2018

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry

UPDATES:

6:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from Sheriff Jim McDonnell.

This article was originally published at 6:25 a.m.An East Los Angeles high school teacher was charged with 18 felony counts of sexual assault Monday, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office announced.

Gina Murry, 32, is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old male student between May and June while she was a teacher at Esteban Torres High Schools Renaissance Academy.

Murry has been charged with six counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and four counts each of lewd acts upon a child, oral copulation of a person under 16 and sexual penetration by a foreign object.

She was arrested Sept. 5 at the East Los Angeles sheriffs station and released the same day on $250,000 bail, according to court records. She is expected to be arraigned Wednesday.

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If convicted, Murry faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in state prison. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Special Victims Bureau is investigating this case.

The Los Angeles Unified School District said in a statement that it is cooperating with the investigation.

Parents have been notified that Ms. Murry had been reassigned from the school, the statement read. These allegations are disturbing and undermine our continuing efforts to provide a secure learning environment for all our students.

The statement did not indicate when or where Murry was reassigned.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandraThe parents of a woman who was killed last month when a California Department of Transportation crew bulldozed a homeless encampment in Modesto have filed a wrongful death claim.

The claim, the first step in pursuing a lawsuit, seeks unspecified damages. It says the woman, Shannon Marie Bigley, was killed after being struck by Caltrans machinery that was negligently and/or recklessly operated.

Bigley, 33, was sleeping in a cardboard box in the homeless camp on Aug. 1 when a Caltrans crew began clearing the area with a bulldozer. A man who said he witnessed the incident told a reporter at the encampment that her body was smashed.

Caltrans has 50 days to respond to the claim, which was filed Saturday, before attorney Eric Khodadian can move forward with a lawsuit, he said.

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There needs to be compensation, Khodadian said. There needs to be justice.

California Highway Patrol Officer Thomas Olsen said in August the department was investigating Bigleys death, but results have not been released.

Khodadian said Bigleys family has yet to receive answers about what happened.

The family is upset because despite the accident happening over a month ago, Caltrans has not reached out to them, has not apologized, has not offered condolences, he said. Theyre hurting right now, and theyre not being provided with sufficient information to allow them to begin the healing process.

Caltrans workers have previously spoken out against the state agencys handling of homeless camp sweeps. A union representing Caltrans employees filed a formal complaint with the agency in August highlighting health and safety concerns related to the practice of cleaning up homeless encampments across the state, which employees say should not be part of their duties.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandraPresident Trump had barely begun his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday when he declared his tenure had accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country, the kind of over-the-top boast he often makes at his campaign rallies.

Around the cavernous hall, diplomats and world leaders broke into what even the official White House transcript described as laughter.

Didnt expect that reaction, but thats OK, Trump said, momentarily startled. That prompted more guffaws and applause.

Trump delivered a fiery speech here last September that raised fears of nuclear war, but many leaders appeared to view the self-praise and ominous warnings in his second U.N. address as more theater than threat. He even showed up 24 minutes late, forcing organizers to rush Ecuadors president in as a placeholder.

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The 200 or so delegations sat silently as Trump cited what he claimed as major achievements, including the U.S. pullout from the Iran nuclear accord, his refusal to sign a U.N.-backed compact for migration, the withdrawal from the U.N. Human Rights Council and his decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, all decisions that many in the world body opposed. Applause at the end was polite but muted.

As expected, Trump aimed his sharpest ire at Iran, blaming the Islamic Republic for sowing havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen, and spreading mayhem across the Middle East and beyond.

Irans leaders sow chaos, death and destruction, Trump said. They do not respect their neighbors, their borders or the sovereign rights of nations.

He urged other countries to join an economic pressure campaign against Iran, a direct challenge to the four other permanent members of the Security Council that remain committed to the Iran nuclear deal that Trump abandoned in May.

We ask all nations to isolate Irans regime as long as its aggression continues, Trump said.

The Trump administration reimposed sanctions last month targeting Irans purchase of U.S. dollars, trade in gold and its automotive sector. Potentially more damaging sanctions are set to begin in November on Irans oil and shipping sectors and its central bank.

But Trump devoted much of a somber 35-minute address to promoting his America first agenda, and its emphasis on national sovereignty in trade, security and international affairs. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism, he said.

He also outlined the argument for his disruptive approach to foreign affairs, from the Middle East to North Korea, where he has upended traditional diplomacy by discarding long-standing U.S. policies.

Americas policy of principled realism means we will not be held hostage to old dogmas, discredited ideologies, and so-called experts who have been proven wrong over the years, time and time again, he said.

Citing the dangers of illegal immigration and uncontrolled migration, Trump argued that each country should set its own policies in accordance with its national interest. The U.N. estimated about 65 million people, mostly from impoverished nations, have been dislocated due to war, persecution, environmental disasters and economic needs.

Migration should not be governed by an international body unaccountable to our own citizens, Trump said, explaining his rejection of a newly negotiated global compact on migration. Ultimately, the only long-term solution to the migration crisis is to help people build more hopeful futures in their home countries. Make their countries great again.

Trump bore down on his persistent pledge to trim and re-prioritize Americas foreign aid budget, complaining that helping poverty-stricken countries offered little benefit to U.S. interests.

The United States is the worlds largest giver in the world, by far, of foreign aid. But few give anything to us, he told the world body.

Trump said Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo would take a hard look at the State Department budget and ensure that countries receiving aid or military protection also have our interests at heart.

Moving forward, were only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends, he said.

His plan to make aid more transactional challenges, at least in part, traditional U.S. attempts to use so-called soft power to promote human rights and democracy, especially in fragile societies or those where U.S. interests are prominent. The countries that receive the most U.S. economic aid are Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Egypt.

Despite his emphasis on sovereignty, Trump did not criticize Russia. The U.N. has criticized Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, and its seizure of Crimea, as well as its actions in Georgia and the Balkans; and the U.S. intelligence community and a Virginia grand jury have documented the Kremlins interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

He praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his courage and cited the confidence-building steps both leaders have taken since their June 12 summit in Singapore. But efforts to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons appear to have stalled, and Trump added that U.S. sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization occurs.

In one of several inconsistencies, Trump attacked the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, known as OPEC, for ripping off the rest of the world with high prices, but then praised Saudi Arabias leadership for what he called bold reforms. Saudi Arabia is the largest supplier by far in OPEC and is partly responsible for higher oil prices as U.S. sanctions bite into Irans oil production.

As he has in the past, he warned that Germany risks becoming totally dependent on Russian energy for planning an 800-mile-long natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea. Germany views the complaints, in part, as an effort to sell more U.S. energy, and TV cameras showed the German delegation grinning broadly after Trumps remarks.

Trump praised his decision last December to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, a hotly disputed action that few in the audience favored, calling it very historic change. Trumps critics believe he has openly sided with Israel over the Palestinians and jeopardized any chance to revive the long-stalled Mideast peace process.

The tone of this speech wont be effective outside Trumps base at home  boastful, bitter and resentful of countries that take advantage of us, Nicholas Burns, a former senior diplomat in Republican and Democratic administrations, said via Twitter. He is not leading the world, but campaigning against it.

In a departure from his usual style, Trump offered special thanks to the leaders of South Korea, Japan and China for their role in bringing North Korea to nuclear talks; commended Jordan for taking in refugees, and celebrated India and Poland, among others.

Trumps worldview did not go unchallenged. French President Emmanuel Macron, without naming the U.S. president, delivered an implicit rebuke from the podium minutes later on immigration, womens rights and other areas of concern.

Its not acceptable anymore that an individual would have less opportunity simply due to where they were born, or their gender, Macron said in an address that was greeted with loud, sustained applause.

On what may be his signature issue  climate change  Macron said that the 2015 Paris agreement had stayed intact despite Trumps decision to pull the United States out of the landmark accord last year.

Should someone be against, we will nonetheless press ahead, he said.

Macron also praised national self-determination  but unlike Trump, said it must be tempered by international cooperation.

In the 21st century, we will only triumph through bolstered multilateralism, the French president said, decrying those who brandish sovereignty as a way of attacking others.

Irans president, Hassan Rouhani, responded directly to Trump when he took the podium later Tuesday, reminding the world body that Washington  not Tehran  had quit the 2015 nuclear accord approved by the Security Council and enforced by the U.N.s nuclear watchdog agency.

He urged the Trump administration to end unjust sanctions and denounced what he called Americas authoritarian policies, criticizing leaders who ride public sentiments and gain popular support through the fomenting of extremist nationalism and racism.

He said no nation would be brought to the negotiating table by force, but said Iran was prepared to talk. I am starting the dialogue right here, he said, adding that it must start with the ending of threats.

No war, no sanctions, no threats, no bullying, Rouhani said.

eli.stokols@latimes.com

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter

Times staff writers Laura King and Noah Bierman in Washington contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

2:28 p.m.: This story was updated with speeches by leaders of France and Iran.

11:32 a.m.: This article was updated with reaction to President Trumps speech.

8:25 a.m.: This article was updated with details from President Trumps address.

This article was originally published at 3 a.m.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.

Im 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 Lords hands. My hands arent 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.

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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 of flooding was expected to begin Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers, county spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

Luis Gomez rescues baby chicks from floodwaters caused by Hurricane Florence in Longs, S.C. (Sean Rayford / Getty Images)

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 dont 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.

Florence is gone, but the storms devastation is still with us, Cooper said at a news conference.

About 400 roads across the state remained closed because of 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. About 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 about 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 Carolinas 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 Florences 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 Moodys Analytics estimated that Florence has caused about $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 todays dollars. Last years Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion.Its vital that the Senate Judiciary Committee hear the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford, the California psychology professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, along with Kavanaughs denials.

But we agree with Sen. Dianne Feinstein that the panel should postpone further action on the nomination  including a hearing Thursday at which Ford and Kavanaugh have agreed to answer questions  until there is an FBI investigation of Fords allegation and a second accusation from his college years that emerged over the weekend.

Feinstein, the committees ranking Democrat, made that request Sunday night after the New Yorker reported on an allegation by Deborah Ramirez that Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her at a drunken dormitory party at Yale in the 1980s. (Kavanaugh described the allegation as a smear, plain and simple.)

If the White House failed to direct the FBI to reopen its investigation, Feinstein told Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), the Judiciary Committee must subpoena all relevant witnesses.

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Despite Feinsteins plea and the new allegation, Republicans still seem to be in a rush to confirm Kavanaugh. Railing against what he called a game of delay, deception, and wholesale character assassination, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Monday said that the process needs to move forward with a hearing Thursday, and vote in committee soon thereafter.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

Its undeniable that many Democrats, uneasy about the prospect of another conservative on the court, want to delay a vote on Kavanaugh  ideally until after the midterm elections. That way Democratic senators seeking another term in red states would be spared casting a vote and, if reelected, might feel liberated to oppose Kavanaugh or some other Trump nominee.

But the possibility that some Democrats have an ulterior political motive doesnt change the fact that these truly troubling allegations against Kavanaugh should be investigated by the FBI  expeditiously  before senators question the nominee and his accusers. Ideally the committee also would hear from witnesses such as Mark Judge, who according to Ford was in the bedroom when Kavanaugh assaulted her. (Judge told the committee in writing that I have no memory of this alleged incident.)

There is no guarantee that a reopened FBI background check would make a difference in how the committee members frame their questions or that it will resolve discrepancies in recollections about long-ago events. But its possible that the bureaus interviews could add corroborating information (or show that it doesnt exist) and dispel rumors and false leads. At best, the bureau could clarify matters by giving all the senators an agreed-upon basis of fact to work from.

That would lend credibility to a confirmation process that has been poisoned by partisanship and posturing. Kavanaugh should welcome such an investigation, and so should the president who appointed him.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookCalifornia voters are being asked this November to authorize more than $16 billion in state bonds to fund a range of infrastructure projects, such as wastewater treatment and homeless housing. The smallest of these measures is Proposition 4, which would tee up $1.5 billion in new borrowing to add capacity, improve safety and upgrade equipment at nonprofit or public childrens hospitals around the state. Many of these hospitals serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients, leaving them dependent on the states help to meet their construction needs. Voters have approved two similar measures before, in 2004 and 2008, and they should pass this one as well.

Some critics have taken issue with Proposition 4 for not specifying which projects would be funded, but in truth theres no mystery about where the money would go. A little more than $1 billion would be available for qualified capital projects at eight privately owned nonprofit hospitals, including Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, with each institution eligible for $135 million. Five childrens hospitals in the University of California system, including Mattel Childrens Hospital at UCLA, would each be eligible for $54 million in aid. The remaining $150 million would be available for projects at about 150 public and private nonprofit hospitals that treat children enrolled in a state program for kids with special needs.

The eight childrens hospitals that would be the main beneficiaries of this bond issue are being squeezed financially by the state in two ways. A growing percentage of their patients  63%  is on Medi-Cal, and the state reimburses hospitals for those treatments at one of the lowest rates in the country. At the same time, the state has imposed more stringent seismic retrofitting standards that the hospitals must meet by 2030, and to do that, almost 30% of their inpatient capacity needs to be upgraded.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

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The hospitals rely not just on state dollars, but also on private fund-raising and other sources of aid to cover the $30 million to $50 million they spend on capital needs each year. In fact, the bond money would cover one-fifth or less of the cost of a typical funded project. Nevertheless, supporters of Proposition 4 say, hospitals would be forced to cut back on capacity, services or both if the measure does not pass.

Its lamentable that childrens hospitals have to keep coming back to voters for help with their capital expenses, but its a direct consequence of the states low Medi-Cal reimbursement rates. The children these hospitals serve make up a big part of the states next generation, and we all have an interest in providing them with the healthcare they need. Vote yes on Proposition 4.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook.The United Nations (UN) member states, private sector and civil society joined on Monday the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres call to enhance the role of the worlds 1.8 billion young people in driving global efforts to promote a peaceful, just and sustainable world, a statement by the UN said.

According to the press release, Gueterres launched on Monday Youth 2030: The United Nations Youth Strategy at a high-level event of the 73rd session of the General Assembly, in New York.

The newly announced strategy "seeks to strengthen and increase commitments at the global, regional and national level to meet young peoples needs, help them realize their rights, and recognize their positive contributions as agents of change."

The statement said it is also "based on lessons learned from youth programmes around the world, and stresses the need to engage young people so they can more meaningfully contribute to the work of the United Nations, and seeks to ensure the UN can benefit from their views, insights and ideas"/

All of our hopes for a better world rest on young people, Guterres said, adding that sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security can only be achieved if the UN empower these young people as leaders and enable them to unleash their full potential.

Commitments to the Youth Strategy were voiced throughout the event, with Denmark being the first partner to make a direct financial contribution towards its implementation.

If we want real change for the better, we need to ensure development not just for young people  but with and by young people Lars Lkke Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark, said as he spoke alongside Denmarks Youth Delegate. Misk Foundations Sultan AlMusallam also spoke out in support of the Strategy.

The Foundation will sign a partnership on Tuesday with the Office of the United Nations Secretary-Generals Envoy on Youth making it the first non-government organization to make a concrete pledge to Youth 2030.

The majority of the worlds 1.8 billion young people live in developing countries, and their numbers are expected to continue growing, according to the statement.



While the UN describes the current generation as largest and most connected, tech-savvy generation the world has ever known, it still points that young people face tremendous challenges, including poor acess to quality education and struggle to secure decent work.

Other youth lack adequate health care, including for sexual and reproductive health.



Today marks the beginning of a reset and reorientation of the UN systems commitment to ensure that young people are not only heard, but understood; not only engaged, but empowered; and not only supporting, but leading global, regional and national efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and build a better world for generations to come, Jayathma Wickramanayake, the Secretary-Generals Envoy on Youth said.

The strategy has five priority areas: youth engagement, participation and advocacy; ensuring informed and healthy foundations through education and health care; economic empowerment/

The The UN says the 2030 strategy will bring young people together with a wide range of partners, including governments, the private sector, academia, international and civil society organizations to create, fund and scale up innovative solutions and expand opportunities.



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Since I began work as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, Ive visited about 50 schools and listened to the stories of many students. One young man  Ill call him Sam  has faced a lot of adversity: an abusive and incarcerated father, learning challenges, placement in foster care and taking responsibility for his younger siblings. Yet he is still at school every day, aiming for a career as an aeronautical engineer.

Sams courage and resilience are inspiring. We need to demonstrate that same kind of courage and resilience to improve Los Angeles schools. District data show that out of 100 students entering high school, 12 will drop out, 79 will graduate and only 12 will earn a college degree. The status quo is not good enough. We have work to do and the kids are counting on us.

At every school Ive visited, I have also met caring, dedicated, hardworking teachers who are doing everything they can to help students like Sam  engaging them in the classroom, overseeing after-school clubs, working evenings and weekends to develop lesson plans, and finding time to work one-on-one with youngsters who need specific help. There are great teachers in all of our schools. Los Angeles Unified needs to pay them better, and provide them with more support and more professional development.

There are great teachers in all of our schools. Los Angeles Unified needs to pay them better.

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That is why Los Angeles Unified made a contract offer today to United Teachers of Los Angeles that provides for a fair pay raise for teachers, additional teachers in high-needs schools, teacher pay aligned with student needs, and increased transparency in our labor contracts.

Los Angeles Unified proposes to add teachers and reduce class size at 15 middle schools and 75 elementary schools in communities that have the highest needs. The offer includes additional pay for teachers who take courses in STEAM curriculum (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), in dual language instruction, in early literacy intervention and other areas that help teachers better support their students. It provides for a 6% pay raise for all teachers, which would match agreements weve already reached with our administrators, cafeteria workers, bus drivers and office workers, who represent more than 60% of the districts workforce. And well create a plain language version of the UTLA contract to help students, families and communities to have a voice in all of the issues the contract covers.

We are eager to discuss these proposals with UTLA when we begin mediation on Sept. 27, as part of the state-mandated negotiation process. Our offer creates a pathway for the district and the union to avoid a strike that would hurt L.A.s most vulnerable students and families. Los Angeles Unified is committed to the lawful bargaining process, but we also remain open to any other way to resolve the issues fairly and transparently.

Los Angeles Unified and UTLA want many of the same things  smaller class sizes, better pay for teachers, and additional teachers, counselors, librarians and support staff in every school. But we need more money to pay for those things; we can only spend what we have. UTLAs last, best and final offer would bankrupt L.A. Unified and lead to the unprecedented layoffs of about 12,000 employees, including teachers. Los Angeles Unified simply cannot agree to do that.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

I share the teachers frustration that in just a generation, California has gone from top of the charts in education funding and student achievement to near the bottom. That is not acceptable; something must be done. The question is what?

Teacher strikes across the country in the last year have been statewide, not local actions. Thats because state legislatures control education funding. Los Angeles Unified gets about 90% of its funding from Sacramento. Instead of L.A. Unified and UTLA fighting each other, we should, together with our other labor partners, students, families and communities, jump on our yellow school buses and head to the Capitol to start working to increase funding for public education. The current per student amount of $16,000 is simply not enough.

Im the son of an immigrant and a schoolteacher and the proud product of public education. I would not have the privilege of leading Los Angeles Unified without the strong foundation my public education provided. It is my singular goal to help rebuild public education and make sure all Los Angeles Unified students get the great education they deserve.

Austin Beutner is superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookTo the editor: Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox needs to check some simple math in his campaign statements.

He is quoted as saying that the increased state tax on gasoline causes people to pay $700 more per year. This statement is at best misleading.

Since the referenced tax amounts to 12 cents per gallon, reaching Coxs amount would require the purchase of 5,833 gallons of gas annually. If a person is driving a vehicle that averages 20 miles per gallon, that would mean driving over 116,000 miles during the year, or an average of over 9,700 miles per month. This is not normal driving behavior.

A more typical 1,000 miles of monthly driving in a car that averages 20 miles per gallon would require 50 gallons of gasoline. The additional cost to such a driver is $6 per month, or $72 per year.

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Cox and his supporters are entitled to oppose whatever they want to oppose. But nobody is entitled to do a mathematical calculation and then arbitrarily move the decimal point away from where the calculation placed it.

Garry Herron, Seal Beach

..

To the editor: I have to disagree with you on the stark differences between Cox and Democratic candidate Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. On the biggest issue in all human history, climate change, they are in agreement on its importance. Recently, columnist George Skelton reported that Cox wrote to him in an email, We need to continue to lead on fighting climate change.

Recent polling shows that most Americans acknowledge human-caused climate change. Not enough of us are talking about solutions, though, and that is something our current and aspiring leaders need to do.

Republicans like Cox may need to be reminded that there are proposals supported by well-known conservatives, such as the one from the group Americans for Carbon Dividends. The plan supported by this group relies on widely supported free-market principles that are the best chance we have for uniting in the fight against climate change.

E.J. Parker, Long Beach

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookThe Times Editorial Boards opposition to Assembly Bill 1951, which would allow school districts to swap the state proficiency exams for 11th graders for the SAT or ACT test instead, is misguided. This bill, currently awaiting Gov. Jerry Browns signature, is an opportunity for California to give greater control to local school districts and for students of all backgrounds to have a better chance at succeeding on the SAT, an exam already used by many colleges to help determine readiness for admissions.

Earlier this month, the editorial board opposed legislation that would have forced school districts to delay start times until after 8:30 a.m. In that instance, the board felt that local control trumped Sacramentos wish to dictate the minutiae of school operations. Brown wisely concurred by vetoing that legislation.

So why the different standard for AB 1951, a bill that proposes to increase local control? Authored by teacher and Assemblyman Patrick ODonnell (D-Long Beach), the bill would allow all high school juniors the opportunity to take the SAT for free. The bill passed both houses of the California Legislature overwhelmingly, and both candidates for state superintendent of public instruction have indicated their strong support.

Here in the Long Beach Unified School District, Californias third largest, about 1,000 more high school students have met minimum California State University academic requirements for admission compared to two years ago. Thats largely because so many more of our students now take the SAT  and this is happening because our school district now offers the exam for free, and students can take it during the school day.

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With two-thirds of our families unable to afford school meals, a free SAT opens up opportunities for students who may not have previously considered themselves to be college material. Long Beach emphasizes preparing all students to graduate college and career ready. While the state does not require testing for students in grades 9 and 10, Long Beach does. All students at those levels take the PSAT, and they know they will sit for the SAT in 11th grade, and at no charge.

Weve found that our students performance on the SAT correlates closely with their performance on the states 11th-grade Smarter Balanced assessments. This is one reason states like Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine and Michigan already have received the federal governments blessing to administer the SAT as part of their state-adopted assessment program.

If more students are able to take a college admissions test at no cost during the school day, more underrepresented students can be connected directly to scholarships, personalized test practice tools and college application fee waivers, removing historic barriers to higher education.

We in Long Beach have managed to give both the SAT and the Smarter Balanced assessments in 11th grade, but test fatigue is causing undue angst about these and other exams for 11th graders and their teachers. And, while Smarter Balanced works well in the earlier grades, the SAT is the more practical exam for 11th graders. Smarter Balanced provides college-readiness data informing course placement for California State University schools, but the SAT can also be used for course placement and is accepted much more broadly by more than 2,400 colleges and universities, including CSU, for admission purposes.

Thats why our high school students and parents see far greater value and relevance in taking the SAT.

Christopher J. Steinhauser is superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District. He was appointed this year to the California State University Board of Trustees.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookA federal judge cast doubt Monday on a defamation claim that Stormy Daniels filed against President Trump for a tweet questioning the credibility of the adult-film actress.

Judge S. James Otero of U.S. District Court in Los Angeles said the Trump tweet that gave rise to Daniels lawsuit looked to him like free speech that lies at the heart of the 1st Amendment.

This is the type of political discourse and commentary that takes place in elections all the time, and Im troubled that theres a claim here for defamation, Otero said.

Your honor, Daniels attorney, Michael Avenatti, told the judge, this was not political by any stretch of the imagination.

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Otero cut off Avenatti, saying Trumps tweet seemed to be protected speech by a public official (hes president of the United States; it doesnt get higher than that) about a public figure (shes a movie actress).

Trumps April 18 tweet came after Avenatti released a forensic artists sketch of a man whom Daniels said had threatened her with physical harm in 2011 if she spoke publicly about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. The president has denied having sex with her.

Daniels told 60 Minutes that the man approached her in a Las Vegas parking lot, glanced at her toddler and said it would be a shame if something happened to her mom.

A sketch years later about a nonexistent man, Trump tweeted. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!

Attached to Trumps tweet was another persons tweet comparing the artists sketch to a photo of Daniels husband.

A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)! https://t.co/9Is7mHBFda  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018

Trumps lawyer, Charles Harder, described Trumps tweet as a rare breach of his near-silence on Daniels after Avenatti had attacked the president more than 100 times on television.

This is all done in this hyperbolic context of the political realm, Harder said.

Another Daniels attorney, Ahmed Ibrahim, argued that the president wasnt just stating a political opinion.

Rather, if it turns out Trump was involved in hiring the man allegedly dispatched to threaten Daniels, the tweet will be shown to be a knowingly false statement of fact made with malice, Ibrahim said.

Michael Avenatti speaks Monday outside U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Otero concluded by asking Harder whether Trump wanted Daniels to cover the presidents legal fees if the judge dismisses the case.

Yes, Harder responded.

Outside the courthouse, Avenatti said there was a palpable irony in Harders free-speech argument on behalf of a president who wants to jail journalists.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is also suing to void the October 2016 nondisclosure agreement that bars her from talking about her alleged affair with Trump.

Michael Cohen, the former Trump personal lawyer who set up the deal, pleaded guilty last month to a felony campaign finance violation for paying Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet in an attempt to influence the presidential election.

Cohen told a federal court that Trump instructed him to pay off Daniels. Trump has denied knowing ahead of time about the deal. Cohen was reimbursed by the Trump Organization, the presidents family business, prosecutors say.

After Cohen admitted the deal was a crime, Trump agreed to give up his right to pursue millions of dollars in damages against Daniels in a move to kill the litigation. Otero agreed Monday to hear arguments in the weeks ahead on whether the suit should be dismissed.

michael.finnegan@latimes.com

Twitter: @finneganLATPresident Trump unloaded Tuesday on Democrats and the second woman publicly accusing his Supreme Court nominee of sexual misconduct, an escalation of his attacks that reflected the peril facing Brett Kavanaugh as the Senate weighs his confirmation vote.

Defending Kavanaugh as a high-quality person and so truthful, Trump contended that the allegations against the nominee are part of what he called Democrats con game. And he bashed the second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, for being totally inebriated during the encounter she alleged from when she and Kavanaugh were freshmen at Yale University in the early 1980s.

The second accuser has nothing, Trump said during a 16-minute back-and-forth with reporters as he sat beside the president of Colombia before their meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

She was totally inebriated and all messed up, and she doesnt know, he said.

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Joining a chorus of Republicans and administration officials who have questioned Ramirezs account, in hopes of saving Kavanaughs nomination, the president scoffed at the allegations outlined in a New Yorker story published Sunday night.

Charges come up from 36 years ago and theyre totally unsubstantiated? Trump said, incredulously. Thirty-six years ago and nobody even knew about it?

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear separately on Thursday from Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, a psychologist and professor at Palo Alto University who has accused him of sexual assault, and may vote as early as Friday. Republicans say they have hired a woman with experience in such cases to do the questioning, in lieu of the partys 11 men on the committee, though they initially declined to identify her.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the senior Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said Tuesday evening that it was outrageous for Republicans to schedule the panels confirmation vote early Friday, before senators have heard Fords and Kavanaughs testimony. Its clear to me that Republicans dont want this to be a fair process, she said in a statement.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), referring to Kavanaugh and Ford, said, We have two people here who have a different version of what has happened. We need to listen to them both respectfully and then make a decision.

Democrats indicated that they will ask questions themselves rather than hire outside counsel. I was elected to do a job. Im going to sit in the saddle and ask the questions, said one, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.

Ramirez is not scheduled to testify. Republican leaders, eager to confirm Kavanaugh, have promised that a vote of the full Senate will take place early next week, which under Senate rules would require the body to stay in session over the weekend for a preliminary vote.

Trump, at the U.N., was asked whether Ramirez should also be allowed to testify before Congress, and he responded with a highly personal attack on the Colorado resident.

The second accuser doesnt even know, she thinks maybe it could have been him, maybe not, Trump said, his voice rising. Admits she was drunk? She admits time lapses? This is a person, and this is a series of statements that is going to take one of the most talented intellects from a judicial standpoint in our country  keep him off the U.S. Supreme Court?

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) was visibly frustrated by Trumps comments. Now a Senate Democratic leader, she was elected in 1992 in the backlash at the Senates treatment of Anita Hill, who at then-nominee Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearing had accused the judge of past sexual misconduct. Hill was publicly portrayed by Republican senators as a fantasist.

Murray, speaking of Trumps remarks, said to reporters: How many women have heard that before? How many women have kept their experiences quiet because they knew they would hear that? And how many men have gotten away with these horrific offenses because of attacks exactly like that?

Trump unleashed the tirade roughly an hour after delivering his annual address at the U.N., which drew laughter among the audience of world leaders and diplomats when the president opened with a boast that hes accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.

He said of Democrats, who have been calling for the FBI to reopen Kavanaughs background check to investigate the accusations from Ramirez and Ford, Theyre con artists. They dont believe it themselves.

They are playing a con game, and they are playing it very well, much better than Republicans, Trump continued. He added, They wink at each other  they know its a con game.

The president has rejected the accusers and Democrats requests that he direct the FBI to investigate, and Republicans have said that the Judiciary Committees staff can handle the investigation, including questioning alleged witnesses that Ford identified.

Yet the Republicans solid front on that issue cracked Tuesday. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, a GOP moderate who is undecided on Kavanaugh, told reporters that an FBI inquiry would sure clear up all the questions, wouldnt it?

Trump, who in recent years has denied multiple allegations of sexual assault against him, for days had responded to the accusations against his nominee with relative restraint, saying Ford should get a respectful hearing. But increasingly he has cast Kavanaugh as the victim.

His wife is devastated, Trump said at the U.N. His children are devastated.

Repeatedly describing Kavanaugh, who is currently a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, as a top intellect and highly qualified nominee, the president recalled the judge telling him how he tried to be No. 1 in his Yale class.

To me that was so believable, Trump said. I understand college very well. I understand being No. 1 in your class.

With Kavanaughs Senate confirmation very much hanging in the balance, Trump said it would be a horrible insult to our country if the judges nomination is derailed and a horrible, horrible thing to future political people.

As Senate Republican leaders sought to project a sense of confidence, and allay negative speculation about Kavanaugh, one senator close to McConnell  Sen. Richard M. Burr M. of North Carolina  issued a statement that he would support confirmation. Only the timing was a surprise, coming ahead of the much-anticipated Thursday hearing and as unsubstantiated rumors of other accusers continue to circulate.

Assailing Democrats opposition, Burr said that immediately after the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee should vote up or down on Judge Kavanaughs nomination. I intend to support Judge Kavanaughs nomination when it comes before the full Senate.

The latest from Washington 

eli.stokols@latimes.com

@EliStokols

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Stokols reported from the United Nations and Wire from Washington. Times staff writer Jennifer Haberkorn in Washington contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

3:00 p.m.: This article was updated with additional context and details of Senate plans, and with quotes from Sens. McConnell, Booker, Murray, Murkowski and Burr.

This article was originally published at 10:50 a.m.I worked for Councilwoman Katrina Foley on her first election and many after that. There were times when we had significant differences, but I never doubted her commitment to the city. I truly believe her work is for the betterment of Costa Mesa. She is an enthusiastic booster of every social, educational and art program in Costa Mesa and attends most of them. She is there to congratulate new businesses as they open and to celebrate the start of new projects and many individuals accomplishments.

She has always been approachable, no matter what your politics or stand, and continues to bring a personal relationship to Costa Mesa  one that represents the culture we came for and can carry us forward as a community. Foley is the only mayoral candidate who has stayed true to her principles and loyal to her supporters. All of this is a backdrop for her hawk-like eye on the budget and the regulations that are in place to keep Costa Mesa on track for its place in the future without losing the past that makes this city so great.

Mary Ann OConnell

Costa Mesa

Katrina Foley would favor unions

In Rick Huffmans letter in praise of Councilwoman Katrina Foley (Why Katrina Foley should become Costa Mesas first directly elected mayor, Sept. 11), he writes that Foley remained loyal to her supporters. The union that represents the city of Costa Mesa workers, Orange County Employees Assn., donated to elect Foley mayor. I wonder where her loyalty will lay when it comes time to negotiate a new contract? With the union or the city of Costa Mesa?

Charlie Wolfe

Costa Mesa

City Council candidates and trees

I attended the recent and lively City Council candidate forum sponsored by Village Laguna. Although there were no questions on trees, candidate Paul Merritt answered a question related to historical preservation by stating that he hoped the city would provide protection for historical trees. Certainly, the support of trees is not unqualified and must be balanced with public safety and view rights.

George Weiss

Laguna Beach

Team Newport is tone deaf

The City Council of Newport Beach has four members on Team Newport, which gives them a majority to promote growth programs they feel will expand Newport Beach into a much larger city, which is opposed by the residents. I firmly believe the City Council and its surrogate, the Planning Commission, are tone deaf to the residents of this city. This includes Team Newport and anybody else that buys into their growth strategy, which is opposite of what the residents expect.

With Election Day not far away, this is a renewed challenge to the residents to defeat Team Newport and to cast their votes for Tim Stoaks, Roy Englebrecht and Joy Brenner.

Jim Place

Newport Beach

Its time to vote out Team Newport

In the past four years, traffic in Newport Beach has become much worse. Over-development is aggravating traffic problems  just look at the Fashion Island apartments and the Uptown Newport projects. The increase in traffic and over-development coincides with the takeover of our city by the Team Newport voting block.

With their uncivil behavior, this team has changed the character of the City Council for the worse. To move the city in a different direction, where the views of residents are respected, its members are non-partisan and council actions are transparent, we need different council members. Im voting for a change.

Caroline Taylor

Newport Beach

How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.Members of the Cabrini Literary Guild must be blessed by the man upstairs. Their activities go off without a hitch, theyre increasing their membership and good fun is had by all. Their Friendship Tea on Sept. 8 was no exception.

St. Bedes Church in La Canada Flintridge was the venue for the event. But Glendale members and their guests didnt mind the drive up the hill. Some 50 members and supporters who enjoyed tea and conversation basked in the glow of the churchs stained-glass windows.

The centerpiece of the short program was the celebration of Father Norm Supanchecks Golden Jubilee anniversary. Brenda Lanteri, Cabrini president, presented Father Norm with a cake and a crystal awards to memorialize the event. Love it! enthused Supancheck.

Father Norm, now retired, was a priest for 50 years. He was chaplain at Alemany High School in the San Fernando Valley. He now resides at St. Didacus in Sylmar.

For the rest of the afternoon, members and their guests enjoyed tea and coffee, finger sandwiches, fruit and pastries. Favorites were handmade scones and clotted cream. Immediate past President Marie Urrutia, a former caterer, said she was up at 4:30 a.m. to make lemon squares and fruit cups. Her efforts were well-appreciated. Offering a blessing on the food was Sister Regina Palmara, also retired and living in Burbank.

Glendale members present included Sarah de la Torre and Ana M. Caizlet-Bois, who was the guest of Pasadena resident Marie B. Garcia.

Tea chairs were Urrutia and Rosa Hohman, who explained that the Friendship Tea replaced the groups annual Membership Tea. For the more informal Friendship Tea, all members contributed to the beverages and food.

The Cabrini Literary Guild, well known for its writing awards for high school students, has been serving Glendale and the surrounding communities for 76 years.

Soroptimists International of Glendale presented a unique program at its monthly luncheon at the Oakmont Country club on Thursday. The presentation was about a planned memorial on the site of the La Tuna Canyon Detention Station.

During the Glendale Soroptimists program, Nancy Oda, left, accepts a Certificate of Appreciation from District Director Sarojini Lall on behalf of Assemblywoman Laura Friedman. (Ruth Sowby Rands / Glendale News-Press)

Some 60 Soroptimists and their guests heard retired elementary school teacher and principal Nancy Oda describe the stations history as a processing center for more than 2,000 Japanese Americans and other immigrants relocated during World War II. The future memorial will help preserve the detainees stories of life in the center.

Oda was born in Northern Californias Tule Lake Station in 1943. She and her family lived there 2 years before their release. They settled in Los Angeles.

Kathy Lefkovits, Soroptimist program committee member, planned the presentation. The afternoon program also included Kathryn Van Houten, Soroptimist president; and members Jane Karageorge, Laurie Leask and Diane Lambilotte, who introduced Oda.

The program began the Glendale Soroptimists 2018-19 year.

***

Dont miss the fifth annual Glendale International Film Festival, which will be held Oct. 5 through 12. The films will screen at the brand-new Laemmle Glendale.

The opening night gala will begin with dinner at Gauchos Village Brazilian Steakhouse. Then Million Loves in Me will be re-released on screens at the Laemmle Glendale. An afterparty will be held at the Gauchos Village bar.

Founder and director Velvet Rhodes calls the event the most elegant film festival in the world.

RUTH SOWBY RANDS may be reached at ruthasowby@gmail.com.Cruisers who enjoy setting sail from the blue waters of San Diego Bay will find 22 voyages available from Holland America Line during the 2019 Mexico cruise season.

The company has announced three of its ships will sail a series of seven- and 11-day round-trip cruises from the Port of San Diego during an extended cruise season next year. Included will be calls at Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

From January through December 2019, Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam and Oosterdam will sail to Mexico, visiting the three ports. The cruises include three sea days.

Cruises to the Mexican Riviera are also available from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

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San Diego-based cruises give passengers a look at Coronado Island, Cabrillo National Monument and Point Loma. Ships dock near downtown, so cruisers can visit the San Diego Zoo, stroll on Coronado Islands sandy beach and take in the citys Old Town.

The ships call at Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, which is known for its rock formations; Mazatlan, where the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet; and Puerto Vallarta, known for its beaches, shops and trendy restaurants.

Rates for the weeklong cruises start at $599 per person (plus taxes and fees of $106) for an inside room.

Info: (877) 724-5425 or visit hollandamerica.com.

travel@latimes.comThe Pentagon's nominee to be the next commander of U.S. forces in South Korea said on Tuesday there was a significant amount of tactical risk if U.S. troops were removed from the Korean peninsula.

"Tactically, without any mention of any change in his conventional capability, I'd say that there would be a significant amount of risk tactically if we were to do that," U.S. Army General Robert Abrams said, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"Strategically, there would have to be a whole lot more discussion about what additional capabilities we'd be willing to bear," Abrams said during his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

The United States currently has around 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, which North Korea has long demanded be removed as one of the conditions for giving up its nuclear and missile programs.

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Ludwig van Beethoven starred at entry No. 4 in the Know Your City photography series. This 250-image series appeared in the Los Angeles Times in 1955 and 1956.

This photo of Beethoven appeared in the Nov. 21, 1955, Los Angeles Times. The original caption reported:

KNOW YOUR CITY, NO. 4 For years he was for the birds. But he went away for a while. And when he came back he was looking the other way. And, if he could, he'd probably make a note of that. Just for fun, who is he? And where is he? Answer on Page 9, Part 2.

ANSWER  Surely you recognized the statue, in studied stride, of Beethoven that stands in Pershing Square. The statue faces the intersection of 5th and Olive Sts., being out in this new position after having been stored during the excavation for the parking garage beneath the park. 

The original dedication of the Ludwig van Beethoven statue occurred on Oct. 14, 1932.

Construction at Pershing Square in 1951 forced removal of all statues. In 1952, Beethoven returned, in the image below.

This post was originally published on Jan. 4, 2015.

April 28, 1952: Statue of Beethoven returns to Pershing Square after construction project at park was completed. Art Rogers / Los Angeles Times

Dec. 16, 1966: Students with signs inspired by the comic strip "Peanuts" went to Pershing Square in observance of Beethoven's 196th birthday. Zubin Mehta, left, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and Feri Roth of UCLA placed a wreath at the statue. Ben Olender / Los Angeles Times

See more from the Los Angeles Times archives hereItaly on Monday tightened criteria for migrants receiving humanitarian protection as its populist government deepened its crackdown on those seeking asylum.

A new law, in the form of a government decree approved by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and his Cabinet, also permits authorities to suspend evaluation of asylum requests for migrants who have been judged socially dangerous or have been convicted of a crime, before court appeals are exhausted.

Were not harming any fundamental right, said Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who is driving the crackdown. If you come into my home and deal drugs, Ill escort you back to where you came from, he said during a news conference to unveil the decree.

His right-wing League party, whose popularity has been soaring in recent opinion polls, associates migrants with crime.

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Humanitarian protection will now only be granted for victims of labor exploitation, human trafficking, domestic violence or natural calamities, or those needing medical care as well as to those who performed deeds of particular civic value, Salvini said, with the latter criterion an apparent reference to heroism.

The prime minister, who sympathizes with the Euroskeptic Five Star Movement, the governments main partner, indicated that Italian authorities had been too elastic in granting humanitarian protection.

We will continue to assure there is the system of protection, were just avoiding abuses, said Conte, adding that Italy had been showing indiscriminate welcome to asylum hopefuls.

Salvini said roughly a third of those who apply for asylum either receive it or some other special status, notably humanitarian protection. The remaining are eventually issued expulsion orders, but many of them slip away, often to find relatives in Northern Europe.

A large percentage of the rescued migrants are fleeing poverty and arent eligible for asylum.

Through last year, about 600,000 migrants, most of them seeking asylum, landed in Italian ports after they were rescued at sea from boats launched from Libya by human traffickers.

But since Salvini has started denying port entry to private rescue boats, the numbers of arrivals in the last few months have plummeted. The heaviest-plied sea route now for migrant smuggling has shifted to the western reaches of the Mediterranean Sea, with Spain bearing the brunt of arrivals.

The new Italian government decree, which eventually must be converted into law by Parliament or modified, also provides for stripping Italian citizenship from those convicted of international terrorism, assuming they hold a second citizenship.

Doctors Without Borders contended that the decree seemed aimed at further dismantling an already fragile and precarious system for asylum seekers.

The groups Italian mission chief, Anne Garella, expressed concern about the criteria for granting humanitarian protection for medical care. Garella said in a statement that many migrants suffer from health problems with not easily recognizable symptoms. In particular, she cited torture victims.A man was arrested Monday in the shooting death of a journalist who worked for the newspaper El Heraldo de Chiapas, and authorities were searching for three other people suspected of having ordered the killing.

Luis Alberto Sanchez, a homicide prosecutor in the southern state of Chiapas, said in a video statement posted online that the detained man is believed to have acted as a lookout outside the home of reporter Mario Gomez.

Sanchez said the man allegedly belonged to a local drug gang and identified the gangs leader, his right-hand man and the lieutenants wife as the purported intellectual authors of the murder.

State and federal police in the town of Yajalon, where Gomez was slain, were under investigation by anti-corruption prosecutors to see if any might be implicated, Sanchez added.

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Surveillance camera video captured the moment Friday afternoon when two people rode by Gomezs home on a motorcycle and the one in the rear fired at him. Neighbors went to his aid, but he did not survive. According to Chiapas prosecutors, he was struck by four bullets, and six shell casings were recovered at the scene.

Gomez, who had worked for El Heraldo de Chiapas for nearly a decade, was a general assignment reporter who covered a variety of topics including crime, security and political violence during the recent campaign for Mexicos July 1 nationwide elections.

Two years ago, the media advocacy group Articulo 19 documented that Gomez had received death threats after publishing an investigation linking a congressman and an alternate lawmaker to purported corruption.

Articulo 19 said Gomez was assigned protective measures that were later suspended by the state government without the reason for the withdrawal being made known.

Mexico is one of the deadliest countries for journalists, with at least 10 slain so far this year and more than 30 killed during the six-year term of President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose term ends Dec. 1.

Jan-Albert Hootson, Mexico representative for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, urged authorities to determine whether Gomezs killing came in retaliation for his work.

Journalists in Mexico will continue to fall victim to deadly violence when the killings of reporters linger in impunity, Hootson said in a statement.

Over the weekend, Chiapas prosecutors said Gomezs journalistic work was the main line of investigation.

In an editorial, El Heraldo de Chiapas demanded a thorough investigation to find those responsible.

Chiapas was home to the 1994 uprising by Zapatista rebels, and political violence and conflicts over land are common in the state.

It is currently governed by the Green Party, but is set to come under control of the leftist Morena party of President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, after the Greens lost the gubernatorial race two months ago.Pope Francis acknowledged Tuesday that the sex abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church have outraged the faithful and are driving them away, and said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations.

Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-up in Germany.

Francis told a gathering of young people in Estonia, considered one of the least religious countries in the world, that he knew many young people felt the church had nothing to offer them and simply doesnt understand their problems today.

They are outraged by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them, he told a gathering of Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox young people in the Kaarli Lutheran Church in the capital, Tallinn.

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He said the Catholic Church wants to respond to those complaints transparently and honestly.

We ourselves need to be converted, he said. We have to realize that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off.

It was a very public admission of the churchs failures in confronting sex abuse scandals, which have roared back to the headlines recently with revelations of abuse and cover-up in the U.S., Chilean and now German church. The German bishops conference on Tuesday was releasing a report that found that some 3,677 people  more than half of them 13 or younger and nearly a third of them altar boys  were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

The report, compiled by university researchers, found evidence that some files were manipulated or destroyed, many cases were not brought to justice, and that sometimes abusers were simply moved to other dioceses without the congregations being informed about their past, according to the results that leaked earlier in the German media.

The abuse scandal, which erupted in Ireland in the 1990s and subsequently Australia and the U.S., now threatens Francis own papacy since a former Vatican ambassador accused him of rehabilitating an American cardinal who slept with seminarians. In addition, Francis badly botched a case of cover-up in Chile for which he has tried to make amends.

Francis has declined to respond to the accusations that he himself covered for the U.S. cardinal, but the Vatican is expected to soon.For those who monitor worldwide boat safety, the fact that one of the latest ferry catastrophes occurred in Tanzania, killing about 225 people, did not come as a shock.

Tanzania has one of the worst ferry safety records in the world, according to the Worldwide Ferry Safety Assn. in New York. There have been several deadly accidents on Lake Victoria, Africas largest freshwater lake and a vital economic hub in East Africa, and off the nations coast in the Indian Ocean.

Ferries in Tanzania are exceedingly dangerous, said Neil Baird, a retired maritime publisher who has been tracking ferry accidents for decades. Its human error. Criminal incompetence would be the best way of putting it.

But safety on domestic ferries is hardly Tanzanias problem alone. Hundreds of people die every year in ferry accidents around the world and nearly 21,000 people have died in ferry accidents since 2000, according to the Worldwide Ferry Safety Assn.

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While many of the fatalities take place on boats in the developing nations of the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Tanzania, wealthier countries, like South Korea, have had deadly ferry incidents in recent years as well. In 2014, the Sewol ferry sank en route from Incheon on South Koreas northwestern coast to the resort island of Jeju, resulting in more than 300 deaths  many of them students.

One of the most common causes of fatal ferry accidents is overloading or overcrowding  officials in Tanzania reportedly have said a preliminary investigation found that overloading appeared to be the main reason for the tragedy last week. Bad weather, old or substandard vessels and poor crew training are also regular factors.

Overcrowding can influence the stability of a vessel and peoples ability to get out of danger, but theres a strong financial component to the matter, said Roberta Weisbrod, executive director of the ferry safety group.

People make more money if they overload, Weisbrod said. In some countries, weve found that the price of tickets is set artificially low by the government. In order to even cover costs, theres this incentive to overload.

The cost of a ferry ticket varies widely depending on the country and length of the journey.

Though the International Maritime Organization, the U.N. agency responsible for marine shipping, regulates passenger ships that travel in international waters, like cruise ships, domestic ferries do not fall under its watch.

The IMO has issued safety standards for domestic ferries, which some countries have used in forming their own regulations, and the body has worked with individual governments on ferry safety, including the Tanzanian government, to improve the safety of passengers traveling on Lake Victoria.

The organization emphasizes the importance of avoiding overcrowding and keeping an accurate passenger manifest in those guidelines, and has also made a safety video that it distributes to ferry terminals around the world which warns customers about the dangers of boarding an overcrowded ferry.

The guidelines also urge that ships purchased secondhand be evaluated before being put into use for ferry service, and that voyages should be planned and tracked carefully as they progress, among other measures.

But many countries dont make use of the IMO standards, Baird said, which he chalks up to corruption and political interference.

IMO has no ability to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign member states, Baird said. They can only work by persuasion  or moral-suasion, lets say.

A spokeswoman for the IMO said that the organization does not have any way to track whether or not countries are adopting the guidelines, but if a government asks for its help assessing its domestic ferry safety, the IMO can assist.

Interferry, which represents the global ferry industry, has been working to improve ferry safety in some countries, said the groups CEO, Mike Corrigan.

The group has participated in regional safety meetings across Asia to encourage governments to commit to better regulation enforcement, make sure ships are safe, and submit accident investigations to the IMO.

Our long-term aim is to educate not only operators, but also customers, on crucial safety precautions, Corrigan said in an email.

The Worldwide Ferry Safety Assn., for its part, has focused on safety training for ferry crew members, starting with a pilot project in Bangladesh in 2006 that taught local crews safety skills such as managing boat stability and improving how to help people get off a vessel. The program is being used as a model for a training program by a large ferry operator in the Philippines, according to the association.

The association also sponsors a yearly design competition for students around the world to come up with safe and inexpensive ferry models. Students have designed ferries tailored to local conditions in places such as Thailand, the Singapore Strait and Bangladesh, and the association is considering focusing on Lake Victoria for one of its competitions.

In the latest tragedy in Tanzania, the ferry Nyerere capsized Thursday, a short distance from shore near the small island of Ukara in Lake Victoria, killing dozens of people.

The ferry, which was operated by a government agency, had an official capacity of 101 passengers, but more than double that number of people were aboard when it overturned.

Survivors said that in addition to carrying too many people, the vessel was loaded with cars and trucks, sacks of maize and baggage that toppled onto passengers as the ferry made a sharp turn shortly before capsizing.

Tanzanian President John Magufuli, who declared four days of national mourning, said it appeared the vessel was overloaded and referred to negligence in the ships handling. He ordered the arrests of several members of the ferrys management and Monday suspended the head of the agency in charge, local media reported.

Baird and Weisbrod said there have been improvements in some parts of the world where consumers have increasingly demanded safer ferries, but that fundamental and lasting changes have been elusive.

Theres a lot that has to be done, Weisbrod said. Sometimes we think its looking good, and then something like this happens.

Mahr is a special correspondent.In a dimly lit Istanbul club, young men and women smoke cigarettes and dance to a mix of synthwave, dissonant electronica and post-rock. And it is all tattoos and nose rings, cocktails and shots.

The guitars of the Chicago-based noise-rock band, Shellac, blast from speakers. A woman wearing cut-off denim shorts wraps herself around her lover, their bodies grinding together.

In the Istanbul neighborhood of Kadikoy, liberal youth find escape from the crushing authoritarianism of modern-day Turkey.

It is a place where we feel we can breathe, says 30-year-old Miray, who runs an underground pole-dancing studio, sipping at a martini. It is a space where we can be ourselves.

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Miray, like others in this article, gave only a first name, fearing government retribution. In the Turkey of Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdogan  a center-right populist steeped in authoritarianism  dissent is not tolerated. Being convicted of insulting the president carries a maximum sentence of four years.

It is all tattoos and nose rings, electronica and post-rock. Yet a generation that experienced a political awakening during 2013s Gezi Park protests has largely given up on politics. (Orcun Behram / For The Times)

But then theres Kadikoy. Perched on the Asian side of the Bosporus Strait  which splits this city of 15 million in half  the neighborhood represents the steadfastly secular and tolerant face of this nation.

Its markets bustle, stocked with fresh seafood. Groups gather at restaurants, sipping on raki  an aniseed-flavored alcoholic drink  and enjoying calamari and Turkish appetizers, or mezze, long into the evening.

Cafes offer tarot readings and thick Turkish coffee. Street-side salesmen peddle posters of famous films. Comic book shops are stocked with Rick and Morty T-shirts and collectible Star Wars figurines.

However, 16 years of living under Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party has left many youth in Kadikoy wondering if there is any point engaging with politics.

That represents a dramatic turnaround for a generation that experienced a heady moment of political awakening during the vast anti-government protests in Gezi Park five years ago.

With Gezi, many youth found a narrative they could identify with, emphasizing peace, collective living and respect for the environment, says Tuba Emiroglu, an academic who has researched the evolution of the Gezi movement. Now, many people have given up  or are looking for a way to leave Turkey.

In the past, Kadikoy has been the site of anti-government protests, such as a large rally in April 2017 denouncing a referendum that gave Erdogan sweeping new powers. But a series of electoral setbacks, waves of brutal Islamic State attacks and Erdogans escalating, relentless crackdown on any opposition that accelerated following a failed coup attempt two years ago, have convinced many liberal youth that there is no political space for them in this nation of 80 million.

Many people in Kadikoy wonder how far President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would go in messing with their lifestyles. He has, among other things, increased taxes on alcohol some 600% during his 16-year rule. (Orcun Behram / For The Times)

I was 8 years old when Erdogan came to power, says Selen, a 23-year-old psychology student. He is all I have ever known. Nothing we do makes any difference.

She and her friends are sitting in long grass in a small park in Kadikoy  packed with millennials  sipping oversize cans of beer, discussing psychology late into the night.

A tall, skinny statue, its bronze alloy face cast in the form of a gas mask and a hard hat, looks out over the park, clutching a lantern. It memorializes Berkin Elvan, who was shot in the head and killed at age 15 with a high-velocity tear-gas canister while out fetching bread during the Gezi protests.

I respect Erdogan for the systematic way he accumulated power, starting out as the Istanbul mayor, says 26-year-old Yunus Emre, one of the few people interviewed willing to give a full name. Thinking about Turkish politics just makes me depressed. It is not something we really talk about anymore.

Hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs or were imprisoned after the failed coup two years ago, part of a widening crackdown that rights groups have condemned.

We all started crying, when we heard, says 31-year-old Merve, as she sat in a Kadikoy cafe, recalling the imprisonment of her younger sister.

Merves sister  a newly graduated teacher, totally apolitical  was fired from her job in 2016 and later charged with being a member of a network led by Fethullah Gulen, which Ankara brands a terrorist group and claims was behind 2016s abortive coup.

The lifestyle choices that Kadikoy affords this countrys youth have come to represent a form of resistance, absent any other viable political space. (Orcun Behram / For The Times)

Merve says her sister spent seven months in prison awaiting trial, before having the charges  based on cellphone records two years before the attempted coup  thrown out this year.

What happened to the justice system in Turkey? Merve asks.

Back at the club, a techno-trance song by the cerebral Warp Records artist, Clark  To Live and Die in Grantham  blares. The dance floor is filling out. Bartenders and waitresses hasten to fill orders.

A beer bottle smashes. A group does a round of Jagermeister shots.

Many people in Kadikoy wonder how far Erdogan would go in messing with their lifestyles; he has previously promised to raise a pious generation.

He will never stop, says a 29-year-old architect, Ayse, drinking a cocktail and smoking a Marlboro Red. Instead, we are changing with him.

She cites her changing dress code as an example of the pressure she feels. Erdogan regularly defines women as mothers who should have at least three children.

Pro-government media outlets blame female victims of soaring male violence. This contributed to a subtle adherence to an unofficial doctrine of modesty, Ayse says.

I used to wear miniskirts and tight shorts, she says. Now look at me, Im wearing a long black dress. I feel intimidated in parts of Istanbul now.

But it is not only womens issues. Taxes on alcohol have increased some 600% during Erdogans rule. Since 2013, the government has forbidden issuing alcohol licenses to businesses within 100 meters of a mosque, of which Erdogan has built tens of thousands.

A number of popular clubs in a remote area of the Black Sea  where youth go for raves, letting off steam  were recently banned from playing music after midnight.

Erdogan has meantime dramatically expanded Imam Hatip schools  core classes are Arabic and Koranic studies  from 450 to a reported 4,500 during his rule. The conversion of state schools into Imam Hatip has become a serious concern for secularists.

He has made intolerance acceptable, says 40-year-old Filiz, sitting at a small bar remembering a friend who died from a heart attack during the Gezi protests. He dismisses us and our lifestyles completely.

Just around the corner on Kadikoys main bar street, youth sit on the pavement, chatting and drinking, eating stuffed mussels and minced intestine sandwiches. Buskers strum guitars.

It is around 2 a.m. and the bars are closing. People stumble off into the night, heading down toward the Bosporus, where theres a bar open until dawn.Health Blueair launches JOY S  a Powerful Air Purifier for Compact Living in the Middle East

The new JOY S by Blueair

25.09.2018 20:45:39 - Blueair launches JOY S  a Powerful Air Purifier for Compact Living in the Middle East



(live-PR.com) - Dubai, September 25, 2018: In the wake of rising awareness of ambient air quality and its impact on health in the Middle East, Blueair, a world leader in air purification solutions, has launched JOY S  a powerful air purifier for compact living  across the region. With cutting-edge, portable design, JOY S is offered in five different colours to - Dubai, September 25, 2018: In the wake of rising awareness of ambient air quality and its impact on health in the Middle East, Blueair, a world leader in air purification solutions, has launched JOY S  a powerful air purifier for compact living  across the region. With cutting-edge, portable design, JOY S is offered in five different colours to suit any interior.



Backed by Swedish expertise, JOY S is uniquely equipped to deliver clean air thanks to its HEPASilent filtration technology, which uses a combination of electrostatic and mechanical processes to remove 99.97% of airborne pollutants, bacteria, viruses, allergens, microplastics, smoke, dust, pet dander and pollen as small as 0.1 micron in size.



JOY S has a 200-cubic-metre-per-hour CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) and whisper-quiet performance. The new Blueair product assures clean air for an area of 16 square metres every 12 minutes, making it ideal for the small and medium rooms found in many Gulf homes. The unique product design and technology helps to deliver clean air with minimum energy consumption of 1.5 watts.



According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the worlds single biggest environmental health threat. Exposure to indoor air pollution can lead to a wide range of diseases including acute and chronic respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia, lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, stroke and cataract. Polluted indoor air can also trigger asthma and allergies.



Regional governments have recognized that clean air is essential for the well-being of their residents. They are exploring innovative ways to monitor and improve air quality. The launch of JOY S by Blueair follows moves by authorities in the Middle East to monitor and improve air quality. In August, the Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi introduced a new app to help residents learn more about the emirates air quality, while Dubai authorities announced at the start of the summer that drone inspections have cut industrial air pollution by 47 per cent.



JOY S will also help residents concerned about declining air quality. A recent global study shows that air pollution shortens an average Saudis life by nearly 1.5 years, according to research from the University of Texas at Austin. In June, the Kingdoms General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection launched a test version of a Gulf standards index measuring air quality in various parts of the Kingdom.

Last but not least, the new air purifier is quite literally a joy to behold. With five attractive, interchangeable colour options and an intuitive one-button control, JOY S easily fits into any interior scheme, doubling up as an art object to fit customers every mood.



Commenting on the JOY S launch, TR Ganesh, General Manager, Blueair Middle East, said, The importance of clean air, with its tremendous positive health benefits, cannot be overstated. Residents are increasingly adopting air purification technology to improve their living environments. Consumers expect their air purifiers to extract all impurities from indoor air while delivering the best CAD rate with minimal capital outlay and energy consumption. JOY S meets these requirements in a single package.



With the launch of JOY S, our smallest, slimmest and prettiest air purifier, we aim to continue our pursuit to expand our air purification expertise and best-in-class technology to a new segment. Consumers can now rest easy that their needs are being taken care of, he added.

JOY S will be available at Souq.com and 16 Carrefour outlets across the region from September 24, 2018.

Product Specifications:

 Best clean air with 360-degree air intake, based on HEPASilent technology which removes 99.97% of airborne pollutants, bacteria, virus, allergens, microplastics, smoke, dust, pet dander and pollen as small as 0.1 micron in size

 Energy efficient with just 1.5 watts of energy consumption on normal fan setting and a maximum of 10 watts on the third fan setting

 Whisper-quiet performance

 Best CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 200 cubic metres per hour

 5ACH (Air Changes/Hour); Cleans air every 12 minutes in recommended room size of 16 square metres

 Convenient to use: One button control, automatic filter change alert and filter replacement with a simple twist

 Stylish: Change colour as per your mood with 5 attractive, pre- filter colour options, including Saffron Red, Diva Blue, Puff Yellow, Lunar Rock and Dark Shadow,

About Blueair

Blueair is a world leading producer of air purification solutions for home and professional use. Founded in Sweden, Blueair delivers innovative, best-in-class, energy efficient products and services sold in over 60 countries around the world. Blueair is part of the Unilever family of brands.



For more information, please contact:

Nirmala Dsouza

OAK Consulting

nimi@oakconsulting.biz

+971507343840



Or



Blueair Middle East

salesme@blueair.com

+97148821244

suit any interior.Backed by Swedish expertise, JOY S is uniquely equipped to deliver clean air thanks to its HEPASilent filtration technology, which uses a combination of electrostatic and mechanical processes to remove 99.97% of airborne pollutants, bacteria, viruses, allergens, microplastics, smoke, dust, pet dander and pollen as small as 0.1 micron in size.JOY S has a 200-cubic-metre-per-hour CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) and whisper-quiet performance. The new Blueair product assures clean air for an area of 16 square metres every 12 minutes, making it ideal for the small and medium rooms found in many Gulf homes. The unique product design and technology helps to deliver clean air with minimum energy consumption of 1.5 watts.According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the worlds single biggest environmental health threat. Exposure to indoor air pollution can lead to a wide range of diseases including acute and chronic respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia, lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, stroke and cataract. Polluted indoor air can also trigger asthma and allergies.Regional governments have recognized that clean air is essential for the well-being of their residents. They are exploring innovative ways to monitor and improve air quality. The launch of JOY S by Blueair follows moves by authorities in the Middle East to monitor and improve air quality. In August, the Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi introduced a new app to help residents learn more about the emirates air quality, while Dubai authorities announced at the start of the summer that drone inspections have cut industrial air pollution by 47 per cent.JOY S will also help residents concerned about declining air quality. A recent global study shows that air pollution shortens an average Saudis life by nearly 1.5 years, according to research from the University of Texas at Austin. In June, the Kingdoms General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection launched a test version of a Gulf standards index measuring air quality in various parts of the Kingdom.Last but not least, the new air purifier is quite literally a joy to behold. With five attractive, interchangeable colour options and an intuitive one-button control, JOY S easily fits into any interior scheme, doubling up as an art object to fit customers every mood.Commenting on the JOY S launch, TR Ganesh, General Manager, Blueair Middle East, said, The importance of clean air, with its tremendous positive health benefits, cannot be overstated. Residents are increasingly adopting air purification technology to improve their living environments. Consumers expect their air purifiers to extract all impurities from indoor air while delivering the best CAD rate with minimal capital outlay and energy consumption. JOY S meets these requirements in a single package.With the launch of JOY S, our smallest, slimmest and prettiest air purifier, we aim to continue our pursuit to expand our air purification expertise and best-in-class technology to a new segment. Consumers can now rest easy that their needs are being taken care of, he added.JOY S will be available at Souq.com and 16 Carrefour outlets across the region from September 24, 2018.Product Specifications: Best clean air with 360-degree air intake, based on HEPASilent technology which removes 99.97% of airborne pollutants, bacteria, virus, allergens, microplastics, smoke, dust, pet dander and pollen as small as 0.1 micron in size Energy efficient with just 1.5 watts of energy consumption on normal fan setting and a maximum of 10 watts on the third fan setting Whisper-quiet performance Best CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 200 cubic metres per hour 5ACH (Air Changes/Hour); Cleans air every 12 minutes in recommended room size of 16 square metres Convenient to use: One button control, automatic filter change alert and filter replacement with a simple twist Stylish: Change colour as per your mood with 5 attractive, pre- filter colour options, including Saffron Red, Diva Blue, Puff Yellow, Lunar Rock and Dark Shadow,About BlueairBlueair is a world leading producer of air purification solutions for home and professional use. Founded in Sweden, Blueair delivers innovative, best-in-class, energy efficient products and services sold in over 60 countries around the world. Blueair is part of the Unilever family of brands. www.blueair.com For more information, please contact:Nirmala DsouzaOAK Consulting+971507343840OrBlueair Middle East+97148821244 Contact information:

Blueair



Dubai, UAE



Contact Person:

Nirmala Dsouza

PR Consultant

Phone: +971507343840

eMail: eMail



Web: http://https://www.blueair.com

Author:

Nirmala D'souza

e-mail

Web: http://www.oakconsulting.biz

Phone: +971507343840 25.09.2018 20:45:39 -

Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party.The National Cement Company may soon be forced to exit the public sector after damning reports on its performance

A report on the public-sector National Cement Company has concluded that closure is highly likely to occur, said Hisham Tawfik, the minister of public enterprise, in a press conference on Monday.

He was describing a report delivered to the ministry three weeks ago investigating the company and whether it could continue functioning.

The company board is to convene to discuss the report, he added.

The company lost LE1 billion in fiscal year 2017-18 and LE971 million the year before, said Tawfik. The closure of the National Cement Company has become necessary because it is losing huge amounts of money.

There is no way to revive it. If the state provides funds to develop its factories this will cost LE4 billion. Even then, the companys losses will stand at LE500 million, he added.

Tawfik earlier stated that the company owes the Egyptian Gas Company LE4.47 billion. According to a ministry statement, it has debts of LE3.7 billion to the petroleum and electricity sectors.

It has lost LE1.5 billion over the past four years and is considered the biggest loss-maker among the public-sector companies.

Company numbers say it achieved a net profit of LE280 million in fiscal year 2006-07, a figure which decreased to LE93.5 million in 2012-13. From then on, it has suffered huge losses, losing LE138.3 million in 2013-14, for example.

The company halted production in November 2017 because it was consuming 40 per cent more gas than the international average.

Out of 80 million tons of annual national cement production in Egypt, the National Cement Company produced around 3 million tons.

However, it had embarked on a project to decrease emissions and increase production, said a member of the National Cement Companys Workers Syndicate.

The project should have been completed in eight months, but it was extended to three years, and the cost rose from LE400 million to LE1.116 billion.

It was then handed over to ARESCO, an affiliate of ASEC for Manufacturing and Industrial Projects.

The National Cement Company was established in 1956, with a second factory built in 1974. The first and second factories use the wet process for the manufacture of cement.

In 1978, a third factory was constructed, and 10 years later a fourth was built, both using the dry process for cement production.

Because of the high costs of the gas used in the wet process, the companys board decided in 2015 to halt production at the first and second factories and to upgrade the third and fourth in a way that would be environmentally friendly and increase production from 3,500 tons to 5,200 tons per factory per day.

The upgrade was scheduled to be completed within 163 days. Instead, it took three years at a cost of LE1.1 billion.

The Ministry of Investment has stated that the National Cement Company losses are the result of an increase in the production cost of a ton of cement of 60 per cent more than the average production cost at competing companies.

Wages at the company in 2016-17 stood at LE355 million, a figure which is double that at sister companies in the public sector, the ministry statement continued.

The National Cement Company employs more than 2,300 workers.

In April, it announced it was planning an early retirement scheme for workers in the next fiscal year.

The companys factories use gas, which is better than some of its counterparts such as the Helwan Cement Company, affiliated to the Suez Company for Cement, which uses coal and waste materials, said the syndicate member.

The upgrade should have increased production and decreased the consumption of gas, rendering the product less costly. But this didnt happen.

He accused former leaders of the company of not properly supervising the upgrading project.

The ministry said it had observed grave violations on the part of former company management, foremost among which was contracting a foreign company to run operations and maintenance in spite of the availability of domestic expertise.

This measure cost the company LE360 million annually. That was in addition to the clear flaws in the contract for the production lines development, which did not specify the standards, conditions and obligations of the contractor, leading to unsatisfactory results and vast increases in gas consumption, it said.

The company referred these violations to the prosecution-general for investigation on 4 March 2018, the ministry statement added.

According to a Central Auditing Organisation (CAO) report seen by Al-Ahram Weekly, the reasons for halting production at the company without a study stating that a complete stoppage of production was the best option are also under question.

The halting of production decreased the losses expected for fiscal year 2018-19 to LE359.5 million, down from LE791.3 million in 2016-17, it said.

On 24 May, it was recommended that company shares be withdrawn from the stock market due to LE1.5 billion in losses shouldered from 2013 to 2017.

Emadeddin Mustafa, chairman of the Holding Company for Chemical Industries, said the extraordinary general assembly meeting of the National Cement Company also approved amending articles concerning the convening of the managerial board to make it possible to meet at the factory or the Downtown Cairo headquarters of the company.

However, one member of the Workers Syndicate told the Weekly that this had been done in order to help the company make decisions without the approval of the workers represented by the syndicate.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 20 September 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: National Cements dilemma

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Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > JNUSU Elections of 2018: National Defeat of Fascist Forces or Another (...)

by Rushda Siddiqui

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students union elections of 2018 are over. The results are in and the country is witnessing something extremely historic. For the first time in the history of the JNU have elections been marred by days of drama and violence, and the country, particularly the former student community, is busy amalging the implications of the elections and the results. Now the issues facing the student are: how important were the elections and to what extent should we be gloating about the defeat of the Right-wing student bodies. The ABVP has not given up on its claim to the campus. They are continuing with their agenda of violence and beating up students. As usual, the police is cowing down to political pressure and taking the side of the criminals over the victims. In the parlance of the police and the JNU administration, being Left or anti-ABVP is a bigger crime than being rapists, killers or simply goondas.

As soon as the elections started that the Right-wing ABVP would suffer a defeat was given. As the cases against Prof Atul Johri began to gain strength, the loss of the only stronghold of the party too was ensured. The JNU has proven time and again that scientific education or achievements do not automatically translate into a larger understanding of the human social order. Dogmatism, superstition and othering on grounds of religion, race, class or even gender are not the exclusive domains of the illiterate or other stereotypical groups. One can be a brilliant scientist and still be a misogynist, racially discriminating, patriarchal feudal and disconnected with the idea of social well-being. Over decades the university offered social science alternatives and awareness to the scientists, but with limited success. The events of 2017 and the electoral results of 2018 changed that. It was not easy for women scientists, who were supporters of the Right-wing ideology, to realise that their ideology will not deliver justice. A sustained awareness campaign about gender, caste and communal justice has made an impact that is visible in the election results.

The elections of 2018, however, will go down in history for very unusual reasons. Before I delve into the reasons, it needs to be made very clear that the university has been an integral part of the countrys political and administrative changes. It has supported movements for environmental controls, mainstreaming of the marginalised, gender equality, caste or communal justice among others. The university has been at the forefront of seeking education for the most backward regions and people of the country and has constantly demanded educational reforms to foster quality and outreach of education. From 2014 the university gained new notoriety for being the last place where the fascist Right-wing governments policies could succeed. It has stood its ground and countered violence by the ABVP goons or administrative arms-twisting. All resistance and movements have been non-violent. From sitting outside the VCs office to holding talks on Nationalism or classes in open compounds, the university is all about digging heels and seeking democratic solutions.

This elections, however, witnessed a level of violence and police presence that was unprecedented. Never in the history of the JNU have elections been marred by violence. The university had set a precedent of fighting elections through posters, debates, public meetings and, most importantly, individual engagement. Disagreements between the Right and the Left or any other ideology have always been present, but they were never bloody enough to allow for external security agencies to enter the campus. This year, the Election Commission was held hostage, the office of the students union was damaged, and lumpens from outside the campus were called to create an environment whereby the elections would be cancelled. There was a standoff lasting hours, but, true to the JNUs character, the students sat down till the goons left the field and allowed the counting to be resumed.

This brings us to the second and most important development, that of the electoral process. Days after the university polls of Delhi, that used EVMs and machinery that had been employed at the recent State-level elections, the JNU stuck to the old-fashioned paper ballot. The results are for all to see. The DU saw the larger crowds of the NSUI losing to the ABVP, and the JNU saw a complete routing of the same party (ABVP) to a coalition of the Left parties. This is evidentiary proof that if the EVMs are continued as an election tool in 2019, the results may allow the non-popular party to win comfortably. The hypothesis put forward by successive university elections was validated by the JNU. Wherever the elections were held via the ballot paper, the ABVP lost by a sizeable margin. This was first tested in Punjab and then Rajasthan. Delhi opted for EVMs and gave a comfortable win to the ABVP. The JNU reverted to the paper ballots and routed the Right-wing.

The most significant aspect of the 2018 elections of the JNUSU was the growth in the strength and credibility of the BAPSA (Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Union). This party has every element of being reactionary, uncon-ventional and political incorrectness to call the Right-wingers casteist, communal, misogynist and country-wreckers, without any sugar-coating. Since 2014 their narrative has been of uniting the marginalised from all political parties, social and economic or even gendered spaces. They do not subscribe to the traditional Left forums or ideas, but have evolved their own ideology that looks to the Marxist idea of equitable re-distribution of resources, atheism and justice alongwith the ideas of Indian subaltern leaders from Birsa Munda to Ambedkar. Their platform is not just to fight the fascist Right, but to safeguard the India that is enshrined in the Constitution. Their first councillor won the elections this year, debuting in the School of Arts and Aesthetics.

Though the party is only four years old, BAPSA has proved to be the most effective party to cut the ABVP votes and support-bases. The latter has been trying to point out that the BAPSA lost in vote-share, but they fail to point out that whatever little gains the BAPSA made has been at the expense of the Right-wingers and not the Left party votes. If the ABVP was routed in the science schools, it had more to do with the anti-BJP/ABVP campaigns of the BAPSA rather than with any other factor. The subalterns are here to stay: is one of the key messages of the 2018 JNU elections.

The JNUSU elections of 2018 may be over, but new options for the rest of the country are opening up. The idea of a combined Opposition to defeat the fascist Sangh ideology is already gaining currency. The possibility of rigging elections in 2019 through the EVMs is being voiced loudly, as is the need to counter fraudulent electoral practices. The elections have shown that violence, injustice and corruption can be fought with sheer grit and determination.

The electoral and post-election violence is also showing the world the history of violence and the attempted coercive takeover of the campus. The JNU was always the beacon of hope for the marginalised and deprived. With the coming to power of the current Modi Government in 2014, the campus is being violently destroyed. There is a suppression of intellect by recruiting teachers and students whose main aim is violence. The administration has time and again tried to impose strictures on debates, public meetings, hostel timings and student activities. The coercion has been on all fronts, economic, political and social. There has been enforcement of unpopular institutions like the ICC by repealing the GSCASH.

But it is the student violence that has been most marked. From making a man disappear to openly issuing death threats and beating fellow students outside the police station today, the ABVP has been brazen about its political ambition. It has shown that its political ideology has nothing to do with education. The objective is to capture power, more by crook than by hook. It has the blessings of the administration and the political party in power. Legitimacy or mandate is not what the party seeks, just power. This is what the country will have to deal with on a much larger scale if the BJP returns to power in 2019.

The author is a free-lance social science researcher, member of the National Federation of Indian Women and a former student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University.Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Russia Promotes unified Kurdish Platform

A new organisation was founded in Moscow on August 4 known as the International Federation of Kurdish Communities. It is a significant development against the backdrop of the surge of the Kurdish problem. Kurds inhabit several countries in a wide arc from Turkey across the northern tier of the Middle East to the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The new organisation is headed by Mirzoyev Knyaz Ibragimovich, a distinguished Kazakh intellectual of Armenian Kurdish originauthor, philologist-orientalist and academician. The Russian authorities apparently promoted this idea of disparate and dispersed Kurdish identity being brought together on a unified platform. The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov, received Mirzoyev and his delegation on August 7.

A Russian Foreign Ministry press release said that they discussed pressing issues in the Middle East with an emphasis on the Kurdish issues in the context of developments in Iraq and Syria, including the need to consolidate international efforts in countering ISIS and other terrorist groups. Quite obviously, the immediate context is the stabilisation of the situation in Iraq and Syria.

Of course, this is a poignant moment because Russia and the Kurds go back a long way. Not many would know that although Russian policy historically had opposed Kurdish independence, St. Petersburg used to be the foremost centre of Kurdish studies as far back as the middle of the 19th century. In fact, Czarist Russia witnessed a florescence of Kurdish studies and promotion of Kurdish culture. Under the auspices of the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, Kurdish-French-Russian dictionaries were compiled; a selection of Kurdish texts was published in 1857 based on material collected from Kurdish prisoners of war during the Crimean War (having segregated them in a camp at Smolensk in western Russia).

Perhaps, the most notable Kurdish work published in St. Petersburg was a history of Kurds originally complied in 1596 in Persian covering five centuries so that the history of the great ruling dynasties of Kurdistan will not remain unknown. The Russians had carried the original manuscript dated 1599 when they transferred the entire Royal Safavid Library at Ardabil to St. Petersburg as spoils following Czarist Russias victory in the war with Persia in 1828. A French edition of the historical work was published in St. Petersburg in four volumes during 1869-75.

What an incredible chapter in the ancient saga of the intercourse of the Slavs and the Muslims! Some historians attribute motives to itas reflecting Russias imperial ambitions built on notions of dismemberment of the Persian and Ottoman empires, access to the warm waters of the Persian Gulf and liberation of Christian minorities in those regions. Be that as it may, the point to be noted is that Kurdish independence had no part in those imperial ambitions.

This Russian approach vis--vis Kurdish independence has been consistent through the Soviet era and continues even today. Let me fish out from the archives a fascinating interview given by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to an Iraqi Kurdish channel a year ago, which is of interest today for its candid elucidation of the Russian stance on the Kurdish question. Lavrov says at one point:

We definitely have a very positive attitude towards the Kurds. We have long-established links; and we know each other very well. We take an interest in the Kurdsjust like any other ethnic group on the planetto achieve their legitimate aspirations and intentions... We proceed from the assumption that the legitimate aspirations of the Kurdsjust as those of other peoplehave to be pursued in accordance with international law... The Kurdish issue plays a big role and is in the forefront of the processes of crisis settlement now unfolding in the region... History shows that all too often the holding of a poll does not mean that all the issues will be resolved overnight. These are processes, which, I repeat, should be handled in a responsible manner considering the great significance of the Kurdish issue for the whole region.

Indeed, how Moscow proposes to deploy the Kurdish international platform will be keenly watched. To be sure, Moscow is taking the initiative to consolidate the Kurdish cultural and political identity under an erudite and enlightened leadership at a juncture when the Kurdish militant groups in Syria, which were backed by the Americans, appear to be willing to negotiate with Damascus.

The Syrian Kurds realise that in the absence of any political commitments from Americans for the future, the prudent course is to reconcile with Assad. A point of interest here is that the Syrian Kurds all through the seven-year-old conflict avoided fighting the government forces and they never took a position that Assad must be removed from power in any peace deal. The Kurdish fighters have reportedly shown willingness to be integrated with the Syrian Army.

Ambassador M.K. Bhadrakumar served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for over 29 years, with postings including Indias ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-1998) and to Turkey (1998-2001).Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > The Changing Alignments

From N.C.s Writings

The prospect of a new configuration inside the Janata Pary has been advanced by the dramatic developments in UP. It is not just a change of incumbent for the post of Chief Minister that took place with Banarsi Das taking over from Ram Naresh Yadav, but an entirely new scenario for Indian politics with possibi-lities which only the blind can ignore.

Soon after the Janata came to power in 1977, the key development within it was the axis formed between the Jana Sangh and Charan Singhs BLD. This enabled both these Janata components to corner the major share of seats and offices in the Janata-ruled State governments and establish a strange hegemony over the entire spectrum of Janata activity. Of the two, the Jana Sangh is obviously the more well-knit, the more determined and clearer in its pers-pective with definite ideas of its own brand of strategy and tactics; in contrast, Charan Singh found his BLD to be rather ramshackle with freelance leaders like Biju Patnaik and H.M. Patel, whom he could hardly expect to discipline.

The crisis in this inner alliance came last year with the widening rift between Morarji Desai and Charan Singh. The Jana Sangh could no longer be taken for granted by the BLD leadership: it chose not to follow Charan Singh into hibernation, however temporary, because it wanted, as it has always doneand from its own point of view, with sound reasons even if it is without scrupleto keep itself on the right side of the combination which controlled the Establishment. Since Charan Singh walked out of it, he found himself bereft of the company of the Jana Sangh.

This desertion by the Jana Sangh made Charan Singh and his trusted followers its embittered critics, and also of its more significant nucleus, the RSS. Charan Singh changed his tactics: he returned to the Centre, after whatever bar-gaining he could do from a position of com-parative weakness. However, he changed his battle-ground from Delhi to Lucknow. Almost instantaneously after his return to office at the Centre, the gauntlet was thrown by his loyal follower, the Chief Minister of UP, who reshufled his Cabinet with the calculated risk of drawing the Jana Sangh out in the open and taking some conspicuous actions against the RSS. His overthrow by a narrow majority of nine by the Janata Legislature Party in UP made it clear that there could no longer be any patch-up between his followers and the Jana Sangh. But this week the election of another Charan Singh loyalist, Banarsi Das, with a convincing margin of 35 by the same legislature party marks the surfacing of a new combination in which has been drawn the CFD, a small but significant component within the Janata.

For the first time since the coming of the Janata to power, the Jana Sangh finds itself displaced from the vantage point in a Janata-run State Government. For the first time, again, the Jana Sangh finds itself being assailed by a not insignificant section inside the Janata Party. The attack from outside the Janata is now compounded by the attack from within, on the RSS. No doubt an extremely important develop-ment for the politics of this country.

It would of course be naive to expect that the RSS would be put out of the pale by this one single development or that the Jana Sangh will immediately find itself eliminated from office in all the States. What has happened in Lucknow is the beginning of the process. It is bound to snowball in other States. The Jana Sangh-domi-nated government in Madhya Pradesh will face the brunt of the Socialists, now reinvigorated by the turn of events in UP. Dissidence may give place to revolt. In Bihar, Karpoori Thakur will gain in self-confidence and will not bend before the Jana Sangh, even if he does not break with it.

Although there is no immediate prospect of an open rift at the Centrethe Jana Sangh itself will fight shy of facing the challengethere is no gainsaying that the relations will never be the same again. The Congress-O, the Chandra Shekhar group and the others around them will have to make up their minds whether they would like to keep the company of the Jana Sangh or choose the way of the BLD, the Socialists and the CFD with their guns pointing towards the Jana Sangh, and more pointedly at the RSS. Within the Jana Sangh itself, there is little doubt that one section would not like to go into the wilderness for the sake of the RSS and may try to adjust itself to the new temper within the Janata.

This is no doubt a moment of truth for the Jana Sangh. With the Opposition parties, the two Congresses and the CPI already ranged against it, the CPI-M lately engaged in denouncing it, and this new dimension of a substantial section of the Janata alienated to the point of being antagonised, the Jana Sangh faces a future overcast with dark, lowering clouds. For the others it is a moment of renewal of faith in the tenets of secularism which were somehow conveniently shelved or forgotton in the initial phase of the Janata Raj.

Appropriately, this should happen when Sanjay Gandhi, with V.C. Shukla as his ADC, finds himself convicted to a two-year term in prison on criminal charges. Once again, it is made clear that the Emergency and its infamous heroes are not wanted in the fight against any brand of communalism in this great country.

(Editors Notebook, Mainstream, March 3, 1979)Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Humane Faces of Kerala Flood

by Chandrasekhar Bhattacharjee

Kerala, Gods own Country, is devasted with unpreceedented flood, leaving millions of people homeless; they are striving hard to sustain at relief camps while a few hundreds have been washed away. Amidst bleak and gray sunshine peeping in, P.M. Manoj, a journalist by profession, donated all he decided to spend at his only daughetrs engagement and marriage celebrations.

Also an unparalleled example is that of Miss Hanan Hamida, a stiudent of Kochis Al Assar College, Department of Chemistry. She has been living a hard life with her mother, a mental patient, since Hanans father left them helpless many years back. How do they sustain? Hamida used to wake up late at midnight and paddling her cycle went all the way to the railway station to buy fish from the Chambokkara wholesale market and sell those at the locality of Thammanan. She then returned home, prepare food and run for the college some 60 km away from home.

A few months back the people of Kerala came to know about her struggle against the odds through newspaper reports when she faced a tough battle against the troll army. Police arrested one of the culprits and booked him. Hamida saved a few bucks daily for uncertain days in future, despite an ardous life schedule. She donated the entire savings, accumulated to Rs one lakh amd fifty thousand, to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund.

It is further heartening that a lady handed over her ear-rings, the cherished ornament of her marriage, to the relief collectors while they arrived at her doorstep.

People of Kerala have been going on with exemplary humanitarian activities at the time of grave crisis. People from various corners of the country and even from abroad rushed to donate spontaneously. Bollywood actor and actresses too donated huge sums to govern-ment-sponsorred refief funds. Amitabh Bach-chan, Shahrukh Khan, Karan Johar, Hritik Roshan and many more names may be mentioned. Reportedly Shahrukh Khan and Sunny Leon have donated Rs 21 crores and Rs 5 crores respectively. Ms Leon has also donated 1200 kg of food items.

But, Prime Minister Narendra Modis friend Vijay Sekhar Sharma, the founder of the mobile payement company PayTM, donated only Rs 10,000 making a mockery of generosity. No Hindu Babaji, Swamiji, no Hindu temple with huge bank balance, assets, ornaments and properties, not even the BJPs coveted Brand Baba Ramdev opened their mind to donate small amounts for the sake of the Kerala flood victims.

Just take one example. Twenty billion dollars property is lying solely with Keralas renowned Hindu place of worship, Padmanabha Swamy Temple. Only gold coins in this temple are worth Rs 500 crores. The Prime Minister, the erstwhile Chief Minister of Gujarat, who sanctioned Rs 2000 crores for the Gujarat flood relief though the calamity and disaster there was much less in comparison with Kerala, coughed up a meagre sum of Rs 500 crores.

However, several mosques and madrasas opened wide their gates for the flood victims. Not only people from all religions and sects were sheltered there, the managers sent them back to their homes after the flood waters receded with a bag of ration and vegetables to sustain them. The Eid-ul Azha celebration was cancelled and the entire money was donated for flood relief. Just after the Eid, it was Onam, one of the biggest festivals of Kerala. The mosque, a church at Thiruvananthapuram allowed Hindu women to cook Pongal, a mix of rice, coconut and juggernauts at their premises. But, a section of upper-caste Brahmins were seen asking brethrens not to save themselves by sitting on the boats of Muslim boatmen.

Such a devastating flood Kerala never witnessed in the last 125 years. All the distrcts were submerged, some under six-to-ten feet of flood water. The Left partries leaderships rued at the Prime Ministers step-motherly attitude. MPs and the MLAs of the Left parties all over India donated a months salary to the Kerala CMs Relief Fund.

A grave situation is looming large over Kerala after the flood waters have receded. All the districts are in a sorry state. The barrages were forced to open the gates and release excess water to save the barrages due to unprecedented huge rainfall. According to the Metrological Divisons report, the sudden rainfall was huge this time and 357 times more than normal showers during this season. The fishermen folk of Kerala rendered excellent service to the people saving thousands lives with their boats. The State Government, the Army, the civil society, the NGOs have stood by the people of Kerala. Almost all the States came forward with their help as much as possible. Though reeling under severe financial crisis and in poor economic condition, the West Bengal Government also donated Rs 10 crores for the devasted Kerala people.

Miss Devi, an LL B student of the Kerala Law Academy, is the daughter of journalist P.M. Manoj. She was scheduled to get married to Sudhakaran, a pass-out of the same Academy on August 19. Both the families of the bride and bridegroom were scheduled to celebrate the life-time occasion with fanfare along with friends and relatives. The ring ceremony, the engagement, is very auspicious and important in Malayali marriages, which was also scheduled to take place on the same day.

The Resident Editor of Deshabhimani, the daily mouthpiece of the CPI-M in Kerala, P.M. Manoj, was totally upset and brooding seriously over Keralas unprecedented flood situation. He had some plan and discussed that with Mr Gokul, Sudhakarans father, bridegroom Advocate Sudhakaran and his daughter Devi time and again. Getting consent from both sides he cancelled the marriage ceremony which was going to take place at Kannur on Sunday (August 19). Mr Manoj then posted the news of cancellation of Devi and Sudhakarans marriage ceremony on his facebook page.

Now we get a glimpse of the man with lion-heart and angel-like sensitivity. Common people could never dream of such an awsome gesture. They decided to donate the whole amount earmarked to be spent in the marriage ceremony to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund.

All the staffers of Deshabhimani, the daily organ of the Kerala CPI-M, are wholetimers. Usually, as everyone knows, in any organ of the Left parties in India, staffers do not get salary but live on meagre wholetimers wage and carry out the responsibilites they are assigned with by the strength of extraordinary love and dedication to the party and the people. It is quite easy to understand that once the saved money is donated, its impossible to get his daughter married ceremoniously offering feast for the friends and relatives. Still Manoj, alongwith Devi, Sudhakaran, Gokul and all of them had taken such a humane decision.

Manoj and his family as well as Hanan Hamida proved again that humanity is imperishable, its immortal. They are the human faces amidst the monstrous Kerala flood.

The senior journalist based in Kolkata, the author is the Assistant Editor of the Bengali weekly periodical, Janaswartha Barta.Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > A Coup that Awaits the Daring

There is a strategic political coup that Rahul Gandhi can execute, and thereby transform the entire landscape of the 2019 elections. Routine politicking wont do in the present climate because Narendra Modis oratorical ability to attract mass attention is unrivalled and his party has the advantage of being in power. It will be foolish to see 2019 as a Modi-versus- Rahul test. The Congress should understand this unusual situation and take unusual steps to meet the challenge.

Rahul can swing everything in his favour with a bit of daring, and a bit of the long view. The first step is to know that he cannot just shrug off the combined handicap of inexperience in government, relative youth and the dynasty tag. Modi makes fun of these by using nicknames like Shazada and Pappu. To imagine that this drawback can be overcome with fiery speeches, a foreign visit or two, and modern marketing technology would be to succumb to the temptations of power. Pressures to commit this mistake must be resisted with daring.

A long view is needed to realise that he has nothing to lose by waiting. Time is on his side. If he remains Congress President but formally withdraws from the perceived Prime-Minister-to-be position, it will be a boost to the Opposition among whom there are leaders sceptical of his lack of exposure to public office. The acceptability level of the Congress will increase simul-taneously, making Opposition unity easier to attain. The Congress will remain a major component of the Opposition alliance, entitled to all the benefits of a victor in case the alliance wins a majority in the election.

What if the Congress wins enough seats on its own to become a legitimate claimant for prime ministership? The shrewdest move Rahul Gandhi can make in such a situation is to put up another Congress leader for the top post and himself become a Cabinet Minister intent on gaining administrative experience. That will raise his political stock sky-high.

Indira Gandhi was a Minister in Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastris Cabinet, and she was the better administrator for that (although she didnt like it at the time). By contrast, Chandrashekhar was a Member of Parliament for many years, active as a Young Turk. But he became the Prime Minister straightaway in November 1990 without any administrative experience in any branch of government. The result was that he became something of an Old Turk as the Prime Minister and lasted only seven months, after which he withered away.

Rahul Gandhi can kill two birds with one stone. While withdrawal from the prime ministerial race will crown him with a halo of wisdom, the presence of Congressmen with unimpeachable prime ministerial quality will strengthen the standing of his party in any alliance. Choosing the right one is a problem a party President with Rahul Gandhis clout can easily solve.

To cite two examples, P. Chidambaram is unofficially mentioned as a potential Prime Minister. But he could well be a disaster. For one thing, whispers about his PM qualities were contrived as far back as in 2012, when overseas media, including such weighty titles as The Economist carried the whispers. The Congress even ordered an internal inquiry about it. A more important factor against him is that his name is linked rightly or wrongly with corruption cases, his son contributing to that negative asset. Chidambaram is capable, educated and modernistic, but he is unpopular. His image is his enemy.

Mallikarjun Kharge, on the other hand, is a dream candidate for prime ministership. One of the most experienced politicians in public life today, he has handled ministerial portfolios for more than 40 years, in his State and at the Centre. The portfolios have included education, panchayati raj, industries, revenue, transport and home. The crowning glory is that he has handled all these without attracting corruption scandals. This must be a unique record.

Kharge has a couple of other qualifications that are important in Indias convoluted politics. He is from the South who speaks Hindi like a native. His role as the virtual Leader of the Opposition in Parliament has evoked the reluctant admiration of even the ruling party. Additionally, he is from a Scheduled Caste, though he never plays the caste card. A Congress party that puts up Mallikarjun Kharge as its prime ministerial candidate, with Rahul Gandhi confidently waiting in the background, will be a formidable force in 2019. The only question is whether Rahul will have the daring and the long view to grab the opportunity.Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Monday recalled the suspension of nine mayors, three vice mayors and 60 other local officials accused of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty for allowing the operation of open dumps within their areas. Martires issued separate orders, withdrawing the one-year suspension without of mayors Flaviano Balgos Jr. of Nueva Vizcayas Bambang, Gerry Jaucian of Albays Daraga, Nathaniel Gertos of Leytes Bato, Norman Ong of Palawans Rizal, Cielo Krisel Luistro of Albays Tabaco City, Cherlie Sampal of Albays Polangui, Emilia Lourdes Poblete of Cavites Silang, Melandres de Sagun of Cavites Trece Martires and Ma. Kristine dela Fuente of Bataans Abucay. In view of the ongoing review of the Office of the Ombudsman of all environmental cases, the decision is hereby recalled. As such, the order suspending from the service without pay for one year is withdrawn, the order read. Considering that the Office of the Ombudsman has not received information from the Department of the Interior and Local Government as to the implementation of the decision, the DILG or his duly authorized representative is directed to furnish this office of this information within 10 days from receipt hereof so that this matter can be included in the review of this case. A small town or city could not afford P13 million to be able to close down an open dump and another P50 million for the construction and operation of a sanitary or controlled landfill, Martires said. The Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act 9003 is economically not feasible to be enforced on fifth or sixth class municipalities, he said. In 2016, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources National Solid Waste Management Commission filed complaints against the local officials before then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales. The Office of the Ombudsman directed the suspension of the local officials and asked the DILG secretary to implement the order. Martires called on the lawmakers to revisit RA 9003. Earlier, he told the Ombudsmans Office of the Special Prosecutors to refrain from filing suspension against officials facing charges before the Sandiganbayan. Meanwhile, the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday blocked its own Office of the Special Prosecutors to file an appeal for cases involving the acquittal of government officials.Martires issued Office Circular No. 18 stipulating consistent with the constitutional provision on double jeopardy, the Office shall no longer challenge the dismissal of cases/quashal of information and judgment of acquittal, either through a motion to dismiss, a demurrer to evidence or by a decision, rendered by the trial courts or the Sandiganbayan. Decisions of the Court of Appeals dismissing the administrative cases shall no longer be challenged. This includes, either in criminal or administrative cases, the filing of a motion for reconsideration on the main case and the filing of petitions under either Rule 45 of Rule 65 of the Revised Rules of Court, the order read. By way of exception, the filing of the motions for reconsideration and petitions for certiorari shall strictly be based on grounds that: (a) the Office of the Ombudsman, in administrative cases, or the People of the Philippines, in criminal cases, was clearly deprived of due process, and (b) there was a mistrial, Martires said. The Sept. 24 office circular shall take effect immediately and amend Office Circular No. 3, series of 2013, Office Circular No. 7, series of 2015, Item 7 of Memorandum dated March 15, 2017, and all other issuances inconsistent herewith. Martires, a former Supreme Court associate justice, vowed to put a stop to the practice of the prosecutors in filing a plea with the High Court. What is our interest [here, to send a person to jail who has already been absolved of any wrongdoing? The law on double jeopardy has been there since time immemorial. The filing of an appeal is no longer allowed on the accused who has been acquitted, he said. He invoked Article 3, Section 21 of the Bill of Rights under the 1987 Constitution stipulating no person shall be twice put in jeopardy of punishment for the same offense. With the issuance of Office Circular No. 18, Martires said he could get all the flak. He, however, said he could take all the criticisms against him so long as he could correct the wrong. At the end of the day, you will realize that I am right and that you are wrong, he said.The House of Representatives Committee on Justice on Tuesday unanimously approved the committee report dismissing the consolidated impeachment complaints against Supreme Court Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro and six other magistrates for being insufficient in substance. The committee, chaired by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Salvador Leachon, dumped the impeachment complaint filed by opposition lawmakers led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, with all 22 lawmakers present in the hearing. The hearing was attended by Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and approved the committee report. The impeachment complaints alleged that De Castro, Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr. and Alexander Gesmundo committed culpable violation of the Constitution for removing former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno through the quo warranto petition. De Castro, Peralta, Bersamin, Jardeleza and Tijam were also accused of betrayal of public trust for refusing to inhibit from voting on the quo warranto petition after testifying against Sereno in the congressional impeachment complaint hearings. Leachon, in his opening statement, expressed belief his committee was able to conduct extensive hearings on the complaint filed against the seven SC justices. The complainants and the members of this Committee were given time to explain their respective positions as well as time for rebuttal and sur-rebuttal. Two requisites served as the standard for determining sufficiency in substance: Whether the recital of facts constitute an impeachable offense and whether these are determinative of the jurisdiction of the Committee over the case, Leachon said. After all the members were given the opportunity to state their positions, there was a motion to declare all the impeachment complaints sufficient in substance. With a vote of one in favor and 22 against, the Committee declared the impeachment complaints as insufficient in substance and, thus dismissed, Leachon added. Lagman, for his part, said he would question the decision of the committee to junk the complaint when it reaches the plenary. Lagman questioned the number of voting for the panel junking the impeachment complaint filed against the seven SC justices.He said the House justice panel should be able to muster at least 35 votes, or more than half of its total membership, to decide on the committee report dismissing the impeachment complaint against the SC justices as the panel composed of 68 regular and ex-officio members. The dismissal of the complaint was not approved by absolute majorityAbsolute majority of all members of the committee members which both regular members and the ex-officio members are included. The rules are very clear on this matter, Lagman told a news conference. Lagman said his group would write a letter to the committee questioning its decision. There is no committee report that will be submitted to the plenary for action. Because it does not approve by the absolute majority. It is void ab initio, Lagman said. Last Sept. 11, the House justice committee ruled that the recital of facts did not constitute the offense charged and therefore not determinative of the jurisdiction of the committee. Hence, the panel ruled that the impeachment complaints were insufficient in substance. During the Tuesday hearing, Leachon reported that Lagman raised a motion for reconsideration following the Sept. 11 vote. However, the motion is not sanctioned by the rules as Lagman was only a complainant and not a member of the Committee. Lagman was instead asked to file a manifestation to elucidate his points against the ruling of insufficiency of substance. Unfortunately, for the information of everyone, Congressman Lagman did not file any manifestation or any pleading to that effect, Leachon said.Egyptian National Railways signed a deal on Tuesday with the Russian-Hungarian consortium Transmashholding to import and manufacture 1,300 new railway carriages, the largest deal in the history of Egypts railways.

The signing ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of State for Military Production Mohamed Al- Assar, Minister of Transport Hisham Arafat, as well as the Russian and Hungarian ambassadors in Cairo.



Speaking at a press conference following the ceremony, Arafat said the deal, worth 1.2 billion euros, includes 800 air-conditioned train carriages.

The first batch of train carriages will be delivered after 14 months, the minister said.



The deal is an implementation of the government's directives to develop all elements of the railways system, said Arafat.

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A crisis is brewing in Montana and across the country for business owners in their 60s and 70s. More and more baby boomers are facing a stark reality  no one wants take over their enterprises and the anticipated economic loss could reach well into the trillions of dollars.

by Michael Braun and Arnie Sherman

***

MMEC senior business adviser Alistair Stewart earns Montanas first certified exit planning adviser designation to assist business owners in the transition to new ownership. http://www.matr.net/article-72283.html

How to sell your small business  Resources in Montana to assist. http://www.matr.net/article-72377.html

Four Questions to Ask a Business Broker http://www.matr.net/article-46910.htmlOn Thursday, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan met with representatives from some of the most powerful tech companies in the region at City Hall before racing south to catch the launch event of sea.citi, a group trying to get everyday tech workers more engaged with civic life.

The back-to-back events reflect an effort by Seattles tech industry, one of the top drivers of rapid growth and change in the region, to take a more active roll in community life and the challenges the city faces.

by Monica Nickelsburg

https://www.geekwire.com/2018/tensions-rise-booming-seattle-tech-industry-steps-civic-engagement/Egyptian writer and economist Galal Amin died Tuesday 25 September at the age of 83 after a battle with illness, his family announced.

Galal, who was born in 1935, was best known for his books Whatever Happened to the Egyptians? (2000), Whatever Else Happened to the Egyptians? (2003), Egypt in the Era of Hosni Mubarak (2011), and The Illusion of Progress in the Arab World (2006).

Galal Amin was the son of Egyptian jurist and academic Ahmed Amin, who was an academic rival of one of Egypt's most famous writers of all time, Tahah Hussein.

Amin graduated from Cairo University in 1955 with a law degree, before traveling to Britain to continue his studies at the London School of Economics. He returned to Egypt in the mid 1960s to teach at Ain Shams University, and later American University in Cairo.

Amin was a vehement critic of the former President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak, and was regarded as a prominent opposition figure during his rule, particularly in the final ten years.

In 2012, he published his book "Whatever Happened to the Egyptian Revolution?", which tracked corruption in the Egyptian economy during the rule of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, analysing the reasons behind Egypt's economic collapse, which gravely affected the poor and middle class and paved the way to revolution.

In a public event in 2012 at Cairo international Book Fair, Amin told the audience: "Poverty in Egypt changed its form under Mubarak," explaining that before 1952, "the poor lived in terrible conditions, many without shoes, but at least had a sense of contentment because they believed nothing could be done and everything was decided by fate. Under Mubarak, the poor are better dressed but suffer a deep sense of humiliation and see that their ambitions for a better life are not being met, despite better education. Thanks to television, everyone understands their deficiency and feels more excluded."

Amin was a strong supporter of the 25 January revolution, and believed that the revolution's main achievement was to reinvigorate people's involvement in politics and public affairs.

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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.KABUL  Acting/Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mr. Hekmat Khalil Karzai attended celebration of the National Day of the Peoples Republic of China, today at the Chinese Embassy in Kabul.

On behalf of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Mr. Karzai congratulated the people and government of China as well its embassy personnel in Kabul on the occasion of the Chinese National Day. He said that China was a major international ally of Afghanistan and an important economic, security and political partner of the country.

A number of government officials, foreign diplomats, civil society activists and students of Kabul Universitys Chinese Language Institute participated in the celebration.NEW YORK  Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Salahuddin Rabbani and the high ranking delegations from 129 countries attended a meeting on Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem hosted by the US President H.E. Donald Trump and the United Nations Secretary General H.E. Antonio Gotriche.

The Global Call focuses on reducing drug demand, cutting off narcotics supply routes, strengthening international cooperation, and elevating the level of treatment of drug addicts. It is worth mentioning that this Global Call is in consistency with the Afghan National Unity efforts towards counter narcotics.Robot prototype on display at a recent U-M robotics event

Jessy Grizzle

Robofest in progress - courtesy Dr. Chan-Jin Chung

When asked about the future of robotics in Southeast Michigan, Dr. Chan-Jin Chung, professor of math and computer science at Lawrence Technological University, first begins with a brief history lesson.The first industrial revolution, he says, entailed the mechanization of various processes and a large-scale shift of labor into industry. The second revolution involved advances in technology and mass production. "Detroit led the second industrial revolution," Chung says. "Mass production started in Detroit."The third industrial revolution saw the focus of activity move to Silicon Valley and centered around the production of digital technologies like software, computers, and cellphones.Now, Chung says, we are on the cusp of a fourth revolution. And Detroit may once again have a chance to again take the lead.The newest developments in industry involve cyber-physical-systems (CPS), technologies that combine computing power with physical equipment and encompass everything from internet connected refrigerators to autonomous vehicles to industrial robots. Metro Detroit's background in manufacturing and early adoption of robotics, along with various educational initiatives taking place from elementary schools to university graduate programs, could position the region to do well in a world where robotics and related technologies ripple out from the auto industry into an ever-expanding number of uses.Chung acknowledges that locally, relationships between humans and robots could be better. "I've found that the word robotics has some negative meaning for people in Detroit," he says. "Factory robot arms took their jobs. However, now we are approaching a new era."It's understandable why those in labor might be skeptical of robots. A recent report by the Brookings Institution shows that they've had an outsize impact in rust-belts states, especially Michigan, which has coincided with a decline in manufacturing jobs. Toledo, Detroit, and Grand Rapids specifically have the highest number of robots per-thousand workers, largely related to their use in automobile manufacturing where they have been relatively easy to incorporate into mass production doing things like painting, welding, and lifting heavy materials.For many, even in labor circles, the use of robots in the vehicle sector is being treated as something of a fait accompli. In a recent editorial in The Detroit News, United Auto Workers president Gary Jones says he is far more concerned about creating jobs in the production of electric vehicles and keeping them in the country than with arguing what has already happened in auto production. "We believe the US must be a producer and exporter of advanced vehicles," Jones writes, "not jobs."So, what will it take to create a corridor for robotics or cyber-physical-systems in Southeast Michigan, similar to what's in Silicon Valley? According to Jessy Grizzle, robotics expert and professor of engineering at the University of Michigan, it requires a combination of education, industry, and local talent."Look at what happened in Silicon Valley. Why did they settle there?" Grizzle says. "It's because they had fantastic universities around them on which to draw talent. And then once they had a density of these companies, it made it very easy to attract new employees because if it didn't work out at one company there's another job available."Grizzle points out the number of universities in the region with engineering and computer science programs including Michigan State, Wayne State, Lawrence Tech, and University of Michigan-Dearborn, as well as the number of companies working with these technologies.The new Ford Motor Company Robotics Building at the University of Michigan is one example of the kind of investment advocates are looking for. Estimated to cost $75 million dollars, it's funded in part by the Ford Motor Company who will have a hundred engineers working in the building, and bring together people working in the field of robotics from a number of disparate departments and industries.These investments are augmented by a regional talent base that predates the robot era. "There's just something about the DNA here in Michigan that is attractive to roboticists," says Damen Provost, managing director of the Robotics Institute at the University of Michigan.Provost and others also point to the talent pipeline that now begins in grade school with students competing in robotics competitions. "The state of Michigan has more of these teams than any other state in the country," Provost says.In 1999, Chung started his own competition, called Robofest , which involves teams from all over the world competing with fully autonomous (i.e. not remote-controlled) robots.According to Chung, these competitions help students develop a number of skills in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields including physics, programming, and others. He also points out the way competitions encourage the development of "soft skills" like teamwork, writing, and giving presentations.But he believes Michigan can do much more, citing countries like Iceland and the United Kingdom where children are taught to code starting in kindergarten. "Computer science is like a language," Chung says. "If you learn it later, it's harder."There is also a need for education at the technical level, whether this takes place in a high-school, community college, university or with an employer. Jeannine Kunz works with the SME ( Society of Manufacturing Engineers ) running their Tooling U-SME program, which teams up with manufacturers and educational institutions to provide roughly 45,000 workers with robotics training.According to Kunz, 10 years ago the average maintenance technician needed to know about 500 pages worth of material written at the eighth-grade level. Today, that person would need to know 5,000 pages written at an undergraduate or higher level. To prepare these types of workers, serious investments will be needed.Kunz also mentions that many companies have begun pre-screening for soft skills in the last few years, suggesting that even in technological jobs, the ability to communicate and work with teams of people is being prioritized. Indeed, since robotics is a cross-disciplinary endeavor bringing together engineers, computer scientists, and mathematicians, teamwork can be exceedingly important. In this future, intangible skills like problem solving and creativity could become even more useful."As the complexity goes up, it's going to be really hard to get the machines that 'smart,'" Grizzle says. "We'll still use the native intelligence of us organic beings."Furthermore, engineers and programmers often end up going into jobs in management and sales later in their careers to pursue higher wages  jobs that are perhaps informed by their earlier work, but emphasize those soft skills like communications, decision making, and managing teams.There are many open questions about what robotics and other emergent technologies will mean for the future of work. Regardless of how this plays out in the national and global job market, Southeast Michigan seems well positioned to take advantage of new developments as technologies from things like autonomous vehicles are adapted for use in smaller and more versatile robots that could be used in a number of different industries."We're seeing a sea change in the capability of the machines," Grizzle says. "All the new trends in robotics are for mobile robots and they have to be safe enough to operate around people and amongst other robots."If we take the continued development of these technologies as a given, then the future of the region could depend not just on how well robots collaborate with us, but on how well we collaborate with them.The article is part of a series, supported by the Michigan Science Center , exploring key regional issues in science over the next five years. Read more articles from this series and others from our collaboration with the Michigan Science Center here Photos, except where mentioned, by Doug CoombeEducation

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.

0108263 License for publishing multimedia online



Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349"We must never forget those who have served nobly to protect our freedom, and our way of life. We must never take for granted, what it has taken us to get here, where we are today," Post Commander Clifford Booz.Student survey, community forums planned as Pennridge continues looking at school start timesTechnology that could revolutionize the use, deployment and growth of electric motor vehicle systems used for powering plug-in vehicles and scooters worldwide is being produced by a Morgan Hill company co-founded by a Live Oak High School dropout.

KLD Energy Technologies, which is based in Austin, Texas, but does its research and development in Morgan Hill, has spent the last few days introducing the public to its patented oneDRIVE electric propulsion system, which is touted by its developers as vastly more efficient and safer than existing technology  including that used by American mega-manufacturers Tesla and General Motors.

KLD co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Ray Caamano, a 50-year-old Gilroy resident, said the system could go a long way in reducing energy consumption worldwide  a mission he has been passionate about for the past three decades or so in which he has taught himself enough about mechanics, electricity and engineering to invent the key components used in the oneDRIVE engine.

We have this very serious problem  how do we stop burning all this fossil fuel? said Caamano. The internal combustion (gas-powered) engine has only 25 percent maximum efficiency. We could do a lot more with a lot less, and we would have less pollution and less political problems. This is driving the revolution in transportation.

The oneDRIVE system consists of three primary components  the motor, battery and motor controller  that were developed in-house at KLDs Morgan Hill lab which employs 10 people.

Three vehicles containing the oneDRIVE engine were on display outside KLDs Morgan Hill facility on Vineyard Boulevard last week. Two were commercial vehicles  a two-wheeled scooter and a miniature pickup.

The third was an open frame ensemble resembling a go-kart, with the oneDRIVE components bolted to the back and prominently on display. Caamano and John Bautista, KLD Business Development and Research Manager, offered this third vehicle for a test drive.

The absence of gears and the lack of engine noise were the most immediately noticeable differences between the electric vehicle and the testers multi-valve six-cylinder-powered Japanese sedan. The battery recharges via a standard wall outlet, and the motor also regenerates power to the battery while in transit.

The plug-in electric vehicles employing the oneDRIVE system have a maximum speed of 55 mph. By contrast, Tesla touts top speeds of 125 mph and higher for its various models.

The oneDRIVE motor, using technology patented by Caamano, has only one moving part, no gear box and no oil. It propels the driveshaft using electromagnetic power. The lack of the thousands of moving parts that expend valuable energy and are found in most other vehicles  even electric ones  is what makes the oneDRIVE system so efficient, Caamano explained.

Standard electric vehicle motors today are still using modifications of the induction system that was invented more than 100 years ago, Caamano said.

KLDs battery and motor controller designs are also unique to other manufacturers, and enlist more of Caamanos own inventions.

Designing the battery has been the most painstaking part of the process, Caamano said. The 53-pound battery box contains nearly 500 rechargeable lithium battery cells identical to those used in cordless power tools. The oneDRIVE battery maxes out at 48 volts  much lower than the batteries of competitors, but with the ability to deliver just as much if not more power.

KLD unleashed the oneDRIVE system in time for what promises to be a bright future for electric vehicles. According to a recent report from Navigant Research, sales of plug-in electric vehicles are expected to reach about three million, or three percent of the global light-duty vehicle market, by 2020.

(The) PEV market continues to grow rapidly  about 150 percent between 2011 and 2012  but remains a very small part of the overall global automotive market, with 0.2 percent market share in 2012, the report published in June 2013 says.

Caamano thinks the oneDRIVE systems simplicity and affordability will contribute to that growth.

KLD is focusing on placing its technology in more utilitarian uses, such as two-wheeled scooters and light-duty pickup designs, Caamano said. Theyre also focusing largely outside the U.S.  in regions like Europe and Asia where the economy and infrastructure are already suited to electric vehicles.

Four-wheeled vehicles manufactured by Cenntro, employing KLDs system will be available for about $15,000 to $25,000 in the U.S., Caamano said. Two-wheeled oneDRIVE-powered scooters made by V Moto will likely range from $4,500 to $5,500.

Electric vehicles popular on the American market include numerous models by Tesla (roughly $60,000), the Chevrolet Volt (as low as $26,685) and the Nissan LEAF (starting at $21,300).

While the oneDRIVE system is currently only deployed in electric-only vehicles, to soften consumers potential worries about the batterys range of 60 miles, KLD engineers are also working on a hybrid engine in the back of their research lab. Early tests on that system, which are not yet available to consumers, show the hybrid can achieve more than 100 mpg.

Nearly five years ago, Caamano and Christian Okonsky formed KLD Energy for the sole purpose of developing the oneDRIVE system  the various parts of which Caamano had been working on for some time. Okonsky is now the CEO of the company. The two worked together previously at another company, and they shared the same passion for green alternatives to wasteful fossil fuels.

Caamano dropped out of LOHS in the late 1970s to run his Volkswagen repair shop at the time. Though he gained his GED, he never attended college or received a degree.

Inspired by Ferdinand Porsche and Nikola Tesla, Caamano spent the next 30-plus years studying mechanical and electromagnetic engineering on his own.

Porsche, he noted, took a minimalist approach to his automotive creations. Thats what Caamano had in mind as KLD developed the oneDRIVE patents. And its ultimately what will bring costs down and make electric vehicles available to more people, he said.

Bautista, a 1977 LOHS graduate who attended University of California, Davis, joined KLD Energy a couple years ago. Formerly the director for mechanical engineering at Zero Motorcycles  an electric motorcycle producer in Scotts Valley  Bautista has a long history with Caamano who helped him get in the door at KLD Energy.

It was really where I wanted to be. I wanted to get with a company that had greater growth potential and an opportunity to make a bigger impact on the world, Bautista said.Sex sells and everybody loves it  ...After winning his partys endorsement last month, Republican 5th Congressional District candidate Manny Santos is spending his time in the districts 41 towns and cities building name recognition and raising campaign funds.

The campaign is going very well, Santos said. Im getting good feed back from everyone I talk to. They are excited to get this election over with and finally get someone else to represent us.

Santos, a former Meriden mayor, faces an uphill battle against Democrat Jahana Hayes, a Waterbury teacher and Wolcott resident who has the support of top state Democrats including U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut. She is also receiving financial help from Democrats inside and outside the state.

Hayes has prioritized direct voter contact since the primary, said spokesman Andrew Doba.

Shes gone to events in every corner of the district and the positive response to her candidacy has been overwhelming, Doba said. When it comes to the issues, voters seem to know that she shares their values and ideals.

Santos said his campaign war chest is in better shape now than during the primary, but he isnt expecting much help from the National Republican Congressional Committee.

They are focused on other races, the seats they can keep, Santos said. Republicans are working nationally to try to retain their majority into the next Congress.

As of the last filing on July 27, Hayes had raised $459,386 and had $359,058 cash on hand. Santos had raised $25,652 and had $1,579 on hand.

There is also some thought out there Im going to do well no matter what I raise, Santos said. I think I have a great chance despite the disparity.

During the primary, Santos focused on convincing Republican voters he was the best of the three Republican candidates. After victory, he switched his focus to concentrate more on his policy positions.

Santos has also made some changes in his campaign staff by bringing on a manager with a broader skill set outside of Connecticut. He would not name the new manager.

Santos has hit barbecues, fundraisers, and gatherings from New Fairfield to Farmington in recent weeks. He is also coordinating efforts, not cash, with other statewide GOP office seekers and U.S. Senate candidate Matthew Corey.

There has been substantial coordination with various campaigns throughout the state, he said. We cant intermingle money but we do coordinate efforts.

Santos doesnt expect to do any television advertising because its expensive and not well targeted, he said.

Well have a much larger presence online, he said.

There are several debates planned with Hayes. The Greater Waterbury Chamber of Commerce is hosting the first one, which is only for invited guests and the media, in Prospect on Oct. 4

The Republican State Central Committee will be working on an extensive get out the vote campaign that will benefit Santos, said Chairman J.R. Romano.

I think hes a tremendous candidate, Romano said. He is working really hard. Hes someone that will represent the district well in Washington, D.C.

mgodin@record-journal.com

203-317-2255

Twitter: @CconnbizBy PTI

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet is likely to consider Wednesday the proposal to convert GST Network (GSTN) into a government-owned company.

The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state finance ministers, had in May agreed to a proposal to make GSTN a government company, with Centre owning 50 per cent stake and states together holding the remaining 50 per cent.

"Converting GSTN to a government company may be considered by the Cabinet tomorrow," a source said.

Currently, the Centre and states together hold 49 per cent stake in GST Network, the company that provides IT backbone to the new indirect tax regime.

The remaining 51 per cent is held by five private financial institutions - HDFC Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, NSE Strategic Investment Co and LIC Housing Finance Ltd.

Jaitley had in April asked Finance Secretary Hasmukh Adhia to "examine the possibility" of converting GSTN into a majority government company or a 100 per cent government company.

Following this, the proposal was put up for approval before the GST Council in May.

The GSTN was incorporated as a private limited company on March 28, 2013 under the UPA government.

It is a Section 8 company under the new Companies Act and hence is a not-for-profit entity.

The government stake in GSTN was initially kept at 49 per cent and incorporated as a private company to "allow adequate flexibility and freedom" to "ensure timely implementation of the IT infrastructure" prior to the GST rollout.

Goods and Services Tax (GST), which subsumed over a dozen local taxes, was rolled out on July 1, 2017.

Over 1.1 crore businesses are registered on the GSTN portal.

With enhanced role of GSTN from just collecting taxes to data analytics, the government felt that it should now be the majority owner in the IT backbone provider.By ANI

NEW DELHI: OYO on Tuesday announced raising of USD 800 million in the latest financing round led by SoftBank Investment Advisers (SBIA) through SoftBank Vision Fund, with participation from existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia and Greenoaks Capital.

However, OYO also confirmed that it received a commitment of an additional USD200 million, bringing the total to USD 1 billion in this round.

"We will continue to explore newer businesses while remaining focused on both organic and inorganic growth. In the last 12 months, we have increased our international footprint to five countries - India, China, Malaysia, and Nepal, and more recently in The UK," said founder and CEO, OYO, Ritesh Agarwal.

Adding to this, Ritesh said that with this additional funding, the company plans to rapidly scale their business.

"We will also deploy fresh capital to take our unique model that enables small hotel owners to create quality living spaces, global," he added.

"With a promise to deliver good quality accommodation at affordable prices, OYO has grown exponentially to become the largest hotel chain in South Asia, and is swiftly expanding to international markets. We are tremendously excited to be a part of OYO's successful journey," said Partner SBIA, Munish Varma.

"OYO's unique value proposition and outstanding growth over the last few years gives us the confidence that OYO can scale, innovate and continue to offer an intuitive customer experience, curated for different markets," said Justin Wilson, Director, SBIA.

"We believe that OYO will continue to disrupt the hospitality industry by building a trusted brand that delivers affordable, consistent and high-quality experiences," said MD, Lightspeed India Partners Advisors, Bejul Somaia.

Launched in May 2013, OYO is present in over 350 cities with over 10,000 asset partners spread across five countries including India, China, Malaysia, Nepal, and the UK.By PTI

MUMBAI: The currency in circulation (CiC), which increased exponentially after the note ban in November 2016 under which as many as 99.9 per cent 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 September 14 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 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.By Express News Service

BENGALURU: President of Yelahanka Block Congress Arun Kumar (27) was hacked to death by a gang of four men reportedly over a financial dispute. The incident took place at Allalasandra in Yelahanka on Sunday and the assailants are still at large.

Arun Kumar was a resident of Allalasandra and was into real estate business and was lending money in the locality.A senior police officer said that around 12.15am, Arun, along with his brother in-law Abhishek, were returning home in his car from Yeshwantpur.

He stopped near Allalasandra bridge and was about to get down from the car to call a friend. A gang of four armed men attacked him with a machete and Abhishek ran away from the scene. He called his family and later Yelahanka police rushed to the spot. Preliminary investigations revealed that Arun had a fight with local residents over certain issues and had also attacked them. Since he was an influential person no case was filed with the police.

M N Gopal Krishna, a congress leader told TNIE, Arun was very active in the Youth Congress and thus was recommended for the post of president for Yelahanka Block. His marriage was scheduled next month. He was a very nice person and had no political enmity with anyone.By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Leaders of different parties, who are at loggerheads with one another in the political arena, may share the dais at the September 30 valedictory of birth centenary celebrations of the late Chief Minister and AIADMK founder, MG Ramachandran, if they opt for keeping their differences on the hold for a while.

The State government has invited DMK president MK Stalin, Rajya Sabha members TKS Elangovan and Kanimozhi, and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran to this event. In all, the names of six MPs and 13 MLAs have figured in the invitation for the grand event to be held at YMCA Grounds at Nandanam.

Official sources said most of them have been already invited.

Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha M Thambidurai, Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will be taking part in the celebrations.

The Chief Minister is scheduled to unveil the portrait of MGR and will release the souvenir to mark the occasion.

He would also present medals and citations to those who won various competitions conducted across the State during the past one year.

Unveiling of portrait

Deputy Speaker of LS M Thambidurai, Speaker P Dhanapal, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy

CM O Panneerselvam will be taking part in the celebrations. The Chief Minister is scheduled to unveil the portrait of MGR on the occasion.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Concerned over the rising numbers of deaths in the national capital during manual cleaning of sewer tanks, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with a State Level Monitoring committee on manual scavenging on Monday.

The committee has been directed to set Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for monitoring private housing complexes/societies where hiring of people for sewer cleaning is concerned.

In three districts of Delhi that have done a survey on manual scavenging recently at least 45 manual scavengers have been identified till date in Delhi.

In the new scheme of things District Magistrates (DM) will be held responsible for the death of any person in future, given that, the DMs failed to identify them in the survey.

"Through the survey we hope to identify people who are involved in the work and we will provide them training for better opportunities of work. If there is any death in the future due to manual scavenging and he/she is not in our records, then the respective DM of the area will be held responsible and could be penalized under Section 304 IPC (culpable homicide)" said Minister of SC/ST welfare Rajendra Pal Gautam who was present in the meeting.

Chief Minister Kejriwal also pointed out that an earlier survey held by the DMs was not up to the mark and asked the department of Urban development to submit a report on deaths of manual scavengers in the last five years.

Regard the progress on mechanizing cleaning of sewage in Delhi, Gautam said that a work order for 200 machines had already been placed and this would be the first concrete step in the direction. Six people reportedly died in the last few months in the national capital while cleaning septic tanks.By PTI

DELHI: The Supreme Court today took strong exception to BJP Delhi chief and MP Manoj Tiwari for allegedly violating its directions on the sealing of illegal structures in the national capital, and said that being an MP does not give him liberty to take the law in his hands.

Tiwari was present before the court in pursuance to the contempt notice issued to him for allegedly breaking the seal of a premises which was being run in violation of the Delhi Master Plan.

The apex court expressed its anguish against his statement in which he had said that the monitoring committee was not sealing thousands of illegal structures and directed him to file an affidavit within a week.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur asked the BJP leader to explain his claims made to a news channel related to the Delhi sealing matter.

"Mr Tiwari, in your CD, you say there are one thousand places which deserve to be sealed. Give us a list of these places. We will make you the sealing officer," said the bench also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta.

Tiwari, who is an MP from northeast Delhi constituency has an FIR against him by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation for allegedly breaking the seal of the premises in Gokalpuri area in north-east Delhi.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Tiwari, said that no seal was broken by the BJP leader and he himself being an MP has not ever disrupted the sealing process.

BJP President Manoj Tiwari addresses the media outside the Supreme Court premises in New Delhi Tuesday, September 25 2018. | PTI

The lawyer said he need time to file a detailed reply in the matter.

"We are asking you, have you seen the CD? In the CD he says there are thousand places which deserve to be sealed. He a member of the Parliament. That does not give him liberty to take law in his hands," the court said. It then directed Tiwari to appear on October 3 when it will next hear the matter.

While taking a serious note of a report filed by the apex court-mandated monitoring committee in this regard, the top court had earlier observed that it was "unfortunate" that an elected representative should try to defy the orders of the top court.

The court had taken cognisance of the panel report and said it reflected a "rather disturbing state of affairs".

In its report, the monitoring committee has said that "despite repeated directions of this court, the members of political parties and other such persons are intentionally and deliberately violating and showing utter disgrace to the directions passed by the court for political gains".

Senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the Delhi sealing matter, had placed the committee's report before the bench and said an FIR has been lodged against Tiwari for allegedly breaking the seal of the premises which was being used as a dairy.

He had that said the premises has been "re-sealed" and video of the incident was also annexed with report of the committee, which has suggested stringent action in the matter.

The apex court had earlier too taken a strong note of interference in the working of the monitoring committee, which has been mandated to identify and seal illegal constructions in the national capital.

In the report, the committee has urged the court to "pass stringent directions including initiation of contempt proceedings against Manoj Tiwari, MP, for seal tampering so that sealing operations may continue uninterrupted as per directions of this court."

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 the validity of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 and subsequent legislations which protect unauthorised construction from being sealed.Anu Kuruvilla By

Express News Service

KOCHI:Finally, the long-standing demand of Kochiites will be fulfilled when the Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) unit chugs out of the Cochin Harbour Terminus on Wednesday. The services will be introduced between Cochin Harbour Terminus Station and Ernakulam Junction on an experimental basis for a period of one month.According to the Railways, the DEMU will conduct two services. One in the morning and the other in the evening. The services will be on weekdays (Monday to Friday). The train wont be operational on Saturdays and Sundays, the official said.

However, the schedule charted for the train shows a single halt between Cochin Harbour Terminus Station and Ernakulam Jn. There will be a halt at Mattancherry only, since the service is being conducted on an experimental basis. However, more halts will be introduced in the future, he added.Passengers associations and peoples representatives along the route charted for DEMU have been clamouring for stops at various places. Earlier, a consensus had been arrived at allotting a stop at Katari Bagh near the Naval Base. The station was to be financed by the Navy. Talks are on with the Navy regarding the stop near the Old Airport, said a railway officer.

According to Hibi Eden, MLA, the people are happy that the DEMU service has begun. But with just two rakes and a single halt, I dont think it will be of much use to the public. For it to be useful for the public, besides Mattanchery, halts should be introduced at Perumanoor, Vathuruthy and also Naval Base, he said.

Perumanoor is a historical station and provides access from both the sides. If the need arises, funds will be made available from the MLA fund for the renovation of the station. A feasibility study was recently conducted and the report submitted to the Railways, he said. These stops will help end the transportation woes of the people living in these areas, he added.

A solution to traffic blocks

Once DEMU starts running, it is expected that the traffic congestion will see a slow demise. According to Thomas Simon, general secretary, Western India Passengers Association, this is an experimental run so one cant gauge whether it will be profitable for the Railways or not.At present, the service will be beneficial for those living in these areas or are working in the various government and private offices located in these places, he said. So their numbers might come to be around a hundred.

However, for the service to be beneficial both for the public and also the Railways, DEMU will have to be extended up to Angmali. If the service gets extended to Nedumbassery it will see a huge passenger influx, he said. Since the cruise terminus is near to Cochin Harbour Terminus Station, tourists will make use of the service instead of going in for taxis, he added.By Express News Service

KOCHI:The district health department has issued a warning against H1N1 fever after a five-year-old child in the district was diagnosed with the fever."Everyone should take necessary precautions against the fever. If the usual common cold and fever does not subside in two days, or if the fever worsens, or if the person has issues with breathing or has chest pain, they should immediately get medical assistance," said District Medical Officer.

The confirmed case of H1N1 is from Keezhmad region. The child had recently travelled to Palani. "The child is fine as per the hospital sources. However, there are outbreaks being reported across the country, and in the state itself, a few cases have been reported from Kozhikode. There is no harm in taking precautions. While the situation is not alarming, it will be better to be careful as people keep travelling," said Dr Sreedevi, Assistant District Medical Officer, Ernakulam.

The delay in getting medical aid can worsen the condition of the patient and can even lead to deaths. The fever spreads through the infecters that come out when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The major symptoms are fever, cough, throat pain, and headache. Usually the fever goes away with proper rest for a few days, nutritious food, and hot water consumption. However, in pregnant women and people with heart, kidney and diabetic problems, and people with other serious ailments, the fever may escalate and lead to deaths. The affected can help in curbing the spread of the fever by using hand kerchief or tissue while sneezing or coughing and desisting from going to crowded places.

The medicines for H1N1 fever is available in all government hospitals free of cost. The health department has requested people with H1N1 fever to stay away from schools, colleges or offices till they recover fully.By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister K K Shailaja directed the authorities concerned to fix the faulty ambulances which are part of the 108 ambulance service. The ministers move followed reports some of these ambulances had been taken off service due to lack of roadworthiness.

Shailaja said while 24 ambulance vans are part of the 108 service here, Alappuzha has 18 of them. The vehicles had suffered damage, including engine failure, following the flood rescue mission.In the case of Thiruvananthapuram, of the 24 ambulances, 15 are in service. The remaining nine are undergoing repairs. Though Alappuzha has 18 ambulances several of them broke down following the flood rescue missions, said the minister.

The minister said the ambulance service in the state will soon witness a paradigm shift as the Health Department is in the process of bringing the ambulances plying in the state under one roof as part of the comprehensive accident insurance project.By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada railway division is setting an example in the field of passenger safety. As many as 2,000 CCTV cameras will be installed across the division soon, said senior divisional security commissioner, SR Gandhi.

Talking to media persons on the occasion of 34th Railway Protection Force (RPF) Raising Day, Gandhi said that the Vijayawada RPF is organising awareness programmes on safety measures to be taken while travelling in trains.

The senior divisional security commissioner appreciated the efforts of seven RPF personnel and 103 personnel that went into receiving DG Insignia awards and DRM cash awards respectively.

At present, the station has 150 CCTV cameras and we have plans of increasing the number to 400. We have sent a proposal to the government to sanction funds for the purchasing and installation of 2,000 CCTV cameras at all the stations under Vijayawada division, he said.

The RPF is conducting an awareness campaign from September 20 to 25 at all railway stations and even on running trains, he added. RPF has come across 157 cases booked (till August 2018) under Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966, arrested 164 persons, and recovered property worth Rs 3.2 lakh. The force held 65 top offenders in 95 cases and recovered around Rs 3.59 crore from them.

We have also rescued 161 children. Passengers are welcome to give suggestions on how to improve the facilities in stations and trains. They can also lodge complaints by dialling the toll-free number, 182, Gandhi said.

He also said RFP along with government railway police created a criminal database which will be implemented across the State.By PTI

NEW DELHI: It started with the lynching of 17-year-old Junaid near Delhi and moved on to places like Una, Alwar and Ramgarh, an exploration of hate crimes across the country that resulted in a 45-minute film documenting stories of despair but also of strength.

Lynch Nation, the trailer of which went online Monday, is a collection of testimonies from those who survived mob fury and the families of those who didn't.

The mob killing of 17-year-old Hafiz Junaid last June was the moment that drove Delhi-based filmmaker Ashfaque EJ and his journalist roommates Furqan Faridi, Shaheen Ahmed and Vishu Sejwal to step on the pedal.

A photo of 16-year-old Junaid Khan who was lynched on a train, moments

before his death, shared on social media.

"For him, his identity became a threat, said Ashfaque, who is also a journalist.

In the other cases, the excuse was cows, but in Junaid's case it was pure hatred, Ashfaque told PTI.

Junaid, 17, was stabbed to death by a mob when he was on his way home to Ballabgarh after shopping for Eid in Delhi.

According to IndiaSpend, 35 people (26 of them Muslims) were targeted in cow-related violence in 2018.

Of these, eight people were killed.

Watch the trailer of 'Lynch Nation' here:

Furqan added that he and his friends were disturbed about the increasing number of incidents of lynching.

They chose to focus on incidents of lynching that centred around cow vigilantism.

We wanted to do whatever bit we could to get things in perspective about what's plaguing our society today. As Muslims, it had a greater impact on me and our crew, Furqan said.

The team travelled across the country for six-seven months, their first stop being Dadri, home to 52-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq, who was battered to death in 2015 on the suspicion of storing beef in his home.

Funding for the film came from friends, family and others.

Dalit youths being thrashed by self-styled cow protection vigilantes in

Gujarat's Una on 11 July 2016.

Akhlaq's death seemed to have started a domino effect with reports of lynching coming in from many parts of the country.

After Dadri, the crew travelled to Una, Ballabgarh, Latehar, Alwar and Ramgarh.

The filmmakers say they needed to choose seven-eight incidents to tell a cohesive story.

Asked why they focused on cow and beef-related incidents of lynching, Ashfaque said mob violence is not a new phenomenon in India but murders committed in the name of the bovine have a definite political agenda and support from the Hindu Right.

The cow is being used as a political tool targeting minorities, mainly Muslims and Dalits, because they're the ones mostly employed in the cattle business., he said.

Lynching, he added, is the majority's way of telling a minority that the law cannot protect you.

Alwar lynching victim Rakbar Khan's grieving wife. (Photo |EPS)

Ashfaque added the incidents of people being beaten to death are followed by videos -- shot by the perpetrators themselves -- to further intimidate and spread the message to teach a lesson.

Furqan said when they were heading to Akhlaq's village Bisada in Dadri for a recce, people discouraged them from entering.

The house where Akhlaq and his family lived now stands abandoned. The people said we might face problems due to our all-Muslim crew. The accused, Vishal Rana, son of BJP leader Sanjay Rana, continues to live there.

The next time we went to Bisada for a reshoot, a couple of our Hindu friends, who are also journalists, accompanied us.

Furqan added that the team went in with the perspective that the environment will be dark and depressing.

It was indeed all that, but they also came across some "real stories of strength.

"Vasram Sarvaiya, one of the four Dalit men flogged in Una in 2016, has taken to activism. His brother Ramesh was also beaten and later joined a Dalit Shakti Kendra and visits villages to educate people about their rights," he said.

Junaid's family had bought a piece of land in Haryana when he was alive.

They now plan to build a madrassa there in his memory.

The madrassa will be open to all and besides Islamic studies, other sciences and arts will also be taught there.

"Despite the fact that after the lynchings, government and powerful people pressured them so much to drop the case, accept compensation and so on, most of them are fighting back really hard," he said.

Ashfaque said the survivors' families were really forthcoming about talking to the crew.

They are fighting for a cause. They really believe that the media, especially in Delhi, can help them. They still have the belief in the media, even though it is not helping them as much as it should. These people are really vocal. They are ready to repeat their stories in front of different journalists. For them, there's no other option."

The documentary is expected to be released online first week of October.By Express News Service

After travelling through the length and breadth of Karnataka and neighbouring states, Abhishek and team are packing their bags to head to Switzerland for the shoot of Nagashekars directorial Amar.

A member of the films team tells us that the cast and crew has applied for their visas, before which they are wrapping up portions within the state. The second part of the film will be shot in Switzerland for 20 days. The script demands the white alps. Sequences on racing will be shot there, says our source.

Made under Sandesh Productions, the film features Tanya Hope in the female lead. Abhishek and Tanya who play bikers in the film have ridden from Coimbatore, Belgaum, Manipal, Mangaluru, Madikere, Somwarpet, Gonikoppa, and even through parts of Kerala. Now, the team is set to zoom on roads in a

foreign locale.Rinku Gupta By

Express News Service

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!Anand ST Das By

Express News Service

PATNA: Nearly 15 patients died in the absence of medical attention and more than 30 surgeries had to be postponed at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Bihars largest government-run hospital, due to a strike of work by the junior doctors in protest against an incident of attack by some patients relatives.

As healthcare services worsened on Tuesday, more than 200 patients who had been admitted at the hospital left for private hospitals in the state capital and nearby towns, said PMCH sources. This is the second time in two months when junior doctors at PMCH have gone on a mass strike alleging inadequate security arrangements for them. At least 15 patients had reportedly died due to lack of medical attention at the hospital during the strike in August.

The junior doctors at PMCH went off work on Monday noon after one of them was allegedly beaten up by the relatives of a boy who was admitted for treatment of snakebite. The scuffle began allegedly after the boys relatives complained that he was not being treated well and that the doctors stopped them from shifting him to another hospital.

Dr Dina Nath, a junior doctor working at the paediatric department of PMCH, was beaten up by the boys relatives and suffered nose bleeding and internal injuries. He was admitted at the ICU. Such violent behaviour by patients relatives must stop at all costs, said Junior Doctors Association (JDA) president Dr Vinay Kumar.

PMCH superintendent Dr Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said the causes of the scuffle were being investigated both by the hospital management and police after an FIR was lodged at Pirbahore police station. Efforts are on to end the strike by the aggrieved junior doctors. Healthcare facilities are being taken care of by senior doctors, he added.

Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey appealed to the junior doctors to end the strike and resume treating the patients. There are about 200 security personnel deployed at PMCH, but violent behaviour by patients relatives remains a concern.By PTI

NEW DELHI: The armed forces are a splendid embodiment of the country's "secular project" and it is vitally important that they remain "uncontaminated" from any sectarian appeal, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday.

The senior Congress leader also said the judiciary should not lose sight of its primary duty to protect the secular spirit of the Constitution as the task has become much more demanding with political disputes and electoral battles turning out to be increasingly over-laced with religious overtones and prejudices.

"The judiciary needs to arrive at its own enlightened view of its custodianship of the Constitution-irrespective of the irresponsible and selfish politicians who have no qualms in injecting communal virus in our body politic," he said while delivering the second A B Bardhan memorial lecture here.

Talking about the importance of the Election Commission in India's democratic framework, Singh said it must ensure that religion, religious sentiments and prejudices do not get worked into election discourse.

"As the custodian of the integrity of the electoral process, it is incumbent upon the Election Commission to see to it that religion and religious sentiments and prejudices do not get worked into the election discourse," he said.

"The Commission must be thinking of rolling back the easy acceptance of over-manipulation of religious imagery," the senior Congress leader said.

Singh hailed the armed forces, saying that they were a splendid embodiment of India's secular project and have a glorious record of keeping away from the "politicians' manipulations and intrigues".

"It is vitally important that the armed forces remain uncontaminated from any sectarian appeal," he said.

Singh's remarks came amid the government's plans to celebrate on September 29 the second anniversary of the surgical strikes on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK).

The Congress has been accusing the Modi government of politicising the armed forces for electoral gains.

Terming the demolition of the Babri Masjid as a "traumatic event" that brought India's secular commitments into "disrepute", Singh noted that the entire political leadership came in for criticism for failing to protect a place of worship.

"In particular, concerned citizens were deeply disappointed at the judiciary's stance in the events leading up to the demolition.

December 6, 1992 was a sad day for our secular republic," the former prime minister said.

He also forcefully stated that any attempt to weaken the secular fabric of India would be an attempt to dismantle the larger egalitarian project -- a secular, progressive and democratic polity.

He said the onus of preserving the country's secular robustness of rests on all constitutional institutions.

Singh said the media is an equal partner in upholding secularism.

"Above all, it is the duty of the political parties to keep on educating, enlisting and mobilising our citizens in the cause of secular values and practices as the highest republic virtues, so centrally located in our Constitution," he said.

In his address, Singh also recalled the famous Bomai case in which a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court found an opportunity to reaffirm that secularism was a basic feature of the Constitution.

He said it came as a "consolation", but satisfaction derived from the verdict was short-lived as soon after that came Justice J S Verma's "famous and controversial" 'Hindutva a way of life' judgment.

This verdict had a decisive impact on the debate among the political parties about the principles and practices of secularism in India, Singh opined.

"The judgment ended up making our political discourse somewhat lopsided; and, many believe that 'there can be no doubt that the decision requires to be revisited," he said.

Singh asserted that no constitutional arrangement can be protected and preserved only by the judiciary, no matter how vigilant or enlightened the judges may be.

"Ultimately, it comes down to the political leadership, civil society, religious leaders, and intelligentsia to defend the Constitution and its secular commitments," he said.

In his address, Singh also listed various articles of the Constitution that uphold its secular spirit.

"Every civilized society is known and defined by the terms it offers to its minorities, especially its religious minorities.

And that was one of the principal issues facing our national leaders when they got down to writing a Constitution for the newly-Independent India," Singh said.

He also highlighted that there was a definite global and domestic context to the Constitution-writing exercise.

The global context was that the world was reeling from the brutalities of the Second World War, a war whose origin can primarily be traced to the ideology of fascism and its ugly demands, he said.

"This ideology, of National Socialism in Germany, was a violent assertion of one race over another; in practice, it took pride in a naked use of aggression against minorities in Germany," he said.

Singh also stressed on the role played by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders of the independence movement such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in upholding secular values.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: 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 will pronounce the order on the PIL filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeking to bar lawyer- lawmakers, such as members of Parliament and state legislatures, from practising in courts during their tenure in the legislature.

The Centre had opposed the plea and stated that an MP or an MLA was 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.

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 the active practice of law, despite receiving salaries and other perquisites drawn on the public exchequer.

Centre opposed plea

The Centre had stated that an MP or an MLA was an elected representative and not a full-time employee of the government and the plea was not maintainable.Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: While it is common for Right-wing organisations to indulge in moral policing, its not so commonplace for government servants to do so. However, policemen in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut district took it upon themselves to teach a girl in an interfaith relationship a lesson, two days ago.

The video of the incident that went viral on the social media on Tuesday, shows the cops with the girl in a PCR Van, abusing the medical student in the most foul language about her relationship with a man from the minority community and the women police personnel sitting beside her on the back seat thrashing her continuously.

The girl, after being harassed and assaulted by the cops, was detained at the police station on 'no' charges and was let off in the evening only after her parents arrived.

The shocking video that was circulated widely on the social media and earned UP Police a lot of flack, forced the police top brass to take cognizance of the matter.

Senior officials alerted the Meerut Police about the incident and asked it to act against the four erring cops. Subsequently, all four, including Head Constable Salek Chand, Constable Neetu Singh and Constable Priyanka were suspended and a report regarding Home Guard Sainserpal was sent to District Commandant Home Guard. All the suspended cops were deployed at police station Medical Meerut area.

Speaking on the incident, ADG, Meerut zone, Prashant Kumar said that district police authorities would not tolerate such deplorable behaviour of the cops, hence all four cops, including the woman constable and Home Guard, were suspended.Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Unhappy over his party's decision to boycott the forthcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) and panchayat polls in the State, National Conference spokesman Junaid Mattu on Tuesday resigned from the party and announced that he would contest the civic polls from Srinagar.

Mattu took to social networking site Twitter to announce his decision to quit the National Conference."Based on my humble disagreement with the party's decision to boycott the upcoming ULB and Panchayat polls, I have just sent my resignation from the party to the NC General Secretary," Mattu tweeted.

In another tweet, he said, "I strongly believe that leaving our grassroots democratic institutions open to misrepresentation would inflict serious harm on the State and also wreak havoc with our social fabric and cultural legacy".

"I will announce my candidature for the ULB elections from Srinagar tomorrow and I remain committed to serving my people and helping the city I grew up in meet the challenges it's faced with," added Mattu.

The four-phase civic polls in the State are scheduled to be held on October 8, 10, 13 and 16 and counting would be held on October 20. The National Conference promptly accepted Mattu's resignation. The party also took to Twitter to announce that resignation of Mattu from basic membership of NC has been accepted.

Mattu had joined NC in November 2013 after ditching Peoples Conference led by Sajjad Gani Lone, who is now an ally of BJP in Kashmir. Sajjad's Peoples Conference is contesting the ULB and panchayat polls and it is speculated that Mattu may again join hands with him.

Since NC and PDP are staying away from the polls, Congress, BJP and Peoples Conference are only parties that are contesting polls in the Valley besides independent candidates.

According to political observers, with poll boycott by mainstream parties and separatists, there is a likelihood that BJP and Sajad Lone's PC may gain control of some of the UBLs in strife-torn Valley and Mattu may be aspiring to become Srinagar Mayor if he joins hands with Sajjad Lone and wins the polls for Srinagar Municipality.By PTI

NEW DELHI: A plea challenging the constitutional validity of the provisions of a recent ordinance that makes the practice of instant 'triple talaq' a punishable offence, was filed in the Supreme Court Tuesday.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance was notified on September 19, hours after the Union Cabinet had cleared it.

Instant triple talaq, also known as talaq-e-biddat, is an instant divorce whereby a Muslim man can legally divorce his wife by pronouncing 'talaq' three times in one go.

Under the proposed ordinance, instant triple talaq has been declared illegal and void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

Seeking to allay fears that the proposed law could be misused, the government has included certain safeguards, such as adding a provision of bail for the accused before trial.

Kerala-based Muslim organisation Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama in its plea filed in the top court said the Ordinance promulgated by the Centre was "arbitrary and discriminatory" and violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution and should be struck down.

"The Ordinance has introduced penal legislation, specific to a class of persons based on religious identity.

It is causative of grave public mischief, which, if unchecked, may lead to polarization and disharmony in society.

Further, adjudication of the legality of the Ordinance by a plurality of High Courts under Article 226 would mean multiplicity of litigation over the same cause of action," the plea, filed through advocate Zulfiker Ali P S, said.

The petition said that Article 123 enables the promulgation of ordinances only in instances requiring "immediate action" and the "absence of emergent reasons" negates any invocation of the provision in the given circumstances.

"Despite the Central Government having had ample opportunity to abolish the practice before the judgment in Shayara Bano, if not for 1400 years, at least the 67 years of the existence of the Constitution preceding Shayara Bano, the government chose to await the adjudication in Shayara Bano case.

"Once there was declaration made by this Court under Article 141 in Shayara Bano, there was no surviving action, let alone "immediate action" warranted to reiteratively abolish the practice and penalise Triple Talaq by way of an Ordinance under Article 123.

Hence the promulgation of impugned Ordinance is against the spirit of Article 123 and a fraud on the Constitution," the plea alleged.

The petition claimed that the Ordinance would lead to "polarization and disharmony in society", as it applies to a specific class of people based on religious identity.

"The Ordinance has introduced penal legislation, specific to a class of persons based on religious identity.

It is causative of grave public mischief, which, if unchecked, may lead to polarisation and disharmony in society," the plea said.

The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children A woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.

In a landmark verdict, the apex court on August 22 last year had put the curtains down on a 1,400-year-old practice of 'triple talaq' among Muslims and set it aside on several grounds including that it was against the basic tenets of the Holy Quran and violated the Islamic law Shariat.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The politics of name-calling touched a new low on Monday with the BJP accusing the Congress president of being part of an international conspiracy to sabotage the Rafale jet deal so as to help his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, while Rahul Gandhi, in a veiled attack on Twitter, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi Indias commander-in-thief.

The Congress pilloried Modi for unilaterally announcing the deal on April 10, 2015 just two days after the then foreign secretary S Jaishankar denied it was on the table and Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault claimed on March 25 that negotiations with public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) were at an advanced stage. The BJP hit back, saying it was a conspiracy to dislodge Modi.

The Congress also slammed the Centre for ignoring HAL, which was to make 108 aircraft as per the UPA plan, and instead giving the offset benefits worth `30,000 crore to Anil Ambanis Reliance Defence. It harped on former French President Francois Hollandes claim that his country had no choice in selecting the offset partner.

The campaign against the Rafale deal is part of a conspiracy in connivance with foreign elements to oust Modi from power, Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said.

A known defence deal middleman Sanjay Bhandari had been lobbying for Robert Vadras firm Offset Solutions to negotiate the Rafale deal. When Dassault rejected the overtures, the UPA had cancelled the aircraft deal. The Congress has launched a misinformation campaign to spike the deal since Vadras firm was denied a slice of the pie in the past, Shekhawat alleged.

Key dates 2015

Mar 25: Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault, says negotiations with HAL were at an advanced stage, adds signature stage would come very soon

Mar 28: Reliance Defence incorporated

Apr 8: Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar claims Rafale not on negotiation table during Modis visit to France

Apr 10: Modi, Hollande announce new intergovermental deal

2018

Aug 31: Rahuls telltale tweet: Globalised corruption. This #Rafale aircraft really does fly far and fast! Its also going to drop some big bunker buster bombs in the next couple of weeks. Modi Ji please tell Anil, there is a big problem in France

THE BJP is now planning to hit the ground across the country to fight out the battle of perception against the Congress. The Enforcement Directorate is already after Bhandari. We will put the documents in public domain against Vadras firm, Shekhawat added.

The BJP also rejected the Congress demand for Joint Parliamentary Committee probe, saying it amounts to putting sensitive details about the fighter jet in public domain. Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had previously sought help of an enemy country to oust Modi, claimed Shekhawat. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala responded by saying a frustrated Modi government was again raking up the bogey of Pakistan to deflect attention, as was done during demonetisation and the fleeing of the Punjab National Bank loan scam accused Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi.

Earlier in the day, a Congress delegation met Chief Vigilance Commissioner K V Chaudhary and urged him to probe the scam of the century that was a threat to national security. The government has been lying and hiding. We have demanded the CVC to take cognizance, to seize all files and documents and to register an FIR, Congress leader Anand Sharma said.Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Presenting an account of development projects undertaken by the previous UPA government, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi accused the present NDA dispensation of not only neglecting his parliamentary constituency Amethi but also the state as a whole.

The Congress president was addressing a gathering after launching a number of projects under his MPLAD Fund in the concluding leg of his two-day visit to Amethi on Tuesday.

With Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and possibly Telangana, just a few months away, the two-day visit undertaken by the Congress chief might 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.

"Nothing has progressed or even moved under the present BJP regimes both at the Centre and state," said Rahul Gandhi. He attacked the present government saying that it had failed to add to the existing infrastructure in the country. "Forget national highways, even a drain of the national highway could not be constructed under Narendra Modi's government," he asserted.

At a meeting of the project monitoring committee, the Congress president claimed that a Central School sanctioned for Amethi during the UPA regime is still hanging fire. He promised to upgrade primary health centres in the area to a community health centre to spruce up the medical facilities to people of Amethi and adjoining areas.

Taking a jibe at finance minister Arun Jaitley, Gandhi said that he allowed Vijay Mallya to flee the country with Rs 9,000 crore. To cover up such losses, he put the countrymen through the rigours of demonetisation and GST and imposed taxes. He further claimed that to benefit a few like Mallya, Anil Ambani, Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, this government made the common man suffer.

Promising development of Amethi at a much faster rate if his government was formed at the Centre, he appealed to the gathering to uproot the present BJP government. "You have to remove the BJP-RSS government and a Congress government has to be formed at the Centre, UP and in Amethi once again," he added.By Online Desk

NEW DELHI: No, people facing chargesheets in criminal cases will not barred from contesting elections, but you will have a better fix on their antecedents so as to make an informed choice.

That was the crux of a Constitution benchs verdict on Tuesday, which left it to Parliament to make a law to keep persons facing serious criminal cases out of the political stream.

ALSO READ: Uttar Pradesh: Over 35 cases, involving politicians, transferred to special court in Allahabad

Saying criminalisation of politics strikes at the very root of democracy, the five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra issued a slew of directions to cleanse the process.

The guidelines make it mandatory for each candidate to declare his or her criminal antecedents in bold letters in the affidavit while filing the nomination papers, which would be hosted on their partys website and given widest possible publicity.

The 100-page unanimous verdict written by Misra said going by the constitutional framework, it would be inappropriate for the court to take recourse to any other method as it cannot legislate but only recommend bringing in of a law. We are sure the law making wing of the democracy of this country will take it upon itself to cure the malignancy.

The verdict came on a batch of petitions that sought to know whether lawmakers facing criminal trial can be disqualified from contesting elections at the stage of framing of charges against them itself. At present, a person stands disqualified if convicted of a crime and sentenced to two years or above.

Reacting to the verdict, petitioner Ashwani Upadhyay said, With todays order, the voter will become more informed. The ruling also makes it mandatory for political parties to publicise the list of candidates having criminal records, which hasnt happened till date.

On the EC form, each candidate must state in bold all criminal cases pending against him

If the candidate is contesting on a political partys ticket, he must share the information with his party as well

The party must host the candidates criminal cases info on its website

Both the candidate and the party must publicise the antecedents at least thrice in local newspapers and TV after filing nomination papers

ALSO READ: Pleas over disqualification of lawmakers: Keep 'criminalisation' out of our political system, says Supreme CourtBy Express News Service

NEW DELHI: To deal with shortage of specialist doctors in the country, the Union Health and Family Welfare ministry has taken some measures for meeting the gap in the country. Sources in the government said the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai and the National Board of Examinations that awards DNB, were asked to ensure 10,000 specialists each every year.

The direction to this effect was issued last week ahead of the official launch of PMs flagship insurance scheme that offers secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation services for about 50 crore Indians. The scheme was launched in Ranchi on Sunday. Making changes in the Indian Medical Council Act 1956, the Health Ministry in December last year had notified that all the diploma courses, conducted by the CPS will be considered as a recognised qualification retrospectively from 2009.

This effectively meant the CPS diploma holders could be hired as specialists in public as well as private hospitals. Sources in the health ministry said that the move was intended to make up for the huge shortfall of specialists particularly gynaecologists, paediatrician and anaesthesiologists in the government hospitals.

About 5,000 government hospitals have been roped in for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana. Unless, we have adequate number of specialist doctors, how can we ensure that beneficiaries get the required hospitalisation facilities and proper care? said a senior government official.By ANI

AMETHI: Adding to the controversy surrounding the Rafale deal, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that the "fun has just begun" and in coming months his party will expose how every initiative under the Narendra Modi government is an act of theft.

Continuing his tirade against the government over the fighter-jet deal, Gandhi stated that Prime Minister Modi has aided corruption by favouring Anil Ambani in the deal.

"(The man (Prime Minister Modi), who came to remove corruption, has himself given Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. The fun has just begun, things are set to turn more interesting. In the next 2-3 months you will have fun after we will show you Narendra Modi's work - Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Demonetisation, Gabbar Singh Tax. All of it is theft. One by one, we will show that Narendra Modi ji is not a gatekeeper, but a burglar)," Rahul Gandhi said.

The Congress president made these comments while addressing social media workers of the Congress in Amethi last night. The interaction was held at the Forest Department guest house in Amethi and was closed to the media. However, the video of Rahul Gandhi's jibe at Narendra Modi was recorded by some attendees and was shared with local reporters.

In a cryptic tweet dated August 30, Rahul Gandhi warned of "some big bunker buster bombs in the next couple of weeks" with regard to the fighter-jet deal. Days later, former French president Francois Hollande, in an interview to a French media house, claimed that the French government had no other option but to choose Reliance Defence as an Offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

However, Hollande later backtracked in another interview and said only Dassault Aviation can comment on why Reliance Defence was chosen as the Offset partner.

The BJP on Monday claimed that the Congress scrapped the Rafale deal with France as United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's company was not made a part of the deal.

The controversial deal was signed by the NDA government with the French 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.By PTI

MUZAFFARNAGAR: More than 35 cases against politicians, including 10 riots cases involving Congress, BJP and BSP leaders, have been transferred to a special court in Allahabad for speedy disposal.

The criminal cases pending against politicians were transferred to the special court in Allahabad Monday on the directions of the apex court, the prosecution said.

Additional District Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Tiwari would be the presiding officer of the special court The Centre had, on September 11, told the Supreme Court that 11 states, including Uttar Pradesh, have issued notifications for setting up of 12 special courts to exclusively deal with cases involving politicians.

According to the prosecution, UP Sugarcane Development Minister Suresh Rana, BJP MPs Sanjeev Balyan and Bharatendra Singh, BJP MLAs Umesh Malik and Vikram Saini, Sadhvi Prachi and others are facing charges of inciting violence through their speeches in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case.

The accused are facing charges of violating prohibitory orders and wrongful restraint, among others.

It is alleged that they participated in a mahapanchayat and incited violence through their speeches in the last week of August 2013.

Also Read: SC refuses to disqualify politicians facing criminal charges, asks Parliament to enact law

Saini, along with 27 others, is also facing an attempt-to-murder case in connection with the violence in Muzaffarnagar district.

Congress leader and former MP Saeed-uz-Zaman, former BSP MP Kadir Rana and ex-BSP MLA Noor Saleem have also been accused of giving inflammatory speeches in Khalapar locality of the district in 2013.

At least 60 people were killed and over 40,000 displaced during riots in Muzaffarnagar and surrounding districts in 2013.Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: A minor dispute over treatment of a patient at Sir Sunder Lal (SSL) Hospital of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on Monday evening snowballed into a major controversy followed by violent clashes between the students and resident doctors on the campus, in which several persons from both the sides sustained injuries.

Police claimed both the sides indulged in arson and brick-batting. A former BHU student was later arrested on the complaint of junior doctors. The situation was brought under control on Tuesday morning after the visits of district magistrate Surendra Singh and SSP Anand Kulkarni to the campus and deployment of heavy police force. However, the university administration has suspended all classes till September 28 in view of the unrest.

According to sources, former BHU student Shivajit Kumar had gone to SSL Hospital for the treatment of his relative. When the doctors on duty allegedly refused to admit the patient, an altercation broke out between Shivajit and one of the resident doctors on duty. On the complaint of junior doctors, Shivajit was arrested and the proctorial board of BHU and Lanka police were immediately informed about the incident.

However, the situation took a turn for worse when inmates of several hostels of BHU came out in support of Shivajit setting one of the security booths afire on campus. They later clashed with junior doctors and violence continued till late night. Some junior doctors were also attacked by students at a restaurant outside the campus around midnight. After failing to control the situation, the proctorial board headed by Dr Royana Singh, called in police who chased away the students.

"Shivajit has been booked under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of IPC," said Lanka Inspector Bharat Bhushan Tiwari.

Due to violence throughout Monday night, hospital functioning remained disrupted on Tuesday. However, the hospital administration denied that doctors were on strike. "The OPD and emergency services continued to function normally as per schedule. A crisis management group of doctors was constituted to handle the situation and maintain smooth functioning of the hospital," medical superintendent of SSL Hospital Prof. Vijay Nath Mishra said.

In view of the violence, the BHU administration has suspended all classes till September 28 and asked the inmates of five hostels to vacate their rooms within 24 hours. The standing committee of BHU will investigate the sequence of incidents and report to the vice-chancellor at the earliest.Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Displaced Brus (Reangs), lodged in relief camps in Tripura, have made it clear that they will not go back to Mizoram unless the Centre fulfills their charter of demands.

Tuesday was the last day for the repatriation of over 32,000 Bru refugees but only 24 families went back to Mizoram so far as part of the repatriation process. The Centre had earlier warned of suspending free ration and other facilities to them.

In July, the Brus had signed an agreement on their repatriation with the Centre besides Tripura and Mizoram governments. As per the pact, the refugees were to be repatriated by September 25.

We have seven-point demands and unless they are fulfilled, we are not going to vacate the relief camps, Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Coordination Committee (MBDPCC) leader Laldingliana Reang told TNIE on Tuesday.

The demands are the creation of an area development council for the Brus in Mizoram, allocation of five hectares of land to each refugee family, their settlement in cluster villages with each housing at least 500 families, Rs.4 lakh compensation to each family before repatriation, revision of electoral rolls, identification of 1,000 left out families and general amnesty to the refugees.

We have submitted our demands to the Union Home Ministry. It has not yet responded. We are waiting for negotiation. We asked the Central government to keep giving us ration till we are repatriated. If the demands are fulfilled today, we are ready to leave for Mizoram tomorrow. If not, we will not go. And if the supply of free ration is suspended, we will go on the warpath. We will launch a movement by staging democratic protests, Laldingliana warned.

He said the ration, which they were getting, was meagre.

It is free ration in names sake. Per adult is given a financial assistance of Rs.5 a day; it is Rs.2.5 for minors. Similarly, an adult refugee is given 600 grams of rice per day; it is 300 grams for minors. Also, a refugee, irrespective of age, gets seven grams of salt a day. They also get a pair of slipper once in three years. The males get a shirt and the females get a skirt annually. For 20 years, we have been going through difficult times. We sell firewood etc to eke out a living, he said.

Over 40,000 Brus had fled Mizoram during their ethnic riots with Mizos in 1997. Over the past few years, a few thousand of them returned to Mizoram on their own.Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: In a jolt to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, a sessions court in Maharajganj has directed that a notice should be issued to the BJP leader in a 19-year-old murder case.

The case pertains to the killing of a security officer of a then Samajwadi Party (SP) leader from Gorakhpur in the melee of a protest in 1999.

The development has come as a big embarrassment not just for the Uttar Pradesh chief minister but also for the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

As per the details, former SP leader Talat Azia's Personal Security Officer (PSO) Satya Prakash Yadav was killed during a protest in Maharajganj district. It was alleged that a group, led by the then Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath, had opened fire during a 'jail bharo' agitation by the SP leaders. The incident took place on February 10, 1999.

Azia had approached the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court and filed a review petition when the initial plea was rejected by a sessions court in March for lack of evidence. Subsequently, the High Court had directed the sessions court to reopen trial in the case.

Now, in the latest development, the District Sessions Court in Maharajganj directed that a notice be issued to Adityanath and others for further trial in the case. The CM has a week's time to respond to the notice.By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The National Museum in the National Capital is hosting a month-long exhibition on "India-Uzbekistan: Dialogues of Culture" on Tuesday. The exhibition was dedicated to the state visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbegistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The exhibition explores the shared link in the histories of Uzbekistan and India. It will explore the deep oral traditions that coexisted with the written word, and also promote and encourage the use of manuscripts for academic and research purposes. It will also aim to foster a dynamic exchange with academic, technical and professional partners on management of cultural artefacts and their conservation and preservation.

The exhibition which will showcase original artifacts from the National Museum collection which include coins from the royal mints of Kushans, including coins depicting portraits of Kanishka, Huvishka , sculptures from the Kushan period, manuscripts including miniature paintings from Baburnama, manuscripts of the Holy Quran, Timurnamah, Bukharisharif, Bayaz and Tuzk-i-Jahangiri.

The other highlights of the exhibition include unique facsimiles of famous manuscripts and paintings like the Kattalangar Quran, Diwan by Sultan Hussein Baikara, and portraits of Amir Tumur, and Jahangir among others. The exhibition will also shoecase the already published albums of the project "Cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in the world's collections" and volumes from the series "Architectural Epigraphy of Uzbekistan". Exhibitions like this one would go a long way in strengthening bilateral ties, said Arun Goel, secretary, Ministry of Culture.Manoj Das By

Its done again! exclaimed a reader. This time at the entrance of her newly built impressive mansion, not one but four statues of hers gazing in four directions! He sounded excited and offended while reacting to the latest achievement of the supremo of a party. Isnt a living leader making her own statues absolutely indecent? he asked.

Indecent to whom? asked this writer. The readers three-minute-long effort at defining his anguish could be summarised as a few questions: Is it not ridiculous that one should impose ones illusory importance on ones own as well as the future generation? Doesnt such a tasteless deed amount to contempt for the peoples taste? Is it not for the posterity to create and adore a statue of one to whom it felt beholden?

I answered him in a lighter vein that the leader may be compassionately trying to unburden the future generation of their holy responsibility!

But the issue surely merits some reflection, for, however odd it might seem, if one does not use public money on such a fancy, his/her indulgence is neither a moral nor a legal issue. It is one of the umpteen ways in which we satisfy our ego, though more crude. We may feel embarrassed thinking of the impression the show was likely to create in the minds of visitors from abroad. Never mind; the impression some of our leaders give them speaking on Indias domestic problems while abroad would have adequately prepared them to look upon such monuments, along with Taj Mahal, Ajanta, etc., as picturesque facets of our Incredible India.

But I read in it a clean innocence;if the maker of the phenomenon terms it as an exercise in self-confidence, it may not be hyperbole, because similar deeds by the doer must have yielded result earlier; we the people of this vast democracy have sections among us who are impressed by sheer pomp. We are accustomed to worship idols of Gods and Goddesses. The same awe may be stirred in many when they look at the statues of our living leaders. And the leader stands thrilled beholding himself as a deity.

We can see the play of innocence also at a deeper plane. According to psychologist Otto Rank man satisfies his craving for immortality in four ways: he hitches his wagon to the star of an ideology which, he knows, will survive him, or creates a splendid work of art that should outlive him or simply leaves offspring behind through whom he imagines his own continuity. Fourthly, there are people who trust in the immortality of their soul.

Now, we can add to the list a fifth law: some satisfy this urge by installing their own statues. What we know in history beginning from the ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian traditions till our time is that no monarch had excelled Generalissimo Rafael Trujillo, who ruled the Dominican Republic from 1930 (receiving more votes than the number of voters!) and rapidly used the countrys resources to become probably the richest man in the world, in return gifting the natives his statues numbering two thousand. They glittered till 30 May 1961 when he was assassinated while, according to the author of The Tyrants, Clive Foss, while heading for the house of his current girlfriend.

That should remind all statue-seekers what the Roman statesman Marcus Cato said back in the 3rd century B.C., I had rather men should ask why no statue had been erected in my honour than why one has!

It was wise of the aforesaid leader to install the fresh batch of her statues in the safety of her own compound. Thanks to our current state of political environment, several statues of noted personalities have been disfigured or discoloured in the recent past. Alas, unpredictable are the ways of our desires and yearnings. There is a story about a leader, Sharmaji who, while in a seat of power, had indirectly inspired his followers to erect his statue at a prominent spot.

As time passed he was demoted to the station of a forgotten demi-hero and the spot sporting his statue too lost its eminence. Meanwhile statues of new gods had sprung up in the city. A time came when a gang of anarchists began damaging the statues and Sharmaji feared the fate of his own. Using a fake identity he alerted the authorities about their duty to safeguard his statue, but was assured that the anarchists were after the statues of national leaders only!

Frustrated, one moonlit night he visits the desolate spot stealthily and is thrilled to see three or four figures approaching his statue. But to his disappointment, one of them only climbs his statue to survey a nearby bank behind a wall. As the gang retreats, Sharmaji yells at that them challenging them to answer if the statue did not deserve their attention. Taken aback, the fellows throw a bomb towards his hiding spot; it explodes on his statue made with inferior stuff and it crumbles to pieces. Sharmaji returns home and lives his statueless days in peace.

That may not happen to all. Here is a suggestion: we have helpline for those feeling a passion for suicide. Cant there be one for those suffering from an irresistible passion for having a statue? It should only recite Shelleys Ozymandias to them:

I met a traveller from an antique land/Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone/Stand in the desert . . . Near them, on the sand,/Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,/And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,/Tell that its sculptor well those passions read/Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,/The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:/And on the pedestal these words appear:/My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:/Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!/Nothing beside remains. Round the decay/Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare/The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Manoj Das

Eminent author and recipient of several awards including the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship

Email: prof.manojdas@gmail.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.

THANE/SURAT: Flamingos are not the only birds that frequent the Thane creek. Rough estimates suggest the creek is home to over 95 avian species. Chances are high that the high-speed train corridor may affect these winged creatures despite the best efforts not to disturb the flora and fauna.

PART I: Land woes slow down Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project

The area is rich in mangroves and birds that may shift base due to noise and vibrations from the project. The creek is already under pressure from massive encroachment and untreated toxic chemicals released by industries. This project can be a death knell for the biodiversity, said activist Girish Salgaoncar, who works with the local Koli fishing community.

From 100 variety of fish that inhabited the creek some four decades ago, Salgaoncar said, the number was down to 2-3 species due to shrinking wetlands. Apart from the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, the proposed high-speed corridor passes through the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. It also crosses the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) at seven locations six in Maharashtra and one in Gujaratbesides highly sensitive fragile areas (category 1A as per CRZ notification).

Moreover, the project needs diversion of over 80.43 hectares of forest land in the two states. Nearly 80,000 trees in government, private and forest lands will face the axe to make way for the project. Though the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) circulated a 12-page summary of the environmental impact of the project, the affected people claim they were not given a detailed Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report. During public consultations, we kept asking authorities for the EIA report.

PART II: Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project hit by delays, court cases

They said it will be provided, but we are yet to get anything. How can a consultation happen without providing us with related documents? Finally, under RTI, what they provided us is just a summary, said Shashi Sonawane from Bhumiputra Bachav Andolan, who is working in Palghar, where forest lands will be diverted for the project.

The summary lists damage to aquifers, permanent change in topography in some areas, loss of fertile top soil, dust emissions, increase in noise levels and stress on social relations as some of the major environmental impacts of the project. While the NHSRCL did not respond to mailed queries, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the prime lender for the project, claimed that the environment and social impact assessment was available on its website. The project falls under Category A as per the JICA Environmental and Social Guidelines, 2010. Projects with complicated, or unprecedented impacts that are difficult to assess, or projects with a wide range of impacts, or irreversible impact on environment are placed in Category A.

Environmental engineer Sagar Dhara said the impact would be gradual. The project will lead to industrialisation and an influx of human population, exerting pressure on the already stressed natural resources in the region, he said. There are studies showing that crop yields are impacted due to air pollution. Power plants have caused Rs 500 crore agricultural losses. The region of Vapi and Valsad are mango and chikoo belts. Both fruits are sensitive to air pollution, Dhara said. The former consultant with the United Nations Environment Programme did an energy analysis of the project which purportedly found energy consumption per passenger per kilometre on a bullet train almost the same as that on an airline and four times that on the existing train on the route.

There is data to show that Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shatabdis are running 40 per cent below their capacity. We have an expressway and National Highway- 8. Volvo buses run between the two cities. Enough flights connect Mumbai to Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara so where is the need for a bullet train? In Gujarat, the proposed route will have right stops, including the industrial hub of Vapi, and major cities such as Surat and Vadodara. South Gujarat, the hub of mango and chikoo production, is blessed with rivers such as Tapi, Daman Ganga and Narmada. The region is already a hub of industries.

Here they (officials) are uprooting the plantations all our plants will die and what will we do? said Ketan Bhai, a mango farmer from Acchari village in Vapi district. Mango plant has a life cycle of 75 years. The first 5-10 years go in investment. Profit starts after 25 years, when trees bear fruits in large quantities. It is like a long-term investment.

Under the EIA amended notification (Sept. 14, 2006), the bullet train project does not require prior environment clearance as the railway sector is not included in Schedule 1 of the notification. However, other regulatory clearances related to diversion of forest land, mangroves and protected areas, tree felling, and coastal regulation zone will be relevant and applicable to specific sections of the project.

Like Ketan Bhai, Gopal Bhai Patel, a retired professor from the Anand Agriculture University, is likely to lose 1.25 of his 10 acres of land having chikoo and mango plantations. South Gujarat contributes to about 35 per cent of the states horticulture, he said, ruing the loss of fertile land. (Tomorrow: When the displaced face eviction again)By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh has topped in implementation of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) at the national level. AP stood first in implementation of AMRUT with 65.24 per cent, followed by Odisha (59.17 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (54.32 per cent) and Telangana (52.39 per cent) in the rankings awarded to States and Union Territories (UTs).

The rankings were given by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs after reviewing the implementation of AMRUT in the country in the past three years.

The Centre launched the scheme on June 25, 2015, which aims at effective execution of infrastructure development works such as drinking water supply, stormwater and drainage system, sanitation and garbage collection in municipal towns.

During a meeting held on Ease of Living Index in New Delhi on Monday, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri presented the award to Municipal Administration Director K Kanna Babu.

Preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs), contracts awarded, completion of development projects, submission of Utilisation Certificates, urban reforms and several other factors are taken into consideration in awarding rankings to the States in implementation of AMRUT, an official told TNIE.

Expressing happiness over the achievement of AP, Kanna Babu said the use of modern technology in execution of works enabled the State get top position. He announced that more reforms will be introduced in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department in the coming days to provide better services to people.

Under the able guidance of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana, we have introduced several reforms with focus on infrastructure development to improve the Ease of Living Index in urban areas, Kanna Babu added.

The top four

Andhra Pradesh 65.24%

Odisha 59.17%

Madhya Pradesh 54.32%

Telangana 52.39%Harish Gilai By

Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: A day after the killing of Araku MLA Kideri Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma in Dumbriguda mandal, the Visakhapatnam Rural Police released the pictures of three suspected Maoists, including two women, who took part in the attack.

Police, however, are yet to ascertain who led the action team, whether it is senior Maoist leader and in-charge of Andhra-Koraput division Chalapathi or any other leader. They also suspect that information about the visit of the TDP leaders was leaked to Maoists and the attack was pre-planned.

The three suspected Maoists were identified as Jalamuru Srinu Babu alias Sunil alias Rhyno, a native of Dibbapalem village in Addateegala police station limits of East Godavari, Kameswari alias Swaroopa alias Sindhri alias Rinki, who hails from Bhimavaram in West Godavari, and Venkata Ravi Chaitanya alias

Aruna belonging to Karakavanipalem in Pendurthi mandal of Visakhapatnam district.

Intelligence DG AB Venkateswara Rao, Visakhapatnam Rural SP Rahul Dev Sharma and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law & Order - I, Visakhapatnam City) K Fakeerappa visited the crime scene on Monday.

According to SP Rahul Dev Sharma, the eyewitnesses were of the view that many of the Maoists who killed the two leaders did not seem to be from Andhra Pradesh going by their appearance. Police suspect that some Maoists from Chhattisgarh and Odisha might have participated in the attack. They also conducted recce in the village on Sunday before the attack, the SP added.

All the shops and business establishments remained closed in Paderu, Araku and other Agency areas on Monday in response to the bandh call given by the tribal organisations condemning the killing of the two leaders.

According to police sources, the Maoists took the geographical location of the area as an advantage after information about the MLAs visit was leaked. Dumbriguda mandal which comes under the purview of Nandipura area committee is said to be one of the zones, which did not witness any Maoist movement in the past.

Moreover, lack of police station in the area had also proved an advantage to the Maoists to strike.

Unlike other police stations, Dumbriguda police station in Visakhapatnam Agency is not situated in the mandal headquarters. It is located in the Araku police station circle. Moreover, most areas in Dumbriguda, including the attack spot, do not have mobile connectivity.

It is a pre-planned attack after the leak of information about the MLAs visit. The Maoists might have felt that information wont reach police immediately due to lack of mobile connectivity and even if it reached, it would take time for them to rush to the spot, said a senior police official. Final rites of MLA Sarveswara Rao and former MLA Siveri Soma were held at Paderu and Araku on Monday.

Dumbriguda SI suspended

Visakhapatnam Rural SP Rahul Dev Sharma on Monday suspended Y Aman, Sub-Inspector of Dumbriguda police station, for his negligence in providing security to MLA K Sarveswara Rao. The police department will also conduct an inquiry against him in this regardERODE: The third additional district court in Gobichettipalayam in Erode district on Tuesday acquitted all nine surviving accused in the sensational Kannada actor Rajkumar kidnapping case.

All of them were acquitted from the actor Rajkumar kidnapping case by Gobi third additional district court judge Mani on Tuesday on the ground of the prosecution did not prove the charges beyond doubt.

The nine persons released by the course are Govindaraj 48, Andril 45, Selvam 43, Maran 48, Nagaraj 47, Muthusamy 53, Basuvanna 57, Kalmandirama 52 and Amirtha lingam 44. It may be recalled that late forest brigand Veerappan and its gang kidnapped Rajkumar, who came for a housewarming ceremony of his new house, and his son in law SA Govindaraj, a relation Nagesh, an assistant director Nagappa in gunpoint from his farmhouse at Thottakajanur, Thalavadi, on the border of TN and Karnataka, on the

night of July 30, 2000.

At that time, Rajkumars wife Parvathammal and family members were present. The gang kept him under its custody in the Sathy forest area for 108 days and released on Nov 15, 2000. The incident created much tension in both TN and Karnataka and strained the relations between them.

Veerappan kept Rajkumar as hostages and demanded many things for their release including an unveiling of Thiruvalluvar statue in Bangaluru. The Thalavadi police registered a case. Though both Rajkumar, and Veerappan, who was later shot dead by STF near Dharmapuri in 2004, have died already, the case was being conducted in the court for the past 18 years and 2 months. The charge sheet was filed

nearly seven years back and around 10 judges inquired about the case over the years till date.

When the case was come up for hearing on Monday, 5 among the 9 accused, who were alive now, appeared in the court. They were Govindaraj, Andril, Basuvanna, Puttusamy, Kalmandiraman. Judge Mani ordered that all 9 accused should appear in the court on September 25, when the verdict would be given.

In the case, 47 witnesses appeared and the total number of accused in the case was 13. The prime accused Veerappan, Sethukuli Govindan, Rangasamy died already. It may be recalled in another case, charges were framed against 26 persons including 7 women, for their alleged involvement in the abduction case.

One among the accused was Muthulakshmi, wife of Veerappan. All of them were relatives and some among them were aged. Among the accused 2 died and 11 including Muthulakshmi were acquitted by Erode judicial magistrate court on Oct 30, 2012 on the ground of prosecution did not prove charges beyond doubt. The rest were convicted to 1-year imprisonment at that time.By Express News Service

BENGALURU: With a clear message to quell all rebellion within the Congress in Karnataka, senior state leaders seem to have decided to approach the crisis differently.

Leaders of the party who were attempting to woo dissenting MLAs have now been asked to not yield to blackmail tactics but ensure that legislators fall in line. AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge K C Venugopal, with his warning to MLAs who were throwing tantrums on Sunday, has set the tone for the state leadership to follow. The party that was being seen as bending over backwards to keep its flock together will now assert its strength.

Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah has been tasked with talking to MLAs who are raising concerns over a range of things. Siddaramaiah as well as KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao were in New Delhi on Monday for a meeting called for by AICC to discuss alliances with regional parties.

Siddaramaiah, who was scheduled to meet MLA M T B Nagaraj late on Monday night, has put off the meeting till Tuesday. The relief in Congress camp is also being attributed to BJP withdrawing their candidates from the bypoll to Council.

While the state leadership has managed to quell the dissent brewing from Belagavi in the form of Jarkiholi brothers, half a dozen legislators continue to express disappointment. Impromptu trips, sudden luncheons of dissenting MLAs fuelling speculations and a clear attempt by the legislators to be in the news have been construed by the party as mere posturing. Venugopal has asked the state leadership not to give in to the whims of legislators, said a source from the party.By Express News Service

KOTTAYAM: Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal on Monday got the unwanted recognition of being the countrys first bishop to be jailed, for rape charges. Franco was lodged in the Pala sub-jail after the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court remanded him in judicial custody till October 6.

ALSO READ | Kerala nun rape case: Bishop Franco Mulakkal sent to 14 days judicial custody

The special investigation team (SIT) probing the rape complaint filed against Franco by a nun of the Missionaries of Jesus Congregation under the Latin Catholic Diocese of Jalandhar produced him before Judicial First Class Magistrate K S Lakshmi at 1 pm after his police custody ended. Wrapping up the court proceedings in 10 minutes, the judge remanded Franco.

Before taking him to jail, the cops took Franco to the Pala General Hospital for the medical test, amid tight security. The police team brought Franco (remand prisoner number 5968) to the sub jail by 2.25 pm and lodged him at cell number 3, which he would share with two other inmates. Since he did not seek any special consideration, Franco was not given any additional facility like a cot or a bed.

Earlier, the cops conducted a medical examination of Franco at the Police Club, Kottayam, before heading to the court by 12.20 pm. Franco had spent the previous night at the Police Club after he was taken for evidence collection on Sunday. He was arrested by the SIT led by Vaikom DySP K Subhash on Friday night.

Fool-proof chargesheet

The police are no making all efforts to submit a fool-proof chargesheet in the case. Though, the SIT has 90 days to submit the chargesheet, they can file it earlier as the police completed a majority of the probe process before arresting Franco. However, they are planning to collect maximum evidence against him before filing the chargesheet. Hence, they are seeking options to conduct a polygraph test on Franco.

HC ends proceedings on pleas against bishop

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday closed two public interest litigations (PILs) seeking a directive to arrest Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of raping a nun. Meanwhile, the court dismissed as withdrawn the petition seeking CBI probe in the case. While closing the petitions, the court recorded the submission of the prosecution that the police would be prompt in discharging their responsibility as and when instances of threat or intimidation or inducements held out to the witnesses were pointed out. During the argument, the counsel for the Catholic Church Reformation sought an order for the protection of the witnesses in the case. The court then noted the submission by the Director General of Prosecution that the police had provided round-the-clock protection to St Francis Mission Home, Kuruvilangad, where the victim and two of the witnesses were staying. If any complaint of inducements or threat to other witnesses arises, the police will initiate appropriate action, the DGP had informed.

ALSO READ | Bishop Franco Mulakkal taken to convent for more evidence

HC adjourns bishops bail plea to Sept 27

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday adjourned to September 27 the hearing of the bail petition filed by Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of raping a nun. Petitioners counsel P Vijayabhanu submitted the police move to arrest the bishop while his anticipatory bail plea was pending and without securing an order from the court, was improper. The petitioner was in police custody for three days and he had cooperated with the investigation. He was interrogated for eight-nine hours each on three consecutive days. Hence, further detention of the petitioner is not required for the completion of the investigation, the petition stated.

Allegations in the bail plea

The investigating team is making efforts to create false scientific evidence.

The dress worn by Franco during police custody has been forcibly seized. This was an attempt on the part of the investigation officer to create false evidence.By Express News Service

KOCHI:After the landmark Supreme Court verdict decriminalising homosexuality, the Kerala High Court on Monday granted permission to a 40-year-old woman to go along with her 24-year-old female lover and live together.

ALSO READ | Section 377: Highlights from Supreme Court's verdict on legalising homosexuality

The court passed the order while allowing the habeas corpus petition filed by S Sreeja, West Kallada, Kollam, who is working in a Gulf country. She was seeking a directive to the police to produce her lover Aruna, from Thiruvananthapuram, before the court.

The petitioner alleged that her female lover was under the illegal detention of her parents. She had been mentally and physically tortured and even admitted to the mental hospital alleging that she was mentally ill. The petitioner also cited the SC verdict which decriminalised all consensual sex among adults in private, including homosexual sex. The court allowed both of them to go together.

Before passing the order, the court interacted with Aruna, who was produced before the court by the police. Sreeja submitted that they intended to live together as partners. Aruna had come to live with Sreeja on her own volition on August 13. The parents of Aruna then lodged a complaint with the police alleging that their daughter was missing. She was later produced before the Neyyattinakara Judicial First Class Magistrate who set her at liberty.By Express News Service

KOCHI:Commander Abhilash Tomy, who had to brave rough sea and inclement weather for three days after damaging his yacht and sustaining a grievous back injury while participating in the Golden Globe Race, a solo non-stop circumnavigation event, was rescued on Monday.

French fisheries patrol vessel Osiris, which was engaged by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra (JRCC), reached Tomys yacht Thuriya by Monday noon using a Zodiac inflatable boat.

After administering first aid, Tomy was shifted to the vessel using an orange stretcher. Tomy is conscious, talking and aboard Orisis. Australian and Indian long range P8 Orion reconnaissance aircraft are circling overhead, reported JRCC.

Abhilash Tomy is being shifted from his yacht Thuriya to French vessel Osiris

The good news is he has been rescued and shifted to a fishing vessel. He has been provided first aid. Australian naval vessel HMAS Ballarat, which had set off from Perth on Saturday, will reach the spot on Tuesday. The ship has a doctor and medical facilities on board. INS Satpura, an Indian Navy vessel which was in the southern Indian Ocean, is also proceeding to the spot. But itll reach the spot only on Thursday, Defence PRO Commander Sridhar Warrier told Express.

The conditions were relatively favourable on Monday afternoon, which helped the smooth evacuation of the injured sailor. The wind had calmed down and was blowing at around 30 kmph while the wave swell was around 2 m. A radio conference involving the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre on Reunion Island, a doctor located on Amsterdam Island and the master of the Osiris was held before the French crew boarded Thuriya. The Golden Globe Race involves 30,000-mile solo circumnavigation of the globe in yachts similar to those used 50 years ago.

Ill go to Australia if Tomy is hospitalised

Thuriya, a 36-foot long yacht used by Tomy, is a replica of Suhaili, the boat of the first Golden Globe winner Robin Knox-Johnston, 50 years ago. It rolled 360 degree and was dismasted as it was caught in a storm, which whipped up strong winds touching 130 kmph speed and waves rising 15 m high, making it extremely challenging to stay afloat. The incident occurred 3,000 km south west of Australian coast on Friday.

Though he was incapacitated and his satellite phone was damaged, Tomy remained in touch with the race organisers sending messages at regular intervals. He said though there was a second satellite phone in his bag, he was unable to reach it. In his last message, he had informed he was suffering from continuous vomiting and chest burning.

Tomys father Lt Commander (retd) V C Tomy told Express: Im relieved to hear Tomy has been rescued. Hes tired, dehydrated and in need of medical attention. Im waiting for an update on his health. Hell be taken to Amsterdam Island, where there are medical facilities. The doctors there will assess his health condition and make a decision on whether to shift him to Australia for treatment or fly him to India. Ill go to Australia if hes admitted to a hospital there.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted: 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.

Fellow Golden Globe race participant Gregor Mcguckin, whose yacht was also dismasted in the storm, was making 2.2 knots towards Thuriyas position, sailing under jury rig. The 32-year old Irishman was not in distress, but asked for a controlled evacuation from his yacht.

Once the two solo yachtsmen are safely rescued, the French fisheries patrol ship will proceed to Amsterdam Island where the rescued sailors will be given a full medical examination. The hospital on Amsterdam Island is well equipped with X-ray and ultrasound equipment, the organisers said in a release.By Express News Service

KOCHI:The alleged role of the CIA in fabricating the espionage case should be investigated, said former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan. Replying to a query on scientist D Sasikumarans allegation regarding the role of the US intelligence agency, he said the role of the police, the IB, politicians, the media and the CIA should be probed.

Former ISRO scientist Nambi

Narayanan delivering a talk at

TDM Hall in Kochi on Monday

| A Sanesh

Narayanan, whose name was cleared by the Supreme Court in the ISRO spy case, was speaking on his fight for justice at the TDM Hall on Monday. The programme was organised by Ernakulam Karayogam.

Many people ask me why I applied for VRS if I was innocent. In April 1994, K Kasturirangan assumed office as the chairman of ISRO. I was the deputy director of VSSC. Our director was the senior-most person eligible for the post of chairman, and I had expected a promotion as director. I had informed the chairman in advance that I will opt for VRS if I dont get the promotion. I submitted the VRS application on August 1994 and the espionage case was registered on October 20, he said.

Narayanan pointed out the allegation was that he sold cryogenic technology and the details of the Vikas engine for Rs 400 crore. India didnt have cryogenic technology in 1994; we developed it in 2014. The drawings of the Vikas engine was no secret. Anyone who wanted to do research could get it for Rs 4,000, he said.

Narayanan alleged the conspirators had identified him and Raman Srivastava as their targets before starting the investigation. Mariam Rashida, the Mali woman involved in the case, recently revealed the police and the IB had shown her the photos of myself and Srivastava and demanded she identify us during the probe. The whole case was the creation of a police officer, but it was used by many people, including the rivals of K Karunakaran who wanted to oust him, he said.

Narayanan pointed out the police never raided his house. The case was aimed at derailing the research on cryogenic technology. Though the CBI report said the case was fabricated, they didnt say who did so.

Narayanan said the ISRO ultimately stood with him. Stalwarts like Satish Dhawan, U R Rao, Roddam Narasimha, Yashpal, Chandrasekhar and T N Seshan had written an open letter pointing out the case was fabricated. The ISRO suspended me immediately after the police registered the case as it is the service rule. They revoked the suspension a week after the CBI submitted its report, he said.He said around 40 per cent of the people he met in jail claimed they were innocent. If it is true, it shows there is something wrong with our system, he said.By Express News Service

TIRUNELVELI: In connection with the arrest of research scholar Lois Sofia, the State Human Rights Commission summoned Pudukottai police station inspector for an inquiry. During questioning, Inspector Thirumalai said that the police would not prevent her from going abroad. Sofia along with her father A A Samy and advocates were present on the occasion.

ALSO READ | Unconditional bail granted for jailed scholar S Lois Sofia who raised 'anti-BJP' slogan at Tamilisai

Sofia was arrested by Pudukottai Police on September 4 on charges of shouting slogans against BJP government in an airline with party State president Tamilisai Soundararajan on board. Based on a complaint filed by the leader, Sofia was arrested.

Speaking to reporters, Sofia and her advocate E Athisayakumar said that she was harassed mentally for hours by the police after the arrest. During the inquiry, we submitted in writing the human rights violations committed by police during the arrest.

The human rights commission ordered SI Latha to appear before the commission during the next inquiry on October 26. The advocate noted that Sofia needed a year to complete her research in Canada.By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah said that it is saddening that people from Telangana are not able to utilise the scheme because of Telangana governments decision. In his tweet on Monday, the BJP chief stated that people in the State are not able to receive benefits of the scheme because of TRSs selfish thought.

Currently, the Telangana State government is implementing Aarogyasri Health Scheme for people in the State. While a cover of Rs 5 lakh per family annually is provided under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Aarogyasri Scheme provides Rs 2 lakh cover per year to families living below poverty line, and it gets extended to Rs 13 lakhs on case to case basis.

Telangana government is currently providing the Aarogyasri scheme to 80 lakh families under which treatment is provided free of cost. More than 20 lakh families are covered under other health schemes including Aarogyabadhratha, Employee Health Scheme, health scheme of SCCL, and others, said Dr C Laxma Reddy, State Health minister.

The minister said that the State government extended help to Ayushman Bharat scheme by providing software and other technical help. Through this scheme (Ayushman Bharat), only 25 lakh families will benefit, while 80 lakh families in the State are already covered under Aarogyasri Health Scheme. Identifying 25 lakh families out of these 80 lakh and providing Arogyasri to remaining 55 lakh will lead to problems in implementation, the Minister said.

KTR retaliates

Youre clearly misinformed @AmitShah Ji. The successful Arogya Sri program of Telangana is far superior in terms of coverage (80 lakh families) in comparison to Ayushman Bharat (only 25 lakh families in Telangana). We are a role model state in Universal health coverageBy AFP

VALLETTA: The 58 migrants aboard the Aquarius rescue ship will be taken to Malta and from there to four other European countries, the government said on Tuesday, in a bid to defuse the latest row over the fate of people rescued in the Mediterranean.

The migrants will "disembark in international waters", Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted from the UN General Assembly in New York.

#Malta & #France again step up to solve #migrant impasse. 58persons to disembark in international waters,be distributed in 4other #EU MemberStates. #Aquarius needs to solve its current status. With @emmanuelmacron & other leaders we want to show multilateral approach possible -JM  Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) September 25, 2018

They will be taken to Malta and "immediately redistributed" to four European countries, a government spokesman said, amid a brewing crisis over their fate.

A handout photo released on September 24, 2018 by SOS Mediterranee shows migrants listening to informations after being rescued by the Aquarius rescue ship run by non-governmental organisations (NGO) "SOS Mediterranee" and "Medecins Sans Frontieres" (Doctors without Borders) in the search and rescue zone off the coast of Libya, in the Mediterranean Sea, on September 24. SOS Mediterranee and Doctors without Borders (MSF) which operate the Aquarius rescue missions lambasted Italy for pressuring Panama into revoking its flag, warning the move deals a "major blow" to humanitarian missions off Europe's southern coasts. (Photo | AFP)

"The operation will take place as soon as logistically possible," the spokesman said of the migrants rescued off the coast of Libya by the ship run by charity SOS Mediterranee.

Portugal said earlier that it would take in 10 of the migrants "in a united and joint manner with Spain and France" although Paris and Madrid have yet to confirm their role in the deal.

The NGO had said the Aquarius was heading for Marseille, "its only option" after Italy's populist government refused the Aquarius access to its ports.

But the French government had signalled it was reluctant to welcome the vessel, saying it should dock at the nearest safe port to its current location near conflict-torn Libya.

ALSO READ | 'Ghost ship' runs aground on Myanmar coast

Malta's announcement came after talks with the French government, Muscat said.

The Aquarius will then head to Marseilles "to rectify its stateless position," the government said, after Panama announced on Saturday it would revoke the boat's flag registration following an Italian complaint.

A similar crisis was defused in August when five different countries took in migrants the Aquarius had picked up during the treacherous Mediterranean crossing.

Migrant 'taxi service?

The Aquarius was at the heart of a blazing diplomatic row in June when it became stranded with more than 600 migrants onboard following a refusal by Italy and Malta to take it in.

It has since been repeatedly turned away by Italy and been forced to stop in Malta and Spain after missions in recent months.

Under a previous deal reached in August, 141 migrants onboard the Aquarius were distributed among France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain.

(Photo | AFP)

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed to block the Aquarius permanently from his country's ports, accusing it of offering a "taxi service" for migrants from Libya to Europe.

His government says Italy has had enough of migrants arriving by boat, with more than 700,000 landing on its shores since 2013.

The numbers have dropped sharply since their peak in 2015, but the UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, has warned that the death rate during Mediterranean crossings has soared.

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.

ALSO READ | US ends funding of UN agency for Palestinian refugees

The Aquarius has become a symbol of bitter divisions in Europe over how to share responsibility for the hundreds of thousands of people arriving by boat since 2015.

French President Emmanuel Macron has clashed with the Italian government over its blocking of rescue ships, accusing it of "cynicism and irresponsibility".

Refugees and migrants carry their belongings after they disembark from a ferry, at the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. About 400 migrants and refugees arrived at the port from the island of Lesbos as authorities have been moving hundreds of migrants deemed to be vulnerable from the overcrowded Moria camp to camps on the mainland. (Photo | AP)

He faced criticism 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 of the rescued migrants.

His aide on Tuesday blasted Rome for blocking a new permanent solution to manage the docking and distribution of migrants rescued by charity boats.

"It's not moving forward because those who criticise the lack of French or European solidarity, starting with Italy, don't want a permanent, durable mechanism," the aide said.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

ALBUQUERQUE: A former New Mexico priest, who fled the US decades ago amid allegations of child sex abuse and once blamed his behaviour on a cancer diagnosis which prosecutors say he didn't have, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Arthur Perrault is expected to appear in US District Court in Albuquerque for a detention hearing as prosecutors seek to hold the 80-year-old priest until his trial for aggravated sexual abuse.

ALSO READ | Catholic priests abused more than 3,600 children in Germany: Study

Court documents filed in federal court said victims described Perrault showering them with gifts and meals before abusing them. Victims also collaboratively described Perrault as someone who smoked pipes and wore silk underwear.

Documents also said the Connecticut-born Perrault wrote an apology letter to the parents of one victim in 1971 and blamed his actions on cancer, which prosecutors said he was never diagnosed with.

ALSO READ | US priest sex victims urge Vatican to publish list of accused

Perrault was extradited to New Mexico last week from Morocco in connection with sexual abuse cases that are alleged to have taken place between 1991 and 1992 at Kirtland Air Force Base and Santa Fe National Cemetery.

The former Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and a former Air Force chaplain has been charged in a federal indictment with seven counts of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.

Perrault pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Friday. He also told a US magistrate judge he'd had a stroke three years ago, was deaf in one ear, and had trouble walking.

Perrault, a one-time pastor at St. Bernadette parish in Albuquerque, is one of many priests sent to New Mexico in the 1960s from around the country for treatment involving paedophilia.

Victims, lawyers and church documents show the priests were later assigned to parishes and schools across New Mexico  especially in small Native American and Hispanic communities.

Perrault vanished in 1992, just days before an attorney filed two lawsuits against the archdiocese alleging Perrault had sexually assaulted seven children at his parish.

The FBI said Perrault first fled to Canada and then to Tangier, Morocco, where he worked until last year at an English-language school for children.

Perrault denied abusing children in a handwritten letter to a judge related to sexual abuse lawsuits in Albuquerque. Perrault said his assets included money from military retirement and Social Security.

Church records released last year by a New Mexico judge show Perrault is also accused in state lawsuits of sexually abusing at least 38 boys in other cases.

Records also show Perrault was sent in 1965 to Servants of the Paraclete  a religious order that ran a treatment centre for paedophile priests in Jemez Springs, New Mexico  after he was accused of molesting young men while serving in Connecticut.By AFP

JAKARTA: Greenpeace activists have scaled an Indonesian palm oil refinery with a popular rock band who played some of their pro-environment songs from the top of the structure, it said Tuesday, protesting a commodity found in everything from soap to biscuits.

The green group said 30 activists - including several foreigners - and Indonesian metal group Boomerang were "occupying" the site in Sulawesi island to draw attention to the widespread environmental destruction caused by planting the widely used edible oil.

They painted "Dirty" in large letters and dropped a banner that read "Drop Dirty Palm Oil Now" on storage tanks owned by Singapore-listed Wilmar International, the world's biggest palm oil trader which supplies major brands including Colgate, Nestle and Unilever, it said.

One group of activists also climbed the anchor chain of a tanker ship transporting palm oil and are preventing it from moving, according to the group.

Meanwhile, Boomerang - which got its start in the mid-nineties and whose new music focuses on conservation - performed at the top of the refinery tanks.

Greenpeace has accused Singapore-listed Wilmar of still being linked to deforestation in Indonesia - the world's biggest palm oil exporter - despite committing five years ago to stop logging the Southeast Asian archipelago's vast tracts of jungle.

"This refinery is loaded with Wilmar's dirty palm oil and if we weren't here it would be on its way to factories and supermarkets all over the world," Greenpeace said.

Wilmar did not immediately comment on the protest.

Last week, Indonesia's president signed a three-year moratorium on all new palm oil plantation development in the country.By Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS: President Donald Trump charged into office on the resonance of his aggressive "America First" agenda, but now, as he returns to the pinnacle of global diplomacy, he can't escape the growing shadows of domestic political troubles.

Between promoting the wisdom of his rapprochement with North Korea's Kim Jong Un and railing against Iran's malign influence across the Middle East, Trump is finding himself forced to confront the salacious and embarrassing as he participates in the UN General Assembly.

White House aides had cast Trump's visit to New York in triumphal terms: an opportunity to assert American sovereignty before the multinational body. He was set to be unapologetic about his decisions to engage with the erstwhile pariah North Korea, remove the US from the Iran nuclear accord and object to UN aid programs he believes are contrary to American interests.

Trump is to address the General Assembly on Tuesday morning and will chair a meeting Wednesday of the UN Security Council on the topic of counterproliferation. The four days of choreographed foreign affairs were to stand in contrast to a presidency largely defined by the disorder.

Appearances on the global stage tend to elevate the stature of presidents both abroad and at home. But even before his arrival for the annual bonanza of world leaders and diplomats, the desired image was muddied by confusion in Washington.

The fate of his second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, was cast into fresh doubt over the weekend amid a second allegation of sexual misconduct.

The drama also swirled Monday around the status of his deputy attorney general. Rod Rosenstein was reported 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. The man overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe and a frequent target of Trump's ire offered to resign and fully expected Monday to be fired. He received a stay of punishment at least until Thursday when he is to meet with Trump at the White House.

With cable news chyrons flashing breathless updates about both Beltway dramas, news of Trump's foreign policy moves from the UN-led by a new trade deal with South Korea  struggled to break through and disappointed White House aides. A similar fate may await Trump when he speaks to the General Assembly.

A year ago, Trump stood at the international rostrum and derided the North Korean leader as "Little Rocket Man" and threatened to "totally destroy North Korea."

"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 praised Kim as "very open" and "terrific," despite the sluggish pace of progress toward denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in 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.

The president said the location for the second summit with Kim is still to be determined, but officials have said Trump is holding out hope it could take place on American soil. Such a move would present a complex political and logistical challenge for the North Korean leader. 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 US-South Korean trade agreement, marking one of Trump's first successes in his effort to renegotiate economic deals on more favourable terms for the US Trump labelled it a "very big deal" and said the new agreement makes significant improvements to reduce the trade deficit between the countries and create opportunities to export American products to South Korea.

In both venues, US officials say, Trump is expected both on Tuesday and Wednesday 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 US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, citing Iran's malign influence in the region and support for 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 UN meetings. US officials said Trump is not seeking a meeting with him but is not opposed to talking if Iran requests a session.By AFP

UNITED NATIONS: New Zealand's prime minister, who shot to international fame for giving birth while in office, turned heads Monday by bringing her three-month-old daughter into the UN assembly hall.

Jacinda Ardern, 38, is only the second world leader to ever give birth while in the office. The first was the late Benazir Bhutto, who was prime minister of Pakistan when her daughter was born in 1990.

The premier was photographed kissing and bouncing up and down daughter Neve in the main assembly hall next to partner Clarke Gayford, at a plenary meeting known as the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, which she also addressed.

#UN debut - Neve Te Aroha, 3-month-old daughter of #NewZealand PM @jacindaardern and @NZClarke, appeared in #UNGA hall when her mother spoke at the #MandelaPeaceSummit.



Ardern is only second elected leader to give birth while in office, after #Pakistans Benazir Bhutto in 1990. pic.twitter.com/gNUv96LMao  Michelle Nichols (@michellenichols) September 24, 2018

Gayford, who is a television fishing show host and who plans to be the main caregiver for their daughter, tweeted a picture of the infant's UN diplomatic photo ID that classified her as "New Zealand first baby".

"I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change. Great yarn for her 21st," he wrote.

Because everyone on twitter's been asking to see Neve's UN id, staff here whipped one up.

I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change.

Great yarn for her 21st. pic.twitter.com/838BI96VYX  Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) September 24, 2018

Ardern became prime minister in October just three months after taking charge of the Labour Party as it languished in the polls. She returned to work last month after a six-week maternity leave.

She had already announced that they would travel as a family to the United Nations in New York, where she will address the General Assembly. Earlier on Monday, she spoke at the launch of the annual "Climate Week" event.

Pregnancy, motherhood and her coalition government have turned her into a poster child for feminism against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement in the United States, where she is taking part in a series of media appearances.

"It felt at the time on par I have to say!" she joked on The Today Show, the flagship morning program on NBC News, when asked what was harder -- taking a three-month-old on a 17-hour flight or running the country.By AFP

UNITED NATIONS: 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.By Associated Press

TALLINN: Pope Francis acknowledged Tuesday that the sex abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church were driving people away and said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations.

Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-up in Germany.

Francis told a gathering of young people in Estonia, considered one of the least religious countries in the world, that he knew many young people felt the church had nothing to offer them and simply doesn't understand their problems today.

Those complaints recently poured into the Vatican via surveys commissioned ahead of a big meeting of bishops starting next week on how to better minister to young Catholics.

"We know - and you have told us - that many young people do not turn to us for anything because they don't feel we have anything meaningful to say to them," Francis told a gathering of Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox young people. "They are upset by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them."

He said the church wants to respond to those complaints transparently and honestly.

"We ourselves need to be converted," he said. "We have to realize that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off."

It was a very public admission of the church's failures in confronting sex abuse scandals, which have roared back to the headlines recently with revelations of abuse and cover-up in the U.S., Chilean and now German church. The Germany bishops conference on Tuesday was releasing a report that found that some 3,677 people  more than half of them 13 or younger and nearly a third of them altar boys  were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

The report, compiled by university researchers, found evidence that some files were manipulated or destroyed, many cases were not brought to justice, and that sometimes abusers were simply moved to other dioceses without the congregations being informed about their past, according to the results that leaked earlier in the German press.

The scandal, which erupted in Ireland in the 1990s and subsequently Australia and the U.S. in following decades, now threatens Francis' own papacy since a former Vatican ambassador accused him of rehabilitating an American cardinal who slept with seminarians.

Francis has declined to respond to the accusations, but the Vatican is expected to soon.By AFP

TALLINN: Pope Francis on Tuesday became an e-resident of Estonia while on a visit to the cyber-savvy Baltic country known for being one of the world's most wired nations.

"Pope Francis is the 37,647th e-resident," the Estonian presidency said in a statement after the pontiff received his own digital ID.

Estonia "began offering e-residency in 2014 to provide people around the world with a secure digital identity and online access to Estonia's public and private services," it added.

Pope Francis celebrates Holy Mass in Freedom square in Tallinn, Estonia, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. Pope Francis concludes his four-day tour of the Baltics visiting Estonia. (Photo | AP)

Other notable names from among the thousands of e-residents from 157 countries are German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.



It does not provide citizenship, tax residency, physical residency or the right to travel to Estonia. Touted as a "trans-national government-issued digital identity", e-residency allows users to open a business in the EU and then run it remotely with the ability to declare taxes and sign documents digitally.

ALSO READ | Pope Francis acknowledges abuse scandals driving people from church

The country dubbed E-stonia has made a name for itself as a trailblazer in technology, notably having pioneered e-voting in 2005 and playing host to NATO's cyber defence centre.

Pope Francis has been on a tour of the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since the weekend.By PTI

RIYADH: Riyadh rejected accusations by Tehran that Saudi Arabia was behind last week's deadly attack on a military parade in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, state media reported Tuesday.

"The kingdom completely rejects the deplorable false accusations by Iranian officials regarding the kingdom's support for the incidents that occurred in Iran," a foreign ministry official said, quoted by the Saudi Press Agency.

"The kingdom of Saudi Arabia's policy is clear regarding its non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries," he said.

ALSO READ | Iran video threatens missile strikes on UAE, Saudi Arabia

On Monday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei charged that gunmen who killed 24 people at the military parade were funded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, has also dismissed Iran's accusation as "baseless".

"This official campaign launched in Iran against the UAE is regrettable and has escalated since the Ahvaz attack," tweeted earlier this week.

Four militants attacked Saturday's parade commemorating the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, spraying the crowd with gunfire in an attack that left civilians among the dead.

Iranian officials have blamed jihadist separatists, backed by Gulf Arab allies of the United States, for the attack.

ALSO READ | Iran says military parade attackers trained by two Gulf states; linked with US, Israel

Speaking to a group of Iranian athletes, Khamenei said the attack "once again shows the Iranian nation faces many enemies on its proud path of progress and development".

"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," he said.By PTI

UNITED NATIONS: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday held bilateral talks with leaders from Fiji, Estonia and Suriname, discussing diverse issues including defense cooperation, trade and capacity building.

Swaraj met Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Foreign Minister of Estonia Sven Mikser and Foreign Minister of Suriname Deborah Pollack-Beighle on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly here.

"Building upon a historical relationship with an important Pacific partner of India. EAM @SushmaSwaraj and @FijiPM, Frank Bainimarama discussed development assistance, capacity building and defence cooperation on the sidelines of the #UNGA, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Close, warm and friendly relations.



EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Foreign Minister of #Suriname, Deborah Pollack-Beighle discussed cooperation in capacity building, traditional medicine, pharma, and follow up to @rashtrapatibhvn visit during their meeting on the sidelines of the #UNGA pic.twitter.com/PnFYriyVQp  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 25, 2018

Highlighting the "strong cultural connect", Swaraj met Mikser and had a good exchange of views on intensifying cooperation in IT, trade & investment, culture, education, tourism and multilateral fora, Kumar said.

Strong cultural connect.



EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Foreign Minister of Estonia @svenmikser had a good exchange of views on intensifying cooperation in IT, trade & investment, culture, education, tourism and multilateral fora. pic.twitter.com/rxRNn31XSx  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 25, 2018

Noting that India and Suriname share close, warm and friendly relations, Kumar tweeted that the two leaders discussed cooperation in capacity building, traditional medicine, pharma and followed up on President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to the South American country in June this year.

Later in the day, Swaraj will also participate in the G4 meeting with her counterparts from Brazil, Germany and Japan.By AFP

UNITED NATIONS: The United States said Monday it had found evidence of systematic violence by Myanmar's military against the Rohingya minority, including widespread killings and rape.

The State Department released the report just as the United States announced $185 million in new funding for Rohingya refugees during a meeting at the United Nations on Myanmar.

The State Department study, based on interviews in April with 1,024 Rohingya adults who have taken refuge in neighboring Bangladesh, provided accounts consistent with reports from human rights groups but kept largely to dispassionate descriptions of events.

The report notably avoided using the terms genocide or ethnic cleansing to describe the mass killings of the Rohingya, a mostly Muslim group concentrated in Rakhine state that is despised by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and who are not considered citizens.

ALSO READ: Myanmar army should be removed from politics: UN 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," said the report by the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

"The scope and scale of the military's operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated," it said.

"In some areas, perpetrators used tactics that resulted in mass casualties, for example locking people in houses to burn them, fencing off entire villages before shooting into the crowd or sinking boats full of hundreds of fleeing Rohingya."

Most see killings, rape

The report said that 82 percent of the interviewed refugees personally witnessed killings, with 51 percent also reporting sexual violence.

The State Department said that witnesses hailing from multiple villages reported similar rapes, in which military men would force all the women to leave their homes.

"They would then choose a smaller number of women -- often four or five, but some refugees reported up to 20 -- whom as many 15 soldiers would then take to fields, forests, houses, schools, mosques or latrines to gang rape," it said.

"Many victims were reportedly killed afterward, though not in all cases," it said, adding that soldiers in some cases would go door to door to find the "'prettiest' girls" to gang-rape.

READ HERE | Aung San Suu Kyi defends court decision to jail Reuters reporters

In an overwhelming 88 percent of cases, the witnesses said that the military was behind atrocities. Few said they saw attacks against them by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the Islamic militant group whose assaults on military posts in October 2016 triggered the crackdown.

The violence in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was unleashed soon after the country transitioned to democracy, undermining what Western governments had hailed as a triumph of engagement.

The campaign against the Rohingya has especially tarnished the international reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi, the long-detained democracy advocate and Nobel laureate who has been reticent in addressing the violence.

Help for refugees

More than 700,000 Rohingya have taken refuge in Bangladesh, fearful of returning to Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Britain hosted a meeting of about a dozen foreign ministers that was also attended by Myanmar's state counselor Kyaw Tint Swe and International Cooperation Minister Kyaw Tin, although Suu Kyi did not come to New York.

Fresh from a visit to Myanmar, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that military leaders must answer for any atrocities committed against the Rohingya.

"If, in a year's time, we have not made a meaningful difference to the lives of the million or more people affected, then we have failed as an international community," Hunt told the closed meeting, according to the spokesperson.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley announced the $185 million for food, water, health care and other critical aid to the refugees, even as the United States dramatically scales back its admission of refugees.

Japan, which has pursued close ties with the country whose former junta was allied with China, urged Myanmar to create conditions for the refugees' return but also called for support of the civilian government.

Foreign Minister Taro Kono "emphasized that democracy in Myanmar is still in a very preliminary stage and, in order for Myanmar not to backtrack to its former military regime, the support of the international community is necessary," spokesman Takeshi Osuga said.

Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing was recently quoted in a newspaper as telling his troops that no country, organization or group has the "right to interfere in and make decisions over sovereignty of a country."By PTI

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said there is "outrage" in the world over the inability of the international community to end the wars in Syria and Yemen, address the Rohingya refugee crisis, and to combat terrorism.

He said the threat of a new arms race looms, while nations close their borders to those in need and concerns grow over weaponisation of artificial intelligence.

ALSO READ | US documents systematic killings, sexual violence against Myanmar Rohingya

Addressing world leaders at the start of the General Debate at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, Guterres said in his address last year, he had highlighted seven challenges that sadly still remain unresolved.

"There is outrage at our inability to end the wars in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere.

This photograph taken on September 12, 2017 shows Rohingya refugees arriving by boat at Shah Parir Dwip on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River after fleeing violence in Myanmar. Canadian lawmakers on September 20, 2018 unanimously voted to declare Myanmar's military against the Rohingya people a "genocide." The House of Commons endorsed the findings of a UN fact-finding mission on Myanmar that found "crimes against humanity have been committed against the Rohingya" and that these acts were sanctioned by top Myanmar military commanders. (Photo | AFP)

The Rohingya people remain exiled, traumatised and in misery, still yearning for safety and justice.

Palestinians and Israelis are still locked in endless conflict, with the two-state solution more and more distant," he said.

He voiced concern that the threat of terror looms, fed by the root causes of radicalisation and violent extremism.

"And terrorism is ever more interlinked with international organised crime and the trafficking of people, drugs and arms," he said.

Nuclear security is another concern facing the world as the nuclear peril has not eased, with non-proliferation at serious risk.

"Nuclear-armed states are modernising their arsenals. A new arms race could be triggered, and the threshold for their use lowered. We have seen outrageous uses of chemical weapons, in full impunity despite their ban. Protections against dangerous biological weapons are weak," he said.

He also stressed that tensions over trade are on the rise and migrants and refugees continue to face discrimination and demagoguery in the context of clearly insufficient international cooperation.

ALSO READ | Iran adhering to nuclear deal: British PM Theresa May

"As the politics of pessimism spreads, we must guard against self-fulfilling prophecies.Those who see their neighbours as dangerous may cause a threat where there was none. Those who close their borders to regular migration only fuel the work of traffickers. And those who ignore human rights in combatting terrorism tend to breed the very extremism they are trying to end," he said.

On climate change, Guterres said there is a direct existential threat and if nations do not change course in the next two years, there is risk of runaway climate change.

He said nations are not doing enough and there is need for greater ambition and a greater sense of urgency.

"We must guarantee the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It has immense potential to set us on the right course, but its targets -- which represent the bare minimum to avoid the worst impacts of climate change -- are far from being met".

Next September, the UN chief will convene a climate summit to mobilise action and finance, bringing together countries and cities, business, finance and civil society, to focus on the heart of the problem.

The summit will take place one year before countries have to enhance their national climate pledges under the Paris Agreement.

The UN will never give up on its mission of peace, sustainable development and human rights for all of the peoples of the world. Watch my address to #UNGA livestreamed tomorrow. https://t.co/iMzE2WghW0 pic.twitter.com/g9XoQe5XUb  Antonio Guterres (@antonioguterres) September 24, 2018

Talking about new technologies, Guterres said rapidly developing fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and biotechnology have the potential to turbocharge progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

"Artificial Intelligence is connecting people across languages, and supporting doctors in making better diagnoses. Driverless vehicles will revolutionise transportation," he said adding that there are also risks and serious dangers.However, technology is being misused by terrorists and for sexual exploitation and abuse.

Organised criminal networks lurk on the dark web, profiting from encryption and near-anonymous cryptocurrency payments to traffic in people and illegal goods.

He emphasised that cybercrime is now putting USD 1.5 trillion in the pockets of cybercriminals annually.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks during the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday Sept. 25, 2018 at U.N. headquarters. (Photo | AP)

"Malicious acts in cyberspace, such as disinformation campaigns -- are polarising communities and diminishing trust among states," he said.

He further said the impacts of new technologies on warfare are a direct threat to the common responsibility to guarantee peace and security.

"The weaponisation of artificial intelligence is a growing concern. The prospect of weapons that can select and attack a target on their own raises multiple alarms and could trigger new arms races," he said.

Guterres said diminished oversight of weapons has implications for nations' efforts to contain threats, prevent escalation and adhere to international humanitarian and human rights law.

ALSO READ | United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warns of 'chaotic' world order as General Assembly opens

"Let's call it as it is. The prospect of machines with the discretion and power to take human life is morally repugnant. Heaven forbid, any new war could very well include a massive cyberattack not only targeting military capacities, but also critical civilian infrastructure," he said.

He said technological advances may disrupt labour markets as traditional jobs change or disappear, even as the number of young job-seekers continues to grow as the very nature of work will change, governments may have to consider stronger social safety net programmes, including, possibly, universal basic income.

He also voiced concern over the deep gender gap in access to digital technologies, widening the digital divide.By AFP

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump dismissed the latest accuser of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as "drunk" and "messed up" on Tuesday, slamming the sexual abuse allegations against his pick for the top US court as a "con game" by Democrats.

Plunging into the high-stakes battle over the future of the court, Trump rejected a claim by Deborah Ramirez that Kavanaugh was the person who dropped his pants and thrust his penis in her face at an alcohol-fueled Yale University dorm party about 35 years ago.

"The second accuser has nothing. She thinks maybe it could have been him, maybe not," Trump told reporters in New York. "She admits that she was drunk. She admits that there are time lapses."

ALSO READ | Trump's nominee Brett Kavanaugh says he was a virgin in high school, 'never' assaulted anyone

"Thirty-six years ago, nobody ever knew about it or heard about it, and now a new charge comes up and she said it might not be him, and there were gaps and said she was totally inebriated, all messed up," Trump said.

"The Democrats are playing a con game. They know it's a con game," he said. "It's a shame that you can do this to a person's life."

Second accuser

Trump made the statement two days after The New Yorker published Ramirez's story, the second woman in two weeks to come forth with allegations against Kavanaugh while they were students.

A week earlier California professor Christine Blasey Ford said Kavanaugh tried to tear her clothes off in an assault during a party around 1982 when both were students at elite private high schools in Washington.

The 53-year-old Kavanaugh, currently a federal appeals court judge in Washington DC, flatly denies the accusations.

Brett Kavanaugh, with his wife Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, answers questions during a FOX News interview, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, in Washington, about allegations of sexual misconduct against the Supreme Court nominee. (Photo | AP)

With Republicans pressing hard to get his nomination approved as soon as this weekend, Kavanaugh and Blasey Ford are to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday in what could prove a fiery hearing.

Democrats are demanding the hearing be put off so that the FBI can investigate the two women's claims.

Michael Avenatti, a lawyer who represents a porn star claiming to have had an affair with Trump, has said he is also representing a possible third Kavanaugh accuser, whom he has not identified.

Kavanaugh denials

Kavanaugh's approval to be the ninth justice on the Supreme Court was considered near-certain just two weeks ago, based on Republicans' narrow control of the Senate.

The conservative, Republican-aligned judge would add to the court's rightward tilt, potentially putting at risk longstanding legal protections for abortion rights and "affirmative action" policies to help boost minorities.

ALSO READ | Hollywood actors call on Ivanka Trump to support Kavanaugh's accuser using #DearIvanka

But first Blasey Ford and now Ramirez have thrown his nomination into doubt, even though their allegations lack the support of solid, corroborating witnesses.

With his wife at his side, Kavanaugh went on television Tuesday to defend himself, an unprecedented move by a Supreme Court nominee.

"I've never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever. I've always treated women with dignity and respect," he said.

Protesters march from the Supreme Court to Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A second allegation of sexual misconduct has emerged against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a development that has further imperiled his nomination to the Supreme Court, forced the White House and Senate Republicans onto the defensive and fueled calls from Democrats to postpone further action on his confirmation. President Donald Trump is so far standing by his nominee. (Photo | AP)

"I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process."

His reputation took another blow, however, when his former Yale roommate James Roche said he believed Ramirez.

Kavanaugh was a "notably heavy drinker" in school who "became aggressive and belligerent when he was very drunk," Roche said.

While he did not witness the incident alleged by Ramirez, Roche said Kavanaugh and his social circle "were capable" of such actions.

"I believe her to be unusually honest and straightforward and I cannot imagine her making this up."

Election looming

With the election looming and their control of Congress at stake, Republicans have been mindful of the pitfalls of alienating women voters by their handling of the accusations against Kavanaugh.

But Republican committee members and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell also have made clear that they will question the women's memories and lack of witnesses or evidence.

ALSO READ | Senate committee to hear Ford's testimony about sexual assault charge against Kavanaugh on Thursday

"The American people know that sexual misconduct is gravely serious," McConnell said Tuesday.

"But the American people also insist that vague, unsubstantiated and uncorroborated allegations of 30-plus-year-old misconduct, where all of the supposed witnesses either totally deny it or can't confirm it, is nowhere near grounds to nullify someone's career or destroy their good name."

Earlier Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders echoed Trump's claim that the Democrats are playing games with Kavanaugh.

"The process that the Democrats have played is absolutely disgusting. I think it's disgusting that they have exploited these individuals," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told Fox News on Tuesday.By AFP

UNITED NATIONS: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused his US counterpart Donald Trump of trying to topple his government Tuesday as he poured cold water on the idea of resuming talks with Washington after its pullout from an international nuclear accord.

"It is ironic that the US government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks," Rouhani said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

What Iran says is clear: no war, no sanctions, no threats, no bullying; just acting according to the law and fulfilling obligations. Our proposal is clear: commitment for commitment; violation for violation; threat for threat; and step for step, instead of talk for talk. #UNGA  Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) September 25, 2018

"For dialogue to take place, there is no need for a photo opportunity. The two sides can listen to each other right here in this Assembly. "

"I am starting the dialogue right here, and state, in unequivocal terms, that the question of international security is not a toy in American domestic politics."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. (Photo | AFP)

Rouhani took the podium a few hours after Trump called for Iran's isolation in his UN address, accusing the leadership of Iran of sowing "chaos, death and destruction" as he defended his decision to ditch the Iran nuclear accord.

The five remaining parties to the 2015 accord -- France, Britain, Germany, China and Russia -- agreed during a meeting in New York late Monday to set up a payment system to preserve business ties with Iran despite US sanctions.

ALSO READ | Iran's president Hassan Rouhani blames US after attack on military parade

The Iranian leader said he was pleased that the international community did not follow the Trump administration's "unilateral and illegal withdrawal from the JCPOA," the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as the nuclear deal is known.

"Unlawful unilateral sanctions in themselves constitute a form of economic terrorism," said Rouhani.

Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in May, to the dismay of European allies, Russia and China which had invested years in negotiations to achieve a milestone agreement on keeping Iran's nuclear ambitions in check.

In his UN address last year, Trump bashed the nuclear deal as "an embarrassment," signalling that the United States was ready to walk away.

Trump and Rouhani declined to meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly session.Ramananda Sengupta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, president-elect of the Maldives, has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that "India is always the closest ally" to the island nation and will remain so.

Solih, who won Sunday's presidential election defeating incumbent Abdulla Yameen, is expected to take office before the latter's term ends on November 17.

In an interview to a local television channel on Tuesday, Solih said Modi had called to congratulate him on his victory Monday and invited him to visit India soon. The PM also referred to the slump in bilateral relations and urged him to help fix it, Solih said. "I told him that India is always the closest ally to the Maldives, and guaranteed that it will remain that way."

Solih said when he stressed the importance of India's assistance in helping develop the Maldives, Modi had pledged full cooperation.

Delhi-Male relations had nose-dived after Yameen refused to accept a Supreme Court ruling in February ordering the release of nine senior political prisoners. Instead, he declared Emergency and jailed several judges and opposition politicians. Yameen's decision to allow massive Chinese investments in the Maldives also sparked concerns in India's strategic circles.

China on Monday hailed the election verdict, but also hoped the new government would stick to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed by Yameen and "maintain consistency and stability of their policy and create an enabling environment and atmosphere for the Chinese operation there".

The controversial FTA, which is yet to come into effect, was rushed through the country's Parliament without debate last year.

Over Sunday and Monday, the Maldives courts freed 125 prisoners, including former commissioner of police Ahmed Areef and three opposition lawmakers who were remanded without convictions. However, the criminal court postponed its ruling on releasing former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, his son and Dhiggaru MP Faris Maumoon, former chief justice Abdulla Saeed and former Supreme Court judge Ali Hameed. All of them were summoned by the court late Monday after they requested a review of the previous ruling to remand them until the end of their trials. But the court postponed the ruling on the grounds that they had been already convicted on various charges, and annulling the order to remand them until the end of their ongoing trials would not free them from the prison sentence they are serving.By AFP

UNITED NATIONS: Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday pleaded for urgent aid for Palestinian refugees to curb the appeal of radicalism after the United States ended all support.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, the Jordanian leader sought a revival of the Middle East peace process and voiced worries about the financial collapse of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

ALSO READ | US cuts refugee admissions to 30,000 for 2019: Mike Pompeo

"We need to support full funding of UNRWA and other vital efforts to protect families, keep communities stable and prepare young people for productive lives," Abdullah aid.

"It would be a terrible mistake to abandon youth to the forces of radicalism and despair. Such support is urgently needed to ensure UNRWA fulfills its role in accord with its UN mandate," he said.

President Donald Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, has ended all $350 million provided by the United States each year to UNRWA.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R) greets Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein at the United Nations in New York on September 25, 2018. (Photo | AFP)

With the United States traditionally the largest funder of the agency, the move has created a funding crisis, especially in the impoverished Gaza Strip where more than 200,000 Palestinians attend UN-run schools.

Jordan -- which is home to nearly 2.2 million Palestinian refugees, who make up almost half of the kingdom's population -- will convene a meeting during the week of UN diplomacy in hopes of securing funding for UNRWA.

Abdullah, whose kingdom is one of only two Arab states with full diplomatic relations with Israel, rejected the idea of a so-called one-state solution in which Palestinians would be absorbed in the Jewish state.

Abdullah said the proposal had an "ugly, undemocratic reality."

"There is no such thing as a unilateral agreement; it takes at least two parties to make an agreement," he said.

"Helping the parties achieve that agreement, and work together to build a new future, deserves the strong, steady support of all our world."By ANI

NEW YORK: In the wake of the collapsed talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the latter on Tuesday said that it takes very little to worsen a situation and that he was a promoter of peace.

Speaking to the press at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) here, Qureshi said, "I have a lot to say, but I don't want to make the situation worse. We are promoters of peace and want to make things better. You need two words to worsen a situation, we don't want that."

ALSO READ | India a free society, successfully lifting millions out of poverty: Donald Trump at UNGA

The meeting between the two Foreign Ministers was scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan made a proposal for the same in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. (Photo AFP)

However, recurrent incidents of increased violence in Jammu and Kashmir and the killings of security personnel led to India cancelling the meet, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) saying 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.

ALSO READ | India calling off foreign minister-level meeting in New York unfortunate: Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi

"Now, it is 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 the new Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has been revealed to the world in his first few months in office. Any conversation with Pakistan in such an environment would be meaningless. In view of the changed situation, there will be no meeting between the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan in New York," MEA spokesperson Ravish Kumar said.

The abduction and killing of two SPOs and a constable by terrorists in South Kashmir's Shopian district, along with the "recent release of a series of 20 postage stamps by Pakistan glorifying (Burhan Wani) a terrorist and terrorism," were cited by India as the primary cause for cancelling the proposed meet.Miter and cope, 18th century

Chasuble from Vilnius Cathedral, 1792-99

Dalmatic from the Carmelite church of St Theresa, late 18th century; God the Father appears and speaks to a St Joseph Calasanz, saying To the orphan thou shalt be a helper. (Ps. 9, 35. A member of the Piarist order, founded by St Joseph, suggests in the combox that this vestment originally belonged to the orders church in Vilnius, which they had from 1719-1835.)





Chasuble and dalmatic, late 18th to early 19th century

Embroidered chasubles, mid-19th century

Requiem chausubles, on the left, from the first half of the 20th century, on the right, dated 1909

chasubles from 1900-25

chasuble of the 16-17tcentury, made of Venetian and Persian fabric

Second half of the 17 century, from Vilnius Cathedral

Second half of the 17 century, from Vilnius Cathedral, with a representation of the Patron Saint of Lithuania, and titular of the Cathedral, St Casimir.

Chasuble of the mid-to-late 18th century, French fabrics with embroidered scenes.

Dalmatic from the same set; Noah and the ark

Aaron, David, and the Resurrection

18the century, rose vestment from the Church of St Nicholas

1720-35, from Vilnius Cathedral

Two miters dated 1775-1800

Chasuble for Passiontide, late 18th to early 19th century, from the church of St Michael the Archangel.

Dalmatic, late 18th to early 19th century, from the church of the Providence of God.

Our thanks to Mr Robert Prybyla for sending us these photographs from an exhibition of liturgical vestments which recently took place in his native city of Vilnius, Lithuania. I thought these would particularly interesting to our readers since a number of them are embroidered with scenes, rather than just floral patterns, something which is rather unusual in many parts of the Catholic world. The exhibition, entitled Embroidered Heaven, featured vestments from the 15th-20th centuries that were once used in churches of the archdiocese; it was held in the Church Heritage Museum, which was established in 2009 in what was formerly the church of St Michael the Archangel, a strictly cloistered convent of Bernardine nuns.The church and convent were founded in 1599 by Leo Sapiega (1555-1637), who held several high offices in the government of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. For devotees of the Divine Mercy Devotion, Bl Micha Sopocko, the confessor of St Faustyna Kowalska, was rector of the church and chaplain of the Bernardine nuns here from 1934-1938. The image of Divine Mercy, which was painted in Vilnius in 1934, was initially hung in the convent corridor, until the archbishop granted permission to place it in the church itself. In the Soviet era, the church and convent were closed, and the 18th-century altar and pulpit were demolished. Following a fire in 1964, the church was renovated and became a museum of architecture; after Lithuania regained independence, the church building and dilapidated convent were returned to the archdiocese in 1993.More from the exhibition can be seen at its official website: http://www.siuvinetasdangus.lt/en/Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Cloudy with gusty winds. High near 45F. Winds WSW at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low 32F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.China's Central Ministry Commission (CMC), launched a solemn representation on Saturday after the US State Department announced "sanctions" on the CMC and its officials on Thursday, media reported.

Huang Xueping, deputy head of the CMC's office for international military cooperation, summoned the acting military attache at the US embassy Saturday night to lodge solemn representation and protests, CCTV reported.

Huang said that the military cooperation between China and Russia is normal cooperation between sovereign countries which accords with international law. The US' unreasonable sanctions is a breach of rules of international relations and a show of hegemonism. It severely harmed both two countries' and two militaries' relations.

Huang said,China will immediately recall Shen Jinlong, Chinese navy commander, who is currently participating in he 23rd International Seapower Symposium in the US, and postpone the second meeting of a communication mechanism for China and the US joint staff departments which is scheduled from September 25 to 27 in Beijing.

China demands the US immediately redress its wrongs and withdraw related sanctions. Huang also said that Chinese military reserves the right to take further countermeasures, read a CCTV report.

The US State Department said that it would impose sanctions on the Equipment Development Department of China's CMC and the department's director, accusing China had violated the "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act." The sanctions are reported to be related to China's purchase of 10 SU-35 combat aircraft and S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment from Russia, Reuters reported.

Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, told a press conference on Saturday that the US side has no right to interfere with the normal military cooperation practices between China and Russia.

"We demand the US side to immediately correct its wrongdoing and withdraw the so-called sanctions. Otherwise, the US side must bear the consequences caused by this act," Wu said.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang summoned US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad on Friday and launched solemn representations and protests against the US move, Xinhua reported.

"The Chinese side will take every necessary measure to firmly safeguard its national interests. We strongly urge the US side to correct its mistake immediately and withdraw the so-called sanctions," Zheng said. "Otherwise, the US side will have to bear all the consequences."Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).Reporter/Columnist

Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth).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.RS: There are no adequate schools and health facilities in most cases. If we dont have clinics, many workers are just dying because they cannot access basic medication and we have cases where people rely on traditional medicines, but the danger of that is that some medicines are not tested or in some cases, they are given wrong dosage or diagnosis.JERUSALEM, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister's office said on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that equipping Syria with sophisticated missiles will "endanger" the Middle East.

Earlier on Monday, the Kremlin said that Putin informed Netanyahu over the phone that Russia plans to deploy advanced Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missile system in Syria.

The office said that Netanyahu warned Putin that "transferring advanced weaponry system to irresponsible hands will enhance the dangers in the region."

Netanyahu also stressed that Israel "will continue to protect its security and interest," and Israel will continue airstrikes in Syria against Iranian and Iranian-backed forces.

He also rejected responsibility for the downing of a Russian surveillance aircraft last Monday, in which 15 Russian aircrew soldiers were killed.

The plane was mistakenly downed by a Syrian missile, when Israel was conducting an airstrike on Syria's Latakia province at the same time.

On Sunday, Moscow officially blamed Israel for the incident.

In their recent talk, Netanyahu told Putin he is "confident" that the investigation findings by the Israeli air force are "reliable." According to the findings, rejected by Russia, the Israeli F-16s were already back in Israel when the Russian Il-20 plane was intercepted.

Russia's plan to equip Syria with the advanced missiles came in the wake of the fatal incident.

Russia said in the past it would transfer the S-300 missiles to Syria but halted the plan amid U.S.-Israeli pressure.

Israel has carried out some 200 airstrikes over the last 18 months, claiming that the attacks aimed to prevent Iranian weapon convoys and stop Iran from establishing a military foothold in Syria.His Odds of Surviving Were

'About Zero,' Yet He Did(Newser)  It would likely have been a no-brainer: Voters in Alaska will decide in November whether a well-regarded judge will remain on Anchorage Superior Court. But now a controversial case has thrown that into doubt, and a "NO retention for Judge Michael Corey" Facebook page has more than 3,000 likes in its first days. As KTUU reports, the case involves 34-year-old Justin Schneider, who police said offered a 25-year-old woman a ride in his vehicle, choked her into unconsciousness, and masturbated on her. Corey accepted a plea deal in which Schneider got no jail timehe admitted to assault charges, other charges of kidnapping and harassment were dropped, and he received credit for a year under house arrest. "I was just absolutely appalled," says Elizabeth Williams, the woman who created the Facebook page, per CBS News.

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Williams and other critics also fault Assistant District Attorney Andrew Grannik for agreeing to the plea, which he referred to in court as Schneider's "one pass." They also say the victim, a Native woman who immediately notified police, was given scant consideration. As the outrage grows, the Washington Post notes that state officials say the judge and ADA were hamstrung by current law. For example, the state doesn't include semen in its criteria for sexual assault, so only harassment charges were filed. And the serious kidnapping charge would have been tough to prove given that the woman entered his vehicle willingly. The judge wanted Schneider to undergo sex-offender treatment, and the plea deal was the only way to ensure that, says a state deputy attorney general. Lawmakers now say they want to toughen state laws in the wake of the controversy. (Read more Alaska stories.)(Newser)  President Vladimir Putin's most visible critic was released from a Russian jail on Monday only to be immediately arrested again and thrown back in. Alexei Navalny served a 30-day sentence on charges he staged an unsanctioned protest before being re-arrested on charges he staged a rally that caused bodily harm to police officers, per the AP. Navalny, who has long been the face of Russian opposition to the Putin regime, denied the allegations and argued he couldn't have organized the rally in question because he was in a Moscow jail serving out the 30-day sentence when it happened.

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Per the BBC, the 42-year-old opposition leader and his allies have said they believe the arrest was politically motivated. It also comes at a time of political unrest in Russia, sparked in part by an increase in the country's retirement age. Putin's own approval ratings have dropped amid the outrage and observers say the issue has become a noose around the necks of Putin-alligned candidates running for regional offices. It's a wave of discontent that Navalny and his allies have harnessed as they organize anti-government demonstrations in cities across the vast country. Navalny's prominence has frequently put him in the Kremlin's crosshairs. Just this month, Putin's chief of the National Guard challenged Navalny to a duel and threatened to "make a good juicy beef steak" of the opposition leader. (Read more Alexei Navalny stories.)(Newser)  A Toronto man has been found guilty in the 2012 murder of his father, a death that was originally ruled a suicide. Per the BBC, Dellen Millard told authorities his father, businessman Wayne Millard, suffered from alcoholism and depression as they investigated the death. After investigators concluded the gunshot wound that killed 71-year-old Millard was self-inflicted, the younger Millard was set to inherit millions from the family's aviation business. However, information provided to authorities by employees at MillardAir sparked a new investigation that would eventually change the suicide ruling to a homicide and lead to two more murder victims that police traced back to Dellen Millard.

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According to the Globe and Mail, investigators pinned Millard and a friend to the murder of Laura Babcock, a 24-year-old woman he'd been dating who was killed months before Wayne Millard. Unbelievably, Millard and the friend, Mark Smich, were soon also connected to the murder of 32-year-old Tim Bosma, which occurred months after the elder Millard was found dead. Millard and Smich were both convicted in the murders of Babcock and Bosma. They were already serving their time when Millard was found guilty in his father's death. Millard is due to be sentenced in this latest case Nov. 16. (Read more murder stories.)(Newser)  He'd faced up to life in prison, but Ryan Keith Taylor got a decidedly lighter sentence after pleading guilty to setting off a bomb near a US Army post in April 2017. CNN reports the 24-year-old got hit with just over 11 years behind bars for "manufacturing, possessing, and detonating a chemical weapon" in the Kisatchie National Forest next to Louisiana's Fort Polk. The bomb, which contained chlorine gas, seriously injured two US Army soldiers who rushed over to see what had happened after they heard the bomb detonate. Their injuries from inhaling the gas "effectively ended their military careers," per a DOJ release.

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"In one single day I went from being in peak physical fitness to having 20% lung capacity at 25 years old," Joshua Farbro, one of the injured soldiers, told the American Press earlier this month. "My military career was over, and now I'm told that I'm too much of a medical liability to be considered for employment in any capacity. Everything I had worked so hard for, given my all for, was ripped away from me." NBC News notes it's not clear why Taylor set off the bomb. "Those serving our country put their lives on the line daily to protect us," says US Attorney David C. Joseph in the release. "They should not be put in danger needlessly." Taylor's prison stint will be followed by five years of supervised release. (Read more US soldiers stories.)(Newser)  A French historian says he has inadvertently solved an enduring mystery in the world of artthe identity of Gustave Courbet's nude model in his 1866 painting The Origin of the World. For those unfamiliar, a headline at the Local notes that the painting features "art's most scandalous vagina." For years, the smart money had been on Courbet's Irish lover, Joanna Hiffernan, explains AFP. But historian Claude Schopp found a letter pointing instead to a French ballerina by the name of Constance Queniaux. While studying a copy of a letter from French writer Alexandre Dumas to a friend, Schopp said one line made little sense: One does not paint the most delicate and the most sonorous interview of Miss Queniault (sic) of the Opera.

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He checked the handwritten original and found a transcription error: "interview" should have been "interior." Schopp connected the dotsQueniaux just happened to be the mistress of the Ottoman diplomat who commissioned the workand brought his theory to the French National Library. This testimony from the time leads me to believe with 99% certainty that Courbets model was Constance Queniaux, says the head of the library's prints department. The painting was scandalous in its day, and it ran into trouble with Facebook's censors more recently. (Read more painting stories.)(Newser)  It's a pretty extreme case of a disgruntled employee: The Times of India reports 37-year-old Dhan Singh Bisht was arrested last week after allegedly stealing $96,000 from his employer after being miffed about how a previous heroic gesture was rewarded. That employer, Reema Polychem Private Limited in Azadpur, tasked Bisht with occasionally collecting money from clients; while once transporting roughly $110,000, robbers descended on him. Though the Hindu reports his neck was injured and he needed 14 stitches, he managed to fend them offand rather than receive a cash reward as he had expected, his employer gave him only a T-shirt as thanks, per the Times.

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New Delhi police allege Bisht then hatched a plan to make off with the next money pick-up his employer asked him to make and say he engaged friend Yakub Hasan to assist him. In late August, Bisht was sent to retrieve $96,000, and police say he contacted Hasan, who picked him up and drove him to a specified location in exchange for about $5,500, the majority of which Hasan allegedly deposited into his bank account. Bisht reportedly turned off his phone and hid out for several days, then rented a home in Burari, north of Delhi, and "lavishly" decked it out, per the Hindu. A Sept. 21 tip led police to Hasan, and Bisht was subsequently arrested as well. (Read more strange stuff stories.)(Newser)  Sen. Ted Cruz was heckled at a Washington, DC, restaurant Monday and walked out with his wife as activists chanted, "We believe survivors!" Two videos of the incident at Fiola, an Italian restaurant, show people asking the senator about his upcoming vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, CNN reports. "I'd love to talk with you about Brett Kavanaugh tonight," says a woman who describes herself as a Cruz constituent and sexual-assault survivor. "Love to know what your vote is going to be tonight. I know that you're very close friends with Mr. Kavanaugh. And do you believe survivors, sir?" The Texas Republican reaches out to shake her hand, saying, "God bless you, ma'am," and she says, "Bless you as well. Really appreciate you."

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The protesters keep challenging Cruz and his wife, Heidi, as they head for the door, shouting, "Are you going to confirm your best friend Brett Kavanaugh?" and "Vote no on Kavanaugh," NBC News reports. One activist gives Cruz the middle finger while another can be heard calling Beto O'Rourke, a Democrat challenging Cruz for his Senate seat, "way hotter" than him, per the Daily Beast. But O'Rourke tweeted Tuesday that it's "not right" for Cruz and his wife to be "surrounded and forced to leave a restaurant" by protesters: "The Cruz family should be treated with respect," he writes. Cruz isn't alone among Republicans: Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen have all encountered friction in restaurants. (Read more Republicans stories.)Zhang Shuangbing, called Chinas fi rst comfort women researcher, is visiting San Francisco and sharing fi rst hand the stories of comfort women he has gathered. LIA ZHU / SAN FRANCISCO

For 36 years, Zhang Shuangbing, a retired village teacher in China's Shanxi province, has been recording the brutal experience of "comfort women". Now, for the first time outside of China, he is sharing the first-hand stories they told him.

Invited and sponsored by the Comfort Women Justice Coalition, a San Francisco-based advocacy group, Zhang told local activists on Thursday about his painstaking efforts to preserve the history of "comfort women'' and pursue an apology from the Japanese government.

"Comfort women" is a euphemism for the girls and women kidnapped from 13 Asian countries and forced into sex slavery by the Japanese military during WWII.

Some 400,000 women were forced to be "comfort women" for the Japanese army, and nearly half of them were Chinese, according to the Research Center for Comfort Women at Shanghai Normal University.

Zhang has spent more than 30 years visiting and interviewing over 100 "comfort women." He even helped 16 victims sue the Japanese government in several cases since the 1990s, asking for apologies and compensation. All have failed.

When asked to describe the life of "comfort women'' survivors, he used the word "hardship".

"I remember there was a woman who was so sick that her whole body swelled. She couldn't even fasten the buttons on her shirt. There was a small bowl of millet porridge. I guess it was given by a neighbor. It had gone bad in the hot summer weather," said Zhang.

"Some of them died of starvation," he added. "Many of them had no children. One-fifth of the survivors I talked to suffered from mental illness and a quarter of them were left infertile."

Zhang, 65, had taught at a primary school in a rural mountain village in Yuxian county, Shanxi province, until he retired five years ago. In his village, what happened to those local girls after they were kidnapped by the Japanese soldiers has long been a well-known secret.

In 1982, the 29-year-old Zhang decided to research the issue and started interviewing "comfort women'' survivors in his spare time.

Since then, he has found 300 to 400 survivors, mostly in Shanxi province, and persuaded 127 of them to break decades of silence and talk about their painful past.

He also accompanied 16 of them to testify as victims and witnesses to the Japanese military's wartime atrocities in Japan. But they lost the lawsuit against the Japanese government.

"Can you imagine how hard it was for these women who lived in small villages in China to sue Japan, to take on the superpower, and to tell the stories to the world?" said Julie Tang, co-chair of the Comfort Women Justice Coalition, which is composed of more than 30 organizations with over 300 members of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

"I know they lost the suit, but I think there's a strategy to it. It's important to win, but when they lose, they are able to tell the story, which I believe would be legendary and would live on forever," said Tang, a retired San Francisco Superior Court judge.

In August, the last of the 127 women Zhang had interviewed, Cao Heimao, died at the age of 97. Zhang said he still remembers what Cao said three years ago: "'Win or lose, I'm going to die. I won't last long. You young people should guard our door well. You can't let others kick our door open as they wish.'"

Cao's words encourage Zhang to continue the fight. "As I promised those women to help them sue Japan, I feel the weight of responsibility. I will keep going, though every step is a struggle," he said.

On Saturday, the Comfort Women Justice Coalition presented an award to Zhang for his contribution to seeking justice for "comfort women''.

"We really admire the kind of integrity, the kind of passion he showed to the movement and also toward each and every one of the comfort women survivors," said Tang.(Newser)  The Supreme Court may have declined to hear Brendan Dassey's appeal this summer, but come October, the people will hear more of his side of the story. Netflix will drop part 2 of its Making a Murderer docuseries on Oct. 19, reports People, returning to Dassey and uncle Steven Avery's convictions in the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach in Wisconsin. The original episodes debuted in December 2015; the AP notes the 10 new episodes go live on Dassey's 29th birthday.

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As for what to expect, series creators Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos have this to say: "Building on Part 1, which documented the experience of the accused, in Part 2, we have chronicled the experience of the convicted and imprisoned, two men each serving life sentences for crimes they maintain they did not commit." The Hollywood Reporter adds that the sequel episodes will feature a new face: Avery's post-conviction lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, who is on a quest to prove his innocence and has, per the Reporter, "reversed more wrongful convictions than any other private attorney in the country." Dassey's post-conviction lawyers will feature as well. (Read more Steven Avery stories.)(Newser)  President Trump amped up the rhetoric Tuesday by calling Democrats "con artists" and saying Brett Kavanaugh's second accuser "has nothing" on the Supreme Court nominee, USA Today reports. "She admits that she was drunk," says Trump of Deborah Ramirez, who accuses Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a drunken dormitory party years ago. "She admits time lapses." Talking Points Memo notes that Trump was at UN headquarters in New York with the president of Colombia, Ivan Marquez, when he said, "As the president of a great country, Colombia, you must say, 'How is this possible?' Thirty-six years ago and nobody ever knew about it, nobody ever heard about it?

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"And now a new charge comes up and she said, well, it might not be him, and there were gaps, and she said she was totally inebriated and she was all messed up and she doesnt know it was him, but it might have been him?" adds Trump. "Oh gee, lets not make him a Supreme Court judge because of that?" Of the Democrats, he says: "Theyre really con artists. They dont believe it themselves. They're playing a con game, and they play it very well." Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Ramirez could testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursdaythe same day Christine Ford plans to speakand Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who remains undecided on Kavanaugh, suggests she supports a full FBI investigation, per the AP. (Read more President Trump stories.)(Newser)  "Mr. Cosby, this all circles back to you. The day has come. The time has come." So said Judge Steven ONeill in sentencing Bill Cosby to three to 10 years in state prison on Tuesday in connection with the 2004 sexual assault of Andrea Constand, reports the Los Angeles Times. It notes the 81-year-old opted not to address the courtroom in Norristown, Pa.; Variety adds Cosby "showed no visible reaction" to the sentence. The AP reports that "afterward he sat and chatted with his spokesman and a lawyer, seemingly in good spirits." His wife, Camille, was not present for the sentencing. The latest on the downfall of America's Dad:

How the AP describes that downfall: "His Hollywood career and good-guy image in ruins, an 81-year-old Bill Cosby ... [became] the first celebrity of the #MeToo era to be sent to prison."

O'Neill "appeared incredulous" as he turned down Cosby's lawyers' request that the comedian remain free on bail pending appeal, per the AP. The New York Times reports the lawyers pushed the point further, and O'Neill withdrew to his chambers to consider the request. But he ultimately rejected the request, and Cosby was led away to prison in handcuffs, per the AP. He must serve a minimum of three years before being eligible for parole.

He was processed at Montgomery Correctional Facility in Eagleville, Penn., before being moved to State Correctional Institution at Phoenix; at the state prison, his health and other needs will be evaluated for a period of weeks to months as officials determine which prison he will ultimately be sent to.

Cosby, who was also fined $25,000 plus the costs of prosecution, now has a mug shot, which was released Tuesday afternoon.

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CNN reports O'Neill had this to say about Constand's victim impact statement: "I have given great weight to the victim impact testimony in this case, and it was powerful."

O'Neill also quoted her words, reading that Cosby "took my beautiful, healthy, young spirit & crushed it." The Washington Post reports Cosby "grumbled in a scoffing manner loudly enough to be heard by the audience" at the line.

The AP has the full text of her statement, which you can read here. An excerpt: "At the time of the assault, I was 30 years old, and a fit, confident athlete. ... I knew who I was and I liked who I was. I was at the top of my game, certain that the groundwork provided by my education and athletic training would stand me in good stead whatever challenges lay ahead. How wrong I was. In fact, nothing could have prepared me for an evening of January 2004, when life as I knew it came to an abrupt halt. ... Back home with my family ... I picked at my food, looking more like a scarecrow with each passing week. I was always a sound sleeper but now I couldn't sleep for more than two or three hours."

The Post reports Cosby on Tuesday was also designated a sexually violent predator, and that he did ask for clarification about his obligation to notify the state about his travels. "One question," he said. "If I went from a city to another city, do I have toeven if its just overnightI would have to advise the state police?" The prosecutor replied in the affirmative.

In a statement, Cosby's spokesperson said his client was subjected to the "most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States." He accused the psychologists who testified against Cosby of being "white women who make money off of accusing black men of being sexual predators." He also referenced Jesus, per CNN: Cosby "knows that these are lies. They persecuted Jesus and look what happened. Not saying Mr. Cosby's Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries."

Vox says he also referenced Brett Kavanaugh: "What is going on in Washington today with Judge Kavanaugh is part of that sex war that Judge O'Neill and his wife are a part of."

Camille Cosby released her own statement, accusing the district attorney of falsifying evidence; she said prosecutors presented doctored audio of a phone call between her husband and Constand's mother, per the AP. She says Cosby's defense team will raise the issue on appeal.

But those on the other side are reacting too: Janice Dickinson, one of Cosby's accusers, looked at him in the courtroom and said, "Who gets the last laugh, pal?" The AP has more reactions and quotes.

(Read more Bill Cosby stories.)The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, affirmed that Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is keen to continue and develop its long history as a multi-faith and multi-cultural community. This came during his speech at the high-level meeting entitled Towards Peaceful and Inclusive Communities: Role of Religious Leaders in Achieving SDG 16 organised by the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Co-existence, on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Adel Al Jubeir and Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani was present on the occasion. The Minister of Foreign Affairs added that the Kingdom prioritizes the importance of maintaining comprehensive, peaceful and diverse societies with a variety of cultures and religions living together in peace. The Kingdom has embodied that aspect for centuries, which acts as a major reason for its ability to overcome challenges.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs hailed the pioneering initiatives of His Majesty the King to establish coexistence and tolerance among all, which includes the launch of the Bahrain Declaration in Los Angeles in September 2017, the establishment of the King Hamad Center for Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence in March 2018, and the establishment of the King Hamad Chair for peaceful coexistence at La Sapienza University of Rome.

The Minister affirmed that the Constitution of the Kingdom guarantees religious freedom and that there is no place for religious violence and incitement to hatred and sectarianism in Bahraini society. The Minister also called for the necessity to increase efforts to combat extremism and religious intolerance, as the religious harmony and coexistence that the Middle East is known for is seriously being threatened.Source: venezuelanalysis.com

China's Arch of Peace vessel arrives in Venezuela for a one-week health mission. (VTV)

Chinese hospital vessel the Arch of Peace (He Ping Fang Zhou) docked at Venezuela's La Guaira port on Saturday to carry out health operations in conjunction with the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB).

"The first thing we must emphasize is (the vessel's) name. It is a vessel for peace, and peace is fostered in the world through cooperative and diplomatic ties," said Venezuelan Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lopez.

"This is the result of the efforts made by (Venezuelan President) Nicolas Maduro in building the relationship between the People's Republic of China and Venezuela...We applaud the reception of this vessel as a gesture of friendship and cooperation...The center of this visit is in the exchange of knowledge."

Lopez went on to note that the arrival of the He Ping Fang Zhou "is also a defensive operation, as the vessel is part of an exercise involving military hospitals in the country held this Saturday." Venezuela should also deepen military ties with China, he said.

Personnel aboard the He Ping Fang Zhou have come to Venezuela as part of a medical exchange as part of the Combined Comprehensive Strategic Operation for the defense and sovereignty of the South American country. The ship will remain in Venezuela for a week.

Venezuela's health sector finds itself under strain from the country's economic recession, as well as from international financial sanctions that obstruct vital medical imports.

The arrival of the vessel is part of the 28 cooperation agreements signed between Venezuela and China during Maduro's official visit to the Asian country last week. He described that visit as being a "success" and said he is willing to learn from China in order to help improve the economic recovery efforts taking place in Venezuela.

"It is a golden opportunity that we have today. I have great expectations. I am willing to learn to perfect the path that Venezuela has taken and achieve what is most important for the years to come: an economic revolution that will free the productive forces of the country and successfully create real wealth for the general happiness of our people," the Venezuelan president said.Strategies to preserve the Islamic culture were discussed at the 16th meeting of the Consultative Council for Cultural Development, which was hosted by the Bahrain Antiquities and Culture Authority (BACA).

The meeting was organised by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The two-day meeting comes as a part of the celebration of Muharraq, the capital of Islamic culture for the year 2018 for the Arab region as well as a preparation meeting for the Extraordinary Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers which is to be held in November this year.

BACA President Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, while addressing the guests emphasized on the importance of the conference and the need to gather the Arab and Islamic world in order to preserve the Islamic culture. Our pride in our historical and geographical identity must be translated into visions and achievements on the ground and we are calling out to all the Islamic countries to support the Muharraq initiative as the capital of Islamic culture, which was recently launched at UNESCO headquarters in Paris and to further dedicate an international day of Islamic art.

We also invite the countries to be part of the opening of the Pearl Road Visitor Centre, which will be inaugurated in November in conjunction with the meeting for the Extraordinary Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers which will also be held in November under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The Director-General of the OICs Cultural and Social and Family Affairs, Nehla Ahmed, told Tribune, We appreciate the efforts of all Islamic countries for preserving the culture. We also call upon countries to implement the cultural strategies of the Islamic World.

We are glad that Bahrain is proffering significance to culture and is hosting the Extraordinary Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers, as Bahrain is well known for its balance between tradition and modernity.Bahrain has successfully blocked more than 180 million emails that contained malware and targeted government entities in the past 18 months, a senior official confirmed.

Information and eGovernment Authority (IGA) Acting Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa said the malware was sent during the period between January 2017 and June this year. Shaikh Salman announced that the authority trained 2,162 employees in 24 government bodies last year and launched several information security initiatives to protect government entities.

The official explained that government bodies are coordinating better to exchange the information related to electronic piracy and threats. Shaikh Salman said that such steps contribute to reducing risks, exchanging expertise while improving local skills and talents. On the other side, Internet security experts have recently revealed that hackers have spread malware targeting government bodies in 45 countries including Bahrain.

Citizen Lab researchers issued a study, which Tribune obtained a copy of, proving that the hackers are involved in spying operations in different countries. This includes a malware known as Pegasus developed by a company named NSO Group. The malware was circulated and infiltrated millions of systems for three years before it was discovered in summer 2016.

Citizen Lab researches indicated that Pegasus was also used to spy on journalists, human rights defenders, politicians and attorneys. The study mentioned that the malware exists in 45 countries, including Bahrain, the United States, France, Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, countries are known to have strong democratic systems.New Delhi : A solo Indian sailor adrift thousands of kilometres from dry land with a serious back injury was safely rescued from his stricken yacht yesterday after an international effort. Abhilash Tomy, a competitor in the Golden Globe round-the-world race, was badly injured during a storm that damaged his vessel and put its mast out of action in the Indian Ocean on Friday. Adrift some 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) from western Australia, the 39-year-old navy commander had been confined to his bunk and unable to move. But Indian and Australian officials said a French fisheries patrol vessel involved in the international rescue mission had found the sailor in a stable condition.

A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. Hes conscious and doing okay, Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman posted on Twitter. The French vessel Osiris reached Tomys yacht at 0530 GMT as Australian and Indian P8 Poseidon aircraft kept watch from above, race organisers said. The French crew boarded Tomys yacht Thuriya using inflatable boats and administered first aid. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said Tomy would be transferred to a nearby Indian Ocean island, Ile Amsterdam, for medical treatment.

An Indian naval ship would later transfer Tomy to Mauritius, according to Sitharaman. Rescuers had been unable to make direct contact with Tomy as his main satellite phone was damaged, and his injury meant he was unable to reach a second satellite phone or his handheld VHF radio. Fears had been growing for Tomys safety as conditions can be treacherous, with strong winds and high waves buffeting the yacht and rescue vessels.Kuala Lumpur : 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 yesterday. 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.Manama : AlMabarrah AlKhalifia Foundation, in coordination with the University of Bahrain, organized a visit to the university campus for students enrolled in its Rayaat Scholarship Program. The tour was given to a group of 23 students from the year 2018-2019, in order to acquaint them with the teaching staff and programs offered by the university. The university welcomed the students and accompanied them on a tour of the university departments, in a bid to prepare them for the next stage in their studies. The students visited the various facilities to get a clearer vision of the campus.

Prof. Riyad Yousif Hamza, President of the University of Bahrain, met with students to welcome them and encourage them to engage in this new phase of learning. The students were also met by Dr. Sadiq Al Alawi, Dean of the College of Applied Sciences, who is currently acting at the Faculty of Physical Education. The students were familiarized with the rules, regulations and procedures of the university in order to ensure a smooth experience.A nine-year-old boy drowned and two of his friends were rescued after they got into difficulties in the Yamato River in Osaka on Sunday.

According to police, at around 4:15 p.m., six elementary school students were playing in the river near Oriono Bridge in Sumiyoshi Ward, Fuji TV reported. Three of the children were swept away.

Two boys, aged 10 and 11, were rescued by a man who was passing by, but the third boy was nowhere in sight. His body was found three hours later. He was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The depth of the water where the boys were swept away was approximately 1.5 meters.Shinchosha Publishing Co. said Tuesday that it will suspend the publication of a monthly magazine at the center of a controversy over articles related to lesbian, gay, bisexuals and transgender, or LGBT, people.

The magazine, Shincho 45, has come under fire over an article in its August edition contributed by House of Representatives lawmaker Mio Sugita of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in which she argued that LGBT couples are unproductive as they do not have children.

Fueling the controversy, the magazine ran a feature in defense of Sugita in its latest October issue.

Following the escalation of public criticism, the Japanese publisher released a statement by its president, Takanobu Sato, last week admitting that the feature story in the October edition included expressions with aberrant prejudice and a lack of understanding in some parts.

On Tuesday, the company issued a separate statement to officially apologize for the situation, while citing a plunge in the sales of the magazine in the last few years as the cause of poor editorial checks.BEIJING, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- China's Central Military Commission (CMC) on Saturday lodged solemn representations and protests against sanctions imposed by the United States.

Huang Xueping, deputy head of the CMC's office for international military cooperation, summoned the acting defense attache at the U.S. Embassy Saturday evening, according to a CMC press release.

The U.S. State Department announced Thursday that it would impose sanctions on the Equipment Development Department of the CMC and the department's director, alleging that China had violated the "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act."

Huang said the military cooperation between China and Russia is normal cooperation between sovereign states that goes in line with international law.

He called the U.S. side's unreasonable move "a flagrant breach of basic rules of international relations" and "a stark show of hegemonism" that severely harmed relations between China and the United States as well as the two countries' militaries.

China resolutely opposes the U.S. move and will never accept it, Huang said.

He said China will immediately recall the Chinese navy commander Shen Jinlong who is in the United States attending the 23rd International Seapower Symposium and postpone the second meeting of a communication mechanism for the joint staff departments of China and the United States, scheduled for Sept. 25-27 in Beijing.

China demands the U.S. side to immediately correct its wrongdoing and withdraw the so-called sanctions. "The Chinese military reserves the right to take further countermeasures," Huang said.The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said that it would pick its presidential candidate not minding if the individual has corruption...





The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said that it would pick its presidential candidate not minding if the individual has corruption case or not.





Speaking with the Sun, the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party will not choose its candidate on the basis of whether or not they have graft cases.





Ologbondiyan also said no member of the party can bring such issues to the table or ask the party to drop aspirants with corruption cases.





The PDP mouthpiece maintained that the party would be guided by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as its rules in screening presidential aspirants.

He was reacting to reports that the party was planning to drop some of its presidential aspirants with cases of corruption with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and related agencies.





He said the Supreme Court had ruled in the past that anyone who has not been convicted in the court cannot be barred from participating in an election.





He said Please, dont bring that to us, it is not in our party. Nobody in our party told you that.



A coalition has urged Antonio Guterres, United Nations secretary-general to strip ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of all his associations...

A coalition has urged Antonio Guterres, United Nations secretary-general to strip ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo of all his associations with the UN, including his recent role as a member of the UN high-level advisory board on mediation.





In a letter dated September 18, the coalition made up of Nigerian and South African nationals said Obasanjo is unfit for the new role as well as other related ones as a result of his bad precedents.





Members of the coalition include Ademola Araoye, former head of office for the Consolidation of Democratic Governance (United Nations Mission In Liberia, UNMIL); Essop Pahad, a former South African minister; Kunle Ajibade, executive editor, TheNEWS/PM NEWS; and Garth Le Pere, extraordinary professor of international relations, University of Pretoria, South Africa.





Guterres had appointed Obasanjo into the panel which consists of 18 global leaders in 2017.

In the letter, they said Obasanjo is not fit to rescue Africa or the world as a result of his sordid profile both in the public and private sectors.





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 organisation, the letter read.





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.





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.





They cited alleged extrajudicial killings carried out under Obasanjos watch, including the death of Bola Ige, one-time attorney general of the federation, the killing of over 300 unarmed Nigerian university students and innocent civilians during his tenure as military head of state as well as the Odi massacre in which hundreds were also killed.





According to the coalition, there is an associated nagging question pertinent to Obasanjos appointment which is: would anyone with Olusegun Obasanjos public and private profile be considered fit to represent any other continent apart from Africa?





We do not want to be persuaded by the cynicism of those who argue that Obasanjos appointment is a reflection of deep-seated contempt for Africa and Africans  The impression should not be created that a paucity of sterling intellectual and moral actors in the public realm exists on the continent.





They added that Africa is blessed with men and women with impeccable records and that the choice of any of them will serve as an inspiration, not only to Africans but to the world.



The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has raised a fresh alarm on the alleged covert move to doctor the voters register against the Thursd...

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has raised a fresh alarm on the alleged covert move to doctor the voters register against the Thursday rerun election in Osun State.





Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared the Saturdays gubernatorial election in the state inconclusive and fixed run-off for Thursday, September 27. that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared the Saturdays gubernatorial election in the state inconclusive and fixed run-off for Thursday, September 27.





The Zonal Secretary, PDP South West, Rev. Bunmi Jenyo disclosed this on Sunday night in a chat with newsmen at Ede, Osun State.





He further alleged that concerted efforts are ongoing to disenfranchise voters of PDP affiliations.

Just today, an APC member was busted at Kasorock Hotel opposite Moye oil, Osogbo, one Hon. Tayo, a councillor at the Osogbo ward five was caught working on INEC Voters register, altering figures, data, images, and names.





Vigilant members of the public swooped on the devil element who is working to subvert the will of the people.





We would have thought this was impossible, but we remember very well that this occurred at Egbedore(ward 10, unit 2, 4, 6.8, and 71) and Ifedayo, where hundreds of voters were disenfranchised.





We call on INEC to immediately restore the sanctity of voters register for Osogbo and Orolu. We will not accept usage of doctored register for the rerun, Jenyo asserted.





He reeled out several discrepancies in the result figures released by INEC, alleging that the mathematical error in the compilation of results was a deliberate act to favour the APC.



By Xu Fang, Yu Wen and Jiang Shan

A Chinese navy hospital ship docks in Venezuela's capital amid the OPEC nation's economic crisis has recently become the headlines of Western media.

On September 22, 2018, the Chinese PLA Navys hospital ship Peace Ark arrived at the port in La Guaira, Venezuela, kicking off an eight-day goodwill visit to the Caribbean country. This was the first time that a Chinese naval ship visited Venezuela.

In its September 24 report, the Associated Press (AP) said that interest in the goodwill visit has been building since the Pentagon announced it would send its own hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, to neighboring Colombia at the end of September to provide free medical treatment for Venezuelan migrants fleeing their homes amid widespread food and medicine shortages.

The Chinese naval hospital ships port call has sent a clear signal to Washington: Dont attempt to intervene militarily in Venezuela, US media said.

Venezuela is the 38th country that the Peace Ark has visited. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino greeted the Peace Ark at the port on September 22, local time.

The AP quoted Padrino, saying that the China-Venezuela relationship has set an example for state-to-state exchange in the world. 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. This is considered criticism against the US governments recent threat to increase pressure on Venezuela. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on September 21 that the US was preparing a series of actions against Venezuela. US Senator Marco Rubio even called on the US government to conduct military intervention into Venezuela.

It is reported that during the Peace Ark's visit, officers and soldiers assigned to the PLA Navys hospital ship Peace Ark would visit the Venezuelan government and military, as well as Venezuelas military facilities and medical institutions. The two sides would also carry out a series of events including joint medical operations, academic communication and cultural exchange activities.

Reuters quoted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's post on Twitter on September 22, saying that the arrival of the Peace Ark heralds the beginning of joint strategic operation between Venezuela and China.

The English website of Russia Today (RT) said on September 24 that the Chinese hospital ships visit to Venezuela coincided with the US hospital ships visit to Colombia. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced at the end of August that the US was going to send its own hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, to Colombia in the coming few weeks.

According to the AP, in recent years, more than 2.3 million people have fled crisis-ridden Venezuela to seek asylum in countries like Colombia.

Venezuela is the first stop for the hospital ship Peace Arks tour in Latin America. The AP commented on September 24 that sending hospital ships has been the mainstay of US diplomacy in Latin America, and that the Chinese Peace Arks humanitarian tours around the world have become a sign of Chinas ambitions of gradually expanding its military influence abroad.

Disclaimer: The authors are Xu Fang, Yu Wen and Jiang Shan with the Global Times. The article is translated and edited from Chinese into English by the China Military online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the authors from the Global Times and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity.The Peoples Democratic Partys candidate for the Osun State governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has appealed to the electo...





The Peoples Democratic Partys candidate for the Osun State governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has appealed to the electorates not to be afraid to vote for him on Thursday.





The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had on Saturday declared Osun election inconclusive after the difference between the two leading parties, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress, was lower than the number of the votes cancelled.





The Senator in a recent video appreciated Osun electorates for voting for him in the Saturdays election.





He, however, called on them to persevere and ensure they come out enmasse again on Thursday to vote for him.

Thank you Osun people for putting APC to shame despite all their powers.





Do not be tired, do not be afraid to vote again and come out in numbers on Thursday.





We must make Osun great again, Adeleke said in a video while speaking in Yoruba language.



All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bauchi has described the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara as an ingrate having used the party as a ladder to achieve greatness and later dumped it.The party, through its legal adviser, Barr. Rabiu Abubakar, made the allegation yesterday, while responding to questions from journalists. He cited that the speaker quit the party for failing to secure an automatic return ticket to the National Assembly in 2019 under its platform.According to Abubakar, On Thursday 20th September 2018, we witnessed the formal defection of Rt Hon. Yakubu Dogara from the All Progressives Congress to Peoples Democratic Party on the pretext that our party has failed to fulfill a single promise it made to the people of Bauchi state and Nigerians.This is not the first in his political history that the speaker would use a party to win election and dump it later. Remember that Mr. Dogara defected from the PDP to APC when he was denied an automatic ticket in PDP to return to House of Representatives for a third term.The same episode is now repeating itself with an erroneous thought that we might have forgotten the last experience. Coincidentally, while trying to justify his 2014 defection to APC just as he is now doing, he accused PDP of failure and injustice among other reasons, what an irony!He added that contrary to Dogaras claims, the APC led administration in the country has done well in areas of security, agriculture, economy, eradication of corruption, entrepreneurship development and infrastructure in the last four years.The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Tuesday passed a vote of no confidence on the Independent National Electoral Commission, ...





The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Tuesday passed a vote of no confidence on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, saying the electoral body was recording a fast decline.





He also said that the syndrome of vote buying and perceived misuse of security agencies would be the major challenges of the 2019 general elections.





Ekweremadu stated this in Abuja when he received a joint high-level delegation of the International Republican Institute, IRI, and the National Democratic Institute, NDI, Washington DC, USA, on a preliminary visit to Nigeria ahead of its planned Joint International Elections Observer Mission during the 2019 general elections.





These reactions followed the declaration by INEC that the Osun governorship elections held last Saturday was inconclusive.

According to Ekweremadu, The fast-declining independence of the election management body as well as vote-buying syndrome and misuse of security agencies are the major problems ahead of the 2019 general elections. INEC is fast declining and descending into the arena.





Prior to 2010 electoral reforms, INEC was barely independent. It was the 2010 Electoral Act and Constitution amendments that deepened the independence of the electoral body and strengthened the electoral system as evident in the 2011 and 2015 elections.





Unfortunately, as we head towards 2019, there have been a lot of challenges, particularly the challenges of implementing the existing laws; and this has taken us back to where we were, instead of making progress.





INEC needs to exercise the independence conferred on it by previous electoral reforms to be able to stand its ground, irrespective of whoever or whichever party that is in government, whether APC or PDP. It should not tend towards the government that is in power.





Looking at Osun State, for instance, an election took place, somebody won from the results declared at the polling units, ward collation centres, local government collation centres, and the state collation centre. But contrary to the provisions of our electoral laws, INEC has asked the people to go back and repeat some of the elections. That is completely unacceptable.



Kayode Fayemi, governor-elect of Ekiti state, on Thursday led some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the residence of Iy...

Kayode Fayemi, governor-elect of Ekiti state, on Thursday led some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the residence of Iyiola Omisore, Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in Osun state governorship election.





His visit comes 24 hours after that of Senate President Bukola Saraki.





The PDP and APC are wooing Omisore ahead of the governorship rerun scheduled for Thursday.





The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Saturdays election inconclusive.

Ademola Adeleke of the PDP had polled 254,699, while his closest challenger, Isiaka Oyetola of the APC had 254,345 votes.





With 128,049 votes, Omisore placed a distant third.





Although all the 48 political parties will partake in the exercise, the contest is between Adeleke and Oyetola, and Ife is a stronghold of Omisore.



The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the allegation that uncollected permanent voter cards (PVCs) are being rel...





The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the allegation that uncollected permanent voter cards (PVCs) are being released ahead of the Osun rerun election is baseless.





Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary to INEC chairman, dismissed the allegation in an interview with NAN.





Oyekanmi asked the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), which made the allegation, to provide the proof.





It is highly irresponsible of the CUPP to make a wild, unsubstantiated allegation such as this at this time, he said.

What exactly is their motive? The media should ask the CUPP to provide concrete proof about this allegation.





INEC has conducted 191 different types of elections, including six governorship elections since 2015.





If the commission did not manipulate any of these elections, why will it do so now with the Osun governorship election?





The CUPP is advised to engage in patriotic actions rather than sowing discord at a time like this.





The CUPP in a statement issued by its spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, had alleged that credible intelligence revealed that

some INEC officers were releasing uncollected PVC to the desperate politicians in Osun to use imported voters to vote at the rerun.



A member of the National Assembly, Sen. Ali Ndume, has dismissed the presidential ambition of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, des...





A member of the National Assembly, Sen. Ali Ndume, has dismissed the presidential ambition of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, describing it as a pipe dream.





He also called the former Kwara governor a saboteur, who has been working against the executive arm of the government.





Ndume, an APC senator representing Borno South, told NAN on Monday, that 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. 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, 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 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?



The immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has described the inconclusive governorship election in Osun State as a manifestation of a thriving democracy provided by the APC.Odigie-Oyegun, who disclosed this during an interview with journalists in Benin, Edo State, on Tuesday, also allayed the fears that the outcome of the rerun on Thursday could lead to a crisis in the state as the voters were enlightened enough to make their choices, based the issues affecting them.This is just as the as the member representing Egor/Ikpoba-Okha federal constituency and an aspirant of the APC, Ehiozuwa Agbonnayima, expressed optimism that the alliance being sought by the Peoples Democratic Party would not affect chances of the ruling party in the election.Agbonnayima, who told journalists that he had received a waive from the National Chairman of the party, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, to contest the 2019 election, said, The PDP is worried about the situation in Osun; that is why they are going into an alignment. I believe the APC will be victorious.On his part, the former national chairman explained, I do not have any such fears (of a crisis). The nation has matured much more than other people think. Voters and the general public have matured much more than a lot of people think.The issues in Osun are basically not national. There are lots of local conflicts and antagonism that gave rise to the kind of contestation that has occurred in Osun.What is important to the nation is that the APC government allowed democracy to prevail. The APC government allowed the people to freely express their will.A former Senate President and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential aspirant, David Mark, has revealed what he will do if he fails ...

A former Senate President and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential aspirant, David Mark, has revealed what he will do if he fails to emerge as the partys candidate.





Mark said he would support any candidate who emerges as PDP Presidential candidate if he fails.





The former Senate President said this on Monday in Dutse, Jigawa capital, when he addressed PDP supporters ahead of its primary.





Mark said, 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).



Assyrian, Yazidi Issues Raised At Annual Human Rights Conference in Warsaw

Uzay Bulut at the 2018 OSCE conference in Warsaw. Warsaw (AINA) -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held its annual conference from September 20 to 21 in Warsaw, Poland. Europe's largest annual human rights and democracy conference, it is organized every year by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) as a platform for the 57 OSCE participating States, civil society, international organizations and other relevant actors.

Uzay Bulut, a writer for Gatestone Institute, also joined the conference, addressing diverse issues such as the Assyrian plight in Turkey and the Yazidi persecution in Turkey and the rest of the Middle East.

Assyrians

In her presentation on Assyrians, Ms. Bulut called attention to the Turkish genocide of Assyrians between 1915 and 1918, which claimed the lives of 750,000 Assyrians (75%) and the continuing denial of civil rights for Assyrians in Turkey to this day. Examples included illegal seizures of Assyrian lands and forced conversions to Islam through rape and forced marriage.

Your browser does not support the video tag. Uzay Bulut Presentation on Assyrians at the 2018 OSCE conference in Warsaw.

Yazidis

In her presentation on Yazidis, Ms. Bulut called attention to the ISIS invasion of Sinjar, Iraq in 2014 and the subsequent genocide against Yazidis and Assyrians, where "hundreds of defenseless Yazidi men and elderly women were murdered." Ms. Bulut called attention to Turkey's failure to grant migrant rights to Yazidis.By Zhang Guijie and Meng Zhuolin

BEIRUT, Sept. 25 (ChinaMil) -- Chinese peacekeepers in Lebanon participated in a joint multinational exercise, code-named Steel Storm 2018, held in the town of Naqoura in southern Lebanon on the night of September 20. For its excellent performance, the Chinese peacekeeping force won high praise from the Command Center of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Headquarters and from the allied forces.

Under the immediate supervision of the UNIFIL Headquarters Command Center, Steel Storm is a joint multinational exercise conducted at the largest scale and highest level with the widest influence within the UNIFILs mission area.

The exercise has been held twice every year since 2012, so as to further optimize the relationship within the operational command of UNIFIL and to establish a cooperative and mutual assistance mechanism for peacekeeping forces from troop-contributing countries (TCCs), as well as to strengthen communication and exchange with government forces in Lebanon.

The exercise lasted for five days from September 17 to September 21. Sixteen troop-contributing countries, including China, France, Italy, Finland, and Indonesia, along with the government forces in Lebanon, participated in as well as observed the exercise.

The joint patrol forces of the UNIFIL and the government forces in Lebanon simulated a response to an attack by a maritime terrorist organization on Beach Road in Naqoura on the evening of September 20. The UNIFIL Headquarters Command Center organized the forces of the various troop-contributing countries to provide reinforcements.

The Chinese peacekeepers were incorporated into the land support forces of the western flank. The Chinese combat detachment, composed of 70 members from the multifunctional engineer detachment and the construction engineer detachment, was designated by the Command Center to rapidly enter the fighting area upon receiving orders, with 8 vehicles including armored infantry vehicles and medical ambulances, and 62 small arms including pistols and light machine guns.

In addition to land forces, the Navy of the Lebanons government forces and UNIFIL heliambulances also participated in the exercise.

During the exercise, the Chinese peacekeepers demonstrated their strict organization and commanding ability as well as skilled tactical movements. The Chinese peacekeepers received high praise from a leader of the Training Department of the UNIFIL Headquarters: The Chinese peacekeeping troops conducted the exercise at night according to the plan formulated by UNIFIL Headquarters, which required preconsideration of various dangerous conditions, with great challenges. However, the Chinese peacekeepers fulfilled their tasks with excellence. I look forward to your even more excellent performance in the next exercise.

The Venezuelan side hosts a grand welcome ceremony for the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark (Hull 866) at the Port of La Guaira on September 22.

BEIJING, Sep. 25 (ChinaMil) - After successfully completing friendly visits to four countries in Oceania, the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark (Hull 866) arrived at the Port of La Guaira on September 22 via the Panama Canal for an eight-day friendly visit to Venezuela. This is the first visit of the Chinese naval vessels to Venezuela. Venezuela is the 38th country visited by the Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark.

The Peace Ark and the Venezuelan Navy patrol ship Yekuana (PC-23) hosted a ship rendezvous ceremony in the waters east of the Paraguana Peninsula in the Caribbean at around 5 p.m. on September 21, local time.

Yekuana sent a welcome message via very high frequency (VHF): On behalf of the constitutional leader Nicolas Maduro, I'd like to welcome you to Venezuela. Welcome to Hugo Chavezs hometown to further deepen the friendship between China and Venezuela. Please follow me to the Port of La Guaira.

Five K-8 trainers of the Venezuelan Air Force also performed a wonderful air show during the ceremony.

Guided by the Yekuana, the Peace Ark slowly arrived at the naval pier of the Port of La Guaira at around 10 a.m. on September 22. The Venezuelan side held a grand welcome ceremony at the port. Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Vice-Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Defense Minister, led military and government officials to welcome the Chinese hospital ship at the dock.

In an interview, Vladimir Padrino Lopez expressed warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to the Chinese hospital ship Peace Arks visit on behalf of the Venezuelan government, the armed forces and the people. He said that the visit highlights the friendship between the two peoples and it will also enhance the medical exchange and cooperation between the two countries. Lopez said that the name of the hospital ship Peace Ark stands for a foreign policy claiming peace and cooperation. This should be a model of foreign policy for countries around the world today, said Lopez.

The commander of Mission Harmony 2018 said in his speech that the Peace Ark is loaded with the goodwill of the Chinese people. The Chinese hospital ship has traveled all the way from across the oceans to the beautiful country Venezuela to consolidate the traditional friendship between the two countries through practical actions. The Peace Ark aims to implement the important consensus reached in Beijing by the two heads of state with achievements in medical cooperation, and make new contributions to the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides.

During the visit, the commander of Mission Harmony 2018 will call on the military and government officials of Venezuela and visit Venezuelas military facilities and medical institutions. The two sides will carry out a series of activities such as joint medical care, academic exchanges, mutual ship visits and other cultural events.

It is learnt that the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark set off from a military port in China's Zhoushan on June 28 to carry out Mission Harmony 2018. Venezuela is its fifth stop.China has voiced "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to US arms sales to Taiwan and urged the US to cancel the plan, stressing that the determination of the Chinese military to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering.

Geng Shuang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said on Tuesday that the US's move is a serious violation of international law, the basic norms of international relations and the three joint communiques between China and the US.

The sales infringe on China's sovereignty and security interests, he said, stressing that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.

China urges the US to keep its promises made in the three joint communiques, abolish its plan of arms sales to Taiwan and stop military communications with Taiwan, Geng said.

The US actions are interference in China's internal affairs and damages China's sovereignty and security interests, said Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, adding that the Chinese military has made "solemn representations" to the US.

Ren made the remarks on Tuesday stressing that the one-China policy is the political basis for Sino-US relations.

He said that the US practices have seriously damaged Sino-US relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

We strongly urge the US to immediately revoke the arms sales to Taiwan so as to avoid serious damages to China-US relations and relations between the two militaries, Ren said.

The Pentagon said on Monday that the US State Department has approved the sale to Taiwan of spare parts for F-16 fighter planes, other military aircraft, aircraft systems and subsystems, and other related elements of logistics and program support, worth up to 330 million US dollars.

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.This Account has been suspended.You Will Be Able to Watch Will Smith Bungee Jump into the Grand Canyon for His 50th Birthday Dimas Sanfiorenzo Dimas Sanfiorenzo is the Managing Editor for Okayplayer. He specializes

Will Smith is officially an elder

On Tuesday, September 25, rapper/actor/Instagram star/motivational speaker Will Smith turned 50 years old. It was a celebration online, with fans of Smith wishing the legend a happy 50th.

This included Garcelle Beauvais, who acted alongside Smith in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Wild Wild West. She posted and then deleted an, uh, interesting tweeted dedicated towards Smith:

Fancy said bring it  Garcelle Beauvais  Will Smith #commentcreepin pic.twitter.com/WqjrAGvlnA  BallerAlert (@balleralert) September 25, 2018

WATCH: Will Smith Hilariously Recount The First And Only Time He Met Michael Jackson

Will Smiths kids, Trey, Jaden, and Willow Smith, also posted nice, more appropriate messages for their father:

View this post on Instagram Happy Birthday Dad I Love You Man. A post shared by Jaden Smith (@c.syresmith) on Sep 25, 2018 at 8:50am PDT

View this post on Instagram ! Happy Birthday <Dad>LOVE YOU A post shared by  The Main Maenad  (@willowsmith) on Sep 25, 2018 at 7:09am PDT

WATCH: Will Smith Celebrates 10 Million Followers on IG by Releasing Hilarious Greatest Hits Video

Trey added the hashtag #WillSmiththeJump because, to celebrate his 50th birthday, Smith is going to jump out of a helicopter into the Grand Canyon.

Last week, Smith posted a video on his YouTube about how he jumped from a 355-foot waterfall in Zimbabwe:



That was the first time Smith had ever bungee jumped.

Now hes going to give it another whirl. He will be making the jump live on YouTube at 6 PM EST. Jada Pinkett Smith, Wills longtime wife, celebrated her husband on Instagram.

She also made mention of the fact that Will was about to jump into the Grand Canyon."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."

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.

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.

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.

 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.

"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.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.

"I have appeared both in U.S. TV series and Korean films and dramas, but few people recognize any Korean TV series that I was in. So I hope this will be it," she said.

The star of the U.S. hit series "Lost" appears as a detective in the crime thriller "Ms. Ma, Goddess of Revenge," which is slated to start airing early next month.

In the Korean adaption of the popular "Miss Marple" series by British author Agatha Christie, Kim plays a woman who is falsely accused of killing her daughter and embarks on a journey to prove her innocence.

"Since shooting began, I've been completely tied up with the series, with no time to do anything else. I never imagined shooting over 20 scenes in a day. It would have been almost impossible for me to do this without the help of my husband, who took care of all the household chores," Kim said. "I spent more than 10 years doing several TV series in the U.S., but it was under 10 scenes a day, while getting weekends off no matter what."

"I was especially attracted to this character, who proactively proves her innocence by starting her hunt for revenge," Kim said.

Kim moved to the U.S. when she was young, and debuted in Korea with a TV series in 1996. She shot to fame with "Swiri," a Korean hit film about North Korean spies, in 1999. After that, she was cast in the hit ABC series "Lost" and starred in another ABC series, "Mistresses," from 2013 to 2016 in the U.S.Home  Just In  Leopard found dead in Mahottari

Mahottari, September 25

A leopard was found dead in Gaushala of Mahottari district on Tuesday afternoon.

Local Chandeshwor Singh Kushbaha said that a rotten body was found in a farm of Sukre Kami at Purano Kantibazaar of Gaushala Municipality-12.

The locals informed police after seeing the dead leopard.

Police have now started investigation after reaching at the incident site, said Inspector Bhola Bhatta.New York, September 25

Nepal and Canada have agreed to establish a bilateral consultation mechanism to hold talks on various facets of relations.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau signed an agreement to this effect after a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

PM Oli expressed happiness over the formation of the mechanism years after diplomatic relations between the two countries was established in 1965. He thanked the government and the people of Canada for the assistance provided so far to Nepal.

The Canadian Prime Minister hoped that the meeting will deepen ties between the two countries.

RSS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.It is common for companies to organize various informal events where workers can come with their partners. One of those...Experts hope that reviving an ancient water system of canals, ponds and rainwater harvesting can help Bhaktapur resolve its water shortages and better cope with floods in the crowded Kathmandu valley On a Saturday afternoon in Bhaktapur, once one of the three historical kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley, Sita Laxmi Kilambu and her neighbours are not at home enjoying their weekend brunch. Instead, they are donating their sweat to a cause that they hold dearrevitalising a near-dead pond in the heart of the city. We want to revive the pond so that anyone who comes to Bhaktapur can appreciate its beauty, says Kilambu, one of the 24 women who have dedicated their free time to the Bhajya Pukhu (pond), as part of a campaign that began in October 2017. The pond had dried up since houses were built around it, so the women have been removing weeds so the pond can be filled with water again, We want the pond to be ready before the Gai Jatra festival next week, says Krishna Prasad Dumaru, the president of the local user group working on the restoration. The pond is sacred and it needs to be preserved, he adds. Ponds like the Bhajya Pukhu are not just important for tourism or religious rituals, they are a part of a complex system of water management, which is centuries old. The system had survived for a long time as it was connected to culture, says Bhesh Raj Thapa, a researcher working at International Water Management Institute (IWMI), who has looked into the cultural aspects of the traditional water management system in the city, which prospered under the Malla kings between the 13th and the 18thcenturies.

The system  severely affected by the 1934 earthquake  has suffered from neglect for many years. The Ranas who ruled over Nepal for over a century [from the mid-nineteenth century] did not do enough to save the system, says Bhaktapur-based researcher and water resources engineer Rajaram Prajapati. As a result, the indigenous people of Bhaktapur forgot their own technology in a rush to modernise, he added. Similarly, as land became scarce in the old city, ponds were filled with earth to create space for public facilities such as schools. But now, members of the local community and scientists are turning to indigenous knowledge to look for solutions to modern day water woes such as flooding and drought. The flood On the afternoon of July 12, 2018, the people of Bhaktapur heaved a sigh of relief. The city, battered by rain for 10 hours, finally saw rays of sunshine peek through the monsoon clouds. By then, the flood waters had already damaged property worth over Rs 119.35 million [USD 1.04 million] and killed three people. According to government records, the district received more than 100 mm of rain in a day (unofficial figures in some areas reached 135mm). But this was not the highest amount of rainfall recorded in the district in living memory. In 1990, more than 260 mm of rain was recorded in Bhaktapur over a day. However, according to local anecdotes, there was little flooding in the settlements. The reason: rapid expansion of settlements without adhering to indigenous knowledge, says Prajapati.

The indigenous Hiti system in Bhaktapur, which dates back to the Malla period, is a combination of land management as well as use, reuse, and storage of not just surface water, but also ground and rainwater. Under this system, clustered settlements in the valley were built on high groundand the fertile arable land on the foothills was left for agriculture thereby creating a gradient for water to flow into the city via the Rajkulo (the royal canals). This also left the floodplains for cultivation and to protect settlements from disaster.

The gradient helped create a system in which water would be drawn for use in the city and surplus stored in large ponds. According to researcher Bhesh Raj Thapa, who has studied the citys indigenous water management practices, three types of water bodies existed in the Newar settlement of Bhaktapur: stone spout (Hiti), drag well (Tunchhe) and pond (Pukhu). The Newars are the original inhabitants of Kathmandu Valley  a term used to describe people of the valley in general, including the Mallas.

The system was cost-effective, economically and environmentally sustainable, socially acceptable and culturally crucial. It ensured proportional water distribution, recharging the local aquifer, and facilitated cascaded reuse and marginal water storage so that there was enough water even during the dry season, says Thapa.

How the system was operated

The royal canal system (commissioned by the ruling kings at the time) used to supply water to the golden hiti on the palace premises first and then to the rest of the city.

The hitis were also a place of worship and so would be kept clean. Bhaktapur has a unique culture of cleaning water bodies every year on the day of Sithi Nakha (which marks the first day of the monsoon rains) and feeding the frogs (Byancha Ja Nakegu), believed to have an important role to play for timely rainfall.

Drainage and excess water from the hitis went to the pukhus downstream, where water was stored for other purposes. During the rainy season, the pukhus would be filled and the water would be used during the pre-monsoon period. In addition to this, surface runoff was also channeled into the pukhus.

The cascade structure helped reduce the speed of the water and thus channel erosion and the water was fed into the river through canals. Similarly, the tradition of using bricks, rather than other impervious material, helped water percolate into the ground and recharge the aquifers. Even during heavy rainfall, floods didnt reach human settlements  they supplied much-needed nutrient-rich sediments to the floodplains.

The situation now

Areas in Bhaktapur, previously been set aside for agriculture, have now been used to build houses. With the construction of a highway linking the district to Kathmandu, property prices have shot up. The new settlements are unplanned and do not have a proper water management system. While extraction of groundwater is pervasive, there is not enough space for rainwater to percolate into the soil, and groundwater recharge is almost negligible in the city area. Local aquifers are being used up and local rivers such as the Hanumante and Manohara are the only outlets for rainwater. Even those rivers are polluted.

Is going back to the roots possible?

For Bhaktapur, the restoration of ponds, such as the Bhajya Pukhu, and the historical canals that used to transport fresh water from the foothills could vastly improve the citys water problems, says Thapa. He suggests that even if the canals cannot be restored, rainwater should be used to revive the system and recharge the local aquifers.

For new settlements, the indigenous model can be adapted to make groundwater recharge easier. The government should establish new laws that make it compulsory for households to build recharge pits and leave some portion of their land for groundwater recharge and canals could be paved with brick, he says. Scholars like Thapa are still learning more details about the indigenous water system of Bhaktapur, but they hope planners will still make use of indigenous knowledge in the days to come.

Kilambu and her friends, meanwhile, understand that preserving the pond is important. They do not know how the water management system in the city was designed, but they know their ancestors would be happy to see the pond revived.

This story was first published on Thethirdpole.netOver the weekend, Kanye West tweeted about his new project, Yandhi, to be released on September 29th. West tweeted a series of images of billboards and ads that look like iMessages, reading "YANDHI 9 29 18." It's the rapper's sixth release of the year, after June's Ye and his joint album with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts, as well as the records he produced for Teyana Taylor, Pusha-T, and Nas.

There isn't much widely available info about Yandhi, which has been publicly regarded as something like a sequel to Yeezus  West officially confirmed its existence on September 17th, and since then he's given more public statements regarding Twitter metrics than the album itself.

But Ye has given several hints about the record (it's unclear if it will be an EP or full album) via his highly active Instagram and Twitter accounts. So here's absolutely everything we know about Yandhi.

Ghandi Yandhi, like Yeezus, is a portmanteau of Kanye and an internationally renowned leader  in this case, Ghandi.

SNL Kanye will perform on the 44th season premiere of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Adam Driver. Yandhi is set to drop the same day (Donald Glover also recently used SNL to key promotional affect, releasing the video for "This Is America" right as he served as the musical guest on the show).

Collaborators Possible collaborators for Yandhi include Chance the Rapper, with whom West is also working on an album called Good Ass Job. He has been photographed in the studio with Tekashi69 (who plead guilty to the use of a child in a sexual performance, and has also recently worked with Nicki Minaj) and producer Zaytoven, and has been spotted with Yeezus producer Rick Rubin. Chicago activist Aleta Clark recently shared photos with Kanye, Chance, Jeremih, Rhymefest, Shake, Mikkey Halsted, GLC, and other local musicians. West has also shared several messages with conceptual artist Ryder Ripps, who works at his company, Donda. Could Ripps be involved in the record's holographic cover design?

And let's pray for Young Thug.

Chicago West's hometown of Chicago seems to be a huge factor in Yandhi's production. In a video posted by TMZ on September 18th, he announced a permanent move back to the Windy City, saying, "I gotta let y'all know that I'm moving back to Chicago and I'm never leaving again."And while West and wife Kim Kardashian did name their third child Chicago, at present Kim has no plans to move there full-time. While Ye was famously made in Wyoming, West seems to be recording Yandhi in Chicago. There are bits of songs on clips of videos he took in the city, though it's unclear if those songs will be on Yandhi.

We're excited! And a little scared. Please, lord, don't let there be a song called "Dragon Energy."

Photo via GettyAustralian model, Duckie Thot, has been on a meteoric rise ever since she emerged on Australia's Next Top Model in 2013 and then capturing the fashion world's imagination in her runway debut at Yeezy S/S 17. Thot has been the face of Fenty Beauty and featured in campaigns for Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, and the Pirelli calendar.

As Paris Fashion Week draws closer, L'Oreal announced today that Duckie Thot will debut at the brand's upcoming September 30th show on the river Seine as their newest ambassador.

"I'm honored to represent L'Oreal Paris, a brand that celebrates infinite ways to be beautiful and makes products for all women," Thot said. "I'm looking forward to helping more girls love the beauty of their dark skin. In my mind, I'm going back in time and telling the young girl I was: 'Dream big, work hard and trust in yourself girl, because one day you're going to say yes to the number-one beauty brand.'" Related | You Have to See Christian Cowan's Showstopping Double Sun Hat

A fierce advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry, Thot has had called out stylists for having to bring her own foundation and style her own hair at shoots. L'Oreal's signing of Thot indicates a commitment to a more diverse industry and underlines the importance of continuing to fight for more representation in fashion and beauty.

"While emerging in a new generation of models, Duckie Thot knows how to use her voice to match the strength of her images," L'Oreal said in a statement, "by speaking out, she has contributed to the redefinition of what [being] a model is. Her uplifting messages are shared to inspire her followers to love themselves."

Photo Courtesy of L'OrealYou have permission to edit this article.

Edit CloseTalk of Apple being close to acquiring Shazam hit the wires in December 2017. Then in February Europe's Antitrust Commission stated that Apple's acquisition of Shazam could have an adverse effect on European competition and had to investigate. Then earlier this month the EU Commission gave Apple the green light because it wasn't going to reduce competition in the streaming music business. Today, Apple finally stepped out and announced that it had completed its acquisition of Shazam, one of the world's most popular and highly-rated music apps, used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

Oliver Schusser, Apple's vice president of Apple Music: "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."

One of the first moves that Apple intends to take is making the Shazam App ad-free in the not-too-distant future, which will be appreciated.

While Apple was awaiting the EU Commission's Antitrust ruling, they're legal team were busy filing four new trademarks of Shazam under the Apple brand. The trademark filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed that Shazam could be integrated into future AR content and added to CarPlay. See our trademark report for more information here.







Shazam has been downloaded over 1 billion times around the world, and users identify songs using the Shazam app over 20 million times each day. With pioneering innovation in music identification, Shazam helps people discover, interact with and share video, audio or printed content across devices and mediums  and allows music fans to follow their favorite artists and share in the thrill of discovery.





About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.It's being reported in Japan today that Murata Manufacturing plans to build a new ceramic capacitor plant in Japan and revamp its existing Japanese and Philippine operations in an effort to meet growing demand for parts used in electric vehicles and Apple iPhones.

The report notes that "The Japanese maker of components for electronics has earmarked about 40 billion yen ($354 million) for a new plant in an industrial complex near its Izumo Murata Manufacturing's headquarters in Shimane Prefecture in southwestern Japan.

Construction of the 40,000-sq.-meter facility will start in October, with completion slated for 2019.

Laminated ceramic capacitors are a vital component in most electronics for cutting circuit noise. A single smartphone handset, for example, typically has up to 1,000 of the capacitors.





The global supply of the capacitors is tightening, due in part to increased usage in electric vehicles and the release of new iPhones. Observers say the rising demand may squeeze electronics manufacturers." For more on this, read the Nikkei Asian Review report.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.In July 2017 Intel Filed a statement with ITC claiming Qualcomm is trying to Force them out of the Modem Business with Apple. Then in November 2017 Qualcomm sued Apple for allegedly providing Intel with Qualcomm source code to assist Intel's Future modems for iDevices. Last week we reported that the Qualcomm vs. Apple patent infringement case in Germany didn't appear to be going Qualcomm's way. Today Qualcomm is back at it again ranting about Apple allegedly stealing their trade secrets and passing them along to Intel with the goal of improving Intel's chips so Apple could replace Qualcomm's chips. Of course Apple's new iPhones use Intel modems and Qualcomm is losing a massive contract. So why not rant to make their shareholders happy.

It's being reported today that Qualcomm made the accusations in a motion to amend a complaint that was originally filed in November as we noted earlier. Qualcomm went futher than the original complaint by alleging Apple stole Qualcomm trade secrets in a "multi-year campaign of sloppy, inappropriate and deceitful conduct ... for the purpose of improving lower-quality modem chipsets, including those manufactured by Intel, a competitor of Qualcomm, to render such chipsets useable in Apple devices with the ultimate goal of diverting Qualcomm's Apple-based business to Intel."

Intel is not named as a defendant in Qualcomm's lawsuit.

Today Qualcomm alleged that, since the start of its lawsuit in November, it has discovered evidence that Apple engineers "repeatedly" used Qualcomm software to help Intel's engineers to "improve the sub-par performance of Intel's chipsets.

Qualcomm in its filing with the court asked Judge Jacqueline M. Stern to allow it to attach the new allegations to its existing complaint rather than force it to file a new lawsuit. For more on this read the full Reuters report here.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.Ahwaz Terror Attacks: Is Saudi Arabia Taking The War Inside Iran?

09/25/18

By Shireen T. Hunter (source: LobeLog)



Headline by Iranian daily Jomleh:

"Saudi Arabia's footprint in Ahvaz's bloody incident"



Less than a month after Iran's consulate in Basra was attacked, a group of terrorists claiming to be members of the Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz attacked a military parade in the capital of Iran's Khuzestan province, killing 25 people and wounding many more. When the Basra consulate incident took place , some commentators in Iran speculated that the attackers also wanted to target Khorramshahr and Abadan. Now it seems that they were not too wrong.

The Ahwaz attacks also occurred shortly after operations by Kurdish insurgents belonging to the Iranian Kurdish Democratic Party in Iran's mostly Kurdish inhabited regions in the country's northwest. These attacks prompted the revolutionary guards to target the bases inside Iraqi Kurdistan from which they were operating. These back-to-back attacks raise the question of whether the United States and its regional Arab allies have adopted a strategy of besieging Iran in many of its vulnerable provinces, possibly as a prelude to more direct and large-scale military operations against Tehran.

Irrespective of whether this is the case, some of the problems that Iran faces in several of its western and southern provinces are caused not by a widespread desire for independence but by decades of neglect and mounting economic problems and thus growing popular frustration. For example, the central government has long neglected the Kurdistan province. Its economic conditions as well as its communications, roads, railroads, and other infrastructure lag behind the rest of the country. Various governments in the last 30 years have promised a fairer treatment of the so-called deprived regions, which includes Kurdistan, but have failed to deliver. Part of this inability has been because of the misuse of available funds for foreign adventures in Syria and Lebanon, corruption, and the impact of sanctions, itself an outcome of Iran's Middle East policies.

The case of Khuzestan is even more serious. The region, which includes areas inhabited by ethnic Arabs, valiantly resisted Saddam Hussein's armies and remained loyal to the country. The province also suffered the most devastation as a result of the Iran-Iraq war. However, after the war ended, the reconstruction in Khuzestan proceeded very slowly. Later, problems such as air pollution from sandstorms added to the residents' other difficulties. However, the central government was slow in tackling these difficulties. Many projects, including badly needed water projects, which should have been long finished are still incomplete. The once mighty Karun river is almost dry. Under these circumstances, the risk that people could be tempted by the siren call of external agitators has inevitably increased. However, these problems do not per se explain the latest developments.

Iran's problems in Khuzestan have always had an external dimension. Arabs believe that the southern part of the province belongs to Arabs, and they refer to it as Arabistan.

The history, however, is more complicated. Khuzestan means the land of the Khuzi or the original inhabitants of the region of Susiana. The Arab population was introduced to the region following the Arab/Islamic invasion of the seventh century CE. During the Safavids , the region was divided in two parts and the southern part was referred to as Arabistan. In the nineteenth century, the growth of British influence in the Persian Gulf undermined Iran's position in its southern provinces. In 1856, the British bombed the city of Khorramshahr (then known as Muhamarrah) partly to force Iran to leave Herat.

In the last years of the Qajar dynasty, Sheikh Khazal ruled the southern part of the province as a vassal of Tehran. During World War I, when Iran seemed on the brink of dissolution, Sheikh Khazal rebelled against the central government, hoping that Britain would support his claims. However, partly because of the Bolshevik revolution, Britain had changed its approach to Iran. Instead of favoring its disintegration, Britain saw Iran as a useful buffer against Bolshevik Russia and thus refused to back Sheikh Khazal.

As part of his policy of subduing local khans and potentates and establishing a functioning central government and bureaucracy, Reza Shah Pahlavi put down Khazal's rebellion. In the following decades, the region was favored in terms of development, partly because of its oil reserves. The Islamic revolution and the Iraqi invasion changed the situation.

Meanwhile, Arab governments, as well as Arab nationalist and pan-Arabists, continued to see southern Khuzestan as Arab land. From the 1950s through the 1970s, radical Arab states from Nasser's Egypt and Saddam Hussein's Iraq, used the Arabistan issue as a cudgel to beat Iran. They promoted separatism in the region and set up fronts for the liberation of Ahwaz and Arabistan. Some Arab states openly championed Iran's disintegration. Tariq Aziz , Saddam Hussein's foreign minister said that "five small Irans is better than one big Iran." In more recent decades , Saudi Arabia and Egypt have championed separatist movements in the region.

However, thus far, their activities had been limited to holding conferences, like one held in 2005 in Cairo. No direct action of any magnitude was taken inside Iran, although the Movement for the Liberation of Ahwaz had been involved in the sabotage of oil pipelines and possibly oil installations and other infrastructure. These most recent attacks pose the question of whether Saudi Arabia, as promised by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman a short while ago, is taking the war inside Iran? And does he have the American blessing to do so?

If the former advisor of the leader of Abu Dhabi is to be believed, the answer is yes, at least as far the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and possibly Egypt are concerned. Abdul Khalegh Abdullah tweeted that "we had warned Iran." He also said that the attack was not terrorism, because it was against military targets. Other Arab states, including Kuwait and Oman, condemned the incident. However, the ultimate message of recent events is that the noose around Iran's neck is being tightened .

Iran is experiencing one of the most perilous periods of its long and turbulent history. To navigate these difficult times, Iran's leaders need to display wisdom, realism, and flexibility, not bravura and emotionalism. Most of all, they must put Iran's survival within its current borders above any other goal, revolutionary or otherwise.





About the Author:



Shireen T. Hunter is a Research Professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Her latest publication is God On Our Side: Religion, Foreign Policy and International Affairs (Rowman & Littlefield, December 2016).





Related Articles:

Iranians hold funeral for victims of Ahvaz terrorist attack

Masses of Iranian people and government officials have taken part in a funeral procession for the victims of Saturday's terrorist attack in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz.





Terror Attack On Military Parade In Iran Leaves 25 Dead, 60 Wounded

At least 24 four people have been killed and 53 wounded in an attack on a military parade in southwestern Iran, the country's official IRNA news agency reported, prompting President Hassan Rohani to pledge a "crushing" response to threats against the country.

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) says its real Composite Index of Economic Activity (CIEA) recorded an annual growth of 6.6 percent in July 2018, the highest in eight months, compared to 2.1 percent in the corresponding period of 2017.



Governor of BoG, Dr Ernest Addison, who announced this at a press conference yesterday in Accra after a Monetary Policy Committee meeting, said the improvement was mainly fanned by strong export growth, domestic VAT, industrial consumption of electricity and tourist arrivals.



Overall, GDP growth is expected to remain steady and broad-based, estimated at some 6.8 percent by end-2018.



Loan write-off



Dr Addison also announced that his outfit had approved a loan write-off of GH1.2 billion for the banking industry to help reduce the Non-Performing Loans (NPL) ratio significantly to 18.4 percent.



The banking system continues to be profitable, sound and well-capitalized. Total assets increased by 39.7 percent to GH44.2 billion in July 2018. Of the total, advances constituted 45.8 percent. The industrys capital adequacy ratio of 19.1 percent is significantly above the prudential requirement of 10.0 percent.



Banks reduced their operating expenses in response to a decline in both interest and non-interest income. The quality of loans improved, as industry NPLs ratio eased to 21.3 percent in August 2018 from 21.9 percent for the corresponding period in 2017.



Private credit



He said private sector credit growth continues to recover, although at a moderate pace as the ongoing balance sheet restructuring by the banks continues, adding that private sector credit in August 2018 grew by 15.8 percent year-on-year compared with 6.5 percent a year earlier.



In real terms, private sector credit expanded by 5.4 percent in August against a contraction of 5 percent over the same period last year.



Tightening in banks credit



The governor also revealed that the latest credit conditions survey showed a tightening in banks credit stance on loans to both households and enterprises as banks continued to repair their balance sheet and also build their capital base.



On the other hand, the weighted average interbank rate, the rate at which commercial banks lend among themselves, declined further to 16.2 percent in August 2018 from 21.0 percent a year ago. The average lending rates of the banks declined to 27 percent in August 2018 from 29.8 percent in August 2017.

Source: Daily Guide









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Featured Video#Samsung Samsung nears selection of site for new U.S. chip factory Samsung Electronics Co., the world's biggest memory chip and mobile phone maker, is inching closer toward the selection of the site for its new chip plant in the United States, ind...Ghanas Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has urged women in leadership to help set goals that will address challenges that women go through during conflicts.



Addressing participants at the first women foreign ministers' meeting which took place in the Canadian city of Montreal, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, suggested that women foreign ministers' group should set goals aimed at addressing violence against girls and women especially during conflict



She recounted her experience in politics saying initially it was not encouraging but with time it has improved. Madam Ayorkor Botchwey told her colleagues that Ghana has introduced free secondary education and because girls outnumber boys it would eventually inure to the benefit of Ghana.



Numbering seventeen, four out of female foreign ministers were from Africa including Ghana, Kenya, Namibia and South Africa. Ghana's minister for foreign affairs and regional integration, Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey further urged her colleagues to use their office to empower girls and women to enable them to achieve dreams and use education to fight against systems that are inimical to the development of women.



The countries that participated in the first women foreign ministers' meeting include Canada, Andorra, Bulgaria, Norway, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Namibia, Norway, Panama, Saint Lucia, South Africa, Sweden and the European Union.



The idea to bring together women foreign ministers under one umbrella was mooted by the EU's foreign affairs and security policy representative, Federica Mogherini. High on the agenda are women's empowerment, political participation and leadership, strengthening democracy, advancing global peace and security and eliminating gender based violence. The Canadian foreign minister, Madam Chrystia Freeland said the group is better placed to influence policies and serve as role models for young girls to aim high in society. She called for education and advocacy as tools to push women empowerment agenda forward.



The EU representative on foreign Affairs and security policy, madam Federica Mogherini noted that the rise of women in any society will lead to the harnessing of their potential and will go a long way to make the world better because women are more than men. The EU stressed that time has come for governments across the globe to roll out policies to remove cultural and any system that undermines women from using their talents to serve society.

Source: New Crusading Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoThe Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD), Senyo Hosi, will join a high-powered panel that includes former President John Mahama to discuss the future of Africa at a summit in Switzerland.



Dubbed African Development & Investment Convention (ADIC) 2018, it is on the theme Africa Rising-Lacing Politics, Industry and True Partnership in Policy for Development.



Providing some insight into his presentation ahead of the summit, Hosi said he would interrogate the Africa rising phrase and explore whether Africa is rising with its people in comparative terms with the goal of a developed continent as observed with developed countries.



He noted that it would also seek to assess whether Africa is an economic frontier for Africans or just a frontier for drivers of world capital flowing to optimise returns.



The paper will assert that Africa cannot rise without its own and that the continent must ensure its development is in tandem with the sustainable development and competitiveness of its people, industry and institutions by ensuring inclusive growth.



It will review the need to realign politics to develop strong institutions and call for the need to de-politicise and de-tribalise our government institutions and build them on the principles of meritocracy.



The Big Man syndrome must change for Africa to rise with its people. The worship of politics must change to the true call of service, he added.



According to him, the paper would review the place of industry in Africa in respect of policy development and management. It will call on African businesses to revise their general passiveness to policy and remind them that they have more at risk than the transient politicians.



Otherwise, he said, they will become the proverbial stomach that takes in anything the mouth swallows till it takes in poison and dies.

Industry in Africa must lead policymaking from behind.



The growing youth population, in todays world of social media and increased access to information, is increasingly impatient for real development and comparative quality in their lives.



What is rather seen is increased graduate unemployment. Africa will be a time bomb unless its economic partnerships are revised from the extractive mentality to an industrial one where FDIs focus on optimising the value chain from Africas enormous natural resources, he stated.



Hosi noted that Africa cannot continue to export crude and import petroleum products, as well as export raw cocoa beans and import chocolate. For him, it is unacceptable for Africa to house about 60% of the worlds arable land and yet be hungry.



He made a strong case that the extractive mentality and primitive structure in African economies would continue to exclude majority of the continents youth and labour power.

Africas youth must be put to constructive and productive work, else they will become destructive, saying the narrative must change in a rising Africa.



Hosi plans to call on development partners to drive trade and value-added Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to Africas economies instead of donor funds and choking debts.



Africa needs real trade partners investing in its secondary and tertiary production chain.

This, the paper will argue, is true partnership and is one necessary to ensure Africa never rises without its own else its rise will be a rise in absentia, the CBOD CEO said.



Keynote speakers include Jewel C.H. Taylor, Vice-President, Republic of Liberia; Prof P.L.O. Lumumba, CEO of Kenyan School of Law, Board Member of AFIDEP; Dr Bryant Orjiako, Chairman of Seplat Petroleum Development Co. of Nigeria; and Mr Meir Moalem, CEO & Managing Director, Sky and Space Global, UK.



Others are Mr Engin Caglar. World Innovation Forum Ambassador, Switzerland; Mr Louis Toscani, CEO & MD, Swiss Active Capital in Switzerland; Dr Lance S. Mambondiani, CEO of Steward Bank in Zimbabwe.



Also speaking at the event are Mr Olivier Kamanzi, CEO of Africa Global Chamber of Commerce Chicago  USA; Mr Neil De Beer Oau, Chairman, NEDEBE CORP of South Africa; Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Founder & Chairman of Fasmicro Group  Nigeria; Mr Bola Adeboye, Founder & President of TEEiN  Nigeria; and Ms Matilda A. Arhin, President, Ghana Intl Chambers of Commerce (GHICC), Atlanta-USA; Okezie Ikpeazu, Executive Governor of Abia State  Nigeria; Ms Natalia Smirnova, owner and CEO of Emquarta Personal Advisor Ltd  Russia; Mr Ted Gueller, CEO of Galerie le sud  Switzerland; Mr Olakunle Soriyan, CEO of Olakunle Soriyan Company, Nigeria; Mr Douglas Mboweni, CEO, Econet Wireless  Zimbabwe; and Dr Felicia Mabuza-Suttle, President, Leadership Success Intl. USA, South Africa.



Highlights of the summit



Highlights at the event include Conference Plenary and Expert Panel Sessions, Do-Tanks, Market Link Platform, the Business Exhibition, Gala Dinner, and social and special recognition award presentations.



ADIC Awards ceremony



ADIC Awards ceremony is designed to honour and recognise visionary leaders, business development experts and distinguished individuals with proven records of accomplishments.



About the ADIC



The African Development & Investment Convention (ADIC) is a one-stop-shop and access point to entering the African market.



It is an annual convention devoted exclusively to promoting Africa as an investment and trade hub through public-private partnerships, project-investor matching, and showcasing of bankable projects across all sectors. The ADIC is an international convention that attracts investors, decision-makers, including heads of state, development finance institutions, funding institutions, researchers, thought leaders, regulatory bodies and entrepreneurs across the globe.



ADIC is also the platform for networking among likeminded individuals and a forum discussing investment, development and governance practice in Africa.

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The dream of the former SRC President of the Ghana School of Law, Sammy Gyamfi, becoming the National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been shot down by the party



The outspoken young man was disqualified by the partys Vetting Committee for not meeting the criteria needed to contest for a National Executive position as prescribed in the partys constitution.



Inside sources say Gyamfis disqualification was premised on Article 40 (2) of the NDC Constitution which states that A member of the party is not qualified to vie for a National Executive Committee position unless the member has held an executive position within the party or government before seeking election.



Mr. Gyamfi and Fred Agbenyo were the only two candidates vying for the position of National Communications Officer of the NDC.



By virtue of Gyamfis technical knockout (TKO), Mr. Agbenyo will now have a field day of annexing the position when the umbrella family goes to the polls on November 3, 2018 to elect their National Executive officers.



Two others, Wonder Mandilo, former NUGS President and Elikem Kotoko, former General Secretary of the Ghana Union of Polytechnic Students (GUPS), kasapafmonline.com understands, were also disqualified on same grounds.



The two were all vying for the National Youth Organiser position of the party alongside two other candidates, George Opare Addo and Yaw Brogya Genfi.



The Vetting Committee of the NDC is made up of the following; General Carl Modey, Hon. Hajia Laadi Ayamba, Hon. Marrieta Brew Oppong and Hon. Magnus Kofi Amoatey.



The rest are Kofi Adams, Vincent Kuagbenu and Hon. Nii Okaija Adamafio.







Source: kasapafmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoKwami Sefa Kayi, host of Peace FM's Morning show Kokrokoo, has slammed the Akufo-Addo government and politicians in the country over the raging debate over who should be regarded as the Founder of Ghana.



On Friday, September 21st, the country observed what has now come to be known as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day; the day Ghana's first president was born.



Initially, the birthday of Ghanas first President was observed as Founders Day, but last year, President Nana Akufo-Addo proposed a legislation to rather designate August 4 as Founders Day.



August 4 is noted as the date for the formation of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society by John Mensah Sarbah in 1897, and the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in 1947 by J.B. Danquah and George Alfred Paa Grant.



The thinking informing this proposal, according to the President, is to acknowledge the successive generations of Ghanaians who made vital contributions to the liberation of our country from imperialism and colonialism.



Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President has been widely acknowledged to be the Founder of the nation for leading the fight for the independence and sovereignty of Ghana.



Though his works cannot be undermined, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other politicians have had heated arguments about the role of Kwame Nkrumah as Founder of Ghana.



This has led to confusions over whether to say the Founders' or Founder's Day with particularly emphasis on the position of the "s".



The bitter rivalry between followers of CPP some of whom have now metamorphosed into NDC and followers of the UGCC and UP tradition who are now supporters of the governing NPP, reared its ugly head once again over the weekend.



The NPP followers believe the likes of JB Danquah, Edward Akufo-Addo have not been given their pride of place in Ghana's political history.



They are angered all the more with claims that Nkrumah was the founder of Ghana. The supporters of the CPP, the party which Nkrumah formed after breaking away from the UGCC are determined to keep the status quo.

Commenting on the issue on his platform, Mr. Sefa Kayi called on the political parties to stop the "needless debate".



He explained that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah remains the Founder of the nation and therefore no attempt to change the position of the "s" will distort Ghana's history.



"Its a needless debate. Kwame Nkrumah was the first among equals. At the end of the day, he was the captain of the team. So, it is Kwame Nkrumah as the founder of Ghana; big deal! He himself has acknowledged that he wasnt the only one who did it. Hes not the only one who can do it. There were others and hes acknowledged them. Hes mentioned their names," he stressed.



"So, why are we so stuck in this useless debate? he further questioned, urging the Government of Ghana to stop discrediting the legacy of the country's first President.

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Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has expressed government's plans to construct the Pwalugu Multipurpose dam in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.



The dam, when constructed will serve as a counter to the annual spillage of the Bagre Dam from Burkina Faso, and also generate electricity for the region.



Parliament in 2008 contracted a loan of $525 million from the Brazilian government to construct the Pwalugu multipurpose dam project in the Upper East Region, and the Juala Dam in the Northern Region.



Although Ghana received the money in 2009, the then government abandoned the two projects and diverted the money to the construction of the Eastern corridor road which has still not been completed.



But Speaking at Tongo in the Talensi District after an assessment of the devastation of floods in the Upper East Region, Dr. Bawumia said the NPP government is committed to the construction of the Pwalugu multipurpose project which would serve as a flood control mechanism and a source of irrigation to thousands of farmers in the region.



Studies have shown that the construction of the Pwalugu dam will provide a flood control mechanism. It will also generate hydroelectric power for the people of Upper East and serve as a source of irrigation for farmers.



On October 1, a meeting will be held at the Jubilee house specifically on the Pwalugu multipurpose dam project. We are very determined to make sure this project comes to light and Insah Allah it will be done.



$700 million needed to build Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam.



The Chief Executive Officer of the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), Dr. Charles Abugre, disclosed in 2016 that $700 million was required to construct the Pwalugu Multi-purpose Dam project in the Upper East Region.



Speaking at the 7th assembly meeting of the Bongo District Assembly on the prospects of SADA, Dr. Abugre said SADA was working through the government of Ghana to raise the $700 million from the World Bank to execute the Pwalugu Multi-purpose dam project.



The cost of the project is about $700 million, and all the paper work was completed six months ago; but there is some contention around the environmental impact which we are trying to deal with. It requires governments commitment to mobilize the $700 million so what has SADA done?



We kept it in government priority agenda so we have pushed it on the World Bank and it can only start next year, Mr. Abugre said.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video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.Embed from Getty Images

Capitol Police on Monday arrested 128 people protesting the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, The Hill reported.

According to authorities, 46 people were arrested in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and another 82 people were removed from the Rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building. The protesters were charged with crowding, obstructing, and unlawful demonstrations.

Two Republican senators and all 49 Democrats would need to vote "no" to prevent Kavanaugh from being confirmed.Akos Mates-Lanyi joins Noerr as Counsel in Budapest (x)

As a Corporate M&A lawyer, Akos has built professional reputation as a specialist with an impressive track-record of advising on cross-border M&A, private equity and capital markets matters.

He has over 12 years of experience advising extensively both domestic and international clients through working at international law firms including DLA Piper and most recently, Kinstellar. Zoltan Nadasdy, Office Head of Noerr in Budapest has commented: "We are proud and excited about Akos joining us at a time when Noerr is developing fast in Hungary. Akos will bring critical expertise to our young and dynamically growing team, which serves an increasing number of international clients." Jorg Menzer, Regional Managing Partner of CEE has emphasized: "We very much look forward to Akos coming on board, and this important move is evidence of our commitment to progressing Noerr into a truly regional force in all core areas of the legal advisory business in CEE. Akos will work from day one with our leading M&A professionals across the region and also in Germany as the case maybe, on major transactions." Akos has graduated from Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest and has completed a series of advanced postgraduate studies at the Corvinus University of Economics in Budapest. He is a member of the Budapest Bar and a member of the Ethics Committee of the Hungarian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association. He speaks Hungarian and English. (x)Open Society turns to human rights court over Hungary's 'Stop Soros' law

The Open Society Foundations are calling on Europes highest human rights court to act against Hungary over its so-called Stop Soros laws, which criminalize and tax the work of independent civil society groups, under the pretext of controlling migration".

In an application before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, Open Society argues that the recent legislationenshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights and must be repealed.The complaint also argues that the legal provisions are 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.

There is only one thing this legislation will stop, and thats democracy. 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

, said Patrick Gaspard, president of the Open Society Foundations.

Open Societys ECHR application addresses amendments to Hungarys criminal code, that took effect on 1 July 2018, which make it a criminal offense for an individual or an organization to offer support - including legal advice, or support asylum or residence applications - to migrants or refugees entering Hungary. It also challenges a new 25% tax on funding for activities and organizations that promote or positively portray migration."

On July 19, 2018, the European Commission launched the first step of infringement proceedings by sending a letter of formal notice concerning the Stop Soros law.

concerning the Stop Soros law. In December 2017 and July 2018 the Commission took the final step in the infringement process and referred three cases to the Court of Justice of the European Union: (1) the 2017 NGO law that requires civil society organizations to declare themselves as foreign funded, (2) the 2017 case on the Higher Education Law that targets the Central European University, and (3) the 2015 Asylum laws.

of the European Union: (1) the 2017 NGO law that requires civil society organizations to declare themselves as foreign funded, (2) the 2017 case on the Higher Education Law that targets the Central European University, and (3) the 2015 Asylum laws. Also, members of the European Parliament voted on September 12 by a two-thirds majority to pursue proceedings against Hungary through the Article 7 process.

These measures expose a broad range of legitimate activities to the risk of criminal prosecution, including preparing and distributing information and providing legal advice on migrants rights, activities protected under European and international law," commented Daniela Ikawa, the lead lawyer on the case.Open Society is filing cases before the Constitutional Court and the ECHR on the same day, rather than awaiting a response from the Hungarian courts, because of the current and ongoing damage being done by the legislation and because Hungarys courts have become increasingly reluctant to challenge the government," Open Society said The legislation is the latest attack by the Hungarian government on freedom in Hungary. The government has undermined judicial independence, tamed the media, and now seeks to silence civil society groups, which are among the last critical public voices left in Hungary, the Foundation said in a statement.Citing "an increasingly repressive political and legal environment" in Hungary, George Soross Open Society Foundations announced in mid-May moving their Budapest-based international operations and staff to Berlin . OSF is one of the worlds largest financiers of non-governmental organisations working in Hungary since 1984. Click here for a factsheet of the OSFs work in Hungary.There are four ongoing infringement procedures against Hungary:The Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC), a Budapest-based human rights organization that receives some of its funding from the Open Society Foundations, filed two applications before the ECHR over these same two laws on 19 September.Carrying symbols of peace and singing Light a Candle for Peace, more than 200 students and staff at Dearborn Heights Montessori Center marched around the school in solidarity recently.

DHMC recognized the United Nations International Day of Peace on Sept. 21.

The students procession ended with a special program in the school gym to learn more about this years theme, The Right to Peace, and how the International Day of Peace was established.

This year marked the 70th annual International Day of Peace, and the 10th time that DMHC has participated in the festivities.

Leading up to the school-wide event, students at all age levels participate in activities and discussions about peace, tolerance and acceptance of others, which is part of our year-long curriculum, DMHC school head Kay Neff said. Thanks to the diversity of our students, they easily identify with children and families from around the world.

Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori Method, was a proponent of peace in her teachings, as well.

Peace is what every human being is craving for, and it can be brought about by humanity through the child, she said.

Peace education is a large part of our authentic Montessori curriculum, a release from the school said. It is practiced at even level on a daily basis at Dearborn Heights Montessori Center.

Parents and family members also were invited to attend the annual Peace Day celebration.

Located at 466 N. John Daly in Dearborn Heights, Dearborn Heights Montessori Center is a non-profit educational community founded in 1972. DHMC is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and is affiliated with the American Montessori Society, Michigan Montessori Society, and the Association of Independent Michigan Schools.

More information about DHMC programs, including toddler, preschool, day care, elementary school, middle school, and summer camp is available at www.dhmontessori.org, by calling 313-359-3000 or visiting during Walk-In Wednesdays held 9 to 11 a.m. every Wednesday where no appointment is needed to tour the school.BANGALORE, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

This unique festival will feature a 100 kids' films from over 25 countries

This Children's Day, LXL Ideas invites all schools to be a part of the world's largest kid's film festival.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/749337/LXL_Ideas_IKFF_2018.jpg )



The International Kid's Film Festival 2018 ('IKFF') is a unique film festival hosted by schools across the globe between 14th and 23rd November, 2018 that provides an opportunity for children to 'Watch' the best of international children's films, 'Learn' from film-making master classes and 'Make' films to participate in the 'World's Largest Student Film-Making' competition.

IKFF is open to all schools (private and government) who can host the festival using basic audio-visual infrastructure. The idea is to give all children an exposure to good films from across the world.

IKFF debuted in 2017; 500+ schools across 75 cities participated and organised screenings for their students with their families and neighbouring schools. Most school management and participants rated IKFF as one of the best events they have witnessed.

Announcing the festival Syed Sultan Ahmed, MD & Chief Learner @LXL Ideas, said:

"The availability of good content for children between 6-16 years is very low. Good films are featured at international film festivals, but very few kids get to an access to go to film festivals. We at LXL Ideas asked ourselves a question - If kids don't go to film festivals, can we take the festival to the kids? The answer gave birth to the idea of the International Kid's Film Festival (IKFF)."

Facts about IKFF 2018:

20+ countries will be hosting the festival

100+ films from 25 countries will form part of the festival screening

Films will be curated in four audience categories - junior, middle & senior + family audience

Learn Cinema as part of IKFF is an online film-making master class created exclusively for students

All students from schools that host IKFF will get free access to the basic version of Learn Cinema

Make Cinema as part of IKFF is the 'World's Largest Student Film-Making' Competition.

The winners of Make Cinema will join the student jury for international festivals, their films will feature in festivals across the world and they will get an opportunity to be part of a Bollywood production apart from cash awards.

Interested School can register on ikff.lxl.in or Call +91-9019111110

About LXL Ideas

LXL Ideas enables learning for life by creating experiences for students, parents and educators. For over two decades, it has been transforming education through its brands - School Cinema makes meaningful films; Krayon conceptualizes and organises large-impact events; Mentor creates platforms for sharing educational ideas and delivers holistic research and training.

Contact LXL Ideas:

Email: [email protected] | Website: ikff.lxl.in | FaceBook : LXLIdeas | LinkedIn: LXLIdeas

Media Contact:

Antra Chandna

[email protected]

+91-9051336558

Marketing Communication Associate

LXL Ideas

SOURCE LXL IdeasAHMEDABAD, India, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

As a part of their year-long Live Action Project, a team of the Anant Fellowship Cohort 2018 - Aayush Makharia, Gyurmeth Kasa, Jinal Doshi, Joseph Rajini Asir, & Harshil Parekh - partnered with Anthill Creations, and converted a wasteland at the Virpura Government School into a playground built with recycled material.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/625509/Anant_National_University_Logo.jpg )



Virpura, a small village located on the Sanand - Viramgaam highway near Ahmedabad, with a population of about 850 people, was selected by the team of five Anant Fellows as their project site because of the issues it was facing. Open defecation, lack of menstrual hygiene practices, substance abuse among children, waste dumping, and water wastage were the key problems, as also identified by the Government of India to be prevailing across villages in the country.

The team conducted extensive research on the ground using tools like metaphorical survey, photo visual mapping, focussed group discussions, and personal interviews that they had learnt in the class. Analysing the results from these assessments, they formulated a series of action steps to curb the existing problems. 'Suvidha pads' created under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) and guidelines presented in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan turned out to be especially helpful in formulation of solutions.

The fellows then built a community meeting platform in the local school and organised seven workshops for the villagers. The workshops focussed on acceptance and awareness of the issues and then proceeded to adaptation of solutions. The participatory nature of these intervention activities attracted strong youth involvement.

For their well-researched and impactful proposal, the team also received an initial funding of Rs. 50,000 from the 'Teach A Class' initiative. An additional amount of Rs. 1,50,000 was subsequently raised through crowdfunding platform Ketto to convert the wasteland in the school into a playground.

About Anant National University

Anant National University is committed to nurture solutionaries who design, build and preserve a more equitable and sustainable India. It envisions in becoming India's leading private teaching and research university in the fields of built environment, design, and sustainability.

Anant National University, located in the sprawling Sanskardham campus in Ahmedabad, is led by a cadre of eminent people from academia, business, and government, all of whom are leaders in their respective fields. Some members of AnantU's Governing Board: Mr Ajay Piramal, President, Anant National University (Chairman, Piramal Group and Shriram Group); Dr. Pramath Raj Sinha, Provost, Anant National University (Founding Dean, Indian School of Business; Founder & Trustee, Ashoka University); Mr. Abhishek Lodha (Managing Director, Lodha Group); Mr. Adil Zainulbhai (Chairman, Network18; Chairman, Quality Council of India; Former Chairman, McKinsey & Co., India); Ms. Indira Parikh (Founder President, FLAME University); Dr. Sudhir Jain (Director, IIT Gandhinagar) and several others.

SOURCE Anant National UniversityNEW DELHI, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Business France, the Trade & Investment Commission of France in India, is organizing, with several stakeholders and partners, the third edition of the 'French Tech Tour to India', a multi-purpose and multi-format platform in the cities of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai & Delhi NCR from the 30th September to 6th of October 2018.

The 'French Tech Tour to India 2018' will consist of an immersive mission to India for 6 innovative 'French Tech' startups and SMEs. These companies will be meeting the Indian startups, investors, partners and clients as well as have pitch sessions that will aim to help them increase their visibility in India. This will be followed by a networking cocktail in New Delhi. In addition, H.E, Mr. Alexandre Ziegler, French Ambassador to India will felicitate 3 companies in a special award function in the categories of 'French Tech Tour to India 2018 Grand Prix', 'Most Innovative Technology' and 'Most Promising Business Potential in India'. The first two editions witnessed tremendous success and recorded a footfall of more than 400 participants in each city.

With the French President, Emmanuel Macron opening the doors for Indian entrepreneurs, France is focusing on technology and wants to further develop strong partnerships with the Indian startups ecosystems. Therefore, the 'French Tech Tour to India 2018' will also include mentoring sessions with the experts from Business France to guide the companies on how to enter the Indian market. "India and France are both startup nations with a strong innovative culture and both countries should work closer to develop synergies and opportunities between their respective ecosystems," says Jean-Francois Ambrosio, Head of I.T and Services Department for Business France in India.

In the years to come, Business France looks forward to take these initiatives to a greater scale. The French Tech initiative fits in the with the goals and objectives of the 'Startup India' and 'Digital India' initiatives by the Government of India and aims to work more in this sector.

Meet The Delegation

Delegation of the 6 participating 'French Tech' enterprises, selected by the esteemed Jury:



Company Name: Cosmo Connected

Website: https://cosmoconnected.com/

About: The first motorcycle helmet brake light that indicates the motorcyclist's position and deceleration by emitting a red light at the eye level of the driver behind.

Company Name: Tempow

Website: https://tempow.com/

About: An upgrade of the Bluetooth protocol which allows to connect any smartphone (laptop, tablet, tv) to several Bluetooth speakers, headsets or ear pods simultaneously.

Company Name: Lifi Led

Website: http://www.lifi-led.ci/

About: Company specialized in the integration of Li-Fi solutions.

Company: 1to1 Progress

Website: https://1to1progress.com/en/

About: Specialist in distance language training, 7 targeted languages. A personalized program. Native trainers.

Company Name: Platform.sh

Website: https://platform.sh/

About: Platform.sh is a second generation, container based, Platform-as-a-Service. It provides a new approach to cloud hosting that removes the need for DevOps, while developing or running web applications.

Company Name: Dronisos

Website: https://dronisos.fr

About: Company elaborating in drone shows.

About the 'French Tech' Initiative:

Launched in 2013, the 'French Tech' is an initiative spearheaded by the French Government in association with public and private stakeholders in order to nurture the densification, the growth and internationalization of Tech startup ecosystems in France, and to accrue the positioning of France as a leading European Innovation and Business Hub towards any Tech company.

It consists in:

- a set of programs (grants to entrepreneurs, access of entrepreneurs to IT and research resources, fund of funds, acceleration fund, 'French Tech Ticket', etc.) designed to achieve these objectives;

- networks of labeled ecosystems located throughout France;

- a brand and logo, this pink rooster to which any 'French Tech' entrepreneur associates itself.

The 'French Tech' eventually refers to all the stakeholders and individuals contributing to the Tech startup ecosystem in France or abroad.

The initiative is sector-agnostic and relates not only to the Digital economy or ICTs, but also to BioTech, CleanTech, EdTech, FinTech, FoodTech, MedTech, etc.

For further information, you can log on to the website of the 'French Tech' initiative: http://bonjourlafrenchtech.com/

About Business France:

Business France is the National Agency for the Internationalization of the French Economy, responsible for fostering the international expansion of French businesses as well as promoting and facilitating international investments in France. It promotes France's companies, business image and nationwide attractiveness as an investment location, and also runs the V.I.E scheme (an international internship program).

Business France has 1,500 staff members, both in France and over 70 countries throughout the World.

In India, Business France maintains offices in New Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore and Chennai, with a multicultural team of French and Indian experts who work intensively to strengthen the relations between French and Indian companies.

For further information, please visit: www.businessfrance.fr and youbuyfrance.com/in.



Press contacts:

Ms. Purva Marwaha & Ms. Sophie Canciani

Tel: +91-11-43-19 63-06 / 03

[email protected] & [email protected]

Trade Officer

Business France



Sector Expert:

Mr Jean-Francois Ambrosio

Head of I.T and Services Department for Business France in India

[email protected]



SOURCE Business France IndiaXI'AN, China, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The ancient Chinese city of Xi'an has played host to the 7th APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance Forum ("the Forum"), which was sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), China's Ministry of Commerce, and China International Electronic Commerce Center and endorsed by the APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance (APEC ECBA) and the government of Xi'an. The Xi'an E-Commerce Conference and Expo were also held.

The forum, focused on the theme of developing inclusive trade in the digital age, attracted more than 30 experts and academicians from 16 countries including the United States, Japan, Russia and Korea. Participants also include over 300 officials and entrepreneurs, such as experts from APEC ECBA, representatives from APEC members and leading e-commerce firms. The discussions centered around replicating the success of e-commerce models, accelerating economic integration in Asia-Pacific region, and promoting multilateralism and open economies.

Xi'an's poverty-relief model using e-commerce, which was introduced during the opening ceremony by Xi'an Vice Mayor Fang Guanghua, will be submitted to APEC in the name of APEC ECBA as an example of success to be promoted and replicated among APEC economies.

"Xi'an, the capital city of China's Shaanxi Province, has made great strides in helping the poor using e-commerce, creating a new growth model in the digital age," said Fang Guanghua, Xi'an's vice mayor. "This model, if copied across the region, could be a boon to millions of people who are struggling in abject poverty. This is a huge contribution that China can make towards building a better world for the entire human race."

In recent years, Xi'an has actively explored new ways to help the poor with e-commerce in a targeted, and effective manner. Several innovative "Xi'an models" have been created, such as promoting e-commerce in improved villages and poverty-stricken families, or seeking help also from enterprises or cooperatives. Acknowledging that some counties are lagging behind in e-commerce, but boasts products with characteristics, the Xi'an government implemented plans to develop e-commerce in rural areas in a bid to boost farmers' income. In this way, e-commerce becomes the new growth engine in the rural economy, and poverty relief becomes sustainable. With the help of Internet, poultry breeding becomes smart and data-driven, branding value is created, and Internet sales becomes regular, as Xi'an strives to slash poverty using innovative e-commerce models.

Participants at the Forum also shared their views on how to develop e-commerce in rural areas and communities, and how to establish common platforms to accelerate the upgrade of traditional industries and promote international coordination. They exchanged ideas from various perspectives, ranging from cooperation models in e-commerce, to talent cultivation and the setup of laws and regulations. Constructive suggestions were made, and experiences were shared in the application and development of e-commerce.

For more information, please visit: http://www.xian.gov.cn/ptl/def/def/index_1121_6774_ci_trid_2957895.html

Related Links

http://en.xa.gov.cn



SOURCE XI'an Municipal GovernmentCHANGSHA, China, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (Zoomlion), China's top construction machinery manufacturer, has delivered an order of ZE360E and ZE230E excavators to Kenya's Kitale- Endebess-Suam (KES) road renovation project, the company's latest milestone in its decade-long history in the African market.

Located in Trans Nzoia County and expected to take 912 days, Zoomlion's excavators will be used to upgrade and rebuild a 45-kilometer-long (27.96 miles) segment of the KES's asphalt road.

"It's an honor to join the KES road renovation project," said Fu Hongsheng, General Manager Assistant of Zoomlion Overseas Company. "Zoomlion's dedication to quality and understanding of the African market has enabled us to win the trust of clients across the continent and we are confident that our excavators will excel in the construction tasks ahead.

"China's Belt and Road Initiative has given us new opportunities to expand in the African market. We have built a comprehensive operations network in Africa that emphasizes strong spare parts and service support as well as technician and talent training. Zoomlion's equipment is now in active service in multiple infrastructure projects in Africa, making our brand a symbol of Sino-Africa friendship," said Fu.

Since entering the market in 2007 Zoomlion's thoroughly-tested equipment has participated in over a dozen construction projects across Africa, including the East-West Highway in Algeria, Kusile Power Station in South Africa, Central Railway project in Tanzania and the Hass Towers in Kenya.

In 2014, Zoomlion's concrete mixing plant serviced Kenya's Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway project, the country's first railway since independence. Zoomlion's highly efficient and reliable equipment as well as the professional service team's dedicated work were praised by the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development.

Zoomlion now sells engineering, earthmoving, concrete and construction machinery products to 15 countries in Africa, including Algeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Namibia.

About Zoomlion

Founded in 1992, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (Zoomlion) is a high-end equipment manufacturing enterprise that integrates engineering machinery, agricultural machinery and financial services. The company now sells nearly 800 cutting-edge products from 49 product lines covering nine major categories. Zoomlion is China's first construction machinery company to be listed on both the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

For more information, please visit http://en.zoomlion.com/.

Related Links

http://en.zoomlion.com/



SOURCE ZoomlionCrude Oil Prices May Reach $100/b

Ever since the United States imposed new sanctions on Iran, other oil exporters have been trying to make up for the decline in the international oil supply. Some experts are now predicting a strong trend all the way up to $100 per barrel.

During the recent oil summit in Algeria, the participants failed to agree an oil production hike. Since the American sanctions imposed on Iran collapsed the import of crude oil from this Middle Easter state, this also lowered the supply to the international market of crude oil. Chances are, Russia and Saudi Arabia won't make up for this supply drop, which is basically the major reason why the experts think the prices are going to skyrocket to $100/b in the near future.

During the recent talks, the OPEC+ participants agreed to stick to the production threshold set in June (extra 1 million barrels a day). Still, they somehow failed to distribute the production quotas.

In the meantime, the Iranian Minister of Oil shared his thoughts on the situation with Bloomberg. According to him, Donald Trump decided to nullify the Iranian oil export even without consulting his advisors. He was in a hurry to implement his idea but at the end of the day he probably figured out that it's next to impossible to implement his plan. The minister thinks that Washington is now desperately trying to freeze the export of cure oil from Iran at least for couple of weeks.

Saudi Arabia's oil production capacities are limited.

It's interesting to note that international experts (whose thoughts were apparently ignored by President Trump) share the same opinion that the international market of crude oil is going to see a deficit in the near future. If that's the case, oil prices will inevitably go up, which is something Donald Trump has been resisting so far. The thing is, that the decline in the oil export coming from Iran has resulted in shorter international oil supplies. Given the fact, that Saudi Arabia's oil production capacities are limited, it's not going to make up for the shortage. As for Russia, some experts say that it may strengthen its position of a major player regulating oil prices within the scope of the OPEC+, which used to be the OPEC.

You are free to discuss this article here: forum for traders and investors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:Articles

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles.State Duma approves punishment for dismissal of preretirement employees

 RIA Novosti, Vitaly Belousov

12:02 25/09/2018

MOSCOW, September 25 (RAPSI)  The State Duma adopted in a final third reading a presidential bill on punishment for unjustified denial of employment and dismissal of persons nearing retirement age.

Under the draft law, preretirement age is understood to be an age-related period with a running time of up to 5 years prior to granting an insurance old-age pension to an individual.

The bill stipulates fines of up to 200,000 rubles (about $3,000) or in the wage amount for a period covering 18 months at the most, or community service for up to 360 hours for unjustified denial of employment and dismissal of such persons.

Amendments are proposed to the Criminal Code. Positive feedbacks on the bill have been provided by Russias government and Supreme Court.

Earlier in September, President Vladimir Putin submitted amendments to a pension reform bill to the lower house of Russian parliament. The amended bill is to be considered by the State Duma in the second reading.

The President issued a set of suggestions on the pension system change on August 29. Putin proposed to lower the womens retirement age to 60 years. Morever, he made several proposals aimed to strengthen guarantees for persons nearing retirement age, in particular to protect them from discrimination and dismissal without a valid reason.

On July 19, the State Duma passed the pension system bill in the first reading. Initially, the document, which was suggested in mid-June by the government, provided a gradual increase in the retirement age of up to 65 years for men and up to 63 years for women.

The bill is to be heard in the second reading on September 26.In a press conference held in Austin, TX today, Paloma Heindorff announced that Cody Wilson resigned from Defense Distributed and Ghost Gunner. Heindorff also announced that effective immediately, she would be the new director of Defense Distributed and CEO of Ghost Gunner.

The change in leadership comes in the wake of Cody Wilson's recent legal troubles where an arrest warrant was issued for the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year old girl. Wilson was later deported from Taiwan and placed in the custody of US Marshals once back in the US.

Defense Distributed's Official Statement

The opening statement from the press conference made by Heindorff:

Good morning, thank you for attending. My name is Paloma Heindorff, I'm the new director of Defense Distributed and CEO of Ghost Gunner. I spent last three years at DD working as director of development and VP of Operations. Cody Wilson tendered his resignation on Friday evening to focus on personal legal affairs. Defense Distributed Board of Directors accepted his resignation and thus his role at the company has been concluded. I am extremely proud to say that over the past few days the entire team at defense distributed has recommitted to enabling the sharing and publication of CAD and 3d printer files. This resiliance, I truly believe to not only be characteristic of our company as a whole, but also the ideas that we have worked so hard to promote. I'd like to take this opportunity to say that any questions concerning Cody Wilson and his legal of personal legal affairs should be directed to his personal lawyer.

You can watch the full press conference below:

https://youtu.be/LILmEe1eYuo

The New Director's Background

Heindorff gives you a bit of background on herself at one point in the press conference. Heindorff's accent isn't something she developed as a result of watching BBC America non-stop, she grew up in East London in an artistic community thanks to her creative parents.

She spent some time in London managing several venues and later co-founded a bar boat that was located on Regents Canal and graduated from Portsmouth University in 2010 with a BA in English Literature.

Once Heindorff had graduated, she relocated to New York. Once she hit the states, Heindorff worked in the Operations department of Flavorpill media as well as organizing several independent spoken word nights and artist showcases.

In 2015 Heindorff was moved by the Defense Distributed mission and relocated from New York to Austin, TX.

During the press conference, Heindorff said, It was the most elegant and effective activism that I had seen performed and that I wanted to be a part of that, when asked what in particular brought her to Defense Distributed.

Since she joined the DD team, Heindorff has built a national dealership program, guided the company's sales and marketing strategy, doubled their workforce, and launched several new products.

Defense Distributed & Ghost Gunner's Future

Heindorff says in the press conference that the companies plan on continuing on the same path as they have been since the company was founded. She goes on to say that she was impressed by the DD team, not a single person didn't show up for work while the Wilson arrest situation unfolded. The companies are both still shipping products to consumers without missing a beat.

So what about Cody Wilson's further involvement with DefDist? Once Wilson stepped down, he will no longer be involved with either company in any capacity.

Heindorff stated that they have some new things coming in 2019 that she has been working with their engineer on and that the company's commitment to ensuring that 3D printed gun files are available to those that want them is as strong as ever.

Currently, the Defense Distributed legal fund is at approximately $342,000. If you desire to donate the legal fund, visit the Defense Distributed website. If you would like to learn more about Ghost Gunner and the Ghost Gunner 2 CNC mill, visit the Ghost Gunner website.'What we are doing is in the context of where the market is. There are two elements that need attention.'

'The first is digital. We are trying to expand the capability in a $160-billion market that is growing at 15 per cent.'

'The second is that we have to be clear that we are looking after our people well.'

'It has nothing to do with sacrificing margin to get growth.'

With Infosys emerging out of an uncertain phase, the new management, led by CEO & MD Salil Parekh, is trying to catch up with market leaders, with the new strategy in place.

Parekh, who joined the firm in January, tells Bibhu Ranjan Mishra & Romita Majumdar, his intention is not to sacrifice margin but to grow it by improving the digital services pie and building capabilities. Edited excerpts:

What has been your focus and what are the changes you are seeing on the ground?

I have been travelling intensively in the past few months, meeting clients, investors and employees.

I have met around 80 clients and 100 investors to understand their views about the company and our capabilities.

We broadly have two groups of clients - new age firms who are disrupting businesses, and those who have been facing the disruption.

The good thing is that both are looking for massive investments in tech, though the requirements are different.

We want to make sure that we build more capacity and capability to partner with both groups and drive value to them.

While 28 per cent of your business that falls under the digital basket is growing faster, close to 70 per cent, focused on traditional services, is hardly growing. Not a concern?

If you look at our core (traditional) services business, we still had positive growth in the past quarter.

The areas where we had negative growth was in our India business, which is not really a core service.

That has its own cycle, which will come back, and we aren't overly concerned about it.

Then, we need to expand our consulting business and stabilise our China business, where we are doing well now.

FII holding has come down by 4 percentage points from March 2017 to 34.87 per cent at the end of Q1 FY19. Is there a trust deficit?

We already have a large non-Indian investor base.

Over the past six months, they have done quite well with their investments in Infosys.

The way we are strengthening our capabilities and driving digital growth, there is a greater appreciation of the fact that we are building a business for the future.

And, as that happens, I assume that some of these trends will automatically start reversing.

Experts say a major dilution in the firms strategy is your willingness to sacrifice margins for growth. Is this true?

I will absolutely not sacrifice margins (for growth).

In fact, it gives me pride that we have a business that is generating good margins.

What we are doing is in the context of where the market is. There are two elements that need attention.

The first is digital. We are trying to expand the capability in a $160-billion market that is growing at 15 per cent. So, we could easily double our size in that market.

The second is that we have to be clear that we are looking after our people well.

There were some things that were not done fully in that front in the past few years, and I decided we should catch up quickly.

It has nothing to do with sacrificing margin to get growth.

How do you plan to get old profitability numbers back when the cost base rises?

Today, 28 per cent of our business comes from the digital segment, and the margin of that (digital) on an average is higher than the companys average.

If we can manage to sustain that and that becomes a larger piece, our margins should look as healthy as they look in the digital segment today.

In the consulting business, we already have a large practice. What we are doing now actually is fine tuning it to make it even more efficient.

Attrition level at Infosys is at a high and seniors are exiting at regular intervals...

The good thing I found at Infosys is that weve a strong bench of leadership talent who are hungry to prove themselves.

We are filling many vacant positions and new demands with internal candidates.

I have been spending time with people who have been with the company for 20-25 years.

We also recruited 20 senior executives in the ranks of vice-presidents and above to strengthen our teams in digital and large deals.

These are the people who are going to build the Infosys of the next 10-15 years along with the existing team.

There is buzz that M D Ranganath may have quit due to differences over the new strategy, especially your margins stance...

I did not have any difference with Ranga. We maintained a good equation during the last few months that we worked together. He was part of the team that built this strategy.

In that sense, he had a very successful run here, and now he wants to do something different.

Why are we not seeing any large deal wins, like those that your rivals closed recently?

Last quarter we announced large deals worth over a billion dollars.

One of the areas that we are investing into is building the team that will help us drive such deals.

Hopefully, in the coming quarters and years we will see more such things (large deals).

How is your equation with the founders, especially N R Narayana Murthy?

I have been fortunate to meet Mr. Murthy a few times at social functions.

We had opportunities to discuss many things including the kind of works he's doing in the NGO space, especially in education activities.

I have also met many other founders at a number of social events.

And of course, since Nandan is in the board, I meet him quite frequently.

Photograph: PTI PhotoConfused about how to colour-block this festive season?

Prabal Gurung shows you how to do it effortlessly.

Presenting some of the best looks from the designer's latest collection. Take a look!

Photographs: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Here come Prabal Gurung's models! Bella Hadid dressed in a violet and vermillion colour-blocked oversized nylon windbreaker with drawstring detail.

'My story begins with a nomadic voyage. A voyage most inspired by my recent travels from indigenous villages of Nepal to the urban streets of Tokyo, London, Mumbai, Paris, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi and New York. Today, I invite you to experience my cross-cultural journey, one that sees no borders, tied together through our ability to use color as a universal language,' wrote the designer, commenting about his creation.

Gigi Hadid dressed in a cropped T-shirt and a drawstring colour-blocked skirt.

The designer continued his love affair with vibrant colours.

Joan Smalls wearing a lemon knit bodysuit with fuchsia tipped sleeve silk skirt.

Play of colours! Fuchsia, lemon and peridot...this colour-blocked knit polo dress has it all! The model completed the look with porcelain leather sandals with jet-tipped feathers.

A model showcasing a sky blue silk drawstring slip dress with porcelain tulle inserts.

Tie-dye never looked so good. The model is wearing a porcelain and marigold hand-dyed ombre v-neck gown with hand-draped bodice and tiered skirt.'Two powerful men shaking hands with two powerful women as equals. This photograph made me very happy,' says Aakar Patel.

IMAGE: United States Secretary of Defence James Mattis, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman before the India-US 2+2 Dialogue. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo

Two stories concerning defence and what is called strategic affairs have been in the news recently.

One is the story on the purchase of the fighter plane Rafale from France, and the other is the dialogue India had with the United States called 2+2.

I wanted to look at the former, but not from the strategic affairs angle. I'd like to focus on something different.

These things usually are of interest to only the small community of people who report on and study international relations. This group was very excited by the implications of the 2+2 meeting because apparently it will lead to all sorts of new things.

The narrowness of this group is reflected in one national newspaper's report of the event. The first line was: 'Many in India's strategic community could not contain their euphoria at the signing of the COMCASA, the India-specific formulation of CISMOA, during the just-concluded 2+2 India-US dialogue.'

How many Indians know what COMCASA or CISMOA is or what 2+2 is?

Probably 1 in one lakh, and actually fewer even than that. Since this piece is not about the security aspects or defence scandals, we will not take a look at what COMCASA and CISMOA mean.

I was interested in the photograph that accompanied the report. It had four individuals, the defence secretary and secretary of state of the United States and the defence minister and foreign minister of India.

The ranks of these individuals is the same, meaning that the secretary in the US is the same as the Cabinet ranked minister in India. We are often accused as a nation and a culture of not wanting to engage with those who are beneath us.

The former ambassador and scholar of Indo-American relations, Dennis Kux, has written that Indian diplomats usually do not want to discuss with an American official of lower rank, even if the American official was authorised to take a decision in the matter at hand.

Indians would rather engage with their peer, even if the resultant meeting is indecisive.

This was obviously not the case in our 2+2 meeting and I think a lot of people in the strategic affairs community would have been delighted that mighty America had sent its two most powerful individuals after the president to Delhi to engage with us, and that also at ministerial level.

Again, my interest is not in such power play aspects, but something altogether different.

The photograph was of the four individuals standing together and facing the audience. On the left were America's Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis, who are both white men.

Mattis is a former general in the army. Pompeo is also a former army man who was at one time head of the American spying agency, the CIA.

To the right were India's foreign minster and India's defence minister. Both were women.

One from the north (Sushma Swaraj) and the other from the south (Nirmala Sitharaman).

Both are self-made and powerful individuals, not dependent on anyone for their rise to important and powerful positions.

Two powerful men shaking hands with two powerful women as equals. This photograph made me very happy.

I do not usually like to read about defence issues because I think it is a frightening waste of money in a nation with few resources. And also that this expense usually happens to benefit the narrow interests of wealthy individuals (as the other story on defence is showing).

But this story and specifically this 2+2 photograph pleased me greatly.

Like the rest of the world we live in a place of great inequality.

In the United States, the dominance of white men is evident across their culture. There is not much space for women and there is certainly very little space for people of colour and of different faith.

The same is true in India. That photograph was not fully representative of this government, and I can off hand think of only one other powerful woman minister (Smriti Z Irani) but it showed what was possible.

Certainly the lack of adequate representation of women from much of our politics is not because of a lack of talent. Swaraj and Sitharaman and Irani -- and Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee and others in the Opposition -- disprove that comprehensively.

It is purely because of a lack of opportunity.

Moments like the 2+2 meeting should make us aware of it, and it should make us insist to all political parties that they actively include more women if they want our support and our vote.

Aakar Patel -- winner of the 2018 Prem Bhatia Award for Political Reporting -- is Executive Director, Amnesty International India. The views expressed here are his own.'If the TRS, with 75% seats in the Telangana assembly, can be coerced into a sense of resignation by a tiny party that has just 10% of seats, then questions have to be asked about KCR's mettle as leader,' says Sudhir Bisht.

On September 6, 2018, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (or KCR, as he is popularly known) recommended to Governor E S L Narasimhan the dissolution of the state assembly.

The recommendation was immediately accepted by the governor and the state assembly's tenure came to an end, nearly eight months before it was due to expire.

The decision to dissolve the assembly was taken by KCR, whose Telangana Rashtriya Samiti enjoyed a three-fourth majority in the assembly.

The reason given by the the TRS is vague, funny and fuzzy. It says, 'We have dissolved the assembly to curb growing political fragility. As elections are nearing, the Opposition (Congress) has started levelling baseless allegations of corruption.'

The TRS goes on to say, 'We don't want this to threaten the state's economic growth. So we have decided to go for a fresh mandate.'

Does KCR mean that the Congress, which had just 13 MLAs in the recently dissolved assembly, was capable of pushing the TRS, that had 90-plus MLAs in the 119-member assembly, into early elections?

What does that make the TRS as a party? Pusillanimous and puerile?

If the TRS, with 75 per cent seats in the Telangana assembly, can be coerced into a sense of resignation by a tiny party that has just 10 per cent of seats, then questions have to be asked about KCR's mettle as leader.

If KCR can bullied into relinquishing his lawfully elected office by allegations of corruption, then he needs to give up politics and retire to a Vanaprastha ashram right away.

If KCR feels that political mudslinging by opponents can threaten Telangana's economic growth, then he should resign to the fact that his state will never progress as political mudslinging is on the rise and it doesn't seem likely to abate anytime soon.

KCR's defence of his decision to go in for early polls is devoid of any logic.

He was quoted as saying by Mint, 'We have implemented 99.9 per cent of our election manifesto and there has not been a single communal incident in Hyderabad in the last four-and-a-half years. The state has registered a growth rate of 21.96 per cent in 2018-19.'

If indeed the state of Telangana was on such a rapid growth path, then a sensible chief minister should have allowed the golden run to continue and reaped the political dividends of the economic prosperity during his tenure.

And what is the connection between not having a single communal incident and calling for an early election? XV

Clearly there is something more to it that meets the eye.

The Indian National Congress's Telangana chief, on the other hand, has alleged (external link) that KCR and his family get a commission in all state projects and his regime has witnessed the biggest loot in India!

Does it mean that KCR has decided to go to polls before the allegations of corruption gain more coverage and credibility?

Or is it that KCR has been advised by his astrologers to go for early polls as his planetary positions point to a return to power if he goes to the polls now?

I am also surprised that the thought leaders and opinion-makers of India have largely kept mum at this illogical call for early elections in Telangana.

The electorate votes in its representatives for a five-year term. If the latter can shorten their tenure at their will, then there should also be an option available to the voters to recall them ahead of their terms.

I also want to raise a point here in respect to the government money that will be spent in conducting the assembly elections.

As per a detailed report (external link) in The Hindu, the Election Commission estimated that the election of each MLA in Karnataka cost the EC Rs 1 crore.

If the same ballpark figure of Rs 1 crore per MLA is taken as the expense incurred by government agencies, then the Telangana state assembly elections would cost Rs 119 crore.

This, however, covers just the direct costs incurred by the Election Commission, like those on security arrangements and in procuring/deploying electronic voting machines and the Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail machines.

There will be several other costs, like movement of bureaucrats and other personnel, and there would be an opportunity cost in terms of closure of schools and offices, etc.

I am assuming that the Telangana elections would cost the exchequer (the Union and state governments) about Rs 250 crores. This figure appears abysmally low, but I am erring on the side of caution.

Sceptics may argue that this expense is given and that if it is not incurred now, it would surely have incurred next year when the Telangana assembly term would actually have expired.

I want to underline here that forwarding a Rs 250 crore expense in this financial year will come at the cost of some other planned expenditure during the same period.

If this sum of Rs 250 crore was earmarked for a social cause or a developmental activity, then its diversion would surely cause a setback to that planned activity.

So it is not about just taking Rs 250 crore from the next fiscal year to this fiscal year. It is about tampering with the planned and budgeted development activity schedule.

Telangana was, till some time ago, part of united Andhra Pradesh and its then chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu used to describe himself as the chief executive officer of the state.

KCR's son K T Rama Rao (popularly known as KTR) was hailed as the 'Most Inspirational Business Icon' by CNN-IBN in 2015.

KTR is known to be the intellectual power that drives the TRS government in Telangana.

Would KTR, a thoroughbred professional and Telangana's IT minister, think of a situation when a service contract that is awarded for five years is unilaterally terminated by a company before the full term?

If new generation politicians fancy themselves as ethical professionals, then is it not their duty to ask those who elected them if they could dissolve the assembly nearly a year in advance?

I also want to say that advancing an expense of Rs 250 crore by eight months comes at an interest cost of at least Rs 13 crore if one calculates it at a simple interest of 8 per cent per annum.

Rs 13 crore may seem like loose change for an Indian state, but it isn't about the quantum of money alone.

It is about ethics in governance and the way we treat the mandate given to democratically elected representatives by the voters.

Was it not just two years ago that the KCR-KTR duo gave all Telangana MLAs a 163 per cent hike (external link) in pay, making Telangana MLAs the highest paid in the country?

So what is the message that KCR and his son are giving to the nation?

Take a whopping salary hike and then shorten your service contract by 15 per cent?

Is this even ethical, by any standards?

I hope my article starts a debate and we don't let our political rulers shorten their tenures, hike their salaries and life-long pensions without any accountability.

Sudhir Bisht, PhD, author and columnist, tweets at @sudhir_bisht'In the first elections, Hindutva forces got only 6% of the votes and won only 10 seats.'

'It was a great defeat for them.'

'They have held that grouse against Nehru since then.'

On Monday, September 24, PTI reported that the Union housing and urban affairs ministry had sent a notice to the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund to vacate the Teen Murti Bhavan premises even as the Fund denied claims that it was in illegal possession of the property.

The notice was issued following a letter from the director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), Shakti Sinha, who requested more space for the expansion of the library.

"A notice has been served on the JNMF to vacate the premises of Teen Murti Bhavan by September 24. We are waiting for their reply," a senior official of the ministry told PTI, requesting anonymity.

Established in 1964, the Fund has been located at Teen Murti, once the home of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, since 1967. Its offices are not part of the main building but occupy a set of barracks on its eastern side with a separate entry from Teen Murti Marg.

The Fund offers research fellowships to academics from across disciplines, conducts an annual lecture and organises memorial functions.

In addition to these, it has also managed or funded other institutions such as the Jawahar Bal Bhavans for children and Anand Bhavan, the Nehru family's Allahabad home, which now houses a planetarium, an exhibition and organises its own annual functions.

The Fund is chaired by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and has former Rajya Sabha MP Karan Singh as vice-chairman.

"I had written to the ministry giving them two options. One was to build for us a new building or two, vacate the space given to JNMF. We found out that the allotment process of the JNMF building was not legally sustainable. The entire property belongs to the ministry and they have occupied government property wrongly," Shakti Sinha told PTI.

The Fund's administrators disagree.

Political analyst and the Fund's trustee, Zoya Hasan said the eviction notice was part of attempts to "dilute" the legacy of Nehru.

"A reply has been sent to the ministry stating that there has been no illegal occupation by the JNMF. The organisation has been there for more than 50 years and none has ever questioned its legality," Hasan told PTI.

The letter from the Fund to the ministry, sources said, states that its occupation of the office buildings in the Teen Murti estate is totally legal and duly authorised and has been recognised, accepted and duly permitted all through last several years since 1967 by both the HUA ministry as well as NMML.

It also says that over the years it has worked on several projects along with NMML including setting up the sound and light show and the planetarium which were both donated to NMML, PTI reported on Monday.

Battle lines have been drawn for sometime between the Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party over the government's plans for Teen Murti Bhavan.

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library was set up in Teen Murti Bhavan where some rooms have been preserved as they were at the time of Nehru's death on May 27, 1964.

Media reports said the government was planning to convert the NMML into a museum for all prime ministers.

Former PM Manmohan Singh wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi that the memorial should not merely be seen as a legacy of the Congress party, but, considering Nehru's immense contributions to the country, it belongs to the entire nation.

Critics of the move to convert it into a prime ministers museum believe the latest step is yet another sign of the BJP's antipathy for Nehru whose legacy it is keen to dismantle.

"Pandit Nehru destroyed the RSS's dream as they thought they had come close to power after Partition and the subsequent riots that followed," Professor Aditya Mukherjee at the Centre for Historical Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, tells Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf, explaining why the Sangh Parivar has historically been opposed to Nehru and his ideals.

Does the BJP, especially the Modi government, really have so much antipathy for Jawaharlal Nehru as the critics say? If so, why?

Fundamentally, the BJP is against Nehru because he was secular.

Secular to the core.

He was completely opposed to the BJP's (then the BJP's parent, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh) ideology.

Socialism is complete anathema to the BJP.

They (the BJP) are extremely right-wing in economic policies while on the other hand they call themselves as Gandhian socialists.

So, one cannot go by their words as in reality the BJP is anti-Left and supports industrialists.

Now they shout from rooftops that they believe in a Hindu Rashtra, which destroys the entire idea of India.

At the time of Independence, when communal frenzy was at its height, lakhs of people were rendered homeless, murdered.

The RSS at that time, according to Pandit Nehru, was attempting a big coup by capturing power to change the Indian State into a Hindu Rashtra.

Did Nehru mention this anywhere?

Yes.

He wrote this a number of times.

If you read his letters to chief ministers, which are in five volumes, Nehru regularly warned them that the murder of Mahatma Gandhi was not an accident or involved only one person.

What did Nehru do in the first (general) elections in 1951-1952?

He campaigned and made an issue of whether India will be a secular country or be a Hindu counterpart of Pakistan.

He made that first election virtually into a referendum.

He campaigned 40,000 km directly, spoke to 1 out of 10 Indians directly.

Nehru was not alone.

The Congress's secular leadership was very strong at that time.

The result of that election was such that Hindutva forces were pushed back for decades.

In the first elections, Hindutva forces got only 6 per cent of the votes and they won only 10 seats in Parliament.

It was a great defeat for them.

They have held that grouse against Nehru since then.

Did Nehru make an attempt to decimate the RSS in his political career?

(Former prime minister Atal Bihari) Vajpayee said Nehru was a great man who appreciated opposition.

He (Nehru) believed in arguments.

Pandit Nehru never said Hindutva-mukt Bharat.

Why do we see a demonisation of Nehru all the time now, especially on social media?

That is how fascist forces work.

They spread lies, like Nehru's grandfather was a Muslim.

Rumours and lies are their way of life.

Social media makes you feel like puking, as they go on to say he was a womaniser.

They hope that someone will pick up something, and something does get picked up as you keep on repeating the lies.

Another accusation against Nehru is that he gave India dynasty politics.

After Nehru it was Lal Bahadur Shastri who became prime minister.

Nehru did not appoint Indira Gandhi prime minister.

Nehru is also held responsible for the death of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of the Jan Sangh.

This is a lie.

They also said Nehru killed Subhas Chandra Bose.

There is a limit to how much you can distort history.

They also say that Indira Gandhi must have killed Lal Bahadur Shastri.

IMAGE: The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in the Teen Murti Bhavan complex in New Delhi. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

How must young Indians look at Nehru in the face of such propaganda?

Nehru must be looked upon as a matter of pride by young Indians.

India is the only post-colonial country which became democratic, and that is largely because of Nehru.

Nehru built democracy in India and it was not an easy thing.

Nehru believed that opposition was very important in democracy.

When he found out that there was not much criticism about him or his work, he, in the fictitious name of Chanakya, wrote articles to criticise himself.

He said what kind of democracy we are having where I am only praised.

He was seen globally as the leader of the Third World.

You go to Latin America or Africa, they will recognise Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi or even Indira Gandhi.

They are household names across the world and we must be proud of them.

What do you think about the RSS's attempt to become an inclusive organisation?

Is this how they become inclusive, by telling lies and taking extreme positions?

I wish they become acceptable.

But they have to change their idea and be moderate.

They have to move forward and not backwards.

Pandit Nehru destroyed the RSS's dream as they thought they had come close to power after Partition and the subsequent riots that followed.

It took them decades to come near power.

It was only half a century later, in the 1990s, that they came to power, so why would they not hate Nehru?

Read Nehru's writings, as he was a sharp critic of communalism.

It is difficult them to attack Gandhi, so they are attacking Nehru.

But now there are attacks even on Gandhi as statues of Nathuram Godse are being raised.

The Mahatma's death brought a sense of guilt in the people who were tilting towards Hindutva.

They realised this is what it leads to.

In his death, Mahatma Gandhi contributed enormously by pushing away communalism.

People could feel that the greatest man of the 20th century died because of identity politics.

Gandhi's death helped a great deal to keep India secular, without a doubt.

You have been using the word 'secular'. But why did Nehru not insert the word into the Constitution, which was only included in 1976 by then prime minister Indira Gandhi?

It was accepted, and not necessary.

If you read the Constitution, it says there will be no discrimination on religion, sex, caste or anything like that.

When the Constitution was written, the voice of non-secular forces was very minor and they were nowhere around.

Why did Hindutva forces not appeal to Hindu society in 1947 as compared to Jinnah's appeal to Muslims?

Till the 1937 elections, the Muslim League got less than 4 per cent of Muslim votes.

It was only in the decade from 1937 to 1947 that Muslim communalism got the full backing from the British State.

Only after that could the Muslim League manage to get a hold over a large number of Muslims.

Even then a large number of Muslims preferred to stay back in India than Pakistan.

Is that not a fact?

The British gave Jinnah a veto by stating that he was representing Muslims.

They said only Jinnah represented Muslims and not Maulana Azad or the Congress party.

So, naturally, the Muslim League was able to grow, especially during the Quit India movement when all the Congress leaders were in jail.

Why weren't the Hindus similarly attracted to Hindutva forces at that time?

They were (attracted), but they were not the dominant force.

Hindus made a distinction between Hindu and Hindutva.

Gandhiji, as Nehru said, was the greatest living Hindu.

Gandhiji was deeply religious. But being a good Hindu does not mean you believe in Hindu communalism.

Maulana Azad was a maluvi and a great believer in Islam.

There was the Deoband School which was very religious, but very secular. They were against the Muslim League of Jinnah.

So what has religion go to do with these issues?

It is politics.IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being garlanded during BJP Karyakarta Mahakumbh in Bhopal on Tuesday. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan also seen. Photograph: PTI Photo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused Congress of looking for support outside the country, in a veiled reference to Pakistan whose former minister recently tweeted in favour of Rahul Gandhi.

In an apparent reference to the corruption allegations over the Rafale fighter deal, he accused the Congress of indulging in mud-slinging against the government, saying the opposition party found it easier than debating issues like development.

Addressing a rally here in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh along with Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah, Modi also slammed vote-bank politics and the practice of triple talaq while targeting the Congress party.

The Congress has been reduced from 440 seats in the Lok Sabha to 44 seats due its 'arrogance' but it is still not ready to introspect or correct itself, he said.

"What a condition the 125-year-old Congress been reduced to! Nothing remains in the Congress... You need to look for the Congress party with a microscope now," he said at the rally also addressed by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Mocking the Congress, Modi said the party has been reduced to such a condition that it is 'begging' with small parties for alliances.

He went on to add, "Even if they get allies, the coalition will not be successful. So, they (Congress) are looking for support from outside India...Now, will some countries decide who will become the prime minister in India?"

He was apparently referring to a tweet by former Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik who had said that Rahul Gandhi will be next PM of India if he follows 'Jet Gate' (Rafale deal) properly.

Modi asked, "Congress, what has happened to you? Have you lost balance after losing power?"

Apparently referring to the charges of corruption being levelled by the Congress in the Rafale fighter deal, the prime minister said, "They (Congress) are indulging in mud-slinging because they find it easier."

He said the Congress had indulged in 'mud-slinging' earlier too. "But I want to tell them, the more you throw mud at us, the more the lotus (BJP's symbol) will bloom," he added.

Modi said the Congress' attempts to defame him in the last two decades haven't worked.

"Ever since I came into politics in 2001, you (Congress) have used all your strength to hurl abuses at me. There would not be a single abuse left in the dictionary now. However, the more mud you threw, the more the lotus bloomed," he said.

"I urge you (Congress) to come and oppose, debate and discuss on topics of development. However, they will not do this, as they find it easier to indulge in mud-slinging. But the more mud you throw, the more the lotus will bloom," Modi said.

He said the 'Congress has become a burden on the country today' and 'it is the responsibility of BJP workers in a democracy to save the country from it'.

"In 1984, we lost (elections), but we introspected and worked to regain the trust of the people. We did not try to save our skin by blaming EVMs for our losses. Today people have once again reposed their faith in us," he said.

He then told the gathering that if the Congress is 'destined to be ruined', the BJP need not worry.

At the rally seen as launch of poll campaign, the prime minister said vote-bank politics, like termites, has destroyed the country.

"These are the people who used a section of society to win elections, never caring to work for the welfare of others but only trying to save their chair. This sin of dividing the country is one major reason of its destruction," Modi said, in a veiled attack on the Congress.

"They have committed a sin of dividing the society and destroying the social fabric to ruin the country," he said.

"If you want to save the country from ruining caused in 70 years after Independence, you have to shoulder a vital responsibility," Modi told the rally of BJP workers.

He said his government believes that the entire 125 crore citizens of India are one family.

"Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas (cooperation of all, development of all) is not a mere slogan for us. It is our commitment," the prime minister said.

Referring to the practice of triple talaq, he said it is not acceptable even in Islamic countries.

"Even the party headed by a woman is not concerned about our Muslim sisters. This is the deformed face of vote-bank politics," Modi said attacking the Congress.

"It is the responsibility of BJP workers to protect the country from the vote-bank politics which has destroyed the country in the past 70 years," he said.

Modi said his government believes in social justice for all and that its 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' (cooperation of all, development of all) campaign is not just a slogan.

He said the opposition parties had formed the 'Maha-gathbandhan" (grand alliance) out of fear of losing the polls'.

"Due to fear of defeat, Congress is begging for the alliance with small parties, he said.

He said the Congress 'arrogance' makes its leaders believe that ruling the country is their right.

The Congress is 'unable to accept that a 'chai wala' (tea vendor) or the son of a poor mother like Shivraj and (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi (Adityanath) could attain the chair of power'.

Modi said when the United Progressive Alliance was in power at the Centre, it held grudges against not only the BJP-ruled governments in other states, but also with its people.

"They created obstacles in every works of BJP governments. They did not care if money, schemes were left hanging but only wanted no works to be completed only then the BJP governments would be ousted by people. Time has now come to teach them a lesson," he said.

Expressing confidence that the BJP would win the upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Modi invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying, 'the son of this soil may no longer be with us, but his memories are'.

He also showered praise on late BJP leader Vijaya Raje Scindia, popularly known as 'Rajmata' of Gwalior, who is grand mother of Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

"The country can't forget three great leaders -- Mahatma Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia and Deendayal Upadhaya. They worked for the upliftment of the last man (poorest of the poor), he said.

"We are the people who accept Gandhi also, Lohia also and Upadhaya also as they always thought of the development of the last man of the society," he said.The apex court said that there was a need for a law to prevent persons with serious criminal cases pending against them from entering the legislature and be a part of lawmaking.

Observing criminalisation of politics is a bitter manifest truth and a 'termite' to the citadel of democracy, the Supreme Court on Tuesday left it to Parliament to bar those facing trial for heinous and grievous offences from contesting elections by enacting a 'strong law'.

Declining to put a ban on candidates with criminal antecedents from entering the poll fray, which, it said is the domain of the legislature, the court said the law should also make it mandatory for political parties to revoke the membership of candidates facing serious criminal cases.

The court, however, passed a slew of directions to cleanse the 'polluted stream of politics'.

One of the directions was that pending criminal cases have to be stated 'in bold letters' in the form provided by the Election Commission.

The candidate and the political party concerned were also directed to issue a declaration in widely circulated newspapers in the locality and in electronic media about his or her antecedents.

According to the prevalent law, lawmakers stand immediately disqualified and candidates barred from contesting elections if convicted for a crime and sentenced to a jail term of two years or above under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act.

Warning that 'malignancy' of criminalisation of politics can become 'fatal' to democracy, the court said the nation was 'eagerly' waiting for a legislation as the society has legitimate expectation to be governed by proper constitutional governance and citizens cannot be compelled to stand as 'silent, deaf and mute spectators' to corruption by projecting themselves as helpless.

Holding that criminalisation of politics is an 'extremely disastrous and lamentable situation', a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra in its unanimous verdict said this 'unsettlingly increasing trend' has the propensity to 'send shivers down the spine of a constitutional democracy'.

"A time has come that the Parliament must make law to ensure that persons facing serious criminal cases do not enter into the political stream.

"We are sure, the law making wing of the democracy of this country will take it upon itself to cure the malignancy," it said.

The bench said though criminalisation in politics is a 'bitter manifest truth', which is a 'termite' to the citadel of democracy, the court cannot make the law.

The 100-page verdict was pronounced 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. The PILs were filed by NGO 'Public Interest Foundation', BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay and others.

A senior government functionary welcomed the verdict, saying it seeks to cleanse the polity of criminal elements. He, however, said issues like politically motivated cases have to be considered. The official said the government will study the order in detail and decide the next course of action.

He pointed out that several of the directions given by the top court have already been implemented, including filing of affidavits by candidates giving details of criminal cases against them.

"Substantial efforts have to be undertaken to cleanse the polluted stream of politics by prohibiting people with criminal antecedents so that they do not even conceive of the idea of entering into politics. They should be kept at bay," the court said.

The bench, which also comprised Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, said malignancy of criminalisation of politics was "not incurable" but the issue was required to be dealt with soon before it becomes "fatal" to the democracy.

"In a multi-party democracy, where members are elected on party lines and are subject to party discipline, we recommend to Parliament to bring out a strong law whereby it is mandatory for the political parties to revoke membership of persons against whom charges are framed in heinous and grievous offences and not to set up such persons in elections, both for Parliament and the state assemblies.

"This, in our attentive and plausible view, would go a long way in achieving decriminalisation of politics and usher in an era of immaculate, spotless, unsullied and virtuous constitutional democracy," it said.

The court also referred to the 244th report of the Law Commission and cited its finding that in 10 years since 2004, 18 per cent candidates contesting elections have criminal cases pending against them (11,063 out of 62,847).

"The voters cry for systematic sustenance of constitutionalism. The country feels agonized when money and muscle power become the supreme power," the bench said, adding it was imperative that persons who enter public life and participate in law making should be above any kind of serious criminal allegation.

Criminalisation of politics strikes at the very root of democracy by making the citizenry suffer at the hands of those 'who are nothing but a liability' to the country, it said.

The bench said despite the 'heavy mandate' prescribed by the Constitution, India being the world's largest democracy has seen a 'steady increase' in the level of criminalisation that has been creeping into the Indian polity.

The bench also took note of the submissions of Attorney General K K Venugopal that the court should not cross the 'lakshman rekha' vis-a-vis the separation of powers and said it was well settled in law that the court cannot legislate..On Monday (September 24), New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made history as the first female world leader to attend the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York with her newborn baby in tow.

However, Ardern isnt the first to bring their kids to work.

Here are some examples of kids roaming the halls of power.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern appeared with her infant daughter -- Neve Te Aroha -- at the UN on Monday evening, and played with her before giving a speech at the Nelson Mandela peace summit. While she spoke, Arderns partner Clarke Gayford held the three-month-old baby on his lap. Ardern had given birth to Neve in June 21 and returned to work in early August after taking six months maternity leave. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters

In India too, children have often made their presence felt at Parliament. Remember when Priyanka Vadra's mohawk sporting son Raihan made his entrance? But, no child at Parliament has been younger than Rashtriya Janata Dal's Misa Bharti's son who was only two months old. May be the Rashtriya Janata Dal headed by Lalu is looking to the future. Photograph: @beingyaduvanshi/Twitter

Kumamoto City assembly member Yuka Ogata sparked a row and prompted a discussion on the difficulties working mothers face when she brought her seven-month-old baby, Dogen, to the Japanese Municipal Assembly. But before the session had even gotten started, the new mother's male colleagues asked her to leave. The reasoning? Assembly rules state that visitors are not allowed to enter the chamber during a session under any circumstances. None of this seemed to come as much of a shock to Ogata. She didn't really bring her son to work because she had to, but rather as an act of solidarity for Japanese mothers who are struggling with the challenges of raising their children. Photograph: Kyodo/Reuters

In 2017, Swedish Member European Parliament Jytte Guteland brought her infant son to a vote at the European Parliament. She said that the reason was that she wanted workplaces to be more child friendly. Guteland said she wanted to normalise bringing children to work so that parents could do so when necessary. Photograph: Vincent Kessler/Reuters

May be one of the first instances of a child being brought to the corridors of power was when Denmark's member of the European Parliament Hanne Dahl brought her three-month-old baby in a voting session in 2009. According to press reports, Dahl did not intend to make a political statement but needed to take her child because her husband could not be in Brussels that day. Photograph: Vincent Kessler/Reuters

In 2010, Italy's Member of the European Parliament Licia Ronzulli created a stir when she brought her six-week-old daughter Vittoria to work. The pictures of the politician voting while carrying her baby in a sling caused a media stir. However, speaking to The Guardian, she was quoted as saying that "it was not a political gesture. It was first of all a maternal gesture -- that I wanted to stay with my daughter as much as possible, and to remind people that there are women who do not have this opportunity [to bring their children to work], that we should do something to talk about this". Photograph: Vincent Kessler/ReutersPhotograph: Amir Cohen /Reuters

Why are officers of the Israeli police force travelling all the way to a nondescript town in north Kerala in frequent intervals?

Because, their elegant light blue, long-sleeve uniform shirts are being stitched at an apparel unit in Kannur, which has the glorious tradition of handloom making and textile export.

Hundreds of tailors at the Maryan Apparel Pvt Limited, operating at the industrial park at Valiyavelicham in the district, are toiling hard to get the smart looking uniforms ready for the Israel police force.

They not only stitch the double-pocket shirts but also design and attach the trademark emblems on its sleeves.

The local dressmakers have been supplying nearly one lakh shirts annually to the Israeli police for the last three years.

Owned by Thodupuzha-based businessman Thomas Olickal, the company also bagged the orders for supplying uniforms for Kuwait's fire service and National Guard.

If everything goes as planned, the Maryan Apparel would soon start stitching uniforms for the Philippine Army, a top company official said.

"We are supplying uniform shirts to the Israeli police -- both men and women officers -- for the last three years," Sijin Kumar, accounts and administration manger of the company said.

"Earlier, we used to supply trousers also. But, the order for it was bagged by a Chinese firm recently. We hope that we will get the contract back at the earliest and discussions are going on in this regard," he said.

Launched at the state-run Kinfra Park here in 2006, the company specialises in uniforms of army men, police personnel, security officers and health service workers of various countries across the globe.

It also supplies school uniforms, dress for super market staff, doctors' coats, coveralls, corporate wears and so on.

In 2008, the apparel unit was shifted to Kannur with an objective to provide employment to local people who had become jobless due to the decline of the traditional beedi sector there.

Kumar said the Israeli officials are very particular about the quality of the material and even the minute details of the stitching and embroidery.

"They visit the stitching unit at frequent intervals to monitor the process. Recently, they entrusted the task of monitoring with a company in Tamil Nadu and their team come here once in a month to check the quality of the work," Factory Manager, Shaneesh T V said.

The number of uniforms stitched at the unit would depend on their requirements.

Generally, it would be between 50,000-1,00,000 annually, he said.

The material for the uniform of Israel police is imported from the United States.

The cloth, produced at the company's own mill in Mumbai, would also be used at times.

The apparel unit that employs 850 people, majority of them women, are planning to expand its operations in the coming years.

But, the lack of sufficient trained and skilled manpower is a major cause of concern for the company authorities.IMAGE: US President Donald Trump addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted American sovereignty as he addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, saying the United States rejects the ideology of 'globalism' and embraces the doctrine of 'patriotism' and will always choose independence over global governance.

"America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism. Around the world, responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from other, new forms of coercion and domination," Trump said in his second address to the UN General Assembly's annual General Debate that opened on Tuesday.

He said the US believes that when nations respect the rights of their neighbours and defend the interests of their people, they can better work together to secure the blessings of safety, prosperity and peace.

As leaders from 193 UN member gathered in the iconic UNGA hall for the annual high-level session, Trump said each UN member and its leader is the emissary of a distinct culture, a rich history and a people bound together by ties of memory and tradition.

"That is why America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination. I honour the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live, work, or worship. We only ask that you honour our sovereignty in return, he said.

Trump also blasted unfair trade practices around the world, saying America believes trade must be fair and reciprocal and the US will no longer be taken advantage of by anyone.

"For decades, the United States opened its economy, the largest by far on Earth, with few conditions. We allowed foreign goods from all over the world to flow freely across our borders, he said.

He accused nations of not granting America free and reciprocal access to their markets in return.

"Even worse, some countries abused their openness to dump their products, subsidise their goods, target our industries, and manipulate their currencies to gain unfair advantage over our country, he said, adding that this resulted in the US trade deficit ballooning to nearly $800 billion a year.

"For this reason we are systematically renegotiating broken and bad trade deals," he said as he cited last month's 'groundbreaking' US-Mexico trade agreement.

Hitting out at China, Trump said his administration has announced tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese-made goods, bringing the total so far to $215 billion.

"I have great respect and affection for the president of China, but I have made clear that our trade imbalance is just not acceptable. The market distortions and the way that they deal cannot be tolerated," he said.

Trump, however, lauded India's efforts to lift millions of its citizens out of poverty as he addressed world leaders at the 73rd session of the UNGA.

"There is India, a free society (of) over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class," Trump said.

In his about 35-minute address, he said over the years, history has transpired in the halls of the UN General Assembly.

"We think of the many before us who have come here to address the challenges of their nations and of their times and our thoughts turn to the same question that ran through all their speeches, resolutions and through every word and every hope."

"It is the question of what kind of world will we leave for our children and what kind of nations they will inherit," Trump said.

He said the dreams that fill the UNGA hall today are as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium and as varied as the countries represented in the United Nations. "It really is something. It really is great great history."

Trump also cited Saudi Arabia's bold new reforms and Israel 'proudly celebrating' its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land.

Trump thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his 'courage' and the steps he has taken towards the pursuit of a denuclearised Korean Peninsula.

He said that in the last one year, the US has, with support from many countries like South Korea, Japan and China, 'engaged with North Korea to replace the spectre of conflict with a bold and new push for peace'.

Trump referred to his historic summit with the North Korean leader in Singapore in June.

"We had highly productive conversations and meetings and we agreed that it was in both countries interest to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Since that meeting, Trump said he has seen a 'number of encouraging measures' that few could have imagined only a short time ago.

However, Trump evoked laughter as he boasted about his administration's accomplishments in his speech.

"Today, I stand before the United Nations General Assembly to share the extraordinary progress we have made. In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. So true, Trump said at the top of his speech.

His remarks elicited laughter from the world leaders gathered.

"Didn't expect that reaction but that's okay," Trump responded, as the delegates in the UNGA hall laughed and clapped.

Trump said America's economy is booming like never before and since his election, the US has added $10 trillion in wealth.Ambedkar told Rediff.com that he intended making an application that private witnesses not be cross-examined by the Bhima Koregaon Commission of Inquiry.

Jyoti Punwani reports from the Bhima-Koregaon hearing.

IMAGE: Prakash Ambedkar called a Maharashtra bandh on January 3, 2018, in protest against the post-Bhima-Koregaon violence. Photograph: Sahil Salvi

Will Sumit Mullick, the second member of the Bhima Koregaon Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice J N Patel, have to take the witness stand?

Prakash Ambedkar, chief of the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, told the Commission on Monday, September 24, that he wants to cross-examine Mullick because he was Maharashtra's chief secretary on January 1, 2018, when the Bhima-Koregaon violence took place.

Mullick retired in April and is now Maharashtra's chief information commissioner.

In response to Ambedkar's proposal, Mullick said he was ready to be cross-examined and would recuse himself from the commission during that time.

The two-member Commission of Inquiry is examining the violence that took place on January 1 at Bhima-Koregaon where lakhs of Dalits converged to observe the 200th anniversary of the battle between the British and the Peshwas.

The British won the battle, with the help of Mahar soldiers.

So far, two private witnesses, both Dalits from Mumbai, have deposed before the Commission.

\

Ambedkar on Monday made a dramatic appearance before the commission.

Before the proceedings started, he told Rediff.com that he intended making an application to the commission that private witnesses not be cross-examined. He argued the same point before the commission, saying that only members of the administration and the police should be subject to cross-examination.

To buttress his argument, Ambedkar said: "During cross-examination, there is an attempt to bring in another element (with regard to the violence at Bhima-Koregaon) through the mouth of a witness. This witness is in front of the commission only because she has been beaten. The witness is asked a question regarding something not stated by her."

Ambedkar was referring to the question put to the first witness Manisha Khotkar by counsel for the government and the police, Shishir Hiray.

Khotkar had deposed that she could not reach Bhima-Koregaon because the bus in which they were travelling had been stoned, that men with saffron flags had been roaming around abusing the Dalits, and that the Dalits had removed the blue flags from their bus as a safety measure.

Hiray asked her whether it was possible that the stone-pelting could have been caused by a "third group, with a completely different ideology, apart from those holding blue flags and those holding saffron flags."

The witness replied in the affirmative.

Ambedkar's submission on cross-examination was followed by an interesting exchange between him and Justice Patel.

The judge told Ambedkar that a witness could always say "I don't know" to any question during cross-examination, about which s/he had no knowledge.

To which Ambedkar replied: "The witness may not be aware of their rights."

The judge, however, told him that all witnesses had been informed that if they didn't understand any question, they should say so.

Ambedkar plans to file his applications regarding Sumit Mullick and cross-examination of private witnesses in Pune where the commission will hold its hearings next week.

The cross-examination of the second witness, bus conductor Tanaji Sable, continued on Monday. Sable had deposed that though he and his group from Ramabai Nagar, Ghatkopar, north east Mumbai, could reach the Vijay Stambh (victory memorial) at Bhima-Koregaon, they experienced an atmosphere of fear because of motorcyclists roaming around holding saffron flags and shouting 'Jai Bhawani Jai Shivaji'.

This had never happened in their previous trips there.

On Monday, he bravely stuck to his deposition, through a two hour long cross-examination by Hiray.

Hiray showed Sable 30 photographs of the Vijay Stambh and its surroundings at Bhima-Koregaon. These photographs, the lawyer said, showed the arrangements made by the government in anticipation of the crowd that was to gather there to observe the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle.

These arrangements included ramps for people to approach and exit the Vijay Stambh; an ambulance, a fire brigade engine.

But Sable maintained that he had not seen any of this, thanks to the intensity of the crowd.

Asked about a water fountain located outside the gram panchayat office at Vadhu Budruk, the village where the samadhis of Sambhaji Raje and Govind Gopal Gaekwad are located, Sable replied there was no arrangement for water for them.

In reply to a question about heavy police bandobast at Vadhu Budruk, Sable replied: "Despite the police bandobast, motorcyclists bearing saffron flags were allowed to roam around freely."

Hiray asked Sable whether the photographs showed members of the Bhim Army paying homage to the Vijay Stambh.

Sable said he did not know whether the people shown in the photograph belonged to the Bhim Army. Asked whether it was the "Bhima-Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyan" that had spread the word that Dalits should go to Bhima-Koregaon in large numbers this year, Sable replied that he did not know.

Interestingly, both the entities referred to by the police and government counsel, the Bhima-Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyan and the Bhim Army, have links to the Elgar Parishad, held in Pune on December 31, 2017.

According to the police and the Vivek Vichar Manch, a Hindutva think-tank, the violence at Bhima-Koregaon was a result of inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad. They have alleged that Maoists were behind the Parishad.

The Bhima-Koregaon Shaurya Din Prerna Abhiyan was a conglomeration of organisations that helped organise the Elgar Parishad.

Datta Pol from Pune, a member of the Bhim Army, was summoned for questioning by the Pune police in June after the arrests of five Left activists. The activists had been arrested on charges of having links with Maoists and having backed the Elgar Parishad.An incredible multi-nation search operation rescued Indian Navy Officer Abhilash Tomy three days after a storm broke his boat, and seriously injured his back in a remote part of the Indian Ocean.

Archana Masih discovers how the sailor lost at sea was brought home.

Kirti Chakra awardee Commander Abhilash Tomy of the Indian Navy was rescued from his destroyed yacht Thuriya in a remote part of the Indian Ocean at 12.30 pm on Monday, September 24, 2018.

"Tomy was able to assist himself while transferring off the vessel," said Alan Lloyd, manager at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Rescue Centre that managed the joint Rescue Coordination Centre which coordinated the search and rescue efforts. Photograph: Kind courtesy, Golden Globe Race 2018 Web site

A rescue boat from the French shipping vessel Osiris evacuates Commander Tomy in a stretcher from his yacht.

"Although he was bed ridden most of the time he was in the vessel and unable to move on the upper deck, his condition is stable," Lloyd told reporters in Canberra see video below. Photograph: Kind courtesy AMSA

When the Gemini boat from the Osiris reached Commander Tomy, who had severely injured his back, three days after he sent an SOS, the officer was able to communicate effectively.

Commander Tomy was transported to Amsterdam Island in the southern Indian Ocean for further medical treatment and assessment. Photograph: Kind courtesy AMSA

Commander Tomy had been at sea for 85 days. He was participating in the Golden Globe yacht race when he was caught in a storm 3,500 km south west of Perth, Australia. His yacht rolled through 360 degrees and dismasted.

"Any transfer at sea is difficult. The seas at this time had abated. The imagery that AMSA has indicated it was reasonably a good condition for transfer," said Lloyd. Photograph: Kind courtesy AMSA

Commander Tomy is expected to be picked up from Amsterdam island by the Indian naval stealth frigate INS Satpura by the end of the week.

The INS Satpura was dispatched to rescue Commander Tomy as soon as the emergency alert was received. Sadly, its Captain Commander Alok Anand set aside the tragic news of his father's death in the line of duty to save the heroic sailor lost at sea.

The Australian frigate HMAS Ballarat is also likely to reach Amsterdam island on Friday, September 28. Photograph: Kind courtesy AMSA

Commander Tomy's yacht Thuriya has been abandoned in the Indian Ocean.

Another participant in the race, Irishman Gregor McGuckin, who lost both his sails in the storm, had reached within a couple of nautical miles to assist Commander Tomy.

"It was excellent spirit of seamanship. He was able to get to Tomy but Osiris arrived at the same time. They were rescued a few hours apart," Lloyd said. Photograph: Kind courtesy AMSA

Please click to enlarge the map

The Indian armed forces's Posiedon P-8 martitime patrol aircraft operating from Mauritius undertook a number of sorties to establish the actual location and condition of Commander Tomy's vessel.

Photographs taken by the crew showed the yacht dismasted with her rig still attached to the hull acting as a sea anchor according to the Code Red alert of the Golden Globe Race.

A Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft and a civilian Global Express aircraft from Australia were tasked for the rescue.

At the completion of the rescue, Defence Minister Nirmala Sithraman tweeted: '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.'

Alan Lloyd, manager at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Rescue Centre, speaks about the rescue. Video: Kind courtesy, AMSA.Folsom, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/25/2018 --Looking for elder hospice care for loved ones can be challenging, for there are many factors to consider when searching for such a service provider. Excel Hospice Care, Inc is one such company that provides an individual with a variety of services for treating chronic, severe, or terminal illness.



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Spectrum of Floors has a tie-up with a large number of reputed manufacturers such as Armstrong, Chesapeake, Karnedean, Formica, Milliken, Karastan, Shaw / Tuftex, Mannington and Somerset. Apart from all these, the company is also known for offering top quality ceramic flooring in Allentown and Bethlehem Pennsylvania. So, when it comes to choosing the floor of the building, Spectrum of Floors is the only name to rely on.



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To get more information about the services that the company offers or to set up an appointment with the company or to receive free quotes, one can at once call the company at 610-253-6020. Besides this, one can also login to the website of Spectrum of Floors to know more about the types of floors and services that the company provides.



About Spectrum of Floors

Spectrum of Floors is a well-known company that offers premium quality flooring material for the commercial as well as residential building.New Zealand will on Wednesday release August figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

Imports are expected to be worth NZ$5.50 billion, up from NZ$5.49 billion in July. Exports are called at NZ$4.40 billion, down sharply from NZ$5.35 billion in the previous month. The trade deficit is pegged at NZ$925 million after showing a NZ$143 million shortfall a month earlier.

New Zealand also will see September results for the consumer confidence index from ANZ; in August, the index slipped 0.7 percent to a score of 117.6.

Japan will provide final August numbers for machine tool orders; the previous reading suggested an increase of 5.3 percent on year.

Singapore will release August figures for industrial production; in July, production fell 1.7 percent on month and climbed 6.0 percent on year.

Finally, the in South Korea continue to be shuttered for Chuseok Day and will return to action on Thursday.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.It is a universal law that truth will prevail, and the recent Supreme Court ruling in the infamous ISRO spy scandal that rocked India during the 1990s only ascertains that gospel.

For the uninitiated, here's what the alleged spy case of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India's premier space agency, is all about...

On November 30, 1994, India woke up to the story of an espionage, with the Kerala State police arresting ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, aged 52 then, on the charges of selling classified information concerning the country's space programs to Russia and Pakistan through two Maldivian women.

At that time, Nambi Narayanan, an alumnus of Princeton University, was a director of cryogenic project at ISRO, and was involved in developing Vikas rocket engine, the Indian version of the French 'Viking' engine.

Along with Nambi Narayanan, the others implicated in the spy case were D. Sasikumaran, a deputy director of ISRO, K Chandrasekhar, India's representative to Russian space agency Glavkosmos, S. K. Sharma, a labor contractor, and two Maldivian women - Mariam Rasheeda and Fousia Hassan.

The news of the arrest of the ISRO scientists and two Maldivian women at the behest of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), India's internal intelligence agency, was lapped up by the media, which made screaming headlines, capturing the public's imagination.

The ISRO scientists spent around 50 days in jail and allegedly were subjected to torture and humiliation before they were released on bail in January 1995. The following year, i.e. in 1996, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the premier investigating agency of India, which was investigating the case, filed a closure report saying the case was cooked up the Intelligence Bureau, and that there was no evidence to substantiate the charges, clearing all the accused.

Seeking action against the police officers who framed him in the malicious spy case, Nambi Narayanan filed a case against them in Kerala High Court in June 2011. However, it was turned down, which led to the ISRO scientist moving the Supreme Court in 2015.

On September 14, 2018, the Supreme Court of India delivered its judgment, which has not only brought the fake ISRO spy case to a logical conclusion, but has also proved innocence of Nambi Narayanan and others, and restored their honor.

The Apex Court ruled that the authorities who have been responsible for causing a harrowing effect on the mind of the appellant should face legal consequences, and that a Committee be constituted to take appropriate steps against the erring officials. The Kerala State has also been ordered to pay fifty lakh rupees to Nambi Narayanan, who is now aged 76.

But what's done cannot be undone as the fake ISRO spy case has ruined the lives and career of those who were falsely implicated, and also delayed India's progress in cryogenic by at least 15 years. It was only in January 2014 that ISRO launched a rocket successfully with indigenous cryogenic technology - GSLV-D5, which carried communication satellite.

While some believe that the spy case was the result of a conspiracy hatched by local politicians, some argue that there is an international angle in this case.

Unless, those who fabricated the spy story are thoroughly probed, the real motive for planting the scandal will never see the light of day.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political NewsUS Congressman Tom Emmer, the co-chair of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, said he will introduce three bills to support blockchain and digital currencies. According to him, the federal government should provide a light touch, consistent, and simple legal environment for the crypto industry to develop in the country.

The three bills are "Resolution Supporting Digital Currencies and Blockchain Technology", "Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act", and "Safe Harbor for Taxpayers with Forked Assets Act."

In a statement, the Representative for Minnesota's 6th congressional district said the legislation expresses support for the crypto industry and development of these promising technologies in the United States. The move provides clarity to entities that never take control of consumer funds, and also establishes a safe harbor for taxpayers with "forked" digital assets, he added.

Last week, a group of US Representatives had sent an open letter to the Internal Revenue Service or IRS seeking provisional guidelines on how digital currency transactions and investments should be handled when taxpayers file their income tax return. They strongly urged that the IRS expeditiously issue more robust guidance clarifying taxpayers' obligations when using virtual currencies.

Recently, The American National Standards Institute or ANSI, which oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards, announced that it would discuss Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence at the upcoming forums in the World Standards Week 2018, to be held in October.

In the discussion, experts from various industries and sectors, including healthcare, ITC, transportation, shipping, food safety, and government, will share insights on real-world applications of these emerging technologies.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.comEuropean stocks were flat to slightly higher on Tuesday amid reports of a compromise on Italy's budget among the government coalition members.

Analysts say that the country will not walk off the European Union, despite the pressure to announce populist measures that will require billions in additional spending.

Investors also looked ahead to the upcoming Fed meeting for clues to future rate increases.

The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index was up 0.3 percent at 383.21 in late opening deals after losing 0.6 percent the previous day.

The German DAX and France's CAC 40 index were up around 0.2 percent while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 was moving up 0.3 percent.

Dutch financial services company Aegon NV jumped 4 percent. The company announced that it expects a one-time benefit to capital generation of approximately $1 billion as a result of the merger of two legal entities.

Italian high-tech firm Leonardo rallied 3 percent after reaching a deal with the U.S. Air Force.

Next Plc shares soared almost 8 percent after the company posted strong first-half trading results and raised its full-year profit estimate.

Commodity trading and mining company Glencore jumped over 3 percent after lifting its share buy-back program by an additional amount of up to $1 billion.

BP Plc advanced 2.2 percent, Tullow Oil climbed 3 percent and Royal Dutch Shell added 1.9 percent as oil prices held near four-year high amid looming U.S. sanctions against Iran and reluctance by oil producing nations to increase output.

British American Tobacco shares fell over 2 percent after the company named a new CEO.

Evonik Industries tumbled 2.6 percent in Frankfurt after RAG-Stiftung announced the successful placement of total 16.314 million shares of the company for a price of 30.65 euros per share.

On the economic front, French manufacturing sentiment deteriorated in September, survey results from the statistical office Insee showed.

The manufacturing sentiment index fell to 107 in September from 110 in August. This was the lowest score since March 2017 and well below forecast of 109.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.comBoeing Co. (BA) said Tuesday it has completed the acquisition of Millennium Space Systems, a provider of flight-proven small-satellite solutions.

Millennium Space Systems will operate under Boeing Phantom Works as a subsidiary called Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing company. The company will retain an independent operating model while benefiting from Boeing's resources, scale, manufacturing capability and research.

Boeing first announced the agreement with Millennium Space Systems on August 16, 2018, pending approval by the U.S. government.

Terms of the approved deal were not disclosed and do not affect Boeing's financial guidance or the company's commitment to returning about 100 percent of free cash flow to shareholders.

El Segundo, California-based Millennium Space Systems has about 260 employees and has developed high-performance satellites as well as space systems for exacting missions ranging from 50 KG to more than 6,000 KG.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsNovartis (NVS) said it will cut about 2,100 jobs in Switzerland and Britain over the next four years, as part of a global restructuring. The company also announced that it plans to exit its Grimsby manufacturing site in the U.K. by the end of 2020.

Novartis confirmed its strong commitment to Switzerland by maintaining 10% of its global workforce in the country, creating new platforms and investing more than 3 billion Swiss francs in research and development each year.

Vas Narasimhan, the Chief Executive Officer of Novartis, reportedly said the company hopes to lower its overall headcount worldwide to below 100,000, from about 126,000 today. Much of that is due to the planned spinoff of eye care unit Alcon.

The company said it will cut about 1,700 jobs in Switzerland through 2022, including 1,000 manufacturing positions and another 700 service and managerial jobs, mostly at its headquarters. Novartis reportedly plans, however, to add about 450 positions at an upcoming cell and gene therapy site in Stein, Switzerland.

Novartis noted that it has already invited staff representatives and executives in Switzerland to dialogue and consultation. The company will offer full support to all employees concerned, including the establishment of a job search center, internal and external reassignments, a social plan and retirement plans. In the context of the recently announced investment in a cell and gene therapy production facility in Stein, Novartis intends to train as many affected employees as possible to work on the new technology platform.

Taking into account the impact of the planned restructuring and the already announced division of the Alcon division, Novartis expects that approximately 10% of its global workforce will be maintained in Switzerland while this market represents less than 2% of its total sales.

Once the planned changes are implemented, Novartis' workforce in Switzerland in 2022 is expected to be about the same as in 2008, with the vast majority of employees with global functions in advanced manufacturing, R & D and enterprise management

In addition, Novartis announced that it plans to exit its Grimsby manufacturing site by the end of 2020, subject to consultation. 395 Novartis employees at the Grimsby site are directly affected by the decision, and additional contactors employed through third parties may also be impacted.

"This decision has been made alongside broader changes to our globally, and as a result of the changes in our product portfolio which now focuses on more specialised medicines, reflective of today's changing healthcare needs. Novartis remains committed to the UK and believes that the UK is a world-leader in life sciences. Today's announcement is part of a global review of our manufacturing operations and is not linked to the decision of the UK to leave the European Union," said Haseeb Ahmad, Novartis UK Country President.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsBitcoin and its peers are trading lower Tuesday morning, extending the trend from a day earlier.

In some main news, the trustee in charge of liquidating cryptocurrencies from the defunct Mt. Gox exchange, confirmed on Tuesday that a total $230 million of Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash was offloaded in the period since March 7.

Overall cryptocurrency market capitalization was $207.89 billion and the Bitcoin dominance rate was 53.6 percent as of 11.11 am ET on CoinMarketCap.

Here is a wrap of the main news from the cryptocurrency and blockchain space over the past 24 hours.

US Congressman Plans Bills To Support Blockchain, Digital Currencies

US Congressman Tom Emmer, the co-chair of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, said he will introduce three bills to support blockchain and digital currencies. According to him, the federal government should provide a light touch, consistent, and simple legal environment for the crypto industry to develop in the country.

Dubai Finance Dept. Upgrades Payment System With Blockchain

The Dubai Department of Finance or DoF joined with the Smart Dubai Office or SDO for a Blockchain-powered upgrade to its financial system. The new platform, called "Payment Reconciliation and Settlement system," integrates blockchain technology into Smart Dubai's online payment portal, DubaiPay.

Walmart Deploys Blockchain To Track Leafy Greens

Walmart and Sam's Club sent a letter to suppliers of fresh, leafy greens asking them to trace their products from the farm using blockchain technology to ensure food safety. Suppliers are expected to integrate the blockchain-based tracking system in collaboration with IBM by September next year.

Ideanomics To Deploy Blockchain Solution For Major Chinese Ports

US-based technology firm Ideanomics formed a joint venture with APMEN Trade Tech Co Ltd. to deploy an intelligent digital supply chain management platform driven by blockchain and super artificial intelligence (AI) technology for APEC Model E-port Network (APMEN), APEC's online port clearance system.

Current Prices

As of 11.12 am ET, Bitcoin was down 2.99 percent at $6,410.72 and Ethereum was lower by 10.05 percent at $209.68 on Coinbase.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsAmid unrelenting Congress offensive against him in the Rafale deal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the main opposition party, accusing it of throwing muck, indulging in lies and trying to form an "international alliance" to oust him.

But the Congress kept up the pressure with its chief Rahul Gandhi asking why the price of the fighter jets was not being disclosed and party accused the government of violating the norms in selection of the offset partner.

On its part, the BJP opened another front alleging that there was a nexus between Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra and arms dealer and middleman Sanjay Bhandari due to which the Rafale deal with French firm was cancelled in 2012.





A senior Indian Air Force official also pitched in with support for the deal to purchase 36 fighter jets from France, saying it was better than the previous deal.



Modi, who addressed 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' (workers grand conclave) in Bhopal, echoed BJP's earlier attack about "design" between the Congress and Pakistan to remove him in the wake of Rafale deal controversy.



Modi accused the Congress of indulging in a slander campaign and said the main opposition party has become so weak that it has to beg small parties to forge alliance in the coming elections.



"What has happened to the 125-year-old Congress? We have decided to fight elections on the issue of development, but they want to fight the election by breaking the society. They want to capture power through mischief. They want to use a handful of people to spread falsehood and a storm of lies to capture power," he said.



"Best wishes for their new path. But we are following the path of strong organisation," he said.



Modi said Congress was not succeeding in getting allies and even if they get one, "I don't see them succeeding".



"So they are trying to forge an alliance internationally. Now will a foreign country decide who will be the country's Prime Minister? After losing power, you have lost your balance," he told the Congress party.



Modi said Congress had left no stone unturned to "abuse" him since he joined politics in 2001 and people have rejected the charges.



"The more muck they (Congress) throw, more lotuses will bloom, in every booth, every block, every village, every city and every corner of the country, he said, adding "if destruction is written in their fate, then there is no need for us to cry."



Rahul Gandhi, who was in Amethi, continued his attack a day after he had alleged that country's "chowkidar" (watchman) had committed "chori" (theft) in Rafale deal.



Gandhi questioned Modi's and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman's "silence" on the demand for disclosing the price of the fighter jets.



"First, the question is: why did the Defence Minister lie ? Then suddenly you get the price of the aircraft Rs 526 crore versus Rs 1,600 crore. Even other countries have bought Rafale aircraft but not for Rs 1,600 crore," he said.



Referring to the offset agreement between French manufacturer Dassault and an Indian private firm, Gandhi said for 70 years HAL has been making aircraft while the private firm given the contract had not made any aircraft.



"He (Modi) always says that he wants to be the 'chowkidar' of the nation, not the Prime Minister. But he has given away the money belonging to the people of the country to a private firm."



Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who addressed a press conference at party's headquarters, said an offset partner can be chosen only with government's clearance and the Modi government is "lying."



"On a bare bone text reading of Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2013/2016, it makes amply clear that an offset partner cannot be selected without thorough evaluation and scrutiny by the Defence Minister and the Defence Acquisition Wing of the Ministry," he said.



He claimed that the contract of 126 jet aircraft was done by the Congress after the same number was demanded by the Air Force.



BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the then government mounted pressure on the French firm Dassault Aviation to give works to Bhandari's company.



"Bhandari, who has close links with Vadra, formed a company named Offset India Solutions (OIS) in 2008 and he formed a joint venture as he tried to enter into an offset clause in the Rafale fighter jets deal through the back door," he alleged.



He said Dassault made it clear that they do not want to enter into any kind of deal with the OIS. "And this was the reason why the Rafale deal was then scrapped after years of negotiations as Vadra was not getting the commission out of the deal," he alleged.



Air Force Deputy Chief Air Marshal R. Nambiar told the media here that the deal for 36 Rafale aircraft by the Modi government was "much better" than the one negotiated earlier for 126 planes, contending that "people are misinformed" about the issue.



"All and all, it was a very good deal, much better than what was obtained in 2008," the Deputy Chief Air Marshal said.President Donald Trump on Tuesday held up India as an example to the world of a country that has successfully lifted millions out of poverty while upholding freedoms.

Addressing the General Assembly on Monday, he said India was part of a "beautiful constellation" of countries working for a common future. "There is India, a free society (of) over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into middle class."



"Many countries are pursuing their own unique visions, building their own hopeful futures and chasing their own dreams of destiny, of legacy and of a home," he said.



"The world is richer, humanity is better because of this beautiful constellation of nations."





In a break with tradition, Trump spoke third at the the high-level General Assembly session instead of the second as he arrived late.



The first head of state to speak is always from Brazil, followed by the US President.



However, President Lenin Moreno Garces of Ecuador, a critic of the US, took the second spot with a wide-ranging critique of Washington.



Trump, who took the third spot, emphasised his America First policy with a declaration that he rejected the "ideology of globalism" for a belief in patriotism and he reiterated his hardline against countries like China, Iran and Venezuela.



He criticised OPEC for "ripping off the rest of the world" and demanded that the OPEC nations cut their "horrible prices" because "we are not going to put up with it."



In contrast to his laudatory statement about India, he had harsh words for China, accusing it of currency manipulation and dumping and said that he will not allow it to exploit American workers or companies.



He defended his imposition of tariffs on $250 billion worth Chinese goods saying, "The United States lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs, nearly a quarter of all steel jobs, and 60,000 factories after China joined the WTO (World Trade Organisation) and we have racked up in $13 trillion in trade deficits over the last two decades."



He said, "Trade must be fair and reciprocal. The United States will not be taken advantage of any longer."



The US was renegotiating "bad and broken trade deals" with several countries and groups to get fairness for America, he asserted.



In what sounded like a reversal of Washington's policy of promoting democracy and exporting its values, he declared, "The United States will not tell you how to live, or work, or worship. We only ask that you honour our sovereignty in return."



He started his speech with the domestic audience and the mid-term election in mind and read out his economic scorecard, which was greeted by murmurs in the audience, which he laughed off.



He talked of the $700 million added allocation for the military this year and said the US military will be the most powerful.



He said he stood for America and the American people and was, thereby, also standing up for the world.



The speech was punctuated repeatedly by assertions of independence from global regimes and multilateralism. "America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination," he declared.



He spoke of his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a sign of progress in ending the specter of nuclear weapons, but he also said that he would not loosen the sanctions on Pyongyang till there was complete denuclearisation.



On Iran, which he criticised as force for destabilsation, he defended his decision to pull out of the nuclear deal.



In a demand that could affect India, he said, "We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues."Two weeks ago, a story titled $3.57 million contract awarded for new airport was published on the front page of the Sunday Samoan.

It certainly raised a few eyebrows. Firstly, very little has been said about the Tiavea Airport project, certainly from the Government that is.

Which is strange especially coming from Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi, who is traditionally very fond of talking about these grandeur projects by his administration.

Come to think of it, though, hes hardly home these days. Hes been travelling so much during the past few months we almost miss him.

Just last week he was in China meeting with President Xi Jinping and from there he globetrotted across to New York, where we find today that he has been meeting with A.C.P. leaders.

Prior to that, he traversed the Pacific hopping from Fiji, Australia, Nauru to New Zealand and so forth. All part of the job, we guess.

Now back in Samoa, the story in question revealed that the $3.57 million tala contract for the Tiavea Airport had been awarded to a company, with connections to senior H.R.P.P. Member of Parliament, Peseta Vaifou Tevaga.

The decision was confirmed in a paper from Cabinet, F.K. (18) 28, issued on 15 August 2018, which advised that the airport contract has been awarded to Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd.

Questions of conflict of interest immediately came to mind. Which are natural anyway. The fact is Peseta is the Associate Minister of the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He is also the Associate Minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Attorney General and Public Service Commission. These are critical offices he occupies.

As any responsible newspaper would do, the Sunday Samoan questioned the Associate Minister about his involvement in the company.

His response was swift: I am not involved in the project of this company.

Now thats quite a confusing answer, dont you think?

Did the Minister mean to say he is not involved in this particular project or did he mean to say he is not involved with the company at all?

Again, these are simple questions. We say this because when it comes to matters of conflicts of interest, its all about public perception. We also accept that it is difficult in a small country like Samoa, where we all are somehow connected one way or another. In other words, we are family.

But then in this case, we are talking about a company directly connected to the Associate Minister, one that has just won a major Airport contract. Given what he had said that he was not involved, the Samoa Observer did a little bit more work.

Which led to another front page story titled Peseta a major shareholder in company that won Airport contract published yesterday.

As the headline reveals, a search of company records at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour (M.C.I.L.) revealed that Peseta, the Associate Minister, is indeed the major shareholder of Aldan Civil Engineering Company Ltd.

The search shows that out of the 100 shares in the company, Vaifou Tevaga, who is Peseta by the way, has 50 share parcels followed by Ruby Tevaga with 20, and Allen Tevaga and Danny Tevaga (with 15 share parcels each).

Now thats quite glaring isnt it?

The M.C.I.L. records dont lie.

Which raises the question, why do these politicians think they can say anything and get away with it? Do they really think that all Samoans are idiots and fools?

To be fair to Peseta, he is not the first senior politician to have been questioned when it comes to conflict of interest given their roles in Government and Parliament.

But what really boggles the mind is how these things are being done today, as if there is nothing wrong with them. It wasnt that long ago that a Ministers brother was awarded a multi-million-tala contract for another major project.

And here we are again today, looking at another senior Member of Parliament and an Associate Minister, heading down the same path?

What is going on in Samoa today? Is the Government not concerned about these issues anymore? Or have we become to immune to cases of conflicts of interest that we should just ignore them and turn a blind eye?

By the way, repeated attempts by our Chief Reporter, Joyetter Luamanu, to get a comment from Peseta were not successful. It would be nice if he responds.

Or maybe we should just wait until Prime Minister Tuilaepa returns. Whenever that is. So stay tuned!

Have a wonderful Wednesday Samoa, God bless!Dear Editor,

Let me reply in short Diana Pai as obviously you are of Chinese descendant.

1. You may have notice youre allowed to say anything you wan to say free of charge. You dont get to go to prison for disagreeing.

2. Most of the foreign exchange we are getting from our aigas overseas or earn through the little and limited trade our poor country is earning is being remitted to China to keep the Chinese businesses operating in the country.

3. Were not asking you for a share of the profits in the numerous fishing rights the Chinese receive from fishing in our waters, just an annual fee which can be off-set in anyway the Chinese government demands because we are poor.

4. You may have noticed if you read the article properly it was written to caution the irresponsible spending of the government though it may imply a sour tone to Chinese nationals in the country, its what you signed up for it.

5. If memory serves me right weve ignored a few offers from Taiwan and agreed to use the name Chinese Taiwan in the world media instead of just Taiwan out of fear because were too poor to speak up against China.

6. Most of our aigas live in NZ or Australia and in all fairness we should be trading with whatever poor little trading we can afford with them instead, China.

7. We voiced Chinas objection to the complaints by Australia and NZ on Chinas continuous involvement in the region because were poor and we cannot speak up to China.

8. China saw the opportunity to make some money from Samoa in trading/ construction and they took it. We didnt come up and hold you at ransom to help out.

9. If I recall the request to cancelled the loan is still been ignored so to take your words, we will be forever fanning the s*** from the Chineses backside because as you guessed were too poor.

10. Our country has broken a few international laws because of its involvement with the Chinese, ie the passports, money laundering allegations, something with fishing I wont bother to go and find out the facts and who knows what weve been forced to do because were too poor to speak.

11. I appeal to the Judges whoevers gonna hear the case of the China man killed in town to give this man the book under the law. He is a disgrace to the country and ought to be castrated and lock up for life. I and most of the poor Samoans are surely saddened by this barbaric behavior of ignorance.

The Samoan word for it is leaoaia.

StevePrime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi, is in New York.

He is participating in the 2nd A.C.P. Ministerial Central Negotiating Group (C.N.G.) Meeting at the Mauritius Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.

The meeting allowed Ministers to receive a progress report on A.C.P. preparations for the upcoming negotiations with the E.U. for a post-2020 successor agreement, a statement issued by the Government said.

It also deliberated on a number of issues requiring their guidance and approval some of which included timelines and sequencing of issues for negotiations, the structure of the final agreement, the A.C.P. and E.U. negotiating structures, venue for negotiations and cross-cutting themes.

The Ministerial C.N.G. agreed to prioritize cross-cutting themes as they are considered fundamental to the definition, elaboration, design and implementation of development policies and programs, the statement reads.

Ministers also reaffirmed the decision of the A.C.P. Council of Ministers that negotiations will only move to the regional level after agreement is reached at the all-A.C.P. level.

It is envisaged that the final outcome of negotiations will be a legally binding single agreement that would have as its integral chapters, regional agreements.

Ministers also reiterated that negotiations is a member state driven process and that the A.C.P. Secretariat as well as regional and continental organizations are expected to provide the technical backup and support.

Finally, the Ministerial C.N.G. agree to meet with the EU Commissioner for Development, Niven Mimica, on 28 September in NY to publicly reaffirm that formal negotiations between the A.C.P. Group and the E.U. will commence on 1 October, 2018.

Prime Minister was accompanied to the meeting by the Samoa Ambassador to Europe given that Samoa is a core member of the C.N.G. and lead negotiator for issues covered under the Development cooperation, technology, science, innovation and research Pillar of the A.C.P. Negotiating Mandate.

It is expected that negotiations will be concluded by 2019. The signing ceremony will be held in the second half of 2020.

Samoa has submitted a bid to host the signing ceremony of this very important Agreement. All previous A.C.P.-E.U. agreements have been signed in Africa whereby over 3000 delegates attended.The Scientific Research Organisation of Samoa (S.R.O.S) is working with local nursery owners under a long-term orchid propagation project aimed at creating new varieties.

Recently S.R.O.S officially handed over the orchid seedlings sourced from Thailand to the flower growers, who are an important part of the initiative to propagate different types of orchid species.

While the project has a long-term goal to assist flower growers in improving their flower business potential, C.E.O. for S.R.O.S, Dr. Seuseu Tauati ,told Samoa Observer that orchids on their own do not translate to profitability, but developing new varieties is lucrative.

Orchids are a lucrative market in Japan. The varieties that were given out are common, you can just go to Thailand and buy them for yourselves. What we are trying to do in the long term is to cross the Samoan, the Thailand and Japan variety to come up with new varieties. If you come up with new varieties, now thats big money. Its S.R.O.S. job to develop new plants and then hand over to the private sector to mass produce.

Orchids are a temperamental plant according to Seuseu as some are easy to grow and some are not. Due to its slow growth (up to 2-3 years fruition), it made sense to ask local growers to assist them in this project.

According to the C.E.O, the outcomes from these exchanges with the local flower growers have proven to be of great value to the development of the work conducted in S.R.O.S, and has also improved the relationship between the organization and their local partners.

Six to eight months ago we got a group of people together to find a letter of agreement saying lets work together on this beautiful research of creating new crosses and new varieties and give them the plants to nourish and take care of."

Were not experts in orchids, so instead of us having several plants growing here, were giving them over to the actual experts, who already grow orchids themselves but not the varieties we have. We maintain contact with them  they learn from us and we learn from them. Research into the orchids includes trialing the most appropriate growth media, orchid propagation of seeds and seedlings, and studying the favorable conditions in which different species thrive  especially the percentage of sunlight exposure."

The orchid propagation project is under the Environment and Renewable Energy Division (ERED) of SROS with financial assistance from Japan.The Samoa Chamber of Commerce has gathered nearly hundred businesses to learn how to prepare themselves before a natural disaster affects their business.

Over three days across Upolu and Savaii, members of the private sector will prepare business continuity plans under the training of the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (W.R.E.M.O.).

Ana Faatoia is the emergency management Advisor for community resilience in Wellington, New Zealand, and she is here in Samoa to run the workshops.

Following two major earthquakes in New Zealand in the last decade, W.R.E.M.O. developed a program for small to medium enterprises to develop continuity plans following disasters.

It was much more popular than with just smaller businesses and sure enough government agencies and large corporations wanted the training too.

Thats when we saw a need to have this important conversation more widely, and also for an opportunity for different groups in the business community to network."

We say to the everyday household, get to know your neighbour, they are the ones who can support you, and for our business community thats the same.

Soon the W.R.E.M.O was approached by the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisations (P.I.P.S.O.), who wanted to train from the toolkit too.

The United States Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.) Ready project took on the funding for training, and in looking for facilitators went straight to the source.

So here I am in Samoa, which for me is coming home and paying it forward, and giving back to communities here, she said.

Ms. Faatoia lives in New Zealand but her family comes from Safotu, Salailua, Lotofaga, Siumu, and Tanugamanono.

The training this week follows a 12-step guide towards a more resilient business with a plan for disaster, starting with staff.

Always keep your staff at the heart of this planning, because thats your productivity, theyre the people who help you recover."

If they are prepared, then they are more willing to return to work and help you set up again, she said.

Workshops will cover relocating businesses if necessary, the importance of insurance, safety of information and spreading out responsibilities.

We want to eliminate that one point of failure, where for a lot of businesses there is that one person that you have to go to who makes all the decisions."

We want to empower our business leaders to actually start doing a bit of delegation so that staff members can take on a bit of ownership or accountability, especially in a time of crisis, she said.

A priority for the training is to actually prepare a business continuity plan, covering all the risk areas.

For isolated communities, the private sector often steps in to provide for communities during disasters where official resources may not be able to provide support.

During consultations in Wellington, communities identified their local business like supermarkets and pharmacies as resources during a natural disaster, so it is important to ask those businesses if they are prepared to meet those needs.

Through our business continuity planning workshops we can identify exactly who will be committed to supporting the wider community.The investigation into corruption allegations levelled at the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure C.E.O. Afamasaga Sua Pou Onesemo is yet to be completed.

This is according to Loretta Teueli, the Acting Attorney General, in response to questions from Samoa Observer seeking an update on the status of the investigation. The suspended C.E.O. has vehemently denied the allegations.

In June this year, the Attorney General Lemalu Herman Retzlaff stated that a formal police investigations were launched on June 6 this year by the Ministry of Police C.I.D., in view of a complaint alleging corrupt practices by a Government C.E.O.

Several emails sent to the Public Service Commission, Commissioner Aiono Mose Sua on their investigation have not been answered as of press time.

But the Acting A.G., in the interview, said: The investigations into allegations made against the C.E.O. of M.W.T.I. are ongoing and have not yet been completed.

In June, a former Member of the Indian Parliament, Sh.P.K. Bansal, and his company Ascent Navals lodged an official complaint with the Public Service Commission against Afamasaga, who has been suspended pending the investigation.

He has since been charged by the P.S.C. with charges of poor management and a breach of contract

In June, Lemalu, in an email to the Samoa Observer said: Both the P.S.C. inquiry and the Police investigation are active, and continue to date.

Lemalu issued a statement four months ago, giving a reassurance that as soon as the complaint was received, it will be acted upon by the office and the Ministry of Police  in an effort to prevent any delays, remove any suggestion of preferential treatment, and to make it clear that no one can be considered to be above the law.The Chief Executive Officer of the Samoa Cancer Society (S.C.S.), Shelley Burich, has been awarded a Framework Convention Alliance (F.C.A.) scholarship to be part of the 8th Session of the Conference of the Parties (C.O.P.8) to the W.H.O. Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (W.H.O. F.C.T.C.).

To be held in Geneva, it will focus on topics such as the shaping of a medium-term strategic framework, which will determine the actions to be taken by the Parties over the next five years, and the advances and challenges revealed in the Global Progress Report on Implementation of the W.H.O. Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

The Framework Convention Alliance (F.C.A.) is a global alliance of over 500 civil society organizations working on tobacco control issues and has been involved with the F.C.T.C. since discussion to develop a treaty began. The Alliance has been influential to help ensure that decisions taken at C.O.P. sessions are those that will best support the achievement of the public health goals of the Treaty.

The Conference will also be the starting point for a wider application of the W.H.O. F.C.T.C. not only for tobacco control, but also as an international treaty to support sustainable development, fight climate change and defend human rights.

The special contribution of civil society, to implementation of the W.H.O. F.C.T.C. is emphasized in the preamble to the treaty and recognized as vitally important in national and international tobacco control efforts.

As a Civil Society, the participation of the S.C.S. is very important not just for Samoa but for all pacific island nations.

The S.C.S. is a strong advocate for Tobacco Control in Samoa and is well versed with the Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (F.C.T.C.).

The S.C.S. continues to work in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Health Sector to advocate for better health for all. Samoa Cancer Society is also a member of the Framework Convention Alliance (F.C.A.) who strongly supports civil society and N.G.O.s in matters relating to Tobacco Control.

This is the first time a non-government organisation from Samoa is attending this high level meeting and will use the opportunity and experience to network and create new partnerships with other global C.S.O.s including improving our advocacy skills to be used back home, said Mrs. Burich.

Samoas current position on Tobacco Control from the perspective of an N.G.O. in collaboration with key health stakeholders including the government will be a topic of discussion at the meeting.

Mrs. Burichs attendance has been fully funded by the Framework Convention Alliance who has recognized S.C.Ss commitment to tobacco control in the country.

The meeting will take place in Geneva from 1st to 6th October, 2018 and will follow by the First Meeting of the Parties (M.O.P.) to the Protocol to the Eliminate Illicit Trade of Tobacco Products, which S.C.S. will be attending as well from 8th to 10th October.The Businesses of Salafai Association (B.O.S.A.) have a lot to thank Business Systems Limited (B.S.L.) for.

Last week, the Association received sponsorship worth more than $3,000 from B.S.L. to fund a health awareness and membership drive.

B.O.S.As mission is to advocate and provide strategic leadership in nurturing a robust private sector on the island of Savaii.

A Tag Rugby Tournament to be held in Savaii is aimed at promoting Health Awareness for both employees and employers in the workplace.

The President of B.O.S.A., Pipi Pauli Tariu, said they are extremely grateful.

Business Systems Limited is the first company to provide support for our initiative, he said.

In pursuing a means to achieve both, there is no better way to accomplish these tasks than by building a social network through our Tag Rugby Tournament.

B.O.S.A. expresses their gratitude to Managing Director of B.S.L., Tiufea Rudy Meredith and the Management and staff.Several groups with differing views are waiting to see what county officials decide should happen to a triangular slice of sloping open space near Jamul.

The 9-acre parcel along Highway 94 in Rancho San Diego is covered in coastal sage scrub and cactus and is home to a variety of sensitive species of flora and fauna.

The undeveloped property, located in an unincorporated area of East County, is owned by the nearby Skyline Church, an evangelical megachurch.

The church says the land, which is adjacent to its parking lot, would be an ideal site for a senior living facility for some of its aging parishioners. Church officials are asking the county to rezone the site.

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Skyline looked into building senior housing in the same area in 2006, but did not follow through with the plan because they said they were looking at other additions to the church site and couldnt do both simultaneously.

Longtime residents of the area, including most members of the Valle de Oro Community Planning Group, want the area preserved as open space, which they say Skyline personnel promised to do in 1996. They say county documents support their assertion.

The current General Plan Designation of the Site is Open Space Conservation; the proposed General Plan Amendment would change that to Village Residential 30.

Skyline Executive Pastor Dan Grant, who says there is widespread support for the project, says senior housing next to the church will give families peace of mind with their loved ones living nearby.

Skyline is asking the county to allow rezoning amendments so it can move forward with plans for a multi-story main building with 147 assisted living units and 75 independent living units; five detached duplex buildings with 10 more independent living units; a pool, gym, exercise rooms, dining halls and other assorted buildings.

Skyline Church has been located on a hilltop overlooking Rancho San Diego since 2000. The church originally was known as Skyline Wesleyan Church and was located in Lemon Grove, but outgrew its digs.

A biological report commissioned by the church says the church will need to mitigate outside the area in other biological open space if it is given the OK by the supervisors to start construction.

REC Consultants Inc. says the project would result in significant impacts to nearly six acres of sensitive Diegan coastal sage scrub, just over half an acre of non-native grassland, Palmers goldenbush, San Diego sunflower, California gnatcatcher, orange-throated whiptail and raptor foraging habitat.

The Valle do Oro Community Planning Group, an advisory body to the county, voted 12-2 at its Sept. 4 meeting to recommend the county deny Skylines request to rezone the property, citing promises made by the church in the past to protect the land.

The project will be reviewed first by the County Planning Commission and then the Board of Supervisors.

Local resident Gary Westergren says the land where Skyline sits was never supposed to be developed in the first place. Westergren says the church was granted the land by the county 22 years ago to build with the promise that part of its property would be kept as open space, including the area where it now wants to put the senior housing.

They are already the recipients of a huge compromise from the community and favorable treatment back in 1996, Westergren said. In 1996, this was still Rancho San Diego. There is a well-reasoned case that the Via Mercado land, which was meant to be undeveloped in the Rancho San Diego Specific Plan, stays that way. While its too late in some ways, saving that open space will still serve to preserve some of the character of this community as a semi-rural suburb with hiking trails and recreational opportunities.

Josan Feathers said that for several years the church negotiated with the Valle de Oro Community Planning Group, of which she is a member, to build their current church complex.

She cited an April 1996 letter from then-Valle de Oro Community Planning Group chair Jack Phillips to the County of San Diego Planning and Land Use Department indicating the groups contingent support for the project based largely upon the applicants commitment to acquire, restore and preserve in a natural state an adjacent 8 acre parcel. 

Feathers also notes a June 1996 letter to the Board of Supervisors from Skyline Senior Pastor Jim Garlow making it clear that the land the church wanted to build on at Via Mercado was to be preserved.

But Pastor Grant says that Garlows letter, which expressed the churchs willingness to preserve the Via Mercado parcel, was not part of the final map, permit or project packet approved in August 1996 by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. He said county supervisors did not include any restrictions or open space easement on the Via Mercado parcel.

In a January 2018 letter to the countys Planning and Development Services Department, Grant wrote that (b)y simply looking at the Via Mercado parcel, one can see why the County of San Diego did not include the preservation of the land.

The property is bordered by a freeway on one side, housing on another and the Church on the other side, Grant wrote. This is hardly an ideal site for wildlife, but ideal for a senior retirement center.

The report by REC, however, says the area is part of the Metro-Jamul-Lakeside segment of the Countys Multiple Species Conservation Program.

Grant says that the greater San Diego region has a dearth of senior retirement facilities, and Rancho San Diegos population is aging. He said the project fills a vital need in the community.

Skyline reportedly has close to 4,000 members. It is one of the largest churches in East County. On a typical weekend, close to 3,000 people worship at the four-story church.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.comAt Grapevine Elementary in Vista last week, kindergartener Jeremiah Cook sat at a table coloring in a workbook.

Im writing a number, he said. Uno, dos, tres.

Cook is one of about 50 students at the school to participate in a dual language immersion program offered for the first time this year. Two classes of kindergarten students, including native Spanish and English speakers, are learning their numbers, letters and other basic academic lessons in both languages.

Half the day, they study in a classroom with instruction, curriculum, books, songs, and other class materials entirely in English. The other half of the day, they switch to the classroom nextdoor, where they learn solely in Spanish.

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So its real immersion, said Principal Rafael Olavide Theres no translation whatsoever. They have found out that the students help each other. They find ways to scaffold and support their peers.

In the Spanish language classroom where Cook is coloring, the teacher called students to the front of the room to work on small group activities.

Delfines, vengan, the teacher called, summoning the dolphins group to come to the front of the rug.

Cooks classmate, Daniel Manuel Gaspar, prompted him to respond: You, delfin, go, he said.

The school spent several years preparing the program, and then settled on the 50/50 model of dual language immersion in which students split their time equally between the languages, with the goal of becoming proficient in both. The program will continue up to fifth grade as students progress in elementary school, with additional classes following them. Ultimately, the district aims to add bilingual programs in middle and high school, Olavide said.

It was a series of conversations with the community and district about how we could offer a different model of instruction to our students, he said. At the end of the process, they would become bilingual, biliterate and bicultural, something that our community appreciates and values.

That was a big draw for Amanda Lewis, whose son Ashton is in kindergarten in the program.

When I heard it was being offered here, I jumped at the opportunity, because I feel like its so important where we live, she said. None of us speak Spanish and thats one of my biggest regrets growing up.

Lewis took elective classes in Spanish, but feels she missed the opportunity to learn it when she would have been best able to absorb a new language.

I took two years in high school and I didnt pick any up, she said. I feel like them, being younger, theyre sponges. They can learn it easier.

Her older son, a second-grader at the school, didnt have the chance to study in the bilingual program, but she said hes still benefiting from his little brothers participation.

Ashton is counting in Spanish and singing songs, she said. Hes so excited to come to school. My other son is picking up bits and pieces.

For Araceli Garcia, who also has boys in kindergarten and second grade, the program allows her youngest to continue to build his Spanish, while developing English fluency.

In the future, hell have more opportunities for employment, and in school, she said of her kindergartener, Jake.

She thinks it also allows him to thrive socially in the ethnically mixed campus.

If children are bilingual, they can have more secure relationships with more people and more children, she said.

Although the family speaks Spanish at home, their older son has dealt with speech issues, and now communicates mostly in English. Curiously, she said, hes picking up more Spanish from his younger brother than from his parents.

Although we speak exclusively in Spanish, hes learning more Spanish from his brother, she said. Its strange, no?

Other districts also offer dual immersion language programs, using models tailored to their student populations. Escondido Union School District offers the programs to 750 students at four schools: Glen View, Farr, Pioneer and Lincoln Elementary, said Laura Philyaw, director of intervention and enrichment for the district.

About 99 percent of those students are native Spanish speakers. So the Escondido programs offer 90 percent of lessons in Spanish and 10 percent in English in kindergarten, increasing the amount of English language instruction by 10 percent per year until fourth and fifth grade, when students study for half their time in each language.

Theres a lot of research that shows the benefits of the 90/10 model, Philyaw said Students are learning their literacy first in their primary language. Theres a lot of benefits to a program like this for students learning English.

She said that native English speakers can also thrive in the program.

In our district, the majority of our students are native Spanish speakers, but we are starting to see more interest of native English speakers coming into the program, she said.

In an increasingly global economy, both Spanish- and English-speaking families see the advantages of language fluency.

Lewis, a real estate agent, said she would love to be able to speak with clients in Spanish, and expressed interest when Olavide said the school may offer after-school language classes for parents.

Students, too, know the benefits of facility in multiple languages.

For example, if I travel to a country and then I know that language, it can be easier to communicate, said Aaron Aguas De Jesus, a fourth-grader in the dual language immersion program at Pioneer Elementary in Escondido.

His teacher, Rachael Bouworth, learned Spanish in high school and during a study abroad program in Spain, while she was enrolled at UC Berkeley. She describes herself as passionate about languages, and also speaks Turkish and Portuguese, along with a smattering of Arabic, Hebrew and German. She learned firsthand the value of Spanish fluency.

How can it not benefit them? she asked. When I started being a teacher it was during budget cuts. I got my job because of Spanish. Anything people can do to make themselves more marketable in the workplace is valuable, and knowing another language makes you more marketable. It also opens you up to new experiences.

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennanNational City plans to join other cities that have banned the use of electronic cigarettes.

In a unanimous vote, the City Council on Sept. 18 directed city staff to draft a set of revisions to the citys municipal code to regulate the use of so-called e-cigarettes.

The proposed changes were brought forward by the American Lung Association in California.

The suggested updates would add e-cigarettes to municipal code chapters that ban smoking in or near public areas and restrict the sale, display and promotion of tobacco products or cigarettes to minors.

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Using e-cigarettes would be banned in areas including restaurants, city parks and recreational facilities.

Another change, to a zoning portion of the municipal code that regulates tobacco specialty shops, would add new language that mirrors state law to ban the sale of food or alcohol and prohibit persons under the age of 21 from entering unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The update to the zoning section requires a recommendation from the Planning Commission and a public hearing during a City Council meeting.

I think this brings us up to 2018, Mayor Ron Morrison said of the proposed changes to the citys municipal code.

City staff plans to return to the City Council for a vote on Nov. 20, with a set of ordinances to update the municipal code and the recommendation from the Planning Commission. The commission is expected to vote on the update to the zoning chapter on Oct. 15.

If the updates are approved by the City Council, National City would join other cities that have tightened smoking regulations to include e-cigarettes. Cities in San Diego County with similar regulations on the books include Coronado, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, Poway, El Cajon and La Mesa.

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandezA Del Mar company took down its website and Facebook page and had its Twitter account suspended last week after an Oklahoma veteran came forward and accused the company of failing to refund him more than $10,000 for almost two years.

Coty Melancon, a disabled Air Force veteran, purchased a $16,600 tank-like wheelchair from Del Mar-based Iron Horse Devices in December 2016. He did so with $12,000 from the Semper Fi Fund charity, plus $3,700 raised on GoFundMe.

Melancon received his chair on Dec. 23, 2016. He said the chair functioned as advertised at first, then broke down soon after it was delivered. Melancon said he faced months of delays and shifting explanations from the company, then reached out to his local television station in Oklahoma.

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After a story aired on Sept. 17, the Del Mar company unpublished its social media accounts and website, according to Kathryn Evans, the companys co-founder.

I took down the Facebook account due to Mr. Melancons negative information about us, she said by email. It caused our FB page to blow up with negative comments asking why we were taking advantage of a disabled veteran.

Evans said she has been threatened on her personal accounts. She also said she has offered Melancon a full refund.

Melancon said his attorney is in negotiations with the company for a settlement, and expects it will wire him the money soon. He has shopped for a replacement off-road chair that costs about the same as the one from Iron Horse Devices, and he plans on buying it as soon as he gets his refund.

The problem with Melancons chair began almost as soon as it was delivered, he said.

After an initial drive the day he received it, Melancon stored the chair in his garage. On New Years Day, 2017, he took the chair hunting. It was the first  and last  time the machine functioned as intended, he said.

I took the chair to go hunting in Wellston, Oklahoma, Melancon said in an email. I returned home and parked (it) in my garage with no issues.

A week later, the next time he went to use his chair, he said the right track was not moving and he called Evans.

She informed me that I would need to send the chair back for them to diagnose, Melancon said.

So he did. Melancon said he kept a log of the dates and all the emails exchanged between him and the company. According to him, from Jan. 30, 2017, to Aug. 28, 2018, the company gave more than a dozen different explanations as to why it could not refund his money or sell his chair on consignment.

Melancon said at that time, the company told him the problem was a broken gear box and a burned motor.

Evans said in an email last week that the company could not determine why the chair stopped working.

We believe it was due to water damage to the electric motors which were washed at a car wash, she said, causing electrical damage not covered by the warranty.

Melancon said he hosed the chair off at his home.

According to him, the company told him it would be replacing all parts on the chair in mid-February 2017.

By March 15, the promised date of repair, the work had not been finished. At this point, he said he decided hed rather have a refund.

Instead of a refund, Melancon agreed to enter into a consignment agreement with Iron Horse Devices on March 23.

We have a signed consignment agreement with Mr. Melancon, said Evans in an email. The company would re-sell the chair for Melancon, and then give him the money.

Over the next 17 months, promised buyers would come and go, and Melancon would be assured his chair was sold  or was in the process of being sold  over and over again, he said.

In September 2017, he received partial payment from the company, he said, in the amount of $3,767.

The new year unfolded much like the previous, Melancon said, as he asked for updates only to be told the chair was being demonstrated, upgraded or in the process of being sold.

By May, Melancon said he asked for a direct refund. In a June email, Evans told him the company did not have the money to give him a refund.

By the end of August, Evans told Melancon there was a delay in the shop, and it would take at least five more weeks for a refund. Thats when Melancon went to his local news station.

Iron Horse Devices was incorporated in 2016 in Del Mar. Its listed business address  1155 Camino Del Mar  is a UPS Store. Correspondence sent to Melancon lists a Rancho Penasquitos residence as the companys address.

We do not have an office, Evans said. The products are manufactured and then assembled at multiple contracted shops.

The company was built on the remnants of another tracked-chair company, Tankchair.

A 2015 story about Tankchair on ITV in the United Kingdom reported on similar issues with a customer trying to obtain a refund for the device.

We do not have any business affiliation or current relation to Tankchair, Evans said. Iron Horse purchased parts and inventory from Tankchair. We invested in engineering to correct the problems.

Evans and an investor, John Pabst  a San Diego real estate agent  separated their ties with Tankchair, Evans said.

Products are being sold as-is and are considered demo units, she said. This is on the invoice we provide to our customers. This project relies on the expertise of the engineers and technicians we contract. Yes, we have experienced prototyping hurdles, and we correct and move forward.

Contact Andrew Dyer via email or Twitter.A Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputy was shot and wounded Monday night in City Terrace.

The shooting occurred just before 11:30 p.m. on the 1000 block of De Garmo Drive during some type of altercation in the hillside district. Sheriffs deputies were swarming the scene. Capt. Darren Harris confirmed a shooting occurred but had no further details.

The Sheriffs Department tweeted Tuesday that the deputy had surgery after being shot in the upper torso and was in stable condition.

The department said three suspects were involved and one of those was dead at the scene.

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The shooting comes about a week after a gunfight in East L.A. that left two sheriffs deputies wounded and a suspected gang member dead.

UPDATES:

3:40 a.m.: This article was updated with the deputys condition.

1:15 a.m. Sept. 25: This article was updated with additional details about the deputys injury and additional details about the suspects.

This article was originally published at 11:50 p.m.I will never forget that tragic morning 40 years ago Tuesday when I was a young reporter driving west on State 94 toward my office in Mission Valley. Like a horror scene in some action suspense movie playing out on a giant screen of blue sky, a commercial airliner and a small plane collided.

As the crippled jet, belching fire and smoke careened downward, my hands froze on the steering wheel and my life flashed before me as if I were momentarily trading places with an unknown passenger. It was mind-numbing and traumatic, yet I knew I had to get to the crash site. I exited I-805 at North Park before law enforcement officers arrived to barricade the off-ramp.

The wreckage scene was Daliesque and the smell ghastly as bits of twisted metal, clothing, shoes and body parts transformed a formerly sleepy neighborhood into a smoldering graveyard. I tried to put myself on autopilot to focus on collecting reaction from witnesses and residents  until, that is, I got to one house. There, a husband and wife tearfully described the wonderful woman who lived across the street. Her house, in the destructive path of the PSA plane, no longer existed.

Tom Pekny, a pilot for Delta, chose that career path after his grandmother died in the PSA plane crash. (Courtesy photo)

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She was beloved by her neighbors, they told me. Then they mentioned the womans daughter worked at The San Diego Union  she was the mother of our newsroom receptionist. The crash suddenly became personal.

Thats the way it was for Tom Pekny  personal.

So personal, in fact, that it changed the trajectory of his life.

The UC San Diego sophomore had just gotten to campus when he saw smoke billowing up in the distance. It appeared to be coming from his Serra Mesa neighborhood. He turned on his car radio and learned a plane had crashed in nearby North Park. He instinctively re-started his engine and drove home.

Tom Pekny was a student at UC San Diego when he saw smoke from the crash of PSA Flight 182 in the distance. He did not know at the time that his grandmother was on the plane. The catastrophe changed the course of his life. (Dennis Huls / San Diego Union-Tribune file)

The radio reporting was so emotional, I was wiping away tears thinking about the loss of life and how tragic this was.

His mother and uncle arrived shortly after he got home. Did you hear about the PSA plane crash in North Park, Pekny asked. His uncle exclaimed: Oh, my God. Gaga was on that plane. Gaga (pronounced Gay-gah) was the nickname of Peknys grandmother, Louise Martin, 74. She was returning from a vacation in Europe.

Tom Pekny provided this photo of his grandmother, Louise Martin, a San Diego passenger on PSA Flight 182 when it crashed on Sept. 25, 1978. (Courtesy photo)

Peknys life changed at that instant. He became haunted by the question: Why, on a crystal clear morning, had two planes collided? I read every article I could find. I had no experience in flying but started looking for classes to get some answers.

He dropped out of UCSD pre-med and enrolled in aviation classes at Mesa College. Then he transferred to San Diego State and took ROTC, eventually joining the Air Force. Pekny didnt want to be a jet jockey. He wanted to fly a heavy, a troop transport plane.

That became my big motivation. You have everybodys lives in your hands up there. I wanted to be the guy looking out for everyone. After 12 years, Pekny left the Air Force to follow his airline pilot dream. Now 59, he has been flying for Delta for 19 years.

On Tuesday, for the first time, he plans to go to the crash site where Gaga died exactly 40 years ago.

If shes looking down, shell be smiling from ear to ear, knowing that I went and did something with this. I had a brother-in-law who said, Im never getting on an airplane again. That wasnt my reaction. Pekny wanted to be the guy saying, Ive got your back.

My whole life is different because of that event, Pekny adds, noting that he met his wife, Lisa, during an Air Force stint in South Dakota. My wife and kids wouldnt be here, he says. Something good came out of it.

diane.bell@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1518

Twitter: @dianebellSD

Facebook: dianebell.newsAuthorities are investigating the source of a $1.25 million fentanyl load that was seized at the Border Patrols Pine Valley checkpoint earlier this month, according to a search warrant affidavit filed Friday.

The load  nearly 52 pounds of powdered fentanyl in bricks and 3 pounds in pill form  were found in a hidden floor compartment of a Mini Cooper on Sept. 5, according to the affidavit.

The seizure is not record-breaking  a Tijuana college student tried to smuggle nearly 80 pounds of fentanyl across the border here in December  but it is larger than usual.

Fentanyl is a dangerous synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times as potent as heroin and deadly in very small amounts.

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When the car came to the checkpoint on Interstate 8 in the afternoon, a Border Patrol drug-detecting dog alerted to a scent inside.

The driver, Jose Armando Hernandez Velazquez, said he and his passenger, both Mexican citizens in the U.S. legally, were going to do some shopping at the Viejas Outlets.

An inspection of the floorboard found an apparent attempt to conceal recent tool marks with a black permanent marker, authorities said.

A hidden compartment was found with 21 bricks and two bags of pills inside. There were several markings on the packages, including the letters TV and what appeared to be a Mercedes-Benz logo.

The court records do not indicate the purity of the powdered fentanyl, although the supply that typically comes from Mexico is 6 to 7 percent pure, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Record show the Mini Cooper had crossed into the U.S. from Mexico through the Calexico Port of Entry about two hours prior.

In an interview with investigators, Hernandez said he was supposed to drive the load to a mall in Riverside or Anaheim, where he was supposed to shop while someone unloaded the car. He said hed smuggled drugs six to seven times earlier for $2,500.

Hernandezs passenger, Sandra Cristina Osuna Nunez, denied any knowledge of drug smuggling, but Hernandez later told authorities that shed learned of his involvement three months ago and had tried to get him to stop, the warrant states.

Both have been arrested on charges of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.

The warrant filed in San Diego federal court seeks to search their cellphones for clues.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavisPalomar Health has inked a two-year contract with its newly-hired chief executive officer that pays $800,000 per year in base salary and the opportunity to earn up to a 25 percent performance-based bonus.

The public health care districts board of directors approved the contract with Diane Hansen, Palomars chief executive, on Sept. 10. The district provided a copy of the pact to The San Diego Union-Tribune on Friday, Sept. 21.

Hansen, 49, was named Palomars interim chief executive in November 2017 after former Chief Executive Officer Robert Hemker retired. Though it initially announced that it would undertake a national search to find Palomars next leader, the Palomar board ultimately made it clear that Hansens performance as an interim won her the job.

In an interview with the U-T published on Aug. 8, Dara Czerwonka, chair of Palomars board, cited Hansens successful navigation of stalled union contract negotiations, cost-cutting efforts and handling of quality issues that put Palomar Medical Centers Medicare participation in jeopardy as specific items that made the board comfortable with its hiring decision.

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Hansens base salary is within striking distance of Hemkers.

The retired executives base pay was $841,360 in 2017, according to an online database maintained by the California Controllers Office. An additional $29,441 in other pay and $98,532 in deferred compensation retirement payments, plus $25,507 in health coverage payments, left his total compensation just shy of $1 million in 2017, according to the controllers database.

Palomar Health is the states largest public health care district with two main hospitals in Escondido and Poway, a skilled nursing facility and many other ancillary services in inland North County.

Hansen is a certified public accountant. Prior to assuming her current duties, the executive served for five years as Palomars chief financial officer. She returned to Palomar, where she previously worked from 2002-2005, after a job at Indiana University Health where she was director of financial operations for physicians groups and ambulatory services.

Health Playlist On Now Video: Why aren't Americans getting flu shots? 0:37 On Now Video: Leaders urge public to help extinguish hepatitis outbreak On Now San Diego starts cleansing sidewalks, streets to combat hepatitis A On Now Video: Scripps to shutter its hospice service On Now Video: Scripps La Jolla hospitals nab top local spot in annual hospital rankings On Now Video: Does a parent's Alzheimer's doom their children? On Now Video: Vaccine can prevent human papillomavirus, which can cause cancer 0:31 On Now 23 local doctors have already faced state discipline in 2017 0:48 On Now EpiPen recall expands On Now Kids can add years to your life

paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsissonThe white Dallas police officer charged with killing her black upstairs neighbor was unfairly axed from the department, her lawyer said.

Robert Rogers suggested Monday night that Dallas Police Chief U. Renee 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, Rogers said in the statement. 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.

Officer Amber Guyger was fired earlier in the day in connection with the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Botham Jean. She had been charged with manslaughter on Sept. 9, three days after Jean was killed.

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Guyger claimed she parked on the wrong floor of her apartment complex and believed she was entering her own apartment. She said she fired at Jean because she believed he was a burglar, but witnesses say they heard her knocking on the door.

Botham Jean was buried in his homeland on Monday. (Handout)

She is completely devastated by what happened, according to Rogers, who called the shooting a tragic mistake.

Words can never express our sorrow for the pain suffered by those who knew and loved Botham Jean, he said.

Adverse conduct was cited in Guygers termination, and police spokesman Sgt. Warren Mitchell said that is often the case when an officer is charged with a crime.

Mitchell said 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.

Guygers dismissal came the same day that Jean was buried in his Caribbean homeland of St. Lucia.

With News Wire ServicesThe founder of a Texas company that sells blueprints for untraceable 3D-printed guns has resigned after being arrested for having sex with an underage girl, the firm said Tuesday.

Cody Wilson stepped down on Friday night to deal with personal matters, according to Paloma Heindorff, director of development for Defense Distributed.

Heindroff will be taking over Wilsons duties as director of the company, she said.

Im a different person, she said during a press conference. Im not trying to replace him as a character.

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She indicated that the resignation was his own decision and we support it.

Going forward, as it stands, he has no role in the company, she said.

Defense Distributed has been the center of the gun control debate in recent months. A federal court barred Wilson from posting their gun designs online for free, but he began to sell them through his website. Heindroff said the company will continue to do so.

The 30-year-old Wilson is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl he met through the website SugarDaddyMeet.com. The girl said they met in the parking lot of a coffee shop in Austin and then drove to a hotel. She said she was paid $500 after they had sex and then was dropped off at a Whataburger.

He was arrested in Taiwan and escorted back to the U.S. He is free on $150,000 bond.

With News Wire ServicesA Florida man who witnesses say grew angry after his mistress failed to get an abortion has been charged with killing both her and their unborn child, authorities said.

Jose Soto-Escalera, 41, was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of first degree murder in the death of 23-year-old Tania Wise and her unborn child, a baby boy named Josiah Thomas.

Wises body was found in a drainage ditch along the side of the road Aug. 24 with visible trauma on her throat, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Daily News.

The document reveals Soto-Escalera worked with a man Wise had been dating, but vehemently denied any sexual relationship with her, and claimed there was no chance he was the father of her child.

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A witness told police that Wise believed three different men could have been little Josiahs father, but that she called Soto-Escalera  who is married and has four children  and told him that the child was his.

Soto-Escalera allegedly told Wise to get an abortion immediately and the two arranged to meet in order for him to give her the $500 necessary, according to the affidavit.

Wise picked up the money, the witness said, but instead of getting an abortion, she gave it to another man she was seeing. Soto-Escalera allegedly grew angry with Wise for not getting the abortion, and was afraid that his wife would learn of the situation.

Another witness told police that Soto-Escalera was upset and claimed Wise  who also had an older child from a previous relationship  had played him.

Sheriff Ken Mascara of the St. Lucie County Sheriffs Office said that Soto-Escaleras arrest was the final piece of this puzzle, and that theyd found their man after DNA evidence confirmed he was the father and a witness confirmed seeing a truck belonging to him near the road where Wises body was found.

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 told Treasure Coast Newspapers.

Soto-Escalera is currently being held without bail in the St. Lucie County Jail, online records show.The resignation of Instagrams co-founders is being blamed, at least in part, on growing tension with parent company Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Kevin Systrom  who launched the platform with Mike Krieger in 2010  cited the duos desire to explore our curiosity and creativity again in a statement announcing their departure Monday.

Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs; thats what we plan to do, Systrom wrote.

Rumors began to swirl that Kevin Systrom (pictured) and Mike Krieger left Instagram because of conflicts with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP/Getty Images)

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Zuckerbergs increased involvement has rumored to have become a source of tension with the Instagram co-founders.

While Instagram used to have shortcuts on Facebooks bookmarks menu, the links have since disappeared.

Personnel changes have undercut Instagrams autonomy, Techcrunch reports  including VP of Product Kevin Weil being replaced in May by former Facebook exec Adam Mosseri, whos close with Zuckerberg.

Mike Krieger (pictured) and Systrom made the announcement on September 24, 2018. (Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images)

Zuckerberg called Systrom and Krieger extraordinary product leaders in a statement released Monday.

Ive learned a lot working with them for the past six years and have really enjoyed it. I wish them all the best and Im looking forward to seeing what they build next, Zuckerberg wrote.

Facebook did not respond to a request for comment about the rumored tensions between the social media services Tuesday.

The departure is the latest staffing change in Instagrams upper management. Head of public policy Nicole Jackson Colaco left earlier in the year, and Marne Levene, former Instagram chief operating officer, is returning to Facebook as the global head of business development, according to Bloomberg.

Whatsapp  which, like Instagram, is owned by Facebook  also saw its founders leave in the last year.

It is time. #deletefacebook, Whatsapp Founder Brian Acton tweeted in March amid Facebook backlash following a data breach of users information involving shuttered analysis company Cambridge Analytica.

Acton and fellow Whatsapp founder Jan Koum left the company due to disagreements with Zuckerburg  according to Bloomberg  but there was also speculation that their exit was due in part to privacy concerns of the companies.While authorities in North Carolina are looking to comforting voices to help them find a missing 6-year-old boy who is autistic and nonverbal, the FBI is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to his recovery.

The FBI said it is playing messages recorded by Maddox Ritchs parents all around Rankin Lake Park in Gastonia, where he went missing on Saturday.

If you have a kid that cant really communicate but his parents talk to him every day ... I completely understand why they would do it, ABC News contributor Brad Garrett, also a former FBI agent, told the network.

Maddox was with his father and at least one other person when he started running and vanished in the park.

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The intensive search has been expanded two miles outside the park, according to ABC News. Investigators are looking into at least 80 leads, according to WSOC.

Every second counts when a child is missing, FBI supervisor Jason Kaplan said. Our focus is to find Maddox as quickly as possible and to bring him home safe and sound.

Cops and the FBI are asking the public not to spread rumors about the search on social media.

Information about the intensive search for this precious little boy is being released by our official channels on a regular basis, the Gastonia Police Department wrote on Facebook on Monday night. Do not be responsible for redirecting our efforts away from where they need to be ... we should all unite to #FindMaddox.

Local residents told WSOC that there are many deep holes in the park, and expressed concern that the child may have fallen into one of them.

If you get too close and you miss your step, you are going to go somewhere, Jerry Stewart told the station.He goes by Reverend Drew now.

That, at least, is what the parishioners of a storefront church in Harlem called him. And that is the name on his Facebook page and YouTube channel, where hes been posting videos of his booming sermons the past few months.

But the reverend wasnt always a man of the cloth.

Before joining the leadership of Infinity Mennonite Church three years ago, Reverend Drew was better known as Andrew Warren: a disgraced CIA officer from Chesapeake convicted in 2010 on federal sex and drug charges. Prosecutors said he sexually assaulted a woman in Algeria before going on a cocaine-fueled bender in Virginia.

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It was a case that drew international media attention, including write-ups in Rolling Stone, Washington Post, Daily Mail and Politico. Its why he has his own Wikipedia page.

Few if any churchgoers had a clue until this summer.

We knew nothing about it, said Richard Pannell, who met Warren about three years ago. I knew nothing, and no one I know at the church knew anything.

Warren  who was ordained in 2015 by his fathers non-profit, Samaritan Outreach Ministry in Norfolk, Va.,  is no longer with Infinity Mennonite. Pastor Al Taylor, the New York state assemblyman who runs the church, said he asked Warren to leave his volunteer position last month amid allegations he sent sexually themed Facebook messages to Pannells 84-year-old mother.

Were praying for him and the family, said Taylor, who previously asked a federal judge to end Warrens probation early so he could more easily help lead the church. Its hurtful, its very hurtful. Were certainly upset. Were rebuilding trust. Its step by step.

Pannell let The Virginian-Pilot review the messages his mother got about 2:45 a.m. one day in June. The sender, whose name and profile photo matched Warren, contacted the elderly woman to express concern about a mutual acquaintance hed seen at the gym. He said the acquaintance kept staring at his penis, and proceeded to repeatedly tell the 84-year-old woman how large it is.

The Infinity Mennonite Church Of Harlem is pictured in an undated image. (Google Maps)

In her responses, the woman never told the sender to stop messaging her. The messages showed she tried to change the subject and that he kept making comments about his anatomy.

As soon as I saw it, I said ... this is inappropriate, said Melody Pannell, Richards sister. I automatically knew something wasnt right.

It is unclear how much Taylor and his congregation knew of Warrens background. Warrens court file contains letters from 14 people from the church, but only two  Taylors and another  directly referenced the fact he was on probation.

Mr. Warren has been an inspirational leader for the congregation and community since he started preaching, Taylor wrote.

No new charges have been filed against Warren, who served as the CIAs bureau chief in Algeria before he was recalled and ultimately fired in March 2009.

Pannell said he and his family have spoken with detectives from the NYPDs 32nd precinct and Special Victims Division about Warren. They even provided screenshots of the Facebook messages.

Both detectives, however, said there was nothing they could do. After speaking with a prosecutor, they determined no crime had been committed, said Detective Kelly Ort, an NYPD spokeswoman.

There is no written police report.

Pastor Al Taylor (pictured), the New York state assemblyman who runs the church, said he asked Warren to leave his volunteer position last month amid allegations he sent sexually themed Facebook messages to Pannells 84-year-old mother. (Kevin Hagen for New York Daily News)

Warren, now 50, who according to published reports is an alum of Great Bridge High School and Norfolk State University, did not return calls, emails and Facebook messages seeking comment since last week.

But Taylors letter makes no mention of why Warren was under court supervision and, in an interview, he said he didnt know.

He appeared to be a model citizen, Taylor said, explaining that he has written other letters for people in the community who are looking for a second chance. He was actually rolling up his sleeves and impacting the community.

Melody Pannell said it was unacceptable for Taylor to let Warren work at the church without knowing his background.

You have to do your due diligence, she said.

The other 12 messages were framed as general letters of recommendation, with each addressed to whom it may concern.

One bears the name of Pannells mother. Pannell said she doesnt remember signing it, but if she did, she did.

He said his mother knew nothing about Warrens criminal background until the family researched it after discovering the Facebook messages.

Warren is a registered sex offender in New York, but his name is not included on the states online registry. A judge previously declared him a low-risk offender, meaning a person must call a toll-free number operated by the states Division of Criminal Justice Services to find out. A caller must provide his or her name, address and phone number, as well as the offenders name and at least one other identifier, like birth date or social security number.

Warren pleaded guilty in June 2010 in U.S. District Court in Washington to one count of sexual abuse and one count of using cocaine while possessing a firearm. He was sentenced to five years and five months in prison.

According to court documents, Warren admitted to drugging a woman Feb. 17, 2008, in his Algiers apartment and molesting her in his bed.

A second Algerian woman also came forward with a similar account, saying Warren drugged her and forced himself on her in the fall of 2007, court documents said.

Shortly before his guilty plea, Warren drew the attention of police in Norfolk, where he lived while awaiting trial. A neighbor claimed he came over to her house in the 2900 block of Vimy Ridge Ave. and exposed himself.

Warren denied the allegation, leading police to advise the neighbor on how to contact a magistrate and secure a warrant. No charges were filed, though.

He was arrested April 26, 2010, after he failed to show up for a court hearing in DC. U.S. Marshals found Warren holed up in a Norfolk hotel with a handgun and cocaine. He tried to run away, only to be tackled by several officers, one of whom used a Taser on him.

Warren, who was released from prison in 2014, asked the court last year to let him stop reporting to a probation officer in New York  7 years early. He noted his work at Infinity Mennonite Church, and referenced a series of videos hed posted online of some of his sermons.

I pray this court views me as the man I am today; as one who is striving to better himself and his community through the teachings of the Bible, and not as the man I was before, Warren wrote.

Prosecutors opposed the request, though, and Judge Ellen S. Huvelle agreed. She noted the nature of the original charges and that he had not been a model probationer to that point, citing an unspecified violation of moderate severity.

The court is unpersuaded that early termination is warranted, the judge wrote.

With Rocco Parascandola and Trevor KappALBANY, N.Y.  A 41-year old Canadian man has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for conspiring to smuggle thousands of pounds of marijuana into the United States through the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in northern New York.

Colin Stewart, of Elgin, Quebec, admitted that he and his co-conspirators smuggled thousands of pounds of marijuana for distribution throughout the northeastern United States. Stewart also admitted that he organized the smuggling, paid his co-conspirators, and personally transported thousands of pounds of the drug across the St. Lawrence River onto the reservation.

Chief United States District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Stewart to serve five years of supervised release when he gets out of prison and pay a $10,000 fine.

The sentencing was announced Monday in Albany.A convicted sex offender walked into a Connecticut church last week and confessed to the brutal 2014 murder of a 54-year-old jogger.

William Leverett, 24, admitted to to members of Open Gate Ministries in Windsor Locks that he fatally stabbed insurance executive Melissa Millan.

He came to us on Wednesday night and confessed to the homicide, co-pastor Michael Trazinski told the Hartford Courant, and we immediately told him, You know what you have to do. He said, Yes, I have to turn myself in. 

Leverett, in a series of interviews with police, recounted how he killed Millan. He said he had attended a treatment meeting for sex offenders in November 2014 and was looking for human contact when he spotted Millan running a few miles from his home in Windsor Locks.

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Leverett admitted to members of Open Gate Ministries that he fatally stabbed insurance executive Melissa Millan (pictured). (Handout)

He said he was attracted to her and went into a frenzy.

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, an arrest warrant affidavit read.

She pushed him away before falling over a guardrail and into the road.

He gave police information that was never released to the public, including what Millan was wearing. DNA testing showed a glove recovered from a barn likely belonged to Millan.

Leverett said he was worried another woman would find out he had been convicted of a sex crime, telling police he was embarrassed and scared and figured that If I just killed somebody it would make all that go away and I wouldnt have to explain myself, according to the Courant.

Millan was a senior vice president at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.

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, her family said in a statement.

Leverett was ordered held on $2 million bond during his first court appearance Monday.

Open Gate Ministries co-pastor Colette Trazinski told the Courant that he is very childlike, very trusting of others.

He opened up to us about his life, his past, what hes gone through, she told the newspaper. We never would have expected this.

With News Wire ServicesA Yonkers school remained closed Tuesday after a toxic mold discovery prompted an emergency evacuation.

Ceiling tiles in parts of Yonkers Public Schools Paideia School 15 tested positive for mold after samples of tiles were taking for testing on the weekend.

Our Paideia School 15 family has been notified of the emergency maintenance situation and the students and faculty all have been safely evacuated to our designed emergency location, said Dr. Edwin M. Quezada, Superintendent of Schools.

More than 575 students and 84 faculty and administrative staff use the building.

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The school was evacuated Monday afternoon to Annunciation School, and removal of mold was scheduled to start Monday evening.

Adelaid Environmental Health, the company that sampled the building, told News 12 Westchester a toxic black mold called stachybotrys was found.

Students will relocate Wednesday.

Kindergarten through 4th grade will be sent to Dodson Elementary school and 5th through 8th to Roosevelt High School.

Yonkers Public Schools will continue to update the school community as the abatement continues, a statement on Yonkers Public Schools website read.An undocumented immigrant has been arrested for stabbing three crew members, one of them fatally, aboard a fishing boat just off the coast of Massachusetts.

Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez was charged in federal court in Boston with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder within special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, according to the U.S. District Attorneys Office in Massachusetts. The vessel, which has its home port in Virginia, was floating near Nantucket when the fatal altercation unfolded the afternoon of Sept.23.

One of the crew members said a commotion drew him to the deck of the ship, where he was allegedly assaulted by the 27-year-old suspect. He saw another man already on the ground and bleeding from his mouth who died later in the day, according to charging documents.

Vazquez, wielding a knife and hammer, then allegedly struck a third shipmate before climbing up the boats mast. He was eventually captured by the remaining crew while the vessels captain put out a distress signal that was later answered by German cruise ship, the Mein Schiff 6.

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Lindsay McDannold, who is going through a divorce with Vazquezs father, told WCVB that her son-in-law has a drug problem.

He is a heroin addict and he is addicted to pills, she said. I think that is probably what precipitated this issue.

Vazquez earlier this year was charged with abduction by force, intimidation, or deception in Newport, Virginia for what McDannold said was an attack on her daughter. He was released on bond, according to the District Attorneys office.

In March, he assaulted her and strangled her and held her against her will, McDannold said. I think its a travesty. I think the court system failed. I think they should do a better job in terms of policing these people when they come in.

Vazquez faces life behind if convicted and will be subject to deportation when he finishes serving any possible sentence.A federal judge said Monday hes leaning toward dismissing Stormy Daniels defamation lawsuit against President Trump.

The porn star filed the action in April, saying Trump unfairly branded her a liar when he scoffed at her claim she was threatened in a parking lot to keep quiet about their alleged affair.

In a Twitter post, Trump likened the claim to a con job and said the alleged man who made the threat didnt exist.

Just looking at the tweet here, it appears to be one that would be protected, U.S. District Judge James Otero said at a hearing in federal court in Los Angeles.

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In the courts view, it appears to be rhetorical hyperbole, he continued after hearing arguments from both sides.

The judge didnt issue a final ruling, but he said allowing Daniels complaint to go forward would cause a chilling effect for candidates running for office and hamper political discourse.

Stormy Daniels recounts alleged tryst with Trump in salacious detail, describes Presidents privates as a toadstool with Yeti pubes 

Trump posted the tweet last spring after Daniels released a sketch showing her recollection of the man who allegedly threatened her in a Las Vegas parking lot in 2011 because she told In Touch magazine she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.

A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)! Trump said in the tweet.

A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)! https://t.co/9Is7mHBFda  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018

The Trump tweet referenced an earlier tweet from someone who suggested Daniels ex-husband bore a striking resemblance to the suspect depicted in the sketch.

Trumps lawyer Charles Harder, famous for his takedown of Gawker Media in the Hulk Hogan sex tape case, argued in court Monday that Trump was expressing an opinion that Daniels was trying to fool the media.

He said Trump based his assertion that the man didnt exist on the fact (the sketch) looks like her ex-husband.

Daniels lawyers, including Michael Avenatti, argued that Trump was making a factual statement that could be proved wrong.

I witnessed something here today that I thought I would never witness, and that is Donald Trump having a lawyer stand up in a federal court and espouse on his behalf the virtues and how important the First Amendment is in America, Avenatti told reporters after the hearing.

This is the same Donald Trump that has crapped all over the First Amendment and the news media for years (and) wants to jail journalists, he said. The irony associated with that is absolutely palpable.

Otero is expected to issue a final ruling in the coming days or weeks.

He called the Monday hearing to discuss the defamation case and also set a schedule for upcoming events in Daniels separate lawsuit against Trump and his former lawyer Michael Cohen over her $130,000 hush-money deal.

Cohen and Trump want that case dismissed because they separately filed paperwork saying they will not pursue a multimillion-dollar arbitration action against Daniels related to the deal and are simply walking away from it.

Daniels, meanwhile, wants the case to move ahead so she can prove the deal was an illegal use of campaign finance money. If its proven illegal, as opposed to never formed, Cohen could not try to recoup the $130,000, Avenatti explained in paperwork.

The judge continued further hearing on that matter to Dec. 3.San Diego officials say the citys new ambulance provider will be required to revive a program that targeted unnecessary 911 calls.

The request for proposals for new ambulance providers that city officials plan to circulate this fall will require applying companies to agree to revive the program and cover the costs of potentially expanding it.

The program, which ceased operations a year ago, used a software filter to identify and reroute the most frequent 911 callers: the homeless, the mentally ill and drug addicts.

It drew national praise and saved the city money from 2010 through 2016 by allowing ambulances to focus on the most urgent emergency calls. But financial concerns prompted ambulance provider American Medical Response to stop providing the four paramedics required to operate the program.

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That companys contract to provide San Diego ambulance services expires on June 30, giving the city an opportunity to require the program be revived after that.

In June, the county grand jury issued a report criticizing the city for allowing the program, called the resource access program, to cease operations.

City officials last week said they had little choice in the matter and that they are in ongoing discussions with American Medical Response about possibly reviving the program before June 30.

The programs software filter allowed city officials to build a history for each individual who was placing multiple calls to 911. It included the number of calls, length of time between the calls, the nature of the incidents and the treatment required.

Paramedics contacted frequent callers to let them know about social services, mental health resources, shelters and other help. Some were also assigned case managers.

Meanwhile, the city started to flag 911 calls from frequent callers and route them differently than an ordinary 911 call. Instead of sending those calls only to paramedics, they were sometimes routed to a wider network of service providers, including law enforcement, homeless outreach teams and social workers.

In a response to the grand jury approved last week by the City Councils Public Safety committee, city officials say the program was a success but that its elimination didnt create the logistical strain described by the grand jury.

The response says San Diegos emergency call system can handle the extra volume of calls created by the citys roughly 1,400 frequent callers, who generate 15 percent to 20 percent of all calls.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrickThe owners and managers of two San Diego elder-care facilities face a host of misdemeanor charges after inspectors found the residents living in deplorable conditions, including scabies and mice infestations in one of the homes and mold in the other, city prosecutors announced Monday.

The residents  the charges list 11 victims  ranged in age from 57 to 84 years old.

At one home, one victim was found living in a garage without ventilation, while another lived in a tent on the side of the house. All seven residents of that home were suffering from heat exposure when they were found, according to a news release issued by the City Attorneys Office.

The four defendants include Petra Garcia Navarro, 52, accused of operating one of the homes, and her 32-year-old daughter Jaquelinne Aguirre Navarro, said to have been running the other home.

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Prosecutors say the other two defendants  Silvina Sandoval Torres, 71, and Martha Alicia Bragg, 48  owned the facilities.

Neither of small facilities had a license.

The Union-Tribune was unable to reach any of the defendants except Torres, who said she had not been associated with the facility for several years. Her attorney did not immediately return a call for comment.

According to prosecutors, the city got involved after receiving a complaint from a resident in the home Petra Navarro ran on Sparling Street in College Grove.

In June, city prosecutors say, inspectors found extensive infestations of mice, scabies and roaches in the home.

The six-bedroom site  which housed 11 people  reportedly smelled of urine and had unsafe electrical fixtures. The plumbing had been installed without a permit and there was no telephone for emergency calls.

None of the residents were allowed in the kitchen, prosecutors said.

On Aug. 2, the city ordered the residents to be relocated at the expense of the facility, which operated under the name Angel House and Hogar Dulce Hogar, LLC,

Five days later, the residents were gone.

Investigators from the City Attorneys Office found that seven of them had been relocated to a home run by Navarros daughter on Kostner Drive in Otay Mesa West.

They were driven in the back of a pickup to the second home, prosecutors said.

A check of that second house  where one resident lived in the garage, another in a tent  was also found to have health and safety violations, prosecutors said.

The seven residents in that home were suffering from heat exposure.

Charges were filed Friday. The four women will be arraigned Oct. 22. Three of them  the mother, daughter and Torres  are accused of multiple counts of willful cruelty to an elder or dependent adult.

The City Attorneys Office said it plans to lead a task force to crack down on substandard, unlicensed elder and dependent care facilities.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUTA Washington state politician has refused to resign from the House after allegations of sexual harassment, despite pleas from state party leaders.

Rep. Matt Manweller (R-Ellensburg) announced Monday that hell serve the rest of his term, but not the next if he is re-elected in November.

At this point we are only three weeks away from ballots going to the voters, he said in a text message to the Yakima Herald. My name will appear on those ballots regardless of what I decide to do with respect to my campaign and service to the district. I also believe it is important than the 68 percent of voters who identify as Republicans have someone to vote for.

Late last year, the Seattle Times reported that Manweller had been investigated twice for allegedly sexually harassing students while he was teaching political science at Central Washington University more than a decade earlier. After the report, the university opened an investigation into Manweller and found that he had led a pattern of inappropriate behavior including allegations of unwanted touching, suggestive conversations and offering an educational benefit in exchange for sex.

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Manweller, who called the allegations trivial and nitpicky in a video on his website, was fired after 15 years at Central Washington.

Last week, Manwellers former high school student told Northwest News Network that she had a sexual relationship with him after she graduated in 1997, when she was 17. Under Idaho state law, where he taught, that would have been classified as statutory rape.

He also denied those claims.

Following the most recent allegations, Washington State House Republican leadership asked Manweller to resign.

I am deeply saddened and disappointed by the story shared in the well-documented piece from the NW News Network, House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox said in a statement Friday. What Matt did was wrong.

Manweller, who was first elected in 2012, is up for re-election this year after receiving 63% of the vote in last months primary.WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump says Democrats are working hard to destroy Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Trump said on Twitter Monday night that Kavanaugh is a wonderful man, and a man who has the potential to be one of our greatest Supreme Court Justices ever.

He then pounced on Democrats for attacking Kavanaugh with an array of False Acquisitions the likes of which have never been seen before! In a later tweet he corrected Acquisitions to Accusations.

Brett Kavanaugh claims he couldnt have sexually assaulted accusers because he was a virgin many years into college 

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Two women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct decades ago. He has denied sexually assaulting anyone.

The President tweeted Monday night from New York, where he is preparing to address the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.

Brett Kavanaugh, with his wife Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, answers questions during a FOX News interview, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, in Washington, about allegations of sexual misconduct against the Supreme Court nominee. (Jacquelyn Martin / AP)

Trump later urged his supporters on Twitter to REMEMBER THE MIDTERMS!

Kavanaugh said he never sexually assaulted anyone.

The Supreme Court nominee told Fox News in an interview broadcast Monday night that he has always treated women with dignity and respect.

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!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2018

California professor Christine Blasey Ford has said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when both were in high school. Another woman, Deborah Ramirez, says he exposed himself to her at a college party. He has denied both accusations.

Kavanaugh said he made the unusual decision to do a television interview before a Senate committee votes on his nomination because he wants to clear his name.

Kavanaugh said he is looking for a fair process, a process where I can defend my integrity and clear my name. And all Im asking for is fairness and that Id be heard.A suspect has been arrested in the sudden death of an American diplomat who was found dead in his home in Madagascar.

The unnamed diplomat died overnight on Friday, the State Department announced.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and the U.S. Embassy Antananarivo community, spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement.

Nauert declined to give any more information about the diplomat, but said a suspect was in custody.

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Antananarivo police spokesperson Herilalatiana Andrianarisaona told Agence France-Presse that authorities were called to the diplomats home after calls from neighbors and private security guards.

A man was arrested after being caught trying to jump the perimeter fence fleeing from the house, Andrianarisaona said.

In July, the State Department warned of a dramatic spike not only in the number of crimes, but also in their severity and type, including armed attacks, robberies and assaults in Madagascar, driven by poverty and high unemployment rates.Christian Siglin, who claims hes not a spring chicken any more, has hopped around the bar industry since he was 21 when he started as a barback at the Hyatt La Jolla. Now, 20 years later, after stops with Noble Experiment, Cutwater Spirts and many others, hes working to open a new space in South Park called Fernside with Adam Cook (Bluefoot).

Ahead of the bar and restaurants opening (any day now), Siglin sat down with host Edwin Real of Facebook group Eating and Drinking in San Diego to chat about the following:

How the Fernside project came to be

A long history behind the bar starting at 21

Becoming his own boss

Growing up as a surf kid in San Diego

What Fernside brings to South Park

Where Christian eats around Golden Hill/South Park

A sense of community in Barrio Logan

What its like being married to someone who also works in the industry

Putting the best foot forward: Why real ingredients matter in cocktails

Hiring the right people

San Diego as a spirits city

National perception of San Diego as a cocktail city

Food and drinks should complement each other, not outshine each other

Good, fast and cheap. You can have 2 of the 3, but not all.

Drinking grocery store alcohol: Buyer beware.

2 a.m. musings: Why do people treat Pabst Blue Ribbon/Coors Banquet Beer different than beers like Budweiser or Miller Light?

Big proponent of consistency

San Diego is a big small town

Kiss My Glass is a collaboration between PACIFIC and Facebook group Eating and Drinking in San Diego.

Listen and subscribe to Kiss My Glass and sister podcast Dish It Up wherever you listen to podcasts, including iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Soundcloud.

 El Jardins beverage director Christian Siglin makes one the restaurants signature cocktails, the Avo-Colada

Keep up

1946 Fern St., South Park, 619.867.2835

Instagram: @fernsideftw

Keep reading...

And the Bartender Challenge winner is...

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.Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/25/2018 -- Vitamin A is involved in immune function, vision and reproduction. It also plays an important role in the maintenance of the kidneys, aids in weight loss, manages diabetes, prevent cancer, delays sign of ageing, boost the immune system, promotes heart health, promotes good digestion, promotes eye health, improve skin condition and many more. Ripe cherries must be carefully handled to avoid bruising and should be used as soon as possible or frozen for future use. Ripe Barbados cherries bruise easily and are highly perishable. The stem and bark of Barbados cherries contain high amount of tannin and has been utilized in leather industry.



Barbados cherries  Malpighia punicifolia (Acerola) are small-sized fruits of Caribbean origin, it contains up to 65 times more vitamin C (ascorbic acid) than orange. It is been used in the Amazon as medicinal plant for hundreds of years. Sometimes a single Barbados cherry contains 1000 to 2000 mg of vitamin C, the minimum daily recommended vitamin C requirements. Vitamin A is another important nutrient found in the Barbados Cherries.



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Barbados cherries has been used extensively in food, bakery, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals etc. which is expected to fuel the growth of Barbados cherries market.



Owing to developed taste for cherries among individuals across the globe, Barbados cherries market is expected to grow in terms of revenue across the globe. Barbados cherries have wide range of benefits, which is expected to fuel growth of the market. Individuals are getting health conscious and inclined to consume natural food products, which will expand the Barbados cherries market over the forecast period. Increasing demand for Barbados cherries in food, bakery, confectionery etc. is also expected to expand the Barbados cherries market.



Weak distribution channel in some of the untapped markets is expected to hamper the sales of Barbados cherries, which could be considered as a restraint for Barbados cherries market. Cherries is trending across the globe as people are inclined towards the taste of cherries and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period.



Barbados cherries Market: Regional Outlook



Depending on the geographic regions, global Barbados cherries market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, APAC, and MEA.



In terms of consumption, Europe holds the largest share of Barbados cherries market followed by North America which also possess a large Barbados cherries market. Latin America comes after North America in terms of consumption.



Asia Pacific Barbados cherries market is expected to grow at significant rate in terms of consumption during the forecast period because people getting aware of benefits of cherries and increasingly developing the taste for the same. The Middle East and Africa is expected to grow in the forecast period as disposable income is increasing in the region.



Population around the globe is developing the taste for cherries which is expected to increase the sales for Barbados cherries market over the forecast period.



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Barbados cherries Market: Key Players



Some of the prominent manufacturers of Barbados cherries are Diva Agro LTD, Coral Beach Farms Ltd, SAS SICA SICODIS, PROTO and other regional players.Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/25/2018 -- Lancets are one of the widely used alternative devices to obtain blood samples. Lancets are receiving global recognition and acceptance due to its several convenient characteristics which gives them an edge over the traditional methods for vein puncture. Some of the important features of the safety lancets are painless vein puncture, easy handling, and safety while using. The major applications of the safety lancets are capillary blood micro sampling, cholesterol test, hemoglobin (HBO) and HIV screening test, blood group test, coagulation tests, allergy tests, and many other blood-based tests.



The Global Lancet and Pen Needles Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.30% during the forecast period, 2017-2027.



Lancet and Pen Needles Market - Key Players



Some of the key players in this market are B. Braun Melsungen AG, Terumo Corporation, Becton Dickinson, Sanofi, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Bayer AG, Novo Nordisk A S, Eli Lilly and Company, Owen Mumford Ltd, Medtronic, Ypsomed Holding AG, Sarstedt AG & Co, Greiner Bio One, Abbott Laboratories, HTL-STREFA S.A, Improve Medical, UltiMed, Inc., Allison Medical, Inc., Artsana S.p.a., VOGT MEDICAL, Perrigo Diabetes Care, MedExel Co., Ltd, ARKRAY Inc., Simple Diagnostics, Stat Medical, Terumo, Trividia Health, and others.



Lancet and Pen Needles Market  Competitive Landscape



Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. is second largest medical device company, by holding a share of 19.1% as of 2016. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. develops and manufactures pharmaceutical, medical and diagnostic products. The company has a huge brand image, broad product portfolio, and strong distribution network around the globe. Roche is known for their technological innovations in Lancet and pen needle market. In the recent years, Roche acquired Signature Diagnostics AG (Signature), a privately held company based in Potsdam, Germany. Furthermore, Roche also acquired Signature Diagnostics AG (Signature), a privately held company based in Potsdam, Germany



Becton, Dickinson, and Company (known as "BD") manufacture medical devices and instruments. The company's customers include healthcare institutions, science researchers, clinical laboratories, and the pharmaceutical industry. BD operates in more than 50 countries. For Instance, in March 2015, Becton, Dickinson, and Company announced the acquisition of CRISI Medical Systems, a medical technology company focused on providing safe delivery of IV injectable medications. The acquisition will strengthen BD's position in addressing preventable medication errors and improve the care delivery.



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Lancet and Pen Needles Market - Segmentation



The Global Lancet and Pen Needles Market is segmented on the basis of type, application, and end user. On the basis the type, it is segmented into lancets and pen needles. The lancet segment is further segmented into safety lancets and regular lancets. The safety lancets is further sub-segmented into push button safety lancets, pressure activated safety lancets, and side button safety lancets. The pen needles are further sub-segmented into standard pen needles and safety pen needles. On the basis of the application, it is segmented into insulin, capillary blood sampling, hormones, GLP, skin testing, and others. On the basis of the end users, it is segmented into hospitals & clinics, diagnostic centers & medical institutions, home care & home diagnostics, research & academic laboratories, and others.



Lancet and Pen Needles Market - Regional Analysis



Europe dominates the global lancet and pen needles market owing to the increasing prevalence of patients, the presence of major market players. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the healthcare expenditure in Germany was EUR 321 billion in 2014 while France recorded the second highest level of current healthcare expenditure of EUR 237 billion.



The Americas hold the second position in the market owing to increasing support from the government, the presence of huge geriatric population, and high healthcare spending. Moreover, improvement in medical device regulation, the presence of a strong economic condition, and focus of research institutions on updating technology for new and advanced treatment methods for lancet and pen needles are some of the other factors contributing to the growth of this market in the region.



Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market owing to the presence of more number of developing nations such as India and China in this region. These countries are encouraging the growth of the lancet and pen needles market.



The Middle East & Africa is expected to hold the least market share due to less availability of medical facilities, and less development in the healthcare domain. However, countries such as Qatar and Kuwait are focusing more on the healthcare sector and developing medical facilities, which will boost the market of this region.



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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.



About Market Research Future

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.



In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/24/2018 -- Amidated low sugar pectin is an altered form of pectin that is sourced from the citrus fruit peels. Amidated pectin have a set of complex polysaccharides that are mostly present in cell structures of plants. Amidated pectin is mostly used for gelling, stabilizer and as a thickening agent in food. Most widespread application of amidated pectin is to give a solid jam like consistency to marmalades or jams, and without thickening they would just remain in the form of sweet juices. Amidated pectin is also used to stabilize protein drinks that are acidic in nature like yogurt and it is also used in baked goods as a substitute for fat. To obtain best results, amidated pectin should be at a pH of 3.2-3.6. Its setting temperature is about 40 to 70 degrees C depending on the amount of calcium present. Amidated pectin is also used in low calorie jellies that have a low content of sugar, jells and gelatine type desserts.



As per the International Pectin Producers Association, amidated pectin is one of the most multifaceted stabilizer available in the market. Due to its properties of gelling, stabilizing and thickening, it has become a useful additive in the production of a number of food products. Typically, amidated pectin was used in the production of jams and fruit jellies, both in domestic and industrial applications, and in products that had a high sugar content. The reason for this is the fact that pectin secures the chosen texture, ensures an even distribution of fruits in the given food product and limits the creation of water or juice on the top surface of the food product. Now, with changes in lifestyle rampant, pectin is mainly used in industrial applications. In some regional markets of Europe, amidated pectin is used as an integrated component to gel sugar. Pectin is regarded as an extremely safe food additive and its composition and use is controlled by various bodies like FAO, WHO and USFDA.



Request for Report Sample : https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13825



Major exporters of amidated pectin include Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Czech Republic and China. Major importers of pectin are the United States, Japan, France and Russia. As per the data released by American Chemical Society, around $850 million is the market value of the amount of pectin sold in the world. Since pectin cannot be digested, and it is a soluble fibre, its content in most processed foods is limited between 0.5% and 1%. Amidated pectin has its uses in the field of medicine since it increases viscosity and volume of stool and hence is used in both cases of constipation and diarrhoea. It is also used as a demulcent in throat lozenges. Pectin also finds its use in cosmetic products, where its main function is to act as a stabilizer. Pectin is also used in the preparation of wound healing substances and speciality medicines adhesives.



Pectin is usually sub divided into various groups as per the amount of esterification and amidation. Some of the groups include high methoxyl (HM) pectin and low methoxyl (LM) pectin. Low methoxyl pectin is able to gel at high pH levels and doesn't require high levels of sugar, making it ideal for low calorie food products. Amidated pectin contains amides that are compounds derived from ammonia. Amidated pectin can also be used for emulsifying as it possesses the properties of dissolving in both fat and water and it gets dispersed in water uniformly as an emulsion. Pectin is also used to increase the shelf life of food products like yogurt and soy drinks and to protect them from the ill effects of heat processing.



Leading manufacturers of pectin include Naturex, Herbstreith & Fox, CP Kelco, Cargill and Yantai Andre Pectin.



The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, types and applications.



Request for Report TOC : https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13825Loganville, GA -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/25/2018 -- SCI Supply& Rental, a leading supplier of disaster recovery equipment and services, is opening new satellite offices in Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma as part of an effort to better its nationwide reach.



The new satellite offices are Hockley, Conroe, Dickinson, Texas, Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma, and Henderson, Colorado. SCI SUpply is based in Logansville, GA.



"We took a look at the places where disasters happen, the supply chain and how long it takes to respond," said company owner Ty Robinson. "We looked for places that are underserved by disaster relief companies. Then, we picked regional or geographic centers. The locations we chose fit our business expansion model and serve a very real need for those areas."



When communities in the West begin flood recovery efforts, they learn getting the needed equipment and trained professionals to do the work is not easy. Mr. Robinson said the Loganville office always expects huge demands for help any time flooding occurs out there.



"When people in Colorado, Texas or Oklahoma are calling Georgia asking for help, you know they are desperate. You know they do not have local resources to use," he said. "That is why we have expanded. The need is there. We are stepping in to fill a need."



SCI Supply specializes in water damage restoration equipment and advice to recover from such a disaster. This includes mold and odor removal, document cleaning and restoration and moisture control.



"We built this business in Georgia around helping people recover from floods, whether natural or accidental. Over the years we have learned what it takes to get a building or a home back to pre-damage conditions," Mr. Robinson said. "At the same time, we learned this kind service is rare. Many people think they know how to recover from water damage, but the reality is few understand it completely."



SCI Supply rents and sells restoration equipment. Company employees can also offer advice on the best ways to use the equipment. The company designs custom desiccant and dehumidifiers as well.



About Ty Robinson

Ty Robinson is a graduate of University of Georgia. Married with 2 girls and enjoys spending time with the family. I have a passion for the outdoors which includes hunting, fishing, and camping. My first job after college was selling cemetery lots. I then went on to sell chemicals and janitorial supplies with Zep Manufacturing. My passion to succeed led me to start SCI Supply and push the company to a new level.



About SCI Supply & Rental

SCI serves the professionals in this industry with a broad array of water damage restoration equipment committed to restoring interior environments that have been damaged by water back to dry and safe conditions. We're master distributors of products and provide a broad variety of air scrubbers, dehumidifiers, and air movers.



The range of products constantly is expanding, yet the emphasis on innovation, quality, value, and safety is a constant. The choice of equipment for water damage restoration has been professionally selected to provide value, as well as quality. All the SCI featured product line carries a minimum of a 1-year comprehensive warranty.



SCI provides its clientele a direct connection with the warranty, parts, and technical support centers of our product line in the United States.



Media Contact:

Ty Robinson

SCI Supply & Rental

2412 Lance Ct Loganville GA 30052

https://waterdamageequipment.com/

770-466-4818

866-243-6555Researchers using data from NASAs Cassini orbiter have found evidence for massive dust storms in Titans equatorial regions. The discovery, reported in the journal Nature Geoscience, implies that Titan  like Earth and Mars  has an active dust cycle.

Titan is a very active moon. We already know that about its geology and exotic hydrocarbon cycle, said Dr. Sebastien Rodriguez, a researcher at the Universite Paris Diderot, France.

Now we can add another analogy with Earth and Mars: the active dust cycle, in which organic dust can be raised from large dune fields around Titans equator.

Titan is the only moon in the Solar System with a substantial atmosphere and the only celestial body other than Earth where stable bodies of surface liquid are known to still exist.

On our planet such rivers, lakes and seas are filled with water, while on Titan it is primarily methane and ethane that flows through these liquid reservoirs. In this unique cycle, the hydrocarbon molecules evaporate, condense into clouds and rain back onto the ground.

The weather on Titan varies from season to season as well, just as it does on Earth.

In particular, around the equinox  the time when the Sun crosses Titans equator  massive clouds can form in tropical regions and cause powerful methane storms. Cassini observed such storms during several of its Titan flybys.

When Dr. Rodriguez and colleagues first spotted three unusual equatorial brightenings in infrared images taken by Cassini around the moons 2009 northern equinox, they thought they might be the same kind of methane clouds; however, an investigation revealed they were something completely different.

From what we know about cloud formation on Titan, we can say that such methane clouds in this area and in this time of the year are not physically possible, Dr. Rodriguez said.

The convective methane clouds that can develop in this area and during this period of time would contain huge droplets and must be at a very high altitude  much higher than the 6 miles (10 km) that modeling tells us the new features are located.

The team was also able to rule out that the features were actually on the surface of Titan in the form of frozen methane rain or icy lavas.

Such surface spots would have a different chemical signature and would remain visible for much longer than the bright features in this study, which were visible for only 11 hours to five weeks.

In addition, modeling showed that the features must be atmospheric but still close to the surface  most likely forming a very thin layer of tiny solid organic particles.

Since they were located right over the dune fields around Titans equator, the only remaining explanation was that the spots were actually clouds of dust raised from the dunes.

Organic dust is formed when organic molecules, formed from the interaction of sunlight with methane, grow large enough to fall to the surface.

While this is the first-ever observation of a dust storm on Titan, the finding is not surprising. We believe that the Huygens probe, which landed on the surface of Titan in January 2005, raised a small amount of organic dust upon arrival due to its powerful aerodynamic wake, Dr. Rodriguez said.

But what we spotted here with Cassini is at a much larger scale.

The discovery makes Titan the third Solar System body, in addition to Earth and Mars, where dust storms have been observed.

_____

S. Rodriguez et al. Observational evidence for active dust storms on Titan at equinox. Nature Geoscience, published online September 24, 2018; doi: 10.1038/s41561-018-0233-2ABSTRACT

The incidence of liver cancer in China accounts for more than half of the world, and the majority of them is caused by hepatitis B and hepatitis C. China is known as a great contributor to hepatitis. The Chinese government has implemented a series of preventive measures to solve this problem, especially the policy of free hepatitis B vaccination for newborn babies and effectively reduced the incidence of hepatitis. The incidence of infectious diseases is often related to socio-economic factors. Therefore, we used data on the incidence of hepatitis B and C and socioeconomic factors to analyze and find out the relationship among them in various regions. There were high incidence areas and low incidence areas in China, and the high incidence area of hepatitis B was also the high incidence area of hepatitis C. Especially in Xinjiang, the highest incidence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C was observed at the same time. The incidence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C was more affected by regional economic factors. The economic factors in low incidence areas of hepatitis were better than those in high incidence areas. There was a negative correlation between economic factors and the incidence of hepatitis. In conclusion, in economically developed areas, the government has invested more money and resources in public health and peoples health awareness in comparison to underdeveloped areas. In the future, various preventive strategies should be carried out according to the background of different regions.

Keywords:

Hepatitis, Socioeconomic Factors, Incidence, Prevention, China

1. Introduction

Hepatitis B and C are the liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), respectively. The virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild sickness lasting a short period to a serious lifelong illness. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that globally 257 million and 71 million people are living with HBV and HCV infection and accounted for 887,000 deaths in 2015 and 399,000 deaths every year, respectively [1] . The death is mostly due to complications as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [2] . Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are responsible for 96% of all hepatitis-related mortality to the HCC-related virus; HBV is accountable for 70% - 80%, while HCV is for 10% - 20% of virus-associated HCC [3] . HBV & HCV coinfection with other blood-borne viruses is also associated with a higher likelihood of progressions to cirrhosis, HCC and related mortality [4] .

There is a geographical association among HBV and HCV prevalence and the burden of HCC, and the proportion is attributable to hepatitis considerably according to the region. In some regions, high incidence of HCC is also influenced by some other factors such as aflatoxin B1 contamination and HBV genotypes [4] . There is a disproportionate burden of liver cancer geographically impacting by high incidence in China, contributing half of global liver cancer cases [5] .

The mean reported incidence of hepatitis B was 73.28 per 100,000 and hepatitis C was 14.70 per 100,000 in China during 2011-2016 [6] - [11] . In 31 provinces in China, the incidences of HBV and HCV are varied enormously based on time and regional distribution, population distribution, route of transmission of the disease, the economic situation of the area, and regional preventive measures. There is an evidence of the relationship between socioeconomic factors and infectious diseases in China. For an example, the incidences of infectious diseases have a positive correlation with the population of each region, and there was a negative correlation with the gross domestic product (GDP) because the government with better economic development can pay more attention to public health [12] .

To control AIDS, HIV, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases accessible programs are in operation such as health education, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and financial reimbursement plans are active in China. However, these services are very limited for HBV and HCV. In addition, based on the incidence rate of the region, there is a lack of information regarding the relationship between hepatitis (B and C) and socio-economic factors. By finding this gap, we can recommend region-wise preventive measures based on the actual situation. Therefore, we aim to identify the association between the incidence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C and socioeconomic factors based on publicly available data and specify the reasons for the regional differences in hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

2. Method

2.1. Data Source and Items

All the data were acquired from the China Sanitation Statistics Yearbook which was published in 2016 [10] . In this study, we used the data of the incidence rate of hepatitis B and C, the outpatient and admission expenditure data per person, region GDP, urban and rural population, per capita expenditure in rural and urban areas, per capita income in rural and urban areas, rate of hospital delivery in urban and rural area, prenatal examination rate, the number of staff of disease management center and health workers nationwide, the frequency of counseling and group education by government every year in each region in China.

2.2. Data Analysis

In the beginning, we divided 31 provinces into two regions according to the median incidence rate of hepatitis B and C of the provinces since normalcy was confirmed. The areas which incidence higher than median incidence were set as high incidence area (high area), and the areas incidence lower than the median incidence rate were set as low incidence area (low area). The median of hepatitis B is Shanxi, and the median of hepatitis C is Guizhou, and they were categorized as high incidence area. For comparing the differences in the incidence rate of hepatitis B and C, the socio-economic factors between the high incidence areas and low incidence areas the t-test analysis was conducted. To detect the correlation between hepatitis B/C and socioeconomic factors, Pearson correlation analysis was performed. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 20.0, and the significance level was set at the level of p < 5%. This study was conducted between April and July 2018.

2.3. Ethics Statement

The data we used in this study were taken from the China Statistical Yearbook, which was published in 2016. The China Statistical Yearbook was publicly available at the Chinese government website; therefore, there was no special ethical committee of the institutional approval required.

3. Results

3.1. The Incidence of Hepatitis B and C Situation in 31 Provinces of China in 2015

The highest incidence rate of hepatitis B was Xinjiang (164.31 per thousand people), and the lowest was Beijing (7.82 per thousand people). The highest incidence rate of hepatitis C was also Xinjiang (47.66 per thousand people), and the lowest was Xizang (0.98 per thousand people).

The mean incidence rates of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in 31 provinces of China in 2015 were 70.03 and 16.51 per 100 thousand people, respectively. The mean incidence rates of hepatitis B in high and low incidence areas were 101.12 and 36.88 per 100 thousand people, respectively. The incidence rates of hepatitis C in high and low incidence areas were 24.57 and 7.91 per 100 thousand people, respectively. Among them, both hepatitis B and hepatitis C, there were 16 (51.6%) areas in the high incidence area (high area), 15 (48.4%) areas were in the low incidence area (low area). According to the results, the high incidence area of hepatitis B was also a high incidence area of hepatitis C, except the region of Xizang. Xizang was in a high incidence area of hepatitis B, but it was a low incidence area of hepatitis C (Table 1).

3.2. The Differences of Incidence Rate of Hepatitis B and C, Socio-Economic Factors between High and Low Incidence Area of Hepatitis B and C

The differences of socioeconomic factors between high incidence and low incidence area of hepatitis B, the statistically significant difference of the incidence of hepatitis B (p < 0.01) and hepatitis C (p = 0.02), outpatient expenditure per capita (p = 0.03) were found between the two groups. There was no significant difference in other items (Table 2).

Results of comparison with high incidence area and low incidence area according to the median incidence rate of hepatitis C, there were significant differences on the incidence rate of hepatitis B (p = 0.01), the incidence rate of hepatitis C (p < 0.01), urban income (p = 0.04), rural income (p = 0.01), rural spending (p = 0.02) between two areas (Table 3).

3.3. The Relationship between Hepatitis B and C and Each Socio-Economic Factor

The incidence of hepatitis B was positively correlated with the incidence of hepatitis C (r = 0.526, p < 0.01), had negative correlation with the outpatient expenses (r = 0.46, p < 0.01), prenatal examination rate (r = 0.547, p < 0.01) and the rate of hospital delivery in rural area (r = 0.422, p < 0.01). The incidence rate of hepatitis C had negative correlation with the urban income (r = 0.450, p < 0.05), rural income (r = 0.499, p < 0.05), rural spending (r = 0.443, p < 0.05), and rate of hospital delivery in rural area (r = 0.379, p < 0.05) (Table 4).

Table 1. The high and low incidences areas of hepatitis B and C.

NOTE. Shanxi = , Shanxi = .

Table 2. Comparison between 2 groups according to the median of HBV incidence rate.

Note. CDC = Center for Disease Control and Prevention. CNY = China Yuan. Group education = Public health education activities.

Table 3. Comparison between 2 groups according to the median of HCV incidence rate.

Note. CDC = Center for Disease Control and Prevention. CNY = China Yuan. Group education = Public health education activities.

Table 4. Correlation analysis of hepatitis B and hepatitis C and socioeconomic factors.

* p < 0.05; **p < 0.01.

4. Discussion

4.1. Regional Distribution of Incidence of Hepatitis B and C

This study showed a positive correlation between the high incidence rate of hepatitis B and C. As previously reported [13] [14] , this statistic showed wide differences of incidence of hepatitis B and C. Hepatitis B and C have a similar pathogenesis and route of infection; therefore, we need to pay attention similarly on preventive measures of both at the same time with high incidence areas in the future.

Beijing is the capital of China and the most developed region in policies and economy, bringing young generations towards the city, which is the lowest incidence area of hepatitis. Young people are much sensitized and received the hepatitis B vaccine in comparison to other areas. They have the higher awareness of their own health, the intention to accept disease-related knowledge than other areas because of relatively higher income and knowledge. However, the incidence of hepatitis B occurs mostly among young people from 15 to 30 years [15] [16] , and sexually transmitted infection is one of the main routes of hepatitis B circulation [17] . On the other side, Beijing also has a large number of floating populations, which is a high-risk group of hepatitis [18] [19] [20] . The high HBsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen) prevalence among floating population is attributed to poor understanding of HBV vaccination, low awareness of HBV infection control and prevention measures, and low educational levels [21] . Therefore, special strategies need to focus more on the prevention and control of sexually transmitted hepatitis for younger gathering areas. For the floating population, we need to focus on improving their knowledge of hepatitis and health awareness according to their education level.

Xinjiang is the western part of China where ethnic minorities migrate and economically developed areas, which is the highest incidence areas for both hepatitis B and C. Economic retardation, inconvenient transportation, and language disunity are the main causes of high incidence of hepatitis, high rate of home delivery, and low hepatitis screening [22] [23] . There are still a large number of ethnic minority areas in China and use various languages. The disunity of language is a barrier to medical treatment, poor acceptance of disease-related knowledge and information among local residents [24] . To reduce these obstacles of the languages, it is required to set up the health personnel who are familiar with local languages and customs to communicate properly and write a handbook of disease knowledge. Strong motivation and promotion to access to the screening of adult people, community education, and primary to tertiary prevention are needed to work together. With the existing government programs, community education and school health programs are also the key measures to improve the awareness and sensitize the people to ensure hepatitis screening and early treatment.

4.2. The Socio-Economic Factors and the Incidence of Hepatitis B and C

In this study, there is no statistical difference between the two groups on per capita GDP; however, still it is observed that per capita GDP in low-incidence areas is higher than that in high-incidence areas. The same economic disparity is also observed in the cost of health care and the daily cost of living in rural and urban areas. The economies have a potential impact on the incidence of hepatitis B and C. For example, people in economically developed areas have a relatively high level of health literacy, more responsive to regular physical examination and the compliance rates are as well higher than economically underdeveloped areas [14] . As a result, the people in higher regional GDP per capita have more opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment to prevent disease-related complications.

Population density determines the rate of transmission of infectious diseases [25] . For example, the higher the population density, the faster the disease spreads. However, our study observed that the incidence of hepatitis is not related to the density of the population. This might be due to their routes of transmission perceiving that hepatitis B and C are mainly transmitted through blood and body fluids.

The governments participation in public facilities can reflect the importance of public health. The more investment in public facilities can ensure the better capacity to prevent and control diseases. If there are a large number of health officers and staffs in the center for disease control and prevention, more frequencies of public health education activities and consultations will be organized; the infectious disease prevention and management will also be better. However, our comparison showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups. Even for high incidence areas, the governments emphasis on disease prevention is higher than that of low incidence areas. It shows that the government also attaches great importance to diseases in high incidence areas and expects to raise awareness of disease prevention through increased staffing and public health education activities.

The prenatal examination can detect the liver function of the mother, whether it is normal or infected with viral hepatitis [26] . The choice of delivery at hospitals ensures that newborns can be injected with hepatitis B vaccine and prevent the transmission of hepatitis from mother to infants. In our analysis, there was a negative correlation between the rate of hospital delivery in the rural area with hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and between prenatal examination rate and hepatitis B. The higher prenatal screening rate is related to the familys emphasis on mothers and infants. Therefore, it is a good way to avoid mother-to-child transmission for mothers who choose to delivery in hospitals and receive the prenatal examination. Moreover, we need special attention to reduce the risk of transmission from mother to child for women in economically and communicatively developed areas who are unable to receive adequate prenatal care and choose institutional delivery.

4.3. Study Limitation

In this study, we used publicly available data, and we were able to conduct the limited analysis. Therefore, we could not conduct an analysis of the causal relationship about the regional socio-economic factors, which could relate to the incidence rates of hepatitis B and C.

5. Conclusion

In this study, we found that the high incidence area of hepatitis B is also the high incidence area of hepatitis C, and the incidence of a disease is closely related to the local economic development. The better economy reflects the lower likelihood of the incidence of hepatitis. For areas with a high incidence of hepatitis B and C, the residents health awareness level and the ability of disease managers are limited, which affects the prediction and control ability of infectious diseases. We need to formulate preventive strategies for hepatitis according to local conditions.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Cite this paper

Cui, Y.A., Moriyama, M. and Rahman, M.M. (2018) Analysis of the Incidence of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C and Association with Socio-Economic Factors in Various Regions in China. Health, 10, 1210-1220. https://doi.org/10.4236/health.2018.109093

ReferencesGAO is a consultancy within the US Congress, performing economic analyses and then reporting back to legislators who must authorize spending and then allocate money.

The report was initially requested by Congressman Bill Shuster, a Republican from Pennsylvania, who has chaired the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, along with Senator Jim Inhofe, Republican from Oklahoma, who serves on the US Senates Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

The report notes: The tons of cargo moved by domestic Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway traffic have declined since 1980by 32 and 48%, respectively, according to US Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) and Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (US Seaway Corporation) data.

Read the GAO report in full

Causes noted were a shift in the US heartland away from manufacturing- which was the traditional driver of demand for movements of iron ore and coal in bulk. Deteriorating infrastructure is also a big concern. A major chokepoint on the Lakes, the Soo Locks (in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan- linking Lake Superior with points to the east) has been identified, in a 2015 report, by the Department of Homeland Security, as vital to national security.

Read the Department of Homeland Security report in full

The Lakes and Seaway offer management challenges, in that the waterways are maintained by governmental entities, yet it is commercial businesses, subject to economic trends, that actually determine the cargo flows. One description of issues facing the US Seaway Corporation illustrates this challenge vividly, with the report writers saying: Without a formal assessment of risks, the US Seaway Corporation lacks information on the cumulative effect of the challenges faced by users of the system, limiting its ability to inform its future actions to help address those challenges. With such issues in mind, the GAO recommendations center on creating, a process to identify, analyze, and monitor risks to the system's use to inform future actions.

Constraints facing users of the locks were also paramount, with a recommendation that, the Army Corps develop and adopt goals and measures to assess the performance of the Soo Locks and assess of asset renewal outcomes.

There is still a long way to go in maintaining locks in the region. A study done in 2007 identified dozens of needed infrastructure renewal projects. Data in the just released GAO report shows that the Army Corp has finished 18 projects, worth approximately $53m to date, and has about $257m in remaining and ongoing work through 2035. The US Seaway Corporation has completed 16 projects totaling $45m with roughly $144m in work still to be done through 2023.

The GAO analysts who prepared the report talked to numerous industry participants and were able to identify some positive trends possibly emerging. Interviews with stakeholders suggested possible brightspots in project cargoes (including wind turbine blades), containers, and the cruise business.

The report went on to identify issues facing these emerging trades; the winter closure, typically for three- four months during December  March, impedes regular movements of the containers and project cargoes. There is a bit of chicken and egg here; the GAO identified lack of infrastructure in ports to handle new cargo types- the ports suggested that their ability to raise finance was impeded because of inconsistency of cargo moves.

There are many challenges facing owners, cargo shippers and ports around the Great Lakes; hopefully the suggestions in the GAO report will push stakeholders towards viable solutions.Press Release

September 25, 2018 ANGARA: TRABAHO BILL MUST CREATE JOBS, NOT KILL THEM Senator Sonny Angara said the Senate committee would not proceed with its deliberation of the TRABAHO bill unless the government can present definitive data on the impact on jobs. During Tuesday's hearing, Finance Undersecretary Karl Chua insisted that more jobs will be created in the long run under the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High Quality Opportunities (TRABAHO) bill or House Bill 8083 passed by the House of Representatives. However, Labor Department Director Dominique Tutay admitted that the second package of tax reform, which seeks to lower corporate income tax while cutting cut incentives, might lead to job losses. Tutay said the DOLE and DOF have yet to complete their joint study on the impact on jobs of TRABAHO bill. "I'm surprised that the Lower House passed this measure even without such study. The government should really take this issue on jobs seriously. Milyon-milyong trabaho at kabuhayan ng milyon-milyong pamilya ang nakasalalay dito. The bill should stay true to its name--that it would create more jobs rather than kill them," said Angara, chairman of the ways and means committee. The senator also expected the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to present its cost-benefit analysis of the incentives before the committee. But no representative from NEDA was present during the hearing. DOLE revealed that based on their job displacement monitoring, 30,000 jobs in the industry and services sectors were lost in the first quarter of 2018. Following the passage of HB 8083, the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (SEIPI) has released a statement that the bill would force them to lay off 140,000 workers. They said several multinationals are now locating their expansions outside the country, largely due to the uncertainty of keeping their tax incentives here. HB 8083 provides for P500 million to be used for cash grants for displaced workers. An additional P500 million would be allocated for targeted trainings and skills upgrading. Chua explained that these are just "contingency funds for possible job losses." Based on data from the DOF, a total of 1.7 million direct and 7 million indirect jobs were generated by companies registered with investment promotion agencies (IPAs). Angara has stressed that the primary goal should be to create high-paying jobs especially in the countryside. "It seems that the grant of incentives is uneven across regions. We want to spread growth and development in the provinces. Ang hangarin po natin ay lumikha ng trabaho sa rural areas para tulungan silang umangat sa kahirapan," said the lawmaker who is a known advocate of labor reforms, having authored laws that seek to provide job opportunities to Filipinos. DOLE said it would be able to complete its study on the impact on jobs in two weeks.Press Release

September 25, 2018 Gatchalian champions creation of Philippine Rise Development Authority Senator Win Gatchalian is championing the creation of the Philippine Rise Development Authority (PRDA), a coordinating, policymaking, and regulatory body which will serve as a "one-stop-shop" for everything concerning the resource-rich Philippine Rise. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, sponsored on Monday Senate Bill No. 2024, otherwise known as the Philippine Rise Development Authority Act. SB 2024 provides for the creation of the PRDA, which will be tasked to promote, coordinate, and facilitate the exploration, study, development, and conservation of the Philippine Rise and its vast reserves of natural resources. "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," the senator said in his co-sponsorship speech. "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," he added. The Philippine Rise - formerly known as the Benham Rise - is a 24.4-million hectare underwater plateau located off the coast of Aurora province. It is more than double the size of Luzon, the Philippines' biggest island. 11.4 million hectares of the Philippine Rise falls within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone. In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf approved the Philippines' claim on the remaining 13 million hectares of the underwater plateau as part of the country's Extended Continental Shelf, thus bringing the entire Philippine Rise into the country's jurisdiction. Gatchalian, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Energy, highlighted the exciting potential of the vast reserves of methane gas hydrates believed to be scattered throughout the Philippine Rise. 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'," according to the senator. "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," he added. Under the PRDA Act, proposals, plans, programs, projects, or activities within the Philippine Rise region including, but not limited to, marine science research, exploration, and exploitation may only be carried out after securing a clearance from the agency. The PRDA Board will be comprised of 15 board members handpicked from pertinent cabinet departments and technical agencies, with the President of the Philippines sitting as chairman of the Board. "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," Gatchalian said. SB 2024 was filed in substitution of bills authored by Senators Juan Edgardo Angara, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Joel Villanueva.Press Release

September 25, 2018 Villanueva hails Duterte's certification of Security of Tenure Bill as urgent Senator Joel Villanueva, chairperson of the Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources development, welcomed on Tuesday President Rodrigo Duterte's certification of the Security of Tenure Bill as urgent. Duterte wrote the letter to Senate President Tito Sotto dated September 21 requesting the "immediate enactment" of Senate Bill No. 1826. "We laud the move of the President certifying our Security of Tenure Bill as a priority measure. It is important that we pass this into law to finally put an end to work schemes like 'endo' and labor-only contracting," said Villanueva, principal author and sponsor of the measure. According to Villanueva, the practice of contractualization affects more than 1.9 million workers in the private sector. Overall, about three out of 10 Filipino workers are not regular and one out of two non-regular workers are contractual. Once passed into law, the measure would remove the ambiguities in the Labor Code, which is the source of circumventions, and: (a) prohibit labor-only contracting, and provide penalties for violation (b) limit job contracting to licensed and specialized services, (c) classify workers into regular and probationary employees--and treat project and seasonal employees as regular employees, (d) provide security of tenure, (e) clarify standards on probationary employment, and (f) provide "Transition Support Program" for employees while they are not at work or transitioning in between jobs. "Senate Bill 1826 is clear enough to meet the interests of the labor sector and the interests of the business sector," the senator said. The Security of Tenure Bill is "pro-labor, pro-business, and pro-Filipino," he added. For the businesses, Villanueva said that ending abusive work schemes will also benefit the industries. The Senator cited a study conducted in 13 European countries by the International Labor Organization in 2004 revealed that "the relationship between tenure and productivity for the period 1992 to 2002 shows that at an aggregate level, tenure has a positive effect on productivity for about 14 years and levels off thereafter. The study suggests that countries remain productive with a high share of long-tenured workers. "Giving our workers certainty and social protection makes them more efficient and more productive," the senator said. "We certainly need a law that will not only uphold our workers' basic labor rights and restore dignity of work, but also a law that will promote quality employment without jeopardizing business operations but rather create more stable jobs for every Filipino," Villanueva stressed.Significant governance risks existed at failed construction company Mainzeal almost a decade before the company collapsed, according to evidence from veteran company director Sandy Maier.

But directors, including former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, didnt act.

Mainzeal Property and Construction, one of New Zealands largest building companies at the time, went into liquidation in February 2013 owing creditors, including numerous sub-contractors, more than $115 million.

In his statement of evidence prepared for the high-profile case brought by Mainzeal liquidators BDO against the former directors, Maier argued there were warning signs as early as 2004, when Shipley became an independent director on the Mainzeal board.

These included the fact that independent directors had virtually no control over multi-million dollar related-party loans, and relied solely on assurances - which turned out to be wrong - that the money would be repaid.

Maier first came to New Zealand from the US in 1986 as chief executive of Citibank and has been on more than 500 boards in his career. He said in his evidence that between 2004 and 2008 the debt owed to Mainzeal by related company MLG Trading rose to almost $30 million. At the same time, MLG got into financial difficulty, going from having more than $2 million in its coffers, to having almost $45 million of negative equity.

Yet Mainzeal directors didnt tell shareholders and contractors about the problems.

Despite MLGs clear inability to repay that debt, the MLG loans were not impaired in MPCs statements, Maier said.

He said it was irrelevant that auditors signed off the companys annual accounts and didnt signal any problems until 2010.

The role of a director is not simply to rely on the auditors figures without questions or separate assessment. A director is required to look beyond the numbers to consider their reliability and test the risks that may affect the companys position.

I would have expected to see the collectability of the MLG loans identified as a key risk... In fact, I would have expected to see concerted efforts to secure repayment.

He said the way the company was structured gave its ultimate parent company Richina Pacific too much power, and the board too little.

I would have expected to see efforts to gain better control of the business. Obtaining control and having all the information necessary to make informed decisions about the business are fundamental milestones for a board.

The directors efforts should have been focused on achieving transparency of the shareholder [Richina Pacific]s motivation, the possibility of gaining tighter control of MPC [Mainzeal] from its shareholder and ascertaining the risk of non-payment.

By December 2008 I would have viewed these risks as significant and increasing.

BDO is trying to recover $75 million from the former directors - or rather the professional liability insurance companies standing behind them.

The Mainzeal directors - Shipley, Paul Collins, the former Brierley Investments chief executive knighted in the 2015 New Years honours list, Peter Gomm and Clive Tilby - reject BDO's arguments. Jack Hodder QC argued in court last week they were intelligent, thoughtful, involved and conscientious directors of Mainzeal.

He said Mainzeal and its stakeholders would likely have suffered greater loss if they had pulled the plug on the company earlier.

(BusinessDesk)

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Australian private equity firm Adamantem Capital's bid to buy a majority stake in Hellers from Rangatira investments should get a green light from the Overseas Investment Office but may face more scrutiny than it would have previously, says David Pilkington, the chairman of the small goods company's majority shareholder, Rangatira Investments.

Earlier, Adamantem announced plans to invest alongside founder Todd Heller. The deal is conditional on OIO approval in New Zealand and Foreign Investment Review Board approval in Australia.

Pilkington told BusinessDesk there was no sensitive land involved and "historically, Australian buying interest with no sensitive land moved through OIO very quickly".

"I think with the current environment, they are probably taking a closer look at all of these transactions."

The Labour-led coalition has raised the bar for overseas investment, particularly around sensitive land and housing as it looks to protect kiwi interests. "Based on historical precedence, you would expect it to pass OIO," said Pilkington,

He confirmed that Rantagira Investments is selling its total 63 percent interest in the sausage, bacon and ham maker's operation. He declined to give a dollar figure but according to the Australian Financial Review, the deal is thought to be worth around A$200 million.

Rangatira announced in May that it was considering options for the future direction of the business that it first invested in 15 years ago, and had hired investment bank Cameron Partners to help review its business.

Pilkington said it seemed like a "natural juncture" to exit, given the size and success of Hellers.

"It had got to the point, with its own success, that it was becoming an uncomfortable portion of our total investment fund and we have a policy that says we have got to manage risk across the portfolio," he said.

"We would expect to have to invest significant amounts in Australia to grow that business" because of growth opportunities there.

"Adamantem brings a wealth of knowledge, which will help us to scale-up, continue to invest in innovative new products and add further value to our customers," said chief executive John McWhirter.

Wellington investment firm Rangatira increased its stake in Hellers to 63 percent from 50 percent in late 2015, paying $9.5 million for the extra shares, and valuing the investment at $52.2 million at the time. Since then, however, Hellers has expanded. In July, for example, it continued its foray across the Tasman buying Victoria's Moira Mac Poultry for an undisclosed sum and adding A$40 million of revenue to its income stream.

Hellers employs 600 people and produced 30 million kilograms of meat in the year ended March 31, Rangatira said in its annual report. The company's earnings improved in the second half of the year with stricter margin control and a focus on new product development. Rangatira doesn't break out the firm's earnings, but the Australian Financial Review reported previously that Hellers generates annual earnings of $20 million.

(BusinessDesk)

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New Zealand shares edged higher as investors wait for the upcoming round of annual meetings for a clearer steer on company outlooks.

The S&P/NZX 50 index increased 8.45 points, or 0.1 percent, to 9,345.96. Within the index, 22 stocks gained, 20 fell and eight were unchanged. Turnover was $157.5 million.

Grant Williamson, a director at Hamilton Hindin Greene, said a number of companies held off providing earnings outlooks at their annual earnings, preferring instead to wait for the AGM.

"After a few months of trading under the bridge you should have a clear idea on providing some earnings guidance," he said.

Air New Zealand fell 1.6 percent to $3.07 ahead of tomorrow's annual meeting in Christchurch. The national carrier told customers over the weekend it plans to pare some international routes, blaming engine issues with some of its Dreamliner fleet among the challenges it's faced. Other annual meetings tomorrow include Turners Automotive Group, which gained 1.8 percent to $2.90, and NZ Windfarms, which was unchanged 12.3 cents.

Mercury NZ gained 1.5 percent to $3.365 ahead of its Friday AGM. Future Mobility Solutions was unchanged at 11.6 cents ahead of its meeting on the same day.

Orion Health Group also holds its annual meeting on Friday where shareholders will vote on whether to back a restructuring of the group into three distinct firms. The shares rose 5 percent to $1.06.

Williamson said the software developer has been "pretty badly managed" since it listed in 2014. Shareholders will probably lose value on the stock once the transaction is completed.

A2 Milk Co fell 0.3 percent to $11.80. The stock was added to the FTSE index last week, but the sale of shares by CEO Jayne Hrdlicka to cover a tax bill caused some dismay among investors. Williamson said the share sale showed poor judgement.

"It's not what investors wanted to see from the head of the company," he said.

Port of Tauranga led the benchmark index higher, rising 2.8 percent to $5.20, followed by Restaurant Brands New Zealand, up 1.9 percent to $7.70.

Sky Network Television fell 2.2 percent to $2.20, the biggest decline on the day, while Chorus slipped 1.8 percent to $4.76.

NZME fell 1.5 percent to 67 cents after the Court of Appeal upheld earlier rulings rejecting a planned merger with rival Stuff.

New Zealand Oil & Gas increased 0.9 percent to 58 cents after it started drilling an exploration well near New Plymouth. Contact Energy gained 1 percent to $5.88 after announcing former Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment chief David Smol will join its board next month.

Among blue chip stocks, Meridian Energy increased 1.2 percent to $3.37, Spark New Zealand advanced 0.5 percent to $4.02, Auckland International Airport gained 0.4 percent to $7.45, Mainfreight fell 0.4 percent to $29.82 and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare declined 0.8 percent to $7.25. Fletcher Building was unchanged at $6.35.

(BusinessDesk)

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The governments proposed ban on new offshore exploration looks likely to halt plans by Methanex for a $100 million-plus emissions reduction project at its Motunui plant.

The company uses natural gas to make methanol and had been considering a project to recover and re-use CO2 from its production processes in order to reduce emissions per tonne of product.

But that project is now unlikely to proceed due to uncertainty about the longevity of affordable gas supplies in New Zealand, says John Kidd, director of sector research at Woodward Partners.

This is a project that should have been an absolute slam-dunk, he said. Its good for emissions, its good for the economy and its good for gas continuity.

Vancouver-based Methanex is the worlds biggest methanol maker and the biggest gas user in New Zealand.

Methanex New Zealand declined to comment on the emissions reduction project. In July it said it had secured sufficient gas to meet half its New Zealand requirements through to 2029, but noted its disappointment with the exploration ban which it said would impact it long-term.

Kidd said carbon dioxide recovery would be a good project, but it required a long pay-back period. Methanex refurbishes its production trains every five years and the uncertainty the government policy change has created means it would struggle to justify investments needing more than five to 10 years to pay off.

Kidd says it is an example of the environmental costs of the proposed ban, which he believes is more likely to increase emissions than reduce them.

The potential for carbon leakage as New Zealand-made products are replaced with products made overseas is absolutely real, he said. The fact the coalition is proceeding with the ban shows the government is more focused on shutting down the countrys oil and gas sector earlier than would have been the case, rather than reducing emissions.

All of the scenarios are negative  some of them dramatically so, Kidd told BusinessDesk.

And the policy objective of reducing emissions is actually worse.

The Labour-led coalition shocked the industry in April when it said it would stop offering new offshore exploration permits. It also restricted onshore exploration to Taranaki and plans to stop offering new acreage there after three years as part of it is calling a long-term transition away from fossil fuels.

The government argues the existing 100,000 square kilometres of exploration acreage will ensure sufficient long-term gas supplies for industry and generation while the country moves over 30 years to lower-carbon options.

But that analysis ignores the fact that only about a third of that acreage is anywhere near the countrys gas infrastructure, which extends north and south of Taranaki, the low probability of offshore discoveries, the staged nature of exploration work programmes, and the impact the ban has already had on investor confidence.

Last month, New Zealand Oil & Gas chief executive Andrew Jefferies said the ban had given overseas explorers the impression the country was closed for business. He believed the firm would have had another partner for its Barque drilling programme off the Oamaru coast had it not been for the ban.

Today Kidd said he suspects many exploration permits may be relinquished as they approach the next stage of work programme commitments during the next two years.

The government yesterday released a bill amending the Crown Minerals Act so that it can effect the ban. With the bill and an accompanying cabinet paper was an assessment by officials of the likely impact.

They estimated the potential loss of Crown revenue through to 2050 at between $1.2 billion and $23.5 billion and said the changes were more likely to increase emissions globally rather than reduce them.

Their analysis didnt include any estimate of the impact on the broader economy from reduced exploration, development work and engineering support in Taranaki, the countrys most prosperous region by income per head of population.

Nor did it estimate the economic consequences if major gas users like Methanex, NZ Steel, or Ballance Agri-Nutrients reduced production as supplies tightened or gas prices rose.

Energy & Resources Minister Megan Woods yesterday questioned how officials could credibly quantify the financial impact of unknowable exploration outcomes. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters described the officials estimates as flimsy and told Radio New Zealand the ranges were so broad as to be meaningless.

Kidd said the range of outcomes reflected the inherent uncertainty in oil and gas exploration and development.

He said MBIEs methodology on lost revenue was sound and precisely the approach used in the sector for this type of work.

But he said the ministrys narrow focus meant their report materially understates the broader economic impact the policy change will have in terms of jobs and balance of payments.

Oil and gas account for just over half the countrys primary energy supplies. Kidd noted that gas  produced as methanol  brings in more than $1 billion in exports. When converted to urea it displaces about $200 million of imported product, while locally produced LPG displaces about $200 million of imported fuel.

(BusinessDesk)

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Sharesies will more than double in size during the coming year with a $4 million injection from Trade Me to help fund new product development and get its name out to the public.

The start-up is already seeking three new people on top of the 14 currently employed and needs about 30 to hit the targets in its current business plan, chief executive Brooke Roberts said. She has two objectives in that process: helping New Zealanders realise Sharesies removes the price barrier to investing and building out the company's existing product.

"What this capital helps us do is build out those key product opportunities we see and also drive that awareness," Roberts told BusinessDesk.

Many firms find attracting skilled workers difficult in the current environment and Roberts said the company will be matching that expanding workforce to opportunities and developments as they arise.

"We'll scale the team in order for us to do what we set out to do," she said.

Sharesies provides an online platform for people to make regular small investments in a range of funds. It has attracted 24,000 users who have collectively invested more than $27 million through the platform, through a variety of exchange-traded funds and managed funds.

New product development will focus on those existing products in the short term, but as customer awareness develops they'll add new asset classes, Roberts said.

"Our aim is that someone with $5 has the same opportunities as someone with $500,000," she said.

The company's developers will also be working on how it can build financial advice into the platform to help investors make good choices and motivate them to build their portfolio, she said.

Roberts sees Sharesies as a wealth development platform rather than a wealth management one and is pursuing a generation of investors who want to engage online. The Wellington-based company's developers target the 25-to-35 age demographic and 80 percent of their investors to date are under 40.

Sharesies has found online engagement to be effective in getting the word out, but Roberts sees other avenues as part of that campaign to build a "loved and trusted" brand.

One example is the company's first share club event in Wellington this week where four speakers will talk about investing and field questions. They include Sharesies co-founder Leighton Roberts, lawyer Alex Lipski, Edmund Hillary fellow Kaye Maree Dunn, and Kiwibank head of transactions and payments Zoe Wallis.

Trade Me wasn't the only suitor keen to invest in Sharesies, but Roberts said the online auction site was the best strategic partner.

"We really relate to Trade Me's purpose. Thats at the core of everything we want to do. Having that as a cornerstone is so important when building out business like this," she said.

Trade Me CEO Jon MacDonald said the conversations with Sharesies started a while ago and that he was impressed by the quality of the team. He sees financial services as an attractive investment opportunity because it's primarily an information product. Trade Me has already entered that market with a cornerstone stake in peer-to-peer lender Harmoney.

"We do see an enormous business opportunity there where you see how unfriendly investing has generally been for people," he said. "We can see how that can change with a really material opportunity for the company that can unlock that," he said.

Sharesies came out of the Kiwibank-sponsored 2017 fintech accelerator. It doesn't charge on portfolios of $50 or less. Portfolios between $50 and $3,000 attract a $1.50 monthly charge and those over $3,000 have a $3 monthly fee. Investors can access 13 funds offered by AMP Capital, Pathfinder Asset Management and NZX's Smartshares exchange-traded funds.

(BusinessDesk)

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Pacific Equity Partners will buy a controlling stake in New Zealand private hospital operator Evolution Healthcare for an undisclosed sum.

The Australian private equity firm has agreed to buy a majority position in Evolution from institutional investors including Roc Partners, a Goldman Sachs fund, Qantas Superannuation, VicSuper and CBUS. That leaves Evolution's founding managers as the minority partners with PEP. The deal is subject to various approvals and is expected to be completed early next year.

No price was given, but the Australian Financial Review's Street Talk column reported the stakes were pitched at more than A$300 million.

Evolution chair Andrew Savage said PEP will provide capital and support for a wide-ranging development programme, including the upgrade of Wellington's Wakefield hospital, and expansions of the Royston, Bowen and Grace hospitals and the company's allied health, oncology and mental health services.

"This investment is excellent news for our company, our staff, our specialists and our patients because it supports our ambition to provide innovative and world-class healthcare services across New Zealand and Australia," he said.

Evolution has been invested in New Zealand for several years, helping take Acurity Health Group private in 2014 in a deal valuing the company at $112 million.

The Australian health investor later bought out its partners and under its stewardship sold the underlying hospital properties to Vital Healthcare Property Trust in a leaseback arrangement. The property investor also took on the plans to redevelop the sites.

In March, former health minister Jonathan Coleman quit politics to take up the chief executive at Acurity.

New Zealand's private health sector has attracted interest from Australian investors this year. ASX-listed Integral Diagnostics spent $105 million on four Auckland radiology clinics in May.

(BusinessDesk)

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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.

Bharatiya Janata Party'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.

"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-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."System error

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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(0x7f3fdad95f60)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdadc7e50)', '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(0x7f3fdad95f60)') 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(0x7f3fdadc7e50)') 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(0x7f3fdaddd508)') 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(0x7f3fdadc7e50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdadc7e50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fda1f96a8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fdade4bb8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fdade4bb8)') 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(0x7f3fdab04160)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdaa2d6d0)', '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(0x7f3fdab04160)') 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(0x7f3fdaa2d6d0)') 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(0x7f3fdab131c0)') 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(0x7f3fdaa2d6d0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fdaa2d6d0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fda1f8d68)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fda1fa320)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fda1fa320)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0Europe's Ariane 5 rocket set for 100th blast off



Paris, Sept 25 (AFP) Sep 25, 2018



A European-made rocket will blast off Tuesday from French Guiana for the 100th time, in a symbolic landmark for its manufacturer as it comes under increasing pressure from Elon Musk's SpaceX programme.

The Ariane 5 spacecraft will take off from the Caribbean launch site at 18:53 (21:53 GMT), propelling two telecoms satellites into orbit.

In service for more than two decades and capable of blasting heavy payloads into the sky, the Ariane 5 has become the workhorse of European space launches under the guidance of the European Space Agency (ESA).

But it will soon be replaced by an updated model, the Ariane 6, which will be an estimated 40 percent cheaper to make.

This is partly in response to SpaceX's arrival on the commercial space flight scene, with its reusable Falcon 9 rocket holding the potential to undercut rival programmes.

SpaceX has outpaced European manufacturer Arianespace in terms of number of launches for two straight years.

"We are having to face unprecedented competition," Arianespace head Stephane Israel told AFP.

Since it was first launched in 1996, the Ariane 5 has put 205 satellites into orbit including for Europe's Galileo GPS system.

pcn-pg/mh/dcrUS approves possible sale of military parts to Taiwan



Washington, Sept 25 (AFP) Sep 25, 2018



The US State Department is ready to sell a batch of military parts to Taiwan, officials said Monday, the same day President Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs against Chinese imports took effect.

The $330 million contract would see the US ship standard spare parts for several aircraft including the F-16 fighter and the C-130 cargo plane, the State Department said in a statement.

Congress has 30 days to raise objections to the sale, though this is unlikely given the State Department has determined Taiwan continues to be "an important force for political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region."

Washington remains Taipei's most powerful unofficial ally and its main arms supplier despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

China has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen took office two years ago, including staging a series of military exercises near the island.

Taiwan on Tuesday welcomed the US announcement, saying it would help the island strengthen its defence capabilities.

"As Taiwan faces gradually heightened threats, the US arm sales would... also boost Taiwan's confidence in strengthening self-defence to help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Taiwan's presidential office said the island's government would continue to increase its defence investment and "maintain close communication and cooperation" with the US on security issues.

Beijing, which sees self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting unification, has been incensed by recent warming ties between Washington and Taipei, including the approval by the US State Department of a preliminary licence to sell submarine technology to the island.

The US recently sanctioned a Chinese military procurement organization, drawing a sharp protest from Beijing and a decision to postpone planned military talks.

Beijing and Washington are also at odds over China's wooing of Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

Trump's most recent tariffs against China cover another $200 billion of Chinese imports.

The move brings the amount of Chinese goods hit by duties to more than $250 billion, roughly half of China's US exports.US irks China with proposed sale of military parts to Taiwan



Beijing, Sept 25 (AFP) Sep 25, 2018



China expressed "strong dissatisfaction" on Tuesday over US plans to sell a batch of military parts to the self-governing island of Taiwan, adding to tensions between the global superpowers.

The $330 million contract would see the US ship standard spare parts for several aircraft including the F-16 fighter and the C-130 cargo plane, the State Department said in a statement on Monday.

China lashed out at the deal, saying it "severely violates" international laws and norms governing foreign relations, and expressed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to the sales.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting unification, and is deeply suspicious of the island's relations with the US.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing that Beijing has lodged "solemn representations" -- an official protest -- with the United States.

"We urge the US side to... immediately withdraw this armed sales plan and stop military contact with Taiwan lest it should cause severe damage to US-China relations, cross-straits stability and peace, and our cooperation in other important areas," he said.

Congress has 30 days to raise objections to the sale, though this is unlikely given the State Department has determined Taiwan continues to be "an important force for political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region."

Washington remains Taipei's most powerful unofficial ally and its main arms supplier despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

China has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen took office two years ago, including staging a series of military exercises near the island.

Taiwan on Tuesday welcomed the US announcement, saying it would help the island strengthen its defence capabilities.

"As Taiwan faces gradually heightened threats, the US arm sales would... also boost Taiwan's confidence in strengthening self-defence to help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Taiwan's presidential office said the island's government would continue to increase its defence investment and "maintain close communication and cooperation" with the US on security issues.

Beijing has been incensed by recent warming ties between Washington and Taipei, including the approval by the US State Department of a preliminary licence to sell submarine technology to the island.

The US recently sanctioned a Chinese military procurement organisation, drawing a sharp protest from Beijing and a decision to postpone planned military talks.

Beijing and Washington are also at odds over China's wooing of Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

The new arms sale was announced on the same day that President Donald Trump's administration enacted new tariffs against China covering another $200 billion of Chinese imports.

The move brings the amount of Chinese goods hit by duties to more than $250 billion, roughly half of China's US exports.Nigerian troops repel Boko Haram attack on base: sources



Kano, Nigeria, Sept 25 (AFP) Sep 25, 2018



Nigerian troops repelled another attempt by Boko Haram jihadists to overrun a military base in northeast Nigeria, military and civilian sources told AFP on Tuesday.

Dozens of jihadist fighters from an Islamic State-backed Boko Haram faction attacked the base on Sunday in the village of Kekeno, near the garrison town of Monguno, in Borno state.

Recent months have seen repeated attacks on military bases in the northern part of Borno, although Nigerian commanders have strongly denied reports of heavy troop casualties.

The authorities maintain the group, whose insurgency has left more than 27,000 dead in northeast Nigeria since 2009, is on the verge of defeat, despite the ongoing violence.

A senior military officer in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, said the Islamists were equipped with anti-aircraft guns and rocket-propelled grenades on Sunday.

But they were unable to breach defensive ditches surrounding the facility, he added on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Boko Haram "met stiff resistance, which led to a battle that lasted for hours", he said.

Details of the attack were slow to emerge as telecommunications infrastructure has been destroyed by fighting and there are strict controls on movement in rural Borno state.

People from the area were only able to reach Maiduguri on Tuesday as the military shut the main road for 24 hours as they searched for rebels in the bush.

"Boko Haram attacked at about 5:45 pm (1645 GMT) on Sunday. They came in several trucks and on motorcycles," said bus driver Sani Madaye.

Madaye said he and other drivers were sitting in a shed near the military base at the time. He was on his way to the fishing town of Baga, on the shores of Lake Chad and was forced to stop.

"The gunmen used a herd of cattle as cover to attack the base but they were detected in nearby bushes as they approached their target," he said.

"A truck carrying fighters attempted to break (through) the barrier but the driver was shot and the truck swerved and crashed," added another witness, who gave his name as Abdullahi.

"Suddenly, there was heavy shooting from Boko Haram and soldiers responded with fire, and it lasted for around one hour."

Troop reinforcements were sent from Monguno, eight kilometres (five miles) away, and a fighter jet was deployed that forced the jihadists to withdraw.

Further attempts were made to storm the base until Boko Haram finally withdrew at about 10:30 pm, said Madaye, adding there were no military casualties.

There was no indication of the number of Boko Haram casualties, despite there being "bloodstains all over" at first light, said Madaye.Macron urges 'dialogue and multilateralism' on Iran



United Nations, United States, Sept 25 (AFP) Sep 25, 2018



French President Emmanuel Macron called Tuesday for "dialogue and multilateralism" on Iran, in a thinly veiled response to President Donald Trump's push for tough, US-led sanctions.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly shortly after Trump, the French leader credited the 2015 accord rejected by Trump with curbing the nuclear program of Iran.

"What will bring a real solution to the situation in Iran and what has already stabilized it? The law of the strongest? Pressure from only one side? No!" Macron said.

"We know that Iran was on a nuclear military path but what stopped it? The 2015 Vienna accord," he said.

Trump has withdrawn from the seven-nation agreement negotiated under his successor Barack Obama, calling it a "disaster" and instead ramping up pressure on Iran including through renewed sanctions.

Supported by Israel and Saudi Arabia, Trump has sought to roll back Iranian influence around the Middle East including in war-ravaged Syria.

But Macron said: "As I was saying a year ago, today we should not aggravate regional tensions but rather through dialogue and multilateralism pursue a broader agenda that allows us to address all the concerns caused by Iranian policies -- nuclear, ballistic, regional."Top Portuguese police held over arms theft: prosecutors



Lisbon, Sept 25 (AFP) Sep 25, 2018



Senior figures in Portugal's military and paramilitary police forces were arrested Tuesday over the brazen theft of rockets, grenades, and cartridges from a military arms depot last year, prosecutors said.

They were held on suspicion of offences including arms trafficking, criminal association, abuse of power, and the falsification of documents, said a statement from the prosecutor's office.

The arrests come more than a year after a thieves broke into a Portuguese army arms depot in Tancos, central Portugal, where security cameras had been out of order for two years.

In all, they got away with 44 anti-tank rockets, 150 hand grenades, 18 tear gas grenades, and 1,450 nine-millimetre cartridges.

The theft happened in June 2017, and it was only an anonymous tip-off in October that allowed police to recover most of the haul, hidden on waste ground a few dozen kilometres from Tancos.

The cartridges are still missing, however.

Among those in custody, according to local media reports, were Luis Vieira, head of the military police, three gendarmes and a civilian.

Police raided sites in the capital and across the country, from Porto in the north, Santarem in central Portugal, and Algarve in the south, said prosecutors.

Investigators had been working on the theory that the theft was an inside job, as those responsible seemed to know the arms depot well.One dead as Morocco navy fires on migrant boat



Rabat, Sept 25 (AFP) Sep 25, 2018



Morocco's navy on Tuesday fired on a boat carrying migrants that refused to respond to its orders, leaving a young woman dead and three other Moroccans wounded, local officials said.

The patrol was "forced" to open fire on a speedboat driven by a Spaniard who "refused to obey" orders in waters off the Moroccan locality of M'diq-Fnideq, the authorities said in a statement.

Those on board the powerboat were lying down and could not be seen, a local official told AFP.

Four migrants were wounded, including a Moroccan woman who died of her injuries in hospital.

Mohamed Benaissa, head of the Northern Observatory for Human Rights, said the woman killed was 22 years old and the three wounded were also Moroccans, one of whom was left in critical condition with an arm amputated.

A total of 25 people were on the boat, including the people traffickers who were Spanish nationals, he said.

The Spanish driver of the boat was unharmed and later arrested, according to the same source, adding an investigation had been opened.

Morocco -- a key route for sub-Saharan Africans trying to reach Europe via Spain -- said this month it has foiled 54,000 bids so far in 2018 by illegal migrants to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

The figures included 7,100 Moroccans for the period until the end of August, according to figures released last week by the Moroccan government spokesman.

Since early 2018, Spain has recorded more than 38,000 arrivals by sea and land, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Since the beginning of September, social media networks in Morocco have been inundated with videos showing young people from the North African country heading to Spain aboard inflatable boats.Pompeo 'disturbed' by EU payment plan for Iran business



New York, Sept 25 (AFP) Sep 25, 2018



US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced Tuesday a European Union plan to set up a way to preserve business with Iran and avoid renewed American sanctions.

Addressing the United Against a Nuclear Iran pressure group being held near the annual UN General Assembly, Pompeo said he was "disturbed and indeed deeply disappointed" by Monday's announcement from remaining members of an international nuclear deal.

"This is one of the most counterproductive measures imaginable for regional peace and security," Pompeo said, accusing the European Union of "solidifying Iran's ranking as the number-one state sponsor of terrorism."

"I imagine the corrupt ayatollahs and IGRC were laughing this morning," Pompeo added at the event in New York, referring to the elite Revolutionary Guards, in a speech that was interrupted several times by anti-war protesters.

President Donald Trump pulled out of an agreement negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama for Iran to curtail its nuclear program sharply in exchange for sanctions relief.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, speaking late Monday alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said that the agreement was in the global interest and pointed to UN inspectors' findings that Iran is in compliance.

She said that European Union members were working on a legal entity that would allow businesses to buy oil and conduct other business with Iran in hopes of avoiding US sanctions.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.Smoke and Mirrors Big Tobacco's Dubious Health-Conscious Makeover

Tobacco companies claim they want to move away from cigarettes and focus on expanding the market for healthier electronic devices. But outside of Europe and the United States, they are still working to hook as many people on cigarettes as possible, even if it breaks the law.The Forgotten War A Visit to the Killing Fields of Yemen

The forgotten war in Yemen has entered its fourth year and peace is nowhere in sight. With the healthcare system in shambles and bombs falling every day, it is the civilian population that suffers the most. A visit to North Yemen.Chahid Tamek Complex (Chahid El Hafed), Sept 25, 2018 (SPS) -. The President of the Republic, Secretary General of Frente POLISARIO Mr. Brahim Gali, stressed on Monday the need for the training of the Saharawi cadres to face the policies of the Moroccan Occupation State that tries by all means to discredit our just cause.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the inauguration of the school of cadres, the POLISARIO SG affirmed that the human factor is and will remain a priority in the POLISARIO strategy, and the backbone of the policies and programs of the Saharawi State .

On the importance of this center of studies said that the school should train and prepare Saharawi cadres able to advocate by example in their work, with a sense of responsibility, with conviction and firm attachment to the principles of the Saharawi Revolution.

President Brahim Gali praised the contribution of the Saharawi cadres in the qualitative transformation of the Saharawi people and in the orientation, sensitization, awareness and political formation of the Sahrawi masses. SPS

125/090/TRATO VIEW MORE NEWS STORY, PLEASE CLICK ON NEWS TAB ON MAIN MENU BARDGAP-News: Upco International Inc. / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

Upco International Inc. Announces Emoney Strategic Contract for eWallet Integration



25.09.2018 / 15:00

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - Upco International Inc. (CSE: UPCO) (OTCQB: UCCPF) (FSE: U06) ('Upco') is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Emoney plc www.emoney.com.mt to support Upco's monetary payment and transfer services within Europe. Emoney is a Financial Institution, licensed in Malta with a European Passport, and has a decade of proven management experience in the world of electronic money, issuance of online current accounts and issuance of rechargeable credit cards.

Under the model, Emoney will act as Upco's banking institution partner, extending the reach of the Upco App across Europe for Debit and Credit transactions, and ensuring full compliance with relevant regulatory frameworks within the European banking community. User onboarding, including ID authentication, will be handled by Emoney. Upco presently has an agreement in place with Transfer-To www.transfer-to.com which enables money transfer to a Mobile SIM of any user in the world. Emoney will issue a sub-license to contract with Transfer-To regarding cross-border transfers. Upco has recently initiated a project to integrate with Emoney via an API.

With the Emoney integration into our eWallet, Upco is ready to commence a European marketing plan for a convenient, robust, and secure financial solution, which will provide Upco users with:

A Bank account for transfer and receipt of fiat currency from/to their eWallet;

A debit Mastercard to use as an extension of the eWallet to pay any approved Mastercard merchant worldwide;

Access to money on a 24 x7 basis, year-round.

According to Statista, in 2018, global transaction volume in the mobile point-of-sale payments space is expected to reach US$391 billion and projected to increase to over US$1.3 trillion by 2022.

Mr. Andrea Pagani, CEO and President commented: 'Upco's relationship with Emoney, leveraging our existing contract with Transfer-To, represents a major milestone in deployment of a full-featured mobile payment and transfer application within our E-wallet, while ensuring full regulatory compliance. We are very excited to see this moving forward, commencing with integration to eMoney, currently underway, as an important foundation.'

About Emoney Plc

Emoney issues and acquires electronic money, builds innovative tools for payments and creates networks between the biggest European players, the networks and the points of sale.

Emoney, Licensed in Malta, is authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority MFSA (www.mfsa.com.mt) in 2013. The Financial Institution with an extended portfolio owns all the opportunities and permissions in accordance with the European Community. Emoney relies on a proven decade of experience in management in the world of electronic money, issuance of online current accounts and issuance of rechargeable credit card. The objective of the Institution is the creation of an extended network to all of the European Community countries through partnerships which are already well established in the commercial sector and micropayments.

About Upco International Inc.

Upco International Inc. is a cloud-based mobile service company which provides high-quality voice termination to a market driven by the growing activity in online communications and commerce. Upco is a licensed Global Telecom Carrier within the international VoIP (voice over IP) wholesale business. Upco has designed a software application for Apple iOS and Android, similar to SKYPE and WhatsApp. With the forthcoming addition of the Upco E-Wallet using Blockchain Payment Services, users will be able to: send invoices, approve payments, transfer international funds, convert international currencies, and track transfers and payments.

www.upcointernational.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Andrea Pagani, CEO and Director

office@upcointernational.com

212-461-3676

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively 'forward- looking information') within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward- looking information is typically identified by words such as: 'will' 'may' 'believe', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'intend', 'estimate', 'development', 'forthcoming', 'potentially' and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Upco cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by Upco is not a guarantee of future results or performance.

Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to viewthe associated documentshttp://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/38891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.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.By the end of 2018 China is receiving the last ten of the 24 Su-35 fighters it has purchased from Russia. China had the Su-35s already received in service by April 2018. These Chinese Su-35s have been seen flying off the coast near Taiwan. China seems to be pleased with their new acquisition. Terms of the sale are still something of a mystery. In 2015, after more than three years of haggling over the details, Russia signed the contract to sell China 24 Su-35 fighters for $105 million each. The big obstacle to this sale was the Chinese inability to assure Russia that the new Russian technology in these aircraft would not be stolen by Chinese aviation firms.

Apparently, a mutually agreeable compromise was worked out. Or maybe not because the initial price was $85 million per aircraft. At first, China refused to buy Su-35 fighters from Russia if a "no unauthorized duplication" clause was included in the contract. The Chinese wanted to buy the Su-35s but were not willing to sign a binding agreement to not copy the Russian tech. China is already producing unauthorized copies of the Russian Su-27, as the J11 and Russia is not happy with that at all. China has since designed a two-seat fighter-bomber version (the J16), a stealthy version (J17), and obtained an aircraft carrier version of the Su-30 (the Su-33) from Ukraine and are producing a copy (as the J15). Russia protests and China insists the similarities are a coincidence. Russia can no longer threaten China like it did several times during the Cold War. During the two decades after the Cold War ended in 1991 China became an economic and military superpower and is now much more powerful than Russia. Times change and losers must adapt.

China insists these are all Chinese designs that just happen to bear some resemblance to Russian fighters. In response, Russia halted combat aircraft sales to China but still sold jet engines for these aircraft. So far, China has been unsuccessful in building copies of these engines. The engine sales are too lucrative for Russia to pass up, as they enable the Russian engine manufacturers to continue developing new designs. The Chinese plan to steal these as soon as they figure out how to handle the exotic manufacturing skills required to build these engines. This has proved a major problem for the new Chinese J20 stealth fighter, which is using locally built WS-10B engines now, which are much less powerful than the AL-41F1S engines used in the Su-35 and the Russian Su-57 stealth fighter. China has been developing a more powerful engine, the WS-15, which is similar to the AL-41F1S. Now China has AL-41F1S engines to examine closely, in detail and in operation. The latest word out of China is that the WS-15 finally (or close to finally) ready for use in the J20. Russia delivered the first four Su-35s to China in January 2017 so the Chinese have had a lot of time to check out details of how the AL-41F1S engines and figure out how that could help with their WS-15.

The Su-35 is an impressive piece of work. It is a 34 ton fighter that is more maneuverable than the original, 33 ton, Su-27 and has much better electronics. It can cruise at above the speed of sound. It also costs at least fifty percent more than the Su-27. That would be some $60 million (for a barebones model as sold to the Russian Air Force), about what top-of-the-line F-16s cost. The Su-27 was originally developed to match the F-15, which is larger than the single-engine F-16. The larger size of the Su-27/35 allows designers to do a lot more with it in terms of modifications and enhancements.

The Su-35 has some stealth capabilities (or at least be less detectable to most fighter aircraft radars). Russia claims the Su-35 has a useful life of 6,000 flight hours and engines good for 4,000 hours. Russia promises world-class avionics, plus a very pilot-friendly cockpit. The use of many thrusters and fly-by-wire will produce an aircraft even more maneuverable than Su-30s (which were Su-27s tweaked to be extremely agile). The Su-35 was in development for two decades before it was declared ready for production in 2005. But even then there were problems with the new engines that gave it its superior performance. Russia says the engine problems are solved, but only time will tell if that is true.

The Su-35 is not meant to be a direct rival for the F-22 because the Russian aircraft is not nearly as stealthy. The Su-35 carries a 30mm autocannon (with 150 rounds) and up to eight tons of munitions, hanging from 12 hard points. This reduces stealthiness, which the F-22 and F-35 get around by using an internal bay for bombs and missiles. But if the maneuverability and advanced electronics of the Su-35 live up to the promises, the aircraft would be more than a match for every fighter out there except the F-22. Since the Su-35 is to sell for well under $100 million each, there should be a lot of buyers.

Meanwhile, China has not had an easy time with its Su-27 clone, the J11. This aircraft entered service in 1998, but production was very slow and only a hundred were produced. It was during this process that the Chinese mastered many of the technical details of building and modifying the Russian aircraft. China then modified the Su-27 design and produced at least a hundred of the 33 ton J11A. This model was equipped with modern, Chinese made, electronics and is capable of hauling eight tons of radar guided air-to-air missiles and smart bombs. Then came the J11B, which was the same size and weight as the J11A but had a more capable AESA radar and is intended to specialize in air-to-ground missions, while also being able to take care of itself in air-to-air combat.

The Su-35 would give China a lot of ideas (and technology) for the J11C, as well as the J20 no matter what promises were made to the Russians.Iraq has a rapidly growing population. It is about 40 million now and growing at nearly a million a year. A growing portion of the population has no memory of life under Saddam (where demonstrations or any dissent was forbidden) but do take for granted that they can now protest against corrupt or incompetent government officials. That is changing politics in Iraq, where elected officials find they can be called out, or lose elections, over poor performance. This is something quite different, and often hard to handle, for older politicians.

Most young Iraqis see no future in Islamic radicalism and terrorism, which has, for most of their young lives been more of a threat than a source of salvation. Down in Basra the ongoing riots and demonstrations are about basics, like clean water and regular electricity supplies. The Basra unrest has been going on for ten weeks and at least 25 protestors have been killed and many more wounded or arrested. Dozens have disappeared and feared dead. The protestors note that Iran backed militias are also involved in attacking the demonstrators. This, for many young Iraqis, confirms suspicions that Iran is not their friend. The government has promised to improve living conditions in Basra but that slow in coming.

Iraqi anti-government demonstrators were always angry at Iran. In part this was because of the Iranian backed PMF (Peoples Mobilization Forces) militias in Iraq, whose leaders often speak of imposing a religious dictatorship in Iraq and generally ignored all the corruption. Protestors in Shia majority Basra are also criticizing Iran for halting electricity exports in early July. Iran cut the electricity because corrupt Iraqi officials had not paid for much of it. Moreover there was an electricity shortage developing in Iran. It was necessary for Iraq to import electricity because for a long time (the Saddam era) there were not many electric power plants in Basra because it was a Shia majority area and Shia were starved for resources before 2003 (when the Sunni Arab minority ruled). But after Saddam was overthrown in 2003 and Shia politicians gained power, corruption prevented the construction of power plants. Iran thought cutting the power, especially since they had a good reason, would increase the anger against the Iraqi government. But the protestors saw through the Iranian intentions and added that to the long list of reasons why Iraqi Shia do not like Iran. After a few weeks Iran restored the electricity exports.

The current Iraqi enthusiasm for battling corruption is hurting Iranian efforts to expand its influence inside Iraq. Thats because pro-Iran groups in Iraq have long justified outlaw behavior in order to serve their mentor Iran. This has led to Iraqi army commanders being more aggressive in dealing with Iran backed PMF units. Most of the PMF units were formed in late 2014 to fight ISIL. Since then the PMF has been put on the government payroll, despite the fact that nearly half of them are also supported by Iranian cash and equipment. Since the government began paying PMF militiamen the PMF became part of the defense forces. Technically the army can order PMF units around but until recently the Iran-backed PMF would often ignore those orders. In some cases PMF commanders would threaten army officers. Given the results of the recent elections (pro-Iran parties did poorly) and the growing popular unrest in Iran attitudes have changed. Iraqi army officers are not just ordering pro-Iran PMF units to back off but using force to make the PMF comply. So far this has not go much beyond armed confrontations (which often work) and arresting (kidnapping according to pro-Iran Iraqis) PMF men who disobey army orders. Apparently the anti-Iran election results have led to pro-Iran PMF commanders being advised (by Iran) to play nice with the army and back off. This is seen as temporary as there is no sign that pro-Iran PMF groups will cease to take orders from Iran. Iraqis believe the pro-Iran PMF units are backing off as part of an Iranian effort to persuade Iraq to oppose the renewed American economic sanctions on Iran. Iraqi leaders were under a lot of political pressure from Iran to ignore the American sanctions, if only because complying would hurt the Iraqi economy. That pressure caused some hesitation by Iraqi leaders until they realized that most Iraqis preferred the Americans to the Iranians. After all, when Iraq asked the Americans to leave in 2011 they did. Iranians are not very cooperative in that respect and for centuries have been trying to get its way in what is now Iraq.

And then there is the oil price issue. As the revived American sanctions take effect Iranian oil exports decline. OPEC, which is dominated by Arab oil states, refused to increase production to make up for the missing Iranian oil. This refusal angers oil importers who have become accustomed to cheaper oil. The major oil exporters have had a hard time since 2013, when oil tumbled from over $100 a barrel to a third of that. But now the price is on the way up and the Iranian loss becomes a plus for Arab oil states, including Iraq. Since 2013 the Americans have again (because of fracking) become a major oil exporter so the U.S. wins whichever way the oil price goes.

Ill ISIL

As ISIL personnel are now generally in hiding it is difficult to get an accurate count. Official mid-2018 estimates were about 17,000 in Iraq and 13,000 in Syria. But that implies that the number of armed men ISIL had in Iraq by 2014 is the same as mid-2018. How can that be given the relatively low level of ISIL activity since early 2018. The answer is that the official estimates include a lot of unarmed supporters, including family members. Captured ISIL members will often exaggerate the size of the group he belongs to as will ISIL members delivering threats to local civilians who the Islamic terrorists are trying to intimidate into compliance (not informing on ISIL). Cooperative civilians are immune to ISIL attacks so there is that. But the ability of ISIL to enforce the cooperation is often an illusion because ISIL tries to appear more omnipresent than they actually are.

A population of cooperative civilians is essential for ISIL to survive as guerillas and that is why there are probably more ISIL operating in Iraq than in Syria. The civilians not only provide some cover but are also a source of supplies (which ISIL strives to pay for, in order to build more loyalty.) This is all basic guerilla tradecraft that is made more difficult when there are a lot of cell phones around. That increases the risk of some angry (or not even local) civilian making a call to the police to report possible ISIL activity. ISIL leaders noted that a key factor in the loss of control in an area was the local civilians retaining some access to Internet and cell phone service as well as satellite TV receivers. ISIL (and other Islamic radicals) have long tried to control use of all three of these items but have been unable to completely eliminate them from populations they control. Once ISIL was driven out of an area the cell phone companies were eager to rebuild their cell phone and Internet service and as people in those areas of restored cell phone service became more confident that reporting on remaining ISIL activity would not get them killed the calls started coming. These phone calls have become more frequent and has led to the growing number of arrests or discovery of ISIL hideouts and the destruction of active ISIL terrorists. This has led to a decline in terror related deaths and more violent encounters between security forces and the many sleeper cells ISIL deliberately left behind when they lost control of an area. What has kept ISIL going are Sunni Arab areas where they still have some support, at least as someone who will fighting hack against the Kurds and Shia Arabs. There are fewer Sunni majority areas in Syria for ISIL to get support from.

Oil Works

Despite the continuing violence in the south continues to increase. Continuing the July-August trend production so far in September keeps inching higher looks like it will average 3.6 million BPD (barrels per day). The rate at which production is growing could mean production of nearly four million BPD in the next month. The 2016 OPEC limits set on Iraqi production are 4.35 million BPD. Since late 2017 oil production from the southern oil fields has averaged over 3.5 million BPD. In early 2017 Iraq, as a founding member of the OPEC oil cartel, had agreed to reduce its oil production by over a million BPD to help increase the world price for oil. Iraqi production hit a peak 3.51 million BPD at the end of 2016. Iraqi production increased in 2017, often to take advantage of the production cuts the Saudis had agreed to and were making.

Iraq has ten percent of the world's oil reserves and 2017 exploration efforts have that increased by 10 billion barrels. That makes 153 billion barrels, which more than a third larger than it was after the resumption of oil exploration a decade ago. Iran has reserves of 158 billion barrels, Saudi Arabia 266 billion and Venezuela 300 billion. These four nations have the largest reserves which are about 60 percent of the world total. What is keeping the world oil price low is fracking. That new American technology is making much more oil and gas available and it is expected that the U.S. and Canada will soon have proven reserves equaling a third of the current world total. The fall in oil prices since 2013 (from over $100 a barrel to as low as $30) cut foreign currency reserves to about $48 billion by the end of 2017, compared to $53 billion in mid-2016. By early 2018 the price of oil had climbed to $60 a barrel mainly because OPEC members were not cheating on their quotas and several members were producing less than their quota because of internal security problems. The ISIL crisis forced Iraq to be more prudent with its finances, and government operations in general. The Americans are no longer being blamed for all that goes wrong. Taking responsibility does indeed make it easier to deal with problems. But many Iraqi leaders and politicians still prefer to blame all the problems on America, Israel and so on.

Foreign Troops

There are about 6,000 American troops in Iraq as well as about 2,000 from other Western nations (mainly Britain, France, Italy and Germany). Iran has no soldiers in Iraq but does have several hundred advisors and trainers from the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps). In Syria there are about 5,000 American troops in 22 bases, all of them near the Iraqi border, mostly in the northeast where they advise the Kurdish forces that control the Syrian northeast (which is adjacent to the Kurdish controlled areas of northern Iraq). Some of the U.S. troops in Iraq are in the Kurdish north where American and British troops have been operating since the early 1990s.

September 22, 2018: In the east, just across the border in Iran (Khuzestan province) four gunmen fired on a parade killing 30 (including at least eight IRGC men) and wounding even more. Local Arab separatists (al Ahwaz National Resistance, a coalition of several groups) took credit as did ISIL. Over the next three days more than 20 people were arrested and Iran blamed Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States and threatened to take revenge by attacking American forces in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. responded by reminding Iran that it has only itself to blame and most Iranians would agree. Since 2003 the Iranian Arabs in Khuzestan have been increasingly vocal, and often violent, about the harsh rule of the Iranian Shia. Iran is acutely aware of how unruly its own Arab minority (a few percent of the population) can be. There are a growing number of terrorist incidents inside Iran traced to Iranian Arabs. Most Iranian oil is pumped from the ancestral lands of these Arabs, who are bitter about how they receive little from all that oil income. The three million Arabs in Khuzestan province (formerly Arabistan) are Shia and have been ruled by non-Arab Iranians for centuries. Arab unrest here has grown since 2003, when the Sunni dictatorship was overthrown in Iraq and the Shia majority won elections to take power. Iranian Arabs noted that the Iraqi Shia were now getting most of the Iraqi oil income, unlike just across the border in Khuzestan. Since 2003 hundreds of Iranian Arabs have been arrested for separatist activities. Many are still in prison and over 30 have been executed.

September 21, 2018: In the northwest (Nineveh province) police arrested two men illegally crossing the border from Syria. The two later admitted they were ISIL members and headed for nearby Mosul to help organize new attacks. The security forces regularly find and arrest ISIL members in the area, largely because of tips from residents who do not want ISIL to reestablish themselves in Mosul or anywhere else in Nineveh province.

September 20, 2018: In the west (Anbar province) troops and militiamen, with some air support, found and killed seven ISIL men near the Syrian border.

In the northwest (Nineveh province) an ISIL gunman, wearing a police uniform, went to home of the mayor of a rural village and killed the mayor, wounded his son and then killed another civilian as he made his escape.

September 19, 2018: In the west (Anbar province) troops killed 15 ISIL men hiding out in a large cave, which turned out of be one of their bases. Troops found explosive vests and numerous weapons and lots of equipment in the cave. This comes after six ISIL members were arrested in different parts of Anbar in previous five days. All those arrested were seeking to recruit and organize new ISIL cells that would plan and carry out attacks.

September 18, 2018: In the north (Kirkuk province) a roadside bomb hit a police bus, killing five policemen and wounding several others. Later that night an Iraqi airstrike killed six ISIL members in the same general area.

September 17, 2018: The government has agreed to send border patrol troops to guard the Iraq-Turkish border. In the past most of this had been handled by Iraqi Kurdish forces, who were likely to allow PKK (Turkish Kurd separatists) to pass freely. The new non-Kurd border guards will not do any favors for PKK personnel trying to sneak in or out of Iraq.

September 15, 2018: The new parliament (elected in May) finally agreed on a new speaker of parliament; Sunni Arab Mohammed al Halbousi. He was promptly accused of spending $30 million in bribes to secure the needed votes (169 out of 298). Halbousi is from Anbar and a former defense minister. Current custom dictates that there be a Sunni speaker, a Kurdish president, and a Shia prime minister.

September 10, 2018: In the northwest (Mosul) police arrested three ISIL members.

September 9, 2018: In the west (Salahuddin province) three ISIL suicide bombers attacked some troops searching an area. All three attackers died as did one soldiers.

September 8, 2018: In the northeast (Erbil province) Iran fired long range rockets and some Fateh 110 ballistic missiles at targets in the town of Koya (halfway between the Kurdish capital of Ebril and the Iranian border). The missiles were aimed at the headquarters of two Iranian Kurdish separatist groups (KDPI and PDKI). At least 17 were killed and dozens wounded by the rockets. Some of the rockets landed in or near a refugee camp outside the town. The Fateh 110 is a solid fuel missile that can be launched from trucks that carry them and have a range of 300 kilometers. The guidance system enables them to his a specific building, which one of them did in the Koya attacks. The next day Iran admitted it made the missile attack.

In the north (Kirkuk province) two bombs were used to set fire to an oil pipeline. ISIL was suspected.

September 7, 2018: In the south (Basra) the general in charge of security forces for the province was replaced. The reason was the inability of the security forces to reduce the growing violence, including recent attempts to shut down the main airport with mortar fire. In this incident four mortar shells landed and exploded just outside the airport fence. Since July the anti-government (and corruption) violence has left fifteen dead and nearly 200 wounded.

In Baghdad three mortar shells were fired at the U.S. embassy (located in the Green Zone). The mortar shells came close but missed the embassy compound. Several days later the U.S. told Iran there would be military if Iran kept up these attacks or escalated them (by attacking American troops in Iraq). The American retaliation would include going after the several dozen short range ballistic missiles Iran has sent to its most trusted Iraqi militias, to be used when Iran believed necessary.

September 2, 2018: In August 90 civilians died due to Islamic terrorist violence. Some 27 percent of the deaths occurred in Baghdad while Nineveh province (including Mosul) accounted for 32 percent and the rest were north of Baghdad and in Anbar. In July 79 died compared to 76 in June and 95 in May which was an increase from the 68 April deaths. March, when 104 died had been the deadliest month so far in 2018. That was up a bit from the 91 killed during February. The government has still not resumed reporting casualties among the security forces (military and militias). Based on local reports the Islamic terrorists, mainly ISIL, are suffering much higher death tolls each month, in addition to nearly as many lost to arrest or capture.

September 1, 2018: In the west, just across the border in eastern Syria (Homs province) an Iranian military convoy was hit by an airstrike. This killed four Syrians, one Iranian and three foreign mercenaries. At least eleven people were wounded. The airstrike may have occurred because the convoy was too close to the American special operations base of Tanf, on the Syrian side of the Iraqi border near the Jordan border. The American forces there reported they had been fired on by unknown forces but there was no damage and they did not return fire. So it remains a mystery whose warplanes did the deed. The Americans have some support from Sunni tribes in Syria and Iraq and that is mainly to keep informed on what is going on in the area around Tanf. Iran has assisted (with its mercenaries) Assad forces in trying to eliminate the Tanf base but these effort have failed. The Americans have too much airpower and too much aerial and ground surveillance around Tanf. The U.S. has declared a free fire zone that means any Assad/Iranian forces getting within 30 kilometers of Tanf are automatically attacked. Iranian and Assad forces rarely test this free fire zone. They know it works. While no one took credit for the airstrike it is now believed to be Israeli, but the Israelis often try to hide their involvement.

August 28, 2018: In the northwest, across the border in eastern Syria (Deir Ezzor province) Iranian mercenaries have been fighting with Syrian Army (Assad) troops for control of the Al Bukamal crossing into Iraq and the fighting has been going on, sporadically, for weeks. Apparently there is a dispute between the Assads and Iran over who will control border crossings for routes that are part of the Iran to the Mediterranean land route. This route is essential to supporting any Iranian military expansion in Syria and Lebanon.Phil Tiso and Ellis Creez of Stratford PlayHouse welcomed Peace Run participants led by its European coordinator Devashishu to the to the town last Wednesday. Photo: Mark Williamson. (P14/9/18/8691)

A UNIQUE global torch relay promoting world peace visited Stratford Playhouse earlier this month as part of its route through the UK this autumn.

The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run, formerly known as the World Harmony Run, visited the Playhouse on Thursday 13th September, carried by performers from Ananda who are due to play a special event for Diwali at the venue on 3rd November.

The Peace Run does not seek to raise money or highlight any political cause, but strives to create goodwill.

The Peace Torch has previously been carried by Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela, the Queen, Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Ali & Mother Theresa.

Ellis Creez, from the operator of the Playhouse, Proon Productions, said: It was very special to hold the torch, Muhammad Ali and the Queen have done it, and now me and Phil!

The runners sang a song for peace when they arrived which was great, before they set off running again, I think they were making their way down to Oxford after us.

Stratford Playhouse is due to officially open on 20th October, though the venue hosted a show from Cannon and Ball on Friday as part of a series of curtain-raiser events in the lead up to the grand re-opening.Stratforward BID director, Joe Baconnet.

STRATFORD-upon-Avon businesses have less than 48 hours to cast their vote in the ballot that will determine whether the towns Business Improvement District (BID) continues beyond 31 March 2019.

The vote officially closes at 5pm on Thursday, September 27th but businesses must have submitted their ballot papers by 2pm in Stratford to ensure theyre counted.

Stratforward Director Joe Baconnet is urging all businesses to have their say.

He said: Everyone knows how challenging things are for town centres and the High Street in the current climate and BIDs are an incredibly valuable tool in which to ensure that businesses are working together to keep town centres vibrant.

We have had a BID here in Stratford for almost ten years now and I am positive that it is one of the reasons why the town centre has suffered less than others.

Under Government rules UK BIDS are required to be re-elected by their members every five years and Stratforwards second five-year term is coming to an end, finishing on March 31st, 2019. A yes vote will see Stratforward continue for a further five years while a no vote means it will be disbanded and all services will cease on March 31st.

The ballot closure this Thursday comes just days after this years Stratford Town Centre Food Festival. The festival, one of several major events organised by Stratforward to attract visitors into the town and showcase what it has to offer, brought in some 30,000 visitors despite poor weather. It was also voted one of the UK's must-attend September events on a recent TripAdvisor blog.

Events like this, as well as planned services outlined for BID3, will be lost in the event of a no vote, said Mr Baconnet. The clock is ticking. Its not enough to assume that other businesses will ensure the future of an organisation that benefits our members in so many different ways. We want every BID member to be able to cast their vote and do it before the deadline on Thursday.

He went on: Stratforward is an organisation that is being continually shaped and influenced by each and every one of our 430 members, and were calling on those businesses to vote yes and to get involved in making the BID better in its third term than it ever has been.

Town centres across the UK are facing unprecedented challenges and its only by pulling together in a tried and tested vehicle - a BID - that we can weather the storm. If you havent yet voted there is still time. All BID members have their ballot papers and I would urge you to get yours in by the deadline on Thursday.

Stratforward has already outlined a series of priorities and aims for a third term as part of its BID3 Business Plan, based on a consultation with its members ahead of the revote.

If voted for a third term, Stratforwards current work will continue, but additional work will include:

A new marketing and brand strategy to promote the town to as wide an audience as possible, including the creation of a town-wide image library that can be used by members as well as for marketing and PR

Improvements to the current business-facing website and the creation of a new consumer-facing website

Collaboration with partners to develop Stratfords evening economy, as well as supporting initiatives to help the business community by dealing with areas they have highlighted such as begging

BID3 will also see the continuation of successful elements of BID2 including:

Town Hosts team

Staff savings scheme  parking and BID Card discounts

Company saving schemes

Events and marketing campaignsThe American has worked on a number of sailing and motoryachts as well as residential projects over his career, which officially began after graduating in 1984. Eight years later and the young designer set up shop on his own after gaining invaluable experience at distinguished studios Sparkman & Stephens and Andrew Winch Design.

In this edition of Decades of Design, Marshall shares the key events that led him to working in his own studio, a stones throw away from the River Thames in London, UK.

Where did your love for design come from?

I started drawing boats at the age of four while the family enjoyed time on our Cabin Cruiser around Manhattan in the US. This was at a time long before iPads, so there wasnt much to entertain me. As the story goes, I was complaining about being bored so my dad put a notepad and a pencil in my hand and asked me to draw something. Being on a boat and surrounded by boats, I naturally ended up drawing boats, which is how it all began and it is a passion that never went away.

From there I read every Yachting Magazine that came out, studied the designs and went off to draw my own versions, trying to improve them and advance the designs to my liking. This interest would lead me to go on and study design at college.

Where did you study and when did you graduate?

I have loved design from the very beginning and while I was sketching boats, I was also drawing buildings, animals and so on. My family suggested that perhaps I should study architecture, as they felt that a degree in that would most likely lead to more opportunities. And so I did and spent my summers drawing boats, taking every opportunity to get onto boats as well. Then just before I was due to graduate in 1983, I looked for a graduate program to progress my passion for boats. I went to the Yacht Design Institute in Blue Hill Maine, which was a small program offering a degree in small craft design and graduated from there in 1984 before securing a job at Sparkman & Stephens in 1985.

What did you enjoy about the course?

While I excelled at architecture and could have gone on to any graduate program, having finished at the top of my class, it wasnt my true passion. What I did get out of my five-year architecture degree was the understanding of conceptual design and the idea of base and scale and so on. While these arent the focus in yachting, it gave me a good grounding in technical and spatial calculations. And my parents were right as even today we do a fair bit of work in Moscow on residential and public projects.

When I started on the design course, I found that my architectural training helped a lot. It was a full degree course and assumed that people coming on to the course would be straight out of college and so you benefitted if you had previous qualifications. However, as the course was only a year or two long, it only focused on small craft up to about 70-foot but we were taught all the skills that you would expect from a fully qualified naval architect. And this training was really important, as most of the work I did at S&S [Sparkman & Stephens] was naval architecture.

What was your first project after joining Sparkman & Stephens?

Well the first job you do when you join S&S, which happens no matter who you are, is fold blueprints! I remember turning up thinking where is the yacht Im going to be designing, and being told, you see that pile of blueprints over there, you need to fold them precisely. It was something that had begun many years before I started at the studio and it was something that all new team members had to go through. That was my main responsibility along with assisting the experienced naval architects. It went on for about three or four days before I got my hands on an engine room layout. It would be another six months before I got the opportunity to dabble with my own profile, but I had to first prove what I could do. It would lead to work on a wide variety of sailing boats and getting to sail on them too.

When did the switch from naval architecture to exterior design occur?

American yacht design at the time was much like American automotive design in the 50s  we didnt even think about foreign design. We had such a healthy industry that the styling out of Italy and other places hadnt really begun to influence American design. However, we started noticing things coming from Jon Bannenberg that some people thought were completely crazy and radical, but for me they were very exciting.

Then one day I saw an advert on the S&S noticeboard for the Genoa Boat Show and I thought I would just go there and see what was happening. I was blown away by what I found, and considered what I saw to be more advanced  it was what I wanted to get into rather than remain a naval architect. So I resigned from S&S without a design job to go to and took a year off and headed for Europe.

It didnt take long before I received job offers and ended up going to Andrew Winch, as it was the best fit for me in terms of my future plans. Three years later and a client wanted me to do some work for him independent of Andrew, which provided the opportunity to set up on my own.

What have been the highlights of your career so far?

One of the highlights that stand out for me was working for my first major client who was an Austrian. He owned a huge cosmetic company and I was commissioned to do his house, corporate offices and yacht. He was a very demanding individual and had a particular taste. Now that I was flying on my own I had to learn quickly how to get into the mind of a client and understand what it was that they wanted. There was no one to guide me or tell me how we were going to approach the project. So I remember that time fondly because it was one of the most challenging and demanding periods. At the same time, what he was offering was the opportunity to work on a lavish house, a big yacht and office. I really cut my teeth on that project and proved not only to others but myself that I could make it on my own.

In fact I remember speaking to Terry Disdale, who is a good friend, and gave me good advice at the time. He told me how he had done the same thing and that it was one of his best learning experiences. The reason being he was, like I was when I started, drawing everything, licking envelopes and mailing proposals, running down the street to get coffees and so on, and so on. You can never underestimate the benefit of having that intensive period to learn the office and design side of things and the demands of each.

What is the most memorable client youve had?

Every client is different but I always remember one story in particular. This client had hired us to do a very classic American motoryacht called Big Zip after seeing some development pictures of a similar project in build at Trinity. Soon after we launched a yacht at a boat show while we were still at the early stages of designing their boat. The yacht in question was Norwegian Queen, which was very modern and brash, and so I took this client on board to take a look. It was so different to what their tastes were that they told me over lunch, Evan, my goodness, if we had seen that boat before we hired you, we never would have! And part of my response was letting them know how I knew there would be a risk in showing them the yacht but it is an example of how we design to the tastes of the client, not to ours.

Which of the projects youve worked on do you wish you could go back to and work on again?

Every single one and I would challenge any designer to look back on a project and say that it is still perfect. I dont look at any project and think it was perfect as there are always things you could do differently or improve.

What are the main challenges for a superyacht design studio in the market today?

One of the biggest challenges is selling a new line of production yachts. We are working on some new designs for Ocean Alexander and it is about getting the right balance of presenting something new without pushing it too far that clients lose interest. You want to retain existing clients while also attracting new owners.

What can we expect from Evan K Marshall over the coming years?

We are busy working on a number of projects on land and at sea. However, having dabbled in the smaller end of the boat market, what I would love to have is one of my designs seen all over. If we manage to break into the small boat market with a new range of outboard boats from Ocean Alexander  which is what we are working on at the moment  I hope we will see an explosion in the coming 10 to 20 years where we see an Ocean Alexander in any and every marina around the world.

It touches on something personal for me, as we are then designing boats for the families that make up the majority of boaters. I grew up on a small boat with my family and the thought of having that for every family who like to be on the water is something special.Huge blaze forces hundreds from homes in Tuscany



Calci, Italy, Sept 25 (AFP) Sep 25, 2018



A vast forest fire has forced the evacuation of hundreds of people from their houses in Tuscany, with firefighters Tuesday battling to extinguish flames fanned by fierce winds.

Around 600 hectares in total have been consumed by the blaze, chief Pisan firefighter Ugo D'Anna told a local television station, adding that while it was now contained it would take some hours to put out.

The fire was "almost certainly arson," he said.

Two water-bombing planes and 80 firefighters, helped by 50 volunteers, were tackling the blaze, which broke out overnight Monday near Pisa in northern Italy, briefly threatening the towns of Calci, Montemagno and San Lorenzo e la Torre.

Some 700 inhabitants were evacuated as olive trees burned in their groves and the sky across the area turned a deep orange, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.

On Tuesday the region's four firefighting helicopters were grounded due to the strong winds.

"It's unbearable to see a natural heritage which developed over decades burned to the ground in a few hours," Environment Minister Sergio Costa said in a statement.

Tuscany's governor Enrico Rossi declared a state of emergency and said evacuated locals would not be able to return for 24 hours while risk assessments were carried out.

"The firefighters were our angels. It was an apocalyptic scene and thankfully they saved us," one evacuee was reported as saying by Italian media.

"I really hope the blaze was carelessness because I can't bear to think it could have been such an evil act by such a twisted mind."

Local prosecutor Alessandro Crini said an investigation into arson was underway, as "the fire began at night and on a relatively cool evening".Just after the close of the U.S. Conference on AIDS (USCA) in Orlando, Florida, we held a Facebook Live to discuss some of the highlights from the conference, some of the people we met, and what it's like doing this work as two young HIV-positive activists of color. Watch the video or read the transcription of our conversation below.

Giuliani Alvarenga: Hi, welcome to TheBody. This is TheBody, and my name is Giuliani Alvarenga. I am from East L.A. I am a contributing writer for TheBody, and I am a social media ambassador.

Yes on 10, quick shout out to photo bomb this, but we need California to vote yes on 10 for rent control, because the rent is too damn high. OK.

So ...

Tiffany Marrero: Yes.

GA: So, we're here with Tiffany. We're going to be checking in and talking about the USCA conference that happened in Orlando, Florida. I'm going to be checking in about two highlights of the event, which were hard to pick. Because overall, it's just been an incredible conference. I had an amazing time meeting new people, getting to know Tiffany in person, who is spectacular and amazing, and just, so much, so much, motivation for me.

You know, she's the first person that told me that the poz community doesn't fuck around. We are very, very tight. And I think that that's really important to fight the stigma. We have to be really, really close together.

And so for me, having seen some incredible people at the transgender luncheon was incredible. I saw Maria Roman. Shout out to her. She has been an incredible, incredible activist in Los Angeles for the trans Latinas, and shout out to Bamby Salcedo -- just incredible pioneers that have been able to create a safe space for people here in Hollywood and East LA, and a few other chapters in LA, itself. There's a lot of pockets. LA is just pretty big.

Also, I wanted to check in and talk about this young activist who is such a brave young man. He's from Honduras. And he was actually being investigated by his university. He was criminalized for being HIV positive. A student, a peer of his, reported him to the university, and he just had to face a terrible, terrible ordeal. And we're talking about someone who is first-gen migrant, came to this country at around 9-12 years old, first to go to college, first to even graduate high school. Has a scholarship, you know? Shout out to that. And just really, just, on his hustle.

And, you know, all just for this to in limbo, right? This fear that he could have lost so much because someone decided to report him. Someone decided to use this legal system and badger him with these policies that are going on, right? And so I really wanted to just check in, and give him a shout out.

Because one of the things that I really enjoyed about the conference was that he was there. I had a chance to interview him and talk to him. One of things that I really, really enjoyed about our conversation was that we both bonded over the #CentralAmericanTwitter, which is this social, virtual platform that has been going around now for a couple of years. And it's just been a community for us, you know?

We talk about the diversity behind our Central American heritage. There are just so many nuances there. We get to learn about each other's experiences, and just read up on our culture, and just continue to motivate each other and inspire ourselves.

He really just made it known that those were some of the platforms that kept him going. And I truly value out. So, shout out to folks on CentralAmericanTwitter who are watching right now. Thank you so much for creating this platform for us, to continue to motivate ourselves and just fight collectively, you know, against these systems of oppression.

And, speaking of systems of oppression, I do also want to just talk about some of the bureaucratic hoops. Me, personally, I went through something recently with my ADAP [AIDS Drug Assistance Program]. So, I do want to just talk about the fact that -- you know, give like a little shout out to the ADAP locator.

For those who don't know what ADAP is, -- so I'm just talking about California right now -- so that we can get support for our HIV meds, and for other medical services, you know? It should be on the little drop box there, the phone number to ADAP, and also the phone number to the South Carolina Services, for folks with HIV/AIDS, right? In case they need meds during this, during Hurricane Florence. You know, I hope everyone is safe, everyone is practicing the buddy system. Make sure that you just keep people aware of where you are and how you're doing.

So, I just wanted to do that, just throw that out there before I leave it to the amazing Tiffany.

TM: Aww. Well, first of all, I love, I love everything. Thank you.

Thank you for joining me on this. I love that USCA provided us the space to actually connect, right? Like, not just through our writing, but to meet face to face. And it's crazy. Because now when I read -- now, I went back, and I reread some of the content you have. And I think about -- now that I actually met you -- how impactful that was, just having to share a space with you. So, thank you for all the interviews you've done.

This is like your first -- you said this was your first USCA, right?

GA: It was. And can I just say, when I read your first article, too, from TheBody, I was really, really just hyped. I really wanted to meet you. I thought that you're an incredible person with agency, and it really inspired me.

TM: Right. Aw, you, too. I mean, I just -- I'm so glad we're on this together. And I love that you mention policy; I love that you mention advocacy. Because I think, on my end of the world, I came back -- this is my second USCA and my first time was through the Youth Initiative Program -- and it was cool to kind of come back as an alum, someone who aged out, but someone who was invited back, and to sit with the new, the 2018 youth.

As you and I, as young people, I think about how we connected so seamlessly, and how important it was for you and I to connect, to now have, I think, a better experience, both of navigating in TheBody. So, for me to be able to then do that for the next generation of advocates or youth; I had to sit back and be like, wow! I'm able to give that back.

And I feel like -- tell me if you agree -- that conferences allow people that space to, not just connect, but I think to get challenged, to experience new things. I know, for me, the hardest thing about getting to USCA last year was because I never flew by myself out of Florida. So the hardest part was understanding gates, terminals, right? Like, making flights. Like, cancelling tickets. Like, getting myself from the airport to the hotel in one piece.

And so now that I was able to navigate that a year later really easily, it's really empowering. But it's almost, it's almost, I don't know. USCA gave me that reason to do that. And those are life skills that you learn. Now I know how to travel a little easier. But I used USCA as a way to kind of figure that out, and then also have community in that, too.

This is your first time. Did you get a sense of community or the sense that people in any other circumstance wouldn't be able to commune this way, but USCA kind of provided that? So, it provided sessions, right? And it provided education. But also, it provided a sense of family, would you feel like, in these spaces?

GA: Definitely. I definitely feel that. And I had that experience, too. And for folks tuning in, we're talking about the USCA conference that took place last week in Orlando, Florida. And talking about family, you know what I mean? Chosen family, the person that I was staying with, Tyrell, that's like I made a new friend. You know what I mean?

TM: Tell that story. Did you tell the story of how you and Tyrell? That's crazy. There's a story behind.

GA: No, I haven't told the story.

TM: Oh, there's a story. All right. So, you guys -- so, I'll shout out to BULI Institute. I'll shout out to Duane and Cedric and everybody. So, when you told me that you needed a roommate, my first thought was Baby. I was like, "Let me see if one of the babies are coming to USCA."

And I texted a friend, Duane. He's like, "I know someone. Tyrell."

And Tyrell was awesome new into this work. And it was cool to have you and him share a space in that. Because you guys are both new. But you're kind of also seasoned in this. So it was weird to think about how much we had a community partnership. Like, I knew somebody who needed a place to stay at USCA. You had that space. And then, boom! And then it was allowing you guys to connect. And now you have a new partner -- not partner -- but you have a new friend, or a new person to kind of hang out with. Isn't that crazy?

GA: It's so beautiful. He's really, really inspiring, just like the work that he does. He's on his grind and, you know, he's getting his GRE going, as well. I really, really just can't wait to meet in person again.

And I told him -- as well as you -- you always have a home in LA. Come visit, you know?

TM: Yes!

GA: I think family is so, so important, especially when we share some common, common factors, right? We save similar experiences from our own positionality, right? And we can sort of navigate that together and understand each other, you know? And be there for each other. You know what I mean? Like, really, really be there and hold each other accountable. You know what I mean? Just to see each other as family.

TM: Yes. And also, too, how you're able to maybe build that outside USCA. So, what I found really beautiful about being able to come back to this a second time and engaging with the youth? I think it showed me -- the first time I went to USCA, I left really sad, heartbroken. I was crying. Because, you know, I wasn't in my safe space anymore.

And when I was able to come back, I think I left this USCA a lot more confident and less anxious that I wouldn't be able to find community outside USCA.

So, for those of you newcomers to USCA who don't come with an agency, kind of like how Giuliani and I came? If you're young and new? Look for those opportunities, too, to connect. Because I think, with the pain of leaving, what you can bring back to that community, that setting, a year later is amazing.

I mean, I brought back to USCA the second time so much more of myself that it started me off. And I was able to kind of finish it there, you know? So sometimes, maybe, going to these conferences, don't have any expectations. But put yourself out there: Socialize with people; go up to folks that you are really excited to hear about.

If you see a speaker, you really want to engage with them. If you ever think, "Oh, you know, Giuliani, he's from TheBody," don't be afraid to walk up and say, "Hey, I saw you on TheBody. Let's connect." Right? Don't be afraid to kind of put yourself out there and be vulnerable.

Were you able to make? I don't know. Giuliani, were you able? Or did any of the friendships you made at USCA, were they kind of different? Were they new? Were they something special to USCA that you don't think you would have been able to create outside USCA when you went there? Any friends you made?

GA: I think that it's -- yeah, it's definitely special, in a sense that we -- I don't feel alone. You know what I mean? I don't feel alone. I didn't really feel alone at that conference. I felt that was a safe space for me. You know what I mean? I wasn't going to be stigmatized or have to face any type of microaggressions in regards to my HIV status. You know what I mean?

And I was learning about other people, you know? Who have maybe had this status longer than I, you know? I've been HIV positive now for two years, soon to be, and so, you know. ...

TM: A baby.

GA: And so, I'm still learning a lot. You know what I mean? I'm still learning a lot -- which is why I'm very thankful for the opportunity to write with TheBody. Because it's also been a very therapeutic process for me. You know what I mean? Being able to be grounded, mentally, emotionally, you know? I'm working more on my spirituality right now, currently, you know what I mean? But really trying to be at a better place overall.

TM: You have amazing energy, by the way. So, in case you're wondering, your energy is so impactful, and so amazing. And I'm thankful that we got to meet.

And thank you for putting yourself out there. It's not easy. Trust. I'm glad that you're doing this work. Self-care is good for you, too.

And in thinking about self-care, too, I want to give a shout out -- or, I want us to acknowledge, too, thinking about policy and HIV decriminalization, or hopefully one day a repeal process. Check out Sanjay Johnson's case. His story is really impactful. I wanted to just shout out and uplift that.

I suggest you read his story to connect with him. I will tell you it hurts, as a black woman, to see my black folks in the community hurt. So, Sanjay: Look him up. Acknowledge him. Donate if you can. He is, unfortunately, another black human who is, unfortunately, having to pay for something that I don't think he should necessarily have to go through or pay for at all.

I want you -- I highly urge you guys -- if you support black and brown bodies, if you want to uplift black and brown people, if you think that black lives matter, check him out. Check out his story. It's important. HIV repeal -- it needs to happen. Because it puts us all in danger.

I just wanted to, like, segue into that, to bring that light up. So, check him out. It will be on the comments. Yeah.

And last thing: opportunities. If you are a young person and you're watching this and you want to engage more in HIV, just, activism, leadership; if there are things, if it's in your heart to give back to the community, and you're really, really, really excited about it, check out NMAC's BLOC program, between the ages of 18 to 25, where you can apply for overall BLOC. It's building leaders of color in this movement. So, if you are a person of color living with HIV, and you want allies, so on and so forth, check them out.

If you're looking at USCA, also look at NMAC, and then also look at the Leadership Pipeline -- for anybody out there who really wants to get in the fine family. Because we're a family. Oh! And submit to TheBody. Duh.

GA: Yes. Please submit to TheBody.

TM: And what's your social media stuff? Before we forget, Giuliani, what's your social media stuff?

GA: Oh. My social media is @PrinceOfViana. It's my Grandma's last name, and I'm her prince. So, I'm @PrinceOfViana. But, yes. You can find that on Instagram and Twitter. And, yes.

And what's your Instagram and Twitter?

TM: @PositivelyTiff on Instagram; @TiffPositively on Twitter; and #undetectablepussy. Because body autonomy is for everybody. And people living with HIV have sex, too, and are entitled to orgasms. And don't stop having sex if you are that person with HIV. If you choose to use condoms you can. Condoms aren't the end of the world -- so sorry; I'm going on a tangent.

GA: Except, I really love -- sorry.

TM: That's all right. Go on.

GA: No, no. I really, really love how you claim your agency and your sexuality. And I really loved hearing you at your panel. Can you talk a little bit more about what you were sharing?

TM: Which panel? Which one?

GA: The young adult panel that we had.

TM: Oh. Ooh, you -- OK.

GA: The ACT UP?

TM: Aw, that's so -- thank you. First of all, you know what? I'm looking kind of shy about it, so when you brought it up I was like, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

So, I created a collaborative. So, it's a multiple collaborative measure that I made. But I just thought about, as a young black girl in this world, as a young black girl living with HIV, as a young black girl living with HIV who gets horny and has periods and stuff, why am I not given the same empowerment to liberate my sexual freedom as I think other folks can do?

So this -- USCA is important for multiple reasons. But the biggest reason I think I put so much into loving the USCA and the Youth Initiative Program is because weeks before I had contemplated my own suicide. I had it, like, really -- I had it written it out. I was ready to go. I was so sad.

My prevention director was like, "Hey. Before you do anything crazy, here's USCA Youth Initiative. Apply."

And at the very least, I was like, "Well, let me go out of town before I do it," right? "Before I kill myself, let me just go out of town."

I went to USCA in D.C., and life changed. Right? But, as my life was changing, and I started to find more value in me living, I thought about the things that motivated me to take my meds. Right?

And so, for some people, it's like health. Right, Giuliani? It's like: I want to be healthy; I want to be strong. That's why I take my meds.

For me, as someone who's been living with HIV for a very long time, the motivation was kind of condomless sex, right? And my physician put it in a way that was really beautiful. She was like: "This allows you to liberate yourself. This allows you to date how you want to date. This allows you so much more power. Utilize it."

"And if the only way that I can get you to take these meds is to have undetectable viral load, and to support that, I'm going to support you."

So, I think that's a big reason why I am this transparent. One, because in Florida, it's a third-degree felony if somebody wants to try my life for HIV. So I purposely document it in a global way, so there's always evidence. But, two, because my existence is very radical. And for me, as a person living with an [sexually transmitted infection] overall, in general, for me to still say, "No, I have maybe condomless sex; I have anal sex; I have all types of sex, and I enjoy it," I think is a very radical thing. But I think it helps move the movement along, right?

One thing I noticed at USCA, and I was really frustrated and thinking, why do we have to have so many USCAs? Why? Why are we in these spaces, talking about capacity building, still, in 2018? HIV's been around for a very, very long time, right? So I think it's just my little way of being more transparent, of being more blunt.

I think somehow thinking about the movement as a big boulder, I feel like I'm doing a little more to push it along. That's why writing, I think, is so important, and storytelling is so important, and why you, documenting all that you do, that you, doing the interviews that you do, and you connecting that way -- it pushes the movement along a little bit more.

So, I highly suggest that everybody on this right now? Please move this movement along. Be transparent. Live your life. Document everything. Take those selfies. Go to those parties. Hang with that person. Write that story.

Submit to TheBody, right? Go on that [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] commercial if they email you. Like, be transparent. Like, tell your truth, and live in it, and love. And the more we show ourselves, I think, the more our numbers will show.

It's kind of how funding is, right? If more people are entering a zip code, then we get more. Same thing. If you want to get movement, if you want to destroy white supremacy, right? If you want to destroy patriarchy, you need to be present. You need to be solidified, right, as a group. We need to be here. People need to see us. And they need to smell us.

I'm so sorry. You're amazing.

GA: I love it. I love it. For true, it is.

TM: Whoo! Shout out to the Black AIDS Institute. Whoo! Shout out. OK, I'm done. I'm good. HINAC. BULI. Shout out. PWN-USA. Shout out. OK, I'm done. I'm done.

GA: And also, I just want to do another quick shout out to Prop 10 for California. Rent is too damn high. And we really need to also address this. This is a public health issue, as well. People are becoming homeless.

TM: Yes. Tell us. Tell us.

GA: And a lot of these people also need medical assistance. You know what I mean? This is a public health issue, so this is relevant to talk about on TheBody right now. So, please, California, vote yes on 10. Yeah. OK.

TM: Vote yes on 10. Vote yes on 10. Give us more funding. Vote, vote, vote. Uplift Sanjay. ADAP. Resources. Check out the links. So, if you guys, if you're still on, check out the links. Pass them on. They're out there for the whole world.

If you have any questions you can hit up Giuliani. You can hit up me. Hit up TheBody, overall. Check out some content. And, anything? Last closing words, Giuliani?

GA: Just -- you mentioned the survey, right? That's what you were bringing up?

TM: Oh, I missed that. I'm so sorry. OK. So, before you roll out, before we all tune out, check out the survey. It's being dropped right now. That will really help us to make TheBody visible. That would be really great, to be able to give us better feedback from the community, to let us know what you guys want to see. Especially if you're working with youth, it's really important that you give us our feedback. Because we are creating a resource center for us online, and we're trying to update it. So, if you work with youth, if you work with folks internationally, please pass that on. Do the survey. Do the survey. Do the survey.

GA: Yes. Please. Please. Because this survey is targeting youth, ages 18 to 30. And so please, please, please, share. Participate in the survey. Yeah, share your ideas, please. Because it is a collective effort. You know what I mean? TheBody is really doing amazing work to push this forward.

TM: A black woman's collaborative. Black women. Black boys. So if you work with youth, check that out. If you don't, still check it out. If you know someone who does, you can send them that survey, too. So if you know anybody else who you think needs to see it that's not on this live right now, you can send it to him.

All right. We're done.

GA: Bye, love! Mwah! Love you.

TM: I love you more. You're so cute.

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Giuliani Alvarenga is a UC Berkeley alumnus who double majored in English and gender & women's studies. He is a Sidley Austin Pre-Law Scholar and wrapping up his two-year clerkship with Munger, Tolles, & Olson before he begins law school.

Tiffany Marrero is a sex-positive advocate using her lived experience as a black, queer, cisgender millennial woman living with HIV to work with, and on behalf of, other people in her community. Tiffany has earned her bachelor's degree in social work (B.S.W.) from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Broward County, Florida.Chris Jackson/Getty Images

On Tuesday, the Duchess of Sussex embarked on her first solo engagement as a member of the royal family, attending a major new exhibition of Oceanic art at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The timing of her visit to Oceania is fortuitous  Meghan and Harry will head out on their first royal tour next month, visiting several countries in the region, including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

For her visit to the academy, Meghan wore a familiar pair of earrings from her jewelry box: the Snowflake Snowstorm earrings by Birks. She also wore her engagement and wedding rings, along with a few other slim gold bands.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Heres another view of the earrings and rings.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

And heres a look at Meghans entire ensemble for the occasion.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Tira Nalvianti Rahmi (The Jakarta Post) Jambi  Tue, September 25, 2018 09:39 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087746a302 3 Opinion family-planning,keluarga-berencana,taboo,Youth,pregnancy,contraceptives Free

On the surface, we look like were in our prime. People say my generation is young and determined, and that we have our whole future ahead of us.



But what if I told you that the young people of my generation are regularly denied the basic tools and information we need to plan our lives and protect our health? What if I told you that our future is at risk  and without action now, the future prosperity of Indonesia could be at risk, too?



In my region, we face a lot of problems, from early-age marriage to unplanned pregnancy, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS and more. But our biggest challenge is one of perception.



Sixty-five million young people, aged 10 to 24, live in Indonesia. We comprise 28 percent of the population. Whether we stay in school will determine how educated our country is. Whether we stay healthy enough to keep our jobs will determine how strong our economy is.



And yet many people in my community think there is no problem with early-age marriage that pulls girls out of school, robbing them of their youth and their education.



According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), in most Indonesian provinces, more than a quarter of married women aged 20 to 24 reported they were married before the age of 18.



Further, many people still think it is better to have more children, even if that means stretching resources thin and preventing mothers from having jobs, because their time is absorbed by repeated pregnancies with short intervals, and by tending to the family.



Even though the data show that 1.7 million young women under 24 give birth each year  including half a million teenage girls  people still fear talking about family planning with youth, because of taboos and perceptions.



My generation accounts for more than a quarter of the population, yet our reproductive health is often overlooked.



At clinics we are told we are too young to need contraceptives, or that the services we want are not available. At school we find inadequate or nonexistent reproductive health information. And at home, reproductive health is shrouded in social taboos.



For the sake of Indonesias future, this needs to change.



Here, both married and unmarried young women dont have access to sexual and reproductive health information and services they desire.



Only 45 percent of married girls (15 to 19 years old) who want to delay or prevent pregnancy are using a modern contraceptive method according to the Indonesian Demographic Health Survey (SDKI). And Indonesia has one of the highest rates of unplanned pregnancies across all of Asia.



These unplanned pregnancies undermine opportunities for education and employment, exacerbate poverty and perpetuate gender inequity.



Imagine what our communities and our economy would look like if the 1.7 million young women who have children each year finished school and joined the workforce instead?



Give us the chance to choose to have smaller families, later in life, that were better able to support. Give us a chance to contribute to the social and economic development of our country.



If we make small family changes like these, well also have the potential to shift the demographics of Indonesia. We can be part of a movement to boost the percentage of working-age young adults, while reducing the number of dependents we support. This is key to helping the Indonesian economy reap the demographic dividend and grow.



We know we wont get there alone. Around the world, thousands of youth are gathering, calling for greater access to family planning as I write these words.



Some of us are hosting events in our home countries today in recognition of World Contraception Day, while others are preparing to travel to Kigali in November for the 2018 International Conference on Family Planning. Together, we are starting a global movement.



But nothing will change for our futures or the futures of our home countries if we relegate these conversations to isolated events and conferences held at a safe distance. We need you to join us now, here in Indonesia, in making an investment in our shared future.



If you are a parent, consider the life opportunities your daughter might have if you give her your blessing to delay marriage and use contraceptives.



If you are a healthcare provider, consider how many lives you can change if you offer counseling and services to youth.



And if you are a politician or one of our leaders, consider what my generation can do for our country if you support our access to a range of family planning options. In 2017, Indonesia committed to providing access to modern contraceptives to an additional 2.8 million people by 2019. To reach this goal, the unique needs of youth cannot be left by the wayside.



As taboo as it may be, sexually active teenagers and young adults are capable of getting pregnant; thats basic reproductive science. The question is: How will we support them? We ask that you carefully consider your role and response. Your answer and your actions will determine the future for all of us.



***

The writer, 22, is a field officer of Yayasan Cipta Cara Padu and secretary of Forum GenRe Indonesia (FGI) of Jambi province. She is the host of a World Contraception Day satellite event in Jakarta on Sept. 26 for the International Conference on Family Planning. (fpconference.com/2018)

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 Xiao Qian (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 13:49 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087747a654 3 Opinion religious-freedom,China,Muslim,Islam,Uighur,Xinjiang Free

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.



As the policy on freedom of religious belief is fully implemented, various ethnic groups and religions enjoy harmony, equality and amity. Yet, risks still simmer beneath the surface as some people try to spread religious extremism in Xinjiang and commit acts of terror and violence, hurting innocent citizens of all ethnic groups, including the religious people. What they have committed is antihuman, antisocial, anticivilization and antireligion in nature. In fact, a great many of countries are faced with such a wrong ideological trend.



Religious radicalism and terrorism are the common enemy of all mankind. Countries should work together to deal with such challenges. But regrettably, a few institutions and people from the West pursue double standards, deliberately distorting the facts, speculating on the so-called re-education camps and misrepresenting Chinese governments efforts to prevent religious extremism and promote deradicalization.



In fact, the measures taken by the local governments in Xinjiang aim to address both the symptoms and root causes, namely by keeping the misguided people away from religious extremism and enabling them to better integrate into society through vocational training.



Furthermore, to promote stability, development and peoples livelihood, Xinjiang has stationed officials in villages to work on poverty alleviation and strengthen paired assistance between local officials and citizens as well as between Xinjiang and other developed provinces. By doing so, Xinjiang has taken a fundamental approach in maintaining lasting social stability.



We Chinese people often say, Seeing is believing. To make an objective appraisal of Xinjiang, one cannot just rely on hearsay or simply follow anothers lead in voicing opinions. Instead, one needs to trust his or her own experiences and feelings. We warmly welcome our Indonesian friends to visit Xinjiang and take a look for yourselves. I believe by then you would agree as well that Xinjiang is indeed a wonderful place.

***

The writer is Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia.

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 News Desk (Reuters)  Tue, September 25, 2018 23:02 1143 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308774886e6 2 Science & Tech Tinder,dating-app,Tinder-My-Move-Feature Free

The Indian edition of dating app Tinder is trialing a new feature which gives women an additional level of scrutiny and security before they allow men to start messaging conversations, with a view to rolling the function out globally.

The "My Move" feature allows women to choose in their settings that only they can start a conversation with a male match after both have approved each other with Tinder's swiping function.

Normally, the app gives both parties to a successful match - where both have swiped yes on the other's photograph - the right to text each other immediately.

Tinder has been testing the function in India for several months and plans to spread it worldwide if the full rollout proves successful. Rival dating-app Bumble already only allows the female party to a heterosexual match to start conversations.

Dating is still frowned upon in many circles in India's religiously- and ethnically-divided society, where arranged marriages are still the norm.

The country is also ranked the world's most dangerous for women due to the high risk of sexual violence, according to a poll https://in.reuters.com/article/women-dangerous-poll/india-most-dangerous-country-for-women-with-sexual-violence-rife-global-poll-idINKBN1JM076 by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reuters News owner Thomson Reuters Corp .

Yet an emerging class of young, well-to-do Indians in cosmopolitan cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai have made the country Tinder's largest market in Asia. The company also says it is the "chattiest" globally, with users using the in-app messaging feature more than any other country.

Read also: Commentary: Tinder not for Indonesian women

Taru Kapoor, General Manager for Tinder owner Match Group in India, told Reuters the function had been pioneered in India because of Tinder's need to attract more women to the app by making them feel more comfortable and secure.

"We're a platform based on mutual respect, consent, and choice," she said.

"(Users) can shape their own destiny, connect with people they feel comfortable with and at all points of time, feel in control. Our users have the autonomy, especially women have the autonomy, on how to be engaged, to be empowered, to control their experience."Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Severianus Endi (The Jakarta Post) Kuching  Tue, September 25, 2018 08:54 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877467a32 4 Environment forest-conservation,forest,#environment,environment,malaysia-indonesia,border-areas,Dayak,indigenous-people Free

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.

Known as the Ulu Menyang village of Batang Ai, the area is home to the ethnic Dayak Iban community and its members have been using the worms that are found on gaharu leaves as a traditional method of removing pests from their farms because they do not use pesticide. However, the hot weather has made it difficult for the local farmers to find these worms, which do not like high temperatures.

The locals have been practicing organic agriculture and sustainable cultivation methods by harvesting anything they can get from the gaharu trees without cutting them down.

At the end of 2018, the leaves of about 5,000 trees can be harvested to make tea. Gaharu tea today offers a promising price [US$1.45 per kilogram] when exported to China, said Manggat Anak Meringai, head of the longhouse, which is a traditional gathering place for the Dayak community, in Ulu Menyang.

The longhouse has 17 doors with around 30 occupants, all participating in this gaharu planting program. It is one the eight longhouses in Batang Ai. Longhouses also serve as homestay facilities for tourists.

Ulu Menyang longhouse. (The Jakarta Post/Severianus Endi)

From Kuching, these longhouses are accessible within six hours by car followed by a speedboat trip along Batang Ai Dam. From Indonesia, its convenient to start from Nanga Badau in Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan, a journey that takes only 30 minutes.

The number of people occupying each of the longhouses increases during the celebration of Gawai, a Dayak ethnic harvest festival observed as a national holiday in Sarawak. These additional occupants are longhouse family members living in cities as students or employees.

Some of the visitors also came from Kapuas Hulu regency, West Kalimantan, sharing a common land border with Sarawak and related by kinship due to their same ethnic origin. Four journalists from Pontianak and three from Kuching joined the tour arranged by the WWF-Malaysia Sarawak Conservation Program.

Climate initiative project manager of the WWF Sarawak Program, Cynthia Chin, said the planting of gaharu trees in the area was aimed at safeguarding the habitat of orangutans and creating value added for local people. Around 100 orangutans have been detected in Batang Ai.

Greening degraded land through gaharu planting not only protects the forest but also the local community here, Chin said.

The residents of the border region live in the same conservation zone.

By the river: Longboats transporting guests from Batang Ai jetty to the gaharu plantations near the longhouses in Ulu Menyang provide additional benefi ts for ecotourism. (The Jakarta Post/Severianus Endi)

Many long boats are available in the region for visitors to cruise Batang Ai Dams waters, visit small islands, enjoy their panoramas and observe orangutans in their natural habitat.

Manggat assured his commitment to fighting illegal logging with local people and even seize whoever dares to violate the law.

If illegal logging is ignored, the local wildlife will disappear. The forest will also be denuded while we and many other groups highly depend on our environment, he added.

Batang Ai village is also part of the Heart of Borneo (HoB), an initiative of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia with 22 million ha of natural forestland made up of primary forest zones, the habitat of wild animals like orangutans, various economic potential and distinctive local cultures.

Finished goods: Gaharu tea produced by a local farmers group. (The Jakarta Post/Severianus Endi)

Residents of both countries share their experience in forest enrichment with plants suited to their respective economic value. The collaborative management of various stakeholders helps support residents livelihood by rejuvenating 43,000-ha of degraded land. Hopefully, the local people will not just be bystanders on their own land.

The district chief of Hulu Gurung, Kapuas Hulu regency, Burhanuddin, said three villages in his district had formed 10 farmer groups with almost 100 members.

They focus on improving the quality of rubber to raise its sale value. Today, rubber costs only Rp 6,000 [40 US cents] per kilogram. Theres a chance of increasing the price if they harvest rubber according to factory standards, added Burhanuddin.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Sarah Frier and Spencer Soper (Bloomberg)  Tue, September 25, 2018 15:05 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087747bcb0 2 Science & Tech Snapchat,Amazon,shopping Free

Snapchat is teaming up with Amazon.com Inc. to let users of its social-media app buy products based on what they see through their smartphones camera lenses.

Snapchats mobile app opens up to a camera, which people can use to send disappearing images and videos to their friends. Now, users will be able to point the Snapchat camera at a product they see in the real world to scan its image or barcode. If Amazon recognizes the item, it will present a link to purchase it on the retail giants app or website, parent company Snap Inc. said Monday in a blog post.

The shopping tool, which is only available to a small set of users in the U.S. for now, could eventually present another source of revenue for the troubled social-media company. The Los Angeles-based company, which went public at $17 a share last year, has posted disappointing revenue growth and user additions in some recent quarters. The company declined to comment on its financial relationship with Amazon.

Amazon and rival EBay Inc. both already have visual search functions. The pairing with Snap helps Amazon encourage use of visual search with younger shoppers and helps keep Snapchatters from straying to competing commerce sites. The accord could also help Amazon make its site easier to navigate. With hundreds of millions of products to comb through, using text search can be cumbersome when shoppers arent sure precisely how to describe what they want. A photo can deliver relevant results more quickly.

Read also: Snapchat redesign sparks backlash among some users

The move is part of a broader trend to incorporate smartphone cameras into commerce by using image-recognition technology to streamline the searching and shopping process. Pinterest Inc. has a similar tool to shop for items or search for ideas via images. Online marketplace EBay is using smartphones to let merchants simply point their cameras at products and then auto-populate fields such as brand and product description, and even to suggest prices and the best box size. Seattle-based Amazon and others are also using smartphones and augmented reality to let shoppers point their cameras at their living rooms, for example, to see how a new couch might look inside before they buy it.

Snap shares fell 1 percent to $9.05 at 1:03 p.m. in New York, and Amazon rose slightly to $1,917.04.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 19:37 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877484334 1 Art & Culture Teater-garasi,theater,art,Diversity,art-and-culture,Maumere,Flores,Pamekasan,performing-arts,festival,culture Free

Teater Garasi, one of Indonesias major theater troupes, is set to facilitate three festivals on diversity in Pamekasan, Madura, Lewolema, East Flores, and Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara.

Remo Teater Madura, which will be held at the Avalokitesvara temple in Pamekasan from Sept. 28 to 30, is a performing arts festival that includes dance and art performances, an art exhibition, a workshop and a discussion forum for Maduranese artists.

Remo is a Maduranese tradition of arisan (a rotating savings gathering) or social meetings where residents can discuss various issues that they are facing. With Standing on Ground as the main theme, the forum is set to discuss social issues through performances regarding land in its sociopolitical context.

From Oct. 5 to 7, the Nubun Tawa Art and Culture Festival of East Flores, Pai Taan Tou, will take place in Lewolema. It will present performances from East Flores art communities, Lewolemas natural resources, as well as performances by Papuan artist Darlene Litaay, Jakarta theater artist Ruth Marini, Japanese composer Yasuhiro Morinaga and Yogyakarta-based dancer and choreographer Iwan Dadijono.

The festival is a new format of the East Flores Art Culture Festival, founded in 2014, and aims to preserve East Flores culture and diversity. Nubun Tawa means the birth of a young generation, and the festival is a way for the youth to preserve their culture.

The third festival is Maumerelogia III, which will be held from Nov. 2 to 10 in Maumere. It is an annual literature, theater and performing arts festival, founded in 2016 and hosted by the Maumere-based KAHE Community.

Read also: Teater Garasi's new studio, seeking alternative paths

Last year, along with Teater Garasi, KAHE Community held the M 7.8 SR: Exhibition, Discussion and Performance (A Reflection on Tsunami in Maumere). The theme was chosen to commemorate the 1992 tsunami and to focus on Maumeres current condition. They also released an anthology of essays, short stories and poems along with theater performances and exhibitions.

This year, the festival will include art and student theater communities in Flores and Timor, including Kupangs Coloteme Art Movement, Sesado Theater from San Dominggo Seminary in Hokeng and Evergrande Theater from Syuradikara High School in Ende.

Garasi Performance Institute started the Performing Differences (AntarRagam) program in Madura and Flores last year, which was supported by the Ford Foundation. The program connected the troupe with artists and the younger generation outside of Java, aiming to empower the artists social and cultural capital as well as addressing their concerns over sociocultural changes and diversity.

Through a series of meetings, creations and public interactions carried out by the institutes partners in Madura, Maumere and East Flores, the Performing Differences Series were presented for the first time in November last year.

For more information visit the theater's website and its social media site. (wng)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Surakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 08:26 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877466bc4 4 Books Javanese-culture,manuscript,Yasri,antique,history,Javanese-language Free

The thick book is worn out with its fragile sheets already tattered along their outer edges, and a magnifying glass is needed to read the manuscript, because the ink has faded away.



The book, Babad Majapahit (Majapahit Chronicles), was published in 1901, over a century ago, and it is in Javanese.



Babad Majapahit is only one of the hundreds of old books and texts that are in such a poor condition they are hardly readable. It requires great care to turn the flimsy pages without causing damage. In fact, these antique documents are very rare treasures that deserve preserving.



Theyre invaluable traces of past civilizations that will be lost if totally damaged and illegible, said John Paterson, one of the founders of Yayasan Sastra Lestari (Yasri), an institution for the recovery of vintage manuscripts.



Yasri was set up in 1996 by Paterson, an Indonesianist from Australia, and Supardjo, a postgraduate lecturer of culture at the March 11 State University (UNS) in Surakarta, Central Java. Patersons private funding has enabled the retrieval and preservation of the old documents.



In the last 20 years, Yasri has saved around 6,000 Javanese texts or more than 15 million words published in the 19th century and early 20th century, mostly from Central and East Java. They include handwritten and printed tembang(Javanese poetry) and prose composed by literary men from the Mangkunegara and Kasunanan courts in Surakarta, like Yosodipura II, Ronggowarsito, Padmosusastro and Sasradiningrat IV.



Yasris oldest manuscript is Serat Damarwulan (The Romance of Damarwulan), which was written in 1810.



Other old texts include Babad Pajang (Pajang Chronicles, 1910), Babad Majapahit (Majapahit Chronicles, 1901), Centhini in two versions ( 1912 ), Pararaton (The Book of Kings, 1912) and Sri Karongron ( 1912 ). The most recent documents collected are 1942 magazines in Javanese characters.



The literary works were bought from flea markets such as Triwindu, Sriwedari and secondhand book sellers in the northern square of the Surakarta court. Some were granted by collectors and others left by old book lovers for safekeeping.



Paterson himself has kept thousands of his texts in Yasri.



It was saddening to see Ronggowarsitos works lying in the market as if they are worthless in the mid-1990s, while theyre actually masterpieces, he said.



Of the 6,000, 844 manuscripts are preserved through digitalized transliteration from Javanese characters to the Roman alphabet for further uploading to the website, so that everybody can download and

read them.



Not all of those interested in studying the old texts can read Javanese characters, which requires transliteration. Their physical form as well as their substance is thus preserved, Paterson said.



A Yasri staffer, Abdi Utami, said the digitalization process was being handled by five employees, including herself. This process involved manuscript arrangement, identification, cataloguing, followed by transliteration and editing, which is done twice, before the documents are uploaded onto thesastra.org website.



Of the texts already digitalized, 27 are the correspondences of Ronggowarsito from 1836 to 1844, and 40 others are letters from the chief minister of the Kasunanan Court of Surakarta, Kanjeng Raden Arya Sasradiningrat, to regional officials in 1837.



This is meant to be read by the public. Its no use to maintain and preserve the files without public perusal, said Abdi.



Transliteration is not simple, the Batik University (Uniba) Surakarta graduate explained. It does not just involve changing the characters of a piece of text, but also adjusting any rhymes.



Moreover, nearly all old manuscripts take the form of macapat (Javanese poetry recited in song form).



So transliterating demands a knowledge of macapat, not only how to recite rhyming verses but also to sense their meaning, Abdi said.



The maintenance of documents more than a century old is no less intricate, as the collections are very vulnerable to even the slightest bit of friction.



Abdi revealed that Yasri was not engaged in detailed conservation, such as mending torn pieces or repairing detached volumes because of the unavailability of materials needed and the skilled personnel required.



Were doing simple maintenance work, like removing dust with brushes, mostly involving newly arrived documents. The important thing is to keep all texts and their storage room dry so as not to invite bugs, Abdi said.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 08:37 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877466dd3 4 Business IFTM-Top-Resa-2018,tourism,exhibition,Paris Free

Indonesia will take part in IFTM Top Resa 2018  one of the world`s biggest tourism bourses in France -- from Sept. 25 to 28, at the Porte de Versailles, to boost tourist arrivals from the country.

The Tourism Ministry`s marketing undersecretary, Nia Niscaya, said on Monday in London that the event would involve 21 tourism operators from Jakarta, Semarang, Bali and Flores.

The ministry had also involved tourism agencies in Gorontalo and West Sumba regency in East Nusa Tenggara, as well as Singapore Airlines as its partner.

IFTM Top Resa provides opportunities for tourism stakeholders -- travel agents, hoteliers and airlines -- to develop new business relations with their counterparts in other countries, said the official as reported by Antara news agency.

Nia said the selection of Indonesia as a country of honor would improve brand awareness and media exposure to help promote Indonesian tourism.

Indonesia welcomed 250,921 French tourists in 2016 and 268,989 in 2017. It is expected to receive 290,000 tourists this year.

Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Russia are the top five European markets for the Indonesian tourist industry. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 15:09 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087747c696 4 Business rice,stock,2018,AgricultureMinistry,Bulog Free

The Agriculture Ministry has underlined that the country does not need to import rice, because the warehouses of state-owned logistics firm Bulog are fully stocked with rice.

Bulog has an actual rice stock of 2.6 million tons today. In September, we will produce 3.2 million tons, 2.8 million tons in October and 2.8 million tons in November, the ministrys Food Resilience Agency (BKP) head, Agung Hendriadi, said in Jakarta on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.

The volume of rice stock would continue to increase through the yearend or early 2019 from large harvests expected in December 2018 and January 2019, said Agung. He added that monthly rice consumption was around 2.5 million tons.

Agung said that last year's surplus rice production of 13 million tons were stored at Bulogs warehouses as well as at rice mills and at warehouses belonging to farmers and traders.

He said that about 1.4 million tons of rice was stored at rice mills.

In April, the government planned to import 2 million tons of rice this year, but Coordinating Economy Minister Darmin Nasution said that it had cancelled plans to import 600,000 tons of rice because the exporting countries could not meet the government's schedule.

The rice import issue prompted a dispute between Bulog president director Budi Waseso and Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita after Budi criticized the rice import policy, arguing that local farmers had produced enough rice to meet the demand. (bbn)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 16:42 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087747e5f5 1 City Jakarta-administration,officials,inauguration,rotation Free

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan reinstated and rotated echelon II city officials on Tuesday.

Anies said the rotations were aimed at speeding up and improving the city's services for Jakartans.

"[The rotation] is part of the dynamics of an organization that aims at improving its service. It is normal to always ensure such refreshment for the organization to grow," he said after inaugurating the officials at City Hall, as quoted by kompas.com.

The State Civilian Bureaucracy Commission recommended that Anies reinstate eight out of the 16 civil servants he had fired. The commission believed the administration had violated procedures and regulations in the demotions.

The 11 officials include former South Jakarta mayor Tri Kurniadi, who was dismissed in July and appointed as the secretary of the Greater Jakarta Coordinating Board.

Former Social Welfare Bureau head Adi Ariantara has now been appointed as the Cooperatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Trade Agency head.

Blessmiyanda was reinstated as the head of the Jakarta Goods and Services Procurement Agency. She was dismissed during the administration of former governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat.

Andri Yansyah now heads the Jakarta Manpower and Transmigration Agency, previously being the head of the Transportation Agency.

Three other officials inaugurated were deputy mayor of Central Jakarta, Irwandi; deputy mayor of North Jakarta, Ari Maulana Hakim; and deputy regent of the Thousand Islands, Junaedi. (vla)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 15:48 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087747d1f0 1 City children,child-abuse,charity,tortures,South-Tangerang Free

The South Tangerang Police have rescued three people, including two minors, who were reportedly held captive and tortured for five days at the dubious Khusnul Khotimah charity foundation in Pondok Aren district, South Tangerang, Banten.

The victims, identified as GP, 16, SA, 16, and Dona Ardiana, 21, were allegedly beaten, spat on, kicked in the face and splashed with tea by their abductors, according to the police.

They are currently undergoing trauma therapy, said South Tangerang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ferdy Irawan on Monday as reported by kompas.com.

The police have arrested foundation member Dedi, 25, and foundation owner Abdul Rojak, 33. The third suspect, Haerudin, 27, a friend of the owner who is also a contract worker at the South Tangerang Transportation Agency, is still at large.

The suspects are facing child abuse and human trafficking charges as stipulated under the 2014 Child Protection Law and the 2007 Human Trafficking Law. They could be sentenced to 15 years imprisonment if found guilty by the court.

The police said they were still trying to verify the legitimacy of the foundation with the Law and Human Rights Ministry because the foundation had failed to provide the necessary legal documents and could not account for its funds.

The case came to light when Dedi reportedly abducted SA and GP -- who he allegedly caught carrying donation envelopes belonging to the foundation -- from Jl. Panglima Polim in South Jakarta on Sept. 1. The foundation suspected the two children were collecting money under the foundations name, despite having left in July.

On Sept. 5, GPs parents received word that GP was being held captive, and asked for his return but the foundation demanded a Rp 18 million (US$1,200) ransom. So instead, GPs parents reported the foundation to the police, who raided the office on Jl. Tentara Pelajar later that day.

Police rescued the two children and found the third reported captive, Dona Ardiana, who the suspects allegedly tortured on suspicion of supplying the children with the foundation envelopes. (nor)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China  Tue, September 25, 2018 11:55 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877475217 2 World #China,#USA,China,USA,trade-aggreement-talk,threat Free

China said on Tuesday it was impossible to hold trade talks with the United States while Washington is imposing tariffs that are like "holding a knife to someone's throat".

Speaking a day after Washington activated tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said China is open to negotiations but that the two sides must treat each other "equally and with respect".

"Now that the US has adopted this type of large-scale trade restrictions, they're holding a knife to someone's throat. Under these circumstances, how can negotiations proceed?" Wang told a news conference.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had invited Chinese officials to hold new talks, but President Donald Trump's latest tariffs salvo appear to have scuttled that effort.

Wang met US officials in Washington in August but there have been no high-level meetings for months.

Wang said Tuesday the US measures "have made it impossible for the negotiations to proceed".Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 18:15 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308774826be 1 City hate-speech,Asma-Dewi,legislative-candidates,Jakarta-council,Gerindra-Party Free

Former hate speech convict Asma Dewi is running for office in next year legislative election, seeking a seat in the Jakarta Council for the Gerindra Party.

[Her candidacy] is right. She said she was a victim of criminalization, said the partys Jakarta executive board (DPD) deputy chairman, Syarif, as quoted by kompas.com on Tuesday.

Syarif was referring to a ruling by the South Jakarta District Court, which had sentenced Asma Dewi to five months and 15 days of imprisonment in March for violating Article 207 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on insulting those in power or legal institutions.

In a post published on Facebook, Asma had called the government of President Joko Jokowi Widodo koplak (which roughly translates to stupid) and edun (loosely translated as crazy).

The party, however, was not bothered by her legal status, Syarif said.

Asma Dewi represents DKI Jakarta 2, which comprises Koja, Cilincing and Kelapa Gading districts in North Jakarta and the Thousand Islands regency.

Upon her arrest in September 2017, police said she was possibly linked to the Saracen group, a news outlet accused of producing hate speech. Police said Asma had sent money to Saracen.

Asmas lawyers later said the polices dossiers and the indictment against Asma did not mention anything about Saracen or money transfers. (vla)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 12:01 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308774761ce 1 Business halal-tourism,intl-halal-lifestyle-conference,jakarta,October,bank-indonesia Free

Bank Indonesia (BI) will organize the International Halal Lifestyle Conference and Business Forum to help unlock Indonesias potential in the global halal industry chain.

BIs sharia finance director Anwar Bashori said in Jakarta on Monday that BI would team up with the Halal Lifestyle Center in the conference at the Jakarta Convention Center from Oct. 3 to 5.

He said there was a great market for halal products given the increasing trend in global markets and Indonesia could become a major producer country of halal products in addition to the need to supply its huge domestic market.

However, today we are still consumers. Indonesia needs to change its position to become a producer of halal products. [] So, we need to strengthen our halal industry, Anwar said at a press conference.

According to the latest data from the Global Islamic Economic Report 2017-2018, Indonesia ranked 11th in the Islamic finance indicator, despite the fact that the country has the largest Muslim population in the world. Neighboring Malaysia was in the top rank.

Meanwhile, Halal Lifestyle Center chief Sapta Nirwandar said Indonesia needed to do many things to boost the halal food industry, including creating a supportive halal industry ecosystem, drafting regulation, effective promotion and ensuring close coordination among the relevant sectors.

We dont have a regulation to establish a halal ecosystem. Each sector works separately. What we want to address is how to connect halal tourism to halal food and maybe also halal hotels, he told journalists. (bbn)NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is investigating potential claims against Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc. (UWN) on behalf of stockholders concerning the proposed acquisition of the company by Maverick Casinos, LLC.



Pursuant to the proposed transaction, announced on September 18, 2018, Nevada Gold stockholders will receive $2.50 in cash for each share of Nevada Gold common stock owned. The investigation focuses on whether Nevada Gold and its board of directors violated the federal securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Companys stockholders by failing to conduct a fair process and whether and by how much the proposed transaction undervalues the Company.

If you own Nevada Gold shares, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Melissa Fortunato by email at investigations@bespc.com , or telephone at (212) 308-1869, or by filling out this contact form . There is no cost or obligation to you.

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a New York-based law firm concentrating in commercial and securities litigation. For additional information concerning our investigation of Nevada Gold please go to https://bespc.com/uwn/ . For additional information about Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. please go to www.bespc.com .Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 17:57 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877480fce 1 Politics 2019-presidential-election,Sandiaga-Uno,Prabowo-Subianto-Sandiaga-Uno,Joko-Widodo-Maruf-Amin,smear-campaign Free

The campaign teams of presidential candidates President Joko Jokowi Widodo and Prabowo Subianto have called for the closure of a website accusing the latters running mate, Sandiaga Uno, of having affairs with multiple women.

Prabowo campaign spokesperson Dahnil Simanjuntak urged the police to immediately look into the matter.

Regarding the hoax and slander that has been spread on social media and the internet about @sandiuno, I would like to have National Police chief Tito [Karnavians] promise that he will take firm measures against those who spread hoaxes and slander during the campaign period, Dahnil tweeted on Tuesday, adding that he hoped the police would not only act on slander against the incumbent.

Jokowi campaign spokesperson Ridlwan Habib echoed Dahnils sentiments.

The Jokowi-Maruf [Amin] campaign team asks that websites containing slander be immediately shut down, he said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara. The Presidents campaign will be directed toward work programs and ideas. It is strictly forbidden to attack the other side.

The Communications and Information Ministry said it had already taken steps to block the site.

We received a request from the National Police headquarters at 9 a.m. to block the site, ministry spokesperson Ferdinandus Setu said on Tuesday. At 10:30 a.m., our system, which is connected directly to ISPs [Internet Service Providers], requested that the site be blocked.

As of the time of writing, however, the website, which includes numerous articles and explicit images detailing the former Jakarta deputy governors alleged affairs, remains accessible.

According to data from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the sites domain name was first registered on Sunday by Privacy Protect LLC, a United States-based company that replaces domain owners visible contact details with alternate contact information. (kmt)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Tokyo, Japan  Tue, September 25, 2018 18:16 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877482be7 2 Sports #Japan,#sports,Japan,sumo,resign,assault-case Free

A top sumo stablemaster resigned Tuesday over a scandal that rocked Japan's traditional sport, in which one of his wrestlers was brutally beaten in a drunken brawl with another fighter.

Takanohana, a former Grand Champion or "yokozuna" who is a household name in Japan, laid the blame at the door of sumo officials for what he said was an "agonising" and "gut-wrenching" decision.

He claimed the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) had pressured him to admit he had fabricated his report over the October incident, which rocked Japan's traditional sport.

"I cannot bend the truth and say that what was in my complaint was untrue," he told a nationally televised press conference.

JSA officials were not immediately available for comment.

With his retirement, Takanohana's wrestlers and staff will transfer to another stable.

In October, one of his wrestlers, Takanoiwa, became embroiled in a fight with Harumafuji, a top-ranked yokozuna, which left him with a fractured skull.

Harumafuji, who is Mongolian, stepped down over the assault and was fined 500,000 yen ($4,400).

In a well-documented and celebrated career, Takanohana along with his elder brother Wakanohana, shot to stardom during their competitive careers during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Their rise to yokozuna boosted the popularity of sumo.

But his resignation is the latest scandal to hit the sport in recent years, from allegations of bout-fixing to drugs arrests and violent bullying -- the most serious case resulting in the death of a teenage wrestler in 2007.

Earlier this year, sumo became involved in a sexism row after women who rushed to the aid of a local mayor who had collapsed during a speech at a regional event were repeatedly told to leave a ring.

Sumo dirt rings, known as "dohyo", are viewed as sacred in the Japanese Shinto faith and women -- considered to be ritually unclean -- are not allowed to enter for fear of desecrating the hallowed soil.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin Gisela Swaragita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 12:28 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b308774796b5 1 City transjakarta,Transjakarta-lanes,Crash,Jakarta-accidents,transport Free

A Transjakarta bus has been damaged after hitting a lane divider near Sumber Waras Hospital on Jl. Kyai Tapa, West Jakarta, early Tuesday morning, when it apparently swerved to avoid a street sweeper working in the dedicated busway lane.

PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta) public relations head Wibowo told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the incident occurred around 6:08 a.m.

[It happened not far from] the Roxy flyover heading toward Grogol. The bus was about to enter the busway lane when [the driver spotted] a street sweeper standing in the lane to the right. The bus turned left to avoid the street sweeper, Wibowo said by text message.

The maneuver caused the bus to crash into the lane divider.

Fortunately, he said, the bus was empty, as it had just made its final stop. Neither the driver nor the street sweeper were injured, Wibowo added.

The front of the bus was damaged in the crash: its windshield shattered and the forward doors caved in.

We are still assessing [the damage], Wibowo said.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 19:56 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877484d52 1 City presidential-car,convoy,incident Free

A woman overtook a presidential convoy and then unintentionally hit a police officer on the Jagorawi toll road in East Jakarta on Monday morning.

The incident occurred at 8:40 a.m. The motorist, identified as Annisa, was apparently unaware that she overtook a convoy of President Joko Jokowi Widodo, and was confused when a traffic police officer tried to approach her, East Jakarta Police traffic accident unit chief Adj. Comr. Agus said.

She was apparently unaware of having overtaken the presidential convoy. She panicked and became so confused and nervous at being approached [by the police], that her car later bumped into the officer, Agus said as quoted by kompas.com.

The police officer was rushed to the hospital.

After undergoing police questioning, Annisa, who was accompanied by a friend called Tania in the car, admitted that she had wanted to arrive at her office as soon as possible on Monday morning. (srz)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Laos  Wed, September 26 2018

Indonesias foreign office in Laos recently hosted an investment forum for Indonesian companies to tap into the land-locked Southeast Asia nation, seen as a potential market for investments.

The forum earned a good response from Lao companies, with around 40 business owners from Laos and Indonesia matching up to uncover business opportunities, the Indonesian Embassy said in a statement.

The seminar, and the fact that Lao and Indonesian businesspeople are able to explore opportunities together, is expected to improve people-to-people contact and encourage Indonesian firms to invest abroad  especially in Laos, said Pratito Soeharyo, Indonesian ambassador to Laos, in a press statement issued on Tuesday.

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Linkedin Sarah Elizabeth (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 26 2018

The recently concluded Child and Young Puppeteers Festival attracted more participants than two years ago, and this has raised hopes among the puppeteer community that their profession will not become extinct.

The festival was held at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah cultural park in East Jakarta from Sept. 20 to 23.

The biennial event, which started in 2009 and was organized by the Indonesia Puppeteer Association (PEPADI), saw 29 child puppeteers or those aged between 8 and 15 as well as 30 young puppeteers aged between 17 and 30 taking part in the event, compared to the 28 child puppeteers and 23 young puppeteers who took part in 2016.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) South Tangerang  Wed, September 26 2018

The South Tangerang Police have rescued three people, including two minors, who were reportedly held captive and tortured for five days at the dubious Khusnul Khotimah charity foundation in Pondok Aren district, South Tangerang, Banten.

The victims, identified as GP, 16, SA, 16, and Dona Ardiana, 21, were allegedly beaten, spat on, kicked in the face and splashed with tea by their abductors, according to the police.

They are currently undergoing trauma therapy, said South Tangerang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ferdy Irawan on Monday, as reported by kompas.com.

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Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 26 2018

Indonesia wants Malaysia to be partly responsible to free two Indonesian fishermen abducted in Malaysian waters earlier this month, a Foreign Ministry official has said.

A kidnap-for-ransom group from the Philippines, which is believed to be behind the abduction of Samsul Saguni, 40, and Usman Yunus, 35, has demanded a ransom of 4 million Malaysian ringgit (US$966,800) for their release. The two were kidnapped on Sept. 11 as they were working on a Malaysian-flagged fishing vessel.

We hope the Sabah Police are able to not only pass on information about the ransom demands, but also rescue the two Indonesian hostages kidnapped in the Sabah region, said Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, the ministrys overseas citizen protection director, on Tuesday.

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Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, September 26 2018

The Transportation Ministry has released a pilot project for its first public-private partnership (PPP) as it offers Komodo Airport in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) for private concession, with the help of other government institutions.

The airport is the main hub for the increasingly popular coastal areas of Labuan Bajo, which is included in the governments 10 New Bali destinations, an effort to ramp up foreign tourist visitors to the archipelago.

Wisnu Wijaya Soedibjo, acting deputy for investment at the Coordinating Investment Board (BKPM), said the government was offering a 25-year concession contract worth Rp 1.17 trillion (US$78.5 million) and an additional Rp 1.83 trillion for operational expenditure.

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Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 19:58 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087748500f 1 SE Asia Malaysia,abduction,Indonesia,Sabah,fishermen Free

Indonesia has urged Malaysia to rescue two Indonesian fishermen who were kidnapped in Sabah by a Philippine armed group earlier this month.

We want the Sabah Police to not only pass on ransom demands from the kidnappers, but also to facilitate in the release of the two Indonesian citizens held hostage in the Sabah region, the Foreign Ministry's Indonesian citizen protection director, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Sabah Police said the group believed to have abducted the fishermen -- identified as Samsul Saguni, 40, and Usman Yunus, 35 -- had demanded a ransom of RM4 million for their release, the Star reported on Tuesday.

"The wife of one of the victims, who is in Sulawesi, Indonesia, received a call from the Philippines, Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah said as quoted by the Star.

Iqbal said the fishermen had followed all standard operating procedures when they were abducted, indicating that the incident took place because of the worsening security in the waters off Malaysia.

Samsul and Usman, both from West Sulawesi, were kidnapped on Sept. 11 while working on a Malaysian-flagged fishing vessel, the Dwi Jaya I.

According to the Star, they were abducted off the coast of Semporna, a town in eastern Sabah that is seen as "the gateway for cross-border travel, especially to the troubled Sulu Island chain in the Philippines".

It was the first kidnapping since trilateral maritime patrols between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines kicked off last year. (ahw)Resignation of Iron Bridge Board of Directors & Officers; Velvet to Appoint New Slate of Directors & Officers



81.98% of Iron Bridge common shares tendered, exceeding Velvets minimum 2/3rds condition

Velvet to take-up and pay for 126.9 million of the currently outstanding common shares of Iron Bridge and extend offer ten days to October 5, 2018

Iron Bridge Board of Directors and Officers to resign

Velvet to appoint new Board of Directors and Officers

Iron Bridge to file notice of special meeting of Iron Bridge shareholders for November 6, 2018

Shareholders can tender today by contacting Kingsdale Advisors at 1-866-879-7650 or by e-mail at contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com

CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velvet Energy Ltd. (Velvet, we, us or our) and Iron Bridge Resources Inc. (TSX: IBR) (Iron Bridge), today announce that Iron Bridge shareholders, representing 126.9 million of the currently outstanding common shares or 81.98%, have tendered to Velvets amended $0.845 per share all cash offer. Velvet has taken-up and will pay for these shares and is extending the offer to October 5, 2018 to allow remaining shareholders to tender to the offer.

On take-up Velvet will have a controlling interest in Iron Bridge and intends to immediately proceed with a second stage transaction to acquire the remaining shares. Given Velvets controlling interest, the outcome of the second stage is assured and minority shareholders are encouraged to immediately tender in order to expedite their receipt of cash entitlement.

Ken Woolner, President & CEO of Velvet Energy, commented we are very pleased to see the resounding support for our amended offer for Iron Bridge common shares. We encourage shareholders that have not yet tendered to do so during this extended window to receive your cash consideration as expeditiously as possible.

RESIGNATION OF CURRENT IRON BRIDGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS; VELVET TO APPOINT NEW DIRECTOR & OFFICER SLATE

Effective September 25, 2018, the serving members of the Board of Directors of Iron Bridge, including Joshua Young, Chairman, Dean Bernhard, Robert Colcleugh, Jay Paul McWilliams, Steve Oldham and Marshall Abbott, will resign. Additionally, the Officers of Iron Bridge, including Robert Colcleugh, Tim Krysak, Dean Bernhard, Jeremy Smith, Gregg Nixon and Zoran Jankovic, will resign their positions with the company.

Velvet will appoint a new slate of Directors, including Harvey Doerr as Chairman and Vincent Chahley, Debbie Stein and Ken Woolner. This Board, will in turn, appoint a new Officer slate including: Ken Woolner, President & CEO, Chris Theal, Chief Financial Officer, Peter Henry, Vice President, Finance and Jeremy Kwasnecha, Vice President, Operations.

NOTICE OF EXTENSION AND NOTICE OF IRON BRIDGE RESOURCES MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

With the initial uptake of Iron Bridge common shares, Velvet has extended its offer for the uptake of additional Iron Bridge common shares for ten days to October 5, 2018. This Notice of Extension and a Notice of Special Meeting of Iron Bridge shareholders to be held in Calgary on November 6, 2018, for the purposes of approving the acquisition and amalgamation of Iron Bridge by Velvet Energy Ltd., will be filed on SEDAR under Iron Bridges profile at www.sedar.com. Given Velvets controlling interest the approval of the acquisition is assured.

CONTACT KINGSDALE ADVISORS TO TENDER YOUR SHARES

Remaining shareholders of Iron Bridge are encouraged to contact Kingsdale Advisors for assistance in depositing their shares to the offer, by calling toll-free in North America at 1-866-879-7650 or call collect outside North America at 1-416-867-2272 or by email at contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com .

About Velvet

Velvet Energy Ltd. is a privately-held, full-cycle exploration and production company. Focused in the liquids-rich gas and light oil window of the Deep Basin of Alberta, the Company executes an organic growth business plan, including early land capture, technical evaluation, exploration and development of internally generated prospects. Headquartered in Calgary, Velvet has current production of approximately 30,000 boe per day, prior to the acquisition of Iron Bridge, and a focused land position consisting of over one million net undeveloped acres spanning from its core liquids-rich Ellerslie development in the greater Edson area to early phase Montney light oil exploration at Gold Creek.

Important Notice

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information can be generally identified by the use of words such as anticipate, continue, estimate, expect, expected, intend, may, will, project, plan, should, believe and similar expressions. Specifically, forward-looking information in this news release includes statements respecting the offer, including the benefits, results, effects and timing of any such transaction and the completion thereof, if at all. Forward-looking statements in this news release describe the expectations of Velvet as of the date hereof. These statements are based on assumptions and 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 for a variety of reasons, including without limitation, the ability to obtain regulatory approvals and meet the other conditions to any possible transaction. Although Velvet believes the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, and they should not be unduly relied upon.

For further information:

Ken Woolner

President and Chief Executive Officer

(403) 781-9134

Chris Theal

Chief Financial Officer

(403) 781-9162

Peter Henry

Vice President, Finance

(403) 781-9133

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Linkedin Abbas Al Lawati (Bloomberg)  Tue, September 25, 2018 07:02 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877462f68 2 News Mecca,Saudi-Arabia,malls-in-Mecca Free

Mecca: Come to fulfill your religious duty. Stay for the shopping.

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.

Read also: 'Green haj' slowly takes root in Mecca

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.Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, September 25, 2018 11:30 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b30877473053 4 News raja-ampat,festival,Raja-Ampat-Charm-Festival,tourism,travel,destination Free

Raja Ampat in West Papua is always worth a visit, and a festival will add to the archipelagos appeal next month.

Waisai, the capital of the regency of Raja Ampat on Waigeo Island will be the main venue of the Raja Ampat Charm Festival, which will run from Oct. 18-21.

"The magnificent beauty of the Raja Ampat islands serves as its main attraction. However, you will also be taken to snorkel and dive spots around the island. As you know, Raja Ampat has been declared one of the best snorkeling and diving spots in the world by CNN Travel. Hence, this is a haven for divers and snorkelers," said Tourism Minister Arief Yahya, as quoted by tempo.co on Monday.

Read also: Raja Ampat easier to reach thanks to Garuda's new Jakarta-Sorong service

Visitors can expect to explore the marine richness of Raja Ampat at the festival, which includes whales, dolphins, dugongs, turtles and many more. The destination also serves as the heart of the Coral Triangle.

Art performances and traditional culture will also be featured at the event, as well as a traditional boat parade and a beach clean-up. The Pesta Rakyat (people's party) and a local bazaar will enrich the festival.

To attract visitors to the event, various competitions will be staged at the festival, including an underwater and journalistic photo competition, a seafood cooking contest and an art competition. (kes)Share this article Whatsapp

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Colombo, Sri Lanka  Tue, September 25, 2018 14:03 1144 882ab4bc56dbda08a069b3087747ac14 2 Destinations Maldives,tourism,destination Free

The Indian Ocean island nation of the Maldives is famed as an upmarket tourist destination of white beaches and turquoise waters but is threatened by rising sea levels and endured stifling political control.

After the surprise election win of opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in weekend elections, here is some background about the Muslim nation.

Indian Ocean paradise

The country is a collection of 1,192 tiny islands scattered 800 kilometres (550 miles) across the equator.

Only 200 islands are inhabited with the country's population put at 340,000 in the last census in 2014.

Tourism is the principal income earner, providing 41 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016 and nearly 20 percent of jobs, the World Travel and Tourism Council says.

The archipelago's beauty drew nearly 1.4 million foreign visitors in 2017, with the destination especially prized among honeymooners.

Politically tense

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ruled with an iron fist for 30 years until 2008 when he lost the first-ever multi-party poll to human rights activist Mohamed Nasheed.

Nasheed was forced to resign in 2012 after a police mutiny and demonstrations that he said were part of a coup plot.

In disputed elections the following year, he was defeated by Gayoom's half brother, Abdulla Yameen, a strongman president who was defeated in elections Sunday.

Yameen, whose regime has been bankrolled by China in a departure from the country's traditional alliance with India, imprisoned or forced into exile all his main rivals while curtailing press freedom and social networks.

Nasheed, who became an opposition leader, was jailed in 2015 on a terrorism charge widely criticised as politically motivated.

The following year he was granted prison leave for medical treatment in London, where he secured political asylum with the help of high-profile human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

In February this year judges ordered the release of jailed opponents of Yameen, who hit back with a 45-day state of emergency, suspending the constitution and arresting the Chief Justice and another judge of the Supreme Court.

His aged half-brother Gayoom was also jailed for allegedly conspiring with the Supreme Court to topple him.

Read also: Maldives seek to project calm but tourists told to stay away

Threatened by rising seas

Eighty percent of the Maldives is less than a metre above sea level, making it one of the countries most threatened by rising sea levels linked to climate warming.

In 2009 Nasheed held a cabinet meeting underwater to raise awareness of the risk, also warning his people could become climate refugees.

Buddhist turned Muslim

Situated along Indian Ocean trading routes and about 650 kilometres southwest of Sri Lanka, the Maldives has been colonised several times.

Once a Buddhist kingdom, it converted to Islam around the 12th century.

Portuguese explorers occupied the main island of Mahe in the 16th century. The territory then became protectorates of the Dutch and the British before complete independence in 1965.

Sunni Islam today remains the state religion, all other religions being banned.

The Maldives follows a moderate version of Islam while banning alcohol, except in tourist hotels, and homosexuality.

It also flogs women found guilty of "fornication", says Amnesty International, which is critical of a human rights situation that it says includes restrictions on peaceful protests and expression.

The Maldives left the Commonwealth in 2016 in a row over criticism of its rights record.

There are fears of radicalisation with the arrival of Middle East preachers and via radical websites.The Brighton boys began their set with Alright, which was released as a single in 2017 before the bands debut album came out in earlier this year. They didnt just bring their guitars onto the stage, but also an abundant sense of energy which was immediately injected into the crowd. This was continued by fan-favourite All This Way. Its the first song that The Magic Gang ever released as a single and encapsulates the seemingly overarching theme of their self-titled album: relationships. All This Way was filled with potent harmony, but the highlight was Jack Kayes lovelorn "Im sorry that we fell in love" at the end of the song, which was met with resounding approval from the crowd.Of course, a set from The Magic Gang wouldnt be complete unless it was adorned with girls names. Jasmine, Caroline and of course Oh, Saki were effortless performances, inciting the launch of several drinks into the air. Sandwiched between them was Take Care, a melancholic track pondering the aftermath of a break-up, with the bittersweet vocals sung by the bands bassist, Gus Taylor. Whilst at a surprising point in the set, its placement between two of The Magic Gangs most upbeat tracks worked well and certainly accentuated the impressive range that they possess. In the last songs before the encore came a trio of fan favourites. Beginning with Your Love, followed by How Can I Compete and Getting Along, the set just wouldnt have been the same without all three. Each one epitomises The Magic Gangs skill in delivering chirpy riffs alongside melancholic lyricism exploring love and loss. Its what they do best, and what makes their music so infectious.

"One more song!" was chanted over and over by the crowd after the lights went out on set. Nobody was going home before an encore, and of course, The Magic Gang delivered one. Looking amused as they observed the formation of a large mosh, they informed the crowd that actually, the penultimate song was a slow one and to "Tone it down a little, you can save it for the next one." You could tell that The Magic Gang have gone from strength to strength since the release of their debut album in March; they were all at ease as they chatted amiably to the crowd, yet still delivered an exhilarating set. Last, but definitely not least, was All That I Want Is You, and Im sure the mosh was worth waiting for. This golden oldie proved something that the crowd definitely already knew: The Magic Gang are born performers, and after such an excellent start to their Autumn tour, they deserve every success. Although the set was only just over an hour, The Magic Gang played all of the favourites from their debut album. Their unrelenting optimism resulted, once again, in putting a smile on everyones face. As they thanked Birmingham for its support and the final track played out, I think everyone was assured that theres certainly much more to come from this loveable four-piece.The King's campaign, Justice for Cleaners, has been hard at work for three years organising a series of protests in support of the cleaners. The group is made up of students, cleaners and academics.J4C want cleaners and security are brought in-house (employed directly by the university) rather than outsourcing them from contractors. They will be given the same rights and benefits as other members of staff. According to KCL's Contracts and Performance Manager, Tristam Slater said that the principal has made a promise 'to look at options for providing our cleaning and security people with parity of their core terms and conditions with our employees.' The KCL J4Cs reaction to the meeting is optimistic. We are positive about what we have heard about the meeting, where in-house was considered favourably, announced the campaigns spokesperson. However, the decision will only be solidified on 26th September at College Council, they added. Should an in-house verdict not happen, campaigners fear that the other option reviewed - the vehicle model - will be chosen instead. This alternative would not offer workers the same quality of employment conditions, according to the campaign. The two options are in-house or a vehicle model that basically means creating a distinct company to manage the facilities services. This doesnt offer parity, nor does it make the cleaners feel as though they belong to the wider community, a spokesperson for the campaign told TNS. Kings cleaners are currently outsourced by leading UK facilities management company Servest.A mini-documentary released by two King's students shows the frustration of the cleaners. If they chose a hybrid model, Kings will continue to avoid responsibility for the wellbeing of migrant workers and put the blame on Servest, when the abuse is happening on our campuses, the spokesperson told TNS. Campaigners have taken countless actions across the years including a 9-day occupation of the management building during the UCU pensions strike. Publicly shaming the university, disrupting day-to-day activities, creating solidarity with other campaigns, holding open meetings, targeting high-level university events, flyering and lecture shout-outs have all contributed to the progress. All the events and actions were jointly organised with the cleaners and we always made it clear the campaign is workers led." The campaign is said to have united the universitys diverse community by showing the connections between each persons struggles.Exorbitant tuition fees, turning students into customers, poor mental health facilities for students, pension cuts or casualisation of teaching stuff, are all a result of neoliberal structures of academia and the favouring of profits over the learning experience. Were all in this together. Were all in this together. The fight of migrant cleaners is everyones struggle, the spokesperson added. KCL Justice For Cleaners is not the only one of its kind. It took inspiration from two similar campaigns, SOAS Justice for Workers and Justice for LSE Cleaners, who have both been successful in ending outsourcing at their university. Last week, Goldsmiths announced that it will be bringing cleaners in-house. In reaction to an unofficial decision from management, J4C publicly announced that they will "maintain pressure on KCL to ensure that in-house is the firm conclusion." The campaign will host another rally outside the College Council meeting on the 26th of September where a final decision is anticipated.Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here

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Home PageHarvey Mudd Tops the List Once Again for Alumni Whose Highest Degree Is a Bachelors

Top 50 Schools Fall Into 16 States with New York and California Home to 22 of the top 50

SEATTLE, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PayScale, Inc., the worlds leading provider of on-demand compensation data and software, issued its annual College Salary Report for the 2018-19 school year, with the addition of 205 schools. PayScales 2018 College Salary Report provides estimates of early and mid-career pay for 2,646 associate and bachelors degree-granting institutions throughout the U.S. Specifically:

1,388 schools for people with only an associate degree

1,655 schools for people with only a bachelors degree

1,680 schools for people with a bachelors degree or higher

Our annual report provides data to inform decisions about which school may make the most sense to attend, and even which major to choose based on a variety of factors. Students and parents want to make informed decisions about future career and income opportunities associated with their college education investment, said PayScale Vice President Lydia Frank. While earning potential should not be the only consideration, it is an important factor, especially when evaluating the cost of education today.

For associate degrees, nursing and healthcare provide the biggest payoff for graduates at half the cost of a four-year institution. For four-year institutions, it pays to attend a private school, as seven out of ten of the top ten schools are private institutions. Harvey Mudd tops the rankings for the second year in a row, beating out MIT and military academies.

Highlights from the 2018-19 report:

Best Associate Degree Schools

Once again, Helene Fuld College of Nursing tops the list of schools with the most financially rewarding associate degrees, followed by Pacific Union College, and Cochran School of Nursing (a new entrant).

The majority of the highest earning two-year programs are schools with strong reputations and a specific focus in nursing and healthcare professions.

Best Bachelors Only Schools

Harvey Mudd retained the number one slot this year with mid-career pay of $157,400 which is $7,000 above the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the second-place ranking. Princeton, last years runner-up, fell to ninth place. The US Naval Academy, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Stanford round out the top five.

The top of the list continues to be dominated by the Ivy League, elite technical universities and military academies. Though there was some jockeying in the rankings year-over-year, all the usual suspects remain at the top of the list.

Harvey Mudd College is a liberal arts school that grants degrees in only science, engineering and mathematics. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges, and its fellow member schools, Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Pitzer and Scripps rank 43rd, 67th, 355th and 374th, respectively.

Colorado is the first interior state to appear on the list, with the Colorado School of Mines in 11th place and the US Air Force Academy in 16th.

Best Bachelors or Higher Schools

This list includes workers who furthered their education with an advanced degree (JD, MBA, MD, PhD, etc.), but gained their bachelors degree from the listed institution.

There are only small differences between this list and the Bachelors Only list.

Stanford again takes the top spot in the rankings when we include alumni who attend graduate school.

Best Schools by Major

By focusing on major groups, strong programs at schools that do not appear at the top of the overall list can shine. The following schools have the highest earnings for graduates in these programs, but do not appear in the top 50 for bachelors only:

 Vanderbilt for Communications

 Newman University for Education

 Union College in New York for Humanities

Highest-Paying Majors

Most of the highest paying two-year majors are technology focused, with software engineering in the top spot. Construction project management is the first non-tech focused major in the list, ranking fourth.

Engineering and math dominate the bachelors rankings, but petroleum engineering majors make far and away the most money mid-career. Operations research & industrial engineering, a newly included major, comes in second place, followed by actuarial mathematics.

Common Jobs by Major

Mathematics, education and physical & life sciences majors tend to end up in the most specialized positions. Mathematics majors are 45 times as likely to be actuarial consultants than college graduates at large.

Business, social science and humanities majors end up in the least specialized roles, with some exceptions (e.g. sign language interpreter or economist).

For more information about the College Salary Report, please visit: http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report and for more information about the report methodology, please visit: http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/methodology

About PayScale:

PayScale offers modern compensation software and the most precise, real-time, data-driven insights for employees and employers alike. More than 7,000 customers, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, use PayScale to power pay decisions for more than 18 million employees. These companies include Dish Network, Getty Images, Skullcandy, Time Warner, T-Mobile, Macy's, Sunsweet, UnitedHealth Group, Stihl and Wendy's. For more information, please visit: www.payscale.com or follow PayScale on Twitter: https://twitter.com/payscale.

Press Contact:

Erica Beyer

erica@fireflycmns.com

206.321.0727Strong assay results for PFS resource drilling

KELOWNA, British Columbia, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FISSION URANIUM CORP. ("Fission" or the Company") is pleased to announce assay results from nine holes drilled during its summer 2018 program at its PLS property in Canada's Athabasca Basin region. All nine holes, which were targeting potential growth and resource-upgrade areas of the Triple R deposits R780E zone, returned substantial high-grade intervals. Of particular note is hole PLS18-588 (line 645E) which intersected 76.5m of total composite mineralization, including intervals such as 15.5m @ 23.89% U 3 O 8 in 50.5m @ 8.21% U 3 O 8 .

The goal of the summer 2018 program was to drill key areas of the R780E zone high-grade that are presently classified as inferred and convert them to indicated. To that extent, the 9 drill holes intersected width and strength of mineralization where expected and, in some cases, results were greater than expected. The results of the summer 2018 drill program will be included in a new resource estimate that will be used for the upcoming pre-feasibility (PFS) study. The Company expects to release the PFS study in Q4, 2018.

Assay Highlights Include:

PLS18-588 (line 645E): key intervals

50.5m @ 8.21% U 3 O 8 (115.5m to 166.0m), including: 15.5m @ 23.89% U 3 O 8 (142.5m to 158.0m)

(115.5m to 166.0m), including:

PLS18-584 (line 825E): key intervals

42.0m @ 5.66% U 3 O 8 (107.0m to 149.0m), including: 9.5m @ 18.72% U 3 O 8 (127.5m to 137.0m), and 1.0m @ 8.44% U 3 O 8 (140.5m to 141.5m)

(107.0m to 149.0m), including:

PLS18-586 (line 525E): key intervals

28.7m @ 6.34% U 3 O 8 (85.8m to 114.5m), including: 2.0m @ 9.29% U 3 O 8 (95.5m to 97.5m), and 5.5m @ 26.03% U 3 O 8 (108.0m to 113.5m)

(85.8m to 114.5m), including: 17.0m @ 0.79% U 3 O 8 (117.0m to 134.0m), including: 4.0m @ 2.46% U 3 O 8 (127.5m to 131.5m)

(117.0m to 134.0m), including:

Ross McElroy, President, COO, and Chief Geologist for Fission, commented,

These final assays from summer drilling on the R780E zone include a number of very robust intercepts and have the potential to increase the indicated category of a revised resource estimate that will be used for the resource model in our upcoming pre-feasibility study. The width and grades we have encountered this summer are a reminder of the high quality of mineralization contained within the Triple R deposit, which remains open in multiple directions.

Table 1: R780E Zone - Composited Mineralized Intervals from Drill Holes

Zone Hole ID Grid Line Az Dip From (m) To (m) Interval (m) U3O8 (wt%) R780E PLS18-583 840E 157 -69.0 84.00 88.50 4.50 0.07 102.00 103.50 1.50 0.12 113.00 146.50 33.50 4.66 130.50 139.50 9.00 15.51 150.00 154.00 4.00 0.20 168.50 169.00 0.50 0.07 170.00 170.50 0.50 0.06 173.50 180.00 6.50 0.50 183.00 184.50 1.50 0.07 196.00 197.00 1.00 0.06 199.50 200.00 0.50 0.06 219.00 225.00 6.00 0.16 246.50 263.00 16.50 0.12 267.00 270.50 3.50 0.24 273.50 281.00 7.50 0.09 284.50 285.00 0.50 0.12 287.00 287.50 0.50 0.15 290.50 299.50 9.00 0.07 PLS18-584 825E 156 -69.7 73.50 74.00 0.50 0.18 77.00 81.00 4.00 0.16 107.00 149.00 42.00 5.66 127.50 137.00 9.50 18.72 140.50 141.50 1.00 8.44 154.50 162.00 7.50 0.08 165.50 166.00 0.50 0.10 168.50 171.50 3.00 0.18 174.00 177.50 3.50 0.20 182.00 184.00 2.00 0.11 187.00 195.50 8.50 0.06 198.00 204.00 6.00 0.08 216.00 218.00 2.00 0.07 239.00 239.50 0.50 0.06 244.00 246.50 2.50 0.09 264.00 272.00 8.00 0.19 274.50 285.00 10.50 0.15 288.50 289.00 0.50 0.18 300.50 302.00 1.50 0.10 305.00 305.50 0.50 0.09 PLS18-585 555E 333 -69.5 123.00 123.50 0.50 0.07 126.00 128.00 2.00 0.07 131.00 158.00 27.00 3.08 148.50 155.00 6.50 9.40 161.00 161.50 0.50 0.18 167.50 174.50 7.00 0.35 194.00 201.00 7.00 0.19 204.00 209.00 5.00 0.43 214.50 215.50 1.00 0.29 219.50 221.50 2.00 0.38 227.50 236.00 8.50 0.14 240.00 245.00 5.00 0.06 249.00 256.00 7.00 0.07 289.00 289.50 0.50 0.06 PLS18-586 525E 157 -69.7 85.80 114.50 28.70 6.34 95.50 97.50 2.00 9.29 108.00 113.50 5.50 26.03 117.00 134.00 17.00 0.79 127.50 131.50 4.00 2.46 PLS18-587 495E 154 -69.8 79.50 96.00 16.50 0.92 87.00 91.00 4.00 2.50 98.50 102.00 3.50 0.14 116.00 121.50 5.50 3.52 118.50 121.00 2.50 7.35 124.50 147.00 22.50 5.13 132.00 133.00 1.00 10.93 136.00 141.00 5.00 17.35 152.00 152.50 0.50 0.06 156.00 156.50 0.50 0.06 163.50 168.50 5.00 0.08 178.50 187.00 8.50 0.05 190.00 192.00 2.00 0.11 PLS18-588 645E 338 -69.4 115.50 166.00 50.50 8.21 142.50 158.00 15.50 23.89 170.50 177.00 6.50 0.27 181.00 183.00 2.00 0.06 188.50 200.50 12.00 0.23 205.50 206.00 0.50 0.12 219.50 224.50 5.00 0.09 PLS18-589 675E 338 -69.6 117.00 121.50 4.50 0.15 137.50 175.50 38.00 1.49 147.00 153.50 6.50 7.26 178.50 179.00 0.50 0.26 185.50 188.00 2.50 0.27 192.50 195.00 2.50 0.12 198.00 203.50 5.50 0.39 207.00 209.00 2.00 0.13 PLS18-590 555E 335 -69.8 111.00 111.50 0.50 0.10 117.50 143.50 26.00 2.12 134.50 143.50 9.00 5.28 151.50 153.00 1.50 0.74 156.00 160.00 4.00 2.59 158.00 160.00 2.00 5.15 162.50 164.50 2.00 0.08 171.50 176.00 4.50 0.70 185.00 230.00 45.00 0.22 233.00 241.00 8.00 0.06 245.00 246.00 1.00 0.09 249.50 250.00 0.50 0.07 PLS18-591 540E 330 -68.0 104.00 131.50 27.50 2.37 121.50 128.50 7.00 6.68 135.00 147.50 12.50 7.63 135.00 137.00 2.00 10.88 143.50 145.50 2.00 33.08 153.00 154.50 1.50 0.19 162.50 164.00 1.50 0.35 168.50 173.00 4.50 0.20 175.50 176.50 1.00 0.43 181.50 190.00 8.50 0.36 192.50 203.00 10.50 0.06 207.50 224.00 16.50 0.43 211.50 212.50 1.00 1.58 230.00 231.00 1.00 0.06

Composite Parameters

Minimum Thickness: 0.50m Grade Cut-Off: 0.05 U 3 O 8 (wt%) Maximum Internal Dilution: 2.00m

Composited % U 3 O 8 mineralized intervals are summarized in Table 1. Samples from the drill core are split in half sections on site. Where possible, samples are standardized at 0.5m down-hole intervals. One-half of the split sample is sent to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) in Saskatoon, SK for analysis which includes U 3 O 8 (wt %) and fire assay for gold, while the other half remains on site for reference. All analysis includes a 63 element ICP-OES, uranium by fluorimetry and boron. All depths reported of core interval measurements including sample and interval widths are down-hole and are not always representative of true thickness. The orientation of the mineralized intervals tend to follow that of lithologic contacts, and generally dip steeply to the south. Within the Triple R deposit, individual zone wireframe models constructed from assay data and used in the resource estimate indicate that all 5 zones have a complex geometry controlled by and parallel to steeply south-dipping lithological boundaries as well as a preferential sub-horizontal orientation.

PLS Mineralized Trend & Triple R Deposit Summary

Uranium mineralization of the Triple R deposit at PLS occurs within the Patterson Lake Conductive Corridor and has been traced by core drilling over ~3.18km of east-west strike length in five separated mineralized "zones" which collectively make up the Triple R deposit. From west to east, these zones are: R1515W, R840W, R00E, R780E and R1620E. Through successful exploration programs completed to date, Triple R has evolved into a large, near surface, basement hosted, structurally controlled high-grade uranium deposit. The discovery hole was announced on November 05, 2012 with drill hole PLS12-022, from what is now referred to as the R00E zone.

The R1515W, R840W and R00E zones make up the western region of the Triple R deposit and are located on land, where overburden thickness is generally between 55m to 100m. R1515W is the western-most of the zones and is drill defined to ~90m in strike-length, ~68m across strike and ~220m vertical and where mineralization remains open in several directions. R840W is located ~515m to the east along strike of R1515W and has a drill defined strike length of ~430m. R00E is located ~485m to the east along strike of R840W and is drill defined to ~115m in strike length. The R780E zone and R1620E zones make up the eastern region of the Triple R deposit. Both zones are located beneath Patterson Lake where water depth is generally less than six metres and overburden thickness is generally about 50m. R780E is located ~225m to the east of R00E and has a drill defined strike length of ~945m. R1620E is located ~210m along strike to the east of R780E, and is drill defined to ~185m in strike length.

Mineralization along the Patterson Lake Corridor trend remains prospective along strike in both the western and eastern directions. Basement rocks within the mineralized trend are identified primarily as mafic volcanic rocks with varying degrees of alteration. Mineralization is both located within and associated with mafic volcanic intrusives with varying degrees of silicification, metasomatic mineral assemblages and hydrothermal graphite. The graphitic sequences are associated with the PL-3B basement Electro-Magnetic (EM) conductor.

Patterson Lake South Property

The 31,039 hectare PLS project is 100% owned and operated by Fission Uranium Corp. PLS is accessible by road with primary access from all-weather Highway 955, which runs north to the former Cluff Lake mine and passes through the nearby UEX-Areva Shea Creek discoveries located 50km to the north, currently under active exploration and development.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ross McElroy, P.Geol., President and COO for Fission Uranium Corp., a qualified person.

About Fission Uranium Corp.

Fission Uranium Corp. is a Canadian based resource company specializing in the strategic exploration and development of the Patterson Lake South uranium property - host to the class-leading Triple R uranium deposit - and is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Fissions common shares are listed on the TSX Exchange under the symbol "FCU" and trade on the OTCQX marketplace in the U.S. under the symbol "FCUUF."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Investor Relations "Ross McElroy" TF: 877-868-8140 ir@fissionuranium.com Ross McElroy, President and COO www.fissionuranium.com

Cautionary Statement:English Lithuanian

AB Linas General Meeting of Shareholders didnt take place on September 25, 2018 because there was no quorum.

Repeated General Meeting of Shareholders of AB Linas (company code 147689083, address S. Kerbedzio str.23, Panevezys) will be held on October 10, 2018 acc.to the decision and initiative of the Board.

Date of the meeting  October 10, 2018, Wednesday.

Time of the meeting  12:00 a.m. Registration of participants from 11:00 a.m. till 11:45 a.m.

Place of the meeting  AB Linas premises, S. Kerbedzio str. 23, Panevezys.

Agenda of the meeting:

1. Election of the member of the Supervisory Council.

2. Election of the members of Audit Committee.

The accounting date of Repeated General Meeting of Shareholders is October 03, 2018. In the Repeated General Meeting of Shareholders have the right to participate and vote persons who were companys shareholders at the end of accounting date (October 03, 2018), personally or their authorized persons, or persons with whom voting right transferring contract is signed.

The Company doesnt form the right to participate and to vote in the meeting with the help of electronic communication equipment.

Decision projects on the agenda, documents which will be presented for General meeting of Shareholders will be announced in companys web page http://www.linas.lt . Companys shareholders have the right to acquaint with this information on working days from 9:00 a.m till 16:00 a.m. at companys premises S. Kerbedzio str. 23, Panevezys.

Shareholders the shares of whom provide not less than 1/20 of all votes, can offer new decision projects for the questions which are included or will be included into the agenda of the meeting. Offers can be presented in written form or by e-mail. The offers in written form can be taken till October 10, 2018, 10:00 a.m. (on working days) to the companys premises or sent by registered letter to address S. Kerbedzio str.23, LT-35114, Panevezys. Offers by e-mail are sent to address office@linas.lt . During the meeting there will be discussed only offers received in the company till October 10, 2018, 10:00 a.m.

Shareholders have the right to provide questions in relation with agenda of the meeting in advance. Shareholders can provide questions by e-mail office@linas.lt not later than 3 working days till the meeting. The company will present answers by e-mail till the meeting. The company has the right not to give answers to shareholders questions if they are in relation with companys commercial (production) or confidential information.

All the persons who are participating in General Meeting of Shareholders and have the right o vote have to present the document certifying person identification. Representative of the shareholder for the meeting has to present the original of authorization acc.to law indicated form and content. The company doesnt indicate special form of authorization. The shareholder has the right with the help of electronic communication equipment to authorize other natural or legal person to participate and to vote in the meeting in the name of shareholder. The shareholder has to inform the company about the issued authorization by e-mail office@linas.lt not later than till the last working day 16:00 p.m. to the meeting. In the report the shareholder has to indicate web page from which the shareholders electronic signature checking program could be sent for free.

It would be able to vote on the Repeated Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders questions completing the general voting bulletin in written in advance. Printed general voting bulletin is available at companys premises, address S. Kerbedzio str.23, Panevezys. If the shareholder requires, then the company is sending general voting bulletin by registered letter or handle with written confirmation not later than 10 days till the meeting. Shareholder or his authorized person has to sign general voting bulletin. If the general voting bulletin is signed by the representative, then the document confirming his right for voting has to be added to the bulletin. Properly completed voting bulletins with the attached documents should be presented to the company personally, through authorized person or by registered letter to the address S. Kerbedzio str.23, LT-35114, Panevezys, not later than the last working day to up to the meeting.

AB Linas chief of finance

Egidijus Mikeliunas

+370 45 506100Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Periods of rain. High 11C. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a half an inch..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 3C. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

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.Washington, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Around half of Americans have some difficulty covering monthly expenses, and only about one-third have a high degree of financial literacy, according to the most recent National Financial Capability Study. The Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP)s mission is to address this growing issue by fostering a commitment to pro bono service within the financial planning profession, helping those who could not normally afford or access a financial planner.

We want to see more financial planners volunteering their time and talent to help underserved people  and part of our job is to help them do that, explained Jon Dauphine, CEO of FFP. As part of this effort, FFP and the Financial Planning Association (FPA) have launched a new training program for volunteers who want to provide pro bono financial planning to vulnerable persons. FFP and FPA have teamed up with Kaplan Professional, which donated its expertise and services, to develop the new training experience. Capital Group, home of the American Funds, is underwriting the training as Presenting Sponsor.

The online-based Pro Bono Financial Planning Volunteer Training is designed to introduce Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professionals to basic skills and techniques related to serving modest- and low-income people who could not ordinarily access quality financial advice and planning. The course will prepare CFP professional volunteers for pro bono engagements and, upon successful completion, the planner will receive continuing education (CE) credit.

Survey data from pro bono volunteers suggest that a lack of confidence in serving lower-income clients can be a barrier for some planners contemplating volunteer service, and this course is designed to build the skills needed to serve at-risk populations.



We often hear from CFP professionals who are concerned that they arent equipped to help pro bono clientsthat the skills they use in their regular practice advising more affluent clients wont be relevant to helping underserved people, noted Dauphine. This course will provide them with the confidence they need to offer their services to vulnerable community members who could really use their expertise.

The training was created in partnership with Kaplan Professional, which offered its services and platform in-kind. Joyce Schnur, CFP, Senior Vice President for Kaplan Professional noted that Kaplan has strong roots in the financial services industry, adding that they are well-aware of the need for this type of program to support and train financial advisers as they connect with at-risk families in their communities.



William C. Anderson, Senior Vice President of Capital Group, the Presenting Sponsor of the effort, said, We are especially pleased to underwrite this training course because of the direct role it will play in expanding access to and helping more people benefit from quality financial advice. Capital Group, home of the American Funds, has supported FFPs pro bono mission since the Foundations founding more than 20 years ago.

As an example, the course informs planners that asset and income tests related to public benefits the clients may be receiving can vary based on locality and other factors and should be taken into account during the engagements.

The course is free and is required by FFP and FPA for any CFP professional who desires to provide pro bono activity that is organized or funded by those organizations. Planners who have taken a previous version of this training, the Pro Bono Boot Camp, are not required to take the course again; although it is recommended as the new training is more current, dynamic, and informative.



Were pleased to offer this new training program that will not only transform the lives of our members but also of those they serve, says FPA Executive Director and CEO, Lauren M. Schadle, CAE. Many FPA chapters have great pro bono programs and this training will prepare our members to contribute to this vital community service.

There are two versions of the training available:

One is designed for any CFP professional and is available on the Foundation for Financial Plannings website here.

The second version is specially geared to FPA members and is available on FPAs site here.

Planners who complete and pass either course will receive one CE credit that will automatically be reported to the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board). Non-CFP professionals may also take the training, but FFP and FPA guidelines require volunteer services be provided in conjunction with a CFP professional who provides oversight.

Financial planners who are interested in volunteering should contact their nearest FPA chapter. Non-FPA member planners can signal their interest in volunteering by completing FFPs Volunteer Form. Interested planners will be contacted as opportunities to volunteer become available.



###



About the Foundation for Financial Planning

The Foundation for Financial Planning (FFP) is the nations only 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity solely devoted to supporting the delivery of pro bono financial planning. Since 1995, FFP has powered pro bono planning by supporting efforts that link volunteer financial planners to people in crisis or need, providing them with free, quality advice to improve their finances and their lives. Learn more about how FFP powers pro bono financial planning nationally at www.FoundationForFinancialPlanning.org.

About the Financial Planning Association



The Financial Planning Association (FPA) is the principal professional organization for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP) professionals, educators, financial services professionals and students who are committed to elevating the profession that transforms lives through the power of financial planning. Through a collaborative effort to provide members with tools and resources for professional education, business support, advocacy and community, FPA is the indispensable resource in the advancement of todays CFP professional. Learn more about FPA at www.OneFPA.org and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/fpassociation.

About Capital Group

Since 1931, Capital Group, home of the American Funds, has been singularly focused on delivering superior results for long-term investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research and individual accountability. Today, Capital Group manages more than $1.7 trillion in equity and fixed income assets for millions of individual and institutional investors around the world. *

The Capital Group companies manage equity assets through three investment groups. These groups make investment and proxy voting decisions independently. Fixed income investment professionals provide fixed income research and investment management across the Capital organization; however, for securities with equity characteristics, they act solely on behalf of one of the three equity investment groups.

*As of December 31, 2017.

About Kaplan Professional



Kaplan delivers license exam prep, professional development, and CE programs for the insurance, securities, and financial planning industries. Through classroom training, online courses, and self-study options, Kaplan helps students pass exams and maintain licensing with study materials that satisfy almost any learning style and budget.PASADENA, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Energy Storage North America (ESNA), the most influential gathering of policy, technology and market leaders in energy storage, today announced the finalists for its 2018 Innovation Awards. The awards recognize projects that demonstrate innovation, excellence and impact in energy storage.



The nine ESNA Innovation Award finalists have executed projects of outstanding achievement across three categories: Front-of-Meter, Behind-the-Meter and Mobile Storage. Winners will be honored during an awards ceremony at the annual Energy Storage North America conference and expo, held on November 6-8 at the Pasadena Convention Center. Additionally, ESNA will present Champion Awards to honor the work of individuals in the policy and utility sectors who have shown transformational leadership in the advancement of energy storage in North America. Following the awards ceremony, a celebratory reception will be held at the iconic Pasadena Rose Bowl Stadium.

ESNA 2018 Innovation Award Finalists

Front-of-Meter Storage

#ESNA_Fluence  Arizona Public Service (APS) Punkin Center Energy Storage Systemsubmitted by Fluence

 Arizona Public Service (APS) Punkin Center Energy Storage Systemsubmitted by Fluence #ESNA_LME  Cypress Creek Renewables Brunswick EMC Solar-Plus-Storage Portfoliosubmitted by Lockheed Martin Energy

 Cypress Creek Renewables Brunswick EMC Solar-Plus-Storage Portfoliosubmitted by Lockheed Martin Energy #ESNA_PSEG  Caldwell Wastewater Treatment Plant Solar Storage Systemsubmitted by Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G)

Behind-the-Meter Storage

#ESNA_SNC  Sarnia Battery Energy Storage Systemsubmitted by Convergent/SNC Lavalin

 Sarnia Battery Energy Storage Systemsubmitted by Convergent/SNC Lavalin #ESNA_Stem  Stem Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered Energy Storage at StubHub Centersubmitted by Stem

 Stem Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Powered Energy Storage at StubHub Centersubmitted by Stem #ESNA_Viridity  Atlantic County Utility Authority (ACUA) Battery Storage Projectsubmitted by Viridity Energy Solutions, Inc.

Mobile Storage

#ESNA_EC  Energy Storage Control Module for Cadillac CT6 Super Cruise Level 3 Autonomoussubmitted by Eberspaecher Controls

 Energy Storage Control Module for Cadillac CT6 Super Cruise Level 3 Autonomoussubmitted by Eberspaecher Controls #ESNA_Nuvve  INVENT (Intelligent Electric Vehicle Integration)submitted by Nuvve Corporation

 INVENT (Intelligent Electric Vehicle Integration)submitted by Nuvve Corporation #ESNA_ZapGo  Electric Vehicle Charging at 1 MWsubmitted by ZapGo Inc.

Public Voting

The winners in each of the three Innovation Award categories will be determined by public voting. Voting will be conducted on Twitter (@EnergyStorageNA); users must retweet the award voting post using the custom hashtag for their project of choice. Voters may also cast votes using a form on the ESNA Awards page . One vote per user will count toward the final results; votes will be accepted until October 12. Visit the ESNA Awards page for more details on voting, hashtags, and to learn more about the projects.

ESNA thanks its 2018 Award Ceremony sponsor Johnson Controls, as well its Platinum Sponsors  Enel X, Energy Vault, Fluence, GE, IBEW 569, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and LG Chem  for contributing to the success of this years program.

About Energy Storage North America

Energy Storage North America (ESNA) is the largest conference, exhibition and networking event covering all applications of grid storage in North America. ESNA is produced by Strategen Consulting and Messe Dusseldorf North America, and is part of the larger World of Energy Storage events happening in Europe, India, China and Japan. ESNA connects utilities, developers, energy users, policy makers and other key stakeholders from around the world to advance understanding and deployment of energy storage, and ultimately build a cleaner, more affordable and more resilient grid. To learn more about ESNA 2018, November 6-8, 2018, in Pasadena, California, visit www.esnaexpo.com .MANZINI  The battle between government and SNAT/NAPSAWU over their intended mass strike action is far from over.

This is more so because the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) has since called a general council (GC) meeting today and an extraordinary teachers mass meeting tomorrow.

On the other hand, National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) national executive committee (NEC) will meet over the same issue today where they would discuss a way forward.



The latest developments were confirmed by SNAT outgoing Secretary General Zwelithini Mndzebele. He said both meetings emanate from the court judgment on governments application for a court interdict, stopping the teachers intended strike action.

The agenda for both meetings will be the court judgment, Mndzebele said.

He said all members of the GC were expected to attend their meeting to be held at SNAT Centre at 10am today and that the members would be updated about the court judgment and its meaning.

Thereafter, Mndzebele said on Wednesday, all teachers, especially members of the union, were invited to an extraordinary general meeting to be held at SNAT Centre from 10am.



He said the aim of the meeting was to explain to the general membership on what this hullabaloo was all about. He said this would include explaining to the members why the union went to court in the first place.

We will guide the members about what the court means and in turn, they will give us a mandate to implement going forward, the outgoing secretary general said.

He said their emphasis as they interpret the court order to their members, would be on the fact that their intended strike action was legal.



Meanwhile, NAPSAWU President Aubrey Sibiya said they would only be in a position to comment further about the matter after their meeting today. He said it was the NEC meeting that would come with a way forward.

Interdict

Government ran to court seeking a court interdict that would stop both SNAT and NAPSAWUs intended strike actions.

On Sunday the matter was heard at the Industrial Court and the judgment was that the industrial action proposed by SNAT was valid.



On the other hand, the court said the strike proposed by NAPSAWU was not valid due to insufficient notice as required by Section 86(8) of the Industrial Relations Act of 2000 as amended.

The court said the strike proposed by SNAT, though lawful, was deferred to November 23, 2018 to give the new government a chance to deal with the unions demands.



Both unions want to lead their members in an industrial action over cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for 2018/19 financial year. They are demanding 6.55 per cent but government offered them zero per cent.

In fact, this is the second consecutive year government offered civil servants zero per cent pay rise as it did so even last year where public sector associations (PSAs) first demanded 9.15 per cent salary increase. However, they slashed their demand to 8.75 per cent but government maintained its zero per cent offer.MANZINI  Once again, the lives of patients at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital are likely to be at risk should nurses and support staff down tools as per their threat.

The employees are unhappy over delayed salaries.



Employees of the hospital, including nurses, contacted this publication yesterday and revealed that they still havent paid their September salaries, yet they were supposed to have received them last Thursday.

Well-placed sources revealed that some of the employees contacted the hospitals human resources (HR) manager yesterday for a meeting over the unpaid salaries, however, he allegedly referred them to the health centres chief accountant.

We were told that there were financial issues the hospital is currently experiencing. Some of the authorities revealed that it had to do with the government subvention which had not been paid out, however, nothing official was communicated to us.

We were issued with memorandums on the day we were supposed to get paid, explaining that there would be a delay in the payment of salaries due to the fact that there was an ongoing industrial protest which coincided with Fridays public holiday, the sources from the hospital, who refused to be named said.



The employees who were fuming said they were worried about their bank stop orders, more than being broke after they were informed that their salaries would not be paid on time.

They alleged that this was not the first time they had challenges with delayed salaries.



We work so hard and even during the night, it is unfortunate that when it is time for us to get what is due to us, the hospital administration comes with such excuses. They need to seriously get their house in order, the employees said.

In view of the ongoing Industrial protests in the external environment which also coincides with tomorrows public holiday, please be informed that there might be a delay in payment of salaries. We regret any inconvenience that may be caused. Thank you, the memorandum written by the Principal Human Resource officer stated. The employees further revealed that the memorandum was not clear on when the issue of their salaries would be sorted.



We are getting used to something which is not right as this has become a normal thing to be done by the hospital administration. We will be monitoring the situation overnight and if by tomorrow morning (today) the salaries have not been deposited in our bank accounts, we are most definitely downing tools, the employees said.

Meanwhile, RFM Hospital Chief Executive Officer Ben Simelane said the institution was currently faced with minor technical issues, which would be sorted out.

We experienced technicalities that were further aggravated by the fact that the institutions pay day fell on a Sunday yet Friday was a public holiday. Seeing that Saturday is always a half day, employees will be receiving their salaries later today (last night) and tomorrow (today) depending on their banks, Simelane said.

Simelane further advised employees not to down tools as management was currently working on the technical issues.

When asked if the institution was having financial challenges as it was not the first time salaries had been delayed at the health institution, the CEO refuted the allegations and maintained that such issues had only occurred a few times at the health institution.MBABANE  Its definitely a new look Parliament. Statistics show that a total of 46 Members of Parliament for 2018 are new faces. This is a percentage of 83.6 per cent when compared to the 2013 or the 10th Parliament.

Of the 55 elected MPs who formed part of the last Parliament, only nine of them managed to return.



However, it should be noted that not all the non-returnees crashed out of the race, but some elected not to join the 2018 elections race. These include former Cabinet ministers Christopher Gamedze who was minister of Tourism and Environmental Affairs and Dumsani Ndlangamandla who was Information, Communication and Technology minister.



This in essence means that there will be a lot of training involved for the legislators. The training includes the MPs having to familiarise themselves with the Parliamentary Standing Orders, which are basically a guideline of how the members should work in the House and how they should conduct themselves.

However, not all is lost because some of the newcomers were previous MPs during the Ninth Parliament and they managed to kick out their competitors. These include Manzini South MP elect Thandi Nxumalo, who was able to beat former Minister of Public Service Owen Nxumalo.



returnees



Other returnees are Ngudzeni MP Big Boy Mamba, who also crashed out of the 2013 elections and lost to Ndlangamandla.

Another candidate who returned was Ndzingeni MP Lutfo Dlamini, whose defeat to little-known former MP Jeremiah Ndwandwe sent shock waves in the country.

The 46 new faces together with the returning nine former MPs, according to the Constitution, are expected to, at their first sitting and before they despatch of any other business, elect a person from within the House to be the Speaker in accordance with the Standing Orders.

Meanwhile, Section 103 (1) of the Constitution further provides that when the House first meets after any general election, it shall elect from among the members of the House, a person to be the deputy speaker.

Meanwhile, four new MPs have been elected under the four new Tinkhundla centres which are Siphocosini, Nkomiyahlaba, Gilgal and Kumethula.MBABANE  Women candidates who have crashed out in the elections have cited the commercialisation of elections as their main barrier to get to Parliament.



According to the women, the current Tinkhundla system of Governance functioned in a way where there was no political will to usher them into Parliament.



This is what the women had to say:



Hleli Luhlanga  The fact that I had made myself available to serve my community is a sign that I am interested to be part of the decisions that are taken at leadership level in the country. Such decisions include the representation of women in the country, the youth and the nation at large. However, there is something about the Tinkhundla system on how it functions, on whether there is a political will to usher in women to serve and be part of the discussions. No matter how much I may want to serve and stand on the highest mountain, as long as the system is not permitting, my efforts will not see the light of day. Looking at the profiles of those who have won the elections, it was affluent businessmen from different communities.



The fact that we the women folk crashed out has something to do with our social economic status and very little with leadership capabilities. Coming from a very small community, where I was supported by the majority says a lot about my leadership capabilities. However, when going out to the other chiefdoms, I crashed because I was not able to buy the votes. There are those big names among the women who are interested in going to Parliament who have crashed out as well. Those big names come from wealthy backgrounds or have been in Parliament before. Because of interest, they would be backed up by the businessmen. I have lobbied for Senate before and know how these things work and do not want to be naive about it.



Given a chance, what would you like to see being done? Given a chance to be in Parliament, I would want to have a discussion and reach an agreement that the system that we currently have does not favour women and is not applicable for womens political participation, hence the need to find a way of accommodating the fairer sex.

Esther Dlamini  I wanted a last chance to serve in Parliament and would like to be appointed should that chance avail itself. After losing, I am not bitter, as there were those people who wanted me to go and serve their interests.

Given a chance, what would you like to see being done? Roads would definitely be a priority for me. We have a high number of accidents due to these bad roads which need attention. I would also support the high business zones to uplift the countrys economy.



Nonhlanhla Dlamini  Being in the House of Assembly would be a strategic position for me as a young woman. I would like to influence laws and policies that would benefit the most vulnerable and bring development to the communities. I would be interested in representing the marginalised group and the youth of the country.

Given a chance, what would you like to see being done? Quality education for all is a priority for me in order for everyone to reach their full potential. Also, the economy development charter must be in place so that we fight poverty with reasonable resources.



Job security is also another important aspect as a number of people were losing their jobs and something really needs to be done to secure the future. Further, the inclusion of people in decision-making in order to do things together. Akusiko ngami kungatsi; its not about me but its about us.



Hlobsile Ndlovu  Accepting the nomination for elections to Parliament was a fervent expression of interest to serve in the august House, however, I would humbly welcome any other opportunity that can actualise my dream. I pray for the grace and favour of God to locate and establish me in the 11th Parliament.



Given a chance, what would you like to see being done? I would not want to attempt this question as it would be misconstrued for premature campaigning.English Latvian

Riga, 2018-09-25 16:22 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maris Kunickis has worked in the Management Board of Latvenergo AS since November 2010 and managed Latvenergo AS Generation Planning, Hydropower Plant (HPP) Technical Management, Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHPP) Technical Management, as well as Research & Development, Generation Projects, Technical Inspection and Environment and Occupational Health and Safety units.

As a Member of the Management Board of Latvenergo AS, M. Kunickis assumed responsibility in the areas of generation, research and development, and environment and occupational health and safety that are significant for the Group. Among his achievements is the successful large-scale reconstruction of the Daugava HPPs, improving their efficiency. During his term of office as a Member of the Management Board, the reconstruction of Riga CHPP-2 was completed, which together with Riga CHPP-1 have proved themselves to be irreplaceable plants on the Baltic scale. This is ensured by the adaptation of the operations of Riga Combined Heat and Power Plants to the flexible work in the changeable mode of NordPool electricity market.

Member of the Supervisory Board of Latvenergo AS Marins Bicevskis: "On behalf of the Supervisory Board of Latvenergo AS, I express my gratitude for the contribution made by Maris Kunickis to the development of Latvenergo Group and I wish him every success in his future endeavors".

M. Kunickis took an active part in the establishment of the foundations for liberalisation of the natural gas market in Latvia and its further development. For the first time, the supply of natural gas has been diversified using Klaipeda LNG, thus contributing to the competitiveness of Latvenergo.

M. Kunickis has made his contribution to the environmental projects of the Group, initiating and implementing unprecedented activities in Latvia. The project aimed at the study of fish migration and natural replenishment possibilities in the Daugava River has been continuing for several years with the involvement of Latvian and foreign specialists. M. Kunickis has also participated in nature conservation and protection projects outside his professional duties.

M. Kunickis is soon expected to start work in the management of another energy company outside Latvia.

Prior to his employment at Latvenergo, M. Kunickis was the Executive Officer at Riga Municipality Agency Rigas gaisma. From 2011, he was the Member of the Board of the Latvian Association of Power Engineers and Energy Constructors, and from 2012 he was the Deputy Member of the Board of Directors of EURELECTRIC.

The new Member of the Management Board of Latvenergo AS will be selected in a competitive recruitment procedure.

Additional information:

Janis Irbe

Group Treasurer

Phone: +371 67 728 239

E-mail: investor.relations@latvenergo.lv

www.latvenergo.lv

About Latvenergo

Latvenergo Group is one of the leading energy suppliers in the Baltics operating in electricity and thermal energy generation and trade, natural gas trade, electricity distribution services and lease of transmission system assets. Latvenergo AS has been acknowledged as the most valuable company in Latvia for several times. International credit rating agency Moodys has assigned Latvenergo AS an investment-grade credit rating of Baa2/stable.

Latvenergo Group is comprised of the parent company Latvenergo AS (generation and trade of electricity and thermal energy, trade of natural gas) and seven subsidiaries - Latvijas elektriskie tikli AS (lease of transmission system assets), Sadales tikls AS (electricity distribution), Elektrum Eesti OU (trade of electricity and natural gas in Estonia), Elektrum Lietuva UAB (trade of electricity and natural gas in Lithuania), Energijas publiskais tirgotajs AS (administration of mandatory electricity procurement process) and Liepajas energija SIA (generation and trade of thermal energy in Liepaja, electricity generation). All shares of Latvenergo AS are owned by the state and held by the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia.Sweden\s centre-right opposition and the far right ousted Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in a vote of no-confidence on Tuesday, as the left and right blocs wrangle over who can form a new government after neither won a majority in September 9 elections.

Lofven\s departure was widely anticipated. Since election night the head of the four-party centre-right Alliance, Ulf Kristersson, has insisted he intends to try to form a government.

With neither bloc able to build a majority, the far-right, anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, who won almost 18 percent of votes in the election and are the country\s third-biggest party, have demanded to be given influence over Swedish politics in exchange for support in parliament.

But neither the left nor right has been willing to negotiate with the Sweden Democrats.

"Sweden needs a new government that has broad political support to undertake reforms," Kristersson told parliament moments before the confidence vote Tuesday.

A total of 204 of 349 members of parliament voted against Lofven, while 142 voted in favour.

 \Unknown territory\ 

The Dagens Nyheter newspaper said in an editorial Tuesday that Sweden\s fragmented political landscape, the slow decline of social democracy and the rise of political extremes had pushed the traditionally stable and consensus-oriented country into "unknown territory".

Parliament wrote a "new page in Sweden\s political history" by voting out a prime minister without an alternative ready to govern, wrote the country\s other main newspaper, Svenska Dagbladet.

The speaker of parliament, Andreas Norlen, will begin talks on Thursday with the leaders of the eight parties represented in parliament to determine who is best placed to form the next government.

Norlen, a member of Kristersson\s conservative Moderate Party, is widely expected to task Kristersson with the job.

But the road ahead is tricky.

A collaboration with the Sweden Democrats would give the Alliance the majority it needs, but since that option is unthinkable for two Alliance parties  the Liberals and the Centre  Kristersson has so far refused to go down that route.

Lofven\s leftwing bloc holds 144 parliamentary seats, just one more than the Alliance. The Sweden Democrats have 62 seats.

The leftwing bloc is made up of the Social Democrats and the Greens, who have ruled together with the informal support of the ex-communist Left Party since 2014.

The Social Democrats posted their worst election result in more than a century, but remain Sweden\s biggest party, far ahead of Kristersson\s Moderates and the Sweden Democrats.

Lofven will stay on as prime minister in a caretaker role until a new government is in place, which could take weeks.

 Ousted PM\s warning 

After his ouster, Lofven issued a stark warning to the Alliance about cooperating with the Sweden Democrats.

"If the Alliance chooses to govern as the smaller bloc they will be totally dependent on the Sweden Democrats," he said.

"The Sweden Democrats were founded by neo-Nazi members of the Swedish white supremacy movement. They have repeatedly been found to have ties to racist and neo-Nazi organisations.

"All eyes are now on the Alliance\s big election promise to the Swedish people that it would never govern with the support of the Sweden Democrats."

The Sweden Democrats said Tuesday that it was ready "to negotiate, cooperate, and talk with all parties".

"But we will bring down any attempt to form a government that does not give us any influence," party leader Jimmie Akesson warned.

Since it has ruled out the far right, the Alliance has instead invited the Social Democrats to a cross-bloc cooperation.

While Lofven himself has been a fervent champion of cross-bloc politics, he has rejected any Social Democratic support for an Alliance minority government.

The Social Democrats are the country\s biggest party and will "never be a support party," he reiterated Tuesday.

Lofven has meanwhile courted the Centre and Liberal parties. If the Alliance fails to form a government, they could possibly switch to Lofven\s side, observers say.

The speaker of parliament has four attempts to designate a party leader to build a government. After that, new elections have to be called.

SOURCE: AFPAudiences returned to the Ancient Theatre of Eretria for the first time in 40 years over the weekend, for three ancient tragedies performed between September 21 and September 23, ANA reports. The theatre has been undergoing restoration and is gradually returning to working order, with funding from the Central Greece Region, among others.

"The ancient theatre of Eretria is a landmark of art, culture and history, with immense value, not only for Eretria but for all Evia and Central Greece. I should mention that the theatre is being gradually restored; the work is not complete but some seats have been delivered, so far about 300," the region's deputy governor for Evia Fanis Spanos said. He added that 1.05 million euros in public investments have been earmarked for the Evia Antiquities Ephorate, which is carrying out the restoration with the assistance of local bodies and associations, and this was being gradually absorbed.

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: Reda Raouchaia License: CC-BY-SAAttiko Metro got heat for permitting extreme views to get publicity on a subject with very serious social and economic implications

Posters by a Greek vegan group that appeared in the Athens Metro during the last week caused mixed reactions by commuters, according to the following article by greekreporter.com:

The posters, part of a wider campaign by the group greekvegans.gr, depicted among others a calf with his mother, a piglet with a message look at whom did you eat today and a caught fish with the message some screams are never heard.

Commuters and others took to the social media to express their support for the campaign, while the majority showed their anger at being forced to look at troubling images and messages on the trains.

The Association of the Greek Meat Industry also issued a statement, noting that the advertising posters target the consumption of meat and dairy products, while defaming Greek meat.

It also blasts the Attiko Metro for permitting extreme views to get publicity on a subject with very serious social and economic implications.

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: Badseed License: CC-BY-SANEW YORK The National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) welcomes students and young professionals to their bi-annual convention taking place October 12-14, in New York City.This year marks the 20th convention featuring networking with the Hellenic communitys top professionals and young talent in a variety of fields. The majority of attendees are international Greeks living in the United States, offering the opportunity to meet and make new connections with Greeks from all over the United States.

The weekend will include a hotel stay at the Luxury Grand Hyatt New York located in Midtown Manhattan and a tour of New York City.

According to the NHSA website, Tomorrow is now. If our Ancestors could make it in New York, so can we. They saw Tomorrow in this city and so do we. This city gives our community a track to run, a beat to dance and a New York minute to do it all. Today is your chance, your next Investor, Partner or Friend could be out there. Whether you are the Next Prime Minister, Tech Tycoon or Hollywood Superstar, NHSA Fall Convention 2018 in New York puts you in the right place at the right time. Who will you shake hands with? There is only one way to find out. Make it there to make it anywhere. Make tomorrow happen at #NHSANYC.

More information is available at nhsaofamerica.org.

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA The San Francisco Greek Film Festival (SFGFF) celebrates its 15th year presenting 24 feature-length films and shorts by Greek and Cypriot filmmakers from around the world. From October 12 to 20, screenings run nightly at 7 PM at venues around San Francisco. All movies will have English subtitles.

Greek filmmaker Manoussos Manoussakis serves as this years artist-in-residence, facilitating Q&As, giving lectures, and providing context for the films throughout the week. The SFGFF is the longest-running film festival in the United States to feature contemporary Greek and Cypriot cinema.

On closing night, October 20 at Dolby Cinema, the Festival presents the first ever Spyros P. Skouras Lifetime Achievement Award to Paramount CEO Jim Gianopulos. The award was created and sponsored by Tom Skouras, festival Advisory Board member and nephew of the late Skouras, to honor outstanding film industry professionals of Greek descent. The awards namesake, Spyros Skouras, was a giant in the movie industry, an international cultural ambassador, and a humanitarian. At the helm of Twentieth Century Fox (1942-1962), he introduced widescreen movies with the CinemaScope lens, reinvigorating the movie-going experience in the advent of television. He also led the Greek War Relief Association during World War II, lifting a British naval blockade so that food and medicine could make it to a starving, war-torn nation.

Co-Director Katerina Mavroudi-Steck told The National Herald, We are excited about this years film festival! We have two special venues for Opening and Closing Nights and a great potpourri of films with many award-winning ones in the categories of directing, script, and acting. Plus, the presence and participation of our visiting directors, producers, and cinematographers will all make for an unforgettable experience for our audience.

Opening night will take place at Lucasfilms Premier Theater at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio. Pantelis Voulgaris will present his latest film, The Last Note, about the execution of Greek resistance fighters during the Nazi occupation of WWII. The festival will present Voulgaris with an award to honor his tremendous legacy in Greek cinema. Writer Ioanna Karystiani and producer Yiannis Iakovidis are also expected to attend this screening.

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English French

H1 2018: GOOD LEVEL OF SALES AND CASHFLOW GENERATION

1.2% organic growth in Q2 2018 sales

H1 2018 sales down -0.4% on an organic basis

H1 2018 current EBIT margin down at 17.2% of sales

18.1% growth in net attributable income to 60 million in H1 2018

H1 2018 cashflow after CAPEX of 55 million

Indications for full-year 2018 updated

Paris, September 25, 2018

Neopost, a global leader in digital communications, shipping and mail solutions, today announced its results for first-half 2018 (period ended July 31, 2018) and second-quarter sales. These financial statements were reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors at its meeting on Monday, September 24, 2018.

Geoffrey Godet, Chief Executive Officer of Neopost, commented: "We delivered good organic growth in the second quarter, owing to an improved performance from our Enterprise Digital Solutions division, robust growth in rental revenue from our automated parcel lockers in Japan, and stable revenues for Mail Solutions in North America.

We therefore ended the first six months of the year with sales ahead of expectations. In addition, our continued efforts in developing the Shipping division weighed on our current EBIT margin. We are thus updating our indications for 2018. We now have a slightly better outlook in terms of annual sales, while our expected operating margin has been lowered. Neopost's financials are sound and we continue to generate high cashflow."

INCOME STATEMENT

 million H1 2018 H1 2017 Change Sales 528 559 -5.6% Current operating income before acquisition-related expenses 91 101 -10.2% % of sales 17.2% 18.0% Current operating income 85 95 -10.1% Net attributable income 60 51 +18.1% % of sales 11.4% 9.1% Earnings per share 1.61 1.34 +20.1% Diluted earnings per share 1.50 1.27 +18.1%

In H1 2018, the Group achieved sales of 528 million, down -5.6% year-on-year, and down -0.8% excluding currency effects, representing an organic decline of -0.4%.

The Group generated 279 million in sales in the second quarter of 2018, up 1.2% on an organic basis. The Group's return to positive growth is due to the combination of a better performance by the Enterprise Digital Solutions division, sustained growth in sales by Neopost Shipping and a slower pace of decline in sales by SME Solutions.

Current operating income, before acquisition-related expenses, was 91 million in H1 2018. EBIT margin before acquisition-related expenses stood at 17.2% of sales, versus 18.0% in first-half 2017.

Net attributable income was 60 million in first-half 2018, up from 51 million one year earlier. The Group's net margin climbed to 11.4% of sales, from 9.1% in the same period in 2017. Cashflow net of CAPEX totaled 55 million, from 61 million in H1 2017.

SALES BY DIVISION





 million H1 2018 H1 2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates Organic change1 Enterprise Digital Solutions (EDS) 69 69 -0.4% +4.7% +7.4% Neopost Shipping 31 27 +15.6% +21.5% +21.5% SME Solutions 439 473 -7.2% -2.5% -2.5% Eliminations (11) (10) - - - Total 528 559 -5.6% -0.8% -0.4%

Enterprise Digital Solutions (EDS)

Enterprise Digital Solutions sales rose 4.7%, excluding currency effects, in first-half 2018. Restated for the scope effects related to the disposal of DMTI Spatial, sales grew 7.4% on an organic basis.

This growth is above Group expectations. Sales in Customer Communications Management grew 10.2% as maintenance and service revenues increased, while the decline in license sales on prior-period high base of comparison (especially Q2) was less sharp than expected.

In line with expectations, organic growth in Data Quality activities was down -2.5%.

Neopost Shipping

Neopost Shipping sales in the first half increased 21.5%, excluding currency effects, mainly due to robust growth in the installed base of Packcity automated parcel lockers in Japan. The installed base reached 3,100 units at end-July 2018, from 2,200 units at end-January 2018 and 600 units at end-July 2017. Today, approximately one hundred parcel lockers are installed a month.

The number of new CVP-500 automated packing systems placed in the first half of the year was the same as in H1 2017.

Software solutions sales declined -6.2%, excluding currency effects.

SME Solutions

SME Solutions sales were down -2.5% in H1 2018 at constant exchange rates.

Mail Solutions sales decreased -3.9%, excluding currency effects. The pace of decline slowed in the second quarter (-2.8%), from the first quarter (-5.0%), reflecting the good level of performance recorded in North America.

Communication & Shipping Solutions sales by the SME Solutions divisions rose 6.0%, excluding currency effects. This growth resulted from a 21.5% (excluding currency effects) increase in digital communications and shipping solutions sales, partially offset by the persistent decline in graphic activities - down -12.0%, excluding currency effects.

Breakdown of sales by activity and revenue type

Sales by activity





 million H1 2018 H1 2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates Organic change1 Mail solutions 372 407 -8.5% -3.9% -3.9% Communication & Shipping Solutions 156 152 +2.3% +7.6% +8.9% Total 528 559 -5.6% -0.8% -0.4%

Combined, the Group's Communication & Shipping Solutions6 activities today account for 29.5% of total Group sales versus 27.3% at July 31, 2017.

Sales by revenue type





 million H1 2018 H1 2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates Organic change1 Equipment and license sales 155 177 -12.7% -7.9% -7.5% Recurring revenue 373 382 -2.3% +2.6% +2.8% Total 528 559 -5.6% -0.8% -0.4%

Revenue from equipment and license sales was lower by -7.5% on an organic basis, reflecting the structural decline in the Mail Solutions business, the slowdown in graphic activities and the fall in license sales by the EDS division.

Recurring revenue was up 2.8% on an organic basis, owing to the increase in software maintenance and service revenue and to rental revenue from automated parcel lockers. Recurring revenue continues to increase as a share of Group sales, accounting for 70.7% of the total.

LOWER CURRENT OPERATING MARGIN

EBIT margin by segment

H1 2018 H1 2017  million EDS Neopost Shipping SME Solutions Innovation Total EDS Neopost Shipping SME Solutions Innovation7 Total Sales 69 31 439 0 528 69 27 473 0 5598 Current operating income3 7 (11) 96 (1) 91 9 (7) 103 (4) 101 Current operating margin3 10.1% (35.7)% 21.9% n/a 17.2% 12.4% (25.9)% 21.8% n/a 18.0%

Enterprise Digital Solutions had lower year-on-year license sales, which narrowed its EBIT margin3 to 10.1% of sales, from 12.4% in the same period in 2017.

Neopost Shipping's EBIT margin3 reached -35.7% of sales, versus -25.9% one year earlier. Fall in the margin is owing to a decline in sales of software solutions and continued efforts to market and develop new software solutions, CVP packing systems and automated parcel lockers.

The SME Solutions division maintained its EBIT margin3 the same as last year at 21.9% of sales, as it continued to keep operating costs under control.

Outside the three operating divisions, expenditure on innovation in the first half was for new projects to develop mobile and cloud applications. In H1 2017, these expenses concerned the development of digital apps for small businesses to use on a web distribution platform, a project in part transferred to the SME Solutions division as of February 1, 2018.

Group current operating income before acquisition-related expenses came out at 91 million, from 101 million in H1 2017. The current EBIT margin (before acquisition-related expenses) was 17.2% of sales, versus 18.0% one year earlier.

Acquisition-related expenses accounted for 6 million, unchanged from last year.

Current operating income was 85 million in the first half of 2018, versus 95 million one year earlier.

ALMOST STABLE OPERATING INCOME

The Group posted 3 million in structural optimization expenses in H1 2018, 3 million lower than the expense incurred in H1 2017.

Note that in the first-half 2017, the Group had 6 million in non-recurring expenses related to disposals, including DMTI, and the revised earn-out and goodwill on Temando.

After factoring in these non-current items, operating income ended at 82 million at July 31, 2018, practically unchanged from 83 million one year earlier.

NET INCOME

The net cost of debt was down to -15 million from -17 million in H1 2017. Debt refinancing in 2017 led to carrying charges and early redemption costs for the credit lines that were redeemed.

The Group also posted exchange gains in first-half 2018 for 1 million.

Net financial loss therefore came to -14 million in H1 2018, from -17 million in the same period last year.

The Group's tax rate was 12.5%, versus 26.6% in H1 2017, partially down to the cut in the US tax rate and the recognition of interest on arrears in relation to the cancellation of taxes on dividends in France in the amount of 5 million. Excluding non-recurring items, the tax rate was 23% in first-half 2018, in line with Group expectations.

Net attributable income rose 18.1% to 60 million in the period, from 51 million in H1 2017, giving a net margin of 11.4%, up from 9.1% last year. Diluted earnings per share4 were 1.50 vs. 1.27 in H1 2017.

STRONG CASHFLOW GENERATION MAINTAINED

EBITDA totaled 130 million, from 142 million in first-half 2017.

The change in working capital requirements (-41 million) was more negative than in the same period last year (-25 million), mainly due to a time lag between the payment and the collection of approximately 10 million in VAT related to intra-Group transactions. The payment took place in first-half 2018 but this difference will be made up in the second half of 2018 and will not impact full-year 2018. The change in working capital requirements also reflects an increase in inventory and a decrease in trade accounts payable.

Leasing receivables decreased by 29 million, reflecting a 4.0% contraction in the Group's leasing portfolio, excluding currency effects. In comparison, leasing receivables decreased by 26 million in first-half 2017. Leasing and other financing services receivables amounted to 702 million at July 31, 2018, from 711 million at January 31, 2018.

The Group paid 17 million in interest and taxes versus 33 million one year earlier. The difference was due to the 13 million received in French dividend tax repayment and interest on arrears during the first half.

Investments in property, plant and equipment and intangible fixed assets came to 40 million in the period, from 44 million in H1 2017. Factoring a subsidy of 5 million received from the Japanese government during the first half of 2018 for the rollout of Packcity lockers, the Group's investment spend was almost stable year-on-year.

Total cashflow net of CAPEX added up to 55 million, versus 61 million one year earlier.

The Group continued to deleverage, and net debt was again reduced to 653 million at July 31, 2018, from 675 million at January 31, 2018. The net debt/EBITDA ratio was unchanged from H1 2017 at 2.4. Net debt is fully backed by future cashflows expected from the Group's rental and leasing activities.

Equity stood at 1,218 million at July 31, 2018, from 1,169 million at January 31, 2018. As such, gearing came out at 54% of shareholders' equity versus 58% at January 31, 2018.

UPDATED 2018 INDICATIONS

Given the first-half 2018 performance, the Group outlook for sales evolution has improved slightly for full-year 2018. However, Neopost continues to expect an organic decline in annual sales, broken down as:

Enterprise Digital Solutions: top line now expected at high-single-digit growth from low-single-digit growth previously

Neopost Shipping : double-digit growth confirmed well below H1 2018 performance;

SME Solutions: continued slowdown in Mail Solutions at a pace that, based on trends from previous fiscal years, is still expected between -4% to -6%; double-digit growth in Digital communication & Shipping solutions but at a slower pace than in H1; further decline expected in graphic activities.

Group current EBIT margin is now expected at above 17% for full-year 2018, from about 18% previously. This new indication is primarily driven by the EBIT margin for the Neopost Shipping division, which is expected to remain around H1 performance. EBIT margin for the Enterprise Digital Solutions is expected to increase versus H1 and SME Solutions' EBIT margin to achieve a similar performance to H1. Neopost also expects increased efforts in innovation related to new projects, which are not factored into operating profitability for the three divisions.

The Group will continue to generate high operating cashflow. Attention is drawn to:

The reimbursement of the French tax on dividends plus interest in the amount of 13 million in H1 2018 was a one-off item;

The time lag issue related to intra-Group VAT transactions that led to a payment of some 10 million in the first half of 2018 has led, in turn, to the collection of the same amount in August 2018.

Webcast of meeting The Neopost meeting on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, in Paris will be webcast simultaneously at 09:00 Paris time and 08.00 London. The meeting will be held in English and the webcast will be available here: http://www.neopost-group.com/. The recording will be available for one year.

Calendar

Q3 2018 sales will be published on December 3, 2018 after market close. An investor meeting will be held in Paris on January 23, 2019 to present our new strategy.



ABOUT NEOPOST

NEOPOST is a global leader in digital communications, logistics and mail solutions. Its mission is to help companies improve the way they manage interactions with their clients and partners. Neopost provides the most advanced solutions for physical mail processing (mailing and folder-inserter systems), digital communication management (Customer Communications Management and Data Quality applications), and supply chain and e-commerce process optimization (from point of sale to delivery, including associated tracking services).

With a direct presence in 29 countries and more than 5,800 employees, Neopost reported annual sales of 1.1 billion in 2017. Its products and services are sold in more than 90 countries. Neopost is listed in compartment A of Euronext Paris and belongs to the SBF 120 index.

For more information, please contact:

Gaele Le Men, Neopost DDB Financial Financial and Corporate Communications Director Isabelle Laurent / Fabrice Baron +33 (0)1 45 36 31 39 +33 (0)1 53 32 61 51 /+33 (0)1 53 32 61 27 g.le-men@neopost.com /

financial-communication@neopost.com isabelle.laurent@ddbfinancial.fr / fabrice.baron@ddbfinancial.fr

Or visit our website: www.neopost-group.com

Follow us on: Linkedin @Neopost - Twitter @NeopostGroup - Instagram @neopostgroup

APPENDICES

Glossary

Enterprise Digital Solutions (EDS): division offering Customer Communications Management and Data Quality solutions for large companies. This division includes GMC Software, Human Inference, and Satori, now grouped under Quadient, and icon Systemhaus.

Neopost Shipping : division offering management solutions for shipping and delivery; tracking of goods and merchandise for players in e-commerce, distribution and carriers. This division includes ProShip and Temando.

SME Solutions: division offering Mail Solutions products and services for small and mid-sized enterprises, the Group's long-standing customers. This division also delivers digital, shipping and graphic solutions for the same customer base.

Mail Solutions: mailing systems, document management systems (folder/inserters for office and mailroom; other mail room equipment) and related services.

Communication & Shipping Solutions: digital solutions software (customer communications management and data quality software), shipping and graphic solutions.

Q2 2018 sales by division





 million Q2 2018 Q2 2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates Organic change2 EDS 38 37 +3.4% +6.1% +8.1% Neopost Shipping 18 15 +17.9% +21.8% +21.8% SME Solutions 229 236 -3.1% -0.7% -0.7% Eliminations (6) (5) - - - Total 279 283 -1.6% +1.0% +1.2%

Q2 2018 sales by business

 million Q2 2018 Q2 2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates Organic change2 Mail solutions 192 202 -5.0% -2.8% -2.8% Communication & Shipping Solutions 87 81 +7.0% +10.2% +11.2% Total 279 283 -1.6% +1.0% +1.2%

Q2 2018 sales by revenue type

 million Q2 2018 Q2 2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates Organic change2 Equipment and license sales 86 95 -9.8% -7,1% -6.7% Recurring revenue 193 188 +2.6% +5.0% +5.2% Total 279 283 -1.6% +1.0% +1.2%

Sales by region: Q2 2018 and H1 2018

 million Q2 2018 Q2 2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates Organic change2 H1 2018 H1 2017 Change Change at constant exchange rates Organic change1 North America 122 125 -2.0% +2.2% +2.8% 231 252 -8.2% +0.3% +1.1% Europe 135 135 -0.2% +0.4% +0.4% 256 263 -2.7% -1.8% -1.8% Asia-Pacific and others 22 23 -6.9% -2.5% -2.5% 41 44 -7.6% -0.5% -0.5% Total 279 283 -1.6% +1.0% +1.2% 528 559 -5.6% -0.8% -0.4%

First-half 2018

Consolidated income statement





 million H1 2018

(period ended on

July 31, 2018) H1 2017

(period ended on July 31, 2017) FY 2017

(period ended on January 31, 2018) % % % Sales 528 100.0 % 559 100.0% 1,112 100.0% Cost of sales (128) (24.3)% (138) (24.7)% (280) (25.1)% Gross margin 400 75.7% 421 75.3% 832 74.9% R&D expenses (28) (5.3)% (28) (4.9)% (57) (5.1)% Sales expenses (132) (25.1)% (139) (25.0)% (280) (25.1)% Administrative and general expenses (97) (18.3)% (100) (17.9)% (195) (17.6)% Maintenance and other expenses (52) (9.8)% (52) (9.3)% (100) (9.0)% Employee profit-sharing and share-based payments (0) (0.0)% (1) (0.2)% 1 (0.0)% Current operating income before acquisition-related expenses 91 17.2% 101 18.0% 202 18.2% Acquisition-related expenses (6) (1.0)% (6) (1.0)% (11) (1.0)% Current operating income 85 16.2% 95 17.0% 191 17.2% Gains/(losses) on disposals and others - - - - 0 0.0% Structure optimization expenses (3) (0.6)% (6) (1.1)% (13) (1.2)% Other operating expenses (0) (0.0)% (6) (1.1)% (12) (1.0)% Operating income 82 15.6% 83 14.8% 166 15.0% Financial income/(expense) (14) (2.8)% (17) (3.0)% (34) (3.1)% Income before taxes 68 12.8% 66 11.8% 132 11.9% Income taxes (9) (1.6)% (17) (3.1)% (1) (0.1)% Share of results of associated companies 1 0.2% 0 - 2 0.1% Net income 60 11.4% 49 8.7% 133 11.9% Minority interests 0 0.0% 2 0.4% 1 0.1% Net attributable income 60 11.4% 51 9.1% 134 12.0%





First-half 2018

Simplified consolidated balance sheet

Assets

 million July 31, 2018 July 31, 2017 January 31, 2018 Goodwill 1,076 1,065 1,062 Intangible fixed assets 186 205 191 Tangible fixed assets 139 128 136 Other non-current financial assets 73 55 60 Leasing receivables 702 733 711 Other non-current receivables 4 2 4 Deferred tax assets 5 23 5 Inventories 72 73 66 Receivables 205 230 243 Other current assets 100 95 102 Current financial instruments 2 3 10 Cash and cash equivalents 198 169 193 TOTAL ASSETS 2,762 2,781 2,783

Liabilities

 million July 31, 2018 July 31, 2017 January 31, 2018 Shareholders' equity 1,218 1,136 1,169 Long-term provisions 28 32 28 Non-current financial debt 816 868 846 Other non-current liabilities 13 18 14 Current financial debt 35 16 22 Deferred tax liabilities 158 190 156 Non-current financial instruments 0 0 0 Deferred income 179 186 201 Current financial instruments 0 0 0 Other current liabilities 315 335 347 TOTAL LIABILITIES 2,762 2,781 2,783

First-half 2018

Simplified cashflow statement



 million H1 2018

(period ended on July 31, 2018) H1 2017

(period ended on July 31, 2017) EBITDA 130 142 Other elements (6) (5) Cashflow before net cost of debt and income tax 124 137 Change in the working capital requirement (41) (25) Net change in leasing receivables 29 26 Cashflow from operating activities 112 138 Interest and tax paid (17) (33) Net cashflow from operating activities 95 105 Capital expenditures (40) (44) Net cashflow from investing activities 55 61 Acquisition of shares and granting of loans (2) (1) Disposals of assets and other 1 2 Net cashflow after acquisitions and disposals 54 62 Capital increase - - Dividends paid (28) (28) Change in debt and other (34) 52 Net cashflow from financing activities (62) 24 Cumulative translation adjustments on cash 14 (10) Change in net cash position 6 76A stunning album aptly titled Patmos: As the Seagull Flies. Shot from a unique vantage point, Patmos indeed looks nothing less than spectacular

American photographer Robert McCabe has been documenting Greece since the mid-1950s, treating everything pure and untouched by progress with reverence. Thanks to his dedication and countless trips around the country, he has captured in his images an atmosphere that has all but disappeared. During these travels, the place he has become the most attached to is Patmos. McCabe even purchased a house on the Aegean island, where he spends his summers with his family.

His daughter, Byzantinologist Anne McCabe, shares her fathers love for this wonderful and mystical place. A recent publication by Anavasi editions is testimony to her feelings about the island. Put together in collaboration with the talented photographer Penelope Matsouka, the work presents aerial views of the island by Matsouka, with text by Anne McCabe.

The result is a stunning album aptly titled Patmos: As the Seagull Flies. Shot from a unique vantage point, Patmos indeed looks nothing less than spectacular.

A close examination of the way in which McCabe describes the geography, history and traditions of the island unveils her first-hand experience:

Seen from the air, the island resembles a seahorse facing east toward the coast of Asia Minor, she notes.

In spring the cistus blossoming on the mountains looks like a dappling of snow, and the air is scented with wild lavender and bitter orange blossom.

There is pride in piety and tradition here: Time is marked by the Orthodox calendar, and church festivals are celebrated by the whole community, with wild lavender or myrtle strewn underfoot, and enormous round loaves of holy bread distributed after the mass.

Her small yet inspired texts contain a wealth of information about the long history of the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, the imprint of Byzantium on the present, the way in which locals build their mansions as well as more humble buildings. The texts guide the reader through the islands meadows, from the arid valleys of Grikos and Kipoi, to Kambos, Livadi Geranou and Livadi ton Kalogiron.

Matsoukas images definitely make you want to visit the island, to walk its footpaths, climb all the way to the monasteries, and swim in the crystal-clear waters.

The book contains a special section on the nearby island complexes of Arkoi and Leipsoi along with photographs of the Tiganakia islets with their breathtaking waters.

Read more at ekathimerini.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: Valeria Casali License: CC-BY-SAOuzo is the favorite Greek drink of the Dutch. From research by Griekenland.net among 1,240 visitors ouzo was chosen by 37% as their favorite. Greek wine is preferred by 12% of Greek fans in The Netherlands and is on the rise. Metaxa 11% and Greek beer 11% are also widely chosen as favorites. Ouzo is drunk both pure and with water or ice. Mixed with water or ice, the drink becomes cloudy and white in color.

Ouzo from Lesvos

Ouzo is distilled from leftover of grapes and has been a protected product from Greece since 2006. If the aniseed drink is made elsewhere in the world, it can not carry the name 'ouzo'. As a cocktail, ouzo is also being drunk by Dutch and Belgian people in bars during their holidays in Greece. The most popular ouzo comes from the Greek island of Lesbos and is a well known souvenir.

Local Greek beer on holidays

During holidays in Greece, more and more Dutch tourists prefer a Greek beer. Not only Mythos, Fix and Alpha, but also local beers are popular. Local brewers are active in many places in Greece, so you can become acquainted with products from the different destinations as a tourist. Think of Levante beer on Zakynthos, 56 isles of beer on Paros and Zeos beer on the Peloponnese.

Raki (7%), Retsina (7%) and Tsipouro (5%) are also chosen as favorite Greek drinks. Local liqueurs such as Koum Quat (4%) and Masticha (2%) were also among the top 10 Greek drinks this year.

Read more at griekenland.net

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The Village Agios Georgios Sikousis by Pantelis A. Mavrogiorgis, originally published in Greek in 1990, is now available in a new English translation by Hope Delane Demertzis and Efstratios Demertzis, published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the founding of the village in 2018. The St. George Sikousis Syllogos and its predecessor organization, the Agios Georgios Sikousis Society, was the patron and original driving force behind the publication of the book.

The book chronicles the history of the village on Chios in great detail. Historic photographs highlight the story and the unique experience of the people who call the village home. Not only is the book a wonderful resource for those who hail from the village or have roots there, the book is also a treasure trove of Greek history, culture, and traditions for all those interested in history.

The major historical events over the centuries left their indelible mark on this village as they did so many others. The section on the Revolution of 1821 is particularly fascinating as it details the Massacre of Chios and includes accounts by eyewitnesses to the events which led to the liberation of Greece from the Ottoman Empire. The names of the Agiorgousoi who were killed in the wars of the first half of the 20th century are also recorded in the book, and are a poignant reminder of the sacrifice so many made.

The traditional way of life in the village is also described in detail, including the houses, farm work, homemakers responsibilities, and vanished occupations. The production of mastic, figs, raki, wine, and olive oil are also described, bringing the village to life.

Other chapters in the book detail the religious life of the village and a list of its chapels is included. The story of St. George, the patron saint of Agios Georgios Sikousis, is also in the book.

Though the history ends in 1990, Mavrogiorgis work and attention to detail will undoubtedly inspire other scholars to pick up where he left off and continue the story of the village. His personal recollections and the historic accounts add rich insights and a level of depth to the text. The lyrics to local folk songs and excerpts from marriage contracts setting out the parameters of the dowry help recreate the village for those of us in the United States or elsewhere living abroad. A bibliography with the sources used in the book is also very helpful for those who would like to read them perhaps out of curiosity or for further research on the subject.

A book lunch for The Village Agios Georgios Sikousis by Pantelis A. Mavrogiorgis takes place on October 7, 2 PM, at the Chian Federation, 4401 Broadway in Astoria. The event is sponsored by the St. George Sikousis Syllogos and will be followed by the Sikousis General Assembly Meeting at 3 PM. Wine and cheese will be served at the book launch which also celebrates the e-book release in Kindle format, available on Amazon.

The Village Agios Georgios Sikousis by Pantelis A. Mavrogiorgis is available on Amazon and will also be available for sale at the book launch and at the 500th Anniversary of Agios Georgios Sikousis Gala on November 24 at The Venetian in Garfield, NJ.

More information about the 500th Anniversary Gala is available online: Sikousis.org/500

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Emirates Islamic (EI), one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the UAE, has launched home finance solutions to help non-residents purchase property in the UAE.



Investors residing in Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, India, the UK, China, Hong Kong and Russia can avail finance up to 50 per cent of their UAE property value for a 25-year tenure at attractive profit rates.



Emirates Islamic announced the new home finance solution during its participation in the recently held second edition of Dubai Land Department's Dubai Property Show in Shanghai.



Wasim Saifi, deputy CEO - Consumer Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates Islamic said:"We are extremely delighted to introduce home finance solutions to non-residents, helping them take the first step towards owning a property in the UAE.



Dubai remains one of the worlds top destinations for second-home owners and investors alike. Through initiatives such as the Dubai Land Departments Dubai Property Show and the availability of financing options, overseas investors will find it much easier to realise their dreams of purchasing a property in Dubai.



In addition to attractive rates, customers applying for home finance can also benefit from fast-tracked documentation.  TradeArabia News ServiceBahrain has attracted a record number of investments this year as businesses from around the world continue to look to the kingdom to access opportunities in the $1.5-trillion Gulf economy, the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) has said.

In the first nine months of 2018, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the kingdom increased by 138 per cent compared to the same period of last year. This year, Bahrain EDB has already attracted a total of 76 companies, accounting for an investment of BD305 million ($810 million), breaking the 2017 record of 71 companies, and a total investment of BD 276 million ($733 million), the EDB said.

The FDI attracted in the first nine months of 2018 was more than five times of the total attracted in 2015. This strong growth has come in spite of a challenging global environment for FDI, with global FDI flows falling 23 per cent in 2017, the EDB said.

Investments in 2018 are expected to generate more than 4,200 jobs over the coming three years, of which more than 1,100 will be high-quality jobs (defined as providing a basic monthly salary of more than $1,850).

The investments cover many sectors with manufacturing and logistics accounting for the majority with 31 companies, including Ariston Thermo and Mueller (a copper tube manufacturer). A total of 15 companies were attracted in tourism, real estate, education and healthcare, ICT and FS. They include Al Sahel Resort, Flat6labs, Nest, Bank of Jordan, NFT Ventures, and Thales (a specialised aerospace and security company).

Khalid Al Rumaihi, chief executive, EDB, said: We continue to see strong interest towards the GCC opportunity, and our unique Team Bahrain approach provides the means to unlocking these opportunities. The regions potential is rising with solid investments and a growing number of high-quality jobs for Bahrainis.

While we are excited by this success, we will continue to look towards new initiatives to enhance FDI even further. The kingdom is introducing a number of key regulatory reforms in the coming months, which will ensure it remains competitive and business friendly.

Among the most prominent developments during 2018 has been the advancement of the FinTech ecosystem, with the launch of Bahrain FinTech Bay, the largest fintech hub in Mena; the establishment of a $100 million Fund of Funds to help fund start-ups across the Middle East; and a growing interest in the Central Bank of Bahrains regulatory sandbox.

Additionally, Site Selection magazine has named Bahrain as the best place to invest in the Middle East and Africa per capita for the third year in a row. It has also named the EDB as one of the top investment promotion agencies of 2018.

The kingdom also saw several major announcements earlier this year during the Gateway Gulf Investor Forum, which brought together over 850 global investors and business leaders to explore ways of unlocking the opportunities being created by the economic transformation in the GCC. The event provided a direct route into accessing the GCC market by showcasing major investment-ready projects worth $18billion, with projects in the planning phase driving up the value of the project pipeline to $26 billion, EDB said.  TradeArabia News ServiceBahrain-based Waqfe, a leading fintech solutions provider, recently signed a collaboration agreement with the Bahrain Association of Banks, to enable 40 talented Bahrainis to acquire skills in the financial services industry through a structured internship programme.



Being the latest initiative in the series of innovations launched by Waqfe, the programme offers unique career acceleration opportunities, such as internships, scholarships, vocational training, and job placements.



The programme is supported by a growing network of corporates from Bahrain and the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region and the agreement with BAB lends further credence to the rising popularity of the internship programme, said a statement from the company.



Based on the agreement, Waqfe will be placing 40 Bahraini interns with Bahrain Association of Banks. Through these internships, young Bahrainis will benefit from real-life work experiences that will give them the chance to develop their professional skills and competencies, which in turn will assist them in the development of their career, it said.



Fatima Al Alawi, chief business officer of Waqfe and Dr Waheed Al Qassim, chief executive officer of Bahrain Association of Banks, signed the agreement in the presence of Osama Al Khajah, board advisor of Waqfe, it added.



Dr Waheed Al Qassim said: We are delighted to be partnering with Waqfe for this internship program which gives our youths a head start in their career.



I am confident the interns will be able to reap great benefits it provides, as it will equip them for the challenges they will have to face in a high-performance work environment, Al Qassim said.



Fatima Al Alawi added: The programme brings together the academia and the profession using digital technologies.



The agreement with BAB is absolutely essential in order to prepare our youths for their careers in a field that is at the heart of Bahrains historical strengths and its future, as defined by the 2030 roadmap, she added.



Over 400 career opportunities for young and talented Bahrainis have already been created through the programme.



Gaining immense support from a number of corporates and institutions across industries throughout the region.



Waqfes Internship Program will be using the support to create over 5,000 new opportunities for young Bahrainis to advance their careers by 2020.



Osama Al Khajah said: The programme is rewriting the social contract between our young leaders and other stakeholders such as corporates, financial institutions and households.



The millennials and Gen Z are the future. It is a unique opportunity for corporates and financial institutions to get a head start by embedding themselves early into this emerging ecosystem, he added.  TradeArabia News ServiceEquate Group, a global producer of petrochemicals, said it has achieved over 50 million continuous safe work hours without a day away from work case (DAWC) throughout its industrial complex in Kuwait.



As the owner and single operator of several manufacturing units in Kuwait, Equates industrial complex annually produces more than four million tonnes of ethylene, ethylene glycol (EG), polyethylene (PE), styrene monomer (SM), propylene (PP), paraxylene (PX), benzene (BZ) and heavy aromatics (HA), said a statement from the company.



Equate Group vice president for operations Arnd Thomas, said: Safety is not only about having standards and policies, rather it is about a cultural lifestyle and a never-ending journey at work, home and everywhere you are.



At our company, safety is the number one priority that starts with each one of us. Our success in this field is not an individual achievement as it is an expression of our partnership and teamwork with the entire workforce contributing and working every second of the day to this success, he said.



Equate Group global environment, health and safety (EH&S) director Mohammad Al-Shamary said: Through an intense focus on safety, we have executed some of the globes biggest turnarounds (TA) while setting new milestones for efficiency and operational excellence.



We look forward to continuing these accomplishments in all our locations around the world to keep people and communities safe, he said.



In appreciation of this achievement by its personnel, Equate hosted a celebration that was attended by its leaders, employees and contractors in recognition of their contribution to long-term commitment and success, it added.  TradeArabia News ServiceSiemens Gamesa, a leader in the renewable energy industry, has continued winning new contracts in Spain, having recently sealed deals with WPD, Brial and a major energy company for the supply of 233 MW.



All of these projects fall under the scope of the renewable capacity allocated in recent auctions, said a statement from the company.



In total, the company will install 70 of its wind turbines at eight wind farms being developed in the Spanish provinces of Zaragoza and Valladolid during the first half of next year. It will also operate and maintain all of these new facilities, it said.



Most of the orders are for the SG 3.4-132, one of the company's most cutting-edge and efficient turbines. The company will also install the SG 2.1-114 and the SG 2.6-126 at some of these facilities, it added.



The majority of the blades for these turbines will be made at the Aoiz factory in Navarre, the As Samozas factory in Galicia and the Moroccan facility in Tangier.



The nacelles, meanwhile, will be manufactured at the Agreda factory in Soria, a facility which has seen its production increase by 20 per cent in the last year.



More specifically, the company has been mandated to supply 39 of its SG 3.4-132 turbines (135 MW) to independent power provider WPD at the El Poleo, Las Panaderas and Navillas wind farms, all of which are located in Valladolid. It will also service these facilities for five years.



In addition, Siemens Gamesa has been contracted to supply Brial with another 20 turbines for the Tinajeros, Agon, La Nava and Los Cierzos wind farm developments in Zaragoza.



The turbines to be installed at these complexes, a mix of the company's SG 3.4-132, SG 2.1-114 and SG 2.6-126 models, represent capacity totalling 62 MW. In this instance, the company will maintain and operate the wind farms for a period of 10 years.



Lastly, Siemens Gamesa has executed an agreement with an important energy company for the delivery of 36 MW (11 turbines) at a development in Zaragoza.



Including these new orders, the company has announced contracts totalling 874 MW of capacity in Spain in recent months.



These new orders reinforce the company's leadership position in Spain, where it is the number-one OEM, having installed nearly 55 per cent of the country's total installed base (close to 12,500 turbines).



In addition, the company services over 7,500 MW, which is roughly one-third of Spain's installed fleet.



Spain is home to one of the company's most important R&D centres, where more than 230 professionals work on the design of some of the firm's latest turbine models.



In all, the company earmarks nearly 400 million ($471.8 million) to R&D activities worldwide every year. Spain is also one of the company's main global production and supply hubs, with 15 factories, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceMuna Al Hashemi, deputy chief executive officer of Batelco Group, has been ranked #15 in the Forbes Middle East Most Influential Women 2018.



This year 2018 marks the fourth consecutive year Al Hashemi has been listed on Forbes list.



The recently published rankings are determined by the revenues of the companies, the impact of their role to driving the companys success, as well as their overall experiences and various strategic initiatives that have led to the growth of their organisation in the past three years.



Ihab Hinnawi, chief executive officer of Batelco Group, said: Munas appointment in the top 20 of Forbes highly competitive list; is a living proof of the kingdoms successful progress in empowering women in Bahrain in order to build a sustainable and competitive society. Muna has been a key driver of our journey to success, leading both the development and execution of the companys strategies, and she has played a pivotal role in laying the foundation for digital transformation at a critical time where the telecommunications industry as a whole is being reshaped by new technology in the digital age."



Al Hashemi added: I am honoured to be recognised among these high achievers, these women have all contributed to breaking the glass ceiling in their individual industries. It is our combined privilege as women in the Arab region to break existing gender stereotypes in the workforce, and inspire future generations to take on leadership roles, and pave the way for women to be recognised for their hard work and distinctive abilities.



Prior to joining the Batelco Group, Al Hashemi spent three years at the helm of Batelco Bahrains operation as chief executive officer; she is a member of the Board of Directors of Umniah, Batelco Bahrains sister company located in Jordan, and a Board Member of the Supreme Council for Women. - TradeArabia News ServiceFacebook is set to celebrate the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's vibrant startup ecosystem with exclusive set of workshops and events at Facebook MENA | Tech Week.

Taking place from October 1 to 3 at the Beirut Digital District (BDD), Facebook's Tech Week will run over the course of three days, and will bring together various groups including start-ups, small and medium businesses (SMBs), women entrepreneurs, and developer circles. The final day (Oct 3) is set for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield in Mena, the most renowned start up competition in the world brought to the region for the first time.

Ari Kesisoglu, vice president for Middle East, Africa & Turkey at Facebook, said: Technology is giving people new opportunities to become entrepreneurs and content creators, and at Facebook our mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Businesses and creators have a unique opportunity for growth in connecting with 181M monthly active Facebook users in the Middle East and North Africa and we want to help them do that by providing the right trainings and programs.

He continued: Our overall goal of holding Facebook MENA | Tech Week is not just to inspire and celebrate the startup and wider tech community across the region but also to connect, listen and learn from them.

The three day-long events are aimed at celebrating and uncovering the best innovators, makers and entrepreneurs in region. Here is a summary of the Facebook MENA | Tech Week and how you can attend:

 Women in Technology Panel: An inspirational afternoon with woman in the Technology sector sharing their experiences with speakers from Facebook, McKinsey and Anghami.

 Women in Technology training: The panel will be followed by a training session by Facebook Engineering Manager Carine Daouk, as she tackles topics such as Building Resilience and Communication.

 SMB Training 101 workshop: To support rising entrepreneur talent, Facebook will host a training for small and medium business owners that will help them understand FB tools that can grow their business.

 Celebration of Lebanese Tech training and networking event: This event will hold a performance marketing training from Facebook employees, followed by a panel of experts discussing opportunities and challenges for Lebanese developers and tech enthusiasts.

 #SheMeansBusiness training: Across two training sessions, attendees will be able to learn about using Facebook tools to grow their businesses as well as the tips and tricks to leverage Facebook and Instagram stories for maximum impact.

 #SheMeansBusiness Panel: To be further inspired, guests can also hear from successful female entrepreneurs from the region at a dedicated panel session that explores brand-building in a digital era.

 TechCrunch Startup Battlefield: bringing early stage startups together across the region including Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Algeria and others. The Battlefield will present start-ups the opportunity to compete and win a $25,000 prize, as well as being exposed to a big global investment community. Additionally, two members from the winning startup will receive an all-expenses paid trip to participate in a future TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco.

Registration is required for all the events. TradeArabia News ServiceLOS ANGELES, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brickschain, a Southern California-based data management and blockchain firm, announces it has signed its most significant supply chain management deal to-date with Australias Probuild, a +$1 billion revenue company, and one of Australia's largest construction firms.



The deal gives Probuild access to Brickschains Foundry, Handover, and Chronicle platforms. Combined, this suite of blockchain applications helps contractors in the construction industry track their assets and streamline facility management, all while using the benefits of a blockchain data management system to ensure security.

Brickschain has a mature blockchain and the domain expertise to help power our supply chain verification processes from China, to Hong Kong on to Melbourne and then live time installation. We now have the blockchain as the source of truth, triggered by Ynomias BLEAT IoT technology across the seas. Probuild will now shortlist a Banking partner who will securitise the entire process. Were very excited, says Luke Stambolis, Managing Director of Probuild.

Ynomia will be providing the sensors necessary to track the construction assets. Matthew Barbuto, the CEO of Ynomia, sees this deal as a milestone for blockchain and asset management in the built environment. "This partnership helps solidify construction's move into a more connected industry, he says.

Bassem Hamdy, CEO of Brickschain, sees this deal as a validation of blockchains adoption in what has traditionally been a conservative industry. Probuild has the vision that Blockchain, IoT and Big Data can revolutionize the construction supply chain. We look forward to transforming the industry with Ynomia and Probuild.

Since its founding in June 2018, Brickschain has seen explosive growth. In only four months, the company has signed partnerships with companies that combined account for over $20 billion in construction volume.

Spending in the blockchain technology market globally is expected to grow from $1.5 billion in 2018 to $11.7 billion by 2022, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). Supply chain management and asset tracking will account for an important part of that growth.

According to Jessica Goepfert, the program Vice President of IDCs Customer Insights and Analysis, the greatest spending is coming from asset and goods management: "Highly visible scandals combined with complex supply chains and incomplete information set the stage for investments and projects in these areas.

About Brickschain: Brickschains mission is to digitize, organize and curate the worlds building data by using the disruptive power of Blockchain. Brickschain was the first ever company to publish a digital twin of a physical building on the blockchain and has continued to innovate with integration with WatsonIOT, IBM Cloud and other technologies. To reach Brickschain visit www.brickschain.com or call 1.833.BRICKSCHAIN



The OITE Group of Companies in Oman has appointed Amr Abdullah Baabood as its new chief executive officer.



Baabood replaces Nick Hodge as head of the group, while Hodge remains on the board of directors to assist with the strategic management process as part of the groups intention to reposition itself and build on its former success.



Prior to his appointment as CEO, Baabood held the position of legal director of the OITE Group. Before joining the OITE Group, Baabood was previously positioned as a UK qualified commercial lawyer in the Adecco Groups UK headquarters in London, a Swiss-owned Fortune Global 500 company.



Commenting on the appointment, Hodge said: Amr has the perfect combination of skills, qualifications, character and determination to lead the company in its next phase of development. The board of directors are confident of his ability to work closely with the management team, clients and stakeholders to realise the companys strategy and objectives going forward.



Commenting on his appointment, Baabood said: "I will continue to build on the achievements made in the past few years and ensure our leadership in the events and market research industries in this next phase. I would like to add that the board of directors wishes to record its appreciation for the efforts made by Nick in a very critical period for the company in putting the companys key events back on track, which led to enhancing investor confidence and the critical success of OITEs events during tough market conditions.



OITE Group companies are some the first and largest to be formed in their respective fields in the sultanate. In keeping with our founding vision, OITE, Intevents and ARB have played and will continue to play a pivotal and driving role in the continued development of our country within the region. Innovation is a key and this will feature heavily in our future plans in delivering valuable market insights and continuing to act as a gateway to investment in our economy."



By investing in the groups human resources and harnessing technology, Baabood looks to upgrade the events industry and develop solutions to help clients more efficiently leverage their events while enhancing the overall customer experience. Events are becoming an influential tool around the globe to introduce products, create brand loyalty, and generate revenue for businesses. Innovation in the events industry has been stagnant and it has only recently begun to engage with new technologies to help meet the demand of a more tech-aware audience.



Launching five new events by 2020 and increasing the ratio of international participation are among the opening goals of Baaboods tenure. One thing were very good at is really looking at introducing those future trends ahead of competitors.



The Arabian Research Bureau, the market research arm of the Group, looks to turn their market analysis into market action. Finding insights is only half the solution that organisations require, the other half is ensuring that insights are acted upon. I expect our organisation to develop several new applications to allow our partners to implement findings from our research.



As part of its expansion plans into new industries, OITE Group has announced that it is proudly introducing F45 Training as a new brand to its portfolio. F45 is a fitness concept which is set to revolutionise the sector, based on the principles of motivation, innovation and results.



The OITE Group consists of Oman International Trade and Exhibitions (OITE), Intevents, the Arabian Research Bureau (ARB) and now F45. - TradeArabia News Service

The Merchant House, Manama, Bahrain  a Campbell Gray Hotel- is the latest addition to the Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) portfolio.



SLH comprises of small, independently owned luxury hotels around the world and has more than 500 hotels covering 80 countries in its exclusive membership.



An international hotel management company, Campbell Gray Hotels, focuses on creating and designing a collection of highly individual hotels around the world. The Merchant House, Manama, Bahrain will be Campbell Gray Hotels first property in the GCC, following the success of Le Gray, Beirut in Lebanon. The Merchant House, located in the vibrant Bab Al-Bahrain Souk, will enjoy a prime location in the heart of Manama.



Upon joining Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Gordon Campbell Gray said: "We are thrilled to be a part of the distinctive collection of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, a name synonymous with excellence in the art of hospitality, which is very much in line with the ethos of Campbell Gray Hotels. We are confident that with its central location, beautiful facilities and comfortable all-suite accommodation, The Merchant House will be the ideal hotel for both leisure and business travellers."



At The Merchant House, a great emphasis will be placed on service and a sense of recognition and privacy. The property, with its premium location, is a small gem created for interesting and individually minded guests. - TradeArabia News ServiceON THE MOVE: Citi Adds Hugon and Gerbier; Goldman Loses Russo

In a move designed to bolster its structured products business bulge broker Citi hired a pair of senior executives. First, Fabrice Hugon joined as a Managing Director and Head of Third Party Sales for the Americas, responsible for formulating and executing the overall sales and product distribution strategy for the financial intermediary segment. Hugon came from Natixis, where he was Head of Equity Derivatives Sales and Financial Engineering, leading sales and product development. Prior to Natixis, he was a Senior Managing Partner at Elkhorn Capital Group. He was also Head of Derivatives Sales for the Americas at BNP Paribas and a Vice President at Societe Generale in the Alternative Investment Structured group. He reports to So-Yon Sohn, Global Head of Retail Third Party Sales and is based in New York.

Also coming aboard is Benjamin Gerbier as a Director and Head of Latin America Third Party Sales. Gerbier is similarly responsible for sales strategy, product distribution and client solutions for the Latin American region. Gerbier joined Citi after 14 years at Societe Generale, where he was Head of Cross-Asset Structured Products Sales for Latin America. He will report to Hugon as well as Juan Moraleda, Investor Sales Head for LatAm, and is based in New York.

If you have a new job or promotion to report, let me know at jdantona@marketsmedia.com

Goldman Sachs's stock-trading chief is leaving the firm. Paul Russo, who has run Goldmans equities business since 2012, is negotiating his exit and is likely to depart in the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. The firm is likely to give additional responsibilities to three executives  Brian Levine, Jeff Nedelman and Phil Berlinski  while Russos counterpart, Michael Daffey, continues to head the business globally from London, some of the people said. Financial News.

CoinBundle landed Katherine Hensel for its advisory board. Hensel has held leadership positions across the investment banking/brokerage and asset management industries for more than 35 years. Hensel currently serves as an Executive in Residence at Columbia Business School and on the Investor Advisory Committee of th e Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

BTIG landed JT Herman as Head of Mergers and Acquisitions within its Investment Banking division based in San Francisco. Prior to BTIG, he was a Managing Director at GCA, where he led the firms Industrials and Industrial Technology division. Earlier in his career, Herman was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he led the firms West Region Industrials unit in San Francisco.

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For more information on related topics, visit the following channels:LISLE, Ill, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), Chicagolands multiple listing service (MLS), announced that the Bloomington-Normal Association of Realtors (BNAR) has become the fourteenth Realtor association to agree to obtain its MLS and related services from MRED.





BNAR provides resources to more than 500 real estate professionals in central Illinois McLean County, the largest county in the state by land area. Founded in 1921, BNAR covers the countys 170,000 residents in 65,000 households across 70,000 housing units. The associations mission is to provide services that ensure the professionalism and success of its members, while promoting real property ownership and protecting property rights in our communities.

BNAR President John Armstrong said joining forces with MRED aligns completely with those goals.

Our most recent BNAR strategic plan highlighted technology as an area to address by providing more products that assist our members in creating the best opportunities for their businesses and prepare them for the future, Armstrong said. We are very excited to align ourselves with such a professional and visionary organization like MRED



The BNAR leadership has researched different MLS merger options over several years. They, along with our membership, concluded that MRED was the best option based on their services, products, expertise, and excellent reputation, added BNAR CEO Diane Cote. MRED is the one of the leading MLSs in the country and the partnership we have created is an incredible asset for our membership. MRED has been transparent, communicative, and easy to work with through this entire process. We are thrilled to be a part of such a well-respected and forward-thinking group.

The BNAR-MRED partnership will allow for increased innovation and more complete service offerings both locally and regionally. MRED will provide its MLS, related products and services, training courses, and award-winning customer service to BNAR members. The organizations have already begun work to bring MREDs extensive offerings to its newest real estate professionals.

Were so thankful to the wonderful people at BNAR that made this happen and were thrilled to welcome their outstanding organization as a valued Association partner, said MRED President/CEO Rebecca Jensen. BNARs Board is forward-thinking and dedicated to doing whats best for their members. This is absolutely a great move for everyone involved.

McLean marks the twenty-first county in MREDs service area. This most recent partnership agreement with BNAR comes less than 2 years after the Champaign County Association of Realtors (CCAR) joined the MRED family.

Were working toward an extremely positive snowball effect here; the more associations that come together, the better data and resources everyone gets, Jensen said. MREDs game-changing products and services allow real estate professionals to always be at their best and were excited to offer them to as many real estate professionals as possible.





About MRED

Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) is the real estate data aggregator and distributor providing the Chicagoland multiple listing service (MLS) to more than 44,000 brokers and appraisers and over 7,300 offices. MRED serves Chicago and the surrounding "collar" counties and provides property information encompassing northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and northwest Indiana. MRED delivers more than 20 products and services to its customers. MRED is the 2013 Inman News Most Innovative MLS/Real Estate Trade Association, and for nine consecutive years the MRED Help Desk has been identified as one of the best small business centers in North America by BenchmarkPortal. For more information please visit MREDLLC.com.

AttachmentNew York - Technology can be a key that unlocks long term prosperity, or a curse that deepens inequalities, depending on the policy responses we choose, said the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner.

There is no doubt that technology presents unprecedented opportunities to tackle some of the worlds most challenging development problems: artificial intelligence supporting better diagnostics in health care, satellite imagery helping to combat deforestation and drones being used to map areas at risk of disasters, said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. But technological innovation will not automatically lead to prosperity and sustainability in every country and every society. The digital revolution requires new and inclusive policy responses if it is to benefit everyone.

He made his remarks on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly at UNDPs event, Curse or Cure: Leaving No One Behind in an Age of Technological Revolution.

Access to basic technology is a challenge in many developing countries. Over a billion people live without electricity and three billion lack access to clean and safe cooking technology.

There is a real risk that technological transformation will deepen inequality within and between countries. According to some of the latest research, artificial intelligence and automation could put 400 million jobs, or 15% of the global workforce, at risk - with obvious negative impacts on poverty and inequality, Steiner continued.

To ensure that the benefits of technological innovation are shared by all, we need policy responses and business decisions that are guided by the commitment to end extreme poverty, curb inequalities, and fast-track progress for the people who have been left furthest behind, he added.

Molly Kinder, Senior Advisor on Work, Workers and Technology at New America, suggested that properly preparing for a future with greater automation will require a long-term vision, bold goals, and immediate action. Workers themselves should be at the centre of this planning and policymaking. Getting this wrong could deepen societys divisions and exacerbate inequality, political polarization, instability, and even global insecurity. It will also negatively impact millions of workers  profoundly and personally.

Royston Braganza, CEO of Grameen Capital India was excited about the rapid expansion of fintech. He emphasized that the ubiquity of technology and experiments with blockchain give us hope, but also alert us to the potential risk of negatively impacting the most vulnerable. The need to measure impact, especially on women and other excluded populations, while ensuring privacy and data security is more important now than ever before.

The event featured a conversation with: H.E. Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia; Clare Akamanzi, CEO of Rwanda Development Board; Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Philanthropies; Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Professor of International Affairs and Director of the Julien J. Studley Graduate Programs in International Affairs at The New School; Molly Kinder, Senior Advisor on Work, Workers and Technology at New America, as well as fellow and adjunct faculty at Georgetown University; Royston Braganza, CEO of Grameen Capital India.SMITHFIELD, Va., Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce the success of its employees collection efforts during Hunger Action Month, a time when people across the country stand together with Feeding America  and its nationwide network of food banks to fight hunger. This month, Smithfield employees collected more than 45,000 pounds of non-perishable goods for donation, surpassing last years total of 15,000 pounds by 30,000 pounds.



At Smithfield, we are passionate about fighting hunger every day in our community, said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. Hunger Action Month is a special time in our facilities and offices and we are proud of all of our employees who stepped up this month to raise awareness and personally donate to help their fellow neighbors in need become more food secure.

For ten years, Feeding America has organized Hunger Action Month to mobilize and encourage the public to take action against hunger in the United States, where one in eight Americans face hunger. In addition to food collection and volunteer opportunities, Smithfield participates in this hunger initiative by engaging its employees and sharing information about hunger relief with its locations across America.

Smithfield has been a valuable supporter of Feeding America for more than a decade, and a true partner in the fight against hunger, said Karen Hanner, vice president of manufacturing product sourcing at Feeding America. Were thrilled by their ongoing commitment to this cause and the passion of their employees to make a difference during Hunger Action Month.

In addition to employee efforts during Hunger Action Month, Smithfield donated more than 230,000 pounds of protein to food banks this September through the companys signature hunger-relief initiative, Helping Hungry Homes  , including 120,000 pounds to Second Harvest Food Bank of Fayetteville and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina to assist in recovery efforts following Hurricane Florence.

To learn more about Helping Hungry Homes or for a list of upcoming donation events, please visit HelpingHungryHomes.com .

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cook's, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curly's, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com , and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn .

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that 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:

Diana Souder

Smithfield Foods, Inc.

(757) 357-1675

dsouder@smithfield.comAs prepared for delivery.



Thank you, Mandeep, for the introduction. I am proud to host this roundtable with our Bridge Collaborative partners, and I am delighted to see this wonderful group of experts around the table  many of whom I know well.



Integrated health and environment solutions are critical for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the hope for todays conversation is to have an in-depth exchange of ideas on promising approaches, while also reflecting honestly about the political, financial, communication and other challenges standing in the way of progress.



Because of the range of institutions and sectors represented in the room, and the diverse perspectives that you each bring to the conversation, I am confident that this dialogue will help uncover new insights, spur innovative ideas, and hopefully foster new partnerships.



For this audience, I dont need to repeat the statistics, but I do believe that simple, clean figures are powerful and effectively communicate the urgency to policy makers and can help create bottom-up demand for action. For example, almost a quarter of global deaths are attributable to unhealthy environments .

Of course, clean numbers often mask inequities - the fact that the poorest and most marginalized are disproportionately impacted. And clean numbers often mask complexity - dynamic interactions and feedback loops, potential for co-benefits, and trade-offs. In fact, policy incoherence is a real challenge for progress on this agenda. Roughly 6.5 percent of global GDP goes to subsidizing dirty fossil fuels while air pollution, to a large extent due to the burning of these same fuels, kills 7 million people annually and costs our economies over US$200 billion in lost labor income .



Our main goal as a development community is to create a virtuous cycle that benefits both people and planet, reduces poverty and inequalities, and grows economies sustainably. I believe that health can be a compelling narrative for action, whether on climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and more. We saw this in China, for example, where the public demanded greater action on smog and air pollution, largely because of health reasons. This led to Chinas unprecedented engagement and commitment to tackling climate change .



Yet action requires more than simply a compelling narrative: inclusive governance, adequate finance, accountability, data, innovation, are all needed. I look forward to your reflections and recommendations on how to speed up the pace of progress and regret that I am not able to stay beyond the opening section.



But I can commit my organization, UNDP, to continue to work hand in hand with the WHO, UNEP, and other partners to advance the integration of health and the environment in our support to countries to implement the 2030 Agenda. We have large policy and programmatic portfolios across health, environment, climate change mitigation and adaptation, gender equality, poverty reduction, and governance. And are already working with partners on various initiatives at the nexus of health, environment, energy and climate change. For example, our Solar for Health project in collaboration with the Global Fund has helped install solar systems in remote health facilities across Africa. And we work closely with the WHO to support climate-resilient health systems.



We hope to further develop existing relationships and programmes in the coming years and foster new ones for even greater impact. This discussion is a good step in that direction and I thank the Bridge Collaborative for partnering with us today.



I now give the floor to my co-chair Mark Tercek.



Evan Atar Adaha, surgeon and medical director at a hospital in north-eastern South Sudan, is the 2018 winner of the Nansen Refugee Award, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced on Tuesday.

The award is in recognition of Dr. Atars outstanding commitment and self-sacrifice in providing medical services to more than 200,000 people, including approximately 144,000 refugees from Sudans Blue Nile state, the agency said.

His team carries out an average of 58 operations per week in difficult conditions at the hospital in Bunj, Maban County, with limited supplies and equipment.

The only x-ray machine is broken, the only surgical theatre is lit by a single light, and electricity is provided by generators that often break down. Since it is the only hospital in Upper Nile State, it is often crowded with patients and wards extend into the open air.

South Sudan, the worlds youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a peaceful referendum.

A civil war now in its fifth year has created South Sudan Africas worst refugee emergency in terms of numbers and the worlds third biggest refugee crisis.

"Thousands of lives have been saved."

Dr. Atars work through decades of civil war and conflict is a shining example of profound humanity and selflessness, said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Through his tireless efforts, thousands of lives have been saved, and countless men, women and children provided with a new chance to rebuild a future.

Dr Atar will be presented at a news conference in Nairobi, Kenya, today, as the 2018 winner.

It will be attended by the UNHCR representative for South Sudan, Johann Siffointe, as well as Arnauld Akodjenou, UNHCR regional refugee coordinator for South Sudan, and representatives of the Swiss and Norwegian governments as the main sponsors of the award.

Check out this years amazing #NansenAward winner Dr. Atar - his hospital is the last hope for 144,000 refugees in South Sudan https://t.co/KiEHbrPwYv pic.twitter.com/IKHUxUUoVt  UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) September 26, 2018

This year UNHCR also announced four regional finalists. These are individuals or organisations short-listed out of more than 450 nominees for the main award and whose work UNHCR wanted to highlight as particularly outstanding.

The regional finalists are:

Samira Harnish (USA) for setting up Women of the World in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her organisation has helped more than 1,000 refugee women become self-reliant in the United States.

Mayor Andreas Hollstein and the volunteers of Altena, Germany for tireless work in welcoming refugees to their small town, taking in more than their official quota.

Tuenjai Deetes for devoting four decades of her life to ending statelessness in Thailand

Reclaim Childhood from Jordan for empowering 500 refugee girls through sport and building better links with their local communities.

Originally from Torit in southern South Sudan, Dr. Atar studied study medicine in Khartoum, Sudan, and afterwards practised in Egypt. In 1997, as war ravaged Blue Nile State, Dr. Atar volunteered to work there, establishing his first hospital in Kurmuk in the midst of a large-scale conflict, often under direct aerial bombing.

In 2011, increasing violence forced Dr. Atar to pack up his hospital in Sudan, fleeing to South Sudan with his staff and as much equipment as he could transport, a journey that took a month.

"We treat everyone here regardless of who they are."

Arriving in Bunj, he set up his first surgical theatre in an abandoned local health centre, stacking tables to create a raised operating table. Since its establishment, Dr. Atar has worked tirelessly to secure funding and train other young people to become nurses and midwives.

We treat everyone here regardless of who they are -- refugee, internally displaced, host community, says Dr. Atar. I am most happy when I realize that the work that I have done has saved somebody from suffering or has saved his life.

South Sudan hosts nearly 300,000 refugees, of whom 92 per cent are Sudanese from the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions close to the South Sudanese border.

UNHCRs Nansen Refugee Award honours extraordinary service to the forcibly displaced.

The 2018 award ceremony will be held on 1 October in Geneva, Switzerland.

See also: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.Dr. Evan Atar Adahas title is head surgeon and medical director. He does not have an office. He does not like to sit.

He carries out up to 10 operations a day, spending hours on his feet, as well as helping nurses prepare patients and checking up on everyone, from patients with bullet wounds or malaria sufferers to newborn babies.

He is often the first in theatre, pushing the heavy metal operating table into place. He can be spotted in the neonatal ward, cooing to a newborn. Recently a colleague found him standing barefoot on the operating table late one night, singing as he fixed the light overhead with homemade plaster of Paris.

We are here to save lives, not to sit, says Dr. Atar, who is known by his middle name. There is no lazing around in theatre. We are all equal. We are all a team.

Dr. Atar, 52, is the senior and only surgeon at Maban Referral Hospital, a 120-bed and two-theatre facility in Bunj, in the south-eastern corner of South Sudans Upper Nile State.

The hospital, more than 600 kilometres from the capital, Juba, is the only functioning surgical facility in Upper Nile and includes a neonatal section and a 20-bed tuberculosis ward.

Open 24 hours a day, it serves a population of more than 200,000. Dr. Atar is so well known that many just refer to it as Dr. Atars Hospital, and patients travel for days so they can be under his care.

Were the end of the line, said Dr. Kalisa Yesero Wabibye, a doctor from Uganda who has been working at Bunj hospital for more than two years.

This is a one-stop shop. There is no level of referral above us.

This is a one-stop shop. There is no level of referral above us. There are no higher specialists.

Dr. Atar and his staff work in a difficult and dangerous environment. South Sudan suffers from a shortage of facilities and skilled health workers, and drugs and equipment are in short supply.

When South Sudan gained independence in 2011, it had about 120 doctors and 100 nurses for a population of 12 million. Since civil war erupted in December 2013, displacing more than 4 million people, health care has deteriorated.

In the past, medical facilities have been looted and occupied, and staff intimidated, detained, abducted and killed. Ambulances have been shot at and stolen. Since 2013, 103 humanitarian workers have been killed.

Dr. Evan Atar Adaha operates on a young Sudanese refugee at Bunj Hospital in Maban County, South Sudan.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

Dr Atar with a newborn baby in the maternity ward of Bunj Hospital.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

Dr. Evan Atar chats with patients outside Bunj hospital in Maban county, South Sudan.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

Dr Atar acknowledges that his choice of work has been hard on his wife and four children who live in Nairobi. "WhatsApp is such a help," he says. "Now I can do physics and chemistry homework with my oldest."  UNHCR/Will Swanson

Dr. Evan Atar Adaha outside his tent in Bunj, South Sudan. "I am most happy when I realize that the work that I have done has saved somebody from suffering or has saved his life."  UNHCR/Will Swanson

The church where Dr. Atar attends mass with refugees and members of the local community in Bunj, South Sudan.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

The situation in Maban County is volatile and there have been regular periods of violence in recent years. After the offices and compounds of international organizations, including UNHCR, were attacked in July this year, Dr. Atar continued to work at his hospital even when members of his medical team were forced to leave.

Dr. Atar shrugs off the danger. We treat everyone here, regardless of who they are, he says, adding with a smile that all sides in the conflict seem to understand that they, too, benefit from good health care.

With his incurable optimism, booming laugh and at times perceptible stubbornness, he has remained single-mindedly dedicated to the cause of bringing health care to the neediest.

Originally from Torit, in southern South Sudan, Dr. Atar, received a scholarship to study medicine in Khartoum and later practised in Egypt.

In 1997, he moved to Kurmuk, in Sudans Blue Nile State, at the heart of a major conflict where for 12 years, often during bombing raids, he ran a basic hospital treating wounded civilians as well as fighters from both sides.

The only thing left behind was an operating table.

When I arrived, the hospital was a big toilet and the only thing left behind was an operating table, he recalled.

We used normal thread for suturing and bush sticks for blood drainage. His most precious possession, Dr. Atar says, is an amputation set and a small sterilization kit given to him by a French doctor.

In 2011, under intense Sudanese bombing, he and his entire team joined tens of thousands of Sudanese fleeing across the border to Maban County in South Sudan. Dr. Atar packed up the hospital in four cars and a tractor. It took us a month, he said of the trek. There was no road. It was the rainy season. The rivers were overflowing.

In 2011, Mabans main town, Bunj, was a small place with a handful of shops. The hospital was once a primary health-care centre with no operating room. To perform his first operation, Dr. Atar made an operating theatre with a raised table using stacked doors.

Today, besides a host community of 53,000 people, the area around Bunj is home to 142,000 refugees from Sudans Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions, living in four camps. As fighting intensifies across the border, UNHCR expects a further 12,000 refugees this year.

Health care facilities in the camps are linked with Bunj Hospital. On average, the surgical team of four doctors operates on an average of 58 cases per week. In 2017, more than 70 per cent of surgical cases were from refugee communities.

Bunj and its surrounding areas are tense and volatile. Communities fight over limited resources such as wood, farming space and grazing land.

Frequent flare-ups among political parties have led to shootouts. Relief agencies observe curfews, shelter from firefights in bullet-proof bunkers and, on several occasions, been evacuated to Juba. Dr. Atar has always stayed behind in Bunj.

Now I can do physics and chemistry homework with my oldest.

He acknowledges that his choice of work has been hard on his wife and four children. He sees them only three times a year. The family lives in Nairobi and Dr. Atar tries to keep in contact by WhatsApp and email several times a week. Now I can do physics and chemistry homework with my oldest, he says. When I was in Kurmuk I wrote letters that took a month to arrive.

Dr. Atar does not believe he is doing anything extraordinary. He lives in a weather-beaten canvas tent and keeps a treadle sewing machine on his porch which he uses to make surgical linen.

He says he gets his energy from drinking milk. He relaxes on Sunday by going to church or taking a nap outdoors lying on the bare springs of a rusty bed.

Its like having air-conditioning, he says. He loves singing. He sometimes works 24-hour shifts and likes to joke that his nurses call him a dictator.

As he does his rounds, teasing children, discussing family planning with a mother recovering from her third caesarian, urging a man with an amputated left arm and a shattered right femur to learn to walk using a single crutch, it is clear that his main source of happiness is not just operating but connecting with his patients.

A Christian, Dr. Atar, who is fluent in the regions main language, Arabic, prays with patients before they are put under anaesthetic and, according to their religion, recites the Bible or the Koran.

I am most happy when I realize that the work that I have done has saved somebody from suffering or has saved his life, he said. But healing is not the medicine alone. You have to assure the patient. The moment you relate to a patient, they will open their heart to you When a patient dies in my hands I am so sad.

Part of his job is improvisation. If the need arises, especially during the wet season, when malaria is rife, he doubles up patients in beds and can add an additional 60.

Electric power is provided by two generators and solar panels. Dr. Atar requires all doctors to have basic mechanical skills. These came in handy recently when all systems failed at the beginning of an operation. There is no blood bank. Many people here believe they will die if they give blood. Dr. Atar has no qualms about pressuring a patients relatives to donate.

Dr. Atar says it is unlikely he will retire. The hospital is what gives him hope and meaning to his life. The more good services you give, the more people come, he says with a chuckle.

See also:There is never a slow day at the maternity ward in Bunj Hospital in South Sudan. Some women walk in, but most arrive by ambulance or are carried at shoulder height on rope beds.

Gisma Al Amin, 28, a Sudanese refugee, arrived after a bumpy 40-minute ambulance ride from the refugee camp where she lives. Within hours, she was holding a baby boy, her fifth child and her third caesarian delivery. She named him Atar, after the doctor who delivered him.

I had heard of Dr, Atar when I still lived in Blue Nile, Gisma said, referring to the state in Sudan that she fled in 2013, when her village was attacked by armed groups.

Many people talked about him there. Everyone knows that he gives very good care. If you ask people in Blue Nile, they will say, He is our doctor.

Evan Atar Adaha (he goes by his middle name) is a South Sudanese doctor who spent 12 years working in Kurmuk in Blue Nile, often as the only surgeon.

He, too, fled fighting in 2011 with tens of thousands of Sudanese. He is now the chief surgeon and medical director at the Bunj Hospital, close to the border with Blue Nile.

It is necessary for me to understand what stresses the patients are going through.

The 120-bed hospital is the only functional surgical facility in Upper Nile State and it now includes a neonatal section and a 20-bed tuberculosis ward. Open 24 hours a day, it serves a population of almost 200,000, including 144,000 refugees.

Health-care facilities in the refugee camps are linked with Bunj Hospital.

On average, the surgical team of four doctors operates on 58 cases per week. In 2017, about 70 per cent of the surgical cases received were from refugee communities. There is no isolation ward and no intensive care.

Dr. Evan Atar talks to Sudanese patient Gisma Al Amin, in the maternity ward of Bunj hospital in Maban County, South Sudan.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

Sudanese refugee Gisma Al Amin sits with her newborn baby in the maternity ward of the Bunj Hospital in Maban County, South Sudan. The maternity ward has eight beds but can accommodate up to 20 cases if necessary.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

Dr Atar (left) delivers a baby at the Bunj Hospital. The hospital conducts between 15 and 20 caesarean deliveries a week.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

A newborn refugee baby grips the finger of Dr. Evan Atar Adaha in the maternity ward of Bunj Hospital in the South Sudan.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

When the wards get crowded and hot, many family members move the patients out on to the hard-packed earth of the hospital yard, where they cook on open fires under the rustling palms and neem trees, shooing away wandering goats, stray dogs and baby pigs.

Dr. Atar estimates that he must have delivered more than 800 babies since he arrived in Maban. It is common practice here for women to name children after the delivery doctor. The nurses joke that there are many little Atars growing up in Upper Nile and Blue Nile.

The maternity ward has eight beds but it can accommodate up to 20 cases. People are discharged within 24 hours after a normal delivery. One particularly busy night Dr. Atar performed six caesarian sections.

You are a human being and therefore you can plan for your life.

Gismas child had a skin infection and mother and son spent a few days in the ward. On his daily rounds, Dr. Atar would visit Gisma to talk about family planning and the risk of multiple caesarians, how every new one increases the risk to the life of mother and child.

Diplomatically, he suggested that her husband come to visit so that he could talk to both about the importance of family planning.

It is necessary for me to understand deeply what the stresses are the patients are going through, Dr. Atar says. And when they tell you the secrets of their life, then you have the opportunity to advise them or to tell them what they should do.

You have to be diplomatic, he adds, and let the husband see the advantage. I tell the men: If you are comfortable with the number of children, your wife should have a bilateral tubal ligation.

All these children need to go to school. If you have so many, how can you send them all to school? The hen hatches maybe 20 chicks, but at the end of the day only five survive. You are a human being and therefore you can plan for your life.

Gisma needed no convincing. I want my children to have an education, she declared. This boy will go to school to be a doctor.Nurse Sediq Faruk has learnt by doing. He did not attend nursing school.

First, he washed patients and cleaned wounds.

Then he mastered how to extract teeth and lance abscesses. He acquired new skills in the operating room and became a scrub nurse. In a setting where every second counts, Faruk works closely with the surgeon and the team, sometimes administering anaesthetics and always anticipating the surgeons needs. Faruk instinctively knows what the surgeon wants.

I read his mind in surgery, says Faruk, 32. I know exactly how many sutures he uses. I just know what he is thinking.

Faruk has known the surgeon, Dr. Evan Atar Adaha, since he was a teenager. Dr. Atar (he goes by his middle name), a South Sudanese, was running a hospital in Kurmuk in Sudans Blue Nile state, treating wounded civilians as well as fighters from both sides of the civil war.

In 1997, when Dr. Atar arrived in Kurmuk, he had no nurses. First, he trained 15 young Sudanese men, but the hospital ran out of food, so he sent them back to their families.

He then began training 18 young women who had worked in a clinic that had recently closed. One by one, they left to get married. As a last resort, he went to a military recruiting centre to ask for some conscripts. Faruk was one of them.

Dr. Atar is like a father to me, and sometimes he is very strict.

In Blue Nile, I was a nurse in the wards for about six months and then Dr. Atar gradually gave me more responsibilities, says Faruk. Dr. Atar is like a father to me and sometimes he is very strict. He sees us as his children.

In 2011, as the war in Blue Nile intensified, Dr. Atar and tens of thousands of civilians fled across the border to the town of Bunj, in South Sudans Upper Nile state. Dr. Atar packed up the hospital in four cars and a tractor and took 15 staff with him. All but Faruk, who, in the chaos of departure, was arrested by Sudanese troops and accused of giving medical treatment to rebel soldiers.

After six months, the military released Faruk and he came straight to Bunj, said Dr. Atar. These people know me better than anybody. All my nurses here, I train them multi-purpose. They have to have every skill. Faruk is a really good scrub nurse.

Dr. Atar is the chief surgeon and medical director at Bunj Hospital, also known as Maban Hospital, a 120-bed facility with two operating theatres. The hospital, more than 600 kilometres from the capital, Juba, is the only functioning surgical facility in Upper Nile and now includes a neonatal section and a 20-bed tuberculosis ward.

Sedik Faruq in the operating theatre at Bunj Hospital, Maban County, South Sudan.  UNHCR/Will Swanson

Open 24 hours a day, it serves a population of more than 200,000. Dr. Atar is so well known across South Sudan that many just refer to it as Dr. Atars Hospital, and patients will travel days to be under his care. The surgical team of four doctors carries out 58 operations a week on average. Dr. Atar has trained 32 nurses.

At the Maban Hospital, the surgical staff acts as an extended family, with Dr. Atar as the patriarch. The nurses joke that he can be a dictator. Everyone worries that he works too hard.

We tell him to eat lunch and he says he wont. He just wants to work.

He is very stubborn, says Faruk. We tell him to eat lunch and he says he wont. He just wants to work. If he is sick he just insists he is OK. But then when he does two or three surgeries he feels he has achieved something and he is happy and he tells us stories.

Faruks life mirrors the complexity of the region. He is a refugee in South Sudan. His wife is also a refugee but from another ethnic group at war with Faruks. His parents live in Blue Nile. His brother is a rebel soldier in Blue Nile fighting for independence. Faruk is a Muslim. Dr. Atar is a Christian. For Faruk, it is actions that count. The hospital has to be a neutral ground.

Muslims and Christians are the same, says Faruk. There is only one God. Dr. Atar says we are here to help patients and we can never say no. People here respect him. Even the soldiers when they come to the compound, they know they cannot enter with their guns.

The staff say Dr. Atar sometimes gets angry and can be stubborn. However, his unflagging energy and work ethic are the glue that keeps the staff together.

On Sunday, if he is not on duty, he will rest but otherwise he wont even sit, says Faruk. The hospital is his baby.Ugandan-trained doctor Kalisa Yesero Wabibiye is used to roughing it in difficult-to-reach places with dire needs.

He has worked for several relief organizations in Africa and says such work makes him feel more useful and more able to make a difference than he was in a well-staffed hospital in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, his home town.

These days he works in the 120-bed Bunj hospital, the only functional surgical facility in South Sudans Upper Nile State, 600 kilometres from the capital, Juba.

When I started here, I thought I couldnt even last a week, says Dr. Kalisa, 47, who is married with three children.

It was the first time that I had to live in a tent. I had nightmares. It was so difficult, so small, the roof was so near to my head. There wasnt a door, just a zipper.

That was two-and-a-half years ago and Dr. Kalisa is still in Bunj, largely because of Dr. Evan Atar Adaha, the hospitals head surgeon and medical director. The two men work with two other doctors at the hospital.

This is a place where you have to invent.

Dr. Atar works so much, Dr Kalisa says with a deep respect mirrored by all his colleagues. I dont know of a single operation he hasnt done. He is a person who is very indispensable to this place.

This is a place where you have to invent. We dont have a tool? Its so exciting to see how he can create an approximate tool with a part from an old car. He used it to unscrew plates on someones bone.

The hospital recently added a neonatal section and a 20-bed tuberculosis ward. Open 24-hours a day, it serves a population of more than 200,000. Of these, 140,000 are refugees from Sudan.

Were the end of the line, said Dr. Kalisa. This is a one-stop shop. There is no level of referral above us. There are no higher specialists. It can be quite stressful to make a final decision.

The four doctors are a tight team. We have our own world here, says Dr. Kalisa. We divide our work. Sometimes we have to force Dr. Atar to stop working. Once we ganged up against him. We threatened to evacuate him because he was sick and not eating. So he decided to eat.

When one doctor has a complicated case, they quickly get together and make a joint decision. There is a heavy sense of responsibility on their shoulders. When doctors come from a very good hospital with everything available, they are almost paralysed, says Dr. Kalisa, who worked as a mechanic before attending medical school, a handy skill in Bunj where electricity relies on cranky generators.

You have to be forceful here in South Sudan.

Dr. Atar and his staff work in a difficult and dangerous environment. Since the civil war broke out in 2013, medical facilities in South Sudan have been looted or occupied, and their staff intimidated, detained, abducted and killed. Because of the insecurity in the area, the Bunj hospital has only two shifts and no one leaves the compound at night. The nurses live nearby.

We need Dr. Atar, not just for his medical skills, but also his ability to deal with an armed public, says Dr. Kalisa. You have to be forceful here in South Sudan.

Dr. Atars leadership style may include jokes and teasing, but Dr. Atar, who never holds a grudge, is also known to shout.

Among the staff there is awe and respect for the life that Dr. Atar has lived. In the course of a decade spent in Sudans civil war he unfailingly provided medical care to both sides.

Outside the hospital, the doctors try to keep up with the latest surgical procedures by having weekly presentations. Dr. Kalisa relaxes by playing the guitar and singing, often with Dr. Atar. From him he has learnt, for example, that you can use soil to stop bleeding, even with a chest wound, and how to choose wild fruits to eat by watching if the birds eat them.

When Dr. Kalisa goes back to Uganda, he misses life in Bunj.

By living here, I have become so much more flexible, he says. I feel I matter. I dont complain as much. Just having a glass of cold water or a mango is a joy. And now we have the internet.Thousands of children, women and men are streaming across an international border escaping war or persecution. You are the aid worker on the frontline. What do you do?

Available online as an app, UNHCRs Emergency Handbook gives hands-on guidance to humanitarians in all areas of life-saving assistance from registering refugees, to providing shelter, food, sanitation and more.

The Handbook, which draws on the UN Refugee Agencys over 60 years of operational experience, works on all electronic platforms. Once downloaded to a mobile, it even works offline for use in remote areas. It is now also available in Arabic, French and Spanish.

Managing the platform is Alvin Gonzaga, Senior Emergency Policy Officer in UNHCRs Division of Emergency, Security and Supply. He spoke to Senior External Relations Officer Roland Schonbauer about it.

In simple terms, what is the Emergency Handbook?

Responding to an emergency, every second counts. The Handbook is a web-based how-to guide for humanitarian workers, from volunteers to UNHCR colleagues that rush to save the lives of refugees and internally displaced people in an emergency.

It offers easy-to-read guidance with simple tools and checklists, ranging from a packing list for emergency missions to key steps in protecting and assisting people with disabilities or survivors of sexual or gender-based violence. It gives you a quick reference on standards, indicators and key steps for camps and urban environments.

Why online, and why all the languages?

When you rush to a border area, you are not going to carry a thick book with you, and you may not get the expert you need in the office on the phone. This is when the Emergency Handbook makes a difference. Downloaded to your phone, it even works in a forest off the beaten track where desperate people may be stranded.

Experience shows that in an emergency, even veteran humanitarians face new situations requiring a fast, high-quality response. With the Handbook, they have the most important information in the palm of their hands  anywhere, any time. It provides specific technical information quickly, for instance on how to start a project to communicate with refugee communities, or even how to handle sudden media interest,

The Handbook has been available online in English since 2015. Encouraged by the keen interest in the English platform in countries such as Bangladesh and Nigeria, we also wanted to make it available to the humanitarian community in other unfolding crises in places such as Syria, and the Venezuela situation  hence the new Arabic, French and Spanish versions.

Can you give examples of how it has been used?

Since 2013, more than one million South Sudanese refugees have sought safety in Uganda. We had to set up a transit centre quickly because thousands of men, women and children were fleeing to an area far away from any significant dwelling, without any shelter or infrastructure.

Fortunately, the online Emergency Handbook offers a sample design for a transit centre to receive refugees. The design shows where they would receive food, get health care and registration documents. Ultimately, the Handbook serves as a protection tool.

Another example are latrines. Every humanitarian knows that poor sanitation poses a potential threat to public health. But if you are not an expert, you probably do not know the minimum distance that latrines should be located from a tent. So you can immediately check the Handbook app about this distance needed to reduce health risks. If the latrine is too close, the standard gives you an argument to advocate for a remedy.

The Handbook can help everybody to prepare assistance and protection of new arrivals. For this, it contains a simplified version of the Preparedness Package for Refugee Emergencies, a hands-on guide for systematic risk analysis and actions to enhance the preparedness of UNHCR and its partners. The online Handbook offers also a template for a Contingency Plan, among many other useful tools.

The Emergency Handbook is available here.400 addl companies of CAF being deployed for peaceful panchayat, UBL polls in J&K

Srinagar, Sep 25 (UNI) Describing the Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies (UBL) elections in Jammu and Kashmir as very important and significant, Chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam on Tuesday said additional 400 companies of Central Armed Forces (CAF) would be deployed for free, fair and peaceful polls in the state.

During a press conference, Mr Subrahmanyam said despite requirement of CAF in other states where Assembly elections are scheduled to be held, the Centre has agreed to send 400 companies of CAF for conduct of polls to local bodies smoothly.|

The elections to panchayat and UBL, due since 2016, are very important and significant, he said.Srinagar, Sep 25 (UNI) Senior Army, police and paramilitary officers were among personnel from various security agencies to pay their last respect to Lance Naik Sandeep Singh, who was martyred in an encounter with infiltrators in Tandghar sector on September 22.

Five infiltrators were also killed. However, so far, bodies of only four militants have been recovered.

A defence ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said Army paid befitting tribute to Late L/N Sandeep Singh who made the supreme sacrifice during Counter Infiltration operation on September 22 2018 in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara District.

In a solemn ceremony at headquarters of 15 Corps in Badami Bagh Cantonment, Lt Gen AK Bhatt, Chinar Corps Commander and all ranks paid homage to the martyr on behalf of a proud nation.

Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh and representatives from various security agencies also joined in paying their last respects to the martyr.

He said L/N Singh sustained bullet injuries during the fierce operation in Tangdhar sector in which five militants were eliminated. He was provided immediate first aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.

The martyr (30) had joined the Army in 2007. He belonged to Village Kotla Khurd of Gurdaspur District of Punjab and is survived by his wife.

The mortal remains of the martyr were flown for last rites to his native place, where he would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved family of the martyr and remains committed to their dignity and well being.

Defence sources said L/N Singh was part of the troops who carried out surgical strike against Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 2016.

UNI BAS SV 1330Bari, Italy, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- TIM and Fastweb put the first 5G base station (complying with 3GPP standards) into commercial use, featuring Huawei's end-to-end (E2E) 5G equipment. The three partners also jointly demonstrated ten 5G use cases in the cooperation.



Luigi Di Maio, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of Economic Development, Labor and Social Policies, attended the inauguration ceremony to press the startup button for the deployment of the first 5G base station. TIM and Fastweb intend to provide the cities of Bari and Matera with 5G commercial coverage (75% of the population) by the end of 2018.

Luigi Di Maio, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of Economic Development, Labor and Social Policies, pressed the startup button for the first 5G base station deployment.

TIM, Fastweb and Huawei used this opportunity to jointly demonstrate a total of ten 5G use cases at Fiera del Levante in Bari. These use cases focus on Smart City and Transport, Environment and Heritage, Smart Health, Smart Port, AR/VR, Smart Culture and Tourism, Smart Road, Smart Agriculture, etc. "5G will be the most important enabling factor for many innovative services that can revolutionize the lives of citizens and businesses, effectively implementing the gigabit social paradigm," said Mario di Mauro, Strategy and Innovation & Customer Experience Officer of TIM. "The new and demonstrated use cases launched with the Bari Matera 5G project are part of a large portfolio for innovative solutions that Telecom Italia is developing to accelerate the digitization of the country." Andrea Lasagna, Fastweb's Chief Technology Officer, highlighted, "The potential of 5G is endless and able to deeply transform our way of life. The lighting of the first 3GPP 5G base station in Bari marks a new important milestone in the path of innovation of the Bari Matera 5G project."

TIM, Fastweb and Huawei jointly demonstrated 5G use cases

As a long-term business partner of TIM and Fastweb, Huawei has provided a series of E2E 5G commercial devices to help construct core networks and access networks, as well as customer premise equipment (CPE). "Research, investments in the territory, and collaboration with the partner ecosystem are at the base of the Huawei philosophy and can be seen in the use cases presented at the Fiera del Levante, one of the most significant achievements in Italy," said Luigi De Vecchis, President of Huawei Italia. "We believe that this marks a significant step for the creation of digital services and a unique opportunity for development not only for Puglia but for the whole of Italy."

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains  telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services  we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.

Huawei's end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes.

At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. We have more than 180,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei

http://www.twitter.com/Huawei

http://www.facebook.com/Huawei

http://www.google.com/+Huawei

http://www.youtube.com/Huawei





AttachmentBelavia bans Iraqi, Syrian, Yemeni citizens from taking flights from Turkey to Belarus 12 Nov 2021 | 6:42 PM Minsk, Nov 12 (UNI/Sputnik) Belarus' flag carrier Belavia announced on Friday that it will no longer accept citizens of Iraq, Syria, and Yemen on flights from Turkey to Belarus in line with the decision of the Turkish authorities. see more..

Minsk sees UNSC members' statement about possible new sanctions as direct threat 12 Nov 2021 | 6:35 PM United Nations, Nov 12 (UNI/Sputnik) Belarus states that the joint statement by European member states of the UN Security Council and the United States to take possible extra measures against Minsk will be regarded as direct threat and it will react in the event of introduction of new sanctions, the country's permanent representative to the United Nations, Valentin Rybakov, said in an interview with Sputnik. see more..

Syrian industry's damage suffered during war exceeds $23 5 bln: Min 12 Nov 2021 | 6:23 PM Damascus, Nov 12 (UNI/Sputnik) The damage that the Syrian public and private industry suffered since the beginning of the armed conflict in 2011 exceeds $23.5 billion, Industry Minister Ziad Sabbagh said in an interview with Sputnik. see more..

Russia to showcase Inokhodets-RU drone at Dubai Airshow: Export Agency 12 Nov 2021 | 6:19 PM Moscow, Nov 12 (UNI/Sputnik) Russia's Kronstadt company will showcase the Inokhodets-RU reconnaissance and attack drones at the Dubai Airshow 2021, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Friday. see more..Police have rescued Six girls, including two foreign nationals, from the clutches of Pimps

Bengaluru, Sept 25 (UNI) Central Crime Branch (CCB) Police have nabbed six pimps and rescued from their clutches six girls, including two from Uzbekistan during raid on Service apartments in J P Nagar and Hebbal Police Station Limits in the city last night.

Police said on Tuesday that the arrested were identified as K Anup Raghavan, Suraj Biswas, Tapas Kumar Sen, Pravas Biswas, Tanush and Ramaiah.

The rescued women included two from Himachal Pradesh, One from West Bengal and two Uzbekistan nationals.New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) On the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations of establishment of formal diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan, the Queen Mother of Bhutan, Gyalyum Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, called on President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan here on Saturday.

Welcoming the Queen Mother, the President said that India and Bhutan share exemplary bilateral partnership. ``Our relations are unique and special and our historical and cultural linkages make us natural friends and partners, he said.

``India has been happy to share its knowledge, experience and resources with Bhutan as per Bhutans priorities, he said, reiterating Indias commitment to consolidating ongoing economic cooperation with Bhutan.

Mr Kovind said that India appreciates the Bhutan governments initiative of organising Bhutan Week, as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two neighbours.

The week-long festival will showcase the Bhutanese way of life and rich culture to the people of India and enhance people to people linkages.



UNI GP SHK1935TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It is long on propaganda but short on new ideas, and despite all rhetoric, would lead to more of the same -- cuts, instability, restructuring and privatization -- the Ontario Health Coalition warned today in response to the Ford government's release of its so-called "line-by-line" review of public services.



"They cherry-picked stats to make it look like spending is skyrocketing, when in fact, Ontario's public spending on all public services is the lowest in Canada. When it comes to health care we are near the bottom of the country. When it comes to funding our public hospitals Ontario is already dead-last in Canada," noted Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition citing government's own statistics from the national health care data base and Ontario's Ministry of Finance. "How low would they have us go?"

The Ernst and Young report authors cherry-picked provinces with the second and third lowest public funding for health care as their comparators, rather than the national average, the Coalition points out, among other methodologically dubious choices that slant the information to make the lowest spending in the country look like something else. In health care expenditure, they failed to adjust costs for aging, something that is normally used to assess relative spending around the globe. They cited the Fraser Institute as an expert source, an extreme right-wing campaigning organization that has opposed the Canada Health Act and other vital public services. "At least half of the report is propaganda and to make it look like spending is spiraling, when we have actually had a decade straight of austerity."

The Coalition also noted that most of the ideas in the report are old, have proven deeply unpopular, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, have led to the massive growth in government contracts for consulting companies like Ernst and Young.

"Creating market-based pricing in the public service has meant having local hospitals compete to see which could meet the so-called efficient price for cataract surgery," reported Ms. Mehra who has been following health care reform in Ontario for the last 22 years. "It meant that many local hospitals lost these services, and now entire cities' worth of senior citizens have to drive to another community to access them. It is deeply unpopular, not to mention incredibly expensive to keep moving staff and services from town to town, and it neither saved money nor did it improve access to care."

"Virtually all of the proposals in the report are already in practice or have been tried and abandoned," she noted, citing LEAN (which came from Toyota manufacturing and has been imposed in hospitals), competitive bidding which created a disaster in home care, mega-mergers and amalgamation (which in the last round cost $3.9 billion to save $800 million according to Ontarios Auditor General), and market-based pricing which has damaged care particularly in small and medium-sized community hospitals.

"In fact, all of these proposals lead to more consultants and tiers of administration, bean-counters, price assessors, competition overseers, and the like. The public is already sick of and alienated from these practices," she noted. "Patients are not widgits. Hospitals and home care are not factories."

"Doug Ford's government has no mandate for this and Ontarians have already been through it too many times. We won't fall for the old bait-and-switch again," she said calling on Ford to live up to his election promise to improve services, not cut and privatize them." If it were implemented this report would make tiers and tiers of consultants and administration and siphon more funding away from care. Dangerously, all of these mechanisms have proved to result in health care privatization and more user fees for patients," she concluded.

For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director (416-230-6402), Dana Boettger, communications director (416) 441-2502.United Nations / Jordan Workshop: Global Partnership in Space Exploration and Innovation



Amman, Jordan 25-28 March 2019



Support provided by: Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, Inter Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology & Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre

Final Report of the Workshop (New)

Document A/AC.105/1208 contains the report of the workshop, including a series of recommendations, and will be considered at the sixty-second session of COPUOS.

Final Programme

The final programme includes contributions from the broader space community.

Presentations and Posters from the Workshop

Practical Information

Practical Information

Information Note

Information Note

Introduction



The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is the United Nations Office responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. In line with efforts to build capacity in space science and technology, which is a major area of focus for UNOOSA, between 1995 and 2014 UNOOSA established seven regional centres for space science and technology education, affiliated to the United Nations.

The Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia inaugurated in Amman, Jordan in 2012, is the regional centre serving Arab speaking students, researchers and scientists. The mission of the Regional Centre is to assist participating countries in developing and enhancing the knowledge and skills of their citizens in relevant aspects of space science and technology in order that such individuals can effectively contribute to national development and space programmes.

During the UN/Jordan Workshop, the above entities will bring together local, regional and global scientists, engineers, educators, policy-and-decision makers and experts to discuss and develop thinking on global partnership in space exploration and innovation. The Workshop will include both strategic and capacity-building components and will aim to leverage and build upon the efforts of entities already collaborating on space exploration and innovation.

Background & Recent Related United Nations Intergovernmental Efforts



Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space

The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space is the intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly to address international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. The Committee, substantively serviced by UNOOSA, is comprised of both emerging space nations and established space powers. The Committee's growing membership, and the impressive number of space-related intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations actively supporting its work, reflect the increasing importance that space science and technology play in the daily lives of people around the world.

During its fifty-ninth session in 2016, the Committee endorsed seven thematic priorities leading to the fiftieth anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE+50). Thematic Priority 1, Global partnership in space exploration and innovation, had the objectives of:

Raising awareness of space exploration and innovation as essential drivers for opening up new domains in space science and technology, triggering new partnerships and developing capabilities that create new opportunities for addressing global challenges;

Fostering dialogue with the space industry and the private sector;

Promoting cooperation between spacefaring nations and emerging space nations;

Allowing space exploration activities to become open and inclusive on a global scale; and

Identifying governance and cooperation mechanisms to support this objective ( A/71/20, paragraph 296).

Action Team on Exploration and Innovation



Also in 2016, the Committee called upon States to put forward nominations to lead and co-lead a new action team, to be established under thematic priority 1. Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Luxembourg, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Committee on Space Research, European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, European Science Foundation, European Space Agency, Inter-Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology, International Law Association, National Space Society and United Nations Environment Programme became members of the Action Team on Exploration and Innovation, with Jordan, China and the United States acting as Co-Chairs.

The Action Team's final terms of reference, made available to the Committee in 2017 in conference room paper A/AC.105/2017/CRP.21, captured fields of study and methods of work.

During its meetings in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November 2017, held in connection with the United Nations/United Arab Emirates High Level Forum on Space as a Driver for Socioeconomic Sustainable Development, the Action Team on Exploration and Innovation reached consensus on a report, including seven recommendations.

The report on thematic priority 1 was before delegations in early 2018 at the fifty-fifth session of the Committee's subsidiary body, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee ( A/AC.105/C.1/114). At the request of the Action Team on Exploration and Innovation, an updated version of the report was prepared for the sixty-first session of the Committee ( A/AC.105/1168) in June 2018. At that session, the Committee considered this report and its recommendations and agreed on the inclusion of a new regular agenda item, entitled "Space exploration and innovation" in its agenda ( A/73/20, para 364).

Workshop Objectives and Expected Outcomes

This present UN/Jordan workshop was envisioned in the Action Team's terms of reference. It will have both strategic and capacity-building elements and will be informed by, and aim to produce observations and recommendations that will link with, various Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG4: Quality education; SDG5: Gender equality; SDG9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure; and SDG17: Partnerships for the goals, as well as with the "Space2030" agenda currently under development.

The main objectives of this workshop are:

To build upon the work of the Action Team on Exploration and Innovation; To build capacity in space exploration and innovation, with emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as per the recommendation of the Action Team on Exploration and Innovation, ( A/AC.105/1168, para. 114); To promote greater exchange of actual experiences in global partnership for space exploration and innovation; To work towards allowing space exploration activities to become open and inclusive on a global scale; and To provide the Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia an opportunity to showcase and promote its work.

Programme



The Workshop programme will include plenary sessions and sufficient time for discussions among participants.

Thematic sessions will be devoted to:

Current space exploration and innovation programs of States/space agencies; Current space exploration and innovation cooperation mechanisms and potential future ones; Developing open and inclusive global space exploration partnerships, demonstrating diversity in geographic representation, gender, specialization, age, seniority etc; Terrestrial analogues (linked to the visit to Wadi Rum*); and Planetary protection.

*A one-day side visit to Wadi Rum will be arranged by the Local Organizing Committee as part of the Workshop programme.

Workshop participants will also be able to visit an exhibition, to be organized by the Local Organizing Committee in conjunction with the Workshop. (Please contact Nivin Hasan (nivin1000[@]yahoo.com) and Abdallah Ghrair (abdallahghrair[@]yahoo.com) for more information on the exhibition.)

Registration *



Participation is limited and all applicants based outside Jordan are required to register online. (To be considered for funding, participants must apply, and complete and submit all required documents, before 7 January 2019- End of Day CET. Self funded participants must apply before 20 January 2019- End of Day CET.) All applicants need to submit an abstract of their proposed contribution to the Workshop (scientific paper, poster, display or presentation) as well as a completed signature page.

*The online application form is now available. Please note there is a two step registration process. Please fill and submit the form online. An e-mail will then be sent to you, prompting you to send your abstract and signature page. Please use the same subject line in your reply e-mail as found in the e-mail sent to you.

Successful applicants will receive an official invitation letter, including additional practical information.

Qualified persons based in Jordan are particularly encouraged to participate in the Workshop and should contact the Jordanian Focal Points so their participation may be considered by the Local Organizing Committee. The focal points for Jordan are: Nivin Hasan ( nivin1000[@]yahoo.com) and Abdallah Ghrair (abdallahghrair[@]yahoo.com).

Working Language

The working language of the Workshop will be English. All participants are required to have good English language skills.

Posters, scientific papers and displays



Participants of the Workshop are requested to contribute a scientific paper, poster, presentation and/or display related to the workshop themes. It is necessary for applicants to submit an abstract of a maximum of 600 words including the following details about their proposed contribution: Title, Short Description, Author Name(s), Affiliation(s), and e-mail address for the presenter. Applicants are requested to use the provided templates when submitting online applications.

Presentations will be published on the website of the Office for Outer Space Affairs.

Sponsorship



The Office for Outer Space Affairs of the United Nations and Jordan/Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia are responsible for organizing and sponsoring the Workshop. Support is being provided by the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, the Inter Islamic Network on Space Sciences and Technology, and the Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre.

Sponsorship of the Workshop is still open to other interested entities. If interested, please reach out to the contact persons listed below.

Expected Participants

The Workshop is being planned for scientists, engineers, university educators, policy-and-decision makers, and senior experts from the following groups: international, regional, national and local institutions, United Nations agencies, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, research and development institutions, and industry. Others who are interested may also apply and all applications will be considered by the organizers.

Qualified persons based in Jordan are particularly encouraged to participate in the Workshop and should contact the Jordanian Focal Points so their participation may be considered by the Local Organizing Committee. The focal points for Jordan are: Nivin Hasan ( nivin1000[@]yahoo.com) and Abdallah Ghrair (abdallahghrair[@]yahoo.com). Deputy Directors General, Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia.

Participation requirements

Participants should have decision-making responsibilities within governmental agencies, national or regional institutions, intergovernmental or non-governmental organizations or industry. Applications from equally qualified women are particularly encouraged.

Financial support

Within the financial resources available, a limited number of selected participants will be offered financial support to attend the Workshop. This financial support will defray the cost of travel (a round trip air ticket - most economic fare - between the airport of international departure in their home country and Amman, Jordan) and/or room and board expenses for the duration of the Workshop. The co-sponsors of the Workshop will jointly select participants on a competitive basis.

The online application form and the signature page each include a section on financial support .

Application Deadlines

Applicants based outside Jordan should apply to participate online. The completed application form, together with an abstract of the contribution to be presented at the Workshop, should be submitted via the online registration system to the Office for Outer Space Affairs, no later than 7 January 2019 for participants seeking sponsorship and 20 January 2019 for self-funded participants. Only complete applications with all the requested information and signatures will be considered.

The online application form is now available for self funded participants only.

Life and Health Insurance

Life/major health insurance for each of the selected participants is necessary and is the responsibility of the candidate or his/her institution or Government . The co-sponsors will not assume any responsibility for life and major health insurance, nor for expenses related to medical treatment or accidents. Please pay attention to the signature page when registering for the Workshop.

Contact Information

For additional information on the Workshop programme, please contact: Tanya Keusen, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs ( keusen[@]un.org).

The focal points for Jordan are: Nivin Hasan ( nivin1000[@]yahoo.com) and Abdallah Ghrair (abdallahghrair[@]yahoo.com). Please contact the Jordanian Focal Points for details on the exhibition and for other substantive and administrative local matters.Published: September 25, 2018

UTs Leadership Speaker Series Welcomes Steve Allen Oct. 3

On Wednesday, Oct. 3, The University of Tampa will welcome Steve Allen, CEO and founder of enterprise automation company DocuPhase, as part of the Sykes College of Business TECO Energy Center for LeadershipSpeaker Series. Allens presentation, titled The Rogue CEO, begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Trustees Board Room on the ninth floor of the Vaughn Center, and is free and open to the public.

Allen has been building DocuPhase for the last 18 years with a focus on office automation, content management and business process optimization. His guidance has produced award-winning products and business culture, with DocuPhase recognized as a Best Place to Work in Tampa Bay for nine years.

Allen began his career in robotics at IBM, and has spent the majority of his career focused on automating the business process or simplifying the user experience with technology. As an engineer and entrepreneur, Allens early career and companies specialized in helping clients to develop new technology and products in the consumer, health care, aviation and marine markets.

Allen also founded the Technical Arts Facility for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TAFFIE) in 2014. TAFFIE is a business incubator that promotes entrepreneurship in Clearwater and Pinellas County, FL, and supports and mentors new entrepreneurs.

Due to limited seating, reservations are required. For more information, contact Whitney Vance, coordinator of College of Business operations, at wvance@ut.edu or (813) 257-3782.NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bain & Company has earned a place on Working Mother's Working Mother 100 Best Companies list, which recognizes companies that lead in the areas of female career advancement, paid parental leave, childcare assistance, benefits and flextime. Additionally, Working Mother recognized Bain & Company as a  Top 3 Company for Recruitment, Retention and Advancement  for its commitment to making the firm the best long-term career for the best business talent in the world.



Bains gender research suggests that women often face different dynamics in the workplace, given unconscious bias and cultural norms, as well as different dynamics outside of work, where they are more likely to have significant others with equally or more intense jobs and to be primary caregivers if they have children. While many organizations talk about setting their employees up for success, Bain & Company sets a higher bar for itself: to ensure that all employees  especially the firms women and mothers  not only succeed, but thrive both personally and professionally. Thriving is about growing, developing vigorously, and flourishing even with the different professional and personal dynamics that they often face. For Bain & Company this also means striving for true parity across all employees with a focus on the firms affinity groups.

This recognition reinforces the many investments we make to ensure our working mothers, and all women, are not only succeeding but, in fact, thriving in both their professional and personal lives, said Jen Hayes, a partner with Bain & Company and chair of the firms Global Women's Leadership Council (GWLC). Our GWLC drives these investments, continually working to create, enable and embed the right programmatic and cultural initiatives that support and retain our women over long-term careers. We recognize that we still have a long ways to go towards true parity in the workplace, but we have a vision and a path to get there.

One new program that falls under this path, as a part of Bain & Companys broader diversity and inclusion efforts, is the unconscious bias training program that was rolled out globally across the firms 57 offices in 2018. The new flagship program, which acknowledges that unconscious bias still affects the day-to-day lives of many working women and mothers, seeks to ensure that Bain & Company employees have an equal playing field in their careers. The firm recognizes that it is critical to invest fully in creating a culture of inclusion and, as a result, is investing in a broad effort to mitigate unconscious bias, which requires an intensive and targeted set of dialogues, training, and planning with employees.

Were very excited to roll out programs like unconscious bias training in our offices, said Tamar Dane Dor-Ner, a partner with the Bain & Company and managing partner of the firms Boston-based headquarters. We know they arent unilateral solutions but they take on important and persistent issues, and the risks of leading and testing and trying are so much smaller than the risks of waiting for something easier to come along. I am proud to work at a company that is constantly asking how it can be better and taking concrete actions to self-correct.

In addition to Bain & Companys corporate recognition, Working Mother also recognized Emily Frasier, a manager in the firms Atlanta office, as a Working Mother of the Year . Frasier exemplifies the passion, leadership and resilience of being a working mother at Bain & Company and is someone who has thrived in her career at the firm. Along with her client work, she is extremely active in both Women at Bain and Blacks at Bain (BABs) initiatives and has provided leadership for diversity recruiting efforts as well as helping to build a strong BABs community in the Atlanta office, engaging the Atlanta leadership and wider office in promoting inclusion through education and celebration.

The 100 Best Companies application includes more than 400 questions on leave policies, workforce representation, benefits, childcare, advancement programs, flexibility policies and more. It surveys the availability and usage of these programs, as well as the accountability of the many managers who oversee them. All applicants receive feedback showing how they compare with other applicants; however, the names of applicants that do not make the list are kept confidential. Company profiles and data come from submitted applications and reflect 2017 data.

The complete list of the 2018 Working Mother 100 Best Companies can be found here .

About Bain & Company

Bain & Company is the management consulting firm that the world's business leaders come to when they want results. Bain advises clients on strategy, operations, information technology, organization, private equity, digital transformation and strategy, and mergers and acquisition, developing practical insights that clients act on and transferring skills that make change stick. The firm aligns its incentives with clients by linking its fees to their results. Bain clients have outperformed the stock market 4 to 1. Founded in 1973, Bain has 57 offices in 36 countries, and its deep expertise and client roster cross every industry and economic sector. For more information visit: www.bain.com . Follow us on Twitter @BainAlerts.

Media Contact:

Dan Pinkney

Bain & Company

Tel: +1 646 562 8102

dan.pinkney@bain.comOTTAWA, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thirty prominent leaders from business, environmental, labour, social, youth and indigenous organizations across Canada  members of the Smart Prosperity Initiative and Circular Economy Leadership Coalition  are issuing the following statement:



We applaud todays release of six economic sector strategies . These reports chart a bold course for strengthening Canadas competitiveness, to help us prosper in a changing world, while building a cleaner, more innovative economy across all sectors.

Many of the tables recommendations  particularly in the Clean Technology and the Resources of the Future reports  align with those in our Smart Prosperity Framework for Canada . We draw particular attention to the following goals and proposals:

 Build agile regulatory systems that are more outcomes-driven, flexible, stringent, timely and predictable in order to attract investment, stimulate innovation, and achieve world-class environmental and economic performance.

 Boost innovation across the economy by

Supporting innovative networks to accelerate scale-up and adoption of advanced technologies (clean, digital) and solve grand challenges (like carbon reduction) Targeting fiscal support for advanced technology investment (clean, digital), including tax incentives (capital cost allowance, investor credits), and matching public funds to de-risk private investment Leveraging procurement to drive innovation across supply chains (clean, advanced technologies) Building a circular economy that boosts resource efficiency, turns waste into value-added products (like bioplastics) and sustains natural capital

 Invest in strategic infrastructure with long-term plans (resources, transport, energy, digital) to connect Canada to domestic and export markets and build a stronger, smarter, cleaner economy

 Attract and train talent for a next generation, diverse workforce, through skills hubs, future-minded programs and education, and re-skilling workers affected by the transition

 Target support for Indigenous businesses, workers and communities in all these programs

 Use an own-the-podium approach that provides focused support in key areas to scale up Canadas highest-potential companies

 Make Canada one of the global leaders in economic, innovation and environmental performance through these initiatives, and build that as a globally-recognized brand

We will provide further insights on these points in the near future, building on the in-depth analysis in our report on Accelerating Clean Innovation . We encourage the government to act on these recommendations, working with businesses and communities to further strengthen Canadas competitiveness, spur the next generation of good jobs, meet our environmental commitments and build a better future for all Canadians.

Signed by the following members of the Smart Prosperity Leaders Initiative:

Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy

Dominic Barton, Global Managing Director, McKinsey and Company

Ross Beaty, Chair, Pan American Silver Corp. and Equinox Gold Corp.

John Coyne, Vice President, Corporate Secretary and General Counsel, Unilever

Michael Crothers, President & Canada Country Chair, Shell Canada Limited

Arlene Dickinson, CEO, Venture Communications

Stewart Elgie*, Professor, University of Ottawa

Greg Kiessling, President, UpCapital Ltd; Founder, Bullfrog Power

John Lounds, President & CEO, Nature Conservancy of Canada

Lorraine Mitchelmore*, Chair, Resources of the Future Economic Strategy Table

Ken Neumann, Canadian National Director, United Steelworkers

Merrell-Ann Phare, Founding Executive Director, Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources

David Runnalls, Chair, Pembina Institute

Vicky Sharpe, Founding President, Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Jean Simard, President & CEO, Aluminium Association of Canada; Co-Founder, SWITCH

Marcia Smith, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and External Affairs, Teck Resources

Merran Smith, Executive Director, Clean Energy Canada

Rick Smith, Executive Director, Broadbent Institute

John Stackhouse, Senior Vice-President, Office of the CEO, RBC

Kirsten Tisdale, Managing Partner, Government and Public Sector Advisory Services, Ernst&Young

Annette Verschuren OC*, Chair and CEO, NRStor; Former President, Home Depot Canada

Rob Wesseling, President & CEO, The Co-operators

* = Co-chair, Smart Prosperity Leaders Initiative

Signed by the following members of the Circular Economy Leadership Coalition:

John D. Coyne,** Vice President and General Counsel, Unilever Canada Inc.

Kevin Groh, Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communication, Loblaw Companies Ltd.

David Hughes,** President & CEO of The Natural Step Canada

Rob Nicol, Vice President Corporate Affairs, Walmart Canada

Daniel Normandin, Executive Director Institut EDDEC

Heather Schoemaker, Director, National Zero Waste Council Secretariat

Brendan Seale, Head of Sustainability, IKEA Canada

Robert Walker, VP ESG, NEI Investments LP

Mike Wilson, Executive Director, Smart Prosperity Institute

** = Co-chair, Circular Economy Leadership Coalition

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jeremy Runnalls

jeremy@smartprosperity.ca

613.462.3375

www.smartprosperity.ca



WEST JORDAN, Utah, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mountain America Credit Union proudly welcomes Monica Henson as the newest wealth management sales manager at LPL Financial at Mountain America Credit Union. Henson will be serving members and staff in Central Utah, Southern Utah, and Nevada.

Henson has worked in the financial industry for 27 years. Prior to joining Mountain America, she served as vice president, associate regional brokerage manager for Wells Fargo Advisors, where she led a team of financial advisors to build and deepen new and existing client relationships through financial planning and client discovery. Henson also served with Wells Fargo Bank as a senior vice president, affluent segment leader and regional private banking manager for the Utah and Idaho regions, leading a team of private bankers in the development and implementation of Wells Fargo affluent segment strategy. Henson looks forward to her new role at Mountain America.

I get the most satisfaction when I can impact someones life in a positive way. The wealth advisors at Mountain America are doing just that for their members, Henson said. At Mountain America, the member truly does come first, and Im excited to lead a team that is engaged, growing and focused on exactly that  giving the best possible service to our members.

During her free time, Monica enjoys spending time outdoors, listening to music, riding motorcycles and taking photographs. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, their three daughters and their many pets.

Mountain America contracts with LPL Financial, one of the nations leading diversified service companies and the largest independent broker-dealer, to offer investment services.

Securities and Financial Planning offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance products offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. The investment products sold through LPL Financial are not insured Mountain America Credit Union deposits and are not FDIC/NCUA insured. These products are not obligations of Mountain America Credit Union and are not endorsed, recommended or guaranteed by Mountain America Credit Union or any government agency. The value of the investment may fluctuate, the return on the investment is not guaranteed and loss of principal is possible. Mountain America Federal Credit Union and Mountain America Credit Union are not registered broker/dealers and are not affiliated with LPL Financial.

About Mountain America Credit Union

With more than 760,000 members and $7.5 billion in assets, Mountain America Credit Union assists members on the right path to help them identify and achieve their financial dreams. Mountain America provides consumers and businesses with a variety of convenient, flexible products and services, as well as sound, timely advice. Members enjoy access to secure, cutting-edge mobile banking technology, over 90 branches across five states, thousands of shared-branching locations nationwide and more than 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Mountain Americasafely guiding you forward along your financial journey. Learn more at macu.com .

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/26cab161-723e-4aa8-ac28-c70380f26953On 17 September 2018, France, Israel and the United Kingdom carried out a joint operation against Syrian targets. During the brief moments of combat, a Russian reconnaissance plane was brought down by Syrian friendly fire. Study of the recordings shows that an Israeli F-16 had flown hidden behind the Ilyushin Il-20 in order to confuse the Syrian Air Defences.

The destruction of a Russian military aircraft by the fault of Israel, during a joint operation by the United Kingdom, France and Israel, caused consternation in all the chancelleries. Since the start of hostilities in Syria seven years ago, if there were a red line, it was that the different protagonists should never endanger Russian, US, or Israeli forces.

We are sure about very little of what actually happened, except that :

 a British Tornado took off from Cyprus to land in Iraq. During the flight, it violated Syrian air space in order to scan the Syrian defences and make the allied attack possible.

 less than an hour later, four Israeli F-16s and a French frigate, LAuvergne, fired on targets in the Syrian governorate of Lattakia. The Syrian air defences protected their country by firing their S-200s against the French and Israeli missiles.

 During the battle, an F-16 used a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 as a shield. The Ilyushin was flying a surveillance mission over the area, localising jihadist drone launch sites. The Syrian defences fired a missile, aiming for the thermal signal of the Israeli aircraft. Theoretically, therefore, it could have destroyed the Russian plane by mistake.

This is, however, implausible, because S-200 missiles are equipped with a reconnaissance system able to distinguish between friendly and enemy targets, which the Russian Minister for Defence successively confirmed, then denied. In any case, the Ilyushin was destroyed, without our knowing for certain how, or by whom.

The cowardice of the British and French leaders led them to censor all information concerning their responsibility in this operation. London made no comment, and Paris denied the facts. Neither the BBC, nor France-Television dared to mention the subject. For these two countries, more than ever, the reality of external politics is excluded from the democratic debate.

Immediate interpretation of the events

We do not know if the destruction of the Russian aircraft (causing the death of the 15 men on board) can be blamed on the Israeli pilot - which seems highly unlikely - on the Israeli army, or on the alliance which carried out the attack.

On the answer to this question hangs the possibility of conflict between four nuclear powers. The situation is therefore extremely serious. It has no precedent since the creation of the Russian Federation, at the end of 1991.

The British-French-Israeli aggression is the response by these three countries to the Russian-Turkish agreement signed only a few hours earlier at Sotchi. It came into play after the US refusal, at the beginning of September, to bomb Syria under false pretences, and the sending of a US delegation into the Arab world in order to express its disagreement with the British-French initiatives [1].

The Sotchi agreements were signed by Turkey under intense pressure from Russia. In Teheran, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had refused to sign the Memorandum concerning the withdrawal of the jihadist and Turkish forces in Idlib. This had not pleased President Vladimir Putin, who answered first of all by reaffirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria [2] and, furthermore, by underlining for the first time the illegitimacy, under international law, of the Turkish military presence in the country. Ten days later, a very unsettled Mr, Erdogan accepted an invitation to Russia.

The Sotchi agreement, while distancing Turkey a little further from NATO with its energy contracts, forced Ankara de facto to withdraw from a part of the territory that it occupies, allegedly to better protect the pseudo- rebels  gathered in the governorate of Idlib [3]. Besides this, Turkey only has one month in which to confiscate the heavy weaponry of its friends from Al-Qaida and Daesh in the demilitarised zone [4].

This agreement was obviously unacceptable for London, Paris and Tel-Aviv :

 in the end, it plans for the disappearance of the jihadists as an army, while London has been supervising, training and manipulating them for decades [5] ;

 the end of the dream of a French mandate over Syria and of the creation of a new French colony in the North of the country, under the phoney name of Kurdistan (Kurdistan is legitimate only within the frontiers which were recognised by the Sevres Conference, in 1920.) In other words, not in Iran, nor Iraq or Syria, but only in what is now known as Turkey [6]).

 the end of the regional domination of Israel, faced with a stable Syria under Russian protection.

Mid-term interpretation of the events

The British-French-Israeli military alliance has not entered into action since the Suez Canal crisis in 1956. At that time, Anthony Eden, Guy Mollet and David Ben Gourion joined their forces in order to humiliate the Arab nationalists, particularly the Egyptian Gamal Abdel Nasser, and to re-establish the British and French colonial empires ( Operation Musketeer ).

This is exactly what happened with this new attack : as was confirmed by the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, none of the targets under attack were linked in any way to Iran or Hezbollah. This British-French-Israeli action had nothing to do with the international struggle against the jihadists in general and Daesh in particular. It also had no connection with the overthrow of the Syrian Arab Republic or its President, Bachar el-Assad. Its main objective was to kill military scientists, in particular the rocket specialists from the Institute of Technical Industries in Lattakia.

This is therefore the resumption and continuation of the policy of targeted assassinations waged by Israel for the last twenty years, successively against the Iraqi, Iranian, and now Syrian scientists. It is one of the pillars of colonial policy : to prevent the submitted populations from attaining the same level of education as their masters. In former times, the Westerners forbade their slaves from learning to read under pain of death. Today, they eliminate their scientists.This policy was relaunched with the British-French-US bombing of 14 April 2018, in which the only target destroyed was the Scientific Research Centre in Barzeh [7], then with the breakdown of the 5+1 agreement with Iran (JCPoA) which forced the country to close its nuclear physics faculties (May 8, 2018).

It was a joint initiative : the jihadists destroy the past, the Westerners destroy the future.

Long-term interpretation of the events

Since the deployment of Russian troops in Syria, on 13 September 2015, to help Syria in its fight against the terrorists, the allies of the United States have understood the impossibility of carrying out the US plan without risking a world war. With the arrival of Donald Trump at the White House, they have progressively questioned their war objectives, abandoned the plans of the  Friends of Syria  and fallen back on their respective historical strategies [8].

It is this logic that led them to reform the alliance which provoked the Suez crisis, and it is this same logic which pushed Germany to distance itself from them.

At the beginning of the First World War, the British, French and Russian empires decided on the partition of the world which they would implement as soon as they had gained victory. The treaty was negotiated by Mark Sykes, Georges Picot and Serguei Sazonov. During the course of the World War, however, the Tsar was overthrown by the Bolcheviks, which meant that the areas of the world originally reserved for the Russian empire were once again up for grabs. Finally, at the end of the World War, only the part of the plan relative to the Middle East was applied, under the name of the  Sykes-Picot  agreement.

The return of Russia to the international game obviously brings into question the British-French colonial sharing of the Middle East. The foreseeable clash has just occurred, either accidentally or deliberately, with the destruction of the Ilyushin Il-20 during the joint British-French-Israeli military operation.

How to react

The bewilderment of the international community in the face of this brutal awakening of a century-old conflict can be measured by the Twitter silence from the White House.

During the Suez crisis, the Israeli troops engaged were twice as numerous as all the British and French forces together. The total number of coalition forces was about 250,000 men. This was therefore a very large-scale operation compared to that of Lattakia. But it remains true that the two sequences work from the same diplomatic logic, and may lead to the same developments.

During the Suez crisis, in the middle of the Cold War, the Soviet Union threatened the United Kingdom, France, and Israel with a nuclear riposte if they refused to withdraw from Egypt. At first, NATO supported the Europeans in threatening Moscow with a World War, before changing its mind. In the middle of the Cold War, therefore, the United States temporarily supported the USSR in order to halt the European folly.

For Washington, allowing the Europeans to pursue their plans was the equivalent of pushing all the Arab nations into the arms of the Soviets. Apart from that, it simply was not feasible to accept the French-British intervention at the same time as they were denouncing the repression of the Hungarian revolution by the Warsaw Pact.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Vice-President Richard Nixon launched a monetary attack against the pound sterling, sent their naval and airborne forces to interfere with the British-French-Israeli complex, and forbade the use of French military material financed by US funds.

International peace was preserved thanks to certain third parties such as the Secretary General of the UNO, Dag Hammarskjold (who was assassinated three years later, and was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize); the Canadian Minister for Foreign Affairs Lester B. Pearson (who also received the Nobel Peace Prize); and the leader of the non-aligned nations and Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Suez crisis profoundly upset not only international political life, but also the national reality of the United Kingdom, France and Israel.

 Circumventing the European vetos at the Security Council, the UNO General Assembly called for the withdrawal of the invaders and created the first United Nations intervention force.

 In the United Kingdom, the House of Commons demanded the end of colonial politics to the profit of the promotion of the economic interests of London via the Commonwealth.

 In France, the Communists, the Gaullists and the Poujadists (including Jean-Marie Le Pen) united against the Centrists and the Socialists; a configuration that has never been seen since. Six years later, President De Gaulle considered that by recognising the independence of Algeria, he would put an end to military collaboration with the colonial state of Israel and restore the policy of friendship and collaboration with the Arab peoples, which had always characterised France, apart from its colonial period [9].

The position of the Western powers concerning the aggression on Lattakia is all the more difficult because, in violation of their agreement with Russia, the Israelis only informed Moscow of their operation a long time after it had begun, and only one minute before they began firing. As for the Pentagon, they affirmed that they had not been warned at all. But let us not forget that the Israeli-Russian mutual non-aggression pact in Syria only exists because Israel is the US arsenal for the Middle East, housing (with Italy) the stocks of US weaponry for the entire region. If Israel truly did not inform the Pentagon of its actions in advance, then it can not benefit from US protection, and consequently the mutual non-aggression pact may be called into question by Russia.

The Russian response depends on the position of the White House, which we do not know for the moment. It must be guided by a desire to lessen tension, if possible, and also to maintain dissuasion by punishing the guilty party or parties as soon as the Kremlin names them. It is not necessary for Russia to make this sanction public as long as the chancelleries concerned are informed.

The Russian response

Russia has the choice of seeing in the destruction of their aircraft nothing more than a mistake by an Israeli pilot, or by the Israeli army, or again, by all three of the states implicated (the United Kingdom, France and Israel). The Russian Minister for Defence, Serguei Choigou, telephoned his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman to inform him that he held Israel responsible for the accident, and reserved the right to riposte. A little later, President Putin declared  This is a series of tragic events, because our plane was not shot down by an Israeli aircraft . He was careful to distinguish this situation from that of the deliberate destruction of a Sukhoi 24-M by Turkish fighters in November 2015. We are therefore heading towards the public designation of Israel as the sole responsible and a secret sanction against the three states involved.

The Israeli charge daffaires in Moscow, Keren Cohen Gat, was summoned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, while in a knee-jerk reaction, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to shovel the responsibility for the accident onto Iran. An Israeli delegation, led by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Amikam Norkin, rushed off to Moscow with unprecedented haste. They contested the claims of the Russian Minister for Defence, affirmed that Israel was innocent, and that all the blame belonged to the negligence of the Syrians.

President Donald Trump, a great admirer of Richard Nixons foreign policy, was thus provided with the perfect occasion to finish with the British-French-Israeli support for the US deep state. However, in the middle of his election campaign, he can not afford to give the impression of supporting the Russian rival while he beats up his allies. He is therefore seeking a way of presenting his internal public with this major change of direction. From this perspective, during an interview with Hill TV, he condemned the US engagement in the Greater Middle East which was decided by his predecessor George Bush Jr after the attacks of 11 September 2001.

On 23 September, the spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defence, General Igor Konashenkov, presented the synthesis of Russian intelligence and the information transmitted by Syria and Israel.

 He accused the Hebrew state of having deliberately violated the mutual non-aggression agreement of 2015 by not giving Russia advance notice of its attack and by lying about its targets.

 He accused it of having endangered civilian flights present in this zone of the Mediterranean, and of being responsible for the destruction of the Ilyuchin Il-20.

 He denounced its non-assistance to the Russian soldiers when their plane stalled.

 He also accused General Amikam Norkin of lying by pretending that the Israeli jets had already returned to Israel when the Russian plane stalled and crashed.

 Finally, he deflected the accusations of amateurism laid at the door of the Syrian Anti-Air Defence System.

However, he abstained from publicly blaming the United Kingdom and France, who were nonetheless just as concerned by his remarks against Israel.

In case the White House should find an acceptable narrative of the facts for its electors, Russia could forbid the United Kingdom, France and Israel from making any intrusion into the maritime, terrestrial and aerial space of Syria without the authorisation of Damascus. London and Paris would have to cease their threats of bombing under whatever pretext at all (false chemical weapons) and withdraw their special forces. This measure would be valid for all protagonists in general, except for the United States and, in Idlib, for Turkey.Heads of State and Government,

Distinguished Ministers,

Excellencies,

Mr. Secretary-General,

Madam Deputy Secretary-General,

It is an honour to welcome you to the seventy-third session of the United Nations General Assembly. I welcome you to the only place where a meeting such as this is possible. Only this Assembly, as the main deliberative and representative body of the United Nations, offers an opportunity to all the worlds peoples and leaders to listen and to be heard on an equal basis.

Excellencies,

The United Nations has made an enormous contribution to humanity. International law, the promotion of peace, human rights, environmental protection standards, goals for sustainable development and the main components that regulate global co-existence all originated in this very Assembly.

The work of the United Nations continues to be as relevant today as it was 73 years ago.

Multilateralism is the only possible response to the global challenges we face. To weaken it or call it into question would only create instability, confusion, mistrust and polarization.

Millions of people around the world are enduring violence, war, material shortages and the effects of climate change. Uncertainty and fear are a daily reality for these millions of human beings. Inequality has deprived many societies of hope and opportunities. The absence of dreams and a meaning in the

future is being used to divide our communities, intensifying racism, xenophobia and violence, all of which represents the exact opposite of the Charter we adopted in 1945.

Excellencies,

No one can be indifferent to human suffering. Wars, conflicts, economic crises and environmental degradation affect us all equally.

We live in an interconnected world that compels us to sustain global dialogue and the multilateral response. For that reason, I have proposed that we take up the multilateral agenda with a renewed commitment based on three principles: global leadership, shared responsibility and collective action.

Global leadership is aimed at identifying common solutions to global problems and taking appropriate and timely decisions.

Shared responsibility, because we all share a common commitment to safeguard social cohesion and human dignity, and the health of the planet.

Collective action, because the most critical problems of humanity concern us all. I invite you to take inspiration in the age-old Andean principle of minga, which refers to a collective effort and shared work that is carried out for the benefit of the community. Let us therefore create a global minga to build societies that are more egalitarian, peaceful, sustainable and resilient.

This year, I call on you to work together on seven priorities.

The first priority of this Assembly will be gender equality and the empowerment of women, which is an ongoing debt owed to over half of the worlds population that is holding back global development. Achieving womens economic and productive inclusion could increase world gross domestic product by 11 per cent by 2025. Regrettably, violence against women continues to be found in every region. Girls and adolescents still lack sufficient access to good-quality information and education, which help to reduce inequalities.

The second priority is the implementation of the new global compacts on migration and refugees, which will benefit around 260 million migrants and 25 million refugees who have been displaced by conflict and violence.

The creation of decent work opportunities for all is the third priority, since this is one of the most important challenges of public policy in terms of the development and sustainability of social security systems.

Fourthly, we will work to give greater attention to environmental protection and to make progress on the agreements aimed at slowing climate change. Heatwaves, forest fires, storms and floods are leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. In August, the State of Kerala in India suffered its worst monsoon flood in recent history, which killed 400 people and displaced a million more from their homes. Hurricanes killed thousands of people in 2017, making them one of the deadliest extreme climate disasters in history. We have a responsibility to slow the production and consumption policies and habits that are destroying our planet.

I have proposed to highlight the problem of plastic pollution as a widespread environmental threat that affects the health and well-being of everyone in the world. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is more than

four times the size of Germany and three times the size of France, and it represents a latent threat to the Pacific coast of the United States.

The fifth priority relates to the importance of deepening the political and social commitment to persons with disabilities. Greater awareness is still needed of their specific needs. Accessibility, inclusive and good-quality education and decent jobs are all challenges faced by the largest minority.

The sixth priority is the revitalization of the United Nations, and here we will work on three areas: implementing the reforms of the system; strengthening the revitalization of the General Assembly, to optimize its working methods and enhance its deliberative and decision-making role; and continuing to reform the Security Council on the basis of the will and commitment of the States.

The seventh priority will be peace and security and the role of young people in conflict prevention. The Assembly should become the main peacebuilding organ, through a preventive approach. Sustainable peace should be rooted in dialogue and understanding. Facilitating this dialogue will be my priority. The General Assembly should drive efforts to ensure that young people have greater opportunities and political participation, to avoid situations that lead inexorably to violent extremism.

Peace and security is one of the central pillars of the work of this Organization. The most acute conflicts and disagreements are settled through dialogue, rapprochement, generosity and mutual understanding, even when there are cultural and religious differences.

In recent months, some of you have taken significant steps towards peace and understanding, which is inspiring and deserves recognition from us all.

In July, the President of Eritrea and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia signed a Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship to put an end to decades of conflict between the two countries. The state of war has ended and diplomatic relations, transport, trade and communications are being re-established.

Similarly, in April, the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula was adopted between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Both nations agreed to work together to put an end to decades of war and conflict. This represents a historic milestone on the path to a new era of peace and the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Both events give us hope in a world where many conflicts are still awaiting a peaceful solution.

The challenges addressed in the Charter of the United Nations have evolved. The threats of climate change, the erosion of biodiversity, human trafficking, environmental pollution, large displacements of both migrants and refugees, terrorism and ethnic conflicts are now at the top of our agenda.

We have entered a technological and digital era that is fostering economic, social and cultural exchanges that were unimaginable only a few decades ago. This Organization needs to be better prepared to deal with these challenges.

This is why we must make progress in implementing the reforms of the United Nations system. We want an Organization that is more efficient and responsive and that reflects the political and economic reality of a changing world. The leadership and commitment of the States and the Secretary-General, His Excellency Antonio Guterres, inspire us to take decisive steps forward in this respect.

We must maintain our vision and commitment regarding implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as this is the only way to ensure that everyone can live in dignity and in peace.

I invite us all to pay particular attention to the vulnerabilities of countries in special situations and the efforts they must make to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Small island States, landlocked countries and least developed countries require that we share responsibility for the achievement of these Goals.

Excellencies,

I confirm my commitment to Africa and its peoples. Let us devote our best efforts to accelerating the implementation of development programmes in Africa. Let us act with Africa as well as talk about Africa.

One of the remaining challenges facing this Organization is to achieve a permanent and lasting peace in the Middle East, by aiming to implement the resolutions adopted by this Assembly.

Excellencies,

This year, we commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The fight for human rights remains a challenge in the world.

Seventy years ago, a great woman led the work of the Human Rights Commission in charge of drafting the Universal Declaration, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt. One of her phrases illustrates, in a simple way, why we must work to bring this Organization and its decisions closer to our peoples. Mrs. Roosevelt pointed out, and I quote:

Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home  so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighbourhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerned citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world. End of quote.

I would like to inaugurate the seventy-third session of the General Assembly with an effusive call to world leaders to meet the needs of our peoples and not to lose heart in their efforts to build a more peaceful, more secure and more human world order, where everyone can find their place with dignity.

Let us therefore build a United Nations that is more relevant to all.

Thank you.Madam President,

Mr. Secretary-General,

world leaders,

ambassadors,

and distinguished delegates:

One year ago, I stood before you for the first time in this grand hall. I addressed the threats facing our world, and I presented a vision to achieve a brighter future for all of humanity.

Today, I stand before the United Nations General Assembly to share the extraordinary progress weve made.

In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.

Americas  so true. (Laughter.) Didnt expect that reaction, but thats okay. (Laughter and applause.)

Americas economy is booming like never before. Since my election, weve added $10 trillion in wealth. The stock market is at an all-time high in history, and jobless claims are at a 50-year low. African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment have all achieved their lowest levels ever recorded. Weve added more than 4 million new jobs, including half a million manufacturing jobs.

We have passed the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history. Weve started the construction of a major border wall, and we have greatly strengthened border security.

We have secured record funding for our military  $700 billion this year, and $716 billion next year. Our military will soon be more powerful than it has ever been before.

In other words, the United States is stronger, safer, and a richer country than it was when I assumed office less than two years ago.

We are standing up for America and for the American people. And we are also standing up for the world.

This is great news for our citizens and for peace-loving people everywhere. We believe that when nations respect the rights of their neighbors, and defend the interests of their people, they can better work together to secure the blessings of safety, prosperity, and peace.

Each of us here today is the emissary of a distinct culture, a rich history, and a people bound together by ties of memory, tradition, and the values that make our homelands like nowhere else on Earth.

That is why America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination.

I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship.

We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.

From Warsaw to Brussels, to Tokyo to Singapore, it has been my highest honor to represent the United States abroad. I have forged close relationships and friendships and strong partnerships with the leaders of many nations in this room, and our approach has already yielded incredible change.

With support from many countries here today, we have engaged with North Korea to replace the specter of conflict with a bold and new push for peace.

In June, I traveled to Singapore to meet face to face with North Koreas leader, Chairman Kim Jong Un.

We had highly productive conversations and meetings, and we agreed that it was in both countries interest to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Since that meeting, we have already seen a number of encouraging measures that few could have imagined only a short time ago.

The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction. Nuclear testing has stopped. Some military facilities are already being dismantled. Our hostages have been released. And as promised, the remains of our fallen heroes are being returned home to lay at rest in American soil.

I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken, though much work remains to be done. The sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization occurs.

I also want to thank the many member states who helped us reach this moment  a moment that is actually far greater than people would understand; far greater  but for also their support and the critical support that we will all need going forward.

A special thanks to President Moon of South Korea, Prime Minister Abe of Japan, and President Xi of China.

In the Middle East, our new approach is also yielding great strides and very historic change.

Following my trip to Saudi Arabia last year, the Gulf countries opened a new center to target terrorist financing. They are enforcing new sanctions, working with us to identify and track terrorist networks, and taking more responsibility for fighting terrorism and extremism in their own region.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have pledged billions of dollars to aid the people of Syria and Yemen. And they are pursuing multiple avenues to ending Yemens horrible, horrific civil war.

Ultimately, it is up to the nations of the region to decide what kind of future they want for themselves and their children.

For that reason, the United States is working with the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jordan, and Egypt to establish a regional strategic alliance so that Middle Eastern nations can advance prosperity, stability, and security across their home region.

Thanks to the United States military and our partnership with many of your nations, I am pleased to report that the bloodthirsty killers known as ISIS have been driven out from the territory they once held in Iraq and Syria. We will continue to work with friends and allies to deny radical Islamic terrorists any funding, territory or support, or any means of infiltrating our borders.

The ongoing tragedy in Syria is heartbreaking. Our shared goals must be the de-escalation of military conflict, along with a political solution that honors the will of the Syrian people. In this vein, we urge the United Nations-led peace process be reinvigorated. But, rest assured, the United States will respond if chemical weapons are deployed by the Assad regime.

I commend the people of Jordan and other neighboring countries for hosting refugees from this very brutal civil war.

As we see in Jordan, the most compassionate policy is to place refugees as close to their homes as possible to ease their eventual return to be part of the rebuilding process. This approach also stretches finite resources to help far more people, increasing the impact of every dollar spent.

Every solution to the humanitarian crisis in Syria must also include a strategy to address the brutal regime that has fueled and financed it: the corrupt dictatorship in Iran.

Irans leaders sow chaos, death, and destruction. They do not respect their neighbors or borders, or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead, Irans leaders plunder the nations resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond.

The Iranian people are rightly outraged that their leaders have embezzled billions of dollars from Irans treasury, seized valuable portions of the economy, and looted the peoples religious endowments, all to line their own pockets and send their proxies to wage war. Not good.

Irans neighbors have paid a heavy toll for the regions [regimes] agenda of aggression and expansion. That is why so many countries in the Middle East strongly supported my decision to withdraw the United States from the horrible 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal and re-impose nuclear sanctions.

The Iran deal was a windfall for Irans leaders. In the years since the deal was reached, Irans military budget grew nearly 40 percent. The dictatorship used the funds to build nuclear-capable missiles, increase internal repression, finance terrorism, and fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen.

The United States has launched a campaign of economic pressure to deny the regime the funds it needs to advance its bloody agenda. Last month, we began re-imposing hard-hitting nuclear sanctions that had been lifted under the Iran deal. Additional sanctions will resume November 5th, and more will follow. And were working with countries that import Iranian crude oil to cut their purchases substantially.

We cannot allow the worlds leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planets most dangerous weapons. We cannot allow a regime that chants Death to America, and that threatens Israel with annihilation, to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on Earth. Just cant do it.

We ask all nations to isolate Irans regime as long as its aggression continues. And we ask all nations to support Irans people as they struggle to reclaim their religious and righteous destiny.

This year, we also took another significant step forward in the Middle East. In recognition of every sovereign state to determine its own capital, I moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

The United States is committed to a future of peace and stability in the region, including peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. That aim is advanced, not harmed, by acknowledging the obvious facts.

Americas policy of principled realism means we will not be held hostage to old dogmas, discredited ideologies, and so-called experts who have been proven wrong over the years, time and time again. This is true not only in matters of peace, but in matters of prosperity.

We believe that trade must be fair and reciprocal. The United States will not be taken advantage of any longer.

For decades, the United States opened its economy  the largest, by far, on Earth  with few conditions. We allowed foreign goods from all over the world to flow freely across our borders.

Yet, other countries did not grant us fair and reciprocal access to their markets in return. Even worse, some countries abused their openness to dump their products, subsidize their goods, target our industries, and manipulate their currencies to gain unfair advantage over our country. As a result, our trade deficit ballooned to nearly $800 billion a year.

For this reason, we are systematically renegotiating broken and bad trade deals.

Last month, we announced a groundbreaking U.S.-Mexico trade agreement. And just yesterday, I stood with President Moon to announce the successful completion of the brand new U.S.-Korea trade deal. And this is just the beginning.

Many nations in this hall will agree that the world trading system is in dire need of change. For example, countries were admitted to the World Trade Organization that violate every single principle on which the organization is based. While the United States and many other nations play by the rules, these countries use government-run industrial planning and state-owned enterprises to rig the system in their favor. They engage in relentless product dumping, forced technology transfer, and the theft of intellectual property.

The United States lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs, nearly a quarter of all steel jobs, and 60,000 factories after China joined the WTO. And we have racked up $13 trillion in trade deficits over the last two decades.

But those days are over. We will no longer tolerate such abuse. We will not allow our workers to be victimized, our companies to be cheated, and our wealth to be plundered and transferred. America will never apologize for protecting its citizens.

The United States has just announced tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese-made goods for a total, so far, of $250 billion. I have great respect and affection for my friend, President Xi, but I have made clear our trade imbalance is just not acceptable. Chinas market distortions and the way they deal cannot be tolerated.

As my administration has demonstrated, America will always act in our national interest.

I spoke before this body last year and warned that the U.N. Human Rights Council had become a grave embarrassment to this institution, shielding egregious human rights abusers while bashing America and its many friends.

Our Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, laid out a clear agenda for reform, but despite reported and repeated warnings, no action at all was taken.

So the United States took the only responsible course: We withdrew from the Human Rights Council, and we will not return until real reform is enacted.

For similar reasons, the United States will provide no support in recognition to the International Criminal Court. As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority. The ICC claims near-universal jurisdiction over the citizens of every country, violating all principles of justice, fairness, and due process. We will never surrender Americas sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy.

America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism.

Around the world, responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from other, new forms of coercion and domination.

In America, we believe strongly in energy security for ourselves and for our allies. We have become the largest energy producer anywhere on the face of the Earth.

The United States stands ready to export our abundant, affordable supply of oil, clean coal, and natural gas.

OPEC and OPEC nations, are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, and I dont like it. Nobody should like it. We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good.

We want them to stop raising prices, we want them to start lowering prices, and they must contribute substantially to military protection from now on. We are not going to put up with it  these horrible prices  much longer.

Reliance on a single foreign supplier can leave a nation vulnerable to extortion and intimidation. That is why we congratulate European states, such as Poland, for leading the construction of a Baltic pipeline so that nations are not dependent on Russia to meet their energy needs. Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course.

Here in the Western Hemisphere, we are committed to maintaining our independence from the encroachment of expansionist foreign powers.

It has been the formal policy of our country since President Monroe that we reject the interference of foreign nations in this hemisphere and in our own affairs. The United States has recently strengthened our laws to better screen foreign investments in our country for national security threats, and we welcome cooperation with countries in this region and around the world that wish to do the same. You need to do it for your own protection.

The United States is also working with partners in Latin America to confront threats to sovereignty from uncontrolled migration. Tolerance for human struggling and human smuggling and trafficking is not humane. Its a horrible thing thats going on, at levels that nobody has ever seen before. Its very, very cruel.

Illegal immigration funds criminal networks, ruthless gangs, and the flow of deadly drugs. Illegal immigration exploits vulnerable populations, hurts hardworking citizens, and has produced a vicious cycle of crime, violence, and poverty. Only by upholding national borders, destroying criminal gangs, can we break this cycle and establish a real foundation for prosperity.

We recognize the right of every nation in this room to set its own immigration policy in accordance with its national interests, just as we ask other countries to respect our own right to do the same  which we are doing. That is one reason the United States will not participate in the new Global Compact on Migration. Migration should not be governed by an international body unaccountable to our own citizens.

Ultimately, the only long-term solution to the migration crisis is to help people build more hopeful futures in their home countries. Make their countries great again.

Currently, we are witnessing a human tragedy, as an example, in Venezuela. More than 2 million people have fled the anguish inflicted by the socialist Maduro regime and its Cuban sponsors.

Not long ago, Venezuela was one of the richest countries on Earth. Today, socialism has bankrupted the oil-rich nation and driven its people into abject poverty.

Virtually everywhere socialism or communism has been tried, it has produced suffering, corruption, and decay. Socialisms thirst for power leads to expansion, incursion, and oppression. All nations of the world should resist socialism and the misery that it brings to everyone.

In that spirit, we ask the nations gathered here to join us in calling for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela. Today, we are announcing additional sanctions against the repressive regime, targeting Maduros inner circle and close advisors.

We are grateful for all the work the United Nations does around the world to help people build better lives for themselves and their families.

The United States is the worlds largest giver in the world, by far, of foreign aid. But few give anything to us. That is why we are taking a hard look at U.S. foreign assistance. That will be headed up by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. We will examine what is working, what is not working, and whether the countries who receive our dollars and our protection also have our interests at heart.

Moving forward, we are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends. And we expect other countries to pay their fair share for the cost of their defense.

The United States is committed to making the United Nations more effective and accountable. I have said many times that the United Nations has unlimited potential. As part of our reform effort, I have told our negotiators that the United States will not pay more than 25 percent of the U.N. peacekeeping budget. This will encourage other countries to step up, get involved, and also share in this very large burden.

And we are working to shift more of our funding from assessed contributions to voluntary so that we can target American resources to the programs with the best record of success.

Only when each of us does our part and contributes our share can we realize the U.N.s highest aspirations. We must pursue peace without fear, hope without despair, and security without apology.

Looking around this hall where so much history has transpired, we think of the many before us who have come here to address the challenges of their nations and of their times. And our thoughts turn to the same question that ran through all their speeches and resolutions, through every word and every hope. It is the question of what kind of world will we leave for our children and what kind of nations they will inherit.

The dreams that fill this hall today are as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium, and as varied as the countries represented right here in this body are. It really is something. It really is great, great history.

There is India, a free society over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class.

There is Saudi Arabia, where King Salman and the Crown Prince are pursuing bold new reforms.

There is Israel, proudly celebrating its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land.

In Poland, a great people are standing up for their independence, their security, and their sovereignty.

Many countries are pursuing their own unique visions, building their own hopeful futures, and chasing their own wonderful dreams of destiny, of legacy, and of a home.

The whole world is richer, humanity is better, because of this beautiful constellation of nations, each very special, each very unique, and each shining brightly in its part of the world.

In each one, we see awesome promise of a people bound together by a shared past and working toward a common future.

As for Americans, we know what kind of future we want for ourselves. We know what kind of a nation America must always be.

In America, we believe in the majesty of freedom and the dignity of the individual. We believe in self-government and the rule of law. And we prize the culture that sustains our liberty - a culture built on strong families, deep faith, and fierce independence. We celebrate our heroes, we treasure our traditions, and above all, we love our country.

Inside everyone in this great chamber today, and everyone listening all around the globe, there is the heart of a patriot that feels the same powerful love for your nation, the same intense loyalty to your homeland.

The passion that burns in the hearts of patriots and the souls of nations has inspired reform and revolution, sacrifice and selflessness, scientific breakthroughs, and magnificent works of art.

Our task is not to erase it, but to embrace it. To build with it. To draw on its ancient wisdom. And to find within it the will to make our nations greater, our regions safer, and the world better.

To unleash this incredible potential in our people, we must defend the foundations that make it all possible. Sovereign and independent nations are the only vehicle where freedom has ever survived, democracy has ever endured, or peace has ever prospered. And so we must protect our sovereignty and our cherished independence above all.

When we do, we will find new avenues for cooperation unfolding before us. We will find new passion for peacemaking rising within us. We will find new purpose, new resolve, and new spirit flourishing all around us, and making this a more beautiful world in which to live.

So together, let us choose a future of patriotism, prosperity, and pride. Let us choose peace and freedom over domination and defeat. And let us come here to this place to stand for our people and their nations, forever strong, forever sovereign, forever just, and forever thankful for the grace and the goodness and the glory of God.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the nations of the world.

Thank you very much. Thank you.Labour Party Conference and Brexit Meetings in London for CM

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo left for Liverpool today where he will host the traditional Gibraltar Reception during the Labour Party conference.

This will provide an opportunity to update leadership of the party, MPs, MEPS and delegates on the latest political developments in Gibraltar as we prepare to leave the European Union.

Mr Picardo will also be joined in London by the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia for a number of meetings with UK Government officials and Ministers. This comes at a time when Gibraltar is preparing for every eventuality of Brexit by continuing with two parallel workstreams for a UK-EU deal, on the one hand, and for a no-deal situation on the other.

The Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister will be joined by the Attorney General Michael Llamas and the Financial Secretary Albert Mena for the meetings in London.

In the absence of Mr Picardo and Dr Garcia, the Minister for Education and the Environment Dr John Cortes will act as Chief Minister until Wednesday.Update on The Tiger Mosquito in Gibraltar

In August 2017, the Gibraltar Health Authority and the Environmental Agency announced that the mosquito of the species Aedes albopictus, also known as the tiger mosquito had been detected in Gibraltar, after almost a year of intensive surveillance.

The mosquito had previously been detected in Malaga and Algeciras in 2015.

Since that date, more reports have appeared of the mosquito being spotted by the public and by researchers. The mosquito has a typical appearance with black and white stripes on the body and legs (which gives it the popular name tiger).

The tiger mosquito is not native to Gibraltar and has not been previously found here.

Unusually, it is a day-time mosquito and it aggressively bites humans. It is a domestic species, breeds in water in urban areas (water butts, blocked drains, rainwater gulleys, etc.) and is able to reach high abundance around residential areas.

The tiger mosquito is now firmly established in Gibraltar and it looks like it is here to stay. Because it bites during the day, you are likely to be bitten at work or at school or at home if you are there during the day. Bites may be more prevalent as it happens when people are up and about. You may have therefore have noticed mosquito bites more than in the past.

Care should be taken to empty or dry up areas of standing water. Because these may be inaccessible on roofs, etc., this will not always be successful, and mosquito repellents are an option.

At present, the discovery of this mosquito does not pose any health risks in Gibraltar and there is no immediate cause for public concern. The bites may be a nuisance, but there are no diseases in Gibraltar that this mosquito can spread.

In other countries, particularly the Far East and South America, where viral diseases like Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya exist, these can be spread by the tiger mosquito. This is not the case in Gibraltar. These viruses can however be imported by travellers returning from an overseas country and if this happens, there is a possible risk of spread, but even this can occur only if the mosquito bites the returning traveller within about a week after the fever starts, hence the risk is very small.

The GHA recommends the following precautions for travellers:

 Before travelling to affected areas, consult your doctor or seek advice from a travel clinic, especially if you have an immune disorder or severe chronic illness.

 If you are pregnant or are considering pregnancy, consider postponing non-essential travel.

 When staying in a mosquito-prone area, wear mosquito repellents and take mosquito bite prevention measures.

 If you have symptoms within three weeks of return from an affected country, consult your doctor.  If you have been diagnosed with any of the diseases Zika, Dengue or Chikungunya, take strict mosquito bite prevention measures for 10 days after the fever starts.

The above advice is also contained in the GHA leaflet A Factsheet for Travellers.New Notre Dame School to Open Next Week

The new Notre Dame School at Laguna will open its doors to the children of the north district community next week.

Visits by teachers and familiarisation by the children will take place during the course of this week, with special attention given to transitioning the Learning Support Facility children gradually as they move in to their specially designed area.

The teachers will have been hard at work as from today in familiarising themselves with the new facilities, including assembly area, and fire and emergency evacuation plans.

As the school is active, there are items, including furniture, equipment and other learning material that will need to be moved to the new premises. These will need to be transferred in advance of opening, but this cannot be done with the school in session. For this reason, in full consultation with the Head and teachers, and to allow the teachers the time they need to prepare the classrooms, specialist areas, library, etc., the school will be closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, and will re-open fully at its new premises on Thursday 4th October.

Parents, grandparents and members of the teaching profession are invited to visit the new school for tours of the premises on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th October. Details of these visits will be provided later.

The school includes spacious classrooms and play areas, including toilet facilities near to the classrooms, water fountains, and induction loops for hearing impaired children.

Minister for Education John Cortes said, First of all I must thank the teachers for the way in which they have responded and welcomed the new facilities. They are excited, as am I, with the move. They will be working hard to get their part of the move ready, so that the children are welcomed into a fully operational school. The facilities in this school are without doubt the best possible, and set the standard both for the other new schools, and for improvements in those that are not going to be re-built. It will have been well worth the wait and the inconvenience that construction and transition always brings.Better Call Saul Coushatta Season 4 Episode 8 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * *  Previous Next  Photo: Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures Television/AMC Network Entertainment LLC

We had Kim figured all wrong. And so did Jimmy. And that might be the duos undoing. Jimmy needs a straight arrow, someone to ground him and keep him honest. If his partner in life suddenly becomes his enabler in crime  a real-deal Viktor and Giselle, a notion nailed on the head by Kims rubbing her keepsake Zafiro stopper like a talisman  then theyre both going down in flames, eventually. (Or, perhaps, simply working the same shift at an Omaha Cinnabon.)

For now, Kim is still suiting up for her job heading up banking at Schweikart & Cokley, doing her best Peppermint Patty routine as Paige and Kevin drone on like Ms. Othmans corporate clones. But that S&C salary has also afforded her the services of fancy associates, whom she has recruited to help blindside ADA Ericsen with a roll call of reasons for cutting Huell some slack. But just as insurance, she sends Jimmy on an eastward-bound bus to Huells Louisiana hometown, Coushatta. On the way, he hires passengers to help him forge letters attesting to Mr. Babineauxs community stature, ultimately mailing them from the Coushatta post office with varying return addresses and some bogus contact info therein.

Upon returning, Jimmy holes up in his nail-salon HQ with his loyal team of student filmmakers (but hey, looks like make-up girls been taking acting lessons) and deploys his drop phones, a phony website, and some sound effects to effectively reverse-Jerky Boys Suzanne into submission. Its an insane plan, but it works, and Kim is turned on. She throws Jimmy into the courthouses stairwell wall and lays a fat one on him. Next thing we know, theyre cozying up in bed cracking up over Jimmys bayou-boy routine. Not long after, she shows up unannounced at the potential site of his new office (which may or may not prove to be his ultimate Breaking Badera digs, though it likely is). Theyre sharing a cigarette on the strip-mall sidewalk, arguably neither in a much loftier place than when theyd sneak butts amid the shadows in HHMs garage, nor worse off. They are where they are, and all Kim knows is that after ten months of seeing what all those years of sleepless nights poring over paperwork amounted to, she wants to be wherever Jimmys going next. Dont be surprised if its Kim who winds up picking out Saul Goodmans signature Constitution wallpaper and inflatable Lady Liberty.

Unfortunately, Mike and Werner wont be sharing intimate details about their old men over Hefeweizens again any time soon, let alone making plans to, say, start a architectural-and-security firm in their twilight years (a fanboy can dream). Werner just had to go and spill some beans about his big top-secret project in Albuquerque to a couple of kindly souls at the bar, eroding Mikes trust but also necessitating that Mike keep his distance much like he had to do with Anita and countless others  to keep him from getting hurt. Werner is seriously bummed, but he should be thankful Gus isnt more alarmed  for now. Saul is not The Sopranos (if it were, both those pub patrons would be 86d by now), but its also unsentimental at times about telegraphing the fates of characters that never quite make it onscreen in Breaking Bad.

This brings us to Nacho, mentioned in passing in an early Breaking Bad episode but otherwise a new ideation for the franchise as of Sauls premiere. Theres a tragic Jesse Pinkman vibe (Jesses aura is all over this season) to Nachos present place in things. He orders guys to sell drugs, gets people high, disciplines when he has to and comes home to a dimly lit, high-tech crypt of a crash pad, tossing out dimes of heroin (or meth or whatever) to strung-out groupies watching home-shopping on his couch. Nacho could probably relate to Kim, bored as he is by getting what he worked so hard for. His scars remind us that he paid quite a price, and that hell keep paying it. But he wants a simpler life, no matter the cost. Alas, things just got more complicated with the hotly anticipated (by a certain minority, at least) arrival of Eduardo Lalo Salamanca in New Mexico to help stem the tide of losses from lackadaisical dealers and benevolent management. Nachos heart sinks. Hector was far from the tip of the spear. Nacho is stuck.

If Nacho doesnt survive the long haul, it could be an act of mercy. (Though with what appear to be fake IDs for himself and his father in a bedroom safe, maybe he makes an escape less desperate than Jesse or Sauls.) The cycle of instilled violence has consumed him, and it eventually does Domingo, whos still too timid to, for example, rip out the earring of a cocky but negligent corner man as punishment. The Domingo whom Walter White shackles in his basement is a brutal man, having battled but lost to preserve his gentler nature, thrashing about with his final breaths. Marco and Leonel, too, were raised to become men guided by callousness and rage by their uncle Hector, and we all know how that turned out for them.

Joy has been stomped out of the majority of Sauls ensemble like the smoldering end of a Camel Light beneath ones shoe. Mike is morose, Nacho is nervous, Domingo is doomed, Howard (absent in this episode, but hopefully back again soon) is a wreck, Werner and his boys are acting out with extreme demonstrations of glumness and aggression (settle down, Kai), and Gus is concerned at best about the state of his super-lab. Each of them is mired in darkness that matches their respective, walled-off surroundings. And while some light might be poking through the holes in Jimmys future (maybe) office, and he and Kim are brightened by their shared enthusiasm for fine lines, the clouds are gathering, unmoved. Well find out soon enough who weathers the storm.

Apart From All That

 At least everythings coming up Huell!

 Pretty brilliant to subvert expectations for Kim, one of few whose fate is a complete unknown.

For a price, that Zafiro bottle stopper can be yours.

 Ms. Nguyen > Francesca.

 Heres hoping Werner lives to see his 27th anniversary.

Solid plug for Louies Pub & Grill.

 Incidentally, there very much is a Cajun Santa.

 Clearly, Kim had never seen Jimmys previous pastor routine.

 If Nacho talked to Werner, hed know obsessive men never rest.Photo: POOL/Getty Images

Even before Bill Cosby arrived at the suburban Philadelphia courthouse in the rain today, his possible sentence already came down from a maximum of 30 years to just 10. The prosecution and defense agreed to roll some of the charges together late Monday. After a long and tedious day of legal wrangling between the judge, prosecutors, and defense in this closely watched case, its expected that today the judge will reveal if Cosby is to be labeled as a violent sexual predator and what his sentence will actually be. After being convicted of three counts of drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple employee Andrea Constand at his home in 2004, well learn whether the comedian heads to prison or stay under house arrest. Heres what we know so far:

Prosecutors would ultimately like to see Cosby serve ten years for his crimes. After a dramatic retrial in April where Constand and five other women testified that Cosby drugged and raped them, a unanimous verdict found the comedian guilty on all three counts. It was a big win for the more than 60 women who have accused the entertainer of assault over the course of 40-plus years.

Since the verdict, Cosby, now 81, has been under house arrest in his Montgomery County home, the same estate where Constand said he drugged and assaulted her. Despite the prosecutor asking for Cosby to be remanded to prison the same day he was found guilty, he instead was released under house arrest on $1 million bail and equipped with a GPS monitor.

At this point, the defense would very much like to see Cosby stay under house arrest for the duration of his sentence, giving him freedom to see his doctors and lawyers at will. Yesterday, his attorneys repeatedly cited both his advanced age and health (Cosby claims he is legally blind) as reasons for keeping him out of prison. Also taken into consideration: his longtime philanthropy.

Monday was tumultuous as the defense tried to keep Cosby off of the states sex registry. The judge ruled that the registry was fair game, which could mean Cosby will be expected to check in with authorities and register as a dangerous sex offender for the rest of his life.

Something that could sway the judge is the statement of a state health expert who minced no words when calling Cosby a sexually violent predator. She said Cosby is, indeed, a threat to the others because of his inappropriate sexual urges for women who are unable to consent. She also added unequivocally that Cosby would likely assault again.

Today, its expected that folks from both sides of the aisle will provide statements before Judge Steven ONeill finally hands down a verdict. Constand is in the courtroom again today  as are a few jurors from the retrial.

It should be noted that yesterday the courtroom was packed with many of Cosbys accusers, while relatively few people turned out in support of the comedian. His wife, Camille Cosby, has not been present at sentencing.

Cosby continues to deny all allegations against him, saying that his relationship with Constand was consensual. Since he has yet to testify in either his first trial or retail, its unlikely well hear from him today, though he does have the opportunity to speak on his own behalf.ROSEMONT, Pa., Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rosemont College has announced a new admissions policy: test optional. Now in effect, students applying to Rosemont College for admission in the fall of 2019 who have a weighted, cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) or higher will have the choice to submit their SAT/ACT scores or not as part of the new policy - called ROCO Option.

Since its founding in 1921, Rosemont College has had a highly personalized approach to education. Prospective students who select the ROCO Option during the application process will be interviewed by an admissions counselor rather than submitting their standardized test scores. The interview will allow the College to become familiar with the prospective student in a meaningful and personal way as well as assess if he or she will be a good fit for Rosemont. If a student cannot travel to campus to be interviewed, interviews may take place virtually through FaceTime, Google Hangout, or Skype.

We are thrilled to announce the ROCO Option for prospective students, said Dr. Sharon L. Hirsh, president of Rosemont College. We value an individualized approach to education, so it is natural for us to acknowledge that the admissions interview will be more informative to us about a prospective student than his or her standardized test score.

Increasingly, research shows standardized tests are not a key predictor of a students academic performance in college. In a recent study published in the spring of 2018 by Steven T. Syverson, Valerie W. Franks and William C. Hiss, Defining Access: How Test-Optional Works, researchers found that students who apply to college without submitting their standardized test scores succeed in college at the same rates, or slightly better, than those who submit their scores. Students who elect not to submit their standardized test scores also graduate from college in four years at the same rate, or slightly better, than those students who submit their scores.

Rosemonts internal studies show that high school GPA is the best predictor of academic success and graduation within four years. Students entering Rosemont College with a high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher are more successful. Prospective students who choose the ROCO option will still be eligible for merit scholarships and admission to the Honors Program.

Students who are homeschooled and international students are not eligible to elect the ROCO Option.

Further information and frequently asked questions about the ROCO Option can be found online: www.rosemont.edu/MoreThanAScore.

Founded in 1921 by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Rosemont College is a private, coeducational Catholic institution. Rosemont offers a comprehensive education through small group and experiential learning experiences while providing campus-wide academic, spiritual, and professional support. The college respects and embraces diversity and individuality and promotes students lifelong success. For more information, visit www.rosemont.edu.Billy Eichner clearly cant guarantee that voting in the 2018 midterms will protect Post Malone. The rapper has had to deal with an emergency plane landing, a car accident, and an attempted home invasion (luckily, it was his old house) in the past six weeks alone. In Funny or Dies new voter registration spot, co-starring Mandy Moore, Kumail Nanjiani, Randall Park, and Darren Criss, however, Billy Eichner does sort of suggest voting will help Post Malone, perhaps in the same way voting will help us all. Look, we dont understand how the universe works. No, we dont. Were not going to argue with you about this. So please, just make sure you get yourself registered, place your vote on November 6 and, as always, keep Post in your thoughts and prayers. Treat the future of the United States the way you would want Post to be treated: like a precious, tattoo-covered gift.Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images

Bill Cosby has been sentenced to three to ten years in state prison for sexual assault. Cosby was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs this afternoon on his way to the Montgomery County Prison for processing. This was a serious crime, said Judge Steven ONeill from the bench at the Montgomery County Courthouse outside of Philadelphia moments ago. The day has come. The time has come. Cosby, 81, once considered to be Americas Dad, had no witnesses testify in his defense today. He will also be required to pay a $25,000 fine and court costs.

JUST IN: Bill Cosby led away from courtroom in handcuffs after judge denied him bail during pending appeals. https://t.co/Q3sd8zVPXA pic.twitter.com/jFjSwafkvS  ABC News (@ABC) September 25, 2018

The sentence was reduced from a maximum of 30 years. It comes after the comedian was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. The comedians first trial in 2017 ended in a hung jury. He was later convicted of all three aggravated sexual-assault offenses during a retrial in April.

After much debate yesterday, both the defense and prosecution came to an agreement that Cosby would only face a maximum of ten years by merging all three felony counts into one for the sake of a swift sentencing. This is not unusual, say legal experts, when multiple charges stem from the same event. What is unusual is that after being convicted of these serious sex crimes in April, the judge sent Cosby home under house arrest rather than directly to prison, something prosecutors requested but were ultimately denied.

According to the state sentencing guidelines for similar offenses, Cosby could have conceivably gotten anywhere between 22 and 36 months in prison (plus or minus 12 months). The prosecutors originally asked for five to ten years, while the defense requested house arrest based on Cosbys advanced age and claim that he is legally blind. Many experts watching the case believed Cosby would face at least some jail time.

Cosby, a felon who is now officially classified as a sexually violent predator for life, will require mandatory counseling and community notifications.

For his part, Cosby did not make a statement to the court. When the judge questioned the usually chatty comedian about whether he understood his decision not to address the court, he audibly answered, Yes.

Cosby was also asked if he understood the terms of his sentencing, most notably that hell now be included in the state of Pennsylvanias sex-offender registry. He said he understood, though he did inquire if he would need to personally notify Constand of his whereabouts. The prosecutor explained that the process would be taken care of internally and that, no, he would not have contact with his victim.

Good, Cosby said. Good.

Throughout the almost two-day sentencing, the prosecution reiterated Cosbys crimes and what they call his predatory nature: He violated Ms. Constands trust, which, unbeknownst to her, he spent time and energy cultivating with the specific intent of having sexual contact with her. He also abused his power. They said he used his stature at Temple University, and, of course, his acting success and public persona to facilitate his drug-induced sexual assault. The totality of his crime was severe.

The prosecutors also pointed out that Cosby has never admitted nor shown remorse for his crimes: The defendant has never accepted responsibility for his crime, nor has he shown any remorse. Quite the opposite, he tried to silence Ms. Constand with money because he was concerned about his own potential financial harm if news of the assault became public.

Sonia Ossorio, president of the National Organization for Women of New York, praised Constand and each of the more than 60 women who have come forward to tell their stories about Cosby. The courageous survivors who spoke out and the diligent prosecutors made his trial and conviction possible, Ossorio says. They exposed Bill Cosby, and they helped pave the way for the #MeToo movement that is transforming our world.

Cosbys attorneys have already filed an appeal. The comedian also faces several civil suits in California in the coming year, as well as defamation suits around the country.

Update 3:15 p.m.: Cosby was placed in handcuffs by the Sheriffs Department, and his suspenders, shoes, and other personal items were taken away. Its unclear at this point where Cosby will serve his prison term.

In a statement read on the courthouse steps, Camille Cosby said the DA in the case used falsified evidence to convict her husband. She said she has evidence that a recording of Cosby has been doctored. The defense team is now seeking a motion for Cosbys immediate release from prison. (Her statement was read by a spokesperson. She was not present.)

Cosbys publicist Andrew Wyatt compared Bill Cosby to Jesus on the courthouse steps. He also called the trial and sentencing racist. He accused white women of making money by turning Cosby into a black predator. He also said the judge conspired against Cosby and that the county used falsified evidence.

Bill Cosby's publicist, Andrew Wyatt, claims both Cosby and Brett Kavanaugh are victims of "a sex war" that is "going on in Washington today." pic.twitter.com/jRHOjzUZD7  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 25, 2018

Mr. Cosby has shown no remorse, said attorney Gloria Allred on the courthouse steps. This has been a long journey to justice for all of the accusers  justice day has come. She represents several of Cosbys accusers.

Update 4:52 p.m.: A mug shot of Cosby was released after he was processed at the Montgomery County Correctional facility.

#BREAKING: Booking mug shot of Bill Cosby just released. Processed at Montgomery County Correctional facility in Pennsylvania -- https://t.co/eVtY8MJWf8 pic.twitter.com/xi9wWuTDjb  KDKA (@KDKA) September 25, 2018

Update, September 26 11:45 a.m.: TMZ obtained a new mug shot of Cosby as he was transferred to a maximum-security facility, the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution. You can see the mug shot here.

This is an ongoing story. We will update it as we learn more.Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood Mind the Gap Season 5 Episode 10 Editors Rating 1 stars *  Previous Next Photo: VH1

Lets talk about Donatella, the woman too busy to attend the London girls trip that she organized in the first place. This doesnt make any sense. If she organized the trip, shouldnt she have planned it around her busy work schedule? I find Donatellas entire contribution to the Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood franchise confusing. Ill be the first to admit that I didnt think her British accent was real. This would explain why she was avoiding the London trip, because locals would confront her about her accent and she would have to own up to being from Michigan much like Madonna and her fake drawl. But my conspiracy theory is wrong. After a cursory Google, Ive learned that Donatella is from the U.K. and got into music via the grime scene there. Fine. Ill leave Donatella alone. But something tells me she is actually an android created by the producers of Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood to sow dissent. Someone prove me wrong.

Next, we go to A1 and Lyrica. For people who live in Los Angeles, they sure do walk a lot. I lived in L.A. for six months and I never saw anyone walk from one building to another. Lyrica walks and talks with her mother, Lyrica G, as Floyd walks and talks with his brother Lloyd. Or is A1 named Lloyd and his brother is called Floyd? I dont know and I dont particularly care. Point is, these scenes are intercut to accentuate the tension in Lyrica and A1s marriage. Fun fact: this was an editing device first used in D.W. Griffiths racist movie, The Birth of a Nation. Is this detail important? No. But much like this conversation about Lyricas unborn child that weve had several times before, Im sharing this because Im actively trying to waste your time.

The ladies get to London and Teairra Mari looks fabulous in her matching yellow dress and fur jacket. Bridget wants them to walk through the city with their luggage and Nikki rightfully orders a car service. You can tell an episode is low on drama when public transportation vs. taxi is a major point of contention. In the car, the ladies talk about how London is like New York in a different country. This observation is neither astute nor correct. If London is the New York of a different country, then Hollywood is the Lagos of a different country. See, how this comparison breaks down when I try to apply it? That because its very bad. But I digress  Somehow, the conversation meanders to the beef between Moniece and LaBrittney. This beef tastes must be a tofu substitute because it lacks substance or flavor. From what I understand, Moniece and LaBritney are fighting over rumors that Moniece spreads but refuses to own. LaBrittney has every right to be upset about whats being said behind her back, but its apparent she (and Moniece) are reaching for a plotline.

The most interesting aspect of this car ride is that when Teairra attempts to empower herself Paris knocks her down. Paris believes that their girls trip is not a sympathy trip and thus its time for Teairra to get over the revenge porn. What a no-good rotten bad friend. Telling someone to just get over a national sex scandal is like asking someone who has been stabbed to stop bleeding. People heal in their own time and good friends understand that. To add insult to stab wound, later on, Paris cries about K. Michelle accusing her of being a credit card thief and the ramifications that that rumor had on her career and her family. Its so unbelievably hypocritical how Paris becomes so defensive about her scandal but feels entitled to joke about Teairras more recent humiliation. Clearly, Paris is not over her public shaming. And she doesnt have to be. The problem is she should have the same respect for Teairra. Teairra Mari deserves better friends #JusticeforTeairra.

Okay so, the ladies get to their rental and there are a few house rules. Teairra doesnt want people to touch her stuff, LaBrittney wants Moniece to stop spreading rumors about her, and Brooke wants everyone to get along. Brooke must be on the wrong show because this is not Americas Next Top Best Friend. If the women get along, there is no show, and if there is no show, there is no recap, and if there is no recap, then wed all have to pay attention to the news that is currently ripping our country apart. Nay, lets stick together and pay close attention to the third spinoff of a reality franchise, suppressing any existential crisis creeping into our psyche. We are the Resistance.

The women head to a pub crawl and get too turnt for a country known for its excessive binge drinking. Paris takes this opportunity to encourage Teairra, a recovering alcoholic who just recently left rehab, to drink. Again, this is not what a good friend does to someone struggling with sobriety. What exactly does Teairra gain from this friendship? Teairra refrains from drinking because she knows if she has one drink, shell have two, then three, then four. Its great that she knows herself well enough to remove herself from the toxic environment. And I appreciate that Moniece is there to be a good friend and go home with Teairra so she doesnt backslide into temptation. For the record, Moniece has been pretty demure this season. Weve gotten a chance to see her work on her relationships and be the friend and confidante that her castmates deserve. If she hadnt thrown a chair at a princess, I would say that shes come along way. Unfortunately, Moniece did throw a chair, so for all her good deeds, this still puts Moniece at -1000 on the good-person scale.

On a side note, I find it so annoying that Paris asks every man she meets whether they are circumcised. Leave these men and their genitals alone. I personally dont want to know whether the man who is serving you bangers and mash has had his banger mashed. No, thank you for that visual.

Back in America, Shun Love and Honey Crisp Apple Watts argue at the strip club. Apple missed an appointment with Shun Loves lawyer to sign what is probably a horrible contract. And Shun Love wants Apple to stop stripping. Apple shouldnt waste peoples time. Shun Love needs to respect boundaries. Thats pretty much it. Im bored with this story line.

Okay we are now at the final scene of the episode and all I can say is: Brooke  Brooke  Brooke. I do not like this woman. I do not like her in a house, I do not like her with a mouse. I do not like here or there. I especially dont like her in London. Always the pot-stirrer, Brooke decides to interrupt Bridgets press junket because she thinks its too boring. Who cares what Brooke thinks? This press junket is for Bridgets fans to hear her sell her album. If she wants to make it static and redundant, thats her literal business. Brooke doesnt care because she is a bad terrible not good very bad friend. And shame on LaBrittney for seeing this opening and seizing on her opportunity to promote her single. (But also props to LaBrittney for seeing this opening and seizing her opportunity. It is at this time that Id like to promote my single Ponderosa with Omarosa available on SoundCloud.) Friends that steal your spotlight arent your real friends but I guess the cast members of Love & Hip Hop arent real friends anyway. This is a relief, because as soon as the cast starts treating each other with dignity and respect, we have to go back to our lives and the soul-crushing weight of our political climate.

Not surprisingly, the interview goes to hell in a handbasket when Teairra pokes her head out to tell the ladies that dinner is almost ready. The reporter seizes his opportunity and invites Teairra to the interview to blindside her with questions about her revenge porn scandal. His associate asks where he can see the porn, which is offensive, and Teairra bolts. The reporter then follows up about K.Michelle and Akbars online budding friendship which prompts Bridget to end the interview without really promoting her album. Everyone feels bad except Brooke and LaBrittney. It is a total mess and exactly the drama we needed on what was a overwhelmingly dry episode. In honor of Bridget Kelly trying to be a good friend to Teairra Mari, here is a link to her album Reality Bites which I never had any intention of listening to but feel a moral obligation to support because she seems to be the only person with some sense on this show. I have since heard In the Grey and it is good. Until next time on Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.The Big Bang Theory The Conjugal Configuration Season 12 Episode 1 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * *  Previous Next Photo: Michael Yarish/WARNER BROS.

A continuation of Sheldon and Amys wedding celebration would have been a good way to open this final season of The Big Bang Theory. Im still disappointed we didnt get to see which of Sheldons pop-culture obsessions inspired the wedding cake, how many single wedding guests Raj tried to scope out as potential love matches, and whether or not Barry Kripke was allowed to continue his vocal assault on the affair after his off-key crooning of At Last.

Instead, we jump in with the newlyweds on the first leg of their honeymoon, as Sheldon awakens Amy Farrah  Cooper? by excitedly referring to her as his wife. He tells her that, according to tradition, they should be hanging their bedsheets outside their window, so the villagers can see theyve consummated their marriage. Amy points out that wouldnt be appropriate, since  wait for Sheldon to open the curtains  theyre at Legoland. Hes even ordered a special breakfast, which turns out to be  wait for Sheldon to lift the lid off the room-service plate  eggs, bacon, and pancakes, cleverly crafted out of Legos.

The honeymoon continues as the couple travels to New York City, where Harry Potter and Cursed Child, parts one and two, are on the agenda, as is a tour of Nikola Teslas haunts, and making vigorous, socially sanctioned love. Amy is surprised not only that Sheldon plans coitus to be more than a one-time activity during the trip, but that hes scheduled it, right there on his cell phone, either before or after they steam their wizard robes. Either way, I can check something off my to-do list, he says.

This enthusiasm for sex would please Amy, youd think, until she quickly sees that Sheldon seems to be most excited not about the sex itself, but the scheduling of it. Amys frustration boils over until she and Sheldon end up in their first fight as a married couple, in front of their fellow tourists on the Tesla tour. Its spontaneity she craves, but Sheldon points out that, in his own, weird, but endearing Sheldon way, this is his attempt at romance.

You realize, Im not a particularly physical person, Sheldon tells Amy. When I was little, and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, Id always say, A brain, in a jar. But I want to be a good husband to you, and intimacy is a part of that. Im just worried that if I dont schedule our bedroom endeavors, then I may not think about them. And youll grow cold and distant, and seek solace in the arms of a heavily muscled longshoreman.

Amy, touched, offers a compromise. Sheldon can continue to schedule their sex life. He just cant tell her about it. Hell create an algorithm that will generate a random schedule. Well, not truly a random schedule, Amy explains, because, the generation of true random numbers remains an unsolved problem in computer science.

Sheldon wants them to return to their hotel room, immediately, where Amy will repeat that last sentence, after getting naked.

Back in Pasadena, Shamys besties, Leonard and Penny, are having less positive discussions about their marriage. They discover Amys dad (guest star Teller) is taking a break from his controlling wife (guest star Kathy Bates) by camping out in Amy and Sheldons apartment. After they encounter Mrs. Fowler when she comes angrily looking for her husband, Leonard recognizes that the Fowler marriage mirrors his own in certain ways. Certain ways that piss Penny off, because in Leonards scenario, shes the shrew who tries to control poor Leonard.

Sure, this could be yet another Penny and Leonard fight; they have so many. But I wonder if the writers are setting up something much more interesting in this final run of episodes. From the beginning, Penny and Leonard havent made sense as a couple. They have little in common, and despite some overlap of their Netflix binge-watching interests and Penny retaining the random bit of science knowledge, that hasnt changed much across 11 seasons. With all their friends lives moving forward  well, save Raj, and more on him in a minute  maybe the story line for Penny and Leonard is that they will move forward, ultimately, by realizing they shouldnt do it together. Even Amys mom, after seeing a brief interaction between Penny and Leonard, tells her husband, I dont think those two are gonna make it. How do we all feel about that possibility? Is Lenny not meant to end the series together?

Oh, and then theres Raj, still flying solo, and now putting all his energy into sparking a Twitter fight with Tysons: Neil deGrasse and Mike. His faux beef with fellow scientist Neil causes Raj to make a fool of himself during a local TV appearance, ruining the very opportunity that he thought might help him launch a media career, a la Neil.

Later, Neil calls Raj and invites him to an upcoming book signing  complete with a nice shout-out to the great Pasadena indie bookstore Vromans  where he can insult him to his face. Raj declines, of course, and Tyson warns him against even thinking about trying to step to him in the future: Remember, Im the guy who kicked Pluto out of the solar system!

Theor-ems

 Its a brief guest appearance by Neil deGrasse Tyson, but he makes the most of his time. After settling the conflict with Raj, he scrolls through his contacts list to see who else needs a deGrasse-kickin. And he calls Bill Nye, Science Guy, who promptly slams down the phone when Tyson says, We gotta talk!

 Neil deGrasse Tyson has the best lines of the episode. Sheldon has the worst. While at Legoland, he tells Amy, When you think about it, Lego is the perfect metaphor for marital congress  two pieces that interlock with a satisfying snap.

Amy: Oh, thats the sound you were making.Monday's drama at the White House has official Washington buzzing about whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will keep his job.

But this isn't the first time we've been here.

The week of April 9, the Rosenstein watch was on as well.

The FBI had raided the home, hotel room and office of Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen. Trump sent a half dozen tweets attacking the Russia 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!" Trump tweeted.

Several prominent politicians -- especially Democrats -- warned Trump not to fire Rosenstein.

Rosenstein survived with aplomb. Since then, he's backed special counsel Robert Mueller for referring out criminal cases to other parts of the Justice Department and announced the indictment of 12 Russian military officers who allegedly hacked the Democrats in 2016.

Since that week five months ago, support for Rosenstein among the legal community, both inside the Justice Department and among private lawyers, has solidified.

"On one hand, no one would be shocked because of the build up to this, but at the same time it would send shock waves throughout the legal community. It would be a very unusual thing for the deputy attorney general to be fired or resign under pressure," Greg Brower, the former US Attorney for Nevada under President George W. Bush who also worked as the FBI's liaison to Congress, said.

The President firing Rosenstein would likely be viewed by Justice Department lawyers as an attack on their agency, he said. They'd likely feel the same if his successor was too cozy with the White House, he added.

Generally, it's important for the Justice Department to appear unaffected by political winds, since prosecutors every day must earn the trust of federal judges and even jurors.

"If you were to ask white collar lawyers who grew up with a Justice Department background and they know Rod, they know Rod is a law-and-order person," former DC-based federal prosecutor Bill Cowden, who is now a defense attorney, said Monday. "The bar likes him."

The goodwill extends to Congress.

"I like Rosenstein, personally. I think if he did something like that, it would cause a furor that I don't think we need right now," Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican on the Judiciary Committee, told CNN Monday in response to a question about whether Trump should fire Rosenstein. "Everything is a constitutional crisis around here lately."

Even back in April, it was evident prominent people in the legal community supported Rosenstein. Amid the April furor -- and potentially at its height -- on that afternoon of Friday the 13th -- Rosenstein and his boss Attorney General Jeff Sessions attended a ceremony for a new judge at the federal courthouse in DC. The ceremony, for Trump appointee Judge Trevor McFadden, drew hundreds of prominent Washington lawyers, administration officials and all judges in the US District Court in DC.

Rosenstein came into the courthouse saying nothing. Sessions entered the federal building separately with his own entourage, ignoring questions about departmental leadership.

Sessions then spoke at the ceremony, thanking judges for having him and "our good Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein" in the audience.

After the ceremony, Sessions left quickly. But Rosenstein hung behind, mingling at a reception afterwards as one of the most popular people in the room. He chatted with White House counsel Don McGahn and with Judge Merrick Garland.

He worked the room wearing an American flag pin and a smile and carrying a glass of wine.

Some lawyers there and others related to the judiciary took photos with him.

He kept his job through the weekend -- and five months and counting.Today is National Voter Registration Day, and Athens State University is pushing for more college students to register to vote. Only two students registered to vote at Athens State today, but volunteers said this isn't a bad thing because when 60 students came to the table, they were already registered voters.

"I'm getting to the age where I'm more concerned about what's going on," said Aaron Sawyer

Aaron Sawyer is a student at Athens State University. He registered to vote for the first time today. He told WAAY 31, he never considered himself a 'responsible voter' before.

"We don't typically consider ourselves political. I think it's good to be checked sometimes and asked, 'what do you know about voting? Have you tried it? Have you registered?'" Sawyer said.

Sandy Smith with the Limestone Board of Registrars told me in 2016, 21 students registered to vote at Athens State. She said voter registration drives are happening more at the colleges and high schools for younger people to register to vote.

"A lot of the teachers are promoting it. Children and high school students are interested in our future. They know they are the future rulers of this country," said Sandy Smith.

Smith said another reason for a large voter registration turnout at the college is because of the Governor's race and the Limestone County Sheriff's race. Sawyer plans on doing his research before casting his vote for the first time on November 6th.

"I don't want to be an uninformed voter," Smith said.

October 22nd is the last day to register to vote for the November 6th election.The Alabama Fire Marshal's Office is still trying to figure out what caused a historic home to catch fire in Florence more than two months ago.

The Larimore Home caught fire on July 20th. Power to the house was previously cut due to another small fire about ten days prior to the one in July.

Florence fire investigators told WAAY 31 the fire looked suspicious. That's why they called in the state, but there is currently no word cause of the fire.

The home is located on the campus of Mars Hill Bible School in Florence. The home was built in 1870 and served as the first Mars Hill Bible School. It is on the National Registry for Historic Places.

The President of Mars Hill, Dexter Rutherford, said the school is considering two options; either restore the home or rebuild it.

"Driving by I actually try not to look at it sometimes, because it hurts," said Jeannie Garrett, a Mars Hill graduate.

Garrett comes from a long line of Mars Hill graduates, where the Larimore Home has been a staple since 1870.

"Everything we do at Mars Hill somehow gets tied back to the Larimore Home. From class picnics, Easter egg hunts and even my daughters getting to play out front," said Garrett.

The roof of the Larimore home is partially collapsed in, and black char marks the once pearly white home. Tarps try to shield the home from any more weather damage.

"It was an attempt to try and keep what might be salvageable dry," said Rutherford.

Rutherford said they are working with their insurance company and will have an engineer look at two options for the home.

"They asked us to have an engineer look at what it would take cost wise to restore it to it's historical standing, and the other is just to replace the building itself," said Rutherford.

Rutherford said once the school consults with the engineer and insurance company in a few weeks, they should have an answer on the fate of the Larimore home. Garrett said she hopes the home can be restored or that they could at least hang on to some of the iconic parts of the home.

"If we can't rebuild the whole home back, maybe we could just have something that ties the front facade in that reminds us what this building meant, not just to our school, but to Florence and our area," said Garrett.

Since the engineer is weighing two options for the Larimore home, they don't currently know how much either option could cost.Sheffield students gained unprecedented access to how local government operates. Students cast their ballots in the first ever Sheffield Junior City Council elections on Tuesday.

The school system and Sheffield City Council members teamed up to give students this chance to experience how local government works. There were poll workers and a real voting machine set up in the cafeteria of the school. Students got to run for mayor, treasurer and other positions.

In total, there will be 17 students participating in the program. The election results are, Junior Mayor: Nick Reid, Junior Mayor Pro Tem: Alexandra Pace, Junior Secretary: Briana Hartley, Junior Treasurer: Forrest Pace.

"I think it's a great opportunity in civics for our kids to experience. I think working with our community leaders, our kids will get much more out of that as well," said Sheffield Principal, Joey Burch.

The students will be sworn into office in November. They will have a community service project to complete and will get to learn from current Sheffield City Council members. They will make decisions on partnering with different community programs and how to promote those within the school.

Nick Reid, who won the Junior Mayor position, said this opportunity will help him in his future.

"I am happy for it, because I get to watch things and see how it is, because I plan on stepping into politics. I am glad to see how things work inside city hall and government," said Reid.

The Junior City Council members will also have committees and the same functions as real city council members.Our latest WAAY 31 I-Team investigation looks into an effort to stop Alabama businesses from hiring illegal immigrants. Right now, state law requires all employers to use E-Verify. But, many of those companies are ignoring the law.

We worked to uncover why Alabama is falling short and what one state senator wants to do about it.

Jeffrey Dean has worked in the home building industry for more than a quarter-century. At The Reserve at Lake Guntersville, Deans helping build high-dollar homes with picture-perfect views. But, Dean says theres something wrong with the picture when it comes to his pay and he says its been that way for decades.

"My wages have been down for years," Dean told WAAY 31. Dean blames illegal immigrant labor for holding down construction wages in Alabama.

"I sent letters to the Governor of Alabama several times complaining about it, he told us. I know wages are down. And sometimes you have to go a little bit further to find decent money."

State Senator Arthur Orr wants to know, "Why are we not vetting people to make sure they're able, legally, to work in this state?".

Senator Orr is investigating why some businesses in Alabama fail to comply with E-Verify. Already, state law requires all employers to use the federal database. It checks whether a job applicant is legally living in the U.S. and okay for an employer to hire.

"We need to make sure that every person here is legally eligible to work as opposed to those that are here illegally and taking jobs from American citizens," Orr told WAAY 31.

Senator Orr requested research from the State Legislative Services Agency about E-Verify use in Alabama. The report concludes Alabamas E-Verify compliance is at only 60 percent compared to 94 percent in Georgia.

Alabamas not alone.

According to the Pew Research Center, most states requiring E-Verify have compliance rates in the same range as Alabamas: 50 percent up to two-thirds. Georgias high-compliance of 94 percent is unusual.

Senator Orr told WAAY 31 E-Verify laws are relatively new territory and time has proven Alabama needs to be more proactive like Georgia. "I'm going to look at a bill to see if we could bring that to Alabama -- that same system would get our compliance rate up from sixty-plus percent to ninety-plus percent like they have in Georgia," he said.

The research shows a big gap between E-Verify compliance rates in Georgia and Alabama. WAAY 31 talked with management at businesses who are following Alabama law. They tell us E-Verify is a big benefit, not only for them, but for employees and the state.

In Hartselle, Claborn Manufacturing Company builds security doors, windows and other products for jails and prisons.

We talked with the companys chief operations officer. "We feel like it's beneficial for several reasons, Stephen Claborn told WAAY 31.

He sizes up E-Verify as fast, efficient and easy to use. "We don't feel like it's a burden, Claborn explained. We feel like we're doing our duty. But, we also think that it's fair that we all use it. It's mandated for private and public businesses here in the state of Alabama.

Claborn sees no reason why an Alabama business would not use E-Verify. "It discourages illegal immigration, number one. Number two, we feel like it helps protect the American worker against companies that might want to pay sub-standard wages. And ultimately, it decreases the burden of the American taxpayer."

Claborn supports making Alabamas E-Verify law stronger. "I think we should all be using it."

Across the state line, Georgia requires businesses to prove theyre using E-Verify or else they dont get a business license. Thats on the front-end of the process. In Alabama, it takes a complaint to the attorney general to begin a process that puts business licenses at risk. Thats on the back end.

Senator Orr says Alabama might need to follow Georgias lead. It's something I think we can up our participation level here in Alabama using the best practices that they have discovered over in Georgia."

Back in Guntersville, Jeffrey Dean says that could level the playing field and make sure his co-workers are working here legally. "I don't mind if they come here. But, I do mind if they come here and don't make a happy home for everybody."

Senator Orr told us hes continuing to investigate issues that might be holding down compliance with E-Verify in Alabama.WAAY 31s I-Team investigation exposes a practice that results in some of you paying too much for your prescriptions when you use your insurance. Many pharmacists in Alabama insist they want to be able to tell you when paying cash is cheaper than your insurance co-pay. They blame third-party administrators who insurance companies hire to negotiate with pharmacies. You may not even realize you have a Pharmacy Benefit Manager, also known as a PBM, but they're widespread and powerful.

WAAY 31 reveals the costly reason why PBM contracts can keep pharmacists from telling you the whole story and how State Senator Arthur Orr is working to outlaw Pharmacist Gag Clauses.

Tommy and Martha Sharp depend on their prescription drugs. We talked with Martha who had gathered several prescription bottles to show us. The drugs are a critical part of the Sharps' everyday lives. "It's kept me on track as far as health issues, Martha told WAAY 31. My husband as well. He's just suffered a stroke. And theyre very important for him."

Martha trusts the folks at her pharmacy with her life. "There is a lot of trust, she explained, almost like family sometimes." This trusting patient was astonished to hear what's happening in Alabama. Pharmacists can be required to keep secrets from patients like the Sharps. Those secrets could be valuable information that could save patients money.

Martha told us she was surprised when we told her about the Pharmacist Gag Clauses. "I am, she said. I always thought I was getting the best deal."

Senator Arthur Orr is determined to stop the practice. "The pharmacy shouldn't have their hands tied to tell the customer what's best for the customer when it comes to the price of their drugs," he told WAAY 31. Senator Orr says he wants you to get the best possible price on your prescriptions.

That might be at odds with Pharmacy Benefit Managers. Insurance companies hire PBMs to dictate terms including co-pays. Trouble is, the co-pay may be more than you have to pay. The senator wants to stop PBMs from forcing pharmacists to keep quiet when paying cash is cheaper than your co-pay.

"They want to be able to tell their customer that there is a lower price alternative if they don't use their insurance card and that it could cost them much less if they just paid the over-the-counter price for that particular drug," Orr told us.

Senator Orrs effort is getting support from pharmacists in the state.

"We could, in effect, sell it to you at a lower price, Bob Giles told WAAY 31. We are restricted and cant really tell the patient that. Giles is the government affairs director for the Alabama Pharmacy Association. He explained pharmacists worry about the growing power of PBMs.

They're not the only ones worried.

The Cato Institue calculates PBMs now control prescription benefits of at least 266 million Americans.

Giles says hes seen PBMs control up to 98 percent of a pharmacys prescription business.

PBMs can basically tell pharmacists to take or leave it. Giles said his colleagues have little choice but to agree to the contracts that we're required to sign as pharmacists," he said. "And pharmacies do this every day in order to accept your insurance."

The contracts -- complete with Pharmacist Gag Clauses -- could cost you big money. For example, your co-pay may require you to pay $50 for a prescription. But, the cash price for the drug may be just $10. That means you paid an extra $40 -- profit for a Pharmacy Benefit Manager.

"It's not good for anyone, Giles insists. The only thing that the gag clauses are in there for are to prevent transparency in the PBM marketplace. They're the ones that are profiting the most right now. And they don't want you to know how much money they're making."

Giles told WAAY 31 that regulating PBMs and being transparent with patients is now the top priority of the Alabama Pharmacy Association. "I can tell a cash-paying customer almost anything, he explained. If you have insurance, you're dictated by the PBM contract what we can and cannot disclose to you."

"I've got a bill ready, Senator Orr told WAAY 31. And I'll be ready the first day of the legislative session in March." Senator Orr says he typically prefers a free market solution. But, for the problem of Pharmacy Gag Clauses, lawmakers may have the only cure. "I think that's the way we're going to have to go to get the customer the true market price for those drugs that they need and rely on."

Martha Sharp says Senator Orr's law can't come soon enough. "That would be great, she told us. That would be great especially as you can see we use a lot of prescription drugs to benefit our health. And it would definitely save us money to know that we're getting the best price.

Senator Orr says he's getting bi-partisan support for a bill to outlaw the Pharmacist Gag Clauses in Alabama.

Aside from the support from the Alabama Pharmacy Association, the National Community Pharmacists Association is also working to end gag clauses. It supports federal legislation in addition to state laws.WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocwen Financial Corporation (NYSE: OCN ), a leading financial services holding company, and Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust (BNT), a non-profit organization that provides an array of services in the Bridgeport community, will host a borrower outreach event to discuss loan modification options with families who are having trouble making their mortgage payments.

This event is designed exclusively for Ocwen customers and will be held from 11:00 am  7:00 pm Eastern Time on Monday October 1, 2018, at Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust located at 570 State Street, Bridgeport, CT.

Homeowners who attend the event will meet one-on-one with Ocwen Home Retention Agents and housing counselors from Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved counseling agency. Homeowners will have the opportunity to discuss their unique situations and receive information about potential options to lower their mortgage payments to make their homes more affordable.

Ocwen is focused on helping as many families as possible stay in their homes and remain a part of their community, said Jill Showell, Senior Vice President, Government and Community Relations at Ocwen. Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust has a deep commitment to the city, and we are excited to join forces to help homeowners in the area find a responsible mortgage solution to better afford their homes and build a stronger community.

Our mission is to lead, empower and change Bridgeport neighborhoods by improving the quality of life, said Elizabeth Torres, CEO of Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust. Sustainable homeownership helps families become more involved in their communities, keeps neighborhoods safe and vibrant, and positively impacts local and state economies. We are pleased to have the Ocwen team working one-on-one with local homeowners to help them explore available options to avoid foreclosure and remain a part of Bridgeport.

Ocwen customers interested in attending this event can register at www.bntweb.org or call 203-290-4255. For additional information visit www.OcwenCares.com/Events .

Ocwen currently services more than 18,000 loans in Connecticut. Since January 1, 2008, Ocwen has provided more than 13,900 loan modifications to Connecticut borrowers and forgiven more than $407 million in debt. Nationwide, since January 1, 2008, Ocwen has completed approximately 787,600 loan modifications and provided billions of dollars in principal forgiveness.

About Ocwen Financial Corporation

Ocwen Financial Corporation is a financial services holding company which, through its subsidiaries, services and originates loans. We are headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, with offices throughout the United States and in the U.S. Virgin Islands and operations in India and the Philippines. We have been serving our customers since 1988. We may post information that is important to investors on our website ( www.Ocwen.com ).

About Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust

BNTs mission is to LEAD, EMPOWER and CHANGE Bridgeport neighborhoods, improving quality of life through affordable housing opportunities. To meet this challenge, BNT develops and manages affordable housing, provides comprehensive homeownership education and wealth building services, and supports economic empowerment through its social enterprise initiative.

For Further Information Contact

John Lovallo

T: (917) 612-8419

E: jlovallo@levick.com

At the invitation of the African Union (AU), WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya visited Moroni, Comoros to attend the 10th AU Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs, held on 20 and 21 September 2018.

At the opening ceremony, Secretary General Mikuriya underlined the importance of Customs contribution to the future implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), through the application of WCO instruments.

In this connection, he affirmed that the AUs general theme for this year, namely "Fighting Corruption", could be linked to the WCO's theme of "A Secure Business Environment", given that improving integrity formed the basis of efforts by the global Customs community to foster trust between the public and private sectors in terms of security and economic competitiveness.

Dr. Mikuriya also announced the launch of the Harmonized System (HS) capacity building project in Africa, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the WCO. The AU Commissioner of Customs for Trade and Industry, Ambassador Albert Muchanga, emphasized the importance of prompt ratification of the CFTA signed in March by Heads of States in Africa.

After congratulating Secretary General Mikuriya on his re-election and thanking him for being a friend of Africa, Mr. Muchanga expressed his wish for ongoing partnership with the WCO in a range of areas. Mr. Said Ali Chayhane, Comoros Minister of Finance and Budget, then officially opened the Committee meeting.

During the Committee meeting, chaired by Mr. Kalaldine Souefou, Director General of Comoros Customs, the Directors General reviewed the report of the Expert Meeting held from 17 to 19 September, finalized the draft AU Trade Facilitation Strategy and adopted the Moroni Declaration on Customs' Fight Against Corruption.

Members also enjoyed a panel session on the fight against corruption in Customs, during which Dr. Mikuriya shared WCO activities in this area, aimed at making Customs a showcase for tackling this common problem. Representatives of the East African Community and three Customs administrations then shared their experience.

At the closing ceremony, His Excellency Mr. Azali Assoumani, President of Comoros, addressed the meeting with his vision of promoting tourism and trade through investment in transport infrastructure, stressing the importance of security and the fight against corruption. He saw a crucial role for Customs in this respect and urged the entire nation to enhance the fight against corruption, which affected not only Customs but all administrative and economic sectors.

Secretary General Mikuriya had a bilateral meeting with President Azali Assoumani, who congratulated him on his re-election and expressed his appreciation for the WCO's assistance in modernizing Customs. The President then pledged his countrys unceasing support for reform.

In a separate meeting with Minister Said Ali Chayhane, who had made his career in Customs and was himself a former Director General of Customs, Dr. Mikuriya welcomed the recent political support for Customs, exemplified by the substantial reduction in exemptions, and discussed ways of supporting the plan to establish a training centre.

Dr. Mikuriya added that, in 2017, the WCO had supported Single Window implementation in Comoros and he underscored the role and importance of technology in the establishment of a fair and simplified trade environment and in the fight against corruption.

He also met the resident representatives of United Nations (UN) agencies in Comoros, including UNICEF, UNDP and WHO, to explain the WCO's approach with regard to coordinated border management through which Customs can contribute to the UNs Sustainable Development Goals for its 2030 Agenda. The discussions focused on various topics relating to counterfeiting, fake drugs, and licit and illicit trade.

The participants in the AU meeting appreciated the excellent organization and warm hospitality of Comoros Customs and the support of the Comoros authorities.TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- dynaCERT Inc. (TSX VENTURE: DYA) (OTCQB: DYFSF) (FRA: DMJ) ("dynaCERT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche of its previously announced financing with the issuance of 4,000,000 units (each, a "Unit") at $0.25 per Unit for total proceeds of $1,000,000. Each Unit consists of one common share (a Share) of dynaCERT and one half (1/2) of one common share purchase warrant at a price of $0.25 per Unit. Each whole warrant (a Warrant) entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.50 for a period of 24 months. In accordance with applicable securities laws, all of the Common Shares and Warrants issued under the first tranche closing are subject to a four (4) month hold period, which will expire on January 26, 2019.



As previously announced on September 18, 2018, the Company is offering of up to $3 million of Units (the Offering). The Offering also includes a 15% over-allotment option which, if exercised in full, would result in total aggregate proceeds in the amount of $3,450,000. PI Financial Corp. (PI Financial) is acting as lead agent on its own behalf and, if applicable, on behalf of a syndicate of agents (the Agents), on a best efforts basis, subject to certain conditions stipulated in the engagement letter.

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used for international marketing of dynaCERTs line of HydraGEN Technology products in Europe, South Asia and the Middle East and for general working capital purposes.

The Offering is expected to be completed in multiple tranches and is subject to the completion of formal documentation, receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals and other customary conditions. The Units will be offered to accredited institutions and other accredited investors in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia and such other jurisdictions in Canada as PI Financial and the Company may agree, subject to certain exemptions and regulatory approval. The Units and the Shares and Warrants underlying the Units will be qualified investments for RRSPs, RRIFs, DPSPs, RESPs and TFSAs. All of the securities sold pursuant to this Offering will be subject to a four-month plus one day hold period starting from the date of issuance.

The Company will pay a 7% cash commission and 7% broker warrants to PI Financial on its behalf, and on behalf of the Agents, in applicable circumstances. A further 200,000 broker warrants will be issuable to PI Financial in the event that the aggregate proceeds under the Offering exceed $3,000,000.

The securities offered hereby have not and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless the securities have been registered under the 1933 Act, or are otherwise exempt from such registration.

About dynaCERT Inc.

dynaCERT Inc. manufactures, distributes, and installs Carbon Emission Reduction Technology for use with internal combustion engines. As part of the growing global hydrogen economy, our patent-pending technology creates hydrogen and oxygen on-demand through electrolysis and supplies these through the air intake to enhance combustion, resulting in lower carbon emissions and greater fuel efficiency. Our technology is designed for use with all types and sizes of diesel engines used in on-road vehicles, reefer trailers, off-road construction, power generation, mining and forestry equipment, marine vessels and railroad locomotives. Website: www. dynaCERT .com

READER ADVISORY

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to the completion of additional tranches under the Offering, and the uses of the proceeds of this Offering. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; the uncertainty of the emerging hydrogen economy; including the hydrogen economy moving at a pace not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements; and the other risk factors disclosed under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the release.

On Behalf of the Board

Murray James Payne, CEO

For more information, please contact:

Jim Payne, CEO & President

dynaCERT Inc.

#101  501 Alliance Avenue

Toronto, Ontario M6N 2J1

(416) 766-9691 x 2

jpayne@ dynaCERT .comIf you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now!

SubmitAdvertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

Sep. 25, 2018 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 25, 2018 | 02:51 PM | PADUCAH

The Republican Party of McCracken County has chosen a candidate to run for Property Valuation Administrator.



Bill Dunn filed registration papers Tuesday to run for the office.



Dunn ran for the office in 2014 and lost by just over 1,100 votes to former PVA Nancy Bock.



In a press release, Dunn said his qualifications include more than 11 years as a realtor and business owner, a Masters of Business Administration degree, 22 years managing large amounts of information at VCI Internet Services (now e-Tel), and manager of VCI Classifieds. He is a decorated veteran of the US Navy and a graduate of the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Paducah class #26.



Dunn said he hopes residents of the county will again consider his qualifications for the office.



"I am extremely excited about this opportunity. I understand my first year in office will require a lot of hard work. I have my sleeves rolled up and am ready for the work ahead. I ask for your vote allowing me to begin the hard work," Dunn said.Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

Sep. 24, 2018 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 24, 2018 | 06:41 PM | PADUCAH

With last week's resignation of Property Valuation Administrator Nancy Bock, she also withdrew from the election, which means there is nobody on the November ballot for this office.



Bock won the Democratic primary in May, and nobody ran as a Republican. After Bock was indicted on Friday, McCracken County Clerk Julie Griggs said she would confer with County Attorney Sam Clymer to make sure Kentucky laws are followed in the election process. She issued a press release Monday afternoon giving those details.



Griggs said if the vacancy occurs on or after September 15 in an election year, political parties can submit certificates of nomination for replacement candidates by 4 pm on the fifth business day after the vacancy occurs. This means parties must nominate a candidate by 4 pm this Friday, September 28.



However, not just anyone can be nominated. For this particular office, the party's nominee must have passed the PVA exam to qualify to hold the office if elected.



West Kentucky Star has learned that the Republican Party has already chosen a candidate, but it is not yet official. The Democratic Party will meet to choose a candidate on Wednesday.



Griggs said individuals may also run as a write-in candidate, but they are also required to have passed the PVA qualification exam. The deadline to declare write-in candidacy is the fourth Friday preceding the election, which would be October 26.



TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for release publication, distribution or dissemination directly, or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States.

POCML 4 Inc. (TSXV: POCM) (the Company) is pleased to announce that it has filed on SEDAR its filing statement dated effective September 24, 2018 (the Filing Statement) in connection with its proposed business combination with MediPharm Labs Inc. (MediPharm), which will result in a reverse take-over of the Company by the shareholders of MediPharm (the Transaction). Subject to satisfaction of all conditions and approvals, including the satisfaction of the conditions of the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV), the Transaction is expected to close on or about October 1, 2018. The Company expects that the common shares of the Company as they exist after closing of the Transaction will commence trading on the TSXV under the symbol LABS on October 3, 2018.

For further information, please refer to the Filing Statement on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, as well as the press releases of the Company dated May 15, May 31, June 29, July 16, August 23, 2018 and September 21, 2018 available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

About MediPharm Labs Inc.

Founded in 2015, MediPharm is a pioneer in the cannabis industry and has the distinction of being the first company in Canada to become a licensed producer for cannabis oil production under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) without first receiving a cannabis cultivation licence. This expert focus on cannabis concentrates from our cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) and ISO standard clean rooms and critical environments laboratory, allows MediPharm to work with its established, Health Canada-approved cultivation partners to produce pharmaceutical-grade cannabis oil with a competitive advantage. MediPharm is research-driven and focused on downstream secondary extraction methodology, distillation, and cannabinoid isolation and purification. MediPharm provides B2B contract processing of cannabis to Canadian authorized licensed producers and appropriate international growers, supplying integrity-assured cannabis oil to qualified companies for sale under their own brand. In addition, MediPharm will supply raw materials, formulations, processing and packaging for the creation of ready-to-sell advanced derivative products.

Website: www.medipharmlabs.com

For further information regarding the Transaction, please contact:

David DOnofrio, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Director, POCML 4 Inc.

Telephone: 416-643-3880 Email: ddonofrio@poweronecapital.com

Patrick McCutcheon, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director, MediPharm Labs Inc.



Telephone: 705-719-7425 Email: pmccutcheon@medipharmlabs.com

Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.



Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

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.

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, the anticipated date that trading will commence and the anticipated closing date of the Transaction. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, the Company and MediPharm assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change.Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

Sep. 24, 2018 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 24, 2018 | 05:06 PM | PADUCAH

UPDATE: A man who escaped from a Louisville halfway house and who is suspected of breaking into two Paducah homes last week, was arrested Tuesday morning at a home on Bradley Street. An Illinois fugitive was also arrested.



David L. Maiden was found hiding under a blanket in the laundry room of the home. He is charged in a Jefferson County warrant with second-degree escape. Additionally, he is suspected of breaking into residences on Madison and Jefferson streets last week, while the residents were home and taking miscellaneous items.



While searching for Maiden, detectives came into contact with Christopher A. Bearden. A computer check revealed an outstanding warrant in Illinois for Beardens arrest.



Both men were taken to the McCracken County Regional Jail.



ORIGINAL STORY:



Paducah police are seeking the publics help in locating a man who escaped from a Louisville halfway house, and who is suspected of breaking into two Paducah homes last week.



A Jefferson County warrant charges 38-year-old David L. Maiden, of McCracken County, with second-degree escape. Maiden also uses the name, David L. Robinson.



Additionally, he is suspected of breaking into residences on Madison and Jefferson streets last week while the residents were home, and taking miscellaneous items.



Maiden is described as a white male, 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.



Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Paducah Police Department at (270)-444-8550. Information also may be provided anonymously through West Kentucky Crime Stoppers by texting WKY and your tip to 847411 (tip 411) or by downloading the app WKY Crime Stoppers from the Apple Store or Google Play. Tipsters also may access the online tip form through the City of Paducah website at http://paducahky.gov/west-ky-crimestoppers. Information leading to an arrest or indictment may result in a reward of up to $1,000.Expert at Rittenhouse trial zeroes in on just a few minutesAdvertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

Sep. 25, 2018 | LOUISVILLE

By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 25, 2018 | 11:18 AM | LOUISVILLE

Mayfield Mayor Teresa Rochetti-Cantrell has been elected president of the Kentucky League of Cities (KLC) by its membership with Jeffersontown Mayor Bill Dieruf as first vice president and London Mayor Troy Rudder as second vice president.



The officers were sworn in on Wednesday, September 19, during the KLC Conference & Expo Presidents Banquet in Louisville.



KLC is fortunate to have an engaged and diverse Board representing cities of all sizes across the commonwealth, said Jonathan Steiner, KLC executive director/CEO.



KLC is an association with more than 370 municipal members. The League provides a number of services for cities including advocacy, training, legal, community development and other services, as well as successful insurance and finance programs.



They will be meeting soon to discuss their stategy for the upcoming Kentucky legislative session. KLC typically voices their collective opinion on upcoming bills that could affect local governments so citizens and legislators can be informed during the process.By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 25, 2018 | 11:12 AM | BENTON, KY

It doesn't pay to break the law, or hide someone who does. That's the lesson two people in Marshall County learned on Monday.

Marshall County sheriff's deputies and officers with the Benton Police Department responded to a home on East 14th Street in Benton Monday after receiving information that a man wanted on multiple warrants was at the home. Officers had apparently responded to the same home on multiple occasions in search of the wanted man.

This time, police found the man, Will A. Vincent, and served him two failure to appear warrants. The original charges were trafficking in controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, fleeing or evading police and criminal mischief.

Police also arrested a woman at the home, Natasha Mize of Calvert City, and charged her with hindering prosecution or apprehension. According to police, Mize lied to officers about Vincent being in the home and assisted him in hiding.

Both were lodged in the Marshall County Detention Center.By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 25, 2018 | 06:36 AM | FRANKFORT

Today marks National Voter Registration Day and two weeks until the close of the voter registration rolls for the 2018 General Election in Kentucky. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is reminding eligible Kentuckians that the deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 9.

"Registering to vote is the first and most important step in making sure you can have your say at the ballot box on Election Day," said Grimes. "On this National Voter Registration Day, I encourage all Kentuckians who are eligible to get registered and then vote on Nov. 6."

Kentuckians can easily register and update their registration with GoVoteKY.com , the Commonwealth's online voter portal. County clerks' offices throughout Kentucky will accept online and paper applications until 4 pm local time on the deadline. Mail-in voter registration applications must be postmarked by Oct. 9.

To be eligible to vote, Kentuckians must:

 Be a U.S. citizen.



 Be a Kentucky resident for at least 28 days before Election Day.



 Be at least 18 years old on or before the General Election.



 Not be a convicted felon, or if convicted of a felony offense, must have obtained a restoration of civil rights.



 Not have been adjudged "mentally incompetent."



 Not claim the right to vote anywhere outside Kentucky.



Young people who are 17 years old but will be 18 years old on or before the Nov. 6, 2018 General Election are eligible to register as well.

Voters who have recently moved need to update their voter registration information by no later than Oct. 9, 2018.

Voters may check their current registration status and where they vote with the Voter Information Center found at GoVoteKY.com. For questions, contact your county clerk or the State Board of Elections at (502) 573-7100.By: Paige Cline Sometimes I am asked to reprint a column from the past. Here[Read More]TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emblem Corp. (TSXV: EMC, OTCQX: EMMBF) (Emblem or the Company) announced that the board of directors of the Company has approved the granting of 350,000 incentive stock options (the Options) to certain officers of the Company. The Options are exercisable at a price of $1.60 per share for a period of five years and are subject to vesting as to one-third the number of Options granted on each of September 25, 2019, 2020 and 2021.



About Emblem

Emblem, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Emblem Cannabis Corporation, is a fully integrated licensed producer and distributor of medical cannabis and cannabis derivatives in Canada under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations. Emblems state-of-the-art indoor cannabis cultivation facility and research and development laboratory is located in Paris, Ontario. Led by an experienced management team of healthcare executives, accomplished marketing professionals, and cannabis experts, Emblem is focused on driving shareholder value through product innovation, brand relevance, and access to patient and consumer channels. Emblem is also the ultimate parent company of GrowWise Health Ltd., one of Canadas leading medical cannabis education services. Emblem trades under the ticker symbol EMC on the TSX Venture Exchange. For more information, please visit www.emblemcorp.com .

For media inquiries, please contact:

Morgan Cates

H+K Strategies

416.413.4649

morgan.cates@hkstrategies.ca

For other inquiries, please contact:

Ethan Karayannopoulos

Investor Relations

Emblem Corp.

647.748.9696

ethank@emblemcorp.com

Alex Stojanovic

Chief Financial Officer

Emblem Corp.

416.923.1331

alexs@emblemcorp.com

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should" or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes. Management of the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date hereof but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Various material factors and assumptions are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking statements. Those material factors and assumptions are based on information currently available to the Company, including data from publicly available governmental sources as well as from market research and industry analysis and on assumptions based on data and knowledge of this industry which Emblem believes to be reasonable. However, although generally indicative of relative market positions, market shares and performance characteristics, such data is inherently imprecise. While Emblem is not aware of any misstatement regarding any industry or government data presented herein, the medical marijuana industry involves risks and uncertainties and is subject to change based on various factors.

Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to and involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, which may cause the Company's actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks identified in the Company's December 31, 2017 Management's Discussion and Analysis, which has been filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available on www.sedar.com . Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K2 Gold Corporation (the "Company" or "K2 Gold", TSX-V: KTO) announces that further to its news release on August 23, 2018, the Company has received approval from the TSX Venture Exchange and issued 285,283 common shares to Commander Resources Ltd. (Commander), to settle the debt owing to Commander under the terms of the termination of the Flume Property Option Agreement.



The Company no longer has any interest in the Flume Property nor does it have any further obligations to Commander with respect to the Option Agreement.

The securities issued by K2 Gold in connection with the termination of the Option Agreement are subject to a four month hold expiring on January 26, 2019, as prescribed by applicable securities laws.

Following the issuance of these securities, K2 Gold now has 23,889,070 common shares issued and outstanding.

About K2 Gold Corporation

K2 Gold Corporation is a junior mineral exploration company focused on building a portfolio of gold exploration projects in the Yukon and Alaska, including the Wels Property located approximately 185 km south of Dawson City, Yukon. In addition to Wels the Company is conducting exploration at the Flume, Storck, Ladue, and McArthur Creek properties in the South Klondike district. The Company has assembled an experienced management team and board of directors with a track record of discovery success.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Stephen Swatton

Stephen Swatton, President, CEO & Director

Inquiries:

Tel: 604-331-5090

Fax: 604-646-4526

info@gk2gold.com

http://k2gold.com/

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



This new release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. No securities of the Company have been or will, in the foreseeable future, be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the 1933 Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

We seek safe harborIn this hardscrabble Rust Belt city with deep Catholic roots, the Catholic Church's top official is facing calls for his resignation over his handling of sexual abuse allegations against priests.

Documents obtained by CNN suggest Bishop Richard J. Malone did not sanction priests accused of sexual abuse and concealed the identities of alleged "predator priests" from the public.

In a preemptive move in March, Malone released a list of 42 priests in the Buffalo diocese who had left the priesthood after facing accusations of sexually abusing minors. "The diocese of Buffalo is committed to correcting the mistakes and sins of the past," he said at the time.

But a trove of secret diocesan records, first reported by CNN affiliate WKBW and obtained by CNN, show the number of accused priests could be up to 200.

The records are stashed by diocese officials in what they call the "Secret Archives" -- confidential files of living priests who are still being monitored -- or "the Well," which contains case files that are to be shredded.

Part of the trove comes from a thick black binder kept in a closet next to a vacuum cleaner, according to a source familiar with the matter. The source told CNN that the binder is a 300-page briefing book prepared by the dioceses' attorneys for Malone when he became bishop in 2012.

It contains "pending matters" in "anticipation of litigation," and lists the names of dozens of accused priests as well as a number of victim accounts.

The allegations come amid heightened scrutiny in dioceses across the country after a scathing grand jury report last month found credible evidence of widespread sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Pennsylvania.

Taken together, the documents suggest Malone kept the names of alleged predator priests hidden from the public and knowingly allowed some of them to remain in active ministry.

The New York attorney general has issued civil subpoenas for all eight Catholic dioceses in the state as part of a civil investigation into how the dioceses potentially covered up allegations of the sexual abuse of minors.

Meanwhile, Malone is facing increasing pressure to give up his leadership of the Buffalo Diocese, home to nearly 600,000 Catholics.

In recent weeks three of his top staff have quit their posts and thousands of people have signed an online petition seeking his ouster. Most recently, a prominent Buffalo businessman and deacon has begun withholding donations to the diocese until Malone resigns and there is an investigation.

Malone did not agree to an interview with CNN, and has not responded to emailed questions about the documents or other allegations.

In recent public statements, he has apologized for "my own failures" in addressing sexual abuse by members of the church but resisted calls for him to resign.

"The shepherd does not desert the flock at a difficult time," he said earlier this month.

Allegations against a prominent priest

As recently as August, Father Robert Yetter was a leader in Buffalo's Catholic community. He was the top priest at St. Mary's Church -- one of the top-contributing parishes in the diocese -- when Malone released his list of accused priests in March.

But Yetter, who at 70 had spent decades ministering in the Buffalo diocese, was harboring a dark secret: He had been accused of sexual abuse by multiple victims.

A review of internal documents suggest Malone and other church officials were aware of these allegations last year but kept Yetter's name off their public list.

The disclosure has outraged Paul Snyder, a Buffalo businessman and deacon who was ordained by Yetter.

"I felt betrayed by our priest. I felt betrayed by our bishop," Snyder said. He told CNN that members of his congregation have been filling his phone and inbox with concerned messages -- some of them from alleged victims of Yetter who are coming forward to share their stories.

One of them is a former altar boy who CNN has agreed to identify only as Roger. Roger, who didn't want his identity revealed, told CNN that while Father Yetter didn't cross the line with him until he became an adult, he said the priest began "grooming" him in 2nd grade by showering him with hugs and attention and attending regular family dinners at his home.

When Roger was in college and struggling with how to come out to his family as gay, he said he received a phone call from Father Yetter inviting him to dinner.

Roger said he felt reassured, so he took the priest up on what he thought was an odd invitation to accompany him back to the rectory. There, Roger said, Yetter offered him shots of Goldschlager, exposed himself and asked for oral sex.

Roger told CNN he managed to escape the encounter. But when another accuser reported a similar encounter with Yetter last year, according to documents obtained by CNN, the diocese merely sent Yetter to counseling and on a mission trip abroad.

Yetter responded by penning a letter to the diocese last year, cautioning that removing him would have negative consequences for church coffers, since his parish accounted for some of the largest contributions in the diocese.

Four months later, in January, Malone wrote Yetter a letter in which the bishop thanked the priest for his "faithful and effective ministry" and allowed him to continue preaching.

After a new abuse complaint was made against him, Yetter was forced to resign in August and was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the diocese. He has not responded to multiple requests for comment by CNN.

Malone: 'We can do better'

A review of email correspondence concerning a secret list of accused priests used by Malone and top advisors in March of this year seems to reveal the justification for leaving Yetter and another accused priest off the public list.

"You were right to keep those 2 names confidential. Thank you," Malone wrote.

When it came to Yetter, the explanation was short: "Not (a) Charter case."

In church abuse parlance a "charter case" is one in which the alleged abuse occurred when the victim was not yet 18. Since Roger was in his early 20s, he would not be a charter case.

The "charter case" justification was not the only one employed to pare the list down to its eventual 42. Other priests were kept off the list because they had only "one complaint" against them, or because the priest was from a separate order.

Malone acknowledged in a statement this month that while he reported instances of abuse involving minors, he had "not acted in the same manner when the victim was an adult at the time of the abuse."

"Let me be clear. My handling of recent claims from some of our parishioners concerning sexual misconduct with adults unquestionably has fallen short of the standard to which you hold us, and to which we hold ourselves," he said. "We can do better. We will do better."

Despite the diocese documents obtained by CNN, the only consequences the Bishop may face are of the ecclesiastical variety. Pope Francis is the only person with the power to remove Malone from his post.

The Vatican has not responded formally to a request for comment on the case. A Vatican source told CNN that given the seriousness of the accusations, a report on the Buffalo diocese has "certainly" already arrived in Rome.

When it comes to potential criminal charges against Malone, there is virtually almost no legal recourse. A New York state law requires teachers, health care workers, child care workers and others to report any suspected child abuse to the authorities, but there is no such mandate for bishops or other clergy members.

"Believe it or not, clergy is not on that list," Erie County District Attorney John Flynn told CNN. "So there's ... a strong probability ... that there is not going to be a prosecutorial case here in Erie County or in any county across the state."

Deacon: 'We still don't know the truth'

If Malone failed to report known abuse in his diocese, he would hardly be the first church official to be spared criminal charges.

Perhaps the most famous such prelate is Bernard Law, the disgraced former Archbishop of Boston who allowed systemic abuse to continue unabated by overseeing the quiet reshuffling of predator priests for almost 20 years. Untouchable to Massachusetts prosecutors, Law retired to a quiet life in the Vatican, where he died last year.

Malone began his clerical career in Massachusetts, worked under Law and considered him a mentor.

"He tragically became a scapegoat," Malone wrote in an email upon hearing of Law's death. "I will always be grateful to him for his priestly example."

This hasn't discouraged Deacon Snyder, who took the extraordinary step of using a Sunday homily this month to call on Malone to resign.

"To not be informed is to put all of the members of our parish family in jeopardy," Snyder told CNN. "Jesus called us to protect the downtrodden: orphans, widows to protect the innocent to protect the poor. He didn't say protect the predators. He didn't say protect the money in our (diocese) trust funds."

Now the devout Catholic is using something arguably more powerful than his pulpit to pressure Malone into resigning.

"I have chosen to set my contributions (to the church) aside," Snyder told CNN. "I will release them to the diocese when this bishop resigns and there's a full investigation, and (when) the truth is revealed about what's taken place (...) within the Diocese of Buffalo. Because we still don't know the truth."Today is National Voter Registration Day!

National Voter Registration Day, which is celebrated on the second Tuesday of September, is meant to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to vote and that they dont miss registration deadlines.

If you need to register to vote, you can stop by the following libraries in Oneida, Herkimer and Madison counties today and get registered: Barneveld, Bridgeport, Canastota, Cazenovia, Chittenango, Clayville, Clinton, DeRuyter, Dolgeville, Hamilton, Herkimer, Illion, Middleville, New Hartford, New Woodstock, New York Mills, Old Forge, Oneida, Prospect, Rome, Sherrill, Utica and Whitesboro.

HamVotes at Hamilton College is also celebrating National Voter Registration Day. They will be holding a traveling registration drive today, which means you can find them in various spots around the campus and theyll help you register to vote. They can also help you get an absentee ballot or find your polling location.

They will be in the following locations throughout the day:

- 12-1 p.m.: Commons (near the ice cream)

- 1-2 p.m.: Science Center Atrium

- 2-3 p.m.: CJ Lobby

- 3-4 p.m.: Sadove (near Euphoria)

- 6-7 p.m.: KJ Atrium (near front entrance)

- 7-8 p.m.: Library (first floor)

In order to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 6 general election, you must register to vote in person by Oct. 12. If youre registering by mail, your application must be postmarked by Oct. 12 and received by your local Board of Elections by Oct. 17.

If you need to change your political party enrollment, you must do so by Oct. 12.

If you have to change your address on your voter registration, you must do so by Oct. 17.

For more information about registering to vote, click here.

________________________________________________________________________

Oneida County Board of Elections  315-798-5765

321 Main St. #3, Utica, NY 13501

Herkimer County Board of Elections  315-867-1102

109 Mary St. #1306, Herkimer, NY 13350

Madison County Board of Elections  315-366-2231

138 N. Court St., Wampsville, NY 13163A Rome man who admitted to making methamphetamine has been sentenced to prison time, according to the Oneida County District Attorneys Office.

Daniel Bragg, 47, previously pleaded guilty to third-degree unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine. In Oneida County Court on Tuesday, he was sentenced to 2  years in state prison, with two years of post-release supervision.

Bragg was arrested back in April along with three others after officials responded to a home on West Thomas Street in Rome to check on Bragg, who was on parole, and they found meth-making items.LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  Indiana's two senate candidates are weighing in on accusations of sexual misconduct against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Republican Mike Braun is not wavering in his support of Kavanaugh, while Democrat Joe Donnelly said the FBI should investigate the claims.

Braun was in Lafayette at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant Tuesday morning.

"Amazing facility in there," said Braun after exiting the production line. "The safety, the cleanliness, the low decibel level is all impressive. I heard they pay a $26 wage with great benefits. We are lucky to have a facility like this in Lafayette and lucky to have it in Indiana. "

Braun spoke of his time inside the plant but also answered questions on allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh; a man he supports.

"What happens in politics in general, it gets so caustic so quickly," said Braun. "There are two sides to every issue. I'm glad the process looks like it is going to be done fairly."

Kavanaugh denies the allegations. Christine Blasey Ford accuses him of misconduct when he was 17. Deborah Ramirez, the most recent woman to accuse him, said the alleged misconduct happened during their time at Yale.

Braun replied "yes" when News 18 asked him if he believed Ms. Ramirez and Dr. Ford should be heard in this case.

"They're going to be vetted," said Braun. "I'm happy with the process and I'm glad both sides are going to be heard. He (Kavanaugh) is the kind of guy who embodies the principles of a judge where you want to base it on interpreting the constitution, not legislating from the bench."

Braun's opponent, incumbent Senator Joe Donnelly released the following to News 18 about the second woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct:

"The allegations raised by Dr. Ford and Ms. Ramirez against Judge Kavanaugh are serious, merit further review, and I believe should be investigated by the FBI. I will continue to get as much information as I can, including by following Thursday's scheduled hearing." - Sen. Donnelly.

Donnelly had previously called for a senate judiciary committee confirmation hearing to be delayed after the first allegation. The committee will now hear from Kavanaugh and Ford Thursday.

"I think Hoosiers and many people who want to see solutions, whether it comes to getting a good judge or a good senator, you know think the process has gotten a little crazy," said Braun.

News 18 also asked Braun and Donnelly about President Trump's meeting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Reports came out Monday morning about Rosenstein's possible depature from the White House. This comes as recent news stories discuss negative comments Rosenstein is reported to have made last year about the president, according to White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. 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

"I think, again, this is something that has gotten a lot of press," said Braun. "I think he is part of the Trump team. If there was anything to the fact that he did, it's probably not someone who should be on the Trump team. On the other hand, I hope that is vetted well, so if that is not the case, we know that as well."

A media relations coordinator released the following to News 18 regarding Donnelly's stance on Rosenstein:

"Donnelly believes Special Counsel Mueller should be able to follow the facts wherever they lead, and that our country is built on a commitment to the rule of law, where law enforcement can independently conduct investigations."

The two candidates will debate live Monday, Oct. 8 at Purdue Calumet. News 18 plans to cover it.



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August Home Sales Fell 2.4 Percent in August



According to a new report by Redfin, U.S. home-sale prices increased 4.7 percent in August compared to a year ago. The price growth rate has been dropping for six consecutive months and has not been this low since August 2014. Homes sales fell 2.4 percent in August compared to a year prior.



Inventory declines continued to moderate in August. The number of homes for sale was down 3.4 percent year over year, the smallest decline in 29 months. The number of homes that were newly put on the market in August grew 3.3 percent year over year, helping to ease the supply shortage. The typical home that sold in August went under contract in a median of 37 days, three days faster than August 2017.









While homes are still selling at a rapid clip, other data points to waning competition. The share of homes that sold above asking price declined from 25 percent last August to 23.6 percent this August.



"While sale prices moderate, new listing prices keep accelerating," said Redfin senior economist Taylor Marr. "This mismatch between seller expectations and reality is fueling an increase in price drops in metros across the country."







Nearly 30 percent of homes on the market in August had a price drop, the largest share on record since Redfin began tracking this metric in 2009, and a 3.4 percentage-point increase over last August. It's worth noting that the share of homes with price drops typically peaks each year in July or August.





Metro U.S. Housing Trends



Redfin has been closely tracking a market shift in San Jose, California, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon, over the past three months. The trends of increasing inventory and declining sales Redfin reported in June and July intensified in August.



In San Jose and Seattle, the supply of homes was up nearly 50 percent year over year. In Portland, inventory increased 25 percent. The increase in inventory is the combination of more people putting their homes on the market as fewer buyers are stepping up to purchase. San Jose, Seattle and Portland saw respective sales declines of 16 percent, 19 percent and 6 percent.



These markets continue to slow, with homes staying on the market longer than last year. In Portland, homes were on the market for a median of 21 days before finding a buyer, 10 days longer than last August. In San Jose, the median of 20 days on market is six days longer than a year prior. At 12 median days on market, Seattle was the second fastest market in the country, but homes still took four days longer to sell this August, compared to August of last year.



In Seattle, home prices were up 6 percent year over year, the lowest price growth in nearly three years. In San Jose and Portland, home prices rose 22 percent and 7 percent year over year respectively.



Rebecca Walter, a Redfin agent in Portland, says the market shift has been dramatic. She is seeing far fewer multiple offer situations lately compared to last year, even in popular neighborhoods. Walter says in this market, pricing right is more important than ever.



"I tell sellers that the worst thing you can do is overprice your home. If you have to drop the price, you can't recreate the same excitement and fervor as when your home first hits the market. Pricing too high can ultimately result in getting less than market value, below what you likely could have gotten if you priced at market value from the start."



Walter says rapid price appreciation has left many would-be Portland buyers priced out of the market and some are opting to move somewhere more affordable. She says homeowners who are thinking about selling should consider doing so sooner rather than later.



"I don't have a crystal ball, but I wouldn't count on your home appreciating and being worth more in the spring than it is now. The Fed has indicated they will make one more rate hike in December, which would impact buyers' purchasing power. We have this window before the market slows for the holidays, so the sooner the better if you're planning to sell."





Other August Highlights Include:





Speed and Competition





Boston was the fastest market, with half of all homes pending sale in just 12 days, down from 13 days from a year earlier. Seattle was the next fastest market with 12 median days on market, followed by Denver, Grand Rapids, MI and Omaha, NE with 13. The most competitive market in August was San Francisco where 72.3% of homes sold above list price, followed by 69.1% in San Jose, CA, 62.7% in Oakland, CA, 44.3% in Boston, and 43.7% in Buffalo, NY. Prices





San Jose, CA had the nation's highest price growth, rising 22.3% since last year to $1,189,000. Las Vegas had the second highest growth at 12.2% year-over-year price growth, followed by Tacoma, WA (12.1%), San Francisco (12%), and Grand Rapids, MI (10.8%). Chicago was the only major metro to see a price decline in August (-0.5%).



Sales



Seattle saw the largest decline in sales compared to last year, falling 18.5%. Home sales in San Jose, CA and West Palm Beach, FL declined by 15.6% and 12.5%, respectively. 3 out of 71 metros saw sales surge by double digits from last year. Houston led the nation in year-over-year sales growth, up 37.2%. The year-over-year spike in Houston home sales is attributable to Hurricane Harvey, which hit Houston in August of last year, causing sales to tumble. Sales in Camden, NJ increased 24.6%, while New Orleans rounded out the top three with sales up 10.4% from a year ago.



Inventory



San Jose, CA had the highest increase in the number of homes for sale, up 49.1% year over year, followed by Seattle (46.4%) and San Diego (26.2%). Indianapolis had the largest decrease in overall inventory, falling 22.9% since last August. Rochester, NY (-20.8%), Milwaukee (-19.0%), and Las Vegas (-18.7%) also saw far fewer homes available on the market than a year ago.





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Right to your inbox every week. Go Thank you for your interest!

You will now be receiving our Weekly Real Estate Newsletter.Cancer information bus returns to Wrexham for Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Sep 25th, 2018

Macmillan Cancer Supports Welsh information and support bus, Bronwen, will be returning to Wrexham for its third visit this year.

Known as Bronwen the bus will be parked on Eagles Meadow to coincide with the Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning on Friday 28th September.

Bronwen will be parked in front of a Marks and Spencer store, who are the headline partner of Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning, and will be selling a selection of limited edition Coffee Morning products  including lots of cakes, biscuits and two exclusive mugs  with 10% of proceeds going to Macmillan.

Supporters of Coffee Morning in the area on the day are encouraged to come and say hello to the team and ask any questions they may have about cancer or Macmillan.

Bronwens friendly team of Macmillan information and support specialists, are a group of frontline health and social care professionals with years of experience in caring and supporting people living with cancer.

Bronwen hosts two electronic information screens, a private room for sensitive conversations and two iPads to enable people to find the information they need on the spot.

Earlier this year hundreds of people across Wrexham and Flintshire received help and advice from the team of staff on the bus.

Moray Hayman, Bronwen team lead cancer information and support specialist says: We encourage anyone who has been affected by cancer to come and see us, whether theyre living with cancer, have been recently diagnosed, caring for someone with cancer or worried about a loved one.

As well as answering questions on the day, we can signpost to other cancer services in the area and provide information on a range of issues, including financial advice and wellbeing.

Even if you dont have a specific question to ask, our friendly team are always available for a chat.

Richard Pugh, head of services for Macmillan in Wales, said: At Macmillan, we know how a cancer diagnosis can affect everything and were here to support you.

Our mobile information team travel around Wales and the rest of the UK visiting local communities, providing cancer information and advice on the ground.

The new Welsh vehicle is smaller and lighter, and will help the team to access places Macmillan has previously not been able to get to, reaching even more people affected by cancer in the process.

Macmillans mobile information service will be on Eagles Meadow between 8am to 5:30pm on Friday 28th September.

Further information about Macmillans mobile information service, and planned visits can be found here.

If you are unable to visit the unit but have questions about cancer, visit the Macmillan website or call Macmillan free on 0808 808 00 00 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm).

You can find out about Macmillan services near you here.Give your feedback on plans to place average speed cameras on A483 Wrexham bypass to reduce pollution

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Sep 25th, 2018

The Welsh Government wants to hear your views on their final package of measures to improve air quality on the A483  that could see the recent temporary 50mph limit become permanent, and even enforced by average speed cameras.

At the end of July the Welsh Government published an interim supplemental plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations that were aimed at achieving compliance in the shortest possible time with limit values for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at five locations on the motorway and trunk road network in Wales  one of which being Wrexham.

As a result there was an immediate implementation of temporary 50mph speed limit on the stretch of the A483 between the Gresford Roundabout and the B&Q Roundabout.

The consultation on the final package of measures for improvements to air quality, known as WelTAG Stage Three, is further to the consultation exercise that took place back in April 2018 on the Stage One and Stage Two findings. It will also look for opinions on the 50mph speed limit, and has a special document dedicated to the A483 by Wrexham.

The study corridor considered in the report covers the principal corridor on the A483 between J5 (Mold Road Interchange) to J6 (Gresford Interchange).

Several mix and match measures are discussed, with the key items being distilled into three option sets.

A special 30,000,000 barrier is suggested with or without special surfacing at sensitive locations, along with implementing a closure of the southbound off-slip at Junction 5 and the northbound on-slip at Junction 6.

A 6,000,000 advisory variable diversion route for local traffic, utilising other routes including the A5152 Chester Road, through signage to reduce cars on the A483 during the AM and PM peak hours is outlined, but notes: Wrexham CBC may have concerns over using alternative routes during periods when NO2 levels are highest, as the A5152 and A541 Mold Road run towards and through the town centre.

Cost estimate takes into account the equipment needed, ongoing maintenance and an estimate for measures that the Council may want implemented on the local road network and the prescribed diversion route.

The likely measure, and significantly cheaper option, is the enforcement of the reduced speed limit.

This is described as the introduction of a new speed limit on the A483 between Junction 5 (Mold Interchange) and Junction 6 (Gresford Interchange) and enforce through average speed cameras.

The 275,000 price tag will include average speed enforcement cameras and equipment, traffic signs and ongoing maintenance. The cost estimate takes into account the potential requirement to place cameras at junctions and slip roads (although mainline enforcement only may be appropriate) and the Police back office costs, which Welsh Government may be expected to cover.

The cost could drop, as the report notes the scheme has the potential to reduce in cost, as the proposal is to have average speed enforcement cameras operational as part of the ongoing trial and (most likely), permanent sign installations.

Any cameras would also be linked to Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems, with the report saying: In addition to the classified link count data, there would be significant benefit in undertaking ANPR surveys.

This data can be linked back to the DVLA database to determine not only vehicle classification, but also emission standards of vehicles.

The data could be used to identify the rate of change of the fleet towards cleaner, newer, low emissions vehicles and could be used to evidence the need for additional measures to accelerate the rate of change, e.g. a scrappage scheme.

The air quality baseline for the A483 has been derived from a combination of national modelling and monitoring undertaken by the council, and Welsh Government. Aside from the modelling, the report notes on Wrexham Council monitoring: The closest monitoring stations to the section of the A483 under consideration are locations 20 and 32 on Chester Road. Concentrations at these locations are well within the air quality objectives but the sites are too distant from the A483 to assess whether the PCM modelled concentrations are consistent with local monitoring.

The only location close to the A483 at which WCBC monitors air quality is location 30 (Rhostyllen Roundabout), where concentrations are just within the air quality objective.

Welsh Government has commissioned air quality monitoring along the A483 study corridor. The monitoring is currently undertaken using diffusion tubes, at 6 roadside locations and 1 background location. At each site, the monitoring consists of triplicate diffusion tubes, exposed for ~2week durations. Data for 6 months (12 exposure periods) is currently available. The roadside monitoring is undertaken at a distance of between 2 and 15m from the side of the A483, at a height of approximately 2m above the carriageway  date below.

Transport Secretary Ken Skates said: The contribution made by the environment to good health cannot be overstated. Tackling poor air quality is a priority for the Welsh Government, reflected in our national strategy Prosperity for All. We will reduce emissions and deliver vital improvements in air quality through planning, infrastructure and regulation measures.

Alongside the other devolved administrations, were working actively to meet our joint objective with the UK Government to transform the UKs most polluted towns and cities into clean and healthy urban spaces, supporting those most directly affected.

We now need your views on the proposed final measures to achieve compliance within the shortest possible time with the limit values laid down by the Directive and Regulations at each of these five locations.

Minister for Environment, Hannah Blythyn, said: I welcome peoples views on these proposed measures, which aim to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels to within legal limits in the shortest possible time. Its important to remember the main reason for taking this action, which is to improve air quality and reduce the harmful effect vehicle emissions can have on peoples health and well-being.

The Welsh Government report added that you are likely to see lots of communication on this topic, There will be a significant communications campaign made on the likely measures using social media, radio and signs on the network.

This campaign will be reiterated at key times on an ongoing basis along with key announcements made on the air quality results.

Welsh Government would like to hear your views via this link: https://beta.gov.wales/tackling-roadside-nitrogen-dioxide-concentrations-wales-weltag-stage-3.



For reference there are two speed data graphs that we are reproducing as they may be of interest to some readers!

This data shows that speeds remain reasonably consistent throughout the day in both directions, with no noticeable reduction during either the AM or PM peak periods. The average speeds observed on the Southbound corridor are approximately 62mph at 08:30, midday, and 17:00.

Similarly, speeds on the Northbound carriageway are approximately 63mph at 08:30 and midday, and 66mph at 17:00. This data suggests that the road is free-flow throughout the day. Speeds are shown to reduce during the off-peak period, with average speeds reducing to around 57mph on the Southbound and 56mph on the Northbound corridor. The fastest speeds occur following the PM peak hour, with vehicles averaging around 66mph at approximately 18:00 in both directions.On September 19, one of Corbyns key advisers, Andrew Murray, wrote in the New Statesman, asking, Is the deep state trying to undermine Corbyn?

Murray, a leading figure in the Stop the War Coalition and former member of the Communist Party of Britain, was responding to a Daily Mail report that he had been denied entry to Ukraine by the USB secret services for being part of Putins propaganda network and had still not been granted security clearance for parliament a year since applying for one.

Murrays suggestion that this article was part of a broader effort by the intelligence services to block the election of a Labour government is obvious to anyone who has watched the campaign against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn unfold.

Leading state figures have routinely supplied the media with claims that he is a threat to national securityincluding Rupert Murdochs Sunday Times reporting in 2015 an anonymous senior serving general stating that there would be the very real prospect of a mutiny if he became prime minister.

Earlier this year, Murdochs The Sun also claimed that Corbyn was a paid informer for the Czech secret service in the 1980s, based on the claims made by a former spy for the Statni Bezpecnost (StB) secret police, Lt. Jan Sarkocy. The Sun editorialised that Corbyn cannot be allowed the keys to No 10.

Murrays pointing to the MI5/MI6 elephant in the room was met with scorn. Labours Blairite deputy leader Tom Watson led the charge, telling BBC Radio 4s Today that Murrays column was a bit John le Carre.  If he thinks the intelligence services are in some way trying to undermine the official Opposition then he should provide evidence, otherwise its just fake news.

This follows a pattern of ridiculing any suggestion of foul play by the secret services, which are meant to be wholly uninterested in whether Corbyn forms a government despite the evidence of a de facto grand coalition of top Labour politicians, Tories, generals and media barons working to prevent such an outcome. Reports that a Momentum fringe event at Labours conference at the weekend would feature wargaming of a coup to bring down a Corbyn government, for example, prompted the Guardians Martin Kettle to write August 30 that deep-state fears are a very British fantasy.

Kettle cited a column in the New Statesman by his former colleague Paul Mason, who declared the wargaming to be pointless. If there is one upside to 30 years of free market economics in Britain, it is the strengthening of the rule of law. Britain has not only the Human Rights Act and a Supreme Court, but a state which operates consciously within legal checks and balances.

Watson hopes that the obvious difficulties in producing a smoking gun proving the involvement of MI5 and MI6 will draw a veil over the issue. However, one of the latest media blitzes directed against Corbyn centres on historical events that indicate what is now taking place behind the scenes: the regurgitation and repackaging by the Sunday Times of discredited allegations that former Labour leader Michael Foot was a paid agent of the Soviet Stalinist secret service, the KGB.

MI6 targets Michael Foot

Foot was the leader of the Labour Party from 1980 until 1983 and stood down after losing that years general election to Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The allegations against him did not surface until 1995, when the Sunday Times began serialising, pre-publication, the memoirs of senior KGB officer Oleg Gordievsky, Next Stop Execution; Gordievsky had become a double agent for MI6 after being turned in the 1970s and was then recalled from the Soviet embassy in London when his cover was blown in 1985.

Foot contested the claims and took the Sunday Times to court, winning undisclosed but substantial damagesestimated to be equivalent to 250,000 todayby the High Court. The excuse for the fresh attacks on Foot is the publication of The Spy and the Traitor, written by Times Associate Editor Ben Macintyre. Ahead of its publication, the Times serialised some of its contents, concentrating on the sections on Foot.

Macintyres book, the newspaper claims, presents the first corroboration by MI6 officers of the allegations made by the Soviet defector Oleg Gordievsky that Foot had received a series of clandestine payments from the KGB, which classed him as an agent and confidential contact.

Nothing substantive has been added to earlier allegations by Gordievsky, other than that some of his MI6 colleagues and paymasters have used Foots death to weaponise their earlier lies for use against Corbyn.

The Times made its political aims abundantly clear, titling one of its reports Useful Idiots and describing claims that Foot was a paid contact of Soviet intelligence as having topicality as well as historical significance.

Sarah Baxter also writes, Michael Foot flirted secretly with Russia. Jeremy Corbyn is blatant. Whereas, There is no evidence that Corbyn was paid by the Czechs, Foots supposed outing is proof that the far leftsbrand of socialism cannot exist without attaching itself to the tainted and unacceptable actually existing models that render it unelectable to saner eyes. Corbyn has remained a useful idiot to this day.

The Spy and the Traitor also outlines how Moscow supposedly tried to undermine the 1983 election when in an intriguing harbinger of modern times it was prepared to use dirty tricks and hidden interference to swing the election in favour of Foot, the Times notes.

A tissue of lies

What is revealed by the renewed slander campaign against Foot is a dirty plot by the security services to bring down a Labour government had it won the 1983 general election that now reads like a dry run for todays campaign against Corbyn.

Gordievskys revelations were supposedly made to his handlers in 1982prior to the 1983 general election. This was under conditions in which the Thatcher government was waging a major offensive against the working class to roll back the frontiers of the state that reached its peak with the brutal assault on the year-long miners strike of 1984-1985.

Thatchers first term in office had produced such a backlash that it appeared touch-and-go whether she would win a second term in 1983. This prompted the political savaging of Foot that is the background to Gordievskys initial slanders.

Foot came to leadership of the Labour Party due to a shift to the left among working people similar to that which led to Corbyns election. In 1981, a section of the Labour right, led by the Gang of FourRoy Jenkins, David Owen, Shirley Williams and Bill Rodgerssplit to form the Social Democratic Party after James Callaghans Labour governments austerity measures had paved the way to power for Thatcher. Foot became Labour leader in 1980, while Tony Benn lost as deputy leader in 1981 by just 1 percent. The partys election manifesto in 1983 supported high taxes on the rich, unilateral nuclear disarmament, abolishing the House of Lords, renationalising Thatchers privatisations of British Telecom and other industries, and withdrawal from the European Economic Community.

One element of the campaign to prevent Thatchers downfall was the plan to blackguard Foot as a communist stooge. The scenario attributed to Gordievsky was transparent nonsense. At an unspecified time in the early 1960s, KGB agents masquerading as diplomats are meant to have visited Foot in his capacity as editor of the left newspaper Tribune, supposedly because of its pro-Russian stance. They then slip a 10 note in Foots top pocket followed by 14 similar donations equivalent to 37,000 in 2018. Subsequent meetings do not take place privately, but once a month in Londons Gay Hussar, the favourite dining and watering hole of Labour MPs and left intellectuals, passed off as Foot hiding in plain sight!

Gordievsky manages to read all this in a file in the KGB headquarters in the Lubyanka, beginning with a declaration that a Major Petrov has christened Foot with the pseudonym Boot.

This paid relationship is said to have then petered out following the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, which Foot opposed.

Anyone familiar with Foots politics knows this to be a lie. Foot was a reformist opponent of Stalinism and the main ally of Anuerin Bevan, the leader of Labours left wing. With Foot as political editor after Bevan departed, Tribune argued for a foreign policy independent of the Soviet Union and the US. But in 1949, faced with the expansion of Soviet influence in Europe, it endorsed the founding of the NATO alliance, declaring, The major threat to democratic socialism and the major danger of war in Europe arises from Soviet policy and not from American policy.

Foot was also a vocal opponent of the Soviet invasion of Hungary and would never have formed such relations with the Soviet Embassy.

According to his slanderers, though MI6 took Gordievskys revelations seriously and feared the prospect of a KGB puppet in Number 10, they decided to keep it under wraps, other than to inform Cabinet Secretary Sir Robin Armstrong, who also considered the information too incendiary to make public. They would only tell Thatcher and the Queenthe very people they would have been forced to informabout Foots dirty secret if he won the election. In short, it was supposedly fine to have Foot lead Her Majestys Opposition, but not to take up residence in Number 10!

The only genuine explanation for such a decision is that Gordievskys ludicrous account was a highly problematic backstopas proved by the Timess damages pay-out in 1995that wasnt needed after Thatcher was re-elected.

Lessons for today

Just as with Corbyn today, Foots political retreats aided the right wing in securing its aims, including his own removal. Foot backed Thatchers Falklands/Malvinas war in 1982, telling parliament that it was Britains moral duty and political duty and every other kind of duty to expel the Argentinians, and concentrated his fire on the left in his own partyopposing Benn running against Denis Healey because of the threat to party unity and launching an inquiry into the Militant Tendencys penetration of the Labour Party that resulted in the 1982 party conference adopting a list of proscribed organisations and the expulsion of Militants central leadership in 1983.

Thatcher won in part by exploiting the Falklands Factor, but also because the SDP-Liberal Alliance siphoned a large percentage of votes away from Laboura scenario that is also being considered today with the Blairites threatening a split if they dont succeed in removing Corbyn.

Aside from historic parallels that need no further explanation, one other factor ties the present campaign against Corbyn to the earlier moves against Foot.

Press reports last year confirmed that MI5 opened a file on Corbyn in the 1980s because of his support for Irish independence and that the CIA and Metropolitan Police Special Branch were also spying on him. The former head of MI5, Stella Rimmington, said, I now see in Momentum some of the people we were looking at in the Trotskyist organisation of the 1980s, now grown up and advising our would-be prime minister Mr Corbyn on how to prepare himself for powertheir names are familiar, shall we say that much?

That was the situation when Corbyn was a humble backbench MP, and when the betrayals of Stalinism and social democracy had supposedly ensured the unchallenged authority of capitalism. For anyone to suggest that MI5 and MI6 would not be involved in efforts to prevent Labour coming to power todaywhen popular sentiment and social opposition to austerity militarism and war have led to two Labour leadership ballot victories and Labour reducing the Conservatives to an unstable minority government charged with resolving the desperate and escalating crisis surrounding Brexitis what should really be described as a fantasy.The commemorations of American composer, conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) continue in this 100th year anniversary of his birth, with concerts, several new books and various media commentaries.

Among the more interesting and provocative comments was the recent article by Alex Ross, the chief music critic of the New Yorker magazine. Ross (born 1968) has written intelligently on the field of classical music, particularly in his wide-ranging and informative work, The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century (2007).

Leonard Bernstein by Jack Mitchell

Rosss brief comment in the New Yorker is headlined, Hero Worship. While he praises Bernstein as a conductor, composer and educator, Ross also suggests that he has been somewhat overrated.

The centenary has, according to Ross, seen Bernstein portrayed as a kind of musical superhero, who conquered every medium he touched: conducting, composing, Broadway shows, education, television, the intricate game of American celebrity.

His charisma was indeed potent, Ross writes, but as Bernstein recedes into history he seems more a product of his time than an agent of transformation. He adds, How posterity will judge this volcano of a man remains to be seen. His career offers a lesson in the perils of hero worship: the future of classical music cannot consist in waiting for another telegenic superstar.

And further: The aspirational America of the mid-twentieth century was looking for a Bernsteina native genius who could knock off Broadway tunes as fluently as he conducted Brahmsand one was duly found. There will not be another, not because talent is lacking but because the culture that fostered it is gone.

It is not clear from Rosss remarks whether he thinks that what he terms hero worship had a negative effect on Bernstein himself, or whether the public role of this larger-than-life figure in some way inhibited his contemporaries and those who have followed him.

More significant, however, is the reference to the composer as more a product of his time than an agent of transformation. Of course, like any important figure, he was both, but Rosss elevation of the first element has the effect of diminishing what Bernstein accomplished, as well as his musical legacy. The impression is given that Bernstein was a talented man who merely came along at the right time.

Alex Ross in 2008 (Photo creditwrestlingentropy)

In what way was Bernstein the product of his time? Ross refers simply to the New Deal era, but there was also the fact that Bernstein was shaped by a left-wing, socialist milieu, in which he played an active role. He tried to remain true to these early influences in later decades, and on this basis he did in fact have an impact on his time and beyond.

Bernstein rose to prominence during the years of the postwar economic boom, but it is far too one-sided to say that aspirational America simply found and used him. The boom era itself was contradictory. In its early years, it was dominated by the ferocious witch-hunt associated most prominently with Sen. Joseph McCarthy. Bernstein tried to resist McCarthyism, only reluctantly and to his lasting shame signing a legal affidavit attesting to his opposition to Communism. These were also the years in which he produced such remarkable works as Candide and West Side Story.

By 1960 the relative political quiescence of the Eisenhower decade was giving way to the most explosive period of the civil rights struggle, followed immediately by the ghetto rebellions, the growing movement against the war in Vietnam and a growing strike wave. This was also part of aspirational America. There was not only the complacent middle class and prosperous America, as Ross seems to suggest, but the struggles of the working class and the young generation. Bernstein sought to reflect the struggles for social change, and this found certain expression in both his musical theater work, his tenure at the New York Philharmonic and his Young Peoples Concerts.

It is quite true that the culture that nurtured Bernstein is gone, and also that there will be no simple replica of him in the future. But that does not mean that there is nothing further to be learned from this periodor that there will be no more figures of his dimensions, or even greater. The questions that arise include: what happened to that culture? And are there conditions under which some of the themes championed by Bernstein can again find musical expression?

Ross is silent on this score. His assessment of Bernstein is bound up with a theoretical and aesthetic outlook, one that has been influenced at least in part by the Frankfurt School, the noted intellectual emigres from Nazi Germany who rejected Marxism and drew the most pessimistic conclusions from the rise of Hitler. Alongside their positions on the alleged impotence of the working class, these figures proclaimed that the Enlightenment was itself the source of repression and dictatorship.

Theodor Adorno, a classically-trained composer and sociologist, and a noted member of the loosely connected Frankfurt School, insisted that tonal and melodic musicmusic like that composed by Bernstein and others in the period up until approximately 1960represented nothing but an instrument for the subordination of the population to the capitalist ruling class.

Ironically enough, although Bernstein may have been put forward as a semi-official spokesman of musical America, it was the conceptions of Adorno that were utilized by the imperialist intelligence agencies during the Cold War. Somewhat analogously to the development of abstract expressionism in the field of painting, musical atonality and its growing popularity in critical and academic circles in the capitalist West were equated with freedom, as opposed to the Stalinist bloc, where this music was forbidden. The Stalinist perversion of socialism, with its crude dictation of what was permissible and its attacks on genuine artistic creativity, made the work of the Cold War propagandists easier.

Ross does not address this specifically in his article, and he also says nothing about Bernsteins famous Norton Lectures at Harvard in 1973, where the composer attempted to account theoretically for the persistence of tonal music and what he considered the artificiality of musical substitutes like dogmatic serialism.

Leonard Bernstein in 1971

The changes in musical culture during this period reflected a pessimistic rejection of tonality as the music of the past, as hopelessly out of date and associated with what were termed the naive hopes of the left. Bernstein resisted the then-fashionable attacks on tonality.

This past is not simply dead and gone. Why is it not possible to envision conditions under which new Bernsteins will emergemen and women who can accomplish the equivalent of what Ross describes as Bernsteins ability to combine Broadway and Brahms? Why is it not possible, in general, to imagine the average human type rising to new heights?

In any case, Rosss suggestion that Bernstein belongs only to the past is being increasingly refuted by historical and intellectual developments. It is the once-fashionable advocates of dogmatic atonality that have been largely rejected. The verdict is becoming clearer with each passing decade. Bernsteins legacy is quite secure. The jury is still out on contemporary composers, some of whom utilize elements of atonality, but not in an exclusivist or dogmatic fashion.

It is safe to say, however, as regards American composers, that future generations will be listening far more to the works of Bernstein, Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland and Scott Joplin, than to contemporaries of Bernstein like Elliott Carter and Milton Babbitt. Carter, Babbitt and others, although serious musicians, devoted themselves to what could be termed academic research. Bernstein, on the other hand, pursued, as biographer Allen Shawn put it, the aims of the giants of the past who had created art on the highest level that still resonated with the intuitive understanding of lay listeners.US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton and the other Iran regime-change hawks at the helm of the Trump administration intend to use this weeks opening of the annual United Nations General Assembly as the backdrop for an intensification of Washingtons economic war and military-strategic offensive against Iran.

Washingtons stated goal is to crash the Iranian economy. Starting November 4, the US will dramatically expand the punishing sanctions it imposed on Iran in early August. It is vowing to enforce a complete embargo on Iranian oil exports and Irans total exclusion from the US-dominated world banking system, thereby crippling its trade in all other commodities.

The US actions, which in their aims go beyond even the brutal sanctions the US and European Union imposed on Iran between 2011 and 2015, are both manifestly illegal and reckless. Under international law, they are tantamount to an act of war.

It is Washington that has reneged on its commitments under the UN-backed 2015 Iran nuclear accord. All the other great powers that are signatories to the accord and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has the principal role in monitoring Irans compliance, are adamant Tehran has fulfilled to the letter all its obligations, including dismantling and mothballing civilian nuclear infrastructure.

And it is Trump, Pompeo, Bolton and their minions who in Mafia-style fashion are threatening countries around the world with retaliatory action, including sanctions, fines and exclusion from US markets, if they do not bow to Washingtons diktats and cease trading with and investing in Iran.

Yet Trump will use the UN as the backdrop to rail against Iran as a rogue state and to denounce Tehran as the worlds leading state-supporter of terrorism. This from the president of a country that, in pursuit of unbridled domination of the worlds most important oil-exporting region, has waged or fomented a series of ruinous wars since 1991 that have razed entire societies, including Iraq, Libya and Syria, and, in the process, repeatedly supported and armed Islamist terrorists.

Today, nearly one year to the day after Trump used the UN as a platform to threaten to totally destroy North Korea, a country of 25 million people, the US president will again go before the UN General Assembly. According to previews of his speech provided the media by administration officials, Trump will combine an America First rant about the seminal importance of national sovereigntywhose essential content is that US imperialism reserves the right to be a law unto itselfwith a litany of denunciations of Iran, many of them lifted from the songbook of his close ally Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Wednesday, Trump will chair a session of the 15-member UN Security Council that the US, exercising its rights as chair, has allotted to discussion of nuclear proliferation and weapons of mass destruction. As is his wont, the fascist-minded billionaire gave a cruder, but truer description of his intentions on his Twitter account, declaring, I will chair a United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran.

Trump apparently intends to use much of his time in his back-to-back UN appearances to fulminate against Irans ballistic missile program, claiming it constitutes an intolerable threat to the region. No matter that Washington has plied its regional allies, including nuclear-armed Israel and Saudi Arabia, with tens of billions of dollars worth of advanced weaponry.

Elimination of Irans ballistic missile program is among the list of demands Trump and his aides have set out as the ostensible basis for a renegotiated Iran nuclear deal. Others include Irans acceptance of permanent limits on its civil nuclear program far more onerous than those imposed on any other signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and an end to Tehrans malign activities in the Middle East, i.e., its military and political support for Hezbollah, Hamas and other regional allies.

In toto, these amount to a demand for Irans bourgeois nationalist regime to renounce any opposition to US domination of the Middle East, its effective disarmament and reduction to the status of an American client state.

US military action and threats against Iran

Washington has accompanied its economic war on Iran with increased military action against Iran and its allies and war threats from the Pentagon and top administration officials, including Trump himself. On Friday, Pompeo said that should US interests come under attack from Iranian proxies, the US stands ready to strike at Iran itself. Iran will be held accountable for those incidents, the US Secretary of State told CNN.

In late July, Trump vowed that if Iran so much as threatened action against US forces, it would suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered.

American forces in Syria and the Israel Defense Forces have repeatedly attacked Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards fighting in support of Bashar al-Assads Baathist regime. And earlier this month the Trump administration let it be known that the US military will indefinitely occupy much of eastern Syria, including the countrys main oil fields, so as to push for a political settlement in alignment with the US interest in the removal of all Iranian forces from Syria.

All factions of the US political and military-intelligence establishment share the objective of subjugating Iran and ensuring US hegemony over the Middle East, because of both its oil wealth and its geostrategic importance as the hinge between Europe, Asia and Africa.

But Trumps scuttling of the Iran nuclear accord has been sharply criticized by a significant section of the ruling elite, who fear it will embroil the US in a Mideast-wide war and undercut what they consider the more pivotal military-strategic offensives against American imperialisms more substantial rivals, Russia and China.

Last week, more than 50 retired congressional leaders, diplomats and generals, including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, issued a statement under the banner of the National Coalition to Prevent an Iranian Nuclear Weapon. It voiced support for most of Trumps demands on Iran, but expressed concern the administration was pursuing a policy of brinkmanship, emphasizing coercion and threats of military action without any exit ramp to avoid collision.

The statement deplored the fact that the Trump administrations Iran policy was estranging Washingtons traditional European allies and thereby encouraging common cause among the Europeans, Russia and China in opposition to the US.

Many, if not all, of the statements signatories have been advocates of a much more aggressive US military intervention in Syria, which they argue is the more effective way of rolling back both Iranian and Russian influence in the Middle East.

A further exacerbation of tensions among the imperialist powers

The major European powers, Germany, France and Britain, all deplored Trumps pullout from the Iran nuclear accord, which has trashed their plans to capture Iranian markets and cash in on Tehrans offer of lucrative oil and natural gas concessions.

The European powers are all frantically rearming, with the aim of pursuing their own predatory interests on the world stage, under conditions of trade war, the erosion of US global hegemony, Washingtons turn to America First unilateralism and the rise of new powers.

But the European imperialists fear the explosive consequences of Washingtons reckless belligerence. A military clash between Iran and the US would set the Middle East ablaze, triggering a mass exodus of refugees, sending oil prices soaring, and unleashing a re-partition of the Mideast under conditions where the European powers as yet lack the military means to assert decisive influence.

Yesterday, German, French and British diplomats joined Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and representatives of the other signatories of the Iran deal, China and Russia, to discuss how to prevent its total collapse.

The EU has sought to push back against the US sanctions, including invoking a law first passed in the 1990s to make it illegal for European companies to comply with US extraterritorial sanctions. It has also begun working on a scheme to enable trade with Iran using the euro, in lieu of the US dollar, or even through a barter system.

But European big business has no confidence that the EU will be able to protect it from the reach of US reprisals and is voting with its feet. Scores of major European firms have announced they are pulling out of Iran, including Peugeot, Renault, Deutsche Telekom, Airbus, Volvo and Total, the French energy company, which was awarded a huge share of Irans South Pars natural gas field.

Irans clerical bourgeois regime, which came to power by appropriating the mass working class-led revolution that toppled the Shahs US-backed absolutist regime in 1979, hoped through a rapprochement with the US and European imperialist powers to strengthen its hand against an increasingly restive working class and win recognition as a regional power.

Instead, three years after making sweeping concessions to secure the nuclear accord, it faces a rapacious Washington bent on forcing total capitulation and a growing challenge from a working class angered by rampant social inequality and years of austerity.

In response, it has stepped up repression against the working class while maneuvering on the world stage. These maneuvers involve a combination of threats, including warnings that if Washington illegally blocks Iran from exporting its oil it will prevent Saudi Arabia and other US allies from shipping their oil via the Strait of Hormuz, and pledges to work with the European powers and assist in restabilizing the Middle East.

Yesterday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who has traveled to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, insisted that Iran will stick with the nuclear accord and signaled that Tehran would be ready to enter talks with the Trump administration if it returned to the 2015 deal.The Democratic Party escalated its efforts to delay the confirmation of President Trumps Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer published new allegations of sexual assault against the circuit court judge in the New Yorker on Sunday night.

The new accusation, following allegations against Kavanaugh by Christine Blasey Ford, has been made by Deborah Ramirez, who asserts that Kavanaugh thrust his genitals at her face during a party when the two were in college in the early 1980s.

There are indications that the publication of the second set of accusations has backfired on the Democrats. Farrow and Mayers reporting has been subject to widespread criticism and handled with an unusual degree of skepticism by the national evening news programs.

In a statement from the Senate floor, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the New York Times refused to publish Ramirezs allegation. A Times article yesterday included the following paragraph about the accusation:

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.

The Republicans and the Trump administration have capitalized on skepticism over the second allegation to call for a rapid vote to confirm the arch-reactionary judge. In another demonstration of the degraded level of bourgeois politics in America, Kavanaugh appeared on Fox News last night to declare that he was a virgin at the time of his alleged sexual offenses.

I did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter, he said, while denying Ramirezs accusation as well as the allegation leveled by California professor Blasey Ford.

Democrats have stated that they reject Kavanaughs denials and are calling for an FBI investigation into both allegations. Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal told the Hill, Why has Brett Kavanaugh not called for [an FBI investigation]? The survivors of these sexual assaults have called for an FBI investigationthat speaks volumes to their credibility and the failure of the White House and Brett Kavanaugh to ask for that kind of investigation also speaks to lack of credibility.

The Democrats are increasingly adopting as their party line the assertion that they believe the allegations by Ford and Ramirez are true, despite the lack of any investigation to establish on the basis of facts and evidence whether the two women or Kavanaugh are telling the truth.

On Sunday, Washington state Senator Patty Murray said on the Meet the Press interview program that the presumption of innocence should be applied to presume that the women are being truthful and Kavanaugh is lying. This turns on its head the democratic principle that the presumption of innocence must be given to the accused and the burden of proof placed on the accuser.

On Monday, Senator Chris Coons (Democrat from Delaware) told CNN, I believe both women. He then proceeded to call for a full investigation, despite having all but declared Kavanaugh guilty as charged.

The Democrats have leapt on the allegations in an effort to transform Kavanaughs confirmation vote into a referendum on sexual assault and portray the Republicans as defenders of rape and sexual abuse. They hope thereby to bolster their chances in the midterm elections less than six weeks away.

The New York Times reported Monday, With Judge Kavanaugh and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, scheduled to testify this week before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and many women furious over President Trumps attacks on Dr. Blasey, a Supreme Court nomination that was once seen as a political winner in many conservative-leaning states could, instead, rouse female voters and independents who otherwise may have cared little about the confirmation fight.

The Times went on to note that suburban women are pivotal in this years campaign, and that Republicans risk inviting an even greater backlash at the ballot box if they are too harsh in their questioning of Dr. Blasey, an issue the newspaper calls political dynamite and beneficial to the Democrats.

In an effort to provide a popular veneer to their efforts, the Democrats called for protests on Monday to oppose Kavanaughs confirmation. There was only the most negligible response. Several dozen people, including law students from Kavanaughs alma mater, Yale, participated in a protest in Washington D.C., and a number of Hollywood actresses posted photographs on social media.

The Democratic Partys operation against Kavanaugh has drowned out any discussion of the judges pro-corporate, pro-torture, pro-war record.

Yesterday, Amnesty International published an open letter to senators stating the organization believes that the vetting of Brett Kavanaughs record on human rights has been insufficient. The letter demands any information relevant to Kavanaughs possible involvement in human rights violationsincluding in relation to the US governments use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment, such as during the CIA detention program.

This letter fell on deaf ears and went unreported in the corporate press.

While less than a third of registered voters support Kavanaughs confirmation, the Democrats campaign on alleged sexual assault has not evoked any significant popular support. According to a recent national poll by Fox News, just 36 percent of registered voters believe the allegations by Christine Blasey Ford, while 30 percent believe Kavanaughs denial. Over a third34 percentsay they do not know which side to believe.

Of all the issues voters are following in the run-up to the midterm elections, Brett Kavanaughs nomination and the allegation of Russian interference in the US election are two of the least important. In contrast to the divisions over Kavanaugh, a clear majority of voters are hostile to Trumps record on immigration and health care. Wages and economic hardship remain a particular concern to working class voters.

The real mood among masses of working people was characterized in the first lines of a New York Times op-ed published yesterday by an AFL-CIO leader: When we asked 4,035 working class voters in battleground races to name an elected official who was fighting for them, the top response was not a Republican or a Democrat. It was no one.

Groups like the International Socialist Organization (ISO) are playing a key role in seeking to divert the growing mood of social opposition by tying it to the Democratic Partys campaign on sexual assault. In an editorial board statement titled, She speaks for us and well stand with her, Socialist Worker makes no reference to Kavanaughs right-wing political history, but calls for readers to support the Democratic Partys sex abuse allegations against him.

Making clear its support for the Democrats, the ISO frets that a Democratic-controlled Congress might be able to obstruct further Republican proposals, but it would face major obstacles in undoing the damage that the administration and its Republican allies have done legislatively. The editorial bemoans that fact that even with a Democratic victory, the next Congress wont take office until four long months from now.

What is involved is a right-wing operation to (1) bolster the Democrats election campaign, (2) silence left-wing criticism of Kavanaugh and (3) undercut the democratic right to the presumption of innocencea right that is most essential to the oppressed, including immigrants and the millions of impoverished people languishing in jails and prisons across the US.Monday saw delegates to the British Labour Party conference approve changes to leadership contest rules and the selection process for MPs that represented another capitulation to the right-wing by Jeremy Corbyn and his nominal backers.

The votes both secured a two-thirds majority largely thanks to trade union delegates voting in favour, after a vote earlier on the conference timetable Sunday was used to voice disagreements and ended up split down the middle between party and union delegates.

Party delegates had booed the trade unions and cried shame on Sunday, forcing Wendy Nichols, chair and member of the National Executive Committee (NEC), to appeal Monday for no more jeering.

Anger was generated by the rotten compromise stitched up by the NEC in a two-day meeting prior to the conference. This saw the trade unions spearhead a move to oppose mandatory reselection of MPs that would have seen dozens of right-wingers kicked out by Constituency Labour Parties.

In the past few weeks, Frank Field and John Woodcock quit the party whip amid demands for their expulsion, while Joan Ryan, Kate Hoey, Chris Leslie and Gavin Shuker all lost no-confidence votes moved by members who want them deselected.

The unions also championed proposed changes to the conditions for running as a leadership contender that leave untouched the semi-veto powers of MPs and even add new hurdles to clear.

Under Labours rules, any MP must get the backing of 10 percent of MPs to stand for leader, and the popular demand was to reduce this to 5 percent. The NEC proposals accepted Monday by conference keeps the 10-percent-of-MPs barrier and adds a requirement to secure the backing of 5 percent of local parties or 5 percent of trade union affiliate members.

To deselect an MP has thus far required a vote by 50 percent of local branches and affiliated trade union branches within a constituency. The popular demand was for an automatic contest in every constituency, but the NEC instead proposed that active disaffection by one third of branches and affiliated trade unions is needed to provoke a contest against a sitting MP.

Left members of the NEC were reported to have spoken against the proposed changes, but this was for the record with the Independent reporting, [I]t is understood the issue was not put to a vote and was therefore agreed unanimously.

Delegates to Labours conference were given a straight choice between accepting or rejecting the NEC proposals and could not vote for open selection of MPs. However, reaction was furious with the proposals described as protecting Many sitting MPs who have lost the respect and confidence of local parties.

This sentiment was widespread. In response to articles by the pro-Corbyn web site Skwawkbox defending the NEC compromise, readers wrote:

Terrible mistakecatastrophic from the point of view of the rank and file Labour Party members in need of accountability and a changed relationship with the arrogant, chicken-coup PLP

makes no sense except for Blairite neoliberalism to continue sinking its claws into Labour

this NEC has way too much power over the members theyre supposed to represent

This has gone on for years in the Labour Party, the executive taking the members for fools

Why should 2-300 people have the power to reject a leadership candidate who may well be preferred by the other 500,000 or so members before even one vote is cast?

Faced with this backlash, various trade union bureaucrats took to the floor to voice their outrage at any criticism of their betrayal. However, the most politically revealing response came from Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey at a fringe meeting, who insisted, What comrades need to understand is that Jeremy Corbyn is asking us to accept this alternative.

McCluskey is not lying. Corbyn joined Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and the self-proclaimed grassroots pro-Corbyn Momentum grouprun by Jon Lansman as his personal fiefdomin urging acceptance of a stitch-up that leaves the right-wing only slightly less firmly in the saddle.

Corbyn has done everything possible to thwart demands for a reckoning with the right-wing. Before conference began, he described the no-confidence vote against Gavin Shuker as not the start, or indeed the end, of any process of deselection. Nor did it affect his role as an MP: He works hard to represent the constituency and hes obviously ever-present in Parliament, taking up issues there.

McCluskey also told the fringe meeting, There are certain MPs who are almost asking to be deselected. But he went on to stress his concern over splits, calling for party members to stick together and support the NEC compromise because The Tory media have come here desperate for divisions in our party.

A spokesman for Momentum issued a weasel-worded apologia for a meagre set of reforms by suggesting, however, it could have been much worse.

Lansman spent his time at a Jewish Labour Movement fringe meeting, speaking alongside MPs who have led the campaign slandering Corbyn, where he appealed for unity, saying, 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.

The media wasnt waiting to see divisions in the party, but championing the right-wing protected from an angry membership by Corbyn, McDonnell, McCluskey, Lansman et al. The BBC noted how the conference revealed that there are now far more delegates on the left of the party than in previous years, even after Jeremy Corbyn became leader. This is underlined by the fact that while the Momentum leadership is now backing the de-selection compromise as a step forward, some of their own supporters see this as a sell out.

The frothing anti-Communist Rod Liddle provided the most telling comment in the Sunday Times: Gavin Shuker, the MP for Luton South, has been given a vote of no confidence by his local partysomething that will lead, further down the line, to deselectionand told me that whereas he had originally been selected by the votes of a couple of hundred party members, 1,200 people have since joined up and they want him out.

Labour moderates, he added, have no allies, anywhere; nothing upon which to pin their hopes.  The anti-Semitic stuff does not play with voters north of Watford Gap; it has no resonance, because there is also still a strong resentment about the bankers we were forced to bail out 10 years ago who never got their comeuppance, allied to an even stronger resentment about social inequality. 

The Socialist Equality Party has lent critical support to the demand of Labour members to drive out the Blairites, insisting that these political criminals must not be allowed free rein to carry out their anti-working-class agenda. We also warned those who take up such a fight will inevitably find themselves in conflict with Corbyn, whose pro-capitalist politics ensure that he and his clique will continue to appease, capitulate and otherwise sabotage the struggle against the right-wing.

Many of those who look to Corbyn for political leadership will appreciate this warning in the aftermath of Labours conference.One of the rarely examined consequences of the restructuring of class relations in the United States in the decade since the global financial crash of 2008 is the increase in workplace fatalities and injuries. The boom in corporate profits and the record stock market rise have been achieved over the broken bones and corpses of workers.

Fatal accidents reported by local news outlets during just two days in September shed light on the terrible toll of unsafe working conditions.

 On September 12, Luis Almonte, a 47-year-old worker, was buried under the debris of a 20-foot-tall brick wall that collapsed in Brooklyn, New York.

 The same day an unnamed heavy equipment operator died from burns he received five days before when his rig burst into flames at Peabody Energys Bear Run coal mine near Dugger, Indiana.

 On September 13, Marcus Dewayne Billingsley, a 29-year-old construction worker, fell to his death while working on the site of a new luxury apartment in Birmingham, Alabama.

 Also on September 13, Tabor Daniel Hayes, 20, was killed at the East Gate Pallet facility near Holly Springs, Georgia in an industrial accident involving a table saw.

 The same day, the body of a 24-year-old Ford worker, whose name has not yet been released, was found inside a bathroom stall at the Ford Sterling Axle Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The deceased was the father of a two-year-old child. Coworkers told police the young man told them he did not feel well. They suspected he might have collapsed before going to the bathroom.

According to the most current government data available, 5,190 workers were killed on the job in 2016, up 7 percent from the 4,836 killed in 2015. In addition, another 50,000 to 60,000 workers die from occupational diseases, including Black Lung, silicosis and various cancers caused by exposure to workplace toxins. At least 150 workers die each day in the United States from preventable, hazardous workplace conditions.

In addition, 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported by employers in 2016. This number, no doubt, is a gross underestimation, since many workers fear retribution from management if they report injuries and many companies fail to report injuries and illnesses.

With the decline in real wages over the last 10 years, workers have been forced to labor at multiple jobs and work longer hours. They face relentless demands for increased workloads and higher productivity. From hand-held computers carried by UPS and other package delivery drivers, to wristbands being tested on Amazon workers, to software to monitor the keyboard clicks of office personnel, corporations are employing new technology to impose speedup and squeeze more and more production out of workers.

After making profits for the corporations, injured workers have been left to starve or go homeless. In a widely viewed video on the World Socialist Web Site, Angela Shelton, a Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas-area Amazon worker, describes how the giant logistics company paid her $7.14 per week in after-tax compensation after she suffered a disabling wrist injury on the job. Another Amazon worker at the same Haslet, Texas Amazon facility was forced to live in her car after being injured.

Of the 5,190 fatalities in 2016, 970or one in fivewere in the construction industry. Every month, 80 construction workers die in workplace accidents, with the bulk of the deaths caused by falls.

They treat us like mules; they will break you down and then throw you away, construction worker Ernesto Rivera told the Guardian, describing conditions in Nashville, Tennessee, where 16 workers were killed in 2016-2017.

It is remarkable, given the frequency and severity of such accidents, that they evoke complete disinterest from the mainstream media and both corporate-controlled political parties. Since the 1980s, workplace safety and health standards have been undermined by both the Democrats and Republicans.

The number of inspectors at the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fallen to its lowest level in the agencys history and is now less than half what it was when Ronald Reagan became president in 1980, when the US economy was half its present size. There are currently 1,821 federal and state inspectors responsible for 9 million workplaces and 130 million workers. It would take the federal agency, on average, 158 years to inspect each workplace under its jurisdiction just once.

During the eight years of the Obama administration, workplace fatalities rose steadily, as the administration relied chiefly on the trade union bureaucracy to enforce ever greater productivity increases.

The Trump administration has made deregulation of health, safety and environmental standards a centerpiece of its domestic economic policy. Trump has appointed former corporate executives to head regulatory agencies, including former coal boss David Zatezaloto at the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Zatezalotos company, Rhino Resources, was cited by MSHA, the agency he now heads, for a pattern of safety violations that contributed to the death of at least one West Virginia miner.

There is a close connection between the increase in workplace fatalities and injuries and the transformation of the trade unions into direct tools of corporate management and the government. These organizations have systematically suppressed the resistance of workers to the onslaught by corporate America and its two political parties. Over the last decade, the unions have reduced strike activity to the lowest level since the government began recording major work stoppages in 1947.

There was a time when the unions, despite their pro-capitalist leadership, carried out certain functions that benefited the most immediate interests of workers in the factories, mines and mills. Workers could complain to their shop steward about the violation of work rules and the speedup of the assembly line. They could file grievances with their committeeman with the expectation that, eventually, they would be addressed. Local unions even called strikes over health and safety issues.

The unions long ago abandoned all such functions. A case in point is the recent life-altering injury to Fiat Chrysler worker Eric Parsons, who has struck by a die slide at the Kokomo Casting Plant in Indiana on September 4, suffering severe injuries to his pelvis and spine as well as internal bleeding.

The United Auto Workers has not even bothered to issue a statement on the accident, let alone called for an independent investigation. This is under conditions where the union has ignored an overwhelming strike authorization vote by the Kokomo workers taken two months ago over some 200 unresolved health and safety grievances.

Workers need new organizations to fight against speedup, forced overtime, safety violations, faulty equipment, hazardous chemicals and the daily abuse of the companies, including sexual harassment. The Socialist Equality Party proposes that workers elect rank-and-file factory and workplace committees that will answer to the needs of the workers and not accept the claim that their interests must be subordinated to the profits and prerogatives of the corporations and banks.

These committees will monitor health and safety, mobilize workers against speedup and work overloading, and enforce the eight-hour day. In opposition to the dictatorship on the shop floor exercised by the corporations and their union handmaidens, factory committees will assert the will of rank-and-file workers and advance a program for industrial democracy, including workers control over production.

The erosion of workplace safety is a global issue. Earlier this month, thousands of workers at an airport construction site in Istanbul, Turkey struck following a van accident that injured 17 of their coworkers. The crash was the latest in a raft of industrial accidents at the worksite, referred to by workers as a graveyard.

At every step, the right to decent and safe working conditions collides with the profit interests of the global corporations. In spite of the enormous advances in science and technology, workers are forced by capitalist wage slavery into brutal workplace conditions.

The establishment of a rational and humane system of production requires an assault on private ownership of the means of production. It is necessary to expropriate the corporations and transform them into public utilities under the democratic control of the working class. Such a socialist program can be implemented only through the building of a powerful international socialist movement of the working class.Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein met with White House officials Monday morning, amid a frenzy of media reports claiming he had resigned or was about to be fired by President Trump. Rosenstein is the day-to-day supervisor of the Russia investigation and the only official with the authority to curb or even remove Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The day ended with no change in Rosensteins status. On the contrary, Rosenstein stayed after his discussions with White House Counsel Don McGahn and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to attend a deputy principals meetinga regular gathering of the number two officials at federal departments.

Kelly then made a public gesture of walking out of the building with Rosenstein and warmly shaking his hand as television cameras rolled. The White House later revealed that Rosenstein would meet face-to-face with Trump on Thursday, after the presidents return from the United Nations in New York, where he is to address the General Assembly and chair a meeting of the Security Council.

Rosenstein has been the target of all-out attack in the far-right press since the New York Times published a report September 21 claiming that in May 2017 he had suggested that cabinet members should seek the removal of Trump under the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, on the grounds of mental incompetence. He had also spoken of wearing a wire to record the presidents ranting at private meetings, the newspaper claimed.

The deputy attorney general flatly denied the Times account of discussions on the 25th Amendment, and claimed that the remark about wearing a wire was a sarcastic rebuttal to another official in the course of a heated argument. The other official is widely reported to be Andrew McCabe, then-acting director of the FBI after Trumps firing of James Comey, the event that touched off the discussions within top Justice Department and FBI circles about what to do about the president.

Trump supporters and would-be advisers among right-wing media pundits have been sharply divided over whether to fire Rosenstein now, with many warning that the Times article was likely a deliberate effort to incite such an action in the weeks leading up to the midterm elections, which could inflame anti-Trump sentiment and insure a larger than expected victory for the Democrats in both the House and Senate.

That this assessment was very likely correct is indicated by the media response to the reports, citing sources in the Justice Department, that Rosenstein had resigned or was about to be fired. Coverage of all other topics ceased on CNN and MSNBC, as anchors and pundits discussed the presumed parallel to the Saturday Night Massacre in the Nixon administration, which led directly to impeachment proceedings and Nixons forced resignation from office in the Watergate scandal.

There was disappointment and obvious confusion when Rosenstein emerged from the White House intact, smiling, and got into his armored limousine to return to the Department of Justice.

There is little doubt that Trump intends to remove Rosenstein from office, but this action faces two major obstacles, both political. Firing Rosenstein now, before the November 6 midterm elections, would allow the Democratic Party to revive the Russia investigation as an electoral issue, where it has proved up to now to have no popular support. No one believes that the billionaire con man and reactionary is secretly an agent of Moscow. He is all too obviously the instrument of the most rapacious circles on Wall Street, who are celebrating the trillions they have gained from his tax cuts and slashes in regulations.

Then there is the thorny question of naming a replacement, and getting that nominee confirmed by the Senate, particularly if Trump also discharges Rosensteins boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is widely expected to leave after the election. If the Democrats win control of the Senate, giving them the ability to block a nominee, Trump could seek to push through nominations of replacements for Sessions and Rosenstein in a lame-duck session in December, although there is little precedent for such an action.

Sessions alienated Trump, apparently permanently, despite his vicious enforcement of Trumps orders to attack and persecute immigrants, because he recused himself from supervision of the Mueller investigation. That Sessions was legally bound to do this since he had been a prominent part of the Trump campaign, whose alleged relations with Russia Mueller was to investigate, cut no ice with Trump, whose only criterion for subordinates is slavish loyalty.

If Trump does fire Rosenstein, or force his resignation, the supervision of the Mueller investigation will pass to Solicitor General Noel Francisco, an ultra-right lawyer educated at the University of Chicago, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia before working at the Justice Department during the Bush administration, in the Office of Legal Counsel, then engaged in dreaming up legal rationalizations to justify torture at secret CIA prison camps.

Franciscos former law firm, Jones Day, is representing Trump in the Mueller investigation, creating yet another apparent conflict of interest.UN Human Rights Council official Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky ended a nine-day visit to Sri Lanka earlier this month. Bohoslavsky, whose job title is UN Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and human rights, offers advice to indebted governments in less developed countries.

Bohoslavskys visit and his preliminary end of mission statement are an indication of international concern about growing popular opposition to Colombos implementation of International Monetary Fund (IMF) dictated austerity measures. According to the Central Bank, Sri Lanka will have to pay $4 billion per year until 2022 just to meet its current external debt liabilities.

In the past year, protests and strikes have involved railway, postal, health, power, university and plantation workers for higher wages and improved working conditions. Poor farmers and fishermen have also demonstrated against cut backs and increased fuel and production costs. University students are involved in ongoing protests, in particular against the privatisation of education.

Bohoslavsky called on the government to assess the human rights impact of both its economic reform policies and infrastructure projects and warned that social spending should not be cut to repay growing debts. Spending cuts, he said, should at least be compensated through cash transfers targeting those in need.

The UN expert said recent IMF directed reforms slashing energy and farming subsidies, might have an adverse effect on the livelihood of fishermen, farmers and rural communities. Electricity prices have been deregulated and the cost of fuel is determined by an automatic market-based formula. He also raised concerns about increases in the value added tax (VAT), which has been lifted to 15 percent on almost all goods and services. He noted that the cost of such a tax is borne by the poorest part of the population.

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe governments fuel pricing formula has resulted in constant increases in petrol, diesel and kerosene prices. In May the government increased diesel from 95 rupees per litre to 110 rupees, and in July lifted it again to 118 rupees (about 73 US cents). The cost of services and products dependent on fuel has increased accordingly, directly impacting on the working masses.

The IMF has also ordered the government not to use the countrys foreign reserves to defend the exchange rate, thus allowing the fluctuations of global money markets to determine the value of the Sri Lankan rupee. As a result, the rupee has depreciated by 7.4 percent against the US dollar since the beginning of the year.

Bohoslavsky also referred to the governments privatisation program and cautioned against the so-called public-private partnerships, particularly in the health and education sectors. He did not oppose privatisation as such, but declared that public private partnerships should not replace the governments primary obligation of ensuring the economic, social and cultural rights equally among everyone.

Bohoslavsky referred to Sri Lankas endorsement of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, saying these rights should be incorporated into the countrys constitution and protected by the judiciary. Such proclamations are hot air. The equal distribution of economic, social and cultural rights is impossible under the capitalist profit system.

Bohoslavskys findings on micro financing highlighted the predatory nature of finance capital and its local representatives in providing small loans to the most oppressed sections of society. He said rural women were being particularly targeted in the war-ravaged parts of the country with interest payments as high as 220 percent.

Some women, he said, had three or four outstanding loans from different lenders and were confronted with collectors who visited them on a virtual daily basis and would not leave their homes until they were paid. He learnt some borrowers had attempted to donate their kidneys and others were pressured for sexual favours, in exchange for outstanding instalments. This problem, he said, is a state responsibility because the poor cannot be forced to pay for public goods via private microcredit.

Bohoslavsky called for human rights impact assessments on large scale infrastructure projects. He noted that neither international lenders, such as World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the Japanese and Indian governments, nor the Sri Lankan government have carried out such assessments for power plant projects, the Hambantota port, the Mattala Airport or the Colombo outer expressway. These multi-billion dollar projects were initiated by the government in an attempt to attract foreign investment.

The UN expert called on the government to adopt less harmful policy options to deal with growing foreign debt. This included renegotiating the debt repayments and boosting domestic demand through progressive tax reforms, expanding social benefits and increasing minimum wagesoptions that will be rejected out of hand by Sri Lankas international creditors.

Bohoslavsky noted the governments high military expenditure, which, more than nine years after the end of the protracted war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, continues to climb. He called on the government to re-examine military spending.

Since President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe came to power the defence budget has increased by 29 percentfrom 225 billion rupees per year in 2015 to 290 billion rupees in 2018.

Colombos spending spree on the armed forces is connected to the ongoing military occupation of the North and East war-ravaged areas and government repression against an increasingly restive working class and the poor. The military and police have been mobilised against striking workers, including their deployment as strike breakers under essential service orders.

The purpose of Bohoslavskys mission was to warn the government, and international finance capital, that the worsening social conditions of the working people in Sri Lanka would lead to an inevitable social explosion.

The UN expert referred, in particular, to the lack of unionisation of the Sri Lankan work force which, he said, had resulted in the trade unions losing the power to fulfil their traditional role of contributing to redistribution of wealth.

In fact, the trade unions have been transformed into political control mechanisms that block the working class from defending their social rights, opening the way for escalating government attacks and ensuring that wealth continues to be redistributed to big business and the capitalist elite.

Bohoslavskys principal concern is that thousands of Sri Lankan workers have lost confidence in the trade unions and that the eruption of struggle outside union control is the real threat to capitalist rule on the island.

The author also recommends:

Sri Lankan government imposes IMF-dictated increases on essential items

[17 May 2018]

Sri Lankan fishermen demonstrate to demand fuel price reductions

[30 August 2018]Update 09/25/18 3:53 p.m.

At least four Mississippi emergency workers say they heard a dying woman tell them someone named Eric had set her on fire.



Quinton Tellis | Photo: MGN Online Quinton Tellis | Photo: MGN Online

The men testified Tuesday in the capital murder retrial of Quinton Tellis, who is accused of killing Jessica Chambers in 2014 by setting her on fire. Jurors couldn't reach a verdict in the first trial last year.

Earlier Tuesday, a speech pathologist testified that Chambers was so severely burned that she wouldn't have been able to produce "articulate" sound.

Tellis' defense lawyers say prosecutors have the wrong man on trial and are urging jurors to believe what firefighters, paramedics and others heard on a roadside on the outskirts of rural Courtland.

Prosecutors say evidence including cellphone locations, video, DNA on a keychain and Tellis' statements point to him killing Chambers.

Update below from 12:40 p.m.

A speech pathologist says a Mississippi woman who suffered fatal burns could not speak clearly after she was set on fire.

Carolyn Wiles Higdon testified Tuesday in the trial of Quinton Tellis, who is being retried for capital murder in the 2014 death of Jessica Chambers. Jurors couldn't reach a verdict in the first trial last year.

Higdon says Chambers was so severely burned that she wouldn't have been able to produce "articulate" sound within two to three minutes after she was burned.

That testimony could help undercut a key defense argument  that multiple emergency workers heard a dying Chambers say someone named "Eric" attacked her. Defense attorneys urged jurors to trust that testimony  a foundation of their arguments in the first trial.

Prosecutors say evidence pointed to Tellis killing Chambers.

See the original post below.

BATESVILLE, Miss. (AP)  Prosecutors say evidence will show a man killed a Mississippi woman by setting her on fire, but defense attorneys say prosecutors can't prove it and that someone else killed her.

Quinton Tellis is being retried on capital murder charges in the death of Jessica Chambers in 2014, after jurors couldn't reach a verdict in his first trial last year.

Opening statements began Tuesday in Panola County Circuit Court in Batesville in a trial that could last a week. Jurors were selected Monday in Starkville more than 120 miles (195 kilometers) away because of pretrial publicity.

Tellis faces another murder indictment in the 2015 stabbing death of Meing-Chen Hsiao in Monroe, Louisiana. He's already pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of her debit card. The 29-year-old Tellis is currently serving a prison sentence in Mississippi on an unrelated burglary charge.

Prosecutors say cellphone locations, video, DNA on a keychain and Tellis' statements link him to Chambers' death. A new witness may testify she picked up Tellis that night near where Chambers, who was 19, was burned.

"Once you hear all the evidence the state offers, you're going to have plenty of evidence to convict him of capital murder," Panola County Assistant District Attorney Jay Hale told jurors.

The defense emphasized that multiple emergency workers heard the dying Chambers say someone named "Eric" attacked her, calling the prosecution's evidence "speculation" or "unreliable." Defense attorney Darla Palmer urged jurors to disregard evidence about cellphone locations that she said can't prove Tellis and Chambers were in exactly the same place.

"This evidence is always going to show, it's always going to say Eric did it, no matter what the state does to diminish that, and we would ask that you find Quinton not guilty."

Hale said investigators had interviewed many people named Eric or Derek but ruled all of them out. He said that after the inquiry reached a dead end, investigators re-examined Tellis who had been an early suspect. Hale said investigators focused on him after he changed his story and admitted he had been with Chambers later on the Saturday of her death.

"Quinton Tellis had not been truthful to investigators," Hale said.Update 09/24/18

The following statement is from Shumpert family attorney Carlos Moore:

"Mrs. Shumpert will request the United States Supreme Court to hear case against Tyler Cook only."

See the original post below.

NEW ORLEANS (WTVA) - A federal appeals court has upheld dismissal of a $35 million civil suit filed by the widow of Antwun Shumpert against the city of Tupelo concerning a fatal police shooting.

The 21-page ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came Monday just weeks after oral arguments were made in New Orleans.

A federal judge dismissed the suit, which prompted the appeal.

The lawsuit was filed by Peggy Shumpert and by Charles Foster, who was with Antwun Shumpert the night of the shooting, against the city, Mayor Jason Shelton, Police Chief Bart Aguirre and Officer Tyler Cook.

The civil suit followed a Lee County grand jury deciding there was nothing criminal in Cook's actions.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Opening Nights at Florida State University will present comedian Brian Regan  "the funniest standup alive"  on October 1.

His appearance at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall will be the Miami native's first appearance on the Opening Nights' roster.

Regan uses observational, sarcastic and self-deprecating humor. He has distinguished himself in the comedy world through his clean performances, refraining from profanity and off-color humor.

"While he does tour, the stops are typically in major cities due to the demands on his time and the requests for public performances," said Michael Blachly, director of Opening Nights. "From that vantage point, its nice to be able to bring a big city offering to the Leon County audience.

Called the funniest stand-up alive by Vanity Fair, Regan made history with his special "Brian Regan, Live from Radio City Music Hall" - the first live broadcast of a stand-up special in Comedy Centrals history.

He is a regular on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and was a regular guest on The Late Show with David Letterman.

Tickets start at $25. Tickets for students under 18 and those at FSU, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College are 50 percent off regular ticket prices.

Tickets are available at OpeningNights.FSU.edu or by calling FSUs Tickets Office at (850) 644-6500MADISON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - A Mississippi man has been arrested after troopers say he assaulted a woman while driving on I-10 in Madison County.

The Florida Highway Patrol says a trooper was on I-10 at the 237 mile post in Madison County Tuesday morning when two other drivers stopped and informed him that a man was beating and hitting a woman. The drivers said that the incident was happened about a mile away.

When the trooper arrived on scene, he saw four people in the media and a law enforcement inspector holding a suspect at gunpoint. Eventually, the suspect, identified as 41-year-old Jimmy Lee Daniels, Jr., was arrested.

Troopers say the woman with Daniels had "obvious swelling and discoloration" on her right check and right eye area as well as bruising to her forearm.

After an investigation, the trooper arrested Daniels, charged him with domestic battery and took him to the Madison County Jail.TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - It's Healthy Campus Week at Florida A&M University.

The goal is pretty straightforward: Encouraging everyone at FAMU to be physically active and make healthier choices.

The university is one of about 70 schools across the country working with the Partnership for a Healthier America. The Healthier Campus Initiative kicked off Monday with blood pressure checks and fitness screenings.

Later this week, students can get in on a cooking class, a campus "walk out," and yoga. University officials say all of this promotes a better lifestyle for students.

"I think it's important that they stay physically healthy, because it helps with the mind as well as the body," said Michael Smith, the Director of Finance and Administration, Business and Auxiliary Services. "So, you talk about a healthy mind, a healthy body helps the students stay alert, attentive, ready for studying, for classes, test-taking -- all of those things are going to them having a very good college experience."TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Leon County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate what happened early Saturday morning in the Killearn Acres neighborhood.

Several vehicles were burglarized, and the suspects fired back at a homeowner who was following them.

[MORE INFO: LCSO investigating multiple vehicle burglaries, shooting in Killearn area]

As you may have seen on social media, plenty of people have been talking about what happened. The sheriff's office told WTXL said it wants to correct some "misinformation" shared on social media about what happened.

That includes how and why deputies responded they way they did.

LCSO dispatched six units to the scene, the first one at 4:10 a.m. Saturday to Iron Liege Trail where a homeowner caught at least two people breaking into his vehicle.

A deputy arrived at Kingman Trail five minutes later, stopping short of another scene where the suspects crashed an SUV they were trying to steal.

That's part of protocol. It's what the sheriff's office calls a "tactical approach." Once the deputy surveyed the scene, other units were called in for backup.

The sheriff's office said most auto burglaries are "crimes of opportunity."

"Make sure that you take all your valuables out, so that it's not a valuable target for someone to come by. You know, we don't want people to be able to just walk by, open doors, and take out whatever is in there. Take your firearms out, take any valuables -- computers, your keys," said Deputy Dave Teems with the Leon County Sheriff's Office. "If you're going to park on the driveway and you're in a garage, take your garage door opener out, because if they can get in, they can get into your garage at that time and cause all sorts of other issues."

The sheriff's office says around 98 percent of auto burglaries it's responded to show "no signs of forced entry." That's been the case for each of the 13 incidents in the Killearn area over the past 90 days.

Deputies and state troopers are providing extra patrols in that area. The joint LCSO-TPD Property Crimes Task Force is working on this case.Bill Cosby has received a sentence of three to 10 years in state prison, the Associated Press reports. On Tuesday, Judge Steven O'Neill handed down the sentence in Norristown, Pennsylvania, where a jury convicted Cosby on three sexual assault charges in April. The comedian will also have to register as a sex offender and attend counseling for the rest of his life.

Cosby was immediately taken into custody, reportedly with O'Neill denying defense attorneys' bail requests. According to Buzzfeed News, Cosby's lawyers wasted no time filing paperwork that would allow him to remain free while awaiting an appeal.

"It is time for justice, Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you," ONeill said, according to the NY Times. "The day has come. The time has come."

"It is time for justice in a court of law," judge says. "The day has come. The time has come."  Laura McCrystal (@LMcCrystal) September 25, 2018

The judge spoke in a lengthy manner about the impact of the Cosby's crime on Andrea Constand.



"You claimed her silence was consent. That is not the law," said the judge. "This is a court of law and I intend to sentence you under the law."  julia reinstein  (@juliareinstein) September 25, 2018

Jurors found Cosby guilty of assaulting Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee who looked to the entertainer as a mentor, in 2004. In court, Constand repeated the same testimony she'd given in 2017, in a trial that ended in a hung jury. Constand said that, on a night when she visited him at his home, Cosby gave her unmarked pills he billed as herbal supplements, promising they would "take the edge off" the stress she'd been feeling. After swallowing them, her vision blurred, her speech slurred, and she passed outonly to "jolt" awake sometime later, to find Cosby violating her and moving her hand on his penis. The experience fits the behavioral pattern nearly 60 women have attested to in their dealings with the comedian.

In April, five of those women joined Constand in taking the stand, and some of those witnessesincluding supermodel Janice Dickinsonreappeared in the courtroom for hearings this week.

Among the central issues debated on Monday and Tuesday was the question of whether or not Cosby qualifies as a "sexually violent predator." On Monday, the state called psychologist Kristen F. Dudley, who stressed that Cosby seems to check the boxes for a mental disorder that renders him, basically, unable to control himself when it comes to non-consensual sex. "It is possible that he has already met someone who could be a future victim," she said, according to the NY Times.

On Tuesday, however, an expert witness for the defense disagreed. Psychologist Timothy Foley said that a three-hour meeting with Cosby, along with a review of his records, indicated that America's former Dad presented an "extremely low risk." Notably, though, Foley did not read the depositions or the court documents. He did not know about the quaalude prescriptions Cosby secured specifically for sex. He did not know about the corroborating testimony from women with eerily similar stories to Constand's. Ultimately, O'Neill agreed on Tuesday that Cosby deserves the "sexually violent predator" label.

In determining whether or not Cosby deserved the full 10 year maximums on each of his three convictions, O'Neill had a few factors to consider. The defense urged leniency, citing Cosby's age and his vision problems: "How's he going to meet these people?" the defense attorney, Joseph Green argued Monday, referring to the prospect of new victims. "There is no reasonable prospect that an 81-year-old blind man is likely to reoffend." Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, meanwhile, implored O'Neill to set an example by imposing the maximum term, to be served in prison rather than on house arrest.

"The bottom line, your honor, is nobody's above the law," Steele said, according to the NYT. "Others in a similar situation need to understand that."

Constand spoke in court briefly on Monday, and submitted a lengthy victim impact statement describing the crushing shame she felt after the assault isolated her from family and friends, plagued by anxiety, and "consumed with guilt."

"I know now that I am one of the lucky ones," Constand said. "But still, when the sexual assault happened, I was a young woman brimming with confidence and looking forward to a future bright with possibilities. Now, almost 15 years later, I'm a middle-aged woman who's been stuck in a holding pattern for most of her adult life, unable to heal fully or to move forward.

"Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it. He robbed me of my health and vitality, my open nature, and my trust in myself and others."

Although given the opportunity on Tuesday, Cosbywho maintains his innocence and intends to appeal the decisiondeclined to make a statement.

JUST IN: Bill Cosby led out of courtroom in handcuffs after being sentenced to 3-10 years in prison. https://t.co/wqq3YyiSf6 pic.twitter.com/drHx3XpBpj  NBC News (@NBCNews) September 25, 2018

UPDATE: Cosby has officially been processed at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, which released his mugshot Tuesday afternoon.LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - A Leon County highway is now officially renamed in honor of a fallen deputy.

Deputy Christopher Smith was killed in the line of duty nearly four years ago.

He was responding to reports of a house fire on November 22nd 2014, when he was ambushed.

Today, the 15-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 90 from Chaires Cross Road in Leon County to State Road 59 in Jefferson County is now called the "Deputy Christopher Smith Memorial Highway."

"Not only was it important for the family, but it was important for this community and the state of Florida," said Bill Montford, a state senator. "If you look through out the state, you will see these type of commemorative signs through out this state they are reserved for truly outstanding Floridians. Chris Smith was a truly an outstanding Floridian."

Smith worked as a deputy in both Leon and Jefferson counties during his career. Today would have been his 51st birthday.THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) - Thomasville is ready for a boost to the economy, thanks to a new company coming to town.

The Caterpillar building on U.S. 319 closed in November 2016.

Now, a New York business is moving into that space, and it's bringing in hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars over the next several years.

The name of the company won't be revealed until later, but Shelly Zorn with the Payroll Development Authority says they make magazines for firearms.

"They make the magazines inside the guns, for the who's who of the gun industry," said Zorn. "Colt, Sig, Smith & Wesson and Kimber."

They also make medical tooling, and that diversity attracted Zorn to their company. And since Georgia is a gun friendly state with a focus on outdoor living, Zorn says the family-owned company found Thomasville to be a perfect fit.

"The south, Thomasville, is very gun friendly, we understand the importance of safety, and understand responsible gun ownership. So, that was very appealing to them," Zorn explained.

Starting in 2019, and over the course of the next three to four years, Project Ridder, the code name for the company will be transitioning from Long Island, to Thomasville. Training employees in the process.

"It'll be a process. They'll bring down one line at a time, and bring it down in phases," said Zorn. "But, they have committed to bringing down their whole operation here to Thomasville and their corporate office as well."

Project Ridder will create around 230 jobs, and since Zorn revealed this information, she says she already received multiple resumes.

"If we help someone create one job, five jobs, 10 jobs that has a huge impact on a smaller rural community," said Zorn. "So this is a very large announcement. Probably the largest in Thomas County in 20 years."

Zorn says there are no structural concerns with this building, it just requires some cosmetic updates.MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) - Second Cup is bringing Latin flavor this Tuesday morning.

WTXL ABC Sunrise Anchor Malcolm Hornsby was joined by Geno Arroyo, co-owner of the El Criollo Grill food truck with Nany Rosado-Vilchez.

Arroyo spoke about a traditional Puerto Rican holiday dish served in the fall.

He and co-owner Rosado-Vilchez have a food truck, but unfortunately it has had to go in the shop for repairs.

Since he was a child, Arroyo, a native Puerto Rican, has dreamed of owning a food service business, then came the Food Truck "El Criollo Grill."

As a U.S. Marine, Arroyo travelled the world and tasted many different types of cuisine.

As a truck driver for more than 20 years, he drove all over the United States and tasted Latin Food.

Bit he never found a real Puerto Rican cuisine outside of Puerto Rico until he met his life long companion, Rosado-Vilchez, also a native Puerto Rican.

Since her childhood she would always cook with her parents.

She pursued to work in five-star hotels in the hospitality industry, learning from the top notch Puerto Rican cuisine chefs who specialized in Latin food.(ABC NEWS) - The white man who invoked Florida's "stand your ground" self-defense law in the fatal shooting of Markeis McGlockton, an African-American father of three, during a confrontation over a handicap parking space has been released on bond.

ABC News reports Michael Drejka was released from jail on Monday after posting $100,000 bond, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office told ABC affiliate station WTSP-TV in Tampa.

Drejka, 48, was arrested and charged with manslaughter in the July 19 shooting of McGlockton outside a convenience store in Clearwater, Florida.

McGlockton, 28, was shot after he came out of a Circle A store and saw Drejka berating his girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, about parking in a handicap zone. Surveillance video showed McGlockton shoving Drejka to the ground and Drejka, who had a legal concealed weapons permit, pulling a handgun and shooting McGlockton.

In a jailhouse interview earlier this month, Drejka told WTSP that he felt his life was in danger after McGlockton "tackled" him to the ground.

"I followed the law the way I felt the law was supposed to be followed," Drejka said. "I cleared every hurdle that that law had put in front of me."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 20:01:20|Editor: xuxin

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BERLIN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The federal government will provide motorists affected by the "dieselgate" scandal with clarity on the concrete measures adopted in response to looming driving bans in some German cities by the start of next week, Chancellor Angela Merkel promised on Monday.

Merkel's comments were made during a press conference Berlin held shortly after a closely watched summit attended by herself, transport minister Andreas Scheuer and representatives of leading automotive producers in Germany ended inconclusively.

Following the unilateral announcement of diesel driving bans in cities such as Hamburg, Stuttgart and Frankfurt, the ruling "grand coalition" government has come under intense pressure to decide on whether it will force car makers to conduct so-called technical upgrades of diesel vehicles.

The upgrade would be introduced as an alternative and less disruptive means to reduce urban nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution levels.

Although the summit itself failed to produce a legislative breakthrough, Scheuer subsequently insisted that a decision on the issue would be "reached very shortly."

According to Scheuer, the government attached the greatest priority to creating incentives for vehicle owners to swap older diesel cars for newer, and supposedly cleaner, versions.

Whereas car makers point to such fleet renewal measures as the best solution to the "dieselgate" scandal, recent emissions testing conducted independently by the Environmental Action Germany (DUH) has concluded that even the newest Euro6 diesel motor types release 5.5 times more NOx emissions on average than permitted under European Union (EU) law.

The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) estimates that diesel cars are responsible for more than 50 percent of harmful NOx emissions in Germany, levels which currently exceed EU limits in several of the country's major cities.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-24 23:42:23|Editor: mym

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A Palestinian worker is seen inside the Ministry of Health's Gaza Central Drug Store, in Gaza City, on Sep. 24, 2018. 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. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar)

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.

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 01:17:45|Editor: mym

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Palestinian protesters clash with Israeli troops on a beach near the maritime border with Israel in the northern Gaza Strip, on Sept. 24, 2018. Clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers killed one Palestinian and injured 50 others on the border between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel, the Gaza health ministry said. (Xinhua)

GAZA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers killed one Palestinian and injured 50 others on the border between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel, the Gaza health ministry said.

In the first demonstration, a clutch of fishing boats sailed off the northern coast of the Gaza Strip until reaching the bordering area with Israel.

Israeli navy opened intensive gunfire at around 25 fishing boats to force their departure, with no injuries reported, local media said.

The second demonstration occurred on the northern beach of the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of people waved Palestinian flags, burned tires and threw stones at Israeli soldiers on the border.

The two demonstrations were organized by the Palestinian High Commission of the March of Return to defy the 12-year Israeli blockade on the coastal enclave.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the ministry spokesman, told reporters that Israeli army has killed at least 185 Palestinians, and injured mroe than 20,000 others since March 30, the first day of the ongoing Palestinian "Great March of Return" rally.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 02:12:58|Editor: yan

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STOCKHOLM, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Andreas Norlen, a politician of the centre-right alliance, has been appointed the new speaker of the parliament in Sweden, the Swedish Television SVT reported on Monday.

The result was expected as the Swedish Democrats had already beforehand announced that they will give their support to the centre-right alliance's candidate.

"I am proud and happy to be nominated the 90th speaker of the parliament. I will do my best to be a speaker to all the representatives of the parliament even though I did not get all the votes today," Norlen said in a press conference.

As the speaker of the parliament, Norlen has a difficult task ahead of him since the speaker's duty is to lead the negotiations concerning the forming of a new government. The speaker also proposes the new prime ministerial candidate.

Negotiations are expected to be difficult since neither of the two alliances got a majority of votes in the parliamentary elections.

"This political situation puts us all in front of new challenges. In my opinion it would be wise for all of us to take a step back and try to concentrate on long-term plans," Norlen said.

On Tuesday, a mandatory vote for the prime minister will take place. According to SVT, Sweden's present prime minister Stefan Lofven will step down either voluntarily or through the vote.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 02:17:58|Editor: yan

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AMMAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's cabinet on Monday approved the new income tax draft bill that requires increased taxes on banks and other sectors.

The approval came after the cabinet held a national dialogue with various political parties and professional associations, the cabinet said in a statement obtained by Xinhua.

The law increases the income tax on banks from 35 percent to 37 percent, and the tax on the telecom sector to 26 percent from 24 percent, according to the statement.

The bill will be sent to the Lower House for endorsement, the cabinet said.

On Sept. 11, the cabinet announced the new income tax law that seeks to generate an additional revenue of around 280 million dinars (395 million U.S. dollars) in 2019.

The current draft law exempts families whose yearly income does not exceed 18,000 dinars, and individuals with yearly income below 9,000 dinars.

Several segments of the society voiced rejection to the income tax bill, saying it increases burdens.

The current Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz was appointed, as nationwide protests against the previous income tax draft law resulted in the resignation of former Prime Minister Hani Mulki.

The bill is part of the reforms required by a 700 million-U.S.-dollar extended fund facility that was signed between Jordan and the International Monetary Fund in 2016.Police are searching for a man who tried to burn down a deli on Sunday after a fight with the clerk. Security camera video released by the NYPD (see below) shows a man spraying flammable liquid on the ground, then lighting the accelerant's container on fire before tossing it into the store.

The incident began around 6 a.m. on Sunday at the First Stop Deli at 3925 White Plains Road. According to the NYPD, the man "got into a verbal dispute" with the clerk, which devolved into a physical altercation. Later that day, the same man returned to the deli and "spread the contents of a canister of flammable liquid in front of and inside the store and lit it on fire," police say. He then ran away.

The store employee was able to extinguish the blaze, which caused minor property damage.

Police sources tell the Daily News the argument started because the suspect, who was not a regular customer, did not have enough money to pay for some cigars he wanted, and became angry when the clerk refused to let him leave with the merchandise and a promise to come back and pay for them later.

ABC 7 reports that during the dispute the man shouted anti-Muslim slurs at the clerk and threw beer at him. "He say you are a Muslim and terrorist, and threw beer in his face," store owner Tarik Alomary told the news channel.

Police describe the suspect, who is wanted for arson, as being in his 20s and say he was last seen wearing a back hoodie, denim vest, and blue pants.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 02:28:00|Editor: mym

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Photo taken on Sept. 24, 2018 shows a general view of the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit held during the ongoing UN General Assembly's annual top-level meeting at the UN headquarters in New York. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that Nelson Mandela embodied the highest values of the world body, in remembrance of the late South African leader who was a hallmark in the fight against apartheid. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that Nelson Mandela embodied the highest values of the world body, in remembrance of the late South African leader who was a hallmark in the fight against apartheid.

In his remarks to the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit held during the ongoing UN General Assembly's annual top-level meeting, the UN chief said Mandela "devoted his life to serving his community -- as a lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, a peacemaker, president and a respected elder."

"He cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all people live together in equality and harmony," he added.

Guterres recalled the changes Mandela has brought about both to South Africa as well as to the world, saying "under his leadership, South Africa expanded access to healthcare, education, housing, water, sanitation and electricity," and beyond South Africa's borders, he "was a profound influence for peace and democracy."

"Let us commit to build on Nelson Mandela's legacy so that all people everywhere can enjoy peace, prosperity and inclusive and sustainable development," Guterres said in concluding his remarks.

In December 2017, the UN member states decided to hold the peace summit to mark the 100th anniversary of Mandela's birth.

Before that, in 2015, the UN decided to award the Nelson Mandela Prize every five years to two individuals who have made significant contributions to the service of humanity.

Also, each year, the UN observes Nelson Mandela International Day by promoting and engaging in community service.

Mandela was born in July 1918 and died five years ago due to a respiratory infection. He had been imprisoned for 27 years for his role in the fight against apartheid and became the first black president of South Africa.

Earlier Monday, a statue of Nelson Mandela was unveiled at UN Headquarters by Guterres alongside Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, and Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, the president of the 73rd session of the General Assembly.

Gifted by South Africa to the UN, the life-size statue shows Mandela with his arms outstretched and bears his warm and broad smile.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 03:18:20|Editor: yan

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TUNIS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Maritime Guard on Monday managed to intercept an illegal immigration boat with 14 people on board which departed from Italian coast.

"This (immigration) attempt failed Monday at dawn in Nabeul province in northeastern Tunisia," said Houcem Jbabli, the general directorate spokesman of Tunisian Maritime Guard.

Coast guard units arrested 13 people, including a woman, while the organizer jumped into the water and escaped.

Illegal immigration usually originated from the northeast and central-east coast of Tunisia, towards the Italian coast, especially the island of Lampedusa in southern Italy.

According to United Nations Refugee Agency and International Organization for Migration, 3,811 Tunisian illegal immigrants arrived in Italy during the first eight months of 2018, compared with 1,721 of the same period last year.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 04:28:35|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 and his British counterpart Jeremy Hunt on Monday vowed to defend the current international system and multilateralism amid a slew of challenges.

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.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 04:53:44|Editor: Yang Yi

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C) attends a meeting with foreign ministers or representatives of members of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in New York, on Sept. 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese 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 07:24:16|Editor: ZD

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UNITED NATIONS, June 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said here on Monday that his second summit with the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, will be announced "pretty soon." The summit is likely to take place in a different place.

Speaking to the media before the bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that "we'll be having a second summit with Chairman Kim in the not too distant future."

"Our Secretary of State will be dealing with that subject. Mike Pompeo has been in touch with them, and we've been in touch with them," he said. "And I think within a fairly -- pretty short period of time, that will be announced and it will be location to be determined."

"We're both very much looking forward to having it. It will be between North Korea and the United States," he said. "It will be similar to the format we had before, most likely a different location. Again, it will be announced pretty soon."

"I think a lot of progress is being made. I see tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of Chairman Kim for making a deal," he said. "We are in no rush. There's no hurry. We got back three months ago or so. I think we' ve made more progress than anybody has made in -- ever, frankly, with regard to North Korea."

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.

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.

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.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 07:34:18|Editor: ZD

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. leading tech company Microsoft Corporation Monday unveiled a series of new enhanced security tools that help its users remember fewer passwords but better secure their accounts of Microsoft's cloud service.

The U.S. software giant is introducing the new Microsoft Authenticator app that will replace user passwords with a more secure multi-factor sign-in that combines users' phone and their fingerprint, face, or PIN.

Microsoft announced the new measures at its Ignite 2018 conference, an annual gathering of technologists and business leaders, which opened Monday through Sept. 28 in Orlando, Florida.

"Nearly all data loss starts with compromised passwords, and so today we are declaring an end to the era of passwords," Rob Lefferts, Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Security wrote in a blog post.

The Microsoft Authenticator app will support password-less logins for hundreds of thousands of Azure Active Directory-connected apps on its clout platform.

"No company lets enterprises eliminate more passwords than Microsoft," Lefferts said, adding that the adoption of a multi-factor sign-in method will reduce compromise by 99.9 percent.

Lefferts said Microsoft is declaring an end to the era of passwords as the Microsoft Authenticator app guarantees its users a simpler but more secure experience by eliminating passwords.

For enterprise users, the company launched Microsoft Secure Score, an evolution from its Office 365 Secure Score, which provides a continuously updated security rating that reflects its more powerful threat intelligence.

The service helps businesses assess their security situation and possible changes to be taken in response. Lefferts described Microsoft Secure Score as the only enterprise-class dynamic report card for cybersecurity, which cuts the possibility of a breach by 30 times.

He said the Redmond, Washington-based company will expand the Secure Score service to cover all of Microsoft 365 starting on Monday.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 07:34:19|Editor: Yang Yi

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COLORADO SPRING, the United State, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The World Gold Council (WGC) announced here on Monday that China's Shandong Gold Group was accepted by the leading organization for the world gold industry as the 25th Board Member.

In a press release, the London-based global organization said Shandong Gold Group, listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, is one of the largest gold producers in China and is actively committed to ecological mining.

David Harquail, Chair of the World Gold Council, said this move is an important step to better reflect the shape of the global gold mining industry.

"Shandong Gold Group is a leading gold mining company and we are delighted that they have joined the Board," he said.

Chen Yumin, Chairman of Shandong Gold Group, was quoted as saying that the board's expansion showed the members of the WGC, which are gold mining companies, have forward-looking insights worldwide.

"Through joining the World Gold Council, we are now part of an international platform that will enable us to to play a more active and important role and better integrate ourselves into the global gold market while continuously enhancing our relationships with global leading gold companies to promote the stable and long-term development of the gold industry in China and worldwide," Chen said.

Found in 1987, the WGC now has 25 members, which are headquartered across the world and have mining operations in over 45 countries and regions.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 07:39:19|Editor: ZD

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SANTIAGO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chile on Monday declared a health warning sparked by air pollution levels in the coastal towns of Quintero and Puchuncav, in central Valparaiso region.

Officials also ordered local polluting industries to suspend operations, following hundreds of cases of residents showing signs of intoxication from high concentrations of contaminants in the air.

The government is looking for a permanent solution to the crisis, which has been decades in the making, Environment Minister Carolina Schmidt told reporters.

"The government has taken every step to reduce such episodes in the area" but "you can't eliminate more than 50 years of pollution in one month," said Schmidt.

Officials are mulling tougher emissions standards for sulfur dioxide (SO2) by adopting international norms, a move environmentalists have been demanding for some time.

The alerts were issued after numerous students fell ill in recent weeks, forcing local authorities to suspend classes and launch emergency treatment centers.

On Monday, school children in the two towns were due to return to school after the government moved to call off a yellow-level alert, a decision locals and Chile's Medical College were against.

President Sebastian Pinera recently pledged to clean up communities contaminated "with arsenic" and other pollutants, including "carbon and hydrocarbon" runoff from area industrial plants.

"We have a strong presumption that arsenic could be the cause of the high incidence of cancer that affects many inhabitants in these two towns," said Pinera.Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during the signing ceremony of a joint statement in Singapore on June 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Ministry of Communication and Information of Singapore)

UNITED NATIONS, June 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said here on Monday that his second summit with the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, will be announced "pretty soon." The summit is likely to take place in a different place.

Speaking to the media before the bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that "we'll be having a second summit with Chairman Kim in the not too distant future."

"Our Secretary of State will be dealing with that subject. Mike Pompeo has been in touch with them, and we've been in touch with them," he said. "And I think within a fairly -- pretty short period of time, that will be announced and it will be location to be determined."

"We're both very much looking forward to having it. It will be between North Korea and the United States," he said. "It will be similar to the format we had before, most likely a different location. Again, it will be announced pretty soon."

"I think a lot of progress is being made. I see tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of Chairman Kim for making a deal," he said. "We are in no rush. There's no hurry. We got back three months ago or so. I think we' ve made more progress than anybody has made in -- ever, frankly, with regard to North Korea."

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.

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.

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.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 07:49:21|Editor: Yang Yi

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic during their meeting in New York, on Sept. 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed appreciation Monday for Serbia's support and participation in China's Belt and Road initiative.

Meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly high-level week, Wang said the two countries' joint efforts in Belt and Road Initiative will lead to broader prospects and strong support for their bilateral cooperation.

"China is a trustworthy friend for Serbia in the international arena and we wish to continue communicating and coordinating with Serbia on multilateral matters," said Wang, noting these matters include pushing forward the "16+1" cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern Europe countries.

Dacic, for his part, said Serbia attaches great importance to the friendship between the two countries and the two peoples.

He thanked China for its long-time support and help to Serbia and said that Serbia wishes to continue to be China's best friend and important partner in Europe.

"The Serbia-China comprehensive strategic partnership has been making steady progress," he said, adding Serbia wishes to enhance pragmatic cooperation, strengthen communication and coordination on multilateral matters, and build closer bilateral ties with China.The New York Review Of Books editor Ian Buruma, who was widely criticized for publishing and then defending an essay written by disgraced Canadian broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi, was pressured to leave the publication last week amidst the uproar. Now, NYRB has further clarified what went wrong with the editing process of the piece and why Buruma left, while a group of prominent contributors have released a statement protesting the "forced resignation."

The catalyst for Buruma's downfall was Ghomeshi's first-person essay titled "Reflections From A Hashtag," which appears on the cover of the magazines Oct. 11th edition ("The Fall Of Man"). Among other things, the piece was criticized for its self-pitying tone, lack of context, distortion of facts, and soft pedaling of the accusations against Ghomeshi, including the fact he was accused of violent sexual misconduct by more than 20 women, not just "several" as he wrote.

In an unsigned statement emailed to readers on Monday from the magazine's publisher, Rea Hederman, NYRB acknowledged "the validity of this criticism" and collectively described our failures in the presentation and editing of the essay. They also note that "most of the editorial staff" was unhappy with Buruma's followup interview with Slate, in which he dismissively shrugged off "anything short of being convicted of rape in a criminal proceeding" and displayed a shocking lack of empathy or knowledge about the allegations against Ghomeshi: "The exact nature of his behaviorhow much consent was involvedI have no idea, nor is it really my concern."

Crucially, NYRB writes that Buruma "did not follow the usual editorial practices" of the publication with this piece. They added, "Finally, it is inaccurate that Ian Buruma's departure was the result of a 'Twitter mob.' In fact, before his departure, the mob mostly had moved on." You can read the full statement below.

NYRB publisher statement re Ian Buruma firing over Jian Ghomeshi piece: "We acknowledge our failures in the presentation and editing of his story....We surely had a duty to acknowledge the point of view of the women who complained of Mr. Ghomeshis behavior. " pic.twitter.com/tZIWvbHtQ4  Cara Buckley (@caraNYT) September 24, 2018

In his only interview since leaving, Buruma told VN he blamed his departure on a social media storm: "It is rather ironic: as editor of The New York Review of Books I published a theme issue about #MeToo-offenders who had not been convicted in a court of law but by social media. And now I myself am publicly pilloried...I have now myself been convicted on Twitter, without any due process." He said he felt "forced to resign" because of pressure from Hederman as "a capitulation to social media and university presses." He added that he still stood by his decision to publish the essay.

Ppl will say like "Christ, it a firable offense now to try to inject some NUANCE into the Me Too movement?" but the answer is: if u really believe what women are saying lacks nuance, then u are fatally likely to also believe that "how much consent was involved is not my concern"  Jia Tolentino (@jiatolentino) September 19, 2018

Today, 110 NYRB contributors sent a letter in protest of the NYRB decision, saying that while many found the Ghomeshi essay "repellent," they were more concerned "that the public reaction to a single article...should have been the occasion for Ian Burumas forced resignation."

"Given the principles of open intellectual debate on which the NYRB was founded, his dismissal in these circumstances strikes us as an abandonment of the central mission of the Review, which is the free exploration of ideas," it reads. Among those who signed the letter are Colm Toibin, Ian McEwan, Joyce Carol Oates, Lorrie Moore, Philip Lopate, John Banville, Luc Sante, Harry Shearer, James Wolcott and Andrew Solomon.

1/ Just received email of letter from 110 NYRB contributors protesting firing of Ian Buruma His dismissal in these circumstances strikes us as an abandonment of the central mission of the Review, which is the free exploration of ideas. pic.twitter.com/XI84Fkwrob  Cara Buckley (@caraNYT) September 25, 2018

Reactions to Buruma's handling of the Ghomeshi piece and his subsequent departure seem to fall into two main camps: those who think his departure was a necessary consequence of poor editorial decision-making, and those who feel he is being unfairly pilloried over one provocative but flawed article. NYU journalism professor and media critic Jay Rosen argued that publishing something because it's provocative is no longer a reasonable standard: "If you are going publish something BECAUSE it's provocative and speaks into some silence you think is unfair, you better make sure it's great writing, searchingly honest... and true."

Author Laura Kipnis wrote an op-ed for the NY Times today in which she acknowledged the flaws of the piece and Buruma's "cavalier" response to the criticism, but argues the NYRB became what it is by taking editorial and intellectual risks and then learning from them: "Do we now live in such unforgiving times that one problematic essay (or interview) guillotines a job? If so, my fear is that no editor in America will be taking editorial risks ever again. Whatever one thinks of the Ghomeshi essay  my purpose isnt to defend it; I understand why many found it sniveling and dissembling  I suspect that The Reviews parting of ways with Mr. Buruma will change the nature and content of intellectual culture in our country."

Of course, intellectual culture is always changing and evolving, and those who can't adapt or engage with it in a thoughtful manner shouldn't be surprised by the backlash they incur. It goes without saying that the high-stakes, privileged job of a public intellectual and prominent editor in 2018 necessitates a meaningful consideration of the #MeToo movement. Or at the very least a level of engagement that is not intellectually careless. Moira Donegan wrote for The Guardian about this, saying #MeToo has become an intellectual exercise as much as anything else, one in which women's voices are presenting new information about pain they've experienced into the public discourse. She writes:

The project that Me Too has advanced is a visionary assertion that injustices can be righted, that men and women can interact with more integrity and more compassion than we have so far. [Harper's publisher Rick] MacArthur and Buruma have refused this project, denying that the world might be otherwise than they have always known it, asserting that their perceptions are the only correct ones. Those who are too defensive, too incurious, or too bigoted to engage honestly with Me Too are missing out on one of the greatest intellectual feats of our time.

The Ghomeshi essay was counterfactual nonsense and Buruma's defence was worse. But editors screw up. If this is the outcome of one (admittedly very bad) episode, does it not totally disincentivize taking risks?



<She asks genuinely, before ducking> https://t.co/1T18up7xge  Robyn Urback (@RobynUrback) September 19, 2018

this is incredibly disheartening and tipping over into utter bullshit. buruma showed that he didnt even know what he was editing in that interview and he bulldozed his staff. wouldnt truly free exploration involve not centering bad actors out of some misguided reflex? https://t.co/tLnWc3wlTW  maura  johnston (@maura) September 25, 2018

So Ian Buruma, editor of the fine @NYRB (NY Review of Books) publishes hundreds & hundreds of nuanced intelligent essays. Gets one wrong, gives a snappish answer in a contentious interview, and off the guillotine!  Michael Powell (@powellnyt) September 19, 2018

I like the work of a lot of the writers who have signed the letter, but this behavior is purely tribal, a collective protection racket for their own privileged status. My advice, shrug it off, focus on the institutional values as the NYRB did when they acted to remove Buruma.  John Warner (@biblioracle) September 25, 2018Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 07:54:23|Editor: ZD

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- An active shooter situation was reported Monday near the U.S. city of Boston, as local police are searching for a man who allegedly shot a woman and is on the run.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 08:59:33|Editor: mym

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Police in the U.S. city of Boston are searching for a man who allegedly shot a woman and is on the run.

The incident took place on Monday in Marshfield, just south of Boston. Local media reported that the man in question shot the victim in a car and has driven off into the woods.

Police are continuing the search for the suspect and has warned the public to avoid the area.

The woman has been taken into a hospital. The extent of her injuries is unclear.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 10:19:44|Editor: mym

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COLORADO SPRING, the United States, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The World Gold Council (WGC), a world leading organization for the gold industry, announced on Monday at its annual meeting in Colorado Spring, a resort town in the state of Colorado, to establish its China Chapter.

David Harquail, chair of the WGC, said in a statement that the decision was aimed at better reflecting the shape of the global gold mining industry and enhancing cooperation between the group and China's gold industry.

"The Chinese gold industry has developed phenomenally over the past couple of decades, and China is now the largest producer and consumer of gold globally. As such, we are delighted that the World Gold Council's membership is expanding," Harquail said.

The group also appointed Song Xin, chairman of China Gold Association and China Gold Group, as the first chairman of the China Chapter.

In a speech after Sunday's vote when the WGC made the decision, Song praised the WGC's efforts to develop the world gold industry, especially in China, saying the new sub-council represented another significant milestone achieved by the London-based organization, which was founded in 1987.

"The China Chapter will enable greater interaction between the Chinese gold industry and the international gold market, further enhance the Chinese gold industry's international influence, prompt the industry to go on evolving at a rapid rate," said Song.

He said that China's gold industry in recent years had focused on promoting scientific and technological innovation and changing the pattern of economic growth in order to achieve sustainable and high quality development.

Moreover, he emphasized that China's gold mining companies have actively responded to the Belt and Road Initiative through a variety of collaborative efforts, and China's gold market institutions and commercial banks have strengthened international cooperation to promote the internationalization of China's gold market and the RMB, the Chinese currency.

According to Song, China's gold production reached 426 tonnes last year, while gold consumption reached 1,089 tonnes.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 10:34:53|Editor: mym

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Billionaire Bill Gates told a UN forum on Monday that financing for development needs to change in order to meet the needs of developing nations and one change entails the coordination of donors.

The Microsoft founder -- these days perhaps better known for his philanthropy -- spoke at the UN Secretary-General's high-level meeting on financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a side event to the 73rd UN General Assembly annual general debate here at UN Headquarters.

He agreed with other panelists that there was still a lot of work remaining to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015 to be reached in 15 years.

"I want to underscore a key point: the development finance system needs to evolve to meet the needs of developing countries," Gates told the afternoon session.

"We need to better match these (public and private) resources to help countries at different levels of development address their unique challenges," he said.

Gates said philanthropic organizations can advance the system by using innovative tools that allow them to invest in new technologies, lower or eliminate the risk in innovation and "address market failures."

"But we need governments, international financial institutions, and the private sector to work with us to take full advantage of these advances," he said, listing four ways philanthropic capital can be used.

Gates said philanthropies can use challenge grants to tackle some of the toughest health and development problems.

"We have used this approach for a decade to stimulate new thinking and ideas," he said.

Second, philanthropies can de-risk investments in promising technologies, so they are more attractive to commercial investors, Gates said. "For instance, we make equity investments in biotech start-ups to develop new products that prevent and treat infectious diseases. And we guarantee the purchase of large volumes of vaccines and contraceptive implants by public agencies."

Such a move enables manufacturers to boost production and reduce prices to benefit those in need, he said.

Third, philanthropies can partner with others to pilot and scale up the most promising interventions, Gates said.

As an example, he said The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works with the African Development Bank and other donors to establish a new financing facility for digital infrastructure investments.

"Increasing access to digital financial services enables the poor to tap the benefits of the formal economy like managing their money safely and effectively and increasing their resilience to unexpected financial shocks," Gates said. "This is key to breaking the cycle of financial exclusion that perpetuates poverty."

For his fourth point, he said philanthropy can "increase the impact" of innovative health collaborations in development.

"Our foundation supports these initiatives because they are a great value for money," Gates said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 10:54:56|Editor: ZD

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MANILA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government is closely coordinating with Nigeria to ensure the safe release of seven Filipinos abducted last Saturday by armed men off the coast of the African country, the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.

The DFA said in a statement that it is "taking the necessary steps" to make sure the kidnapped Philippine workers who were among a dozen crew members of a Swiss-owned vessel named "MV Glarus" are safe.

The Philippine Embassies in Abuja, Nigeria and in Bern, Switzerland are making the necessary coordination with concerned authorities to get additional information on the condition and whereabouts of the seven Philippine crew members of the MV Glarus, the statement said.

The Philippine Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria said the seven victims were among 12 of 19 crew members who were reported to have been taken by gunmen as the vessel was making its way from Lagos to Port Harcourt.

Philippine Ambassador to Nigeria Shirley Vicario said the seven are among 12 Philippine crewmen on board the vessel.

Vicario said five other Filipinos and two foreign nationals were also left on board but it was not immediately clear why they were not taken.

Already, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has directed the DFA's Office of Migrant Workers Affairs to notify and extend the necessary assistance to the families in the Philippines of the seven seafarers.

The DFA did not identify the kidnapped victims.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 11:04:57|Editor: mym

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MEXICO CITY, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Mexican authorities arrested a suspect believed to be involved in the slaying of journalist Mario Gomez in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas, authorities said Monday.

According to a Chiapas prosecutor, the suspect was arrested in the course of investigation into the shooting death of Gomez, who was gunned down on Friday in the municipality of Yajalon.

"A male suspect has been detained and in the coming hours there could be more arrests in this tragic event," the prosecutor's office said in a brief statement.

Gomez, 40, had a journalistic career that spanned more than a decade. He worked as a correspondent for El Heraldo de Chiapas in Yajalon, which is located in the mountains in northern Chiapas.

According to local media reports, Gomez covered corruption, murders and civil complaints in Yajalon which is home to the indigenous Tzeltal.

Gomez died at a hospital moments after being shot by gunmen who fired six times from a motorcycle outside the victim's home, according to the prosecutor.

"We have been able to determine his murder was connected to his work as a journalist," said Luis Alberto Sanchez, homicide prosecutor.

According to El Heraldo de Chiapas, the suspect in custody is an alleged drug trafficker in Yajalon who rides a motorcycle to get around. This detail was not confirmed in the release.

Journalists continued to protest on Monday in Tuxtla Gutierrez, the state capital, to demand justice for Gomez, who once declared before the prosecutor that he had been the target of threats last year.

Organizations that defend the press said that Mexico was one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with dozens murdered since the turn of the century.

Mexico's Ministry of the Interior has recorded 139 homicides of journalists in various states across the country from 2001 to June of this year.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 11:09:58|Editor: mym

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The European Union will set up a legal entity to facilitate legitimate financial transactions with Iran in light of the U.S. withdrawal from the international agreement on Tehran's nuclear program and the re-imposition of sanctions, said EU's foreign and security policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday.

The legal entity will allow European companies to continue to trade with Iran in accordance with EU law, Mogherini told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.

The entity could be open to other partners in the world, Mogherini said after she attended a ministerial meeting of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia -- the five remaining powers of the 2015 agreement after the withdrawal of Washington -- and Iran.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 11:55:05|Editor: Chengcheng

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CANBERRA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Australia's cash deficit has reached the lowest level in a decade, the government has announced.

The Final Budget Outcome for the 2017-18 financial year, released on Tuesday, revealed that the deficit was 19.3 billion Australian dollars (13.9 billion U.S. dollars), better than estimated when the Federal Budget for 2017-18 was handed down.

The total deficit was 10.1 billion Australian dollars (7.3 billion U.S. dollars), or 0.6 percent of GDP, the smallest it has been in 10 years.

"The Australian economy has completed its 27th consecutive year of growth," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said in a joint media release on Tuesday.

"With more than one million jobs having been created since the Coalition Government was first elected in 2013, today's outcome reflects the record number of people in jobs and an economy in which businesses are growing."

The lower-than-forecast deficit was driven by total tax receipts being 13.4 billion Australian dollars (9.7 billion U.S. dollars) higher than expected at the time of the budget.

"Almost 350,000 jobs were created in 2017-18, with employment growing by 2.7 percent through the year to the June quarter 2018, well above the 1.5 percent growth forecast in the 2017-18 Budget," Frydenberg and Cormann said.

"Nominal GDP grew by 4.7 percent in 2017-18, which was significantly stronger than the 2017-18 Budget forecast of 4 percent."

Data released by Frydenberg earlier in September revealed that the economy grew 3.4 percent in 2017-18, the fastest growth since the peak of the mining boom in 2012.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 12:25:11|Editor: Chengcheng

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DUBAI, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Two months after Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a landmark visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), both sides have taken concrete steps to lift their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership as agreed between Xi and the UAE leadership.

Xi paid a visit to the UAE in July, the first by a Chinese head of state in 29 years to the Arab state. The Chinese president and UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed that both countries will strengthen their in-depth cooperation in various fields, and promote continuous development of bilateral ties.

Consequently, a number of delegations from Chinese provinces and cities visited the UAE afterwards, while UAE entities traveled to conduct roadshows in China.

In August, an economic and trade delegation from Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, visited the UAE and met with government officials and representatives from trade associations, in order to boost trade between Nanjing and the UAE.

On Sept. 8, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the UAE financial free zone Abu Dhabi Global Market and the Beijing Financial Street Services Bureau, for "greater bilateral cooperation in areas including the development of financial centers in both countries, investment facilitation, joint research and closer exchange of information," the two sides said.

At the ongoing Light Middle East in Dubai, one of the biggest fair and exhibition for light technology and design in the region, exhibitors from China lead the list of top 10 exhibitors. "We've already exported our light technology to the United States and to Europe, and we regard Dubai as a hub to reach out to the Middle East and Africa. This is why we exhibit for the first time at Light Middle East," said Peter Zhao, commercial manager of CL Lighting from Shenzhen.

Chinese official statistics show that bilateral trade between the UAE and China reached 41 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, a 1.06-percent increase from the previous year. In 2017, Chinese visitors to the UAE surged to over 1 million.

The expansion of Sino-Emirati ties is also reflected in the deepening of cultural bonds between the two countries.

On Aug. 26, Dubai-based Chinese businessman Ninghai Ma announced the launch of the "1% Drive Master UAE to China," a tour by 30 Emirati and Chinese drivers who will drive this autumn all the way from Dubai to Xi'an, capital of China's Shaanxi Province.

Atiq Hassan Mubarak, director-general of Emirates Motor Sport Federation, said the upcoming trip underlines the UAE's support for the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and will foster friendship between the two peoples.

Earlier in the month, a delegation of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) traveled to China's Shanghai, Shenzhen and Kunming for a five-day trip to promote the UAE capital as a tourism destination.

Form January to August, China remained as Abu Dhabi's number one tourist source market.

Earlier on Monday, UAE's biggest developer Emaar Properties launched celebrations in Dubai to mark the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and the "Golden Week" observed during the first week of October by offering Chinese investors a value proposition with a "Golden Month Offer" until Oct. 24, 2018.

Chinese buyers of most Emaar residential properties in Dubai will receive 50 percent off on registration fees and can enjoy a three-year post-handover payment plan, said Emaar, the developer behind the world's tallest tower Burj Khalifa.

In January, the UAE became the 11th country to have mutual visa exemptions with China for ordinary passport holders.

More than 200,000 Chinese nationals live in the UAE, and 4,000 Chinese firms run branches and operations in the Gulf Arab state.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 12:35:13|Editor: Chengcheng

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by Raul Menchaca

HAVANA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Turning dilapidated inner city walls into works of art has helped build a community in Luyano, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the Cuban capital of Havana.

The award-winning project, called Muraleando, or Making Murals, has brought residents together, generated a sense of pride in their environment and fostered an appreciation for art among the youths.

"The main protagonists of this change are from here, from the neighborhood ... they took part in the process of changing things both visually and in (community) spirit," resident and project leader Manuel Diaz Baldrich told Xinhua.

Diaz, 54, who has lived here his entire life, launched the project in 2001 along with three other artists.

"This is the neighborhood where I was born, where I grew up, played, studied, got married and where my children were born. And I always felt I needed to give back what it gave me," said Diaz.

Muraleando, which won the National Community Culture Prize in 2014, began with four "crazy" artists painting murals in public spaces and starting a painting workshop at a nearby school, according to Diaz.

The project got a boost in November 2010, after he discovered a giant century-old water tank, the kind used to supply steam engines, in an abandoned lot. Suddenly, Muraleando had a headquarters.

Today the tank serves as an art gallery and cultural center for craft workshops, music classes, recitals and screenings. It also hosts two popular bands and a rock group, all made up of neighborhood residents.

Part of the profits from the sale of artwork was donated to a community fund used to build space and buy musical instruments, tables, chairs and other material for free children's workshops.

Each Saturday, the tank bustles with kids attending workshops, as well as scores of senior citizens who take part in a craft workshop.

This labor of love has already seen first fruits: 10-year-old Anthony Williams recently won the third place in a national contest held by Cuban television show La Colmena TV.

Beyond the colorful murals and Saturday workshops, Muraleando transformed the community, which organized activities to clean up local trash dumps.

"It's a growth process and that is very important and beautiful," said Diaz.

Thanks to the project, local kids and teens have a productive way to use their free time, said Yudelmis Montero, whose 12-year-old son, who suffers from a mild mental disability, is learning to play the drums.

"In addition to painting and playing drums, the professors educate him, they show him how to interact with other children and that helps them prepare for life," Montero said.

Muraleando now draws tourists keen to see how art has helped transform a neighborhood.

Argentine wife-and-husband performing duo Nina Perrone and Jorge Baduy, who perform as clowns "Cala" and "Zulemo," have been traveling across Latin America for the past nine months.

In Havana, they stumbled across Muraleando and were impressed with the scope of the community project.

"Honestly, this project has surprised us very much because of its important social impact. We have not seen anything like it in any of the countries we have visited," Baduy said.

"You can tell this work has been going on for years, it is like a well-oiled machine. And to see so many people coming here on a Saturday -- and above all else so many children taking different workshops -- that's extremely exciting," Perrone said.Once you dive into the strange world of county committees, its really hard to climb out.

As part of our Ask a Reporter project, we answered a question last week about how to get involved in local party politics through county committees. These committees, which set the rules for political parties, elect leadership and determine the local partys budget (among other things), have the potential to encourage broad participation in government at the local level. But instead, for Democrats particularly, they are controlled by a relative few and operate in obscurity.

Ahead of Brooklyns Democratic Party committee meeting this Thursday, where members will vote on things like rules and committee leadership, some members say they have received a suspect mailer. The letter asked members to send in a proxy card (not unusual) if they do not plan to attend. However, the letter was signed by the district leaders and assemblymembers for that area, in some cases without their knowledge (not okay). And at least one officials name was spelled incorrectly.

Whats more, the proxy card was pre-filled to encourage committee members to turn over their vote to Frank Seddio, the committee chair, or to the assemblymember or district leader on the letter.

Seddio was first elected to lead the county committee in 2012. Multiple calls for comment to his law office were unanswered.

It is entirely unacceptable to sign my name to a letter, and purport it to be from me, and send it to my county committee members asking for them to give a proxy [vote] to Frank Seddio, said Doug Schneider, a newly elected district leader in the 44th Assembly District. It is everything I ran against, and even if it wasn't it's still inappropriate. And I'm angry.

Schneider served as a general member of the county committee previously, and said the Party had a habit of exploiting either a lack of participation in the committee or ambivalence by members who were loyal to existing party leadership.

If you got a letter purportedly from Lori Citron Knipel, @Bobby4Brooklyn & me asking you to give a proxy to Frank Seddio, it wasnt sent or approved by us. For future reference, you can tell by checking if I repeatedly spelled my own name wrong. Also, Lori doesnt hyphenate. pic.twitter.com/gyVPiGCeDq  Douglas M. Schneider (@DougSchneiderBK) September 20, 2018

Democratic Party officials admitted on Friday that, yes, a mistake was made. The letter that went out to committee members with a pre-filled proxy card giving a members voting power away to the party boss should not have been signed by other elected leaders without consent. (I cant believe I just wrote that sentence.)

Jeff Feldman, the executive director of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, said he had no knowledge of the mailing before it went outwhich could possibly be true, given that the return address for the mailing was Seddios law practice.

Party officials said asking for proxies is all pro forma and it was important to ensure quorum at this Thursdays meeting.

Even so, this mailing stood out as unusual. Not just because of phony signatures, but because of the seemingly aggressive tactics the party was taking to deliver proxy votes to Seddio.

Albert Fox Cahn, a brand new committee member, had a canvasser show up to his doorand on Yom Kippur, which was bothersome, he saidasking for his proxy in lieu of his attendance at the meeting. It was the first communication hed had from the county committee at all since winning a seat through petitioning.

They never seemed to be concerned about whether or not I knew where it was happening, when it was happening, said Cahn. The only thing they seemed to care about was making sure that I signed away my vote.

Jerry Goldfeder, an election attorney and professor of election law at Fordham Law School, said it would be up to the enforcement counsel at the New York State Board of Elections to investigate the mailer or complaints about it, if any were made.

But, he noted, working to canvass support or ask for proxy votes was all part of the political process.

Theres nothing untoward about party leaders asking people to show up and support them at a meetingand if they cant show up, to give them a proxy, said Goldfeder. What appears unusual here is that the letters were not authorized by the purported signers.

And for Cahn, the tactics were enough to ensure his own attendance at Thursdays meeting.

If I was unsure about going before, he said, I know for certain I'm going to be there now.

While youre here, a reminder: National Voter Registration Day is today, September 25th. Click here to find a voter registration event near you.



Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 13:00:16|Editor: mym

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QALA-E-NAW, Afghanistan, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Two children have been killed in a landmine explosion in Afghanistan's western province of Badghis, local police said Tuesday.

The explosion occurred in a village of Qadis district, east of provincial capital Qala-e-Naw city on Monday evening after one of the victims step on an improvised explosive device (IED), provincial police spokesman Naqibullah Amini told Xinhua.

The police spokesman blamed the Taliban militant group for planting the landmine on the dusty road.

The victims were two teenage boys aged 11 and 13, according to police spokesman.

Taliban militants and Islamic State (IS) militants have been using IEDs to make roadside bombs and landmines for targeting security forces, but the lethal home-made weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.

On Friday, eight children were killed and six others wounded in a similar incident in neighboring Faryab province.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 13:10:18|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The European Union will set up a legal entity to facilitate legitimate financial transactions with Iran in light of the U.S. withdrawal from the international agreement on Tehran's nuclear program and the re-imposition of sanctions, said EU's foreign and security policy chief Federica Mogherini on Monday.

The legal entity will allow European companies to continue to trade with Iran in accordance with EU law and could be open to other partners in the world, Mogherini told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York after she attended a meeting of foreign ministers from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia -- the five remaining powers of the 2015 agreement after the withdrawal of Washington -- and from Iran.

Mogherini said participants of Monday's ministerial meeting were supportive of such a measure.

"The participants welcomed practical proposals to maintain and develop payment channels, notably the initiative to establish a special-purpose vehicle to facilitate payments related to Iran's exports, including oil, and imports, which will assist and reassure economic operators pursuing legitimate business with Iran," reads a joint statement of the foreign ministers.

The participants said these initiatives are aimed at preserving the Iran nuclear deal, which is in the interests of the international community, according to the statement, whose English version was read to reporters by Mogherini. EnditemSource: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 13:10:18|Editor: Yurou

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland during their meeting in New York, on Sept. 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Canadian foreign ministers on Monday highlighted the importance of defending multilateralism and the rule-based trade order during their meeting.

While talking with Canada's Chrystia Freeland, Wang Yi, also China's state councilor, said that the world's long-held multilateralism is faced with severe challenges posed by rising unilateralism and protectionism.

China is an unwavering supporter of free trade and the rule-based global trade system, he said.

Wang noted that if international rules were undermined, the world would return to the law of the jungle, to the deep detriment of all nations, with middle and small-sized nations bearing the brunt.

China and Canada share similar views on safeguarding multilateralism. "Under current circumstances, we should, together with many countries, issue a joint call for adhering to multilateralism, observing international rules, and safeguarding the multilateral trade system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at the core," he said.

China supports the reform of the WTO, yet such a reform shall defend the institution's core values and basic principles, and heed the rights and concerns of developing nations, the Chinese senior diplomat noted.

Freeland said that Canada supports multilateralism since it is very important to the country.

The world can not return to the law of the jungle, and Canada is willing to keep close communication with China on the WTO's reform, she added.

The Canadian diplomat also said that her country highly values its ties with China, and is committed to strengthening cooperation with the Asian nation.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 13:50:24|Editor: ZD

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government released on Monday an official statement, condemning the terrorist attack in Iran on Saturday.

"The Brazilian government vehemently condemns the attack," said the statement published by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.

"As it expresses its condolences to the families of the victims, as well as wishes for a prompt recuperation of the injured, and its solidarity to the people and government of Iran, Brazil reiterates its repudiation to all and any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation," the statement said.

The terror attack against a military parade in the southern Iranian Ahvaz city on Saturday left at least 24 dead and over 60 people injured. According to local media, civilians, including children who were watching the parade, are among the dead.

So far, the identities of the attackers remain unclear, although both the Islamic State (IS) and another group called Al-Ahwaz claimed the responsibility.

The attack has intensified tensions between Iran and the United States, as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei repeatedly accused the United States and its Arab allies of being behind the attack.

The United States has denied the accusation.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 14:00:26|Editor: mym

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SYDNEY, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A 37-year-old man and a young girl in Australia are recovering in a serious but stable condition at hospital on Tuesday, after a World War Two era ordnance exploded at their home Monday night.

New South Wales State Police Chief Inspector Brian Tracey said the shrapnel from the blast caused severe lacerations to the two.

"The four-year-old girl is undergoing surgery now for shrapnel wounds to her leg and hip," he told local media.

Called to the scene at around 22:00 local time, fire crews, bomb disposal experts and personnel from the Australian Defence Force set up a 50 meter exclusion zone in the residential neighbourhood of Anna Bay (200 kilometers north of Sydney) and began their investigation.

Police believe the man found the artillery shell nearby at Birubi Beach, a former World War Two weapons training range, and decided to take the item home as a souvenir.

"Any military ordnance you may find, it is dangerous, you're best not to touch it, play with it, you don't take it home," Port Stephens area police Inspector Alan Janson said.

"They were very lucky they didn't have more life-threatening injuries."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 14:20:28|Editor: Liu

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SYDNEY, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Difference in brain patterns may explain the variation of ways which children present with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a study released by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) on Tuesday.

Using neuroimaging techniques, The Children's Attention Project found that certain patterns across the whole brain appear to be linked to ADHD symptoms, development and cognition.

The condition, which affects 5 percent of school aged children, is not fully understood in terms of its underlying mechanisms; however, it is typically characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

"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," lead investigator, associate professor Tim Silk from Deakin University said.

ADHD has no known biological markers, which mean the primary means of diagnosis is by a doctor or psychologist and treatment is by behaviour strategies, counselling and medication.

According to Silk, to improve treatments or predict the likely progression of ADHD, it is important to understand what is happening in the brain -- which is why, using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, Silk and his team examined the brains of 160 Australian children with ADHD.

Having identified a set of brain patterns, they were then able to accurately predict ADHD in an independent group of children by looking for those brain patterns.

The team found two brain patterns particularly relevant to ADHD, the first being that 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.

Silk ultimately hopes that the research will help in understanding the condition better and eventually provide improved diagnosis and treatment strategies.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 14:40:31|Editor: Yurou

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) shakes hands with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne during their meeting in New York, on Sept. 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and Australian foreign ministers on Monday expressed the hope that the ties between the two nations could resume healthy development following chaos caused by the previous Australian government.

While meeting with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne at her invitation, Wang Yi, also China's state councilor, said the Chinese and Australian economies are highly complementary, both countries support multilateralism, free trade and the peaceful settlement of disputes, and their common grounds far overweigh their differences.

Wang said that China has noticed the new Australian government's statement that it is willing to take an active China policy, adding that hopefully, this will help both countries draw lessons from the past and bring the bilateral relations back to healthy development.

Wang said that the Australian government's promise to adhere to the one-China policy shows it respects China's core interests.

China is willing to work with Australia to rebuild mutual trust, expand common interests, and manage and control disputes properly on the basis of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, Wang added.

Speaking of China's relations with the South Pacific island countries, Wang said that they do not have any negative impact on these nations' ties with other countries.

The cooperation between China and these nations is transparent and open, and China and Australia have no conflicts of interest over South Pacific affairs, he added.

China is willing to engage in third-party cooperation with Australia based on the needs of the South Pacific island countries, so as to help them achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as soon as possible, he said.

For her part, Payne said Australia and China are important neighbors sharing broad common interests and facing some common regional challenges, adding that Australia-China ties were once troubled by some problems, but there are more needs for cooperation.

Noting that Australia sticks to the one-China policy, Payne said the new Australian government is willing to explore new ways to deepen Australia-China ties.

Payne also said that her nation values the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, and is willing to enhance collaboration with China on bilateral, regional and global agendas through constructive dialogues.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 15:00:35|Editor: mmm

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CANBERRA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Australia's technology sector has come out in opposition to a government plan that would force telecommunications companies to install spyware on customers' phones.

In a joint submission to parliament on the bill currently being considered by parliament, the Communications Alliance, Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) warned that they have "significant concerns" about the bill.

Between them, the three organizations represent technology giants Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Nokia, Huawei and Australia's two biggest telecommunication companies, Telstra and Optus.

"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," the submission, published by Fairfax Media on Tuesday, said.

"The lack of clarity and detail raises significant concerns around intent, actual implementation and, ultimately, legislative overreach."

The proposal, titled The Assistance and Access Bill 2018, was put forward by Peter Dutton, minister for home affairs, on behalf of security agencies.

"Criminal syndicates and terrorists are increasingly misusing and, indeed, exploiting these technologies," Dutton told parliament while introducing the bill earlier in September.

"The bill provides law enforcement agencies with additional powers for overt and covert computer access. Computer access involves the use of software to collect information directly from devices."

John Stanton, chief executive of the Communications Alliance, said that companies could be compelled to weaken encryption if the bill was passed into law.

"It is an enormous expansion of the range of entities, in Australia and overseas that can be compelled to provide assistance of almost any type - including building new capabilities to allow enforcement agencies to circumvent encryption," he said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 15:25:42|Editor: mmm

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NEW DELHI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday declined to bar politicians facing criminal cases from contesting elections, saying that it did not want to enter the arena of the legislature.

The country's apex court observed that rather the parliament should enact such laws barring political leaders facing criminal charges from contesting elections.

The filing of a charge-sheet cannot be the ground for the disqualification of political candidates, the court said in its observation. A five-judge bench of the court issued directions with a view to curb the criminalization of politics, and reserved its final verdict on Aug. 28.

The bench observed that the candidates must declare their criminal antecedents, and that political parties must put these up on their websites.

"Parliament should make a law to ensure candidates with criminal antecedents don't enter public life and take part in law-making," it said in one of its observations.

Presently, under the country's Representation of Peoples Act, politicians are barred from running for office only after being convicted in a court.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 15:55:47|Editor: mmm

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in on Monday agreed to keep pressure on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and discussed plans to hold a second meeting between Trump and the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un.

A statement issued by the White House said that during their meeting here, Moon shared with Trump the outcomes of the latest inter-Korean summit.

"Trump commended President Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with Chairman Kim, and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea," the White House said in the statement.

"The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining vigorous enforcement of existing sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that denuclearization is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," the White House said.

"Both leaders also discussed plans for a second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim in the not too distant future and committed to closely coordinate on next steps," it said.

Before his meeting with Moon, Trump said that his second summit with Kim will be announced "pretty soon", yet the summit is likely to take place in a different place.

"We'll be having a second summit with Chairman Kim in the not too distant future," he said. "Our Secretary of State will be dealing with that subject. Mike Pompeo has been in touch with them, and we've been in touch with them."

"I think within a fairly -- pretty short period of time, that will be announced and it will be location to be determined," he said.

"We're both very much looking forward to having it. It will be between North Korea and the United States. It will be similar to the format we had before, most likely a different location," he said.

"I think a lot of progress is being made. I see tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of Chairman Kim for making a deal," he said. "We are in no rush. There's no hurry. We got back three months ago or so. I think we've made more progress than anybody has made in -- ever, frankly, with regard to North Korea."

At his meeting with Trump, Moon said: "I had a great trip to Pyongyang. We reached a good agreement between the two Koreas, and achieved progress on denuclearization of North Korea."

"It's hugely significant that Chairman Kim personally expressed his commitment to denuclearization in front of the world media," he said.

"Now, North Korea's decision to relinquish its nuclear program has been officialized to a degree that not even those within North Korea can reverse," he added.

"Chairman Kim also repeatedly conveyed his unwavering trust and expectations for you (Trump), while expressing his hope to meet you soon to swiftly conclude the denuclearization process with you," Moon said. "I look forward to seeing the U.S.-North Korea summit take place, and wish you a great success."

Earlier Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a press conference that "to set a date certain would be foolish. But make no mistake about it: The conversations that we're having are important."

"They're -- they're putting the opportunity to complete the denuclearization in place," he said. "If we can continue to make progress and have conversations, I think there's enormous value in that."

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 over 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.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 16:20:52|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- As the second summit between Pyongyang and Washington is likely to occur "soon," U.S. experts saw an opportunity to further ease the nuclear tension on the Korean Peninsula amid concerns that the meeting may be proved futile.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on the sidelines of a UN meeting on Monday that his second meeting with the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un could happen "quite soon."

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also told a press conference earlier in the day in New York that he looked forward to traveling to Pyongyang later this year to prepare for the Trump-Kim summit, their second face-to-face meeting following the historic summit held in Singapore in June.

U.S. experts on the Korean Peninsula issues welcomed the ongoing negotiations between the DPRK and the United States after several months' stalled talks.

"Diplomatic process is very important," said Joseph Yun, a former U.S. special envoy on the DPRK, adding that every move forward is important.

"Denuclearization of NK (the DPRK) is a worthy goal and always will be," said Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York-based think tank, in a tweet.

The possible Kim-Trump summit came after South Korean President Moon Jae-in's trip to Pyongyang last week, during which he held lengthy talks with Kim and signed the Pyongyang Declaration on further steps toward the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization.

"It (Kim-Moon meeting) is an opening that I hope Washington will use toward a constructive end," Yun, once serving as deputy assistant secretary for Korea and Japan at the U.S. State Department, told reporters at a conference call on Friday.

Yun also believed that Moon, who had spent hours with Kim during his stay in Pyongyang, could update Trump on where Kim wants to go on the whole project.

Despite the positive atmosphere generated from the Moon-Kim summit, challenges still remain before achieving the goal of denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, said experts.

The United States so far has largely ignored the DPRK's request in the Pyongyang Declaration for "corresponding measures" as the precondition for its further actions on denuclearization, such as the permanent destruction of its main Yongbyon nuclear facility.

The DPRK asked for a peace declaration before any serious progress on denuclearization, while the United States demands the progress should come first, said experts on Korean issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank.

Moon has reportedly encouraged the idea that Washington could consider a formal declaration to end the 1950-1953 Korean war. But some believed that it may arouse concerns on the U.S. side as the peace treaty may damage the justification for the United States to keep its 30,000 troops in South Korea.

Pyongyang and Washington also diverged on the definition of denuclearization with the DPRK eyeing the withdrawal of the U.S. nuclear umbrella over South Korea and Japan while the United States focusing on the DPRK's weapon program, noted Victor Cha, a senior adviser at the CSIS in an article co-written with his colleagues.

Besides, Trump's reaction toward Pyongyang has been seen as somehow problematic.

It has been "pretty much what I would call 'binary'," oscillating from "fire and fury" to no threat at all, said Yun.

"We are somewhere in between, where ... we have to do a constructive reaction, rather than going from one extreme to the other," Yun added.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 16:20:53|Editor: mmm

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NEW DELHI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A group of 50 trekkers, including 35 students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, who had gone missing in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh due to inclement weather, have been located safe, officials said.

Confirming the safety of the trekkers, the state's Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the trekkers were located in Sissu area of Lahaul-Spiti district.

Local media said earlier that at least 45 people were reported missing.

The group had gone for trekking to the Hampta Pass and were supposed to return to Manali hill station.

The area has been facing heavy rains and snowfall for the past few days, due to which hundreds of tourists and trekkers have been stranded in Lahaul-Spiti.

As many as 120 people who were stranded in Kokhsar of Lahaul-Spiti will be airlifted to Kullu, and around 350 people stranded in Baralacha areas of Manali and Leh will be rescued later.

Rescue and relief work is being carried out in the affected areas. Around 12 people stranded in various tourist spots such as Kothi, Palchan, Solangnala have been safely brought to Manali.

An Indian Air Force (IAF) spokesman told Xinhua that two German nationals who were stuck in Pingdom La in the Lahaul-Spiti district were also rescued. They had been caught in a blizzard since the past two days.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 16:20:54|Editor: mmm

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MANILA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved the financing of up to 500 million U.S. dollars for a multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) that will develop climate-resilient water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in at least 10 cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the Manila-based bank said on Tuesday.

"Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized of India's large states," said ADB Senior Urban Development Specialist Ron Slangen.

He added that managing this rapid urbanization is essential for sustaining its economic growth and alleviating poverty.

"The state suffers from recurring droughts and erratic monsoons linked to climate change resulting in severe water scarcity and urban flooding," Slangen said, adding that ADB's support "will help address these complex urban challenges through innovative and climate-resilient investment and deeper institutional support."

While Tamil Nadu is a more advanced state in India, accounting for the second largest contribution to India's economy, the ADB said rapid influx of people to urban areas is putting severe pressure on infrastructure services and threatening the livability and competitiveness of cities.

The ADB said Tamil Nadu's urban service levels remain relatively low, with less than half of households served by piped water, and nearly a third of supplied water lost through aging distribution networks resulting in an intermittent supply of two hours per day.

The ADB said the MFF program will provide direct assistance in these areas as part of its support to the state's Vision Tamil Nadu 2023 to provide universal access to water and sanitation and to develop world-class cities in high-performing industrial corridors.

It said ADB's financing will be provided in three tranches between now and March 2022.

"It will develop climate-resilient sewerage collection and treatment and drainage systems in 10 cities, and install the country's first solar-powered sewage treatment plant on a pilot basis," the ADB said.

Beyond physical investments, the ADB said the program will boost institutional capacity, public awareness, and urban governance as part of a comprehensive approach for developing livable cities.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 17:16:05|Editor: Yurou

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ABUJA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian troops have killed 14 Boko Haram fighters in an operation aimed at clearing the remnants of the terror group in the northeast region, spokesman of the Army, Texas Chukwu, said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Chukwu said 146 Boko Haram hostages were also freed during the military operation in Gwoza area of the northern state on Borno on Sunday and Monday.

One soldier was wounded during the operation, the army spokesman confirmed.

He said those rescued persons are being documented for handover to the appropriate agency.

On Sept. 6, 14 Boko Haram fighters were killed in a similar operation by government forces in the same northeastern neighborhood of Gwoza.

Some 21 people taken hostage by the Boko Haram terror group were also freed during that operation.

Boko Haram has been trying since 2009 to establish an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria, killing some 20,000 people and forcing displacement of millions of others.

The resilience of the insurgent Boko Haram group in the Lake Chad basin since 2009 posed enormous security, humanitarian and governance challenges, according to the United Nations.

Four countries caught up in the insurgency are Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria. The United Nations said the Boko Haram had displaced nearly 2.4 million people in the Lake Chad sub-region.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 17:26:07|Editor: Yurou

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GUIYANG, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- His eyes brimming with excitement, seven-year-old Wang Jun ran to an exhibition stand to pick up a pair of headphones and started listening, leaving his father behind.

"The Sound of Pulsar Stars collected by FAST," read a sign next to the stand.

FAST, Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, is the world's largest single-dish radio telescope and was set up two years ago on this day in southwest China's Guizhou Province. It helps scientists understand the universe by receiving and recording pulsar and interstellar signals from extraterrestrial sources.

Engineers and astronomers continuously try to perfect the telescope, making improvements to allow it to see farther into space. Meanwhile, those who visit the telescope find themselves in awe of the giant dish and its ability to lead to breakthrough discoveries.

SENSITIVE GIANT

Since its trial operation in 2016, FAST has found some 50 stars which bear features similar to pulsars, with 44 confirmed, according to scientists in National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC).

Pulsar observation can be used to conduct research on gravitational waves, black holes and to help solve many other major questions in physics.

"We are still improving the system," said Jiang Peng, chief engineer of FAST with NAOC, during Xinhua's recent tour to the FAST observatory. "Now we have met many goals previously set for the telescope."

The sensitivity of a telescope is the minimum brightness that it can detect. The lower the number, the farther a telescope can see. In FAST's case, Jiang's team cut the number by 20 percent in the last two years, making it arguably the world's most sensitive telescope.

They have also extended its annual observation time from around 700 hours to more than 1,000 hours, which means more data for scientists to analyze.

The telescope will start formal operation and open to Chinese astronomers in 2019, according to NAOC.

"We often say the telescope was almost usable two years ago; now it is usable, and our goal is to make it good to use," Jiang said.

SILENT TOURISM

The state-of-art technology and the spectacle of the giant dish have become a magnet for tourists over the years.

"My son is interested in science and aliens," said Wang Lifa, Wang Jun's father. "We are here to satisfy his imagination."

Wang drove six hours from a neighboring province to Kedu township of Pingtang County, around 15 km away from the mega-telescope. Visitors gather here before they go for a closer view of the giant dish.

Tourism took off in the once-impoverished town surrounded by lush forests as wider roads, fancy hotels and bustling shops have sprung up.

In the first half of 2018, Pingtang County received 5.13 million visitors, up 40.58 percent. The tourists brought in 550 million yuan (around 80 million U.S. dollars) for the small county, according to the local newspaper Qiannan Daily.

The tourist surge has also stoked concerns that it might affect the telescope whose probe results can be compromised by radio signals from electronic devices carried by tourists.

Around FAST, a 30-km perimeter was set up as a "silent zone" where the frequencies and radio power are strictly limited.

To view the telescope, tourists go to a core zone with a radius of five km around the FAST. Restrictions are even more extreme in that area: no phones, laptops or cameras. Even the GPS system on the ferry to the site is disabled.

The local government has also developed plans to curb tourists.

Last Thursday, the scenic spot stopped selling onsite tickets for the ferry buses to FAST and museums and moved the operation to an online booking website.

The local government restricted the number of tourists to the site to 2,000 per day.

"So far, the protection against signal interferences in the core zone has turned out to be effective," said Jiang, the FAST chief engineer.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 17:36:09|Editor: Yurou

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JUBA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Fresh fighting has broken out between government forces and rebels in the northern parts of South Sudan, barely two weeks after the warring parties inked a peace deal in neighboring Ethiopia.

Both government and the main rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) have blamed each other for the renewed fighting in parts of Liech and Wau states respectively.

Lul Roai Koang, the military spokesman said the opposition forces launched a series of road ambushes on government troops traveling in a convoy in Liech and Wau regions on Monday.

He said the attack in Wau killed at least one person and injured nine others following a rebel ambush on a government troops' convoy.

"Since the signing of the peace agreement, the rebels have been moving out of their trenches to attack our forces in several parts of the country. Yesterday, they attacked a government convoy in Wau and killed one person and injured nine others whose identities are yet to be known. They also attacked several of our logistics conveys in Liech on Monday," Koang Told Xinhua by phone.

Lam Paul Gabriel, SPLA- IO Deputy Military Spokesman, on the other hand, alleged that government forces attacked two of their bases in the oil-rich Unity region on Monday.

"The regime's forces launched another aggressive attack against the SPLA-IO positions of Mir Mir and Kuok in Liech State. The fight started this afternoon (Monday) at about 12:30PM and still ongoing, Gabriel aid.

South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013, and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

The UN estimates that about 4 million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 collapsed following renewed violence in the capital, Juba in July 2016.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, his former deputy and arch rival Riek Machar and several opposition groups early this month signed a new power-sharing deal aimed at ending the five-year old conflict.

Under the deal, Machar will be reinstated as Kiir's deputy.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 17:41:10|Editor: Yurou

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NAIROBI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Joint initiative aimed at ending hunger in 50 countries globally by the year 2030 through use of data generation has been launched, a Senior World Bank official announced.

The initiative by a coalition of donors and low income countries is aimed at boosting the productivity and livelihoods of the world's 500 million small-holder farmers in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

"The effort will drive a new era of targeted solutions to food production by smallholder farmers and end extreme poverty and progress toward zero hunger in the face of climate change and population growth," Laura Tuck, Vice President for Sustainable Development at the World Bank said in a statement issued in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Tuck said that the initiative is an ambitious effort to conduct regular surveys of farming households in 50 low and lower-middle-income countries by 2030.

"We're witnessing today a fundamental transformation of food systems in developing countries, with rising incomes, changing consumption patterns and the emergence of more business-oriented small- and medium-scale farmers," said Tuck.

She observed that by making agricultural data more readily available in 50 low-income countries, the initiative stands to help accelerate this transformation, to boost sustainable food production and allow farmers to thrive.

"Kenya welcomes the cooperation shown today, to work with 50 countries in supporting millions of smallholder farmers," said William Ruto, Kenya's Deputy President.

Ruto said that through President Kenyatta's Big 4 Agenda, the country is committed to achieving food security and job creation through agriculture.

He said that this goal will be realized with the incorporation of better data as a key to driving Kenya's transformation and growth.

The initiative comes in the wake of new alarming numbers that hunger levels have risen for three consecutive years, and send a signal that the development community is committed to ensuring its interventions lead to results.

It seeks to make data, combined with other information sources, widely available to guide governments to make evidence-based decisions to increase agricultural productivity.

It will include 30 countries from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), 10 from Asia, and 10 from Latin America and the Caribbean.

"Accurate data is key to helping these countries take the lead in their own agricultural growth and development progress," said the World Bank statement.

The statement said that basic agricultural data, such as the different crop varieties farmers are planting, how much they are harvesting, and their access to inputs and financing, are often missing in developing countries.

It noted that donors are contributing to the initial data collection efforts, but the 50 countries will co-finance the initiative over time.

Recent assessments of available agriculture data show that, in SSA in particular, basic statistics from the farm sector are often incomplete or unreliable. Only two out of 44 countries in the region are deemed to have high-quality agriculture data.

The Integrated Surveys on Agriculture that is part of the World Bank's Living Standards and Measurement Study and the AGRISurvey from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will provide the foundation for the initiative's data collection efforts.

Experts from the World Bank and FAO will supervise much of the technical work.

The World Bank, FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are amongst the key partners of the new initiative.Workers go about their work at the Hawassa Industrial Park in Hawassa town, 275 kilometres south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

by Wang Shoubao, Elias Gebreselassie

ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 25 (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| 2018-09-25 18:06:16|Editor: Yurou

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DUBAI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Air Arabia, the biggest budget carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, announced on Tuesday to introduce a new direct flight route to Afghan capital Kabul from home airport in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Despite ongoing political and security instability in the Central Asian country, the new flight to Kabul will start on Oct. 4.

"The two-and-half-hour flight will operate four times per week, on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays," said the government-controlled carrier.

The outbound flight from the UAE will depart from Sharjah International Airport at 6:40 a.m. and arrive in Kabul International Airport at 9:40 a.m., while the return flight will leave Kabul at 10:40 a.m. and arrive in Sharjah at 1 p.m..

Adel Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said "Kabul is a new addition to our network that will meet the needs of thousands of people traveling between Afghanistan and the UAE as well as the wider region."

Other airlines operating flights from the UAE to Kabul are Dubai Emirates Airline, flydubai, Kam Air, Safi Airways and Ariana Afghan Airlines.

Air Arabia currently operates more than 150 routes across the globe from four hubs located in the Middle East and North Africa.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 18:16:19|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have used satellite imagery to investigate illegal sand dredging activities in Hongze Lake located in Jiangsu Province.

Hongze Lake is the fourth largest freshwater lake in China. As it has a bountiful supply of sand that can be used in construction, illegal sand mining activities are rampant. These mining activities destroyed the lake's original ecological environment and bottom structure.

Many sand dredging vessels hide during the day and work at night, making conventional monitoring measures ineffective. Scientists from Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology under Chinese Academy of Sciences used both daytime and nighttime satellite data to evaluate the dredging intensity and the associated aquatic environmental effects.

The research provides technological support for government monitoring and the control of illegal sand dredging activities.

This method is being promoted and applied in other lakes across the country. The research was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 18:26:23|Editor: mmm

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KUNMING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of amateur astronomers gathered in Lijiang, an ancient city with an 800-year history and one of China's largest optical telescopes, to observe the night sky in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Mid-Autumn Festival Monday.

To cater to the needs of different amateur astronomers, a group led by the city's science and technology association set up six astronomical telescopes at the center of Lijiang Gucheng, a popular tourist destination, with dozens of volunteers providing professional assistance.

"People waited in lines to use the equipment for about five minutes each, one by one, and we assisted and explained how to use the telescope and take good pictures," said volunteer Fang Zhou, a senior astronomy expert.

"Cameras, mobile phones and video recorders can all be used to capture the beauty of the moon," he said.

Some amateur astronomers took their own equipment to the spot to have a better view of the full moon.

"Compared with the naked eyes, astronomical telescopes can give us higher resolution, making details on the moon such as lunar mares and craters more clearly presented," said Zhao Yixiong, an expert with the association.

The ancient city was built at the end of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, Lijiang is one of the most famous ancient cities in China, and it boasts one of China's largest optical telescope, 2.4 meters in diameter and 8 meters tall, which began operation in 2007.

"With hardly any atmospheric turbulence, the astronomical viewing is excellent in Lijiang, which means the images seen here are less distorted. The city also has ideal weather conditions for sky watching as it has more than 200 clear days a year," Zhao said.

Moon watching is a traditional celebration on Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, a full moon night between late September and early October.

"The increasing public thirst for knowledge about astronomy has made sky watching a popular activity in China," Zhao said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 19:01:31|Editor: Lu Hui

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A frame crane transits a container from a truck to a freight train of the China-Singapore rail-sea transit route at a station in southwest China's Chongqing, Sept. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

CHONGQING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- On Tuesday morning, a train loaded with auto parts and paper products thundered out of a station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, heading for a port in southern China, where the goods will be further shipped across the sea to Southeast Asia.

It was the 356th freight train since the launch of the China-Singapore rail-sea transit route on the same day a year ago, which further connects 116 ports in 60 countries and regions.

Thanks to the route, agricultural products, auto and motorcycle parts and electricity generators manufactured in inland China will arrive at their Southeast Asian destinations about 20 days faster than the traditional route through Shanghai, while clothing, agricultural and mineral products from Southeast Asia can move north more quickly as well.

About 2 billion yuan (292 million U.S. dollars) of goods have been transported on this route during the past year.

The faster Southern Transport Corridor is an important part of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, the third intergovernmental cooperation project between the two countries.

"The Southern Transport Corridor has become the most convenient way to connect western Chinese regions by sea and is reshaping the logistics industry," said Li Muyuan from the China Communications and Transportation Association (CCTA).

Li said longer and more costly logistics through the eastern route to the sea were hindering the development of China's western region.

The China-Europe freight train service that was launched seven years ago has put trade between the region and Europe on the fast track, but the conundrum of opening up the region to the seas remained.

"Thanks to the corridor, the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Maritime Silk Road have been connected seamlessly," Li said.

"The larger transport corridor connects Central Asia and Europe to the west and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to the south, further linking South Asia, the Middle East and Australia," said Zhai Kun, a professor of international relations at Peking University. "All the countries and regions along the corridor can thus share capacity and market."

Within China, western provinces of Guizhou, Gansu and Qinghai and autonomous regions of Guangxi and Xinjiang have integrated into the corridor. Outside China, Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia have shown great interest in or signed agreements with China concerning cooperation through the corridor.

In April, a batch of electronic products manufactured in Vietnam arrived in Chongqing via the transit route, before going to Europe on a China-Europe train. The whole process took only 19 days, much shorter than the over 40 days for shipping by sea.

"Southeast Asian countries can use the transport corridor for easier and faster links with Central Asia and Europe to share opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative," said Gordon Tan, an official with Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Within two months, tobacco leaves from Germany and Belgium arrived in the Southeast Asian market and were distributed to other Asian markets such as Japan, which is half the time it used to take

"From Eurasia to the globe, the route has strengthened the interconnectivity among countries in the world and is exploring new space for Belt and Road cooperation," Li of CCTA said.

(Video editor: Cao Ying)Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 19:06:32|Editor: Lu Hui

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GENEVA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- In a fast-changing world, China's commitment to openness remains unchanged, the Permanent Representative of China to the UN Office at Geneva Yu Jianhua said, just a week before China's 69th Nation Day.

"The door to China will not close. It will only open wider," Yu said at a national day reception held here on Monday night, which as usual drew hundreds of diplomats from every corner of the globe as well as business leaders and the world-wide press corps based in Geneva.

Saying that reform and innovation are the two essential for advancement, robustness, and success, Yu told the audience that "Reform and innovation were there when the Chinese people, with diligence and intelligence, impressed the world with the "China miracle".

"With much search and struggle, our nation stood on its own feet, achieved prosperity, and grew strong," he said. "China will do well only when the world does well, and vice versa."

He also told the audience that China will forge ahead with the Belt and Road Initiative, deepening multilateral and bilateral economic ties and trade, and uphold multilateralism with the UN as the mainstream.

It will improve China's foreign investment environment, better coordinate regional plans for country-wide openness, and promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, he explained.

Jean Musy, President of APES (Foreign Press Association in Switzerland and Liechtenstein), told Xinhua that it is refreshing in the current climate to see China's commitment to multilateralism and he enjoyed exchanging ideas with Chinese people from various walks of life at the function.

"China's commitment to infrastructural development through its Belt and Road policy (Initiative) will enhance its global profile if it works for the benefit of developing nations," said Musy.

"A commitment to more openness will also benefit China in the long term," he noted.

Brij Khindaria, an Indian journalist and member of ACANU (the Association of UN Correspondents in Geneva), also said that the Chinese ambassador's latest speech was important for multilateralism.

Speaking in his personal capacity on the Belt and Road Initiative, Khindaria said that when a country recognizes that many developing and middle-level countries need a lot of investment for their infrastructure and is willing to provide that investment without too many strings attacks that is extremely good news.

"Because in parts of the world such as Central Asia, and in Africa there will be a boom if this is done right...The important thing is to create trust," he said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 19:21:37|Editor: mmm

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BERLIN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- RWE has launched an investigation into a cyber attack which led to a temporary shut-down of its website during the ongoing clearance of the occupied Hambach forest, the German energy company announced on Tuesday.

Speaking to press, RWE did not explicitly link environmental activists who are attempting to prevent the company from felling the Hambach forest to the cyber attack recorded on Monday afternoon.

The Essen-based energy provider merely said it had filed charges against an unknown suspect while simultaneously enlisting in-house IT specialists to look into the matter.

In the meanwhile, police in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia have continued with their clearance operations at a highly symbolic site for activists in the Hambach.

Security authorities ordered protestors on Tuesday to remove flowers and candles commemorating a 27-year-old journalist who recently fell to his death in the forest, so that a nearby treehouse could be dismantled.

The Hambach forest forms part of a property owned by German energy giant RWE which comprises the world's largest open pit brown coal mine.

The company plans to cut down 100 out of a remaining 200 hectares of woodland from October 2018, a development which is vehemently resisted by activists who have moved into the threatened area and built treehouses and makeshift barriers there.

A member of an activist group, known as "Operation Undergrowth" told the German press agency (dpa) earlier that some forest occupiers had by now already lived in Hambach for six years.

The police operation, which was temporarily stalled following the fatal accident of the journalist, is one of the largest to be recorded in North Rhine-Westphalia to date and is supported by reinforcements from other German states.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 19:31:40|Editor: mmm

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KABUL, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Tuesday expressed its concern about the rising number of civilian casualties from airstrikes this year, as nine civilians were killed in a latest air raid incident.

"UNAMA received multiple, credible allegations that on Sept. 22, aerial ordnance impacted the home of a teacher in the Budrab area of Tagab district, Kapisa province, killing nine civilians, including four children and three women, with several others injured," the mission said in a statement.

The statement added that all the victims from the attack were from the same family, including grandparents and children aged between two and 12.

Five of the six other family members who were injured were women and young children.

It was not immediately clear whether the strike was carried out by NATO-led coalition forces or by the Afghan Air Force.

"UNAMA is in contact with both entities, as part of UNAMA's ongoing independent verification process to establish facts around such incidents and to advocate with parties to improve mitigation measures in future operations to prevent civilian casualties," it said.

UNAMA also called upon parties responsible for operations resulting in civilian casualties to ensure independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigations into these incidents, the statement noted.

More than 1,690 civilians were killed and over 3,430 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first half of the year in the war-torn country, according to UNAMA's figures.

Out of the casualties 149 civilians were killed and 204 others wounded as a result of airstrikes.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 19:36:41|Editor: mmm

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TOKYO, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese high court on Tuesday revoked an injunction issued in December on appeal by Shikoku Electric Power Co. to restart a nuclear reactor in western Japan, despite ongoing safety concerns.

The Hiroshima High Court had previously demanded that the utility shut down the No. 3 unit at its Ikata power plant in Ehime Prefecture until the end of this month due to safety risks associated with potential volcanic activity.

The U-turn on the ruling by the high court follows a request made at the end of last year by a local residents group based on concerns that a volcanic eruption at Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture could see heated rocks and volcanic ash reach the plant.

In the injunction, the high court had initially sided with the residents group saying that the utility had underestimated the scenario that the plant could be damaged by a major volcanic event.

But Presiding Judge Masayuki Miki was quoted as saying in the ruling Tuesday that the case of a major volcanic event occurring while the plant is operational has not been grounded in fact or science and the chances of such an occurrence happening were slim.

"The possibility of a destructive volcanic eruption during the plant's operating period is not backed by grounds and there is a small chance of volcanic ash and rocks reaching the plant, which is about 130 kilometers away," Miki said.

Shikoku Electric now plans to reboot the reactor as soon as possible and is aiming to bring it back online on Oct. 27, the utility said.

Other residents groups, however, are also planning to block the restart of the reactor and their court cases are still pending.

The groups are based in neighboring Oita, Kagawa and Yamaguchi prefectures.

The Oita District Court is expected to hand down its ruling on Friday.

The country's nuclear watchdog, based on the Hiroshima High Court's ruling Tuesday, said it will continue to ensure that the highest safety standards continue to be adhered to.

"Drawing on the lessons learned from the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, we will continue to impose strict regulations based on scientific and technical knowledge," the Nuclear Regulation Authority said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 19:36:41|Editor: Yurou

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Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (R) meets with President Minoru Harada of Japan's major lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan on Tuesday met with president Minoru Harada of Japan's major lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai in Beijing.

Peace and friendship between China and Japan serve the fundamental interests of people of the two countries and is the only way to maintain the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties, Wang said.

He voiced his appreciation of Soka Gakkai's peace-loving and anti-war stance, as well as its long-term efforts in promoting understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Japanese people.

Saying China-Japan relations have recently shown momentum of improvement, Wang called on both sides to increase exchanges and deepen mutual understanding and trust at all levels and in various areas, in order to consolidate the political foundation of bilateral ties and advance their good-neighborly friendship.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

For his part, Minoru Harada said Soka Gakkai is firmly committed to peace and friendship between the two countries, and will carry on its tradition and make new contribution to bilateral ties.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 19:36:41|Editor: mmm

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SYDNEY, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- More than 800 students from 34 schools across New South Wales (NSW) State in Australia took to the stage at Sydney Town Hall for the 2018 Chinese Language Spectacular.

Held on the Monday evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the event was hosted in partnership by the University of NSW Confucius Institute and the Chinese Language Teachers Association of NSW.

Performing traditional Chinese language songs, dances, comedy sketches and poetry readings, children from both Chinese and non-Chinese backgrounds were given a chance to show off their Chinese language skills to over 200 distinguished guests from the education, business and political sectors.

According to Laurie Pearcey, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) at the University of NSW Sydney, the Chinese language Spectacular aims to "build upon the success of previous shows and foster greater enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture amongst young people."

He said this year's Mid-Autumn Festival theme was inspired by the beauty and tradition behind this historically meaningful event.

When addressing the room in his opening remarks, Consul General of the Chinese consulate in Sydney Gu Xiaojie praised the efforts of everyone involved and said the show helped to "promote cultural exchanges between China and Australia and also to create a bridge between the youth of two countries."

"Their passion for learning Chinese language and culture will benefit NSW students in their future careers," he added.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 19:46:45|Editor: mmm

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BERLIN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Deutsche Bank chief executive officer (CEO) Christian Sewing did not deny widespread rumors of a potential merger between his bank and German rival Commerzbank at an industrial conference here on Monday night.

While offering no outright denial of speculations that Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank could merge to create a new national champion, the CEO of the embattled lender emphasized that his top priority at the moment was to improve profitability.

The ability of Deutsche Bank to turn the page on a long list of legal issues in the wake of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, as well as several leadership reshuffles, now hinges on an improvement of its earning power.

"As long as this (enhanced) profitability is not achieved, we will not reach a higher market valuation," Sewing said, with view to a prolonged slump in the price of Deutsche Bank shares listed on the DAX stock exchange.

Given a steep fall in Deutsche Bank's market capitalization during recent years, the Frankfurt-based lender is no longer included in the list of Europe's 50 most valuable publicly-listed companies as of Sept. 24. So far this year, the company's valuation has already plunged by 30 percent.

Long-standing and related rumors of a looming merger of Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, Germany's largest and fourth-largest lender respectively, were recently fueled again by comments made by finance minister Olaf Scholz.

Speaking in Frankfurt, Scholz highlighted perceived risks associated with the current fragmentation of the European banking industry. He said the continents banks were increasingly unable to compete with their U.S. counterparts on Wall Street.

German media reports cited insiders in the federal government who confirmed that Scholz' ministry was seriously weighing the benefits of a Deutsche Bank-Commerzbank fusion.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 19:56:48|Editor: mmm

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PHNOM PENH, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will lead a high-level delegation to Vietnam on Wednesday to pay last respects to late Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Cambodian dignitaries accompanying the prime minister will include Sar Kheng, minister of interior, Men Sam An, minister of national assembly-senate relations and inspection, and a number of senior officials of the government, the ministry said in a statement.

In a condolence letter to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Sept. 21, Hun Sen expressed great sadness on the death of President Quang, saying that it was a huge loss of a leader who was devoted to promoting the wellbeing of the Vietnamese people and relations of fraternal friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Quang died in a hospital in Hanoi on Friday at the age of 61 due to illness. Vietnam will hold a two-day state funeral for the late president on Sept. 26-27.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 20:01:48|Editor: mmm

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by Peter Mertz, Gao Shan

COLORADO SPRINGS, the United States, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Mining industry insiders were celebrating over the announcement that the world's most populous country had earned more respect at the table with the world's premier gold producers and investors.

"The Chinese gold industry has developed phenomenally over the past couple of decades, and China is now the largest producer and consumer of gold globally," said David Harquail, chair of the London-based World Gold Council (WGC), on Monday.

WGC, the market development organization for the gold industry, today represents 92 percent of the world's gold and silver producers in 80 countries, and its mining companies are traded on the world's biggest stock exchanges.

On Monday, elation followed the official news that the Shandong Gold Group became WGC's 25th member, and that Song Xin, chairman of the China Gold Association, would chair a new China Chapter of the World Gold Council.

"This will give China a much stronger voice in the world gold market," Song told Xinhua.

In 2017, China's gold production reached 426 tons, while gold consumption reached 1,089 tons. China is not only the world's largest gold producer but also the top gold consumer and gold jewelry manufacturer in the world.

"The China Chapter will enable greater interaction between the Chinese gold industry and the international gold market, further enhance the Chinese gold industry's international influence, and promote its continued rapid evolution," Song told Xinhua.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Song explained many ways that the new China Chapter will elevate China's global position in the lucrative gold business.

"More and more front-running Chinese mining companies will join the association because they know that China has been awarded a much higher status in the WGC," Song explained.

China's gold industry and market have developed rapidly in recent years and continue to gain influence in the global gold marketplace, according to industry insiders.

"The World Gold Council is a good platform and very helpful to integrate China's gold industry with the rest of the world," Song said.

"In the near future there will be two more Chinese mining companies joining the group," Song disclosed to Xinhua.

The elevation of Song represents a great victory for the highly regarded gold expert, who has been working to secure China's involvement for two decades.

WGC officials told Xinhua that China began working toward full WGC status in the 1990s.

"It was a major success story when we went into China," said John Mulligan, director of Member and Market Relations at the WGC.

WGC quickly realized that the Chinese market was restrained on several levels, so it started working with the Chinese side to help them with policy guidelines, Mulligan said.

China started implementing policy changes to upgrade gold infrastructure in 1999-2000, he said.

In 2001, the formation of the Chinese Gold Association set the ball in motion, and the Shanghai Gold Exchange was created in 2002, the first of its kind in China.

"We saw the deregulation of the market, the legalization of gold investment, and China's demand for gold," Mulligan said of WGC's desire to bring the Chinese market fully into the fold.

"The World Gold Council focuses on the realization of far-reaching structural reform with a long-lasting impact on the gold industry, and actively contributes to a sustainable gold mining industry," said Chen Yumin, chairman of Shandong Gold Group.

"(WGC) enjoys an authoritative position in the global gold market and plays a major role in the development of the gold industry," Chen added.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 20:26:52|Editor: Yurou

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Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng (R), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Kazakhstan First Deputy Prime Minister Askar Mamin in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Tuesday called on China and Kazakhstan to deepen cooperation in various fields to bring bilateral ties to a new level.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks while meeting in Beijing with Kazakhstan First Deputy Prime Minister Askar Mamin.

Han said that under the leadership of the two heads of state, China and Kazakhstan have yielded fruitful results in cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The two heads of state met again this June, setting the course for the future development of bilateral ties," Han said.

He called on both sides to implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders, further align each other's development strategies, and deepen cooperation on production capacity, investment, economy and trade, finance, energy and connectivity in order to promote the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.

Mamin said Kazakhstan was ready to align the country's Path of Light economic strategy with China's Belt and Road Initiative, formulate a road map for future cooperation, and inject strong impetus to the bilateral relations.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 20:26:52|Editor: mmm

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PHNOM PENH, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Multidimensional poverty continued to fall, but around 35 percent of all Cambodians remained poor, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Cambodia said in a press release on Tuesday.

Citing the 2018 global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), the UNDP said multidimensional poverty is found in all developing regions of the world, and Cambodia is no exception, particularly those living in rural areas.

The MPI, introduced in 2010 by the UNDP, looks beyond income to understand how people experience poverty in multiple and simultaneous ways. It identifies how people are being left behind across three key dimensions: health, education and living standards. Those deprived in at least of a third of the MPI's components are defined as multidimensionally poor.

"In Cambodia, though Multidimensional Poverty is below the global average and falling, geography still looms large as a predictor of multidimensional poverty," Nick Beresford, the UNDP country director in Cambodia, said in the press release.

"The recently released multidimensional Poverty Index reveals that 40 percent of the rural population are living in multidimensional poverty, compared to 7 percent in urban settings," he said.

According to the MPI based on 2014-15 data, this is repeated at the provincial level as multidimensional poverty in capital Phnom Penh is estimated at 7 percent of the population, versus a sizeable 64 percent in the far-flung provinces of Preah Vihear and Stung Treng.

Cambodia is not alone in this phenomena, the latest data also reveals the vast majority - 1.1 billion - of the multidimensional poor live in rural areas around the world, where poverty rates, at 36 percent, are four times higher than among those living in urban areas, the release said.

As with global data, children and adolescents (under 19) in Cambodia are generally poorer, and constitute around 45 percent of the total poor, it added.

The UNDP in Cambodia raised alarms that a further 21.1 percent of the population are vulnerable to poverty, with 12 percent classified as severely multidimensionally poor.

This is especially concerning as those nearing "poor" are also at risk of falling into multidimensional poverty, which could happen quickly if they suffer setbacks from sickness, drought, unemployment and more.

"The Royal Government of Cambodia's commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is commendable, but in order to reach our shared goal to 'leave no one behind' by 2030, we must now turn those commitments into actions," said Beresford.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 20:36:55|Editor: Liangyu

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This undated photo shows a massive ancient building in Giza, Egypt. Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a massive ancient building in Giza province, Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said on Tuesday. (Xinhua)

CAIRO, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a massive ancient building in Giza province, Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said on Tuesday.

The building was discovered in the town of Mit Rahina, 20 km south of Cairo, Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a statement.

The building is 17 meters long and 15 meters wide, Waziri added, suggesting it was part of a residential complex of the area, which was the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis.

Memphis, founded around 3,100 B.C., was home to Menes, the king who united Upper and Lower Egypt.

Waziri said the ancient Egyptians used mud bricks in founding the building, and the outside walls, fence and basement were made from red bricks.

He added that the archaeologists also found an attached building that includes a large Roman bath and a chamber likely for religious rituals.

Another room was found in the northeastern side of the building and is believed to belong to servants, he said.

Egypt has witnessed several big archeological discoveries over the past couple of years in different parts of the country, hoping they will revive the ailing tourism sector after the country's two uprisings.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 20:46:59|Editor: mmm

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MAIDAN SHAR, Afghanistan, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- More than three dozen Taliban militants were killed over the past 24 hours in Jaghato district in Afghanistan's eastern Wardak province, provincial government spokesman Abdul Rahman Mangal said Tuesday.

The operations, backed by airpower, according to the official, were launched on Monday against Taliban positions in Jaghato district and so far, more than 36 militants including some local Taliban commanders had been killed and nearly three dozen others injured.

According to the official, no civilians and security personnel had been hurt in the ongoing operations.

Meantime, a member of Wardak's Provincial Council, Hajji Ahmad Jafari, has confirmed the operations but asserted that airstrikes had claimed the lives of 12 civilians including women and children.

However, Mangal rejected the claim, saying no civilian had been harmed during the operations and all those killed in the operations were militants.

Taliban militants are yet to make comments.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 20:46:59|Editor: mmm

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JUBA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A South Sudanese surgeon has been named the 2018 winner of the Nansen Refugee Award supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Evan Atar Adaha will be honored for his outstanding 20-year commitment to providing medical services to people forced to flee conflict and persecution in Sudan and South Sudan, as well as to the communities that welcome them, said a UNHCR statement released in Juba on Tuesday.

The statement said that Atar runs the only functional hospital in Bunj, in the northeastern part of South Sudan where he has served more than 200,000 people, including 144,000 refugees from the Blue Nile State and the local Maban County population of about 53,000.

Atar's team at Maban hospital carries out an average of 58 operations per week in difficult conditions with limited supplies and equipment, it said, adding that there is no provision for general anesthesia, meaning doctors work with ketamine injections and spinal epidurals.

"The only X-ray machine is broken; the only surgical theater is lit by a single light, and electricity is provided by generators that often break down. Since it is the only hospital in Upper Nile State, it is often crowded with patients and wards extend into the open air," said the statement.

South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 but its health sector has been negatively affected by over four years of conflict, creating one of Africa's worst refugee emergencies in terms of numbers and the world's third biggest refugee crisis.

About 1.9 million people are displaced internally and another 2.5 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

"The crisis in South Sudan has had a devastating impact on millions of people uprooted from their homes, or whose lives have been torn apart by conflict, violence and food insecurity," said Filippo Grandi, the head of the UNHCR, adding that acts of heroism and service to others have emerged amid the tragedy in South Sudan.

Atar's work through decades of civil war and conflict is a shining example of profound humanity and selflessness which has seen thousands of lives, and countless men, women and children have been provided with a new chance to rebuild a future, he said.

In 1997, the statement said, as war ravaged Sudan's Blue Nile State, Atar volunteered to work there, establishing his first hospital from scratch in Kurmuk and working at the heart of a large-scale conflict, often under direct aerial bombing.

In 2011, increasing violence forced Atar to pack up his hospital in Sudan's Blue Nile State, fleeing with his staff and as much equipment as he could transport, a journey that took a month, it said.

In 2017, refugees accounted for 71 percent of surgical patients, and Atar's commitment to treating all those in medical need regardless of their background earned him the respect of all refugee and local communities, the statement said.

South Sudan hosts nearly 300,000 refugees, of whom 92 percent are Sudanese from the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions close to the South Sudanese border.

UNHCR now only has 15 percent of the money requested to deal with this emergency and provides funding for Atar's work through its partner organization, Samaritan's Purse (SP).

The Nansen Refugee Award honors extraordinary service to the forcibly displaced. Recent winners include Sister Angelique Namaika from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zannah Mustapha, a lawyer and mediator from Borno state in northeastern Nigeria, and the Hellenic Rescue service and EfiLafsoudi from Pikpa Village on the Island of Lesvos.

The 2018 award ceremony will be held on Oct. 1 in Geneva, Switzerland.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 20:52:01|Editor: mmm

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KIEV, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains, accompanied by strong winds, have swept through Ukraine, leaving 205 cities and villages in different parts of the country without power, authorities said on Tuesday.

The thunderstorm has affected seven regions in western, central, southern and northern Ukraine, the State Emergency Service said in a statement.

Hundreds of trees have fallen as a result of the storm, causing traffic disruptions on key roads and inflicting human casualties.

Local media reported that a man was killed in the city of Borislav in western Ukraine after being hit by a falling tree branch, while a woman was injured in the port city of Odessa after a tree landed on her car.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 21:07:04|Editor: Yurou

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Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, presides over the 10th chairman and vice chairpersons' meeting of the 13th CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Tuesday called for improved work of the special committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, stressing their "fundamental role" in promoting the high-quality development of the top political advisory body's work.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, made the remarks while presiding over the 10th chairman and vice chairpersons' meeting of the 13th CPPCC National Committee.

Members of the special committees should be guided and urged to strengthen study of theories, current affairs and politics, as well as professional knowledge, according to Wang.

He stressed that the special committees should carry out their duties and fulfill their responsibilities to better perform the functions of the CPPCC, which is a united front organization and an important part of the state governance system.

Wang also demanded the special committees strengthen their own development and asked Party members to play a greater role in the committees.

The meeting heard working reports by the committees of the economy, agriculture and rural areas, as well as population, resources and environment.

Several drafts including a draft regulation on the chairman and vice chairpersons' meeting of the CPPCC National Committee and draft general rules on the special committees were deliberated at the meeting and approved in principle.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 21:07:04|Editor: mmm

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CHENGDU, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up opened in Jianchuan Museum Cluster, China's largest private museum complex, on Tuesday.

Located in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, the museum is displaying more than 10,000 objects related to the reform, including photos, historical materials, cultural relics, as well as audio and visual items.

Fan Jianchuan, founder and curator of the museum, said he had spent more than 20 years collecting the items.

Visitors can see photos of iconic moments, including the first national dance competition, in the northeastern city of Dalian; China's first private restaurant, which opened in Beijing in 1980; and China's first color TV production line from Tianjin.

Chen Yongliang, an architectural designer born in 1982, said a scene reconstructing family life in the 1980s impressed him, and the sewing machine, bicycle, watch, recorder, enamel mug and toys reminded him of his childhood.

"I would have forgotten those old days if I hadn't come to the exhibition," Chen said.

Starting in 1978, China's reform and opening-up promoted the development of the private economy, generated many opportunities in the private sector.

Fan said the collections in the museum cluster were witnesses of China's reform and opening-up. The number of museums in the cluster has increased from seven to over 50, scattered in Sichuan and neighboring Chongqing, since the founding of the first one in 2005.

"The private museum complex is an achievement of the reform and opening-up. I, like many others, have realized my dreams and benefited from the economic reform."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 21:12:06|Editor: mmm

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OSLO, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Coca-Cola Company has threatened to sue O. Mathisen AS, Norwegian local producer of soda "Jallasprite", online newspaper Vart Oslo reported Tuesday.

The Coca-Cola Company -- which owns the drinks "Coca-Cola", "Sprite" and "Fanta" -- requires all bottles that are labeled "Jallasprite" to be removed from the stores and all labels and marketing materials destroyed.

In case O. Mathisen AS does not remove the name of the product by the deadline on Friday, the case will be processed by the district court in Oslo, the report said.

"The word (sprite) is associated with sprouting something, making it fresher, stronger. We believe that Coca-Cola cannot own this word," Jarle Hollerud, CEO of O. Mathisen AS, told Vart Oslo.

Hakon Tysnes Kaasin, lawyer of The Coca-Cola Company, said that it was necessary to take action once it was discovered that someone was trying to use the trademark as a descriptive name for lemon soda.

The brand would otherwise risk entering the daily language as a term on lemon soda. That is called a degeneration of the trademark and is very harmful, Kaasin explained.

The Norwegian Patent Office has ruled that the possibility of confusion between "Sprite" and "Jallasprite" is high, but the decision can be appealed.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 21:37:12|Editor: mmm

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- People in Brunei are now encouraged to channel fake or malicious information circulated on social media to a hotline, according to the Brunei government on Tuesday.

In a press release, Darussalam Hotline and Information Content Advisor Council urged members of the public who have information regarding viral and baseless news that involves public or national interest to report the information through the hotline.

The move is also backed by various ministries and departments including the Ministry of Communications, the Community Development Department, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Internal Security Department, the Attorney General's Chambers, the Brunei Computer Emergency Response Team (BruCERT), and the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry Brunei Darussalam (AITI).

According to a local media report in 2017, Brunei has the third highest social media penetration in the world with 370,000 users, or 86 percent of the total population.

"With the widespread exposure to online content, each individual plays a role in practising safe and responsible use of technology," the press release said.

"Members of the public are advised to be wary and inspect the source of information in social media to ensure its validity before it is shared to others."File Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) welcomes visiting President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in (3rd L) at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 22, 2018. (Xinhua/Yang Chenglin)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in on Monday agreed to keep pressure on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and discussed plans to hold a second meeting between Trump and the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un.

A statement issued by the White House said that during their meeting here, Moon shared with Trump the outcomes of the latest inter-Korean summit.

"Trump commended President Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with Chairman Kim, and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea," the White House said in the statement.

"The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining vigorous enforcement of existing sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that denuclearization is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," the White House said.

"Both leaders also discussed plans for a second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim in the not too distant future and committed to closely coordinate on next steps," it said.

Before his meeting with Moon, Trump said that his second summit with Kim will be announced "pretty soon", yet the summit is likely to take place in a different place.

"We'll be having a second summit with Chairman Kim in the not too distant future," he said. "Our Secretary of State will be dealing with that subject. Mike Pompeo has been in touch with them, and we've been in touch with them."

"I think within a fairly -- pretty short period of time, that will be announced and it will be location to be determined," he said.

"We're both very much looking forward to having it. It will be between North Korea and the United States. It will be similar to the format we had before, most likely a different location," he said.

"I think a lot of progress is being made. I see tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of Chairman Kim for making a deal," he said. "We are in no rush. There's no hurry. We got back three months ago or so. I think we've made more progress than anybody has made in -- ever, frankly, with regard to North Korea."

At his meeting with Trump, Moon said: "I had a great trip to Pyongyang. We reached a good agreement between the two Koreas, and achieved progress on denuclearization of North Korea."

"It's hugely significant that Chairman Kim personally expressed his commitment to denuclearization in front of the world media," he said.

"Now, North Korea's decision to relinquish its nuclear program has been officialized to a degree that not even those within North Korea can reverse," he added.

"Chairman Kim also repeatedly conveyed his unwavering trust and expectations for you (Trump), while expressing his hope to meet you soon to swiftly conclude the denuclearization process with you," Moon said. "I look forward to seeing the U.S.-North Korea summit take place, and wish you a great success."

Earlier Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a press conference that "to set a date certain would be foolish. But make no mistake about it: The conversations that we're having are important."

"They're -- they're putting the opportunity to complete the denuclearization in place," he said. "If we can continue to make progress and have conversations, I think there's enormous value in that."

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 over 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.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 22:27:22|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for the Chinese military said Tuesday that it was strongly dissatisfied with and resolutely opposed to planned U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

"The Chinese military lodges solemn representations to the U.S. side over the move," said Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense.

Ren's comment came after the U.S. government informed congress of its decision to sell weapons worth about 330 million U.S. dollars to Taiwan on Tuesday.

"Taiwan is a part of China and the one-China principle is the political foundation of China-U.S. relationship," Ren said.

"The U.S. move has severely violated the one-China principle and regulations of three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques, interfered with China's domestic affairs and harmed China's sovereignty and security interests, and seriously damaged China-U.S. ties, relations between the two militaries, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

"The Chinese military's determination and will to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is steadfast and unshakable.

"We strongly urge the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and the regulations of the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques, immediately revoke arms sales to Taiwan, and stop military contact with Taiwan including arms sales, so as not to further damage the China-U.S. ties, relations between the two militaries, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 22:27:22|Editor: Yang Yi

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (5th left) meets with representatives from the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the U.S.-China Business Council, in New York, on Sept. 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NEW YORK, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations is critical to both countries as well as both peoples and is also indispensable for international peace, stability and development.

Wang made the remarks at a meeting here with representatives from the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the U.S.-China Business Council, during which they exchanged views on such issues as China-U.S. relations and bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Wang said that China and the United States are the world's largest developing country and developed country respectively; the two nations are also top two economies around the globe and both are permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Noting the two countries are going to usher in the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Wang said the most important experience gained by the two sides in the past 40 years is that only through cooperation can a win-win situation be attained, and confrontation will certainly lead to a lose-lose scenario.

The two sides must unswervingly move towards in the direction of cooperation, especially when encountering problems and disturbance, said Wang.

Wang pointed out that recently, negative postures of the U.S. policy on China are on the rise. Some forces have repeatedly and groundlessly blamed China in such fields as economy, trade and security, creating sentiments of opposition and poisoning the relationship atmosphere.

The accusations toward China are not true and irresponsible; if left unchecked, they will destroy the achievements of China-U.S. relations in the past 40 years, which is unfavorable for the two countries as well as the international community, said Wang.

China always advocates that any problem between China and the United States can be resolved through equal and frank dialogue, he said.

Wang said that the Chinese and the U.S. economies are highly integrated, and bilateral economic and trade cooperation has brought huge benefits to industries and customers of both sides.

To cut off the economic relationship between China and the United States, which has been claimed by some people, is unrealistic and harmful, he said.

China and the United States are the largest emerging market and the biggest mature market respectively, said Wang, adding that the Chinese market is related to the livelihood of every U.S. family.

If the two sides can cooperate with each other actively, the U.S. economy can attain lasting vitality from the Chinese market, and China can promote its development through the U.S. market, Wang said.

As for questions about China's market access, China's reform and opening-up as well as structural adjustment of its economy, Wang stressed that China will firmly deepen reforms and expand opening-up to the outside world.

China's development has benefited from its reform and opening-up, and the pursuit of further openness is in need of China's development, said Wang.

After its entry into the World Trade Organization, China reduced the average tariff level to 9.8 percent, over-fulfilling its tariff reduction commitments. And the tariff level is below the average of developing countries, Wang noted.

The number of sub-sectors opened by China in service trade market has reached 100, far exceeding the average number of 54 of developing countries and approaching the level of developed nations, he said.

China has implemented local record filing management for over 96 percent of foreign investments and has been implementing a management system of pre-entry national treatment plus a negative list, with the list shortened for foreign investments, said Wang.

Wang said currently, China is seeking development of high quality, and deepening structural reform is part of the endeavor.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed many times that China's door of opening-up will only become wider, and a series of new measures have been and will be continuously launched, Wang noted.

Yet China is still a developing country and it needs to advance the process of reforms based on its national conditions in an orderly and self-determined manner, he added.

Wang pointed out that China has no intention of seeking a trade surplus and is willing to resolve trade imbalances through consultations.

However, dialogue should be built on equality and integrity and cannot be carried out under threats or pressure, Wang said.

The U.S. side launched a larger scale of unilateral tariff-slapping action in the run-up to a new round of dialogue, which indicates that the United States has no sincerity to solve the problem, he said.

Wang thanked members of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the U.S.-China Business Council for making long-term efforts in promoting cooperation between the two countries.

He also expressed his hope that they can play a positive role in healthy development of China-U.S. relations and win-win cooperation between the two sides.

Representatives from the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the U.S.-China Business Council said good relations between the United States and China are in the fundamental interests of both sides.

Over the past 40 years, both the United States and China have benefited greatly from bilateral relations and cooperation between the two sides, said the representatives.

Most people from U.S. business circle do not agree to solve the current problem by slapping tariffs, and the rhetoric and actions to try to regard China as a hostile force is wrong, said the representatives.

The United States and China need to strengthen dialogue, particularly at this moment, enhance mutual understanding and solve problems in development of bilateral relations through consultations, they said.

In the long run, the two sides need to transcend specific issues such as trade, and conduct strategic communication on the long-term development of bilateral relations, they added.

The U.S. side said that the U.S.-China economic and trade cooperation has been a stabilizing force for bilateral relations for a long time, and the U.S. business circle has been a firm supporter for U.S.-China relations.

The U.S. business circle sincerely hopes to resolve structural problems in bilateral economic and trade relations through pragmatic dialogue and constructive ways including promoting discussion and signing of bilateral investment agreements, said the U.S. side.

The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and the U.S.-China Business Council are willing to continuously play a role in promoting the development of bilateral relations on a right track, the U.S. side added.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 22:52:31|Editor: yan

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MOSCOW, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The 15 Russian servicemen killed in a plane shot down mistakenly by the Syrian air defense forces have been nominated for the awarding of the Orders of Courage posthumously, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

The Il-20 surveillance plane was shot down on Sept. 17 when it was preparing to land at the Russian Hmeymim air base at a time when four Israeli jets were conducting an air strike in the vicinity.

The Russian Defense Ministry accused Israeli pilots of using the Russian plane as a cover, which diverted the Syrian missile aimed at an Israeli warplane, while Israel denied the accusation.

On Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that on orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow will strengthen Syria's air defense by providing it with modern S-300 missile systems and identification friend-or-foe (IFF) devices.

The Order of Courage is awarded to citizens of the Russian Federation who showed selflessness, courage and bravery in the protection of public order, in the fight against crime, in rescuing people during natural disasters, fires, accidents and other extraordinary circumstances, as well as for bold and decisive actions committed in the performance of military, civil or other duties in conditions that involve a risk to life.

The award implies certain bonuses, including payment of a sum equal to eight to 13 monthly salaries, depending on the length of service of the awarded, which may be received by families of the deceased.

The Russian Defense Ministry also provides the families with all the necessary support and assistance, the statement said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 22:57:33|Editor: yan

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By Nathan Morley

NICOSIA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Volunteers looking for poachers that target migrating birds are currently on patrol in several Mediterranean countries, including Malta, Lebanon, and Cyprus.

The Berlin-based Committee against Bird Slaughter, known as CABS, has launched their autumn anti-poaching operations, seeking those responsible that illegally persecute birds.

Their patrols take them through mostly rural areas, looking for nets, decoys and other hunting devices. The environmentalists say their work is tough and their members have been assaulted on dozens of occasions by angry poachers.

In Cyprus, CABS team-leader Andrea Rutigliano expressed serious concern at the extent of illegal killing of migratory birds and complained about a lack of help from the authorities, which he says are no longer as helpful as they once were.

"Now we don't have a performing police unit, which was instrumental in helping detect bird trapping. There is a lack of enforcement in Cyprus. We need support -- we will take the risk -- but it is not fair that we are left alone in the field after such great cooperation," Rutigliano told Xinhua.

A recent study by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) estimated that trappers in Cyprus killed 2.3 million migrating birds in autumn 2016, up from 1.4 million in 2010 -- making Cyprus the second-most deadly bird destination in the Mediterranean, after the island of Malta.

"Whilst we think the legal framework is right, I think it is the means by which it enforced that needs to be improved," says CABS member Andrew Rose, who is currently on patrol in Cyprus.

Some of this autumn's first migrating birds have already been trapped by hunters. Throughout September the team is in eastern Cyprus, where despite a national and international ban on poaching, trapping represents a severe threat to birds along their migration routes.

Once snared into traps, songbirds are sold to restaurants for the illegal but widely available delicacy "ambelopoulia" -- a trade worth some 16 million euros (18.8 million U.S. dollars) annually.

Because Cyprus is a key stopover on the migration route of many birds, including blackcaps and warblers, the trapping mainly takes place during the autumn.

Last year, police on a British military base in Cyprus launched a new weapon in their fight against poachers, who had been responsible for large scale trapping over decades. A top-of-the-range drone, with night-vision capabilities, is already enhancing the police's ability to cover areas which have proved difficult to reach in the past.

"We are extremely satisfied with the British bases, where there is law enforcement and high fines," Rutigliano says. "We saw a 180-degree change on the bases. Really, they mean business and they are keeping their word on that. We cooperate with them and its working perfectly well.

"Now they must keep up that press for the next 5 to 10 years."

After Cyprus gained independence in 1960, Britain retained sovereignty over two base areas covering some 254 square kilometers of the island's territory.

In many Mediterranean countries, poaching remains a lively topic of conversation, given that some locals -- especially the younger generations -- support hunting bans, whilst residents in many rural communities defend trapping as an age-old custom.

"It's very important to take a position against the poaching, because what happens here is about all of us," says Edwardo Quarda from CABS. "It concerns all the populations from Europe, and other countries, because a bird which moves from Cyprus comes also to Europe or Africa. So, it's all about us what's happening here."

CABS says that their work in Malta, Cyprus, Italy and France has seen their members collect over 50,000 nets and traps annually, as well as monitoring hundreds of hunters, and supporting the police in bringing poachers to justice.

Rutigliano concludes: "We will show the world that there is still trapping and or aim is to help tackle it."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 22:57:34|Editor: yan

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ISLAMABAD, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chief Minister of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province Jam Kamal Khan, said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will bring economic stability to his province and the entire Pakistan.

Khan said that the future of the country's young generation is connected with CPEC, and his province is seeking to equip the youth with technical skills for enabling them to avail the opportunities offered by the bilateral project, Express Tribune reported Tuesday.

The youth will benefit the most from CPEC as it will bring thousands of job opportunities for them, he added.

Khan made the remarks during his meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing in Islamabad. The chief minister said Balochistan is playing a vital role in the development of the country.

The chief minister added that the province has vast opportunities of foreign investment and his provincial government will provide all facilities to foreign companies seeking to invest in the province, adding that they have functionalized the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade to provide facilities to foreign investors under the one-window operation.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 23:22:41|Editor: yan

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PARIS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Portugal announced Tuesday it would accept 10 of the 58 migrants aboard the rescue ship Aquarius following a deal with Spain and France, after France refused to let the humanitarian ship call at a Marseille port on Monday.

"Portugal has agreed with Spain and France, in the context of the joint response to the flow of migrants seeking to reach Europe through the Mediterranean, to host 10 of the 58 people on the vessel Aquarius II," Lisbon announced in a statement.

The European port that will allow the humanitarian ship to call at port remains unclear.

"For the moment, France says no," said French economy minister Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday on the BFMTV television channel, when asked about the French response given to the NGO SOS Mediterranee.

According to Le Marie, European rules "must be respected", indicating that Marseille is not the closest port.

"If we want to have a coherent migration policy, we must respect European rules. I believe that France takes a part of the important duty in receiving many asylum seekers," he said.

"It's the president of the republic, the prime minister, and the minister of the interior who will decide. I think that it must be firm and clear," Le Maire explained.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 23:32:45|Editor: yan

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ISTANBUL, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police on Tuesday detained at least 26 former police officers over their alleged link to a U.S.-based Turkish cleric accused of masterminding a failed coup in 2016.

Police launched simultaneous operations against the suspects in different locations in Turkey's northwestern province of Bursa, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The detainees were previously dismissed over their alleged involvement in the putsch.

On Monday, Turkish authorities arrested 61 soldiers in the capital Ankara and detained another 21 people, including former teachers, in Istanbul, over their alleged link to cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in exile in the U.S.

Ankara blames Gulen and his network for the July 2016 coup attempt, in which 250 people were killed.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 23:37:47|Editor: yan

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NAIROBI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government has embarked on a dialogue process with communities to come up with a viable formula of sharing proceeds of mineral, oil and gas extraction, an official said on Tuesday.

John Munyes, the Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining, said that structured dialogue with communities where extraction of minerals and hydrocarbons is ongoing will help end spat over sharing of wealth accrued from these resources.

"The government is committed to ensure that communities accrue benefit from the nascent extractive industry in the country. We are engaging county governments and local communities to resolve conflicts over allocation of mineral wealth," said Munyes.

He spoke in Nairobi during the inaugural national mining, oil and gas conference convened by a consortium of grassroots campaigners advocating for sustainable exploitation of natural resources.

Senior policymakers, representatives of multilateral agencies and green advocates, attended the three-day forum whose goal is to revitalize dialogue on equitable sharing of revenue accrued from extraction of precious metals as well as oil and gas.

Munyes said that enactment of progressive legislation and policies coupled with public education will ensure Kenya avoid the resource curse that has affected many African countries.

"Our constitution is clear that public participation must guide exploration and development of mineral resources to ensure they benefit communities while protecting their environment," said Munyes.

Kenya's mining act that was enacted in 2016 provides guidelines on how royalties in regions where mining activities are taking place will be disbursed.

John Omenge, the Principal Secretary in the state department of mining, said that mining companies are obliged to commit a minimum of 1 percent of their revenue to support livelihood projects.

"Besides compensating land owners, the government in conjunction with mining firms has prioritized development of social amenities like schools and health centers to ensure communities benefit from oil drilling and mineral extraction," said Omenge.

He said the government has engaged key stakeholders to end impasse over sharing of revenue accrued from drilling of oil in the northern county of Turkana.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 23:52:49|Editor: yan

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PRETORIA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- South African Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba on Tuesday announced measures to ease movement of people into the country to stimulate economic growth.

Gigaba made the announcement on Tuesday in Pretoria at a press briefing. This follows the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week that South Africa would change the visa regime to make it easier for tourists to visit the country to reignite economic growth.

"We are simplifying visa requirements for countries such as China and India. This will make provision for taking biometrics on arrival in South Africa, allowing visa applications via courier services. This should be in place next month, October 2018," said Gigaba.

Gigaba pointed out that tourists create and sustain jobs in the country, and migrants bring critical skills like investors, doctors and researchers.

He said, "Easing movement in this manner will help in attracting larger numbers of tourists, business people and families. In order to further ease movement of travelers, for purposes of tourism, business meetings and academic exchange, we have implemented long term multiple entry visas for frequent travelers."

A three-year multiple entry visa for frequent trusted travelers to South Africa is being granted.

There is also a ten-year long term multiple entry visa for business people and academics from Africa. South Africa is also in the process of easing travel restrictions for people from Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda among others.

The country is also trying to guard against the risk of few travelers who come to the country to commit organized crimes and terrorism, said Gigaba.

He said, "It is a challenge inherent in immigration management to detect, prevent and act against these risks without unduly inconveniencing law-abiding travelers."

The home affairs minister said foreign students who graduate in the country with critical skills categories are offered an opportunity to apply for permanent residence or critical skills visa. The skill list will be implemented in April 2019.

South Africa is also putting measures to ease travel for visitors from BRICS countries.

Gigaba said, "Business people from BRICS countries who require visas (China and India) are issued a 10-year multiple entry visa, within five days of application. They do not need to apply in person and can use courier services. This arrangement is meant to attract business people and prospective investors."

South Africa receives more than 10 million visitors annually.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-25 23:52:49|Editor: Yang Yi

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Yang Jiechi (R), a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, co-chairs the fifth high-level political dialogue with Japanese national security advisor Shotaro Yachi in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Sept. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

NANJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- China and Japan on Tuesday held the fifth high-level political dialogue, in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, agreeing to enhance strategic communication to develop bilateral ties along a normal track.

Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, co-chaired the dialogue with Japanese national security advisor Shotaro Yachi.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan.

Yang called on both countries to cherish and maintain the positive momentum of bilateral ties, jointly plan high-level exchanges for the next stage, firmly abide by the principles agreed in the four political documents between China and Japan, to ensure the steady and healthy development of bilateral ties.

"Both sides need to firmly bear in mind the general direction of bilateral friendship and cooperation, establish correct recognition of each other and strategic mutual trust and make it clear that China and Japan are partners that will not pose threats to each other," Yang said.

He called for exploration of complementary advantages and potential to upgrade economic and trade cooperation, and urged for enhancing people-to-people exchanges.

"Both countries need to promote peace, stability and prosperity in Asia, and multilateral cooperation, as well as jointly safeguard free trade and multilateralism to help international order and global governance develop in a fairer and more rational direction," he said.

Hailing the improvement of bilateral ties, Yachi said Japan was "ready to grasp the hard-won opportunity together with China on the basis of the four political documents, enhance high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust and cooperation in all areas, and safeguard the existing international order together and jointly address regional and global challenges."

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 00:17:54|Editor: Yang Yi

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Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong speaks at a reception celebrating the 69th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sept. 25, 2018. Cambodia's remarkable progress today could not be achieved without China's help and support, Hor Namhong said here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Phearum)

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's remarkable progress today could not be achieved without China's help and support, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong said here on Tuesday.

Namhong made the remarks during a reception celebrating the 69th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

He said the two countries elevated bilateral relations to the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation in 2010, deepening all rounds of cooperation for mutual interests.

"Under the framework of comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation, the Chinese government has provided huge support to Cambodia with grant aid and concessional loans to help Cambodia's infrastructure construction," the deputy prime minister said.

He said nearly 3,000 km of roads and seven bridges had been built, and seven hydro-power plants had been launched and effectively reduced the cost of electricity in Cambodia.

Namhong said the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative was of great significance to the development of Cambodia's infrastructure, economy, trade, tourism, culture and people-to-people bond.

He said the Chinese-invested mega-projects in Cambodia such as the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway and the new Siem Reap international airport were the results of the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The deputy prime minister said the influx of Chinese tourists to the Southeast Asian nation had importantly contributed to economic development and poverty reduction, adding that the country was expected to attract 1.8 million Chinese holidaymakers this year, up from 1.2 million last year. In the improvement of rural people's livelihood, China had helped build hundreds of wells in rural Cambodia.

Organized by the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia, the reception was attended by some 300 people who are Cambodian government officials, royal members, senior military officers, politicians, foreign diplomats and Chinese business people, among others.

In his welcoming speech, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo highly valued good cooperation between the two countries in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, and in strengthening practical cooperation in various fields such as infrastructure, industrial parks, tourism, education, and people-to-people exchange.

We stand ready to continue to expand and to deepen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs with Cambodia, to jointly safeguard the regional peace, stability and development, and to jointly build a community of shared future, he said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 00:27:58|Editor: yan

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ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Water ministers of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on Tuesday commenced trilateral ministerial discussion in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on the filling of Ethiopia's grand dam.

The Ethiopian Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) - 74,000 million cubic meters hydroelectric dam under construction on the Blue Nile River that originates from Ethiopia and shared among the three countries - has been at the center of recent discussions among Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.

The three countries' water ministers, during their latest meetings, are expected to discuss the findings of the National Independent Research Group on filling operation of GERD, according to Ethiopia's state news agency ENA.

Ethiopia's Water, Irrigation and Electricity Minister Selishi Bekele said during the opening of the ministerial meeting on Tuesday that the meeting is expected to deliberate on pending issues that aimed at narrowing misunderstandings and gaps.

"This meeting gives us the opportunity to look at the study results and resolve issues and move forward with other cooperative areas that the countries should develop further," Bekele added.

Bekele further vowed that "the GERD will be filled without causing any significant harm to the downstream countries based on the Declaration of Principles and recommendations we have been underlying in the past."

Egyptian Water Resource and Irrigation Minister, Mohamed Abdel Atty said the meeting is part of the commitment of the three countries to send their queries and comments to the National Independent Research Group.

"I look for the possible best scenario for filling that could have no significant harm on the downstream countries and fulfill all the requirements for operating the GERD," he added.

Sudan's new Water, Irrigation and Electricity Minister Kedir Kesem Al Seid also stressed the potentials of the summit to uplift the three countries ties, with due emphasis given to Ethiopia's grand dam.

"We came with open mind to see if there are any differences in the National Independent Research Group that we can close," he said.

The construction of GERD, which will be regarded as Africa's largest dam upon completion with a total volume of 74,000 million cubic meters on the river has been a major issue among the countries since its commencement in April, 2011 with a construction cost of 80 billion Ethiopian birr (close to 4.7 billion U.S. dollars).

While Ethiopia and Sudan reached mutual consensus on the construction of the 6,450 MW hydro dam, Egypt frequently expressed its concern that the dam would affect its share of the river.

The three countries had formed a tripartite committee back in 2012 to create understanding and look into the benefits and impacts the project would have on the three countries.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 00:32:59|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday that multilateralism is under fire at a time when the world needs it most.

"Our world is suffering from a bad case of trust deficit disorder," Guterres told world leaders attending this year's high-level General Debate of the UN General Assembly. "And multilateralism is under fire precisely when we need it most."

Trust is at a breaking point -- trust in national institutions, trust among states, trust in the rules-based global order, he said. "Within countries, people are losing faith in political establishments, polarization is on the rise and populism is on the march."

Among countries, cooperation is less certain and more difficult. And divisions in the Security Council are stark. Trust in global governance is also fragile, as 21st-century challenges outpace 20th-century institutions and mindsets, said the UN chief.

"We have never had a true system of global governance, and much less a fully democratic one," said Guterres in his "state-of-the-world" speech that precedes those of world leaders at the General Debate.

Individual leaders have the duty to advance the well-being of their people. But it runs deeper. Together, as guardians of the common good, leaders also have a duty to promote and support a reformed, reinvigorated and strengthened multilateral system, he said.

"We need commitments to a rules-based order, with the United Nations at its center and with the different institutions and treaties that bring the (UN) Charter to life. And we need to show the added value of international cooperation by delivering peace, defending human rights and driving economic and social progress for women and men everywhere."

In the face of massive, existential threats to people and the planet, there is no way forward but collective, common-sense action for the common good, he said. "This is how we can rebuild trust."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 00:32:59|Editor: yan

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JERUSALEM, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday vowed that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will continue to strike Iranian targets in Syria, despite the Russian deployment of S-300 air defense missiles.

"We will continue to act to prevent Iranian military buildup in Syria and to continue with the security coordination between the IDF and the Russian army," Netanyahu told reporters before departing for New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

The Israeli leader said that Israel "has been very successful" in the last three years in preventing Iran's military buildup in Syria as well as its attempts to deliver lethal weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Earlier Tuesday, Israel's security cabinet instructed the IDF to continue to act against Iran's attempts to establish a military foothold in Syria while keeping the security coordination with Russia.

The cabinet held a meeting Tuesday to discuss the downing of a Russian surveillance plane on Monday by Syrian friendly fire during an Israeli airstrike in Latakia province, northern Syria.

Russia squarely blamed Israel for the incident, in which 15 Russian crew were killed, citing that the Israeli air force provided misleading information about the location of its airstrikes on the sites in Syria, preventing the Russian aircraft from flying to a safe zone. Israel rejected the charges.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that the security cabinet reiterated Israel's stance on the accident, blaming Syrian military's "irresponsible action" for causing the incident.

The ministers of the security cabinet shared the sorrow of the families in Russia and of the Russian people over the loss of the Russian aircrew members, the statement added.

The meeting came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry said it would supply the Syrian military with its advanced S-300 air defense system, drawing criticism from Israel and the U.S.

The state-of-the-art air defense system, which will reportedly be deployed in Syria in the next few weeks, could hinder Israel's future airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria.

Netanyahu spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday night, during which they agreed to continue their security coordination in Syria. Netanyahu has spoken with Putin twice since the downing of the Russian plane, in an attempt to ease the rising tensions.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 01:03:04|Editor: Xiang Bo

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The first China-Europe Talent Forum is held in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sept. 25, 2018. The first China-Europe Talent Forum was jointly hosted in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday by the Chinese embassy in Switzerland and the Swiss Adecco Group. TO GO WITH 1st China-Europe Talent Forum opens to boost exchange, cooperation. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

ZURICH, Switzerland, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The first China-Europe Talent Forum was jointly hosted in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday by the Chinese embassy in Switzerland and the Swiss Adecco Group.

The forum gathered more than 100 senior executives from over 40 Chinese and European companies to exchange their views on three topics: European labor market and its laws and regulations, international talent acquisition, and staff management and training.

Geng Wenbing, Chinese ambassador to Switzerland, said at the forum that since the beginning of the 21st century, talent has become the key factor for the development of all countries and business. After 40 years of reform and opening up, China's economy, now shifting from high-speed growth to high-quality development, is at a key phase of changing patterns, optimizing economic structure, and transforming growth momentum.

An economy driven by innovation is, after all, one driven by talent, which is why the Chinese market has a huge demand for high-level talents, Geng said.

He added that the Chinese government has always attached great importance to the work related to talent, including the international cooperation in this field. China and Europe are the world's two major economies, showing a broad prospect for cooperation in the area.

The forum aims to promote the exchange and integration of all talent by building an open, pragmatic and future-oriented Sino-European talent exchange platform that will help Chinese enterprises operating in Europe actively participate in international cooperation, the ambassador concluded.

Rolf Dorig, chair of the board of directors of the Adecco Group, said as the economic relations between China and Europe are developing constantly and the global work changing rapidly, talent is now the currency of success, and is ever more valuable, but also ever more scarce.

The forum, he added, thus offers a platform to share experience, build cooperation, promote talent exchange and enhance companies' competitiveness. It also demonstrates the shared commitment, from both Chinese companies and the Adecco Group, to build bridges and help each other proper.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 01:23:07|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday asked for global action to tackle the "direct existential threat" of climate change.

"We have reached a pivotal moment. If we do not change course in the next two years, we risk runaway climate change," Guterres told world leaders who gathered here for this year's high-level General Debate of the General Assembly.

"Climate change is moving faster than we are, and its speed has provoked a sonic boom SOS across our world."

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the past two decades included 18 of the warmest years since record-keeping began in 1850. A few weeks ago, the thick permanent sea ice north of Greenland began to break up. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the highest in 3 million years and rising, he noted.

Making matters worse, world leaders are not doing enough, he said, asking for greater ambition and a greater sense of urgency.

Governments need to be courageous and smart, he said. "That means ending trillions of dollars in subsidies for fossil fuels. It means establishing an adequate price for carbon. It means stopping investments in unsustainable infrastructure that lock in bad practices for decades to come."

"Our future is at stake. Nothing is immune -- climate change affects everything and everything can be undermined. Keeping our planet's warming to well below 2 degrees is essential for global prosperity and the security of nations," said the UN chief.

He asked for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change that sets the 2-degree target.

"It has immense potential to set us on the right course, but its targets, which represent the bare minimum to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, are far from being met."

He voiced concern that recent negotiations in Bangkok, Thailand, toward implementation guidelines ended without sufficient progress.

The next round of negotiations in Katowice, Poland, in December will be a key moment. It must be a success, said the UN chief. "As I said recently, we cannot allow Katowice to remind us of the divisions among member states that paralyzed Copenhagen (round of negotiations)."

Fortunately, technology is on our side, he said. "Clean energy is more affordable and competitive than ever. If we pursue the right path, climate action could add 26 trillion U.S. dollars to the global economy by 2030. Green economy policies could create 24 million new jobs."

Far from being a fundamental threat to the economy, climate action is generating new industries, new markets, more jobs and less dependency on fossil fuels, he said. "The real danger is not the threat to one's economy that comes from acting. It is, instead, the risk to one's economy by failing to act."

Guterres said he will convene a Climate Summit in September 2019 to mobilize action and finance. "We will bring together countries and cities, the real economy and real politics, business, finance and civil society, to focus on the heart of the problem."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 01:28:07|Editor: yan

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CAPE TOWN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Tuesday denied press reports that its ambassador to Israel, Sisa Ngombane, has returned to Tel Aviv to resume his duties.

"The South African Ambassador is still recalled for consultations and has not resumed his duties as an ambassador for South Africa in Israel," the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said.

The Times newspaper in Israel reported last week that Ngombane had returned "silently" to Israel a few days ago. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has confirmed the news.

Ngombane travelled to Israel to deal with urgent family and personal issues and is expected to return to South Africa as soon as these are completed, DIRCO said in a statement.

"The conditions that prompted the recall of our Ambassador to Israel for consultations in Pretoria have not changed," the statement said.

Any change in status in South Africa's diplomatic relations with Israel will be communicated by DIRCO after due consultations with President Cyril Ramaphosa, said the statement.

In May this year, the South African government recalled its ambassador to Israel with immediate effect in protest against Israeli attack in the occupied Gaza Strip.

The decision was made following Israel's deadly attack in the Gaza Strip where Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians who were protesting against the provocative inauguration of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. Scores of other Palestinians were injured.File Photo: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (L) and his wife, Cilia Flores wave to supporters before the ceremony where Maduro will deliver a speech reviewing his year in office at the Supreme Court of Justice in Caracas on Jan. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/AFP)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Treasury announced on Tuesday that it has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's "inner circle," including Maduro's wife and other key government officials.

The Treasury said in a statement that it has blacklisted Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.

The sanctions would freeze any assets that a blacklisted person holds under U.S. jurisdiction and ban any U.S. individuals or companies from making business transactions with them.

In addition, the United States also put sanctions on a network which it accused of supporting a key front man for President of Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly (ANC) Diosdado Cabello, seizing a 20-million-U.S. dollar private jet that belonged to the front man.

The United States has been stepping up pressure on the South American country by imposing a string of sanctions, including ones on Maduro himself and the senior officials.

Venezuela has said it does not recognize any sanctions imposed on the country without UN authorization.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 02:33:20|Editor: yan

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DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The state-owned Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) announced on Tuesday the de-registration of two private universities for providing substandard academic services.

Equally, TCU barred a number of private universities from admitting new students after they had failed to meet required academic standards.

Charles Kihampa, TCU Executive Secretary, named the two deregistered universities as Teofilo Kisanji University in Tabora region and the Dodoma-based campus of St John's University of Tanzania.

The official said students who were pursuing courses in the two deregistered universities should be shifted to other colleges before the commencement of the 2018/19 academic year.

Kihampa also mentioned TCU barred universities as Kampala International University in Tanzania, Marian University, Cardinal Rugambwa University, Sebastian Kolowa and United African University of Tanzania.

Addressing a news conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, Kihampa said the commission's decision came following an assessment which uncovered serious academic shortcomings in the higher learning institutions.

However, Kihampa said the decision to bar the universities will not affect continuing students as they will be allowed to continue with their studies.

"The continuing students are obliged to go on with their studies and should not be affected by the decision. All barred universities will be under special supervision and that they are not allowed to admit new students in all levels," said Kihampa.

He said in 2016, TCU embarked on a special inspection program to assess the quality of education provided by higher learning institutions in the country, a survey which found some of the colleges providing services below standard, affecting the education sector.

Kihampa directed barred universities to "clean their academic houses by implementing instructions given to them," warning that stiff legal measures will be taken against universities that failed to take corrective steps.Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, is seen in a general view of Dubai, UAE December 9, 2015. (Reuters photo)

DUBAI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The innovative products that the Fourth Industrial Revolution generates can reduce construction costs in the Gulf region by up to 20 percent, an expert said on Tuesday.

Sassan Hatam, partner at the Middle East branch of the German consultancy firm Roland Berger, made the remarks during an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the ongoing Construction Technology Forum 2018 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Hatam hailed the Dubai government's decision in May to have 25 percent of Dubai's new buildings to be 3D-printed as "a step into the right direction."

Most of the construction processes have not changed in the last 50 years, and there is the hidden value to reduce costs and increase building efficiency, Hatam said.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, Internet of things (IoT) and augmented reality, which are part of the new technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, can reduce the building costs by up to 20 percent, as the digital revolution has the potential to disrupt the entire value chain on any construction site, said Hatam.

"Computer simulations based on AI can calculate the exact inclusion of, for example, a ready bathroom or reception room into a multi-story house, while robots can do the work onsite," Hatam said.

With augmented reality, engineers can wear virtual reality goggles and send camera-equipped mini-robots or drones into the building under construction to monitor the work, he said.

Dubai will be the first Arab city to hold the World Expo, themed "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future," from Oct. 20 to April 10, 2021.

According to the Dubai government, Expo-related construction project such as the extension of the Dubai Metro network are valued at 42.5 billion U.S. dollars.

However, Dubai's biggest bank Emirates NBD said business activities in the construction sector in the sheikhdom which harbours the world's tallest tower Burj Khalifa have eased since the start of the year.

One reason was the five percent value-added tax imposed by the UAE government on the start of 2018, which has pushed costs up.

Real estate advisory firm JLL said that office rents have declined 13 percent year on year in the second quarter in Dubai due to sluggish demand, while leading to delays of some new construction projects.

Hatam insisted that the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is marked by some technological breakthroughs in many fields including AI, robotics, nanotechnology, quantum computing, augmented reality, biotechnology and IoT, won't be a "job killer."

While AI, augmented reality and robotics would reduce the need for blue collar workers on constructions sites in the future, new job opportunities relating to the programming, control and operation of robots, AI and IoT will increase, Hatam said.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 02:53:26|Editor: yan

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LJUBLNANA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Slovenian police in Crnomelj, southeastern Slovenia, have intercepted a van carrying 22 illegal migrants, the regional police said in a statement on Tuesday.

The van with a Romanian license plate was intercepted by police Monday evening.

Among the 22 illegal migrants found in the back of the van, 16 are Pakistanis and six Eritreans, according to the police statement.

A 44-year-old Romanian citizen is being charged with illegal border crossing and will face an investigative judge on Tuesday, said the police.

Slovenia has seen a dramatic increase in the number of illegal border crossings so far this year compared to 2017, according to the Slovenian Press Agency STA.

The police detected 4,621 illegal border crossings by the end of July, while the figure for the whole 2017 was 893.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 04:03:44|Editor: yan

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KIEV, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine has accumulated enough gas reserves for powering its heating facilities during the cold season, a senior energy official said here on Tuesday.

"Currently, we have about 16 billion cubic meters of gas in the storage facilities, which is enough to comfortably go through the winter," Yuriy Vitrenko, the chief commercial officer at Ukraine's state-run energy company Naftogaz, told reporters at a press conference.

In the previous heating season, which lasted from mid-October 2017 to mid-April 2018, Ukraine used more than 9 billion cubic meters of gas from its underground storage facilities.

Last year, the country consumed a total of 32.2 billion cubic meters of gas, of which 14.05 billion cubic meters were imported from abroad.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 04:13:50|Editor: yan

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CAIRO, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Egypt signed on Tuesday a deal worth more than one billion euros (about 1.2 billion U.S. dollars) with a Russian-Hungarian rail consortium to import 1,300 passenger cars for the Egyptian railway authority, the Egyptian cabinet said in a statement.

"It is the largest deal in the history of the Egyptian railways," the statement said.

The supply contract was signed by Ashraf Raslan, Chairman of Egyptian National Railways (ENR) and Sergo-Shakhzada M. Kurbanov, Vice-President of Transmashholding who represents Transmashholding-Hungary, the Russian-Hungarian consortium.

The signing ceremony was attended by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Transport Minister Hesham Arafat, as well as the ambassadors of both Russia and Hungary.

The Egyptian transport minister said in a press conference following the ceremony that the contract is worth of 22 billion Egyptian pounds (about 1.2 billion U.S. dollars), noting that it includes 800 cars with air conditioning and 500 with forced ventilation.

Raslan announced in April a project to renovate the country's old railway system by 2022, with a total cost of 55 billion Egyptian pounds (about 3.1 billion U.S. dollars).

The ENR chief said on Tuesday that the deal "will contribute to improving the operating efficiency of Egypt's railways, especially with the current aging fleet of passenger cars."

Raslan pointed out that most passenger cars in Egypt's trains are over 40 years old with frequent breakdowns and high cost of operation and maintenance.

Transmashholding said on its official website that the project is supported by the governments of Egypt, Hungary and Russia.

"The parties positively look at the growth of international cooperation and are confident that further improvement of trade and industrial relationships will make a solid platform for even more ambitious projects in the future," Transmashholding said.

It noted that the contract was awarded to the consortium following a bid called by ENR in 2017.

"The overall cost of the rolling stock to be produced and delivered under the contract exceeds one billion euros," said the company, adding that "the supply contract duration is five years since the date of its execution."

Egypt's suffers a high rate of train accidents that killed and injured hundreds of passengers over the past few years.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said earlier this year that the country needed from 200 to 250 billion pounds (up to 14 billion U.S. dollars) for a comprehensive upgrade of the railway network, but the amount was not available due to difficult economic conditions.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 04:18:52|Editor: yan

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TRIPOLI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Libyan navy said on Tuesday it rescued 116 illegal immigrants off the country's western coast.

The rescue operation was carried out 50 miles off the coast of the city of Zuwara, some 120 km west of the capital Tripoli, said Ayob Qassem, the navy's spokesman.

The rescue operation was done in cooperation between the coast guards and an oil tanker, before taking the immigrants to a reception center.

On Monday, the Libyan navy announced 235 illegal immigrants were rescued in separate operations off the country's western coast.

Libya has become a preferred departure point for illegal immigrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean into Europe due to insecurity and chaos in the North African country following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Improved weather conditions have increased the flow of migrant boats from Libya towards Europe, particularly off the country's western coast.In this file photo taken on September 19, 2017 Belarus' OSA-AKM surface-to-air missile launchers and S-300 anti-aircraft systems move to firing positions during the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises Zapad-2017 (West-2017) at a training ground near the village of Volka, some 200 km southwest of Minsk. (AFP photo)

DAMASCUS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said Tuesday that the arrival of Russia's S-300 to Syria will push Israel to reconsider before striking Syria again.

Answering a Xinhua question in Damascus, Mekdad said that the Russian S-300 missile system, which will be sent to Syria soon, would be used only if Syria was attacked.

His remarks come against the backdrop of the recent remarks by Russian officials that Moscow was going to deliver the S-300 long-range surface-to-air missile system to Syria.

The Russian move comes days after Israeli F-16 jets attacked Syrian military positions in Syria's Latakia province and was accused by Russia of being behind the targeting of a Russian aircraft during the attack.

"Israel which got used to carrying out many attacks under different pretexts would have to recalculate and reconsider before attacking again," Mekdad said.

He stressed that "the aggression on Syria is an aggression on the forces that fight against terrorism in Syria."

Asked by Xinhua if Israel would launch other attacks on Syria after obtaining the S-300 system, Mekdad said: "Let the Israelis try and we will defend ourselves as we have done before."

Last week, the Russian Ilyushin Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft was mistakenly shot down by the Syrian air defenses, which were intercepting Israeli missile attack on Syrian basis in Latakia province in northwestern Syria.

All 15 Russian crew members aboard died.

The Russians have accused Israel of failing to give Russia adequate notice of the airstrike.

On Sunday, Russia's Defense Ministry charged that the Israeli F-16 jets had used its reconnaissance plane as cover while carrying out strikes in Syria.

"The actions of the Israeli fighter pilots, which resulted in the loss of life of 15 Russian servicemen, either lacked professionalism or were an act of criminal negligence, to say the least," the Russian ministry said.

Russia, which entered the course of the war to back the Syrian army in 2015, has two Russian-run bases in Syria, the first is an air base in Hmeimim in Latakia countryside and the other is a naval base in the Tartus city near Latakia.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 05:19:12|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday blasted the U.S.-led sanctions against his country as "economic terrorism."

"World security is under threat by some states' recklessness and disregard of international values and institutions," Rouhani made the remarks at the ongoing General Debate of the 73rd UN General Assembly (UNGA 73).

"Confronting multilateralism is not a sign of strength. Rather, it is a symptom of the weakness of the intellect. It betrays an inability in understanding a complex and interconnected world," he said.

Rouhani lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump in his speech, saying he is seeking an "overthrow" of the Iranian leadership.

Speaking of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, Rouhani said that "we are pleased that the international community did not acquiesce to the U.S. illegal and unilateral withdrawal from that agreement."

President Trump called on the rest of the world to isolate Iran and said a U.S. campaign of "economic pressure" would turn back "Iran's aggression," in his second address to the UN General Assembly.

At last year's General Debate, Trump criticized the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, calling it "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into."

Iran deal is an agreement on the nuclear program of Iran reached in Vienna on July 14, 2015 between Iran, the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States - plus Germany).

In May, U.S. President Trump announced Washington's withdrawal from the landmark Iranian nuclear deal. Since then, the Trump administration has slapped a number of sanctions on Iran while vowing to apply more.People visit the sand table of the Iskra Asia agro-industrial cooperation zone at the village of Iskra in Chuy valley, Kyrgyzstan, Jan. 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Roman)

BISHKEK, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a new 5-year country partnership strategy to promote sustainable economic growth and regional cooperation in Kyrgyzstan, the bank said Tuesday.

Endorsed by the bank's Board of Directors, the strategy for the period of 2018-2022 is expected to provide 641 million U.S. dollars in grants and sovereign loans to Kyrgyzstan, which joined the ADB in 1994, the bank's press service said.

The funds will be used to explore opportunities in various fields, such as energy, transport, education, public sector management, water supply, sanitation, agriculture and agribusiness, as well as telecommunications, it said.

As Kyrgyzstan's largest multilateral development partner, the ADB has so far provided about 1.7 billion U.S. dollars in loans and grants to Kyrgyzstan, according to the bank.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 05:39:18|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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TUNIS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Speech of Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi which was broadcasted Monday evening has aroused different reactions on political scene across the country.

"The breakdown in consensus between the Islamist party Ennahdha (the main ally of the coalition in power in Tunisia) and Nida Tounes (founded by Essebsi) came after the support of Ennahdha to the current government of (Tunisian Prime Minister) Youssef Chahed," said Ridha Belhaj, leader of Nida Tounes.

According to Belhaj, "Tunisian president issued a strong message by insisting that next presidential and legislative elections must take place in December 2019 and this deadline must be respected."

"Essebsi criticized the current government's inability to resolve the country's economic crisis while calling on Prime Minister Youssef Chahed to address Parliament (Assembly of People's Representatives, ARP) to renew its legitimacy," said Belhaj.

Imed Khmiri, official spokesman of Ennahdha, insisted that his party did not break off relations with President Essebsi.

"Ennahdha will always focus on the consensual process with the president and the divergence of points of view absolutely does not mean breaking with the approach of dialogue," Khmiri said.

Zouhair Hamdi, leader of opposition party Popular Front, the main left-wing alliance within the ARP, said "the content of the speech finally settled the conflict within the ruling majority coalition."

However, he said that "Essebsi recognized the delicacy of the country's economic situation, in particular the indebtedness and the trade deficit, hence the failure of the whole system."

"Through his speech, the president has shown that he no longer masters the tools to bring the country out of social, economic and political crisis," noted Issam Chebbi, Secretary General of the Republican Party.

"The split between the two main parties at the top of power could generate social tensions in the future," said Nizar Makni, policy specialist in Tunisia and Mena Zone.

He added that "reforms in Tunisia require a large consensual process and the lack of trust will only lead to chaos and demonstrations."United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the opening of the General Debate of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York, Sept. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Uphold multilateralism, tackle climate change, keep the perils of new technologies at bay. These are the messages from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to world leaders who gather in New York for the high-level week of this year's UN General Assembly.

"Our future rests on solidarity. We must repair broken trust. We must reinvigorate our multilateral project," Guterres told the leaders on Tuesday before the leaders made their own speeches from the marble podium.

"Our world is suffering from a bad case of 'trust deficit disorder'," Guterres said. "And multilateralism is under fire precisely when we need it most."

Trust is at a breaking point -- trust in national institutions, trust among states, trust in the rules-based global order, he said. "Within countries, people are losing faith in political establishments, polarization is on the rise and populism is on the march."

Among countries, cooperation is less certain and more difficult. And divisions in the Security Council are stark. Trust in global governance is also fragile, as 21st-century challenges outpace 20th-century institutions and mindsets, said the UN chief.

"We have never had a true system of global governance, and much less a fully democratic one," said Guterres.

In the face of massive, existential threats to people and the planet -- but equally at a time of compelling opportunities for shared prosperity -- there is no way forward but collective, common-sense action for the common good, he said.

Together, as guardians of the common good, leaders have a duty to promote and support a reformed, reinvigorated and strengthened multilateral system, he said.

"We need commitments to a rules-based order, with the United Nations at its center and with the different institutions and treaties that bring the (UN) Charter to life. And we need to show the added value of international cooperation by delivering peace, defending human rights and driving economic and social progress for women and men everywhere."

He called the attention of the world leaders to two particular dangers: climate change and the abuse of new technologies.

"We have reached a pivotal moment. If we do not change course in the next two years, we risk runaway climate change," he said. "Climate change is moving faster than we are, and its speed has provoked a sonic boom SOS across our world."

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the past two decades included 18 of the warmest years since record-keeping began in 1850. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the highest in 3 million years -- and rising, he noted.

Making matters worse, world leaders are not doing enough, he said, asking for greater ambition and a greater sense of urgency.

He asked for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. "It has immense potential to set us on the right course, but its targets, which represent the bare minimum to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, are far from being met."

"Our future is at stake. Nothing is immune -- climate change affects everything and everything can be undermined. Keeping our planet's warming to well below 2 degrees (from pre-industrial levels) is essential for global prosperity and the security of nations," said the UN chief.

He asked world leaders to embrace new technologies for climate action.

"Clean energy is more affordable and competitive than ever. If we pursue the right path, climate action could add 26 trillion U.S. dollars to the global economy by 2030. Green economy policies could create 24 million new jobs."

Far from being a fundamental threat to the economy, climate action is generating new industries, new markets, more jobs and less dependency on fossil fuels, he said. "The real danger is not the threat to one's economy that comes from acting. It is, instead, the risk to one's economy by failing to act."

Guterres warned world leaders of the downside of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

"The impacts of new technologies on warfare are a direct threat to our common responsibility to guarantee peace and security," said Guterres.

The weaponization of artificial intelligence is a growing concern. The prospect of weapons that can select and attack a target on their own raises multiple alarms, and could trigger new arms races, he warned. "Let's call it as it is. The prospect of machines with the discretion and power to take human life is morally repugnant."

"Heaven forbid, any new war could very well include a massive cyber-attack not only targeting military capacities, but also critical civilian infrastructure," he said.

At the same time, technology is being misused by terrorists and for sexual exploitation and abuse, he noted.

Malicious acts in cyberspace, such as disinformation campaigns, are polarizing communities and diminishing trust among states. And more and more people are getting their information from news or social media feeds that echo their views, reinforce tribalism and assure people that they are right and the other side is wrong, he said.

Technological advances may disrupt labor markets, bringing about socio-economic impacts, as traditional jobs change or disappear, even as the number of young job-seekers continues to grow, he observed.

With technology outracing institutions, cooperation between countries and among stakeholders will be crucial, including UN member states, the private sector, research centers, civil society and academia, said the UN chief.

More work on these issues, aimed at building trust between and within nations, will be needed to ensure the responsible use of new technologies, he said. "I urge you to use the United Nations as a platform to draw global attention to these crucial matters and to nurture a digital future that is safe and beneficial for all."Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 06:19:23|Editor: yan

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BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The president of the Central Bank of Argentina (BCRA), Luis Caputo, resigned on Tuesday, the BCRA has said.

Caputo's decision came during an economic crisis in the country as Argentina's government was negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over further financial support.

According to a statement from BCRA, Caputo's resignation was motivated by personal reasons but the bank remained certain that: "a new agreement with the IMF will reestablish confidence in the fiscal, financial, monetary and exchange situation."

Caputo's resignation came less than four months after taking on the position, on June 14, following the resignation of his predecessor, Federico Sturzenegger.

The decision is therefore the second BCRA presidential resignation that Argentina's President, Mauricio Macri, has faced during his term.

When Caputo assumed the position, the Argentine peso was valued at 25 pesos per U.S. dollar. It is now 13 pesos higher at 38 pesos per dollar.

The Argentine government is currently negotiating with the IMF to access 50 billion U.S. dollars credit which was agreed in June due to the ongoing economic crisis in the country.

The U.S. dollar has appreciated 100 percent against the peso so far this year.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 06:24:25|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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BUJUMBURA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- It will be hard to reach the target of 72,000 Burundian refugees being repatriated from Tanzania by Dec. 2018 as set by a tripartite meeting on voluntary repatriation in March, a Burundian official said Tuesday.

During the March tripartite meeting attended by officials from Burundi, Tanzania and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the three parties agreed to repatriate at least 2,000 Burundian refugees per week and the target was to have repatriated some 72,000 refugees by the end of this year, assistant to the Burundian interior minister Therence Ntahiraja told Burundi-based Radio Isanganiro.

Depending on the progress that some 37,800 have been repatriated by the end of September, it will be hard to reach the target, said Ntahiraja.

According to him, UNHCR has failed to repatriate 2,000 refugees per week due to the insufficiency of logistical equipment.

UNHCR sometimes repatriated between 1,000 and 2,000 refugees or even less than 1,000 refugees per week, he said.

There are 383,283 Burundian refugees haven't returned to Burundi, over half of them are living in Tanzania, according to figures from UNHCR, last updated on Aug. 31, 2018.

Most of the Burundian refugees fled the central African country since April 2015, when it plunged into a crisis after Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 06:29:26|Editor: yan

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MINSK, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Belarus wants to have dialogue with all partners without pressure and double standards, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Tuesday.

Belarus does not choose between East and West, but makes effort to build equal political and mutually beneficial economic relations with all partners without exception, Lukashenko said while receiving the credentials of new foreign ambassadors in Minsk.

"We want to have a dialogue without pressure or coercion, double standards and interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states," Lukashenko stressed.

Firmly opposing confrontation and providing security in the region, Belarus advocates a peaceful solution to the conflict and has been committed to expanding the circle of the like-minded, he said.

On Tuesday, Alexander Lukashenko received credentials of the ambassadors from 12 countries, including Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, India, Jordan, Iraq, Mexico, Panama, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-26 06:34:27|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Google has revised an earlier financial products and services policy to allow regulated cryptocurrency exchanges to advertise in the United States and Japan starting next month.

In an update to its policy released Tuesday, Google will require advertisers to get certified with it for the specific country in which their ads will serve. After the new policy goes into effect in October, the advertisers will be able to apply for certification for cryptocurrency-related products and services

"This policy will apply globally to all accounts that advertise these financial products," Google said.

Google announced a sweeping ban in March on online cryptocurrency ads that was aimed at protecting its users from potential fraudulent scams. The restrictions were enforced in June.

Google was following other major U.S. tech firms that introduced extensive restrictions on online advertising of cryptocurrency and related products.

Facebook put in place the first large-scale crypto advertising ban in January, but it also ended the restrictions on certain types of crypto-related ads in June.Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with his Russian counterpart Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov(2nd, R), at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Sept. 25, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hailed mutual trust in China-Russia ties and called for further cooperation in safeguarding multilateralism during their meeting here on Tuesday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin had in-depth exchange of views during their latest meeting at the Fourth Eastern Economic Forum in Russia's Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok, which has cemented strategic mutual trust in bilateral relations, said Wang, noting that the move also helped facilitate mutual cooperation in international affairs.

In today's world, it was of great significance for China and Russia to strengthen collaborations and work with other countries in safeguarding multilateralism, international law and free trade system, he added.

Echoing Wang's remarks, Lavrov said Russia and China should promote collaboration in multilateral mechanisms and international affairs, and join hands to safeguard international fairness and justice especially under the current situation.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues of common concern in an extensive manner.In Vino Veritas is one of the most famous wine importers in the country.

They have a shop on Dohany utca with one of the widest selection of wines available, but most business is done through their website where you can order pretty much any wine you can think of.



Veritas owns the bar next door too where you can sample around 380 kind of domestic and international wines in a stylish yet comfortable setting. Perfect for drinking with friends or passing the time people watching.

Every so often they hold wine tasting events held by experts or the actual producers themselves from all over the world. The events are tailored for both wine novices and/or connoisseurs and are supposed to be a mixture of fun and education.



So, when I saw that they had a champagne tasting event coming up, and that the sum of what I know about champagne is that it is a sparkling wine that I prefer to drink with orange juice, I jumped at the chance to learn more.

The events are held in the basement of the wine bar.



What struck me immediately upon entering is how relaxed and welcoming they make you feel. The events are kept to around 20-25 attendees to make each tasting as interactive as possible.



The events are held around two long tables, so its like having a dinner amongst friends or friends you are about to make.

This event was hosted by Champagne Pommery, one of the biggest and best champagne brands in the world, with 3-3.5 million bottles sold per year and 16.9M bottles from the total Pommery group as a whole. I spoke with the host, Charlotte Borry-Castagnio, to ask her what she wanted from the event.

So, why Budapest?

In 2017, the export of champagne into Hungary increased by almost 48 % since 2014 (data from CIVC). There is a real trend for champagne consumption in the country because of both the tourism boom and also due to locals being more and more willing to pop open a bottle of champagne.

Champagne Pommery did not have a strong representation on the market. Today we are happy to be here in Budapest, to present our cuvees and charm Hungarians.

Which one is your favourite from the selection and why?

My favourite champagne is Royal Blue Sly. It is a champagne to be drunk on ice in a large glass. This is an unconventional, modern way of drinking champagne, a synonym of a freedom, freshness, and delicacy. In Pommery, we love to create a special moment for our customers. Royal Blue Sky is the new experience by Pommery.

What do you think people get wrong about champagne?

Champagne is the king of wines, and as a luxury product, it is kept only for special moments. Champagne often comes along a ceremonial, an obligation, a mandatory spending for a specific moment. Kept only for birthdays or New Years Eve.

While, many people dont see champagne as what it is by its nature: champagne is first of all a wine, a product of Nature. I truly believe that it should not only be considered as an accessory to a celebration but as an exceptional wine, as a Grand cru in Bordeaux or Burgundy. This is why, a bottle of champagne can be open for an unformal occasion, a casual moment or during a special diner.

So, what did I learn? I learnt there is more to champagne than Mimosa and that, if you do have someone to guide you, then you can really find delicious varieties to suit your taste.



Keep an eye on their facebook page @veritaswinebarbp for future events like this.



About the author:

I write reviews for fun as a hobby, and was not paid for this review. There are probably grammatical errors in the above, I just got a C for English at school, so what do you expect! This review does not reflect the opinion of XpatLoop, please just treat it as friendly expat advice. Enjoy!Budapests downtown fifth district is testing a parking sensor solution delivered by Vodafone Magyarorszag that could reduce congestion, district mayor Peter Szentgyorgyvolgyi told the press.

The system will operate with 135 sensors until the end of the year, after which time it could be expanded.

Motorists can use the sensors to locate an empty parking space using a mobile application and can use the same application to pay their parking fee.

Mr. Szentgyorgyvolgyi noted that motorists looking for a parking spot account for 30% of traffic in the district.Economic research institute GKIs combined gauge of consumer and business confidence declined 1.2 points to 5.5 in September, falling for the second month in a row to a level last seen about a year ago.

The business confidence index slipped 2.9 points to 10.4. Sentiment in the industrial sector fell on a worsening outlook as well as poorer assessment of production, inventories and order stock, including export orders.

Construction sector confidence declined to a five-month low as both building companies and civil engineering ones reported worsening prospects. Retailer s and wholesalers were more optimistic about their sales position and order stock, but were pessimistic about inventories.

Sentiment in the service sector was little changed. GKIs consumer confidence index rose 3.9 points to minus 8.3.

Households evaluation of their own financial position was little changed, but optimism about their ability to make savings improved and more said they planned to buy big-ticket appliances.

GKI compiles the index with the support of European Union funding.Obuda's synagogue is the oldest synagogue in Budapest built to serve the large Jewish community that lived in Obuda in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The synagogue, built between 1820 and 1825, is one of the finest examples of Classicist-style architecture. Six pillars and a tympanum with the tablets of the law enhance the main facade.

In the 1960s the building was sold to the Hungarian state-run television and converted into studios. In September of 2010 the Obuda Synagogue opened its doors for services once again.

Getting to the Obuda Synagogue: Take Subway (M2) to Batthyhany ter. From Batthyhany ter take the Suburban Railway (HEV) to Arpad hid and take the short walk over to Lajos utca.Mandat de arest in privinta lui Veaceslav Platon

Magistratii de la Judecatoria Chisinau, sediul Ciocana, au admis demersul procurorilor si au eliberat mandat de arestarea in contumacie in privinta lui Veacealav Platon, pe un termen de 30 de zile. Procurorii anticoruptie au solicitat aplicarea masurii preventive, avand in vedere desconsiderarea citatiei [citeste mai departe]Hoti de mici. Fapte penale facute de patru copii

Un copil de 13 ani, doi adolsecenti de 16 si un tanar de 22 de ani au intrat in colimatorul oamenilor legii dupa ce au calcat stramb riscandu-si viitorul. Trei dintre ei, si-au petrecut noaptea in Arest, cel fara buletin scapanand de data asta Politistii Biroului de Investigatii Criminale din cadrul [citeste mai departe]The U.S. Air Force on Monday awarded an initial $325 million contract to replace 1960s-era UH-1N (Huey) helicopters, which patrol and defend nuclear weapons facilities, with MH-139 helicopters built at two plants in the Philadelphia area.

The new aircraft will be assembled at the Italian-owned Leonardo helicopter factory in Northeast Philadelphia, and outfitted with weapons and other military systems at the Boeing helicopter factory in Ridley Township. The military MH-139 is based on Leonardo's civilian AW-139 helicopter. Leonardo says it has made more than 900 AW-139s, in Philadelphia and at other plants, for 270 clients, including government agencies, oil prospectors, and police.

The contract is the "first portion" of an eventual $2.38 billion procurement, Heather Wilson, secretary of the Air Force, said in a statement. Boeing expects the Air Force to buy up to 80 more of the helicopters, plus training and support equipment. Boeing and Leonardo beat a version of rival Lockheed Martin's Black Hawk helicopter and other bidders to win the deal.

If the contract survives a potential challenge by Lockheed Martin or other disappointed bidders, the job will keep 500 employees busy at the Leonardo and Boeing factories in the Philadelphia area and at their suppliers around the U.S., said Jerry Drelling, a Boeing spokesperson.

"This contract may usher in a period of expansion" at Leonardo, spokesperson Margaret Rogalski said, but it's "too soon" to project new hires. She said the first aircraft should be delivered in fiscal year 2021. Leonardo's local workforce includes mechanics, pilots, and engineers, as well as sales, marketing, finance, and other business people.

"It's not going to ramp up hiring" at Boeing, but the new Air Force contract will keep workers at the Delaware County facility busy "militarizing" the ships after they are built at Leonardo's factory, Boeing's Drelling said.

Philadelphia-area Democratic and Republican elected officials had joined forces in support of the MH-139, which Boeing officials said would keep costs down by using readily available "off the shelf" parts instead of custom-made pieces.

It almost didn't happen for the Philadelphia plants. Last year's National Defense Authorization Bill had initially called for a one-company "sole-source" contract, according to U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), who represents Northeast Philadelphia. After Boyle filed an amendment, the Air Force agreed to open the process, making possible the joint bid.

The Pentagon has wanted to replace the Hueys after deciding they were obsolete a decade ago, but it took that long for Congress and military officials to decide on what to do.

Secretary Wilson cited the "strong competition" between the Boeing-Leonardo team and its rivals with saving the government $1.7 billion off the initial expected $4.1 billion price of the new helicopters.

"The new helicopter will be an important tool for airmen charged with securing and defending the nation's intercontinental ballistic missiles," the Air Force added in its statement.

"It's also ideal for VIP transport," said David Koopersmith, head of Boeing's Vertical Lift division.

Both Boeing and Leonardo have upgraded their Philadelphia-area plants in recent years. The Boeing works at Ridley employs more than 4,000, who mostly build and refurbish Chinook military helicopters for the U.S. and allied governments, and also make Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. The Leonardo plant, near Northeast Philadelphia Airport, employs around 560, making mostly civilian aircraft.

"The more than $125 million investment made by Leonardo in the Philadelphia facility" shows the company is ready to build ships for the Air Force, William Hunt, chief executive of Leonardo's subsidiary here, AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corp., said in a statement.

"We are extremely proud," added Alessandro Profumo, chief executive of parent company Leonardo. He said the deal is proof Leonardo can "meet the most stringent requirements" and is a "strong, reliable partner" for U.S. aircraft-makers and clients. The company changed its name from Finmeccanica after top executives were charged in a 2014 bribery trial in Italy; their convictions were later reversed on appeal.

Lockheed Martin makes Black Hawks at a factory in Elmira, N.Y. That company also owns the Sikorsky helicopter factory near Coatesville, which mostly makes civilian aircraft.American Airlines is adding new flights out of Philadelphia International Airport, with service to three Florida cities coming in early 2019.

Travelers will be able to fly from PHL to Sarasota, on Florida's Gulf Coast, starting Jan. 12. Departing and returning flights will operate both on Saturdays and Sundays.

Non-stop routes to Key West and to Melbourne, FL, will operate on Saturdays, starting Feb. 16. The service to the three Florida destinations is seasonal, and will end Sept. 1, according to PHL.

As of last Friday, American Airlines has tacked on $5 to the cost of checked baggage on flights to U.S., North American, and Caribbean destinations. The first checked bag now costs $30 and the second bag costs $40.

The company said it hadn't raised baggage fees for domestic travel since 2010, and that it was following similar increases by other airlines. Over the past month, Delta, United, and JetBlue have all announced they're charging $5 more for checked bags.

American Airlines made nearly $603 million in baggage fees during the first half of 2018, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. American was followed by United with $411.8 million in baggage fee revenue, Delta with $375.1 million, and Spirit with $306 million.

Frontier ranked No. 5 on that list, with $186.3 million in baggage fees for the first and second quarters of 2018. JetBlue was next, with $150.2 million.

So far this year, PHL said, American has added 11 non-stop routes from Philly to U.S. and international cities, including San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Mexico City. In 2019, the airline is also adding flights to four European destinations: Edinburgh, Scotland; Berlin; Bologna, Italy; and Dubrovnik, Croatia.Project planned by Streamline Group at 1500-48 N. Randolph St. in the city's Poplar section. Read more

The company cofounded by real estate developer Sean Schellenger, the victim of a fatal stabbing last summer near Rittenhouse Square, is moving forward with a pair of residential complexes in burgeoning neighborhoods northeast of central Philadelphia.

Streamline Group, based in South Philadelphia, is scheduled to present the proposals to the Philadelphia Civic Design Review board on Oct. 2, according to an agenda posted to the panel's website. The CDR board offers suggestions on the city's biggest development proposals as part of Philadelphia's planning process.

One of Streamline's projects would replace what's now a vacant lot at 2600-40 Hagert St. in Kensington, not far from the corner of York Street and Aramingo Avenue, according to plans provided to the CDR panel. It features a row of townhouses along Hagert Street and a row of condo or apartment buildings along Boston Street, for a total of 41 dwellings.

The other project is a complex of 44 townhouses and condos or apartments in the city's Poplar section at 1500 Randolph St., south of Oxford Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets.

Schellenger, 37, was stabbed to death in an altercation with a bicycle courier who allegedly became involved in an argument the developer was having with another person on July 12 near the corner of Chancellor and 17th Streets in Center City. Streamline has since then been led by its cofounder Michael Stillwell and Schellenger's mother, Linda, a former executive with a Merck & Co subsidiary.

Streamline's other large ongoing projects include a complex of duplexes and apartments or condos encompassing 82 homes on land across from the Shops at Schmidts retail center in Northern Liberties.

Michael White, the 21-year-old bicycle courier charged in Schellenger's death, is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on Oct. 30.Kelly Williams was among scores of child sexual abuse victim advocates to march ahead of a vote Monday in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Read more

HARRISBURG  The gauntlet was thrown at 4:27 p.m. Monday onto the floor of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

It happened as Attorney General Josh Shapiro sat high above the House, his chief clergy-abuse prosecutor, Daniel Dye, there with him amid several rows of victims of child sexual abuse in the gallery at the state Capitol, all looking down at the lawmakers below.

By a 171-23 vote, House members backed legislative language that the Catholic Church and the insurance industry have spent years fighting to keep from becoming law: They approved an amendment to a bill that would suspend the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse for two full years.

It would allow lawsuits whether you were abused by a priest or a gym teacher in a public school. Whether you were abused 50 years ago or 20. It would give you justice.

This had never happened before in this state.

This was historic. And the only way it becomes law is if the Republicans who control the Senate, and the rank-and-file below them, show that they are anything but feckless and captive to the powerful lobbyists who take marching orders from unrepentant bishops and unconcerned underwriters.

I'm not holding my breath.

I'm holding my breath.

If members of Pennsylvania's Senate want a legacy they can be proud of, they should think long and hard about what choice they are about to make.

Successive grand jury investigations, starting with a report released in 2005 by Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham into the Philadelphia Archdiocese's horrors, and the tome of toxicity across six other dioceses in a report released last month by Shapiro, should leave no doubt about the right path.

The last time a comparable statute of limitations measure came this close, a more conservative one in 2016, the House sent it to the Senate. And there, like the swamp creatures that incumbents tend to resemble the more they collect electoral power, the Republicans who control the Senate killed it.

If the House approves the bill on Tuesday, as is expected, senators will have eight days to change their minds this time around.

Monday was historic in another way, too. Victims had their day in a way that had never before been seen.

For years, I've been making the drive to the Capitol to cover rallies by child sexual-abuse victims desperately seeking changes in state law. Time and again, the rallies were small. Very few lawmakers came out for them. Same went for reporters. And those who did rally sometimes were rushed off the Capitol steps so that, say, a cause more popular with lawmakers might take their place.

That was not the case Monday.

"We're doing this for those that can't walk with us anymore," Shaun Dougherty, abused as a 13-year-old in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese, said as he led scores of fellow victims and advocates into the Capitol for the first of two rallies with public officials.

"Here's to victory," said a notably courageous Republican senator, John Rafferty of Montgomery County, alongside former Lt. Gov. Mark Singel and dozens of current and former lawmakers in a rally with victims. Rafferty declared he would do all he could to win his colleagues' support in the weeks ahead.

Sen. Daylin Leach, the Montgomery County Democrat who joined Republicans two years ago to defeat a similar measure, even took to the lectern to declare he'd had a change of heart. He said he was shaken after reading the latest grand jury report, and came to realize he had been excessively focused on technicalities instead of being a compassionate elected official. He made no mention of the #MeToo troubles of his own that derailed his congressional bid earlier this year.

"I changed my mind," Leach said at an evening vigil held in the Rotunda by Shapiro's office and attended also by Gov. Wolf and his wife, Frances. "I hope some of my colleagues in the Senate try it."

Democratic Sen. Vincent Hughes of Philadelphia, who was among the brave minority two years ago that tried to deliver a similar measure, gave a rousing speech ahead of Wolf  one that echoed exactly what's been on my mind for weeks.

"The next eight days, in many respects, will determine the character of the people who are in this building," Hughes said.Artist John Dowell holds a bowl of cotton bolls while standing before the enormous photographic print that welcomes visitors to his show, Cotton: The Soft Dangerous Beauty of the Past at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. DAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer . Read more

She was long gone, but she came to him in a dream.

Artist John E. Dowell Jr., 77, Philadelphia born and bred, said it all came down to Big Mommy.

"I had this dream, a series of dreams, three months before I had a show in Savannah back in 2011," Dowell said the other day while standing in the midst of his extraordinary new exhibition, Cotton: The Soft, Dangerous Beauty of the Past.

The exhibition of vivid photographs of cotton plants, cotton fields, and the ghosts of cotton, many collaged and profoundly manipulated, just opened at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, Seventh and Arch Streets. It runs through Jan. 21.

>> READ MORE: Our critics' pick fall's best museum exhibits, concerts, plays, festivals, TV shows, movies, and more

"I kept dreaming of my grandmother and so I kept asking my brother and my sister, 'Did you dream of Big Mommy?' And they said, 'No.' And finally my sister said, 'You're in trouble.' I said, 'But I haven't done anything!'

"She said, 'Big Mommy don't play! You know that. She never played!'"

Dowell, a slight man with a sparkling laugh, said that, about two or three weeks later, he had another dream.

"I said, 'OK, Big Mommy, what did I do? What's wrong?" he recalled. "And I saw this image of her with cotton and I started remembering the story she told me about cotton."

Big Mommy, who grew up near Augusta, Ga., told a memorable tale of children  and herself  becoming lost in fields of towering stalks of cotton, cotton looming, cotton everywhere, as thick as any endless, foreboding woods.

"The next morning," Dowell continued, "I called a farm agent in the Savannah area and I found a farmer and made an appointment for when I was going to go down to the [Savannah] museum."

So began Dowell's journey into what was the alien world of cotton, seemingly so antithetical to his urban own world of the Richard Allen Homes and decades of teaching at Temple's Tyler School of Art. But he felt in his bones the vast power and terrible beauty of this potent plant, and understood that he had to know cotton, as an artist and a photographer  and perhaps most profoundly as a black man.

"Cotton is our symbol," Dowell said. "That's black people in this country. You just mention cotton, you know what I mean, and for those of us who are a little aware, all the torture, all of that stuff  it's there. And it makes you stop and think. That's why I'm doing the cotton. I couldn't think of a better symbol."

In the midst of his first visit shooting near Augusta, the farmer who showed him around proudly told Dowell that the cotton fields had been in his family for seven generations.

"It hit me  I've been taken home," Dowell said. "I didn't trace it, but I could feel it. I knew somebody in my family worked that property. I didn't let on. I just went off and tried to photograph. On the second day, I'm photographing in the afternoon, and all of a sudden, I can't focus. I'm a nut about focus. I said, 'What's wrong?' All of a sudden, my eyes started watering and I just cried. I just cried. After a while I got myself back together.  That was my first real experience of cotton."

Photographing that year, mostly in Virginia and South Carolina, Dowell said things, powerful things "would happen." Once, driving to an obscure field, he turned a corner, came over a hill, and "all I can see is solid cotton."

He pulled over.

"I just sat there," he said. "I thought, 'Man, what are you going to do if you face all of that at 5 in the morning for the rest of your life?' Things like that I had never thought about before."

Some things, as his exploration of cotton continued, Dowell had never even heard of, particularly when he began thinking about slavery in the north. The Wall Street slave market, for instance, was one of world's most active selling blocks for most of the 17th and 18th centuries.

But by the 1820s, freed Africans were able to buy plots of land in what became known as Seneca Village, a largely black community in what is now Central Park. From 1825, blacks and some Irish and German families bought land there and built homes.

The city swept it all away with the power of eminent domain to create Central Park. Nothing remains visible of Seneca Village, not the houses, the three churches, the school, the businesses.

Dowell photographed the area and in some of his most powerful prints, he drew buildings on their exact sites, ghost houses and cotton haunting the park.

There is the home of Andrew Williams, for instance, the first settler, who bought his land and built his simple house in 1825.

In Dowell's photograph, he shows the spectral Williams house surrounded by vivid cardinals, "spirits," Dowell calls them.

Another print shows the house of Williams' neighbors, levitating. Nearby, the African Union Church sits, cotton laid at its doorstep, bursts of cotton flying from its rooftop, an explosion of hallelujahs.

"I wanted to show the spiritual," Dowell said. The same idea inspired his interior shot of Trinity Church near Wall Street, which sometimes allowed black people to be buried in its cemetery, and often barred them.

Cotton pokes its way above pews in Dowell's photographic vision; it comes streaming through the windows like angels in Renaissance paintings.

"I superimposed cotton on [the interior]," he said. "But what it's about is that, OK, we're just equal like everybody else, you know, nothing special. Just give us a shot like everybody else. The message is: You could bury us. You could. I just want people to remember and to think about what happened there.

"My job is to plant a little seed. But I'm still trying to make pictures. I want the feeling.  People ask me, 'What are you trying to do?' I'm trying to show you what you can't see."Samantha Jones was led into her district court arraignment in Warwick Township, Pa. on July 13. She was charged with killing her 11-week-old son with drug-laced breast milk. Read more

Even when new mothers are battling addiction, the women and their infants "stand to benefit significantly from breast-feeding," the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has said.

But that international expert organization also says many complicated factors make nursing "a difficult choice" for such women.

A chilling new factor has emerged in the opioid epidemic: A woman may be accused of murder by breast-feeding.

Earlier this month, a 30-year-old Bucks County woman was charged with criminal homicide in the April 2 death of her 11-week-old son. The Bucks County District Attorney's Office said an autopsy found the infant died from "a lethal combination" of methadone, amphetamine, and methamphetamine, allegedly transferred through Samantha Whitney Jones' breast milk.

While unusual, similar prosecutions of nursing mothers whose babies died have occurred in recent years in South Carolina, California, and Washington.

These cases fit within the larger debate over whether women in addiction should be given help, as medical groups and women's advocates believe, or punished, as many lawmakers and law enforcement officials argue.

"It becomes another way to criminalize women for their reproductive choices," said Margaret Zhang, a lawyer with the Women's Law Project. The Philadelphia nonprofit is representing a woman charged with child abuse because her newborn baby had to be treated for drug withdrawal symptoms.

>> READ MORE: Pa. law aims to protect newborns of moms in opioid addiction

An estimated 5 percent of pregnant women use one or more addictive substances, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Many wind up taking prescribed opioids  methadone or buprenorphine  in a medication-assisted treatment program to manage their cravings, prevent withdrawal, and avoid the miscarriage risk of quitting opioids cold turkey.

However, newborns exposed even to legally prescribed and medically monitored opioids still can suffer withdrawal symptoms. They may spend days or weeks in the hospital getting oral morphine or methadone to gradually break their drug dependence.

>> READ MORE: Babies addicted to opioids: A crisis crying for a count

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine and other groups agree that a woman who is on methadone maintenance therapy should be encouraged to breast-feed.

"There is very low transfer of methadone in breast milk," said Diane L. Spatz, a nurse researcher and lactation program director at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "And there are true benefits to breast-feeding. Their babies have less withdrawal symptoms, and they're easier to soothe."

Unlike formula, breast milk also reduces severe diaper rash on the baby's skin, Spatz said.

Amphetamines and methamphetamines are a different story. Research shows these stimulants persist in breast milk for up to 30 hours after drug use, are transferred in high concentrations to the baby, are not cleared by the baby for many hours, and overstimulate the infant's nervous system.

"It can affect breathing, heart regulation  every single thing in the body," Spatz said. "There is one published [medical journal] case of an infant death after methamphetamine" exposure.

Spatz said Jones' case raises many questions, including whether health-care providers missed opportunities to intervene. Jones told prosecutors she had been prescribed methadone to help her overcome a painkiller addiction.

Methadone therapy typically requires clinic visits several times a week.

"To me, we need to help moms get treatment," Spatz said. "Where were they in terms of working with her? Where was her followup? It's really sad."Inspector Ray Convery, head of East Division, has worked to clean-up McPherson Square in Kensington. He is pictured in front of the library in the square on July 20, 2017. Read more

On Friday night, Philadelphia Police Inspector Ray Convery of East Division  which includes some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods in the nation's worst big-city opioid crisis  noticed overdose numbers were rising in Kensington.

Convery gets an hourly report on overdoses; every officer in East Division is trained to administer Narcan. And, just like the city outreach workers who mobilize when overdoses rise, his division now follows a special protocol when a "bad batch" of heroin spreads through Kensington, as it did throughout the weekend.

Seven people died in the weekend's spike, and 110 were revived by police and paramedics. That came just two months after 165 people overdosed and 10 died when a batch of heroin cut with a synthetic cannabinoid was sold in Kensington over a July weekend.

The Police Department's goal is not only to revive people but also to stop the spread of tainted bags, which often are stamped with a specific name, Convery said. City officials long have acknowledged that it's not possible or productive to conduct mass arrests of street-level dealers and their customers.

"The first thing we do is get a patrol car out there to stop them selling," he said. "We initially send in extra police to the corners, and once we find out where it's being sold we concentrate on those particular corners."

Police officers respond to overdose cases with paramedics to look for tainted bags and ask victims where they bought them, Convery said.

Over this last weekend, he said, it soon became apparent that bags with the same stamp were driving the overdose spike.

"We were successful for a short period of time on Friday night in shutting down the overdoses," he said, "but unfortunately the opiate market adapted to what the police did and started selling from different locations." So Convery moved his patrol cars to the new corners.

By Monday, the situation around the city was back to normal  meaning police and medics were responding to between 10 and 20 overdoses a day.

Still, he said, police are combating a resilient drug market where overdoses actually can increase demand for certain stamps. Some people in addiction will avoid a particular stamp after hearing it's behind a rash of overdoses. Others will seek it out, figuring that their tolerance is high enough that they'll experience a better high without succumbing to overdose.

"It's the law of supply and demand, and there is a huge demand here in this section of the city  the supply will come no matter what we do," Convery said. "Citywide narcotics have taken down very big operations recently, and it has yet to dent the market. It's an ongoing battle, but I have yet to put the white flag up."

The weekend's overdoses  which are suspected to have been driven by a batch of heroin tainted with K2, a synthetic cannabinoid, like July's overdose spike  were particularly frightening because of the combination of drugs involved, Convery said.

"K2 is the wild card," he said. The drug combination causes severe agitation in some of its victims: "A couple rescue units have gotten injured. That's part of the reason we respond with them, to help them out out there."Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, along with Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, today visited the Armenia! exhibition at New Yorks Metropolitan Museum. Pashinyan is in New York to attend the 73rd UN General Assembly Session.

The exhibition presents the best examples of Armenian art and culture from the 4th to the 17th century. The exhibition is dedicated to the Armenian people's artistic and cultural achievements in the global context. There are 140 items in the exhibition.

Heres an unedited government press release on Pashinyans visit:

Nikol Pashinyan noted that 2018 is a symbolic year for the strengthening of U.S.-Armenian cultural ties.

This year Armenian culture is being presented in the United States of America in an unprecedented manner. It will help make Armenian art and culture more identifiable and attractive for the friendly American people.

"This year marks the 400th anniversary of the first ever arrival of Armenians in the United States. It was in 1618, when the first Armenian, with a name Martin reached Virginia and settled himself in Jamestown. It was the head start, later on more Armenian immigrants came, bringing with them their national traditions, lifestyle and culture.

"Earlier this year, Armenian culture, customs and traditions were exhibited in the heart of the U.S. capital, Washington, DC within the framework of the Smithsonian Folk life Festival. It provided Armenian people with an opportunity to represent Armenian culture in its unique variety not only to the Americans, but also to thousands of tourists from different parts of the world.

"A few weeks ago, our two peoples jointly celebrated the 110th Anniversary of Pulitzer Prize-winner, playwright and writer William Saroyan. To celebrate his literary legacy, Saroyans Museum has been inaugurated in Fresno, the writers native town. As the culmination of this unprecedented cultural year for Armenia in the United States, I now have a great honor and personal joy to attend this unique exhibition - unique in many respects, the Prime Minister said, adding that it represents an integrated Armenian culture as the representative of Western Culture and Christian Civilization.

The Premier noted that the exhibition brings together the Armenian heritage of 14 centuries with its priceless masterpieces from around the world in one of the most important museums in the world. Nikol Pashinyan expressed conviction that it would undoubtedly change the perception and assessment of Armenia and Armenian art in the United States.

Due to this wonderful initiative, multiple visitors of the museum can get acquainted with the historical and cultural heritage of the nation who was the first to adopt Christianity as its state religion. More than 140 relics, illustrated manuscripts, miniatures of churches, cross-tones, printed books and other unique exhibits are displayed in the museum, among them works of such renowned authors as Toros Roslin, Sargis Pitsak, Toros Taronatsi, Hakob Jughayetsi, Grigor Tatevatsi, Prime Minister Pashinyan said, noting that for many people this exhibition is the accomplishment of their dream. He added that it was made possible through the efforts of Mrs. Helen Evans and her partners.

Nikol Pashinyan also thanked the President of the Museum Daniel Ways, the Director of the Museum Max Holley, the event coordinators, as well as all individual donors, foundations, Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Constantinople, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.A doctor draws blood from a patient in the Tuskegee syphilis study, which helped create lingering distrust of clinical trials. Read more

For decades, African Americans have been underrepresented in the clinical studies that lead to approval of new cancer drugs. The reasons for this well-known problem are many.

But an analysis of data recently made available by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows that it may not be getting better  not even in trials of drugs for cancers that disproportionately affect African Americans.

ProPublica, the nonprofit investigative news site, found that in trials for 24 of the 31 cancer drugs approved in 2015, fewer than 5 percent of patients were black, even though more than 13 percent of the U.S. population is black.

The analysis, co-published with Boston-based health news site STAT, cited the example of Ninlaro, approved in 2015 for the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Of 722 patients in the pivotal trial, only 13  1.8 percent  were black. Yet black people are twice as likely as whites to be diagnosed with the blood cancer.

This persistent disparity means that black patients aren't getting early access to potentially life-extending drugs, and possible differences in their responses to drugs are going unstudied, according to experts quoted in ProPublica's analysis.

Some Philadelphia experts echoed their concerns.

"Not enough attention is given to this problem," said Kevin Kelly, an oncologist at Thomas Jefferson University, who has spent 30 years conducting clinical cancer trials. "There are several clear causes, and a lot of causes we don't know."

Among the recognized barriers: logistical challenges of getting to a trial site, financial limitations, and distrust of the medical community rooted in infamous historical experiments such as the Tuskegee syphilis study, in which black men were left untreated for decades so scientists could observe the course of the disease.

But with concerted efforts, many barriers can be broken down, Kelly said. That's why big clinical trial networks, which coordinate studies at academic medical centers, have higher minority enrollment rates than industry-sponsored trials.

At Jefferson, for example, about 19 percent of trial participants are minorities  a fraction that is reasonably close to reflecting the city's 25 percent minority population, Kelly said. All new Jefferson cancer patients are pre-screened to see whether they are eligible for any studies, so the idea of participation can be discussed early in treatment.

"We monitor the sex and racial balance in trials and make sure we are targeting minorities," Kelly said, adding that educating people on the clinical trial process is key.

Fox Chase Cancer Center has several programs dedicated to educating minority groups about the complexities of trials, including the informed consent process and the ethics review board that approves the study protocol, said Evelyn Gonzalez, director of the office of community outreach.

In addition to a bilingual speakers' bureau that provides free cancer information sessions to community groups, Fox Chase has a new "community ambassador" program. So far, it has trained 18 lay people to lead educational sessions at churches and social organizations.

"I would say the primary barrier to participation is a general lack of awareness that clinical trials are even an option," Gonzalez said. "Because of the media, the words clinical trial are not foreign. But there is still a lot of mistrust and misconceptions."For the first time, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is considering the state's child protection law and prenatal drug abuse Read more

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on Tuesday began weighing an issue that has roiled America since the crack epidemic of the 1980s: whether women who abuse drugs during their pregnancies can be punished under state law as child abusers.

The state's high court has never addressed the matter, which is again igniting debate as the opioid crisis spawns a new generation of babies born dependent on their mothers' drugs.

The seven justices heard oral arguments in Philadelphia in a case titled In the Interest of L.J.B. It involves a woman, identified by the initials A.A.R., who gave birth in January 2017 in Williamsport Hospital, about 175 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The mother tested positive for marijuana, opioids, and antianxiety drugs that can heighten the effects of opioids, and her infant spent 19 days at the hospital being treated for drug-withdrawal symptoms.

Clinton County Children and Youth Services took the baby into custody, accusing the mother of child abuse under Pennsylvania's Child Protective Services Law.

That law defines child abuse as any action or failure to act that "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly" injures a child, or makes injury likely. The law also requires that hospitals notify the county child protection agency of drug-exposed newborns so caseworkers can assess the family's need for services or even foster care.

>> READ MORE: In the opioid epidemic, breastfeeding emerges as a possible crime

The mother's lead attorney, Drexel University law professor David Cohen, argued that the mother's drug use occurred during pregnancy, so her actions affected her fetus, and the law does not consider a fetus to be a child.

He also pointed out that the legislature has repeatedly considered revisions of the law that would have explicitly included prenatal drug abuse within the definition of child abuse. "The legislature has decided not to do this, time and time again," he said.

But his most detailed argument  one that was met with skepticism from several justices  was that equating prenatal drug abuse with child abuse could lead to policing pregnant women for all sorts of actions during pregnancy. Drinking alcohol, smoking, or even changing kitty litter, which is linked with a prenatal infection, could be deemed abusive. And since the law defines recent to include actions within the last two years, preconception behavior could fall under the umbrella of child abuse.

"Failing to heed a doctor's advice to take folic acid, if the child is born with a neural tube defect, then the mother could be a child abuser under the county's reading of the statute," Cohen said.

In response, Justice Christine Donohue said: "It seems to me the slippery-slope argument is presuming too much. I'm just not sure from your argument that I buy" it.

Amanda Browning, the attorney for Clinton County CYS, was sharply interrupted by Justice Max Baer when she began her presentation by declaring the case was about "human rights, equal protection, and child welfare."

Baer noted that CYS had not raised any such constitutional arguments in its legal brief. "Argue the statute," he directed.

Browning contended that because the mother knew her baby would suffer painful withdrawal symptoms at birth, her drug use fit the definition of child abuse: "You're going to have a child who suffers the harm of the drugs you're ingesting" while pregnant.

Baer challenged her to address the fact that a fetus is not a child under the law.

"We're only arguing you can make a finding of child abuse once the child is born," Browning said.

The Supreme Court's review  requested by the mother's attorneys, including Carol Tracy of the Women's Law Project in Philadelphia  was preceded by a series of lower-court actions.

The Juvenile Court of Clinton County ruled there was no child abuse because the mother's actions affected the fetus. On appeal, the state Superior Court concluded that more lower-court proceedings were needed to determine whether the mother's actions fit the definition of child abuse. But two Superior Court judges also sounded alarms about the implications of such a ruling.

Punishing mothers struggling with addiction, the judges warned, could deter women from getting prenatal care and drug rehabilitation, break up families, and open the door to criminalizing risky choices. "I question whether treating as child abusers women who are addicted to drugs results in safer outcomes for children," wrote Superior Court Judge Eugene B. Strassburger.

The severity of newborn drug withdrawal varies. The symptoms  including inconsolable crying, tremors, muscle rigidity, and diarrhea  are usually treated with decreasing doses of oral morphine or methadone, both opioid medicines. Although some studies have linked withdrawal to later developmental problems, most research is inconclusive, and the effects of poverty  itself a risk factor for health problems  often make findings hard to interpret.

The problem of opioid use in pregnancy is complicated by addiction treatment considerations. Many women are prescribed opioids  methadone or buprenorphine  to manage their cravings, prevent withdrawal, and avoid the miscarriage risk of quitting opioids cold turkey. A.A.R., the mother in this case, was prescribed buprenorphine beginning in December 2016, according to her legal brief.

The problem is growing explosively in Pennsylvania, where nearly 3,300 drug-exposed newborns were delivered last year, up from 788 in 2000, according to a Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council analysis.

These infants are at greater risk of abuse and neglect if the mother's drug abuse continues. But the federal child abuse law, and most state child abuse laws, are designed to help  not punish  women in addiction by identifying them when they give birth and connecting them to social services. Medical experts, including the National Perinatal Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, oppose punitive approaches.

In the case of baby L.J.B. a long list of agencies and experts  including the Philadelphia Department of Human Services and the Drug Policy Alliance  submitted advisory briefs to the Supreme Court to stress that a finding of child abuse is not needed to protect children.

The Supreme Court has no timetable for issuing a ruling.Ferdinand Augello puts his hair in a ponytail as his trial begins at the Atlantic County Justice Facility in Mays Landing, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. Read more

MAYS LANDING, N.J.  Former Pagans member Joseph Mulholland testified in court Monday that the motorcycle club's Jersey Shore chapter leader, Ferdinand "Freddy" Augello, paid him $1,000 to drive a hit man to April Kauffman's house on the morning the South Jersey radio host was killed.

In the Atlantic County Courthouse, Mulholland detailed how Kauffman's husband, James, and Augello, the only person still alive who was accused in April Kauffman's death, plotted to kill her. Alleged hit man Francis Mulholland, who is not related to Joseph Mulholland, died of an overdose in 2013. James Kauffman, a Shore doctor, hanged himself in the Hudson County Jail this year after being charged with his wife's murder.

The plan to kill April Kauffman was set in motion as early as the fall of 2011, Mulholland said, the year before her body was found inside the bedroom of her Linwood home.

Members of the Pagans' local chapter, known as "the Herd," had been receiving prescriptions from James Kauffman for OxyContin, which then sold for about "$20 to $30 apiece," Mulholland said.

"I was eating them left and right," said Mulholland, who said he typically split half of the bottle with Augello.

But in 2011, Augello suggested a new way to make money: killing April Kauffman. After she threatened to reveal the scheme, her husband offered Augello $30,000 to murder her, Mulholland testified.

Mulholland, nicknamed "Irish," said he was approached twice to murder April Kauffman. James Kauffman once asked Mulholland to kill his wife during a doctor's visit in 2011, he said, and Augello also approached Mulholland in the garage of his sign-making business in Ocean View.

Mulholland said that he refused both times but that Augello threatened to kill him if he did not drive the alleged hit man, Francis Mulholland, to the home.

"He said, if I didn't drive him, I was dead.  I feared for my life," said Mulholland, 53, of Lower Township.

Mulholland, who is charged with second-degree racketeering and could face 10 years in prison, told the jury that Augello's wife picked up the $30,000 payment from James Kauffman.

Taking the stand Monday, Beverly Augello testified that she delivered a sealed envelope from James Kauffman to her husband on May 10, 2012, according to the Atlantic City Press. Augello, 48, told the jury that she was visiting the doctor that day to get OxyContin. She said she gave the envelope to Freddy Augello without looking inside.

Beverly Augello, of Summerland Keys, Fla., was charged with distribution of drugs, racketeering, and conspiracy to distribute drugs as part of the OxyContin ring led by her husband and James Kauffman. She agreed to cooperate with prosecutors when she pleaded guilty to third-degree conspiracy to possess drugs in August.

"I'm just hoping I don't go to prison for a long time," Augello said as her husband, seated beside his attorneys, looked on.

Beverly Augello said she had set up a "burner phone" for her husband under the name Harry Johnson.

FBI Special Agent John Hauger, who analyzed the phone's location history, testified Monday that James Kauffman called Augello's burner phone 276 times before his wife's death. The last call on the phone was May 9, 2012, one day before April Kauffman was killed.Louellyn White, an assistant professor in the First Peoples Studies Program at Concordia University in Montreal, reacts to finding an American Indian skull in a cabinet in the Byberry Friends library on May 9, 2018. The skull was found while digging a canal near Lambertville, NJ. White is working with the Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition to search records and cemeteries for students who died while on Outing at the Carlisle Indian School. Read more

Louellyn White came to Pennsylvania to search for graves of native children who died after their Carlisle Indian School masters sent them out to work as maids and farmhands.

But as she hunted for burial records in the dusky, seldom-used library of the Byberry Quaker Meeting in Philadelphia, she made a horrifying discovery: a yellowed skull, labeled as Native American, set in a display case among a collection of rocks and fossils.

A note taped to the cabinet said the skull was dug out of a canal near Lambertville, N.J., part of a skeleton that in one hand held a pipe and hatchet.

"It's just wrong," said White, of Mohawk descent, who teaches First Peoples Studies at Concordia University in Montreal. "This is really an ancestor here, who's been stuck on this shelf next to animal skulls."

A Meeting representative said that she was shocked by the find  and that the Quakers will offer to return the remains, to conduct a burial, or take any action that Indian leaders may desire.

"We want to do the right thing," said Mary Ellen McNish, a longtime member and former clerk of the Meeting. "We will do whatever they want."

The discovery comes at a time when Indian nations are increasingly asserting their rights to the remains of their kin, not just from boarding-school cemeteries at places like Carlisle, but from museum storerooms and university laboratories. Institutions are being pushed to return human remains and sacred objects by enlightened moral values and by federal laws like the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

The change was a long time coming. For generations in this country, the rough treatment of native dead was not merely tolerated but endorsed.

In the late 1860s, the Army collected 4,000 Indian heads from graves and battlefields at the direction of the surgeon general, who wanted specimens for study.

More than 230 native skeletons excavated from Dickson Mounds in Illinois were put on display in the 1920s and kept on view, despite protests, until 1992. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln incinerated what it saw as useless Indian bones from its archaeological collection in the mid-1960s, a destruction acknowledged only in 1998.

"Broadly speaking, there's increased cultural sensitivity around these kinds of issues  sacred items, spiritual items, bones, all of it," said Ari Kelman, a chancellor's leadership professor of history of the University of California at Davis and author of A Misplaced Massacre: Struggling Over the Memory of Sand Creek. But at the same time, "there's a longstanding sense on the part of some collectors that their property rights trump the human rights of tribal peoples."

White traveled to Pennsylvania this month at the behest of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, a Minnesota-based rights group. The coalition wants to strengthen its demand for a national accounting of all Indian children who went missing while under official supervision at dozens of boarding schools run by the government and by churches, the Quakers prominent among them.

Carlisle was founded in 1879 as the nation's first federal off-reservation boarding school. It worked to destroy the "savage nature" of Indian children by erasing their customs, languages, religions, and family ties.

Nearly 200 boys and girls who died in the experiment are buried on the grounds of what is now the Army War College. But others died or disappeared away from the school, lost during an assimilation program called "Outing." It's those children White seeks. Outing sent students to live with white families, immersing them in the dominant culture and turning them into cheap labor.

Today, Indian children known and unknown are buried across central and eastern Pennsylvania.

Two lie side-by-side in the Byberry Meeting cemetery.

City records identify one as 14-year-old Gertrude Spotted Tail, daughter of a famous Sioux chief, who died of pneumonia while on Outing in 1883. The identity of the other girl is unknown.

As White searched for graveyard ledgers in the library  crammed with stuffed birds, clothing, shells and books  she came upon the skull.

Her legs wobbled. And her stomach dropped.

She alerted Christine Diindiisi McCleave, the boarding school coalition executive officer, who then messaged Jaime Arsenault-Cote, a tribal historic-preservation officer.

Arsenault-Cote offered advice and reassurance.

"You're out there looking for them, and now they're showing themselves to you," she told White. "He's been waiting a long time."

Two days later, White returned to the library. She covered the skull with red cloth, sprayed cedar water, placed an offering of tobacco.

"I felt I needed to comfort this ancestor, and let him know we'll be taking care of him," she said.

Elsewhere, she found strings of wampum, the sacred white-and-purple shell beads. Byberry Quakers say they'll return those too.

Historically, Philadelphia Quakers were "inconsistent friends" to Indians, engaged in the same colonizing projects as other faiths while seeing themselves as uniquely able to educate natives, Kari Elizabeth Rose Thompson wrote in her 2013 University of Iowa dissertation.

The Friends were strong proponents of Indian schools, managing more than 30 during the 19th and early 20th centuries, according to Colorado Quaker activist Paula Palmer. Just this month in Wallingford, a Quaker-sponsored conference sought to examine the church's historical mistreatment of natives and try to find ways to right the relationship.

McNish said the Byberry Meeting is discussing the possibility of inviting Sioux and other native representatives to hold a joint ceremony honoring the two girls in the cemetery.

The Meeting is among the oldest in Pennsylvania, founded in 1683. Today, McNish said, its membership has shrunk to about 22 people, the library rarely visited.

She believes the skull came to the library when the old Byberry Philosophical Society ceased operations and transferred its holdings. She doubted members knew the skull was there, though Meeting Clerk David Nepley, nearing 70, said he remembered seeing it as a boy.

The cabinet note said the skull was among bones dug from the feeder to the Delaware and Raritan Canal, which was completed in 1834. The feeder stretches 22 miles; there's no indication where the remains were found on that route.

Judging by geography, the remains are likely those of a Leni Lenape, people who lived for thousands of years along the Delaware River watershed in what is now New Jersey, Delaware, eastern Pennsylvania, and New York City.

European settlers drove the tribe west in the 1880s. Today, some people of Lenape heritage live in the Philadelphia region, but the tribe has its headquarters in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Tribe cultural director Curtis Zunigha declined to comment. But already native groups are moving to sort out which tribe or agency might take possession of the remains and ensure that the ancestor is accorded a dignified  and final  burial.

Tribes often work together to ensure that human remains are respectfully repatriated, particularly when information on their lineage may be lacking.

"The goal," said Shannon Keller O'Loughlin, executive director of the nonprofit Association on American Indian Affairs in Maryland, "is to return the ancestor to the earth."Bill Cosby accuser Chelan Lasha becomes emotional during a news conference with several other accusers, attorney Gloria Allred, left, and Pennsylvania victim advocate Jennifer Storm, right, at Savior Hall in Norristown Pa., on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. Cosby was sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand. Read more

The first accusation against Bill Cosby was leveled more than a decade ago, and even then, others, still unnamed, agreed to come forward.

Three years ago, New York magazine published its iconic cover, the one with 35 women photographed in austere black-and-white shots, and an article describing how the entertainer had drugged and assaulted them. Eventually, the number topped 60.

But even as they had watched as Cosby's career and reputation were reduced to tatters through two trials and countless headlines, Tuesday was the day  the day of reckoning  that mattered to most.

"I have waited 32 years for this day," said Chelan Lasha, who said that Cosby sexually assaulted her when she was 17 in 1986. "I prayed every day Mr. Bill Cosby would go to prison, do his time, and finally pay his dues."

Lasha was among a contingent of Cosby's accusers who filed into the Norristown courtroom to see justice delivered. They got it: a 3- to 10-year state prison term.

And as cameras clicked and reporters followed Cosby, 81, as he was led away in handcuffs, his victims, their supporters, and advocates savored the moment  one that took 14 years to secure, carried in large part by Andrea Constand, the only accuser whose allegation was fresh enough to be prosecuted.

When Cosby publicist Andrew Wyatt stood before the microphones outside the courthouse, attacking the outcome of the case and pledging an appeal, he was almost drowned out by protesters shouting, "Justice for women!"

And despite the scores of past accusers, the end of the case liberated new voices.

Stacey Pinkerton had kept her secret long enough. Joining the list for the first time, she said Cosby raped her in Chicago in 1986. In the years afterward, Pinkerton said, she moved from one place to another before finally settling in Europe.

It was a relief The Cosby Show wasn't as prevalent there as it was in the United States, she said. Even so, "no place was far enough from Mr. Cosby."

Pinkerton was among nine accusers gathered an hour or so after the sentencing by attorney Gloria Allred  who has brought suits on behalf of several alleged Cosby victims  to share their stories at a news conference a few blocks from the courthouse. With them was Pennsylvania victim advocate Jennifer Storm.

Sunni Welles, 70, said Cosby took her to a California club in 1965, when she was 17 and working as a singer, dancer, and actress.

Cosby slipped drugs into her soda when she excused herself to go to the restroom, she said, and when she came back, she drank the rest of her soda. Eventually, Welles said, she awakened and found Cosby fondling her, then raping her.

Sarita Butterfield, who worked as a Playboy bunny in 1977 and modeled for the magazine  which she said is how Cosby first laid eyes on her  said he sexually assaulted her at his Massachusetts home the next year, when she was 22.

"It was devastating," Butterfield said. "It was shameful and I was trapped because I was in his home in Massachusetts and I had no way out. I didn't know what to do."

For her and the others, Tuesday was a life-changing moment. Cosby, they said, had finally gotten what he deserved.

"I am free of you," said Lise-Lotte Lublin, one of the trial witnesses against him. "I have moved on and I forgive you. I won't ever forget what you did to me, and there will be times I feel sorrow and pain, but it will never control my life."

Staff writer Michael Boren contributed to this article.Bill Cosby raises his head toward the sky after a supporter told him to "Keep his head up" as he walked toward the entrance to the Montgomery County Courthouse for the start of the second day of sentencing hearings on Tuesday. Read more

Bill Cosby will learn in the next 90 minutes if he will be ordered to spend what could be the final stage of his life in prison.

After hearing from a single defense witness Tuesday morning, Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O'Neill said he will announce at 1:30 p.m. the 81-year-old comedy icon's punishment for his 2004 sexual assault of Andrea Constand.

The judge announced his plans after ruling that Cosby should be designated as a "sexually violent predator" under state law. The "sexually violent" descriptor is largely a legal distinction that will make Cosby subject to mandatory lifetime counseling and community notification of his whereabouts for the rest of his life.

But the bigger, soon-to-be resolved question is if Cosby will be imprisoned and if so for how long.

Prosecutors have urged O'Neill to incarcerate Cosby in a state prison for 10 years  the maximum term under the law. The entertainer's lawyers, meanwhile, have pushed for house arrest, citing their ailing client's blindness, advanced age, and declining health.

Although Pennsylvania law gives judges wide latitude in fashioning appropriate punishment, state sentencing guidelines suggest a term of 22 months to three years in prison for Cosby.

As the hearing resumed Tuesday morning, Cosby appeared upbeat. He entered the Norristown courtroom with a smile and sat chatting quietly with his lawyers before the proceedings began.

The gallery behind him was packed with reporters from across the nation, Constand, her family, and about a half dozen of the more than 60 women who also have accused Cosby of assault.

Two rows of seats set aside for Cosby's family and friends remained empty. His wife, Camille, was not there. Only his two publicists and two of his longtime friends attended.

The day's sole witness  a defense psychologist, Timothy Foley  testified that after assessing Cosby, he believed the risk of the entertainer committing another assault is "extraordinarily low."

"He's 81 years old," Foley said. "After 70 years old, the risk of recidivism becomes virtually negligible."

Cosby refused earlier this year to participate in a court-ordered psychological evaluation to determine whether he was a sexually violent predator.

Still, Kristen F. Dudley, a member of the Pennsylvania Sex Offender Assessment Board, painted a far differed picture of the threat Cosby poses.

She told the court Monday that after examining police reports, transcripts of both of Cosby's trials, and statements from his many accusers, she deemed his behavior to be predatory.

Being labeled a sexually violent predator by the judge would make him subject to mandatory lifetime counseling and community notification of his whereabouts.

Tuesday's hearing takes place five months after a Montgomery County jury convicted Cosby on three counts of aggravated indecent assault  all tied to a 2004 attack on Constand at his Cheltenham mansion.

Cosby has vehemently denied assaulting her  or any other woman  and signaled that, despite his sentencing, his fight to clear his name is far from over.

The entertainer's legal team has vowed an immediate appeal.

Should the judge order Cosby taken into custody immediately, he is likely to be whisked from the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown to the county jail in Lower Providence Township.

From there, he would await transport to the State Correctional Institution Phoenix, in Collegeville, where he would be evaluated for a permanent placement within the state prison system. He is likely to be sent to a facility equipped to handle his medical needs.

The aging actor has repeatedly described himself as legally blind and in failing health, but state prison officials say that they are prepared for those conditions and that they successfully care for elderly inmates  some of whom are several years older than Cosby.Teddy Cerra was indicted for allegedly pointing a gun at another off-duty police officer during a 2017 confrontation in Burlington County. Read more

An off-duty New Jersey police officer was indicted last week on charges that he pointed a gun at another off-duty officer during a confrontation last year in Burlington County.

Teddy Cerra, 43, of Southampton, allegedly was driving under the influence on Nov. 1 when an off-duty Lumberton officer began following him.

They both stopped on the shoulder in the 300 block of Red Lion Road in Southampton, and Cerra left his vehicle and pointed a gun at the other officer, said Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina.

The other officer, who also had gotten out of his vehicle, showed his police identification, then drove away. Cerra allegedly pursued the other officer at high speed and was eventually arrested by the New Jersey State Police after hitting a vehicle and a mailbox.

Cerra, a sergeant with the Franklin Township Police Department in Somerset County, was suspended without pay after his arrest.

His indictment, dated Sept. 20, charges him with second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, third-degree aggravated assault, and fourth-degree aggravated assault. He also received summonses for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor or drugs, and reckless driving.Police closed this road while investigating a chemical storage facility in connection with the series of mysterious blasts that have rattled Upper Bucks County in recent months. Read more

A Bucks County man faces criminal charges, including possessing a weapon of mass destruction, after authorities raided his rural home early Thursday during an ongoing probe into explosions in the area.

David Surman Jr., 30, has also been charged with reckless endangerment, possession of offensive weapons, possession of a controlled substance and other crimes, Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said.

"This did not materialize overnight," Weintraub said. "This arrest today was literally months in the making."

Surman owns Consolidated Chemicals & Solvents, a small-scale company that sells chemical-based products mostly through online retailers, including eBay. He's currently locked in a legal battle with his local township over the company, which officials say operates without proper zoning permits.

Investigators from a variety of local agencies were assisted in their probe by state police detectives and agents from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives. The federal agents have been active in the county since April, when the late-night explosions were first reported in a series of adjacent townships about an hour from Philadelphia.

Together, they served search warrants Thursday at the home Surman shares with his girlfriend on Old Bethlehem Pike in Milford Township, as well as his business on nearby Spinnerstown Road.

Surman's girlfriend, Tina Smith, is not facing criminal charges and is cooperating with the investigation, according to police.

At Surman's home, investigators discovered methamphetamine, 10 firearms and four explosive devices, one of which was 18 inches long and bore four fuses, according to Weintraub. He said the device was "ready to be detonated" and had the capabilities to cause "mass destruction."

Surman admitted to police that the larger device contained erythritol tetranitrate, an explosive material, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

At his business, authorities recovered other explosive devices, some of which had to be detonated on site by investigators. All of the material will be shipped to the FBI's lab in Quantico, Va. for further study.

The motivations for Surman's alleged actions remained unclear. Weintraub declined to speculate, but said investigators also recovered bizarre, handwritten notes in a three-ring binder at the suspect's home.

One of the pages contained swastikas and other symbols, while another appeared to be a mock press release about a bombing. A third page, "the piece de resistance," according to Weintraub, was a computer generated graphic of Surman and his girlfriend driving away from an explosion while laughing.

Also unclear was whether Surman alone was responsible for all of the late-night explosions in the county, which Weintraub noted were all reported in a five-mile radius of his home. Technicians at the Quantico lab will work to determine if the bombs seized Thursday match evidence from the previous incidents.

"This continues to be an active investigation, and we believe the person who was making these bombs has been apprehended," Weintraub said, urging local residents to exercise caution and contact local police if they see any strange devices.

The most recent report of an explosion came June 14, when a public works employee in Milford Township "traveled over an object that produced a sound similar to an explosion," according to a statement from state police. That incident took place on Brick Tavern Road, not far from Surman's home.

Residents have said the explosions usually occur at night, describing them as booming, rumbling blasts. Some have left behind craters in the earth.

After Weintraub's announcement, Surman was arraigned in front of District Judge Lisa Gaier.

First District Attorney Gregg Shore contended that Surman is a "danger to the community" and asked for his bail to reflect that. Gaier set his bail at $75,000, and barred him from having contact with Smith, working at the chemical company and being around chemicals.

Surman faces a preliminary hearing in the case July 10. His defense attorney, Josh Buchanan, declined to comment after the arraignment.

The 30-year-old has only one prior contact with police on his criminal record, a noise violation arrest last summer.

But he's drawn the ire of officials in Milford Township since April 2017, when a fire at his business revealed that he was storing large quantities of highly flammable chemicals, including heptane and methanol, according to Jeffrey Vey, the township manager.

The township cited Surman for the chemicals, saying the type of business was not permitted in the area where his building was located. Surman appealed the violation, arguing that the building's previous tenant, a furniture manufacturer, stored much more hazardous chemicals in the building, according to court documents. He also asked for a special variance to be allowed to continue his work.

At a zoning hearing last July, the township's zoning board heard from neighbors, who "complained of noise and bothersome odors coming from the property," according to Vey. The board upheld its violation and denied Surman's request for a variance.

Surman appealed the ruling to the county court, where it remains active.David Surman Jr.. seen here after his arraignment in June, has been charged with possessing a weapon of mass destruction and related offenses in connection to a series of explosions earlier this month in Bucks County. Read more

In the predawn hours of June 13, a state trooper on patrol in upper Bucks County heard an ear-splitting explosion rock the pastoral landscape.

Seconds later, the trooper saw a black Ford Explorer carrying David Surman Jr. and his girlfriend race away from the source of the blast, according to a search warrant application filed in County Court. And when the trooper pulled the vehicle over in Milford Township, he noted Surman was nervous and sweating despite the chill in the air. Surman blamed his jitters on the explosion, which he admitted he had heard and found to be "scary," the warrant states.

Two weeks later, Surman was arrested after a cadre of local, state and federal investigators found homemade explosives during raids on his home in Quakertown and the chemical company he owns nearby. One of the devices was 18 inches long and capable of "mass destruction," District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said at the time.

Now, the search warrants filed in his case have been unsealed ahead of Surman's preliminary hearing on Oct. 15, revealing how scientific analysis and close surveillance led authorities literally to his doorstep.

Surman, 30, has been charged with possessing a weapon of mass destruction, reckless endangerment, and related offenses. He was released June 29 after posting 10 percent of his $750,000 bail, the conditions of which include staying away from his company and having no access to chemicals.

William Joshua Buchanan, Surman's attorney, did not immediately return a request for comment Monday.

His arrest came at the height of public speculation about the mysterious explosions in a series of rural townships in upper Bucks, a full hour north of Philadelphia. So far, prosecutors haven't definitively said that Surman was responsible for all the blasts, of which more than 20 were reported between April and June.

But reports of those explosions, which some residents described as producing tremors, have stopped since his arrest. Weintraub noted in June that most of the sites of those explosions were within five miles of Surman's home.

Soil samples taken from the scene of one of those blasts, on Rosedale Road in Milford Township, revealed the presence of potassium, chloride, and perchlorate, a combination that could have been consistent with an explosive, according to the search warrant application.

Further, evidence gathered at the various explosion sites located indicated that on at least two occasions, the devices used to cause the explosion were "being deployed from the right (passenger) side of a vehicle," the warrant states.

When the trooper encountered Surman early June 13, he saw that Surman was in the passenger seat of the SUV, registered to and being driven by his girlfriend, Tina Smith. The couple said they were coming home from work at the time in Spinnerstown. Smith, has not faced criminal charges in this case.

Authorities began surveillance on Surman and Smith shortly afterward, according to the search warrant. They discovered almost immediately that he owns Consolidated Chemical & Solvents, a small-scale company that sells chemicals through eBay and other websites.

As the investigation into Surman continued, detectives often spotted him traveling from his home in Quakertown to the chemical company in Spinnerstown during overnight hours, the warrant states. Investigators also discovered footage of a car "similar in size, with similar characteristics" to Smith's SUV, being driven from the scene of a reported explosion on Steinsburg Road in Milford Township on June 7.

A special agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives analyzed evidence from the various explosion sites and told local investigators that the soil samples contained "oxidizers," chemicals used in the manufacturing of explosives. Detectives noted that Consolidated Chemical & Solvents sells several oxidizers, as well as other chemicals commonly used as fuels for homemade explosives.

One of the clients that Surman had sold chemicals to over the years is currently under investigation by the FBI in Houston, according to the warrant. An FBI chemist told local investigators that one of those chemicals, nitrocellulose, is a "high explosive."

When the warrants were served on Surman's home early June 28, investigators discovered four explosives, a gun, and methamphetamine, police have said.

Surman, when shown pictures of the 18-inch explosive, admitted to police that it contained ETN, a powerful explosive material, according to paperwork filed in his case. He said the other explosives found in his home contained "flash powder."

The motivation behind Surman's alleged actions remains unclear. Investigators said they recovered a notebook in which he was "documenting his use of explosive materials," but have declined to speculate further.

In announcing his arrest, Weintraub displayed images taken from another binder in Surman's home.

One of the pages contained swastikas and other symbols, while another appeared to be a mock news release about a bombing. A third page, "the piece de resistance," according to Weintraub, was a computer-generated graphic of Surman and his girlfriend driving away from an explosion while laughing.Adam Bruckner of Philly Restart explains the proper protocol for receiving a check on Vine Street between 18th and 19th Street in Center City on Monday, September 29, 2014. The checks help people get ID's necessary to get into shelters, half-way house and possibly finding a job. Read more

Proper identification is a fundamental social calling card, necessary for anyone looking for a job, housing, government services, or health care.

But countless numbers of people nationwide  particularly the homeless, immigrants, and the impoverished  don't have basic identification cards to verify who they are. Birth certificates and other supporting documents needed to apply for government ID cards can cost as much as $50 each, beyond the means of some low-income people. And then they have to come up with the cost of the ID card itself.

"It really is a huge barrier for people," said Eric Tars, senior attorney at the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.

Tars said eliminating fees for photo IDs is one of the best steps states can take to help people get on their feet. Philadelphia is the poorest big city in the country and the only large city where median household income fell from 2016 to 2017.

Waiving ID fees requires changes to state law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, although Gov. Wolf has the authority to waive fees for copies of birth certificates. He has already waived these fees for people addicted to opioids. Last year, New Jersey passed new laws to waive application fees for both IDs and birth certificates for people in homeless shelters.

Advocates have been working to get similar laws passed in Pennsylvania. They've been lobbying state lawmakers to introduce legislation. A PennDot spokesperson said the Wolf administration supports ID fee waivers for homeless Pennsylvanians. Pennsylvania currently issues free IDs only if people cannot pass a test needed for driver's licenses.

At least eight states issue free or discounted IDs to low-income or homeless residents and at least 10 states waive ID fees for seniors. New York issues free IDs to low-income seniors.

State IDs typically expire every four to eight years.

Adam Bruckner, founder of Philly Restart, which helps men and women who can't afford to get IDs, said his organization pays a portion of the ID fee for its clients. Philly Restart's checks are good for only two weeks, however, and he said it's not uncommon for clients to be left holding expired checks that would have covered about half the $30.50 fee.

"A lot of times, if we don't pay for the full amount, they're unable to come up with the rest," Bruckner said. Some of his clients panhandle not only for food, but also to scrape together money for an ID.

"It's a pretty unbelievable thing for a passerby to hear," he said.

At least five states  Georgia, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, and Wisconsin  offer free IDs that residents can only use to vote. South Carolina and North Dakota, two of the states that require residents to have ID to vote, passed laws in 2011 to give free identification cards to all adults.

Below is a more detailed comparison of these two states and New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

How much do non-driver photo state IDs cost?

New Jersey: $24 for four-year card

Pennsylvania: $30.50 for four-year card

South Carolina: free for 17 and older for five-year card; $5 for children 5-16

North Dakota: free for 18 and older for eight-year card; $8 for minors

Where do the fees go?

New Jersey: $6 of each card pays for the digital photo. About $7 goes to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission's operating budget. About $11 goes to the Treasury Department's general fund.

Pennsylvania: $9.50 covers the cost of the photo. About $16 goes to the state's Public Transportation Trust Fund. About $5 goes to the Multimodal Transportation Fund, which supports public transit and other non-highway and bridge means of transportation.

South Carolina: The $5 fee for children goes to the Department of Transportation's highway fund for roads that are not qualified to receive federal funds. The state legislature pays for the cards.

North Dakota: The $8 fee for children goes to the Department of Transportation toward the cost of the cards. The state pays for the remaining cost.

Who can get an ID?

New Jersey: Residents 14 years old and up

Pennsylvania: Residents 10 years old and up

South Carolina: Residents 5 years old and up

North Dakota: Any resident

Roughly how many residents have non-driver photo IDs?

New Jersey: 596,000

Pennsylvania: 1.6 million

South Carolina: 560,000

North Dakota: 47,000There are 580 communities in Armenia where residents dont have access to clean drinking water. Blagodarnoye, in the northern province of Lori, is one of them.

The villages 63 households, 280 residents in all, get their drinking water from the local river. It travels through a series of pipes leading to faucets in their houses.

The water isnt purified, forcing residents to let it stand in pails so that minute debris and sand can fall to the bottom.

75-year-old Liana Davoyan has lived in the village since 1960 and has never consumed clean water. Weve always drunk river water, she says.

Davoyan is particularly concerned that the river water is bad for young people in the village.

We drink river water. Its dirty. And when it rains, the water is murky. There are many young people here, and its a pity. We are elderly and have lived our lives. But the young people? she says, adding that the water is fine for doing laundry and giving to animals, but not for drinking.

Resident Ovsanna Hounanyan says the water is often full of dead insects and other unsavory stuff.

The pipes are old and rotten. Garbage, rust and what have you flows through those pipes that are often clogged with frogs and fish. Thats the water we get, she says.

Hounanyan lives in Blagodarnoye, incorporated in the larger Tashir community, with her two sons and her mother.

She says that ever since moving to Blagodarnoye in 1994 shes complained to local authorities to no avail.

Ovsanna Hounanyan

Like others, Hounanyan collects the water in pails, letting it sit for hours before ladling water from the top to drink. The family cant afford buying clean drinking water.

Hounanyan points to a pail of yellowish water taken from the faucet, saying its not the worst she has seen.

Ashot Avetisyan, the village mayor, says that Blagodarnoye hasnt been provided with filtered water since the late 1990s, when the pipes fall into disrepair.

Avetisyan says that fifteen years ago the village installed a one-kilometer pipe to cull water from the river as a replacement. Not surprisingly, the mayor says resolving the water issue is his top priority.

Ashot Avetisyan

Avetisyan says the provincial government has promised to get clean water to the village by the end of November. Its part of a larger project that will draw water from natural springs six kilometers from the village and then pipe it to a treatment plant.

Residents have their fingers crossed that theyll no longer have to deal with dead insects and sand in their drinking water by the new year.

Liana Davoyan appears in the top photoDemocratic Gov. Wolf, left, is running for reelection against Republican Scott Wagner. Read more

With six weeks to go until Election Day, Gov. Wolf maintains a significant fund-raising edge over Republican Scott Wagner, according to campaign-finance reports made public Tuesday.

Wolf, a Democrat seeking a second term, outspent Wagner $13.5 million to $3.4 million over the last three months, a factor of four.

The governor ended the reporting period  from June 5 to Sept. 17  with $8.9 million in his reelection campaign account, nearly five times as much as Wagner's $1.8 million.

The filings show that after spending heavily to win the primary in May, Wagner, a former state senator who owns a waste-hauling company in York County, has not fully recovered. He trails Wolf in public polls by double digits.

Wolf is campaigning on his record of reversing education cuts made by his predecessor and pitching himself as a different kind of politician who refuses to accept gifts from lobbyists. Wagner is selling himself as a self-made businessman who would cut regulations to unleash economic growth.

Wolf's campaign spent about $10 million on TV and digital advertising and contributed $1.8 million to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, the records show. Wagner spent $1.4 million.

Among Wolf's top donors for the three-month period: the state teachers' union ($350,000); the state carpenters' union ($250,000), a political action committee controlled by the Philadelphia trial lawyers' association ($200,000); and Fairness PA ($500,000), a PAC funded in part by doctors and lawyers who own pharmacies. Prior to Tuesday's disclosure, Fairness PA already had contributed more than $1 million to Wolf's campaign.

An Inquirer and Daily News investigation last year found that the pharmacies' ownership structures raised potential conflicts of interest.

Asked Monday by reporters in Harrisburg about the PAC's previous contributions, Wolf said: "I'm not swayed by people who give me money."

For his part, Wagner's campaign received $1 million from Students First PAC, which advocates for school choice. It is affiliated with a group founded by Betsy DeVos, secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.Benjamin Lay was an 18th-century vegetarian hunchbacked dwarf who lived in caves around Abington with his wife, also a dwarf, and a trove of hundreds of books. But that wasn't why  at least not entirely why  his wealthy Quaker brethren disliked him.

He was also a fierce abolitionist, an inflammatory impresario of dramatic protests in which he rebuked the Friends for owning slaves. Even as they sat beside him in the meetinghouse, he sprayed them with red pokeberry juice to symbolize the spilled blood of their human chattel. He stood outside in the snow without coat and shoes, chiding them for making Africans toil in rags in winter's throes. During a speech at a Philadelphia market, he smashed cups as a reminder that forced labor had provided the sugar for their spot of tea.

His faith-driven mission to end slavery, combined with his peculiar personal circumstances, turned the 4-foot-tall Benjamin Lay into one of the largest of Colonial America's larger-than-life characters.

But his fame  or, in many a craw, infamy  eventually faded. The Quakers ousted him. He was ridiculed for his dwarfism. When he died at age 77 in 1759, he was buried as a nonmember in an unmarked grave in the Abington Monthly Meeting cemetery, his legacy doomed to be superseded by the upper-class-gentleman abolitionists who would follow.

Nearly three centuries later, Lay is having his day.

A biography presenting him as one of history's most important abolitionists was published in September and has drawn critics' kudos. A new play, The Return of Benjamin Lay, will have its first reading next month in London. Movie companies are said to be circling.

But for Lay, the only news that matters would undoubtedly be this: The Quakers are finally conceding he was right.

In a ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Abington Monthly Meeting will dedicate a headstone to mark the graves of Lay and his wife, Sarah, at the entry gates to the burial ground. A historical marker is to be erected later this year.

Because membership cannot be restored after death, the Quakers have done the next best thing and declared Lay a "Friend of the Truth." The designation was endorsed by the Abington Quarterly Meeting, a regional Friends body in Southeastern Pennsylvania; the umbrella Philadelphia Yearly Meeting will take up the measure in July.

The motion also has been adopted by the North London Quaker Meeting, descended from the group that once banished him in his British homeland. A Benjamin Lay Society has even popped up on Facebook calling for the statue of William Penn, a slave owner, to be removed from City Hall and replaced with one of Lay.

"He needed to be recognized," said Loretta E. Fox, administrator of the Abington Monthly Meeting, who was instrumental in the Friends' effort to resurrect Lay's legacy. "He was a little person, a hunchback, a person who clearly had a difficult life. Yet he spent his energy speaking for people who didn't have a voice. Maybe the fact that he was a dwarf had something to do with why he was so aware of other people's humanity."

Born in 1682 in Copford as a third-generation Quaker, Lay was a shepherd and a glove-maker before running away to London to become a sailor. On board, he was part of a diverse brotherhood of seamen, an experience that would inform his antislavery activism.

When he returned to London after 12 years at sea, he married Sarah Smith, a fellow Quaker and little person, and the couple moved to Barbados, where Lay worked as a waterfront shopkeeper. There, they were propelled to a new stratosphere of abolitionist advocacy.

"Barbados was a leading slave society in the world," said Marcus Rediker, a history professor at the University of Pittsburgh and author of The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist. "[Benjamin and Sarah] saw people collapsing from hunger, tortured, and executed. He invited them into his home, fed the hungry, and had courage to speak out."

However, their activism so infuriated the wealthy slave masters that they were forced to return to England. They managed to alienate the Quakers there, as well, and in 1732, they emigrated to the colonies.

"I think he loved the idea of coming to a place where Quakers were in power," Rediker said. "He thought he would find a more godly way of life, and then he got here and saw all this Quaker slave-owning. He was furious."

The Quakers had come to Pennsylvania to "do good," but ended up "doing well," said George Schaefer, clerk of Abington Monthly Meeting. For some, their revolutionary zeal morphed into a mission to become "comfortable and rich."

Lay lived in Philadelphia before settling in Abington, in a converted cave on land owned by fellow Quaker William Phipps. He believed that people should not be complicit in oppression  of men or animals. So he was an early vegetarian, grew his own food, made his own clothes, and lived in a place and a manner without connection to slave labor.

His anger at those he believed were killing the faith through slave ownership grew into an unyielding effort to agitate. He protested, wrote books and pamphlets, made speeches, and orchestrated newsmaking stunts.

His most notorious protest occurred in 1738 at the Philadelphia Yearly meeting, a regional convention in Burlington. He walked into the crowd of pacifists wearing a military uniform and carrying a sword and a hollowed-out book, in which was tucked an animal bladder filled with pokeberry juice. Lay stood up and proclaimed, "Thus shall God shed the blood of those persons who enslave their fellow creatures." He plunged the sword into the book, splattering juice over his brethren. As the room broke into pandemonium, Lay stood as still as a statue.

Being banished from the faith he loved saddened him, but didn't surprise him, Rediker said. Lay knew that radical actions were needed to rattle the status quo, and there would be consequences. He continued to attend worship services but wasn't allowed into the business meetings. His wife, a lay minister, remained a member.

In 1758, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting adopted a policy that members who engaged in the slave trade could be disciplined or disowned. When Lay was told, he said: "I can now die in peace." In 1759, he did.

About 12 years ago, the Abington meetinghouse caretaker, Dave Wermeling, found an old sketch of Lay in a box. A short biography on worn brown paper was glued to the back of the drawing.

"I thought, 'Who is this, and how can you not be talking about him?' " Wermeling recalled.

That's what he has been doing ever since, along with member and artist Rosie Bothwell. The new headstone is being funded largely by her. Inspired by a lecture by Rediker at Swarthmore College, Philadelphia lawyer M. Kelly Tillery decided to fill out the lengthy application to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for the yet-to-be-installed marker, and pay for it.

Rediker, who cowrote The Return of Benjamin Lay with acclaimed playwright Naomi Wallace, knows that his subject was no charmer.

Lay was "stubborn and self-righteous," Rediker said. "He was a really difficult man, but also a necessary one."Aden Devlin, 7, who lost his life yesterday after falling from a Septa Subway train while moving from one car to another while the the train was in motion, Monday September 24, 2018. Read more

Aden Devlin loved to earn money.

Whatever the 7-year-old made, he shared with neighborhood kids, his family said Monday.

He earned spending money doing what he called "his job," selling candy to passengers on SEPTA's Broad Street Line. Some riders came to know him as a familiar face.

But about 6 p.m. Sunday, Aden, of Strawberry Mansion, slipped while moving between subway cars near the North Philadelphia station at Lehigh Avenue and fell onto the train tracks, where he was struck and killed by another car, Philadelphia police and transit authority officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation into the accident Monday. The NTSB will work with SEPTA and Philadelphia police, who are conducting a joint investigation. SEPTA Transit Police Chief Thomas J. Nestel III said the investigation was standard procedure after such a death.

At the time of the accident, Aden was with his 11-year-old brother and an adult family friend, 26-year-old Jahras Edwards.

Family members said that the trio began moving between cars while the train was stopped but that Aden dropped candy on the way. When he went to retrieve it, the train began moving and he slipped. His brother tried to grab him and Edwards tried to grab them both but was not able to save Aden, the family said.

Edwards said he took the first grader to sell candy most days after school dismissal at Dr. Ethel D. Allen Promise Academy and also on weekends, as he did with many other neighborhood children.

"I loved all the kids," Edwards said Monday through tears. "I just wanted to help them."

Taking them to sell candy was a way to show "them how to make money without doing illegal stuff, at a young age," said Troy Devlin, Aden's father.

For Aden, selling candy was "all he was thinking about," Troy Devlin said. He started selling candy at 4 years old at 69th Street and graduated to the subway earlier this year.

Aden's family and friends gathered Monday evening at Broad Street and Glenwood Avenue for a candlelight vigil, where they carried signs and released blue, white, and red balloons, a tribute to Aden's "work" outfit  blue pants and an alternating white or red shirt.

After the candles were lit and his mother, Kimberly Dantzler, said a few words, a song was played  "I'll Be Missing You" by Faith Evans  and the balloons were released into the night sky.

Among the group of roughly 60 friends and relatives were some of Aden's closest friends.

"He was my best friend ever," said Nakai Davis Carter.

"That used to be my bestest cousin. We used to always play at his house," Lemaj Hardwick said.

Another friend, Solei Miles, said Aden used to be better than anyone at the monkey bars. "He taught me how to play on the playground," she said.

Earlier in the day, cousins, aunts, uncles, and extended family packed into a relative's home in Strawberry Mansion, where they remembered Aden, "a true hustler," for his style, work ethic, and joy.

In the middle of the living room, a family member colored "R.I.P. A" on a red poster for the vigil.

"He touched everybody in their own individual way," said one cousin passing through the living room, noticing the sign.

"He was an Avengers boul," Troy Devlin said.

Dantzler sat in a corner quietly. Since Sunday night, she has listened to "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran on repeat, a song she played for Aden as a toddler.

"My son was a fighter," Dantzler said. "Best thing I ever did was give birth to a strong boy."

Juanita Walker, known as "the water ice lady," remembered how Aden earned money so he could buy what he wanted  sometimes water ice, sometimes sneakers. "He was one of those good kids," Walker said.

Some wondered about safety on SEPTA.

Safety should be SEPTA's priority, said Theresa Guyton, Aden's cousin.

The platform between cars has three chains on both sides that act as a barrier to protect those passing through. Aden fell off the platform despite these protections.

"Why doesn't SEPTA make it more safe by locking those doors when the train is in motion?" Guyton said.

At a news conference Monday, James Fox, SEPTA's assistant general manager for system safety, said it has no immediate plans to change the physical make-up of the gangway, but is open to modifications that would improve safety.

"We are always looking for continuous improvements in our systems. We're going to look at all the options and see what's available," Fox said.

Regardless of the outcome of the investigations, Troy Devlin said, no one is to blame for what happened to Aden.

"It was just an accident," he said, "and I don't want people to judge [Edwards] like he was a bad guy."

Staff writer Kristen A. Graham contributed to this article.Florence Ward Garvin, 89, of Media, a retired DuPont Co. project director who worked on behalf of children with disabilities, died Sunday, Sept. 9, of a heart attack at Riddle Village.

Born into an Army family, Mrs. Garvin grew up as a young girl in Japan, where her father was posted in the 1930s as an aide to various generals. Since the youngsters attended local schools, they were given a chance to learn the customs and language of Japan.

She aspired to become a chemical engineer, studying at the University of Arizona. But after realizing there were few jobs in the field for women, she transferred and graduated in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and biology from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.

"She was one gifted woman  bright, capable, and intelligent," said daughter-in-law Lydia M. Rappaport. "She graduated from college early and didn't stop from then on. She was involved in every organization you can name."

Mrs. Garvin married psychologist Sheldon Rappaport in 1950. The couple had two children, whom they raised in Media, before divorcing in 1969. She married metallurgist Stefan Garvin in 1981.

She worked as a marketing researcher for the Center City advertising firm N.W. Ayer. Later, she worked in sales development for Wyeth Laboratories in Collegeville.

After leaving Wyeth in the 1950s, she became familiar with the work her husband was doing, evaluating children with disabilities who couldn't be taught in mainstream classrooms. The options for placement were limited.

So in 1961, she and Rappaport helped launch the Pathway School in Norristown for children ages 9 to 21. She worked there from 1961 to 1968 as a board member and fund-raiser.

"There was nothing like it at the time they did that," her daughter-in-law said.

Mrs. Garvin was vice president for development of the Vanguard School in Malvern from 1970 to 1972. The school provides individualized learning for students ages 4 to 21.

She was assistant to the president of the Elwyn Institute in Media for three years ending in 1975. The school helps those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In 1978, Mrs. Garvin was hired as a corporate project director by DuPont. It was the first such post at the chemical giant, and she held it until retiring in 1994.

Her familiarity with Japanese led to a seven-year assignment traveling to the company's facilities there. Once back in the United States, she was named the staff representative to outside groups, many in Delaware, on the firm's executive committee.

"Her main function was to articulate the purpose of a project and to develop measurable outcomes, and a calendar of expected dates for the delivery of the goals," her family said.

In retirement, she served as a trustee of Wilmington University. She was the director of special projects for the Gabriella and Paul Rosenbaum Foundation, a nonprofit that strives to improve mathematics education at universities.

Her family said she raised money for any nonprofit that needed her.

"You listened when she spoke," said Pamela Weber, a close family friend. "She always thought of other people. She always wanted to help people. She helped a boy in the neighborhood get his act together and go to college."

"She always looked elegant. I was always in awe of her, and I dearly loved her. I felt privileged to be her daughter-in-law," said Lydia Rappaport. "She had a mind like a steel trap and was driven to use it. 'Work is love in action,' she used to say."

Her first husband died in 2008, her second husband in 2010. She is survived by a daughter, Lisa Lynn Nelson; a son, Bruce W. Rappaport; two grandchildren; and three step-grandchildren.

A visitation starting at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, will be followed by an 11 a.m. celebration of life, both in the Frank C. Videon Funeral Home, 2001 Sproul Rd., Broomall. Interment is private.

Memorial donations may be made to Wilmington University, Development Office, 320 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle, Del. 19720.If Supreme Court Justice William Brennan were posthumously discovered to have aggressively groped a girl once in high school, should that fact discredit his landmark opinions expanding press freedom, legal protections for criminal defendants, and voting and welfare rights? Would it have been better for the country, from a liberal perspective, if Brennan's judicial career had been derailed from the start? What about Justice John Marshall Harlan, whose groundbreaking 1896 dissent from the majority opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson declared that the Constitution was "color-blind" and rejected state-sponsored segregation? If Harlan had once jumped on a girl as a 17-year-old, should that one-time outbreak of boorish adolescent male hormones efface his contributions as a public thinker?

>> READ MORE: 'Believe women' is perilous baloney | Michelle Malkin

The Democratic response to the allegation that 3 decades ago Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh assaulted a girl at a teenage beer party bears many hallmarks of campus culture, from the admonition that "survivors" should always be believed to the claim that the veracity of the accusation matters less than the history of white-male privilege. But the most significant import from academic feminism is the idea that a long-ago incident of adolescent sexual misbehavior (assuming that the assault happened as described, which Kavanaugh has categorically denied) should trump a lifetime record of serious legal thought and government service. Now the New Yorker is charging that Kavanaugh exposed himself to a Yale classmate at a party, ramping up outrage to the point that feminists are demanding that the hearings they wanted be canceled  though the New York Times regarded the latest allegation as too flimsy to publish.

The feminist nostrum that the personal is political is being weaponized to subordinate the public realm of ideas to the private realm of sexual relations  all, ironically, in the service of a highly political end: preventing a judicial conservative from being seated on the high court. If it turned out that James Madison had groped his domestics, it would be absurd to discard the constitutional separation of powers on that ground. Madison's political insights are more important to civilization than any hypothetical chauvinist indiscretions.

The demand to derail the Kavanaugh nomination is particularly absurd when the alleged incidents (lacking any corroborating specificity of time and place in one case, or any witnesses able to confirm the story in the second) are balanced against Kavanaugh's subsequent relations with women. Kavanaugh has had an unblemished record of treating women with respect. He was the first judge on the D.C. Circuit to have an all-female class of clerks, and over the course of his 12 years on the federal bench, most of his clerks have been women. Working for a judge is an intense experience that includes late nights editing draft opinions, an environment that invites erotic complications. Yet Kavanaugh's female clerks have been unanimous in testifying to his character.

>> READ MORE: Allegations against Brett Kavanaugh feel like Anita Hill 2.0. But there are key differences.

His legal peers share that judgment. After his nomination, the dean of the Yale law school (from which Kavanaugh graduated) lauded his principles. "Ever since I joined the faculty," announced Heather Gerken, "I have admired him for serving as a teacher and mentor to our students and for hiring a diverse set of clerks, in all respects, during his time on the court." Abbe Gluck, a Yale professor of health law, also noted Kavanaugh's respect for diversity: "Brett Kavanaugh is a true intellectual  a leading thinker and writer on the subjects of statutory interpretation and federal courts; an incomparable mentorsomeone who picks law clerks of all backgrounds and viewpoints; and a fair-minded jurist who believes in the rule of law."

Ironically, Hillary Clinton had it right when she called her husband's affair with a White House intern a "lapse," notwithstanding that it represented an abuse of workplace hierarchies. She was right to complain that the anti-Clinton "feeding frenzy" was using the criminal justice system to "achieve political ends." Hillary and her feminist peers had a better grip then on the relative importance of the private and the public than Bill Clinton's right-wing persecutors.

Today, of course, Clinton and her supporters are singing a different tune. But Kavanaugh's feminist opponents have yet to articulate the limits of the principle being advanced here. If his Supreme Court nomination is scuttled, is he fit to return to the D.C. bench? If not, what about serving in a law firm? How far does this go? Will they take their own claims seriously enough to pursue criminal charges and put him behind bars?

>> READ MORE: Boys will be boys? Why #AllMen should be offended by the latest Kavanaugh defenders | Opinion

It is feminist narcissism to put flimsy accusations of teenage impropriety ahead of a lifetime of achievement in the law. The priorities look like a revenge attack on a civilization deemed too male.

Heather Mac Donald is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal, from which this was adapted. Her latest book, "The Diversity Delusion," is out now.Mayor Kenney speaks and wells up at a gathering hosted by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia to thank the diverse coalition that made the Philadelphia region's bid for Amazon HQ2 possible,Thursday October 19, 2017. Read more

The United States has seen its share of outstanding economic news lately. Nationwide, unemployment is down to 3.9 percent, the lowest level in decades. In August, wages grew 2.9 percent compared to a year earlier, the 95th consecutive month of wage growth in the U.S. Two weeks ago, a Census report shows that poverty rates declined in nine out of the nation's 10 largest urban centers from 2016 to 2017.

The city where poverty didn't decline? Philadelphia, which also has the highest poverty rate out of the group. When the nation as a whole seems to be doing well, and the poor in peer cities are making progress, why are Philadelphia's poor being left behind?

Given the improvement elsewhere, it's worth asking what our local leaders are doing to solve the problem of intergenerational poverty. After the Census report, Mayor Jim Kenney offered a list of actions he's taking. What Kenney doesn't realize is that his own policies are exacerbating the problem, not alleviating it.

>> READ MORE: Mayor Jim Kenney: Solving Philly's poverty issues takes consistent, relentless effort | Opinion

Kenney cites the Philadelphia Beverage Tax as one of his core achievements in fighting poverty. Kenney's administration initially claimed that revenues from the beverage tax revenue would finance an expansion of the city's pre-K program and its community schools (which is, of course, the best way to pass a new tax). Yet earlier this year, the city controller reported that three-fourths of the revenue are being held in the General Fund; Kenney now says that the pre-K program will be scaled back by 1,000 spots.

Kenney says he is ensuring "every Philadelphian has quality schools in their neighborhood," but he has yet to provide enough funding to repair Philadelphia schools with flooding halls and collapsing ceilings. And due to inadequate funding, libraries, a critical component of developing young students' reading skills, close earlier and more often in neighborhoods with high poverty rates  the exact neighborhoods that need investment in education. Given that even Kenney realizes that many residents use these libraries' internet to apply to jobs and find opportunity, it's surprising he hasn't provided resources to improve access to the library system.

>> READ MORE: Philly schools are falling apart and taking students' self-esteem down with them | Opinion

Kenney touts his achievements in expanding access to affordable housing, noting that a whopping 600 families have moved into city-supported affordable housing. Yet he doesn't acknowledge the real problem driving housing prices higher: inadequate supply. Inadequate supply of housing units has been shown to increase prices, just as in any market. And Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies has found that Philadelphia needs more than 116,000 new units to meet current demand, much less future growth. The problem has grown worse under Kenney's administration, as fewer permits have been granted than are needed. The real solution isn't city-supported affordable housing for 600 families in a city of millions; it's allowing developers to construct enough housing to meet demand.

These policies  a new tax not being used for those in need and tight restrictions on housing development  have hurt Philadelphia's poor community more than anyone else. The absence of more effort to alleviate poverty calls into question Mayor Kenney's commitment to the working class.

There's a better way to solve intergenerational poverty in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia needs to get serious about attracting business and jobs. A recent report suggested that Kenney's administration offered $2 billion in tax incentives for Amazon to build their "HQ2" here, though the administration has fought to keep the exact number a secret. If Kenney is willing to spend $2 billion on 50,000 Amazon jobs, why not devote those same tax incentives to non-Amazon businesses that want to hire here?

>> READ MORE: If Amazon picked Philly, it would not have to pay construction tax to fund affordable housing

Those new workers will lift all of Philadelphia when they buy local services, pay sales taxes, and contribute to a newly-thriving economy. And with the right investments in education, the next generation of Philadelphians will have 50,000 more high-quality local jobs available. It's true that bringing in new workers will drive up demand for housing units and further increase prices, but that too can be solved if Kenney takes action to speed the permitting process for new housing. This way, new workers won't displace current residents.

Kenney is right that solving intergenerational poverty is a long-term challenge. We need more than a soda tax that hasn't been used as promised or 600 affordable housing units. We need to build enough housing and infrastructure to support our growing city. We need to invest in our people and invite the world to do business here. If we do, we'll open far more opportunity for future Philadelphians than we will under our current path.

Jacob Marco is a current JD/MBA candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, and formerly consulted state and federal governments on a variety of issues, including economic development.

Philadelphia Media Network is one of 21 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city's push toward economic justice. See all of our reporting at https://brokeinphilly.org.Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery catches the football during pregame warm-ups before the Eagles play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, September 23, 2018 in Philadelphia. YONG KIM / Staff Photographer Read more

Alshon Jeffery is close to returning to games, but he has not yet been cleared for contact. However, running backs Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles appear on the verge of rejoining the lineup.

Jeffery, the wide receiver who has missed the first three games while recovering from offseason rotator-cuff surgery, will continue to increase his workload this week. He could receive clearance as Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans approaches, but there's still no word on when that will come.

"He's getting close," Pederson said. "We'll get him in the mix a little bit more this week and see where he's at health-wise."

The good news for the Eagles is that running backs Ajayi and Sproles could be returning to the field. Pederson said they're "both day to day" and will be evaluated Tuesday.

"I would expect, barring any setbacks, that they'll both be available," Pederson said.

Pederson clarified that he meant available for practice. Neither player practiced last week. Their game availability will be determined later in the week. Ajayi was absent against the Colts with a back injury. Sproles has missed two games with a hamstring injury.

Safety Rodney McLeod is still being evaluated for a knee injury and Pederson said he'll have an update Wednesday. McLeod said he felt "good" after Sunday's game.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...A lot of space and time is being taken by the series of tweets in support of Rahul Gandhi and even designating him as the future Prime Minister by Rehman Malik, a prominent politician from Pakistan. Let me take readers down the memory lane.

Antecedents of Rehman Malik

Rehman Malik was the Minister of Interior of Pakistan when the 26/11 Mumbai attacks carnage occurred. It is also in the public domain that Indian internal security team from the Ministry of Home Affairs, including the Union Home Secretary were in Pakistan for the Home Secretary-level talks.

Originally, the talks were scheduled for one day - 25/11/2008. The team was to return to India in the afternoon of 26/11/2008. People who might have read my book, 'Hindu Terror: Insider Account of Ministry of Home Affairs', may recall how the Pakistani side deliberately left the agenda unfinished. In spite of adequate notice, Rehman Malik had scheduled the Indian delegation's call on him for the afternoon of 26/11/2008. This is courtesy which is deemed mandatory in the diplomatic protocol to call on the host nation's minster in charge.

In addition, I have also explained in my book how an officer sympathetic to their cause had been planted in the Indian delegation and by virtue of his job title was No 2 in the delegation. Some internal reports did say that Rehman Malik had received a call on 25/11/2008 from one of the authors of the attack to withhold the Indian delegation.

Offer of hospitality to the Indian delegation

Rehman Malik thereafter offered the Pakistani hospitality of taking the Indian delegation to Muree, the hill station not far from Islamabad. The gullible Indian official accepted this, as doing otherwise would have been deemed impolite.

Muree is a place where the communication system those days were next to nil, although I do not know what is the scene today. Hence, when the 26/11 carnage happened in Mumbai the Indian counter strategy was left to one Under Secretary dealing with counter terrorism and two Joint Secretaries of other divisions, who out of love for the nation joined on their own volition, for nearly 30 hours.

I have already explained in my book with vivid details how then Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil was unattached, to the extent of non-cooperative, in giving orders for more effective counter-measures based on locally available resources. This helped the terrorists to entrench themselves firmly in the Taj Hotel and Trident.

Rahul Gandhi's tweet on SPG

These are the antecedents of Rehman Malik. Now, his tweet on Rahul Gandhi were was preceded by a tweet from the Congress chief casting aspersions on the recruitment process for the Special Protection Group (SPG).

The former SPG Director General whom he had quoted in his tweet has come out and denied it. But more importantly, what is relevant here is this tweet has the potential of discrediting and demoralising the SPG. Mind you, SPG is an elite force that protects the Prime Minister of the country.

The plot to assassinate PM Modi

Now, I take you back to June 2018. The Maharashtra government had accessed and found out a plan to assassinate the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. That conspiracy might be attributable to a Maoist plan. But it is indeed a fact that Maoists, separatists of J&K, insurgent groups of the Northeast (now mostly neutralised), and Pak/PoK-based terrorist groups are on the same page, and have a lot of cross funding between themselves to actualise many unholy tasks.

Previous assassination attempts on Narendra Modi

Incidentally, this is not the first time that political opponents have attempted to assassinate Narendra Modi. May I remind the readers that in 2004 Ishrat Jehan and her companions, who included two Pakistanis, had come with the same agenda and were killed in firing outside Ahmedabad.

While the assassination of Modi ji and discrediting and demoralising the elite force protecting the Prime Minister is exposed on the public domain now, another important point also is hogging the highlights these days. That is of the Rafale deal.

Rafale deal

Let us get it right. The acquisition of the Rafale by the Indian Air Force will tilt the balance of power in favour of India in an overriding manner over all other nations in the region.

The Congress has been flagging this issue unnecessarily. They have challenged the price, the middlemen and everything associated with it.

On the price issue, I have already written about how any price revelation will give away the comparative strength of Indian defence capabilities. Hence, to bring it on public domain is the only agenda of ISI, which is being fought through its soft soldiers in opposition parties, disgruntled elements who were ex-politicians, and some friendly media.

But the biggest give away of ISI's involvement in flogging this issue got exposed when Pakistani ministers on social media seem to have been under instructions from their masters in the ISI.

Inferences on joining the dots

On balance of consideration, let my state my concerns. Let Pakistanis do whatever on their social media. We are not concerned. But Indian politicians to join in is not in nation's overall interest. Or have they compromised national interest for political spinoffs? Or else, the Congress and its president are furthering the ISI agenda, which includes the PM's assassination. Has Rahul Gandhi been compromised? Joining the dots leads you to this inference. But we do not know. The Nation begs an answer.

(RVS Mani is a former Central government officer who shot to prominence as a whistleblower in 2009, when he alleged he had been forced to sign documents that fabricated a narrative of 'Saffron Terror'. His book, 'Hindu Terror: Insider Account of Ministry of Home Affairs', was released recently.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)New Delhi: The Delhi University's Department of Buddhist Studies will verify the documents of DUSU president Ankiv Baisoya, accused of submitting fake documents for admission, as well as that of 202 students enrolled with it, an official said.

The department held a meeting Monday after receiving complaints about Baisoya and decided to get the verification done of the documents submitted by all the students enrolled with it.

"We do not want to single out any student. There are nearly a dozen complaints of fake documents being submitted by students. We received another 50-60 complaints through phone," the official said.

Meanwhile, the Left-backed All India Students' Association (AISA) gathered at the Arts Faculty and protested against "inaction" by the varsity administration in the matter. They demanded an immediate probe in the matter and called for Baisoya's removal as Delhi University Students' Union president.

Last week, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) had alleged that Baisoya submitted fake documents to gain admission in the varsity. They had released a letter from the Thiruvalluvar University sent in response to a communication from the students' body which stated that the Bachelor of Arts (BA) certificate submitted by Baisoya from the university was fake.

New Delhi: Fuel prices went further up on Tuesday with the petrol price in Mumbai continued to breach Rs 90 per litre mark. The prices of petrol and diesel in the financial capital are Rs 90.22 per litre and Rs 78.69 per litre respectively.

In Delhi, petrol is being sold at Rs 82.86 per litre while diesel is at Rs 74.12 per litre.

Prices of non-branded petrol in metro-cities

Cities (Rs/litre) New Delhi 82.86 Kolkata 84.68 Mumbai 90.22 Chennai 86.10

Prices of non-branded diesel in metro-cities

Cities (Rs/litre) New Delhi 74.12 Kolkata 75.97 Mumbai 78.69 Chennai 78.36

Source: IOCL website

On Monday, the petrol price in Mumbai crossed the landmark level of Rs 90 per litre. Diesel prices also hit new highs for the second consecutive day. Petrol was sold at Rs 90.08 per litre in Mumbai, up from Rs 89.97 on Sunday, data on the Indian Oil Corp's website showed.

In the other key cities of Kolkata and Chennai, the fuel was priced at Rs 84.68 (petrol), Rs 75.97 (diesel) and Rs 86.10 (petrol), Rs 78.36 (diesel), respectively.

The recent surge in transportation fuel prices comes amid increasing crude oil prices. On Monday, the price of Brent crude oil crossed the $80-per-barrel mark.

Diesel prices also rose on Monday in tandem with petrol prices.

Prices in all the four cities are at their record levels.

(With inputs from IANS)New Delhi: 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 news 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.Chennai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu president Dr Tamilisai Soundarajan on Tuesday "nominated" Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Noble Peace Prize 2019 for launching Ayushman Bharat. The state BJP chief has also appealed to people to join her in nominating the Prime Minister for the same.

Ayushman Bharat is a healthcare scheme that falls under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.

On Saturday, PM Modi launched Ayushman Bharat at an event in Ranchi in Jharkhand. Addressing the gathering at the event in Jharkhand capital, Prime Minister Modi said that the scheme would benefit the poorest people in the country.

According to the Prime Minister, more than 13,000 hospitals have been added as part of the scheme. He further said that trial for the rollout of the scheme was already being done in parts of the country.

The Prime Minister said that the scheme was based on the concept of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas', adding that no discrimination would be done on the basis of caste, a community of religion.

A helpline number has been launched for any information on the flagship scheme of the central government. The helpline number is 14555. Besides, information about the scheme is also available at all health centres across the country.

Ayushman Bharat is considered to be the "world's largest government-funded healthcare program" targeting more than 50 crore beneficiaries. It will provide a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.

Over 10.74 crore vulnerable entitled families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) will be eligible for these benefits. The healthcare programme is slated to provide cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service.JAIPUR: Days after former Union minister Jaswant Singh's son and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Manvendra Singh announced his resignation from the party, the party is yet to receive a formal notification from him.

Madan Lal Saini, president of BJP's Rajasthan unit said that the local party unit is yet to receive a formal intimation from Singh. "Manvendra Singh is still a BJP MLA. Disciplinary action will be taken against him," Saini said.

Announcing his decision to quit the party, he had said that joining the BJP was a "big mistake" on his part. "Kamal ka phool, badi bhool," he said. He had said that he will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Barmer-Jaisalmer parliamentary constituency which in the past has been represented by his father.

After addressing a rally at Pachpadra in his Barmer constituency, Rajasthan, Manvendra announced his decision at a press conference.

He had also said that he is yet to take a decision on whether to join the Congress or not. "I would like to thank my supporters. I will do whatever they ask me to do. Their decision is my decision but I will ask everyone," he had said when asked if he will join the Congress party.

After the public meeting, dubbed 'swabhiman' or self-respect rally, he said, "I am no longer in BJP." Singh said the 'swabhiman' mision began in 2014 when his father Jaswant Singh was denied the party ticket in the Lok Sabha polls.

He said Narendra Modi, now prime minister and the then Gujarat Chief Minister, had called him up saying he was not present at the meeting where that decision was taken.

Manvendra Singh said Modi had then asked him to remain patient. "But the limit of my patience is now over," he said at the well-attended rally.

A large number of his supporters from Marwar region were present at the meeting.

After denial of the party nomination in 2014, Jaswant Singh contested the elections as an independent candidate. But he lost the seat to BJP's Sonaram, who had switched over from Congress and was backed by Vasundhara Raje.

The decision of not allowing Jaswant Singh to contest had antagonised people in the Rajput community who held Raje responsible.The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Delhi BJP chief and MP Manoj Tiwari, facing contempt notice in a sealing matter, to file an affidavit within a week for allegedly breaking the seal of a premises which was being run in violation of the Delhi Master Plan.

Tiwari appeared in person before a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur in pursuance to the notice issued to him on September 19.

It asked Tiwari to explain his claims made regarding the sealing to a news channel that the monitoring committee was not sealing thousands of illegal structures.

The apex court directed him to appear again on October 3.

The court expressed anguish over the statement made by Tiwari to the media saying "you have made a statement that 1,000 properties are such that should be sealed. Please list us, we will make you the sealing officer."External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said in New York that India considers Nelson Mandela, fondly known as Madiba, as one of its own and his life is an inspiration for all as he showed fearlessness and courage in the face of discrimination and adversity.

Speaking at the Nelson Mandela Peace Conference at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), she said, "We Indians consider Madiba (Nelson Mandela) to be one of our own. We are proud to call him a Bharat Ratna -- a Jewel of India. India cherishes its special relationship and longstanding partnership with Africa and its people. Our close bonds are reflected in the philosophy of Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi -- Father of our Nation."

"Both of them led their peoples to freedom through mass peaceful struggles. They made all efforts to overcome the divisive and narrow identity politics to turn diversity of a society into its strength, instead of a weakness," she added.

Quoting Mandela's speech at the UN in 1994, "the society we seek to create must be a people-centred society and all its institutions and resources must be dedicated to the pursuit of a better life for all our citizens", Swaraj said, "These words are all the more relevant today."

During her address at the plenary event organised to commemorate Mandela`s birth centenary, Swaraj shed light on how the former South African president`s life continues to inspire people across the globe even in the present day.

"Nelson Mandela`s life is an inspiration. He showed fearlessness and courage in the face of discrimination and adversity. Values espoused by him- forgiveness, compassion, and inclusiveness of society are needed now more than ever in these turbulent times. Our collective survival as a global family requires that the wisdom of pioneering leaders such as Mandela remains our moral compass. Let us share this planet as one. Let us make a better world for our children," she added.

The minister also spoke on how terrorism has sunk its fang worldwide and impacting the lives of people. She said, "Our world is still beset with conflicts, terror & hateful ideologies that are transcending borders & impacting our lives. No one should be allowed to support terror or its perpetration."

Earlier, a life-size statue of Mandela was unveiled at the United Nations Headquarters in New York by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the General Assembly, Maria Espinosa and Secretary-General Guterres. Furthermore, twin stamps of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were released in July this year during Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s meeting with South African President Ramaphosa.New Delhi: Union Law Minister R S Prasad on Tuesday lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the latter's remark that the fun has just begun. Calling the Gandhi scion a liar and irresponsible, Prasad said that it is a shame for the grand old party to have a party chief like Rahul.

"It's a matter of shame for Congress that a person like Rahul Gandhi, who is irresponsible and is a liar, is their president," he said.

The Union Law Minister continued to attack the Congress chief and the Gandhi family saying, "We can't expect anything else from a leader whose entire family is buried in scams, be it Bofors or National Herald."

Threatening to expose the grand old party, Prasad said, "In the history of independent India, no national party president has ever made such comments about a prime minister."

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has constantly been calling the Rafale fighter jets deal a theft, earlier in the day said that it is just the beginning, and more is about to come in the next two to three months.

Addressing social media volunteers in Amethi on Monday, the Congress chief said that the party would expose all the 'misdeeds' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government before people in the next three months.

While interacting with the social media volunteers, the Gandhi scion continued to attack PM Modi, saying, "The man who had come to power promising a fight against corruption, he himself gave Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. This is just the beginning, there will be more fun ahead."

"The misdeeds of Modi government  Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, demonetisation, Gabbar Singh Tax (GST)  there has been theft in all these cases. One by one we will show that Narendra Modi ji is no 'chowkidar', Narendra Modi ji is a thief," Rahul Gandhi further added.An exchange of fire took place between the security forces and terrorists in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir early on Tuesday morning.

Following the firing, security forces have launched a search operation and cordoned off the area.

No casualties or injuries have been reported so far.

More details are awaited.

Earlier on Monday, three terrorists were gunned down after an infiltration bid was foiled by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The infiltration bid was foiled in Kupwara's Tangdhar sector on Sunday. A security personnel lost his life during the action.

On Sunday, a terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama. He was identified as a top commander of Pakistani origin belonging to the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

The slain terrorist was identified as Adnan - one of the top commanders of banned terror outfit JeM in the Kashmir Valley. He was of Pakistani origin.

Slain terrorist's body and a huge quantity of arms, ammunition and incriminating material were also recovered from the site of the encounter.

Security forces had launched a massive Cordon and Search Operation in Dar Ganie Gund village of Aribal area of Tral in south Kashmir district on Sunday morning, after receiving credible inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a J&K Police spokesperson said.

He said during the search operation, the hiding terrorist fired on the search party and the fire was retaliated, leading to an encounter.

Since the day three policemen were abducted and killed by terrorists in the state, security forces have been launching search operations to nab them.

Three cops were on Friday abducted and later killed by militants in Shopian district.At least two terrorists were killed on Tuesday after an encounter broke out with security forces in Sopore area of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. The operation is still underway.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, an exchange of fire took place between the security forces and terrorists in Baramulla district.

Following the firing, security forces have launched a search operation and cordoned off the area.

No casualties or injuries have been reported so far.

Earlier on Monday, three terrorists were gunned down after an infiltration bid was foiled by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The infiltration bid was foiled in Kupwara's Tangdhar sector on Sunday. A security personnel lost his life during the action.

On Sunday, a terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama. He was identified as a top commander of Pakistani origin belonging to the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).Leh: 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 everyday 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 education for Ladakhi children - an education 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 Education Society, the school was partially destroyed in the flash floods and landslides that hit the town in 2010, but was renovated thereafter.

The school has won numerous awards for its architecture, including the best green architecture award, the most environment-friendly building and also the best architecture design award.

At present, there are 719 students in the school, of which 281 are residential students from remote areas of Ladakh, while the rest are day scholars.

"Giving a lot of thought to the structure and design of the school, the building is shaped like a key and promotes education as the key to life. It is environment-friendly with no heaters, even in the severe winter that the region experiences," Kunzang said.

"The buildings are oriented in such a manner that solar heating system keeps the rooms warm. During winters, when there is no sun, the school remains closed," he said.

Affiliated to the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education, the school provides education at par with any elite educational institution in the country, Kunzang claimed that the management has opened a branch in Khachhey near Kargil for those who cannot come to the main school and many more branches are proposed as the number of children is steadily increasing.

"All of what was shown in the film does not actually happen here, though we do focus more on projects and activities. We also tried for sometime restricting the entry of tourists during school hours, but later we decided to do away with it," Kunzang said.

As per figures from the Tourism Reception Centre in Leh, there has been a growth of 30 per cent annually in the total tourist arrival after the release of the movie.

Around 5,68,123 tourists visited Ladakh from 2014 till date out of which 4,40,001 were domestic and 1,28,122 were foreign tourists.In a first for the ride-sharing industry, Indian ride-sharing major Ola on Tuesday launched project Guardian, a real-time monitoring system, which aims to strengthen ride safety of its customers. The project is part of Olas national programme on safety, Street Safe.

This project has been launched as a pilot in Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune, and will go live in Delhi and Kolkata by the end of October. It is scheduled to be rolled out in other cities by the end of this year.

As per this project, all on-going trips will be tracked by analysing ride indicators that include route deviations, unexpected and midway stops, amongst others. Based on the indicators and time of travel, safety triggers will be created which will be attended to immediately by Olas Safety Response Team (SRT). Post analysing the data, the SRT will connect with the customer to assess any potential unsafe ride and provide assistance as required.

Focused on addressing any untoward situations, Ola has integrated real-time data into the project to enhance its effectiveness. In addition, Ola is working with government authorities to map dark spots and unsafe routes into the monitoring platform to enhance the monitoring systems performance. This capability will enable Olas SRT to determine vulnerabilities and augment safety protocols.

As a part of Street Safe, Ola is also working towards mitigating driver impersonation on the platform.

Based on the success of its pilot programme, Ola announced the rollout of its ttech-poweredselfie authentication initiative across the country. Through this initiative, driver partners are required to validate their identity by taking a selfie and sharing it with the Ola team immediately through the app. This photograph of the driver will then be compared to the image on record. Impersonators will have their platform access revoked and will be subject to investigation.

The Ola app has also been updated to include larger photos of driver partners, enabling customers to verify their authenticity and report impersonators. Taking a step further to curb driver impersonation, Ola will initiate offline audit checks at transport hubs including airports, railway stations and bus stands. The trained audit team will not only authenticate driver partners but also inspect the state of the car. Having begun the initiative at Hyderabad and Bangalore airports, offline audit checks will be rolled out to more transport hubs across India in a phased manner.

Speaking about the new safety initiatives, Ankur Agrawal, VP  Business Excellence & Safety at Ola said, Safety and innovation are embedded in Olas DNA. As Indias leading mobility platform, we believe in leveraging technology to improve the overall safety of rides across the transportation industry. The Guardian project is a major step in this direction, which accelerates Olas past efforts in holistically making roads and rides safer and build confidence amongst customers and driver-partners to feel safe on the platform round-the-clock.

He further added, Ola will continue to innovate and use AI and machine learning algorithms to further enhance the Guardian project as the project is rolled out nationally. We are certain that these moves will have a measurable impact in galvanising Indias mobility ecosystem and providing our customers with an enhanced ride-sharing experience.

Launched earlier this year, the Street Safe programme is aimed at creating partnerships that strengthen ride and road safety.New Delhi: 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 a call on their declassification, the CIC has ruled 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 the 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.New Delhi: While reiterating that Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is the biggest challenge to the country, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Tuesday warned that the armed forces have several options open, including surgical strikes, to teach a firm lesson to the country's enemy.

''Terrorism emanating from Pakistan is the biggest challenge to the country. But surgical strikes are not the only option we have. The armed forces have several other better options for tackling cross-border infiltration and terrorism,'' Gen Bipin Rawat said.

Though Gen Rawat stopped short of disclosing what strategy the armed forces were planning to adopt in order to tackle cross-border terrorism, he threw enough indications of a major military action in future if the situation warranted.

In a stern warning to Pakistan, General Rawat warned that the country's armed forces were fully prepared to deal with any eventuality as war can take place any time.

In view of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army Chief admitted that there was a need for another surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control.

I won't deny this. But surgical strikes are not the only option with us. We keep reviewing the situation and prepare our strategy accordingly. We can't disclose how and when, but we will certainly take a decisive action whenever needed,'' he added.

General Rawat said this in an exclusive interview with Zee News Editor Sudhir Choudhary during which he spoke on a wide range of issues, including the change of guard in Pakistan, political atmosphere in the country, recent kidnapping and killing of jawans and civilians, alleged violation of human rights by the armed forces, the need for another surgical strikes on terror launch pads, the Rafale row and whether he harboured any political ambitions.

Expressing his views, Gen Rawat said peace and stability in the region can be established only if the civilian government in the neighbouring nation and its armed forces make an honest effort towards it.

''Peace can come, insurgency and cross-border terrorism can end if the Imran Khan government in Pakistan takes an honest effort in that direction. Till the time the civilian government in Pakistan remains under the clutches of its army (ISI) peace will remain a distant dream,'' Gen Rawat said.

While revealing that he had never met his Pakistani counterpart Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Gen Rawat said that the former has the capability of ending the proxy war between the two countries, cross-border infiltration, terrorism and all turbulence along the India-Pakistan borders.

However, in view of Gen Bajwa's reported provocative statements, Gen Rawat said that chances were grim that the bloodshed will end in J&K.

He said that Pakistan-back terrorists were utterly frustrated with Indian Amry's counter-terror operations in which several top terrorists had been eliminated.

''Recent kidnappings and killing of armed forces personnel, civilians and J&K policemen indicate that they (Pakistan-backed terror outfits) are frustrated and losing ground, '' he said.

Gen Rawat, while praising the officers and jawans of the armed forces, said that the country is fully prepared to deal with any eventuality and to protect the national borders.

To those seeking evidence of the 2016 surgical strike, Gen Rawat urged ''please trust your armed forces and believe in what they do and say.'' ''For Army, Operation is a priority, not taking evidence of a strike,'' he added.

Gen Rawat, while pitching for the inclusion of latest technology in modern warfare, said continuous upgradation of the armed forces, weaponry, logistic support is needed to sharpen the combat capabilities of the armed forces.

The Army Chief also referred to the ongoing row over Rafale defence deal. He said that defence procurement should be done through Government-to-Government channels, which will eliminate the risk of middlemen and ensure transparency.

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.

Rawat also backed the Narendra Modi government's decision to cancel talks with Pakistan, asserting that talks and terror cannot go together.

Gen Rawat said that whichever party comes to power at the Centre, the Indian Armed forces will always remain ''apolitical.''

The Army Chief 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.

When asked if he harboured any political ambitions, Gen Rawat said, ''No.''

I an not cut out for that. I would like to be remembered as an Army officer who lived his dream, who led his side with pride, and the one who always admired and respected his olive green uniform.



The no-holds-barred interview with Army Chief came nearly a week after a BSF soldier was shot dead by Pakistani forces and his mutilated body was found later.

The Army had conducted a massive surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control on September 29, two years ago.

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry has decided to observe 'Parakram Parv' commemorating the valour and sacrifice of the armed forces on the anniversary of the 2016 surgical strikes on terrorism launch pads along the LoC.

A three-day main event between September 28-30 will be organised at the India Gate lawns in the national Capital besides similar events at 53 locations in 51 cities across the country to "highlight the valour of the Indian armed forces in general and special forces in particular".

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would inaugurate the event on September 28 at India Gate lawns.

"To showcase the courage, valour and sacrifice of the armed forces, `Parakram Parv`, which literally means a celebration of valour, is being observed," Army spokesman Colonel Aman Anand said.

The Army conducted surgical strikes (on the intervening night of September 28-29, 2016) which had strategic ramifications and were aimed to "dissuade the inimical adversary from adopting the path of violence and to ensure an environment of peace for the nation".United Nations: A lot has been said about the 'strong relationship' between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Once again, on Monday, Trump's words at the UN reflected the deep bond shared by the two.

"I love India, give my regards to my friend PM Modi," Trump told External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in front of a large gathering of international leaders.

At the time, Swaraj and Trump were exchanging pleasantries during a high-level event on counter-narcotics. After 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.

Trump's response came after Swaraj told the US president that she has brought greetings from PM Modi.

This is not the first time Trump's 'friendship' for Modi was discussed in the public domain.

In November 2017, the White House had said during a press brief that Trump likes Modi.

"The relationship with Modi is his (Donald Trump) relationship with Modi. He likes (him). You know he talks about other leaders too? The way in which he talks about a few other leaders that he just likes and gets along with, Modi is one of them," said Raj Shah Raj Shah, the White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary.

In February 2018, US officials had indicated that Trump has a 'strong relationship' with PM Modi while emphasising on India-US ties.

"President Trump, certainly has a strong relationship with Prime Minister Modi, said State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, adding, "I know that his daughter (Ivanka) really enjoyed having been over in Hyderabad late last year, and so its an important relationship, an increasingly important relationship," she said.

The same month, while expressing his displeasure about India's tariffs on the import of motorcycles, Trump had reportedly said at a meeting of the governors of US states at the White House, "I wasn't sure - he said it so beautifully. He's a beautiful man.

EAM Swaraj is currently attending the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly.

With agency inputsThe security in Varanasi's Banaras Hindu University (BHU) was heightened on Tuesday, a day after a scuffle broke out between junior doctors of Sir Sunderlal hospital and the kin of a patient.

The security forces were deployed at BHU after the scuffle broke out. However, the reason for the scuffle hasn't been ascertained yet. One person has been detained following the scuffle. The police has said that the situation has been brought under control.

"The situation is under control. We will collect CCTV footage to identify the culprits.We have detained one person," said the police.Mumbai: 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 stabilized 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.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the commander is "conscious and doing okay" after his ordeal.

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.

Indian Naval ship Satpura has been sent to bring the commander, a Kirti Chakra awardee, back to India.

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.NEW DELHI: Escalating its attack on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre, the Congress on Tuesday alleged that the ruling party was shying away from answering questions on the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal between Indian and France.

The main opposition party also categorically rejected BJP's claim that Rahul Gandhi wanted the Rafale deal scrapped to help a firm linked to his brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

The principal opposition party alleged that the Modi government was responding to the alleged "Rafale scam" with abuses and mud-slinging.

Addressing a press conference on the issue, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, '' the UPA government gave the contract to state-run firm Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and but later Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave it to Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence.''

"The tender was issued in 2007 August, and on December 12, 2012, it was opened...And in March 13, 2014, the Congress government gave the offset contract to state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited," Surjewala said.

Surjewala also cited the statements made by Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier and former HAL chairperson TS Raju to substantiate his claims.

Hitting out at Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Modi government, Surjewala said they were responding to the Rafale "scam" with abuses and mud-slinging.

"The country has heard the tale of Ali Baba aur Chaalis Chor, now it is asking that when will Modi Baba and Chaalis Chor answer," Surjewala said in a wordplay on the folktale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves".

"Are you Ambani's PM, or the country's prime minister?" he asked.

Shedding more light on the issue, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said, ''On March 28 2015, Reliance Defence Ltd was incorporated. On March 25, 2015, Eric Trappier stated that contract with HAL was finalised. On March 11, 2015, HAL and Dassault stated parts of Rafale manufactured by HAL & Dassault will be guaranteed by respective companies.''

''On April 8, 2015, Foreign Secretary of India stated that Rafale deal wasn't on the table during PM's visit to France on April 10, 2015. But PM announced about the 36 Rafale aircrafts deal, while none of them was aware,'' Sibal added.

On April 8,2015, Foreign Secretary of India stated Rafale deal wasn't on table during PM's visit to France on April 10, 2015. But PM announced about the 36 Rafale aircrafts deal, while none of them were aware: Kapil Sibal, Congress pic.twitter.com/rc9TIiNWqi  ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2018

On Monday, the BJP had alleged that the Congress president was involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" and former French president Francois Hollande was part of the "nexus" to sabotage the Rafale deal.

BJP leader and Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat had 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.

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.The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that it wont stop lawmakers facing criminal charges from contesting elections unless they are convicted. However, the top court made some strong observations, such as the time has come to keep criminals away from Parliament. The decision of the apex court brings the ball to the court of lawmakers themselves, who have been asked to bring a legislation to keep criminals out of politics.

It appears nothing short of ironical that almost 34% members of the lower house of Parliament themselves face criminal charges. According to data released by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 185 of the 542 winner of Lok Sabha elections in 2014 declared criminal cases against themselves.

Of these 185 Lok Sabha MPs, 112 (21%) declared criminal cases of serious nature, such as murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and crime against women, against themselves.

According to the ADR, 10 members of Parliament have declared cases related to murder. Out of these, four winners were fielded by BJP, one by Congress, NCP, LJP, RJD, Swabhimani Paksha each and one is an independent.

Following the 2014 Lok Sabha election results, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which currently holds majority in the lower House of Parliament, had 97 out of 281 MPs (35%) facing criminal charges while the Congress had eight out 44 members (18%) named in criminal cases.

Six members of AIADMK, 15 of Shiv Sena and seven of Trinamool Congress had also declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

With the Supreme Court asserting that criminalisation of Indian polity is unsettling, the onus now lies on the members of Parliament. The top court expects them to ensure that the Indian democratic process is free of criminal elements. But with the picture suggested by the ADR data, the road to a legislation barring criminals from politics seems distant.New Delhi: The Yamuna River in the capital is flowing above the danger level following the release of water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage in the wake of heavy rains and flash floods in parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

The states have witnessed downpours in the last few days due to which the water level in the rivers has increased.

The warning level mark of the Yamuna is 204 metres and the danger level mark is 204.83 metres.

Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has called an emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon to decide the steps to deal with exigencies.

"The water level of river Yamuna at Delhi Railway Bridge at 11 am was 205.12 meters," a Flood and Control Department official told IANS.

"The water is showing a rising trend and is expected to go up as Delhi is witnessing rains and more water is being released every hour from the barrage," he added.

The water discharged from Hathnikund barrage, which provides drinking water to the national capital, normally takes 72 hours to reach the city, he said.

Delhi had witnessed the worst ever floods in 1978 when the river`s level touched a record 207.49 meters.SRINAGAR: In a big blow to the National Conference (NC), its spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu on Tuesday resigned from the party over its decision to boycott the upcoming local body and panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Confirming the move, Mattu said that he would contest the municipal polls from Srinagar to serve the people.



"Based on my humble disagreement with the party's decision to boycott the upcoming ULB and Panchayat Polls, I have just sent my resignation from the party to the JKNC General Secretary," Mattu tweeted on Twitter.

National Conference leader Junaid Azim Mattu resigns from the party, disagreeing with the party over decision to boycott local body and panchayat elections. #JammuAndKashmir (file pic) pic.twitter.com/vzSpUqpNaM  ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2018

Mattu also alleged that leaving the grassroots democratic institutions "open to misrepresentation" would inflict serious harm on the state, and wreak havoc with the social fabric and cultural legacy.

"I will announce my candidature for the ULB elections from Srinagar on Wednesday Insha Allah and I remain committed to serving my people and helping the city I grew up in, meet the challenges it's faced with. I won't be addressing the media or taking any questions today," he added.

Mattu began his stint with politics with the Peoples Conference, led by Sajad Lone, when the latter abandoned separatist politics to join mainstream in 2009.

Mattu later parted ways with Lone's party in 2013 and joined the National Conference.

The NC has accepted Mattu's resignation from the basic membership of the party.

"J&K National Conference is pleased to accept the resignation of Junaid Azim Mattu from the basic membership of party," the party said on its Twitter handle.

(With Agency inputs)PATNA: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took a jibe at Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi Tuesday over his recent appeal to criminals to stop anti-social activities during the ongoing "Pitri Paksh" fair at Gaya.

Bihar Dy CM Sushil Modi shamelessly with folded hands begging to Criminals, not to commit any crime in next 15 days as it dents his govts image. Later in festive season u r free to do what u do like kidnap, loot & shoot. Shame on U Mr. Modi! The hypocrite reciter of Jungalraj, tweeted the former deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, along with a video of Modi.

Bihar Dy CM Sushil Modi shamelessly with folded hands begging to Criminals, not to commit any crime in next 15 days as it dents his govts image. Later in festive season u r free to do what u do like kidnap, loot & shoot. Shame on U Mr. Modi! The hypocrite reciter of Jungalraj pic.twitter.com/iuNgzL2oYe  Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) September 25, 2018

Modi, while inaugurating the fortnight-long "Pitri Paksh Mela" at Gaya on Sunday, said, "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 added.

Earlier, Yadav had shared another tweet, stating, "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.

Bihar has witnessed a spurt in crimes recently.

Earlier this week, former Muzaffarpur Mayor Samir Kumar was shot dead by assailants with an AK-47.Co-founders of Facebook Inc's Instagram, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, have resigned and plan to leave the photo-sharing app company in coming weeks, the New York Times reported late on Monday, citing people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Instagram Chief Executive Officer Systrom and Chief Technical Officer Krieger have notified the photo-sharing app`s leadership team and Facebook on Monday about their decision to leave, the newspaper reported.

Systrom and Krieger did not give a reason for their departure, the paper said, adding that they planned to take time off after leaving Instagram.

An Instagram spokeswoman did not have immediate comment. Facebook was not immediately available to comment outside regular business hours.Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday inked his administration's first trade deal with South Korea, which he described as "a historic milestone" and a promise fulfilled to his countrymen. "The new US-Korea agreement includes significant improvements to reduce our trade deficit and expand opportunities to export American products to South Korea," Trump told reporters at the signing ceremony in New York on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly.

Describing it as a "very big deal" and a great day for the two countries, Trump said these outcomes give the finest American-made automobiles, innovative medicines and agricultural crops a much better access to Korean markets. "I think our farmers are going to be extremely happy. It was very limited as to what they could do and what they could send. And now, it is an open market and they are going to be sending a lot more farm products. That makes me feel very good," he said.

Trump said as a part of the agreement, the US has also secured an increased access to America's auto industry.

According to the US Trade Representatives, since the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) came into effect in 2012, the US trade deficit in goods with Korea increased by 75 per cent from USD 13.2 billion to USD 23.1 billion (2017), while the overall deficit increased by 57 per cent from USD 6.3 billion to USD 9.8 billion (2017).

"Through negotiations to improve KORUS, the United States has secured changes that will reduce the trade deficit and ensure that KORUS is a good deal for American workers, farmers and businesses," it said, adding that the US achieved important steps to improve the large trade deficit in industrial goods and address the KORUS implementation concerns that have hindered American export growth.

Trump said the agreement will reduce bureaucracy and increase prosperity in both the countries. Workers in the US and South Korea will find new customers and new opportunities to expand and grow.

"Our teams will be working hard to ensure that the terms of the deal are fully implemented," he said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In said the free trade agreement between the two countries is significant in the sense that it expands the alliance to the economic realm as well.

"Today we have made amendments and modifications to improve the existing agreement. With the swift conclusion of the negotiations for the revision, the uncertainty surrounding our FTA has been eliminated. And, as a result, companies from both countries will now be able to do business under more stable conditions," he said.

In addition, he hoped that this will provide them with a platform upon which the economic ties of the two countries will be elevated to a higher level in a freer, fairer, and more mutually beneficial direction.

During the meeting, Moon shared with Trump the outcomes of September's inter-Korean summit, which included Democratic People's Republic of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un's reiteration of his commitment to complete denuclearisation.

Trump commended Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with the North Korean leader, Chairman Kim, and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea.

"The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining vigorous enforcement of existing sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that denuclearisation is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," the White House said in a readout of the meeting.

"Both leaders also discussed plans for a second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim in the not too distant future and committed to closely coordinate on next steps," it added.Washington: The Pakistani leadership defines terrorism differently than the US government and is unlikely to act against all terrorist groups as demanded by Washington, Pakistan's former ambassador to America Husain Haqqani has said.

In an article in the journal 'American Interest', Haqqani said that Pakistani leaders' view of their country's interests in Afghanistan, differ vastly from those of the US and that limits the prospects of cooperation in ending the Afghan war.

"Pakistan's leadership defines terrorism differently than the US government and thus is unlikely to act against all terrorist groups, as (Secretary of State) Mike Pompeo demanded," Haqqani, who is now the Director for South and Central Asia at Washington-based Hudson Institute, said.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is scheduled to meet Pompeo on October 2 to further discussions initiated during the Secretary of State's brief stopover in Islamabad on September 5, while on his way to India.

"US diplomats have spent almost three decades trying to lure Pakistan's decision-makers into seeing things their way," Haqqani observed, adding that this had led to what President Donald Trump recently described as Pakistan's "lies and deceit" on the USD 33 billion in economic and security assistance it has accepted from the US government since 9/11.

At the direction of Trump, the US has frozen all security aid to Pakistan since January this year. Haqqani warned that the Trump Administration should be prepared for "less cooperation from Pakistan" with respect terrorism.

He noted that less than a week after Secretary Pompeo's stopover, Pakistan's Supreme Court had overruled restrictions imposed by the previous government on Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a front for the terrorist Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and its charity arm Falahi Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), both of whom are connected to UN designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed.

This was an indication that Pakistan's new government, backed by the country's military establishment and judiciary, did not intend to respect US or UN terrorism designations, Haqqani alleged.

The former top Pakistani envoy argued that it was important for American diplomats to understand that the other side is unwilling to compromise, given that Pakistan and the US have disagreed over Afghanistan almost consistently since the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989.

Haqqani said that it is "unlikely that Pakistan or the Afghan Taliban will change their calculus at a time when they believe that the US military is eager to leave Afghanistan."

Haqqani believes that the way out for the US would be to "bypass Pakistan and directly negotiate with the Afghan Taliban".CHARLESTON: Thousands of people in and around the city of Georgetown, South Carolina, were urged to evacuate on Monday as two rivers gorged with rain from long-departed Hurricane Florence will flood the area this week.

More than 10 days after the storm made landfall and killed 46 people mostly in North Carolina, several rivers throughout the state continued to rise. Georgetown is expecting floodwaters of 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) as the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers overrun their banks in coming days.

Emergency management officials began sending recorded telephone messages to residents in harm`s way and will go door-to-door in the next few days, Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

The Georgetown County administrator, Sel Hemingway, told a news conference the area was expected to see peak water levels from Wednesday evening, with the deluge threatening to cut off highways and isolate communities.

"There will not be an official evacuation order," he said, but said people in the flood zone need to get out before the waters come.

The potential flood zone encompasses some 3,500 homes in Georgetown, 37 miles (60 km) south of Myrtle Beach, and the coastal resort community of Pawleys Island where as many as 8,000 people live, Broach-Akers said.

The county opened two emergency shelters on Monday, and hotels outside the flood zone in nearby Myrtle Beach were offering discounts for evacuees. Public schools will be closed until further notice, Broach-Akers said.

First responders from around the state were assisting in relief efforts. State transportation crews were working to erect temporary dams on either side of US Highway 17, the main coastal route through the area, and National Guard engineers were installing a floating bridge at Georgetown in case the highway is washed out at the river.

STRANDED DEAD FISH

The National Weather Service said flooding from Florence would likely persist in coastal parts of the Carolinas for days as the high-water crest of numerous rivers keeps moving downstream toward the ocean.

In North Carolina, where 35 people died due to the storm, Governor Roy Cooper said on Monday that seven rivers in the southeast part of the state were at major flood stages and three others at moderate flood stages. "Florence is gone but the storm`s devastation is still with us," Cooper said in a statement.

The storm dumped 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain on Wilmington, North Carolina, alone after making landfall nearby on Sept. 14. Heavy flooding left a commercial section of downtown Wilmington under at least a foot of water on Sunday.

Insured losses from Hurricane Florence will range from $2.8 billion to $5 billion, RMS, a risk modelling and analytics firm, said on Monday.

Flooding in Wilmington was expected to peak on Monday along the city`s Water Street riverfront, where many businesses had stacked sandbags in advance, city spokesman Dylan Lee said.

Receding flood waters left hundreds of dead fish stranded on a highway near Wallace, about 35 miles from the nearest beach, according to the Penderlea Fire Department, which posted video of firefighters hosing the fish off Interstate 40.

About 5,000 people across North Carolina were rescued by boat or helicopter after the storm made landfall, twice as many as in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, according to state officials.WASHINGTON: A US government investigation has found that Myanmars military waged a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gangrapes and other atrocities against the Southeast Asian nations Rohingya Muslim minority.

The US State Department report, which was released on Monday, could be used to justify further U.S. sanctions or other punitive measures against Myanmar authorities, U.S. officials told Reuters. But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity, an issue that other U.S. officials said was the subject of fierce internal debate that delayed the report`s rollout for nearly a month.

The report, which was first reported by Reuters, resulted from more than a thousand interviews of Rohingya men and women in refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh, where almost 700,000 Rohingya have fled after a military campaign last year in Myanmar`s Rakhine State.

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, according to the 20-page report. The scope and scale of the militarys operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated.

Survivors described in harrowing detail what they had witnessed, including soldiers killing infants and small children, the shooting of unarmed men, and victims buried alive or thrown into pits of mass graves. They told of widespread sexual assault by Myanmars military of Rohingya women, often carried out in public.

One witness described four Rohingya girls who were abducted, tied up with ropes and raped for three days. They were left "half dead," he said, according to the report.

Human rights groups and Rohingya activists have put the death toll in the thousands from the crackdown, which followed attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in Rakhine State in August 2017.

UN REPORT FOUND `GENOCIDAL INTENT`

The results of the US investigation were released in low-key fashion - posted on the State Department`s website - nearly a month after U.N. investigators issued their own report accusing Myanmars military of acting with "genocidal intent" and calling for the countrys commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.

The military in Myanmar, previously known as Burma, where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied accusations of ethnic cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism.

US Senior State Department officials said the objective of the investigation was not to determine genocide but to "document the facts" on the atrocities to guide U.S. policy aimed at holding the perpetrators accountable. The report, however, proposes no new steps.

One of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would be up to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo whether to make such a "legal" designation in the future and did not rule out the possibility.

A declaration of genocide by the U.S. government, which has only gone as far as labeling the crackdown "ethnic cleansing," could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of issuing such an assessment.

The International Criminal Court last week said it had begun an examination of whether the alleged forced deportations of Rohingya could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Asked whether the new U.S. findings could be used to bolster such international prosecution, the State Department official said no decision had been made on seeking "judicial accountability" over the Rohingya crisis.

The Trump administration, which has been criticized by human rights groups and some U.S. lawmakers for a cautious response to Myanmar, could now face added pressure to take a tougher stand.

Sarah Margon, director of the Washington office of Human Right Watch, said: "What`s missing now is a clear indication of whether the U.S. government intends to pursue meaningful accountability and help ensure justice for so many victims."

The United States on Monday announced it was almost doubling its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar, with an extra $185 million.

"The stories from some refugees show a pattern of planning and pre-meditation," the report said, citing the military`s confiscation in advance of knives and other tools that could be used as weapons.

About 80 percent of refugees surveyed said they witnessed a killing, most often by military or police, according to the report. Reports of mutilation included the cutting and spreading of entrails, severed limbs or hands/feet, pulling out nails or burning beards and genitals to force a confession, or being burned alive," the report said.

Later on Monday, the Public International Law and Policy Group, a Washington-based human rights law firm contracted by the State Department to conduct the refugee interviews, issued a companion report saying it provided 15,000 pages of documentation of "atrocity crimes."

The State Departments investigation was modeled on a U.S. forensic examination of mass atrocities in Sudan`s Darfur region in 2004, which led to a U.S. declaration of genocide that culminated in sanctions against the Sudanese government.

Any stiffer measures against Myanmar authorities could be tempered, though, by U.S. concerns about complicating relations between civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and the powerful military which might push Myanmar closer to China.

The U.S. government on Aug. 17 imposed sanctions on four military and police commanders and two army units but Myanmars military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, was spared. Further targeted sanctions have been under consideration, officials said earlier.

The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine state, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmar`s Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship.The United States imposed new sanctions against China in response to the acquisition of modern Russian weapons. We are talking about a deal to supply China with 10 multi-purpose fighters of the 4 ++ generation, as well as 4-6 divisions of the S-400 anti-missile defense systems (8 launch units in one set). The US restrictive measures will concern the Department of Armaments of the Central Military Commission of China and its leader Li Shanfu. Sanctions are imposed in accordance with the "Act on Countering America's Enemies through Sanctions" adopted last year. The US Treasury may impose sanctions against legal entities and individuals of foreign countries that have concluded large contracts with Russia for the supply of weapons or represent their interests. It provides for the freezing of assets of Russian arms buyers in the United States, the deprivation of export licenses and the exclusion from the American financial system. American firms are prohibited from doing business with them.



The Chinese leadership has threatened the American colleagues with negative consequences  they require the lifting of sanctions. By and large, the sanctions are not so critical for China, since the States does not already sell their weapons to this country, the Central Military Council of China does not participate in export operations, the calculations in dollars for Rosoboronexport, which supplies Russian weapons abroad, are terminated. China is more concerned about the high import duties that the United States imposed on a wide range of products. However, the US has its own reasons for imposing sanctions against China in response to the acquisition of Russian weapons.

The US is deterring China's military power



The formal aim of the new sanctions against China is to inflict damage on Russia, which is profiting from the international arms trade. China is the second largest buyer of Russian arms after India. In 2017, China's share in the export of Russian arms was 12%. The US adheres to the selective approach and imposes sanctions only on those countries that buy modern high-precision weapons in Russia capable of putting the US military at risk. Americans do not apply restrictive measures to buyers of Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles, armored vehicles or components to airplanes and tanks.



The true reason for the sanctions is the US desire to drive a wedge into military-technical cooperation between Russia and China in order to slow down the development and strengthening of the military power of the Asian tiger. China is the main competitor of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. One of the priorities of the Politbureau of the People's Republic of China is the modernization of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) in order to turn it into a mobile, flexible and modern military force, close in its power to the American army.



China uses Russia as a source of advanced defense technologies, alternative to NATO, which is confirmed by the use of Russian and Soviet prototypes in the production of Chinese weapons. The Kremlin shares its military technologies for the sake of military-political alliance with China as opposed to the United States. Today, both Beijing and Moscow have rather complicated relations with Washington. Both countries are subject to US restrictive measures. More than 260 Russian and Soviet helicopters Mi-171, Mi-17V-5, Ka-31, Ka-28, more than 240 Su-30, Su-35, Su-27, Il-76, Il- 78, Tu-154M/D, Il-18, not counting the various clones are used by People's Liberation Army of China.

China is modernizing its navy, which consists of 714 ships, boats, submarines. Since 2010, three new classes of destroyers have been commissioned in China. Starting from 2018, Chinese plan to build 30 frigates, and by 2019-20 to put into operation the second aircraft carrier. Since 2011, Beijing has been modernizing old ships, equipping them with anti-missile defense systems to counter cruise missiles and radars for air targets. In 2014, China began to modernize two Russian destroyers of the "Sovremennyy" class, and in 2015 - a destroyer of the "Type 051B" class of its own design, which is planned to be modernized with a modern HQ-16 anti-missile defense system. China conducts similar activities in the air force. It modernizes the KJ-200 (based on the Soviet An-12 aircraft), which are used for radio detection and guidance, multipurpose J-10 fighters (using the Russian engines), H-6G strategic bombers (based on the Soviet Tu-16 aircraft).

Redistribution of the world arms market



The United States imposed sanctions against China in order to discourage other countries from buying Russian weapons. The US wants to weaken Russia's position in the world arms market. Last year, Rosoboronexport's sales amounted to $ 13 billion, and Russia ranked second among the largest arms dealers, being after the United States. Russian gunsmiths control 22% of the world arms market. In 2017 the Russian Federation exported weapons to 47 countries. The largest buyers of Russian arms are India, China, Vietnam, Venezuela, Iraq. Russia is a serious competitor for American companies in the arms market, since its products are inferior in price, distinguished by reliability, unpretentiousness and simplicity in operation. For authoritarian corrupt regimes it is beneficial to work with Russians. The Kremlin bribes the governments of other countries in the amount of up to 20% of the cost of production only for the fact that they will acquire the Russian weapons, rather than the products of European or American competitors.



With the example of China, the States make it clear that no country in the world is immune from sanctions if it has opted for Russian weapons. America decided to play with Russia on the world arms market without rules, to use sanctions to reduce its competitiveness in response to corruption. US sanctions against China create cause for concern for countries that acquire weapons both from the US and Russia. After all, otherwise they risk losing access to US weapons. In addition to China, the S-400 has recently been purchased by Turkey, which uses American tanks and airplanes. Last year, Russia reached agreements with Myanmar on the purchase of six Su-30SME fighter jets, with India on the delivery of the first batch of 240 corrected KAB-1500L airbags. This year, Russia negotiated with India, Qatar on the possible supply of S-400 complexes, signed contracts with Indonesia to supply 11 Su-35 fighters, with Qatar for the delivery of Kalashnikov assault rifles and grenade launchers. Most likely, the US wants to disrupt these transactions, intimidating Russian customers with possible sanctions.

New opportunities for Ukraine



The practice of pushing out the Rosoboronexport company from the Asian markets can benefit the Ukrainian arms producers. To date, Ukraine's share in the world arms market is less than 2%, although in terms of the defense industry, Ukraine differs little from Russia, inheriting Soviet traditions, design documentation, technology. Ukrainian armored vehicles, military transport aircraft are interchangeable with Soviet and Russian ones. Even if the States warn part of the countries of acquiring Russian weapons, they can switch to Ukrainian products, which are cheaper than American counterparts, and do not differ from Russia in terms of reliability and unpretentiousness.



Asian countries are familiar with Ukrainian products. In 2018, Ukraine delivered 17,000 assault rifles, machine guns, pistols, grenade launchers to Turkey, Mongolia, Jordan, Uzbekistan, closed the contract for the delivery of 49 "Oplot" tanks to Thailand, which was concluded in 2011. Since the 1990s, Ukraine has been supplying tanks and armored vehicles to Pakistan. Over the past three years, Ukraine has supplied engines for aircraft, turbines for ships, and other components worth $ 400 million to China and India. China has created its first aircraft carrier based on the aircraft-carrying cruiser "Riga" inherited from Ukraine. Pivdenmash company has developed operational-tactical complex "Thunder" for Saudi Arabia - an analogue of the Russian OTC Iskander.

Read original article at 112.uaRemembering and predicting central focus and key quotes of Presidents past and future speeches at the UN General Assembly

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko shall address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday on September 26, 2018 for the fourth time already. And the key focus of the speech is already known.

Ukrainian President to speak at UNGA - what it will be about?

Volodymyr Yelchenko, Ukraines Permanent Representative to the United Nations since 2015, revealed some details a month ago.

Thus, Poroshenko plans to touch upon the peacekeeping mission to Donbas.

First of all I suppose that the President shall state the thing he used to stress all the time  we are going to persistently stand up for deployment of a peacekeeping mission to Donbas under UN auspices.

Apart from that, Yelchenko specified that in his address the President of Ukraine shall remind of Holodomor, as its 75th anniversary marked this year.

It is also expected that Poroshenko shall touch upon the Russian  Ukrainian Friendship Treaty and the reasons for its termination.

A new UN draft resolution devoted to the Crimea annexed by Russia shall be discussed during the UNGA session. The document shall address the issue of political prisoners among others.

All in all, the issues are not new. Practically, all of them have already been touched upon at the previous address by President Poroshenko.

What did Poroshenko speak about at UNGA previously?

2017

- There is a critical need to reform the UN Security Council  especially when it concerns the veto right.

- Ukraine has always supported the reform of the United Nations so that it could effectively respond to pressing global challenges.

- Ukraine is counting on coordinated and goal-directed support of our international partners.

- asked UN to deploy peacekeeping mission in Donbas as soon as possible. The President noted that UN peacekeeping mission is the only effective solution for the de-escalation, protection of Ukrainian people and for political resolution of the conflict.

- called on nations to make their historic judgment on Holodomor and to make decision by recognizing Holodomor as an act of genocide.

2016

- The President stressed we cannot afford the UN Security Council cornered when it comes to consideration of the issues of international peace and security.

- called on UN and member-states to pressure Russia to immediately release all Ukrainian citizens held hostage in Russian Federation.

- stated that the countries failed the Budapest Memorandum exam. Thus, the democratic world has lost its first battle, and it is not only about Ukraine, but about the trust in treaties.

- urged Russia to provide full access for international human rights watchdogs to the Crimea and Donbas and implement the UNESCO decision on monitoring activity in the Crimea on the institutional level.

- announced that there are thousands of photos, video, satellite images, eye witnesses and other evidences of Russian military presence in Donbas.

- urged international community to hold Russia accountable for the conflicts in Aleppo and Donbas based on the international law.

2015

- In February 2015, Russia started open aggression against our state, having annexed and occupied Crimea.

- Russian aggression against Ukraine has been going on over 20 months due to financing of terrorists and militants, provision of weapons and technical equipment to the illegal armed formations on Donbas.

- We have to admit that in the 21st century, the organization lacks the effective instruments to bring to responsibility a country, which has stolen the territory of another sovereign state.

- Ukraine started a discussion about limitation of right to veto in the Security Council.

- The special UN peacekeeping mission can be an effective instrument in the implementation of Minsk agreements.

To sum up:

- Russian aggression (Crimea, war in Donbas);

- peacekeeping mission;

- UN reform;

- relations with Russia;

- HolodomorAccording to the Joint Forces Operation HQ, possibly, the reason for the explosion was, in particular, the ignorance of the rules of its storage

Two Ukrainian soldiers sustained body injuries as a result of a mortar explosion in one of military units in Donetsk region on September 23, as the press office of Ukraines Prosecutor General Office reports.

The representatives of the institution stated that on September 23 at around 9 pm, a mortar exploded in one of the military units in Donetsk region. Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded as a result. They sustained injuries with different degrees of severity.

A criminal proceeding was opened on the case under the article on violation of the regulations relating to the management of weapons and objects, which possess threat for the others. The pre-trial investigation is being carried out by the investigators of Bakhmut police office. The prosecutors of the military prosecutors control the investigation.

The scene was inspected, the needed things were seized, other investigative and procedural activities aimed at a detailed fact-finding are being conducted.

At the same time, it is being decided whether to carry out a complex trial, military, trace evidence, chemical, ballistic and explosive analysis in Kyiv Research Institute of Forensic Examination.

Moreover, the Institute finishes the expertise on the explosion of the mortar in Rivne region, which took place on July 6, 2018, as the representatives of the Prosecutor General Office informed.

At the same time, the Joint Forces Operation HQ reported on Facebook that on September 23, while carrying out military tasks on conducting a return fire, Molot mortar exploded.

According to the preliminary conclusions of the initial inspection, which was carried out at the scene, and after the questioning of the military the following was defined: possibly, the reason for the explosion was, in particular, the ignorance of the rules of its storage, the message says.

The condition of the injured soldiers is satisfying.Open source

On September 25, armed Russian militants attacked Ukrainian positions in Donbas six times. Three Ukrainian fighters sustained combat wounds over the said period, reads the daily report of the Joint Forces Operation HQ.

The occupant forces used mostly grenade launchers, heavy machineguns and small arms; no cases of use of Minsk-banned weapons were reported.

The enemy opened fire in Krymske, Zolote, Zaitsevo, Pisky, Hnutove and Lebedynske.The man joined the government of pro-Russian militants in Donetsk in autumn 2014; later, he was arrested under charges with large-scale embezzlement and power abuse

The counterintelligence of Ukraine's Security Service managed to get an ex-official who served with the government of self-proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic'. The press service of the Ukrainian authority reported that on Tuesday afternoon.

In September 2014, the man joined pro-Russian militants in Donetsk; initially, he supplied them with various goods - fertilizers, fuel and lubricant materials, grain and others. Later, leader of the mercenaries of the so-called 'DNR' Aleksandr Zakharchenko offered him to chair the 'Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food'.

'The malefactor shaped the staff and provided due operation of the self-proclaimed authority. Among other actions, he also contributed to bringing a Russian 'humanitarian convoy' to the occupied area of Donbas', the SBU press service reported.

The Ukrainian authority marked that due to an internal conflict with Zakharchenko, the 'minister' was charged with large-scale embezzlement and power abuse.

As the man ended up on the Ukraine-controlled territory, he agreed to cooperate with the investigation authorities. He testifies, providing useful information about the activities of Russian militants in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Russia's direct involvement in the occupation of the said areas, damaging infrastructure and agricultural objects there, as well as other crimes of Russian occupant forces against the national and public security.Viktor Yushchenko, in the framework of the "A Big Interview with a Big Politician" project on "112 Ukraine" TV channel, proposes his view on Ukraine's most topical challenges

Open source

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew told Patriarch Kirill about the approval of decision on Ukrainian autocephaly, and two exarchs ha already arrived in Ukraine. This is part of the process of granting autocephaly to Ukraines Orthodox Church. How will this change the country?

This will give us a second wing. By this moment, we had only one wing, we were talking about a difficult road for the development of our statehood, the newest road, and it, in fact, has never been easy. Let us remember the 20th years of the last century when we had three states and the project was over, unfortunately, or let us talk about the previous times. Building a state is not a simple goal, and most importantly, sometimes even a few generations are required for this. Especially in the state, when we did not have of statehood tradition for 300-400 years. But spiritual issue no less important. In fact, people are united not by physical instincts, but by spirituality. And when we talk about the way of a secular state, starting with the canons of several councils - the state appears where the church itself appears. If the Catholic church model is based on what Rome is, then there is the Pope, the governor of God on earth, and all the rest are branches of the Roman church, Orthodoxy is built on the contrary - there is a free state. There is an original, local, first-apostolic Orthodox church in a free state. There are 15 Orthodox churches, and the full life of the state begins just from when the state, secular wing, and church, spiritual wing, are combined. During the last 10 years, we have been actively putting obtaining the canonical method of autocephaly on the agenda (the Orthodox Local Ukrainian Church).

On the eve of Vilnius summit, you advised President Yanukovych to sign only the political component of the Association Agreement. And postpone economic one. Who was more afraid of the prospect of signing this deal - Yanukovych or Putin?

If you recall the then materials from the press (of September, October), the positive depiction of Viktor Yanukovych was paralleled with a European flag. Beginning in September, he clearly, vividly declared that that journey was a rapprochement with the EU. Until November 23, when the prime minister issued a decree to suspend all documents for rapprochement with the EU. That brought to the students of two universities. It was a meeting of three presidents and then the then president Yanukovych in his residence. I received an invitation to hold a meeting with President Yanukovych together with Kravchuk and Kuchma. There was a basement, where Leonid Kravchuk was whipped into shape (powder, hairstyle). I was amazed because I thought we came just to talk. I asked Kravchuk what was he tinkering for? And he replied: "We are going to have an interview," which made me very surprised. Just before it, President Yanukovych and said that he could not sign the Association Agreement, because Ukraines economic interests were not taken into consideration. And then I had to speak that the Association Agreement consists of different blocks. Moreover, speaking about the third and fourth stages of European membership, no one has signed the economic package. Everyone had to start with political and security package. Therefore, it is easy to abandon the economic package  and now we need to politically declare that our course is EU membership. When it happens is the second question, because the course of convergence with Moscow is being developed in parallel.

Speaking about the economic block  was it a refusal?

Rather an excuse. Leonid Kravchuk said to me: "He will appear here in a few minutes, so you tell him." After some time Viktor Yanukovych came in and I told him that we could remove these risks from the agenda, on the condition that we sign the political and security part There was a pause of 10-15 seconds, and then he replied: "I have to think," and went away. I am deeply convinced that if President Yanukovych signed the Vilnius agreement, then the students of the Shevchenko University, whenever he arrived at Boryspil airport, would just throw his car up with the flowers. He would be a hero.

What should we do with the Budapest Memorandum? Many people advise to forget about this document and try to look for new forms for ensuring Ukraine's security.

If we take the entire diplomatic portfolio, we will find some documents that none of the European political nations has: the guarantees of a nuclear club. Why do not they work? Why do not we appeal to them? Someone says this memorandum is a soft document. I think that the President of Ukraine when signing this agreement in the 1994 year, evaluated this document as a solid one. We can imagine that the Ukrainian parliament, in connection with the situation associated with the occupation of Russia by Ukraine, Donbas, has appealed to the British government concerning fulfilling its commitments. What would they answer? Or imagine a similar appeal to the French government, China or the US. This is, in fact, the first document on nuclear disarmament - do you think that it does not matter? Then you will talk to the president of northern Korea, the leader of Iran. If this unprecedented political step made by Ukraine is worthless for the world, then this leads us to transform many very fundamental views. I understand that there are some nuances, which influence Ukrainian policy. There is "Minsk-2", followed by large European leaders. A document that you cannot easily unmount or split it into pieces. We should be careful with it. We should not lose our partners because of this document, knowing that several parties to this document are our partners, with whom we need to communicate tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. But, all the same, it says that in four years, none out of 10 points of this agreement is implemented, and it is not our fault. And this suggests that the document does not work. At least, it might mean that maybe we should think about its modernization?

You mean Minsk - 3? Or Minsk - 2.5?

I am quite allergic to the word "Minsk." This name would not work, it is a failure. We are in a kind of a tombstone. We sincerely wanted "Minsk" to be successful, but obviously, it has exhausted itself. It should be upgraded... Modernization should begin with the expansion of the table. I am convinced that it is difficult to resolve this conflict without American involvement.

On the other side of the Ukrainian border, the issue of national security is also topical. This is the Zakarpattia region. Hungarians, language, the law on education. And those tensions now appear there.

If we do not solve the integrity, unity, integration of the Ukrainian nation, if we do not solve it, in fact, the question from which we started - the national question, then the question of any community will seem like an earthquake. I warmly support the law on education, its future would not be easy For example, if we take the issue of the Hungarian language, then I think that as a president, I have paid the highest number of visits to Hungary than any other president. Three of four times together with Victor Orban we have opened schools together (there were Ukrainian-Hungarian ones), we had a strong friendship. So now I have a simple answer - maybe we should try to adopt the same law on education, which exists, for example, in Hungary. It is possible to make exclusion, given the status of our complex and sensitive relations. We can take the Hungarian law as a model, it is considered European, democratic one.

How to prevent a demographic crisis in Ukraine?

If you tell a person that she does not have the right to go abroad because the life there is better, this means building a policy of feudal times. No one can stop you anymore. We live in a highly integrated world, in the world of advanced communications. A man of my age will already stay here and die here. But we are talking about the young generation, and I raise my hand so that the younger generation has a chance to find itself where it wants to. And this is not only the policy of my country. Lithuania has the same problem. There are daily charters to the UK. The same is applicable to the Poles, the Bulgarians. Take any Eastern European nation - to a greater or lesser extent, this process would take place there.

Is it possible to say that at the time of President Kuchma, the oligarchs were somehow afraid of the president, then at the time of your cadence they have just taken off their belts?

There are some differences. I was the president of a parliamentary state. If you want to say that the president of Ukraine should put people in prison, then I will say that I have the opposite opinion. I do not recall that Nicolas Sarkozy or Alexander Kwasniewski put someone behind the bars. Dozens of European presidents. Read the Constitution - is it the authority of the president? No. So why are you asking me why havent I put them behind the bars? How could I do that? Should I become authoritative? Then I had to move away from the ideas of the Maidan.

Given the consequences and the mood of Maidan, we just cannot say that Ukrainians are the nation of the lost chances?

No, I am a great optimist, you know. We have become internally more integrated into the main thing. The center of Ukraine has already moved eastward from the Dnipro. Already, the separation that was 10 years ago, along with the Dnipro, does not exist. I think that the heart of Ukraine has moved eastward. We are becoming a bigger family, we are better integrated, we better understand our task, challenges. Generally, I'm much more optimistic than three years ago, or ten years ago.

Read the original text at 112.ua.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 its no longer on front pages, the Russian-Ukrainian war continues

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 didnt want to speak Ukrainian, as most inhabitants of this city do; they didnt 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 arent 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 its 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 Lvivs 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 Church has 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 citys 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 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.

It is ironic that the Russian invasion, originally intended to punish Ukraines Western-oriented government, has pushed the country in a dramatically different direction. Its 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 weve 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.

Read the original text here.The Moscow Patriarchate insists that the initiative to provide the autocephaly for Ukraine is 'anti-canonical'

The Synodus of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church called on Patriarch Bartholomew not to interfere with the internal affairs of the Church. The exarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate are asked to leave Ukraine. The respective statement sounded at the Tuesday session of the Synodus, the press office of the Moscow Patriarchate of Ukraine's Orthodox Church reported.

'This assignment was considered a rude interference with the internal affairs of Ukraine's Orthodox Church and violation of its canonical territory. Respectively, the Synodus of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church urged Bartholomew, the Partiarch of Constantinople to stop interfering with the internal affairs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and not to violate its canonical area', the message says.

The Church also stated that exarchs of the Constantinople Patriarchate must leave the canonical area of Ukraine's Orthodox Church, 'since their actions are non-canonical and breach the confessional peace in Ukraine'.

There will be no more joint services with the churchmen of the Constantinople Patriarchate, the Synodus ruled.

The Church authority also urged the believes 'to pray more intensely for the unity of the Holy Orthodoxy'.

Besides, the Synodus also asked Ukrainian MPs to retract the three draft bills, which offer to change the status and the order of subordination of religious communities in Ukraine. 'Any forced changes to the name or the status are illegal and pose a direct interference with the internal affairs of the Church', the statement reads.The building of the Storting, the parliament of Norway was searched after the detention of a citizen of Russia, who turned out to be a worker of Russias parliament, in the suspicion of the espionage as DW reported.

The workers of the security bodies of Norway searched the building of the countrys parliament for the presence of the listening devices right after Mikhail Bochkarev, the worker of the apparatus of the Russian Federation Council was detained in the airport of Oslo in the suspicion in the espionage, who also participated in the parliamentarian international seminar on September 20, 21, the message said.

The special service will also check whether the Russian tried to hack the mobile phones of the lawmakers or other partakers of the seminar.

As we reported a Russian citizen was detained at Oslo airport in Norway on suspicion of "illegal intelligence activities on the territory of the state."

Earlier two Russian spies were detained in Estonia. It is supposed that the men have been passing foreign secret information to Russias Main Intelligence Directorate.

Also, two Russians were detained in the Netherlands and sent to Russia. They tried to get data from the lab in a Swiss Spitz, which helps to investigate chemical attacks in Syria and poisoning in Salisbury.

Related video:The visit to the U.S. will last three days

The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko arrived o New York leading the official delegation to participate in the high-level general discussion of the 73rd UN General Assembly, as Ukrainform reports.

The President will take part in the opening of the general discussion at the level of the states heads and governments on Tuesday, September 25. He is to deliver a speech for the second half of the day in the debating chamber of the UN General Assembly. Petro Poroshenko will also participate in the Summit of UN peacekeeping and other official events within the General Assembly, the message says.

It was noted that the Ukrainian side will point out the necessity of the UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas.

As the agency was informed, the President will also have bilateral meetings with the leadership of the European Union and foreign states, the message says.

Moreover, Poroshenko will meet the leaders of the Ukrainian community in the U.S. and the leaders of Jewish organizations in the country.

It is possible that Petro Poroshenko will meet with the U.S. President Donald Trump in the lobbies of the General Assembly.

In particular, the Ukrainian leader will participate in the reception on the behalf of the U.S. President. Besides, he intends to be present at a high-level working dinner on the behalf of the UN Secretary-General.The President of Ukraine asked the Polish side to support the reforming process in Ukraine

Andrzej Duda, the President of Poland, met with the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on the occasion of the UN Summit in New York, as Polskie Radio reports.

The President Poroshenko informed about the current situation in Ukraine and asked him (Duda, - ed.) to support the reforming process in Ukraine and thanked Duda for the words he said during the meeting with Trump  about Nord Stream 2, about the necessity to restore Ukraines sovereignty within the borders, Krzysztof Szczersk, the Head of the Presidential Cabinet, said.

Reportedly, The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko arrived o New York leading the official delegation to participate in the high-level general discussion of the 73rd UN General Assembly.

Poroshenko will meet the leaders of the Ukrainian community in the U.S. and the leaders of Jewish organizations in the country.

It is possible that Petro Poroshenko will meet with the U.S. President Donald Trump in the lobbies of the General Assembly.

In particular, the Ukrainian leader will participate in the reception on the behalf of the U.S. President. Besides, he intends to be present at a high-level working dinner on the behalf of the UN Secretary-General.Qatar wants to use Ukraine's experience in organizing Euro-2012 and Eurovision

Yesterday, Arsen Avakov, Ukraines Internal Minister, met with Hadi al-Hajri, Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Qatar to Ukraine. They discussed the share of experience in the public security field and preparation of police special units, as the press office of the Internal Ministry reports.

Ukraine and Qatar are interested in the cooperation within cybersecurity, and share of experience in methods and practices of preparation of police special units, the message says.

Moreover, the parties discussed the ratification of Qatars agreement on a mutual cancellation of the visa requirements, signed by the Governments of both of the states on Mach 20, 2018.

In May, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the agreement with Qatar and Antigua and Barbuda on visa cancellation.The political prisoner's health condition is tough; the Russian side still has not provided any medical assistance, - Lyudmyla Denisova

Ukrainian parliamentary ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova asked Red Cross doctors to visit and examine Ukrainian political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh. This is urgent, as his health conditions are worrisome, she said.

The official turned to the International Committee of the Red Cross, asking them to send the doctors and 'administer the qualified medical aid', as her Facebook post reads.

Denisova added that Balukh's current condition is 'extremely tough'. 'After physical violence was applied by the penitentiary facility, he suffered numerous injuries to his head, back, and liver. That considerably worsened his conditions', Denisova wrote.

According to her, the Russian side still has not provided Balukh with any medical assistance after that beating incident at the detention center in Simferopol.

Earlier, the deputy chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Ahtem Chyigoz, reported that Ukrainian political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh was beaten up and threatened to get killed. The incident occurred in the Simferopol remand center in the occupied Crimea, where Balukh is held now.Open source

The U.S. Federal Register is about to release the document, which introduces sanctions against twelve Russian companies, which act against the U.S. national interests. The paper, which contains 18 pages is to appear on the Federal Register's website on September 26. The restrictions are supposed to take effect on the same day.

The Russian enterprises that appeared on the list lose the legal access to U.S. goods and technologies; if anyone would like to sell the company from this list some goods of the U.S. origins, the U.S. Treasury of the State will not provide the license for supplies.

This, in fact, leads to the ban of supplying any goods or program products of the U.S. origin, which fall under the rules of export control in the United States of America. The rules ban re-exporting and passing Russia such goods; that is, all companies are obliged to obey these limitations - regardless the country, where the goods were sent from - as long the products originate from the U.S.The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry sent the relevant note to Russia on September 21

Russia received an official note from Ukraine on the non-extension of the Friendship Treaty, as Andriy Rudenko, the Director of CIS Second Department of Russian Foreign Ministry, TACC reports.

The Charge d'Affaires (on Ukraine) brought us a note on Monday, the diplomat said.

Earlier, the President Petro Poroshenko introduced the decision of NSDC on termination of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership with Russia.

As the presidents representative in the Verkhovna Rada Iryna Lutsenko noted, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine will inform Russia before September 30, and Poroshenko will introduce the bill to the parliament.

As it was reported earlier, the Ukraine-Russia Friendship Treaty of 1998 fixed the principle of strategic partnership, the recognition of the inviolability of existing borders, respect for territorial integrity and mutual commitment not to use its territory to harm the security of each other. The treaty automatically renews on each 10th anniversary of its signing, unless one party advises the other of its intention to end the treaty.

Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council approved the initiative of President Petro Poroshenko, who offered to discontinue the Treaty on Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation with the Russian Federation for ten years-long period.According to them, the Ukrainian was collecting data about the military objects situated on the territory of Kuban

Allegedly, the officer of the Security Service of Ukraine was detained in Krasnodar Krai and expelled from Russia for attempting to gather data on the situated military objects in the region. The press office of the Administration of the Federal Security Service in Kuban claimed this, Interfax reports.

Serhii Stefanenko, officer of SBU was detected on the territory of Krasnodar Krai, he was attempting to collect data on the situated military objects on the territory of Kuban, and was also watching the movement of military equipment and figuring out an information about the personnel of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, reads the message.

According to the Russian security service, the Ukrainian was there for further employment and residence.

Earlier, Tumgoev was detained twice - in Kyiv, before leaving for Kharkiv, and upon arrival in Kharkiv, where the court was to be held. When detained, he was charged with an expired certificate of an asylum seeker.

Tumgoev appealed to the migration service of Ukraine with a request for asylum, and a certificate is a document proving his identity. He was detained by the Ukrainian border service at Kharkiv airport in June 2016, where he arrived from Turkey. In July 2017, he was released from custody after the expiration of the extradition arrest.

The FSB of Russia suspects Tumgoev of participating in one of the radical groups in Syria. The General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine then decided to extradite Tumgoev. The European Court of Human Rights twice refused to suspend the extradition, but the UN Human Rights Committee obliged the Ukrainian authorities to suspend the extradition.The U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker assigned responsibility for the MH17 tragedy in Donbas to Russia, as Echo reports.

Russia is responsible for that as it intervened and occupied this part of Ukraine, Volker noted.

He said that the air defense system which shot down the plane, came from the Russian regular military unit. It was delivered from Russia to Ukraine, used to fire a missile, which shot down a civil plane, from the Ukrainian territory and then this system was returned to Russian military unit.

And the question on who exactly pushed the button, a Russian or Ukrainian, a Ukrainian from Donbas or n officer of Russias Armed Forces, is actually less important, than the fact the this Russian military equipment, transported to another sovereign state under Russias control, sued to launch a missile which killed all these civilians and then taken from Ukraine, Volker said.

Earlier, the Netherlands and Australia have officially blamed Russia for MH17 tragedy. In particular, after the investigators from the Netherlands found other proves that Russian Buk missile system shot down MH17 flight plane, determining a set of unique features of this particular system.The Ukrainian vessels should enter the compound that will be deployed in a new naval base of Ukraine's Navy created in Berdyansk

Ukrainian warship A500 Donbas and the sea tug A830 Korets aiming to Berdyansk arrived in Mariupol on September 24 as the Ukrainian military portal reported.

The rescue vessel Donbas and the sea tug Korets arrived in Mariupol as well as two small armored artillery boats R177 Kremenchuk and R178 Lubny, the message said.

"Donbass" and "Korets" on Thursday left the Odessa (Western) naval base and headed towards Crimea. Not far from the occupied Sevastopol were accompanied by the patrol ship of the Coast Guard of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation "Ametist", and subsequently another unidentified ship joined it.

Earlier Donbas and Korets entered the Kerch Strait controlled by the invaders. The ships passed the Crimean Bridge yesterday.

It is noted that the Ukrainian vessels should be included in the compound, which will 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.

Ship A500 "Donbas" was built at the Szczecin shipyard in Poland in 1969. The vessels of this enterprise were then considered to be the most enduring, actively used in combat campaigns since the early 1970s.



In the 2000s, the ship was converted into a control ship with the dismantling of the unused equipment of a floating repair shop. On March 20, 2014 the ship was captured by Russian invaders. On April 18, 2014 was transferred to Odesa.

Related video:It was snowing Pip Ivan Mountain in the Carpathians

On September 26, the first snow fell on Pip Ivan of the Chornohora range on the border with Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia regions, as it was reported on the Facebook page of Chornohora range search and rescue post.

It was snowing on Pip Ivan Mountain in the Carpathians. The temperature was 0C.

As at 7:20 am it is cloudy on Pip Ivan Mountain. The wind reaches 5-6 m/s. The temperature is 5C below zero, the rescuers note.

It should be mentioned that according to the forecast, it will be rainy in all of Ukraines regions, the temperature will be +17C.

Earlier, first snow fell in the Carpathians on October 8 last year.This will happen according to the state's strategy of the development of the road facilities

While visiting the section of the highway M-09 Ternopil  Lviv - Rava-Ruska, which is included in Go Highway corridor, Ukraines Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman stated that in five years Ukraine will have modern roads, as Government Portal reports.

Its a part of the implementation of our strategy  to connect all the regional centers of Ukraine in five years. I stress: Ukrainians have a right for riding good roads and they will have better roads, Groysman said.

He stated that Lviv and Ternopil were finally connected, Lviv  Ternopil with the Black Sea are next, and the Black Sea  with the western points and the EU.

According to the draft budget for 2019, $464,2 million are allocated for the development of the network and maintenance of the public roads.Also, the Defense Ministry of Russia accused the Defense Forces of Israel of lying

The official representative of Russias Defense Ministry Ihor Konashenkov claimed during the briefing on September 24 that Russia possesses the evidence of the guilt of the Israeli Air Force in the downing of the Russia IL-20 on September 17 in Syria as Interfax-Ukraine reported.

Todays data does not witness but proves that the blame for the tragedy with the Russian IL-20 lies with the Israeli Air Force and people who made the decision on such activity, Konashenkov claimed, presenting the supposed data from the indicators of the combat command facility of S-400 system that spotted the actions of the Israeli fighters and the flight of the missile of the Syrian S-200 complex.

He also accused the Defense Forces of Israel of lying.

All timid statements of the representatives of the Israeli military department on the supposed non-involvement of the Israeli side in the tragedy with the death of 15 Russian military men are lie, Konashenkov stated.

Earlier several airstrikes were launched at Syrian port Lattakia. Russian Defence Ministry informed that IL-20 with 14 military servicemen got lost. It supposed to have been back at the Russian base Humaimam, Syria.

Russia accused Israel of this incident as IL-20 was downed over the Mediterranean Sea by Syrian air defense system as Israeli F-16 fighter aircrafts hid behind the Russian aircraft. Moreover, Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned Harry Koren, the Israeli Ambassador, due to the crash of Russian IL-20 in Syria.

Reportedly, as a result of Russias airstrikes at Syrian province Idlib 13 people died. Later, Russia claimed to be continuing bombardments in Idlib, if necessary.

Related video:Ukraines representative in Minsk Talks said how the decision on the deployment of the peacekeeping mission implemented in reality

Yevhen Marchuk, the representative of Ukraine to the security subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk predicts that the UN peacekeepers can come to Donbas not earlier than in 10 months after the decision of the General Assembly as 112 Ukraine reported.

The UN does not possess the peacekeeping troops; they are formed for the particular task. Then  the group is sent to the territory for the examination of the situation  what the territory is, what is the situation. Such examination should answer the question about the number of the peacekeeping contingent, its functions. Of course, it cannot be such nonsense, protection of OSCE patrols, there was nothing like this ever in the history of the UN. Then they determine the level of the danger of the personnel, the term of rotation. Then the advance mission arrives and work out the budget. In parallel, the UN Secretariat works with the countries that can send the peacekeepers, Marchuk said.

Taking about the terms of the possible arrival of the peacekeepers in Donbas, he specified:

Even if this decision is adopted at this session, then the peacekeepers, according to my experience, can come to Ukraine in 10 months or a little bit later.

Earlier Kurt Volker, the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine named the countries that are ready to provide the peacekeepers to Donbas.

Also, adviser of the White House on national security issues John Bolton claimed that Russia's discussion of the issue of peacekeepers in Donbas is an indirect acknowledgment of involvement in the war against Ukraine.

Related video:He believes that there are countries from the West and CIS, which brings balance to the mission

Open source

A number of states are ready to provide assistance in bringing the UN peacekeepers to Donbas, as Kurt Volker, the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine, said, Echo reports.

Sweden, Finland, Austria, Belarus, Serbia and Turkey claimed that. I think its a good range of the countries, Volker said.

He specified that it was about not the entire territory of Ukraine, but about the conflict zone.

If we manage to achieve the withdrawal of the Russian troops from Ukraine, before Ukraine sends its troops to return the territory under its control, forces with UN mandate will come there. They will receive the control from Russia. They will establish security, they will provide security for the population, then we would take these political steps within the Minsk Agreements, Volker said.

Ukraine news on 112.internationalNot long ago this blog reported on the refusal - by both the US Copyright Office and the US Copyright Office Review Board - to register the UEFA Starball logo. This work was denied registration in both instances because it is not sufficiently original to sustain a claim for copyright.

Despite UEFA losing 0  2 to the Copyright Office, it did not give up. Living by the motto 'Get rich registered or die trying', it gathered strength and raised a final punch against the almighty powerful Office and attempted to obtain (yet another) registration of  nothing less than the actual UEFA Euro Trophy.

UEFA submitted that the Euro Trophy  as a silver-pedestaled vase with handles, long neck, and lip  would be deserving of copyright protection:





However, the Euro Trophy was initially denied registration in 2017. UEFA subsequently appealed the decision and added that the Euro Trophy is not a standard trophy vase due to its twisted handles. The Board disagreed on this point by reasoning that, regardless of the specific history of trophy vases, the overall shape of the trophy shares common design features with amphora, a standard shape in Greek and Etruscan pottery.

UEFA further added that registration would be supported by a number of decisions issued by the Office itself in relation to trophy registration. However, the Board considered that a comparison of the present object with previous decisions is not relevant. Each claim is in fact examined on its own merits.

The Review Boards assessment

The Review Board went on to consider whether the Euro Trophy might be eligible for registration by assessing the level of originality of the work.

Similar to the previous cases reported on this blog (see here and here ), the Office reiterated the legal framework pursuant to Section 102a of the US Copyright Act (USC). That section sets out that a work may be registered if it qualifies as an original work of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression. Following the US Supreme Court judgment in Feist Publications Inc v Rural Telephone Services (499 US 340 (1991)) , the term original entails two components: independent creation and sufficient creativity. This means that a work must have been independently created by the author and must possess sufficient creativity.

The Review Board then considered Sections 202.1(a) and 202.10(a) of the US Copyright Office Regulations which provide that:

[The US Copyright Office will prohibit registration of] words and short phrases such as names, titles, slogans; familiar symbols or designs [] To be acceptable as a pictorial, graphic, or sculptural work, the work must embody some creative authorship in its delineation or form.* "Most Popular Intellectual Property Law Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , November 2021.

* "Most Popular Copyright Blawg" of all time according to Justia rankings , November 2021.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.existing registered EU trade marks or registered Community designs held will continue to be valid in the remaining EU member states

protection of existing registered EU trade marks or registered Community designs in the UK will be through a new, equivalent UK right which will be granted with minimal administrative burden

EU trade marks or registered Community designs in the UK will be through a new, equivalent UK right which will be granted right holders will be notified that a new UK right has been granted. Any business, organisation or individual that may not want to receive a new comparable UK registered trade mark or design will be able to opt out

will be able to provision will be made regarding the status of legal disputes involving EU trade marks or registered Community designs which are ongoing before the UK courts and more information will be provided on this before the point at which the UK exits the EU

involving EU trade marks or registered Community designs and more information will be provided on this before the point at which the UK exits the EU applicants with a pending application for an EU trade mark or a registered Community design at the point of exit will be able to refile, within nine months from the date of exit, under the same terms for a UK equivalent right, retaining the EU application date for priority purposes

for an EU trade mark or a registered Community design at the point of exit will be able to from the date of exit, under the same terms for a UK equivalent right, retaining the EU application date for priority purposes applicants with pending applications for an EU trade mark or a registered Community design will not be notified and after exit will need to consider whether they refile with the Intellectual Property Office to obtain protection in the UK

for an EU trade mark or a registered Community design will not be notified and after exit will need to consider whether they refile with the Intellectual Property Office to obtain protection in the UK new applications will be eligible to be filed in the UK for UK trade marks and registered designs as they are now, and at the cost specified in the UK fee structure

UK applicants, like EU and third country applicants, will continue to be able to apply for protection in the EU through an EU trade mark or registered Community design as they do currently

existing unregistered Community designs will continue to be valid in the remaining EU member states

protection of existing unregistered Community designs in the UK will be provided for with no action required by the right holder

by the right holder provision will be made regarding the status of legal disputes involving unregistered Community designs which are ongoing before UK courts

This should reassure people in the fashion industry. However, businesses are likely going to have to become more sophisticated at ensuring simultaneous first disclosure in both the UK and EU post Brexit in order to ensure that they have both EU and UK unregistered Community designs.





Correspondence addresses





As the UK IPO notes, UK right holders generally have a UK address for service, and some EEA business, organisations or individuals may also have a UK address for service.

Legal professional privilege is given to communications between registered intellectual property representatives and their clients. This means that in legal proceedings in the UK, for example, such communications are considered confidential and will not, generally, be shared with those on the other side of the dispute. This privilege is provided for in the UKs intellectual property legislation.

For trade marks and designs, legal professional privilege is given to trade mark attorneys registered in the UK. It extends to those intellectual property representatives who are not based in the UK but are on the list of representatives for the EU Intellectual Property Office for trade marks and designs. This list reflects the EEA geographical area.

The government does not anticipate any immediate immediate implications for UK, EU or third country businesses. The current rules will remain in place at the point the UK exits the EU.

There will be no changes to the UK address for service and privilege rules.

The notice explicitly does not covers issues such as: the rights of UK businesses, organisations and representatives to represent themselves, and on their choice of representatives in relation to EU trade marks and registered Community designs.

legal professional representation and address for service requirements relating to intellectual property rights protected at the national level in individual European Economic Area (EEA) states. What does this all mean?



On the face of it, the guidance note presents a fairly simple solution. In practice there are some known unknowns and no doubt a few unknown (or unconsidered) unknowns. For example, the litigation quandary appears to be too vast for this guidance note.

Whatever the case, given that the official figures for 2017 showed over 1.7 million EU trade marks and registered Community designs and over 200,000 IR's which designate the EU, there is going to be a lot of virtual paperwork even if computers are responsible for the majority of the grunt work.

The UK government guidance on a no deal scenario also considers the situation for trade marks and designs . To save readers' paws the trouble of clicking through, the abbreviated text for each section is below together with some gratuitous use of bold and initial thoughts on what this could mean.As they are unitary rights, the EU trade mark and registered Community designs are the most harmonised areas of IP law but in some respects, they offer the simplest solutions., including with the World Intellectual Property Organisation, tin the UK from exit day onwards of registered trade marks and registered designs filedNB With registered Community designs there is a possibility that the refiling will be outside the one year grace period from first public disclosure. As the refiled design will be treated as having the same application date as the Community design this should avoid any issues regarding lack of novelty or individual character. In practice, Community designs tend to be granted very quickly so the number of pending applications is not that high.The major upshot of this is a lot of new trade marks and designs being added to the UK register without (from the sounds of it) any examination by the UK IPO. Questions such as when the non-use period will run from (i.e. the date of being added to the UK register or the date they would apply in the EU) will be important in any invalidity action.UK, EU and third country designers will be provided with continued protection for those designs first disclosed in EU27 member states and already protected by an unregistered Community design right at the point that the UK exits the EU. Through the, designs which areafter the UK exits the EU will be protected in the UK under the current terms of the unregistered Community design.From that point:"In an international context where nationalist speeches resurface which promote economic and trade protectionism, discrimination, as well as xenophobia I deemed necessary to reaffirm Peru's commitment to multilateralism and the principles of the United Nations Charter ," the Head of State expressed.

Moreover, the leader confirmed the Inca country's compromise with free trade . He went on to highlight it has enabled the nation to create wealth, reduce poverty, and move forward towards sustainable development.That would be several stories in both the New York Times and the Washington Post over the last two days: Trumps policy against Iran is a great success and it is completely reasonable and justified. This reporting and columnizing has followed three tracks.

One was in a column yesterday in WaPo from Mark Thiessen of AEI, generally pro-Trump. His column was about how Trump in general doing well on foreign policy, although with no mention of the trade war. He did not spend much time on Iran, but it is a success, so obviously so it does not need much discussion. He fulfilled a campaign promise and showed he is strong, and of course it is so justified he did not waste time defending it. However, he made no comment on how Iran has responded to this supposedly gloriously successful policy, and in fact Iran has basically done nothing.

Anouher thrust in both papers have been reports of the release of the State Departments annual report on terrorism. As in past years the report again without question names Iran as the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism, something that Trump and politicians of both parties have regularly repeated without a shred of embarrassment. Juan Cole points out several problems here. For starters, there is not a single terrorist act that happened last year (this report covers 2017) that can be blamed on Iran or any of the groups it supposedly supports. The single piece of evidence on Irans supposed terrorist threat to the US is that in February two supposed Hezbullah operatives were arrested in Michigan. There is not even a claim that these operatives were even planning a terrorist act, much less actually carried out one. As Cole notes, Hezbullah is the dominant force in the Lebanese government, and it is well over a decade since anybody has tied that organization to an actual terrorist act. As it is, Cole notes that the report notes a 23% decline in terrorist acts from 2016 to 2017, with most of that due to a reduction of acts by ISIS in Iraq especially. Who helped shut down ISIS in Iraq? Iran-supported gropus, but the report fails to note that, just as it fails to note ongong Saudi support for terrorist actions.The crew, hailing from Pakistan, claim they've gone unpaid for a long time, and don't want to be forced to return to what some may call economic slavery onboard the Maysora.

This isn't the first time concerns have been raised about the welfare of workers on live export ships. Dr Lynn Simpson, who worked as the onboard vet for some 57 live export voyages, tending the best she could to the health needs of animals and humans alike, personally witnessed how crew members were forced to work in conditions that would scar most of us, mentally and physically, for life.

When you see the work they [the deck crew] have to do you soon realise how much a Westerner would demand for it  and then likely quit ASAP. Dr Lynn Simpson

Foreign crew members, like the 19 who walked off the Maysora, have had to clean up after Australia's live export industry for years. In a series of damning articles, Dr Lynn Simpson describes how daily life for the deck crew on live export ships often includes sleeping on 40C+ decks to try and catch a breeze (compared to the predominantly Western officers in their air-conditioned cabins); scooping up dead and decomposing animals with their bare hands; and running the risk of contracting potentially deadly diseases.

A live export ship is no place for people, or animals. Many animals have fought to the bitter end to escape their cruel fate  fleeing from ships and docks at the first opportunity. Sadly, most die in the attempt, or are recaptured and put straight back onboard. But one little Aussie sheep, who was exported live to Israel, beat the odds...

Sahar, as he came to be known, leapt for freedom into the ocean at the Port of Eliat in Israel. But his trials weren't over. Struggling to keep his head afloat, he would surely have drowned if not for the compassionate actions of a 14-year-old-boy, who jumped into the water to hold Sahar afloat and raise the alarm.

Our thought was that the sheep deserved freedom Sahar's rescuers

All animals deserve freedom, and no-one  animal or person  should ever be subjected to the inescapable suffering at the heart of live export.

Help save both sheep and crew from being exploited by this cruel industry. Make sure your MP knows that it's time to end Australia's live export trade, once and for all.

Take action now YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Within the framework of a working visit to New York City, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has visited the Armenia! exhibition at the New York Met together with Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. The PM viewed the exhibitions, encompassing the very best of Armenian arts and culture spanning from the 4th to 17th centuries.

In his remarks, the PM noted that 2018 is a symbolic year, a year when the Armenian-American cultural ties have significantly strengthened.

This year, Armenian culture is presented in the United States of America in an unprecedented way, bringing Armenias cultural and civilization legacy closer to our American friends. This year marks the 400th anniversary of Armenian presence on American soil. In 1618, the first Armenian [in North America], named Martin, reached the shores of Virginia and settled in Jamestown. Since that day, the presence of our countrymen on this soil has not been disrupted, as well as their contribution in the culture of their new homeland. This year more earlier Armenian culture, customs and traditions, were displayed in Washington, in the heart of the US capital, in National Mall, within the framework of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. It enabled us the unprecedented chance to present the Armenian culture with its unique diversity to the American society, as well as thousands of tourists who arrived from different parts of the world. Few weeks ago our two peoples together celebrated the 110th anniversary [of birth] of Pulitzer-winning novelist William Saroyan. To mark Saroyans legacy, which is valuable for our two peoples, the Saroyan museum was opened in the city of Fresno in Saroyans native California. As the culmination of this unprecedented eventful cultural year for Armenia in the United States, now I have the honor and personal privilege to witness the opening of this unique exhibition, in many ways an exclusive exhibition, the PM said, adding that the exhibition presents the Armenian integrated culture, also as a representative of western culture and Christian civilization.

Thanks to this remarkable initiative tens of thousands of visitors of the Metropolitan Museum will get acquainted with the historical and cultural legacy of our nation, which was first to adopt Christianity as a state religion, the PM added.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. US President Donald Trump on Monday held a meeting with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, to discuss the situation in Syria, Iran and promoting free trade between the US and the European Union (EU).

The two leaders discussed a wide range of international issues, including the situation in Syria, countering threats posed by Iran, and promoting fair terms of trade between the United States and the European Union, the White House said in a readout of the meeting.

They also discussed Trumps plan to visit Paris in November and attend the Armistice Day centenary commemoration.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to closely coordinate to address global challenges, the White House said. Earlier in the day, Trump said France is doing very well.

We are doing very well. Very importantly, we are doing very well together. We have a lot of trade and we are discussing trade. We will be discussing it today, he said. We will be discussing military and defense. Terrorism is a big subject that we are always talking about. That is why we are here tonight, I think maybe more so than almost anything. And trade, Trump said.

Expressing his deepest condolences for Hurricane Florence, Macron said the French people feel very close to the American people, especially the Carolinas.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. US President Donald J. Trump met on September 24 with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea in New York.

President Moon shared with President Trump the outcomes of the September 2018 inter-Korean summit, which included Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Uns reiteration of his commitment to complete denuclearization, the White House said in the readout of the meeting.

President Trump commended President Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with Chairman Kim, and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea. The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining vigorous enforcement of existing sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that denuclearization is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Both leaders also discussed plans for a second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim in the not too distant future and committed to closely coordinate on next steps.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. International news media have weighed in on the Yerevan City Council election.

Reuters noted that a famous actor has been elected Mayor of the Armenian capital.

The My Step Alliance, which includes Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans Civil Contract Party, won 81.05 percent of the vote, Reuters said, quoting the central electoral commission of Armenia.

The election was held to replace Taron Margaryan, an influential member of the former ruling Republican Party, who resigned as mayor in July, two months after his party was ousted from national power, Reuters said. Former opposition leader Pashinyan became prime minister in May after the Republicans were toppled following weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism. Several street protests were later held to demand the resignation of Margaryan, the mayor, added Reuters, noting that the Republican Party of Armenia, the HHK, did not run for office at the Sunday election.

France 24 has also addressed the Yerevan election, noting that Armenias reformist PM gets boost in local polls.

Armenia's new reformist prime minister on Monday won a landslide victory in municipal elections in the capital Yerevan, seen as a vote of confidence after protests brought him to power this year, France24 wrote.

According to France24, the Yerevan elections were the major first test for Nikol Pashinyan's reformist drive after mass anti-government protests ousted veteran leader Serzh Sarkisian and propelled the 43-year-old to power in May.

The results mean that Pashinyan's ally Hayk Marutyan, a 41-year-old former actor and comedian who also supported the mass protests, becomes Yerevan mayor.

France 24 mentioned that the allies of the former leader of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan still constitute majority in parliament and that Pashinyan needs the peoples support to call snap elections.

Eurasianet reported the elections by writing Yerevan gives a vote of confidence in Pashinyan.

The vote was the first since Pashinyan came to power this spring vowing to reform Armenia's traditionally corrupt elections, and the results appeared to be both fair and to represent a significant vote of confidence in Pashinyan's rule so far, it said.

The My Step bloc has won a landslide victory in the Yerevan City Council elections Sunday, according to preliminary data. My Steps candidate for Yerevan Mayor is Hayk Marutyan.

Preliminary counts of all precincts shows a massive 81,06% victory for My Step. 294,109 people voted for the alliance.

The Prosperous Armenia Party is the runner-up with only 6,95%, or 25,219 votes.

Luys (Light) bloc won 4,99%, or 18,112 votes.

The ARF garnered only 5882 votes (1,61%).

848,343 people were eligible to vote in the election, but the turnout was a bit over 360,000.

Bloc, party Popular vote Percentage Prosperous Armenia Party 25219 6,95 Yerevan Public bloc 2502 0,69 Yerevantsis bloc 2985 0,82 Yerkir Tsirani party 5059 1,39 Heritage party 2709 0,75 Democratic Way party 799 0,22 My Step bloc 294109 81,06 Luys bloc 18112 4,99 ARF party 5882 1,62 Hayk party 692 0,19 Reformists party 792 0,22 Rule of Law party 3948 1,09

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Dunja Mijatovic, the Comissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, has written an article on her recent visit to Armenia, the Council of Europe reported on its official website.

Armenias peaceful transfer of power in May 2018 has been truly remarkable. However, popular expectations are high that there will be tangible improvements to peoples lives, and the government should devote its attention to upholding the long-neglected rights of those who are most vulnerable, said Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, concluding a visit to Armenia from 15 to 20 September which focused on womens rights, gender equality and domestic violence, the human rights of various disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, as well as questions related to accountability for past human rights violations.

The Commissioner devoted attention to the rights of women and their political participation: Womens participation in Armenias public life should be more effectively promoted  especially, at the highest levels of decision-making and at the local level, where it is particularly low. Temporary special measures, such as mandatory quotas, can be helpful in levelling the playing field for women and men, and the Commissioner recommends that concrete and ambitious targets for womens participation be pursued, including for local elections. The authorities should also do more to encourage women and girls to become actively engaged in political life, to promote role models and champions  both male and female - of womens equality, and to foster a gender-equal education environment free from discriminatory stereotypes, said Commissioner Mijatovic.

On the issue of equality in employment, the Commissioner considers that Armenia should take decisive steps to ensure equal pay and equal access to the labour market for women by combating the high gender pay gap and abolishing the list of professions declared hazardous for women. Armenia should also facilitate womens return to work from maternity leave and boost the activities of the Council on Ensuring Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men under the Prime Minister.

The Commissioner welcomed the adoption of the Law on prevention of violence within the family, protection of victims of violence within the family and restoration of peace in the family in December 2017, followed by the signature of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. As Armenia moves towards the ratification of that Convention, it should look beyond standard-setting and make sure that the new national legislation is effectively applied as soon as it fully enters into force in January 2019, said the Commissioner, pointing out the need for further capacity-building and raising awareness of law enforcement officers, investigators, social workers, and members of the judiciary so that they are better equipped to ensure the protection of people affected by domestic violence and prevent re-victimisation.

The Commissioner visited the only shelter for victims of domestic violence in the entire country, which was currently providing accommodation and care for five women with children, a situation that clearly falls far short of meeting existing needs. I was glad to hear that the government intends to open new shelters in 2019. I think it is important that they exist not only in Yerevan, but also in other regions and in remote areas, Commissioner Mijatovic said, while urging the Armenian authorities to pay close attention to ensuring the right to education of children staying in such shelters.

On the rights of persons with disabilities, Commissioner Mijatovic welcomes Armenias efforts towards de-institutionalisation. However, she stresses that the legal framework governing state support to persons with disabilities should be revised. Armenia should put an end to plenary guardianship for persons with psycho-social disabilities. It should move towards introducing a regime for supported decision-making for such persons. Their confinement to large state institutions is absolutely not the right path, said the Commissioner. She found the small care home in Spitak to provide a more conducive environment for the residents individual empowerment and self-reliance.

On inclusive education for children with disabilities, the Commissioner commends the governments firm commitment to make all education inclusive by 2025 and calls on it to persist in its efforts to achieve this goal. She recommends that special attention is paid to ensuring inclusive education at the pre-school (kindergarten) level and to applying de-institutionalisation equally to children with and without disabilities.

During a visit to the Nork childrens care home in Yerevan, the Commissioner was gratified to observe the quality of care and dedication of its staff, but was concerned by the presence of many children  both with and without disabilities  who have been either temporarily confined or outright abandoned by their parents, often on grounds of indigence. All children have the right to grow up in a family and neither disability nor poverty should justify their placement in institutions, the Commissioner said, adding that the government should  first and foremost - allocate sufficient resources for community support to biological parents resuming care over their children, and continue in parallel to promote foster care. In addition, by ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (the Lanzarote Convention) which it signed in 2010, Armenia would ensure adequate protection of children from all forms of sexual exploitation.

Regrettably, the Commissioner found the level of social protection of older persons in Armenia to be largely inadequate. I encourage the Armenian authorities to ensure older persons dignified life and welfare through a comprehensive strategy, which should give priority to increasing old age benefits and upholding older persons right to life in the community and to affordable healthcare, including for those who choose to live in nursing homes, Commissioner Mijatovic said.

To ensure that no-one is discriminated in any domain of public and private life in Armenia, the authorities should promptly adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, she said.

Regarding the legacy of the violent events of March 2008, the Commissioner welcomes the steps taken by Armenia to finally establish responsibility for the ten deaths that occurred at that time and close this painful chapter of the countrys recent history. However, she stresses that this should be done carefully and in strict adherence to the principles of rule of law, judicial independence, transparency and guarantees of fair trial, in order to dispel any accusations of alleged revenge politics or selective justice.

As Armenia traverses this period of important transition, I encourage all politicians and opinion leaders to contribute to building a cohesive society and exercise special care to avoid using polarising, stigmatising or inflammatory language in their public discourse, the Commissioner concluded.YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov and his delegation comprising MP Tigran Urikhanyan and MP Tachat Vardapetyan had a meeting September 24 with the leadership of the upper house of parliament of Belarus in Minsk.

During the meeting the sides discussed issues related to deepening and expanding the relations of the two countries which are based on mutual understanding and traditional friendship. In this context the sides addressed the activation of the interparliamentary cooperation and attached importance to the work in the format of the interparliamentary commission.

Speaking about the partnership of member states within the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Sharmazanov noted that the EEU has enabled new opportunities for developing relations and carrying out various programs.

Joining the EEU is in the interest of our states. We must use the EEU market opportunities more effectively, he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The 11:39 article published by ARMENPRESS titled Former executive director of Hayastan Fund indicted for misconduct, fraud has been retracted.

The article contained errors due to a misunderstanding not depending on editorial actions.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. An explosion has killed one person in the St. Gregory the Illuminator Medical Center in Yerevan, police told ARMENPRESS.

Police units have been dispatched to the scene.

No other details were available at the moment but preliminary reports do not suggest foul play.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The Eurasian Womens Forum, attended by PM Nikol Pashinyans wife Anna Hakobyan, has ended in St. Petersburg.

Mrs. Hakobyan was interviewed by Mir 24 TV on the forum, issues of concern to women, raising children and much more.

We met today within the framework of the Eurasian Womens Forum. What issues are of concern for women today, and overall what do women talk about when they meet?

This forum actually encompassed a broad circle of issues, which have important significance not only for women but generally for the whole world, because these issues relate to both men, seniors, and especially children. This isnt solely a womens forum. It has a global agenda.

All issues which are discussed within the framework of the forum, ranging from global security, conflict settlement up to overcoming poverty and gender equality issues. All these issues are pushed to the foreground today and are of concern to the society. The forum really enables a good chance to exchange views over all these issues.

What issues do Armenian women face and to what extent are the gender issues in employment big?

These issues exist in Armenia like in many post-Soviet countries. Armenian women face both employment and violence issues, but NGOs have begun to actively deal with this issue in the last years and from this perspective significant changes are already obvious.

Your husband, Nikol Pashinyan, was elected Prime Minister on May 8th. How has your life changed since that day?

Generally speaking there were no great changes, our lives changed more in a technical sense. I mean the great responsibility which my husband has taken not only on his shoulders since his election day, but also on my shoulders and my familys shoulders.

Do you like this new status?

I think there is no issue here of liking or not liking. I view this as a responsibility and I think that this is my duty which I must definitely fulfill for my country and people.

Under Armenian law, who is considered First Lady, you or the presidents wife? Or both of you?

It is very surprising that not only do Armenian reporters ask this question but also foreign reporters. I think it doesnt matter who is considered to be First Lady. What matters is for everyone to be in their place and to be useful for the country and the people in the limits of possibilities.

You are always in the focus of reporters. Everyone is focusing on how you dress and your behavior in public locations. Did you have to change something in your lifestyle?

Yes, indeed there is this kind of a necessity. My title allows me to pay great attention to my looks now, and I am doing everything to comply with this status.

They say that the man is the head of the family, while the woman is the neck. Do you give advices to your husband? And does the Prime Minister consult with you?

This is also from the range of questions which I am often asked in Armenia, because I firmly believe that wives of politicians shouldnt give advices to their husbands. I simply want to understand where these stereotypes come from, that [allegedly] wives of politicians participate in their husbands activities. I suppose there have been similar examples in history, but I think it more resembles a situation when the husband is engaged in quantum physics, is a scientist, and will never ask any advice from his wife. I firmly believe that being a politician is a very serious profession, and one should have great experience for giving advices.

Have you thought of leaving journalism after your change in status?

Yes I have, but the current state of journalism in Armenia forces me to remain in office as editor-in-chief of the newspaper.

As a journalist, do you have a preferred topic and why?

Yes, there are such topics which I have covered. It is certainly politics. I chose journalism not only because I like politics but because there was a time when I very much liked writing.

You have three daughters and one son. How do you manage to find time for the family? Does someone help you in raising the children?

In my interviews I also like to say that the job of an editor-in-chief is so hard and time consuming that after work no other activity takes so much energy from me. When I used to work as a correspondent, then editor, I was having children and during that period it was my mother who helped me a lot. And now, when my children are already older, they are the ones who can help me in several issues.

What do you think is best for raising children? Being strict? Discipline or simply leaving the kids free to do whatever they want?

There is certainly no complete freedom, but my approach in upbringing is the following: One must talk with children a lot about various issues, give answers and solve all issues. I think it is the right thing to give the chance of decision-making to the kids in order for them to be responsible for their actions and decisions.

Do boys and girls require different upbringing?

Naturally, it comes from the nature that women and men are different in their nature and require different approaches in upbringing. I believe that the upbringing issue of children of different genders shouldnt be placed on the same level.

You have launched the My Step charity foundation, a platform where issues can be solved, issues to which the government hasnt yet been able to focus on due to certain reasons. What steps have already been taken and what future plans do you have?

I had announced in July about the election of a director of the foundation, and it was with great difficulty that we made a decision. The foundation will commence work from October, we have massive projects now, which I will speak about soon most probably. Our work is divided into four fields  education, healthcare, social sector and culture. Soon we are planning to launch a major project and we want there to be no children left without care in Armenias orphanages. This is an ambitious program, but we will do our best to succeed.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. One person has been killed and another was injured in the explosion which took place in the St. Gregory the Illuminator Medical Center in Yerevan today, the healthcare ministry said.

The injured suffered minor wounds, the ministry said.

According to unconfirmed reports, the explosion was caused by a faulty oxygen tank, and the victim is a maintenance staff employee.

No foul play is indicated, according to preliminary reports.

According to the healthcare ministry, the hospital has its own oxygen tank assembly plant. But this particular tank that exploded originated from another location.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Artsakh has issued a special report on anti-Armenian sentiment in Azerbaijan: Organized Hate Speech and Hostility Against Armenians.

Ombudsman Ruben Melikyan told a news conference today in Artsakh that the report comprehensively presents the incidents related to Armenophobia, or Anti-Armenian Sentiment.

This report is unique by the fact that it presents anti-Armenian sentiment examples in the legal context. This is an issue relating exclusively to human rights, we have presented legal assessments addressing the issues from the perspectives of international law, conventions and precedents. Our main goal is to present the issues of anti-Armenian sentiment to the international community, Melikyan said.

Executive director of the Tufenkian Charitable Foundation Raffi Dudaklyan noted that the facts prove that Armenophobia is organized in Azerbaijan, it doesnt have a one-day or one-month manifestation, it is continuous is nature.

There are times when this issue [Armenophobia] escalates, sometimes it de-escalates, but it keeps on getting implemented in a constant way, he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Turkish-born American lobbyist Kevin (Kemal) Oksuz, the man who was arrested in Armenia in pursuance of an international arrest warrant issued by the United States, has been charged in an indictment unsealed September 24 for his role in a scheme to conceal the fact that a 2013 Congressional trip to Azerbaijan was funded by the Azerbaijan government, the US Department of Justice said in a press release.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBIs Washington Field Office made the announcement.

Kemal Oksuz, aka Kevin Oksuz, 48, previously a resident of Arlington, Virginia, allegedly lied on disclosure forms filed with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics prior to, and following, a privately sponsored Congressional trip to Azerbaijan. According to the indictment, Oksuz allegedly falsely represented and certified on required disclosure forms that the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasions (TCAE), the Houston non-profit for which Oksuz was president, had not accepted funding for the Congressional trip from any outside sources. According to the charges, Oksuz in truth orchestrated a scheme to funnel money to fund the trip from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), the wholly state-owned national oil and gas company of Azerbaijan, and allegedly concealed the true source of funding, which is alleged to violate House travel regulations.

The five-count indictment was returned earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and ordered unsealed today. It charges Oksuz with one count of devising a scheme to falsify, conceal, and cover up material facts from the Ethics Committee and four counts of making false statements to Congress.

Oksuz is considered a fugitive. A warrant for his arrest was issued earlier this year and remains outstanding, the Department of Justice said.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Marco Palmieri of the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Misler of the District of Columbia.

After being arrested in Yerevan, Oksuz has appeared under investigation of Armenian law enforcement agencies in suspicion of tax evasion.

Read more on the story:

Yerevan Police catch huge fish: Kemal Oksuzs controversial past raises eyebrows

Kemal Oksuz case, part 2: Top level anti-Armenian Gulenist lobbyist tied to infamous Azerbaijani Laundromat case

Oksuz case, PART 3: Arrested Turkish mystery-man under investigation by Armenian law enforcement for tax evasion involving Yerevan-based business

United States requests Armenia to extradite Kevin Oksuz



Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. According to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans chief advisor Arsen Gasparyan, Artsakhs participation in the negotiations for the peaceful settlement of the NK conflict is the most effective path.

Artsakh must participate in the negotiations because a state system has already been developed there for nearly three decades, which is capable to speak on its own behalf. The opinions of all parties in any issue should be taken into consideration, Gasparyan said during a Yerevan-Moscow-Astana-Minsk video conference at the Sputnik Armenia international multimedia center.

Gasparyan noted that in the 90s Artsakh was an individual party in these negotiations, and according to him this is was the most effective option when the sides couldve reached any decision.

Edited and translated by Stepan KocharyanYEREVAN, 25 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 25 September, USD exchange rate is down by 0.61 drams to 481.66 drams. EUR exchange rate is down by 1.01 drams to 566.62 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is up by 0.01 drams to 7.32 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 0.74 drams to 633.53 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price is up by 39.21 drams to 18625.46 drams. Silver price is down by 0.51 drams to 221.68 drams. Platinum price is down by 0.78 drams to 12853.15 drams.YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The State Revenue Committee (SRC) and the Police of Armenia have revealed smuggling attempt of a large amount of drugs. An Iranian citizen tried to export drug-made sculptures to Australia, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the SRC.

4 sculptures depicting a womans face made of drugs (methamphetamine) of a total of 13.7 kg were exposed at the customs control. The law enforcement bodies revealed that that the smuggler is an Iranian citizen who had an Armenian accomplice.

A criminal case has been initiated.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan received on September 25 the delegation of the "Tufenkian" charitable foundation that has arrived in Artsakh within the frameworks of marking the 15th anniversary of the foundation's activity in the republic.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of Artsakh Presidents Office, the meeting addressed issues related to the programs being implemented and envisaged in Artsakh.

President Sahakyan rated high the activities of the "Tufenkian" foundation in Artsakh which has carried out various important programs and voiced hope that the foundation would continue its patriotic mission in our republic with the same enthusiasm.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The delegation led by Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ara Babloyan met with Vice President of the Swiss Confederation Uli Mours in Bern on September 25.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, thanking for the warm reception, the Speaker referred to the Armenian-Swiss interstate relations, noting that they have developed more actively during the last decade. In this context the head of the legislative emphasized with satisfaction the close cooperation between the two states also on the parliamentary level and highlighted the contribution of the parliamentary friendship groups to the development of bilateral ties.

According to Babloyan, the scope of Armenian-Swiss cooperation is quite large  trade ties, effective cooperation in the sidelines of assistance programs, training and educational programs.

Referring to regional integration processes, the Speaker noted that Armenia can serve as a bridge between the European and Eurasian markets and can also be attractive for Swiss investors for its customs free access to the Eurasian market.

Vice President of the Swiss Confederation Uli Mours noted the friendship between the peoples of the two countries has firm basis.

During the meeting the sides talked about the activities of Switzerland-Armenia commerce chamber, activation of bilateral economic relations, expansion of cooperation in tourism, culture and a number of other spheres.

At the end of the meeting the sides expressed readiness to further deepen the existing mutually beneficial cooperation.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan attended the reception of the delegations of Heads of State delivered on behalf of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on September 25.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the official website of the prime Minister of Armenia, afterwards, Pashinyan attended the opening of the general discussions of the UN General Assembly 73th session, during which UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and US President Donald Trump gave speeches.

The Armenian PM is expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings with the leaders of different countries and organizations. Later, Pashinyan is expected to give a speech at the General Assembly.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian law enforcement bodies have dropped the criminal case initiated against a Turkish citizen for illegally crossing the Armenian-Turkish border on humanitarian grounds, the press service of MFA Armenia informed, responding to the inquiry of ARMENPRESS if there is any information over Umut Ali Ozmen, a 16-year old Turkish trespasser. The boys father, Mustafa Ozmen, is in Armenia and told a news outlet that his son has been released.

We have informed the Turkish side about the above-mentioned through diplomatic channels. Immediately after receiving relevant response Umut Ali Ozmens return to Turkey will be organized, the MFA said.

The father of 16-year-old Umut Ali Ozmen, the Turkish boy who had crossed the Armenian-Turkish border on July 24, appealed to the Government of Armenia and the Prime Minister with a request to return his son on September 20.

In an interview to Armenias Public TV, the boys father Mustafa said that his son had crossed the border accidentally.

My son had no intention to cross the border. He has no friends here, since we are in a field, in a village, he was feeding the livestock with his mother, and there is no border demarcation line in that area. And he didnt understand that he had crossed the Armenian border. He was just curious on what is there across, and he walked up the hill to look from above, Mustafa said.

Russian border guards had arrested the 16 year old shepherd on July 24. The boy is still in Armenia.

The Turkish villager is appealing to the Government of Armenia with a request to return his son.

I am begging the government of Armenia and the countrys leader to release my child as soon as possible, to return him to his family in Turkey, so he returns to his usual life as soon as possible: school, college. His mother is begging to help return our boy. She is in a very bad health condition from this anxious state, Mustafa said. He said that it is their dream to return the boy home.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanYEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 25, ARMENPRESS. The Special Investigation Service of Armenia has pressed charges against former commander of Police internal troops of Armenia, Lieutenant- General Levon Yeranosyan, his lawyer Tigran Safaryan told ARMENPRESS.

This evening the Special Investigation Service pressed charges against former commander of Police internal troops of Armenia, Lieutenant- General Levon Yeranosyan according to Part 1 and 2 of Article 309 of the Criminal Code (abuse of official powers),Safaryan said.

According to him, Yeransoyan has denied giving testimony and denies the accusations.

Earlier, signature on not leaving the country had been chosen as a preventive measure for Yeranosyan.

Yeranosyan was invited to the Special Investigation Service for using special measures during April 16 and 22 on Baghramyan Avenue and Artsakh Street respectively.

Edited and translated by Tigran SirekanyanOn Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison shot down Labors plans to publicly release pay gap data in Australian companies of over 1000 staff, citing the creation of tensions and conflict in the workplace.

Youve got to think through this as to how that will play out on the actual ground; what will that mean? Will people in companies, when they look at each side of each other, from desk to desk, go: Did I not get a pay rise, because you got one? the Prime Minister said on Sunday.

Also read: Why the PM doesnt want pay gap data made public

But a number of experts on the gender pay gap have expressed that reporting on the numbers would be a step towards gender pay equality, not backwards.

Women have been asked to be polite for too long, says USYD academic

University of Sydney senior lecturer and researcher into women in the workforce Elizabeth Hill told Yahoo Finance that the response the Prime Minister offered to Labors proposals was a very poor reason not to release the data on the pay gap, pointing out that this was in relation to companies with over a thousand employees.

Transparency is everything, she said, adding that politicians and industry leaders needed to match their goodwill with their actions. Transparency and reporting  public reporting of the pay data  is a really positive step.

She said that the women of Australia had been asked to be polite for too long.

Times up and its time for industry, for managers, to be transparent about what theyre paying men and women.

Also read: The workplace benefit Aussies want most from their job

This has every chance of really putting industry on notice and to stop the sustained practice of paying men and women who are often doing very similar roles for different rates of pay.

Tension is good

And what of Morrisons concerns of added tension in the workplace? Thats good, Hill said.

Already theres a bit of tension, she argued. Women already know men are being paid more than them  not always, but often.

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The secrecy is one problem.

Also read: Underwhelming fund performances hitting investors hard

[Removing this is] not going to solve the gender pay gap, but it is an important move towards making a real dent in the gender pay gap to the extent that its informed by the requirement that employees dont share their pay data with one another.

Whats [Prime Minister Scott Morrison] afraid of? she asked. Why would we be afraid of taking action that is going to partly reform [the gender pay gap]?

Its not the whole solution, but part of the solution.

WGEA: Transparency will inspire action

A spokesperson for the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) told Yahoo Finance that no single mechanism on its own would narrow the gender pay gap, but indicated that heightened transparency would have a positive impact.

Research shows that examining and reporting on workplace gender pay gaps can prompt employers to take action to address pay gaps within their organisations.

Also read: Australia is dropping the ball on social progress

Pointing to findings from the 2018 Gender Equity Insights Report, the spokesperson said: Actions to correct gender pay gaps are three times more effective when combined with reporting pay gap data to their executive or board.

These organisations saw an average reduction of 3.3 percentage points in their organisation-wide gender pay gap in one year.

WGEA already receives information about pay gap data from big companies. Under a Labor government, they would be required to publish this data.

Tension is possible, but the benefits outweigh the detriments: UniSA academic

University of South Australia senior lecturer and gender pay gap expert Yoshio Yanadori said Morrisons stance of tension in the workplace was possible.

The argument is possible, especially if the pay information about how much is paid to each employee is shared among employees. Im sure employees compare their pay with colleagues, he told Yahoo Finance.

Also read: The 10 factors that got women CEOs to the top

And that creates, probably, a type of tension, and employees may feel theyre competing against their colleagues. Thats possible.

But  my view is, given the seriousness of the gender pay gap and [that it] has not been resolved in more than 20 years, I think taking action such as [making] pay information public has more advantages than disadvantages.Tropical weather, fruity cocktails and  expensive flights. Its a problem facing a lot of Aussie families yearning for an island escape, but savvy points redeemers can find solutions.

Holiday-makers could earn free return flights to a major island by March next year for their whole family, if theyre smart with their points, frequent flyer points platform, Point Hacks has said.

Also read: Frustrating gift card laws to be overhauled

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, Point Hacks spokesperson, Daniel Sciberras said.

The first step to achieving the required points is to set up your strategy: join your chosen rewards program, assess the credit cards that will earn you the most points  keeping in mind the annual fees  and 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.

Also read: The new Facebook chatbot thatll revamp your finances

For a family of four to fly economy from Sydney or Melbourne to Fiji, Thailand or Bali, families will need to accrue between 145,000 and 225,000 points. It sounds like a lot, but according to Point Hacks, it can be done.

Walk me through it

Get the family involved

Supplementary rewards credit cards for you and your partner, or family pooling strategies could help you on your way. Qantas and Velocity allow family members to transfer 5,000- 600,000 and 5,000-500,000 respectively, while Velocity also allows savers to set up family members as contributors and you as beneficiaries so you earn points as they fly.

2. Switch to a rewards card

The NAB Qantas Rewards Signature Card and the St. George Amplify Signature Visa card both offer 90,000 bonus Qantas Points to new cardholders, while the Virgin Australia Velocity High Flyer Card offers up to 80,000 bonus points.

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However, savers should be careful to ensure theyre not paying the price for a rewards card. Recent research from Mozo revealed the average rewards credit card is delivering just $21 in rewards, after an annual fee of $182.

Also read: These are Australias 10 best home loan lenders

3. Look for higher-earning cards

AMEX generally offers the highest point-earning cards but its not widely accepted, so savers may also need a Visa or Mastercard. However for every $1 spent on the AMEX Explorer Credit Card, savers can transfer up to 1.5 Velocity Points or KrisFlyer Miles. The AMEX Qantas Premium card also offers 1.25 Qantas Points for every dollar spent.

The same warning applies here; savers should be careful to ensure their points card is actually worth the effort. The Mozo research revealed the average return enjoyed by rewards card-holders has fallen 70 per cent in the last two years.

4. What about an everyday transaction account that earns points?

Point Hacks suggested savers pick a transaction account to deposit your pay into and for daily transactions.

The BankWest Qantas Transaction Account will earn you 12 Qantas Points for every $100 in savings kept in your account, and 5 points each time you use the debit card  a great option for small purchases like a $3.50 morning coffee, Point Hacks experts said.

If you have $5,000 deposited into your account each month, and use your card every day, you could earn around 4500 points in six months.

5. Join a shopping rewards program

This way, youll earn points as you shop. Based on a $2,00 monthly spend at Coles, earners will accrue 5,220 points in six months.

Also read: This blue sticker could save Aussie shoppers millions

6. And shop through partner retailers

The experts suggested savers shop through retailers with airline partnerships, like Qantas Woolworths, BWS, BIG Q and Caltex Woolworths service stations.

7. And look at their online sites too

Qantas Mall and Velocity eStore offer high point earnings on every dollar spent on numerous popular sites such as eBay, David Jones, Woolworths, Country Road, Priceline Pharmacy, Menulog and Cotton On.

Log in with your rewards membership, choose the retailer, get directed to their shopping site and you can shop online as normal to earn two-10 points for every $1 spent, depending on the retailer.

8. Earn points for getting home delivery.

Yup! Deliveroo offers 1,000 Qantas Points when users sign up and an extra 200 for ordering four times a month. Thats 2,200 points in six months.

9. Look at your energy plan

Switch your household energy plan to Energy Australia through the Velocity program and earn up to 10,000 points, then 2000 anniversary points each year, the experts suggested.Six years.

Or, to be exact, 2,179 days. Thats how long it takes on average for big banks to start paying back affected customers from the moment of the breach.

Big bank regulator and corporate watchdog, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), has released a damning report  and a nifty infographic  that reveals just how long major financial institutions take to pay back customers after a breach to their system.

Also read: How financially conscious are you?

The price of a breach on consumers is hefty: in the review sample size alone, customers were out of pocket by $500 million all up.

ASIC reviewed the breach reporting processes of all four major banks  NAB, the Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and ANZ  as well as AMP, the Bank of Queensland, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Credit Union Australia, Greater Bank, Heritage Bank, Macquarie, and Suncorp.

These institutions were exposed by the regulator for unacceptable delays in identifying and resolving breaches, and for processes and systems that were not up to par.

Not only that, but breach reporting was inconsistent, lessons were not learnt and there simply wasnt a culture of stringent breach management.

Also read: Westpac is ditching risky property investors, giving them a month to find a new lender

The journey of an average breach report

The breach occurs. From here, if you think big banks immediately hunker down to address the incident, youd be wrong. On average, it takes a whopping 1,517 days  or four years  until the incident is even identified. After the financial institution catches wind that somethings gone wrong, it takes around a month (28 days) for the bank to start investigating the issue. Banks are legally obligated to report their breaches to the corporate watchdog. Theyre meant to report it within ten days of finding out, but it typically takes the institution 12 times as long as it should (128 days) to let ASIC know. But the wait isnt over. If your money has been compromised by this breach, you wont see it for approximately another seven or eight months (226 days)  thats how long it takes for the first remediation payments to be paid to affected customers.

By the time you get your money back, it will be almost six years since the breach first happened.

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ASIC chairman James Shipton described breach reporting as a cornerstone of the regulatory structure of financial services.

Many of the delays in breach reporting and compensating consumers were due to the financial institutions inadequate systems, procedures and governance processes, as well as a lack of a consumer orientated culture of escalation, he said, calling for banks to invest in their processes and greater commitment from executives.

What needs to be fixed?

The report highlighted two variables currently in the way of the regulator cracking down on banking institutions.

Also read: Underwhelming fund performances hitting investors hard

The first is that the definition of a breach is subjective. This means the bank gets to set the bar and gets to decide what does and doesnt make it to ASIC.

The second is that the 10-day period for reporting the breach to the regulator only begins after the bank has indeed determined it is a breach. They can take as long as they want to decide, though, without breaking the law.

ASIC has vowed to take action to address these issues and improve breach reporting across the banks.

Paying customers back a distraction for big banks

ASICs report pointed out that all four major banks had a focus on customer service and some variation of of putting the customer first in their values, and had publicly made commitments to put things right when problems arise.

Also read: Aussies strike back at big business

But in practice, this was not always the case.

Our data found that, once an investigation of a significant breach has been completed: the first communication with customers took an average of 189 days (over six months); and the first payments to customers took on average 226 days (over seven months).

The time it took to communicate and pay customers back was an indication that customers werent, in fact, prioritised  and therefore not in line with the values these banks espoused, the report pointed out.

In our review of documents more broadly, we saw evidence of remediation being perceived as a distraction from core business, and an activity which was undertaken at the expense of earning revenue.

As a result, remediation was not given the highest priority, the report said.

Australias major banking, financial services, superannuation and insurances companies have come under intense scrutiny recently thanks to the royal commission into the industries.A 13-year-old boy was found naked and chained at an Alabama home after an anonymous 911 call led investigators to the disturbing scene.

Autauga County Sheriff Joe Sedinger told reporters the childs chains were attached to a door, preventing the boys normal movement.

He estimated the boy had been chained up for several hours when they made the discovery on Thursday afternoon.

The childs 32-year-old mother Danielle Nicole Martin, 26-year-old stepfather Joshua Daniel Martin and 58-year-old grandmother Vickie Seale Higginbotham were arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse.

Danielle Nicole Martin, Vickie Seale Higginbotham and Joshua Daniel Martin were all arrested following the disturbing find. Images: Autauga County Sheriffs Office

The boy was allegedly forced to sleep in a dog crate at night, The Montgomery Advertiser reported.

I mean, weve never had anything like this in Autauga County, Sheriff Sedinger told the publication.

Weve had child abuse cases, physical abuse cases that were bad. But nothing like this where a child was left chained up for an extended period of time.

But the sheriff said the boy was speaking with deputies and did not seem withdrawn.

He described the teenager as fun-loving and sweet.

Two other children were turned over to the Department of Human Resources.Yes, Simon's Cat is between the covers again The new book is called Simon's Cat vs the World and you can win your own copy, acco...A convenience chain in South Australia, which put a ban on reusable coffee cups a couple of months ago, is again allowing customers to bring in their own containers.

On the Run made the decision to temporarily stop using the reusable items in stores across the state in June due to potential health risks.

But after reviewing internal food safety processes, the company announced that it has rolled out new standards to limit food safety risks in using BYO cups across its 110 stores that serve barista made coffee.

In a statement released, it explained baristas will avoid handling lids of customers cups directly and there will also be a new procedure to sanitise reusable coffee cups.

We acknowledge that many of OTRs customers care about the environment, so we are confident that this new procedure enables us to take a positive step forward to reduce landfill whilst minimising any food safety risks for customers and staff, OTR Community Partnerships Manager, Joann Skene, said.

Convenience chain On The Run is allowing customers to bring in reusable coffee cups again. Source: Google Maps

The company said it had experienced several incidents of customers bringing in unhygienic, dirty, and contaminated cups  including one incident where a cup was even contaminated with a heavy metal.

As the largest provider of barista-made coffee in South Australia, we had to urgently review our food safety practices in the interest of staff and customers across our OTR network, added Ms Skene.

An OTR spokesperson said in June that customers safety must come first, despite caring about the effects disposable cups have on the environment.

We realised that there are other more common potential health risks in us serving coffee into cups that we cant guarantee are clean and ready to use, they said at the time.

Customers will be allowed to bring reusable cups, such as containers from Keepcup (pictured), into OTR stores once again. Source: Yahoo!UK

The company said it had been working behind the scenes with suppliers, community partners, environment and conservation groups including KESAB for more than a year.

And the decision to allow customers to bring their own reusable cups into stores again has been welcomed by many.

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Zoos SA Chief Executive Elaine Bensted said, Its wonderful to hear OTR have reintroduced

the acceptance of reusable cups. We all have a role to play to actively reduce litter entering

the environment and causing harm to wildlife, especially our use of single-use plastics.

South Australias environment is the big winner in this announcement and Trees For Life is delighted to have been able to work collaboratively with OTR to achieve this outcome, Trees for Life Acting CEO Vicki-Jo Russell AM stated.

Trees for Life Acting CEO Vicki-Jo Russell AM (left) and Zoos SA Chief Executive Elaine Bensted (right). Source: Supplied

Executive director of KESAB environmental solutions, John Phillips, told Yahoo7 he understood why OTR made the decision initially.

There were other baristas in Adelaide that were also having similar issues with people bringing in their refillable cups in a bad presentation, Mr Phillips said, adding some customers would expect staff at stores to clean their cups for them.

Mr Phillips said at the time the company did say they would review the health policy and work it through for a more sustainable outcome.

Those people that changed their behaviour and have their own refillable coffee cups would be extremely happy, he added.

KeepCup co-founder Abigail Forsyth said the news to allow customers to use the cups again was fantastic, saying people are awake to the waste issue now.

Its wonderful the OTR has regrouped to align on customer sentiment, and I guess for customers, it shows us the power we have to drive change, Ms Forsyth added.

Ms Forsyth also said that businesses must adapt and make the necessary operational changes to their service model to support reuse.

On the Run says it is looking at other environmental measures including introducing biodegradable takeaway cup options and examining replacements to single-use plastic straws.

The announcement this week marks the first step towards a more sustainable offer to our customers and is part of OTRs broader Corporate Social Responsibility commitment, which is a key focus of our business, Ms Skene said.When your job has been labelled "mission impossible," failure may be the most likely outcome. There is no doubt that the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has persevered through extraordinary challenges during four-and-half years in the role. But as the UN peace drive has dragged on without evident success, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have steadily gained ground, pinning the opposition into their last bastion of Idlib while showing little interest in negotiating an end to the bloodshed. De Mistura has meanwhile been criticised for doing anything necessary to keep the UN talks alive while letting them devolve into negotiations without substance. The veteran diplomat's defenders applaud his flexibility and creativity while facing an obstinate Assad regime. But questions have mounted over the future of the UN peace effort, with this week's General Assembly serving as yet another deadline missed, while France warned Monday a "perpetual war" loomed in the Middle East unless a Syrian peace accord is reached. - 'A waste of jet fuel' - De Mistura briefed the Security Council last week about his faltering bid to create a committee to revise Syria's constitution, a project conceived at separate negotiations in Sochi led by Iran, Russia and Turkey. He had voiced hope the committee would be agreed before the General Assembly, where the Syrian conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people since 2011 will top the agenda. But for Emile Hokayem, senior Middle East fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, trying to create the committee is "motion without movement" that will not help Syrian reconciliation. "It's a waste of jet fuel and diplomatic credibility. This is something that is obviously not relevant at all." De Mistura told the Security Council the government and opposition had not yet agreed on the makeup of the committee. The actual work of revising Syria's constitution therefore does not appear imminent, while the UN's broader mandate of negotiating "political transition" in Damascus appears to be on the backburner. De Mistura warned the Security Council that endless "consulting" had risks. He later told reporters that next month he might be able to discuss "what could be the beginning of the constitutional committee." For Hokayem, the constitutional project is an example of a chronic problem with the Geneva process, where diplomatic targets keep shifting in the absence of achievement. Throughout, Assad has been able to nominally claim he is participating in UN talks while pressing a military campaign. "The UN should be reflecting first about whether this is worth the effort... and, more importantly, whether they are serving the Syrian people at all," Hokayem said. "We never get a sense from de Mistura that enough is enough." - Talking shop? - A European diplomat, who requested anonymity, praised de Mistura for believing in "the art of the possible" and using the constitutional committee "as a mechanism that potentially breaks a log jam." But he also warned that endlessly extending the dialogue was dangerous. "The suspicion of course that many of us have, including me, is that the regime and its backers simply want to play this along, that it's just a talking shop, so we must be clear that that can't happen," he said. In an email to AFP, de Mistura's office defended the constitutional reform effort as "an important milestone itself and viable entry point for other reforms to come," including UN-supervised elections, a key plank of the Geneva process. - Not agile? - For David Harland, the director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, de Mistura's missteps are an extension of the UN's broader decline as a peacebroker. Harland's criticisms are not strictly those of an outsider: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres named him to a special advisory group on conflict mediation. In the two decades following the end of the Cold War, when permanent Security Council members were less bitterly divided, Harland credited the UN with playing a central role in striking deals to end several conflicts, including Iran-Iraq, Guatemala, Cambodia and Lebanon, among others. Since 2008, the UN's peacemaking record has largely been defined by failure, Harland argued in a paper presented at the Oslo Security Forum. There are many reasons why -- like an increasingly dysfunctional Security Council -- but some are internal UN shortcomings evident in de Mistura's mandate, Harland argued. One example is a lack of agility. "Prior to the mid-1990s, UN envoys were usually supported by a small personal staff," whereas they have lately expanded into larger "special political missions,... including advisers dedicated to everything from gender equality to the demobilisation of child soldiers." De Mistura, who habitually references the importance of his "women's advisory board," has a staff of 92, his office said, listing its total budget over the past three years at approximately $50 million (42 million euros). As the UN peace drive has dragged on so Syrian regime forces have steadily gained ground, pinning the opposition into their last bastion of Idlib while showing little interest in negotiating an end to the bloodshed Map graphic showing positions of forces in Syria's Idlib province, the proposed demilitarised zone and the likely routes for civilians fleeing the zone De Mistura has had to battle various internal UN shortcomings, according to David Harland, director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and who UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres named to a special advisory group on conflict mediationThe exiled former president of the Spanish region of Catalonia wants Europe to step in to mediate an end to the stand-off with Madrid, he told AFP Tuesday. In a book on the crisis that forced him to flee a Spanish arrest warrant, Carles Puigdemont suggests EU President Donald Tusk would fit the bill. But, speaking to AFP after launching the book in the Belgian capital Brussels, Puigdemont conceded he had not broached the idea with the former Polish leader. "I cite him simply because of the importance of his role, for his great neutrality, as one possibility, not the only one," the pro-independence leader said. Tusk, who heads the council of leaders of EU member states, criticised the use of force to counter last year's banned Catalonia independence referendum, but has said Madrid is his only interlocutor. His office on Tuesday reiterated that position, adding it had not been "aware" of Puigdemont's suggestion. "President Tusk will, as he has said repeatedly before, continue his approach with encouraging dialogue, avoiding the use of force and respecting the rule of law," the office said in a statement. "The solution should be found within Spain and in full respect of Spain's constitution." The European Commission, the union's executive arm, has always described the crisis as an internal matter for Spain to resolve with its region. Puigdemont's former Catalan administration staged the independence vote despite a Spanish court order banning it and a determined police operation. He and some of his colleagues has since sought refuge in Belgium and a new Catalan government has opened a tentative dialogue with Spain's central authorities. In his book -- "The Catalan Crisis: An Opportunity for Europe" -- and in his interview, Puigdemont called for "independent international mediation." He says his priority would be a negotiation with Spain to lead to a "recognised referendum", but says that otherwise October's vote remains legitimate. Puigdemont still faces arrest in Spain and up to 25 years in prison if convicted of "rebellion". He lives in a villa in the Brussels suburb of Waterloo. "I'm not thinking of playing a future role," he insists in his book. "I just want to return to normal life and to live as freely as possible." Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont poses with his new book 'The Catalan crisis' during an AFP interviewRepresentatives of Finland's indigenous Sami said Tuesday they would urge holidaymakers to stop visiting igloos and riding husky sleds in Lapland, claiming non-Sami traditions are being passed off as authentic thereby exploiting their culture. "The widespread, inaccurate and primitive image of the Sami which comes across in exploitative tourism is at best objectifying and offensive to the Sami community," Finland's Sami parliament, a representative body in the nation's northernmost town of Inari, said. "The repeated, public, inaccurate image and the spreading of incorrect information are harmful both to the Sami community and to the vitality of Sami culture," added the representatives who want to sanction tour operators who do not comply. The Sami, formerly known as Lapps, are spread out across the northern parts of Sweden, Finland and Norway and the Russian Kola peninsula, in a region known as Lapland. According to the Finnish Sami parliament, there are 10,000 Sami in Finland. The proposal lamented the spread of non-Sami traditions being passed off as authentic, such as husky rides and igloos, and the widespread sale of low-quality handicrafts. Finnish Lapland has become an increasingly popular destination for holidaymakers, who flock to the Arctic Circle in winter to meet the 'real' Father Christmas and engage in winter pursuits such as husky sledding. Last year, visitors spent 3.5 million nights in Lapland, up from 2.6 million a decade earlier, according to Finland's tourist board. But some of the area's indigenous population feel the growth has been at their expense. - 'Long and sad history' - "There is a long and sad history of how Sami culture has been used in tourism," Kirsi Suomi, leader of the Culturally Responsible Sami Tourism project and lead author of the proposals, told AFP. The project, funded by Finland's culture ministry, gathered testimony from Samis about the impacts of tourism on their culture. Among the practices causing offence highlighted by the proposals were tourism workers pretending to be Sami when they're not, and products or tourist attractions portraying Sami people as magical and primitive. The proposal recommended that outside designated tourist zones, visitors should be banned from approaching -- and potentially distressing -- reindeer, a source of livelihood for many Sami. Holidaymakers should also be urged not to photograph Sami dressed in their national costume, apart from those at tourist sites. "If for example one person refrains from wearing Sami dress because they do not want to be photographed by tourists, that is one person too many," the proposal stated. Instead, the document advocated offering visitors a more authentic and culturally sensitive view of the Sami. "Sami tourism should above all support the preservation of Sami culture and ways of life for future generations," the proposal said. The Sami share a common culture based on their closeness to nature, traditionally involved in reindeer herding or coastal fishing, fur trapping, and sheep herding. They have strong cultural traditions, notably handicrafts and the singing of 'yoik' song chants, and speak related dialects of their Sami language. Representatives of Finland's Sami people urge tourists to avoid non-authentic igloos and husky sleds A Reindeer, a source of livelihood for the Sami A Sami man in traditional dress using a lassoFord is looking at speeding up plans to build more Lincoln models in Chinese plants amid the growing trade war with the United States that has made US exports less attractive, a senior executive said Monday. Joseph Hinrichs, Ford's executive vice president for global operations, said he did not see any easy resolution to the trade dispute between the United States and China. President Donald Trump on Monday imposed tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods, prompting swift retaliation from Beijing on $60 billion in US products. "We have long been advocates for balanced and free trade," Hinrichs said. "We continue to encourage both the US administration and the Chinese government that it's in everyone's interest to work out their differences." But, he said, "I believe this US-China discussion will go on for a while." The increasing exchange of tariffs makes it difficult to plan for the future and with tariffs on vehicles exported to China now reaching 40 percent there is no business case for exporting vehicles from the United States, he said. "China is a core businesses for us," he said, but added, "You're talking about two very powerful economies so we're going to have to plan accordingly." The company has been planning to launch new vehicles in China to halt its recent slide in that market, he said. Ford recently announced it was scrapping plans to import the compact Focus model from Chinese plants into the US market due to the tariffs. - Canada should stay in NAFTA - Hinrichs also said he hoped a breakthrough on a revised North American Free Trade Agreement could be achieved this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to keep Canada in the continental trade pact. "We need a three-way auto agreement," Hinrichs said, noting that the deal struck last month between the United States and Mexico could serve as a basis for a more complete agreement that includes Canada. "I'm worried a little bit that time will catch up with us," he said at a luncheon, noting that he had spent more time in Washington DC working on trade issues than ever before. US and Canadian negotiators have spent more than a month trying to resolve remaining differences after Washington sealed a tentative deal with Mexico City which they intend to sign by December 1, when a new government takes office. The auto industry is key to NAFTA and the free trade deal is critical to the North American supply chain. Hinrichs said that while "the language of US-Mexico trade agreement should work for Canada" in the auto sector, the remaining sticking points centered on other topics like lumber, dairy and cultural issues. Hinrichs said there was no business case for exporting autos to China with tariffs now reaching 40 percentTwo patients in an experimental US rehabilitation program for paralyzed people have been able to walk again thanks to electrical stimulation of their spinal cords, and two others have been able to stand or sit, according to newly published results. The results were published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine, at the same time that the journal Nature Medicine reported on another paraplegic treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota who succeeded in walking again also thanks to an electrode implanted in his spinal cord. The Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at the University of Louisville had previously reported in 2014 that some paralyzed patients had regained feeling thanks to electrical stimulation. This time, the center announced that after months of retraining two participants in its experimental program were able to walk with the support of a walker or a cane, stimulated with an electrode in the spinal column linked to an implant in the abdomen. Two other participants were able to stand up or sit down. "All four participants could not do these actions in trials when the stimulator was off," the study's authors said. The researchers said the physiological mechanisms at work were not fully understood. But they suggested this could be linked to the fact that despite being completely paralyzed, the two patients who were able to walk had retained some sensation below the level of their injury. "The spinal cord can relearn to walk independently," Susan Harkema, the center's leader told NBC News. "We can retrain it to function even though there is that injury disconnecting it from the brain," she said. Kelly Thomas, one of the two patients who learned to walk, said her first steps were "an emotional milestone in my recovery that I'll never forget." "One minute I was walking with the trainer?s assistance and, while they stopped, I continued walking on my own," she said. She now lives at home, where she is able to move from room to room or go outside with the help of a walker. To do so, she must activate the electric stimulator using a small remote. Each step she takes still requires a monumental effort. "It's not a quick fix to being paralyzed," she told CNN. But she added: "Nothing's going to be able to stop me in life, because I took something that was thought to be impossible and I turned it into possible." The Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center announced that after months of retraining two paralyzed participants in its experimental program were able to walk with the support of a walker or a caneFrance is pushing for the Aquarius rescue ship to dock in Malta and unload the 58 migrants on board, a source in the presidential office said on Tuesday. "We are clear on the fact that it shouldn't spend four to five days at sea going towards France or Spain or anywhere," the source said on condition of anonymity. "It needs to dock soon and it is close to Malta at the moment." France, which is reluctant to accept a request to take in the Aquarius in Marseille, wants a "solution worked out with its European partners" along the same lines as the one found in August when the boat docked in Malta. The 141 migrants on board at the time were then distributed between France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. The French presidency said it was seeking to uphold international law under which the nearest safe country should take in the boat, pointing out the ship was also close to Italy. But Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed to prevent the Aquarius ever entering his nation's territory again and has accused it of offering a "taxi service" for migrants from Libya to Europe. The aide to French President Emmanuel Macron lambasted the Italian government for its attitude to immigration and for blocking a new permanent solution to manage the docking and distribution of migrants rescued by charity boats in the Mediterranean. "It's not moving forward because those who criticise the lack of French or European solidarity, starting with Italy, don't want a permanent, durable mechanism," said the aide. "Why? Because a number of politicians are living off the migrant crisis, which is a political crisis," he added. A handout photo by SOS Mediterranee shows migrants resting after being rescued by the Aquarius rescue ship in the Mediterranean Sea on September 20Germany's financial supervisor urged Deutsche Bank Monday to beef up its fight against money laundering, and for the first time used its power to embed an auditor at the country's biggest lender. Frankfurt-based BaFin "ordered Deutsche Bank to take internal security measures and respect its general duty of care for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing," the agency said in a statement. In a never-before-seen move, BaFin will also embed a "special commissioner" at Deutsche to evaluate and report on the bank's progress, it added. "We are in agreement with the BaFin that we have to improve these processes in the Corporate and Investment Bank further," a Deutsche Bank spokesman told AFP. He added that the bank would work to meet its obligations with the authorities and auditors KPMG, who BaFin chose as commissioners. In January 2017, Deutsche had to pay a fine of almost $630 million (535 million euros) after an investigation by British and American authorities into laundering of money originating in Russia. Soon afterwards, the US Federal Reserve ordered a further fine of $41 million over gaps in the bank's money-laundering surveillance. American lawmakers also demanded information about Deutsche's relationship with President Donald Trump and any financial links he might have with Russian entities. Laundering of Russian cash has returned to the headlines in recent weeks, with Denmark's biggest lender Danske Bank admitting that tens of billions of euros of suspicious transactions passed through its branch in Estonia, most of them from Russia. In neighbouring Latvia, the central bank chief has also been suspended from his post after being charged with accepting bribes. Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Cyprus are among the countries with the worst money-laundering image in the 19-nation eurozone, although Spain's Caixabank and Netherlands-based ING have also come in for extra scrutiny by the authorities. Frankfurt-based BaFin "ordered Deutsche Bank to take internal security measures and respect its general duty of care for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing"

What appears to be a cute snap of a child hand-feeding a stag is being used by the photographer to serve as a stark warning against human interaction with wildlife.

The shot seems to show a gentle interaction between a little boy and a wild animal as the youngster reaches out to feed the male red deer at Wollaton Hall and Park in Nottingham, in the UK.

But the man behind the picture, Paul Biggs, 53, actually captured the photo to highlight the extreme risk of injury to the child and the woman accompanying him.

Visitors to the park are warned against feeding the deer at any time of year but the dad-of-three explained these warnings must be heeded now more than ever as rutting season kicks off.

The engineer from Sheffield said he was at the park to take photos of the stags rutting.

Rutting season isnt in full swing yet but theyve started sparring a bit, Mr Biggs said.

As I was leaving I saw the child feeding the stag and took a picture from a distance.

This apparently cute snap is being used by the photographer to serve as a stark warning against human interaction with wildlife. Source: Caters

I just couldnt believe what I was seeing, especially after Id just finished watching the stags fighting.

It looks like quite a sweet encounter, but actually theres a huge risk there.

I have heard about incidents where people have tried to feed stags in other parks and young children have been injured.

After sharing the picture with fellow photographers, Paul was met with some backlash and people telling him to mind his own business.

But the dad stands by his decision to capture the dangerous encounter.

Ive had some quite brutal reactions to the photo. Its definitely been very mixed, Mr Biggs said.

Most people agree with me that whats happening in the photo is dangerous but a few have told me its none of my business.

I needed to warn people about the risks behind interacting with the stags. Its so dangerous any time but especially now.

Wollaton Park is home to two herds of deer and there are signs throughout the grounds urging people not to feed the animals. Source: Google

Their behaviour has started to change and they can be really aggressive. Theyre only going to get more and more aggressive over the next few weeks.

Story continues

These stags weigh between 127-158kg, so to stand in front of one, feeding them like that, is not the best idea. I dont think people understand just how risky it is.

Wollaton Park is home to two herds of deer  90 red and 120 fallow.

There are warnings on the park website and signs throughout the grounds urging people not to feed the animals and to be aware of seasonal deer activity such as rutting season.

Nottingham City Council reminded visitors to the park of the risks to themselves and the animals in getting too close.

The vast majority of people who visit Wollaton Hall and Park sensibly enjoy our beautiful deer from a distance and observe the many signs around the park advising of the risks to themselves and the animals in getting too close, Councillor Dave Trimble said.

Unfortunately some people choose to ignore the signs or apply common sense, risking injury and unsettling the deer.

We would simply remind people that the deer are wild animals whose behaviour cannot be predicted and should be left in peace to roam and observed from a distance.

If anyone has any concerns about an animal or the way visitors are behaving around the deer, they should report this to a member of staff and we will investigate.The brochure portrayed it as a divers' paradise located along the Red Sea in Sudan. It was in fact one of the Israeli intelligence agency's most audacious operations. The stunning tale is set to become a Hollywood film, starring Ben Kingsley, Haley Bennett and Chris Evans. It dates to the early 1980s, when the Arous holiday resort and its around 15 beach houses became a prized spot for divers seeking access to Red Sea coral reefs in an unspoilt location. "The fish came to nibble on the divers' masks," said Daniel Limor, who led "Operation Brothers" for Israel's spy agency, Mossad. As far as tourists and Sudanese authorities knew, the resort village was owned by Europeans who employed local residents. They were unaware that Arous was a Mossad base to secretly evacuate 7,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel from refugee camps in Sudan. The operation played out for four years, from 1981 to 1985. Urged into action by an Ethiopian Jew in Khartoum, Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin decided to move ahead with the mission in 1977. Limor, who was also a diving aficionado, spotted a holiday resort built by Italian entrepreneurs in the 1970s along the Red Sea that had been abandoned due to lack of road access and running water. "It's something that just fell from the sky," he said, his voice still filled with surprise decades later. At the time, Ethiopian Jews had fled their country for refugee camps in neighbouring Sudan to escape famine, war and persecution, with the goal of ultimately fulfilling the isolated community's dream of reaching the holy land. But the journey by foot to Sudan was filled with danger. "They were attacked, raped, robbed," said Limor, who was consulted for the script for the film, due out next year. "They suffered. They also died in the refugee camps." - 'For our people' - To set the plan in motion, Ethiopian intermediaries selected Jews who would be exfiltrated from the Sudanese camps. The operation held great risk for all involved given the relations between Israel and Muslim-majority Sudan. "We were the eyes, the ears and the feet of the Mossad," said Miki Achihon, an Ethiopian Jewish student at the time who had fled to Sudan. Without telephones or internet, everything was done person-to-person. "The Mossad doesn't give us a sort of contract. It doesn't give us a down payment," said Achihon, who would later become a lieutenant colonel in the Israeli military. "We did it for our people." After being taken into the Sudanese desert, groups of between 100 and 200 people were met by Mossad agents who drove them away in trucks. "Then started the long drive to the shore -- something like 700 kilometres (435 miles)," said Gad Shimron, one of the agents based at Arous and the author of a book on the operation. At the end of the road, they delivered the refugees to Israeli ships waiting in international waters. "Of course, we had in mind the possibility of us hanging -- you know, feet up," Shimron said. Apparently taking them for traffickers, Sudanese soldiers opened fire one night as the last boat left. They escaped unharmed, but the Israelis were shaken and changed tactics. They opted for another daring strategy: landing planes in the desert in the middle of the night to transport the refugees to Tel Aviv. Shimron said there was a "moment of elation" when the planes took off and the operatives would stand in the quiet of the desert. Some tourists suspected that Arous was being used as a trafficking site due to its location just across the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah. But the agents' double lives were never exposed, said Yola, a Mossad operative who managed the resort. She said she could have remained at Arous for the rest of her life. "I didn't want to go back," she said. "I was completely the other person." - 'Zionist James Bond' - The operation would have to come to an end in 1985 when one of their Ethiopian contacts was questioned by the police. As a precautionary measure, the Mossad urgently evacuated the village. But today, its legacy stands as a key part of Israel's efforts to bring their Jewish brethren over from Ethiopia. More than 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have emigrated to Israel since the 1980s. In 1984, Operation Moses exfiltrated 8,000 Jews, while seven years later Operation Solomon brought more than 14,000 people to Israel in 36 hours. For the Ethiopians, the joy of arriving was accompanied by the difficulty of adapting to a new home and overcoming trauma they had endured. Many regretted leaving behind family. Achihon said they should have been given psychological treatment, but the government "immediately tried to take us to be part of the society", offering language and other types of training. "Many were not ready," he said. He said there was also discrimination. For Achihon, the "heroic" role of the Ethiopian activists should never be forgotten. More than three decades later, the movie version of Operation Brothers -- "The Red Sea Diving Resort" -- is being directed by Israeli filmmaker Gideon Raff, filmed in South Africa and Namibia. "It is a unique, Zionist James Bond story," said Shimron. Hollywood has found inspiration for a film coming out next year in the Mossad operation of the early 1980s, in which agents set up a fake diving resort in Sudan to rescue Ethiopian Jews. Gad Shimron (pictured) was one of the agents based at the resort called Arous and the author of a book on the operationExpected - HI Gov Files For 9th Circuit en banc Ruling

Hawaii Government files for Ninth Circuit en banc Ruling

on Right to Bear Arms (Young v. State of Hawaii)

By Dean Weingarten. September 22nd, 2018

Original Source

On 24 July, 2018, a three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit upheld the right to bear arms outside the home. As expected, the State of Hawaii waited until the last possible day, then filed a petition for the Ninth Circuit to hear the case en banc, that is, by the whole court.

Because the Ninth Circuit is so large and awkward compared to other circuits, an en banc hearing of the Ninth involves 11 judges chosen at random, out of the 23 or 24 judges (depending on confirmation hearings) on the Ninth Circuit.

In the closely linked case of Peruta, the Ninth Circuit granted an en banc hearing of the case. The process took about 18 months.

In the Peruta case, a request for an en banc hearing was denied in November of 2014. Then a judge on the Ninth Circuit called for an en banc vote anyway. The the vote for an enbanc hearing was announced on 26 March, 2015. Oral arguments were heard on 16 June, 2015. On June 10th, 2016, the Ninth Circuit, en banc, reversed the ruling of the three judge panel on Peruta and narrowly found there was no right to carry arms concealed outside the home. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, which refused to grant certiorari.

In Young v. State of Hawaii, the case rules only on permits for open carry, as the precedent of Peruta foreclosed a right to concealed carry in the Ninth Circuit.

In the petition for an en banc rehearing, the Government of Hawaii claims the mere potential for police chiefs to issue open carry permits is sufficient to satisfy any right to bear arms outside the home, although only four permits have been issued for people (outside of employment permits) in the last 18 years. From Young v. State of Hawaii:

First, the panel invalidated Hawaii's law on the ground that it limits open-carry licenses to "security guards" and other individuals whose jobs entail protecting life and property. Add. 51-52. But that is just wrong. By its plain terms, Hawaii Revised Statutes  134-9 makes open-carry licenses available to any otherwise-qualified individual who "sufficiently indicate[s]" an "urgency" or "need" to carry a firearm and who is "engaged in the protection of life and property." Haw. Rev. Stat.  134-9(a). Moreover, if there was any doubt on the question, the Hawaii Attorney General has removed it by issuing a formal legal opinion that clarifies that the law extends to private individuals as well as security officers, and that advises police chiefs that victims of domestic violence, individuals who face a credible threat of armed robbery or violent crime, and other private persons may be eligible for open-carry licenses.

The Ninth Circuit has proved hostile to the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. It has interpreted the Second Amendment in the most narrow way possible, in order to infringe on the exercise of Second Amendment rights as much as it can get away with. The only authorities who have the power to reverse the Ninth Circuit are the Supreme Court and future Ninth Circuit judges.

Legislative remedies are possible with the California government, but are highly unlikely in the foreseeable future. The California government seems bent on passing as many infringements on Second Amendment rights as it can.

Legislative remedies are also possible with the federal legislature, who could tie the exercise of Second Amendment rights to federal money that is given to California.

As of this writing, it appears that Judge Kavanaugh will be confirmed to become Justice Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court. This changes the dynamics of a potential Supreme Court appeal if the Ninth Circuit decides to hear Young v. State of Hawaii en banc, and the decision is appealed to the Supreme Court.

As we saw with the Peruta decision, the en banc process can take 18 months or more.

Do not expect any definitive rulings on the case for at least two years.

2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. Gun Watch

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Iran on Tuesday identified the perpetrators of a deadly attack on a military parade as "jihadist separatists", announcing a series of arrests and appearing to tie the Islamic State group to the bloodshed. The intelligence ministry published photos of the five men it said carried out the assault Saturday in the southwestern city of Ahvaz that killed 24 people including a four-year-old child and other civilians. "The five members of a terrorist squad affiliated to jihadist separatist groups supported by Arab reactionary countries were identified," the ministry said in a statement. "The terrorists' hideout was found and 22 people involved (in the attack) were arrested," it said, adding that explosives were seized along with military and communications equipment. The attack targeted a parade in Khuzestan province commemorating the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. The border region, which has a large ethnic Arab community, was a major battleground of the conflict and saw ethnic unrest in 2005 and 2011. Iranian officials initially blamed Arab separatists, who they claimed were behind previous unrest, for the latest attack, saying they were backed by Gulf Arab allies of the United States. This version was bolstered when a movement called "Ahwaz National Resistance", an Arab separatist group, claimed responsibility shortly after the assault. But the Islamic State group (IS) was also quick to claim responsibility and later posted a video of men it said were the attackers. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday linked the attackers to Iraq and Syria, where IS once had major strongholds. "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," Khamenei was quoted as saying by his official website. - Saudi, UAE deny - Iranian authorities have accused the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) of being behind the Ahvaz attack. Both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi denied any involvement. Saudi Arabia "completely rejects the deplorable false accusations by Iranian officials regarding the kingdom's support for the incidents that occurred in Iran," a Saudi foreign ministry official said Tuesday. The UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, has also dismissed Iran's accusation as "baseless". "This official campaign launched in Iran against the UAE is regrettable and has escalated since the Ahvaz attack," Gargash tweeted earlier this week. The photographs of the alleged attackers released by the authorities Tuesday showed the bodies of four men named as Ayyad Mansouri, Fouad Mansouri, Ahmad Mansouri and Javad Saari. The picture published by the intelligence ministry of an alleged fifth member of the group, Hassan Darvishi, was a screenshot taken from the video put out by IS. According to local media two of the Mansouris are brothers and the third is their cousin. Abdullah Ganji, the managing director of the ultra-conservative Javan daily, wrote on Twitter that a Mansouri brother "was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria". There has been no known presence of Iranian Arab separatist groups in Syria. Ganji also wrote in an article that the nature of the attack in Ahvaz, in which the assailants died, far more resembled IS than the "bombing or hit and run operations" typical of Arab separatist groups. "To kill until you are killed, without trying to leave the scene is the method of (IS)," he said, pointing to parallels with a high-profile attack in Iran last year. 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. Iranian soldiers take cover on September 22, 2018 in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz during an attack on a military parade marking the start of its devastating 1980-1988 war with Iraq Iranian boys hold images of one of the victims Mohammad Taha Eghdami, 4, during a public funeral ceremony for those killed during an attack on a military parade on the weekend, in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz on September 24, 2018.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.Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday pleaded for urgent aid for Palestinian refugees to curb the appeal of radicalism after the United States ended all support. Addressing the UN General Assembly, the Jordanian leader sought a revival of the Middle East peace process and voiced worries about the financial collapse of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. "We need to support full funding of UNRWA and other vital efforts to protect families, keep communities stable and prepare young people for productive lives," Abdullah aid. "It would be a terrible mistake to abandon youth to the forces of radicalism and despair. Such support is urgently needed to ensure UNRWA fulfills its role in accord with its UN mandate," he said. President Donald Trump, a staunch supporter of Israel, has ended all $350 million provided by the United States each year to UNRWA. With the United States traditionally the largest funder of the agency, the move has created a funding crisis, especially in the impoverished Gaza Strip where more than 200,000 Palestinians attend UN-run schools. Jordan -- which is home to nearly 2.2 million Palestinian refugees, who make up almost half of the kingdom's population -- will convene a meeting during the week of UN diplomacy in hopes of securing funding for UNRWA. Abdullah, whose kingdom is one of only two Arab states with full diplomatic relations with Israel, rejected the idea of a so-called one-state solution in which Palestinians would be absorbed in the Jewish state. Abdullah said the proposal had an "ugly, undemocratic reality." "There is no such thing as a unilateral agreement; it takes at least two parties to make an agreement," he said. "Helping the parties achieve that agreement, and work together to build a new future, deserves the strong, steady support of all our world." Jordan's King Abdullah II makes a plea for aid for Palestinian refugees in a speech at the UN General AssemblyPolice armed with pickaxes and power tools have destroyed a modern artwork by a celebrated British sculptor in the Maldives, after the outgoing president in the tourist haven declared the installation offensive to Islam. Abdulla Yameen in July ordered the sculptures demolished but his ruling was not acted upon until Friday, on the eve of a presidential election which he lost to a liberal candidate. A series of statues by Jason deCaires Taylor were placed inside a semi-submerged metal cube in July at a resort in the Maldives, an archipelago of 340,000 Sunni Muslims popular with tourists. Islam, the official religion in the Maldives, bans the depiction of idols, and the work provoked some criticism from clerics even though the statues have no religious symbols or meaning. Yameen said in July that "significant public sentiment" against the artwork known as 'Coralarium' had guided his decision to destroy it. It is unclear why the sculptures were not raised from the waters until Friday, just two days before Yameen was turfed out of office. Police were photographed chipping away at the works with pickaxes and using power tools to remove them from the large and ornate cage housing them. A video posted by state media showed several men tearing a statue off a plinth. "I was extremely shocked and heartbroken to learn that my sculptures have been destroyed by the Maldivian authorities at the Coralarium, despite continued consultations and dialogue," deCaires Taylor told AFP in a statement. "The Coralarium was conceived to connect humans to the environment and a nurturing space for marine life to thrive. Nothing else! "The Maldives is still beautiful, with a warm and friendly population, but it was a sad day for art and sad day for the environment." The import of statues is prohibited in the Maldives. Even depictions of the Buddha are banned despite a long legacy of Buddhism in the islands before Islam came to dominate the archipelago. Despite the edict, huge cutouts of Yameen towered over the capital Male in the lead-up to Sunday's poll, which he lost after five years of strongman rule marked by a regression from democracy. Many of these cardboard posters depicting the ousted leader were torn down after he suffered a shock defeat to opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, an act of defiance unthinkable under his iron-fisted leadership. Yameen has ordered a celebrated artwork destroyed on the grounds it is offensive to IslamFashion house Michael Kors announced Tuesday it had agreed to buy Italian luxury giant Versace, signalling an intention to move deeper into the international big league after snapping up shoemaker to the stars Jimmy Choo last year. Michael Kors, an iconic label rooted in American and New York fashion but headquartered in London, will pay 1.83 billion euros ($2.1 billion) for Versace, a statement said. "We are excited to have Versace as part of our family of luxury brands, and we are committed to investing in its growth," said Michael Kors chief executive John Idol. "With the full resources of our group, we believe that Versace will grow to over $2.0 billion in revenues," he added. "We believe that the strength of the Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo brands, and the acquisition of Versace, position us to deliver multiple years of revenue and earnings growth." Idol said that Donatella Versace, artistic director and vice president of the Italian group, would stay on to lead the label's creative vision, saying her "iconic style" was "at the heart of the design aesthetic of Versace". Donatella said the takeover was "essential to Versace's long-term success". She added in the statement: "We are all very excited to join a group led by John Idol, whom I have always admired as a visionary as well as a strong and passionate leader." - Bags, watches and perfume - Michael Kors, best known for its bags, watches and perfume, said it planned to grow the number of Versace stores worldwide by 50 percent to 300, and expand accessories and footwear from 35 to 60 percent of revenues. The deal is the latest push by Michael Kors into high-end luxury after it bought British shoemaker Jimmy Choo in 2017 for $1.4 billion. It is seen also as positioning Michael Kors more fully as a competitor to Paris-based LVMH and Kering and the Swiss company Richemont among global heavyweights in luxury across various product lines, analysts said. Shares in Michael Kors were down 0.4 percent at $66.43 in early trading in New York on Tuesday. Michael Kors said the acquisition of Versace was expected to help grow its group's revenues to $8.0 billion in the long-term, and diversify its geographic portfolio, pushing further into Asian markets. Capri Holdings Limited is the new name to be adopted by Michael Kors Holdings Limited upon the closing of the acquisition, inspired by the Italian island in the Bay of Naples that has long attracted the international jet-set. Versace was the brainchild of Gianni Versace, who was born in Calabria to a dressmaker mother and presented his first signature collection in 1978, with his brother Santo taking care of the label's business arm. The designer, whose bold designs were embraced by Madonna and other mega-celebrities, was assassinated in 1997 by luxury-obsessed male prostitute Andrew Cunanan in Miami. - Expansion into Asia - Twenty percent of Versace, known for its Medusa head logo, was bought by US private equity group Blackstone in 2014, and the family owns the rest. Versace chief executive Jonathan Akeroyd, who is also staying on, said Tuesday that since joining the company two years ago, "focus has been on leveraging the company's heritage and strong brand recognition worldwide", in turn helping "to experience significant growth in all regions". Launched in 1981, Michael Kors is named after its US founder, the New York designer with an avid celebrity following who has dressed the likes of Melania Trump and Michelle Obama. The 59-year-old Long Island-born self-made tycoon is still creative director and the company has been through highs and lows, forced to file for bankruptcy protection in 1993, but able to restructure with an initial investment by LVMH before going back on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011. Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, said the deal and name change signalled the group's intention to become a luxury powerhouse, and would give the business a better international reach, particularly in Europe and Asia. But he warned it would "absorb both time and money" to position Versace, however iconic and high-profile, on track for higher growth. "Capri Holdings now needs to find a way of leveraging all of its brand assets to make the business worth more than just the sum of its individual parts," he said. Michael Kors is headquartered in London Donatella and her 'iconic style' are staying on Analysts say it will take time to squeeze more growth out of VersaceGuatemala's President Jimmy Morales denounced a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission as a threat to peace Tuesday in his most virulent attack to date on the controversial watchdog. Morales said last month that he would not ask the UN to renew the mandate of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, or CICIG, after it twice asked for his presidential impunity to be lifted in order to investigate graft allegations. The UN has so far stood behind CICIG, which works with Guatemalan state prosecutors, and its Colombian head Ivan Velasquez who has been banned by Morales from entering the country. In a speech on the opening day of the annual UN General Assembly in New York, Morales said that CICIG had become an instrument of persecution in Guatemala. "CICIG has become a threat to peace in Guatemala," said the former television comedian. "It has established a system of terror, a system where anyone who thinks differently is persecuted or investigated." He also accused CICIG of violating Guatemala's constitution by "manipulating justice" and undermining the principles of "the presumption of innocence and due process." Velasquez had politicized justice and was fomenting a atmosphere of instability that undermined national security, he added. Morales had initially been a supporter of CICIG and promised during his successful 2015 run for the presidency to request an extension of its mandate -- which is currently due to expire next year -- until 2021. CICIG's investigations into allegations of tax evasion led to Morales's predecessor Otto Perez and former vice president Roxana Baldetti being charged with corruption. They are both currently behind bars awaiting trial. But Morales turned hostile when CICIG began trying to probe the funding behind his 2015 election campaign. CICIG and state prosecutors have presented evidence that Morales's FCN-Nacion party failed to report nearly $1 million in financing to electoral authorities. In his speech, Morales called upon UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a new head for CICIG, saying that Guatemala had become politically "polarized like never before." Guterres, who is due to meet with Morales at a closed-door meeting later Tuesday, has rejected previous calls to replace Velasquez. Set up in 2006, the mission is an independent body with investigative and prosecutorial powers. Its success in tackling corruption has inspired calls for similar bodies to be set up in other Central American countries. Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said in August 2018 he would not ask the UN to renew the mandate of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala after it twice asked for his presidential impunity to be lifted for investigationsMorocco's navy on Tuesday fired on a boat carrying migrants that refused to respond to its orders, leaving a young woman dead and three other Moroccans wounded, local officials said. The patrol was "forced" to open fire on a speedboat driven by a Spaniard who "refused to obey" orders in waters off the Moroccan locality of M'diq-Fnideq, the authorities said in a statement. Those on board the powerboat were lying down and could not be seen, a local official told AFP. Four migrants were wounded, including a Moroccan woman who died of her injuries in hospital. Mohamed Benaissa, head of the Northern Observatory for Human Rights, said the woman killed was 22 years old and the three wounded were also Moroccans, one of whom was left in critical condition with an arm amputated. A total of 25 people were on the boat, including the people traffickers who were Spanish nationals, he said. The Spanish driver of the boat was unharmed and later arrested, according to the same source, adding an investigation had been opened. Morocco -- a key route for sub-Saharan Africans trying to reach Europe via Spain -- said this month it has foiled 54,000 bids so far in 2018 by illegal migrants to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. The figures included 7,100 Moroccans for the period until the end of August, according to figures released last week by the Moroccan government spokesman. Since early 2018, Spain has recorded more than 38,000 arrivals by sea and land, according to the International Organization for Migration. Since the beginning of September, social media networks in Morocco have been inundated with videos showing young people from the North African country heading to Spain aboard inflatable boats. A Moroccan navy patrol, similar to the one pictured August 2015, was "forced" to open fire on a speedboat driven by a Spaniard who "refused to obey" orders in waters off the Moroccan locality of M'diq-FnideqA man on the run from police during a high-speed chase has turned himself in because he couldnt stand the swarming mosquitoes he faced when he leaped into a field.

A thief was allegedly caught on CCTV helping himself to three bottles of Jagermeister from a grocery store in the US town on Campellsport, Wisconsin.

The store manager told police he recognised the man loading a cart with almost $2000 worth of alcohol to be the same person who had allegedly stolen from the store three times before, so he chased the thief out of the store, WDJT-CBS reported.

John Wilson, on the run from police during a high-speed chase, turned himself in because he couldnt stand the swarming mosquitoes. Source: Campbellsport Police Department

The man jumped into his waiting getaway car and the driver, identified as John Wilson, sped away, sparking a five-kilometre chase.

The pursuit came to an abrupt end when the driver parked his car and ran into a cornfield to hide.

What he probably didnt anticipate were the hordes of vicious mosquitoes, following recent rain and flooding.

The cornfield the man leaped into was filled with mosquitoes following recent rain and flooding. Source: Getty Images

The bugs were too much for the driver, who was forced to surrender about an hour later, rather than remain at large while contending with the swarming mosquitoes, however the alcohol thief managed to get away.

When we handcuffed him he asked us to wipe his forehead because he had 15-20 mosquitoes on his forehead at that time, said Chief Thomas Dornbrook, of the Campbellsport Police Department.

Police are still looking for the alcohol bandit, but Wilson was charged with fleeing officers, retail theft and obstructing an officer.Bahrain's attorney general charged nearly 170 people on Tuesday with forming a Shiite "terrorist organisation" named for Lebanon's famed militant group Hezbollah. The small but strategic Gulf Arab kingdom has been dogged by persistent low-level violence since 2011 when its Sunni minority rulers bloodily suppressed Shiite-led protests for a constitutional monarchy with an elected prime minister. The authorities have repeatedly accused Shiite Iran and it allies, including Hezbollah, of fomenting the unrest. Iran denies the charge. Attorney general Ahmad al-Hamadi said 169 people, 111 of whom are in custody, will be tried for "forming a terrorist organisation... under the name Bahrain Hezbollah" in collaboration with the Iranian intelligence services. Hamadi did not specify when the trial would open or when the defendants had been arrested. But he said some of them were accused of travelling abroad to receive training in weapons and explosives from Iran and its regional allies. Analysts have expressed scepticism about previous Bahraini allegations of Iranian and Hezbollah involvement. Hezbollah is one of the best trained and equipped militant groups in the world, while most of the Bahrain violence has consisted of throwing stones and petrol bombs at police patrols or planting crude pipe bombs. The authorities have closed most peaceful avenues for protest, banning the main Shiite movement Al-Wefaq, which was the largest bloc in parliament, and throwing dozens of its leaders behind bars. They and their Gulf Arab allies have also blacklisted Hezbollah as a "terrorist organisation" and banned their citizens from any contact with the group or its members. The crackdown has drawn periodic criticism from Western governments but the kingdom's strategic position just across the Gulf from Iran makes it a key ally. The islands are home to the US Fifth Fleet and house a new British naval base completed earlier this year. Bahrain, which has been dogged by low-level violence since its Sunni rulers crushed Shiite-led protests for an elected government in 2011, has charged 169 people with forming a "terrorist" cell named for Lebanese Shiite militant group HezbollahIslamabad Sept 25: The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League, and former Convener of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, has expressed concern over the belligerent attitude of India, cancella of talks with Pakistan, war slogans, savagery, killings of innocent youth in Sumlar Bandipora, Kupwara with desecration of their dead bodies, cow vigilantism and mob-lynching of Muslims across India as dreadful signs for peace, peaceful resolution of political disputes especially Kashmir, flourishing of trade and civilization, and scientific

developmental activities in the under-developed world.

He said, The core issue of the region is how to grant the right of

self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and stop human

rights violations by police and army of India in the region. The UN has a road-map in the form of fundamental resolutions of the Security Council and its in the best interests of peace and stability in the region that the world body brings together all the three parties to find out a peaceful resolution to stop blood-shed and de escalate tension between the warring nuclear states in Asia. The UN should restart its mission here at the earliest in the interest of a mass of humanity in our unfortunate part of the world.The struggle to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a "perfect storm" of challenges, including rebel violence and pre-election manipulation, the UN said Tuesday. Attacks by armed opposition groups in North Kivu province hit by the outbreak have risen in recent weeks, including a deadly raid in the town of Beni that forced the World Health Organization to suspend its work, the agency's emergency response chief, Peter Salama, told reporters. Meanwhile, pre-existing fears and misconceptions about the virus are being exploited by politicians ahead of DRC's highly-contentious December vote, leading to increased mistrust of health workers among the population, Salama added. "We are now extremely concerned that several factors may be coming together over the next weeks to months to create a perfect storm," he said. "The response at this stage is at a critical juncture." Salama further warned that the geographical spread of the outbreak was expanding, notably to border areas, with Uganda now facing "an imminent threat." The outbreak, the 10th in DRC's history, has killed 100 people since being declared on August 1 in the eastern part of North Kivu, the WHO said. - 'Conspiracy theories' - The Congolese army has blamed the Allied Democratic Forces -- an Islamist rebel movement born in western Uganda -- for the Saturday attack in the flashpoint town of Beni that killed at least 21 people. Salama said the community had called for a period of protest and mourning through Friday. "That basically means for the UN family including WHO (there is) a lockdown in Beni. Our operations are in effect suspended," he added. Beni is a key hub for WHO's North Kivu operations. Being on lockdown there, even for a few days, prevents health workers from the crucial work of tracking people who may have come into contact with Ebola, Salama warned. He also noted that other communities in the area, like in the town of Butembo, have also considered declaring several days of mourning to show solidarity with those in Beni. "This has the potential to spiral," Salama said. "As the days go on, if we do see unsafe burials that can't be responded to, if we do see symptomatic people that can't be accessed, we can see this situation deteriorating very quickly." DRC is also on edge three months ahead of planned elections to replace President Joseph Kabila. Salama stressed that while most people remained open to health workers, there has been a spread of "conspiracy theories" that Ebola is part of a government plot or a sinister money-making scheme, which have curbed WHO's access to civilians. The struggle to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a "perfect storm" of challenges, the UN saysFifty-eight migrants aboard the Aquarius rescue ship will be taken to Malta and from there to France, Germany, Portugal and Spain, after a deal was reached to defuse the latest row over the fate of people rescued in the Mediterranean. The migrants will "disembark in international waters", Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted from the UN General Assembly in New York. They will be taken to Malta and "immediately redistributed" to the four countries, a government spokesman said, amid a brewing crisis over their fate. "The operation will take place as soon as logistically possible," the spokesman said. The migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast by the Aquarius, a ship run by charity SOS Mediterranee. The Aquarius passengers include 17 women and 18 minors, many of whom are exhausted and in psychological distress, the NGO said. France will take 18 of those onboard, while Germany and Spain will each welcome 15, a French government source told AFP. Portugal will take 10. A dog called Bella was also rescued with the migrants, in what the NGO said was a first. The Aquarius -- the last civilian rescue boat in the Mediterranean -- had said it was heading for Marseille, "its only option" after Italy's populist government refused access to its ports. But the French government had signalled it was reluctant to welcome the vessel, saying it should dock at the nearest safe port to its current location near conflict-torn Libya. Malta's announcement came after talks with the French government, Muscat said. The Aquarius will then head to Marseille "to rectify its stateless position," the government said, after Panama announced Saturday it would revoke the boat's flag registration following an Italian complaint. A similar crisis was defused in August when five different countries took in migrants the Aquarius had picked up during the treacherous Mediterranean crossing. - Migrant 'taxi service'? - The Aquarius was at the heart of a blazing diplomatic row in June when it became stranded with more than 600 migrants onboard following a refusal by Italy and Malta to take it in. It has since been repeatedly turned away by Italy and been forced to stop in Malta and Spain after missions in recent months. Under a previous deal reached in August, 141 migrants onboard the Aquarius were distributed between France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed to block the Aquarius permanently from his country's ports, accusing it of offering a "taxi service" for migrants from Libya to Europe. His government says Italy has had enough of migrants arriving by boat, with more than 700,000 landing on its shores since 2013. The numbers have dropped sharply since their peak in 2015, but the UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, has warned that the death rate during Mediterranean crossings has soared. 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. Testifying to the gruelling ordeal faced by those trying to cross the Mediterranean, Morocco's navy on Tuesday fired on a boat carrying migrants, killing a Moroccan woman and wounding three other people. The patrol was "forced" to open fire on a speedboat driven by a Spaniard who "refused to obey" orders in waters off the Moroccan region of M'diq-Fnideq, the authorities said in a statement. The Spaniard was arrested unharmed. The Aquarius has become a symbol of bitter divisions in Europe over how to share responsibility for the hundreds of thousands of people arriving by boat since 2015. French President Emmanuel Macron has clashed with the Italian government over its blocking of rescue ships, accusing it of "cynicism and irresponsibility". He faced criticism 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 of the rescued migrants. His aide on Tuesday blasted Rome for blocking a new permanent solution to manage the docking and distribution of migrants rescued by charity boats. "It's not moving forward because those who criticise the lack of French or European solidarity, starting with Italy, don't want a permanent, durable mechanism," the aide said. A handout photo by SOS Mediterranee shows migrants resting after being rescued by the Aquarius rescue ship on September 20 Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed to block the Aquarius permanently from his country's portsPope Francis on Tuesday wrapped up his tour of the Baltic region, neighbouring Russia, by slamming those who "hurl threats about using weapons" and "deploying troops". The warning was part of a homily delivered by the pope in the Estonian capital of Tallinn during which he did not mention Moscow directly. But Estonia and its fellow Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania have been spooked by Russia since its annexation of Crimea and the subsequent conflict in eastern Ukraine. "The relationship between Russia, Estonia and NATO is one way to interpret this speech," said Erkki Bahovski, editor-in-chief of the foreign affairs magazine Diplomaatia. "However, I think that the pope was speaking rather of personal freedom when he mentioned slavery to consumerism and individualism," he told AFP. Estonian journalist Evelyn Kaldoja for her part said "to me it's clear he's speaking about Russia." Russia frequently holds military exercises near the borders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Its planes also sometimes approach Baltic airspace, requiring NATO jets to be scrambled to intercept the aircraft. The pope said Tuesday that it is important to "listen and seek", but added that "these days, we may think that the strength of a people is measured by other means." "Some people speak in a loud voice... Others shout and hurl threats about using weapons, deploying troops and implementing strategies. That way they appear to be stronger," he said. "Underlying this attitude is a rejection of ethics and, as such, a rejection of God." - Wary of Russia - Not once did the pope mention Russia during his public appearances in the Baltic states over the last four days. But some Russian Catholics came to see him in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas over the weekend, while on Tuesday a Russian song was played for the pope during his meeting with youths at a Lutheran cathedral in Estonia. Vatican diplomats have been trying for years to no avail to arrange a papal visit to Russia. However the pope did meet with President Vladimir Putin in Rome in 2015 and with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill in Cuba a year later. For many Baltic Christians, Russia is a cause for concern. "We are right next to Russia, and we cannot not fear them. The fear is there," Lithuanian archbishop Sigitas Tamkevicius had told reporters over the weekend. The now 79-year-old had been arrested by the Soviet regime and imprisoned for having founded and edited the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania. "Our neighbour is very difficult to understand," he said of Russia, but added that he is reassured by the NATO troops stationed in Lithuania. Even some Western troops turned out on their own time to see the pope hold mass in the Baltics: Belgian soldiers in Lithuania, Canadians in Latvia and British troops in Estonia. The pope's visit to the Baltic states comes as they each celebrate 100 years of a sometimes precarious independence. Occupied by Nazi Germany, then by the Soviets for nearly half a century, the Baltic trio are now tied to the west as an EU and NATO member. "We have overcome the occupation. We know what it means to stand in front of tanks with a prayer," Lithuanian bishop Kestutis Kevalas said in Kaunas over the weekend. "Today we need encouragement and hope so that our freedom project does not come to an end halfway." Pope Francis leads a mass at Liberty Square in Tallinn on TuesdayA search is underway for three missing girls who were last seen on the Gold Coast two days ago.

Two of the girls, aged 13 and 14, travelled to Coomera to meet up with the third girl, aged 11, about 9.30am on Sunday.

The trio then left the area and it is unknown where they intended to travel, but the trio had been known to travel on trains.

The missing 13-year-old girl has short black curly hair and was last seen wearing a light pink Everlast hooded jumper. Source: Queensland Police Service

Police have released pictures of the girls in the hope someone may recognise them and alert authorities about where they are.

The 11-year-old is described as Caucasian, about 150cm tall with a proportionate build, long brown hair and blue eyes.

She was last seen wearing a baggy tie-dyed shirt, black tracksuit pants, Nike runners and carrying a black Nike bag.

The missing 14-year-old girl was last seen wearing a black Everlast hooded jumper with a camouflage logo, black leggings and black Nike shoes, and was also carrying a Nike backpack. Source: Queensland Police Service

The 13-year-old is described as 165cm tall with a slim build and tanned complexion.

She has short black curly hair and was last seen wearing a light pink Everlast hooded jumper, long black leggings, blue Nike shoes and a pink polka dot backpack.

The 14-year-old is described as 170cm tall with a slim build, fair complexion and long black hair.

The pair were on their way to meet the 11-year-old (pictured) at Coomera, last seen wearing a baggy tie-dyed shirt, black tracksuit pants. Source: Queensland Police Service

She was last seen wearing a black Everlast hooded jumper with a camouflage logo, black leggings and black Nike shoes, and was also carrying a Nike backpack.

Police hold concerns for their safety and well-being and are urging the girls, or anyone who has any information in relation to their current whereabouts, to contact them.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Policelink on 131 444, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the online reporting page.Donald Trump, whose political ascent has been full of firsts, on Tuesday achieved another rare feat -- bringing laughter to the solemn UN General Assembly. Delivering his address to the annual gathering of UN heads of state, Trump began in the hyperbolic style of a domestic campaign as he boasted of his record. "In less than two years, my administration has achieved more than any administration in the history of our country," Trump boasted, little more than a month before US congressional elections. As assembled global dignitaries started to chuckle, Trump interrupted his prepared remarks and insisted, "So true." With the laughter audible, Trump smiled and said, "I didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay." He proceeded to tout low US unemployment before proceeding with the rest of his address, a hardline defense of the US right to act on its own without bowing to global rules. Trump urged international pressure against Iran, after he annoyed European allies by withdrawing from an agreement on curbing Tehran's nuclear program, and lashed out at the OPEC cartel over oil prices and China over the imbalance in trade. Light moments are exceedingly unusual in the UN General Assembly, which follows a strict protocol in with each world leader is escorted to the rostrum for an address on issues of the day. In 2015, Zimbabwe's then 91-year-old strongman Robert Mugabe was met with laughter when he shouted "We are not gays!," part of his longstanding insistence that homosexuality is non-African. US President Donald Trump sparked laughter at the normally staid UN General Assembly debate when boasted that his administration had achieved more than any other in US historyPresident Donald Trump said Tuesday he had no plans to meet with Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations "despite requests" to do so. "Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!" Trump tweeted just hours before both leaders were set to speak at the UN General Assembly, and four months after the US president ditched the Iran nuclear deal. Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in May to the dismay of European allies, Russia and China which had invested years in negotiations to achieve a milestone agreement on keeping Iran's nuclear ambitions in check. Rouhani earlier said that as a precondition for any dialogue, Trump would need to repair the damage done by exiting the nuclear deal. "That bridge must be rebuilt," he told NBC news. The United States maintains that it is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran which it accuses of sowing chaos in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. In his General Assembly address, Rouhani was to stress that Iran continues to stick to the 2015 deal and portray the United States as a pariah for breaking its international commitments. On the opening day of the General Assembly debate, Trump and Rouhani are to take their turn at the podium four months after the US president ditched the Iran nuclear dealAnother acid attack, 30-yr-old woman falls victim in Nawalparasi

A girl has sustained serious injuries after she was attacked with acid and knife in Kawasoti of East-Nawalparasi.President Donald Trump on Wednesday faced a rebuke of his hardline Iran policy at a UN Security Council meeting that laid bare a rift between the United States and other world powers. Presiding for the first time over a meeting of the United Nations' body, Trump denounced the "horrible, one-sided" nuclear deal with Iran that he ditched in May, to the dismay of European allies. A gavel-wielding Trump also took a swipe at China, accusing Beijing of working against his Republican Party in upcoming midterm elections as payback for their growing trade war, a charge China's foreign minister said was "unwarranted." The United States has moved to reimpose sanctions that had been lifted under the deal to curb Iran's nuclear program and has vowed to isolate Tehran, which it accuses of stoking conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. France however hit back, with President Emmanuel Macron declaring that concerns about Iran cannot be tackled with "a policy of sanctions and containment." Also defending the 2015 deal which was endorsed in a Security Council resolution, British Prime Minister Teresa May said it "remains the best means of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon." Trump argued that since the deal was signed in 2015, "Iran's aggression only increased" and that funds released from the lifting of sanctions had been used "to support terrorism, build nuclear-capable missiles and foment chaos." China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that the "rights of all countries to trade with Iran should be respected" after the European Union said a special payment system would be set up to keep alive business ties with Iran. Iran did not request to speak at the council meeting, but Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told a news conference separately that the United States would eventually rejoin the nuclear deal and pledged Tehran's continued commitment to the accord. "For the first time, the US president was asking other members not to adhere to a resolution of the very same Security Council over which he was presiding," quipped Rouhani. "We are not isolated; America is isolated," he said. Wednesday's meeting highlighted divisions between the United States and its European allies over the Iran nuclear deal, but there was also sharp criticism of Trump's broader foreign policy. Leftist Bolivian President Evo Morales bluntly declared that "the United States does not care about human rights or justice." If that were not the case, he argued, "it would not abandon the UN human rights council or separate migrant children from their families and put them in jail." - 'Unwarranted' accusations - In a blunt attack on China, Trump told the council that Beijing was attempting to interfere in the upcoming elections, hoping to see him suffer a setback because of his tough line on trade. "They do not want me or us to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade," said Trump. The Republicans could lose control of both the Senate and House of Representatives in November's elections, further imperiling Trump's chances of chalking up legislative achievements. The Chinese foreign minister responded flatly that Beijing strictly adhered to a policy of non-interference. "We did not and will not interfere in any country's domestic affairs. We refuse to accept any unwarranted accusations against China," said Wang. Tensions have soared between Beijing and Washington after Trump this week slapped new tariffs covering $200 billion in Chinese goods exported to the United States. On North Korea, Trump called for sanctions to be strictly enforced against Pyongyang -- a message directed at Russia and China which are pushing for an easing of punitive measures to reward North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Without naming countries, the US president noted that "some nations are already violating UN sanctions" including illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil and said compliance was "very important." His comments came shortly before his top diplomat, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, signaled that he would return to North Korea next month to push forward denuclearization talks. It was only the third time in UN history that a US president chaired a Security Council meeting. Barack Obama presided over two meetings in 2009 and 2014. US President Donald Trump, seen here conferring with US ambassador Nikki Haley, chaired a UN Security Council meeting on counter-proliferation, using it to attack Iran French President Emmanuel Macron, reflecting divisions with Washington, warns at a UN Security Council meeting that Iran policy cannot be reduced to sanctions and containmentTurkish troop reinforcements entered Syria's rebel bastion of Idlib on Tuesday, an AFP correspondent reported, a week after a deal between Ankara and Moscow averted a government offensive. Around 35 military vehicles travelled south down the main highway near the town of Saraqib after midnight. The convoy was accompanied by pro-Ankara rebels of the National Liberation Front (NLF), who control part of the enclave on the Turkish border. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the forces deployed to several Turkish positions around the northwestern province. Since last year, Turkish troops have manned 12 monitoring positions in the rebel zone under a de-escalation agreement between Turkey, Russia and fellow regime ally Iran. Last week, Ankara and Moscow announced a new agreement for a demilitarised zone along the horse-shoe shaped front line between the rebels and government troops. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, controls more than half of the rebel zone, while NLF fighters hold sway over most of the rest. The agreement gives Turkey the responsibility to ensure that all fighters in the planned demilitarised zone hand over their heavy weapons by October 10 and that the more radical among them withdraw by October 15. The agreement also provides for Turkish and Russian troops patrol the buffer zone. Last week, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey would have to send reinforcements to provide the numbers needed to conduct the patrols. The Syrian civil war has killed more than 360,000 people and displaced millions since it erupted with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011. Turkish troop reinforcements travel south through the Syrian rebel bastion of Idlib on September 25, 2018 to provide the troop numbers required to patrol a buffer zone between the rebels and government forces agreed by Ankara and Moscow last weekTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday sharply criticized the use of economic sanctions "as weapons" in his address to the United Nations, in an implicit swipe at the United States. "None of us can remain silent to the arbitrary cancellation of commercial agreements, the spreading prevalence of protectionism and the use of economic sanctions as weapons," Erdogan told the UN General Assembly. Ties between Washington and Ankara hit a low in August when President Donald Trump announced steep new tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum in response to the detention of an American pastor in Turkey. The Turkish lira has taken a beating on the currency market, sparking fears in Turkey of a full-blown economic crisis. "Nobody wants the world to experience a new economic rupture," said Erdogan. He did not accuse the United States directly but pointed to "countries that are persistently trying to create chaos." "It is very easy to create chaos but it's difficult to re-establish order, and today some countries are persistently trying to create chaos." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday he was hopeful Turkey would release this month the American pastor, Andrew Brunson, who has been detained for nearly two years on terror charges. Erdogan urged world leaders to crack down on followers of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Turkish preacher whom the president has accused of backing a failed coup in 20016 and considers the leader of a terror organization. Calling once again for his extradition, Erdogan alleged that Gulen was living in Pennsylvania "in a very well-off fashion." Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticizes the use of sanctions "as weapons" in his address to the UN General AssemblyLawyers in Britain battling the extradition of a prominent Turkish businessman said Tuesday the case was part of "a state-directed pogrom" by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hugo Keith, representing exiled mining and media tycoon Akin Ipek and two other wanted Turkish nationals, told a British court that charges they helped finance a 2016 coup attempt in the country were "absurd" and "politically driven". "(The charges) are a direct and deliberate consequence of a state-directed pogrom," Keith told judge John Zani, who will rule on the case after hearing legal arguments this week. "It is a pogrom... because they're being tried on trumped up charges." Keith said he will also highlight the risk of additional charges being later added and argue the Turkish judiciary is no longer independent. "There is no due process in Turkey," he said. "The institution of the judiciary is so compromised it offers no protection against the apparatus of the state which has descended into near-fascist ignominy." Ipek, the head of the Koza-Ipek media conglomerate, was arrested in Britain in May following a request from Ankara. He faces charges of funding "terrorist" enterprises linked to US-exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, a one-time Erdogan ally turned arch-foe blamed for the failed putsch. Gulen, based in the United States, denies involvement. "All the reality is going to appear," Ipek said outside court, adding "the questions will be answered". The tycoon reportedly fled Turkey on a private jet to Britain in 2015. His conglomerate has since been targeted, with its assets seized and numerous employees charged, Keith said. Turkish prosecutors issued 65 arrest warrants in December 2015 as part of a vast probe into suspected so-called Gulenists, according to Anadolu, Turkey's state-run international news agency. They initially requested his extradition for "attempting to overthrow the Turkish government" and "violating the constitution", and involvement in a terrorist organisation, Anadolu reported. But the majority of those charges were blocked at an earlier hearing in Britain, leaving only several charges related to fundraising. Keith said Tuesday that Ankara would likely reinstate the charges -- which could carry a life sentence in Turkey -- if his client was returned. He noted Ipek was currently on trial there in absentia for various charges, which had not been disclosed to British authorities. "The paranoid world in which elements of the Turkish government live, you simply can't take at face value what's being said," Keith added. Britain's prosecution service, which processes extradition requests, declined to comment. Ipek was arrested in May following a request from AnkaraThe United States said Monday it had found evidence of systematic violence by Myanmar's military against the Rohingya minority, including widespread killings and rape. The State Department released the report just as the United States announced $185 million in new funding for Rohingya refugees during a meeting at the United Nations on Myanmar. The State Department study, based on interviews in April with 1,024 Rohingya adults who have taken refuge in neighboring Bangladesh, provided accounts consistent with reports from human rights groups but kept largely to dispassionate descriptions of events. The report notably avoided using the terms genocide or ethnic cleansing to describe the mass killings of the Rohingya, a mostly Muslim group concentrated in Rakhine state that is despised by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and who are not considered citizens. "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," said the report by the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. "The scope and scale of the military's operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated," it said. "In some areas, perpetrators used tactics that resulted in mass casualties, for example locking people in houses to burn them, fencing off entire villages before shooting into the crowd or sinking boats full of hundreds of fleeing Rohingya." - Most see killings, rape - The report said that 82 percent of the interviewed refugees personally witnessed killings, with 51 percent also reporting sexual violence. The State Department said that witnesses hailing from multiple villages reported similar rapes, in which military men would force all the women to leave their homes. "They would then choose a smaller number of women -- often four or five, but some refugees reported up to 20 -- whom as many 15 soldiers would then take to fields, forests, houses, schools, mosques or latrines to gang rape," it said. "Many victims were reportedly killed afterward, though not in all cases," it said, adding that soldiers in some cases would go door to door to find the "'prettiest' girls" to gang-rape. In an overwhelming 88 percent of cases, the witnesses said that the military was behind atrocities. Few said they saw attacks against them by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the Islamic militant group whose assaults on military posts in October 2016 triggered the crackdown. The violence in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was unleashed soon after the country transitioned to democracy, undermining what Western governments had hailed as a triumph of engagement. The campaign against the Rohingya has especially tarnished the international reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi, the long-detained democracy advocate and Nobel laureate who has been reticent in addressing the violence. - Help for refugees - More than 700,000 Rohingya have taken refuge in Bangladesh, fearful of returning to Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries. Meanwhile, Britain hosted a meeting of about a dozen foreign ministers that was also attended by Myanmar's Minister for the Office of State Counsellor Kyaw Tint Swe and International Cooperation Minister Kyaw Tin, although Suu Kyi did not come to New York. Fresh from a visit to Myanmar, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that military leaders must answer for any atrocities committed against the Rohingya. "If, in a year's time, we have not made a meaningful difference to the lives of the million or more people affected, then we have failed as an international community," Hunt told the closed meeting, according to the spokesperson. US Ambassador Nikki Haley announced the $185 million for food, water, health care and other critical aid to the refugees, even as the United States dramatically scales back its admission of refugees. Japan, which has pursued close ties with the country whose former junta was allied with China, urged Myanmar to create conditions for the refugees' return but also called for support of the civilian government. Foreign Minister Taro Kono "emphasized that democracy in Myanmar is still in a very preliminary stage and, in order for Myanmar not to backtrack to its former military regime, the support of the international community is necessary," spokesman Takeshi Osuga said. Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing was recently quoted in a newspaper as telling his troops that no country, organization or group has the "right to interfere in and make decisions over sovereignty of a country." The UN, along with the US and its Western allies, have accused Myanmar's military of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Muslim RohingyaThe United States on Tuesday urged Hong Kong to allow freedom of expression as it voiced concern over a ban on the pro-independence party. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement said the United States was "concerned" by the ban on the Hong Kong National Party, a first since Britain handed back the trading port 21 years ago to China which assured it would allow semi-autonomy. "The US supports the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association," Pompeo said. "These are core values we share with Hong Kong, and that must be vigorously protected," added Pompeo who is in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly. Hong Kong said it was upholding a request from the police to ban the tiny party -- whose core membership is only around a dozen people -- in the interest of preserving public order. Britain also said it was "concerned" about the move, while stressing that it did not advocate independence for the city. China voiced "strong dissatisfaction" over foreign criticism, calling on countries not to interfere in Hong Kong or Chinese affairs. US Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo voices US "concern" over Hong Kong's ban of a pro-independence partyA drought-stricken farmer says an enormous weight has been lifted off his shoulders after he scooped up a $200,000 lottery win.

The Singleton man, who wishes to remain anonymous, admitted he and his family  who live in the town more than 200km north of Sydney  had been hit hard by the drought that has crippled large parts of the state this year.

Weve been going through the drought and things are a bit tough at the moment weve been hanging in there, he said.

But that pain was eased on Friday night when he claimed the first prize in the Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot draw.

The Singleton farmer said the $200,000 has lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. Image: AAP (file image)

When asked how he planned to spend his Lucky Lotteries windfall, the grateful winner revealed it would provide much-needed funds to support his drought-ridden farm.

We raise cattle for the markets and it has been tough as a lot of our dams have been drying up, he explained.

We are just like anyone who wins money really  everyone can use it towards something. But up here, in the drought, it has come at a great time.

The farmer said they were on the verge of requesting government assistance, but no longer need to anymore.

Its absolutely brilliant. Weve been looking at a new water tank and a water bore, so we will be implementing a lot of water-saving devices that weve had in mind, he said.

It will basically be our own drought relief.

The winning ticket was purchased from entry from Singleton Discount Drug Store.SYRACUSE  With the Violence Against Women Act authorization set to expire Sunday, U.S. Rep. John Katko and central New York advocates are calling for a long-term renewal of the 1994 law that provides protections and services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Katko, R-Camillus, held a press conference Tuesday at Vera House in Syracuse to urge members of both parties to support a multi-year reauthorization instead of a short-term extension, which could create uncertainty for agencies and survivors.

Earlier this month, Katko was the lead signer of a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan requesting a vote on a long-term reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

There have been short-term proposals offered, including a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik that would extend the current version of the Violence Against Women Act for six more months. But there has been no indication, Katko explained, that a long-term reauthorization will be considered before the Sunday deadline.

"That's very troubling to me," he said.

The Violence Against Women Act was signed into law in 1994 and supports an array of programs for domestic and sexual violence survivors. Later versions of the measure sought to improve security for victims, including a provision that ensures orders of protection are recognized by all states.

VAWA, as its known for short, was last reauthorized in 2013. The five-year renewal of the bill is set to expire at the end of the month.

Randi Bregman, executive director of Vera House, said the Violence Against Women Act has helped her organization receive more than $1 million in funding over the last decade to support programs and services.

Vera House has used the funding to ensure immigrants and refugees have access to legal services, aid elder abuse response efforts and bolster the agency's men's outreach program.

Bregman is hopeful that Congress will act and pass a long-term reauthorization.

"It will let survivors know that they have been heard, that people care," she said.

One of those survivors is Jolie Moran, the outreach and advocacy program coordinator at Vera House. Moran, a rape survivor, said she has observed the importance of the Violence Against Women Act.

The 1994 law, she continued, provides dedicated federal funding for services and helps support places like Vera House across the country.

"For many, VAWA is the difference between life and death," Moran said. "Protecting people from violence should be a priority and a bipartisan issue."

As of Tuesday, it doesn't appear a long-term reauthorization is likely. There are only 12 days remaining on the House of Representatives' session calendar before the election.

One Republican, U.S. Rep. Ted Poe of Texas, has introduced a bill that would reauthorize several provisions of the Violence Against Women Act for one year. The legislation has no cosponsors, however.

A separate bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, has 163 cosponsors  all Democrats. Lee's proposal would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act for another five years.

There's a strong possibility a short-term spending bill will include language to extend the Violence Against Women Act until after the election, which could give Congress more time to develop a long-term reauthorization.

"A long-term reauthorization of this important measure will save lives, protect children and prevent future victims of domestic and sexual violence," Katko said. "Vera House deserves a strengthened, comprehensive and reliable authorization. We cannot continue to kick (the can) down the road with a short-term extension."

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Cooley is described on his Facebook page as "the happiest redneck SOB you ever did meet," and has been featured on the Comedy Central show "Tosh.0." Ginger Billy is described on his page as "a hillbilly from the backwoods turned comedian."My grandfather was brutal when he got drunk. My father and his brothers and sisters tried to make themselves invisible when he arrived back on the farm after one of his binges. I remember seeing the scars on my fathers back 40 years later from whippings inflicted at such times.

During his periods of sobriety, my grandfather was a hard worker and, with the help of his growing family, a successful sharecropper. But before long, drinking would get him into trouble and the family would pick up and move yet again to a different community. It was an unstable life of violence and poverty. By the time he was in his 40s, alcohol had begun to take a physical toll. His ankles were swollen, his skin had a yellow cast and he was beginning to have episodes of confusion, even when sober.

All that changed one evening when he and some drinking buddies decided to go and try to disrupt a revival meeting by a new preacher in town. Instead, my grandfather experienced a profound conversion, was born again and healed. He never took another drink for the remaining 44 years of his life. And he became a preacher himself, as did four of his children who witnessed this conversion.

Evangelical Christians value the kind of experience my grandfather had as a core of the faith. For other followers of the Christian faith, however, salvation and redemption are seen as the fruits of long-term spiritual work and discipline. Either way, there is ample evidence that such transformations occur.

Most of us can think of people around us in need of some kind of transformation. Among friends, family and neighbors, there is no shortage of people struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction or feelings of meaninglessness. Some may find an answer in one kind of spiritual awakening or another. But for others, this kind of change in faith may not be persuasive. So are there other contexts in which dramatic change sometimes occurs?

I want to discuss four experiences that may be more or less sudden, more or less dramatic, but often decisive. These might provide clues to understanding the dynamics of change. These four are: falling in love, military service, recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous, and near-death experiences.

I recall a neighbor of my childhood going on about how he had been lost out in sin and sloth until the most beautiful woman in the universe appeared, who had now been his bride for over 40 years. He loved the ancient Chinese quote: Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

A colleague of mine tells the story of a teenage girl who had been in and out of juvenile court and drug rehabilitation, and had attempted suicide several times. It had apparently never occurred to her that military service might be an option for a girl, and when my colleague suggested it, she was intrigued. She took the steps necessary to qualify and was able to join up within a year. As her father later said, she left home a deeply troubled girl and came back a confident, self-assured young woman.

Long-term members of Alcoholics Anonymous refer to their earliest date of sobriety as their birthday, echoing the concept of being born again. But in contrast, much of the work of redemption is seen as an ongoing disciplined commitment to sobriety, rigorous honesty, working the 12 steps and helping other alcoholics.

The experiences of people brought back from the edge of death have been extensively studied in recent decades. There is dispute concerning the nature of the experience itself. Seeing a white light or deceased loved ones, or reporting out-of-body visions, are questionable. But there is little doubt that many of these people are changed dramatically and irrevocably.

These experiences have some common elements. First, none of them involve purely rational decision-making. They are experienced as a more or less involuntary calling. Second, people describe themselves as newly and vividly experiencing the fullness of life. And most importantly, they all involve turning ones life over to something beyond oneself: Jesus, the beloved, country, the higher power of AA, or an experience of the beyond itself.

Perhaps the best any of us can do is try to remain true to whatever light we have glimpsed from time to time, share that with those around us and stay prepared to answer the call that may be waiting just around the corner at any age.

Dr. Victor Garlock holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is the author of "Your Genius Within: Sleep, Dream Interpretation & Hypnosis." He was a professor of psychology at Cayuga Community College for over 30 years. He currently is offering individual hypnosis sessions as well as personal counseling at The Center, a holistic health center and spa located in Auburn. For more information, call (315) 704-0319 or visit thecenter4wellness.com.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0Arrest warrant issued for Pappu Construction Chairman Rauniyar

The District Police Office Rautahat has issued an arrest warrant for the chairman of Pappu Construction, Sumit Rauniyar, holding the company responsible for a boat capsize incident last month.AUBURN  An Auburn teen pleaded guilty Tuesday for setting a fire that destroyed an abandoned building in the spring.

Michael Couturier, 16, admitted to Cayuga County Court Judge Mark Fandrich that on April 21, he entered a vacant structure located at 23 Perrine St. and lit a fire. The building, once home to Auburn Container, was so badly damaged that the city of Auburn had to issue an emergency demolition order and tear the structure down shortly after the fire.

"I went into the building and started a fire," Couturier said. "It got out of control. I didn't really mean to burn the building."

Couturier and another unnamed teen were arrested shortly after the fire was set and Couturier was charged with fourth-degree arson and trespassing. He has been held in the Cayuga County Jail since his arrest in April.

In exchange for Couturier pleading guilty to fourth-degree arson, a class D felony, Fandrich promised to sentence the teen to a term of shock probation, followed by five years of probation with credit for time served, meaning that after he is sentenced on Dec. 18, he will be released to the custody of a parent or guardian.

Couturier's defense attorney, Joseph Sapio, said the teen's mother's home is not an appropriate environment for him to be living in. Sapio indicated that Couturier only began to get into trouble once he moved in with his mother after his father went to prison. The teen's father is now out of prison and on parole, Sapio said, and it would be best for Couturier to go live with his father.

"When his father was incarcerated in state prison, his mother ended up receiving placement of Michael and that's kind of when the wheels fell off and here we are," Sapio said.

Fandrich said he was not sure if it would be appropriate for the teen to live with his father or whether his father's parole conditions would allow him to care for his son. The judge asked Couturier and Sapio to return to court next week so the teen's housing situation could be further discussed.

"I just want to have a safe place for him to go," Fandrich said.

Also in court

 A convicted sex offender was sentenced to serve more prison time after failing to register his change of address.

In October 2017, 41-year-old Roderick G. Henry II, a Level 2 sex offender, did not report his change of address from 13 Garrow St. to 50 Delevan St. in Auburn. He pleaded guilty to the charge in June in exchange for Fandrich promising to sentence him to one year in the county jail. However, Henry did not appear for his scheduled sentencing date on Aug. 21 because he was in North Carolina. Henry claimed he was in the state to attend to "urgent family matters" but he did not alert the court that he had left New York.

He turned himself into North Carolina authorities and was extradited back to Cayuga County.

Henry argued that he had always complied with the terms of his supervision and forgot to register his new address with the probation department only because he was undergoing cancer treatment at the time.

In court Tuesday, Fandrich said he would no longer honor his sentence promise because Henry fled the state. He sentenced the sex offender to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison.

Staff writer Natalie Brophy can be reached at (315)282-2239 or natalie.brophy@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @brophy_natalie.

Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.The president has nominated western New York businesswoman Jane Corwin to replace Lana Pollack as the U.S. Section Chair of the International Joint Commission. Everything about her appointment makes it clear that President Trump is continuing his efforts to elevate politics over sound science in every aspect of governmental policy making.

Ms. Corwin, hand-picked by New York Congressman Chris Collins, has made it clear she meets his one criteria for the position. She is on record as "wanting to re-examine Plan 2014."

In that simple statement she evidences several dis-qualifiers. Among them  a lack of understanding of the extensive research and science behind the plan, and a lack of understanding of how the Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence River system works and is affected by weather, a subject well covered over the last year. But, perhaps most damning given the position to which she is being appointed, her statements on Plan 2014 show a complete lack of understanding of how the International Joint Commission, bound as it is by the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty, operates.

Even though my interest is the St. Lawrence River, subject as it is to the same realities of nature and the constraints imposed by the Moses-Saunders dam that affect Lake Ontario, I believe it is inappropriate to appoint a single interest candidate to an international treaty organization with responsibilities over all the U.S. Canada boundary waters from Maine to Alaska.

Other than a brief stint on the New York Assembly Environment Committee, those failings together with her apparent lack of even a passing interest, let alone expertise in any of the many disciplines upon which IJC decisions must be made should prevent her nomination from proceeding.

Lee Willbanks

Dexter

Willbanks is a former Upper St. Lawrence riverkeeper

Love 0 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2LOS ANGELESThe Free Speech Coalition issued the following industry-wide alert Monday afternoon:

Performers should beware of a male performer-producer in Las Vegas who has been manipulating dates on his test to make it appear current.

Two female performers separately contacted the Free Speech Coalition with concerns that a male performer-producer was working with an expired test. In both cases, he produced a digitally forged paper test using manipulated dates.

In both cases, the performer left set without shooting and reported the incidents to us.

We are working with the performers, and the PASS testing centers to verify the manipulation. If the test is indeed fraudulent, the performer will be banned from PASS.

In the meantime:

Always use the online PASS database to verify testing for scene partners. Paper tests can be fraudulently manipulated. All performers who are cleared for work are verifiable in the databaseaccept no excuses.

Contact the Free Speech Coalition if you believe this performer or other has attempted to defraud you with a manipulated test.

ANY PERFORMER WHO ATTEMPTS TO SHOOT WITH A FAKED OR MANIPULATED TEST IS BANNED FROM PARTICIPATING IN PASS.

CONTACT:

Free Speech Coalition

[email protected]

818.348.9373During a Monday hearing in a Los Angeles federal courtroom, a judge strongly hinted that he would dismiss a defamation lawsuit by Stormy Daniels against Donald Trump over a Twitter posting Trump made in April of this year, according to media reports out of the hearing, which was still going at around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon.

In April, after Daniels and her lawyer Michael Avenatti revealed a forensic sketch of a man that the AVN Hall of Famer says threatened her, using Trumps name, in a Las Vegas parking lot in 2011, Trump took to Twitter to call Daniels story of the threat a total con job, and said that the man depicted in the sketch was nonexistent.

Daniels quickly sued Trump for defamation, for in effect calling her a liar. In August, as AVN.com reported, Trumps lawyers filed papers with the court saying that Trumps statements were protected as free speech.

But according to a Twitter post by New York Daily News reporter Nancy Dillon, who is covering the hearing for that paper, Judge S. James Otero told Avenatti that he feels Trumps claim was simply harmless bluster.

"In (the) court's view, it appears to be rhetorical hyperbole," Otero told Avenatti, according to Dillons report. The judge did not, however, issue a ruling or say when he would rule, according to a CNN report.

In a statement following the hearing, Avenatti blasted Trumps attempt to use the First Amendment to defend his con job statement.

This is the same Donald Trump that has crapped all over the First Amendment and the news media for years, and wants to jail journalists, Avenatti said. And yet today, in an effort to negate the ability of my client to sue him for defamation, he now wants to espouse the First Amendment. The irony associated with that is absolutely palpable.

Los Angeles Times reporter Michael Finnegan, who was also in the courtroom, said that Otero appeared to be casting strong doubts on Stormy Daniels defamation case against Trump.

The hearing was set to decide the next steps in Daniels original lawsuit against Trump, in which she seeks to be officially released from a hush agreement she signed in exchange for a $130,000 payoff, to keep quiet about a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. She signed the agreement and received the cash just days before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels has been largely ignoring the agreement for most of this year, even authoring an upcoming book in which she discusses the sexual episode with Trump is highly graphic detail.

But earlier in September Trump withdrew from the lawsuit, saying through his lawyers that he would no longer enforce the hush agreementand stating the deal was never valid in the first place, even though he had earlier countersued Daniels for a whopping $20 million, citing her repeated violations of the non-disclosure agreement.

At the Monday hearing, Trumps lawyers planned to ask Otero to dismiss Daniels hush money lawsuit, according to a report by Los Angeles TV station KTLA. But Avenatti has said that he would seek to continue the lawsuit and force Trump to sit for a sworn deposition.

Photos By Mark Nozell, Wikimedia Commons/ABC TV Screen CaptureLOS ANGELESTwistys on Tuesday announced it has signed live cam sensation and Penthouse Pet, Molly Stewart, to an exclusive performance contract to make her professional girl/girl porn debut.

Twistys has been at the top of the solo, lesbian and glamour niche since it was founded in 2001. Stewart's first scene with Twistys, Blowing Bubbles Not Boys," features the statuesque redhead with up-and-coming performer, Izzy Lush, and will be unveiled in October.

Also known on the internet as Miss Molly, the September 2017 Penthouse Pet and July 2017 Playboy Cyber Girl was going to college, working at a lingerie store and also as a stripper before she started camming in late 2012. She found MyFreeCams soon after and since then has been building a loyal fan base.

I did a lot of research when I was looking to break into professional production and Twistys was the clear standout," Stewart said. "They have some of the hottest girls, high production values and, upon contacting them, I found they have a really professional, caring team that values my opinion. This is a really good place for me to start my professional girl/girl career."

We had known about Molly for a while," said Twistys Director of Production Ryan Hogan. "What really set her apart from the rest was her entrepreneurial spirit. Shes very smart with how she handles herself as a brand. So when we found out that she was open to shooting lesbian scenes with a premium adult brand, we knew we had to make her an exclusive offer."

Stewart told AVN the transition to professional scenes is a natural progression for her.

I do live girl/girl cam shows and film my own amateur stuff so it's something that I'm comfortable with," said Stewart, who is known by her "Crew" for her flair for comedy and sense of adventure. "Its something Im pretty excited about. ... I think it would be fun to work with a lot of the actresses Ive met.

A free spirit who started out riding dirt bikes before moving up to motorcycles, Stewart has lived in seven states, spending most of her adult life in California and Washington. But the place where she grew up the most was in Michigan. She received a scholarship offer from Michigan State University to attend veterinarian school, but she decided to explore new opportunties in California.

Even though she'll be shooting multiple scenes every month, the February 2018 CAMStar remains committed to camming, too.

Ill still be camming as much as Im able to," Stewart said. "Camming I still want to pursue. Hopefully, it will draw in a new audience. I think getting your name out there is always important. Its also something I enjoy doing."

She added, I just want to say thank you Twistys for this amazing opportunity. I cant wait to see the amazing content we put out."

To connect with Molly online, find her social media and cam information here: allmylinks.com/mollystewart. Find her initial Twistys interview here.BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.Comedian, actor and troublemaker Hannibal Buress has been in the news of late for, among other things, a red carpet prank, an aborted stand-up show and a YouTube video of his Miami arrest. Over a Brooklyn breakfast, the Tag star talks his acting career, old-lady porn and how he differs from Kayne.

The JFK assassination is one of the most controversial and obsessively studied event in American history. Investigative reporter Travis Kelly discusses the relevance of the previously classified 19,045 files released by the government this past April and revisits the compelling details of November 22, 1963.

In their columns, Publisher Larry Flynt advocates for the creation of public banks; TruthDig.com Editor Robert Scheer warns of the danger in thinking that America is always virtuous when its actions are not; and political commentator Brad Friedman looks at the decisions made by Justice Anthony Kennedy prior to his retirement and their impact on his legacy.

Ukrainian beauty Nancy Ace graces this months cover along with a steamy 12-page centerfold spread. Additional layouts feature Lexie Fux, Karlie Montana, Ember Snow, Kat Monroe and more. Plus, sexpots Gia Paige, Molly Mae, Ashley Adams, and Whitney Wright take readers on a delightful romp thats all play and no work in I Did My Dads Boss, and we revisit the very wet 2004 lesbian classic Bed & Bath.

Hustler is Americas most popular adult magazine. Based in Beverly Hills, California, it has published monthly since July 1974 and continues to deliver the most naked pages of any adult publication available today.FERNDALE, Mich.Nalpac, one of Americas leading adult distributors, has announced that it has entered into an exclusive distribution partnership with Sensuous, the maker of Edge USA Delay Gel.

Edge USA Delay Gel is unique to the market, made from all-natural ingredients, containing no benzocaine or lidocaine as is typically found in competitive products, and is non-numbing. Edge USA can be applied long before required, giving the user more confidence of being in full control when they need it most. Edge has a proven track record with chart-topping sales across Australia.

We are beyond excited to partner with Edge USA to provide our customers with a naturally formulated alternative to other benzocaine- and lidocaine-based products. Edge USA is unlike anything else in the market and we encourage all retailers to add this to their shelves, said Andy Craig, Nalpac chief operating officer.

The effects of Edge USA are not just about staying power; Edge USA also provides a much greater build-up during sex resulting in the ultimate orgasm. Edge USA is made in the USA for the USA from nature's finest sexually enhancing ingredients. Each Edge USA Delay Gel is 7 ml with approximately 30 applications per tube.

We are thrilled to be partnering with Nalpac, who will be exclusively distributing Edge USA. Edge is the number one best-selling product in this category in Australia. We are very excited about the opportunities that this new association brings to both companies, said Ann Reidy from Sensuous.

Those interested may learn more about Edge USA by visiting Nalpacs dedicated product page.

To place an order for Edge USA or to learn more about the product, contact a Nalpac sales rep or email [email protected]. To sign up for the Nalpac email newsletter and take advantage of the significant savings, special promotions, and sales, visit the newly redesigned Nalpac blog.

Nalpac may be followed through social media for daily updates on Twitter @NalpacWholesale, on Facebook and on Instagram @Nalpac.Bridging learning deficit

Educationally we have been a terrible under-performer'Sudurpaschim' recommended as name of Province 7, Godawari Capital

A special advisory committee formed by the Province 7 Assembly to recommend the name and capital of the province has proposed Sudurpaschim as the province name and Godawari of Kailali as its capital.The chimpanzees, for whom we have been responsible since 2015, have thrived under our care. They now receive food and water twice every day and have a constant source of fresh water provided by our team of nearly 30 staff members. Photo by Jamie Linder/The HSUS

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Last year, I traveled to Liberia where I met more than 60 chimpanzees and the amazing people who care for them at our Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge Liberia. It was deeply moving to see the chimpanzees who were used for biomedical research and endured great suffering in laboratories for decades before they were left on islands in need of emergency care; they were so resilient and it was a joy to see them thriving. And it was a true honor to meet the wonderful Liberian nationals on our team, many of whom worked hard to care for the chimpanzees during and after the civil war in Liberia and despite an acute shortage of basic resources, like food and water.

The chimpanzees, for whom we have been responsible since 2015, have thrived under our care. They now receive food and water twice every day and have a constant source of fresh water provided by our team of nearly 30 staff members.

Today, for Giving Day for Apes, I want to highlight our Liberia sanctuary, and to let you know why our commitment to lifetime sanctuary care is so important and so deserving of your support.

Each one of these animals has a unique story, of course. But during my visit I was particularly captivated by that of Bullet, who had his arm amputated because of an infected bullet fragment he received while in the wild and who was then used in biomedical research for decades. Now, he is living happily and peacefully with the rest of his family at the refuge.

Our work to protect chimpanzees in captivity and in the wild is a great source of pride for us here at the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International. Over the years we have made phenomenal gains, including our successful leadership in bringing an end to all invasive chimpanzee testing in the United States. But our work to help those animals is not over. We have much to do, to provide animals who suffered for years in research with the opportunity to retire to sanctuaries where they can finally put their feet up, make new chimpanzee friends, and experience some of the things that chimpanzees in the wild would naturally do.

Here in the United States, we have worked to relocate the first 50 retired research chimpanzees to permanent sanctuary at a program we support, called Project Chimps, located in the Blue Ridge mountains in Georgia. Were involved in a commitment with this facility to provide lifetime care to more than 200 chimpanzees who will eventually live here.

As committed and persistent as our team is in making positive change happen for chimpanzees, none of our work  and the progress we have achieved  would be possible without you. That is why, on Giving Day today, we hope you will lend your support to our project in Liberia and the chimpanzees there. Like the animals well be helping to bring to Project Chimps, and the two chimpanzee residents at our Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, the animals at Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge Liberia deserve the very best from us, and were determined to give it to them.

Giving Day for Apes is sponsored by the Arcus Foundation, which has long been dedicated to ensuring high quality care of apes in sanctuaries and conservation of apes in the wild, and the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, which works to ensure high standards of care for animals in sanctuaries. The organizers have tried making this a fun event by fostering a spirit of healthy competition between ape sanctuaries across the world. There are power hours for giving, golden tickets and leaderboard prizes, and all of them will go toward helping make the world a better place for our closest cousins.

I encourage you to watch this powerful video for a small glimpse into our ongoing work in Liberia. I feel sure that youll be just as touched as I was when I first saw these incredible animals who have survived despite tremendous odds, and are now finally leading the carefree and joyful lives they deserve. Weve come so far in our campaign to provide safe haven for the chimpanzees coming out of research uses around the world; we hope that youll want to help us do even more to give them the best and most beautiful lives possible in their new circumstances.











Donate to the Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge LiberiaThe kindness we seek to practice, the compassion we seek to instill in our young, and the protection for animals we seek to enshrine in our institutions and in our laws, speak directly to the kind of world we hope to create. Photo by iStockphoto

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Yellowstones grizzly bears cannot be hunted for trophies, a federal court ruled last night, restoring Endangered Species Act protections for these iconic animals, and shutting down plans by Wyoming and Idaho to open a trophy-hunting season  the first in the continental United States since the early 1970s  on the bears.

This great victory comes after a hard-fought, multi-year legal battle waged by Humane Society of the United States attorneys and our wildlife protection team. In June 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prematurely yanked federal ESA protections from Greater Yellowstone area grizzly bears and handed management authority to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Immediately, Wyoming and Idaho wildlife officials launched plans to allow trophy hunters to legally kill up to two dozen grizzly bears.

HSUS first filed lawsuits in state court in Montana and Wyoming, challenging the new state regulations for violating state procedural requirements. Our legal team then challenged the delisting decision in federal court on three key grounds, and the court yesterday agreed with all of them. First, the court held that the FWS illegally separated out the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population despite their connection to, and interdependence with, the other surviving populations of grizzly bears in the United States: this was the same error the FWS committed when it attempted to prematurely delist Great Lakes wolves in 2017. Second, the court found that the FWS failed to ensure that sufficient protections would remain in place to protect grizzly bears after delisting. Finally, it concluded that the delisting decision did not take into account scientific evidence indicating the precarious genetic health of this still vulnerable population.

On their own, any of these failings would constitute sufficient legal grounds to overturn the delisting. Together, they demonstrate what weve been arguing all along: that this delisting was a rush to judgment, driven by political pressure from hunting and ranching interests, that trumped the best available science and the opinion of many non-agency biologists who opposed this premature delisting. Public opinion across the nation was with the bears on this one, too.

Yesterdays victory also highlights how important the Endangered Species Act is in ensuring that Americas most imperiled wildlife  including the grizzly bears who helped spark its passage in 1973  receive the protections they deserve. But the future of this act, which the Supreme Court has called the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species ever enacted by any nation, is now in jeopardy. During the past year and a half, the administration and the 115th Congress have launched over a hundred attacks on the ESA, and in July, the Department of the Interior proposed changes that would weaken this bedrock law and make it harder to secure federal protections for endangered and threatened species.

Todays win is an important one, and it is an encouraging reminder of what can be achieved in the fight for all animals. Lets celebrate today, but lets also resolve to stand strong against unnecessary and dangerous efforts to dismantle protections for American wildlife. Wild animals need our best effort, now more than ever.Banana Boxes Donated to Texas Prison Contain $18M of Cocaine

Often dubbed "the world's most popular fruit," the banana is quite versatile. Who knew it could help smuggle cocaine? And not just a small amount. At a prison in Texas, banana boxes were used to smuggle $18 million of cocaine.

Corrections officers were unloading 45 boxes of ripe bananas donated to the Wayne Scott Unit in Texas when one noticed something odd. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, "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." When all was said and done, they had discovered 540 packages of cocaine worth about $18 million.

Bananas, Official Vehicle of Smuggled Cocaine?

Bananas have become a smuggler's paradise of late. In 2017, Spanish officials found 15.4 pounds of cocaine hidden inside 57 fake bananas coming from South America. Another 22 pounds were hidden inside the cardboard box flaps. That same year, 847 pound of cocaine were found by German police inside a banana shipment from Ecuador, though found in the packaging and not in the bananas themselves. This was close to a record for German officials, but not quite. In 2015, German officials found 850 pounds of cocaine inside banana boxes, which was worth an estimated $16.7 million at the time.

Perhaps cocaine and bananas are a marriage we should have anticipated. The main suppliers of bananas to the U.S. are Guatemala, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Honduras. According to the U.S. State Department, most of the cocaine coming into the U.S. is made in Colombia, but comes through Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. The overlap makes exporting all too easy.

Drug Trafficking Charges Are Noting to Monkey Around With

Drug trafficking, which is the unlawful selling, transportation and import of illegal drugs, is a felony. Penalties range from three to five years, to life in prison, depending on a host of factors such as the type of drug and geographic area of distribution. It's highly likely that $18 million worth of cocaine into a prison could qualify for life in prison, if the culprit is ever found.

Drug trafficking charges are no laughing matter, no matter what the amount or the location. If you or someone you love is facing drug trafficking charges, or any other drug charges, contact a local drug crime attorney to discuss your case and learn about your options moving forward.

Related Resources:CPN spokesperson Bishwokarma released

Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) spokesperson Khadga Bahadur Bishwokarma has been released on Tuesday.Watch the full interview with Kavanaugh below.

Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh has now been credibly accused by multiple women of sexual assault. He gave Fox News an "emotional" and "intimate" interview, says Fox News, with his wife Ashley Estes Kavanaugh seated beside him as the traditional long-suffering female prop.

The content of the interview was creepy, weird, and reveals a lot about how the administration will likely retaliate against Christine Blasey Ford and others who accuse Kavanaugh of serious sexual misconduct.

WATCH:

"The truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise," Kavanaugh says on Fox News Channel's "The Story with Martha MacCallum."

"I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity," the federal judge says, "I know I'm telling the truth, 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."

"I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process," Kavanaugh wrote today in an unprecedented letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa).

"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."

From the Washington Post's coverage of the widely-viewed Fox News Kavanaugh sitdown:What does a man with nothing to hide do? He runs off to a beach house in Delaware, and finds refuge amid piles of rumpled clothes and boxes of vintage Superman comics.

Mark Judge has fled Washington DC to a windswept beach home, far away from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's memory or Michael Avenatti's new gang rape claims.

Judge previously told the Senate committee he has no memory of the sexual assault incident alleged by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, and said last week while that story broke that he does not want to speak publicly.

An amazingly written and reported story about a guy we're gonna be hearing much more from soon. From Gabriel Pogrund, Caroll Leonnig, Aaron C. Davis, and Seung Min Kim at the Washington Post.

Excerpt:Attorney Michael Avenatti told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that his client, whom he describes as a "witness and a victim," is going to come forward within the next 48 hours with new allegations against Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Avenatti describes his client as a "witness and victim" and says she will make her allegations public within the next 48 hours. pic.twitter.com/RLscXvFE9y  Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) September 25, 2018

Just before the television interview, host Rachel Maddow read from what appears to be a list of questions drafted by Avenatti for witnesses of a claimed gang rape oragnized by Kavanaugh and his longtime friend and alleged drinking buddy Mark Judge.

The Supreme Court nominee is apparently going to be accused by Avenatti of participating in gang rape.

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

Kavanaugh's third accuser has received multiple government clearances, including a "secret" clearance, said Avenatti. This fact was repeated a few times, presumably to emphasize the woman's credibility.

Avenatti told Rachel Maddow that "Mark Judge and Brett Kavanaugh were joined at the hip" in their high school days.

Michael Avenatti on why Mark Judge is relevant to the Kavanaugh case pic.twitter.com/lDByu7GUb7  Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) September 25, 2018

"I'm confident that those facts and circumstances are going to be disqualifying for Brett Kavanaugh," he said tonight.

Avenatti also gave a sitdown to CNN's Chris Cuomo tonight. And, he's speaking at a political fundraiser in Los Angeles this evening. Busy guy.

@DougLInney being interviewed at the #FlipThe14 fundraiser in downtown Los Angeles, where @MichaelAvenatti is due to speak soon. pic.twitter.com/7Agi2b7M4c  Erik Larson (@eelarson) September 25, 2018

If Brett Kavanaugh has nothing to hide and claims all of this is a smear campaign than why doesn't he call his good friend Mark Judge to testify publicly before the Committee? Why isn't he pushing for Mark Judge to appear? What is he hiding? #Basta  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

Why are Mr. Davis, Sen. Grassley, etc. refusing to hear from Mark Judge. He is likely the most important witness in the process and yet they are attempting to hide his testimony and prevent the truth from emerging. He should be subpoenaed to testify NOW so the truth can be known.  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018

.@MichaelAvenatti tells Maddow he represents woman who is "a witness & victim" to Kavanaugh's sexual misconduct. He says she'll speak out before the hearing on Thursday "This woman will prove to be credible and we are hopeful that the committee will launch an FBI investigation." pic.twitter.com/a0vuqHJRtR  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 25, 2018

How is Avenatti giving live interviews on two networks at the same time? pic.twitter.com/acg0kufGyC  Jon Passantino (@passantino) September 25, 2018

@MichaelAvenatti vows he'll provide specific evidence about Kavanaugh "within the next 48 hours," including the identity of the woman accuser. He claims to @ChrisCuomo he has corroborating evidence. He says he has more than one client but just one of them wants to come forward  Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 25, 2018

Judge Kavanaugh thinks being a virgin, defined as not ever having had intercorse, is exculpatory for an allegation of attempted rape.  Justin Miller (@justinjm1) September 25, 2018

.@MichaelAvenatti explains to MSNBC's Maddow why Kavanaugh friend Mark Judge needs to go before Senate amid gang-rape allegation https://t.co/4j8CQtyr1v  Raw Story (@RawStory) September 25, 2018

Michael Avenatti says the woman, whom he represents, has multiple security clearances and will "literally risk her life'' by coming forward. https://t.co/8mPVAaikgj  USA TODAY (@USATODAY) September 25, 2018Fan Bingbing is a Chinese megastar who has also appeared in western movies like "X-Men: Days of Future Past"; she has not been seen since June and the smart money has it that she was kidnapped by China's National Supervision Commission (NSC), an "anti-corruption" task force established in 2018, with a reputation for practicing "liuzhi" or "enforced disappearances."



The NSC is the next step in Xi Jinping's longstanding practice of "disappearing" people he disapproves of, including anti-corruption activists and dissidents. Fan Bingbing is accused of tax-fraud.





People held in luizhi detention are kept in secret locations and denied contact with family or legal counsel, and often emerge after giving widely disseminated forced confessions. It's not uncommon for people to die during luizhi custody.

Alaskan Justin Schneider, 34, will serve no time for picking up a woman in his car under false pretenses, driving her to a remote location, choking her until she lost consciousness, then masturbating on her. He will not be required to register as a sex offender.

From KTVA

Anchorage Assistant District Attorney Andrew Grannik said Wednesday that Schneider lost his job working for the federal government as a result of the case, a consequence he called a "life sentence." "I hope it doesn't happen," Grannik said. "That's the reason why I made the deal that I've made, because I have reasonable expectations that it will not happen. But I would like the gentleman to be on notice that that is his one pass  it's not really a pass  but given the conduct, one might consider that it is." When given the opportunity to speak, Schneider offered no apology or recognition of the potential long-term impacts the assault might have had on his victim but highlighted the positive effects the case has had on his own life. "I would just like to emphasize how grateful I am for this process," Schneider said. "It has given me a year to really work on myself and become a better person, and a better husband, and a better father, and I'm very eager to continue that journey."

From the KTVA video segment: "According to court documents [the victim] told police she thought she was going to die, then awoke to find Schneider had masturbated on her.According to court documents, she told police Schneider said he was never going to kill her. He just needed her to think that in order to achieve satisfaction."

Judge Michael Corey told Schneider, "This can never happen again." Well, actually it can, because you've released Schneider to the public, your honor.

The victim, who was not consulted about the plea deal Schneider received, is a Native American woman. Wickersham's Conscience asks us to consider the outcome of the case had the victim been white and the assaulter Native American:

Suppose the victim was a white teenage girl, and the perp was an Alaska Native male. Suppose the Alaska Native male had choked a high school cheerleader unconscious and then jerked off on her helpless body. Do you think Superior Court Judge Michael Corey would have given the perp no prison time? This is just a thought experiment, mind you. But think about it while we examine the Department of Law's three excuses for indulging in what sure looks like White Privilege.

Mad at the judge who approved the plea deal for the man who choked and ejaculated on a woman in Eagle River? Judge Michael Corey is up for a retention vote. We can vote him out in November. #Alaska #akelect pic.twitter.com/wraRub74aX  Alaska Twit (@AlaskaTwit) September 21, 2018

Air traffic controller Justin Schneiderin court for arraignmentaccused of choking, masturbating on unconscious woman Tuesday @ktva pic.twitter.com/JfvylIi7xf  Daniella Rivera (@RiveraDanie) August 10, 2017

Image KTVAMachine learning image classifiers use context clues to help understand the contents of a room, for example, if they manage to identify a dining-room table with a high degree of confidence, that can help resolve ambiguity about other objects nearby, identifying them as chairs.

The downside of this powerful approach is that it means machine learning classifiers can be confounded by confusing, out-of-context elements in a scene, as is demonstrated in The Elephant in the Room, a paper from a trio of Toronto-based computer science academics.





The authors show that computer vision systems that are able to confidently identify a large number of items in a living-room scene (a man, a chair, a TV, a sofa, etc) become fatally confused when they add an elephant to the room. The presence of the unexpected item throws the classifiers into dire confusion: not only do they struggle to identify the elephant, they also struggle with everything else in the scene, including items they were able to confidently identify when the elephant was absent.

It's a new wrinkle on the idea of adversarial examples, those minor, often human-imperceptible changes to inputs that can completely confuse machine-learning systems.

Contextual Reasoning:

It is not common for current

object detectors to explicitly take into account context on

a semantic level, meaning that interplay between object

categories and their relative spatial layout (or possibly

additional) relations) are encoded in the reasoning process

of the network. Though many methods claim to incorporate

contextual reasoning, this is done more in a feature-wise

level, meaning that global image information is encoded

somehow in each decision. This is in contrast to older

works, in which explicit contextual reasoning was quite

popular (see [3] for mention of many such works). Still, it

is apparent that some implicit form of contextual reasoning

does seem to take place. One such example is a person

detected near the keyboard (Figure 6, last column, last

row). Some of the created images contain pairs of objects

that may never appear together in the same image in

the training set, or otherwise give rise to scenes with

unlikely configurations. For example, non co-occurring

categories, such as elephants and books, or unlikely spatial

/ functional relations such as a large person (in terms of

image area) above a small bus. Such scenes could cause

misinterpretation due to contextual reasoning, whether it

is learned explicitly or not.

The Elephant in the Room [Amir Rosenfeld, Richard Zemel and John K. Tsotsos/Arxiv]





Machine Learning Confronts the Elephant in the Room [Kevin Hartnett/Quanta]Bonang Matheba will be appearing in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday to faces charges against her for fraud regarding both her personal and business taxes.

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Queen B and her team have been denying the allegations since they were reported in a news publication in August, however, it appears that rumours were true all along.

Sunday World first published an article which revealed that the media personality had been summonsed to appear in court to face charges of tax fraud, but Queen B slammed the newspaper for the accusations and decided to take legal action against them.

READ ALSO: Video shows Dr Malinga's fan going nuts and twerking on stage

Briefly.co.za previously reported that Bonang wanted to sue Sunday World for R10 million in damages for tarnishing her reputation but the editor of Sunday World, Mapula Nkosi stood by the story and claimed that their sources were credible.

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The Citizen reports that Mapula recently issued a statement which explained that Sunday World approached Phindi Louw-Mjonondwane, a spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority to verify that the Hawks had indeed opened a case against Bonang before they printed the story.

Mapula went on to say that he respects Bonangs decision to take legal action against them however, he claims that the three sources they used assured them that the information they received was legitimate.

Do you have a story to share with us? Inbox us on our Facebook page and we could feature your story.

To stay up to date with the latest news, download our news app on Google Play or iTunes today.

Watch the animated video and head over to Briefly South Africas Youtube channel for more.

Source: Briefly.co.zaAldi Novel Adilang survived for more than a month in the open sea with only enough food for a month. The 19-year-old was supposed to simply light the lamps on the wooden fishing hut on which he worked to attract fish at night. He saw other people only once a week when new supplies were brought to him. But after his mooring line broke, he drifted for hundreds and possibly thousands of miles.

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Imagine being all alone with nothing around you but the ocean. While that might sound like a much-needed break from the busy, noisy cities we live in, it was a nightmare for young Aldi.

Aldi lived on the fishing hut (called a rompong) about 123km off Indonesia's coast.

On 14 July, the line that was anchoring Aldi's hut was snapped by the high winds and he was set loose, into the vast ocean.

He was floating in the Pacific Ocean with no sense of direction, little food and no water. The brave teen survived by compromising as much as he could.

He drank ocean water that was partially strained through his clothes and rationed his food supplies - meant to last only a week. According to npr.org, Aldi sustained himself on fish.

Aldi survived like this for 49 days. The youngster was scared, being alone at sea like that. He admitted later that he often cried.

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Fortunately, on 31 August, a ship passed Aldi and he was taken on board. This was after more than 10 other ships sailed past him without ever noticing him.

The ship, Arpeggio, was on its way to Japan and the teenager travelled with the crew. He finally returned to his family on 9 September.

READ ALSO: Bonang Matheba will appear in court to face tax fraud charges

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Watch what happens to Two lovebirds in a car in the middle of the night...and check out what else is going on at Briefly South Africa's YouTube channel.

Source: Briefly.co.zaNews / Health

by Agencies

NMB Bank on Sunday handed over 3 000 buckets, 3 000 units of Water Guard and 120 000 litres of water to the District Health Office in Glen View to help in the fight against cholera in this Harare suburb.The bank teamed up with the Harare City Health Department officials who addressed residents in a bid to increase awareness of the dangers of cholera and the preventative measures that should be taken to guard against it. They took time to answer questions from residents about the disease.Handing over the items to the district medical officer, Dr George Mtahwa, at Tichagarika Shopping Centre in Glen View 3, NMB Bank marketing manager Lindiwe Thebethebe said the decision to come to Glen View with the donation had been prompted by the magnitude of the effects of cholera in the area, coupled with the appreciation of the role the bank has to play in giving back to the community."As NMB Bank we are here to help in fighting cholera, which continues to affect many households and has taken many lives," she said."We have been coming to Glen View since December last year, going round and educating people about the benefits of operating bank accounts and opening accounts for them."This is why, when we heard about the plight of Glen View residents and the need there is in Glen View for clean and safe water, we decided to come back today with 3 000 buckets, 3 000 units of Water Guard and 120 000 litres of water for the people of Glen View," Ms Thebethebe said.She said the bank was working in collaboration with the district health office in Glen View, which would be responsible for distributing the buckets and Water Guard to 3 000 affected households.The 120 000 litres of water, she said, would be delivered by NMB Bank, as and when directed by the district health office, to identified water tanks in the area from which residents could fetch the water they need.Dr Mtahwa thanked NMB for the donation and its help in the fight against cholera, including its support for improving awareness of the disease and what people should do to prevent it spreading.In his address to residents, he emphasised the importance of personal hygiene."We encourage personal hygiene at all times," he said. "There are also ways that we expect food to be handled and cooked at all times whether there is cholera or not. Eat clean food that has been cooked well and eat it whilst hot," he said."During this time we also expect people to desist from eating foods such as salads, as their preparation has to be done using clean water to avoid contracting such diarrhoeal diseases as cholera," he said.He encouraged residents to treat all water regardless of its source.Dr Mtahwa and his team took time to address the residents in groups and answer their questions about the disease and how to stay safe.He said that in order to combat the disease, a centre to attend to diarrhoeal cases had been opened at Glen View Polyclinic, which is open 24 hours a day, in addition to the other health facilities around the area, all of which were attending to cases of cholera.Budiriro Polyclinic is also attending to diarrhoeal cases, although it is not operating 24 hours a day.News / Local

by Stephen Jkaes

Bulawayo mayor Solomon Madlala Mguni to day welcome the Kenyan national Jim Nyamu and his team who traversed Africa on foot from Nairobi raising awareness against poaching.Mguni said: "Today, this Tuesday September 25 2018 I welcomed to Bulawayo, a Kenyan national, Jim Nyawu and his team."Jim has traversed the African continent on foot from Nairobi raising awareness about poaching of wildlife in general and elephants in particular under the theme IVORY BELONGS TO ELEPHANTS."As the City of Bulawayo, we welcome all initiatives aimed at environmental conservation from anyone."Damak police arrest man for raping four-year-old girl

Police arrested a 21-year-old man on charge of raping a four-year-old girl in Haldibari Rural Municipality-2, Jhapa, on Sunday.News / National

by Staff reporter

Sending prayers to Gen @MinisterSBMoyo. 1 of the sharpest minds we have &best Foreign Minister to EVER represent us. In Nembudziya this year I saw that he works with laser focus & is truly principled. He has no time for gossip & dubious intel from shady Cdes!Good morning Zimbabwe pic.twitter.com/Umaq8Q63UP  HN. JW, (@mayor_justice) September 25, 2018

Justice Mayor Wadyajena, Gokwe-Nembudziya legislator representing President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Zanu-PF has send out prayers to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sibusiso Moyo who is currently battling a kidney related ailment.Posting on the microblogging Twitter this morning, Wadyajena was full of praises for the foreign affairs minister describing him as the sharpest mind and best ever foreign affairs minister to represent Zimbabwe.Moyo who missed a trip to the United Nations General Assembly is believed to have undergone a successful emergence surgery with the deputy minister of information, Energy Mutodi tweeting that the former army general was stable and recovering.News / National

by Xinhua

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.News / National

by Staff Writer

British prime minister, Theresa May, has agreed to a post-Brexit immigration system that will offer visas to immigrants in a tiered system based on skills and wealth.According to a report by The Guardian , the system will be a flagship policy and is expected to be one of her key announcements at the Conservative party conference to be held at the start of October.Under the system, skilled workers will more easily be able to obtain visas than the unskilled and there will be no preferential access to the UK labour market for EU citizens.Territories which strike a free trade deal with the UK - including the EU - will also be given enhanced access to the British labour market, but that in the future could include the United States, Canada, or elsewhere.The government's Migration Advisory Committee originally advised that there should be no visas made available for unskilled workers outside agriculture, however this is reported to have caused alarm among business leaders, who said they needed access to a large labour pool to fill jobs in sectors such as construction, haulage and hospitality.New two-year seasonal visaWhile the above visa changes will only come into effect post-Brexit, UK Home Government has already announced that it will launch a two-year seasonal worker pilot scheme.According to Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants, the scheme aims to bring 2,500 seasonal workers to farms in the UK.The UK Visa pilot scheme will allow workers from outside the EU to do seasonal farm work in the UK for up to six months. There will be a cap of 2,500 workers per year."The UK government hope that the pilot scheme will help alleviate farm labour shortages during the peak production periods in the UK. They also said that an automated harvesting solutions are not universally available, and hope that this pilot scheme will support farmers during peak production times," Breytenbachs explained."The results of the UK visa pilot scheme will be reviewed, and the UK Government will then determine how to support the long-term needs of the farming industry in the UK."Opinion / Columnist

Kariba former Chamber Secretary Mr Richard Kamhoti has been confirmed as the Town Clerk of Kariba taking up the vacant post left following the retirement of Mr Webster Tembo. Richard, born on the 28th of August 1961 and attended his ordinary and advanced levels at Mpopoma and Mzilizikazi Secondary in Bulawayo respectively. Richard boasts of Bachelors in Administration degree with the University of Zimbabwe, a Master of Public Administration degree, a Postgraduate Diploma in law (Conciliation and Arbitration) with the University of Zimbabwe and pursuing a Doctorate's degree with Lusaka University in Zambia. He joined the Kariba Municipality in 2005 and at one time was appointed the Kariba Town Clerk in 2013 ahead of Webster Tembo before his appointment was overturned by the former Minister Dr I Chombo.Richard Kamhoti ones worked in the Ministry of Public Service, Rural Development Branch as the Training Officer from 1984 to 1985 and also at the City of Harare where he acted in the positions of Chief Committee Officer and Senior Administrative Officer, Town Clerk's Department. Through his ardour and sincerity in 1997 to 2003 he was appointed the Assistant Town Clerk. He also took a challenge with the Urban Institute 2004 being employed as a Senior Local Government Management Specialist before his voyage to Kariba Municipality.Richard Kamhoti took the Chamber Secretary position from August 2005 till this appointment having been in charge of Kariba's Strategy formulation and Implementation, Leadership and Management of Department, Corporate Governance, Relationship Management, Management of Resources and Organisational Development. This portfolio carried with it the Fire, Ambulance & Security section, Health Section, Internal Audit and the famous Central Administration where he ensure that Council and Committee meetings are held in terms of the Urban Councils Act.The appointment of Kamhoti comes at a time when the Municipality of Kariba is faced with renewing its strategic plan as the 2014-2018 expires. He comes into office at the same time with new-fangled councillors led by Mayor Mr George Masendu in the MDC Alliance dominated council. He also comes in at an aeon when the Municipality of Kariba faces a number of challenges among them; stumpy revenue collection, aged fleet that constantly is breaking down, invariable pump breakdowns, aged water and sewer system as well as huge housing surfeit. The Municipality is also not spared on foreign currency shortages which have a colossal bearing on him and his team.Kariba stakeholders welcomed his appointment with Kariba Residents Ratepayers Incorporated Association Chairperson Mr Mawawo praising the local government board as well as the new councillors who assented to the rendezvous. The resort town known for its mission which is of to deliver quality services to residents, visitors and tourists in an efficient, effective and sustainable manner looks up to the revival of tourism by Richard and his team at a time where President Cde ED Mnangagwa has declared that; Zimbabwe is open for business.Opinion / Columnist

The elections were held on 30 July and President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner, a fact which was confirmed by Chief Justice Luke Malaba and his eight member bench on 24 August 2018 following a Constitutional Court petition by the MDC Alliance presidential election candidate, Nelson Chamisa. Nearly two months down the line, Chamisa continues to nurse bitterness which is exhibiting itself in his bad influence on the MDC Alliance legislators and his shameless attempts to meddle in the affairs of urban local authorities which are dominated by councillors from his political formation.Last Wednesday as President Mnangagwa officially opened the ninth Parliament and delivered his state of the nation address. Instead of accepting defeat and moving forward with everyone as a nation, Chamisa directed MDC Alliance legislators to walk out as the President delivered his address. It was evident that instruction were coming from a few hundred metres down the road at Harvest (of thorns) House. The legislators obviously want the benefits that go with sitting legislators such as allowances and motor vehicles and this goes against the desires and designs of Chamisa who is pursuing a vengeance agenda against President Mnangagwa for his electoral loss.At the end of the day the legislators looked like marionettes in Chamisa's fingers  doing his bidding against their wishes. This explains why they had to troop back after obeying Chamisa's command. While it may be their constitutional right to protest, the act left them conflicted. So the legislators do not recognise President Mnangagwa but recognise the Government which he leads from which they are eagerly expecting allowances and motor vehicles. If this is not crass hypocrisy, nothing is. It is a shameless display of double standards.The legislators should remember they did not obtain the right to be in Parliament out of their efforts - especially given that most of them win on the basis of the urban location of their constituencies and not because they earn the electorate's vote. No electorate would support a legislator who absconds a Parliamentary session in pursuit of a narrow interests of a selfish and narcissist losing politician at the expense of the nation's progress. When legislators specialise in heckling the President instead of tackling their constituents' concerns and anxieties, they abandon the people and cease to be people's representatives. They begin to serve themselves and their lonely, bitter leader. Put differently, after being voted into Parliament they become free agents who pursue their agenda and the people suddenly become of no consequence.It seems that the culture of serving oneself at the expense of the electorate is deep-seated in the MDC Alliance. Despite the people thwarting his underhand machinations to impose a mayor of his preference in Victoria Falls, Chamisa is reported to be contemplating forcing his way by asking the winner and the people's choice, Councillor Somvelo Dlamini, to step down and pave way for his preferred candidate, Councillor Margaret Valley. This, however, is not surprising given the fact that Chamisa also rose to the leadership of his MDC-T faction through undemocratic means. He imposed himself on the party pushing aside the rightful heiress, Dr Thokozani Khupe.It is, however, very gratifying to note that not all MDC Alliance office bearers carry the Chamisa selfishness gene in them. It was refreshing to note that Masvingo Mayor, Collin Maboke, despite being a member of the MDC Chamisa faction, attended the Minister of State for Masvingo, Ezira Ruvai Chadzamira's inaugural meeting last week by. He demonstrated political maturity by heeding President Mnangagwa's call for unity among Zimbabwe as the nation seeks to rebuild its country. It was a heavenly sight, which only the devil's demons would detest, to see Harare Mayor, Herbert Gomba from the MDC Chamisa faction walking together with President Mnangagwa as they toured the cholera-affected areas of Glen View high density suburb in Harare last week. It was a beautiful sight of Zimbabweans working together to solve their country's challenges and not a ZANU PF-MDC issue.Zimbabwe needs more of that than the divisive poisonous prescription from politicians who are just obssessed with power at the expense of the welfare of the people and posterity.By David Lawder NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canada is not making concessions needed to reach a deal with the United States for a trilateral NAFTA pact and is running out of time before Washington proceeds with a Mexico-only agreement, a top U.S. official said on Tuesday. The administration of President Donald Trump recently began increasing the pressure on Canada, urging it to conclude a deal by Sunday or face exclusion from a revised North American Free Trade Agreement. A spokesman for Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland brushed off the latest remarks from the U.S., saying Canada was not interested in focusing on timelines. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said there was "some distance" between the two sides on issues such as access to Canada's dairy market and how best to settle trade disputes. "The fact is, Canada is not making concessions in areas where we think they're essential," he said at the Concordia Summit in New York. "We're going to go ahead with Mexico," he said. "If Canada comes along now, that would be the best. If Canada comes along later, then that's what will happen." He added: "We're sort of running out of time." But Freeland's spokesmanm, Adam Austen, said Canada would only sign a good deal. "Our focus is the substance, not timelines. We will continue to negotiate with a view to getting a deal that is in Canadas national interest," he said. Lighthizer and Freeland are in New York for a U.N. meeting but it is unclear whether they will meet. U.S. automakers and congressional aides now believe a deal with Canada is not possible by the deadline, which they said would most likely prompt the United States to move ahead with a bilateral agreement with Mexico. But they also predicted new talks with Canada in another attempt to settle outstanding issues before the signing with Mexico, which would be set for Nov. 30. The Trump administration has said the text of an agreement is needed by Sunday to allow the current Mexican government to sign it before it leaves office at the end of November. Trump has demanded major changes to NAFTA, which he has said caused U.S. manufacturing jobs to move to low-wage Mexico. Markets are nervous about the impact on a deal that underpins $1.2 trillion in annual trade. Canadian officials have said that despite the U.S. threats to go it alone with Mexico, they do not believe Trump can by himself turn the 1994 pact into a bilateral deal. U.S. business groups, alarmed by the potential disruption to the three increasingly integrated economies, have lobbied the White House to keep NAFTA as a trilateral deal. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has repeatedly stated he would rather walk away from NAFTA than sign a bad deal, spoke before Lighthizer at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and took a more cautious tone. "They (the United States and Mexico) made certain agreements," he said. "I think there's a possibility there to build on what they agreed." "With Mexico, we're not going to say: 'No deal' because of Canada," Lighthizer said. "That doesn't make any sense at all, so hopefully we'll end up with something with Canada." Canada also has made clear the United States needs to withdraw Trump's threat of a 25 percent tariff on autos for a deal to be possible. The United States, citing security reasons, imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in late May. Lighthizer said those tariffs would be addressed once NAFTA had been completed. (Reporting by David Lawder in New York; Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa and David Shepardson in Washington; Writing by David Ljunggren; Editing by Peter Cooney)The Alberta NDP government used the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion mess as an opportunity to try and score political points against United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney.

Internal documents detailing the NDP government's talking points on the pipeline this spring demonstrate the government's dogged attempts to paint Kenney as slick and capricious, said Calgary-based pollster Janet Brown.

"They've been trying really hard to back Jason Kenney into a corner, they've been trying really hard to vilify him," Brown said in an interview with CBC Radio's Edmonton AM.

"They're attacking him for things that people admire about him  his tenacity, his long history in politics, his slickness and determination as a politician."

Through a freedom of information request, CBC News obtained 28 pages of internal documents  mostly emails, speech notes and talking points for media scrums.

The Opposition Leader has no strategy  only temper tantrums. - NDP talking points

The documents account for all communications between Energy Minister Margaret McCuaig-Boyd and her chief of staff from April 8, when Kinder Morgan issued an ultimatum on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, to May 29, the day the federal government announced it would buy the embattled pipeline.

Pages of the talking points are dedicated to lambasting Kenney's policies and political chops. One section of the suggested talking points is titled "Kenney's Energy Flip flops.'

The documents describe Kenney as "just another Ottawa politician" who "can't keep his story straight" and who "has no strategy  only temper tantrums."

"The Opposition Leader sat on his hands for a decade in Ottawa  He failed to do his job so we'll do it for him," reads the document.

But Brown said the strategy might backfire against Notley in the next election, which must be held on or before May 31, 2019.

Story continues

"All they're doing is reminding people about the things they begrudgingly respect about Jason Kenney," Brown said.

A series of focus groups conducted by CBC in May suggested that Notley is more popular than her party, while Kenney is not as popular as the UCP.

I feel sorry for this government. - Warren Kinsella

"The more they (the NDP) harp on Kenney on a personal level, it will leave Albertans wondering whether they are really focused on the key issues" said Brown.

Alberta political strategist Warren Kinsella agrees that keeping Kenney in the crosshairs is not the strategy to keep Notley from failure in the next election.

Long before the Trans Mountain controversy erupted this spring, plummeting oil prices had already played havoc with the NDP government's re-election efforts, he said.

"They're nervous, they're concerned," said Kinsella, who noted that the reigning NDP is acting like they're in opposition. "The polls have been showing for months that Kenney is the one to beat.

"I feel sorry for this government because I think Notley is a decent and effective leader. But just the bottom line is, she's likely to lose because of something completely beyond her control."

With files from Clare Bonnyman, producer with CBC Edmonton AMBy Aradhana Aravindan SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore slapped ride-hailing firms Grab and Uber with fines and finalized restrictions to open up the market to competitors after concluding that their merger in March has driven up prices. Uber Technologies Inc sold its Southeast Asian business to bigger regional rival Grab in March in exchange for a 27.5 percent stake in the Singapore-based firm. While the combined S$13 million ($9.5 million) fine was small compared with the firms' multi-billion dollar valuations, that and the other measures imposed by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore on Monday represent the strongest censure by a regulator since the deal was unveiled. The anti-trust watchdog said it would require that Grab drivers not be tied to Grab exclusively and that Grab's exclusivity arrangements with any taxi fleets be removed. Uber will also be required to sell its car rental business to any rival that makes a reasonable offer and will not be allowed to sell those vehicles to Grab without the watchdog's permission. The car rental business, Lion City, had a fleet of some 14,000 vehicles as of December. Fining Uber S$6.6 million and Grab S$6.4 million, the regulator said effective fares on Grab rose 10 to 15 percent after the deal, and that the firm now holds a Singapore market share of around 80 percent. Uber said it believed the decision was based on an "inappropriately narrow definition of the market" and would consider appealing. Grab said it completed the deal within its legal rights, and did not intentionally or negligently breach competition laws. It would abide by remedies set out by the regulator, it added. Indonesia's Go-Jek, which plans to launch services in Singapore, said it welcomed the regulator's steps. "We're encouraged to see the measures being taken to level the playing field  it will have a significant effect on our strategy and timeline," the company said. Other new entrants to the market include Singapore-based Ryde. Grab said it had not raised fares since the deal and argued that all transport firms, including taxi operators, should be subjected to non-exclusivity curbs. Walter Theseira, an economics professor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said the regulator measured effective fares in terms of the average price consumers pay after accounting for subsidies and discounts, while Grab defines it as posted fares before any discounts. Grab has also been told to maintain its pre-merger pricing algorithm and driver commission rates, which the regulator said would protects riders against excessive price surges, and drivers against increases in commissions that they pay to Grab. The watchdog said it would suspend the measures on an interim basis if a Grab rival was able to garner over 30 percent of total rides in the ride-hailing services market in a month. It would remove the measures if a rival attained 30 percent or more of total rides matched in the market for six consecutive months. Rival services include third-party apps for calling cabs and private vehicles as well as taxi-booking services such as those provided by taxi operator ComfortDelGro Corp Ltd . Uber and Grab have a month to appeal the Singapore regulator's decision. The deal remains under anti-trust review in Vietnam, which has warned that it could be blocked if the firms' combined market share in Vietnam exceeds 50 percent. Jerry Lim, Grab's country head in Vietnam, said he believed the local regulator will consider the market's unique competitive dynamics and regulatory landscape in its investigation. In the Philippines, where the deal has been approved, the competition watchdog has said it is monitoring Grab's compliance with conditions intended to improve the quality of service, with any breaches possibly resulting in fines. (Reporting by Aradhana Aravindan; Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen in Hanoi; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Edwina Gibbs)By Eliana Raszewski, Luc Cohen and Marcelo Rochabrun BUENOS AIRES/SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Uber's fastest-growing market in the world is now Argentina, company executives say, attributing the expansion to the nation's sudden economic unraveling, which has boosted unemployment and sliced the purchasing power of Argentines. Twenty percent of its drivers in Buenos Aires, the only city where it operates in Argentina, were jobless immediately before joining Uber. The economic downturn, "has certainly helped many people find us as an alternative source of income," Felipe Fernandez Aramburu, who runs Uber business development in Argentina, told Reuters in a recent interview. Despite worries about the country's economy, which shrank 4.2 percent in the second quarter after its central bank hiked rates to ward off a currency crisis, the company says it does not fear that a recession could boost the number of drivers without an equivalent increase in demand. "Our growth today is less about economic conditions on the rider side," said Andrew Macdonald, who runs Uber in Latin America. Instead, Macdonald expects what he described as a paucity of public transportation options to lift demand in Argentina and said growth was highest in the neighborhoods with the least bus and train service. But Uber's Argentine unit still faces a snag: For most rides, the company does not charge its drivers the 25 percent commission it is theoretically owed. Due to legal and regulatory hurdles, Uber rides in Argentina can only be paid with cash or credit cards issued abroad, which almost no locals have. When rides are paid in cash, drivers currently have no way to pay Uber its 25 percent commission, leaving many with a growing debt to the company. Commissions from drivers are Uber's only source of revenue. Uber's Argentine conundrum of being unable to profit from its fast growth there mirrors a wider problem for the ride hailing service, which has struggled to prove that it can be profitable as it gears up for a planned 2019 initial public offering. 'TOO MANY DRIVERS' Macdonald played down those concerns, however. "It's not about whether we are making money in the near term," he said, adding that the company will "eventually" have to charge those commissions. Macdonald would not say whether the Argentine market is profitable. Uber has disclosed that its operations in nearby Brazil - now the company's second-biggest market worldwide - are profitable. Once Uber can accept local credit and debit cards, it will be able to recoup what it is owed, the company said. Drivers, however, say the current Argentine growth rate may be temporary, tied to the lack of a commission charge. "What's going on is that there are too many drivers currently and so there's less work for us," said Jorge, a 62-year old Uber driver who requested anonymity. "Everyone's coming to Uber because they don't charge a commission." Uber says that in the last three months, it has had 55,000 active drivers and 1 million active users in Buenos Aires. Each day, the company said it adds between 300 and 400 new drivers and 7,000 new users. There's also attrition in the mix. "The average lifespan for a driver in Latin America is about three to four months. It means they use Uber as something temporary," Fernandez Aramburu said. Uber's recruitment success reflects a wider trend within Argentina, where a rising jobless rate has hit full-time jobs with benefits in particular, economists say. "We are going through a process that is making labor rights more precarious, and formal employment is dwindling," said Hernan Letcher, director of the Center for Argentine Economic Policy. Uber has been operating in Argentina since 2016, when it faced aggressive resistance from taxi drivers and government authorities, including legal disputes that led to the ban on credit card payments that is still in place. There is no regulatory framework for Uber in Buenos Aires, including no way for the government to collect sales tax on the rides. Macdonald said the company welcomes favorable regulation and that accepting local credit cards is a priority, which will make more drivers pay their 25 percent commission but could also increase Uber's business. It's a testament to our investment in Argentina ... that we are able to grow so much even without being able to offer the convenience of all payment options," Macdonald said. (Additional reporting by Miguel Lo Bianco and Heather Somerville; Editing by Christian Plumb and Cynthia Osterman)Dashain travel bookings open

The Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs Association has opened the annual pre-Dashain bookings from Tuesday. A meeting of the federation took the decision on Monday after the government on Saturday agreed to increase public transport fares by 10 percent.Smith Wigglesworth was one of the most fruitful and effective preachers ever. But, he was not always a godly, righteous man. He was a ruffian.

His Christian wife attended church regularly. Often Wigglesworth locked her out of the house and left her to sleep on the back porch.

She committed her husband to prayer and the result, they say, is history. I often confess my salvation came through the persistent prayer and intercession of my wife, Yvonne.

Years ago we were overseas on the mission field when my wife had a dream. She had seen our son John in the surf but caught in a rip. His life was in danger. She woke and prayed for him. Later when we came home to be with the family she learned he had indeed been swept away. He called out to his brother-in-law to say goodbye to the family.

As he prepared for the worst a wave picked him up and threw him to safety. When Yvonne and John compared notes his rescue came at the same time she had been praying. Maybe you also have a story of answered prayer.

Prayer

In ancient times prayer was not exclusive to the Israelites. Prayers to Yahweh, the God of Israel, were very different from those offered to the surrounding foreign deities.

In Egypt Amon was acknowledged as the creator and giver of life. An ancient hymn Amon-Re described Amon as the god who made mankind and created the beasts, lord of what is, who created the fruit tree, made herbage, and gave life to cattle. (Hymn Amon-Re 1: 5) Amon was declared to be healer and magician.

Egyptians also praised Aton as the beginning of life who didst create the world.All men, cattle, and wild beasts, whatever is on earth. (The Hymn of Aton). There was also a Hymn to Ishtar which declared life is in her mouth.

Akkadian Prayer to the Gods of the Night depicts the great gods of Old Babylon  Shamash, Sin, Adad and Ishtar  asleep in their chambers, indifferent to the concerns of their devotees. (Prayer- The Lexham Bible Dictionary).

Through Old Testament study we learn Yahweh was the God who listens and responds to prayer. He gave attention to His people. An intimacy between Yahweh and His people was special. Foreign gods were distant and aloof needing to be cajoled. Prayer to them was often pleading, even grovelling.

Abba

As prayer in the Israelite family developed some structured formula also came. As usual Jesus broke through the religious approach and in His prayers displayed a close intimate relationship with the One He called Father. He spoke to His Father with humility and submission and He was always sensitive and relaxed with His language.

The Apostle Paul emphasized the Abba Father in prayer. He reminded believers they were now children of the Father. (Romans chapter 8 verse 15 and Galatians chapter 4 verse 6).

Is that your relationship with Him? Is He your Father or more like a distant Sovereign?

As our Father we know He is constantly watching and observing us and caring for our eternal well-being. He delights to give His children good things.

Prayers in the New Testament flowed from their ancient Jewish roots. We learned from what has been called The Lords Prayer in Matthew chapter 6, verses 9 to 13. It is more correctly the Disciples Prayer. Jesus taught the disciples how to pray with this basic formula. (Also Luke chapter 11, verses 2 to 4).

Christianity brought a major innovation into the power of prayer. We learned to pray in Jesus name.

Throughout history the names of individuals were linked with their names. The name Abram means great father. He became Abraham meaning father of multitudes. Jesus was named Yehoshua which means Yahweh is salvation or Yahweh saves. He was Yahweh in the Book of Exodus and described as God who is loving and compassionate but does not leave sin unpunished. (Exodus chapter 34, verses 6 to 7) The name Jesus (Yehoshua) came from His Old Testament identity.

Before Jesus departed to be with His Father He made a significant promise. And whatever you ask in my name I will do this, in order that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. (John chapter 14, verses 13 to 14) Jesus was about to leave His disciples but His message was clear. Even though He will be physically absent He will be with them, always.

Life as a believing community is to continue with Jesus still effective and powerful as the Lord and Saviour. Bad things happened and Jesus knew about it. He knew what Judas was about to do even as He shared Passover with His disciples. He did not avoid the situation but with the love and support of the Father He moved forward and accomplished the salvation plan.

Pray

There are events in our world that signal all manner of events may unfold. The importance for all of us is to avoid fellowship with fear and take hold of the trust and assurance that has stood against adversity over and over again. This week analysts have warned of a possible world war, some have said Australia may be drawn into a war with China. Every day we hear of wars and rumours of wars.

If world events or your personal circumstances lead to stress or anxiety, your answer is found in prayer.

Try these words from knowingjesus.com -Protect my mind I pray from the clamour and intrigue of this world system, that so often fills our hearts with fears and deflects our thoughts away from You  so that I may rest in Your arms of love and be filled with Your perfect peace that passes understanding.

Help me to take every thought captive and when the difficulties of this complex world seek to manipulate my attention away from You, may I fix my mind on Jesus knowing that He is the Author and Finisher of my faith  and my Prince of Peace, in Whose name I pray.

Ron Ross is a Middle East consultant for United Christian Broadcasters (Vision FM). Previously he was radio news editor for Bridges for Peace in Jerusalem, Israel.

His career started at WINTV (Email: ronandyvonne@mac.com)

Ron Ross previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/ron-ross.htmlFestive offers roll out for mid-range smartphones

Mid-range smartphones have been gaining popularity among customers in the country in recent years due to its affordable pricing, efficient features and sleek designs, according to mobile phone dealers.Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Fish Oil Pill Cuts Heart Dangers for High-Risk Patients

A prescription pill that contains large doses of an omega 3 fatty acid found in fish oil staved off heart attacks and strokes in folks with a history of heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

In the large clinical trial, the results were particularly potent for people with high triglycerides, a blood fat long linked to an increased risk of heart disease, the New York Times reported Monday.

The researchers focused on people whose cholesterol levels were controlled with statins, but whose triglyceride levels were still high. Because many smaller studies had not produced much evidence of any benefit in adding fish oil supplements to statin use, the hopes of heart experts were not high.

But the new trial, to be presented in November at the American Heart Association's annual meeting, showed that these patients saw a 25 percent drop in their relative risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiac events compared to a control group of patients who received a placebo.

"I'm very surprised by the magnitude of the results, which quite frankly are large. My expectations were very low. A lot of people are legitimately surprised by this," Dr. Michael Blaha, director of clinical research at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins Medical School, told the Times.

"Fish oil has long been a popular supplement to protect against heart disease. It contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, primarily EPA and DHA, which reduce inflammation and lower triglyceride levels," explained Blaha, who was not involved in the trial. "Omega-3 fatty acids also have blood-thinning effects similar to those of aspirin."

The new trial differed from previous studies in two aspects, the newspaper reported. First, it focused on a specific group of high-risk patients: People with a history of heart disease, diabetes or heart risk factors. In addition, all of the patients were on statins, which lower cholesterol.

Secondly, Vascepa was not the typical fish oil supplement that can be bought in any drugstore or supermarket. Manufactured by Amarin, Vascepa is a prescription drug that contains highly purified EPA, according to the Times.

Fish oil supplements often contain a mixture of both EPA and DHA and, in some cases, other oils. Both EPA and DHA can lower triglycerides, but DHA also tends to raise "bad" LDL cholesterol, the newspaper said.

In the trial, more than 8,000 patients were followed for about five years, during which the drug was well tolerated and safe, the researchers noted.

Dr. Ethan Weiss, a cardiologist and associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, told the Times that the findings carried a few caveats. All of the data remains to be seen, and the group of patients most likely to see a benefit is very specific, added Weiss, who was not involved in the study.

Vascepa is now only approved for certain patients who have very high triglyceride levels, the newspaper said.

"The worried well shouldn't run out and take fish oil," said Dr. Michael Shapiro, a site investigator for the trial and director of Oregon Health and Science University's Atherosclerosis Imaging Program.

But, "the amount of people around the world who have atherosclerotic disease or diabetes who take a statin and still have elevated triglycerides is enormous," he said. "This has huge implications."

-----

Critics Demand Stop to 'Guinea Pig' Sepsis Clinical Trial

A major nonprofit advocacy group is asking that a large government trial into the common and dangerous blood infection sepsis be shut down.

The trial, called Clovers, "places seriously ill patients at risk without the possibility of gaining information that can provide benefits either to the subjects or to future patients," according to an analysis of the trial by investigators at the U.S. National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md.

And in a letter sent to the federal Office for Human Research Protection, advocacy group Public Citizen compared the study to "an experiment that would be conducted on laboratory animals," The New York Times reported.

"The human subjects of the Clovers trial, as designed and currently conducted, are unwitting guinea pigs in a physiology experiment," Public Citizens' Dr. Michael Carome and Dr. Sidney Wolfe wrote in their letter.

The Clovers trial began in March and is funded by the NIH. It is moving forward and hopes to enroll 2,320 patients from 44 hospitals nationwide.

The scientists behind the study say it seeks to ascertain the best approach to treating sepsis, a major killer. According to the Times, at least 1 million Americans contract the condition annually, and 30 percent of them will die.

Sepsis occurs when the body's immune system mounts a massive attack against an infection, triggering inflammation throughout the body. Sepsis is typically first treated with antibiotics, but the condition can progress and cause lethal blood clots or organ failure.

The Clovers trial seeks to determine which one of two therapeutic options -- limiting fluids and using drugs that narrow blood vessels, or adding IV fluids and holding off on drug therapy -- works best to curb sepsis.

But critics claim participants enrolled in Clovers could end up being given substandard care, endangering their lives.

For example, patients might see delays in the time it takes to receive fluids, and since sepsis progresses rapidly (often within 24 hours), such delays could prove fatal, Public Citizen says.

But the scientists behind Clover say those fears are unfounded, and that because sepsis care varies widely, in essence every Clover participant will still receive "usual care."

Individual participants will also be allowed to deviate from study protocols if deemed necessary to preserve their health, added Dr. Nathan Shapiro, a professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-chairman of the protocol committee for the study.

"If the physician at the bedside thinks the patient needs a specific treatment, they will get it," Shapiro told the Times.

One expert not connected to the study believes more insight into proper sepsis care is needed.

"There is not a lot of data about how much fluid to give, how much is enough, how much is too much, how much is too little," said Dr. Tiffany Osborn, an emergency physician and critical care specialist who spoke to the Times on behalf of the College of Emergency Medical Physicians. "That information is hard to get a handle on."

But Public Citizen's Carome believes that Clovers' methodology is simply too dangerous for participants. Speaking to the Times, he said, "We think Clovers can't be fixed."JavaScript is disabled on your browser.

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Sao Paulo, September 25, 2018Police in the Brazilian state of Ceara must act quickly to bring the gunmen who injured radio owner and commentator Sandoval Braga to justice and ensure the safety of employees at Radio Uniao FM 96.5, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Braga, 62, was shot in the leg on September 21 in what the police described as a cold and calculated attempt to stop him speaking out about political issues in and around Jaguaruana, a city of around 32,000 people in northeastern Brazil.

Local radio stations are crucial sources of information for their communities and help keep their listeners informed about political developments and events that impact their lives, said CPJ Central and South America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick, in New York. Authorities in Ceara must act quickly to ensure the safety of Sandoval Braga and his colleagues, and bring those responsible for this attack to justice.

Two masked raiders barged into the studios garage at around 3:40 p.m. as Braga was closing the door, the journalist told CPJ in a telephone interview from his hospital bed. They forced Braga to lie on the ground, while at least two accomplices waited outside in a car.

One of the attackers shot Braga in the leg, and said, This is so you keep quiet and stop talking garbage on the radio, Braga said. They came to send a message, he said. If they wanted to kill me they would have.

Ricardo Romcy, the lead investigator in the case, said witnesses saw the attackers drive by the building in a red Volkswagen Gol G5 several times to ensure the coast was clear.

A radio station employee called an ambulance and Braga was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery. The bullet hit his tibia but Braga said that he is recovering well.

Braga, who founded Radio Uniao in 2007, frequently participates in a daily 11 a.m.-1 p.m. show hosted by Inaldo Lima. Lima reads the news and Braga provides political commentary.

He has never been threatened before, Lima told CPJ in a telephone conversation. He is always talking about the local government and political issues and we know this was done for political reasons.

Police investigating the case agreed with that assessment.

The attack was cold and calculated, Romcy told Lima in an interview broadcast on September 22. The crime was really committed to try and cease with the freedom of press and the freedom of expression of the radio reporter and we cant accept that under any circumstances.

Lima said that Radio Uniao, which has about seven employees and broadcasts 24 hours a day, had already abandoned its liberal policy of allowing listeners and visitors easy access to its building. They have hired an armed security guard and are vetting visitors before permitting them entrance.

We are going to reinforce our security here and our own personal security, Lima said. We are all very distressed by what happened. We are all scared and Id be lying if I said I wasnt. But this is our profession. This is our mission and we know the risks.Share this: Twitter

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New York, September 25, 2018Nicaraguan authorities should investigate a targeted online harassment campaign against freelance journalist Carl David Goette-Luciak, find those responsible, and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On September 16, dozens of social media accounts began sharing photos and videos of Goette-Luciak, a citizen of the U.S. and Austria, in posts accusing him of attempting to destabilize the country and being a Central Intelligence Agency operative in Nicaragua, among other accusations, the journalist told CPJ via phone. The posts also shared personal information about Goette-Luciak, including his home address, he told CPJ.

Goette-Luciak has lived in Nicaragua for three years, working primarily as a documentary film producer and writing some articles on the side, he told CPJ. He said he switched to full-time journalism around April, covering the growing anti-government protests across the country, and his work has appeared in outlets including The Washington Post and Guardian. He is also the director of investigations at La Ciudadana Radio, a radio station that has provided coverage critical of the government.

It is vital that a diverse range of journalists are able to cover the unfolding events of Nicaraguas political crisis safely, said CPJ Central and South America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick. Doxxing and calling for violence against a journalist are unacceptable acts of intimidation, and Nicaraguan authorities must take immediate steps to find those responsible for the threats against Carl David Goette-Luciak and ensure that they face justice.

Goette-Luciak told CPJ the threatening messages began on Sunday, September 16, and continued through the week. He believes that people tried to follow him home on multiple occasions before his address was widely shared on the morning of September 17.

They had the exact address, including the name of the owner of the house, which I didnt even know, he told CPJ.

Some of the accounts sharing these posts appeared automated, using the same language and images and posting within minutes of each other on Twitter and Facebook, then later on other platforms including WhatsApp and YouTube, according to a review of the posts by CPJ. Goette-Luciak told CPJ that some of the accounts were linked to government-affiliated organizations, while others appeared to be real individuals.

The posters shared photos of Goette-Luciak from his personal Facebook account and professional publications, including one in which he is standing next to a man holding a gun, and accused him of affiliation with the CIA and various crimes including complicity in the torture and killing of police officers and Sandinistas. Some users encouraged others to hunt down Goette-Luciak even looking under rocks and called for him to be captured and turned over to police, tortured, or expelled from the country.

Carl David Goette-Luciak is a freelancer for the Guardian and has contributed reporting on recent violence in Nicaragua. We take the safety of all our journalists including freelancers, very seriously, and have been in regular contact with Carl David, a Guardian News and Media spokesperson said in a written statement to CPJ.

Government supporters have previously used targeted social media harassment campaigns to intimidate and threaten foreign reporters in Nicaragua. Earlier this year, a group of social media accounts attacked Tim Rogers, a U.S. citizen and senior Latin America editor for the online news site Fusion who has reported from Nicaragua for more than a decade, with similar accusations of CIA affiliation and plots to destabilize the country, forcing him to leave the country for his own safety in April, Rogers told CPJ at the time.

Protests against a proposed pension reform that began in March have morphed into nationwide demonstrations against President Daniel Ortegas government. More than 300 people have been killed mainly by police and pro-government paramilitaries, according to human rights groups. Government security forces have frequently roughed up and shot at journalists, according to CPJ research.Share this: Twitter

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Marwan al-Mureisi knew the rules: even in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans new Saudi Arabia, issues touching on politics, religion, or the royal family were out of bounds. So in his reporting for the privately owned website Sabq and other outlets, al-Mureisi wrote about science, technology, and the need to embrace creativity and innovationall hallmarks of the Crown Princes much-lauded reform agenda.

It wasnt enough. On June 1, authorities arrested al-Mureisi from the Specialized Medical Center Hospital in Riyadh, while he was at the bedside of his five-year-old son, according to Khatab Alrawhani, a Yemeni journalist in Washington, D.C., with knowledge of al-Mureisis case.

A group of Saudi security [personnel]came in took him and left his child in the hospital alone, Alrawhani said. Since then, no one heard a word about him and his family [was] never granted permission to see him or to know where he is and what accusations [are] filed against him.

None of the journalists recent articles appeared overly political or likely to lead to an arrest, but Alrawhani described al-Mureisi as an influencer journalist that refuses to be part of [Saudi] campaigns and accept orders from the authorities on what to write. 

He chose not to be in politics, Alrawhani said, But it seems that this isnt an option anymore in the new Saudi Arabia.

Since becoming crown prince in July 2017, Salman has directed a wide-ranging crackdown on dissidents under the guise of fighting corruption and extremism. Though he touts the need to modernize and open Saudi Arabia, Salmans reform agenda has become an effective way to remove independent voices.

Saudi Arabia was already one of the worlds most heavily censored countries. But under Salmans rule, authorities have wielded state mechanisms ostensibly focused on terrorism to silence journalists, including al-Mureisi. In February, CPJ documented how a specialized criminal court sentenced prominent columnist Saleh al-Shehi to five years in prison for insulting the royal court after the journalist commented on allegations of corruption on TV and in his writing.

The specialized criminal court is part of a system established in 2008 to prosecute terrorism-related cases, but CPJ has found the system is increasingly used to try journalists and perceived dissidents.

CPJ is investigating the possible jailing of at least 10 other journalists since Salman took power, but news of detentions sometimes doesnt surface for months. Activists in contact with CPJ often have no knowledge of when authorities detained someone or where they are holding them. The journalists profile pages and blogs disappear behind 404 not found messages, leaving only a breadcrumb trail of social media posts that stop the day of a rumored arrest.

The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington, DC, did not reply to CPJs email requesting comment. CPJ was unable to find contact details of the State Security Presidency.

Even journalists advocating for policies supported by Salman are not safe. Eman al-Nafjan, whose blog Saudiwoman covered issues absent from other Saudi media outlets, was detained by the State Security Presidency in mid-May, alongside several other activists who campaigned against the ban on women driving. The next month, authorities ordered the driving ban to be lifted, but the arrests continued.

Nouf Abdulaziz, who wrote posts about womens rights, including criticism of the ban on women driving, is also in custody. On her blogwhich has been offline since her arrest but is available via the Wayback machineAbdulaziz reported on Saudis detained in Iraq, trials of reformist activists, and the arrest of a Saudi writer for reporting on intra-royal family tension. Perhaps sensing the walls closing in, Abdulaziz penned an article to be published in the event of her arrest. Maybe they see that being rid of me is the path to a better country, even though many of them do not know me or havent even heard my name before, despite that they have they feel entitled to judge me unfairly, Abdulaziz wrote in a post published June 6the day she was taken into custody.

Since her arrest, Abdulaziz has been held incommunicado and in an unknown location, according to the International Federation for Human Rights and the Gulf Center for Human Rights. Authorities also detained Mayaa al-Zahrani, after she posted the bloggers article on her own site and social media, according to Hana Al-Khamri, a journalist who knows both women and who also republished Abdulazizs article in Arabic and English.

Al-Khamri told CPJ on September 23 that both bloggers remain in detention.

Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi exile, Gulf analyst and longtime critic of the kingdom, told CPJ that authorities do not permit any independent political agency in the kingdom, whether journalistic or otherwise.

Its not just [Crown Prince Salman], al-Ahmed said. The Saudi motto of operating is no private enterprise in politics is allowed. You cant come and pretend you have some role to play. We are the only ones who can say, do or act in terms of politics. Anyone who crosses that line would be arrested.

Al-Ahmed, who now lives in the U.S., added, This the most oppressive environment in terms of the number of people in jail. For many years it was mainly the Shia in jail, especially in Qatif region. But now, if you look at any section of society, its the same. The number of people in jail has increased exponentially, especially Islamists, liberal, professional classes.

The journalists whose arrests CPJ is investigating mirror that trend, and the scope of their journalism is broad: womens rights, corruption, and religious programming.

Some international journalists fete Salmans reform as a sign that he is moving the country into a more modern era. But so far, Salmans impact has been to take an already repressive monarchy and make it a totalitarian state. In this new Saudi Arabia, the only voice is Salmans.Judiciary seeks 1,339 new staff

The Supreme Court seeks more than 1,300 new judicial positions over the next three years to improve justice delivery.The 21st Central Zonal Council meeting was held in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh. It was chaired by Union Home Minister r Rajnath Singh. It was attended by Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand while representative ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.

Key Facts

The Council discussed various issues including road transport, Pradhanmantri Gramin Sadak Yojna, measures to tackle Naxal violence, modernization of Police, infrastructure development of airports, minimum support price, National health mission and issues related to primary schools. Total 22 issues were discussed out of which 17 were resolved and on three issue directions were given, rest 2 issues between the states will also be resolved very soon.

Zonal Council

Zonal Councils were set up under States Reorganization Act, 1956 (thus, they are not constitutional bodies unlike Interstate Council, but are statutory bodies) to foster Inter-State co-operation and co-ordination among the States. The idea of zonal councils emerged during course of debate on report of States Re-organisation Commission 1956 (headed by Fazl Ali). Originally five councils were created as per States Reorganization Act 1956 as follows:

Northern Zonal Council: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi (UT) and Chandigarh (UT).

Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi (UT) and Chandigarh (UT). Central Zonal Council: Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh

Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Eastern Zonal Council: Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal;

Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal; Western Zonal Council: Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and UTs of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli

Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and UTs of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Southern Zonal Council: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (UT).

Zonal Councils provide common meeting ground for States to promote and facilitate coordinated efforts for fostering economic and social development. They serve regional fora of cooperative endeavour for States linked with each other geographically, economically and culturally. They are mandated to discuss and make recommendations on matters of common interest in field of economic and social planning, linguistic minorities, border disputes and inter-State transport etc.

Composition of Zonal council: Union Home Minister is Chairman of Zonal Councils. Chief Ministers of States included in each zone act as Vice-Chairman of respective zone by rotation, each holding office for period of one year at time.

Significance of zonal councils

They help to develop the habit of cooperative working among these States. It also facilitate to create healthy inter-State and Centre-State environment with view to solve inter-State problems and foster balanced socio economic development of respective zones.

Special Note: The north eastern states are not included in these five zonal Councils. Their special problems are looked after by North Eastern Council, set up under North Eastern Council Act, 1972. It is also headed by Union Home Minister.Karnataka: Rivers: The lifelines of South India

by Sudhira H SVignesh Kamath

September 25,2018 | Source: Research Matters

The banks of the river Krishna, an iconic river in South India, is a sight to behold! As you gaze through its vastness, have you ever wondered how the river is, and since when it is flowing? Here is a triviathe rivers that flow in Karnataka are, in fact, older than the mighty Himalayas!



Karnataka is bestowed with seven critical river systems that are lifelines to the stateGodavari, Krishna, Cauvery, North Pennar, South Pennar, Palar and all the west flowing rivers. The Cauvery is the largest river in the state and originates from Talakaveri in Madikeri district. Although many rivers flow to the west and join the Arabian Sea, they account for a meagre 12.73% of the water that drain in the state. The majority, a whopping 87.27% of the drainage area, is a result of the six mighty east-flowing rivers. Why this starking imbalance, you wonder? There is a bit of geological history to this, and the story starts with the history of the Western Ghats, where most of Karnatakas rivers originate.



The chronicles of the Western Ghats



Over 180 million years ago (mya), all of the present-day land mass, the seven major continents as we know them, was merged into a supercontinent called the Gondwana land. Thanks to an extraordinary geological event, the massive landmass broke up into several pieces and one of them, the Peninsular Indian plate, drifted northwards for about 100 million years. About 45 mya, it eventually hit the Asian plate resulting in the formation of the Himalayan mountain range.



During this arduous journey, the drifting Peninsular Indian plate passed through the present-day Reunion Islands, which had a volcanic centre in the Earths lithosphere spread over 200-300 km. The volcano, which erupted throwing out basaltic magma, resulted in the uplift of what is now the Western Ghats and tilted the Indian plate in the easterly direction. Thus, the Western Ghats are not actual mountains but faulted edge of a raised plateau.



By the time the Peninsular Indian plate ended its northward drift and collided with the Asian mainland (between 45 and 65 mya), the Western Ghats was already there with permanently cast the drainage patterns. Hence, although most rivers in Karnataka originate in the Western Ghats, they eventually drain into the Bay of Bengal.



Ecology and Biodiversity



With a distinguished history in their origins, it is little surprise that the rivers in the Western Ghats have nurtured a unique ecosystem. The Ghats have high-altitude grasslands, the shola montane forests, wet evergreen forests, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests. As one moves eastwards towards the plains, a bulk of the plateau is scrubgrasslands with occasional dry deciduous forests. These unique landscapes are home to several species of plants (like the Neelakurinji which blooms once in 12 years) and animals (like the endangered Lion-tailed Macaque) which are found nowhere else on Earth.



The scrublands form the catchment area and are part of the river hydrology that is responsible for capturing the incident rainwater and draining them off. Most west flowing rivers are perennial, while the east-flowing rivers depend on the monsoon rains.



Supporting livelihoods



India, an agriculture-dominated country, has over 70% of its population directly or indirectly dependent on the rivers for food and livelihood. In Karnataka, the rivers originating in the forests of the Western Ghats provide food and power security for the entire southern Peninsular India. The east-flowing rivers, which flow for thousands of kilometres before joining the Bay of Bengal, support livelihoods of hundreds of towns and villages on their downstream journey.



Massive irrigation projects on the rivers like Cauvery, Krishna, and the Godavari serve as the granary of the Deccan plateau. Apart from household consumption and irrigation, these rivers also provide water for the generation of electricity. The west-flowing rivers mostly contribute to the production of electricity to power Bengaluru's IT hub and other parts of Karnataka. The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited has 34 dams on its rivers and 24 hydropower stations across the state.



Fisheries also form a substantial means of livelihood for those who live on the banks of these rivers and their tributaries. The livelihood means of tribals and other local people also largely depends on these river systems.



Rivers for Development



Since the east-flowing rivers are vital sources of water for drinking and irrigation, large dams have been built in the past to cater to these needs. With the generation of hydroelectricity gaining momentum in the last century, several hydroelectric projects came up along the Western Ghats. A series of dams have been built along the Sharavathi, which has reduced the natural flow of the 140 km long river to a mere 8 km! The ecological impact of dams has been irreparable. For instance, several species of stream fishes are unable to move across the stream for breeding since they are now confined to one side of the dam. Some species, which swim upstream for reproduction, are now restricted.



The construction spree of these massive dams took a break in the 1970s after a protest by locals against building a dam across River Bedthi. However, in the past decade, there has been a resurgence of small dams instead of the large ones, including the controversial Yettinahole project taken up by the Government of Karnataka.



The Yettinahole River Diversion Project



Two rivers, Kempuhole and Kumaradhara, originate in the Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district and flow westwards through the Western Ghats and drain into the Arabian sea. A massive ongoing project aims to divert nearly 24 TMC of water from the headwaters of the Kempuhole river, a tributary of the Netravati, towards the water-scarce regions of Kolar, Ramanagara, parts of Hassan, Tumkur, Chikkaballapur, Bengaluru Rural, and Devanahalli Industrial area.



The project also plans to divert the west-flowing Yettinahole stream, which eventually joins Kempuhole, through eight diversion weirs/dams and a canal network spanning 1,000 kilometres. The water will be pumped from the weirs through giant pipes that cut across the Western Ghats to channel this water eastwards. Seven massive storage reservoirs are also planned to be constructed in other parts of the state. This project, estimated to cost about Rs 13,000 crore, is energy and resource intensive and is expected to hurt the biodiversity of the region.



The recent floods in Madikeri district and Kerala ring a warning bell for pursuing any alterations to the ecology of the Western Ghats and rivers in particular. Understanding the river hydrology and floodplains, which form diverse habitats for flora and fauna, can go a long way in arriving at sustainable solutions. Time and again, ecologists have raised concerns against river linking and the threats it can cause to larger ecosystems. It is crucial that policymakers apply an integrated river water management framework that is evolved at a watershed level. Development goals should be evolved locally, and the water demands should be assessed at watershed levels. Unfortunately, it looks like the developmental activities at Yettinahole is another disaster in the making.Sri Lanka: New device to track fishermen

September 25,2018 | Source: News First LK

The Department of Fisheries will be introducing a new device in order to assist authorities to locate fishing boats in distress or which have been reported missing. Director of Search and Rescue Operations at the Department of Fisheries, Padmapriya Thisera said the new devices will be handed over to the fishermen upon a directive issued by the Director-General of the Department.



The new device can be retrofitted to any fishing boat and if the boat is in distress inside a respective ocean area, the boat can be located using the device. In addition, a weather report will be sent to the device of each boat via an SMS service. So far this year, 13 fishermen were reported missing and 12 fishermen lost their lives at sea.Bangladesh: Hilsa production target 5 lakh MT

September 25,2018 | Source: The New Nation

Hilsa fish production in the country will exceed last year's total quantity of 5 lakh metric tonnes this year, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock said on Monday. To achieve the target, a 22-day ban on netting of this iconic fish will be enforced by respective local administration from October 7 in 85 upazilas under 17 districts across the sea and river coast. According to a statement of the ministry, the government will run a rationing scheme to some 3,95,000 fishermen families as compensation for the banning period. Mobile teams headed by executive magistrates of the respective local administration will remain vigil to check fishing of mother and brood fishes (Hilsa) at the targeted area.



Hilsa is popular fish for its unique taste. And Bangladesh produces 70-75 percent of world's total Hilsa fish. The country's annual fish production reach 40.50 lakh metric tonnes thanks attributed to Hilsa production. In 2017-18, the total fish production was likely to stand at 42.77 metric tonnes, the fisheries ministry said. It said the value of annual Hilsa production is Tk. 18,000 crore alone, which is 1 percent of Bangladesh's Gross Domestic Product.



Meanwhile, Bangladesh has reopened export of Hilsa at the end of 2017 after a long ban since 2012. The country has taken a wide range of measures to increase Hilsa production by creating several sanctuaries within its water territories. In 2017, Bangladesh also obtained trademark and patent ownership (GI-Geographical Indication) of Hilsa and recognition as single large producer in the world.Myanmar: Govt Opens Office in Thailand to Assist Myanmar Fishing Boat Workers

by LAWI WENG

September 25,2018 | Source: The Irrawaddy

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.Rights groups and the UN have condemned the trial for the 2013 incident, which has been labelled 'unfair'





The Egyptian Court of Cassation upheld the death penalty for 20 men on Monday on charges of killing 13 police officers in the violence that followed the 2013 military coup.





Its verdict also included upholding life sentences for 80 people, including one woman, on the same charges.





The case relates to events commonly known as "the Kersada Massacre", when a group of protesters stormed the Kersada police station in Giza governorate in August 2013.





Demonstrators gathered at the Kersada police station on 14 August as news that Egyptian security forces had begun to fire on protestors in Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya Square began to disseminate.





Shots were fired from both sides of the police station standoff, leaving 13 policemen dead and a similar number on the other side.





The defendants were originally found guilty of storming the police station in December 2014, a verdict that has been appealed twice. The Court of Cassation's verdict is final and cannot be appealed.





The execution of 20 people is imminent if President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi does not repeal the verdict, Ahmed Attar, a human rights researcher at the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), told Middle East Eye.





Sisi - who led the military coup that toppled President Mohammed Morsi, later becoming president himself - now has two weeks in which he can approve, reject, or reduce the penalty, Attar said.





Mondays verdicts bring the total number of political prisoners on death row in Egypt to 57, according to the latest tally by the ECRF.





Human rights concerns





Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the case from its outset, describing it as a mass trial that lacked the requirements of a fair trial.





Mass death sentences are fast losing Egypts judiciary whatever reputation for independence it once had, Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW's Middle East and North Africa director, said when the verdict was handed out in 2014.





Instead of weighing the evidence against each person, judges are convicting defendants en masse without regard for fair trial standards.





The 2013 Kerdasa violence was just one of a series of massacres committed on that day.





On 14 August, 2013, one of the bloodiest days in Egypt's modern history, police moved to disperse the sprawling protest camp at Rabaa al-Adawiya Square a month after the army deposed the democratically elected Morsi.





More than 800 people were killed within hours at Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda Square, also in Cairo, where another sit-in was being held.





United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has criticised mass death sentences in Egypt as "unfair" and called for their reversal.





"Despite the huge death toll, no state security personnel have ever been charged in relation to the so-called Rabaa Massacre," Bachelet said. "Justice must apply to all, no one should be immune.





On 3 July, the Egyptian parliament approved legislation that grants what it termed senior army officers exemption from prosecution for any acts committed during the transition period that followed the July 2013 military coup.

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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NOC mulling alternative to fickle private tankers

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has been mulling to optimise its distribution networks following frequent strikes by private oil tankers putting forth various demands.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.Swaraj attended the high-level event on counter-narcotics hosted by US President Donald Trump and addressed the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit. (Photo: Twitter | @MEAIndia)

Mumbai/United Nations: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held bilateral meetings on Monday with her key foreign counterparts on the sidelines of the high-level session of the General Assembly here and discussed several issues including trade, investment and capacity building.

Swaraj met Moroccan 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, Foreign Minister of Ecuador Jose Valencia, Foreign Minister of Australia Marise Payne and Foreign Minister of Mongolia Damdin Tsogtbaatar.

In a series of tweets, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, spoke about the meetings held.

"Strategic partnership gaining momentum! Continuing our frequent engagement at the highest level, EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Foreign Minister of Australia @MarisePayne," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

In another tweet following Swaraj's meeting with the Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Jose Valencia Amores, he said that the two leaders had engaged in a good discussion on ways to further consolidate bilateral relationship in the areas of trade, agriculture, pharma, IT and capacity building."

Swaraj also met with the Foreign Minister of Colombia, Carlos Holmes Trujillo to discuss "cooperation on trade and investment, pharma, mining, petroleum and capacity building".

Writing on the meeting between Sushma Swaraj and Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell Fontelles, the MEA spokesperson said tht the two leaders "explored ways to intensify ties in investment, renewable energy, water treatment, tourism and their contribution to our flagship initiatives".

Referring to Nepal as a "close neighbour and a friend", Kumar said that Swaraj had met with Foreign Minister, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, to take "stock of our bilateral relationship".

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. pic.twitter.com/KJ5YDR9JUy  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

Marking 25 years of India's diplomatic relations with Liechtenstein, Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of Liechtenstein, Aurelia Frick, also interacted on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Kumar said the two ministers "exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations in trade and investment, particularly through participation at Indian trade fairs and tourism."

Celebrating 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations! EAM @SushmaSwaraj & Foreign Minister of #Liechtenstein, Aurelia Frick exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations in trade & investment, particularly through participation at Indian trade fairs, & tourism.#UNGA2018 pic.twitter.com/SPqgUcPNqR  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

External Affairs Minister, Swaraj also met with the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini on Monday. The two leaders engaged in discussion on issues related to trade and investment and exchanged views on the regional and global issues.

Raveesh Kumar on Twitter termed it a "strategic partnership based on common values of democracy, freedom and rule of law".

Strategic partnership based on common values of democracy, freedom and rule of law! EAM @SushmaSwaraj and EU High Representative @FedericaMog met on sidelines of #UNGA. Discussed issues related to trade & investment and exchanged views on the regional and global issues. pic.twitter.com/psjog0BK9A  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

Swaraj, in a meeting with Morocco Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, discussed strengthening cooperation in areas of commerce, pharma, cyber security, defence and culture, Kumar said. He added that the two nations shared a "historical relationship since Ibn Batuta days".

First of the many bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the #UNGA



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. pic.twitter.com/lR61ow6s6g  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

As the General Debate begins Tuesday, Swaraj has bilateral meetings planned with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Eshaiqer Al-Jafari, Moldova's Foreign Minister Tudor Ulianovschi, Cyprus Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides, Fijian Foreign Minister J V Bainimarama and Estonia's Foreign Minister Sven Kikser.

She will also participate in the G4 meeting with her counterparts from Brazil, Germany and Japan.

Swaraj attended the high-level event on counter-narcotics hosted by US President Donald Trump and addressed the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit.

Nelson Mandelas life is an inspiration for all. He showed fearlessness and courage in the face of discrimination and adversity: EAM @SushmaSwaraj while delivering her statement at the National Mandela Peace Summit. Full statement at https://t.co/tGpSpAzZjb pic.twitter.com/Kw0Kmk0KgT  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

During the day, she also briefly met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Gambian President Adama Barrow and Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

Friends meet on every occasion.



India's External Affairs Minister @SushmaSwaraj meets & greets Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina @UN pic.twitter.com/8nu7Bqv3Kp  Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) September 24, 2018

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale participated in a special meeting on Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

(With inputs from PTI)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.I am a retired newspaperman. I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 44 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.



Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.comLeading broker Saigon Securities Inc.s trading sites crashed Tuesday morning, leaving clients unhappy.

On its Facebook page, SSI said there had been technical difficulties across its sites (SSI Webtrading, SSI Mobile Trading and SSI Pro Trading), and apologized for the inconvenience the crash might have caused investors.

The problem was resolved at around 10:10 a.m., it said. The market opens at 9 a.m. in Hanoi and 9:15 a.m. in HCMC, with 15 minutes of pre-market trading allowed on both bourses.

On many forums, investors complained bitterly saying the crash badly affected derivative traders because of the current volatility in the market.

"The service quality is not great even when I have to pay a 0.3-0.35 percent fee for transactions, one investor who calls himself Trendinh said, as cited by Thanh Nien newspaper.

SSI chairman Nguyen Duy Hung also apologized on his personal Facebook account and said the company would improve its service quality.

This is not the first time that SSI has faced technical difficulties or apologized. There was a similar crash on January 29 this year.Vietnamese ride-hailing services are struggling to compete with foreign firms Grab and Go-Viet due to a lack of resources.

FastGo last month claimed to have 15,000 taxi and motorbike partner drivers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, but they are not a common sight on the streets unlike the ubiquitous red and green uniforms of Go-Viet and Grab drivers.

VATO, which received funding of $100 million from local transportation firm Phuong Trang, is also having trouble expanding after launching in May, its CEO Tran Thanh Nam admitted to the media.

Another competitor, Aber, run by a group of young Vietnamese based in Europe, had said August 10 it would temporarily cease app operations for an upgrade. It has not made a return so far.

Bui Danh Lien, former chairman of the Hanoi Transport Association, said operators need to give drivers a steady income to keep them and at the same time offer customers plenty of discounts and cheap fares, and this is a tough challenge.

Economist Do Hoa told local media that the ride-hailing market is "a race to spend money, and those without deep pockets wont be able to compete.

Grab and Go-Viet are willing to charge their customers as low as VND1,000 (4.3 cents) for a ride, he pointed out.

Vietnamese ride services are not financially capable of sustaining such losses like the foreign companies.

Even major players like Grab and Uber report big losses in Vietnam. According to the General Department of Taxation, Grab, with a total registered capital of only VND20 billion ($881,000), has incurred losses of nearly VND1 trillion ($43.48 million) during its three years in Vietnam.

But this cash burn strategy is how Grab and Uber are eating up traditional taxi firms market share. In 2014-15 they launched promotion after promotion, including free rides and discounts, to attract customers. They expanded their driver networks by offering subsidies and big rewards based on performance.

Other options

Though the lack of funding is a weakness of local ride-hailing firms, there are other ways for them to grow, Dr Nguyen Duc Thanh, head of the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research, told VnExpress.

Since the lack of resources is a disadvantage for Vietnamese ride-hailing apps, they should not enter the cash burn race.

Going head-to-head with bigger rivals is not the right strategy to follow, he said.

They can enter niche markets like delivery, car rentals and long-distance ride services. Instead of trying to divide market share in the beginning, newcomers should think of a long-term strategy to build a solid foundation.

Nguyen Manh Hung, former chairman of the Vietnam Automobile Transport Association, was quoted by Tuoi Tre newspaper as saying local firms are unable to compete with Grab and Go-Viet because they are divided.

If they join hands they could compete, he said.

Go-Viet, the Vietnamese operation of Indonesias Go-Jek, came early last month seeking a share of the market that Grab has been dominating after the departure of Uber.

Go-Jek founder and chief executive Nadiem Makarim said Go-Viet has grabbed a 35 percent share of the motorbike ride-hailing market in HCMC within six weeks of its launch on August 1.A Canadian naval frigate is set to make a port call in the central city of Da Nang this week.

HMCS Calgary is currently taking part in Operation Projection in the Asia-Pacific and will visit Da Nang Port on September 26-30, Canada's Department of National Defense and Canadian Armed Forces announced.

Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members are operating in maritime environments around the world during the mission "to make the world more secure and enhance relationships with Canadas allies and partners."

During this operation, the CAF is conducting training, exercises, and engagements with foreign navies and other international security partners.

During their visit to Vietnam, the crew of HMCS Calgary will be undertaking activities to support Canadas mission of building and reinforcing international relations.

The highlight will come upon the completion of the port visit when we put out to sea for an exercise with the Vietnam Peoples Navy, so as to extend and improve our network of defense partnerships in the region, Commander Blair Saltel, commanding officer of the frigate, said in a statement.

Canada sent HMCS Vancover to HCMC back in 2016, and the upcoming visit by HMCS Calgary to Da Nang Port is a manifestation of Canada's resolve to play a greater role in the Indo-Pacific, Carl Thayer, an Australia-based analyst of regional security, told VnExpress International in an email.

HMCS Calgary is a Halifax-class frigate that has served in the navy since 1995. It has a crew of 230.

Besides Da Nang, the warship will also visit seven other ports during Operation Projection, Darwin in Australia, Yokosuka and Yokohama in Japan, Jeju and Busan in South Korea, and Guam and Pearl Harbor in the U.S.

Vietnam has welcomed visits by different navies recently.

The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force submarine for the first time visited Cam Ranh Port on September 17 while South Korean Navy destroyer ROKS Moon Mu the Great docked in Da Nang on September 11.

Commenting on those dock calls, Thayer said: "All maritime powers have a national interest in the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight over the high seas. The sea lanes that pass through the South China Sea are vital sea lines of communications that sustain the global economy.

Canada, Japan and South Korea are three such maritime powers."

Some $3 trillion of ship-borne trade passes the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, each year.Chandan Kumar Mandal is the environment and migration reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering labour migration and governance, as well as climate change, natural disasters, and wildlife.Vietnamese authorities have slapped a travel ban on a French national until he hands over their baby daughter to his Vietnamese ex-girlfriend.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Civil Judgments Enforcement said Tuesday it has banned a 43-year-old man it identified only as Azais from leaving the country until he complied with the orders of French and HCMC courts to hand over custody of his daughter.

"Before taking more drastic measures, enforcement officers would ask the Department of Foreign Affairs to work with the French consulate to encourage and convince Mr. Azais to comply with the court ruling," Vu Quoc Doanh, the head of the department, said.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen holds her daughter in France after a 15-month separation as her French partner left HCMC with the girl. Photo acquired by VnExpress

Azais used to live with Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, 33, in HCMC, but they broke up when she was six months pregnant. She gave birth to Sarah in August 2014.

Azais went to the French consulate to obtain a birth certificate and French passport for Sarah, and traveled back to France with her, causing Huyen to start a legal battle for the childs custody in that country.

In June 2016 a court in Albi in southern France ruled in favor of Huyen and ordered Azais to return Sarah to her mother. Following the ruling, Azais returned to HCMC with the child but still refused to hand her over to Huyen.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen fails to see her daughter at Azais' house in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo acquired by VnExpress

After being repeatedly prevented from seeing her daughter, Huyen appealed to the HCMC People's Court of Family and Minors to execute the French court's ruling.

In May 2017 it passed an order in Huyen's favor.

Azais appealed the decision, but last month it was rejected and he was ordered to comply with the French court's ruling.

The Department of Civil Judgments Enforcement ordered him on September 14 to hand over Sarah and her passport to Huyen, and imposed the travel ban three days later.

But he has yet to comply with this order, and refused to sign the court documents furnished by enforcement officers.

Doanh said: "From the time he receives or is officially informed [of the decision], Mr. Azais has 10 days to voluntarily comply with the judgment. If he has yet to hand over the girl to the mother at the end of this time, enforcement officers would issue an enforcement order.

"If he still refuses to comply, then enforcement officers will impose an administrative fine and punish him in accordance with the laws."

Upon the expiration of the set time limit, if these persons still fail to do so, enforcers shall coerce the consignment of minors or request competent agencies to examine their penal liability for the crime of failure to execute judgments.

Under the Penal Code, failure to obey court judgments is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to VND50 million ($2,140).Philippine authorities have seized a Vietnamese fishing boat and detained its five-member crew for allegedly illegal fishing in their country's territorial waters.

The vessel was intercepted by the Philippine Coast Guard Wednesday off Palawan, an archipelago on the western border of the Philippines, GMA News reported Monday.

They seized one ton of yellow fin tuna worth 200,000 pesos ($3,700) and a tiger shark weighing 50 kilograms, local authorities said.

The crew allegedly failed to furnish a permit for fishing in Philippine waters.

The news site quoted the Coast Guard as saying they had a hard time chasing the fishermen.

In May this year 20 Vietnamese fishermen had been detained off Mangsee Island in the Philippines with more than 50 pieces of sharks and rays they had chopped up, the Star Online reported.

Two months before that 14 Vietnamese fishermen had been arrested off Paluan, a municipality in the central province of Occidental Mindoro, the Malina Times quoted local authorities as saying.

Hundreds of Vietnamese fishermen have been caught for allegedly illegal fishing in foreign waters in recent years.

Vietnamese authorities are trying to raise awareness of maritime boundaries and international maritime laws, and carry out regular patrols to prevent potential violations.Vietnam consistently ranks as one of the top three source countries for potential victims of modern slavery in the U.K. Photo by AFP/Hoang Dinh Nam

Scottish police are tracking down potential human traffickers after a Vietnamese woman escaped from their grasps and sought for help.

The 21-year-old unnamed woman approached a passerby in Stirlingshire in central Scotland in distress after her escape two weeks ago, the Glasgow-based Daily Record reported Monday.

She told police that she managed to escape from her captors in an unspecified location, before making her way to the town.

Police suspected that the woman might have come from north of Stirlingshire, possibly the rural Tayside area.

"At the moment, we are continuing to liaise with the young woman as to her ordeal and try to establish a more definitive location as to where she has fled from, inspector Nigel Thacker was quoted as saying.

Scotland reported 213 suspected trafficking cases last year, with about half of all potential victims coming from Vietnam - by far the main country of origin, Reuters reported.

Many young Vietnamese have made tortuous journeys through Russia and Europe, having paid thousands of pounds for the promise of a decent job in Britain. But the truth is they often end up enslaved in nail bars and cannabis farms, or forced to sell sex, the report said.

In January, members of a gang who forced Vietnamese girls and women into slavery in nail bars in Britain were jailed for a total of nine years.Phap Luat newspaper website cannot be accessed from a phone on Sunday. Photo by VnExpress

Some online newspapers in Vietnam said power disconnection at a data center on Sunday caused big losses in their readership.

Readers could not access several news sites in Vietnam, including the popular Thanh Nien, Tien Phong, Sai Gon Giai Phong, Voice of Vietnam, Zing, and Bao Moi, for hours on Sunday due to disconnected power supply at VinaData, a data center owned by tech company VNG.

The newspapers, which all use the ePi content management system hosted on the center, could not be accessed between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Mai Ngoc Phuoc, editor in chief at Phap Luat (Laws) newspaper, said the volume of pageviews at its website plo.vn fell 30 percent from the normal weekend level.

The incident also left a considerable impact on the running of advertisements on our site. We are still collecting specific figures of the damage.

Nguyen Ba, deputy editor in chief at Infonet.vn, the news website of Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications, reported similar loss of pageviews on Sunday.

"There are several major events and stories that happened on Sunday that attracted readers but our site went offline for hours. Our reporters and editors had their hands tied during the period, he said.

In an email sent to its clients earlier, VinaData said the disruption was due to a power cut at Quang Trung Software City (QTSC) in Ho Chi Minh City, where the data center is located.

But Phuoc of Phap Luat said VinaData had been "careless" and failed to have a back-up plan because QTSC had informed its clients about the power cut several days before.

He goes on to say that Phap Luat is looking at ways to avoid such incident in the future.

We are considering switching to another data center that is more stable and prestigious.

Speaking to the media Sunday afternoon, Nguyen Tan Hung, public relations chief of the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation, said QTSC had been informed five days earlier.

Hung claimed the blackout occurred due to an issue with VNG's backup power generator.

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.

It its latest statement, VNG sent an apology to its customers and say this is the most serious problem that has ever occurred to its data center and the incident has left a significant impact on its clients and users.

The company refused to release figures of its damage and said it will work with clients to review all the specific damage and have solutions to protect their rights and interests.

Many Zalo users affected by the Sunday hiccup are expecting answers.

I pay almost $1,000 each month to run advertisements on Zalo but the app did not work on Sunday, said Duc Hoang, an online retailer.

I havent heard anything from Zalo about what its going to do to compensate me, he said.

Nguyen Hong Phuc, a security expert, said it is unacceptable" when VinaData blamed the power cut for its failure.

Electricity, network and the cooling system are the three basic foundations of a data center and also the reasons why customers use the service instead of having their own servers, he said.

On its website, VinaData said its service meets Tier III Certification's standard with a full system of power source and cooling system.

But Uptime Institute, the American professional services organization that adopts the Tier standard and the associated certification of data center compliance with that standard, said there are only two data centers in Vietnam, which belong to telecom giants VNPT and FPT, that meet its Tier III criteria.

In other to acquire the Tier III standard, a data center should offer 99.982 percent of availability with less than 1.6 hours of interruption each year year.

The incident on Sunday is the second time this year that VNG has been hit by a systemic problem. In April, detailed personal information of over 163 million Zing ID account owners were leaked on an online forum.Witness to a century of change: Hanois iconic structures

Eleven architectural marvels that have defied time and stood amid the capital citys makeover.

The Huc Bridge

The Huc Bridge was built during the reign of King Tu Duc of the Nguyen dynasty in 1865. It leads to the Ngoc Son Temple in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake in downtown Hanoi. The bridge is made up of 15 spans with round wooden logs arranged into 16 pairs. It was painted in red, and its name is gilded in gold. The bridge has undergone two refurbishments since its construction, the first in 1897 and the second in 1952 after a span broke on Lunar New Year's Eve under a crush of visitors. Under the supervision of architect Nguyen Ba Lang, the foundations of the bridge are now cast in cement instead of wood. Hanoi Opera House

It is situated in Cach Mang Thang Tam Square at the end of Trang Tien Street in the central district of Hoan Kiem.

The Hanoi Opera House was built by French architects in 1911, a smaller replica of the Opera Garnier House in Paris with materials appropriate for the local climate. Hanoi Opera House has become one of the symbols of the city.

Quan Chuong Gate

Also called Dong Ha Gate, Quan Chuong Gate is located on the east side of the courthouse surrounding the Thang Long Citadel. It was built in 1749 and rebuilt in 1817. This is the only remaining gate of the Thang Long Citadel, now called Hanoi. Quan Chuong gate is on Quan Chuong Street at the beginning of Hang Chieu Street near the foot of the Chuong Duong Bridge.

Headquarters of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or the house of a hundred roofs, is situated at the junction of Dien Bien Phu and Ton That Dam streets.

It is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Hanoi. In the past the building was the headquarters of the Indochina Department of Finance, and from October 3, 1945, was the head office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was designed by Ernest Hebrard in 1924, construction began in 1925, and it was ready for use in 1928. It was designed by Ernest Hebrard in 1924, construction began in 1925, and it was ready for use in 1928.

Hoa Phong Tower

Hoa Phong Tower is located on Dinh Tien Hoang Street to the south of Hoan Kiem Lake. It is a remnant of Bao An Pagoda, a large pagoda built in 1842. In 1888 the French colonialists destroyed the pagoda to build the Hanoi post office.

The pagoda used to face Hoan Kiem lake with the Red River at its back. There used to be 36 houses inside the pagoda, but only Hoa Phong tower remains today. It has three stories. Its first floor has four doors, earning the tower the name "four-door tower", an architectural style common in Buddhist structures.

Long Bien BridgeThe United States from November 4 will target Iran's oil exports with sanctions.

Oil prices on Tuesday were holding just below four-year highs hit in the previous session, as looming U.S. sanctions against Iran and unwillingness by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to raise output supported the market.

Brent crude futures LCOc1 were at $81.39 per barrel at 0535 GMT, up 19 cents, or 0.2 percent, and close to the intraday peak touched the previous day at $81.48, the highest level since November 2014, Reuters said.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were at $72.18 a barrel, up 10 cents, or 0.1 percent from their last settlement.

The United States from November 4 will target Iran's oil exports with sanctions, and Washington is putting pressure on governments and companies around the world to fall in line and cut purchases from Tehran.

Read alsoReuters: Oil prices could rise to $100 a barrel by 2019, warn merchants

"Iran will lose sizeable export volumes, and given OPEC+ reluctance to raise output, the market is ill-equipped to fill the supply gap," Harry Tchilinguirian, global head of commodity markets strategy at French bank BNP Paribas, told the Reuters Global Oil Forum on Tuesday.

OPEC+ is the name given to the group of oil producers, including non-OPEC supplier Russia, that agreed to curtail output starting in 2017.

While Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran on Tuesday said they were determined to develop payment mechanisms to continue trading despite the sanctions by the United States, most analysts expect Washington's actions to knock between 1 million and 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil supplies out of markets.Ukraine sees 31 % rise in car imports in Jan-July

Car imports from the EU states over the period under review were estimated at US$617 million.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterMinister Omelyan: Germany mulling over financing of Ukraine's first real autobahn

This will be a highway between Zaporizhia in Ukraine's southeast and Mariupol in the country's east.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterUkrainian citizen needs to work for 136 days to buy new iPhone XS

Statistics are based on official data on the average salary in each country, as well as on official prices of the iPhone XS 64 GB model.

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+EnterFestive Shopping: Retailers to be enlisted to run fair price shops

The Department of Supply Management and Protection of Consumers Interest has enlisted private retail shops and cooperatives to sell subsidised essential goods at the fair price shops that it plans to open at 36 locations across the country for the convenience of Dashain shoppers.Thapa slams immature diplomacy of Oli government

Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa has accused the Nepal Communist Party-led government of lacking maturity when handling the matter of international relations.Meeting of Armenian, Tunisian FMs (video)

On September 24, within the framework of the ongoing visit to New York City for the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, Armenias minister of foreign affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanyan has met with the foreign minister of Tunisia Khemaies Jhinaoui. The ministers addressed a number of issues of bilateral and multilateral agenda. Both emphasized willingness to take joint actions to boost political dialogue. The FMs discussed the upcoming La Francophonie summit, due in October in Yerevan, its preparations works, expected events and its agenda. The Armenian FM presented the priorities of Armenias chairmanship at La Francophonie, stressing smart development and advancing digital agenda as priorities. Speaking about the NK conflict settlement, the Armenian FM reiterated Armenias commitment to the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. In this context the Armenian FM noted that the attempts of shifting the discussions over the NK conflict to other arenas are damaging the efforts of the international community for establishing stability and peace in the region.Expert: There are over 800,000 voters on the list, but there are not so many people in Yerevan (video)

Political and Electoral Technologies Expert Armen Badalyan considers that the elections of the Council of Elders were the third free elections in Armenia's history. "The first was in 1991, and the second one was in 1999." The expert notes that in order to assess the voter turnout in the election, it is necessary to understand how many actual voters there are. "There are over 800,000 voters on the list, but there are not so many people in Yerevan; many have emigrated." According to Armen Badalyan, electoral bribes will no longer work. "The Prime Minister destroyed that mechanism and now one has to present an idea." The results showed that around 300,000 Yerevan residents support Nikol Pashinyan, the expert says.UCOM keeps on supporting the 42 YEREVAN programming school

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

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1217 new cases

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Tipper kills one in Okharpauwa

A person died after being hit by a tipper at Okharpauwa in Kakani Rural Municipality of Nuwakot district.Ara Babloyan meets with Vice President of the Swiss Confederation

The delegation led by Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ara Babloyan met with Vice President of the Swiss Confederation Uli Mours in Bern on September 25. The press service of the parliament of Armenia reports, thanking for the warm reception, the Speaker referred to the Armenian-Swiss interstate relations, noting that they have developed more actively during the last decade. In this context the head of the legislative emphasized with satisfaction the close cooperation between the two states also on the parliamentary level and highlighted the contribution of the parliamentary friendship groups to the development of bilateral ties. According to Babloyan, the scope of Armenian-Swiss cooperation is quite large  trade ties, effective cooperation in the sidelines of assistance programs, training and educational programs. Referring to regional integration processes, the Speaker noted that Armenia can serve as a bridge between the European and Eurasian markets and can also be attractive for Swiss investors for its customs free access to the Eurasian market. Vice President of the Swiss Confederation Uli Mours noted the friendship between the peoples of the two countries has firm basis. During the meeting the sides talked about the activities of Switzerland-Armenia commerce chamber, activation of bilateral economic relations, expansion of cooperation in tourism, culture and a number of other spheres. At the end of the meeting the sides expressed readiness to further deepen the existing mutually beneficial cooperation.Ukraine's Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) initiates introduction of sanctions against companies from temporarily occupied Crimea, producing and selling chemicals, the ministry's press service has reported.

"The ministry has prepared proposals on the application of sanctions to a number of legal entities that promote the production of chemical products on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea, in spite of the current legislation of Ukraine, and those that sell these products on the territory of other countries," the ministry said in a statement in the Facebook social network.

In particular, the manufacturer of chemical products in the temporarily occupied peninsula in the city of Armiansk is Titanium Investments LLC (Russia), which is currently under sanctions.

The ministry believes that chemical products were manufactured in violation of the established legal regime of temporarily occupied territories and using illegally minerals extracted from the fields belonged only to the Ukrainian people, in particular natural gas and water from underground sources. Therefore, the production of these products threatens the life and health of Ukrainian citizens both in the government controlled and the occupied territories.

The list of companies, for which sanctions are proposed, include: Letan Investments Limited (Cyprus), Titanaktiv LLC (Russia), Optimum Technologies Center (Russia), Okhna Holdings Limited (Cyprus), Khimkomsnab LLC (Russia) and Tolexis Enterprises AG (Switzerland).

"The introduction of sanctions against all the involved legal entities will make economic relations with Ukraine impossible and will allow restricting or terminating economic relations with the EU countries," the ministry said.ICU investment group, one of the largest on the Ukrainian market, has entered the venture capital market and launched first five investment projects, ICU Director Roman Nikitov has said.

"We only have started investing this year, it took us several years to make this decision... We made five investments," he said at the Ukrainian Financial Forum in Odesa, organized by the ICU investment group.

Nikitov said that the ICU strategy involves investments from $200,000 to $1 million.

"Our strategy is to support Ukrainian innovations, invest in companies that are either based in Ukraine or have relations with Ukraine, and more broadly - Eastern Europe. We invest in almost all sectors except those that we do not understand," he added.

The director of the ICU said that Ukraine stands out thanks to the presence of a significant number of intellectual and cultural people. The group is going to disclose this potential with its venture investments.

He said that among the promising areas are agro-technology, cyber security and infrastructure solutions with blockchain.Ukraine's State Aviation Service has revised restrictions on flights of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) without prior agreement, increasing weight to 20 kg, permitted altitude of flights to 120 m and setting the range of flights within visual line of sight (VLOS) without restrictions.

"Ukraine is among the first European states that have received modern rules for the use of drones in the airspace," Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said on his Facebook page announcing the new regulations.

In response to the request of the lawyers of the Ante law firm, published by partner of the law firm Andriy Guck on his Facebook page, it is noted that the main changes in the rules of using unmanned aerial vehicles in the Ukrainian airspace concerned the maximum weight of a drone intended for free piloting: the maximum weight is set at up to 20 kg. It was initially set at 2 kg.

"As far as we know, the Justice Ministry registered the rules in this form and they will be published soon." Work on the rules of UAV operation is next," Guck said.

The changes also concern the maximum altitude of flights without prior approval from the regulatory authorities: the new version allows flights at an altitude of 120 m in a controlled airspace and 50 m in the airspace of military and special zones (in the previous version - up to 50 m in free space, full prohibition of flights in special zones).

Previously limited to 500 meters from the pilot, the maximum range was changed to flight within VLOS.

At the same time, flights of drones over gatherings of people in open space and over densely built-up areas are still forbidden without prior agreement.

All-Ukrainian Federation of Drone Owners Chairman Taras Troiak said on Facebook that the new version of the rules still does not meet the needs of users of drones.

"If you translate into a normal language, then flights are prohibited in any locality where there are more than five people on the street, in any city and over elite settlements, such as Koncha-Zaspa and other prohibited areas, as well as at rallies and during mass events. That is, in fact, everywhere, except for the field outside the city," he said.

Troiak also noted that the representatives of the federation and the owners of the drones were not given the opportunity to review the draft amendments before registering the document with the Justice Ministry.

As earlier reported, from June 1, 2018, temporary rules for airspace use were introduced. It regulated the procedure for using drones weighing up to 2 kg (often used by the media for shooting). According to the current rules, drones can no longer be raised above 50 m, fly over roads, power lines, crowds, state institutions and private estates. Applications for permission should be submitted no later than 10 days before the flight.

The media, the Agriculture Ministry and owners of drones criticized the rules set by the regulator.Militants have opened fire on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces 27 times over the past 24 hours, with no casualties recorded among Ukrainian servicemen, the press service of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has said.

"Invaders opened fire on the positions of our troops 27 times. At the same time, the enemy twice used weapons banned by the Minsk agreements [...] No losses among the personnel of the Joint Forces were recorded during fighting in the past day," the JFO headquarters said in a report on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

Illegal armed formations fired at the positions of the Ukrainian Joint Forces near Krymske, Novotoshkivske, Zolote, Svitlodarsk, Zaitseve, Pivdenne, Pisky, Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Novotroitske, Hnutove, Vodiane, Lebedynske, and Shyrokyne.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, one militant was killed and four others were injured.The Ukrainian Navy's search and rescue ship Donbas and the tugboat Korets have arrived at the port of Mariupol, Donetsk region, along with them two small armored artillery boats, the P177 Kremenchuk and the P178 Lubny.

"Today, on September 25, at 09.35, the arrival of the tugboat Korets completed the transfer of a group of ships of the Ukrainian Navy to the port of Mariupol," the Ukrainian Navy's press service said on Facebook.

"Near the Mariupol raid in the anchorage area a Russian border service cutter of the Mangust type staged a provocation [...] steering dangerously close to a Ukrainian boat. The Russian cutter tried to get close to our ships at great speed, but determined actions of the crews of the Lubny and Kremenchuk vessels prevented it from getting too close to the Donbas and the Korets," the post said.

"No payment for pilotage services passing through the Kerch Strait was paid," the Navy press service said.

As earlier reported, the Donbas rescue and research military vessel and the Korets tugboat did not ask Russia for permission to pass through the Kerch-Yenikale canal heading to the Azov Sea.

"Our vessels have not asked for any permission from Russia and exercised their sovereign right for passage," Navy press officer Oleh Chalyk told the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine agency on Monday.

On September 23, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko congratulated the sailors from the Donbas and Korets military vessels.

"These vessels will become a part of the new Ukraine's naval base in the Azov Sea region," Poroshenko said on Facebook page.

So-called authorities in Russia-occupied Crimea said the Donbas and Korets vessels did receive permission from Russia to pass through the Kerch-Yenikale canal and allegedly requested pilot support.The United States has detailed information on the strength, organization and command of the regular units of the Russian Armed Forces in Donbas, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations has said in an interview with the Echo of Moscow radio station.

When asked whether the United States has data on the presence of Russian troops in Donbas, Volker said that his country had thoroughly studied this issue. We have very good information on the commanders, the chain of command, types of troops, their financing, the number of regular Russian army servicemen, the number of specialized units, and the majority of the forces are contract soldiers, Volker said.

The diplomat added that the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities are directed by the Russian command through a chain of command, including regular troops and regular officers, but most of the forces are contractors paid by Russia.

Volker also noted that some people in illegal armed groups in Donbas are Ukrainian citizens hired on a contractual basis. According to him, some of them are Russian citizens, and some are from Serbia or Belarus.Three Ukrainian soldiers injured in Molot mortar explosion in Donbas  JFO HQ

Three Ukrainian servicemen were injured in the explosion of a Molot mortar in a military unit in the area of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) in Donbass, spokesman for the JFO headquarters Oleksiy Tryhub has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"The incident occurred at a military unit in the area of the JFO. The investigative commission is now investigating the reasons and circumstances," he said.

Speaking about the state of the victims, Tryhub noted that all three had been hospitalized.

"Their condition is satisfactory," he added.Batkivschyna Party leader Yulia Tymoshenko, showman Volodymyr Zelensky and incumbent President Petro Poroshenko top the presidential electoral rating in Ukraine, according to a poll on the monitoring of electoral moods of Ukrainians conducted by the Rating Sociological Group.

According to the survey, 13.2% of all respondents are ready to vote for Tymoshenko, 7.8% for Zelensky, and 6.8% for Poroshenko. Some 6.6% of those polled would support Civil Position Party leader Anatoliy Hrytsenko, 5.7% Opposition Bloc leader Yuriy Boiko, 5.4% For Life Party leader Vadym Rabinovych, 5.2% Radical Party leader Oleh Liashko, and 5% are ready to back musician and public figure Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.

The survey was conducted using personal interviews on September 10-18, 2018. A total of 2,500 respondents over 18 years of age were interviewed. The sample is representative by age, sex, region, and type of settlement. The sampling error does not exceed 2%.Trials and errors

Strengthening the foundation of the criminal justice system is imperative for an effective justice deliveryTwo Ukrainian servicemen were injured due to the explosion of a mine in the mortar barrel at a military unit in Donetsk region on September 23, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has said.

"It was established that on September 23, at about 21.00, a mine exploded in the mortar barrel at the positions of a military unit in Donetsk region. As a result, two servicemen sustained bodily injuries of varying severity," the Prosecutor General's Office said on Tuesday.The transfer of the venue for meetings of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on the settlement of the situation in Donbas from Belarus to another country will not bring any results, Ukraine's representative in the TCG's subgroup on security issues Yevhen Marchuk has said.

"Firstly, this will hardly change anything. Secondly, the negotiations at least a little, somehow [...] keep Belarus in relations with Ukraine, which can change dramatically when the negotiation process leaves Minsk, because we know that Russia and Belarus are a single union state," Marchuk told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Earlier, Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko said that it was necessary to move the venue for 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 from Ukraine.On Wednesday, September 26, at 10.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency a press conference titled "Prospects for Development of Wood Electronic Management System as a Tool for Monitoring its Harvesting and Sale," where a new module of the Wood Electronic Management (WEM) system will be presented - a certificate that will automatically issue certificates of origin of wood and check the entire supply chain of wood - from raw materials (round timber) to the final product. Participants include Director General of the State Enterprise Ukrainian Forestry Innovation and Analytical State Centre Viktor Melnychenko; representatives of the developer of the WEM system - Austrian company Latschbacher GmbH Volodymyr Molochko, Andriy Vorony; Head of the Trade Department of the Austrian Embassy Gabriele Haselsberger; representatives of the European Business Association (8/5-A Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation.Sayenko Kharenko has advised Mriya Agro Holding for several years in connection with USD 1.1 billion debt restructuring. 13 unsecured bank credits, 7 suppliers credits, 1 ECP programme and 2 issues of Eurobonds were restructured in a single secured debt instrument. Due to this unprecedented restructuring, the total debt of the new Mriya Group has decreased from USD 1.1 billion to USD 309.5 million.

The deal involved not only billion dollar debt restructuring, but also a complex corporate reorganisation of the Mriya Group. In accordance with Western standards, an independent board of directors was appointed. Within this reorganisation, Mriya Groups creditors became shareholders of Mriya Farming Plc, the Mriya Groups holding company.

Successful restructuring was followed by the subsequent sale of Mriya Groups Ukrainian farming assets including infrastructure facilities, machinery, and companies leasing agriculture land plots to SALIC UK Ltd (Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company, United Kingdom). Upon sale completion, Mriya Agro Holding, as one of the largest agro industrial companies in Ukraine, will continue to operate in Ukraine along-side SALICs subsidiary, Continental Farmers Group (CFG).

Ton Huls, Chief Financial Officer of Mriya Agro Holding, commented: Mriya restructuring was an unprece-dented and unique process. The Group had dozens of creditors at different levels in numerous jurisdictions. We had to ensure fair and equal treatment for all creditors, both Ukrainian and international, and find a universal solution acceptable for all of them. For us, it was important to achieve transparency and efficiency, and that had to be done in the heavily regulated legal environment of Ukraine and other jurisdictions. I believe that the final deal structure we have worked out together with English legal counsel, Rothschild and Sayenko Kharenko has achieved these objectives.

The Sayenko Kharenko team included lawyers from the Banking and Finance, Corporate, Bankruptcy and Debt Restructuring, Litigation and Competition Practices. Partners primary responsible for the project were Anton Korobeynikov and Alina Plyushch.

The deal is the latest in a series of record-breaking debt restructuring projects in which Sayenko Kharenko has acted. These include Toronto-Kyiv debt restructuring (the biggest financial restructuring completed under the recently enacted Law of Ukraine On Financial Restructuring), restructuring of Ukreximbanks Eurobond issues (the first successful debt restructuring in line with the IMFs Extended Fund Facility) and Naftogas external debt restructuring (this transaction remains the largest debt restructuring in the Ukrainian market).Russia will supply Syria with an S-300 ground-to-air missile system, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says, suggesting it would improve the country's defenses and help avert a repeat of the downing of a Russian warplane by Syrian forces a week ago.

Speaking on September 24, Shoigu said that Moscow will deliver the S-300 within two weeks and will also 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, presumably referring at least in part to the announcement made by Shoigu.

Russia has given Syrian President Bashar al-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.

With reporting by RIA Novosti and ReutersThe Iranian currency, rial, took yet another plunge Tuesday morning September 25, and the rate of exchange for the US dollar in Tehran rose to over 160,000 rials , in an apparent reaction to the lack of a prospect for rapprochement between Iran and the United States, and as EU's effort to save the nuclear deal with Tehran failed to bear fruit.

The nose-dive in the value of rial came after Iranian and EU officials' meeting in New York on Monday reached no tangible result and a senior U.S. official told European diplomats that their efforts to save the deal by protecting EU investments in the Islamic republic were "pointless."

According to a Reuters report, European diplomats have "acknowledged that the official was right" that the EU cannot save the deal "just six weeks until the next wave of U.S. sanctions hits Iran on November 4."

Meanwhile, President Hassan Rouhani's remarks shunning the possibility of talks with the US, in New York, where he is taking part at the UN General Assembly meeting seems to have created an atmosphere of disillusionment and despair in the Iranian market.

Referring to Rouhani's negative comments, Iranians on social media begged him not to talk about the Iran-US ties in his UNGA speech as this will lead to higher prices and further devaluation of the rial.

One Twitter user says, "the rate of exchange for US dollar rises higher with every word Rouhani utters."

In the meantime, the rise from Rls150,000 to over Rls160,000 shook the Forex market like breaking the sound barrier, while traders expect further devaluation of the national currency in the days to come.

Every Euro was traded for 185,000 and each GBP for over 200,000 rials at the Tehran market Tuesday morning.

Reports from Tehran say money-changers stop buying and selling foreign currency by mid-day fearing further fluctuations.

Iranian Students News Agency, ISNA quoted some money-changers in Tehran as saying that they expected a rise of up to 250,000 rials for each dollar in the forex market.

Apparently, more optimistic traders told ISNA that the rate may come down after occasional hypes and would finally be stabilized between 120,000 to 140,000 rials per dollar.

Iranian analysts link the chaos in the forex market to various factors including Saturday's attack on a military parade in Tehran, the failure of talks with Europe, ambiguities about Iran's position on ratifying international financial agreements, demanded by the FATF, as well as Rouhani's disappointing comments in New York.

Regardless of the failure of Rouhani's economic policy during the past months, the governor of Iran's Central Bank Abdolnasser Hemmati has told the press that the rates of exchange would eventually come down "in an almost managed way," whatever that means. But these sorts of comments obviously do not resonate with businesses and the people in Iran, who are pessimistic about their countrys prospects.

In the meantime, while according to Reuters, "the European Commission's boldest idea is for European central banks to pay Iran directly for oil in euros and bypass the U.S. financial system," not only there is no indication that banks would listen to governments, European companies have left Iran fearing US sanctions could also affect their business in other countries.Contradictory reports have thrown the fate of another pro-reform minister in President Hassan Rouhanis administration in limbo.

While dozens of local news outlets maintain that Rouhanis Minister of Industry, Mines and Business, Mohammad Shariatmadari is facing parliamentary impeachment, others report that he has already resigned from his position.

Shariatmadari, 58, Rouhanis campaign manager during May 2017 presidential election, is one of the last ministers in Irans government staunchly defending private sector and opposing state-run businesses.

Shariatmadari, in coordination with Hassan Rouhani has resigned, a pro-reform member of parliaments Economic Commission, Elias Hazrati told the official website of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Khane-ye Mellat (Nations House).

Other reports suggest that Rouhani accepted Shariatmadaris resignation before leaving Tehran for New York to attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

.Meanwhile, state-run news agencies, ISNA and Mehr have also cited another MP confirming Shariatmadaris resignation.

The conservative MP behind the parliamentary motion to impeach the Minister is a quoted an informed source as saying that Shariatmadari had resigned.

Retired police officer and former second Brigadier General of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Alireza Beigi maintained that Shariatmadari, scared of being grilled by the MPs, has offered his resignation and Rouhani accepted it before flying to New York to attend UNGA.

The hardline MP accused Rouhani of endorsing Shariatmadaris resignation to cover up the weakness of the Industry, Mines and Business Ministry and his cabinet in managing forex affairs.

Under the Islamic Republics Constitution, legislators can impeach ministers when they deem it necessary. An impeachment motion can be submitted when it has at least ten signatures.

Several other informed sources have also told state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) that there have been talks on the Ministers resignation in past few days.

However, citing the Ministrys department of Public Affairs, the governments information website has categorically denied Shariatmadaris resignation, insisting that the Administration has an official news website for publishing such developments and the media affiliated with other branches of power are expected to avoid creating new problems for the executive branch by disseminating unconfirmed news.

The pro-reform Minister who served former President Mohammad Khatami for eight years as Commerce Minister (1997-2005), shocked everybody last July by refusing to publish the list of individuals and companies who had used subsidized dollars for their personal benefit.

Publishing the names will damage the relation between the government and the private sector and detrimental to the countrys economy, Shariatmadari argued at the time.

Nonetheless, Shariatmadari relented later and in a TV program on July 24, revealing the names of 100 companies and individuals who had illegally ordered car imports with government subsidized dollars meant for essential goods.

Contradictory news concerning Shariatmadaris impeachment and resignation are widely spread at a time that MPs have sacked Rouhanis Ministers of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare and Economy through impeachment.

Meanwhile, it was said on Sunday, September 23 that the letter for impeachment of the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Abbas Akhoundi was signed by fifty MPs and delivered to majlis (parliament) board of directors.

The steep drop in the value of Irans currency, rial against dollar in recent months has placed Rouhanis government under more pressure by his ultraconservative opponents who traditionally are supported by the Islamic Republics Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has opened the weeklong 73rd General Assembly by warning that the world is "suffering from a bad case of trust deficit disorder."

"People are feeling troubled and insecure and trust is at a breaking point -- trust in national institutions, trust among states, trust in the rules-based world order," Guterres said on September 25 in his opening speech to the UN General Assembly.

"Within countries, people are losing faith in political establishments," Guterres said. "Polarization is on the rise and populism is on the march. Among countries, cooperation is less certain and more difficult and divisions in our Security Council are stark."

Urging world leaders to counteract unilateralism and rejuvenate international cooperation, Guterres sounded an alarm on issues ranging from global climate change, a growing potential for nuclear conflict, the need for all people to benefit from new technologies, and the necessity to safeguard against dangers ranging from "malicious acts in cyberspace to the weaponization of artificial intelligence."

"Today, world order is increasingly chaotic," Guterres warned. "Power relations are less clear and universal values are being eroded. Democratic principles are under siege and the rule of law is being undermined."

Guterres's grim depiction of the state of the world was the first of many speeches scheduled during the General Assembly session, which runs through October 1.

On September 25 alone, the leaders of 32 UN member states, including U.S. President Donald Trump, are scheduled to address the session.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said ahead of Trump's speech that he would continue to enunciate an "America First" foreign policy, talking about "protecting U.S. sovereignty" when he addresses the assembly shortly after Guterres.

"It is not saying multilateralism can't work," Haley said last week. "It's saying sovereignty is a priority over all of that, and we always have to make sure we're doing that -- and there are many countries that agree with us."

Harsh language was expected from Trump about the threat that he says Iran poses to Israel, the Middle East, and the world.

Haley said Trump also planned to address "the fact that we had to take on the Russian incident" in which former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in the English city of Salisbury in March.

Haley was not more specific on what Trump would say about the Skripal case, which the West has blamed on Russia. Moscow denies the allegations that the poisoning was carried out by Russian agents.

Iranian President Hassan Rohani is due to speak later on September 25.

Iranian officials say Rohani's speech will stress that Tehran is continuing to uphold its commitments under the nuclear deal and that he will criticize the United States for breaking its international obligations under the treaty.

Hours before the session was set to begin, Trump tweeted that he had no plans to meet with Rohani on the sidelines of the gathering "despite requests" to do so.

Rohani said earlier that as a precondition for any dialogue, Trump must repair the damage done when he unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

"That bridge must be rebuilt," Rohani told the U.S.-based NBC news ahead of his speech.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speech on September 25 is expected to focus mainly on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.

Erdogan also was expected to call on the international community to share responsibility for the refugee crisis and other challenges posed by conflicts in the region.

Also due to address the General Assembly on September 25 are Kyrgyz President Sooranbai Jeenbekov; Bakir Izetbegovic, the chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina's tripartite presidency; and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpaBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

AZAL President Jahangir Asgarov met with Robin Glover-Faure, President of Commercial Training Solutions of L-3 Technologies, on September 25.

At the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for cooperation. The guests noted that the opportunities created in Azerbaijans civil aviation by using advanced technology made a great impression on them.

Thanks to its innovative developments L-3 Technologies will provide the Azerbaijan Airlines with the most up-to-date technologies in the field of personnel training, flight simulation complexes, as well as combined theoretical and interactive training programs.

The parties discussed the issues regarding supply of Full Flight Simulator for Boeing-737 MAX and Embraer 190 for the training of flight crew of AZAL and Buta Airways.

Construction of a new simulator training center for pilots at the National Aviation Academy in cooperation with L-3 Technologies was also discussed during the negotiations.

The contract is scheduled to be signed in mid-October. It is expected that the new simulators will start functioning by mid-2020.

Azerbaijan Airlines carries out a large-scale program to update its air fleet. Recently, low-cost airline Buta Airways received a new Embraer E-190 airplane. In the near future, it is planned to replenish AZALs fleet with new generation aircraft - Boeing 737 MAX. The program to update the fleet requires professional retraining of flight personnel.

The simulators acquired from L-3 Technologies meets the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO DOC 9625-1) and EASA (Certification Specification CS-FSTD (A)) at the highest level - Level D.

During the visit the guests got acquainted with Azerbaijan's civil aviation facilities, including the Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control Center and the new airport complex of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, which recently awarded maximum 5 Stars rating from the Skytrax audit company.

Robin Glover-Faure commented: We are delighted and honored to sign a letter of intent to supply Azerbaijan Airlines B737 Max and Embraer E190 RealitySeven full flight simulators. We look forward to working in partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines to deliver this training solution on time and to the highest quality.

L-3 Technologies is the global leader in developing and creating platforms for simulator training of pilots and technical crew who serve civil and military aircraft.

Office of a division of L-3 Technologies for the production of flight simulators for civil aviation - L-3 Commercial Training Solutions is situated in Crawley (Great Britain).

The geography of L-3 companys supplies of training systems for the civil and military sector is extensive: North America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific region. L-3 is headquartered in Arlington, Texas with offices in Binghamton (New York state), Orlando (Florida state), Oklahoma City, Broken Arrow (Oklahoma state), Phoenix (Arizona state), and Crawley, United Kingdom.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 82 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Sept. 25.

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.Vice President Pun returns home after 6-day China visit

Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun returned home on Monday after completing a six-day official visit to China.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

On 26 September 2018, the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, in accordance with its mandate, plans to conduct the next ceasefire monitoring exercise on the Azerbaijan and Armenia state border in the direction of Gadabay district.

The Personal Representative's field assistants Ognjen Jovic and Simon Tiller will carry out the monitoring exercise from the territory of Azerbaijan.

The Personal Representative's field assistants Ghenadie Petrica and Mihail Olaru will carry out the monitoring from the other side of the border.

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. 25

Trend:

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov attended the GUAM-Japan Ministerial Meeting held on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry told Trend.

The "GUAM-Japan Joint Press Release" was adopted as a result of the meeting. In a press release, the two sides reconfirmed the universally recognized norms and principles of international law, including those enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and underlined the importance of international efforts with the aim to the soonest settlement of the conflicts in the GUAM area based on the principles of respect to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognized borders of the States.

The sides emphasized the utmost importance of enhanced GUAM-Japan interaction, aimed at ensuring peace, security, prosperity and stability on both regional and interregional levels and reconfirmed their commitment to continue to broaden and strengthen their bonds in the future.

The two sides reconfirmed their interest and readiness to further maintain high-level dialogue, not only on the GUAM-Japan cooperation, but also on a wide range of regional and global issues.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.25

Trend:

In a visit to Baku last week, OSCE PA President George Tsereteli reiterated the Parliamentary Assemblys commitment to the South Caucasus and encouraged parliamentarians to play an active role in supporting economic and security co-operation in the region.

President Tsereteli was in Baku on 20 September as Azerbaijan celebrated the 100th anniversary of the countrys first parliament. Tsereteli applauded the active role that parliamentarians from Azerbaijan play within the OSCE PA.

Recalling the singular achievements of its first parliament, President Tsereteli praised Azerbaijans transformation into a key international trade partner. He also advocated a greater role for parliamentary diplomacy in easing persistent regional conflicts and in meeting democratic commitments.

We are reminded today of Azerbaijans considerable economic achievements since regaining independence. Yet, modernization needs more than economic progress, said Tsereteli. The OSCE PA stands ready to support Azerbaijan  and all of our member countries  in living up to their commitments to create the conditions for a peaceful and prosperous future.

To contribute to Assembly activities in the region, the Tsereteli is expected to appoint a new Special Representative of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on the South Caucasus region.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

Armenia continues occupation of 20 percent of the Azerbaijans internationally recognized territories, thus undermining the regional security and stability, as well as impedes full-fledged regional cooperation, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said.

He was speaking in New York at the Informal Meeting of Council of Ministers of the ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) Member States, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry said in a message Sept. 25.

"Armenia went even further in its aggression policy now trying to associate other countries with the occupation through attracting businesses, trade and investments in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan," Mammadyarov added.

It is very important for our cooperation that all countries are aware of such intentions of Armenia and reject any type of social, economic and cultural involvement in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, he said. I call on all ECO Member States to prevent any attempts to engage in trade, economic and investment activities in or with the regime in occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Withdrawal of Armenian military forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and ensuring the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes not only will contribute to peace and security in the South Caucasus, but also will enhance full-fledged intra-regional cooperation, he noted.

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.Tehran, Iran, Sept. 25

Trend:

Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli called for the activation of Iran-Azerbaijan joint border commission to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the sectors of border security.

Tehran and Baku need to activate their joint border commission to increase cooperation to boost security at the two countries border areas, Rahmani Fazli said in a meeting with Azerbaijan's Interior Minister Ramil Usubov in Tehran, Tasnim news agency reported on September 25.

He added that governors of Iranian and Azerbaijani border provinces could help and prepare the ground for boosting trade and investment between the two countries.

Iran attaches great importance to its ties with Azerbaijan, the minister said.

He also said a working group should be set to pursue agreements signed between the two countries.

Usubov, for his turn, hailed the idea of the working group and said all deals should be fully implemented.

He further said Baku will continue its trade ties with the Islamic Republic.

Since US President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the accord in May, the United States re-imposed a first tranche of economic sanctions in August and is due to reintroduce sanctions on Iran's oil and gas industry on Nov. 4.Details added (first version posted on 14:14)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

By Samir Ali - Trend:

Azerbaijan has started production of a new aerial bomb.

The weight of the QFAB-250 LG high explosive aerial bomb is 250 kilograms.

The flight distance of the laser-guided aerial bomb is 12,000 meters, its fragmentation radius is 10 meters, its length is 3,300 millimeters, and diameter is 240 millimeters.

Jointly produced with Turkish company Aselsan, the aerial bomb will be handed over for usage after testing.

The 3rd Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition ADEX 2018 has launched at the Baku Expo Center.

This year, 224 companies from 29 countries take part in ADEX.

The exhibition features 11 national stands from Azerbaijan, China, France, Iran, Israel, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Belarus, Ukraine, Pakistan, representing leading companies from these countries.

Many countries have expanded the area of their national expositions; the top four with the largest number of companies represented are Turkey (41 companies), Russia (25 companies), Israel (14 companies) and Belarus (10 companies).

The exhibition will run until September 27. This is an excellent platform to showcase the latest weapons and to conclude new agreements on international military-technical cooperation.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

By Samir Ali - Trend:

A new large caliber sniper rifle has been manufactured in Azerbaijan.

The 23115 mm-rifle weighs 34 kilograms.

The maximum projectile range of the rifle is six kilometers. The weapon accurately hits the target at a distance of two kilometers.

The weapon was first presented at the 3rd Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition ADEX 2018, which opened Sept. 25 in Baku.

In the near future, the weapon will be tested and handed over to Azerbaijans Armed Forces.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

Within the framework of the 3rd Azerbaijan international defense exhibition ADEX 2018, held in Baku Expo Centre, the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan Colonel-General Zakir Hasanov has met with the Chairman of the State Military-Industrial Committee of Belarus Roman Golovchenko and the Deputy Minister of Defense for Armament-the Chief of Armament of the Armed Forces of Belarus Major-General Sergei Simonenko, the press service of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan said in a statement Sept. 25.

During the meeting, the sides discussed the prospects of development of military and military-technical cooperation between Azerbaijan and Belarus, the possibility of using modern military technologies, exchange of experiences and other issues of mutual interest.

On the same day, Hasanov met with the delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense of Turkey Muhsin Dere.

The issues of regional security, the main directions of military relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, the development of cooperation in the military, military-technical, military-educational and military-medical spheres, the organization of mutual visits of expert groups, as well as other issues of interest have been discussed at the meeting.Details added (first version posted on 15:14)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has met with President of the Senate of the Italian Republic Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati.

President of the Senate Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati warmly greeted Azerbaijans First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva. She hailed Azerbaijan-Italy relations, including inter-parliamentary ties. The Senate president praised great achievements made between the two countries in all areas, including politics, economy, trade, legislation, culture, science and education in recent years.

Pointing to the importance of a conference marking the centenary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic at the Italian Senate, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati noted that Azerbaijan took crucial steps as an advocate of democracy and progressive ideas at the beginning of the last century.

The Senate president praised Azerbaijani First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyevas multifaceted activities, pointing to a number of cultural and humanitarian projects implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Italy, including the restoration of cultural monuments. She thanked First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for this, expressing her confidence that cooperation will be maintained.

Azerbaijans First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva thanked Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati for the warm meeting. Mehriban Aliyeva congratulated Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati on assuming office as president of the Senate and wished her success in her activities. Mehriban Aliyeva expressed her confidence that Azerbaijan-Italy relations will continue successfully developing. Azerbaijans First Vice-President thanked the Italian Senate president for recognizing the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

The Italian presidents visit to Azerbaijan this July was described as indicative of the level of bilateral relations. It was noted that the fruitful talks held as part of the trip will contribute to the development of bilateral ties.

The Italian companies successful involvement in a number of economic projects in Azerbaijan was hailed during the meeting. It was noted that Rome highly appreciates Azerbaijans role in ensuring the energy security of Europe, including Italy.

The sides also emphasized the development of cultural ties, saying they contribute to bringing the two nations closer to each other.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov had a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly 73rd session in New York, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry said in a message Sept. 25.

The sides had exchange of views on a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation agenda.

The regional and international issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.25

Trend:

The Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said that Iran has a clear strategy to develop relations with Azerbaijan, Mehr news agency reported.

The Speaker of Iranian Parliament Ali Larijani made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan Ramil Usubov on Sept.25 in Tehran.

Fortunately, relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are developing and the visit of this delegation from Azerbaijan to Iran will certainly be effective, Larijani said in the meeting.

Pointing to the cultural commonalities between the two countries, Larijani said that there are various economic areas for developing relations between Tehran and Baku.

The Azerbaijani minister of Internal Affairs, for his part, expressed his happiness with the meetings he has had during the visit to Iran, underlining that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to its relations with the Islamic Republic.

Usubov described Azerbaijans bilateral relations with Iran as growing.

He further emphasized exchange of experiences between the two countries with respect to fighting terrorism, calling for closer cooperation on the fight against organized crimes, especially drug trafficking.

He also expressed his condolences to the people and the government of Iran over a terror attack on a military parade in southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz.

The Azerbaijani minister also called for closer relations between the parliamentary friendship groups of the two countries.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

Azerbaijan is keen to further leverage its transit and logistics potential by transforming the transportation system and services into one of the key comparative advantages of its economy, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said.

He was speaking in New York at the Informal Meeting of Council of Ministers of the ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) Member States, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry said in a message Sept. 25.

Azerbaijan is working to diversify and modernize its transport infrastructure, which will serve the interconnection of the Trans-European and Trans-Asian railway networks, he said. Besides, the construction of the New International Sea Trade Port and its International Logistic Centre, as well as the adoption of the Law on Free Economic Zone in Alyat, which is a point of convergence of all transport routes in our country, will significantly increase the competitiveness of international trade corridors and transit capacity of the countries of the region.

He noted that Azerbaijan has been contributing to enhancing ECO regions transit potential through promoting East-West, North-South and South-West trade corridors.

We do believe that one of the priorities of the ECO agenda should be taking actions on the interconnection of ECO rail networks and the development of unified railway infrastructure of the region, Mammadyarov added. We do believe that an early completion of Qazvin-Rash-Astara (Iran)  Astara (Azerbaijan) project which is a missing and important link of North-South Transport Corridor, will give new impetus to economic growth, expand transport opportunities for involved countries as well as the whole region.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

Since the beginning of 2018, over 230 joint Uzbek-Turkish enterprises have been created in Uzbekistan, and mutual trade has grown by over 40 percent, the press service of the president of Uzbekistan stated referring to the results of negotiations between Head of State Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Chairman of the Turkish Parliament Binali Yildirim, who is on an official visit in the country.

Yildirim highly appreciated the reforms carried out in Uzbekistan and stressed that the Turkish side is ready to render all possible assistance in implementing projects aimed at modernizing the country's economy and social sphere.

The sides touched upon the role of inter-parliamentary relations in development and strengthening of bilateral relations. Parliamentary groups of friendship operate in the parliaments of Uzbekistan and Turkey.

On the same day, Yildirim met with Senate Chairman Nigmatilla Yuldoshev and Speaker of the Legislative Chamber Nurdinjon Ismoilov.

The first joint meeting of the Turkey-Uzbekistan inter-parliamentary friendship group of the Turkish parliament and the inter-parliamentary group of the Uzbek parliament on cooperation with the Turkish parliament was held.

Reportedly, Yildirim will also visit Samarkand and Bukhara.

In the 1H2018, Turkey entered the top five foreign trade partners of Uzbekistan. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $940 million.

Over the seven months of 2018, Turkey came out on top in terms of the number of new foreign enterprises in Uzbekistan. Some 147 enterprises were established with participation of the residents of Turkey.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanovBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

The official delegation of Uzbekistan has arrived in Stavropol region of Russia on a business mission, Podrobno.uz reported.

During the visit, the members of the delegation led by the Head of the Administration (Governor) of Andijan region Shukhratbek Abdurakhmanov have met with the Governor of Stavropol (Russia) Vladimir Vladimirov.

The governor of Stavropol noted that the cooperation of Stavropol region with Uzbekistan is developing. In particular, Uzbekistan makes investments in the sanatorium-and-health-resort complex of the region. For instance, a new pavilion in the "Uzbekistan" sanatorium in Kislovodsk city of Russia has begun functioning this year.

The annual mutual trade turnover between the two sides exceeds $12 million. Industrial goods, fertilizers and agricultural products form the basis of export supplies of Stavropol to Uzbekistan.

In turn, Stavropol buys cotton from Uzbekistan, as well as acquires cotton seeds for the development of cotton production and for the manufacture of light industry products.

Vladimir Vladimirov also named promising areas for further development of cooperation - projects in the field of agriculture, food processing industry, tourism.

Shukhratbek Abdurakhmanov in turn stressed the interest of the Andijan region in the use of Stavropol regions experience in the area of development of the greenhouse industry, as well as in the expansion of trade cooperation between the two regions.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

The "Yandex.Taxi" company plans to expand its activities to other cities of Uzbekistan, Podrobno.uz reported referring to the Director for Work with State Bodies of "Yandex.Taxi" company Anton Petrakov.

"We are ready to launch in a short time the Yandex.Taxi" service in other cities of Uzbekistan, for example, in Samarkand, Bukhara, Urgench and Andijan, but for this purpose we need very accurate and latest online maps of these cities. This takes time. For example, it took us about a year to create a map of Tashkent," Petrakov said.

He noted that currently the company is working independently on preparation of maps of major cities of the country. At the same time, Petrakov added that "Yandex" will be extremely grateful to the state bodies of Uzbekistan for assistance in this direction  for example, it would be very useful for the company to have digital registers of objects in these cities.

"We have already appealed to the Uzbekistans State Committee for Land Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadastre for a possible data exchange. It is too early to talk about the results, but we have agreed to meet and discuss this issue. We hope for fruitful cooperation, which will benefit all parties  the state, business, and residents of cities. It's not just about being able to run "Yandex.Taxi" in a few more cities, although many people are waiting for us there. Open data is always for the benefit of society", Petrakov said.

"There are many studies on how online services have changed the infrastructure of cities around the world for the better, and we believe that our technologies will help Uzbekistan's cities become more comfortable for both locals and tourists," Anton Petrakov concluded.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

The "Helicopters of Russia" holding plans to discuss establishment of a service center for maintenance of Russian-made helicopters in Azerbaijan, the Deputy General Director of the holding company for after-sale services Igor Chechikov told reporters during the ADEX-2018 exhibition, RIA Novosti reported.

"During the exhibition, we intend to offer our partners the latest models of civil and military helicopters in combination with solutions for their further maintenance. We also expect to update the issue of creating a service center for Russian-made helicopters in Azerbaijan," the holding's press service quoted Chechikov as saying.

During the ADEX-2018 expo, the Helicopters of Russia holding company will present the current model range of civil and military helicopters. The Mi-38 model of helicopters in transport and passenger design, as well as Ansat and Mi-35M models of helicopters will be demonstrated.

The specialists of the holding are also planning to hold talks with traditional and potential customers of Russian-made helicopters and services for their after-sale support.

Chechikov talked at the last ADEX-2016 exhibition about the agreement signed with the head of Silk Way Helicopter Services company Azer Sultanov on the establishment of a joint venture in Azerbaijan for the maintenance and repair of Russian civil helicopters of the Mi-8/17 model.

The ADEX-2018 defense exhibition is held in Baku on September 25-27.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

Taxify considers current commission rate for drivers in Baku (20 percent) standard for the market and wont change it, a representative of the international taxi-ordering service told Trend on Sept. 25.

Twenty-percent commission is our standard rate for mature markets similar to Baku, which is an optimal fare for covering the operational and development costs. We are continuously working on improving the product, to offer the best driving experience for both drivers and passengers, the company representative said.

The representative also acknowledged the issues with some drivers not willing to accept orders with non-cash payments and said that Taxify is actively engaging with drivers to prevent this from happening.

We have enforced specific quality control measures to combat these instances and are already seeing significant improvements in response rates. In-app trips should not get any special treatments in terms of drivers getting any incentives for processing these orders, so we do believe this is a matter of communication and quality assurance that we are actively working on, the company's representative said.

It should be noted that some drivers in Azerbaijan argue that the commission rate of Taxify is high compared to competitors.

On the other hand, numerous users in social networks in Azerbaijan are not satisfied with the drivers rejecting orders with non-cash payments chosen. Talks with drivers reveal that they prefer cash payments and try not to take orders with bank card payments.

Meanwhile, Taxify has recently launched its services in Ganja, and announced a new Driver Destinations feature that enables drivers to maximize their daily earning potential, so drivers may reconsider their preferences.

Taxify is an international transportation network company, founded and headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. The service was launched in August 2013, and in 2014 it went on to foreign shores.

As of May 2018, Taxify operates in 25 countries and 40 cities in Europe, Africa, West Asia and Central America. The company has 10 million customers globally and more than 500,000 drivers use the platform to offer rides.

Taxify launched its services in Azerbaijan in early 2017.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanovTehran, Iran, Sept. 25

Trend:

South Africa has agreed to relax visa requirements for Iranian merchants in a bid to boost investment and business opportunities between the two countries.

Irans Foreign Ministry and South Africas Interior Ministry signed an agreement whereby visa regime for Iranian businessmen will be facilitated, IRIB news agency reported on September 25.

The report added that the deal would pave the way for Iranian investors to explore business opportunities in South Africa, which is rich in natural resources.

The businessmen, according to the terms of the agreement, will be active in the fields of industries, mines, and agriculture.

South African investors and tourists will also enjoy new visa privileges in return, the report added.

Last October, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met with South African President Jacob Zuma in the African state's administrative capital of Pretoria.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

On behalf of the Acting CEO and General Manager of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private sector (ICD), Mr. Najmul Hassan and the Chairman of the Management Board of the Joint-Stock Commercial Bank Uzbek Industrial and Construction Bank (UzICB), Mr. Sakhi Annaklichev signed a Memorandum of Understanding on exploring the possibility of financing the private sector enterprises in Uzbekistan under a proposed Shariah Compliant Line of Financing Facility during the Islamic Development Bank Groups day event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Shariah compliant Line of Financing facility will be utilised by UzICB to provide financial support to private sector, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Uzbekistan through Islamic modes of financing.

This Line of financing will enable the Bank to offer Shariah compliant products along with other banking services.

ICD is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. The mandate of ICD is to support economic development and promote the development of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments which are in accordance with the principles of Shariah. ICD also provides advice to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises. ICD is rated AA/F1+ by Fitch and Aa3/P1 by Moodys. For more information visit www.icd-ps.org

Joint-Stock Commercial Bank "Uzbek Industrial and Construction Bank ", incorporated in 1991 under the license from the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 17 to conduct banking operations and headquartered in Tashkent, the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Today, the bank provides financial services in 45 branches with the number of employees of 3,850 persons in Uzbekistan.

For more information visit UzICBs website at: https://www.uzpsb.uz/Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

On behalf of the Acting CEO and General Manager of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private sector (ICD), Mr. Najmul Hassan and the Chairman of the Management Board of the Joint-Stock Commercial Bank Turonbank (Turonbank), Mr. Mirzaev Chori signed a Memorandum of Understanding on exploring the possibility of financing the private sector enterprises in Uzbekistan under a proposed Shariah Compliant Line of Financing Facility during the Islamic Development Bank Groups day event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Shariah compliant Line of Financing facility will be utilised by Turonbank to provide financial support to private sector, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Uzbekistan through Islamic modes of financing.

This Line of financing is a first Shariah compliant Line facility for Turonbank, which will enable the Bank to offer Shariah compliant products along with other banking services.

ICD is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. The mandate of ICD is to support economic development and promote the development of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments which are in accordance with the principles of Shariah. ICD also provides advice to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises. ICD is rated AA/F1+ by Fitch and Aa3/P1 by Moodys. For more information visit www.icd-ps.org

Joint-Stock Commercial Bank "Turonbank", incorporated in 1990 under the license from the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 8 to conduct banking operations and headquartered in Tashkent, the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Today, the bank provides financial services in 18 branches with the number of employees of 1,258 persons in Uzbekistan.

The mission of the Bank is; to satisfy the needs of each client in banking services throughout the territory of Uzbekistan; to contribute to the sustainable functioning of the country's banking system; to contribute to the development of the country's economy.

For more information visit Turonbanks website at: http://www.turonbank.uz/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Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

On behalf of the Acting CEO and General Manager of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private sector (ICD), Mr. Najmul Hassan and the First Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the Joint-Stock Commercial Bank Hamkorbank (Hamkorbank), Mr. Alisher Mirzaev signed a Memorandum of Understanding on exploring the possibility of financing the private sector enterprises in Uzbekistan under a proposed Shariah Compliant Line of Financing Facility during the Islamic Development Bank Groups Day event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Shariah compliant Line of Financing facility will be utilised by Hamkorbank to provide financial support to private sector, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Uzbekistan through Islamic modes of financing.

This Line of financing will enable Hamkorbank to offer Shariah compliant products along with other banking services.

ICD is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. The mandate of ICD is to support economic development and promote the development of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments which are in accordance with the principles of Shariah. ICD also provides advice to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises. ICD is rated AA/F1+ by Fitch and Aa3/P1 by Moodys. For more information visit www.icd-ps.org

Joint Stock Commercial Bank with Foreign Capital Hamkorbank has been operating at the market of banking services in the Republic of Uzbekistan since 1991. Initially, having commenced its operations in Andijan city, over 27 years the Bank has developed the expanded branch network, covering all administrative regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan. At present the Bank has 209 service outlets, out of them 33 branches, 170 mini-banks. The Bank also organized the activities of 6 subsidiary companies.

The mission of the Bank is to reach its goals by consolidating and by expanding its positions all over the country, improving the professionalism of its staff, improving the quality and the level of automation and technology related to the offered services in order to establish trustworthy relations with each client, focused on long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation.

For more information, visit Hamkorbanks website at: https://hamkorbank.uz/enBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

On behalf of the Acting CEO and General Manager of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private sector (ICD), Mr. Najmul Hassan and the First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Joint-Stock Commercial Bank Asia Alliance Bank (Asia Alliance Bank), Mr. Umitjon Khakimov signed a Memorandum of Understanding on exploring the possibility of financing the private sector enterprises in Uzbekistan under a proposed Shariah Compliant Line of Financing Facility during the Islamic Development Bank Groups Day event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Shariah compliant Line of Financing facility will be utilised by Asia Alliance Bank to provide financial support to private sector, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Uzbekistan through Islamic modes of financing.

This Line of financing will enable Asia Alliance Bank to offer Shariah compliant products along with other banking services.

ICD is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. The mandate of ICD is to support economic development and promote the development of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments which are in accordance with the principles of Shariah. ICD also provides advice to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises. ICD is rated AA/F1+ by Fitch and Aa3/P1 by Moodys. For more information visit www.icd-ps.org

The Bank is a privately owned universal commercial bank which carries out all kinds of banking operations represented in financial services market including servicing of private and corporate clients. Its principal activities are commercial and retail banking operations, transaction with foreign currencies, origination of loans, guarantees and letters of credit. The Bank is regulated by the CBU and conducts its business under the banking license #79 issued by the CBU on 15 August 2009, which was re-registered on 20 September 2014, and the general license for foreign currency operations #54 issued on 31 December 2011, which was re-registered on 20 September 2014.

The mission of the Bank is to professionally provide a wide spectrum of banking services which conform to the business needs of customers while promoting private entrepreneurship in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

For more information, visit Asia Alliance Banks website at: https://aab.uz/en/Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

On behalf of the Acting CEO and General Manager of the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private sector (ICD), Mr. Najmul Hassan and the First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Joint-Stock Commercial Bank ASAKA (Bank ASAKA), Mr. Rustam Kasimov signed a Memorandum of Understanding for up to $7.5 Million of Shariah compliant Line of Financing facility during the Islamic Development Bank Groups Day event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The $7.5 million Shariah compliant Line of Financing facility will be utilised by Bank ASAKA to provide financial support to private sector, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Uzbekistan through Islamic modes of financing.

This $7.5 million financing will enable the Bank to offer Shariah compliant products along with other banking services.

ICD is a multilateral organization and a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group. The mandate of ICD is to support economic development and promote the development of the private sector in its member countries through providing financing facilities and/or investments which are in accordance with the principles of Shariah. ICD also provides advice to governments and private organizations to encourage the establishment, expansion and modernization of private enterprises. ICD is rated AA/F1+ by Fitch and Aa3/P1 by Moodys. For more information visit www.icd-ps.org

Joint-Stock Commercial Bank Asaka (the Bank) and its subsidiaries (together referred as the Group) is incorporated in the Republic of Uzbekistan on 7 November 1995 and headquartered in Tashkent, the capital of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The Bank is regulated by the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan (the CBU) and conducts its business under the General licence #53 dated 27 December 2008 on banking operations and license #38 dated 27 December 2008 on foreign currency operations.

The mission of the Bank is to promote intensive development of Uzbekistan economy and its integration into international economic community, to make bank products and high quality services available for its clients. The bank provides financial services: in Tashkent city and 26 regional branches, 83 mini banks, 32 currency exchange units and with number of employees more than 2,800 persons.

For more information, visit Bank ASAKAs website at: https://www.asakabank.uz/enBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Croatia expects to receive around 2.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year via the Ionian-Adriatic Pipeline (IAP), Croatian Ministry of Environment and Energy told Trend.

"The Ionian Adriatic Pipeline will connect existing gas transmission system of Croatia via Montenegro and Albania with the TAP gas transmission system. The total length of the gas pipeline from Split to Albanian Fieri is 511 km (the length of the Croatian section: 252km). IAP is planned for capacity of 5 billion cubic meters per year and Croatia plans to receive approximately 2.5 billion cubic meters," said the ministry.

The energy ministry said Croatia considers Trans Adriatic Pipeline as an important part of South Gas Corridor and as one of pipelines that will provide diversification of routes and will help security of supply for Europe.

IAP is a proposed natural gas pipeline in Southeastern Europe (SEE) that will stretch from Albania through Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Split in Croatia. It will be connected with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). The capacity of the pipeline will amount to five billion cubic meters of gas per year.

TAP worth 4.5 billion euros is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.

The pipeline will connect to the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on the Turkish-Greek border, run through Greece, Albania and the Adriatic Sea, before coming ashore in Italys south.

TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).

TAPs shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagas (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is considering allocation of 500 million euros loan for TAP project. Aside from EBRD, the European Investment Bank (EIB) will also discuss the allocation of 1.5 billion euros loan for TAP in February.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

Gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is planned to be supplied to the EU by 2020, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said, referring to Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov's speech at an informal meeting of the Council of Ministers of member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization, held in New York Sept. 25.

The minister noted that energy cooperation forms the basis of regional cooperation processes, and emphasized the role of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum projects in strengthening the cooperation.

"Currently we are working on the Southern Gas Corridor, consisted of the Trans Adriatic (TAP) and Transanatolian (TANAP) pipelines. We are planning to supply Azerbaijani gas from the Shah Deniz field to the EU until 2020. The implementation of these energy projects contributes to the diversification of energy deliveries, and will also increase energy supply and transportation in the region and beyond," Mammadyarov said.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority projects for the EU and provides for the transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe.

The launching ceremony of the first stage of the Southern Gas Corridor project was held in Baku on May 29.

A ceremony to launch TANAP took place June 12 in the Turkish city of Eskisehir. Presidents of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine and Serbia attended the ceremony in Eskisehir.

The gas from the Azerbaijani Shah Deniz field has already gone through the first segment of the Southern Gas Corridor - from the Sangachal terminal to the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline.

The next stage is the commissioning of the TANAP gas pipeline, through which gas will flow into Turkey and further to Europe.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

A number of Canadian companies from the province of Alberta in Canada are ready to establish their subsidiaries in Kazakhstan and invest in the oil and gas and energy sector of the country, the Director General for Trade and Investment, Environment and Energy of Europe Branch of the Government of Alberta Laurent Auger said at the conference, Kazinform reported.

The delegation from Canada has arrived in Almaty within the framework of the Kazakhstan International "KEOGE" - "Oil and gas" exhibition.

"Alberta is one of the 10 provinces in Canada where the oil, gas and energy sector is developed. This province is the third largest oil and gas production site in the world, using the latest technologies. We would like to show our capabilities in this industry, as well as to study Kazakhstan's experience in the framework of cooperation in this area. Probably, after studying the experience in the framework of the exhibition, our companies will want to open their offices in Kazakhstan," Laurent Auger said.

Four years ago, Canadian oil producers have already opened their representations in Kazakhstan.

The conference has been organized by the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association (CERBA) in the framework of the meeting of the Kazakhstan-Canada Business Council (KCBC).

Within the framework of the event, a Memorandum on cooperation in the energy and oil and gas sectors was signed with the Kazakhstans association of oil, gas and energy sector organizations "Kazenergy".Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.25

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The implied medium-term demand for OPEC crude declines from 32.6 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2017 to 31.6 mb/d in 2023, the cartel said in its World Oil Outlook (WOO) 2018.

From 20172018 levels of around 32.5 mb/d, demand rises marginally, to reach a peak of 32.7 mb/d in 2020, surging temporarily due to new IMO shipping regulations (and a short-lived run of more crude in the global refining system), said the report.

But thereafter, according to OPECs estimations, declining demand for OPEC crude is a result of strong non-OPEC supply in the 20172023 period, most notably from US tight oil, in addition to some other sources.

Demand for OPEC crude only returns to 2017 levels by the late 2020s, when US tight oil peaks, and rises steadily thereafter, the cartel believes.

By the end of the forecast period in 2040, demand for OPEC crude is projected to average nearly 40 mb/d. The share of OPEC crude in the global oil supply is expected to increase from 34 percent in 2017 to 36 percent by 2040, said the report.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_ZeynBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

Azerbaijan and Algeria discussed expansion of cooperation between Algerian company Sonatrach and Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR as part of the tenth meeting of the OPEC+ Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, Azerbaijans Energy Ministry said in a message Sept. 25.

As part of this meeting, Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with Algerias Energy Minister Mustapha Guitouni and CEO of Sonatrach Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour.

At the meeting with Algerian energy minister, an exchange of views was held on the development of cooperation in the energy sphere between the two countries.

Mustapha Guitouni said that Azerbaijani companies express interest in the energy sector of Algeria.

Parviz Shahbazov noted that the Memorandum of Understanding between the relevant ministries of the two countries is close to completion, and he invited the energy minister of Algeria to Azerbaijan.

This is while issues of expanding cooperation between Sonatrach and SOCAR were discussed with Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour.

During the meeting, cooperation was also discussed between SOCAR Trading and Sonatrach in the oil sector, as well as cooperation with the Neftqazelmitedqiqatlayihe Institute (SOCARs Oil and Gas Research and Design Institute).

The minister spoke about the importance of exchanging experience with Sonatrach on renewable energy sources.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR exported 1.355 billion cubic meters of gas to Georgia in January-August 2018, the company told Trend on Sept. 25.

Until the end of the year, there are plans to supply 2.2 billion cubic meters of gas to Georgia via SOCAR and the Shah Deniz consortium.

In 2017, SOCAR exported 1.38 billion cubic meters of gas to Georgia.

The Azerbaijani market is priority for SOCAR, so the company directs all gas produced in Azerbaijan exclusively to the local market. For the sale of gas abroad, gas volumes purchased from third parties (including abroad) are mainly used to support foreign business and generate additional revenues for Azerbaijan.

Presently, SOCAR is the main supplier of natural gas, oil and oil products to Georgia.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @AzadHasanliBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov received the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba Ana Teresita Gonzalez Fraga on Sept. 24, 2018, Uzbek media reported.

According to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry's press service, the Cuban delegation arrived in Tashkent on a working visit.

During the meeting, the diplomats discussed the state of bilateral relations. They noted an interest in deepening the Uzbek-Cuban dialogue in various areas of mutual interest.

Despite the geographical distance, Uzbekistan and Cuba are ready to develop economic ties, using the high potential and real opportunities of both countries.

During the meeting, the diplomats also exchanged views on the prospects for expanding tourist, cultural and humanitarian exchanges on a mutually beneficial basis.

On the same day, the Foreign Ministry hosted the first round of inter-MFA political consultations. Cuban Ambassador Alfredo Nieves Portuando took part in the negotiations.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

Trend:

The chairmanship of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICMA) has moved from China to Tajikistan, Sputnik Tajikistan reported, citing the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

As part of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, a special meeting of Foreign Ministers of the CICMA member states has been held, the message says.

"During the meeting, the ceremony of transferring the chairmanship of the CICMA from the People's Republic of China (2014-2018) to the Republic of Tajikistan (2018-2020) has been held. Khabibollo Mirzoyev has been appointed the new Executive Director of the Secretariat, whose candidacy has been unanimously supported by all 27 member countries of the CICMA", the message says.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov expressed gratitude to the PRC and the retiring Executive Director Gong Jianwei for their support and contribution to the development of the CICMA process. He reminded that during the Chinese chairmanship, a new and important phase of the Conference had begun, with the purpose to ensure sustainable security and cooperation in Asia.

The foreign minister also focused on the issue of expansion of the CICMA during the Chinese chairmanship through accession to its membership in July 2018 of the 27th member - Sri Lanka.

"The minister drew special attention of participants of the meeting to the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev on the establishment on the basis of the Conference of the Organization for Security and Development in Asia and called for further discussion of this issue at the expert level," the press release reads.

The establishment of CICMA was initiated by Nazarbayev on October 5, 1992. The CICMA is an inter-state forum for dialogue, consultation, decision-making and implementation of measures based on consensus in order to solve the security problems in Asia. To date, the 27 Asian states are members of the CICMA, the eight countries and five international organizations have the status of observers at the Conference.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 25

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The first meeting of the People's Assembly (Parliament) of Turkmenistan chaired by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has begun in Ashgabat, state news agency "Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary" reported Sept. 25.

Discussion of priority tasks for further comprehensive development of Turkmenistan has been put on the agenda. The delegates from all regions of the country, heads of public authorities, political parties and public organizations, members of the Parliament, regional and district administrations have gathered in the Rukhiyet Palace.

The event is held on the eve of Independence Day (September 27). The adoption of neutrality as the official legal status of Turkmenistan and the main direction of foreign policy was a fateful decision, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at the meeting.

The unanimously supported and adopted resolution of the UN General Assembly dated December 12, 1995 states that the world community "recognizes and supports the principle of neutrality proclaimed by Turkmenistan".

Turkmenistan has become a coordinating center, a guarantor of reliable cooperation, openness and security in Central Asia, the head of state said.

In early October of 2017, a decision was made on the transformation and renaming of the Council of Elders to the People's Council.

Prior to that, the Council of Elders served as a purely advisory body. At the same time, in the period from 1992 to 2008, the Peoples Council was the highest representative body of Turkmenistan.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 25

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has signed a decree "On the reception into the citizenship of Turkmenistan, the "Neutral Turkmenistan" newspaper wrote Sept. 25.

In accordance with the document, 735 people permanently residing in Turkmenistan, who do not have citizenship and are representatives of different nationalities, have become citizens of the country.

The relevant agencies have been instructed to facilitate the employment and housing of new citizens of Turkmenistan, if necessary. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan have also been instructed to continue work on the registration of documents of stateless persons who have applied for citizenship of Turkmenistan, with subsequent submission of relevant proposals.

In the period between 2011 and 2017, 8,145 people were admitted to the citizenship of Turkmenistan on the grounds of relevant decrees of the head of state.Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 25

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

On the occasion of the 27th anniversary of Turkmenistans independence (Sept. 27), Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed a decree pardoning a number of convicts, the Altyn Asyr TV channel reported Sept. 25.

Berdimuhamedov instructed the relevant agencies to take all measures to ensure that the pardoned in the near future be released from prisons and return to their homes and families, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

We create all conditions for people who repent of their misdeeds, so that they can honestly work to atone for their guilt and actively participate in ensuring the prosperity of the country, the Turkmen president said.

He also instructed to ensure the employment of those pardoned.Beijing will maintain economic relations with Tehran and is committed to Iran nuclear deal in spite of pressures from the US government, IRNA reported citing the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

Yi made the remarks Tuesday in a meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif which was held on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) annual meetings.

During the meeting, both sides discussed bilateral economic relations.



They also reviewed Iran nuclear deal also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).



Reminding China positions against US pressures, Yi underlined Beijing commitment to preserve JCPOA.



He expressed condolence over the recent deadly terrorist attack in southwestern Iran.



The United Nations General Assembly which is one of the six bodies of the organization and represents all 193 members of it holds annual meetings in late September. Attendance of many heads of state, premiers, and foreign ministers of countries makes the UNGA annual meetings an important venue for the world leaders to address the most important national, regional, and international issues in their speeches.



This year, the UNGA annual session started on Sept 18 and runs up to Sept 25.



The gathering also gives an opportunity to world statesmen to hold bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event.Tehran, Iran, Sept. 25

Trend:

The European Union and the remaining parties to the Iran deal (Russia, China, Great Britain, France and Germany) reaffirmed their commitment to the international deals full implementation in a constructive atmosphere.

Foreign ministers of Iran, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany held a meeting on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 73) underway in New York to discuss issues around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

During the meeting, chaired by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, all sides issued a joint statement and emphasized the importance of remaining in the international deal implementing it.

The following is the text of the joint statement:

1. A Ministerial meeting of the E3/EU+2 (China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom, with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the participants of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was held on 24 September 2018 in New York. The participants considered ways forward to ensure the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA in all its aspects. They also took stock of the process of finding and operationalizing practical solutions for issues arising from the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from the agreement and the re-imposition of sanctions lifted under the JCPOA and its Annex II, which they deeply regret.

2. The meeting was chaired by the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and was attended by the E3+2 and Iran at the level of foreign ministers.

3. The JCPOA participants reconfirmed their commitment to its full and effective implementation in good faith and in a constructive atmosphere. They said that the JCPOA is a key element of the global non-proliferation architecture and a significant achievement of multilateral diplomacy endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council through Resolution 2231.

4. The participants recognized that Iran has continued to fully and effectively implement its nuclear-related commitments, as confirmed by twelve consecutive reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and reiterated the need to continue to do so. Participants will continue to support the modernization of the Arak research reactor as part of the JCPOA and the conversion of the Fordow facility in a nuclear, physics and technology center. Participants also reaffirmed their support for projects in the area of civil nuclear co-operation on the basis of Annex III of the JCPOA.

5. The participants recognized that, alongside implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments, the lifting of sanctions, including the economic dividends arising from it, constitutes an essential part of the JCPOA.

6. Participants underlined their determination to protect the freedom of their economic operators to pursue legitimate business with Iran, in full accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2231.

7. The participants equally highlighted the extensive work and substantial progress undertaken to-date, the intensication of technical dialogues, efforts to maintain and improve bilateral economic relations, and the mobilization of considerable resources by all, including with third countries interested in supporting the JCPOA and in pursuing, in a timely and effective manner, the normalization of trade and economic relations with Iran.

8. In this context, the participants welcomed the fact that updates to the EUs Blocking Statute and the European Investment Banks external lending mandate to make Iran eligible entered into force on 7 August.

9. The participants re-affirmed their continued commitment to the objectives mentioned in the statement of the Ministerial session of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA on 6 July 2018, in particular to pursue concrete and effective measures to secure payment channels with Iran, and the continuation of Irans export of oil and gas condensate, petroleum products and petrochemicals.

10. Mindful of the urgency and the need for tangible results, the participants welcomed practical proposals to maintain and develop payment channels notably the initiative to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle to facilitate payments related to Iran's exports (including oil) and imports, which will assist and reassure economic operators pursuing legitimate business with Iran. The participants reaffirmed their strong will to support further work aimed at the operationalization of such a Special Purpose Vehicle as well as continued engagement with regional and international partners.

11. The participants stressed their determination to support practical solutions concerning the above and agreed to keep progress under close review and to convene the Joint Commission, including at Ministerial level, as appropriate in order to advance common efforts.

12. The participants recalled that these initiatives are aimed at preserving the JCPOA which is in the international interest.Tehran, Iran, Sept. 25

Trend:

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara will work in close cooperation with Tehran to counter US sanctions.

In a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the annual UN general assembly meeting, Erdogan called for closer ties between the two countries in the era of US sanctions on Iran.

We will work hand in hand with Iran and side with Tehran to counter the embargoes, he said, according to Tasnim news agency on September 25.

Rouhani, for his turn, hailed the active presence of Turkish investors in Iran and called for enhanced mutual cooperation between the two countries.

Erdogan and Rouhani have traveled to New York to participate in the 73rd UN General Assembly Meeting.Tehran, Iran, Sept. 25

Trend:

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said Tehran and Baku have great potential to improve relations in different sectors, particularly economy.

Iran and Azerbaijan enjoy many cultural and historical commonalities and can forge closer ties given to their business opportunities and interests, Shamkhani said in a meeting with Azerbaijan's Interior Minister Ramil Usubov in Tehran late on Monday, Mehr news agency reported on September 25.

The two nations have great potential to boost their bilateral ties in the field of economy and bring about peace and progress for each other, he added.

Shamkhani further highlighted the threat of terrorism and called for concerted action against the phenomenon.

Usubov, for his part, expressed condolences to the Iranian nation and government over a recent terrorist attack in the southwestern city of Ahvaz.

He added that Baku was ready to enhance its all-out ties with Tehran, including economy and fighting against terrorism.

The Azerbaijani minister arrived in the Iranian capital on Monday. He is scheduled to hold talks with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, and Police Chief Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

By Matanat Nasibova  Trend:

The Russia-Azerbaijan relations can now be characterized as successful and dynamically developing, and frequent meetings of the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan clearly testify to that, famous Russian expert Andrey Ivanov told Trend on the eve of the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Baku.

The main reason for this is that relations are built on a mutually beneficial basis, with full respect for each other's sovereign choice regarding any issues, Ivanov, who is also head of the Strategic Analysis Center of the Russian Innovative Development Institute, added.

"Today, Moscow and Baku have no contradictions, and this is a great achievement," Ivanov added. Moreover, important breakthroughs related to the participation of the two countries in big geopolitical projects have recently been outlined, including the signing of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, the emerging political axes Moscow-Baku-Ankara and Moscow-Baku-Tehran. This opens opportunities for solving such complex problems as the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He added that Russia and Azerbaijan adhere to the principle of solving the problem on the basis of international law and adherence to peaceful dialogue.

"Of course, this is a very difficult problem that can not be solved quickly, Ivanov said. But I would like to stress that the overall dynamics of the relations in the region stipulates that we can move forward in resolving this difficult task."

I would also like to stress that the potential of the Russia-Azerbaijan relations has not been fully revealed, he added. There is cooperation in almost all spheres. But it is possible to intensify it, constantly increase the trade turnover between the countries. This concerns agricultural products, natural raw materials and modern high-tech weapons. I think that our countries will move in this direction."

Both sides are interested in participation and implementation of an ambitious project, namely, the construction of the North-South transport corridor, which must link the Indian Ocean and the Baltic Sea through Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia, Ivanov said.

"This route, which will connect Asian producers and European buyers, will be twice shorter than the current one through the Suez Canal," he said. I think this is an extremely interesting project that first of all points to the degree of trust between the parties because the construction of infrastructure requires a lot of money, and Azerbaijan on its territory has already built everything it needs, so it trusts its partners.

Earlier, head of the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots Leonid Kalashnikov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Azerbaijan at the end of September.

"Presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia Ilham Aliyev and Vladimir Putin during the visit of the Russian leader to Baku will hold a working meeting to thoroughly discuss those issues that the parties agreed or did not fully discuss during the talks in Sochi on September 1," Kalashnikov said during the Baku-Moscow video-conference.Prime Minister Theresa May will discuss Brexit and a bilateral trade deal with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, amid increasing uncertainty over Britains EU exit plans, Reuters reported.

She will be discussing a post-Brexit trade deal amongst a range of subjects also including chemical weapons and foreign affairs, a senior UK official said on Monday.

When they meet they often discuss Brexit negotiations and they both have a strong commitment to securing a strong UK-US free trade agreement once weve left (the European Union).

A trade deal with the United States is seen as an important way to help offset the economic impact of leaving the EU in March next year. Mays government has long touted the freedom to strike such deals independently of the EU as the main economic benefit of Brexit.

Any supportive comments from Trump could boost Mays struggle to win over critics who say her exit plan is unworkable, and soothe financial markets which expect severe disruption if she is unable to get a Brexit deal.

During a visit to Britain earlier this year Trump said the two countries could secure a great post-Brexit trade deal, lavishing praise on May and contradicting his own earlier withering assessment of her exit strategy.

The U.N. meeting is likely to be dominated by Trump touting his drive to protect US sovereignty, which has some world leaders worried over Americas commitment to the multilateralism that has governed the United Nations since World War Two.

May will also use her two-day trip to New York to warn against allowing the use of chemical weapons to become normalised, citing the use of a nerve agent in Britain earlier this year and chemical attacks in Syria.

The red lines around the use of chemical weapons are being eroded, she said ahead of a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday.

The international community needs to do more together - both to prevent future chemical weapons use and to ensure those who use them are held to account, but also to tackle the range of other threats to global security, including the proliferation of WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction).

She will also use a speech at a business event to defend capitalism and free markets, and hold bilateral meetings with other leaders including Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday accepted an invitation from Cubas president to make an official visit to the island which will be the first by a Spanish premier for more than 30 years.

No exact date or official agenda has yet been set for the visit, a Spanish government spokeswoman said.

Sanchez and Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel met in New York on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Spain is one of Communist-ruled Cubas biggest trading partners and a major investor there, especially in the tourism sector.

While the two countries have never broken off relations, political and economic cooperation has been on and off over the last decades. The last Spanish prime minister to visit the Cuba was Felipe Gonzalez in 1986.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that supplying advanced weapon systems to irresponsible players would increase dangers in the region, Reuters reported citing the Netanyahus office.

In a telephone call held shortly after Russia announced it would supply an S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria within two weeks, 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.

Russias announcement on the missile system came a week after Moscow blamed Israel for indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military plane in Syria. Israel said Syria was responsible.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday Israel would continue its military operations in Syria, after Russia announced it would supply an advanced anti-aircraft system to its Syrian ally, Reuters reports.

We will continue to act to prevent Iranian military entrenchment in Syria and we will continue the military coordination between the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and the Russian army, Netanyahu told reporters before boarding a flight to New York, where he will address the U.N. General Assembly.

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.Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Two members of the terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS) have been detained in the Turkish province of Samsun, Turkish media reported Sept. 25.

The IS members have been detained during a special operation, the message says. The detainees are citizens of Syria and Iraq.

Documents and videos proving the detainees participation in illegal armed groups in Syria have been found during searches in their apartments.

Other details of the operation are not reported.

Thirty-three members of IS were detained in Istanbul in July.

Meanwhile, 51 members of IS were detained during a special operation carried out by Istanbuls police in May.

Syrian citizen Riad Haji Osman, one of the IS executioners, was detained during a special operation in Turkeys Adana Province on April 13.

Kifah Bashir Hussein, the so-called minister of health of IS, was detained in Sanliurfa on Jan. 24.

On Jan. 12, the Turkish police detained the so-called minister of agriculture of IS, Tarik Ahmet.

In December 2017, a 28-year-old terrorist nicknamed Mahmud, one of the IS executioners, was detained in Turkeys Hatay Province on the border with Syria.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluBaku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 25

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Mankind has lost faith in the UNs solving conflicts, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in New York Sept. 25.

He was making speech at a session of the UN General Assembly, Turkish media reported Sept. 25.

Erdogan noted that the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, as well as in Palestine, prove this once again.

He said that the UN needs serious reforms.

The world shouldnt depend on the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the Turkish president said.

Erdogan also noted that for the security of mankind it is necessary to restore justice in the world, and Turkey does everything for this.

He added that Turkey is making every effort to solve crises in the world.

There are 3.5 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Erdogan said. Turkey upkeeps Syrian refugees at its own expense.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizogluKYODO NEWS - Sep 25, 2018 - 21:36 | All, Urgent, World

Japan and the United States began a second round of high-level trade talks Tuesday to find common ground after U.S. President Donald Trump called for "reciprocal" relations.

The talks are meant to lay the groundwork for a summit meeting Wednesday between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump, with Tokyo alarmed by the U.S. push for a bilateral free trade agreement and further access to the auto and agriculture markets.

Japan's economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in Tokyo last week that he hoped to discuss how to create a "win-win" relationship and produce "good outcomes" during a meeting with U.S. Representative Robert Lighthizer.

The second round was moved to Tuesday from Monday due to a tight schedule on the U.S. side.

Trump has taken issue with the massive U.S. trade deficit with Japan and is aiming to correct the imbalance.

For Japan, securing an exemption from higher tariffs on cars and auto parts imposed by the United States is vital as the auto industry is integral to Japan's manufacturing and economy.

Japan may enter negotiations on a bilateral deal on condition that the United States holds off on imposing additional tariffs on the Japanese auto sector, according to sources close to the matter.

Abe said Sunday he had a "very constructive" discussion on bilateral trade and investment with Trump over dinner, adding that the issue will be raised at the forthcoming summit.KYODO NEWS - Sep 25, 2018 - 22:50 | World, All

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's close aide and a Chinese high-ranking diplomat on Tuesday worked out the details of the premier's planned visit to China in October, with ties between the two nations improving.

At the outset of their meeting in Suzhou, eastern China, Japan's national security adviser Shotaro Yachi told Chinese official Yang Jiechi, "Prime Minister Abe is planning to visit China in the near future." He also invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Japan.

Tokyo and Beijing are believed to be making arrangements for Abe to visit China around Oct. 23, when the two countries celebrate the 40th anniversary of a bilateral peace and friendship treaty taking effect, sources familiar with the matter said.

Yang, a political bureau member of the Chinese Communist Party, said China and Japan have had "close communication" to realize Abe's visit to China, emphasizing that the two nations should make efforts to maintain the momentum of improvement of bilateral ties.

Abe's trip to China would mark a further thaw in relations between Tokyo and Beijing, which have often been marred by issues regarding territory.

It would be the first time since December 2011 that a Japanese prime minister has visited China, apart from trips to attend international conferences.

In Beijing, meanwhile, Japan and China held their first meeting of a public-private sector council to discuss specific projects of cooperation related to Beijing's "One Belt, One Road" cross-border infrastructure initiative.

China has sought to expand its infrastructure networks in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa to attain its goal of connecting countries situated along the ancient Silk Road more closely.

Japan and China decided to set up the council when Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held talks in Tokyo in May.KYODO NEWS - Sep 25, 2018 - 11:15 | All, World

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed Monday to aim to conclude negotiations for a free trade agreement "at an early date."

During their talks on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Abe said he wants to enhance bilateral ties that have been steadily deepening under Erdogan in various areas, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

[Pool]

Japan and Turkey started negotiations to reach a bilateral free trade agreement in 2014. Turkey serves as a manufacturing base for Japanese companies making products for the European Union.

Erdogan congratulated Abe on his victory in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election on Sept. 20, an outcome that boosted his chance of becoming Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

The two leaders also discussed regional issues and Abe hailed Turkey's "strenuous diplomatic efforts" in reaching a deal with Russia to set a demilitarized zone in Syria's Idlib region that averted an attack on the stronghold of Syrian rebels.

U.S.-Turkey relations have worsened in recent months over the detention of a U.S. pastor and Washington has imposed sanctions against Ankara over the case. The Turkish lira has faced sell-offs.

In a separate meeting, Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono expressed hope for stability in U.S.-Turkey relations for the benefit of the Turkish economy and said Japan is ready to do what it can.KYODO NEWS - Sep 25, 2018 - 18:52 | Feature, All

A medical university in Tokyo formally approved its first woman president Tuesday, following the recent discovery that it had manipulated entrance exam scores for many years to curb female enrollment.

The board of regents endorsed Yukiko Hayashi, who has headed pathophysiology at Tokyo Medical University's School of Medicine. She beat a male pediatrician in an election involving professors last Wednesday, after calling for providing remedy for applicants affected by the university's unfair treatment.

Hayashi, 56, an alumna of the school, has taught at the university since August 2013 as a senior professor and served as deputy head of the university hospital's center for genetic diagnosis since February 2016.

(Yukiko Hayashi)

[Supplied photo]

Her predecessor Mamoru Suzuki, 69, along with the university's chairman Masahiko Usui, 77, stepped down in July after allegations they ensured the backdoor admission of a bureaucrat's son in exchange for a government subsidy, for which they were later indicted.

During the course of an internal investigation into the matter, it was found the university deliberately curbed female enrollment for at least 12 years by deducting exam points from women applicants.

The rigging was aimed at keeping the proportion of women studying at the university at around 30 percent to prevent a shortage of doctors at affiliated hospitals, on the grounds that female doctors tend to resign or take long leaves of absence after getting married or giving birth.

The manipulation sparked widespread outrage in Japan and concern that such discrimination may not be limited to the school.

The education ministry said earlier this month its survey showed more men than women passed entrance exams at nearly 80 percent of the 81 medical schools polled over the past six years.

In 2017, the World Economic Forum ranked Japan 114th out of 144 countries in terms of gender equality.

Among the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development member countries, Japan has the lowest proportion of female doctors at 20.4 percent, according to 2015 statistics of the Paris-based club of 36 mostly wealthy nations.It is for the first time after nearly seven months that the active cases in the state dropped below 70,000.By Ritah Kemigisa.

The Kyadondo East Legislator Robert Kyagulanyi known by many as Bobi Wine says he is ready for dialogue with President Yoweri Museveni over the people power movement.

According to Kyagulanyi he has no problem meeting Museveni because many people have expressed their grievances to him but he has unfortunately ignored them.

He maintains that what he would present would be the views of the people who yearn for functional institutions.

Kyagulanyi however expresses skepticism that any change would come now from any such dialogue, claiming that the president already knows the problems of Ugandans but he chooses to remain silent.

In his address recently the president said all those eyeing his seat should present competitive manifestos.By Ritah Kemigisa.

The Kyadondo East Legislator Robert Kyagulanyi known to many as Bobi Wine has dismissed claims that he is being funded by foreign powers.

This follows statements from president Museveni and top government officials to the effect that the legislators people power movement is being funded by some external forces seeking to destabilize the country.

According to Bobi wine,he is actually broke following governments cancellation of most of his music concerts from which he has been earning.

He adds that much as he is a member of parliament, he still remains a musician who also relies on concerts to earn a living.

Kyagulanyi adds that upon full recovery he hopes to continue with his music career and politics.

He meanwhile says he misses his old self, where he would move freely as any common Ugandan.Heres a look at some of the companies the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today.

Starting with a big beat for Ascena Retail, the parent company of Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and Dress Barn. The company reported a surge in revenue and same-store sales last quarter and that pushed the stock up more than 20% in the pre-market.

Googles CEO is heading to Washington this week for a private meeting, with GOP lawmakers. The Wall Street Journal says Sundar Pichai will answer questions about reports of biased search results. Googles planned return to China will also be on the agenda. Pichai says he looks forward to answering a wide range of questions.

A huge upset for Boeing. It beat out Lockheed Martin, for a $2.4B military helicopter contract. The MH-139 choppers will replace the aging fleet of Huey helicopters for the air force. Delivery wont happen until 2021. The Air Force Secretary calls the deal a victory for taxpayers, since it came in $1.7B lower than first estimated.

Job cuts are coming to Novartis. The drug maker is slashing some 2,000 positions in Switzerland. Its part of the companys plan to save $1B by 2020. The CEO is pushing efforts to transform Novartis from a high-volume company, into one that makes more personalized medications.

Walmart is turning to blockchain, to help keep customers safe. The retailer is telling lettuce suppliers they must upload data about their foods to a blockchain-based tracking system within a year. Walmart says the current tracking system is outdated, and blockchain will help them better stop future food-borne outbreaks.bitcoin canada

Canada has set the pace as the first government to ever approve an exclusive bitcoin mutual fund. This builds upon its reputation as a friendly environment for emerging technologies.

The atmosphere in Canada seems to be freer and more conducive to innovation in this field, based on the numerous developments that the industry has experienced even prior to this time. This is in comparison to its prominent neighbour, the United States, whose Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) upholds strict measures while trying to figure out appropriate regulatory systems for the blockchain and cryptocurrency ecosystem.

In an exclusive interview with CCN, Sean Clark, CEO of First Block Capital Inc.  the operator of FBC Bitcoin Trust, the first bitcoin mutual fund to trade in Canada  discussed the underlying factors that make Canada a country that is friendly to new technologies such as cryptocurrency. According to Clark, unrelenting education, political will, and open-mindedness, among other factors make the North American nation an ideal hub for technological innovation.

He told CCN:

I think in general, the Canadian regulatory bodies understand the potential benefits of blockchain and cryptocurrency, and traditionally Canadian regulators have been open to technological innovation. That is different from what you get in places like the US.

Canadian Regulators are More Open to Dialogue

Clark noted that his company, in collaboration with other experts, worked directly with the Canadian securities regulators and educated them for a period of six months while also using the discussions as an opportunity to build relationships. Comparing this to what is obtained in the United States, especially with the SEC, he believes that the Canadian regulators appear to be more open to dialogue with regards to technological innovations.

The elected leadership of Canada is also identified by Clark as a key factor that is enabling the openness of government to cryptocurrency and other emerging technologies. He noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is embracing blockchain technology. Also, the Canadian leadership sees the United States increased isolation of these technologies as an opportunity to get skilled labour migrated into Canada to help contribute to the economy.

Story continues

This is what were seeing trickling down to the regulatory environment, he said, as they are not stone-walling but rather embracing and wanting to understand the implications of blockchain technology and working with local companies to be able to understand and have the asset class flourish.

Another important factor that Clark noted is that the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) is one of very few capital markets globally where you can see blockchain and cryptocurrency companies publicly listed.

[Editors Note: Several blockchain ETFs have been publicly listed in the U.S., but regulators asked them not to include the word blockchain in their names.]

Investors Safety is Paramount

toronto canada

While the the government of Canada offers a relatively conducive environment to blockchain technology and digital currency, Clark noted that they are also ensuring that both institutions and investors are protected against the risks involved. While funds such as First Block Capital are given access into the markets, more critical attention is paid towards them, especially in terms of auditing. So the government and regulatory bodies keep a very close eye on these funds, which facilitates a more cooperative relationship between the companies and the regulators.

Elaborating on the product offered by First Block, Clark described it as a true bitcoin trust, claiming that there is nothing like it currently existing in the industry, even on a global level. The only comparable product as at the time of the interview, he said, was the Bitcoin Investment Trust (OTC: GBTC) from Grayscale in the states. However, while GBTC offers its clients fractional ownership of bitcoin pools, First Blocks services are entirely different in the sense that subscribers actual fiat values are exclusively used to purchase the equivalent worth of bitcoin for the period of investment and kept in cold storage to be redeemable in the future. It is like an ETF for qualified investors.

Looking Into the Future

Looking into the future, Clark said that he believes that the digital asset market class will grow into a multi-trillion dollar asset class over the next 5 to 10 years. However, he identified the prevailing bear market cycle in the near-term, so he expects bitcoin and altcoin prices to trade sideways or even down for at least the next four months, ahead of another significant bull run in the next one-and-a-half to two years. This would be powered by the entrance of institutions into the space and the likely approval of ETFs.

Clark concluded by elaborating on his companys commitment towards creating financial products and providing legitimacy and transparency to the cryptocurrency asset class through traditional equities. This he expects to improve the confidence of investors, who will no longer need to go through unregulated exchanges to participate in the cryptocurrency marketplace. According to him, this will eliminate a lot of risks and at the same time give institutional investors access into the crypto space just like they have access to equities.

Images from Shutterstock



The post Bitcoin Mutual Fund CEO Explains Why Canada is More Blockchain-Friendly than the U.S. appeared first on CCN.

In this introduction, we will define the types of currency pairs and cover some of the basics youll need to know before you begin trading the exotics.

While the currency pairs we hear about most often are the major and minor pairs, there are actually far more exotic currency pairs to trade. In this introduction, we will define the types of currency pairs and cover some of the basics youll need to know before you begin trading the exotics.

Major and Minor Currency Pairs

Firstly, we should define major and minor currency pairs. The following are regarded as major currencies:

US Dollar (USD)

Euro (EUR)

Japanese Yen (JPY)

British Pound (GBP)

Swiss Franc (CHF)

Canadian Dollar (CAD)

Australian Dollar (AUD)

New Zealand Dollar (NZD)

Major currency pairs refer to any pair containing one of these currencies and the US Dollar  so while there are eight major currencies, there are only seven major currency pairs.

An important issue in the currency market is liquidity  i.e. the amount of any currency being bought or sold at any time. The most liquid currency pairs tend to have natural supply and demand from exporters and importers in addition to the supply and demand generated by speculators and investors. Since all the countries listed above have substantial trading relationships with the US, constant liquidity is provided by exporters and importers.

Minor currency pairs include any two of the major currencies apart from the USD. Some of these pairs, including GBP/EUR and AUD/JPY represent pairs of countries with active trade relationships, providing significant liquidity. Others, like CHF/JPY and EUR/JPY, have less active natural supply and demand.

Currency Liquidity

Before we move on to exotic currencies its important to understand that there are two major forces driving the exchange rate between two currencies; natural supply and demand, and the relationship between those two currencies and other currencies  most notably the USD. If you exchange GBP for EUR, importers, and exporters in both the UK and Europe will be buying and selling both currencies, providing an active market. On the other hand, if you exchange GBP for NZD, there will be fewer importers and exporters active in the market  the quotes will more likely be a combination of the GBPUSD rate and the USDNZD rate. With currencies that are even less liquid, exchanging one currency for another will inevitably involve exchanging the first currency for USD and then exchanging USD for the second currency.

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Most forex brokers offer clients forex trading either in the direct currency market or via CFDs (contracts for difference). Either way, the spreads they offer depend on the liquidity of the underlying currency market. Even though you may see a pair quoted as just two currencies, for the trades to take place in the underlying market, at some point an extra leg may have to be executed by a market maker.

What are exotic currencies?

Exotic currencies are any currencies not mentioned already. Some like the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) and Norwegian Krone (NOK) are actually very liquid, some like the Mexican Peso (MXN) and Thai Baht (THB) are fairly liquid, and others like the Malawian Kwacha (MWK) and Laos Kip (LAK) have very little liquidity.

Exotic pairs are those that include one major currency and one exotic currency. While there are over 150 countries that could be classified as developing nations, trading in exotic currencies is focussed on around 18 currencies. Admiral Markets, a prominent forex broker, for instance, lists 19 exotic pairs including 10 exotic currencies. There are plenty of other exotic currencies, but in most cases, brokers will only offer those that their clients demand.

The following are the most widely traded exotic currencies:

Norwegian Krone

Polish Zloty

Czech Koruna

Hungarian Forint

Russian Ruble

Turkish Lira

Chinese Yuan Renminbi

Singaporean Dollar

Hong Kong Dollar

South Korean Won

Thai Baht

Malay Ringgit

Indonesian Rupiah

Indian Rupee

Mexican Peso

Brazilian Real

South African Rand

With any broker, the spreads being offered for a currency pair will reflect the underlying liquidity for that pair. Admiral Markets, offers spreads as low as 0.1 pip for the EURUSD pair (the most liquid in the world) to 5 pips for CADCHF and 10 pips for the USDCNH. For even less liquid currencies, the spreads can be much wider, in some cases reaching 800 pips.

Which Currencies Should You Trade Exotic Currencies Against?

An exotic currency will usually have better liquidity if it is traded against the currency from a major trading partner. The Turkish Lira is therefore usually traded against the Euro, the HKD against the USD or Chinese Renminbi and Mexican Peso against the US Dollar. You would struggle to find a broker offering a Malawian Kwacha/ Swiss Franc pair, but even if you did the spreads would be very wide. In most cases, exotic currencies from countries in or close to Europe are traded against the Euro, and others are traded against the USD.

Pros and Cons of trading Exotic Currencies

The currencies of developing nations are often volatile and prone to trend strongly. Some countries with large current account deficits have structurally weak currencies that have weekend consistently for decades, while others have steadily strengthened over time.

This means there are certainly opportunities for forex traders to profit. The downside is that trading costs can be high and are some currencies are prone to large unexpected moves when government policies are changed without warning.

For the most part, traders need to have a longer-term view when trading exotic currencies than they would with major currencies. The less liquid a currency is, the longer the time horizon should be. Some, like the Norwegian Krone and Singapore Dollar, are very liquid and can be treated like major currencies. However, others, like the South African Rand and Turkish Lira are not suitable for intraday trading, and only suitable for medium-term trading under unique circumstances. In most cases, exotic currencies require time horizons of weeks to months, unless a very unique opportunity presents itself.

Secondly, traders must familiarise themselves with the typical patterns for a particular currency before trading them. Each currency has its own unique personality and there are usually good and bad times of the day and week to trade them.

Conclusion

While trading exotic currencies are less straightforward than trading major and minor pairs, they do offer very profitable opportunities. Every few years there is usually an emerging market currency crisis which results in some currencies moving as much as 20 to 30%. These situations offer forex traders opportunities they will seldom see in major pairs. It is therefore worth learning more about these currencies and adding another tool to your trading arsenal.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

More From FXEMPIRE:By Ju-min Park and Makiko Yamazaki

SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) - A growing number of Asian manufacturers of products ranging from memory chips to machines tools are moving to shift production from China to other factories in the region in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports.

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 Korea's 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 China's exports to the United States into the tariff regime.

The tariffs threaten China's 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.

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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 Hynix's production won't be affected, the source added, since China's 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. "We've 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 war's 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 won't 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.

SK Hynix declined to comment. Spokesmen for Compal and IM Healthcare could not immediately be reached.

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 country's Board of Investment has done seven roadshows in China this year to woo investors.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park and Heekyong Yang in Seoul and Makiko Yamazaki in Tokyo; Additional reporting by Jess Macy Yu and Yimou Lee in Taipei, Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok, Sankalp Phartiyal in Mumbai and Fanny Potkin in Jakarta; Writing by Jonathan Weber; Editing by Alex Richardson)On Sep 25, crude oil price reached its highest level in four-years as OPEC, the largest oil producing cartel, and its Russia-led allies rejected President Trumps demand to increase oil production in order to reduce price. Notably, oil prices were fueled further by concerns over U.S. sanctions on Iran, supply bottlenecks in the United States and strong global demand.



The International Energy Agency (IEA) has issued a warning of a tight global oil market toward the end of the year. This is why the crude price is likely to remain robust in the near term. At this stage, investment in energy stocks engaged primarily in oil explorations will be a prudent move.



Crude Oil Price Hits 4-year High



On Sep 25, international benchmark Brent crude futures rose 0.6% or $0.49 to $81.69 per barrel on Londons ICE exchange, its highest since Nov 12, 2014. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 22 cents or 0.3% to $72.30 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.



As a result of crude oil price surge, the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) was up 1.5% on Sep 24. Year to date, XLE gained 5.5%, positioning itself as the fourth best performing sector out of 11 broad-based sectors of the S&P 500 index.



U.S. Sanction on Iran Approaching



In May, the United States walked out of the Iran nuclear pact formed in 2015. Further, the Trump administration has threatened all countries with U.S. sanctions if they dont stop importing oil from Iran by Nov 4.



According to J.P. Morgan and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, U.S. sanctions on Iran will result in a loss of around 1.5 million barrel per day (bpd) of crude oil. Commodity traders Trafigura and Mercuria have estimated that around 2 million bpd of oil will be evacuated from international market after Nov 4.





Supply Shortage From Venezuela, Libya and U.S.



At present, combined oil supply from Iran, Libya and Venezuela are at their lowest since January. Venezuela is plagued with economic instability and its oil production is not anticipated to reach normalcy till the end of 2018. Libya is yet to recover from civil war which drastically reduced its oil productions.



For the last five consecutive weeks, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has been reporting decline in U.S. crude inventories. It is currently at its lowest level since early 2015. Subdued US drilling activity may result in a drop in output.



Crude Oil Price Likely to Remain Firm



The demand for oil remains robust. In July, OPEC estimated that total world oil consumption is anticipated at 98.85 million bpd and 110 million bpd in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Robust demand and supply crunch is likely to raise oil prices.

Story continues

Notably, J.P. Morgan has lifted its target for Brent crude price to $90 per barrel for the next few months. Trafigura and Mercuria forecasted that Brent could rise to $90 by Christmas and exceed $100 by early 2019.



Our Top Picks



Strong international demand for crude oil, tight global oil inventories and stabilization of oil production level will aid oil price rally in the near term. Consequently it will be lucrative to invest in good energy stocks. However, picking winning stocks can be a difficult task.



This is where our VGM Score comes in handy. Here V stands for Value, G for Growth and M for Momentum and the score is a weighted combination of these three scores. Such a score allows you to eliminate the negative aspects of stocks and select the winners. However, it is important to keep in mind that each Style Score will carry a different weight while arriving at a VGM Score.



We have narrowed down our search to the following stocks, each of which has either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and a VGM Score of either A or B.

The chart below shows price performance of our four picks in the last three months.

Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras PBR is an integrated company operating in exploration, production, refining, retailing and transportation of petroleum and its byproducts. It has expected earnings growth of 134.3% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 7.9% over the last 60 days. The company has a Zacks Rank of #1 and a VGM Score of B. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



W&T Offshore Inc. WTI is an independent oil and natural gas explorer focused primarily in the Gulf of Mexico area including the deep water. It has expected earnings growth of 60.7% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 4.7% over the last 60 days. The company has a Zacks Rank of #1 and a VGM Score of B.



Northern Oil and Gas Inc. NOG is an oil exploration and production company with the Williston Basin as the core area of focus. It has expected earnings growth of 292.9% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 34.1% over the last 60 days. The company has a Zacks Rank #2 and a VGM Score of B.



Denbury Resources Inc. DNR operates as an independent oil and natural gas company in the United States. It has expected earnings growth of 242.9% for current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has improved by 20% over the last 60 days. It has a Zacks Rank #2 and a VGM Score of A.



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Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.- Petrobras (PBR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchGoogle, the $828 billion search engine behemoth, has unbanned crypto-related ads, allowing regulated companies to utilize its platform to advertise their products.

In March, Google executive Scott Spencer stated that cryptocurrency investments have potential to cause harm in financial markets, leading the search giant to ban crypto ads. He stated:

We dont have a crystal ball to know where the future is going to go with cryptocurrencies, but weve seen enough consumer harm or potential for consumer harm that its an area that we want to approach with extreme caution.

The reverse ban of crypto-related ads by Google has demonstrated the willingness of the conglomerate to work with legitimate projects and companies in the cryptocurrency sector.

Motivation Behind the Reverse Ban

In June, CCN reported that experts in the finance sector including Manchester-based investment firm Blackmore Group CEO Philip Nunn heavily criticized Google for banning the entire industry of crypto.

Nunn stated that both Facebook and Google showed interest toward crypto and blockchain technology and yet decided to prematurely ban the entire market on their platforms.

I understand that Facebook and Google are under a lot of pressure to regulate what their users are reading, but they are still advertising gambling websites and other unethical practices, he said.

At the time, multi-billion dollar fintech corporation Revolut Head of Mobile Ed Cooper expressed his concerns over the imposition of a blanket ban, which unfairly punished legitimate companies working to build robust platforms and services for investors in the market.

Although the intent of Google and Facebook was to ban out ponzi schemes and crypto-related scams, well-established companies like Coinbase and Binance were also prohibited from acquiring ads on the platform.

Nunn stated:

Unfortunately, the fact that this ban is a blanket ban will mean that legitimate cryptocurrency businesses which provide valuable services to users will be unfairly caught in the crossfire.

Story continues

As Ethereum co-creator Vitalik Buterin previously explained, cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have achieved a high level of awareness amongst consumers in the mainstream. But, as an industry in its early phase, development of robust infrastructure is necessary to allow cryptocurrencies and digital assets to evolve into a major asset class.

A blanket ban on the entire sector of crypto prevented recognized and prominent companies in the space from expanding their services, reach, and user base. The reverse ban of Google will allow institutions and individual investors in the market to build confidence in the market of crypto.

International Reverse Ban

Starting October, only verified companies in the crypto sector of US and Japan will be able to purchase ads on Google. But, companies will be permitted to file applications with Google to publish ads in other countries as well, which over time is expected to evolve into an international reverse ban on crypto ads.

For the sake of investor protection, the move of Google to manually approve ads from blockchain projects and cryptocurrency-related businesses is positive, as it will filter out illegitimate services and scams that could impact both Google and the cryptocurrency industry negatively.

Featured image from Shutterstock.



The post Google Unbans Crypto Ads, Will Work With Regulated Firms in US and Japan appeared first on CCN.

FILE PHOTO: Iran's OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili talks to the media at the OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee in Algiers, Algeria September 23, 2018. REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina/File Photo

By Alex Lawler

LONDON (Reuters) - 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 (LOc1) to a four-year high near $81 a barrel on Monday. Also underpinning the market is the prospect of lower exports from Iran, OPEC's third-largest producer, due to U.S. sanctions.

Iran's OPEC governor, Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, said in comments to Reuters that Saudi Arabia and Russia were unable and unwilling to add more production at short notice.

"They are doing little and late, to get prices higher," he said. "They got prices higher and they are going to get them higher still."

"There is no spare capacity. They cannot deliver the extra capacity that they claim."

Saudi Arabia, OPEC's biggest producer, says it can add an extra 1.5 million barrels per day - about 1.5 percent of world demand - to the market. But Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Sunday such a move was not needed at the moment.

Sunday's meeting appeared to leave unresolved a disagreement which flared up in June between Saudi Arabia and Iran over whether OPEC members are allowed to pump more oil to make up shortfalls elsewhere.

Under pressure from Trump, OPEC and allies agreed in June to boost production, after months of undersupply by OPEC countries including Venezuela and Angola and the prospect of the Iran sanctions.

Story continues

Saudi Arabia said the deal allowed countries able to produce more, such as itself, to go ahead and do so, to make up for shortfalls. Iran disagreed and Kazempour maintained that position on Monday.

"Extra production beyond OPEC quotas requires permission of the conference," he said. "Assignment of OPEC share to non-OPEC requires conference approval."

The next meeting of the conference - the full group of OPEC and non-OPEC ministers, is not until December. The OPEC governor is typically the second most senior post in a country's OPEC delegation after the oil minister.

Iran's minister, Bijan Zanganeh, was quoted on Monday as saying the meeting did not give a positive response to Trump.

(Editing by Mark Potter)Malaysia Blockchain

The Malaysian government is seeking to explore blockchain solutions in the nations three largest industries: renewable energy, palm oil, and Islamic finance.

A task force named the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) will be spearheading the move to adopt blockchain in each industry in order to increase transparency, sustainability, and logistical efficiency according to a report published last week.

Renewable Energy

MIGHT holds talks with energy companies in Malaysia to evaluate the ways they could be using blockchain to increase renewable energy adoption. When sellers put energy on the blockchain, the transparent nature of the system means that they must declare exactly how the electricity was generated for buyers to scrutinize. Through blockchain adoption, buyers can now choose to buy green or renewable energy only, whether from energy companies or even private owners of solar panels with excess energy, a process which is often far more efficient than sending energy over longer distances from non-local power stations.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Malaysias sole provider of utilities, has already looked into blockchain solutions and the General Manager of Innovations stated that the company has been holding workshops to identify use cases and discuss adoption with business owners.

Palm Oil

Palm oil is a controversial product at the moment due to unsavory reports of bad practices and child labor being used in the industry around the world. Blockchain adoption can help identify certified palm oil operations with ethical practices and allow buyers to identify the source of their palm oil before making a purchase.

Around 8% of Malaysias GDP comes from agriculture, and 43% of agricultural revenue comes from palm oil sales, making this a major area to undergo blockchain adoption. As well as having benefits for buyers, blockchain adoption would help the government identify and monitor palm oil operations with sustainable practices and regulate accordingly.

Story continues

Islamic Finance

As CCN has reported before, Islam forbids usury (the collection of interest on a loan) under the principle that money has to be based on a real commodity and cannot simply be generated from more money. Debt creation must be backed by something like gold as opposed to futures as is common practice in Western fractional reserve banking, the system that is to blame for the 2008 world financial recession.

The strict ethical regulations in Islamic banking create higher overhead costs in the industry, and Malaysia is looking into how blockchain could help offset these costs while remaining compliant with Sharia law. Already in the Middle East banks have begun pegging debts to units of gold and representing the debt as a smart contract on the blockchain.

Crypto firms in Dubai and Malaysia have also pegged sums of gold to cryptocurrency units to allow debt creation compliant with Sharia law.

Images from Shutterstock.



The post Malaysia is Directing Its Three Largest Industries to Blockchain Technology appeared first on CCN.

At 2.722 trillion cubic feet, current natural gas inventories are 17.7% under the five-year average and 19.8% below the year-ago figure.

The U.S. Energy Department's weekly inventory release showed a larger-than-expected increase in natural gas supplies. Despite the headline miss, a hefty storage deficit ahead of the upcoming winter pointed to tightening fundamentals and spurred the fuels price, which gained about 7.6% for the week.

About the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report

The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report  brought out by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) every Thursday since 2002  includes updates on natural gas market prices, the latest storage level estimates, recent weather data and other market activities or events.

The report provides an overview of the level of reserves and their movements, thereby helping investors understand the demand/supply dynamics of natural gas. It is an indicator of current gas prices and volatility that affect businesses of natural gas-weighted companies and related support plays.

Analysis of the Data: A Larger-than-Expected Rise in Storage

Stockpiles held in underground storage in the lower 48 states rose by 86 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ended Sep 14, slightly above the guidance (of 83 Bcf gain) as per the analysts surveyed by S&P Global Platts, a leading independent commodities and energy data provider. The injection also exceeded the five-year (20132017) average addition of 76 Bcf for the reported week though it was below last years build of 96 Bcf.

Despite past weeks larger-than-anticipated supply addition, the current storage remains well below benchmarks. At 2.722 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), natural gas inventories are 586 Bcf (17.7%) under the five-year average and 672 Bcf (19.8%) below the year-ago figure.

Fundamentally speaking, total supply of natural gas averaged around 88.9 Bcf per day, up 1.3% on a weekly basis due to increase in production and higher Canadian imports. Meanwhile, daily consumption rose 4% to 77.9 Bcf on stronger power generation demand, which jumped 14.1% week over week.

Story continues

Still, Natural Gas Price Rallies

Despite the hefty injection, natural gas price soared 7.6% last week to settle at $2.767 per MMBtu on Friday - the biggest weekly gain since Jan 26. Investors overlooked the bearish report and instead chose to concentrate on the low inventory levels following strong summer air-conditioning demand.

This years sweltering heat meant that cooling degree days averaged 25% above normal, which spurred gas-fired power generation consumption. With the official withdrawal season set to commence in just over a month, the big deficit in natural gas inventories is bullish for prices.

However, gains will likely be tempered on the back of unabated production from the Marcellus and Utica shale regions. In fact, dry gas output in the United States averaged 83.9 Bcf per day over the reporting week, up approximately 14% from the year-ago level.

Positive Long-Term Thesis

The fundamentals of natural gas continue to be favorable in the long run, considering the secular shift to the cleaner burning fuel for power generation globally and in the Asia-Pacific region in particular.

The EIA predicts global demand for the commodity to grow 43% from 2015 to 2040. Countries in Asia and in the Middle East  led by Chinas transition away from coal  will account for most of this increase.

And as the worlds largest gas producer, the United States has emerged as one of the key players  competing with Russia and Australia among others  to meet this soaring demand. With domestic prices struggling to break the $3 per million Btu threshold, American natural gas companies see a big opportunity in selling cheap U.S. production at attractive enough prices to rest of the world.

In fact, more than 50% of the domestic volume growth in the near future will be used for export in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). As per Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), the United States will vie with Australia and Qatar as the top LNG exporter by 2022.

New pipelines to Mexico, together with large-scale liquefied gas export facilities like Cheniere Energy, Inc.s Sabine Pass terminal and Dominion Energy Inc.s newly constructed Cove Point export plant, have meant that exports out of the U.S. are set for a quantum leap.

As per the Energy Department, gross liquefied natural gas exports are set to average 2.93 Bcf per day in 2018, increasing more than 50% from last year. Apart from surging exports, the replacement of coal-fired power plants and higher consumption from industrial projects will likely ensure strong natural gas demand.

Finally, if the upcoming (2018-2019) winter turns out to be colder-than-normal, the surge in expected demand in the face of relative deficit of natural gas inventory could trigger a large rally in the commodity's price.

Want to Own a Natural Gas Stock Now?

The secular tailwinds mentioned above could see natural gas eventually settle well above the $3 per MMBtu mark before the end of the winter. The perceived price strength augurs well for natural gas-heavy upstream companies like Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. COG, Chesapeake Energy Corp. CHK, Comstock Resources, Inc. CRK, Eclipse Resources Corp. ECR, Gulfport Energy Corp. GPOR and Southwestern Energy Co. SWN. However, each of these firms has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which means that investors should preferably wait for a better entry point before buying shares in them.

Meanwhile, if you are looking for a near term natural gas play, SilverBow Resources, Inc. SBOW may be a good selection. This company has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

SilverBow is engaged in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas properties in the Eagle Ford shale located in South Texas. The companys production consists of 86% natural gas. In the last 60 days, two earnings estimates moved north, while none moved south for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has risen 7.5% in the same period.

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Southwestern Energy Company (SWN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Comstock Resources, Inc. (CRK) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Gulfport Energy Corporation (GPOR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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SilverBow Resources Inc. (SBOW) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment ResearchFILE PHOTO: A worker walks at the Zubair oilfield in Basra, Iraq May 9, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani

By Jessica Resnick-Ault

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose Tuesday on global supply concerns following U.S. sanctions on Iran's oil exports, with benchmark Brent surging to a four-year high, then retraced gains to settle just slightly higher after U.S. President Donald Trump called again on OPEC to boost crude output.

In a speech before the United Nations, Trump reiterated calls on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to pump more oil and stop raising prices. Earlier, oil prices had surged on worries about global supply after U.S. sanctions on Iran's oil exports take effect Nov. 4. Brent <LCOc1> hit $82.55 per barrel, its highest since Nov. 10, 2014.

"It's hard to believe that the Saudis won't answer the call at some point, especially if prices tick much higher," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital in New York. "He's going to be unrelenting in pressuring them."

The so-called "OPEC+" group, which includes Russia, Oman and Kazakhstan, met over the weekend to discuss a possible increase in crude output, but the group was in no rush to do so.

Mohammad Barkindo, OPEC secretary general, said in Madrid on Tuesday OPEC and its partners should cooperate to ensure they do not "fall from one crisis to another."

Brent crude futures settled up 67 cents at $81.87 a barrel. U.S. crude futures <CLc1> rose 20 cents to $72.28 a barrel, close to the highest since mid-July.

Global benchmark Brent is on course for its fifth consecutive quarterly increase, the longest stretch since early 2007, when a six-quarter run led to a record high of $147.50 a barrel.

Trump also said in his speech that Washington will put more sanctions on Iran following oil sanctions in November.

Story continues

The sanctions are expected to have an immediate impact on exports from OPEC's third largest producer.

"Iran will lose sizeable export volumes, and given OPEC+ reluctance to raise output, the market is ill-equipped to fill the supply gap," Harry Tchilinguirian, global head of commodity markets strategy at French bank BNP Paribas, told the Reuters Global Oil Forum.

Most of the potential supply shortfall has already been priced into the contract, Again Capital's Kilduff said.

The International Energy Agency forecast strong oil demand growth of 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) this year and 1.5 million bpd in 2019, and said in its most recent report the market was tightening. [IEA/M]

U.S. crude inventories were forecast to have declined for a sixth straight week, according to analysts polled ahead of reports from the American Petroleum Institute (API), an industry group, on Tuesday, and from the U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Jessica Resnick-Ault, Henning Gloystein and Amanda Cooper; Editing by Marguerita Choy and David Gregorio)By Bate Felix

PARIS, Sept 25 (Reuters) - French oil and gas major Total has made a final investment decision to expand its Texas Bayport Polymers joint venture to double polyethylene production capacity to around 1.1 million tonnes a year, the company said.

Total said it aimed to become a major player in the U.S. polyethylene market when it announced the joint venture in March 2017 with Borealis and Canada's Nova Chemical .

The Bayport project is in line with the company's $3 billion programme that began a year ago with a $1.7 billion investment to build an ethane steam cracker at its Port Arthur refining complex in Texas.

The cracker will process ethane, which is abundantly available from U.S shale gas at competitive prices, and will supply Bayport polyethylene units. Production is expected to start in 2021.

The new unit is expected to have a capacity of a 625,000 tonnes a year, that will added to the existing 400,000 tonnes per year unit.

The Bayport unit engineering, procurement and construction has been awarded to the company McDermott, Total said.

Polyethylene is used in packaging, pipes, bottles, plastics and other composite materials. It is also seen as a growing market, that Total is targeting with a global expansion of its petrochemicals refining units.

"The project is in line with our strategy to develop petrochemicals at our major integrated (refining) complexes and leverage competitively priced feedstocks," said Bernard Pinatel, Total's President for Refining and Chemicals.

Pinatel said light materials are increasingly used as substitutes for metals in various industrial sectors such as transport and energy, all of which is lifting demand for plastics and polymers.

Story continues

"It is a market that is growing by 3 to 4 percent per year," Pinatel said.

As part of this expansion into the polyethylene market, Total and Saudi Aramco had said in April they would invest around $5 billion to build a petrochemical complex at their Jubail Satorp refinery.

In May, Total also signed a $1.5 billion deal with Algeria's Sonatrach to build a polypropylene plant in western Algeria that will supply plastic to the Algerian and wider Mediterranean market.

Last December, its South Korean joint venture with Hanwha Group had also said it would invest $331 million in the group's refining and petrochemicals platform to increase polyethylene output by 400,000 tonnes per year by 2019.

That increased investment was planned to deal with growing demand, particularly from China. (Reporting by Bate Felix; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)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)The ongoing U.S.-China trade war has been a good thing for Brazils soybean market.

China, which uses one-third of the worlds soybeans, imported 89% of its soybeans from the U.S. and Brazil last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. And since China has slapped a 25% tariff on U.S. soybeans in retaliation for tariffs levied by U.S. President Donald Trump on China goods, that percentage will likely shift to Brazil. China has already become less reliant on the U.S. for soybeans. Last year, Brazil was Chinas largest soybean exporter with 54 million metric tons, followed by the U.S. at 32 million metric tons.

Brazil President Michel Temer at an event in New York City sponsored by the Brazil-U.S. Business Council prior to the United Nations General Assembly. Credit: Maylan L. Studart

Brazil President Michel Temer told Yahoo Finance at an event Monday that was a part of the United Nations General Assembly that he has already been in talks with China President Xi Jinping about closer cooperation. Temer said he spoke to Xi about the soybean market and other issues on the sidelines of the 10th BRICS summit last month.

When I was with president Xi Jinping in Johannesburg, I put in a program for soy, not just soybeans, but manufactured goods like soybean oil and soybean meal and president Xi said he would examine the issue, said Temer. I have the impression that it will proceed and it will increase.

Brazils soybean exports to China have already been increasing. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the share of Brazils soybean exports destined for China was 85% in August, up from 78% in July.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Story continues

While the trade war is beneficial to Brazil, Eduardo Guardia, Brazils finance minister, said his country supports free trade.

We can do the math and show that in the short-run we are winning commercially with the rise of tariffs, but the position of the Brazilian government has always been one of free trade so that we can develop free trade and Brazil can integrate more and more into international commerce, said Guardia. Even though we will benefit in the short-term, I believe this kind of commercial war isnt good for the world economy and consequently for Brazil, even though we are benefiting right now.

Maylan Studart is a reporter for Yahoo Finance

Read more

Most states are prepared for the next recession

5 things you need to know about the hottest weed stock

This brain cancer drug stock has been on a tear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.Death is an inevitable part of the cycle of life.

It might be our greatest commonality as living creatures. Yet its incredibly difficult to accept. Surely, we think, it wont happen to me. Ill be the one exception to the rule. Theres always one, isnt there? And while that might be the case for some things, it isnt here. Who knows what brilliant minds might come up with over the next couple of decades? But for now, lets operate under the original assumption.

Amid the fear that might surround the idea of your death, theres a silver lining. If we accept the inevitable truth, it can propel us into a better-lived life, with more purpose, intention, desire to love and forgive and perhaps the ability to let go of the little irritations and petty resentments.

So how will you exit this plane of existence? With grace? Knowing you did your best to love and be loved? Or with anger, sadness or regret, wishing youd done things differently?

Thats the issue explored in Navigating Heaven, held by the Southern Colorado Conference on Conscious Living and Dying from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 6 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Colorado Springs.

The more consciously we live our lives and the more we complete our work, our forgiveness, our self-care, our self-love in this life, the more gracious is our passing, said Marcia Beachy, founder of the conference and a licensed psychotherapist. For me it came because of my research into dying, coming to realize some people have gracious passages and some have difficult ones, and it affects their experience on the other side, the afterlife.

If the mention of an afterlife gives you pause, reflect on this: You might not believe anything happens after you die, but you probably still dont want to exit this world on a wave of negativity or bitterness.

The first conference was held in Pueblo in 2015, but Beachy moved it to Colorado Springs last year. The idea for a day of learning devoted to living and dying well surfaced as she began research into the journey of the soul. She learned what made a good passage into the afterlife and what made a more difficult one, information that populates her 2011 book Going Out in Style: A Guide to Planetary Departure.

Belinda Womack, a speaker at the conference and author of the 2015 book Lessons from the 12 Archangels: Divine Intervention in Daily Life, was in her late 20s and working in a medical lab separating lymphocytes from a bone marrow sample when she had an out-of-body experience. She says Archangel Gabriel told her she needed to pursue a new direction, one that helped humans connect to their divinity.

Changing her life path was no easy task.

My ego was attached to being a biologist, but the calling from my soul and the angels was so big, I couldnt turn backwards even if I tried, Womack said from her home in Lafayette.

Finding a way to support herself and still heed the calling took time. But once she surrendered to the sea change and asked for help from her invisible network, she said, things smoothed out.

Our job is to say, OK, Ill allow myself to have help and support. Thats what happens when its time for us to leave this Earth. They escort us in and escort us out. Its important to know were supported and eternally supported, Womack said.

Shell present Stepping Gracefully from Earth to Heaven at the conference. Also presenting will be Beachy, Divide-based intuitive Nancy Russell and Melinda Chichester, a Colorado Springs end-of-life doula and Healing Touch certified practitioner.

The conference is non- religious. Its spiritual, Beachy said. You dont have to have any particular system of belief. We welcome anyone open to learning and looking to expand their minds and their hearts.

Contact the writer: 636-0270While many public school districts support the statewide ballot proposal to increase income taxes on wealthy residents and corporations to raise more money for preschools through high schools, a Colorado Springs-based cooperative services group is one of the few education providers in opposition.

The board of Education reEnvisioned BOCES, which serves about 2,500 students in two multidistrict online schools, voted last week to oppose Amendment 73. Four board members agreed, and one abstained.

The amendment itself states some uses of the money will be stipulated by law, so this is less freedom to spend the money than it would be if a local mill levy had been passed by the community, said Ken Witt, executive director of Education reEnvisioned BOCES.

Its also less efficient funding because its now routed through the state.

K-12 education funding has grown in the past two years, which is contrary to the story line being used by those advocating for this, Witt said. Id love to see Colorado educators become more efficient with their management of education funding and the Legislature become more mindful about adjusting education funding priorities appropriately.

Amendment 73, known as Great Schools, Thriving Communities, was petitioned onto the Nov. 6 ballot with voter signatures.

It would change Colorados constitution and state laws to increase taxes for people making more than $150,000 a year and raise the corporate income tax from 4.63 percent to 6 percent. It also would freeze the property assessment rate for homeowners for local school district levies at 7 percent, down from 7.2 percent, and reduce the nonresidential rate to 24 percent from 29 percent.

The changes would produce an estimated $1.6 billion, which would increase statewide per-pupil funding by 8 percent, to $7,300 annually.

The measure also would establish a Quality Public Education Fund that would funnel $120 million to special education, $20 million to English language proficiency programs, $10 million to gifted and talented instruction and $10 million to preschool education. It also would provide free full-day kindergarten.

Proponents say the money is sorely needed, as state education funding cuts have left schools at less than pre-recession funding.

Colorado ranks 28th in the nation in per-pupil spending, when all state, local and federal dollars are combined, says the most recent ranking by the National Education Association.

The funding varies greatly by district, though. For example, more than half of Colorados 178 public school districts operate on a four-day week because they cant afford to be open five days.

The board of Harrison School District 2 in southeast Colorado Springs last month unanimously approved a resolution in favor of Amendment 73.

Harrison D-2 would receive an additional $21.7 million annually from the proposal.

The benefits would be substantial and other impacts minimal, board president Steve Seibert said after hearing a presentation by the Colorado Association of School Boards, which is encouraging districts to get behind the initiative.

Our average property value is just over $100,000, so a large amount of our constituents would fall into the dropping property tax category, Seibert said.

The board of Lewis-Palmer School District 38 in Monument, which would get an extra $9.4 million, last week approved how it would spend such a windfall: Engaging with the community in a collaborative process to prioritize regionally competitive salaries, more enriched learning environment through smaller classes and increased teacher-planning time, and address deferred maintenance.

The board stopped short of endorsing Amendment 73, though.

D-38 board member Mark Pfoff said he thinks the proposed corporate tax hikes are too high for Colorado.

If it passes, Ill have to pay more taxes, and I will without hesitation because I think its for a good cause, he said. But ... I think it went too far with the corporate tax. I would encourage people voting the way they want to.

Lewis-Palmer D-38 and Harrison D-2 have their own ballot initiatives Nov. 6, to fund needs that wouldnt be covered by Amendment 73.

Education reEnvisioneds Witt said with several constitutional amendments dictating school financing, adding another would further complicate Colorados complex funding system.

This is not the kind of education funding Colorado schools need, said Witt, whose organization is affiliated with School District 49 in eastern El Paso County, Creede School District in south-central Colorado, Durango School District in southwest Colorado and Pikes Peak Community College. This is a thinly veiled, paltry increase in education funding with too many strings attached.

Under a 2016 law that makes it harder for Colorados constitution to be altered, Amendment 73 must pass with at least 55 percent of the vote.

Proponents say voters seem to like the initiative. It differs from previous proposals in that it would allow local districts to talk to their communities about how to spend the extra revenue, said Susan Meek of the Colorado Association of School Executives.

Supporters turned in 179,390 signatures in July, of which 130,022 were deemed valid. They needed only 98,492 to get on the ballot. Those signatures also had to represent 2 percent of the registered voters in every state Senate district.Monday, September 24, 2018

Simon Cole (University of California, Irvine) and Barry Scheck (Cardozo Law School/Innocence Project) have posted "Appendix to 'Fingerprints and Miscarriages of Justice: 'Other' Types of Error and a Post-Conviction Right to Database Searching'" on SSRN. Here is the abstract:

This Appendix gives one case example of each fingerprint error type discussed in Table 3 of the Article Fingerprints and Miscarriages of Justice: Other Types of Error and A Post-Conviction Right to Database Searching, for which we know of an actual case. Cases were selected for recentness, novelty (not widely discussed elsewhere in the literature), and the degree to which they illustrate the problem we are discussing. In footnotes, we also list the other known cases of this error type.

Specifically, the Appendix lists 13 errors made in connection with fingerprints and gives a real world example of it. For instance, we have

6. Error Type II-C. Missed Individualization: Non-Consensus Inconclusive. Seri. Michael Seri was convicted of child sexual abuse in Connecticut in 2001. A latent print examiner reported that a comparison of a mark from the crime scene was inconclusive. Although the terminology was not in use at the time, this was an LCA type of inconclusive report; the examiner apparently believed the mark came from the palm, and was only provided with Seris fingerprints. Seris uncle, an FBI agent, unsuccessfully asked the police to search the mark in AFIS. Suspicion fell on Angel Laporte, when he was arrested for a very similar crime.20 Seris uncle commissioned an independent analysis which reported that Laporte was the source of the mark.21 Thus, the report to the fact finder was inconclusive, but the consensus is individualization. Seri was exonerated in 2003.

-CM

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/evidenceprof/2018/09/simon-cole-university-of-california-irvine-and-barry-scheck-cardozo-law-schoolinnocence-project-have-posted-appendix-to.htmlThe Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau rebranded this week, officially adopting the name Visit Colorado Springs.

The name change follows in the footsteps of other Colorado cities' marketing organizations, including Visit Denver and Visit Estes Park, in hopes of better articulating the industry-wide goal of driving tourism dollars into local communities.

The updated name has been a part of the bureau's strategic plan for several years, said Doug Price, president and CEO of Visit Colorado Springs.

The VisitCOS website and #VisitCOS hashtag have been used for more than eight years. The logo designed in 2011 will undergo minor changes.WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Tuesday attacked the second woman who has accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, dismissing her account because she was "totally inebriated and all messed up," and accused Democrats of playing a "con game" in an attempt to derail his Supreme Court nominee.

In comments to reporters following a speech at the United Nations, Trump took aim at Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaugh's at Yale University, who told the New Yorker magazine that he exposed himself to her at a party when they were both first-year students.

"The second accuser has nothing," Trump told reporters. "She admits that she was drunk."

The president dismissed the notion that the allegation could be disqualifying, saying sarcastically: "Oh, gee, let's not make him a Supreme Court judge because of that."

Kavanaugh has denied the allegation as well as Christine Blasey Ford's accusation that he sexually assaulted her when they were high school students in Maryland.

Trump blamed the accusations, which arose late the confirmation process, on Democrats.

"This is a con game being played by the Democrats," he said.

Trump's latest comments came amid fresh acrimony among Democratic and Republican senators as they prepare for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Thursday featuring testimony from Ford, a professor in California, and Kavanaugh.

Earlier Tuesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had indicated that the White House is open to the idea of hearing testimony from Ramirez at that hearing.

"Certainly we would be open to that, and that process could take place on Thursday," Sanders said during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America." She also reiterated Trump's view that the confirmation process should wrap up soon.

In a Fox News interview on Monday night, Kavanaugh vigorously denied Ramirez's and Ford's allegations and said he would not "let false accusations drive us out of this process."

It remains unclear whether Ramirez will testify and how quickly that could occur, given her more recent accusations. Several Republicans on the committee have said they want to vote on Kavanaugh's nomination shortly after the Thursday hearing.

Though Sanders said the White House is open to testimony from Ramirez, she also stressed Tuesday that the confirmation process needs to come to a close.

"I do think it's unfair to continue to drag the process out and continue to put good people through the wringer for the sake of political games the Democrats want to play," Sanders said in a separate interview on Fox News.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., cast Kavanaugh as a victim of "unsubstantiated smears," arguing that Democrats have scuttled any presumption of innocence for a distinguished jurist.

"Justice matters. Evidence matters. Facts matter," said McConnell, who like other Republicans, has rejected Democratic calls for the FBI to investigate the allegations.

During his remarks, McConnell did not mention Ramirez.

"I look forward to hearing from both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh under oath this Thursday morning," he said. "I'm glad we'll be able to hear testimony from both. And then I look forward to and up-or-down vote on this nomination right here on the Senate floor."

In later remarks, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of trying to rush the nomination and took aim at McConnell in particular for a recent promise to "plow through" the proceedings.

"Does that sound like someone who wants to get the real facts no matter where they fall?" Schumer asked. "Certainly not to me. Not to the American people."

Schumer also said McConnell had brought the process to "a new low" with a speech Monday in which he called the allegations against Kavanaugh a Democratic smear job.

"They were not," Schumer said. "Never mind that Leader McConnell had no evidence - no evidence whatsoever - that the events in question took place or didn't take place."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, has reached out to Ramirez through her lawyer, but there has been no indication that he is preparing to invite her to testify publicly at this point.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, considered a key vote on the Kavanaugh nomination, has said she would like to see Ramirez speak under oath to the committee but has not specified when she would like to see that happen.

Some senators on the Judiciary Committee have already cast doubt on Ramirez's claims.

Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, among those pressing for a quick vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, on Monday referred to Ramirez's allegation as "phony." When pressed on why he characterized it that way, Hatch responded: "Because I know it is. That's why."

By the time the Judiciary Committee holds its hearing on Thursday, there could be a third Kavanaugh accuser.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti has said he is representing a woman who has accusations about Kavanaugh's behavior in high school. In a Tuesday morning tweet, Avenatti said the woman would come forward only when she is ready but said he expects that to be within 36 hours.

Avenatti also represents Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress who was paid money by a personal lawyer for Trump to remain silent about an alleged decade-old affair.

Asked Tuesday if he can envision any scenario where the White House withdraws Kavanaugh's nomination, deputy press secretary Raj Shah said: "Absolutely not."

"We firmly believe in Judge Kavanaugh," Shah said during an appperance on MSNBC. "We believe in his nomination. We think that he's going to make a fantastic Supreme Court justice. ... We're moving forward."

---

The Washington Post's Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.Those waiting to experience the Waldo Canyon they knew before 2012s wildfire will continue to wait, but this week they can add to the budding discussion of future recreation in the once-beloved area.

What do you hope the new Waldo Canyon experience will offer?

Thats one question in the online survey set to open Wednesday, kick-starting a public process expected to last 18 months under a grant to Rocky Mountain Field Institute, the local nonprofit that last week rallied stakeholders alongside contracted consultant Tapis Associates.

In the first Waldo Roundtable, 19 people discussed the survey before three public workshops, the first of which will be Jan. 16 at the Westside Community Center.

The survey, to be on waldocanyonplanning.com, also asks: In the next 5-10 years, if the Re-Imagine Waldo Canyon Plan could accomplish one thing, what should it be?

The goal is to make recommendations by June 2020 to the U.S. Forest Service, said Rocky Mountain Field Institute Executive Director Jennifer Peterson. The Forest Service would complete a potentially lengthy analysis before implementing the plan, which seeks to establish trailheads and more outlets to untrammeled wilds across the foothills.

The public is gonna want stuff on the ground next week. Its tough. It does take time, Peterson said. But I think a lot of this work up front will result in a better plan and better outdoor recreation opportunities in the long run.

Perhaps the most eager to lend feedback are those with sweet memories of the Waldo Canyon Trail, which took users on a scenic loop from their parking spot beside U.S. 24. Barricaded since the fire, that parking lot remains in doubt, with highway officials advising against it. They say it poses a safety risk to drivers heading west through the canyon.

I think were starting this project with that being a given, that thats not an option moving forward, Peterson said.

Susan Davies, one of Re-Imagine Waldo Canyons key partners as head of the Trails and Open Space Coalition, said she totally understands the safety concerns.

At the same time, I wouldnt mind a little more information, Davies said. I have to believe communities have similar problems and have figured them out, maybe with signals or signs to slow down. I dont know. I think all possibilities should be truly considered.

Advocates see another possibility up the highway, around Cascade. Locals have long followed rogue trails into the canyon.

But several easements on private properties would have to be acquired for an official trailhead there. Thats a daunting process, Davies said. But it can be done.

Other possibilities could be off Rampart Range Road, across the area the Forest Service reopened to the public last October. That opening, combined with Rocky Mountain Field Institutes planning grant from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado, signaled that the burn scar is ready for recreation again.

But the land around the closed trail remains sensitive and dangerous, the path washed out in some places, said Peterson, whose organization has partnered with the Forest Service to restore the scar.

We anticipate the public assuming theyre gonna get the same Waldo Canyon experience pre-fire. The big thing we need to get across is: Its not going to be the same, Peterson said. This reimagining process allows us to look bigger than the Waldo Canyon Trail.

Forest Service officials could not be reached, but Peterson said land managers are open to a possible trail network expanding north across Rampart Range to Blodgett Peak. The dreaming shouldnt stop there, Davies said, emphasizing the need for more input.

Given its going to be a changed experience, she said, how do we make it the best experience possible?Our Sept. 9 editorial understated a problem. It claimed bad ideas dont get much nuttier than Colorados proposed Amendment 73.Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average

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Why Are Eight NATO Forces Going to Ukraine as Their Final Destination? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 464226

09-25-2018 05:19 AM











Post: #1 Why Are Eight NATO Forces Going to Ukraine as Their Final Destination?

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Soldiers from eight military countries, including the US, are to join forces in Ukraine next month for the countrys largest aviation exercise to date.



The Starokostiantyniv airbase, located 240 kilometers from the capital Kiev, will host 950 employees from the US, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom, the Stars and Stripes reported on Wednesday.



According to the military newspaper, the exercises will train soldiers in sovereignty and air interdiction, air-ground integration, air mobility operations, aeromedical evaluation, cyber defense and other training.



The announcement of the exercises came after the Ukrainian government had spoken out on plans to create a new military base in the Azov Sea.



Kurt Volker, the US special representative for talks in Ukraine, said on Tuesday that anywhere where there are gaps in Ukrainian military capabilities, the US are prepared to sit down and talk to Ukraine about their needs They can buy things through our foreign military sales.



Ukraine is not a member of NATO, but has shown interest in joining the Alliance, which has moved slowly eastward since the end of socialism in Eastern Europe. Ukraines interest in NATO has risen since 2014 when the pro-Western right-wing government came to power after then-President Viktor Yanukovich withdrew from the trade deal with the European Union in favor of a Russian alternative deal.



At the end of last month, US national security adviser John Bolton, upon returning from Kiev, told Reuters that Ukraine has advanced in its efforts to join NATO, however, there is much work to be done.



Bolton stressed to reporters that it is dangerous not to solve the crisis in Ukraine, referring to the vote of the Republic of Crimea in 2014 to join Russia and remain independent of Kiev. However, Putin has emphasized that the situation in Crimea is final and not open to negotiation.



*https://www.globalresearch.ca/why-are-eight-nato-forces-going-to-ukraine-as-their-final-destination/5654875 Why Are Eight NATO Forces Going to Ukraine as Their Final Destination?Soldiers from eight military countries, including the US, are to join forces in Ukraine next month for the countrys largest aviation exercise to date.The Starokostiantyniv airbase, located 240 kilometers from the capital Kiev, will host 950 employees from the US, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom, the Stars and Stripes reported on Wednesday.According to the military newspaper, the exercises will train soldiers in sovereignty and air interdiction, air-ground integration, air mobility operations, aeromedical evaluation, cyber defense and other training.The announcement of the exercises came after the Ukrainian government had spoken out on plans to create a new military base in the Azov Sea.Kurt Volker, the US special representative for talks in Ukraine, said on Tuesday that anywhere where there are gaps in Ukrainian military capabilities, the US are prepared to sit down and talk to Ukraine about their needs They can buy things through our foreign military sales.Ukraine is not a member of NATO, but has shown interest in joining the Alliance, which has moved slowly eastward since the end of socialism in Eastern Europe. Ukraines interest in NATO has risen since 2014 when the pro-Western right-wing government came to power after then-President Viktor Yanukovich withdrew from the trade deal with the European Union in favor of a Russian alternative deal.At the end of last month, US national security adviser John Bolton, upon returning from Kiev, told Reuters that Ukraine has advanced in its efforts to join NATO, however, there is much work to be done.Bolton stressed to reporters that it is dangerous not to solve the crisis in Ukraine, referring to the vote of the Republic of Crimea in 2014 to join Russia and remain independent of Kiev. However, Putin has emphasized that the situation in Crimea is final and not open to negotiation.*https://www.globalresearch.ca/why-are-eight-nato-forces-going-to-ukraine-as-their-final-destination/5654875 LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 446764

09-26-2018 03:41 AM











Post: #2 RE: Why Are Eight NATO Forces Going to Ukraine as Their Final Destination?

























SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Palamina Corp.'s (PA:TSX.V; PLMNF:OTC.MKTS) recent field campaign at its Coasa Gold Project in southeastern Peru continues to confirm the presence of high-grade gold at surface in the Veta Zone where continuous channel sampling returned 1.8 meters of 19.6 g/t gold and 0.9 meters of 103 g/t gold.



Company mentioned: Palamina Corp.

"The recently discovered zone of surface gold mineralization has now expanded to cover an 80- by-500-meter area and further selective rock-chip sampling in the Veta Zone returned up to 620 g/t (19.9 oz/t) gold," stated the company. "A total of 176 geochemical samples were collected at the Veta Anomaly during the August field campaign; 155 as continuous channel samples varying from 0.9 to 4.5 metres true width across mineralized structures hosted by intermittent in-situ outcrops located on scree-covered slopes throughout the Veta discovery zone."

Overall, 64% of channel and rock-chip sampling results turned up anomalous gold grades (>0.1 g/t gold), 15% resulted in gold contents >1 g/t gold and 3% >10 g/t gold (or 8.5% >2 g/t gold). Four visible native gold-hosting structures have now been discovered.

Encouraging analytical results obtained from recent sampling and mapping campaigns on the Coasa Gold Project's Veta Anomaly are confirming the exploration potential of this highly prospective zone of orogenic gold mineralization, stated the company.

The company plans to follow up with systematic channel sampling of the broad mineralized zones identified to date, and soil sampling will be considered over areas without rock exposure.

Continue reading this article: Explorer Confirms Presence of High-Grade Gold at Peru Site

About Streetwise Reports

Streetwise Reports shares investment ideas in many sectors. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

DISCLOSURE:

The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Palamina Corp. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Palamina Corp.OAKVILLE, Ontario, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MADD Canadas latest School Assembly Program depicts some hard, but vital, lessons for students about the reality of impaired driving.



Titled No Tomorrow and supported by the LCBO, the 45-minute program explores how mixing alcohol and/or drugs with driving can have devastating and permanent consequences.

Crashes were the leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years in 2014, and MADD Canada estimates more than half of those crashes involved alcohol and/or drugs.

No Tomorrow shows young people that they are not invincible and that tomorrow is never guaranteed, said MADD Canada National President Patricia Hynes-Coates. One single decision to drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver can change everything, forever. We want them to understand the consequences, and to make a promise to never drive impaired.

MADD Canada and the LCBO host a special screening of No Tomorrow today at Middlefield Collegiate Institute in Markham to highlight the programs tour of schools across Ontario.

LCBO is proud to support MADD Canada in this important education initiative, said Jennifer Bell, Vice President, Communications and Corporate Affairs, LCBO The programs reach will impact more than 500,000 Ontario students, helping them understand the risks of impaired driving and empower them to make responsible decisions that keep themselves and their friends safe.

No Tomorrow tells the story of bandmates Marcus, Corey, Trevor and Lee. After winning a contest to record a demo, they get an incredible chance to audition for a music school. Before their audition, Trevor has a few drinks. He is affected more than he thinks, and makes mistakes during the audition. Marcus is offered a spot at the school right away, and Corey and Lee are given an opportunity to re-apply next year. But Trevor, who was obviously impaired during the audition, is not offered a spot or chance to re-apply. The school has a zero tolerance policy for alcohol or drugs. Trevor storms off to the car. Marcus tries unsuccessfully to take the keys. Realizing he cant stop Trevor from driving away, Marcus jumps in the car. What happens next changes all of their lives forever.

The fictional story in No Tomorrow is followed by testimonials from real-life victims who talk about their loved ones who were killed or seriously and permanently injured in impaired driving crashes.



A clip of the new program is available on MADD Canadas web site.

Over the current school year, four School Outreach Field Representatives will travel the province, delivering approximately 1,400 presentations at schools. Thanks to LCBOs generous support, the program will be delivered at absolutely no cost to students or schools.

The formal presentation is supplemented by an Educators Guide to help teachers and counsellors continue the crucial sober driving conversation throughout the school year.

Student surveys show that MADD Canadas efforts to reach young people with the sober driving message are working. In a 2015-2016 survey of students who saw that years School Assembly Program, titled 24 Hours: 80% of respondents said the program was effective in delivering its message about not driving while impaired; two-thirds of respondents said the presentation will be effective in changing behaviours regarding impaired driving; and 97% of respondents supported a similar presentation the following year.BELLEVUE, Wash., Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Auth0 , a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), today announced the companys growth in Australia, New Zealand, and neighboring countries. In the past year alone, Auth0 has tripled its staff in this region to support the 125 percent growth in customer acquisition, including well-known enterprises such as CarsGuide, Atlassian, AGL, Servcorp, THE ICONIC, Television New Zealand (TVNZ), and many others.



A recent industry report by Report Buyer forecasts the consumer Identity and Access Management (IAM) market to grow to more than $37 billion by 2023, with Asia Pacific accounting for the highest growth rate during this period.

The rapid adoption of Auth0s Universal Identity Platform, especially within Australia and New Zealand over the past year, is indicative of the companys continued expansion throughout this region.

"As one of the largest online car marketplaces in the country, one of our primary goals is to make things simpler, safer, and more enjoyable for our customers during their car-purchasing process, said Jeremy Gupta, CTO of CarsGuide. For us, that involves using best-of-breed platforms, enabling our internal teams to move with speed  and leaving security and user identity to the experts. We'll soon have two large consumer brands in market with the introduction of Autotrader, and Auth0s seamless and secure login process will help immensely with providing users a superior experience, no matter the channel."

Enterprises are choosing Auth0 for its extensibility and ability to simultaneously address the identity needs for any audience that needs authentication, said Eugenio Pace, CEO and Co-founder of Auth0. This demand is driving our remarkable growth across Australia and New Zealand, and we are continually adding to our team in Sydney.

The threefold growth of the team, led by Regional Director Richard Marr, represents Auth0s commitment to its customers in this region.

Pace adds, I had the pleasure of being in Sydney two weeks ago to meet our valued customers and ensure we are providing them with the best identity solution now and into the future.

Funds from the companys $55M in Series D funding , announced in May, have driven Auth0s expansion in Australia and New Zealand as part of the companys wider global growth strategy.

About Auth0

Auth0, a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS), provides thousands of enterprise customers with a Universal Identity Platform for their web, mobile, IoT, and internal applications. Its extensible platform seamlessly authenticates and secures more than 1.5B logins per month, making it loved by developers and trusted by global enterprises. The companys U.S. headquarters in Bellevue, WA, and additional offices in Buenos Aires, London, Tokyo, and Sydney, support its customers that are located in 70+ countries.

For more information, visit https://auth0.com or follow @auth0 on Twitter .

Media Contacts:

Jeana Tahnk

Corporate Communications

Auth0

jeana.tahnk@auth0.com

Jordan Lambe

Keep Left for Auth0

jordan@keepleft.com.auLAS VEGAS, NV, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MJ Holdings Inc. (OTC: MJNE) (MJNE or Company), a fast-growing Nevada cannabis company has submitted, through its subsidiary Red Earth, LLC, five Recreational Marijuana Establishment License applications to operate up to five retail marijuana stores within the state of Nevada. The Company seeks to open a store within the city of Las Vegas, as well as additional dispensaries in Washoe County near Lake Tahoe, North Las Vegas, unincorporated Clark County and Henderson, NV.

Many of the areas where we seek to open our stores have been previously underserved in the growing recreational adult use marijuana market, we look forward to creating jobs and supporting these communities Paris Balaouras, the Companys CEO said. The Company has received broad support from many community leaders and local elected officials for these licenses.

According to available state data, Nevada dispensaries sold nearly $425 million worth of recreational marijuana in the states first full year of sales. The applications will be reviewed and scored by the Marijuana Enforcement Division of the Nevada Department of Taxation and qualifying businesses are expected to be notified by December 5th of this year.

About MJ Holdings, Inc.

MJ Holdings Inc. (OTC:MJNE) is a diversified holding company providing management and consulting services to the regulated cannabis industry. Through our subsidiaries we provide cultivation and production management services and infrastructure development. Our cultivation operations include Nevada cultivation facility, as well as a fully licensed indoor agritourism facility located in the city of Las Vegas known as the Highland Show-Grow. We are also active in identifying and acquiring revenue producing assets and licenses within legalized cannabis markets internationally.

Safe Harbor

The information provided in this press release may include forward-looking statements relating to future events or the future financial performance of the Company. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "will," "potential," "hope" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations of the Company and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by statements in this press release relating to the Company may be found in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the factors described in the sections entitled "Risk Factors", copies of which may be obtained from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The parties do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release.English Lithuanian

Zemaitijos pienas, AB received the opinion of the Audit Committee on 24 September 2018 on the conclusion of the transaction between associated parties, the basis for the submission of the opinion was Article 372 of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania.

The subject of the assessment and opinion of the Audit Committee was the request of Klaipedos pienas, AB received on 6 September 2018 On the amendment of the loan agreement No. 273/No. Con-14-2743 of 31 October 2014 asking for the replacement of the mortgage object: mortgaging of the shares of Zemaitijos pienas, AB (2,901,844 units) owned by Klaipedos pienas, AB in favour of Zemaitijos pienas, AB instead of the land plot.

The Audit Committee of the Company, after examining the request of Klaipedos pienas, AB, concluded that the amendment of the agreement by replacing the mortgage object would not violate the rights and interests of third parties, including the shareholders of Zemaitijos pienas, AB, and therefore it does not object to such transaction.

At the request of the shareholder submitted in writing or by electronic means, the company may forward a copy of this opinion to the shareholder within 3 days from the receipt of the request at the latest against a signature or by a registered letter or by electronic means, provided that the security of the information transmitted is ensured and the shareholders identity can be established.

The received opinion is also available for the shareholder at the companys registered office at Sedos 35, Telsiai, during the companys business hours. The opinion of the Audit Committee may be submitted if the request is received within 7 days from the moment of receipt of this opinion.

Lawyer

Gintaras Keliauskas

+ 370 444 22208NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. and STOCKTON, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CT Realty has leased a newly-constructed 1,122,341-square-foot industrial building to Amazon at NorCal Logistics Center in Stockton, Calif. Terms of the lease were not disclosed. The transaction marks the completion of CTs roughly 1.7-million-square-foot first phase at the 345-acre NorCal Logistics Center , following the sale of two completed buildings totaling 575,127 square feet to Prologis in July 2018.



CT was represented by Kevin Dal Porto, John McManus, Blake Rasmussen and Tyson Vallenari of Cushman & Wakefield.

Our lease with Amazon reinforces the increasingly high demand for quality logistics facilities near heavily populated metropolitan areas, said Carter Ewing, managing partner of CT. Having begun NorCal Logistics Center entirely on a spec basis, CT has now leased or sold the first phase of the project at a pace that reaffirms our belief in the regional demand drivers and mirrors the activity we are experiencing in several other projects nationwide.



Located at 4532 Newcastle Road, Amazons new fulfillment center benefits from proximity to Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific intermodal facilities and is accessible to SR-99, I-5, I-205 and I-580, linking to all major Northern California markets and key Western U.S. destinations. The project is home to General Mills, KeHE Foods, Allen Distributors and Fox Head, and is in the heart of Californias Central Valley, a 185-million-square-foot industrial market. The region is an extension of a global logistics supply chain infrastructure that links to West Coast ports in Oakland/Stockton, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Portland, Ore. and Seattle/Tacoma, Wash.

The evolution of modern logistics infrastructure, including inland ports, sea ports and commercial rail systems, has changed the dynamics of how containerized cargo is distributed nationwide and throughout the world, added Ewing. Investing in buildings that are strategically located near this infrastructure is integral to meeting the demands of todays most progressive logistics users and is at the heart of our national strategy, added Ewing.

The transaction marks CTs second lease with Amazon this year. The e-commerce giant also leased a 395,099-square-foot lease at Southport Logistics Park in South Dallas, Texas, a CT venture with Port Logistics Realty and Diamond Realty Investments.

CT is underway on the second phase of development at NorCal Logistics Center, with five buildings totaling 2,739,518 square feet that will be built as a mix of spec and build-to-suit projects.

CT is also in development on 1.3 million square feet of large scale distribution buildings at Interchange 55 Logistics Park in the greater Chicago area, and is developing logistics centers in Atlanta, Georgia , Dallas, Texas and New Jersey. The companys current land holdings support the development of nearly 15 million square feet of industrial buildings over the next five to seven years, and CT is actively seeking additional land holdings in 2018 for further expansion.

About CT

Since its establishment in 1994, Newport Beach, Calif.-based CT has completed more than 300 transactions valued at more than $3 billion. CT has acquired over 2,000 acres of industrial land since 2010, and the company is primarily focused on the investment of Class A industrial logistics developments throughout the U.S. CT has active developments in: Northern and Southern California; Arizona; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Illinois; New Jersey, and other East Coast markets. CT has over 10 million square feet under development and another 10 million square feet in its development pipeline. ctrinvestors.com

Nicole Deermount | 949-274-3855

nicoled@ideahall.com

Randy Hall | 714-263-8723

randy@ideahall.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e3634f1f-7331-47dd-b1c6-3dab4d84e01aEnglish French

Press release

McPhy's first contract for a 700 bar hydrogen station in Germany

H 2 Mobility Deutschland, a major hydrogen mobility player, chooses McPhy's 700 bar station

McPhy now offers a full range of hydrogen stations: 350 bar, 700 bar and "dual pressure" (350 and 700 bar)

This 14 th McFilling station increases the daily potential of McPhy's stations to 50,500 km of zero emission mobility

The roll-out of hydrogen mobility is gaining pace

La Motte-Fanjas, September 25, 2018 - 5:45 p.m. - McPhy (Euronext Paris Compartment C: MCPHY, FR0011742329), a specialist in hydrogen production, storage and distribution equipment, today announces its first contract for a 700 bar hydrogen station with H 2 Mobility Deutschland, which is due to enter service in Berlin during the last quarter of 2019.

Nikolas Iwan, Managing Director H 2 Mobility Deutschland GmbH & Co.KG: "We have seen great progress in McPhy's hydrogen station design in the last two years and are now looking forward to seeing them in operation."

Pascal Mauberger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McPhy, commented: "At McPhy, we are leading the way forward with our hydrogen technologies for the energy transition and have put clean mobility at the forefront of our efforts over the past few years. We are delighted and proud to have received this order from H 2 Mobility Deutschland.

Together with the launch of our very high-capacity stations, this first contract bodes very well for the future and demonstrates the potential of our technological and industrial advances. McPhy now offers a full range of hydrogen stations that covers all types of vehicle and all applications.

With this first 200 kg per day 700 bar station, cooled to -40C and compliant with the SAE-J standard, we have demonstrated our successful shift to industrial scale, as well as the appeal of our cost-effective technical solutions and our status as a leading player in the market. Users will be able to fill up their passenger vehicle in less than 5 minutes, in the same way as for combustion engine vehicles, and their clean vehicles will have a range of several hundred kilometers without emitting any particles causing pollution or making any noise, thereby helping to address the environmental and climate-related challenges we face."

McFilling 200-700 technology selected by a major hydrogen mobility player

H 2 Mobility Deutschland, a consortium of six leading industry players (Air Liquide, Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell and Total), is a major project aiming to establish a dense network of hydrogen filling stations.

The consortium chose McFilling technology after conducting a rigorous selection process. McPhy will install a station delivering 200 kg in hydrogen per day at a 700 bar pressure (McFilling 200-700), cooled to -40C and compliant with the SAE-J standard.

This station, which is designed to refuel 40 or so vehicles every day, is due to enter service in Berlin in the final quarter of 2019.

This new addition, McPhy's very first in the 700 bar station segment, will increase the number of McPhy stations to 14 and the daily potential of its stations to 50,500 km of zero emission mobility.

Key figures for the McFilling 200-700 hydrogen station

200 kg per day at a 700 bar pressure

Cooled to -40C

Compliant with the SAE-J2601-1 2016 standard

Hydrogen refueling completed in a few minutes

Supply capacity: 40 hydrogen vehicles with a range of 500 km to 800 km

Zero emissions: no particles, CO 2 or noise

Commercial outlook: roll-out of hydrogen mobility gains pace

Hydrogen as an alternative clean fuel clearly represents a key success factor for the energy transition and the move to a lower-carbon society. Against this backdrop, mobility was identified as a key market in the Hydrogen Council report, which estimates there is a need for between 5,000 and 15,000 refilling stations by 2030.

The French government has also committed to supporting the nationwide development of carbon-free hydrogen. To this end, the French government plans to invest 100 million in 2019 to support the roll-out of hydrogen and make France the world leader in the field. The priorities under the plan include the development of zero emission solutions for road, rail, and river transport, with the prospect by 2023 of around 5,000 light commercial vehicles, 200 heavy vehicles (buses, trucks, regional express trains, boats) and 100 stations supplied with locally produced clean hydrogen.

By extending its range of hydrogen stations with 700 bar and dual pressure (350 and 700 bar) models, McPhy is establishing itself to cover all clean mobility needs.

Next press release:



2018 revenues - Tuesday, January 22, 2019 after market close.



Calendar: Come and visit us on 26 and 27 September at the Cite des Congres Pierre Baudis of Toulouse

for the "Journees Hydrogene dans les Territoires"

ABOUT MCPHY

In the framework of the energy transition, and as a leading supplier of hydrogen production, storage and distribution equipment, McPhy contributes to the deployment of clean hydrogen throughout the world.

Thanks to its wide range of products and services dedicated to the hydrogen energy, zero emission mobility and industrial hydrogen markets, McPhy provides turnkey solutions to its clients. These solutions are tailored to our client applications: renewable energy surplus storage and valorization, fuel cell car refueling, raw material for industrial sites.

As a designer, manufacturer and integrator of hydrogen equipment since 2008, McPhy has three development, engineering and production units based in Europe (France, Italy, Germany).

The company's international subsidiaries ensure a global sales coverage of McPhy's innovative hydrogen solutions.

McPhy is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (Segment C, ISIN code: FR0011742329; ticker: MCPHY).

CONTACTS Media relations



NewCap

Nicolas Merigeau

T. +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98

mcphy@newcap.eu







Investors Relations



NewCap

Julie Coulot | Emmanuel Huynh

T. +33 (0)1 44 71 20 40

mcphy@newcap.eu Follow us at







@McPhyEnergyUsername: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 2 Vote(s) - 1 Average

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Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 464283

09-25-2018 04:47 PM











Post: #1 Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning

Advertisement



Bulgarian Baba Vanga, who died at the age of 85 in 1996, was known as the 'Nostradamus of the Balkans.'



In 1979, Vanga - who reportedly had an 85 per cent success rate with her predictions - told writer Valentin Sidorov that Russia would become "lord of the world" after Europe became a "wasteland."



"All will thaw, as if ice, only one remain untouched  Vladimir's glory, glory of Russia," she said, according to the Birmingham Mail.



"Too much it is brought in a victim. Nobody can stop Russia."



She added: "All will be removed by her from the way and not only will be kept, but also becomes lord of the world."



Putin, who first became president just over 18 years ago, is set to remain in power for another six years after Sunday's presidential election, the Daily Mail reported.



He assumed the role of acting president of Russia in December 1999 and has gone on to dominate the Russian political landscape since.



It is also claimed she foretold the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Chernobyl disaster, the date of Stalin's death, the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk, the September 11 attacks, the rise of ISIS, the 2004 Tsunami and the rising tensions with North Korea.



Vanga mysteriously lost her eyesight at the age of 12 during a massive storm.



Her family allegedly found her several days later on death's door  with her eyes sealed shut and covered with dirt.



She later claimed to have experienced her first vision when she was missing and believed she had been given the power to predict the future and heal others.



https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/ar...d=12015528 A blind psychic who predicted the September 11 terror attacks also foretold that Vladimir Putin would rule the world one day.Bulgarian Baba Vanga, who died at the age of 85 in 1996, was known as the 'Nostradamus of the Balkans.'In 1979, Vanga - who reportedly had an 85 per cent success rate with her predictions - told writer Valentin Sidorov that Russia would become "lord of the world" after Europe became a "wasteland.""All will thaw, as if ice, only one remain untouched  Vladimir's glory, glory of Russia," she said, according to the Birmingham Mail."Too much it is brought in a victim. Nobody can stop Russia."She added: "All will be removed by her from the way and not only will be kept, but also becomes lord of the world."Putin, who first became president just over 18 years ago, is set to remain in power for another six years after Sunday's presidential election, the Daily Mail reported.He assumed the role of acting president of Russia in December 1999 and has gone on to dominate the Russian political landscape since.It is also claimed she foretold the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Chernobyl disaster, the date of Stalin's death, the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk, the September 11 attacks, the rise of ISIS, the 2004 Tsunami and the rising tensions with North Korea.Vanga mysteriously lost her eyesight at the age of 12 during a massive storm.Her family allegedly found her several days later on death's door  with her eyes sealed shut and covered with dirt.She later claimed to have experienced her first vision when she was missing and believed she had been given the power to predict the future and heal others. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 452855

09-25-2018 04:53 PM











Post: #2 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning

FAKE AND GHEY LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 464283

09-25-2018 04:55 PM











Post: #3 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning

LoP Guest Wrote: (09-25-2018 04:53 PM) FAKE AND GHEY

She predicted you would say that ! She predicted you would say that ! ALADIN

* weird wizard1*

User ID: 456668

09-25-2018 05:34 PM



Posts: 5,423









Post: #4 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning





https://zionistreport.com/2017/03/commen...lubavitch/ scripted as in the script ?



It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a ma s k on their nose and mouth ... LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 412489

09-25-2018 05:37 PM











Post: #5 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning

take your script and put it in your ass. I have already challenged Putin to a 1000 meter match to settle this nonsense.



yeah we can actually do that.



take your script and put it in your ass. I have already challenged Putin to a 1000 meter match to settle this nonsense.yeah we can actually do that. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 464090

09-25-2018 05:40 PM











Post: #6 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning





Why wasn't the dirt washed from her eyes? Lobster Boy

Registered User

User ID: 176474

09-25-2018 06:11 PM



Posts: 1,174









Post: #7 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning

LoP Guest Wrote: (09-25-2018 05:40 PM) Why wasn't the dirt washed from her eyes?





Poor hygiene Poor hygiene Danger Dan

dangerous freedom not safe slavery

User ID: 446966

09-25-2018 06:47 PM



Posts: 5,635









Post: #8 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning

psychics don't win the lotto for the same reason 'faith healers' don't visit hospital wards. He Man

Subscriber

User ID: 426188

09-25-2018 06:51 PM



Posts: 39,729









Post: #9 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning

Danger Dan Wrote: (09-25-2018 06:47 PM) psychics don't win the lotto for the same reason 'faith healers' don't visit hospital wards.

Making LOP Great again since 06-07-2013!





Robert Reich @RBReich



"News flash: If you ban mask mandates, outlaw abortions, dictate what educators can teach in schools, and stop people from voting, you're not the party of "limited government."" Bao2

Banned

User ID: 422170

09-25-2018 06:54 PM



Posts: 12,562









Post: #10 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning

LoP Guest Wrote: (09-25-2018 04:47 PM) A blind psychic who predicted the September 11 terror attacks also foretold that Vladimir Putin would rule the world one day.

I just changed my name to Vladimir Putin

I just changed my name to Vladimir Putin LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 464067

09-25-2018 07:28 PM











Post: #11 RE: Blind psychic who predicted the 9/11 has chilling Russian, Putin warning





It's



















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.



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Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQThe purchase and importation of books will remain tax-exempt under the second tax reform package of the Duterte administration, a top official of the Finance Department said. Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said in a news forum the value-added tax exemption of books would remain as provided for under the National Internal Revenue Code, along with its importation as stated under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. Chua said the Philippines would continue to abide by the provisions of the Florence Agreement, a 1950 United Nations treaty where the signatory-states agreed not to impose customs duties on the importation of certain educational, scientific and cultural materials, including books. The Philippines signed the agreement on Aug. 7, 1979. The second package of the Duterte administrations comprehensive tax reform program aims to reduce the corporate income tax rate and reform the convoluted system of incentives given to businesses. Package 2 also aims to attract more investments, create more jobs and level the playing field for micro, small and medium enterprises that are currently unable to compete with multinational companies receiving numerous and hefty tax incentives. First, under the tax code, the exemption of the purchase of books, we did not touch that. If you buy a book from a bookstore, it will still be VAT-exempt, Chua said. Second, the importation exemption under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, we also did not touch that, he said.Chua said the only provision pertaining to the book industry under House Bill No. 8083, or the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities or Trabaho bill, involved the repeal of the tax provision under Republic Act No. 8047 after two years from the effectivity of the law. RA 8047 is also known as the Book Publishing Industry Development Act. Chua said the inclusion of the book publishing industry in the Trabaho bills repeal clauses would not mean that the VAT- and duty-free importation of books would be removed. The book publishing industry will be included in the Strategic Investment Priority Plan after an evaluation process. And in my view, this is among the sectors that has a great chance of being included in the SIPP, Chua said. Chua said if included in the SIPP, the book industry could even enjoy more incentives under the proposed single menu of incentives in the Tax Code.Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the Western-backed Shah was overthrown, and Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini was elevated to power, the country has been under the rule of the Ayatollahs.

In recent months, the country has been rocked by protests that began in December of last year, and continue to today. These past few months, demonstrations have escalated. In fact, more than 100,000 ordinary Iranians took to the streets last month. Chants of death to the dictator have become common.

In early August, Iran was hit by the first round of US sanctions, after US President Trump exited the Iran nuclear deal in May. The second round, which affects Irans oil exports, is due early in November. These sanctions are expected to devastate Irans already shaky economy.

General Wald claims that, The anti-government movement has increased in recent months, and therefore, People are tired of the economic situation in their country, they are tired of crisis. Further, General Wald said the some five million Iranians living abroad were also playing a key role in destabilizing the regime. Social media will change the world, he said.

General Wald, who has served in Viet Nam as well as Bosnia, warned Irans leadership, Only more unrest is coming. This is the beginning of the end.

While there have been thousands of pro-government rallies in Iran to challenge the demonstrators, with many people holding placards that said, Death to America and Israel and others waving pictures of Ayatollah Khamenei, these large-scale gatherings are staged to demonstrate to Tehrans rivals abroad and its opponents inside the country, that there is significant support for the Iranian establishment.

They claim that the US is more interested in regime change than in genuine democratic change in Iran.

But the US has only the interests of the Iranian people at heart, according to General Wald, who insisted that, We in the US would like Iran to be an ally. He added, Our final goal is stability in the Middle East.

Just a week ago, Irans leader called for military strengthening amid increasing tensions with its Middle East rival Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of exporting terrorism to its shores.

Last month, President John F. Kennedys nephew, Patrick, said in an interview, that Iran can no longer co-exist with the US.He made it clear that, despite acting as a lawyer for Donald Trump, he was not speaking on behalf of the administration.

He said: This is my own position. It happens to be consistent with the administration position. Some people in the administration describe it a little differently, they say they would like to see a change in behaviour.

Giuliani said that this is a distinction without a difference, citing comments from the National Security Advisor John Bolton that the Iranian Regime isnt going to change, so a change in behaviour can only mean a change in regime.

These comments have inspired hope amongst those in the Iranian Resistance, namely the National Council for the Resistance of Iran (NCRI), that the US will permanently end the policy of appeasement towards the mullahs and embrace regime change.

After all, Giuliani and Bolton have both spoken publically about regime change in Iran in the past and now they have the ear of the president.

This is the best shot that the Iranian Resistance has ever had for regime change supported by the international community, as well as the Iranian people.

Nuclear deal

The US policy on Iran changed when Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal, but some people are still fighting to save the deal that keeps the Regime in play.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry is reported to have violated the Logan Act for meeting with the Iranian Regime and advising them not to make any rash decisions about the nuclear deal; rather wait until Trump leaves office.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: What Secretary Kerry has done is unseemly and unprecedented. Its inconsistent with what the foreign policy of the United States is, as directed by this president. It is beyond inappropriate.

NCRI rally

Giuliani addressed the NCRIs annual convention in New York on Saturday, joined by former George W. Bush Attorney General Michael Mukasey and President Barack Obamas first national security advisor retired General James Jones.

This came shortly ahead of the UN General Assembly, where Trump will largely focus on the Iranian Regime in his position as head of the UN Security Council  the presidency is rotated regularly between the five permanent countries in the UNSC  and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani will address how US sanctions are affecting Iran.An Arab separatist group quickly took credit for the attack, and Iranian government authorities seem to generally accept this. The Islamic State also attempted to claim responsibility, but this effort did not appear credible in light of apparent differences between the images released by the group and the images of the gunmen who were killed during the attack.

Nevertheless, the dual claims of responsibility contributed to what Voice of America News described on Monday as mounting confusion about the attack and the circumstances surrounding it.

Yet this has not stopped Iranian officials from seizing upon the attack as an opportunity to levy political attacks against the United States and other Western nations, alleging without evidence that they had financed, armed, and trained members of this and other terrorist groups, and that Irans regional adversaries were mercenary states in the employ of the US.

As reported by the Washington Post, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani cryptically declared of the terrorists that it is clear where theyre linked. UPI adds that in his last speech at home before departing for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Rouhani said that the US has showed the world their bullying nature.

He went on to assert that the US intends 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.

For its part, the US has responded to the terrorist incident and subsequent Iranian rhetoric by suggesting that the Islamic Republic reexamine its own policies and security situation, including its long track record of discrimination against minorities and its general climate of repression. These characteristics of the theocratic regime have helped to fuel countless peaceful protests over the past several months, as well as allegedly contributing to the terrorist attack in Saturday.

Ahvaz has also been the site of repeated demonstrations for Arab rights, but reporting on those demonstrations has consistently indicated that Iranian authorities failed to address the given concerns or make any meaningful response to the unrest, apart from disrupting demonstrations and arresting protesters.

Business Insider reported on Monday that Nikki Haley had called attention to the full range of Iranian protests in responding to Rouhanis remarks about supposed American culpability. He can blame us all he wants, she said on CNNs State of the Union, but the thing hes got to do is look in the mirror.

The same report indicates that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took aim at his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, after the latter joined in blaming foreign powers for the attack by homegrown Iranian terrorists.

After referring on Twitter to regional adversaries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and to their US masters, Zarif warned that Iran would respond swiftly and decisively. He did not elaborate, but the commentary was sufficient to prompt Pompeo to accuse Zarif of focusing on causing insecurity around the world instead of keeping his own people secure.

The Iranian Foreign Ministers response to Saturdays attack was arguably not the most threatening message to foreign powers. In a speech at a funeral held on Monday for victims of the attack, the acting head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, pointed to a triangle of enemies consisting of the US, Arab states led by Saudi Arabia, and Israel. This is the same triangle that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei blamed for domestic unrest in the wake of the overwhelmingly peaceful mass uprising that began at the final days of 2017 and continued through much of January.

You are responsible for these actions; you will face the repercussions, Salami said in reference to this supposed foreign axis of Irans enemies, according to the Associated Press. We warn all of those behind the story, we will take revenge.

Other Iranian officials led attendees at Mondays funeral in chanting death to America and death to Israel as the mourning ceremony took on an unmistakably political tone.

But as a separate AP report noted, Iranian officials did not limit their outwardly-directed wrath to the points of the triangle.

In the immediate aftermath of the terror attack, diplomats from Britain, Denmark, and the Netherlands were all summoned by the Iranian Foreign Ministry to face questions over their supposed harboring of members of the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the attack.

For opponents of the Iranian regime, such summons are sure to reflect a clear double-standard. The Netherlands was the location of an incident last year in which an Arab-Iranian opposition figure was allegedly assassinated by one or more Iranian operatives. This was arguably a precursor to a broader upsurge in Iranian terrorist plots directed at opposition figures in the West.

Chief among these plots were the planned bombing in March of an Iranian exile compound in Albania and similar plot for the Iran Freedom rally just outside Paris on June 30. The targets of both thwarted attacks were the pro-democracy Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran and its parent coalition the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

Additionally, at least one British citizen is currently being held captive in the Islamic Republic on the assumption that her past affiliation with a British media outlet makes her an advocate for the soft overthrow of Irans clerical regime.

This, together with the similar hostage-taking of several American nationals, is indicative of a clear commitment to lashing out at Western powers and levying dubious charges against them since long before Saturdays attack.

The funeral chants of death to America suggest that the aftermath of the attack is laying the groundwork for further growth of these kinds of tensions. At the same time, Voice of America suggests that the attack may also be used to justify the further expansion of Irans roles in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, with the supposed mission of countering US-aided separatists groups on Irans border.

Among the Iranian leadership, there may still be some hope for broader Muslim alignment in opposition to Western interests, particularly in the wake of a politically useful incident like Saturdays mass shooting. This may explain why the rhetoric against regional countries has apparently been muted in comparison with that which is directed against the West.

Although an envoy from the UAE was summoned over allegedly biased remarks in response to the attack, Reuters reported on Monday that Ali Shamkhani, the head of Irans Supreme National Security Council, had issued a statement expressing interest in constructive dialogue between Iran and its neighbors.

Meanwhile, the Iranian regime can be said to be pursuing less dialogue but more political homogeneity at home. The Washington Post accordingly pointed to the potential domestic effects of the governments response to Saturdays attack.

While the political differences have already shrunk between IRGC-backed hardliners and the pragmatic faction associated with President Rouhani, public reactions to the attack could serve to further bolster across-the-board support for the IRGC, the organization that was at the heart of the targeted parade.

This would no doubt correspond to further political justification for harsh crackdowns on anyone who might criticize the Revolutionary Guards in the context of ongoing anti-government protests.World leaders are scheduled to deliver the speeches to annual gathering this week, which coincides with a UN Security Council meeting that was chaired by the United States.

Initially announced as focusing specifically on the Islamic Republic, its missile program and malign behavior, the meetings agenda was later revised to reflect more general nonproliferation issues, but was ultimately made to focus on the Middle East in general.

In that context, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley repeated a familiar Trump administration talking point, accusing the Iranian regime of leaving its fingerprints on virtually every conflict and crisis in the region.

Haley specifically focused attention on Irans violation of Iraqi sovereignty with a missile strike targeting Kurdish separatists in the country.

According to The Tower, she then concluded by calling upon all supporters of national sovereignty to help defend the Iraqi people against intrusions from the Islamic Republic, which has contributed to the proliferation of Shiite militias that wield expanding power in Iraqi politics while often swearing allegiance to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Haleys harsh words for the Islamic Republic were arguably indicative of the confrontational tone that will predominate between Iran and the US, as well as close allies of each, during the General Assembly.

Al Jazeera pointed to Trumps previous remarks in order to illustrate his style, but noted that while the previous speech was largely directed against North Korea, he has largely reconciled with that countrys dictator and subsequently focused his nonproliferation efforts almost exclusively on Iran.

Of course, the administrations Iran policy is concerned with more than just nonproliferation, and Trumps withdrawal in May from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was motivated in large part by the persistence of Iranian ballistic missile development and involvement in the affairs not only of Iraq but also of Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and other countries where the regime has allegedly left its fingerprints.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pointed to these issues in a press conference on Monday which gave reporters a sense of what to expect when the president addresses the General Assembly.

Townhall credited Pompeo with effectively confirming that Iran will be the major focus of that speech, and that it will hold the Islamic Republic accountable for a range of issues that contribute to regional instability and the proliferation of terrorism throughout the globe.

Pompeo also echoed Haleys general call to action and said: You can bet the President will have well deserved, strong words for the Iranian regime, which is one of the worst violators of UN 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 and other administration officials have repeatedly described that pressure campaign as being aimed at compelling the Iranian regime to make massive changes in its behavior.

The comprehensive nature of this goal has fueled some speculation about the possibility of that the White House is pursuing an undeclared policy of regime change for Iran.

And that speculation was amplified on Saturday when President Trumps lawyer and informal advisor Rudy Giuliani predicted a change of government in Tehran while speaking at a gathering of the Organization of Iranian American Communities.

They are going to be overthrown, Giuliani said of the Iranian leadership, according to the Washington Post. The people of Iran obviously have had enough.

The latter comment referred to several months of anti-government protests that have been flaring up throughout the country in the wake of a nationwide uprising that marked the beginning of the year.

Although President Trump and his foreign policy team have expressed support for those protests, they have stopped short of signaling the expectation that they would lead to regime change, much less that the administration would seek to facilitate that outcome.

Speaking on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, Ambassador Haley once again reiterated that the United States is not looking to do regime change in Iran or anywhere else.

Trumps National Security Advisor John Bolton delivered the same message on Monday. But Agence France Presse notes that he also underscored that the US will be imposing more sanctions as part of its strategy of imposing maximum pressure in order to elicit massive changes from Tehran.

But as the Washington Post noted, the administrations stated policies are apparently at odds with Boltons personal preferences, as he has declared more than once in speeches before the National Council of Resistance of Iran that the declared policy of the United States of America should be the overthrow of the mullahs regime in Tehran. Giuliani has attended and spoken before these same international gatherings.

The presence of these voices in or nearby the administration is naturally a source of anxiety for the Iranian regime, especially in light of the recent, large-scale protests, many of which have been linked to the NCRIs leading constituent group, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran.

In the aftermath of the January mass uprising, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei blamed the unrest on a triangle of enemies, with the PMOI acting at the behest of the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. The same accusation was repeated, with Arab separatists in place of the PMOI, after an attack upon a military parade in the city of Ahvaz on Saturday, which reportedly killed 29 people.

That incident has given rise to a renewed outpouring of hardline rhetoric on the Iranian side, including threats of revenge against foreign powers. That rhetoric now threatens to further strengthen the tone of UN General Assembly, wherever Iran and the US are concerned.

As UPI reported on Monday, just before leaving for the gathering the Iranian president made remarks to the press referring vaguely to neighboring countries that are supposedly linked to the separatists and asserting, The sponsor of all these small mercenary countries in the region is America.

These sorts of statements and the associated threats are almost certain to be poorly received by Donald Trump, who responded to his Iranian counterparts reference to a possible war between the countries by tweeting, in all caps, Never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before.

We are no longer a country that will stand for your demented words of violence & death. Be cautious!In early August, the first round of sanctions against Iran went into effect, following U.S. President Trumps decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. The reimposed sanctions have forced companies across Europe to reconsider their investments there.

AB Volvo was no longer being paid for any parts it shipped, said spokesman Fredrik Ivarsson, so it therefore decided not to operate in Iran.

He told Reuters in a phone interview, With all these sanctions and everything that the United States put (in place)  the bank system doesnt work in Iran. We cant get paid  So for now we dont have any business (in Iran).

Volvo planned for Iran to become its main export hub for the Gulf region and North Africa markets before the sanctions were reimposed.

Although the European Union has implemented a law to shield its companies, Washington can stop transactions from the U.S. financial system, so banks are deterred from doing business with Iranian firms.

Saipa Diesel is part of Irans second-largest automaker SAIPA, which was assembling Volvos heavy-duty trucks from kits shipped to Iran. As of Monday, according to

Ivarsson, Volvo has no active orders in Iran.

A manager, who declined to be identified, told Reuters, They have decided that due to the sanctions on Iran, from (May) they couldnt cooperate with us. We had some renovation planned in Iran for a new plant but they refused to work with us.

Scania, another Swedish truck maker owned by Volkswagen, said it also has canceled orders that couldnt be delivered by mid-August due to sanctions.

In June, French carmaker PSA Group began to suspend its joint venture activities in Iran.

As well, Germanys Daimler is closely monitoring any further developments.

Irans automotive industry is the third most active industry of the country, after its oil and gas industry, accounting for 10% of Irans GDP and 4% of the workforce.

Its economy is dominated by oil and gas production, with 10 percent of the worlds proven oil reserves and 15 percent of its gas reserves, Iran is considered an energy superpower.

Iran has fifth highest total estimated value of natural resources, valued at US$27.3 trillion in 2016.

The second wave of sanctions, due in November, will drastically affect Irans oil exports.The stock market fell Monday on profit-taking after rebounding sharply in the last two trading sessions, with blue chips leading the decliners. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 101.44 points, or 1.4 percent, to 7,332.17 on a value turnover of just P3.5 billion. Losers beat gainers, 99 to 81, with 55 issues unchanged. Puregold Price Club Inc. of retail tycoon Lucio Co. lost 4 percent to P44, while Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest lender in terms of assets, declined 3.6 percent to P85. SM Prime Holdings Inc. of retail tycoon Henry Sy Sr. fell 3.5 percent to P37.50, while major property developer Ayala Land Inc. slipped 2.6 percent to P39.85. The rest of Asian markets mostly rose Tuesday but investors remained on edge after the latest tit-for-tat tariffs in the China-US trade row, while they are now looking ahead to the Federal Reserves next policy meeting. While the levies had been widely expected, there are concerns about how long the dispute will last after China cancelled planned talks and said negotiations cannot be carried out under the threat of tariffs. Vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said Tuesday it was impossible to hold negotiations while Washington is imposing tariffs that are like holding a knife to someones throat. He accused the US of abandoning a consensus struck in May. Fresh political uncertainty in Washington is also drawing attention, helping to drag on Wall Street, with speculation Donald Trump could fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein over reports he suggested removing the president from office. The developments are being closely followed because Rosenstein plays a key role in overseeing the Russia probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which Trump has labelled a politically motivated witch hunt.His removal could deal a major blow to the investigation and possibly a constitutional crisis in Washington, leading to further political instability. Tokyo, back after a public holiday, ended 0.3 percent higher, Singapore added 0.7 percent and Taipei gained 0.1 percent. There were also gains in Mumbai, Bangkok, and Wellington. But Shanghai, also returning from a long weekend, fell 0.6 percent by the close, while Sydney was barely moved. Hong Kong and Seoul were closed for public holidays. Energy firms enjoyed big gains following a surge in oil prices on Monday after the worlds top producers agreed to maintain output despite pressure from Trump. Brent soared more than three percent to a four-year high above $81 while WTI piled on 1.8 percent to hold around $72 after Opec and non-Opec nations said they were satisfied with the current market outlook. Both contracts extended gains Tuesday. Oil continues to hold on to astonishing gains as the latest move was helped along by headlines from Opecs weekend meeting, as the organization agreed to no immediate supply boosts, and last weeks reports that Saudi Arabia was now comfortable with Brent at $80, said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trade at OANDA.They said that 1.5-2 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude and condensate could be lost as a result of the sanctions and there are fears that this could lead to a global rise in oil prices, which would particularly affect Asian nations.

However, there are plenty of real substitutes for South Korea to choose from in order to maintain their current energy needs  Pioneer Resources chairman Scott Sheffield suggested Eagle Ford condensate as one option at the conference  and many major South Korean refiners have already turned to alternative sources from Oceania, Africa, the US and Northern Europe.

Yes, this condensate costs more than the Iranian one and this can increase gas prices domestically and internationally, but this is nominal compared with the cost of US sanctions hitting South Korea.

Iran may have been selling the cheapest oil at that grade, but the problem is that the money raised will fund the Iranian Regimes malign actions across the Middle East and beyond. No one wants to pay higher prices for oil, but surely no one wants to fund terrorism, proxy militias, or malign missile programmes either.

The US sanctions are supported by the Iranian Resistance and the Iranian people who see them as crucial to obtaining the overthrow of the Iranian Regime and bringing peace to the Middle East. They cite that Regime change is the only way to achieve this.

Some countries are trying to evade the sanctions, but they have warned against this by no less an authority that Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the Iranian Resistance who told a conference on Saturday that Europe should abandon its deals with Iran and increase pressure on the Iranian Regime.

She cited that European money was being funnelled back into terrorist attacks in Europe and that the recent attempted bombing of the Free Iran rally in Paris in June was a test by the mullahs to see what Europe would let them get away with.

She said: In committing these crimes, the mullahs are testing Western governments. In such circumstances, a lack of resolve or a passive attitude by Western governments will intensify the regimes terrorist actions.The article quoted Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh as saying that any effort to do so would be a one-hundred percent political statement, not economic.

But the article goes on to say that an increase in output by at least some of Irans fellow OPEC member states is virtually the only viable reaction to potential shortfalls arising out of the sanctions situation.

Member states such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would be joined in this endeavor by non-member states like Russia, which has joined the Saudis in recent years to spearhead an effort to stabilize a volatile petroleum market.

The involvement of non-member states may be a complicating factor for Iran, which wields considerable leverage over OPEC simply by virtue of its status as a member state. The Oil Price article explains that policy decisions by the oil cartel must be unanimous.

This speaks to the means by which Iran might follow through on its apparent threat to not allow increases. It can prevent OPEC from formalizing such increases simply by blocking a formal plan in meetings of the organization.

Yet Oil Price anticipates a de facto increase in output by at least some members anyway, since global markets stand to lose as much as 1.4 million barrels per day of Iranian oil by next year, and those missing barrels have to be made up elsewhere.

The prospective impasse on this issue raises the specter of broader conflict among member states, and it remains to be seen how this conflict might play out. But prior statements and actions by the Islamic Republic have pointed to at least two tactics that it might implemented.

In the first place, the Washington Post reported this week upon the latest warnings from the cyber security firm FireEye regarding an uptick in Iranian hacking and phishing attacks in advance of the re-imposition of oil-related US sanctions in November.

The report indicates that these efforts have so far been focused on energy firms throughout the Middle East, and FireEye warns that the attempts to gain access to sensitive information and online systems could be a precursor to disruptive attacks in the event that the Iranian regime deems them necessary to its strategic goals.

Furthermore, the regime might very well perceive such necessity if its initial warnings about oil output are not heeded. And of course FireEye also emphasizes the potential for cyberterrorism campaigns to look beyond the initial targets and affect Western interests throughout much of the world.

Tehrans willingness to lash out directly at its enemies in the US and Europe is hardly in question.

The countrys leading military and paramilitary figures have recently made a habit of boastful remarks regarding their readiness for open conflict and their confidence in the supposed consequences that foreign adversaries would face as a result of attacks on Iranian assets.

In fact, Iranian.com published an article on Friday that began with the observation that the regime made many interesting claims about its military capabilities this month alone.

Among the most boastful of these claims is that of Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the second-in-command of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, who said that the US will be on the losing side if war ever breaks out between the two countries.

Other claims highlighted by the Iranain.com article include the claims that Iran has inspired resistance to the US and its allies among other regional countries, that Irans domestic weapons industry has improved to the point of warning off Western adversaries and producing a better version of the S-300 missile defense system purchased from Russia, and that the United Nations Security Council failed in efforts to halt such development.

Also prominent among Irans boastful, militaristic commentary is the claim that has been repeated by a variety of military and political figures including President Hassan Rouhani, that the Islamic Republic would close off the Strait of Hormuz in response to any effort to seriously reducing Irans own oil exports.

Well over half of the worlds oil supplies pass through the strait, and a successful blockade of it would be deeply disruptive. And although Irans claims on this and other points can hardly be taken at face value, the threat was underlined on Friday when the Iranian air force carried out military exercises in the immediate area.

The Associated Press noted that Iranian state media specifically described the war games as a warning to enemies, a phrase that is typically used to refer, first and foremost, to the US, the UK, and Israel.

The medias threat of a stern response to those enemies is easily connected to the broader Iranian threat against oil exports from fellow OPEC member states, and others. The AP notes that in July, for instance, President Rouhani said the entire regions oil exports would be threatened if US sanctions were re-imposed on Irans oil industry.

The roughly simultaneous military and cyber threats issuing from Iran be motivating further assertive gestures by the White House, which has been pursuing an uncompromising strategy of pressure on the Iranian regime since President Donald Trump took office at the beginning of last year.

Trump himself announced earlier in September that the US would be chairing a meeting of the UN Security Council that would focus on Irans malign behavior this coming week, when world leaders will also be in New York for the UN General Assembly. However, the agenda of the meeting was later changed to focus on non-proliferation throughout the globe, for reasons that were not specified.

Now, according to Bloomberg, the president has reversed the change, contradicting his aides by saying that the Security Council will still focus primarily on Iran. If the administration stands by this claim, it could set up a direct connection between Trump and Rouhani, or their surrogates at the UN, since the Security Council is required to provide a seat at the meeting to any government that is directly targeted on its agenda.

It is not clear whether the White House wishes to force such a confrontation or even give Iran an opportunity to defend itself against American criticism in the context of the council meeting, but President Trump has said on multiple occasions that he is prepared to meet with Rouhani directly, and without precondition, to discuss a better alternative to the Iran nuclear deal, from which the US withdrew in May.

So far, Iranian officials have rejected the notion of a meeting or the sort of treaty sought by Trump and his foreign policy team.

Although the Security Council meeting may yet have a broader focus, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to deliver a speech at the General Assembly that will indeed be focused on Iran and its malign behavior.

The speech may elaborate upon non-specific threats that Pompeo delivered in an interview with CNN on Friday. The Secretary of State raised the specter of Iranian attacks on Western assets, which might be carried out either directly or through militant proxies. In any event, Iran will be held accountable for those incidents, he said without going into detail.

In July it was revealed that four Iranian nationals including a high-ranking diplomat working out of Vienna had been arrested in connection with a plot to blow up a rally of Iranian expatriates outside Paris.

In March, a terror plot was disrupted in Albania which would have targeted the local residence of more than 2,000 members of the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran. And in September, the US Department of Justice announced the indictment of two Iranian nationals who had been caught spying on behalf of the Islamic Republic, with the probable intention of facilitating attacks on Iranian Resistance figures in the US as well.

The arguably growing danger of Iranian attacks upon Western targets was further underscored in the context of a summit between Iran, Russia, and Turkey on September 7, which the Algemeiner characterized as showcasing the Islamic Republics ambitions to expand its influence both across the region and throughout the world.

The Iranian president participated in that summit and far from focusing on political resolutions for the future of the Syrian government, the so-called moderate Rouhani used the opportunity for ideological grandstanding, decrying American influence while praising Irans own.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.LT Group Group Inc., the listed holding company of tycoon Lucio Tan, has boosted the capital of infrastructure unit Asias Emerging Dragon Corp. by another P900 million. LT Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Tuesday it subscribed to nine million common shares from the unissued capital stock of AEDC at P100 apiece for a total price of P900 million to be paid in cash. LT Group indirectly owns AEDC through Kenrock Holdings, Inc. Since AEDC is involved in infrastructure projects and is part of the proponents to the Naia project, LTG deems it necessary to support AEDC in its bid to take part in the development of the airport by infusing additional capital, the conglomerate said. AEDC is a part of a consortium of seven conglomerates that recently obtained an original proponent status from the Department of Transportation for the rehabilitation, upgrade, expansion, operation, and maintenance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for 15 years. Other members of the so-called super consortium are Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Alliance Global Group Inc., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc., and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.The super consortiums P102-billion proposal involves expanding and interconnecting the existing terminals of Naia, upgrading airside facilities, developing commercial facilities to increase airline and airport efficiencies, enhancing passenger comfort and experience and elevating the status of Naia as the countrys premier international gateway. The project aims to increase Naias capacity by up to 100 million passengers a year from about 40 million passengers last year. The upgrade will elevate Naia to the level of major regional airports, such as Changi in Singapore and Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok. It is also seen to become a viable transit hub in Southeast Asia. The Naia Consortium tapped Changi Airports International Pte. Ltd. of Singapore to provide technical support in master planning, operations optimization, and commercial development. The consortiums proposal is still subject to the review and approval by the National Economic and Development Authority board and to a Swiss Challenge to comply with the requirements of the Build-Operate-Transfer Law.Epson expects sales to rise 19% this year

posted September 25, 2018 at 07:10 pm by Darwin G. Amojelar September 25, 2018 at 07:10 pm

Epson Philippines Corp. expects sales to increase 19 percent this year on the back of higher demand for inkjet printers and projectors. We boldly predict a strong 19-percent growth by the end of the fiscal year 2018 and, we are confident in achieving this because of the continued support of our partners, Epson Philippines marketing director Eduardo Bonoan said Tuesday. We aim to enable more partners from even bigger segments by bringing the right products and solutions to the right market, he added. Epson continues to dominate in the highly competitive inkjet printer and projector industry.Epsons inkjet printers posted a market share of 55 percent in the first six months of 2018, according to the latest Hardcopy Peripherals Report of marketing intelligence firm International Data Corp. Epson remains the leader in the projector business with a 55 percent market share in the second quarter of 2018.

COMMENT DISCLAIMER: Reader comments posted on this Web site are not in any way endorsed by Manila Standard. Comments are views by manilastandard.net readers who exercise their right to free expression and they do not necessarily represent or reflect the position or viewpoint of manilastandard.net. While reserving this publications right to delete comments that are deemed offensive, indecent or inconsistent with Manila Standard editorial standards, Manila Standard may not be held liable for any false information posted by readers in this comments section.SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., the power generation arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., said Tuesday it received a clearance from the Energy Department to conduct a grid impact study for a planned 300-megawatt coal plant in San Carlos, Negros Occidental. The grid impact study for SMC Globals latest coal project would determine the impact of the project to the Visayas grid. Meanwhile, SMC Global said it planned to build a 600-MW coal-fired power project in Barangay Ibabang Polo, Pagbilao, Quezon and a 600-MW coal project in Sariaya, Quezon. Both are listed as indicated projects of the Energy Department. SMC expanded its power generation portfolio following the acquisition of the stakes of Electricity Generating Public Company Ltd. or Egco Group and AES Corp. in Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd. for $2 billion last year. The sale included AES equity interest in the 630-megawatt Masinloc coal-fired power plant in operation, the 335-MW Masinloc 2 coal-fired power plant under construction and the 10-MW Masinloc energy storage project in operation.SMC Global also has three power plants under its independent power producer portfolio. These are the 1,218-MW Sual, 735-MW Pagbilao, and 345-MW San Roque power plants. South Premiere Development Corp., a unit of SMC Global, is also the administrator of the 1,200-MW Ilijan power plant in Batangas. The Ilijan natural gas plant was constructed and owned by Korea Electric Power Corp. under a build-operate-transfer scheme that would expire on June 4, 2022. SMC Global also owns a 60-percent stake in the 218-MW Angat hydropower plant and has power plants in Malita, Davao del Sur and Limay, Bataan. The company said earlier it planned to put up 10,000 MW of renewable energy facilities including large hydropower projects.The United States government has donated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines more than five million rounds of ammunition worth P117.4 million ($2.2 million) as part of its counterterrorism training program. The US Embassy in Manila said the ammunition was funded as a grant through the US Counterterrorism Train and Equip Program and will be used primarily by the Philippine Armys Light Reaction Regiment and the AFPs Joint Special Operations Group. The shipments included various types of live and practice 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm rounds, 12-gauge shotgun shells, .50-caliber rounds, and stun grenades. The ammunition was delivered to Clark Air Base in two deliveries on Sept. 7 and 21.In addition to the ammunition provided through the grant, the shipment included a Philippine Air Force purchase of more than one million rounds of ammunition through the US Foreign Military Sales program. This brought the total to more than six million rounds. The United States, as a longstanding friend, partner, and ally of the Philippines, vows to continue to support the AFP through both grant assistance and expedited sales of arms and munitions to assist both long-term AFP modernization goals as well as urgent counterterrorism and humanitarian aid and disaster relief requirements.Only One More Week to Experience Lydia Breckenbridge: African American Punk Rock Quilts at Gallery 30 South

Rare Exhibition To Experience Work By An Incredible Late-Career Vernacular Artist Who Celebrates Music Through Textiles And Spent Time With Artists From Billy Idol To Michael Jackson

Show Ends September 30, 2018

Gallery 30 South, one of the countrys most popular galleries for emerging and internationally renowned artists and pop culture enthusiasts is currently hosting the rare first-ever exhibition  LYDIA BRECKENBRIDGE: AFRICAN AMERICAN PUNK ROCK QUILTS until September 30, 2018. This is the last week to experience this extraordinary show.

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Lydia Breckenridge was kicking Billy Idol out of bed and turning down dates with Mark Mothersbaugh, Harry Nillson, George Harrison, and Bob Dylan because she was too busy playing in The Boneheads, the seminal, LA Punk band that launched the careers of Craig Lee (author of Hardcore California), Robert Lopez (co-founder of The Zeroes, better known as El Vez: the Mexican Elvis), Elissa Bello (co-founder of The Go-Gos), and Alice Bag (front-woman for The Bags)whom Lydia replaced.

Shortly thereafter, Lydia found herself working on music video production for artists including A-Ha, Scorpions, and Michael Jackson.

Lydias punk roots stretch back to her days living at the Wilton Hilton (featured on the cover of The Cramps Psychedelic Jungle) where she roomed with Kid Congo. Frequent visitors were members of The Blasters, The Flyboys, The Screamers, Lydia Lunch, Twisted Roots, and Jeffrey from Gun Club (who f*cked up the carpet while decorating his jean jacket with fake blood).

One of the last completed pieces is the most provocative; a tribute to Heather Heyer who was killed a year ago when a car slammed into a crowd of people protesting against white nationalists at a Neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Lydia has combined her love for quilting with her music background to create pieces inspired from her memories of the early days of the punk rock scene, incorporating 80s motifs with a centuries-old craft.

The artworks in this exhibition represent both an affront and continuation of the classical themes and patterns of quilting that have been influenced by African aesthetic, religious, and cultural traditions. Lydia Breckenridges punk-rock take on the African American Quilt is not only innovative, it is a form of autobiography from a first-wave LA Punk Rocker. What could be more punk rock than subverting a tradition born of slavery and recasting it as a form of empowered memoir?

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Lydia Breckenridge was born in Los Angeles in 1956. She is the beloved shop manager of Billy Shires world-famous Wacko.South Korean President Moon Jae-in was able to reach several agreements with North Koreas leader during a three-day meeting last week.

Moons trip also added energy to slowing talks on efforts to get North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he could hold a second meeting with North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un, in his words, quite soon.

But some observers worry that North Koreas human rights record has not been a part of the discussions.

In 2014, the United Nations Office of Human Rights' Commission of Inquiry released a report. It accused North Korea of gross human rights violations. It said many of the violations may be crimes against humanity.



The report went on to say that the human rights violations in North Korea were unequaled in the world. It said North Korea seeks to control its citizens lives and terrorizes them from within.



In a statement, South Korea's presidential office said Moon plans to work with the international community to develop a plan for peace between the two Koreas.

The office added that South Korea is ready to work with the international community on issues like peace, development and humanitarian aid. It also said it would discuss human rights and climate change. The office added that South Korea would like to increase its cooperation with the UN.

Human rights not part of current discussions



But human rights supporters told VOA they are concerned. Steps toward peace, reconciliation and even reunification, they say, are good signs. But, human rights has not been part of the talks.

Greg Scarlatoiu is Executive Director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. He said agreements have been reached between South and North Korea in declarations from meetings in Panmunjom in April and in September. But, he said, human rights policies have not been involved in the Souths discussions with the North.

None of the discussions dealt with North Koreas human rights violations, said Scarlatoiu.

Phil Robertson is Deputy Asia director for the group Human Rights Watch. He did point to one point of progress: "the important humanitarian reunification between the separated families." In August, North Korea permitted some families from the South to visit with their relatives who were separated by the Korean War..



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 put forth a plan for human rights in North Korea and carry out policies that support it.

In an email to VOA, the unification ministry wrote, "The government places emphasis on human rights. The ministry also said it works to continuously improve the quality of life for North Koreans."



The message said that the easing of military tensions and additional agreements will lead to the improvement of human rights in North Korea.

Pressure needed

Rights supporters, however, say more needs to be done.

They suggest increased international pressure is needed to ensure that North Korea discusses human rights issues.

Robertson said human rights cant be left off the discussion, although he agreed that peace talks and unification issues are the most important.



Scarlatoiu added that avoiding the issue of human rights during the early talks will make it more difficult to raise them later.

After praising the leader of North Korea, "I don't know how president Moon is going to move to a position where he raises human rights concerns, he said.

The unification ministry said the government will find measures to enhance human rights of North Koreans." But the ministry has given no details on how it plans to do that



Robertson says there has been a lack of progress on 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," Robertson said, "and still two years later, we have no real progress on implementingthat law.

Im Susan Shand.

VOAs Steve Miller reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. The editor was Mario Ritter.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

gross  adj. very obvious or noticeable act

reconciliation  n. the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement

emphasis - n. the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement

enhance  v. to increase or improve

implement  v. to begin to do or use something, such as a planA growing number of American states are requiring schools to teach students how to judge information on the internet and social media.

California is the latest state to pass such a requirement. Last week, Governor Jerry Brown signed a law aimed at helping educators teach students media literacy skills.

Media literacy, also known as news literacy, is the ability to use critical thinking skills to recognize differences between real and fake news. Fake news are stories that appear to be news, but are in fact false or misleading.

The new law requires Californias Department of Education to provide materials related to media literacy on its website. The materials are designed to inform teachers and provide tools for them to teach the subject.

California State Senator Bill Dodd proposed the bill, which became law. He said the goal is to give students a set of effective tools to empower them to make informed decisions. He added that news literacy is important for students and society to help safeguard the future of democracy.

Dodd told VOA that his media literacy efforts were based on a Stanford University study from 2016. It found that 80 percent of U.S. middle school students failed to recognize an advertisement that looked like a real news story. The ad was even identified as sponsored content.

The researchers also found that high school students had trouble telling the difference between a real Facebook news website and a fake news site.

The study called for more efforts to help students recognize false information on the internet and social media services. It said that young people also need the skills to find out where news stories come from, and to be able to judge the trustworthiness of sources and writers.

Dodd said he wanted his bill to go even further, and to include the creation of full media literacy training in all classrooms. But he said there was not enough legislative support for providing the money needed for such an effort. Dodd did say he thinks that once the new teaching materials become available, lawmakers will be more willing to expand the program.

Other states have also passed legislation to bring news literacy education to the classroom. Others are considering new measures.

The bill passed in California is similar to one approved last year in Washington State. It created a web-based system of materials for teachers. The Washington law also required education officials to report on how they plan to add media literacy education to local schools.

A bill was under consideration last year in New Mexico. It called for a new life skills requirement for those completing their education. The bill would require students to study media literacy as part of a class covering life skills in order to graduate. The states House of Representatives has yet to pass the measure.

A proposal before Hawaiis legislature would develop a statewide plan to teach media literacy skills at all levels in public schools. That bill is still under consideration.

Carolyn Edy is a professor of communication at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. She told VOA she has seen a clear change in her students abilities to judge news sources as they have grown on the internet and across social media.

Edy said that when students used to read printed newspapers, it was easier for them to recognize fact from opinion. Now, she finds it necessary to teach students how to fully examine websites.

Its a big problem for a lot of people, she said.

One of Edys goals is to teach students how to research the news organizations responsible for the stories they are reading. One way to do this is for students to ask a series of questions.

One example she gives is, What is the overall mission of the organization? Another would be, Do they use professional news gathering and reporting methods?

Edy says young people also need to judge whether news organizations identify any possible conflicts of interest. Another question to ask is, What do they do when they get a story wrong? Responsible and trustworthy news organizations issue corrections if something is falsely reported, she said.

Edy added that one good thing to come out of the rise of misinformation and fake news is that it has made many people seek out good reporting.

Ive had some of the most engaged students Ive ever had. And thats really exciting, she said.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Marissa Melton reported on this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted her report for Learning English, along with additional material from online sources. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

Quiz - More US Schools Teaching Skills to Recognize False News Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

literacy  n. the ability to read and write

critical  adj. involving careful judgment

safeguard  v. to protect something from harm

sponsored  adj. supported, given help from a sponsor

content  n. something contained; substance; the issue under consideration

source  n. someone or something that provides what is needed

graduate  v. to officially finish a school or university education

mission  n. the goal of a project or activity

professional  n. job requiring special training or skill

engaged  adj. to have attention focused on a certain subject or taskSupreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh appeared on American television Monday to say he never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or at any other time in his life.

He also said he would not let false accusations force him to withdraw as a candidate for a life term as a Supreme Court justice.

Two women have accused Kavanaugh of assaulting them in the early 1980s. One woman, Christine Blasey Ford, says Kavanaugh attacked her at a party Both were in high school at the time. She says Kavanaugh held her down on a bed, touched her sexually and tried to take off her clothes. Ford says one of Kavanaughs friends was a witness to the attack.

In an interview Monday with Fox News, Kavanaugh said it is possible he may have met Ford. But he said they were not friends and did not have similar friend groups. He also said he did not remember being at a party with her.

I was not at the party described, Kavanaugh said.

Kavanaugh was asked if he thought there was any chance Ford misunderstood anything that happened between them.

I have never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr. Ford, Kavanaugh answered. Ive never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise.

Both Ford and Kavanaugh plan to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the accusation on Thursday. The committee holds confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees.

A second woman, Deborah Ramirez, has accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a party while both were college students at Yale University. Ramirez said in an article published Sunday by The New Yorker magazine that Kavanaugh put his sex organs close to her face, causing her to touch him without her consent.

Kavanaugh told Fox reporters, I never did any such thing.

He added, If such a thing had happened, it would have been the talk of the campus.

It is unusual for nominees to the Supreme Court to speak with reporters during their nomination period. In fact, judicial selection expert Russell Wheeler told the Associated Press that he does not know of a similar media interview by a Supreme Court nominee in the past 100 years.

President Donald Trump chose Kavanaugh as his nominee in July. Supporters hope that Kavanaughs nomination can be confirmed before the start of the courts next term on October 1.

But critics have accused Republicans of not completing a full examination of Kavanaugh. They want the Federal Bureau of Investigation to reopen its background investigation on him and look into the sex abuse accusations against him.

Some opponents also accuse Republican lawmakers of treating Ford poorly at a time when victims of sex crimes are speaking out across the country.

Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell both say they are determined to get Kavanaugh on the court. They have described the accusations as false and politically influenced.

Trump said Monday the accusations were among the single most unfair, unjust thing to happen to a candidate for anything.

I'm Caty Weaver.

And I'm Ashley Thompson.

The Associated Press reported this story. Ashley Thompson adapted it for Learning English, with materials from VOA News. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

assault - v. the crime of trying or threatening to hurt someone physically

interview - n. a meeting between a reporter and another person in order to get information for a news story

otherwise - adv. in a different way or manner

background - n. the experiences, knowledge, education, etc., in a person's past

testify - v. to talk and answer questions about something especially in a court of law while formally promising that what you are saying is true

expose (oneself) - v. to show your sexual organs in public

consent - n. permission for something to happen or be done

campus - n. the area and buildings around a university, college, school, etc.

determined - adj. having a strong feeling that you are going to do something and that you will not allow anyone or anything to stop youU.S. President Donald Trump spoke at the 73rd meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, praising national sovereignty and warning Iran and Venezuela.

In his speech on Tuesday, Trump urged representatives of member nations to have pride in their own nations and to seek prosperity together.

The U.S. president did not single out one nation with severe language as he did with North Korea during last years speech.

However, Trump did criticize Iran strongly, calling its leaders corrupt. He added that the nation does not respect [its] neighbors or borders and continues to support terrorism.

Trump also criticized the nuclear agreement with Iran, from which the U.S. withdrew in May. He said the U.S. would increase pressure on Iran and urged nations to cut oil imports from it.

The president also announced a new campaign of economic pressure on Iran. Additional restrictions will go into effect on November 5. Trump noted that since sanctions had been lifted, Iran had increased its military budget by nearly 40 percent.

Trump said Iran had an agenda of aggression and expansion.

The U.S. president also called for restoring democracy in Venezuela. He said Venezuela had once been the richest country in South America, but the socialist policies of President Nicolas Maduro had made it extremely poor.

He announced additional sanctions that would target Venezuelan officials and close allies of Maduro.

Different words for North Korea

Trump praised his administrations efforts to meet and negotiate with North Koreas leaders. Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12 to discuss efforts to end North Koreas banned nuclear weapons program.

Trump thanked Kim for the steps he has taken. However, Trump noted that much work remains to be done. United Nations Security Council sanctions remain in place. North Korea announced plans to take apart a nuclear testing center and a missile launch site last week.

In addition to Kim, Trump thanked leaders in Northeast Asia who have been involved in negotiations with North Korea. He gave special thanks to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and also to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jingping.

Policy of principled realism

Trump called his administrations foreign policy one of principled realism.

He called for agreements reached years ago with trade partners to be renegotiated so they are, in his words, fair to the United States.

The president also called for reform to the world trade system, saying that trade must be fair and reciprocal.

Trump announced that newly placed U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods brought the total value of Chinese products facing import taxes to $250 billion dollars.

In speaking about import taxes meant to help American businesses, the president said, America will never apologize for protecting its citizens.

Trump praised Gulf countries in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. These countries, the president said, have promised to work toward peace in Yemen, which is suffering a civil war.

However, he criticized OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, for high oil prices. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are all members of OPEC. Trump said oil prices must be brought down soon.

A light moment

Trump began his speech to the international body by talking about the extraordinary progress made under his administration. He noted that unemployment for African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans had reached historic lows, while stock market values have hit record highs.

Trump caused a moment of levity when he praised what his administration had accomplished as almost unmatched.

In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. America's...so true...didn't expect that reaction, but thats okay.

Trump did not apologize for calling on other nations to share more of the costs of U.N. activities and international aid.

He said his administration would take a hard look at U.S. foreign assistance. He also said the U.S. would no longer pay more than 25 percent of the U.N. peacekeeping budget.

The president also stated opposition to the global compact on migration, an international agreement on migration policy, and the International Criminal Court in the Hague.

As in his first speech before the U.N. General Assembly, Trump placed importance on the idea of sovereignty and rejected the ideology of globalism.

He said America would always choose independence and cooperation over global governance

Allies in the G7 group of developed nations and many trading partners have called Trumps policies protectionist. They have argued that the U.S. is pulling back from its traditional responsibilities to the U.N. and other nations.

Im Mario Ritter.

Mario Ritter adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

sovereignty n. a countrys independent authority and right to govern itself

prosperity n. the state of being successful often by making a lot of money

sanction n. measure put in place to cause a country to obey international law, usually by limiting or banning trade

agenda n. a plan or goal that guides a person or groups actions

reciprocal adj. a relationship in which two sides agree to something similar for each other

levity n. an amusing quality

accomplish v. to succeed in doing somethingCagayan de Oro CityPhilippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 10 Director Wilkins Villanueva is fuming mad with the dismissal of drug cases of alleged drug queen Johaira Marimar Macaubat, Suharto Macabuat, Sandato Santican alias Sanny, and Noraisa Mapandi. Also included in the dismissal of charges are Mark Gerald Sindac, Moamar Taher, Mariano Dagandara, Manot Dutoan, Hezam Tambidan, and Kate Abinal. Judge Joeffre Acebido of Regional Trial Court 41 dismissed the cases against the accused, including illegal possession of firearms. But what angered Villanueva is not the dismissal itself but with the promulgation of the ruling, PDEA was put on the defensive that the evidence gathered during the search were planted. It is unfortunate that Judge Acebido swallowed the testimonies of the defense hook, line and sinker, said Villanueva. He added that Villanueva said that Acebido totally disregarded the evidence presented by the prosecution whose witnesses enjoy the presumption of regularity in the performance of their duty. The validity of the search is not gauged by its yield but also by the manner in which it is conducted, Judge Acebido wrote in his decision. Acebido based his decision on a technicality as he questioned the manner the search warrant was conducted. He questioned the manner of how the PDEA-10 operatives searched the house of the suspect in Ballon Compound, Barangay Kauswagan, this city, at 9:50 am on July 23, 2016. The prosecution likewise failed to prove possession of the accused of the items listed in the information in all these cases at the time of their arrest, Acebido wrote in his decision.The RTC judge added that the PDEA operatives conducted the searches before the arrival of the barangay officials and media representatives. All the accused and other occupants of the houses searched were ordered to stay in the living room and the PDEA operatives did not find any contraband on the bodies of all the accused nor was there anything unusual or suspicious noted in their persons, he wrote on his decision. Part of the decision also include: Part of the controversy in these cases is not only centered on the illegality of the implementation of the search warrants but also on the claim of the accused that the dangerous drugs and paraphernalia allegedly seized were planted. This is where Director Villanueva really got mad as it assumes that the PDEA planted the illegal drugs during the implementation of the search warrant. The reputation of the whole [PDEA] institution is at stake here. It is not acceptable. The PDEA 10 will not and will never accept the decision of Judge Acebido, Villanueva said. We will assail the decision and bring it to the Supreme Court and we will not rest until justice is served, Villanueva added. Meanwhile, Regional State Prosecutor Merlyn Uy said the decision of Judge Acebido is a wake-up call for the PDEA to follow proper protocols in serving search warrants. This is a reminder to our law enforcers that even if armed with a search warrant, they have to comply on the rules of implementing warrants, Uy said. Uy said her office is currently reviewing the 25-page decision of Judge Acebido and will submit additional action and recommendation to their head office in Manila should they see something that will salvage their case against Macabuat and others.You may already be using multi-factor authentication to login to some devices or services. Your bank may send you a text message with a security code when you attempt to login to its website. I use a smartphone app that gives me a code to use when logging into Google, LastPass, or a handful of other services.

But there are also a handful of companies that offer hardware that you can use for multi-factor authentication. If your security key isnt plugged into the USB port on your laptop or paired wirelessly with your phone, you cannot login  even if you have the correct password.

This summer Google started selling security keys. Last week Linux computer maker Purism announced it would offer its own. But today one of the first companies in the space announced its already launching its 5th-gen security key.

The new YubiKey 5 Series adds support for NFC and the new FIDO2 protocol which, among other things, supports password-free logins thanks to support for single-factor logins as well as 2-factor options including a keyboard or PIN. YubiKey 5 Series devices are available now for $45 and up.

Heres a roundup of tech news from around the web.

You can keep up on the latest headlines by following Liliputing on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.

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Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue.

The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website:

We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service.The Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday assured the families of the families of the seven Filipinos taken by armed men off the coast of Nigeria on Saturday that the government is taking the necessary measures in coordination with Nigerian and Swiss authorities to ensure their safe release. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the countrys embassies in Abuja, Nigeria and Berne in Switzerland have been instructed to get additional information on the condition and whereabouts of the seven Filipino crew members of the Swiss-owned MV Glarus. I have also directed the Office of Migrant Workers Affairs to notify and extend the necessary assistance to the families in the Philippines of the seven Filipino seafarers, Cayetano said, when sought for an update on the situation of the seven Filipinos. Citing reports provided by Philippine Ambassador to Nigeria Shirley Ho Vicario, the DFA chief said the seven were among 12 of 19 crew members who were taken by gunmen as the vessel was making its way to Port Harcourt from Lagos. Cayetano said the gunmen left five other Filipinos and two foreign nationals on board the vessel as they fled the area.It was not the first time that Filipino seafarers were abducted in Nigerian waters. In October last year, four Filipino crew members of a German container vessel were also abducted by gunmen as the vessel neared a port in the Niger Delta. The Philippines supplies 20 percent of the worlds 1.2 million seafarers manning oil tankers, cruise ships and passenger vessels.Ro, 25 September 2018

After the successful launch of Realme 2 in India, the company is looking to expand its operation in Indonesia as well. At least according to what seems to be Realme's official Instagram account.

The phone will be coming to Indonesia on October 9 and it will be getting a proper launch event.

However, judging by the teardrop-shaped notch from the image above, it's probably safe to assume that the teaser is not just about the Realme 2 but the Realme 2 Pro as well. Besides, the teaser says "Realme 2 Series" implying there's more than one phone to expect here.

SourceIFT is partnering with FERRANDI Paris  The French School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management to launch an exchange program for undergraduate students next year. In each academic year, both institutions will make two study places available for students of the partner institution. The actual number of students on exchange will be confirmed and decided annually. IFT students will be able to apply for a study exchange place in any one of the following programs at FERRANDI Paris: Bachelor of F&B and Hospitality Management, and Bachelor of Culinary Arts and Entrepreneurship.

HK lecturer stresses need for mainland support

Hong Kong has been encouraged to appreciate the importance of mainland Chinas support. In his column in Oriental Daily News, Chan Wai-keung, a lecturer in humanities and social sciences at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, questioned how Hong Kong would be able to face big disasters without the countrys support. The heads of Macau people are a bit clearer. [In] the aftermath of the disaster [Typhoon Hato], [Macau] had to ask for help from the Liberation Army to solve the difficulties. Macau people know deeply the importance of having the country saying its got [Macaus] back, wrote Chan. The Hong Kong government did not ask for help from the Liberation Army. Therefore, [if Hong Kong] wants to complete the works [to recover from Typhoon Mangkhut], I am afraid that at least one month is needed, said Chan.

MASTV license extended for 15 years

The government has extended the license of Companhia de Televisao por Satelite MASTV for another five years, according to a dispatch published yesterday in the government official gazette. MASTV was launched in 2004. According to the 2004 contract, MASTV is to pay an amount equivalent to 1.5 percent of the gross operation income, or somewhere between MOP100,000 and MOP500,000 per year, as operation expenses to the Macau government. Besides MASTV, Macau has one free television station, one paid station and five satellite stations, providing a total of 157 television channels.A 45-year-old woman from the mainland lost all her casino winnings while trusting a friend to transfer the money to her bank account, the Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson informed yesterday during a joint press conference held at the Public Security Police Force (PSP) venue.

According to the information disclosed by the spokesperson, the woman, who arrived in Macau to try her luck at the local casinos, could not believe her further luck when she found a man who offered her HKD300,000 to play without asking for anything, besides returning the same amount.

The woman immediately gambled the money and obtained a total of HKD565,000, almost double the amount she had played.

Fulfilling the original agreement, she sought out her friend and returned the HKD300,000 that she had received from him.

After receiving his money, the man offered to help her transfer the remaining money into her account on the mainland, an offer that she accepted.

After a while, believing that everything was perfect, she returned to the mainland.

To her surprise, the following day she realized that her winnings had not been transferred into her bank account and her alleged friend had scammed her.

She returned to Macau on September 13 to file a complaint with the PJ.

After identifying the suspect with the help of the casino surveillance cameras, the police commenced a search for him and caught him on September 22 as he was trying to re-enter Macau through the border gate checkpoint.

He was presented to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) charged with breach of trust.

In a separate case also reported by the police, a local man aged 31 was caught after robbing a restaurant where he was a regular customer.

According to the PJ spokesperson, the incident occurred on September 18 when the owner of the shop noticed that the money from the cash register had disappeared while the shop had been closed for lunch break (from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.).

According to the owner, who immediately made a complaint to the PJ, MOP7,500 was missing.

Using video surveillance cameras, the PJ found that a restaurant regular had hidden inside the venue while it was closed for break time.

After taking the money from the cash register he managed to escape through a window.

On September 22, the PJ finally caught the thief while he was re-entering Macau from the mainland through the border gate checkpoint.

Upon questioning, the man admitted to the crime and said he needed to repay a gambling debt.

During the investigation, the police also discovered that the man had a record of similar crimes and had been sentenced to eight years imprisonment in 2009. He had been released from jail in 2017 after serving his sentence.

In another story, the PSP spokesperson informed that two local men had been detained after being found guilty of appropriating lost property.

The case was reported to the police on September 19, when a local man was at a karaoke venue located at Rua de Francisco Xavier Pereira in central Macau.

The man told the police that he had to leave the venue for a few minutes to withdraw money at an ATM machine. At the time, a friend was sitting with him at one table where he had two mobile phones.

Upon returning to the karaoke place, he realized that his friend had changed tables and the phones were no longer there.

The venue staff had no idea about the whereabouts of the mobile phones. The victim called the PSP, who reviewed video surveillance footage with the venue staff and found that two suspects took the phones.

Street surveillance camera footage showed that the two suspects then took a taxi.

The police contacted the taxi driver who remembered the two customers, because they had asked to be dropped off in different locations (Areia Preta and Fai Chi Kei).

While investigating the area on September 20 at around 11 p.m., the police found the two suspects.

They confessed to finding and taking the phones and selling them in Gongbei, Zhuhai for the equivalent of MOP2,800.

According to the victim, the phones were valued at MOP10,000 each.

Phone and WeChat Scams continue to grow

According to the Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson, despite constant warnings, scams taking place over phone calls and WeChat conversations continue to occur, targeting residents and non-residents alike.

During yesterdays press conference, the PJ reported that a non-resident woman had been caught in a scam over an investment.

On September 23, she told the police that she had met a man over WeChat in November 2017, and that they had been chatting until April 2018.

The man claimed to be a staff member at a banking institution at that time, and offered to help to invest her money in a profitable business.

In June, the woman accepted the offer and transferred HKD40,000 to him, but after some time she lost contact with him and never saw any return from her investment. She then filed a complaint with the PJ.

In a separate story, a local woman aged 55 claimed to have lost a total of RMB120,000 through a phone scam.

Thinking she was speaking to a friend who had changed his phone number, the woman recorded a new number under her alleged friends name. She was called the next day, when he claimed that he had been arrested in the mainland and needed money to bail him out.

The woman transferred money to the man on three different occasions, amounting to a total of RMB120,000.

On September 22, after not hearing from the person for several days, the woman called the friends original number and realized that she had been scammed. She presented the complaint to the PJ. RMFour students from the University of Macaus (UM) Department of Psychology won the best student poster awards for their senior honors thesis poster presentations at the 2018 American Psychological Association (APA) Convention. The APA is one of the oldest and most respected psychology associations in the world.

This is the first time undergraduate students from UMs Department of Psychology have received the best student poster awards at the APA Convention, according to a statement from the university.

The students supervisor is Professor Brian Hall from the same department. The poster presentations are part of Professor Halls ongoing public health research program in Macau, and all the projects and data originated in the MSAR.

The posters presented by Yang Xinyu, Lao Chao Kei and Yip Sheung Yan at the convention concerned Macaus large population of Southeast Asian migrant workers. They were titled HIV/Syphilis rapid testing uptake correlates among Southeast Asian migrant workers, Psychometric properties of the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 among female Filipino domestic workers and Validation of the PTSD Checklist-5 for Filipino domestic workers, respectively.

Yang and Lao both received first prize, while Yip received second prize in the student poster award contest from the Division of International Psychology (Division 52).

Meanwhile, Xiong Ying Xins poster was titled An exploration of disaster and social media exposure on PTSD: A study of Typhoon Hato in Macau, China. Xiong received first prize in the Division 56 (Trauma) student poster awards.

More than 100 undergraduate and postgraduate students submitted posters to this years convention. All the award-winning students come from UMs Global and Community Mental Health Research Group under the Department of Psychology, and are also members of the Honors College.Former lawmaker Gabriel Tong believes that the Macau Lawyers Association (AAM) can do more to defend Macaus law.

Contacted by the Times yesterday, Gabriel Tong, who is also the current dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Macau, said that AAM has done some work [to defend Macaus law], but it can do more.

There are many aspects needing improvement. I wrote articles before talking about Macaus judiciary procedures. [] I think these [improvements] do not necessarily have to be done today or tomorrow, but must follow some standards: impartiality, fairness, and market adaptation, said Tong.

In the former lawmakers opinion, Macaus lawyers still have a lot of room for improvement.

After all, our [lawyers association] development period is not that long, [] but the difficulties we have been encountering are a lot, said Tong.

Questioned by the Times regarding AAMs upcoming presidential election, Tong hopes that the future president can be someone capable of leading Macaus lawyers.

When Tong was asked about the announcement of lawyer Sergio de Almeida Correia as a candidate for AAM president, Tong refused to comment on specific election candidates.

I know about [that announcement], but I have few comments. I still dont know who will run for the presidency. I think its better [for me] to keep a neutral stance, Tong stated, adding, I dont want to comment on the overall election either.

I have spent quite a long period in the lawyers industry. I hope they will not be influenced by the kinds of different opinions they receive, and hope they can make their own judgments. So [] before the election, I [will not] say some words to give people a feeling that [I] have a specific preference.

Not only did Tong refuse to offer his opinion on individual candidates for the AAM presidency, he also did not comment on current AAM president Jorge Neto Valente, having explained that it is improper to comment on someone who will possibly run for the presidency.

When talking about his personal expectations for the future president, Tong said, I hope [the future president] has leadership capabilities, and can lead Macaus lawyers when facing great changes in the society, therefore moving forward. Of course, all lawyers have to choose based on their own judgments.

Elections for the AAM board will be held in the first fortnight of December. The deadline for list submission is October 31.

In the previous election, the participation rate was over 50 percent, with about 200 votes cast.

The current president, Jorge Neto Valente, recently said in an interview with Radio Macau that the time has come for a total renovation of the AAMs board, hinting that he does not want to run again. Valente has been at the helm of the barristers association for decades.Hong Kongs 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 citys security secretary, said at a briefing yesterday. 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 citys administration wants to set a precedent for clamping down on other opposition groups, eroding Hong Kongs 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 governments actions may be unconstitutional and could be challenged for violating Hong Kongs right to freedom of association under the citys laws, Ng said. Local journalists were calling him to ask if it would be illegal to publish an article by Andy Chan, Ng said, adding that he told them it would be legal as long as Chan said he wasnt 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 shouldnt be suppressed. I cant comment at the moment, Chan said yesterday 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 couldnt 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 citys independence. China later warned the Foreign Correspondents Club that it risked repercussions for hosting Chan to speak about the potential ban. The clubs members include journalists from Bloomberg and other news organizations.

The FCC invitation prompted pro-Beijing protesters to gather outside the clubs premises, and criticism from Hong Kongs former leader. Chinas foreign ministry accused the FCC of abusing the former British colonys right to free speech by giving Chan a platform.

At the lunch, Chan denounced China as a colonial master, and compared the administrations effort to ban his party to campaigns to suppress political opposition in democratically run Taiwan and Chinas regions of Tibet and Xinjiang.

Chan wrote to the U.S. Department of State 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 citys autonomy and freedom under Chinese rule.

Kurt Tong, the U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong, dismissed Chans call and reaffirmed the  very good relationship between Washington and the citys government, the South China Morning Post reported. During a visit to Hong Kong last year, President Xi Jinping warned that any challenge to Chinas rule was an act that crosses the red line, and is absolutely impermissible.

Chinas central government firmly supports Hong Kongs right to punish any crimes that endanger national security, the official Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday, citing a spokesman from Chinas Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in Beijing. David Tweed, BloombergA French ship yesterday rescued an Indian sailor who was injured in the remote southern Indian Ocean when his sailboat lost its mast in a storm during a round-the-world solo yacht race, officials said.

Indias 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. Hes conscious and doing okay. She said the ship would take Tomy to a nearby island by evening and an Indian navy frigate would then take him to Mauritius for medical attention.

Indian navy spokesman Capt. D.K. Sharma said Tomy, 39, was sailing in a solo around-the-world sailboat race called the Golden Globe Race.

Started in 1966, the competition involves circumnavigating the globe without any modern technology except satellite communications. This years race began in France on July 1.

He has been pulled out on a stretcher by a French fishing vessel. He is conscious and is in safe hands, Sharma said. Hes resting in the sickbay of the ship.

Sharma said the rescue operation involved the Royal Australian Navy, the French vessel and Indias navy.

Australian officials earlier said the French fisheries patrol boat Osiris headed 740 kilometers to Tomy after his yacht, Thuriya, lost its mast on Friday.

The yacht was in Australias search and rescue zone 3,500 kilometers southwest of the Australian city of Perth and 3,000 kilometers southeast of the French island of Reunion, said Australian Maritime Safety Authority search and rescue officer Phil Gaden.

He said Tomy had an injured back.

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, Gaden said.

Tomy had been keeping in contact with rescue authorities through text messages, but batteries on his two devices were running low, Gaden said.

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. APThe first step to an empowered and involved electorate is registering to vote, and registration ends on Sept. 29, the last Saturday of this month. It is our responsibility to exercise our right to vote and support politicians whose programs and beliefs align with ourssomething that is imperative in our current state. If you havent registered to vote yet, nows your chancevoters registration ends on Sept. 29, 2018. Those who can register to vote are Filipino citizens who will be at least 18 years old on or before the elections on May 13, 2019. You should also be a Philippine resident for at least one year and have resided in the place where you intend to vote for at least six months before May 13, 2019. We know that registering to vote isnt the easiest process, but we can help you prepare for the process. Heres what you need to register to vote. 1. Find the nearest registration site. You can register at the Office of the Election Officer near or in your Municipal or City Hall. The Office of the Election Officers is open from 8 am to 5 pm on Mondays to Saturdays, including holidaysbut make sure to check ahead. Weve compiled COMELECs list of offices here: https://www.genweph.com/precinct-finder-1/ 2. Download, fill up, and print three copies of the COMELEC Voters Registration Form You can download a copy of the COMELEC Voters Registration form here: https://www.genweph.com/download-form/ 3. Bring two valid IDs. COMELEC accepts the following: Employee's identification card (ID), with the signature of the employer or authorized representative; Postal ID; PWD Discount ID; Student's ID or library card, signed by the school authority; Senior Citizen's ID; Driver's license; NBI clearance; Passport; SSS/GSIS ID; Integrated Bar of the Philippine (IBP) ID; License issued by the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) and Certificate of Confirmation issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in case of members of ICCs or IPs. 4. Have your biometrics taken. At the COMELEC office, they will take your biometricsyour photograph, signature, and fingerprints. Make sure to bring alcohol to wipe the ink off your fingers.5. Keep your accomplishment receipt. After you register, make sure you keep your accomplishment receipt. This will be necessary to claim your Voters ID. Meanwhile, the Comelec has reminded Filipinos abroad to register as voters to be able to participate in the May 2019 midterm polls. The Comelec-Office for Overseas Voting (OFOV) issued the reminder as the registration period for overseas absentee voters (OAV) is set to end on Sept. 30. #VoterReg2018 for overseas absentee voters ahead of the #NLE2019 is ongoing until September 30, the poll body said in a statement. Advisory to all Overseas Voters: Please take note of the registration deadline, it added. Those qualified to register as overseas voter must be a Filipino citizen, who expect to be abroad from April 13-May 13, 2019 or during the overseas voting period for the midterm polls; at least 18 years old on May 13, 2019; and not otherwise disqualified by law. Applications may be filed at the nearest Philippine Foreign Service Posts; or at the OFOV office located at the Comelecs main office in Intramuros, Manila. Nine local field registration centers for OAV have also been identified, namely the Commission on Filipinos Overseas; the Maritime Industry Authority; the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Intramuros; Philippine Overseas Employment Administration at the offices of both the Balik Manggagawa and OWWA; and offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Alabang, Aseana, Robinsons Galleria, and SM Manila. The poll body expects some 1.9 million overseas voters in the next national elections. The OAV registration period started last Dec. 1, 2016.The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong, said that Macau is capable of enduring fluctuations in the health of the world eceonomy, according to a statement released by the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance.

Since last month, Leong has been leading other government principal officials within his secretariat, visiting approximately 30 associations that include business, youth, women and other sectors.

Moreover, they have also been meeting with some of the citys scholars and experts in the aforementioned fields.

Several industry representatives pointed out that the trade war between China and the U.S. is causing fluctuations in the global financial market, and that since Macaus economy is highly export- oriented, it can easily be influenced by external economies.

In view of this, the representatives further suggested to Leong that the SAR government should prepare to embrace the changes occurring in the financial market.

In turn, the Secretary expressed his agreement, stressing that Macaus economy had just entered a stable phase and is currently enjoying favorable conditions, following a prolonged economic adjustment period over the past 26 months. However, the Secretary noted that this trend may be subject to variations due to external factors.

Leong believes that the Macau SAR government has a solid financial capacity, good income and expenditure, a reliable indexation system and a stable financial system, which allow both the Macau SAR government and its financial system to cope with fluctuations in the financial markets.

Leong added that, in view of the current uncertainties in the world economy, the MSAR government and all social sectors have been working to strengthen the sense of alertness.

Given that adequate diversification of Macaus economy has always been a priority, the Secretary pointed out that fostering organic synergy between adequate diversification of the local economy and participation in the national construction, as the principle of responding to national needs and enhancing the advantages of Macau is a major task for the Secretary for Economy and Finance, with emphasis on the role of Macau as a service platform for trade co-operation between China and Portuguese- speaking countries.Maldives strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom conceded that he lost Sundays election to his challenger, longtime lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in a speech broadcast live on television yesterday.

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 yesterday showing Solih had won the South Asian island nations 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, 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 Partys presidential candidate after its other top figures were jailed or exiled by 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.

India and China, jostling for influence in the Indian Ocean, had been watching the election closely.

Indias foreign ministry issued a statement saying it looked forward to working with Solihs 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. Chinas foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday, 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 Solihs 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. Bharatha Mallawarachi, Male, APLocal businessman Frederico dos Santos Rosario has been arrested by the Judiciary Police (PJ) for suspected fraud involving cryptocurrency investments with local investors, the PJ informed.

According to information from a PJ spokesperson heard by TDM Radio yesterday afternoon, on August 1, Rosario filed a complaint with the police, saying he had been tricked into a cryptocurrency investment scheme.

The PJ investigation concluded that the businessman is, in fact, a partner of Dennis Lau, the Hong Kong investor whom Rosario was complaining about. Both had colluded in a scheme to attract investors in Macau, and are potentially guilty of having misled the local investors while claiming that the scheme was a low-risk investment with high profits.

Rosario was bailed out of police custody last night for a sum of MOP50,000. He is now obliged to present himself at the police station on a weekly basis.

The case involves a total of 71 victims and a total of MOP14.2 million that has gone missing. The scam allegedly promised the investors that they would receive a monthly return of 25 percent.

Following a disagreement between the partners, last month Rosario announced that he was filing a lawsuit against Lau for defamation.Confronting the dangers of North Koreas nuclear threat, President Donald Trump arrived at the United Nations yesterday 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 presidents bellicose denunciations of Pyongyang have largely given way to hopeful notes.

It was a different world, Trump said 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 U.N. earlier yesterday 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 Trumps 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 Koreas eagerness to restore relations with the North could reduce sanctions pressure on Kims government, hampering efforts to negotiate a nuclear accord.

The nuclear threat was on the agenda at Trumps 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 NBCs 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 Americas 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 Russias Vladimir Putin even as the investigation into the U.S. presidents 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.

Its always been surprising to me that more things arent resolved, Trump said in a weekend video message, because you have all of these countries getting together in one location but it doesnt seem to get there. I think it will.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in a preview of Trumps visit that the presidents 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 were 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.

Trumps address to the General Assembly comes Tuesday, and on Wednesday [ECT] 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. Jonathan Lemire & Zeke Miller, United Nations, AP* Separatist party banned | HK hardens crackdown on liberty, rule of law

 The governments actions may be unconstitutional and could be challenged for violating Hong Kongs right to freedom of association under the citys laws, barristers said after the banning of the National Party, founded by Andy Chan.

* Gabriel Tong: Lawyers Association can do more to defend Macaus law

* More visitors compared to weak Hato August

* CSI: luck of the tables runs out with friends

* Trump to UN: second North Korea summit likely soon

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Tuesday, September 25, 2018  edition no. 3138President Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent a proposed law against contractualization seeking to ensure job security in the country. He certified the immediate enactment of Senate Bill 1826 or the Security of Tenure and End of Endo Act of 2018. The bill aims to strengthen workers security of tenure by prohibiting the prevalent practices of contractualization and labor-only contracting which continue to immerse our workers in a quagmire of poverty and underemployment, Duterte said in a letter to Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Friday, which was released by the Palace on Tuesday. Lawmakers on Monday moved for the regularization next year of all, if not most, of the 658,679 job order and contract service workers in the government, more popularly known as endo workers. The plight of endo or end of contract workers surfaced during the plenary deliberation of the House of Representatives on the proposed budget of the Civil Service Commission for next year amounting to P1.5 billion. Rep. Antonio Tinio said there was a widespread use of job order and contract of service in different government agencies, even in national agencies, local government units, state universities and colleges, government-owned-and-controlled corporations and others. The work schemes like endo and labor-only contracting would soon be realized after President Duterte certified as urgent the Security of Tenure Bill, Senator Joel Villanueva said on Tuesday. Villanueva, head of the Senate committee on labor, employment, and human resources development, welcomed Dutertes move to ensure the welfare of workers.Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said the Senate will not proceed with its deliberation on the second tax reform package, also known as the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities or TRABAHO bill unless the government can present definitive data on its impact on jobs. Angara, chairman of the Senate committee on ways and means, is conducting a hearing on the TRABAHO bill. In a press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Senate Bill 1826 seeks to prohibit labor-only contracting and does not exempt contractors with small and even big capitals. Labor-only contracting is prohibited. There is labor-only contracting where the job contractor, whether licensed or not, merely recruits and supplies or places workers to a contractee regardless of whether or not he or she has substantial capital or investment in the form of tools, equipment, machinery, work premises among others, the Senate version of the bill said as read by Roque. Roque said the bill would effectively repeal the Labor Code provision that allows labor-only contracting only if your company has sufficient capital and assets. Roque said under the bill, probationary employment will not exceed six months from the first day of service regardless of the nature of work to be performed. A job description and qualification standards to qualify for the regular employment shall be made by the employer to the employee, said Roque quoting a certain provision of the bill.The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Tuesday said Benguet Corp. itself did not want any illegal miners to stay within its mine site, where 78 people were killed and buried alive in Barangay Ucab, Itogon, Benguet at the height of Typhoon Ompong. Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said Benguet Corp. had already stopped its operations in the area as early as in 1997. That property is a private one. It is owned by Benguet [Corp.]. In fact, it was not allowing anyone [there]. It even requested the people [there] to leave the [mine] site, he told the Manila Standard in an interview. I just dont know the extent of its capability to enforce [the ejection]. The [whole] area is too big, he said. Nevertheless, Cimatu said there is still a need to conduct an investigation into culpability of those responsible for the landslide. Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said the local officials and residents of Barangay Ucab had resisted the plan to close down the mining operation. In a television News to Go interview, he said Benguet Corp. requested the formal closure of its mine in 2016 so it could start rehabilitation efforts in the area. We just dont know why the local government [unit] and the community did not want to cooperate. Lets admit it, that [mining] is their livelihood, he said. An approval from the local government and community is needed to be able to proceed with the rehabilitation work. Benguet Corp. ceased its mine operations in Itogon in 1997. There is [really] a plan for closure and rehabilitation. But it could not be implemented since there has been no approval yet from the board, which is composed of the community and the local government, of which the chairperson is the head of the DENR, Antiporda said. It is not DENR alone [that can] give the green light. We need the [approval of the] board, he added. The death toll from the landslide reached 60 Tuesday morning as three more bodies were found before noon, a TV report on GMA-7 said. With Dexter See and F. Pearl GajuneraAlso on Tuesday, the Chamber of Mines described the current state of the mining industry as parked. Ronald Risodoro, executive director of the chamber, attributed the current state of the industry to anti-mining statements by President Rodrigo Duterte and the failure of the government to grant additional mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs) to interested investors since 2010. Stakeholders are in a quandary over the administrations refusal to see mining as a catalyst of countryside development, he said. Benguet Provincial Administrator Noel Ngolob said prevailing government policies were restrictive, and have prevented small-scale mining groups to secure the appropriate permits to operate. He urged the national government to relax existing rules on small-scale miners to give them the opportunity to legalize their operations. Most of those killed in Itogon were small-scale miners who refused to leave the area as Typhoon Ompong approached. The Davao City government said Tuesday it would extend P2 million in assistance to Naga, Cebu, to help the victims of the recent landslide there. On Tuesday, the city council approved the P2-million assistance in a form of food and non-food from the 5 percent Quick Respond Fund budget of the city from the entire year of 2018. Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, the committee chairman for finance and ways and means, said through the request of Mayor Sara Duterte, the council will allocate a fraction of the citys QRF. Under the law, a local government has the discretion to give aid to other LGUs as long as they are under a state of calamity, Dayanghirang said. Over 55 bodies were recovered following the Sept. 20 landslide. Residents of Naga blame quarrying for the tragedy.These images from scientists at Cincinnati Children's show hematopoietic stem cells (blood stem cells) from donor laboratory mice. The donor stem cell harvested from a mouse treated with the preclinical drug CASIN (bottom) is depolarized with several colored polarity markers -- giving it better mobilization potential than the untreated stem cell in the top image. The scientists report in the journal Leukemia that preclinical data show CASIN treatment has the potential to make life-saving bone marrow transplant procedures safer and more effective for patients. Credit: Cincinnati Children's

Two recent studies in the journal Leukemia present a new approach for bone marrow donation and transplant that preclinical laboratory tests suggest could make the life-saving procedure safer and more effective for patients.

Researchers at the Cincinnati Children's Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute say their studies demonstrate that use of an experimental drug called CASIN in laboratory mice results in higher efficiency when harvesting blood stem cells from donors and less toxicity in transplant recipients.

Designed to repair the body's blood-making machinery inside the bone marrow, a stem cell transplant can be life-saving for people with cancers like leukemia or those battling immune deficiency diseases. But prepping patients for transplant involves using toxic chemotherapy to kill off a person's existing and malfunctioning blood-making system. This allows it to be replaced with healthy blood stem cells called hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).

In addition to toxicity for patients, the procedure doesn't always work. Harvesting effective donor HSCs can be a challenge. And once transplanted the cells often do not engraft in sufficient numbers to make the patient healthy, according to Yi Zheng, Ph.D., senior investigator on both studies and director of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology.

Getting Cells to Mobilize

In one Leukemia study, Zheng's team rationally designed the drug CASIN. The drug mimics the action of an important gene called CDC42 that helps regulate blood stem cells. Tests in mouse models show that CASIN can effectively mobilize blood-making stem cells and promote their exit from the bone marrow. The study indicates that blood stem cells harvested from CASIN-treated donor mice have better long-term reconstitution potential following transplant than cells harvested with regimens currently used in clinic.

In the second study, researchers used CASIN to precondition mouse transplant recipients to make the body's bone marrow compartments more receptive to new and healthy blood stem cells. The drug does this by prompting existing blood stem cells to vacate the bone marrow and migrate to peripheral blood, which is located in circulating blood not sequestered to the bone marrow. This lessens the amount of chemotherapy needed to precondition the bone marrow in transplant recipients. It could allow effective transplant preconditioning when a recipient is unable to tolerate a chemotherapy-based procedure.

"Our data demonstrate that the new regimen of CASIN application has the potential to improve both sides of the transplant practice. It mobilizes higher quality donor HSCs during stem cell harvest and it would condition transplant patients beforehand to increase engraftment efficiency," Zheng said. "This would be a major step forward, especially for the most vulnerable patients who cannot withstand the toxicity of chemotherapy conditioning regimens or are non-responsive to current blood-stem-cell mobilization regimens."

How it Works

CASIN works by modulating the function of the CDC42 gene's target protein, Cdc42 (cell division control protein 42). In blood stems cells Cdc42 levels are tightly controlled and altering its activity can cause a transient change in function and movement of HSCs. Zheng and his colleagues explain that careful control of Cdc42 activity during stem cell donation and bone marrow transplant produces the benefits of 1) high-quality stem cells harvested from donors and 2) improved preconditioning for transplant recipients.

Although Zheng said the laboratory findings establish a proof of principle for the new regimen, the researchers caution the procedure using CASIN remains in pre-clinical testing. The current study was conducted in donated human cells, mouse cells and mouse models of bone marrow transplant. Results in such studies don't always translate to human patients.

Explore further No survival advantage with peripheral blood stem cells versus bone marrowDr. Nancy DeMore (center) leads a multidisciplinary tumor board meeting at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Credit: MUSC Hollings Cancer Center

It's early morning and a team of more than 20 professionals cram around a long table in a dark room, peering at slide after slide of black-and-white mammogram images crossing the screen.

All the stories are different. The ages of the patients. The stages of the cancer. The prognosis. The diagnosis.

What remains the same throughout each case, though, is the intensity of the discussion and the wide breadth of comments based on the specialty of the medical professionals who are weighing in. There are radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, breast cancer nurse navigators, radiologists, geneticists and pathologists, all with their pagers on silent.

Some of the questions on the table: Does this patient have the right diagnosis? What's the best treatment? What are other lifestyle considerations? Do they need cryopreservationfreezing of their eggs to preserve fertility? What are their wishes in how they get treated?

Occasionally, the professionals disagree. The discussion deepens, as the options are debated.

At the head of the table guiding the discussion is surgical oncologist Nancy DeMore, M.D., of the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina. She, more than most, knows the value of a multidisciplinary tumor board. It's one reason she and colleagues decided to conduct a study.

Published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, the study looked at the value of a second opinion for breast cancer patients referred to a National Cancer Institute-Designated cancer center with a tumor board. Researchers concluded that a review by a multidisciplinary tumor board at an NCI-Designated cancer center changed the diagnosis for 43 percent of the patients who presented for a second opinion for breast cancer.

"Our results show our second opinion really does provide value in potentially changing the diagnosis, which in most cases will eventually change treatment," she said. "I would hope this study would empower patients to seek a second opinion at centers that specialize in oncology."

Researchers in this retrospective study analyzed breast cancer patients who had been diagnosed at an outside institution and who received a second opinion at MUSC Health from August 2015 to March 2016. Radiology, pathology and genetic testing reports from outside institutions were compared with reports generated after a review by a multidisciplinary tumor board and a subsequent workup at MUSC.

The review included 70 patients seeking second opinions. A total of 30 additional biopsies were performed for 25 patients, with new cancers identified in 16 patients. Overall, 16 or 22.8 percent of the 70 of patients had additional cancers diagnosed (either in the same breast, the contralateral breast or a metastasis to an axillary lymph node).

"Those findings would drastically change care," she said. "In addition, we found the pathology review changed in 20 percent of people. And 16 percent of people who met guidelines for genetic testing by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for genetic testing had not been referred for testing."

In other areas of the nation where similar studies were done, the percentage of change in diagnosis resulting from second opinions was not as high as what was shown in this study. DeMore said this could be attributed to the higher level of rural areas in the state and that Hollings Cancer Center is the only NCI-Designated cancer center in the state, she said.

The S.C. Rural Health Association designates more than 75 percent of the state as rural.

In South Carolina, there are only three academic medical centers, which are centers with a hospital that works in conjunction with an academic institution. Less than 10 percent of the patients in the study who came for a second opinion had their first opinion at an academic medical center, DeMore commented.

"There are other states where there are many top medical centers available to patients," she said. "Whereas in our state, there are only a few places in the state that have this type of expertise. In this state, we are the only NCI-Designated Cancer Center, and MUSC has the only radiology residency program."

That means MUSC's radiology residency program has the leading experts in the field hired to teach the next generation, and they are doing research to set the next standard of care, she said.

"All of our radiologists at MUSC have done extra training with breast fellowships in breast imaging. All they do is breast imaging. The majority of our surgical oncologists have done surgical oncology fellowships, and the medical oncologists specialize in just breast medical oncology, and our pathologists have done fellowships in breast pathology. We're a center with really specialized care."

Many people may not know the level of specialty care when they seek care, and patients can be in a state of shock when they get a cancer diagnosis. "It's important to pause and regroup and make sure you have the right plan."

Denise Garcia, M.D., a general surgery resident and first author on the study, said that the findings surprised her because she's just learning about the important role that a review by a tumor board can play in getting the right diagnosis.

"This made me value that process even more after doing the research on this. I actually recommended this to my family members. The discussions that go on in that room are very valuable. People are bouncing stuff off one another and really listening to one another. It's a really positive process."

Garcia said she knows some people are hesitant to offend their physician by asking for a second opinion. "It's your health, and you have a right to go hear what other people are saying. It also can give you more confidence in your treatment."

DeMore agrees. "As a surgeon, when someone asks me if they should get a second opinion, I always encourage it."

Explore further Surgeons have substantial impact on genetic testing in breast cancer patients who need it

More information: Denise Garcia et al, The Value of a Second Opinion for Breast Cancer Patients Referred to a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Center with a Multidisciplinary Breast Tumor Board, Annals of Surgical Oncology (2018). Journal information: Annals of Surgical Oncology Denise Garcia et al, The Value of a Second Opinion for Breast Cancer Patients Referred to a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Center with a Multidisciplinary Breast Tumor Board,(2018). DOI: 10.1245/s10434-018-6599-y(HealthDay)Tuberculosis remains the most lethal of infectious diseases worldwide, killing more than 1.6 million people a year. But researchers say a new vaccine might prevent half of full-blown illnesses in infected people who receive the shot.

"We found that the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis was significantly lower" for people who got the experimental vaccine, called M72/AS01, than for people who received a "dummy" placebo shot, reported a team led by Dr. Olivier Van Der Meeren.

He's head of clinical research at drug maker GlaxoSmithKline, which funded the study along with pharmaceutical company Aeras. The findings were published online Sept. 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

While largely banished in more-affluent nations, tuberculosis (TB) is still a widespread and often fatal respiratory disease in the developing world.

In fact, there were over 10.6 million cases of TB globally in 2016, noted Helen Cox and Valerie Mizrahi, of the Wellcome Center for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa in Cape Town, South Africa. They wrote an editorial that accompanied the study.

Cox and Mizrahi also noted that TB is becoming resistant to many antibiotics, and "less than a quarter of the estimated 600,000 patients with multidrug-resistant  tuberculosis received diagnosis and were treated."

So, even a middling effective vaccine would go a long way toward curbing TB's global death toll. One vaccinecalled BCGdoes exist, but its effectiveness is limited in adults who already carry "latent" TB infection, Van Der Meeren's team explained.

Their new study was a phase 2 trial of the M72/AS01 vaccines carried out among nearly 3,600 adults in Kenya, South Africa and Zambia. All were latently infected with the TB bacterium and had already received the BCG vaccine.

In the trial, half of participants received two injections of the newer vaccine, while the other half got placebo shots.

After an average 2.3 years of follow-up, the researchers reported that while 22 people in the placebo group went on to develop pulmonary TB, just 10 of those who got the vaccine did so a 54 percent reduction.

The vaccine appeared safe: While two-thirds of recipients reported side effects, these were limited to injection-site reactions or transient "flu-like" symptoms, the team said.

According to Van Der Meeren's group, the results are "promising" and "support [the vaccine's] further evaluation" in a phase 3 trial.

One U.S. expert agreed that safe, effective TB vaccines are much needed.

"TB is still a worldwide scourge and is easily transmitted via droplets that can be spread easily through talking, laughing and simply being in the same room as an active TB patient," noted Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"The efficacy of the vaccine was 54 percent in preventing full-blown TB," he said, and "while that may seem low, many vaccines [the influenza vaccine, for example] have a comparable success rate."

The bottom line, according to Horovitz, is that "eliminating half of active cases is still significant, in light of the worldwide prevalence of TB."

More information: Len Horovitz, M.D., pulmonary specialist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Sept. 25, 2018, The New England Journal of Medicine, online Len Horovitz, M.D., pulmonary specialist, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Sept. 25, 2018,, online There's more on tuberculosis at the American Lung Association. Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine

Copyright  2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved.Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Treating insomnia with digital programs can improve insomnia symptoms, daytime functioning and overall health, a new study from the University of Oxford and Northwestern Medicine has found.

In a year-long study involving 1,711 people, researchers found online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improved not only insomnia symptoms, but functional health, psychological well-being and sleep-related quality of life.

The study was published Sept. 25 in JAMA Psychiatry.

A major limitation of insomnia treatments is the lack of providers to deliver CBT, but this study used an online platform that made it easily accessible to users. It also automated and tailored the treatment based on the user's sleep patterns.

Study co-author Jason Ong said there is a four-to-six month wait for an insomnia patient to get an appointment in his sleep clinic.

"We can reach many more patients with insomnia by using a digitally based program," said Ong, associate professor of neurology in sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Insomnia has been identified as a risk factor for the development of mental health disorders, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

"Sleep ranks with air, water and food as one of the essentials of life, yet 10 to 12 percent of the population doesn't get enough of it due to insomnia," said lead study author Colin Espie, Oxford University professor of sleep medicine and chief medical officer of Big Health, a provider of automated and personalized behavioral medicine programs for mental health. "Our study suggests that digital medicine could be a powerful way to help millions of people not just sleep better, but achieve better mental and physical well-being as a result."

The study provides new evidence that the clinical benefits of digital CBT extend beyond sleep to also improve a person's daytime functioning.

"Typically, what leads patients to seek treatment is when their insomnia begins to impact their quality of life or daytime functioning," Ong said. "The fact that we saw improvements in both of these areas shows that the digital program has benefits around the clock."

Though insomnia has traditionally been treated with pharmaceuticals, new guidelines published in 2016 by the American College of Physicians recommend that CBT be used first-line, ahead of sleeping pills.

Study participants received treatment using the Sleepio program and an associated iOS app. Sleepio, a digital sleep improvement program featuring CBT techniques designed by Espie, is a product of Big Health.

Delivery was structured into six sessions lasting an average of 20 minutes each, with participants having access to the intervention for up to 12 weeks. Researchers assessed the study participants online at 0 weeks (baseline), four weeks (mid-treatment), eight weeks (post-treatment), and 24 weeks (follow-up). Program content was based on CBT manuals and included behavioral, cognitive and educational components.

Additional study findings were as follows:

In the digital CBT (dCBT) group, 689 participants (80.8 percent) logged on for at least one session, 491 participants (57.6 percent) completed at least four sessions, and 413 participants (48.4 percent) completed all six sessions.

At weeks four, eight and 24, dCBT was associated with significant improvement in global health and mental wellbeing. Improvements in insomnia mediated these outcomes.

Symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleepiness and cognitive failures all demonstrated significant differences in favor of dCBT at weeks four, eight and 24. While the degree of change was relatively small, the changes were statistically significant.

The degree of change for fatigue was moderate to large at weeks four, eight and 24.

Regarding productivity at work due to sleep problems, results showed a small to moderate improvement after dCBT.

A small but significant effect in terms of reduced absenteeism attributed to poor sleep and increased job satisfaction was observed at week 24.

There were no significant effects at any time on relationship functioning.

"In clinical studies, dCBT has repeatedly achieved statistically significant and clinically meaningful results for outcomes including sleep, mental health and daytime functioning," Espie said. "Our latest results indicate that dCBT can be an effective, inexpensive way to help insomnia sufferers achieve better health over the long term through behavior change."

Explore further Acupuncture and cognitive behavioral therapy for treating insomnia in cancer survivors

More information: Colin A. Espie et al, Effect of Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Health, Psychological Well-being, and Sleep-Related Quality of Life, JAMA Psychiatry (2018). Journal information: JAMA Psychiatry Colin A. Espie et al, Effect of Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Health, Psychological Well-being, and Sleep-Related Quality of Life,(2018). DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.2745Images in 60-year old man who underwent bilateral lung transplant 2 months before death. He developed postoperative delirium and was treated for pneumonia. Just prior to death he developed hypotension and agonal breathing. There were signs of elevated jugular venous pressure. Resuscitation during asystole was unsuccessful. Patient died under clinical suspicion of central pulmonary embolus or cardiac tamponade. Conventional autopsy identified a possible myocardial infarction and thrombo-emboli as cause of death, whereas cause of death at minimally invasive autopsy was massive air embolus. Credit: Radiological Society of North America

Minimally invasive autopsy with CT and MRI performs as well as conventional autopsy in detecting cause of death and has the advantage of yielding more diagnoses, according to a study published in the journal Radiology.

Conventional autopsies are valuable tools that yield a wealth of information. Autopsies give insights into new diseases and the side effects of drugs while providing data for health statistics and epidemiologic studies and tissue for molecular studies. They are important for teaching pathology in medical school and training medical specialists. Perhaps most importantly, autopsies can answer central questions surrounding the cause of death, said the study's senior author, J. Wolter Oosterhuis, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Pathology at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

"Since in about 15 percent of cases autopsy reveals an unexpected cause of death, it provides important feedback to clinicians, to the benefit of future patients," he said.

Despite the importance of conventional autopsies, rates have been rapidly declining, the study authors said, for a variety of reasons, including reluctance of next-of-kin due to the invasiveness of the procedure. In the face of this trend, non-invasive or minimally invasive alternative autopsy methods have emerged as potentially valuable options. Postmortem CT and MRI enable visualization of the entire body, and image-guided tissue biopsies can be obtained for further examination.

Dr. Oosterhuis and colleagues recently compared the performance of minimally invasive autopsy to that of conventional autopsy in 99 deceased humans. The minimally invasive autopsy procedure combined post-mortem MRI, CT and CT-guided biopsies of the main organs and pathological lesionsabnormalities caused by disease or trauma.

The two methods showed similar performance in determining the immediate cause of death. The researchers found agreement between minimally invasive autopsy and conventional autopsy for cause of death in 92 percent of the cases. There was agreement with the consensus cause of death in 96 of 99 of the cases of minimally invasive autopsy, compared with 94 of 99 for conventional autopsy.

The total number of diagnoses established by minimally invasive autopsy was higher than that of regular autopsy. The deceased patients had a total of 288 major diagnoses related to the consensus cause of death, and minimally invasive autopsy diagnosed 259 of those, or 90 percent, compared with 78 percent for conventional autopsy.

"With minimally invasive autopsy, the body is investigated from top to toe, and with regular autopsy usually only the torso and, if consented by next-of-kin, the brain," Dr. Oosterhuis said. "Moreover, postmortem CT and MRI demonstrate pathology, in particular of the skeleton and soft tissues, that is easily missed by the regular autopsy."

According to Dr. Oosterhuis, minimally invasive autopsy presents a potentially more desirable option for next-of-kin who may be reluctant to approve the conventional procedure on religious grounds.

Minimally invasive autopsy has the additional benefit of providing information that can be stored for long-term use.

"It's very important to note that conventional autopsy cannot be redone, and items that were overlooked or misinterpreted cannot be corrected," Dr. Oosterhuis said "Minimally invasive autopsy, on the other hand, provides a permanent record of the entire body that can be revisited, and reanalyzed by pathologists, radiologists, clinicians and next-of-kin. For scientists, this dependable database has great potential for future research."

More information: Conventional Autopsy versus Minimally Invasive Autopsy with Postmortem MRI, CT, and CT-guided Biopsy: Comparison of Diagnostic Performance, Radiology, 2018. Journal information: Radiology Conventional Autopsy versus Minimally Invasive Autopsy with Postmortem MRI, CT, and CT-guided Biopsy: Comparison of Diagnostic Performance,, 2018.This photomicrograph reveals Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria using acid-fast Ziehl-Neelsen stain; Magnified 1000 X. The acid-fast stains depend on the ability of mycobacteria to retain dye when treated with mineral acid or an acid-alcohol solution such as the Ziehl-Neelsen, or the Kinyoun stains that are carbolfuchsin methods specific for M. tuberculosis. Credit: public domain

The United Nations General Assembly is now calling for the establishment of prevention programs to reduce Tuberculosis (TB) among miners and other workers exposed to silica dust. This declaration was released in advance of the first ever UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on TB on September 26, 2018.

Occupational Knowledge International (OK International) spearheaded this effort at the UN to recognize the need for TB prevention in the workplace for the first time. The organization estimates that 300,000 new cases can be prevented each year with appropriate workplace interventions.

Miners and others working in dusty environments have a four times greater risk of acquiring active TB. Also, reducing silica dust in the workplace with improved ventilation, water spray misting, and personal protective equipment is an effective strategy to reduce the incidence of TB in high burden countries. These measures also help to prevent cases of silicosis, lung cancer, and other autoimmune diseases among workers.

Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director of OK International said, "The UN General Assembly is taking an important step in highlighting the need for governments and global health funders to invest in primary prevention to reduce silica dust hazards in high-risk workplaces. This UN action recognizes that we can take action to prevent TB and not just treat it."

"Treatment costs for a single case of the most drug resistant TB can exceed $40,000 per patient in Africa and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the U.S." he added.

The UN TB declaration specifically asks countries to commit to "implementing primary prevention in high-risk occupations by reducing silica dust exposures in mining, construction and other dusty workplaces." There are 230 million workers exposed to silica dust on the job and the majority are in countries with the highest prevalence rates of TB.

An editorial published today in conjunction with the UN meeting in the Journal Lancet Global Health called on governments to enact regulations to reduce silica dust exposures in mining, construction, and other high-risk occupations (See http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30313-9/fulltext).

Dr. Eric Goosby, the United Nations Special Envoy on Tuberculosis and a co-author of the editorial, said, "It is imperative that Governments and donors invest in workplace controls to prevent new cases of TB among the most vulnerable workers with the highest reported prevalence of TB."

The UN declaration also highlights the link to HIV. Workers that are HIV positive with silicosis face a near death sentence as the combination increases the risk of acquiring active TB by 15 times. In fact, TB is leading cause of death among those living with HIV.

Dr. Roberto Lucchini, Director of the Division of Occupational Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York said, "This is the first time there has been recognition among governments that we can actively prevent cases of TB among workers who are at greatest risk. Given the difficulty and cost of treating even a single case of multi-drug resistant TB, the UN action can save lives but is also cost effective," he added.

Earlier this year, the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) published a statement titled "Preventing Tuberculosis Among Silica Dust Exposed Workers" which outlined specific recommendations for governments, global health funders, and private sector employers. The full statement is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2018-105315.

Dr. Sophia Kisting, the Executive Director of the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH) in South Africa said, "This UN action should be a wakeup call for countries in our region to begin to enact and implement the necessary regulations and programs to significantly reduce silica dust exposures among miners, construction workers, and others at risk."

Although the U.S. recently updated its workplace silica standard for the first time in 45 years, many countries have no occupational exposure limit for silica dust.

Explore further Silica dust in small-scale gold mining linked to silicosis and TB epidemic

Provided by Occupational Knowledge InternationalA zoom into the Hubble Space Telescope photograph of an enormous, balloon-like bubble being blown into space by a super-hot, massive star. Astronomers trained the iconic telescope on this colorful feature, called the Bubble Nebula, or NGC 7635. Credits: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), F. Summers, G. Bacon, Z. Levay, and L. Frattare (Viz 3D Team, STScI)

Since the beginning of civilization, humanity has wondered whether we are alone in the universe. As NASA has explored our solar system and beyond, it has developed increasingly sophisticated tools to address this fundamental question.

Within our solar system, NASA's missions have searched for signs of both ancient and current life, especially on Mars and soon, Jupiter's moon Europa. Beyond our solar system, missions, such as Kepler and TESS, are revealing thousands of planets orbiting other stars.

The explosion of knowledge of planets orbiting other stars, called exoplanets, and the results of decades of research on signatures of life - what scientists call biosignatures - have encouraged NASA to address, in a scientifically rigorous way, whether humanity is alone. Beyond searching for evidence of just microbial life, NASA now is exploring ways to search for life advanced enough to create technology.

Technosignatures are signs or signals, which if observed, would allow us to infer the existence of technological life elsewhere in the universe. The best known technosignature are radio signals, but there are many others that have not been explored fully.

In April 2018, new interest arose in Congress for NASA to begin supporting the scientific search for technosignatures as part of the agency's search for life. As part of that effort, the agency is hosting the NASA Technosignatures Workshop in Houston on Sept. 26-28, 2018, with the purpose of assessing the current state of the field, the most promising avenues of research in technosignatures and where investments could be made to advance the science. A major goal is to identify how NASA could best support this endeavor through partnerships with private and philanthropic organizations.

To view the workshop online, visit: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/asteroid-initiative-idea-synthesis---3

On Thursday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. EDT, several of the workshop's speakers will be answering questions in a Reddit AMA.

What are Technosignatures?

The term technosignatures has a broader meaning than the historically used "search for extraterrestrial intelligence," or SETI, which has generally been limited to communication signals. Technosignatures like radio or laser emissions, signs of massive structures or an atmosphere full of pollutants could imply intelligence.

In recent decades, the private and philanthropic sectors have carried out this research. They have used such methods as searching for patterns in low-band radio frequencies using radio telescopes. Indeed, humanity's own radio and television broadcasts have been drifting into space for a number of years. NASA's SETI program was ended in 1993 after Congress, operating under a budget deficit and decreased political support, cancelled funding for a high-resolution microwave survey of the skies. Since then, NASA's efforts have been directed towards furthering our fundamental understanding of life itself, its origins and the habitability of other bodies in our solar system and galaxy.

History of the Search for Technological Life

Efforts to detect technologically advanced life predates the space age as early 20th century radio pioneers first foresaw the possibility of interplanetary communication. Theoretical work postulating the possibility of carrying signals on radio and microwave bands across vast distances in the galaxy with little interference led to first "listening" experiments in the 1960s.

Thanks to NASA's Kepler mission's discovery of thousands of planets beyond our solar system,including some with key similarities to Earth, it's now possible to not just imagine the science fiction of finding life on other worlds, but to one day scientifically prove life exists beyond our solar system.

As NASA's 2015 Astrobiology Strategy states: "Complex life may evolve into cognitive systems that can employ technology in ways that may be observable. Nobody knows the probability, but we know that it is not zero." As we consider the environments of other planets, "technosignatures" could be included in the possible interpretations of data we get from other worlds.

Debate about the probability of finding signals of advanced life varies widely. In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake created a formula estimating the number of potential intelligent civilizations in the galaxy, called the Drake equation, and calculated an answer of 10,000. Most of the variables in the equation continue to be rough estimates, subject to uncertainties. Another famous speculation on the subject called the Fermi paradox, posited by Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, asserted that if another intelligent life form was indeed out there, we would have met it by now.

NASA's SETI work began with a 1971 proposal by biomedical researcher John Billingham at NASA's Ames Research Center for a 1,000-dish array of 100-meter telescopes that could pick up television and radio signals from other stars. "Project Cyclops" was not funded, but in 1976, Ames established a SETI branch to continue research in this area. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) also began SETI work.

In 1988, NASA Headquarters in Washington formally endorsed the SETI program leading to development of the High Resolution Microwave Survey. Announced on Columbus Day in 1992 - 500 years after Columbus landed in North America - this 10-year, $100 million project included a targeted search of stars led by Ames using the 300-meter radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and an all-sky survey led by JPL using its Deep Space Network dish. The program lasted only a year before political opposition eliminated the project and effectively ended NASA's research efforts in SETI.

Why Start Looking at Technosignatures Now?

Fueled by the discovery that our galaxy is teeming with planets, interest in detecting signs of technologically-advanced life is again bubbling up. Kepler's discovery in 2015 of irregular fluctuations in brightness in what came to be known as Tabby's Star led to speculation of an alien megastructure, though scientists have since concluded that a dust cloud is the likely cause. However, Tabby's Star has demonstrated the potential usefulness of looking for anomalies in data collected from space, as signs of technologically-advanced life may appear as aberrations from the norm.

Scientists caution that we will need more than an unexplained signal to definitively prove the existence of technological life. For example, there can be a lot of radio frequency interference from Earth-based sources.

NASA will continue assessing promising current efforts of research in technosignatures and investigating where investments could be made to advance the science. Although we have yet to find signs of extraterrestrial life, NASA is amplifying exploring the solar system and beyond to help humanity answer whether we are alone in the universe.

From studying water on Mars, probing promising "oceans worlds" such as Europa or Saturn's moon Enceladus, to looking for biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets, NASA's science missions are working together with a goal to find unmistakable signs of life beyond Earth. And perhaps that life could indeed be more technologically advanced than our own.

Fascinating.



Please follow Astrobiology on Twitter.President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday ordered the removal of all administrative constraints and non-tariff barriers on the importation of agricultural products, even as his spokesman said he would personally file charges against outgoing National Food Administration chief Jason Aquino over the rice crisis. Administrative Order No. 13 directs the NFA, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry to take immediate measures to remove administrative constraints and non-tariff barriers. These measures include streamlining procedures in the accreditation of importers, and shortening the processing time for applications to import, and exempting traders who are already accredited from registration. Non-tariff barriers and certain administrative constraints, procedures, and fees unduly add to the costs of importation and limit supply, which in turn push up the prices of agricultural commodities to the detriment of Filipino consumers, especially the poor, the order read. Other measures include facilitating the importation of certain agricultural products beyond their authorized minimum access volume and where applicable, reduce or remove fees, liberalize issuance of permits and accreditation of rice importers to break the monopoly, and temporarily allow direct importation by sugar-using industries to lower their input costs. The order also authorizes the NFA Council to approve additional rice importation beyond the MAV commitment. The DA will then issue the appropriate Certificate of Necessity to allow importation of adequate volumes of fish to augment the 17,000 metric tons of fish imports. The Bureau of Customs will prioritize the unloading and releasing of imported agricultural products, while the DA and DTI will work to improve logistics, transport, distribution, and storage of agricultural products to reduce input costs. Duterte also authorized the formation of a surveillance team composed of the DTI, NFA, National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police to monitor importation and distribution of agricultural products to ensure distribution to warehouses and retail outlets. Also on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque vowed to file charges against the NFAs Aquino over the rice crisis. Because of this single issue of rice, people have forgotten the other achievements of the administration, Roque told reporters in a Palace press briefing. He said he would personally file charges of technical malversation and possibly graft and corruption, if no one else would. And because he did not spend the money to buy from local farmers for our buffer stock, we are importing today and giving money to foreign farmers. I wont just file a technical malversation if no one else would dare, I will also file graft and corruption [charges]. To set the record straight, I will file more, Roque said. The penalty for technical malversation is minimal. I want the one with a long jail sentence, he added. He also said he learned that some traders were preparing to sue Aquino as well, because he delayed imports by private traders due to his preference for government-to-government deals. Roque acknowledged that the President might not hold the same position on the filing of charges against his appointee, Aquino. Probably not, but this has been confirmed by the Commission on Audit. And as I said, I only speak for the President. I am not obliged to speak for Jason Aquino. And I speak in this manner because the President is still tasked with implementation of laws, he said. Aquino has been blamed for the increase in rice prices after he declared a shortage of NFA rice as he failed to buy enough grain from local farmers. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol clarified that Aquino is still the NFA chief until Lt. Gen. Rolando Bautista takes over in mid-October or unless Duterte says otherwise. Senator Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, claimed in a radio interview that Aquino and other officials pocketed about P2 billion yearly in grease money over rice imports.Citing only information from traders and insiders, Hontiveros said NFA officials received bribes of P100 to P150 for every bag of imported rice, and noted that the country imports about 200,000 bags a year. Imagine the multi-billion-peso enterprise that went into the pockets of Jason Aquino that caused so many Filipinos to go hungry, she said in Filipino. This was economic sabotage. In a privilege speech at the Senate on Monday, Hontiveros presented documents from her sources showing the supposed release of import permits to favored traders, the removal of some NFA inspectors from ports and Aquinos order allegedly banning officials from speaking to media without the approval of his office. She referred the issue to the Senate Blue Ribbon and agriculture committees for further investigation. Also on Tuesday, Senator Cynthia A. Villar guaranteed that the Senate would pass the rice tariffication bill before Congress adjourns in October. If not, then we do it in November, Villar said, noting that the Presidents administrative order was a clear indication he wants to liberalize rice imports. Under the current situation, she said, rice importation is limited to the NFA and a certain group of people. With the supply controlled, prices will rise, she said. Liberalizing the rice trade would change this and make rice cheaper, she added. Meanwhile, the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. said it will release as much as P1.65 billion worth of crop insurance to farmers affected by the recent Typhoon Ompong, the Agriculture department announced Tuesday. We will speed up the adjustment/inspection of the farms and process the claims immediately. Our regional offices are now functioning 24 hours daily to ensure non-stop processing of the huge number of claims and Financial documents, said Jovy C. Bernabe, PCIC president. The insurance agency estimated that about 262,057 farmers whose crops were insured would benefit from the pay-up. Affected farmers included those who planted rice, corn and high-value crops in the six regions affected by Ompong. Among the regions devastated by Ompong, Region II suffered the most damage. It will get the biggest pay-up of P585 million, followed by Region I, with P510 million worth of insurance. The insurance agency said it is willing to provide the best terms to all affected farmers to allow them to recover their investments. Damaged rice crops amount amounted to 765,484 metric tons (MT) worth P14.5 billion while the affected corn crop stood at 496,881 MT with value of P8.1 million. Damaged high value crops hit 163,91 MT worth P3.4 billion. Other crops damaged by the typhoon included vegetables, root crops and fruit trees. Its important that we give timely assistance so farmers can replant quickly so they can bounce back from their losses more easily and that we will have a stable food supply, Bernabe said.When assessing whether preschoolers are overweight, health professionals should use other measures such as waist-to-height ratio in addition to the Body Mass Index (BMI). A study published in the Springer Nature-branded journal Pediatric Research shows that this is because measuring the BMI of younger children often fails to identify those with excess stomach fat and possible associated health problems. Lead author Annelie Lindholm of Halmstad University and the Research and Development Center Spenshult in Sweden says that adequate screening is important, given that people with excess stomach fat are known to have a greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome and subsequent heart problemseven from a very young age onwards.

The number of overweight or obese children worldwide has increased significantly in past decades. According to a recent study, one in every ten children already suffers from metabolic syndrome, which has been traditionally only been found in adults. Metabolic syndrome is linked to being overweight (especially around the stomach area, which is referred to as abdominal adiposity), hypertension, being insulin resistant or glucose intolerant. Overall, being overweight increases a person's chances of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Worryingly, these risk factors are increasingly found in preschool children. There is therefore a need to identify at risk children so that they can make potentially life-saving lifestyle changes early on.

BMI is a screening tool that combines a person's weight and height. It has been criticized for not adequately screening people at risk of developing cardiometabolic disease and for not distinguishing between fat mass and fat free mass, or specific parts of the body where fat is located. Because abdominal adiposity is a common indication that someone might, in future, develop cardiovascular disease, measurements like the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) have been developed. This screening method incorporates a person's waist circumference together with his or her height.

In this study, Lindholm and her colleagues compared whether BMI or WHtR was better able to identify preschool children who had increased waist circumference in relation to their height. For this purpose, the researchers analyzed data from 1540 five-year old children who were part of the Swedish Halland Health and Growth Study. Their body measurements were taken at regular intervals, and factors that could influence their health and growth were noted as part of the initial study.

The researchers found that the BMI viewed 55 per cent of five-year olds who had a higher than normal waist-to-height ratio, and therefore carried more fat around their stomachs than children with normal WHtR, as being of normal weight.

"The BMI missed every second child who had a waist to height measurement greater than 0.5 by the age of five years old," says Lindholm. "Therefore, if only the BMI is used as a screening method, children who might need further investigation for cardiometabolic risk factors could be missed despite having an elevated waist-to-height ratio."

Lindholm explains that the measurements and calculations needed for WHtR are easily made and reproduced as well as being cost effective. "But since WHtR is not routinely used for screening children today, more research is needed specifically focusing on this age group before these findings can be implemented," she says.

Explore further Waist-to-height ratio should be used as a screening tool for early health risks

More information: Annelie Lindholm et al, Body mass index classification misses to identify children with an elevated waist-to-height ratio at 5 years of age, Pediatric Research (2018). Journal information: Pediatric Research Annelie Lindholm et al, Body mass index classification misses to identify children with an elevated waist-to-height ratio at 5 years of age,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41390-018-0188-4The Mets Triple-A affiliate will be much closer to Citi Field next season, and it could stay that way for the better part of the next two decades.

New York announced late last year that their highest minor league team would be located in Syracuse in 2019. The current lease runs through 2025, but according to Onondaga County deputy executive Bill Fisher, there has been a verbal agreement between the Mets any Syracuse to keep the affiliation there through 2043.

The agreement is contingent on the county closing a deal to make roughly $25 million in improvements to the ballpark.

In 2018, the Washington Nationals Triple-A affiliate finished their last season in Syracuse despite the Mets technically running the team. In 2019, New York will finally have its own players on the field.

This will be much more convenient for New York, whose Triple-A team the last five years has been located across the country in Las Vegas.

While nothing is official on keeping the team in Syracuse until 2043, New York and the county are working towards it.

To read more on the status of the situation, please follow the link here.Neno, MalawiHundreds of people who fled to Malawi from fighting in Mozambique are finally poised to go home, desperate to reach their untended farms now that the guns have fallen silent. Patricia Ekeson, 32, was among the thousands who fled to the safety of Malawi four years ago after Renamo rebels and government troops renewed a bloody cycle of violence. She escaped with her husband and three of her daughters after her village in the coal-rich Moatize region was engulfed by the conflict, killing several close relatives. But with the rain expected within months, the family is desperate to return to their farm. We have to go back home and start living independent lives again, said Ekeson, whose youngest daughter was born at the Luwani refugee camp in southern Malawi. They are not alone. Hundreds of people at Luwani have already registered to go back to their ancestral villages across the border in Tete province and the camp is bustling with preparations. Trucks are piled high with reed mats, wooden stools, clothing and whatever scant possessions the refugees have to return home with. UN High Commissioner for Refugees officials have faced mounting pressure since last year from the refugees wanting to go home, according to the organizations representative in Malawi, Monique Ekoko. But the process of signing a formal repatriation agreement between the neighboring nations had delayed the move. Mozambique has been scarred by repeated convulsions of violence, sending people fleeing across the countrys border. Renamo fought a brutal 16-year civil war against the Marxist-inspired Frelimo government that devastated the economy and left one million people dead. The group, which operates both as a political force and as an armed militant group, has participated in elections since the first multi-party democratic vote in October 1994. The 2013 unrest raised fears of a return to the bloody civil war, but Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama declared a truce in 2016. Despite his unexpected death in May, peace talks with the government have continued. And in a key tests of the detente, the country is due to hold municipal elections on October 10.The hopeful mood has galvanized those who were forced to flee the fighting. While UNHCR says more than than 12,000 Mozambicans crossed the border into Malawi from 2015 to 2016, many have already returned home. The Luwani camp was initially set up during the civil war and was reopened to house refugees of the more recent fighting in its single-room brick shelters. Some 3,000 people remain at the camp, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, but Luwani officials say more than 500 individuals have been processed to leave. Ekoko said those in the camps are pushing to go back because they want to plant their crops before the rainy season begins in November. If they do not make it in time, they will have to endure another year in the camp. The timing is quite crucial for them, she said, adding that spontaneous returns have been very common. One of those readying to leave is 26-six-year-old Luis Pasengese, who was born at the camp after his parents fled from Mozambiques civil war. He is eager to see the end of his second stint in Luwani. The war has stopped and people are living peacefully so we have no excuse to be living here as refugees, he told AFP, making final preparations for his departure on Tuesday. Pasengese was forced to leave Mozambique in 2015, with his wife, two children and ailing mother, when his house was torched during the latest violence. His third child, a girl, was born at the camp six months ago. With signs of stability returning to his homeland he can only hope that the country can consign its conflicts to historyand that his family can bid a final farewell to Luwani. We just have to go back and pick up the pieces and see where this road leads us, he said.The Sunday Times reported that MTN South Africa and Telkom have held discussions regarding a possible merger.

A merger between the companies makes sense operationally, as it will create a telecoms powerhouse in South Africa with tremendous scale.

It will combine MTNs strength in the mobile market and Telkoms dominance in the fixed-line and fibre arena.

This scale will provide the companies with a competitive advantage in South Africa in both the fixed and mobile markets.

This, however, is the reason why such a merger will not be approved by the Competition Commission  unless strong political forces drive it.

MTNTelkom plan not new

The plan to merge MTN SA and Telkom is not new. In 2015, MTN considered an acquisition of a majority stake in Telkom to challenge Vodacoms dominance in South Africa.

At the time MTN reportedly held exploratory discussions about a possible offer for Telkom.

These discussions followed a planned network-sharing agreement between Telkom and MTN SA in 2014.

The plan was for MTN to take over financial and operational responsibility for the rollout and operation of Telkoms radio access network.

MTN said at the time it does not expect the deal to require regulatory approval, but it expects resistance from industry participants.

MTN was wrong. In 2015, the Competition Commission recommended that the Competition Tribunal not approve a bilateral roaming agreement between MTN and Telkom.

The Commission said the transaction would impact the structure of the mobile market in South Africa, and would prevent or lessen competition.

Bigger deal will be more difficult

If the Competition Commission would not approve bilateral roaming and outsourcing of the operation of Telkoms radio access network to MTN SA, a bigger deal will nearly certainly be rejected.

However, if there is enough political will to make such a deal happen, approval may be easier to get.

The South African government is a controlling stakeholder in Telkom, and President Cyril Ramaphosa was MTNs chairman for over a decade  from 2002 to 2013.

If such a move can help the two companies to become more profitable and avoid further job cuts at Telkom, it may receive a favourable reception among political decision makers.

MTN comments on discussions

MTN South Africas executive for corporate affairs Jacqui OSullivan told MyBroadband that they remain in talks with Telkom regarding its roaming agreement.

Reports regarding further discussions between the two operators are conjecture and MTN chooses not to comment on market speculation, she said.

Telkom was asked for feedback regarding the discussions, but the company did not respond to questions.Despite irritants triggered by President Rodrigo Dutertes anti-US statements, Manila and Washington reaffirmed their commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. In a meeting in Washington on Sept. 19, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo discussed addressing regional challenges including Beijings militarization of the South China Sea. Unimpeded passage along international navigational lanes for commercial cargo ships is the main concern of the US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the two secretaries also took up the threats of terrorism and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Secretary Pompeo, according to Nauert, reiterated the US readiness to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines to modernize by granting weapons including warships for its territorial defense. A rising China and its agenda of hegemony in the Southeast Asian region is a great concern to the US. In another good development, two Philippine senatorsEdgardo Sonny Angara and Sherwin Gatchaliansaid they would restore cuts in the budget of the Department of Education. Angara, who was elected president of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, said scholarships for deserving students must not be sacrificed in the altar of the P3.57-trillion national appropriations act. He was also concerned that slashing the DepEd budget would hamper the building and repair of schools and classrooms destroyed by a series of typhoons.Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba took exception to our column last Friday about the vice governor and 10 mayors who were in Manila when Typhoon Ompong swept the province. In the interest of fair play, we are running his letter that took issue with some of our comments. Here it is in full: I write relative to your Sept, 21 column titled Why Cagayan mayors were in Manila. At the outset, let me make clear I was never informed of the travel or invitation from Malacanang of the 10 mayors and provincial officials your column referred to. I did not know that these officials left their area of responsibility because none of them requested travel authority from my office, Hence, I could not have fed false reports to Palace reporters.It was days after Ompong devastated Cagayan that I learned of the Palace invitation. I read news reports that SAP Bong Go extended the invitation long before Typhoon Ompong threatened and cancelled the meeting precisely because of the oncoming typhoon. To my mind, the concerned mayors and provincial officials should have exercised the same acumen. As early as Sept. 10, 2018, I announced during the flag-raising ceremony at the provincial capitol that Super Typhoon Ompong was likely to hit the province and directed everyone to prepare for the same. In fact, the provincial government was incessant with the announcements, preparations and preemptive evacuations. Had I known of the impending travel of the concerned officials, I would have stopped them from leaving their areas of responsibility. Given that they did not request for travel authority, they should have nonetheless exercise better judgement by not leaving their people, considering the peoples traumatic experience and devastation from Super Typhoon Lawin. I am not privy to the purpose of the mayors and other provincial officials travel to the Palace on Sept. 14, 2018 and as to why former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was with them. But it is not for them to judge whether or not I am serving my people well. I bring the funds and services of the provincial government to everyone of the 820 barangays in the province under the No Barangays Left Behind Program or rendering 24/7 quick response services through the Task Force Lingkod Cagayan with six stations strategically located province-wide or opening communications with the Governor 24/7 under the I Text Mo Kay Gov services. I bring frontline services of the provincial government closer to the people or improving the hospitals and making the provincial health services responsive to the needs of the people by fighting illegal drugs , insurgency, terrorism, corruption and impunity by local officials. [If this is not service], then I dont know what serving the people well is. Cagayan was once the premier province in northern Luzon. Compared to Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao and Ilocos Norte, Cagayan was resplendent. Look at us now.Governor, Cagayan ProvinceIf theres one thing the staff here at the Napa Chamber of Commerce (NCC) can be proud of, its the very business-like atmosphere weve managed to create for our members with our programs/events.

One that promotes exchanging business versus business cards has resulted in great opportunities and has become a solid investment of time for attendees and collaborating partners wanting to take full advantage.

We cant over-emphasize enough, when speaking with current  and potential  NCC members, the importance of making the investment of time in order to get premium value from being a part of the Chamber family.

A few minutes here and there over the course of the year can make a huge difference in boosting business and visibility in the local community.

Whether it be a 45- to 60-second elevator speech promoting your business or events or a member becoming a collaborating partner and co-branding sponsor, its a unique marketing opportunity derived from the hard work and focus of the Chamber staff.

For those who havent had a chance to attend a Chamber function in the past few years, I encourage you to go to napachamber.com to check the calendar and register to do so.

All NCC events have a limited number of available slots that sell out fairly quickly, so we always encourage you to sign-up if you find a program/event that may be of interest to you or your business. Heres a recap of a few of the more popular events hosted by the Chamber:

Business After Hours

Formerly known as a Chamber Mixer, this bi-monthly gathering lasts just 90 minutes and averages anywhere from 85 to 125 attendees  depending on agreed upon venue capacity.

Were proud to say that members are making the most from true business connections being made here, and we invite you to join us to do the same. We recently hosted the first-ever Business After Hours featuring members from all five county Chambers, hosting 300-plus members. This was all made possible by the following collaborating partners, sponsors and members: Napa Valley Commons, JaM Cellars, Blue Note Napa, Compline Wine Bar, Restaurant & Merchant, Oenotri and Napa Palisades Saloon.

Leads Over Lunch (Presented by Coles Chop House) Besides getting an amazing meal from our collaborating partner, this event does exactly what it states  provides a great database of leads generated for/by those in attendance.

In addition to an opportunity to introduce yourself/business to the sold out group of 55 current and prospective members, the Chamber provides you with the contact for every business in attendance.

We then encourage you to make follow-up an immediate priority. The potential business versus the investment of a great three-course lunch from one of the most popular restaurants in downtown Napa makes this a no-brainer.

Coffee With the CEO (Presented by ABC Bakery)

A new program that provides a more exclusive opportunity (12-15 members only) to engage and connect while personally introducing your business goals to the Napa Chamber President/CEO. Great coffee and pastries provided by 2016 NCC Small Business of the Year  ABC Bakery.

For a complete list of NCC programs and events, or to become a new member to take advantage of these great opportunities, please go to napachamber.com.

Travis Stanley is the president and CEO of the Napa Chamber of Commerce. Call 226-7455 or visit napachamber.com.(This is the first in a series of profiles on the four candidates running for St. Helena City Council.)

It started with Democrats of the Napa Valley, the parent-teacher group for St. Helena Primary and Elementary schools, and the SHAPE Committee.

Now Anna Chouteaus interest in civic involvement has propelled her to the City Council, where shes running unopposed to take over the seat that will be vacated by Peter White.

At the urging of St. Helenan Loraine Stuart, Chouteau attended a workshop on women running for local office, organized by the Progressive Women of Napa Valley. She was inspired by the speakers, who were emphasizing public service rather than the contentious rhetoric and big money that are endemic to national politics.

Until then I hadnt thought about how you could make a difference in your own local community on a political level, Chouteau said.

The mother of two children, ages 6 and 8, Chouteau grew up in Alexander Valley. Her father Rene was city attorney in Santa Rosa and now serves as a judge on the Sonoma County Superior Court.

Chouteau graduated from UC-Santa Barbara, where she double-majored in communications and Spanish, and went on to earn a Master of Science in Organization Development from Pepperdine Business School. She worked in the for-profit and nonprofit realms and as a consultant helped organizations foster servant leadership, which she said flips the hierarchy upside down by training leaders to act in the best interests of the people they work with.

As a councilmember, Chouteau wants to apply those service-oriented principles to local issues like housing.

Ive seen how hard it is for my generation to afford to live in our communities, she said. That makes our community less strong. I want those people, those families, those single people working on Main Street, to be able to live here.

The city needs to strike a balance between building enough housing to keep the community vibrant and maintaining the natural beauty that makes St. Helena special, Chouteau said.

At first she liked the idea of small housing projects scattered around town, but shes since learned how expensive those projects are for St. Helena, which has limited funds to spend on affordable housing.

Shes now more interested in housing consultant Erica Sklars recommendation that the city pursue a few larger projects.

I dont know where theyre going to be yet, but Im excited about looking at communities like Santa Barbara, which has done a good job making sure projects have some market rate, some units in the middle (income levels), and one or two that are at the bottom, Chouteau said. So how do we do that here knowing that we have limited space and land is so expensive? From showing up at City Council meetings, it seems like there are people who are interested in partnering with us to do some of these projects.

This week Chouteau collaborated with City Councilmember Paul Dohring on a letter to the editor endorsing Measures E and I, which would raise hotel taxes in the county and the city by 1 percent to raise money for housing.

Serving as vice chair of the SHAPE Committee taught Chouteau about the citys facilities, finances, and the prospect of a new hotel within walking distance of downtown.

We need to look at the city as a whole and think about what makes sense, Chouteau said. If we do need another hotel, we need to look at can we can make it small, with the least impact on the environment? Where are the employees going to be? What does the community and the neighborhood need?

We have to do that up front and do it early so its not punitive or shaming. Id like to have less anger and more working together early in the process. No surprises.

My vision for St. Helena is that we say yes to more things, she added. Im open to new ideas. We just have to work together more.

Chouteau said shes excited to be part of a wave of women making their first run for public office.

Its exciting to be a woman right now, with so many women stepping into positions that they wouldnt have before, she said. I want to talk about that with the young girls in our community, starting with the Girl Scouts.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.Tuesday, Sept. 18

0805  Report of a car parked in a No Parking area and interfering with repaving work on El Bonita Avenue.

2030  A woman on Main Street said she was having trouble finding her friend. Police found the friend in her car.

2256  Report of a possible drunk driver in a gray Nissan swerving and braking erratically on Highway 29 near Darms Lane.

2305  Report of a possible drunk driver in a white Acura swerving all over the road near Main/Vintage.

Wednesday, Sept. 19

0258  Following a traffic stop at Main/Britton, police arrested a 30-year-old Hidden Valley Lake woman on suspicion of DUI.

0914  Report of music blaring at a construction site on McCorkle Avenue.

0921  A passport, checkbook and credit card were found in the vineyard behind the library.

1411  Report of a possible drunk driver weaving and braking for no reason on Silverado Trail.

1524  A caller requested extra patrol to watch for speeders on Starr Avenue, especially between 7 and 10 p.m. The caller was concerned for the youngsters who play in the street. A hatchback and a Ford Focus are two of the repeat offenders.

1839  A loose dog was found on Spring Mountain Road.

1957  A Pratt Avenue resident said she couldnt take the roast out of the oven because she couldnt see. She asked for help.

2133  Medical aid for a person with catheter issues on Crinella Drive.

2353  Police warned a driver who was sleeping in a parked car on Railroad Avenue.

Thursday, Sept. 20

1120  A caller asked for help finding a person who assaulted her as a child. She never filed a report. She was directed to victim assistance programs.

1126  Report of dogs barking loudly on Doris Court.

1407  A caller said two men in a black Tacoma were yelling profanity and challenging him to a fight on Tainter Street. Police took a report.

1549  Report of a tour bus stuck or disabled on Main Street at Grayson Avenue.

1711  Report of a red SUV parked in a red zone at Main/Pratt. It was gone when police arrived.

1832  A pedestrian was injured after being hit by a car near Main/Adams. Police took a report.

1928  Report of a possible drunk driver weaving on Highway 29 near Zinfandel Lane.

2226  Medical aid for an elderly woman feeling ill on Pope Street.

Friday, Sept. 21

0105  Following a traffic stop at Main/Sulphur Springs, police arrested a 23-year-old American Canyon man on suspicion of driving with a suspended license and violating probation.

0731  A wallet was found in front of the police station.

1144  An unknown substance, possibly marijuana, was found on Adams Street.

1221  Report of a reckless driver passing other cars over double yellows near Silverado Trail and Taplin Road.

1237  Report of a gray Tundra parked in a red zone and blocking other cars at Adams/Money.

1408  Report of a small dog left in a Prius on Hunt Avenue. It was hot outside, but the cars air conditioner was running.

1509  Report of a big rig trying to cross the Pope Street bridge, causing traffic to back up. It was gone when police arrived.

1554  Report of a chihuahua left in a car near Main Street. The car was gone when police arrived.

1702  Report of a drunk or distracted driver tailgating and swerving on Highway 29 near Zinfandel Lane.

1744  Report of juveniles jumping off the tower into the lower reservoir.

2240  A caller on Sylvaner Avenue reported being harassed by neighbors over loud music. Tonight, the neighbor walked into the home uninvited and started yelling at the caller. The situation has been escalating recently. Police took a report.

2307  Report of a possible drunk driver swerving and traveling very slowly on Highway 29 near Calistoga.

2314  Medical aid for a woman vomiting profusely on Pratt Avenue.

Saturday, Sept. 22

0758  Someone used bolt cutters to break into a locked pod full of tools near Main Street. Police took a burglary report.

0940  Police checked Mariposa Lane looking for a person suspected of domestic violence in Marin County. The 38-year-old St. Helena man was found later that day and arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.

1006  Medical aid for a man with abdominal pain on Crinella Drive.

1054  Police picked up numerous pieces of property that had been found at Safeway.

1109  Report of a woman screaming and yelling near Oak/Tainter. The woman appeared to have broken her ankle, and a friend took her to the hospital.

1134  Someone cut the gas lines of a car on College Avenue.

1400  Report of a swarm of bees in a pathway on Madrona Avenue near Riesling Way. A beekeeper responded to take them to a more suitable home.

1537  Medical aid for a customer who fainted inside a business on White Lane.

1638  Police were told to be on the lookout for two drunk women in a car heading from Oakville to St. Helena.

1851  Medical aid for a woman on Pratt Avenue who needed a ride to the hospital.

2006  Medical aid for a man feeling ill on Hunt Avenue.

2149  Report of a party with underage drinking occurring on Stockton Street.

2224  Report of suspicious people talking loudly in cars near Adams/Stockton.

2226  A wallet was reported lost.

2300  Report of six drunk teens acting strangely and falling all over one another on Monte Vista.

2332  Police responded to a loud party on Hunt Avenue.

Sunday, Sept. 23

0239  A suspicious man rang someones doorbell on Spring Street and asked if he could charge his phone. The caller said he looked somewhat on edge. He was wearing a flannel jacket, with an SF ball cap and a light beard. Police checked the area.

0420  A suspicious man rang someones doorbell on Hudson Avenue and asked if he could charge his phone. The caller said he seemed very intoxicated. He was described as a white man, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, with brown hair, wearing a plaid shirt and Levis.

0425  Police received another call about a suspicious man wanting to charge his cell phone, this time on Adams Street.

0942  Report of dirty water coming up from a manhole near Allison/Brown.

1412  A caller said his father was withholding his Social Security paperwork, and he asked police to stand by on Meadowcreek Circle while he retrieved it.

1451  A green bin was taken from inside a closed gate on Park Street.

1651  Report of suspicious men hanging around a car on the side of White Sulphur Springs Road.

1842  Report of a drunk man getting into a car and driving away from Grayson Avenue. Police arrested the 49-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of DUI, driving without a license, and violating probation.

1903  Report of an ongoing problem with dogs barking near Mitchell/Oak.

1905  Report of an ongoing problem with a man yelling at his wife on Pope Street.ST. HELENA  On Sunday afternoon, the past was no longer past  even in a cemetery.

Hello! Im so pleased to meet you, the man of the house said, extending his hand in greeting. Im Jacob Schram and this is my wife, Anna. Soon the host and hostess led their guests  a couple just married in San Francisco  under a grove of trees to a wooden table for conversation and refreshment, pouring from bottles of the Schramsberg sparkling wine that would make their creators name famous throughout the Napa Valley and beyond.

Behind the table was a gray stone marker inscribed SCHRAM  the resting place of the real-life family of the 19th-century winemaker. In front of the table were more than 80 spectators taking in this tableau of St. Helenas history  of the Schrams and their visitors, writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fannie  back to life.

This was the 16th annual Spirits of St. Helena tour, a stroll not only through the St. Helena Public Cemetery but through the wine countrys roots. In a series of six sketches  each acted out by St. Helena High School drama students at a historic gravesite  organizers retold the stories of those who left their native Germany and Switzerland behind to build new lives an ocean away.

Each years cemetery walk highlights a different segment of the Upvalley community and its past: Civil War veterans and their wives for the 2016 tour, and the experiences of Chinese immigrants at last years event, according to Shannon Kuleto, board member for the St. Helena Historical Society.

This year, she said, the goal has been to show the lasting imprint of German-born residents in the wine industry and beyond.

They were super civic-minded, said Kuleto. One of the biggest motivators for (St. Helenas) first reservoir was for the brewing of beer; Elmhurst Avenue used to be called Brewery Lane. There were numerous German (language) papers in town, and where Lyman Park is today was once the Turnverein  a social hall, gymnasium and theater stage that opened in 1885 and became a hub of German-American life.

A troupe of about 20 high schoolers prepared the dramatic scenes under the direction of Patti Coyle, the drama instructor for the St. Helena Unified School District, who appreciated the chance to mingle two of her passions. My mother was a history teacher and was always taking me to museums, and Ive always had a love of history, said Coyle, who earned a masters degree in living history from New York University.

Sundays trip through time took visitors to the burial plots of transplants such as the Prussian-born Charles Krug, who founded his namesake winery in 1861; Swiss-born Anna Paulson, a musician who sang and performed throughout Napa County with her nine children; and Charles Beerstecher, a leader in the Workingmens Party of California in the 1870s and a delegate to the state constitutional convention.

We tend to think of St. Helena as being all about wine and ag, but we have so many interesting people here, said Jim Sweeney, a former board member at the historical society. This really elevates the meaning of what St. Helena means, not just in the wine community but the whole Bay Area.

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.SACRAMENTO  Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, to double the funding for the states Designated Driver Program and expand public education about the dangers of drunken-driving.

In California, it is critical that we stop people from getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, Sen. Dodd said. This new law will help make our roadways safer by providing essential information to everyone on the perils of drunken driving."

Brown announced the signing of Senate Bill 973 on Saturday. The new law doubles the amount of funding available for the Designated Driver program, administered by the California Highway Patrol, by increasing the annual assessment on alcohol licenses from $5 to $10. The money will allow the CHP step up public outreach through social media and to target high-impact locations. It passed both houses of the Legislature with overwhelming support.

According to the state Attorney Generals Office, more than 125,000 people were arrested for drunken-driving in California in 2016 with 35,212 alcohol-related crashes causing 13,979 injuries. The same year, drunken-driving crashes killed 1,059 people statewide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Established in 1990, the Designated Driver Program is funded by the surcharge paid by alcohol licensees, not taxpayers. The program develops and implements new strategies and technologies to combat the problem of driving under the influence.

SB 973 is backed by AAA Northern California, the California Association of Highway Patrolmen and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

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.RICHMOND  The Winehaven castle, an imposing red brick building that once housed the worlds largest winery, has stood on the edge of Richmonds Point Molate peninsula for more than a century, surrounded by eucalyptus trees in the shadows of a bluff.

In its heyday at the beginning of the 20th century, Winehaven employed about 400 people and stored millions of gallons of wine. It shipped out 500,000 gallons of wine a month from its docks, according to the National Parks Service, and had a railroad connection for the trains that constantly picked up and dropped off materials. The rail is still there, unused.

Today, the castle is mostly empty except for some stored building materials, its windows boarded up.

But the one-time hub could be bustling once again under terms of a settlement the city reached with an Indian tribe and developer that wanted to build a casino there and sued it after being rebuffed.

That settlement  the culmination of an eight-year legal battle  calls for at least 670 housing units  it doesnt specify what type  to be built at Point Molate and for 70 percent of the 270-acre site to be maintained as open space. It also states that whoever the developer is should preserve the 48-acre Winehaven Historic District, which includes the castle and about 35 houses. The city spends about $500,000 a year maintaining the districts buildings and paying for security, Richmond Mayor Tom Butt said.

Under the settlement, the city has two years to craft a zoning and reuse plan for the site and four years to sell it to a developer. The city currently is holding meetings to get residents opinions and ideas about what should happen to the property.

If the land isnt marketed for sale within four years, the Guidiville Rancheria of California Indian tribe and Upstream Point Molate LLC can purchase that portion slated for development for about $300 and do what they want with it. Butt said hes certain the rezoning wouldnt allow a casino, however.

The Guidiville Rancheria and Upstream Point Molate sued Richmond after the City Council denied their plan to build the casino, alleging that the city had no legal grounds to do so. The plaintiffs said they paid millions of dollars to the city in efforts to obtain agreements for the project and sought more than $750 million in damages, as well as the cost of the suit.

The planned Las Vegas-style casino development was opposed by Bay Area card clubs and other Indian tribes. The United Auburn Indian Community, which owns Thunder Valley Casino Resort north of Sacramento, funneled $150,000 into the campaign to stop the casino. A spokesman at the time said a casino could open the floodgates for gaming in an urban area because state law only allows Indian gaming on tribal lands outside urban areas.

The Richmond City Council rejected the proposed development after a majority of voters said no to a 2010 ballot measure asking if a casino should be built.

In April, the city cut a deal with Guidiville Rancheria and Upstream Point Molate to sell the land for development and for the profits to be split 50-50.

The Winehaven Historic District must be preserved to local and state standards under the settlement, Butt said, adding that basically means the developers cant put stucco over the walls or tear the buildings down and replace them. But they can use the buildings as housing, retail space or whatever they want as long as the structures are maintained.

Butt said he thinks a developer would want to add commercial and retail space to the housing units since it would be allowed to build on about 80 acres.

Butt, who is also an architect, estimated it would cost about $60 million to rehabilitate the entire district, or about $200 per square foot for 300,000 square feet. The cost of rehabilitating a building like that would be about the same as the cost of building a new building, he said.

Winehavens history

Winehaven was constructed after the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake by the California Wine Association  a group of Bay Area winemakers and sellers who banded together to dominate the California wine market. The associations previous facility in San Francisco was destroyed in the earthquake.

In his book, A history of Wine in America, author Thomas Pinney said the California Wine Association lost tens of million gallons of wine in the earthquake and subsequent fire. So the next year it built Winehaven, which included a winery, a distillery and warehouses, and installed an electric railway through the site linked to the docks.

Winehaven originally stored 10 million gallons of wine, and later 12 million. From the turn of the century to the coming of national Prohibition, the California Wine Association was the most prosperous establishment in the most prosperous period that the California wine industry had yet known, Pinney wrote.

But the thriving business crumbled during Prohibition in the 1920s. The U.S. Navy purchased the site in 1941 and used it as part of a fuel depot until 1998. The Point Molate property was given to the city in 2003, and the building has been mostly vacant since.

The Navy converted the cellars into a nuclear bomb shelter, the remnants of which remain. Little makeshift rooms with cloth barriers line much of it. Inside are cots, survival kits and well over a hundred water barrels.







Settlement criticized

The court settlement calling for the land to be developed is being fought by several local groups.

Two environmental organizations and four Richmond residents filed a lawsuit alleging the settlement was made illegally behind closed doors. Others have decried the use of the land for a major housing development.

Richmond resident Jan Gilbrecht, who has spoken at City Council meetings about Point Molate, said she doesnt support the settlement but wouldnt mind seeing Winehaven rehabilitated as a lovely relic since she views the site as a destination.

If the site is to commemorated, she said, so should the Chinese shrimp fisherman camps that emerged at Point Molate in the late 1800s. Ohlone Indians who fished at Point Molate for centuries should also be honored, she said.

Winehaven brought people in to work who were mostly single white men, and then left when Prohibition came to pass, Gilbrecht said.

Robert Cheasty, executive director for environmental group Citizens for East Shore Parks, also supports restoring the Winehaven, but thinks it should be part of a larger Point Molate plan crafted by the community. Cheasty and the group opposed the city entering into the settlement agreement.

It was a magnificent building and it really should be restored. ... But theres lots of opportunities for Point Molate, and it needs more creative thinking than just putting a bunch of housing out there, Cheasty said.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Just a few months after returning to the governorship in 2011, Jerry Brown did an odd thing.

He rescinded an appointment that his predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, had made to the state community college Board of Governors just before leaving office.

The appointment Brown canceled was of a young Latina and community college trustee from the Fresno area, Isabel Barreras.

I was surprised when I received the call rescinding my appointment to the Board of Governors because I had just received a letter from the (Senate) Rules Committee notifying me of my upcoming Senate confirmation hearing, Barreras said. Im not sure what transpired in those few days, but I was told the governor wanted to go in a different direction.

The different direction, as it turned out, was giving Barreras seat to Natalie Berg, the wife of one of Browns oldest and closest friends, the late San Francisco lobbyist and political activist, Peter Finnegan.

Finnegan was a high school and Catholic seminary classmate of Browns more than a half-century ago and Finnegan and Berg had been steadfast fundraisers for Browns many campaigns for state and local offices, often hosting events at their home.

Barreras is an 11th-hour appointment by Schwarzenegger and the governor decided to make his own, Browns spokesman, Gilbert Duran, said at the time.

Appointing Berg was not the last example of Browns penchant for appointing close aides and personal friends to state positions, some prestigious and powerful, and others carrying hefty salaries.

Some of Browns appointees are returnees from his first governorship, such as Public Utilities Commission president Michael Picker, High-Speed Rail Authority chairman Dan Richard and Diana Dooley, Browns chief of staff. And some, like Berg, are old friends.

Recently, it was revealed that Brown had appointed Juan Pedro Gaffney, a Bay Area choir director, to a position on the state Workers Compensation Appeals Board, which settles disputes over benefits to workers claiming job-related injuries and illnesses.

Most of the boards members, who are paid $147,778 a year, are either attorneys or others well versed in the complicated law governing workplace disabilities, although it also has been a landing place for out-of-work politicians upon occasion.

Gaffneys qualifications? He and Brown were classmates at St. Ignatius High School more than 60 years ago and they have been friends ever since. Previously, Brown had appointed him to the Alcoholic Beverage Appeals Board, which paid a much smaller salary.

Quite a few of Browns staff aides have also received appointments, such as:

Gareth Lacy, a deputy press secretary, to the California Gambling Control Commission;

Kathy Baldree, a governors office scheduler, to the State Personnel Board;

Katherine Dodd, a deputy legal affairs secretary and daughter-in-law of state Sen. Bill Dodd, also to the Workers Compensation Appeals Board;

Adrian Carpenter, another deputy legal affairs secretary, to the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel;

Michael Cohen, Browns long-time budget director, to the University of California Board of Regents, just before Cohen resigned to become a top executive at the California Public Employees Retirement System.

Brown has always portrayed himself as a transformative political figure, but in his second gubernatorial incarnation hes adopted the traditional trappings of politics, including giving jobs to those closest to him.

Its likely that the biggest plum Brown has yet to bestow, his fourth and decisive appointee to the state Supreme Court, will be in the same vein. The two at the top of the speculation list are legal advisor Josh Groban and PUC member Cliff Rechtschaffen, a former aide.

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.Something has changed in California politics as the political class gets serious about this falls statewide election: Despite what has lately amounted to single-party rule in Americas most populous state, theres a new insecurity in the air.

Thats because of two successful recall moves against incumbent officials in the June primary, the defeats of Palo Alto Judge Aaron Persky and Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman of Orange County.

Suddenly, politicians and judges have been served notice that their constituents are watching, something they find easy to forget while doing everyday business in the state Capitol, county courthouses and city halls all around the state.

In Perskys case, recall was predictable from the moment he handed down an extremely lenient six-month jail sentence to former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner, convicted of digitally penetrating a drunken, unconscious woman. The sentence led to fury from all sides of the political spectrum, and now all judges are newly aware that they dont hold office by some sort of fiat, but serve at the pleasure of the people, who can express displeasure by knocking them out of office.

In Perskys case, the vote wasnt even close.

Newmans recall was different. Like most Democrats, he voted last year in favor of the 12-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax increase that now faces its own possible cancellation via a November ballot measure.

While the campaign against Newman repeatedly accused him of helping impose the gas tax, not merely a relatively small increase in it, any kind of tax increase was bound to stick in the craw of his constituents, who had sent Republicans to Sacramento for many years before Newman narrowly won election in 2016. It did, and those constituents dumped him unceremoniously.

I think that the threat (of recall) is sort of by itself sufficient to change the legislative conversation, Newman told a reporter afterward.

Maybe so, but the threat of recalls has been around since 1913. In those 105 years, only six have succeeded, the most spectacular the 2003 dumping of then-Gov. Gray Davis and his replacement by movie muscleman Arnold Schwarzenegger.

That track record caused most of the political class to disregard the recall threat and proceed almost however they liked, making backroom deals like those that spurred sponsors this summer to pull back three proposed initiatives that had already won enough public support to qualify for a November yes-or-no vote.

But now, those same people are at least looking to see if anyones gaining on them. The same is true for politicians wanting to move up: The June results put them on notice that promotions would depend on performance. The best example of this was Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez of Oceanside, who hoped to finish in the primarys top two in the 49th Congressional District race to replace retiring Republican Rep. Darrell Issa.

But Chavez voted frequently with Democrats during his Sacramento tenure, and Democrats wanting to turn Republican voters against Chavez made sure they knew he sometimes voted with Democrats. Their ads claimed Chavez ran for the Legislature claiming he wouldnt vote for new taxes. On spending your money and costing you more, Rocky Chavez broken promises will knock you out, said their ad.

That was backed up with specific Chavez votes. Always before a solid vote-getter, Chavez finished well out of the running in June, leaving the 49th as a seat Democrats realistically hope to flip.

To politicians, all this seems bad, undesirable. But not to voters. Its almost as if a window has been opened and constituents now are seeing for the first time what the folks they vote for do in office.

Similarly, legal professionals and most law professors around the state and nation opposed the Persky recall on grounds that judges should have complete independence. Not so, said voters in usually liberal Santa Clara County. They said judicial independence is fine, but only if it produces sentences that seem reasonable.

All of which has contributed to a new aura in the states politics and courtrooms, one that sees the elected for the first time in many years worrying about how they are perceived by their electors.

Thomas D. Elias writes the syndicated California Focus column. He is author of the book, The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It.Millions of male minds have been flipping through their hazy high school highlight reel all week.

Red solo cups. The keg(s). Everclear and Kool-Aid. Quarters. Ping-pong balls. Bra straps. Boxers.

What's the big deal? Teens do stupid things, especially when they've been drinking. But that doesn't mean they're sexual predators.

Pause your panic mode, Clearasil Cassanovas of yore. The sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during a drunken teen party 37 years ago is not about putting you and every one of your awkward, young attempts at intimacy and sex on trial.

But a lot of men have reacted that way. Many of us have had to explain to our husbands or brothers or sons why this is different. Why this isn't about them - at least not if they're normal, decent, noncriminal humans.

Here's why.

Christine Blasey Ford described a night that started like many teen nights in the 1980s.

There were high school kids and alcohol in a house with no parents around. Lots of us went to parties like this. There were hookups - and sometimes there were boys pushing girls to go further than they wanted. It's one thing to experiment. It's another thing to use force.

Ford came forward after decades of silence because she says Kavanaugh tried to rape her when he was 17 and she was 15 - an accusation that Kavanaugh emphatically denies. Ford alleges that Kavanaugh groped her and tried to remove her one-piece bathing suit. Then, when she tried to scream for help, she claims he put his hand over her mouth to silence her.

"I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford, now a 51-year-old research psychologist in northern California, told The Washington Post's Emma Brown.

This is not on the mental highlight reel most men are frantically combing. Nor is the moment Debbie Ramirez described to The New Yorker, accusing Kavanaugh of exposing himself at a party when they were freshman at Yale - a charge also denied by Kavanaugh as part of a coordinated smear campaign against him.

Ramirez acknowledges that she was drunk, and there are gaps in her memory. Ford also can't 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.

Attempted rape isn't boys will be boys. Attempted rape is criminals will be criminals.

Here's a simple test, guys. Did your efforts to make out or unhook a bra or lose your virginity ever get to the point where she fought and screamed and you put your hand over her mouth to shut her up so you could have your way?

If you did this, you're a creep and a criminal. But I bet most of you didn't.

Sexual assault - from keg parties to family gatherings to parking lots - still happens at an alarming rate. Some statistics say an assault happens every 98 seconds in the United States. Advocates say it is grossly underreported in high school. Even so, according to the National Violence Against Women Survey, 54 percent of the females surveyed were younger than 18 at the time they were raped.

But the culture has definitely changed, and not just because of #MeToo. Today's teens are having sex and chugging booze a lot less than the teens of previous decades.

They are driving and getting jobs later than we did, too, said Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University who is the author of "iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy - and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood."

The portion who had tried alcohol plummeted from 93 percent between 1976 and 1979 to 67 percent between 2010 and 2016. Same for sex, where the portion of high school students who'd had sex fell from 54 percent in 1991 to 41 percent in 2015, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Our kids have a chance to have different lives than we did. But only if we help them do the right thing.

It is crucial that - along with telling kids that "no means no" and talking about consent - we burn to the ground the stale pussy-grabbing, boys-will-be-boys, what-was-she-doing-at-the-party thinking. Stop justifying the behavior of predators. And stop blaming victims for being attacked.

Petula Dvorak is a columnist for The Washington Post's local team. Before coming to The Post, she covered social issues, crime and courts.St. Helena has been our familys home for 50 years. We have always contributed time and effort in numerous volunteer capacities to add to the communitys well being. I am truly pleased that my son, Geoff is serving on the City Council and is now seeking the office of mayor.

Prior to being elected to the City Council Geoff spent three years attending public meetings in St. Helena and in Napa County, learning to understand government, city and county problems and administrative procedures, land use and zoning issues. He continues to meet regularly with city and county leaders and community groups in an effort to be up to date on current issues and build regional cooperation.

Water security is of special interest to Geoff. Our watersheds/water sources are not well protected. Geoff has had numerous meetings with those responsible for water distribution in many Northern California cities and towns gathering information searching for solutions which will insure continued water service to our community.

Geoff was one of the council members strongly supporting establishment of important water engineering studies after considerable concern in the community. The Ad Hoc Utility Rate committee was formed following a drastic increase in water rates. The committee encouraged revised rates, the possibility of tiered rates, study of our watersheds and review of commercial contacts.

For years, we were informed the city was on the brink of financial ruin. Fortunately, before any immediate steps were taken the SHAPE committee was formed with a mission to establish the value of St Helenas assets. Geoff strongly supported this and carefully reviewed committee findings. In addition to finding the value of city owned property in excess of $40 million we have a safety reserve of over 25 percent and a current budget surplus.

Cities and towns across the United States are suffering from vacancies in business districts. St. Helena is not unique in this. Many meetings have been held to come up with plans in support our local businesses, fill empty storefronts and address infrastructure and aesthetic needs in the downtown area. Geoff is a constant presence at these meetings, as well as making efforts to personally contact local business owners and understand their needs.

Geoff has attended countless meetings, held hundreds of telephone conversations, leaving no stone unturned, so to speak, in an effort to see and hear all sides of issues before deciding whats in the best interest of all in our town. I definitely would cast my vote for Geoff Ellsworth even if he werent my son.

Phoebe C. Ellsworth

St. HelenaIt was AFP Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez who noted that then President Marcos was justified in declaring martial law in 1972. Citing the historical record, Galvez said that the country was on the verge of disintegration and chaos in the run up to that fateful September. There was the growing Communist insurgency supported by China and other like regimes. The secessionist movement in the South fueled by Malaysian interests. An economic downturn magnified no end by the profligacy of the privileged class. Deepening divisions among members of the political elite giving rise to warlords and private militias and the worsening crime situation across the archipelago. The State decided to cut off those who stood in the way of stabilizing the situation and preventing the countrys Balkanization. In a very real sense, the country was at war. To Galvez, this historical confluence of events in the midst of the Cold War prompted Marcos to make use of the extraordinary constitutional option of putting the entire Philippines under martial law to save the Republic. Of course, this narrative runs counter to that promoted by those who were against such an imposition in the first place: the old oligarchy who had to part with their privileged status, the political elite who had to surrender their standing and private armies to the martial law government, members and fighters of the CPP/NPA/NDF and their supporters; the secessionists and a subset of the intelligentsia and their foreign partners. But a majority of our people at that time, whether out of fear or belief, as well as the US and its Western allies, welcomed martial law and saw it as a necessary initiative to arrest the chaos and decline enveloping the country. Unfortunately, abuses committed by the security forces and even by those waging armed struggle against the state soon became the centerpiece of the martial law narrative and took wings after 1986. That is now being revisited especially by those like Galvez and the military establishment who fought hard to bring the peace and ensure the countrys territorial integrity. And so, 46 years after the declaration of martial law, there is growing public interest in revisiting the past and hear out the entire story, so to speak, not get confined to the narrative of those who detested its implementation in the first place. As Brigadier General Antonio Parlade Jr., AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations emphasized a complete historical narrative will show that the declaration was justified. Said Parlade: The narrative of martial law always starts in 1972 during the declaration itself..But no one is talking about the circumstances, the events before martial law...Instead of pointing all accusing fingers at the former President, the public should pin the blame on the monsters New PeoplesArmy [NPA] and the Moro National Liberation Front [MNLF] both of which waged war on the duly elected authority. The two monsters escalated their destabilization efforts, combining their armed uprising and bombings across the archipelago with protest marches, strikes and other legal maneuvers, culminating in the bombing of the Liberal Partys Miting de Avance  in 1971, which was blamed on Marcos but was found out later on as a CPP/NPA operation in league with opposition leaders. By the time, the daily spectacle of killings and violence and protest actions became so widespread and brought the country to its knees. It had to be stopped before the situation got out of control.I am just stating facts, Parlade continued, which should have been part of history prior to martial law which the media never wanted to talk about. Its time people should know. Thats necessary for the nation to heal itself and move on. Again, there will be a strong rebuttal to Parlades views. It is inconceivable to bring the anti-martial law/anti-Marcos groups to even consider inquiring into the issues which have surfaced questioning their version of martial rule. In fact, Parlade has been called all sort of things including being a revisionist. But Parlade has stood his ground and he deserves our accolades. But to go back. Its not revisionism, Parlade said. It is completing the historical narrativethe stories which came out after 1986. That is the Edsa story. That is incomplete and in many instances unavailing. He even claims that then Senator Ninoy Aquino in one public engagement admitted that given the circumstances in 1972, he himself would have declared martial law. But even as he justified the imposition of martial law in 1972, Parlade acknowledged the abuses committed by the security forces and the backsliding at all levels which occurred after. But it is the notion of the AFP and the security forces being themselves the monster in the eyes of the public second only to then President Marcos as perpetrated by those who entered the scene as conquering heroes in 1986 which grates. It is a continuing black eye which the military establishment wishes cleared and put in proper perspective. The AFP was very much a victim of martial law also, Parlade said. We dont deny the abuses. Those who were part of that dark history have all retired. Some have died. Others have suffered for their misdeeds. So lets stop blaming the AFP. Indeed, it is time the historical narrative is completed. Let the light shine on that chapter of the nations history. Let the real lessons be learned and let the biases and prejudices unlearned so we can move on.Amy Martenson deserves reelection to the Napa Valley College Board of Trustees.

In the last four years, she has shown her passion for education, responsiveness to constituents, and effectiveness as a board member. She has listened, asked questions, and looked for solutions. Her appointment as chair of the boards Audit and Finance Committee speaks volumes about how her peers view her dedication to stewardship of this great Napa County resource. I will give three examples (there are more) that exemplify her performance.

I met Amy during her 2014 campaign. A month after taking office, she asked for advice about the colleges investment policy, knowing I had been an elected official and legal counsel to several public agencies before retiring to Napa. With District investments of about $27 million, she knew trustee oversight of the investment policy was not a minor responsibility.

Amy thought the policy appeared unduly lax. She was right. After studying state requirements and policies of other community colleges, she worked with staff to propose a revised policy restricting investments to the County Investment Pool unless otherwise approved by the board. The board agreed and adopted her proposed revisions.

In early 2017, concerns were raised about NVCs long-talked-about (since at least 2013) planning for campus housing. Members of the public urged the board to focus on affordable housing and to hire an independent project manager to represent the college, not one in the pocket of a developer. Amy urged the board, without avail, to provide guidance to staff along those lines.

Months later, NVC administrators reported at a board meeting that it had three proposed developers to interview; Amy again called for the board to support her request to seek someone to give independent advice. After lengthy board discussion and uncertainty by some members, the board eventually concurred, giving the administration clear direction. The College has yet to retain any campus housing planner, independent or otherwise.

At the April 2018 board meeting, it appeared that some trustees were unaware of a state-mandated duty of board members to receive from whistleblowers confidential complaints of improper activities. After the meeting, I formally requested NVC board policy be revised to include those whistleblower protections.

I then alerted the boards Audit and Finance Committee that the current NVC policy not only fails to mention certain specifically mandated whistleblower protections, but that auditors, regardless of legal mandates, universally recommend a robust whistleblower policy, together with a program to educate employees about ways to report suspected improper activities.

My request, with a proposed amended board policy, patterned on provisions found in other districts, appeared on the NVC Boards June agenda. Amy made a motion, which was seconded by Trustee Baker, to expedite staff review and submission to the board. When the College President personally committed to review the suggested changes and bring it back to the board after faculty returned from summer break, the motion became unnecessary.

Thank you, Amy, for your leadership.

Gary Orton

NapaI am writing to support Elizabeth Goff for the Napa Valley College Board of Trustees. As a teacher, community volunteer, and visionary leader of our community, Beth has proved her capabilities to all who know her.

I first got to know Beth during our time on the Parks and Community Services Commission, where she took the time to understand big-picture issues affecting our community. She had a knack for engaging our youth and could frequently be found at meetings with students in tow, or supporting a student appearing at City Council.

I stayed in contact with Beth as she created mentoring programs, the WEB Program at American Canyon Middle School and the Link Crew Program at American Canyon High School. These programs have helped hundreds of students be prepared academically and socially for their college and careers.

As a teacher, she is incredibly well-respected. In all she does, Beth exemplifies the best qualities of a leader: honesty, transparency, and passion. She will use these qualities to create a better connection between American Canyon High School and Napa Valley College.

In short, Beths passion for students and their education is apparent to all who know her and she would make an excellent choice for Napa Valley College Board of Trustees.

Janelle Sellick

American CanyonAn accident may take place when everything is perfectly right and running because by nature an accident is an accident. But when things are awfully wrong, wrong in every aspect, not happening an accident is an exception. Here the occasion and reference was the capsizing of a country boat sometime back at the river Brahmaputra and drowning of a number of people-the sad and pathetic thing! Let us divert a little bit from the incident and go to another thing, though I shall comeback to it immediately after this digression. The other day I was invited to attend a talk on status of Assams finance at Guwahati Circuit House.

The talk was delivered perhaps by the incumbent secretary of finance. He was a nice gentleman and the talk was well prepared. He was bold enough not only to critique some understanding of the previous government, but also present government concerning the financial status of the state. After the elaborate talk, he took questions from the attendees. Some of his information and data went over my head. However, at the fag end of the discussion I asked him a question: Gentleman, you have delivered a good lecture and you have also talked about Assams financial prospect ambitiously, but if I can ask you one thing please? In city living, number of things are essential, say potable water, electricity, drainage and etc. But is it not a travesty of development that the residents of Guwahati dont have enough supply of potable water despite mighty river Brahmaputra flowing by its side? He tried his best to answer my question and I appreciated his endeavour and offered all my best wishes to him.

However, forget what he tried to say, but think about the question. Is it not something basic and fundamental for the residents of a capital city to get their share of potable water? Now let us go back to the capsizing of the country boat and drowning of people. How do you view the ferrying of people, their two-wheelers and even live stocks at times by these rickety boats? You view them galore from the heart of the city! Is it a sight of the early days of last century? No it is a sight of last month. A sight in a dazzling digital India, near the city hum! As they say it was waiting to happen. That this accident didnt happen earlier was a matter of mere chance.Between Guwahati and North Guwahati there is this expanse of water! Why cant they introduce some dependable modern water transport system here? After the incident some hullaballoo was created, but I am sure things will return to square one when people will slowly forget the incident. Like the question of potable water for the residents of Guwahati, isnt providing a dependable water transport system for the people who cross Brahmaputra everyday from North Guwahati to Guwahati something vital and fundamental?

You can easily make a long list of such fundamental things needing to be done here in Assam. Everyday you have been hearing new slogans of development, but hardly anything is happening in the ground realities. A few years back there was a spree of road building activities all over the state. They were looking for roads everywhere- in the suburbs and also in the villages,in the villages, between the paddy fields, near the sugarcane groves and behind the backyard of your village home to build them and cover them with blacktop. Even the cattle roads were not spared. And now all those roads are in dilapidated state because they are not repaired and mended since then. The blacktop is long gone and the bare and pointed stones are all showing.Villagers complain that it has become so uncomfortable for them and their cattle to use those broken roads now. They say that those unpaved roads were much better for them. Forget about those village roads, even our highways are in bad shape. Again, when new multi lane highways are being laid, the old small vein roads are ignored and neglected.

Some roads are being neglected for decades. And people in the neighbourhood have lost all hope. Now people prefer to travel by train than by roads such is the condition of most of the roads.How basic is the roads for our living! Why speak of development when you cannot provide the basic infrastructure. It is not that new schemes shouldnt be introduced. We need new schemes for bettering the life of our people. But under no circumstances the fundamentals should be ignored. The other day Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a mega healthcare programme  the Ayushman Bharat, which is supposed to benefit 50 crore Indians. Whatever may be the motive and timing behind launching this scheme it is a welcome move.

This scheme is about critical care and hospitalisation,but what about improving the basic healthcare services in the county. If you visit any private hospitals in Guwahati you will find that all of them are always crowded with patients. It is not that the patients who visit these hospitals are all well off people. Many, the majority of them are from lower middle class and poor background. And they always dont visit these hospitals for critical care services. Quite often they visit them for some common ailments which could be handled in a well equipped primary health centre. So the basics should be the first priority.Armenia economy minister meets with Charge dAffaires of Georgia

12-year-old Armenian boy's 4 fingers cut, undergoes 10-hour surgery

Armenia Deputy PM opposes Azerbaijani premier, says Karabakh conflict can't be resolved by force

Dollar continues going down in Armenia

Lithuania ambassador to parliament speaker: Relations with Armenia are priorities of our country

Millions of Austrians not vaccinated against COVID-19 may be quarantined

Georgian and Turkish border guards conducting joint military exercises in Javakhk

Charles Michel thanks Turkey for prohibiting citizens of Iraq, Syria and Yemen from flying to Belarus

Myanmar court sentences US journalist to 11 years in jail

Armenia official: Azerbaijan continues to torpedo implementation of agreements reached

Opposition MP to Armenia minister: Who will perform the duties of the mayor of Goris?

Armenia ex-deputy defense minister: Pashinyan is lying when he says there is no logic of corridor

Video showing another act of vandalism of Azerbaijanis in Karabakh disseminated on social networks

Armenia, Palestine FMs discuss Armenian heritage in Holy Land

Azerbaijan says it is ready to sign with Armenia peace agreement recognizing territorial integrity

Armenia official: We are building many roads in Syunik Province

Karabakh state minister delivers lecture at Columbia University in New York

Ukraine delegation to visit Armenia next week

Armenia FM in Paris, meets with French Armenian figures (PHOTOS)

Armenia to host Eurasian Intergovernmental Council session

80 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Erdogan says 'Greece has turned into a U.S. military base'

Sweden lifting entry ban for Armenia citizens fully vaccinated against Covid

Russia peacekeepers escort more than 8,000 traveling vehicles in Karabakh in 1 year

1,309 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

11 foreign nationals living illegally in Armenia are found in downtown Yerevan hotels

Aram Yacoubian is on Varietys Hollywoods New Leaders of 2021 list

Biden, Xi expected to hold virtual summit on November 15

Newspaper: Process of shaking up Armenia law enforcement system to begin

Newspaper: Armenia cargo transportation increases

FM to UNESCO head: Preventive steps against Azerbaijan destruction of Armenian heritage are simply imperative

Armenia Security Council chief: No logic to using Goris-Kapan motorway

Armenia Security Council secretary: Political decision is needed if agreement is reached on logic of unblocking roads

FM: There are numerous cases of Azerbaijans deliberate destruction of Armenian cultural, religious heritage

Armenia PM: Security is our most vulnerable place today

Armenian Church Diocese in Russia supports Finnish MP who is charged with offending reps of sexual minorities

Women of Artsakh organize meeting with Russian peacekeeping troops' commander

US Senate Armed Services Committee to consider 3 key amendments, including cutting off aid to Azerbaijan

Armen Sarkissian: I consider any encroachment on Armenia's borders inadmissible and unacceptable

Russian analyst says deployment of border and customs checkpoints in Lachin not ruled out

UN representatives provide humanitarian aid to immigrants on Polish border

U.S. security advisor: Rivalry with China in Pacific need not lead to new Cold War

UAE, Bahrain, Israel and US conducting maritime security exercise in Red Sea

Opposition 'With Honor' faction MP: Ruling party is implementing Baku's policy in Armenia

Armenia finance minister receives experts of Russian Financial Research Institute

Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group

NEWS.am daily digest: 11.11.21

Opposition 'With Honor' Alliance: We have a few questions for the Armenian premier

Dollar drops somewhat in Armenia

Deputy Mayor of Armenia's Goris Menua Hovsepyan voluntarily going to penitentiary institution to be arrested

EU remains committed to promoting peaceful, prosperous South Caucasus

Armenia MFA: Mirzoyan-Bayramov meeting held in Paris with participation of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs

Azerbaijan FM continues developing Zangezur corridor concept

Court rules to arrest Deputy Mayor of Armenia's Goris Menua Hovsepyan

Armenia government allocates over $1 mln to repair Yerevan-Meghri road and two more roads

Flights to and from Yerevan and Kapan to be launched on January 20, 2022

Armenia Police: 33 citizens apprehended near government building

Armenia Ombudsman: Perhaps Azerbaijan will be deprived of jurisdiction over the motorway after delimitation

Armenia PM: Coronavirus situation is somewhat stable

'Armenia' Alliance: Azerbaijan is the one making decisions instead of Armenian PM, we will not put up with this

Ambassador to PM Pashinyan: Italy is interested in implementing new investment programs with Armenia

Three-year working plan for Armenia-Russia interparliamentary committee discussed during consultation

Armenia's Meghri has new mayor

Armenia Security Council secretary: Citizens may be able to travel on Goris-Kapan motorway for a toll

Quarantine regime extended in Armenia until June 20, 2022

Erdogan sues Greek newspaper

Armenia Security Council chief: We have rough idea of border with Azerbaijan

Turkish defense company Baykar to soon test 2 new UAVs

Arrested mayor of Armenias Goris re-elected by virtue of law

Deputy police chief: Later it will be clear who from Armenia will carry out inspection at Goris-Kapan road

European Parliament Friendship Group with Armenia is re-launched

Ombudsman: Armenia top officials statements legitimize Azerbaijanis presence, actions (PHOTOS)

Situation gets tense in front of Armenia government building

Police do not allow Armenia opposition MPs to approach government building

Armenia cassation court Civil and Administrative Chamber to be dissolved

Armenia PM explains handing over part of Goris-Kapan road to Azerbaijan

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Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the State of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu at the latters initiative, Kremlin reported.

The Prime Minister of Israel again expressed his condolences over the loss of military service members on board the Russian Il-20 aircraft that was downed on September 17 in Syria.

The two leaders continued discussing the circumstances of the incident considering that the information presented by the Israeli military on the operation of their aircraft over Syrian territory differs from the conclusions of the Russian Defence Ministry. Russia proceeds from the premise that the actions of the Israeli Air Force were the main cause of the tragedy.

Vladimir Putin emphasised that Russias decisions to bolster the combat capabilities of Syrian air defences are appropriate at this juncture and primarily intended to thwart any potential threat to the lives of the Russian military service members fulfilling the tasks of combatting international terrorism.YEREVAN.  Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who is in New York on a working visit, on Monday participated in, and addressed at, the opening of the peace summit dedicated to Nelson Mandela.

The event brought together US President Donald Trump as well as leaders and heads of government from many countries attending the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, press office of the government of Armenia informed

It was only half a year ago, when the people of Armenia rejected fear and injustice and went out to the streets to protest for their fundamental rights, freedom and dignity, Pashinyan said, in particular, in his address. As the dramatic events were unfolding in the streets of Yerevan I was asked if I had a model of a leader who inspired me in my nations strive for democracy and social justice, and my answer was YES, there is such a leader. And that leader is Nelson Mandela.

In the true spirit of Mandelas ideas, our movement became known to the world as Armenian nonviolent velvet revolution of love and solidarity and now, months after my peoples success, I stand here at the high rostrum of this summit as the head of modern Armenian government to celebrate the legacy of this great person whose courage and determination served as an example for others around the globe.

I come from a region, where unfortunately bloody conflicts, corrupt system of governance, animosity between people overshadow wisdom and the need for peaceful coexistence.

Democracies are not supposed to wage wars against each other. I hope that one day our regions democratic development will rule out the risks of hostilities, wars and hatred. Armenia has firmly embarked on this path of and strongly stands for regional peace, stability and reconciliation.

This year we will mark the seventieth anniversaries of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

This provides us with yet another opportunity to reflect on the reasons of why the humanity to this day is not immune from the scourge of discrimination, intolerance, xenophobia, persecution and crimes against humanity.

Subsequently, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the members of the Armenian delegation visited the 12th- to13th-century Armenian cross-stone at the UN headquarters.Amable R. Aguiluz V built Asias largest school system200 schools with 150,000 students. King Aguiluz is the founder, owner and chairman of the AMA Group of Companies. AMAs 200 schools are in the Philippines alone, 87 franchised by third parties, 46 managed under management agreements with their owners, and at least 16 owned by the AMA Group. Annual turnover of the Philippine schools is about $50 million with profits hitting $22 million a year. AMA is also the biggest educational system in Asia with its 10 overseas operations that span from Hong Kong and Macau to Manama and Muscat to as far as Nigeria. The international network includes the largest private university and school in the GulfAMA International University Bahrain and AMA International School Bahrain. Nobody comes close, King enthuses. This year, King Aguiluz received what could be the ultimate accolade. He was given the Presidential Award by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association. King finished business administration from UP in 1968, MBA at UE in 1983, and PhD from Columbia College, Missouri, USA in 1990. He also attended AIMs Top Management Program in Bali in 1991, plus a management program at Wharton the same year, and Harvards three-year management course for business owners in 2002, the only Filipino CEO to do so. Aguiluz beat UP and its peer schools like Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle University, and the University of Santo Tomas, in offering the first bachelors degree in computer science in the Philippines, in 1981. King founded the countrys first IT and computer college harnessing professors who graduated, where else, from UP. They (the UP-educated profs) gave me the technical expertise. They were also willing to learn, laughs King today. Aguiluz got into computers by selling them, following a tie-up with Computer Land, then the worlds largest computer retailer, in 1978. A couple of years later, it dawned on King that computers are not about selling them. Its about education. You have to educate the customer so he will be prompted to buy computers. Knowledge first, before use. I then focused on education, he relates. In 1980, he started a computer school, with 13 students, those who responded to his ad. They [the original 13] are now big names, King says with pride. In 1981, by some stroke of luck or through his persuasive power, he got the license, a first from the Ministry of Education, to offer BS Computer Science. I dont know how I convinced him, recalls Aguiluz, referring to then Deputy Minister of Education, Antonio Dumlao. I told him this is something the country needs. Aguiluz showed the official a perspective drawing of the proposed computer science college. This is the building, he told the official, pointing to a redrawing of his fathers ancestral home in leafy Quezon City. He didnt own the house. It belonged to his parents.His dad was the late Amable Aguiluz, who served in the national government as budget commissioner and auditor general. King also had no stable of teachers. Secretary Dumlao released the license to me on the spot, says King. I prayed hard, he credits the Lord for what seemed like luck. King named the school after his dad AMA-Amable M. Aguiluz. King is ARAAmable R. Aguiluz V. King opened the school in 1980, in November, his fathers birthday. In 1980, Kings AMA Institute of Computer Studies offered computer courses, six months to as long as two years. Again, he was not satisfied. Being limited in scope, computer courses attracted a niche market. So he expanded his course offerings. Ten years later, the Commission on Higher Education also certified AMA Computer College. By then, AMA has had tremendous first mover advantage. La Salle offered BS Computer Science two years after AMA did. It was followed by his beloved UP. About 350,000 have studied or finished schooling at AMAthe largest pool of technically-skilled and technology-oriented manpower in the Philippines trained under a single roofand under a single brand the AMA brand. AMA has the biggest IT infrastructure in the Philippines. His school system has made King a veritable billionaire. Yet, he says, I dont think I can say I am what you call made. I always feel like I am just starting, he adds. I dont want to retire. AMA School System has now a teaching staff of 4,000, a third of them with doctorate degrees. A major reboot has been the focus on senior high school, under the governments K to 12 program. Offering free senior high school has been a big advantage over the other schools, figures King. Half of AMA Systems students are senior high enrollees. Senior high is offered in all of AMAs 200 campuses. Barely three years ago, King Aguiluz began bringing the business to the next leveloffer quality education to everyone, anyone, anywhere, every where. I want to provide education to all Filipinos, especially those who have no access to it, he says. King also operates the biggest private university in the Middle East and is a good friend of the Bahrain royalty. He is President Dutertes special envoy to the Gulf Cooperation Council member states. He had the same appointment under three previous presidentsJoseph Estrada, Gloria Arroyo, and Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III. As special envoy to the GCC, King has saved a number of OFWs from sure destitution and at times, sure death. When he turned 70 in 2015, King fretted as if he was just starting. He said then, with technology in medicine, with Gods grace, I can still live to see my 13-year-old grandson Mique Amable 19thbecome president of the Philippines. He is the genius in the family, No. 1, and president of his class in Ateneo, King said with pride. He got the genes from his grandma, the proud grandpa added. But first, King had to attend to the current generation, particularly the 16 percent of the 39 million who are of school age but are out of school. They are out of school, either because they cannot afford it, or they have no time for it, or there are no schools near their home or their places of work. Kings answer to their problemonline education which simply stated is educating people without the need for physical classrooms but with the magic of satellite, internet and even the cellular phone. I want to educate the Manny Pacquiaos of this world, King says. Kings AMA is disrupting education further with its vision to extend universal education by offering online courses (combined with brick-and-mortar experiences) to nearly everyone willing to learn, without him or her having to commute to a school or campus, and serving consumers outside of the mainstream and the elite sector, thru the use of technology such as satellite, internet, and handheld devices.STEPANAKERT.  On September 21, the Days of Artsakh in France festival was hosted in Aix-en-Provence town. The events planned within the framework of this festival will continue until October 13.

Permanent Representative of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR) to France, Hovhannes Gevorgyan, member of the France-Artsakh Friendship Circle Senator Sophie Joissains, ex-Mayor Alain Joissains, members of the City Council of Aix-en-Provence, as well as representatives of NGOs and journalists participated in the opening ceremony of this festival in Aix-en-Provence, the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Armenian News-NEWS.am..

Exhibitions of photographs and graphic works dedicated to Artsakh, lectures on Artsakh, and screening of documentary films are planned along the lines of the festival program.

The Days of Artsakh in France festival, which had kicked off on November 21, 2017 in Villeurbanne city with the participation of President Bako Sahakyan of the Republic of Artsakh, is concluding in Aix-en-Provence.

The festival was hosted by eleven French cities, which established friendly relations with the towns of Artsakh.

Thanks to this event, the visitors of the festival had the opportunity to get familiarized with the past and present of the people of Artsakh and the latters rich historical and cultural heritage.YEREVAN.  The priorities set by the new Armenian leadership will become a powerful incentive for the development of Armenia-EU trade and investment relations, said the EU Ambassador to Armenia Piotr Switalski.

His remark came at the first meeting of the Committee on Trade-Related Cooperation between Armenia and the EU held in Yerevan on Tuesday.

"The priorities announced by the new leadership are quite sufficient to protect interests in the sphere of trade and investment, and I think that the Government is well aware of what needs to be done in this direction," the ambassador said.

According to him, eradicating the corruption will give Armenia an opportunity to find new EU partners and attract European investments.

The second priority identified by the Government is the independence of the judiciary, while the EU delegation will facilitate the establishment of partnership with the European companies, since the independence of the judicial system guarantees the protection and security of business, thereby increasing the interest in Armenian businessmen.

According to him, EU wants to see more European companies in Armenia in order to develop know-how, knowledge, technologies, management culture.

Petros Sourmelis, Head of Unit, Directorate General Trade, European Commission, in his turn, noted: We are sure that the changes indicated by the Armenian Government will only strengthen cooperation with the EU and will promote further development of trade relations, and the Armenia-EU deal will enable the country to implement the planned reforms, improve the business climate, attract foreign investment, stimulate the overall development of the country, contribute to poverty reduction. The EU expresses its readiness to assist Armenia in achieving these goals. 

According to the Statistical Committee of Armenia, the foreign trade turnover between Armenia and the EU exceeded $1 billion in 2017, which is more than the indicator of the annual limitation by 36.1%. In particular, exports increased by 22% to $ 432.4 million, while imports grew by 47.8% to $ 633.3 million. The EU is Armenias second trade partner, its share in the structure of the country's foreign trade turnover is 26%.THOSE who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. This cautionary observation from the philosopher George Santayana seems rather appropriate today in view of the revisionist retelling our shared national experience with martial law in the 1970s, coming from one of its architects, Juan Ponce Enrile. Enrile, as defense secretary, was in the inner circle of President Ferdinand Marcos when he declared military rule in 1972, and served as martial law administrator. For the next decade, he remained one of Marcos most loyal allies and was rewarded with great power and wealth, breaking with the dictator only when his regime began to crumble in the wake of the assassination of opposition leader Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.

In a press conference on Feb. 22, 1986 at the start of the People Power revolution, Enrile admitted that the attack on his car on Sept. 22, 1972, was staged in order to justify the declaration of martial law. The confession, covered by radio and television, was witnessed by millions of Filipinos. In subsequent interviews, Enrile confirmed that the assassination attempt was staged. But in his memoir, Enrile contradicts himself, and says political opponents had spread rumors of the ambush being staged. This week, Enrile went a step further in his revision of history, saying in an interview that only one persona drug dealerhad been executed during martial law, and not one was arrested for his religious or political beliefs. Name me one person that was arrested because of political or religious belief during that period. None. Name me one person who was arrested simply because he criticized Marcos. None, Enrile said in his interview. Sadly, nobody was there to contradict Enrile, since the interview was conducted by Marcos son, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.Had Enrile addressed his question instead to someone from the Human Rights Victims Claims Board, he might have obtained 11,103 names who will receive compensation for human rights violations they suffered under Marcoss martial law regime. These names were not the result of any propagandathey were based on claims received, evaluated, processed and investigated by the HRVCBand represented only 14 percent of the total 75,749 applicants. Angered by Enriles claims, prominent politicians who suffered under martial law have also made their voices heard. Against this backdrop, we welcome the Palace statement that Enrile cannot twist history and claim there were no arrests of political activists under martial law. 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, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said. I dont think they can twist history when theres a law and there are court decisions attesting to what happened during martial law. At 95, perhaps Enriles memory may no longer be what it was. But those of us who lived through the martial law years and know people who were detained for their beliefs, remember. It is often suggested these days that we need to move on from that period in our history. On this we agree. But moving on does not mean forgetting the excesses of the past, pretending they did not exist, or falsely believing that they could not happen again.The Justice Department has issued an indictment of former non-profit head Kevin Oksuz for his role in a plot to hide the fact that a 2013 congressional delegation trip to Azerbaijan was funded by that countrys government, Roll Call reported.

According to the Justice Department , Kemal Oksuz, aka Kevin Oksuz, 48, previously a resident of Arlington, Virginia, allegedly lied on disclosure forms filed with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics prior to, and following, a privately sponsored Congressional trip to Azerbaijan. According to the indictment, Oksuz allegedly falsely represented and certified on required disclosure forms that the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasions (TCAE), the Houston non-profit for which Oksuz was president, had not accepted funding for the Congressional trip from any outside sources. According to the charges, Oksuz in truth orchestrated a scheme to funnel money to fund the trip from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), the wholly state-owned national oil and gas company of Azerbaijan, and allegedly concealed the true source of funding, which is alleged to violate House travel regulations.

The House Ethics Committee in 2015 determined that there was no evidence that 10 lawmakers and more than 30 aides knowingly violated congressional rules during a 2013 trip. Privately sponsored travel by House members and staff is regulated by the House Ethics panel.

Nonprofit groups are allowed to sponsor educational trips for lawmakers and staff, but the Ethics Committee must review the itinerary, which they did for the May 2013 trip. Nonprofit groups must also certify that they are the source of the funding for the trip. That is where Oksuz went outside the law, according to the indictment.

The five-count indictment was returned earlier this year in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and ordered unsealed today. It charges Oksuz with one count of devising a scheme to falsify, conceal, and cover up material facts from the Ethics Committee and four counts of making false statements to Congress.

The statement says that Oksuz is considered a fugitive. A warrant for his arrest was issued earlier this year and remains outstanding. Oksuz was recently detained by authorities in Armenia.

Members who participated in the trip included Democratic Reps. Yvette D. Clarke of New York, Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ruben Hinojosa of Texas, Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Gregory W. Meeks of New York, plus Republican Reps. Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma (who has since left Congress to become NASA administrator), Leonard Lance of New Jersey and Ted Poe of Texas.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said he had no plans to meet US President Donald Trump during his visit to New York, saying the United States had employed only threats and sanctions against his country, Tasnim News Agency reported.

"There is no such program for a meeting," Rouhani said in an exclusive interview with NBC News on Monday, saying conditions were not ripe for talks.

Rouhani, in New York for the annual UN General Assembly session, said the US has adopted a hostile stance toward Iran and turned its back on diplomacy after its unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers.

"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. "That means that the necessary willpower is absent in order to resolve outstanding issues."Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Monday accused the countrys regional top foes, namely Saudi Arabia and its ally, United Arab Emirates (UAE), of having paid attackers of the Saturday parade in the south of the country.

Based on reports, this cowardly act was done by people the Americans call to help when they are trapped in Syria and Iraq, and are paid by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Khamenei said on his official website.

Twenty-nine people, including at least 12 members of the Revolutions Guards, died Saturday at a military parade in southwest Iran.

The Islamic State group (ISIS) claimed responsibility of the attack in a video on its Amaq news agency. On Monday, state-backed Fars news agency indicated that forces killed five attackers. Four of them have been identified bar the fifth whose body according to the news agency was mixed up with other casualties.

Soon after the attack, a blizzard of statements from Tehran accused Saudi Arabia, the UAE, U.S. and Israel for sponsoring the attack that the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, said will be not left unanswered. He promised a crushing and devastating revenge.

Tehran also summoned the UAEs charge daffaires to protest the irresponsible statements made by an adviser to the Abu Dhabi government, Abdul Khaleq Abdulla.

Abdul Khaleq Abdulla justified the attack on Twitter, arguing that it was part of a plan to fight Iran on its own territory.

An attack on a military target is not a terrorist act. Moving the battle to deep inside Iran is an option that has been publicly declared and will increase in the coming phase, said Abdul Khaleq Abdulla said shortly after the attack.

Abu Dhabi swiftly blasted Tehrans accusations noting that they were 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.

Iran on one side and Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the other are currently embroiled in a proxy war in Yemen. The Saudi side blames Iran for supporting Houthi rebels who have conquered vast swathes of the Yemeni territory including capital Sanaa. Saudi and Emirati forces have entered the fight since 2015 in a move to roll back gains made by the Houthi rebels.UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres mentioned the spring events in Armenia in his address at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

Armenias young people were at the heart of that countrys peaceful political transition earlier this year  showing the potential of youth to use their voice to advance democracy, he said.

A day earlier he called the Armenian events a fantastic example.

We recently had a fantastic example of a peaceful transfer of power demonstrated in Armenia, Guterres said while answering questions on Facebook. This is a fantastic example, which says that there are reasons to believe that the new generation will be able to make decisions better than my generation.US President Donald Trump urged the international community to isolate Iran on Tuesday, during a combative address before the United Nations General Assembly, in which he accused the Tehran regime of sowing death and destruction, LA Times reported.

Trump used his second address to the UN General Assembly to blast Irans leaders for sowing havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen. He urged leaders to join an economic pressure campaign against Iran to deny the regime the funds it needs to advance its bloody agenda.

Iran's leaders sow chaos, death and destruction, Trump said. They do not respect their neighbors, their borders or the sovereign rights of nations.

Trump hopes that a campaign of maximum pressure, including new sanctions and other measures, will force Iran to come to the bargaining table, just as global sanctions helped bring it into the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump abandoned.The U.S. and Israel have called on Russia to reconsider its plan to supply the Syrian army with modern S-300 air defense system, few days after Moscow blamed Tel Aviv for being the sole responsible for the downing of the spy plane last week in Syria.

The Syrian Presidency in a statement Monday said Russian President Vladimir Putin informed his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad that Russia will develop the Syrian air defense systems.

The decision, according to Moscow, is motivated by the fatality that befell the Russian spy plane, which was hit early last week by a missile of the Syrian air defense forces. The 15 Russian servicemen aboard the military aircraft all perished instantly.

The system will significantly increase the Syrian armys combat capabilities, said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Russia wad to supply the system to Syria years ago but balked at doing so over a request by Israel.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone conversation with President Putin to voice Israels concern. Netanyahu according to his office told the Russian leader that modern hardware in the hands of irresponsible players will heighten dangers in the region.

Also on Monday, John Bolton, U.S. President Donald Trumps Security Advisor slammed Russias plans to equip the Syrians with the surface-to-air missile system. The US official urged Moscow to reconsider the decision as he held Iran the prime responsible for last week incident.

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, Bolton said.

Experts say the new air defense system will make Israeli fighter jets vulnerable to Syrian defense forces.

Alexander Khramchikhin of the Moscow-based Institute of Military and Political Analysis told Reuters that the S-300 could seriously affect Israels ability to carry out its strikes in Syria.Young women can explore STEM careers at SIU Nov. 3

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Young women can explore careers in science and mathematics during an event at Southern Illinois University Carbondale this November.

Registration is now open for the 2018 Expanding Your Horizons conference, set for Nov. 3 at the Student Center and other areas on campus.

Workshops, networking and other events for girls in grades 5-9

The 28th annual event provides girls in grades 5-9 with workshops, networking and hands-on experiences aimed at increasing their awareness of careers in such areas as science, technology, engineering, math and more.

The event also provides participants opportunities to meet and interact with role models who are active in math- and science-related careers.

Registration required, open now

Organizers expect up to 200 participants to attend the event, along with teachers and parents from throughout Southern Illinois. Advance registration is required, with an early deadline of Oct. 19. Tickets are $10 before Oct. 19 and $17 after the deadline until Oct. 23.

Mailed-in registrations are also accepted. All fees, checks or money orders, must be mailed to SIU Carbondale-Mathematics, Expanding Your Horizons, 1245 Lincoln Dr., Mail code 4408, Carbondale, Ill., 62901.

Experts help with many topics

The workshop includes topics such as aviation, automotive, geology, biological sciences, linguistics, chemistry, psychology, engineering and technology, medicine and zoology. Students can participate in three areas of their greatest interest.

Organized by the Department of Mathematics in the College of Science, the conference also will feature more than 30 professionals from the university and private companies donating their time to lead workshops. The workshops will focus on career exploration and provide opportunities for participants to have positive experiences with math and science.Thousands of former soldiers clashed Monday and early Tuesday with security forces at the gate of Algiers as they were marching towards the capital to protest their living conditions and meagre salaries and demand a revaluation of their pensions.

The soldiers, around 20,000 according to leader Marawan Bassaf, were blocked at Haouch El Makhfi at Reghaia, entrance of Algiers.

The retired soldiers had camped for several days in Haouch Elmekhfi, a locality in the region of Boumerdes located about thirty miles east of the centre of the Algerian capital.

According to Algerian daily El Khabar, the gendarmerie last Sunday summoned the protesters to lift their camp or be dislodged by force.

The disaffected group of protesters includes army retirees who are demanding an increase in their pensions, individuals who were expelled from the army and who ask to be reinstated or to be retired, and the armys invalids who want better medical care in military hospitals, according to the Facebook pages of the various categories.

They have tried repeatedly to reach the centre of Algiers in recent years, but in vain, as any gathering in the Algerian capital has been banned since 2001.

This is our chance to pressure authorities to respond to our demands. We call on the president to not abandon the people who fought against terrorism in this country, Bassaf told The New Arabs Arabic-language service.

In January, the military issued a statement accusing the protesters of attempting to mislead public opinion and spread seeds of doubt, The New Arab recalls.

The clashes left many people on both sides injured, local media TSA-Algerie reports.

Attempts by the security forces to contain the angry protesters caused traffic jams, rendering connection between Algiers and the East of the country difficult.During a high-level event at UN Headquarters in New York, chaired by UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, officials of the humanitarian and donor communities exchanged views on the scale of the need, what has been accomplished so far, and the roadblocks which remain across Yemen.

The event started with the UN Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande stating that there is no other place in the world where people are suffering so greatly.

The unprecedented scope and depth of the crisis in Yemen, now in its fourth year, has been repeatedly reported: three-quarters of the population require some form of basic assistance to survive; over 2 million internally displaced; 16 million in need of medical help. The figures are near-impossible to grasp.

The Humanitarian Coordinator painted a concrete picture: One child is dying every 10 minutes because of the conflict 70 per cent of girls are being married before 18 as a coping strategy 8.3 million people have absolutely no idea when they wake up in the morning where their meal will come from one in four Yemenis are malnourished

She also explained that the countrys currency, the Yemeni Rial, has depreciated by 300 per cent compared to pre-crisis rates. If the depreciation continues, we believe 12 million people could be at risk of starvation, she stressed.

Conflict in Yemen  already one of the poorest countries in the world before the crisis  escalated in March 2015, when an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened militarily at the request of the Yemeni presidency. Airstrikes and ground-fighting have become a daily occurrence for millions of civilians. It is officially estimated that 16,000 people have been killed, said Ms. Grande. The real numbers are probably a lot higher, she added.

Hundreds of thousands of families no longer have a regular source of income  including teachers, health workers, water and sanitation workers and other public servants. They have not been paid a regular salary in two years.

The Humanitarian Coordinator noted that the situation is particularly desperate in Hudaydah, an opposition-held governorate in western Yemen, where vulnerability levels are the worst and where, in the past three months alone, half a million people have been forced to flee their homes.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), organizer of the event, impediments to humanitarian action include movement restrictions, attempted interference and harassment, fluctuating commercial import levels, and collapsing basic health, education, water and sanitation services.

Ms. Grande who hailed as unprecedented the response of humanitarian organizations listed three priorities for these organizations: reduce hunger and roll back malnutrition; prevent another cholera outbreak; and protect civilians at any cost.

She also provided the international community with a long list of requirements, topped by the need for the warring parties to stop fighting. Humanitarians cannot solve the conflict in Yemen, only politicians can, she stated.

Closing the event, the United Kingdom, Canada Kuwait, the USA and Denmark pledged their continued support to the international response to the Yemen crisis.Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday held discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in New York, one of a series of meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

According to Donald Trump, Egypt is doing an outstanding job in the fight against terrorism. The fight is not easy but Egypt is at the forefront.

Trump also emphasized that the U.S. would continue to work closely with Egypt on challenging regional and international issues.

El-Sissi on his part said Egypt will be able to eliminate terrorism with Trumps support. Its an obligation Trump has made clear, he said.

Last year, President Trump had praised the hard-line leader for doing a fantastic job and soliciting his help in the fight against terrorism and violent extremists.

On Wednesday, Egyptian President is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid continued efforts of Egyptian intelligence to mediate a possible long-term ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Hamas.

Al-Sisi is expected to raise the issue of the two-state solution, which, in the Egyptian presidents opinion, should be an essential part of the U.S. peace plan, according to Egyptian media.A squeeze on oil demand is looming as a result of the U.S.-China trade war, a senior BP executive told Reuters. Acknowledging the bullish effect of U.S. sanctions on Iran in the short term, Janet Kong, BPs chief executive of oil trading operations in Asia, said this effect will be short-lived as the market absorbs the shock and moves on to other concerns.

Going into 2019, I worry about the impact of the U.S.-China trade war, manifesting itself slowly, the executive said. The trade war impact has not really shown up in the data anywhere, but it will show up gradually over time. So the supply shock is very sharp and prompt, while the impact from trade war is boiling over slowly.

There have been voices warning that the trade war will affect oil demand as it affects economic growth in China, but official oil demand forecasts have yet to factor it in, it seems. OPECs latest Monthly Oil Market Report, however, did revise the cartels forecasts for oil demand in 2019 down by 20,000 bpd to 1.41 million bpd, warning that global economic growth may slow.

The International Energy Agency, on the other hand, has kept its 2019 demand forecast unchanged in the latest fundamentals update, at 1.5 million bpd, up from this years projected 1.4 million bpd. Yet the agency noted that demand could be stronger were it not for the trade war and signs of stalling economic growth in emerging economies. Related: $100 Oil Is A Distinct Possibility

While general economic growth patterns are dependent on a host of different factors, the U.S.-China trade war is outside the normal course of events and, according to Kong, likely to drag on for quite a while, which would extend the duration of its negative effect on oil prices.

The Trump administration wants intellectual property protection, Kong said. ... reducing subsidies to Chinese SOEs (state-owned enterprises) and open market access by all businesses which are difficult, in my view, for the Chinese government to agree to. So its very likely this war will drag on for a long time.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:OPEC and allies snubbed calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to lower oil prices, saying on Sunday that they are satisfied with the overall healthy balance between supply and demand.

The key ministers of the OPEC+ deal participants, however, assured reporters and the market that their respective oil-producing countries have spare oil production capacity to meet demand by customers, if need be.

The key message from the energy ministers of Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was that if demand calls for higher production, they would be ready to respond. But right now, the oil market is fairly balanced, and OPEC and friends wont rush to supply more oil than its customers want and need, as they are careful not to tip the market into oversupply that would chip away at their oil revenues once again.

Although OPEC+ didnt decide to immediately boost oil production in this balanced market, as they view it, questions remain as to how much spare capacity that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Russia can bring online in case the market significantly tightens in November when U.S. sanctions on Iran snap back and Venezuelas production drops to new lows.

The UAE is planning to boost its total oil production capacity to 3.5 million bpd by the end of this year, the emirates Energy Minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei told S&P Global Platts in an interview after the OPEC/non-OPEC panel met on Sunday to discuss the state of the market.

The UAEOPECs fourth-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Irancurrently produces just below 3 million bpd. At 2.972 million bpd in August, its oil production increased by 12,000 bpd from July, according to OPECs secondary sources.

The UAE is also investing in additional crude oil storage, Al-Mazrouei told Platts, but noted that the country would not overproduce. Instead, it would lift its production only if there is demand for such increase.

The UAE and other countries are not worried about market instability if they have spare capacity, the minister said, adding that his country would invest some US$109 billion in upstream projects over the next four to five years.

Despite the spare capacity of some OPEC members, We are not going to come back and significantly oversupply the market and create that imbalance again, Al-Mazrouei told CNBC on the sidelines of the OPEC/non-OPEC panel meeting on Sunday.



According to the plans, by the end of the year, the UAE will have a spare production capacity of 500,000 bpd, which, estimates by Platts show, would be the second-highest after that of Saudi Arabia. Related: JP Morgan: Expect Brent Oil To Reach $90 On Iran Sanctions

Russia, the leader of the non-OPEC group in the production cut deal, can bring a couple of hundred thousand barrels in the short term, by December this year, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told Bloomberg in an interview this weekend.

Nevertheless, the participants in the deal will look first into demand before making any additional decisions on supply, said Novak, who also noted that the market may be in a small deficit, but overall stable.

Saudi Arabiawhich holds the worlds largest spare oil production capacitysaid that it would boost oil production over the next three months because it expects demand to be stronger.

The Saudis claim that their spare production capacity is between 1.5 million bpd and 2 million bpd. The problem with this estimate is that it has never been tested.

Saudi Arabias all-time high oil production is 10.72 million bpd, achieved in November 2016 just before the OPEC+ deal entered into force. In August 2018, the Saudis pumped 10.4 million bpd, as per OPEC secondary sources data.

The EIA defines spare capacity as the volume of oil production that can be brought online within 30 days and sustained for at least 90 days. Related: What Will Trigger The Next Oil Price Crash?

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, OPEC countries have a combined 2.7 million bpd of spare production capacity, of which 60 percent is in Saudi Arabia.

But the point about spare capacity is that, having been idle, it is not clear exactly how much, beyond what is widely thought to be easy to bring online, will be available to coincide with further falls in Venezuelan exports and a maximisation of Iranian sanctions, the IEA said in its latest monthly Oil Market Report.

The market is tightening, and its expected to further tighten by the end of the year thanks to Iran and Venezuela, but OPEC and Russia are not rushing to tap into spare capacity, because leaving it tight could raise the risk of a spike in oil prices in case of another outage somewhere.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Pipelines, for a long time, were the most important method of transportation for natural gas. This fixed form of infrastructure has the advantage of lower transportation costs in the long-term. The disadvantage, however, is the dependence of producers on a limited number of buyers and for consumers a limited number of suppliers. With this in mind, few pipeline projects are as contentious as Nord Stream 2, a project that will increase the dependence of the EU on Russian gas in a tense geopolitical environment. Despite opposition, the project looks to be progressing according to plan.

Gazprom, the owner of the pipeline, and its Western investors, notably Shell, OMV, Wintershall, and Engie supported by the German and Russian governments, are facing a barrage of criticism from Eastern Europe, the U.S. and the European Commission. Despite pressure to cancel the project, recent developments have increased the likeliness of the pipeline being completed.

When completed, Nord Stream 2 will have a capacity of 55 bcm and run parallel to the original Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Dwindling reserves in the North Sea region increase the necessity for imported natural gas. Furthermore, the rising importance of environmentalism and the phasing out of coal has increased reliance on natural gas as a relatively clean fuel to supplement renewables.

However, fear of Moscow using gas as a weapon prompted the European Commission to attempt to obstruct Nord Stream 2 using legal and political tools. But so-far efforts have failed due to a lack of jurisdiction and opposition from Germany. Despite pressure from a unified Eastern European group supported by the Commission, Berlin is holding its ground. Germanys position is overtly economic with some political considerations regarding the U.S.

The German economy has a strong manufacturing industry. Cheap energy is necessary to keep costs low and German products competitive. Berlin has been adamant that the pipeline is a commercial and not a political project. Despite unequivocal opposition from Washington, support for Nord Stream 2 remains solid within the German establishment. Politically, Chancellor Merkel cannot afford to look weak in the eyes of her constituency and her European partners by giving in to President Trump. However, the Germans will make a decision concerning the location of their first LNG terminal by the end of 2018 in what Peter Altmaier called a gesture to our American friends. Related: $100 Oil Is A Distinct Possibility

Gazproms position on the European market is solid as it has proven to be a swing producer with significant spare capacity to balance the market. During the winter season of 2017/2018 Europe was hit by extreme weather during which Gazprom provided additional supplies to keep homes warm and factories in business.

Nord Stream 2 fits with the companys strategy to replace depleting European reserves while at the same time serving the Russian states interests. The latter, however, has negatively impacted the market value of the Russian giant. Right before the economic crisis of 2008, CEO Alexei Miller was sure the company would reach a market capitalization of one trillion from $340 billion. Since then the value of Gazprom has plummeted while that of Novateks has risen significantly. Now, both companies are valued at around $50 billion. This is all the more interesting as the latters production and proven reserves are just a fraction of Gazproms.

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

Despite Gazproms considerable capacity, the company is valued at much less than it was ten years ago due to the Kremlins influence. This adds to the fear some Westerners have concerning Nord Stream 2. The most vocal states of this group, Poland, Ukraine, and the U.S., have been accused of secondary motives: U.S. companies are looking for additional LNG buyers, and Poland and Ukraine stand to lose billions in transit fees. Related: Why OPEC Didnt Intervene In Oil Markets

Construction of Nord Stream 2 has already started. Until recently most activities had been limited to onshore construction and work in the territorial waters at the Russian departure point near St. Petersburg and the German area near Greifswald. However, on September 5th the ship Solitaire with its 420-member crew started welding 12-meter, 24-ton pipes on-board. Working around the clock, seven days a week, the ship is able to lay 3 kilometers of pipeline a day and finish the 1200 kilometers project in 400 days.

The chances of stopping Nord Stream Two decrease with every pipe that is laid on the seabed. All legal and political options within the European Union have been spent and potential American sanctions would further strengthen the resolve of the German government not to look weak. Either way, Gazprom seems to have won this round.

By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Brent jumped above $80 per barrel on Monday, coming on the heels of the decision by the OPEC+ coalition to do nothing in the face of the tightening oil market.

The meeting in Algiers between OPEC and the non-OPEC partners ended with no decision to increase oil production beyond what was agreed to in June. The Joint OPEC-non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) noted that, despite growing uncertainties surrounding market fundamentals, including the economy, demand and supplythe Committee expressed its satisfaction regarding the current oil market outlook, with an overall healthy balance between supply and demand, OPEC said in a statement.

The group merely reaffirmed its goal of achieving 100 percent compliance with the production cut deal, noting that compliance stood at 129 percent in August. The markets are adequately supplied. I dont know of any refiner in the world who is looking for oil and is not able to get it, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih told reporters after the meeting.

But of course, the compliance rate in excess of 100 percent is the result of enormous supply losses from Iran, not to mention ongoing declines in Venezuela. Estimates continue to offer a wide range on the potential outages from Iran as November sanctions approach, but they run from 1 million barrels per day (mb/d) to 2 mb/d. Only a few months ago the consensus estimate of Iran losses seemed to hover around 0.5 mb/d.

These supply losses are significantly tightening the oil market, pushing prices up to their highest level in more than two months.

This is the oil markets response to the OPEC+ groups refusal to step up its oil production, Commerzbank wrote in a note, referring to Brent rising above $80 per barrel. US President Trump had indirectly demanded this in a tweet he sent a few days before yesterdays informal meeting between OPEC and those non-OPEC countries taking part in the production cuts. Instead, OPEC+ is still keen to maintain 100% compliance with the cuts. Related: New Breakthrough Could Lead To Safer Energy Storage

According to RBC Capital Markets, the recent terror attack in Iran could matter more for the oil markets than the OPEC+ meeting if it stokes broader regional conflict.

But that remains speculative. For now, the oil supply/demand balances will continue to drive oil prices, and for the next few months at least, the trend appears bullish. Major oil trading houses have suggested that prices could spike to $100 per barrel as the balances tighten.

Still, Saudi Arabia said it plans on increasing output this month, followed by another increase in October, although details on the specifics are lacking.

The oil market is clearly concerned that OPEC+ could be late to respond. Saudi Arabia has promised to offer higher output if the market demands it, but so much market data is only published on a lag. Its as if al-Falih is driving the ship but only looking through the rear-view mirror.

A broader concern is that Saudi Arabias spare capacity is really untested. Riyadh insists spare capacity stands at around 1.5 mb/d, but that is unproven. Also, producing at an elevated level on a sustained basis  beyond 10.6 mb/d, which is pretty much where they are at now  is also untried. Related: Saudis Expand Mining Sector As Part Of Diversification Push

Moreover, even if Saudi Arabia can demonstrate an ability to produce at 11 mb/d or more for a sustained period of time, it will only come at the expense of spare capacity. Leaving the market thin on surplus production capacity, even if it results in more barrels put onto the market, is risky. A subsequent outage would present serious problems to global supplies.

There are also pricing impacts to cutting spare capacity, even before another outage occurs. In other words, oil traders might be pleased to see more supply put onto the market in the next few months, especially as Iranian production goes offline, but dwindling spare capacity could also provoke more volatility.

Its a balancing act with no clear answers. For now, Saudi Arabia wants to withhold its firepower and assess the impact of U.S. sanctions on Iran. That means that in the immediate near-term, the oil market will tighten.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:King Mohammed VI has paid tribute to late Nelson Mandela that he described as a man of natural modesty and humility, a universalist who embodied a particular vision of the world.

This extraordinary man belongs indisputably to a category of universal people whose destiny has local, national, continental and global implications, said King Mohammed VI in a message read out at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, held Monday at the United Nations headquarters in New York, in celebration of the centenary of the birth of the late South-African leader.

The King urged the United Nations to defend and preserve this ideal to shape the lofty vision Mandela had in mind  the one to which he devoted his life and his action.

An icon of reconciliation, the late Mandela never stopped urging us to engage in a collective self-examination regarding the humanist values he embodied, calling upon us to transcend our divisions, be they political or economic. To grapple with the scourge of racism, he advocated liberation; to tackle partition, he championed unity; to ward off the perils of fragmentation and marginalization, he opted for unification; he was a relentless advocate of progress and prosperity, instead of underdevelopment and isolation, King Mohammed VI underlined.

The world admires him for his strength of character, his concern for vulnerable people and his fight, throughout his life, against discrimination and inequality, said the king in his message read out by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

There was most certainly a Moroccan chapter in Madibas rich life, the Monarch said, underscoring the sincere affection and esteem he harbored for the late King Hassan II.

This affection was mutual. It stemmed from the unconditional support provided by Morocco to African Liberation Movements. This was a core feature of the reign of my late grandfather, His Majesty King Mohammed V, and of my late father, His Majesty King Hassan II. Both of them welcomed all African Liberation Movements. When the latter sought help and support, they used the Kingdom as a military and political base, explained King Mohammed VI.

As leader of the African National Congress, Nelson Mandela knew that he could count on Moroccos support, underlined the royal message, reminding the world that between 1960 and 1962, Mandela had lived in Morocco which supported his legitimate struggle.

This multiform, continuous assistance during the struggle waged by the South African national movement included the training of ANC activists in the Oujda region, the provision of logistical and military aid to the ANC as well as support for the diplomatic activities led by the Nelson Mandela Movement abroad, recalled the Sovereign, saying that Mandela visited the North African Kingdom in November 1994 to show his appreciation and unfailing solidarity with the Moroccan people.

During this visit, late King Hassan II awarded Mandela Moroccos highest distinction in recognition of the exceptional struggle he waged for equality and justice.

Mandela incarnated a school of wisdom that his successors should perpetuate. The values he embodied with unwavering courage are the very values to which we firmly adhere. They are the guiding principles of my countrys political and civic action in the Kingdom, in Africa and in the world, said King Mohammed VI.

Mandela showed us that dialogue and negotiation must be pursued with relentless resolve, no matter how deep the chasms or misunderstandings, stressed the Sovereign in his message.

On the sidelines of the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres unveiled a life-sized statue of late President Nelson Mandela at the UN headquarters.

The UN General Assembly also honored Nelson Mandela with a pledge to build a just, peaceful and prosperous world and to revive the values for which the former South African President and anti-apartheid campaigner stood.

The UN has declared 2019-2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace and issued a political declaration to promote disarmament.Its that season again: ahead of the final quarter of the year, oil markets are once again riled by an event that will have a major effect on prices. Last year and the year before that, the market-riling events were OPEC meetings focused on production curbing. This year, its the Iran sanctions due to snap back in early November that has oil markets stirred.

As the date nears, traders and analysts spew price forecast after price forecast with a growing number of these in the bullish end of the ring. Many are saying that Brent will hit US$100 a barrel before the end of the year for the first time since 2014, with some forecasting the U.S. sanctions could remove 2 million bpd of Iranian crude from global markets. Thats certainly a major upward revision on earlier projections that mostly hovered around 1 million bpd of Iranian oil being cut from global supply at most. Yet the actual effect of the sanctions remains uncertain even with less than two months to go.

Bloomberg recently reported that the analyst consensus on how much Iranian oil will be shut off was 1.5 million bpd. The agency cited representatives of some of the biggest oil-trading houses globally as expecting Brent to hit US$90 before the end of the year and climb above US$100 soon after. Bank of America Merrill Lynch warned about this scenario in a recent note. However, theres a caveat: the spike will be short-lived because US$100 a barrel is unsustainable. Related: Why Peak Oil Demand Doesnt Matter

This is most certainly true, but theres more. Even the current price level of Brent crude may well turn out to be unsustainable. Reuters earlier this week reported that some refiners in India were considering a curb in their imports and tapping local inventories in anticipation of higher prices. That should not come as a surprise: earlier this year Indias Petroleum Minister called on OPEC and non-OPEC producers to stop the price rise that had pushed Brent to US$80 a barrel.

OPECas represented by Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falihand Russia seem to think the market is in balance and no further production boost is necessary. Russias Alexander Novak said this week that the last quarter of the year was a period of lower oil demand so current production levels should suffice. But what about the Iran sanctions?

Well, what we know is that South Korea has not bought any Iranian crude since July and that Japanese refiners have suspended their imports from Iran as well. A Bloomberg breakdown of Iranian exports in early May shows that Iran exported a little over 300,000 bpd to South Korea and 137,500 bpd to Japan. Combined, this is a hefty amount, but its not as hefty as the amount of oil Iran exported to China at the timealmost 650,000 bpdand to India, at a bit over 500,000 bpd. Iran also exported over half a million bpd of crude to Europe. So, the real question is how much of this oil will be shut off from the market. Related: Brent Oil Breaks Its Post-Crash High

China will continue importing Iranian oil. So will India, paying for it in rupees. The European Union also came up with a solution to the sanction problem: the EU will set up a special-purpose vehicle for trade with Iran. Reuters quoted European diplomats as saying the SPV will basically be used to process barter payments, avoiding the use of dollars in bilateral trade.

What does this all mean for oil prices? For one thing, it means Iranian oil exports will not be reduced to zero. The 2-million-bpd scenario is unlikely to play out. The 1.5-million-bpd scenario may have a better chance, but only if the United States somehow persuades India to cut all Iranian oil imports, which is quite unlikely. Europe and China have found ways to circumvent the sanctions. One wonders if Novak and Al-Falih knew something the rest of us dont about the Iran sanctions when they said the market was in balance.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:The United States is considering putting more pressure on Nicolas Maduros regime in Venezuela, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said, and some analysts speculate that the increased pressure may include a ban on U.S. exports of light oil which Venezuela uses to dilute its extra heavy oil to move it to pipelines for exports.

I think youll see in the coming days a series of actions that continue to increase the pressure level against the Venezuelan leadership  folks who are working directly against the best interests of the Venezuelan people,  Secretary Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News on Friday.

Pompeo didnt specify whether that increased pressure would be sanctions and if sosanctions on what or whom.

According to analysts who spoke to S&P Global Platts on Sunday, while a ban on U.S. imports of Venezuelan crude oil is off the table, because the effect that such a move will have on U.S. Gulf Coast refiners, oil prices, and gasoline prices, the U.S. Administration may be considering restrictions on U.S. exports of light oil to Venezuela.

According to Francisco Monaldi, the Latin American energy policy fellow at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy, the United States may be mulling sanctions on individuals or possibly banning U.S. exports of light oil and refined oil products.

Such bans have always been on the table, Monaldi told Platts.



Related: How The Sahara Could Power The Entire World

According to Joe McMonigle, an analyst with Hedgeye Risk Management, the United States is not studying sanctions on Venezuelas oil because such a move could further drive oil prices up, which the White House surely doesnt want ahead of the mid-term elections. But, McMonigle says, U.S. exports of light oil for diluents could be restricted.

According to the latest available EIA data, U.S. exports of petroleum products to Venezuela averaged 134,000 bpd in June 2018, up from 114,000 bpd in May, and from 90,000 bpd in June 2017.

Meanwhile, Venezuelas crude oil production has been constantly dropping over the past two years due to a lack of investment, mismanagement, and a severe economic crisis. As per OPECs secondary sources, Venezuelas oil production fell by 36,000 bpd from July to average 1.235 million bpd in Augustcompared to an average 1.911 million bpd for 2017.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:The European Union said it has set up a special-purpose vehicle that will handle transactions involving Iranian oil and European goods, AFP reports, citing a statement made by the EUs head of foreign policy Federica Mogherini at the UN.

"In practical terms, Mogherini said, 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."

Reuters quoted European diplomats as saying the scheme was similar to the barter system used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, which eliminated the use of any money. Some of these diplomats, however, seemed concerned that this attempt to keep Iranian oil flowing into Europe is doomed. Washington, they said, could simply expand the scope of the sanctions to include barter transactions. Reuters did not elaborate on how exactly this would be done legally.

The key is to keep all possibilities open so that we can signal to the Iranians that the door isnt closing, one French diplomat said.

The European signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, more commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, have demonstrated exemplary verbal efforts to keep the deal in place, with the European Commission enacting a provision that effectively bans European companies from complying with U.S. sanctions. However, these same companies, including Total and Volkswagen, have essentially ignored the provision and have abandoned Iran for fear of repercussions from Washington.

Iran, at the same time, has insisted that the EU offers real support for the deal and for its economy in these times of trouble, threatening to resume its nuclear program if nothing is done. According to the diplomats who spoke to Reuters, so far the EU has failed to provide this kind of support.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Guyana has put all oil auctions on hold until it sets up a ministry to deal with all things energy, Reuters reports, citing Minister of State Joseph Harmon. One of the hot spots in oil, the tiny South American country has enjoyed the attention of none other than Exxon, which discovered its first oil field there in 2015.

Exxon entered Guyana, a neighbor of Venezuela, in 1999. Since then, Reuters notes, the Guyana government has awarded it the rights to explore hundreds of blocks offshore. In partnership with Hess Corp and Chinas CNOOC, Exxon has so far discovered reserves of more than 3 billion barrels of crude.

Two years ago, the consortium and the Guyana government extended the contract they were operating under, agreeing to a 2-percent royalty and an equal split of profits after the recovery of production costs. Yet opposition parties have criticized the agreement, saying royalties were too low. The decision to set up a special ministry for energy followed these criticisms. Until that institution is created, there will be no oil auctions, apparently.

If you want to call that being on hold you can do so, but what I am saying it is basically an administrative process which is basically requiring the Department, which was only established on the 1st of August, to get a better sense ... of the lay of the land, before they start to proceed to engage people and to make decisions, the Minister of State told Reuters.



Related: Heres Whats Next For Russian LNG

The Exxon consortium has so far made nine discoveries off the shore of Guyana, which could together yield some 750,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily by 2025. Now Tullow Oil is preparing to start drilling in its Orinduik license plot, which neighbors the Stabroek area where Exxon has made its discoveries.

Having a special ministry dedicated to energy issues seems like a good idea; Guyana is a tiny country with a population of 800,000 and no history of oil production. Its transformation into an oil producer will certainly change a lot of things. Its anyones guess if Guyana would be able to avoid the oil curse that has wrecked the economies of so many countries, including, notably, its neighbor Venezuela.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Indias oil refiners are considering reducing their crude oil imports and drawing on inventories to try to cut their import costs amid high oil prices and a weakening local currency against the U.S. dollar, Reuters reported on Monday, citing refinery sources and top executives.

Over the past few months, rising oil prices and the weakening Indian currency, the rupee, have already created a perfect storm for India, where oil demand growth has been surging, but the higher oil prices are increasing the countrys spending on crude oil imports, which account for 80 percent of Indian oil consumption.

Consequently, Indiathe worlds third-largest oil importerhas been paying much more for oil in recent months.

For example, the value of Indias oil imports in August 2018 stood at US$11.83 billion, up by 51.62 percent in dollars, and up 64.84 percent in rupees compared to August 2017, trade data by the Indian Ministry of Commerce & Industry showed. In April-August, the value of Indias oil imports jumped by 53.55 percent in dollars and by 62.01 percent in rupees, compared to April-August last year.

Senior executives at some of Indias top oil refiners confirmed to Reuters that they have recently held a meeting at which they discussed using more stockpiled crude and importing less oil in order to mitigate the combined effect of higher oil prices and weak rupee on the oil import bill.

We are looking at various options to contain the costs including reducing our inventory. This will be a coordinated effort among refiners, R. Ramachandran, the head of refiners at Bharat Petroleum, told Reuters. If need be, we will talk to other countries for a coordinated effort.

Last week, reports emerged that India may be planning to ask its state-held oil refiners to lock in the price of their crude oil futures purchases amid the sliding local currency and expectations of higher oil prices when U.S. sanctions on Iran return in early November.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:Indias crude oil demand is expected to rise to 500 million tons annually, or around 10 million bpd, by 2040, from around 4.7 million bpd in 2017, Partha Ghosh, executive director for optimization at the biggest refiner Indian Oil Corporation, said on Tuesday.

Total global oil demand is forecast to rise by another 15.8 million bpd by 2040, Reuters quoted the manager as saying on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) in Singapore.

Of this expected global demand growth, Indias demand growth would be around 24 percent, Ghosh said.



Indias economic growth is driving energy demand growth, but the rate of that growth is expected to slow by 2024-2025.

The single biggest hindrance for Indias oil demand growth will not be alternative energy or energy efficiency, it will be higher oil prices, Ghosh told Reuters, noting that Indias economy is highly sensitive to oil prices. Estimates have it that a $10 a barrel rise in oil prices reduces Indias gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.2-0.3 percent, the manager said.

Indiawhich imports around 80 percent of the oil it consumeswill see its energy consumption growing at the fastest rate among all major economies by 2040, according to the BP Energy Outlook 2018. Oil imports will rise by 175 percent and account for 65 percent of the increase in energy imports, BP says, estimating Indias oil consumption at 10 million bpd in 2040.



Related: Schlumberger To Buy Russia's Leading Drilling Company

According to OPECs just released 2018 World Oil Outlook, India is projected to be the country with the largest additional oil demand and the fastest growth in the period to 2040. India will see the largest additional demand of 5.8 million bpd, likely passing the 10-million-bpd mark sometime towards the end of the forecast period, OPEC said.

While India is expected to continue to be a key driver of global oil demand growth, its vulnerability to oil prices could act as a demand destroyer in periods of higher oil prices.

Over the past few months, rising oil prices and the weakening Indian currency, the rupee, have already created a perfect storm for India, and refiners and the government are said to be considering various measures to reduce their spending on oil imports, including hedging or using stockpiles.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:A Philippine lawmaker fiercely critical of President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war was arrested Tuesday on previously dismissed charges, a move condemned by watchdogs as persecution of the government's opponents. Senator Antonio Trillanes was taken into custody and then posted bail shortly after a court-issued warrant forced him from the Senate building, where he has holed up for weeks to avoid arrest. Trillanes is the second senator critical of Duterte's drug war to be detained. Leila de Lima has been behind bars since February 2017 on charges she says were concocted to silence her. The order for Trillanes' arrest stems from Duterte voiding earlier this month an amnesty granted eight years ago to the senator, an ex-navy officer, for his role in two coup attempts in the mid-2000s. "They twisted the law so our democracy and institutions failed," Trillanes told reporters. "This (case) has nothing to do with anything except for the vengeance of Duterte and his underlings." Duterte issued a decree earlier this month ordering Trillanes' arrest on allegations he did not complete the requirements of filing an official application for amnesty and admitting guilt. The case has prompted concern in the Philippines where critics have questioned whether presidents have the power to undo amnesties, a repeatedly used tool in a nation plagued by insurgencies and military rebellion. - 'Sociopath and hitman mindset' - "The arrest... is part of the persecution of critics of the Duterte administration, the latest in the relentless campaign to silence those who dared to challenge the president's murderous 'drug war'," said Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch Philippines. Bigger legal trouble could still await Trillanes because he could be arrested on another charge, stemming from a separate coup attempt, that does not have the possibility of bail. The Philippines' creaking legal system is notoriously slow and defendants can remain behind bars for years before they get their day in court. Along with De Lima, Trillanes is Duterte's loudest critic telling AFP last year: "This man is a sociopath and he has the mindset of a hitman." Trillanes last year appealed to the International Criminal Court to investigate killings in Duterte's war on drugs and had repeatedly accused the president of being a mass murderer and holding secret bank accounts. Last year Trillanes also had the president's eldest son Paolo brought before a Senate inquiry to face allegations he was involved in drug trafficking, which the younger Duterte denied. Trillanes had faced rebellion and coup d'etat charges for being among military officers who rose up against then president Gloria Arroyo over alleged corruption and mismanagement. He led scores of junior officers in taking over part of a main district of Manila in 2003 and seized a posh Manila hotel in 2007 along with several armed followers as they demanded Arroyo's resignation.The defeated strongman of the Maldives, Abdulla Yameen, is welcome in neighbouring Sri Lanka, Colombo said Tuesday, two days after his surprise defeat in presidential elections. Sri Lanka has long been a haven for dissidents from the nearby Maldives over years of political upheaval, including for hundreds of opponents of Yameen since he became president in 2013. In a phone call on Monday, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe "informed Mr. Yameen that he is welcome in Colombo at any time," the premier's office said. Wickremesinghe made the call after hosting Yameen's arch rival and former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed at a luncheon meeting on Monday. Nasheed, the atoll nation's first democratically elected leader, was sentenced to 13 years in jail after narrowly losing the 2013 elections to Yameen. He fled to London where he sought refuge and now lives in Sri Lanka. Sunday's election was held with all key opposition leaders behind bars or in exile, leaving the little-known Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to challenge Yameen. In a major upset, Solih won with 58 percent of the vote. Solih's victory was greeted warmly by India as Yameen had drifted closer to China, borrowing heavily from New Delhi's regional rival to invest in infrastructure. Declaring victory, Solih demanded Yameen immediately release all political prisoners in the country. A Maldivian court freed five of them on Monday night. Many more are still in jail, including Yameen's estranged half-brother and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, 80, who is expected to be released shortly. Under intense international pressure, Yameen conceded defeat and pledged to allow a peaceful transition when he formally steps down on November 17. Rights group Amnesty International called Tuesday on Solih to "break with the repression and human rights violations of the past and chart a fresh course where human rights are at the heart" of government policy. The European Union, which had earlier threatened sanctions, said Monday that it would "continue to closely review the situation".President Donald Trump on Wednesday faced a rebuke of his hardline Iran policy at a UN Security Council meeting that laid bare a rift between the United States and other world powers. Presiding for the first time over a meeting of the United Nations' body, Trump denounced the "horrible, one-sided" nuclear deal with Iran that he ditched in May, to the dismay of European allies. A gavel-wielding Trump also took a swipe at China, accusing Beijing of working against his Republican Party in upcoming midterm elections as payback for their growing trade war, a charge China's foreign minister said was "unwarranted." The United States has moved to reimpose sanctions that had been lifted under the deal to curb Iran's nuclear program and has vowed to isolate Tehran, which it accuses of stoking conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. France however hit back, with President Emmanuel Macron declaring that concerns about Iran cannot be tackled with "a policy of sanctions and containment." Also defending the 2015 deal which was endorsed in a Security Council resolution, British Prime Minister Teresa May said it "remains the best means of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon." Trump argued that since the deal was signed in 2015, "Iran's aggression only increased" and that funds released from the lifting of sanctions had been used "to support terrorism, build nuclear-capable missiles and foment chaos." China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that the "rights of all countries to trade with Iran should be respected" after the European Union said a special payment system would be set up to keep alive business ties with Iran. Iran did not request to speak at the council meeting, but Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told a news conference separately that the United States would eventually rejoin the nuclear deal and pledged Tehran's continued commitment to the accord. "For the first time, the US president was asking other members not to adhere to a resolution of the very same Security Council over which he was presiding," quipped Rouhani. "We are not isolated; America is isolated," he said. Wednesday's meeting highlighted divisions between the United States and its European allies over the Iran nuclear deal, but there was also sharp criticism of Trump's broader foreign policy. Leftist Bolivian President Evo Morales bluntly declared that "the United States does not care about human rights or justice." If that were not the case, he argued, "it would not abandon the UN human rights council or separate migrant children from their families and put them in jail." - 'Unwarranted' accusations - In a blunt attack on China, Trump told the council that Beijing was attempting to interfere in the upcoming elections, hoping to see him suffer a setback because of his tough line on trade. "They do not want me or us to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade," said Trump. The Republicans could lose control of both the Senate and House of Representatives in November's elections, further imperiling Trump's chances of chalking up legislative achievements. The Chinese foreign minister responded flatly that Beijing strictly adhered to a policy of non-interference. "We did not and will not interfere in any country's domestic affairs. We refuse to accept any unwarranted accusations against China," said Wang. Tensions have soared between Beijing and Washington after Trump this week slapped new tariffs covering $200 billion in Chinese goods exported to the United States. On North Korea, Trump called for sanctions to be strictly enforced against Pyongyang -- a message directed at Russia and China which are pushing for an easing of punitive measures to reward North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Without naming countries, the US president noted that "some nations are already violating UN sanctions" including illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil and said compliance was "very important." His comments came shortly before his top diplomat, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, signaled that he would return to North Korea next month to push forward denuclearization talks. It was only the third time in UN history that a US president chaired a Security Council meeting. Barack Obama presided over two meetings in 2009 and 2014.The spotted salamander or yellow spotted salamander is one of the species of amphibians that is way less common than it used to be. Found in the eastern United States and Canada, the spotted salamander is the state amphibian of Ohio and South Carolina. Credit: Brad Glorioso/US Geologic Survey

While a warming climate in recent decades may be a factor in the waning of some local populations of frogs, toads, newts and salamanders, it cannot explain the overall steep decline of amphibians, according to researchers.

After analyzing many years of data for 81 North American amphibian species including more than 500,000 observations collected at more than 5,000 sites in 86 study areas by a broad coalition of herpetologists, it is clear a warming climate is not the primary driver in their disappearance, according to lead researcher David Miller, associate professor of wildlife population ecology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

The researchers focused on how colonization and persistence of local populations were related to annual variation in five climate variables thought to affect key components of amphibian life cycles: winter severity, snowfall, breeding water availability, summer soil moisture and maximum temperature.

"The influence of climate on amphibian populations is complex," Miller said. "In the last 30 years, we have seen increases in temperature, while some spots have gotten drier and others have gotten wetter. In the big picture, those developments seem to counteract each other. As a result, the impact of climate change for the measures we focused on cannot explain the sharp decline we have seen and continue to see across amphibian populations."

The study showed that, on average, 3.4 percent of amphibian species are disappearing from local amphibian habitats each year. That is the equivalent of losing half the species in any wetland, stream reach or forest site every 20 years. Miller believes these declines are a continuation of losses of amphibian populations that have been occurring since the 19th century when human land-use began destroying their habitats.

The eastern newt is not as often seen in eastern North America as it once was. It frequents small lakes, ponds and streams or near-by wet forests. The eastern newt produces tetrodotoxin, which makes the species unpalatable to predatory fish and crayfish. Credit: Julian Avery/Penn Stat

"It is an alarming trend," he said. "Across species, on average, we lose more than three in 100 of the sites where they occur each year. Whether the sites are ponds, short stretches of streams or, if we're talking about salamanders, forest plotsthey're gone. Our research took place in the United States and Canada, but it's a trend worldwide."

In the studythe findings of which were published today in Nature Communications41 researchers estimated changes in amphibian numbers in plots they have been watching, in many cases, for a decade or more. They collected data on both public and private lands, including national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges.

Researchers correlated those changes with weather trends and climate-related conditions, directly measuring how climate drivers are affecting the processes that determine amphibian range shifts. For example, they found that less precipitation during breeding seasons generally has a negative effect on amphibian populations, while less snowfall during winter may benefit many populations.

The researchers determined that, while climate change likely has been and will be a factor in the decline of some local populations such as in the Rocky Mountain Westwhere the effect of a warming climate seems to be more severe for amphibiansit is not responsible for the current declines that are occurring.

That conclusion, of course, has scientists pondering the culprits most responsible for amphibian decline. Erin Muths, a scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey and a co-lead on the project, believes that the cause of declines comes down to a suite of local factors.

The gray treefrog is a species of small arboreal frog native to much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada that is not seen as often as it used to be. Credit: Julian Avery/Penn State

"It depends on the location whether habitat loss, disease, contaminants, climate, or a combination of these local factors is the culprit," she said. "Amphibians are challenged by a range of stressors that may be unique to location but in combination are leading to wide-range declines."

To better understand the causes of declines, Miller and colleagues from the USGS have initiated new work studying emerging pathogens that affect amphibians. A major concern for amphibian populations are new and deadly pathogens, mostly spread around the planet by humanslikely propelled by the pet trade.

According to Evan Grant, with the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, there are at least two new pathogens that researchers know of that are currently affecting North American amphibians.

"One is the chytrid fungus and the other is ranaviruses," he said. "We are trying to figure out how these affect populations of amphibians in the Northeast. We are still learning how infections are spread and why some species are more susceptible."

This past summer, for example, Miller's research group at Penn State watched the die-off of salamander larvae and tadpoles in the ponds they monitor in a Centre County, Pennsylvania, site called the Scotia Barrens. Preliminarily, Miller believes ranavirus caused the mortality event.

"Once these diseases make it to North America then the animals themselves can spread them around," he said. "But it really takes people to be involved in carrying the diseases from, say, Asia to the United States."Torrential rains and flash floods have killed at least four people and carried away homes, cars, chunks of roads and bridges in Cap Bon, a peninsula in north-eastern Tunisia.

Tunisias National Institute of Meteorology said the storm dumped 200 mm of rain on Nabeul and up to 225 mm in the city of Beni Khalled, in the peninsulas center.

The Tunisian Interior Ministry said the death toll climbed to five after a teenager was electrocuted Sunday in Bou Argoub, 45 km southeast of Tunis.

Tunisian authorities said they had dispatched police, army and rescue teams to the region, mobilizing ambulances and two helicopters over the weekend.

People angry about the situation demonstrated in Cape Bon. Prime Minister Chahed who visited the affected areas to meet survivors, has called for calm as excavators and pumps were put into action.

According to press reports, the sun was out on Sunday, although the regions telephone networks were still largely out of service.

The fourth Arab country to have published its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, Tunisia has put climate change on the top of its political and economic agenda in recent years.Credit: CC0 Public Domain

While accident implies a lack of planning, a University of Alberta business professor says organizations can be proactive in managing the serendipity that leads to accidental innovation.

"As scholars of innovation and management, it became clear to us that there are organizational processes and practices that both foster and harness happy accidents," said Joel Gehman, Francis Winspear Associate Professor of Business at the U of A, who worked with colleagues from the United States and France to study examples of how happy accidents were fostered by a culture of serendipity.

"The punchline was that, while you cannot schedule innovation, you certainly can organize for itand against it."

The team reviewed a number of accidental discoveries, such as how Corning turned a century of glass and ceramic expertise into the development of optical fibers for long-distance telecommunication, scientists studying a hepatitis C drug as a preventative medication for the Zika virus, and Viagra, which failed as a treatment for anginabut once patients refused to return the tablets because of unexpected side benefits, researchers knew they had something.

Gehman said these are all examples of innovations that result from "exaptation." In biology, exaptation occurs when living things use their structures or functions for purposes that were not developed through natural selection. For example, feathers first appeared on birdlike dinosaurs as a form of insulation and then as a way of catching insects. Only later did feathers enable flight.

"We know that organizations face problems of resource scarcity and constraint. But this leaves open a fundamental question of where novelty comes from," said Gehman. "In business, exaptation is one mechanism for thinking about precisely this question."

Interaction is a must

Because research and development generates many discoveries that may not appear to have immediate commercial use, one key is to get employees to interact with colleagues in other departments and organizations to find new uses for what they discover.

"The idea of the lone, heroic inventor is almost always a myth," said Gehman, explaining that even inventions commonly ascribed to the great inventor Thomas Edison were not the result of a single person, but collective organizational processes.

And while information sharing is naturally a part of what takes place when people interact, Gehman explained it is not sufficient to set in motion the kind of exaptive and serendipitous processes needed for innovation.

"It is interpretive flexibility in the meaning ascribed to information that drives innovation, not information per se. If you buy that argument, then the key organizational capability is more than just openness. You need the capacity to tell a new story about what a particular chain of information means now and, more critically, into the future. Without this narrative capacity, all the information in the world won't save you," he explained.

How-to

To determine what conditions best help carry forth this story of innovation in an organization, Gehman's group theorized practices companies can take both internally and externally to "increase the likelihood that happy accidents happen."

The first step, according to the group's look at sustained innovation, is for firms to organize in a way that allows people to bump into each other and associate across different groups.

A textbook example of this was in 1968 when 3M employee Spencer Silver developed an adhesive that didn't actually glue. Still believing his work had purpose, he told anyone who would listen about his discovery and how it was a "solution looking for a problem."

That problem came in the form of fellow 3M employee Art Fry's inability to keep bookmarks from falling out of his hymn book while singing in the church choir. By using Silver's weak adhesive, he could keep the bookmarks in place without damaging his songbook. A dozen years after the adhesive was discovered, 3M introduced Post-it Notes.

Other practices the researchers identified included enabling employees to think through their ideas on a deeper level by engaging others to work around roadblocks and find new solutions, encouraging employees to attend conferences across multiple industries and having employees spend time in "idea labs" or "hackathons" similar to internal design spaces, but for people from different organizations.

"Companies such as Google are running hackathons where multiple people from within and outside the organization are brought together for a short duration of time to work intensively using design principles (such as rapid prototyping) as championed by the design firm IDEO," said Gehman.

While these efforts may require significant investments of time and resources, and relatively long timeframes for success, he said managers should keep in mind that the resulting happy accidents can be quite profitable.

"There is a way of thinking that everything should be measurable in the moment. That way of thinking rules out those happy accidents, which could eventually give you a completely different way of competing, a completely new product or a completely new solution to a problem someone has already encountered," explained Gehman.

"Ultimately, organizing for accidental discoveries does not happen by accident."

Explore further Crowdsourcing provides remarkable benefits for companies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

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 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

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.

 2018 AFPCooperative colony foundation by multiple queens of an asexual female population of Glyptotermes nakajimai. Credit: University of Sydney

Populations of the termite species Glyptotermes nakajimai can form successful, reproducing colonies in absence of males, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Biology.

The findings by researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia and Kyoto University, Japan suggest that males are unnecessary for the maintenance of some advanced animal societies in which they previously played an active social role.

Toshihisa Yashiro, corresponding author of the said: "The complete loss of males from social insects has been previously reported only in ants and honey bees. Termite colonies were always found to have equal numbers of males and females, and to undergo sexual reproduction. Our paper is the first demonstration that termites can do away with males completely, and get along fine just with females."

The authors discovered populations of G. nakajimai with no evidence of any males in remote coastal areas of Japan. They compared the morphology of individuals from 37 colonies in these areas with those from 37 mixed-sex colonies found elsewhere in Japan. Queens in all-female colonies had empty spermathecae (an insect organ where sperm is stored after mating), whereas the queens in the mixed-sex populations had plenty of stored sperm. The eggs in the all-female colonies were all unfertilized.

Toshihisa Yashiro said: "Interestingly, we observed the occasional development of unfertilized eggs in the mixed-sex populations too. This suggests the ability to produce offspring from unfertilized eggs may have originated in mixed-sex ancestors and provided a potential pathway to the evolution of all-female colonies. We also found that all-female colonies had a soldier caste with a more uniform head size than their mixed-sex counterparts and fewer soldiers overall. This suggests that uniform female soldiers are more efficient at defense which may have contributed to the persistence and spread of the all-female colonies."

Further studies are required to find out if all-female colonies also occur in other termite species.

Explore further Bumblebees found to do better in urban settings than in agricultural areas

More information: Toshihisa Yashiro et al, Loss of males from mixed-sex societies in termites, BMC Biology (2018). Journal information: BMC Biology Toshihisa Yashiro et al, Loss of males from mixed-sex societies in termites,(2018). DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0563-yHinrichs said there was no business case for exporting autos to China with tariffs now reaching 40 percent

Ford is looking at speeding up plans to build more Lincoln models in Chinese plants amid the growing trade war with the United States that has made US exports less attractive, a senior executive said Monday.

Joseph Hinrichs, Ford's executive vice president for global operations, said he did not see any easy resolution to the trade dispute between the United States and China.

President Donald Trump on Monday imposed tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods, prompting swift retaliation from Beijing on $60 billion in US products.

"We have long been advocates for balanced and free trade," Hinrichs said. "We continue to encourage both the US administration and the Chinese government that it's in everyone's interest to work out their differences."

But, he said, "I believe this US-China discussion will go on for a while."

The increasing exchange of tariffs makes it difficult to plan for the future and with tariffs on vehicles exported to China now reaching 40 percent there is no business case for exporting vehicles from the United States, he said.

"China is a core businesses for us," he said, but added, "You're talking about two very powerful economies so we're going to have to plan accordingly."

The company has been planning to launch new vehicles in China to halt its recent slide in that market, he said.

Ford recently announced it was scrapping plans to import the compact Focus model from Chinese plants into the US market due to the tariffs.

Canada should stay in NAFTA

Hinrichs also said he hoped a breakthrough on a revised North American Free Trade Agreement could be achieved this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to keep Canada in the continental trade pact.

"We need a three-way auto agreement," Hinrichs said, noting that the deal struck last month between the United States and Mexico could serve as a basis for a more complete agreement that includes Canada.

"I'm worried a little bit that time will catch up with us," he said at a luncheon, noting that he had spent more time in Washington DC working on trade issues than ever before.

US and Canadian negotiators have spent more than a month trying to resolve remaining differences after Washington sealed a tentative deal with Mexico City which they intend to sign by December 1, when a new government takes office.

The auto industry is key to NAFTA and the free trade deal is critical to the North American supply chain.

Hinrichs said that while "the language of US-Mexico trade agreement should work for Canada" in the auto sector, the remaining sticking points centered on other topics like lumber, dairy and cultural issues.

Explore further Trade war sees Volvo put brakes on IPO plans: Bloomberg

 2018 AFP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. Credit: Stephen Salpukas

The Earth's climate is changing, and it's changed before. The world's oceans are warming, and they've warmed before.

Past episodes of oceanic warmingand their effectsare 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 todayvolcanism 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 university's 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 weatheringbut 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.

"Today's rates of global warming are significantly faster than anything we've seen in Earth's history," Lockwood said. It's 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."

Lockwood's 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 it's 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 can't explain why or how the shellfish were so successful.

"So, it's possible that the mollusks have responded, but we don't 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."

Explore further Research shines light on ancient global warming

More information: Linda C. Ivany et al. Little lasting impact of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum on shallow marine molluscan faunas, Science Advances (2018). Journal information: Science Advances Linda C. Ivany et al. Little lasting impact of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum on shallow marine molluscan faunas,(2018). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat5528Abu Dhabi's Yahsat on Monday launched its satellite broadband service in Ivory Coast in a bid to boost internet access in this west African nation where only 27 percent of the population is online.

Named YahClick, the service offers broadband internet connectivity to businesses, government agencies and remote areas of the country.

"This broadband satellite service promises to improve telecommunication capacities across the country which until now have been very weak," Yahsat's Africa manager Yannick Kashila told AFP.

In Ivory Coast, the leading economy in French-speaking West Africa, internet penetration remains stagnant at only 27 percent. In rural areas, only 2.0 percent of homes have access, compared with 16 percent in urban areas.

"Today in 2018, having good internet connectivity has a direct influence on the economic development of a developing nation," said Morris Michael Kofi, head of Cee-Net Technologies, which supplies internet technologies and is partnering with Yahsat.

"A 10-percent increase of broadband connectivity can have a positive impact equating to around 1.4 percent of GDP in a developing country," he told AFP.

Mobile telephony currently accounts for around 8.0 percent of Ivory Coast's GDP and the sector is one of the country's biggest employers.

The daily volume of financial transactions conducted over mobile networkspayments or money transfersin Ivory Coast equates to some 15 billion CFA francs (23 million euros/$29,000,000)

There are three operators dominating the mobile market in Ivory Coast: France Telecom's Orange, South Africa's MTN and the Ivorian-Saudi group Moov.

YahSat, which is based in the United Arab Emirates, is a satellite operator targeting markets in the Middle East, Africa, central and southwest Asia and Europe. It is owned by the Emirati investment fund Mubadala.

Explore further S.Africa behind other African states in Internet access

 2018 AFPA woman wears a sign on her head at a September 8, 2018 march in San Francisco

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.

Explore further Bangkok climate conference sounds alarm ahead of UN summit

 2018 AFPNASA's Opportunity rover appears as a blip in the center of this square. This image taken by HiRISE, a high-resolution camera onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows the dust storm over Perseverance Valley has substantially cleared. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

NASA still hasn't heard from the Opportunity rover, but at least we can see it again.

A new image produced by HiRISE, a high-resolution camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), shows a small object on the slopes of the Red Planet's Perseverance Valley. That object is Opportunity, which was descending into the Martian valley when a dust storm swept over the region a little more than 100 days ago.

The storm was one of several that stirred up enough dust to enshroud most of the Red Planet and block sunlight from reaching the surface. The lack of sunlight caused the solar-powered Opportunity to go into hibernation.

The rover's team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, hasn't heard from it since. On Sept. 11, JPL began increasing the frequency of commands it beams to the 14-year-old rover.

The taua measurement of how much sunlight reaches the surfaceover Opportunity was estimated to be a little higher than 10 during some points during the dust storm. The tau has steadily fallen in the last several months. On Thursday, Sept. 20, when this image was taken, tau was estimated to be about 1.3 by MRO's Mars Color Imager camera.

Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

This image was produced from about 166 miles (267 kilometers) above the Martian surface. The white box marks a 154-foot-wide (47-meter-wide) area centered on the rover.

Explore further NASA anxious to hear from Mars rover as dust storm clearsCredit: CC0 Public Domain

Scientists at the University of Notre Dame will begin an independent study of turnout gear worn by firefighters after initial samples tested positive for fluorine.

Graham Peaslee, a professor of experimental nuclear physics at the University of Notre Dame, and his lab tested fabric swatches taken from unused personal protective gear for the presence of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs).

"The results were phenomenaloff the scale in parts per million of fluorine in all but one of the samples," Peaslee said. "Everything was just loaded with fluorine." Following the initial tests, Peaslee is leading a study of new and used turnout and personal protective gear issued throughout the 2000s, including jackets, pants and undershirtsall of which are either new or have been in service for more than a decade.

Various forms of PFASs have been linked to prostate, kidney and testicular cancers, as well as thyroid disease and low birthweight. The chemicals are commonly associated with stain-resistant products and the manufacture of nonstick cookware. In 2017, Peaslee was one of several researchers who uncovered the presence of PFASs in fast-food wrappers.

The chemicals are also a component of aqueous film-forming foams. These foam fire suppressants have been linked to incidents of contaminated drinking water. In Michigan, where a number of communities have traced water contamination to the use of the foam, some fire officials are working to limit its use or to use alternative, PFAS-free formulas when possible. The United States Air Force began phasing out PFAS-based foam for an environmentally safer alternative in 2016, and finished replacing its stock in 2017.

To test for PFASs, Peaslee's lab uses particle-induced gamma-ray emission spectroscopy, a novel and specialized method he developed as an efficient and cost-effective way to analyze for total fluorine content. For this study, Peaslee said he and his students plan to test for content and how muchif anyis coming off the fabric with time and use.

"We're going to measure each piece of gear and look at the difference in fluorine content over time and extensive use, including after the fabric has been washed, and look at how much of the chemical can transfer off the fabric," he said. "The obvious thing is, if you take the new gear and wash itdo the measurements match the old gear? I can also then take the water from the wash and test the liquid. We can expose swatches of this fabric to heat and light and see if the fluorine content is affected. Will the chemical bonds break down?"

The breakdown of those chemical bonds in textiles and the transfer of PFASs is what concerns Peaslee the most. PFASs don't degrade easily, and have an especially long half-life, meaning that those chemicals remain in the environment for many years, whether accumulating in the ground or the body.

Though scientists have not yet learned if PFASs can transfer to the human body simply by coming in contact with the skin, Peaslee co-authored a study in 2017 describing a method to track certain PFASs in mouse models. The results of that study suggest certain PFASs, such as short-chain PFAS compounds, can accumulate in various organs such as the brain and stomach.

"If I can see a measurable decrease from our tests, that means the PFAS has gone into the environment," Peaslee said. "That environment is in the workplace where these firefighters work, and where these firefighters live. That would be a pretty significant finding. I think it's a study that needs to be done."

Explore further Fast food packaging contains potentially harmful chemicals that can leach into foodCredit: CC0 Public Domain

An 'enduring historical legacy' of Protestant religion is still having a significant, positive impact on secondary school enrolment rates around the world, according to the results of a new international study from a researcher at the University of Bath (UK).

Despite nearly two centuries of secularization and a dramatic expansion of government-provided secondary education since the mid-20th century in many countries around the world, the research by Dr. Horst Feldmannjust published in the journal Comparative Sociology finds that in countries with a historical legacy of Protestantism more young people are attending secondary school.

Looking at data from 147 countriesboth from developed and developing countriesthe paper studies the influence of historical as well as contemporary Protestantism on education in recent yearsspecifically the period from 1975 to 2010.

At the start of the Reformation in 1517, initiated by Martin Luther, Protestantism made strenuous efforts to expand schooling. Luther demanded compulsory elementary education for boys and girls from all social classes. Other German Protestants soon developed a comprehensive system of schooling, including a system of secondary education. The German reforms quickly became a blueprint for education across many other countries in western and northern Europe.

Britain exported Protestantism to its colonies around the globe, which profoundly shaped their educational systems as well. Here too, Protestants introduced mass education, including formal education for women as well as for marginalized groups, including slaves. The Protestant missionaries in the British colonies were also the first to provide post-primary education. As a result of these reforms, school enrolment rates were substantially higher than in colonies of, for example, Spain and France.

However, from the 19th century Protestantism's influence on schooling had strongly wanedfirst in traditionally Protestant countries and, further to decolonization, in Britain's former colonies. School systems were secularized and almost completely taken over by the state.

Still, Dr. Feldmann argues that Protestantism's original influence on education and schooling has become part of the national culture in traditionally Protestant countries and in several former British colonies such as Australia and the United States.

His statistical analysis finds that countries with larger Protestant population shares in 1900 had higher secondary school enrolment rates over the years 1975 to 2010. For example, the Nordic countries have both the highest historical Protestant population shares and some of the highest contemporary enrolment rates.

Dr. Feldmann statistically controlled for other factors that determine school enrolment rates, such as income per person and demographic factors, to eliminate their effects.

He explains: "In contrast to what many might expect, the Protestant legacy has an enduring effect on secondary schoolingin spite of almost 200 years of secularization.

"This study is the first to show that the historically positive effect of Protestantism on schooling is still noticeable today.

"It also shows that this is not only the case in a few traditionally Protestant countries. Rather the historically positive effect of Protestantism on schooling is a global phenomenon."

Dr. Feldmann's study suggests that the magnitude of the effect is small. Moreover, it indicates that Protestantism's traditional influence on schooling has diminished over time and that contemporary Protestantism, in contrast to historical Protestantism, does not affect schooling.

Explore further Study reveals long-term detrimental education effects of Spanish and French colonial systemsCampaigning for Cameroons October 7 presidential election has officially begun last weekend in the central African nation.

Nine opposition parties have failed to agree on a single candidate to face incumbent President Paul Biya who has ruled the country for 35 years and is hoping to be re-elected for a seventh time.

Over the weekend, thousands of people marched through the streets across the country, singing and pledging their support to their various candidates.

Twenty political parties announced they had endorsed Paul Biyas candidacy and had asked their supporters to vote for the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM). Big wigs of the party have been touring the nation in the past week to present the revised edition of Biyas book Communal Liberalism.

The main opposition candidate Joshua Osih says he suspects some of the candidates are sponsored by Biya to keep the opposition fractured. Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement party says he will not agree to surrender his candidacy to someone else.

While the youngest candidate Serge Espoir Matomba of the P.U.R.S. party says even though campaigning has started, he still hopes, in talking with other contenders, the opposition will agree on a single candidate.Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A new study, led by UNSW Sydney Ph.D. student Rose O'Dea, has explored patterns in academic grades of 1.6 million students, showing that girls and boys perform very similarly in STEMincluding at the top of the class.

The analysis, published today in prestigious journal Nature Communications, casts doubt on the view that there are fewer women in STEM-related jobs because they aren't as capable in those subjects as mena notion that has been supported by the concept that gender differences in variability lead to gender gaps in associated fields.

In their meta-analysis, the UNSW researchers compared gender differences in variation of academic grades from over 1.6 million students aged six through to university from all over the world, across 268 different schools and classrooms.

"We combined data from hundreds of studies, and used a method developed by my supervisor to comprehensively test for greater male variability in academic performance," lead author Rose O'Dea says.

A classroom with more variable grades indicates a bigger gap between high and low performing students, and greater male variability could result in boys outnumbering girls at the top and bottom of the class.

"Greater male variability is an old idea that people have used to claim that there will always be more male geniusesand foolsin society," O'Dea says.

The team found that on average, girls' grades were higher than boys', and girls' grades were less variable than boys'.

"We already knew that girls routinely outperform boys at school, and we also expected female grades to be less variable than those of males, so that wasn't surprising. In fact, our study suggests that these two factors haven't changed in 80 years," O'Dea says.

"However, what was most surprising was that both of these gender differences were far larger in non-STEM subjects, like English. In STEM subjects girls and boys received surprisingly similar grades, in both average and variability."

In other words, the researchers demonstrated that academic STEM achievements of boys and girls are very similarin fact, the analysis suggests that the top 10% of a class contained equal numbers of girls and boys.

O'Dea says that there are multiple reasons that these figures don't translate into equivalent participation in STEM jobs later in life.

"Even if men and women have equal abilities, STEM isn't an equal playing field for womenand so women often go down paths with less male competition."For example, we found that the ability overlap between girls and boys is much greater in STEM, and smaller in non-STEM subjects, meaning that there are fewer boys competing with girls in non-STEM subjects.

"So say you're a girl in a class and you're a straight A student. In your math class, you're surrounded by top-achieving boys, and then in English there's fewer boys that you're competing with, so it can look like non-STEM is an easier option or a safer path."

Stereotypical societal beliefs about what fields girls are seen to be successful in also play a role."Girls are susceptible to conforming to stereotypes in the traditionally male-dominated fields of STEM. Girls who try to succeed in these fields are often hindered by backlash effects," O'Dea says.

"For example, the stereotype that girls aren't good at maths actually makes it harder for girls to be good at maths, both because of the way we perceive ourselves and the way other people perceive us. We all have subconscious biases, and there's a strange phenomenon called stereotype threat, where being reminded of the stereotype connected to your identity can make it harder to defy that stereotype."

O'Dea says that there's no simple fix to work on the underrepresentation of women in STEM.

"Science and academia have a lot of structural issues that will take time to fix. However, there's a lot we can do to encourage girls to perform better at mathsfor example, girls tend to do better when they're taught by a woman with a strong maths background, so they can see they can do maths, too."

Professor Emma Johnston, Dean of Science at UNSW, says a lot needs to be done to encourage girls to choose a STEM path."This powerful, evidence-based research has revealed that girls and boys are equally good at STEM subjects. Differential participation in STEM training and STEM careers must therefore be explained by other factors.

"Australia really needs more women to enter, stay, and succeed in STEM areas. We absolutely need to change the structural barriers to gender equality in science, but we must also change the strong negative stereotypes and unconscious biases as well. We must give our girls and women more successful science role modelssomething grand to aspire to.

"We all need to actively work to close this gapfor example, UNSW's Women in Maths and Science Champions Program is a unique opportunity to support women who are completing their Ph.D. in UNSW Science. The program focuses on strengthening the cohort's communication and leadership skills to support their professional careers and their lifelong role of advocacy to inspire women to pursue a career in maths and science.

"The author of this landmark study is a great exampleRose is an incredible role model and her leadership in traditionally male-dominated fields like science and the AFL is inspiring to many girls," Professor Johnston concludes.

More information: R. E. O'Dea et al, Gender differences in individual variation in academic grades fail to fit expected patterns for STEM, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications R. E. O'Dea et al, Gender differences in individual variation in academic grades fail to fit expected patterns for STEM,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06292-0Students in low-income, high-poverty Chicago schools had better test scores when there were more trees in the schoolyard, according to a new study by Ming Kuo of the University of Illinois. Credit: Melissa Oquendo.

What if improving academic performance in some of the nation's most disadvantaged and lowest-achieving schools was as easy as planting trees in the schoolyard? It's not that simple, of course, but a new study from the University of Illinois suggests school greening could be part of the solution.

The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology and led by Ming Kuo from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at U of I, investigated the link between greenness and academic achievement in 318 of Chicago's public elementary schools. The district serves a predominantly low-income minority population, with 87 percent of third-graders qualifying for free lunch during the study year (2009-2010).

Previous studies have documented a positive relationship between greenness and academic achievement, but, until now, no one had examined the relationship in high-poverty schools.

"The goal was to see if the greenness-academic achievement relationship holds for poor, urban schools because that's where it matters. That's where educators and policy makers are desperately trying to find ways to help kids reach their potential," Kuo says.

The research team used high-resolution aerial imagery to quantify tree and grass cover in each schoolyard and its surrounding neighborhood, an improvement over previous studies that relied on coarse-grain vegetation imagery. "The older technology could basically tell us whether a 30-meter square was blacktop or green space, but the technology we're using can tell us there's a tree here, and a foot over, there's grass," Kuo explains.

The first step was to use a simple correlation analysis to identify relationships between tree and grass cover and academic performance, based on standardized test scores for math and reading. Schoolyard tree cover predicted academic performance, both for reading and math: the more trees, the better the performance. The same pattern showed up for trees in the adjacent neighborhood, but to a lesser extent. Grass, it turns out, does nothing for learning.

"There are consistent hints throughout the history of studying the effects of greenness on people that trees matter more than grass," Kuo says. "So this finding was not a big surprise."

The simple correlation tests helped the researchers evaluate the importance of other factors that could be related to academic performance: number of students in a classroom, student/teacher and gender ratios, and the percent of students that were bilingual. None of these showed strong ties to academic performance. But one other factordisadvantagedid.

The researchers knew that race and socioeconomic status are strongly tied to academic achievement, and that they are strongly correlated with one another. Using innovative statistical techniques to simultaneously account for both factors, the team combined them into one they called disadvantage. After discovering that disadvantage strongly predicted low academic achievement in the correlation tests, the researchers included the factor in a more sophisticated analysis that accounted for disparities related to geography within the city.

That test confirmed that schoolyard trees positively predicted math scores. Reading scores tended to be better with more schoolyard trees, but the effect fell just short of statistical significance.

At almost 90 percent free-lunch eligible and only 10 percent white, schools in the Chicago Public School system are, on the whole, disadvantaged. But there were differences: The most disadvantaged schools in the sample had roughly half the number of trees as the least disadvantaged schools.

While Kuo is quick to point out that the study is purely correlationalit wasn't designed to show cause-and-effectshe is optimistic about the results.

"Early math skills are one of the best predictors of later success, not just in math, but in school in general. So what we have here is a very exciting clue that maybe simply greeningplanting trees in school yardscould potentially have a significant impact in math achievement and school success down the line for these kids. And you don't have to plaster the schoolyard with treesjust bringing schools up to average looks like it could have a substantial effect."

Kuo has spent her career quantifying the effects of nature on human health and behavior, but she understands people have a hard time accepting just how necessary nature is to the human experience.

"What I really want to do is figure out what helps for these schools. If trees didn't work, then I would not want people spending money on trees. I want the money to be spent where it will make a difference. The outcome matters to me.

"As a society, we have not bothered to green our poorest, low-income minority schools. It might just seem like, well, that's too bad, it would be nice for poor kids to have nice schools, but we can't afford it," she says. "The larger body of research is suggesting that, in fact, some of the reason for the disparities we see in low-income schools versus more affluent schools may actually be due, in part, to the physical facilities we're providing. It's not a surprise to anyone that if you don't provide air conditioning or heating in a school then maybe the kids aren't going to do as well. But this is the first time we've begun to suspect that the lack of landscaping, such as trees, may help explain, in part, their poorer test scores."

Explore further Houston school closings disproportionately displaced poor and black students

More information: "Might school performance grow on trees? Examining the link between 'greenness' and academic achievement in urban, high-poverty schools," Frontiers in Psychology (2018). Journal information: Frontiers in Psychology "Might school performance grow on trees? Examining the link between 'greenness' and academic achievement in urban, high-poverty schools,"(2018). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01669Adsorption and switching of Co on BP. a Six Co species on BP as deposited at T Nature Communications (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06337-4

Scientists at Radboud University discovered a new mechanism for magnetic storage of information in the smallest unit of matter: a single atom. While the proof of principle was demonstrated at very low temperatures, this mechanism shows promise for room temperature operation. In this way, it will be possible to store a thousands of times more information than in current hard drives. Their findings are published today in Nature Communications.

As our current computing architecture is not getting much faster and using a lot of power, combined with the exploding demands to store information, researchers are interested in new strategies to store more information in an energy efficient way. One potential pathway is to store information at the ultimate scaling limit: a single atom. "Computers have reached fundamental limitations as to how much better they can get, creating a huge demand in materials research for alternatives. Modern computers use a lot of electricity, currently demanding more than 5 percent of the world's electricity. Fundamental science says we can gain a lot more in energy efficiency. We are focusing on a very basic component of modern computers: a bit of memory. We use atoms, because they are the smallest unit of matter and also enable us to further understand the fundamental science behind their behavior. Our current question: how can we store information within a single atom and how stable can we make that piece of information?", first author Brian Kiraly explains.

Atoms need to stop flipping to store information

When you get down to the single atom level, atoms which are magnetic, no longer remain stable. "What defines a permanent magnet is that it has a north and a south pole, which remains in the same orientation," professor of Scanning Probe Microscopy Alexander Khajetoorians explains, "But when you get down to a single atom, the north and south pole of the atom start to flip and do not know what direction they should point, as they become extremely sensitive to their surroundings. If you want a magnetic atom to hold information, it cannot flip. For the last ten years researchers have been asking: in order for the atom to stop flipping, how many atoms are needed to stabilize the magnet, and how long can it hold it information before it flips again? In the last two years, scientists in Lausanne and at IBM Almaden have figured out how to keep the atom from flipping, showing that a single atom can be a memory. To do this, researchers had to use very low temperatures, 40 Kelvin or -233 degrees Celsius. This technology is limited to extremely low temperature."

Scientists at Radboud University took a different approach. By choosing a special substrate  semiconducting black phosphorus -, they discovered a new way to store information within single cobalt atoms, that bypasses the conventional problems with instability. Using a scanning tunneling microscope, where a sharp metal tip moves across their surface just a few atoms away, they could "see" single cobalt atoms on the surface of black phosphorus. Because of the extremely high resolution and the special properties of the material, they directly showed that the single cobalt atoms could be manipulated into one of two bit states.

Higher stability than past magnets

The electrons in an atom orbit around the nucleus, but also "spins" themselves, much like the Earth rotates both around the Sun and its own axis. The total amount it spins, or its angular momentum, is what gives us magnetism. "Instead of this spin angular momentum, which previous researchers have used, we figured out a way to make an energy difference between a few of the orbitals of the cobalt atom and now use the orbital angular momentum for our atomic memory. This has a much bigger energy barrier and might be viable to make the single atom memory stable at room temperature.

In the end, it is still a magnet with an angular momentum, but we are now able to control the atom from 0 to 1 state, which has a much higher stability than other magnets," says Kiraly. "When we first conducted the experiment and saw this binary switching, we weren't sure what was going on. In a beautiful collaboration with theorists from Radboud University, Misha Katsnelson and Sasha Rudenko, we were able to point out that we were observing the atom's orbital moment and had created a new memory," Khajetoorians adds.

Store a thousand times more information

Right now, the elements that store hard drive bits are still a thousand times bigger than an atom. Khajetoorians: "What this work means is that, if we could construct a real hard drive from all these atoms  and we are still a long way from that  you could store thousands of times more information."

Explore further A step closer to single-atom data storage

More information: Brian Kiraly et al. An orbitally derived single-atom magnetic memory, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications Brian Kiraly et al. An orbitally derived single-atom magnetic memory,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06337-4Breakdown of Silencing Science Tracker entries by actor. Credit: Columbia University

In January, Columbia's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund launched the Silencing Science Tracker (SST). As its name suggests, the SST records government attempts to prevent or restrict scientific research, education, or discussion since the November 2016 election. Initially, the SST only recorded anti-science behavior within the federal government, of which we have 161 examples. That does not, however, reflect the full extent of the "war on science" as numerous anti-science actions are also being taken by state and local governments. To increase awareness of those actions, we have expanded the SST, adding state and local government attempts to censor, misrepresent, or otherwise stifle science.

As of Monday, September 24, the expanded SST lists 257 anti-science actions taken by government actors since the November 2016 election. Of those actions, 63 percent (161) were taken by the federal government, and 37 percent (96) by state and local governments. Unsurprisingly, many of the state and local government actions are concentrated in just a handful of areas, which have a long-history of anti-science behavior. Florida leads the way with 10 entries, followed by Texas and Wisconsin with 7 each, and then Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Oklahoma with 5 each. It would, however, be a mistake to think that anti-science behavior is limited to a small number of "rogue" states. On the contrary, such behavior has occurred in at least 38 states since November 2016, including many often thought of as leaders on scientific issues, such as California and Vermont.

At both the state and federal levels, much anti-science behavior has centered on climate change, with 70 percent of all SST entries targeting climate scientists.

Breakdown of Silencing Science Tracker entries by state. Credit: Columbia University

The entries fall into seven broad categories. The "government censorship" category currently includes the most entries, accounting for approximately 29 percent of the total. Many of the entries relate to changes to government websites to remove references to "climate change" (see here for an example). Of late, however, this has been far more common within the federal government than at the state level. (We have only identified one examplein Wisconsinof references to "climate change" being removed from state websites since November 2016.) However, state governments have sought to restrict access to information about climate change in other ways, including through "interference with education," which accounts for over 10 percent of all SST entries. Both state and federal government actors also commonly engage in "bias and misrepresentation," with many suggesting that climate change is a "hoax," and/or questioning its causes and effects.

Unfortunately, there is little indication that these attacks on science will subside in the near future. For as long as they occur, we will record them in the SST.

Explore further US should take steps to manage costly climate risks: report

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.Aibo, a $2,899 robotic dog from Sony, just might scamper its way onto some wish lists this holiday season.

Hoping to replicate the dog's popularity in Japanwhere the electronic pets have a rabid followingSony is unleashing a limited-edition litter of aibo robotic dogs in the United States by the end of the year.

The aibo has OLEDs for eyeslike those used in Sony's television displaysa camera in its nose and on its back, plus sensors on its back, head and chin that allow it to feel you petting it. It also has microphones, actuators and other technology that when combined with artificial intelligence allow the robotic companion to learn its owner's behavior and react accordingly.

Aibo owners will need patience. It was sometimes slow to respond and didn't sit when I asked it to, somewhat like my real dog at home. But it also danced when I asked it to, unlike my real dog, Sherman, whose only care in the world is playing with a ball.

"AI makes the decision," said Angel Vizcarra, senior marketing specialist for Sony and aibo's favorite person in the newsroom conference room, where the demo took place this week. "He may say no" to some of the many commands its owner issues, Vizcarra said. For now, the dog can handle about 30 commands, including "sing," "high five," and "bang bangafter which it rolls over and plays dead.

Some of the commands are customizable. For example, Vizcarra asked aibo to "learn," then grabbed its paws and moved them back and forth a few times. Having learned the pattern, the dog then proceeded to repeat the same motions.

Sony has sold 20,000 of the robotic dogs in Japan but isn't saying how many will be available in the United States this year. The company is asking those interested to sign up on its website now to be alerted when pre-orders start later this month. Delivery is expected by the holidays.

"Not that many people are going to buy a $3,000 robotic dog," said Bob O'Donnell of Bay Area-based TECHnalysis Research. "But from what they've told me, it's the beginning of more things to expect from them on the robotics side."

For the hefty price tag, owners of the pup get the aibopowered by a Qualcomm chipthat becomes one of a kind as you interact with it, plus an accessory bundle that includes a ball, a bone, paw pads and a dog tag. The aibo can "play" for about three hours before it can sense it needs to go to its bed, a.k.a. its battery charger, which is also included.

Each dog also comes with a three-year AI Cloud Plan, with AT&T providing the internet connection. The dog has to be connected to the cloud, hosted by Amazon, so it can work the way it's meant to. The aibo uploads your interaction with it, and Sony's artificial intelligence tech uses that information to teach it how to be your lovable pet.

The aibo can be pretty adorable. It can take photos. Learn your face (as well as up to 100 others' faces). Adapt to your smiles and other expressions.

But what about privacy?

"You're always in control," said Cheryl Goodman, head of corporate communications for Sony North America. She noted that photos aibo takes are stored in a mobile app, and are accessible only to the dog's owners unless they choose to share them.

Goodman said aibo's owners will want to keep giving Sony's AI system fodder "in order to fulfill its purpose" of being an electronic companion that can evolve and react to human feedback. The aibo does not take video, but audio commands and owner preferences that will be sent to Sony will help form the dog's personality.

"The integration of AI into consumer robotics was the hot topic of CES 2018, hardly an hour passed without another announcement by companies about a new consumer-facing service or device that was AI-enabled," said Keith Strier, Americas Advisory AI leader for EY (Ernst & Young). "Sony's experience with aibo should be a valuable tactical advantage."

Sony first introduced aiboGoodman calls the dog a "mascot" of the AI and robotics work the company is doing, which includes a partnership with Carnegie Mellonto consumers in 1999 and discontinued it in 2006. The company re-introduced the sixth generation of the robotic dog in Japan in November, and showed it off at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

In Japan, a Buddhist temple has been the site of funerals for some of the previous versions of aibo that Sony no longer supports and repairs. It's only fitting. Besides being short for AI bot, the word "aibo" means pal in Japanese, and pals deserve nice send-offs.

As for this most technologically advanced version of aibo to date, it has its cheeky side. When Vizcarra barked out the same command over and over to the robotic dog, aibo proceeded to lift its leg and make a peeing sound to make its displeasure known.

Vizcarra swatted aibo on its behind. "Bad dog," he said.

But there was no cleanup needed.

Explore further Sony to release AI-infused robotic pups in the US

2018 The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Plastic bottle caps and cigarette butts are among the most common litter items found on European beaches. Credit: jaochainoi  Adobe Stock.com

Over four fifths of the litter on European beaches is plastic, and over 50 percent is made of single-use plastic, according to a new scientific report.

The European Commission is taking action to stop more plastics from ending up on our beaches. Plastic bottle caps and cigarette butts are among the most common litter items found on European beaches. Rings from plastic bottle caps, crisp packets, sweet wrappers, strings, fragments of plastic objects and cotton buds also make it to the top ten of most frequently found items.

In the first EU-wide analysis of its kind, JRC scientists compiled information on the most common litter types found on European beaches. They also analysed a dataset on beach litter collected in 2016 across Europe. The most frequently occurring beach litter items were identified on the basis of 355,671 items collected from 276 European beaches in 679 surveys.

Scientists looked at the litter collected by national and environmental organisations from different parts of Europe, including the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. They compared the items and found that often the same items are among the most common beach litter items everywhere in Europe. The top ten types of litter represent approximately 63 percent of the total rubbish found on European beaches.

This means that by removing them from our beaches, the overall amount of beach litter could be reduced drastically.

Most beach litter is plastic

The majority  84 percent  of all the beach rubbish is made of plastic. Single-use-plastics, i.e items that have been designed to be used only once and then thrown away, make up 50 percent of all beach litter. Plastic degrades in the environment into smaller pieces.

These so-called microplastics can be found in the water and inside animals, anywhere from the deep sea to the polar regions. Scientists confirm that the amount of plastic rubbish found on beaches highlight the need for targeted action against this type of litter.

Fishing items

Marine litter european beaches 2016. Credit: EU 2018

Items linked to fishing activities  abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear such as nets, fishing lines, buoys  represent another common category of beach litter.

Scientists say it is harder to determine for sure whether certain items, such as strings or cords, come from fishing activities. Fishing lines, nets and other fishing items often remain in the sea and can only be identified by specific techniques which allow searching of the seafloor.

Therefore, researchers estimate the contribution of fishery-related litter to be anywhere between 3 percent and 15 percent. Fragments of fishing related items, e.g. from styrofoam fish boxes, are not taken into consideration in this calculation.

Taking action against beach litter

The identification of the most common litter items is important for the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the EU Plastics Strategy and in general for the prioritisation of measures against marine litter.

The European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy aims to ensure that plastic products are kept in the economy for longer, so as to reduce their burden on the environment. The European Commission has proposed a Directive to reduce the litter stemming from single-use plastics and fishing gear.

The Directive bans some of the most problematic single-use plastics, for which there are already alternatives on the market. It also introduces new requirements in areas such as labelling, reducing consumption, awareness-raising and boosting separate collection.

The idea is to further involve producers in the process through extended responsibility schemes. They include new obligations in areas like awareness-raising and waste collection, with a view to promoting the use of more durable materials like reusable cups, cutlery and food containers, thereby reducing litter.

Work has started on restricting the intentional addition of microplastics to products like cosmetics, paints and detergents.

The Commission has asked the European Chemicals Agency to review the scientific basis for considering a restriction under the EU Regulation for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

A similar approach is also being taken to oxo-degradable plastics. The Commission has also launched a campaign to highlight the role of citizens in the fight against plastic pollution and marine litter, stressing the importance of consumption choices.

It includes a video challenging the idea that single-use plastics are convenient items, social media content presenting the 'seductive' powers of single-use plastic items, and tips and advice on how to resist their powers of attraction.

The JRC Technical Report "Top Marine Beach Litter Items in Europe" describes different beach litter ranking approaches in Europe and compiles a beach litter data set from 2016.

Based on data provided by Member State authorities, regional sea conventions (OSPAR Commission, Barcelona Convention UN Environment/MAP, HELCOM, Black Sea Commission), non-governmental organisations and other national bodies, the report identifies the most abundant items found on the beaches across Europe.

Explore further Quantifying Red Sea plastics from coasts to fishAn artist's illustration of the giant elephant bird. Credit: (c) Jaime Chirinos

After decades of conflicting evidence and numerous publications, scientists at international conservation charity ZSL's (Zoological Society of London) Institute of Zoology, have finally put the 'world's largest bird' debate to rest. Published today (26 September 2018) in Royal Society Open ScienceVorombe titan (meaning 'big bird' in Malagasy and Greek), has taken the title reaching weights of up to 800 kg and three metres tall, with the research also discovering unexpected diversity in these Madagascan creatures.

Until now, it was previously suggested that up to 15 different species of elephant birds had been identified under two genera, however research by ZSL scientists boasts new rigorous and quantitative evidencethat shows, in fact, this is not the case. Armed with a tape measure and a pair of callipers, Dr. Hansford analysed hundreds of elephant bird bones from museums across the globe to uncover the world's largest bird, while also revealing their taxonomy is in fact spread across three genera and at least four distinct species; thus, constituting the first taxonomic reassessment of the family in over 80 years.

Elephant birds (belonging to the family Aepyornithidae) are an extinct group of colossal flightless birds that roamed Madagascar during the Late Quaternary, with two genera (Aepyornis and Mullerornis) previously recognised by scientists. The first species to be described, Aepyornis maximus, has often been considered to be the world's largest bird. In 1894, British scientist C.W. Andrews described an even larger species, Aepyornis titan, this has usually been dismissed as an unusually large specimen of A. maximus. However, ZSL's research reveals Andrew's 'titan' bird was indeed a distinct species. The shape and size of its bones are so different from all other elephant birds that it has now been given the new genus name Vorombe by ZSL.

An artist's illustration of the giant elephant bird. Credit: (c) Heidi Ma

Lead Author at ZSL's Institute of Zoology, Dr. James Hansford said: "Elephant birds were the biggest of Madagascar's megafauna and arguably one of the most important in the islands evolutionary historyeven more so than lemurs. This is because large-bodied animals have an enormous impact on the wider ecosystem they live in via controlling vegetation through eating plants, spreading biomass and dispersing seeds through defecation. Madagascar is still suffering the effects of the extinction of these birds today."

Co-Author Professor Samuel Turvey from ZSL's Institute of Zoology said: "Without an accurate understanding of past species diversity, we can't properly understand evolution or ecology in unique island systems such as Madagascar or reconstruct exactly what's been lost since human arrival on these islands. Knowing the history of biodiversity loss is essential to determine how to conserve today's threatened species."

Vorombe titan bones. Credit: (c) ZSL

Analysing this data in a novel combination of machine learning combined with Bayesian clustering, Dr. Hansford applied modern techniques to solve a 150-year-old taxonomic knot, that will form the modern understanding of these enigmatic avian megafauna. The revelation that the biggest of these birds was forgotten by history is just one part of their remarkable story.

Explore further Ancient bird bones redate human activity in Madagascar by 6,000 years

More information: Unexpected diversity within the extinct elephant birds (Aves: Aepyornithidae), and a new identity for the world's largest bird, Royal Society Open Science, rsos.royalsocietypublishing.or  /10.1098/rsos.181295 Journal information: Royal Society Open Science Unexpected diversity within the extinct elephant birds (Aves: Aepyornithidae), and a new identity for the world's largest bird,The UK is "unprepared" for climate change, an expert from the University of Surrey has concluded following an extensive study.

University of Surrey academic Dr. Candice Howarth says that while the Government and industry is aware of the potential impacts of climate change on future productivity and day to day living, the UK is not joined up on its approach to the threats of warmer summers and wetter winters.

Dr. Howarth, Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and Climate Communication within Surrey's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, was awarded a Research Fellowship in 2016 funded through the Economic and Social Research Council Nexus Network to research communicating climate risks and their environmental impact in the UK. The outcome is Dr. Howarth's book "Resilience to Climate Change: Communication, Collaboration and Co-production".

The book explores current debates on resilience to hot weather. According to NHS figures, in July 2018 the UK saw a 5% increase in hospital admissions as a result of the hot weather, with increased risks to the elderly, the sick and infants. With the frequency and intensity of climate shocks expected to increase under a changing climate, severe implications across food, energy, water and the environment are all anticipated. Dr. Howarth believes that effective proactive strategies for future prevention and management need to be put in place now, recommending government stakeholders learn from past events to tackle future issues.

Dr. Howarth's research explores how to improve resilience to these shocks by assessing contributing factors such as timing of responses to climate shocks, lack of understanding about roles and responsibilities, and knowledge transfer through effective stakeholder collaboration. Her work focuses strongly on learning lessons from previous events as well as capturing best practice, and she emphasises the importance of embedding communication, collaboration and co-production across policymakers, practitioners, scientific communities and the public.

The study suggests possibilities for the co-design of sustainable, robust and resilient responses, developing an awareness of different cultural settings, investing in more resources, increasing proactive preparation and establishing effective decision making processes all feature as potential solutions.

Dr. Howarth said: "The record-breaking heatwave that hit the country this year is a perfect example of more extreme weather that could become the norm in a changing climate, and therefore we must be better prepared. The long-term impacts of these climate risks are often hugely underestimated. The UK is expected to experience more frequent hot weather events with significant impacts such as heat-related deaths, productivity loss, impacts on agriculture and forestry and disruptions to transport and trade. The UK is unprepared for such shocks and the Government must become more proactive in its approach.

"Warmer weather will have benefits in some industries, particularly in farming, so there are opportunities, but it will also affect crop production, with significant impact on food transfer and trade. With Brexit already placing a question mark over the state of UK trade partnerships, we cannot afford to let weather extremes disrupt food production. How society responds to these risks needs careful examination to ensure we are building resilient responses and minimising impacts."

It isn't just heatwaves that pose a threat in the UK; flooding is also a timely climate change issue discussed in the book. Certain continents also experience different climate shocks due to their geographical positioning, and impact will also be experienced differently. For example, hurricanes are more of a risk to the East Coast of America and Central America.

As part of her ongoing studies, Dr. Howarth is leading a programme of research on resilience to hot weather risks and also a project in collaboration with the School of Psychology funded by the University's Urban Living Fund entitled "Increasing sustainable travel behaviour in urban environments: proactive and reactive responses to environmental images in a digital setting."

Dr. Howarth's book is published online and is available in print. Research Fellows Dr. Katya Brooks and Dr. Sian Morse-Jones also assisted in the publication of the book.

Explore further US should take steps to manage costly climate risks: reportThe US government announced the first steps toward implementing new online privacy rules, calling for public comment on "a new approach to consumer data privacy"

The US administration called Tuesday for public comments on a "new approach to consumer data privacy" that could trigger fresh regulations of internet companies.

The Commerce Department said the announcement is part of an effort to "modernize US data privacy policy for the 21st century."

The move follows the implementation this year of ramped up data protection rules imposed by the European Union, and a new privacy law enacted in California.

Both measures will impact internet firms whose websites can be accessed around the globe.

Privacy and data protection have come into greater focus in response to these new laws, and also because of growing concerns on how private data is handled following revelations on the hijacking of millions of Facebook user profiles by a political consultancy ahead of the 2016 election.

"The United States has a long history of protecting individual privacy, but our challenges are growing as technology becomes more complex, interconnected and integrated into our daily lives," said David Redl, who heads the agency's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

"The Trump administration is beginning this conversation to solicit ideas on a path for adapting privacy to today's data-driven world."

The agency said it was also developing a voluntary privacy framework to help organizations manage risk and working on ways "to increase global regulatory harmony."

The Commerce Department statement said the agency is focused on "desired outcomes" for privacy rather that dictating specific practices.

But it plans to seek public comment on transparency practiceshow data is collected and usedas well as security safeguards.

Users of online platforms "should be able to reasonably access and correct personal data they have provided," the statement added. "Organizations should take steps to manage the risk of disclosure or harmful uses of personal data."

Explore further US senators introduce social media privacy bill

 2018 AFPThe African Union Observer Mission said Friday parliamentary election in the Kingdom of eSwatini was peaceful. The mission, however, urged the kingdom to lift a ban on political parties and allow candidates to campaign freely in the tiny country.

Parties are now allowed to exist under the 2005 constitution. However they cannot be involved in the electoral process, there are no campaign rallies and the king wields absolute power. Analysts say a parliamentary election in eSwatini is a vote like no other.

The country is ruled by King Mswati III, who is described as the only absolute monarch in Africa. Elected lawmakers have little power, with King Mswati III having complete control over parliament as he can veto legislation and dissolve the assembly. He also have whole control over the government as he appoints the Prime Minister and approves the cabinet as well as over the judiciary, civil service and security forces, though since July 2005 he can no longer rule by decree.

Voters chose 59 parliamentarians, while other MPs will be appointed by the king.

The AU mission also noted that campaigning was banned for the first round of voting, which does not allow for thorough scrutiny of potential candidates.

Election authorities have released no election results or turnout figures, and urged voters to be patient.

Note that, Eswatini is the only country in Africa to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan. The kingdoms leadership has been criticized by human rights activists for banning political parties and for discrimination against women.

The king, aka as Ngwenyama or the lion, is known for his many wives and for his adherence to traditional dress.UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled a life-sized statue of late President Nelson Mandela at the UN headquarters in New York, on the sidelines of the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, held in New York on Monday.

The 1.8 meter- tall Nelson Mandela Statue was erected in celebration of what would have been Mandelas 100th birthday this year.

Speaking at the unveiling, Secretary-General Guterres highlighted Mr. Mandelas humility as a hallmark of his greatness.

When he achieved the pinnacle of power as president of his beloved country, Madiba set an example that still resounds throughout Africa and the world  he stepped down after one term, confident in the durability of South Africas newfound democracy  He did not pursue power for its own sake, but simply as a means of service, said the UN chief.

The UN General Assembly also honored Nelson Mandela with a pledge to build a just, peaceful and prosperous world and to revive the values for which the former South African President and anti-apartheid campaigner stood.

At the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, Member States adopted the first resolution of the General Assemblys 73rd session, committing to demonstrate mutual respect, tolerance, understanding and reconciliation in [their] relations.

We resolve to move beyond words in the promotion of peaceful, just, inclusive and non-discriminatory societies, stressing the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women and the meaningful participation of youth in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, read the resolution.

Sustainable development cannot be realized without peace and security, and peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development. We reaffirm our pledge that no one will be left behind, the member states vowed in the resolution.

The UN has declared 2019-2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace and issued a political declaration to promote disarmament.

The declaration adopted at Mondays peace summit identified the personal qualities of Mandela, who spent decades in prison for his stand on Apartheid that made him a transcendent humanitarian.September 25, 2018 in Financial (E)

[prMac.com] Vilnius, Lithuania - Jumsoft has launched an update to Money, a popular macOS and iOS finance tracker, which bumps the version number to 5.5. The update is focused primarily on technical and compatibility improvements to make Money compatible with the new version of macOS Mojave. It also brings a couple of noticeable additions: Mac Touch ID support, full Mojave Dark Mode integration and custom-colored tags to add an extra (good-looking) layer for sorting and identifying transactions.



"We are very excited about the release of macOS Mojave, and all new features it has to offer. Mojave brings the highly anticipated system-wide Dark mode and we've made sure Money embraces this new look. Our design department have worked overtime revamping colors and interface elements, and Money looks astonishing in dark mode! In addition to this, we have introduced custom-colored tags, which bring new life to transaction tags, substantially improving their usability and effectiveness," said Algirdas Unguvaitis, CEO of Jumsoft. "Money 5.5 is more than meets the eye, and thanks to active involvement from our user community, we have made this release of Money its best yet. It contains numerous under-the-hood improvements to enhance and speed-up everything from navigating the interface to syncing your data with iCloud."



Money for Mac is available worldwide on the Mac App Store and is offered in three price tiers:

* Money Free - designed primarily for trial purposes so users could see if Money is right for them (limited to 100 transactions/accounts);

* Money Standard - a one-time $24.99 purchase allows unlimited access to all Money features with offline (manually managed) accounts and transactions;

* Money Premium - an affordable $4.99 monthly or $49.99 annual subscription plan enabling over 50,000 financial institution connections across 57 countries for automatic data downloads into Money. Opting in for Money Premium unlocks all Money Standard benefits for the duration of the subscription. Money Premium is available as a free-trial for a month, and can be canceled any time.

Based in Vilnius, Lithuania, Jumsoft is a privately funded company, founded in 2002. Committed to developing highest-quality applications, Jumsoft consists of a team of macOS and iOS experts and enthusiasts who dedicate their time to develop amazing tools for personal and professional use. Copyright 2002-2018 Jumsoft. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iWork and macOS are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

###Thousands of protesting Liberians, on Monday, carried petitions to present to embassies of the United States, the EU and the United Nations in Monrovia to demand the return of $104 million in cash that went missing on the way to the central bank.

Shipping containers containing the equivalent of $104 million in Liberian banknotes or five percent of Liberias gross domestic product, ordered by the Central Bank from printers in Sweden and China, vanished without a trace shortly after they arrived in the country last week.

In an address on state radio on Friday evening, President George Weah urged the public to remain calm and said any wrongdoing committed in connection with the money would be punished.

President Weahs government has blamed the previous administration of ex-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The money disappearance led to a travel ban on 15 people, including Charles Sirleaf, the son of ex-president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The opposition demands an independent probe, with Alexander Cummings, who leads the pro-democracy Alternative National Congress party, warning that the flood of new notes into the market would exacerbate the countrys economic downturn.

The U.S. government is considering a request from Liberian officials to aid in the investigation.

Central bank governor Nathaniel Patray said in a statement on Monday that the bank was cooperating with investigators.Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus A.Dapkunas meets the UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs

25-09-2018

On September, 24, 2018 during the visit to the UN Headquarters in New York for participation in the events of the High-level Week of the UN General Assembly, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus Andrei Dapkunas met with the UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs Rosemary A. DiCarlo.

Prior to her current appointment in May 2018, Rosemary A. DiCarlo served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Director for Democratic Initiatives for Newly Independent States, Director for the United Nations Affairs at the US National Security Council. She also worked as a Head of the National Committee on Foreign Policy of the United States and as a Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations.

The Deputy Minister briefed the Under-Secretary General on the logic and history of Belarus' efforts to promote the development of an up-to-date mechanism for intergovernmental cooperation in the European-Atlantic region. Andrei Dapkunas highlighted a potential impact of such regional cooperation paradigm on strengthening of peace and security throughout the world.

Belarusian diplomat noted that if a routine public discussion on the existing challenges and conflict situations, even within the United Nations, is not sufficient  then a broader expert-level dialogue with the participation of representatives of leading think tanks and government experts is of particular importance. Belarus is interested in such a dialogue and intends to facilitate and support it by all available means.

The Deputy Minister drew attention of the UN Under-Secretary General to the coherent nature of these efforts of Belarus in relation to the work that the leadership of the UN Secretariat is conducting to strengthen mutual trust and security in the world.

The sides discussed the ways to further promote the discussion of this issue in the nearest future at the level of the heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus and the UN Secretariat.

print versionDemocrat Andrew Gillum (L) and Republican Ron DeSantis

On Monday, Ron DeSantis doubled down on criticism that Andrew Gillum got a sweet deal during a trip to Costa Rica with lobbyists, accusing the Tallahassee mayor of "crony socialism."

"Finally, he produced a bank statement about the Costa Rica trip," DeSantis said during a news conference in Oldsmar. "He's like, 'Oh, I stayed in this luxury villa for four nights, and here's a $400 withdrawal I'm showing on the bank. I withdrew cash and that's how I paid for it.'

"Well, I don't know how that works, because I looked to see how much the Holiday Inn Express would cost right down the street from here, and four nights was like $650," the former congressman continued. "So you tell me how you're able to get a luxury Costa Rica villa for $400. I want to know who your travel agent is."

Did Gillum get a sweet deal on the four-night vacation? That question is now part of a state ethics investigation into that trip and another one he took months later in New York. On both trips, Gillum met up with his longtime friend and lobbyist Adam Corey, and in New York, Gillum also met up with two men now believed to be undercover FBI agents.

Gillum has described the Costa Rica trip as a vacation for his wife's birthday. Between May 4 and May 8 that year, Gillum, his wife and about 10 other people stayed at a luxury villa overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The trip was arranged by Corey, and other lobbyists and friends joined them, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Corey's lawyer said he won the lodging during a silent charity auction.

According to Gillum's campaign, the villa went for $1,400 a night, and Gillum paid someone $400 in cash for his and his wife's share of their four-night stay. The villa does go for $1,400 a night, according to its website. It has five bedrooms, sleeps a dozen people and features an infinity pool overlooking the ocean.

Gillum' campaign released a bank statement earlier this month showing a $400 cash withdrawal the day before the trip as evidence that Gillum paid his way. (Corey's attorney has said that Corey did not receive any money from Gillum.)

Doing simple math, if 12 people were on the trip, each person's share would have been $116 a night. For Gillum and his wife, that would mean they would have owed $928 after the four nights.

However, If the villa was won on a deep discount during the auction, it could possibly have reduced the value of the trip.

A spokeswoman for Gillum's campaign said Tuesday that Gillum and his wife "paid for their lodging with the $400 withdrawal and the cash the mayor and his wife had on hand."

She did not say how much they spent in total on the lodging, or who they gave the money to.

But the appearance and timing of the trip - at the height of the FBI's investigation into city corruption - have raised questions. And DeSantis' campaign has used them to paint the mayor as untrustworthy.

"I think it's just, he's not being honest with the folks," DeSantis said Monday. "So there's huge problems when you govern that way, when you're on junkets with FBI agents, when you're the subject of a major investigation involving pay to play and involving corruption."

There has been no indication that the Costa Rica trip is tied to the FBI probe, which has yet to bring charges against anyone. Gillum has said he's been assured by agents that he's neither a focus nor a target of the probe.

However, the Democrat did find one FBI tie during the Costa Rica trip: On May 5, the day after Gillum arrived, Corey sent Gillum a calendar invitation for a May 16 meeting with two businessmen. After Gillum returned from the trip, he told his staff he was accepting the invitation.

The two businessmen later turned out to be undercover agents.Eliecer is the Head of North America Business Development & Principal Investments at Lukoil Pan Americas in New York. He has served as a non-executive Director on the Board of EnerGulf Resources Inc, a publicly traded West Africa-focused exploration & production company. Eliecer has advised public and private companies and institutional investors on acquisitions and divestitures of oil & gas assets, international subsidiaries as well as venture and growth capital.

Prior to Lukoil, he was a managing partner at PetroRock Energy in New York, an energy-focused advisory firm focused on private equity investments. Prior to PetroRock, he was the Energy Strategist with Maxim Group in New York, an investment advisory firm, where he focused on investments in the oil and gas space across the capital structure. He managed a proprietary portfolio of equity and equity derivatives in oil & gas companies. Prior to Maxim Group, he was the energy analyst with Carrelton Asset Management, a natural resources-focused long/short equity hedge fund, where he invested in mid & small cap exploration & production, refining, offshore drilling and services companies. Prior to Carrelton, he traded crude oil, refined products and natural gas for Citigroup Energy, Citigroups commodity derivatives trading unit based in Houston. Prior to Carrelton, he covered refining companies for a +$1 billion long/short equity energy/utilities hedge fund at Tribeca Global Management.

He received an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University and a BA in Economics from Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico.Canada's Barrick Gold (TSX, NYSE:ABX), the worlds largest bullion producer by value, is about to become even bigger as it has agreed to buy Randgold Resources (LON:RRS) in a $18.3 billion share deal, the biggest in the gold sector in the past three years.

The new Barrick, valued at $24 billion including debt, would be now the world's top gold miner by value and output, with a dominant position in Africa.

The company will be listed in New York and Toronto, which means that London will lose its biggest gold stock, but it will own five of the world's 10 lowest cost gold mines, producing more than 6.5 million ounces of the precious metal a year.

Randgolds shareholders will own 33.4 percent of the combined firm, with the rest controlled by Barricks investors.

The merged miner will own five of the world's 10 lowest cost gold mines, producing more than 6.5 million ounces of the precious metal a year.

The merger will also bring together two of the biggest names in the global gold sector: John Thornton, former president of Goldman Sachs whos been at the helm of Barrick since 2014, and Mark Bristow, an outspoken South African geologist who founded Randgold in 1995, growing it into a $4.8-billion company and the UKs top gold producer.

Thornton will remain as executive chairman, directing strategy and Bristow will be president and chief executive of the merged company, running day-to-day operations. Randgold chief financial officer, Graham Shuttleworth, will become CFO of the enlarged company.

Our industry has been criticized for its short-term focus, undisciplined growth and poor returns on invested capital, Bristow said in the statement. The merged company will be very different. Its goal will be to deliver sector leading returns. Related: Is A Market Meltdown Looming?

Our overriding measure of success will be the returns we generate and not the number of ounces we produce, Thornton added.

China ties

As part of the deal, Chinas Shandong Gold, one of the countrys biggest gold producers, has agreed to buy $300 million of shares in Barrick. The Toronto-based miner will also buy the equivalent amount of shares in Shandong Mining, a listed subsidiary of Shandong Gold, it said in a separate statement.

Barrick and Shandong Gold tied up for the first time last year, creating a 50-50 joint venture at the Veladero mine in Argentina. As part of their partnership, the Chinese miner is currently carrying out an independent evaluation of Barricks Lama project, including an analysis of potential synergies between that asset and the nearby Veladero operation.

Barrick and Shandong Gold have also created internal working groups that are sharing technical expertise and best practices focused on best-in-class mining practices and innovation.

Divided opinions

Some analysts welcomed, though cautiously, the news. Those at Numis Securities said the combination will make a strong company: Barrick has a number of world-class assets but has acquired the reputation of being a poor steward of those assets, while Randgold has the reputation for delivering strong shareholder value in difficult operating jurisdictions.

The proposed merger, instead of being based on merit, strength and strategic integration, is more akin to the proverbial 'two drunks supporting each other at closing time'  Kieron Hodgson from Panmure Research.

Others were less impressed by the deal. Related: The New Ultra-Wealthy Benchmark Is $50 Million

"Our opinion is that the proposed merger, instead of being based on merit, strength and strategic integration, is more akin to the proverbial 'two drunks supporting each other at closing time'," wrote Kieron Hodgson from Panmure Research.

In a research note, Hodgson said that Barrick's own production had fallen in recent years and that combined the firms would be "over leveraged"  a technical term for having heavy debts.

The announcement comes at a time gold producers are under increased pressure. Bullion prices have fallen more than 8% this year as a stronger dollar and expanding global economy diminished demand for the metal as a haven. Miners have fared even worse, with the Philadelphia Stock Exchange Gold and Silver Index of 30 companies down about 23 percent in 2018.

Gold miners fell to the cheapest relative to the metal since 2016 this month. The industry is so out of favour that last week billionaire hedge-fund manager John Paulson formed a coalition with 15 other founding members. The main goal of the group? Curbing years of what Paulsons hedge fund has called value destruction in the gold sector.

The merger between Barrick and Randgold remains subject to shareholder approval.

By Cecilia Jamasmie via Mining.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.com:As the Florida Democratic Party takes to the airwaves to attack Ron DeSantis' healthcare record, the Republican Governor's Association is firing back at Andrew Gillum with its own TV ad noting the Democratic gubernatorial nominee's financial support from the Dream Defenders and the organization's controversial political views.While Washington slaps another $200 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese goods with one hand, it is offering a $330-million weapons deal to Taiwan with the other  adding yet more fuel to the U.S.-China trade war fire.

The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of F-16 fighter plane parts and other military aircraft to Taiwan in a deal worth up to $330 million, leading Beijing to suggest that the move will hinder any efforts at cooperation on tariffs.

This is where U.S.-China relations really could hit a boiling point, with China claiming self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and Washington threatening to disrupt the status quo.

The Pentagon says the deal would contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States, recognizing Taiwan as an important force for political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region.

But to Beijing, its a very thinly veiled threat, and where it concerns Taiwan, the view in the mainland is that this is a breakaway province that must be brought back into the fold, even if that means through the use of force. So selling weapons to Taiwan is a call to arms.

We urge the U.S. side  to immediately cancel this deal and cut off military ties with Taiwan to avoid doing serious damage to China-U.S. relations, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and cooperation between U.S. and China in important areas, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a press briefing on Tuesday. The same sentiment was issued by the Chinese Defense Ministry. Related: Is The U.S. Prepared For A Cyberwar?

China's Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said at a news conference on Tuesday that on trade, the U.S. was putting a "knife to China's neck." Adding a Taiwanese weapons sale to Trumps trade attacks is only adding pressure to that knife.

Of course, its a major victory for Taiwan, which views the proposed deal as a prop for helping it face security challenges from Beijing. Its also a very bold new commitment on the part of Washington to the Taiwan Relations Act.

Its a tricky relationship because the U.S. does not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, in accordance with the One China policy. In 1979, Washington recognized Beijing as the sole government of China. But the Taiwan Relations Act muddies these waters and offers support short of diplomatic recognition.

The Trump administration has been all over Taiwan, where others have been more cautious in the past about ruffling Chinas feathers. If this new $330-million deal goes through, it will be the second big arms package for Taiwan in two yearsunder Trump. Last year, it was a $1-billion deal.

But this time around, the timing is more poignant.

On midnight Monday, the Trump administration put into effect another round of tariffs targeting $200 billion in Chinese goodsraising the total tariff target on Chinese goods to $250 billion. He also threatened additional tariffs on $267 billion in new goods, which would cover almost everything that comes out of China. Related: Trump Urges Apple To Build Products In The U.S.

But cooperation is now at stake, far beyond trade, according to Chinese analysts cited by the South China Morning Post.

Beijing is much more confident now, and its in a better position to take countermeasures than it was before, SCMP quoted Shen Dingli, director of the Programme on Arms Control and Regional Security at Fudan University in Shanghai, as saying.

The U.S. has to work with other countries, including China, in areas like counterterrorism, non-proliferation, anti-money laundering and infectious disease control, he said. It cant expect China to cooperate whenever it makes a demand while it is hurting Chinas interests.

By Josh Owens for Safehaven.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.com:Dr. Robert A. Dichmann serves as medical director of Marian Cancer Care and chairs the Cancer Committee. He has been treating people with cancer and hematology disorders in the Santa Maria community since 1996. He can be reached at 805-349-9393.Education Reporter

Mathew Burciaga is a Santa Maria Times reporter who covers education, agriculture and public safety. Prior to joining the Times, Mathew ran a 114-year-old community newspaper in Wyoming. He owns more than 40 pairs of crazy socks from across the globe.TechCrunch

When Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill unveiled The Boring Company's plan for a subterranean shuttle that would whisk visitors to different parts of the city's vast Convention Center campus, he predicted it would take just under two minutes to travel between its farthest stations. "If the system doesn't work, we will get all of our money back," Hill said, in June 2019, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal. Detailed trip reports from the same records request show that in its first six weeks of operation, the LVCC Loop's Tesla taxis took an average of nearly four minutes to span the system.The startups were building smart hardware such as indoor air sensors and smart locks

Stakeholders and enthusiasts from the Singapores hardware tech community convened at JTC Launchpad @ Jurong Innovation District on the afternoon of September 21, 2018 for TechNodes Asia Hardware Battle 2018: Singapore City Pitching.

In this event, 7 selected startups had 4 minutes to pitch, and a 7-minute Q&A with a panel of judges that comprised of

Kelvin Ong, CEO, Focustech Ventures

Derrick Yap, CEO, PBA Group

Dr. Huang Zhiqiang, IP Strategist, IP Valuelab

Chirayu Wadke, IoT & Connected Devices, Seedplus

After a 20 minute deliberation amongst the judging panel, cleantech startup EcoWorth emerged as the winner. They scored a fully-paid roundtrip to Shanghai for the grand finals in October. while QiQ Global and igloohome emerged as 1st and 2nd runners up respectively.

All 3 startups will also gain access to the e27 Academy 2018 on 28  30 November  a 3 day programme designed to empower early-stage tech startup founders with insights and connections to build and grow their businesses.

Here are the 7 startups that pitched.

EcoWorth

EcoWorth Tech (EWT) wants to transform waste materials into reusable products while delivering social & environmental benefits. It has co-developed a proprietary Carbon Fibre Aerogel technology that with the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. EWT has been seeded with US$1 million in funding and are looking aiming for commercial launch by end 2019.

Igloohome

Igloohome is a secure access management platform for smart infrastructure and properties. Its smart mortise lock, smart deadbolt and smart keybox allows home and property owners to grant access to visitors remotely, without WiFi, via cryptography and time synchronisation. Igloohome has achieved a 4x YoY growth since 2016 and raised a US$5 million Series A round earlier this year with Insignia Ventures, Wavemaker Partners, and Singtel Innov8.

OCEO

OCEO is an intelligent, sustainable and cost-effective way to solve drinking water crises. Its smart water purifier and smart sensor innovation is designed to measure, monitor and maintain safe drinking water at all times.

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QIQ Global

QIQ (Quick) is about reimagining transportation  making shared transportation greener and more accessible to the masses. Coupled with clear trends of increasing population growth and urban migration, QIQ aims to relieve the overburdened public transport systems of cities worldwide by creating its own ecosystem of green and shared vehicles.

Also Read: 6 lessons I learned as a B2C hardware startup founder

Standcraft

Standcraft wants to be the go-to provider for intimate built environment spaces. It aims to transform the future of spaces by replacing traditional architecture with temporal experiences and responsive structures. The BirdCage, a rest pavilion for retail and public spaces, won the URA-REDAS Spark Challenge 2018.

Laser TAGRider

Laser TAGRider is an attachment that easily mounts onto any NERF, BOOMco, and other toy blasters to re-purpose them for laser tag games. Ongoing applications include first persion shooter games, gamified learning, and the team is currently servicing a mixed reality & virtual reality project with a local law enforcement entity.

uHoo

uHoo is an indoor air sensor that monitors analyses and provides you with insights and solutions in real time. It measures 9 air quality parameters  temperature, humidity, PM2.5, carbon dioxide, ozone, and air pressure.

More about Asia Hardware Battle 2018

Asia Hardware Battle (AHB) will be touring 10 countries and regions all across Asia in search of the next hardware superstar. AHB realises that hardwares central role in powering devices, small and large, is often overlooked. AHB now wants to shine the spotlight on entrepreneurs who are doing their best to improve the tech that fuels our daily lives and give them the recognition they deserve.

This event will bring together 300 business projects and startups spanning China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, India, and Malaysia. It will also be a place where corporates gather to seek out talents from the ground. The general layout of this event will be: Online Registration, City Pitching, Preparation, and The Grand Finals.



Disclaimer: e27 is a media partner of Asia Hardware Battle 2018

The post Check out the 7 sizzling startups that pitched at Asia Hardware Battle 2018s Singapore City Pitching appeared first on e27.Whats up with model-dj-blogger Jade Rasif nowadays?

According to her Instagram profile, Jade Rasif has donned the toga of a National University of Singapore graduate, posing in a photo with her mother and her stepfather.

Who is Jade Rasif and how did she rise to fame?

Instagram Photo

In the Instagram photo above, you can see Jade looking inexplicably sweet while her mother and her stepfather look on.

Who is her real dad?

In case you didnt know, Jades father is one of the most notorious lawyers in Singaporean history, who was convicted of embezzling his clients funds. In a controversial case that amounted up to $12 million, Jades father, David Rasif, has been a fugitive ever since, and has not been found.

In the photo above, you can see Jade with her mother and her stepfather, who is also Indian, just like her biological dad.

Someone on her Instagram feed asked if the man in her photo was her real dad along with calling him a fugitive, and this is what Jade answered,

Jade immediately clapped back, and used the commenters own words against him. She also emphasised the fact that she graduated from University, and that going so educates you enough to not ask certain questions.

Now she has a degree to back up her thirst-trapping?

Graduating from NUS has always seemed to be only one aspect of Jades crazy life. Aside from modelling and being the highest-paid Singaporean DJ, what else has she been up to?

In an interview from January this year, Jade admits that shes always liked posting thirst traps.

What is a thirst trap, you say? Its essentially an Instagram post that shows off suggestive themes and sexy or flirty looks so that people would comment about their attraction to the subject of the photo.

According to the Urban Dictionary, A sexy photography or flirty message posted on social media for the intent of causing others to publicly profess their attraction, is what a thirst trap is all aboutand Jade is certainly having fun with them.

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According to an interview with Yahoo Singapore, she enjoys setting these traps.

I love thirst trapping, she says in the interview. Its hilarious.

Especially when I post a picture and my ex slides into my dms, and I get to screenshot it and have a laugh with my girlfriends. she continues.

Who is Tyen Rasif, Jades equally-hot sister?

While people think that she may be posting these photos simply for fun, doing so is actually a power play for her and a way to wield her sexuality to get what she wants. She feels empowered when a guy she likes messages or reaches out to her because of her posts, or if her ex makes her feel better about herself because he could not help but get caught by her traps.

This woman really seems to be as powerful as the music she playsno wonder she has almost 200,000 followers on her Instagram account.

Congratulations on graduating, Jade!

The post DJ Jade Rasif graduates with a National University of Singapore Psychology degree, poses with parents appeared first on Alvinology.Birthday wishes

Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun.

Happy Birthday WishesWhen your job has been labelled "mission impossible," failure may be the most likely outcome. There is no doubt that the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has persevered through extraordinary challenges during four-and-half years in the role. But as the UN peace drive has dragged on without evident success, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have steadily gained ground, pinning the opposition into their last bastion of Idlib while showing little interest in negotiating an end to the bloodshed. De Mistura has meanwhile been criticised for doing anything necessary to keep the UN talks alive while letting them devolve into negotiations without substance. The veteran diplomat's defenders applaud his flexibility and creativity while facing an obstinate Assad regime. But questions have mounted over the future of the UN peace effort, with this week's General Assembly serving as yet another deadline missed, while France warned Monday a "perpetual war" loomed in the Middle East unless a Syrian peace accord is reached. - 'A waste of jet fuel' - De Mistura briefed the Security Council last week about his faltering bid to create a committee to revise Syria's constitution, a project conceived at separate negotiations in Sochi led by Iran, Russia and Turkey. He had voiced hope the committee would be agreed before the General Assembly, where the Syrian conflict that has killed more than 360,000 people since 2011 will top the agenda. But for Emile Hokayem, senior Middle East fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, trying to create the committee is "motion without movement" that will not help Syrian reconciliation. "It's a waste of jet fuel and diplomatic credibility. This is something that is obviously not relevant at all." De Mistura told the Security Council the government and opposition had not yet agreed on the makeup of the committee. The actual work of revising Syria's constitution therefore does not appear imminent, while the UN's broader mandate of negotiating "political transition" in Damascus appears to be on the backburner. De Mistura warned the Security Council that endless "consulting" had risks. He later told reporters that next month he might be able to discuss "what could be the beginning of the constitutional committee." For Hokayem, the constitutional project is an example of a chronic problem with the Geneva process, where diplomatic targets keep shifting in the absence of achievement. Throughout, Assad has been able to nominally claim he is participating in UN talks while pressing a military campaign. "The UN should be reflecting first about whether this is worth the effort... and, more importantly, whether they are serving the Syrian people at all," Hokayem said. "We never get a sense from de Mistura that enough is enough." - Talking shop? - A European diplomat, who requested anonymity, praised de Mistura for believing in "the art of the possible" and using the constitutional committee "as a mechanism that potentially breaks a log jam." But he also warned that endlessly extending the dialogue was dangerous. "The suspicion of course that many of us have, including me, is that the regime and its backers simply want to play this along, that it's just a talking shop, so we must be clear that that can't happen," he said. In an email to AFP, de Mistura's office defended the constitutional reform effort as "an important milestone itself and viable entry point for other reforms to come," including UN-supervised elections, a key plank of the Geneva process. - Not agile? - For David Harland, the director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, de Mistura's missteps are an extension of the UN's broader decline as a peacebroker. Harland's criticisms are not strictly those of an outsider: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres named him to a special advisory group on conflict mediation. In the two decades following the end of the Cold War, when permanent Security Council members were less bitterly divided, Harland credited the UN with playing a central role in striking deals to end several conflicts, including Iran-Iraq, Guatemala, Cambodia and Lebanon, among others. Since 2008, the UN's peacemaking record has largely been defined by failure, Harland argued in a paper presented at the Oslo Security Forum. There are many reasons why -- like an increasingly dysfunctional Security Council -- but some are internal UN shortcomings evident in de Mistura's mandate, Harland argued. One example is a lack of agility. "Prior to the mid-1990s, UN envoys were usually supported by a small personal staff," whereas they have lately expanded into larger "special political missions,... including advisers dedicated to everything from gender equality to the demobilisation of child soldiers." De Mistura, who habitually references the importance of his "women's advisory board," has a staff of 92, his office said, listing its total budget over the past three years at approximately $50 million (42 million euros).Vietnam Frontier Summit 2018 is the biggest event on frontier technology in Vietnam

Its an exciting time for startups in Vietnam, exclaimed San Luu, Vice Director at Innovatube, and I couldnt agree more. Asias rising dragon has been hit by a strong wave of corporate innovation this year, which saw at least three corporate acquisitions and multiple corporate-startup engagements being announced.

To highlight a few:

Transportation group Phuong Trang acquired ride-hailing app VATO (formerly VIVU)

BMG real estate group acquired proptech startup AMI

Domestic conglomerate Vingroup acquired healthcare startup Vicare

ACB Bank hosted inaugural Bank without walls Hackathon

Investment Management Firm VinaCapital launching a US$100m venture capital fund

According to San, another general observation points towards traditional retail and institutional investors increasingly exploring tech startups as an alternative investment. As startup news penetrate mainstream media towards their attention, there is a growing league of angel investors and syndicates forming.

With these trends being backed by macroeconomic fundamentals and a strong base of tech talent, Vietnam Frontier Summit is back in its second year running as it aims to showcase Vietnam as a burgeoning tech hub in Southeast Asia.

Also read: Vietnam officials to give financial support to countrys innovative startups

As organizers of VFS2018, we believe that Vietnam with a great pool of strong computer science talents and strong entrepreneurship would become the next hub of frontier tech in Southeast Asia. The partnership with e27  Asias leading tech media platform  would help people in the region be more aware of the deep tech ecosystem in Vietnam, San Luu, Vice Director, Innovatube.

For us at e27, the partnership with Innovatube allows us to scale our core mission across borders by being involved with yet another key ecosystem building initiative in Vietnam. We also hope to explore more strategic alignment and synergistic collaborations with various stakeholders and influencers within the local tech startup community.

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The #e27community has been asking us about the ecosystem and its hidden gems in Vietnam, and if you are aligned with our narrative, enjoy 50% discount off Premium Passes by using the promocode ABRE2750 at http://bit.ly/VFSA2018 :)

About Vietnam Frontier Summit 2018

Vietnam Frontier Summit 2018 is the biggest event on frontier technology in Vietnam. More than 2,000 attendees, tech startups, and organizations are expected to join Vietnam Frontier Summit to talk about the trend in frontier technologies such as AI, VR/AR, Blockchain, IoT and discuss the impact of these technologies on other industries.

This year, Vietnam Frontier Summit will be gathering the brightest minds in Vietnam and Southeast Asia to achieve the following 3 objectives:

(1) Strengthen and support frontier tech startup in building a sustainable business

(2) Create strong connection and synergy of stakeholders in the frontier tech ecosystem

(3) Promote frontier tech such as AI, IoT, Blockchain and AR/VR and the applications of these technologies in real projects

More information at: https://www.summit.innovatube.com/

-

Disclaimer: e27 is a Strategic Partner at Vietnam Frontier Summit 2018

The post e27 partners with Vietnam Frontier Summit 2018 to catalyse the growth of Vietnams tech ecosystem appeared first on e27.Ford is looking at speeding up plans to build more Lincoln models in Chinese plants amid the growing trade war with the United States that has made US exports less attractive, a senior executive said Monday. Joseph Hinrichs, Ford's executive vice president for global operations, said he did not see any easy resolution to the trade dispute between the United States and China. President Donald Trump on Monday imposed tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods, prompting swift retaliation from Beijing on $60 billion in US products. "We have long been advocates for balanced and free trade," Hinrichs said. "We continue to encourage both the US administration and the Chinese government that it's in everyone's interest to work out their differences." But, he said, "I believe this US-China discussion will go on for a while." The increasing exchange of tariffs makes it difficult to plan for the future and with tariffs on vehicles exported to China now reaching 40 percent there is no business case for exporting vehicles from the United States, he said. "China is a core businesses for us," he said, but added, "You're talking about two very powerful economies so we're going to have to plan accordingly." The company has been planning to launch new vehicles in China to halt its recent slide in that market, he said. Ford recently announced it was scrapping plans to import the compact Focus model from Chinese plants into the US market due to the tariffs. - Canada should stay in NAFTA - Hinrichs also said he hoped a breakthrough on a revised North American Free Trade Agreement could be achieved this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to keep Canada in the continental trade pact. "We need a three-way auto agreement," Hinrichs said, noting that the deal struck last month between the United States and Mexico could serve as a basis for a more complete agreement that includes Canada. "I'm worried a little bit that time will catch up with us," he said at a luncheon, noting that he had spent more time in Washington DC working on trade issues than ever before. US and Canadian negotiators have spent more than a month trying to resolve remaining differences after Washington sealed a tentative deal with Mexico City which they intend to sign by December 1, when a new government takes office. The auto industry is key to NAFTA and the free trade deal is critical to the North American supply chain. Hinrichs said that while "the language of US-Mexico trade agreement should work for Canada" in the auto sector, the remaining sticking points centered on other topics like lumber, dairy and cultural issues.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. 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.Given the extreme geography of the city, one step up may seem like the least difficult task of the day for many Hong Kong residents.

But, for the disabled, it can be an insurmountable barrier that keeps them from accessing the most basic of services.

The step  youll find it in the vast majority of shops and restaurants in the city  keeps water from heavy rains, such as those brought by Typhoon Mangkhut last week, from invading businesses and homes as it flows downhill.

That is the one of the many challenges for Hong Kongs banks as they seek to catch up to their counterparts in other parts of the world and rework their branches and automated teller machine locations to make them more accessible for older and disabled residents in a city where extra space is often a luxury.

The citys lenders have made progress  and are ahead of other Hong Kong businesses  but have a way to go before they are fully accessible, based on an informal survey of more than 100 locations carried out by South China Morning Post.

Nearly 90 per cent of the branches or ATM locations visited in Central, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok and Taikoo Shing required a step up to access a service counter or a banking machine.

More than half had no lifts or ramps, even temporary ones, to help wheelchair users access services.

Joseph Kwan, a Hong Kong architect who focuses on accessibility issues and works with the Hong Kong Federation for Handicapped Youth, said that step dates back to colonial-era rules that required a six-inch, barrier to prevent flooding and rot when stores and residencies had timber floors.

The step is an archaic solution, Kwan said. There are many, many other solutions that are available. You go to other accessible places, like Vancouver or Japan. They can do it well. I say, if they can do it, why cant we?

Need a wheelchair-accessible optician in Hong Kong? This is the place for you

Kwan said Hong Kongs rules can make it difficult for businesses with limited space to build a ramp: the allowed slope for a one-foot rise would require a ramp 12-feet long.

Story continues

There are many, many other solutions [to help handicapped or elderly customers] that are available. You go to other accessible places, like Vancouver or Japan. They can do it well. I say, if they can do it, why we?

Joseph Kwan, a Hong Kong architect who focuses on accessibility issues

The Hong Kong Association of Banks put new guidelines in place in March to encourage its members to adopt best practices for barrier free access to banking services for the physically disabled, the visually impaired and the hearing-impaired, a step forward from practical guidance it provided in the past.

Many businesses in Hong Kong, however, often lack accommodation for the disabled that have become standard in other countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, where local laws have required broader compliance or made it easier to remake facilities, advocates say.

Kwan noted that Norway has taken it a step further and committed to a national policy of universal design and accessibility by 2025.

For their part, the city's largest lenders are engaged in a broader effort to re-imagine their physical locations  both digital portals and non-banking locations  to make banking easier for their disabled and elderly customers.

The guidelines include installing permanent ramps or having call buttons and temporary ramps available to help the physically disabled access branches. They also encourage banks, where feasible, to install ATMs with tactile instructions and voice navigation for visually impaired users.

For example, elderly customers, beginning in March this year, are able to make withdrawals from their bank accounts at major convenience stores in Hong Kong, a Hong Kong Association of Banks spokesperson said.

The guideline seeks to consolidate prevailing best practices within the banking industry in helping customers who have special needs access various financial delivery channels owing to their physical mobility disability, visual disability and/or hearing disability, the spokesperson added.

The new recommendations came a decade after the citys Buildings Department put in regulations as part of its updated design manual to allow for greater barrier-free access.

The guideline seeks to consolidate prevailing best practices within the banking industry in helping customers who have special needs access various financial delivery channels owing to their physical mobility disability, visual disability and/or hearing disability

Hong Kong Association of Banks spokesperson

Those rules, while helpful, exempted older buildings if they were not undergoing extensive alterations. Many shops and restaurants that are not part of a larger shopping complex have also been forced to update under the building rules.

The demands on space in Hong Kong also mean that design rules are sometimes implemented literally, so buildings may widen a hallway just enough for a wheelchair to pass, but not turn around, advocates say.

Feng shui, the ancient practice that uses the positioning of objects and design to bring better harmony to living and working spaces, can also play a role in a buildings exterior, particularly in Hong Kong, said Thierry Chow, a feng shui expert based in Wan Chai.

For the citys biggest banks, improving accessibility makes business sense.

In August, HSBC showcased changes it has made at its Tseun Wan branch to better serve disabled customers, ranging from customer service representatives trained in sign language to branch counters that have been lowered to make it easier for disabled customers.

HSBC plans to introduce 250 ATMs equipped with voice navigation services, which allow a visually impaired person to use headphones to navigate ATM menus by voice, across Hong Kong by the end of the year. It is also lowering the height of some ATMs and counters within branches to make them more accessible to wheelchair-bound consumers. The bank has more than 800 ATMs in Hong Kong.

The industry is making itself far more accessible. Obviously, it is not just the physical network, said Greg Hingston, HSBCs head of retail banking and wealth management in Hong Kong. We are rapidly entering the digital age, so improving accessibility in digital has to be considered too.

Why Hong Kong is so hard to get around if youre in a wheelchair or blind, and what could be done to make city more accessible

Hingston said Hong Kongs population is ageing, so the bank needs to make sure it is serving those customers in a better ongoing way .

The Bank of China introduced the first voice navigation ATM in Hong Kong five years ago and has protruding symbols on all of its machines to help the blind, such as dollar signs to indicate where money comes out of a machine.

The industry is making itself far more accessible. Obviously, it is not just the physical network. We are rapidly entering the digital age, so improving accessibility in digital has to be considered too

Greg Hingston, HSBCs head of retail banking and wealth management in Hong Kong

The bank said it has more than 160 voice navigation ATMs at 127 of its branches and automated banking centres in Hong Kong and plans to have more than 200 of the machines in place by the end of next year.

It also has temporary ramps available at all of its locations where there are stairs at the entrance and bells that can be used to summon customer service staff to help disabled customers who need help, the bank said.

Citibank has installed wheelchair ramps at many of its locations around the city and has a handful of voice navigation ATMs available at locations in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok and Tseun Wan, which allow customers to navigate in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Those visits by South China Morning Post to dozens of branches and ATM locations for more than 20 different banks in Hong Kong, showed the industry, while making progress, still has some distance to travel before it reaches its goal.

At one location of China Construction Bank (Asia), a branch manager, who was not authorised to speak publicly, said it had installed a lowered ATM for wheelchair users and sound for the blind to better serve the disabled. The manager said the bank had not previously considered the step as an issue for wheelchair users.

China Construction Bank (Asia) aims to address accessibility needs of users with disability and has started to introduce portable wheelchair ramps at some branches, the company said in a statement.

Portable wheelchair ramps will also be arranged in all CCB (Asia) branches gradually in future. In addition, professional guard stationed at entrances to all CBB branches will provide timely help to customers with disabilities, in addition to security enhancement.

Closed minds the biggest barrier for people with disabilities in Hong Kong

At the Wing Lung Building in Central, users have to climb seven steps to reach the Wing Lung Bank branch or access its external ATM.

When approached by South China Morning Post, branch representatives directed inquires to the buildings security staff, who said there was no ramp because it was an old building.

Wing Lung Bank did not respond to a request for comment.

That is not to say that banks in Hong Kong, while facing challenges ranging from geography to space, are not doing their best to accommodate their disabled patrons.

Hongkong Post staff stage protest against disability discrimination at work

The Bank of China, for example, has built a phone booth-sized lift at its Prince Edward Road West location in Kowloon that carries wheelchair users and other physically impaired customers up a single step.

Several banks also have trained staff in sign language, equipped their counters with flashing signs for queuing. They openly welcome guide dogs to their branches and provide bank statements and other materials in Braille to blind patrons.

Banking services can also be difficult for the blind.

We cannot use other functions, such as checking the account balance or changing the pin

Jason Ho Ka-leung, financial secretary for the Hong Kong Blind Union

The vast majority of ATMs in the city have tactile symbols to help guide the blind where to place their card or take money. The challenge is navigating the many screens that users encounter once they have entered their PIN.

Of 90 locations visited that had ATMs, only 18 had machines equipped with audio plugs for the blind to be guided by voice.

Before the introduction of voice navigation, Jason Ho Ka-leung, financial secretary for the Hong Kong Blind Union, said that the visually impaired had to remember the placement of items on the ATM screen, which usually limited the visually impaired to simply withdrawing money.

We cannot use other functions, such as checking the account balance or changing the pin, he said.

Ho Ka-leung said that HSBC asked for input from the Blind Union before introducing its voice navigation machines. The biggest request: allow users to press a button to skip the various disclaimers posted by the bank if it is not the first time they are using an ATM, he said.

In the long run, I am hoping for all ATM locations to have the voice navigation functions, he said. This is my dream and I believe that will come true one day.

This article Are Hong Kongs banks doing enough to help their disabled or elderly customers? 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:Expedito will take part in the week-long Seedstars Summit in Switzerland in April 2019

Seedstars Jakarta, the Indonesian round of global seed-stage startup competition Seedstars World, on Friday named logistics startup Expedito as its first winner at Ruang & Tempo, South Jakarta.

Expedito is a price comparison website and online booking service for international shipping.

Selected out of nine finalists, Expedito will take part in the week-long Seedstars Summit in Switzerland in April 2019. The startup will have an opportunity to meet more than 65 winners from other Seedstars competitions, as well as investors and mentors from around the world. At the final day of the summit, the startups will pitch for an opportunity to win up to US$1 million in equity investment and other prizes.

In addition to Expedito, sharia-based P2P lending platform Ammana has been named as second prize winner while equity crowdfunding platform Bizshare has been named as third prize winner.

Also Read: Parking sharing platform Parking Koi wins Seedstars Bangladesh; to compete for up to US$1M in Switzerland

The finalists are include retail solutions provider Do-Cart, recruitment startup for blue collar jobs Pakaruto, GPS-tracking solutions provider Lacak, agritech startup Aglonera, queueing app Qiwii, and healthtech platform for patients of varicose vein disease Varises Indonesia.

The panel of jury for this event includes Arum Kalbuadi Putri (Openspace Ventures), Melina Subastian (Alpha JWC Ventures), Paul Luo (BStartup), Joseph de Leon (Gravitas Prime), Octa Ramayana (Digitaraya), and Gaby Fernandez Scala (Seedstars).

For this years event, Seedstars World Asia partners with Merck Accelerator to support early stage startups with a focus on life sciences.

To organise the Jakarta event, Seedstars work with Digitraraya, Kumpul, Prosehat and Ruang & Tempo, with support by Kibar, Greenhouse, FlySpaces, Freak Out, Bat Ventures, RASI, Asosiasi Tech Startup Indonesia, ANGIN and media partner Daily Social.

Story continues

The event stated that it had attracted interest from over 110 startups and around 70 attendees.



Image Credit: Seedstars Jakarta

The post Logistics startup Expedito wins Seedstars Jakarta, to represent Indonesia in Switzerland appeared first on e27.Motor Image Pilipinas, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the Philippines, congratulates the individuals who successfully made it through the 2018 Subaru Palm Challenge: Philippine Face-Off last September 22 at 9th Avenue, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City.

Out of almost one hundred aspirants, 10 strong competitors have emerged victorious and are now set to gear up to represent the Philippines in the Regional Finals in Singapore next month.

2018 Subaru Palm Challenge: Philippine Face Off

The aspirants flagged off at 9 AM ready to outlast each other in this test of will and endurance. The challenge was to keep their hands on one of the four Subaru XVs with EyeSight, with no protection against the heat of the sun, or the discomfort of rainwhichever the day offered.

After more than nine exhausting hours, the final 10 contestants were finally known. However, each of them still hung on, vying to be the ultimate Filipino winner and the local legs LAST MAN STANDING. This year, a contest newbie, Rey Balintucas, emerged the winner!

This 2018s challenge also brought about some interesting twists. Juan Furiscal and Jaspher Galaura, both part of last years top ten, fell early in the competition. Rheden Pinoliad, last years runner up and Alex Neblasca, 2016 Regional Palm Challenge strongman also didnt make it past through the local leg.

Veterans Carlo Talahib, who was also last years PH team captain, and Filmark Bernante, last years Regional Palm Challenge country winner, rejoins the 2018 team, but it was Rey Balintucas and Juntie Flores, last years PH winner, who held on longest. Eventually, Flores bid for back-to-back wins was spoiled by Balintucas, who outlasted Flores by merely 3 seconds.

The full names of the finalists with their records are:

2018 SUBARU PALM CHALLENGE: PHILIPPINE FACE OFF LIST OF WINNERS RANKING NAME TIME 1st Rey Balintucas 09:30:24 2nd Juntie Flores 09:27:29 3rd Filmark Bernante 09:26:15 4th Carlo Talahib 09:26:06 5th John Kris Ilagan 09:25:39 6th Alec Karol Ebuen 09:23:07 7th Mark Albert Guballa 09:22:06 8th Daniel Sabas 09:21:40 9th Karl Joseph Sarenas 09:21:21 10th Angel Lou Grospe 09:21:01

*Pending required documents to participate in Singapore Finals

Story continues

The Philippine team is now complete and set to compete against other Asian countries in an even more difficult arena from October 26 to 31, 2018 in Singapore. Over the past years, the closest podium finish the Philippines reached was third place in 2016. Could a Filipino finally claim the crown at last and drive home his very own Subaru? Lets all show our support to Subaru Team Philippines this October!

2018 Subaru Palm Challenge: Philippine Face Off

2018 Subaru Palm Challenge: Philippine Face Off

2018 Subaru Palm Challenge: Philippine Face Off

2018 Subaru Palm Challenge: Philippine Face Off

The post New Names Round Up Winners of 2018 Subaru Palm Challenge: Philippine Face Off appeared first on Carmudi Philippines.While the final season of "Game of Thrones" may be on the horizon, the show's legacy will endure with the launch of a new GoT tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland and HBO have released preliminary details on the opening of "Game of Thrones Legacy," which will turn some of the iconic filming locations from the series into a tourist attraction that fans will be able to visit IRL.

For nearly a decade, the dramatic landscapes, coastlines and castles of Northern Ireland have doubled as the fictional setting for Westeros.

Some of the sites being considered for inclusion in the tour include Winterfell, Castle Black and King's Landing, which will also exhibit props like costumes, weapons, set decorations, art files, models and other production materials.

A formal tour of Linen Mill Studios, where some of the scenes were shot, is also being considered.

HBO promises that the attraction will be on a "scale and scope bigger than anything the public has ever seen."

More details on the project will be released at a later date. A tentative opening date is set for 2019. The final season of the series airs is slated to premiere in the first half of 2019.Fifty-eight migrants aboard the Aquarius rescue ship will be taken to Malta and from there to France, Germany, Portugal and Spain, after a deal was reached to defuse the latest row over the fate of people rescued in the Mediterranean. The migrants will "disembark in international waters", Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted from the UN General Assembly in New York. They will be taken to Malta and "immediately redistributed" to the four countries, a government spokesman said, amid a brewing crisis over their fate. "The operation will take place as soon as logistically possible," the spokesman said. The migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast by the Aquarius, a ship run by charity SOS Mediterranee. The Aquarius passengers include 17 women and 18 minors, many of whom are exhausted and in psychological distress, the NGO said. France will take 18 of those onboard, while Germany and Spain will each welcome 15, a French government source told AFP. Portugal will take 10. A dog called Bella was also rescued with the migrants, in what the NGO said was a first. The Aquarius -- the last civilian rescue boat in the Mediterranean -- had said it was heading for Marseille, "its only option" after Italy's populist government refused access to its ports. But the French government had signalled it was reluctant to welcome the vessel, saying it should dock at the nearest safe port to its current location near conflict-torn Libya. Malta's announcement came after talks with the French government, Muscat said. The Aquarius will then head to Marseille "to rectify its stateless position," the government said, after Panama announced Saturday it would revoke the boat's flag registration following an Italian complaint. A similar crisis was defused in August when five different countries took in migrants the Aquarius had picked up during the treacherous Mediterranean crossing. - Migrant 'taxi service'? - The Aquarius was at the heart of a blazing diplomatic row in June when it became stranded with more than 600 migrants onboard following a refusal by Italy and Malta to take it in. It has since been repeatedly turned away by Italy and been forced to stop in Malta and Spain after missions in recent months. Under a previous deal reached in August, 141 migrants onboard the Aquarius were distributed between France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed to block the Aquarius permanently from his country's ports, accusing it of offering a "taxi service" for migrants from Libya to Europe. His government says Italy has had enough of migrants arriving by boat, with more than 700,000 landing on its shores since 2013. The numbers have dropped sharply since their peak in 2015, but the UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, has warned that the death rate during Mediterranean crossings has soared. 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. Testifying to the gruelling ordeal faced by those trying to cross the Mediterranean, Morocco's navy on Tuesday fired on a boat carrying migrants, killing a Moroccan woman and wounding three other people. The patrol was "forced" to open fire on a speedboat driven by a Spaniard who "refused to obey" orders in waters off the Moroccan region of M'diq-Fnideq, the authorities said in a statement. The Spaniard was arrested unharmed. The Aquarius has become a symbol of bitter divisions in Europe over how to share responsibility for the hundreds of thousands of people arriving by boat since 2015. French President Emmanuel Macron has clashed with the Italian government over its blocking of rescue ships, accusing it of "cynicism and irresponsibility". He faced criticism 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 of the rescued migrants. His aide on Tuesday blasted Rome for blocking a new permanent solution to manage the docking and distribution of migrants rescued by charity boats. "It's not moving forward because those who criticise the lack of French or European solidarity, starting with Italy, don't want a permanent, durable mechanism," the aide said.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. "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.In this article:

24 Sep  Here's looking at the interesting things our celebrities were doing last week.

Jesseca Liu was invited to fly to Bangkok and be a guest judge on the latest season of Asia's Next Top Model.

Priscelia Chan went on a jazz date with hubby Alan Tern to see Stacey Kent perform in Esplanade.

While Joanna Dong expresses elation over meeting Stacey Kent, whom she admitted to be her role model for the last 15 years.

We are in full support of Shane Pow bulking up, and showing off his cool back tattoo.

Sheila Sim finally had that romantic honeymoon in Santorini, Greece, with hubby Deon Woo.

Jayley Woo proves that she is the Instagram queen, making even the most mundane photo beautiful.

After weeks of promoting "Crazy Rich Asians", Pierre Png finally gets the vacation he deserves - in Fiji.

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On the other hand, Jeremy Chan and friends, Edwin Goh, Sonia Chew, and Lance Lim are doing "Crazy Weird Asians" like only they know how.Prime Minister and Social Democratic Party leader Stefan Lofven attends a news conference at the government headquarters Rosenbad in Stockholm, Sweden September 12, 2018. TT News Agency/Henrik Montgomery/via REUTERS

By Johan Sennero

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lovfen is set to lose power in a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday, with no clear indication of who will replace him after an inconclusive election that saw a surge by the far right.

Voters delivered a hung parliament in the Sept. 9 election, with Social Democrat Lofven's centre-left bloc garnering 144 seats, one more than their centre-right rivals, the Alliance, whose biggest party is the Moderates.

The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, with 62 seats, are expected to side with the Alliance and vote to remove Lofven in Tuesday's confidence vote.

"Our previous position that we do not have confidence in him remains," Sweden Democrat lawmaker Mattias Karlsson said.

If Lofven loses Tuesday's vote, he will remain as head of a caretaker government until a new administration is in place.

That could take weeks if not months, analysts say.

Swedish politics have been deadlocked since the general election with both mainstream blocs claiming victory and the Sweden Democrats holding the balance of power.

The main blocs have rejected offering support to each other and ruled out co-operating with the Sweden Democrats, a party with roots in the white supremacist fringe that has been shunned by all other parties since entering the Riksdag in 2010.

While Tuesday's vote is likely to spell the end of the minority coalition of the Social Democrats and Greens, it remains unclear what the make-up of the next government will be.

Parliament voted for a speaker from the Alliance on Monday, handing the four-party coalition a slight advantage. The speaker's main task is to pick a prime ministerial candidate who is tasked with forming a viable administration.

"I think that the Alliance has the best potential to form a government, that has not changed," Ulf Kristersson, Moderate Party leader and the Alliance's candidate for prime minister, said.

Story continues

"But there are many obstacles in the way and there are a number of steps before we get there."

The complicated maths of the parliament make it far from certain the Moderates, Centre, Liberal and Christian Democrats that together form the Alliance can take power.

To avoid relying on the Sweden Democrats, who want to freeze immigration and hold a vote on the country's EU membership, the Alliance hopes that the Social Democrats or Greens will support them, a proposal Lofven has already rejected.

Instead, he hopes to detach the Centre and Liberal parties from the Alliance and form a centrist government. The Social Democrats have dominated Swedish politics for decades and are still easily the biggest party.

The Sweden Democrats have promised to vote down any government that does not give them influence over policy, particularly on immigration. So far no party has shown any willingness to compromise.

"Because everyone has ruled out cooperating with the Sweden Democrats, the traditional blocs have to cooperate with each other," Liberal Party leader Jan Bjorklund said.

"If some kind of cooperation does not happen, Sweden will have a fresh election."

The speaker has four goes at picking a prime minister to form a government. If none of his choices can get enough support in parliament, a new election must be held within three months.

(Reporting by Simon Johnson and Johan Sennero; editing by Niklas Pollard)U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters during bilateral meeting with Egypt's President el-Sisi on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 24, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump, in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly, on Tuesday said has no plans to meet Iran's President Hassan Rouhani but signaled he was open to a possible future meeting.

"Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey)The United States on Tuesday urged Hong Kong to allow freedom of expression as it voiced concern over a ban on the pro-independence party. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement said the United States was "concerned" by the ban on the Hong Kong National Party, a first since Britain handed back the trading port 21 years ago to China which assured it would allow semi-autonomy. "The US supports the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association," Pompeo said. "These are core values we share with Hong Kong, and that must be vigorously protected," added Pompeo who is in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly. Hong Kong said it was upholding a request from the police to ban the tiny party -- whose core membership is only around a dozen people -- in the interest of preserving public order. Britain also said it was "concerned" about the move, while stressing that it did not advocate independence for the city. China voiced "strong dissatisfaction" over foreign criticism, calling on countries not to interfere in Hong Kong or Chinese affairs.Singapore State Courts (AFP Photo/Mohd Fyrol)

While working at an interior design company, she misappropriated a total of $68,260 from clients.

When she left the job, Husniyati Omar, 40, created a shell renovation company with her husband and cheated 89 clients out of more $1 million for renovation works that they had promised to carry out but were only partially completed.

Even after she was arrested for the offences and released on police bail, Husniyati continued her cheating spree, creating a second company to cheat clients out of renovation fees.

On Tuesday (25 September), Husniyati was jailed seven years and nine months for her offences. She pleaded guilty to 21 counts, including cheating and criminal breach of trust as a clerk or servant. A total of 126 similar counts were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Her husband, 37-year-old Aszrul Yusoff, intends to claim trial to his charges.

Husniyati worked at Elegance Concept, an interior design company, from September 2015 to January 2016 as a sales and marketing manager where she was in charge of finding new clients, collecting payments and depositing payments received into the companys bank account.

Husniyati misappropriated money shortly after joining the company. She committed the offences after her release from prison in September 2015 for a separate cheating offence for which she was convicted in June 2015.

Between September and December 2015, Husniyati misappropriated a total of $68,260 from eight of Elegances customers.

A police report was lodged on 1 February 2016 about Husniyatis embezzlement.

After leaving the company, Husniyati created the company Carpentry with her husband. Husniyati asked her friend Christina Wong Hoi Khay, 22, to be its sole director and shareholder. and promised to pay her $3,000 a month. She sought Wongs help as she was an undischarged bankrupt.

Husniyati opened an office and showroom in Telok Kurau Road and in Yishun in April 2016. She also set up a Facebook page where she posted low quotations and free air-conditioning units to clients who chose Carpentry to renovate their houses by a certain date. She threw in free granite kitchen counter-tops to attract customers.

Story continues

The couple then promised customers that Carpentry would be able to complete the renovation works within a given deadline. However, Husniyati had no intention of honouring the contract.

Only hacking works were done in these victims homes. When the victims contacted the couple as the deadline neared, the couple would demand further payments.

Husniyati had also engaged sub-contractors to carry out renovation works even though she had no intention to pay them.

In total, Husniyati cheated 89 victims to into delivering cash amounting to a total of $1,796,474. Together with her husband, Husniyati frequently withdrew funds from Carpentrys corporate accounts. No restitution was made to the victims.

Husniyati was arrested on 13 April last year and released on police bail when she committed the same type of offences using another company.

This time, she asked a former employee of Carpentry, Mohammad Khairuldin Abdullah, 32, to set up a new renovation company called Chanteq Flooring Specialist. While Khairuldin was listed as the companys sole shareholder and director, Husniyati controlled the companys bank account.

On 1 June last year, Husniyati, using the name Serene, deceived a victim into paying her for renovation works she had no intention of completing. A sub-contractor was also deceived into carrying out some works at the victims home. The sub-contractor received a cheque from Husniyati but the cheque bounced.

The victim paid Husniyati $42,260 for the works while Husniyati owed the sub-contractor $6,500.

The prosecution asked for a sentence of eight years, citing the large amount of money, the large number of charges and victims, and the lengthy period of the offences as aggravating factors.

(Husniyatis) actions have also caused untold hardship on some of the families who were not able to complete their home renovations without coughing up more monies, who had to stay indefinitely with their parents or in-laws until they have enough savings to engage another contractor whose relationship with their spouses came under strain as a result of the stress of being the owners of an inhabitable property, said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Lee Ti-Ting.

The DPP added that Husniyati had reoffended shortly after her release from prison and committed fresh offences even while under police investigations.Since the dawning of the Age of Man, the Sevenfold Door has stood as a monument to our species brief moment in the sun and a memorial to all those who gave their lives and souls during its construction. As long as we honored the memories of those whose blood forged the Great Seal, our tiny planet flourished, safe from the whims of the gods and monsters who rule the outer darkness. But we are a degenerate people, with none of the courage or wisdom of our ancestors, and our foolhardy leaders have failed to make the sacrifices necessary to renew the sacred magicks and dread enchantments. Today, I say unto you: Humanity will finally pay the price for its arrogance and foolishness!

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Now I will show you a dreadful wonder: The Seal is shattered, the Door open at last, and the age of the new Philadelphia Flyers mascot is upon us. Behold the Doom of Philadelphia, the Eater of Souls, Destroyer of the Faith, the one known in our realm as Gritty:

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Join us in welcoming the newest member of the #Flyers Family, @GrittyNHL!!



Learn more about Gritty: https://t.co/eQRwTtD54w pic.twitter.com/njHQO1824b  Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 24, 2018

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Nothing can save you from his dreadful gaze, mortal!

Please welcome the newest member of the nhl mascot family to twitter... it's @GrittyNHL pic.twitter.com/xMRxXoPv1O  #SJSharkie  (@sjsharkie) September 24, 2018

His reign begins this night and shall last even unto the End of Days. For Gritty was not, but now Gritty is, and Gritty shall be forevermore.

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The sacred texts will save no one. Though we pore over the tired, dead words of the official Philadelphia Flyers websites description of Gritty, there is no succor there, nay, nor hope neither:

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His father was a bully, so naturally he has some of those tendenciestalented but feisty, a fierce competitor, known for his agility given his size. Hes loyal but mischievous; the ultimate Flyers fan who loves the orange and black, but is unwelcoming to anyone who opposes his team. Legend has it he earned the name Gritty for possessing an attitude so similar to the team he follows. He claims that hes been around for a lot longer than we know it, and recent construction at the Wells Fargo Center disturbed his secret hideout forcing him to show his face publicly for the first time. He has some oddities that are both humorous and strange. A number of times hes been caught eating snow straight from the Zamboni machine, and unbeknown to most, his love of hot dogs has been inflating the Flyers Dollar Dog Night consumption totals for years. That being said, theres no denying that hes one of our own.

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Indeed, he is one of our own. Let the sun hide its face in shame and the moon fall from the sky in sorrow: The Philadelphia Flyers have a new mascot.Netflix just dropped the teaser for the second season of Making a Murderer, along with a release date: Oct. 19. It will follow the post-conviction appeals of Steven Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey.

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The hit first season of the documentary series, written and directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, was released almost three years ago, in December 2015. Its 10 episodes, filmed over 10 years, recounted the story of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man convicted of attempted murder and sexual assault but freed from prison after 18 years when DNA evidence exonerated him. He was released in 2003, but was arrested again two years later for the murder of Teresa Halbach, for which he was convicted. Dassey was also convicted in the case.

Ricciardi and Demos returned to Wisconsin to film the second part of the series. It will delve deeper into Averys case, with a focus on his lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, and into Dasseys appeal, which the Supreme Court declined to hear last summer.In the life of an immortal creature as old as time itself, two seasons of television is barely a drop in the infinite bucket. But over the course of The Good Place, Ted Dansons Michael has gone from the being the nigh-omnipotent creator of a cosmic torture chamber to enthusiastically conspiring with the lost souls hoping to escape it. In the shows third season, which begins airing on Thursday, Michael takes on a new role: helicopter parent.

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The role of a demonthe closest term for what Michael is, although he notes that the word is considered a little bit racistis meant to be a simple one: Torment the unlucky many condemned to eternal damnation via a complex, virtually impenetrable moral scoring system. (One of the shows running gags is that anyone you can think of, including the philosophers who spent their entire lives theorizing about how to live a good life, ended up in the Bad Place.) But Michael wanted to understand what makes humans tick, at first for the purposes of making them squirm: The shows core quartet, self-proclaimed Arizona trash bag Eleanor (Kristen Bell), chronically indecisive philosopher Chidi (William Jackson Harper), narcissistic socialite Tahani (Jameela Jamil), and dopey small-time criminal Jason (Manny Jacinto), spent most of the first season convinced they were in heaven, not realizing theyd been carefully matched to drive one another mad.

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As soon as they found out the truth, Michael wiped their memories and rebuilt their faux Good Place from scratch, but no matter how many times he rewound the clock, they always pushed onward in their clumsy human way, and their dogged persistence eventually won him over to their cause. By the end of the second season, it was clear there was no way to transfer already-damned souls from the Bad Place to the Good, so Michael devised the equivalent of a Hail Mary pass: Reset the timeline and give the humans more time on Earth, forestalling their deaths in the hopes that theyd finally blunder into the light.

Unfortunately, living beings dont have unlimited time to work out their problems, and Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason remain as clueless the second time around as they were the first. To make matters worse, Michael and Janet (DArcy Carden), an omniscient artificial intelligence who has taken the form of a department-store perfume clerk, are powerless on Earth and have promised the genuinely omnipotent Judge (Maya Rudolph) not to meddle in their affairs. Michael already broke that rule once at the end of Season 2, with Danson stepping behind a bar for the first time since Sam Malone rung last orders at Cheers to steer a wayward Eleanor in Chidis direction.

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The show has radically reworked itself from season to season, but its underlying architecture of people striving for goodness and falling short hasnt changed.

In Season 3, the gang is reunited in Australia under the auspices of a neuroscience study run by Chidis university colleague Simone (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) focusing on survivors of near-death experiencesanother seed planted by Michael and Janet, in hopes that reuniting the foursome would knock something loose. (One constant across Good Place creator Michael Schurs other shows, including Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation, is the power of collective action. Schur is also an occasional Slate contributor.) But while their brush with the infinite steered them in the right direction for a time, it turns out that, as Eleanor put it after an extended flirtation with virtue, Being good is for suckers.

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Michael and Janet know that theres a reward for being good, if not in this worldtheres no moral desertthen in the next. But simply telling Eleanor et al. that would break the rules and ruin the experiment. So theyre left watching from the wings, giving a hint here and a nudge there and hoping their naive charges will start to figure things out. They seem, in other words, a lot like parents. When Janet started to fret whether theyd earn enough points to get into the good   I reflexively completed the phrase with   schools. At one point, Janet confesses that shes started to refer to the Judge as mom, mostly to try on the concept of a parent-child relationship, and asks Michael if she can call him dad, but he quickly demurs: Theyre co-workers, for one, and hes already got four spiritual infants to look after.

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Throughout its run, The Good Place has flirted with the idea of sitcom premises as a Sartrean hell: a fixed group of people confined to a handful of locations playing out variations on the same scenarios again and again and again. (Schur has said he didnt name Dansons character after himself, but the parallel is irresistible.) The show has radically reworked itself from season to season, and even within them, but its underlying architecture of people striving for goodness and falling short hasnt changed, and it cant. Instead of having to work around that limitation, The Good Place has made it its central theme. Unlike most network sitcoms, The Good Place allows its characters to changethe Michael of Season 3 is radically different from the one we knew two years ago. But theres only so far they can go, and the longer its on the air, the longer its characters will continue to suffer. Hell is other timeslots.Daniel Mallory Ortberg is online weekly to chat live with readers. Heres an edited transcript of this weeks chat.

Daniel Mallory Ortberg: Good morning, everyone. Lets chat!

Q. DNA doozy: I took an at-home DNA test three years ago and loved itI learned more about my family history and some potential health issues. I eagerly suggested to my husband that he take it as well. He just took it and figured out he has two half-sisters he never knew about. After two days of denying it, his parents finally confessed that he was born via an egg donor and his mother isnt his biological mother. Hes absolutely distraught.

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I feel the blame is with his parents for hiding this secret for 30-plus years. He feels guilty for taking the test and responsible for the emotional meltdown its caused in his family. How can I support him through this? Am I right to be angry at his parents for hiding such a salient fact for so many years? Are my feelings of guilt at having recommended this test in the first place valid? Please help.

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A: This is a complicated situation, and part of why its important to ask, Am I prepared to learn something potentially devastating? before taking any sort of genetics test, rather than embarking on it as a lark. I imagine that your husbands parents may have felt a degree of shame and sadness 30 years ago and didnt know how to talk about egg donation with their children. That doesnt mean your husband is wrong to feel distraught, but I dont think they kept it to themselves purely out of a desire to be withholding.

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Youre all still in the immediate aftermath of a pretty serious revelation. With time and conversation, this may go from The huge family secret that ruined everything to The complicated circumstances of how this family came to be. My guess is that at least some of the anger toward your husbands parents is an attempt to manage the feelings of guilt you have about your own role in this discovery. You need to work through bothone isnt going to cancel out the other. Talk with your husband, encourage him to seek therapy, support whatever decisions he makes regarding whether to try to contact his half-siblings, and remind yourself that you cant fix this situation, only walk through it with him.

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Q. I ignored my BFF, and now she has cancer: Im in my late 30s and have been best friends with Lindy for most of my life. Im ashamed to admit that I stopped prioritizing spending time with her when I met my now-husband. Then I had three children in quick succession, and with the stress of working full time, raising my kids, and still seeing my husband, I completely fell off the face of the Earth. Lindy tried hard to meet me on my level, but even though I treasured the time we spent together, I didnt have the energy to be a supportive friend to her. I just found out that Lindy has been battling an aggressive cancer for a few monthsand not from her. Im gutted. A few months ago Lindy reached out to me, asking if we could get together, but I couldnt see her for several weeks. I now believe she wanted to tell me about her diagnosis in person, but after I rescheduled twice, she stopped trying. I am disgusted with myself for how Ive continually put her off. Im having difficulty functioning with this griefgrief I dont even feel entitled to. I want to reach out to Lindy but worry Id start sobbing and make reaching out all about me. What should I do?

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A: Im so sorry. This sounds unimaginably painful. I think youre wise to want to make sure that you can contact her in such a way where she doesnt have to manage your feelings if you start to have an emotional response. It may help to initiate contact in writing, either over text or in an email, so you can choose in advance what you want to say and make it clear that you understand if she does not have the time or the energy to respond. You can say that youre deeply sorry for putting her last, that youve heard about her diagnosis, and that youd very much like to apologize and be there for her in whatever way she needs. If she responds in the affirmative, then you can spend some time in advance rehearsing what youd like to say, either with your husband or a close friend, until you can get through it without falling apart. If shes not available to meet, then Id encourage you to find a counselor who can help you work through this painful combination of grief and guilt.

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How to Get Advice From Prudie:

 Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.)

 Join the live chat Mondays at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the discussion.

 Call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show.

Q. Expectations from an aging parent: I am a 33-year-old woman, engaged, with a complicated relationship with my mother, who has both physical and mental health issues, many exacerbated by poor health choices. Her behavior growing up proved to be extremely emotionally scarring for me, and we didnt speak for years after I left the house. Ive been fully independent financially since age 18 (paid for my own college, worked during high school), and although were on speaking terms again, we are not, and have never been, close. She is unmarried, she doesnt have much savings because she gambles, and while I have a brother, he is a drug addict with his own psychological demons. My fiance and I are about to use all of our savings to purchase a small two-bedroom house and begin a family of our own. It is clear she wants me to take care of her as she gets older; however, there is no way I would ever be able to do so financially or emotionally. I have anxiety issues stemming from childhood and my relationship with herthere is simply no way I can live with her and maintain my own mental health. How do I convey this to her (and my extended family) in a way that is kind?

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A: If your mother has simply hinted at it, you can feel free to ignore those hints; if shes come out and said things like, Someday, when Ive gambled all my money away, Im going to move in with you, you can kindly say, I wont be able to do that, and you need to come up with your own retirement plan. If your extended family wants to shove their oars into the conversationwhich is none of their business!simply say, If youre concerned about Moms financial plan, I encourage you to speak to her about it. If you need to put more distance between yourself and your family members as a result, you should do so; getting pressure from the entire clan about becoming your mothers full-time emotional caretaker sounds exhausting, and you dont have to put up with it if they cant let the subject go.

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Q. Conflicted about confidentiality: A colleague, Rachel, and I took a business trip together a year ago and got to know each other quite well during our travels. We work for the same company but at different locations, and because of our distance, I think she felt more comfortable opening up to me. She shared that she has experienced a lot of abuse, depression, and personal trauma, and that she once attempted suicide. While we dont interact much, I have assumed we are on friendly terms. Another friend and colleague who works with Rachel has recently begun to share some frustrations about Rachels behavior. Ive listened but mostly encouraged her to talk to Rachel directly. It escalated today when she brought up some alarming indicators that Rachel is sliding into depression and may harm herself. I dont see Rachel much, but I have noted that in the last few months shes not been responding to me when Ive reached out to say hello. Knowing about some of her past struggles, Im really bothered by her distant behavior and this secondhand information. Do I break confidentiality about her past suicide attempt? Rachel is very private and feels people are out to get her. Breaking confidentiality might only confirm her distrust of others, but I care and would never forgive myself if she harmed herself!

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A: Is your question whether you should tell a co-worker who has been complaining about Rachels behavior at work about Rachels suicide attempt? Because if thats who youre referring to when you talk about breaking confidentiality, then the answer is absolutely not. This colleague has repeatedly complained about Rachel to you, even after youve encouraged her to talk to Rachel directly; I dont think you have reason to believe this colleague has Rachels best interests at heart. The odds that she would gossip about Rachels past suicide attempts and try to pass it off as mere concern are high enough that you should not say anything to her.

That doesnt mean you should completely ignore the situation, however. Tell your colleague that you cant help her with her problem with Rachel and that she needs to stop talking to you (and others) about it. Encourage her to find a more productive, direct, and compassionate way to get through it. Meanwhile, send Rachel more than a simple hellotell her that you hope shes doing well, that you have missed hearing from her and wanted to see if she was all right. Tell her that you understand if shes not up to responding, but that youre here if she needs anything. You can express interest in her well-being and affection for her personally without letting her know that one of her co-workers is gossiping about her mental health.

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Q. Dazed and confused: I always thought I was straight, so Ive only tried to date guys. About two years ago, I fell in love with a girl but thought maybe she was an exception, because it never happened again. She was also straight, so I didnt pursue it. Ive never connected with or enjoyed any type of intimacy with guys. It feels weird. Ive never had a boyfriendalthough Im only 25, which is still young. Ive recently made a few queer friends and am head over heels for, you guessed it, a girl. Shes everything Ive wanted, but shes off limits because she just got out of a relationship. As much as I want to pursue her, I cant. Im willing to wait, but I dont want her to think Im experimenting with her. I genuinely want to be with her. Can you please give me some advice?

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A: You certainly dont have to do anything you dont feel ready for, but someone whos just gotten out of a relationship is not, in fact, off-limitstheyre single. You might want to give it a few weeks before asking her out, but you dont need to observe a long or open-ended mourning period just because she used to date someone else. You say that you dont want her to think youre experimenting with her, but all dating is an experiment. Think of it this wayyouve spent most of your life trying to convince yourself that youre straight. Even though you havent had a boyfriend, that hasnt stopped you from talking to guys about potentially dating because you were afraid they would think you were experimenting with them. So dont be unnecessarily hard on yourself when it comes to women by thinking you have to prove something before you can go out with someone you like. The fact that you havent had a girlfriend before, and the fact that shes recently single, shouldnt keep you from telling her that youd like to go on a date sometime. Good luck!

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Q. Help out or shut up: I have taken over our familys holiday celebrations since my parents retiredI am the only one of my siblings who has the room and patience. My brother and his girlfriend visited us this summer. She decided to send me an email of helpful tips: We need better mattresses in the guest rooms, nothing was clean enough, and the meals were too heavy and unhealthy. I dont want her back under my roof. She and my brother can rent a hotel room if her sensibilities are so sensitive. My brother is now threatening to boycott any family festivities unless his girlfriend is welcomed with open arms. This makes our elderly mother crythe holidays are about family. I havent gotten a hint of an apology and have been made to be the bad guy; I am sick of all this. The holidays are stressful enough as it is, I dont want to deal with this. Can you help me?

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A: Honestly, I think you should consider making alternate plans for the holidays this year. This sounds like a job that involves a great deal of work, a ton of emotional pressure, and very little joy for you. If youre not ready to book a ticket for somewhere warm and relaxing without trying one last time though, I think you should say this to your brother: Im happy to welcome you and your girlfriend, but Im not going to buy new mattresses anytime soon. I do my best to keep my house clean and to provide meals for my guests, but if either of you have specific needs above and beyond that, please feel free to help me cook and clean for multiple guests. If youre not willing to visit under those terms, Im sorry to hear that, but that may be the best choice for everyone involved. If your mother tries to cry to you that the holidays are about family, remind her that you are in no way trying to get rid of your family. Youre simply setting realistic limits around what you can and cant do in the way of hosting. (And seriously, think about booking that ticket.)

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Q. Brother: My brother broke up with Caroline last year. She is my current roommate. I know her, trust her, and she pays rent on time. My brother started dating Nikki last month. She had a fit and forbid my brother from visiting me when Caroline is present. I havent told Caroline any of this and am trying to deal with this on my own. My brother is apologetic but lets Nikki walk all over him. Caroline once dropped me off at my brothers, and Nikki freaked out and accused me of sabotaging her relationship. Our parents dont know about any of this, and I dont want to spend the holidays covering for Nikkis fake sweetness. What should I do? My brother has lost his spine, but I dont want to be the one to ruin the holidays.

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A: Nikki, Caroline is my friend and roommate, so we spend a fair amount of time together.

I have no interest in trying to manipulate my brothers dating life. Im not going to apologize for living with Caroline, and Im not going to be available for future conversations about why I got a ride with her. If she attempts to force the issue even after this, simply stick to your talking points: You should really talk to my brother about this. Im not available for this conversation. Have you been watching anything good lately?

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Q. Adults only: My husband and I often host dinners and parties, adults only. My good friend, Vanessa, is a single mother of a very quiet 12-year-old girl, Sara. Last year, while Sara was home alone, there was a break-in and Sara ended up locked in the bathroom calling 911. She was unhurt, and insurance covered the damage, but Sara has terrible anxiety about being alone. She had panic attacks about Vanessa going to the store to pick up milk in the middle of the day. It didnt seem fair to me that Vanessa should miss out on socializing with us or that Sara should be forced out of her comfort zone. I told Vanessa that Sara could stay upstairs and read or watch TV. She is old enough and responsible enough to entertain herself. This has made several people mad, including my sister-in-law. She has three little boys under 6. Worse, she has made comments, within Vanessas hearing, about Sara being the exception. I am upset because everyone knows what happened to Sara, and, frankly, my party policy at my house is none of their business! How do I shut this down without embarrassing anyone?

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A: Take your sister-in-law aside and be direct with her. Please dont make any more pointed comments about Vanessas daughter in front of her. Sara is dealing with trauma thats specifically connected to being left home alone, and having her read upstairs is an easy accommodation to make to our rule. If you find this unbearable, while wed miss having you at our dinner parties, well understand if you need to stop attending.

Q. Re: Help out or shut up: The writer should ignore the email. He or she is under no obligation to take any of these suggestions. She might want to stock a few simple items for the girlfriend to eat instead, but also gently turn it back on the girlfriend. Id love it if you would cook a meal or two while you are here. Invite the brother and girlfriend, ignore the attitude, and have a lovely holiday. What can she do? Stomp around and go to a hotel? Perfect.

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A: Ignoring an unreasonable email is always a lovely option, and certainly one the letter writer should consider. Thats a beautiful suggestion.

Discuss this column with Dear Prudence on his Facebook page!

More Dear Prudence

My Elderly Father Revised His Will, and His New Girlfriend Is Getting More Than Me

My Niece and Nephew Took My Teenage Daughter Out of State to Get an Abortion

My Sons Summer Fling Is Pregnant, and I Want Her to Keep the Baby

My Boyfriend Tricked Me Into Becoming Friends With His Other Girlfriend

And find even more letters in the Dear Prudie archive.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 []Daniel Mallory Ortberg is online weekly to chat live with readers. Heres an edited transcript of this weeks chat.

Q. Beach house: My sister makes most of her money renting out her beach house during summer, when she usually stays with her boyfriend or our parents. This year, she got offered an indecent amount of money for the month of December and wants to spend two weeks with my family. She offered to pay her way, but the amount is less than three days of what she is renting her house for. My husband and I accepted her initial offer without looking at her actual finances. My husband caught a look at some of her emails while we were over at my parents, after my sister didnt log out of her email. Now he is furious and wants to demand more money. I am afraid of embarrassing and enraging my sister. Beyond the violation of her privacy, we have hosted my in-laws for a far longer time and never asked for money. How do I work with this and not explode my family?

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A: If your husband wanted to ask for more money in order to make her offer a fair market rate, that would be one thing, but it sounds like hes just upset that shes gotten a good deal on her own house and feels entitled to a cut of the action. Moreover, the fact that he spent long enough in her inbox to get a sense of how much money shes making suggests this wasnt an errant Whoops, saw a subject line and read a few sentences before realizing this wasnt my account, but that he saw something that piqued his interest and decided to go snooping. Forget what you saw, encourage your husband to stop snooping, and reconsider whether you actually want to take her money. If you normally host family members without asking for help with the rent, why would you make an exception for her just because you snuck a look at her finances?

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Q. Not so happy hour: After over a year of searching, I finally started my dream job at a tech startup. The role will no doubt help me grow professionally, as well as regain some financial securityI was almost flat broke before I received my first paycheck. Heres the problem: I am not big on drinking with co-workers. I believe that co-workers should be work associates and nothing more. But after a few short months in the role, its clear that socializingread: drinkingis a key element in the role to get ahead and network. So much so that we have happy hours during work hours, and after-work drinks at events that arent optional. Ive felt uncomfortable in this type of environment to begin with, but at a recent work event, one of my supervisors called me something incredibly sexist and offensiveand no one spoke up in my defense. I was dumbfounded. I dont know how I can respect or work with him after this incident. And since hes my supervisor, I didnt feel comfortable confronting him in front of my co-workers, or at all, due to the power dynamic. Ive bounced around to a few different roles in the last several years, and I really need to settle in somewhere in my field or else employers might think I cant hack it in one place for the long termits already been a topic of interest in past interviews. Should I let this go, put my head down, and keep forging ahead? Or is this a sign to get out, and fast?

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A: If your company has an HR department, or if your supervisor has a boss you feel comfortable talking to, I think its worth going on record as saying, My supervisor called me a really offensive, sexist term during a recent work event, and Im not comfortable with it. Its terrible when the person youd normally turn to for help with workplace harassment is the person doing it, so if you dont feel like you can safely bring it up, then looking for another job might be your best option. How awful, too, that no one else spoke up in your defense in the moment. Its my understanding that in order to prove someone is creating a hostile work environment, more than one instance of harassment is necessary, but you should certainly document that incident and any others that may arise in case you need to consider your legal options. I can understand your concern about having had several jobs in recent years, and I can also imagine that you might not want to say in an interview, I left my last job because my boss called me a gendered slur. If you have any co-workers you trust, or who seem equally uninterested in the mandatory drinking-and-insults culture your company is trying to foment, you might consider talking to them before the next event and suggesting that the two of you look out for each other and maintain a slightly different dynamic.

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How to Get Advice From Prudie:

 Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.)

 Join the live chat Mondays at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the discussion.

 Call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show.

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Q. Sexy too soon: My 12-year-old stepdaughter just hit puberty and is extremely uncomfortable about her body. She drowns herself in her brothers sweatshirts and tries to make herself as small as possible. It doesnt help that her mother treats her like a Barbie doll. If it is tight, low-cut, or garish, her mother loves it. They are constantly in conflict over my stepdaughters wardrobe. I have tried to stay out of it and to put some sensible rules down, like No wearing pajamas in public and Clothes must be clean with no holes. Then I witnessed a fight where her mother said, You are never going to attract any boys looking like that and Why do you want to be ugly? Because that is how you look right now? to my stepdaughter as she cried. It made me sick to my stomach. My stepdaughter thrives when she is with my husband and me, even her brother remarks that she is happier and more open here. So far this isnt affecting her grades or extracurricular activities, but I am worried. I also dont think that getting into a custody battle with my husbands ex is going to help my stepdaughter. How do I bring up my concerns to my husband? What should we do? He is much closer to his son and is unsure what to do with a teenage girl. Am I overstepping?

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A: Trying to help a 12-year-old girl whos being verbally abused and overly sexualized by her own mother is not overstepping. Your husband may feel lost at the prospect of parenting his daughter, but hes going to need to move past that. Its not baffling or impossible to guess what she needs right now: namely, a parent who supports and affirms her and who intervenes when someone else spits venom at her, even if that someone else is her mother. Tell your husband exactly what youve told methat youve seen your stepdaughter reduced to tears because her mother has told her that its her job, at 12, to dress to attract boys, and that if she doesnt shes ugly. You two need to make sure that your stepdaughter knows that what her mother is saying is cruel and untrue. You also need to make it clear to her mother that if you see that kind of behavior from her in the future, youre going to intervene. This is worth getting into conflict over, and your husband will need to find ways to get closer to his daughter so that he can protect and support her.

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Im so glad that she has you in her life, and to whatever extent you can model an adult woman who doesnt bully preteens for her, youll be doing her a great deal of good. Let her know that she can come to you about anything, that in your house she can wear whatever she likes (Id encourage you to not think of wearing large sweatshirts as drowning herselfthats an awfully dramatic way of making it sound like shes erasing part of her identity by wearing an oversized hoodie, and implicitly reinforces the idea that the shape of her body is the truest thing about her), and that youre going to stick up for her when her mother tries to abuse her.

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Q. Re: Beach house: Dont compare what the sister is paying to what she is making. The right question is whether what she is paying approximates your costs in hosting her. Hotels dont charge for rooms based on the customers income; they charge what the room costs them plus some profit. Back in the 1970s, my mother, a public school teacher, and I, a college student, stayed at an inn in Concord, Massachusetts. We later read that Jacqueline Onassis had stayed there while visiting her daughter at her boarding school. She probably stayed in a nicer room than we did, but Im sure the inn didnt raise the price of the room for her.

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A: Right! The real issue here is that your husband is clearly upset your sister is making money on her beach house. The answer to that is Work through your own feelings about family and income, not Start charging her for things you used to do for free. (The other answer is, Stop reading other peoples emails.)

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Q. Fake lesbian: I am asexual. Ive always been this way, but people often try to label me as frigid or broken. Alex has been my friend since high school and is basically a hound dog. He serial dates but tends to get bored easily. I am his oldest and only long-term female friend beyond the wives and girlfriends of our mutual social circle. We are an odd couple of roommates, but in a brutal rent market we get along and dont drive each other crazy. Alex crashed and burned his only serious relationship last year and has returned to high gear dating random girls he finds wherever. When I wake up to make coffee, there is often some stranger in my apartment. I am tired of dealing with random jealousy and invasive questions from these girls. A few times I have been sucked into drama because they begin to see me as a girlfriend or threat. So I lie and say I am a lesbian. I wear enough flannel to pull off the stereotype, and it saves me so many headaches. I feel guilty about this, because my gay friends have suffered a lot with their sexuality and coming out. I am just trying to avoid conversations with my roommates one-night stands. Does this make me a bad person? Is OK to lie to here?

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Alex might be a lousy boyfriend, but he is an amazing friend. He drove me through a literal snowstorm in college when my grandmother collapsed. I have never found fault in the way he treats mehes just not a good boyfriend. He woos relentlessly and breaks up over minor issues. Alex and I work well together as friends and roomies and are likely going to be living together until we make enough money to buy our own places.

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A: You say hes an amazing friend, but it sounds like Alex is perfectly happy to let these one-night stands treat you rudely without intervening when they ask you invasive questions. Thats not amazing, especially since it happens over and over again. I dont think you should feel guilty for making up a convenient fiction in order to stop getting harassed over your morning coffee, but Alex should feel like a real louse for treating all the women in his life like means to an end. Tell him that this isnt working for you, that the girls he brings over may not be potential long-term girlfriends but that he needs to be honest and upfront with them about having a female roommate, and that he needs to have your back if they speak rudely to you. The only hypocrite here is Alexhes convinced you that youre the exception to the women he treats badly, when in fact hes being just as cavalier and flippant about your feelings as he is about the girls he brings home.

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Q. Boyfriend isnt out  completely: Im a recent college graduate who started a relationship with a guy two years my junior. When his family came to visit our college, he came out to his mom and sister and told them about the relationship. I also told my parents (as they headed home, to avoid a scene). Its been a year since then, and he still hasnt come out to his father. Ive tried bringing it up, but he doesnt want to push the issue. School has started again, and his parents are planning to visit in the next few weeks. I work in our college town and will likely see his family at my food service job. How do I navigate seeing his family when his dad doesnt know who I really am to his son? Should I try and spend time with them when I get off work even though it would be later in the evenings, around 11 p.m.?

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A: I dont know if your boyfriend is delaying telling his father because hes worried his father might pull financial support for his college education, because he fears for his safety, or because he simply wants to avoid a difficult conversation. If you dont have a clear understanding of your boyfriends fears, ask him. Does he plan on telling his father after he graduates? Over the phone after his father leaves town? Possibly never? It may help you figure out how you want to interact with his family if you have a stronger sense of your boyfriends plan.

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When it comes to this particular visit, you have a lot of options, I think. If youd rather not spend much time around them, since it means youll have to stay closeted, you can make your own plans with friends and see your boyfriend once they leave town. Or you might decide to join them for a single meal or outing so you dont feel like a dirty little secret or like youre putting on a show. Dont force yourself to spend more time with them than feels comfortable for you, and if this starts to become a deal-breaker, be honest and upfront with your boyfriend about what you need.

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Q. Lies: My husband died when my daughter was 3. He was violent, drug addicted, and abusive. My mother-in-law paints him as a saint. The man she describes to my daughter doesnt exist and never did. She will straight up invent fictions on the fly. Your Daddy bought you that teddy bear when you were born, when in reality my co-worker gave it to me when my daughter turned 4. I have kept quiet until now because I depended on my mother-in-law to watch my daughter while I worked. I am finally starting to date again, and my mother-in-law is spoiling my daughter against any man I see. Daddy is always better, and why didnt I love Daddy more?

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I finally confronted my mother-in-law, and she told me that her son was the best I could do. I was insulting his memory. I asked her if she remembered driving me to the hospital when I was pregnant because her son hit me so hard I got a concussion and broke three fingers. That never happened, according to her. I have the medical reports. I couldnt have finished my degree or worked without my mother-in-law helping me, and she adores my daughter. But I cant help but resent her for holding me back in my life. My husband beat and abused me. I dont know how to tell my daughter that, but I will not have her loving a fake memory. How do I deal with this? I dont want to cut my mother-in-law out of my life, but she is sabotaging any hope I have of getting married again.

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A: If keeping your mother-in-law in your life means listening to her tell your daughter that your abuser was a saint, and out-and-out gaslighting you by denying that the abuse ever happened and that youre making it up, then I think you should cut her out. What shes putting you through is absolutely unconscionable and is frankly cruel to your young daughter because it means that eventually when she hears the (age-appropriate) truth from you, shes going to feel like she cant trust the grandmother whos been lying to her for years. Your mother-in-law enabled and facilitated your abuse when your husband was alive, and shes now trying to sabotage your attempts to find someone new who treats you wellshes not a safe or a loving person, and she doesnt deserve to be a part of your or your daughters life.

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Q. Re: Not so happy hour: This kind of behavior is why so many larger companies no longer allow alcohol at company events. It is the company lawyers nightmare, and the plaintiff lawyers dream. Many startups have not figured out that employment law applies to them, and they continue to do dumb things like encourage employees to get hammered together, regardless of what might ensue. That said, do not just put your head down and work! You should report this to either HR or your boss supervisor. Remember though, that they do not work for you and their loyalty is to the company. Sometimes, in the short run, people interpret that as meaning that they need to protect the company regardless of the cost to them or to the company in the long run. You may want to consult a lawyer before initiating anything in order to understand what other information you may need to collect. Regarding the drinking, stick to seltzer and start looking for a new job. It wont get any better.

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A: Yeah, this definitely doesnt strike me as a situation where Maybe things will get better. I agree that mandatory company happy hours are a bad idea, although I think its important to point out that lots of people can have a few drinks and dont suddenly bust out offensive, sexist terms to refer to their employees. Regardless, talking to a lawyer who specializes in workplace harassment will give you a stronger sense of what your options are. Thanks for this!

Daniel Mallory Ortberg: Thanks, everyone! See you next week.

If you missed Part 1 of this weeks chat, click here to read it.

Discuss this column with Dear Prudence on his Facebook page!

Classic Prudie

Ive been married to a wonderful woman and mother of our three kids for 25 years. Ive come to realize over the last five years that I dont love my wife. I dont hate hershes my best friend. But I have zero feelings for her. Shes put on 50 pounds over the last 10 years, which is a major turnoff. We havent had sex in five years due to this. I want to be happy, and I dont want to hurt her feelings. I just feel like Im on the treadmill of life going nowhere real fast. What to do?

And find even more letters in the Dear Prudie archive.On Sunday night, the New Yorker published an explosive report detailing that a second woman is accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. Deborah Ramirez alleges that Kavanaugh thrust his penis in her face at a party when he was a freshman at Yale University. The Ramirez story has been largely received as yet another bombshell sexual assault accusation against a powerful man, with a byline from Ronan Farrow. In a statement about the fact that the New York Times attempted to corroborate Ramirezs account but ultimately did not publish it, executive editor Dean Baquet made it clear that his paper was not attempting to dispute the magazines reporting. Im not questioning their story, he told the Washington Post. Weve been competing against Ronan Farrow for a year and hes terrific.

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The piece comes closely on the heels of another report on Kavanaugh from Farrow on Sept. 14, in which he filled in the details of Christine Blasey Fords accusations before her name had become public. And online, the reporting has been greeted with adulation for Farrow as a kind of warrior of the #MeToo movement:

I mean, do we women have a bat signal for Ronan Farrow. Is there a red telephone.  ASmithWrites (@writes_smith) September 13, 2018

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The best male superhero is Ronan Farrow  Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) September 14, 2018

"I'm hoping for Lucas Hedges but it's going to be Ansel Elgort" -everyone thinking about casting the Ronan Farrow biopic  Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) September 24, 2018

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Except Ronan Farrow didnt write and report the Kavanaugh stories alone. He shared a byline on both of them with Jane Mayer, a staff writer at the magazine and a famous reporter in her own right. Its not the first time Farrow has been singularly lauded as a kind of avenger of women, capable of slaying powerful predators with one blow. Farrow and Mayer also collaborated on the devastating report in May on allegations of sexual violence against thenNew York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Schneiderman resigned three hours after the story was published online, a scalp that many people credited Farrow with securing.

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Ronan Farrow published a piece on Harvey Weinstein.



Harvey Weinstein resigned.



Ronan Farrow published a piece on Eric Schneiderman.



Eric Schneiderman resigned.



Time to publish a new piece on Donald Trump, Ronan!  Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) May 8, 2018

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Once again @RonanFarrow exposes horrific conduct and holds the powerful accountable. Thank you Ronan  Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) May 8, 2018

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The fact that people are swooning over Farrow is in many ways understandable. He is crazily talented. Hes the young, telegenic child of very famous parents. That famous family has spent decades publicly reckoning with accusations of abuse; Ronan has consistently sided with his sister, Dylan, who has accused their father, Woody Allen, of sexually assaulting her as a child. In other words, his life story seems to have trained him for the task of reporting on sexual abuseI recently heard one observer compare him to a Marvel superhero with an origin story.

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Farrow has also made #MeToo reporting almost his exclusive beat in a way that Mayer hasnt. His big break as an investigative reporter came when he published a damning report on Harvey Weinsteins serial predations almost a year ago, a revelation that helped launch the whole #MeToo movement. Since then, he has broken other marquee stories, including accusations about CBS head Les Moonves and former model Karen McDougals account of her affair with Donald Trump. Stories about powerful men sexually misbehaving are received as Ronan Farrow stories in part because he has been such a tireless reporter in this particular arena. Mayer, meanwhile, is best known currently for her reporting on the Koch brothers influence over conservative politics. Her story in the current print edition of the New Yorker is about Russian interference in the 2016 election. In an interview on MSNBC on Monday, Mayer said that Farrow was the one who spoke to Ramirez directly for the story.

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In his TV and radio appearances promoting the stories, Farrow is assiduous in crediting Mayer for their joint efforts. Ronan Farrow is really great about sharing credit with his frequent co-author Jane Mayer, a fan wrote in a widely shared tweet. Important that the rest of us give her due credit as well. But this isnt some touching act of optional generosity. Its not that Farrow shares credit because he deigns to, but that credit is shared, as a simple matter of fact.

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Its an odd point to feel compelled to make. Mayer herself is quite famous, as far as investigative journalists go. She has written multiple best-selling books, including Strange Justice, a damningly thorough account of Anita Hills allegations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the disastrous circus of his confirmation hearings in 1991. (She had a co-author there, too: Jill Abramson, a former executive editor of the New York Times.) Mayer has been a war correspondent, a White House reporter, and a front-page editor for the Wall Street Journal. She has worked for the most prestigious mainstream magazine in America for more than two decades. She has won, according to her New Yorker bio, the George Polk Prize, the John Chancellor Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Goldsmith Book Prize, the Edward Weintal Prize, the Ridenhour Prizewell, you get the idea.

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Its too much to claim that Mayer is being erased. But the transformation of Farrow into the solitary symbol of #MeToo righteousness is striking nonetheless. Sure, its easy to object to the optics of a young, handsome white man being heralded as the sole savior of women, even over his own determination to give others credit where credit is dueincluding publicly shouting out his New Yorker editor Deirdre Foley-Mendelssohn. But the real problem is the cultural inclination to view this as a solo effort in the first place. The momentum against serial abusers in power could not have advanced without Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey and Mayer and other reporters, without the institutions behind them, without Tarana Burke, without the women who have shared their stories publicly in the past year in major publications and on social media. And in any case, theres something strange about the anointment of a journalist as the avatar of a social movement, when activism is not the role of journalism. This isnt a superhero movie, and Farrow isnt Superman. Hes just a Clark Kent whos really good at his job.On Tuesday, President Trump dismissed the latest sexual misconduct accusation against his Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. Trump scoffed that Deborah Ramirez, who says Kavanaugh exposed his genitals to her during a drinking game in college, was too inebriated and messed up to know what happened. Its reasonable to ask whether alcohol impaired Ramirezs memory or the memory of Kavanaughs other accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. But its just as reasonableand based on current evidence, more warrantedto raise that question about Kavanaugh himself.

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Broadly speaking, in the debate over Kavanaughs guilt or innocence, there are four possible answers. One is that Kavanaugh is lying. The second is that his accusers are lying. The third is that nobodys lying: The accusers believe Kavanaugh did what they allege, but he didnt. The fourth scenario, too, posits that nobodys lying. On this theory, Kavanaugh believes he didnt do what his accusers allege, but he did.

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The fourth option is worth a closer look. Ford says Kavanaugh drunkenly pinned her down at a teen party, groped her, and tried to pull off her clothes. Ramirez says Kavanaugh stood next to her and dropped his pants when they were drinking with classmates at Yale. Is it possible that Kavanaugh did these things, even if he doesnt remember them? Is there evidence that makes that scenario particularly plausible in his case? Are there steps that the Senate can and should take to investigate that possibility? The answer to all three questions is yes.

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Lets start with the culture of drinking and partying among Kavanaughs high school friends. Numerous peers and classmates have described a routine of fake IDs, unchaperoned parties, binge drinking, flocking to the house of whoevers parents were out of town to drink six-packs, and Georgetown Prep students engaging in sexual misconduct. One of Kavanaughs teachers says, The drinking was unbelievable. A classmate of Ford says, The boys were pretty brutal. They would do what they could to get you drunk, and do whatever they would try to do to you. Other students have reported the same.

While its reasonable to demand evidence on the other side, there are good grounds in Kavanaughs case to believe he could have forgotten.

There was also a culture of booze among Kavanaughs college friends. Classmates say heavy drinking was routine, and alcohol-fuelled parties often led to gross sexual behavior. Kavanaughs fraternity loved to party and is remembered for reviving a beer-drinking competition that college officials had banned from campus. A photo taken during his frat years shows pledges marching with a flag made of bras and womens underwear.

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Kavanaugh was part of this culture. His friend Mark Judge, who is accused of collaborating in the alleged assault on Ford, has written books and articles that detail extensive drinking in their social circle. In his writings, Judge calls this group Alcoholics Unanimous. He describes their school, Georgetown Prep, as swimming in alcohol. He depicts house parties like the one at which Ford says she was assaulted. According to Judge, these were informal, unsupervised gatherings at which boys and girls from single-sex schools could party together whenever someones parents were going away. For boys, the goal was sex. Judge writes: Most of the time everyone, including the girls, was drunk. If you could breathe and walk at the same time, you could hook up with someone.

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Judge specifically describes incidents in which he blacked out and later learned that he had done things he didnt recall. In one case, he woke up terrified of what I could have done during the blackout. He frets, I could have done anything and not know itI could have murdered somebody. In another case, a friend informed him that during an episode of which Judge had no memory, Judge had tried to make it with one of the bridesmaids. Judge pleaded with his friend: Please tell me I didnt hurt her. Judges ex-girlfriend says he once told her how he and other boys used a drunk woman for sex. Judge denies that he did this. But in one of his books, he confesses that when he drank, It was as though there was a different version of myselfMr. Hydewho had taken over my body, and I couldnt stop him.

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Judges confessions about what he did while drunkor believed he was capable of doing while drunkare consistent with Fords account of what Judge and Kavanaugh did to her. Judge says he doesnt remember any of it. Of course he doesnt. Thats his pattern. When he drinks, he behaves aggressively and doesnt recall what happened. According to Ford, Judge and Kavanaugh drank heavily before the assault. So theres a prima facie case that Judge could have done what Ford alleges. But what about Kavanaugh?

Kavanaughs entry in his high school yearbook makes clear that he drank. Its facetious, but only in tone. He noted his membership in the Beach Week Ralph Club and called himself the treasurer of the Keg City Club. He also claimed to belong to the Rehobeth Police Fan Clubapparently a reference to a beach community where rowdy boys from Georgetown Prep got into trouble. Judge has described these beach trips as a bacchanalia of drinking and sex, or at least attempts at sex.

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As a freshman at Yalethe year after Ford says Kavanaugh assaulted herKavanaugh drank heavily, according to his roommate. I would see him as he returned from nights out with his friends, says the former roommate, James Roche. He recalls Kavanaugh as a notably heavy drinker, even by the standards of the time. Roche describes Kavanaugh frequently drinking excessively and becoming incoherently drunk.

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Kavanaugh has also admitted to heavy drinking at his next stop, Yale Law School. In a speech four years ago, he recalled organizing a night of Boston bar-hopping, with students doing group chugs from a keg and falling out of the bus. Kavanaugh went on to describe a night on which we had more than a few beers, then we had a few drinks at a banquet, then a friend lost his balance and fell into the table, breaking it, and a professor came to the rescue  and got my friend some more beers.

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Given this pattern of inebriation, could Kavanaugh have blacked out? Could he have done bad things and forgotten them? Again, evidence suggests he could. In an autobiographical novel about their high school years, Judge depicts a character named Bart OKavanaugh who passed out on his way back from a party. And according to Roche, during the year after the alleged assault on Ford, Kavanaughwho was normally reserved when soberbecame aggressive and belligerent when he was very drunk.

Kavanaugh brushes off questions about his drinking. Yes, people might have had too many beers on occasion, he told Martha MacCallum in a Fox News interview on Monday. I think all of us have probably done things we look back on in high school and regret or cringe a bit, but thats not what were talking about, said Kavanaugh. Ive never sexually assaulted anyone. When MacCallum noted Roches comments about Kavanaughs inebriation in college, Kavanaugh narrowed the question, noting that Roche didnt specifically corroborate the incident Ramirez reported. Then MacCallum asked: Was there ever a time that you drank so much that you couldnt remember what happened the night before? Kavanaugh replied: No, that never happened.

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That wont cut it. A person who drinks to the point of passing out, and who experiences personality changes when hes drunk, cant reliably say what he did or didnt do while intoxicated. And while its reasonable to demand evidence on the other sideyou cant just claim that somebody forgot what happened and presume him guiltythere are good grounds in Kavanaughs case to believe he could have forgotten. He had major alcohol issues from high school through law school. He has described drinking more than he could remember. He has been depicted, by people who knew him well, as aggressive and belligerent when he was very drunk, and as having passed out.

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On Thursday, Kavanaugh faces a Senate hearing about Fords allegations. He will try to draw a line. At a rehearsal with White House aides last week, he grew frustrated with questions about his drinking and his sexual behavior, according to the Washington Post. Im not going to answer that, he said. Judge doesnt want to answer questions either. The Republicans who control the committee are planning to leave Judge out of the hearing.

Thats unacceptable. The alcohol theory is arguably the most plausible explanation of what happened. Its less crazy than Ford inventing a story and putting herself through hell so Trump can nominate a different conservative judge to the Supreme Court. Its less crazy than two different women developing false memories about the same man. Its less crazy than Kavanaugh being a total fraud who has conned friends and colleagues into thinking hes a decent guy. And even if you prefer one of the other theories, this one is sufficiently plausible and well supported to merit scrutiny.

If the committee wont delegate this job to the FBI, senators must do it themselves. Ask Judge and Kavanaugh about their history with alcohol. Talk to the people who drank with them or saw them drunk. If you think alcohol could have corrupted Fords memory or Ramirezs memory, ask about their drinking too. This is an investigative avenue with a strong evidentiary basis and many potential witnesses, and it puts everyones denials in doubt. To confirm Kavanaugh without checking it out would be a betrayal of justice.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was incensed in his opening remarks Monday afternoon, by which I mean he used a few sharp words and even inflected his voice a couple of times. McConnell described Democrats choreographed smear campaign against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as despicable and a new low designed to destroy a mans personal and professional life. Lest anyone think that Republicans might consider pulling Kavanaugh should further allegations surface, McConnell offered resolve.

I want to make it perfectly clear, he said. Judge 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 the Senate, in the near future.

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A day after allegations of sexual misconduct from a second accuser, Kavanaughs former Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez, surfaced in the New Yorker, Republicans put on a show of confidence in the nominee as the president reportedly grew impatient with the languid pace of Kavanaughs confirmation. The nominee, too, put on a show of confidence in himself, appearing with his wife in a Fox News interview and sending a defiant, defensive letter to the Judiciary Committee. While Republican senators did a passable job masking their impatience, at least initially, with Christine Blasey Fords allegations last week, they made little such effort on Monday.

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Just about every Republican I heard from today observed that the New York Timeseven the liberal New York Times, etc.had passed on the Ramirez story. (Reasons for why the Times didnt publish it are in dispute.) Judiciary Committee Republicans have reached out to Ramirezs lawyers for more information but claim they havent made much progress.

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We are told that if we want to know the allegations, read the New Yorker,  Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, a committee member, told reporters Monday. (He clarified that this was a paraphrase.) And thats all theyre willing to say.

Even if they do hear from Ramirez, and Ramirez says shes willing to testify, there is zero indication that Republicans would delay their schedule once again to accommodate her. They say they take all allegations like this seriously, and wouldnt want to say anything untoward, but the overriding feeling is: Its time to wrap things up.

Youre always concerned when somebody makes an allegation against someone with the type of impeccable record that this particular individual has, South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds told me of the Ramirez story. So should the schedule, where a committee vote could come as soon as Ford walks out of the hearing room on Thursday, be pushed back?

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I think were going to move forward with the schedule, and well just let the chips fall, Rounds said.

Sen. Ted Cruz, whos not exactly freewheeling with the media these days, said that committee staff was, as I understand it, looking at the allegations, and we need to look at actual facts. Should Ramirez testify at the Thursday hearing, though? As I said, the committee is looking at the allegations.

Retiring Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, ornery and with one foot out the door, came through by saying what his colleagues wouldnt, calling the allegations phony. When asked why he thought that, he elaborated: Because I know it is. Thats why.

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But what about the people who actually matter? Brett Kavanaugh could go on a cannibalistic massacre down Pennsylvania Avenue and still have 47 votes. This comes down to four senators: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Jeff Flake, and Bob Corker. If two of them join all Democrats in opposing Kavanaugh, the nomination would be defeated.

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Neither Collins, Flake, nor Corker appeared to enter the Capitol through the Senate subway system as they usually do. And when Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski arrived, so many reporters got on the escalator to chase her that it broke.

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Asked whether she wanted to see Ramirez testify, Murkowski said, Thats up to [her]. Murkowskis vote, though, still seems to hinge on Fords testimony.

Weve got a hearing on Thursday, and Im going to be listening to the hearing, she told reporters. Susan Collins, who still sounds generally impressed with Kavanaugh, told CNN that she would make a decision after Thursdays hearing too.

Its difficult to tell whether the show of confidence on Monday afternoon, in which the New Yorker allegations seemed to make very little difference to Kavanaughs prospects, is real or not. It could just be a facade Republicans are putting up while they await polling data on how Kavanaughs confirmation would affect the midterms. It could be a desperate last effort to save a nomination thats sinking. Or it could be as clear as what Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, a leader of the GOP membership, told me when I asked if they were still 100 percent committed to confirming Kavanaugh.

Seems like it to me, he said.Everytown for Gun Safety, a pro-gun-control group, is launching a $5 million ad campaign to win the hearts of voters in 15 tight U.S. House races.

All 15 of its targets are on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees Red to Blue list, districts with strong Democratic candidates with potential to defeat the incumbent Republican or keep their seats in a contentious race.

Everytowns campaign, called Not One More, will run video ads and web page ads using imagery from shooting scenes to speak to youth, communities of color and women voters, people who might not have voted in past elections, Tuesdays press release said.

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Everytown was founded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has also put his full support behind Democrats in the 2018 midterms.

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The 15 targets include districts in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington. Some of these districts have experienced mass shootings in the past, which may play a role in convincing voters to consider pro-gun control candidates more seriously.

Californias 48th district, represented by Republican Dana Rohrabacher, was the site of the 2011 Seal Beach salon shooting, the deadliest mass shooting incident in Orange County history, with nine killed.

Colorados 6th district, represented by Republican Mike Coffman, is home to the town of Aurora, where 12 people died and 70 were injured in the 2012 movie theater shooting. District 6 also experienced the 2010 Deer Creek middle school shooting, in which two people were injured, and the 2013 Arapahoe High School shooting, in which two people died, including the gunman.

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Everytown is also working to elect Democrat Lucy McBath in Georgias 6th congressional district, which is included in its target list. McBath is a gun-control activist whose son was shot and killed in Jacksonville, Florida. The nonprofit already invested more than $1.2 million to elect McBath in her primary and primary runoff.

A week ago, Everytown pledged to spend up to $10 million in support of pro-gun-control gubernatorial candidates in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and New Mexico. Its notable that in that campaign and in its new spending on House races, Everytown is backing Democratic candidates across the board, despite its early messaging promoting bipartisan solutions to gun violence.A new fear swept through the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon as Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination sat in a holding pattern ahead of Thursdays hearing: The fear of weekend work.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, according to several senators, told Republicans at a Tuesday luncheon to prepare to work through the weekend to process Kavanaughs confirmation. They want to wrap it up as soon as possible for several reasons: Because theyre already irritated that its taken this long, they want Kavanaugh on the bench as close as possible to the start of the new SCOTUS term on Monday, and they dont want any new allegations to surface or wrong turns to be taken while the nomination hangs in the wind.

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Heres how the process will work.

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The hearing with Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford will be held Thursday at 10 a.m., and the committee could vote on the nomination at any point afterwards. As much as Republicans leaders might prefer, say, a Thursday afternoon vote to happen, the presence of undecided Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake on the committeewhere the Republicans outnumber Democrats by one votemight necessitate some time to digest the hearing before the vote could be taken. Common sense and the optics of rushing would also necessitate some time to digest the hearing.

Lets consider a scenario, then, where the committee approves Kavanaughs nomination on Friday. The soonest that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could introduce the nomination in the full chamber, by filing a cloture petition, is on Saturday, and the Senate could vote to end a filibuster two days later, on Monday. After thatand barring any time agreement with the Democrats, which we shouldnt expect Republicans to offerthe Senate would have to burn through 30 hours of debate time. So the final vote on confirmation would be on Tuesday or Wednesday.

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Nothing has been set in stone yet, because no one knows how Thursdays hearing will turn out. If it goes really badly for Kavanaugh, then there might not be any advancement necessary. If Kavanaugh puts all doubts to rest and proves himself to have been the bright young pip who was too busy with church activities to ever lay eyes on an alcoholic beverage, he could be confirmed with 53 to 55 votes early next week.

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Some of the more gung-ho members of the Judiciary Committee will be ready to start immediately.

Its going to be pretty hard to move this along without votes on Friday and Saturday probably, Utah Sen. Orrin Hath told reporters Tuesday. Or Thursday and Sunday. Or Friday and Monday! The latter sounds much better, and one suspects that candidates for reelection on both sides would agree. (Also better: No votes, ever again, on anything.)

I asked Maine Sen. Susan Collins if a process that began right after the hearing on Thursday, or on the following day would be too fast for her liking.

I truly cant answer that question, she said, because I dont know whats going to happen at the hearing.On Sunday, Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for an investigation into allegations of abuse against U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who is running for attorney general in the state.

Hironos comments came as she criticized Brett Kavanaugh over an allegation that he assaulted Christine Blasey Ford in high school. Many conservatives have protested that Ellison has not faced similar scrutiny.

On Friday, Ellison sparked further speculation when he said in a televised debate that he would not rule out the possibility of more women coming forward with what he said would be made-up accusations. Look, you know, in this political environment, you know, I dont know what somebody might cook up, he said. But I could tell you that there is absolutely nobody that I am aware of  who is threatening or suggesting or who has ever made a prior accusation about me.

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Ellison has been accused by two women of abusive behavior. In 2006, Amy Alexander claimed he berated and pushed her during an on-and-off relationship in the 1990s and early 2000s. He had sought a restraining order against her in 2005, and the next year a judge dismissed her request for a restraining order against him, according to the Star Tribune. More recently, his former girlfriend, Karen Monahan, accused him in August of repeated verbal abuse and one instance in which he pulled her from a bed by her ankle and shouted at her. She claims to have video evidence of the incident but will not release it, saying it is traumatic. Ellison has denied both allegations.

On Twitter, Monahan has continued to defend her accusations and call for repercussions for Ellison. On Sept. 18, she posted a photo of a medical document she says proves she told a doctor in 2017 that she had been in an abusive relationship with Ellison. The document notes that she reported she had experienced emotional and physical abuse from a partner. She did not have any physical injuries that required a physical examination in the past, the notes read. She identifies the individual she was involved with as congressmen [sic] Ellison, and she is worried about retribution if she identifies him publicly.

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In the tweet, she wrote, It amazes me the measures people have to take for their humanity to be validated.

@MSNBC @CNN @CBSNews

Here is one of my Dr visits stating the abuse that occurred.

It amazes me the measures people have to take for their humanity to be validated. #metoo pic.twitter.com/7J0U5qwH4n  Karen Monahan (@KarenMonahan01) September 18, 2018

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On Sunday, she accused Ellison of lying about their relationship, and she warned him that he was making it worse and that she had the video.

@keithellison 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  Karen Monahan (@KarenMonahan01) September 23, 2018

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Since Monahans accusation, Monahan has complained that liberals have refused to listen to her. Ellison is the deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee and served six terms in Congress. He easily won the Democratic nomination for the attorney general race in August, just a few days after Monahan made her accusations public. Ellison said Friday that there was an ongoing investigation into the allegations.

The Star Tribune conducted a poll with MPR News last week and found that most people57 percentin the state do not know whether to believe her. Just 21 percent said they did believe Monahan.The partisan battle lines over Brett Kavanaughs nomination are now starker than ever following the second allegation of sexual misconduct against President Trumps Supreme Court nominee. Democrats are demanding that a vote on his confirmation be put on hold for as long as it takes for the FBI to properly investigate the claims; Republicans are shrugging the whole thing off as a partisan ploy and vowing to push forward with a vote as planned.

I want to be perfectly clear what is taking place, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor Monday afternoon. 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 uncoordinated. 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. McConnell added: This fine nominee will receive a vote, in the Senate, in the near future.

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Utah Sen. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a former Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a current member of the panel, made the GOPs agenda explicit in a tweet earlier Monday: We should hear from Dr. [Christine Blasey] Ford on Thursday as planned. Then we should vote.

President Trump earlier in the day described Kavanaugh as a man with an unblemished past and dismissed Deborah Ramirezs claimthat Kavanaugh had exposed his penis to her during a drunken dormitory party during their first year at Yaleas totally political. Shortly after Hatch weighed in, Kavanaugh released his own statement dismissing the allegations much the same way Senate Republicans and the White House had.

There is now a frenzy to come up with somethinganythingthat will block this process and a vote on my confirmation from occurring, Kavanaugh said in a letter to the Senate that was also made public. 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. Earlier Monday, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway had also suggested the timing of the accusations were a coordinated effort. This is starting to feel like a vast left-wing conspiracy, she told CBS.

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Democrats, meanwhile, stepped up their defense both of Ford, who claims that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her during high school, and of Ramirez, who detailed her claim to the New Yorker. While the GOP buzzwords were smear campaign and character assassination, a number of Democrats were pushing the hashtag #BelieveSurvivors.

We have to stand up for what is right and #BelieveSurvivors. The @FBI must be allowed to investigate all credible allegations before Thursdays hearing.  Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 24, 2018

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the judiciary panel, was the first on Sunday to call for an immediate postponement of any further proceedings following the new allegation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer then joined the Democratic chorus on Monday afternoon in his first public comments since the second allegation was made public.

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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 tweeted. If President Trump and Senate Republicans are so certain the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh arent true, then why are they blocking the FBI from reopening the background check and investigatinga routine practice for judicial nominees? What are they hiding?

Kavanaugh and Ford are both still scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. As the polarization deepens, anything could happen between now and then.On Monday, Axios reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had offered his resignation in the wake of a New York Times report that Rosenstein suggested covertly recording Trump and discussed the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office. The piece set off a frenzy of speculation about Rosensteins fate, which continued until the White House announced that he would not be leaving his job on Monday, but would meet with Trump on Thursday at the White House. None of this bodes well for Rosensteins future in the Trump administration. If and when Rosenstein is ousted, his move will put Muellers investigation in serious jeopardy.

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Rosenstein has overseen the investigation because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the task after failing to disclose contacts with the Russian ambassador during the campaign. Rosenstein, a Republican, is widely considered to be principled and ethical, and has reportedly not hampered the special counsel in any way after appointing Robert Mueller to the job last year. Trump has repeatedly expressed his displeasure over this fact, berating Sessions for recusing himself and telling him to shut down the probe. But Rosenstein appears to have consistently resisted presidential pressure, even while acceding to unprecedented demands from congressional Republicans for documents that have been used as political cudgels against the probe. In July, these same House Republicans briefly filed articles of impeachment against Rosenstein for not acquiescing to enough of those demands.

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This pressure has, by all appearances, not affected the special counsel. Mueller has secured numerous convictions and indictments, most recently obtaining a plea deal from former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. He has been able to do so in large part because of the independence that Rosenstein granted him.

Its pretty clear that Noel Francisco is not an institutionalist like Rod Rosenstein.

If Rosenstein were to depart, that progress would likely come screeching to a halt. The next person in line to supervise the special counsel is probably Solicitor General Noel Francisco. (Hed need an ethics waiver because his old law firm, Jones Day, now represents Trumpbut that would be easy to obtain.) A fiercely partisan Trump loyalist, Francisco is unlikely to take Rosensteins hands-off approach to the probe. He shares Trumps skepticism of the FBI and co-authored an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal shortly before the 2016 election that accused the agency of having a double standard with regard to Democrats and Republicans. Franciscos piece deployed the now-familiar tactic of condemning standard FBI practice as evidence of political prejudice, decrying the prosecution of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell as a witch hunt. (The Supreme Court eventually overturned McDonnells conviction.)

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In the op-ed, Francisco condemned the FBI for conducting ambush interviews, immuniz[ing] only witnesses who can help deliver convictions, and investigat[ing] and charg[ing] all potential crimes. Sound familiar? The op-ed is a precursor to Trumps anti-Mueller playbook. Francisco could insist that the special counsel is treating Trump unfairly and demand a pause, as Trump lawyers have urged. Francisco could also decide not to release Muellers final report: The Department of Justice official in charge of a special counsel investigation has final say over whether those findings go to Congress.

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Equally disconcerting as his past anti-FBI rhetoric is Franciscos breathtakingly expansive view of executive power and privilege. Earlier this year, Francisco, in his capacity as solicitor general, weighed in on a Supreme Court case, Lucia v. Securities and Exchange Commission, that revolved around the issue of who, exactly, has authority to appoint administrative law judges. Francisco attempted to turn the highly technical case into a presidential power bonanza. He went far beyond the question presented to argue that the president could remove administrative law judges, and any other inferior (or subordinate) officers, at will. As he told the court:

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The presidents constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute the laws requires adequate authority to remove subordinate officers. 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.

Robert Mueller is an inferior officer. And Franciscos sweeping argument appeared to lay the constitutional groundwork for the possibility that Trump might fire the special counsel or demand his termination. Recall that, under current Justice Department regulations, Trump cant fire Mueller himself. Franciscos startling Lucia argument seemed designed to undermine this rule. Once the solicitor general assumes responsibility over the Russia probe, the path to Muellers termination is straightforward: Either Trump fires him, or he instructs Francisco to fire himand Francisco insists that he has no choice but to oblige, because the president is merely executing his inherent power to hold his subordinates accountable.

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Skeptical that Francisco would abandon the traditional independence and integrity of the solicitor generals office to carry out Trumps partisan wishes? Dont behe already has. For decades, the solicitor generals office has maintained a consistent position on legal issues even when a new administration takes over. That has compelled some Democratic solicitors general to defend conservative arguments, and vice versa. Francisco has totally jettisoned this tradition. During his tenure, the solicitor generals office has flipped positions at least a dozen times, discarding a progressive stance in favor of a conservative one. That is unprecedented and astonishing. It subverts the offices historical independenceupon which the courts typically relyturning it into an arm of the Republican and evangelical legal movement.

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In April, Francisco also misled the Supreme Court about Trumps anti-Muslim statements, telling the justices that the president made crystal clear on Sept. 25 that he had no intention of imposing the Muslim ban. This statement was crucial to the case, which rested on the notion that Trumps Islamophobic comments tainted the ban with impermissible religious animus. I was in the courtroom that day, and when Francisco made his claim that Trump had rescinded his promise of a Muslim ban, I saw a puzzled look flash across the liberal justices faces. What in the world was the solicitor general talking about? A few days later, Francisco attempted to correct the record, sending the court a letter explaining that he meant Jan. 25, 2017. But it turns out that the president still issued no such crystal clear statement on that or any other day. Francisco was simply attempting to deceive the court.

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Francisco further misled the court about how the travel bans waiver process works. The ban ostensibly permits case-by-case exceptions, and Francisco told the court that consular officers themselves made the final decision about who received waivers. In fact, that decision was made by State Department officials and seems to be infected with bias and caprice. When the court ruled for Trump, the four dissenters noted that the majoritys reasoning relied heavily upon the governments highly dubious assertion that the waiver process is impartial. In reality, the process appears to be a charadeand Francisco was integral in promoting that sham.

Its pretty clear that Noel Francisco is not an institutionalist like Rod Rosenstein. He appears to be loyal to Trump above the Justice Department and the FBI, and he would likely be willing to cast aside those agencies customary independence in order to protect the president. That could involve impeding the special counsels investigation or scrapping it entirely. Put simply, Rosenstein resignation would be terrific news for Donald Trump.Humans are tribal animals. As Jonathan Haidt argues in The Righteous Mind, evenperhaps especiallythe smartest and best educated among us dont look at a body of evidence dispassionately, drawing logical conclusions from objective data. Instead, we approach any question with strong priors. If we want to believe some proposition because it fits our general worldview, we ask: May I believe it? If we know that it would challenge some of our long-held beliefs, we go: Do I have to?

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This is why a sliver of plausible justifiability is a key tool in the authoritarian playbook. Populists dont transparently attack democratic institutions; instead, they claim that they are fighting to institute true democracy. They dont admit a wish to overstep the boundaries of the powers accorded to them by any constitution; instead, they say that they are bringing under control hostile institutions that have already done so. And they dont fire subordinates for being unwilling to turn themselves into loyal henchmen; instead, they make up flimsy cover stories that blame forced resignations on invented or exaggerated failings.

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The nations trust in the rule of law, already seriously damaged, depends on the job of one single individual.

Donald Trump seems to be mastering this playbook more and more effectively. During his first months in office, the White House was engulfed in chaos. Now, he is succeeding in portraying unprecedented attacks on independent institutions, like the FBI and the Department of Justice, as mere partisan squabbles between Democrats and Republicans. At first, Trump threatened to fire special counsel Robert Mueller in an open attempt to shut down the Russia investigation. Now, he is purging the law enforcement community of nonpartisan professionals by seizing upon their supposed wrongdoings.

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The brilliant manner in which the administration has undermined Rod Rosensteins position is only the latest example of what political scientists call authoritarian learning. It is possible that the deputy attorney general really did act foolishly, seriously discussing the possibilities of wearing a wire to incriminate the president, of removing him from office by invoking the 25th Amendment. It seems rather more likely that he made those comments in a sarcastic mannerand that the administration leaked his alleged remarks to the New York Times to create a sliver of justifiability if it should decide to oust him.

Either way, it would be a mistake to zero in on the question of whether or not Rosenstein really was culpable of wrongdoing. For while we likely wont know the answer to that for a long time to come, one thing is already obvious: The presidents blatant hostility to the separation of powers has created a situation in which the nations trust in the rule of law, already seriously damaged, depends on the job of one single individual.

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For a few hours on Monday, it looked as though that individual had lost his job, making it even less likely that the special counsel would be able to finish his work (or that the FBI would be able to investigate other politically sensitive cases in an impartial manner). Now, it looks as though Rosensteins job is safe for the time beingwhich is to say, until Thursday, when he is expected to meet with Trump. That is a relief. But it does not change just how precarious the functioning of our institutions has become in the 20 months since the president took office.

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There is also another important lesson from this strange day. A few months ago, a website managed to get hundreds of thousands of Americans to pledge that they would take to the streets if either Mueller or Rosenstein was fired. The idea was that such an event would constitute a clear red line, which would give us the opportunity to fight for the preservation of our republics most basic rules and norms.

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But such a red line is unlikely to materialize. The president has now succeeded in removing the director of the FBI, the deputy director of the FBI, and at least three other key public servants from officeall without creating one clear moment the opposition could exploit to rally against him. On Monday, he was allegedly very close to firing the deputy attorney general, which could have put him in a position to remove the special counsel under similarly hazy circumstances.

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If Trump does eventually get rid of Rosenstein, the same is likely to happen to Mueller: He will concoct some reason for why the special counsel has to go. It will be shameless and self-serving. And yet, it will be just plausible enough, and sufficiently appeal to the tribal instincts of the human animal, to ensure that Trumps base will stick with him; that Republican senators and congressmen can continue in their shameful complicity with his attacks on liberal democracy; and that his opponents will be unsure whether the time to mobilize has finally come.

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From the perspective of Russia, Turkey, or Venezuela, this all looks spookily familiar. All serious political scientists agree that democratically elected leaders have, over a period of five or 10 or 15 years, destroyed those countries democratic institutions. But if you asked them about the particular moment in which Vladimir Putin (or Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Hugo Chavez) first became a dictator, they would likely give wildly differing answers. If Trump should actually manage to destroy the rule of the law in the United States, there is no reason to think the moment in which he succeeds will be any more obvious. Not in retrospectand even less so at the time.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani got right down to business in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, accusing President Trump, without mentioning him by name, of trying to seek power through the fomenting of extremist nationalism and racism, and through xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition, as well as through the trampling of global rules and undermining international institutions.

Iran President Rouhani at #UNGA: It is unfortunate that we are witnessing rulers in the world ride public sentiments and gain popular support through the fomenting of extremist nationalism and racism and through xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/VpCPFAPnpk  TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) September 25, 2018

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As evidence of these tendencies, Rouhani pointed to Wednesdays scheduled Security Council meeting on nonproliferation, which will be chaired by Trump, who said the meeting will focus on Iran. (Trump did call Rouhani a lovely man in a tweet earlier on Tuesday, but judging by recent exchanges, it doesnt seem like a meeting between the two is coming any time soon.)

Rouhanis speech followed one by Trump this morning that focused heavily on Iran and preceded a separate Iran-focused speech Tuesday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a conference in New York. Except for a few shots at Israel and the Gulf States, Rouhanis speech was heavily targeted toward the Great Satan. Rouhani called U.S. sanctions a form of economic terrorism and inferred that Trump may dislike the JCPOA because it is the legacy of your domestic political rivals. He claimed that the U.S. government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks!

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Rouhani also repeated the Iranian governments accusations that Western countries were partly responsible for last weekends attack on an Iranian military parade in the city of Ahvaz. Why can the leaders of these terrorist operationsincluding the organization that has publicly claimed responsibility for Saturdays crimelive and operate freely in Western countries, and even openly solicit funds? (Leaders of some of Irans ethnic separatist movements are based in European countries.)

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Iran is a theocratic regime currently backing armed sectarian groups in conflicts throughout the Middle East. So under normal circumstances, it should provoke some eye-rolling when its president claims without irony that the United States understanding of international relations is authoritarian, that we have warned against any foreign intervention in the internal affairs of Syria, and that those seeking dominance and hegemony are enemies of peace and the perpetrators of war.

But given international frustration over Trumps attitude toward the Iran deal, Rouhani likely got a more sympathetic reception, even from traditional U.S. allies, than the U.S. president did.Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was heckled out of a restaurant Monday night in Washington by protesters opposed to Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination.

In a video later posted to social media, a woman can be seen approaching Cruz and his wife, Heidi, in Fiola, an Italian restaurant near the Capitol, as fellow protesters chanted, We believe survivors. The woman began by telling Cruz she would like to talk to him about Kavanaugh, saying that she was a constituent and that she had a right to know his stance on his nomination.

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I know that youre very close friends with Mr. Kavanaugh, she said. Do you believe survivors, sir?

Sexual assault survivor questioned Cruz during disruption at fancy Washington DC restaurant. Cruz ignores her. #CancelKavanaugh pic.twitter.com/bbtQ8TqE4H  Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

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God bless you, maam, Cruz said as he took off his coat and sat down.

Bless you as well, she replied. I really appreciate you. Im a survivor of sexual assault. I believe all survivors. There are now three people who have come forward and who have said that Brett Kavanaugh has attacked them. I know youre close friends with him. Could you talk to him about that?

At this point, the chanting grows louder in the restaurant, and Cruz put his coat back on and motioned to his wife to leave.

In the next video, the crowd continued to grow louder, and one man shouted, Beto is way hotter than you, dude. The crowd of protesters cheered when Cruz and his wife left the building.

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BREAKING. Activists just chased @TedCruz out of a fancy Washington DC restaurant, chanting We Believe Survivors!



Cruz has been friends with creep Kavanaugh for 20 years. Now Cruz is on judiciary committee hearing his testimony.



Fascists not welcome! #CancelKavanugh pic.twitter.com/7mx6Tc32za  Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

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Earlier on Monday, a crowd of survivors of sexual assault gathered at Cruzs office in Austin, Texas, to protest Kavanaughs nomination and express their support for his accusers.

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Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in high school and college, respectively. Kavanaugh and the White House have denied the allegations, and both Kavanaugh and Ford are set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, ahead of his confirmation vote.

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Cruz announced his support for Kavanaugh in July, calling the nominee one of the most respected federal judges in the country.

Update, 10:44 a.m.: Cruzs opponent in the Senate race, Beto ORourke, tweeted his disapproval of the protest: The Cruz family should be treated with respect.President Trumps second address to the United Nations General Assembly started out awkwardly this morning. The president was late for his appearanceby tradition, the president of the United States, the host country, speaks second at the General Debateso Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno was slotted into his spot. Then, Trumps boast that his administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country was met with scattered laughter from the audience:

WATCH: Laughter in UN General Assembly as President Trump touts his administration's progress in past 2 years: "Didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK." pic.twitter.com/V7GViB5g4B  NBC News (@NBCNews) September 25, 2018

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But after that, it was a low-key speech, by Trumps standards, that touched on many of his favorite themes: defending U.S. immigration and trade policies and, at one point, literally calling on other governments to make their countries great again. But he mostly avoided lines like his threat in last years speech to totally destroy North Korea.

Trump has obviously changed his tune on North Korea and this year made sure to thank chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps hes taken, though much work remains to be done. The speech also included some notable misleading and exaggerated claims, such as his statement that construction on a major border wall has started. Referring to the controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital last year, Trump defined his overall foreign policy approach as principled realism, saying, we will not be held hostage to all dogmas, discredited ideologies, and so-called experts who have been proven wrong over the years, time and time again.

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As expected, the harshest rhetoric this year was reserved for Iran, whose leaders Trump accused of plundering the nations resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond. In an odd turn of phrase, Trump also urged support for Irans people as they struggle to reclaim their religious and righteous destiny. Tuesday is shaping up as something of a showdown, with Iranian President Hasan Rouhani due to address the chamber later the same day. Prior to his speech, Trump tweeted, Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man! Rouhani, in response, pointedly said, We have never made such a request for a meeting with the President of the United States.

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Late on Monday, the European Union rebuked Trumps stance on the Iran nuclear deal by announcing it would establish a special payment system to allow companies to continue financial transactions with the country, without exposure to U.S. sanctions, though its far from clear if this will be enough to keep the deal from collapsing once those sanctions go back into effect in November. With energy prices rising, Trump also took a shot at other oil-producing countries, saying, OPEC and OPEC nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, and I dont like it. Nobody should like it.

Notably absent from the speech was any mention of climate change, coming just after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres referred to this as a pivotal moment to slow runaway global warming.

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While reportedly written, like last years address, mostly by Trump adviser Stephen Miller, this years speech also bore the unmistakable influence of national security adviser John Bolton, with shots fired at some of his favorite bugbears, like the International Criminal Court, and a heavy emphasis on the importance of national sovereignty.

America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination, Trump said in one particularly Boltonian passage. He called on other countries to reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism around the world. There was something of a contradiction between Trumps promise that the United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship and his call, following his condemnation of the Maduro government in Venezuela, for all countries to resist socialism.

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But its not exactly news that the Trump administration is comfortable employing human rights rhetoric when discussing Iran and Venezuela while withholding it anywhere else.

In one notable passage, Trump singled out four countries that exemplify the beautiful constellation of nations present at the U.N.: India, Israel, Poland, and Saudi Arabia. That is, three countries with populist, ethnic nationalist governments and one absolute monarchy.

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In another eyebrow-raising section, Trump invoked the Monroe Doctrine by name, saying, It has been the formal policy of our country since President Monroe that we reject the interference of foreign nations in this hemisphere and in our own affairs. Its not clear exactly what interference he was referring topresumably not Russian meddling in the regions electionsbut the remark is likely to irritate governments in Latin America but be received well by Russia and China, who have both argued for their own rights as superpowers over local spheres of influence.

Trump went relatively easy on the U.N. itself, calling it a body with unlimited potential, while also defending the U.S. withdrawal from the Human Rights Council, making clear that the U.S. will not sign on to this years Global Compact on Migration and vowing to reduce the U.S. share of spending on U.N. programs including peacekeeping operations.

Trumps rhetoric at the U.N. lectern may have been more conciliatory than normal, but off the stage, his foreign policy continues to deepen Americas isolation.In the spring, a small company no one has ever heard of lost the information of millions of Americans. Exactis leaked peoples contact informationalong with whether they believe you are a smoker or drinker, and even the interests and habits of childrenonto the public internet. This summer, another company gleefully bragged about sitting on oceans of data that could predict health care costs based on whether you purchase plus-size clothing and your television-viewing habits. These data brokerscompanies that collect and sell or license the personal data of individuals with whom they have no business relationshipclaim to be in the marketing business, but the implications of all this data have raised alarm bells for years and have serious security and safety implications.

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New privacy laws in California, Europe, and elsewhere across the globe have restarted momentum around a national privacy law in Congress. As part of that, on Wednesday, the Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing called Examining Safeguards for Consumer Data Privacy, where representatives from Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Charter Communications, Google, and Twitter will discuss their data practices. But the hearing, like the national conversation, will pay too much attention to the online data practices of big technology companies that people are already aware of. No one from a data broker will be at the hearingwhich is no surprise, given these companies ability to stay under the radar. (Its also notable that there wont be a consumer-privacy advocate testifying.)

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Maybe the many companies that aggregate our information and profile us have convinced themselves theyre offering a public service, but we cant overlook the dangers.

That low profile has helped them escape much regulation. In 2014, the Federal Trade Commission suggested reforms that focused on shining more light on data-broker practices, which included services involved with marketing, risk mitigation, and people search (like those sites that seem to have everyones addresses on them). The FTC recommended giving people some degree of access to data and insight into how it might be used. One proposal was the creation of a one-stop shop that would help individuals learn more about these companiesparticularly whether a data broker even offered ways for people to opt out of having their data brokered.

The data-broker industrys response was dismissive. There was no evidence their activities were harmful, companies argued. Offering up this sort of information for sale can be used, according to industry representatives, to locate missing family members, witnesses in criminal and civil matters, parents who are delinquent in child support payments, and owners of recalled automobiles. Maybe the many companies that aggregate our information and profile us have convinced themselves theyre offering a public service, but we cant overlook the dangers.

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Rampant, unchecked data collection has costs. Often, those costs are borne by the most vulnerable among us. Buying and selling data facilitates everything from government surveillance to financial exploitation. Five years ago, the same Senate Commerce Committee issued a detailed report highlighting how data brokers identified financially vulnerable populations in categories like Rural and Barely Making It or Ethnic Second-City Strugglers. Lists of sexual assault survivors were being packaged and sold. The committee warned that data brokers operate behind a veil of secrecy, a situation that a follow-up report from the World Privacy Forum cautioned hides racism, denies due process, [and] undermines privacy rights.

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The Equifax data breach was just a year ago. The sensitive information of hundreds of millions of Americans was lost at the hands of a data broker whose entire business purpose is to hoard and secure information. For a multibillion-dollar company, Equifaxs response reflected a fundamental disregard for basic information security, offering up public-facing websites that were insecure and tweeting out fake help websites. But even as privacy debates rage, Congress has yet to respond in any meaningful fashion. While Congress holds hearing, states have stepped in. For instance, Californias new privacy law permits individuals to opt out from any company selling their data has received the most attention. And in May, Vermont enacted H 764, the first law in the country to regulate data brokers. The law will require data brokers to provide more information about what they collect; put in place reasonable security procedures; avoid using data for stalking, committing fraud, or engaging in illegal discrimination; and, importantly, register with the Vermont secretary of state in order to create a centralized database for the public to see broker-contact information, purchaser credentialing, recent security breaches, and any options to opt out of data collectionall recommendations the FTC made in 2014.

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What was industrys response this time? Vermonts modest privacy law was unconstitutional, according to the Software & Information Industry Association.

This claim relies on a maximalist view of a 2011 Supreme Court decision. In Sorrell v. IMS Health, the court struck down an earlier Vermont law that restricted the sale of medical-prescription information for marketing purposes. The Supreme Court held that Vermont had discriminated against speech with a particular content and specific speakers, namely pharmaceutical manufacturers in violation of the First Amendment. Any law that burdens an entitys ability to use data or information that it has lawfully acquired will face some level of scrutiny under the First Amendment, but that doesnt mean its unconstitutional. In fact, the Supreme Court acknowledged that privacy was integral to the person and essential to freedom. The issue was that Vermont hadnt actually identified how its law advanced anyones privacy interests or how it was narrowly tailored to achieve this.

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This may explain why critics have been so quick to argue that a public registry of data brokers serves no apparent reason or discernible public purpose. But a data-broker registry serves an obvious purpose: It brings into the sunlight companies that are operating in darkness and secrecy. Vermonts law acknowledges the basic fact that few individuals are aware that data brokers exist, who the companies are, or what information they collect, and may not be aware of available recourse. This is absolutely true. After the Equifax breach, people understandably confused the company with Experian. Exactis, which had the major breach earlier this year, is a 10-person outfit, based in Florida. Big data brokers like BlueKai and Datalogix have been wrapped into the Oracle Data Cloud.

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Vermont doesnt intend to shut down any of the buying and selling of data by these companies, but it does have a compelling interest to require disclosures to protect people from the abusive use of their data. Unchecked and unpoliced data sales invade peoples privacy and lead to real harms. And the very nature of the data-broker industry requires a centralized information point. Absent the sort of one-stop shop proposed by the FTCsoon to be available to Vermontersthere is no way for any single individual to escape from, let alone learn about, these companies. Sure, you can pay for services that offer to opt you out of different people search services or monitor inaccuracies in the information being scraped and sold by these companies, but these are costly half measures. Individuals can only exercise their privacy rights against data brokers if they know they exist.

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Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Charter Communications, Google, and Twitter can be rightly criticized for their privacy practices, but at least they seem to be coming around to the fact that we need new privacy rules. Charter, for instance, has called on Congress to pass a national privacy law, while Apple says it views privacy as a fundamental human right. Meanwhile, data brokers speak of ethically sourced data and enhanced transparency through self-regulation. The reality is that while many companies now collect a whole lot of our information, theres really only one industry that doesnt want us to know much about it in exchange. Data brokers may know everything about youbut they still dont want you to know about them.Filip Rybanic received a conditional sentence and has to apologise to Robert Kalinak.

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Assistant to MP Jozef Rajtar (opposition Freedom and Solidarity-SaS), Filip Rybanic, was found guilty of jeopardising trade, banking, postal, telecommunication and tax secrets on September 25. He was also given three years of suspended sentence with five years of probation by the Bratislava V District Court, the TASR newswire wrote.

Read also:

Read also: Rybanic: I have some fears I may go to prison Read more

Rybanic is also required to apologise publicly to ex-interior minister Robert Kalinak (Smer) and is banned from working at institutions dealing with banking secrets for five years. The sentence is not valid yet and the defendant will appeal it.

Reactions of the defending party

I respect the decision of the court, although I dont agree with it," he commented for TASR. Well file an appeal.

We dont concur with the decision in question and consider a number of issues disputable, naming them very clearly, his lawyer, Marek Para, added. Therefore, we lodged an appeal.

The MPs assistant intends to forward the case to the European Court of Justice residing in Luxembourg.

Read also:

Read also: Witness from the Kalinak case about interrogation: I was terrified Read more

MP Rajtar criticises the lawsuit  as quoted by TASR  as the judge perceived the defendant as guilty from the very beginning. She called Filip a perpetrator from day one, commented the deputy who disavowed the notion of him encouraging his assistant to commit a crime. Rajtar also refused to testify. As a lawmaker, I have the right not to testify; the whole process has been a witch-hunt since the beginning, he claimed, adding that the legal proceedings resembled those seen in third-world countries. Rajtar finds it absurd for ex-minister Kalinak to pose as the aggrieved party in public.

What happened in 2016?

According to the information in the media, Rybanic, as an employee of a commercial bank, hacked the bank account of then-interior minister Kalinak two years ago and leaked banking transactions in his account and the account of former transport minister Jan Pociatek (also Smer), exposing connections to entrepreneur Ladislav Basternak, a tax fraud suspect. This caused an earthquake on the political scene. Rybanic also looked into the account of shady businessman Marian Kocner.

Read also:

Read also: Scandal persists as Kalinak leaves questions unanswered Read more

The media also published information, according to which the B.A. Haus company, legally represented by Basternak until October 2013, sent 260,000 to Kalinaks account, the Sme daily wrote on September 25.

Flawed investigation

The National Criminal Agency (NAKA) detained Rybanic on June 10, 2016.

SaS MPs see several flaws in the investigation, Sme suggests: police searched Rajtars home unlawfully, as they failed to duly argue it, ending in a fiasco, SaS politicians say.

Police seized all recording devices from Rybanic, including MP Rajtars computer, USB flash drives, and phones. Later, they used the conversation recordings on mobile phones but misinterpreted who communicated with him. Thus, they came to the conclusion that Rybanic had been controlled by someone in the background.

Read also:

Read also: No investigation into Kalinaks shares from Basternak Read more

They summoned the wrong person and interrogated them, Rajtar summed up, according to Sme. Then it turned out it was all a misunderstanding. The MP adds that transmission devices were scrutinised by someone who has no authority to do so; several were returned to him damaged and unusable.

Those in power strike back

Opposition parties wanted to remove interior minister Kalinak, accusing him of not being able to clearly explain the origins of his wealth. But the no-confidence vote in parliament, in December 2017, failed to gain enough votes.

Police have not even started investigating the business deals between Kalinak and Basternak, arguing they do not have enough evidence.

Kalinak has been claiming the whole time, Sme wrote, that instead of Rybanic, Rajtar should have been tried. He thus hinted that Rajtar incited his assistant to commit this. Rybanic still works for Rajtar, with a monthly salary of 2,077.Famous Armenian-American TV host and producer Sona Oganesyan, who has worked for such networks as The Travel Channel and FOX, has recently released her new project, which is called HyeBrand. The aim of the program is to contribute to the development and branding of Armenia. NEWS.am STYLE has talked to the TV host on her new program and future guests. During the interview Sona revealed some details connected with the idea and shootings of the project and also on how Misho helped her to gather together the professional team.

It was just before the revolution that I came up with the idea. I was thinking that Armenia has so many wonderful aspects that we dont take enough advantage of in order to increase tourism and foreign investment,- started the TV host.

The idea was to speak to different prominent figures that have put Armenia in the headlines internationally and/or have contributed to the branding of the country through their own accomplishments. By having politicians, athletes, musicians, artists, scientists, and other guests from various sectors all give their own take on the subject, we will be exposed to different and interesting perspectives,-she says.

The guest of the first episode, which is already released, is the current U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Richard M. Mills, Jr. Sona confesses-she has learned a lot during her conversation with him.

What I really appreciate about his episode is that its insightful, rich with information, but its also practical  we can all find ways to apply the knowledge that weve acquired from this interview into our own work,-she says then adding.

The point of this project is to intensify the dialogue about the development and branding of Armenia. With this show I hope that locals and the Armenian Diasporas can walk away with valuable information and can apply a strategic way of thinking in their own fields to hopefully experience positive changes, for themselves and for our nation.

Sona says, that the project is currently on hold because of all of the wonderful changes taking place in Armenia.

The protests in Armenia started right after we shot the pilot so, obviously, we stopped shooting then, and we will see when we could start again. We actually had to re-edit the entire episode because some of what we discussed, such as what a problem corruption was and how there needed to be a level playing field for all investors, suddenly became dated information. For now I wanted to release this episode because I think its an important time for all of us to make our own contributions to society, and I think this episode will give us some guidance on how to independently take steps toward a better future. When we have a chance to start shooting again, desired guests will include PM Nikol Pashinyan, Serj Tankian, Garik Israelian, Arsinee Khanjian, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Sona's husband-rapper Misho has also had his contribution in creating HyeBrand.

I didn't have many professional resources in Armenia at the time so this project would have been impossible without Misho-says the TV host, then adds.

He introduced me to everyone who could help with the execution of this idea, and he had a lot of creative input himself. I am grateful that we were able to work with such amazingly talented and creative people: Aramayis Hayrapetyan who Directed and Edited the entire project, Lilit Martirosyan (Producer) and Sharm Productions, Arman Margaryan (voiceover), Levon Navasardyan (Sound in Post-production), Davit Abrahamyan (DroDrone), Serjo (music), Vahan Stepanyan (Logo), Araksya Melikyan (voiceover).

Syune Arakelyan

Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramMountain Shadows in Wayanad is just the place for a dreamy vacationNASA leader Raila Odinga has called on Kenyans to focus on economic development through entrepreneurship and shun mediocrity, which he blamed for Kenyas slow development.

Its mediocrity in which the country was governed in the past that created our backwardness. Kenya was at par with Korea in terms of GDP, per capita income and industrialisation. Today Korea has developed 45 times than Kenya because of entrepreneurship, Raila said.

Speaking at the Grand Royal Swiss Hotel in Kisumu during the Unaitas breakfast meeting on Monday, the former Prime Minister noted that colonialism was a thing of the past.

We must believe in ourselves and develop our country. Colonialism ended many years ago and its time we be committed to development activities, he said.

He added: It is possible to do it like other nations. Kenya can do it. Africans can also do it like European countries.

The ODM leader, who launched the 25th branch of microloans lender Unaitas in Kisumu, further urged people from the Nyanza region to embrace saving culture and investment for income generations.

He noted that Nyanza region has been undermined in terms of developments for many years by past regimes.

It is therefore important for our people to buy shares in Unaitas. It will boost your income, Raila added.Hamisa Mobetto is over Diamond Platnumz and doesnt miss him one bit.

The Tanzanian model, who arrived in Nairobi on Monday, opened up about her relationship with the Bongo star to Ebru TVs, Chipukeezy.

I dont want to get into details but I felt like it was the right moment for me to move, the right moment for me do to do my own stuff. We already have a baby together so its not a relationship I would like to continue so I had to end it, said Hamisa.

Asked if she misses Diamond, the former beauty queen answered with a resounding no, adding: Sometimes you just have to let pasts be pasts. There might be better things out there so why should I let myself be stuck in one place?

The controversial mother of two also talked about Diamonds other ex, Zari Hassan, revealing that she has never met her.

Asked if she thinks she wronged Zari, Hamisa refused to comment saying: No comment. Im not going to answer that question.

And if she thinks Zari hates her, Hamisa said: I dont know. Its not like shes a person Ive met or we have discussed or Ive communicated with her in one way or another so I dont know.

Watch Hamisas full remarks below.Acting ABC Managing Director David Anderson was not one of the executive team looking to resign under Michelle Guthries leadership, and has publicly praised her achievements.

I cant tell you why (Guthrie) was wrong for the ABC Board and why the ABC Board made the decision that they made, he said on News Breakfast this morning.

Michelles leadership style was dynamic. Michelle challenged us in a lot of ways to be better, challenged us to free up more money for content and went about that over the last two-and-a-half years.

There will always be different opinions about different people and how they lead.

He said she did good things with the Board and executive team including in areas of strategy.

Her relationship with the board is not something the leadership team could actually see, nor will I criticise Michelle in any way for the last two-and-a-half years.

Asked if he was one of the leadership team who was threatening to quit under Guthrie he responded, No. Look, I dont know and I cant speak on behalf of the rest of the leadership team.

I will say we have a talented and aligned leadership team. Im very lucky to be stepping into the role as Acting Managing Director. I am only Acting. We work very well together as a team he continued.

Anderson is highly regarded amongst ABC staff, having worked his way up from the ABC mail room to the top job in ABC Television, including overseeing Production.

Michael Rowland likened the sudden firing of Guthrie without explanation to Malcolm Turnbulls exit in Canberra.

A lot of ABC viewers, and it is Your ABC, are concerned there isnt a proper explanation as to why we are where we are today? he asked.

Anderson replied, I think its different to what happened with Turnbull, in that there isnt a voting selection here that I am aware of, adding that a recruitment process hopes to be resolved by Christmas.

I cant tell you what happened behind closed doors, because I dont actually know.Veteran US presenter James Lipton, long-running host of Inside the Actors Studio, is retiring from the role after 23 years.

Lipton has interviewed some of Hollywoods most luminous performers, ensemble casts and directors, including Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep, Barbra Streisand, James Gandolfini, George Clooney, & Hugh Jackman,.

His unique interview style included such curious questions as What sound do you hate? What is your favourite curse word? If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? and always elicited fascinating answers.

In the US the series ran for 23 years on Bravo but will move to Ovation TV in 2019, where a rotating panel of guest hosts will conduct the interviews.

Its very gratifying to see the legacy of Inside the Actors Studio being carried forward for a new generation to appreciate and enjoy, Lipton said in a statement. I made a vow early on that we would not deal in gossip  only in craft, and Ovation, as a network dedicated to the arts, will continue that tradition with the next seasons of the series. Im excited to see the new hosts engage with the guests and students and continue to entertain viewers in the U.S. and around the world.

Inside the Actors Studio screened in Australia through Foxtel Arts and the BIO channel.

Source: Hollywood ReporterTwo contestants on The Bachelor Vietnam have fallen for one another and walked out of a rose ceremony in a worldwide first.

Minh Thu and Truc Nhu, decided to leave the show for each other, rather than continue competing for a relationship with bachelor Nguyen Quoc Trung.

I went into this competition to find love, but Ive found that love for myself. It isnt you; its someone else, Thu said before turning to fellow contestant Nhu, in tears.

As the two embraced, Thu asked Nhu to leave the show with her. Come home with me.

Source: VarietyNo sooner had we started getting excited about the prospect of decriminalizing Marijuana in Kenya than that buzzkill, John Mututho, came to spoil the party.

The former chairman of the National Agency for the Campaign against Drug Abuse (NACADA) has come out strongly to condemn a recent petition by Kibra MP Ken Okoth to legalise the growth and use of Cannabis in Kenya.

According to Mututho, the holy herb is a dangerous substance and decriminalizing it will hurt the youth.

These are dangerous substances. I get surprised when an honourable member of Parliament comes and starts to gain popularity by advocating for an illegality to make it legal, just as they did with portable spirits standards, said Mututho.

Lets have logic. Why do we have to legalise something that affects the functionality of the brain? posed Mututho.

He further questioned if Ken Okoth values human life saying: There is no way anybody who values humanity and knows the value of a human being can support this move. MPs have a moral obligation to protect our children.

Mututho, who is currently working as an advisor to the Kiambu County government on the implementation of the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2018, was speaking in Nyeri town on Sunday.

He said Okoths move to write to the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi seeking for facilitation in preparing the Marijuana Control Bill is an abuse of law as it seeks to justify evil things.

There is no way we can have cannabis as part of our menu.

The former NACADA boss wants MPs to reject Ken Okoths proposal once it is tabled in Parliament.By Scott DiSavino

(Reuters) - Iberdrola SA <IBE.MC>, the world's biggest wind power producer, plans to expand its renewable capacity in the United States by about 50 percent over four years as part of the Spanish electric utility's global plan to reduce carbon emissions, its chief executive told Reuters on Monday.

Ignacio Galan, who was in New York to speak at the United Nations' Global Compact Leaders Summit, said the company expects to spend about $15 billion in the United States on its transmission and distribution system and increase its renewable generation to around 10,000 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2022.

"More and more investors are looking for companies with clean energy and sustainability goals," Galan said, noting Iberdrola sells the energy that helps those companies meet those targets.

Iberdrola committed to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions intensity by 50 percent by 2030 compared to 2007 levels and become carbon neutral by 2050. More than half of its 48,800 MW of generation around the world is renewable with the remainder fuelled mostly by natural gas, nuclear and coal. Galan said the company wants to shut its last two coal plants, which are located in Spain, by 2020.

Through its majority-owned Avangrid Inc <AGR.N> subsidiary, Iberdrola has over 6,500 MW of renewables in the United States. It is the country's third-biggest wind power provider behind NextEra Energy <NEE.N> and Berkshire Hathaway <BRKa.N>.

One megawatt can power about 1,000 U.S. homes.

Galan said Avangrid's customer base was changing as more companies seek to buy energy directly from wind farms to meet climate change and sustainability goals.

"In recent years, large customers are also coming to us to buy renewable power directly because it is cheaper and cleaner," Galan said, noting Iberdrola has long-term power purchase agreements with companies including Amazon.com <AMZN.O>, Alphabet's <GOOGL.O> Google and Nike <NKE.N>.

Story continues

Although most wind farms Iberdrola plans to build in the United States are onshore, the company is developing Vineyard Wind off Massachusetts, the country's first big offshore wind farm.

Galan said Vineyard Wind would cost $2.5 billion-$2.7 billion and is on schedule to begin construction in 2019 and become operational in 2021 and 2022. The 800-MW wind farm would be about 15 miles (24 km) south of Martha's Vineyard.

Iberdrola is also developing an offshore wind farm in North Carolina and in other U.S. East Coast states and a $950-million power transmission line to transport up to 1,200 MW of renewable energy from Quebec to New England.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)France is pushing for the Aquarius to dock and disembark dozens of migrants in Malta, a presidential source said Tuesday, after the ships Panamanian registration was revoked over the weekend.

"We are clear on the fact that it shouldn't spend four to five days at sea going towards France or Spain or anywhere," a French presidential source told the AFP on condition of anonymity. "It needs to dock soon and it is close to Malta at the moment.

The development came hours after French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said France was not ready to respond positively to a request from the charities running the ship for permission to dock in the southern French port city of Marseilles.

Le Maire said ships were supposed to dock at the nearest port under European rules and Marseille was not the nearest.

On matters of migration, the issue must be handled firmly and clearly, and European rules respected, the minister said.

Portugal to take 10 migrants

Portugal announced Tuesday that it had reached a deal with France and Spain to take in 10 of the 58 migrants on board the Aquarius.

The decision was taken "in a united and joint manner with Spain and France", the Portuguese interior ministry said in a statement, without specifying where the ship would dock.

Aquarius 2 is the one remaining charity rescue vessel still operating in the Central Mediterranean area, picking up migrants who are in many cases trying to get to Europe from Libya.

The charity groups suffered a major blow on Monday, when in addition to the recent barring of their boats at Italian ports, Panama authorities revoked the Aquarius vessels registration.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)FILE PHOTO: Ryanair logo is pictured ahead of a news conference by Ryanair union representatives in Brussels FILE PHOTO: Ryanair logo is pictured on the the jacket of a cabin crew member ahead of a news conference by Ryanair union representatives in Brussels, Belgium September 13, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

By Daphne Psaledakis

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The union representing Ryanair <RYA.I> cabin crew in Belgium has rejected an offer from the Irish airline ahead of a planned one-day strike across five countries on Sept. 28, the union said on Wednesday.

Separately, European pilots threatened new strikes against Ryanair if talks with unions did not progress more quickly.

The company's shares have fallen around 9 percent this year, but gained about 1 percent on Wednesday, a day before shareholders were set to meet at the annual general meeting.

Europe's biggest budget airline offered to follow Belgian employment law from March 2020 for Ryanair contracted employees, seeking to address one of the major complaints over the company's policy towards staff under Irish contracts.

However, the Belgian union, CNE, said that would only help about half of its workers, as Ryanair had also been hiring using recruiter Crewlink, which issues its own contracts.

The union said the offer was an "unacceptable" attempt to divide workers in order to buy time ahead of the planned strike.

"It's a deception on the part of Ryanair," CNE spokesman Yves Lambot told Reuters.

The threatened strike by cabin crew in Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain is aimed at pressuring shareholders set to meet on Thursday to address Ryanair's labour agreements, union officials announced last week.

The 24-hour strike is planned for Sept. 28 and unions will strike once a month until their demands are met.

The Belgian union met Ryanair officials before announcing the strike and received an offer on Tuesday evening, Lambot said.

Ryanair stood by its statement last week that, even if there is a strike, it expects a significant majority of its cabin crew in the five countries to work normally, as they have during previous strikes.

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) said on Wednesday that it expected industrial unrest at Ryanair across Europe to continue for the foreseeable future.

Story continues

"The industrial unrest in Ryanair across Europe and among pilots and cabin crew is, in my opinion, likely to continue for the foreseeable future," BALPA General Secretary Brian Strutton said in a statement.

The German pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) also issued a similar statement.

BALPA called on Ryanair shareholders to replace CEO Michael OLeary and Chairman David Bonderman at the company's annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.

The statement echoed the European Cockpit Association, which represents pilots in Europe, and also called on Wednesday for shareholders to pave the way for a change in the management and board of the airline, saying industrial unrest was more likely in the future.

Separately, Swedish Ryanair pilots urged shareholders to "immediately replace the current leadership and management at your annual general meeting."

"We have lost all confidence in the current leadership and management and their ability to guide the company in a unionised environment," the statement said.

A senior Ryanair executive said on Tuesday that CEO Michael O'Leary would continue at the company's helm for at least five more years.

In another setback for the airline, a Spanish judge has ruled a former Ryanair pilot should have been considered an employee and not an independent contractor.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Mark Potter and Susan Fenton)Pope Francis speaks during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Riga, Latvia, during the second leg of Pope Francis' trip to the Baltic states September 24, 2018. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS

Thomson Reuters

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)

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See Also:The Irish national flag flies above the Post Office building on OConnell Street in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Getty

A controversial tax structure dubbed the single malt is still being exploited in Ireland, despite Irish government insistence that US tax reforms would effectively put an end to its use.

A report produced by Irish charity Christian Aid notes that the structure, which allows multinational companies to pay single-digit tax rates by booking foreign income in Ireland and routing it to low-tax jurisdictions like Malta, has been deployed as recently as July 2018.

Moves made in recent months by Teleflex (TFX), a multi-billion dollar medical technologies company headquartered in Pennsylvania, suggest that the company has implemented the single malt structure, according to the report.

An Irish subsidiary of the company created in late 2017 shifted its residence from Ireland to Malta, the report says. Its registered place of business is the offices of its Maltese lawyers, suggesting that it does not intend actually to conduct substantial business activities in Malta, it notes.

The single malt structure allows companies to funnel their non-US sales income from one Irish subsidiary into another Irish, but Maltese-resident, subsidiary by paying royalties for the use of company intellectual property, the rights of which have been given to the Maltese-resident company. This typically reduces the taxes paid on this sales income dramatically. Teleflex did not respond to a request for comment from Yahoo Finance.

The December 2017 overhaul of the US tax code by the Donald Trump administration aimed to reduce the the exploitation of foreign low-tax jurisdictions by US multinationals, in part by changing the minimum rate of effective tax on payments between corporations and foreign subsidiaries.

In June, the Irish finance ministry had said this should, in theory, eliminate the ability of US multinationals to achieve single-digit tax rates in respect of their foreign activities, but that it had yet to determine if further action was needed.

Story continues

Sorley McCaughey, the head of policy and advocacy of Christian Aid, told Yahoo Finance UK on Tuesday that the Irish government has failed to take meaningful action against the Single Malt tax avoidance structure.

A spokesperson for the ministry said that while the US reforms do not prevent a company being incorporated in Ireland and tax resident in Malta, the benefit of doing so should be eliminated or substantially reduced. They noted that the need for further action, if any, by Ireland remains under consideration.

Irish tax laws have been under international scrutiny for years. In 2014, the Irish government moved to close a loophole that gave rise to a tax avoidance structure known as the double Irish, which allowed companies to transfer income to Caribbean tax havens.

Teleflex, according to the Christian Aid report, had used the double Irish structure to reduce its global effective tax rate to just over 3%. The single malt tax structure is effectively a replacement for the famous double Irish structure, the report says.

Trump has also been critical of tax inversions, whereby US companies merge with Irish companies for the purpose of availing of the countrys low corporate tax rate. In October 2017, he falsely claimed that Ireland was set to lower its 12.5% corporate tax rate.

Meanwhile, Ireland recently collected 14.3bn (12.7bn) in unpaid corporate taxes and associated interest payments from Apple (AAPL), following a 2016 European Union ruling that said that tax benefits provided to the technology giant amounted to illegal state aid.FILE -- In this Wednesday, July 12, 2017 photo activists of the Egyutt (Together) party tear down an ad by the Hungarian government against George Soros, in Budapest, Hungary. 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. (AP Photo/Pablo Gorondi, file)

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  An international philanthropic organization founded by billionaire George Soros said Monday it has filed applications before the European Court of Human Rights and Hungary's Constitutional Court to challenge recent laws in Hungary targeting civic groups working with refugees and asylum-seekers.

James Goldston, director of the Open Society Foundations' legal team, told The Associated Press that the legal action is aimed at countering laws "designed to intimidate and silence independent voices in Hungary."

The Open Society Foundations support some of the civic groups targeted by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's unyielding anti-immigration policies.

Hungary passed in June legislation dubbed "Stop Soros" that threatens to incarcerate for up to one year people helping asylum-seekers. In July Hungarian lawmakers approved a 25 percent tax on financial or material support for groups promoting migration.

"The tax law is so broadly written that the Hungarian government could target virtually all funding for rights groups and civil society even if a small portion of the funding goes to migration," Goldston said from New York in a telephone interview. He said he hoped the ECHR would deal with the case "sooner rather than later" due to the "critical" situation in Hungary.

"The government has undermined judicial independence, tamed the media, and now seeks to silence civil society groups, which are among the last critical public voices left in Hungary," the organizaiton said in a statement.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, which provides legal aid to asylum-seekers among other activities, said last week that it was filing similar applications to the Hungarian and European courts. It said the "Stop Soros" law's threat of prison was a danger not only to its own associates but "every well-meaning citizen who views refugees as people and helps them."

The Budapest-based Central European University, also founded by Soros, said last month that it was suspending education programs for refugees and asylum-seekers due to uncertainties about the tax law.

One of the reasons filings are being made to the ECHR is that a constitutional amendment passed by Orban's Fidesz party greatly limits the Constitutional Court's ability to hear cases on taxes or which affect the state budget.Storyful

A fourth-grader at Wilderness Oak Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, was surprised when his father, an Army lieutenant colonel who was deployed in Virginia, showed up to walk in the schools Veterans Day parade on November 11.Video shared by the Northeast Independent School District on Instagram shows Gus Muellers reaction when he realizes his father is walking toward him as part of the school Veterans Day parade.According to the schools post, Mueller flew in from Virginia to walk in the parade and surprise his son. They had not seen each other in four months.In a quote shared by the school district, Mueller said, Gus has always asked me to come to this, so it was extra special to surprise him on Veterans Day. We locked eyes in the hall, and I just couldnt believe how big hes gotten in just a few months. I cant wait to spend some time with him. Credit: Northeast ISD via StoryfulMombasa residents and motorists are fearing for their lives after a section of the Sh5.2 billion Port Reitz  Moi International Airport access road caved in during the weekend.

The road, which provides a key link to the newly constructed second container terminal at the Port of Mombasa, caved in on Sunday.

Dozens of Mombasa West residents milled around the scene to take pictures and videos as they raised concern over the quality of work done by Chinese contractors.

One Watene Kioko shared a photo of the collapsed section saying This is on your way to Moi international airport. The road is slowly sinking and drivers should exercise caution.

According to Mombasa county Transport and Public Works Executive Tawfiq Balala, the affected section lies within the island-bound service road near a footbridge.

Reconfiguration of the traffic flow has been instituted to allow for reinstatement of the affected section. It appears like an old well. It seems the filling of the well was not done properly during construction of the road hence settlement of material, he said.

The contractor, China Wu Yi is already on site to fix it. The failed section is being exposed to establish the depth and lateral extent of the damage, he added.

President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the roads construction on January 9, 2016. It was jointly funded by the British Government(Sh2.7 billion) through TradeMark East Africa and the Government of Kenya(Sh2.5 billion).Storyful

Police in Temple, Texas, say charges are pending against a woman who hurled a container of soup in the face of a manager inside a Mexican restaurant on Sunday, November 7.According to WFLA, the customer returned to the Sol de Jalisco restaurant to complain that the soup she had picked up was hot, and that the heat had melted the plastic lid. The woman began a verbal altercation with the manager before throwing the soup in the managers face, the Temple Police Department said.Deputy Chief Allen Teston on Tuesday said they do not condone this type of behavior and urged people who believe they have received poor service to remain civil until the problem is resolved, KWTX reported.The soup-throwing woman, who has yet to be identified, left before police officers arrived.The manager who was struck by the soup, Jannelle Broland, said in video posted to TikTok that the customer had verbally abused her on the phone prior to entering the restaurant. Broland said she had offered to help the woman, but said the customer never asked for replacement or a refund, and just wanted to complain.Broland said the soup was no longer hot when it hit her, but said spices in the soup made her eyes burn, and that she later had two nosebleeds. Credit: Sol de Jalisco via StoryfulYEREVAN (Reuters) - A popular TV comedian was elected mayor of Armenia's capital Yerevan, results showed on Monday, after a landslide victory for the new ruling party, a former opposition movement that was swept to power in a popular uprising this year.

The My Step Alliance, which includes Prime minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party, won 81.05 percent of the vote, Tigran Mukuchyan, the central election commission head, told a news conference on Monday.

That means its candidate Hayk Marutyan, a comedian who plays a harried father and shop owner on a sitcom on Armenian television, will become the mayor.

The election was held to replace Taron Margaryan, an influential member of the former ruling Republican Party, who resigned as mayor in July, two months after his party was ousted from national power.

Former opposition leader Pashinyan became prime minister in May after the Republicans were toppled following weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism.

Several street protests were later held to demand the resignation of Margaryan, the mayor. The Republican Party did not participate in Sunday's election to replace him.

(Reporting by Hasmik Mkrtchyan; writing by Margarita Antidze; editing by Peter Graff)

See Also:Venezuelans are fleeing their country in order to find food and medicines no longer available to them at home, as seen in this footage released by the World Food Programme on September 24.

The UN said in August that nearly half a million people fled to Ecuador in 2018 alone.

This footage, taken near the Colombian border with Venezuela between September 18 and September 22, shows people walking over mountains, through towns and across bridges and rivers. One of the migrants in the video says that she is fleeing Venezuela with her two-year-old daughter because they had no food or medicine. Children are dying, the woman says. Credit: WFP/Jonathan Dumont via StoryfulPittards warned new global tariffs could affect its business as the leather producer reported falling UK hide manufacturing orders.

Pre-tax profit for the six months to the end of June rose to 96m from 85m as revenue rose 2% to 14.5, Pittards said.

The company, which relies heavily on exports, said profit was affected by unfavourable foreign exchange conditions and spending to update facilities and support new business. Orders for hide manufacturing at Pittards UK facilities fell towards the end of the first half as customers responded to geopolitical and market volatility.

Chairman Stephen Yapp said: As a large proportion of our production is exported, the introduction of tariff barriers globally is likely to create uncertainty which may have an effect on our core business in the second half. He said first-half trading was satisfactory.

Pittards shares fell 7% to 78p at 09:27 BST, their equal-lowest level since summer 2016.

Brexit and a mounting trade war between the US and China have raised the prospect of extra tariffs on goods traded around the world. Yapp said despite this threat Pittards remained confident about its prospects.

The company produces leather mainly for upmarket gloves, bags and items made by other companies but it also makes its own branded goods. The company is based in Yeovil, Somerset, but its biggest site is in Ethiopia.

Net debt rose to 9.8m from 8m six months earlier but the company said this was mainly caused by working capital timing differences that would ease by the end of the year.US fashion giant Michael Kors confirmed a $2.1bn takeover of Italian high-end fashion house Versace on Tuesday, giving the former a route into the European luxury fashion market.

Michael Kors, which will become Capri Holdings following the close of the acquisition, intends to increase Versaces annual revenue to $2bn and increase the brands number of store locations from 200 to 300.

The move follows Michael Kors' $1.2bn acquisition of London-based designer shoe maker Jimmy Choo last year as the company attempts to reduce the proportion of its business in North America from 66% to 57%.

Donatella Versace, who has helped to run the Italian fashion brand since the 1997 murder of her brother Gianni, will continue to oversee the label while fellow family members Santo and Allegra will remain as shareholders.

"We are all very excited to join a group led by [Michael Kors CEO] John Idol, whom I have always admired as a visionary as well as a strong and passionate leader. We believe that being part of this group is essential to Versace's long-term success," said Donatella.

Chief executive Jonathan Akeroyd, who joined from Alexander McQueen in 2016, will also remain in place.

Despite many of the old faces remaining in place, the reaction to the news from Versace fans on Twitter was decidedly dramatic, with one claiming she would end it all if the sale happened and another stating that "Gianni Versace is turning over in his grave."China's vice commerce minister said trade talks with the US are complicated at the moment and accused the US of bullying China and holding a knife to its neck.

Wang Shouwen said at a news conference in Beijing that talks now depend on the will of the US, Reuters reported.

The comments come after both countries imposed the latest round of tariffs. The US introduced $200bn worth of tariffs on Chinese imports and Beijing responded with tariffs on $60bn worth of US products.

Now that the United States has adopted such a huge trade restriction measure ... how can the negotiations proceed? Its not an equal negotiation, Wang said.

If this continues, it will destroy in an instant the gains of the last four decades of China-US relations, Wang told members of the US-China Business Council and National Committee on United States-China Relations.

The People's Republic also accused the US of trade bullyism and said they were intimidating other countries to submit to their will, according to a white paper on the issue published by the Chinese state council on Monday.

Wang said both sides should treat each other with sincerity and look for a way out from the current situation.

Asian stock markets were broadly down on Tuesday. Although the Nikkei in Tokyo was up slightly, the Shanghai Composite index dropped 0.5% and shares in Sydney were down 0.3%.

Jasper Lawler, analyst at London Capital Group, said: Asian markets struggled as investors digested escalated tensions in the next chapter of the growing trade spat. The latest market moves highlight just how difficult it is to trade these escalating trade tensions.

On the announcement of these latest tariffs the markets moved higher, given that the tariffs were lower than what traders had been expecting. Fast forward to the application of the lower tariffs and the market dives. The markets have tried hard to shrug off the implications of an escalating trade spat on global trade and growth but this is becoming harder with each fresh round of tariffs and will slowly but surely take its toll on investor sentiment.Large supermarkets and manufacturers are committing to reduce the annual 20bn food waste bill in half by 2030.

A roadmap published on Tuesday by the governments waste reduction body, Wrap, believes that waste reduction should come from every part of the supply chain from "farm to fork".

The voluntary scheme aims to meet the UN's sustainable development target (specifically target 12.3) of halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer level and throughout production and supply chains by 2030.

The first step is to ensure that by 2019 all major UK retailers, large producers and suppliers, measure, report and act on food waste. By 2026, all large food businesses should have in place a target to cut waste from their operations.

Tesco will be one of the major supermarkets to commit to the plan and ten of Tescos branded suppliers including Coca-Cola, Mars, Nestle and Unilever will also commit to the project within the next 12 months.

At a New York event organised by Champions 12.3, a coalition of governments, businesses and international organisations committed to accelerating progress toward the 12.3 goal will say: "Every year, a third of the worlds food goes to waste  thats the equivalent of 1.3bn tonnes of food being thrown away  and we think thats simply not right. We believe that what gets measured gets managed."

Clare Oxborrow, a senior food and farming campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "All companies along the supply chain should publicise their food waste data and commit to concerted long-term action, so that food waste is halved by 2030, as set out in the sustainable development goals."British American Tobacco has promoted Jack Bowles, currently chief operating officer of its international business, to the role of chief executive, succeeding Nicandro Durante.

Bowles will become chief executive designate on 1 November and join the board at the start of next year. He joined the company in 2004 as CEO of BAT France and later became managing director of the listed subsidiary in Malaysia.

Bowles was appointed to the management board in 2009 as regional director for Western Europe and subsequently served as regional director in both the Americas and Asia-Pacific before assuming his current role as COO last year.

Chairman Richard Burrows said: "Having conducted a far-reaching succession process with strong external and internal candidates, the board is delighted to appoint such an experienced and dynamic successor from within BAT. Throughout his career at BAT, Jack has demonstrated excellent strategic leadership; growing businesses, driving productivity improvements and building strong management teams. In his most recent roles, as director, Asia-Pacific and, as COO, he has played a key role in developing our potentially reduced risk products business.

"Jack's track record of innovating, and his experience across so many different geographies and areas of our business, position him extremely well to build on Nicandro's achievements and write the next chapter in BAT's history."

BAT announced last week that Durante was retiring after eight years as CEO and nearly 37 years with the company.

At 0855 BST, the shares were down 1.7% to 3,482.50p.AG Barr s first half profit rose as the maker of Irn-Bru and other soft drinks steered a course through a soft drinks market made unpredictable by extreme weather and the introduction of the sugar tax.

Pre-tax profit before exceptional items in the six months to the end of July rose 4% to 18.2m as revenue increased 5.5% to 136.9m. The FTSE 250 company upped its interim dividend by 5% to 3.90p.

The Cumbernauld, Scotland-based company said the first half featured extreme wintry weather in March followed by a long summer heatwave that boosted sales, a shortage of carbon dioxide for fizzy drinks and the introduction of the soft drinks levy, also known as the sugar tax.

AG Barr introduced a new lower-sugar recipe for Irn-Bru, its top selling brand, before the introduction of the sugar tax in April. It also introduced Irn-Bru Xtra, a sugarless version of the product, which is Scotland's best-selling soft drink and ranks third in the UK behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

Roger White, AG Barrs chief executive, said the company, which also produces Funkin and Strathmore mineral water, was on track to meet full-year expectations.

White said: "We have delivered a solid financial performance in the first half of the financial year, navigating through the soft drinks industry levy implementation, reformulation, extremes of weather and CO2 shortages in addition to a dynamic consumer, customer and macro-economic environment. Our core brands have performed well and have good momentum with both consumers and trade customers.

Statutory pre-tax profit fell to 18.2m from 19.4m the year before when the company posted a 2.5m one-off gain from selling property. AG Barr shares, up 11% in 2018, fell 1.1% to 722p at 08:19 BST.Jubilee MCAs, led by Nairobi County Assembly Majority Leader Abdi Guyo, have dismissed plans to impeach Nairobi governor Mike Sonko as hot air.

Noting that there are no compelling reasons to remove Sonko, the ward representatives vowed to defeat the motion when it is brought onto the floor of the assembly.

According to Abdi Guyo, MCAs never resolved to eject Sonko from office following their ultimatum on September 6 when they gave the governor 14 days to relocate from his Mua home in Machakos to City Hall, appoint a deputy governor, stop demolitions of kiosks, recall suspended officers and reopen closed offices at City Hall.

The public is fed with up rumours and propaganda. Only two or three members have been pushing the plan, that is not the position of the whole assembly, Guyo said.

Speaking during a press conference in his office on Monday, Guyo said Sonko has not violated Article 181 of the Constitution that spells out grounds for the removal of the governor.

By delaying the nomination of a deputy governor has the governor grossly violated the Constitution? Does it amount to gross misconduct? These people should be serious, he said.

Guyo added that Sonko is in office to stay and no MCA has signed a petition to remove him.

However, deputy minority chief whip and Kilimani MCA Moses Ogeto said the plan to remove Sonko is on course.

We expect the majority leader to table the report for us to know if the issues we raised have been addressed. If not, then be assured, the motion will come, he said.

For Sonko to be impeached, it will take 82 members or two-thirds of the 122 MCAs to vote him out. Jubilee has 66 members and NASA 56.Next raised its guidance for annual profit after the fashion retailers trading in August and early September was better than expected.

Group pre-tax profit will be 727m in 2018, broadly in line with 726.1m the year before, Next predicted. The company had previously guided that profit would fall to 717m.

Pre-tax profit in the six months to the end of July rose to 311.1m from 309.4m a year ago, Next said as it called on the government to clarify arrangements for tariffs and ports in a no-deal Brexit.

Nexts chief executive Simon Wolfson said when Next last updated investors in August he expected sales gained in Julys hot weather to give way to losses in August. That did not happen, though the profit was short of the 315.3m expected by analysts.

But Wolfson stuck to his belief that Nexts first-half performance was flattered by the summer heatwave. He said trading on the high street was tough and would stay that way.

The UK retail market remains volatile, subject to powerful structural and cyclical changes. Many of these headwinds have not abated, Wolfson said. As expected, sales in our stores (which now account for just under half of our turnover) continue to be challenging. We remain cautious in our outlook for the rest of the year.

Next laid out its plans for Britain leaving the EU with no deal in March 2019. An orderly Brexit is in the interests of the UK and the EU but with doubts increasing about this prospect Next is preparing for a no-deal Brexit.

Wolfson, who backed Brexit, said extra costs would be minimal and called on the government to clarify its intentions on tariffs. The biggest risk to Next is if UK ports cannot cope with extra work and it is unclear how prepared the country will be, he said.

Wolfson said: There are significant challenges involved in preparing for a no-deal outcome and we would not want to understate the work we are doing to prepare for this eventuality. However, we do not believe that the direct risks of a no-deal Brexit pose a material threat to the ongoing operations and profitability of Nexts business here in the UK or to our 190m turnover business in the EU.

He said the biggest upheaval in retail was shoppers shifting online. Sales at stores open a year or more fell 32% in the first half while total retail sales fell 6.9% to 925.1m. Online sales rose 16.8% to 892.3m. Retail profit fell 23% to 73.2m as online profit rose 21.2% to 163.3m.

We are often asked: "What will the high street look like in 10 years' time?" Wolfson said. The only honest answer to this question is that we do not know; we can see the general direction of travel but can predict neither the speed nor endpoint for the changes that lie ahead. Theresa May has faced down cabinet critics of her Chequers plan and won backing from ministers to sell it to next weeks Conservative Party conference. The prime minister also secured cabinet agreement yesterday for a new immigration system after Brexit despite objections from Philip Hammond, the chancellor, on how the change should be managed. - The Times

Keir Starmer has been forced to reaffirm that Labour has not ruled out a referendum that could cancel Brexit, after John McDonnell appeared to insist the party could only back a vote on the deal itself. Labour has said it intends to vote against Theresa Mays deal, if it resembles the Chequers proposals set out in the summer white paper. However it is highly uncertain what would happen next if MPs reject her agreement. - Guardian

EU migrants will not be given preferential treatment after Brexit and the number coming to the UK will fall significantly under Government plans. Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, on Monday unveiled plans at Cabinet for a crackdown on the number of low-skilled migrants coming to the UK after Britain leaves the EU. - Telegraph

A Canada-style trade deal would enable Britain to dump anti-competitive European Union laws and embrace the opportunities of Brexit, senior Conservatives said yesterday. Setting out an alternative to Theresa Mays Chequers plan, leading Brexiteers backed a report that called for the EU to have no say over British laws on the environment, food standards and workers rights. - The Times

Debenhams is to shift its focus to newer but fewer items as speculation mounts over its financial health. The department stores chain will open a new outlet in Watford this week, with 25 per cent less stock and fresh products updated every week. - The Times

An overhaul to the system that allows companies to challenge their business rates bills has resulted in a service that is unfair, experts have warned. Almost nine in ten companies who are in the early stages of appealing against their rates bills are still dissatisfied with the new approach, according to a government survey. - The Times

Amazon has made two preliminary approaches for Deliveroo as the food delivery company is circled by ride-hailing giant Uber. Deliveroo, known for its green-jacketed bike couriers, has raised hundreds of millions of pounds in investment and is currently valued at about $2bn. - Telegraph

Food companies will be permitted to keep the amount of food they waste secret under a government-backed plan to cut the amount thrown away by two million tonnes a year by 2030. The plan acknowledges that greater transparency would drive action to cut waste but leaves it up to companies to decide whether to publish their figures. - The Times

The BBCs weather forecasting provider is set to be sold at a loss to an industry rival. In a deal expected to be completed next month, Meteogroup, which is owned by General Atlantic, an American private equity firm, is being sold to TBG, an investment vehicle of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family. - The Times

The government is expected to bail out Liverpools new 335 million NHS hospital and take it back into public ownership, nine months after the failure of Carillion left the project in crisis. Carillion, the public sector contracting and construction group, collapsed in the new year with 2.6 billion of pension liabilities and 2 billion of debts. - The Times

The worlds leading cannabis producer is opening export channels to Britain as it prepares for the government to relax restrictions on medicinal marijuana. Canopy Growth, of Canada, expects an exponential increase in demand for prescriptions for cannabis-based medicinal products in Britain after restrictions are lifted shortly. - The Times

The worlds most used weedkiller damages the beneficial bacteria in the guts of honeybees and makes them more prone to deadly infections, new research has found. Previous studies have shown that pesticides such as neonicotinoids cause harm to bees, whose pollination is vital to about three-quarters of all food crops. Glyphosate, manufactured by Monsanto, targets an enzyme only found in plants and bacteria. - Guardian

The co-founders of Instagram have stepped down from the photo sharing app, six years after it was acquired by Facebook for $1bn (760m). Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger informed Facebook's bosses of their resignation on Monday and plan to leave in the coming weeks, according to the New York Times. - Telegraph

Pandora, the US music company that was a pioneer in internet streaming, has been sold to Sirius XM, the paid-for radio business owned by cable tycoon John Malone, for $3.5bn (2.7bn). The deal shows two of Americas biggest music services joining forces as they battle the rise of on-demand apps such as Spotify and Apple Music. - TelegraphLondons FTSE 100 was up 0.6% to 7,499.88 in afternoon trade on Tuesday, helped along by retail and oil stocks.

Next was the standout gainer as it raised its guidance for annual profit after trading in August and early September was better than expected. Group pre-tax profit will be 727m in 2018, broadly in line with the year before, Next predicted. In May it estimated profit would fall to 717m.

"A relatively low valuation of 12 times forward earnings and strong operating margins, plus the usual positives from the online division, continue to make Next an investor favourite, now that memories of its steep dive from 75 to 35 have receded," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG.

Randgold Resources was on the rise a day after announcing that it had agreed to be bought by Barrick Gold to create the worlds largest gold miner.

Just Eat was on the front foot despite reports that Amazon is in talks to buy Deliveroo. Last week, shares in the company took a hit from reports that Uber was looking to buy Deliveroo.

Oil giants BP and Shell were higher as Brent continued on its upward trajectory, hitting a fresh four-year high above $82 a barrel.

Glencore was up after Morgan Stanley upgraded the miner to overweight from equalweight and after the company said it will buy back another $1bn of shares as it approaches the end of its previous $1bn share buyback.

In a note on the metals and mining sector, MS said mining valuations are approaching historical lows and the sector has reached very oversold levels despite earnings per share revisions already troughing.

The bank said: "Our sector team has just raised their view on the metals & mining sector to attractive from in line. They believe that appealing valuation and bottoming spot earnings provide an opportunity to get exposure to a structurally improved industry that prioritises balanced capital allocation, dividend and cost efficiency with low financial risk."

Glencore is among its preferred names in the sector.

On the downside, EasyJet and British Airways parent IAG were both under the cosh on the back of rising oil prices.

FTSE 100 - Risers

Next (NXT) 5,612.00p 9.52%

Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 5,452.00p 4.44%

Just Eat (JE.) 684.00p 4.11%

Intertek Group (ITRK) 4,956.00p 3.34%

Glencore (GLEN) 340.70p 3.24%

Evraz (EVR) 563.00p 2.48%

Compass Group (CPG) 1,672.00p 2.36%

BP (BP.) 582.90p 2.25%

Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 172.75p 2.19%

Royal Dutch Shell 'A' (RDSA) 2,645.00p 1.95%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

easyJet (EZJ) 1,330.00p -3.69%

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (CDI) (IAG) 664.20p -3.26%

Pearson (PSON) 875.60p -1.40%

London Stock Exchange Group (LSE) 4,612.00p -1.09%

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 256.40p -0.93%

Vodafone Group (VOD) 168.60p -0.83%

DCC (DCC) 7,330.00p -0.81%

Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 990.40p -0.70%

Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,997.00p -0.70%

Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 61.24p -0.68%Alaska: Police arrested a man on suspicion of kidnapping, strangling and sexually assaulting a ten-year-old girl in Kotzebue, Alaska, 2KTUU reported. Peter Wilson, 41, a relative of her family, faces charges of murder, kidnapping, sexual abuse of a minor and tampering with evidence, The news outlet noted. Anchorage Daily News also noted that "The federal charges said Wilson was related to the child." Allegedly, he dumped her body in thick tundra near the "remote Inupiat town on Alaska's northwestern coast," after kidnapping her when she was at the local park on September 6.

Police evidence in Ashley's murder includes surveillance footage

According to prosecutors, surveillance footage was used as part of the investigation. It showed Peter Wilson riding an ATV with what appeared to be Ashley, wearing a pink jumper, on it. The ATV traveled in the direction of where Ashley's body was found. Sniffer dogs participated as well, and DNA found on the little girl matched that of Peter Wilson. Her cell-phone, found in a jacket pocket by a woman known to the court as JJ helped to suggest he was with her after she went missing.

The autopsy showed that 10-year-old Ashley suffered four counts of sexual abuse, and was strangled even though she put up a fight, with defensive wounds found on her hands.

While it took eight days to recover her body, police are certain they have the right man in custody. They put together a timeline for the court that started with Ashley's disappearance around the same time the accused went off the radar for about two hours.

Alaska man charged with murder in 10-year-old girl's slayinghttps://t.co/EqGJAwLNlQ pic.twitter.com/Gt9boFCA14  WBTV News (@WBTV_News) September 25, 2018

The timeline pertaining to the Alaska suspect and murder

The court heard that the timeline of the events was thought to implicate Wilson.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Wilson had been drinking with some friends that afternoon. Between 5 and 6 PM, Ashley went missing from the park. During that time, Wilson left his friends and went off on the ATV. Using video footage of the ATV, and tracking records of Ashley's phone, it's alleged that he took her to an area "approximately two miles southeast of Kotzebue." From just after 7.00PM until one minute past 8 PM, the phone appeared to be out of signal range.

Then it reappeared southeast of town, going back. The phone was near Wilson's house, where it started ringing in his pocket after he "passed out" at a friend's place after seeming to be intoxicated. It was Ashley's family calling as they stressed about her absence. Later, Wilson claimed he found the phone.

The suspect in the case faces charges for telling lies to the FBI officers carrying out the investigation, as well. While 2KTUU note he is a relative of Ashley Johnson-Barr's family, ABC reported that he allegedly lied and said he didn't know her. The indictment also noted that he claimed he never went for a ride on an ATV the day of the murder. Ashley, a fifth-grader, died on September 6, her body was recovered September 14, and the suspected killer appeared in court on September 24. If found guilty on all charges, life in prison is the expected outcome.Grizzly bear protection won out in Judge Dana Christensen's court. The hunts that hunters hoped for (23 animals slated to die), won't happen at all. The animals will return to the federal protection list, the court ordered. Fox News noted the judge said that the court case had nothing to do with the "the ethics of hunting," but was about "whether federal officials adequately considered threats to the species' long-term recovery." Over on Twitter, animal lovers reacted with joy as they celebrated their victory.

Grizzly bears won't be hunted in the northern Rockies

On Twitter, @BiologistDan posted the good news to those who fought against the hunting of grizzly bears. He wrote, "VICTORY! Federal Judge returns Yellowstone Grizzly Bear to Endangered Species List! They CANNOT be hunted. Thank you, Judge Dana Christensen. Thank You @Earthjustice. Thank You @SierraClub. Thank You @westernlaw. Thank You Native American Tribes. RT to thank them all!"

The bear hunt, canceled earlier, was just a temporary ban on the proposed hunts, passed by the Judge. This came after "six lawsuits from Native American tribes and wildlife advocates" that were "consolidated into one," according to Fox. One of the main reasons for the new order to return the bears to protected status was described by Christensen as an "arbitrary and capricious," decision by wildlife officials, NBC noted.

Twitter reacts to hunting ban on bears

Overjoyed activists took to Twitter to celebrate. "Great news for all grizzly bears in Yellowstone. Thanks to all that championed the cause. Respect for Judge Dana Christensen," @ForceMajeure11, posted. @ttemaui wrote, "Happy all the phone calls to the judge to protect Grizzly bears paid off.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

They are back on the endangered wildlife list and they won't be hunted. Hopefully the same will happen for wolves. Yellowstone should always be their protected free home!"

Happy all the phone calls to the judge to protect Grizzly bears paid off. They are back on the endangered wildlife list and they won't be hunted. Hopefully the same will happen for wolves. Yellowstone should always be their protected free home!  Therese Temaui (@ttemaui) September 25, 2018

There were many similar sentiments expressed by animal lovers and activists about the grizzly bear decision by the judge, who, one commenter noted, was appointed by Barack Obama.

@ahshaad noted that "US District Judge Dana Christensen sided with environmentalists & Native American Groups overruling US Fish & Wildlife Service protecting the grizzly bears in & around Yellowstone National Park under the Endangered Species Act Protections after Trump lifted Obama-era protection."

Few hunters showed up to comment on the news on Twitter, but there were some comments that those who did, should just "suck it up." However, there are some further decisions to be made if The wildlife Service still plans to go ahead with grizzly bear hunts proposed for the bears in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Glacier National Park in Montana.Javi Marroquin, from MTVs Teen Mom 2, is completely incensed about references to him and about his marriage to star Kailyn Lowry, which she cited in her latest Book entitled A Letter of Love. That he did not consent to be included in her memoir led Marroquin to also note on Twitter on September 22 that he might engage a lawyer to address the situation, according to the Celebrity Insider.

The aspect of Lowrys new book that triggered such a strong reaction from Marroquin stems from her continuously referencing him in media while she claims to want him out of her story and felt regrets from the early stages of their relationship.

Additionally, Marroquin mentioned the former couples son is already facing a disadvantage due to his parents divorce, Radar Online reported on September 23. To have alleged details of their relationship splayed in a book could hurt their young son more so, he fears.

Timing of angry tweets coincided with article published

The impetus for the timing of Marroquins reaction was an article published by The Ashleys Reality Roundup. On September 21, The Ashleys cited that Lowry stated in her book that she knew her marriage to Marroquin was doomed from the start.

After a Twitter account holder broached the possible effects of the book on the ex-couples son, who is 4, Marroquin tweeted, Hes already behind the curve cause his parents didnt work out then to read it? The former couple parted ways in 2016.

Teen dad believes it is time to Move on

As he tweeted, he aims to Move on. He is right. Marroquin and Lauren Comeau, his girlfriend, are going to have their first child together. Comeau is pregnant, as Radar Online and US Magazine reminded us.

Lowry explained previously that she authored the book for her three sons, most especially her youngest son Lux, whose father is Chris Lopez.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

She also shares son Isaac, 8, with Jo Rivera. Her relationship with Rivera and her teen pregnancy led MTV to cast her in the first of its Teen Mom franchised shows titled 16 and Pregnant.

Anger does not diminish points father mentioned

Though evidently angry while he was tweeting about his former wifes book does not discount that some points he raised, and merit reflection.

For instance, Marroquin stated that, since Lowry has relayed in media that her memoir is for her sons, why was it important to include relationship-specific details about Lincolns dad that could end up hurting their son emotionally as he grows up?

The Ashleys was enabled to share details from Lowrys book after attaining an advanced copy, which the publisher provided to press. If the details remain in the edition that is destined for actual publication, Lowrys and Marroquins son will most probably read one day that his mother felt that marrying his father was a huge mistake. So not cool for a child, of any age, to see about their parents.

Javi asks ex-wife to stop communicating about him

Lowry tweeted that when she married Marroquin, she was young and ignored red flags," apparently what most would call desperate, Radar Online noted.

Not quite ready to drop the subject, Marroquin responded by posting, Stop tweeting about me. Stop seeking validation. Move on, please.

Fans of Teen Mom 2 and social media followers feel hopeful that Lincolns parents may come to a resolution. Possibly, one day, Marroquin and Lowry might get along better and co-parent much as she does with Rivera, whose wedding she attended on September 23 in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Rivera married his fiancee Vee Torres.

As much as fans want to see Lincoln's parents work out their issues with each other, "Teen Mom 2" cast member Maci Bookout has offered an update about co-parenting her son Bentley with her ex Ryan Edwards following his arrest.

Be sure to follow Blasting News for updates about Teen Mom 2 and for the latest information.US-based West Pokot Deputy Governor Dr. Nicholas Owon Atudonyang has relinquished his position as CEC for Health and Sanitation.

In a press conference at his offices, West Pokot Governor Prof. John Lonyangapuo said he received a letter from Dr. Atudonyang notifying him of the decision to step down.

The County boss added that Atudonyang will now only serve as the county deputy governor without salary.

This comes after Governor Lonyangapuo was last week grilled by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on claims that his deputy works full time in the United States yet continues to earn a salary as West Pokots deputy governor.

But the governor claimed that Atudonyang does not depend on the deputy governor salary.

He (deputy governor) does not depend on the salary. Those who have been making noise about misuse of funds should stop it, said Prof. Lonyangapuo.

Earlier this year, residents of West Pokot raised concerns about Atudonyangs absence saying he had been in the county for less than one month since he was sworn-in into office in August last year.

Addressing the media, Independent Pokot Leaders Forum (IPLF) said Atudonyang left the country immediately he took oath of office.

He must relinquish the position if he cant stay in Kenya and work for the Pokot. We have many challenges due to poor leadership. We have seen many referrals to Eldoret and shortage of drugs, IPLF chairman Ezekiel Pyegoh said in May.Naval Group will showcase its Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) 90 at ADEX 2018. With the OPV 90, the Naval Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan will acquire a comprehensive and reliable capability to fulfil a large spectrum of civilian and military missions, including maritime traffic control, protection of offshore resources, search and rescue, fisheries and marine environments, humanitarian assistance and fight against illegal trafficking.

Naval Group will showcase its Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) 90 at ADEX 2018. With the OPV 90, the Naval Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan will acquire a comprehensive and reliable capability to fulfil a large spectrum of civilian and military missions, including maritime traffic control, protection of offshore resources, search and rescue, fisheries and marine environments, humanitarian assistance and fight against illegal trafficking.

Naval Group stand at ADEX 2018



LAdroit, the first-of-class of Naval Groups OPV 90, has been in service with the French Navy since 2012.

OPV 90 introduces a host of innovations. The ships surveillance capabilities rely on an innovative architecture with a single mast and a 140-sq.m bridge offering panoramic visibility, a defining feature for an operational surface vessel. The dome atop the enclosed mast houses the entire sensor suite. From the bridge, watch officers have a 360 view from the ships hull to the horizon without the least obstruction or blind spot. The compact topside leaves ample space for a 5- to 10-tonne helicopter or an unmanned aerial vehicle, while the stern ramp can launch and recover two rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) simultaneously in less than five minutes.

Another key innovation is the ability to deploy unmanned aerial and surface vehicles (UAVs & USVs) at sea. UAVs carrying various sensor packages are used as forward data collection platforms, giving OPV 90 a clear operational advantage on new maritime security missions.

Target data gathered by a UAV can be processed in real time by the ships Naval Group-designed Polaris combat management system (CMS). The Polaris CMS provides the officer of the watch with a comprehensive picture of the tactical situation and includes the NIDL, a tactical data liaison module allowing the exchange of tactical situation and files. The Polaris and the NIDL are fully sea-proven with the French Navy.

Thanks to her multi-mission capabilities and long range autonomy with an optimized crew, the OPV 90 will ensure the Naval Forces of Azerbaijan an outstanding rapid response capability as well as an increased permanence at sea.An egret spreads its wings above waters of the Everglades. "Climate change is a game changer" when it comes to managing major water basins across the country, says Lance Gunderson, chair of Emory's Department of Environmental Sciences.

The Everglades National Park, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, is home to 16 different species of wading birds and rare and endangered species like the manatee, the American crocodile and the Florida panther. But the area is also home to humans. The park is a portion of a larger wetland ecosystem, more than half of which has been converted into agricultural production or urban developments. The ecosystem must provide both flood protection and supply water for the park, the agricultural interests and South Foridas rapidly growing population of nearly eight million people.

Meanwhile, a federal-state initiative to address this challenge, known as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, is sort of stuck in the muddle, says Lance Gunderson, chair of Emorys Department of Environmental Sciences. The plan was authorized in 2000 but it hasnt made much progress.

Climate change throws another wrench in the works, affecting the Everglades and other large watersheds across the United States in new and unpredictable ways. Extreme weather events and rising sea levels, combined with a growing population, will lead to more intense arguments about already contested issues of water quality and water usage, Gunderson says.

Gunderson, a wetlands ecologist, recently partnered with Barbara Cosens, a legal scholar at the University of Idaho, to lead an interdisciplinary team of researchers in a project to assess the adaptive capacity of six major U.S. water basins to changing climates. In addition to the Everglades, the basins include the Anacostia, the Columbia, the Klamath, the Platte and the Rio Grande rivers. The project was funded by NSF Social-Ecological Synthesis Center at the University of Maryland. Watch a video about the project here.

Climate change is a game changer when it comes to the management of these regional-scale water systems across the country, Gunderson says. These systems are managed through assumptions about climate and models that are based on averages. Now, managers are struggling to adapt to more extremes  like earlier snow melts, more floods and droughts, and more intense storms.Join us virtually to learn more about Madonna University's Paralegal Program. Madonna University's Paralegal Program is a premiere American Bar Association-approved program with Metropolitan Detroit attorneys consistently encouraging their staff seeking a career in the paralegal profession to become "Madonna Paralegals." The Program's Bachelor's degree is ranked fourth nationally. Our graduates get great jobs and are employed by the top law firms, corporations, and courts, with historically strong annual job placement rates. Paralegals jobs are growing at a rate of much faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019-2029 job outlook. This information session will include information from the Paralegal Program Chair, Dr. Mary Urisko, as well as Madonna University admissions information from Anna Monga, Admissions Officer. RSVP Here: https://apply.madonna.edu/portal/transfer_student_events?id=75e8a110-a1a0-4412-8380-9139435f700dAnne Applebaum in The Atlantic:

On December 31, 1999, we threw a party. It was the end of one millennium and the start of a new one; people very much wanted to celebrate, preferably somewhere exotic. Our party fulfilled that criterion. We held it at Chobielin, the manor house in northwest Poland that my husband and his parents had purchased a decade earlier, when it was a mildewed ruin. We had restored the house, very slowly. It was not exactly finished in 1999, but it did have a new roof. It also had a large, freshly painted, and completely unfurnished salonperfect for a party.

The guests were various: journalist friends from London and Berlin, a few diplomats based in Warsaw, two friends who flew in from New York. But most of them were Poles, friends of ours and colleagues of my husband, who was then a deputy foreign minister in the Polish government. A handful of youngish Polish journalists came toonone then particularly famousalong with a few civil servants and one or two members of the government.

You could have lumped the majority of them, roughly, in the general category of what Poles call the rightthe conservatives, the anti-Communists. But at that moment in history, you might also have called most of my guests liberalsfree-market liberals, or classical liberalsor maybe Thatcherites. Even those who might have been less definite about economics certainly believed in democracy, in the rule of law, and in a Poland that was a member of nato and on its way to joining the European Unionan integrated part of modern Europe. In the 1990s, that was what being on the right meant.

More here.Mitch Leslie in Science:

CRISPR, the genome editor celebrated as a potentially revolutionary medical tool, isnt omnipotent. Mitochondria, the organelles that supply a cells energy, harbor their own mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and mutations there can have devastating consequences including deafness, seizures, and muscle weakness. Genome editing might be a remedy, but mitochondria appear to be off-limits to CRISPR. Now, two studies published this week in Nature Medicine reveal that two older genome-editing tools can slash the amount of defective mtDNA in mice bred to have a mitochondrial disease, counteracting the effects of the mutation. The proof-of-principle results could open the way for the first treatments for mitochondrial diseases. These are remarkable findings that make it possible to even consider doing this in humans, says mitochondrial biologist Martin Picard of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, who was not involved in the work.

Turning these results into a treatment will be tricky. The genes encoding the genome editors had to be introduced by viruses, and researchers have long struggled to make similar gene therapy efforts work. But, These are the right experiments to get ready to go into people, says molecular geneticist Stephen Ekker of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who wasnt connected to either study. In fact, both groups are already aiming to launch clinical trials. Descendants of ancient bacteria that took up residence inside early eukaryotic cells, mitochondria sport their own small genomes and a distinct set of proteins not encoded by genes in the nucleus. Each cell can contain thousands of these organelles, and mutations in mtDNA cause a range of illnesses. If you take all the mitochondrial diseases together, they are one of the most common causes of genetic disease in humans, says molecular biologist Michal Minczuk of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, who led one of the research teams.

More here.Stringer/Getty Images

Some companies offering D-Day-themed tours to mark the anniversary still have availability in September. Options to consider:

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans is sponsoring two cruises to Normandy to honor the anniversary. While one has sold out, in mid-September there were some spots left on a trip on the Seabourn Ovation ship, beginning in Amsterdam and following the path of Germanys conquest of Western Europe. The luxurious 10-day trip features several nights in Normandy, including June 6. From $15,399. It also has two weeklong D-Day-focused trips (the museum's most popular tour) in May and two more in September. From $4,495.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is running several group tours to commemorate the invasion, including one accompanied by Dwight David Eisenhower II, the grandson of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, our future president who led the D-Day invasion. From $6,895.

Among Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours' D-Day-themed trips is Operation Overlord, a nine-day tour with a full day in Normandy for the June 6 ceremony. And some spots remain on the company's two-week luxury excursion, D-Day to the Rhine, which starts in London and follows the U.S. military progress through France, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg to the Rhine River in Frankfurt, Germany. From $6,950.

Tours International, based in Britain, has limited space available on five- and eight-day group tours from Paris or London that include anniversary ceremonies. Trips are led by battlefield guides, including several former British military officers. From $2,250.

Avalon Waterways offers a 16-day Grand France 75th Anniversary of D-Day WWII Remembrance Cruise that leaves May 27 from Arles, visits Normandy for a few days before the anniversary and finishes up in Paris. Along with visits to historic American military sites, optional excursions include visits to British and Canadian cemeteries and landing beaches. From $6,738. Avalon also offers shorter D-Day-themed cruises.

The New York Times Journeys program is offering three group tours from London to Normandy and then on to Paris, with a military historian guide. The first trip leaves on June 11, a few days after the anniversary, with the others being offered later in the summer. Youll miss the fanfare, but you'll also avoid the heaviest crowds. From $7,995.Matthew Chavezs attorneys say he was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed a young Army veteran near a Southeast Albuquerque ATM in 2016.

Tyler Lackey, 24, was the first to fire, defense lawyer Daniel Snyder told jurors in an opening statement Monday. Chavez, 28, is facing charges including first-degree murder, armed robbery, conspiracy, tampering with evidence and arson.

Prosecutor Nick McDonnell said that Lackey was withdrawing cash at an ATM near Gibson and Yale around 10 p.m. to cover a tip after dining at a nearby restaurant with an old friend. That friend watched the incident unfold as he waited in Lackeys truck.

Chavez pulled up to the ATM in a stolen Pontiac with a bandanna tied over his face and approached Lackey from behind, McDonnell said. Lackey, who had a concealed-carry permit, drew his gun and pointed it at Chavez, who retreated to his car as Lackey followed.

Lackeys friend hopped out of the truck to help, a pocketknife drawn.

Jurors will also hear testimony from Chavezs then-girlfriend, Veronica Trimble, who was with Chavez that night. Prosecutors agreed that they would not pursue charges against her in exchange for her testimony.

Mr. Chavez and Veronica theyre pleading with Mr. Lackey to let them go. Were just playing. It was a joke. Were just playing. Let us go,  Snyder said. Theyre trying to de-escalate and get out of there. Mr. Chavez didnt use force at the ATM, and he didnt use force until his life depended on it.

Witnesses described hearing multiple gunshots. And defense attorneys contend that Lackey shot first.

Prosecutors say a casing from Lackeys gun was found at the scene. He was shot repeatedly as the Pontiac left the parking lot.

The stolen vehicle was later found burning in an alley, prosecutors and witnesses said.

Chavez was eventually apprehended in Oklahoma.

Someone who is defending themselves, do they flee from the scene? McDonnell asked. Do they avoid cops? Do they torch the car, which is stolen, and then flee to Ardmore, Oklahoma?

Chavezs trial before state District Court Judge Cristina Jaramillo is expected to continue through Wednesday.SANTA FE  A worker at Los Alamos National Laboratory was injured by what the lab called a small chemical reaction earlier this month.

A report by LANL to the New Mexico Environment Department says that during a chemical synthesis operation on Sept. 14 in the labs Technical Area 35, a reaction vessel detonated causing a worker multiple laceration injuries.

A LANL spokesman said in a statement Monday that the reaction was contained in a chemical hood. He said there was no radioactive material involved and no contamination occurred.

Lab and New Mexico Environment Department documents described the material that detonated as an imminent risk to health, safety and the environment.

The employee involved was wearing proper Personal Protective Equipment, but did sustain lacerations primarily on the hands, due to broken glassware, said the LANL spokesmans statement. The employee was initially treated at Los Alamos Medical Center and later at UNM Hospital. The employee was released from the hospital and is back at work.

The Laboratory is investigating the cause of the chemical reaction, and is reviewing all applicable processes and procedures associated with this type of work at this facility, said the spokesmans statement.

After the incident, the Environment Department approved detonation of two 50-milliliter containers of the same unstable High Explosive crystalized material that caused the workers injuries, according to lab and NMED documents. The lab had determined that detonation was the safest and most appropriate method for treatment, an NMED letter states.

Emergency management personnel at the lab determined the two containers were unstable due to heat exposure and the presence of etching on the vessel exterior. Destruction of the material was completed Sept. 14.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

Teachers are learning a new way to react to a shooting attack.

Although Albuquerque Public Schools Chief Operations Officer Scott Elder offered assurances Monday that district schools are safe, he also noted the new reality is the district has to reflect on and discuss ways to make schools safer.

APS announced its new safety initiatives, including training on a system called ALICE for teachers and staff members, at a news conference on Monday.

Superintendent Raquel Reedy said, I never imagined in the years I began my journey as an educator in public education that wed have this kind of public, random and senseless violence we experience now at a really, truly alarming rate.

And she said that although APS is still in the primary business of educating students, the district has to be prepared in the event of a crisis.

APS is doing away with the traditional lockdown and shelter-in-place response to an attack and will now be implementing ALICE  alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate. ALICE was pitched as a nationwide school safety best practice thats been introduced to 3,700 school districts.

The strategy will look different from what students are used to and will involve a proactive approach.

In the past, it was lock your door, hide and wait for someone to come get you, Elder said. Now, were doing a lot more in terms of providing information to the adults and children on campus and allowing them  with proper training  to make good decisions to keep kids safe.

He used an example of a class hearing of an emergency on campus but far away from it.

Theyre not going to wait; they are going to leave, he said. They are going to take those kids and get out of there.

He also said training will include skills such as how to make a barrier to block the door or the best way to break a window to escape, ultimately encouraging students and staffers to do what it takes to survive, Elder said.

The conversation comes after a wave of shootings across the country, including a shooting in February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 dead.

Elder emphasized that a key aspect of school safety is our people, saying APS new efforts aim to empower teachers to make emergency decisions.

Hopefully, we will never have to use these protocols, he said.

APS Chief of Police Steve Gallegos said implementing the ALICE protocol has been a combined effort with the Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office, which both had representatives at the APS announcement.

At a meeting over the summer, the officers and deputies talked about finding a new approach to school safety.

Gallegos said that once ALICE was chosen, the program, based in Ohio, provided a trainer to come to Albuquerque to teach law enforcement, and subsequently, APS officers were trained.

APS is now training teachers and staff, predicting that process should wrap up toward the end of the year.

We are looking towards October to finish up (teacher training) and sometime in the beginning of November to be in full ALICE protocol, Gallegos said.

Teachers will also train students through age-appropriate drills and meetings.

James Langenberg, FBI special agent in charge of the Albuquerque field office, was also at the announcement, stressing the seriousness of threats at school.

Rest assured the FBI will be there and work with our local partners  to address and mitigate any threats, he said.

Last month, APS applied for special legislative funding to put toward school security upgrades for a total of $13.2 million in projects, including classroom door locks, fencing, card access to front doors and secure front entryways. The district is also upgrading its dispatch center to streamline collaboration and communication with law enforcement.The requested page is currently unavailable on this server.

Back to [RTHK News Homepage]Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

For several years, the FBIs Crime in the United States report has presented an increasingly bleak look at violence and theft in Albuquerque and in New Mexico.

And 2017 continued the trend.

Last year, like the year before, the state had the countrys highest per capita rate of property crime and the second-highest per capita rate, after Alaska, of violent crime (not including the District of Columbia).

According to the annual report released Monday by the FBIs Uniform Crime Reporting program, the number of violent crimes  murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault  in New Mexicos largest city increased by 23 percent in 2017 as the population stayed nearly static. This is larger than the previous years increase, when violent crime rose 15.5 percent.

In 2016, there were a reported 6,245 violent crimes in the city, for a rate of 1,112 per 100,000 residents; in 2017, the number of violent crimes jumped to 7,686, for a rate of 1,369 per 100,000.

Property crimes  burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft  increased by 7 percent, from 38,528 to 41,350, for a rate of 7,366 per 100,000 residents. The previous year, the spike had been much, much higher, with an increase of 41.8 percent.

Overall, increases for the entire state were much less dramatic: Violent crime rose by 12 percent, and property crime was up by 0.5 percent. New Mexico as a whole had 16,359 violent crimes reported and 82,306 property crimes reported in 2017.

The data are at odds with national trends.

Although violent crime had been increasing across the United States for the past two years, in 2017 it decreased 0.2 percent (the rate fell 0.9 percent), according to the FBI report summary.

Property crime dropped for the 15th straight year, decreasing by 3 percent across the country.

Nationally, the crime rate is 383 violent offenses per 100,000 residents and 2,362 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Albuquerques crime rates are more than triple that in both categories.

Compared with the similar-sized Western cities of El Paso, Colorado Springs, Tucson and Oklahoma City, Albuquerque is the clear front-runner in rates of both violent and property crime.

El Paso, a city that has 127,000 more residents than Albuquerque, had about a third the number of violent crimes and property crimes.

Of the four cities, Tucson comes closest to Albuquerques crime levels, with a violent crime rate of 801.76 and a property crime rate of 5,251.70.

The Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office reported 916 violent crimes and 2,640 property crimes outside of the Albuquerque Police Departments jurisdiction in 2017. This is a 20 percent increase in violent crime and a 6 percent decrease in property crime from the previous year.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, who took office last November after an election that was driven by concerns about the citys rising crime rates, said the report certainly shows that crime was, and still is, unacceptably high.

Instead of saying there are national trends or these are blips that happen for a few years, were saying this is a major problem, he said in a phone interview. Our city is an outlier in the country, and weve got to step up and face it head-on.

Traffic stops are up

Although officials from the District Attorneys Office and the Albuquerque Police Department agree with Keller that the data for 2017 are distressingly high, they have been quick to point out a more recent reversal in the trend.

District Attorney Raul Torrez said his office has found that starting in August of last year, crime experienced its first sustained decline in the past eight years, decreasing an average of 17 percent over 12 months. He did not differentiate between property crime and violent crime, and said a separate analysis was not immediately available.

We have a relatively slow decline in the first three months and then a much steeper decline in the last couple of months, Torrez said.

While the number of robberies in Albuquerque experienced the biggest spike of 2017  jumping about 50 percent (or nearly 1,000 cases) from 1,957 to 2,930  according to more recent APD statistics, the number of reported robberies is 40 percent below where it was last year.

In response to the spike, Deputy Chief of Police Harold Medina said the new administration has worked to add more personnel to the robbery unit and is encouraging all field officers to do more traffic stops. Traffic stops have increased by 35 percent.

Our field officers are more engaged, I think, by seeing the increase in traffic stops this year, we know our officers are more active, Medina said. I think that all of those things together have led to a decrease in robberies because were taking people into custody.

Torrez said his office has been combating the problem by turning more and more robbery cases over to the federal system for prosecution.

Auto thefts down

The only category of crime that decreased in Albuquerque from 2016 to 2017 was auto theft, dropping from 7,710 to 7,684. However, the dip did little to improve the citys national standing for 2017. According to data released over the summer from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Bernalillo and surrounding counties were No. 1 in rates of stolen motor vehicles for the second year in a row.

Torrez said that over the past nine or 10 months, his office, along with the Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico State Police and Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office, has made a concerted effort to increase arrests and prosecutions in auto theft cases. He said cases involving receiving or transferring stolen motor vehicles historically were viewed as a lower priority.

You had a number of repeat auto offenders who were in a backlog and we were pretty focused on getting those people identified, getting those cases launched and getting them resolved, he said.

According to APD statistics, auto theft is 26 percent below where it was this time last year.

Both Torrez and Medina credit the recent drop in crime to increased partnerships between prosecutors and law enforcement, which Torrez said increases the speed and efficiency of prosecuting cases.

We have a tendency in the community to get so focused on the negative and get so down about crime, we start wondering, Can we ever turn this around?  Torrez said. I think whats encouraging over the past 12 months, the answer is, yes, we can make a difference; we can solve a problem. So, hopefully, we can sustain this and start moving toward building this into a safer and stronger community.UNITED NATIONS  President Donald Trump poured scorn on the ideology of globalism and heaped praise on his own administrations achievements Tuesday in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly that drew headshakes and even mocking laughter from his audience of fellow world leaders.

The U.S. will not tell you how to live and work or worship, Trump said as he unapologetically promoted his America First agenda. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.

Speaking in triumphal terms, Trump approached his address to the world body as something of an annual report to the world on his countrys progress since his inauguration. He showcased strong economic numbers, declared that the U.S. military is more powerful than it has ever been before and crowed that in less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.

Just sentences into the presidents remarks, the audience began to chuckle and some leaders broke into outright laughter, suggesting the one-time reality television stars puffery is as familiar abroad as it is at home. Trump appeared briefly flustered, then smiled and said it was not the reaction he expected but thats all right.

Later he brushed off the episode, telling reporters, Oh it was great. Well, that was meant to get some laughter so it was great.

The leaders spontaneous response to Trumps address only reinforced the American presidents isolation among allies and foes alike, as his nationalistic policies have created rifts with erstwhile partners and cast doubt in some circles about the reliability of American commitments around the world.

Barely an hour before he spoke, in fact, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared to the assembly that global cooperation is the worlds best hope and multilateralism is under fire precisely when we need it most.

Since taking office, Trump has removed the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, promoted protectionist tariffs and questioned the value of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other alliances in furtherance of what he termed on Tuesday a strategy of principled realism.

To that end, Trump flaunted his embrace of negotiations with North Koreas Kim Jong Un just a year after he had warned of raining down total destruction on a leader he branded Little Rocket Man. As Trump praised Kims courage on Tuesday, he unloaded harsh rhetoric on nuclear-aspirant Iran as a persistent malign influence across the Middle East.

We ask all nations to isolate Irans regime as long as its aggression continues, said Trump. The president has removed the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, citing the countrys destabilizing actions throughout the region and support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah, and he accused its leaders on Tuesday of sowing chaos, death and destruction.

His national security adviser, John Bolton, was to go even further in a speech Tuesday, issuing a dire warning to Iran: If you cross us, our allies or our partners; if you harm our citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat and deceive, yes, there will indeed be hell to pay, Bolton said, according to prepared remarks released by the White House.

In addition to his keynote speech, Trump is to chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council about nuclear proliferation on Wednesday. His four days of choreographed foreign affairs were designed to stand in contrast to a presidency sometimes defined by disorder, but they were quickly overshadowed by domestic political crises.

The fate of his second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, was in fresh doubt after a second allegation of sexual misconduct, which Kavanaugh denies. Kavanaugh and his first accuser testify to Congress on Thursday.

Drama also swirls around the job security of Trumps deputy attorney general. Rod Rosenstein was reported last week to have floated the idea of secretly recording the president last year and to have raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. He will meet with Trump at the White House, also on Thursday.

At the U.N., Trump seized his opportunity to assert American independence from the international body. He showcased his decisions to engage with the erstwhile pariah North Korea, remove the U.S. from the international Iran nuclear accord and object to U.N. programs he believes are contrary to American interests.

We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism, Trump said.

He referenced a list of U.N. bodies, from the International Criminal Court to the Human Rights Council, that his administration is working to undermine.

America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination, Trump declared. His denunciations of globalism drew murmurs from other members of the organization that stands as the very embodiment of the notion.

Shortly before he spoke, in fact, U.N. Secretary-General Guterres had defended international cooperation as the only way to tackle the challenges and threats of increasingly chaotic times.

Democratic principles are under siege, Guterres said. The world is more connected, yet societies are becoming more fragmented. Challenges are growing outward, while many people are turning inward.

On other tense subjects, Trumps criticism of Germanys pursuit of a direct energy pipeline from Russia drew a dismissive headshake from a member of the U.S. allys delegation, and his mention of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar all in one breath was received with stone-faced expressions by Saudi officials. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been boycotting Doha since last year as part of a dispute tearing apart the typically clubby Gulf Arab nations.

The laughter in the first moments of Trumps address evoked a campaign line Trump frequently deployed against his predecessor Barack Obama  who embraced international engagement  suggesting that due to weak American leadership, the world is laughing at us.

In 2014, Trump tweeted We need a President who isnt a laughingstock to the entire World. We need a truly great leader, a genius at strategy and winning. Respect!

Appearances on the global stage tend to elevate the stature of presidents both abroad and at home. But even before his arrival for the annual gathering of world leaders and diplomats, the desired image was being eclipsed as Trump was forced to confront the salacious and embarrassing in the controversies over Rosenstein and Kavanaugh.

With cable news chyrons flashing breathless updates about both Beltway dramas, news of Trumps foreign policy moves from the U.N., led by a new trade deal with South Korea, struggled to break through.

___

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com///twitter.com/@zekejmillerAURORA, Colo.  A suburban Denver school district has agreed to an $11.5 million settlement after a middle school teacher acknowledged having inappropriate sexual contact with several students, district officials said Monday.

The settlement involving the Cherry Creek School District was approved by the school board Monday morning and will be evenly split five ways, with each victim receiving $2.3 million, district spokeswoman Abbe Smith said.

Brian Vasquez, who taught social studies at Prairie Middle School in Aurora for seven years, pleaded guilty in July to three counts of sexual assault and one count each of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation. He faces at least 40 years in prison when he is sentenced Friday, the Aurora Sentinel reported .

When police questioned Vasquez, they were initially only investigating accusations from one girl who said she had exchanged inappropriate text messages with the teacher. But Vasquez immediately offered the names of four other students and said the relationships included sexual contact.

Police interviewed the other girls over several days in August 2017 and largely confirmed the teachers story. He was arrested and has been in jail since.

Investigators said much of the sexual contact happened inside the school, as well as in Vasquezs car at various spots around Aurora. One girl told police Vasquez groped her in class while he was teaching.

We acknowledge that no amount of money can right the wrongs committed against these students by Mr. Vasquez, the school district said in a statement released Monday. No student should ever suffer the injury and loss of innocence that these young women suffered as a result of the reprehensible actions of Mr. Vasquez.

The school district has been criticized for its initial response, and three administrators were charged earlier this year with failing to report the accusations against Vasquez.

The schools principal, assistant principal and a counselor were accused of conducting their own investigation, which included questioning a student with Vasquez present and repeatedly telling her that her accusations could ruin Vasquezs family and career.

Prosecutors said the girl then retracted her claims and was eventually suspended for what school administrators deemed were false allegations. They also said the school leaders made the girl apologize to Vasquez and give him a hug.

In a letter to parents Monday, schools Superintendent Scott Siegfried said the district has since strengthened its mandatory reporting procedures and trained all of its more than 9,000 employees how to identify signs of abuse.

Qusair Mohamedbhai, an attorney for the five victims, said Monday that his clients appreciate the policy changes, and their lifelong trauma will hopefully never be experienced by another student in Colorado.

___

Information from: The Aurora Sentinel, http://www.aurorasentinel.com/Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

After a six-minute hearing in 2nd Judicial District Court on Tuesday morning, Judge Charles Brown once again denied the states attempt to make a plea deal with Jessica Kelley, a move the district attorney says ensures prosecutors will press forward with bringing her to trial in the brutal slaying of 10-year-old Victoria Martens.

Kelleys trial is scheduled for January.

Her cousin, Fabian Gonzales, who is also facing child abuse charges in Victorias death, is scheduled to begin his trial in mid-October.

Michelle Martens, Victorias mother, pleaded guilty to child abuse over the summer and faces between 12 and 15 years in prison with the opportunity for the time to be cut in half for good behavior.

Under the terms of her deal, Kelley would have pleaded guilty to child abuse and tampering with evidence in exchange for a 49-year sentence and an agreement to testify at Gonzales trial in a couple of weeks. Now, she is still charged with murder and rape.

The state had first attempted to enter the plea deal with Kelley on Sept. 14, but Brown rejected it, saying prosecutors had not presented enough evidence that she was guilty of child abuse resulting in death since it appears she had just been baby-sitting when Victoria was killed by an unknown person.

Prosecutors had asked for him to reconsider the decision and the hearing was held Tuesday morning.

After a blistering six minutes, Brown announced he had not changed his mind in denying the deal.

A motion to reconsider is only right if there are two conditions met, Brown said. One is there must be new information and, two, that information must not have been available at time of original hearing. There is nothing in the states motion that was not available in the original hearing.

In response to the most recent denial, District Attorney Raul Torrez said he is not willing to allow Kelley to plead to any other charges instead.

I will not authorize a plea agreement for less time than what was included in the original agreement, Torrez said in a news conference after the hearing. Although it is possible to craft another agreement by having her admit guilt to other charges, I simply wont accept anything that doesnt require her to accept responsibility for her role in Victorias death.

He said the states case prosecuting Gonzales is now more tenuous.

Without her cooperation, we do not have her testimony available in the prosecution of Fabian Gonzales, Torrez said. That dramatically impacts our ability to secure that conviction and presents significant challenges to the presentation of evidence.

Furthermore, he said, the state no longer has Kelleys cooperation in identifying an unknown man who prosecutors said entered Michelle Martens apartment and killed Victoria in retaliation for threats Gonzales made against a gang member.

Prosecutors say Gonzales and Martens had left the apartment to buy marijuana, and Kelley was high on methamphetamine and baby-sitting Victoria when the man arrived, and asked for Gonzales by his street name. Kelley told them she did not ask what the man was doing, who he was or why he was going to the girls room.

According to documents filed by prosecutors, the man then told Kelley that she and Gonzales needed to clean up the mess, so they destroyed Victorias body.

Focus on finding suspect

In the hours following the discovery of Victorias death  she had been strangled, burned and dismembered in her mothers northwest Albuquerque apartment  police and the then-district attorney charged Martens, Gonzales and Kelley with rape and murder.

In a shocking twist in late June, Torrez announced that cellphone data and witness testimony proves that Martens and Gonzales were not at the apartment when Victoria was killed, and another person was.

A partial DNA sample from an unidentified man, likely saliva, sweat or skin cells, was found on Victorias back.

Torrez said Tuesday that male DNA was found on Victorias neck and underneath her fingernails on both hands, leading them to conclude that the unidentified man was responsible for strangling her to death.

That male is charged with criminal sexual penetration and murder, and we will work toward identifying him, Torrez said. Right now, our primary focus is finding the individual, which is why we sought the cooperation of Jessica Kelley and we are concerned that without her cooperation we wont be able to.

However, Kelleys attorney Mark Earnest said he questions whether the district attorney is truly committed to finding the unknown man since he wont offer his client another deal.

When the DAs Office says their primary concern is to find the truth and at some point to prosecute John Doe, I question if they really mean that, Earnest said. I say that because Jessica was willing to assist in that endeavor and theyre not willing to negotiate another plea.

At the hearing Tuesday, Brown did not question the states narrative of how the killing unfolded, but he did take issue with what he called factual misstatements about the court proceedings in the states motion.

He said it is not true that the rejection of the plea deal impairs the states ability to prosecute Gonzales and questioned why they didnt offer Kelley another way to plead.

I caution the state when filing any pleadings to be aware that it will be reported by other people, Brown said. The public is not educated in the law and they will accept those misstatements as the truth. There is an obligation to be truthful to all matters.

Brown did not allow the lead prosecutor to respond to his ruling and the hearing was dismissed.AUSTIN, Texas  An activist who garnered national attention for running a Texas company that sells blueprints for making untraceable 3D-printed guns has resigned from the firm he founded after being arrested on charges of having sex with an underage girl.

Cody Wilson tendered his resignation Friday evening to tend to personal matters, Paloma Heindorff, director of development for Austin-based Defense Distributed said at a Tuesday news conference. The company is at the center of a federal case in which several states sued to block it from posting plans to build 3D-printed guns online.

Heindroff said she would be taking over Wilsons duties as director and was a strong believer in the Second Amendment.

We believe people have a right to have these files, she said of plans for printing guns. We believe in our right to be able to publish them.

Wilson didnt attend the press conference, and Heindroff refused to comment on the criminal charges against him. But said she supported his decision to leave, adding: Going forward, as it stands, he has no role in the company.

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia had sued the Trump administration to dissolve a settlement it reached with Defense Distributed over allowing it to disseminate its designs for making a 3D-printable gun. The lawsuit was backed mostly by Democratic state attorneys general argued that such weapons could be used by criminals or terrorists.

A federal court in Seattle barred Wilson from posting the designs online for free last month. Instead, Wilson began selling them for any amount of money to U.S. customers through his website.

Heindroff said the company has had about 3,000 orders so far for blueprints and was still in the process of fulfilling those orders.

No one missed a day at work, she said. Were still shipping and we have no intention of stopping.

Investigators allege the 30-year-old Wilson met a 16-year-old girl through the website SugarDaddyMeet.com. According to an affidavit, the girl said they met in the parking lot of an Austin coffee shop in August and then drove to a hotel.

The girl told investigators that Wilson paid her $500 after they had sex and then dropped her off at a Whataburger restaurant.

Wilson was arrested in Taiwan and brought back to the U.S. over the weekend. He has since been freed on $150,000 bond.

We are glad that Cody is back in Texas again where we can work with him on his case. Thats our focus right now, Wilsons attorney, Samy Khalil, said in a statement Sunday night.

Wilson, a self-described crypto-anarchist, has said governments should live in fear of their citizenry.

But law enforcement officials worry the guns are easy to conceal and are untraceable because there is 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.

Heindroff said the company has used online fundraising to collect about $400,000 for a legal defense fund as part of their ongoing federal case. But she also suggested she may not embrace such a high profile national role in it as Wilson did.

Im a different person, Im not trying to replace him as a character, Heindroff said.

The Washington-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which has been a vocal opponent of 3D-printable guns, said of Wilson: We doubt that his movement will die with his resignation.

Because of his actions, 3D-printed guns now pose a danger all over the world, Brady Campaign co-presidents Avery Gardiner and Kris Brown said in a statement Tuesday. The next Cody Wilson is merely waiting in the wings, and we will continue to do everything in our power to combat this threat until it is no more.SEATTLE  Girding for continued change in the retail landscape, Starbucks plans job cuts this fall at its Seattle headquarters, including eliminating some top executives, as it reorganizes in a bid to make quicker decisions and reignite sales growth.

The restructuring is the latest bump in a turbulent year for the coffee giant, which has seen high-profile departures, an embarrassing turn in the national spotlight after a racially charged arrest and lackluster sales growth in important markets.

Chief Executive Kevin Johnson, a veteran of several corporate shake-ups while at Microsoft, told employees in a memo this past week that while the company is making progress on its priorities, including faster growth in the United States and China and increased returns to shareholders, more needs to be done.

The memo, with the subject line Building our future together, goes on for six paragraphs before delivering the jobs news that starting next week and into mid-November there will be leadership shifts and non-retail partner impacts as we evolve the direction of teams across the organization in size, scope and goals.

The impacts will include job losses and shifts, though the total number has not been determined, a Starbucks spokeswoman said. The company is starting at the vice-president and senior vice-president levels and doing a function-by-function review, she said.

Starbucks has about 5,000 employees at its corporate headquarters in Sodo.

Johnson said headquarters employees in meetings over the past two years have described ways the company can better prioritize and move faster.

The layoffs and restructuring are not expected to land on employees in the companys stores.

The changes come about three months after Starbucks executives outlined steps to improve sales growth, including plans to close up to 150 underperforming stores in the coming fiscal year, even as the company continues to open new stores.

While the scope of the job losses is unclear, this reorganization appears to be nothing like the steps the company took a decade ago, when it closed 5 percent of its stores in the midst of the Great Recession, cutting thousands of jobs in the process.

This is the first significant Starbucks reorganization under Johnsons leadership. He took over the CEO title from Howard Schultz in 2017. Schultz stepped down from the board of directors this summer and is phasing out his involvement in the company.

Starbucks is also looking for a new chief financial officer.

Scott Maws retirement, effective in November, was announced shortly after it lowered its profit forecast for the year, blaming slow sales growth at existing stores, and boosted its budget for stock buybacks and investor dividends to $20?billion through 2020.

Starbucks has recently introduced new menu items, seeking a moneymaking replacement for the Frappucino, which was once a major driver of afternoon sales. It also has expanded its food offerings, while experimenting with higher-end concepts including gourmet baked goods, cocktails and unique coffee roasts presented in destination Roastery stores.

In China, which is Starbucks most important long-term growth market alongside the United States, it inked a multifaceted partnership with internet commerce giant Alibaba, including coffee delivery, which its also testing in Miami, with UberEats.

The company is also focused on growing its grocery coffee sales globally through a $7 billion marketing deal with Swiss food giant Nestle, which will see some 500 Starbucks employees move to Nestle.



2018 The Seattle Times

Visit The Seattle Times at www.seattletimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

After a half-day trial before a Metropolitan Court judge, a Republican state representative, arrested at a sobriety checkpoint in May, was convicted Tuesday of aggravated drunken driving.

The verdict comes as Monica Youngblood, once seen as a rising political star, seeks re-election to her House district in Northwest Albuquerque. She offered a short statement to reporters after the judge announced his decision, but did not say whether the conviction would affect her campaign or whether she plans to appeal.

Theres not a day that I dont wake up and regret the situation that occurred that evening, Youngblood said. I want to continue to apologize to my constituents for that evening, and will accept the consequences as they come throughout this process.

Her attorney, Paul Kennedy, said in his opening statement in court that there was no evidence his client was driving while impaired that night. She had done not only well, but very well on field sobriety tests, he said.

Pro tem Judge Kevin Fitzwater, who presided over the bench trial, disagreed.

The field sobriety tests, her demeanor overall, refusal to take the breath test, the officers testimony that he smelled the odor of alcohol  all that in totality tells the court she was impaired to the slightest degree by alcohol, Fitzwater said.

Youngblood refused to submit to a breath test, which was the basis for the charge of aggravated DWI rather than simple DWI.

Witnesses at Tuesdays trial included two police officers who were on site during that nights checkpoint. Kyle Curtis, a supervisor in the Albuquerque Police Department DWI unit, described in detail the planning, approval, briefing and setup procedures for the checkpoint.

And officer Joshua Montano told the judge about the numerous signs of intoxication he observed before arresting Youngblood early May 20, both when he initially spoke with her and during her field sobriety tests. Although Youngblood complained repeatedly that she was cold, Montano said he did not believe that her lack of a jacket impeded her ability to perform the tests.

Kennedy contended that the APD had not provided the specific location of the checkpoint in a media advisory, which he argued did not comply with guidelines set forth by the state Supreme Court.

Prosecutor Guinevere Ice said police wrote a media release and a social media post that warned of a checkpoint in the northwestern part of the city.

Fitzwater rejected Kennedys argument, finding there is no requirement that police provide a specific location. He said the state had shown the roadblock was constitutionally conducted.

Youngblood, 42, will be sentenced next week; an aggravated drunken driving conviction requires a mandatory 48 hours in jail. First-time aggravated DWI offenders face up to 90 days in jail, along with possible fines and other penalties.

Political backdrop

Youngblood, a real estate agent, first won her House District 68 seat in 2012  by 10 percentage points, over a Democratic opponent. She was unopposed in the last two election cycles.

Karen Bash, a retired faith leader, is the Democratic nominee for the seat this year.

Youngblood holds a fundraising advantage. Youngblood, who represents House District 68, had about $56,000 in her campaign account, according to reports filed earlier this month. Bash had about $14,000.

In a statement shared on social media, Bash said she was disappointed that Youngblood failed to take advantage of the many alternatives to driving while intoxicated, and tried to use her political position to avoid being arrested.

Lapel video of the incident shows Youngblood telling police that she is a state representative who stands up for officers when others criticize them.

The ballot is already set for the Nov. 6 general election, and absentee voting begins in two weeks.

Democrats now hold a 38-32 advantage in the state House.

As a legislator, Youngblood has pushed to reinstate the death penalty in New Mexico and sponsored DWI-related legislation.

Journal staff writer Dan McKay contributed to this report.Parishioners at St. Bernadette Catholic Church thought their pastor, Arthur Perrault, was taking a sabbatical to study Scripture when he abruptly left the Albuquerque parish in September 1992.

His hasty departure in the face of growing allegations of child sexual abuse 26 years ago was enough to persuade a U.S. magistrate judge on Tuesday to detain him on newly unsealed federal charges of molesting an 11-year-old altar boy in 1991 and 1992.

Perraults court-appointed attorney, Sam Winder, asked that the 80-year-old Perrault be sent to a halfway house pending trial on federal charges. If convicted, he could be sent to prison for life. He said Perrault might not get adequate medical treatment if he remained in jail.

And Winder told the judge, Its not beyond the realm of possibility, other inmates watch the news and when they learn who he is, there could possibly be some severe consequences.

But U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Molzen said she was concerned that the priest had fled to Canada in 1992 and then moved to Morocco, a country that has no extradition treaty with the United States.

His departure in 1992 came amid news reports and lawsuits alleging his molestation of children. Parishioners interviewed back then said they understood he was on sabbatical or vacation, news reports show.

Molzen found Perrault to be a flight risk, despite his attorneys assurances that the Catholic priest had medical problems, no money, no family ties and one friend left in New Mexico.

Perraults arrest last week was the culmination of an FBI investigation that began in early 2016 and led to a sealed federal grand jury indictment a year ago in Albuquerque. Since then, he has been held by Moroccan authorities in an infirmary and fought his return to the U.S.

Last week, FBI agents picked up Perrault from Moroccan authorities after that country agreed to expel him.

Federal prosecutors argued Tuesday that no conditions of release to a halfway house would ensure his appearance at trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Sullivan told the judge that FBI agents reported that during the flight from Morocco, Perrault in general terms denied the pending federal criminal charges that he repeatedly molested the altar boy at Kirtland Air Force Base, a location that permits federal jurisdiction in the prosecution.

Yet the priest did admit, Sullivan said, touching children through their clothes and engaging in oral sex.

Perrault, who spent 26 years teaching and serving in several Albuquerque parishes, also told FBI agents on the plane trip that he had an apartment in Morocco and asked a friend to look after it while he was away, Sullivan said.

Sullivan contended Perrault is someone who is known to manipulate and take advantage of people and conceivably could persuade someone to help him escape less restrictive housing, such as a halfway house.

Hes a very charming man, and that gives me concern, Molzen said of Perrault, who appeared at the hearing clad in an orange jail jumpsuit.

More than a dozen spectators applauded her ruling. One woman exited the courtroom yelling, For Arthur Perrault, orange is the new black.

Winder said he would appeal the ruling.

State civil court records allege Perrault sexually assaulted more than 30 boys in New Mexico from 1966 to 1992.

Sullivan said the government hasnt had an opportunity to find out whether similar abuses have been reported in Morocco.Police say a family fight over a battered child spilled onto the property of West Mesa High School Tuesday afternoon and led to the school being locked down until officers made an arrest.

Albuquerque police spokesman Simon Drobik said officers made a sweep of the high school and have one suspect in custody.

This event today is stemming from an event last night, he said.

Drobik said it started around 9 p.m. Monday when a mother brought her 2-year-old daughter to the hospital with horrific injuries.

He said the mother reportedly found the child with a broken leg and bruises after leaving her in her boyfriends care.

Drobik said two women were waiting for the boyfriend when he showed up to his apartment north of West Mesa High School Tuesday.

When he returned home, the family members started chasing him, Drobik said. That chase went through West Mesa High School.

He said the school resource officer called APD and the campus was put on lockdown while police searched for the suspect.

Drobik said they found that suspect within 15 minutes and reopened the school.

This was a scary situation for everyone involved because we locked down a school, he said. We had to search the whole school to make sure it was safe.

Drobik said the man, whom he did not identify, may face additional charges of trespassing.

He said the man will face felony charges relating to the child abuse and possibly trespassing charges for running onto school property.

Drobik did not know if the two women who chased him will also face charges.Copyright  2018 Albuquerque Journal

Tensions ran high at a legislative interim committee hearing Tuesday, as state lawmakers questioned Tesla representatives about a proposal that would allow the electric car company to open storefronts and service centers in New Mexico.

Senate Bill 255, sponsored by Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, would amend a state law that prohibits vehicle manufacturers from selling directly to consumers rather than through a franchise dealership.

Tesla says the law prevents it from maintaining any brick-and-mortar presence in the state; dealers have argued the rule protects them from manufacturers opening their own dealerships and destroying the franchise model.

A similar measure was introduced last year by Ortiz y Pino but was never voted on.

Rohan Patel, Teslas director of policy and business development, testified on behalf of the company along with Meredith Roberts, Teslas senior policy adviser. Patel said the current rules mean New Mexicos approximately 450 Tesla owners either have to drive or tow their cars out of state for major repairs. Minor repairs are typically handled by the companys mobile mechanics.

Our customers (in New Mexico) go through a lot.  And we want to create jobs here, Patel saod in his testimony to the Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee.

The hearing at the University of New Mexicos Science and Technology Park drew a standing-room-only crowd, with dozens of people who described themselves as Tesla owners.

Patel told lawmakers that Tesla has no interest in franchising its products because it wants complete control over the customer experience.

Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, blasted Tesla for seeking monopolistic control by giant tech companies and accused Patel of minimizing the economic impact of the states car dealerships.

Candelaria also invoked the specter of two Tesla projects that never came to fruition here: an Albuquerque manufacturing plant that was announced in 2007 but eventually was built in California, and a lithium-ion battery gigafactory that began construction in Nevada in 2014, though New Mexico was a finalist in the selection process.

Tesla has now said to New Mexico, Thanks, but no thanks twice, said Candelaria. Why do you deserve special treatment?

Patel acknowledged those decisions had affected New Mexico but said changing the law is in the best interest of the states consumers.

During the public comment period, Brian Dear, founder of the Tesla Owners Club of New Mexico, said he had to book a hotel in Denver when his car needed service. Tesla owner Katie Stone told the committee she found it alarming that an impoverished state such as New Mexico would turn down an opportunity for additional tax revenue.

Why are you so wedded to these current manufacturers? Stone asked lawmakers. Did (Tesla owners) not donate enough to you?

No one spoke in opposition to the bill during the public comment period. The New Mexico Automotive Dealers Association did not respond to a request for comment.AxisRooms, Indias leading travel distribution solutions provider for hotels and travel accommodation has won Asias Leading Hotel Booking Solutions Provider in the prestigious 2018 World Travel Awards.

AxisRooms has bagged the top prize with a top-rating in the booking segment of World Travel Awards, announced recently. AxisRooms Hotel Booking Solutions Provider is a technology-based channel management system that manages inventories and pricing of channel partners of hoteliers, in real time both for online and offline channels.

AxisRooms being the only Indian Hotel Technology Solution Provider Company was also adjudged the best in this category in a row for the year 2016 and 2017.

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry. Today, the WTA brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire. Each year, it covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognize and celebrate individual and collective success within each key geographical region. WTA gala ceremonies are widely regarded as the best networking opportunities in the travel industry, attended by government and industry leaders, luminaries and international print and broadcast media.

Mr. Anil Kumar Prasanna, CEO for AxisRooms said,We are only the Indian Hotel technology companywhich has made it to the list of winners for World Travel Awards. World Travel Awards has helped augment our internalfeedback processes and make it easier for hoteliers to learn about our services.

On this achievement Mr. Graham E. Cooke, President & Founder, World Travel Awards, Congratulations AxisRooms once again on your success at the 2018 World Travel Awards. We look forward toyour relentless efforts and dedications towards service excellence and customer delight for the travel excellence.Most of us grew up with a strong savings mindset, invariably associated with creating a safety net for future financial requirements. This mindset has relegated the role of savings account to a transactional tool and a destination to park money for future. In recent times, we have observed an increased tendency to not let money sit idle; people are looking at alternate avenues to park their surplus and invest in other financial instruments to get more returns.

With Bandhan Banks savings account offering 6% interest on deposits over Rs.1 lakh, the objective of this new advertising campaign is to make consumers aim for higher returns from a savings account. In India, we have a penchant to ask for that little extra in almost everything, so why not do the same when it comes to your hard-earned money. The TVC on savings account presents Bandhan Bank as the new earning member of the family, because of the additional returns it brings.

Fixed Deposits play the role of the most reliable and safest financial instrument especially for those who have passed their age of active income. Bandhan Bank offers 8.15% interest (on tenures of more than 18 months to less than 5 years) on Fixed Deposits for senior citizens, making it an extremely attractive Fixed Deposit scheme. With such attractive returns, the Fixed Deposits at Bandhan Bank seem like 'fixed earnings' and add to the financial independence and pride of retired individuals.

The TVC for Fixed Deposit shows an elderly couple indulging in playful banter with their son about how they continue to lead life on their own terms, even after the fathers retirement, with the help of fixed earnings  a term they use to describe Fixed Deposits from Bandhan Bank.

Mr Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, MD & CEO, Bandhan Bank: Savings account and Fixed Deposits have been the most common, safe and preferred banking products among the masses. At Bandhan Bank, deposits help mobilise resources to support the livelihoods of many enterprising individuals who so far have been less privileged in terms of availability of banking services, especially credit. So when you deposit money in Bandhan Bank, you are helping others live more fulfilling lives.

Mudassar Hossain, Managing Partner, Ogilvy Kolkata: While the rates of interest on Bandhan Banks savings account and Fixed Deposits speak for themselves, the role of our communication was to make people see the more active side of money, and how a simple change of perspective like earnings, and not just 'savings' or 'fixed', can make them look at these financial instruments by Bandhan Bank in a way that is in line with their end objective.

Sujoy Roy, Managing Partner (Creative), Ogilvy: What happens if you can save and earn at the same time? It gives you the freedom to do important things. It allows you to indulge. We had to find a new way to tell these stories. And help people look at two classic savings products, Savings Account and Fixed Deposit, a little differently.





CREDITS:

Client : Bandhan Bank

Agency: Ogilvy, Kolkata

Director & Production House : Shoojit Sircar ; Rising Sun FilmsMarico Limited has launched its newest brand True Roots, that delays hair greying^ from the roots. True Roots Botanical Hair Tonic is dermatologically tested and is clinically proven to show no new greys in 90 days*. Radhika Apte, who is known for her choice of diverse roles and speaking her mind, launched the brand and spoke about the #FaceItSolveIt philosophy of True Roots, at an event today. True Roots has been launched on Flipkart as a digital first brand.

Greying of hair is natural with age, but when hair starts greying early we often wonder why? Thankfully science has the answer and now Maricos True Roots offers a solution to delay hair greying from the roots. Greying of hair is caused due to decreasing levels of melanin in the hair roots. Melanin is a natural pigment, which gives hair its dark colour. Maricos True Roots Botanical Hair Tonic, is a first-of-its kind innovation, that works by increasing the melanin levels in the hair roots and thereby delays hair greying. It is formulated with Apigenin, an extract of chamomile flowers and powerful botanical actives that increase the melanin levels in the hair roots.

Commenting on the launch, Anuradha Aggarwal, Chief Marketing Officer, Marico Limited said We are proud to introduce the newest brand from Marico  True Roots that delays hair greying from the roots. It is a breakthrough innovation from Marico R&D and has been clinically proven to show no new greys in 90 days. True Roots is now available on Flipkart.

Talking about the partnership between Marico and Flipkart, Nishit Garg, Senior Director, Flipkart, said, Marico has a strong lineage when it comes to hair care. Launching True Roots, a new hair care brand from the house of Marico, exclusively on Flipkart, goes to show that eCommerce has become a habit for the real India. Were sure this launch will be very well received by customers.

True Roots is positioned on the platform of solving problems from the root cause rather than hiding them and propagates the philosophy of #FaceItSolveIt. Radhika Apte, the Brand Ambassador of True Roots said I am happy to associate with True Roots, a brand that encourages people to solve problems right from the roots. I am myself the type of person, who looks at challenges straight in the eye and solves them by addressing the root cause. With the launch of True Roots, its great to finally have a solution to delay hair greying, so no-more quick fixes and hair hacks, we can now face it and solve it.



Valuepoint Systems, one of the leading complete IT infrastructure service companies in South Asia, has awarded its PR mandate to Nucleus Public Relations in India as it looks to actively ramp up its brand visibility in the country.

Nucleus PR addresses complex brand-building issues with its deep-rooted practical expertise. The firm believes in combining its experience and insight into both digital and traditional media to build a strong reputation and enhance the brand's vision. They have created a definitive niche for themselves across MNCs, SMEs and Startups. The fast-growing company has prestigious clients like Unibic, Baggit, MediaCom, Times Bridge and Right Horizons on its roster. Valuepoint Systems is a proud addition to the same.

Commenting on the win, Tarunjeet Rattan, Managing Partner, Nucleus said, Valuepoint Systems is a rapidly expanding company in India's ever burgeoning IT sector. The PR team is streamlined to meet the vision and business objectives of the self-made enterprise that aims to be a trusted partner and global leader. We look forward to enhancing their market visibility with an aggressive PR strategy to achieve the impactful results that the company aspires for.

RS Shanbhag, Founder & CMD, Valuepoint Systems, added, With our aggressive expansion strategy, it is important that we ramp up our communication accordingly. With Nucleus PR on board, I am confident that this partnership will help us achieve our business objectives, communicate our vision and strengthen our presence in the market.Abhishek Joshi of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) who had recently got promoted as SVP & Head-Marketing, Subscriptions & Content Licensing - Digital Business has put down his papers. Sources close to development confirmed this news to Adgully.

Joshi is a media executive with over 17 years of marketing, analytics, business development and content partnerships, strategy business planning and execution expertise spanning across television networks, internet video, content distribution, ad agencies and brand licensing & marketing.

Joshi joined Sony in 2015 as VP & Head - Marketing & Analytics, Digital Business. In 2017, he was elevated to the role of Vice President & Head - Marketing, Analytics & Content Syndication - Digital Business. We wish him all the best!!!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.Nuclear reactors in hurricanes: 5 questions answered

UFs director of energy studies explains how lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the Fukushima disaster in 2011 have changed how utilities brace for big storms.

Floridas Turkey Point Nuclear Plant shut down 12 hours before Hurricane Andrew made landfall in 1992. AP Photo/Phil Sandlin

Hurricane Florence may affect the operations of several of the 16 nuclear reactors located in the Carolinas and Virginia, raising concerns about safety and power outages. Ted Kury, director of energy studies at the University of Floridas Public Utility Research Center, explains why nuclear power stations must take precautions during big storms.

1. Keeping cores cool is the top priority.

The top safety concern at nuclear power stations is protecting the nuclear cores of their reactors.

Reactors operate at temperatures exceeding 350 degrees Centigrade, relying on cooling systems to dissipate the heat. When cooling systems malfunction, portions of the reactor core may begin to melt. Meltdowns can lead to explosions and the potential release of radioactive material.

When a reactors power supply is interrupted, it may affect the systems ability to cool the plant.

To prevent accidents, the outer wall of reactor containment systems are made out of reinforced concrete and steel. Since they are designed to withstand the impact of a large commercial airliner, flying debris  even if its propelled by 200 miles-per-hour winds  is unlikely to pose much of a threat.

Therefore, utilities prepare for storms by inspecting power stations, securing equipment, testing backup pumps and generators and stocking critical supplies in case workers have to stay on site.

2. Why do utilities sometimes shut down reactors before hurricanes?

The first time that a hurricane significantly affected a commercial nuclear power plant was in 1992, when the eye of Hurricane Andrew passed directly over Florida Power and Lights Turkey Point Nuclear Station.

The plant, located 25 miles south of Miami, was subjected to sustained winds of 145 miles-per-hour with gusts up to 175 miles-per-hour.

While the reactors themselves were not damaged, the plant site sustained US$90 million worth of damage. It lacked external power for five days, relying on backup generators to run critical equipment and keep the reactor cores cool.

A Nuclear Regulatory Commissions report on the incident noted that the plant had begun to shut down 12 hours before the storm arrived, earlier than required at the time.

Had the plant operators strictly adhered to the requirements, the plant may not have been ready to take the necessary precautions once the storm hit. As a result, plant operators today begin their shutdown procedures and status reports to the NRC 12 hours ahead of the storms impact.

3. Why do utilities sometimes wait before turning reactors back on?

At any given moment, the amount of power electricity grids generate must equal the amount customers consume plus what gets lost on its way to them. When there is no way to consume the power, or to transmit it, utilities halt generation.

And even when utilities take steps to protect the grid, such as by laying power lines underground to reduce the risks posed by downed trees and flying debris, it makes them more susceptible to storm surges and flooding.

Therefore, when large numbers of power lines and substations are disrupted, reactors once turned off may not be able come back on line until after all that infrastructure has been repaired.

Before Hurricane Irma made landfall in South Florida in September of 2017, Florida Power and Light originally planned to shut down the Turkey Point reactors 24 hours in advance of landfall, but ultimately made the decision to leave one of them online as Irmas path changed.

4. What about the Fukushima disaster?

There was a major disaster at Japans Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011. Few of the more than 100,000 people who were evacuated from the surrounding area have returned home, although the government has announced that it is safe to return to at least part of that region.

The disaster began when a tsunami caused by the Tohoku earthquake disabled emergency generators used to cool nuclear reactors, causing multiple meltdowns, followed by explosions and the release of radioactive material.

It changed how utilities prepare for major storms, including in the U.S., where the Nuclear Regulatory Commission strengthened safety standards across the board and instituted customized requirements at some power stations.

5. What might happen in the Carolinas and Virginia?

The U.S. gets about one-fifth of its electricity from nuclear energy but the region where Hurricane Florence will have the biggest impact relies on it more heavily.

About 57 percent of South Carolinas grid is nuclear-powered while North Carolina and Virginia both get roughly a third of their electricity from nuclear power stations.

Duke Energy, which owns nearly all of the nuclear power stations in the Carolinas, reportedly planned in advance to shut down some of these reactors 12 hours before the hurricanes landfall.

The company also predicted before the hurricane that as many as three-quarters of its 4 million customers in the Carolinas could lose power in outages that could last for weeks  depending on the storms severity and trajectory.

Theodore J. Kury, Director of Energy Studies, University of Florida

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.Retired Aiken Standard publisher and community leader Scott Beale Hunter, 69, passed away at his home on Tuesday following a lengthy illness.

Hunter, who spent his working career with the Aiken Standard, was the newspapers publisher from 1989 until his retirement in 2013. During his tenure, he helped lead the newspaper from the days of typewriters and paste-up to computers and pagination. He played an active role in several civic and charitable organizations in the community.

A native of Bethesda, Maryland, Hunter graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in history and earned his masters degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

He began his journalism career in 1973 as a sports writer for the Aiken Standard, with plans to get enough experience until he would be able to seek a job with a larger newspaper.

From sports writer, he was promoted to sports editor for the Standard working hard to ensure that all the local high schools received coverage of their athletic teams. Publisher Sam Cothran took note of Hunters ambition and work ethic, naming him news editor. Hunter quickly rose to the positions of managing editor, editor and then general manager of the newspaper before being elevated to publisher. During Hunters time in those escalating leadership positions, the Aiken Standard went from a five-day-a-week to a six-day publication.

As the newspaper industry began changing rapidly, Hunter led the newspaper into the computer age, attending training sessions with vendors, working with the installation of computer systems and teaching the staff to use the new technology.

Following Cothrans retirement, Hunter was elevated to publisher of the Aiken Standard and president of Aiken Communications Inc. Early in his time as publisher, the Aiken Standard became a seven-day-a-week newspaper.

Scott was a longtime leader within our company, said John Barnwell, president and CEO of Evening Post Industries, parent company of the Aiken Standard, not only as a truly outstanding newspaper publisher, but also as a mentor and example for the rest of us.

He conducted all aspects of his life with absolute integrity, candor and a sense of quiet wisdom that came naturally to him and was unique. He will be greatly missed, Barnwell said.

He was dedicated, fair, passionate, humble, and his daily actions reflected his faith, said Diane Daniell, sales and special projects manager with the Aiken Standard. I remember sitting at the 2011 Chamber Dinner, and they were describing the 2011 Man of the Year. I had no idea Scott was involved in so many charitable organizations. He did it for the right reasons to help people in Aiken not for recognition.

Daniell, who worked for Hunter for 24 years, said, He will be missed by all who had the pleasure of working with him and knowing him. I feel truly blessed to call him my friend and mentor.

While publisher of the Aiken Standard, he provided innovative leadership in a changing industry, adding a television component to the newspaper and providing live local high school football telecasts for viewers.

Scott was a wonderful publisher and community leader, said Ellen Priest who worked with Hunter for more than 20 years and succeeded him as publisher of the Aiken Standard. He never forgot our obligation to the community to hold our elected officials accountable, and he always provided fair and balanced coverage.

In addition to his involvement with the local paper, Hunter was also in positions of responsibility with the S.C. Press Association. He served as president of the organization, presided over the S.C. Press Association Foundation and was a Foundation board member.

Scott was an effective statewide leader on press issues as president to the S.C. Press Association, said Bill Rogers, the groups executive director. Scott was always willing to speak up on legislative and media issues.  He epitomized classiness and leadership.

Hunter was involved in a number of community activities while with the newspaper and following his retirement. He was an active member and elder at Aikens First Presbyterian Church. He served on and chaired the boards of the United Way of Aiken County, the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons, First Steps and the Etherredge Center Orchestra. He also chaired the Child Advocacy Center board and recently served as co-chair for the Childrens Place capital campaign, Stand Up for the Children.

He was always actively involved in making our community a better place for everyone, especially those who were in need, said Peggy Ford, executive director of Childrens Place.

+2 Column: Scott Hunter a quiet force in Aiken In 1969 the only Scott Hunter I knew of was the quarterback for Bear Bryants Alabama Crimson Tide.

She noted that he was a true leader with a commitment of steel and while working with Childrens Place was never concerned with personal recognition but always maintained his focus on the children and their families.

He was Aikens own Mr. Rogers, Ford said, patient, kind and filled with wisdom and empathy.

Sharon Rodgers, president of the United Way of Aiken County, recalled Hunters impact on that organization.

Throughout his life, he remained a faithful (United Way) supporter and encouraged his beloved Aiken Standard and its team members to be supportive as well, she said. Scott was the epitome of a Southern gentleman. He was kind, compassionate and generous.

Hunter was president of the Rotary Club of Aiken and the Aiken Kiwanis Club. He chaired the City of Aikens Arts and Culture Committee during the 1993 strategic planning process and was a member of Aikens All-America City Committee in 1997.

Hunter also was on the board of ACTS (Area Churches Together Serving); the Center for African American History, Art and Culture; the Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce; the USC Aiken Partnership; the Aiken Technical College Foundation; the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center; Aiken Corporation; Aiken Downtown Development Association; the Salvation Army and Cities In Schools.

He spearheaded the Quality of Life group, an informal gathering that met monthly for lunch to discuss and resolve some community issues at the root-cause level.

He was a force of nature, Ford said, relentless, unstoppable and unforgettable.

In 1997 Hunter was named Volunteer of the Year for the United Way of Aiken County. In 1998 he received USC Aikens Distinguished Citizen Award, and in 2011 the Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce chose him as Man of the Year.

In 2013 during his retirement ceremony, Hunter was presented with the South Carolina Silver Crescent award, the states highest civilian honor for significant contributions, leadership, volunteerism and lifelong influence within a community.

"Scott was, above all, the quintessential gentleman," said Pierre Manigault, chairman of the Board of Evening Post Industries. "He was also one of the best all-around newspaper publishers Ive known. Behind the impeccable manners and gentle ways was a journalist and businessman with great instincts and the amazing ability to seemingly always make the right decision.

"Scott was wildly popular within both the Aiken community and the Evening Post family and will be greatly missed by both," Manigault added.

Dr. Tom Hallman, chancellor emeritus of USC Aiken, worked with Hunter on several community endeavors and recognized his leadership abilities and his devotion to accomplish the mission at hand in each one.

We may never fully know the extent of his direct and indirect impact on our community, Hallman said, but we can honor his memory by continuing his commitments to civility, fairness and excellence.

Hunter loved playing golf at Palmetto Golf Club. He enjoyed traveling abroad, especially to the British Isles, and an avid reader, he was fond of British murder mysteries.

He married the love of his life, Lois McFadden Hunter, a nurse at Aiken Regional Medical Centers, in 1981. She passed away in 2009, leaving a void in his life. Together they had a daughter, Eleanor Hunter, who is an officer with the Aiken Department of Public Safety.

His parents, Dr. James (Jim) Hunter and Dorothy Louise Beale Hunter, preceded him in death.

Hunter is survived by his daughter, Eleanor Hunter of Aiken, and siblings Jamie Hunter of Olney, Maryland; Kristin Viands of Keene, New Hampshire; and Doug Hunter of College Park, Maryland.

Visitation will be Friday evening at George Funeral Home from 5 to 7 p.m. Services will be held Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Aiken.

Contributions in Hunters memory may be sent to the USC Aiken Foundation, Lois McFadden Hunter Nursing Scholarship, 471 University Parkway, Aiken, South Carolina 29801.CAIRO  In a bid to boost the levels of educational attainment in the undergraduate stages and in scientific research, Egypts President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ratified on Aug. 6 a new regulatory law on the entry and operation of foreign universities to set up outposts in Egypt and award degrees.

Egypt is maneuvering to extend its international engagement, to be a focal point for higher education in Africa and the Middle East, said Adel Saleh, who is acting vice dean for the faculty of mass media at the British University in Egypt.

Saleh said the newly enacted law will make it easy for foreign universities to establish new branches in Egypt, avoiding the complication of lengthy procedures.

He also believes the new universities will help graduates obtain rewarding jobs and revive the job market, in addition to offering distinct advantages for the Egyptian academic staff, like enlarging the exchange programs for professional and academic development.

According to the law, the foreign universities have to emulate the same educational underpinnings and curriculum as applied on the home campus and set the typical admission criteria for students. Meanwhile, the proportion of Egyptian students shall not be less than half of the total number of enrolled students, in addition to allocating annual scholarship grants. Also, the new branches that will work as full-fledged universities have to apply the same accreditation and quality standards and propose a five-year vision plan to the higher education minister.

Furthermore, the law stipulates that the branch campus has to recruit seconded staff from the mother university, in addition to hiring international and local qualified staff.

According to the Higher Education Ministry, the total number of public universities with accessible study fees reached 24 universities in 2017 while grappling with a high rate of applicants and enrollees, while the number of private universities  which are often more expensive  rose to 26 universities.

The average costs for Egyptians to study at private universities range from 17,909 Egyptian pounds to 71,636 Egyptian pounds ($1,000 to $4,000) per year. However, the fees at public universities are estimated at $50. Meanwhile, there are a total of 158 private higher educational institutions in Egypt that offer lower degrees, which are different than university degrees.

The Education Ministry points out that the median enrolment of Egyptian students going on to higher education for the first time peaked at 2.7 million students in 2017 compared to 2.3 million in 2014; the accompanying teaching staff rose to 122,577.

The Higher Education Ministry clarifies on its website that its total spending budget spiked from 25 billion Egyptian pounds ($1.3 billion) in 2014 to 31.6 billion Egyptian pounds ($1.7 billion) in 2017, and its investments allocations rose from 3.6 billion Egyptian pounds ($201.3 million) to 6.9 billion Egyptian pounds ($385.9 million).

On July 2, the first international campus of the University of Canada - Egypt was inaugurated in Sisis administrative capital in eastern Cairo. The university is currently accepting students and is set to commence operation in September, offering three degree programs in the first phase with annual fees starting at about 232,843 Egyptian pounds ($13,000).

According to Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, six international universities are set to be opened by 2019.

Meanwhile, on June 25, the Education Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Liverpool for higher education and research collaboration.

Sisi conceived the idea to open the door to foreign universities to branch out in Egypt; he also warned against establishing any new university without establishing partnerships with the top 50 universities in the world.

We are [not ranked in the top 500 universities in the world]. [I will] return [Egyptian colleges] to the top 50 universities, Sisi stated in March.

According to the Quacquarelli Symonds annual world university rankings for 2019, Egypts five public universities, including Cairo, Ain Shams, Al-Azhar, Alexandria and Assiut universities, are ranked in ranges starting from 521-530 and going up to 801-1,000.

Kamel Wael, who is affiliated with the teaching staff of Helwan University, mounted criticism against this new type of transnational education, saying it will override the original goals and instead align more with the profitability goals for the sake of stakeholders, not aligning with the universitys core values.

They are turning education from a service into a product, Wael told Al-Monitor, noting that tensions between students from different social classes will be apparent in the branch campuses.

Attention must be paid to public universities that are packed with thousands of students and still operating under the old teaching strategy, Wael adds.

Egypt's university and other school education systems have been facing challenges in student quality, curriculum quality, research output, lack of financial allocations, well-qualified teaching staff and the absence of an updated curriculum design. All of this resulted in the current disappointing conditions that can be seen in the high rates of unemployment among youth given the lack of adequate qualifications. Hence, Egypts endeavors in creating high-qualified educational hubs could be a booming step.NEW YORK  While President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is widely unpopular at the United Nations, which he addressed today, Trumps top diplomat and national security adviser both got an enthusiastic reception from the private United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) conference here for the administrations exit from the deal and focus on maximizing economic pain on Iran.

The Iran deal was the worst diplomatic debacle in American history, national security adviser John Bolton told the UANI conference, held at a midtown New York hotel a few blocks from the UN, where the 73rd UN General Assembly high-level week is underway.

The days of impunity for Tehran and its enablers are over.  Let my message today be clear: We are watching, and we will come after you, Bolton said in conclusion today, to applause.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo got a standing ovation when UANI board chair and former Sen. Joseph Lieberman introduced him as a longtime ally in opposition to the 2015 nuclear accord, negotiated by Iran and six world powers, including the past US administration of President Barack Obama.

Pompeo ridiculed what he called the charm offensive by Iranian officials at the annual gathering of the world body, and took issue with the reputation as relative moderates that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hold in some quarters.

Pompeo gave a world tour of terrorism supported by Iran and its proxies going back to the 1990s, and cited Tehrans continued refinement of its ballistic missile technology as a defiance of international laws and norms.

Rouhani, in his address to the UN General Assembly today, portrayed the United States as the violator of UN resolutions and international laws and as being relatively isolated in the UN Security Council as a result of the decision to leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

We are pleased that the international community did not acquiesce to the US governments unilateral and illegal withdrawal from the JCPOA, Rouhani said in his statement to the UN, according to a translation.

The United Nations should not allow its decisions to fall victim to the domestic election and propaganda games of some of its members, Rouhani said. We appreciate the efforts of the international community, the European Union, Russia, and China in supporting the implementation of the JCPOA and consider the full realization of the commitments stipulated in it a precondition for the survival of this significant accomplishment of diplomacy.

Pompeo paid lip service to the possibility of reaching a new agreement with Iran that satisfies the Trump administrations broader concerns, but said Iran must change its behavior in a dozen areas he had previously set out.

Pompeo made no mention of Trumps tweet this morning that said the president did not have plans to meet his Iranian counterpart this trip, but that maybe they could meet in the future, and that Trump believes Rouhani must be an absolutely lovely man.

Rouhani, for his part, said the precondition for Iran to consider negotiations with the Trump administration would be for the United States to return to the nuclear deal.

More ominously, Bolton also said that the United States would use all tools at its disposal to target Qasem Soleimani, the leader of the Quds Force of Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Trump administration says Iran has done nothing to stop allied Shiite militias from recently targeting US diplomatic facilities in Baghdad and Basra, Iraq, US special representative on Iran Brian Hook said. So the United States will focus on Soleimani and his military operations, Hook told journalists at a press briefing here tonight.

Boltons threat to Soleimani speaks for itself, Hook said.Archaeologists, tourism experts and economists are upbeat about Egypts newly announced archaeological discoveries, expressing hope that the discoveries would give a push to the countrys tourism sector.

Egyptian authorities announced the latest discovery on Sept. 25 of an ancient "massive building"  thought to be part of a residential block from the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis  in Mit Rahina, 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Cairo.

Earlier in September, two key discoveries from the Pharaonic era were made in the southern city of Aswan. On Sept. 22, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced the discovery of a number of Pharaonic mummies in a Pharaonic tomb dating back 2,500 years ago. On Sept. 16, the Egyptian archaeological mission, which was carrying out excavations at the Kom Ombo temple, unearthed a sandstone Sphinx statue.

On Sept. 2, remains of an Egyptian village dating back to the modern Stone Age were unearthed in the Nile Delta governorate of Dakahlia during excavation works in the Tell el-Samara area.

Also discovered over the past few months is a rock tomb in Giza, a huge sandstone statue of King Ramses II and the oldest workshop for manufacturing pottery in Aswan, among others.

The discoveries were hardly a total surprise to Egyptian authorities. Last January, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri said that the year 2018 would be the year of archaeological discoveries, with the Ministry of Antiquities poised to unveil at least one archaeological discovery per month.

These discoveries are considered a major achievement at the archaeological level. They also demonstrate that Egypt is still full of monuments and ancient treasures that have not yet been unearthed, Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist and former minister of state for antiquities affairs, told Al-Monitor.

Hawass said the government has excelled in raising global awareness about the discoveries and promoting Egypts tourism sector. The current minister of antiquities is keen on holding news conferences with international journalists to announce these discoveries. This gives a very good message about Egypt to the world and encourages tourists interested in culture and archaeology to come and visit Egypt, he said.

Taking good care of existing archaeological sites is just as important as announcing new ones, Hawass said. It is very crucial that the government works more on making the current tourist and archaeological sites more appealing and making sure that they are properly presented to those interested, especially foreign tourists. Many antiquities need to undergo restoration, he added.

Despite praising the new discoveries and highlighting the positive effects on tourism and the national economy, some tourism experts have raised concerns that some of the unearthed statues might end up in the attics of the Antiquities Ministry.

The government has to make sure that these discovered antiquities are restored and displayed in Egyptian museums or on site with the right protection. They should not be discovered and then abandoned, Hossam Akawy, a Cairo-based tourism expert and member of the Egyptian Chamber of Tourism Companies, told Al-Monitor.

Akawy said the Ministry of Antiquities has to set out a comprehensive strategy to finance the restoration of the newly discovered antiquities as well as restore current archaeological sites and monuments. This way, new and old discoveries will be preserved and will be a booster for both the countrys tourism and economy, he said.

Egypts tourism, which was severely affected by the 2011 uprising and terrorism in the early and mid-2010s, has shown signs of improvement over the last few years. A government official told Reuters in August that Egypts tourism revenues increased by 77% to stand at around $4.8 billion in the first half of this year, compared with the same period a year earlier. The official said the number of tourists visiting Egypt in this period rose by 41% to reach five million.

The archaeological discoveries can give an unprecedented push to Egypts tourism sector because Egypt mainly attracts tourists who are interested in Egypts archaeology and civilization, Ahmed el-Shami, an economist and a professor of feasibility studies at Ain Shams University, told Al-Monitor. If well-managed, these discoveries can be a golden goose for the government, Shami added.Egypt is set to host the 2018 United Nations Biodiversity Conference Nov. 17-24 in Sharm el-Sheikh, South Sinai governorate. The event, its 25th anniversary, will include the 14th meeting of signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Gathering decision-makers from more than 190 countries, this year's theme is Investing in biodiversity for people and planet.

The event will feature parallel summits in which representatives of civil society, local authorities, the private sector, young people, development agencies and parliamentarians will join together to discuss achieving the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its protocols.

Egypt is the first country in the Arab region to host this conference. Environment Minister Yasmin Fouad announced that hosting the enormous event will show Egypts keenness to preserve biodiversity as well as educate its citizens on the subject. Fouad pointed out that among the topics to be discussed are ways to confront marine waste such as plastics that kill thousands of marine organisms and endangered species.

Many officials and tourism professionals say Egypt's two-year presidency of such an important event will have numerous benefits to Egypt.

Magdi Allam, the secretary of the Union of Arab Environmental Experts, told Al-Monitor that hosting the conference will increase tourism as well as promote the city of Sharm el-Sheikh as a hub for major international conferences. The conference emphasizes Egypt's international standing and its role in supporting the UN goals in achieving sustainable development as well as reaffirming its regional status in the Arab and African regions, he added.

Allam explained, Egypt is one of the oldest countries in the world to preserve natural resources and biodiversity. The ancient Egyptians placed great importance on animals, birds and plants in their temples and monuments. He added that Egypt has the same commitment to preserving nature and its ecosystems as to preserve the artifacts of the Pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic civilizations.

He gave examples of some well-preserved sites such as the Kamil crater in the southwestern New Valley governorate. It is regarded as one of the best meteorite impact sites, the result of a meteor that fell there some 5,000 years ago.

There are also the earliest whale skeletons in the Whales Valley in Fayoum, some 150 km [90 miles] southwest of Cairo. The site, which dates back millions of years, is listed among the UNESCO Heritage Sites, Allam added.

According to Egypts Fifth National Report to the Convention of Biological Diversity, the country is home to 111 mammal species, 40 of them threatened with extinction. There are also 400 kinds of birds, of which 26 are threatened with extinction. It has 109 kinds of reptiles, 27 of them endangered. On its Red Sea coasts, the country has over 300 species of coral in addition to 1,000 fish species.

The report read that the natural resources play an important role in flourishing tourism sector, contributing about 97 billion pounds ($5.4 billion) in 2013. That figure is expected to increase to 158 billion pounds ($8.8 billion) in 2024.

Hamdalla Zeidan, chairman of the conferences preparatory committee, said that the conference aims to integrate protection for Egypt's biodiversity in vital developing sectors such as agriculture, tourism, fisheries, forestry, energy, mining, infrastructure, manufacturing, industry and health. He added that biodiversity protection in these sectors is critical to achieving Egypt's 2030 vision for sustainable development, as well as the vision of the Convention on Biological Diversity 2050.

Various Egyptian ministries are involved in organizing the event in addition to South Sinai governorate.

This conference is not Sharm el-Sheikh's first international event. Last November, the City of Peace organized and hosted the First World Youth Forum. The four-day event brought together 3,000 young people from 60 countries to discuss key issues facing their generation. The next one will be held on Nov. 3-6 in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Hamdi el-Shami, a former first undersecretary of the Tourism Ministry who has been working in tourism for more than 20 years, told Al-Monitor that hosting such an international conference is a golden chance for Egypt to boost tourism, saying, Conference tourism is the best type of tourism in the whole world. It has many revenues for Egypt and the host city.

He said that the media members who accompany the large number of delegations  about 6,000 people  will play a great role in promoting the country.

We should pay more attention to those media people who will attend the conference as well as its side events and the tours in Sharm el-Sheikh as they will write articles about what they see. It is free promotion for Egypt, which really deserves it, he said.The Egyptian parliament is mulling the replacement of prison sentences with community service for inmates convicted of minor offenses. The aim is to reduce the cost of incarcerations and ease prison overcrowding by having offenders work in small and medium-sized enterprises rather than occupy jail cells.

The parliament is preparing to debate a draft law in its next session, due to start in October. Mohamed Abu Hamed, the parliamentarian sponsoring the legislation, told Al-Monitor, that his bill is expected to pass.

Those who commit minor offenses that did not cause great harm to the state or to individuals will be allowed to replace their prison terms with working for civil society organizations or factories, Abu Hamed explained. Inmates who are imprisoned for being late in paying their debts will be permitted, according to the draft law, to work, and half of their salaries will be directed toward the repayment of their debts.

Abu Hamed further stated, [The legislation will] introduce radical reforms to Egypts judicial system and provide a chance to those, especially young people, who have committed misdemeanors that did not cause great harm to the community to not be stigmatized and to not lose the opportunity to work or live their lives properly like after being released from prison.

As in a lot of places, those who go to prison in Egypt are typically stigmatized, which makes it difficult for them when they apply for jobs after serving their sentences.

George Ishaq, a member of the National Council for Human Rights, said that the draft law is a positive step toward advancing justice, especially for women who have gone into debt to marry off their daughters and then find that they cannot repay what they borrowed. The states drive to save these women from being imprisoned is simple justice, he told Al-Monitor.

Thousands of women are in jail in Egypt because they were unable to fulfill debts that in some cases do not exceed a few thousand Egyptian pounds. According to data released by the Ministry of Social Solidarity, there are 30,000 such women in jail.

On June 15, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had directed the Ministry of the Interior to take the necessary steps to repay the debts of these women out of the states Long Live Egypt Fund. A total of 683 women debtors left prisons on the first day of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), on Aug. 21. The government is yet to announce an exact date, but those women remaining in prison are due to be released in the coming months.

Ishaq, citing other benefits from the proposed legislation, noted, Although giving freedom to those women and people who have not committed major crimes is much more important, the outcomes of this draft law would [also] help ease the financial burden on the state and reduce the prison population in the country.

According to local media reports, nine new prisons have been opened since 2013. In 2015 alone, the Ministry of Interior built five new facilities at a cost of 1.2 billion Egyptian pounds ($66.8 million). The Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights estimates that there are 50,000 to 75,000 inmates in Egypt distributed across 45 prisons nationwide.

At a symposium in June, Sameh Abdel Hakam, president of the Court of Appeals, said that according to 2015 statistics compiled by the Prisons Authority, which is under the Interior Ministry, each prisoner costs the state 2,000 pounds (approximately $111) per month. He added, however, that after the government floated the pound in 2016, each prisoner cost the state 3,000 to 3,500 pounds ($167 to $195).

Some analysts have raised concerns about the draft law leading some people to take committing crimes too lightly. The government has to issue this draft law, but with great caution in order not to generate negative consequences, [such as] an increase in crime because people will receive alternative punishments to being sent to jail, Gamal Abdel Gawad, professor of political science at the American University in Cairo, told Al-Monitor.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to fly to Berlin on Thursday on his first formal state visit to the German capital, where he will be received with full honors by his German counterpart Frank Walter Steinmeier. Coming amid a looming economic crisis and a meltdown in relations with Washington, Erdogans trip is seen as critical to Ankaras efforts to restore Turkeys credibility with foreign investors and sagging diplomatic prestige among its Western allies. Above all, it's viewed as an opportunity to turn the page with Germany, the country that arguably has the most leverage over Turkey. Erdogans likening of its leaders to Nazis, jailing of German citizens for political reasons and meddling in Germanys internal politics have left an indelible mark.

But Erdogans hopeful talk of leaving the past period completely behind in comments to reporters en route to New York this week is premature.

Erdogans visit has sharply divided Germany, Turkeys second largest trading partner and home to some 3.5 million people who trace their origins to Turkey.

Christian Lidner, the leader of the opposition Free Democrats, and top leaders from the Greens party were among those who spurned a meal with Turkeys strongman to be hosted by Steinmeier on Friday at the Bellevue palace in Berlin. Lidner said he did not want to be part of Erdogan propaganda, echoing widespread disdain felt for the Turkish president over his ruthless suppression of democratic freedoms.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was the target of Erdogans Nazi remarks, will not be going to Bellevue either. It remains unclear whether she was not invited or declined. Merkel is, however, slated to meet Erdogan for lunch on Friday following his talks with Steinmeier and then for further talks on Saturday before he flies to Cologne to inaugurate a mosque there.

A source with close knowledge of the planning of the visit said the messages from Steinmeier and Merkel may not be to Erdogans liking. However much Erdogan wants it to mark normalization in ties, it will be made very clear that the relationship is far from normal, the source observed to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity because of the delicate nature of the issue.

Marc Pierini, a former EU ambassador to Turkey and non-resident fellow at Carnegie Europe, concurred. He told Al-Monitor, The temptation to simply say, elections are over, the presidential regime is in place, let's move on and go back to normal is clearly present in Ankara but may lead to disappointment.

In a clear sign of his desire to fix the relationship, Erdogan has toned down the nasty rhetoric that followed Germanys interdiction of electoral campaigning on its soil for the April 2017 referendum on substituting Turkeys parliamentary system with an all-powerful executive presidency.

The source confirmed that Turkey had also quietly released two or three German citizens over the past few weeks. Following on the earlier release of Turkish-German journalists Deniz Yucel and Mesale Tolu, both jailed on dubious terror charges, the move is seen as a sweetener ahead of the Erdogan visit. There is a certain openness, and my guess is that Erdogan will listen, the source added. Moreover, Turkeys differences with Washington, notably over the continued detention of North Carolina pastor Andrew Brunson, have come as something of a boon. He really needs the EU and Germany now, because they are the only ones he can turn to, the source said.

Steinmeier will likely be asking Erdogan some tough questions about the dismal state of Turkish democracy. The cases of more than 100 journalists languishing in Turkish prisons and that of Turkeys best known philanthropist, Osman Kavala, jailed for nearly a year now on thinly evidenced terror charges, will be part of the conversation, among others, the source asserted. And if there is no follow-up, the space for cooperation will be limited. The plight of an unspecified number of German prisoners  the source referred to them as a handful  will be an immediate test of Turkeys good-will.

What Germany is looking for, however, goes well beyond individual cases and is a general restoration of the rule of law.

Erdogan will also be reminded of the extreme polarization of Turkish Germans and be urged to help reduce it," a polite way of saying Turkey should stop stirring trouble among Turks in Germany, and stop targeting Turkish dissidents in exile there, including prominent opposition journalist Can Dundar, who is on Turkey's wanted list.

Ankara tends to focus on the majority of Turkish Germans voting for Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Among Turks in Germany who were eligible to vote and went to the polling booth in the June 24 general election, some 65% cast their ballots in the AKP's favor. But turnout was a mere 47%. They represent a small proportion of the Turks living here, the source said.

Mirroring cleavages inside Turkey, a good half of Turkish Germans, roughly 1.5 million, including several hundred thousand Kurds and Alevis, are believed to fiercely oppose Erdogan. They are expected to stage large demonstrations in Berlin and Cologne.

Despite Berlins patronizing stance, Erdogan may well believe he holds some pretty big cards as well. Turkey is host to more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees. The bulk are desperate to go to Europe and tens of thousands arrived in Germany when Merkel declared a now shelved open-door policy for Syrian refugees in 2015.

Faced with a severe backlash from her right-wing opponents, Merkel was forced to make a U-turn, spearheading a Faustian deal with Turkey in March 2016 that essentially boils down to Turkey serving as a holding pen for the refugees. In exchange, Ankara pockets billions of euros  some 3 billion so far  from the EU.

A fresh wave of refugees is poised to head for Turkey if Syrian regime forces mount a large-scale offensive against Idlib, the last remaining Syrian rebel stronghold, which borders Turkey.

Pierini cautioned that Erdogan might be overestimating Turkeys leverage in this regard. A potential new wave of refugees from Syria is flagged from time to time by Ankara as a threat. In reality, the issues raised by a massive wave of refugees would be exactly the same for the EU, because both suffer from refugee fatigue. More critically, There is a mutual necessity to screen returning jihadis who could hide among the refugees. This requires cooperation, not confrontation between Turkey and the EU, Pierini concluded.

In any case, according to the source who briefed Al-Monitor on the state visit, while Erdogan may have played with the deal in his public remarks, The refugee agreement was never put in question.

Squeezed by a weakening lira, Turkey is in greater need than ever for a second 3-billion-euro tranche that is to be disbursed. As for financial aid from Germany, the source said, A bailout is not in the cards.While Iranians in the province of Khuzestan held funeral processions for the victims of a terrorist attack on a military parade, there still seems to be a great deal of confusion in the media as to who was behind the attack, causing tension between Iran and a number of European countries.

One day after the attack, the Islamic State (IS) released a video claiming responsibility for the attack that killed 29 people, including children and disabled veterans of the Iran-Iraq War. The IS-affiliated Amaq news agency released a video of the four perpetrators. Three of the attackers spoke Arabic into the camera as they drove in a car, dressed in military fatigues. One of the attackers spoke Persian, the predominant language in Iran. According to early reports, three of the attackers were killed on the scene and one was taken alive. It is not clear which man in the video was taken alive.

IS is not the only group to take responsibility for the attack. European-based Arab separatist groups also attempted to claim responsibility, causing the wrath of Iran against their European host countries.

Yaqub Horr Tostari, who claimed to be a spokesman for the separatist Al-Ahvaz movement, called into a Saudi-funded London-based Persian-language station, Iran International, to take responsibility. Tostari said that a group called "the National Resistance of Ahvaz" carried out a legitimate attack. Tostari denied that his Al-Ahvaz movement was behind it but rather described the National Resistance of Ahvaz as an umbrella group. The Islamic Republic News Agency reported that the Patriotic Arab Democratic Movement in Ahvaz, a separatist group, had also taken responsibility.

While the separatist groups justified and praised the attack, they also began to deny responsibility for it. The denials by the European-based separatist groups came after Iran summoned the envoys of Denmark and the Netherlands to the Iranian Foreign Ministry for hosting them. Some members of separatist groups in Austria and Denmark praised the attack on Twitter. Iran also summoned the United Kingdom charge daffaires for allowing London-based media outlets to provide platforms for those who claimed to be behind the attack.

Irans Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi criticized European double standards with regard to terrorism, saying, It is not acceptable that so long as these terrorist groups have not committed a crime on European soil [they] are not added to the blacklist of terrorist groups. Ghassemi noted that Denmark and the Netherlands were previously warned about the Arab separatists who either claimed or promoted the attack, and that Iran expects them to be arrested and tried.

At the funeral processions today for the victims, Irans Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said that a number of individuals behind the attack were arrested. He did not give further information.

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also spoke about the attack during a meeting with Iranian athletes. There will be a harsh punishment for the agents behind this attack, Khamenei said. He added that the terrorists in the Ahvaz attack were the same as those in Syria and Iraq, in that they are protected by the United States and funded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Interestingly, this is how Iran typically describes IS.The remaining parties to the nuclear deal with Iran agreed Monday night to create a financial mechanism to keep the pact alive despite the US withdrawal.

Appearing alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the UN, European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini read out a joint ministerial statement following a meeting with the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia.

Mindful of the urgency and the need for tangible results, Mogherini said, participants welcomed practical proposals to maintain and develop payment channels, notably the initiative to establish a special purpose vehicle to facilitate payments related to Iran's exports, including oil, and imports, which will assist and reassure economic operators pursuing legitimate business with Iran.

Mogherini said the decision to establish the mechanism has been taken and that technical experts from EU member states would now be convening to turn it into reality.

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, she said. And it will be open to other partners in the world.

The parties also agreed to support continued modernization of Iran's Arak research reactor as well as support for projects in the area of civil-nuclear cooperation.

Why it matters: The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) promised Iran economic benefits in exchange for curtailing its nuclear program. Tehran has largely lived up to its commitments, but worries about being left out to dry by its other JCPOA partners whose businesses are far more concerned with losing access to the US financial system than they are with entering the Iranian market. As Mogherini put it, the more actions the JCPOA parties take to live up to their end of the bargain, the more reasons Iran has to remain in the deal.

Time to take a side: The Trump administration has made no secret of its demand that the international community line up behind its hawkish policy on Iran. Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani are expected to trade barbs in their respective speeches to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. The US president is also expected to have well-deserved strong words for the Iranian regime when he hosts Wednesday's Security Council meeting on nonproliferation, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said today. Pompeo went on to call on every country to join our pressure campaign in order to thwart Iran's global torrent of destructive activity.

What's next: Mogherini and her colleagues are putting on a brave face, but the writing may already be on the wall. The US is resuming its toughest sanctions to date, on Iran's oil industry, in November and the administration appears ready to punish financial services companies that do business with Tehran.

Know more: Check out Al-Monitor's coverage of all the last-ditch attempts to save the deal along with our complete coverage from the UN General Assembly right here.

- Julian PecquetAs President Hassan Rouhani is in New York to attend the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, the Iranian public remains divided on whether he should meet with his US counterpart, Donald Trump.

Since the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in May and its reimposition of sanctions on Iran, Trump has on repeated occasions suggested that he is ready to hold a face-to-face meeting with Irans leaders. But what do Iranians think about his proposal?

Arash, 25, has a bachelors degree in civil engineering but works in a cell phone store. He says the market is not good and people are buying fewer and fewer cell phones. Arash thinks this is all because of US policies. He told Al-Monitor, With sanctions returning and the devaluation of the rial, our work has become harder. If Trump and Rouhani meeting can truly solve the decades-old problems between Iran and the US, why shouldnt we meet [with them]?

Iranian officials say Trump had also sought a meeting with Rouhani during the 2017 General Assembly gathering. According to a July 18 statement by Presidential Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi, the Trump administration asked for a meeting with the Iranian side eight times last year, but all of the requests were rejected.

Meanwhile, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei does not have a favorable opinion about meeting or holding talks with the United States. On Aug. 13, Khamenei officially banned any negotiations with US officials and said, The US proposal for talks is nothing new. These proposals have been made since the beginning of the [1979 Islamic] Revolution. But what negotiation? They give empty words and in return expect cash from the negotiating side. Tomorrow, when they get the cash, they go back on their word. He added, Just as [the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran] Ayatollah [Ruhollah] Khomeini had banned talks with the US, I too forbid any negotiations with the Americans.

Khamenei is not alone in his opinion. Government officials who previously welcomed dialogue with the West do not seem to have a favorable view about a meeting with Trump either. On Sept. 8, Rouhani said Trump sends an invitation for talks every two weeks, but that he does not think this is out of good will. Should we look at the softness in your invitation or the animosity in your actions? If you truly mean it, then stop disrupting the lives of the Iranian people, said Rouhani.

Iranian society is not unanimous in its opinion about this topic. Kamran Karami, a journalist and an expert in Iranian foreign policy, told Al-Monitor, Considering the understanding and interpretation of our leaders and given Trumps personal psychology, his resolve to talk to Iran seems serious. However, his priority seems to be to break the taboo of talking to Iranian leaders and having pictures with them in his personal album.

Explaining what he thinks would be the correct policy for Iran to take in regard to Trumps proposal. Karami said, Given Rouhani and [Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad] Zarifs expertise in negotiations and their knowledge of the principles of international organizations, the best thing would be to use this opportunity to explain Irans view. Because if Rouhani or Zarif attend the UN Security Council meeting to be chaired by Trump, the winning party will surely be Iran and not Donald Trump, who knows nothing about the rules and principles of multilateral diplomacy.

In general, the broader Iranian public is less concerned with these complexities. Their main priority is improving their livelihoods, especially having encountered more serious problems following the severe devaluation of the national currency in recent months.

Morteza is a 60-year-old retiree who previously worked in Irans Agriculture Ministry. Since his pension does not cover his living expenses, he now works as a taxi driver. He told Al-Monitor, What advantage has this opposition and animosity with the US had for us? Isnt it that the economy should be of utmost priority for governments? When the president of the US personally tells Iran that he is ready to negotiate, without any preconditions, why shouldnt we accept it? [We] should negotiate and end this situation.

In this vein, North Korea has provided Iranian officials with a very clear idea of what would happen if they choose the path of negotiating with the US government. In a historic move, Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un met face-to-face in June, shook hands and took photos  but there was no key opening in North Koreas situation. Indeed, as the North Korean leader insists on holding a new round of talks, Trump recently canceled a trip by his secretary of state to Pyongyang. This is perhaps why Iran is not too optimistic about the prospect of talks. Tehran will not waste its time on additional negotiations with the United States about Iran's behavior in the region unless Washington rescinds its decision to withdraw from the nuclear agreement, said Zarif in a Sept. 15 interview.

Irans former Ambassador to Jordan Nosratollah Tajik told Al-Monitor, We have to use international potentials to maximize our national interests. The General Assembly and Security Council provide us with just this opportunity. He added, It is true that even if there were direct negotiations with Trump, we could not achieve much in terms of substance for various reasons. But with political planning, we can neutralize him and not be played in his field.

It does not seem likely that the Iranian president will accept Trumps invitation for a bilateral meeting. However, what seems to be a concern now is to not allow Trump to use the situation to his advantage, given that he is already being challenged by Iranian public opinion.

In this vein, an informed source in the Iranian presidential office told Al-Monitor, Our problems with Trump are more serious than entering into direct negotiations. This form of dialogue is only suggested by a person who is not interested in results but is only looking for a show. This is exactly what Trump has in mind, and Mr. Rouhani is aware of it and will not play into Trumps hands.

As such, Iranian public opinion continues to remain divided on this matter. While some think breaking the taboo of a meeting between the presidents of Iran and the United States is enough to improve the current situation, others believe this is foolish thinking."Mr. Rouhani! Stand firm!" Iranian hard-line daily Kayhan advised President Hassan Rouhani, reminding him that Iran is the "creditor" in its dispute with the United States. "With a strong and affirmative speech, the president should elucidate  the black record of the Great Satan," the paper wrote, insisting that this was the Iranian public's expectation.

In its Sept. 25 editorial, Kayhan referred to the recent terrorist attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahwaz that left at least 25 people dead. The paper suggested that Rouhani should tell the world about the alleged US support for the perpetrators of the attack.

A harsher stance, however, came from a lawmaker who has not wasted any chance to hit out at the Rouhani government. Conservative politician Javad Karimi Ghodousi squeezed the president and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to publicly announce that no talk or meeting would take place between the Iranian and the US sides whatsoever, "be it accidental, planned or over the phone."

Below the tweet, comments are still pouring in as users continue to debate whether it is within a lawmaker's jurisdiction to address the president that way and in that tone.

Separately, some interpreted the tone of the tweet as a sign of division in the ruling elite over rapprochement with Washington. One person tweeted, "The shadow government seems not to be trusting the sitting government and the official diplomatic apparatus. Are differences of opinion already arising over talks with Trump?"

"The warning is an indication that a Trump-Rouhani meeting, though unlikely, is more probable than we thought," another person tweeted.

Standing on the opposite side of the extreme was the chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy commission. "There are no taboos in talks between Iran and the United States," said Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh. "The Iranian delegation should be ready for de-escalation with any actors on the international scene, even the United States," he added. His comment was criticized by Kayhan as a "signal of weakness" sent to the United States.

On the other hand, moderate and Reformist papers issued no warning and mostly tried to cheer Rouhani on the diplomatic battlefield. "To win, he needs to speak differently," wrote Arman. Etemad analyzed "a diplomatic faceoff," Hamdeli likened the confrontation to a "chess match," Khorasan said it was "a duel of speeches" and Shahrvand described it as "a chance to score the goal in the host's pitch."

Rouhani has already indicated that chances for talks with his American counterpart during his stay in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting are slim. In a meeting with American media executives, he noted that an encounter with Trump will take place only when there is hope that "differences could shrink and positive outcomes could be produced." But he also heralded a possible "new atmosphere" if one day the United States proves to be "sincerely seeking a rebuilding of ties."When massive protests in Basra turned violent on Sept. 4, several pro-Iran parties in Iraq accused the United States of being behind the violence.

Iranian Mehr News Agency accused Iraqi activists linked to the US Consulate in Basra of rioting, vandalizing property and setting fire to the Iranian Consulate in Basra Sept. 8. The news agency claimed it had exposed an American network targeting the position of Iran and seeking to divide the Middle East.

Following these accusations, the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) announced Sept. 8 that it would work to preserve security in Basra and other Iraqi cities. The PMU also stated it would stand up to those who vandalize property, after the arrest of dozens of activists who took part in the demonstrations.

Iraqi activists close to pro-Iran Shiite militias began to use the Facebook hashtag #Expel-the-US-consul-in-Basra. According to a Sept. 9 statement from Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the PMU, The US Consulate is involved in creating crises in the province, and the PMU will present evidence of its disruptive role.

The consulate responded Sept. 18, stating that the fabricated news circulating in the media, about colluding with young people in Basra to create chaos in the city, is totally inaccurate, as well as the rumors about the US consul general in Basra, Timmy Davis, and those who had contacts with the consulate.

The statement continued, It is a shame to use these pictures by unscrupulous people in order to harm those public figures and mislead the public opinion.

Dozens of activists were arrested, according to Ali al-Bayati, spokesman for the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights in Baghdad. The number of protesters detained in Basra against the backdrop of protests reached 141 people, some of whom have been released, he told Al-Monitor. "The commission seeks to communicate with the rest [of those arrested] and with the official authorities to determine their fate.

Bayati said, The field reports of the commissions office in Basra assert how erroneous it is to associate all the protests and vandalism with civil right activists linked to consulates or embassies of foreign countries.

He continued, Behind the chaos and acts of vandalism, we can mainly find political parties, mafia and smuggling gangs, whose interests conflict with the legal procedures that the government of Basra wants to impose.

Bayati does not approve of the knee-jerk accusations directed at activists that they are fueling the demonstrations.

In addition to the efforts of the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights to release the arrested demonstrators, Majida al-Tamimi, a member of parliament belonging to the Sairoon Alliance, told Al-Monitor that the alliance had called upon the security authorities, via media outlets and official channels, "to stop arresting demonstrators in Basra."

Basra-born journalist Fakher al-Hamidawi, who covered the protests for local media, told Al-Monitor that "things seriously escalated when security forces used live bullets and tear gas, leaving over 15 people dead and dozens wounded, and made arrests following home raids."

Hamidawi believes the demonstrators are not to blame for the violence and that slippery groups infiltrated the protests and took advantage of the situation to vandalize state institutions, political parties headquarters and national hospitals.

Hamidawis claims matched those of an activist who wished to remain anonymous. The activist participated in the Basra demonstrations and also attended a technical course organized by the US Consulate in Basra at the beginning of 2018. He told Al-Monitor, Parties in power in Basra are uncomfortable with any communication between the Iraqi youth and the US Consulate, and they made accusations on these grounds.

A spokesman for Asaib Ahl al-Haq, a faction of the PMU, dismissed these allegations. The PMU has evidence of a suspicious role played by foreign entities, which are recruiting some young people under the banner of civil society organizations," he said. "[These entities are] pushing them to commit crimes of arson and vandalism in government institutions and party offices, including the official PMU headquarters, while deliberately not damaging the offices of some parties so they would be accused of standing behind the arson attacks.

Walid al-Tai, an activist close to Asaib Ahl al-Haq in Basra, supported this position. The US Consulate in Basra organized systematic courses to help young people infiltrate civil society organizations" to target the PMU and Iran in media and society, he said. He pointed out that the US Consulate did not suffer any damage during the protests.

Ali Jaber, a legal expert and former judge, told Al-Monitor, Arrests in Basra violate the law and international pacts, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights."

But Brig. Gen. Saad Maan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior, told Al-Monitor, The Ministry of Interior has confessions from agents who committed the arson and vandalism attacks and used weapons in the demonstrations. Only these agents were arrested, and all innocent detainees will be freed once the investigation is complete.

All official and unofficial parties agree that protests broke out in Basra due to poor social and economic conditions, but Iraqi political parties close to Iran, including the PMU-affiliated parties, are using conspiracy theories against the protesters as a pretext to arrest them and thus stop the protests from expanding.The Kurdish lawmaker was sitting in his flat Sept. 15 in Baghdad's Green Zone, under crippling pressure from the main Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni political parties to withdraw his nomination for the position of second deputy speaker of parliament.

With the threat of the Islamic State gone in bringing Iraqis together, the political parties found it difficult to reach an agreement about sharing power more than four months after May 12 elections, due to regional and international pressure, especially from Iran and the United States.

I genuinely thought I could be abducted at any moment and killed, Ahmad Haji Rashid said Sept. 19 as he recalled the events for Al-Monitor from the safety of his Sulaimaniyah office. Rashid, a rebellious, hardworking and pious parliament member respected by Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites alike, stepped into this melee without realizing the full implications.

Based on a power-sharing agreement and Tehran's influence, Iran managed to secure the parliament speaker position for Mohammed al-Halbusi of the largest Sunni bloc, the National Axis Coalition, and the first deputy position for Hassan Karim al-Kaabi, a Shiite from Muqtada al-Sadrs Sairoon Alliance. Rashid was one of four Kurdish candidates for the position of second deputy. His main rival was Bashir al-Haddad, a Sunni Turkmen from Erbil nominated by the main Kurdish party, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

In todays Iraq, without a doubt, any voting requires prior agreements, Haddad told Kurdistan 24 news Sept. 15. There's no doubt that various sides have reached an agreement, including the Kurdish side.  They vote for us and we vote for them.

The Kurdish parties, infamous for their fractured politics, failed to agree among themselves to nominate one candidate. Instead, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the KDP agreed to coordinate their efforts, leaving out smaller Kurdish parties such as Rashids Kurdistan Islamic Group (Komal).

A group of parliamentarians from New Generation, a new party in the north, lobbied for Rashid. How can you support a candidate [KDP's Haddad] who believed in the disintegration of Iraq by supporting the Kurdistan referendum for independence? Yusra Rajab of the New Generation reportedly asked Shiite and Sunni parliament members Sept. 15. In the first round of voting that evening, Haddad failed to secure the necessary 167 votes to win the position, receiving 152 votes. The parties to the power-sharing agreement were furious.

Rashid received only 45 votes.

Following the first round of voting, Hadi al-Amiri of the Fatah Alliance told Rashid in the parliament hall, surrounded by a number of other parliamentarians: This is a wide-ranging agreement with the Kurds; you should abide by it.

Rashid then told Amiri, "We were not consulted about this, so we dont have to abide by it." The KDP officials in Baghdad and their parliamentarians tried on several occasions to convince Rashid, but failed.

One of the parliamentarians present as Amiri spoke to Rashid for a second time was Sarkawt Shams of New Generation, whose party had been lobbying for Rashid that day. Shams recalled Amiri telling Rashid, I have given my word to brother Massoud [Barzani]," head of the KDP, that Amiri would deliver the vote.

Shams told Al-Monitor, "The tone was friendly and Amiri was trying to resolve the issue as if he was in a tribal gathering."

Back in Erbil, Iranian Consul General Murteza Ebadi couldn't hide his anger over the failure, and Rashid said Ebadi roared on the phone with two members of Rashid's Komal political bureau, asking why they were rocking the boat. Ebadi tried to convince Komal head Ali Bapir to cooperate, but failed.

A Komal source told Al-Monitor that even Lebanon's Hezbollah intervened and tried to pressure Rashid, who didn't budge. Then a surprise call came from a parliamentarian whom Rashid knew had good relations with the KDP. Rashid was aware of rumors that a large amount of cash had changed hands in exchange for votes, nomination or withdrawing a nomination in the previous days.

The KDP accused the Shiite parties of not adhering to their side of the deal. Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of the State of Law Coalition called every single Shiite parliament member of his coalition that night and urged them to adhere to the agreement with the Kurds, according to Rashid.

Shams said the Americans finally found out about the saga through a New Generation member and paid a visit to Rashid on Sunday, telling him they were "monitoring" the situation.

Five minutes before the second and final round of voting, members of the Nasr Coalition of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi  who is considered to be close to the American side  received a message via social media urging them to vote for the KDP candidate supported by the Fatah Alliance, Sairoon and Iran. The KDP candidate then secured the position by receiving 185 of 282 votes. (There are 329 parliament members.)

In Iraqi politics, everything is about arrangements, and I wanted to say I am against these arrangements, Rashid, who received 53 votes in that round, told Al-Monitor.

The pro-Iran camp seems to have won this battle in the parliament against the pro-American camp. As the Iranians were preparing for the next battle  a vote for the presidency set for Sept. 25  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to Halbusi, the new speaker, by phone Sept. 19, noting his support for Iraqis to form a moderate government "that is responsive to the aspirations of the Iraqi people.Japanese tennis sensation Naomi Osaka not only hit the cash jackpot with her historic U.S. Open victory -- she struck a blow for racial equality, according to a former Miss Japan.

Following her 6-2, 6-4 victory over childhood idol Serena Williams in New York earlier this month, Osaka is set to become a global marketing force as sponsors prepare to break the bank to sign the 20-year-old.

But Priyanka Yoshikawa, who two years ago was crowned Miss Japan, believes Osaka can also help break down cultural barriers in a country where multi-racial children make up just two percent of those born annually.

"Naomi is definitely a role model," the half-Indian beauty queen told AFP. "Japan should be proud of her -- she can definitely break down walls, she will have a big impact."

Osaka, who has a Japanese mother, a Haitian father and was raised in the United States, is set to shine a light on what it means to be Japanese, predicts Yoshikawa.

"The way she speaks, and her humbleness, are so Japanese," said the 24-year-old. "Japan puts all haafu in the same bucket," added Yoshikawa, referring to the Japanese for "half" -- a word to describe mixed race. "Whether you're part Russian, American or African, you're still categorised as haafu in Japan."

Yoshikawa's Bollywood looks swept her to Miss Japan victory a year after Ariana Miyamoto faced an ugly backlash in 2015 for becoming the first black woman to represent the country.

Critics took to social media complaining that Miss Universe Japan should have been won by a "pure" Japanese.

Unlike Yoshikawa and Miyamoto, Osaka speaks hardly any Japanese after moving to Florida with her family as a toddler.

"It's not about language," insists the Tokyo-born Yoshikawa, who was bullied because of her skin color as a child. "Why does that bother people? It's just because she has darker skin and is mixed race. People still ask me if I eat curry every day or if I can use chopsticks! But she's what she thinks she is. If you think you're Japanese, you're Japanese."Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Culture Minister Miri Regev's joint Sept. 20 statement on amending the law that funds Israels culture and arts was not coincidental, nor was there anything ideological about it. The amendment will grant the Ministry of Culture the same authority that the Finance Ministry now has to withhold budgets from institutions considered offensive to the states values and symbols.

The key question, of course, is the timing. Why did the finance minister decide just now to support Regevs racist agenda against the countrys Arab citizens? Over the last few months, his office had effectively blocked all Regevs requests to defund cultural institutions deemed subversive.

Kahlon is regarded as the most dovish member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus hard-line coalition, a guardian of the Supreme Courts independence who at the beginning of his term in 2016 pushed for negotiations with the Palestinians and talked about a window of opportunity. What made him take part now in an initiative identified with Regevs divisive and racist agenda, directed at Arab Israelis?

Kahlon himself explained in his joint announcement with Regev, Freedom of expression is a worthy and important value but a democracy has the right to protect itself. One cannot help but wonder why it took him so long to arrive at this conclusion.

The cooperation between Regev and Kahlon is much more than a declarative move. It gives the culture minister backing for one of her flagship projects. Approval of the amendment would allow Regev to cut funding or defund culture and art institutions for undermining the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. Marking Nakba Day as a day of mourning for Palestinians and defiling or dishonoring the flag and other symbols of the state would also be grounds for defunding under the proposed amendment.

Kahlons about-face is particularly glaring in light of Regevs furious August 2018 letter in which she accused his ministrys legal advisers of rejecting 98 demands from her own ministry to enforce the law against various so-called subversive institutions and cut their funding.

Now the duo is at the forefront of a campaign to protect democracy. The ministerial legislation committee is due to discuss the proposed amendment in mid-October, with Kahlons support ensuring its approval. Nonetheless, there is no certainty that the amendment will pass  if Netanyahu calls early elections, the Knesset is unlikely to have sufficient time to discuss the legislation, revise it and vote it into law.

Even if the amendment doesnt make it, Kahlon assumes his declared support for it will yield electoral fruit, hence his collaboration with Regev. In other words, rather than mobilizing to save democratic rule along with his colleague, Kahlon is making a cynical political move. Kahlon, who thus far has chosen to openly ignore most of Regevs nationalist provocations and even react to it some with derision, assumes elections will be held within six months and not in November 2019 as scheduled. Netanyahu may have even given him a strong indication of the probable timetable.

Based on this assumption, Kahlon is moving full force ahead at least to preserve his achievement of the previous elections, when his newcomer Kulanu Party got 10 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. It will not be easy: Polls give the party only six to eight seats if elections were held now.

The reforms he spearheaded as finance minister have had limited success in turning around housing costs, and have certainly not burst the real estate bubble as he pledged. He has managed, however, to preserve a core of supporters, no small achievement for what is essentially a one-man party new to the political scene.

The partnership with Regev reveals Kahlons new strategy based on an understanding that his achievements in office are insufficient to ensure the electoral results he wants. Unlike the 2015 elections and their aftermath, Kahlon is no longer eyeing voters on the left or the center-left. Before founding his own Kulanu, Kahlon was a senior Likud member and minister. Now, he is reverting to his original right-wing constituency: Likud supporters. That was why he did not undercut the controversial, polarizing nationality law adopted in July when he could have. He may also be concerned that the new party founded by Knesset member Orly Levy-Abekasis, which like his is identified with social issues, will divert voters from the center-left.

Ahead of the 2019 elections, Kahlon is more of a Likud supporter than he was before he quit the party and established Kulanu in 2014. Strangely, even his relationship with Netanyahu, one that has known serious vicissitudes, is currently on an even keel. The two have even reached understandings regarding the makeup of the next government.

Kahlon is a savvy politician. He realizes that he is no longer the great promise that he was ahead of the 2015 elections. He depends on Netanyahu no less than Netanyahu needs him to form the next government.

Kahlon has simply worked out that nationalism will help him with potential voters. He knows this is money time and he is trying to rake in more votes. His voters are not Meretz voters and not even Zionist Camp supporters, a senior Likud minister told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.

The Knesset returns from its lengthy summer and holidays break on Oct. 15. Netanyahus intentions regarding snap elections are becoming clearer. He is not only targeting 40 seats for the Likud or working to lower the electoral threshold to ensure smaller Jewish parties, potential allies, remain in the Knesset. Given that 2019 is an election year in any event, Netanyahu knows he may never be in a better position than he is now. He is better off going to the polls before decisions are made on whether to indict him for corruption based on the findings of criminal investigations. Kahlon also realizes this is the case.For the last three years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has kept the foreign affairs portfolio for himself. Earlier this month, the Israeli press reported that Netanyahu had promised former Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. (res.) Benny Gantz the foreign ministers job in his next government. But Netanyahus office issued a denial, adding that the prime minister was certainly pleased with his current foreign minister.

Netanyahu is undoubtedly pleased with the foreign minister who stares back from his mirror each morning. Over the past decade, his has turned into the face of the nation. Most world leaders descending on the UN headquarters in New York City these days are accompanied by their foreign ministers. This double presence enables them to take advantage of the worlds largest diplomatic fair to strengthen their countries foreign relations and to present their political, security, economic, scientific and cultural wares.

The prime ministers agenda is bursting at the seams. It includes issues relating to the occupation and the moribund diplomatic negotiations, the boycott movement and transfer of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, the Iranian-Syrian alliance and Islamic terrorism. Netanyahu, however, is an active foreign minister who takes part in numerous international forums and does not trust anyone to market his governments policies.

The Foreign Ministry has been relegated to the sidelines of Israeli diplomacy and only handles public diplomacy, a top Israeli diplomat told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Absent a foreign minister, the defense agencies dictate foreign policy, he added. The senior diplomat gave the example of the Second Lebanon War in 2006, in which the decision-making process was overtaken by the security system, sidelining diplomatic considerations. The Winograd Commission that the government appointed to examine the political and military handling of the war termed its results a serious missed opportunity.

The diplomat responded tersely when asked about the role of Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely. The deputy minister is a joke devoid of professional significance, he said. Hotovely and the ministrys Director General Yuval Rotem are Netanyahu puppets. He appointed them to their jobs and he bears responsibility for their deeds and misdeeds. Netanyahu is the moving force behind Israels foreign service in matters big and small. On foreign relations, Foreign Minister Netanyahu prefers the advice of army people over that of professional diplomats.

In the initial years after his 2009 return to power, Netanyahu used the good offices of President Shimon Peres, with his stellar reputation on the world stage and extensive contacts. Peres advocated for the prime minister with US President Barack Obama, up until the moment he understood that Netanyahu had no intention of pushing ahead a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahus relations with incumbent President Reuven Rivlin also soured once the president dared to publicly criticize the prime ministers discriminatory anti-Arab legislative initiatives. As far as Netanyahu was concerned, by criticizing him, the president (a former Likud member) has positioned himself as an opponent of Israeli nationalists.

Netanyahu is following in the footsteps of US President Donald Trump, who has made campaigns against liberal democracy and its agents in the political, legal and media arenas his signature. Both of them regard human rights and particularly those of Palestinians as the domain of wimpy leftists who undermine the Israel/America First doctrines. As far as Netanyahu is concerned, the people of Israel want rulers who expel African asylum seekers, not minority lovers who have forgotten what it means to be Jewish," as he famously whispered to an aging rabbi in 1997 referring to the Israeli left.

Following this line of thought, many among the Israeli public do not concern themselves with the records of visitors to their country. Anyone who comes to Jerusalem is welcome, be it Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose election campaign carried anti-Semitic overtones, or Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who compared himself to Hitler.

Israel recently signed an education cooperation agreement with Myanmar and even boasted about it on social media this past May. Continuing cooperation with our friends around the world, Hotovely tweeted, bringing to mind the old adage show me your friends, and Ill tell you who you are. Even the Trump administration, Israels greatest friend, has joined in the global condemnation of Myanmar for its ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, including raping and massacring members of the Muslim minority. Israel signed the cooperation agreement with Myanmar even as the West was condemning them. Last March, the US Holocaust Museum in Washington revoked the Eli Wiesel Prize it awarded to Prime Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi over her refusal to condemn the crimes against humanity committed by her army. An appeal by a group of Israeli educators and academics for Netanyahu to abrogate what they termed the shameful agreement with Myanmar was ignored.

Netanyahu has replaced the semblance of a peace-loving leader he presented in his landmark 2009 Bar-Ilan speech (recognizing the two-state solution) and joint news conferences with Obama with a militant mien. On the international front, Netanyahu has placed two clones to his right  Culture Minister Miri Regev and Science Minister Ofir Akunis, both of whom are gung ho to savage anyone deemed not one of us.

Regev turned the Eurovision song contest that Israel is to host next May into a battle over Jerusalem, opposing the preference of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to hold it somewhere else in Israel. As expected, the EBU rejected Regevs demand that the event be held in Israels contested capital. The EBU even demanded that Israel issue visas to all visitors to the event, regardless of their political views, and allow rehearsals on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.

Netanyahu decided the contest would take place in Tel Aviv. Nevertheless, the dispute played into his hands. The artificial clash with the EBU proved to Israelis that their country was still surrounded by enemies and therefore needs a strong leader in the prime ministers residence who has a powerful friend in the White House.

Israeli scientists, who have generated great prestige for Israel, also fell victim to the prime minister's style of McCarthyism designed to portray the government as the victim of an imaginary leftist mafia. In July, Akunis blocked the appointment of top neuroscientist Yael Amitai to an Israeli-German scientific committee. Akunis, Netanyahus former spokesperson whom the prime minister named minister of science and technology, complained that in 2005, the world-renowned scientist had signed a petition urging Israeli soldiers to refuse to serve in the occupied territories. An appeal to Netanyahu by the Forum of University Heads to reverse the decision went unanswered.

Indeed, the prime minister who takes the UN podium on Sept. 27 to present Israels image does not need a foreign minister. All he needs is for gambling tycoon Sheldon Adelson and other members of his cheerleading squad to applaud from the visitors gallery. After that, come what may.At a meeting of the Security Cabinet on Sept. 16, the chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, warned that the chances of a violent confrontation in the West Bank now stand at anywhere from 60% to 80%. He did not use the term intifada, but everybody knew exactly what he meant. This warning, which was apparently based on an assessment by the Research Division of Military Intelligence, should have set red lights flashing for all the ministers. After all, the chief of staff was telling them as clearly as possible that a new wave of terrorism could break out in the West Bank at any given moment. Yet they chose to cast aspersions on his assessment, apparently for the very reasons he said could lead to an eruption of violence.

IDF officials believe the main factor that could spark the violence is the punitive measures that the Trump administration has been taking against the Palestinian Authority.

Eizenkot also cited the failure of the contacts between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas unstable relationship with the Arab world and his poor health as factors that could generate an escalation in the West Bank. That was relatively easy for the Cabinet to digest.

On the other hand, Cabinet members could not imagine that steps taken by President Donald Trump, which they consider positive, are considered dangerous by the IDF. These include such measures as relocating the US Embassy to Jerusalem, cutting off funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), closing the PLO representatives office in Washington and depicting Abbas as being opposed to peace.

On more than one occasion, the Cabinet and its individual members have congratulated Trump for his courage and for being a true friend of Israel. They are not really capable of admitting that the US president and his team know nothing about the tangled complexities of Middle East policy in general and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in particular.

Trump has said of the Jerusalem issue, We took it off the table, claiming that progress in negotiations could now be made. But just about anyone who has taken Palestinian-Israeli Conflict 101 knows that he didnt solve anything. All he did is create a problem.

The Trump administration had announced that it is halting aid to UNRWA, which has long been the lifeline keeping Gaza from total collapse, without searching for any alternative to that aid. But failure to see the inherent risks of such a move is tantamount to shutting ones eyes when faced with an obvious danger. Every single minister should have understood what would happen when Palestinians already living in abysmal poverty in Gaza are pushed up against the wall. They should not need to wait for Eizenkot to state forthright that the emperor has no clothes, that the presidents actions toward the Palestinians are dangerous and that Israelis will end up paying the price for Trump's reckless decisions.

At that Security Cabinet meeting, Eizenkot offered his assessment that if there is a conflagration in the West Bank, the IDF would be forced to increase its forces there significantly. In other words, it is not enough that the IDF is dealing with an escalation of violence on the southern front (Gaza). It will also be expected to pour forces into the West Bank, where friction with the Palestinians is exponentially more complicated than it is along the Gaza border. Added to this, of course, is the cost of a heating up of the northern border.

Even after the chief of staffs chilling prognosis, the members of the Security Cabinet were silent. How could they possibly criticize a US president who fulfills their every wish and who lashes out weekly at Abbas, whom they loathe? It seems easier for them to sit in Jerusalem and cheer decisions made by the Oval Office in the White House than to actually make complicated choices.

This was not the first time that Cabinet members did not like what Eizenkot had to say and did nothing to forestall his chilling prognosis. In early February, Eizenkot warned the government that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip could lead to a military clash with Hamas over the next year. It took just days to see that his prognosis was accurate. Did the government respond to his warnings in real time? Did it take steps to ease the crisis in Gaza? The answer to both these questions is no.

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman even contradicted the chief of staff soon after that meeting. At a gathering of his Yisrael Beitenu faction, Liberman said of Gaza, There is no humanitarian crisis. He added, As long as there's no progress regarding the [Israeli] captives and missing persons, we can't move forward with all sorts of initiatives for [helping] the Strip. As far as its rehabilitation, it can only be on one condition  demilitarization [of Gaza].

In June, some four months after Eizenkot warned the government about the situation in Gaza, he told the Security Cabinet yet again that it is was necessary to take steps to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip so as to prevent an armed conflict with Hamas. This time, he made his remarks at the height of the very demonstrations along the border fence that confirmed his earlier warning. At the same Cabinet meeting, Eizenkot also presented various immediate solutions, such as the easing of restrictions on the border crossings and the development of various projects involving water, electricity, health and employment.

But the significance of what he was saying fell on deaf ears, and his remarks led to yet another clash between him and the minister of defense. Liberman opposed easing restrictions on Gaza, claiming that, Hamas wants the siege lifted. It needs the siege lifted, not to develop the economy, but to smuggle in arms, smuggle in information, smuggle in all sorts of emissaries from Iran and Hezbollah.

In the end, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas over a possible arrangement and easing the closure only began after a conflict erupted with Hamas, demonstrations broke out along the border fence, the Palestinians suffered a high number of casualties and the international community applied pressure on Israel.

Now, the same chief of staff is warning of a new intifada in the West Bank. Based on Cabinet officials past behavior, they are likely to reject his warnings. As far as they are concerned, there is no way that the fulfillment of their dream, that is, seeing Abbas humiliated and ground into the dust, could turn out to be a nightmare.The Donald Trump administration's pro-Israel policies are creating a crisis for the entire region, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said today.

Beyond their direct harm to the Palestinians, recent US aid cuts to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), appear aimed at dropping the refugee issue in the lap of neighboring countries, he said.

This is a step forward to, one, deprive them from the right to return and, two, to somehow take the title of refugee and turn them into integrated people in our country, Bassil told Al-Monitor in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of his visit to the UN General Assembly in New York. The world cannot follow only the wish or the will of the United States. This is a moral obligation on the international community to abide by their commitment to Lebanon, to Jordan, to Syria, to Palestine. It is a big mistake that was committed by the international community, and it's not  up to Lebanon to pay the price alone for such a big historical error.

Bassil said Lebanon would be raising the issue in all its bilateral meetings this week in the hope of rallying friendly countries to fill the gap that was left by the Americans.

The Lebanese envoy also reiterated comments from late last year about not having an ideological problem with Israel, but clarified that what he meant was that Lebanon has no issue with the Jews. Still, he called Israel's commitment to a Jewish state as being from the old days and a recipe for regional strife that can only be alleviated through diversity.

Finally, Bassil drew on historical precedent to justify Lebanon's cooperation with Russia in voluntarily returning refugees to Syria. Just as with the return of Cypriot refugees despite the lingering crisis on the island since 1974, Bassil said the issue of return should be disassociated from a political settlement that could be years away.

We cannot link something existential to Lebanon with something that is indefinite in time internationally, he said.

The full text of the interview, conducted by Al-Monitors executive editor, is below:

Al-Monitor: The Lebanese government has prioritized returning Syrian refugees, and Russia recently announced that it is developing a plan to repatriate Syrians in Lebanon and other regional countries. Refugees were also reportedly a major topic in your talks last month with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov. In what ways are you working with Moscow on this issue, and does the Lebanese government plan to coordinate directly with Damascus?

Bassil: You know, first, with the Russians, what is important about that initiative, that it disassociates the return from the political solution. This is what is needed in Lebanon, to have great political power, locating for the case, because we cannot link something existential to Lebanon with something that is indefinite in time internationally. So two things that cannot be linked.

Take the Cypriot example. The crisis happened in 1974. Until now it's not solved politically, but the Cypriots went back, for those who are willing. So we cannot stay for years without a return, that's why this is of political importance of that initiative. How we are working on implementing it, we just formed last week the common committee, the joint committee, the Russian-Lebanese Committee on the return of the displaced Syrians, and we are seeing ways now to see how the Russians can help us.

Obviously, we are lacking financing, but still, we can work on providing sort of guarantees for the Syrians to go back. This is where it comes, the role of the Syrian government, to provide those guarantees, and here we're talking of different levels going from the preservation of the identity, the property, to the amnesty and passing by the exemption of military service. So any facilitation of the return that can be provided by the Syrian government is welcome  it is desired, actually. It's requested by us, to say it more clearly.

And this is where we hope that with the Russians on one hand, with the Syrians, and of course, with the hope to change the international community policy about keeping that issue of return on the side now and linking it to the political solution. So any change in that regard would be very helpful. We are aware that the return will be gradual. It is only a safe and a dignified return, but we wanted to start.

Al-Monitor: What other bilateral issues were discussed in your Moscow meeting?

Bassil: There are many bilateral issues with Moscow. You should notice that Moscow has a presence in the neighbor country to Lebanon. It has a military presence now. There's bases, military bases, and there's great political influence and economic influence in Syria and in the region. And Russia has always been advocating for the protection of the minorities for the diversity, and somehow it also justifies its intervention in Syria by the need to protect its own national security because for Russia the terrorists who are in Syria can infiltrate Russia. So the same applies to Lebanon with a closer distance. Lebanon, a pioneer in diversity, is risking to lose it because of the threat of terrorism with all it weighs on our  not only security, but the real rasion d'etre of Lebanon, which is its diversity.

So, definitely. On this level, we have a lot to deal on with Russia. Plus, certain bilateral issues, economy, specific agreements that we discussed, and I hope that this is not coming on the benefit of any of our relations with friendly countries. But I hope this will encourage other friendly countries to change policies, especially regarding the refugees, the Syrians.

Al-Monitor: You met with other Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo earlier this month to discuss efforts to preserve the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, following cuts in funding from the US. Lebanon is a home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. How much of a direct impact will these cuts actually have?

Bassil: First and most important, they have a very heavy political weight on the idea of keeping the Palestinians in Lebanon because, you know, this is a step forward to, one, deprive them from the right to return and, two, to somehow take the title of refugee and turn them into integrated people in our country. And this is translated into a financial decision that is political. It is not related to the $60 million that were paid. So this weighs a lot on us, on top of the economic weight that we have been enduring for the last 70 years.

As such, we had this meeting at the Arab League. We are having another meeting here in New York, and in all our bilateral meetings, we will be raising this issue and hope to rally the friendly countries to Lebanon in order to fill the gap that was left by the Americans.

And, again, this has another political aspect. That the world cannot follow only the wish or the will of the United States. This is a moral obligation on the international community to abide by their commitment to Lebanon, to Jordan, to Syria, to Palestine. It is a big mistake that was committed by the international community, and it's not Lebanon  up to Lebanon  to pay the price alone for such a big historical error.

Al-Monitor: What is the real danger if these cuts are indeed implemented?

Bassil: The implantation of Palestinians, their stay in Lebanon and forbidding them from return, from returning to their land. What bigger than this can be.

Al-Monitor: And more broadly, what further understandings were reached in Cairo that you will be following up on this week?

Bassil: The political position was good. Now let's see how we will fill that gap of the deficit in the budget, but again, it's not for a year. It should be sustainable in such a way to secure for the Palestinians, but somehow  somehow they will be assisted not to turn them into violent people because you're not offering them education, what will you offer them? Jobs? We have no jobs to offer them in Lebanon. What are we  where are we taking them? To which behavior. They are already in a deep frustration. We want this frustration to turn into what? To more extremism?

Al-Monitor: More than four months have passed since Lebanon held general elections this May, yet an agreement on a new government has yet to emerge. What are the main obstacles to a government formation and when do you expect an agreement to be reached?

Bassil: You know, the main obstacles that are internal are related to not respecting the results of the elections. In a national unity government, you only abide by the elections, and you get the formation right away. So we are afraid that this disrespect of the elections is coming out of what we heard that some foreign countries were not pleased by the results and that this would turn the equilibrium established in Lebanon, which I don't believe it's the case. In Lebanon, no one can prevail. No one. No matter how strong you look economically or militarily or in popularity, you cannot rule the country alone. So no one government, no one parliament will be under  take over one party and specifically here I mean Hezbollah, because the situation as such is very wrong.

So I believe not encouraging by itself. Unfortunately, internal parties [fear] to take the needed decision to move forward with this formation of government because we want to reinstate what was before the elections. Actually, things are not changing drastically in the representation of the political parties. So to be afraid that such a government will be losing the equilibrium  the coming Lebanese government will be reflecting the Lebanese people, which are enough diverse in their political orientations and their, let's say, affiliation, whether internally or externally, and there is no reason to have this fear.

No one can control the country. This is very essential in Lebanon. No one party can do this.

Al-Monitor: In late December of last year, you said there was no ideological problem with Israel. Given your position, what are your thoughts on what needs to happen in order to achieve peace in the Middle East?

Bassil: You know, I said this in the sense that we have no issue with the Jews. We have  even we accept as a state the presence of Israel because we are accepting to make peace with Israel. When we accept to make peace agreement with Israel, it means that you accept its existence based on the Arab initiative that was announced in Beirut, based on the main concept of exchanging rights, and I think what's hindering peace is Israel is not abiding by the rights of its neighboring countries. So Israel cannot exist only by force because force will never be on the side of one country forever, and peace can be made only on equilibrated, you know, on the balanced rights of each country. In that sense, when we are not only accepting to have peace, we are eager to make peace because we are a country who wants to live in peace with its neighbors, but we will never surrender to Israel with its policy of, one, aggressing us and, two, on trying to turn Lebanon into a place of violence whether afflicted by Israel or whether encouraging other groups like what we saw with the terrorist groups to change the aspect of Lebanon.

So our main problem with Israel is that it is seeking to turn the region, including Lebanon, into a place of permanent conflict between monolithic entities fighting each other. That's weakening themselves and strengthening Israel and, thus, justifying the existence of Israel as a monolithic entity. This is very essential, you know. This is declaring a Jewish state. For us, for Lebanon, declaring a Christian state, declaring an Islamic state, a Jewish state, this is from old days. This is not the language of the future. This is not Lebanon. This is not humanity, what should be. Humanity is diversity. It is not this unilateralism, this unilateralism that can be only joined with violence and extremism and all what we are seeing. This is not the humanism.

Al-Monitor: In your position as minister of foreign affairs and emigrants, youve worked to actively engage the Lebanese diaspora abroad. Can you tell us about initiatives the government is using to connect Lebanese in the diaspora with the homeland and what role do they have, whether economically, culturally or otherwise?

Bassil: There are many. A lot should be done. We did a little, like allowing them by law to participate in the elections, and this is progressing. Like allowing them to restore their nationality, again by law. These are the two major steps. Now I hope the next phase will be for economic legislation. That will encourage them to go back to the country or at least to be connected to the country, not to mention the cultural aspects and activities. They are encouraged by the government, but they are left for the person with individual initiatives, of the communities of each place, and you see a lot of them.

I hope in our next LDE [Lebanese Diaspora Energy conference] in North America, which will be the fourth one in Washington  it will be in Washington in September [2019]  I hope we will be able to highlight two main aspects, one that is related to politics where we try to talk with the policymakers in D.C. on how to lobby for Lebanon, to advocate for the role of Lebanon, and another one that is more academic related to the youth to take advantage of the presence of so many Lebanese students here on the East Coast, mainly in Boston and Washington. So to meet and to explore more the ways to be connected to Lebanon, like we did in the last LDE, to encourage them to stay connected.

Al-Monitor: What sectors is Lebanon working to encourage the diaspora to invest in for foreign direct investment?

Bassil: Tourism, but also in energy.

Al-Monitor: Given the large number of Lebanese abroad, how does the diaspora play a role in Lebanons foreign policy or decisions and strategy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Bassil: It's mainly carrying the message of Lebanon, means the importance of Lebanon. I wouldn't imagine that Lebanon would have survived as such a small country with so many problems if we didn't have the awareness of its importance. This awareness has definitely gone beyond our capacity to carry to the whole world. This is where we highlight the importance of  it's not the importance. The diaspora for us means the universality of Lebanon. Lebanon is universal because of its diaspora.BEIRUT  In remarks to reporters on Sept. 3, Lebanons caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil denounced the US decision to halt all funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stating that keeping the agency funded was a matter of life or death. For the majority of Palestinians in Lebanon, who have long relied on UNRWAs delivery of essential services, Bassils claim is not much of an exaggeration.

Historically, we have funding problems, Fadi el-Tayyar, UNRWAs public information officer in Lebanon, told Al-Monitor. This is huge. This is one of the unprecedented crises.

The United States' financial contribution amounted to more than $380 million annually, accounting for somewhere between a quarter and a third of UNRWA's funding, according to Chris Gunness, the agency's chief spokesperson. In 2017, the US contribution far outnumbered that from any other country.

According to a wide-ranging 2015 study conducted by the American University of Beirut (AUB) and UNRWA, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live in some of the worst socioeconomic conditions of any Palestinian population in the Middle East outside Gaza. In some cases, they are wholly dependent on UNRWA. As a result, it is likely that Palestinians in Lebanon will be especially hard-hit by the US action, degrading their access to life-saving health care, basic education and vital employment opportunities that many already see as inadequate.

Sahar Dabdoub, principal of the UNRWA-run Ramallah Elementary Coed School in the Shatila refugee camp, in southern Beirut, said fears of school closures resulting from the funding cut are very real for her and for the rest of the local community.

All of the people, from me down  deputy principals, teachers, students, parents  everyone is afraid for the future, Dabdoub told Al-Monitor.

Due to a variety of political, economic, and geographic factors, according to UNRWA and AUB, most Palestinian children are forced to rely exclusively on UNRWA schools, which often tend to be overcrowded. Dabdoub said that six years ago, the Ramallah School had only 333 students. That number has since more than doubled, to 820, due to Palestinians previously living in Syria having fled to the refugee camps in Lebanon to escape the civil war next door.

In addition to dealing with overcrowding, UNRWA has also had problems maintaining generators in recent months, resulting in electricity shortages in schools, according to Mohammad Shouli, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness).

Because Lebanon legally bars Palestinians from a host of professions, UNRWA also serves as a major employer of refugees. Dabdoub said that the agencys schools are a lifeline for her and other educators, who would not be able to work elsewhere if they were laid off.

Fear of what lies ahead has become routine at UNRWAs medical clinics as well, which receive the second largest portion of the agencys budget, behind education facilities. According to the AUB-UNRWA study, some 99% of Palestinians in Lebanon have no health insurance outside of UNRWA, and many would not be able to afford even basic medication if not for the agency.

[People] have no resources for health services, to buy medication, for example, [or] to be hospitalized, said Nasr Hamad, senior medical officer at UNRWAs Central Lebanon Area Polyclinic in Beirut. So, there is a crisis, and we are living it.

Amid the fears, agency officials say they are confident they will be able to close the historic funding gap. Noting the Arab League summit held Sept. 11, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told Bloomberg on Sept. 18, Commitments were made by Arab and non-Arab states to fill the gaps that have been created by the withdrawal of American support.

Tayyar said he remains confident about the situation. Our plan is to continue our services as they are, uninterrupted. This is as per our mandate, he said. We have not cut any salaries, [and] services are continuing also.

Nearly $200 million still needs to be raised according to Gunness, and despite Tayyars optimism, reductions in services have already begun. Hamad said that vacancies among his staff have remained unfilled, and only patients with life-threatening illnesses are now being hospitalized. One patient, Amina Hindi, told Al-Monitor that due to a lack of funds, UNRWA had to close an endocrinology ward where she was being treated.

Past funding gaps had also resulted in major service cuts. In 2015 UNRWA was forced to halt cash assistance for housing to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon coming from Syria, as the agency's budget was unable to meet the needs of the new arrivals. Although previous shortfalls have had a significant impact on the refugees in Lebanon, Shouli said that the unprecedented size of the current gap portends a worse situation on the ground compared to those previously.

In the past, the cuts affected refugees negatively on relief and other things, he told Al-Monitor. In the previous years, the cut [was] small  $50 million, $90 million. If the cut in the budget holds, I think UNRWA will face difficulties in providing services to the refugees.

In August, Foreign Policy magazine reported that one of the Donald Trump administrations goals in halting funding to UNRWA was to incentivize Arab countries into shouldering more of the financial burden of supporting the Palestinian refugees. In Lebanon  which is not only deep in debt, but also has a history of demographic stresses due to the large number of Palestinians living there  giving Palestinians access to the same services as Lebanese citizens is widely viewed as a fantasy. For the time being, as Dabdoub told Al-Monitor, it is either UNRWA or nothing.

As services dwindle further, the Palestinian community in Lebanon will inevitably grow increasingly desperate. Protests against the cuts have already begun, as on Sept. 11 at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp, in Sidon, and tensions will likely continue to increase until a resolution to the crisis is reached.

UNRWA may well secure emergency funding sources for the short term to cover the deficit created by the United States, but finding a long-term solution will be much more difficult. In the interim, Palestinians in Lebanon will likely be forced to bear the brunt of the consequences from this new status quo.The recent downing of a Russian plane in Syria re-energized discussions in Moscow on the role of Russia in Syria and whether the revision of its Syria policy should mean downsizing its own presence in the country and downgrading contacts with Iran. Russia and Iran's relationship revolves largely around military and political issues, despite claims by Moscow and Tehran that they seek to cooperate on trade and economic development and boost cultural ties. The Syrian conflict dominates the agenda in this regard. Russia is also a keen supporter of preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), occasionally dispatching its top diplomats to Tehran to persuade Iran to stay in the deal despite Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from it.

While it is not clear whether both of the backbone issues holding the partnership together are sturdy enough to call it strategic, the relationship between Moscow and Tehran has strengthened amid a variety of global and regional factors. One such factor is the continued deterioration of Russian-American relations to the point of a systemic crisis, coinciding with the White Houses determined measures to strangle Iran economically. Russians have increasingly been studying Irans experience of resisting the sanctions.

Yet the relationship is still dependent upon the actions of third parties. Even with the JCPOA, Irans ultimate expectations are connected to how the European trio, not Russia, reacts to pressure from Trump. Iranian officials have repeatedly claimed they would not take part in a deal that did not benefit their country, referring to the US policy of deterring investors and foreign business. It is still unclear how successful the plan to create a new European financial structure specifically for transactions with Iran will be. Although Russia has made significant diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem, the country is not as economically attractive to Iran as European investors. President Hassan Rouhanis administration has been hunting for such European investors.

Moscow has detected growing dissent in Iran over the perceived squandering of the state's budget on expensive foreign military operations. Iran's domestic political and economic issues go against the governments ambitions to strengthen its presence in Syria via signing weapons contracts and rebuilding infrastructure, including the transportation system and electrical grid. These measures require hefty financial investments.

This is not a new challenge for Iran  or Russia, in this respect  but one that makes Moscow wonder how to handle the issues, given the economic constraints on both Russia and Iran.

A big issue in this vein is the reconstruction of Syria, estimates for which vary from $400 billion to $1 trillion. If Tehran wants to expand its economic influence there, it will have to provide considerable financial support. However, as the EU refuses to disburse aid while Bashar al-Assads government is in place, Iran has been pushed to reduce its regional charity. For instance, Iran stopped supplying free electricity and water to neighboring Iraq. At the onset of the Syrian civil war, Iran had viewed its presence in Syria and the aid it provided from a military strategic standpoint, while claims for its economic benefits appeared later. This position prompted some Iranians to assert that Syria had become the 35th province of Iran.

If the economic situation inside Iran were different, President Rouhanis statements about paying wages to soldiers in Iraq and Syria and covering the cost of military equipment might have appealed to feelings of national pride. However, according to the approximations of Israeli intelligence services, Iran controls about 82,000 soldiers in Syria, including some members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). These expenses do not seem minor anymore, and Iranian society does not believe Syrias strategic role in Irans security validates its cost.

When Assads army, backed by Russia, started to reclaim the majority of Syrias territory, Iranian elites grew preoccupied with strengthening their post-war position in the country, prompting Moscow to watch Iran's moves more attentively.

In recent months, Iran has announced large-scale agreements between Iran and Syria during official visits, as well as specific measures, such as using national currencies in Tehran-Damascus transactions; engaging in joint ventures; and encouraging Baghdad's involvement as an equal partner, which could be achieved by merging the three countries' railways into one system. Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and Syrian Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Samer al-Khalil discussed the railway project during a meeting in June. In August, another Iranian delegation visited Syria to discuss the construction of 30,000 residential units in Syria by private Iranian companies. Later that month, Amir Hatami, Irans minister of defense, met his counterpart to negotiate the supplying of military equipment to Syria and the re-establishment of industry.

It is possible Russia's actions prompted Tehran to consider nonmilitary interaction with Damascus, since Russia had announced a series of bilateral agreements. In February, Yahya Rahim Safavi, Ayatollah Ali Khameneis military adviser, said Iran was going to reclaim its investments amid efforts to preserve the territorial integrity of Syria. Among other topics, Safavi mentioned phosphate mining. Several weeks later, Damascus chose Moscow over Tehran to sign a 50-year contract in this industry. Moreover, two months ago, the Iranian website Tabnak, whose editors are close to ex-IRGC leader Mohsen Rezaie, published an article disclosing Irans major lag behind Russia in the conquest of the post-war Syrian market. The post was deleted within an hour to avoid unneeded public concern.

Tehran and Moscow compete with each other for access to Syrian resources and for post-war reconstruction contracts. At the same time, Damascus is naturally interested in reaping as many benefits as possible from any helping hand. However, Iran and Russia  both under international sanctions  do not have adequate means to get through this process on their own, especially with each side trying to claim the best share for itself. The best course of action might be a mutual diplomatic effort to prompt European officials and corporations to share the burden of Syrias reconstruction. That would support the argument about strategic cooperation that some in Moscow and Iran like to talk about.The drawing of a stylized lions head dominates the small booth reserved for Arthere  a collective of Turkish and Syrian artists  at Contemporary Istanbul, the citys huge art fair that brings together dozens of galleries from New York to Tehran to Istanbul every September.

The drawing  black, red and green ink on paper  is called Haydarpasa, named after the 19th-century railway station that formed one of the stops of the Orient Express. The lions head, with its droopy eyes and all-too-symmetrical mane, is found on the stained-glass windows of the station built during the reign of strategic-minded Abdulhamid II, as the starting point of the Hejaz Railway. Located on the Asian side of Istanbul, the station was designed and built by two German architects  Otto Ritter and Helmuth Cuno  in neo-Renaissance style.

It is this motif, common in Western architecture, that you see in the Haydarpasa stations stained glass windows, explains Omar Berakdar, a Syrian artist who has made Istanbul his home for the last five years. Haydarpasa is the crossroads between east and west, a symbol of mobility as demonstrated by the Orient Express that takes off from Aleppo, stops at Istanbul and leads to Europe.

Berakdars drawing can be interpreted as a eulogy to the destroyed city of Aleppo  the city where Agatha Christie wrote Murder at the Orient Express  and an acknowledgment of lost mobility of the Syrian artists who, as refugees, have little opportunity to travel and work wherever they want.

Berakdar, a photographer and artist, came to Istanbul in 2012. Fluent in three languages and in possession of a French passport, he was already in a better position than many of his colleagues  who neither had a professional network nor the social and lingual means to establish one. So he co-founded Hamisch, or the Syrian Cultural House, in Istanbul. Then, wanting to focus on art only, he left Hamisch to establish Arthere  a play of words on art here, art there.

Located on a small street in Yeldegirmeni  a neighborhood with a budding culture scene and vivid street art  Arthere is dominated by long, communal tables, an open kitchen and about a dozen cats who live among the drawings.

We now have about 20 artists here, 12 of whom are Syrian, Oyku Dogan, one of the co-founders of the art space, told Al-Monitor. This is intended as a common space; we hold exhibitions, we work together, we have networking events. So many joint schemes have emerged from here, so many jobs.

Initially, some of the Syrian artists  most of whom were from the fine art academies of Damascus or Aleppo  also used the small space to live. In the summer of 2014, when Arthere first opened its doors, upstairs was like a boys dorm, laughed Dogan, a graphic designer who acts as a facilitator and translator to the newcomers. She added, Although we still keep a camp bed for emergencies, this is not our intention. We want to foster exchanges and provide the necessary support for artists to continue their work as artists here.

But continuing as artists is not always easy. An artist needs a network so that he can sell his works, Berakdar told Al-Monitor, When you come to a new country, you lack that. So in order to live, you turn to other jobs. We want to help the artists to continue their artwork by creating platforms where they can showcase, develop and sell their work.

In Istanbul, where there are roughly 560,000 Syrian refugees, there are several art platforms that encourage the Syrian artists to mix with their Turkish counterparts. Diyalog, established by Istanbul-based German couple Sabine Kuper-Busch and Thomas Busch, was born out of that need. The association launched Mahalla, which means "neighborhood" in Arabic and Turkish, the first festival of an emerging network of global players working in the field of arts and culture focusing on the current migration flow. Its first edition  held Sept. 13 to Oct. 20, 2017, in parallel with the 15th Istanbul Biennial  featured several cultural initiatives from workshops to exhibitions to performance art by 37 artists, curators and academics from 14 countries including Syria, France, Lebanon, Ghana, Malta and Nigeria. This year's edition will be held in Malta in November.

Even the name was a battle, Kuper-Busch told Al-Monitor. Some of our friends told us that the name should be Mahalle, as it is spelled and pronounced in Turkish. But we preferred to keep the origin of the word, which is Arabic. We wanted to have an open space for artists  not only for Turks and Syrians, but for other people on the move.

Diyalog is also unyielding on the professional quality of the works. I think, particularly in Europe, there is an outlook toward migrant art as naive or unsophisticated or needing support, said Kuper-Busch, adding, We reject that. What we try to create are professional cultural events where everyone learns from each other; there should be no hierarchy between eastern and western nor between citizens and non-citizens of the host country.

A recent report by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts titled Living Together: Fostering Cultural Pluralism Through the Arts maintains that art platforms can play a major role in both healing marginal groups such as refugees and fostering cultural pluralism. Penned by Feyzi Baban from Trent University and Kim Rygiel from Wilfrid Laurier University, the report also provides an overview of some cultural and art projects that form a bridge between Turks and Syrian refugees.

When newcomers arrive, they are often lumped into a category. Their culture is unknown, so it becomes all too easy to see them as the other'" Baban told Al-Monitor, adding, The initiatives we mention in the report, such as the Kirkayak Cultural Center in Gaziantep or Hamisch in Istanbul, are those that restore the dignity of the newcomers and re-establishes the identity of the Syrian newcomers as multifaceted individuals, not as a group simply referred to as Syrian refugees. Ideally, the cultural initiatives should emphasize that Syrians are not poor victims of war but people who are active in cultural production and who can contribute to the community.

In the report, Baban and Rygiel recommend formulation of new policies that would provide newcomers access to already-established arts and cultural institutions, so that they can interact with the stories and histories of the mainstream culture they live in. Asked whether there is a recipe for a successful initiative that fosters cultural pluralism, Baban replied, It should recognize the plurality within the groups, reject hierarchy between the mainstream culture and newcomers, and accept the fact that the newcomers also have the power to transform and change the host culture.

Even some of the Syrian artists who have left for Europe miss Istanbul despite all the difficulties they have faced here, said Berakdar, as he looked at his Haydarpasa drawing. So Istanbul is home for us, after all.In addition to ripping US foes such as Iran and Venezuela, President Donald Trump took direct aim at America's Gulf allies during his speech at the UN General Assembly meeting today. With oil prices hitting a four-year high of $82 per barrel, the US leader slammed the OPEC oil cartel after Saudi Arabia and Russia rejected calls to increase production amid looming US sanctions on Iran's oil exports.

"OPEC  and OPEC nations  are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world."

Trump continued: I don't like it, and nobody should like it.

Without naming them, Trump went on to demand that the Arab Gulf states pay for US military protection  the same case he's made with Europe and NATO. US support, however, is largely aimed at containing Iran, raising questions about America's leverage.

We defend many of these nations for nothing. And then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. We want them to stop raising prices, and we want them to start lowering prices. And they must contribute substantially to military protection from now on.

Why it matters: The increase in oil prices risks hurting the US economy, a bright spot on Trump's record, just ahead of the crucial 2018 mid-term elections. And they're partly a self-inflicted injury: The administration's decision to pull out of the nuclear deal with Iran and reimpose sanctions on the country's oil exports starting in November has caused Iranian oil production to tumble, with follow-on effects on market prices. A long-term price increase could encourage other countries to defy US sanctions while weakening the administration's resolve to go after violators.

It's not just Trump: Congress is weighing legislation to allow lawsuits against OPEC members for manipulating market prices. In a sign of how seriously Saudi Arabia takes the threat, Riyadh has hired Republican super-lawyer Ted Olson, a former solicitor general, to fight the bipartisan bill, as Al-Monitor reported earlier this month.

Chinks in the armor: Iran and the other parties to the nuclear deal are watching closely for any hint of a backlash against the Trump administration's sanctions push. European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced last night that the EU has begun work on a financial special purpose vehicle to allow European firms to continue to do business with Iran, in accordance with the nuclear deal.

What now: Trump's OPEC attack caused an audible stir in the UN hall. It remains unclear, however, if the US administration and the Gulf states will take Trump seriously or if his comments were simply part of a populist appeal to US sovereignty with little real outcome.

Know more: Check out Al-Monitor's full coverage of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly here.

- Julian PecquetJust hours after national security adviser John Bolton told reporters at the United Nations that 2,200 US troops would stay in Syria as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis backed him up, signaling that American forces wont be coming out of the war-torn country anytime soon.

Full quote: I think we are on the same sheet of music. It is the Geneva process, and the Geneva process has got to come to a conclusion if were to see this end. Ive talked to [Bolton] so far today twice. There is no daylight between his appreciation of the situation and mine.

Why it matters: Mattis and other high-ranking Defense Department officials have long sought to push President Donald Trump away from his March statement that US troops would leave Syria very soon. Today the former Marine general indicated that a US presence could remain after the defeat of the Islamic State to assist in training Syrian forces and stabilizing the country. Previously, the Pentagon has stopped short of outlining a long-term presence in Syria and laid out a conditions-based timeline, meaning US troops would leave once they ensured the terror group couldnt return. Despite saying his approach was similar to Boltons, Mattis said US troops remained in Syria to defeat the Islamic State, not to stop Irans malign activities, a potential area of friction with Iran hard-liners in the Trump administration.

What now: Geneva, Geneva. The United States is hoping to breathe life into the long-stalled UN political process by beefing up the State Departments team for the negotiations, led by former Ambassador to Turkey Jim Jeffrey. Mattis indicated that Iran has a role to play in the talks by stopping meddling in Syria by its proxies, such as Lebanese Hezbollah, which receives support from Tehran.

President Trump is expected to address the Syria conflict when he chairs a UN Security Council meeting on nonproliferation on Wednesday.

Know more: Al-Monitor Washington Editor Julian Pecquet is in New York this week as US officials meet their counterparts from around the world at the UN General Assembly. Follow his coverage here.

And check out Laura Rozens latest dispatch, covering Jeffreys effort to stave off a regime-led effort to take the last remaining Syrian rebel stronghold in Idlib.

- Jack DetschAlabama state and business leaders are visiting two eastern European nations this week on a five-day mission to open new markets.

Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield and representatives of seven companies are visiting Romania and Bulgaria this week, with meetings scheduled in Bucharest and Sofia.

The Alabama Commerce Department says state-based companies exported $6.8 million in goods to Bulgaria in 2017, an increase of nearly 1,400 percent from the previous year, while exports to Romania totaled $2.2 million last year, up more than 170 percent.

The trade mission is a first for Alabama officials visiting these two countries. Commerce department officials said they offer several opportunities. Romania's burgeoning economy is one of the European Union's fastest growing, while Bulgaria's top imports are medical instruments, industry machinery and vehicles.

Among the companies on the mission are:

Weather radar and software company Baron Services of Huntsville.

Daphne's Irrigation Components International.

Knox Kershaw, a Montgomery-based maker of railway maintenance equipment.

Warrior's Mid-America Engine, which provides power generation equipment.

Okra Energy, a developer of small-scale liquified natural gas technologies with an office in Jackson.

Huntsville's R2C Support Services, which works with the U.S. Department of Defense and other clients.

Birmingham's Thompson Tractor, a major sales representative of Caterpillar heavy equipment for construction and other industries.

Also represented is the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the Alabama National Guard.

"This trade mission is about helping Alabama companies identify new markets for their goods and services, so they can create jobs and make new investments in their communities back home," Canfield said.Shipt today will begin delivery of groceries and goods from Greer's Markets along the Gulf Coast in Alabama and Florida.

For a limited time, new area Shipt members who sign up will receive an annual membership for $49, which is regularly priced at $99, the company stated.

Areas available in the Mobile metro area include Bayou La Batre, Eight Mile, Fairhope, Grand Bay, Mobile, Prichard, Saraland, Semmes and Theodore.

In the Pensacola metro area, the areas include Lillian, Myrtle Grove and Pensacola.

It's yet another move by the Birmingham-based company, which was acquired by Target last year.

Jan Greer Endfinger, vice president of marketing for Greer's, said the company is excited about the move.

"Our slogan since the early 1900's is 'Greer's Got It! We Guarantee It!' This commitment to our customers continues in store and online," Endfinger said.

Items ordered will be delivered within a one-hour window, paid for through the app.

Shipt is also looking to expand its list of shoppers. To apply to be a Shipt shopper, visit Shipt.com and click "Get Paid to Shop."Verizon Wireless says it is working to resolve reported issues at markets in the South.

Most of the problems appear to be confined to the South, with outage issues reported in Mobile, Baton Rouge, La., Houston, Dallas and Austin, Texas, Tampa, Fla. and Atlanta.

Other reports are coming in from Washington, D.C., New York, Boston and Oklahoma City. A map posted on Outage Report showed other problems in portions of the northeast.

The problems appear to be interruptions in voice, text and data services.A 21-year-old man charged with capital murder says the victim was a child predator who made sexual advances towards him before the fatal shooting.

Stacy Gordon was set to face a Stand Your Ground hearing Tuesday morning, but Jefferson County Circuit Judge Tracie Todd ordered that the hearing be continued after she appointed another lawyer to join Gordon's defense team. Currently, Gordon is represented by Victor Revill.

In 2006, Alabama adopted Stand Your Ground provisions to its self-defense law, eliminating the duty to retreat from situations as long as the person defending themselves is not doing something unlawful. Legislators also added a provision that says a person who is justified using force, including deadly physical force, "is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force, unless the force was determined to be unlawful."

After a defendant is indicted, they may request a Stand Your Ground hearing where the defense team can present evidence and ask the judge to dismiss the charges based on the provision.

Gordon is charged with capital murder during the course of a robbery for the November 2017 slaying of 53-year-old Michael Shane Stepp. When Birmingham police arrived on the scene in the 2600 block of Seventh Avenue South, they found Stepp in the roadway. He was pronounced dead at 1:55 a.m. from an apparent gunshot wound.

Although the hearing was continued, a retired police lieutenant from Mobile was allowed to testify. Dennis Robertson, who was formerly employed with the Mobile Police Department and the Mobile County Sheriff's Office, testified about an investigation he conducted in 1987 and 1988 into a "predator sex ring" that Stepp was involved with.

According to Robertson, Stepp and five other adult men were part of a group that would "perpetrate deviant sexual acts" against underage children. Robertson said Stepp's role in the sex ring was to go into the community and lure teenage boys into his car with the promise of alcohol, drugs, and/or money. Once he lured the teens in the car, he drove them to a house in West Mobile where the group of men would provide whatever Stepp promised the teens in exchange for sexual acts.

Robertson said some of the sex ring victims were younger than 16, and the oldest victims were 18 or 19.

Six victims eventually came forward in the investigation and testified against the adult men, and the six men were charged with a total of 16 counts of sodomy. After his indictment, Stepp pleaded guilty to two counts of sodomy against a 15-year-old boy.

Robertson said Stepp was known in the sex ring as being a "sexual predator," but police weren't aware of any physical violence between Stepp and the victims.

"They swapped these boys around," Robertson said. While Stepp was only charged with abusing one victim, Robertson said he believes there were other victims and that the sex ring had been operating for over a decade before his investigation.

Following the hearing, Revill said he's confident the upcoming Stand Your Ground hearing will show that Gordon was trying to defend himself from Stepp's advances. "This guy was a predator," he said.

Stepp, while driving, approached Gordon three times on the night of the shooting, Revill said. Stepp kept asking Gordon if he needed help and gave Gordon his phone number. When Stepp later approached and saw Gordon still walking, he asked Gordon if he needed a ride home. Thinking Stepp was a good Samaritan, Revill said Gordon accepted the ride.

When Gordon got in the car, he noticed Stepp was driving in the opposite direction of his east Birmingham home. He asked Stepp to pull over repeatedly, but Stepp refused and said he was going to take Gordon somewhere to have sex, Revill said.

Revill said Gordon pulled out his gun to make Stepp pull over. When Stepp acted like he was pulling over, he reached for something and Gordon fired his weapon. "He was in fear for his life," Revill said. "Had he not defended himself, he may not be here today."

Revill continued, "He's the victim in this case... and he deserves our protection."

A new date for the Stand Your Ground hearing has not been set. Deputy District Attorney Shannon O'Guin is prosecuting the case.The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday overturned a federal court's ruling and cleared six Birmingham school resource officers of constitutional rights violations and excessive force claims for using pepper spray on students during fights at different city schools about 10 years ago.

The court ruled that the SROs have "qualified immunity" and can't be held "individually liable" for their actions.

A federal judge's order requiring new training and procedures be developed for how and when pepper spray devices can be used was also overturned by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Birmingham school resource officers can still use pepper spray in city high schools without any changes to its policies and procedures for decontamination.

Southern Poverty Law Center filed the federal lawsuit in 2010 against six Birmingham SROs and Police Chief A.C. Roper.

From 2006 to 2011, police in Birmingham public schools - whose students are predominantly African American - used chemical spray in 110 incidents in which about 300 students were sprayed. More than 1,200 others were exposed to the spray during those incidents, the SPLC stated.

In September 2015, U.S. District Court Judge Abdul Kallon ruled that Birmingham SROs use of the spray on students for non-violent minor incidents was unconstitutional. He was critical in his 120-page opinion of what he saw as Birmingham SROs "cavalier attitude" towards use of the spray for minor infractions such as back-talking school officials.

Kallon also ruled that six students sprayed by Freeze+P during fights at different schools, now about 10 years ago, had their constitutional rights violated and were entitled to $40,000 for claims of excessive force and SROs failure to properly decontaminate them in the aftermath of the incidents.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Kallon's full order on Monday stating the named plaintiff doesn't have standing to seek damages or seek an order blocking the use of pepper spray because he was no longer a student at Birmingham City Schools and doesn't have a sufficiently-plausible threat of future injury.

"We are disappointed in the decision and will continue to work to ensure that schools are safe places for all students and that SROs have adequate training," Maria Morris, senior supervising attorney with the SPLC, said in a statement.

In a joint statement, Birmingham City Attorney Nicole King and outside counsel Michael Choy, of Burr & Forman said the appellate court correctly held there were no constitutional violations in the case.

"We're pleased with the court of appeals favorable ruling on behalf of the six school resource officers (SROs) at the Birmingham Police Department and A.C. Roper, the police chief at the time of the case," they stated. "We fully support the Birmingham Police Department and our SROs in their commitment to keep our Birmingham high school students safe. During the case, the trial team recognized the SROs are trained to face a sometimes difficult balance to maintain a safe environment for students."The father of an infant boy who drowned in the bathtub Sunday night in east Jefferson County has been charged in his son's death.

Cordarius Cotton

Cordarius Cotton, 23, left 5-month-old Dezmend Cotton in the tub for more than an hour while the father played a video game, said Chief Deputy Randy Christian. Cotton is now charged with reckless manslaughter.

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, Dezmend 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.

Christian said the boy was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. Early information from the scene, he said, was that the father of the child placed him in the bathtub and left the room. When he returned, he found the child unresponsive.

Christian on Tuesday said Cotton was questioned by detectives and told them he turned the water on and put the boy in the tub. He then left the room to go play a video game and forgot about the child. When he returned to the bathtub about an hour later, he found Dezmend unresponsive.

Dezmend's mother was not home at the time. Two other children live in the home, but only one was there at the time. The children were placed in the care of a grandmother pending a DHR investigation.

Sheriff's investigators reviewed the case with Jefferson County District Attorney's Office on Monday and obtained the felony warrant against Cotton. He remains in the county jail.

Family members have declined to comment on Dezmend's death.

"We all have not only a moral obligation, but also a legal obligation to give proper care to a child whose life and well-being depends on a caregivers attention and actions,'' Christian said. "This was a heart-wrenching case for all involved including our personnel. God Bless this family and this little boy."An off-duty Birmingham firefighter is being lauded for helping to prevent tragedy Sunday.

Michael Sullivan of Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service posted on Facebook that he was on his way to his son's house when he stopped at a traffic light on Airport Road and Tallapoosa Street. He noticed a large truck going forward and then in reverse, about to hit several cars.

Sullivan saw that the driver was passed out. He hopped out of his vehicle and rushed to help. He was able to get the truck's door open and turn of the engine. He put on the parking brake and took the keys out of the vehicle.

He and Birmingham police got the motorist out of the truck and gave him first aid until more fire medics arrived to transport him to the hospital. "You've always got to be ready, even on your off day,'' Sullivan wrote.

BFRS spokesman Capt. Harold Watson said the department is proud of Sullivan and all firefighters.

"Firefighters respond to your need even when off duty,'' Watson said. "There are no true days off when you are a firefighter."A teen boy shot in south Birmingham Sunday was with a group of friends planning to rob people when his friends ended trying to rob him, police said.

The shooting happened at 7:48 p.m. at 29 Fifth Avenue South, police said. The 16-year-old male victim was taken to Children's of Alabama where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg. He is recovering.

Birmingham police Sgt. Johnny Williams said the investigation so far has shown that the teen boy picked up five friends and went to the Loveman Village area in search of robbery victims. Once they arrived, they were unable to locate anyone to rob.

That's when, Williams said, the five friends decided to rob the 16-year-old driver who had picked them up. They shot him in the leg when he refused to give up his car keys.

Police said the 16-year-old victim is not cooperating with detectives.So, what's an "app," what's a "hackathon," and why were Huntsville leaders so excited about both of them on Tuesday? Here's a short geek glossary to understand the interest in a $10,000 tech competition coming to the city in October.

An "app" used to be a small computer program downloaded onto a mobile device. For example, a GPS app to help you find the closest barbecue. Today, "app" can describe any software or technical product designed to solve any problem.

A "hackathon" is a software development competition with a time limit or a timeline. One of the biggest each year is NASA's 32-hour International Space Apps Challenge. It's global, and it challenges teams to use NASA data to solve specific challenges on Earth. This year's challenges haven't been spelled out yet.

NASA chooses a "Mainstage" for each year's challenge. New York City and Palo Alto, Calif., were last year's "Mainstages." This year, Huntsville is the Mainstage for the Oct. 19-21 event.

That means NASA will livestream Huntsville's hackathon worldwide, Toni Eberhart of Huntsville's Urban Engine told a press conference. "This puts Huntsville on the world stage," Eberhart said. It's a chance for the city's technology companies to field teams and show the world what's happening in Alabama.

Urban Engine helps develop and train computer talent in Huntsville. It has worked with more than 70 startups, staged more than 200 events for the local startup community and is hosting the October event.

Mayor Tommy Battle called the three-day hackathon "a challenge made for Huntsville, Ala." It's also free and open to the public.

The Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce is presenting sponsor of the event and has invited students ages 13 and up, high school teams, college students and professional teams to participate.

Harold (Hal) Brewer, the president of sponsoring company Intuitive Research and Technology, challenged the city's technology companies to field teams and show what the city can do.

Registration is free and there is $10,000 in cash to win. Read more about the challenge at spaceappshsv.com.The city of Huntsville is asking a judge to quash a subpoena for records in the case of William Darby, a police officer charged with murder of a mentally ill man.

The city attorney's office filed the motion on Monday asking the judge to deny a recent request from Madison County prosecutors to force the city to comply with the subpoena.

The records in question are audio and video recordings of the police review board hearing at which the department cleared Darby of wrongdoing.

Darby and two other officers testified at the hearing. Each signed Huntsville police documents acknowledging that they would either testify or potentially be fired, court records show. The documents also said any testimony in the review board hearing couldn't be used against them in court.

The review board records, according to the motion filed by City Attorney Trey Riley and Assistant City Attorney Eddie Blair, don't have to be turned over to prosecutors because of Supreme Court rulings that say police officers and other public employees have the right to be free from testifying against themselves.

However, prosecutors have said Huntsville has to turn over the records because the defense -- which is being funded by the city using taxpayer money -- asked for them.

Prosecutors are required to turn over any records that include "statements made by the defendant to any law enforcement officer, official or employee," according to the rules that govern court procedure in Alabama. In a motion filed in August, the defense asked that those and other records be turned over as part of the discovery process.

Madison County Circuit Judge Donna Pate hasn't yet ruled on the motions to compel and quash. A hearing is set for Friday morning.

In its motion, the city asked the judge to either quash the subpoena or allow the city to provide a sealed copy of the records to the court and the defense.

"Such a resolution would protect the city's interest in the integrity of its incident review board process while also protecting the state's now-stated concern for providing the defendant any exculpatory evidence available," the motion states.

The city attorney's office said the city has turned over to prosecutors other records related to the case. The district attorney's office received from Huntsville police the criminal investigation file, which includes body camera video and other evidence. The records of the review board hearing are not included in the criminal investigation file.

As is customary, Madison County District Attorney Rob Broussard and his chief deputy prosecutor attended the review board hearing along with the police department brass, representatives from the city attorney's office and members of the citizen review board. However, the decision whether Darby followed policy was left to three police captains, who cleared the 25-year-old officer of wrongdoing.

Prosecutors said in their court filing that no one was allowed to question witnesses at the hearing. In their response, city officials said that is "simply untrue."

Months after the review board hearing, a Madison County grand jury indicted Darby in the April 3 fatal shooting of Jeffrey Parker, a 49-year-old mentally ill man.

The day of the shooting, Parker called police, and said he was suicidal and had a gun. At the scene on Deramus Avenue, officers briefly spoke with Parker, and Darby ordered him to drop the gun. When Parker did not comply, Darby fatally shot him, the police department said.

The case has set up a duel between Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and the district attorney. Battle recently accused Broussard's office of "playing politics" in the case.

"In this great country of the free, let's take politics out of the courtroom and treat this police officer fairly," Battle said at the most recent city council meeting -- just days after the DA's office filed their motion to compel.

The judge has issued a gag order that applies only to the parties of the case -- prosecutors, law enforcement and the defense. Chief Trial Attorney Tim Gann and Assistant DA Tim Douthit are prosecuting.

Since Darby went from cleared by the department to indicted by a grand jury, the public has heard competing narratives.

Battle and Police Chief Mark McMurray say Officer William Darby did nothing wrong and isn't a murderer. On the other hand, Broussard was "gravely concerned" about Darby's actions and took the case to a grand jury. At least 12 of the 18 grand jurors agreed with the DA and issued an indictment for murder.

The city has refused to release body camera videos of the shooting to the public.

Huntsville fights subpoena for records in cop's murder case by Ashley Remkus on ScribdThe remains of an Alabama serviceman killed more than 50 years ago in Vietnam will be buried this week at Arlington National Cemetery.

Marine Cpl. Glyn L. Runnels Jr. of Birmingham was killed June 30, 1967 when the helicopter he was on crashed after being hit by enemy fire over Vietnam. He was 21 at the time of his death.

Runnels was one of five servicemen killed in the crash. Remains of two of the men, Marine Lance Cpl. Merlin R. Allen, 20, of Madison, Wisconsin, and Navy Hospital Corpsman Michael B. Judd, 21, of Cleveland, Ohio, were identified in 2013. The remains of Runnels, along with are Capt. John A. House, II, 28, of Pelham, New York and Lance Cpl. John D. Killen, III, 18, of Davenport, Iowa, were identified in 2015.

Runnels, House and Killen will be buried as a group with full military honors on Sept. 27, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

Search and recovery

On June 30, 1967, House was the pilot of a CH-46A Sea Knight helicopter who, along with three other crew members, was attempting to insert eight members of Company A, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, into hostile territory in Thua Thien-Hue Province, Vietnam.

The helicopter was struck by enemy fire as it approached the landing zone, causing the aircraft to catch fire and crash. Five U.S. personnel were killed; seven survived and were later rescued.

In 1993, a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam team investigated the case in Thua Thein-Hue Province. The team interviewed local villagers who claimed to have discovered an aircraft crash site in 1991 in the nearby forest while searching for wood. The team surveyed the location, finding helicopter-related wreckage with no distinguishing markings.



In 2012, the joint recovery teams excavated the crash site and recovered human remains as well as life support equipment and aircraft wreckage from the CH-46A helicopter. Other recovery efforts in 2013 and 2014 failed to yield any additional human remains, DPAA said.

The remains were later identified through mitochondrial DNA and dental analysis.

According to the DPAA, there are 1,594 American servicemen and civilians still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.

House's, Killen's and Runnels' names are recorded on the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, and the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, along with others who are unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War. A rosette will be placed next to their names to indicate they have been accounted for.During P.E. class last week, a second-grader at Blossomwood Elementary went into the bathroom with his friend and showed him the gun he'd brought to school. As he and his friend examined it, the gun went off. The boy who brought the gun was shot in the hand.

The injury wasn't serious, but the reaction was swift. Parents flooded the hallways that day to check on their children after receiving word that a student had been shot.

A few years ago, Huntsville City Schools rezoned kids from the city's poorest neighborhoods into Blossomwood and a few other majority-white schools at the city center, in an effort to get the district out from under a 50-year-old desegregation order.

Since then, some Blossomwood parents expressed concern that their school was not as safe as it used to be. Some families pulled out their kids.

For a school - and a school system - working to make educational opportunities equally available to all children, last week's shooting incident goes much deeper than the national gun debate.

A brief history

To understand why the shooting incident at Blossomwood is about more than just a gun in school, you have to go back a few years.

The city has been under a federal desegregation order since 1970, and as a consequence, had to seek approval from the U.S. Department of Justice if it wanted to redraw school zone lines.

Many parents and school leaders, especially in white neighborhoods, have long wanted more local control. The only way they were going to get it, some officials have argued, is by coming out from under the decades-old federal desegregation order.

Judge Madeline Haikala

In 2014, the system pushed to change zone lines, despite federal objections. They took the dispute to court and found the case in front of the newly appointed U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala. Judge Haikala decided to review the entire case and to move the system toward ending the desegregation order, a relic now found in fewer than 200 systems nationwide, most of them in Mississippi and Alabama.

In the end, the legal wrangling led to a wide-ranging road map that laid out how the district should address racial disparities in discipline, zoning, academics and more. It was called the consent order, an agreement hatched between the school district and the Department of Justice and approved by the court. Its purpose is to bring the district out from under its decades-old federal desegregation order.

But after zone lines were redrawn and plans were made, wide-ranging integration only happened at a handful of schools, mostly in the city center where majority white and majority black schools were closest. Blossomwood was one.

When everything shifted

Zone lines officially moved in the fall of 2015.

The starkest change came to the city center, where schools in the Huntsville High School feeder pattern - including Blossomwood - are now some of the most integrated non-magnet schools in the district.

Rezoning students from public housing west of Memorial Parkway into that zone meant that black students from some of the poorest neighborhoods in Huntsville would go to schools that served some of the most affluent white neighborhoods.

It all coincided with a DOJ-required overhaul of the city's discipline policy, teacher shuffling to meet racial quotas, and a host of other changes.

Parents and concerned citizens attend a hearing at Columbia High School in January 2015 about the proposed consent order. (File)

Those first years, some parents pulled their kids out of Blossomwood and other schools in that feeder pattern because they said they no longer felt safe. They talked about their kids being bullied by the "new" kids from the other side of the Parkway. Some said their kids' teachers spent so much time trying to manage a few rowdy students that they didn't have time for the rest of the class. Parents worried about a perceived decrease in academic rigor.

Parents whose kids had been rezoned from their neighborhood schools in poorer areas said their kids struggled to keep up with their new schools' higher academic standards and different behavioral norms. They said they felt out of place.

Many parents banded together, launching school-based initiatives aimed at welcoming the new students into their schools. They worked with the district to create the kinds of social services and supports that their schools had never seemed to need before.

"There has been a whole cultural shift," one Blossomwood Elementary parent told AL.com in 2016, "and that will not settle overnight."

A look at numbers

A common concern around downtown Huntsville became that parents with means were pulling out their kids and taking their resources - the time they could spend at the school volunteering, the extra money they had to spend on school fundraisers - elsewhere.

That did happen, to an extent. A look at the data, from fall of 2015 to fall of 2018:

- Since lines were redrawn in 2015, Blossomwood Elementary has gone from 55 percent white to 51 percent white in the fall of 2018, and 35 percent black to 38 percent black. The school lost 58 white students during that time and lost three black students, according to data the district has provided to the federal court and to AL.com.

- Nearby Jones Valley Elementary, which also feeds into Huntsville High, saw a greater change, though it remains slightly more white than Blossomwood. The student population went from 64 percent white in 2015 to 52 percent white in 2018, and 21 percent black to 29 percent black over the same time frame. The school lost 96 white students and gained 34 black students during that time.

- At Huntsville Junior High, also in the feeder pattern, the percentage of white students dropped slightly from 50 to 47 percent of the population, while black students' percentage rose from 36 to 41 percent.

- Huntsville High receives students from predominantly white schools in Hampton Cove, feeder schools that were not affected by the new zone lines because of the distance and the logistics in crossing Monte Sano Mountain. The high school went from 65 percent white in fall of 2015 to 66 percent white in fall of 2018, and the share of black students dropped slightly from 22 percent to 20 percent during the same time period.

- Overall, Huntsville City schools' racial makeup has barely changed. The district went from 40 percent white and 39 percent black in 2015 to 39 percent white and 39 percent black three years later.

'Watching people leave'

Ayoka Billions pulled one of her children from Blossomwood Elementary two years ago to homeschool him for a semester after he struggled in a disruptive classroom. He returned the next year, though, and has had a great experience since, she said. Her other two children are also in Huntsville City schools.

But for those first couple of years, she watched with worry as the school she'd known for years changed and families left.

"Somebody mentioned reaching that tipping point where you lose so many families that your school is one of the inner-city schools where nobody wants to send their kids," she said. "If you're a 'good parent' you move or send your kids to private school. I don't want that to happen to our system.

"As a parent that's been my biggest concern, watching people leave."

Erin Cobb, whose son is a Blossomwood student and daughter attends Huntsville Junior High, said there was always talk each year, even before the consent order, about who's going to choose public or private schools.

Despite bumps in the road those first years, she said, her kids are happy and thriving, just as they were before the rezoning.

"When I walk through the halls and see diversity, it makes me happy," she said. Her kids and others, she pointed out, continue to score highly on standardized tests and have forged lasting friendships with kids they likely wouldn't have met if not for the rezoning.

Over the past few years, she said, it's taken the concentrated effort of neighborhood families, transfer families and newly-zoned families to forge a new kind of community around the school.

"I believe in the importance of public school in our community," she said. "For our society, it's so important, and for our family it's an active choice to be a part of that. We want to be a bridge and not a barrier. We are those positive voices in our community speaking out so people know our school is thriving."

Disbanding schools

As a result of the consent order, the north Huntsville community and its majority-black schools had to contend with upheaval in nearly every neighborhood as their schools were closed, consolidated and new schools opened.

Dr. Sonnie Hereford III (Eric Schultz / eschultz@al.com)

Catherine Hereford testified last year before the federal court in the desegregation case. Her grandfather, Sonnie Hereford III, was the one who filed the lawsuit in 1963 to end segregated schooling in Huntsville.

Many in the black community were upset, she told AL.com, that their neighborhood schools were closed and consolidated. "Devaluing and disbanding the schools that served the black community was a mistake, in my opinion," she told AL.com this spring.

She laid blame at the feet of former superintendent Casey Wardnyski, who oversaw the closing of majority-black Butler and Johnson High Schools and the consolidation into Jemison High School. North Huntsville community leaders said their concerns had been - and in some cases continue to be - ignored.

"Lack of transparency and community involvement created a lot of mistrust," she said.

Some schools in the district remain segregated. The new Sonnie Hereford Elementary in North Huntsville - the namesake of Catherine's grandfather - is 69 percent black and 6 percent white. Goldsmith-Schiffman Elementary in the Hampton Cove area is 77 percent white and 7 percent black.

'The school is diversifying'

When Ne'Keshia Jabbar and her husband transferred their son from a majority-black school to Blossomwood Elementary about six years ago, he was the only black student in his first-grade class. The Jabbars had conflicting feelings leaving their neighborhood school, but said Blossomwood had better resources and opportunities for their children than the school they'd left behind.

Their son was in fourth grade the year the zone lines changed, and Jabbar said she watched as parents pulled their kids out of Blossomwood in the months following.

"Of course that's offensive," she said. "Because the school is diversifying, they feel like it will affect the school in a negative way, and therefore they're going to pull their child out and send them to a private school?

"But in a sense, I understood," she said. "When you have a different demographic come to your school, and a lot of them come from areas that are poverty-stricken, you get a different set of dynamics at the school. You get different types of problems in the classrooms."

The Jabbars stay involved at school, and Ne'Keshia is PTA secretary this year. She said she adores the teachers and principal, and her kids have had a great year.

Then came the shooting incident last week.

"Honestly, when I found out about it, I said, 'God, please don't let it be a black boy,'" she said.

"If it's one of us, then we have those stereotypes reinforced even more. It's hard to fight those stigmas."

Changes in leadership

Teachers would normally provide much-needed stability in a time of change, but the consent order made that nearly impossible. The same year schools were rezoned, the district shuffled teachers around to accommodate the new student patterns because racial balance among teachers was one consideration of the consent order.

The number of teachers who retired or quit after that was large enough that the school board heard a special presentation on it.

At least 14 schools had new principals in 2015, including Jones Valley, Huntsville Junior High and Huntsville High. The district had four superintendents between the fall of 2016 and the fall of 2018. School board members squabbled. Teachers and administrators could not talk publicly. The DOJ watched it all from afar.

Last spring at a status conference on the consent order, the court received a letter, written by a parent, that was also read during a public school board meeting by Blossomwood's school board representative, Beth Wilder.

In the letter, the parent, whose children attend Huntsville Junior High, said the school is full of students who are "happy, tight-knit and thriving."

"This very diverse school in the middle of the city has become one strong, unified community," the parent wrote. And yet, those working for the betterment of the school "desperately need to hear some positive acknowledgement and encouragement from the court and the Department of Justice.

"They need to hear that you are all aware that progress is being made, in tangible and intangible ways. That the ultimate goal is to strengthen, not tear apart, our system and our city."

Discipline

New discipline rules went into effect in 2015, the same chaotic fall that the zone lines changed. A new student Code of Conduct, agreed to under the consent order, was created as a way to keep more students in the classroom and promote early intervention for children with chronic behavioral problems.

The new code severely curtailed the use of out-of-school suspensions and eliminated expulsion for elementary students.

It was meant to address Huntsville City's history of racially discriminatory discipline practices. For years, black students have accounted for the vast majority of suspensions and other disciplinary practices. In 2015, 82 percent of suspensions were black students, even though they represented just 40 percent of the student population.

But that first year, by most accounts, the brand-new discipline policy added another layer of instability to the schools.

Teachers received conflicting directives over how and when to punish disruptive students. Some parents said their children weren't safe from bullies who escaped consequences. Teachers at one elementary school in North Huntsville filed multiple incident reports about being attacked by students in a school environment they said was out of control.

Andrea Hamilton, an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, told Judge Haikala in 2017 that the DOJ heard more concerns and complaints regarding discipline than any other topic.

"Our biggest challenge (with implementing the consent order) is discipline," School Board President Elisa Ferrell told AL.com in the spring of 2018. "We have a lot of experts working on that."

A variety of support staff, including behavioral interventionists, classroom aides and social workers, were hired to work with students at schools.

The district eventually replaced the Code of Conduct with the Behavioral Learning Guide, which was created with teacher and parent input. It's gone through multiple iterations over the past couple of years.

But after the accidental shooting incident at Blossomwood, student discipline and the Behavioral Learning Guide are again at the center of concern for parents.

When Aaron and Shannon Hase moved to Huntsville five years ago, they said they toured all the private schools in the area, but chose Blossomwood because they were "completely blown away by Blossomwood, the principal and the teachers we met," said Shannon. The couple have a kindergartener at Blossomwood. "Just by visiting the school, it was a no-brainer to send our children there."

They followed the progress of the school system's attempt to meet the considerations of the consent order, they said, and were pleased to see discipline issues improve after an initially rocky start.

But now they want the student who brought the gun to school to be expelled.

"(School officials) have talked a lot about gun safety in the home, which I am all for," said Shannon, "but if there's going to be a zero-tolerance policy at home, we want to see a zero-tolerance policy at school by the higher administration."

Huntsville Superintendent Christie Finley (Huntsville City Schools)

Superintendent Christie Finley has said the student who brought the gun isn't currently at Blossomwood, but she will not discuss any discipline the student might receive, citing a federal law that requires educational records to be kept private.

"For a lot of families we know, how (the district) handles this is going to affect whether they take their kids out," said Shannon.

Aaron Hase said they were satisfied with how the Blossomwood teachers and principal handled the accidental shooting situation. But he still wants to see a zero-tolerance policy regarding guns, no matter a child's age.

"We've had a lot of friends that have left (Blossomwood) in the last year or two, as stuff comes up," he said. "I can't fault them one way or another.

"But I don't know how many waves of that the school system can handle before you lose all your kids."

'Passionate and determined'

Many parents who spoke to AL.com seem to worry not so much about whether the school system can correct any missteps - that has been happening, with more support programs for students, less teacher shuffling, and a conduct code that had stakeholder input.

What they worry about is whether or not their fellow parents will stay.

That's why the shooting incident weighs so heavily on the community. The identity of the student who brought the gun to Blossomwood has not been released, but his father was arrested the next day for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and for receiving stolen property - the police said the gun had been stolen.

The implication is that the student might live in one of the areas of town that were rezoned into the school. He became the concrete embodiment of some parents' fears over safety.

Three days after the shooting, Superintendent Finley announced a series of public forums on safety and other issues, and the creation of a school safety task force. She also floated plans for holding parents accountable for gun safety issues.

"This situation could have been avoided," she said of the shooting. "I'm very upset about it. Our parents and the schools are very upset about it, and we will address it."

The morning of the shooting incident, as parents came to Blossomwood to check on their children, a group of parents gathered in the nearby Blossomwood Pool parking lot and watched as police officers hurried in and out of the school.

Cate DeFiore, whose daughter is in second grade, could see her daughter's class on the playground. She watched as the students played and laughed with their teacher.

"We've been through many changes and we're stronger now than ever," DeFiore said.

"We are a passionate and determined group, and I believe we will turn the fear and anger we felt into action."Andrew Wyatt, the spokesperson for disgraced comedian Bill Cosby, said today's sentencing of the 81-year-old comes at the end of the "most racist and sexist trial in the history of the United States."

Cosby was sentenced Tuesday to three to 10 years in state prison by Pennsylvania Judge Steven O'Neill after being found guilty in April of the 2004 sexual assault of Andrea Constand. Constand is one of more than a dozen women who claims they were assaulted by the iconic star best known for his family image and long-running television classic "The Cosby Show."

O'Neill ordered that Cosby be designated as a "sexually violent predator" and be held without bail during pending appeals. He was taken to Montgomery County, Pennsylvania jail for processing before being transferred to state prison.

Wyatt said his client is "doing great" and "knows that God is watching over him."

"They persecuted Jesus and look what happened," Wyatt said. "I'm not saying Mr. Cosby is Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries."

Who is Andrew Wyatt?

Wyatt is the founder of Purpose PR, a Birmingham-based company. He's a native of Bessemer and attended Miles College before working in local television markets.

It's unclear when he began working for Cosby but a 2013 release regarding the comedian's visit to Miles College lists Wyatt as the contact. Filings with the Alabama Secretary of State's Office showed Purpose PR was formed in 2007 in Jefferson County, listing Park Side Circle in Hoover as its street address.

In 2016, Wyatt told PRWeek he was having to use "unorthodox" ways to get Cosby's story to the public.

"We can't just put messages out because anything we say we could be possibly sued (for)," Wyatt said. "Our statements have to come through the motions our attorneys file. We can't just ultimately go out there and do interviews and speak freely. So the strategy is not the one we normally would do."

At the time Wyatt said his firm had suffered no backlash from representing Cosby.

"It is no different than attorneys that represent criminals and murderers," he said. "It doesn't represent the firms. Our objective is just to do a job. My job is to give it 120 percent."The fate of the only nuclear power plant under construction in the U.S. has come down to last-minute brinkmanship.

Southern Co. and one of its minority partners in the troubled $28 billion Vogtle project are squaring off ahead of a Tuesday afternoon deadline. Oglethorpe Power Corp., which holds a 30 percent stake, has said it would continue with the effort to build two new reactors in Georgia if costs were capped - a condition Southern rejected. A "no" from Oglethorpe would kill the project, Southern said late Monday.

"It appears that something like a game of chicken could be under way," said Paul Patterson, an analyst for Glenrock Associates LLC.

The Vogtle project - which has doubled in price and is running more than five years behind schedule - is critical to the U.S. nuclear industry. Existing reactors are struggling to compete with cheap natural gas and renewable energy, and efforts to build new ones have all but dried up. Cost overruns forced Scana Corp. to abandon a half-built project in South Carolina last year, leaving Southern and its partners as the only companies left building reactors in the U.S.

Shares of Atlanta-based Southern slid as much as 2.3 percent to $42.84, the lowest intraday level in more than three months. They were trading at $42.92 at 2:33 p.m. in New York.

The Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia and Dalton Utilities, the other minority partners, have already agreed to go forward. Oglethorpe has until 5 p.m. New York time Tuesday to decide, according to a Georgia Power statement. That deadline was extended from Monday, when Oglethorpe offered to move forward with the project if measures were enacted to control costs.

"We are hopeful that the Southern Company will agree with a proposal to protect our rural energy consumers in Georgia who should not be responsible for excessive future increases in the costs of this project," Oglethorpe Chief Executive Officer Mike Smith said in a statement.

Hours later, Southern shot back with a statement of its own, saying Oglethorpe had "demanded concessions to avoid obligations that it undertook when it became an owner of the project."

Oglethorpe offered its rebuttal Tuesday morning, saying it wanted to clear up a "misinformation campaign."

"Let the record show that Oglethorpe Power is far from being obstructionist," the company said in a statement. "In fact, we have offered Georgia Power and its parent, Southern Company, several options."

Southern assumed responsibility for managing its construction of the project near Augusta, Georgia, after contractor Westinghouse Electric Co. went bankrupt last year.

Costs have ballooned from an initial budget of about $14.1 billion. Southern owns 46 percent of the project, and the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia has a 23 percent share. Dalton Utilities owns 1.6 percent.

Last week, the U.S. Energy Department warned Southern's partners against pulling out of the project, saying it would prompt the government to demand repayment of about $5.6 billion in federal loans. The agency said in a letter that the new plant is a "linchpin in the all-of-the-above energy strategy required to sustain our nation's economic strength and energy independence."

Pressure has also been building to abandon the reactors. A Florida utility is suing to get out of a contract to buy electricity from the plant. Georgia lawmakers, meanwhile, called last week for a price cap on the project.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, has lobbied to keep the project alive, saying it would provide economic benefits and carbon-free electricity.

"I also call upon Oglethorpe Power Company to reconsider its decision before walking away from 7,000 GA jobs," he wrote on Twitter, calling the Vogtle plant "a critical infrastructure and economic development project."Embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will appear on Fox News channel's "The Story with Martha MacCallum" tonight, the network announced Monday.

The interview, which will include Kavanaugh's wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, will air at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT).

Kavanaugh will address recent allegations made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of sexual assault decades ago. Ford is tentatively set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

In early excerpts from the interview, Kavanaugh denies the allegations.

"The truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise. 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 I've never sexually assaulted anyone," he said.

As to whether he was at the party described by Ford, 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. Ford's lifelong friend has said she doesn't know me and never remembers being at a party with me at any time in her life."

He will also address new accusations by former Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez, who said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were first year law students.

Ashley Kavanaugh will also address the allegations, the first time she has spoken publicly about the matter.

Kavanaugh told Fox he has no plans to drop out of the bid for the Supreme Court.

"I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process and we're looking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend my integrity my lifelong record. My lifelong record of promoting dignity and equality for women starting with the women who knew me when I was 14 years old. I'm not going anywhere," he said.

"I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity and I know I'm telling the truth 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."Today is National Voter Registration Day - a perfect time to sign up and make sure you can cast a ballot in the next election.

In Alabama, the general election is Nov. 6. A host of statewide races, including governor, as well as Congressional seats, will be on the ballot. Oct. 22 is the voting registration deadline; Nov. 1 is the last day for a voter to make application for an absentee ballot; and Nov. 5 is the last day for voters to hand-deliver or postmark an absentee ballot.

Any Alabamian may register to vote as long as they are a citizen of the U.S.; resides in Alabama; is at least 18 years old on or before election day; has not been barred from voting due to a disqualifying felony conviction; or has not been declared mentally incompetent by a court.

According to the Alabama Secretary of State's Office, applicants may register the same day that they move into the state.

Citizens can register to vote all year, except during the 14 days prior to the election and on election day. You can submit your voter registration application at alabamavotes.gov. Paper registration forms must be postmarked, hand-delivered to the Board of Registrars or submitted to a participating agency-based voter registration location.

If you're already registered to vote and you move, you should immediately notify your local Board of Registrars. Alabama law requires that any voter whose name or address is not correct on the voter list must provide current information before being allowed to vote.

How to register to vote in Alabama:

At alabamavotes.gov/olvr if you have an Alabama driver's license or nondriver identification card;

By using the Vote for Alabama app;

When applying for or renewing a State of Alabama driver's license or nondriver identification card;

At state and local government offices when applying or recertifying for Aid to Dependent Children, SNAP, TANF, Food Stamps, WIC, Medicaid, or Rehabilitation Services;

At public libraries;

At armed forces recruiting stations;

At the Board of Registrars located at the county seat in the voter's county of residence; or

By mail-in form available at Probate Judge and License Commissioner offices, colleges, universities, public schools, or libraries. A mail-in registration form may also be obtained by calling the county Board of Registrars or the Elections Division in the Office of the Secretary of State at 1-800-274- VOTE (8683) by mail-in form downloaded from the Secretary of State's website at alabamavotes.gov.

Looking for voter registration information from other states? You can find that information here.State Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne and two others indicted in an alleged bribery scheme claim that federal prosecutors made prejudicial statements to the grand jury and altered a transcript of grand jury proceedings to cover that up.

Trina Health CEO Ford Gilbert and lobbyist and former state Republican Party Chairman Marty Connors filed motions to dismiss the case on Monday, along with Davis. Gilbert asked for a hearing on the claims.

In July, a grand jury indicted Davis, Gilbert and Connors on charges that they conspired to force or coerce insurers to cover treatments at Trina Health-affiliated clinics in Alabama. The defendants have denied the charges. A trial is scheduled for January.

The motion to dismiss by Davis says that in June prosecutors gave defense attorneys an edited transcript of grand jury testimony that included two references to "off the record" discussions.

In August, prosecutors gave the defense an unedited transcript that fills in those gaps with portions of an exchange between Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross and a grand juror, the Davis motion says.

Ross told the grand juror, "Our position is that Trina Health is not a legitimate enterprise, period. They're not - I don't know if that's come across yet. They are snake it's snake oil. Does that make sense?"

In the motion, Davis claims the transcript was edited "to cover up the improper, derogatory and prejudicial statements made to the grand jury by the AUSA's (assistant U.S. attorneys) involved."

Davis claims the prosecutors' actions violated the defendants' constitutional rights under the due process clause of the 5th Amendment and 14th Amendment.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Doug Howard said today the prosecutors would file a written response to the misconduct and dismissal claims.

Prosecutors first filed charges in the case in April. They have named three Republican lawmakers as being participants in the alleged scheme.

Gilbert lives in California and is the founder of Trina Health. Clinics affiliated with his company opened in Alabama in 2014 and 2015.

In 2015, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, the state's largest insurer, decided it would not cover the "artificial pancreas treatments" because of Medicare guidelines and a determination that the treatment is "investigational" and does not meet its medical criteria.

The indictment says that Gilbert bribed Davis and former House Majority Leader Micky Hammon, R-Decatur, to promote legislation to force or coerce Blue Cross Blue Shield into covering the treatments. Hammon is not charged. He served three months in federal prison earlier this year after pleading guilty to mail fraud, a case that involved using campaign funds for personal expenses.

State Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills, was indicted as an alleged participant in the Trina Health scheme in April but was not charged in the superseding indictment issued in July. Williams' lawyer and prosecutors have said Williams is expected to enter a pretrial diversion program.

None of the lawmakers named will return when new legislative terms start in November.

Hammon was removed from office by his conviction and has been replaced. Williams did not seek reelection but lost a run for the Jefferson County Commission. Davis did not run for reelection.

Randy Davis motion to dismiss by Mike Cason on ScribdPolice have identified a man who was fatally shot in Tuskegee early Sunday morning, according to local news reports.

The Tuskegee Police Department is investigating the shooting as a homicide, WSFA News 12 reported.

Officials identified the victim as David Wright IV. Police said he was found suffering from a gunshot wound in the 400 block E. Martin Luther King Highway just after 2 a.m. Sunday, police said.

He was taken to the hospital in Columbus, Georgia, by medical helicopter were he later died, police said.

Police have identified a suspect, but no charges have been filed. Anyone with information about the shooting should contact the Tuskegee Police Department at 334-727-0200 or Secret Witness Line at 334-727-9865.This is an opinion column.

The Supreme Court seat vacated by Justice Anthony Kennedy's resignation is possibly the most significant position in American politics over the next few decades. Kennedy, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, has often been the decisive swing vote on the Supreme Court during his tenure. His opinions cement him as a strong independent on issues ranging from gun rights and campaign finance to abortion and the death penalty.

Democrats have demonstrated a willingness to fight for the seat; Republicans must do the same. That's why they should consider Attorney General Jeff Sessions for the Supreme Court if Judge Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation stalls.

It might sound crazy, but consider all the dynamics at play.

Right now, Democrats hope to create enough doubt about Kavanaugh's character to delay or deny his confirmation. Republicans, on the other hand, need to fill the Supreme Court vacancy before the midterm elections.

Allowing Democrats to focus their political campaigns on an open Supreme Court seat would be a major failure for Republicans. Trump, for example, gained a tremendous amount of electoral momentum running to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by Antonin Scalia's death. Democrats will attempt to recreate that dynamic in their favor.

On top of that, it's no secret that President Donald Trump doesn't like Sessions at all. Even so, Trump is in a tough position to fire Sessions outright. Democrats will cast any effort to fire the attorney general as an effort by Trump to assert control over Special Counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation. In short, Trump needs a legitimate excuse to move Sessions out of the Department of Justice if he'd like him gone before the Mueller investigation is complete.

If Democrats scuttle Kavanaugh's confirmation to the point where the Senate can't schedule a vote in the next few weeks, Republicans need a quick alternative.

Enter Sessions.

First, the Senate approved Sessions as attorney general in February of 2017. That wasn't too long ago. He's weathered the confirmation storm successfully. Democrats didn't pull any punches, so the likelihood they could derail Sessions would be slim.

He's also a known quantity. Democrats couldn't seriously argue that they don't have enough time to thoroughly vet him. They'd be able to ask some tough questions about his tenure as attorney general, but that's a relatively finite window.

More importantly, Democrats have publicly applauded and supported Sessions for representing the rule of law. He's nearly impossible for them to present as a Trump acolyte--particularly in light of the constant abuse he's endured from the president.

If Kavanaugh fails, Trump could appoint Sessions and pick a successor attorney general more to his liking. Sessions would become a staunch, qualified conservative Supreme Court justice. Democrats go into the midterms without a SCOTUS seat in play. Win for Trump. Win for GOP senators. Win for Republicans.

So what are the drawbacks?

Sessions will be 72 years old in December. Republicans would obviously like to put a younger jurist on the Supreme Court. The move also exposes Republicans to a nasty attorney general confirmation after the midterms. That's not going to be fun...at all. Finally, it requires Republicans to admit defeat on Kavanaugh's confirmation.

Taking lumps in an attorney general confirmation that might happen anyway and conceding Kavanaugh's confirmation are nothing compared to filling a swing seat on the Supreme Court. Concerns about age are fair, but there's an opportunity to address that if Republicans have the stomach for bare-knuckle politics.

Trump could appoint Sessions, and the Senate could confirm him. After the midterms, Republicans could reevaluate. If the Senate falls to Democrats, Sessions would simply remain on the Supreme Court. If Republicans keep the Senate, Sessions could serve for a year or so and resign in advance of the 2020 elections. Trump would be able to replace him with a younger nominee, and GOP senators wouldn't be as pressed as they are now.

That's about as brutal as politics gets, but a fifth vote on the Supreme Court is a game changer in terms of the legal landscape in America. Democrats and Republicans aren't likely to find a compromise candidate that both sides support. At the heart of the disagreement are incompatible views on topics like gun rights, abortion, and religious liberty. Americans passionately hold views in those spaces and obviously want five Supreme Court justices who agree with them.

Is nominating Sessions to the Supreme Court a wild idea? Certainly. But Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) ought to be prepared if Kavanaugh fails. If Sessions isn't the answer, Republicans must find another one quickly.

Cameron Smith is a regular columnist for AL.com who previously served as counsel for Jeff Sessions in the Senate.Iranian leaders are interested in preserving the Iran nuclear agreement, despite looming US sanctions on oil sales.

Tehran, Iran  This time last year, to buy one American dollar cost you 38,000 Iranian riyals. When President Hassan Rouhanis plane hit the tarmac in New York City on Sunday night, that number stood at a whopping 150,000.

The drastic difference between those two figures represents the impact of US President Donald Trumps policies towards Iran.

While economic mismanagement by Iranian leaders has also contributed to the countrys current financial problems, the steep decline in the value of Irans currency in the last 12 months tells us something else.





Despite their best intentions and ongoing efforts to sustain benefits for Iran, remaining signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal  Europe, China and Russia  have been unable to do enough to stop Irans economy from suffering seemingly uncontrollable bleeding.

An attack on a veterans parade in the west of the country, that happened the day before Rouhani left to attend the United Nations General Assembly, is likely to put Irans message of self-determination with regards to national security matters centre stage.

But there is little doubt that delegates will use this week to re-energize their campaign to sustain the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and tell world leaders if things dont get better soon, moral victories like the support of most of the international community, will stop being enough.

Preserving the deal still remains in everyones best interest. Germany, France, the UK, China and Russia say Iran is complying with the nuclear agreement and should continue to do so.

For Iran, the deal was more than a return to international markets, it was a chance to reinvent itself in an international context. Iran wants to show the world it is more than a country of clerics and conflicts. Leaders are eager to showcase their nation as one of diplomats and dealmakers; an international partner in the Middle East that can help create stability and promote progress. But to do so, Iran says it needs to be able to sell its oil.

Black gold

American sanctions targeting Iranian oil sales kick in this November. While they are likely to pinch, the math remains on Irans side.

Right now, Iran loads oil onto tankers and sails into international waters to sell to countries such as China.

Hacks like that have allowed Iran to maintain a revenue stream from oil sales, which officials say has never fluctuated much. Market forces and demand for oil on the international market are likely to mean Iran will continue to find customers to buy its supply.

What this is really about is bypassing blocked access to international banking as well as legitimising the kinds of trade that Iran has carried out in the dark corners of alternative and black markets for years.

While the economic damage by the American exit from the nuclear deal and resulting sanctions has already been done, for Iran preserving the agreement is about the long game.

Iranian leaders are already talking about a post-Trump US government and what new leadership  not just in the White House but also in the House of Representatives and in the US Senate  might mean for their countrys long-term goals.

But in the short term, it means continuing to struggle under the heavy burden of American sanctions.Europes increasingly hardline refugee policy is raising concerns about the transparency of search and rescue in the Mediterranean, now that all vessels operated by aid organisations have been put out of action.

Panamanian authorities informed Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials, MSF) on Sunday that they would revoke the registration of its vessel, the Aquarius, even as it pulled 58 rescued asylum seekers on board.

It was the last non-state search and rescue vessel in operation.

Were looking for whatever flag will allow the ship to do its job  Were in this process [of applying] to all [EU] member states, Apostolos Veizis, head of MSF programmes in Greece, told Al Jazeera.

Europes policy now is quite clearly push-backs, border closure and detention, he added.

MSF has blamed Italy for pressing the Panamanian government to revoke Aquarius flag.

The far-right Italian government, which took office on June 1, has impounded private search and rescue vessels, accusing the organisations that operate them of collusion with smugglers.

A ship is not a place to process a proper asylum claim. To hold refugees in detention is also not allowed. Axel Steier, head Mission Lifeline

Now that state-controlled coastguard vessels control search and rescue in the Mediterranean, Italy is urging the rest of the European Union to give them greater discretionary powers to process asylum seekers offshore.

Earlier this month, the Italian and Austrian interior ministers floated a plan to conduct rapid screenings at sea.

For those who manage to make it into a European states territorial waters and are then picked up by a ship, we should use the ships to carry out the appropriate checks on whether they deserve protection, said Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl, estimating that the process should take a few days.

He did not clarify what would happen to rejected applicants.

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Human rights and aid organisations told Al Jazeera they have doubts about the legal and moral rectitude of such a procedure.

I think the main goal is to close the Mediterranean front. The Libya-Italy route is where this mainly applies, and it would legalise the return to Libya of a large number of people, says Vasilis Papastergiou, deputy head of the Hellenic League for Human Rights, Greeces top human rights watchdog.

This may greatly reduce the number of asylum applicants. But is that the goal? If so, one can simply close the border or do push-backs  Its a form of effectiveness that violates international agreements.

Push-backs are forced returns of potential asylum seekers to countries where they may face violence or persecution, and are illegal under the 1951 Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees, the main international pact governing refugee rights.

Beyond the legal and ethical issues, many express concern about the practicalities of processing traumatised asylum seekers on board a packed vessel.

I think you need to be prepared to ask  whether or not people being held in potentially difficult conditions on board can give an accurate and clear picture of why they are fleeing violence and why they need protection, says Susan Fratzke from the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, DC, whether or not they would receive a fair hearing given their own mental state and given the conditions they are in.

The proposal is chilling  It is ludicrous to suggest in this situation of mass influx that any asylum application, for eligibility or admissibility, can be determined 'in a few days. Ariel Ricker, Advocates Abroad founder

A ship is not a place to process a proper asylum claim. To hold refugees in detention is also not allowed, says Axel Steier, head of the aid group Mission Lifeline.

Its ship, Lifeline, was impounded by Maltese authorities last July, after Italian authorities refused to let it dock and opened a judicial investigation into the group.

Al Jazeera witnessed the ships entry into Valetta after it had spent six days at sea with 233 asylum seekers on board, including women and children.

Italys populist government has not only been instrumental in quashing private search and rescue; it has even prevented its own coastguard vessels from bringing asylum seekers on land.

On August 20, Italian coastguard ship Diciotti was allowed to enter Catania harbour after six days at sea, but 177 refugees, including 34 children, were not allowed to disembark until other EU countries pledged to take them.

The proposal is chilling  It is ludicrous to suggest in this situation of mass influx that any asylum application, for eligibility or admissibility, can be determined in a few days, says Ariel Ricker, who founded Advocates Abroad, a legal aid NGO with 250 lawyers active in Greece and the Middle East.

Should this proposal become reality, then these officials may find that this ship of refugees will be flanked by ships of lawyers, dedicated to refugee protection and exposure of ongoing illegality. Advocates Abroad attorneys will certainly be present.

Greek Migration Minister Dimitris Vitsas declined to comment for this story, but in an interview for the Greek newspaper Epohi, he drew a distinction between well-meant and ill-meant proposals within the EU.

A senior Greek government source who wished to remain anonymous called the Austro-Italian proposal an illegal stop-gap that runs against human rights and the Geneva Convention, and is practically extremely difficult.

A history of bizarre proposals

Unorthodox proposals for dealing with the refugee crisis are nothing new to Europe.

Meetings of interior ministers and government leaders at the height of the crisis in 2015 produced bizarre suggestions that revealed the level of panic in the room.

At that time, Greece was the main conduit for refugees crossing the Aegean from Asia.

Former Greek migration minister Yannis Mouzalas recently revealed to Al Jazeera that he was accused of failing to protect Greeces  and Europes  external maritime borders, despite the fact that member states werent at that time responding to the Hellenic Coast Guards requests for additional patrol boats and thermal cameras.

One delegate suggested, Why dont you just sink the [refugee] boats? prompting the outburst, I cant f***ing believe it! from EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, before she stormed out of the room, Mouzalas told Al Jazeera.

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Mouzalas loaded two dozen ambassadors from EU countries onto a coastguard vessel and sped them to the international waterline between Greek and Turkish coasts. This is the maritime border, he told them. Tell me how to defend it.

On two occasions, Mouzalas travelled to the Netherlands to inspect floating platforms that would, if deployed, house hundreds of refugees and the authorities that would process their asylum claims. Greece never used these platforms, but the idea was still being discussed earlier this year, Greek government sources tell Al Jazeera.

At the December 2015 EU summit, Greece was asked to build a concentration camp for 50,000 refugees  a proposal it parried with a suggestion that the EU subsidise refugee rentals in Greeces ample vacant real estate.

A year later, Czech President Milos Zeman thought that Greece should populate its thousands of rocky islets with refugees, a fate Greece has only ever imposed on political exiles during the Cold War.

The Financial Times Gideon Rachman suggested that the EU outsource its refugees entirely to Greece, in return for substantial debt relief.

Rising fatalities

As these political battles play out in Europe, the fatality rate in Mediterranean crossings is rising, even as the number of attempted crossings falls.

The EU-Turkey statement in 2016 and a bilateral agreement whereby Italy provided coastguard ships and training to Libya last year, have reduced refugee flows to Europe by 96 percent compared with 2015.

Over the same period fatalities have steadily mounted from 0.37 percent of people crossing three years ago, to 2.2 percent so far this year.

According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 1,730 refugees and migrants have died so far this year trying to reach Europes shores.

The pattern seems clear: the more Europe discourages asylum seekers, the more desperate the attempts of those who continue to try.

The MV Lifeline, a vessel for the German charity Mission Lifeline, arrives with more than 200 refugees and migrants onboard in the harbour of Valletta, Malta, on June 27, 2018 [AFP]

A UNHCR report this month called the Mediterranean one of the worlds deadliest sea crossings.

A separate Oxford University report earlier this month took a broadside at European policymakers, saying recent migration policies seek to limit irregular migration regardless of the moral, legal and humanitarian consequences.

Aid organisations, including MSF and Lifeline, believe that giving national coast guards a monopoly on search and rescue will deprive real asylum seekers of protection and make bad decisions unreviewable.

What were doing now is saying, we follow procedures, we are for the rule of law, we are for human rights, says the MSFs Veizis, but in reality these things are defunct.Israeli military set to expel 10,000 Bedouin residents to make way for a series of new Jewish-only residential units.

Khan al-Ahmar is situated a few kilometres from Jerusalem between two major illegal Israeli settlements, Maale Adumim and Kfar Adumim, which the Israeli government wants to expand.

Israeli authorities aim to expel 10,000 Bedouin residents from the E1 Zone, 15-square kilometres land within East Jerusalem, to make way for a series of new Jewish-only residential units linking Jerusalem to the illegal settlements, thereby cutting the West Bank into two.

A green light was given by Israeli authorities for the military to demolish Khan al-Ahmar and evict its 180 residents.

As of September 14, the Israeli military shut down all roads leading to Khan al-Ahmar.

All petitons to reverse the demolition order have been rejected by Israels top court, affirming Israeli authorities statements that the village was built without permits.

Palestinians say the required building permits are impossible to obtain.

The villagers are members of the Bedouin Jahalin tribe that was expelled from their lands in the Naqab (Negev) desert by the Israeli military in the 1950s. They were displaced twice more before they settled in Khan al-Ahmar, long before the illegal settlements around it existed.

The small community of 40 families lives in tents and shacks on what is classified by the 1993 Oslo Accords as Area C, which accounts for 60 percent of the West Bank and is under total Israeli administrative and security control.Finding the balance between religious liberty and state authority is an age-old concept, but politicians and religious leaders today are ever wrestling with it. This is especially true for the current presence of the Catholic Church in the Peoples Republic of China.

In an article for the Catholic World Report, Actons Director of Research, Samuel Gregg, relates the present tension between the Communist regime in China and the Holy See in Rome. This tension is largely due to Chinas new Regulations on Religious Affairs, which were enacted just this past February.

Gregg describes these regulations as a catalyst for the Chinese government to exert more control over functions of the Catholic Church in China, which they have done in no uncertain terms. Gregg notes that This has resulted, for instance, in Christians being required to sing songs from the Cultural Revolution or which extol the Chinese Community Party in church. Many churches have been forced to remove crosses and install images of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Perhaps most chilling, notes Gregg, have been government attempts to prohibit Christians from taking their children to church or giving them a religious education.

These regulations also permit the Communist Party to have a role in selecting future bishops for the Catholic Church in China.

These actions by the Chinese government are in direct opposition to the Catholic Churchs own Dignitatis Humanae, its Declaration of the right of religious liberty, which explicitly declares the Catholic Churchs insistence on its full liberty when it comes to bishop appointments in Christus Dominus.

The Catholic Church faces an enormous challenge with its presence in China. Will the Catholic Church allow the Chinese government to have such a large role in its functions? Or will the Holy See choose to suffer impending consequences of opposing this Communist regime? Either way, the world, and especially the Christian Church, will be watching.

Read the full article here.

(Featured image: Jimru Xin [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons)During this years holy day of Ashoura, residents of Hazara-populated neighbourhoods of Kabul had to take security into their own hands. After a series of deadly bombings shook Afghanistan over the past month, the community set up its own checkpoints to secure the religious procession on that day.

This was yet another reminder that the Afghan National Unity Government (NUG) is failing to provide proper security to many of its citizens. Over the past few years, the security situation has severely deteriorated in Afghanistan. Currently, the Taliban threaten 70 percent of the country, while fighting has killed and maimed some 40,000 civilians.

In 2014, the NUG was formed to unite all power blocs in Afghanistan, stabilise the military situation in the country and start a peace process with the Taliban. President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah were sworn in with the mandate to introduce major reforms and bring peace to Afghanistan. More than four years have passed and they are yet to deliver on their promises.

The Taliban predicament

Over the past four years, government forces have not only failed in containing the Taliban but have even lost ground to it. In 2015, the armed group overran Kunduz province and its capital. Subsequently, the Afghan army managed to regain control over Kunduz city, but the province remains largely insecure.

In May this year, the Taliban also advanced on Farah province and temporarily captured its capital. Then in August, the armed group launched an attack on Ghazni province, where it also overran the provincial capital. The same month, the Taliban also surrounded a military base in Faryab province forcing a detachment of dozens of soldiers to surrender.

During the Talibans summer offensive, scores of civilians and security forces were killed and injured, private properties were damaged, and government institutions were burned down.





The scale and intensity of these attacks have not been seen since 2001. The Taliban never had the capability to launch such massive offences and never succeeded in taking over any major cities.

Enjoying such unprecedented military success, the Taliban is shunning Ghanis persistent calls to enter into peace negotiations with the government. Although they accepted a short-term truce during the Eid holidays, they rejected a second ceasefire proposal from the government and refused to sit down for peace talks.

The Taliban sees the Afghan president as a US puppet and has made it clear that it wants to engage in direct talks with the US. Reversing its previous stance, the Trump administration announced in July that it would be seeking direct talks with the armed group. In August, after Taliban political leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai attended talks in Uzbekistan, the group also accepted to attend a peace conference organised by Russia, which the Afghan government has sought to postpone.

Although Ghani was hailed as a political leader who could use his standing among the Pashtuns to jumpstart the peace process, he seems to have failed to use his tribal clout.

His intra-Pashtun clan politics seems to have made reaching out to the Taliban more difficult. The Taliban leadership are Durrani Pashtun from Kandahar who take pride in being the descendants of conventional Afghan rulers like Ahmad Shah Durrani. Ghani is a Ghilzai Pashtun and this seems to have coloured the extreme Pashtun nationalism he has been said to display in his governmental appointments.

Although the Afghan president has been accused of favouring Pashtuns in general over other ethnic groups, he has specifically surrounded himself with mostly eastern Pashtuns.

Divisive politics

Apart from the deteriorating security situation, the NUG has also grappled with a series of official resignations and international tensions. In late August, National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar resigned, followed by Defence Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami, Interior Minister Wais Barmak and National Directorate of Security chief, Masoom Stanekzai.

It was reported that Ghani had asked the four to step down, but he subsequently refused to accept the resignations of the latter three officials.

As for Atmar, it is already rumoured that he is thinking of challenging Ghani in the upcoming presidential elections in April 2019.





But beyond the possible challenge from the former adviser, Ghani also has to worry about a much bigger opponent. His divisive policies have alienated a number of Afghan political forces which came together under the umbrella of the Grand National Coalition of Afghanistan (GNCA) announced in July this year.

The coalition attracted almost all opposition forces, including former President Hamid Karzai, Tajik leader and former Balakh province governor Atta Muhammad Nur (whom Ghani dismissed last year) and Uzbek strongman and former Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum (who went into exile last year but returned in July).

The GNCA is currently eyeing the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections and has emerged as the main challenger to Ghanis power. It displays the kind of cross-ethnic political unity that the Afghan president should have strived to achieve under the NUG.

Ghanis last hope

Amid the increasingly difficult political and security situation in Afghanistan, Ghani has only two trump cards to play. One is his long-term ally Zalmay Khalilzad who was appointed adviser to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Afghanistan. It is expected that he will be lobbying on his behalf to get US backing for another term.

The second one is Imran Khan, who just won the elections in Pakistan. Khan is ethnically Pashtun and can potentially help the Afghan government with the peace talks.

Ghani could approach the new Pakistani administration to seek help with establishing another channel of communication with the Taliban. He could also push for Pakistan to be included in talks with other regional powers, including India, Iran and Russia, on the Taliban issue.

But the Afghan president has just a few weeks till the parliamentary elections and less than a year to the presidential vote and it is unlikely that he can do much to significantly improve the security situation in the country and his own chances of political survival.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.The deadly paramilitary attack on a military parade in the southern city of Ahvaz, with civilian casualties, has brought the name of this ancient city to the front pages of global media.

Gunmen have opened fire on an Iranian military parade in the south-western city of Ahvaz, writes the BBC, for example, killing at least 25 people, including civilians, and injuring 60, state media say. The report then adds: An anti-government Arab group, Ahvaz National Resistance, and Islamic State (IS) have both claimed the attack.

What in both of these sentences comes out transliterated as Ahvaz in the original Persian and Arabic spelling appears in two distinctly different ways.

The official state media and Iranians, in general, write the name of the city as   while the separatists who have claimed responsibility for the attack write the selfsame word as .

While completely lost in transliteration, the two original spellings lay two distinct and opposite ideological claims on the name of the city: One recalls an ancient Iranian origin for the name of the city while the other imagines an Arabic claim on the way the name of the city is ought to be spelled and pronounced.

These two ideologically hostile spellings and pronunciations signal a decidedly racialised, ethnicised, mutually exclusive, and absolutist claims on a singularly cosmopolitan city the historical pluralism of which categorically defies any such purist Persian or exclusively Arab or any other separatist claims on it.

A city of labour migrants

I was born and raised in Ahvaz, and I lived there until I graduated from high school in 1969 and went to Tehran to attend college. My father was originally from Bushehr and my mother originally from Dezful. As a young man, my father had come to Ahvaz to work for the Iranian national railroad company and my maternal grandparents had migrated from Dezful in search of better jobs and brighter future for their children.

In our part of the city, near Pol-e Siah (the Black Bridge), we had an Isfahani mosque on one side and an Armenian church on the other, one catering to labour migrants from the city of Isfahan and the other to Armenian families from all of over the country.

Some of my classmates spoke Arabic as their mother tongue, while others spoke their Persians with distinctly Shirazi, Dezfuli, Isfahani, or Tabrizi accents.

The story of my parents and our neighbourhood and my school was fairly typical of the demographic composition of Ahvaz and by extension the rest of the oil-rich Khuzestan province all the way down to the port cities of Abadan and Khorramshahr.

Like the rest of Khuzestan province, Ahvaz, its capital, was a labour immigrant city. Iranians, Arabs, and other labour migrants all the way from Palestine, from southern India and even East Africa all came to Ahvaz, Abadan, or Khorramshahr in search of work, and none of them had any exclusive claims on the city.

My own last name is of Indian origins (it means bilingual), my father had distinctly African features and dark skin, while my mother had a fair complexion, light brown hair, beautiful hazelnut eyes, and was as white as Shakespeares Desdemona in Othello. So, I always tell my children their paternal grandparents had an Othello-Desdemona situation  minus the drama.

I share these details about my life in order to illustrate the factual diversity of my hometown in which no ridiculous ethno-nationalist claim on this decidedly border city (Persianist or Arabist) has any shred of legitimacy.

The colonial mapping of the world  of the post-Qajar and post-Ottoman territories included  has crossed many border regions in which the historical fact and force of labour migration makes a mockery of any delusional ethno-nationalists claims of one sort or another.

Our history is cosmopolitan not by any bourgeois liberal fantasy, but by the bone-deep and bloodied fact of successive and multiple labour migrations. We were united by the toil of our parents labour, not by the murderous fantasies of any pure race.

Whats in a name?

There are serious structural calamities in every region of Iran, including Khuzestan, Baluchistan, and Kurdish regions in the western parts of the country. The incompetence and negligence of the central government are chiefly responsible for decades of neglect and therefore accumulated anger.

Drinking water in Khuzestan is increasingly scarce; natural resources are being depleted; urban decay is rampant; rates of unemployment among the youth are disproportionately higher than other parts of the country; an oil-based economy is failing to generate new job opportunities.

The environment is simply ripe for desperate acts. The slightest manifestation of Arab, Baluch, or Kurdish cultural pride is treated suspiciously and violently repressed. None of these facts, of course, explains this murderous act intended to terrorize the public and threaten the state. But they do point to endemic problems the ruling state has miserably failed to address.

These are serious issues and require serious attention. But ludicrous ethno-nationalist ideologies of one sort or another will not resolve such problems and can only exacerbate them further.

The ruling regime in Tehran and its counterparts in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, or Tel Aviv are all equally responsible for the calamitous conditions in which Iranians and Arabs find themselves across the region.

In June 2017, several people were killed in coordinated attacks on the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini  and now in late September 2018, four gunmen dressed in fatigues opened fire at a military parade in in Ahvaz, killing at least 29 people including innocent women and children bystanders.

Cutting to the chase: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and their malignant puppet Peoples Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) opt for blind violence  typical of their combined treacheries, while the warmongers at the Trump White House  John Bolton and Mike Pompeo chief among them  continue exercising their regime change delusion.

The net result of their treacheries is obvious: loss of innocent lives and an even more aggressive transformation of the ruling revolutionary guards into a guerrilla operation in the region targeting the military interests of those behind this operation.

The violent hostilities between the ruling regime in Iran and its regional nemesis will result in further consolidation of power in the militancy of all the warring states at the heavy cost of the just and legitimate struggles of Arabs and Iranians alike.

With every such act of blind violence the ruling regimes in Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE become more militantly entrenched, innocent people more vulnerable, their just and legitimate causes more sidetracked and camouflaged, and the treasonous creatures who lead MEK  more justly despised.

Ethnic nationalism of one sort or another, spelling the name of the city Ahvaz or Ahwaz, is a ludicrous distracting sideshow. We need to keep our eyes focused on the real issue: the just and democratic aspirations of Iranians and Arabs. The rest is a murderous firecracker to distract attention from their common fate.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.Africa seems to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. People around the world associate the continent with extreme poverty, hunger, drought, civil wars and terrorism.

Generations of politicians, activists and development experts have attempted to figure out how Africa, an immensely rich and dynamic part of the world, could turn things around.

Having strengthened its relations with the continent in recent years, Turkey found the answer: womens empowerment.

This is the key to solving pressing problems in Africa because African women are disproportionately affected by poverty, hunger and conflict. Some 80 percent of women live in rural areas, where child marriages are twice as common as in the cities, and suffer from a lack of access to healthcare, education, and other public services.

Consequently, half of the continents female population remains illiterate and 62 percent of all deaths from preventable causes during childbirth in the world occur among African women.

According to the United Nations, one in three African women become victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse at some point in their lives. Some 130 million girls and women are known to have been subjected to female circumcision  a practice with no medical or religious justification.

Just one in 10 African women, 60 percent of whom work in the agricultural sector, are landowners.

With this in mind, Turkey has undertaken a number of projects to help women in Africa and provide them with access to basic services. My country supports a maternal and child healthcare centre in Niger, a number of womens shelters in Cameroon and a vocational training centre in Madagascar.

At the same time, the Turkish Development and Cooperation Agency (TIKA) seeks to provide medical services for the most disadvantaged groups: In 2017 alone, the organisation oversaw medical check-ups for some 30,000 people and more than 3,000 surgical procedures.

Educational opportunities are also a crucial part of womens empowerment. In recent years, close to 3,000 young girls from 46 African countries gained access to top-quality educational institutions through scholarships the Turkish state provides. Since the launch of the programme, 362 women have completed their studies in Turkey and returned to their native countries to work as doctors, engineers and teachers in order to build a brighter future for themselves and their communities.

It is also absolutely vital to create economic opportunities for African women if they are to become agents of change in their communities. This was the conclusion I reached during a 2015 visit to Ethiopia, where I met a group of women with terminal illnesses making beautiful jewellery to support their families.

Although their designs were sold to Western buyers at inflated prices, the women were paid approximately $1 for a hard days work. We decided to right this wrong by creating a platform where African women could sell the fruits of their labour at a fair price.

Thus the African Handicraft and Culture House opened its doors on Africa Day  May 25, 2016. Although some of the women that I met in Ethiopia had already succumbed to their illnesses by then, the centre remains a beacon of hope for hundreds of others who are able to make a decent income with its help.

Turkeys development efforts in Africa, which attach special importance to empowering women, seek to inspire African solutions to African problems. They reflect a popular African proverb: Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.Rights group wants information about fate of those caught up in crackdown on Turkic Muslim ethnic group.

Amnesty International has called on China to end its campaign of systematic repression against Uighur Muslims and demanded information about what has happened to those in detention.

Organisations including the UN and Humans Rights Watch (HRW) say that China is holding Uighurs in what it calls re-education camps but those with relatives inside call concentration camps.

Multiple testimonies by Uighurs who have fled China back up the reports of mass imprisonment of the Turkic ethnic group.





Inside, prisoners are allegedly forced to reject Islamic practices and anything seen as contrary to Chinas dominant Han culture.

The Chinese government must not be allowed to continue this vicious campaign against ethnic minorities in northwest China, said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty Internationals East Asia Director.

Governments across the world must hold the Chinese authorities to account for the nightmare unfolding in the XUAR [Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region].

Hundreds of thousands of families have been torn apart by this massive crackdown.

For its report, Amnesty interviewed more than 100 people whose relatives in their native Xinjiang province had gone missing and were believed to be imprisoned in the camps.

According to the organisation, those who resisted or failed to show enough progress inside the camps were subject to beatings and other forms of torture.

The mass detention camps are places of brainwashing, torture and punishment, Bequelin said.

The Uighurs are subject to repressive measures inside China, such as heavy surveillance, restrictions on movement, and prohibition of religious expression.

Amnesty also said the country was recruiting spies in overseas Uighur communities, adding to the pressure many of those who fled feel.

China rejects the accusations of systemic repression of the Uighurs, but does not allow independent monitoring of the camps by journalists or rights groups.Jose Filomeno dos Santos, aka Zenu, remanded in custody in a $1.5bn corruption case, according to state prosecutor.

The son of Angolas former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos has been remanded in custody in a $1.5bn corruption case, a state prosecutor said.

Given the complexity and seriousness of the deeds and in order to guarantee an effective enquiry the state prosecution service decided to apply a preventive detention measure to those accused in the case, prosecutor-general Alvaro Da Silva Joao said in a statement on Monday.

Those targeted include the ex-presidents son, Jose Filomeno dos Santos, former head of Angolas sovereign fund.

The evidence assembled in the case constitutes sufficient evidence that the accused were involved in acts of corruption, the statement added.

Also accused in the case is another former fund manager, Angolan-Swiss businessman Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, the prosecutor said.

Jose Filomeno dos Santos, nicknamed Zenu, was appointed head of the $5-billion fund in 2013 by his father, president at the time.

Jose Eduardo dos Santos stepped down last year after dominating the countrys politics for nearly four decades.

He gave control of strategic sectors of the economy to close allies  including the state oil giant to his daughter Isabel.

The former president chose a successor from within his own party, his former Minister of Defence Joao Lourenco  in the hopes of ensuring a peaceful handover.

He also appointed loyalists to head the countrys security forces.

But Lourenco quickly moved to assert his authority after being elected president last year, beginning to dismantle his predecessors empire.

Promising to reboot the economy, Lourenco deposed dos Santoss daughter from the top job at Sonangol and fired Zenu from the leadership of the sovereign wealth fund.

The son was charged in March this year with misappropriating public funds.

Isabel dos Santos lost her job as chair of state oil company Sonangol in 2017 [Toby Melville/Reuters]

The main opposition Unita party hailed the detention of Jose Filomeno dos Santos, praising the president for honouring his promises.

Angola must become a normal country and a democratic state, Unita spokesman Alcides Sakala told AFP news agency.

A senior official and member of the supreme decision-making body of the ruling MPLA, Joao Pinto, said: If mistakes have been made, it is up to the courts to judge and, if necessary, to punish any culprits.

Various dos Santos acolytes have been purged from top posts, including the army and police chiefs as well as executives at other state-owned companies.

Angola is Africas second-biggest oil producer but is struggling with high unemployment and sluggish growth.Washington, DC  As the US Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to hear testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused current Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, of sexual assault, many cant help but have flashbacks of a hearing that took place nearly 30 years ago.

The hearing was for 35-year-old Anita Hill who had accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual misconduct.

On October 11, 1991, Hill, then a law professor at the University of Oklahoma, testified before the all-male committee, relaying how her positive work relationship with Thomas turned into a sexual harassment battle a decade earlier.

She described her childhood as one consisting of hard work and not much money. Despite this, she went on to complete her undergraduate studies at Oklahoma State University and later joined Yale Law School. By 1981 she was a practising lawyer in Washington, DC, at Wald, Harkrader & Ross, where a mutual friend introduced her to Thomas.

Judge Thomas told me that he was anticipating a political appointment and asked if I would be interested in working with him, she told the committee at the time. He was, in fact, appointed as Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights. After he had taken that post, he asked if I would become his assistant, and I accepted that position, Hill said.

Three months into the job, Hill said Thomas began to pressure her to go out with him and spoke of sex at work.

[H]e referred to the size of his own penis as being larger than normal and he also spoke on some occasions of the pleasures he had given to women with oral sex, Hill said in her opening statement. At this point, late 1982, I began to feel severe stress on the job. I began to be concerned that Clarence Thomas might take out his anger with me by degrading me or not giving me important assignments. I also thought that he might find an excuse for dismissing me.

Anita Hill testifies in front of all-male Senate Judiciary Committee [File: Greg Gibson/AP Photo]

After listening to her testimony, senators grilled Hill over specifics, questioning how after more than 100 days of public praise, Thomas was being faced with such accusations. As Hill sat calmly leaning towards a microphone, she answered questions, sometimes having to repeat her experience, and gave eyebrow-raising details that had senators twitching uncomfortably in their chairs.

Thomas denied the accusations, calling the hearing a high-tech lynching and a national disgrace.

It is a message that, unless you kowtow to an old order, this is what will happen to you, he told the committee on the first day of the hearings. You will be lynched, destroyed, caricatured by a committee of the US Senate, rather than hung from a tree.

Clarence Thomas denied the allegations made by Hill [File: Doug Mills/AP Photo]

Thomas had political cover

Sam Fulwood III, a political correspondent for the Los Angeles Times at the time, attended the hearing 27 years ago. Fulwoods interest in the case started when he was reporting from Kennebunkport, Maine when George HW Bush made the Supreme Court nomination during his vacation.

Bush checked in advance and got tacit agreement [Thomas] was an acceptable choice, so the black civil rights community was going to be less energetic to oppose the nomination, he told Al Jazeera.

When that became very clear some women groups that were concerned about womens rights and abortion, in particular, they sprung into action. They were the ones who identified Anita Hill as someone who could potentially threaten the nomination.

Just as Thomas was days away from being sworn in, reporter Nina Totenberg broke the story of the sexual allegations leading to a rolling chain of events that seemed to momentarily halt Thomass nomination.

Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who sat on the committee in 1991, is expected to sit on this weeks hearing regarding the allegations against Kavanaugh. Unlike in 1991 when Hatch supported an FBI investigation before Hills testimony, he has dismissed calls for one by Ford.

Now they are saying they dont have time and they say the FBI doesnt do investigations of this sort  when in fact they clearly did before, Fulwood said.

Senator Orrin Hatch questions Professor Anita Hill during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Clarence Thomas [File: John Duricka/AP Photo]

Days after Hills testimony, the Senate confirmed Thomas to the Supreme Court with a narrow majority vote of 52-48. Approval ratings from the time conducted by Gallup reveal that Hills testimony had even tipped some undecided Americans to favour an already popular nominee. The day before Hills testimony, Thomass approval rating was at 53 percent. He gained five percent in the days following Hills testimony, with those undecided dropping from 17 percent to 12.

At the time of his confirmation he was more popular  a majority of Americans supported his nomination, Fulwood said. It made it easier not to believe Anitas claims. Anita Hill was a black woman in 1991. We did not have the MeToo movement. In 1991 the perception of sexuality and particularly of a black womans sexuality is not what it is today. They were much more likely to think of a black woman to be loose back then. Given the popularity of Thomas, then [the senate] had a political cover.

As sexual harassment stories were rare in the public sphere at the time, Hills testimony was seen as an embarrassment by some, particularly among African Americans.

After asking dozens of African-Americans of what they thought of a black man and a black woman engaged in this discussion about sex, etc, Fulwood said an overwhelming number of people wished it never happened.

The public expects better

Once the hearing was over, Hills story lived on and evolved into a womans movement across the US.

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Thomass popularity quickly took a turn when his court decisions proved unpopular and unprogressive. At that point, people started wondering if Hill had a point. Women, whod been angered over the absence of a woman on the judiciary committee, had started to run for office. Other women felt empowered to report sexual harassment cases, which saw a spike the following year, the year of women, as some called it.

Recently, Hill urged the judicial committee to learn from their 1991 mistakes in an op-ed penned for the New York Times.

The public expects better from our government than we got in 1991, when our representatives performed in ways that gave employers permission to mishandle workplace harassment complaints throughout the following decades, Hill wrote.Beijing demands US immediately cancel agreement to sell military equipment to Taiwan or face severe damage to ties.

The US State Department has approved the sale of $330m worth of military parts to Taiwan, according to officials, drawing fierce condemnation from China.

The self-ruled island, which Beijing considers part of its territory, will receive standard spare parts for several aircraft, including F-16 fighter jets and C-130 cargo planes, the State Department said in a statement on Monday.

China on Tuesday demanded the US cancel the sale, warning of severe damage to bilateral relations if it does not comply.

We urge the US side toimmediately cancel this arms sale plan, and stop military contact with Taiwan so as to avoid severe damage to China-US ties, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and bilateral cooperation in major fields, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters.

In a statement, Chinas defence ministry warned that the sale interfered in Chinas internal affairs and harmed Chinas sovereignty and security interests.

The US Congress has 30 days to raise objections to the sale, though this is unlikely given the State Department has determined Taiwan continues to be an important force for political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region.

Washington remains Taipeis most powerful unofficial ally and its main arms supplier despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.





Taiwan split from the mainland in 1949, but China claims it as part of its territory and has threatened to invade the island to reunite it with the mainland.

China has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen took office two years ago, including staging a series of military exercises near the island.

Taiwan on Tuesday welcomed the US announcement, saying it would help the island strengthen its defence capabilities.

As Taiwan faces gradually heightened threats, the US arms sales would  also boost Taiwans confidence in strengthening self-defence to help maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Taiwans presidential office said the islands government would continue to increase its defence investment and maintain close communication and cooperation with the US on security issues.

China-US dispute

The approval of the sale comes amid heightened tensions between China and the US over a range of issues.

Beijing, which sees self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting unification, has been irritated by recent warming ties between Washington and Taipei, including the approval by the US State Department of a preliminary licence to sell submarine technology to the island.

China and the US are also at odds over Chinas wooing of Taiwans diplomatic allies.

Washington recently imposed sanctions on a branch of the Chinese military over its purchase of fighter jets and missile systems from Russia, drawing a sharp rebuke from Beijing and the postponement of military talks.

The Trump administration has also escalated a trade war with China, most recently imposing tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese goods on Monday. That move brought the value of Chinese goods hit by tariffs to $250bn, around half of Chinas exports to the US.

China retaliated to the latest US tariffs by imposing duties on $60bn worth of US goods.

On Tuesday, a Chinese official said that China cannot hold talks with Washington while the US holds a knife to Beijings throat.Argentinas largest labour union calls for nationwide strike

Governments austerity measures under fire, but President Macri says they are needed to secure more funding from IMF.Shia-majority country has long accused Iran of stoking violence in the Gulf state.

Bahrain has detained and accused 169 people of forming Bahrains Hezbollah, a local version of the armed Shia group based in Lebanon.

The announcement follows scores of arrests and harsh penalties imposed in the Western-allied Gulf state on defendants accused of armed rebellion, while activists say they are peaceful opposition members.

The small but strategic Arab kingdom has been dogged by persistent low-level violence since 2011 when its Sunni-minority rulers violently suppressed Shia activist-led protests for a constitutional monarchy with an elected prime minister.

Authorities have repeatedly accused Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah, of fomenting the unrest, a charge denied by Tehran.

Attorney General Ahmad al-Hamadi said 169 people, 111 of whom are in custody, will be tried for forming a terrorist organisation  under the name Bahrain Hezbollah, in collaboration with Iranian intelligence services.

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Hamadi did not specify when the trial would open or when the defendants were arrested. It was also not clear if they had legal counsel.

He said some of the detainees were accused of travelling abroad to receive training in weapons and explosives from Iran and its regional allies.

Analysts have expressed scepticism about previous Bahraini allegations of Iranian and Hezbollah involvement.

Hezbollah is one of the best-trained and equipped armed groups in the world, while most of the Bahrain violence has consisted of stone-throwing and petrol bombs directed at police patrols, or planting crude pipe bombs.





Crackdown on dissent

The authorities have closed most peaceful avenues for protest, banning the main Shia movement Al-Wefaq, which was the largest bloc in parliament, and throwing dozens of its leaders behind bars.

They and their Gulf Arab allies have also blacklisted Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation and banned their citizens from any contact with the group or its members.

The crackdown has drawn periodic criticism from Western governments, but the kingdoms strategic position just across the Gulf from Iran makes it a key ally.

The islands are home to the US Fifth Fleet and house a new British naval base completed earlier this year.

The United Nations and rights groups have accused Bahrains government of crushing dissent and violently cracking down on protests and members of a peaceful political opposition.Beijing says it is open to negotiations but that the two sides must treat each other equally and with respect.

China said on Tuesday it was impossible to hold trade talks with the United States while Washington is imposing tariffs that are like holding a knife to someones throat.

Speaking a day after Washington activated tariffs on $200bn in Chinese goods, Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said China is open to negotiations but that the two sides must treat each other equally and with respect.

Now that the US has adopted this type of large-scale trade restrictions, theyre holding a knife to someones throat. Under these circumstances, how can negotiations proceed? Wang told a news conference.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had invited Chinese officials to hold new talks, but President Donald Trumps latest salvo  and warnings that another $267bn of goods being lined up  appear to have scuttled that effort.

Now that the US has adopted this type of large-scale trade restrictions, they're holding a knife to someone's throat. Under these circumstances, how can negotiations proceed? Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen

Wang met US officials in Washington in August but there have been no high-level meetings between the worlds top two economies for months.

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He said on Tuesday the US measures have made it impossible for the negotiations to proceed and blamed the US for abandoning a consensus on trade that was struck in May, but was quickly followed by new US tariffs.

Support for exporters

The trade fight between the top two economic giants has steadily escalated through the summer, as the US levied two waves of new tariffs that have now hit about $250bn worth of goods, roughly half of Chinas exports to the United States.

Beijing has hit back with each step, hitting $110bn worth of US goods, or nearly everything China buys from the United States.

Experts have warned the snowballing trade spat will harm both economies and even global growth, with Fitch Ratings cutting its growth estimates for China and the world for 2019.

Chinas exports to the US accounted for 19 percent of all its overseas shipments last year, according to a white paper published by Chinas cabinet, the State Council, on Monday.

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Officials in Beijing said they planned to step up support for harmed industries and companies as they seek to offset the trade wars effects.

Beijings plans to cut costs for exporters and recently announced a plan to reduce taxes exporters have to pay.

We will actively take all types of measures to help companies resolve their difficulties, Luo Wen, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, said when asked about how companies would fare in the trade war.

China will earnestly reduce taxes and burdens for companies and strive to optimise the business environment, he added.

Mondays US tariffs hit a wide swathe of products including Chinese-made voice data receivers, computer memory modules, automatic data processors, and accessories for office equipment such as copiers and banknote dispensers  instantly making widely used goods more expensive.

Chinas retaliatory levies target 5,200 US goods worth $60bn with new five to 10 percent tariffs, including big-ticket items such as liquefied natural gas, lumber and electronics, as well as peppermint oil, pig hides and condoms.Torrential monsoon rains have caused flash flooding in Indias hill state of Himachal Pradesh.

The heavy downpours forced a rise in water levels in rivers and flooding in residential areas, stranding people in remote villages.

On Sunday, a bus was washed away in a series of flash flooding tragedies in the town of Manali.

A total of 10 districts in the hilly Himachal Pradesh state are affected by floods and the landslides they triggered.

The National Disaster Response Force was called in to help, according to the chief of northern Himachal Pradesh state, after 19 people had to be rescued due to excessive rainfall.

Similarly, in the popular tourist hill town of Kullu on Monday, a swollen and choppy river rushed past hotels and homes, taking parts of the embankment with it.

The Deputy Commissioner of the town said paramilitary forces had airlifted people stranded in remote areas to safety. He added that about 50 people had been rescued from Rohtang, a mountainous area connected to the Kullu valley. A number of tourists in various cities and states had also been evacuated.

In Indian-administered Kashmir, an overflowing river in Kathua region bulged beyond danger limits and one local resident, trapped in the water, had to be rescued on Monday just before the water breached the wall and flooded the entire area.

Drier weather is expected across much of central and northern India over the next few days. Eastern and southern parts are likely to see the worst of the flooding. That brings with it the risk of floods returning to Kerala.

On Monday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert all over the southern state of Kerala, with heavy rains expected over the next four days.

The Director of the Indian Meteorological Department (Kerala), said district authorities were instructed to remain on high alert and take necessary precautionary measures.

Torrential rain that began in Kerala on August 8 killed over 300 people, destroyed tens of thousands of homes, and washed away roads and bridges, leading to an estimated loss of at least $2.85bn.On day five at UN General Assembly, India and Pakistan share their vision along with troubled Syria and North Korea.

World leaders are gathering in New York City on Saturday to take part in the fifth day of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

In the morning session, India and Pakistan traded blows over disputed Kashmir, while an envoy from war-torn Syria took to the stage to defend his countrys sovereignty and announce that the countrys bloody seven-year-long conflict was almost over.

Later, North Korea asked the US for less sanctions and more understanding, while the Philippines slid a justification for alleged human rights abuses into a hopeful, upbeat speech centering on global citizenship.

Follow live updates:

Saturday, September 29

Bahrain and UAE berate Iran and Qatar

Bahrains Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa used his address to slam Iran for attempting to overthrow states and interfering in the affairs of neighbouring countries.

The foreign minister repeatedly decried Irans foreign policy, including in Yemen and Morocco, saying that the Islamic Republic is attempting to export its ideals.

The views were echoed by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAEs foreign minister, who accused Iran of spreading chaos, violence and sectarianism and of occupying three islands he says belong to the UAE.

Bahrain and the UAE are two of four countries currently engaged in a blockade against Qatar and both envoys justified the action during their speeches as a means of ensuring security in the Middle East, with al-Nahyan calling the embargo vital and decisive in persuading Qatar to cease its alleged support of armed groups.

Both Bahrain and the UAE praised a recent peace deal between Eritrea and Ethiopia, reiterated their commitments to resolving the conflict in Yemen and pledged continued support to the Palestinians.

Pakistan: Dialogue is the only solution for South Asia

Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi hit back at claims made by India earlier in the session that it harbours terrorists, charging its neighbour with the same accusation.

He accused India of perpetrating state-sponsored terrorism in disputed Kashmir, calling alleged human rights abuses by Indian forces a blot on the conscience of humanity.

Qureshi dismissed Indias cancellation of talks on flimsy grounds, saying the country was putting politics over peace.

Qureshi claimed Pakistan had undertaken the largest and most effective counterterrorism campaign in the world and praised Chinas Belt and Road initiative as a means of preventing terrorism through development.

Qureshi also said his country had shown a fundamental shift in paradigm of governance by electing Imran Khan as Prime Minister in July and are focused on pursuing a policy of peace, partnerships and prosperity in the region and internationality.

The Philippines: Duterte has saved the country from becoming a narco state

A fleeting mention of President Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs was sandwiched between hopeful messages about global citizenship and the value of loving thy neighbour in a sermon-like address by Alan Peter Cayetano.

The Filipino secretary for foreign affairs said Dutertes efforts had ensured the Philippines was no longer on the road to becoming a narco state and that, while the human rights of each and every person in the Philippines were to be respected, if forced to choose between a law-abiding citizen or law enforcer and a drug dealer, they would always choose the former.

Which country, which leader wouldnt do the same?, he said.

North Korea: Trust essential to peace on the Korea Peninsula

North Koreas Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho praised the tangible trend of peace and development seen in the Korea Peninsula since diplomatic ties between North and South Korea were rekindled.

Ri ascribed this progress almost entirely to efforts by the Koreas, saying the US continued to damage the peace protest by mistrusting North Korea.

Frequently reemphasising the need for trust, Ri said there was no way North Korea would unilaterally disarm themselves before coercive sanctions were lifted, adding that the idea that sanctions would bring North Korea to its knees is a pipe dream of those who dont understand the country.

Ri called for the implementation of the agreements made between the US and North Korea at the Singapore summit, saying the UN should do more to support the peace talks, which will allow the hottest spot in the globe [to] become the cradle of peace and prosperity.

Syria accuses US coalition of war crimes

A muted applause greeted Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem as he took to the podium.

Al-Moallem took the opportunity to decry international interference in domestic Syrian affairs, framing the countrys brutal seven-year-long civil war as a battle against terrorism.

In a damming speech, al-Moallem accused the US coalition of war crimes, including massacres of civilians and said that countries which had not supported Bashar al-Assads goverment would not be welcome to take part in rebuilding Syria.

Al-Moallem condemned all use of chemical weapons, saying Syria has eliminated its chemical programme completely.

According to al-Moallem, everything is in place to allow refugees to return voluntarily. Now that Syrias battle against terrorism is almost over.

India slams Pakistans support of terrorism

Sushma Swaraj, Indias foreign minister, used the address to praise developments under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and slam neighbouring Pakistan for supporting terrorism.

Without mentioning Kashmir by name, Swaraj made several references to terrorism in the disputed region.

Swaraj blamed Pakistan for the breakdown of peace talks, saying that each time both sides had agreed to a dialogue, Pakistani-backed attacks had forced India to withdraw.

Accusing Pakistan of verbal duplicity, she noted that Osama bin Laden was found living there after 9/11 and said that the mastermind behind the 2008 attack on a Mumbai hotel still roams the streets of Pakistan with impunity.

Swaraj also took time to list progress that has been made under Modi, including the countrys maternity benefit scheme, which allows women to take 26 weeks of paid leave.

Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart were due to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week, but India called it off only one day after it was announced, following the killing of an Indian border guard in Kashmir.

Pakistans foreign minister is due to speak later today.

Syria and North Korea to speak

Envoys from two of the worlds most troubled countries are set to have their say before the world body.

North Korea and Syria will take to the stage during morning session, along with representatives from India, Pakistan, and several Gulf states.

Syrias Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem will take the podium as his government is firmly in control of most of the territory that opposition forces held for much of his countrys seven-year conflict.

A military offensive on Idlib  the last remaining rebel-held region in Syria  was averted last week by a deal reached between Russia and Turkey to set up a demilitarised zone along the western, southern and eastern reaches of the province.

Friday, September 28

Russia calls accusations of meddling baseless

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced what he said are baseless accusations of Russian interference in foreign affairs and lashed out at US policies in Iran, Syria and Venezuela.

Lavrov used Russias speech at the annual UN General Assembly to vigorously defend multilateral organisations like the United Nations and warn against unilateral moves by the US or other countries.

Lavrov accused unnamed forces of endeavors to undermine democratically elected governments, in an apparent reference to US and EU support for Russias neighbours and the Syrian opposition.

Russia has denied widespread evidence tying it to meddling in the 2016 US election, a nerve agent attack in Britain and other actions abroad.

Greece chastises Europe on migration

Greece is using its address to world leaders to chastise some European neighbors for turning their backs on refugees and migrants who continue to pour into Europe by land and by sea.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Friday that Greece is dealing with the highest refugee flows since World War II and notes that Greeks have opened their arms to incoming migrants, showing the world what solidarity means.

He said Greeks did not give in to nationalistic and xenophobic voices that called for pushback in the sea or a superficial asylum process aimed at rejecting everyone.

Most refugees and migrants land in Italy and Greece and those countries feel abandoned by their EU partners.

Member states like Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are unwilling to share the burden and refuse to accept refugee quotas.

Mahathir lashes out at massacre of Rohingya

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is criticising growing political, economic and social turmoil around the world, saying the situation has only worsened since the start of the century.

The 93-year-old Mahathir told the UN General Assembly on Friday that when he last spoke to the forum in 2003, shortly before retiring, I lamented how the world had lost its way.

Mahathir returned to politics this year and says that if at all, the world is far worse than 15 years ago.

He cites the trade fight between China and the United States, saying that the rest of the world is feeling the pain.

And he criticises the government of Myanmar for its treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority and accuses the rest of the world of failing to act.

Mahathir asked fellow leaders: Nations are independent, but does this mean that they have a right to massacre their own people?

UN official: Condition not right for Rohingya repatriation

The UNs deputy humanitarian chief said Myanmar has not substantively and concretely addressed the issues that led more than 725,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee, and therefore conditions arent right for their repatriation from Bangladesh.

Ursula Mueller told a high-level event at the UN General Assemblys ministerial meeting on Thursday that the government must take real steps forward, clearly demonstrating a commitment to immediate change on the ground.

In her speech, circulated on Friday, Mueller said the Rohingya are now the worlds largest stateless population.

She urged donors to respond to the refugee crisis, stressing that the appeal for Bangladesh is only 38 percent funded.

Mueller also urged Myanmars government to dismantle segregated facilities for the roughly 600,000 Rohingya who remain in Myanmar and end the marginalisation and deplorable conditions many are forced to live in.

Thursday, September 27

Russia: Ease N Korea sanctions in exchange for gradual disarmament

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that steps by North Korea towards gradual disarmament should be followed by the easing of sanctions against Pyongyang.

Lavrovs proposal at the UN Security Council meeting challenges US Secretary of State Mike Pompeos demand that sanctions should be vigorously enforced until such time that North Korea denuclearises.

Russias top diplomat also called on other countries to refrain from imposing unacceptable secondary sanctions on North Korea while talks continue.

Earlier, Pompeo said that North Korea has already breached the cap on refined petroleum set by the UN Security Council last year.

UN restrictions allow Pyongyang to import 500,000 barrels a year, but between January and September, the rogue nuclear nation has already obtained around 800,000 barrels, according to US estimates.

Pompeo: Only path for N Korea is diplomacy

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the only path for North Korea through diplomacy and denuclearisation.

Pompeo said during the UN Security Council meeting that any other path will lead to isolation and pressure. He added that sanctions will be vigorously enforced until such time that North Korea will denuclearise.

On Wednesday, Pompeo announced that he would travel to Pyongyang in October to make preparations for a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

New Zealand leader urges greater gender equality

New Zealands prime minister is highlighting gender gaps in pay and domestic violence as continuing problems as she calls for the world to recommit ourselves to gender equality.

Jacinda Ardern, her countrys third female prime minister, was speaking on the third day of debate at the United Nations General Assembly.

She said she never grew up believing that gender would stand in the way of her achievements. But she said she will never celebrate the gains we have made for women in New Zealand while women in other nations lack the most basic of opportunity and dignity.

Arderns remarks Thursday also called for a recommitment to multilateralism  both on principle and because, as she said, In New Zealand, going alone is not an option.

And she said that climate change is an important example of why cooperation is imperative.

Netanyahu: Iran nuclear deal a lie

Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly on Thursday [Al Jazeera]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened his speech before the UN General Assembly on Thursday by assailing the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as a fundamental lie and accusing Tehran of concealing materials to develop a weapons programme.

We opposed it because it threatens our future, even our very survival. We opposed it because the deal was based on a fundamental lie that Iran is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons, he said.

Netanyahu then repeated his allegations that Iran continues to pursue its nuclear weapons programme, based on the documents that Israel stole from a government warehouse in Tehran in February.

He also criticised UN nuclear inspectors for not carrying out more inspections on an alleged secret atomic warehouse that Iran continues to hide from the public.

The reason Iran did not destroy its atomic archive and its atomic warehouse is because it hasnt abandoned its goal to develop nuclear weapons, he said.

Israel will never let a regime that calls for our destruction to develop nuclear weapons, he said while accusing European signatories of the nuclear deal of appeasing Iran.

Palestinian president: Jerusalem is not for sale

Jerusalem is not for sale, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared on Thursday as he denounced US President Donald Trumps decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the US embassy there.

In a speech before the UN General Assembly, Abbas called on Trump to rescind that decision, as well as his move to cut financial aid to the Palestinians, saying they undermined the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

With all of these decisions, this administration has reneged on all previous US commitments, and has undermined the two-state solution, Abbas said.

He also criticised Israel for promoting apartheid by passing in July the racist Jewish nation-state law, which he said crossed all the red lines.

This law will inevitably lead to the creation of one racist state, an apartheid state and thus nullifies the two-state solution, he said.

In his speech, Abbas also urged the UN-backed International Criminal Court to investigate alleged crimes by Israel.

Israeli defence chief: Palestinian state simply doesnt interest me

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman expressed indifference on Thursday to US President Donald Trumps remarks about a two-state solution, saying that the Israeli interest is a safe Jewish state.

Lieberman said a Palestinian state simply doesnt interest me.

He made the remarks just hours ahead of the speeches of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu met with Trump, during which the US president said that he liked a two-state solution as the most effective way to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Irans Rouhani: US headed into isolation after UN meeting

Irans president said on Thursday that the UN Security Council meeting chaired by President Donald Trump the previous day reflected Americas increasing isolation among the international community.

Nobody backed the United States, putting America into a unique historical and political isolation, said Hassan Rouhani, speaking to reporters at Tehrans airport after returning from New York, where he addressed the UN General Assembly.

According to the Iranian leader, Trump achieved the opposite of what hed hoped for  in the Security Council meeting, 14 countries either directly or indirectly backed the nuclear agreement between Iran, the United States and five other major powers.

Very interesting, someone invites leaders to a UN Security Council meeting after himself having trampled on a resolution by the very same council, Rouhani said, referring to the council resolution that backed the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. [AP]

Wednesday, September 26





Rouhani to Trump: Stop bullying Iran

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday urged President Donald Trump to stop bullying Tehran into submitting into the demands of the US.

In a press conference with Western media, Rouhani also said it is clear during his meeting with world leaders at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, that Trumps decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal has isolated the US.

The US decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal was not agreed upon by other parties. It is considered a mistake by other countries, Rouhani said in an unprecedented press conference with Western media.

One day, sooner or later, the US will return to the nuclear deal. The US cannot continue this process. This is not in the interest of the US, Iran and other parties, he said, adding that it was Irans intention to try to isolate the US on this issue of the nuclear deal.

What Iran wants is for the US to return to what is legal and stand by the UN Security Council resolution on the nuclear deal, and stop bullying his country, Rouhani said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Rouhanis foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to the reimposition of US sanctions as an act of unprecedented vengeance.

Zarif said the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal is unlawful and unjustified.





Venezuelas Maduro accuses US of bullying

Venezuelas president has said at the UN General Assembly that he objects to US President Donald Trumps actions against his government and says that the illegal unilateral sanctions are part of a bullying tactic of the United States imposing its will.

Nicolas Maduro has spent the majority of his speech upbraiding Trump for what the Venezuelan leader calls unfair and imperialist policies and practices.

He said that Trumps speech to the General Assembly about more unilateral, America-first policies constituted a threat.

Afghanistans Abdullah: Weve turned a page toward peace

Afghanistans chief executive told world leaders on Wednesday that his country has turned a page toward peace in the last year, and hes calling for their help in getting to a new phase free of violence in a country riven by conflict since the 1970s.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Abdullah Abdullah pointed to developments including the Talibans participation in a brief ceasefire in June.

He said Afghans pose no danger to anyone and seek to play a constructive and collaborative role regionally.

The UN envoy for Afghanistan recently said the country is in its best position since 2001 to start a process leading to peace talks with Taliban armed fighters.

Still, attacks this year have underscored the difficulties Afghan forces have faced in combatting the Taliban and an affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Bolivias Evo Morales slams US meddling in Iran, Venezuela

With US President Donald Trump listening, Bolivias President Evo Morales lashed out at the United States and accused Trumps administration of meddling in Iran and Venezuela.

Morales also said the US government has shown contempt for multilateralism and has no interest in upholding democracy.

Trump was presiding over a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday.

Morales said that if the US upheld democracy it would not have financed coup detats and supported dictators or threatened democratically elected governments as it has in Venezuela.

He also charged that the United States could not care less about human rights or justice, citing its alleged promotion of the use of torture and separation of migrant parents and children who were put in cages.

Trump made no comment when Morales finished. [AP]

Chinas foreign minister rejects Trumps accusation

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday dismissed the claim of US President Donald Trump that Beijing is trying to influence the outcome of the midterm US elections in November.

In his statement before the UN Security Council, Wang said that it is Chinas long-standing policy of non-interference of the domestic affairs of other countries.

This is a tradition of Chinese foreign policy. Our observance of this principle has received acclaim in the international community. We did not and will never interfere in any countrys domestic affairs. We refuse to accept in unwarranted accusations against China, and we call upon other countries to also observe the purposes of the UN charter not to interference with other countrys domestic affairs.

Meanwhile, Wang also defended the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, praising it as an achievement of multilateralism.

There is no international agreement that is perfect. The JCPOA has been unanimously endorsed by the Security Council. What happened in the past three years shows the JCPOA is a viable agreement, he said, referring to the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Wang urged Iran to continue to fulfil its commitment to the deal, adding that legitimate rights of other countries to trade with Iran should be respected.

He also praised the progress being made in the Korean Peninsula and expressed its support of the agreement reached between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in June.

We call on all parties to seize the opportunities into concrete actions.

Trump accuses China of election meddling

US President Donald Trump has accused China of seeking to meddle in the November 6 midterm elections, saying Beijing did not want the Republican Party to do well because of his stance on trade.

China has been attempting to interfere in our upcoming 2018 election, coming up in November. Against my administration, Trump told the UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday.

Trump did not provide any evidence for the allegation. China did not immediately respond to the remarks by Trump, who was chairing the Council meeting.

They do not want me or us to win, because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade and we are winning on trade, we are winning at every level. We dont want them to meddle or interfere in our upcoming election, Trump said. [Reuters]

Macron: US withdrawal from Iran deal resulted in a serious crisis of confidence

French President Emanuel Macron on Wednesday said that a serious crisis of confidence has emerged after US President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

In his message before the UN Security Council, Macron said that while the 2015 deal is imperfect, it ensures that Iran would not be able to obtain nuclear weapons.

Since the deal was signed, the pathways of the signatories of the JCPOA have divergedbut we still, all of us here, retain the same objective of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and guaranteeing strict international control on the peaceful use of their nuclear programme.

Trump: Iran cannot be allowed to procure nuclear weapons

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday focused his address at the UN Security Council, telling world leaders that the US will ensure that Iran will never acquire a nuclear bomb.

The Iranian regime exports violence, terror and turmoil, he said, accusing Tehran of procuring materials to advance its ballistic missile programme.

A regime with this track record must never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon, Trump said, as he justified his decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal and to reimpose economic sanctions.

Trump said that the deal allowed Iran to continue its path towards a bomb and gave Iran a cash lifeline when they needed it the most.

But Trump also thanked Iran, Russia and Syria for substantially slowing down their attack on the rebel-held province of Idlib.

Trump considering all options on Venezuela

All options are on the table with regards to Venezuela, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday in New York, a day after his administration ratcheted up sanctions on the inner circle of President Nicolas Maduro.

All options are on the table. Every one. The strong onesaand the less than strong ones. Every option. And you know what I mean by strong. Every option is on the table with respect to Venezuela, Trump said.

Trump called for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela during a speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, shortly after his government slapped sanctions on key figures in Caracas, including Maduros wife.

Trump calls for two-state solution after meeting Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump will chair the UN Security Council meeting on weapons of mass destruction. North Koreas foreign minister, unexpectedly, joined the meeting along with his Chinese counterpart.

Trump said after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he wants a two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.





Tuesday, September 25

Germany and Saudi Arabia agree to end diplomatic row

Germany and Saudi Arabia have agreed to end a prolonged diplomatic row that prompted the kingdom to pull its ambassador from Berlin and punish German firms operating in the country.

The spat was triggered last November when Germanys foreign minister at the time, Sigmar Gabriel, condemned adventurism in the Middle East, in comments that were widely seen as an attack on increasingly assertive Saudi policies, notably in Yemen.

The comments led Riyadh to withdraw its ambassador and freeze out German companies, particularly in the lucrative healthcare sector.

Standing alongside his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir at the United Nations on Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas spoke of misunderstandings that had undermined what were otherwise strong and strategic ties between the countries, saying we sincerely regret this.

Well do our best to make this partnership with the kingdom even stronger than before, he added.

Irans Rouhani: US sanctions is economic terrorism

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that world security is under threat by some states recklessness and disregard of international values and institutions.

Confronting multilateralism is not a sign of strength. Rather, it is a symptom of the weakness of the intellect. It betrays an inability in understanding a complex and interconnected world, he said.

Rouhani said that it is unfortunate that the world is witnessing rulers who think they can secure their interest betterby fomenting extremist, nationalism and through xenophobic tendencies resembling Nazi disposition.

In his speech, Rouhani also lashed out at US President Donald Trump, saying he is seeking an overthrow of the Iranian leadership, while calling the unilateral US sanctions as a form of economic terrorism.

Qatars Sheikh Tamim: Reject rule of force to resolve disputes

Qatars leader Sheikh Tamim called on the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to reject the rule of force to resolve political and security disputes in the world and the Middle East.

It is the second time that Sheikh Tamim addressed the UN meeting since the Saudi Arabia-led blockade of the Gulf state in 2017, which he said is a flagrant violation of international law.

In his speech, Tamim said that since the blockade started, it has been revealed that there was a pre-arranged campaign of incitement against his country. But he said that during the same period of the blockade, Qatars economy continued its growth.

Jordans King Abdullah: No to one-state solution in Israel

Jordans King Abdullah has called on world leaders to work together to put the Israeli-Palestinian peace process back on track.

The Jordanian leader said that the key crisis in the Middle East is the long denial of a Palestinian state. The only path to a comprehensive, lasting peace in the region is a two-state solution, he said, adding that a one-state is an abandonment of peace.

Macron urges dialogue and multilateralism on Iran

French President Emmanuel Macron called Tuesday for dialogue and multilateralism on Iran, in a thinly veiled response to Trumps push for tough, US-led sanctions.

The French leader credited the 2015 accord rejected by Trump with curbing the nuclear programme of Iran.

Macron also said unilateralism will not work to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What can resolve the crisis between Israel and Palestine? Not unilateral initiatives, nor trampling on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to legitimate peace. There is no credible alternative to the two-state solution.

Turkeys Erdogan calls for political solution in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on all parties to support just and sustainable political solution in Syria with a constructive approach, to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

Last week, Turkey and Russia reached a deal to establish a demilitarised zone in Syrias Idlib province to prevent bloodshed in the rebel-held territory where nearly three million people live.

Those who equip terrorists with tens of thousands of trucks and cargo planes, load of arms for sake of tactical interests will most definitely feel sorrow in the future, he also said.

Turkeys Erdogan: UN failing to act on Palestine, Myanmar

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has renounced the United Nations Security for standing idle to the oppression in Myanmar, Palestine and Bosnia among other nations.

In a speech before the UN on Tuesday, Erdogan said that those who remained silent on the oppression of the Palestinians are only encouraging the oppressors.

Even if the whole world turns its back, Turkey will continue to be on the side of the oppressed Palestinians, he said.

Trump addresses UN: Trade imbalance with China unacceptable

US President Donald Trump has declared that Americas trade deficit with China is unacceptable.

In a speech before the UN, Trump said that the world trading system is in dire need of change, complaining that over the last two decades the US has suffered $13 trillion in trade deficit with China.

He said Beijing has engaged in theft of intellectual properties, while the US faced thousands of job losses.

Trump addresses UN: Iran should be isolated

US President Donald Trump has asked all nations to isolate Irans leadership and vowed that more sanctions will follow after the resumption of oil sanctions on November 5.

Trump said that Iranian leaders are sowing chaos, death and destruction in the Middle East.

Irans leaders plunder the nations resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond, he said.

Trump said Irans neighbours have paid a heavy toll for the regions agenda of aggression and expansion.

Trump: US has never been stronger, safer, richer

US President Donald Trump said that in less than two years since his election, his country has never been stronger, safer and richer.

Speaking Tuesday at the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump also highlighted his achievement with North Korea, but added that sanctions will continue until denuclearisation is carried out.

UNs Guterres: We are not doing enough on global warming

During his speech, the UN chief also warned against the rise of populism around the world [Reuters]

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world has reached a pivotal moment in global warming and risks runaway climate change if leaders dont act in the next two years.

Speaking Tuesday at the UN General Assembly in New York, Guterres told world leaders that they are not doing enough to combat what he calls a direct existential threat that is moving faster than people are working to combat it.

Hes calling for making sure the international Paris climate change agreement is implemented. US President Donald Trump has announced hes withdrawing his country from the pact. Guterres is planning a climate summit next year.

UN chief: World suffering from trust deficit disorder

The world is suffering from trust deficit disorder, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in remarks ahead of world leaders speeches at the UN headquarters in New York.

People are losing faith in political establishments, power relations are unclear and democratic principles are under siege, Guterres said.

The world is more connected, yet societies are becoming more fragmented. Challenges are growing outward, while many people are turning inward, the UN chief added.

Trump on Twitter: no meeting with Rouhani

US President Donald Trump has tweeted to say he will not be meeting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US.

Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man! Trump said.

Rouhani already told NBC News on Monday there would not be a meeting.

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, the Iranian leader said.

Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 25, 2018

Here are some of the key issues expected to feature heavily at this years General Assembly.

The Rohingya : Countries are divided on an appropriate response to the Rohingya crisis, with US Ambassador Nikki Haley calling for strong and immediate action against Myanmars leadership and Chinese ambassador Wu Haitao urging a softer approach based on constructive assistance.

Syria : As the battle for Idlib looms, UN officials have called on all parties to ensure that civilian casualties are avoided, but there are no signs of these warnings being heeded.

Iran nuclear deal : Relations between the US and Iran are at a low since Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal in May. Meanwhile, Europe is trying to keep the agreement afloat.

Read our full analysis on what to expect at the 2018 general assembly here.

New Zealands First baby

New Zealands Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern made history when she brought her three-month-old daughter into the assembly hall on Monday evening.

Ardern called bringing her baby into the meeting a practical decision.

Neve is actually nearby me most of the time in New Zealand, shes just not always caught. But here, when shes awake, we try and keep her with me. So that was the occasion, the New Zealand Herald quoted her as saying.

The head of states partner, Clarke Gayford, earlier tweeted a picture of the ID badge of Ms Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford  New Zealands first baby.

Because everyone on twitter's been asking to see Neve's UN id, staff here whipped one up.

I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change.

Great yarn for her 21st. pic.twitter.com/838BI96VYX  Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) September 24, 2018

What is the General Assembly?

The General Assembly is the main deliberative and policymaking organ of the UN. It is the only UN body with equal representation, meaning each country has one vote.

The General Assembly convenes once a year for three months starting in mid-September and, if necessary, again from January.

The event that draws much of the medias attention is the general debate, which kicks off on Tuesday.

During the general debate, which is scheduled to last for nine days, world leaders take turns delivering speeches about the issues that matter to their governments.

Representatives from each of the 193 UN member states get 15 minutes in principle to speak. Heres a schedule.

Some of the most memorable moments in the history of the general debate are Benjamin Netanyahus red line speech, former Libyan president Muammar Gaddafis 96-minute speech during which he ripped a copy of the UN charter, and Trump calling North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rocket man.

Meet Maria Fernanda Espinosa: UN General Assembly president

Maria Fernanda Espinosa is the first woman ever from Latin America and the Caribbean to preside over the General Assembly.

Before the general debate, Al Jazeera spoke to the Ecuadorian about her work and her message to world leaders about the week ahead.Rights group says arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances have gone unpunished in Houthi-held areas.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Yemens Houthi rebels of torture, hostage-taking, and other serious abuses against people in their custody.

The New York-based watchdog said in a report released on Tuesday that it had documented 16 cases of illegal imprisonment by the rebels, in large part to extort money from relatives or to exchange them for people held by opposing forces.

Houthi officials have treated detainees brutally, often amounting to torture, HRW said, adding that former detainees described being beaten with iron rods, wooden sticks, and assault rifles.





It said prisoners were shackled to walls, caned, and threatened with rape, noting that hostage-taking is a serious violation of the laws of war and a war crime.

Former detainees described terrible conditions in Houthi custody: poor hygiene, limited access to toilets, which caused some to defecate on themselves; and lack of food and healthcare.

Some Houthi officials are exploiting their power to turn a profit through detention, torture, and murder, HRWs Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson said.

The Association of Mothers of Abductees, a group run by Yemeni women who advocate for their arrested or disappeared civilian relatives, sent HRW accounts from 10 cases in which Houthi officials demanded money as a condition for release.

According to the association, which holds regular public protests, nine families paid. Houthi officials released only three of the men, including one in a prisoner exchange for Houthi fighters.

Mothers of Abductees Association demand that Houthis reveal the fate of 142 forcibly disappeared men in Hodeida. #Yemen https://t.co/7TiHX39YY2  Nadwa Dawsari (@Ndawsari) September 11, 2018

UN investigators reported last month that all sides in the conflict may have committed war crimes, pointing to widespread arbitrary detention, rape, torture, and the recruitment of children.

A report obtained by Al Jazeera last month alleged that the UAE had set up a network of clandestine prisons across southern Yemen. The report described scenes of sexual abuse by Emirati army personnel and their Yemeni allies.

Electric cables were used alongside wooden bats and steel poles during the interrogation sessions.

In some instances, the detainees are described as having been deprived of sleep and confined to narrow spaces with poor hygienic conditions and limited air ventilation.

HRW called on the UN Human Rights Council to renew the mandate for a group of experts on Yemen to investigate and identify all parties responsible for abuses.

The United Arab Emirates, UAE proxies, and Yemeni government forces have also arbitrarily detained, tortured and forcibly disappeared scores of people in the Yemeni conflict, it said.Riyadh condemns false accusations by Tehran holding it responsible for Saturdays deadly shooting in Ahvaz city.

Saudi Arabia denied it backed the gunmen who killed 29 people at a military parade in southwestern Iran, almost half of them Revolutionary Guards, the Saudi state news agency reported on Tuesday.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday the attackers were paid by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and pledged the Islamic Republic would severely punish those behind the assault.

Saudi Arabia rejects and condemns the false accusations that Iranian officials have made about Saudi Arabia supporting the events that took place in Iran last Saturday, SPA quoted a foreign ministry statement as saying.

Saudi Arabias policy is clear regarding its non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries. The Iranian regime, in contrast, interferes in the affairs of its neighbours and is the leading sponsor of terrorism in the region and the world.

The deputy head of Irans Revolutionary Guards also accused the United States and Israel of involvement and said they should expect a devastating response.





Arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, both oil super-powers, are waging a war for influence across the Middle East, backing opposite sides in conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.

On Saturday, gunmen fired on a viewing stand in Ahvaz where officials had gathered to watch an annual parade marking the start of Irans 1980-88 war with Iraq.

Arab reactionary countries

Iran, meanwhile, arrested 22 people allegedly linked to last weeks deadly attack, the intelligence ministry said.

The five members of a terrorist squad affiliated to jihadist separatist groups supported by Arab reactionary countries were identified, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The terrorists hideout was found and 22 people involved [in the attack] were arrested, it said, adding explosives were seized along with military and communications equipment.

Foreign sponsors and supporters of this terrorist act have also been identified. More information will be provided on them in due course, the statement said.

Gunmen dressed in military uniform opened fire on marching soldiers, bystanders, and government officials, who had gathered to watch the parade on Saturday.

Iranian officials were quick to point the finger at an Arab separatist group and its alleged international backers. They said that four gunmen had been killed.

According to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), an armed group called al-Ahvaziya claimed responsibility for the attack, while the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL) also said it was behind the assault.

President Hassan Rouhani vowed to deliver a crushing response, while Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei linked the attack to the US and its allies in the region.

Ahvaz is the capital city of Khuzestan province, which has the countrys largest oil reserves. With its proximity to Iraq and the presence of a large Arab minority, the area has seen ethnic violence in the past

Khuzestan was a major battleground of the 1980s war with Iraq and it saw unrest in 2005 and 2011.

The province has also been the site of recent protests over a nationwide drought and the economy.Crude prices rose to $82 after Saudi Arabia and Russia appeared to reject calls from the US to increase production.

Oil prices hit a four-year high of $82.01 a barrel on Tuesday after Saudi Arabia and Russia appeared to reject calls from the US to increase production amid looming sanctions against Iranian oil.

Brent crude hit its highest level since November 2014 just days after a meeting in the Algerian capital to discuss global supply levels ended with no formal agreement.

US President Donald Trump slammed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) last week, saying the 15-member oil cartel should keep crude prices low because of the military protection the US provided for the region.

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! Trump wrote on Twitter.

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!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 20, 2018

OPEC leader Saudi Arabia and its biggest oil-producer ally outside the group, Russia, effectively rebuffed Trumps demand to lower prices on Sunday and failed to provide answers on how they would counter falling supplies from Iran.

I do not influence prices, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said.

$100 a barrel?

The Trump administration has told countries such as China, India and Turkey to cut all imports of Iranian oil by November 4 when the US re-imposes sanctions against Tehran.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Washington may grant waivers for major importers of Iranian crude but it still expects them to ultimately comply with the sanctions.





We will consider waivers where appropriate but it is our expectation that the purchases of Iranian crude oil will go to zero from every country or sanctions will be imposed, Pompeo said earlier this month.

But speaking to NBC News on Monday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US didnt have the capability to bring the Islamic Republics oil exports down to zero.

The US is not capable of bringing our oil exports to zero. This is an empty promise and its a threat that is empty of credibility. Perhaps on this path we will sustain certain pressures but certainly the United States will not reach its objective.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Saudi Arabia, the worlds top oil exporter has increased production to about 10.4 million barrels of crude per-day over the past two months.

But according to the newspaper, the kingdoms state-run oil giant Saudi Arabian Oil Co, known as Aramco, doesnt have the capacity to meet future demand if Iran is no longer delivering oil.

Citing oil traders, it said with the combination of sanctions on Iranian oil and supply limitations in Saudi Arabia, there could be a price spike, likely $90 to $100 a barrel.

Commodity traders Trafigura and Mercuria have also warned that Brent crude prices could rise to $90 a barrel by December and pass $100 in early 2019.Senator Antonio Trillanes is detained in a move condemned as persecution of opposition to President Rodrigo Duterte.

A Philippine opposition senator who is a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested in a move which has been condemned as persecution of the governments opponents.

Senator Antonio Trillanes was arrested on charges of rebellion outside of the Senate building in the Philippine capital Manila hours after a warrant for his capture was issued by a court.

The arrest followed a revocation by Duterte last month of a 2010 amnesty granted to Trillanes for his role in two coup attempts in the mid-2000s.

The senator has been fiercely critical of Dutertes drug war which has killed thousands of people and has accused Duterte of hiding wealth.

He backed a probe into Duterte by the International Criminal Court.

Democracy died today, Philippine news site Rappler quoted Trillanes as saying shortly before his arrest.

This case goes beyond me  This is clearly Mr Duterte silencing his political critics, those who tell the truth.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte would respect the decision of the judiciary.

The court has spoken, he said in a statement. Let us stop the drama by press conference and allow the legal process to take its course.

Trillanes is the second senator arrested after voicing criticism of Dutertes drug war. Leila de Lima has been behind bars since February 2017 on charges she says were concocted in order to silence her.

This arrest  is part of the persecution of critics of the Duterte administration, the latest in the relentless campaign to silence those who dared to challenge the presidents murderous drug war, Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch Philippines told AFP news agency.

Trillanes posted bail of 200,000 pesos ($3,770).Alliance says corridors will help delivery of life-saving aid to starving Yemenis in Hodeidah and the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-UAE military alliance fighting in Yemen says it will open humanitarian corridors between two rebel-held areas, the Red Sea city of Hodeidah and the capital Sanaa, to allow life-saving aid to be delivered to millions of starving Yemenis.

Turki Al Maliki, a spokesman for the military alliance, said on Monday that the coalition is working with [UN humanitarian agency] OCHA to establish safe humanitarian corridors to help in the delivery of aid.

There was no immediate reaction from the UN.





Al Jazeeras Andrew Simmons, reporting from neighbouring Djibouti, said Mondays announcement came following a chorus of protests, indignation and impassioned pleas for something to be done.

The details still havent been released but there is already some sort of agreement between the alliance and the UN to get supplies through, but theyre having difficulties because the main roads between the two cities are the site of fighting.

The roads are impassable in places. And add to that, the grain mills [at Hodeidah port], which store food, are inactive because of the fighting.

The question now is, how will the Houthis engage in this agreement, how will it be observed on the ground and will it effective? Aid agencies have been unanimous in saying that a famine is coming, with Mark Lowcock, the UN humanitarian affairs chief, warning when the famine strikes it will be too late.

Approaching a tipping point

The war in Yemen has unleashed the worlds most urgent humanitarian crisis, with 22 million people dependent on aid.

Food prices have increased by an average of 68 percent since 2015, while the Yemeni riyal has depreciated by nearly 180 percent.

In recent weeks, Yemeni forces, backed by a Saudi-UAE military alliance, have advanced on Hodeidah city, the main gateway for imports of relief supplies and commercial goods into the country  in an operation to retake the city and its strategic from Houthi rebels.

The UN has spent the past few weeks scrambling to mediate between the warring sides, with Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy for Yemen, holding separate, face-to-face talks with the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.

Aid agencies have warned that the offensive on Hodeidah could have devastating consequences for the civilian population of the entire country, which is already on the brink of famine.

We are losing the fight against famine, Mark Lowcock, the UNs humanitarian chief, told the UN Security Council on Friday. We may now be approaching a tipping point, beyond which it will be impossible to prevent massive loss of life.

We are already seeing pockets of famine-like conditions, including cases where people are eating leaves.

Yemens civil war started in 2014 when the Houthis advanced south from their stronghold of Saada and captured large parts of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.

The conflict escalated into a regional proxy war in 2015, when Saudi Arabia and the UAE led a coalition that launched air raids on rebel positions, in an attempt to reinstate the internationally recognised government of President Abu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

With logistical support from the US, the Saudi-UAE alliance has carried out more than 16,000 raids on Houthi-held areas in an attempt to reverse their gains.

These attacks have struck weddings and hospitals as well as water and electricity plants, killing and wounding thousands.

According to the UN, at least 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-Emirati-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015.

The death toll, however, has not been updated in years and is likely to be much higher.Surgeon serving 200,000 in South Sudan wins UN refugee award

Evan Atar Adaha is the only head surgeon who provides health services to locals and refugees in the countrys northeastern region.Walkouts held across the US in support of Ford and Ramirez, whove accused the Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault.

Women and their supporters from across the United States walked out of their offices, businesses and homes on Monday to support Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, who have accused Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, of sexual assault.

We believe Dr Blasey Ford. We believe Deborah Ramirez, the events organisers said on its Facebook page. We believe survivors, it added. And we wont stand for Senate Republicans despicable attempts to strong-arm a sexual assault survivor.

Prior to the walkout, dozens of rights groups held a protest in the Senate office buildings, as well as outside the Supreme Court.

Many chanted I believe Christine Ford, as they called on the Senate leadership to take the allegations made by Ford and Ramirez seriously.

US Capitol Police said that more than 125 people had been arrested on charges of unlawfully demonstrating in Senate office buildings.

While I am frightened, please know, my fear will not hold me back from testifying and you will be provided answers to all of your questions. Christine Blasey Ford in letter to Senator Chuck Grassley

The protests came on the same day a letter Ford sent to Republican Chuck Grassley, the Senate Judiciary chairman, was made public. In the letter, Ford said she faced death threats and was relying on her lawyers and Grassley to agree to conditions that will allow me to testify in a fair setting.

While I am frightened, please know, my fear will not hold me back from testifying and you will be provided answers to all of your questions, Ford wrote. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

Kavanaugh: I havent sexually assaulted anyone

In an interview with Fox News, which aired Monday evening, Kavanaugh said he would not step aside, saying the truth is Ive never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise.

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Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, said Kavanaugh attacked her and tried to remove her clothing while he was drunk at a party when they were both teenagers in the 1980s.

Kavanaugh told Fox News he was not present at a party like the one described by Ford and noted that others Ford said were at the gathering had no recollection of it.

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, Kavanaugh said. 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.





The interview came a day after the New Yorker magazine published the account of 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.

#BelieveSurvivors

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.

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According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in three women in the United States experience some form of sexual violence in their lives. About 63 percent of sexual assaults in the US are not reported to the police. More than 90 percent of sexual assault survivors on US college campuses do not report the incident.

Hundreds protested on Capitol Hill for a #BelieveSurvivors Walkout against Judge Kavanaugh [Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP]

Online, women shared their messages of solidarity to Ford, Ramirez and the thousands who have been sexually assaulted in their lives. Many called out Trump, as well as some Senate Republicans who have questioned the womens accounts.

Together, we show them the power of solidarity, the power of having a voice, said Twitter user and activist Delaney Tarr.

Seeing women stand together for their sisters honestly makes me so emotional. This is- we are- the role models for every girl in the country. Together, we show them the power of solidarity, the power of having a voice. #BelieveSurviviors #BelieveWomen  delaney (@delaneytarr) September 24, 2018

I am over the boys club. I am over predators running the country. I am over the apologetics. Women should not live in fear. #BelieveWomen #BelieveSurvivors Enough, tweeted Cathleen London, a physician who said she is running for US Senate in Maine in 2020.

https://twitter.com/DrChaya/status/1044288748500996096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Today, members of the Vital Voices team joined a national walk out to stand with women and survivors of sexual assault. #BelieveWomen #BelieveSurvivors pic.twitter.com/IcyblBCNbc  Vital Voices (@VitalVoices) September 24, 2018

Here to tell [Senator] @JeffFlake to #BeAHero and #CancelKavanaugh. Time to make your actions match your words and show that you truly #BelieveWomen, tweeted Jody Drenzer Alperin from the protest in the Senate office buildings.Anti-immigration party backs centre-right opposition to remove countrys leader out of office in hung parliament.

Swedens centre-right opposition and the far-right have removed Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in a vote of no-confidence, after Septembers election delivered a hung parliament.

The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, with 62 seats and shunned by all parties since entering parliament in 2010, backed the Alliance in Tuesdays vote  an obligatory test of the prime ministers parliamentary support after an election.

A total of 204 of 349 members of parliament voted against Lofven, while 142 voted in favour of him.

The speaker of parliament, Andreas Norlen, is now charged with beginning talks with party leaders to find a new candidate for prime minister.

Lofven  the leader of the Social Democratic Party who has been prime minister for four years  said after the vote that he would stay on as leader of a caretaker government, and underlined that he was still prepared to form a new government.

I will work for a solution, Sweden needs a government, he said.

Likely candidate

Norlen is widely expected to task Ulf Kristersson, the head of the opposition Alliance coalition, with the job, but the Alliance does not hold a majority in parliament and has so far ruled out any collaboration with the Sweden Democrats.

Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson repeated on Tuesday his party wanted a say in policy as the price of supporting a new government.

We will do everything in our power to stop any attempt to form a government, do everything to bring down every government, which does not give us a reasonable influence in proportion to our electoral support, Akesson said.

The speaker has four chances to propose a candidate for prime minister in parliament, but there is no fixed deadline. If none of the proposals are approved, fresh elections must be held within three months.

With a new vote unlikely to change the situation much, some kind of compromise is likely to be thrashed out.

A number of party combinations have been suggested, but all would have a heavy political cost and a deal is could take weeks.Thailand to ban electronic waste imports after China move

Ban expected to be implemented within six months after Beijings ban on plastic waste imports made waves worldwide.My Move feature on popular dating app gives women the option to prevent men from messaging.

The Indian edition of dating app Tinder has introduced a new feature that gives women additional scrutiny and security before they allow men to start messaging them.

The My Move feature, which Tinder hopes to roll out globally, allows women to choose in their settings that only they can start a conversation with a male match after both have approved each other using the swiping function.

Normally, the app gives parties to a successful match  where both have swiped yes on the others photograph  the right to text each other immediately.

Rival dating app Bumble already allows only the female party to a heterosexual match to start conversations.

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Tinder said it has been testing the function in India for several months and plans to spread it worldwide if the full rollout proves successful.

Consent and choice

Taru Kapoor, general manager for Tinder owner Match Group in India, said the function had been pioneered in India because of Tinders need to attract more women to the app by making them feel more comfortable and secure.

We are a platform based on mutual respect, consent, and choice, she said.

[Users] can shape their own destiny, connect with people they feel comfortable with and at all points of time feel in control. Our users have the autonomy, especially women have the autonomy, on how to be engaged, to be empowered, to control their experience, Kapoor said.

I know the kind of creeps out there on Tinder and other dating apps, said one of a dozen male users the Reuters news agency talked to on Tuesday.

One extra layer of security doesnt do much harm to men apart from slimming their chances of striking up a conversation, he said.

Several female users remained sceptical about the usefulness of the feature and said the change in settings would not do much to alter their experience.

Even after carefully picking someone, if they turn out to be nothing like you imagined, there is always an unmatch option, said a 25-year-old woman in Bengaluru, who met her boyfriend through Tinder.

Thousands of reports of sexual violence and rape in India each year have raised concerns over the safety of women in many parts of the country.

In 2016, police in India received nearly 39,000 reports of rape, compared with almost 35,000 in 2015, according to the National Crime Records Bureau data.

Activists say the actual figure is likely to be much higher as many such crimes go unreported because of the stigma of sexual violence.

Asias largest market

An emerging class of young, affluent Indians has made the country Tinders largest market in Asia.

The company also says it is the chattiest globally, with users using the in-app messaging feature more than any other country.

The app, which averages 3.8 million users globally, had the highest number of monthly active users on Android phones in India last month in the Lifestyle category, according to analytics firm App Annie.

The app is also the third-highest earner by revenue across all categories when Google Play and iOS revenues are combined.A year after calling Kim Jong-un Little Rocket Man, Trump strikes a softer tone, raising hopes for the nuclear talks.

More video clips from the storySpies collected and examined data of Privacy International as part of mass surveillance activities.

UK intelligence agencies MI5, MI6 and GCHQ violated the law by collecting and examining data of human rights group Privacy International, a court said on Tuesday.

The data was collected as part of two mass surveillance programmes called Bulk Communications Data and Bulk Personal Datasets, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal said.

We do not know why MI5 reviewed Privacy Internationals data, but the fact that it happened at all should raise serious questions for all of us, Caroline Wilson Palow, general counsel of Privacy International, said in a statement.

MASSIVE  Court documents reveal UK intelligence agency unlawfully spied on Privacy International. We have been fighting against mass #surveillance for years. Updates to come.https://t.co/g97mzpBZW6 pic.twitter.com/rm33Gy1WzG  Privacy International (@privacyint) September 25, 2018

Privacy International has challenged both spy programmes before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, a court specifically set up to hear claims against UK intelligence agencies.

MI5 deleted the information it had gathered on the NGO on Monday, one day before the court notified Privacy International about the illegal collection.

We were just told that, yesterday, UK spy agency MI5 deleted the data they unlawfully collected about us. They did that one day before we were officially notified that they had unlawfully spied on us. Documents here: https://t.co/nGZUp1LTq8  Privacy International (@privacyint) September 25, 2018

Todays revelations are troubling for a whole host of reasons. The UK intelligence agencies bulk collection of communications data and personal data has been shown to be as vast as we have always imagined  it sweeps in almost everyone, including human rights organisations like Privacy International, Wilson Palow said.

Not only was Privacy International caught up in the surveillance dragnet, its data was actually examined by agents from the UKs domestic-facing intelligence agency  MI5.

In response to the revelation, Privacy International sent a letter to the UKs Home Secretary Sajid Javid demanding action against the intelligence agencies.

Lack of safeguards

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The revelation comes a week after the European Court of Human Rights said the UK was violating human rights with its mass surveillance programmes.

The European court specifically singled out the lack of oversight about data collection.

Todays revelations highlight the danger that can arise from such a lack of safeguards, the absence of which has allowed an intelligence agency to extract data about a human rights charity from that massive trove, Privacy Internationals statement said.

In January, Britains Court of Appeals ruled the UK government was breaking the law with its Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act, which allowed the UK to collect internet activity and phone records of its citizens.UKs Labour Party to vote on launching second Brexit referendum

Britains main opposition party is keeping its options if the governments talks with the EU fail.World Bank calls on Israel to ease restrictions on trade and movement of people to halt economic free fall in Gaza.

The economy in the Gaza Strip is collapsing mainly due to the 11-year blockade on the coastal enclave in addition to cuts in donor aid, according to a new report from the World Bank.

The report described the economy as being in free fall, shrinking by six percent in the first quarter of 2018, and warned of further deterioration since then.

It said unemployment in Gaza had reached more than 50 percent, while 70 percent of young people are jobless.

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A combination of war, isolation, and internal rivalries has left Gaza in a crippling economic state and exacerbated the human distress, said Marina Wes, the World Banks director for the region.

Increased frustration is feeding into the increased tensions which have already started spilling over into unrest and setting back the human development of the regions large youth population, she added.

The report cited a number of factors affecting the strip other than the blockade, such as the Palestinian Authoritys decision to reduce the monthly payments by $30m to the area, the winding down of the $50-60m a year of the United States government aid programme, and the cuts to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees.

The World Bank called on Israel to lift restrictions on trade and movement of goods and people, to help improve Gazas economy. It also urged the PA to work on economic development policies and emphasised the need for the development of legitimate institutions to govern Gaza in a transparent and efficient manner.

The report was released before a high-level meeting of the banks Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, responsible for coordinating development assistance to the Palestinians, on Thursday.

A situation where people struggle to make ends meet, suffer from worsening poverty, rising unemployment and deteriorating public services such as healthcare, water and sanitation, calls for urgent, real and sustainable solutions, Wes said.

Palestinians in Gaza have staged near-weekly demonstrations along the fence with Israel since late March, in part to protest the blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt since 2007, when Hamas took control of the territory.

Israeli soldiers have killed at least 174 Palestinians during the weekly protests since March, including 27 minors, according to Gazas health ministry. Human rights groups have accused Israel of excessive and unlawful use of force against unarmed protesters.Ali bin Salem al-Huraizy has opposed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates coalitions presence in al-Mahra.

Yemens government issued an arrest warrant for al-Mahra provinces former deputy governor, saying he was destabilising the region with calls for protests against the Saudi-Emirati military coalition.

Ali bin Salem al-Huraizy allegedly used social media platforms to stir up tensions between Yemeni tribes and the coalition by claiming Saudi Arabia was occupying al-Mahra, according to the warrant seen by Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

Huraizy was accused of calling for demonstrations with the intention of distorting the coalitions reputation, it said.





The warrant comes weeks after sources told Al Jazeera the kingdom is planning to build an oil port in al-Mahra.

Yemens media have reported that Saudi Arabia plans to launch development projects in al-Mahra, which borders Oman, including the construction of a pipeline that would extend to Saudi Arabia to transport its oil.

There have been restrictions and tariffs imposed on imported goods, which come through the al-Mahra border crossing between Yemen and Oman.

Seventy percent of imports to Yemen enter from Oman through this key border crossing, which, along with the provinces seaport and airport, is under the Saudi-UAE coalitions control.

Held hostage

Residents of al-Mahra protested in April calling on the coalition to scale back its military presence.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher last month, Huraizy said Saudi Arabia is looking to solidify its military presence in the province.

We feel like the situation is extremely complex at the moment, because the legitimate government is being held hostage by the coalition, Huraizy said. We hope that the legitimate leadership can be more attentive to whats happening.





He criticised the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Abdullah al-Jaber, for receiving President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi at the airport in Mahara province, claiming it gave the impression the Saudi ambassador was in control of al-Mahra.

Troops arrived in the area in December 2017, about two years after Saudi Arabia and the UAE  along with other Arab states that are no longer a part of the coalition  launched a military offensive on the impoverished country.

The coalition, which receives US logistical support, says it is concerned by the rise of the Houthi rebels and has repeatedly accused regional rival Iran of arming them, allegations the Houthis and Iran deny.

Al-Mahra has been spared the devastation of the civil war in Yemen as there are no Houthi fighters or armed groups in the province. At least 10,000 people have been killed in the fighting and more than 22 million are in dire need of assistance.

The coalition says its military campaign is aimed at re-installing Hadis government.About the show

A weekly programme that examines and dissects the worlds media, how they operate and the stories they cover. Watch The Listening Post every Saturday at 0830GMTThe venture will seek to channel capital into companies and projects that can help decarbonise the economy.Combat-Decorated Green Beret Takes On a New Enemy: The Washington Swamp

Many politicians in Washington, D.C. are more concerned with getting elected than with governing this country. Veterans see this as something that goes against their spirit. They served in the military to protect and defend, and now they want a chance to serve in Congress to fight for their fellow Americans. Their mission is to get results and not constantly be lame-duck representatives. One such candidate is Michael Waltz, who is running in Florida's District 6, the seat Ron DeSantis currently holds as he runs for governor. He interviewed with American Thinker about why he is running for office. He told American Thinker, "I have been serving my country my entire life, twenty-two years as a Green Beret. I wake up in the morning thinking about the issues this country is facing. We can either yell at the TV or roll up our sleeves and serve in the political arena. When someone is in the foxhole, he does not care about differences in race, religion, creed, sex, or economic or political background. It is all about mission and country. There is a commonality of service on how we should move this country forward."

Waltz's resume shows that he has multiple kinds of experience. A retired Army lieutenant colonel, he was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two for valor. A counterterrorism adviser during the George W. Bush administration, he worked in the Pentagon as a defense policy director for secretaries of defense Rumsfeld and Gates, and in the White House as Vice President Cheney's counterterrorism adviser. He is a small business-owner, CEO of Metis Solutions. The credit goes to his mother for instilling in him the drive to be someone who strives for success; leading by example; and putting forth the value of delivering results, not excuses. "My mother truly represented someone who lives the American dream. She worked three jobs when my sister and I grew up, sleeping only between 6 A.M. and 10 A.M. Her jobs included a night security guard, dental hygienist, and a claims clerk. We ended up graduating college at the same time because it took her fifteen years. She ended up retiring as a vice president of a company." Because the #MeToo movement is playing a role in current events today, Michael was asked about his views. "The men being exposed in Hollywood, like Harvey Weinstein, or in New York, like Les Moonves, deserve to be exposed. As a father of a teenage girl I have zero tolerance for them. But we need a balance. People's lives should not be ruined because of a spurious accusation." Furthermore, he wants people to understand that the extremist Islamists want a society that would keep women down. Many countries do not believe in freedom, equal opportunity, and human rights for women. "I spent my life fighting Islamic extremists' ideology. We need a broader strategy that goes after it. Think of the quote by Malala, the Indian girl shot for going to school. She said the thing the extremists fear the most is a girl with a book. It is a global issue. The cover of my book has schoolchildren. This school was burned down multiple times just because it taught girls, but we rebuilt it." One of the important issues facing America is border security. "President Trump offered a deal on DACA that would allow about one million more people than what President Obama offered. I think it is reasonable to move away from a lottery system and chain immigration because border security is national security. Let's remember: Hezb'allah has a track record of working with the Mexican drug cartels when they attempted to murder the Saudi ambassador in Washington. If they can infiltrate by moving drugs and human-trafficking, then they can cross our southern border. It is certainly possible to be used for all types of bad activities. It is not as if the smugglers discriminate what they move across our border." He gives President Trump high marks for getting things done. "I cannot tell you how many speeches I wrote for the defense secretaries asking our NATO allies to live up to their defense commitment. They shrugged their shoulders and blew us off. No longer with this president." On the domestic front, he is grateful to the president for reducing so many regulations. "When I tried starting my business, I could not get capital or loans under the past Democratic administration. Then we had to take the Obamacare compliance that exploded our overhead costs. Year after year, we had sky-high deductibles." Andrew Gillum, the Democratic choice for governor of Florida, is a progressive who wants Medicare for all and to abolish ICE. Along with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is running for Congress in New York, Gillum and others in the Democratic Party have socialistic ideals. Waltz shakes his head and points to socialist nations around the world. "What has socialism given to people? Look no farther than Venezuela and Cuba. It is mind-boggling this is the direction they want to take us. They believe in Medicare for all and a single-payer health system yet cannot explain how they will pay for it, with the estimated cost about $32 trillion. Let's not forget that Pelosi and now Gillum say they will raise taxes." What he wants Americans and Floridians to understand is that "I am in a tough race. The Democratic Party is sliding toward socialism with an open border agenda. They call for an impeachment of our president that will grind his positive agenda to a halt. The question voters need to ask: Which America do they want? I hope to run a positive campaign that highlights what the Republicans have done so far. Frankly, I wish the White House would talk more about their accomplishments. I am focused on results and what has been done to affect American lives for the better. Anyone with the ability to work hard should be able to achieve the American dream as long as he plays by the rules." The author writes for American Thinker. She has done book reviews and author interviews and has written a number of national security, political, and foreign policy articles.Debra Katz Was Wrong about Paula Jones's Case

If you are a woman with a sexual harassment claim against a man who is politically favored by Christine Blasey Ford's attorney, Debra Katz, don't hire Katz as your attorney. In 1998, Katz stated that Paula Jones did not have a viable case against President Bill Clinton. Soon thereafter, Jones's lawsuit was dismissed before a trial could occur by federal Judge Susan Webber Wright, now known as Susan Webber Carter. Katz's statements were not vindicated by Carter's ruling, because Carter's ruling was wrong. Jones's lawsuit against Clinton included claims under federal civil rights laws and a claim under Arkansas tort law for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The legal viability of Carter's ruling that Jones's claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress should not be heard by a jury rests on her statement that "the conduct as alleged by plaintiff describes a mere sexual proposition or encounter, albeit an odious one, that was relatively brief in duration, did not involve any coercion or threats of reprisal, and was abandoned as soon as plaintiff made clear that the advance was not welcome."

The conduct alleged by Jones, accepted as true for the purposes of Carter's ruling, includes the following: Governor Clinton had a state trooper escort Jones to a hotel suite; the trooper told Jones he had a gun when asked; after a few minutes of small talk in the hotel room alone with Clinton, he asked her about her job and mentioned that Dave Harrington, Jones's ultimate superior within the state agency at which she worked, and a Clinton appointee, was his good friend. Clinton then unexpectedly reached over to Jones, took her hand, and pulled her toward him, so that their bodies were close to each other; she removed her hand from his and retreated, but Clinton approached her again and, while saying, "I love the way your hair flows down your back" and "I love your curves," put his hand on her leg, started sliding it toward her pelvic area, and bent down to attempt to kiss her on the neck, all without her consent. Jones then exclaimed, "What are you doing?," told Clinton that she was "not that kind of girl," and walked away from him. Jones was extremely upset and confused and, not knowing what to do, attempted to distract Clinton by chatting about his wife. Jones then sat at the end of the sofa nearest the door, but Clinton approached the sofa and, as he sat down, lowered his trousers and underwear, exposed his penis (which was erect), and told Jones to "kiss it." Jones was horrified by this, and she jumped up from the couch and told Clinton she had to go. Clinton, while fondling his penis, said, "Well, I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do" and then pulled up his pants and said, "If you get in trouble for leaving work, have Dave call me immediately, and I'll take care of it." As Jones left the room (the door of which was not locked), Clinton detained her momentarily; looked sternly at her; and said, "You are smart. Let's keep this between ourselves." Clinton's advances to her were unwelcome; she never said or did anything to suggest to him that she was willing to have sex with him; and during the time they were together in the hotel suite, she resisted his advances, although she was stunned by them and intimidated by who he was. When Clinton referred to Dave Harrington, Jones understood that Clinton was telling her that he had control over Mr. Harrington and over her job and that he was willing to use that power. From that point on, she was fearful that her refusal to submit to Clinton's advances could damage her career and even jeopardize her employment. When she left the hotel suite, she was in shock and upset but tried to maintain her composure. Jones went back to her job downstairs at the hotel with her coworker, who reported that Jones was shaking and embarrassed. Later that day, Jones went to the workplace of a friend and told her of the incident as well. The friend testified that Jones was upset and crying. Within the next two days, Jones told one of her sisters, who testified that Jones was "bawling" and "squalling" and that she appeared scared, embarrassed, and ashamed. Jones's friend testified that she encouraged Jones to report the incident to her boss or to the police but that Jones declined, pointing out that her boss was friends with Clinton and that the police were the ones who took her to the hotel suite. Her friend further testified that Jones stated she did not want her fiance to know of the incident and that she "just wanted this thing to go away." What Clinton and the trooper had said and done made Jones afraid to file charges. A few weeks later, the trooper told Jones that Hillary Clinton was out of town often and that Clinton wanted her phone number and wanted to see her. Jones refused to provide her phone number to the trooper. The trooper also asked her how her fiance, Steve, was doing, even though she had never told the trooper or Clinton his name, and this frightened her. Jones continued to work at the state agency even though she was in constant fear that Clinton would retaliate against her because she had refused to have sex with him. She was treated very rudely by certain superiors in her agency, including her direct supervisor, and this rude treatment had not happened prior to her encounter with Clinton. Again, all of these assertions were not established as facts in a court of law; however, they were assumed to be true for purposes of ruling on Clinton's summary judgment motion against Jones. Carter was incorrect to say no jury could ever properly conclude that Clinton's saying he knew Jones's boss and that she should not talk about what happened "did not involve any coercion or threats of reprisal." A jury could easily find that Clinton's alleged conduct could reasonably have been interpreted by Jones as coercive and threatening. Carter was incorrect to say this was "a mere sexual proposition or encounter, albeit an odious one." "Mere" is defined as "being nothing more than what is specified" and "small" or "slight." Carter's use of the word "mere" might be an accurate description if all Clinton allegedly did was the verbal invitation. But the verbal invitation plus the placing of his hand on her leg and the exposure of his erect penis coupled with the statement about her boss being his friend and his request for her to remain silent about something she would have a natural need to discuss with friends and loved ones is something a jury could easily find to be so outrageous in character, and so extreme in degree, as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency and to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in civilized society. Carter failed to cite any case that compelled her to characterize Clinton's alleged conduct the way she did. Carter was incorrect to say Clinton's conduct "was abandoned as soon as plaintiff made clear that the advance was not welcome." After Jones walked away from Clinton, rejecting his advance, including his touching her leg as he slid his hand toward her pelvic area, he allegedly exposed his erect penis. Carter found that Clinton's alleged exposure of his erect penis constituted abandonment of his sexual conduct. Carter failed to cite any case that supported her opinion on this point. Carter also neglected to cite a single case that made her opinion about the severity of Jones's alleged emotional distress controlling over anything to the contrary a jury might have found. Carter failed to cite a single case that compelled her to rule that it would be improper for a jury to find that Jones's emotional distress was so severe in nature that no reasonable person could be expected to endure it. In section IV of the Argument section of Jones's July 30, 1998 appellate brief, Jones's attorneys attacked Carter's ruling on the claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress. In November 1998, before the appeal was heard, Clinton settled with Jones for $850,000.00. Carter got it wrong, and so did Katz. Allan J. Favish is an attorney in Los Angeles. His website is allanfavish.com. James Fernald and Mr. Favish have co-authored a book about what might happen if the government ran Disneyland entitled Fireworks! If the Government Ran the Fairest Kingdom of Them All (A Very Unauthorized Fantasy).Democrats Demonstrate Their Hatred of Women

Democrats love to claim they love groups they actually hate. Take blacks, for example. Democrats, and the fake news media, are always telling us how much they love blacks. But we know that's not true because Democrats are doing nothing while thousands of blacks are shot each year in Democratic-run cities. If the Democratic mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, actually cared about blacks, he'd be doing something to reduce the thousands of shootings occurring each year. Instead, he simply uses the ongoing slaughter of blacks in the city he runs to push for his personal desire to repudiate the Second Amendment. We all know that if nearly 4,000 white people had been shot in Chicago last year, Rahm would be doing more to end the violence.

We're seeing the same situation with women as a result of the Democrats' desperate need to ensure that the Supreme Court remain full of left-wing activists. The entire leftist agenda, ranging from being soft on criminals to redefining marriage, has been established by judicial fiat with judges making, not interpreting, the law. Without an activist leftist Supreme Court, none of the modern leftist agenda would have been imposed on the people. That's why Kavanaugh is an existential threat to the left: a majority of honest judges would require the left to get the majority of Americans to support their agenda, something the left knows will never happen. Because Kavanaugh is a great human being  for example, he volunteers in a soup kitchen  and a great judge, Democrats weren't able to come up with any honest reason he shouldn't be on the Court. But instead of accepting that elections have consequences, as their god Obama has said, Democrats have decided to destroy the #MeToo movement, seriously hurting women in the process, in a hopefully vain attempt to keep Kavanaugh off the Court. The Democrats are destroying #MeToo by putting forth clearly specious claims that Kavanaugh has assaulted women, thereby undermining the credibility of all women. The sad reality is that in many cases, because women don't report assaults or rapes when they occur, often due to the completely wrong idea that being forcibly assaulted is something to be ashamed of, the cases often devolve into a he said, she said situation. If the public sees the entire Democratic Party pushing what are clearly fake claims by women, the public will begin to question all women who claim to have been assaulted. We know that the Democrats don't believe these claims against Kavanaugh because they've kept them hidden and because they're doing everything they can to prevent the claims from being scrutinized. We know that a lack of belief is merited. In the Ford case, within a week of her publicly accusing Kavanaugh of assault, all of the people she said would corroborate her story, including a lifelong female Democratic friend, have said the party Ford describes never happened. That on top of Ford being unable to remember when or where the supposed party occurred and the fact that her own therapist's notes don't support her current claims make it obvious to honest people that either Ford is lying or she's deluded. Possibly poor therapy brought out a false "repressed" memory. Within hours of Ford's claims being unambiguously debunked, the Democrats found a new woman, Deborah Ramirez, to allege that a young Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her. But we already know that the people whom she claimed as witnesses say it never happened. Furthermore, we know that she contacted former classmates for information on the incident because she didn't really remember it and she told them that she wasn't sure that it was Kavanaugh. But now, after spending six days with a Democratic lawyer, she's sure that the alleged event did happen. Given that she's a Democrat and that she's said she came forward because of Ford's now debunked claim, it's pretty clear that she's just turned a wish that she could derail Kavanaugh into a story that she hopes will derail him. Can you imagine if some woman claimed that Obama had exposed himself to her? Would the media have run the story if there were no corroboration, if in fact the people the "victim" cited as corroboration outright denied her claims? Of course not. While Obama's policies are loathsome, there is absolutely no indication that he is the sort of man who sexually assaults women, just as there is no indication that Kavanaugh is such a man. There is no proven or even claimed #MeToo case where someone assaulted women when he was young and then completely stopped and never reoffended. The Democrats' acceptance of clearly false claims and their embracing the idea that the mere fact that a woman accuses a man of something makes the man guilty hurt women in another way. Women often have husbands and sons. Real women are quite rightly concerned that their husbands' and their sons' lives could be destroyed because some woman makes a false claim. The reality is that we know that some women will lie about assault to protect themselves or to hurt a man they don't like. That doesn't mean we should ignore the claims of women, but it does mean we can't simply assume that women never lie. It's unclear if the Democrats are eager to destroy #MeToo because it has caught mostly Democrats to date or if the death of #MeToo is just a price that Democrats are willing to pay to ensure that the Court doesn't return to simply interpreting the law. Or perhaps the Democrats are planning to use their common strategy of creating standards that only Republicans are judged by to make #MeToo a tool that attacks only conservatives. We're actually seeing that today. The same Democrats who claim that an uncorroborated and repudiated accusation is enough to keep Kavanaugh off the Court say two credible, sourced claims of assault against Keith Ellison mean nothing. While it's true that the Democrats make noises about investigating Ellison, if they were to apply the same "all that matters is the accusation" standard they'd be demanding that Ellison resign from his number-two role in the DNC and his campaign to be attorney general of Minnesota. But they're not. It's time to end this farce. The Kavanaugh who will sit on the Court has a spotless record of respecting women for decades, and the ability of the Democrats to convince women to bring up readily debunked claims of Kavanaugh having assaulted them decades ago doesn't change that. You can read more of Tom's rants at his blog, Conversations about the obvious, and feel free to follow him on Twitter.The ol' alma mater already lost my contributions earlier this year  a consequence of Wired revealing that one of Elon's computer professors is an Antifa activist who has been compiling a massive database of anyone she deems Lebensunwertes Leben. That means "Republicans," "conservatives," "Alt-Right," "white supremacists," and pretty much everyone listing starboard of Friedrich Engels.

Megan Squire is not only still employed at Elon, but applauded. Last week Squire delivered a "Distinguished Scholar Lecture" about her work supplying the Southern Poverty Law Center with information about their common enemies. This is the same Southern Poverty Law Center whose "hate list" has been used to target innocent people for assassination. Curiously, Squire's work is totally absent any analogues from the left of the political spectrum. A "scholarly oversight," no doubt.

Once upon a time, Elon University was a place that encouraged freedom of ideas and vigorous debate. But as ideological homogeneity has prevailed upon "the most beautiful campus in America," that time is now past. The school that welcomed Margaret Thatcher to dedicate its student center in 1995 would probably have the Iron Lady arrested for trespassing were she still with us.

In good conscience, I can no longer contribute to a school that has embraced intellectual intolerance and has abandoned reason for capricious "feelings." Neither can I endorse my college when it continues to have among its staff a gleeful provider of resources for domestic terrorism. But still, I held out hope that sanity there might yet prevail.

And then it was announced that Anita Hill is coming to speak at Elon University.

She's due in January to deliver the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Address. The title of her lecture is "From Social Movement to Social Impact: Putting an End to Sexual Harassment in the Workplace."

Talk about chutzpah!

Elon's faculty could have invited Justice Clarence Thomas. I believe he would have been honored to visit. He would certainly be a more admirable choice of speaker about Dr. King's dream than could possibly be the most discredited, disreputable, and debunked witness in the history of Supreme Court confirmation hearings (until now, anyway). When one has an up-and-coming law school, celebrating Anita Hill is not how one's institution acquires street cred.

That Anita Hill is even remembered at all, when she should have been forever relegated to juristic mothballs in late Uncle Teddy's basement, is woeful evidence that the long-term strategy since those hazy, crazy days of Coke cans and "Long Dong Silver" actually worked. September 1991 did and still does cast a pall over Clarence Thomas, by all serious accounts a kind, courteous, and brilliant man.

Thomas is also, notoriously, the quietest of the justices. Those who know him in professional circles have assured me that outside hearings, Thomas is exceptionally jovial and quick with a joke. That human side is dropped completely when the nine justices file into court. The last time Thomas has been publicly loquacious is, again, from 1991:

The Supreme Court is not worth it. No job is worth it. I am not here for that. I am here for my name, my family, my life, and my integrity. I think something is dreadfully wrong with this country when any person, any person in this free country would be subjected to this.

How much wisdom and ponderance has the American people been deprived of these past twenty-seven sessions because Thomas was on some primal level intimidated by the "high-tech lynching" perpetuated by a zealous media eagerly complicit with partisan kindred?

It was inevitable that Anita Hill would come to mind now, amid the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation proceedings and the subsequent freak show that apparently few are taking seriously. Perhaps the American people are wiser today  or fatigued from the Thomas hearings, still much in living memory. Christine Ford's legitimacy has fast fallen apart and would not hold up under scrutiny in any serious courtroom. Deborah Ramirez's credibility is even worse.

But this has been the last full measure since 1987 and the Robert Bork nomination. The assault on Bork was of such viciousness that Douglas Ginsburg got out of Dodge before any shootin' commenced, his use of marijuana years earlier given as the motive for withdrawing from Supreme Court consideration before the confirmation hearings began. But it was glaringly obvious: Ginsburg knew that the anti-Bork tactics would take their toll. In the end, a squeaky-clean Anthony Kennedy went on to claim Lewis Powell's former seat.

"To Bork" among the American far left became a term for total war against any perceived threat to the left's sense of power. "We're going to Bork him. We're going to kill him politically," said National Organization for Women attorney Florence Kennedy immediately after the Thomas nomination was announced. Portending the character assassinations of decades to come, Kennedy added, "This little creep, where did he come from?" Thomas's steadfast resolve won the day against the siege. "Borking" was nonetheless made a standard weapon against any deemed too far right to have a seat at the table.

Kavanaugh's opposition and those they represent desire nothing less than total victory. If they cannot have it, they will do their damnedest to scorch the earth and salt the land. It was a cruel measure of the Roman armies: on the rare times they were successfully repelled, they would "poison the well" of the defending city. The carcasses of dead horses, cattle, even people would be tossed into the water supply as they made their retreat. It was a spiteful and cowardly tactic, absent any forward merit. Deprived of potable water, most of the victorious towns withered and died all the same.

Brett Kavanaugh's opponents are Borking the well again. Yet Kavanaugh is only the objective of this particular hour. In the long term, defeating Kavanaugh is almost immaterial to the ultimate goal of the obscene strategy: the fantasy of enforced liberty without self-restraint. Too many seem oblivious that such is not liberty at all, but a deprivation of freedom in its most hallowed sense. This isn't about Kavanaugh the man as much as it is about ideologically tainting the American landscape in attempting to seize the impossible. Leftists are willing to warp reality itself beyond repair in order to achieve it.

The machinations currently deployed against Brett Kavanaugh stem from a heart of darkest cowardice. If his detractors cannot prevail on purely rational and intellectual grounds, then they will do so playing to the basest hysteria and hate. There will be no satisfying their bloodlust until Kavanaugh's haggard, weary face is up on the telescreens, accusing himself of crimes against Big Sister that he never committed. So it is that the yet to be substantiated claims of Ford and Ramirez are now enough, we are told, to override fair and due process. Strangely, this principle never seemed applicable to Juanita Broaddrick, but I digress.

"Law is the ultimate science," wrote Frank Herbert in his classic novel Dune. There is not one justice, even the great Jay Marshall, who has been an absolutely perfect inquirer of that realm. There is, however, a profound observation that the justices of the United States Supreme Court often deviate from their initial stances over the long course of their respective tenures. They grow, we should prefer to believe. When the objective is that deeper understanding of the Constitution for its own sake and that of the people, no sincere jurist can avoid evolution into a greater scholar.

The honoring and furtherance of law isn't what those such as Brett Kavanaugh's enemies desire. The virtue of disregarding the rule of law in these proceedings is itself testimony that Kavanaugh's opponents do not want rule of law at all. They desire ideological purity and unwavering commitment to temporal politics. When they succeed in this, they drive our pursuit of the understanding of law into stagnancy, decay, and ruin. They might be attempting to diminish and destroy a philosophy or a party. They are, however, succeeding in poisoning the well from which all of us as Americans draw our civility and nobility.

They must be called out on it and opposed from every angle as reverence of law dictates.

One last thing...

Dear Elon University students manning the phone bank for the fall pledge drive: do not call me asking for more money. Because it's not coming. Not ever.

Christopher Knight would never be Supreme Court material after that "Pelvis-Shakin' Elvis" stunt in high school. He would still appreciate your visiting his blog at TheKnightShift.com and on Twitter at @theknightshift.As a result of the liberal smear campaign, McCarthy is memorialized by the term "McCarthyism," which is defined as "the use of tactics involving personal attacks on individuals by means of widely publicized indiscriminate allegations especially on the basis of unsubstantiated charges; broadly: defamation of character or reputation through such tactics."

Joe McCarthy was a U.S. senator who relentlessly pursued communists in the U.S. government. But because liberals have always been more enthused about communism than freedom, the Democrat establishment lied McCarthy into oblivion.

That's right: the term Democrats developed to smear McCarthy because he was hunting traitors in the U.S. government is a perfect description of the Democrats' and their propaganda arm, the fake news media, treatment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

They couldn't find anything in his judicial record to justify denying him a seat on the Supreme Court, so Democrats have turned to unsubstantiated, and in fact repudiated, charges of ancient personal impropriety, which these same Democrats have widely publicized.

Democrats knew that Christine Blasey Ford's claims about Kavanaugh assaulting her were bogus, which is why they waited until the last minute to reveal them. In fact, the only thing they've been right about so far is that Ford isn't credible. Even though she made the most ambiguous, uncheckable claims possible within a week of her going public, every person who she said could confirm her account was on record, under threat of imprisonment, of saying there was no truth to her claim. Even her lifelong friend, a female Democrat who doesn't like Kavanaugh being on the Supreme Court, has said she was never at a party with Ford and Kavanaugh, even though Ford said she was.

If the Democrats hadn't hidden Ford's claim, the whole issue would have been resolved before the hearings began.

The latest claim by Deborah Ramirez is even less credible than Ford's. Even the NYT, for whom, usually, any anti-Trump rumor is fit to print, wouldn't run the story because it lacked any credibility. Even Ms. Ramirez said that she wasn't sure that it was Kavanaugh until she spent six days with a Democrat activist lawyer. The witnesses she said would corroborate her account said she was wrong. She called former classmates up recently to ask about the event and told them she wasn't sure who exposed himself to her.

It turns out that Ramirez is a Democrat activist. As the coup de grace, one of her best friends at the time, who shared secrets with her, says Ramirez never mentioned the incident.

Meanwhile the porn lawyer Michael Avenatti claims to have a woman who says Kavanaugh and his friend Judge used to drug and gang-rape women. We know that Avenatti is a liar and a tax cheat. He has presented not a single detail, but we're supposed to believe that by day Kavanaugh was the fantastic gentleman commended by 65 women, but by night, he organized gang-rapes of women. Right.

There's more evidence that the fake news media are trying to tip the scales. We all know how irritating it is when some reporter refers to a person caught in the act of some horrible crime as the "alleged" perpetrator. We're all for presumption of innocence, but when you have video footage of someone shooting an unarmed cop, we think leaving the "alleged" out is okay. But when you read stories about Kavanaugh in the fake news media, are you seeing a significant usage of the word "alleged"? In fact, Democrats are arguing that the mere fact that Kavanaugh has been accused means we can drop the "alleged" and presume he's guilty.

Chuck Schumer and the rest of the neo-fascist Democrats are engaging in true McCarthyism.

They can't give any reason why Kavanaugh wouldn't be a good judge or how any of his past rulings are inconsistent with the law as written, so they're saying that because random Democrat activist women are suddenly remembering after decades of silence allegedly horrible things that Kavanaugh did, we must reject him, even though in both cases the people the "victim" has said would back up their claims have in fact said the "victim" is wrong.

The American people generally don't like liars, and they especially don't like liars trying to smear innocent people.

You can read more of Tom's rants at his blog, Conversations about the obvious, and feel free to follow him on Twitter.But all of this is nuisanceware compared to what the people at Google have been caught doing in China and are now trying to cover up. According to Glenn Greenwald's The Intercept:

Google bosses have forced employees to delete a confidential memo circulating inside the company that revealed explosive details about a plan to launch a censored search engine in China, The Intercept has learned. The memo, authored by a Google engineer who was asked to work on the project, disclosed that the search system, codenamed Dragonfly, would require users to log in to perform searches, track their location  and share the resulting history with a Chinese partner who would have "unilateral access" to the data.

CNET adds:

According to the report, the so-called Dragonfly search engine would require Chinese citizens to log in to perform searches, track their physical location, and then share all of its data with a Chinese partner company that could presumably share it with the Chinese government. The company would reportedly have "unilateral access" to the data. That might also presumably include Chinese citizens' phone numbers, as described in an earlier Intercept report. Plus, that Chinese company would reportedly be able to independently add new words to the blacklist of searches to be censored, according to today's report.

Sounds like the Orwellian dream come true. Anyone who wants to have a cell phone and look up information in China would become a target for communist China's odious secret police, and they will be looking.

Seriously, a device to track your every move and every question asked is right there in the realm of thought control, and amazingly enough, it was an American company, full of leftists, who made such a communist dream a reality. The old Stalin or Mao system of informants and knocks on the door at midnight was just too crude and inefficient. Today's totalitarians are sleek and efficient, with Google technology powering their capacity to zero in on just the most disruptive people, the better to keep the rest of society submissive, with the least possible effort. This is how code works, deducting, deducting, deducting, and why it's done so much for America's productivity revolution. Now it's being applied to totalitarians' needs, with Google the big pioneer in it.

Who would have thought it would be American technology and know-how that made just such a system possible? What's more, who doesn't think these people won't find a way around it to bring it here?

Business Insider explains why Google doesn't want anyone to know:

The information within the memo appears to contradicts statements made by Google CEO Sundar Pichai that the company's efforts on a Chinese search engine were exploratory. Google's China efforts mark a major reversal of its 2010 decision to pull its search operations out of China rather than censor information. The project to re-enter China has been hugely controversial inside the company, and several Google employees have resigned in protest.

Losing talent, deceiving shareholders  not a good thing. But from Google's point of view, China is a big market, and from big markets come big profits. I suspect that the Googletrons noticed that Yahoo! got off scot-free from cooperating with the Chicoms on email and decided that the risk was nothing while the money-making opportunity for themselves was too good to pass up. Hence the memo with that sneaky little plan to give the Chicoms the magic tools to go Orwell.

Any questions as to why President Trump just recently warned that Google and its lesser Silicon Valley coevals "threaten democracy and online freedom"? Americans love to dismiss Trump as over the top, but after reading this stuff, in retrospect, it sounds as though he knew something.

Knowledge is power, and those guys at Google understand that.The real reason the left wants to destroy Brett Kavanaugh

Dr. Ben Carson, on the campaign trail in 2016, said, "The Roman Empire was very, very much like us. They lost their moral core, their sense of values in terms of who they were. And after all of those things converged together, they just went right down the tubes very quickly." Four years later, that statement rings even more ominous. Progressives in our country have taken political opposition to an extreme and dangerous level. No longer do we see a "loyal opposition." In its place is a hate-filled, revenge-seeking mob no longer constrained by fact, decency, or integrity. Neither the truth nor justice seems to matter to the Democrats. They traffic in lies and deceit. The shameful proceedings to vet Judge Brett Kavanaugh reek of corruption. Senator Dianne Feinstein held a letter from Dr. Christine Ford for nearly two months before it was leaked by Democrats after his hearing. The antics of Dr. Ford's attorneys regarding her plan to testify say more about the political points they hope to score than a pursuit of truth and justice. Kate Shaw, in a New York Times article this week, said it plainly: "[e]ven if it wouldn't support a criminal conviction or civil liability, a merely credible allegation is enough to disqualify him." Did you hear, in the distance, the foundation of our democracy starting to crack? What the left is saying is that truth doesn't matter. If the accusation is ugly enough, then it ought to be disqualifying.

Uncertain of whether Dr. Ford's allegations would suffice, the Democrat senators went on a fishing expedition to see if they could find someone else to make a charge against Judge Kavanaugh. Another accusation appeared. In a New Yorker article, Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer tell the story of Deborah Ramirez, a former Yale University classmate of Kavanaugh, who contended that he exposed himself to her at a dorm room party. There are a couple of important things to note about this accusation. First, according to Bill Hutchinson at the ABC News blog, Farrow said, "She came forward when Senate Democrats began looking at this claim. She did not flag this for those Democrats. This came to the attention of people on the Hill independently and it's really cornered her into an awkward position." Second, it should be noted that no one, not the New Yorker or even the New York Times, has found any sort of corroboration for her story. The Gray Lady reported that it interviewed "several dozen people over the past week" to corroborate Ramirez's claim but "could find no one with firsthand knowledge." So what do we make of this accusation? It was sought by Senate Democrats, and Ms. Ramirez, who admits that her story "has gaps," was forced to come forward. It's also clear that no one else can back up her story. The party who is so concerned about women has seemingly thrown another woman to the wolves in an attempt to retain power. Why is the left seeking to destroy Judge Kavanaugh? I think Geraldo Rivera nailed it in an appearance on Fox and Friends when he said, "This is all about abortion. This is the epic battle, latest battle, between the forces of pro-choice versus pro-life. And I think both sides will do whatever is necessary, whatever is legally possible, to delay or get their person on the high court." They fear that Judge Kavanaugh might be the vote to change the law on abortion. Leftists are bitter over losing an election in 2016 they believed they'd already won. Had they won, there would be no doubt that a pro-choice judge would be appointed by a President Clinton. They have yet to accept the fact that the American voters chose Donald Trump. One of the big reasons for that was the appointment of Supreme Court justices. The left now resorts to any tactic, legal or not, to hold on to the precious Roe v. Wade decision. They call it "choice" and "reproductive rights," but the reality is that they want to allow our society to kill unwanted babies in the womb. That's what this is about. Dr. Carson has a valid point. Rome fell because of an inward decay. It wasn't the only empire to do so. The Incan civilization was prominent in South America in the 1400s. They were a powerful people, twelve million strong. One of the facets of the Incan civilization was the practice of human sacrifice to the gods, particularly the offering of their children, as a way to prevent natural calamities. There is not a civilization that has persisted that has valued children so little. May we reclaim truth, justice, and values before it is too late. Bill Thomas lives in Washington, Missouri and has been in local church ministry for over twenty-five years. He is also an adjunct instructor in history, the Bible, and education for two different Christian colleges. He's authored two novellas, From the Ashes and The Sixty-First Minute, published by White Feather Press of Mississippi, and three Bible studies, "Surrounded by Grace," "The Critical Questions and More," and "The Road to Victory," published by CSS Publishing of Ohio.In short: CenturyLink CFO Sunit Patel is leaving the telecom firm for T-Mobile where hell be in charge of the companys efforts to merge with Sprint. Mr. Patels new role will be that of an Executive Vice President, Merger and Integration Lead, with his employment officially starting on Monday, October 1. The industry veteran will report directly to T-Mobile President and COO Mike Sievert, the wireless carrier confirmed. Mr. Sievert said the new EVP will have a tremendous impact on shaping the new T-Mobile, suggesting he wasnt hired solely for the purpose of helping the Bellevue-based company navigate the complicated consolidation.

Background: Mr. Patels appointment was still at least partially prompted by the fact he already played a crucial role in another major telecom tie-up in the United States  that of Level 3 Communications and CenturyLink which was completed last year. The long-term telecom executive also contributed to some significant M&A activity on the part of Level 3, including its purchase of wireless carrier Global Crossing. T-Mobile and Sprint announced their intentions to merge in late April, proposing an all-stock deal valued at roughly $26.5 billion that would see T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom take a controlling stake in the combined entity, whereas SoftBank would cede its complete control of Sprint in exchange for a more favorable position in the stateside wireless market. T-Mobile and Sprint are predicting their tie-up proposal will be officially greenlit by the FCC and DOJ in the first half of 2019, a timeline that some industry watchers previously deemed optimistic.

Impact: While Mr. Patel has experience with navigating the intricacies of U.S. antitrust law, its unlikely that his appointment will affect the chances of T-Mobile and Sprints merger being approved. The FCCs review period is still on pause, the pressure from select advocates and rivals for the deal to be blocked or significantly altered is mounting, and the duos views of the industry continue to change, hurting their credibility.In short: Googles Head of Head of Machine Perception Research Jay Yagnik appeared dismissive of the ongoing trade war between the US and China, referring to AI as a global event at this years World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. More directly, the executive says that technology has had the most lasting effect on humanity over the past several centuries and that AI is a disruptive force that will take society to the next level. Because of that, it makes more sense for the focus of humanity to be centered around how to best make use of the technology. China, meanwhile, has one of the most engaged communities in the world with more than two million downloads of the companys TensorFlow machine learning tools. That makes partnering with Chinas AI talent an important step moving forward.

Background: With regard to the trade war, Yagnik only commented to say that global landscapes evolve quickly. Googles statements on that matter likely stem from both its precarious position in the region and ongoing confrontation with the US government. Aside from TensorFlow being made available within the region, most of the companys services and products are effectively banned from China due to what many refer to as the Great Firewall. That harkens back to the countrys governments notorious censorship and monitoring of web usage. Simultaneously, the search giants efforts in the region and most notably its Project Dragonfly are causing a stir among US politicians. Coupled with allegations of deceptive data collections and questions about consumer privacy, Project Dragonfly is a controversial variation on Google Search which not only enables censorship but aids it. Moreover, the search requires a log-in and is purported to help with tracking of users. Theres no launch date on that project but it has caused serious questions to be raised about Googles role in China and its ethical values.

Setting that aside, Google has managed to keep TensorFlow going in China in spite of bans on its ongoing issues. The company has found workarounds for issues that otherwise would have prevented Chinese developers from accessing the tools, for example. Elsewhere, GitHub and Reddit are common sources of information, files, and the sharing of other important aspects of developing on the platform. In China, Google has set up a WeChat channel that acts in place of those resources. Its also poured substantial resources into ensuring the tool is available in Chinese wherever possible to make using the platform easier for developers in the region. Its goals moving forward are primarily focused on health care, astronomy, and arts.

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Impact: Google has invested considerable time and resources in Chinas developer community and to ensure that its most important contributions to technology, as a whole, are available to everyone. Its decision to ignore political, geographical, and cultural divisions, meanwhile, could be viewed as an appropriate stance to take for a global organization or as reckless. Regardless, the company does appear to be making headway in a region where it has historically been disallowed and renewing efforts to utilize AI in pursit of better health care and the sciences on a global scale.In short: Huawei is doubling down on hiring in the United States despite its numerous issues with the federal government, AndroidHeadlines has learned. Over the course of the last month alone, Huawei posted more than 200 job openings for various positions across the country, the majority of which are for full-time roles. According to listings published on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Huaweis own website, the company is looking for new sales account managers, administrative assistants, software engineers, data analysts, IoT experts, OS architects, and everything in between.

Background: The Chinese technology giant presently employs around 1,200 people in the U.S., according to its own website. Its hiring spree comes following a months-long public spat with stateside legislators which saw Capitol Hill outlaw the federal use of Huawei-made equipment and software on any significant scale, citing national security concerns. The Shenzhen-based firm called the development unconstitutional and misguided, maintaining that its not Beijings puppet that could easily be used by China for spying on other countries. The ordeal was just the latest in the long history of issues Huawei had with the U.S. government and American companies, with the firm often being accused of both espionage and trade secret theft. In last weeks interview with AndroidHeadlines, security expert Mick Hagen called Huawei a clear threat to the West.

Impact: Huawei appears to be at least partially counteracting the effects of large-scale U.S. layoffs it started this April, with the company now looking to fill a broad range of positions that indicate its stateside business ambitions arent going anyway in spite of fierce opposition from both the federal government and American lawmakers. The company is hence expected to continue releasing a limited selection of new products in the U.S., with the next such offering presumably coming in the form of the Mate 20 Android flagship lineup which will be officially announced on October 16.Samsung is expected to soon join the in-display fingerprint scanner bandwagon with the rumored Galaxy P30 and Galaxy P30 Plus mid-range smartphones. The device names have been tipped by a Weibo user Master Maserati while also revealing that the alleged SM-G6200 model number belongs to either of the two Galaxy P-series smartphones. It is believed that Samsung will make use of optical biometric solutions for these two smartphones while the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner sourced from Qualcomm will be reserved for the high-end Galaxy S10 which is expected to go official by early 2019. The said optical sensors are found abundantly in many modern smartphones from Chinese companies such as Vivo and OPPO, and it will be a preferred implementation for Samsungs upcoming mid-range devices.

Having said that, the Galaxy P30 and Galaxy P30 Plus will reportedly be the first Samsung-branded smartphones to sport an in-display fingerprint sensor while the Galaxy S10 series will soon follow with a similar solution. According to a tipster MMDJ, Samsung may make a return to IPS LCD panels for its Galaxy P series, which contradicts the recent reports of the series sporting an optical in-display fingerprint scanner that is required to be placed below an OLED display with the currently available mass-market technology. The same tipster previously tweeted that an upcoming Samsung handset with an under-display fingerprint sensor will be sold exclusively in the Chinese market. This leads to a possibility that the South Korean company may include different display panels for China and the rest of the world based on the kind of biometric solution used. It is a mere speculation at this point in time considering the limited information available and the brand may choose to go for a different execution altogether.

The smartphone maker was previously tipped to reshuffle its entry-level and mid-range lineups by replacing the Galaxy J lineup with the new Galaxy P series. This change is believed to be a result of an increasing competition from certain Chinese players that have rivaled Samsung in many of its key markets when lower-end smartphones still dominate the industry. Samsung is looking for ways to grow, or at least maintain, its market position, for which, it is constantly bringing advanced features to its mid-range smartphones, such as the recently launched Galaxy A7 (2018) with a triple-camera setup, a first for any Samsung smartphone, and the rumored in-display fingerprint reader that is coming to a mid-end handset before a flagship.

AdvertisementIn short: Instagram Vice President of Product, Adam Mosseri, is likely to take over Facebooks social media subsidiary following the exit of the platforms two co-founders, The Information reports, citing insiders close to the company. The same sources suggest co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger had a tense relationship with their parent company over the last several months as CEO Mark Zuckerberg wanted to intertwine Instagram and Facebook in a more aggressive manner, taking a lot of control from the photo-sharing platform. The tensions may have at least partially prompted their sudden departure which Facebook didnt plan for, as evidenced by the fact that the top candidate to replace them has only been promoted to his current role four months ago.

Background: Mr. Mosseri previously led Facebooks News Feed unit and was only appointed to manage Instagrams Product division two months ago as part of the largest restructuring in the history of the Menlo Park, California-based Internet juggernaut. Krieger and Systrom did not publicly disclose a reason for their departures, having only said they want to take some time off work in order to explore their curiosity and creativity again. The veteran executives confirmed theyll eventually be returning to the technology industry but provided no specific timeline for that plan. They co-founded Instagram eight years ago and sold it to Facebook for $1 billion after two years, subsequently growing it into one of the largest social media networks on the planet with over a billion users.

Impact: Mr. Mosseris appointment  though it has yet to be officially confirmed  is a strong indication that the two Instagram co-founders didnt plan their departure long in advance as their likely replacement has only been in his current position for several months. Coupled with insider claims that the duo had a tense relationship with Facebooks management in recent times, it appears the Internet juggernaut has an unstable few months ahead of it until its leadership is whole again.faFor few months now, at some dinners and business meetings in Barcelona, the story is being told about how a member of Catalan high society had assembled a team of 30 people computer hackers to run a campaign on social networks to interfere with the 21-D elections. At the beginning of last fall, when the Catalan elections called by Mariano Rajoy were on the horizon, there was an attempt to get the Cambridge Analytica the company which manipulated information from more than 87 million Facebook users to favor Donald Trump in the 2016 US elections to run a campaign to influence the Catalan election result. It was to be a campaign on social networks to generate a climate of opinion favorable to unionist parties.

Businessman Luis Conde, a prestigious Catalan headhunter, received the call from Cambridge Analytica in which this possibility was proposed. Conde denies the initial version: that it was he who contacted Mark Turnbull, the global policy manager for the British company, as noted by a source from the same consultant, who claimed that there was a group of Catalan businessmen worried about the independence movement who were willing to foot the bill of the campaign. The headhunter claims that he doesnt know why they contacted him and would not confirm that Turnbull was on the call with him: he does not remember the name of the person who approached him. According to Conde, someone from the United States acted as intermediary so that Cambridge Analytica called and offered its services to tip the electoral balance. Official sources of the British company deny that they were the ones who approached the Catalan headhunter: "We never contact or select clients. Meetings are always at the request of parties/clients. "

Conde maintains that he didn't concern himself at all with this issue and that he handed off the proposal to a group of politicians and businessmen for their consideration. He did not want to confirm the name of the person who continued with the contacts, although the name of Juan Arza, then secretary of political studies for the Catalan branch of the PP, a former member of the Catalan Civil Society, and currently a member of the board of trustees with the Joan Bosca Foundation an organization with links to the unionist cause. When questioned by this newspaper, Arza did not confirm or deny these conversations with Cambridge Analytica, contacts in which he is said to have indicated to the consultant that there were several Ibex 35 companies ready to support the campaign. Arza merely said that ARA is just sheer propaganda and was very annoyed by this information, which he did not deny.

Catalan Civil Society claims that these contacts were not made on their behalf. Sources within the group warned that Arza is no longer part of the organisation and that he would not have been "authorized" nor would he receive "consent" to hold such talks. In any case, they admit that they knew about the existence of these contacts, since they shared meetings and discussion groups with various people from the unionist spectrum and that was a topic that had arisen in more than one conversation. Additionally, Josep Ramon Bosch, president of the Joan Bosca Foundation, also denies any involvement by the foundation in the matter.

At any rate, time ran out and the initiative did not bear fruit. At the time the New York Times and The Observers investigative efforts had not yet exposed the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Cambridge Analytica, which was part of the SCL Group, fiddled with data from users around the world, first to interfere in the US elections between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump and then also in the case of the Brexit campaign, tipping the balance in favor of supporters of leaving the European Union two scandals that brought the company down last spring.

Effects in Spain

About 137,000 Spanish citizens could have been affected by the leak of Facebook data which Cambridge Analytica had access to. It was achieved through the Thisisyourdigitallife application, which allowed access to the personal details and the contact information of users who downloaded it. Cambridge Analytica used this information to develop software aimed at predicting voter decisions and influencing their vote with customized propaganda and even by creating fake news.As the first aeropolitical event of its kind to be held in the Middle East, the high-level forum will unite approximately 300 senior decision-makers from across the airline, legal and government sectors to discuss the latest developments in international aviation regulation, both within the Gulf region and globally.

Among the key topics to be included in the agenda for the two-day event are issues relating to ownership and control, open skies and market access.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: Qatar Airways is delighted to host the upcoming CAPA Qatar Aviation, Aeropolitical and Regulatory Summit in Doha. This conference, CAPAs first aeropolitical event to be held in the Middle East, will provide a forum for the discussion of key topical issues, including the rapidly evolving global regulatory environment, existing constraints on international cooperation and the future of open skies.

We look forward to welcoming senior aviation executives, members of the legal community, governmental officials and all guests to Doha in February for this important summit.

CAPA Executive Chairman, Peter Harbison, said: We are pleased to be partnering with Qatar Airways for the inaugural CAPA Qatar Aviation, Aeropolitical and Regulatory Summit. In a rapidly changing global regulatory environment, the Summit is a timely and important forum for dissecting key issues around ownership and control, open skies and market access.

We invite all industry leaders to join us in Doha to engage in dynamic discussions and meet with senior decision makers from the aviation industry and government.The 3rd Azerbaijan International Defence Exhibition - ADEX 2018 - opened its doors today at Baku Expo Center in the capital of Azerbaijan from the 25th to the 27th of September. This large-scale event enjoys the status of a major regional exposition of weapons and military equipment; ADEX 2018 is a grand display of modern weaponry and equipment, where the force and power of Azerbaijans military and industrial complex is showcased.



(Picture source Army Recognition)

The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan H.E. Ilham Aliyev sent a greeting letter to the participants of the exhibition which is placed in the official catalog of the ADEX 2018 exhibition. The initiator of the exhibition is the Ministry of Defence Industry of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the exhibition is also supported by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The exhibition will be organised by Caspian Event Organisers, CEO.

This year, 224 companies from 29 countries take part in the ADEX. The exhibition features 11 national stands from Azerbaijan, China, France, Iran, Israel, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, the Republic of Belarus, Ukraine, Pakistan, and representing leading companies from these countries. Many countries have expanded the area of their national expositions; the top four with the largest number of companies represented are Turkey (41 companies), Russia (25 companies), Israel (14 companies) and Belarus (10 companies). In total, companies and delegations take part at the exhibition from 44 countries. The registration sponsor of the ADEX 2018 exhibition is the Secretariat of the Defence Industry of Turkey.

The Ministry of Defence Industry and its related structures and plants, and ANAMA, actively participate at the exhibition. Here, the industry professionals will be able to get acquainted with the new products of Azerbaijans defence complex and witness both the current and growing capabilities of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. Moreover, this years newcomers from Azerbaijan are the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Caspian Shipbuilding Company, the science and technology company Vitta, High Tech Park (ANAS), Service Centre for Armament and Military Equipment of Air Defence.

The media also shows great interest in the exhibition. Information support for the exhibition is provided by over 62 leading international and local specialized media from 18 countries - magazines, websites, and news agencies. In total, more than 100 media representatives are accredited at the exhibition. The general information partner of the exhibition is IHS Jane's Defence Weekly (UK), and the Official Online Show Daily and Web TV of the exhibition is Army Recognition (Belgium), while the official Media partner is the Azeri Defence magazine (Azerbaijan).

The exhibition, occupying three halls of the Baku Expo Center as well as open spaces, is 10% larger this year. Thus, ADEX 2018 will represent the following sectors: Air Defence (AD) and Missile Defence (MD) Systems; Military Shipbuilding; Development and Upgrade of Weapons Systems; Military Research; UAV Systems; Robotic Systems; Small Arms, Ammunition and Accoutrements; Demilitarization Systems; Missile and Artillery Rounds; MLRS; Electro-optical and Laser Technology; Armoured Vehicles; Submarines; Cyber-security of Naval Forces; EW & C4ISR Systems; Machinery and Equipment of Railway Troops; Technology and Equipment for Manufacture, Maintenance and Disposal of Weapons, and many more. Such well-known companies as Aselsan, CETC, Damen, MBDA, Norinco, IAI, Roketsan, Rosoboron Export, Thales and others will participate with demonstrations of military equipment. Alongside the other sectors, this years exhibition will widely feature the military aviation industry sector where famous corporations such as MIG, TUSAS, Leonardo, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), Motor Sich, Russian Helicopters and Aeronautics Group will participate.

Companies from around the world occupy a separate open exhibition area deserving special attention. The outdoor area will host a static exposition of weapons, military and special equipment, logistics, as well as a variety of products required for daily activities of the army and the day-to-day life of their personnel.

The ADEX 2018 exhibition breaks the record for the number of scheduled visits by foreign delegations. 34 high-level official delegations from 23 countries of the world will visit the event, which is more than at previous exhibition. Among the countries sending delegations to the ADEX exhibition for the first time are Egypt, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. As part of the exhibition, it is planned to hold negotiations between the heads of foreign delegations and representatives of Azerbaijani departments and entities, where the prospects of bilateral military-technical cooperation will be discussed. A special negotiation zone has been designated in the third hall of Baku Expo Center for holding such bilateral meetings. The immense interest shown in ADEX on the part of international delegations and companies once again confirms the high status and importance of Azerbaijan as an important strategic partner.

As is tradition, the business program of ADEX 2018 will be rich in thematic events with informative and eye-catching content; these events include presentations in the field of innovative research, developments and technology in the field of national defence and security.

More than half of the exhibitors have expressed that they plan to use the exhibition to present new products. The exhibition will become an active demonstration platform for armament, military transport of local and foreign production, new technologies, materials and the achievements of other branches of science and industry, to foment their introduction into production at enterprises of the defence-industry complex. Among these innovations are the Ukrainian automated fire control system for artillery batteries ArtOS; IHTAR Anti-Drone System (ASELSAN), the tactical interaction simulator (Zen TacSim), VITTA unmanned aerial vehicles; a range of products from Arsenal; Corvette sea vehicles from Dearsan; rockets and missile complexes from Roketsan; simulators and training games from Simsoft; vehicles from Yugoimport; the 7,62x51mm machine gun Arsenal MG-M2 (Arsenal); military uniforms and accessories from Trud; camouflage clothing from Baku Weaving Factory; the "National Boat" concept from SSBC Ltd; and much more.

A programme of additional events has been arranged for the exhibition, including B2B meetings between representatives of manufacturing companies and customers on the second day.

This year all of Azerbaijan solemnly celebrated the glorious date in its history - the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan. The participation of Museum of Military History and the National Museum of the History of Azerbaijan has made the exhibition even more spectacular; they both exhibit unique expositions of weapons and uniforms, which are dedicated to these landmark occasions in the history of Azerbaijan.

The programme also includes a performance of the military orchestra of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, a demonstration of a unique method of gunpowder drawing by Burhan Imranoglu, and an art exhibition of paintings by children of the Dirchelish Youth Socio-psychological Rehabilitation Centre. The content and richness of the programme of additional events are designed to reinforce the spirit of patriotism in our society and to elevate the prestige of military service, especially among our youth.

Entrance to the exhibition from September 25-27 is restricted to professionals involved in the military and defence industry and related industries, as well as students of higher educational military institutions. On September 27 those working in commercial entities will be able to visit the exhibition by presenting their identity cards. On-site registration is required for all visitors.

The ADEX exhibition will provide an opportunity for industry professionals to get acquainted with modern defence technologies and samples in a variety of MIC industries, and catch up on the latest developments of military equipment that are being offered for export on the worlds arms markets. ADEX is an excellent platform to demonstrate the latest weapons and to finalize new agreements in the field of international military-technical cooperation. Descriptions and contact information for all the participating companies will be published in the official exhibition catalogue, and news about new company developments, as well as interviews with inventors and experts can be seen in a special issue of ADEX 2018 News. These can also be reviewed at the web-site of the exhibition (www.adex.az) and on social networks.American Ordnance has received a $56.9 million contract modification for foreign military sales of 155mm HE projectile M795 TNT rounds. The contract, announced on 21 September by the U.S. Department of Defense, provides ammunition to Austria and Lebanon. The estimated contract completion date is December 2021.



155mm M795 HE shell (Picture source: U.S. Army)

Weighing 46.7 kg, the M795 155mm projectile is the US Army and US Marine Corps' standard 155mm high explosive (HE) projectile for howitzers. It is a bursting round with fragmentation and blast effects. The M795 is designed to be a more lethal, longer range (22.5 km) version of the M107. A welded band replaced the swaged rotating band of the M107 allowing the M795 to be fired with M119, or M203 propelling charges generating 6,000 meters more range. The explosive payload was also improved as was the fragmentation pattern, giving 30% higher lethality.

The 155mm is a standard round for heavy mobile and towed artillery used by countries across the world. The order will be used in platforms such as Austria's GC-45 h and Lebanon's M198 howitzers."This has pushed us to adopt adequate response measures directed at boosting the security of Russian troops" in Syria, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised statement.

Israel has been vocal in its opposition to deployment of the S-300 missile systems in Syria, warning that they would strike the defenses if they were used against Israeli forces. Russian Federation blamed Israel for creating risky conditions that caused the crash. The Syrian missiles were defending against Israeli planes that were bombing Iranian targets in Syria.

Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discussed the additional measures and delivery of the S-300 system on the phone on Monday, the Kremlin said.

Konashenkov also said that data showed that the Israeli jets remained over the Mediterranean Sea off Syria's coast after the Russian plane was downed. Iranian forces are in Syria to support the government in the war.

Data gleaned from the S-400 air defense system deployed at the Russian Khmeimim air base in Syria's Latakia province has revealed that the Syrian anti-air missile was, in fact, targeting an Israeli F-16 jet before it abruptly altered its course and eventually hit the Russian aircraft.

Because of this, Moscow claims that the Russian airforce could not keep its plane safe. 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.

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 created to shoot down military aircraft and short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Subsequent variations were developed to intercept ballistic missiles.

Russian Federation last month hinted it would supply the weapons to President Bashar al-Assad, over Israeli objections, after Western military strikes on Syria.

Moscow had said that Israel would suffer "catastrophic consequences" if they targeted the equipment.

Shoigu said Russia will equip Syrian anti-aircraft units with Russian tracking and guidance systems in order to identify Russian aircraft.

Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Tel Aviv is ready to provide Moscow with all necessary information to facilitate the investigation, claiming that Syria was responsible for the downing of the Russian plane.

Bolton told reporters in New York: "There shouldn't be any misunderstanding here ..."

He also said he disagreed with the Israeli version of events concerning the downing of the Russian plane.

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.

He said that USA troops would not leave Syria "as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders".Do it yourself if you can We accept  in principle  that private equity can deliver (somewhat) excess returns over most other asset classes. But there are a lot of qualifications attached to that, and most of them are very relevant to whether and how pension funds should invest in private equity.Almost a decade after it was first invented, blockchain is slowly making its way into everyday transactions, as big businesses such as Microsoft start accepting virtual currency payments.

But there is still very little law regulating cryptocurrencies in Australia.

What happens when disputes and issues arise?Emma Curtis, group senior manager of insurance at ASIC, also took to the stage, offering insight into how women can think strategically about their career and look beyond traditional legal roles.

Having moved from a corporate law role into a senior position as a regulator, Curtis revealed the invaluable skills that are transferrable across industries and professions.

"I really encourage you to be inquisitive in your careers, be courageous and foster relationships," she told the audience.

"Look into areas that interest you, try new things and if it doesn't work out, it's not the end of the world," she continued.

"You might have to take a pay cut to try new roles but that could really be worth it if you end up in a more challenging, satisfying role and you enjoy going to work every day."The College of Law has formed a high-profile board of legal experts to establish a master of legal business (MLB) program especially for legal professionals in Australia and New Zealand.

The MLB will feature 12 subjects that teach legal services professionals business skills needed to take on senior roles and tackle the challenges of tomorrows business landscape. The degree is being progressively launched by the College of Law, with the first subjects on offer early next year. The subjects can either be taken as stand-alone subjects or as part of a program towards the MLB degree.

The lack of training in business skills is a major shortcoming in the education of most lawyers. And there are yawning gaps between demand and the supply of lawyers and specialists trained in management and leadership within the legal profession, said Dr George Beaton, executive chairman of Beaton Research + Consulting. While you may have excellent technical skills, this will only get you so far in your career. You need to understand where legal practice is heading, not where its been. The MLB will address this gap by teaching business, leadership and technology skills to the future leaders of the legal services industry.But farmers say flooding from Hurricane Florence could completely erase this year's harvest and any profit.

"We thought this might be coming".

"It's just a mess", he said.

Residents in one flooded SC town took a boat to church Sunday.

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 USA hurricanes.

In North Carolina, a woman faces criminal charges after taking in animals during Hurricane Florence.

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.

Georgetown County offered free transportation to emergency shelters from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday in Pawley's Island, saying pets are welcome as well as long as they're kept in crates and have food and supplies.

Georgetown County is opening two shelters for those who evacuate.

The deluge has made its way so slowly down the Lumber, Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers that the state last week released detailed maps on where it expects flooding. Routes were opening Sunday but they could be closed again as the Cape Fear River rises to record levels.

In North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper said on Monday that seven rivers in the southeast part of the state were at major flood stages and three others at moderate flood stages. "That's what we did", Hedges told USA Today.

The storm dumped 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain on Wilmington, North Carolina, alone after making landfall nearby on September 14. But the city said its offices would reopen on Monday after having been closed for a week. The fish were found on Interstate 40. Thousands of people remained in shelters.

In Washington, lawmakers considered nearly $1.7 billion in new money for disaster relief and recovery.

An economic research firm estimated that Hurricane 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 North Carolina Department of Agriculture reports they have requested a grant from FEMA to help farmers recover from Hurricane Florence.

North Carolina farmers are asking for help after battling the worst flood Eastern Carolina farms have experienced in decades.

"We had a hurricane party", Gantt said.

Several blocks up Front Street, the main business district was busy, but with people leaving.

They moved the pews to higher ground and watched anxiously for days as the almost black, reeking water from the swollen Waccamaw River rose, even though the hurricane was long gone. The store has never flooded, but predictions call for up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water by Thursday. National Guard troops were prepared to float more equipment across the river if needed.You know, the track test where the American journos take a hefty group of machines to the Virginia International Raceway and throw a stopwatch in the mix.Well, the ZR1 managed to deliver an astounding stopwatch number in this year's test, with the Chevy one-upping the new Ford GT, as well as the McLaren 720S.In fact, the only car that left the Corvette trailing in its wake was the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Then again, with the Rennsport Neunelfer having held a Nurburgring production car lap record, this didn't come as a surprise. Nevertheless, the record has been grabbed by the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Now, we must also mention the classes used by the magazine in its velocity evaluation, so, without further adom here are the tiers: LL1 up to $34,999, LL2 $35,000$64,999, LL3 $65,000$124,999, LL4 $125,000$249,999 and LL5 $250,000 and above (there's also LLTruck).Note that the Corvette's performance is even more notable when we consider the fact that it belongs to the LL4 class, while all three competitors mentioned above come from the LL5 club.Of course, lap times don't deliver the complete story, since the behavior of these beasts is just as important. And this is why we've added three videos at the bottom of the page, with these showing the laps of the ZR1, the 720S and the FGT.Those of you looking for the full adventure can find it on the C&D website, but you should know the content is not officially available in Europe.Presenting a new series of case studies on Creativity and Mobile Performance which delve into Mobile Excellence Award winning projects. This badge, born from a collaboration between Google and Awwwards, aims to improve performance, accessibility and other important aspects such as semantics and best practice on the mobile web.

These case studies will unveil the challenges winning sites have overcome to achieve quality projects which fuse design and usability. We hope you find them useful for understanding how to manage the performance and accessibility of your mobile websites. To make sure your site achieves the Google seal of approval, follow the items in the Mobile Excellence Guidelines.

The subtle line between Mobile and Desktop

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Or in our case, One World One Face's Desktop or Mobile?

(tl;dr: both/none. Thats what a paradox is).

Lets start from the beginning:

Adoratorios One World One Face is a project that ought to represent different realities through photography and storytelling.

Our teams mantra is to travel to different places, meet new people, take as many portraits, film as many interviews and hear as many stories as possible. One World One Face is born on the streets, where it has also grown up.

One World One Face - Stickers

Were used to guerrilla marketing our way through the cities we visit, leaving our stickers around to be found by every wanderer who may stumble upon them, therefore spreading our message. This given, mobile fruition was an imperative. People had to be able to come across our stickers and instantly discover, in the best way possible, the project and website we envisioned.

One World One Face - Mobile & Desktop

Mobile-First

So, was Owof Mobile-First? Yes and no. Design-wise, we made our first sketches on desktop frames, only to soon transfer them to mobile. The same was done with transitions and effects, born from the idea that they had to give their best on both platforms. Desktop gave us the chance to test and focus on new technologies which brought us to a face recognition feature in the form of Add your face, while mobile allowed us to put the most importance on the articles themselves and therefore to the work of our photographer, video maker and copywriter.

Different platforms call for different experiences.

On all our projects were captivated by matters of mobile, responsive and progressive web apps. This means that even if a website is conceived for desktop fruition, this wont mean well spend less time on mobile, as the project would be, otherwise, incomplete.

One World One Face - Faces

Spot the differences

Talking about differences from mobile to desktop, the big change is to be found in Add your face, which couldnt be implemented on mobile (Ios may put a spoke in your wheel from time to time). We could, in the future, fix this by implementing it in a Web App.

There are a multitude of small differences that are hard to notice on the first visit, mainly focusing on layout, animations, entry effects and such. As an example, the rotation of the faces found throughout the site are triggered by mouse movement on desktop, while through the gyroscope on mobile or that many elements that are animated with a magnet effect on desktop, are instead static on mobile.

Desktop gives more room to play as a user, while we prioritized solidity and ease of use on mobile.

Even though we have no specific strategy for PWA development, we initially performed in-depth studies on them, only to in the end choose a PWA optimized Vue boiler which we customized to better suit our project and needs. This customization mainly concerned service workers as, even if they are automatically generated, they had to be tweaked here and there to be used at their fullest.

One World One Face - Google Maps

Technical Stuff

Now to the elephant(s) in the room and probably the most interesting yet technical topics: optimization, performances and best practices.

It may sound like a catchphrase, but performance optimization plays a huge role in our development flow.

Which, in common words, means it takes a long ass time and dedication. Lets proceed with order and focus on how we handled images. To optimize performances we introduced Webp images (through webp converter, quality level 80% as advised by Google themselves) which are already set for Chrome visualization, while, for other browsers, we prepared a fallback to .png format (optimized through TinyPng) and streamlined the vector files via SvgOMG. Another detail we took care of was not to implement the Google Maps Iframe but rather link a static image linked to maps itself (as we had no need to actively navigate), this way further improving the experience.

One World One Face - Loader & Video

To further improve performances we implemented a lazy load for images not currently on display, that coupled with a transition effect, improves both actual and perceived loading times. This is also true for the websites introduction (which may be called a loader, even though not technically one), which works as a hiding effect for background loading on one hand, and as an overview of the project on the other, since we wanted the user to have an idea of what they were about to experience. To deal with image and text entry animations we employed GSAP, while for videos and header of each article we used Pixi,js.

For the WebGL components, namely all the different faces and the distortion effect found in all the articles header, we used three.js, the most complete library to manage a 3D ambience setup and camera.

Aside from image compression and the reduction of js and css files which are nowadays standard, due to the high size of the js bundle we decided to implement dynamic imports to integrate the website WebGL libraries, improving performance and resulting in a clearer code structure as a nice side effect.

To lay on a bench(mark)

This is what we did to improve our websites performance, but how did we test the actual results? An awesome benchmark was represented by the Google and Awwwards Mobile Excellence Guidelines used alongside the Development Award Guidelines which allowed us to test ourselves out and see how close we were to the goal.

Parallel to this incredible checklist (leaving the standard cross-device/browser checks out) we tested on many platforms such as Google Lighthouse, Page Speed, TestMySite and GTmetrix.

One World One Face - Legibility

Legibility is key

In terms of UX, in the last phases of the project, we realized it was better to modify the menu when switching from index to single article, which now appears as a band when scrolling upwards and added an horizontal scrolling bar to accompany the user while browsing the articles themselves. Talking about browsing articles, we paid extra attention to font dimensions, color and background in order to achieve the better degree of legibility possible.

We paid extra attention to font dimensions, colour and background

For the hosting provider we went with Google Firebase, with the direct consequence that the application itself and all its files are hosted and served through Googles CDN in a geographically distributed system.

We love a challenge

An issue we faced during mobile development, aside from the ordinary worries about animations and WebGL, was related to the interaction between Chrome and our index slider. Chrome allows some actions that are activated when scrolling over the maximum ranges of a page (i.e. page refresh). To fix this we proceeded with Hammer.js by binding all the elements onto the slider container which prevented this issue from occurring and eventually disabling the option to scroll the cities list altogether in favor of sliding alone.

Aside from this we didnt face any major issue cross-browser and our internal cross-device tests went smoothly (we perform them internally without the use of 3rd party tools as we own a decent array of devices).

One World One Face - Countdown

We want you

We wanted to place the biggest challenge at the end of the article: our Add your face feature. We knew from the get-go we would have to face this challenge as enabling everyone to participate, even those who couldnt physically reach us during our travels, was an imperative. The major issue was to integrate the face detect library needed to obtain the coordinates (in our case clmtrakr) with Pixi to process the image (cutting, post-production, scaling and rotating) to match the pattern structured for the Face of the World.

The help of our photographer Erminando Aliaj (co-creator of the project), given the needed know-how, was fundamental to say the least.

Goodbye

One World One Face was born to spread a message of community, unity, equality and collaboration all over the world. Releasing the projects website has been a great milestone for this dream, but were not done yet.

Hopefully, next time, you too will join us.

One World One Face - Join Us

Company Info

Adoratorio is a multi-disciplinary digital agency located in Brescia, Italy. We identify the essential around new visual perspectives.Democratic senators are consulting experts in such fields as sexual assault victimization and college drinking ahead of Thursday's hearing with Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh, according to a source inside Democratic prep.

The big picture: The experts include service providers, legal scholars and scientists. "There's a very active network around the country of experts in this field who are helping people understand the gravity of this and the reality of this," the Democratic source said. Like Kavanaugh, Ford is undergoing testimony prep sessions to be sure that she does not "encounter any surprises," the source said.

Heading into the hearing, Democrats plan a variety of outside advocacy, both in person and online:

Brian Fallon of the progressive group Demand Justice told me: "Republicans want to try to put Dr. Ford on trial Thursday, but look for Kavanaugh opponents to make his character and integrity the central issue heading into the hearing," by invoking past character witnesses who have disowned him.

of the progressive group Demand Justice told me: "Republicans want to try to put Dr. Ford on trial Thursday, but look for Kavanaugh opponents to make his character and integrity the central issue heading into the hearing," by invoking past character witnesses who have disowned him. The New Yorker's Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer: "Kavanaughs attitude toward women has come to play a central role in his confirmation process."

Top Republicans tell me they remain confident that Kavanaugh will get the 50 votes he needs, in a floor vote that leaders hope to hold on Friday or Saturday.

Per AP: "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."

N.Y. Times Quote of the Day ... Kavanaugh, in a letter to the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, in which he denounced "grotesque and obvious character assassination":

"I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process."

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."

Go deeper: Read the transcript of the interview with Brett Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, on Fox News' "The Story with Martha MacCallum."The annual UN General Assembly is now underway, and while the event rarely offers much in the way of high drama  few leaders, after all, bang their shoes on podiums, sniff the sulfur left behind by a U.S. president, or whip out Looney Tunes-inspired illustrations of nuclear weapons  there is one big story to watch this week: Trump and Iran.

What to watch: Later today, well hear speeches from the U.S. President and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani, while tomorrow Mr. Trump will chair a session of the UN Security Council that is ostensibly about stopping the spread of nuclear weapons generally, but which Trump evidently wants to focus on Iran in particular. In these two days well learn a lot about the fate of the Iran nuclear deal and U.S. policy towards the Islamic Republic.

The backdrop: Earlier this year, the Trump Administration pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal because the president said the accord hadnt done enough to limit Tehrans nuclear program or regional ambitions. Washington has already put some sanctions back on Iran, but the most severe measures  on Irans vital oil industry  will take effect in November. Ahead of that, Irans currency has slumped to historic lows while oil exports have fallen more than 30% since the spring.

The other signatories to the deal  the UK, France, Germany, China, Russia and, of course, Iran  have so far stuck to the terms of the deal, because they fear a complete collapse would push Iran to ramp up its nuclear program, fomenting a perilous regional arms race and raising the risk of a conflict that brings in the U.S.

Over the next few days, Trump and his national security team will press those governments to consider forcing Tehran to accept a new, broader deal with much more stringent terms. Fat chance, given that international observers had repeatedly said the existing deal that all agreed to was working just fine.

Trump and his national security team will press those governments to consider forcing Tehran to accept a new, broader deal with much more stringent terms. Fat chance, given that international observers had repeatedly said the existing deal that all agreed to was working just fine. The Iranians, meanwhile, will be working the room not only to keep the other signatories in the deal  which Tehran has continued to adhere to  but also to seek fresh economic support to cushion the blow of U.S. sanctions.

The trouble for the Iranians is that while the other signatories will almost certainly remain in the nuclear deal, theres not much any of them can do for Irans economy. Despite pledges by Brussels to shield European companies from new U.S. sanctions, many of them are scrapping investment plans in the Islamic Republic anyway.

And with those oil sanctions set to take effect in just six weeks, Irans economic position is getting dicier by the day. As it happens, that is actually helping the hardliners within Iran who never wanted a deal in the first place, and who see a credible nuclear deterrent as something infinitely more valuable than any benefits that may come from an economic opening to the West (see: Kim Jong-un).

The latest: Trump had said he was open to meeting with Rouhani, but both leaders have now said such a meeting won't happen. The blood is as bad as ever, with Tehran suggesting that the U.S. was responsible for a terrorist attack on a memorial parade in Iran over the weekend.

Sign up for Signal, a thrice-weekly newsletter from GZERO Media, a Eurasia Group company, and follow @saosasha on Twitter.The White House National Security Council drafted a step-by-step program of escalation for Venezuela after President Trump took office, including the grounds for military intervention, a former senior official said today.

Why it matters: Fernando Cutz, who served as a close adviser to former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and the top National Security Council official on South America, offered a rare insider account of how the administration has prepared to respond to the massive political and humanitarian crisis. He said at a Wilson Center event in Washington that specific responses were drawn up to anticipated events on the ground.

Cutz cited a Venezuelan takeover of the U.S. Embassy or the massacring of 1,000 Venezuelan civilians by the government as events that could trigger U.S. military action.

He said other steps the White House had ready included a full oil embargo, which would severely restrict Venezuela's cashflow but presented the question: If we destroy Venezuela, and we make the situation worse for the people of Venezuela, what comes next? They didn't have a satisfactory answer.

The backdrop: The New York Times reported earlier this month that the White House held a series of meetings over the last year with rebellious military officers from Venezuela who were hoping to depose President Nicolas Maduro. Trump himself said a year ago that there was a military option in Venezuela. Such rumblings provoke anxiety in a region with well-grounded suspicions of U.S. intervention.

Cutz was asked about the meetings and said the White House never debated supporting a coup or offered support or tacit approval to coup plotters, but was open to listening to any significant players. He also said he had no idea why Trump had mentioned military action, adding that it wasnt in the script.

However, Cutz, who also served in the Obama administration and left the White House in April, made the case that a multilateral military intervention could ultimately be the right move.

His argument ...

The economic disaster is deepening, and the refugee crisis is approaching Syrias scale. Can Colombia sustain 3 million refugees? 5 million? Those are realistic numbers. So what do we do? [Close the borders and] let Venezuelans die in the streets of Caracas?

Maduro is not going to leave on his own accord, and the crisis won't end as long as he's in power. That leaves a coup, uprising from the people or a foreign military intervention, and "the least bloody of those is probably going to be a foreign military intervention.

His bottom line: We made policy decisions in Rwanda and Syria, essentially to do nothing and those failures became the biggest regrets for presidents Clinton and Obama. Not intervening in Venezuela would be a policy choice.

Where things stand: I asked Cutz whether the White House had discussed the possibility of an intervention with countries or international organizations that could be called upon to support it. He said he doesn't believe it has been discussed through diplomatic channels, but the president would certainly muse on things with other world leaders.A U.S. Navy warship was denied a request to dock in Hong Kong by the Chinese government amid a bitter trade war between the two nations, Reuters reports.

The timing: It comes one day after the U.S. issued a new round of tariffs against China, which levied its own round of retaliatory tariffs simultaneously. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that previous requests for U.S. warships to dock in Hong Kong have been evaluated "case by case, in accordance with the principle of sovereignty and the detailed situation" when asked about the denial.President Trump defended his foreign policy today at the United Nations General Assembly, pledging more sanctions on Iran, further steps in the trade war with China, and a review of U.S. foreign assistance because "few give anything to us."

The big picture: The theme of Trump's speech was sovereignty, a point he summed up by saying the U.S. will not "tell you how to live and work and worship" so long as "you respect our sovereignty in return." He went after global institutions like the International Criminal Court and UN Human Rights Council, saying, "We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism."

Trump described his foreign policy as one of 'principled realism with no regard for old dogmas and so-called experts.

He praised India for reducing poverty, Israel for its "vibrant democracy," Saudi Arabia for its "bold reforms" and Poland  which many claim is sliding toward authoritarianism  for "standing up" for freedom and sovereignty.

He also praised North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's "courage," but said there would be no sanctions relief until North Korea denuclearizes.

He attacked China for unfair trade practices, Germany over a controversial pipeline deal with Russia, and Venezuela, about which he said, "all nations should resist socialism and the misery it brings to everyone."

He called on other world leaders to isolate Iranian leadership, hours after Europe, Russia and China agreed to a payments system designed to avoid U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Trump took an unexpected swipe at OPEC, saying: "OPEC nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world. ... We defend many of these nations for nothing and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. ... We are not going to put up with it, these horrible prices, much longer."

1 viral moment: At the start of his speech, Trump claimed to have accomplished more already than nearly every other U.S. president. That provoked a smattering of laughter, which grew louder when he smiled and said "so true ... Didnt expect that reaction, but thats OK.

The bottom line: Trump's tone was relatively measured, at least compared to the fireworks last year, but his message was pretty clear: the U.S. is getting a bad deal from the world, and isn't going to stand for it.The Treasury Department on Tuesday announced new sanctions against four members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's inner circle  his wife, vice president, communications minister and defense minister.

Why it matters: The U.S. has already sanctioned dozens of Venezuelan officials, including Maduro himself, in an effort to weaken the dictator and "support the Venezuelan people's efforts to restore their democracy."Civilian deaths in the ongoing war in Yemen have increased 164% since June, the International Rescue Committee reported on Tuesday.

The big picture: Citing the monitoring group Armed Location and Event Data (ACLED), the IRC attributed the increase in deaths to Saudi-led coalition efforts to retake Hodeidah, a port city crucial to the functioning of the already-embattled country. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Congress that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were working to "reduce the risk of harm to civilians."By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 82 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Sept. 25.

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"There is still a fair amount of distance between us", U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said of Canada at a conference in NY.

"The fact is, Canada is not making concessions in areas where we think they're essential", Lighthizer said at the Concordia Summit in NY.

"We're going to go ahead with Mexico". If Canada comes along later, then that's what will happen.

"They (the United States and Mexico) made certain agreements".

The Trump administration and the Mexican government want the agreement signed before the Mexican president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, takes office in December. "Hopefully we'll end up with something with Canada".

The US and Canada are basically out of time to iron out their differences in a trade agreement before the Sept 30 deadline to have a completed full text.

Mr. Lighthizer's comments, however, added some nuance: If Canada doesn't reach an agreement on NAFTA, he said, the US still intends to negotiate a later deal rather than shred the free-trade pact entirely.

Negotiations aimed at a new agreement have been underway for 13 months, but Canada and the USA remain at loggerheads. "We're sort of running out of time". "There are very large issues", Lighthizer said at the Concordia policy summit in NY.

Canada also has made clear the United States needs to withdraw Trump's threat of a 25 per cent tariff on autos for a deal to be possible. Lighthizer said that is not the case. "I think our view is that now we'll turn to that as the next stage".

It is still unclear if Congress would be willing to proceed in any way with a U.S. -Mexico agreement that does not include Canada, let alone give such an agreement final approval.

"With Mexico, we're not going to say "no deal" because of Canada", Lighthizer said. Under U.S. trade rules, the Trump administration was given authority to negotiate a three-way deal.By 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.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Sara Israfilbayova

The State Committee on Property Issues of Azerbaijan will hold next auction on privatization of state property on October 23, where 170 state objects will be put up for sale.

The auction will offer 91 small state enterprises, 47 non-residential areas, 23 joint-stock companies and nine vehicles.

Twenty-nine of small state enterprises are located in Baku, the remaining  in Sumgayit, Shirvan, Mingachevir, Sabirabad and other cities and regions of the country.

Joint-stock companies are located in Baku, Salyan, Ismayilli, Yevlakh and Beylagan.

The portal for privatization  privatization.az, launched in July 2016, reflects all necessary information about the facilities, their addresses, location, and even initial cost and aims at facilitation of the process. The website is available in two languages - Azerbaijani and English. Why Azerbaijan is special section available on the website explains the reasons and advantages of investing in the country.

The privatization process is designed to attract both foreign and local investors, as well as develop the business environment of Azerbaijan.

Moreover, the State Committee on Property Issues held the first electronic auction on July 4, 2017.

The electronic auction service, which is available on the website privatization.az, combines the privatization procedure of vehicles and equipment. In the future, it will be possible to privatize small state enterprises and facilities, joint-stock companies through electronic auction. Now, the corresponding work in programming is being implemented.

The State Committee on Property Issues was established on May 19, 2009 on the basis of the relevant presidential decree.

The main activities of the State Committee are the management of state property, attraction of investments, maintenance of a single cadastre of immovable property, maintenance of a land cadastre, organization of a land market, protection and improvement of land quality.

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Sara Israfilbayova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Sara_999Is

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Kamila Aliyeva

Russian Helicopters Holding Company plans to discuss the creation of a service center for Russian-made helicopters in the territory of Azerbaijan during the ADEX-2018 exhibition, deputy director general for the after-sales service Igor Chechikov told journalists.

During the exhibition, we intend to offer our partners the latest models of civil and military helicopters in conjunction with solutions for their further servicing. We also expect to update the issue of creating a service center for Russian-made helicopters on the territory of Azerbaijan, he said.

During the ADEX-2018, Russian Helicopters Holding Company will present the current model range of civil and military helicopter equipment. The models of Mi-38 helicopters in transport and passenger performance, Ansat, as well as Mi-35M will be presented. Specialists of the holding also plan to hold negotiations with traditional and potential customers of Russian helicopters and services for their after-sales service.

Chechikov announced about the agreement signed with the head of Silk Way Helicopter Services Azer Sultanov on the establishment of a joint enterprise for servicing and repairing Russian Mi-8/17 civilian helicopters in Azerbaijan at the last ADEX-2016 exhibition.

ADEX-2018 is held in Baku on September 25-27. This year, 224 companies from 29 countries take part in the exhibition.

The event features 11 national stands from Azerbaijan, China, France, Iran, Israel, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, the Republic of Belarus, Ukraine, Pakistan, and representing leading companies from these countries. Russia is represented by 25 companies at the exhibition.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Laman Ismayilova

A closing ceremony of the 10th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival will be held at Heydar Aliyev Center on September 26.

The concert program will feature the People's Artist of Russia, the State Prize laureate, violoncellist Sergei Roldugin, the laureate of international competitions, the famous violinist Pavel Milyukov and the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli under the direction of the Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, Eyyub Guliyev.

The concert program includes rarely performed symphonic and instrumental works - S. Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto, J. Brahms's Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra, K. Sen-Sans's 1st Cello Concerto and orchestral works by A. Borodin.

The festival is co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture. The closing ceremony is supported by the Association of Lawyers of the Black Sea and Caspian Region.

Notably, Sergei Roldugin is the artistic director of the St. Petersburg House of Music created on his initiative. He is known for having initiated the renovation of the decayed Alexis Palace as a music school.

In 2011, for his great contribution to the national musical art and the training of musical and pedagogical personnel, he was awarded the Order of Honor.

As a soloist he collaborates with the orchestra of the Moscow, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Samara Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Capella orchestra.

Sergei Roldugin takes part in the leading music festivals. He has performed with concerts in Russia and Europe.

Pavel Milyukov is a laureate of many international competitions in Russia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, France,South Korea etc.

He has collaborated with well-known conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Maxim Fedotov, Yuri Simonov, Mikhail Pletnyov, Robert Canetti, as well as with leading Russian orchestras: the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra. P.I. Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, the Mariinsky Theater Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow State Academic Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Orchestra. He also performed together with the Swedish brass band and the Baltic Youth Orchestra.

The 10th Uzeyir Hajibeyli International Music Festival started on September 18 once again brings together the world-renowned musicians from Azerbaijan, Russia, the U.S., Turkey, Italy and Slovakia.

The birthday of legendary composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli (September 18) is celebrated as National Music Day in Azerbaijan since 1995. The International Music Festival is organized yearly to honor creativity of the world-famous composer.

According to tradition, annually on this day outstanding performers, orchestras from many countries gather in Baku to demonstrate their skills, performing in the best concert halls of the capital.

The festival is supported by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture.

The event program is incredibly diverse and includes not only concerts of famous music groups, but also creative evenings, conferences and much more.

Uzeyir Hajibeylis outstanding musical talent started a revolution in the Azerbaijani musical timeline. He was the very musician to introduce an extraordinary innovation in the nation's music culture, to constantly refresh it, and adjust to modern tastes. He was a founder of an opera genre not only in Azerbaijan, but the East and created the first Muslim opera in the Islamic world.

His unique synthesis of Oriental and Western music significantly promoted the classical music traditions in the East and opened a page of classical music patterns.

The unique composer was brave enough to explore blending two incompatibly different cultures at root and achieve an unprecedented synthesis.

History recognizes Hajibeyli as an innovator as well as the first to establish a professional music school and Orchestra for Traditional Folk Instruments, to compose the Muslim worlds first opera and operetta, to introduce a woman on stage, to write the countrys national anthem (which is the official anthem of Azerbaijan today), to be awarded the highest artistic title of the Soviet Union.

Through his music as well as work as a journalist, teacher, and translator, Hajibeyli played a vital role in the fight against illiteracy and helped usher in a cultural shift, launching a period of enlightenment that transcended Azerbaijans borders and reached many others in the Eurasia region.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Pakistan has reaffirmed its support to Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Pakistans 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.

Besides Pakistan, the meeting was also attended by foreign ministers and senior officials from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Gambia, Djibouti, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

In his remarks, Qureshi reiterated Pakistans support to the principled position of Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He said that Pakistans position on the issue remains unchanged and was based on the principles established by the UN Security Council resolutions.

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.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

On 26 September 2018, the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, in accordance with its mandate, plans to conduct the next ceasefire monitoring exercise on the Azerbaijan and Armenia state border in the direction of Gadabay region.

The Personal Representative's field assistants Ognjen Jovic and Simon Tiller will carry out the monitoring exercise from the territory of Azerbaijan.

The Personal Representative's field assistants Ghenadie Petrica and Mihail Olaru will carry out the monitoring from the other side of the border.

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 military-political leadership of Armenia resorts to further provocative actions aimed at aggravating the situation on the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces, Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement on September 25.

The information disseminated by the enemy on the conduct of training flights in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan with the involvement of military aviation is a clear proof of this, the statement noted.

The ministry pointed out that any enemy aircraft that would attempt to approach the advanced positions of the Azerbaijani Army units will be immediately neutralized. All responsibility for possible losses falls on the military-political leadership of Armenia, the statement says.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijans territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Rashid Shirinov

By endangering regional security and stability and impeding full-scale regional cooperation, Armenia continues to occupy 20 percent of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territories, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said on September 25.

He made the remarks at an informal meeting of the Council of Ministers of the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in New York.

Mammadyarov noted that Armenia, continuing its aggressive policy, is trying to involve other countries by attracting business, trade and investment to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

It is very important for our cooperation that all countries are informed about these intentions of Armenia, and refuse any involvement  whether in social, economic or cultural spheres  in the activities in the occupied Azerbaijani lands, the foreign minister said.

He called on all ECO member states to prevent any attempts of attracting in trade, economic and investment activities in the occupied Azerbaijani territories and with the regime there.

The withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories and the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes, along with contributing to peace and security in the South Caucasus region, will also strengthen large-scale cooperation within the region, Mammadyarov stressed.

Any business, economic, research or other kind of activity in Nagorno-Karabakh and other Azerbaijani regions occupied by Armenia are illegal and the country takes necessary measures against those who are engaged in such activities. Moreover, unauthorized visits to the occupied Azerbaijani territories are also considered illegal and individuals who pay such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys list of undesirable persons.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of 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.

To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

In a visit to Baku last week, OSCE PA President George Tsereteli reiterated the Parliamentary Assemblys commitment to the South Caucasus and encouraged parliamentarians to play an active role in supporting economic and security co-operation in the region.

President Tsereteli was in Baku on 20 September as Azerbaijan celebrated the 100th anniversary of the countrys first parliament. Tsereteli applauded the active role that parliamentarians from Azerbaijan play within the OSCE PA.

Recalling the singular achievements of its first parliament, President Tsereteli praised Azerbaijans transformation into a key international trade partner. He also advocated a greater role for parliamentary diplomacy in easing persistent regional conflicts and in meeting democratic commitments.

We are reminded today of Azerbaijans considerable economic achievements since regaining independence. Yet, modernization needs more than economic progress, said Tsereteli. The OSCE PA stands ready to support Azerbaijan  and all of our member countries  in living up to their commitments to create the conditions for a peaceful and prosperous future.

To contribute to Assembly activities in the region, the Tsereteli is expected to appoint a new Special Representative of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on the South Caucasus region.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy 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.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzShe said on CBS "This Morning" that the allegations against Kavanaugh, now by a second woman, sound like a "vast left-wing conspiracy".

In an emailed statement to the Guardian, Chua wrote: 'For the more than 10 years I've known him, Judge Kavanaugh's first and only litmus test in hiring has been excellence. If she and another Republican oppose Kavanaugh, his nomination could fail. Blumenthal, almost everyone at this sit-in (and in DC) opposed Kavanaugh long before these allegations appeared and would continue to oppose him even if these allegations were withdrawn or undercut by testimony.

Her story comes on the heels of allegations by Christine Blasey Ford, a Northern California professor, who plans to testify Thursday before Congress that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when she was 15 at a party in Maryland, where they grew up.

In the second claim, Deborah Ramirez told The New Yorker magazine that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party in the 1983-84 school year. I remind them that they are interviewing with a member of the judiciary'. This time, they're 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 school's 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.

Vice President Mike Pence calls Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh "a man of integrity with impeccable credentials". Jeff Flake of Arizona. "We state unequivocally that we believe and stand with Professor Blasey Ford and Debbie Ramirez".

One of the protesters on hand was Marie Follayttar.

Gonzalez said two Yale Law students were arrested in the morning and charged with refusing to comply with rules governing protests inside the Capitol building.

'She advised me to be and dress "outgoing, "' the Yale alum said.

Collins said over the weekend that before she decides how she's going to vote she wants to hear from Kavanaugh and Ford.

"They got the same advice: "He likes girls who are pretty", the student said.

High-profile celebrities also chimed in on social media, posting photos in all-black and cataloging walkouts on television sets.

"I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent", he wrote in a 2003 memo that was released earlier this month.

It was meant to "create an environment where survivors are heard and listened to", Emily Carpenter, a long-time member of the organization and sexual assault survivor, told ABC News at the protest.

"The fear of being blamed and scrutinized is why many women don't come forward, and we're seeing that right now [in the case of Ford]", Merz told the BDN.

And I think its extremely important that we have this hearing and tell women, and people of color, and minorities, and marginalized groups that we care about them because when Anita Hill was coming forward, that is not what the Senate told us.

Carpenter had a message for Ramirez and Ford. "We know it's not easy and I wouldn't fault you for not coming forward because I know that it's hard, but the fact that you did encourages so many other people", she said.

A Yale official said: 'I can assure you that we take allegations of faculty misconduct very seriously'.By 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.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara will work in close cooperation with Tehran to counter US sanctions.

In a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the annual UN general assembly meeting, Erdogan called for closer ties between the two countries in the era of US sanctions on Iran.

We will work hand in hand with Iran and side with Tehran to counter the embargoes, he said, according to Tasnim news agency on September 25.

Rouhani, for his turn, hailed the active presence of Turkish investors in Iran and called for enhanced mutual cooperation between the two countries.

Erdogan and Rouhani have traveled to New York to participate in the 73rd UN General Assembly Meeting.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has signed a decree "On the reception into the citizenship of Turkmenistan, the "Neutral Turkmenistan" newspaper wrote Sept. 25.

In accordance with the document, 735 people permanently residing in Turkmenistan, who do not have citizenship and are representatives of different nationalities, have become citizens of the country.

The relevant agencies have been instructed to facilitate the employment and housing of new citizens of Turkmenistan, if necessary. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan have also been instructed to continue work on the registration of documents of stateless persons who have applied for citizenship of Turkmenistan, with subsequent submission of relevant proposals.

In the period between 2011 and 2017, 8,145 people were admitted to the citizenship of Turkmenistan on the grounds of relevant decrees of the head of state.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

The official delegation of Uzbekistan has arrived in Stavropol region of Russia on a business mission, Podrobno.uz reported.

During the visit, the members of the delegation led by the Head of the Administration (Governor) of Andijan region Shukhratbek Abdurakhmanov have met with the Governor of Stavropol (Russia) Vladimir Vladimirov.

The governor of Stavropol noted that the cooperation of Stavropol region with Uzbekistan is developing. In particular, Uzbekistan makes investments in the sanatorium-and-health-resort complex of the region. For instance, a new pavilion in the "Uzbekistan" sanatorium in Kislovodsk city of Russia has begun functioning this year.

The annual mutual trade turnover between the two sides exceeds $12 million. Industrial goods, fertilizers and agricultural products form the basis of export supplies of Stavropol to Uzbekistan.

In turn, Stavropol buys cotton from Uzbekistan, as well as acquires cotton seeds for the development of cotton production and for the manufacture of light industry products.

Vladimir Vladimirov also named promising areas for further development of cooperation - projects in the field of agriculture, food processing industry, tourism.

Shukhratbek Abdurakhmanov in turn stressed the interest of the Andijan region in the use of Stavropol regions experience in the area of development of the greenhouse industry, as well as in the expansion of trade cooperation between the two regions.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

On the occasion of the 27th anniversary of Turkmenistans independence (Sept. 27), Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed a decree pardoning a number of convicts, the Altyn Asyr TV channel reported Sept. 25.

Berdimuhamedov instructed the relevant agencies to take all measures to ensure that the pardoned in the near future be released from prisons and return to their homes and families, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

We create all conditions for people who repent of their misdeeds, so that they can honestly work to atone for their guilt and actively participate in ensuring the prosperity of the country, the Turkmen president said.

He also instructed to ensure the employment of those pardoned.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have discussed regional issues, Turkish media reported on Sept. 25.

The meeting of the presidents took place in New York, where they arrived to participate in the session of the UN General Assembly.

During the meeting, the presidents also discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations.

The head of the Turkish intelligence Hakan Fidan and the Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also took part in the talks.

Other details of the meeting have not yet been reported.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzBy Trend

AZAL President Jahangir Asgarov met with Robin Glover-Faure, President of Commercial Training Solutions of L-3 Technologies, on September 25.

At the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for cooperation. The guests noted that the opportunities created in Azerbaijans civil aviation by using advanced technology made a great impression on them.

Thanks to its innovative developments L-3 Technologies will provide the Azerbaijan Airlines with the most up-to-date technologies in the field of personnel training, flight simulation complexes, as well as combined theoretical and interactive training programs.

The parties discussed the issues regarding supply of Full Flight Simulator for Boeing-737 MAX and Embraer 190 for the training of flight crew of AZAL and Buta Airways.

Construction of a new simulator training center for pilots at the National Aviation Academy in cooperation with L-3 Technologies was also discussed during the negotiations.

The contract is scheduled to be signed in mid-October. It is expected that the new simulators will start functioning by mid-2020.

Azerbaijan Airlines carries out a large-scale program to update its air fleet. Recently, low-cost airline Buta Airways received a new Embraer E-190 airplane. In the near future, it is planned to replenish AZALs fleet with new generation aircraft - Boeing 737 MAX. The program to update the fleet requires professional retraining of flight personnel.

The simulators acquired from L-3 Technologies meets the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO DOC 9625-1) and EASA (Certification Specification CS-FSTD (A)) at the highest level - Level D.

During the visit the guests got acquainted with Azerbaijan's civil aviation facilities, including the Azeraeronavigation Air Traffic Control Center and the new airport complex of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, which recently awarded maximum 5 Stars rating from the Skytrax audit company.

Robin Glover-Faure commented: We are delighted and honored to sign a letter of intent to supply Azerbaijan Airlines B737 Max and Embraer E190 RealitySeven full flight simulators. We look forward to working in partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines to deliver this training solution on time and to the highest quality.

L-3 Technologies is the global leader in developing and creating platforms for simulator training of pilots and technical crew who serve civil and military aircraft.

Office of a division of L-3 Technologies for the production of flight simulators for civil aviation - L-3 Commercial Training Solutions is situated in Crawley (Great Britain).

The geography of L-3 companys supplies of training systems for the civil and military sector is extensive: North America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific region. L-3 is headquartered in Arlington, Texas with offices in Binghamton (New York state), Orlando (Florida state), Oklahoma City, Broken Arrow (Oklahoma state), Phoenix (Arizona state), and Crawley, United Kingdom.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAzThe Jewish feast of Sukkot lasts seven (or eight) days  in 2020, from sundown on Friday, October 2, to sundown on Friday, October 9. Here are the facts you need to know.

When is Sukkot?

Sukkot  also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Booths, Feast of Ingathering, or simply The Feast  always begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar (Tishrei). Thus, it begins five days after Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and 15 days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. This usually falls in late September or October.

The festival lasts seven days inside the nation of Israel, or eight outside Israel.

What does Sukkot celebrate?

Sukkot celebrates two things. It likely began as a time to give thanks for the fall harvest, and some historical sources believe this aspect grew out of a Canaanite predecessor. However, the feast also commemorates the Israelites divine protection as they traveled through the desert on their way to the holy land.

How is Sukkot celebrated today?

Every year, each Jewish family builds a small outdoor building known as a sukkah. The structure must have between two-and-a-half and four walls, and the roof must be made of natural material (schach)  often palm, willow, bamboo, or pine branches. The roof has to block most of the sun but also allow rain in. At a minimum, observant Jews will eat their meals in this structure; some even sleep in it overnight.

The first two days and last two days are festival days, outside Israel, when all work would cease. The four days in-between, known as Chol HaMoed, do not rise to the level of festivals: Servile or creative work is barred, but observant Jews may do all they need to do to keep Sukkot. In Israel, businesses often close for the full week.

On each of the days except the Sabbath (Shabbot), Jews bring to synagogue the Four Kinds (arba minim): a citron fruit (an etrog), a palm branch, a myrtle branch, and a willow branch. Sometimes called the lulav, the branches are wrapped together, and the etrog held in the left hand, and they are shaken in all six directions: north, south, east, up, down, and west.

Special prayers are added to the synagogue services, including the recitation of the Hallel Psalms of praise (Psalms 113-118).

On the days of Sukkot, Jews walk around the synagogue, circling the Torah and reciting prayers known as Hoshanot. The seventh day of Sukkot is the Great Salvation (Hoshanah Rabbah). Multiple scrolls of the Torah are taken out of the Ark and held at the bimah by members of the synagogue, as Jews circle seven times and strike the ground with five willow branches.

During the time of Temple Judaism, the priests would make a drink offering of three logs of water gathered from the Pool of Siloam (Sukkah 48a). This Celebration of the Place of Water-Drawing (Simchat Beit Hashoeivah) was accompanied by singing and dancing. Today, the water is no longer offered, but Jews often sing and dance joyously.

These days are followed by one (or two) days of celebration closely associated with Sukkot: Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

The overall sense makes Sukkot one of the most joyous Jewish festivities, a stark contrast with the solemnity of Yom Kippur.

Is this feast mentioned in the Bible?

The Bible mentions the feast in numerous places, perhaps most clearly in Leviticus: You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 23:42-43; see also Deuteronomy 16:13-15).

During the time of Temple Judaism, priests would sacrifice 70 bulls (as well as making ram, lamb, grain, and drink offerings  see Numbers 29:12-34). Rabbinical commentary holds that these offerings are made for the 70 nations, so that rain will fall all over the world.

The Prophet Zechariah prophesied that, after a battle of all nations against Jerusalem, all the survivors of all nations will keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:16-19).

Jesus kept the Feast of Tabernacles, as recorded in the seventh chapter of the Gospel of St. John (vs. 2, 10-14, 37).

What does the sukkah symbolize?

The roof, said Rabbi Eliezer, evokes the clouds of glory with which God enveloped the Israelites in the desert as they fled Pharaohs Egypt, according to some rabbinical commentaries. (as mentioned in Exodus 13:21-22). But others disputed this. Modern Jews live in sukkot because Jews did so in the desert  or, as Rabbi Akiva says: They established for themselves actual sukkot (Sukkah 11b).

Is there an inner meaning for those who celebrate today?

If I were to summarise the message of Sukkot Id say its a tutorial in how to live with insecurity and still celebrate life, explained Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of the UK and a member of the House of Lords, in 2001. The meaning of Tabernacles and its message for our time, he wrote, is that:

Life can be full of risk and yet still be a blessing. Faith doesnt mean living with certainty. Faith is the courage to live with uncertainty, knowing that God is with us on that tough but necessary journey to a world that honours life and treasures peace.

The message seems to be: As God watched over us in the past, so He will today.

Why does the feast last an extra day outside Israel?

The extra day came about out of an abundance of caution over the Jewish lunar calendar. In the ancient world, the Sanhedrin would certify the appearance of the new moon and send word to Jews in diaspora. Feasts that began later in the month would then be calculated based on this date. However, diaspora communities began to celebrate an extra day (yom tov sheni shel galuyot) to assure that, in the case of confusion or delay, at least one day of the festivities fell on the appropriate day.

What are Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah?

Shemini Atzeret, which literally means the eighth day assembly, falls on the 22nd day of Tishrei. The Bible calls it a solemn rest (Lev. 23:36-39). Jews often eat in the sukkah, without saying the blessings of Sukkot, but the holiday is technically a separate holiday. The eleventh-century rabbinical commentator Rashi explained the day by saying, This is analogous to a king who invited his sons to feast with him for a certain number of days, and when the time came for them to leave, he said: My sons! Please, stay with me just one more day, [for] it is difficult for me to part with you!

Simchat Torah, which means Rejoicing in the Torah, marks the day when Jews read the final portion (parsha) of the Torah, the final verses of Deuteronomy chapter 34. After this reading concludes, they immediately begin reading Genesis 1, showing that the study of the Torah never ends. During the evening and morning services, all members of the synagogue also perform the hakafot, by carrying the scrolls of the Torah in a circle the bimah seven times.

In Israel, these two days are combined into one day.

What is an appropriate greeting for Sukkot?

It is appropriate to wish someone Chag Sameach (joyous festival).

Further resources from the Acton Institute on Judaism and economics:

FAQ: What is Rosh Hashanah?

A Jewish perspective on justice, for Rosh Hashanah

FAQ: What is Yom Kippur?

FAQ: What is Hanukkah?

FAQ: What is Purim?

FAQ: What is the Jewish holiday of Passover?

Further resources from the Acton Institute on Judaism and economics:

Judaism, Law & the Free Market: An Analysis by Joseph Isaac Lifshitz

Judaism, Markets, and Capitalism: Separating Myth from Reality by Corinne Sauer and Robert M. Sauer

(Photo credit: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem. CC BY 2.0.)Iranian President Hassan Rouhani doubles down on strengthening the country's ballistic missile program, despite sharp criticism from the U.S. "Perhaps on this path we will sustain certain pressures, but certainly the United States will not reach its objective".

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news conference with President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Vladimir Putin of Russian Federation following their meeting in Tehran, Iran September 7, 2018.

Iran has suggested in recent weeks that it could take military action in the Gulf to block other countries' oil exports in retaliation for USA sanctions meant to halt its sales of crude.

Falih said Saudi Arabia could increase output, but the move is not needed at this time because the markets are already adequately supplied.

Trump, who has criticized the world body in previous appearances, said the U.N.'s "potential is being met, slowly but surely, it's being met". "America will suffer the same fate as Saddam Hussein", Rouhani said. He did this despite the fact that the other parties to the accord, including the European Union, Germany, France, Britain, China and Russian Federation, insisted that they will stick to the deal and warned the United States against such a move.

Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, which also signed the nuclear deal, opposed the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from it. "To act under the command of the supreme leader and remain united".

"Rouhani's political career is in danger if he talks to Trump because then the multinational nuclear deal will be out of the picture and Rouhani will lose the support of his European allies for ignoring them", said a senior Iranian official from Tehran.Nickelodeon has agreed a multi-territory deal for the new childrens animated seriesacross EMEA as part of a raft of international deals secured by Madrid-based distributor Brands & Rights 360 (B&R360)!Under the Nickelodeon deal, the show will air in 108 territories across Southern and Western Europe, Middle East and Africa, including Benelux, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Russia and sub-Saharan Africa.Produced by Italian outfits Studio Campedelli, Cartobaleno and Rai Ragazzi and Indian animation firm Cosmos-Maya (),(5211) follows a nine-year-old boy named Teo who has a curious characteristic whereby when he feels powerful emotions he sneezes and turns into an animal. He cant control its sneezes and he cant predict which kind of animal will turn into, but with the help of his friends he will always getting out of it.Elsewhere, B&R360 has sold all four seasons of preschool animationto Spanish public broadcaster TVEs childrens network Clan and the first two seasons to Greek commercial broadcaster Star Channel and Portugals Canal Panda.The series is co-produced by Korean companies Roi Visual and EBS Korea and follows the transforming Robocar rescue team which saves neighbours and friends from danger. The series also airs on Nick Jr. UK & Ireland, Nick Jr. South East Asia and Nick Jr. Israel.Childrens channel Gulli in France, Russia and French-speaking Africa; TeenNick in Israel; and DeAKids in Italy are among the broadcasters to have picked up children and youth-skewing telenovela(12045) is produced by AMI Inc, 360 Powwow and Nickelodeon LatAm. The series follows the adventures of a musical prodigy who tries to balance her life between what it means to be a piano virtuoso and a regular teenager. Following the success of season one, a second season is in the pipeline In addition to Gulli, Nick and DeAKids, the series has also been picked up by basic cable channel Biggs in Portugal and DSTV Kids in Angola and Mozambique.Former Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth pled guilty last week to driving under the influence in the Scottsdale, Arizona, area. The arrest occurred in April, when Werth was playing at the Mariners' spring training facility in nearby Peoria. The court sentenced Werth to a diversion program, ordered drug and alcohol screening, charged him more than $1,600 in fines and fees, and suspended his driver's license.

At the time of his arrest, police reported Werth for three violations: driving under the influence of liquor, drugs or vapors (a charge applied to someone driving "while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, any drug, a vapor releasing substance containing a toxic substance or any combination of liquor, drugs or vapor releasing substances if the person is impaired to the slightest degree"), DUI with a blood alcohol content of .08 or more, and driving without current registration. The second two charges were dropped as part of Werth's plea agreement.

Neither he nor his attorney responded to messages seeking comment on the April charges, which he incurred about two months before he retired, ending his attempt to climb back to the big leagues. Werth never got a call-up despite seeming close at times, something he explained to reporters as the product of a poorly timed hamstring injury. The Mariners said his arrest did not influence the duration of his stay in the minors.

"We were aware of the situation at the time and took it very seriously. Jayson was forthright with our minor league staff about exactly what occurred," the Mariners said, through a team spokesman. "We encourage all of our players to cooperate fully with the proper authorities, which is what Jayson did. This was an off-field incident that was handled in the legal system. All of our decisions regarding Jayson's playing status were based on on-field information."

Earlier this month, the Nationals inducted Werth into their Ring of Honor with a tribute-filled ceremony at Nationals Park. The Nationals were not aware of the charges against Werth at the time, according to a team spokeswoman, and had no additional comment. In January 2015, Werth pled guilty to reckless driving after he was cited for going 105 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone of the Beltway in Virginia. He served 10 days in jail for those charges.

Many people within the Nationals organization credit Werth, the first major free-agent signing in Nationals history, as one of the engineers behind their transformation into an annual contender. A mentor to Bryce Harper and the undisputed leader of their clubhouse throughout his tenure, Werth became the first long-time National inducted into the team's Ring of Honor during that well-attended ceremony last week.

The 39-year-old still makes a home in the Washington area with his family, while also being involved in the organic farming business in his home state of Illinois.

- - -

The Washington Post's Julie Tate contributed to this report.NEW YORK - The plight of refugees was center stage at the United Nations in 2016, as dozens of countries attending a U.S.-led summit pledged to admit many more people.

Two years later, the optimism born of that summit has been replaced by bitterness and uncertainty as the number of refugees worldwide has soared and far fewer are being resettled in other countries. Nations hosting millions of refugees from their neighbors said they had been let down by the world's richest countries and were facing serious problems as a result.

"Unfortunately, the heavy burden of humanitarian consequences of the Syrian crisis has been left on Turkey's shoulders," said Turkish Foreign Minister Mehmet Cavusoglu, estimating that his country has spent $32 billion feeding, sheltering and educating refugees. "Commitments have not been fulfilled. Our calls for more burden and responsibility sharing fell on deaf ears."

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 year's 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.

The U.N. General Assembly will vote on the Global Compact on Refugees this week during its annual gathering. The agreement is rooted in the premise that refugees are the world's responsibility and eventually should be resettled. While the compact mentions increasing refugee access to other countries, it focuses largely on encouraging countries, corporations and institutions like the World Bank to provide more humanitarian aid to host nations struggling with the influxes.

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, said Monday that the United States would donate an additional $185 million to help Rohingya Muslims displaced by a military crackdown in Myanmar, with $156 million earmarked for refugees and host communities in Bangladesh. The donation brings U.S. aid in the crisis to $389 million this year, but Haley cautioned that U.S. generosity was not bottomless.

"While the U.S. is generous, we're going to be generous to those that share our values, generous to those that want to work with us and not those that try and stop the U.S. or say they hate America and are counterproductive," she said.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said her country has taken care of more than 1 million traumatized Rohingya, a crushing burden.

"The magnitude of the problem has caused serious challenges for us," she said at the U.N. meeting on the global compact. "The diversion of resources for the Rohingya has taken a toll on society, the environment and the economy."

Among the diplomats and leaders attending, there was a sense of exhaustion over the continuing waves of migrants who, as Cavusoglu put it, have turned the Mediterranean Sea into a "graveyard of desperate people."

Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said some refugee crises have been forgotten, subsumed in newer situations like the flow of people from Venezuela and Nicaragua.

"We have boats of refugees coming by water into Europe, seeking asylum," he said. "There are more and more of them. More than our administrative capabilities."

Haley, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis all favored maintaining the U.S. refugee ceiling at the current level, according to U.S. officials who have seen cables summarizing their arguments.

Critics say the United States is abandoning its leadership role on refugee issues under the Trump administration's "America First" policy. Historically, the United States has taken in more refugees than the rest of the world combined. Now, it is on the verge of being overtaken by Canada.

More than 1 million refugees are considered eligible for resettlement in another country. All together, the countries of the world have set aside just 70,000 spaces for them this year. Fewer than three dozen countries accept refugees.

"How can we be going around the world and urging governments like Jordan and Turkey and Uganda to provide safety to literally millions of refugees, when we turn around and announce we're going resettle the smallest number in the history of the refugee program?" said Eric Schwartz, president of Refugees International. "It's not enough to say we take in more than others."Weather Alert

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Northwest winds 25 to 40 mph with a few gusts 50 to 60 mph. The strongest winds are likely between 10 am and 3 pm. * WHERE...Knox, Cedar, Antelope, Pierce, Wayne, Boone, Madison, Stanton and Platte Counties. * WHEN...Until 6 PM CST Friday. * IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive. &&Prosecutors in the case of a man convicted in the dragging death of an African-American in Jasper 20 years ago say the U.S. Supreme Court should not hear his appeal just because he disagrees with the result of a lower court.

John William King, one of three Jasper men convicted of lynching James Byrd Jr. in 1998, appealed to the high court in June, saying that he was denied due process during the 1999 trial in which he was sentenced to death. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said he could appeal on only one of his claims, that his lawyers failed to effectively present his case of actual innocence.

King was one of three white men convicted of capital murder for chaining 49-year-old Byrd to the bumper of a pickup and dragging him three miles along Huff Creek Road in June 1998. Shawn Berry, 43, is serving a life sentence for the crime and Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011.

RELATED: Scenes from Lawrence Russell Brewer's execution

Kings attorney, Richard Ellis, argued that the appeals court leapfrogged to a conclusion and overstepped its authority by denying the right to appeal on other claims, which prevented them from effectively being heard in court.

Ellis said the court should have decided whether a reasonable jurist could believe the claims were debatable, and not weigh the actual merits of the claims.

The 5th Circuit continues to step far beyond the required threshold, conducting a detailed analysis of the merits before concluding that an individuals constitutional claim failed, he said. There is no doubt that Mr. King demonstrated the kind of substantial showing of a denial of a constitutional right to satisfy the threshold inquiry that this Courts precedent indicates is appropriate.

In response filed Monday afternoon, Assistant Texas Attorney General Katherine Hayes said reasonable jurists would not disagree with the lower courts decision to dispose of Kings ineffective counsel claims, which were denied by the 5th Circuit of Appeals in February.

King fails to present any compelling reason to grant review by the Supreme Court, Hayes wrote in opposition to Kings June 20 appeal.

No conflict has been supplied, no important issue proposed, nor has a similar pending case been identified to justify this courts discretionary review, Hayes wrote.   this courts limited resources would be better spent elsewhere.

King, 43, previously alleged that he was denied his right to effective assistance of counsel. He said his lawyers failed to challenge the prosecutions expert, Edward Gripon, who said King would be a future danger to others in prison, and that the defenses own expert testified that there is a real and viable potentiality for future dangerousness because of Kings personality and the crime.

King also argued that the lawyers did not have Kings mental state evaluated, which could have opened the possibility of an insanity or diminished mental capacity defense.

Given the circumstances of the crime, Kings mental state was obviously a critical issue at trial, Ellis said, and there was abundant evidence that would and should have raised this concern to trial counsel.

Ellis asked the Supreme Court to send the case back to the appeals court with further clear direction on issuing certificates of appealability.

Haley.Bruyn@BeaumontEnterprise.com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Algerian police has crackdown on Algerian retired soldiers who were violently prevented from staging a protest in Algiers to demand better wages and improved living conditions.

In Boumerdes, a group of soldiers was violently dispersed as videos shared on Algerian social media showed Police dispersing the crowd using teargas and causing many injuries.

The violent response by the Algerian regime to demands of social character shows its fragility as clans with vested interest in the status quo are campaigning for a fifth term of ailing President Bouteflika.

As a heavily centralized state, the Algerian regime has reinforced security presence in the capital Algiers to stifle dissent and disperse protests and sit-ins.

This all happens in a country that has squandered its oil mantra buying unnecessary arms and spending lavishly on arming the Polisario militias to unsettle its neighbor Morocco.

Polisario diplomats and offices abroad are all funded by the Algerian government, which at the same time ironically asks its own citizens to accept austerity measures in an economy hit by lower oil prices.A Texas man was arrested Sunday night for allegedly groping a female passenger sitting next to him on a Southwest Airlines flight to Nashville, according to court documents.

The female passenger told police that she had a brief conversation with Alfredo Vela IV, whom she did not know, before falling asleep during the flight from Houston. She later awoke to find Vela rubbing her back with his hand and told police Vela also touched her inner thigh, her breast and attempted to put his hand up her shirt.

The woman told police that she "froze in fear" during the event and alerted the flight crew soon after.

Vela, a Houston resident, was arrested at the airport after the plane landed around 9:30 p.m. and faces a charge of sexual battery. The 30-year-old Vela was booked into Davidson County Jail and posted a $5,000 bond Monday morning, according to The Tennessean.

Southwest Airlines said its crew members requested law enforcement meet the plane at the gate upon landing after receiving the report of misconduct.

"Southwest crews are trained to take care of a wide range of sensitive customer issues, and we have zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior onboard our aircraft," the Dallas-based carrier said in a statement. "If our crews are made aware of a harmful situation--whether witnessed first-hand or reported by someone else--our flight attendants are responsible for notifying the pilots who will request the appropriate authorities meet the aircraft on the ground."

The case is the latest incident of alleged sexual assault onboard a commercial aircraft. Lawmakers, consumer advocates and airline employee unions have spent the last two years calling more attention to the issue of unwanted touching, groping or worse on airplanes, a problem many fear is underreported.

A 2017 survey of 2,000 flight attendants found that 1 in 5 had received report of passenger on passenger sexual assault during a flight, according to the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.

The FBI said it formally investigated 63 cases of sexual assault on aircraft in the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2017. It's the fourth consecutive year of increasing investigations dating back to fiscal year 2014, when 38 were conducted.

Critics say airlines lack clear training for employees for handling incidents of in-flight sexual misconduct, including how to safely separate potential perpetrators from other passengers. According to the Association of Flight Attendants survey, law enforcement was contacted or met the plane at the gate in fewer than half of cases reported to flight attendants.

A Southwest spokeswoman said the woman was moved to the front of the plane after reporting the assault and was quickly deplaned upon landing.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Colorectal cancer is the third most common and second deadliest cancer in the U.S., but through regular screening the cancer can be cured completely when caught early enough.1

This content is sponsored by Boston Scientific.

Initiatives like National Colon Cancer Awareness Month in March or the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable's 80 by 2018 campaign  an initiative to screen 80 percent of the eligible population by 2018  aim to increase screenings rates while also raising public recognition of the disease. And although both mortality and incidence rates are dropping among age appropriate patients, nationwide barriers like finances, fear of healthcare providers or of surgery stand in the way of easily-accessible screenings.2

Boston Scientific is amid the fight. Through its Close the Gap Health Equity for Life initiative, the company works to reduce health disparities for the underserved, ensuring their access to quality care and supporting disease prevention and awareness programs to help patients reduce risks for chronic illness, including colon cancer, heart disease, pancreatic cancer and asthma. As part of the initiative, Boston Scientific is working with physicians, nonprofit organizations and community groups to advance the fight on colon cancer through awareness, education and access to screening.

Jennifer Clark, Boston Scientific's marketing strategies and solutions team group manager, said the company started the initiative as a grass-roots-led heart health program and then expanded efforts to include colon cancer after seeing a space they could positively contribute to.

She said, "Colon cancer [was an easy decision] because of how drastic the health disparities are, particularly for African-American males and geographically, for people in the South, where colon cancer [rates] are much higher for those groups. ... [Colon cancer] in terms of a disease state, has a high level of disparity and a clear call to action: go get a colonoscopy."

According to a 2017 study published in Cancer Causes & Control, significant disparities exist in poorer socioeconomic areas. Introducing medical screening and access to treatment alone have not decrease mortality rates.3

To combat this physicians and organizations like Chicago- based Advocate Illinois Masonic Digestive Health Institute's Andrew Albert, MD, MPH, and Colorectal Cancer Alliance's CEO Michael Sapienza engaged in efforts to fight colon cancer at the local and national level, aided by Boston Scientific's Close the Gap program.

Dr. Albert and #BackOffColonCancer

Growing up with a gastroenterologist for a father, Dr. Albert knew at an early age the importance of preventing colon cancer. As medical director, Dr. Albert realized significant challenges associated with colon cancer care and he came up with a solution.

Patients coming to see him already knew about the risks of colon cancer and were seeking treatment, but there was a large isolated population making no effort to see him that was in danger.

He began simple community outreach efforts to spread awareness: a hand written sign, stapled to his back reading "Lost a patient to colon cancer. Did not need to happen. Get your Colonoscopy. #BackOffColonCancer." This image went viral. The campaign spread globally by nurses, physicians, police officers, firefighters and even athletes sharing the simple message while taping signs to their backs. But for Dr. Albert, the next steps he took in his community were more telling than the tweets and social media posts. He embarked on a series of speaking engagements at community staples like churches and businesses, preaching the importance of colon cancer screening to a community hungry for Information.4

"I recently gave a talk at a firm downtown [in Chicago] and at the end of my talk somebody raised their hand and said, 'I'm sorry, but can you just tell me what a colon is?' So what [is there that] you can do? [Physicians need to] get in front of people who don't have exposure to people that speak on medical topics, or people who don't have routine [medical] visits. ... That would be the most helpful, so that we can do our jobs," Dr. Albert said.

Boston Scientific is helping Dr. Albert do just that. With the company's assistance Dr. Albert and his team have had a significant impact on the community. "[Boston Scientific] has given us the ability to take our physicians out of the clinics and out of the hospital space and [bring them] to a space where people are little more comfortable, or where people might not have had medical care."

Boston Scientific provided Dr. Albert and his fellow colleagues the opportunity to succeed beyond the four walls of a hospital and succeed in the community.

Dr. Albert and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center's Surgical Director Joaquin Estrada, MD, recently spoke in front 5,000 congregants at a church on the Southside of Chicago.

The church held a health fair after the service where the two physicians met with people to discuss colon cancer-related fears, concerns and worries.

Dr. Albert said. "Physicians need to hear about Boston Scientific's efforts in the community. ... I think doctors at this point, would love allies in the field. I think knowing you have allies in the field [working to raise colon cancer awareness], is a true benefit to everyone."

Helping nonprofits do more

Boston Scientific's Close the Gap also supports nonprofit organizations, including the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. Boston Scientific sponsors the Alliance's Blue Hope Program and

partners with the organization for a series of awareness events nationwide. The Blue Hope Program provides colon cancer screenings to individuals in need.

Alliance CEO Michael Sapienza said Boston Scientific is helping the organization in its efforts to focus on prevention, patient family support and research. The Alliance has a goal to save 100,000 lives through screening grants like those provided by Boston Scientific, large scale screening programs and by providing grass roots screening assistance.

The Alliance aims to break down barriers associated with colon cancer screening and supporting the families of colon cancer patients. As of July, the Alliance has provided 125,000 patients and family members with navigation support through its help line, live chats, community groups, national conference and online resources.

Mr. Sapienza said Boston Scientific's support has been essential in the Alliance's efforts to improve screening numbers. "When my mom died from this disease in 2009, it was the second leading cause of cancer death, and 10 years later, it still is. There are certain barriers to getting screened, so financial assistance programs and working with companies like Boston Scientific are incredibly important to move the needle."

Breaking down barriers is important because each barrier is another excuse that risks a patient's life. Patients may fear the colonoscopy prep solutions, the consequences associated with missing a day of work for the procedure or even the high price tag of a colonoscopy so Mr. Sapienza is grateful to remove the cost barrier. He said, "[The Blue Hope Prevention Program] has helped more people get screened, and that's the most important thing. ... The financial assistance is important to break down the barriers."

The future of colon cancer

Despite incidence rate decreasing over the last several years, a new problem has emerged taking the gastroenterology space by surprise: an increase in early-onset colon cancer.1

The incidence of colon cancer in patients under 55 is growing, and rates are expected to continue increasing in the coming years. A presentation at the 2018 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, Jan. 18 to Jan. 20 in San Francisco, stated for individuals born in 1990 the risk of developing colon cancer has doubled while the risk of developing rectal cancer has quadrupled for an unknown reason.5

Dr. Albert and Mr. Sapienza are concerned. To combat the problem, the American Cancer Society released guidelines in May recommending adults receive screening at age 45. The reception to the updated guideline has been largely positive.

Dr. Albert said, "50 to 60 percent of [patients] don't get screened at all until they're 55. If you start the message earlier, maybe more of these 50 or 55 year old [patients] will get screened earlier. Perhaps people won't put it off as long. ... There's a lot of power behind that."

The issue is of quintessential importance to Mr. Sapienza, who regularly talks and interacts with colon cancer patients of all ages. He called the guidelines a win but stressed the importance of

the research the Alliance and other organizations are funding to figure out what's causing the increases. He added the support from Boston Scientific has helped further this research.

"Our five-year goal is to invest $10 million in clinical research. This year we're investing over $1 million dollars in early-onset colorectal cancer research to find out why we're seeing this increase in young adults," He said.

Mr. Sapienza hopes the guidelines are the first of several measures to fight early-onset CRC. "We definitely agree with the recommendation, but we have to put a but in there. I sat with a 35 year old and a 28 year old, both who will likely pass in the next six months from this disease. I meet with those folks every single day and I say, 'What about them?'"

Despite the progressing fight, Mr. Sapienza and Dr. Albert feel Boston Scientific's Close the Gap program is making strides to improve awareness. To this point, Mr. Sapienza offered hope for

the newly diagnosed-patient.

"This isn't a death sentence. This is a manageable disease, and you're not alone," He said. "There are 1.4 million Americans living with this disease and [we are] here to help you,"

To learn more about Boston Scientific's Close the Gap program, reach out to your Boston Scientific representative for additional information.

References:

1 National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Annual Report to the Nation 2018: National Cancer Statistics. Retrieved from https://seer.cancer.gov/report_to_nation/statistics.html

2 National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. (n.d.). 80% by 2018. Retrieved from http://nccrt.org/what-we-do/80-percent-by-2018/

3 Breen, N. (2017). Assessing disparities in colorectal cancer mortality by socioeconomic status using new tools: health disparities calculator and socioeconomic quintiles. Cancer Causes & Control. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5306354/

4 Andrew Albert, M. (n.d.). Twitter. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/drandrewalbert?lang=en

5 2018 Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium Daily News. (n.d.). The Current Understanding of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer. Retrieved from https://gicasym.org/daily-news/current-understanding-early-onset-colorectal-cancer

Note: Dr. Albert is a consultant for Boston ScientificMedford (Mass.) Surgery Center plans to construct a freestanding ASC on the former Lawrence Memorial Hospital campus in Medford.

Here's what you should know:

1. The project is expected to cost $14,675,550.

2. The ASC would include three operating rooms and two procedure rooms.

3. Medford Surgery Center filed a determination of need application June 11, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health held a hearing about the application Aug. 22.

4. Medford Surgery Center is a newly formed joint venture by Quincy, Mass.-based Shields ASC, Melrose, Mass.-based MelroseWakefield Healthcare and Boston-based Tufts Medical Center Physician Organization.King Mohammed VI has paid tribute to the late South African Icon Nelson Mandela, a champion of peace and understanding between nations, an extraordinary man who belongs indisputably to a category of universal people whose destiny has local, national, continental and global implications.

Nelson Mandelas stance on the preservation of national sovereignty earned him the status of champion of peace and understanding between nations  a stance far removed from vicissitudes, uncertainties, calculations and harmful divisions, King Mohammed VI said in a message read out at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, held Monday at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

To those who advocated separatism or caused any form of instability, Mandela responded by championing unity, for he understood that our continents development hinged on the territorial integrity of its States, the Monarch said. He added that the action of Mandela, the politician, was always characterized by sound, well though-out judgments.

His major decisions were never made hastily. He incarnated a school of wisdom that his successors should perpetuate. The values he embodied with unwavering courage are the very values to which we firmly adhere. They are the guiding principles of my countrys political and civic action in the Kingdom, in Africa and in the world.

The king went on to say in his message to the event celebrating the centenary of the birth of the late South-African leader that Nelson Mandela showed us that dialogue and negotiation must be pursued with relentless resolve, no matter how deep the chasms or misunderstandings. Unfortunately, however, even when peace was within reach at times, we often let the occasion slip.

Nelson Mandela embodied not only the struggle of a people, but also that of a continent: Our Africa. A staunch advocate of the principles of equity, probity and universal morality, Mandela belonged to a category of African leaders who were committed to humanist values and lofty principles.

Calling on the UN to defend and preserve Mandelas lofty vision, the King recalled that the icon of reconciliation, the late Mandela never stopped urging us to engage in a collective self-examination regarding the humanist values he embodied, calling upon us to transcend our divisions, be they political or economic. To grapple with the scourge of racism, he advocated liberation; to tackle partition, he championed unity; to ward off the perils of fragmentation and marginalization, he opted for unification; he was a relentless advocate of progress and prosperity, instead of underdevelopment and isolation.

On Mandelas relations with Morocco, King Mohammed VI said There was most certainly a Moroccan chapter in Madibas rich life, recalling the sincere affection and esteem he had for the late King Hassan II. This affection was mutual. It stemmed from the unconditional support provided by Morocco to African Liberation Movements, he said underscoring that this was a core feature of the reign of both the late King Mohammed V and the late King Hassan II. Both of them welcomed all African Liberation Movements. When the latter sought help and support, they used the Kingdom as a military and political base.

Between 1960 and 1962, Mandela lived in Morocco, where he received the Kingdoms support for his legitimate struggle. This multiform, continuous assistance during the struggle waged by the South African national movement included the training of ANC activists in the Oujda region, the provision of logistical and military aid to the ANC as well as support for the diplomatic activities led by the Nelson Mandela Movement abroad, the monarch stated.

The King recalled that in appreciation of that precious assistance, Nelson Mandela made it a point to come to Morocco in November 1994 to show his unfailing solidarity with the Moroccan people and was then decorated with the Kingdoms highest distinction in recognition of the exceptional struggle he waged for equality and justice.

At the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, the Member States adopted the first resolution of the General Assemblys 73rd session, committing to demonstrate mutual respect, tolerance, understanding and reconciliation in [their] relations, and pledging to build a just, peaceful and prosperous world and to revive the values for which the former South African President and anti-apartheid campaigner stood.A case involving a hospital patient's emergency department bill has been initiated at the California Supreme Court, a spokesperson for the Judicial Council of California confirmed to Becker's.

He said the supreme court received a petition for review from the patient, and it has at least 60 days to decide whether it will grant, deny or take other action.

The petition centers on an unpublished opinion by the Fifth District Court of Appeal issued in July that would allow self-pay patients treated at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Calif., and Clovis (Calif.) Community Medical Center to challenge their medical expenses as part of a class action, The Fresno Bee reported.

The appeals court decision reversed a trial court order denying class certification; directed certification of an "issue class"; and denied the the patient's request to publish the opinion. But now the patient has petitioned the supreme court to get the opinion published. "Unpublished or 'noncitable' opinions are opinions that are not certified for publication in official reports and generally may not be cited or relied on by other courts or parties in other actions," the spokesperson for the Judicial Council of California said. However, if the case were published, it would become case law, potentially affecting lawsuits against hospitals statewide.

Hospital officials have argued the case should not be published.

The case goes back to a dispute over interpretation of Community Regional Medical Center's admissions contract and the rates charged to an uninsured emergency room patient, Cesar Solorio, according to the appeals court decision. Mr. Solorio reportedly received X-rays and a splint on his wrist at the hospital on Sept. 22, 2015. He later received a bill for $7,812.03 and filed a class-action complaint alleging rates billed to self-pay patients are "inflated and exorbitant," the appeals court decision states.

Community Medical Centers, the operator of Community Regional Medical Center and Clovis Community Medical Center, disputes claims that the self-pay billing process is different from insured patients, according to The Fresno Bee.

Michelle Von Tersch, vice president of communications and public affairs, told the publication documents regarding a patient's treatment are reviewed to determine applicable charges after discharge. She said that many uninsured patients are eligible for financial aid programs, such as charity care.

Read the full Fresno Bee report here.

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Fitch: Nonprofit hospital balance sheet metrics improve, operating margins don'tAkron (Ohio) Children's Hospital named Sarah Rush, MD, a pediatric oncologist who's been with the system since 2013, as its new chief medical information officer, according to the Akron Beach Journal.

As CMIO, Dr. Rush will oversee the hospital's clinical information systems by working closely with medical staff, administration and Akron's IT department to optimize its EHR.

Dr. Rush specializes in treating children with brain and spinal cord tumors. Since 2016, she has been an active member of the hospital's physician informatics group.In early August, a series of shootings in Chicago left 41 people wounded and seven dead in a single day. Most of the shootings were on the city's South and West sides, sending many of the wounded to Cook County Health & Hospitals System's flagship John H. Stroger Hospital.

The violence spike forced the hospital's trauma center to limit visitation to immediate family. Dozens of trauma patient visitors lined up outside Stroger on the city's West Side. But in spite of the chaos and surge of wounded patients, Stroger's trauma team never diverted a single trauma patient to another hospital, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

The team's work on Aug. 5 was predicated on decades of experience. In 2017 alone, the 50 clinicians in Stroger's trauma center treated more than 1,100 gunshot wound patients  roughly one-third of the people shot in Chicago that year  a stat that reveals why Stroger's trauma center is one of the busiest in the nation.

Stroger is home to one of the city's five level 1 adult trauma centers  a network so proficient at treating high volumes of gunshot wound victims that its lifesaving work often is overlooked. This is a hospital that is a safety net in more than one sense of the word. Amid years of political turmoil within the Chicago Police Department, the city's trauma network has been hard at work: Data shows gun-related homicides declined from 1995 to 2015, while the number shootings did not.

A look at the inner workings of Stroger reveals the contradiction of world-class trauma care in communities mired in poverty and violence.

"It's a weird thing to have as the bridge to community trust, to say, 'We were really good at taking care of your son, or your daughter, or neighbor, when they got shot,'" John Jay Shannon, MD, CEO of the Cook County health system, told Becker's. "At the same time, it is widely acknowledged as being one of the things that we do very, very, very well."

When the Becker's editorial team asked Chicago hospitals in 2017 how many gunshot wound patients they had treated over the year, Stroger was the most forthcoming. Some declined to share figures or did not respond to Becker's request for information. One hospital's communication team stated it had no interest in being known as the Chicago hospital treating the most gunshot wounds.

It's unclear why some hospitals were unwilling or unable to share information on the number of gunshot wound patients they treated. But Harold Pollack, PhD, an urban public health researcher and co-director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab, suggested two possible obstacles: reputation concerns and the availability of data.

"If they are major trauma centers, people would expect many gunshot wounds to be treated there," Dr. Pollack told Becker's. "Some hospitals treat markedly fewer gunshot trauma [cases] than one might expect. This is quite embarrassing. Others do not want to become known as safety-net providers. I would not rule out that many hospitals don't actually have this information in a sufficiently accurate form to go public with it."

For this article, members of the Becker's editorial team spoke with several Stroger administrators and providers, past and present. What follows is a look inside one of the nation's most storied trauma centers and its relationship with gun violence and the community.

From the 1960s to today: Chicago's evolving trauma landscape

Stroger's trauma center traces its comprehensive trauma care roots to the 1960s.

Robert Baker, MD, and the late Robert Freeark, MD  physicians at Cook County Hospital, Stroger's predecessor  imagined a single hospital unit to care for traumatically injured patients, beginning before the patient entered the hospital and extending to the outpatient and rehabilitation settings.

The launch of such a unit in 1966 was not without controversy, as it marked a paradigm shift in the care of trauma patients. A major point of contention involved the role of prehospital care providers  such as emergency medical technicians and paramedics  in determining whether a patient was taken to the nearest trauma center rather than the closest hospital.

"That was incredibly complicated and very controversial, because surgeons in [Chicago] hospitals had managed trauma  they were general surgeons, but they did some trauma. We were essentially saying, 'We can do this better,'" said John Barrett, MD, who served as director of the trauma center at Cook County Hospital from 1982 to 2002.

Born in Cork, Ireland, Dr. Barrett came to Chicago in 1975 with abundant interest in the treatment of gunshot wounds. He describes gun violence as a uniquely American problem, and since retiring from medicine in 2002, has advocated for gun control legislation in the U.S.

During his time as head of trauma at Cook County Hospital, Dr. Barrett witnessed an evolution in the treatment of gunshot wounds as the caliber of ammunition and the velocity of weapons increased from the 1980s to the 1990s. The advances in weaponry made for more complex wound care. Dr. Barrett described 1995 as a year that stands out to him as particularly gruesome for Chicago gun violence.

"It was a horrible, horrible year," he told Becker's in 2017. "It gradually began to get better, until [2016] and [2017] together."

But policing strategies credited with driving down homicides in the 2000s and early 2010s have failed to keep shootings at bay in recent years. A Chicago Tribune analysis cited 4,369 shootings in Chicago in 2016 and 3,567 in 2017.

The success of Chicago's trauma network is likely the reason a general increase in shootings hasn't translated to a surge in homicides, an analysis of Chicago homicide and shooting data published in February reveals.

In collaboration with The Atlantic's CityLab and the Center for Investigative Reporting's Reveal, reporters from the Chicago-based Data Reporting Lab found gun-related homicides in Chicago trended downward 30 percent from 1995 to 2015. However, the number of people shot did not decline during the same period, according to the report. CityLab used only CPD data and hospital data in its analysis.



In 1995, about 726 people died from gun violence in Chicago. That same year, Cook County hospitals discharged 677 gunshot victims, according to the report. That puts the total of known shooting victims at 1,403. Compare that to 2015, when Chicago counted 1,377 known gunshot wound victims  just 26 fewer people than 1995. However, of those shot in 2015, gunfire killed about 507 people and Cook County hospitals discharged 870. Although shootings didn't decline significantly over the 20 year period, the survival rate of known gunshot wound victims increased from 48 percent to 63 percent.

Chicago hospitals and emergency providers reduced gun-related homicides through cohesive collaboration. Emergency responders work together to route patients to the facilities best equipped to deal with gunshot wounds. These patients not only need to reach a hospital  they need the right hospital.

The Illinois Department of Public Health appoints four hospitals  including Stroger  to provide trauma oversight for emergency medical services. Emergency medicine physicians from these hospitals serve as medical directors and establish field triage protocols for all regional EMS providers. The protocols are adapted from national standards developed by the CDC, American College of Surgeons and National Association of EMS Physicians.

When it comes to triaging gunshot wound patients, the main challenge is "we see too many of them," Joseph Weber, MD, an EMS medical director at Cook County health system and an emergency medicine physician at Stroger, told Becker's.

"The paramedics are highly trained and adept at assessing and caring for victims of penetrating trauma, specifically from handguns," he added. "They roll up on scene, they do a quick assessment  a patient's vital signs, what type of wound they have  and then [decide where to direct the patient] based on our algorithm."

Processes and algorithms help pair patients with hospitals, but this is Chicago  a city that spans 237 square miles and has nearly 3 million residents. This makes the proximity of trauma centers a strong determinant of patient survival. In 2010, 18-year-old Damian Turner died en route to the nearest level 1 trauma center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, more than 9 miles from where he was shot on the South Side in a drive-by shooting.

Mr. Turner was shot just four blocks from the University of Chicago Medical Center. At the time, its level 1 adult trauma center had been closed for 19 years. The incident sparked a national conversation about the layout of level 1 trauma centers in Chicago, which had been clustered around the city's North and West Sides. This composition left the southeast corner of the city in what some called a "trauma desert," according to CityLab. The University of Chicago reopened the trauma center after 27 years in May.

Stroger's trauma center: An expensive community asset

The high cost of trauma care is what forced University of Chicago Medicine to close its trauma center only two years after it opened in 1986. It lost $2 million both years.

"Contraction of trauma services in this area is in no small part related to the fact that [trauma] costs health centers money," Dr. Shannon said. At the time of Becker's interview with Dr. Shannon, UChicago Medicine had not yet opened its new $39 million level 1 trauma center.

Chicago hospitals treated 12,000 documented gunshot wound patients between 2009 and mid-2016, billing patients and payers more than $447 million. Nationwide, hospitals spend nearly $2.8 billion annually treating firearm-related injuries.

The Cook County health system spends, on average, between $30,000 and $50,000 to treat each gunshot patient at its trauma center. Collectively, the system spends $30 million to $40 million annually treating gunshot wounds  and this total only covers initial hospital care, not rehabilitation or other outpatient services.

Why, then, can Stroger lean into its trauma center as a strength? One grim reason is demand for gunshot wound care continues to rise, Dr. Shannon said. Another is Illinois' expansion of Medicaid in 2014. Now, 75 percent of Stroger's gunshot wound patients are insured  and their services are largely paid for by Illinois taxpayers. A third "troubling" reason the trauma center is an asset, Dr. Shannon said, is an increasing amount  now 10 percent  of his hospital's gunshot wound patients are children, 90 percent of whom are insured.

Stroger also leverages its reputation in trauma care to increase patient volume across the hospital, according to Caryn Stancik, executive director of communications at Cook County health system. One of Stroger's recent marketing campaigns highlighted its six-week training program for Navy hospital corpsmen, during which corpsmen treat gunshot wound patients alongside Stroger's trauma physicians. An ad from the campaign showed a physician caring for an older woman with the text, "Look at us now. Training the Navy and treating your grandmother."

"The crude philosophy behind that is if we're good enough to train physicians [in the Navy], people should look at us for other services," such as orthopedics, anesthesiology and radiology, Ms. Stancik said.

But Stroger's trauma center is more than a national resource for physicians in training, it's a bridge to the surrounding community.

"We look at our trauma experience as an asset  in an unusual way, it is a community asset," Dr. Shannon said.

'A lot of our patients, we've known them for 20 or 30 years'

For the staff at Stroger, Chicago's gunshot violence statistics aren't just numbers  they're neighbors.

"In our trauma unit, we have staff that live in the communities where gunshot wound victims come from," Dr. Shannon said. "Staff tend to be activists and outspoken," drawing the system's care philosophy beyond its four walls, he said.

There aren't many avenues for formal follow-up care that address the environmental effects of continuous exposure to violence. One way Stroger takes a longitudinal approach to trauma care is through Healing Hurt People-Chicago. The program is informed by hospital-based violence intervention strategies developed by the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice at Philadelphia-based Drexel University.

"Just as in medical trauma care that has a 'golden hour' to save somebody's life, we also have this opportunity when somebody is brought to the hospital to provide a type of violence intervention and to stop the cycle of violence," said Andy Wheeler, one of the trauma center's licensed clinical social workers.

The Chicago program, launched in August 2013, is a collaboration between teams at Stroger, Drexel and the UChicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital, which operates a pediatric level 1 trauma center. It encompasses a team of specialized social workers, called trauma intervention specialists, who identify pediatric patients in need of ongoing case management, mentorship and group therapy services for six months to one year after the patient's discharge from the hospital.

There are nearly 60 active street gangs in Chicago, with 100,000 members, according to estimates from the Chicago Crime Commission, contributing to a culture of retaliatory shootings where the same patients might cycle in and out of the trauma center multiple times. Healing Hurt People-Chicago's mission is to reduce the likelihood a gunshot wound patient will return to the hospital with another violent injury, largely by giving patients strategies to avoid crime and other risks in their community.

Five hundred patients have gone through HHP-Chicago's program since 2013. Only 7 percent of patients who participated for six months or longer returned to the hospital with another violent injury. None of the patients committed an act of retaliation, according to the Rev. Carol Reese, HHP-Chicago's program director.

"Whether they're in a gang or not, the issue is about ongoing safety of the people taking part in Healing Hurt People," she said. "Just being from the 'wrong neighborhood' can make people a target in some areas, so it's more about helping patients identify where it is safe for them to be. Social connections with peers are powerful for young people and can serve to protect, as well as create increased risk."

Even back at the hospital, recovery doesn't end post-discharge. Stroger's trauma physicians remain in contact with the patients they've treated.

"Our patients belong to our group of physicians forever. It's not like we back off of them after we patch them up in the ED," Faran Bokhari, MD, chairman of Cook County health system's trauma and burn unit, told Becker's. "This is interpersonal violence and you're often dealing with the re-injury of these same people over a long period of time. A lot of our patients, we've known them for 20 or 30 years. They were really young when they [first] came to us."

'If it doesn't bother you, then you're burning out'

The high stress environment and impossibility of saving every patient admitted to Stroger's trauma center  along with the repetitive nature of caring for patients in a city affected by gang violence  can take an emotional toll on even the most resilient providers. The work can also be physically taxing, as it can take up to two hours to stabilize a gunshot wound patient.

One way the trauma team at Stroger combats burnout is by talking through difficult outcomes.

"We review every death, and everybody gets to say, 'Well, what did we do?'" Dr. Barrett said. "And this is not a 'what did we do wrong' conversation."

These conversations are meant to improve protocols and allow staff to emotionally process the situation. It's not about blaming anyone for the outcome, he said.

"I recall a woman who was pregnant with twins, and we lost her and both of the babies," Dr. Barrett said. "It doesn't matter whether or not you did everything right, you're [going to wonder] how could this possibly happen. If it doesn't bother you, then you're burning out, and that's bad too. As a leader you need to be very cognizant of that."

Staff at Stroger said the camaraderie among the trauma center's 50 clinicians is a hallmark of the unit. Most nurses and physicians stay with the trauma center for 20 years.

"Being a trauma nurse, it's very important to have that communication with the trauma doctors," said Cristina Federighi, RN, MSN, who has been a trauma nurse at Stroger for more than 25 years. "To achieve the best care for our patients, it's all about communication. It's the key to effective care. We have to have that relationship."

Trauma staff have the option to meet with the same social workers their patients see. Mr. Wheeler said clinicians who witness traumatic injuries daily can display some of the same behavioral symptoms as someone who's been injured.

Mr. Wheeler conducts self-care workshops for Stroger's critical care and palliative care providers, which include mindfulness and meditation.

"When you go through social work training, you learn a lot about self-care," Mr. Wheeler said. "As far as I know that isn't taught as much in medical school and through residency."

Stroger on the front lines

Cook County health system's leadership, administrative staff and clinicians work tirelessly to uphold the trauma center's role as a community asset.

"The success of the trauma unit would really be the lack of its existence," Dr. Bokhari said. "The challenge is the socioeconomic factors that lead to this violence. This is something that has evolved over hundreds of years, and you can't fix it in a day."

The hospital also recognizes the factors at play beyond the city's limits. On March 24, Dr. Shannon, staff and former patients joined the student-led March for Our Lives demonstration in Washington, D.C., in support of universal background checks and stricter laws on buying guns, along with other firearm legislation.

"These are areas where you realize that your health system as a healthcare delivery platform is limited. You've got to think beyond that to start thinking about the social circumstances in the communities that you serve," Dr. Shannon said. "You're not doing your job well if you're working in a safety net [and] not addressing violence in the community."



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Novo Nordisk to lay off 400 employees in China, DenmarkThe Mayo Clinic: Faith - Hope - Science  a two-hour documentary on the Rochester, Minn.-based health system's 150-year history  airs Sept. 25 on PBS.

The showing will begin at 9 p.m. ET with a second broadcast Sept. 26 at 10 p.m. ET. American filmmaker Ken Burns produced and directed the documentary.

The documentary chronicles the story of William Worrall Mayo, an English immigrant who started practicing medicine with his sons in Rochester, Minn.

The Mayos took charge of recovery efforts with the help of the Sisters of St. Francis after a deadly tornado devastated their community in 1883. The event pushed the clinic forward on its path to becoming a worldwide model for collaborative patient care, research and education.

The documentary also features interviews with patients who have sought treatment at Mayo Clinic, including John McCain and the Dalai Lama.The former president of SUNY Upstate Medical University pleaded guilty Sept. 24 to abusing his leadership role by illegally padding his annual salary, according to the timesunion.

Here are four things to know:

1. David Smith, PhD, who served as president of the institution from 2006 to 2013, pleaded guilty to three counts of official misconduct. The charges against him included boosting his annual $360,000 salary through a $28,450 pay raise in 2007. The proceeds he obtained from the raise through the date of his resignation amounted to roughly $189,412 in additional salary he would not have otherwise earned, NBC 4 New York reports. He also reportedly used unauthorized expenses to increase his $5,000-per-month housing allowance, according to the timesunion.

2. Dr. Smith also admitted to setting up a deferred compensation plan for himself and others from MedBest Medical Management, a company that provided billing services to SUNY Upstate's affiliated hospital and its physicians, the timesunion reports.

3. Dr. Smith's guilty plea on Sept. 24 ended a five-year investigation into him and his dealings. The plea also came as the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office confirmed it has launched an investigation into SUNY Upstate Medical University's hiring decisions, severance packages and construction projects  including the severance package awarded to former SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital CEO John McCabe, MD, who was allegedly paid $660,500 to "disappear."

4. As part of the plea deal, Mr. Smith agreed to pay $250,000 in restitution and fines.

To access the full report, click here.Becker's Hospital Review reported the following hospital-union events  including protests and legal issues  on or after Sept. 13.

1. Nearly 100 UPMC workers plan Oct. 4 strike in push for union

About 100 workers from UPMC facilities in Pittsburgh are expected to strike Oct. 4 to gain support for their goal of unionization.

2. Vermont nurses vote no confidence in hospital leadership ahead of contract vote

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.

3. Michigan Medicine nurses take workplace concerns to university board

Nurses at Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine took their complaints of unfair labor practices to the University of Michigan's governing board during its Sept. 20 meeting.

4. UVM Medical Center, nurses reach tentative labor deal

University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington has reached a tentative contract agreement with the union representing about 1,800 licensed practical nurses, registered nurses and nurse practitioners.

5. Maine nurses, hospital strike tentative agreement

Registered nurses and Bangor-based Eastern Maine Medical Center reached a tentative labor deal.

6. Kaiser Permanente workers oppose proposal to outsource 60 gardeners

Healthcare workers in Northern California are speaking out against Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente's proposal to outsource landscaping.

7. Michigan Medicine nurses OK option to strike

Nurses at Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine authorized their bargaining committee to call a strike.

8. Ohio nurses ratify labor deal with Steward

Nurses at the soon-to-close Youngstown, Ohio-based Northside Regional Medical Center ratified a contract with Dallas-based Steward Health Care.

9. San Francisco nursing facility workers protest, say staffing shortage is hurting patients

Workers from San Francisco-based Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center rallied, alleging that short staffing has hurt employees and patients.

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Ohio nurses ratify labor deal with StewardA contract dispute between Austin (Texas) Regional Clinic and UnitedHealthcare will leave about 5,000 patients with UnitedHealthcare AARP Medicare Advantage plans searching for new physicians or new insurance plans next year.

Here are five things to know:

1. UnitedHealthcare notified patients enrolled in its Medicare Advantage plan that Austin Regional Clinic, a multispecialty medical group with 24 locations, will be out of their network next year, according to the Austin-American Statesman. The change will not affect patients with UnitedHealthcare commercial plans or any Medicare supplement plans.

2. UnitedHealthcare and the medical group terminated contract negotiations after they were unable to agree on which claims processing technology to use.

3. Austin Regional Clinic wanted to use its own technology to process claims because it needs quicker access to claim reports, and its physicians don't want to use multiple platforms. Three other Medicare Advantage plans agreed to use the clinic's technology, Norman Chenven, MD, founding CEO of Austin Regional Clinic, told the Austin-American Statesman.

4. UnitedHealthcare said Austin Regional Clinic's physicians have always had access to patient claims. "The reason ARC decided to leave UnitedHealthcare's network is not because they couldn't access patient claims," a UnitedHealthcare spokesperson told the Austin-American Statesman. "ARC has always had access to claims data for services that they render to their patients. ARC wanted to leverage a third-party organization's technology for processing patients' claims. UnitedHealthcare already has this capability locally in Austin, which UnitedHealthcare offered ARC."

5. Although patients with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans can continue to receive in-network care at Austin Regional Clinic through Dec. 31, clinic officials said the insurer recently told patients they had been assigned a new physician with a different provider group as of Oct. 1. UnitedHealthcare disputes the clinic's claims. The insurer said Austin Regional Clinic was not terminated from its network early, according to the report.

More articles on payers:

Urgent care centers, BCBS of South Carolina dispute elicits legislative response

Aetna's CEO talks childhood, yoga, career: 5 takeaways

BCBS of Rhode Island to pay $5M after audit reveals coverage deficienciesThe University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle mistakenly destroyed frozen embryos in 2014, affecting 31 patients, a hospital spokesperson confirmed to KIRO 7.

The error was not publicly known until one of the affected couples recently filed a lawsuit citing negligence and breach of contract.

The written agreement between the couple and UW Medical Center said the couple would relinquish control of their frozen embryos "if they have not remained in contact with the IVF program for a period of three years," but the female patient reportedly had contact with the hospital in June 2012, according to the lawsuit.

Two years later, "without notice and/or warning, UWMC discarded and/or destroyed [the patients'] cryopreserved embryos," the lawsuit claims. The complaint also includes parts of a 2017 letter the hospital reportedly sent to the couple that acknowledges the couple had been in contact prior to the embryos being discarded.

The mistake at UW Medical Center comes months after equipment failures at a fertility clinic in San Francisco and Cleveland-based University Hospitals may have destroyed thousands of eggs and embryos.

"When we learned what happened with the [plaintiffs'] embryos, we reached out to them to apologize, hear their concerns and offer our support," Seattle hospital officials said. "Since the occurrence of this event in 2014, we have developed new processes for managing the storage of embryos and instituted procedures and protocols that prevent similar events."Brexit is a divisive issue, but one thing most agree with is that the return of a hard border on the island of Ireland would be harmful to business and could create havoc for many people living in border regions.

The UK, the EU and the Republic of Ireland all want to avoid a return of a hard border, but so far not much has been put forward in terms of a workable solution.

So what will our border look like after Brexit? Maybe some of the existing borders between EU and non-EU countries can give us a clue.

Norway/Sweden border

Sweden is in the EU, Norway isn't. But Norway is a member of the European Economic Area, which means that it's part of the EU's single market. This means that Norway enjoys free movement of goods, capital, people and services, but there are customs checks at the border.

The border between Norway and Sweden is more than 1,600km long and there are 10 official crossing points for customs purposes. Lorries go through customs once, generally. At the main border, in Svinesund, an average of 1,300 HGVs pass through every day. Technology is used at the border, which means that lorries only generally stop once and customs officials in both countries work together.

Reports show that the average wait time from when a lorry arrives at the border to when it clears customs is 20 minutes.

Switzerland/France border

France is in the EU, Switzerland isn't. Switzerland is part of the single market, but is not in a customs union with the EU. This means that Switzerland's regulations in terms of product quality and standards are fully aligned with EU rules, thereby reducing quality control checks at the border.

The border between Switzerland and France is more than 500km long, and there are customs controls in the form of physical infrastructure at several points along the border. Some are only open at certain times (ie Monday to Friday) to receive declarations and others are no longer manned.

The average wait for a lorry carrying goods is reported to range from 20 minutes to two hours.

Turkey/Bulgaria border

Bulgaria is in the EU, Turkey isn't. Turkey is in a customs union with the EU, which means that certain goods can cross from Turkey to the EU and vice versa without customs duties arising. Turkey is not in the single market, so there is no free movement of services, people or capital. There are also restrictions on several types of goods, including agricultural products.

Because Turkey is not in the single market, several regulations and EU standards need to be adhered to and checked before goods are allowed into the EU.

Therefore, there is a need for traders to have certain documentation ready at the border, including export licences, invoices and transport permits.

The border is around 270km and there are three designated crossing points for customs purposes. Additional documentation is required and long delays at the border are normal. There are reports of waits ranging from three hours to in excess of 24 hours in order to clear customs.

Is technology the answer?

If the UK leaves the single market and customs union, it is difficult to envisage how a hard border can be avoided on the island of Ireland.

Regardless of whether tariffs apply, customs checks are still going to need to happen in most scenarios.

Technology can improve wait times at the border, but it is important to note that it cannot get rid of borders altogether. Trusted trader schemes, where fast-track customs clearance options are available to certain traders, can also help, but again they cannot get rid of borders.

Looking at the options, it's hard for business to take comfort that operations won't be more challenging after Brexit. Getting some clear advice from the Government, and a voice for business from our local politicians, would be a good place to start.The electricity market across the island of Ireland will change its commercial systems on October 1, 2018. The all-island Single Electricity Market that - with minor stresses - has served electricity users well will start to trade as an I-SEM: an Integrated Single Electricity Market.

Customer charges will remain as they are today but the relationships between generators, suppliers and the structure of payments between them will go onto a more complex bidding and supply structure which gives better incentives to use capacity more efficiently.

Inter-day markets and day-ahead markets are the new language, following EU-wide policy changes. Understanding the change-over is for the professionals. In Northern Ireland the most conspicuous announcement - awaited any day now - is the fate of the two large generators at Kilroot.

The bid by AES to keep them operating after October 1 was unsuccessful. AES has now sought regulatory permission to take them out of commission. The longer term future of Kilroot Power Station is yet to be decided. Clarity is expected in the next few days.

Jenny Pyper, Utility Regulator, explains the rational: "We would not be introducing I-SEM if it was not an opportunity to introduce a more competitive market which will incentivise investment in new generators and a market which will make maximum use of renewable sources.

"The new 'capacity remuneration mechanism' crystallises some of the benefits as consumers will only pay for those generators (producing electricity) which is needed to meet demand.

"There was a perverse incentive in the old market where older generators were incentivised, now we are only paying for those that we need."

Pending the conclusion of the negotiations, Jenny Pyper rejects a claim that Kilroot is being forced to close: "There is no requirement to close for the two large units at Kilroot. They have asked for derogation from the grid code and we are working through that process.

"The I-SEM is set up so that we can ask whether there are any system reasons why units should, or should not, close and are there any other reasons why they are needed on the system. We are currently working through a derogation process to ascertain whether any of the AES units are required in the longer term management of the system. We want to bring this process to a conclusion within the next two weeks."

Also hanging over the operation of the I-SEM is the outcome of the Brexit negotiations. I-SEM will be up and running before there is final clarity on Brexit. An agreed Brexit treaty might be expected to specifically endorse the new electricity arrangements.

If there is no agreed Brexit treaty, then in that unwelcome situation, there would be uncertainty.

"The final outcome of the Brexit deal will need to be factored into operational decisions that govern how I-SEM works. That is something that we will take forward in co-operation with our partners, the Irish Commission for the Regulation of Utilities."

In a further addition to the complex questions on the development of the electricity sector, the regulator shows her frustration because of the delay in commissioning the now approved (by the planners) high capacity cross-border grid extension. "It requires a Ministerial decision. I am concerned that we do not have the benefits, nor a firm timetable, for that key piece of infrastructure which will bring benefits of about 10m each year in Northern Ireland."

Jenny Pyper describes herself as a lonely regulator.

"My biggest concern is the absence of devolved Government. Time is passing without clear decisions on future investment. Everyone is very focused on the immediate problems like keeping the lights on and tariff increases. In the meantime we do not have any definite new targets for renewables and investment for the future. Everything is short-term and expedient. While we live with uncertainty, we are running the risk that consumers will end up paying more than they should."

Not a happy situation!I am not a sheep, I have my own mind

I have had enough of being told what and how to think

Whilst we are still allowed the remnants of free speech,

I will speak out.



I also reserve the right to discuss less controversial matters should I feel the urge.A Co Tyrone transport and logistics firm is set to invest in a 15m expansion, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

Capper Trading, which employs 125 people at its headquarters off the M1 near Dungannon, has said its new 22,000 sq m agri-development hub will create 40 new jobs in the area.

The family-owned firm has been based near the Tamnamore Roundabout for 50 years, and has grown into a 25m turnover company, supplying Northern Ireland's agri-industries with a fleet of 50 lorries.

In addition to transport, haulage and logistics, Capper specialises in the sale of coal, oil and wood.

However it is in the production of animal feed and bedding that the company says it sees the greatest potential. Capper supplies over 500 agri-businesses, with John Thompson & Sons and Moy Park among its key clients.

The company delivers 12-13,000 tonnes of animal feed to the poultry giant every week.

Managing director Philip Hill joined the company three years ago after a decade in the banking sector. "The big driver for growth in our business has been the feed and on the bedding, that's where we see big potential," he said.

Over the past five years the company has invested up to 5m in research and development on that side of the business. Support has also come from economic development agency Invest NI to the tune of 1.8m. The result has been a new form of pelletised straw bedding.

"We supply most of the poultry producers on the island of Ireland," said Mr Hill. "We were the first to introduce that, and that was off the back of an R&D programme."

Mr Hill said innovation had been a constant feature in the company founded by Robert Capper on his family farm. "Robert Capper started with one truck in the Sixties and over the years the business has organically grown and we're now at the point where we have filled and exceeded the capacity on our existing site."

Plans for the firm's new development hub were sent to Mid Ulster planning officials last week. Capper has earmarked a site on the other side of the M1 for the new build. The company said the construction phase will create 20 jobs over a 10-year programme, with an estimated 11.3m contribution to the Northern Ireland economy, with most of it benefiting Mid Ulster.

Philip Hill said: "In the next five to 10 years our ambition is to grow our transport and logistic capacity year on year, both locally and internationally."

He said the location of the business is crucial to its continuing success. "We see the exports as a key part of our business and a genuine real opportunity for growth. The export sales are almost exclusively to southern Ireland."

However the company is eyeing more international exports for its growing bedding business. Like many logistics firms, Capper has been assessing how its business will look after Brexit. "The biggest concern around Brexit is the uncertainty. We have spent time with our key advisers looking at possible outcomes of how that may look. Like most haulage companies we have a number of non-local driving employees. We have seen an exit across the industry of drivers from Eastern Europe for example, electing to move to Euro-zone countries where they can earn Euro.

"That's going to be a continual challenge, but until we know what the detail looks like, it's very difficult to articulate how we are going to react."Last week the focus was on reinventing your skincare routine to accommodate the declining autumn temperatures. Now I want to touch on the hot make-up trends for autumn/winter 2018, what inspired the fashion houses behind those trends and how you can integrate them into your daily routine.

Lots of lash

Givenchy and Valentino - to name but two - opted for the super-feminine lash, adding individual lashes to their looks to add femininity and drama to the eyes. However, I appreciate the massive effort and time that this can take, so I recommend adding extra time into your mascara routine and layering your product on your lashes for a full lash effect. Try Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes Mascara, Glossy Black (23). Charlotte has even provided a guide on the best way to use her hero mascara.

She says: "Curl lashes with Life Changing Lashes Eyelash Curler. Brush on Full Fat Lashes mascara, starting from the inner corner. Zig-zag the brush upwards from the very root of the lashes to curl and separate. At the outer corner, pull the brush up and out to lengthen the lashes and elongate your eye. To finish, nestle the tip of the mascara wand into the roots and brush upwards to add volume to the lash line, as if you were adding individual falsies. Repeat on the bottom lashes for added drama."

Lip sync

The showstopper for this season's beauty was without doubt lip colours, focusing on the empowerment of a statement lip. With this year's over-riding theme of female empowerment and gender equality to the fore, the designer houses did not hold back.

Designers including Alexander McQueen, Rochas and Max Mara added bold lips to their collections. For me as a make-up artist, this could not be better news - as much as I enjoy nude lips, I really feel this trend has been done to death, and I am delighted to see some vibrancy and drama being brought back into the lips again. For a statement red lip, try Illamasqua Lipstick in shade 'Virgin'. This has a satin finish which means it is not as shiny as a shimmer finish, but not as flat as a matte finish - as in colder weather I would not over indulge on matte or drying products on the lips.

Age of rebellion

This season, the fashion houses took inspiration from the youth revolts of 1968, with designers like Miu Miu, Ashley Williams and Dior adding a rebel punk eye make-up look to their themes. I definitely do not expect everyone to do a full black smoky eye across the entire lid for the school run, but if you want to add an extra bit of drama to your look, add black liner into your waterline and smudge through your bottom lash line to define your eyes and make them look more dramatic and perfect for a night-time look. Try Urban Decay 24/7 Waterline Eye Pencil (15.50) specifically developed for use on the inner rim in the waterline. This creamy, demi-matte pencil lays down waterproof colour that lasts and does not contain any mineral oil, paraffin or preservatives.

60 flicks

Moschino were heavily influenced by the iconic look of Jackie Onassis, with models wearing '60s feline flicks in line with arched statement eyebrows. To add definition on your top eyeline, there are so many products I love, such as Make up Studio Black Micro Tip Liquid Liner, but the one I really like is the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner (16). There is no right or wrong way to do this, but here are a few tips on how you can achieve an extended liner that would be the envy even of Adele.

1. Make sure your liner is jet black and even try on the back of your hand before you begin, to ensure you get a strong black line.

2. Use a hand held mirror, tilt your head back slightly and look down to ensure you can see each part of the eye.

3. Begin at the corner of the eye and flick out - that way your line will be elongated and you have more chance of the flick being sharpened.

Think pink

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Oscar de la Renta kept pink at the forefront of their collection, adding it to their eyes and lip looks, but what I really loved was the pink addition to the cheeks to add an extra flush of colour. The designer houses teeter on the extreme and couture side of cosmetics, but to reinvent your complexion this autumn, you could add some light pink tones into your blusher to give you a natural pop of colour. Light pink tones are a beautiful way of creating attention and vibrancy on the cheeks especially for anyone with a paler complexion. For this I would prefer a cream blush product as it glides beautifully on the skin for a more natural and even effect - Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 (7.99).

3 ways to keep skin hydrated this autumn

1. Always use eye primer on your eyelids this winter - this will not only help the strength of pigment of your shadows but will keep your eyelids hydrated during colder weather

2. Invest in a hand cream this winter, such as Cien Hydro Hand Cream with Almond oil & Shea Butter from Lidl. This is a nourishing and vitamin-enriched cream that helps to protect your skin from drying out and is an absolute bargain at 0.75.

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3. Pick up a lip balm to keep lips hydrated and moisturised. Try Dr Paw Paw Lip Balm (6.95) which is made in the UK from a variety of natural ingredients including paw paw, creating a multi-purpose formula for you to carry around at all times thanks to the handy 25ml tube.The INLA bombing of the Droppin Well disco in Ballykelly in 1982

Virtue Dixon's daughter Ruth with her son Stephen. Ruth died in the INLA bombing of the Droppin Well disco in Ballykelly in 1982

Sharon Austin, sister of 18-year old soldier Winston Cross who was murdered by the IRA in 1974

Fifty years after the death of her father Sammy Devenny, who's widely regarded as one of the first victims of the Troubles, Colette O'Connor is still craving justice, still demanding the truth. Her dad's name continues to resonate with people of a certain age. But the chord it strikes is fading.

The 43-year-old father-of-nine from the Bogside in Londonderry died three months after he was beaten by RUC officers during a riot in his street in April 1969.

But no one was ever charged and an investigation by an English police chief said there had been a whitewash.

Now in a new documentary, The Life After, about the legacy of the Troubles, Mrs O'Connor is calling for the police to tell the truth about her father's death, insisting that her family want and need answers.

The Devennys are one of a number of families featured in the 90-minute documentary which was made by Brian Hill and Niamh Kennedy from Century Films in London.

The film screens at the Irish Film Institute's documentary festival in Dublin this week and will be broadcast by BBC Two next month.

Other killings featured in the documentary include the IRA murder of an Army recruit and his friend; the death of a single mum in an INLA bomb attack on a disco in Ballykelly; and the sectarian slayings of two Catholics by loyalists.

Brian Hill says his research shows that 3,532 people died and 47,541 were injured as a result of the Troubles. The programme is interspersed with poetry written by local poet Nick Laird and read by the relatives. One of the most striking lines is that behind each headline lies a broken heart.

Mr Hill says that many of the murders featured in the film have never been solved. The award-winning documentary and drama director explains: "I'd been thinking for a long time that I would like to make something about the Troubles because it's an important subject which has been poorly served by British documentary makers."

Controversy has always raged about the death of Sammy Devenny, described by Mrs O'Connor as a "quiet, innocent" man.

She says it seemed there were riots every Saturday in 1969 and they ended up in her street but on that fateful April afternoon, rioters ran into the Devenny house and were chased by police who beat her father and her siblings with batons.

She thought Mr Devenny was dead and her sister Ann later told John Hume in front of the TV cameras that her father had had 22 stitches in his head and had facial injuries.

Mrs O'Connor says that after his passing "the State protected the police that killed him" but didn't protect her family and left them to their own devices.

She adds: "It's very important that people know the story of what really happened. I think we all suffer mentally because of it, even the very fact some of us don't even want to talk about it anymore.

"It has to be told and I would like it dealt with now and put to bed now so that my children or grandchildren don't have to do it."

The Metropolitan Police in England have confirmed they have two files relating to Mr Devenny's death but they were reclassified in 2012 in order to keep them closed for a further 10 years.

Mrs O'Connor says that just because her father's death hasn't been dealt with does not mean it will ever go away. "It won't," she says. "It'll keep raising its head."

The documentary includes a TV interview from the archives with Mr Devenny's wife Ann, who says: "Hatred doesn't harm the person that you hate. It just harms you. It's you that's going to get all twisted up."

Mrs O'Connor says that her mother always believed that the people responsible for Mr Devenny's death would come forward because they wouldn't be able to live with their consciences, but they never did.

She also tells the documentary team that on Bloody Sunday she was initially at the head of the civil rights march in Derry but she and her mother became scared and went home, where they heard the shooting by Parachute Regiment soldiers who killed 13 people.

Mrs O'Connor says: "It was terrible, it really was. Everybody knew about the Paras. You know, they didn't come anywhere unless they were coming in to do something bad, like. They were like the death squad."

Another interviewee in the documentary is Virtue Dixon, whose daughter Ruth was among 17 people who died in the INLA bombing at the Droppin' Well disco in Ballykelly in December 1982. Eleven of the victims were soldiers.

Single mother Ruth was celebrating her 24th birthday. After hearing about the explosion, her family waited in the vain hope she would return home.

But later, despairing family members went to Altnagelvin Hospital and found Ruth in the morgue.

Mrs Dixon says she was lying beside a soldier on the floor and the staff hadn't had time to put "the bits and the bodies all up together".

Mrs Dixon didn't see Ruth and says she's glad she didn't.

The bomb was brought into the crowded disco by a woman and her daughter and Mrs Dixon says: "I went to the court to see them, it was like Ruth and me and her and her daughter. How could they do that? They were put in jail, but they're out now. I don't know how I'd feel if I met them.

"I could talk to them but it would make me sorrowful really, you know, it would make me sad looking at them. I'd probably cry if I met them. I wouldn't bother fighting with them or nothing like that, but... How they changed so many lives. I couldn't, I don't know how I would face it. I might even meet them some time. I don't know."

Mrs Dixon says her daughter's death lives on with her. "You wake to it each morning," she adds.

And her son Timothy says he doesn't have a living memory of Ruth, adding: "When I think of her I just see her there in the morgue."

He says his life was happy and joyful up until the Droppin' Well bomb. But everything changed after the massacre.

Another relative who is interviewed in the documentary is Sharon Austin, from Derry, whose brother Winston Cross was murdered by the IRA in the city in November 1974.

He had just signed up to join the British Army and went for a drink with a friend, Joseph Slater. Their bodies were found three days later on a mountain and the IRA first said they were spies, then that they were in the UDR and then that the killings were a mistake.

Mrs Austin says: "I cried every night of my life from when I was 11 years old until I was a very big grown woman. I hated life. I hated it."

She also reveals that her mother set fire to her own bedroom when she was in it.

"She wanted to die. To her it didn't matter that there were four other children. Winston was dead and that's all she cared about."

The widow of another victim, John Toland, says she collapsed after hearing that he'd been shot dead by the UDA at his pub in Eglinton on November 22, 1976.

Marie Newton, who is now in her 70s and has remarried, says she was on the verge of suicide after the murder.

She adds: "I arranged to take tablets and I thought 'Tonight's the night I have to end it.' And I took the tablets into my bedroom - by the way my children don't know this - and I thought I'll go in all the rooms and make sure they're all sleeping and they're happy."

But seeing her children stopped their mother from taking her life.

She burnt the tablets and she says now: "I never looked back after that."

Another grieving woman, Linda Molloy, tells the documentary makers that she and her husband Pat decided to move to what was considered a safer place in Belfast after her son John said he'd had "great fun" throwing stones at soldiers.

In their new home in north Belfast, John and his siblings grew up mixing with both sides of the community.

But John was murdered just a few hundred yards from his home in August 1996.

He had gone out for the night but Mrs Molloy says the doorbell rang at 2am and neighbours were asking families if their children were at home because a body had been found at the top of the Lansdowne Road.

The Molloys thought John was staying with friends but it was established that he was the victim of a vicious stabbing. Mr Molloy said a prayer over his dead son, who even had wounds to the head. Waiting for news back at home was, says Mrs Molloy, the longest hour of her life and when her husband returned she "just looked at his face and just knew".

Mrs Molloy, who says she doesn't have hate in her heart for the killers, couldn't sleep after the murder. She adds: "Every time I closed my eyes I could just see John's face. It just took ages to realise that he was never coming back."

Her husband says: "I went to the cemetery every other day, maybe as many as three or four times a week. In the early days of John's murder I went up so that I could just cry, because I didn't like crying in front of my kids. I had to be strong for them."

Mrs Molloy says she was riled by the police saying John was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was 200 yards from his own front door.

She says: "How could he be in the wrong place? And he's all of 18 years old. What's a wrong time for him to come home?"

She says she has a strong faith but doesn't have much hope of receiving justice. "People get away with stuff they shouldn't be getting away with Oh, I could give you details, I could name names.

"The person who has killed my son is out there living his life, walking the streets, doing whatever he wants to do, and we've had no justice and no closure."

Mr Molloy says: "I know the murderer of John Molloy and the police know the murderer of John Molloy too, and he's still out there."

The grieving father says the killer was never arrested and he cannot forgive him or his friends who watched the killing.

He wonders if they now have children of their own.

In a message to them he asks: "How would you feel if this was done to one of them? How could you not have tried to help a dying man? How could you not have got help or rang someone? Just to leave him lying there on the pavement bleeding.

"I hope you never know what it is to lose a son.

"There's not a day goes past that I don't think of John. There's not a day goes past that I don't miss him."

The Life After by Century Films will be screened at the IFI documentary festival in Dublin on Thursday night. For more details go to www.ifi.ie/docfestWhen we pulled together a list of the top rated fry-ups across Northern Ireland based on Trip Advisor reviews, we couldn't have imagined the controversy that would follow.

Eamonn Holmes took to Twitter to voice his displeasure that his beloved Bennett's on Belmont Road, Belfast had not made the cut.

All very, very nice but .... Bennett's Belmont Rd #Belfast is a serious ommission. IMHO@RuthieeL and I love a good Ulster Fry.

Revealed: Top 10 spots for an Ulster Fry in #NorthernIreland https://t.co/WWZWqFKekA  Eamonn Holmes (@EamonnHolmes) September 24, 2018

"Bennett's, Belmont Road is a serious omission," he wrote. "Ruth and I love a good Ulster Fry."

Holmes wasn't the only one who felt his favourite breakfast joint had been snubbed as our Facebook comments were flooded with further recommendations.

The piece also sparked debate amongst readers over what an Ulster Fry actually consists of. The presence of beans, white pudding and veggie rolls were all disputed.

So, where's your favourite spot for an Ulster fry? Leave your suggestions here.

Click through the gallery to see the top 10.Arlene Foster has said she is unaware whether any business or individual who benefited from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme is a DUP donor.

In her witness statement to the RHI Inquiry, the DUP leader denied that her party was very concerned to deflect or discredit any possible reference to its current chief executive, Timothy Johnston, regarding RHI.

And she rejected claims that the party leadership had formulated an agreed line regarding the cash-for-ash scandal.

There was no DUP or party narrative to this effect, she insisted.

Mrs Foster is set to give evidence to the inquiry headed by retired judge Sir Patrick Coghlin today. Her performance could have major implications for her survival as DUP leader.

In her witness statement, Mrs Foster said she couldnt recall, was unaware of, didnt know, or didnt recollect events over 40 times.

She was asked whether any person or business that has received or is receiving subsidies from the RHI scheme was a donor to the DUP.

The DUP leader replied: Insofar as this is in my knowledge I am unaware.

However, the DUP (in common with other political parties) would, for example, hold fundraising events such as dinners or business breakfasts.

It may well be the case that people receiving subsidies, or otherwise benefiting under the scheme, purchased tickets to attend these events but their status in relation to the RHI scheme is not something that would be enquired about, monitored, or recorded in any way.

The treasurer of the party reports the total income raised from these events to the Electoral Commission in accordance with the relevant legislation.

She gave the same answer when asked if anyone who benefited from RHI as a supplier or installer of biomass boiler plant or as a supplier of wood pellets was a DUP donor. When asked if Northern Ireland poultry giant Moy Park or the Ulster Farmers Union was a donor to the DUP during 2011-16, she again gave the same response.

Mrs Foster denied there was a strategy by the DUP to protect her as its leader over RHI or to distance her from decisions relating to the cash-for-ash scandal.

No, there was no general approach to protect me as party leader, she said.

In relation to RHI documents being changed to allegedly cleanse them of references to her, Mrs Foster said: As I understand it the reference that was removed was to the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister, and not me in a personal capacity.

Former Department of Trade, Enterprise and Investment (Deti) permanent secretary Dr Andrew McCormick has told the inquiry the DUP was concerned to deflect or discredit any possible reference to Mr Johnston.

He claimed the party had ultimately acquiesced with the necessity  as it appeared at the time  of naming its special adviser Dr Andrew Crawford as the instigator of RHI cost control delays.

Dr Crawford had several close relatives with RHI boilers. He appeared before the inquiry earlier this month and denied any wrongdoing.

Mrs Foster said: While there was no party narrative, I do believe that there was a prevailing view that Timothy Johnston was not involved in delaying the introduction of cost controls.

The DUP leader took issue with some of the written questions she was asked by a solicitor for the public inquiry.

She stated: This question and those above at a and b assume that Dr McCormick is correct in his suggestion that there were attempts to deflect or discredit reference to Timothy Johnston. There were no such attempts.

I recall no such discussions about deflecting or discrediting reference to Timothy Johnston.

Mrs Foster also addressed a meeting she had with former DUP Deti Minister Jonathan Bell about the closure of the scheme, after cost controls had been imposed.

Mr Bell wanted to shut down the scheme as soon as possible in February 2016, when others wanted to allow time for businesses still applying to complete the process.

Mrs Foster stated: I recall Timothy Johnston and I trying to explain to him that, in light of the public outcry, keeping the scheme open for a further period of time was taking account of the publics concerns.

Jonathan Bell was completely opposed to the idea of any additional time from the outset.

I do not recall him telling me at that time that he would make an announcement to extend by a further period, but he subsequently did announce an additional two weeks so that the scheme would eventually close on February 29, 2016.

When asked about the role she or her special advisers played in relation to closing the RHI scheme, Mrs Foster said: I understand that there were discussions between the FM (First Minister) and DFM (Deputy First Minister) special advisers regarding when the scheme should be closed and the procedure for so doing.

I was aware that these discussions were taking place but did not have a direct input into these.

I had already communicated to HOCS (the Head of the Civil Service) that steps should be taken to urgently cease accruing further liabilities under the scheme. My special advisers were tasked with liaising with other special advisers to ensure this took place in a manner that would be acceptable to the Assembly.

The DUP leader was asked if she or Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness had been aware of text messages between special advisers expressing a desire for a soft landing for the RHI scheme out of the Executive.

I do not believe we would have been aware of the text messages between our special advisers but like all issues we would have wanted the matter announced appropriately, she said.

When asked if ongoing discussions and negotiations to delay RHIs closure was brought to the attention of the members of the Executive either prior to or during the Executive Committee on February 10, 2016, Mrs Foster replied: I cannot recall any discussion about the suspension/closure of the RHI scheme save that the urgent decision to close the Scheme was noted.

Colleagues around the table would have been provided with the paperwork behind the decision to take an urgent decision but I cannot recall any issues being raised.

It is not unusual where an urgent decision is noted for there to be very little discussion at Executive meeting.

This is because the decision had in effect already been taken and the Executive was at that stage being formally notified.Norwegian Air has pulled its flights from Belfast to the US

A decision by airline Norwegian Air to withdraw its flights from Belfast to the New York and Boston areas is "a major economic blow for Northern Ireland", politicians have warned.

The warning came after the airline revealed its last flights on the route will be on October 27 and blamed a lack of demand.

In a statement, the company advised that customers in Northern Ireland can still fly to the US via Dublin, Shannon and Cork, with up to 33 weekly departures.

In a scathing response, Belfast International Airport accused the airline of "moronically channelling much greater levels of Northern Ireland passengers onto Dublin flights".

A spokesperson said that it was "extremely disappointed" by Norwegian's decision to leave the Northern Ireland market, but added that the schedule of two flights per week from Belfast was "neither flexible nor attractive enough to appeal to the local travelling public".

She added: "Regrettably the limited and inferior product offered by Norwegian was creating awareness within the market, but moronically channelling much greater levels of Northern Ireland passengers onto Dublin flights (where the airline were offering flexible two daily services, rather than the limited two weekly product from Belfast).

"Hardly a conducive outcome for Belfast and Northern Ireland economically or socially.

"It is an unsustainable situation that two million people in our catchment area should be left with no option but to undertake lengthy and unnecessary journeys to Dublin in order to fly across the Atlantic."

Norwegian did not wish to respond to the airport's criticism.

Alliance MLA John Blair said the move highlighted the need to reduce Air Passenger Duty here (APD). He stated: "This is a disappointing move that has the potential to be a major economic blow for Northern Ireland.

"To lose a direct air route between Northern Ireland and the United States is a setback for businesses, as well as tourists.

"I know huge efforts have been made by the International Airport to improve services and the number of flights there, and I commend them for that.

"Undoubtedly, one major factor impacting Belfast International Airport's ability to compete is air passenger duty.

"Air transport here already faces challenges due to geography, so air passenger duty even further disproportionately affects the airport and others. If it was removed or reduced, it could see airlines return services and travellers facing fewer costs."

UUP finance spokesperson and South Antrim MLA Steve Aiken said he was "extremely disappointed" at the news, and called for the abolition of APD.

Alluding to Norwegian's decision to also withdraw its transatlantic routes from Edinburgh, he stated: "It is no coincidence that flights from Edinburgh to the US will also cease (in March 2019), whilst flights from Dublin will continue.

"It simply underlines the importance of abolishing APD and the need to improve connectivity and infrastructure to Belfast International Airport, in order to secure some kind of level playing field when it comes to competing with state subsidised airports in the Republic."

SDLP business spokesman Pat Catney said: "It is extremely worrying that the North will no longer have scheduled flights to the United States, particularly during the ongoing uncertainty and chaos surrounding Brexit.

"The odds are already stacked against us with the obvious attraction of Dublin's visa pre-clearance facility. This is a time when we should be seeking to expand our global reach, especially for our tourism and hospitality sector."

Norwegian announced routes from Aldergrove to the US in February 2017, with flights beginning that July from as little as 69.The post-Brexit border issue has raised many as yet unanswered questions

Almost 4,000 Belfast Telegraph Digital readers took part in our online poll on if Northern Ireland should have special status after Brexit.

We asked the question on Monday after a leading Irish economist said the Northern Ireland public should have their say on what customs arrangements are put in place after Brexit.

And thousands took part in our Facebook poll with 60% of the near 4,000 taking part - in just 24 hours - saying Northern Ireland should have special status.

Should Northern Ireland have special status after Brexit? Posted by Belfast Telegraph on Monday, September 24, 2018

"We could benefit hugely from business investment if we got special status. Hard border will be disastrous for our country. It already struggles," said Hazel Lilley.

John Ashe said Northern Ireland could reap the benefits of maintaining ties with the EU.

"If we get special status this place will become an economical boom. Hundreds of companies will want to be here as they will get best of both worlds. Jobs, investment and lots of money rolling in.

"Why would we not want that? We would get best of UK and the EU, why can't people see this! Think of the major banks that would come here to invest. The international companies who'd want to be here, so the could be in both places. Nuts to not take this while it's on the table."

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Michael Allen added: "We leave with the rest of the UK, that [was] what the vote was for."

Bobby Fleming said: "Do we keep taking votes until it suits certain people the votes been taken so get on with it exit was the vote."

The Irish border is one of two major sticking points in the exit negotiations along with the future economic relationship between the EU and UK. The EU is insisting in the event of a no deal Northern Ireland remains part of the single market and customs union in order to ensure freedom of movement across Ireland.

However, this has been rejected by the Prime Minister, parliament and unionists who say it will create a border in the Irish Sea effectively breaking up part of the UK.

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.

"It might let Leo Varadkar and Theresa May off the potentially career-ending hook that they are both now on," he said.Theresa May accused Labour of being ready to accept any proposals the EU put forward regardless of how harmful they were (Jack Taylor/PA)

A Canada-style Brexit trade deal that broke up the UK would be worse than no deal, Theresa May has said.

Brussels has shown hope, expectation and desire for an agreement, the Prime Minister insisted.

But she said any move that would put a border in the Irish Sea would be a bad outcome.

And she accused Labour of being ready to accept any proposals the EU put forward regardless of how harmful they were.

It comes after senior Tory Leavers including David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg backed proposals calling on the Government to seek a basic free trade agreement for goods of the kind struck between the EU and Canada and pointed out such a move had already been offered by Brussels.

Downing Street later said the proposals would mean Northern Ireland effectively remaining in parts of the single market and customs union.

I think a bad deal would be, for example, a deal that broke up the United Kingdom. We want to maintain the unity of the United KingdomTheresa May

Speaking to reporters as she flew to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Mrs May said: First of all, I have always said no deal is better than a bad deal.

I think a bad deal would be, for example, a deal that broke up the United Kingdom.

We want to maintain the unity of the United Kingdom.

What we have put on the table is a good deal, its a deal which retains the union of the United Kingdom, our constitutional integrity, its a deal that provides for no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, protects jobs and enables us to have a good trading relationship with Europe and also the rest of the world.

When we get to the point of a deal  and as Prime Minister I do believe we can get to a good deal  we will take that deal back to Parliament and at that point MPs will have a clear choice.

They will have a choice as to whether to support that deal.

They will have to recognise looking at their vote that what we are doing is delivering on the vote of the British people in the referendum.

What I do know is that we have a Labour Party whose position in this (is) clear.

Labour will oppose any deal I bring back regardless how good it is for the UK.

They will accept any deal the EU gives regardless of how bad it is for the UK.

That is not in the national interest, what we are doing is in the national interest.

European Council president Donald Tusk mocked Mrs Mays negotiating strategy on Twitter after last weeks Salzburg summit, posting a picture of a cake with no cherries in reference to claims the PM is trying to cherry pick the best aspects of the EU.

Expand Close Donald Tusk (Rick Findler/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Donald Tusk (Rick Findler/PA)

Asked if she wanted an apology, she replied: What I welcome is the fact we have seen Donald Tusk following our response, we have seen Donald Tusk actually clarify the position that they were taking and make it clear that actually the EU side does want to look at a deal.

Mrs May said if the EU had concerns about her Brexit Chequers plan for future relations it should set them out along with any counter-proposals.

She added: What he has clarified is that there is hope and expectation and desire for a deal on the side of the European Union and there are aspects of the Chequers proposal which they are comfortable with.

The Cabinet backed proposals for EU nationals to be subject to the same rules as migrants from the rest of the world after free movement ceases to apply in the UK post-Brexit.

The PM said: I have been very clear that one of the things thats non-negotiable is an end to free movement and that is absolute.

People voted to bring an end to free movement and we will do that.

As we look at our future proposals for our immigration rules, what we want to do is ensure that we are recognising the concerns that people have about immigration, that we are working to continue to bring net immigration down but obviously we do that in a way thats going to be good for the British economy and our future.A convicted killer was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday for his part in the gang rape of a young mother while he was on the run from a prison in the Republic.

Deividas Paliutis (35), formerly of Rooney Park in Kilkeel, broke into the 29-year-old Latvian woman's Rathfriland home with up to five Russian men.

They demanded money before subjecting her to a brutal 40-minute attack as her five-year-old son slept in the next room on May 9, 2009.

Paliutis, who was said to not have a central role, raped the woman in the kitchen before she was taken to a bedroom and sexually assaulted by other men.

Due to time already served on remand in Maghaberry prison, Paliutis could be released before Christmas - but is set to be deported to Lithuania.

The rape took place when Paliutis absconded to Northern Ireland after walking out of Loughan House, an open prison in Co Cavan in 2009. He had been serving time for an assault in Monaghan.

He was later freed by mistake from Maghaberry and killed a Ukrainian man in Kilkeel in 2011. He was arrested in Dublin and sentenced to seven years for manslaughter after a trial in the Republic.

Yesterday Newry Crown Court judge highlighted that the offences took place when Paliutis had been an on-the-run prisoner when his "life had spiralled out of control" through drink and drugs.

The court heard that on the night in question the woman, who had been involved in prostitution, had been at her home on Downpatrick Street with her son and a male friend.

The traumatic attack has left her with life-changing mental health problems and "struggling to cope day to day".

The court heard that the Kilkeel manslaughter and Rathfriland rape had an "interconnectivity" with "individuals common to both cases".

A defence lawyer said his client had now "lost everything", with the death of his father in 2015 and separation from his partner and child.

"He accepts totally and utterly the charges, but there were more sinister people involved," he said.

Judge Ramsay took into account Paliutis' guilty plea which had "spared the vulnerable victim from having to give evidence in court".

Paliutis has also been put on the sex offenders' register for 10 years. He cannot work with children and must get approval to start a relationship with a woman.This bear is safe. Photo: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Its been nearly three decades since grizzly bears were legally hunted in the lower 48 states. That was set to end this fall, when Wyoming and Idaho planned to allow the killing of 23 grizzlies. But on Monday, a federal judge ended those plans and restored protections for grizzlies in and around Yellowstone National Park.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen said his decision had nothing to do with the ethics of hunting. Instead, he said the Fish and Wildlife Services decision to remove grizzlies in Yellowstone from the Endangered Species Act failed to consider the potential impact on grizzlies in other areas. NPR reports:

In his decision, he said grizzly bears dont roam everywhere in the West like they used to. Instead they live in isolated pockets, and the federal regulators cant delist those isolated pockets until the grizzly populations start connecting together.

The Service cannot abuse its power to delist an already-protected species by balkanization, Christensen wrote.

In ruling against the government, Christensen sided with a group of Native American tribes that joined together in an attempt to protect the grizzlies. We have a responsibility to speak for the bears, who cannot speak for themselves. Today, we celebrate this victory and will continue to advocate on behalf of the Yellowstone grizzly bears until the population is recovered, said Lawrence Killsback, president of the Northern Cheyenne Nation.

Prior to Mondays ruling, Wyoming and Idaho had planned to allow grizzly hunts this fall, with Wyoming issuing 22 permits and Idaho one.

The Trump administration removed protected status from the Yellowstone grizzlies last year, citing their population increase from a low of around 150 to the 700 that currently roam the park. Its not the only move the government has made against bears since Trump came into office. In May of this year, the Interior Department ended a ban on cruel bear hunting techniques in Alaska.Free Presbyterian ministers have voiced their dismay at what they call North Down and Ards Council's "offensive proposal" to light up a town hall for Pride Day.

Last week the Belfast Telegraph revealed how the single vote of a DUP councillor meant that the council's corporate affairs committee backed Ards town hall being lit up in rainbow colours for future Pride celebrations.

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The motion passed at committee by six votes to five, with the backing of the DUP's Tom Smith proving crucial.

His five DUP colleagues on the committee voted against.

However, the committee's recommendation still needs to be ratified at a full meeting of the council tomorrow.

"I have said before there is nothing wrong with being gay. We are not all the same, we are all different, thank goodness," said Mr Smith.

"If we as a council can send a message to the LGBT community telling them we accept them and support them, and if we can do that by simply lighting up a building one day a year, then, my goodness. I think it's the right thing to do."

But now the Free Presbyterian Church has waded into the row, calling the proposal discriminatory and offensive.

In an open letter to Ards and North Down councillors, signed on behalf of several congregations, they expressed "deep shock and sadness".

"We note with dismay the committee's proposal. Pride is a political campaign group seeking to promote what they term 'marriage equality' - as was reported concerning their parade this year in Belfast," it states.

"We find it incomprehensible that, under the guise of noble sounding words such as 'diversity', any councillor would vote to promote the agenda of a small minority, an agenda that is viewed by many to be aggressively anti-Biblical.

"To support the lighting of Ards town hall in this manner would indicate that you are unaware of the grave offence this will give to many residents, and would reveal a lack of consideration for our sincerely held Biblical viewpoint.

"Had there been more notice given of this motion we have no doubt that many other evangelical Christians would have expressed their dismay at this offensive proposal.

"As ratepayers, we urge you to reject this discriminatory motion and instead endeavour to promote the long-held principles of civil and religious liberty, namely that all residents should be treated equally under the law with special privileges for none."

The letter is signed on behalf of the Free Presbyterian congregations in Ballygowan, Bangor, Comber, Donaghadee, Newtownards and Portavogie by Revs R Johnstone, T Murray, S Murray, D Priestly, C Salt, A Smylie, G Whyte and G Wilson.

Alliance councillor Gavin Walker denied the motion is intended to be divisive.

"As one of the movers of the proposal and the father of a gay man, I would like to assure Rev Johnstone, his colleagues and their congregations that this proposal is by no means intended to be divisive. Indeed, quite the opposite.

"Clearly we disagree fundamentally on the issue of homosexuality, but I hope all sides can at least agree to respect each other's point of view.

"This debate is not about same-sex civil marriage but rather a simple call for council to acknowledge that members of the LGBT community, the family and friends who love them unconditionally, are welcome, valued and safe in our borough by lighting Ards town hall in rainbow colours for a few hours each year."

The co-proposer of the motion, councillor Andrew Muir, said he found the opposition of the DUP "extremely disappointing".

"As far as I am aware, DUP have never objected to lighting up Belfast City Hall in rainbow colours on Pride Day each year," he said.

"The situation in Ards and North Down Borough Council should be no different."

Eighteen of the 40 councillors in Ards and North Down Council are DUP.Im going to write about Reporting The Troubles, a landmark new book edited by Deric Henderson and Ivan Little, which brings together the recollections of 68 reporters - myself included - who worked through those years of violence.

Why? Because while this book is primarily about victims, the forensic detail in many of those recollections, images that have stayed in the mind's eye for decades, reminded me about the all-too-often overlooked characteristic of the true journalist - someone not only with curiosity, but with empathy. The reporters who covered the Troubles act as an important repository of memory. They were in the front lines of observation, arriving at the scene at the same time as the emergency services or just behind them. They saw the terrible things. They saw the immediate results of our madness, our hatred, our capacity for damage. They saw the human cost of the failure of our politics.

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These revisited memories are the stories behind the headlines. This Blackstaff Press book is an essential and important one because reporters saw the raw, unvarnished truth before the alchemy of 'understanding', of putting deaths into a so-called 'hierarchy' of tragedy, of mythologising, of politicians explaining it away or 'placing it in a wider context', of academics' analyses as to where this or that tragedy left community relations, of paramilitary organisations dividing their sheep and goats, saved and damned. All those rationales for our dance of death.

Much of this distancing can be valuable. It is, perhaps, inevitable. But it does run the risk of skimming over the human dimension. A human dimension that expresses itself most fully in the tiniest of details.

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Take Richard Kay writing on the murder of Mary Travers. He tells how the Travers family had gotten into the habit of staying on for 15 minutes after church to talk to neighbours - just like thousands of us.

Or Ivan Little on the massacre at Sean Graham's on Belfast's Ormeau Road, watching the dead and injured being carried out on stretchers, hearing the cries of young Billy McManus looking for his father Willie.

Or Jane Loughrey arriving at the door of Michael Gallagher to enquire about his son Aiden, missing after the Omagh bomb, only to be told that he was no longer missing. Michael had found Aiden's body in the morgue only three hours earlier. Aiden had only gone into Omagh to buy a pair of jeans.

Derval Fitzsimons remembered Jillian Johnston, 'mistakenly' gunned down by the IRA in Belleek after travelling to the village from her Boa Island home with her childhood sweetheart to buy fish and chips.

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Kate Adie recalled a small child telling her 'My daddy won't get up' as the poor man lay dead under a Christmas tree after his killers fired a shot through his living room window.

It is those intimate, often everyday, details that not only disturb but particularise and individualise - reminding us that when you get up close to what some would characterise as a story of valour, it turns out to be grim beyond bearing.

Reporters see those consequences. They may also begin that process of distancing ourselves from the human dimension, allowing us to process the violence and somehow carry on. It's their duty to get the facts and not get personally involved.

But they also render truths more profound than the lies and broad brush-strokes of politics and history.

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Truths that, under the care of our leaders, are in danger of being overlooked for the sake of convenience.

Almost 25 years after the ceasefires, we haven't begun to reconcile ourselves to those who died and those left behind to grieve.

Nowhere have all of them been given systematic space and time to tell their stories in their own way, to hear of how they disposed of their loved one's old clothes, how every day they pass the spot where their husband was gunned down, how they cope with anniversaries and birthdays.

We need to hear all the sad incidentals - how they liked to chat, or go fishing, or how they were mad keen on dogs - if only to underscore the horror of how they met their end, to understand the person whose life was snuffed out.

Maybe these simple human truths are just too much for our version of peace. Not 'whatever you say, say nothing', but a kind of 'don't remind us - we can't cope'. Talk about truth commissions and victim memorials all you want, just don't remind us of the unfinished cup of tea, the carpet that had to be lifted because of the bloodstains, the clergyman identifying his son through a box of trick matches. Of course, we feel some things can't be revisited or contemplated or spoken of. It is simply too much. But that still should not give us the excuse for not confronting the horror caused by us or, at least, carried out in our name.

It is incredible that we have got this far as a society in peace without having faced the past squarely in the eye. Can we hope to get any further? Do we think that, soon, the survivors will themselves have died out, as so many in fact have already, and we won't have to atone for the bloodshed? Do we think we might still get away with it all?

We must do. What other explanation is there for shuffling along, day after day, as the anniversaries flick by every day of the week, as if nothing happened here, as if we are, in fact, like Scotland, or Devon or Brittany or Leinster?

Well, we haven't got away with it, and we won't. History proves that. One contributor remembers a south Belfast milkman murdered on his float, his blood mixing with the milk from smashed milk bottles on the ground. Once known, that picture cannot be forgotten. Yet in a culture obsessed with remembrance, whether Easter or Armistice, the names of the Troubles dead have never made it onto a memorial. At least now, a few of them have been remembered in Reporting The Troubles.

We must somehow reconcile this generation, and those of the future, with the dead still with us. If we don't, then as a community, a place, an idea, we will just foster and encourage those around us now, already among us, who know nothing of the past other than the malice, bitterness, poisonous amnesia and self-disgust which survived it. Injustice upon injustice, wound upon wound.

There is still a chance to do things properly by our own people.

We need to find a way to remember these things appropriately so that the people who died and those who suffered loss aren't just case files or enemies or inconvenient statistics.

They were just like you and me. They laughed at sitcoms, had cups of coffee, fancied fish and chips, told the dog to stop yelping, wondered who it was at the door at this time of night...Karen Bradley will be in Boston and Washington

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley is on a week-long visit to the United States to promote her "plan" to restore Stormont.

Mrs Bradley will also emphasise the Government's opposition to a hard border in Ireland following Brexit during a visit to Boston and Washington this week.

On Capitol Hill, the Secretary of State will update political figures from the White House, State Department and Congress.

She will also meet the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Friends of Ireland Caucus to brief them on Brexit negotiations and efforts to restore the Executive.

During a reception at the Northern Ireland Bureau in Washington, Mrs Bradley will deliver a keynote speech promoting Northern Ireland to an audience of top politicians and business leaders.

Earlier this month, she ruled out fresh Assembly elections and said her focus was on re-establishing political dialogue in a bid to restore the Executive as soon as possible.

She also outlined plans for a potential independent facilitator who could "play a constructive role in the next round of talks".

Mrs Bradley held discussions with the local parties last week and will meet the Irish government in the weeks ahead about political talks aimed at restoring devolution, which includes seeking their views on external facilitation.

Speaking ahead of her trip, the Secretary of State said she was visiting the US at a crucial time as the Government aims to bring back Stormont and secure a good Brexit deal.

"The UK Government's commitment to the Belfast Agreement and its successors remains steadfast and has been the bedrock of all that has achieved over the past 20 years.

"I look forward to meeting senior US politicians and policymakers to update them on my Stormont plan as well as setting out how the UK Government will ensure that Northern Ireland's unique circumstances are protected and advanced in the months ahead."

She added: "The people of Northern Ireland deserve locally elected, democratically accountable Ministers to take important decisions on a wide range of issues. I am doing everything that I can to deliver devolved government as soon as possible."A man shot in the face on Bloody Sunday had to endure the stigma of "guilt by association" for decades until a major inquiry established his innocence, the High Court heard.

Injuries inflicted on Michael Quinn as a schoolboy were exacerbated by the insult and humiliation of false military insinuations about those killed or wounded by soldiers in Derry in January 1972, a judge was told.

His barrister argued that it took nearly 40 years for the truth to be exposed at the tribunal chaired by Lord Saville.

Brian Fee QC said: "The plaintiff is making the case that he felt from 1972 until 2010 that he had been, as he said, tarred with being guilty by association."

Thirteen people were shot dead when paratroopers opened fire on civil rights demonstrators during what became known as Bloody Sunday.

One of the others wounded on the day died later.

In 2010 the Saville Inquiry confirmed all of the victims were innocent, prompting the then Prime Minister David Cameron to publicly apologise for the actions of the soldiers.

Mr Cameron described the killings as "unjustified and unjustifiable".

Claims have been brought against the Ministry of Defence by those bereaved or wounded.

With liability accepted, three test cases have been selected for arguments on the level of damages.

Now aged 63 and having forged a successful career in banking, Mr Quinn still bears the scars of what happened to him on Bloody Sunday.

He was a 17-year-old A-level student hit in the face by a bullet as he tried to reach cover at Glenfada Park.

In his evidence he recalled feeling an "explosion" of bone and blood, and being so badly wounded that he received the Last Rites in hospital.

Mr Quinn's wife, Marie, described how he has been left with an "overwhelming sadness" at what he went through as a youth.

Since then, the court heard, he has experienced heightened fear for the safety of their own three children.

"He knows things can go wrong when you go out," she said.

Mr Justice McAlinden was told the stigma of blame was finally lifted when the Saville Inquiry's findings were published.

"Just hearing the words "Michael Quinn - innocent', it was enormous," his wife added.

According to Mr Fee, pay-outs should be made for his client's facial injuries, the misconduct of the soldiers, and punitive damages for the continued lies about what happened.

"Saville just demolished the Ministry of Defence case," the barrister argued.

"This was not a vicious gun battle, this was not a situation where people were shot because they had been involved in something or were very close to people involved in something.

"This is a situation where people were shot without the slightest justification."

The hearing continues.A Co Monaghan man allegedly carried out an obscene act as he watched porn in public, a court in Belfast heard today.

Mark Connolly, 50, appeared before magistrates in the city following a suspected incident on Sunday.

He is charged with committing an act of a lewd, obscene and disgusting nature, and outraging public decency by touching his genitals while viewing pornography in a public area.

No further details of the alleged offence were disclosed during the brief hearing.

Connolly, whose address was given as Milehouse, Monaghan, is to be released on agreed bail terms, the court was told.

He will live at a location to be approved by police, sign twice a week and provide a 1,000 cash surety.

District Judge Fiona Bagnall listed the case for a further hearing in four weeks time. endsCo Down saw 19 birds of prey persecution incidents over the past five years, making it the sixth worst area of the UK for illegal killings.

Figures released today by the RSPB, covering 88 regions of the UK, show that during that time the illegal killing of nine red kites was reported in the county.

Five reported persecution incidents took place across Northern Ireland within the last year. Roisin Kearney, RSPB NI Conservation officer, said the statistics are only scratching the surface of the problem.

"The persecution of birds of prey is a widespread problem in the UK and it's a grim statistic that Co Down is sixth in terms of persecution incidents from 2012 to 2017," she said.

"It's sad that in 2018, which marks the 10th anniversary of red kites being reintroduced to Northern Ireland, we are still seeing red kites and other birds of prey being targeted. But for each persecution incident we hear about, scientific studies suggest there are many more that go undetected and unreported.

"As such, these figures only scratch the surface of the true extent of raptor persecution."

Birds of prey continue to be at risk with a minimum of 68 confirmed incidents of detected illegal bird of prey persecution in the UK in 2017.

These included 48 shootings, nine poisonings, three trappings, four nest destructions and four other incidents. However, evidence suggests these figures are just the tip of the iceberg with many illegal killings going undetected or unreported.

In Northern Ireland these figures include the killings of three buzzards, two peregrine falcons, a red kite and a sparrowhawk. Two of the incidents occurred in Co Antrim, one in Co Londonderry, one in Co Down and one in Tyrone.

Red kites were only reintroduced to Northern Ireland in 2008 and there still isn't a stable population here, yet between 2012 and 2017 nine red kites were illegally killed in Co Down.

Buzzards, peregrine falcons, a sparrowhawk and a merlin were also killed over those five years. In the rest of Northern Ireland in the same five year period, there were 13 persecution incidents in Co Antrim, five in Co Londonderry, five in Co Armagh and four in Co Tyrone. And it's not only detection that is a problem. There were just four raptor persecution-related prosecutions in 2017 and only a single conviction (all of these were in Scotland).

Among the victims found across the UK were both rare species such as peregrine falcons, hen harriers and marsh harriers, and short-eared owls as well as more common species such as buzzards, putting the ongoing recovery of some of these species at risk.A violin teacher has gone on trial, accused of sexually assaulting four of his female pupils, all of whom were under the age of 13 at the time of the alleged offences.

Brian Bergin (60), from Brookhill in the Culmore Road area of Londonderry denies eight offences allegedly committed on dates between August 2011 and May 2014.

The defendant is charged with intentionally touching four female children sexually while in a position of trust.

A barrister for the Public Prosecution Service told the jury of seven women and five men at the Crown Court in Derry that the girls were all primary school pupils aged between nine and 11 years of age at the time.

The prosecutor said when the allegations were made against the defendant in May 2014 he was employed as a violin teacher at a number of schools by the Western Education and Library Board. The four children in this case attended two primary schools.

One of the girls first made her allegations to her school principal who then contacted the girl's mother. The girl subsequently recorded an interview with the PSNI during which she outlined her allegations.

She said the defendant would put her on his knee, rub her sides, put his arm around her neck and got her to do the splits.

The second complainant alleged the defendant had rubbed her shoulders and sides regularly and also got her to do the splits.

The third complainant told the police that the defendant hugged her, rubbed her back, asked her to spread her legs wide apart and on one occasion said to her: "Don't leave me".

The fourth told the police that the defendant felt her sides and also made her do the splits.

On February 26, 2015, the defendant attended Magherafelt PSNI station on a voluntary basis and he denied all of the allegations. The prosecution barrister told the jury the defendant did not give any explanation to the police for his alleged behaviour.

"His motivation was the sexual touching of each of these children in the manner which he did, which was sexual in nature and that he did it intentionally and not accidentally", the barrister told the jurors.

Later, the jury heard an interview given by one of the girls to a social worker in the presence of a detective constable at Strand Road PSNI children's unit on May 28, 2014.

The girl said the defendant had taught her violin lessons for three years in school with up to four other pupils present.

She said she was in primary five when she first received a lesson from the defendant. She said on occasions he pulled her onto his knees, tapped and rubbed her on the sides and placed his arm around her neck. She said she got off his knees straightaway.

"It felt strange, awkward. Other teachers would not have done that," she told the social worker.

The girl said once or twice the defendant mentioned posture to her and asked her to stand with her legs apart.

On one occasion, he asked her to stand with her legs "wide apart" and that either she or one of the other girls in the class challenged him about that.

Defence barrister Ciaran Mallon QC said the playing of the violin involved having the right posture and balance.

"Any contact with you was entirely appropriate and was the sort of physical contact any violin teacher would have to do to correct posture in terms of where your feet were, your shoulder position, where your fingers should be on the violin strings. It was all in the context of a music lesson", he said.

The trial continues.A former DUP special adviser has said he doesn't believe there was any attempt by the party to protect its most important unelected official - Timothy Johnston - from controversy over RHI.

In his witness statement to the inquiry, Richard Bullick denied there was a "DUP line" on deflecting attention away from Mr Johnston, who at the time that the cash-for-ash scandal broke was a special adviser to First Minister Arlene Foster.

He is now the party's chief executive.

It has been claimed at the inquiry that Mr Johnston was involved in delaying RHI cost controls, which he denies.

Mr Bullick said he did not believe that the allegations in relation to the DUP chief executive were "fair or accurate".

The former permanent secretary in the Department of Trade, Enterprise and Investment (Deti), Dr Andrew McCormick, told the inquiry that "the DUP was very concerned to deflect or discredit any possible reference to Timothy Johnston".

It was also suggested to the inquiry that the party had "acquiesced with the necessity" of naming its special adviser Dr Andrew Crawford as "the instigator of the delay" in introducing RHI cost controls.

But in his witness statement, Mr Bullick said: "I do not believe there was any 'DUP' line on these matters.

"Andrew McCormick made clear his belief as to the role played by Andrew Crawford on these matters. He also made clear what he would say if pressed on the matter.

"He was not asking for agreement or acquiescence on the matter.

"Despite being aware of Andrew McCormick's views on this subject, we had managed to avoid anyone being specifically named since mid-December.

"It was clear from the position of Andrew McCormick that if pressed this position was not going to be sustained at the PAC (Public Accounts Committee)."

Mr Bullick said he did "not believe there were any discussions about deflecting or discrediting any possible reference to Timothy Johnston".

In relations to the allegations against Dr Crawford, Mr Bullick said: "Even as of today I am unclear as to the precise role of Andrew Crawford, if any, in the decision to delay cost control measures. It will be for the inquiry to consider and weigh the likely conflicting evidence."

The inquiry asked the former DUP special adviser why David Gordon - who was then Stormont's chief spin doctor - believed it necessary to draft a denial regarding RHI allegations for Mr Johnston or his lawyers.

Mr Bullick said: "David Gordon clearly believed that what was being said about Timothy Johnston was untrue and defamatory.

"I assume given his extensive knowledge at this time he felt such a note would be helpful to Timothy Johnston."

Former Deti special adviser Timothy Cairns had referred in correspondence to his personal willingness to shape a statement to help the party narrative when dealing with the RHI fallout.

When asked about this, Mr Bullick said it was "an expression used by Timothy Cairns". He did not believe it was ever "used during internal party discussions" and nor did "such a narrative exist".

The former DUP special adviser said he saw "no evidence" that "anyone acted with improper motivation" in relation to RHI.

He said: "I have concluded that at the heart of the matter was the department's failure to properly understand the operation of the scheme and the incentives which existed.

"This was not due to any particular wrongdoing of any of the officials who were involved in the administration of the scheme but is inherent in the approach of the public sector when dealing with such matters."

Mr Bullick said this "overarching failure" contributed not only to the flaws in the initial model presented to the minister for endorsement but also to "the failure to understand the concerns of the whistleblower or indeed the necessity to introduce cost controls in a more expeditious way".

He continued: "The allegations in relation to political wrongdoing, or for that matter the misunderstanding as to the funding arrangements, are very much secondary when compared to the fact that RHI had been created in a way which (could not be) understood until it was too late."

Mr Bullick said it appeared that at the very start - and it may have been due to an administrative mistake - that there was "a misunderstanding that the cost of the pellets was higher than the subsidy".

He continued: "That was perhaps the initial error but it was far from the last. On many occasions since then, one would have expected that this error would have been detected by someone at some level but this was never the case".

Mr Bullick said the issue of the whistleblower, staff changes in the Department of Trade, Enterprise and Investment, pressure to keep the scheme open and other events "could have all been footnotes in history" if there had been "a proper appreciation of the inherent flaws in the scheme".

Mr Bullick said the only legitimate criticism he believed could be made of officials was that, when confronted with the RHI disaster, they were "too eager to rely on proper process in order to rectify the problems rather than to proceed in a more unorthodox though more expedient manner".Evidence from two key DUP advisers and a Fermanagh poultry farmer has been published by the RHI inquiry.

Former DUP special advisers John Robinson and Stephen Brimstone are both due to give evidence to the inquiry on Wednesday.

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Evidence from Hugh Rutledge, the father-in-law of DUP special adviser John Robinson, has also been published.

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Mr Rutledge, a poultry farmer in Fermanagh, used two RHI-funded boilers to heat his chicken sheds near Newtownbutler.

Mr Brimstone, who will begin giving his evidence on Wednesday afternoon, was a beneficiary of the RHI scheme. A civil servant previously 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.

John Robinson witness statement

Hugh Rutledge witness statement

Stephen Brimstone witness statement one

Stephen Brimstone witness statement twoBrett Kavanaugh is now sounding a lot like his angry and fearful white male defenders. Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images

So just three days prior to his scheduled follow-up testimony before the Judiciary Committee, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sent a letter to the committee that represents a declaration of war not only on his sexual-assault accusers but on all his tormenters, including the Senate Democrats he will again face on Thursday. Gone is the calm jurist who did a lot of stonewalling in his earlier testimony, but didnt lose his cool. Now, emulating many of his defenders, hes going on the attack and presenting himself as the victim of smears and character assassination by people in a frenzy to defeat his confirmation.

The letter is technically just one of many communications Kavanaugh has had with Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking minority member Dianne Feinstein. But the embattled judge makes it clear he blames Feinstein for her handling of accusations by Christine Blasey Ford that came out after his Judiciary Committee testimony:

Only after that exhaustive process was complete did I learn, through the news media, about a 36-year-old allegation from high school that had been asserted months earlier and withheld from me throughout the hearing process.

After presenting his side of the Ford story, Kavanaugh, with an air of exasperation, refers to the second accusation of sexual assault based on his alleged behavior at Yale:

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.

And eliminating any mystery about the approach he will take on Thursday, he rejects both sets of accusations as not worthy of consideration:

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.

Here Kavanaugh clearly identifies himself with the floodgates argument we are hearing from Republican men who have bunched boxers at the possibility they, too, will have some past piggishness or even criminality exposed (or as they would have it, invented). Just this weekend at a Christian right confab in Iowa focused on defending Kavanaugh, Representative Steve King articulated this fear very clearly:

Im thinking, is there any man in this room that wouldnt be subjected to such an allegation? A false allegation? King said. How can you disprove something like that? Which means, if thats the new standard, no man will ever qualify for the Supreme Court again.

Horrors! Within a decade or two we might have a female majority on the Court!

Kavanaughs resort to this raw fear of the loss of white male privilege is a sign that hes staking his survival on a backlash from the Republican Partys conservative base that stiffens the spines of GOP senators and keeps pressure on the two Republicans  Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski  could actually kill his confirmation.

But theres another Republican Kavanaugh may be implicitly addressing in his letter: Donald J. Trump.

I 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.

Trump is by all accounts under some internal GOP pressure to throw Kavanaugh under the bus. Gabriel Sherman reports that hes been thinking about it:

In public, Trump continues to voice support for his embattled Supreme Court nominee, telling reporters at the United Nations earlier this morning that he stands with Kavanaugh all the way. But in private, Trump is growing increasingly frustrated by being mired in a deteriorating political situation beyond his control. On Monday morning, a Republican briefed on Trumps thinking said the president has been considering pulling Kavanaughs nomination.

According to the source, Trump allies are imploring him to cut Kavanaugh loose for the sake of saving Republicans electoral chances in the midterms. The argument these advisers are making is that if Kavanaughs nomination fails, demoralized Republicans will stay home in November, and Democrats will take the House and the Senate and initiate impeachment proceedings. The end result: Trump will be removed from office. The stakes are that high, the source said. Another Republican adviser told me: Trump is very worried now, and is finally waking up that its the end of his presidency if he loses the Senate. Trumps outside allies are advising him to nominate Amy Coney Barrett and fast-track her confirmation before the midterms.

Kavanaugh may well be making it clear to the president that he wont take a bullet for the team and go away quietly  and that if Trump tries to withdraw the nomination, hell be exposed to his own electoral base as a loser and a coward, unwilling to fight the character assassins.

If the judge maintains this posture he may succeed in freezing Republicans into backing him to the last ditch. But if allegations proliferate or his accusers reinforce their credibility, hes now in danger not just of losing a seat on the Supreme Court but his current lifetime appointment to the federal bench. And hes definitely playing with fire in trying to undercut Trumps freedom of action.The RHI scandal has shown the DUP has "no regard" for British taxpayers, the leader of the UUP Robin Swann has claimed.

An independent inquiry into the RHI scandal began in November last year. The renewable energy scheme ran out of control because of critical flaws in the way the initiative was set up.

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Applicants could earn more money the more fuel they burned because the subsidies on offer for renewable fuels were far greater than the cost of the fuels themselves.

When the scale of the overspend on the scheme emerged, the DUP leader Arlene Foster faced calls to resign from her role as First Minister in December 2016. She did not resign and then Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness quit in protest and collapsed the government.

After Mrs Foster finished giving evidence to the inquiry on Tuesday, UUP leader Robin Swann MLA said unionists were "horrified" by how the RHI scheme was handled and how the government at Stormont operated under the DUP and Sinn Fein.

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"The ongoing revelations about how Stormont was run by the DUP have left unionists horrified that things were being done in their name which were neither good government nor guided by any semblance of a moral compass," he said.

It is clear that there was a disregard for British Taxpayers money, a sentiment unworthy of any unionist.

"The DUP wrongly believed that the Treasury would pay for RHI in full and without reservation, and had no regard to the potential costs of RHI as result.

"The DUP have claimed in the past that they worked in the best interests of all the people of the UK. It is very hard to square that circle when you examine their behaviour around the RHI debacle and their attitude to public money."

Mr Swan said even DUP voters would be "shocked and disappointed" at what they have learnt during the RHI inquiry.

He added: "It is now clear that successive DUP First Ministers presided over a government where a culture of self-preservation at all costs, and self service were dominant, and which has now been laid bare at the RHI Inquiry at Stormont."

And all this is currently taking place against the background of huge political issues facing the United Kingdom and unionism in general."

The UUP leader also called for Sinn Fein to be brought before the inquiry to explain its role in the scandal.

The Belfast Telegraph has approached the DUP and Sinn Fein for comment.Sinn Feins Conor Murphy and Mairtin O Muilleoir were involved with Enterprise, Trade and Investment at the time of the RHI scheme

A senior Sinn Fein MLA vowed that the "utmost" would be done to have as many RHI projects as possible green-lit before the closure of the botched green energy scheme, correspondence submitted to the RHI Inquiry has revealed.

The comment by Mairtin O Muilleoir, who sat on the Enterprise, Trade and Investment watchdog committee, was made on February 11, 2016 in response to an email from a group complaining about the upcoming closure of the scheme on February 29.

In documents submitted as part of Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy's witness statement to the RHI Inquiry, the group said it had been working towards a deadline of March 31, and that the earliest its system could be commissioned was in mid-March.

TVI Community Development manager Aisling Brady said she hoped Mr O Muilleoir "can persuade Mr Bell to understand the impossible position he is putting people in who are in the system and were aiming for the March 31 deadline".

An hour later, Mr O Muilleoir replies that he is "very disappointed for all affected", adding: "We are assessing our options at the minute and will do our utmost to have as many projects as possible green-lighted."

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy, who at the time was the deputy chair of the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, was also copied into the email.

In correspondence with Mr O Muilleoir that afternoon, Mr Murphy advised that the group could "try and get it installed before February 29".

He said that Deti "never stated the closing date was March 31", and added: "Having secured the additional two weeks we will probably not get anything further and may be obliged to support it in the Assembly.

"The group could either cancel the order or get it delivered asap and try to get it installed before February 29.

"Not sure we'll be able to offer much else to them."

Then, in an email to the director of the Federation of Master Builders, Gavin McGuire, on February 14, Mr O Muilleoir revealed that Mr Murphy had met with then Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell, and that he had also personally raised the issue "to press him not to go ahead with the decision to close the initiative on February 15".

He stated: "The Minister did concede the point and extended the closure date to February 29."

Mr O Muilleoir also refers to a statement by Mr Murphy "welcoming that decision".

Meanwhile, separate witness statements submitted to the inquiry show that Sinn Fein advisors described the RHI scheme as "a complete balls up" and "a horlics".

The comments are contained in evidence from Ciaran O'Connor, who was a special advisor - or Spad - to the then Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

They feature in a conversation which took place on the evening of February 2, 2016 between Sinn Fein Spad Conor Heaney and Aidan McAteer, who was also a Spad to Martin McGuinness.

Prior to the start of the conversation between the Sinn Fein advisors, an email entitled "draft memo to FMdFM re RHI" was forwarded from former DUP Spad Dr Andrew Crawford to DUP Spad Timothy Johnston.

Dr Crawford asked Mr Johnston to tell him or Tim Cairns if he was "content" to have the attached paper issued.

Minutes later, Mr Johnston forwarded the email to Sinn Fein advisor Mr McAteer.

That evening, Mr McAteer sent an email to Mr Heaney, advising that there was an "urgent procedure request coming in tomorrow" which must be cleared "as soon as it comes in".

In response, Mr Heaney said that he was "involved in a number of the meetings to progress" the scheme, which he referred to as the "Heat Initiative" and said "could be a scheme that first originated in OFMDFM".

He added: "It was passed a point to DETI as a delivery Department and seems to have turned into a horlics."

In a subsequent email, Mr Heaney said "this does not seem to be the scheme I thought maybe earlier, phew!"

Mr McAteer then replies, describing the initiative as "a complete balls up".

He stated: "No problem, it's a 'UK' wide scheme which we have ended up paying unforeseen costs for - a complete balls up between DFP (the Department of Finance and Personnel) and DETI but the Executive carries the cost. Our priority is to close it down before it incurs any more costs."

Three days later, on the morning of February 5, Mr McAteer sent an email to Martin McGuinness' Spad Ciaran O'Connor regarding a letter from Jonathan Bell to the First and Deputy First Ministers requesting a decision by urgent procedure on the closure of the RHI scheme.

Mr Heaney was also copied in.

Mr McAteer stated: "This is already cleared in discussion with DUP. We have no alternative. Private office were told to clear it as soon as it came in as I've been discussing the drafting with DUP so it's an already agreed draft.

"Can you let the PAG (Policy Advice Group) know that this is an exceptional case and they don't need to do anything."

In the letter from then Deti Minister Jonathan Bell to the First and Deputy First Ministers in February 2016, Mr Bell said he was "seeking agreement to take an urgent decision on the closure of the Northern Ireland RHI scheme" in order to "minimise significant DEL overspending on the scheme".

The letter warned of "unprecedented numbers of applications for the non-domestic scheme," for which it revealed that average annual payments had been "around 24,000".

It added that the annual payments for the domestic scheme are "typically around 1,200 but are capped at a maximum of 2,500".

The letter also highlighted an "unprecedented surge in applications" in autumn 2015 for biomass installations.

And it revealed that, in the run up to a tiered tariff and an annual cap on biomass payments, over 900 applications were received in just six weeks as "businesses tried to beat the deadline for tariff changes".

The forecasted expenditure on RHI in 2015/16 was listed as over 30m, with the 2016/17 spend expected to be "around 45m".

The letter warned that "HMT's (the Treasury) position will be that NI will have to cover the full costs of any overspends" which "means that the Block DEL (Departmental expenditure limits) will be penalised for any excess spend for a period of at least the next five years and possibly up to 20 years ahead, depending on the approach taken to RHI in future in GB".

It added that if the scheme is closed to new applications the overspend could be reduced to "around 11m by 2020/21" - provided "there are no further application spikes in anticipation of scheme closure".

The letter concluded that "major overspend that has now arisen will now impact upon the NI Block".

It added: "DETI does not have the funding to meet this overspend.

"In the circumstances I have no choice but to propose immediate closure of the scheme to prevent the overspend from increasing further."

The documents released yesterday show that on February 9, 2016, a meeting took place between the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and the then head of the Civil Service (HOCS) Sir Malcolm McKibbin.

Also present were special advisors including Timothy Johnston, Richard Bullick and Stephen Brimstone.

A report said that "HOCS outlined the negative reaction which had emerged from some investors and suppliers to the proposal to close the scheme and the consequent risk of legal challenge".

It added: "Following discussion, it was felt that the scheme should be left open until a date to be determined to allow for the completion of applications already in progress (to be further defined).

"Richard Bullick to speak to Timothy Cairns, DETI Special Adviser, and Aidan McAteer to progress this. HOCS to advise DETI Permanent Secretary of FM/DFM views."

On the same day, the evidence submitted to the inquiry shows what is indicated to be a text conversation between Aidan McAteer and Timothy Johnston, with Mr McAteer requesting a meeting with Mr Johnston over RHI. Mr McAteer stated: "We should keep any discussion of soft landing for renewable heating scheme out of Executive.

"Can Johnny Bell and Conor Murphy meet today so that they can go public with it in an agreed manner."

Just over hour later, he sent another message, stating: "We want to avoid a lobby building on this."

Last night's documents also contain a statement which, it is indicated, is from Richard McAuley in the Sinn Fein President's Office, dated Monday, January 16, 2017.

It states: "The DFM (Deputy First Minister) became aware at the start of February 2016 that there was a serious problem with the RHI Scheme. On February 2 he was given a briefing confirming this.

"He immediately wrote to the FM and DETI Minister seeking an early closure of the scheme.

"The issue went to the Assembly on February 15.

"Conor Murphy raised concerns about allegations of fraud.

"SDLP and UUP voted to keep scheme open. SF voted to close it. It was closed on February 29."

The witness statements released yesterday include evidence from Stephen Harron, who worked as a sales person for Hegan Biomass in Dungannon in 2015/16.

In a statement made on June 27, 2017, Mr Harron revealed he had made applications for two biomass boilers under the RHI tiered scheme, on February 29, 2016.

He said that the boilers had been installed but, at the time of making the statement, were "still awaiting accreditation" and "no payment has been received".

His wife also made an application to the scheme in November 2015, with accreditation on March 24, 2017.

Mr Harron said Mrs Foster was his MLA and former solicitor who had previously helped him in an attempt to secure a new inquest into a child death.

He said that he had phoned her prior to the scheme's closure, and assumed their conversation took place in the week leading up to it being shut down.

Mr Harron said he had contacted Mrs Foster "as she was my MLA" and said that he had spoken with her once as he had "quite a few clients that wanted to avail of the scheme and was requesting to see if there was any way the date of closure could be extended".

He stated that he had clients who were "distressed" due to the scheme's "imminent closure" as they "had spent money on buildings and the infrastructure for Biomass boilers".

He added: "I asked if there was any way that Stormont could extend the closure date, the answer I got was no."An allowance of up to 317,000 euro a year has been paid to each president since 1998 that is not audited, taxed or scrutinised, the Dails public accounts committee has been told.

The committee, which is examining the expenditure of the Office of the President, heard from The Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy on Tuesday that the money was an allowance, not a salary, and he could not definitively state what it was for.

Fianna Fail TD Marc MacSharry asked:Is this a payment on the blind that no one passes any remote oversight on what its spent on? Is that the case?

Mr MacCarthy replied he did not know, but the law states it is a payment paid to each president and is not surrenderable at the end of the year.

Its bizarre to me that public money is given out annually with no responsibility to anyone with no audit, Mr MacSharry said.

It was remiss of previous PACs to not hold this meeting before, its timely and informative and I can think of 317,000 reasons why it was worthwhile.

The allowance is paid on top of the 249,000 euro a year salary paid to the President.

Irelands highest ranking civil servant, Martin Fraser, whose responsibilities include being accounting officer for the Presidents office, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee with Mr McCarthy to explain the processes and expenses of the Aras an Uachtarain.

The decision to examine presidential expenses was made after questions were raised over the summer over claims of extravagant spending by the office including expensive hotel suites on state visits.

The committee also heard that the personnel charged with auditing of the office did not meet for over three years.

Mr Fraser was accused of passing the buck and bad governance when he admitted the committee did not meet from 2014 to 2018, but claimed there were extenuating circumstances.

The internal audit committee was formed in 2014 when Mr Fraser appointed a chair and two other members to oversee the accounts.

Due to a significant personal issue, the chair had to be recused from his duties, no substitute chair was ever appointed and the committee did not meet again until February 2018.

Members from across the political spectrum were quick to criticise Mr Frasers decisions.

When Mr MacSharry asked who does their job when theyre not available, neither of the men could offer an answer.

Is that proactive? If someone isnt there the work stops  do you appreciate thats a failing? Its poor practice of a way to run the country, he said.

Its a matter of public funds, I would hate to think that the work of the Oireachtas would stop because of the absence of one person.

The fact is when the chairman was missing, we didnt do anything for nearly three years.

Mr Fraser added that he took great assurance from Comptroller and Auditor General, who provided end of year audit reports in the absence of the committee.

Mr Fraser also received criticism for a letter he wrote to the committee stating that any investigation into the presidents expenses could be considered unconstitutional, which some members of the committee took offence at.

Mr Fraser questioned the political ramifications of examining the presidents expenditure so close to the election on October 26.

He noted the constitution, which states the president is not answerable to either house of the Oireachtas or any court for the exercise of his office.

Independent TD Catherine Connolly said that the office of the president should be held to the same standard as other institutions and that Tuesdays meeting exposed gaps in governance.

Every week we have this committee and put various organisations like Gardai through this, it would be unfair not to put presidents office through it too, she said.

Weve looked at processes and youve admitted that some processes leave something to be desired.

Mr Fraser said he was keen to stress he was not interfering, but that he was paying close attention to the constitution.

He said: I wasnt interfering with committee, I was making points it was my job to make.

The presidency is above politics, my job is different in the Aras than it would be in the Oireachtas.

The president himself is open to scrutiny and that will come out in election campaign.

Im just very careful about the constitution.

The committee also heard that although it is stated that the presidents office expenditure is 3.2 million euro a year, it is closer to 8.2 million euro when operational and other costs are considered.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he hopes a Brexit deal can be done in November. Brian Lawless/PA.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he thinks a Brexit deal can be done by November.

The Irish border is the most vexed issue still facing UK and EU negotiators.

The Republics premier warned the damage caused by talks failure to Britain and Ireland would be immense.

A special meeting of European leaders in Brussels has been mooted for November if the two sides are close to reaching agreement.

So I believe we will get there in November but we are in unchartered territoryLeo Varadkar

Mr Varadkar said: I do think well get there.

I think well get there in November because nobody wants us to end up with a no-deal scenario because the damage for the UK would be immense.

The damage for Ireland would also be immense and it would have a serious impact on other countries like Belgium, Holland, and France and Denmark.

So I believe we will get there in November but we are in unchartered territory.

The EU has interpreted a backstop, agreed in principle between the UK and Europe in December, to mean that, in the absence of a trade deal, Northern Ireland would continue to follow EU rules relating to commerce and thus prevent the imposition of a hard Irish land border.

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Prime Minister Theresa May has said any move that would see Northern Irelands regulations differ from the rest of the UKs, likened to putting a border in the Irish Sea, would be a bad outcome.

Her parliamentary allies, Northern Irelands Democratic Unionists, are strongly opposed to such a scenario.

The Prime Ministers Chequers plan has been assailed by critics and Brexiteers have reiterated their support for finding a technological solution to the border.

Mr Varadkar said he had sought a lot of counsel in recent months from wise old heads who know Europe and know British politics and know Northern Ireland.

He added: I came away from those meetings with the advice that its unchartered territory and unpredictable and do your best and I think that was probably the best advice I could have got.

Mr Varadkar said Mrs May had reinstated her commitment to having a legally operative backstop as part of the withdrawal agreement while at an informal summit of European leaders in Salzburg recently.

He said: And the EU 27 again in Salzburg gave their full solidarity behind Ireland and restated our position that there wont be a withdrawal agreement at all, no transition period for the UK if there isnt an Irish protocol, a legally operative backstop as part of that.

Meanwhile, during debate in the Irish Dail parliament, the Taoiseach touched on efforts to restore Northern Irelands stalled powersharing administration at Stormont.

He said: I think clarity around Brexit could help.

Perhaps if by the October summit, or the November summit if there is one, were in a position to have a roadmap as to how Brexit going to work, what the new relationships are going to look like, we might be in a better position then to bring the parties together again.

Certainly the Government stands ready to do that.Arlene Foster spoke of her "great regret" she did not act to remove Jonathan Bell as Enterprise minister - despite her view and those in her party seeing him as unsuitable for the position.

The DUP leader told the RHI inquiry the political ramifications of sacking him as minister three months before an election were behind his staying in the job and she had no intention of giving him another role in the Executive after the poll.

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The DUP leader said there were fears he would have "gone rogue," had he been axed.

She said he "hero-worshipped" Peter Robinson and instead of talking to her, he sought the counsel of the former party leader. Something the MLA admitted may have brought the issues around RHI to a resolution sooner.

"He saw it as a role he was to be served instead of to serve," she said of his tenure as minister saying he did not take the role "seriously enough".

"He was not the appropriate person to be the minister.... clearly with hindsight I should not have left him there.

"The view was expressed to me, 'how much harm can he do in three months?'

"That was the view that was put.. it would cause a lot of problems and he would go 'rogue', if he was replaced," she added.

"The view of my colleagues and I take responsibility of my own decision was to leave him in post until the election was over."

What on earth was your special adviser doing without your knowledge?

Mrs Foster also said she had a "clear recollection" the then deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness would have been aware of whistleblower concerns with the scheme in January 2015. That's despite evidence to the contrary from Sinn Fein special advisers at the time.

During the course of the morning session, the DUP leader defended the actions of the special advisers in the DUP.

However on her Spad Andrew Crawford leaking information on the closure of the RHI scheme she said that while she was accountable for his actions, she could not be responsible.

Inquiry panel member Dr Keith MacLean at one stage asked: "What on earth was your special adviser doing without your knowledge?"

"I accept that," Mrs Foster responded.

Inquiry chair Sir Patrick Coghlin said that from the evidence they had heard so far in the inquiry both the DUP and Sinn Fein "completely ignored" the code for appointing special advisers.

When it is put to her "ministers come and ministers go but Spads remain forever," by Sir Patrick as the inquiry has heard.

Smiling Mrs Foster says she "doesn't believe that to be the case".

"I thought you would say that," replies inquiry chair Sir Patrick Coghlin.

Mrs Foster said there needed to be reform of special advisers and the role they play in any future devolved institutions.

Follow her evidence session here:Andrey Ryjenko was jailed for six years (City of London Police/PA)

A single mother who helped her corrupt banker brother launder more than 2 million in bribes has been spared jail to look after her children  after falling pregnant again.

Tatjana Sanderson, 39, who is expecting her fourth child, let Channel Island accounts in her name be used to bank the money for Anglo-Russian sibling Andrey Ryjenko,

Last June Ryjenko, 45, was jailed for six years after he was convicted of taking backhanders while working for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Sanderson last month pleaded guilty to concealing, converting or transferring criminal property between September 2007 and March 2010, following a long-running bribery case which led to convictions in Britain and the United States.

The Old Bailey heard the laundered money has been seized and remains in bank accounts, having not been touched by Sanderson, who lives in her parents multimillion pound flat near Hyde Park.

Judge Nicholas Cooke QC told Sanderson she would have been jailed immediately had she benefited financially from her crime.

But he handed her a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, on Tuesday, after saying: Corruption in the financial world and the world of banking is something upon which the criminal justice system needs to make war because it is such a devastating problem in many, many ways.

It strikes at the fabric of society.

We do not make war on small children and in this case that is what in some ways I would be doing, were I to send her immediately to prisonJudge Nicholas Cooke QC

However, we do not make war on small children and in this case that is what in some ways I would be doing, were I to send her immediately to prison.

Sanderson broke down in tears in the dock as the judge detailed how her baby daughter was diagnosed with cancer in October 2015 before receiving years of distressing treatment.

Children with cancer need their parents to be fully committed for this extremely stressful period, the judge continued.

There is a significant chance of relapse over the next few years and so this will prove a stressful time for the family.

He added: You have become pregnant again, so were I to send you to prison there would be additional suffering.

Judge Cooke said that some may say she got pregnant deliberately to take advantage of the judges potential mercy.

But he added: I know better, having seen a doctors report that she conceived after a contraceptive device had been fitted.

At the time of the offences, Ryjenko was employed in a role which required him to consider equity investment and loan applications from firms.

The court heard he accepted more than 3.5 million dollars (then worth just over 2 million) in return for approving loans for Dmitrij Harder, then principal owner of Chestnut Consulting Group, based in Southampton, Pennsylvania, in the United States.

Their plot was formulated after financial consultant Harder revealed his company had been retained by a Russian-based oil firm to obtain project financing in September 2007.

Ryjenko seized the opportunity to abuse his position and make money corruptly by directing his employers potential clients to instruct Harder as a financial consultant in exchange for a share of the hefty fees.

Bogus business cards were produced for Sanderson to convince her bank the funds were legitimate payments for work carried out for Chestnut as the funds were funnelled into her accounts.

City of London Police were alerted in February 2010 by the chief compliance officer at the EBRD, after an anonymous tip-off sparked an internal investigation.

Ryjenko was jailed for six years after being convicted of conspiring to make or accept corrupt payments and transferring criminal property following a five-week trial at the Old Bailey.

Sanderson, who developed mental health issues, had been declared unfit to stand trial but the jury decided she was involved in the corruption as a matter of fact.

Meanwhile in the US, Harder, the former owner and president of Chestnut Consulting Group Inc, was jailed for five years for bribery.

Harder, 45, of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, had pleaded guilty in April 2016 to two counts of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

In sentencing, US District Judge Paul Diamond ordered Harder to forfeit 1.9 million dollars (1.4 million).

Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Elspeth Pringle said: Tatjana Sanderson knew the millions of pounds she was storing in these bank accounts was taken through corrupt payments made to Ryjenko at his banking job.

Sanderson took the money to distance her brothers involvement in the corruption.

The CPS showed in court the extent of the corrupt payments made to Ryjenko and how the money was then followed to Sandersons accounts to secure this guilty verdict.A convicted former UBS trader has been denied bail while he awaits a review of his deportation order.

Kweku Adoboli was jailed for seven years in 2012 for two counts of fraud that resulted in 1.4 billion losses, and had been due to be deported to Ghana earlier this month.

He was temporarily saved from being removed from the UK after applications by his lawyers for a judicial review and injunction against deportation were successful last week.

But he had an application for bail refused at a hearing at Hatton Cross Tribunal Centre on Tuesday, meaning he will remain in a detention centre while his case is reconsidered.

We are devestated that Kweku has been refused bail and denied the opportunity to spend time with his friends and family. Despite no official date for his judicial review, we believe the judge thinks deportation is imminent and for that reason his bail has been denied.  KeepKweku (@KeepKweku) September 25, 2018

His lawyer Jackie McKenzie stressed in a tweet after the hearing that Mr Adoboli had complied with bail conditions for the past three years and is not a flight risk.

She added: It is worrying that none of these factors appeared to have been given much weight.

It is understood that another application for bail cannot be made for 28 days, and that the full review process could take several months.

Mr Adoboli, who left Ghana at the age of four, was released after serving half of his sentence and had been involved in teaching at several universities and working with an initiative promoting responsible leadership.

Kweku Adoboli refused bail as HO made an app for his JR to be expedited. He's complied with bail conditions for 3 years, is not a flight risk and reported even when he knew he was at risk. It is worrying that none of these factors appeared to have been given much weight  Jacqueline (Jacqui) Mckenzie (@JacquiMckenzie6) September 25, 2018

He was detained during a fortnightly check-in at Livingston Police Station, West Lothian, on September 3 and taken to Dungavel immigration removal centre in South Lanarkshire.

Despite almost 75,000 people signing a petition against his deportation, he has now been moved to Harmondsworth immigration removal centre at West Drayton.Women in Malawi are being given funding to help make and sell reusable sanitary products, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The 13,000 award is going to the Perth-based charity Freedom from Fistula, which provides free maternity care and surgery to women injured in childbirth.

The Scottish Government said the money will make it possible for patients recovering from fistula repair surgery to be trained to manufacture environmentally friendly reusable sanitary towels.

The funding will also be used to donate packs of the products to 1,000 school pupils.

A devastating childbirth injury left her incontinent, frightened and alone. At our Fistula Care Centre she has found friendship and healing. #endfistula pic.twitter.com/BnG9eXcZI6  Freedom From Fistula (@WeFixFistulas) August 24, 2018

The First Minister announced the support at Scotlands International Development Alliances annual conference.

Ms Sturgeon said: Prolonged, difficult labour and lack of access to maternity care has left an estimated two million women and girls in Africa suering from obstetric stula which can leave them incontinent, and often condemned to a life of solitude and despair.

No-one should experience this, which is why this scheme is so important.

This funding will not only support communities to access sanitary products, but will also help women develop entrepreneurial skills and build businesses to support them and their communities.

We are leading the way in providing access to free sanitary products in Scotland and it is only right to support those in need in one of our partner countries.

Providing opportunities for women to earn their own income beyond surgery empowers our patients for the long termAnn Gloag, founder of Freedom from Fistula

The 13,000 cash pot covers the current and next financial years and means patients can learn to make sanitary pads while they are in hospital following surgery.

It will allow them to receive an income and return to their community with the skill and equipment to start a business.

International Development Minister Ben Macpherson will visit the fistula unit at Bwaila Hospital in Lilongwe when he visits Malawi this week.

Businesswoman Ann Gloag, the founder of the charity, said: Our fistula patients have often lived a life of shame and isolation following their childbirth injury so the medical treatment is just the first step on their road to recovery.

Providing opportunities for them to earn their own income beyond surgery empowers our patients for the long term and has a positive impact on the countrys economy.Amy Patterson, Rachel Black and Chloe Millen pictured during the St. Patricks Spring Carnival celebrations in Strabane. Picture Martin McKeown. Inpresspics.com. 17.03.18

Irish citizens will continue to enjoy the same rights they currently do in the UK after Brexit, despite a Government decision not to give EU workers preferential treatment.

It comes after a decision by UK Cabinet on Monday to support a system which will be based on skills rather than nationality once the UK withdraws from the European Union.

Ministers agreed in principle to give their support to recommendations made by the independent Migration Advisory Committee on migration from the European Economic Area after Brexit - a position also supported by the Labour party.

The Cabinet meeting heard from the committee's head Prof Alan Manning.

Its report states it is working off the assumption the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland will continue after Brexit, so "any future restrictions on EEA migration will not apply to the Irish".

"Sometimes we refer to the group of UK and Irish as simply the UK-born to make the report more readable," the reports states.

Monday's Cabinet meeting was told that in the post-Brexit immigration system, EEA and non-EEA nationals "should be part of one universal system".

It is on the basis high-skilled migration is of more economic benefit to the United Kingdom than lower skilled migration.

Ministers also agreed that once free movement is brought to an end, the new system tailored to suit the needs of the UK would boost productivity.

Despite this belief, there are fears restricting the movement of lower-skilled labour could potentially damage the UK economy.

The BBC reports a Cabinet source as saying the agreement was not a firm decision, and there would be room for "light touch migration" for EU nationals as part of a trade deal with the EU.

The broadcaster's political editor Laura Kuenssberg notes that ending freedom of movement has become a "rhetorical non-negotiable for Theresa May".Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell leaves the Senate floor and heads to his office on Capitol Hill, September 24, 2018. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor and rendered his verdict on the latest allegations of youthful sexual harassment against Brett Kavanaugh. The Supreme Court nominee had been targeted by smears, he asserted. I want to make it perfectly clear: Judge Kavanaugh will be voted on here on the Senate floor.

Meanwhile the organs of conservatism have rallied to Kavanaughs defense with increasingly strident rhetoric. The principle in which conservatives are grounding their ever more resolute defense is Due Process. The core tenet of Anglo-American law is that the burden of proof always rests with the person making the accusation. An accuser cant doom someones freedom or career merely by making a charge, thunders The Wall Street Journal editorial page. The accuser has to prove the allegation in a court of law or in some other venue where the accused can challenge the facts.

Due process is a useful concept being stretched somewhat beyond its value for the situation at hand. As many commentators have pointed out, a Supreme Court appointment is more like a job interview, in which an applicant may be rejected on evidence falling well short of what is required to convict him in a court of law. Imagine Democrats had appointed a jurist who had been accused of, say, burning American flags in college. Would Republicans need legal proof to cite this as a mark against them? Or would mere credible allegations suffice?

While they may be setting the burden of proof at the wrong level, though, conservatives do have a point. Some form of due process is certainly in order, and Kavanaugh has a right to have his accusers questioned, to present evidence on his own behalf, and so on. The obvious problem with their argument is that due process of any kind is being thwarted not by Democrats but by the Republican leadership.

It is Democrats who are requesting that the FBI be brought in to investigate the charges against Kavanaugh, and the Trump administration that is denying them. It is Democrats who are demanding the testimony of Mark Judge, an eyewitness to one of Kavanaughs alleged offenses. And it is McConnell who will not allow it, and who insists the entire matter must be decided solely on the basis of competing testimony from a maximum of two people: Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford.

It is bizarre that conservatives have managed to pose as champions of due process without acknowledging this, pretending to care about evidence while supporting the side that is preventing it from being considered. We are willing to follow the facts wherever they lead, allows an indignant National Review editorial, but so far, they lead only to the belief that this is a disgraceful episode that makes Borking look above-board and responsible by comparison.

If the Republican leadership has its way, the facts wont lead anywhere. The Senate will race through a perfunctory he-said-she-said, then proceed directly to voting. Indeed, while conservative intellectuals are rallying around due process, conservative legislators are rallying around speed. The most common Republican buzzword to dismiss the charges against Kavanaugh is delay. (i.e., Sen. Tom Cotton: The Democrats are engaged in a campaign of delay and character assassination against Judge Kavanaugh.)

McConnell has already announced the outcome of the proceeding. No doubt McConnell simply doesnt care very much if Kavanaugh sexually assaulted one or more women in his youth as long as he can be counted on to vote the Federalist Society party line from the bench. But he doesnt actually want to defend that position, and so he is grudgingly providing the barest pretense of due diligence before handing down his predetermined verdict. The Republican position is due process without any process.

Update: Following up its previous editorial demanding that the core tenets of the Anglo-American legal tradition demand that Kavanaugh hearings allow a full airing airing of facts, the Journal has a new editorial today: Once Ms. Ford and Mr. Kavanaugh are heard on Thursday, there should be no more delay. Call the roll and vote. So much for due process!Sir Keir Starmer said that Labour will vote down any attempts to force the country into a blind Brexit (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Labour should not rule out allowing a second Brexit referendum to include the option of staying in the EU, Sir Keir Starmer has signalled amid signs of division at the top of the party.

Ahead of a vote at the party conference on Tuesday, the shadow Brexit secretary said that a motion on the highly divisive question that has dominated the event in Liverpool doesnt rule out Remain.

His comments to the Independent came after shadow chancellor John McDonnell signalled that he would want any second Brexit referendum to be limited to choosing how to leave the EU.

The motion doesnt rule out Remain, it doesnt tie us to any position

Campaigners for a so-called Peoples Vote  who staged a march in Liverpool on the conferences opening day  have welcomed the motion, which states that if Labour cannot force an early general election it will support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote.

But they voiced concern after Mr McDonnell indicated that the leadership envisage any vote would only be on the terms of a Brexit deal.

He later appeared to row back, telling a fringe event that Sir Keir was right to say we are keeping all the options on the table.

Mr Starmer, who will give a speech at conference on Tuesday outlining opposition to Theresa Mays Brexit plan, struck a wider tone, telling the Independent: The idea is to retain flexibility, the motion doesnt rule out Remain, it doesnt tie us to any position on what should be in any future vote.

Mr Starmer will use his speech to say that Labour is preparing to vote down Mrs Mays EU withdrawal deal in Parliament.

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The move leaves the Prime Minister brutally exposed to a rebellion by restive Tory backbenchers, with fewer than a dozen able to fracture her fragile control of the Commons in the upcoming vote.

Addressing Labours conference in Liverpool, Sir Keir will warn that Tory division, chaos and failure over Brexit is putting the countrys future prosperity at risk.

The party that once promised to fix the roof while the sun was shining now seems intent on burning the whole house down, he will say.

With a Commons vote expected in the next few months, Sir Keir is set to say that Labour will oppose any deal which fails the partys six tests, including delivering the exact same benefits of single market and customs union membership.

While stopping short of an absolute commitment to vote down Mrs Mays plans, he will tell delegates that it is highly unlikely any deal based on her Chequers blueprint could meet Labours tests.

And he will pledge not to back a blind Brexit, under which MPs would be asked to approve the 40 billion withdrawal agreement without being given a clear outline of future relations with Europe.

If your party wants to tear itself apart, that's fine, but you're not taking our country with youSir Keir Starmer to Theresa May

Sir Keir is expected to say: Just when we need a strong government, what do we see from the Tories? Division, chaos and failure.

No credible plan for Brexit. No solution to prevent a hard border in Ireland. And no majority in Parliament for the Chequers proposals.

A Tory civil war that has gone on for years now threatens our future prosperity.

And he will issue a message to Mrs May: If your party wants to tear itself apart, thats fine, but youre not taking our country with you.

Setting out Labours approach to the upcoming Commons vote, Sir Keir said: If Theresa May brings back a deal that fails our tests  and that looks increasingly likely  Labour will vote against it. No ifs, no buts.

And if the Prime Minister thinks well wave through a vague deal asking us to jump blindfolded into the unknown, she can think again.

You cant meet Labours tests by failing to provide answers. We will vote down a blind Brexit.

Let me be clear: this isnt about frustrating the process. Its about stopping a destructive Tory Brexit. Its about fighting for our values. And about fighting for our country.

Sir Keir released an analysis of the Brexit blueprint agreed by the Cabinet at Mrs Mays country residence, which he said showed it failed to pass Labours six tests.

The tests demand: a strong and collaborative future relationship with the EU; the exact same benefits as single market and customs union membership; fair management of migration; defence of rights and protections; protection for national security; and delivering for all regions and nations of the UK.

Brexit minister Robin Walker accused Labour of trying to take the UK back to square one and of wanting to re-run the referendum, saying: Labour promised to respect the referendum result, but are just playing political games and trying to frustrate it.Scottish Labour has pledged to set up a 20 credit union account for S1 pupils across Scotland if elected to government (Jane Barlow/PA)

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has pledged to put 20 in a credit union account for every first year secondary school student in Scotland.

The new policy, costing an estimated 1.2 million a year based on the 2017 S1 intake, would come into effect if the party is elected to government and is aimed at cutting reliance on high cost credit such as pay-day lenders.

It is part of a package of reforms Mr Leonard would enact to tackle personal debt across Scotland, which includes nationalising public transport to ensure fairer ticket prices, using an industrial strategy to ensure better paid jobs and increasing child benefit by 260 a year.

I visited a great Credit Union in Liverpool this morning to announce @ScottishLabours plans to open a Credit Union account for every S1 pupil with 20 inside it.



Credit Unions provide support to communities and affordable credit to millions. #Lab18 pic.twitter.com/1aCOtBYh47  Richard Leonard (@LabourRichard) September 25, 2018

Outlining the policy on a visit to a credit union in Liverpool, where Labour is holding its UK conference, Mr Leonard said: Scotlands broken economy doesnt work for working people, with too many families having to turn to high cost credit to pay essential bills. That cannot go on.

Under Labour, the days of predatory companies profiting from the squeezed wages of working people will end. Labour will take real action on the cost of living to ensure more money in the pockets of working people.

But I also want to see generational change in attitudes towards how people access credit if they need it. Thats why a Scottish Labour government would expand support for credit unions and establish a credit union account for every first year pupil in Scotland  well put 20 in it too.

Credit unions can play a vital role in personal financial education and on the importance of an ethical economy.

This will increase awareness of credit unions among working class families and ensure that generations of young people to come have access to low cost credit.The Duchess of Sussex attends the opening of Oceania (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

The Duchess of Sussex described as spectacular her introduction to the art and culture of the Pacific during her first solo event and shared the famous Maori greeting.

Meghan performed a hongi, a symbolic pressing of noses, with a group of performers after touring the UKs first exhibition of historic and contemporary artefacts and art from the Oceania region.

Looking confident and relaxed as she stepped out on her own, Meghan greeted members of Ngati Ranana, a London based Maori cultural group, after they had sung at the Royal Academy of Arts, which is staging the exhibition.

Stylish in a black Givenchy dress the duchess was taken to four specific pieces from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, nations she will be visiting in October on her first major overseas tour with Harry.

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When the duchess first arrived she was shown a large artwork by four female New Zealand women, blue tarpaulin woven into a large cloth that symbolised a rising wave.

Some of the group, called the Mata Aho Collective, also welcomed Meghan with the traditional Maori greeting.

Artist Sarah Hudson said: We thought it might be a nice bit of practice before she comes to the Pacific next month and its nice to be able to practice something thats customary for us.

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Shes honouring our heritage and its so humbling.

The exhibition celebrates the art of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, encompassing the vast Pacific region including New Guinea, Easter Island, Hawaii and New Zealand.

It also marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy, which was founded in 1768, the year Captain James Cook set out on his first Endeavour expedition

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Video artist Lisa Reihana from New Zealand said Meghan had described the Oceania exhibition, which opens to the public on Saturday, as spectacular.

Ms Reihana, who has a large video mural showcased at the event, added: She was saying how much she enjoyed the exhibition and how special she thought it was.

She also thought it was a great introduction to the sights and sounds of that part of the world, she was looking forward to it.Could there be a more appropriate day for a rhino to give birth than World Rhino Day?

Maburi, a black rhino living at Berlin Zoo, did exactly that, welcoming a baby girl on Saturday, the day the world celebrated her species.

The zoo announced the news on Monday, releasing a video of the birth and a short clip of the newborn, who weighs around 20kg.

It was the first time a rhino birth had been filmed at the park.

Perfektes #Timing: Nach einer Tragzeit von rund 14 Monaten brachte #Spitzmaulnashorn Maburi am #WeltNashornTag ein kleines, etwa 20 kg schweres Nashornweibchen im #ZooBerlin auf die Welt. Wir freuen uns #horntastisch uber diese sue #Uberraschung. Infos: https://t.co/QnmtHbCeGO pic.twitter.com/Km6wzFihXD  Zoo Berlin (@zooberlin) September 24, 2018

The as yet unnamed calf is the third child born to Maburi and father Jasper, following on from Kigoma (born in 2010) and Hodari (2014).

As rhinos are solitary animals, the pair do not live together and are only brought together to mate.

Jasper was moved to Yorkshire Wildlife Park in March.

Black rhinos are critically endangered thanks to hunting, which saw numbers of the animal drop by 98% to fewer than 2,500 between 1960 and 1995.

Thanks to conservation efforts and breeding programmes, that number is now back above 5,000.Amber Guyger, former Dallas police officer accused of fatally shooting her neighbour inside his own apartment (Kaufman County Sheriffs Office/AP)

A white Dallas police officer who fatally shot her black neighbour inside his own apartment has been fired.

Police Chief U Renee Hall dismissed Officer Amber Guyger during a hearing on Monday, according to the Police Department.

Guyger is charged with manslaughter in the September 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 bail.

A statement from police said an internal investigation concluded that on September 9, Guyger, a four-year veteran of the force, engaged in adverse conduct when she was arrested for Manslaughter.

Dallas police spokesman Sergeant Warren Mitchell later said that when an officer has been arrested for a crime, adverse conduct is often cited in the officers termination.

Sgt 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 lawyers for Jeans family, Lee Merritt, said Mr Jean was being buried Monday in St Lucia.

The familys lawyers, along with protesters, have been calling for Guyger to be fired since the shooting.

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In a statement, the lawyers 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.

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 Mr Jeans parents and their lawyers on Sunday, Ms Hall reported she intended to fire Guyger and explained the delay in the action, according to the familys lawyers in their statement.

Days before the firing, Ms 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 officers account.

Guyger said she concluded her apartment was being burgled 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, Mr Jean confronted the officer at the door.

After the shooting, Guygers blood was drawn to be tested for alcohol and drugs, according to Ms Hall. Authorities have not released results.Bagpiper Malcolm WIlbur waits to play Amazing Grace at the funeral of Jean Watters (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

A 92-year-old woman has been buried in the US with British military honours for a secret that she held for decades  her Second World War service as part of the Enigma codebreaking team.

The Union flag was draped over Jean Briggs Watters coffin during her funeral on Monday, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

She had died on September 15.

The tribute honoured Mrs Watters for her role decoding for the top-secret military programme led by Alan Turing, who was the subject of the 2014 Oscar-winning film The Imitation Game.

Mrs Watters was among about 10,000 people, mostly women, who took part in the Allied effort to crack German communication codes throughout the war.

She operated an electro-mechanical machine known as a bombe, to decipher signals the German armed forces sent out from its Enigma encryption machines.

The programme at Bletchley Park saved lives and helped bring an end to the war. But it was kept classified until the 1970s.

She never told anyone, said Mrs Watters son, Robin.

She was fully aware of the gravity of what she was doing. It was haunting to her, what might happen if she made a mistake.

Jean Briggs Watters was 18 when she enlisted in the Womens Royal Naval Service.

She had attended an art school in Cambridge before joining the war effort.

She met her husband, a US Army Air Corps pilot named John Watters, during the war and they married soon after.

She and her husband retired to the US in 1969.

Mrs Watters was buried Monday in a plot next to her husband, who died in June at the age of 101.

She had a seriousness, and a sense of duty, Robin Watters said.

She was a really special lady. But she was tough. She did the hard things.New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has made history by becoming the first female world leader to bring her baby to the United Nations general assembly.

Neve Te Aroha sat on father Clarke Gayfords lap while her mother spoke at the summit, and even received her own mock ID card.

Gayford is the babys full-time caregiver and he shared a photo of the card to Twitter, along with a rather entertaining nappy change story.

Because everyone on twitter's been asking to see Neve's UN id, staff here whipped one up.

I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change.

Great yarn for her 21st. pic.twitter.com/838BI96VYX  Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) September 24, 2018

I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change, wrote Gayford. Great yarn for her 21st.

The ID card even included the title first baby.

But it doesn't say Prime Miniature.  2covet (@2covet) September 24, 2018

On June 21, Ardern, 38, became only the second world leader ever to give birth in office, after Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan in 1990, and is the first to take maternity leave.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said of Neves attendance: Prime Minister Ardern is showing that no one is better qualified to represent her country than a working mother.

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Just 5% of the worlds leaders are women, so we need to make them as welcome here as possible.Pope Francis has acknowledged that the sex abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church are driving people away and said the church must change if it wants to keep future generations.

Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-up in Germany.

He told a gathering of young people in Estonia, considered one of the least religious countries in the world, that he knows many young people feel the church has nothing to offer them and does not understand their problems.

Those complaints recently poured into the Vatican through surveys commissioned ahead of a major meeting of bishops starting next week on how to better minister to young Catholics.

We have to realise that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you offPope Francis

We know  and you have told us  that many young people do not turn to us for anything because they dont feel we have anything meaningful to say to them, Francis told a gathering of Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox young people.

They are outraged by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them.

He said the church wants to respond to those complaints transparently and honestly.

We ourselves need to be converted, he said. We have to realise that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off.

It was a public admission of the churchs failures in confronting sex abuse scandals, which have roared back to the headlines recently with revelations of abuse and cover-up in the US, Chilean and now German churches.

The German bishops conference on Tuesday is releasing a report that found 3,677 people  more than half of them 13 or younger and nearly a third of them altar boys  were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

The report, compiled by university researchers, found evidence that some files were manipulated or destroyed, many cases were not brought to justice, and abusers were sometimes moved to other dioceses without the congregations being informed about their past, according to reports in the German press.

The scandal, which erupted in Ireland in the 1990s and subsequently Australia and the US in following decades, threatens Franciss own papacy since a former Vatican ambassador accused him of rehabilitating an American cardinal who slept with seminarians.

Francis has declined to respond to the accusations, but the Vatican is expected to soon.Every Rosenstein has its thorn. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Rod Rosenstein would not go quietly. If Donald Trump wanted to part with his deputy attorney general, he was going to have to utter his signature catchphrase. Or so Pete Williams of NBC News reported Monday morning. And while other outlets had heralded Rosensteins imminent resignation, NBCs account seemed more credible.

After all, why would the man who had launched Robert Muellers investigation clear the way for its untimely death? If Rosenstein tendered his resignation, Trump could unilaterally replace him with a crony. The Federal Vacancies Act empowers the president to temporarily move any member of his Cabinet into an open administration position  without Senate approval  so long as said vacancy was created by a death or resignation (and not a firing). Which is to say: If Rosenstein offered to quit for the crime of making jokes at the presidents expense last year, then deputy AG Ben Carson (or whomever) could euthanize the federal investigation into Trumps campaign by starving Muellers team of funds and denying them access to vital documents. By contrast, if Rosenstein forced Trump to fire him, then the Senate confirmation process  and inevitable political backlash  might constrain the presidents efforts to put himself above the law.

Thus, the choice facing Rosenstein looked like an easy one: Stand strong to protect the republic from authoritarian assault  or resign, to protect himself from angry Trump tweets.

Alas, according to the New York Times, Rod opted for Door No. 2:

Even for an administration famous for chaos and rival factions, Mondays events offered a remarkable display of the anxiety gripping the Trump administration after a New York Times report on Friday said that Mr. Rosenstein had considered secretly taping the president and had discussed using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.

By Friday evening, concerned about testifying to Congress over the revelations  Mr. Rosenstein had become convinced that he should resign, according to people close to him. He offered during a late-day visit to the White House to quit, according to one person familiar with the encounter, but John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, demurred  [O]ver the weekend, Mr. Rosenstein again told Mr. Kelly that he was considering resigning. On Sunday, Mr. Rosenstein repeated the assertion in a call with Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel.

 At the White House [Monday], the deputy attorney general slipped into a side entrance to the West Wing and headed to the White House counsels office to meet with Mr. McGahn, who had by then been told by Mr. Kelly that Mr. Rosenstein was on his way and wanted to resign.

Mr. Rosenstein was emotional, according to people familiar with his meeting with Mr. McGahn. Mr. Rosenstein wanted to leave on amicable terms, not in a manner that would trigger an angry Twitter tirade from Mr. Trump.



All reporting on this affair should be taken with a few grains of salt. But on the face of it, Rod Rosenstein appears to be more afraid of the Freedom Caucus and Donald Trumps Twitter feed, than of abetting an attack on the rule of law in the United States.

The deputy attorney general is set to meet with Trump on Thursday to discuss last weeks Times report, and his future in the administration. If Rosentein voluntarily clears out his desk afterward, lets hope the resistance resists the urge to set up a GoFundMe.The disgraceful way in which the EU bully boys treated the Prime Minister at the Salzburg summit last week will have won her some sympathy from her Tory Brexit critics - but that sympathy will not morph into support for her Chequers proposals.

But it does signal a far more belligerent approach towards the stubborn and grasping EU negotiators. Dominic Raab, the splendidly outspoken Brexit Secretary, has served notice that Britain will not be dictated to by Brussels.

In short, the deplorable behaviour of the EU leaders, which was insulting to the UK as well as the Prime Minister, may well have been a blessing - in that the UK is already serving notice that it will not tolerate any more high-handedness from Brussels and metaphorically, at least, start to thump the table more robustly, as the intensity of the negotiations steps up in their final stages.

A lot, of course, depends on the response the Prime Minister receives at the Tories' forthcoming conference in Birmingham.

I suspect it will be a lot warmer towards her than most of the Conservative anti-Brexiteers would have hoped. That should spur the Prime Minister on to demonstrate forcibly to Brussels that they cannot run rings round her or the UK. Let us hope so.

Labour has every right to demand an early snap general election this autumn over the Brexit debacle, but I suspect it will fall on deaf ears.

Do they really believe they will persuade Theresa May to repeat the same grave error of judgment as last year? She assumed, catastrophically, that the Tories would emerge from that snap election with a Commons overall majority in the 60s, but finished up without a majority at all.

She had foolishly ignored the advice of some of her wise advisers not to hold an unnecessary election and had also seriously under-estimated the appeal which Jeremy Corbyn would exercise over voters. The Prime Minister has now learnt her lesson. And Dominic Raab, Brexit Secretary, has firmly rejected the idea of an early election. "It's for the birds," he said. "It is not going to happen."

However, it is more refreshing to see Labour at last attacking the party's natural enemy the Tories - certainly at the start of its conference in Liverpool - than to see them tearing themselves to bits.

The country needs a battling Opposition, rather than one that is inward-looking and obsessed with self-harm.

The withering description by David Cameron of Ukip as "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists, mostly" seemed to some people a little harsh at the time.

No doubt the then Prime Minister was seriously worried about the extent to which Ukip would attract into its ranks otherwise potential Tory voters.

After all, in those days, Ukip represented the views of what turned out to be the majority of voters at the Brexit referendum. In fact, Ukip played some part in getting the referendum to happen at all.

But since then, when the party appeared to be a useful and serious addition to the British political scene, Ukip has degenerated into a ragtag and bobtail outfit, sliding dangerously towards the extreme right of British politics. If this continues, it will gain a reputation like that of the National Front and the English Defence League, and disappear unmourned from the landscape.

Ukip has had a succession of ineffectual or useless leaders since the days of Nigel Farage. But even he, with his considerable influence, seems unable to halt the party's slide into oblivion.

I suspect that sooner rather than later, it will be a case of "thanks for the memory".

Politicians and their speech-writers suffer sleepless nights and spend hours of agonising, brain-wracking thinking up startling sound bytes to wow their audiences with - and more importantly, to find their way into the headlines of the following day's newspapers.

So Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable and his team were patting themselves on the back when they thought up "erotic spasm", which they thought (although I didn't - it was too clever by half) was a marvellously derogatory description of Brexit.

But alas, as we all know, poor old Vince, never a barrel of laughs, failed to get his tongue and his larynx around the phrase and, he spat out something which sounded like "exotic sprezm".

He was mortified, especially as the newspapers splashed on his gaffe and paid relatively scant attention in many cases to the rest of what he regarded as a massively important speech at their party conference. It was lost as the nation roared with laughter.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband dropped an equally embarrassing clanger at his party conference a few years back. He memorised his speech and then forgot entirely to include the passage about the economy and the deficit, by far the most important issue of the day. He was so mortified that he locked himself in his hotel room for several hours, weeping no doubt.

As one Labour MP said at the time: "What a plonker."

Long live the political gaffe. They pinprick the pompous and give us all a good chuckle.There is no doubt that the five men spotted taking a hike in the Mourne Mountains and then strolling on the busy Newcastle promenade were brutal killers. At their separate trials - four of which involved the murder of women - the judges recommended that they should serve very lengthy minimum terms

There is no doubt that the five men spotted taking a hike in the Mourne Mountains, as pictured in the Sunday World, and then strolling on the busy Newcastle promenade were brutal killers. At their separate trials - four of which involved the murder of women - the judges recommended that they should serve very lengthy minimum terms.

The tariffs handed down - Kenneth McConnell was told to serve at least 18 years; William Moore 17 years; William Mawhinney 12 years; Gerard O'Kane 14 years and Sui Ching Wong 18 years - were a reflection of the heinous nature of their crimes.

Indeed if they were to serve those full terms, it would be some time yet before they would be released.

And the relatives of those they killed naturally expect that they should serve those periods. Prison, first and foremost, is a punishment for crimes committed, although it is accepted, as the Prison Service contends, it is also a place of rehabilitation if possible.

It has also to be accepted that getting the balance right between punishment and rehabilitation is a delicate operation. Ronnie Armour, director general of the NI Prison Service, goes to great length in this newspaper today to justify these killers' day out, saying it is part of a rigorous testing system to see if they are suitable for release and what measures can be taken to help them reintegrate back into society.

But he dismisses the concerns of the public, especially the relatives of those killed, in a sentence - "I can understand why there would be opposition to this" - and that really does not do justice to those who rightly baulk at the sight of ruthless killers given a jolly day out.

As a victims' group points out in this newspaper, those who were murdered will never get another chance at life and a lifetime of grief for their bereaved relatives really does mean a lifetime. There is no parole for them, or test that they can pass, to allow them to put the past behind them.

While Mr Armour is sincere without doubt in stating that prisoners who are given pre-release testing undergo rigorous risk assessment, there have been occasions when prisoners were released for various reasons and failed to return until recaptured.

No system is infallible especially when dealing with prisoners who in the past have demonstrated cunning and ruthlessness. The public would rather the Prison Service erred on the side of caution when making release decisions.Assam residents whose names were excluded from the National Register of Citizens submit documents for the National Register of Citizens on the outskirts of Gauhati, India, Aug. 13, 2018.

Thousands began refiling documents in northeastern Indias Assam state Tuesday to prove their citizenship after almost 4 million residents were excluded from a draft list that could put them at risk of becoming stateless.

The much-anticipated process did not draw expected long lines at 2,500 centers set up across the state, which shares a 262-km (163-mile) border with Bangladesh, as those seeking to be added to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) have 60 days to file.

NRC contains what New Delhi describes as genuine Indian citizens residing in Assam, a sliver of India squeezed between Bhutan and Bangladesh. It lists those who can prove that they or their parents were in India before Bangladesh became a nation in 1971.

Assam, which has a population of about 32 million, boasts the second highest number of Muslims  34 percent  among all Indian states. It is updating its NRC for the first time since 1951.

India believes that the hundreds of thousands who fled the civil war in Pakistan and crossed the border into Assam to escape the fighting should go back to Bangladesh. The government in Dhaka, on the other hand, says it wont accept them.

Those whose names were not among the 29 million included in the draft NRC have to file using one of the 10 required documents to prove their citizenship.

Pruning five documents

The NRC update is supervised by Indias apex court, which recently ruled in favor of NRC coordinator Prateek Hajelas suggestion to prune the five documents from the original list of 15.

The decision means 4 million people, mostly Bengali-speaking Hindu and Muslim migrants from neighboring Bangladesh, must use acceptable documentation including land deeds, permanent resident certificates, passports, bank and post office accounts and birth certificates issued before March 24, 1971, two days before the start of the Bangladeshi war of independence against Pakistan.

The NRC is aimed at detecting and deporting an estimated 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants living in India, according to the government.

The court removed the original 1951 NRC list, electoral rolls of 1966 and 1971, citizenship certificates, refugee certificates and ration cards from the list of acceptable documents, which were all issued by the federal or the state government.

Its a ploy to disfranchise Bengali-speaking people living in Assam, Chitta Paul, adviser to the All Assam Bengali Youth Students Federation, told BenarNews.

The 4 million Assam applicants learned of their plight when the draft list was published on July 30.

Court controversy

The courts ruling on Hajelas suggestion triggered controversy as ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition parties said they were not consulted. They are planning to move an all-party resolution in the assembly against the new guidelines.

If all the political parties agree, we can move a resolution against NRC coordinator Hajela on his plan to cut the list of documents, Chandramohan Patowary, BJP senior minister in the state, told BenarNews.

BJP national president Amit Shah, on the other hand, recently likened illegal immigrants to termites eating into the country, a description criticized by Bangladesh officials.

BJP is playing a double game on the NRC issue. The Hindu nationalist party wants to make NRC a major election issue in 2019 to polarize Hindu population in their favor, political analyst Yogendra Yadav told local media. By doing so, the party is playing with fire.

Earlier this month, the West Bengal unit of BJP launched a three-week campaign to organize small group meetings at village and district levels to explain why an updated NRC list is important for the state.

There are about 10 million illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the state, and we have been demanding for a long time to push them back, senior West Bengal BJP party official Sayantan Basu told BenarNews at the time.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who leads the All-India Trinamool Congress party, said she opposes the central governments plan to use the NRC to identify and deport Bangladeshi migrants living in India without proper papers.Three Indonesian fishermen held hostage by Abu Sayyaf militants for 18 months are seen on the Southern Philippine island of Milano after they walked free, Sept. 16, 2018.

Relatives of two Indonesian fishermen abducted off the east coast of Malaysian Borneo earlier this month have received a ransom demand of nearly U.S. $1 million from a Malay speaker calling from the Philippines, a Malaysian security official said Tuesday.

The caller demanded the ransom of 4 million ringgit (U.S. $967,220) be paid in Malaysian currency but did not specify a deadline, Sabah Police Commissioner Omar Mammah said.

The call was placed to the wife of one of the victims in Sulawesi, Indonesia, he said.

The caller making the ransom demand to wife of the boat skippers assistant spoke in Malay at 10:24 a.m. on Sept.18, Omar told BenarNews. [T]heres a big possibility the caller had spent time in Sabah. Were not discounting this possibility.

The fishermen were kidnapped Sept. 11 from their fishing boat anchored near Bodgaya island, off the east coast of Sabah state, according to officials. Two others crew members hid when the boat was boarded by two men in face masks who had arrived in a pump boat.

We believe the call was made from the Philippines as the number used was that of the neighboring nation, Omar told reporters on Tuesday. We also believe there will be negotiations between the kidnappers and the families concerning the ransom.

Abducted from their waters

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry official responsible for the welfare of Indonesian nationals abroad was not immediately available to confirm the ransom call.

Hopefully the Sabah police are not only forwarding the information about the ransom demand from the hostage-takers, but they also can free the two Indonesian fishermen who were abducted from their waters, the official, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, earlier told reporters in a text message.

Omar said authorities were intensifying security efforts after receiving reports from fishermen about pump boats apparently scouting Sabah waters for kidnapping opportunities.

Four days after the kidnapping, three Indonesian fishermen who had been held captive by Abu Sayyaf for 18 months were released. Abu Sayyaf is a southern Philippines-based militant group notorious for kidnappings, bombings and beheadings over the past two decades.

A regional security analyst said the Indonesian government had been quiet about their release.

We dont know exactly happened as the Indonesian government is not saying anything about it, Lai Yew Ming of Universiti Malaysia Sabah told BenarNews.

Some governments stress they have a zero-tolerance policy against kidnappers, meaning there are no negotiations whatsoever. But what happens behind the scene could be a different story.

At a Sept. 19 ceremony at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta in which the former hostages were reunited with their families, Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister AM Fachir said the men were freed by utilizing the assets we have in the field and the support of the Philippine government.

Two suspects killed

On Sept. 20, forces from the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) killed two men suspected of acting as informants for kidnappers, during a sea chase off Bohayan island, also in Semporna district of Sabah, where the Sept. 11 kidnapping took place.

The men, who did not carry identification but appeared to be in their 50s, fired at authorities as they attempted to flee in a pump boat, according to police, who went looking for them after receiving a tip-off from local people.

Esscom suspects locals harbored the informants, Commander Hazani Ghazali said. He also said the kidnappers could be members of Abu Sayyaf.

The surge in kidnappings in 2016 in Sabah happened because the Abu Sayyaf wanted to finance their operations during the Marawi war in 2017, he said, referring to the five-month siege of the southern Philippine city by Islamic State-linked militants that left 1,200 people dead.

In June 2017, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia launched trilateral patrols aimed at safeguarding the Sulu and Celebes seas that lie between their countries from pirates and militants.

The Sept. 11 kidnapping was the first in region in nearly 18 months, according to the Singapore-based information sharing center of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

Tia Asmara in Jakarta contributed to this report.This handout photo shows Philippine Sen. Antonio Trillanes being booked at a police station in Manila following his arrest, Sept. 25, 2018.

A senator who has been a leading critic of Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes deadly anti-drug campaign turned himself in to authorities voluntarily on Tuesday, after a court ordered his arrest following a presidential revocation of an amnesty for his past role in military mutinies.

Judge Elmo Alameda of Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 granted the Justice Departments petition for an arrest warrant and hold order against Sen. Antonio Trillanes, a former Navy lieutenant who helped lead two military rebellions against the government in 2003 and 2007.

Wearing a coat and tie, Trillanes was taken in custody from the Senate and subjected to a booking process like a common criminal. He was accompanied by fellow opposition senators, who charged that Duterte was engaged in a crusade to persecute his political opponents.

So, officially, we dont have democracy anymore. This case goes beyond me. You can see here that I dont have any crimes committed because I was given amnesty seven years ago, Trillanes told reporters before he went to the police office, where he posted 200,000 pesos (U.S. $3,679) in bail.

This is a clear harassment against his critics in politics telling the truth that he cannot face, the senator added, referring to President Duterte.

Philippine opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes talks to reporters at the Senate building in Manila after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered his arrest in connection with past military rebellions, Sept. 6, 2018. [Luis Lawanag/BenarNews]

Trillanes was arrested after taking refuge at his office in the Senate building since early this month.

The court said Duterte's Proclamation No. 572 was factual. This proclamation declared Trillanes' amnesty void from the beginning because of his alleged failure to comply with requirements, a fact contested by the senator.

Duterte revoked the amnesty granted to Trillanes, allegedly because the senator did not comply with requirements set out by the law. He directed the Justice Department and military to proceed with court martial proceedings against the lawmaker.

Dutertes chief legal counsel, Sal Panelo, urged the former navy officer-turned politician to stop milking the issue and acting pathetically as if he is a victim of injustice.

A colleague of Trillanes, Rep. Gary Alejano, slammed the courts order, calling the senator a victim of political persecution.

This administration will do everything to silence Trillanes, Alejano told reporters.

Trillanes in 2003 helped lead a rebellion against then-President Gloria Arroyo. The mutineering officers took over the Oakwood Hotel in the Makati financial district, but their rebellion was quickly put down.

In 2007, while being tried for their roles in the earlier mutiny, Trillanes and the other officers walked out of a court hearing into their case and occupied another hotel in the Philippine capital. They called for Arroyos removal, but the uprising ended abruptly when the armed forces drove an armored personnel carrier into the hotel lobby.

Thousands of suspected drug users have been killed since Duterte took power two years ago, according to rights advocates.Hanela Duerama (wearing a red hijab) cries after her son received a four-year jail sentence following his conviction on bomb-plot charges, Sept. 25, 2018.

A Thai court on Tuesday sentenced nine Muslim men from the Deep South to four to six years in jail after convicting them of conspiring two years ago to launch bomb attacks in Bangkok and a nearby province, while five others walked free.

A defense attorney challenged the decision, saying his clients were tortured to confess and will appeal within 30 days.

Mubarina Kana was the only defendant to be found with traces of explosives, according to the two-judge panel. He was handed a six-year jail term.

Based on forensic probe, the trace of PETN, an explosive material that is not common, was found on his left and right hand, one of the judges said during the sentencing, referring to Mubarina. It is believed that he had bombs.

The judge, who was not identified by the court, said eight other defendants conspired to form a crime syndicate and were each sentenced to four years in jail. Five others were found not guilty.

On Oct. 10, 2016, Thai security forces raided several residences in Bangkok and Samut Prakan, a province south of the capital, arresting dozens of Muslim men from the Deep South, mostly students at Ramkhamhaeng University, over allegations they planned car-bomb attacks.

Torture testimony

Defense lawyer Kijja Ali-isho who represented the 14 defendants said his clients testified they were tortured to confess while in military prisons in Bangkok and in Pattani.

They were hit in the ears, kept in cold temperature, anything that would not cause external bruises, he told BenarNews after the verdict.

The court doubted their testimony.

The defendants claims of being threatened and tortured to confess is not substantiated because there were no signs on their bodies, the judge said.

The mother of Uzman Kadirhaji was in court to hear her sons sentence.

I felt disheartened simply because we are Deep South people and they dont believe us about the torture, said Hanela Duerama, who traveled from Narathiwat province to the nations capital, Bangkok, for the verdict.

We told the truth, but they dont believe, Hanela told BenarNews. I believe my son is not a perpetrator.

Pornpen Khongkachonkiat, director of Bangkok-based rights group Cross Cultural Foundation, described the verdict as a setback for justice.

Thai law allows swift arrest and detention of suspect without charge for up to seven days, during which authorities can question suspects who do not have legal counsel, according to Pornpen and legal experts.

And when people sued officials  many have won compensation, but none of the officials were punished criminally, Pornpen said. Many stopped short there without further criminal prosecution, being satisfied with the money.The Fraser Institute brought good news as it released its annual Economic Freedom of the World report this morning. The United States has surged in the rankings compared to two years ago.

Canada has gone from being a top five country two years ago, to barely hanging in the top 10 on this years index, said Fred McMahon of the Fraser Institute. On the other hand, the United States has improved from 13th to sixth.

The institute defines economic freedom as how freely resources change hands by personal choices instead of centralized state planning.

Higher taxes and growing regulation at the federal level and in some provinces have made Canadians materially less economically free, McMahon said. This should be worrying to all Canadians, as lower levels of economic freedom leads to slower economic growth and less investment.

The United States and Canada tied for eleventh place in last years report, but experts say this is historically anomalous.

Typically, the United States was very close to the top  second, third, or fourth place, said Ian Vasquez, director of the Cato Institutes Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity. That began to change in 2000, he said.

Under the Bush administration  there was a fairly steady decline that accelerated with the Obama administration.

However, the last years of Obamas presidency saw a slow uptick in economic freedom for the United States. This years report are based on statistics from 2016, the most recent year for which data are available.

It is still below, notably below the high level of economic freedom the United States had in the year 2000, when this long-term decline began, Vasquez told this mornings Cato Daily Podcast.

The annual report, which dates back to 1970, measures 42 variables that cluster into five categories: size of government, the legal system and protection of private property rights, sound money, freedom to trade internationally, and overall government regulation.

The 10 most economically free nations in 2016 were:

Hong Kong Singapore New Zealand Switzerland Iceland United States of America Georgia Mauritius United Kingdom Australia/Canada (tie)

The 10 least economically free nations in 2016 were:

Sudan Guinea-Bissau Angola Central African Republic Republic of Congo Syria Algeria Argentina Libya Venezuela.

Certain countries  including North Korea and Cuba  are not ranked, due to lack of data.

Supposedly democratic socialist nations such as Denmark (16) and the Netherlands (18) ranked higher than Germany (20) and Luxembourg (25).

Other noteworthy findings about European nations include Estonia and Lithuania (tied at 13), Malta (17), Latvia (23), Austria (27), Spain (30), Belgium (52), Italy (54), France (57), Slovenia (71), and Russia (87).

The lowest-ranking European nation, Greece, tied with China at 108.

McMahon worries that Chinese interference will ultimately lead to deterioration in Hong Kongs top position, particularly in rule of law, which helps ensure equal freedom for all.

Citizens in China continue to be far less free economically than citizens in virtually all jurisdictions and countries within the region, he said.

This years survey adds three nations: Belarus (123), Iraq (152), and Sudan (153). In all, the report provides ratings for 162 of the worlds 192 nations.

The worlds overall level of economic freedom has held steady since 2000, with some decline among the worlds most developed nations.

The high-water mark was the year 2000, Vasquez summarized, and the rich countries are not yet at that level.

Why Christians should care

People of faith should care about economic freedom for numerous reasons, including the fact that economic and religious freedom are correlated.

To undertake the direction of the economic life of people with widely divergent ideals and values, wrote Friedrich von Hayek in The Road to Serfdom, guarantees that the best intentions cannot prevent one from being forced to act in a way which to some of those affected must appear highly immoral.

You can compare this years report with last years findings.

You can read the full report here.

(Photo credit: Fraser Institute.)The united conservative front supporting Brett Kavanaugh is getting stronger and less rational. Photo: Chip Somodevilla

It is entirely predictable that conservatives are strenuously defending Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh from attacks on his record and jurisprudence from progressives with a different view of the Constitution. Its also unsurprising that those who really want to see him shape an enduring conservative majority on the Court are disinclined to believe (or frankly, to care about) the women who have come forward to accuse him of committing sexual assaults in his high school and college years.

But there is now a strident and frankly substance-free mood among Kavanaughs conservatives defenders that is almost defiant in rejecting the accusations against him, and uninterested in alternative strategies for vindicating their constitutional views. Like the conservatives who came around to support for Donald Trump in 2016, they seem to have focused on fury at their ancient left-of-center enemies. And even though they could pay a high price if Kavanaugh goes down, his confirmation has become for them an end in itself.

National Review was a hotbed of support for a SCOTUS nomination of Kavanaugh rival Amy Comey Barrett. She is by near-unanimous assent the most likely substitute for Kavanaugh if he is withdrawn or is defeated. But the editors of NR now treat his confirmation as imperative:

Brett Kavanaugh is an excellent jurist who has earned his sterling reputation over decades of public service. If his career is going to be ruined and his reputation besmirched, it should require clear and convincing evidence. We are willing to follow the facts wherever they lead, but so far, they lead only to the belief that this is a disgraceful episode that makes Borking look above-board and responsible by comparison.

If Republicans surrender on the basis of what we know now, they will face the fury of their own voters  and rightly so.

The more Trumpian, populist corners of the conservative commentariat are treating the GOPs willingness to fight to the end for this classically coastal elite nominee as an unconditional obligation that will destroy the Republican Party if it fails. The Federalists Sean Davis treats any surrender over Kavanaugh as guaranteeing a deserved midterm disaster:

Republican lawmakers have to understand that their voters have zero patience for their excuses for not doing what they promised. Its why they elected Trump in the first place. Republican senators failed to repeal Obamacare after promising to do so for years. That was strike one. Theyve steadfastly refused to secure the border, let alone build a barrier along the most porous sections of the nations border with Mexico. That was strike two.

A refusal to vote to confirm Kavanaugh in the face of a blatantly obvious Democrat smear campaign, orchestrated in concert with a compliant and obscenely partisan national media, will be strike three, and there will be no more at-bats. I have spent a career working in and covering politics, and I have never witnessed the kind of anger among rank-and-file GOP voters generated from a combination of the unsubstantiated Democrat attacks on Kavanaugh and the flaccid response of emasculated Republicans.

Again, this rage is overcoming the rational calculation that with a vast bench of Federalist Societyvetted SCOTUS prospects, and a strong likelihood that Republicans will hang onto the Senate, theres no reason to panic, or to lash the GOPs prospects to Kavanaugh like Odysseus tied to the mast in the land of the Sirens.

You have to wonder if partisanship aside, the gender tensions at the heart of the factual dispute over Kavanaughs history and character arent driving some conservative men into a macho frenzy, as illustrated by Townhalls Kurt Schlichter:

The GOP is, as usual, afraid to be seen as insufficiently submissive. We have Chuck Grassley announcing, by tweets that sound like they were composed by a twelve-year-old texting her girlfriends after breaking into moms cooking sherry, that hes ready to roll over yet again. The only way this could get worse is if the crusty Iowan discovered emojis.

No. Hold the vote, confirm Kavanaugh, and then let him set about making the libs sorry they ever pulled this stunt.

And so, the Georgetown Prep and double-Yale graduate Brett Kavanaugh, raised in the very swamp of Washington, is becoming an icon to MAGA people everywhere. Some of his backers seem to consider him near-immortal, as reflected in this vow from Christian-right warhorse Ralph Reed:

[W]e are going to confirm Brett Kavanaugh and hes going to spend the next 50 years on the U.S. Supreme Court, Reed said, to cheers.

If 103-year-old Kavanaugh is still on the Court in 2068, perhaps the extravagant faith being placed on him by conservatives will be justified.I thought I knew the apostle Paul. Ive followed his ministry. And over the years, Ive spent a lot of time reading his writings. But recently I realized I didnt know as much about the Apostle Paul as I thought. While studying Pauls life for my newest Bible study, I discovered several new things about the apostle of grace. Of course they were there all along; I had simply overlooked them. Maybe some will be new to you too. First, let's do a quick summary of what we know about Paul.

Paul's exact date of birth is unknown. It is reasonable to surmise that he was born within a decade of Jesus' birth. He died, probably as a martyr in Rome, in the mid- to late a.d. 60s. Paul, in the New Testament known by his Hebrew name Saul until Acts 13:9, was apparently educated from boyhood in Jerusalem, not Tarsus (Acts 22:3). It is not clear whether his family moved to Jerusalem (where both Greek and Jewish schooling was offered) while he was young, or whether Paul was simply sent there for his education. He studied under the ranking rabbi of the era, Gamaliel. His exegesis of the Old Testament bears testimony to his rabbinic training. Paul's hostile attitude toward the latest and most virulent messianic movement of the time underwent radical change. As he traveled the 150 miles from Jerusalem to Damascus armed with legal authority to hunt down Jewish Christians (Acts 9:1-2), bright light and a heavenly voice stopped him dead in his tracks. It was Jesus  to Paul's chagrin not a dead troublemaker but the risen Lord. Paul's conversion was never the focal point of his preaching he preached Christ, not his personal experience (2 Cor 4:5)but it does not fail to influence him in later years (Acts 22:2-12; 26:2-18).

Paul's writings all arise from the crucible of missionary activity and the theological effort required to educate and sustain those who found Christ through his preaching. The Galatians and Thessalonians letters were written during his first and second mission journies. Corinthians and Romans from his third missionary journies. Then, Paul's arrival in Jerusalem was followed quickly by arrest and a two-year imprisonment in Caesarea Maritima. Thereafter he was shipped to Rome on appeal to the imperial court of Nero. There (see Acts 28) he apparently wrote his so-called prison letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Reports of uncertain reliability place Paul's death at about a.d. 67 under the deranged oversight of Nero. (excerpts from Baker's Evangelical Dictionary)

1. Paul didnt jump right into long-term ministry

(Galatians 1:13-18)

In my mind, Paul met Jesus on a dusty road, spent three days fasting in Damascus, regained his eyesight, then jumped right into ministry to the Gentiles and never looked back. But a closer examination of Scripture tells a little different story. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote he went immediately into Arabia (Galatians 1:17). In fact, he didnt return to Jerusalem for three years (Galatians 1:18). What did Paul do during all this time in Arabia? Many scholars feel this may have been a spiritual retreat for Paul, a time to reconcile everything he knew from the Old Testament Scriptures with his new reality in Christ. In Arabia, Paul could immerse himself in the reality of his Savior and focus on learning and growing in preparation for ministry.

2. Pauls nephew saved his life

(Acts 23:12-35)

After Pauls arrest by a Roman commander in Jerusalem, 40 Jewish men bound themselves in an oath to not eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. The Jewish leaders agreed to help them by petitioning the Roman commander to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin for questioning. The assassins planned to attack Paul during the transfer. But the son of Pauls sister heard of the plot and reported it to Paul at the Roman barracks. When Paul told a centurion, the Roman commander ordered a detachment of almost 500 guards to move him to Caesarea under the cover of night.

3. Sauls name was not changed to Paul

(Acts 13:6-9)

During the biblical account of Pauls first missionary journey, Luke writes: Then Saul, who was also called Paul (Acts 13:9). From this point forward, Luke only refers to the apostle as Paul. This shift does not reflect a name change, as has often been said, but rather a conscious decision on Pauls part to use a name he already had. Since Paul was a Roman citizen, he would have been given three names at birth. The third was Pauls Latin name, Paullus. Pauls Latin name was a better fit for the predominantly Roman environment. Saul the Pharisee chose to be known as Paul, citizen of Rome.

4. God gave Paul more than he could handle

(2 Corinthians 1:8-11)

Paul and his companions suffered such extreme pressure during a particular situation in Asia they despaired even of life. Scholars arent sure what event Paul referred to in these verses, but it was a situation so dire Paul believed he and his companions might die. He saw no way out of the life-threatening situation. And indeed, without Gods miraculous intervention, they would have. When all human hope was lost God delivered them by His grace through the prayers of the believers (2 Corinthians 1:11).

5. Paul visited heaven before his death

(2 Corinthians 12:1-10)

God gave Paul a glimpse of heaven during his early years as a believer, perhaps during his time of spiritual retreat in Arabia (Galatians 1:17). Paul didnt know if he had been physically transported or was there in spirit. But he saw and heard inexpressible things. Pride would be the natural sinful response to an experience like this, but pride and conceit have no place in Gods servant. Therefore, God allowed something into Pauls life to foster humility - a thorn of the flesh.

6. Paul felt deserted by everyone but God

(2 Timothy 4:9-18)

Throughout Pauls ministry he suffered trials and persecution for the sake of Christ. He was stoned, beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, and betrayed. He often went without food, sleep, and shelter. During his Roman imprisonment, he also felt alone with no other person to support or defend him. Demas left him because he loved the world. Alexander did him a great deal of harm. Yet through it all, the Lord stood with him. Paul was comforted and strengthened by Gods powerful presence.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Instagram co-founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom are leaving the company. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage for The Webby Awards

Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are leaving Instagram after eight years at the company, six of them after the photo-sharing app was purchased by Facebook. Were planning on leaving Instagram to explore our curiosity and creativity again, Systrom, who also served as the companys CEO, explained in a statement on the companys blog.

While we have no doubt that Systrom and Krieger want to explore their creativity again, reports from other tech outlets indicate that a major contributing factor to the decision was recent discord between the co-founders and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Lately, they were frustrated with an uptick in day-to-day involvement by Zuckerberg, who has become more reliant on Instagram in planning for Facebooks future, reported Bloomberg. Tension had mounted this year between Instagram and Facebooks leadership regarding Instagrams autonomy  in May, Instagrams beloved VP of Product Kevin Weil moved to Facebooks new blockchain team and was replaced by former VP of Facebook News Feed Adam Mosseri  a member of Zuckerbergs inner circle, TechCrunch reports. A piece from Recode puts it succinctly: the co-founders have disagreed with Zuckerberg on a handful of recent product changes, including changes to comments and how posts are shared between the two networks.

What are those specific changes? One sore point could be that tweaks to Instagrams sorting algorithm now mean that Instagram comments from verified accounts and accounts with lots of followers surface higher than comments from non-verified accounts  a new feature that has led to mass comment spamming from follower-seeking verified accounts like @DiaryOfAFitMommyOfficial. Another might be the apps newly aggressive efforts to link Facebook accounts, and friend lists, to accounts and following lists on Instagram. Is this because Instagrams attempts to get you to follow your Facebook friends have gotten so painfully thirsty and embarrassing, I can only assume so, the Outlines Casey Johnston tweeted regarding Systrom and Kriegers resignations.

Among Instagrams other big, recent changes was the launch of IGTV, Instagrams hub for long-form video and its answer to YouTube, this summer. The launch event itself, emceed by Systrom, was a nightmare of technical difficulties and grumpy tech journalists. But in the weeks that have followed, the bigger issue seems to be that people arent all that into IGTV. While the company was probably hoping for a similar trajectory as when it launched Instagram Stories and then eclipsed Snapchat in active users, this doesnt seem to have been the case thus far. (Oh, also, a report from Business Insider last week found the feature was recommending videos of potential child abuse.)

That Zuckerberg has been leaning particularly hard on Instagram in recent months isnt surprising. The parent company and flagship product  i.e., Facebook  has suffered a severely battered reputation since the 2016 election, while Instagram, despite being 100 percent owned by Facebook, managed to escape being dragged through the mud with its parent company. Maybe even more significantly, Facebook has found its growth stagnating in its most profitable markets, the U.S. and Europe, while Instagram is still growing prodigiously: In June, it reached the one-billionusers mark. Facing competition from YouTube and Snapchat, its not at all surprising that Facebook would view the still-popular, still-growing Instagram as its savior.

So what happens at Instagram now that the dudes who built it are gone? Realistically, if those reports of clashes between Systrom, Krieger, and Zuckerberg are to be believed, nothing good. The problem is that the features that led Facebook to astronomical growth  and that Zuckerberg would likely want to see in the Instagram app  are the same features that have made Facebook a social-media pariah.

Take sharing: For a long time, Instagram has refused to support a reshare feature that would allow people to share other users photos to their own feeds because Systrom and Krieger believe, as Bloomberg wrote earlier this year, that sharing can also lead to a sense of alienation. Really that decision is about keeping your feed focused on the people you know rather than the people you know finding other stuff for you to see, Systrom told Wired in 2017 about internal debates over a reshare feature. And I think that is more of a testament of our focus on authenticity and on the connections you actually have than about anything else. Given Systrom and Kriegers sudden departure, its hard to imagine it was a coincidence that last week the Verge reported that Instagram had been testing a feature that would let users reshare posts from other accounts to their own Instagram feeds.

With Systrom and Krieger gone, its easy to imagine Facebooks management moving toward features that promote growth at the expense of the social networks overall health. And this would be terrible for Instagram as we know it. Imagine your feed as it currently exists, plus an influx of reshared posts the people you follow also found interesting or newsworthy or pretty enough to share again with you. That could be okay assuming youre only following a curated list of people whose news judgement and aesthetic discernment you trust enough to populate your feed a little more. But that gets more harried when you consider most Instagram users are also following people they dont know in real life: People who might use this feature to try to sell things. Or disseminate fake news. Or generally turn Instagram into more of a Facebook which is exactly what nobody, except maybe those working for Facebook, wants.

So is Instagram about to suck? Maybe. Its definitely about Zuck.For Immediate Release, September 25, 2018

Contact: Ross Middlemiss, (707) 599-2743, rmiddlemiss@biologicaldiversity.org

L.A. County Approves Wildlife Habitat-destroying Sprawl Development

Northlake Project Slated for Wildfire-prone Area of Santa Clarita Valley

LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors gave the green light today to a sprawling housing development set to ruin 1,000 acres of critically important habitat for imperiled animals in a wildfire-prone area of Santa Clarita Valley.

By denying the Center for Biological Diversitys administrative appeal, the county opened the door to litigation to challenge the Northlake development that will bring 10,000 new residents to an isolated area far from existing communities and jobs.

The supervisors ignored their responsibility to protect communities and wildlife and support smart planning in Los Angeles County, said Ross Middlemiss, a legal fellow at the Center. Bulldozing creeks, evicting animals and creating more traffic congestion just arent the answer to Californias housing challenges.

The Northlake development would fill in more than three miles of Grasshopper Creek, destroying crucial riparian habitat for imperiled species including burrowing owls, western spadefoot toads, southwestern willow flycatchers and least Bells vireos. Adjacent to the Castaic Lake Recreation Area, the development includes 3,000 new homes but provides few employment opportunities, meaning it will cause long commutes and worsen air pollution.

The encroachment on the countys limited open space also threatens corridors for bears, mountain lions and other wildlife between the Angeles and Los Padres national forests.

The county rubber-stamped this destructive project, refusing to genuinely consider a less harmful alternative, Middlemiss said. L.A. County has no business allowing new communities in isolated, undeveloped open space that would expose new residents to a high risk of wildfire.

The Center has raised concerns and submitted comments throughout the Northlake environmental-review process. The administrative hearing today was a result of appeal filed by the Center challenging an April 2018 Planning Commission decision approving the development.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy also filed an administrative appeal against the development.India is placed just behind Sudan (ranked 157) and ahead of Namibia (ranked 159). The United States ranked 27th, while China placed at 44th and Pakistan 164th position in an international ranking based on human capital.

A first-ever scientific study published by Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation based in Seattle has said that India ranks 158th out of the 195 countries for its investments in education and health care as measurements of its commitment to economic growth.

India is placed just behind Sudan (ranked 157) and ahead of Namibia (ranked 159). The United States ranked 27th, while China placed at 44th and Pakistan 164th position in an international ranking based on human capital.

Human capital is a measure of the education and health levels in a population, expressed as the number of expected years lived between the age of 20 and 64. It is considered an important determinant of economic growth.

By taking into account life expectancy, functional health, years of schooling and education quality, the quality of labour generated within a country can be estimated, compared with other nations and areas for increased investment focus identified.

Our findings show the association between investments in education and health and improved human capital and GDP (gross domestic product) which policymakers ignore at their own peril, said Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.

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.

"It is the sum total of a population's health, skills, knowledge, experience, and habits," says the World Bank president Jim Yong Kim.

The World Bank had last year requested IHME to develop a measure of human capital, that would help enable global comparisons over time and equip governments with the insights into where critical health and education investments are needed.

The study is published in The Lancet.An unbelievable cacophony is growing around the so-called 'collapse' of IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited). Repetitive fear-mongering has only added to the confusion and obfuscated the crisis to such an extent that the focus has shifted dramatically to how grave the crisis could possibly be rather than what it is on the ground.

Frightful and irresponsible commentaries about a 'systemic risk' suggesting India's financial system could collapse due to IL&FS have only added fuel to fire in the markets. Monday's 1500-points swing in the Sensex was largely attributed to the fears around IL&FS and its tangential consequences.

For the sake of sanity around the IL&FS discourse, let's first examine the entire expanse of the IL&FS crisis. Assume, for instance, that IL&FS is bust-which it is not-then the total hit to India's financial system can be hypothetically a maximum of Rs 1 lakh crore.

This is not to suggest that Rs 1 lakh crore is chicken feed. But surely it's nowhere close to the systemic risk it's being portrayed as. If that was so, just the RBI circular of February to recognise all defaults beyond the 90th day has caused the so-called systemic risk 2.5 times that of IL&FS as it raised India's NPAs by nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore in one stroke. And RBI's circular didn't create the kind of panic that IL&FS is causing.

IL&FS's possible worst case scenario also needs to be seen in the greater context of the non-performing assets in India's banking system which is at Rs 10.3 lakh crore. Total loans disbursed by the banking system are nearly Rs 80 lakh crore.

Now, let's boil this down to specific concerns regarding IL&FS:

IL&FS IS NO LEHMAN

Outrageous comparisons are being drawn likening the puny IL&FS with Lehman. For comparison's sake, IL&FS's total liabilities are between $13-14 billion as against Lehman's $680 billion plus. That made Lehman 52 times IL&FS's size and scale. It's as ludicrous as it can get. Also, remember Lehman had been leveraged nearly 24 times with only $29 billion of assets backing nearly $700 billion of liabilities. IL&FS is leveraged 2.49 times (debt:networth) only at a consolidated level, which is normal for a finance firm.

THE COMMERCIAL PAPER FEAR

The second major fear comes from the commercial paper IL&FS has floated that may have reached junk status. Fear-mongerers are not reporting that the total value of this commercial paper in the market is barely Rs 5000 crore (about $685 million). Even if all of it is worthless-WHICH IT IS NOT-the total hit the host of borrowers will take is to that extent only. A host of mutual funds are believed to be holding these papers. Even if all of it reaches junk status, it's not inconceivable that India's Rs 25 lakh crore mutual fund industry can absorb a Rs 5,000 crore.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT FEAR

IL&FS commercial paper's possible junk status gives rise to the next fear-that default in IL&FS commercial paper could trigger a ripple effect across the industry. Particularly, among non-banking finance companies. Specifically, housing finance companies. This is a classic case of fear-mongering-that since IL&FS is in trouble, other NBFCs also must be in trouble. They are not. Read: https://www.businesstoday.in/markets/stocks/no-reason-for-panic-in-housing-finance-companies-say-experts/story/282724.html

THE FEAR OR FEARS

IL&FS and its subsidiaries have so far defaulted on 3 interest payments on loans worth Rs 1,500 crore. Its first default was on August 28 on a commercial paper issued by subsidiary IL&FS Financial Services. The dues were settled two days later. However, it has since defaulted twice to Sidbi. This is giving rise to the speculation that all its current maturities worth a shade over Rs 12,000 crore are in danger. And its entire debt of nearly Rs 1 lakh crore is bad debt. That's far from truth.

Let's not forget the IL&FS is a real company with real projects on the ground and real assets. Since 2009, it has listed over 60 pojects funded by it, including the Gurgaon Rapid Metro and India's longest road tunnel-the Chenani-Nashri tunnel in J&K which reduced the distance between Srinagar and Jammu by 30 km and travel time by two hours.

It is probably facing a financial deficit of between Rs 10,000-15000 crore. The company has announced that funds worth Rs 16,000 crore are stuck with project concessions who haven't released them on time. In a letter to its employees, IL&FS said: "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, which is around Rs 16,000 crore of ILFS group liquidity and stuck in claims and termination payments, we would not be in the situation that we are in".

The company has initiated the process to sell some of these assets and according to an internal email by vice chairman Hari Sankaran, the company has received expression of interest for 14 of the 25 projects worth Rs 30,000 crore it has put up for sale. It is also planning to raise another Rs 4,500 crore from a rights issue.

Interestingly, the IL&FS board (which includes LIC and SBI nominees) has also approved raising Rs 12,000 crore through loans and rights issues. LIC chairman VK Sharma has announced it won't let IL&FS to collapse. LIC is its largest shareholder with a 25 per cent equity stake. Its second largest shareholder Japan's Orix Corporation, which owns 23.5 per cent of the company, has also expressed interest in raising its stake to save the company.

The Reserve Bank of India has ordered an audit of the company. Assuming that its assets declared in the balance sheet (fixed assets of Rs 51,297 crore; receivables worth Rs 31,259 crore; and current assets worth Rs 33,258 crore) are not fudged or inflated the fuss around the future of IL&FS ought to end sooner than later. More importantly, the inflated view of what its purported collapse means for India's financial system.The Unlucky Number 4 The number 4 is considered to be unlucky in most of the East Asian countries. China is the country where people religiously believe the number 4 to be the most unlucky number. The reason why people consider this number to be unlucky is that it sounds like the word death in Chinese. The belief is so strong that you will not find 4th, 13th, 14th and 24th floors in the buildings in China.

The Unlucky Number 9 The number 9 is considered to be unlucky according to Chinese culture. The belief is that the number sounds similar to the word for torture and sufferings. Your Birthday Date Reveals This About You!

The Unlucky Number 13 You will never find elevators or even rooms that have the number 13 on it. The number has been considered to be unlucky around the world. It is believed that Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus. Apparently, he was the 13th guest to participate in the Last Supper. Apart from Christians, Parsi culture and people from around the world consider this to be an unlucky number.

The Unlucky Number 24 The number 24 is considered to be unlucky and dangerous in Japan. The fact behind this belief is that the number 24 sounds similar to the word that is associated with stillbirth. How Numerology Can Reveal The Secret Of Your Love Life; Read Here!



The Unlucky Number 39 The number 39 is considered to be unlucky in Afghanistan. According to the Afghani language, when the number 39 is pronounced it means Morda-Gow. This means a Dead Cow' which is a well-known slang that is generally used for a pimp or a procurer of prostitutes.Kitchen Or Toilet In The Northeast Kitchen or toilet should not be located in the Northeast direction of the house. It is considered one of the biggest reasons for disputes arising in the family. Since the north direction is related to the gods, constructing a toilet here might prove highly inauspicious. A kitchen located in the north also gives similar results. Worship Hindu Gods Day Wise

Doors And Windows The doors and windows of the house should be located in the east direction. East is the direction of the rising Sun and is, therefore, the source of positive energy. The doors and windows should not be making unnecessary sounds while being closed or opened.

The Sacred Corner Of The House The northeast point of the floor is known as the 'Ishaan Kone' in Vastu Shastra. The part of the floor in this direction should not be high rising or mounted. Otherwise, it might become a reason for discord among the family members or even a reason for poor performance of the children. It is the best to have the puja room in this part of the house. Even electric appliances should not be kept in this direction. Zodiac Signs That Have A Good Sense Of Humour

Staircases Should Not Be Located Near The Gate Another major mistake people make is that of constructing a staircase near the main gate of the house. The staircase should be located in the southwest or west or south portion of the house. Besides this, the kitchen should also not be there near the main gate. The kitchen should ideally be located in the south or southeast such that the person who is cooking should face the east direction.

Storeroom Should Not Be Located In The Northeast The storeroom should not be located in the northeast direction of the house. As said before, the northeast is the direction of the gods; this direction should not be used for dumping as a storeroom, etc. This not only invites familial disputes but also causes various other problems such as health issues. Since this direction can be considered for the construction of the puja room, the puja room should also not be located in front of the main gate. How To Get The Blessings Of Shani Dev

Mirrors And Glasses Besides these, there are some other beliefs as well. Such as the window pane should not be broken, the mirrors should not be broken, the clocks should be working properly. There should be no mirror opposite to the bed; the person should not be able to see his reflection while sleeping on the bed.

Staircases Should Not Be Located Near The Gate Another major mistake people make is that of constructing a staircase near the main gate of the house. The staircase should be located in the southwest or west or south portion of the house. Besides this, the kitchen should also not be there near the main gate. The kitchen should ideally be located in the south or southeast such that the person who is cooking should face the east direction.

Images Of Ancestors Since ancestors are offered prayers in Hinduism, people often place their images along with the images of gods. This is not considered good. The images of the ancestors should be hung on the wall in the south direction in order to maintain peace in the house. Nineteen Avataras Of Lord ShivaReciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado

Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACIONAsfandyar Wali endorsed Imran Khan announcement for Afghans citizenship

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party central president Asfandyar Wali Khan has endorsed Prime Minister Imran Khans announcement for the grant of Pakistani citizenship to Bengalis and Afghans born in the country and criticised those opposing it.



It is a normal practice all over the world that a child born in a country is given its citizenship. Pakistan should also grant citizenship to Afghans, who were born here, if it can give nationality to others. It is a humanitarian issue and not a political one, he told a news conference at the Bacha Khan Markaz here on Monday.



Calling Imran Khan a selected premier, Mr Asfandyar, whose party is part of the opposition, criticised some elements opposed to Pakistani citizenship for Afghans and Bengalis.



He said the people, who crossed the eastern border into the country were given Pakistani citizenship and even jobs but those coming in from the western border were denied it though their fathers and grandfathers were used in Afghan war.



The ANP leader said currently, the country had the third generation of Afghans, who had come to Pakistan as refugees.



He complained that like Afghan nationals, Pakistani Pakhtuns, who called themselves Afghans by race, were discriminated against in the country and were denied Computerised National Identity Cards in cities like Karachi and Lahore.



I am a proud Afghan by race. This is my country. If a Rajput living here still calls himself Rajput, why the people get angry when I call myself Afghan, he said.



Mr Asfandyar said the Afghans born in Pakistan shouldnt be victimised or discriminated against.



He said Pakistan should improve relations with neighbours, while both Islamabad and Kabul should ease visa conditions for the peoples smooth movement and better trade.



The ANP leader said political issues among countries could be resolved by talks and not war.



He said his party wasnt opposed to the construction of dams in the country but rejected the controversial Kalabagh dam project like three provincial assemblies did.



If the government still wants to go ahead with this (Kalabagh dam) project, it would only suggest that only Punjab is Pakistan, where other provinces have no rights, he said.



I am convinced that the Kalabagh dams construction is not in favour of Pakhtuns, Baloch and Sindhis. If I am declared a traitor under Article 6 of the Constitution, I will continue furthering the mission of my father and grandfather for the rights of our people, he said.



Mr Asfandyar expressed concerns about terrorist threats to the life of the partys leaders and workers and said he was helpless.



When the state institution, which is supposed to protect them (ANP activists), just warns them with little details of the approaching attackers instead of going after them, I can do nothing but pray for their life, he said.



About the upcoming by-elections, the ANP leader said if the Pakistan Army was allowed to stay inside polling stations like the July 25 general election, then the losing candidates would rightly blame their defeat on them (army).



He asked the armys top brass not to make their institution controversial and stay out of thje polling stations in the coming by-polls.Imran Khan pledged all-out support to provinces

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday pledged federal governments all-out support to the provinces in resolution of their issues and making the federating units stronger.



Chairing a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), the prime minister said the federal government was committed to make the council an effective platform and to play a positive role for the resolution of issues among the provinces and strengthen the federation.



According to a communique issued after the meeting, the CCI directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to finalize its recommendations within a month for a countrywide uniform higher education system in coordination with federal and the provincial governments.



The HEC was further directed to formulate a strategy for the uplift of educational institutions as well as better coordination between Centre and the provinces.



The CCI, which met with Prime Minister Imran Khan in chair, directed the Planning Commission to review the projects of power distribution and transmission network in Balochistan, besides calling for immediate launch of work on the projects of crucial nature.



It referred the request of Sindh province seeking additional water supply for Karachi to the National Water Council, which would present its recommendations to the CCI keeping in view the situation of existing water reservoirs, water sharing formula among provinces and the ground realities. Besides, the National Water Council would also suggest measures to stop wastage of water and ensure its judicious use. Deliberating over the less availability of water in Pat Feeder and Kirthar canals, the CCI asked the chief ministers of Sindh and Balochistan to sort out the matter mutually. The Centre and the provinces agreed over the true implementation of AGN Qazi formula for the distribution of net hydel profits.



The CCI constituted a committee under the minister for inter-provincial coordination to formulate recommendations on devolution of Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) to the provinces.



The council decided to refer the Sindh governments proposed amendments in the Petroleum Policy 2012 to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet, which would formulate recommendations considering the proposed amendments.



The CCI reached a consensus to assign the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) the responsibility of uniform standards and the provision of one-window facility to the relevant companies. In this regard, a committee comprising representatives from all the provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan was also constituted to look into the legal and constitutional aspects.



The council formed a task force to propose measures for effective implementation of regulatory authorities and the establishment of governments writ in the provinces. It decided to launch nationwide Pakistan Cleanliness Movement which would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on October 7. The provinces also assured their full participation in the campaign.



The prime minister, in his remarks on the occasion, stressed the need for improvement of educational standards in Balochistan and directed the HEC to take measures in coordination with the provincial government. He told the meeting that the services of Shaukat Khanam Memorial Cancer Hospital would be extended to Balochistan for the provision of healthcare facilities, particularly the diagnosis of cancer. The prime minister directed to establish a comprehensive and transparent mechanism for water distribution among the provinces and the provision of timely updates to the provinces.Kashmir dispute prime contention between India-Pakistan: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Monday said Kashmir dispute was the prime contention between Indian and Pakistan and there would be no dialogue without taking the issue into consideration.



Chaudhry in his address to the Senate said that all Kashmiris martyred in the Indian-occupied area were freedom fighters as they gave their lives while resisting Indian aggression.



Pakistans heart beats and bleeds for Kashmiris, he said, adding that India should review its oppressive policies in Kashmir.



Chaudhry said that Pakistan wont be affected by the internal situation of India. We know appropriate response if India continues the same attitude, he said. Entire nation is united for national security.



The information minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khans vision was to raise the living standards of people of South Asia living below the poverty line.



Chaudhry said India Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the line of fire for his alleged involvement in a multi-billion graft scandal, hence the Indian ruling elite desired to deflect the attention of their masses from the issue.



Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani condemned the Indian army chiefs tirade against Pakistan.



In his speech at the Upper House, the senator said, The whole nation will stand by army to defend its motherland if India imposes war upon Pakistan.



He maintained that India was involved in human rights abuses and state terrorism in Kashmir but was instead accusing Pakistan of terrorism.



The PPP senator, however, questioned governments policy of approaching Indian officials for talks despite knowing their stance against Pakistan.



Is this the right time to invite India for talks? Does no one know their stance against Pakistan? asked Rabbani.



It is pertinent to note here that Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on September 22 said that India needed to take stern action against Pakistan.



New Delhi on Friday also called off a meeting between the Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), just a day after confirming the development.



Indias Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar cited unclean intentions on Pakistans side for the development.



Separately, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said visa problems being faced by Pakistani citizens living in Kuwait would be taken up with Kuwaiti authorities to address problems of overseas Pakistanis.



Responding to a calling attention notice in the Senate, she said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi would hold a meeting with his Kuwaiti counterpart on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session in New York, and would raise this issue with him.



The minister said this issue would also be taken up during a two-day Pak-Kuwait Joint Ministerial Commission scheduled in Islamabad on Thursday.



In 2011, Kuwait had unofficially banned visas to nationals of various countries, which included Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Iran on the pretext of their alleged involvement in drug trafficking and criminal offences.



Responding to another calling attention notice, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad said the government was focusing on the development of Balochistan to bring the province on a par with other federating units.



Meanwhile, Leader of the House Shibli Faraz presented a report on circular debt before the Senate and said decisions should be made for the betterment of Pakistan instead of going for political point scoring. He urged members to go through the report to give their suggestions to face challenges like growing circular debt, decreasing water table and increasing load shedding.By Gordon Deegan

Earnings at the countrys most expensive pub, the Orchard Inn in Dublin last year topped 1m.

It is now 12 years since one of the countrys best-known publicans, Charlie Chawke purchased the pub in Rathfarnham for 22m. Its record purchase has yet to be broken.

Yesterday, Mr Chawke said that the business at the pub last year went from strength to strength. Im very happy with how the pub is doing.

However, Mr Chawke admitted that it may be for the next generation to recoup the investment in the pub.

He said:

Were getting there. Rome wasnt built in a day.

Mr Chawke said that he doesnt expect the record price for the pub to be broken anytime soon.

Mr Chawke said that his daughter Ali - who operates the pub is doing a great job along with all of the staff there.

Ali is just one of five Chawke adult children involved in running pubs across the Chawke group.

Mr Chawke was commenting on new accounts just filed by Orchard Inn Ltd which show that the company recorded Earnings Before Interest Tax Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) of 1.09m last year.

The earnings represented an increase of 23% on the earnings of 889,503 enjoyed in 2016.

The firm recorded a post-tax profit of 349,372 in the 12 months to the end of October last - more than twice the post-tax profit of 156,015 in 2016.

The companys cash pile increased from 692,331 to 698,730 while the book value of the pub is 20m.

The amount owed to creditors last year reduced from 21.47m to 20.4m.

A note attached to the accounts states that the company is budgeting similar EBITDA for this year to last years earnings.

The note states:

Based on the companys banking term loan facilities and its expected earnings the directors expect the company to earn sufficient profits to fund its working capital for the coming year.

Numbers employed by the firm last year totalled 48 with staff costs reducing from 1.4m to 1.36m.

Accumulated losses at the company reduced from 872,842 to 523,470.By Padraig Hoare

A Cork life sciences company is looking to commercialise its breakthrough cell detection technology that could revolutionise cancer diagnostics and other research.

BioBind, the brainchild of Dr Mark Tangney and his team, Dr Ian Curtin and Stephen Buckley, is a custom imaging solution that uses a novel smart biosensor to allow researchers and other professionals to see inside and outside the body.

The innovation will reduce the time to develop new treatments or diagnostics for various diseases, including forms of cancer.

BioBind, which won the UCC Life Sciences Invention of the Year, is now in the planning stages to launch a spinout company to commercialise the technology.

The UCC ICT Invention of the Year was presented to Prof Cian OMathuna and the Tyndall magnetics on silicon team for their magnetics technology, which will improve battery life of mobile devices.

Teagasc Invention of the Year went to the team led by Dr Kieran Meade for its next-generation vaccination solution for neonatal calves.

IT Tralee Invention of the Year was won by Dr Helena McMahon and her team for their solution to address intrinsic or extrinsic skin ageing through extracellular matrix production.

CIT ICT Invention of the Year was won by Dr Derry Fitzgerald, who developed Photoshop for audio which is now being used by the Beach Boys, Capitol Records, and others in the audio industry to remaster music.As one of Europes leading research centres and Irelands national institute for high-tech hardware, Tyndall has been awarded over 7 million for research projects in the European Commissions Horizon 2020 programme.

Tyndall secured 5.4 million in its own right and facilitated a further 1.83 million for five Irish partner companies in 8 EU-wide technology innovation projects. This is a record funding allocation for Irelands ICT research led by Tyndall within the EC ICT Research theme.

Acknowledging the significance of the funding, Tyndall CEO Prof. William Scanlon said the awards demonstrate the real value of market-leading innovation by Tyndall across core areas of nano-electronics and photonics.

"Securing funding for 57% of our proposals in this very competitive European programme is a strong endorsement of the world-leading research being undertaken at Tyndall, and nationally we are providing important leadership by showing whats achievable for Ireland through excellent and transformational research at this level.

This exceptional research funding success reflects a record year for Tyndall in the European arena, with 13m in project funding secured in 2018 from 13 high- potential research projects. Importantly for Ireland, Tyndalls industry partners will accrue 5m of this total.

"As part of large-scale European consortia, these cutting edge research projects have an overall budget of 80 million and involve ground breaking research in emerging technology areas, with potential ultimately for knock-on high value jobs in Ireland,  he added.

New smart technology innovation is at the forefront of these new projects in areas such as autonomous vehicles, med-tech, agri-tech, datacoms and nanomaterials.

More than 40 high value R&D jobs will be created directly as a result of the funding and the ultimate commercialisation impact will be significant for the Irish economy. Funding will also be available to support innovators, and SMEs in particular, through access to research expertise, infrastructure and manufacturing pilot lines.

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys, T.D. congratulated Tyndall on this exceptional result, and said the EU clearly recognises the impact that Tyndall is having in shaping future technology.

"Working with Irelands technology companies and SMEs, this world-class Institute is leading the development of highly innovative solutions with a global impact, which will help solve some key challenges presented by the pace of technological advances and our connected lives.

Nationally, Ireland secured 16 million in funding through the recently announced European Commissions Horizon 2020 ICT Funding call, with a total of 7 million going to Tyndall projects.

* Established with a mission to support industry and academia in driving research to market, Tyndall National Institute is one of Europes leading research centres in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) research and development and the largest facility of its type in Ireland. Established in 2004 as a successor to the National Microelectronics Research Centre (NMRC founded in 1982) at University College Cork, the Institute employs over 460 researchers, engineers and support staff, with a full-time graduate cohort of 135 students generating over 200 peer-reviewed publications each yearLHC admitted plea seeking Khawaja Asif disqualification

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday admitted a plea seeking Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asifs disqualification and issued notices to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and respondent.



Justice Mamoon Rashid heard the case pertaining to plea seeking disqualification of Khawaja Asif who had won NA-73 seat in 2018General Election. On September 22, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Usman Dar had challenged Khawaja Asifs victory.



In his petition, Dar contended that Khawaja Asif had submitted an unverified affidavit along with his nomination papers. The petition stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had failed to implement the Election Act. The plea requested the court to annul the victory notification of Khawaja Asif.By Dan Buckley

No bigger than a shoebox but with outsize potential, Irelands first satellite has made a giant leap in its development after successfully completing the first phase of a European Space Agency (ESA) review.

EIRSAT-1, a miniature satellite, or CubeSat, is designed by a team of University College Dublin (UCD) students who will now move to the next phase of assembling and testing a prototype suitable for launch.

The announcement was made yesterday as minister for training, skills, innovation, research and development, John Halligan, met the 16 members of the team during a visit to UCD.

CubeSats such as EIRSAT-1 are disrupting the traditional space sector globally, providing a fast and cost effective route to gaining spaceflight heritage, said Professor Lorraine Hanlon, UCD School of Physics and EIRSAT-1 project leader.

As an emerging space nation, Irelands future space endeavours will benefit from the skills developed by the talented team of UCD students who are building EIRSAT-1.

Professor Orla Feely, UCD vice-president for research, innovation and impact, said: A key objective of the EIRSAT-1 mission is through its success to inspire the next generation of students to study STEM subjects.

The skills base and the research and development agenda are closely aligned, and both need continuing investment by Government to ensure that Ireland can maximise its return from global opportunities in the space sector.

EIRSAT-1 will carry three scientific experiments on board, developed in collaboration with industry partners like Irish companies ENBIO and SensL.

They include a gamma-ray detector and an in-flight demonstration of thermal control coatings developed by ENBIO. The third, called Wave-Based Control, or WBC, tests an algorithm to control the movement of the satellite.

The prototype will now be built and tested in new clean rooms on the universitys campus and if it passes subsequent reviews, it will be delivered to ESA in mid-2020.

Once launched, it will stay in space for between six and 12 months and communicate data to Earth via a ground radio station, located at mission control in UCD.

Lana Salmon, a PhD student in the UCD School of Physics, described the project as a ground-breaking opportunity for Irish students to gain experience in the space industry.

Students in Ireland, like myself, are for the first time getting the opportunity to contribute to satellite development, she said. I did not expect to be involved in such an exciting Irish project so early in my career.By Tom Tuite

The first set of civil actions against BMW over a serious design fault in a range of their cars has been adjourned.

BMW Automotive (Ireland) Ltd has been ordered to hand over evidence by Dublin District Court in July after an action was brought by three motorists.

John McConville from Canal View, Clones Road, Monaghan Town, Co. Monaghan was among the group of motorists who initiated civil proceedings against the motor firm for 8,700 in damages.

The problem affected the timing chains on BMW models with N47 engines, Judge John Brennan heard.

Mr McConvilles action along with another plaintiffs was listed again today when Judge Brennan adjourned the case until October 30 next when it will be listed for mention

In 2011, Mr McConville bought a 2008-reg BMW X5-series for 42,000.

He claims significant damage was caused to his car when travelling on a busy motorway from Limerick to Dublin when the vehicle suddenly lost power.

He had to take emergency measures and pull over and wait on the hard shoulder for a tow truck for over an hour in darkness, he claims.

He claimed there was a defective engine design that prevented inspection and maintenance of the timing chain and his car needed extensive repairs.

It was among the first batch of up to 50 similar cases being prepared by solicitor Dermot McNamara for other motorists affected by the timing chain problems in BMWs with N47 engines, the court had heard.

Judge Brennan had ordered BMW to provide evidence about their cars with N47 engines sold in Ireland, as well as repairs carried out, between 2008 and 2014.

While he said that this was not a template for the order he would make in the ensuing actions, it was the gist of the disclosure order he would be making in the other actions to come.

One of the three cases was withdrawn today.Teachers, doctors and nurses are not happy with the pay deal being offered by the Government in October's budget.

Up to 60,000 public servants hired after 2011 on lower pay are set to receive more than 3,000 each under new budget proposals.By David Raleigh

A decision on the granting of a controversial license to Irish Cement, which would allow the company to burn alternative fuels, including used tyres, has been delayed due to a long list of objections from the public.

Over 3,500 objections have been submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

A decision on the granting of the licence had been scheduled for last week.

A spokeswoman for the EPA said the Agency had received 3,578 submissions and that continues to rise.

Last March, Irish Cement was granted planning permission for a proposed development at its cement plant in Mungret, Co Limerick, for works which would facilitate the company to burn solid fuel waste.

The company currently burns fossil fuels in its production of cement.

Despite a wave of public protests and an appeal to An Bord Pleanala the company was given the green light to press ahead with its plans.

However, the proposed development hinges on the EPA's decision on whether or not to grant a licence allowing the company use alternative fuels.

The EPA said the decision has been postponed to November 4, however, a spokeswoman said it make take longer to reach a conclusion as it is a "very complex case".

The decision date is currently November 4. However this is a very complex case with thousands of submissions, so this date may well be moved, the EPA spokeswoman said.

In one submission, an objector highlighted a recent prosecution against Irish Cement at Limerick District Court for a breach of its industrial emissions licence.

The company was convicted and fined 1,250 on July 6th last, after it pleaded guilty to two charges. Limerick District Court heard fugitive dust leaked from the Mungret plant, and caused damage to cars and property in a neighbourhood near the Mungret plant.

Further objections relate to concerns over any potential health and safety risk to humans and or the surrounding environment.

Irish Cement has consistently maintained its proposed plans do not pose a threat to human health or the environment.

The company previously stated the proposed plan to burn alternative fuels is essential to ensure the long-term viability of the Mungret plant.

"It is currently the only cement factory in Ireland not using alternative fuels...it is one of the last in Europe not to be availing of these fuels.

"Irish Cement already uses alternative fuels in our sister plant in Platin, Co Meath."

The proposed development would also protect 80 jobs and lead to job growth, the company added.

Replacing fossil fuels in cement factories is standard practice throughout Europe, and is in line with European, national, and regional waste management policy, the company stated.

Irish Cement already uses alternative fuels in our sister plant in Platin, Co Meath.

The proposed changes at the Mungret plant would reduce the companys dependence on fossil fuels, (and) will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 40,000 tonnes per year, it added.By Sarah Slater

Author Emma Hannigan's final novel, written in the final months of her life prior to her death last March, is to be published next year.

The award-winning novelist, who had 14 books published, and mother of two teenagers died on March 3 following a very public 11-year battle with breast cancer.

The Wicklow natives social media post on February 16 describing how she was losing her cancer battle saw an outpouring of emotion from thousands of Irish fans and authors from around the world.

Her husband Cian, posted on Emmas official Facebook page saying, Today is Emmas birthday. Its hard to believe that six months have already passed since she left us.

We miss her love, her ever-generous spirit and, of course, her wicked sense of humour. Weve always felt that Emma wrote so that a part of her would always be with us.

So we are very happy to tell you that Emma left us one last gift, her final book. The Gift of Friends, is a story of joy and friendship, love and light.

As Emma said, When it comes down to the wire, all that matters is love  I will be there in your hearts and you will be in mine. We hope you open your hearts and enjoy this very special book. Love and Light. Cian

Emmas last book, Letters to My Daughters, went to Number One across several categories on the best selling chart within days of her post.

Hachette Books Ireland, Headline Publishing Group also confirmed that her final novel, The Gift of Friends, will be published on February 28.

Emma's editors, Ciara Doorley and Sherise Hobbs, revealed the first draft of the book was emailed to them in January, and just days before she passed away Emma emailed the acknowledgements for the book.

In 2005, Emma discovered that she was carrying the Brca 1 cancer gene. This meant she had an 85% chance of developing breast cancer and a 50% chance of developing ovarian cancer.

To reduce her risk to 5%, the brave Mum opted for preventative surgery. In 2006 Emma had a double mastectomy and had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.

However, in 2007, in spite of the surgery, she was diagnosed with cancer for the first time and her lengthy battle ensued.

Emma, who was an ambassador for Breast Cancer Ireland (BCI) appealed to the public to donate to the charity in a bid to raise 100,000 two weeks prior to her death.

The fundraising campaign which began after the late author announced she had terminal cancer raised 126,000.

The goal was reached within 10 days of going public that her lengthy efforts to stay alive were coming to an end.

When revealing her devastating news Emma said: All good things must come to an end. The time that I knew was borrowed must be given back soon, so it seems.

The conversation I never wanted to have has been said. My medical team have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at this fight but all avenues have now been exhausted.

She spoke openly about her love for her children, son Sacha, daughter Kim, husband Cian, parents family, friends and fans adding that her love for them has been integral to her life.Gardai in Westport wish to seek the public's help in locating the whereabouts of 16-year-old Elaine Sweeney, who is missing from Westport since September 19, 2018.

Elaine was last seen when she left the house at 8am on Wednesday last.

Elaine is described as 5' 2", slight build with long brown hair, brown eyes. It is unknown what she was wearing at the time of going missing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Westport Garda Station on 098 - 50230, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

- Digital DeskUpdate - 1.41pm: Inner City Helping Homeless says it's reached out to another bidder after the original winner of a charity auction it held over the weekend, didn't come forward with the funds.

The homeless charity was aiming to raise money for sleeping bags and other essential supplies by giving away tickets to Conor McGregor's next UFC fight.

Brian McLoughlin, Head of communications with ICHH, says they were prepared for such an event:

He said: "When we put the auction in place we did say that if anyone didn't follow through with regards to the highest bidder we would go to the next person in line.

"We have reached out to the next highest bidder, who is a guy based in America, so it's overnight in America now, but hopefully we'll get a response later today from him and he'll follow through and we'll be able to send him the tickets and we'll go on from there."

Earlier: Winning bid for Conor McGregor tickets donated to homelessness charity declared a fake

Dublin homelessness charity, Inner City Helping Homeless, has revealed that the winning bid for tickets to Conor McGregor's UFC fight was a fake.

McGregor donated two tickets to the UFC event in Las Vegas to Inner City Helping Homeless to auction off on Facebook.

A winning bid of 1700 was accepted, but it was confirmed by the charity's CEO Anthony Flynn last night that the Facebook account was a fake.

In his tweet, Mr Flynn said: "Terrible action and so much time wasted to raise money for an organization thats non-funded doing so much on the ground."

ICHH have now reached out to the second highest bidder.Update - 9.20am: The Housing Minister says he hopes deputy Catherine Byrne will not vote with Sinn Fein tonight when he faces a motion of no-confidence.

There is speculation Fine Gael Junior Minister Catherine Byrne may vote against the government and support Sinn Fein.

Eoghan Murphy has described the motion as "a stunt".

He said: "Well I do hope that Catherine isn't pulled in by this Sinn Fein stunt and I do hope that she won't vote with Sinn Fein and actually will vote with Fine Gael and her government.

"Catherine is an excellent representative for her area, we have very important plans for more affordable homes in her area, she has concerns around those plans, but I don't believe she will be pulled in by this Sinn Fein stunt."

Earlier: Housing Minister expected to survive no-confidence motion

A motion of no confidence in the Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy will be debated this evening.

Sinn Fein are bringing the motion against Mr Murphy in response to his handling of the housing crisis, but the Minister is expected to survive this evening's motion of no confidence with the backing of the Government and Fianna Fail likely to abstain.

Micheal Martin has said his party will not support the Sinn Fein motion, but that doesn't mean Minister Murphy is under any less pressure.

Some of his cabinet colleagues are frustrated at the lack of delivery when it comes to housing, and he will likely face a tough time in the Dail chamber from the opposition.

Junior Minister Catherine Byrne has also hinted behind the scenes that she may vote against the Government or abstain from the vote.

Minister Byrne has been at odds with Mr Murphy since publicly speaking out against a project he launched in her constituency.

Sinn Fein have said they are bringing the no-confidence motion forward to force a change to Government housing policy.

The party's Housing spokesperson Eoin O'Broin said: "Homelessness is up 25%, child homelessness is up 34%, pensioner homelessness is up 40% and at the same time not a single affordable home delivered under his watch.

"And the pace of social housing delivery is glacial, so time is up for Eoghan Murphy and Government policy and we need to see change."

The Dail will debate the motion at 8pm this evening.After one of the hottest and driest summers in years, the hosepipe ban has formally been lifted.

The restriction was put in place earlier this year to help replenish levels at a number of reservoirs.I've come and gone from Micro.blog several times before. I joined long before the Kickstarter, when barely anyone was there. I tried it again after the Kickstarter, when the community looked more like it does today. And I came back again a few weeks ago for the most fun, if not the longest, period of time I've spent there.

Like many other people, I really like the community on Micro.blog. I like that it feels like a nice, friendly place to hang out, and that mostly people post content thoughtfully, even if it's short or just a photo. While I recognise that these things aren't true in every case, I've been lucky to enjoy mostly positive interactions with the community, and have always been made to feel welcome.

Unfortunately, I have a lot of issues with the service itself and how it's run. I've put off talking about these until now, because I know how hurtful it can be to hear criticism about something you made or love to use. But I've tried many avenues to do my small part to improve the things I don't like about Micro.blog and I no longer feel that's a viable approach. I'm leaving Micro.blog despite the great community, because I'm frustrated and disappointed, and I don't feel I can effect change in these areas.

The idea and business model

Quick update: I've spoken to Manton directly about this since publishing, and it turns out Manton and I have very different ideas about what content ownership mean. Manton says owning your domain so you can move your content without breaking URLs is owning your content, whereas I believe if your content still lives on someone else's server, and requires them to run the server and run their code so you can access your content, it's not really yours at all, as they could remove your access at any time. Anyway, what seems disingenuous to me in terms of a business model that doesn't match his values is actually a total misunderstanding of Manton's values. I don't think Micro.blog encourages content ownership in the way I understand it, but I was also wrong about the business model not matching Manton's values, and it's worth keeping that in mind.

Manton wrote a post recently about what he believes is the four-part solution to "this mess with massive social networks". He makes some great points, such as the fact that multiple small networks may be healthier than one or two huge networks with millions of users.

One of his main points was that users should own their content, which is possible with Micro.blog:

Content ownership: Controlling the writing and photos you post online isnt about open source or the technical experience to run a server. Its about using domain names for identity, so that you can move your data in the future without breaking URLs.

In a related post (linked in the one above), Manton goes a little further on this topic:

If you cant use your own domain name, you cant own it. Your content will be forever stuck at those silo URLs, beholden to the whims of the algorithmic timeline and shifting priorities of the executive team. For hosted blogs on Micro.blog, we encourage everyone to map a custom domain to their content, and we throw in free SSL and preserve redirects for old posts on imported WordPress content. Theres more we can do.

I have two issues with this point.

First, Manton's business model is for users to not own their content. You might be able to own your domain name, but if you have a hosted Micro.blog blog, the content itself is hosted on Micro.blog servers, not yours. You can export your data, or use an RSS feed to auto-post it to somewhere you control directly, but if you're not hosting the content yourself, how does having a custom domain equal self-hosting your content and truly owning it? Compared to hosting your own blog and auto-posting it to Micro.blog, which won't cost you and won't make Micro.blog any revenue, posting for a hosted blog seems to decrease your ownership.

Manton makes no secret of the fact that he wants you to pay for a hosted blog on Micro.blog, as this is the main way to financially support the service, but doing so means you no longer own your content any more than on another service that provides exporting or RSS feeds. To say owning your content is what makes Micro.blog great and simultaneously push the idea that users should pay to give up that ownership is disingenuous. Not to mention Manton himself recently moved his blog to Micro.blog, so he's not even leading by example anymore, since anyone but Manton (i.e. those who don't have ownership of Micro.blog itself) must host their blog elsewhere in order to own their content.

Secondly, Manton suggests all users should want to own their content. This seems to be a blanket statement about Manton's own values and how they should apply to others. I have plenty of friends and relatives who don't care about owning their content, and in fact, don't want to do so. Just because I want to, and I think it's important for the open web that more of us canand doown our content, doesn't mean everyone who wants to connect to others online should necessarily be doing the same. There are also plenty of people who'd like to own their content but for whom it's more important to hang out where their friends and family arepeople who perhaps don't care about content ownership. For those reasons, they stick with social networks that don't care about empowering users to own their content, because content ownership is a lower priority than connecting with people they know.

Manton's post was short, and I know he's thought about these ideas a lot, so I'm sure there's more he didn't say, but I'm disappointed in how hypocritical this particular point seemed to be. I find it hard to feel confidence in a platform that pushes a business model that seems opposed to its public values.

Differing priorities

Even more of an issue for me is how Manton is in control of Micro.blog and Manton has different priorities to me. This is inevitable with any social network, I'm sure, but since Micro.blog is closed-source, and my attempts to contribute to the direction of the service have been largely unsuccessful, I'm no longer willing to accept our differences in priorities and contribute to the growth of the service by being a user.

For example, I know I'm not the only person who feels left out and uncared-for because I use Android. Manton has gone further than the common scenario of only building an official iOS app and leaving Android out in the cold, and built two more iOS apps for the service as well. That's an extremely strong signal to Android users that the service's creator doesn't care as much about you and your experience. The excuse that the team is small and there's no time to put into Android (which is oft-used and usually completely fair for such a tiny team) doesn't hold up here, because Manton is showing how much time he has for mobile development by pouring it all into iOS. He's even got another developer helping out (not full-time, but more than zero time) on some of those iOS apps. And nothing for Android.

So, as a developer, rather than simply complaining about this state of affairs, I took advantage of the Micro.blog API and learned Android development so I could write an Android client (I should note here, a third-party Android client already existed in public beta, but it didn't allow for creating new posts except replies, and hasn't been updated since May).

Creating Pico has been a lot of fun, but again, I struggled in my efforts to improve Micro.blog. The API docs are extremely sparse and sometimes unclear. Since they're technically open-source, I opened an issue asking Manton if I could add code examples to make the docs more useful, and how he'd like me to format them. My issue was opened on August 28th (27 days ago as I write this). There was another issue already opened in the docs repo on August 24th. Neither has had any response so far. I also recently opened a pull request to adjust the wording of one sentence in the docs after Manton clarified it for me directly. That PR hasn't had a response.

The API itself also tends to be confusing and inconsistent at times. For example, sending a new post to the API requires the post content parameter to be called content , while sending a post as a reply requires the content to be in a parameter called text , which is inconsistent. When sending an invalid token to the /account/verify/ endpoint, I receive a 200 response, indicating the request was successful. I have to parse the "successful" response to check if I actually received an error, despite the success status code. And when requesting an endpoint like /posts/all/ (to show the user's timeline) with an invalid token, I receive a 500 internal server error instead of what should be something like a 400 bad request or 401 unauthorized .

API design is as important as having an API in the first place. Manton likes to point to Twitter's mistreatment of third-party developers as part of their failings, but then offers a half-hearted attempt at API docs, a confusing and inconsistent API, and no support to developers who try to improve the situation by contributing to the one place that's actually open-source within Micro.blog. He also likes to push the idea of using open standards, and yet the Micro.blog API shows disregard for the W3 status codes spec (by returning a 200 success response when the request actually failed)one of the most basic open web standards there is. To be fair, this is likely just an oversight, but when I mentioned it to Manton, his response was that changing the API might break it for existing third-party apps. It's never a good idea to break your API if you can avoid it, but how can Manton proudly proclaim Micro.blog's insistence on using open standards at the same time as ignoring these errors in the API?

Now, if you're not a programmer you might have no idea what I'm talking about. That doesn't mean this isn't important for you. If you're a non-technical person who uses an iOS app like Icro, that's made by a third-party developer, it's important for you that the developers behind those tools have everything they need to make an experience just as good as the official apps. If you're a non-technical person who doesn't use iOS, this is especially important for you, because you have no official app to use on your Android or Windows phone (or any other place you can't use the web or Mac apps). You have to rely on third-party developers to help make your experience of Micro.blog better, so it's imperative for your experience that third-party developers enjoy working with the platform and feel they're welcome and encouraged.

Of course, Manton is just one person, and he's taken on a lot with Micro.blog, so I'm not surprised that open issues in the docs repo go unanswered while he works on updates to Sunlit. What's disappointing is that Manton insists on maintaining control by keeping everything under his command and closed-source, so none of us can help with the workload. We have no choice but to sit and wait, and hope that one day our priorities will line up with Manton's, and if they don't then that's too bad.

Discovery and diversity woes

Discovery gets a lot of meta-discussion on Micro.blog, especially from new users who are frustrated at how hard it is to populate their timeline with like-minded folk. Micro.blog moves extremely slowly, so it's even more important to find lots of interesting people to follow, or you'll go for hours without having any new posts in your timeline.

Right now you can discover people by:

a) seeing those you follow reply to people you don't know

b) looking at which users other people are following

or c) looking at the Discover timeline.

The Discover timeline is human-curated, which means you don't have to worry about spam or junk or rudeness showing up there. This is really nice. The downsides of this curated approach, however, are that it updates extremely slowly (a few times a day a whole bunch of new posts will appear, but in-between those times it doesn't change), and the posts that show up there reflect the interests, ideas, and values of Manton and Jean who curate it. For example, around the time of Apple's hardware announcements recently, I checked out Discover, hoping to get away from my Apple-centric timeline and find something else to chat about, and found there were often plenty of Apple-centric posts in the Discover timeline, too. There have also been periods where the new batch of posts added to Discover are 100% authored by men, with nary a woman in sight. Of course, there are plenty of other ways to represent diversity besides gender, but it's a good starting point, especially since the tech industry has a well-known lack of gender diversity.

For a service that purports to care about inclusion and diversity, it's disappointing when I have to point out this kind of extreme lack of diversity in an area that's completely curated by those declaring these values in the first place.

I've discussed lack of diversity with others in the community in the past, and the best I was offered in terms of contributing to changing this issue was a suggestion to join a Slack channel to discuss it further. I don't use Slack and don't want to, but being open to, and even suggesting, other ways for the community to improve the diversity of the Discover timeline didn't open up any opportunities. I can't help but feel Manton and Jean aren't fully committed to this issue based on the evidence I've seen, and that's a shame, whether it's truly the case or not.

As every time before when I've left Micro.blog, I wish I didn't feel the need to leave. I wish I could continue enjoying being part of this great community, but my frustration with how the service is run is too much for me to enjoy it anymore.

It feels to me like we're all at a party at Manton's house. Unlike a public, community-run event, where you can have a say if you think things could be done better, if you don't like how a host runs their house party, you just leave. And those who agree with how the host does things, or like the rest of the people at the party enough to put up with it, stay.

I'm most sad that there's not really anywhere else like Micro.blog for me to hang out. Like lots of other people in the community, I don't get the same feeling from Instagram, or Twitter, or Mastodon, or anywhere else. Micro.blog is unique in a great way. Since I like to take action when I'm disappointed by something and have a chance to change it, I've considered creating a place for microblogging that focuses on the areas I care about, like solid tools for developers, open-source where possible, and formal ways for the community to contribute in the governance of the service. I'm unsure right now whether enough other friendly people care about these things the way I do, and thus whether the workload and responsibility of starting a project like this is worth it. But I'm still considering it.

Either way, I hope one day all the great parts of the Micro.blog community will find a home on a service that gives them a voice in how the service is run.Move to make Wapda under direct control of PM

ISLAMABAD: With 50 per cent water shortage estimated for the Rabi season beginning on Oct 1, a parliamentary panel was informed about a move to bring the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) under the direct control of the prime minister to overcome bureaucratic red tape.



At a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources led by Shamim Afridi, senators from Balochistan expressed dissatisfaction over the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord and demanded a fresh accord and monetary compensation for utilisation of its water share by other provinces since 1991.



The committee expressed concern over the fund-raising drive for Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams, saying the Kalabagh dam was unnecessarily being dragged into the debate even though it was a controversial project and divided the nation.



Indus River System Authority (Irsa) vice chairman Raqib Khan said the technical committee of Irsa would meet on Tuesday (today) to finalise projections for water availability for the Rabi season, but preliminary estimates indicated the water shortage could be up to 50pc.



Senator Muzaffar Shah from Sindh said it was a very serious matter that farmers faced more than 35pc shortage in the outgoing Kharif season and the upcoming Rabi season would witness an even worse situation. Mr Shah, who was a signatory to the 1991 Water Accord as chief minister of Sindh, expressed concern that a study to quantify water requirements downstream Kotri for environmental protection had not yet been completed even after 27 years. He said the study was promised in the 1991 accord and it was wrongly given an impression that huge water quantities were going down the sea.



He was, however, reminded by Mr Khan that the study had been completed in 2005 and its findings were being implemented. The report could be provided to the senior senator, he said and reported that total water storage in reservoirs currently stood at 7.860 million acres feet against last years 10.04 MAF on this date and 11.38MAF of last 10-year average.



The committee directed to provide minutes of the Irsas technical and advisory committee to the senate panel so that farmers could be advised accordingly about the crop sowing. During the current Kharif season, Punjab faced 20pc shortage, Sindh 17pc, Balochistan 44pc and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 33pc. The total water shortage for Kharif crops was 21pc, the panel was told.



Senator Usman Kakar from Balochistan alleged that the water accord was not based on actual data and his province had serious reservations over its implementation as well. He said the year water accord was signed had 105MAF water in the system and allocations were made for 114MAF based on premise that a dam would be constructed soon.



Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini said the water accord and all water projects were focused towards the canal irrigation system without taking into account the water problems of arid zones across the country while thousands of people in Balochistan had been forced to migrate due to water shortage.



Senator Sabir Shah said the current process of constructing Diamer-Bhasha dam should continue and money under head of donation should be maintained in a separate account. He said focus on Diamer-Bhasha dam was being diverted for petty credit.



The Wapda chairman said he had proposed to the prime minister to bring Wapda under his supervision and made answerable to the people of Pakistan through parliament. He said President Ayub Khan used to call Wapda chairman in the morning and project director of Tarbela dam in the evening every day.



He said Kachhi canal was completed in 2008, but its 72,000 cusecs of water could never be delivered to intended barren land because the Balochistan government neither developed irrigation infrastructure nor allowed Wapda to link the Kachhi canal with Kirthar and Pat-Feeder. As a result, only 10,000 cusecs of water could be delivered and in the process Kachhi canal also suffered damage.The office of the president is receiving a 317,000 extra allowance to its budget every year for State dinners, visitor hospitality and other matters without any clear oversight or auditing on how it is spent.

The Dail's public accounts committee was told of the previously unknown situation during a controversial emergency meeting on Tuesday.

Speaking just 24 hours before presidential race nominations close and President Michael D Higgins officially launches his own campaign, Fianna Fail TD Marc Mac Sharry questioned what the "slush fund" 317,000 allowance was spent on.

However, the State's financial watchdog, comptroller and auditor general Seamus McCarthy, and Department of the Taoiseach secretary general Martin Fraser both said they have no responsibility for examining the fee.

Mr McCarthy told the PAC:

"It's an allowance, not a salary. I don't audit that. It doesnt prescribe what it is used for other than it is a payment made to the president."

A spokesperson for the office of the president told the Irish Examiner the allowance was introduced 80 years ago and was increased to 317,000 a year in 1998, a figure that has not changed.

He said the fund is used to pay for hospitality for the 20,000 visitors to Aras an Uachtarain every year, State dinners for foreign dignitaries and numerous other events relating to the office.

However, despite the partial explanation, no further breakdown on how the significant levels of public money have been released.

Mr Mac Sharry, who later provoked an angry response from Fine Gael TD Kate O'Connell for labelling the extra money a "slush fund", said the money is being handed over "blind" for "unknown purposes and unknown items".

The situation emerged as it was separately confirmed the office of the president failed to undergo any independent audit until earlier this year because no audit team was set up until 2014.

The PAC meeting took place after warnings last week the hearing could be "unconstitutional" and may be politically motivated.

Asked by Labour TD Alan Kelly if he received any "legal advice" from attorney general Seamus Woulfe before agreeing to answer PAC questions, Mr Fraser said no as they both had the same view of the meeting.

Labour Party Deputy Alan Kelly and Senator Kevin Humphreys.

Asked by Mr Kelly how he would know that, Mr Fraser said:

"Ah, I just guessed. As a former member of the Government, you'll know osmosis is a very powerful thing."

Earlier: Senior civil servant reveals President's Office only started internal spending audits four years ago

No internal audits of presidential spending levels took place before Spring 2014 and only a small number of reviews have taken place in the subsequent four years, it has emerged.

The secretary general of the Department of the Taoiseach Martin Fraser revealed the level of scrutiny during a controversial emergency meeting of the Dail's public accounts committee this morning.

Speaking at the meeting just 24 hours before nominations close for the presidential race, Mr Fraser told unaligned Independent TD Catherine Connolly he established the internal reviews in Spring 2014.

Mr Fraser declined to say why he did so other than to say: "I took a decision it should be done" and confirmed when asked no internal spending audits occurred in any year before that point.

Mr Fraser separately told Ms Connolly and Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell there was a significant delay in holding the internal audit reviews after Spring 2014 because of a "very sad personal matter".

Mr Fraser repeatedly used this reason to not clarify the matter further, saying: "I really don't want to talk about this too much".

The secretary general of the Department of the Taoiseach, Martin Fraser. Pic: Rollingnews.ie

However, he eventually said there have been three meetings of the internal audit team since February this year involving a Department of the Taoiseach official, a presidential office official and a retired public servant, but was unable to provide dates.

The State's independent financial watchdog, comptroller and auditor general Seamus McCarthy - who attends all PAC meetings - also told the meeting this morning the presidential office hands back roughly 10% of its budget to the Exchequer every year.

He said in the latest year examined by his office this amounted to a return of 287,000.

However, this figure does not include more than seven other areas which relate to presidential spending and are overseen by Government departments, including Foreign Affairs, Defence and other matters.

A number of PAC members - including Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy, Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell and Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane - raised concerns over the timing of the PAC's presidential spending review.

However, they each said there is a genuine need for greater public scrutiny and transparency when it comes to presidential spending.

During an exchange between Fianna Fail TD Bobby Alyward and Mr Fraser, Mr Alyward attempted to explain the reason for why the presidential spending levels are being examined now, saying it is "because there's a [presidential] election coming up".

Noting the ongoing and disputed claims the review is politically motivated in order to undermine President Michael D Higgins, Mr Fraser responded dryly: "I thought it wasn't because of that."By Gordon Deegan

A software firm which sacked an Office Manager with an incurable degenerative disease while she was on sick leave has been ordered to pay her 46,000 in compensation.

In the case at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Core Computer Consultants Limited - CoreHR has been ordered to pay Natasha Lawson 23,000 after the WRC found that the firm carried out a discriminatory dismissal against the woman.

In his decision, Adjudication Officer at the WRC, Stephen Bonnlander has also ordered the firm to pay Ms Lawson an additional 23,000 for its refusal to make a reasonable accommodation of her disability in the workplace.

Mr Bonnlander stated that the joint award does take cognisance of the hardship Ms Lawson experienced as a result of losing her job and also the overall unreasonableness of the employers conduct and in particular, the manner in which it dismissed Ms Lawson by phone.

Mr Bonnlander found that the delay in Ms Lawsons return to work as a result of a road accident did not give the employer a right to terminate her employment or to withdraw its previous offer of reasonable accommodation in the form of a phased return to work.

In the case, Ms Lawson lives with fibromyalgia, an incurable degenerative disease and disorder characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep and memory issues.

Ms Lawson was with the firm since 2015 and in May of last year, Ms Lawson went on sick leave after being medically certified as being unfit for work and remained off work until November 2017 when she was dismissed during a company conference call.

During her time on sick leave, Ms Lawson - who described herself as an advocate for those living with fibromyalgia - spent three weeks under the care of Our Ladys Hospice and Care Services in Dublin.

The hospices occupational therapist recommended a number of accommodations for Ms Lawson to CoreHR such as flexible work schedules, a temporary reduction in working hours, regular short breaks and working from home.

CoreHR's occupational health expert endorsed the accommodations recommended by the hospice expert and also mentioned a reduction in work hours, but with the caveat that she understood this was not to be a possibility with business demands.

Ms Lawsons paid sick leave expired on June 19, 2017 and she continued to be on unpaid sick leave until her dismissal.

Ms Lawson said that her employer refused the accommodation that she could be able to work from home.

In August 2017, Ms Lawson was in a traffic accident which caused her symptoms to flare up again and in October, she was approved for a spinal implant resulting in her not expecting to return to work until January 5, 2018.

On November 1, Ms Lawson was contacted by work and told over the phone in a conference call that she was dismissed with immediate effect and would be paid one month's pay in lieu of notice.

Ms Lawson said that the reason she was given was her incapacity and the problems her absenteeism were causing.

Ms Lawson said that she was not given a right of appeal and was not told that her job was at risk.

Ms Lawson said that she was alone in her apartment when she took the phone call.

She stated that she did not expect this, as all her sick leave was certified.

She stated that her dismissal really knocked her back, personally and in terms of her career aspirations and that it also caused her and her husband considerable financial hardship.

In evidence, Ms Lawson said that she was proud to be working in spite of her numerous health problems, and in particular, her fibromyalgia and that she felt that her being in full-time employment showed the world that sufferers can do things.

In its defence, CoreHR stated that it could not hold Ms Lawsons position indefinitely and disputes that it did not offer reasonable accommodation to Ms Lawson.

In his findings, Mr Bonnlander stated that he found Ms Lawson to be an honest and credible witness throughout and accepted her evidence in its entirety.By Patrick Flynn

Two fishermen have been airlifted to hospital after their boat capsized on Lough Derg this afternoon.

The alarm was raised at around 3.30pm when a member of the public reported two people calling for help from a fishing boat off Mountshannon in Co Clare.

The Shannon based helicopter, Rescue 115, was sent to the scene while the Killaloe unit of the Irish Coast Guard was also alerted.

Members of Killaloe Coast Guard quickly launched their rescue boat and made their way north along the lake to the incident.

Other volunteers travelled to Mountshannon by road.

On arrival at the scene, the helicopter quickly located the casualties who were by then sitting on top of their boat which had capsized.

The pair were winched on board the helicopter and flown directly to University Hospital Limerick.

One was reported to be suffering from hypothermia however neither is believed to have been seriously harmed.

The Coast Guard boat secured the upturned boat and took it on tow.

It took over an hour to recover the boat to Mountshannon harbour when a Coast Guard land crew was waiting to assist.Update - 1.32pm: Senator Joan Freeman says she believes the examination of Presidential finances is unconstitutional.

The Pieta House Founder was speaking as she submitted her nomination papers for the Presidential Election at Custom House in Dublin this afternoon.

The Public Accounts Committee has been looking at the issue of Presidential spending this morning.

Senator Freeman said if she is elected she will be fully transparent with finances.

Honoured to be here at Custom House to formally submit my nomination papers for the 2018 Presidential Election. #VoteJoan #Aras18 pic.twitter.com/9StYKPwDkD  Joan Freeman (@SenJoanFreeman) September 25, 2018

She said: "First of all it is unconstitutional according to article 13.8.2, but at the same time, if I should get elected as President, I will make full disclosure of all monies spent in the Presidential Office."

Earlier: Peter Casey hits out at President Higgins' 'lame excuse' for missing Presidential debate

Two more dragons have officially entered the race for the Aras.

Sean Gallagher and Peter Casey both lodged their nomination papers at Custom House this morning.

Senator Joan Freeman is due to hand her papers in this afternoon.

Sean Gallagher got on the ticket with the support of five local authorities. While Peter Casey had the minimum four required.

Gallagher, who contested the race the last time, was the first to arrive at Custom House this morning.

I was delighted to be accompanied by my family while delivering my Presidential Election Nomination Papers to the Custom House earlier this morning. #Aras18 #Aras2018 #Sean4President pic.twitter.com/olVY7VO9Wy  Sean Gallagher (@seangallagher1) September 25, 2018

He took the opportunity to criticise RTE for failing to properly organise a Presidential debate.

He said: "this situation could easily have been avoided had RTE contacted the Office of the President to find out if the President was available on these scheduled dates.

"On the public website, which is available online, it was clear that the President had pre-scheduled commitments."

His former Dragons Den co-star Peter Casey also formalised his nomination this morning, and he said he can understand why Sean Gallagher has opted out of Thursdays debate, as he "didnt do so well the last time".

He added that Michael D Higgins had a lame excuse for not attending, saying: "I think it would be certainly beneficial if the President was there.

"I think he's got some lame excuse. Prince Edward would have waited."Netflix has announced the release the highly-anticipated second chapter of the critically acclaimed Making a Murderer.

The Emmy Award-winning original documentary series follows the unprecedented journey of Steven Avery from DNA exoneree and reformer to convicted murderer.

In season two, filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos return to the Midwest where they have exclusive access to Steven Avery and his co-defendant and nephew Brendan Dassey, their families and the legal teams fighting for justice on their behalf.

Over the course of 10 new episodes, Making a Murderer Part 2 provides an in-depth look at the high-stakes postconviction process, exploring the emotional toll the process takes on all involved.

Steven and Brendan, their families and their legal and investigative teams have once again graciously granted us access, giving us a window into the complex web of American criminal justice, said executive producers, writers and directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos.

Building on Part 1, which documented the experience of the accused, in Part 2, we have chronicled the experience of the convicted and imprisoned, two men each serving life sentences for crimes they maintain they did not commit. We are thrilled to be able to share this new phase of the journey with viewers.

Part 2 introduces viewers to Kathleen Zellner, Averys hard-charging postconviction lawyer, in her fight to prove that Avery was wrongly convicted and win his freedom.

Ricciardi and Demos follow Zellner, who has righted more wrongful convictions than any private attorney in America, as she tirelessly works the case and uncovers unexpected evidence about what may have happened to Teresa Halbach and about how and why the jury convicted Steven of her murder.

Ricciardi and Demos also follow Dasseys post-conviction lawyers, Laura Nirider and Steven Drizin with Northwestern Universitys Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth, as they fight in federal court to prove their clients confession was involuntary, a fight that could take Brendans case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Making A Murderer Part 2 launches globally on October 9, 2018.

- Digital DeskNawaz Sharif granted three-day exemption from hearing

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was granted three-day exemption from personal appearance in the hearing of Al-Azizia/Hill Metal Establishment reference by an accountability court on Monday.



Advocate Khawaja Haris filed an application on behalf of the former premier, requesting Accountability Judge Arshad Malik to allow his client exemption from appearance in court for five days.



He stated that Sharif has still been reeling under grief owing to the death of his wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz and needed some time, especially, after his release from prison last week, to pick up the pieces.



The lawyer, however, assured that no hurdle would be created to the trial proceedings and Ibrahim Haroon will appear before the court as his clients representative.



Earlier, PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retired) Safdar were released from Adiala prison after an Islamabad High Court bench suspended their sentence and ordered their release on bail.A small 66 sq m shop on the ground floor of The William at 514 Little Bourke Street, leased to The Poke Man for $75,725 a year, sold after auction for $1.55 million. Colliers Internationals Oliver Hay, David Sia and Chris Ling handled the transaction. East Hawthorn Gorman Commercials Alex Browne and David Minton sold Suite 210, 12-14 Cato Street for $1.16 million. The 202 sq m office reflects $5742 per sq m which sets a new record in the building. Strata offices continue to be in strong demand from both owner occupiers and investors. We are seeing values rise significantly, Mr Browne said. Docklands MAB Corporation has sold a 132 sq m strata shop at 9 Marmion Place for $900,000 in a deal negotiated by Colliers Internationals Chris Ling and David Sia. The property was hotly contested and sold prior to the close of the EOI campaign, indicating the shortage of supply and high demand for such retail assets, Mr Ling said.

Oakleigh Knight Franks Stuart Gill and Steven Salopek sold 18 Manton Street with vacant possession at auction to a private developer for $850,000. The 742 sq m property set a new benchmark for a block of its size in Oakleigh, they said. Meanwhile, a private developer snapped up a 4707 sq m site at 48-50 Hargreaves Street for $4.85 million. Prahran A two-level retail/showroom and office at 48 Commercial Road sold at auction with vacant possession for $1.35 million, Morley Commercials James Lie and Josh McMullin said. Notting Hill

A warehouse at 8/15 Howleys Road sold within days of being advertised for $730,000. Daniel Philip from CVA said the property included a partitioned and open-plan office, warehouse with container-height roller door and ground floor showroom. South Yarra Owner occupier are snapping up office suites. A 120 sq m first floor office, Suite D & E at 450-460 Chapel Street, sold to a private owner for $770,000, Morley Commercials Tom Larwill said. 450-460 Chapel Street, South Yarra. Credit:Morley Commercial Mount Waverley

Positioned in the Monash Technology precinct, a warehouse at 10/40 Ricketts Road sold by auction for $895,000. CVAs Daniel Philip and Ian Angelico negotiated the sale on a building rate of $2877.80 per sq m. The 311 sq m building includes partitioned offices, reception area, boardroom and high-clearance warehouse. LEASES Fitzroy Airlie Beach is a long way from Fitzroy but two restaurant operators who relocated from the Whitsundays will open an eatery in a 302 sq m space at 364-366 Brunswick Street. The premises already has a current liquor licence, full commercial kitchen and rear delivery access. Burgess Rawsons Sam Fogarty negotiated the deal at $146,000 per annum on a five-year lease. He said the new tenants were excited to open in November this year. South Yarra

Run With Me fitness club will open its ninth outlet in Victoria after agreeing terms on a new lease at 28 Toorak Road in a deal brokered by Teska Carsons Luke Bisset. The 192 sq m premises was let at $80,000 per annum net, on a five-year term with a five-year option. Mr Bisset said Run With Me secured council approval to operate the business. It took several months to gain approval for this use within the zone but it was definitely worth the wait," he said. Richmond Photography agency Blessed Vision have leased 236-238 Bridge Road on a 3 + 3 year lease. The shop was vacant for just two weeks between tenancies, Beller Commercials Max Warren said. It leased for $65,0000 net per annum. Chirnside Park Strong tenant inquiry for industrial properties in the east has resulted in a string of deal for CVAs Stan Dawidowski and Jarrod Moran. A 1420 sq m office at 272-274 Maroondah Highway in Chirnside Park leased for $270,000, a 1900 sq m warehouse at 89 Lewis Road in Wantirna leased for $130,000, a 1330 sq m office/warehouse at 67 Henderson Road in Rowville leased for $170,000, another 1467 q m office/warehouse at 9-11 Hi-Tech Court in Croydon leased for $150,000, and 74-76 Bayfield Road in Bayswater  a 1600 sq m office/lab/warehouse - leased for $120,000.Opposition Senators questioned Imran Khan letter to Modi

ISLAMABAD: Senators belonging to the opposition benches on Monday questioned the dialogue offer made by Prime Minister Imran Khan to India at a time when Indian forces had intensified brutalities in held Kashmir.



Raising the issue in the House, Senates former chairman Mian Raza Rabbani of Pakistan Peoples Party said that Indian forces continued to perpetrate atrocities on Kashmiris who were struggling to achieve their cherished goal, adding that given the situation in held Kashmir the PMs offer for talks to India was incomprehensible.



He said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis letter to Mr Khan was ceremonial in nature, but an offer of dialogue was made in the letter written in response to it. He also objected to the language used in the letter that we are ready to discuss terrorism. He said it was known to all what Indias position was on the issue of terrorism.



He also referred to Commerce Minister Abdul Razak Dawoods remarks that let the CPEC projects be put on hold for one year and said a clarification just said he had been quoted out of context, leaving people to wonder what he had actually said.



Mr Rabbani also expressed his concerns over reports that Saudi Arabia had been offered to build a city of oil in Gwadar. Is it the singular superpower you are trying to please? Do you want to realign the foreign policy? he questioned and said it could not be done by off-the-cuff actions and statements. He stressed that parliament was the forum to take such decisions.



Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haidri of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl questioned as to how a single individual could offer dialogue to India. He criticised PM Khan for writing a letter to his Indian counterpart without taking parliament into confidence. He advised Mr Khan to tread carefully, saying that the PM was taking decisions in haste which lacked vision.



Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry explained that Mr Khans letter to the Indian prime minister was a response to a communication he received from him. He said Pakistan wanted to find a solution to all bilateral disputes with India, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir.



The two countries have been fighting for seventy years and we can continue to fight for another seventy years if India wants, he remarked and warned that a nuclear war  if it broke out  would mean devastation of the subcontinent.



Mr Chaudhry said PM Khans vision was to alleviate sufferings of the millions of people living below the poverty line in the region. He said Pakistan would be in the middle of two big international markets if its relations with India were normalised.



Faisal Javed of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf regretted that efforts were being made for point-scoring on the issues which required a complete unity in the ranks of the political class. We need to project Pakistans narrative, he stressed.



Earlier taking part in the debate on the recently announced mini budget, Senator retired Gen Abdul Qayyum called for immediate efforts for the debt rescheduling as was done in 2002 with 15 countries, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Paris Club which offered $12 billion with zero interest payments for initial 15 years. He also asked the government to unfold a long-term economic policy and macro-economic strategy to implement the evolved policy, besides immediately privatising state owned enterprises constantly adding to financial burden or evolving a system of their effective governance.Super tight vacancy rates and sharp prices will be the norm over the next six months in Australias metro office markets as investors, recognising the sectors strength, pounce on suburban office assets.

Moving to take advantage of the market, ASX listed Propertylink Group has sold a 14-level office at 80 Mount Street in North Sydney for $71 million.

All precincts in Sydneys metro office market saw yield compression.

The B-grade building, in which Propertylink had a 25 per cent stake, fetched an initial yield of 4.32 per cent, a 29 per cent premium to its current book value.

The sharp pricing underpins research from Colliers International which suggests metro yields have crimped by 16 basis points over the past six months to September.Premium CBD property owners are taking the think small approach to catering for emerging businesses that hanker for a prime address, albeit with a smaller footprint than the traditional norm.

In Melbourne, agency Colliers reports an explosion in enquiries for space less than 300 square metres, as ambitious tenants either outgrow shared office space, or migrate from lower grade city fringe space.

The firm has brokered more than 100 deals involving less than 300 square metres of CBD space in the year to date, compared with 70 in the previous comparative period.

Colliers leasing director Milly Stockdale said the trend reflected the desire of small business to be centrally located, for both the convenience of staff and to attract quality employees. Quite a few have come from suburbs or C and B grade buildings, she said. We see a lot of tenants from services offices but who want their own dedicated address and tenancy.

A suite strategy also means landlords hit the sweet spot: rents are typically 10-15 per cent higher per square metre than a single letting in Melbourne and up to 20 per cent higher in Sydney.Across an increasingly wide range of industries, small groups of superstar companies are successfully adopting new technologies and either passing the productivity gains on to customers - as lower prices - or pocketing them - as higher profits - rather than returning the full gains to their workforce as higher wages.

At the same time, the productivity laggards are losing market share and are unable to pay higher wages.

Thats the explanation of low wages growth advanced by a new paper written by leading independent economist Geoff Weir during a six-month unpaid research fellowship at the Reserve Bank.

'Superstar' companies are successfully adopting new technologies but not passing on the benefits to employees.

If true, interest rate rises may still be some way off, because in a world of structurally lower wages growth: central banks can have more confidence in keeping interest rates lower for longer," the paper concludes.Cockfight. Directed by Kate Harman, Julian Louis, Joshua Thomson and Gavin Webber. The Farm in association with NORPA and Performing Lines. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre, September 26, 8pm. canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 62752700.

Gavin Webber (older man) and Joshua Thomson (younger man) in Cockfight. Credit:Darcy Grant

Kate Harman says, "Cockfight is not about roosters." Rather, the production's co-director says, "Male competition is at the heart of the piece [and the idea that "without one another we have nothing"].

In Cockfight, performed by co-directors Joshua Thomson and Gavin Webber, two office workers - one older (Webber), one younger (Thomson) - battle for supremacy in a combination of dance, dialogue and movement. They use their bodies and whatever comes to hand, including a filing cabinet, a radio, a phone and a pot plant as the struggle becomes increasingly intense.

"The show is really playing with the idea of transition," Harman says - the older man not letting go while the younger man is coming up and won't necessarily repeat what's gone before in a symbolic struggle also intended as a critique of modern capitalism.A man has broken down in tears as he remembered almost hitting British ultra-endurance cyclist Mike Hall a short time before he was killed when struck by a car.

The respected rider was running second in the 5500-kilometre Indian Pacific Wheel Race on March 31 last year when he died from massive head injuries after being hit from behind near Canberra.

Mike Hall before taking on the Indian Pacific Wheel Race.

The vehicle was driven by Shegu Bobb, 19 at the time, who told police he thought he had hit a kangaroo when he fatally struck Hall at 6.22am.

During an inquest on Tuesday, witnesses gave conflicting accounts of Hall's visibility on the morning he rode on the Monaro Highway.Canberra Hospital radiologists have warned patients' previous scans are being ignored and trainee specialists are working unsupervised as the department struggles with chronic staff shortages.

Internal documents reveal inpatient CT scans at Canberra Hospital are being examined offsite for the third month in a row.

Health staff say inpatient X-rays have also had to be reviewed offsite for more than a year due to the ongoing shortage of radiologists.

Canberra Hospital's radiology department continues to suffer from staff shortages. Credit:JESSICA SHAPIRO

It comes amid escalating tensions between doctors and the director of medical imaging Mark Duggan, who has been accused by the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation of having "total control" of the department despite having no clinical training.Australias latest food tampering case began on September 9 at Moreton Bay in Queensland. A young man was reported on Facebook to have swallowed a portion of a needle after biting into a strawberry and was at a hospitals emergency department. Needles have since been discovered in Australian-grown strawberries, mangoes, apples, and bananas throughout Australia and in New Zealand. More than 100 incidents have been reported.

A needle found in a punnet of strawberries.

Possible motives for food tampering can include extortion, thrill-seeking, driving competitors out of business, and revenge  usually by a disaffected employee.

This latest case has the added intrigue of an old, alleged organised crime connection as Donnybrook Berries at the centre of the contamination problem is owned by Pasquale Cufari, a convicted Mildura drug trafficker with a possible connection to the NDragheta organised crime group. Alleged members of the group have previously been closely associated with the Australian fruit trade.

Product tampering is not a new phenomenon. The most notorious modern case of product tampering was in 1982 in Chicago involving Tylenol, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. Tylenol-branded acetaminophen capsules were laced with potassium cyanide and placed on store shelves. Seven people died, with several more dying in subsequent copycat crimes. The prime suspect went to jail for trying to extort US$1 million from Johnson & Johnson. The event triggered more than 270 copycat incidents.Its an announcement that has Canberra women (and some men) in their 30s literally out of their minds - 90s pop-rock band Hanson is headed to the capital for the very first time.

The trio of American brothers - whose 1997 hit Mmmbop went viral before going viral was even a thing (and won a Grammy) - are set to play Canberra Theatre in March in a concert described as their most ambitious project to date.

Zac, Taylor and Isaac Hanson don't just do music - they also have a beer brand.

Isaac, Taylor and Zac have ditched the dinky drum set, keyboard and guitars from their early days and are instead playing live with the backing of a full symphony orchestra in a concert entitled String Theory.

The show features songs spanning the bands entire career from Mmmbop and Where's the Love to This Time Around and includes never-released-to-the-public songs Reaching For The Sky and Siren Call.A US Marine charged with the violent assault of a female public servant in a car park at Enoggera has had his bail amended to allow him to return to Brisbane.

Taylor Wyatt Elwood, 20, was arrested at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane's north-west on July 3 after allegedly dragging the woman, aged in her 60s, out of her parked car and assaulting her.

Taylor Wyatt Elwood at the Brisbane Arrests Court in July. Credit:AAP/Darren England

He was further charged with allegedly assaulting an off-duty police officer who intervened, and wilful damage to the woman's car.

The woman was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment of facial injuries and later released.Premier Daniel Andrews, left and William Mora, son of the late Mirka Mora, at her State Memorial at the Palais Theatre. Credit:Jason South

The family of late Melbourne artist Mirka Mora plans to establish a museum to celebrate her life and works.

The announcement was made in front of more than 2000 people at the State Memorial for a woman who Premier Daniel Andrews said brought joy to everything she did.

The crowd in St Kilda's Palais Theatre laughed and cried in a joyful tribute, with images of her vivid paintings screened on stage.

Outrageous tales were told of a larger-than-life Mirka, who died aged 90 on August 27. Her friend, arts patron Carrillo Gantner, told how she lifted her gown and flashed her body when he visited her in hospital.SC to review petition filed by Jahangir Tareen

The Supreme Court (SC) is all set to take up two important petitions on Thursday; a review petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen against his disqualification by the apex court and a review petition filed by PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi against the acquittal of Prime Minister Imran Khan in a misdeclaration of assets case.



A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, will hear both petitions.



Tareen had been disqualified in December 2017 under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by Abbasi for misdeclaration of assets. The disqualification was made on the same provision under which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was held ineligible to hold public office for life in the Panama Papers case.



In the review petition against his disqualification, Tareen has informed the court that he could not present legal instruments and specific documents regarding his trust  Shiny View Limited (SVL)  and a property  Hyde House  during the course of litigation because they were not in his personal knowledge, possession or control.



The PTI stalwart argues in the petition, filed through his counsel, Sikandar Bashir Mohmand that these documents are being furnished before the court now.



My understanding and knowledge of the trust arrangement, its legal aspect and components and its legal effect was that of a layperson gathered from my interaction with my professional advisers and the trustees, Tareen has pleaded in the review petition. In a landmark judgement announce in April this year, the apex court had ruled that a disqualification handed down under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution is for life.



However, Tareen has argued at the time that the SCs ruling on lifetime disqualification is not applicable in his case.



I always believed 62(1)(f) to be for life, but it is not applicable in my case, Tareen had said on Twitter following the April verdict.



Full money trail provided of tax paid income, property declared in assets of children and not mine on advice of tax consultant. This was the only issue. My review is still pending and IA justice will prevail.



The court would also hear the review petition filed by Hanif Abbasi against the acquittal of PM Imran. Earlier, while disqualifying Tareen, the apex court had refused the disqualification of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The chief justice, reading out the judgement in the packed courtroom, had said the court had found that Khan was not liable to declare offshore company Niazi Services Ltd in his 2013 nomination papers as he was not a shareholder or director of the company.



The courts detailed judgement had noted that the money trail provided by Imran Khan sufficiently covered the Bani Gala propertys purchase price, the funds provided by Jemima Goldsmith, Khans ex-wife, and the proceeds from the sale of Khans apartment in London.A man has handed himself in to police after he was allegedly involved in a violent hit-run at a car enthusiasts' meet at a Coburg North drive-in cinema at the weekend.

The man, 21, from Forest Hill went to police on Tuesday after an appeal for information was made on Monday.

Fawkner Highway Patrol officers have charged the man with numerous offences including conduct endangering life, failing to render assistance and traffic-related offences. Police also impounded his car.

"He was been bailed with strict licence restrictions to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court at a later date," a police spokesman said.Throughout his short life, Martha Ojulo felt so proud of Liep, her beautiful son, her right-hand man.

While she was at English language classes, the teenager would pick up his younger sister, Rouza, from school, ferry her home and prepare her dinner.

Martha Ojulo, the mother of murdered teenager Liep Gony. Credit:Darrian Traynor

He had so much freedom and he could have done a lot other stuff, but he chose to take care of me, says Rouza Gony, remembering her older brother with a smile.Josh Frydenberg and Julie Bishop flank two students at a Great Barrier Reef Foundation announcement in Cairns in April. Credit:Great Barrier Reef Foundation

A $100 million Great Barrier Reef restoration grant would be tripled by the charity hand-picked by the federal government to administer the money and spent quickly to notch up early wins and boost the organisations public image, documents show.

The revelations, which involve sensitive cabinet documents, also show how officials canvassed ways to stage-manage the governments highly controversial funding announcement, including the possibility of recruiting children and Indigenous people to improve the optics of the policy.

The foundation sought "early wins" on its investments to avoid the perception it was "sitting on the money". Credit:Jason South

The federal government in April announced it was handing $444 million to the small, business-focused Great Barrier Reef Foundation to fund projects such as water quality improvements and tackling the crown-of-thorns starfish. It did not put the grant to tender or invite its own expert agencies to apply. The controversial move has prompted a Senate inquiry.Manado, Indonesia: It's a story out of a novel: Aldi Novel Adilang was stuck drifting at sea for nearly two months, with little besides a Bible and his own ingenuity to aid him.

The 19-year-old, from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, worked on a floating fishing trap known as a rompong, maintaining lights on it to attract fish. He has worked on the small craft, which are generally anchored to the seabed, since he was 16.

The wooden fish trap on which Aldi Novel Adilang spent 49 days adrift. Credit:Indonesian Consulate, Osaka

Aldi typically spent much of his week on his floating hut out in the Bay of Manado. Each week, someone from his company would come to collect the fish. They also dropped off fresh food and water.

But a storm snapped his lines in mid-July, leaving him to float helplessly without a paddle, nearly 130 kilometres out in the bay.Xi has taken a much harsher position on Islam, which authorities associate with the challenge of governing ethnic minorities, some of whom have embraced separatist or terrorist groups in China's far west. The government is detaining vast numbers of Muslims for re-education, its most sweeping internment program since the Mao era. Christianity poses a different set of challenges. It has spread most quickly among white-collar professionals in China's biggest cities and most prosperous regions, many of whom worship in underground churches outside government control, and the government's tactics reflect the differing fates of its branches. Loading Catholicism gave China its first permanent Christian presence 400 years ago and benefited mightily after Western military forces required China to allow in missionaries. The global church poured in talent and money, opening churches, schools and hospitals across the land. After the Communist takeover in 1949, however, Catholicism's established hierarchy in China became a weakness. When diplomatic ties were cut in 1951, the government expelled hundreds of foreign priests and bishops. It took control of the church's top-down structure and began appointing clerics loyal to its vision of a Chinese church with no foreign ties.

Since then, Catholicism has stagnated. The number of Catholics has tracked population growth, rising from 3 million in 1949 to about 10 million today, making it the smallest of China's officially approved faiths. 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 recognise. 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 Saturday as preliminary and neither has released details. But some informal veto system seems likely. The Vatican could reject candidates suggested by 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 urbanising, for example, but many rural Catholics find little outreach when they migrate to take jobs in the cities. A unified church could address that. "I think if it helps unite the church, then it's a good thing," said You Yongxin, a Catholic writer based in the eastern Chinese city of Fuzhou. "If the pope is convinced he can get good bishops appointed through this deal, then we have to trust that he will." Indeed, if carried out as advertised, the deal would give the church a formal role in appointing clergy in party-controlled churches in China for the first time in nearly 70 years. That would be a significant concession by the government. By contrast, Beijing does not give the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, any say over the appointment of monks or abbots. Still, the deal came as a shock for many Chinese Catholics.

Paul Dong Guanhua, a self-ordained bishop in the underground church in the northern Chinese city of Zhengding, said it made no sense that Beijing would sign on to any deal that could strengthen the church. "Well, if there's an agreement, there's an agreement," he said in a telephone interview. "But I find it absurd and I wonder how many other Catholics can agree with this decision." Other prominent underground clergy members, like Guo Xijin, one of the bishops who reportedly would have to step down under the deal, could not be reached for comment. In an interview this year, Guo told The New York Times that he would step down if asked by the pope. Rome will also have to win over skeptical Catholics in Taiwan and Hong Kong, said Lawrence C. Reardon, a professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire who studies Beijing-Vatican relations. Many, like Hong Kong's retired Cardinal Joseph Zen, have vocally opposed a deal with Beijing, arguing that the Communist Party cannot be trusted.

"This is the first step in a dance that they're going to continue," Reardon said. "It's also the reconciliation of the greater Chinese church." The situation is quite different for Protestants in China, whose numbers have climbed from an estimated 1 million believers in 1949 to upward of 50 million now, in part because the absence of church hierarchy allowed for rapid growth even in times of persecution. Without a diplomatic partner with which to negotiate, Chinese authorities have employed a different tactic: knocking down a fraction of churches to send a message to many others. The campaign began in 2014, when the province of Zhejiang demolished a big Protestant church and began removing spires from hundreds of others. By 2016, more than 1200 mainly Protestant churches had been decapitated in Zhejiang, part of an effort that appeared aimed at reducing the religion's visibility. The pace seems to have accelerated this year, with several churches in other parts of the country shut down or demolished, including the Golden Lampstand church in Shanxi province and the Zion church, a large unregistered church in Beijing known for its Korean- and English-language services.Latest News Last sub-2% rate goes as ANZ hikes again Second big hike in three weeks at major lender

"Significant concern" for Premier as housing affordability crisis looms ABS stats show approvals drop off, with politicians warned of impact down the track

A new report has found it takes major banks more than four and a half years to identify significant breaches.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has examined the breach reporting processes of 12 financial services groups, including the four major lenders and AMP.

The group found unacceptable delays in the time taken to identify, report and correct significant breaches of the law among Australias most important financial institutions.

The key findings also showed that once the breach had been identified it took an average of 226 days from the end of an investigation for customers to be remediated.

The average time taken to identify and then investigate a breach was 1,517 days.

These breaches caused financial losses to consumers of around $500million, with millions of dollars still to be provided.

ASIC also found the process from starting an investigation to lodging a breach report with the regulator took the major banks an average of 150 days, which the group said was too long.

Once a financial institution has investigated and determined that a breach has occurred and that it is significant, the law requires that the breach be then reported to ASIC within 10 business days.

One in seven significant breaches (110 of 715) were reported later than the 10-business day requirement.

ASIC Chair James Shipton said, Breach reporting is a cornerstone of Australias financial services regulatory structure.

Many of the delays in breach reporting and compensating consumers were due to the financial institutions inadequate systems, procedures and governance processes, as well as a lack of a consumer orientated culture of escalation.

Our review found that, on average, it takes over 5 years from the occurrence of the incident before customers and consumers are remediated, which is a sad indictment on the financial services industry. This must not stand.

There are two related problems here and ASIC wants change to address both of these.

The first is the industry is taking far too long to identify and investigate potential breaches. Whilst this is not of itself a breach of the reporting requirement, this is the source of longest delay and thus of most detriment for consumers.

The second problem is that even having identified an issue and concluded following an investigation that it is a breach, institutions are failing to then report it to ASIC within the required 10 business days. The delays here are much shorter, 75% were late by 1  5 day, but this is still a breach of the legal requirements.

Accordingly, there is an urgent need for investment by financial services institutions in systems and processes as well as commitment and oversight from boards and senior executives to address these significant failings.

In response to the review's findings, ASIC said it will ensure there is a strong focus on compliance with breach reporting requirements in its new Close and Continuous Monitoring approach to supervising major institutions.

ASIC is also actively considering enforcement action for failures to report breaches on time.

The review underscores the need for law reform of the breach reporting requirements, that the Government has committed to, in principle, following the ASIC Enforcement Review. Currently, there are three factors that are barriers to enforcement action which would be addressed by the proposed reforms:Latest News Last sub-2% rate goes as ANZ hikes again Second big hike in three weeks at major lender

"Significant concern" for Premier as housing affordability crisis looms ABS stats show approvals drop off, with politicians warned of impact down the track

The banks say they recognise the need for further improvements after a review into their breach reporting processes.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) examined 12 financial institutions to assess the way they reported significant breaches of the law.

The report found that the major banks took more than four and a half years to identify a significant breach, which ASIC dubbed unacceptable.

It found the average time taken to report a breach to ASIC was 150 days, despite a legal obligation to do so within ten business days.

The average time taken to identify and then investigate a breach was 1,517 days. It then took on average another 226 days to remediate the customer.

A spokesperson for ANZ said, We recognise there are areas where we can improve, which is why we have set up a specialist team to better manage how we identify and fix issues when they arise. We will look at this report closely to see if there are other areas where we can improve.

Westpac also responded to a request for comment saying it welcomed the release of the report as it provides helpful context and insights for all licensees.

The spokesperson said, Insights from the report will assist to continuously improve reporting processes across the industry.

Westpac builds and maintains constructive and trusted working relationships with its regulators. We do this through regular engagement on relevant matters and by taking an open and co-operative approach to information sharing, including both mandatory and voluntary disclosures.

We are focused on the best interests of our customers and doing the right thing by them, and we will continue to prioritise timely remediation.

To develop better consistency across the industry, we support proposals on providing greater clarity around the significance test and for the mandatory reporting regime to be expanded to include consumer credit.

Westpac recognises the critical role that regulators play in building trust and confidence in the Australian banking system, and we maintain our support for a stronger ASIC through enhanced breach reporting, law reform and intervention powers.

A spokesperson for CBA said, "The ASIC report highlights areas where we can do better for our customers. In particular, it makes clear that we need to be more accountable when we identify breaches and that we must act more quickly to compensate our customers.

We must fix these issues to ensure we get it right for our customers. This report will help us do that.

The Australian Banking Association (ABA) said the report was a wakeup call to the banks.

CEO Anna Bligh said, This investigation shows that the banks efforts to identify issues, report them to ASIC and compensate customers are not good enough.

Customers expect these problems to be identified and fixed as soon as possible. Clearly this report shows theres a lot of work to be done.

The industry has fully cooperated with the ASIC Enforcement Review and has supported changes including increasing penalties and introducing a civil penalty in addition to the criminal offence for failing to report within the required timeframe.

In August the government announced that ASIC would assign dedicated staff for onsite monitoring in the countrys four major banks and AMP to beef up supervision of governance and compliance with the law.

This new initiative and others was welcomed by the industry who are working proactively and in good faith with ASIC to improve monitoring and increase transparency within the sector.Trade between Pakistn-India is a mere $2 billion: WB

ISLAMABAD: India and Pakistan have merely scratched the surface of their bilateral trade potential, as a World Bank report released on Monday estimates that trade between the two countries today is a mere $2 billion whereas without trade barriers, this could reach $37bn.



The report, A Glass Half Full: The Promise of Regional Trade in South Asia says the lack of normal bilateral trade relations between the two countries affects the formation or deepening of regional value-chains in various high-value trading sectors.



The reports has highlighted among key factors, the long list of product restrictions in bilateral trade. India and Pakistan continue to maintain long, sensitive lists of items on which no tariff concessions are granted.



Pakistan has a list of 936 items and almost 17.9pc of tariff lines that apply to imports from all Safta countries. India maintains a list of 25 items (0.5pc of tariff lines), which includes goods such as alcohol, firearms, etc.



However, it has a much longer, 64-item list, (almost 11.7pc of tariff lines) for Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but which effectively applies only to Pakistan, because India applies a smaller sensitive list to Sri Lanka as part of a separate India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement.



Items on the Indian sensitive list can be imported at the most-favoured-nation tariffs from any Safta country, including Pakistan, because India accorded Pakistan the status in 1996, soon after the accession of the two countries to the World Trade Organisation. However, Pakistan has not granted India the most-favoured-nations status or non-discriminatory market access.



In addition, the preferential access granted by Pakistan on 82.1pc of tariff lines under Safta is partially blocked in the case of India because Pakistan maintains a negative list comprising 1,209 items that cannot be imported from India. In practice, many of these items are exported from India to Pakistan through a third country, usually the United Arab Emirates.



The report says another barrier to bilateral trade is the proliferation of NTMs (non-tariff measures), some of which take the form of non-tariff barriers, such as port restrictions.



Pakistan allows only 138 items to be imported from India over the Attari-Wagah land route. Furthermore, cargo trucks from either side cannot move beyond their border zones, which means that goods must be transloaded at the border, adding to the time and cost of trading.



Another factor impeding bilateral trade in goods and services, as well as FDI, is the encumbered visa regime that India and Pakistan have created for each other, which restricts the mobility of people between the two countries.Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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Digital EditorAs a cross-section of workers has continued to stay away from work at Royal Enfield, Yamaha and Myoung Shin Automotive India Pvt Ltd (MSI), a supplier of Hyundai, the matter has now moved to the Madras High Court, apart from the complaints in the Labour Commissioner office. Workers are protesting against their respective managements for not allowing them to form unions and not issuing bonus and other allowances.

Sources close to the Yamaha management have said that the company has knocked on the doors of the Madras High Court against the workers' protest. In the petition, the ...USA-China equally important to Pakistan: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

The United States and China are equally important to Pakistan, said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while speaking at the Pakistani embassy in Washington D.C. on Sunday.



He was responding to a media questions on the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf led governments foreign policy ahead of his participation at the United Nations 73rd General Assembly.



Qureshi will address the Assembly on the Sept 29, and will hold meetings with US officials including, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on October 2.



He highlighted that Pakistan considers China as an important and reliable friend, while referring to the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He also stressed, America is also important to Pakistan.



Speaking on the restoration of US security assistance, he commented that the US had suspended financial assistance earlier too, in order to apply pressure on Pakistan, but it proved futile.



Commenting on the cancellation of training opportunities for Pakistani soldiers in the US, Qureshi explained, Direct face to face connections lead to trust and confidence, established through a personal understanding of one another. Suspension of military assistance for Pakistani officers to train in the US has spoiled the chance for the US and Pakistani officers to establish personal relationships, trust and shared goals.



However, he said the two administrations are now exploring ways to re-establish confidence in one another. He continued, Pakistan had a fractured relationship with the US, but we are working on ways to improve it.



We need to look for convergence and see how we can better manage that convergence, he said.



Qureshi emphasized the importance of the US-Pakistan relationship, highlighting previous collaborations. He said, the US has benefited from its relationship with Pakistan during the Cold War, the hunt for Al- Qaida, and now again in the War On Terror. Speaking on the US demand for Pakistan to exert influence on the Taliban to participate in the Afghan peace process, Qureshi said, We will use whatever influence we have. Our intentions are positive. We have a clear conscience.



Describing the recent US delegation visit to Pakistan that included Pompeo, and Chairman Joint Chief of Staff General Joseph Dunford, Qureshi said, we held very frank, candid and honest discussions about the bilateral relationship. He continued, the US delegation also viewed the discussions positively, and as a step in moving the relationship forward.



The US delegations next stop after Pakistan was India, where Qureshi said it was, understood and a forgone conclusion that terrorism as an issue of discussion would be raised by India. However, he stressed this was not something that concerned Pakistan. Speaking about the flourishing US- India relationship Qureshi said, Pakistan has no issue with that.



On Indias recent refusal to meet on the sidelines of the U.N. meetings in New York, he said that though he was dismayed at Indias vacillation, the door for negotiations remained open for resumption of talks. We will not abandon our efforts for peace he said.



But he also stressed that although peace and stability is essential for the region, It is not just Pakistans responsibility. He encouraged all countries in the region to actively engage in efforts to achieve peace and stability.



He reiterated Pakistans offer to open Kartarpur border crossing for Sikh pilgrims to attend Baba Guru Nanaks anniversary this year. Although India appears reluctant, we will not close our doors, he said, describing Pakistans willingness to improve relations.



He added, not addressing the issues will not resolve them and neither will it improve the situation in Kashmir.



Qureshi unequivocally rejected Indias concerns regarding a Pakistani postal stamp depicting Kashmiri freedom fighter, Burhan Wani. Thousands of people are fighting for freedom in Kashmir, not all of them are terrorists, he said.



Speaking on the Pakistani delegations recent visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, he said, We made it clear we were not asking for money. He continued the relationship with Saudi Arabia is very important to Pakistan. The purpose of the visit was to reconnect with reliable allies who have remained with us and supported us during difficult times.The words, please try to understand will reverberate in Court No 1 in the Supreme Court for one last week from Monday, as the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, retires on October 2. The words, repeated quite often by the CJI during hearings in his court, suggest his innate persuasive skills, aimed at trying to get lawyers to see reason.

The bench presided over by him has been rising early for the past few days to find more time for giving finishing touches to the judgments still pending. And there are as many as 16 cases in which judgments are expected to be ...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.The European Union (EU) has ruled out the possibility of a ban on imports of Indian shrimps. Clearing the air, Tomasz Kozlowski, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to India, on Tuesday said, We are not going to put any ban on Indian shrimps.

Only one thing is that we have some health regulations in Europe and all imports from abroad should meet our requirement." There was growing concern that the EU was seriously worried over the use of antibiotics in Indian shrimps- a fact that surfaced continuously in its findings. It was also dissatisfied with the response it got from ...Finance Minister Tuesday hit out at former for predicting that the next crisis would be triggered by MSME lending, saying postmortem is easier than taking action when it was required.

Rajan, who had as the chief economist at IMF warned of impending financial crisis of 2008, in a note to a parliamentary committee warned against ambitious credit targets and loan waivers, saying that they could be the sources of next crisis.

"I think for anyone to do postmortem is easier than action when it was required," Jaitley said when asked to comment on Rajan's view about MSME to be next source of crisis for the sector.

ALSO READ: PSBs demand relaxation of PCA framework during review meet with FM Jaitley

"Government should focus on sources of the next crisis, not just the last one. In particular, government should refrain from setting ambitious credit targets or waiving loans.

Credit targets are sometimes achieved by abandoning appropriate due diligence, creating the environment for future NPAs," Rajan said in the note.

"Both MUDRA loans as well as the Kisan Credit Card, while popular, have to be examined more closely for potential credit risk. The Credit Guarantee Scheme for MSME (CGTMSE) run by SIDBI is a growing contingent liability and needs to be examined with urgency," he had said in the note submitted to the committee headed by Murli Manohar Joshi.

Rajan also said that a list of high profile cases related to banking frauds was sent to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for a coordinated action.

Rajan, who was for three years till September 2016, is currently teaching at the Chicago Booth School of Business.India is mulling a rupee payment mechanism with Russia as part of a broad range of measures aimed at reducing the current account deficit (CAD). Trade deficit has widened to more than $80 billion in the first five months of the current financial year as the value of the rupee nosedived and global crude prices continue to shoot up.

The potential mechanism will allow Indian importers to pay for imports from Russia  mostly diamonds and petroleum  in Indian currency while Russia would be able to use those rupees to pay for its own imports. India had a similar mechanism ...Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said he will meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week as his company and other internet giants face increasing scrutiny from conservatives who allege that their views are being censored "I look forward to meeting with members on both sides of the aisle, answering a wide range of questions, and explaining our approach," Pichai said in a statement Monday. "These meetings will continue Googles long history of engaging with Congress, including testifying seven times to Congress this year." Google denies it ...

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



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Digital EditorFrom Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...A day after winning the Mexican presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took a congratulatory call from U.S. President Donald Trump. But Trump had something more important on his mind: Would Mexico's new president consider a bilateral trade deal? Lopez Obrador responded he would be "open to the possibility" in the absence of a trilateral agreement that also included Canada, said Hector Vasconcelos, a foreign policy advisor to Lopez Obrador's campaign who listened to the call on July 2. Lopez Obrador's answer marked a pivotal moment after a ...US President Donald Trump on Monday announced to have a second summit meeting with North Korean leader in the not-too-distant future.

"I am going to be meeting with Chairman Kim in the not-too-distant future. The location is being worked on, the time is being worked on, and we will be announcing it," Trump told reporters during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-In, in New York, on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly.

Later, the White House said the two leaders discussed plans for a second summit between Trump and Chairman Kim and committed to closely coordinating the next steps.

Moon shared with Trump the outcomes of this month's inter-Korean summit, which included Democratic People's Republic of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un's reiteration of his commitment to completing denuclearisation, the White House said.

"Trump commended President Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with Chairman Kim and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea," said a readout of the meeting.

The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining vigorous enforcement of the existing sanctions to ensure understands that denuclearisation is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, it added.The will provide more than $185 million in additional humanitarian assistance for those affected by the Rakhine State crisis in and Bangladesh, including funding for the Rohingya refugees as well as for supporting critical emergency services.

The new funding will support the implementation of critical emergency services, including protection, emergency shelter, food, water, sanitation, health care, and psychosocial support.

Ambassador to the United Nations announced on Monday that the will provide more than $185 million in additional humanitarian assistance, of which $156 million would go to refugees and host communities in Bangladesh, taking its total humanitarian aid for the crisis to nearly $389 million in the past year.

"The is proud to be the leading donor of life-saving assistance to displaced persons, refugees, and host communities in Burma and Still more needs to be done, so we need other countries to do their part as well," Haley said during a ministerial-level meeting on

UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian co-hosted the High-Level Event on the on the margins of the 73rd session of the General Assembly.

Haley, who is the highest ranking Indian-American in the Donald Trump administration, said the US continues to call on the 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.

She also voiced appreciation for Bangladesh's unwavering generosity in hosting and caring for the refugees.

A Myanmar military crackdown unleashed 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

now hosts nearly one million refugees, most of whom are Rohingya women and children who have taken refuge since the start of the violence.

Ministers from Myanmar and Bangladesh were joined by high level attendees from Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey and the US. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, Special Envoy Christine Schraner Burgener and UN Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner also participated in the event.

Co-Chairs Hunt and Le Drian agreed that the plight of the Rohingya was one of the largest refugee crises in recent history and one of the most pressing human rights and humanitarian crises facing the community today, according to a press release from the UK government.

They noted also the Fact-Finding Mission's conclusion that the perpetrators of crimes must be held to account. Since August 2017 these have led to the displacement of over 723,000 Rohingya who are now residing in Bangladesh.

The Co-Chairs acknowledged the ruling of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber that the Court may exercise jurisdiction over the alleged deportation of the Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh as well as over the alleged crime against humanity.

They also called for the immediate release of the two Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Ooo as well as for the respect for their fundamental rights. They regretted that conditions in Rakhine State were not yet conducive for the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable repatriation of refugees to Rakhine.US President Donald Trump blasted Iran on Tuesday as a "corrupt dictatorship" that is plundering its people to pay for aggression abroad, using his speech to the United Nations General Assembly to threaten more sanctions against Tehran. "Iran's leaders sow chaos, death and destruction," Trump told the annual gathering. "They do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations." Trump's speech in the green-marbled U.N. hall, while relatively low key, was aimed squarely at Iran, which the United States accuses of harboring nuclear ...The benchmark indices snapped out of their five-session losing streak, to settle nearly 1 per cent higher on Tuesday led by a rise in the financial stocks. The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 36,652, up 347 points while the broader Nifty50 index settled at 11,067, up 100 points. Among sectoral indices, the Nifty Bank index settled 1.4 per cent higher led by a rise in the shares of SBI and Axis Bank. Among individual stocks, shares of DHFL plunged 22 per cent to settle at Rs 306.30 apiece on BSE. Indiabulls Housing Finance fell nearly 6 per cent to Rs ...

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Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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Digital EditorMaking a sharp u-turn, shares of YES Bank slipped 7 per cent in the afternoon trade on Tuesday ahead of the board meeting to be held later in the day to decide the future course of action after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) curtailed the term of its managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rana Kapoor and asked the bank to look for a replacement by January 2019. In the early trade, the stock rose 6 per cent.

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital EditorBaloch political activists have accused Islamabad of violating human rights, inequality and rise of religious fundamentalists in Balochistan, which is responsible for the destruction of cultural identity of the Baloch people.

Addressing the 39th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Munir Mengal, President of the Baloch Voice Association, said: "During the last seventy years of the Islamic state existence, and particularly its security forces, have treated the Baloch people as occupants. Their xenophobia about the Baloch people is most evident in their crude behaviour and disproportionate response to the most genuine and fundamental demands of the Baloch people to honour their dignity, identity and culture, and respect their sovereignty on their land."

"The "Islamic" state is intolerant of the spirit of toleration and liberalism displayed by the Baloch people. It has tried systematically to transplant religious fanatical groups from outside Balochistan to change their culture. Pakistan, as a state, pledged to International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, it should have recognised the cultural specificity of the Baloch people. It has, instead, tried to use private militias of terrorist religious groups to unleash a reign of terror to the secular, nationalist and peace-loving people," he added.

Baloch woman activist, Karima Baloch, also accused Islamabad of racial discrimination against the Baloch people.

"Because the Baloch people are culturally different from mainstream Pakistan, they are treated with prejudice in every sphere of life. They are considered different and their way of life is regarded as uncivilised and obsolete. When Balochistan was asked to merge with Pakistan in 1947, Baloch leaders had rightfully argued that the Baloch people had never been part of the sub-continent and their language, culture, history and geography differed from that of the sub-continent. Therefore, the Baloch voted against acceding with Pakistan. However, their land was taken over by the Pakistan military with force in March, 1948," she added.

Karima continued, "In the following years, the mainstream Pakistan has found it difficult to understand the Baloch lifestyle. Other Pakistanis consider the Baloch as inferior and uncivilised because the Baloch cannot learn to pronounce the lingua franca of the country that is Urdu. Urdu is an Indian language while Balochi is an Iranian language. Because of differences in the sound system and grammar of the two languages, the Baloch find it next to impossible to learn Urdu properly, which is essential if you want to climb the ladder of success in Pakistan. For this reason, the Baloch get left behind and are treated with bias".

Balochistan, which is the largest province of Pakistan, is rich in natural resources like gold, gas and other reserves. However, it remains the poorest province of the country.

Recent findings of the United National Development Programme (UNDP) have shown distressing conditions of human development in Balochistan, since most of its districts fall under the very low category.

The Human Development Index (HDI) of Balochistan can be compared with countries like Chad, Niger and other countries of Central Africa, whose HDI is declining significantly.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has described the depreciation of the cedi against the U.S. dollar and other major currencies, as well as the prevailing harsh economic environment, as a difficult situation requiring some degree of fortitude and firm action to deal with.



The local currency has neared the GHS5: US$1 mark.



The frequent increase in the price of fuel has also worsened the situation.



Speaking at a reception at the residence of Ghanas Ambassador to the U.S.A, on Sunday, 23 September 2018, Nana Akufo-Addo said: Two totally unexpected events that have occurred that have also put a lot of pressure on the people at home is the dramatic increase in crude oil prices.



Last Novembers budget budgeted for $57 per barrel of crude but today its at $78, so, you can imagine what that, in itself, has brought on the budget and it is taking place also at the time when United States dollar has also strengthened considerably in the foreign exchange market of the world.



It has led to a rapid depreciation of our cedi, which the Bank of Ghana is now having to fight, but ultimately, the methods of fighting is not just more supply of dollars by the banks into the system, but also by the expansion of our economy.



We have to approach the foreign exchange matter, medium- to long-term by expanding our supply base, expanding our capacity to export, not just crude and raw materials but to expand industrial activity and that is why the programme of rural industrialisation, which we embarked, is going to come into play and be a major transformative impact when it is fully embarked.



So, we are not in a crisis; the difficulties that we are going through now are difficulties the system will be able to accommodate, it has led to difficulties in the lives of ordinary people in Ghana but events were out of our control and we have to find a way of accommodating and we are going to be able to do so, so that we can get a more even keel.



They are not matters of which we can be complacent, a difficult situation also requires some degree of fortitude and action and that is what we are trying to do I believe that the manner in which they are being handled at the end of the day will be successful.



Nana Akufo-Addo is in the U.S.A to attend the United Nations General Assembly meeting.









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Featured VideoResidents of Muzzafarabad on Tuesday launched a large-scale protest against Pakistan for diverting water from Neelum River to fulfil the requirements of Punjab Province, leaving the region dry.

Venting anger over Islamabad's move, Jameel Maqsood, leader of United Kashmir People's National Party, said, "They have diverted the water of Neelum River to utilize it for the project (Neelum-Jhelum power project), which has left the river dry. This has worsened the situation in the region. Lower riparian areas like Muzaffarabad city are facing acute shortage of water. People are compelled to leave their homes and property due to this. This is the real concern of the people. They are saying that this is an illegally occupied territory of Pakistan and it cannot build a project which is not serving any purpose when people will be left deprived of their basic rights, they are bound to take to the streets."

The locals residing in the area also raised their voices against the proposed construction of Neelam Jhelum Hydropower Project. They believe that this project would solely benefit the people of Pakistan and aggravate the water crisis in their region.

"The low lying area where the water flows is left bereft of any water. The natural habitat and wildlife of the region will be destroyed owing to the water shortage. Where will all the animals get water from? All the animals had river Neelum as their major source of water. Today, only sewage water is flowing in the river Neelum and it looks no more than a drain. The videos and pictures that have emerged of late are very dangerous and disappointing," Maqsood added.

This is not the first time that allegations have been put on Islamabad by the residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for exploiting their resources.

On September 22, scores of political activists from PoK also held a massive protest in front of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) office in Geneva against the gross human rights violations and exploitation of water resources by Pakistan in the region. The protesters had also demanded Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure in PoK, as jihadis are used against people in Kashmir valley.

The protest was organized by the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) during the 39th session of the UNHRC.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)People from Balochistan staged a protest outside the United Nations headquarters to highlight the alleged human rights violations by Pakistan and urged the UN to intervene in the matter.

Speaking to ANI, one protestor said, "We would like to ask the UN why it has failed to stop human rights violation and genocide of masses. Pakistan is violating the UN rules for years. Why has the UN failed to take action against Pakistan?"

"Today's protest is about telling the UN that Baloch has been at the receiving end of Pakistan's violation of human rights for several years. We want to tell the UN about this. UN should send a fact-finding team to Balochistan," another protestor added.

Few of the protestors also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfil the promises that he made to Baloch people to free them from Pakistan's occupancy and atrocities.

The protest, which was staged during the ongoing 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), was intended to draw the UN's attention towards the alleged atrocities being meted out by Pakistan, as leaders gathered to take part in the assembly.

The issue was also raked up at the 39th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where Baloch political and human rights activists accused Islamabad of depleting Balochistan's resources by allowing Beijing to build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project through the region.

Hatim Baloch of the Human Rights Council of Balochistan also accused the Imran Khan led-Government in Pakistan of instigating violence in Balochistan.

"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," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Afghanistan have won the toss and asked India to bowl first in their Super Four match in the ongoing Asia Cup here at Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday.

With India's stand-in skipper being rested ahead of the final match, former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be at the helm of the team for the 200th time.

Following the toss, Dhoni said, " Both our openers are missing. Bhuvi, Bumrah, and Chahal are missing too. The bench strength is important and when it comes to their talent, they're up there."

Reflecting on getting his 200th cap as a captain, Dhoni said that "it is just destiny."

Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan, on the other hand, stated that Indians are pretty good against spin bowling which is why they are looking forward to putting a good total on the board.

"They are good against spin, so that's why we want to put scores and put them under pressure," Afghan said.

While India has kept a good chunk of players out of the match, including Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Jasprit Bumrah, Afghanistan has made just two changes in their squad.

India have brought in KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Khallel Ahmed, Siddharth Kaul and debutant Deepak Chahar in the team at the place of missing players.

Having already booked their place in the final of the Asia Cup, India would look to test their bench strength in the low-pressure match.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal lauded Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for the development of the state, and said that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's dream of developing Chhattisgarh was fulfilled under his leadership.

"Atal ji had a dream for Chhattisgarh, he wanted a Chhattisgarh inspired by development, which worries about the poor and sees a bright future for every section of the society. Prime Minister Modi, too, while assuming office, had told all of us that if India needs to be transformed into a superpower, development of Eastern and North-Eastern states is essential. It is a matter of pride for all of us that Raman Singh ji has fulfilled that dream under his leadership," Goyal said while addressing a rally here on Monday, as part of Singh's 'Atal Vikas Yatra'.

Highlighting the development witnessed in the railways, Goyal said a total investment of Rs. 16,000 crore has been chalked out for the development of railways in Chhattisgarh, adding that investment worth Rs. 10,000 crore has already been made.

"During 2009-14, around Rs. 1,500 crore investment was made for railways in Chhattisgarh. However, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, that amount reached Rs. 16,000 crore. Significant progress has been made in Chhattisgarh in the last four years. A subsequent progress has also been made in the mining sector here," he noted.

Singh and Goyal, on the occasion, laid foundation stones of four railway line projects worth Rs 9,952 crore in the state.

The Railway Minister said the new 258 kilometer-long railway project from Kataghora to Dogragadh will help connect those areas in Chhattisgarh which were so far deprived of rail facilities. He further noted that the Chiramiri-Nagpur line, which was stalled for several years, will also help improve connectivity to and from remote areas of the state.

He also reviewed the operation of the South East Central Railway's Raipur Division during his visit.

Chhattisgarh is scheduled to go to polls later this year with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Mizoram.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Baloch woman political activist has hit out at Islamabad for allowing religious groups to launch an assault against women's freedom throughout Pakistan, especially in Balochistan.

Karima Baloch, the former chairperson of Baloch Students Organisation-Azad told the United Nations during the 39th Session of Human Rights Council, "Pakistan has been ranked at the second-last place on the UN's Gender Gap Report for the last two years. It is only ahead of Yemen and Syria. The country is standing at the 121st rank, out of 157 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index."

She added, "Despite all the assurances to international human rights bodies, Pakistan's constitution clearly states that the country's laws must conform with centuries-old Islamic doctrine."

Speaking harshly on Islamic laws prevalent in the country, Karima elucidated, "If a woman is killed by her brother in the name of honour, the Islamic law allows him to settle the case with the father or the rest of the family. In most of the cases, the family forgives the murderer who goes scot-free. Also, as a testimony of two women is equal to one man, rape cases are less likely to be decided in favour of the victims. Apart from these basic flaws in the legal system, religious groups have launched an assault against the women's freedom throughout Pakistan, especially in Balochistan".

"Attacks and threats against girls' education have caused a significant surge in the number of girls dropping out of education. According to the media, the dropout rate is an appalling 70 per cent. Because of this and other discriminations against women, Balochistan has the lowest female literacy rate in Pakistan," she said.

The activist further highlighted the worsening situation of human rights in Balochistan.

"As a woman from Balochistan, I can testify that life of a woman in Pakistan is a tough one. If you get raped, there must be something wrong with you. If you get killed, you must have done something to deserve it. If you counter a man in a verbal argument, it reflects badly on your character. If I am talking about the abuses and violence against women at this forum, I am bringing a bad name to Pakistan. But who cares!" she asserted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali on Monday said that the BIMSTEC summit should be centered more on economic and technical cooperation.

His comments came in response to a query on Nepal's last-minute decision of pulling out of the BIMSTEC joint military exercise and its decision to participate with China in the bilateral military exercise.

Gyawali told ANI, "The main priorities of BIMSTEC is to materialise the economic integration in the region. Security is the important factor but we should focus on economic and practical activities. As far as joint military exercise is concerned, we are doing it with almost all nations. Around a dozen joint military exercises have been held with India under the banner of 'Surya Kiran'. Basically, BIMSTEC should focus on economic and technical cooperation. That's why Nepal thought that participation at the observer level will be sufficient."

Terming his meeting with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj as good, Gyawali said, "The high-level exchange visits of Prime Ministers of Nepal and India has contributed a lot to enhance and strengthen our bilateral relations. We briefly overviewed and expressed our satisfaction with the level of the friendship and cooperation which is taking momentum nowadays."

Gyawali is a delegation member headed by Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York for this week.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi stepped up his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday over the controversial Rafale deal, accusing him of robbing India's youth of employment and Air Force of their money.

Addressing the media here, he said, "The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government had given HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) the contract to manufacture 126 Rafale jets. Then Modi Ji became the Prime Minister and buys the jets, originally priced at Rs 526 crore for Rs 1,600 crore. They robbed the youth and the Air Force of employment and money."

The Congress president went to say, "At first they said they cannot disclose the price, but (French President Emmanuel) Macron told me that's not true, the government can disclose the price if they want to. So, (firstly) why did the Defence Minister lie? Secondly, while the HAL has ample experience in manufacturing fighter jets, Anil Ambani has never manufactured a jet in his life. He started the company (Reliance Defence and Aerospace) 10 days before getting the contract,"

Rahul Gandhi continued his attack on Prime Minister Modi by citing ex-French President Francois Hollande, who oversaw the deal, telling French publication Mediapart that the Indian Government had nominated Reliance Defence for the contract.

"He said he would be 'desh ka chowkidar' (the country's watchman), and the chowkidar put Rs 30,000 crore in Anil Ambani Ji's pockets. He has no experience and has debts to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore. He looted the youth and the Air Force's money. When I asked him why he did so, he could not look me in the eye and answer me, because he has robbed the nation and gave it to Ambani. That is the truth," he said.

The Gandhi scion further assured to give justice to all those who have suffered because of the Rafale deal. He tweeted: "To every Air Force officer and Jawan who has served India. To the family of every martyred Indian fighter pilot. To every person whoever worked for HAL. We hear your pain. We understand how you feel. We will bring to justice all those who dishonoured and stole from you."

The much-debated Rafale deal was signed in 2016 between the Prime Minister Modi-led Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and the French Government for 36 jets after the original UPA deal, to buy 18 off-the-shelf jets and assemble another 108 in India, was scrapped.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that "desperate Congress is looking for alliance partners outside India to gain power".

Addressing the party workers, the Prime Minister said, "The Congress is failing at alliances within the country and therefore to gain power, the party is now looking for alliance partner outside the country."

"Will the world decide who will be the Prime Minister of India? Has the Congress party lost balance, after losing power? There is nothing left in the 125-year-old party. It has become a burden on nation," the Prime Minister said without naming anyone or any particular nation.

Stating that the vote bank has destroyed the society like "termites", the Prime Minister asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will help the nation get rid of it.

Training guns at the Congress party, Prime Minister Modi said that the party never ever thought about the welfare of Madhya Pradesh and treated the state like enemy. He further said that the state has only started growing by leaps and bound after the BJP came to power at the Centre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Taking a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Tuesday said the former can only dream of winning the upcoming state and general elections, as his party has no agenda to seek votes.

Addressing BJP workers in Bhopal, Shah accused the Congress of jeopardizing Madhya Pradesh's growth during their tenure in the state.

Shah also took the occasion to allege that it was the Congress government which made Madhya Pradesh a "BIMARU state".

"The Congress made Madhya Pradesh a "BIMARU state", they took Madhya Pradesh's contribution to GDP even lower than what it was before Independence. On what basis will the Congress ask for votes?" Shah questioned.

"The Congress party has faced defeat in most of the past elections but still the party president Rahul Gandhi is daydreaming of winning the polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and the Lok Sabha polls next year. There is no harm in dreaming, but even dreams should have some base in reality. Hence, the BJP will return to power in all the election-bound five states and also in 2019," he said.

Shah also urged the BJP workers to vow to ensure party's win in upcoming state assembly polls and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

He urged party workers to ensure that they are well versed with the Centre's schemes before they head out for campaigning.

"It is essential that the BJP workers should download NaMo App before reaching to the people. As the App will ensure people that the party cadres are armed with complete information on schemes and policies implemented by the BJP government at the Centre," he said.

Shah also underlined that the BJP is presently ruling 70 per cent of country's land. He said, "The BJP is currently ruling 70 per cent of the country's land is under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under his leadership the BJP has taken forward the work started by Deen Dayal Upadhyay. We want the BJP workers to connect with the people at every booth and village across the nation and tell people about the schemes launched by the Prime Minister-Modi government. Let's take a resolve to make BJP win the state and Lok Sabha elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a veiled reference to Beijing and Islamabad over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, New Delhi on Monday expressed concerns, saying that no country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity.

First Secretary Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Mini Kumam, said that the international community is well aware of India's position.

Speaking at the 39th UN Human Rights Council, Kumam said, "India shares international community's desire for enhancing physical connectivity and believes that it should bring greater economic benefits to all in an equitable and balanced manner. Regarding the so-called 'China-Pakistan Economic Corridor', which is being projected as the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the international community is well aware of India's position. No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The USD 63 billion project has been time and again criticised by India since it passes through disputed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) region.

In response, China had said that it had respected all territorial laws and that the issue was an "internal matter" between New Delhi and Islamabad.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Speaker of Parliament Prof. Mike Oquaye has issued a strong warning to the police command against invading homes of MPs or arresting them without his knowledge.



According to him, the police administration must respect MPs privileges and the law by following due process when investigating matters concerning the lawmakers.



Eight armed police officers on Tuesday, 25 September 2018 raided the home of Asutifi South MP Collins Dauda in his constituency around 4 am, according to Member of Parliament for Asawase and Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak.



Mr Mubarak told Accra FM that the former Minister of Works and Housing was on his way to Accra following the recall of parliament when the incident happened.



He added that the leadership of parliament, together with Mr Dauda, will, after Tuesdays sitting, visit the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the police service, over the incident.



Prof. Oquaye cautioned the police to desist from arresting lawmakers without recourse to laid-down procedures since, according to him, MPs are accorded certain privileges in that regard by the 1992 Constitution.



Hon. Daudas residences in Accra and his constituency have been searched by the police in a manner that honourable members felt were not in consonant with parliamentary privileges



We want to inform and to repeat that the privileges of this honourable House have been clearly set out in the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. It applies to all members upon whatever side and at all times and in all circumstances, and those also in charge of security agencies are very much aware of this.



Nevertheless, we are also mindful of the fact that we are not above the law. It, therefore, means that what we essentially ask for is not to be taken by surprise or not to be treated in a manner that will not be consistent with the dignity that an honourable member of parliament should be attended to, and that is the essence of our parliamentary privilege



We would want to put on record that in the future, the leadership of the House, the Speaker of the House should be informed of all such leads so that it can be done with all the appropriate decency



Prof. Oquaye reiterated that: When an invitation is required, we will want it to be routed rightfully and the appropriate honourable member will attend to the appropriate invitation at the highest quarters, preferably the Commissioner of Police CID in-charge of investigations because monkeys play by sizes.



If you want an honourable member of parliament, that person will come in the good company of parliamentary leadership and to the Commissioner in-charge of investigations at the Ghana police.



We want the security agencies to be mindful that the police should not invade the premises of a member, or appear to be doing so in a manner that will raise unnecessary difficulties for us.



Prof. Oquaye stressed that members of parliament are not claiming to be above the law but that the privileges given to them by the Constitution should, at all times, be respected and protected.







Source: Accra FM









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Featured VideoThe Foreign Ministry of Ecuador decided to appoint WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange an adviser at the Embassy of Ecuador in Russia, back in 2017, but 10 days later this decision was annulled amid London's refusal to grant Assange diplomatic status, according to Ecuadorian lawmaker Paola Vintimilla.

"There is a ministerial agreement (at the Foreign Ministry of Ecuador), according to which Julian Assange was appointed Ecuador's diplomatic representative in Moscow," Vintimilla said.

The document in question, obtained by Sputnik, is dated December 19, 2017, and signed by Byron Rolando Suarez Sanchez, who was the vice minister of Foreign Affairs at the time. Prior to this, the WikiLeaks founder received a "special appointment" from the Government of Ecuador, which allowed him to work in the country's embassy in the United Kingdom.

According to the lawmaker, the Ecuadorian authorities "had first to wait for London to agree for Assange to be part of Ecuadorian diplomatic service in the city (London), but they had ready a ministerial agreement, which would have him move to Moscow as a representative of Ecuador."

"However, since he had no diplomatic immunity to leave the embassy, he could not go to Moscow," Vintimilla said.

After London refused to grant Assange diplomatic status, Suarez personally voided the agreement which would allow the WikiLeaks founder to work in Moscow. It happened on December 29, 2017.

Assange has been staying at the Embassy of Ecuador in London since 2012, unable to leave for fear of being detained by the UK authorities. WikiLeaks has revealed a number of classified documents, including the sensitive information allegedly related to the US diplomats and intelligence community.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India has witnessed a five-fold hike in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the telecom sector in the last three years, informed Union Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha.

Speaking at a seminar on the topic "FDI in Telecom Sector: The Way Ahead" organised here, Sinha said, "FDI in the telecom sector has jumped from USD 1.3 billion in 2015-16 to USD 6.2 billion in 2017-18."

He further said that India needs massive investment in developing newer technologies which are accessible and affordable to the people and at the same time creates productive employment.

"For India to utilize its demographic dividend it is absolutely necessary to create semi-skilled jobs in the short run, and the Telecom sector will play an important role in creating those employment opportunities," he added.

"As we move from telecom India to digital India, it is pertinent to mention that the draft Digital Communications Policy, 2018 aims to attract investment of USD 100 billion or about Rs.6.5 lakh crore in the Digital Communications Sector," Sinha noted.

He further underscored that India has also announced plans to launch commercial 5G networks by the year 2020 and this provides a big opportunity for investing in the newer emerging technologies like 5G, AI, IoT, Data analytics etc.

The minister said that telecom sector in India has witnessed some upheaval in the last two to three years, adding, "there were many mergers and acquisitions and a couple of unfortunate insolvency proceedings."

He also spoke about steps taken to promote the ease of doing business, particularly in the telecom sector. "An Inter-Ministerial Group was established to mitigate the stress in the telecom sector. Most of the recommendations of Inter-Ministerial Group have been accepted and are under various stages of implementation," he stated.

"Indian economy is back on the growth trajectory and the second quarter of 2018, Gross Domestic Product(GDP) showed a promising growth at 8.2 percent, and India is poised to become the third largest economy in the world over the next two decades. Therefore, the Investors/Telecom operators across the world are invited to be part of the growth story of India Telecom through Foreign Direct Investments," the minister added.

Speaking on the occasion, Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary (Telecom) emphasised the fact the foreign investment is necessary not only to supplement domestic capital but also to secure scientific, technical and industrial knowledge.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to disqualify candidates facing criminal charges from contesting elections and asked Parliament to enact a law instead.

While hearing a batch of petitions seeking disqualification of candidates with criminal cases pending against them from contesting polls, a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, said Parliament must ensure that people with serious criminal charges do not enter politics.

The apex court said that candidates and political leaders, with criminal cases pending against them, have to inform their respective political parties about their criminal records. It also asked the political parties to display the criminal records of its leaders on its website.

The top court also directed that each candidate has to fill up the form of the Election Commission and declare whether any criminal case is pending against them.

"The Supreme Court said each candidate will also submit details to the Election Commission and they will upload it on the website. The court said that the candidates must submit their criminal records to their respective political parties that will publish it on electronic, print and local media, at least three times before the polling date," lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay told ANI.

"We had demanded from the Supreme Court to ward off candidates from contesting polls against whom charges have been framed in heinous crimes. Validating our demand, the court has directed Parliament to pass a law that can stop criminalisation of politics," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Germany has surpassed the United States to become the leading car exporter to the Chinese market amid the US-Chinese trade war, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said on Tuesday.

"The United States used to be the major car exporter to China, but now Germany has become the leader in car export to China. The import of Japanese and German cars is increasing in the Chinese market, while the import of US cars is declining," Wang said at a press briefing.

Wang went on to say that the US trade measures were harming not only to China, but the United States as well.

"The US trade deficit is increasing not only with China, but with the whole international trade market. This is why we believe that the trade war complies neither with the Chinese nor with US trade interests," Wang added. According to the official, putting an end to the trade war is the only way to resolve the situation.

The US-Chinese trade war started in July, when US President Donald Trump, who had repeatedly pledged to fix the US $500 billion trade deficit with China, imposed tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods. Since then, the two sides have exchanged several rounds of import duties on each other, with the attempts to resolve the conflict via dialogue coming in vain.

On Saturday, China announced its withdrawal from trade talks, following recent US sanctions targeting the Chinese Defense Ministry and the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport. The sanctions were prompted by the deals on China's purchase of Russian aircraft and S-400 missile systems.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Giriraj Singh has announced that he would prefix his 'gotra' with his name and henceforth, be called "Shandilya Giriraj Singh".

Meanwhile, the minister also asked the Hindus to follow the practice to save 'Sanatana Dharma'.

This development came to light after the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader announced his decision on micro-blogging site Twitter on Monday.

"To save the country, Sanatana has to be saved and to save Sanatana, we will have to tread the path shown by sages and seers and attach ourselves to our respective Gothras. From today, I change my name to Shandilya Giriraj Singh, after Rishi Shandilya. I request all Sanatanis to prefix their Gothras to their names", he wrote on Twitter in the Hindi language.

This is not the first time that Singh, who represents Nawada Lok Sabha seat in Bihar, triggered controversy. A few months back, the BJP minister faced immense criticism from the leaders of several political outfits for stating that Muslims should support the construction of Ram temple.

"I believe our side is stronger. We will respect the court's decision but I would say that the way our Shia brothers have extended support to build the Ram temple, other Muslim brothers should also do so, and let go of their obstinacy because we both are descendants of Hindus," he had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The continuous heavy downpour in Haryana and other neighbouring states has caused extensive damage to standing and harvested paddy and other crops in Karnal district.

The paddy crop, which is either ready for harvest or has been harvested already, are now submerged in water due to heavy rains in the region since last three days.

While the standing crop fell to the ground and is entirely submerged in water, the harvested stack is submerged posing a threat of paddy getting wasted.

Not only standing crops, but farmers are also struggling with the sale of crops arrived in grain markets as they too are getting damaged due to incessant rains in the state.

Farmers are now worried about the low price for their crops. Speaking to ANI, farmers said that they are likely to incur a loss of around Rs 10,000-15,000 per acre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned the recent terror attack on an Iranian military parade, calling the deadly strike "heinous and cowardly".

"The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack that took place in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in Ahvaz, on 22 September. The terrorist attack, at a military parade, resulted in at least 24 people killed, including children, and 60 others injured," the UNSC statement said.

"The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured," the statement added.

The condemnation is important as Iran blamed Gulf Arab states as well as the U.S, a key member of the UNSC, for the Ahvaz parade attack.

"The small puppet countries in the region are backed by America, and the US is provoking them and giving them the necessary capabilities," various media houses reported Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as saying.

On September 22, as many as 24 people were killed and more than 60 sustained injuries in Iran after terrorists disguised as soldiers opened fire on a military parade.

Scores of parades are being conducted across Iran to mark the anniversary of the beginning of the Iran-Iraq war, which was fought from 1980 to 1988.

The capital of Khuzestan province, Ahvaz, is rich in oil reserves and come under the attack several times by the Arab separatists. The region was also one of the venues of anti-government protest till last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A group of 50 trekkers, including 35 students of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Roorkee, were rescued from the rain-hit Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday.

The trekkers, who were cut-off since September 19, have been rescued by the District Disaster Management Authority.

The Indian Air Force also rescued two German nationals from Pingdom La area of the district. They were caught in the blizzard for the past two days. The Air Force launched an operation at 6 am today and rescued them by 7 am.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur asserted that over 300 people are being rescued from different locations including, Kyelang, Sissu, and Koksar region and brought to safer locations. They were rescued by the local rescue teams of Lahual Spiti district's administration, which included special mountaineering teams, police, home guards and locals.

The Chief Minister also held a review meeting with local administration in Bhuntar. After the meeting ended, Chief Minister Thakur said that he has spoken to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who assured him of help. Indian Air Force and Army helicopters have been deputed in the region, and the rescue operation is underway.

Thakur will also conduct an aerial survey of the situation in Kabul Spiti valley.

The state has been experiencing extreme weather conditions since September 23. Incessant rains and flash floods have disrupted the day-to-day lives of people, with roads being blocked and vehicles being damaged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Special envoy of Uzbekistan President, Ilhom Nematov, expressed hope that India will participate in the construction of a rail project in Afghanistan.

Speaking to ANI, Nematov said: "During President Ashraf Ghani's visit to Uzbekistan (in December 2017), we decided to advance our transport communication in the Indian Ocean. A railway link spanning more than 400 km will be constructed between Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat. Work will start soon. We hope that India will join the project, due to its potential. If India participates, implementation will be easier. The presence of India in central Asia will help in ensuring sustainable development, peace and stability in the region."

He informed that Uzbekistan has constructed a rail link between the border city of Hairatan and Mazar-e-Sharif.

Stressing that Uzbekistan is deeply interested in bringing peace to Afghanistan, Nematov further said, "We attach great importance to Afghanistan. We are close neighbours. President Ghani and Uzbek leadership held talks on a wide range of issues concerning bilateral interests. The main issue was joint efforts to ensure peace in Afghanistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Speaking at the Nelson Mandela Peace Conference at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India considers Mandela, fondly known as Madiba, as one of its own.

"We Indians consider Madiba (Nelson Mandela) to be one of our own. We are proud to call him a Bharat Ratna. India cherishes its special relationship with Africa and its people. Our close bonds are reflected in the philosophy of Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi," she said.

During her address at the plenary event organised to commemorate Mandela's birth centenary, Swaraj shed light on how the former South African president's life continues to inspire people across the globe even in the present day.

"Nelson Mandela's life is an inspiration. He showed fearlessness and courage in the face of discrimination and adversity. Values espoused by him- forgiveness, compassion, and inclusiveness of society are needed now more than ever in these turbulent times. Our collective survival as a global family requires that the wisdom of pioneering leaders such as Mandela remains our moral compass. Let us share this planet as one. Let us make a better for our children," she added.

Earlier, a life-size statue of Mandela was unveiled at the United Nations Headquarters in New York by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the General Assembly, Maria Espinosa and Secretary-General Guterres.

Furthermore, twin stamps of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were released in July this year during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with South African President Ramaphosa.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- Cruisin' the Coast is set to begin Sunday across the Mississippi coast and all those involved are hoping there will be no repeat of last year's weather.

Thanks to the threat of Tropical Storm Nate, the event -- the state's largest special event -- was forced to shut down on Friday afternoon at 5 p.m., losing Friday night and Saturday events and the revenues which would normally accompany those days.

"We definitely lost some registrations, we lost some sales on our apparel, so we did lose participation and sales," said longtime Cruisin' director Woody Bailey. "It definitely affected us, for sure. But we were able to survive that and move forward."

Nowhere was the early closure felt more than in Ocean Springs. As one of the events official venues -- and most popular with Cruisers -- the city normally hosts a massive block party on Friday nights, with a number of special events.

Thanks to Nate, Ocean Springs and the other venues lost those events plus a full day of Cruisin' on Saturday.

"It killed us," said Kris Kwitzky, who has owned Kwitzky's Dugout on Government Street for 13 of the now 19 years Cruisin' has been coming to Ocean Springs.

"Friday and Saturday are the two biggest days. We were fortunate Thursday was good," he said. "Friday, not everybody bugged out, but there were a lot of people who did. We appreciated the fact a number of people stayed as long as they could. Saturday was a complete washout.

"But Mother Nature won, as she often does."

Bailey and Kwitzky and all others associated with Cruisin' are keeping an optimistic eye on the weather forecast, which currently calls for mostly clear skies, with only a slight threat of rain a couple of days during the week-long event, now in its 22nd year.

"I think we're looking good," Bailey said. "(Tropical Stor) Kirk, the one I've been concerned about, looks like it's dissipating, so we're hoping we'll have normal weather -- nothing like we had to deal with last year."

In early August, Cruisin' the Coast was named the Best Car Show in the U.S. in a poll of USA Today readers. Bailey said that, while it's difficult to quantify, registrations are ahead of last year's record pace, when 8,305 Cruisers registered.

"We had 7,165 at the end of preregistration, which was Aug. 15," he said. "That's about 65 ahead of where were were after preregistration next year. So we're already on a record-breaking pace. We'll see what happens when (on-site) registration opens Monday."

For business owners like Kwitzky, hearing those numbers -- and the weather forecast -- is welcome news, given that Cruisin' annually draws in excess of 100,000 to Ocean Springs over the three days of the event.

A 2016 economic impact study found Cruisin' the Coast had a coastwide economic impact of about $26 million -- with $6 million of that coming from the Ocean Springs area.

"It's the biggest event for me all year," Kwitzky said. "That's no offense to the Peter Anderson Festival, or Mardi Gras, or St. Patrick's Day, but Cruisin' by far is the best event for me and I know a lot of other business owners on the street would probably say the same thing.

"It's three days, three big days," he continued. "Remember, people start Cruisin' in Ocean Springs as early as this Sunday. We get that more than any other location, I'm quite certain of that. So it's important we get good weather.

"After what we went through last year, I think people are going to be ready to get after it and have fun. Im looking forward to it. I think it's going to be the best one ever."Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, held a meeting with Minister of External Affairs of India, Sushma Swaraj, at the United Nations headquarters on Tuesday. Discussions were held on matters of bilateral concern and interest during the meeting.

Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi said it was agreed during the talks to further expedite the development projects being operated as per the bilateral agreement reached between the two countries before this.

Apart from Foreign Secretary Bairagi, other senior government officials of Nepal were also present on the occasion.

The two ministers are in New York to attend the 73rd General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA 73). The UNGA73 opened on September 18 and the high-level General Debate will start from Tuesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Indonesian teenager named Aldi Novel Adilang has finally been rescued after spending 49 days adrift at sea.

Adilang was a lamp keeper for a floating fish trap called Rompong, with weekly brief human contact and a walkie-talkie. On July 14, a hard wind blew him thousands of kilometres away from home in North Sulawesi to Guam waters.

Aldi, however, managed to survive for 49 days until a Panama-flagged vessel, Arpeggio, rescued him from Guam waters, reported Jakarta Post.

The Indonesian consul general in Osaka, Mirza Nurhidayat, who oversaw the return of Aldi after his rescue, informed he stayed alive by catching fish and drinking sea water.

He added, "After he ran out of the cooking gas, he burned the Rompong's wooden fences to make a fire for cooking. He drank by sipping water from his clothes that had been wetted by sea water."

Another diplomat of the consulate in Osaka, Fajar Firdaus said, "Aldi said he had been scared and often cried while adrift. 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 him."

On August 31, a bulk carrier Arpeggio sailed past Aldi when the ship's captain noticed the teenager's radio distress signal and turned the carrier around, eventually managing to rescue him.

The crew continued on their journey to Japan when Japanese authorities contacted the Indonesian consulate general and immediately tried to find Aldi's family and prepare the necessary documents for his return to Indonesia.

"We coordinated with the shipping authorities in Japan, the ship's captain, the Japanese coast guard and the immigration authorities," said Mirza.

Arrangements were then made to have him flown to Indonesia. Aldi has now been reunited with his family and is in good health.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)American actor and model Francesca Eastwood welcomed her first child, Titan Wraith Eastwood--a baby boy, with beau Alexander Wraith.

'The Vault' star gave birth to the baby on September 16, confirmed E!Online.

She first revealed that she was expecting back in May at the 2018 Environmental Media Awards in Beverly Hills, where she showed off her baby bump on the red carpet.

"I'm going to be adding to the family this summer with my own baby and we're so excited," Francesca said with a smile while announcing the news.

.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday highlighted the impact of the formalisation of the Indian economy - through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), GST, demonetisation and digital payments - on Public Sector Banks (PSBs), while also stressing on the need to clamp down on bad debts and fraudulent loans.

Addressing a presser after the Annual Review Meeting of the PSBs here, Jaitley said, "PSBs occupy a very large market share as far as India is concerned. But the last several years have been a challenging time for them as they are not just into retail banking, they finance large projects. Also, a large part of their lending has been held up in the NPAs (Non-Performing Assets)."

The Finance Minister stated that the challenges for the PSBs included slow recoveries and an indefinite legal process. Jaitley said that the processes prescribed by the government and the Reserve Bank of India to counter the challenges were not yielding results.

"This year's presentation was different. Even though these are early days as far as the IBC is concerned, its impact was clearly visible. After a prolonged period of several quarters, the last quarter saw a net profit. Earlier, the recovery was slow and whatever profits they were making was going into provisioning. Based on what was seen in the last quarter and the projections for the quarters to come, the good news is that the NPAs are on the decline because recoveries have picked up," Jaitley added.

The Finance Minister said that an improved performance of the banking sector should help India sustain a growth rate of around eight per cent, adding that a growing economy will conversely help banks grow in strength.

Jaitley urged the banks to ensure all steps at their end to ensure clean lending and effective action in cases of fraud and willful default, to justify the trust reposed in banks and that they must strive to be seen always as institutions of clean and prudent lending.

Stressing on the need to assess the effectiveness of the Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT) mechanism, Jaitley laid emphasis on reducing the lead time in the disposal of cases, so that the objective of speedy recovery proceedings is achieved.

"Debtors who fear that they are likely to cross the red line are paying up in anticipation of an IBC process compelled on them," Jaitley said.

The Finance Minister also underscored the need for trust and confidence in the banking sector as a prerequisite for meeting the needs of the economy.

He also noted that the recent amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act should clear all apprehensions in the minds of bankers for supporting investments in the interest of the economy, nation, and the banks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Leading home finance company in India, IIFL Home Finance Ltd. organized 'KUTUMB - Chapter II', a platform to promote benefits of green affordable housing and sustainable living at Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

After the grand success of 'KUTUMB - Chapter I' in Ahmadabad, it was time for leading industry professionals to come together once again at the second edition of 'KUTUMB' at Indore Marriott Hotel where the mega event took place in association with National Housing Bank (NHB), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Green Certification Inc. (GBCI), CDC UK, and Ashok B Lall Architects.

Leading industry experts at the occasion focused on the need, efforts, and initiatives to promote sustainable and energy efficient real estate development in the country. Sharing expertise on the occasion were leading industry professionals in real estate, green, sustainable infrastructure sector and social governance. The speakers at the event included Ms. Shruti Narayan (IFC), Mr. Ashok B. Lall (Principal, Ashok B Lall Architects), Mr. Gaurav Malhotra (CDC), Mr. Ravi Kumar, Regional Manager (NHB), Ms. Priyanka Kochhar (GBCI) and Mr. Monu Ratra (CEO, IIFL Home Finance Ltd.). Leading real estate developers present at the occasion included names such as Sarthak Singapore Group, Apollo Creations, Mangalam Constructions, and Pragati Developers.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Monu Ratra, CEO, IIFL Home Finance Ltd. said, "Green affordable housing holds immense value proposition in India. It is an important component towards achieving sustainable 'Housing for All by 2022'. A significant portion of the Indian population will live in such homes, yet this sector has not fully explored opportunities and potential of green buildings. KUTUMB - Chapter II in Indore is continuation of the platform that was created in Ahmadabad. With each step, KUTUMB is transforming into a larger platform where individuals and organizations come together to pool their knowledge and resources towards creating a sustainable future and greener society which aligns with the vision of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Housing for All by 2022."

Also speaking at the occasion, Mr. Gaurav Malhotra (CDC) shared the opportunity of green buildings in India. Pioneer in sustainable architecture, Mr. Ashok B Lall, emphasized creating green building designs that support efficiency. Also present at the occasion was Ms. Priyanka Kochhar (GBCI), who introduced 'EDGE Rating System' to the developers present at the occasion while Ms. Shruti Narayan (IFC) shed light on 'EDGE value proposition of green affordable housing'.

National Housing Bank (NHB) represented the government participation at the event by supporting the green building initiatives in the country. Mr. Ravi Kumar Singh, Regional Manager, National Housing Bank, graced the occasion and handed over CLSS certificates to IIFL Home Finance Ltd. customers and CLSS beneficiaries Mr. Pappu Gawande, Mrs. Shalini Shukla and Mrs. Aamna Bano who were present with their families.

Mr. Ravi Kumar Singh further informed that National Housing Bank (NHB) is working as a catalyst to promote energy efficient green residential housing in India. National Housing Bank (NHB) has also signed an agreement with Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), France on 20-07-2017 to implement the project called "Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Energy Finance (SUNREF) Housing India" to avail credit facility of euro 100 million to provide eligible Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) with adequately priced resources.

Mr. Kumar further added that this refinance facility will be available to eligible PLIs for retails and project lending for green housing projects approved by GRIHA and IGBC having pre-certification of either 4/5-star rating by GRIHA or Gold/Platinum rating by IGBC as per their rating grades. He concluded informed to the participants that Green Housing Refinance scheme will be announced by the NHB shortly.

"KUTUMB - Chapter II is an extension of social and environmental initiatives taken by our company such as Affordable Housing Loans, Swachh Bharat, and Women Education & Empowerment. To further push these, we look forward to having more editions of KUTUMB across cities in India," said Mr. Monu Ratra.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)LoadShare Networks, India's fastest growing express logistics network, plans to further strengthen its base in Tier 2 & 3 towns.

LoadShare enables small and medium enterprises (SME) in logistics with technology, operations know-how and a pan-India network. It offers services ranging from first mile, line-haul, last mile deliveries and modular logistics software solution to partners, serving all leading e-commerce players and other B2B clients.

"Our mission is to help our logistics partners grow, while delivering great service levels, lowest cost and reach to our customers. It's heartening to see many of our partners grow 10X and more in a short span of time, even in the logistically underserved parts of India. We have also expanded into B2B segment in addition to scaling up B2C," said Raghu Talluri, CEO and Co-founder, LoadShare.

"In the years to come, three out of four online customers will order from tier II or III category market, It gives me great satisfaction to build out a logistics network in the remote and underserved towns in India. We have been able to professionalize 100s of regional SMEs who are successfully offering logistics services by creating 1000s of jobs for the local youth. Rapid scale, lower cost proposition & superior customer experience makes us one of the fastest growing companies in India," said Rakib Ahmed, Co-founder, LoadShare.

LoadShare offers its SME partners access to world-class technology, demand and a network of other partners to increase their serviceability. There are 100+ partners, managing 800+ branches, doing 60,000 transactions per day. The tech platform is one of the only logistics platforms that can work across documents, e-commerce and B2B shipments, integrated with multiple large clients and logistics service providers. LoadShare recently conducted a partner meet where it celebrated "10X"- their proposition to help partners become 10 times bigger and better. The company's top priority is to acquire new SME partners for helping expand the network.

LoadShare was founded in 2017 by Raghu Talluri, Tanmoy Karmakar, Rakib Ahmed and Pramod Nair, who have had strong experience in supply chain and technology with Myntra, McKinsey, BlueDart. While the company is headquartered in Bangalore, it has taken the bold step to build out its operations in the remotest locations of the country. In addition, LoadShare now covers more than 3500 pin codes across East India, all 4 South Indian states, Rajasthan, U.P and key metros. LoadShare has 800+ branches operating on its software and does around 60,000 deliveries every day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Maldivian criminal court on Monday freed five political prisoners who were arrested during the period of emergency rule earlier this year.

The release came after opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, emerged victorious in Maldivian presidential elections on September 25, beating Abdulla Yameen. According to the provincial results announced by the Maldivian Election Commission, Solih garnered 134,616 votes while Yameen secured 96,132 votes only. Official results are scheduled to be announced before September 30.

The court released Members of Parliament (MPs) Ilham Ahmed and Abdulla Sinan, police chief Ahmed Areef, former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem and deputy leader of the opposition Jumhooree Party Abdulla Riyaz, Maldives Independent reported.

The five people were arrested on charges of terrorism during the state of emergency imposed by outgoing Maldivian President Yameen in February to annul a Supreme Court ruling that quashed the convictions of nine opposition leaders.

However, Gayoom, his son Faris Maumoon, former chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, former justice Ali Hameed, and former judicial administrator Hassan Saeed were not released. Gayoom's family have been trying to get him transferred to house arrest due to age and health-related issues.

Meanwhile, Maldives' first democratically elected president Mohamed Nasheed, who lives in self-exile in Sri Lanka, will return to the country "very soon", the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) said. Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment over terrorism charges in 2015.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a move to prevent extinction of crows, a park has been built in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha town, exclusive for these birds. An organisation named Muktidham Seva Samiti has opened the park.

Speaking to ANI, the secretary of the organisation, said, "We opened the park to save the crows. Since all of us have been making an effort to save them, we will surely get the blessings of our ancestors."

One of the members of the organisation, said, "Crows are important both religiously and scientifically. We wanted to protect their species so we have built this park. There is a proper arrangement for food and water for them here."

Meanwhile, municipal councillor, Dinesh Kushwaha said that crows are considered as ancestors according to Hindu religion and thus feeding them is a "work of great virtue".

"My team comes here every day to feed the crows and everyone believes that this work is both religious and scientific. According to religious belief, crows are considered as ancestors," he added.

The organisation further said that another reason behind saving the crows is 'Pitru Paksha', a 16-day lunar period, observed by Hindus to pay homage to the departed souls of their ancestors.

This year, Pitru Paksha or Shradh paksha started on Monday and will go on till October 8.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)OYO on Tuesday announced raising of USD 800 million in the latest financing round led by SoftBank Investment Advisers (SBIA) through SoftBank Vision Fund, with participation from existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia and Greenoaks Capital.

However, OYO also confirmed that it received a commitment of an additional USD200 million, bringing the total to USD 1 billion in this round.

"We will continue to explore newer businesses while remaining focused on both organic and inorganic growth. In the last 12 months, we have increased our international footprint to five countries - India, China, Malaysia, and Nepal, and more recently in The UK," said founder and CEO, OYO, Ritesh Agarwal.

Adding to this, Ritesh said that with this additional funding, the company plans to rapidly scale their

"We will also deploy fresh capital to take our unique model that enables small hotel owners to create quality living spaces, global," he added.

"With a promise to deliver good quality accommodation at affordable prices, OYO has grown exponentially to become the largest hotel chain in South Asia, and is swiftly expanding to international markets. We are tremendously excited to be a part of OYO's successful journey," said Partner SBIA, Munish Varma.

"OYO's unique value proposition and outstanding growth over the last few years gives us the confidence that OYO can scale, innovate and continue to offer an intuitive customer experience, curated for different markets," said Justin Wilson, Director, SBIA.

"We believe that OYO will continue to disrupt the hospitality industry by building a trusted brand that delivers affordable, consistent and high-quality experiences," said MD, Lightspeed India Partners Advisors, Bejul Somaia.

Launched in May 2013, OYO is present in over 350 cities with over 10,000 asset partners spread across five countries including India, China, Malaysia, Nepal, and the UK.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Paisabazaar.com, India's largest online marketplace for loans and credit cards, announced today that it plans to issue 3.5 lakh credit cards through its platform in the next 12 months. Currently, Paisabazaar.com issues over 20,000 credit cards in a month and plans to reach an annualized run-rate of 4 lakh cards (33,000 cards issued monthly) by March 2019.

"As the market-leader platform, we have seen consumer confidence in using credit cards grow significantly over the last couple of years. Since credit cards are usually a starting point to build one's credit score through responsible behaviour, our aim is to enable our consumers to acquire the best cards in the most seamless way," Naveen Kukreja, CEO & Co-founder, Paisabazaar.com, said.

While Paisabazaar.com has an expert team that assists consumers through the entire buying journey, from helping choose the most-suited card to documentation pick-up to coordinating with the issuing bank, for the more digital-savvy consumers it has DIY technologies on its platform that enable consumers to complete the entire process online on their own in less than 5 minutes.

"Rank ordering cards according to a customer's eligibility, profile and needs, along with pre-approved offers and completely paperless and presence-less processes are some of the innovations we have built on the Paisabazaar platform to provide consumers customized solutions when he comes to us for a credit card," Naveen Kukreja added.

Paisabazaar.com offers over 150 credit cards from 13 banks to cater to varied consumer segments that visit its platform.

"American Express offers differentiated products and benefits, designed as per lifestyle needs. Our partnership with Paisabazaar.com has enabled us to efficiently and innovatively target the right consumer segments," said Balaji R Viswanath, VP - Digital Acquisition & New Initiatives, American Express.

"Paisabazaar and Standard Chartered Bank, both, share the same philosophy of continuously innovating through products and processes to delight consumers - something which has strengthened our partnership over the years," Shyamal Saxena, Head, Retail Banking, Standard Chartered Bank, India, said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profileThe Voice of Karachi (VOK) chairman Nadeem Nusrat has termed the recent statement of Pakistani military's Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR), Major General Asif Ghafoor, about India as irresponsible, uncalled for and blatant interference in civilians affairs.

In a statement, Nusrat, who also heads South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation (SAMAF), said that due to its increasingly worsening economy, the last thing Pakistan needs is another military adventurism with its neighbours.

"Unfortunately, the Pakistan Army has a history of derailing peace initiatives between Pakistan and India in the past, and it is apparent from the recent statement of the DG-ISPR that the military leadership is not ready to review its policy of continued hostility with India," he remarked.

Nusrat added that issuing such statements on issues involving foreign policy is the undisputed domain of the elected civilian government and not just the DG-ISPR.

"Army's interference in civilian matters has already made Pakistan a butt of jokes in the eyes of the international community and this interference must come to an end, particularly in the wake of the fact that they have already installed its favourite candidate as the prime minister," he underlined.

The VOK chairman said that as for the talks with India, no peace initiative would be reciprocated by Pakistan's neighbours or the international community until Islamabad takes credible confidence-building measures (CBMs).

The most important CBM, Nusrat stated, would be to take decisive action against the terror sanctuaries on Pakistani soil that the United States, Afghanistan, and India have all been complaining for years. The other measure would be to stop using terror as a tool of foreign policy.

He said that the Pakistani military establishment must also abandon its policy of glorifying terror leaders and outfits. "Any initiative without taking these steps will never be taken seriously and sincerely by Pakistan's neighbours, and will only increase Pakistan's international isolation," Nusrat added.

The VOK chairman further stated that Pakistan must also answer the international community on the questions relating to gross human rights violations in Karachi, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

"Thousands of Mohajirs, Balochs and Pashtuns have become the target of extrajudicial killings at the hands of state security forces in Pakistan and the suppression of ethnic and religious minorities is increasing with every passing day. Pakistan's demand of the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir would look genuine and ethical only if Pakistan's military stops brutal persecution of Mohajirs, Pashtuns, Balochs and other ethnic and religious groups," Nusrat concluded.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday countered the Congress' allegations of foul play in the Rafale deal by cornering them over United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, Robert Vadra and his associates Sanjay Bhandari's alleged involvement in the deal.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "There is no corruption case in the country that, in the end, does not lead back to the Congress. Their desperation over the Rafale deal can be explained by two reasons, first that after many years, the Gandhi family did not get a commission, and secondly, they have tried a lot but are failing to launch Rahul Gandhi."

He further stated that Sanjay Bhandari, an alleged arms dealer, wanted to be part of the deal that the UPA government had signed with Dassault. However, since it could not materialise, theUPA government which was ruling then, decided to end the deal.

"Bhandari is close with Robert Vadra. Bhandari's company 'Offset India Solutions' was red flagged in 2014 by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government because of his illicit activities. We want Congress president Rahul Gandhi to answer some questions we put forth today. Confidential documents of the Ministry of Defence were recovered from Bhandari during raids in 2016 at 18 different locations, including documents pertaining to the Rafale deal. How did these confidential documents reach there?" he said.

Patra also divulged details about transactions made between Bhandari and Vadra, including a mansion worth Rs 19 crore that was bought in London by Bhandari's associated for Vadra.

"Two emails were sent to Bhandari with travel tickets worth Rs. 8 lakh for Vadra for an Emirates Flight. First mail was sent on August 7, 2012, has details of Vadra's travel plan for August 13 by flight no. EK71. This proves Bhandari booked tickets for Vadra while the Pilatus trainer aircraft deal was being negotiated so that Rahul and the Congress' friend (Bhandari) can be a part of it," Patra said.

The Congress and the BJP have been trading allegations over the heated Rafale deal. The Congress has been using ex-French President Francois Hollande's statement as ammunition to hit out at the BJP.

On September 22, Hollande said the Indian government nominated Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as a partner. However, a statement from Dassault Aviation claims that Reliance Defence was chosen in compliance with the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 regulations.

The BJP, meanwhile, is singling out irregularities in the deal signed by the UPA to mount an assault on the Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)New Delhi [India], Sep 25 (ANI): India's Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri died suddenly in Tashkent some fifty two years soon after signing an accord with Pakistan's President Gen. Ayub Khan. The agreement was not expected to be signed on that fateful day. India was not willing to concede status quo following its victory in the 1965 war against Pakistan. India was refusing to return parts of Kashmir like the Haji Pir Pass it liberated from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

All of us, journalists from India were taken aback, when suddenly we were told to rush back to the Conference venue as the Agreement was to be signed. India had agreed to restore status quo. This was something that we could not believe, because we were told that the Indian delegation was travelling back the next day. The talks had thus failed.

When Gen. Ayub started his adventure into Kashmir under his Operation Gibraltar, he did not expect a person whom he dismissed as the 'diminutive Prime Minister' to react the way he did. For the First time in its History, Indian forces crossed the international border to attack another nation. And the forces stopped outside Lahore. When the cease fire came, Ichhogil canal in Pakistan became the cease fire line.

In Kashmir as well, Indian forces repelled Pakistani infiltration and later attack by its regular forces. In a pincer move, India liberated strategic Haji Pir Pass. This author climbed to the Pass with India's advancing forces. India's army did not at all wish to surrender back this pass to Pakistan at Tashkent talks. It is largely through this Pass that Pakistan infiltrates terrorists into Kashmir.

Cold war between the then Soviet Union and the United States was at its peak. Pakistan was an ally of the United States in that war against the Soviet Union. Peshawar was the city where the United States had its secret air base. It was from here that they were flying their U2 aircraft over the Soviet Union to spy on that country and see what could be going on in Central Asia where the Soviets always tested their nuclear weapons.

At that point of time the Soviet Union did not have powerful enough missiles to shoot down the high flying U2 planes. To the Soviet Union the capture of Pakistani territory by India seemed to be a God sent opportunity to mediate between the two countries, but primarily hoping to wean Pakistan away from the United States. India was a friend of the Soviet Union and with some gentle prodding by the Soviet foreign office along with some in the Indian establishment 'sympathetic' to the Soviet cause...talks between India and Pakistan took place.

Shastri ji was a heart patient. Tashkent in the month of January is freezing cold, usually temperatures plunging below freezing. Such a location was certainly not suited for the Indian Prime Minister. Why and who agreed to Tashkent as a venue for talks is perhaps mystery number one in the whole tragic episode.

Those days journalists did not face the kind of security restrictions and access problems they face these days. This author and few other were virtually parked inside the dacha (cottage) where Prime Minister Shastri was staying. Thus most of the Indian media delegation were eye witness to historic proceedings.

On one occasion Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko suddenly arrived there when the talks had been virtually abandoned.Holding the Indian Foreign Minister Swaran Singh by hand he was heard appealing to him to get his PM to agree to the proposals and sign the agreement. Swaran Singh, master negotiator that he was, politely told him that the PM made up his own mind. And that the Agreement had to be fair.

Thus on January 10th it was made clear that the maximum India could do was to vacate the mainland of Pakistan and not any area liberated from PoK. The talks were abandoned and we were to fly back on January 11th. We all went out to the market to do some last minute shopping, when suddenly hordes of Soviet officials rushed there to round us up saying that the Accord between India and Pakistan was going to be signed and we should rush back. This came as a shock to us all as to what could have happened in the intervening period.

Tashkent Accord was signed. India had agreed to return all the territories captured by it including the strategic Haji Pir Pass. That evening after the Reception this author and N.S. Thapa of the Films Division went to Shastri ji's

Dacha where we did some filming of Shastri ji including those historic silhouette shots of him pacing up and down.

Back in the hotel, we went to sleep ready for the journey back home next day, but were woken up at dead of night when a voice at the other end of the telephone announced that " Your Prime Minister is dead, please come down". It was unbelievable. I was shocked to find out later that neither Shastri ji's doctor nor his security officer were around when he died? Only a Soviet Guard was present outside his room.

There was no response from any one as to what happened other than that he suffered a massive heart attack.What were the pressures put on the Prime Minister that took his life. Till today the documents pertaining to those talks have not been disclosed despite a rule that all classified documents should be sent to archives after thirty years.

Adding to the mystery, a few months later Shastri ji's doctor was killed in a strange accident with a truck in New Delhi. Nothing of note about this was said as well.

A recent Times Of India report informs that the PMO and MHA will now decide whether classified documents related to Shastri ji's death will be released. It is important that these documents are released. One hopes that a decision would be made to make these documents public and finally and bring a closure to this mystery. Will this be done? India deserves to know.

The author of this article is the Chairman of ANI, Mr Prem Prakash.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Security has been beefed up in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and one person detained following a scuffle between Sir Sunderlal Hospital's junior doctors and relatives of a patient on Monday.

The patient apparently visited the hospital on Monday after she fell ill.

"From what we have been told by the hospital authorities, the family of the patient wanted the doctor to attend to her first. We are now further investigating the matter," said Varanasi's ACM First, Prem Pandey.

After the doctors apparently did not fulfill their demand, the patient's family started protesting. They were reportedly joined by students of the varsity.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anand Kulkarni confirmed that the situation at the university was currently under control. "Now, the situation is under control. Today, the university administration conducted a meeting to plan their strategy. Such incidents should not get repeated again. In our presence, some medical students were seen trying to burn a bike. They were told to return to their respective hostels and maintain peace in the campus. I am hopeful that they are taking the matter seriously. An FIR will be lodged and we will investigate into the incident. Till now, we have detained one person," Kulkarni said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Travel marketplace, ixigo, has introduced Siri shortcuts for iOS12 on the train and flight apps.

All users need to do, is create a Siri shortcut by tapping on the 'Add to Siri' option, available on both the apps. Once added, Siri will start updating them with their flight or train running status in real time. Additionally, ixigo flights app users can ask Siri about their trip details based on upcoming travel plans and also get ixigo money balance updates.

With 20 million monthly active users, ixigo helps travellers across India, plan and manage nearly 4 million trips every month. It is the first travel player in India to launch the Siri shortcuts support feature on its apps, further simplifying the lives of travellers. This feature is currently available on the iOS12 version of the ixigo flights app and ixigo train app.

"With the launch of Siri Shortcuts for iOS12, ixigo has been featured on both the App Store and apple.com, making this a very proud moment for all of us! At ixigo, our constant endeavor is to make travel planning seamless for our users," said ixigo CTO and co-founder, Rajnish Kumar.

The integration of Siri Shortcuts for iOS12 with our flight and train apps is just one example of how we strive to use cutting-edge to bring travel planning tools to your fingertips. Why open the app to know your flight or train status when all you have to do is ask Siri?," added Kumar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian Army on Tuesday paid tribute to Late Lance Naik Sandeep Singh who lost his life in a counter-infiltration operation in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir last week.

Incidentally, he was a part of the team that carried out the surgical strike in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in September 2016, days after 18 Army personnel were killed in a terrorist attack in Uri.

In a solemn ceremony at BB Cantt, Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, Chinar Corps Commander and all ranks paid homage to the braveheart. Dilbag Singh, the Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and representatives from various security agencies also joined in paying their last respects to the soldier.

On September 22, Singh sustained bullet injuries during the fierce operation in Tangdhar sector in which five terrorists were killed. He was provided immediate first aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital, but unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.

Singh belonged to Village Kotla Khurd of Gurdaspur District of Punjab and is survived by his wife and a five-year-old son. His mortal remains were flown to his native place for the last rites with full military honours.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is attending the 73rd session of the General Assembly in New York, held bilateral talks with her counterparts from Ecuador, Colombia, Australia, and Mongolia.

Swaraj on Monday held a bilateral meeting with Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, on the sidelines of the UNGA, along with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Foreign Minister of Mongolia Damdin Tsogtbaatar and Ecuador's Foreign Minister Jose Valencia.

Earlier, Sushma had met her Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita and discussed strengthening cooperation in areas of commerce, pharmaceuticals, cybersecurity, defense, and culture. She also met European Union's High Representative Federica Mog and exchanged views on trade, investment and issues of global and regional interests.

Swaraj and her Liechtenstein counterpart Aurelia Frick met and held talks on enhancing bilateral ties in the areas of trade and investment.

The External Affairs Minister was also slated to meet her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the However, after increasing reports of violence on police and army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, the meeting was called off.

Apart from participating in the General Debate, scheduled to commence on Monday (September 25 in IST), Swaraj, during her jam-packed schedule, will hold a total of over 30 bilateral meetings as part of her visit to the United States.Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said that Pakistan must stop promoting terrorism if they want any peace talks to take place with India.

"Pakistan infiltrates terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, it supports them. If they want any talks to take place with India then they must stop promoting terrorism. Terror and talks cannot go together," Singh said while addressing a press conference here.

This comes after India recently called off the Foreign Minister-level talks with Pakistan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, in the wake of increasing acts of violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

Reacting on the newly launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)- Ayushman Bharat, the Chief Minister said that 600 government hospitals and 400 private hospitals have been registered under the scheme so far, adding that developmental work is underway in government hospitals.

Under the vision of Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) was implemented so that each and every citizen receives his due share of healthcare.

This is considered to be the "world's largest government-funded healthcare program" targeting more than 50 crore beneficiaries.

PMJAY will provide a cover of up to Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. Over 10.74 crore vulnerable entitled families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) will be eligible for these benefits.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)South Korean President Moon Jae-in and United States President Donald Trump signed the revised bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which cements a conclusion in the trade negotiations between the two countries.

The leaders, who met on the sidelines of the ongoing 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) also vowed to ensure that the revised agreement is implemented at the earliest, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"We welcome the successful conclusion of negotiations between our governments that have resulted in amendments and modifications to improve the Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement," the leaders said in a joint statement issued at the end of their bilateral summit held in New York.

"With today's signing of our newly concluded agreement, we pledge to direct our officials to move forward with additional steps, as required in our respective countries, to bring the updated agreement into force as soon as practicable," they added.

As part of the agreement, the US will extend a 25 per cent tariff on imports of South Korean pickup trucks by 20 years to 2041, while Seoul will double the number of cars to 50,000.

The changes came a week after a request for the same put forth by the US was approved by the South Korean Cabinet.

"We furthermore welcome this achievement as tangible evidence of the strength of the relationship between our two countries," the leaders added.

Earlier, Moon had said that Trump was keen on holding a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to facilitate timely completion of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)"I love India, give my regards to my friend Prime Minister Modi," United States President Donald Trump told Indian External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj as both exchanged pleasantries during a high-level event on counter-narcotics at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Monday.

The moment came when Trump was leaving the podium at the conclusion of the event and US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warmly hugged Swaraj and introduced her to the president.

During the conversation, EAM Swaraj told Trump that she has brought greetings from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Responding to the same, Trump, as per the Indian diplomatic sources, said, "I love India, give my regards to my friend Prime Minister Modi."

Swaraj was attending an event titled 'Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem' chaired by the US president as the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly began in New York.

In June last year, Trump had hosted Prime Minister Modi at the White House during his visit to the US. Commenting on Prime Minister Modi's visit to US, the White House had said that it was the "first dinner for a foreign dignitary at the White House under President Trump's administration".

"When President Trump came to India in 2014... He was full of very warm remarks and observations about me, I still remember them," Prime Minister Modi had told media warmly at the White House in the US.

President Trump had also described Prime Minister Modi as a "true friend" and both the leaders had maintained a good bond. The last meetingbetween the two leaders took place at the ASEAN summit in the Philippines in November last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)United States President Donald Trump will meet Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Thursday, amid reports of the latter's possible ouster.

"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," read a statement issued by White House Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

According to The Hill, there has been broad speculation about the future of Rosenstein's job after The New York Times reported on Friday that he suggested secretly taping the president last year and recruiting Cabinet officials to remove Trump from office.

The deputy attorney general, while dismissing the "factually incorrect" allegations, had earlier said that there was no ground on which the 25th Amendment could be invoked.

"The New York Times' 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 dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment," The Hill had quoted Rosenstein, as saying.

The New York Times reported that Rosenstein planned to secretly record conversations with Trump in the Oval Office. The article, however, did not imply that Rosenstein actually recorded Trump.

Rosenstein had appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead the investigation in May last year after Trump fired former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has created history by bringing her three-month-old daughter in the United Nations assembly hall.

Ardern, who also became one of the few leaders to give birth while in office, brought her daughter Neve to the hall and was seen cuddling and kissing her, with her partner Clarke Gayford sitting beside her. The trio was present at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, CNN reported.

Interestingly, Gayford also posted an image on social media, flashing Ardern's dummy identity card with a picture of Neve, describing her as "New Zealand first baby."

"I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change. Great yarn for her 21st," Gayford, who is also a television fishing show host, wrote on his Twitter handle.

Describing the move to bring her baby into the premises of the world's top body as unique and beautiful, Ardern told New Zealand Herald, "Neve is actually nearby me most of the time in New Zealand, she's just not always caught. But here, when she's awake, we try and keep her with me. So that was the occasion."

The 38-year-old remarked that she and her partner were bearing the expenses of Neve's trip to the United States.

"There is no spousal program for this, so we just made a judgment call that we would cover his travel for this trip. He will be going to some things, but he's primarily travelling to care for Neve. It depends what the jet lag does to them both. She's a good sleeper and we don't know whether that will mean she ends up sleeping a lot in the day rather than the night," Ardern added.

Earlier, the couple said that Neve would accompany them to their trip. Gayford has been tasked to fulfill his parenting duties, as Ardern is breastfeeding.

Last month, Ardern returned to office following a six-week maternity leave after giving birth to Neve in June. In her absence, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters acted as the caretaker.

In August last year, Ardern became the youngest female leader to be appointed as New Zealand's Prime Minister, succeeding her predecessor Bill English. She is also the youngest leader of the Labour Party.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday continued to hold bilateral talks with her foreign counterparts on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Swaraj held a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Minister of Suriname Yldiz Deborah Pollack-Beighle, and another one with Foreign Minister of Estonia Sven Mikser.

She also met Frank Bainimarama, the Prime Minister of Fiji.

Earlier, Nepal's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, held a meeting with Swaraj at the United Nations headquarters. Discussions were held on matters of bilateral concern and interest during the meeting.

The External Affairs Minister was also slated to meet her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UNGA. However, after increasing reports of violence on police and army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, the meeting was called off.

Apart from participating in the General Debate, Swaraj, during her jam-packed schedule, will hold a total of over 30 bilateral meetings as part of her visit to the United States.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The United States congratulated Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory in the recently-concluded presidential polls in the Maldives, and expressed keenness in working with the new government in areas of shared interest.

"The United States congratulates Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory in Maldives' September 23 presidential election. The United States commends the Maldivian people for their commitment to the democratic process and exceptional level of participation in an election that has ushered in a new chapter in their country's history. We expect all parties to respect the will of the Maldivian people and support a peaceful transition of power through the November 17 inauguration," a statement issued by US State Department Spokesperson, Heather Nauert, read.

In a hotly-contested election in the island nation, Solih, a senior opposition leader, emerged victorious by garnering 134,616 votes, according to the provincial results announced by the Maldivian Election Commission. Incumbent Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen, however, secured 96,132 votes only.

Official results are scheduled to be announced before September 30. However, Yameen, in a televised speech on Monday, said he accepted the people's mandate and conceded defeat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Receives bids for 6.58 lakh shares

The initial public offer (IPO) of Aavas Financiers received bids for 6.58 lakh shares today, 25 September 2018, as against 1.47 crore shares on offer, as per the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) website data at 17:00 IST. The issue was subscribed 0.04 times. The issue opened for subscription today, 25 September 2018 and closes on 27 September 2018. The price band for the issue has been fixed at Rs 818 to Rs 821 per share.

Ahead of the opening of the IPO, the board of directors of the company at its meeting held on 24 September 2018, finalised allocation of 63,36,439 equity shares to anchor investors at Rs 821 per share.

Aavas Financiers was incorporated in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on 23 February 2011. The retail and affordable housing finance company primarily serves low- and middle-income self-employed customers in semi-urban and rural areas with limited access to formal banking credit. Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) were the lowest end March 2018 and assets under management (AUMs) were second-fastest growing in the last three financial years among affordable housing finance companies with AUMs between Rs 2500 crore and Rs 20000 crore.

The IPO is to collect between Rs 1729.20 crore by issuing 2.114 crore shares at the lower band of Rs 818 per share (face value Rs 10 per share) and Rs 1734.07 crore by issuing 2.112 crore shares at the upper band of Rs 821 per share.

The issue consists of a fresh issue of equity shares (0.487 - 0.489 crore shares) aggregating up to Rs 400 crore and offer for sale (OFS) of 1.62 crore equity shares aggregating up to Rs 1329.20 - 1334.10 crore.

The net proceeds of the fresh issue are proposed to be utilized for increasing the Tier I capital base to meet future capital requirement that are expected to arise out of growth of business and assets, primarily housing loans and other mortgage loans, and to ensure compliance with the National Housing Board guidelines. Further, there will be the benefits of listing of the equity shares on the stock exchanges, enhancement of the brand name and creation of a public market for equity shares in India. The net proceeds will be sufficient to satisfy the Tier- I capital requirements for FY2019.

Aavas Financiers reported profit after tax of Rs 92.93 crore on total income of Rs 457.25 crore in the year ended March 2018.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Mainland China equity market closed session down on Tuesday, 25 September 2018, as risk sentiments weighed down by ongoing US-China trade war, with shares of property developers being notable losers after reports of possible property pre-sale restrictions in Guangdong and five other provinces. At closing bell, the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index declined 0.58%, or 16.35 points, to 2,781.14, meanwhile the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, fell 0.54%, or 7.80 points, to 1,437.31. The blue-chip CSI300 index dropped 0.9%, or 30.69 points, to 3,379.80.

The United States and China imposed fresh tariffs on each other's goods on Monday as the world's biggest economies showed no signs of backing down from an increasingly bitter trade dispute that is expected to hit global economic growth.

Shares of property developers declined after reports of possible property pre-sale restrictions in Guangdong and five other provinces. As per reports, six Chinese provinces - Hubei, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Henan, Guangdong and Liaoning - have been told to reconsider the pre-sale system, which is a key source for builders to finance projects. The ministry has instructed local housing bureaus of these provinces to make an in-depth study of the pre-sale system, and set out reasons why it should be retained or scrapped, the report added. Shanghai was Future Land Holdings dropped 6.3% to 26.72 yuan. Poly Real Estate Group fell 6% to 12.36 yuan.

Shares of banks and financials were also lower, hurt by rising tensions between the US and China in the ongoing trade war. China Merchants Bank fell 2.2% to 29.62 yuan.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China shed 1.4% to 5.67 yuan, while Agricultural Bank of China eased 1.8% to 3.86 yuan.

Chinese airlines slumped on worries over higher oil prices amid reluctance by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to raise output to offset Iran sanctions.

Among individual stocks, Shandong Gold Group shares rose 1.3% to 23.81 yuan after the state-owned gold miner announced a cross shareholding agreement with Canadian miner Barrick Gold. It will purchase up to US$300 million worth of Barrick shares, while Barrick will invest the equal amount in its shares. The agreement follows the purchase of a 50% stake by Shandong Gold in the Veladero mine in Argentina from Barrick in June 2017.

HNA Technology shares locked 10% lower circuit after the company said it scrapped a plan to buy Beijing-based Dangdang and a related e-commerce firm.

CURRENCY NEWS: China's yuan declined against the U. S. dollar on Tuesday, inline with soft mid-point fixing by People Bank of China and as escalating Sino-U. S. trade tension continued to dent market sentiment. Prior to market opening on Tuesday, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) set the midpoint rate at 6.844 per dollar, 83 pips weaker than Friday's fix of 6.8357. In the spot market, the onshore yuan opened at 6.8584 per dollar and was changing hands at 6.8627 at midday, 27 pips weaker than the previous late session close. The offshore yuan was trading 0.02% weaker than the onshore spot at 6.8643 per dollar.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 19 points at the opening bell.

Overseas, most Asian stocks were trading higher. Markets in Hong Kong and South Korea are closed for public holidays. Investors were cautious as the latest round of US-China tariffs revived fears the trade dispute would knock global growth, while crude oil was elevated near four-year highs after Saudi Arabia and Russia ruled out immediate production increases.

US stocks closed mostly lower Monday as the US-China trade war entered a new phase when tariffs on billions of dollars of products took effect. Investors were also looking ahead to the Federal Reserve's two-day monetary policy meeting, which wraps Wednesday and is likely to result in another interest-rate hike.

On the US economic data front, the Chicago Fed's national activity index came in at 0.18 in August, unchanged with the previous month.

Closer home, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 523.94 crore on 24 September 2018, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1527.67 crore on 24 September 2018, as per provisional data.

The market extended losses to a fifth session on Monday, 24 September 2018, dragged by financials and automobiles. Global shares declined following renewed uncertainty over US-China trade relations. Monday marks the day when the latest round of tariffs which target products from both the US and China come into effect. Investors were also cautious ahead of a US Federal Reserve meet on Tuesday. The Sensex fell 536.58 points or 1.46% to settle at 36,305.02. The Nifty 50 index fell 168.20 points or 1.51% to settle at 10,974.90.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The market bounced back from early losses and hit fresh intraday high in morning trade. At 10:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 106.26 points or 0.29% at 36,411.28. The Nifty 50 index was up 34.05 points or 0.31% at 11,001.45. The Nifty regained the 11,000 mark in morning trade.

Among secondary barometers, the BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.34%. The BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.39%.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was negative. On BSE, 908 shares rose and 1205 shares fell. A total of 109 shares were unchanged.

Metal shares were mixed. Jindal Steel & Power (up 1.54%), National Aluminium Company (up 1.54%), Steel Authority of India (up 1.09%), NMDC (up 0.62%), JSW Steel (up 0.28%) and Vedanta (up 0.17%), edged higher. Hindalco Industries (down 0.58%), Hindustan Zinc (down 0.62%), Hindustan Copper (down 0.89%) and Tata Steel (down 1.59%), edged lower.

FMCG shares were mixed. Bajaj Corp (down 2.28%), Jyothy Laboratories (down 0.56%), Nestle India (down 0.5%), Dabur India (down 0.46%), Marico (down 0.45%), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care (down 0.1%) and Godrej Consumer Products (down 0.04%), edged lower. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (up 0.10%), Hindustan Unilever (up 0.51%), Britannia Industries (up 0.74%), Tata Global Beverages (up 1.08%) and Colgate Palmolive (India) (up 1.10%), edged higher.

Overseas, most Asian stocks were trading higher. Markets in Hong Kong and South Korea are closed for public holidays. Investors were cautious as the latest round of US-China tariffs revived fears the trade dispute would knock global growth, while crude oil was elevated near four-year highs after Saudi Arabia and Russia ruled out immediate production increases.

US stocks closed mostly lower Monday as the US-China trade war entered a new phase when tariffs on billions of dollars of products took effect. Investors were also looking ahead to the Federal Reserve's two-day monetary policy meeting, which wraps Wednesday and is likely to result in another interest-rate hike.

On the US economic data front, the Chicago Fed's national activity index came in at 0.18 in August, unchanged with the previous month.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian Army on Tuesday paid tribute to Lance Naik Sandeep Singh who was killed a day ago in a gunfight in the Tangdhar sector along the Line of Control (LoC).

The slain soldier had taken part in the surgical strikes by the Indian Army across the LoC in September 2016.

"In a solemn ceremony at the Badami Bagh Cantonment, Lieutenant General A.K. Bhatt, Chinar Corps Commander and all ranks paid homage to the martyr on behalf of a proud nation," Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said here.

Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh and representatives from various security agencies were also present.

The Lance Naik had sustained bullet injuries during an operation in the Tangdhar sector in which five terrorists were eliminated. He was provided immediate first aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital but he succumbed to his injuries, Kalia added.

Singh, 30, had joined the Army in 2007. He belonged to Kotla Khurd village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab and is survived by his wife.

His mortal remains were flown to his native place where he would be laid to rest with full military honours.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The fate of the 23rd edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is uncertain due to paucity of funds as the state is going through a rebuilding process after being hit by the worst ever floods last month.

IFFK is held in December every year.

Earlier this month, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan gave a directive that on account of the huge requirement of funds for rebuilding the state, all extravagant programmes including the IFFK and the State Youth Festival be called off this the year.

But succumbing to pressure from several quarters, it was decided to go ahead with the Youth Festival on a shoestring budget without any extravagance. Then came a request that the IFFK should be held too.

Soon after his return from the US, Vijayan gave the nod for the IFFK, but on the condition that the organisers should utilise their own funds.

State Minister for Films A.K. Balan told the media on Tuesday that for last year's IFFK, the budget was Rs 6 crore.

"Due to the present circumstances, it has been worked out that to hold the festival in a very modest manner, we would require (at least) Rs 3 crore. Of this, the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (the state-owned body that conducts the IFFK) will be able to bring in Rs 2 crore and they should be allowed to take Rs 1 crore from the plan funds.

"If that's not possible, then things might not work out," said Balan.

The final decision will be made only after Vijayan returns from Delhi.

"Rs 3 crore is needed and we have decided to cancel the inaugural and closing ceremonies, and increase the delegate fees and no free passes would be issued. We have also planned to cut down on expensive films and on the hotel expenses," added Balan.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A court in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday acquitted all the nine persons accused of abducting Kannada actor Rajkumar in 2000.

The court in Gobichettipalayam, some 440 km from here, said that there was insufficient evidence against the accused.

The actor was kidnapped by sandalwood smuggler Veerappan on July 30, 2000, from his farmhouse in Gajanur village on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. He was released on November 15.

Rajkumar died in 2006.

Veerappan and his associates were killed in 2004 by the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Ajay Devgn has started shooting for Om Raut's film "Taanaji - The Unsung Warrior".

The 49-year-old actor on Tuesday took to Twitter to share the first picture from the muhurat shot as he kickstarted the shooting.

In the image, Ajay can be seen conducting a prayer with Raut.

The "Raid" actor will play the role of Subedar Taanaji Malusare, a military leader in the army of Shivaji and also the founder of the Maratha Empire in 17th century India in the film.

Produced by Bhushan Kumar of "T-Series", epic drama "Taanaji - The Unsung Warrior" is scheduled to release on November 29, 2019.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian Army on Tuesday denied that the soldier killed in a gunfight along the Line of Control (LoC) at Tangdhar had taken part in the surgical strikes in September 2016.

Colonel Rajesh Kalia, Defence Ministry spokesman, told IANS in Srinagar, that reports about Lance Naik Sandeep Singh being a member of the Army's Special Forces that took part in the September 2016 Surgical Strike are "unfounded".

The Army on Tuesday paid tributes to the Lance Naik who was killed a day ago in a gunfight in the Tangdhar sector along the LoC.

"In a solemn ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment, Lieutenant General A.K. Bhatt, Chinar Corps Commander, and all ranks paid homage to the martyr on behalf of a proud nation," Colonel Kalia said here.

Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh and representatives from various security agencies were also present on the occasion.

The Lance Naik sustained bullet injuries during an operation in the Tangdhar sector in which five terrorists were killed. He was provided immediate first-aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital, but he succumbed, Kalia said.

Singh, 30, had joined the Army in 2007. He belonged to Kotla Khurd village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab and is survived by his wife.

His mortal remains were flown to his native place where he would be laid to rest with full military honours.

--IANS

sq/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday proposed establishing a national day to celebrate the country's indigenous history.

Morrison raised the proposal amid renewed calls for the date of Australia Day to be changed out of respect for indigenous cultures, Xinhua news agency reported.

Currently celebrated annually on January 26, indigenous Australians refer to Australia Day as "Invasion Day", saying it commemorates the beginning of the death of their culture as a result of British settlement.

Morrison refused to engage in the debate around the date but did say it would be "good to have a chat" with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups about a new day of celebration.

"It should be a day for celebrating and acknowledging and respecting our Indigenous peoples ... and what they've been able to achieve over 60,000 years-plus," he told the media.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP's students wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Tuesday torched an effigy of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and demanded resignation of state education minister in protest against the killing of two students in Islampur last week allegedly in police firing.

It also demanded a CBI probe into the killings.

ABVP activists assembled outside Swami Vivekananda's ancestral home in north Kolkata's Simla street and marched to the Dharamtolla crossing, where they were stopped by the police.

Some ABVP workers were allegedly injured when the police tried to disperse the agitators.

The police forcibly dispersed the crowd.

--IANS

ssp/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Comedian Bill Cosby, who was earlier facing up to 30 years behind bars, will now face a maximum of 10 years after his three counts of his conviction were merged into one.

Prosecutors asked a US court on Monday to sentence Cosby to 5-10 years for sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, saying he had shown "no remorse" for his actions, CNN reported.

"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 on the first day of a hearing that would determine how severely the disgraced actor sould be punished.

"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."

Cosby, the first high-profile American celebrity to be convicted in the #MeToo era, should be locked up for as long as a decade and be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life, prosecutors said.

However, Cosby's defence attorney, Joseph P. Green, asked for a sentence of house arrest, citing Cosby's advanced age and blindness.

"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 was expected to come on Tuesday after Judge Steven T. O'Neill decides whether Cosby should be required to register himself with state police and submit to sex-offender counselling 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.

Judge O'Neill announced that the charges had been merged into one because they all stem from the same event.

Monday's hearing also featured victim impact statements from Constand, her parents and her sister.

A prosecution expert said Cosby should be labelled a "sexually violent predator" because he has a mental disorder that involves urges toward non-consenting women.

Cosby has declined to participate in any evaluation on his mental state to decide whether he was sexually violent predator.

--IANS

pgh/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Attacking the ruling-BJP over the controversial Rafale deal, the Congress on Tuesday said the saffron-party is dragging the Army into

"We (the Congress) will never get involved in any controversy with the security forces which are supreme for us. However, the BJP is using the security forces for It should not drag them into politics," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told media here.

"The duty of the defence forces is to protect the nation. The Congress did the deal on the basis of the requirements and the criteria put by the air force," he added.

He also challenged the BJP to bring the files in public domain if any of the claims by the Congress was wrong.

"If any of our claims is wrong, we challenge Modiji to bring the files in public domain. The tender was done on the basis of the demands and approvals from the Air Force," he said.

He also said the Congress did not put itself above the Air Force while doing the contract, unlike the BJP.

"We challenge the BJP to tell us the reason why they cancelled the contract of 126 jet aircraft and brought only 36," he said.

He claimed that the contract of 126 jet aircraft was done by the Congress after the same number was demanded by the Air Force.

He also asked the Prime Minister to answer why the jets ordered by the Congress in 2012 at a cost of Rs 526 crore were cancelled and the number of jets were reduced from 126 to 36.

Surjewala questioned the delivery date of the jets saying "the jets were for emergency purchase and even then the dates of delivery is set for 2022".

The Congress chief spokesperson asked why the offset contract was snatched from a government firm and given to a private company.

"The Congress has not given the contract to a private firm unlike you, but to a government company," 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.)British Prime Minister Theresa May is to press ahead with her Chequers plan for a soft-Brexit, her advisors said after a meeting of her top ministers at Downing Street.

Ahead of the meeting on Monday, there had been media speculation of differing opinions among some of her top team, with claims that some ministers wanted her to abandon the plan agreed in July at a meeting at her country retreat Chequers, Xinhua reported.

An official spokesperson for May said later her cabinet remained fully behind May's Brexit policy, even though it has faced strong criticism from EU member leaders as well as European Council President Donald Tusk.

Across London, opponents of May's Chequers blueprint, including former Brexit secretary David Davis and the Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg were discussing a Brexit report compiled by the think tank, the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA).

Rees-Mogg described the IEA report as the most exciting contribution to the Brexit debate in months. It put forward a free trade deal, based on one Canada has brokered with the EU, as an alternative to May's plan. It was also hailed by former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

The report, called Plan A+: Creating a Prosperous Post-Brexit UK, outlined how it can deliver a Brexit prize, including introducing a new agreement between Britain and Ireland to preserve an open border after Brexit.

The next big test for both May and the group of Brexit supporting Conservative MPs led by Rees-Mogg, will come this weekend when the party starts its annual conference in Birmingham.

The Daily Telegraph in a commentary Monday night said a "Canada Plus" deal would be no magic bullet and would leave Britain in a state of flux for years.

Meanwhile at the other end of the M6 Motorway in Liverpool, delegates at the Labour Party conference will on Tuesday debate Brexit and whether the main opposition party at Westminster would support a new referendum to decide Britain's future in or out of the EU.

Labour party members are torn between wanting a so-called People's Vote on a final Brexit deal, and demands for a general election favoured by leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.

Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said Labour was deliberately not being prescriptive about a question that could be posed in a second EU referendum, adding it was not ruling out an option of staying in the EU.

There were accusations in some media reports Monday that the Labour leadership has been accused of "betrayal" over the wording of the motion to be debated Tuesday in Liverpool.

The final wording of the Brexit composite motion says: "If we cannot get a general election, Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote."

The wording was decided after a five-hour meeting of more than 100 Labour delegates on Sunday.

The Telegraph said while the majority of Labour members backed a people's vote, senior figures in the party figures have taken opposing views over what it should look like. It points to a tough debate on Tuesday in Liverpool.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ever since I moved to this city, I have observed that the people here are largely accustomed to two cuisines -- Chinese and Italian. Be it a plate of the cheesiest pasta or a bowl of hot and sour chicken soup, Delhiites' love for these two cuisines has given birth to inumerable eateries across the National Capital Region. But ChaoBella claims to have the best of both the worlds. True or not, let's find out.

Located in Crowne Plaza, Okhla Phase 1, this eatery oozes class and oomph. In rich tones of green, gold and dark brown, ChaoBella has plush interiors and alfresco seating. It has wooden floors and decor details like Chinese and Italian memorabilia with an open, well-stocked bar.

Explaining the concept of serving two very different cuisines under the same roof, Saurabh Agarwal, head chef, said the market for Italian and Chinese food is very big in Delhi.

"However, people tend to lean a little more towards the Chinese because this is more like comfort food. Everyone loves a hot bowl of dimsum soup. But the crowd for Italian is evolving too. It is not just pizzas and a white sauce penne pasta anymore. People are experimenting with other Italian offerings like risottos and raviolis," Agarwal told IANS.

Since ChaoBella is located inside a hotel, in-house guests make up most of the crowd (about 60 per cent), according to Agarwal.

The chef offered to present us with a seven course meal which has a little of both Italian and Chinese.

The dishes were Insalata Caprese -- a salad of buffalo mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and sweet basil pesto; Clear Beijing Chicken Dumpling Soup; Honey Chilli Lotus Stem; Doppio Ripieno Ravioli -- a ravioli dish with a mushroom and sundried tomato stuffing; assorted vegetarian and non-vegetarian dimsums; chicken fried rice and shredded chicken. The dessert was tiramisu.

The dishes that really stood out were the salad, soup and the ravioli.

The salad was light, fresh and tasty. With a chilled glass of rose wine, this salad is perfect for hot summer days. The soup was a bowl of comfort, the dumpling was very flavourful, perfect balance to the clear broth. I imagined myself with a bowl of this soup on a cold winter day, wrapped up in a blanket and watching Netflix.

The ravioli dishwas nothing like I have ever tasted before. The ravioli has to be cut in a certain way so that a mix of both the stuffing can be tasted in one bite. The butter and thyme emulsion made it all the more creamy.

The rest of the dishes, including the tiramisu, were on the brink of being disasters.

The dimsums had no flavour at all, even with the accompanying sauces. The mains were the biggest disappointment of the whole meal. As the restaurant boasts of serving the best, why then a run-of-the-mill chicken fried rice and shredded chicken? Both the dishes were bland, the rice smelled of ghee (I didn't know the Chinese used ghee) and there was nothing unique to them. Even on a day when I crave for cheap, greasy Chinese food, these would be the last two things I'd order.

The tiramisu was an absolute monstrosity. I have had many tiramisus here and abroad but this one was by far the worst. When the bowls came in, there was a blob on top of the tiramisu that looked like clotted blood. When I asked if this was something ChaoBella was doing just to stand out, the server had absolutely no clue. Upon tasting, the cream and the cake was just bitter. The so-called compote just made it worst.

The last four dishes completely changed my impression of ChaoBella -- maybe a proof of what happens when Chinese and Italian cuisines collide.

FAQs:

Where: Crowne Plaza, Community Centre, Okhla Phase 1, New Delhi

Meal for two: Rs. 3,000 for two people (with alcohol)

Timings: 12.30 p.m. - 3 p.m; 7 p.m. - 11.45 p.m.

(Karishma Saurabh Kalita visited ChaoBella at its invitation. She can be contacted at karishma.k@ians.in)

--IANS

ksk/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Chinese Minister said on Tuesday that it was difficult to negotiate with the US to resolve the trade war between them as Washington was figuratively putting a gun to their head.

Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen made the remarks to the media a day after Beijing and Washington imposed the largest ever tariffs on one another, further intensifying the trade war, reports Efe news.

Wang claimed that the US government had abandoned its understanding of China.

The Minister said that Chinese tariffs worth $60 billion was nothing but a countermeasure and that Beijing was left with no choice, which would be detrimental to some US sectors such as liquefied natural gas.

The US, for its part, imposed duties on Chinese imports worth $200 billion in the latest turn of events in the trade war that started in July.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Most business leaders in India regard and cybersecurity concerns as the biggest barrier to their digital transformation, a new report from Technologies said on Tuesday.

According to the research, 93 per cent of Indian businesses are facing major impediments to today.

Almost half of Indian business leaders believe they will struggle to meet changing customer demands within five years, according to the report tilted " Index" (DT Index).

Offering insights into the areas where Indian businesses are considering investment to drive their digital transformation, the research showed that regulation or legislative changes and lack of the right in-house skill sets and expertise are the other top concerns for Indian businesses.

The research also indicates that businesses are taking steps to overcome their barriers, along with the threat of being outmanoeuvred from more nimble, innovative players.

Close to 75 per cent of Indian businesses -- 19 per cent more than in China -- intend to invest in cybersecurity in the next one to three years, according to the report.

Conducted in collaboration with Intel Corp, the research showed that 67 per cent of Indian businesses intend to invest in (Internet of Things) technologies - 11 per cent more than that of Chinese

While 62 per cent of Indian businesses intend to invest in multi-Cloud (7 per cent more than Chinese firms), 61 per cent of Indian businesses intend to invest in (only one per cent more than in China), the findings showed.

For this study, independent research firm Vanson Bourne surveyed 200 business leaders in India from mid to large-size to gauge their organisations' place on the Technologies Index.

The global results of the report, based on 4,600 respondents from 42 countries, will be released in early 2019, Technologies said.

The report said that 37 per cent of Indian businesses plan to invest in Blockchain, 31 per cent in quantum computing and 42 per cent in augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies in the next one to three years.

"The next digital era has arrived and it's reshaping the way we live, work and conduct business. Which means that time is of the essence. Genuine transformation needs to happen now, and it needs to be radical," Alok Ohrie, President and Managing Director - India Commercial, Dell EMC, said in a statement.

The findings showed that just 12 per cent of Indian businesses are "Digital Leaders" - companies that are digitally advanced - up from 8 per cent in 2016 when the previous edition of the report was published.

The share of "Digital Adopters" -- companies that have a mature digital plan, investments and innovations in place -- went up to 34 per cent this year, from 29 per cent in 2016.

The share of "Digital Evaluators", companies that are cautiously and gradually embracing digital transformation has grown to 40 per cent, from 37 per cent in 2016.

The percentage of "Digital Followers" (a digitally immature group) has also dropped, from 21 per cent in 2016, to 14 per cent in 2018, according to the survey.The Delhi cabinet on Tuesday approved the 'Mukhyamantri Solar Power Scheme' to set up solar panels on rooftops of group housing societies in Delhi.

Under the Renewable Energy Service Co (RESCO) model, the domestic consumer will not have to spend any money for the installation of solar panels. It will be done by select service providers, Cabinet Minister Satyendar Jain told the media.

"There will be a tripartite agreement between the concerned group housing society, the service provider (company) and the Delhi government," he said.

The cost of electricity generated through the solar power for the group housing society will be Rs 1 per unit.

"The Delhi government will provide a subsidy of Rs 2 per unit to the society," he said.

The initial estimated cost of solar power was likely to be Rs 3 per unit, he said, adding that it will keep increasing year-wise.

"The cost of solar power will also depend on the space provided by the society for the installation of solar panels. In case the society provide more space for solar panels than its requirement, they will get the benefit in return in terms of further reduction in the price of solar power," Jain said.

The cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, also amended the scheme for grant of ex-gratia payment to security personnel of Delhi.

"The cabinet approved the proposal of the Revenue Department for amendment in the Scheme for grant of ex-gratia payment to war widows, war disabled, prisoners of war/missing person in war/operation/Delhi Police personnel/Home Guards and families of those who lose their lives in defined uniformed services during the course of duty," Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot told the media.

In July, the Cabinet had decided to give Rs 1 crore compensation to the kin of martyrs killed on duty.

Announcing the amendment, Gahlot said: "Families of the security personnel who are living in Delhi for the last five years will also be covered in the scheme, irrespective of the state of joining of the personnel.

"The final decision will be taken by the Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by the Deputy Chief Minister," he said.

The amendment, he said, was necessitated following the murder of Head Constable Narender Kumar of the Border Security Force (BSF) on the India-Pakistan border.

The family of Narender Kumar had been residing in Delhi for many years though his permanent address was of Haryana, Gahlot said.

The cabinet also gave its nod to a proposal of the Social Welfare Department to provide assistance to NGOs for celebrating birth and death anniversaries of eminent personalities.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Tuesday said the DMK and Congress are to be probed by an international court for the 'war crimes' against the Sri Lankan Tamils in 2009.

He said the DMK was a 'company' and not a political party.

Speaking at a public rally in Salem, about 350 km from here, Palaniswami said the meeting is held to draw the attention of the central government and also of the international community on DMK and Congress help to Sri Lankan forces in 2009 resulting in killing of Tamils there.

The ruling AIADMK had announced a protest meeting against DMK after the recent remarks of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa that Indian government helped the island nation during its 2009 fight against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

In 2009, it was the UPA government at the centre headed by the Congress.

Citing sons of a couple of DMK leaders who have got posts in that party, Palaniswami said DMK is a company and not a political party.

On the other hand, in the ruling AIADMK anybody can rise within the party based on hard work and loyalty.

Palaniswami in a scathing attack on Stalin said the latter became a legislator and a party leader only with the support of his late father M. Karunanidhi.

The Chief Minister said it was Stalin who came up through the back door and not him.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Breaking a bone can cause bone density losses throughout the body, not just close to the site of the fracture and primarily around the time of the fracture, results from two studies have showed.

The studies focus on identifying changes in musculoskeletal tissue due to injury, ageing or disease.

"We know one fracture seems to lead to others, but we haven't known why," said Blaine Christiansen, associate professor at the University of California-Davis.

"Our work is the first step on the path to identifying the cellular mechanisms of systemic bone loss," Christiansen added.

The first study, published in Osteoporosis International, showed that older women who had fractured a bone, even if the fracture was not near the hip, had decreased bone mineral density (BMD).

Out of 4,000 participants, BMD reductions averaged between 0.89 and 0.77 per cent per year for those with fractures, and 0.66 per cent per year for those with no fractures. Those losses were greatest within the first two years of a break.

In the second study, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, bone loss occurred throughout the body, most notably in the spine, and was greatest within the first two weeks of fracture in mice with femur (thighbone) fractures.

It also was accompanied by higher levels of inflammatory markers in the blood.

Importantly, the team found that younger mice eventually recovered their pre-fracture BMD levels, while older mice did not.

Christiansen next hopes to further characterise 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."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An authorised biography of Nouf Marwaai, the first certified Yogacharini in Saudi Arabia, written by well-known film historian and writer Gautam Chintamani, has been acquired by Westland publications.

The announcement was made by the publisher on Tuesday, which said that the book is tentatively titled, "Nouf: Yogi Who Made Saudi Arabia Fall in Love with an Ancient Indian Science".

Nouf Marwaai was instrumental in making Yoga legal and get official recognition for it in Saudi Arabia. She was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, by the Indian government in 2018.

The book will cover her life, her battles with autoimmune diseases, third-degree burns and cancer, and narrate how yoga helped her survive them, the publisher said.

Marwaai conducted the first ever International Day of Yoga in 2015 in Saudi Arabia; her journey of discovering both physical and inner well-being through yoga is a motivation for others to look for alternative methods of therapy.

Chintamani has previously authored "Dark Star: The Loneliness of Being Rajesh Khanna" (2014), "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak: The Film That Revived Hindi Cinema" (2016) and "Pink - The inside Story" (2017).

He is also on the National Film Awards jury for Best Writing on Cinema since 2016.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A wary China on Tuesday hoped that the Maldives' new government will provide an "enabling environment" to Chinese companies and stick to the controversial Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Beijing had signed with the now ousted President Abdulla Yameen.

China congratulated the Maldives for holding successful elections in which Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) defeated incumbent Yameen, perceived to be close to Beijing.

The MDP was critical of increased Chinese investment and the FTA which was rushed through the country's Parliament without debate last year.

"China congratulates the Maldives on its successful Presidential election and as well as Solih's victory. We respect Maldives people's choice and we hope the country can maintain stability and development," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

"As to the FTA signed between China and the Maldives, we believe we have always encouraged the Chinese to invest and operate in accordance with the market-based rules and the regulations.

"And we hope the Maldives will maintain consistency and stability of their policy and create an enabling environment and atmosphere for the Chinese operation there," Geng added.

"China and Maldives signed an FTA. China will work with the Maldives to ensure the sound implementation of FTA and expand trade and investment cooperation between both the sides for the greater benefit and development of people of both the nations," Geng said.

The Chinese Ministry later clarified that the FTA was yet to come into effect.

Geng was responding to a question on whether China was worried over the election of the new government which might renegotiate deals signed by Yameen's government.

The Maldives sits on one the world's busiest shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean where both India and China vie for influence.

The Maldives has always been a traditional ally of India. But under Yameen's presidency, the country moved closer to China, worrying New Delhi.

China, which didn't even have an embassy in Male until 2011, has stepped up its engagement in the country by building bridges, airport and high-end housing complexes.

Yameen also approved China's Belt and Road project, which India does not support.

Maldives former President Mohammad Nasheed, a fierce critic of China and Yameen and living in exile, has already said the victory of the opposition party means resetting ties with India.

--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.)Goa's stalled mining sector needs an immediate "legislative cure", ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said in a letter to Union Minister for Mines Narendra Singh Tomar.

Parrikar has requested the Centre to amend provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act to allow current lessees to continue mining and postpone, for now, auctioning of the state's iron ore leases.

This, Parrikar said, would prevent any mining operation for four to five years due to the formalities and due diligence which the auctioning processes mandate.

Parrikar is currently undergoing treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

In the letter to Tomar dated September 24, he has said that ever since mining came to a standstill -- for a second time since 2012 -- in March this year, crime has spiked, and that an intervention was necessary to ensure that those employed in it are not forced to "take law in their own hands".

"The only possible alternative...is to provide for a legislative cure whereby like the rest of the country, the tenure of the leases which existed in Goa can be extended for a particular period, so as to enable the state to overcome the difficulties it is facing due to the sudden stoppage of mining operations," Parrikar said in his letter.

The communication comes at a time when the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government as well as Parrikar himself, has been accused of being non-functional. The Opposition and civil society and legislators cutting across party lines have been demanding resumption of mining in Goa, which was banned again from March this year by the Supreme Court.

The court faulted the state government for irregularities in renewal of mining leases.

The mining issue has been hanging fire in Goa, every since the apex court banned extraction and transportation of iron ore from 88 mining leases from March, while also directing the state government to re-issue mining leases.

The is the second time is less than a decade that all mining in the state has come to a standstill.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)One of India's largest interior infrastructure company Greenply Industries will invest four million euros to nearly triple the capacity of its Africa plant in Gabon by 2019, an official said on Tuesday.

The Gabon veneer manufacturing facility that was set up with an initial investment of 11 million euros will get the fresh infusion to scale up its processing capacity from 3,000 cubic metre (cbm) per month to 8,000 cbm by March, 2019.

The facility, located at the NKOK Special Economic Zone and spread over an area of 10 hectares, manufactures Okoume face veneers with thickness ranging from 0.2mm and upwards.

"We are constantly working on capacity building and securing resource availability. The company plans to scale up its processing capacity with an additional investment outlay in the tune of 4 million euros," Managing Director Rajesh Mittal said.

The company, commanding a 26 per cent market share in the organised plywood market of India, has targeted to hit a capacity utilisation of 55 per cent by the end of this financial year and full utilisation by the financial year 2020-21.

Okoume timber is considered to be a sustainable and economical solution to restore the ecological imbalance created by widespread deforestation of Gurjan trees, which form the primary source for face veneers of the Indian plywood industry, the company said.

The plywood firm is also involved in saw milling of Okoume and other hardwood species. Presently the species of hardwood being used are Padouk and Tali.

It also plans to start its own forestry operations in 2019 to augment its raw material supplies.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)"Greys Anatomy" star Jesse Williams will make his directorial debut with "Till", a film about Mamie Elizabeth Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, an African American teenager who was lynched in 1955 after being accused of flirting with a white woman.

The movie will focus on Till-Mobley's search for justice following the murder of her 14-year-old son in Jim Crow-era Mississippi, reports variety.com.

His murder was viewed as the catalyst for the next phase of the civil rights movement, and Till-Mobley famously insisted on an open-casket ceremony so her son's mutilated body could be in full view and bring awareness to the cost of racially charged violence and the cruelty of lynching.

Williams is directing from a screenplay by Michael Reilly and civil rights filmmaker Keith A. Beauchamp.

The movie is based on Beauchamp's 2005 documentary "The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till", which led the United States Department of Justice to reopen the Till case in 2004.

Williams will produce the film with actress Whoopi Goldberg, who will also appear in the project. Production is expected to start next summer with the support of the Till family.

Several movies and a mini-series are also in the works about Emmett Till.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Faulting the "famous but controversial" 'Hindutva is a way of life' judgement of late Justice J.S. Verma of the Supreme Court in the 1990s, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said the judiciary as an institution should never lose sight of its primary duty to protect the secular spirit of the Constitution.

This task, he said, has become much more demanding than before because the political disputes and electoral battles were increasingly getting overlaced with religious overtones, symbols, myths and prejudices.

Singh was delivering the 2nd memorial lecture of the late Communist leader A.B. Bardhan on "Defence of Secularism and Constitution".

The former Prime Minister criticised Verma's judgment suggesting it virtually disturbed "a kind of constitutional sanity" that was restored in the country's political discourse through the Bommai judgment in which a nine-judge bench of Supreme Court found an opportunity to reaffirm that secularism was a basic structure of the Constitution.

He said Justice Verma's verdict had a "decisive impact" on the ongoing debate among political parties about the principles and practices of secularism in the Republic.

"The judgment ended up making our political discourse somewhat lopsided; and, many believe that 'there can be no doubt that the decision requires to be overruled'," Singh said.

He said no constitutional arrangement can be protected and preserved only by the judiciary, however, vigilant or enlightened the judges may be.

"Ultimately, it comes down to the political leadership, civil society, religious leaders and intelligentsia to defend the Constitution and its secular commitments. It is necessary to remind ourselves that the framers of the Constitution in their wisdom had conceived this secular order as part of a larger, greater egalitarian polity."

Describing the demolition of the Babri Masjid as a traumatic event bringing into disrepute India's secular commitments, Singh said the entire political leadership too came in for criticism for failing to protect a place of worship.

"In particular, concerned citizens were deeply disappointed at the judiciary's stance in the events leading upto the demolition," he said.

The former Prime Minister said the country should unambiguously clear that any attempt to weaken the secular fabric of the Republic would be an attempt to dismantle the larger egalitarian project -- a secular, progressive democratic polity.

The judiciary needs to arrive at its own enlightened view of its custodianship of the Constitution irrespective of the irresponsible and selfish politicians who have no qualms in injecting communal virus in the body politic, he said.

The same expectation must also be voiced in regard to the armed forces which are a splendid embodiment of the secular project.

"Our armed forces have a glorious record of keeping away from the politicians' manipulations and intrigues. It is vitally important that the armed forces remain uncontaminated from any sectarian appeal."

Stressing on the role of Election Commission in preserving the secular fabric, Singh said it was incumbent upon the poll panel to see that the religion and religious sentiments and prejudices do not get overworked into the election discourse.

He said the media as a democratic institution was an equal partner in upholding secularism both in letter and spirit.

CPI General Secretary S. Sudhakar Reddy said the very idea of a secular and pluralist India tolerant of all sex and religion was under severe threat under the Modi government.

He said there has been serious attacks targeted at turning the secular India into a Hindu Rashtra, tearing off the statutes of the Constitution that oppose the moves or changing the Constitution itself.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A group of 40-45 students of IIT-Roorkee, five Indian born US nationals and two German trekkers were rescued on Tuesday from the icy heights of Himachal Pradesh in a joint operation by the district administration and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), officials said.

They were stranded in Lahaul Valley as landslides triggered by heavy snow damaged the road links to Manali.

The Indian Air Force will start airlifting the stranded people, comprising locals and tourists, believed to be around 500 on Wednesday morning. They will be brought to Manali and Kullu towns.

They have been stranded for the past two-three days at various locations in and around district headquarters Keylong after the onset of heavy snow that hampered road links. All are safe and have been provided accommodation and eatables, officials said.

"Nearly 45 students of IIT-Roorkee were taken to an Army base camp at Sissu from where they were brought to Manali via Rohtang tunnel," an official told IANS over phone from Manali.

He said most of the stranded people were brought to Keylong, some 121 km from Manali, and from there would be either airlifted by the IAF or brought to Manali by road on Wednesday.

"The priority in airlifting will be given to old, sick and women," he added.

A government spokesperson here advised tourists not to venture into remote areas of the state as chances of snow were still high.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur visited Kullu town to take stock of the rehabilitation and rescue operations being undertaken by the state government.

He also took an aerial survey of the Lahaul valley up to Chandertal to access the damage caused by untimely snow.

Thakur said the state has suffered a loss of over Rs 1,230 crore in the last four days. He said the state has urged the Union Government to provide liberal assistance to the state.

The Chief Minister said he spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman regarding the natural calamity.

He said three IAF helicopters have been provided for evacuating the tourists.

An official statement said 200 people have been stranded at Koksar and about 300 in Baralacha Pass.

Traffic to picturesque Himachal tourist resort Manali was restored partially on Tuesday, a day after all major road links snapped after landslides triggered by heavy rains, officials said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Popular cartoonist Pran Kumar Sharma's creation and hugely popular Indian comic book "Chacha Chaudhary" will be recreated as an animated series, Technopark-headquartered Toonz Media announced on Tuesday.

P. Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group, told the media here that Chacha Chaudhary, the Tintin of India is a name that is very popular and liked by both children and adults.

"The bestseller comic of Pran's features dates back to the 1960s and Toonz Media is ready to take it to the next level through an animated series," said Jayakumar.

The series in English would have 26 episodes of 22 minutes duration and would be broadcast on national and international platforms.

Partnering Toonz Media Group, which will also be the worldwide distribution company of "Chacha Choudhary" series, include Zamoza Brands who will handle the Licensing and Merchandizing rights.

The series is about a wise man who solves problems with his exceptional intellect along with his friend Sabu, an inhabitant of the planet Jupiter. The combination of intellect and strength makes everything possible for Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu just like it is said in the comic, "Chacha Chaudhary's brain works faster than a computer" and "when Sabu gets angry a volcano erupts somewhere'.

The other characters include Bini, Chacha Chaudhary's wife, Rocket, the dog and Dag, an old truck.

Nikhil Pran, CEO of Pran Features, said their readers who have loved reading Chacha Chaudhary comics since 1960 will now be able to enjoy the animation series.

Founded in 1999, Toonz Media Group over the years has partnered with companies including Walt Disney, Turner, Nickelodeon, Sony, Universal, BBC, and Paramount as well as the creation of India's first 2D animated TV series, first 2D feature film, and first 3D stereoscopic theatrical release.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A hundred years ago, during the First World War, a gallant band of Indian soldiers of the 15th Cavalry Brigade fought off stiff resistance from Tutkish-German forces in the Battle of Haifa to liberate the city from over 400 years of rule by the Ottoman Turks. Very little of this was known till he published a book on it in 2016, says author Ravi Kumar, who is now planning a sequel.

"Had this battle been fought by the Germans, the British or Americans, it could have been among the course curriculum in all schools. However, it is sad that Indians are still unknown to this great battle story," Kumar told IANS.

Even worse, not many people in are aware of the story behind the Teen Murti Memorial in the heart of the national capital that commemorates this epic battle that concluded on September 23, 1918.

As the book spoke of valour and bravery of Indian soldiers, Kumar had invited the then Defence Minister, Manohhar Parrikar to release the book but even here had to face sceptcism.

"Why and how should I believe that the facts represented in the book are correct," Parrikar asked Kumar.

"This historic battle has been fought by Indian cavalry and its details can be sought from (the erstwhile royal family of) Jaipur (which had provided the soldiers). The Teen Murti Memorial also has the story inscribed on it about the battle," Kumar replied.

The Defence Minister then inquired about the chain of events and after being fully convinced, released the book on September 23, 2016. The book sold like hot cakes in many languages, among them English, Hindu, Gujarati, Marathi and Telugu.

How did the book come about?

Kumar said that in 2012, he chanced upon an internet page on the soldier referred to as the Hero of Haifa, Major Dalpat Singh Shekhawat, when he was surfing net for details on military medals. Shekhawat was the warrior who led the Indian charge.

"That was the kick which prompted me to travel to Israel to bring back the story of Indian soldiers who fought with all their might 100 years back," he said.

He met Israeli and Egyptian officials and back in India met Gaj Singh, the former maharaja of Jodhpur, which had also contributed troops to the Indian force. After four years of research, he penned the book in 2016.

There were many challenges along the way. Kumar said he found it quite tough to document the various incidents that took place during the battle. This is because the Indian soldiers were a part of the British Army, which had documented the stories of the valour of its men but not much about the bravery of the Indian soldiers: how they managed a victory over the Turks in just a two-day battle, what their tactics were and how they managed to fight against the modern equipment of their opponents.

One of the nuggets he unearthed: Abdu'l-Baha, the leader of the Baha'i faith, had been captured in Haifa by the Turks and was to be beheaded on September 23, 1918 at 6 pm. However, as Haifa was conquered at 3 pm on the same day, this was prevented.

Till date, the Baha'is the world gives credit to Indian soldiers for his release. They recently released a picture of Abdu'l-Baha with Indian soldiers. This picture is displayed in the Lotus Temple in New Delhi.

Kumar says there were major developments after the release of his book.

The Teen Murti Chowk was renamed Teen Murti Haifa Chowk during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit in January. Soon thereafter, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a historic visit to Israel.

As for the future, Kumar pointed out that in Rajasthan, there is a tradition of singing songs in praise of grand victories. There is also a song on Major Dalpat Singh.

"For my second book, I am in search of this song as it can throw up lot more stories of this brave man who left a mark in history with his undefeated valour," Kumar said.

(Archana Sharma can be contacted at archana.s@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.)The 26th edition of annual Le Bal des Debutantes, a glamorous fundraiser with international high society debutantes, to be held on November 24 in Paris, will see the participation of three Indian faces.

Ananya Raje Scindia of the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior, Shloka Birla -- daughter of power couple Yash and Avanti Birla -- and Aria Mehta, daughter of businessmen Dipu and Payal Mehta, will be a part of the event, said a statement.

Each year since 1992, 'Le Bal', also referred to as Le Bal des Debutantes, brings together 20 young women and gentlemen from renowned influential families around the world across the arts, politics, business and culture.

For one magical evening of couture, cavaliers and fundraising, these guests make their grand entry into the upper echelons of society and high fashion.

The brainchild of PR guru Ophelie Renouard, the 26th edition will be held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Paris.

In the past, young beauties such as Princess Adishree Singh of Jammu & Kashmir (2009), Shaiyara Devi of Kapurthala (2011), Isha Ambani and Ashna Mehta (2011), Princess Askshita Bhanjdeo of Jaisalmer (2013), and most recently, Jayati Modi (2016), Ananya Pandey and Princess Gauravi Kumari of Jaipur (2017) have been presented at the event.

Ananya's outfit is designed by Indo-French duo Lecoanet Hemant. Her brother Yuvaraj Mahanaryaman Scindia, Prince of Gwalior, is her cavalier.

Shloka will sport a creation by Indian couturier Manish Malhotra, while Aria will flaunt a gown crafted by Lebanese designer George Hobeika.

Renouard said in a statement: "Today India is a major world player and true force to reckon with. I am happy to welcome our three new Indian debutantes and their dynamic young energies for the 26th edition of Le Bal."

The global event raises funds and awareness for two important causes - Enfants d'Asie: Children of Asia, which provides care for close to 10,000 children, in the form of shelter, medical care, food and education, in South East Asia. The other is The Seleni Institute, a non-profit organisation providing care, information and research funding, supporting the mental health of women and teenage mothers.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An exhibition dedicated to the upcoming state visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to India was inaugurated at National Museum here on Tuesday.

Titled "India - Uzbekistan: Dialogue of Cultures", it was inaugurated by Arun Goel, Secretary, Ministry of Culture.

Goel said the exhibition is "a beginning of several things to come" in the near future. He said that "people to people contact makes Government to Government contact" easier and that joint exhibitions like this would go a long way in establishing "strong bilateral ties".

The Secretary also assured the Ministry of Culture's complete cooperation for furthering the rich and deep cultural ties between both the nations.

National Museum, Ministry of Culture in Collaboration with the Embassy of Uzbekistan in New Delhi; Rampur Raza Library, Rampur; Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library, Patna and the National Association of Electronic Mass Media of Uzbekistan have, for the first time, exhibited a collection of "Kushan coins", archaeological artifacts related to Kushan, manuscripts and paintings of shared cultural heritage of India and Uzbekistan made in different time epoch covering religious and scientific subjects.

The exhibition explores the shared link in the respective histories of Uzbekistan and India in which deep oral traditions coexisted with the written word. It also foster a dynamic exchange with academic, technical and professional partners on effective approaches to cataloguing and management of cultural artifacts and their conservation and preservation. It also promotes and encourages the use of the manuscripts for academic and research purposes.

This exhibition showcases original artifacts from the National Museum collection which include coins from the royal mints of Kushans including coins depicting portraits of Kanishka, Huvishka , alluring sculptures from the Kushan period, the intricate manuscripts including miniature paintings from Baburnama, manuscripts of the Holy Quran, Timurnamah, Bukharisharif, Bayaz, Tuzk-i-Jahangiri and others.

The other highlights of the exhibition are some unique facsimiles of famous manuscripts and paintings like the Kattalangar Quran, Diwan by Sultan Hussein Baikara, Zafarnama by SharafiddinYazdi, Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur and Jahangir among others.

The exhibition also includes the already published albums of the project "Cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in the world's collections" and various volumes from the series "Architectural Epigraphy of Uzbekistan".

The exhibition will be open for the public till October 24.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Jharkhand government will release 129 life-term serving prisoners on the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, said an official on Tuesday.

The decision was taken earlier in the day at a Punishment Review Committee meeting that took place at the state secretariat under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Raghubar Das.

A total 137 cases were brought before the committee, out of which five were rejected and three were kept pending, said a government statement.

Of the 129 prisoners, 65 belong to Scheduled Tribes, 13 are above 60 and two are women.

"Sometimes people commit crime under some influence and if such people realise that they have committed crime, they should be released," said Das.

In April this year, the Jharkhand Punishment review committee had decided to release 221 prisoners.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)South Korean boy band BTS created history by becoming the first ever K-Pop group to address the UN where they asked young people around the world to believe in their own convictions and voices.

The group of seven delivered a three-minute speech during the launch ceremony of Unicef's global partnership Generation Unlimited at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, reports CNN.

Formed in 2013, BTS is one of the most popular Korean bands in the world, with more than 13.3 million followers on Instagram.

The group previously worked with the UN on awareness and fundraising campaigns.

In 2017, BTS joined with the Korean Committee for Unicef to establish "Love Myself", which works with the organisatn's global #ENDviolence to advocate against against youth violence.

"Last November, BTS launched the 'Love Myself' campaign with UNICEF, building on our belief that 'true love first begins with loving myself'," Kim Nam Jun, the band's leader, said on Monday.

"After releasing the 'Love Yourself' albums and launching the 'Love Myself' campaign," Kim said, adding "We started to hear remarkable stories from our fans all over the world, how our message helped them overcome their hardships in life and start loving themselves. These stories constantly remind us of our responsibility".

"So, let's all take one more step. We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to "speak yourself," he added.

According to a UN statement, Generation Unlimited will tackle "the global education and training crisis currently holding back millions of young people and threatening progress and stability", CNN said.

It will do so by focusing on secondary-age education; skills for learning, employability and decent work, and empowerment, the statement added.

Among those attending the speech were UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and Unicef Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 26-year-old man was arrested here on Tuesday after he telephoned the police to confess that he had killed his wife over a suspected affair.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Aslam Khan said Sunil Sharma confessed that he murdered Kavita, 24, in their house in north Delhi's Adarsh Nagar.

He hit her hard with a small gas cylinder while she was sleeping, the officer said. "He too got injured after banging his head against a wall."

The woman sustained severe head injuries and died on the spot.

The couple have a four-year-old daughter who was sleeping with her grandmother in the same locality.

--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 world beset by terror and hateful ideologies, "the wisdom of pioneering leaders like (Nelson) Mandela should remain as our moral compass", according to Extenal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Speaking on Monday at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit here, she declared, "We Indians consider Mandiba one of our own. We are proud to call him Bharat Ratna, a Jewel of India."

Mandela was awarded India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1990, a rare honour for a non-Indian citizen.

The Peace Summit was held on the eve of the High-Level General Assembly session to commemorate the birth centenary of Mandela, who led the successful fight against apartheid in South Africa and ended white minority rule. He later became its president.

"We resolve to move beyond words in the promotion of peaceful, just, inclusive and non-discriminatory societies," the world leaders at the summit pledged in a declaration.

The declaration paid tributes to Mandela's humility, forgiveness and compassion, and his contribution to the struggle for democracy and the promotion of peace.

Sushma Swaraj said India cherished the close relationship and partnership with Africa and its people.

She added, "Our close bonds are reflected in the philosophy of Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi -- the Father of our Nation. Both of them led their peoples to freedom through mass peaceful struggles."

"They made efforts to overcome the divisive and narrow identity (and) to turn diversity of a society into its strength instead of weakness," she said.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed him as "one of humanity's great leaders" and recalled that "everywhere, he was a champion for peace, forgiveness, humility, compassion, dignity and human rights."

General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said that Mandela's legacy gave hope to a world facing conflicts, oppression of minorities and threats of proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the peace summit was an opportunity for global leaders to reflect on peace and to take steps to end the wars.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)

--IANS

al/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday night expressed happiness after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he had "very fruitful" discussions on how to rebuild the flood-battered state.

Vijayan called on Modi seeking the full support of the Centre in rebuilding the state in the aftermath of the worst ever floods in a century that ravaged the state.

"Eighty per cent of Kerala's population has been directly or indirectly affected by the tragedy. The state alone cannot handle the crisis. Hence the complete support of the Centre is required and this has been brought to the attention of the Prime Minister," he said.

"The meeting was very fruitful and we have a lot of expectations," he told the media.

Among the demands he has raised with Modi is a 10 per cent increase in all central schemes, a sum of Rs 4,796 crore from the National Disaster Fund and Rs 5,000 crore of special grant.

The May-August disaster claimed 483 lives and at the height of the deluge there were 14.50 lakh people in over 3,000 relief camps.

"We have sought the help of the Centre to get assistance from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The PM has expressed all support in the demands that we raised."

He said there were issues in accepting help from foreign countries. "But there is no bar in accepting help from the diaspora."

Vijayan returned from the US on Sunday after being treated for an undisclosed ailment.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amid unrelenting Congress offensive against him in the Rafale deal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the main opposition party, accusing it of throwing muck, indulging in lies and trying to form an "international alliance" to oust him.

But the Congress kept up the pressure with its chief Rahul Gandhi asking why the price of the fighter jets was not being disclosed and party accused the government of violating the norms in selection of the offset partner.

On its part, the BJP opened another front alleging that there was a nexus between Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra and arms dealer and middleman Sanjay Bhandari due to which the Rafale deal with French firm was cancelled in 2012.

A senior Indian Air Force official also pitched in with support for the deal to purchase 36 fighter jets from France, saying it was better than the previous deal.

Modi, who addressed 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' (workers grand conclave) in Bhopal, echoed BJP's earlier attack about "design" between the Congress and Pakistan to remove him in the wake of Rafale deal controversy.

Modi accused the Congress of indulging in a slander campaign and said the main opposition party has become so weak that it has to beg small parties to forge alliance in the coming elections.

"What has happened to the 125-year-old Congress? We have decided to fight elections on the issue of development, but they want to fight the election by breaking the society. They want to capture power through mischief. They want to use a handful of people to spread falsehood and a storm of lies to capture power," he said.

"Best wishes for their new path. But we are following the path of strong organisation," he said.

Modi said Congress was not succeeding in getting allies and even if they get one, "I don't see them succeeding".

"So they are trying to forge an alliance internationally. Now will a foreign country decide who will be the country's Prime Minister? After losing power, you have lost your balance," he told the Congress party.

Modi said Congress had left no stone unturned to "abuse" him since he joined in 2001 and people have rejected the charges.

"The more muck they (Congress) throw, more lotuses will bloom, in every booth, every block, every village, every city and every corner of the country, he said, adding "if destruction is written in their fate, then there is no need for us to cry."

Rahul Gandhi, who was in Amethi, continued his attack a day after he had alleged that country's "chowkidar" (watchman) had committed "chori" (theft) in Rafale deal.

Gandhi questioned Modi's and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman's "silence" on the demand for disclosing the price of the fighter jets.

"First, the question is: why did the Defence Minister lie ? Then suddenly you get the price of the aircraft Rs 526 crore versus Rs 1,600 crore. Even other countries have bought Rafale aircraft but not for Rs 1,600 crore," he said.

Referring to the offset agreement between French manufacturer Dassault and an Indian private firm, Gandhi said for 70 years HAL has been making aircraft while the private firm given the contract had not made any aircraft.

"He (Modi) always says that he wants to be the 'chowkidar' of the nation, not the Prime Minister. But he has given away the money belonging to the people of the country to a private firm."

Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who addressed a press conference at party's headquarters, said an offset partner can be chosen only with government's clearance and the Modi government is "lying."

"On a bare bone text reading of Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2013/2016, it makes amply clear that an offset partner cannot be selected without thorough evaluation and scrutiny by the Defence Minister and the Defence Acquisition Wing of the Ministry," he said.

He claimed that the contract of 126 jet aircraft was done by the Congress after the same number was demanded by the Air Force.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the then government mounted pressure on the French firm Dassault Aviation to give works to Bhandari's company.

"Bhandari, who has close links with Vadra, formed a company named Offset India Solutions (OIS) in 2008 and he formed a joint venture as he tried to enter into an offset clause in the Rafale fighter jets deal through the back door," he alleged.

He said Dassault made it clear that they do not want to enter into any kind of deal with the OIS. "And this was the reason why the Rafale deal was then scrapped after years of negotiations as Vadra was not getting the commission out of the deal," he alleged.

Air Force Deputy Chief Air Marshal R. Nambiar told the media here that the deal for 36 Rafale aircraft by the Modi government was "much better" than the one negotiated earlier for 126 planes, contending that "people are misinformed" about the issue.

"All and all, it was a very good deal, much better than what was obtained in 2008," the Deputy Chief Air Marshal said. --IANS

ps/vsc/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ahead of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls to held later this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday address party workers at the 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' rally in Bhopal.

"Looking forward to interacting with the hardworking karyakartas of BJP Madhya Pradesh at the Karyakarta Mahakumbh in Bhopal today," Modi said in reply to a tweet from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

According to party leaders beside the Prime Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah would also be present at the largest rally so far of party workers in the poll-bound state.

About 13 lakh people were expected to participate in the 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' rally as party workers from 230 assembly seats in the state would take part in the programme.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a ban on members of Parliament and legislative assemblies from practising as advocates.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar dismissed the plea saying there is no bar on lawyers, who are members of Parliament or an assembly, from practising in court during their tenure as lawmakers.

There is no rule of Bar Council of India (BCI) or law that bars them from practicing in court, the bench said.

The court's verdict came on a plea filed by advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contending that MPs/MLAs practising as advocates pose a conflict of interest under the provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961, and the Bar Council of India Rules.

The plea had sought a ban on legislators practising as advocates for the period that they occupy such positions, contending that the dual role would also amount to professional misconduct when MPs and MLAs, who get salary and other benefits from public funds appear against the government as lawyers.

Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, P. Chidambaram, K.T.S. Tulsi, Pinaki Misra, Meenakshi Lekhi, and K. Parasaran are among the parliamentarians who also practise as advocates.

--IANS

gt/in/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that lawyers-turned-lawmakers, both in Parliament and the state legislatures cannot be barred from practising before the courts during their term as lawmakers.

"To sum up, we hold that the provisions of the Advocates Act of 1961 and the Bar Council of India Rules framed thereunder do not place any restrictions on the legislators to practise as advocates during the relevant period," said the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud in their judgment.

The court said this while addressing a limited question whether legislators can be debarred from practising as advocates during the period when they continue to be the members of Parliament or a state Assembly/Council.

The top court judgment refusing to restrict lawmakers from practising as advocates before the courts has come as boost to senior lawyers Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, P. Chidambaram, K.T.S. Tulsi, Pinaki Misra, Meenakshi Lekhi and K. Parasaran, who are among the parliamentarians practising as advocates.

While rejecting the plea to bar the lawyer-cum-lawmakers from practising law before the courts, the top court also said that the conferment of power on the members of Parliament to move an impeachment motion against the judge(s) of the constitutional courts does not per se result in conflict of interest or a case of impacting constitutional morality or for that matter institutional integrity.

The court's verdict came on a plea filed by advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, contending that MPs/MLAs practising as advocates pose a conflict of interest under the provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961, and the Bar Council of India Rules.

The plea had sought a ban on legislators practising as advocates for the period that they occupy such positions as lawmakers, contending that the dual role would also amount to professional misconduct when MPs and MLAs, who get salary and other benefits from public funds, appear against the government as lawyers.

The court said that merely because the advocate concerned is an elected people's representative, it does not follow that he/she has indulged in professional misconduct.

--IANS

pk/gt/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The first Nepal-China joint steering committee (JSC) meeting to discuss development of hydropower projects will be held here later in September, a Nepali official has said.

"Our next agenda is to explore the possibility of power trade between the two countries along with cross border power grid interconnection," Dinesh Ghimire, joint secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI) told Xinhua on Monday.

Ghimire said that as it was the first meeting, it would be an introductory one on how to move forward on a number of issues of energy cooperation.

"We will notify them about Nepal's hydropower projects, transmission system and investment prospects," said MoEWRI spokesperson.

Nepal and China would also discuss a number of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maintaining the heat on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale fighter jet deal, the Congress on Tuesday said that under the defence procurement rules, an offset partner can be chosen only with the Indian government's clearance and the Modi government is "lying" on the issue.

The Congress also demanded that the government clarify that it did not violate the rules in giving the offset contract to a private firm, new to the business, instead of the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) that has vast experience in fighter plane manufacturing.

"On a bare bone text reading of Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2013/2016, it makes amply clear that an offset partner cannot be selected without thorough evaluation and scrutiny by the Defence Minister and the Defence Acquisition Wing of the Ministry," senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said.

"Why were all rules and procedures laid down in the DPP violated? The DPP, which is the master document laying down procedure for all defence procurements including G2G purchases, mandates scrutiny and evaluation of offset partners by Defence Offset Management Wing (DOMW) so that government accountability and monitoring exist in selection and execution of offset contracts.

"Was this procedure bypassed or deliberately ignored by the Raksha Mantri?" Sibal demanded to know.

He said that the Modi government needs to share evidence to show they complied with DPP offset guidelines in approving Reliance Defence as offset partner.

"If no proof exists, then that means entire Rafale deal is in violation of defence procurement procedure...The Defence Minister is lying when she says government had no role in selection of offset partner," he said.

He stressed that as per DPP 2016, the government had to be, and "must have been", apprised of the developments at "every step" (in selecting an offset partner).

"What extraordinary expertise this private firm brought to the table to displace the time-tested HAL? Unless with a specific direction from the Prime Minister, which professionally-run company like Dassault Aviation will select as an offset partner, a company with zero experience of manufacturing aircraft and which did not have land or a building to manufacture anything at all? Was it a viable commercial decision?" Sibal said.

Taking a jibe at Modi's "na khaoonga, na khane doonga" (Neither will I take bribe, nor let others do) maxim, Sibal said that the Prime Minister should now change his motto to "na bataoonga, na batane doonga" (Neither will I reveal, nor let others do).

--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 step up passenger safety, Indian cab-hailing major Ola has rolled out a real-time ride monitoring system, the company said on Tuesday.

"Ola Guardian, the real-time monitoring system to strengthen ride safety of customers, has been launched as a pilot in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune," the city-based cab-aggregator said in a statement.

The system, which is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools, will go live in Delhi and Kolkata by the end of October and in other Indian cities by the end of 2018.

As part of project Guardian, all on-going trips would be tracked through AI-driven systems, analysing ride indicators like route deviations, unexpected and mid-way stops among others.

Safety triggers, which will be created based on the time of travel and other ride indicators, will be monitored by Ola's safety response team.

"Post analysing the data, the safety response team will connect with customer to assess any potential unsafe ride and provide assistance as required," the statement added.

Instances of the drivers registered on ride-hailing platforms taking detours and allegedly molesting women in various Indian cities in the past have raised alarms about passenger safety.

Through the project, Ola will track all live trips across the cities and reach out to the passenger immediately if any route diversions or mid-way stops are tracked by the systems, the company said.

The company said it was also working with the state governments to map unsafe routes into the monitoring platform to enhance the system's performance.

"Through projects like the Guardian, we believe in leveraging technology to improve the overall safety of rides across the transportation industry," the company's Vice President for Business Excellence and Safety Ankur Agrawal said in the statement.

With the use of technology, the firm aims to make roads and rides safer for customers and drivers, Agrawal added.

Few months ago, Ola also rolled out its technology-powered selfie authentication, wherein drivers need to validate their identity by taking a selfie and sharing with the Ola team through the app, to avoid impersonators driving through the platform.

Founded in 2011, the Bengaluru-based Ola is competing against its American rival Uber in the ride-hailing market. It has forayed over the last few months into Australia, the UK and will soon launch its services in New Zealand.

--IANS

bha/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Pakistan Supreme Court on Tuesday assured former President Pervez Musharraf of high-level security if he returns to the country to face pending cases against him.

The court was hearing the National Reconciliation Ordinance case against Musharraf which pertains to the recovery of a large amount of public money wasted allegedly by former presidents Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari and former attorney general Malik Qayyum in the wake of the NRO in 2007, reports Dawn news.

During Tuesday's hearing, Musharraf's lawyer presented details of his assets in Pakistan and abroad.

According to his lawyer, Musharraf owns nothing in the country, whereas he has a flat worth 5.4 million dirhams in Dubai.

"He left the country on the pretext of pain in his backbone but he can be seen dancing abroad," Chief Justice Saqib Nisar said in response.

Besides high-level security, the court said that Musharraf will also be offered the services of best available doctors in the country if he returns from Dubai where he has been living since March 2016 to "seek medical treatment".

Musharraf has failed to appear before the court despite repeated summons.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A strike called by junior doctors of a hospital here entered the second day on Tuesday even as 12 patients died in the last 24 hours, officials said.

The doctors from the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) began their strike on Monday after one of their colleagues was assaulted by family members of a patient.

"Doctors are not attending patients in wards as they continued to stay off duty. Patients are now being looked after by nurses and para-medical staff," an official said.

The protesting doctors have demanded a security cover during duty hours and action against misbehaving patients' families.

The doctors have said that they would not end their strike on mere assurances by the state government.

The strike has left hundreds of patients, many of them in a serious condition, in trouble.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The political temperature soared in West Bengal on the eve of the BJP-sponsored shutdown in West Bengal as the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP on Tuesday brought out rallies in the city and the districts opposing and backing the proposed disruption.

Bharatiya Janata Party state president Dilip Ghosh claimed people would spontaneously participate in the shutdown called against the killing of two youths in Islampur of North Dinajpur district.

"People have run out of their patience about this government's functioning. They will spontaneously take part in the shutdown we have called," he said, while warning the Trinamool of 'grave consequences' if the administration or the hooligans resort to violence to foil the shutdown.

On the other hand, the Trinamool accused the BJP of trying to fuel unrest in the state and threatened 'stern action' if attempts were made to disrupt normal life to enforce the strike.

"The BJP is trying to stall the massive development work taking place in the state. If they try to breach peace, the police will take stern action. The government has taken all measures to ensure normalcy. The full fleet of state run buses will be operated," he said.

He appealed to commercial and business houses to function normally. He also requested edcuaitonal institutions to remain open.

The CPI-M led Left Front opposed the BJP-sponsored shutdown, accusing the saffron outfit of efforts to brign about a communal and political polarisation in the state.

"We appeal to the people of the state to reject the shutdown call and ensure normalcy and peace," said CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra.

However, he also alleged a collusion between the Trinamool and the BJP, saying "it is a mock fight, as seen in films. They are actually hand-in-glove. We appeal to the people not to be provoked.".

Mishra also demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident.

The Congress has also opposed the shutdown.

A massive clash broke out between a mob and police outside the Darivit High School at Islampur on September 20 over the recruitment of two new teachers for 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 the police when they arrived on the spot.

Villagers claimed the two 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.

--IANS

ssp/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Deputy Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal R. Nambiar, on Tuesday said the deal for 36 Rafale aircraft by the Narendra Modi government is "much better" than the one negotiated earlier for 126 planes, contending that "people are misinformed" about the issue.

The remarks came in the backdrop of a mounting multi-pronged attack on the BJP-led government by the Congress, with the latter on Monday moving the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) seeking an FIR and seizure of documents pertaining to the Rafale deal.

Post the Air Marshal's remarks, the Congress accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of dragging the defence forces into

Asked about the row over the offset partners chosen by Dassault Aviation, he said: "I believe people are misinformed. There is nothing like Rs 30,000 crore to any one party. Dassault alone has offsets to the tune of over Rs 6,500 crore. Nothing more than that."

"We have evaluated all the aircraft available to us in the past," Nambiar, who recently flew the Rafale in France, told the media here.

"All in all, it was a very good deal, much better than what was obtained in 2008," the Deputy Chief of Air Staff said.

"We have looked at six platforms and Rafale has met all our requirements. It has been found the most technically capable as well as commercially viable from our point of view. That is how it has been selected."

Asked about a French media report that there was a push by the Indian government to include Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence in the deal, Nambiar said: "The commercial negotiations were headed by the Deputy Chief of Air Staff and he was responsible for completing the negotiations."

The official said the negotiations continued for "almost 14 months". "We believe we met all the directions of our leadership -- that was to get a better price, better maintenance terms, better delivery schedule and better performance logistic package."

Asked about his experience of flying the Rafale, he said: "It was an opportunity to...look at...the new capabilities on offer for the Indian Air Force. I think the aircraft is shaping up quite well... quite satisfied with the performance of all the systems on the aircraft."

Reacting to Nambiar's remarks, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told the media here: "We (the Congress) will never get involved in any controversy with the security forces which are supreme for us. However, the BJP is using the security forces for It should not drag them into "

"The duty of the defence forces is to protect the nation. The Congress did the deal on the basis of requirements and the criteria put forth by the Indian Air Force. The tender was done on the basis of the demands and approvals from the IAF," he added.

He also emphasised that unlike the BJP, the Congress did not put itself "above the IAF" while finalising the contract.

He claimed that the contract of 126 jet aircraft was done by the Congress after the same number was demanded by the IAF.

Surjewala also questioned the delivery date of the fighter jets, saying that despite it being an emergency purchase, the dates of delivery of the fighter jets is set for 2022.

--IANS

mak/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the controversial Rafale deal in which the offset contract was not given to public sector HAL, saying that his party will bring to justice all those who "dishonoured and stole."

"To every Air Force officer and jawan who has served India. To the family of every martyred Indian fighter pilot. To every person who ever worked for HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited). We hear your pain. We understand how you feel. We will bring to justice all those who dishonoured and stole from you," Gandhi tweeted.

The Congress chief's remarks came amid the raging controversy over the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from the French firm Dassault Aviation after former French President Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government suggested a private firm for the offset contract.

Hollande has said that the 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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indulging in crony capitalism apart from violating procedures in the Rafale deal.

The Modi government has repeatedly said it was Dassault that chose its India partner for offsets and that the government had no say in the deal.

--IANS

aks/ps/vsc

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday commended farmers and small businessmen here for contributing Rs 2.57 lakh for the relief work in flood-battered Kerala.

"In Amethi district, small businessmen, farmers, women and handicraft workers, who shared the pain of Kerala's flood-victims, gave me a cheque of 2.57 lakh," he tweeted.

"They are still working for the flood relief. Many thanks to the people of Amethi for this commendable work."

Gandhi, who has held this Lok Sabha seat from eastern Uttar Pradesh since 2004, is here on a two-day visit.

--IANS

mg/ksk/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday called Congress President Rahul Gandhi's family corrupt and said he should refrain from playing with national security for his "cheap politics" over the Rafale deal.

Accusing Gandhi of lying, Prasad told the media: "We cannot expect anything from him (Rahul Gandhi) as the entire Gandhi family is involved in corruption, whether it is Bofors or National Herald or other issues."

He accused Gandhi of following the same agenda that Pakistan espouses.

"Now even the people of Pakistan are saying that they want Rahul Gandhi should be India's Prime Minister," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.

"Do not play with the security of the country for your cheap .. The country is not going to be affected by the lie spoken shamelessly by Rahul Gandhi."

His remarks came amid the raging controversy over the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from the French firm Dassault Aviation after former Franch President Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government suggested a private firm for the offset contract.

Hollande has said that the 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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indulging in crony capitalism apart from violating procedures in the Rafale deal.

The deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets from France was announced by Modi in 2015 and signed in 2016.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was earlier negotiating a deal to procure 126 Rafale jets, with 18 to come in flyaway condition and 108 to be manufactured by Bengaluru-headquartered HAL under licence.

The Modi government has repeatedly said it was Dassault that chose its India partner for offsets and that the government had no say in the deal.

--IANS

aks/ps/vsc/in/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Uttar Pradesh government to consider declaring certain portions of the area surrounding the Taj Mahal as heritage.

The Uttar Pradesh government told the apex court that it "would be difficult to declare entire Agra as a heritage city", adding that an Ahmedabad-based Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology was assisting it on declaring areas surrounding the Taj Mahal as heritage.

A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Justice Deepak Gupta also extended till November 15 for Uttar Pradesh government to submit a detailed Vision Document for protection and preservation of the Taj Mahal.

The court listed the matter for November 29.

Earlier, the bench had given time till October 15 to the state government, but on Tuesday the counsels representing the state sought extension to prepare the 'vision document'.

On August 28, the top court had said that "if Taj Mahal goes, you will not get a second chance," and had urged the authorities to see the larger perspective while dealing with the monument's protection in Agra.

Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government submitted its first draft report of its 'vision document' on protection and preservation of the Taj to the court. It suggested that the entire Taj Mahal precinct should be declared a no-plastic zone and all polluting industries in the region must be closed.

It had suggested that the use of bottled water inside the monument should be prohibited.

For not being able to protect the iconic Taj, which is turning yellow, the bench had even asked the Centre and Uttar Pradesh governments to "shut it down" or "demolish or restore" the Mughal structure.

On December 8, 2017, the top court had asked Uttar Pradesh government to prepare a comprehensive 'vision document' and plan for the protection and preservation of Taj Mahal and the around it so that historic monument could be there for another 400 years and not just for a generation.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by environmentalist M.C. Mehta seeking protection of the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)SpiceJet on Tuesday announced it will launch two new daily flights from Amritsar to Bangkok and Goa.

The flights will commence from November 6, officials of the airlines said here after a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

The airline handed over the first ticket to Amarinder.

Amarinder Singh said that there was a huge potential of tourism in Punjab, especially the holy city of Amritsar, which is visited by a large number of devotees from around the world to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and Durgiana Mandir besides visiting the Jallianwala Bagh.

--IANS

js/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that a plea for cancelling his anticipatory bail is not maintainable as the petitioner has no locus standi.

Tharoor's counsel and senior advocate Vikas Pahwa told Justice R.K. Gauba that the plea challenging the bail is not maintainable because law has granted right to the accused to move anticipatory bail apprehending arrest and that the sessions court has power to deal with it.

Pahwa said the apprehension of arrest "proved" right when the police opposed the anticipatory bail plea before the sessions court.

The court was hearing advocate Deepak Anand's plea for cancelling the anticipatory bail granted by a sessions court on July 5 to Tharoor, who is accused of abetting suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.

However, Delhi Police has supported the plea but questioned the petitioner's stand on filing the plea.

"I am supporting him provided he proves his locus," said Rahul Mehra, Delhi Police's standing counsel.

Mehra claimed Tharoor's application was filed to bypass the procedure laid down in the law. He said Tharoor should have first gone to the magisterial court that had summoned him as an accused to seek bail.

The court listed the matter for October 9.

The petitioner says the anticipatory bail application of the Congress leader was premature and not maintainable since it was not in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and also in violation of the law laid down by the Supreme Court.

Citing a top court judgment, Anand said that anticipatory bail plea can only be filed during investigation or prior to investigation but not after the issuance of summons.

On June 5, the trial court had taken cognisance of the police charge-sheet and issued summons to Tharoor.

On May 14, police charge-sheeted Tharoor under Sections 306 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to abetment to suicide and cruelty to wife, which entails jail for up to 10 years.

Pushkar, 51, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a hotel room in south Delhi on January 17, 2014, days after she alleged that Tharoor was having an affair with a Pakistani journalist.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet on Thursday, amid reports that the latter could resign or be fired, the White House announced.

"At the request of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, he and President Trump had an extended conversation to discuss the recent news stories," Efe news quoted White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders as saying on Monday.

Sanders added that "because the President is at the UN General Assembly (in New York) and has a full schedule with leaders from around the world, they will meet on Thursday when the President returns to Washington, DC".

Sanders denied the reports earlier on Monday saying that Rosenstein had already resigned verbally in a conversation with Chief of Staff John Kelly so as not to be pre-emptively fired.

Rosenstein is the official in charge of overseeing the investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged connections between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia.

Last week, The New York Times reported that Rosenstein in 2017 suggested secretly taping Trump in the White House and then - on the basis of that potential tape - convincing members of the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the President from office, a story that the Deputy Attorney General categorically denied in a statement, calling the reporting "inaccurate" and "factually incorrect".

If Rosenstein were to step down or be ousted, it is highly likely that Solicitor General Noel Francisco, who is the highest-ranking Senate-confirmed Department of Justice official below Rosenstein, would assume control of the Mueller investigation.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump on Tuesday held up India as an example to the world of a country that successfully lifted millions out of poverty while upholding democracy and freedom.

Addressing the General Assembly, he said India was part of a "beautiful constellation" of countries working for a common future.

In speech that emphasised his America First policy with a declaration that he rejected the "ideology of globalism" for a belief in patriotism, he reiterated his hardline against countries such as China, Iran and Venezuela.

He demanded that Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut their "horrible prices."

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@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.)Abu Dhabi, Sep 25 (IANS/WAM) A hospital funded by the United Arab Emirates has opened in the Red Sea coast of Yemen.

The opening of Ad Durayhimi Hospital, which will provide healthcare services to thousands of Yemeni families, is part of the development and service projects of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) to support the health sector in the newly liberated areas after the Shia Houthi militias destroyed hospitals and health centres and turned some into military hideouts.

The opening ceremony was attended by Saeed Al Kaabi, UAE Humanitarian Operations Director for Yemen, along with a number of Emirati and Yemeni officials.

Al Kaabi said that the UAE is supporting the health sector in Yemen in order to provide appropriate treatment services especially for children, women and the elderly.

--IANS/WAM

ksk/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The UN Security Council has condemned "in the strongest terms" last Saturday's terrorist attack in Iran's Ahvaz city that left at least 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 on Monday, Xinhua reported.

The council members underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, 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.

--IANS

pgh/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan wants to further elevate its ties with India from the Strategic Partnership the two countries share now and also take bilateral trade to $1 billion within two years, senior Uzbek officials said on Tuesday.

Briefing the media here ahead of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's arrival here early next week in what will be his first official visit to India, Uzbek Ambassador to India Farhod Arziev said India and Uzbekistan are politically very close at the highest level.

"We have a Strategic Partnership in place already," he said. "We want to elevate this to a new level."

India and Uzbekistan signed the agreement on Strategic Partnership during then Uzbek President Islam Karimov's visit to India in 2011.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mirziyoyev met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Qingdao, China, in June this year.

The two leaders had also met at last year's SCO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, when India was made full member of the Eurasian inter-governmental organisation.

Arziev said that during the upcoming visit of Mirziyoyev, a meeting of the Uzbek-Indian Business Forum will also be held.

"We are having B2B interactions and we are trying to conclude a preferential trade regime," he said.

Ilhomjom Nematov, Ambassador of Special Assignments and Special Envoy of the President of Uzbekistan, who was also present, said that both countries are trying to take bilateral trade from the current level of around $350 million to $1 billion by 2020.

Pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT and tourism are among the major areas of bilateral trade between India and Uzbekistan.

Arziev said that the two countries are working on more transport corridors to boost trade after India joined the Ashgabat Agreement, which seeks to establish an international transport and transit corridor between Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, earlier this year.

Stating that Afghanistan is very important country for both Uzbekistan and India in terms of economy and security, Nematov said that one very important point is a joint effort to bring peace in the strife-torn South Asian nation.

With Uzbekistan having pledged to part-fund the construction of a 657-km railway from Mazar-i-Sharif to Herat in Afghanistan, Nematov said that Tashkent will be happy to have India as a partner in its construction.

India is a leading development aid partner of Afghanistan.

Reiterating a mutually beneficial relationship of bilateral cooperation, Nematov stated that India is one of Uzbekistan's key partners not only in Asia but globally as well.

Elaborating further on this, he highlighted the shared goal to fight terrorism and other regional challenges, in order to sustain regional stability in Central Asia.

Sharing a brief outlook of the upcoming visit of President Mirziyoyev, Ambassador Arziev stated that close to 30 official documents of bilateral agreements are expected to be signed during this visit.

These agreements will range from political and economic partnerships to educational and humanitarian exchanges.

Arziev also announced future partnerships between the cities of Delhi and Tashkent, Bukhara and Hyderabad, the Uzbek province of Andijan and India's Gujarat state as well as twinning of the historic cities of Samarkand and Agra.

"Through these partnerships, both nations hope to establish a multi-sectoral regional connection which will further enable trade and business ties," 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.)Stepping up the attack on the Congress, BJP on Tuesday said that there was a nexus between Rahul Gandhi's brother in law Robert Vadra and arms dealer and middleman Sanjay Bhandari due to which the Rafale deal with French firm was cancelled in 2012.

"Bhandari, who has close links with Vadra, formed a company named Offset India Solutions (OIS) in 2008 and he formed a joint venture with Rafaut as he tried to enter into an offset clause in the Rafale fighter jets deal through the back door," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambit Patra told the media here.

He alleged that the then government mounted pressure on the French firm Dassault Aviation to give works to Bhandari's company.

"But when Dassault verified the infrastructure of OIS, it found that they did not have the required criteria. It also found Bhandari's links with Vadra. So Dassault became adamant and they made it clear that they do not want to enter into any kind of deal with the OIS," he said.

"And this was the reason why the Rafale deal was then scrapped after years of negotiations as Vadra was not getting the commission out of the deal," he accused.

Patra also said that the Congress played with national security and the strength of the Indian Air Force.

"When the BJP government came to power in 2014, investigations started against Bhandari. And during raids at 18 places in 2016 at the premises of Bhandari a lot of classified documents were recovered," he said.

He said that Bhandari's company was also blacklisted by the Indian government.

Alleging links between Vadra and Bhandari, the BJP leader said that during raids in 2016, the emails exchanged between Vadra, Bhandari, Vadra's close associate Manoj Arora and a relative of Bhandari named Sumit Chahdha, also came to the fore.

"In an email it was revealed that Bhandari's relative Chahdha paid Rs 19 crore for a flat in London for Vadra," Patra alleged.

He also alleged that Bhandari's firm also paid for the air travels of Vadra in 2012.

"The government has acted against Bhandari as per law. And today we are saying that Vadra also would not be spared," he said.

The BJP leader further alleged that the then Congress government also rejected Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)-developed Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 and went for the Swiss aircraft Pilatus in 2012.

"This deal was given to the Swiss company to bribe the Gandhi family and to pay commission on the deal to the Gandhi family," he added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Continuing his attack on the Rafale deal, Congress President on Tuesday questioned the government's silence on the demand for disclosing the price of the fighter jets being bought from France.

"We have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Defence Minister what is the price of the aircraft. The Defence Minister says she will not let the youth of Hindustan know the price. The Defence Minister told us that there is a secret pact between India and France (not to disclose the price)," he told reporters on the second day of his visit to his constituency.

He said he raked up the issue with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron and asked him if there was a secrecy pact between the two governments not to disclose the details.

"Again they (Indian government) tell us that we cannot reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft but Macron told me there is nothing as such. If the Indian government wants to reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft, they can," the Congress chief said.

"First, the question is why did the Defence Minister lie? Then suddenly you get the price of the aircraft Rs 526 crore versus Rs 1,600 crore. Even other countries have bought Rafale aircraft but not for Rs 1,600 crore," he said.

Referring to the offset agreement between French manufacturer Dassault and an Indian private firm, Gandhi said for 70 years HAL has been making aircraft while the private firm had not made any aircraft.

Making a reference to the deal signed between the two governments headed by Modi and former French President Francois Hollande, he said (French) journalists had asked Hollande as to who gave the deal to the private firm -- whether it was Modi, the French government or Dassault.

"Hollande told them... No. The decision was taken by Prime Minister Modi. This is the truth," Gandhi said.

"He (Modi) always says that he wants to be the 'chowkidar' of the nation, not the Prime Minister. But he has given away the money belonging to the people of the country to a private firm."

Gandhi said when he raised questions on these issues in the Lok Sabha, there was no answer from Modi. "This is the truth and ... more will come out on Rafale."

--IANs

sm/vsc/sed/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amethi, Sep 25

"We have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister what is the price of the aircraft. Defence Minister says that she will not let the youth of Hindustan know the price. Defence Minister told us that there is a secret pact between India and France (not to disclose the price)," he told reporters on the second day of the visit to his constituency.

He said he had raked up the issue with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron and asked him whether there was a secrecy pact between the two governments not to disclose the details.

"Again they (Indian government) tell us that we cannot reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft but Macron told me there is nothing as such. If the Indian government wants to reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft they can," the Congress chief said.

"First, the question is why did Defence Minister lie? Then suddenly you get the price of the aircraft Rs 526 crore versus Rs 1600 crore. Even other countries have also bought the Rafale aircraft but not for Rs 1600 crore," he said.

Referring to the offset agreement between French manufacturer Dassault and an Indian private firm, Gandhi said since 70 years HAL has been making aircrafts while the private firm had not made any aircraft.

Making a reference to the deal signed between the two governments headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former France President Hollande, he said (French) journalists had asked Hollande as to who gave the deal to the private firm-- whether it was Modi, the French government or Dassault.

"Hollande told them that, No. The decision was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the truth," Gandhi said.

He (Modi) always says that he wants to be the chowkidar (watchman) of the nation, not the prime minister. But he has given the money belonging to the people of the country to a private firm, he said.

Gandhi said when he raised questions on these issues in the Lok Sabha, there was no answer from Modi.

"This is truth and this continues and more will come out on Rafale," Gandhi said.

--IANs

sm/vsc/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A woman staged a protest outside the residence of her in-laws here on Tuesday after what she said was lingering torture by her moneyed husband and his family who wanted her to bear a male child.

Police found Monika Jain seated with some neighbours outside the Kavi Nagar house of her in-laws demanding justice.

The woman said she was married to Gaurav Jain, said to be a garment exporter, in October 2008 and a girl child was born to them.

After that, she said, she conceived several times but all the time her husband forced her to abort the child saying he only wanted a male child.

"He has been forcing me to produce a male child which is not in my hands," the distraught woman told the police.

--IANS

sps/mr/nir

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A woman was shot dead in the US city of Boston, leading to an extensive manhunt for her estranged husband who had allegedly chased her in a motor vehicle before the deadly attack.

Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz identified Allen Warner, 47, the woman's "soon to be ex-husband", as a person of interest in the shooting which took place on Monday evening on Main Street in Marshfield, reports The Boston Globe daily.

Warner is "considered armed and dangerous", Cruz told the media on Monday night.

Cruz asked for the public's help in finding Warner, who the police believe was driving a gray 2013 Toyota Corolla with a Massachusetts license plate.

The woman, believed to be in her late 30s, was taken to South Shore Hospital with a gunshot wound, where she was pronounced dead.

No weapons were recovered at the scene, authorities said.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Yamuna river here is flowing above the danger level following release of water from Haryana's Hathnikund barrage in the wake of heavy rains and flash floods in parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.

The states have witnessed downpours in the last few days due to which the water level in the rivers have increased.

The warning level mark of the Yamuna is 204 metres and the danger level mark is 204.83 metres.

Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has called an emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon to decide the steps to deal with exigencies.

"The water level of river Yamuna at Delhi Railway Bridge at 11 a.m. was 205.12 meters," a Flood and Control Department official told IANS.

"The water is showing a rising trend and is expected to go up as Delhi is witnessing rains and more water is being released every hour from the barrage," he added.

The water discharged from Hathnikund barrage, which provides drinking water to the national capital, normally takes 72 hours to reach the city, he said.

Delhi had witnessed the worst ever floods in 1978 when the river's level touched a record 207.49 meters.

--IANS

nks/ksk/sed

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)It was good to note the opening of India's 100th airport at Pakyong, with Sikkim being the last of the Indian states to be connected through an airport. It is ironical that it took successive governments such a long time to open a full fledged airport in Sikkim after it joined Indian Union in 1975.

The opening of a new airport will certainly boost the tourism sector as well as related industries. The dependence on the Bagdogra airport to travel to Sikkim by air will be reduced and it will also boost the Ministry of Civil Aviation's UDAAN scheme. Now Sikkim will have to undertake ...The South Delhi district administration Tuesday carried out demolition of illegal structures, freeing nearly 130 acres of government land that was encroached upon by farm houses.

In a statement, the administration said that the majority of farm houses were constructed in collusion with local land mafia occupying surrounding government land.

An official said that the notice was given on September 13 to all the encroachers on government land in Bhati village to remove their encroachment



Officials from the forest department, irrigation and flood control department and gram sabha were part of the operation. Heavy police deployment was provided by the Delhi Police, the statement said.

It also stated that similar action is planned in other villages of Sahoorpur, Deramandi and Asola.

About 400 acres of land was found encroached in these three villages. Public notices will be issued for these villages before taking action. By November 2018, these actions will be completed by District Task Force South, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As many as fifteen students of a government school allegedly fell ill after they were administered measles-rubella (MR) vaccine in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The health officials appealed to the parents to not panic and assured them that World Health Organisation (WHO) approved vaccine was administered to the children.

The officials said at least 15 students of a government school at village Sangla in Surankote area complained of nausea, stomach ache and vomiting after receiving MR vaccine on Tuesday morning.

They said the students were shifted to Surankote Hospital late in the afternoon after "worried parents created a scene" at the school.

Block Medical Officer, Surankote, Zulfikar Choudhary said there was no need to panic and asked the public to not pay any attention to "rumours".

"After getting information, we rushed to the said school along with a paediatrician who checked the students and found them alright," Choudhary said, adding that the students were shifted to the hospital for observation after the parents gathered there.

"We gave the vaccine to 1,500 children since yesterday. In total, we are covering 48,000 children in the block. It is safe and good for the children," he said.

Choudhary asked the people to not pay any heed to the rumours and cooperate with the department to ensure the campaign is successful.

A child, who is suffering from hysteria, complained about dizziness and vomiting and it had a psychological impact on the other children, an official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two heart transplants were carried out in less than 24 hours in Kolkata, with a 600-km green corridor being set up from Patna to the city for the second one.

Following a heart transplant on a 51-year-old man in a city hospital on Monday, another transplant was carried out on a young woman in another health facility.

The 29-year-old woman from Howrah was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy and was undergoing treatment at the hospital for the past one year, said a senior doctor involved in the operation.

The heart for the second transplant was harvested from a 19-year-old youth, who was declared brain dead at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna, on Monday, after suffering an accident the previous day, the doctor said.

His family gave the consent to donate their son's organs like heart, liver and kidneys. "A team of doctors from the city's hospital rushed to harvest the donor's heart and reached Patna at 10.15 am on Monday. A 608-km long green corridor was constituted from IGIMS to the hospital here," the doctor said.

The ambulance carrying the harvested heart left the Patna hospital at 3.30 pm and reached the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport at 5.07 pm. Thereafter, the doctors carrying the harvested heart took the green corridor created by the Kolkata Police and reached the hospital -- 22 km away -- within 25 minutes, said a senior officer of the Kolkata Traffic Police.

The transplant surgery was completed successfully and the patient was shifted to the isolation ITU (intensive therapy unit) on Monday night, the doctor said.

The woman was extubated this morning within 12 hours of the completion of the surgery, he said. "She is stable and conscious. The team of intensivists, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are closely monitoring her parameters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two members of a West Bengal based gang, including a woman, who allegedly cheated thousands of youth across the country of several crores of Rupees in the name of offering dating sites and escort services were Tuesday arrested, police said here.

Sandeep Mitra and Neeta Shankar, who were managers at different branches set up by prime accused Debasish Mukherjee, were arrested, Cyberabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar told reporters.

Mukherjee, who is absconding along with two other members of the gang, established 20 call centres centres (12 at Siliguri and eight at Kolkata), he said.

"He created dating websites and lured youth in the name of providing girls and women for dating.

He appointed managers and team leaders at each branch and offered them commission on the basis of business done by each branch, along with salary," Sajjanar said.

Mukherjee posted advertisements for women escort service in dating websites and provided mobile numbers which would be attended by telecallers.

When a customers responded to the advertisements, the tele callers would call them on their mobile numbers and ask them to remit money into the company's bank accounts in the name of membership fee, club license fee, registration fee, service fee, GST, account verification fee, background verification fee and final payment fee.

After the amounts were paid, the tele callers would not respond to customer calls, Sajjanar said.

Over the past two-three years, the gang was suspected to have cheated thousands of people of "several crores of Rupees" through their modus operandi, the Commissioner added.

A further probe is on to nab the absconding accused, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A CBI court in Puducherry on Tuesday convicted five people, including two police officials, in an insurance fraud case, the investigating agency said.

Special Judge for CBI cases P Dhanabal, convicting the five people, sentenced three of them to one year of rigorous imprisonment and two others to six months in prison, a press release from the agency said.

The CBI said its Anti-Corruption Branch in Chennai had registered a case and probed the charges that during the 2003-05 period, the accused persons were involved in filing a false insurance claim, seeking Rs 67 lakh compensation from a private insurance firm, based on 'false' documents.

After investigation, a charge sheet was filed against the then deputy transport commissioner V Veeraraghavan, traffic police head constable C Kaliaperumal and sub-inspector S P Sundaramoorthy and two private persons, the release said.

Veeraraghavan, Kaliaperumal and Sundaramoorthy were sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment while K Muthu Kumar and V Karunakaran were awarded six months in prison, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)At least five people are dead and searches continue for others after a 5-foot wall of floodwater crashed through the streets of a town in western Mexico, state officials said Monday.

The interior secretary of Michoacan state told the Milenio television network that five bodies have been found so far. Pascual Sigala said emergency personnel were still working to find nine people reported as missing.

Earlier, a state official who was not authorized to be quoted by name said the dead include two children.

Unusually heavy rainfall swelled the Cutio River and sent a wave of water into the town of Periban on Sunday.

Michoacan Gov. Silvano Aureoles said "searches are underway for the people who are still missing." Soldiers searched huge piles of debris left in the streets.

The muddy surge was so strong it carried away vehicles and trees. Periban is located in a forested, mountain zone known for its avocado groves.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said Tuesday he had sent a legal notice to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal.

In the notice, the AAP leader demanded that the Rafale deal be scrapped and Dassault Reliance Aerospace be barred from handling or manufacturing Rafale fighter jets. He also sought a probe by a Supreme Court-monitored special investigation team (SIT).

"My client (Singh) is constrained to issue this legal notice in the subject matter (Rafale Deal) due to your covert actions and deeds with regard to the pricing and induction of strategic partner of a company with zero credentials much to the detriment to the security of the nation," the notice, sent to Sitharaman by Singh's lawyers, read.

He threatened to approach the court if the defence minister failed to heed to his demands in the next three days. A legal notice is a precursor to a case being filed in a court.

Commenting on the issue, Singh said, "The Rafale deal involves a 'mahaghotala' (mega scam) of Rs 36,000 crore. When I raised the issue in the Parliament, along with other UPA MPs, Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre gave contradictory replies."



"Our allegations have been proved by French former president (Francois) Hollande's statement. I also asked the government why the 78-year-old HAL was denied manufacturing of the planes, while a 12-day-old Reliance company was given (the contract). No reply has been given by the government," Singh told reporters.

The Rafale controversy took a new turn last week after Hollande, who was the 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 had proposed the name of Reliance as the offset partner for the aerospace giant.

Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft after holding talks with Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sixteeen activists of radical outfit



Popular Front of India, its student and political offshoots-- Campus Front and Social Democratic Party of India-- were named as accused in the charge sheet filed by police Tuesday into the killing of a student leader in July.

The 1,500 page charge sheet, submitted before Ernakulam Judicial First Class Court-II, stated that the activists of these outfits were involved in the killing of Students' Federation of India (SFI) leader Abhimanyu on



July 2.

So far, 20 persons, part of a 30-member gang involved in the murder, have been arrested.

The prime accused, Campus Front leader Muhammed, was arrested on July 17.

Muhammed, a third year Arabic degree student in the Maharaja's College, allegedly organised the group, comprising activists of Popular Front of India (PFI), Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Campus Front, to attack SFI activists in the college campus.

A clash between SFI and Campus Front (student wing of SDPI--an Islamic political outfit) activists over a graffiti had led to the killing of the 20-year-old student leader at Maharaja's College here, police said.

Abhimanyu, second-year BSc Environmental Chemistry student and native of Vattavada in Idukki district of Kerala, was stabbed to death, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a USD 500 million loan to build climate resilient infrastructure in several cities of Tamil Nadu, the multilateral funding agency said.

The Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved financing of up to USD 500 million for a multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) that will develop climate-resilient water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in at least 10 cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, ADB said in a statement.

"With almost half of the state population living in cities, Tamil Nadu is the most urbanised of India's large states," said ADB Senior Urban Development Specialist Ron Slangen.

Managing this rapid urbanization is essential for sustaining its economic growth and alleviating poverty. The state suffers from recurring droughts and erratic monsoons linked to climate change resulting in severe water scarcity and urban flooding.

ADB's support will help address these complex urban challenges through innovative and climate-resilient investment and deeper institutional support, Slangen said.

The ADB programme will provide direct assistance in these areas as part of its support to the state's Vision Tamil Nadu 2023 to provide universal access to water and sanitation and to develop world-class cities in high-performing industrial corridors.

The Manila-headquartered ADB said this funding will be in three tranches between now and March 2022.

It will develop climate-resilient sewerage collection and treatment and drainage systems in 10 cities, and install the country's first solar-powered sewage treatment plant on a pilot basis, ADB said.

The programme will introduce smart water management systems to reduce non-revenue water and strengthen operational efficiency, it said.

ADB said around 4 million people will benefit from piped water and sewerage connections and improved drainage.

The first tranche of the programme amounting to USD 169 million will target the cities of Chennai, Coimbatore, Rajapalayam, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, and Vellore.

A USD 2 million grant from the Asian Clean Energy Fund, established by the Government of Japan, will fund the solar energy pilot project.

The Union Government, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and various urban local bodies will provide USD 766.4 million toward the total programme cost.

Also, an ADB technical assistance grant of USD 1 million will accompany the program to support capacity building.

The funding availability period is up to 30 June 2026.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Jammu and Kashmir government Tuesday said it has taken adequate security measures to ensure free and fair polls to urban local bodies and panchayats in the state.

"We have made adequate arrangements for security for these polls. 400 companies of central forces will be deployed for these polls in addition to what we already have in the form of police and other paramilitary forces," state chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam told reporters here.

He said the government will provide security to all the candidates who request for it and facilitate their campaigning as well.

"We have arranged accomodation for the candidates who want it at various places across the valley. We have arranged 300 hotel rooms in Srinagar for this purpose," the chief secretary said.

Asked about the post election security plan for the candidates, Subrahmanyam said, "We have even plans for those who win as they will be at a higher risk."



He said polling booths have been set up in clusters to ensure that the staff involved in the polls are provided security.

"The government staff involved in the conduct of elections will be provided one month's extra salary. This has never been done in any part of the country," the chief secretary said.

On the threat by militants to those who participate in the elections, Subrahmanyam said, "Militancy exists (but) that is being handled on the law and order front. There are threats... we are confident that we can handle it."



Asked if holding polls was prudent in view of the boycott by two major political parties in the valley, he said there was no question of thrusting the elections on the people.

"There is lot of enthusiasm on the ground. Two national parties (the BJP and the Congress) are participating. If you go down to Jammu, you will see the street-level campaigning," he added.

Subrahmanyam said more than 700 forms have been taken by prospective candidates for the first phase of urban local bodies, which will be held on October 8. The last date for filing nomination for the first phase is Tuesday.

The chief secretary said the conduct of these elections will make a large amount of funds available to the state that will be used directly by the panchayats and urban local bodies in their respective areas.

"The state may lose Rs 4,335 crore in funds (Rs 3,029 crore for panchayats and Rs 1,306 for ULBs) if these polls are not held. These funds do not come to the state government but directly to these bodies," he added.

Subrahmanyam said the government is making some far reaching changes that will make panchayats very powerful decision making bodies.

"In addition to the grants under the 14th Finance commission, the funds of various schemes like the MNREGA, the PMAY, the NRLM and the mid-day meal scheme will be routed through panchayats. Each panchayat will have Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore funds available for local development.

"Each panchayat will have an accountant for keeping books while an ombudsman will be appointed for transparency and accountability. The panchayats can levy taxes at local level as has been done in some parts of the country," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Guest Post By Dr. William Oliver Hedgepeth

Faculty Member, Transportation and Logistics Management, American Public University

If you are not into logistics, supply chain management, manufacturing or warehousing, you might not ever think about where products begin. Each element is important and a part of the often invisible supply chain for all products. The items you purchase in a grocery store, for example, represent the end product of a complex spider web of raw materials and finished products in constant motion.

The Vanilla Shortage and Supply Chain Management

Our food supply chains can be affected by manmade incidents and Mother Natures disasters. If you love to visit your favorite bakery, you may have noticed the price of donuts increasing over the past few years due to the rising cost of vanilla.

The price of vanilla beans was $100 per kilogram in 2015. By the end of 2017, vanilla cost $500 per kilogram and its price is likely to increase further in 2018.

The problem for vanilla is that 80% of the crop comes from a special orchid grown in one place, Madagascar. It takes five or more years for the crop to replenish itself before it can be harvested again.

The collapse of the vanilla supply chain was compounded by another supply chain element, the living things that pollinate the orchid. In all parts of the world, a key worker in the fields is the bee. The enemy of the vanilla flower were the rains that ripped across Madagascar and destroyed acres of plants, creating a shortage of vanilla beans.

Honey Bees Offer Lesson in Proper Supply Chain Management

Dr. Wayne Surles has studied the honey bee for over 20 years, looking into what helps and what hurts the bees in the making of honey. He examined pesticides that affect honey production as well as other agricultural products. Dr. Surles says that 30% of the honey bee population is lost each winter and in the summer months.

The Richmond Beekeepers Association keeps statistics and information on how to protect honey bees so they can do their job of pollination and produce honey. Currently, there appear to be nearly two and a half million beehives in the U.S.

When it is time to pollinate fruit trees and other crops, bees are often shipped around the country to do the all-important job of fertilizing crops. However, it seems that bees are dying from a lack of the proper amount of nectar and pollen that sustain them.

Also, a mysterious illness known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has destroyed untold numbers of beehives. A survey of nearly 5,000 beekeepers across the United States found a third of the bees they managed died from this disorder between April 2016 and March 2017.

As a result, the natural swarming of bees in time for the growing season is in decline and a new supply chain has emerged. If the honey bee was the beginning of that jar of honey in its supply chain, now we have to extend that supply chain to a new origin  the beekeeper.

Beekeepers now travel around the county to the farms with hives of honey bees, the starting point of so many agricultural products, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reports. Those transportation costs and the upkeep of beehives must then be added to the cost of gathering that honey or other foods. The extension of the supply chain starting point for honey is now longer and more complex.

Pesticides Also Affecting Supply Chain Management

But there is another enemy of this new starting point besides CCD. It comes in the form of pesticides that are resistant to insects, including the honey bee. Currently, companies that produce great agricultural products, such as Bayer and Monsanto, also continue to manufacture pesticides to control weeds and kill bugs that destroy crops.

There is a large and growing chorus of people against the increased use of such pesticides and herbicides, which could also contribute to the spread of CCD. The starting point of the new fruit and vegetable supply chain in the U.S. is under attack from a manmade enemy, even more so than from too much rain, wind, and sun.

I own an old farm with fruit trees. The farm used to have a huge blackberry bush that attracted bees and bugs. I killed the bees and bugs with pesticides and sprayed so much Roundup on the weeds that the blackberry bush died and the pesticide got into the soil. As a result, my fruit trees have not produced but a handful of apples, peaches, and pears in the past five years.

I am part of the man-made problem responsible for the new food supply chain beginning. Have I learned my lesson? Yes.

But others need to earn to be careful too. Supply chains are useful, but they are vulnerable to the whims of Mother Nature and human actions.

About the Author

Dr. Oliver Hedgepeth is a full-time professor at American Public University (APU). He is the former program director of three academic programs: Reverse Logistics Management, Transportation and Logistics Management and Government Contracting. Dr. Hedgepeth was a tenured associate professor of Logistics and chair of the Logistics Department at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He has published two books, RFID Metrics and How Grandma Braided the Rain.Chief Minister K Palaniswami Tuesday demanded an international probe against DMK and ally Congress for "war crimes" against Tamils in the 2009 Sri Lankan civil conflict when UPA was in power, as the ruling AIADMK staged a state wide protest over the issue.

Addressing a protest meeting in his native Salem district, he said the party wanted to draw the attention of the union government and global nations about the 'betrayal' of Tamils by DMK and Congress.

Reviving an old political issue, AIAMDK had last week announced the protest in the backdrop of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's recent remarks that that the Indian government helped his country during the final war against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.

Palaniswami alleged the Sri Lankan Tamils, believing the word of then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi that the war had ended after his three hour fast here for their cause, had come out of hiding only to be killed by Lankan soldiers, leading to a 'genocide'.

"There is a strong case against DMK and Congress for an international inquiry into this heinous crime and also human rights violations... the meeting is to highlight to the people, the real faces of the two parties," he said.

The 'truth' came out after Rajapaksa's recent comments "about the actual position," he said.

Ministers and senior party leaders participated in protest public meetings held across the state.

The AIADMK used the state wide protests to hit out at arch rival DMK, which has been upping the ante against the government on various issues, including corruption.

Criticising AIADMK for holding the protests, DMK has alleged that it was a bid to divert attention from the corruption charges AIADMK faced.

Both Congress and DMK had faced flak for India's reported assistance to Sri Lanka then and their failure to prevent casualties of Tamils despite being in power.

AIADMK had on September 19 adopted a resolution at a meeting here, alleging that DMK and Congress were responsible for the killings of thousands of Tamils during the war.

Addressing at a symposium organised by Virat Hindustan Sangam, led by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in Delhi on September 12, Rajapaksa had said India's "abiding friendship" was amply demonstrated by its rapid response to Sri Lanka's needs at the time (2009), both material and moral.

Rajapaksa was at the helm when the nearly 30 year long ethnic strife in Sri Lanka ended then with the defeat of LTTE, while DMK was part of the Congress-led UPA that ruled India in 2009.

Against this background, the AIADMK resolution had said: "Now that Rajapaksa has openly admitted to all secrets, the DMK-Congress coalition government aiding the killings of 1.5 lakh Tamils and rapes of thousands of Tamil women should be treated as war crimes and those involved should be made war criminals and given punishment."



DMK has moved the Madras High Court, levelling corruption charges against Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, among others, which have been rejected by the AIADMK as politically motivated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A day after unidentified miscreants triggered an Improvised Explosive Device in the heart of Imphal injuring seven persons, another IED was found in Tengnoupal district on Tuesday, police said.

The IED, which was packed in a plastic bag, was discovered in the morning by people of Holenphai village close the Indo-Myanmar border town of Moreh.

The IED was later detonated by the bomb squad, police said.

Monday's IED blast occurred in front of a vehicle spares shop in the congested locality of Major Khul in Imphal around 5.30 am.

The condition of the seven injured was now stable, said sources in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences where they have been admitted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A sessions court in Mumbai Tuesday remanded four suspected right-wing activists in judicial custody in the case pertaining to the seizure of explosives from various parts of Maharashtra last month.

The accused, Liladhar Lodhi and Vasudev Suryawanshi, were arrested by the ATS from Jalgaon district of North Maharashtra on September 8.

The two other accused, Bharat Kurne and Sujeeth Kumar, basically arrested in the murder case of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, had been remanded in the custody of the ATS earlier this month.

All the accused were produced before Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Padalkar, after their custody expired Tuesday.

The ATS argued for the extension of the custody of Kurne and Kumar.

Prima facie, the accused duo were part of a conspiracy to target those persons who disrespected or criticised the Hindu religion and culture, the ATS said.

Kurne and Kumar mainly used stolen vehicles for travelling and used fake number plates, the agency told the court.

Accused Suryawanshi had shown them the places in Karnataka from where the vehicles were stolen, the agency told court.

The ATS said they need to find out the owners of these stolen vehicles and the persons providing fake number plates.

Suryawanshi had also shown the place where he had received training in operating firearms at the behest of Lodhi. The ATS told the court that they need to find the person who provided the training.

The agency has recovered parts of the vehicles destroyed by the accused from various areas and are trying to trace the owners of the vehicles.

However, after hearing the arguments, the judge observed that some points put forth by the ATS are repeated from previous remand applications.

The court then remanded all the accused in the judicial remand of 14 days.

The ATS had last month arrested Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar, Sudhanwa Gondhalekar, Shrikant Pangarkar and Avinash Pawar following seizure of explosive materials and arms from various places in the state, the agency had said.

Some of the accused were allegedly linked to radical Hindu groups.

Among other things, they were planning to target a western music festival in Pune, the ATS had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Army Tuesday paid floral tributes to Lance Naik Sandeep Singh, who was killed during a counter-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh (30) sustained bullet injuries during the operation in Tangdhar sector in which five militants were killed, an Army spokesperson said.

The injured soldier was provided immediate first-aid and evacuated to 92 Base Hospital here, where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday.

"In a solemn ceremony at Badamibagh Cantonment, Corps Commander Lt Gen A K Bhatt and all ranks paid homage to the martyr on behalf of the nation. Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh and representatives from various security agencies also joined in paying their last respects to the martyr," he said.

Singh had joined the Army in 2007 and belonged to Kotla Khurd village of Gurdaspur district of Punjab and is survived by his wife.

"The mortal remains of the martyr were flown for last rites to his native place, where he would be laid to rest with full military honours. In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved family of the martyr and remains committed to their dignity and well being," the spokesperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Assam Government Tuesday said its borrowings rose by a whopping 73.40 per cent to Rs 9,796.33 crore in last fiscal even as 46.84 per cent of its funds for development works remained unused.

In a written reply to a query by AGP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the state raised debt of Rs 9,796.33 crore from various sources in 2017-18.

This amount was much higher compared to what Assam's borrowings of Rs Rs 5,649.45 crore in 2016-17 financial year, he informed.

On the other hand, the state's spending just crossed the half-way mark of the total allotted fund for various developmental works, the minister said to a separate question by Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque.

During the last fiscal, the state government had allotted Rs 48,189.90 crore for carrying out developmental works, of which only Rs 25,619.83 crore were spent in the entire year, indicating nearly 47 per cent non-utilised funds, Sarma said.

Not getting the fund release proposals from concerned departments has been cited as one of the reasons for under utilisation of allotted funds along with the massive flood that took place in the state in 2017, he added.

In another reply to a query by AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam, Sarma said only 40.08 per cent funds under various constituency related schemes were utilised at Rs 152.07 crore as against sanctioned amount of Rs 379.45 crore in last financial year.

Regarding repayment of debt, Sarma informed that Assam paid back Rs 2,965.39 crore to various institutions in 2017-18, lower than Rs 2,990.88 crore that it had repaid in the previous fiscal.

"As per AFRBM Act, the debt to GDP ratio of the state is permissible up to 28.5 per cent. With the current ratio of 18 per cent, the state government is at comfortable position," he added.

During the last financial year, Assam received Rs 980 crore from the Centre as compensation under the GST, while it already received Rs 467 crore as compensation till August this fiscal, the minister informed the House.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The board of Bank of Baroda will meet on September 29 to consider the government's proposal to merge Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with itself, its Managing Director P S Jayakumar said Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the government announced plans to merge Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank to create the country's third largest lender as part of efforts to revive credit and economic growth.

The meeting of Board of Directors is scheduled for September 29 to approve the merger process, Jayakumar told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of top officials of state-owned banks called by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley here.

"As of now, at the point of merger we are well-capitalised to continue the momentum," he said in reply to a question.

The merger process, he added would take 4-6 month and April 1, 2019 could be the possible timeline for completion of the process.

The Board of Dena Bank has already given its approval to the merger proposal.

Sources said the Board of Vijaya Bank too would be meeting soon to take up the proposal.

Jayakumar further said post merger of the three banks, there will be one entity but multiple brands can remain. Though there may be re-location of some branches post amalgamation.

All the three brands have got their own strengths, he added.

Last year, State Bank of India had merged with itself five of its subsidiary banks and took over Bharatiya Mahila Bank, following a similar decision by the government.

The government owns majority stakes in 21 lenders, which account for more than two-thirds of banking assets in the Asia's third biggest economy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)West Bengal traders' body Tuesday said they would join the proposed national strike of traders on September 28 to protest the Flipkart-Walmart deal and FDI in retail trade.

"It is for the first time in the country that about seven crore voters across the country will participate in a Bharat Trade Bandh on September 28 for protection of their rights and business," Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) secretary general Rabishankar Roy said.

Though West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged to reconsider the bandh owing to festive season, but as the strike call is at the national level, we don't have any right to reconsider," he said.

There are 30-40 lakh traders in the state.

The bandh has been called by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

CAIT president B C Bhartia said that Walmart-Flipkart deal was a violation of the FDI policy of the government, which will adversely affect the small businesses in the country, whereas the FDI in retail would be much disastrous for SMEs, small Industries and for national economy as well.

It is regretted that knowing well the ill affects, the MNCs are being given a passage to enter the retail trade of the country, he said in a statement.

The traders are feeling neglected and they are concerned over the future of their business, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Banaras Hindu University Tuesday suspended classes and asked students to vacate five of its hostels within 24 hours following a late night incident of violence and arson on the campus.

The decision by BHU Registrar Neeraj Tripathi prompted some of the hostellers to go in for a sit-in on a road opposite the Birla hostel to protest the measure.

At least six students were injured in clashes that erupted between BHU resident doctors and hostellers on campus here allegedly over non-allotment of bed to a patient, the police said Tuesday.

The incident took place late Monday night after students of some hostels in the varsity joined the patient's family members who were engaged in an scuffle with the resident doctors.

The BHU registrar ordered closure of the university for till September 28 and asked students living in five of its hostels to vacate them by 12 noon Wednesday.

The five hostels whose residents were ordered to move out are Birla Hostel, Lal Bahadur Shastri Hostel, Dhanvantri Hostel and Ruiya Medical Hostel and and Ruiya Annexe.

The students of Birla and Lal Bahadur Shastri hostels sat on dharna opposite Birla Hostel, demanding revocation of the order to vacate hostel rooms.

A talk was held Tuesday afternoon between the BHU administration and the protesting students, but it turned out to be futile with the students continuing their dharna.

The BHU administration has decided to get the incidents of violence, arson and vandalism on campus probed by a 'standing committee' and has asked it submit its report at the earliest.

Meanwhile, a large posse of police force and Provincial Armed Constabulary has been deployed in and around the campus in apprehension of deterioration of the situation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bihar cabinet Tuesday gave its nod for constituting "Patna Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (PMRCL)" as special purpose vehicle (SPV) for implementation of the metro rail project in the capital.

The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also approved Rs 2,000 crore as PMRCL authorised capital.

Briefing mediapersons here, Cabinet Secretariat department's Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar said that Urban Development and Housing Department's Principal Secretary will be the head of SPV while representatives of Finance, Road, Transport and Energy departments will be the members of its board of directors.

The state government would nominate the Managing Director of the SPV.

Notably, RITES has submitted the revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the Urban Development and Housing department about a week ago, department sources said adding that DPR would now be put up before the state cabinet for approval.

Once the DPR is approved by the state cabinet, it would be sent to the centre for the approval, the sources said.

A preliminary DPR for metro rail project was approved by the state cabinet in February 2017 but it was required to be revised after the Centre came up with a new metro policy.

The metro rail envisages two corridors in the first phase. The first corridor will be between Saguna Mor-Bailey Road-Patna Junction- Mithapur bus stand while the second corridor will be from Patna junction to proposed bus stand at Bairiya on Patna-Gaya road.

In an another important decision, the cabinet sanctioned Rs 127.53 crore from Bihar Contingency Fund for the payment of dues on account of salary to the employees of 15 closed sugar mills of Bihar State Sugar Corporation Ltd, Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar said.

It also gave its nod to the Building Construction Department's proposal for constructing "Bapu Tower" on a plot measuring five acres at Gardanibagh area of the state capital, he said adding that the tower will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 84.49 crore.

Bapu Tower will be a G+6 structure which will host cultural and literature functions, besides there will be a museum on Gandhi's life, he said.

The cabinet also approved Building Construction Department's proposal for redevelopment and renovation of "Vikas Bhawan and Vishveshwariya Bhawan"- the secretariat buildings- at an estimated cost of Rs 61.46 crore and Rs 61.62 crore respectively.

The cabinet also approved a proposal under which the payment of ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh to elected representatives of three tier Panchayati raj institution and gram kutchery can be made at the District Magistrate levels, if these representatives die due to natural calamity, violence, criminal incidents or in accidents, Principal Secretary said.

A total of 24 decisions were taken at the cabinet meeting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Islampur court Tuesday



granted bail to BJP North Dinajpur district president Shankar Chakraborty who was arrested for reportedly making provocative comments against security forces.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Islampur, Mahua Basu Roy granted bail to Chakraborty in the case on two personal sureties of Rs 2,500 each.

The police had arrested Chakraborty on Sunday under Section 505(1)(b) (intent to incite any class or community to commit any offence against any other class or community) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, while addressing villagers, had asked them to take action against security forces in North Dinajpur, where two students died in a clash with police over teachers' recruitment in a high school.

He also suggested putting up barricades to prevent the entry of police personnel in the area.

Chakraborty, however, will have to stay in jail as the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), North Dinajpur, Suresh Singh Tuesday rejected his bail application in another case.

The BJP leader was also charged by police for damaging public property during the BJP sponsored 12-hour North Dinajpur district bandh on September 21 to protest the death of two students in the clash with police at Darivit High School at Islampur on September 20.

The CJM remanded Chakraborty to judicial custody and directed that he be produced before the court on October 9.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP Tuesday gave details of alleged bribe, including a flat in London, given to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra by a defence dealer as it intensified its counter-attack on the opposition party over the Rafale deal.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra asked Gandhi to respond to allegations involving Vadra, and claimed that people will answer his charges against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"Vadra will certainly go to jail for allegedly helping a defence dealer in bagging contracts during the UPA's rule," Patra said, adding that the Modi government will act as per law and not with a "mindset of revenge".

At a press conference, the BJP leader gave the address of a London flat, details of the defence dealer's bank account through which money was allegedly paid to Vadra and his first class flight tickets bought by the dealer's travel firm.

Patra alleged that the flat belonged to Vadra and claimed that all transactions had happened when the Congress-led UPA was in power.

Vadra has been denying these allegations and has accused the Modi government of political vendetta.

Patra reiterated the BJP's charge that the UPA government had scrapped its deal with Dassault Aviation, which manufactured Rafale fighter aircraft, because the French firm declined to choose the dealer's firm backed by Vadra as its offset partner.

The Gandhi family and the UPA government "looted" the country's interests and harmed the Indian Air Force to protect Vadra's interests, he said.

The BJP has turned the heat on the Congress and raked up alleged corruption of Vadra after Rahul Gandhi has targeted Modi, including by taunting him as a "thief", over the alleged corruption in the Rafale deal, claiming that his government helped Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence to get a lucrative contract.

"Rahul Gandhi is exposed today. People who looted the country and sold out its interests are questioning our prime minister," Patra said, adding that the Congress president suffers from a sense of entitlement and cannot tolerate somebody like Modi as he comes from a poor background.

After Modi came to power in 2014, his government cracked down on the defence firm run by the dealer and it was blacklisted, Patra said, adding that the CBI has been investigating him, and he is out of country.

The UPA government had scrapped a contract given to the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and helped the dealer by awarding it to a foreign firm, Pilatus, he said. The CBI is probing the case, he added.

Asked what action the government had taken against Vadra, the BJP spokesperson said he was an "emperor" during the UPA whose fingers were in every deal. It is no longer so, he claimed.

"Vadra will definitely go to jail," he said, adding that it took over 20 years to convict fodder scam accused and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Furious with Congress president Rahul Gandhi for using "foul language" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP workers staged a noisy protest here Tuesday to demand an apology and were dispersed by police.

As Congress and BJP workers faced off against each other on the second day of his visit to his parliamentary constituency, Gandhi went to the district magistrate's office here amid tight security, officials said.

"The situation is under control now. The BJP and the Congress came face to face and police had to intervene," said Additional Superintendent of Police B C Dubey.

Congress spokesperson Anil Singh said he and other party workers were chased away by a "helpless administration" when they were objecting to the BJP workers raising slogans against their leader.

"Congress workers opposing the mudslinging on our leader by BJP workers were 'lathi charged' and chased away by the helpless administration," Singh said.

According to BJP's district unit president Uma Shankar Pandey, people of Amethi and the party staged a strong protest against the Congress chief's "unfounded allegations" and his use of "foul language" against the prime minister yesterday.

"There is 'chori' (theft) in the works of Narendra Modi -- Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, notebandi (demonetisation), Gabbar Singh Tax (referring to GST). There is theft in all these. One by one, we will prove that Narendra Modi ji is not a 'chowkidaar'. Narendra Modi is a 'chor' (thief)," Gandhi had said.

The Congress MP bad mouthed the prime minister and used foul language, calling him a thief, Pandey said.

"We demand an apology from the local MP or else we will not allow him to enter in the constituency next time he comes here," Pandey told PTI.

He said people in Amethi were ashamed they had elected an MP like Gandhi and alleged that the Congress president is himself embroiled in a land scam in the constituency and is involved in the National Herald case.

"Jo swayam chor hai, woh machata shor hai (a person who is himself a thief raises the maximum ruckus)," he said, adding that Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra faces serious charges in Haryana.

Gandhi's visit to Amethi is his first after his Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.

Firing a fresh salvo at the prime minister over the Rafale jet deal, the Congress president had Monday also said the country's "chowkidar" Modi snatched money from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

"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.

On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video relating to French publication Mediapart, which last week carried a story quoting former French president Francois 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Blue Ray Aviation Tuesday said it has taken on board US flight training institute Pacific States Aviation (PSA) for setting up a training facility for pilots, engineers and ground staff in Mehsana district of Gujarat at an initial investment of Rs 25 crore.

The two partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect during the recent visit of a state-level delegation under Gujarat's additional chief secretary for finance, Arvind Agarwal, a release said.

PSA is one of the largest general aviation companies in the Bay Area having fixed base operations.

The joint venture will also operate a maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) unit and offer aircraft on charter, the release said, adding a formal agreement to this effect is expected to be signed by September 30.

The company will also offer flight training to prospective pilots at PSA's existing academy in Concord, USA, it said.

The joint venture and the proposed activities at Mehsana will commence by the time of Vibrant Gujarat Summit early next year, the release said, adding Blue Ray Aviation plans to invest Rs 100 crore in the JV company in the next five years.

Through PSA, Blue Ray Aviation will offer training, which is compliant to India's aviation regulatory norms, and will include the US methodology of flight training, it added.

The US firm will also offer simulator facilities to Blue Ray Aviation, it added.

This enterprise is expected to generate about 1,000 highly-skilled jobs in the next five years, of which 300 will be in the first two years, according to the release.

Blue Ray Aviation is a DGCA-approved flying training set-up based in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra and is now expanding into Mehsana, where it is construction an aircraft hanger facility.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The bodies of two sisters, in their 20s, were found in a drain in Alipur area of North West Delhi's Rohini, the police said Tuesday.

The women were missing since the evening of September 19 and a case was registered in this connection at the Seelampur police station in northeast Delhi, a family member said.

The sisters had left home saying they were going to a bus terminal but did not return, following which the family approached police, he added.

Police informed the family on Monday night about the recovery of the bodies of the two women in Alipur.

The cause of death of the sisters can only be ascertained after postmortem, police said, adding that no injury mark was found on the bodies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The life of Saudi Arabia's first certified woman yoga instructor Nouf Marwaai is the subject of a new book, expected to hit the stands next year.

Tentatively titled "Nouf: Yogi Who Made Saudi Arabia Fall in Love with an Ancient Indian Science", the biography published by Westland, will be written by well-known film historian and writer Gautam Chintamani.

Marwaai, who played an instrumental role in making yoga legal in Saudi Arabia, was also awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government last month.

The book will cover her life, her battles with diseases, and narrate how yoga helped her survive against all the odds.

In 2015, Marwaai conducted the first ever International Day of Yoga in Saudi Arabia.

"The journey of Nouf Marwaai highlights the importance of making peace with and healing one's inner self. It is an inspiration for women across cultures to take a stand on what they believe in," said Debasri Rakshit, Managing Editor, Westland.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two-wheeler rental service provider Bounce Tuesday said it has raised USD 3 million from InnoVen Capital, a leading venture debt and specialty lending firm in Asia.

The funds will be used to fund the expansion plans of the company, a release said.

The company, which recently rebranded itself from Metro Bikes to Bounce, had last month raised USD 12.2 million in a Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital India and Accel Partners.

********************* Bengaluru airport ropes in Unisys to improve pax experience *



Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) Tuesday said it has singed an agreement with Unisys Corporation of the US to develop an 'Analytics Center of Excellence', which will help travellers board flights faster and enhance their airport experience.

The center will support a business intelligence and advanced data analytics platform for the airport which will help it consolidate and rationalise the airport's strategic, tactical and operational reporting on one hand and enable airport staff to make faster and better-informed business decisions, process air travellers more quickly and enhance the airport experience for the customer, the airport said.

********************* Gopal Singh Gusain takes over charge as ED of Union Bank *



State-run Union Bank of India Tuesday said Gopal Singh Gusain has taken charge as its executive director with effect from September 20.

Prior to this, Gusain was with Punjab National Bank.

The government last week elevated as many as 14 general managers to the post of executive directors in various public sector banks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a first such surgical intervention in Bihar, a tumour was removed from the brain of a 21-year-old man with local anaesthesia by a team of doctors at AIIMS, Patna, an attending doctor said.

Rohit Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarpur, was admitted to the AIIMS, Patna recently with complaints of severe headache and fits. His MRI reports showed a tumour of about five cm diameter, which was removed on September 21.

"It took us nearly four hours to remove the tumour. The patient is showing very good progress and we are planning to discharge him in a couple of days," Saquib Siddiqui, associate professor in the department of neurosurgery at the hospital, told PTI.

"We decided to opt for local anaesthesia since that enabled us to keep the patient awake while the surgery is performed. Although this type of surgical intervention requires a very high degree of skill and technical knowhow it is much safer as far as patients are concerned," said Siddiqui, who headed the team of doctors.

He said while performing surgery through this method, the doctors kept interacting with the patient which helped them receive feedback in real time as to whether the operation was heading in the right direction. If the patient became unconscious, it was difficult for the surgeon to get any feedback.

"For example, while operating upon this young man, we kept asking him as to whether he felt any weakness and numbness in his right arm and leg since the tumour affected that part of the brain which controlled movement of these limbs. In the event of any adverse feedback, we would have stopped. Thankfully, it all went off fine, Siddiqui said.

"We hope our effort, which has accomplished the first surgery of this kind in Bihar, would instill confidence among the people of the state and they would come to the facility in larger numbers," he said.

Set up in 2012, AIIMS, Patna is located on the outskirts of the city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A tumour was removed from the brain of a 21-year-old man with local anaesthesia at AIIMS, Patna, an attending doctor said.

Saquib Siddiqui, associate professor in the department of neurosurgery at the hospital, told PTI, "It took us nearly four hours to remove the tumour. The patient is showing very good progress and we are planning to discharge him in a couple of days".

He claimed this was the first surgery of its kind in Bihar.

Rohit Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarpur, was admitted to AIIMS, Patna recently with complaints of severe headache and fits. His MRI reports showed a tumour of about five cm diameter, which was removed on September 21.

"We decided to opt for local anaesthesia since that enabled us to keep the patient awake while the surgery is performed. Although this type of surgical intervention requires a very high degree of skill and technical knowhow, it is much safer as far as patients are concerned," Siddiqui, who headed the team of doctors, said.

He said while performing the surgery through this method, the doctors kept interacting with the patient, which helped them receive feedback in real time as to whether the operation was heading in the right direction.

If the patient became unconscious, it was difficult for the surgeon to get any feedback, he said.

"For example, while operating upon this young man, we kept asking him as to whether he felt any weakness and numbness in his right arm and leg since the tumour affected that part of the brain, which controlled movement of these limbs. In the event of any adverse feedback, we would have stopped. Thankfully, it all went off fine," Siddiqui said.

Set up in 2012, AIIMS, Patna is located on the outskirts of the city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The bodies of a wealthy British retiree and his Thai wife were found buried on their own property Tuesday a week after an alleged contract killing ordered by the woman's brother, police said.

Alan Hogg was shot while his wife Nhot Suddaen was bludgeoned to death with a hammer at their villa in the northern province of Phrae by men paid 50,000 baht (USD 1,540).

Their bodies were discovered Tuesday morning in graves two metres deep (around six feet) on their own land, Colonel Manas Kerdsukho, police commander in Phrae, told AFP.

Two suspects have been arrested and warrants issued for two other men including Varut Rattanasajjakit, Nhot's elder brother and the alleged mastermind accused of paying the killers.

"The motive for the killings was a long-running internal family conflict, feuds and property," he said.

British media reports described Hogg, 64, as a millionaire from Edinburgh who built a lavish home with a swimming pool in the province not far from the Laos border.

A Thai television station showed footage of an excavator digging up mounds of dirt in a search for the bodies.

The British embassy in Thailand did not immediately respond to a request for comment but police said they had been notified.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 52-year-old British tourist was found dead at a guest house in the Manikarnika ghat area under Chowk police station yesterday, officials said Tuesday.

Kevin John McMahon from Southampton in UK was staying with his girlfriend Catherine Gallagher (47), they said.

He had stomach pain Sunday evening and when the guesthouse staff suggested that he consult a doctor, McMahon refused and stayed in his room, said the police officials.

On Monday, he was found dead inside the room, they said.

McMahon and Gallagher arrived in Varanasi on September 18, the officials said adding the duo was in India since July 30.

The British tourist was unwell from past some time, an official said.

His condition deteriorated late Sunday night and he vomited blood.

Gallagher reportedly told a newspaper that they had informed the staff of the guest house for a medical help doctors were contacted but McMahon could not receive treatment on time and he died.

The British High Commission in New Delhi was informed and the body was handed over to embassy officials for autopsy, officials said.

Police is treating the case as 'highly sensitive' and investigations are on, they said adding the autopsy report was being awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Of the 5,407 Bru refugee families, only 31 have returned from their camps in Tripura to Mizoram during the stipulated one month of repatriation, which ended on Tuesday, Mizoram home department officials said.

Now, those who remained in the six relief camps face an uncertain future as the Centre had earlier warned that assistance doled out to them would be stopped from October 1.

"Only 31 Bru refugee families have reached Mizoram since August 25. We have unofficial information that 16 more are willing to return and they will reach Mizoram by today or tomorrow," the officials said.

Noticing the tardy response of the refugees to the process, the Mizoram government had termed the final repatriation process a "futile exercise" earlier this month.

"It is to be seen whether the Centre stops assistance for the inmates of the six Bru relief camps by October 1 as was warned earlier," a state home department official said.

The Bru refugees in the Tripura relief camps used to receive free ration and subsistence allowance of Rs 5 per day per person from the Centre.

In a November-2016 survey, 32,876 Brus belonging to 5,407 families were identified as bona fide residents of Mizoram, who could be repatriated. However, a study conducted later found that just 2,753 people belonging to 423 families expressed their willingness to return.

Meanwhile, Bru leaders in the relief camps alleged that a group of Brus objected to the repatriation process and asked the people not to return to Mizoram.

They even obstructed those willing to return to Mizoram and threatened Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) leaders through social media for which a police complaint was lodged, they said.

The Centre was earlier optimistic about Bru families returning to Mizoram during the repatriation process after an agreement was inked on July 3 between Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, chief ministers of Mizoram and Tripura and MBDPF chief A Sawibunga in Delhi.

The agreement stipulated that Rs 4 lakh for each repatriated Bru family be deposited to the bank account of the head of the family which would mature after three years and payment of Rs 1.5 lakh would be made for housing assistance.

Each repatriated Bru family would be given Rs 5,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer every month and free ration for two years.

Thousands of Brus had been lodged in the Tripura relief camps since late 1997 in the wake of communal tension triggered by the brutal killing of Lalzawmliana, a forest guard, in the Dampa Tiger Reserve on October 21, 1997 by Bru National Liberation Front (BNLF) militants.

The first attempt to repatriate them in November 2009 not only failed but triggered another exodus after Bru militants gunned down a youth at Bungthuam village, three days before the commencement of the repatriation process.

Though some Bru families had returned to Mizoram during a number of repatriation processes and on their own will, many of them continued to refuse to leave Tripura despite many attempts by the government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Goa Forward Party (GFP), an ally of the ruling coalition led by the BJP, said on Tuesday that the haste with which the cabinet expansion was done on Monday by inducting two ministers could have been avoided by the state government.

GFP President Vijai Sardesai told PTI that the inductions could have been done in a better way by taking everyone on board.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is currently admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, had dropped two ailing ministers Francis DSouza and Pandurang Madkaikar, replacing them with Milind Naik and Nilesh Cabral.

The swearing-in ceremony was held on Monday at Raj Bhavan. Governor Mridula Sinha administered oath to both the ministers.

"The cabinet expansion...the manner and the speed in which it was done, could have been avoided," Sardesai said.

"It could have been done in a better way. It should have been done by taking everyone on board," he said, adding that it has ruffled some feathers.

"I have nothing against the newly inducted ministers. It is an internal issue of the BJP, we have no right to discuss that but in one should ensure that any political move, which hurts people and results in bad blood, should be avoided," said Sardesai, who is the agriculture minister in the Parrikar-led cabinet.

"There are people who are aggrieved... No step should be taken which makes people aggrieved and capable of rocking the boat," he said.

Hours after two ministers were inducted, Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar, who is supporting the Parrikar-led government, tendered his resignation as Chairman of the state-run Goa Forest Development Corporation.

Gaonkar said Tuesday evening that the government has come to a standstill.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The is likely to consider Wednesday the proposal to convert (GSTN) into a government-owned company.

The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister and comprising state finance ministers, had in May agreed to a proposal to make a company, with Centre owning 50 per cent stake and states together holding the remaining 50 per cent.

"Converting to a company may be considered by the Cabinet tomorrow," a source said.

Currently, the Centre and states together hold 49 per cent stake in GST Network, the company that provides IT backbone to the new indirect tax regime. The remaining 51 per cent is held by five private financial institutions - HDFC Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, NSE Strategic Investment Co and LIC Housing Finance Ltd.

Jaitley had in April asked Finance Secretary to "examine the possibility" of converting into a majority company or a 100 per cent government company.



Following this, the proposal was put up for approval before the in May.

The GSTN was incorporated as a private limited company on March 28, 2013 under the UPA government. It is a Section 8 company under the new Companies Act and hence is a not-for-profit entity.

The government stake in GSTN was initially kept at 49 per cent and incorporated as a private company to "allow adequate flexibility and freedom" to "ensure timely implementation of the IT infrastructure" prior to the GST rollout.

(GST), which subsumed over a dozen local taxes, was rolled out on July 1, 2017. Over 1.1 crore businesses are registered on the GSTN portal.

With enhanced role of GSTN from just collecting taxes to data analytics, the government felt that it should now be the majority owner in the IT backbone provider.The CBI has expressed its inability to take up the probe sought by the state government into idol thefts in Tamil Nadu citing shortage of man-power, the Madras High Court was informed Tuesday.

The central agency, however, has assured all assistance to the state police in extradition of accused or coordination with the Interpol among others.

The state government had on August 2 passed an order transferring the probe into the idol theft cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

However, the high court had on August 7 stayed the order, while lambasting the government for the 'hurried' action when the idol theft matter was pending before it.

CBI special public prosecutor K Srinivasan Tuesday submitted a copy of the letter written by the agency to him expressing its inability to take up the probe before a bench of justices R Mahadevan and P D Audikesavalu.

The bench was hearing petitions filed by advocate 'Elephant' G Rajendran and social activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy challenging the August 2 government order.

Responding to a query by the bench, state Advocate General Vijay Narayan submitted that the government had earlier received a communication from the CBI seeking details of the pending cases.

But no letter expressing its inability to take up the investigation had been received, he said.

However, he added he would file a counter following which the bench posted the hearing after a week.

The court had earlier set up the special bench of justices Mahadevan and Audikesavalu to deal with the matter on a batch of petitions.

It had also reinstated IG Pon Manickavel as the Idol Wing chief after he was transferred earlier, and asked him to continue to investigate the theft of various idols from temples in the state over a period of time.

However, the state government took the decision to transfer the cases to CBI, claiming that the idol wing, headed by Manickavel, was not performing satisfactorily.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Commander Abhilash Tomy of Indian Navy Tuesday reached the southern Indian Ocean island Ile Amsterdam, a day after being rescued by a French vessel and his condition is stable, his mentor and race manager said.

French patrol vessel Osiris got Cdr Tomy and fellow sailor Gregor McGuckin to the island after a rescue on the high seas Monday following damage to their non-motorised sailing yachts in a storm Friday.

"Cdr Tomy is stable and in safe hands. The doctors have given him sedatives but the good is that there is no spinal injury," Cdr (Retd) Dilip Donde told PTI over phone from Goa.

Further course of action will depend on the medical advice, he said, adding the tiny island has sound medical facilities.

The island does not have an air strip and Cdr Tomy will have to be taken by the sea route itself, Cdr Donde said, adding he can be taken to either Mauritius, the Reunion Island or Australia.

He said an Australian naval ship is reaching the island, while the progress of the Indian Naval stealth frigate INS Satpura, which was also reported to be heading to rescue Cdr Tomy, is not known.

Cdr Tomy was drifting for nearly three days in his 32-feet long yacht, Thuriya, which was damaged in a storm. Vessels and naval assets in the vicinity were deployed for his rescue.

Thuriya had tossed in the face of high tides before stabilising, he said, adding Cdr Tomy texted through satellite-based device requesting for evacuation stating his back has been injured and he is unable to move.

Cdr Tomy was participating in the Golden Globe Race, where 11 participants are using 1968 vintage boats and technology to circumnavigate solo and non-stop. The race is being held to celebrate the golden anniversary of first such solo circumnavigation in 1968.

Videos and pictures of Cdr Tomy's evacuation by the crew of Osiris were released by the Indian Navy and the Australian authorities, whose reconnaissance aircraft were in the skies whilst the rescue happened.

The pictures show Cdr Tomy being pulled out on a stretcher from the cabin of Thuriya and then carefully lowered into a small raft which had come to fetch him from the Osiris located nearby.

Osiris also evacuated McGuckin from his boat and got both the sailors to the Ile Amsterdam island.

Cdr Tomy and McGuckin were placed third and second, respectively, in the race, when they braved the storm.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Chandigarh airport will soon be ready to handle wide-bodied aircraft, linking the city to far off international destinations in the US and Europe, Union Minister Jayant Sinha said Tuesday.

The Minister of State for Civil Aviation made the remark while addressing a conference on "Making India an Aviation Hub: Giving Wings to Aviation Sector in North", organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), here.

The Chandigarh airport will be made available for night operations as well by March 2019, said Sinha.

The operation of wide-bodied aircraft would provide the city direct air linkages to major international destinations, including those in the US, Europe, Canada and the UK. The airport would be suitable for big aircrafts such as Boeing 787, Boeing 777 and Airbus 330.

The existing Chandigarh airport runway can cater only to middle-body aircraft that could fly only to domestic destinations and a few closer destinations aborad including Dubai, Sharjah and Bangkok.

The airport lies in defence airfield which is increasingly being used by civilian operators. The Air Traffic Control and runway operations lie with the IAF.

The first phase of the airport runway repairs was carried out from February 12 to 26 this year and the airport remained shut for all flights. The second phase of closure was from May 12 to May 31.

Sinha said the Indian aviation sector is booming at an unprecedented rate with the domestic passenger trips registering a double digit growth from 6 crores in 2013 to 12 crores in 2017, while the overall trips have gone up from 10 crore in 2014 to 18 crore in 2018.

Talking about the Centre's policies, Sinha said a new approach towards regulating airports on the yield basis rather than the revenue basis has been introduced to promote the aviation sector.

This will help in keeping the prices in control and will benefit the airline operators and the passengers, he said.

Other initiatives such as relaxation in the FDI norms, ease of doing business also make the aviation sector an attractive destination for investors, he said.

Aviation was going to be one of the largest industries in India and would have a multiplier effect on other sectors as well, the minister added.

Sharing the Centre's plan for infrastructure growth, Sinha said that under the NABH (NextGen Airports for Bharat) initiative of the Union government, the ministry has committed an investment of Rs 1 lakh crore for development and expansion of new and existing airports to reach the target of 1 billion passenger trips in coming years.

These include greenfield airports such as Jewar, Hisar, Ludhiana and Pathankot.

On growth of the aviation sector in Haryana, Additional Chief Secretary Devender Singh of the state's Industries and Civil Aviation Department, said Hisar is being developed as an aviation hub in the state, under the RCS-UDAN scheme.

"The state government intends to invite Non Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) Holders to operate on mutually acceptable routes from Hisar, with attractive incentives. The state government has proposed tie ups for flights from Hisar-Chandigarh to Shimla, Kullu, Dharamsala etc," he said.

Singh said the Haryana government also plans to set up units for small-scale maintenance, repair and overhaul, fixed base operations (FBO), defence manufacturing and defence MRO as part of the Phase II expansion of the Hisar Airport.

Punjab Civil Aviation Secretary Tejveer Singh said both Ludhiana and Pathankot are being developed as fully functional airports in Punjab.

On the regional connectivity, CII (Northern Region) chairman Sachit Jain said Chandigarh needs to be developed and promoted as regional hub for air connectivity in the north.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Chemists Associations of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali Tuesday announced it will be observing the September 28 bandh, which was called by All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD),



Chandigarh Chemist Association president Vijay Anand and general secretary Vinay Jain said online pharmacies are a threat to public health and the business of regular pharmacists in the country.

There are 8.5 lakh members in the Chemists Association of all States and Union Territories in the country, they said.

Around 1,500 chemists from Panchkula, Mohali and Chandigarh will observe a 24-hours strike starting September 27 midnight to September 28 midnight, they said.

They expressed concern tech-savvy youths in the country could misuse the online pharmacies for purchasing drugs that are banned or buy medicines that require prescriptions.

"We are observing one day strike on Friday, September 28, to protest any move by the government allowing sale of medicines through internet or allowing e-pharmacies to operate in India in any form," AIOCD said in a statement.

If the government does not consider our appeal positively then AIOCD shall not have any option but to go for nation-wide indefinite agitation against online sale of medicines, AIOCD president J S Shinde said.

"We have made repeated appeals by memoranda to the government, concerned ministers, departments, state food and drug administration citing numerous cases of illegal online sale of medicines by so called e-pharmacies, and portals. We will observe a one-day all India chemists bandh to highlight the seriousness of this issue," Jain said.

Drug prices are regulated and controlled by the government, he said adding that total trade margin was restricted to 16 per cent for retailers and 10 per cent for wholesalers.

It is observed that online players offer discounts upto 50 to 70 per cent openly, Jain said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP in Chhattisgarh Tuesday announced expulsion of party leader Kailsah Muraraka, a day after the CBI named him as an accused in the "sex CD" case allegedly involving a state minister belonging to the ruling party.

Muraraka has been sacked for spoiling the image of the party, Chhattisgarh BJP unit president Dharamlal Kaushik said.

"Party leader Muraraka has tarnished the image of the BJP and there is no question of keeping him in the party. He has been expelled," Kaushik told PTI.

Muraraka, who does not hold any formal post in the BJP, is currently the secretary of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Archery Association which is headed by Ramesh Bais, the BJP MP from Raipur.

He was named as the accused number 1 in the chargesheet filed by the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) in the special court here Monday, around 11 months after the sex CD scandal surfaced in October last year.

A "porn video" allegedly involving Public Works Department minister Rajesh Munat had surfaced last October, after Raipur police arrested senior journalist Vinod Verma in Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh).

Munat had denied the allegations against him.

Chhattisgarh Congress president Bhupesh Baghel, Verma, Bhilai-based businessman Vijay Bhatia, Vijay Pandya and Rinku Khanuja were also named as accused in the case, apart from Murarka.

According to the CBI, all the six accused entered into a criminal conspiracy for the purpose of making the morphed sex video depicting Chhattisgarh minister Rajesh Munat in a sexually explicit position and also circulating the same to harm his reputation.

Meanwhile, Kaushik suggested that the Congress remove Bhupesh Baghel from the party, as he is also named as an accused in the case.

"People in Chhattisgarh never accepted the of lies and falsehood. The state has always seen healthy If anybody is trying to damage that tradition, then the (Congress) national president (Rahul Gandhi) should think over it and remove him (Baghel) from the party," Kaushik said when asked about the BJP's demand for expelling Baghel.

Baghel, Verma and Bhatia had appeared in the special court here on Monday, after they were served notices by the CBI.

Baghel is currently in judicial remand for 14 days.

Of the total six accused in the "sex CD" case, Khanuja, a Raipur-based automobile dealer, had committed suicide in June this year during the course ofinvestigation.

Two other accused namely Murarka and Pandya, latter a short-film maker, did not appear in the court. Verma was granted bail by the CBI court in Raipur in December last year.

All the accused were booked under 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).

Baghel told reporters Monday that he was being falsely implicated in the case, and announced to sit on a 'satyagrah' in the jail to protest against the BJP government.

A case of blackmail and extortion had been registered at the Pandri police station in Raipur on a complaint filed by BJP leader Prakash Bajaj who stated that 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 said while claiming to have recovered 500 CDs and pen drives etc.

After Verma was arrested, the sex video surfaced in Raipur, triggering a political slugfest between the Congress and the BJP.

Munat then lodged a complaint against Bhupesh 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 incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China Tuesday extended a guarded welcome to the election of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih - widely viewed as an ally of India - as Maldives' new President, a day after he defeated the pro-Beijing incumbent, Abdullah Yameen, and expressed hope that the new government would keep a conducive environment for Chinese investments.

China is willing to work with Maldives to consolidate "our friendship and deepen the cooperation between the two countries", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here.

The victory of Solih has a geopolitical significance in the South Asian region as the archipelago is strategically located in the Indian Ocean where China is flexing its muscles.

Maldives under Yameen also became an "important partner" in China's 21st century maritime silk road, despite India's serious reservations over its impact in the Indian Ocean.

In 2014, the island nation had signed a MoU with Beijing in support of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a project which is opposed by India as it includes the China Pakistan-Economic Corridor which transverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

China had also opposed any external mediation, including by the UN, when the Yameen government early this year imprisoned Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, former president M A Gayoom and other opposition politicians, saying that the crisis in the nation is its internal affair and should be resolved through dialogue and consultations by all relevant parties.

"China congratulates the Maldives on its successful presidential election as well as Solih's victory," Geng said in a guarded reaction.

"We respect Maldives' people's choice and we hope the country can maintain stability and development," he said.

The comments were China's first reaction to Solih's unexpected victory on Monday. India, US and several other countries had congratulated him on Monday itself.

"China and Maldives enjoy traditional friendship. In recent years, the two countries maintained very sound development momentum and we have conducted mutually beneficial cooperation under framework of the BRI and achieved outstanding outcomes," Geng said.

Responding to a question on strong criticism of large scale Chinese investment in the island nation and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), to which Solih belonged, Geng hoped the new government would create enabling environment for the Chinese firms to continue to work in Maldives.

"As to the FTA...we have always encouraged Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Maldives in accordance with the market based rules and regulations," he said.

China hopes "Maldives will maintain the consistency and the stability of their policies and create enabling atmosphere for the Chinese enterprises operations there", Geng said.

China will work with Maldives to ensure the sound implementation of the FTA and expand the trade and investment cooperation, he added.

The FTA, which aroused concerns in India, was signed during Yameen's visit to Beijing in September 2017.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry clarified to PTI that the FTA is yet to come into effect. It has not come into effect from August 2018 as stated earlier.

Former Maldives president and MDP leader Mohamed Nasheed has criticised the FTA and also accused China of indulging in land grabbing, posing a threat to the peace and stability of the entire region.

The large, emerging power is "busy buying up the Maldives", Nasheed, who lives in exile in Colombo, had told media earlier this month.

Analysts say Yameen's defeat is another setback for China after the ouster of former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Malaysian premier Najib Razak from power, which prompted China to reconfigure its investments.

While Geng was guarded in his comments on Tuesday, China's senior strategic analyst Hu Shisheng said the China card is played in Maldives polls not only by the political parties but also by India.

Terming Yameen's defeat as a temporary setback for China, the Director of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations told PTI there will not be a knee jerk reaction from China on the poll result.

"May be some Chinese projects would be affected. But if the projects are really significant for Maldives' long-term development, I don't think the new leaders will simply cancel them... It could be a temporary setback...If China's projects are affected, there could be short term liability issues," Hu said.

He said there is competition between local parties and between India and China in Maldives.

"It is much more important to be balanced. Only a balanced diplomacy could serve in the long-term development. It should not be pitting one card against the other and take things to ground zero. That would be more disruptive," he said.

Hu is of the view that China should be more cautious about its investments in future. It should develop more domestic consensus for its projects under the BRI or it should invest overseas in such projects that could be completed during the term of a government in the country concerned.

He also said India and China should work out some understanding for model cooperation in Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and African countries.

"We should not be living in cold war mentality," Hu said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hoping for continued conducive business environment for Chinese firms in Maldives under the new government, China on Tuesday congratulated Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, widely viewed as an ally of India, a day after he defeated the pro-Beijing President, Abdullah Yameen, in the Presidential election.

China is willing to work with Maldives to consolidate "our friendship and deepen the cooperation between the two countries", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here.

Solih's victory has a geopolitical significance in the South Asian region as the archipelago is strategically located in the Indian Ocean where China is flexing its muscles.

In 2014, the Maldives had signed a MoU with Beijing in support of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a project which is opposed by India as it includes the China Pakistan-Economic Corridor (CPEC) which transverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"China congratulates the Maldives on its successful presidential election as well as Soil's victory," Shuang said.

"We respect Maldives' people's choice and we hope the country can maintain stability and development," he said.

The comments were China's first reaction to Solih's unexpected victory on Monday.

"China and Maldives enjoy traditional friendship. In recent years, the two countries maintained very sound development momentum and we have conducted mutually beneficial cooperation under framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, (BRI) and achieved outstanding outcomes," Shuang said.

Responding to a question on strong criticism of large scale Chinese investment in the island nation and the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by the Maldivian Democratic Party to which Solih belonged, Shuang hoped the new government would create enabling environment for the Chinese firms to continue to work in Maldives.

China and Maldives had signed the FTA in last September and it came into effect on August 1 this year.

China is ready to continue cooperation with Maldives, the spokesman said.

"As to the FTA signed between China and the Maldives...we have always encouraged Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Maldives in accordance with the market based rules and regulations," Shuang said.

China hopes "Maldives will maintain the consistency and the stability of their policies and create enabling atmosphere for the Chinese enterprises operations there", he said.

"China will work with Maldives to ensure the sound implementation of this FTA and expand the trade and investment cooperation between the two sides to the greater benefit of our two countries and two peoples," the spokesperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)NEWSALERT-US-J&J Johnson & Johnson to break into two, separating retail products business from prescription drugs and medical devices. (AP)Johnson & Johnson to break into two, separating retail products business from prescription drugs and medical devices. (AP)

AMSChina on Tuesday asked the US to cancel the proposed USD 330-million arms deal with Taiwan, warning "severe damage" to bilateral ties, peace and stability in the region.

China views self-ruling Taiwan, an island which has been independent since 1950, as a rebel region that must be reunited with the mainland - by force if necessary.

Amid the rising tensions with China over the on-going trade war and sanctions imposed on the Chinese military procurement unit for Russian Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 missiles, the US on Monday said it has approved the sale of spare parts and related support for Taiwan's US-made F-16 fighters and other military aircraft in a USD 330 million contract.

Washington justified the sale saying that will improve Taiwan's ability to defend itself without altering the basic military balance in Asia, where the US is locking horns with Beijing for strategic dominance.

Reacting angrily against the US arms sale to Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media here on Tuesday that Washington should cancel the deal immediately.

The sale violated international law and the "basic norms governing international relations," Geng said without elaborating.

"We urge the US side to... immediately cancel this arms sale plan, and stop military contact with Taiwan so as to avoid severe damage to China-US ties, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and bilateral cooperation in major fields," he said.

Separately China's defence ministry issued a statement stating that the arms sale plan had "interfered in China's internal affairs and harmed China's sovereignty and security interests".

A commentary by the overseas edition of the Communist Party's mouth piece People's Daily said the arms deal represented interference in China's domestic and violated China's sovereignty.

"We call on the US to cancel the deal and cut off military ties with Taiwan to avoid causing damage to China-US military relations and peace in the Taiwan Strait," the commentary said.

China claims Taiwan which was estranged from the mainland as part of its territory and makes it mandatory for all countries having diplomatic ties with it to observe 'one china policy'.

The US and several other countries including India maintain economic and trade ties with Taiwan without formal diplomatic ties.

The proposal will go before the US Congress and covers spare parts for F-16, C-130 and F-5 indigenous defence fighter jets, and other aircraft systems. Congress has 30 days to raise objections to the sale.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when the defeated Nationalist government fled to the island.

China insists that a foreign country cannot have official ties with both Beijing and Taipei at the same time. Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with only a handful of countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China on Tuesday refuted reports that Pakistan's new government has urged it to ease pressure on Muslim minorities in Xinjiang amid reports of detention and restriction of religious activities, and defended its policies in the restive region.

Reports from Islamabad last week said that in his meeting with Chinese envoy Yao Xing, Pakistan's minister for religious affairs Noorul Haq Qadri urged China to ease pressure on Muslim monitories specially Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.

Rights groups have said Uyghurs faced restrictions on religious activities and mass detention in "re-education camps" in China.

The report of Pakistan expressing concern came as a surprise as Islamabad always remained silent about strong policies pursued by China in Xinjiang where Uygur Muslims were restive for several years over settlements from Hans, an ethnic group, from other provinces.

China blames East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) for violent attacks in the province and other areas in the country.

Asked about the reports of Pakistan expressing concern to China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing that Pakistan upheld China's efforts for promoting religious progress.

"China's Ambassador to Pakistan held a meeting with the Religious Affairs Minister of Pakistan and had exchange of opinions. Pakistan upholds China's efforts in promoting religious progress.

"Some foreign media had distorted and misrepresented that event. We express strong opposition," Geng said.

He defended the policies being pursued by China in Xinjiang, saying that the Chinese government has made efforts to develop Xinjiang in accordance with the laws.

"We have a series of measures and policies to promote stability of development, unity and improve people's livelihood in Xinjiang," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China said on Tuesday that it was impossible to hold trade talks with the United States while Washington is imposing tariffs that are like "holding a knife to someone's throat".

Speaking a day after the United States activated tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen told reporters: "Now that the US has adopted this type of large-scale trade restrictions, they're holding a knife to someone's throat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Coast Guard Commanders' Conference, which continued for the second day on Tuesday, witnessed intense deliberations on wide range of maritime issues, a statement by the Defence Ministry said.

The Indian Coast Guard Commanders discussed the ever emerging challenges in the maritime domain and put forth the steps taken to mitigate these challenges.

The ways and means to safeguard the operational infrastructure of the Coast Guard against cyber attack and cyber espionage was also discussed.

The statement said boarding operation at sea are imperative for deterrence and are yielding positive results and hence continuance with same impetus was emphasised upon during the discussion.

The conference was inaugurated by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday.

In her inaugural address, she had applauded the Indian Coast Guard's "relentless" surveillance efforts in the vast maritime arena and the quick response to the natural calamity in Kerala thus being a capable force in the Indo-Pacific region.

"The safety and security scenario emerging in the region after relaxation in cabotage regulations, inland waterways necklaces and SagarMala projects were deliberated and Director General Rajendra Singh apprised the Coast Guard Commanders that the operational philosophy will continue to be in sync with Prime Minister's vision of 'SAGAR'," the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The commerce ministry is working on a proposal to enhance the availability of affordable credit to certain exporters and products with a view to boosting overseas shipments, a senior government official said Tuesday.

Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Alok Chaturvedi said there are demands for extending the interest subvention scheme to merchant exporters and some MSMEs.

"We are analysing all those demands including those for merchant exporters and in some cases MSMEs" are not getting interest subvention benefits, he told reporters here.

"We are analysing that, and then we will be moving a proposal for including those. Higher rate (of interest subvention) would not be possible, but the inclusion of more lines (products)," he said.

He said that last year, the ministry moved a proposal for increasing the rate of interest subsidy to 5 per cent from 3 per cent at present "but it did not find favour with the finance ministry".

Further talking about the export sector, Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan said that increasing oil prices and protectionism are certain challenges in front of the sector.

India imports 85 per cent of its petroleum requirement and "it raises a major cost into our economy," he said adding other challenges are protectionism, unilateralism across the world and increasing trade tensions between major countries.

However, he added that the government is taking steps to promote and facilitate exports from the country.

The country's exports grew by about 10 per cent to USD 303 billion in 2017-18. Since 2011-12, India's exports have been hovering at around USD 300 billion.

Wadhawan said that the ministry is implementing a comprehensive strategy, which is focusing on products as well as countries, to enhance shipments.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress is indulging in mud-slinging against the government because it finds it easier than debating issues like development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday, in an apparent reference to allegations on the Rafale fighter deal.

Addressing a rally here in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, he also said that the Congress was looking for support outside the country after failing to firm up a formidable coalition within India.

He was apparently referring to a tweet by former Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik who had said that Rahul Gandhi will be next PM of India if he follows 'Jet Gate' (Rafale deal) properly".

Modi said "arrogance" has reduced the Congress party from 440 seats in the Lok Sabha to 44 seats, despite which it was not ready to introspect or correct itself.

"What a condition the 125-year-old Congress been reduced to! Nothing remains in the Congress... You need to look for the Congress party with a microscope now," he said at the rally which was also addressed by BJP chief Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Mocking the Congress, Modi said the party has been reduced to such a condition that it is "begging" with small parties for alliances.

He went on to add, "Even if they get allies, the coalition will not be successful. So, they (Congress) are looking for support from outside India...Now, will people sitting outside the country decide who will become prime minister in India?"



He said the Congress has "lost its balance after losing power".

Apparently referring to the charges of corruption being levelled by the Congress in the Rafale fighter deal, the prime minister said, "They (Congress) are indulging in mud-slinging because they find it easier."



He said the Congress had indulged in "mud-slinging" earlier too. "But I want to tell them, the more you throw mud at us, the more the lotus (BJP's symbol) will bloom," he added.

Modi said the Congress' attempts to defame him in the last two decades haven't worked.

"Ever since I came into in 2001, you (Congress) have used all your strength to hurl abuses at me. There would not be a single abuse left in the dictionary now. However, the more mud you threw, the more the lotus bloomed," he said.

"I urge you (Congress) to come and oppose, debate and discuss on topics of development. However, they will not do this, as they find it easier to indulge in mud-slinging. But the more mud you throw, the more the lotus will bloom," Modi said.

He said the "Congress has become a burden on the country today" and "it is the responsibility of BJP workers in a democracy to save the country from it."



At the rally seen as launch of poll campaign, the prime minister said vote-bank has destroyed the society like "termites" and "it is our special responsibility to rid the country of vote-bank "



Targeting the Congress, Modi said, "these are the people who used a section of society to win elections, never caring to work for the welfare of others but only trying to save their chair. This sin of dividing the country is one major reason of its destruction."



Referring to the practice of triple talaq, he said it is not acceptable even in Islamic countries.

"Even the party headed by a woman is not concerned about our Muslim sisters. This is the deformed face of vote-bank politics," Modi said attacking the Congress.

"It is the responsibility of BJP workers to protect the country from the vote-bank politics which has destroyed the country in the past 70 years," he said.

Modi said his government believes in social justice for all and that its 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' (cooperation of all, development of all) campaign is not just a slogan.

He said the opposition parties had formed the "Maha- gathbandhan" (grand alliance) out of fear of losing the polls.

"Due to fear of defeat, Congress is begging for the alliance with small parties, he said.

He said the Congress "arrogance" makes its leaders believe that ruling the country is their right.

The Congress is "unable to accept that a 'chai wala' (tea vendor) or the son of a poor mother like Shivraj and (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi (Adityanath) could attain the chair of power."



Modi said when the UPA was in power at the Centre, it held grudges against not only the BJP-ruled governments in other states, but also with its people.

"They created obstacles in every works of BJP governments. They did not care if money, schemes were left hanging but only wanted no works to be completed only then the BJP governments would be ousted by people. Time has now come to teach them a lesson," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister on Tuesday accused of looking for support outside the country, in a veiled reference to Pakistan whose former minister recently tweeted in favour of Rahul Gandhi.

In an apparent reference to the corruption allegations over the Rafale fighter deal, he accused the of indulging in mud-slinging against the government, saying the opposition party found it easier than debating issues like development.

Addressing a rally here in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh along with BJP chief Amit Shah, Modi also slammed vote-bank politics and the practice of triple talaq while targeting the party.

The Congress has been reduced from 440 seats in the Lok Sabha to 44 seats due its "arrogance" but it is still not ready to introspect or correct itself, he said.

"What a condition the 125-year-old Congress been reduced to! Nothing remains in the Congress... You need to look for the Congress party with a microscope now," he said at the rally also addressed by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Mocking the Congress, Modi said the party has been reduced to such a condition that it is "begging" with small parties for alliances.

He went on to add, "Even if they get allies, the coalition will not be successful. So, they (Congress) are looking for support from outside India...Now, will some countries decide who will become the prime minister in India?"



He was apparently referring to a tweet by former Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik who had said that Rahul Gandhi will be next PM of India if he follows 'Jet Gate' (Rafale deal) properly.



Modi asked, "Congress, what has happened to you? Have you lost balance after losing power?"



Apparently referring to the charges of corruption being levelled by the Congress in the Rafale fighter deal, the prime minister said, "They (Congress) are indulging in mud-slinging because they find it easier."



He said the Congress had indulged in "mud-slinging" earlier too. "But I want to tell them, the more you throw mud at us, the more the lotus (BJP's symbol) will bloom," he added.

Modi said the Congress' attempts to defame him in the last two decades haven't worked.

"Ever since I came into politics in 2001, you (Congress) have used all your strength to hurl abuses at me. There would not be a single abuse left in the dictionary now. However, the more mud you threw, the more the lotus bloomed," he said.

"I urge you (Congress) to come and oppose, debate and discuss on topics of development. However, they will not do this, as they find it easier to indulge in mud-slinging. But the more mud you throw, the more the lotus will bloom," Modi said.

He said the "Congress has become a burden on the country today" and "it is the responsibility of BJP workers in a democracy to save the country from it."





"In 1984, we lost (elections), but we introspected and worked to regain the trust of the people. We did not try to save our skin by blaming EVMs for our losses. Today people have once again reposed their faith in us," he said.

He then told the gathering that if the Congress is "destined to be ruined", the BJP need not worry.

At the rally seen as launch of poll campaign, the prime minister said vote-bank politics, like termites, has destroyed the country.

"These are the people who used a section of society to win elections, never caring to work for the welfare of others but only trying to save their chair. This sin of dividing the country is one major reason of its destruction," Modi said, in a veiled attack on the Congress.

"They have committed a sin of dividing the society and destroying the social fabric to ruin the country," he said.

"If you want to save the country from ruining caused in 70 years after Independence, you have to shoulder a vital responsibility," Modi told the rally of BJP workers.

He said his government believes that the entire 125 crore citizens of India are one family.

"Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas (cooperation of all, development of all) is not a mere slogan for us. It is our commitment," the prime minister said.

Referring to the practice of triple talaq, he said it is not acceptable even in Islamic countries.

"Even the party headed by a woman is not concerned about our Muslim sisters. This is the deformed face of vote-bank politics," Modi said attacking the Congress.

"It is the responsibility of BJP workers to protect the country from the vote-bank politics which has destroyed the country in the past 70 years," he said.



Modi said his government believes in social justice for all and that its 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' (cooperation of all, development of all) campaign is not just a slogan.

He said the opposition parties had formed the "Maha- gathbandhan" (grand alliance) out of fear of losing the polls.

"Due to fear of defeat, Congress is begging for the alliance with small parties, he said.

He said the Congress "arrogance" makes its leaders believe that ruling the country is their right.

The Congress is "unable to accept that a 'chai wala' (tea vendor) or the son of a poor mother like Shivraj and (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi (Adityanath) could attain the chair of power."



Modi said when the UPA was in power at the Centre, it held grudges against not only the BJP-ruled governments in other states, but also with its people.



"They created obstacles in every works of BJP governments. They did not care if money, schemes were left hanging but only wanted no works to be completed only then the BJP governments would be ousted by people. Time has now come to teach them a lesson," he said.

Expressing confidence that the BJP would win the upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Modi invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying, "the son of this soil may no longer be with us, but his memories are."



He also showered praise on late BJP leader Vijaya Raje Scindia, popularly known as 'Rajmata' of Gwalior, who is grand mother of Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

"The country can't forget three great leaders -- Mahatma Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia and Deendayal Upadhaya. They worked for the upliftment of the last man (poorest of the poor), he said.

"We are the people who accept Gandhi also, Lohia also and Upadhaya also as they always thought of the development of the last man of the society," he said.Opposition Congress Tuesday urged Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to restore normalcy in judicial courts, schools, colleges and government offices as layers, teachers and employees were "on strike" for several days over different reasons.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik said it is the responsibility of the state government to restore normalcy in courts by resolving problems of striking lawyers.

The lawyers of Orissa High Court are on strike for last 25-days demanding arrest or policemen allegedly involved in beating a lawyer in Cuttack. In some parts of the state, lawyers are also on strike demanding establishment of permanent bench of the High Court, the OPCC president said.

The Congress leader said that employees at the Heads of Department are also on strike since 39 days.

"In all the cases, the state government has not taken adequate measures to resolve the problems and therefore, the strike continues for long time. The normal functioning of courts, schools, colleges and government offices have been severely affected," Niranjan Patnaik said.

The OPCC president in a statement said "It is moral, political as well as administrative responsibility of the chief minister to maintain normalcy in all institutions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Criminalisation of politics was felt in its strongest form during the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts which was the result of a collaboration of a diffused network of criminal gangs, police, customs officials and their political patrons, the Supreme Court said Tuesday.

Referring to the report of the NN Vohra Committee, set up to study the problem of criminalisation of politics, the top court said the panel had referred to several observations made by official agencies, including CBI, IB and RAW, which unanimously expressed the opinion that criminal network was virtually running a parallel government.

It said the committee also took note of the criminal gangs which carried out their activities under the aegis of various political parties and government functionaries.



ALSO READ: NHPC moves Supreme Court against Delhi High Court order on arbitral award

The apex court referred to the panel's report while holding today that all candidates will have to declare their criminal antecedents to the before contesting polls, and termed as "unsettling" the criminalisation of politics in the world's largest democracy.

The top court said the Vohra committee had also expressed great concern that several criminals had been elected to local bodies, State Assemblies and the Parliament over the years.

"Criminalisation of politics was never an unknown phenomenon in the Indian political system, but its presence was seemingly felt in its strongest form during the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts which was the result of a collaboration of a diffused network of criminal gangs, police and customs officials and their political patrons," said the five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra.



"The tremors of the said attacks shook the entire Nation and as a result of the outcry, a commission was constituted to study the problem of criminalisation of politics and the nexus among criminals, politicians and bureaucrats," said the bench, also comprising Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra.

The report submitted in October 1993 had said: "In the bigger cities, the main source of income relates to real estate - forcibly occupying lands/buildings, procuring such properties at cheap rates by forcing out the existing occupants/tenants etc.

"Over time, the money power thus acquired is used for building up contacts with bureaucrats and politicians and expansion of activities with impunity. The money power is used to develop a network of muscle-power which is also used by the politicians during elections.The Supreme Court Tuesday held that all candidates will have to declare their criminal antecedents to the Election Commission before contesting polls, and termed as "unsettling" the criminalisation of politics in the world's largest democracy.

The apex court said that informed choice is the cornerstone of democracy and asked the legislature to consider framing a law to ensure decriminalisation of politics.

It said there was a need for a law to prevent persons with serious criminal cases pending against them from entering the legislature and be a part of lawmaking.

The top court said corruption and criminalisation of politics are hitting at the roots of Indian democracy, and Parliament must take steps urgently to curb this menace.

A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, said that citizens have a right to be informed about the antecedents of their candidates.

It said the candidates have to file a form with the Election Commission declaring their criminal antecedents and criminal history in 'bold letters'.

In the unanimous verdict, the bench, also comprising Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, said that political parties are obligated to put all the information about their candidates on their websites.

The apex court also said that political parties must be informed by the candidates about their criminal background.

It called for wider publicity, through print and electronic media about the antecedents of candidates affiliated to political parties.

Taking note of the submissions of Attorney General K K Venugopal that the court should not cross the laxman rekha vis-a-vis the separation of powers, the bench said it cannot enter into legislative arena to provide disqualification for candidates who are facing serious criminal cases.

However, it said the nation eagerly waits such legislation and the lawmaking wing of the democracy should take upon itself to come out with a law to address this.

The verdict was pronounced 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.

According to the prevalent law, the lawmakers and candidates are barred under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act from contesting elections only after their conviction in a criminal case.

The verdict was reserved on August 28.

The Centre had 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.

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.

Venugopal 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 that 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 PILs were 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.)The planning body of the DDA Tuesday approved a proposal for a six-lane flyover in the city that will make a stretch of road signal-free from a section of a national highway to the GT Road, officials said.

The decision was approved by the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) in its 57th Governing Body Meeting, held under the chairmanship of Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal.

"The proposed flyover will make road no. 56 signal-free, from NH-24 (Ghazipur intersection) to GT Road (Apsara border). This proposed six-lane flyover is connected to existing ROB (road overbridge) near Shrestha Vihar Junction at southern side and near Vivek Vihar intersection at the northern side," the DDA said in a statement.

The proposed flyover will also ease local traffic in Vivek Vihar, Sunder Nagar, Ramprastha Colony, Anand Vihar and other nearby residential colonies, it said.

A short-term traffic improvement plan for decongestion of Hardev Sahai Marg and Rani Jhansi Road, between Kashmere Gate and Panchkuian Marg T-Junction was also approved by the UTTIPEC.

"This proposal was conceived in two parts, i.e., from Kashmere Gate junction to Northern toe of Rani Jhansi flyover (Tis Hazari side) and another from southern toe of Rani Jhansi Flyover (Filmistan side) to Panchkuian T-junction," the DDA said.

The PWD will obtain all necessary approvals and clearances from department concerned before implementation of the project, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi congress has included unemployment and price hike issues in its 'Nyay Yudh campaign', originally intended against "illegal" sealing in the national capital, and will hold a mega rally in the city to highlight the "plight" of Delhiites hit by them.

The convener of the campaign, Mukesh Sharma, said the 'Lalkar Rally' will be held in northwest Delhi's Bawana on September 30, while the 'Hunkar Rally' will be held at Ghonda in northeast Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari.

"In addition to "illegal" sealing issue, Delhi Congress will also take up the plight of lakhs of people rendered jobless due to the illegal sealing and the back-breaking price rise," he told reporters.

For preparation of the rallies, former Congress MLAs Surender Kumar and Bisham Sharma will hold over 200 meetings, Sharma said.

The Congress leader attacked Manoj Tiwari who appeared in the Supreme court Tuesday in pursuance to the contempt notice issued to him for allegedly breaking the seal of a premises which was being run in violation of the Delhi Master Plan.

"Tiwari, instead of indulging in seal-breaking drama, should open the minds of the BJP leaders to provide relief to the lakhs of people affected by the illegal sealing," Sharma said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Union Minister Jaswant Singh's son and Sheo MLA Manvendra Singh is the latest among the disgruntled leaders who might dent the BJP's hold among key communities ahead of the Assembly elections, party workers say.

Manvendra Singh, who announced Saturday he is quitting the party, is said to have a significant influence in the Rajput community in western Rajasthan.

The others leaders who could make a difference in the BJP's caste equations in the state include Brahmin MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari, firebrand Jat leader Hanuman Beniwal and Gujjar agitation's poster boy Kirori Singh Bainsla.

Like Manvendra Singh, they all have expressed resentment against the Bharatiya Janata Party, with which they once identified.

Manvendra Singh claimed that the swabhiman' of the Rajput community was hurt when the BJP did not give his father and veteran leader Jaswant Singh the ticket to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Singh is now likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Barmer and may field his wife from his Sheo Assembly seat.

Observers say the scion of the erstwhile Jasol royal family may eat into the BJP vote, riding on sympathy for his father in the Rajput community, often considered to be a BJP vote bank.

Six-time BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari has been opposing the party leadership within the Assembly and outside.

After being served notice by the BJP for indiscipline, the popular Brahmin leader resigned from the party to form his 'Bharat Vahini Party'.

He is now trying to create an anti-BJP momentum in the state, urging like-minded leaders to join him.

Hanuman Beniwal, a Jat leader from Nagaur who is regarded a crowd puller at political rallies, may also have some impact on the sentiment in the region.

He was elected on a BJP ticket from Khinvsar Assembly seat in 2008, but quit the BJP because of differences with the state party leadership.

Another possible spoilsport is Kirori Singh Bainsla, who stormed into limelight in 2008 for demanding reservations in government jobs and education for five communities, including the Gujjars.

Though Bainsla has not announced any plan to contest the year-end elections yet, he may still exert influence among the Gujjars in eastern Rajasthan.

Bainsla had recently threatened to disrupt Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje 'Gaurav Yatra' in Bharatpur division. That leg of the yatra', however, was cancelled after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death.

The party, however, has managed to get back another caste leader, Kirori Lal Meena, after he quit the party.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP National Secretary H Raja Tuesday submitted before the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court that a division bench of the court had no locus standi to suo moto initiate contempt proceedings against him.

Making a special mention before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice V K Thahil ramani and Justice M Duraiswamy, advocate K S Dinakaran appearing for the BJP leader referred to several judgements and said only the Chief Justice could decide whether to initiate suo motu proceedings or not.

The matter relates to the suo motu contempt proceedings initiated by a division bench of Justices C T Selvam and Nirmal Kumar on September 17 against H Raja over his alleged derogatory remarks against the judiciary and police.

It had also issued a statutory notice to him directing his personal appearance on October 22.

There are several high court and Supreme Court judgements that allow other benches to place the materials before the Chief Justice on taking cognisance of the matter and whether to take suo motu action or not, the counsel noted.

"Only the Chief Justice has to decide whether to take suo motu or not," the advocate said, adding that the "Bench headed by Justice CT Selvam has no loco standi to take suo motu."



Chief Justice VK Thahil Ramani directed the advocate to place the note along with citings in this connection and said she would examine the matter.

A criminal case was registered against Raja on September 16, a day after he picked up a quarrel with policemen in Meiyyapuram village in Pudukottai district over the route of an immersion procession of Lord Ganesh idols.

He had called the police "anti-Hindu" and "highly corrupt", besides making some remarks against judiciary when informed that permission could not be given to take out the procession through the route in view of a court order.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Indian youth has been slapped with molestation charges by a Dubai court after he allegedly groped a woman while she was walking late at night, according to a media report.

The man, a driver by profession, denied the charge, claiming that he touched the woman by mistake, the Khaleej Times reported.

The prosecutors accused the 30-year-old man of inappropriately touching the Filipina woman and then fleeing the scene.

The case was registered at the Bur Dubai police station.

The complainant, a 25-year-old waitress, told the prosecution that she did not know the suspect prior to the incident.

"It was at 1:20 am on August 3. I was near a restaurant and was about to go to a supermarket. My friend was with me. There were a group of five to six men who were coming in the opposite way. One of them groped me intentionally. I yelled at him but he then replied in a very abusive and vulgar manner," the woman was quoted as saying by Khaleej Times.

He did not just ignore her screams for help but also laughed and continued his way, she said, adding, "I followed them and kept screaming until an African man came and restrained the defendant."



The woman said she had no idea about what could have prompted the accused into that behaviour as she did not encourage or provoke him in any way.

A ruling will be pronounced on October 11.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Egypt is doing an outstanding job in the fight against terrorism, US President Donald Trump said at a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, during which the two leaders discussed bilateral, regional issues and religious freedom.

"I want to thank you, and I want to congratulate you on doing an outstanding job with respect to terrorism," Trump told al-Sisi during the bilateral meeting held in New York on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly.

"I know you are working very hard on that. It is not easy. And you are at the forefront. But you have done an outstanding job and I just want to congratulate you," Trump said.

Al-Sisi said he would be able to attain the objective of eliminating terrorism.

"With your support, Mr President, we will be able attain this objective. We will be able to eliminate terrorism. And this has been your obligation that you made very clear during your presidential campaign that you are going to eliminate terrorism all over," he said.

According to the White House, the two leaders underscored the importance of the strategic partnership between the US and Egypt.

Trump reiterated his commitment to the security, stability, and prosperity of Egypt, the White House said.

"Both leaders discussed the importance of religious liberty and progress in the treatment of Egypt's Coptic community," it added.

Trump also emphasised that the US would continue to closely work with Egypt on challenging regional and international issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Eight Indian sailors are stranded without full wages for nine months aboard a vessel in Dubai, a media report said Tuesday.

The crew members of the Panama flagged ship, that entered Dubai waters in November last year, claimed that their company has abandoned them without providing wages and enough food and fuel, Gulf reported.

The ship, MV Topman, is docked at berth No. 13 in Dubai Maritime City (DMC).

The crew members said that they have only been paid one month's salary since they reached Dubai waters and alleged that there is minimal supply of food and drinking water, the report said.

They had been supplied food twice by Nautical Institute UAE.

As they are running out of fuel, the crew members have started rationing fuel for night and have been spending the daytime under a tarpaulin roof on the deck since Friday, the report said.

"We are just surviving. We have lost seven-eight kilos. We don't have energy in us. Our families are suffering back home. The situation is so tough that we are on the verge of (committing) suicide," said one of them.

The sailors cannot leave the ship since they do not have the UAE visas.

"If any accident or medical emergency happens, we cannot even go out to seek help. The ship's MLC complaint certificate and all the firefighting appliances are expired," said a senior crew member.

The sailors said they had approached various authorities for getting their pending wages and early repatriation.

The Federal Transport Authority (FTA) of the UAE has warned the Indian owner of the ship that the company's activities will be banned in the UAE by Thursday if he does not provide a plan to sort out the sailors' issues.

An executive from the company's representative office in Sharjah said the company was facing a financial crisis and would be able to make the full payment of the pending wages only after selling the ship.

"We had given them (the eight sailors) an option to go home with one month's salary and we will pay the rest after the sale. But they are not ready to do that. We have also made arrangements with the canteen in DMC to give them lunch and dinner," he said.

The emails from the Panama Consulate in Dubai indicated that the mission was trying to assist the company to sell off the ship and was ready to arrange tickets and visas for the sailors if they wished to fly home before receiving the full payment.

The Indian Consulate in Dubai said the mission had been in constant touch with both crew members and the company to resolve the issue.

"We are also in touch with the FTA and the Panama Consulate to resolve the issues of sea-fares of the ship," the consulate added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The finance ministry and the RBI will work out a mechanism to ensure that India and Iran trade does not get disrupted following the decision of the US to impose sanctions on the import of Iranian crude oil, a top government official said Tuesday.

Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan said they are telling exporters that proper mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that the trade does not get disturbed with Iran.

In May, the Trump administration had pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and brought back economic sanctions against Tehran.

The US has told India and other countries to cut oil imports from the Gulf nation to "zero" by November 4 or face sanctions. India is yet to take a call on complying with the US sanctions on Iran.

"We are certainly urging the departments concerned to put in place an arrangement, as and when required, which ensure that there is no disruption (in trade)," Wadhawan told reporters here.

He added that "ministry of finance and the RBI will work out various mechanisms to ensure that trade does not get disturbed. Those mechanisms will be worked out".

Iran was India's second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but western sanctions over its suspected nuclear programme relegated it to the 7th spot in subsequent years. In 2013-14 and 2014-15, India bought 11 million tonnes and 10.95 million tonnes respectively from the country.

Sourcing from Iran increased to 12.7 million tonnes in 2015-16, giving it the sixth spot. In the following year, Iranian supplies jumped to 27.2 million tonnes to catapult it to the third spot.

Replying on a question whether India is exploring the possibility of Rupee-Ruble trade with Russia, he said: "We have a history with Russians of Rupee-Ruble trade ... so certainly all those options will be discussed and will be explored".

He added that trade in local currencies helps in promoting balance trade, wherever India is a large importer of goods such as petroleum, gold or diamond.

Talking about India-US trade issues, the secretary expressed hope that both the countries would soon find a solution on all the matters.

"We are always hopeful that we will resolve issues. I am sure, we will find a solution," he said adding US trade officials are already in the national capital for discussions.

Recently, the government, for the second time, extended the deadline for the imposition of higher customs duties on 29 products, including almond, walnut and pulses, imported from the US, till November 2.

The duty hike move by India was in retaliation to US President Donald Trump's March 9 decision to impose heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium items.

India is pressing for exemption from high duties imposed by the US on certain steel and aluminium products, resumption of export benefits to certain domestic products under their generalised system of preferences (GSP), greater market access for its products from sectors, including agriculture, automobile, auto components and engineering.

As many as 3,500 Indian products from sectors such as chemicals and engineering get duty-free access to the US market under the GSP, introduced in 1976.

On the other hand, the US is demanding greater market access for its farm and manufacturing products, including medical devices.

India's exports to the US in 2017-18 stood at USD 47.9 billion, while imports were USD 26.7 billion. The trade balance is in favour of India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre has sanctioned Rs 1,90,000 crore for road projects spanning over 14,000 km in the northeast, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday and iterated that infrastructure development in the region has always been a priority of the NDA government at the Centre.

Gadkari, who arrived in Shillong on Monday on a two-day visit, reviewed all national highway projects in the eight northeastern states.

"Our government accords highest priority to infrastructure development in the northeast. We seek cooperation of state governments for land acquisition, forest clearances and encroachment solutions," the Union minister for road transport and highways told reporters here.

A total of Rs 1,66,026 crore has been sanctioned for construction of over 10,000 km of roads in eight states under National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited. Additionally, Rs 7,000 crore has been approved for 850-km stretch under National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), he said.

"The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has also sanctioned Rs 17,257 crore for respective Public Works Department for the construction of 2,421 km of roads in the states," Gadkari explained.

The Union minister clarified that the NHAI would withdraw its services from the northeast once the pending projects are over.

"Currently, the NHAI has been entrusted with the job of 850-km-long road in the region for Rs 7,000 crore. In Assam alone, the NHAI has four projects, spanning 96 km," he said, adding, "In Meghalaya, the NHAI is scheduled to complete 62-km-long road project for Rs 536 crore by October."



"As the NHIDCL (National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited) has been constituted exclusively for infrastructure development of the region, the services of NHAI will be withdrawn from northeast after the completion of the pending projects. The NHAI will need to attend to road projects in other parts of the country," he said.

Gadkari directed the additional director general of NHIDCL to hold review meetings with respective state governments every three to four months to remove bottlenecks, if any.

In all, work was underway on 2,520-km stretch in the region at a cost of Rs 36,839 crore under NHIDCL while the remaining 8,372 km will be taken up after adequate preparations, Gadkari said.

In Assam, the NHIDCL was entrusted with the job of constructing 3,140 km road at a cost of Rs 55,533 crore.

"Work is in progress on 397 km for Rs 8,976 crore in Assam. The detailed project report (DPR) preparation for another 2,743 km road at a cost of Rs 46,557 crore is underway," the Union minister said.

In Manipur, Rs 27,289 crore has been sanctioned for road project spanning 2,374 km.

"Civil work was currently in progress on 440-km stretch for Rs 1,428 crore. The remaining Rs 25,862 crore will be utilised for another 1934 km," the Union minister said.

For Meghalaya, the NHIDCL has sanctioned 1,295-km road at a cost of 18,869 crore.

Around 52-km road has already been taken up under NHIDCL for Rs 520 crore. The detailed project report for the remaining 1,243 km were underway, Gadkari said.

In Arunachal Pradesh, Rs 15,821 crore has been approved by the ministry for 1150-km stretch, while, in Mizoram, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 13,302 crore for building 845-km road. For Tripura, Gadkari said, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 6,219 crore for construction of 522 km of road.

In Nagaland, 751-km road has been approved which would cost Rs 12,788 crore and another 815-km stretch has been sanctioned in Sikkim-West Bengal under NHIDCL at a cost of Rs 16,205 crore, the minister said.

"I would request the state governments to conduct reviews periodically for the smooth progress of the projects," Gadkari said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Germany on Tuesday pitched for resumption of European Union-India free trade agreement (FTA) talks, saying both sides should do so for "strategic reasons" and to send out a strong political message.

German Ambassador to India Martin Ney at a press conference here also said, both the EU and India should "set a standard" to guide trade relations in the future, when "a very political figure is doubting free trade".

He, however, did not mention, whom he meant by that "political figure".

"Germany has been a fervent advocate of FTA (EU-India)... We detect a willingness from the Indian side to resume negotiations," Ney said, adding an important aspect of that is to set industry standards, meaning there should be one standard.

"Both sides would benefit from the economies of scale. But, more so, we should together set standards and not wait for the others to set it for us," the envoy said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Berlin in 2017, had met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and held bilateral talks. At the summit, the deadlock over the FTA between India and the EU was highlighted, where Merkel and senior business leaders had urged the prime minister for a speedy conclusion to the agreement.

"There are growing protectionist trends around the world, but Germany believes the value chains are so deeply interconnected that we will continue to create fair trading conditions. Within this context, it is important that the FTA makes progress," Merkel had said.

"The negotiations have been tough because every country must safeguard its own interests and Germany will ensure that India's concerns are also put on the table," she said.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited India in March and met Modi, and both of them agreed that for "political and strategic reasons", it is important to resume negotiations, Ney said.

"It is high time for both the EU and India to sit down (for talks)... There are issues such as import taxes on automobile parts, wines and spirits. But these issues can be solved, they just need a time-frame," the German ambassador said.

"A very political figure is doubting free trade. Perhaps, we should send out a strong political message by resuming negotiations between two sides, the EU and India, and hammer out a strategy to guide our trade. A strategy to shape a treaty, and that treaty is called FTA," he said.

When asked, if there was any clarity on the timeline of resumption of talks, the envoy said, "There is no political decision yet as to when to restart the negotiations."



Ney said Germany is the sixth largest trading partner of India and the most important trading partner inside the European Union.

The trade volume between the two countries rose by 10 per cent in 2017, crossing 19 billion Euro mark, he said, adding, 1,700 German companies are doing business in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)State Duma passes amendments to Criminal Procedural Code about cassation, appeals courts

 RIA Novosti, Ruslan Krivobok

16:59 25/09/2018

MOSCOW, September 25 (RAPSI)  The State Duma has passed in the third and final reading a bill amending the Criminal Procedural Code of Russia, bringing it into congruency with a recently passed law establishing independent cassation and appeals courts of general jurisdiction.

The bill was prepared by the Supreme Court of Russia. The amendments specify a procedure for challenging court rulings in cassation and appeals courts as well as review of court rulings due to newly revealed circumstances of a case.

The document also specifies a procedure for cassation review of court rulings depending on what court passed its judgement, whether a ruling is final or not and what a court should review it. Most of the amendments are expected to come into force when cassation and appeals courts will become operational.

On July 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed law on establishment of independent cassation and appeals courts of general jurisdiction.

The State Duma, the Parliaments lower house, adopted the bill on July 17 and the Federation Council approved it on July 24.

The law envisages creation of 9 cassation and 5 appeals courts of general jurisdiction within relevant judicial circuits that involve territories of several subjects of the Russian Federation.

According to the Supreme Court, it is necessary to create certain judicial levels for establishment of independent courts considering appeals. Currently, the legality of judgments is being considered by courts issuing these rulings.

Putin earlier supported this initiative stating that creation of cassation and appeals courts would give new opportunities for appealing judicial acts and enhance independence of these instances.A government school principal was arrested Tuesday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4,500 in Sri Ganganagar district under Bikaner division of Rajasthan.

The accused Ved Prakash, principal of the government senior secondary school, Raisinghnagar, had demanded the bribe from a private school's principal for submitting a favourable school inspection report under Right to (RTE).

After verification of the complaint, the accused was caught red-handed taking the bribe, Additional SP of Anti-corruption Bureau Rajendra Dhidharia said.

Prakash was arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An agreement to ensure peace in the Kuki dominated areas in Manipur has been signed by the Centre with two militant groups of the community, officials said Tuesday.

The Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement was signed by the central government with the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and the United People's Front (UPF) of Manipur.

The suspension of operation by the security forces will continue for one more year till August 31, 2019, a home ministry official said.

The two Kuki apex militant bodies as well as several other organisations of the community are demanding a separate Kuki state out of Manipur.

Many cadres of the KNO and the UPF are currently putting up at designated camps set up by the government in different Kuki-dominated areas in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Greenpeace activists have scaled an Indonesian palm oil refinery with a popular rock band who played some of their pro- songs from the top of the structure, it said Tuesday, protesting a commodity found in everything from soap to biscuits.

The green group said 30 activists - including several foreigners - and Indonesian metal group Boomerang were "occupying" the site in Sulawesi island to draw attention to widespread environmental destruction caused by planting the widely used edible oil.

They painted "Dirty" in large letters and dropped a banner that read "Drop Dirty Palm Oil Now" on storage tanks owned by Singapore-listed Wilmar International, the world's biggest palm oil trader which supplies major brands including Colgate, Nestle and Unilever, it said.

One group of activists also climbed the anchor chain of a tanker ship transporting palm oil and are preventing it from moving, according to the group.

Meanwhile, Boomerang - which got its start in the mid-nineties and whose new music focuses on conservation - performed at the top of the refinery tanks. Greenpeace has accused Singapore-listed Wilmar of still being linked to deforestation in Indonesia - the world's biggest palm oil exporter - despite committing five years ago to stop logging the Southeast Asian archipelago's vast tracts of jungle.

"This refinery is loaded with Wilmar's dirty palm oil and if we weren't here it would be on its way to factories and supermarkets all over the world," Greenpeace said.

Wilmar did not immediately comment on the protest.

Last week, Indonesia's president signed a three-year moratorium on all new palm oil plantation development in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Plywood major Greenply Industries Ltd on Tuesday said it has set up a manufacturing unit at Gabon in West Africa at a capex of about euro 11 million.

"The facility located at the NKOK Special Economic Zone is spread over an area of 10 hectare, manufacturing Okoume face veneers. The facility has a total processing capacity of 96,000 cubic metres (CBM) of Okoume timber annually," the company said in a release.

The company plans to scale up its processing capacity from the existing 3,000 CBM per month to 8,000 CBM per month by March 2019, with an additional investment outlay to the tune of euro 4 million, it said.

"We are constantly working on capacity building and securing resource availability. Gabon is the place where we have found a sustainable and economic solution to restore the ecological imbalance caused due to the cutting of Gurjan trees," Greenply MD Rajesh Mittal said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)on Tuesday said its stand on the legal challenge to Article 35-A of the constitution before the will remain consistent that an elected government should plead the case before the apex court.

"As far as Article 35-A is concerned, the Governor (Satya Pal Malik) has gone on record multiple times and he has clearly said that this is not an elected government and it would be right if an elected government within the state actually fights the case in the Supreme Court," state chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam told reporters here.

Subrahmanyam said there was no link between the timing of holding panchayat elections in the state and deferment of hearing of the PIL challenging Article 35-A before the



"There have been multiple postponement of the hearings of Article 35-A in the before and after the panchayat elections were announced. It is just accidental that the case is listed in January and the panchayat elections are to be completed before that," he said.

The chief secretary said the Governor's administration is going to be consistent in its stand before the apex court that an elected state government should fight the case.

"The stand of the governor's adminstration is going to be consistent in the Supreme Court that there are many serious complex issues which have to be discussed as far as Article 35-A is concerned and these should not be discussed when Governor's rule is in place.



"These should be discussed when an elected government is in place, which will take a solid position in the Supreme Court. So, there is absolute clarity that Governor's rule is not about deciding Article 35-A," he said.

Asked when the assembly polls will be held in the state, the chief secretary said it was for authorities higher than him to decide.

"I am not competent to answer this question. It is for the authorities higher than me to decide," he said adding that an assembly was in place in the state.The Calcutta High Court Tuesday adjourned by a day the hearing of a PIL 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.

A division bench presided over by Acting Chief Justice Debasish Kar Gupta adjourned the hearing as lawyers from the other side were not present in the court owing to the death of a senior lawyer.

Trinamool Congress MP Idris Ali, a practising lawyer, pleaded for a direction on his prayers in connection with the BJP-called bandh on Wednesday from 6 am.

The bench, also comprising Justice Sampa Sarkar, directed Ali to serve fresh notices on the BJP, RSS, West Bengal government and Union of India for appearing before the court on Wednesday.

The saffron party has called a 12-hour Bengal bandh to protest the death of two students in a high school premises during a demonstration over appointment of teachers in Islampur area in North Dinajpur district.

Challenging the bandh call, Ali submitted for petitioner All India Minority Forum general secretary M A Ali, that citizens could not be forcibly prevented from doing their daily work.

Idris Ali said the Kerala High Court had held that bandhs were illegal and unconstitutional and the order was upheld by the Supreme Court.

The trouble had brewed at Daribhit High School in Islampur over the recruitment of Urdu and Sanskrit teachers as the protesting students said they needed Science and English teachers instead.

The students and the locals had stopped two newly-recruited teachers, one for Urdu and another for Sanskrit, from entering the school on September 20 resulting in a clash.

The BJP alleged that ITI student Rajesh Sarkar and third-year college student Tapas Barman were killed in police firing, but 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.)The Delhi High Court on Tuesday pulled up the AAP government for not disbursing funds to the municipal corporations for salaries of staff according to the recommendations of the fourth Delhi Finance Commission (DFC), saying poor workers were suffering "as politicians were fighting among themselves" for their "pound of flesh".

Hearing a batch of writ petitions seeking adequate funds to the three municipal corporations to enable their proper functioning, a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao said, "You (Delhi government) could have said let the payments be made till the legal issues are settled. But you want your pound of flesh."



"The poor employees are working unpaid without bread and butter as the politicians fight among themselves. Our concern is for the poor workers," the court said.

The bench, however, did not issue any directions and listed the matter for hearing on October 25 as the Supreme Court was hearing the Delhi government's appeal against the high court's April 16 and May 21 orders directing implementation of the fourth DFC recommendations.

The Delhi government told the high court that the apex court on September 12 had sought the corporations' stand on the appeal and listed it for hearing on October 22.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) told the bench that its sanitation workers are on strike since September 12 over non-payment of their salaries.

The high court on May 21 had asked the Delhi government to release the funds required by the municipal corporations of east and north Delhi to pay the salaries and pensions from November last year.

The order had come on Delhi government's plea seeking review of the high court's April 16 direction to pay the amounts to the corporations according to the fourth DFC recommendations.

The Delhi government had sought review of the order on the ground that recommendations of the DFC are mainly advisory and not binding on it.

In its April 16 order, the high court had observed that despite having the funds, the Delhi government did not appear willing to implement the fourth DFC, under which the civic bodies have been allocated more funds than they are receiving at present.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused Yemen's Huthi rebels of hostage-taking, torture and other serious abuses against people in their custody.

The New York-based watchdog said it had documented 16 cases of illegal imprisonment by the Iran-backed Shiite insurgents, "in large part to extort money from relatives or to exchange them for people held by opposing forces".

"Huthi officials have treated detainees brutally, often amounting to torture," HRW said, adding that former detainees described being beaten with iron rods, wooden sticks and assault rifles.

Prisoners were shackled to walls, caned and threatened with rape, it said, noting that hostage-taking "is a serious violation of the laws of war and a war crime".

"The Huthis have added profiteering to their long list of abuses and offences against the people under their control in Yemen," said HRW Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson.

"Rather than treat detainees humanely, some Huthi officials are exploiting their power to turn a profit through detention, torture and murder."



The Huthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, forcing the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee south.

Nearly 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened on the side of the Yemeni government in 2015.

UN investigators said last month that all sides in the conflict may have committed war crimes, pointing to widespread arbitrary detention, rape, torture and the recruitment of children.

HRW called on the UN Human Rights Council to renew the mandate of a group of experts on Yemen to investigate and identify all parties responsible for abuses.

"The United Arab Emirates, UAE proxies, and Yemeni government forces have also arbitrarily detained, tortured and forcibly disappeared scores of people in the Yemeni conflict," it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian Air Force (IAF) will exhibit the aerial skills of its various aircraft at an air show here in Gujarat Wednesday and Thursday.

The event will be held as part of the 'Know Your Forces' campaign to motivate the local youth to join IAF, Vadodara air force station PRO, Wing Commander Rachna Joshi, said Tuesday.

The IAF's Surya Kiran aerobatic team and Akash Ganga, the sky diving team, will display various formations at the Harni Camp, located on the city's outskirts, she said.

The aerial drills will thrill locals and provide them a window to the country's sky warriors, Joshi said.

She said the 'Know Your Forces' campaign is aimed at showcasing the capabilities of IAF and spread an awareness among the youth of Gujarat to join the defence wing for a bright and promising career.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The IIT Kharagpur has developed a community supported supply of purified drinking water project at Porapara in West Midnapore district of West Bengal.

Dr Somnath Ghosal of the Rural Development Centre of IIT Kharagpur has installed a fully-automated multi-filtered UV treated drinking water facility which can provide close to 1000 litres of purified drinking water to 60 families every day at Rs one per family, an IIT KGP statement said Monday.

While the land was freely provided by a villager, IIT KGP build the infrastructure and funded the entire project.

The villagers are getting purified drinking water through water ATM vending machines using water cards from the facility launched about ten days ago, it said.

Ghosal said such self-managed purification units require little intervention in maintenance and require one-time investments that can become part of the CSR initiatives of both public and private enterprises.

The entire operation of the unit, its upkeep and daily management, are being done by the villagers who have formed three committees to manage the operations.

It is an "install and self-operate" arrangement in which the current and future financial needs are to be met by the villagers from the fund collected in the form of the daily payment for water, the statement said.

Ghosal recently filed for a patent for the technology used in Porapara, the statement said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Argentina drug case defendant to stay detained until December

17:31 25/09/2018

MOSCOW, September 25 (RAPSI)  Moscows Tverskoy District Court has extended detention for Andrey Kovalchuk, one of the defendants in a criminal case over attempted cocaine smuggling from Argentina to Russia, until December 1, the courts spokesperson Anastasia Dzyurko has told RAPSI.

Kovalchuk was arrested in Germany on March 1. Later, he was extradited to Russia and put in jail.

Three other defendants in the case are Vladimir Kalmykov, Ishtimir Khudzhamov and Ali Abyanov. In July, their detention was extended till mid-October.

All the men are charged with drug trafficking and illegal production, sale or transportation of drugs.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, law enforcement authorities of Russia and Argentina have collaboratively suppressed delivery of a large consignment of drugs (cocaine) from Argentina to Europe. The drugs ready for delivery were found in one of the Russian embassy buildings in Buenos Aires in 2016. Cocaine allegedly belonged to an embassy technical staff member, whose duty journey was over by that time. During the conducted operation, Russian and Argentinean citizens were arrested, the ministry stated earlier.Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar,



who had extended support to the Manohar Parrikar government in Goa, on Tuesday expressed unhappiness over the functioning of the BJP-led ruling coalition and tendered his resignation from the post of chairman of a state-run corporation.

Gaonkar claimed that in absence of Chief Minister Parrikar, who is admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi because of a pancreatic ailment, the entire administration has come to a standstill.

Asked by reporters if he would withdraw his support to the BJP-led government, he said, "Any decision I take



about the government will be only after taking my voters into confidence."Gaonkar is among the three Independent legislators supporting the Parrikar government, which also has the backing of two regional outfits - the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and the Goa Forward Party (GFP) (three MLAs each)- and the NCP (one MLA).

The BJP has 14 MLAs and the Congress has 16 in the 40-member House.

The legislator from Sanguem in South Goa tendered his resignation as chairman of the Goa State Forest Development Corporation (GSFDC).

"When the state forest minister himself is absent for long time, what kind of development can we expect in that department?," Gaonkar said after resigning from the post.

Parrikar holds the forest portfolio among others.

He said he is unhappy with the functioning of the Parrikar government.

"I had supported Manohar Parrikar as the chief minister because I was impressed with his style of functioning. But now I find that the current government has done injustice to my people," he said.

Gaonkar was among the group of six MLAs, headed by GFP president Vijai Sardesai, who expressed solidarity with the Parrikar government before a team of BJP central observers.

The three-member team was in the coastal state last week to assess the political situation in the state in view of Parrikar's hospitalisation.

Gaonkar said the BJP-led government has failed to find solutions to key issues like the ban on the mining industry, which is a source of livelihood for thousands of people in the state.

Of late, the political situation in Goa has been a matter of much speculation in the backdrop of Parrikar's illness.

However, BJP president Amit Shah has said the 62-year- old chief minister would remain in his post.

The Opposition Congress has been claiming that all is not well in the BJP-led coalition government and has demanded a confidence vote in the Assembly.

On the other hand, the BJP has asserted that its government continues to have the support of a majority of MLAs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sino-Indian military exchanges grew rapidly after this year's informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at Wuhan, Indian envoy to China Gautam Bambawale said on Tuesday.

"This is a good development as we cannot solve the issues between us if we are not direct and frank with each other. Strategic communication is important not merely between the top leadership of our countries but also between our diplomats, our military officers and our trade negotiators," Bambawale said.

"After Wuhan, our military exchanges have not merely resumed but grown rapidly. Our military commanders are now talking to each other more frankly and more candidly than ever before," he said, while speaking at the fifth dialogue between the Indian Council of World Affairs and the Chinese People's Institute for Foreign Affairs.

Director General of the Indian Council for World Affairs T C A Raghavan and Director of the Institute for China Studies, Delhi Ashok Kantha also took part in the dialogue. Raghavan was former Indian envoy to Pakistan and Kantha was ex-Indian envoy to China.

Bambawale also invited China to join the international solar alliance (ISA) and announced plans to launch an 'Incredible India' advertisement campaign in the Chinese media to attract more Chinese tourists to India.

He said India has recently launched the International Solar Alliance with a view to expand the use of solar energy by providing developing countries with technology, expertise and finance.

"China herself is a leading player in the development and spread of solar energy. India has invited China to join the International Solar Alliance. We hope China will do so soon," Bambawale said.

Referring to recent campaigns launched by Minister of State for Tourism, K J Alphons in different Chinese cities to attract more tourists, he said "China will soon witness the famous 'Incredible India' advertisements on their TV channels, in shopping malls and on city buses".

India is making a pitch for tourists as only 300,000 of over 144 million Chinese tourists who travelled abroad visited India last year whereas over 1.4 million Indians travelled to China.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India and France share "unique commonality" of views on burning global issues and their enhanced coordination on the global stage would pave the way for a more secure, peaceful and a safer world, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh said Tuesday.

He made these remarks when a French parliamentary delegation called on him here.

He said the meeting between the representatives of parliaments of the two countries would be beneficial in sharing their rich experiences and learning from each other's best practices, a statement from the Rajya Sabha secretariat said.

He said India-France friendship is firmly rooted in the excellent bilateral understanding and mutual respect as well as in their commitment to the shared values of democracy, liberty, equality and fraternity.

"India accords high priority to its Strategic Partnership with France forged in 1998, which has been taken to new heights with the President Macron's visit to India in March 2018," the statement said quoting Harivansh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India and Morocco Tuesday resolved to deepen their defence and security cooperation and inked two agreements providing for collaboration in cyber security and use of outer space, officials said.

The two sides also decided to boost bilateral counter-terror cooperation during talks between Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Moroccan counterpart Abdeltif Loudyi.

"During the meeting, both ministers agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and security," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The two ministers identified hydrography, peacekeeping as well as counter-terror cooperation as potential areas to deepen bilateral engagement.

The two sides also agreed to cooperate in ship building.

The pacts on cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space and in the area of cyber security were signed following the talks between the two ministers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Indian national was jailed for three-and-a-half years on Monday for encashing cheques worth 4,70,000 Singapore dollars of his employer and absconding to Malaysia in March.

Bahurudeen Kuthpudeen, 44, pleaded guilty to one count each of criminal breach of trust and removing from Singapore the benefits of his criminal conduct, reported The Straits Times Tuesday.

The court heard that his employer, AM Mohamed Farook, who operates the Mohamed Thahir Exchange in Collyer Quay, signed three cheques for a total amount of 4,69,900 Singapore dollars at around 3 pm on March 27.

The cheques were meant to be encashed for the purchase of foreign currencies.

He handed the cheques to an employee known only as Babu, who passed them to Bahurudeen.

The business development manager then encashed the cheques at an RHB Bank branch at the nearby Cecil Street.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Melissa Ng said: "Instead of returning to the company, the accused left Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint bus hall at 4.46 pm for Malaysia."



When his colleagues failed to find him, they alerted AM Mohamed. He tried to contact Bahurudeen on his mobile phone, but received a ring tone that is usually heard in overseas calls.

He then lodged a police report.

DPP Ng told District Judge Luke Tan that Bahurudeen was later detained at the border of Kedah when he attempted to leave Malaysia for Thailand.

Cash totalling almost USD 24,000 was found in his possession and seized.

The Royal Malaysia Police arrested Bahurudeen on March 28, a day after he encashed the cheques, and he was sent to Singapore on March 29.

Lawyer Siraj Shaik Aziz, who was assigned to the case under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, said 4,58,652 Singapore dollars of the misappropriated amount had been recovered.

Siraj added that his client was his family's sole breadwinner.

His wife had stayed home in India to look after their 13-year-old daughter, who has a disability in her hand.

Stressing that Bahurudeen is "genuinely remorseful", the lawyer told the court: "It was financial difficulties brought on by the need to service a loan for his daughter's hand operation that prompted the commission of the offences in a momentary lapse of judgement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The trade potential between India and Pakistan stands at $37 billion, according to a report which said that continued political tensions and lack of normal trade relations between the two nations have cast a shadow over cooperation efforts within South Asia.

The report 'A Glass Half Full: The Promise of Regional Trade in South Asia', which was released on Monday, has highlighted among key factors, the long list of product restrictions in bilateral trade. India and Pakistan continue to maintain long, sensitive lists of items on which no tariff concessions are granted.

The lack of normal bilateral trade relations between the two countries affects the formation or deepening of regional value-chains in various high-value trading sectors, Dawn newspaper reported quoting the report.



Pakistan has a list of 936 items and almost 17.9 per cent of tariff lines that apply to imports from all South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) countries.

India maintains a list of 25 items (0.5 per cent of tariff lines), which includes goods such as alcohol, firearms, etc.

However, it has a much longer, 64-item list, (almost 11.7 per cent of tariff lines) for Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but which effectively applies only to Pakistan, because India applies a smaller sensitive list to Sri Lanka as part of a separate India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement.

Items on the Indian sensitive list can be imported at the most-favoured-nation tariffs from any SAFTA country, including Pakistan, because India accorded Pakistan the status in 1996, soon after the accession of the two countries to the World Trade Organisation.

However, Pakistan has not granted India the most-favoured-nation's status or non-discriminatory market access.

In addition, the preferential access granted by Pakistan on 82.1 per cent of tariff lines under SAFTA is partially blocked in the case of India because Pakistan maintains a negative list comprising 1,209 items that cannot be imported from India.



In practice, many of these items are exported from India to Pakistan through a third country, usually the United Arab Emirates.

The report says another barrier to bilateral trade is the proliferation of NTMs (non-tariff measures), some of which take the form of non-tariff barriers, such as port restrictions.

Pakistan allows only 138 items to be imported from India over the Attari-Wagah land route. Furthermore, cargo trucks from either side cannot move beyond their border zones, which means that goods must be transloaded at the border, adding to the time and cost of trading.

Another factor impeding bilateral trade in goods and services, as well as FDI, is the encumbered visa regime that India and Pakistan have created for each other, which restricts the mobility of people between the two countries.



Continued political tensions and lack of normal trade relations between India and Pakistan have cast a shadow over cooperation efforts within South Asia, contributing to the lack of progress in the regional cooperation agenda of SAARC and SAFTA, the report said.A day after he was rescued from the Indian Ocean off Australia, Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy, who suffered a grievous back injury while participating in the Golden Globe race, has been admitted to a hospital in a remote island, a Defence spokesman said here Tuesday.

He said the French fisheries vessel Osiris, which rescued Commander Abhilash Tomy, reached off Amsterdam isle by 9:30 AM and the sailor was subsequently transferred to the hospital there for further medical evaluation and treatment.

Tomy, 39, and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, were injured after their boats lost masts in a storm at South Indian Ocean Friday while competing in the prestigious race.

"Tomy and Gregor have been transferred ashore at "Amsterdam isle" by a medical team and have been taken to hospital for X-Ray and medical checkup," the spokesman said.

He said the fishing vessel Osiris will remain in the area till HMAS Ballarat (Australian warship) and INS Satpura reach the island.

According to reports, the island only has a small hospital with limited facilities.

Tomy, who was sailing as part of the Golden Globe Race (GGR), drifted in the sea for three days before he was rescued by French fishing vessel Osiris, officials had said Monday.

His boat Thuriya was hit by a deadly storm, about 1,900 nautical miles from Perth, on Friday.

Indian Naval ship Satpura has been sent to bring the commander 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 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 for medical attention," had tweeted.

ALSO READ: Indian Navy sailor Abhilash Tomy rescued from Indian Ocean near Australia

Tomy 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 Adventure Award, the Kirti Chakra for valour and courageous action and the Mac Gregor medal.Injured Indian Navy sailor Abhilash Tomy, who was plucked from his stricken vessel in the Indian Ocean off Australia's coast, is admitted to a hospital on a remote island where he has had food and is "sounding okay", a defence spokesman said here Tuesday.

The 30-year-old decorated Navyman got injured when his yacht was struck by a savage storm while he was participating in the Golden Globe Race and was rescued Monday after being adrift for three days.

The spokesman said a French doctor examined Tomy, a Kirti Chakra awardee.

"He is stable and has no major injuries. He's sedated but sounding okay. X-ray reportis not too bad. He has had food. He is speaking. Further medical tests in progress," the spokesman said.

He said the French fisheries vessel Osiris, which rescued Commander Tomy, reached off Amsterdam Isle by 9:30 AM and the sailor was shifted to the hospital there for further medical evaluation and treatment.

Tomy and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, were injured in the storm and their boats lost masts Friday while competing in the prestigious race.

They were taken to hospital for X-Ray and medical check-up immediately after admission, the spokesman said.

He said the fishing vessel Osiris will remain in the area till HMAS Ballarat, an Australian warship, and INS Satpura reach the island. INS Satpura will being the commander back to India.

According to reports, the island only has a small hospital with limited facilities.

Tomy's boat 'Thuriya' was hit by a storm about 1,900 nautical miles off Perth on Friday.

The Australian Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra coordinated the mission to evacuate the injured sailors in cooperation with many agencies, including the Australian Defence Department and the Indian Navy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Iran on Tuesday identified the perpetrators of a deadly attack on a military parade as "jihadist separatists", announcing a series of arrests and appearing to tie the Islamic State group to the bloodshed.

The intelligence ministry published photos of the five men it said carried out the assault Saturday in the southwestern city of Ahvaz that killed 24 people including civilians.

"The five members of a terrorist squad affiliated to jihadist separatist groups supported by Arab reactionary countries were identified," the ministry said in a statement.

"The terrorists' hideout was found and 22 people involved (in the attack) were arrested," it said, adding that explosives were seized along with military and communications equipment.

The attack targeted a parade in Khuzestan province commemorating the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

The region, which has a large ethnic Arab community, was a major battleground of the conflict and saw ethnic unrest in 2005 and 2011. Iranian officials initially blamed Arab separatists, who they claimed were behind previous unrest, for the latest attack, saying they were backed by Gulf Arab allies of the United States.

This version was bolstered when a movement called "Ahwaz National Resistance", an Arab separatist group, claimed responsibility shortly after the assault.

But the Islamic State group (IS) was also quick to claim responsibility and later published a video of men it said were the attackers.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Monday linked the attackers to Iraq and Syria, where IS once had major strongholds.

"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," Khamenei was quoted as saying by his official website.

The photographs of the alleged attackers released by the authorities Tuesday showed the bodies of four men named as Ayyad Mansouri, Fouad Mansouri, Ahmad Mansouri and Javad Saari.

The picture published by the intelligence ministry of an alleged fifth member of the group, Hassan Darvishi, was a screenshot taken from the video put out by IS.

According to local media two of the Mansouris are brothers and the third is their cousin.

Abdullah Ganji, the managing director of the ultra-conservative Javan daily, wrote on Twitter that a third Mansouri brother "was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria".

There has been no known presence of Iranian Arab separatist groups in Syria.

Ganji also wrote in an article that the nature of the attack in Ahvaz, in which the assailants died, far more resembled IS than the "bombing or hit and run operations" typical of Arab separatist groups.

"To kill until you are killed, without trying to leave the scene is the method of (IS)," he said, pointing to parallels with a high-profile attack in Iran last year.

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.

Ganji, however, appeared to hedge his analysis and said that if it was still confirmed that the Arab separatists committed the attack then it could mean they are in league with IS.

Iranian authorities have blamed the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates of being behind the Ahvaz attack, which Tehran has promised to "rigorously punish".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday to continue combatting Iranian "entrenchment" in Syria and coordinating with Russia after the downing of one of Moscow's planes.

"We will continue to act to prevent the Iranian military entrenchment in Syria, and continue the security coordination between the Israel Defence Forces and Russian army," Netanyahu told reporters.

On September 17, Syrian air defences mistakenly shot down a Russian military plane following an Israeli raid in Syria, killing 15 people. Moscow has blamed the friendly fire incident on Israeli pilots using the larger Russian plane as "cover".

Israel disputes the Russian findings and says its jets were back in Israeli airspace when the plane was downed.

Russia 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.

Those moves prompted Netanyahu on Monday to warn Putin against "transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands".

Speaking at the airport before travelling to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu stressed Israel's "great success" in preventing Iranian military entrenchment in Syria and the transfer of advanced arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon over the past three years.

"That doesn't mean that there weren't exceptions, but altogether it has been very successful," Netanyahu said.

"We did this with maximal and very successful security coordination with the Russian army." Netanyahu also noted he had agreed with Putin to have Israeli and Russian military teams meet soon to enhance the coordination.

Russia and Israel set up a hotline in 2015 to avoid accidental clashes in Syria. Israel is now concerned Russia will seek to limit its actions there. Israel's main enemy is Iran and it has pledged to stop it from entrenching militarily in neighbouring Syria.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah is also one of its enemies. Both Iran and Hezbollah are supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime in his country's civil war alongside Russia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)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.Tokyo police said Tuesday they had arrested a 49-year-old woman suspected of dumping a stillborn baby's body in a coin locker, amid reports she had moved the corpse around for as many as five years.

"The suspect... left and abandoned the body of an infant inside the locker," near Uguisudani Station, a Tokyo police spokeswoman told AFP, with the latest incident occuring around September 13.

According to local media, the unemployed woman handed herself in and confessed she had been storing the body in lockers near the station since suffering a stillbirth "four or five years ago".

"I panicked after I did not give birth to a living child and kept the body as I could not dispose of it," she told investigators, according to Kyodo

She decided to turn herself in after she was kicked out of the home where she was staying, Kyodo said. She had left the locker key behind and thought someone might discover the body.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Monday sought a fair process to defend his integrity, in the wake of what is described as a false accusation of sexual assault against him.

"I am looking for a fair process, a process where I can defend my integrity and clear my name. And all I am asking for is fairness and that I'd be heard in this process," Kavanaugh told Fox in a rare interview Monday night.

Breaking his long silence on the issue, Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley appeared on Fox in the Supreme Court nominee's first interview after the allegations against him surfaced.

Two women have come out publicly in the last 10 days to allege that they were sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh, in incidents 36 and 25 years ago.

"I have never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever. I have always treated women with dignity and respect," Kavanaugh said.

"Listen to the people who have known me best through my whole life, the women who have known me since high school, the 65 who overnight signed a letter from high school, saying I always treated them with dignity and respect...," he added.

Kavanaugh and his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. The Democrats are asking for an FBI investigation into the incident, which has so far been stonewalled by the Republicans and President Donald trump.

"And this is an allegation about a party in the summer of 1982 at a house near Connecticut Avenue and East-West Highway with five people present. I was never at any such party," Kavanaugh said.

"The other people who were alleged to be present have said they do not remember any such party. A woman who was present, another woman who was present, who is Dr Ford's lifelong friend, has said she does not know me and never remembers being at a party with me at any time in her life. All I am asking for is a fair process where I can be heard," he added.

"I never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr Ford," Kavanaugh said, adding, "What I know is the truth. And the truth is, I have never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or otherwise."



"I am not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr Ford, at some point in her life, was sexually assaulted by someone in some place. But what I know is, I have never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or at any time in my life," he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump hoped that his Supreme Court nominee would soon be confirmed.

"We hope he is going to be confirmed. He is a fine, fine man. A great scholar and great at everything he has ever done. And it would be sad, indeed, if something happened to reroute that. This is a fine man. And we certainly hope he is going to be confirmed, and quickly," Trump told reporters in New York.

"His family has suffered. What is going on is not something that should happen. Brett Kavanaugh is an absolute outstanding person. Hopefully, he will be confirmed quickly," the US president said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also came out in Kavanaugh's defense.

"Senate Democrats and their allies are trying to destroy a man's 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," he said on the Senate floor.

Justice Kavanaugh is the second judge to be 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh has said that he "never sexually assaulted anyone" and always treated women with dignity and respect, as he sought a fair process to defend his "integrity" over the mounting sexual misconduct allegations that have put his confirmation into jeopardy.

Two women - Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez - have come out publicly in the last 10 days, alleging that they were sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh 36 and 25 years ago respectively.

"I have never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever. I have always treated women with dignity and respect," Kavanaugh said on Monday as he broke his long silence on the issue.

"Listen to the people who have known me best through my whole life, the women who have known me since high school, the 65 who overnight signed a letter from high school, saying I always treated them with dignity and respect...," he told Fox as he gave his first interview along with his wife.

"I am looking for a fair process, a process where I can defend my integrity and clear my name. And all I am asking for is fairness and that I'd be heard in this process," Kavanaugh, 53, said.

Kavanaugh and his first accuser 51-year-old Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

The Democrats are asking for an FBI investigation into the incident, which so far has been stonewalled by the Republicans and President Trump.

"This is an allegation about a party in the summer of 1982 at a house near Connecticut Avenue and East-West Highway with five people present. I was never at any such party," Kavanaugh said.

"The other people who were alleged to be present have said they do not remember any such party. A woman who was present, another woman who was present, who is Dr Ford's lifelong friend, has said she does not know me and never remembers being at a party with me at any time in her life. All I am asking for is a fair process where I can be heard," he added.

President Trump continues to support the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh. He has questioned the motives of the Democrats in raising this issue.

Trump has also questioned the credibility of Ford, contending that if the alleged attack was so bad then she would have reported it to the law enforcement when the incident happened 36 years ago.

"I never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr Ford," Kavanaugh said, adding, "What I know is the truth. And the truth is, I have never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or otherwise".

"I am not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr Ford, at some point in her life, was sexually assaulted by someone in some place. But what I know is, I have never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or at any time in my life," he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump hoped that his Supreme Court nominee would soon be confirmed.

"We hope he is going to be confirmed. He is a fine, fine man. A great scholar and great at everything he has ever done. And it would be sad, indeed, if something happened to reroute that. This is a fine man. And we certainly hope he is going to be confirmed, and quickly," Trump told reporters in New York.

"His family has suffered. What is going on is not something that should happen. Brett Kavanaugh is an absolute outstanding person. Hopefully, he will be confirmed quickly," the US president said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also came out in Kavanaugh's defence.

"Senate Democrats and their allies are trying to destroy a man's 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," he said on the Senate floor.

Justice Kavanaugh is the second judge to be 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sri Lanka said on Tuesday it is ready to welcome outgoing Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen, days after his surprise defeat in the election.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has spoken on the phone to Yameen, the premier's office said in a statement.

Yameen lost Saturday's presidential election to the joint opposition coalition headed by Ibrahim Solih.

Wickremesinghe congratulated Yameen for conducting free and fair polls, and assured him that Sri Lanka would welcome him at any time.

The statement also said that former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, who is in exile in Colombo, had met Wickremesinghe on Monday and urged for the continuation of Sri Lankan investment in the Maldives.

Sri Lanka has hosted several dissidents from nearby Maldives through years of political turmoil in the Indian Ocean archipelago, including hundreds of Yameen's opponents since he became president in 2013.

Wickremesinghe was personally invited by Nasheed to attend Solih's inauguration as president in November.

Nasheed's Democratic Party has based its offices in Colombo since most opposition leaders in the Maldives were arrested under Yameen's rule.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking to to ban lawmakers from practising as advocates.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that the Bar Council of India Rules do not prohibit legislators from practising as lawyers.

The court was hearing a 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)It started with the lynching of 17-year-old Junaid near Delhi and moved on to places like Una, Alwar and Ramgarh, an exploration of hate crimes across the country that resulted in a 45-minute film documenting stories of despair but also of strength.

Lynch Nation, the trailer of which went online Monday, is a collection of testimonies from those who survived mob fury and the families of those who didn't.

The mob killing of 17-year-old Hafiz Junaid last June was the moment that drove Delhi-based filmmaker Ashfaque EJ and his journalist roommates Furqan Faridi, Shaheen Ahmed and Vishu Sejwal to step on the pedal.

"For him, his identity became a threat, said Ashfaque, who is also a journalist.

In the other cases, the excuse was cows, but in Junaid's case it was pure hatred, Ashfaque told PTI.

Junaid, 17, was stabbed to death by a mob when he was on his way home to Ballabgarh after shopping for Eid in Delhi.

According to IndiaSpend, 35 people (26 of them Muslims) were targeted in cow-related violence in 2018. Of these, eight people were killed.

Furqan added that he and his friends were disturbed about the increasing number of incidents of lynching. They chose to focus on incidents of lynching that centred around cow vigilantism.

We wanted to do whatever bit we could to get things in perspective about what's plaguing our society today. As Muslims, it had a greater impact on me and our crew, Furqan said.

The team travelled across the country for six-seven months, their first stop being Dadri, home to 52-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq, who was battered to death in 2015 on the suspicion of storing beef in his home.

Funding for the film came from friends, family and others.

Akhlaq's death seemed to have started a domino effect with reports of lynching coming in from many parts of the country. After Dadri, the crew travelled to Una, Ballabgarh, Latehar, Alwar and Ramgarh.

The filmmakers say they needed to choose seven-eight incidents to tell a cohesive story.

Asked why they focused on cow and beef-related incidents of lynching, Ashfaque said mob violence is not a new phenomenon in India but murders committed in the name of the bovine have a definite political agenda and support from the Hindu Right.

The cow is being used as a political tool targeting minorities, mainly Muslims and Dalits, because they're the ones mostly employed in the cattle business... , he said.

Lynching, he added, is the majority's way of telling a minority that the law cannot protect you.

Ashfaque added the incidents of people being beaten to death are followed by videos -- shot by the perpetrators themselves -- to further intimidate and spread the message to teach a lesson.

Furqan said when they were heading to Akhlaq's village Bisada in Dadri for a recce, people discouraged them from entering.

The house where Akhlaq and his family lived now stands abandoned. The people said we might face problems due to our all-Muslim crew. The accused, Vishal Rana, son of BJP leader Sanjay Rana, continues to live there.

The next time we went to Bisada for a reshoot, a couple of our Hindu friends, who are also journalists, accompanied us.

Furqan added that the team went in with the perspective that the environment will be dark and depressing. It was indeed all that, but they also came across some "real stories of strength.

"Vasram Sarvaiya, one of the four Dalit men flogged in Una in 2016, has taken to activism. His brother Ramesh was also beaten and later joined a Dalit Shakti Kendra and visits villages to educate people about their rights," he said.

Junaid's family had bought a piece of land in Haryana when he was alive. They now plan to build a madrassa there in his memory. The madrassa will be open to all and besides Islamic studies, other sciences and arts will also be taught there.

"Despite the fact that after the lynchings, government and powerful people pressured them so much to drop the case, accept compensation and so on, most of them are fighting back really hard," he said.

Ashfaque said the survivors' families were really forthcoming about talking to the crew.

They are fighting for a cause. They really believe that the media, especially in Delhi, can help them. They still have the belief in the media, even though it is not helping them as much as it should. These people are really vocal. They are ready to repeat their stories in front of different journalists. For them, there's no other option."



The documentary is expected to be released online first week of October.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Maharashtra government has adopted a policy to promote electric vehicles and plans to bring Rs 25,000-crore investment for their manufacturing, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Tuesday.

He said the government is encouraging use of electric vehicles by its departments.

Fadnavis was speaking at a function in Mantralaya (state secretariat), where five e-vehicles procured on rent from Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) were handed over to the PWD department.

EESL will provide 1,000 such vehicles in phases on rent. Initially, two charging stations each will be set up in Mantralaya (Mumbai) and Nagpur for these vehicles.

This initiative is aimed at encouraging the use of electric vehicles by government departments to protect the environment, Fadnavis said.

The government has adopted e-vehicles policy and plans to bring Rs 25,000-crore investment for the manufacturing of such vehicles, their components and charging equipment, he said.

In May this year, the state PWD department signed an MoU with EESL to procure e-vehicles on rent from the central PSU. The MoU also envisages manufacturing such vehicles and their spare parts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Miscreants set a panchayat ghar on fire in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the number of such government buildings being torched since the announcement of the local bodies polls in the state to eight, police said Tuesday.

"Unknown miscreants tried to set ablaze a panchayat ghar at Matrigam Tikri in the Pehthkote area of Banipora district in north Kashmir Monday," a police official said.

He said the fire resulted in partial damage to the building.

Fire tenders were rushed to the spot as soon as the of the incident was received, the official said.

He said this was the eighth such incident in which a panchayat ghar has been set on fire since the polls for municipal bodies and panhcayats were announced in the state.

Most of these buildings were set on fire in south Kashmir, the official said, adding that the police have registered cases in all the incidents and investigations were on.

Separatists and militants have asked people to stay away from the polls, which have also been boycotted by the state's two main political parties the National Conference and the PDP and also by the CPI(M).

The violence has also cast a shadow on the polls, scheduled to be held in October and November, respectively.

Three cops were abducted and later killed by militants in Shopian district of south Kashmir, following which several special police officers (SPOs) of Jammu and Kashmir announced their resignation on social media.

Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh and the valley's top army official Lt Gen A K Bhatt Monday reviewed the security situation ahead of the polls at a meeting at Handwara in Kupwara district of the state.

The senior security officials emphasised that the existing cooperation and synergy between different forces is to be further strengthened to combat militancy and also to ensure smooth conduct of the local governance elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The purported "sex CD" of Chhattisgarh PWD Minister Rajesh Munat was allegedly made by superimposing his face on a porn clip on the orders of his then party colleague Kailash Murarka last year, the CBI has claimed in its charge sheet.

In its charge sheet filed in a Raipur court on Monday, the agency has claimed that it was established through forensic analysis that sexual acts depicted in the porn clip were morphed to taint Munat.

The agency has alleged that Murarka, now absconding, had paid two other accused -- Vinay Pandya and Rinku Khanuja -- Rs 75 lakh to get the morphing done in Mumbai, officials said here Tuesday.

Murarka has reportedly been sacked by the party after his name surfaced in the CBI charge sheet as the master mind of the case.

Pandya and Khanuja used services of a person in Mumbai to get the work done for which nearly Rs one lakh was paid to him, they said.

The clip was given to journalist Vinod Verma at his residence in Ghaziabad by Murarka, the agency has alleged.

It has alleged that Verma and Murarka also went to meet Chhattisgarh Congress Chief Bhupesh Bhagel and his associate at a hotel in Delhi.

The agency has claimed that Pandya and Murarka are absconding while one of the accused Rinky Khanuja, a local businessman, committed suicide while the probe was on, they said.

Baghel was sent to judicial remand for 14 days in connection with the case by the special court on Monday after refused to take bail or engage any lawyer.

He 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 filed the charge sheet against Baghel, Kailash Murarka, Vijay Pandya, Vinod Verma, Vijay Bhatia and Rinku Khanuja (now deceased).

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).

Talking to reporters, Baghel had said he had shown black flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent tour to the state. Therefore, the charge sheet was submitted in a hurry by the investigative agency under pressure from the BJP government.

Baghel said he was innocent and would protest against the government from the jail.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)



Guwahati, Sep 25 : 39-year-old Nur Jahan hailing from Mangaldoi area in Assams Darrang district didnt find her name in the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) published on July 30 last.





Nur Jahan living in Guwahati since past two decades, but she didnt find her name in the complete draft of NRC.





She is not the only transgender who didnt find name in the list, there are around 20,000 other transgender in Assam who didnt make it to the NRC.





Nur Jahan, Mahima Hazarika, Jasmine and many others among the 40 lakh people whose names were not included in the complete draft of NRC.





The complete draft of NRC was published on July 30 by including the names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants.





While, the process of claims and objections of NRC has been started from today across the state by giving another opportunity to the 40 lakh people to make it, 20,000 transgender of Assam are facing lots of problem for inclusion their names in the NRC.





The 20,000 strong transgender community of Assam had applied for the NRC, but they didnt able to find their names in the draft NRC.





Nur Jahan is now living with others at South Sarania area in the capital city of Assam, left her home while her family members and other people avoided her.





Nur Jahan said that, they are genuine Indian citizens, not illegal foreigners.





I came to Guwahati in 1998 and spent 13 years in Delhi. We did not find our names in the draft NRC. We appeal to the government to make it for the transgender. We are not Bangladeshi (illegal foreigner), we are Indian citizen. My father, grandfather was born in Assam, Nur Jahan said.





Mahima Hazarika, another transgender hailing from upper Assams Sivasagar district who didnt find her name in the draft NRC.





Mahima also appealed the government to take necessary action for inclusion the names of transgender in the NRC.





We demanded, all transgender names should be included in the NRC. We are also a part of the society. We are not different. We want to live in our society, Mahima said.





There were three options  male, female and others in the NRC application and the transgenders of Assam applied in the others community.





But the documents like birth certificates that the some transgenders submitted mentioned them as either male or female which created some issues.





Swati Bidhan Baruah, first transgender judge in Assam said that, Assam has a population of 20,000 transgenders and some of them failed to apply in the NRC. Major parts of the transgenders had applied, but they didnt find their names.





The principles and criteria set by the NRC authorities for the NRC updation process led the entire community into a paralysis situation. Due to the criteria such as documents before 1971, bank passbook and other family relationship documents, that has created a paralysis situation, because most of transgender has been abandoned by the parents, family members. So they could not go back to their homes, Swati said.





The transgender community of Assam still hope that, some norms of the NRC will be relaxed for them and they will be included their names in the final NRC.



Taking suo motu cognisance of the clash in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district in which two students died, apex child rights body NCPCR on Tuesday asked the state's chief secretary to conduct a probe into the matter.

Yashwant Jain, a member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), expressed "serious concern" over the matter and asked if violence was necessary and sanctioned by relevant authorities.

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 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.

"There were alternative ways to handle the situation peacefully. The clashes would have left a deep mark on young children's minds. It is clearly negligence on part of the authority," Jain said, adding a special NCPCR team would be sent to probe the matter, if necessary.

"We have written to the chief secretary of West Bengal (Malay Kumar De), asking him to direct the officials concerned to conduct an inquiry and send a factual inquiry report of the matter to the commission within 15 days along with details of the deceased," Jain said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Twenty-one stories from the rich collection of popular Bengali author Ashapurna Debi, who gazed into the heart of the domestic life of the Indian woman as no other writer did, have been brought together in a new collection.

Over more than 70 years of a writing career, Debi created an extraordinary oeuvre.

In one story after another, numbering into thousands by the time she was done, she examined the imprisonment of the women within their homes and their responses to the power play, pressures and hypocrisies lying beneath the surface of the apparent solidity of the middle-class urban family.

Each of the stories in "Shake the Bottle and Other Stories", translated by Arunava Sinha, unravels an unexpected, even dreadful, side to the personalities of the women who feature in them.

In every story, a deceptively quiet but potentially explosive act of revolt takes place - or comes close to taking place.

Far from the sweet and submissive stereotype of the wife, mother, daughter or woman of the house that familial structures have enforced, it is the rebellious side of the woman, often forced to emerge through cruelty, viciousness and even hatred that stands revealed.

Debi created rebellious women characters to use them as a medium of protest. But she never tried to broadcast this protest from the rooftops.

Through these women, she attempted to underline the things that disturbed her, caused her pain, wracked her with doubts.

In the book's foreword, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore writes about her earlier recollection of Debi that dates back to the early 1960s when she was offered the role of Ghentu in Patha Pratim Chowdhury's "Chhaya Surjo", a film based on the writer's eponymous short story.

"Playing Ghentu, a 'kalo meye' or a dark girl, with all its negative implications, who dares to fall in love, gave me immense satisfaction. It was my coming-of-age film. During the shooting, I developed a very special bond with her creator, Ashapurna Debi," she says.

According to her, the ordinariness of Debi's women makes their resilience in the face of insurmountable odds, all the more poignant.

"Tragic as they are, her short stories do not succumb to predictable endings," Tagore writes.

Best remembered for her magnum opus, the trilogy, "Prathom Protishruti", "Subarnolata" and "Bakul Katha", Debi published her first poem in a children's magazine at the age of 13. She was felicitated with the Jnanpith Award and the Padma Shri, thereafter, in 1976. She died in 1995.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A new and upgraded visitors gallery at the Attari retreat ceremony area, which can hold as many as 25,000 people, along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab will be inaugurated Wednesday, a senior official said Tuesday.

The Attari-Wagah retreat area, about 30-kms from Amritsar, is popular for the foot-stomping flag lowering ceremony conducted every evening by the border guards of the two countries and is witnessed by thousands of people on both the sides.

BSF Director General (DG) K K Sharma will inaugurate the new U-shaped gallery tomorrow and it can hold about 25,000 people, as compared to 600 in the past, and will have better seating and viewing arrangements, the official said.

He said the BSF chief will witness the retreat ceremony but any ceremonial meeting with Pakistan Rangers officials during the event is ruled out given the recent incident of shooting and slitting the throat of a jawan of the border guarding force in Jammu recently.

The new gallery will have multiple entry and exit points, more toilets and over two dozen smart CCTV cameras for as part of the enhanced logistics and security arrangements on the Indian side of the retreat area in Attari.

A good number of stands in the gallery have also been provided with roof shelters that will help in keeping people safe from sunlight and rains, he said.

The gallery will also sport two new video walls, space for creation of a museum and a medical facility, they added.

The new facilities have been created after the Union Home Ministry sanctioned a budget of over Rs 30 crore to the Border Security Force for these works, they said.

The ceremony ends with the BSF and Pakistan Rangers ceremonially taking out their respective national flags and forcefully shutting the gates on the either side.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nine new items have been added to the list of export items to Bangladesh from Tripura, taking the total number of products to be shipped to the neighbouring country to 30, official sources said.

In a notification issued Tuesday, the director of Industries and Commerce Department, Sandip R Rathore, said the nine approved items, including rice, dry fish and soyabean seeds, will be exported to the neighbouring country through three land custom stations of the state.

The state so far had been exporting 21 commodities to Bangladesh through eight land custom stations.

"While rice, betel leaves and dry fish would be exported through Srimantapur station in Sipahijala and Manughat station in South Tripura, rubber latex, bamboo-based products, broomstick, soyabean seeds, spare parts of CNG-run vehicles and maize would reach the neighbouring country through Agartala-Akhaura International Check Post," he said.

Debashish Nandi, the manager of Agartala-Akhaura ICP, asserted that fish and other perishable organic items will go through several rounds of inspections before they are shipped to the neighbouring country.

Welcoming the Bangladesh government's decision, Tripura Chamber of Commerce and Industries (TCCI) president ML Debnath said Tuesday the move would increase the export volume from Tripura.

"We had imports worth Rs 300 crore from Bangladesh in the last financial year, but the value of total exports did not exceed Rs 80 lakh. Trade balance needs to be established along the Tripura-Bangladesh border," Debnath added.

Earlier in March, TCCI had proposed relaxing policy restrictions on a number of items for export to Bangladesh. The list was later amended following a series of discussions with Bangladesh government officials.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)No payment from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for India's bullet train project is pending, National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) said on Tuesday, amidst reports that the agency had stopped its funding for the project following various issues raised by farmers.

NHSRCL, the nodal agency for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, said it is committed to care of the interests of the affected farmers and added that all necessary steps with regard to submission of various reports such as social impact assessment, impact assessment and indigenous people plan have already been taken by the Indian side and the reports already submitted to JICA.

"In fact, the Government of India and JICA have already signed a loan agreement of about 10 billion yen and no payment is pending from JICA as on date," NHSRCL said in a statement.

NHSRCL has failed to make any headway in several areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is facing several issues over land acquisition in both the states, with farmers seeking more compensation and other basic amenities such as common ponds, schools, solar lights and doctors in village areas.

About 110 km of the 508-km train corridor passes through Palghar in Maharashtra where NHRSCL has faced stiff resistance from farmers. In Gujarat too, around 850 hectares is required to be acquired for the project from around 5,000 families across eight districts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pondicherry University Vice Chancellor Gurmeet Singh said Tuesday there was no scope of having a separate quota for students of the Union Territory to gain admission into various disciplines available in the varsity.

The Pondicherry University is a centrally-sponsored higher institution established through an Act of Parliament.

Talking to reporters here, Singh said only statutory reservations were available for students in keeping with the guarantees contained in the Constitution and other statues.

On demands from various quarters and a resolution adopted by the territorial Assembly seeking special quota for the students of the Union Territory in various courses in the university, the VC said, "India is one country and the statutorily approved quotas of reservation would alone be available.

"There is no scope for any reservation for the local students," he asserted.

Singh, however, said even in the absence of such a quota for local students, a number of students from the Union Territory had joined the varsity.

The vice chancellor said Sri Aurobindo Chair,



M Karunanidhi Chair and a Tamil School for Literature and Performing Arts will be started soon in the university.

The Tamil school will take up the work of translating classical Tamil literature into Hindi, he said.

The Puducherry government had proposed to set up a chair in the name of former Tamil Nadu chief minister late



M Karunanidhi.

"The proposal will be taken up with the Union HRD Ministry for statutory approval," Singh said.

Stating that students of the university will take up



door-to-door survey to assess the health status of the villagers coming under the jurisdiction of the affiliated colleges, the VC noted that solid waste management and the status of the children in the villages will also be looked into.

A village headman has been fixed in each of the 125 villages to be covered under the survey, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi Tuesday said the Odisha government should take steps to check cattle smuggling.

The minister for women and child development said this on the sideline of a national conference on animal and environmental welfare at the National Law University here.

"A huge number of cattle are going out of Odisha everyday to Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal from where they are being sent to Bangladesh," the Union minister said.

She alleged the Odisha government was doing nothing to check this. Accusing the police of allowing the racket to continue, Gandhi urged the state government to take charge of the situation.

Speaking on the use of formalin in pisciculture, the minister said it was not only dangerous but also criminal.

Expressing satisfaction over the decision of Airports Authority of India (AAI) to cancel its water aerodrome project in Chilika lake, the BJP leader said, "Chilika is not only the treasure of Odisha or India, it is a world treasure and it must be kept in its natural state as long as we can.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)One person was killed and 17 were kidnapped in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo late Monday in a raid blamed on a notorious Ugandan militia accused of a massacre in a regional city two days earlier, sources said.

The new attack took place in the town of Oicha, around 30 kilometres (18 miles) south of Beni, where 21 people were killed on Saturday by men wielding machetes and firing guns.

The authorities are blaming both attacks on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia rooted in Ugandan Islamism that has killed hundreds of people in North Kivu province since 2014.

In addition to the deaths and abductions in Ocha, four houses were burned down and chickens and goats taken away, local administrator Donat Kibwana told AFP, told AFP.

"The situation in Oicha is paralysed," Kibwana said, explaining that most shops and schools were closed.

The provinces of North and South Kivu lie in a border region that has been prey to war and lower-level conflict since 1994.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Out of every 10 children going missing in the national capital, six remains untraced, a report released by the Alliance for People's Rights (APR) and NGO Child Rights and You (CRY) stated on Tuesday.

According to the report based on NCRB data and RTI replies from police, 63 per cent of missing children in Delhi were untraceable, while it was 30 per cent across the country.

As many as 26,761 children went missing in Delhi in the last five years, and of them only 9,727 could be traced, the report titled 'Missing Children In Delhi 2018' stated.

However, according to Delhi police data, the rate of missing children has been significantly reduced from 22 going missing every day in 2015 to 18 daily in 2017, the report stated.

In reply to an RTI query, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Krishna Raj stated that out of 2,42,938 children reported missing across the country between January 1, 2012 and March 20 last year 1,70,173 could be traced.

"The data reveals that there is a decrease in the total number of missing going children in Delhi in comparison to previous year... But in terms of tracing missing children Delhi is the worst and this should be critically taken care of by the authorities," the report suggested.

To ensure that a robust preventive mechanism is in place, a model system was introduced by APR and CRY in the form of community vigilance.

It highlighted how people from every community could be empowered and entrusted with the task of keeping an eye on children in their locality, and look out for any sign of danger or potential harm that can befall them.

"While the role of police is paramount with regard to the issue of missing children, the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) suggests community-level preventive mechanisms to tackle the issue," Regional Director (North), CRY, Soha Moitra said.

Seen in this light, the system and society have to come together to prevent children going missing, as the responsibility of creating a reliable safety net around them lies both with the state and the community, she said.

"Taking cognizance of the enormity of the issue, ensuring inter- and intra-state coordination in investigation, rescue and rehabilitative mechanism and investing in adequate resources and trained personnel at every level are the need of the hour," Moitra said.

Reena Banerjee, the state convenor of APR, said by forming a strong security net around children, their safety can be ascertained to a large extent, which is evident from the fact that there have been close to no incident of a child gone missing over the past two years within the communities that have engaged with the idea of forming vigilance groups.

"In a couple of instances where a child was found to be missing, the vigilance groups were able to take immediate action to notify the authorities which ensured early recovery of the child," she said.

The report revealed that the number of missing children in the age group of 12-18 years is the highest and among them the number of girls are much more than boys. The reasons include child labour, commercial sex work, forced marriage, domestic work and forced begging.

"A complete apathy is seen among police department. There is no wide-scale research or comprehensive analysis of missing children with an aim to tackle and deal with the problem in Delhi. The national capital has turned out to be most unsafe for children amongst the list of seven major metropolitan cities, according to NCRB 2016 data," the report stated.

Strengthening of preventive mechanisms, including police patrolling, announcements of missing children in public spaces, 'hue and cry' notice, hoardings and banners of missing children, installation of CCTV cameras and many other strategies are not yet adopted extensively in the most vulnerable areas, it stated.

According to the report, Delhi has set up 11 District Child Protection Units, however their link with communities through community-based vigilant groups have not been developed yet as mandated in the Centre's Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS).

Also there is lack of personnel in police department to deal with the issue of missing children. Police personnel are overburdened and not able to concentrate on the cases of missing children with enough sensitivity due to their various engagements in other cases and duties, it stated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting on Tuesday to draw strategies for the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the legislative council election saw an outpouring of grievances by the party MLAs and MLCs against the state government.

Most of the MLAs complained that development works in their constituencies had come to a standstill as no projects were getting approved, party insiders told PTI.

Yashwantpur MLA S T Somashekhar was peeved that some of the mining projects were rejected on technical grounds, whereas some Janata Dal(Secular) (JD-S) leaders got the same contract without any hassle, they said.

His statement was seconded by almost all the MLAs.

An MLA expressed his angst over lack of say even in the police station, let alone the government.

"The MLA said that he did not get permission by the local police station to install Ganesha statue at public places during the Ganesha festival," the sources said.

An MLA said it was becoming difficult for him to continue as a member of legislative assembly and he would prefer resigning from the assembly.

There were also heated exchange of words between Congress MLAs Bhima Naik and Anand Singh from Ballari over their dominance in the district and interference by each other in their respective assembly constituencies.

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara assured the MLAs that they will coordinate with the government in a better way to iron out the differences.

Siddaramaiah also cautioned the MLAs against "Operation Kamal" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to poach on the Congress MLAs. He even took to task some MLAs for leaking information to media.

Later talking to PTI, Parameshwara said the meeting was convened to discuss about the legislative council election.

"The MLAs have the grouse that whatever promises they had made to their electorate before elections were not being fulfilled. Their grouse is valid. We will look into it," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)



Guwahati : The troops of Assam Rifles had apprehended three hardcore militants of banned NSCN-K and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition in Manipurs Tamenglong district on Sunday, officials said on Monday.





According to the reports, based on intelligence input, the Kadamtala battalion of Assam Rifles on Sunday had launched operation at New Kaiphundai area of Tamenglong district and nabbed three Naga militants.





A top official of Assam Rifles said that, the nabbed militants were involved in the incident on Friday in which they had kidnapped a truck driver when he refused to pay the extortion amount demanded by them.





The militant group had also fired to intimidate the truck drivers and the incident took place on NH-37 near Makru Bridge, the Assam Rifles official said.





Following the incident, the troops of Assam Rifles with the help of Manipur Police launched operation at New Kaiphundai area and apprehended the militants.





Security personnel had recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition including two US made M-Series assault rifles, 425 rounds of live ammunition and three hand grenades in possession from them.





Several insurgent groups like NSCN-K, LTT (erstwhile UTLA (P)) and NSCN-IM are reported to be involved in such type of incidents like extortion, kidnapping, illegal tax collection from the trucks on the National Highway.





Assam Rifles had earlier delivered a lethal blow to the insurgents active in the area by neutralising the C-in-C of the then UTLA (P) group and apprehending four militants with sophisticated arms and ammunition in a series of operations which started from June 10 onwards.





Recently, four militants of ZUF, including its secretary of HR and Welfare, were apprehended along with arms and ammunition from Ramgaijang village, which lies along NH-37 in Cachar district of Assam.



Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi raised the issue of India's construction on the Kishanganga and Ratle projects during his meeting with World Bank Chief Jim Yong Kim on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly session here.

According to a statement issued by Pakistan's Mission to the United Nations, Qureshi met Kim on Monday and the focus of their meeting was the World Bank's role in implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty as its administrator.

Qureshi presented Pakistan's position on the Kishanganga and Ratle projects, it said.

He told the World Bank Chief that India's construction of these projects represented a violation of the Treaty, which gave Pakistan exclusive rights to western rivers.

India and Pakistan signed the treaty in 1960 after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory.

The treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers. However, there have been disagreements and differences between India and Pakistan over the treaty.

Qureshi emphasised that the procedural delay on Pakistan's request to the World Bank to empanel the Court of Arbitration had resulted in completion of the Kishanganga Projects while construction work on Ratle was in progress.

He said the Pakistan government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan viewed this as a humanitarian issue with lives and livelihoods of millions at stake.

Qureshi said Pakistan was not interested in politicising the issue, the statement said.

According to the statement, Kim said he understood Pakistan's position on the treaty and expressed the bank's desire to play a constructive role in resolving the matter at the earliest.

He said the World Bank was in the process of finalising a fresh initiative and would soon be approaching Pakistan and India with details, it said.

The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan's president Ayub Khan, administers how the water of the Indus river and its tributaries that flow in both the countries will be utilised.

Under the provisions of the treaty, waters of the eastern rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi had been allocated to India and the western rivers the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan, except for certain non-consumptive uses for India.

Islamabad had been raising objections over the design of the Kishanganga hydroelectric project, saying it is not in line with the criteria laid down under the Indus Waters Treaty between the two countries.

However, India said that the project design was well within the treaty's parameters.

The Kishanganga project was started in 2007 but on May 17, 2010, Pakistan moved for international arbitration against India under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty.

The Hague-based International Court of Arbitration allowed India in 2013 to go ahead with construction of the project in North Kashmir and upheld India's right under the bilateral Indus Waters Treaty to divert waters from the Kishanganga for power generation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The international court, however, decided that India shall release a minimum flow of nine cubic metres per second into the Kishanganga river (known as Neelam in Pakistan) at all times to maintain environmental flows.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday assured former dictator General Pervez Musharraf that high-level security will be provided to him if he returns to the country to face the trial in a high-profile treason case.

Musharraf, 75, has been living in Dubai since 2016. The former Army chief is facing a high-profile treason case and has been declared absconder due to his persistent failure to appear before the special trial court set up to try him in the case.

A three-member bench, presided by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar was hearing a petition on Tuesday pertaining to losses suffered by the country after the promulgation of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case in 2007.

Nisar asked Musharraf's lawyer Athar Shah why did he not return to Pakistan, the Dawn newspaper reported.

"He left the country on the pretext of pain in his backbone but he can be seen dancing abroad," Nisar said.

The lawyer responded that the former military ruler respected the courts but could not return because of security issues.

The chief justice said that the head of the Rangers force in the relevant province will be responsible for Musharraf's security upon his return to the country, the report said.

Musharraf will also be offered the services of best available doctors in the country if he comes back, Nisar asserted.

The court also ordered to de-seal Musharraf's farmhouse to accommodate him upon his return.

The case pertains to the recovery of a large amount of public money wasted allegedly by former presidents Musharraf, Asif Zardari and former attorney general Malik Qayyum in the wake of the NRO in 2007.

During Tuesday's hearing, Musharraf's lawyer presented details of his assets in Pakistan and abroad.

According to Shah, Musharraf owns nothing in the country, whereas he has a flat in Dubai and a farmhouse in Chak Shahzad that has been leased in Musharraf's wife's name.

The former president was indicted in March 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges.

A conviction for high-profile treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, has been declared a fugitive in the Benazir Bhutto murder case and Red Mosque cleric killing case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Pakistani leadership defines terrorism differently than the US government and is unlikely to act against all terrorist groups as demanded by Washington, Pakistan's former ambassador to America Husain Haqqani has said.

In an article in the journal 'American Interest', Haqqani said that Pakistani leaders' view of their country's interests in Afghanistan, differ vastly from those of the US and that limits the prospects of cooperation in ending the Afghan war.

"Pakistan's leadership defines terrorism differently than the US government and thus is unlikely to act against all terrorist groups, as (Secretary of State) Mike Pompeo demanded," Haqqani, who is now the Director for South and Central Asia at Washington-based Hudson Institute, said.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is scheduled to meet Pompeo on October 2 to further discussions initiated during the Secretary of State's brief stopover in Islamabad on September 5, while on his way to India.

"US diplomats have spent almost three decades trying to lure Pakistan's decision-makers into seeing things their way," Haqqani observed, adding that this had led to what President Donald Trump recently described as Pakistan's "lies and deceit" on the USD 33 billion in economic and security assistance it has accepted from the US government since 9/11.

At the direction of Trump, the US has frozen all security aid to Pakistan since January this year.

Haqqani warned that the Trump Administration should be prepared for "less cooperation from Pakistan" with respect terrorism.

He noted that less than a week after Secretary Pompeo's stopover, Pakistan's Supreme Court had overruled restrictions imposed by the previous government on Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), a front for the terrorist Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and its charity arm Falahi Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), both of whom are connected to UN designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed.

This was an indication that Pakistan's new government, backed by the country's military establishment and judiciary, did not intend to respect US or UN terrorism designations, Haqqani alleged.

The former top Pakistani envoy argued that it was important for American diplomats to understand that the other side is unwilling to compromise, given that Pakistan and the US have disagreed over Afghanistan almost consistently since the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989.

Haqqani said that it is "unlikely that Pakistan or the Afghan Taliban will change their calculus at a time when they believe that the US military is eager to leave Afghanistan."



Haqqani believes that the way out for the US would be to "bypass Pakistan and directly negotiate with the Afghan Taliban".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Tuesday announced that his government would undertake a massive plantation drive to mark Guru Nanak Dev's, founder of Sikhism, 550th birth anniversary.

According to an official release here, the government plans to plant 550 saplings in each village of the state starting September 30, 2019.

Underlining the need to plant more trees, Amarinder has appealed to the public to participate in the drive as the initiative could help make Punjab clean, green and pollution-free.

He asked the people to make this plantation drive a grand success as this gigantic task could not be accomplished without their active support and participation.

The CM said nearly 66 lakh saplings of seasonal trees would be planted in 12,700 villages.

The departments of forests and rural development and panchayats are the nodal agencies for the drive and the departments have been entrusted with the task of supplying 550 saplings to each village under this year-long drive beginning September 30, the CM said.

Both these departments had also been directed to oversee the arrangements and effective implementation of this environment-friendly plan, he added.

The chief minister also asked the panchayats, youth clubs and schools besides social, religious and non-government organisations to contribute towards this noble initiative.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The struggle to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a "perfect storm" of challenges, including rebel violence and pre-election manipulation, the UN said Tuesday.

Attacks by armed opposition groups in North Kivu province hit by the outbreak have risen in recent weeks, including a deadly raid in the town of Beni that forced the World Health Organization to suspend its work, the agency's emergency response chief, Peter Salama, told reporters.

Meanwhile, pre-existing fears and misconceptions about the virus is being exploited by politicians ahead of DRC's highly-contentious December vote, leading to increased mistrust of health workers among the population, Salama added.

"We are now extremely concerned that several factors may be coming together over the next weeks to months to create a perfect storm," he said.

"The response at this stage is at a critical juncture." Salama further warned that the geographical spread of the outbreak was expanding, notably to border areas, with Uganda now facing "an imminent threat".

The outbreak, the 10th in DRC's history, has killed 100 people since being declared on August 1 in the eastern part of North Kivu, the WHO said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday took a dig at the Congress over National Conference's decision to boycott the upcoming civic and panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

The National Conference has said it is boycotting the elections to panchayat and urban local bodies in the state because the Centre has not clarified its position on Article 35-A of the Constitution, which is facing legal challenge in the Supreme Court.

"There are elections (to civic bodies) in Jammu and Kashmir and the allies of Congress are running away from the polls," Modi said while addressing a rally of BJP workers in Bhopal.

The prime minister did not name the National Conference but the reference was obvious.

"If the Congress had a bond with them, it should have stood with them. But they (the Congress) in J&K are saying that well, if you do not want to come along, we can go solo in panchayat elections," he said and asked "What type of coalition is this?"



Article 35A of the Constitution bars non-residents of Jammu and Kashmir from acquiring any immovable property in the state.

The Supreme Court had on August 31 deferred the hearing on a bunch of petitions challenging Article 35A of the Constitution, as the Centre had urged the court to take up the matter after panchayat elections in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Poddar Housing and Development has agreed to buy 102.5 acres land in Pune to develop an affordable housing project.

In a filing to the BSE, the company said that its subsidiary Poddar Habitat Pvt Ltd, has "executed an agreement to acquire a land admeasuring approx 102.5 acres" at Chakan, Pune from Autoline Industrial Parks Ltd.

The land would be acquired along with trunk infrastructure facilities, on a deferred payment terms, it said. Autoline Industrial Parks is a subsidiary of Autoline Industries Ltd.

"The company is proposing to build a residential affordable housing project at the same, having a potential development of more than 8 million sq ft over a period of 8-10 years," the filing said.

With this acquisition, the company continues to expand its geographical presence in Tier II cities in addition to presence in Mumbai region.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi Police's Crime Branch arrested three people and claimed to have busted a gang which used to supply illicit liquor after tampering the label of the bottle and fixing fresh label to make it look like consignment for defence canteens, police said Tusday.

One Santro car loaded with nine cartoons of illicit liquor and 612 sheets of fake labels were also seized, they added.

The accused were identified as Ravinder Singh alias Bhullar, Dharampal alias Dharmu and Pawan Kumar Gilhotra alias Pammi.

Bhullar is a notorious criminal and has been arrested earlier in cases under the Excise Act, police said.

Bhullar was arrested while he had come near Ravivar Bazaar Chowk in the Bindapur area to supply the liquor.

"Bhullar disclosed that the liquor belongs to Dharmu and Pammi, who are partners in this illicit trade. They both have a godown in the nearby area in which they used to temper the label," said Rajesh Deo, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).

On the instance of Bhullar, Dharmu and Pummi were arrested later. They were also involved in the similar crime earlier.

A raid was conducted at the nearby godown and 612 sheets of fake labels and 57 cartoons of illicit liquor of various brands were recovered, the police added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi Police Tuesday partly supported a plea in the Delhi High Court challenging Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's move to bypass a magisterial court and directly approaching a sessions court for anticipatory bail in the death case of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.

The plea by a lawyer has challenged the anticipatory bail granted to Tharoor in the case.

Justice R K Gauba was told by Delhi Police Standing Counsel (Criminal) Rahul Mehra that Tharoor ought to have first gone to the magisterial court that had summoned him as an accused, to seek bail.

The court was hearing the petition filed by Delhi lawyer Deepak Anand challenging a trial court's July 5 order granting anticipatory bail to Tharoor in the matter.

Mehra, who was earlier asked by the court to assist in the matter, questioned the locus standi of the petitioner in filing the petition and said "I am supporting him provided he proves his locus".

He said faith has to be reposed in the trial court and an accused cannot directly approach a higher court bypassing the magisterial court. "Where is the reasonable apprehension that the moment you appear before the trial court, you will be arrested," he said.

Tharoor, who has also been made a party in the plea, was represented by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa who also questioned the locus of the petitioner and maintainability of the plea.

The counsel argued that Tharoor's apprehension of arrest proved to be right when the police opposed his anticipatory bail plea before the sessions court.

"Delhi Police has not challenged the bail order and the case is also sessions triable," he said and cited the judgements of the Supreme Court on exercise of power by sessions court to grant anticipatory bail.

During the hearing, Anand argued that after filing of charge sheet, the trial court took cognisance and issued summons to Tharoor, a member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram.

Instead of appearing before the court concerned, the Congress leader moved the court of an additional sessions judge which "erroneously" granted him bail, he said.

At the outset, the judge expressed unhappiness over the petitioner for "trying to mislead the court" by not placing on record the available case laws on the issue.

The court said it could not digest that the issue of this nature was not covered by any case law till now and added that being and advocate, he was not an ordinary litigant but an officer of the court.

The petitioner maintained that he was not trying to mislead the court.

Delhi Police also filed a status report in the matter and the high court listed the petition for further proceedings on October 9.

Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel, as the official bungalow of Shashi Tharoor was being renovated at that time.

The police filed the charge sheet against Tharoor for the alleged offences under sections 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but he has not been arrested in the case.

Urging the court to set aside the sessions court's order granting anticipatory bail, the petition alleged that the relief was granted to Tharoor in utter disregard of the provisions of CrPC and by ignoring the law laid down by the Supreme Court.

The plea claimed that the sessions court failed to appreciate that an application for anticipatory bail can be filed only during the period of probe and once the investigation is complete and charge sheet is filed by the probe agency, the law does not allow the accused to file such an application.

The sessions court in its July 5 order had noted that Tharoor has joined the investigation as and when called by the police. It had also observed that the police had not, at any point of time, alleged that he has tried to flee from justice or shift base to another country.

It had noted that Tharoor was a sitting Member of Lok Sabha and used to be the Minister of State for External Affairs in the UPA government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)President Ram Nath Kovind is likely to visit Vietnam in December, a senior official at the Vietnamese Embassy said on Tuesday.

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang had met Kovind in March this year and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, had called on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here during his visit to India in January.

"Our prime minister had visited India as one the chief guests for the 69th Republic Day celebrations in January. And, our president then visited India in March. We (India, Vietnam) have very old ties, especially our cultural ties," the official said on the sidelines of an event here.

He said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Vietnam in August and the Minister of State for External Affairs, M J Akbar, paid a visit to the country from September 10-13. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Giriraj Singh visited that country earlier this month.

"The President of India is likely to visit Vietnam in December," the senior Vietnamese Embassy official told PTI.

Earlier, Vietnamese envoy to India Ton Sinh Thanh addressing a gathering of Indian and Vietnamese businessmen, Vietnamese diplomats and representatives from Binh Thuan province, at the event, reiterated that his country has kept a target of USD 15 billion in bilateral trade with India by 2020.

He was speaking at a Vietnam dragon fruit show held at the India International Centre here. Dragon fruit is known as Trai Thanh Long in Vietnam where it grows on endless plantations in Binh Thuan and other provinces.

An MoU was signed between Indian Importers Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IICCI) and Binh Thuan Dragon Fruits Association during the event.

Kovind, during the visit of the Vietnamese prime minister, had asserted that India-Vietnam relations are on an upward curve, and the two countries need to enhance cooperation in oil and gas sector.

India-Vietnam relations have been exceptionally friendly and cordial since their foundations were laid by founding fathers of the two countries - Ho Chi Minh, President Rajendra Prasad and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

According to the Indian Embassy in Hanoi, Nehru was one of the first visitors to Vietnam after its victory against the French at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Ho Chi Minh visited India in February 1958 and then President Rajendra Prasad had visited Vietnam in 1959.

Relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of Strategic Partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to India in 2007 and in 2016, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vietnam, the two sides agreed to raise the Strategic Partnership to a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'.

To commemorate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations and 10 years of Strategic Partnership, the year 2017 was celebrated as the Year of Friendship, the Indian Embassy said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Many state accountability plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act dont do a great job of incorporating the performance of vulnerable subgroups of students, such as racial minorities, English-learners, and those with disabilities, according to an analysis released by the Alliance for Excellent Education, a research and advocacy organization in Washington .

And many states are skirting ESSAs requirements when it comes to identifying low-performing schools, and those where subgroups of students are struggling, the Alliance found. (The Alliance is lead by former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, a Democrat.)

Nationally, the results of giving states more flexibility to hold schools accountable for the performance of historically underserved students are mixed, said Anne Hyslop, the assistant director, policy development & government relations, who worked in the U.S. Department of Education during the Obama administration. Some states place subgroups of students front and center, while others make it difficult to understand how those students are progressing. All states examine subgroups of students to identify schools for targeted support, but the performance of these students often plays little, if any, role in overall school ratings and can be portrayed in confusing and unhelpful ways to parents and the public.

The analysis considered every state plan, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It considered both how states incorporate subgroup performance into school ratings and how they flag low-performing schools where subgroups of students are struggling.

Subgroups in School Ratings

The Alliance found that just 17 states factor the performance of subgroups of students into all school ratings, or might lower a schools overall rating because of poor subgroup performance. The Alliance, which used a color-coded system for this report, gave those states a green rating in that area.

But 12 states received a red rating, because their school ratings dont factor in subgroup performance at alla policy the Alliance argues is inconsistent with the letter, and spirit, of the law.

Another eight states either dont include all the subgroups identified under ESSA in their ratings (those are English-language learners, students in special education, disadvantaged students, and racial minorities), or they give two ratings, one for the school as a whole, and the other taking subgroup performance into consideration. Those states got a yellow rating from the Alliance. Most of these states combine subgroups together for accountability purposes by examining a high-needs group of only low-income students, English-language learners, and students with disabilities or a low-performing group of students. But these super-subgroups dont consider all of the subgroups of students required to be included by ESSA, the report found.

Another 15 states received a yellow stripe rating, indicating they are at risk for masking subgroup performance, either because they arent giving overall ratings for schools or dont publicize the school ratings or scores that are based on subgroup performance and that the state will use to identify schools, according to the report.

Schools Where Subgroups Are Struggling

Whats more, the report says, the majority of ESSA plans dont provide a clear definition of which schools have subgroups of students that are consistently underperforming. Those schools are supposed to receive what the law calls targeted support, meaning the school comes up with a plan to fix the problem, monitored by the district.

In fact, 16 states have the same or almost the same definition for schools in need of targeted support and those in need of additional targeted support. Schools are supposed to be identified for additional targeted support if a single subgroup (like, say English-learners) is performing as badly as the students in the worst schools in the state. Those states got a red rating from the Alliance for this area.

Another 30 states had different definitions for these two categories, but only required districts and schools to intervene if a school wasnt making progress across all of the areas ESSA requires states to measure, including reading and math test scores, graduation rates, English-language proficiency, and other indicators (such as chronic absenteeism).

Just six states expect action if a subgroup isnt performing well on certain indicators. They received a green rating for that issue.

Only three statesColorado, Georgia, and Nevadareceived green ratings in both areas considered by the Alliance. Six statesAlaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Iowa, and North Carolinareceived a red rating for both issues considered by the Alliance.

The report comes just before the Senate education committee is scheduled to hold a hearing Tuesday on implementation of ESSA featuring state chiefs from Delaware, Nebraska, and South Carolina. No one from the U.S. Department of Education is slated to appear.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the panel, and her House counterpart, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., have said that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has approved ESSA plans that dont comply with the law, in part because of the two issues flagged in the Alliances report. DeVos team says thats not the case. More on that debate here.

Want to learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act? Heres some useful information:

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .



CHITWAN, Sept 25: Although a survivor of acid attack in Chitwan, underwent successful surgery at Bharatpur Hospital, she is still in critical condition.





Basanti Pariyar of Danda Bazaar at Kawasoti Municipality-16 of Chitwan district was attacked with acid by her neighbour, Bimal Shripali, on Monday morning evening while she was returning home from grocery. She was also stabbed by a sharp weapon.





Senior surgeon Dr Suresh Pradhan shared they performed four hours surgery on Pariyar whose intestine was visible outwardly after cutting the stomach.





Dr Pradhan further said that her rib was bruised. The 27-year-old Pariyar had also received critical wound on her cheeks and head.





The team of doctors performed surgery on her stomach, chest, cheeks and head. Acid has burned her neck, chest and both hands.





Pariyar has been admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital. Police had immediately arrested the 37-year-old attacker.





According to the District Police Officer, Nawalpur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Leela Raj Lamicchane, acid attacker Sripali is escapist NA personnel.





According to the preliminary statement made by Shripali to the police, he attacked Pariyar with acid after his love interest Pariyar turned down his marriage proposal. Already a married man, he, admitted that he had returned home from foreign employment to tie knot with Pariyar, also a married woman.





Police said that wife of Shripali, who has been staying at her natal home, has filed a divorce case against him at the court citing his love affair with Pariyar as a reason. Shripali has a four-year-old child from his previous marriage while the acid attack survivor Pariyar has 11-year-old daughter.



Qualcomm escalated a legal war with Apple, accusing the iPhone maker of stealing secrets and sharing them with mobile chip rival Intel, according to court documents.

The California mobile chipmaker on Monday added the sizzling accusation in an amendment to a lawsuit filed against Apple last year in California state court in Qualcomm's home city of San Diego.

The modified filing contends that Apple "engaged in a years-long campaign of false promises, stealth, and subterfuge designed to steal Qualcomm's confidential information and trade secrets" in order to help Intel and other rivals field competing mobile chips, Apple's goal was to buy mobile chips from Intel instead of depending on Qualcomm, the dominant maker of mobile phone processors, the court document claimed.

Qualcomm general counsel Don Rosenberg said in response to an AFP inquiry that the latest filing showed that "Apple has flouted its contractual commitments and misappropriated Qualcomm's property rights in an effort to improve its performance and increase its profits."



In response to a request for comment, Apple directed AFP to a comment the Silicon Valley company made in June of last year regarding its clash with Qualcomm.

"Qualcomm's illegal business practices are harming Apple and the entire industry," Apple said.

"They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products -- effectively taxing Apple's innovation." Apple's ongoing legal battle with Qualcomm includes accusations that the chipmaker has been charging for invalid patents.

Apple had long relied on Qualcomm for chips for iPhones, but turned to Intel after the onset of legal wrangling.

Early last year the iPhone maker filed a lawsuit complaining that Qualcomm -- which produces chips widely used in smartphones and tablets around the world -- abused its market power to demand unfair royalties, and demanded billions of dollars in compensation.

Apple filed similar complaints against Qualcomm in China. Qualcomm countersued, claiming that Apple breached agreements and encouraged regulatory attacks worldwide on the chip firm.

Last month, Qualcomm settled a long-running antitrust investigation in Taiwan for around $90 million.

Qualcomm still faces huge fines linked to similar probes in South Korea, the European Union and the United States, while it is also involved in a long-running licensing dispute with tech titan Apple.

Qualcomm in 2015 agreed to pay USD 975 million to settle antitrust charges in China.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday dubbed Rahul Gandhi as a "fun machine" and said he has become a "laughing stock" with his actions, hitting back at the Congress chief who had called the BJP leader a machine making "hollow" announcements.

The chief minister also targeted state Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath, saying "a Raja, a Maharaja and an industrialist are after the son of a farmer" and claimed that Digvijaya Singh's rule from 1993 to 2003 was remembered as "dibbi (a small kerosene tin for light) Raj" due to backwardness of the state.

Addressing a party workers' meet in the poll-bound state, Chouhan, a three-time chief minister, said he would not be bogged down by name-calling by Congress leaders.

"Yes, Rahul Baba I make announcements for bettering the life of the poor and the farmers," he said.

Recalling Gandhi's gesture of hugging the prime minister in Lok Sabha during the monsoon session in July and winking at his party colleagues while assuming his seat, Chouhan said the Congress president has become a "laughing stock".

"Rahul Baba...a fun machine has compared me with a run machine. But, I won't get bogged down by leaders of your party who have called me a juggler and a prostitute," he said at the "Karyakarta Mahakumbh" of BJP workers which was also addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.

Chouhan had last month accused Madhya Pradesh state unit Congress president Kamal Nath of calling him a 'madari' (juggler).

The "fun machine" barb came days after Gandhi mocked the BJP leader. Launching the Congress' campaign for upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi had said on September 19 that Chouhan makes "hollow" announcements at the same pace at which batting maestro Tendulkar scores runs on the ground.

"You all know Tendulkar. Whenever he plays any innings, everybody was assured that he will score at least 50, 60, 70 or 100 runs.

"Here, in Madhya Pradesh, there is a run machine known as the state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who makes announcements at the same pace," Gandhi had told a public meeting here.

He had claimed that Chouhan had made "21,000 announcements so far, but none of them was implemented". He had also alleged that Madhya Pradesh ranked first in unemployment, rapes, malnutrition and the crime against women.

Countering the Congress' allegations on development, Chouhan said the BJP government has kept its electoral promise of providing uninterrupted power supply in Madhya Pradesh.

He said the irrigation area in Madhya Pradesh has improved significantly in the last 15 years of the BJP rule under him.

"When the Congress was in power (15 years ago), the irrigation area was limited to just 7.5 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh, but now it has expanded to 40 lakh hectares," he said.

Chouhan said the irrigation area would be expanded to 80,000 lakh hectares to ensure wellbeing of farmers in the state.

He also took a dig at Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia, scions of erstwhile royal families of Raghogarh and Gwalior respectively, and Kamal Nath, the Congress MP from Chhindwara.

"A Raja, a Maharaja and an industrialist are after the son of a farmer," he said while referring to himself.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 'rail roko' agitation by an umbrella organisation of adivasis (tribals) demanding recognition to their language was lifted in the early hours Tuesday, nearly 22 hours after it had commenced in the western parts of Bengal, that left thousands of passengers stranded, a Railway spokesman said.

The agitators, demanding recognition to Adivasi language, had also blocked some highways in the region, compounding problems of the general public.

Members of the Bharat Jakat Majhi Marwa lifted the blockade at Nekusini, Khemasuli, Balichak and Salboni stations of the South Eastern Railway between 2.16 am and 3.40 am, he said.

The blockade had begun at 6 am Monday.

Train movement started after the blockades were lifted, SER spokesman Sanjoy Ghosh said.

Thousands of passengers faced inconvenience as trains to and from the southern, western and central parts of the country pass through the affected Kharagpur division of the SER to reach Howrah and some parts of Odisha.

Several express trains, including those connecting the city to Mumbai, Chennai, Nagpur and Ahmedabad were cancelled or short terminated on Monday owing to the agitation.

The agitation led to stoppage of train movement in Kharagpur-Tatanagar, Kharagpur-Bhadrak, Kharagpur-Howrah and Kharagpur-Adra sections, Ghosh said.

Lack of food and drinking water led to immense hardships for stranded passengers in trains which were detained en route.

Children and elderly people suffered the most as students of a few schools who were returning from educational excursions were also caught in the logjam.

The SER authorities said that it had made arrangements for food and drinking water at major stations, but these proved insufficient owing to the long hours of detention of several trains.

Passengers of trains that were detained at stations with fewer facilities suffered the most.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amnesty International India Tuesday demanded immediate release of six professors and nine students of Manipur University arrested by the police and said midnight raids and subsequent detentions based on unsubstantiated allegations is "outright harassment".

A total of 89 students and six teachers of Manipur University were arrested early Friday in Imphal following an agitation on the institute's campus.

Amnesty International India said a few days later, these six professors and nine students remained in custody.

The body said the professors and students have been arrested for a range of offences including wrongful confinement, attempt to murder, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy.

"Students and teachers have a right to protest and the Manipur government must respect this right. Midnight raids and subsequent detentions inside a university campus, based on unsubstantiated allegations, is outright harassment," said Arijit Sen, Programme Manager, Amnesty International India.

Sen said there should be an independent investigation into the use of force by police on the university campus.

"Excessive use of force against protesting students in a university cannot be justified under any circumstances. Under international human rights law and standards, law enforcement officials must, as far as possible, apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force. Even if used as a last resort, due restraint must be exercised," said Sen.

Sen added that freedom to dissent cannot be held hostage by those in authority.

"The Manipur government must ensure that people are able to peacefully express their grievances without fear of arrest," Sen added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maharashtra government Tuesday approved a proposal to allot 5.5 acre land to Whistling Woods International (WWI), the film school founded by Bollyood producer Subhash Ghai, for a lease period of 30 years.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet here, Principal Secretary (Culture) Bhushan Gagrani told PTI.

"The land will be given on a 30 year lease to WWI. The amount to be recovered is as per a June 30, 1992 Government Resolution on land allotment to educational institutions," Gagrani said.

"So far, Mukta Arts (Ghai's company) has paid Rs 13 crore to the government as per court order," he said.

An official in the Chief Minister's Office said the cabinet decision has been taken after "due legal opinion" and after considering all court cases.

In July this year, the Bombay High Court had asked Mukta Arts to pay Rs 10.3 crore in six instalments to the Maharashtra State Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation (MSFSCDC), which operates the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari (Film City in Mumbai) where the institute is located.

The court had also asked the state government to resolve the dispute over the remaining 5.5 acre land, an official said.

WWI was set up in 2000 and is now affiliated to Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), an official said. The provisions of government policy for allotment of land to educational institutions would be applicable for WWI, he added.

In July 2014, the Bombay High Court had asked WWI to pay Rs 10.38 crore as lease amount to MFSCDC.

The court had then stayed its earlier order asking WWI to vacate the premises. The lease amount was towards the rent arrears since 2000 when the 20-acre land was allotted to WWI by the then Vilasrao Deshmukh-led government in Maharashtra.

In April 2012, the Supreme Court had pulled up Deshmukh for allotting the land, saying the CM cannot bend or bypass rules to give away government land.

"One cannot be treated as blue-eyed boy for which chief minister can bend or bypass rules to give away the land of the state," it had said. There was lack of transparency in the allotment of land as many chief ministers prior to Deshmukh had not cleared the project, the court had said.

"The state government has given land to its blue-eyed boy for a paltry sum of money," the court had said. "You (Ghai) are a great film maker, but there are greater film makers also. Why have you been chosen? There must be transparency," the court had observed.

The land was alloted to Ghai's institute pursuant to a May 30, 2004 joint venture agreement signed between Mukta Arts and the MFSCDC.

The high court had earlier referred to a CAG report which stated that the land ought to have been valued at Rs 31.20 crore as opposed to the Rs three crore valuation done by MFSCDC.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The share of in the country's electricity generation mix is likely to rise to around 18 per cent by 2022, from 7.8 per cent at present, owing to the continuous focus on capacity addition from solar and wind, a report said Tuesday.

Global ratings agency Moody's Investors Service in its report said India is taking positive steps to align its mix with its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement.

"Renewable energy's share of new capacity additions for has been the largest at around 60 per cent over the last two years, while additions to coal-fired generation capacity have slowed sharply," said Abhishek Tyagi, vice-president and senior analyst, Moody's Investors Service.

He further said that large companies have also announced plans to make their operations more energy-efficient and source more

According to the agency, renewable energy's share in the electricity generation mix is likely to rise to around 18 per cent by 2022, from close to 7.8 per cent as of March 2018.

It also said that eventually, the share of fossil fuel-based generation capacity is likely to fall to 50-55 per cent by 2022, from 67 per cent currently.

"This trend in part reflects the fact that wind and solar tariffs are now in most cases either comparable with or lower than domestic coal-based projects," said Tyagi.

The utilisation rate for existing coal-fired capacity has been falling since 2010 and was around 59 per cent in FY18, according to the report, while the annual growth in coal-fired capacity is likely to slow to 4-5 per cent over the next five years.

Tyagi, however, opined that the sector faces challenges, despite its strong growth prospects.

"The renewable energy sector faces challenges, including the weak credit profiles of many off-takers, which are typically state-owned distribution companies, while India's renewable energy policy framework continues to evolve," he said.

In addition, he added that sharply expanding renewable energy capacity would require similar growth in the transmission infrastructure for the efficient evacuation and inter-regional transmission of electricity.

India is targeting 40 per cent of cumulative capacity from non-fossil fuel-based sources by 2030, in line with its NDC commitments, which compares with total non-fossil fuel capacity (including nuclear) of 35 per cent as of June.At least six students were injured after a clash erupted between resident doctors and hostellers in the BHU campus here allegedly over non-allotment of bed to a patient, police said Tuesday.

The incident took place late on Monday night after students of some hostels in the varsity joined the patient's family members who were engaged in an scuffle with the resident doctors.

Soon after, the hostellers and the resident doctors stone pelted at each other and indulged in arson in the campus, they said.

The family members of the patient were demanding allotment of bed at Sir Sunderlal Hospital of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), but when a resident doctor expressed unwillingness in meeting the demand on an immediate basis, an argument broke out between them, police said.

The argument took a violent turn after the resident doctors and hostellers indulged in arson in the campus, stone-pelting, hurled petrol bombs and attacked and injured each other.

Some "anti-social" elements also set afire two motorcycles and a police picket in the campus, police said, adding that the clashing groups damaged public property and vandalised an ATM cubicle.

At least six students were injured in the incident who received treatment at the trauma centre, they said.

Senior police officials including SP (City) Dinesh Kumar Singh rushed to the spot along with several policemen and used "mild force" to bring the situation under control in the early hours Tuesday.

District Magistrate Surendra Singh and SSP Anand Kulkarni rushed to the BHU this morning and held a flag march in the campus and also held talks with the university administration.

A probe has been launched into the incident and a person detained in this connection, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Jammu and Kashmir government Tuesday said the resignation of special police officers (SPOs), who have borne the brunt of militant attacks, was "negligible" and is restricted to certain areas of south Kashmir only.

State chief secretary B V R Subrahmanyam said all SPOs have been instructed about their personal safety while the government is in process of enhancing their honorarium.

"The problem of resignation of SPOs are restricted to certain areas. There is by and large no such problem in north and central Kashmir. It is concentrated in south Kashmir," he told reporters here.

Subrahmanyam said there were 30,000 SPOs in the state and the number of SPOs "resigning is negligible".

"We know that the honorarium of SPOs was enhanced from Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 per month some time ago. The honorarium will be hiked substantially, but I do not want to give out any figures as it will be decided by the The State Administrative Council (headed by the Governor)," he added.

The chief secretary said a decision in this regard will be taken in a few days.

Three policemen were abducted from their homes in south Kashmir's Shopian district and shot dead in cold blood by the Hizbul Mujahideen on September 21.

Earlier reports suggested that the killings had triggered panic in the lower ranks of the police department with at least six policemen resigning.

The Home Ministry had said the reports have appeared in a section of media that some special police officers in Jammu and Kashmir have resigned, but the state police has confirmed that these reports are "untrue and motivated".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Samsung Tuesday unveiled its first triple camera smart phone, the Galaxy A7, with an ultra wide lens that allows one to capture unrestricted wide-angle photographs.

The phone will be available for a special preview sale onFlipkart, Samsung e-shop and at Samsung Opera House here onSeptember 27 and 28, Samsung India General Manager (Mobile Business) Aditya Babbar told reporters here.

By the end of September, it would be available across 1.80 lakh outlets, he said.

The Galaxy A7 range would be priced between Rs 23,990 (4GB/64GB variant) and Rs 28,990 (6GB/128 GB variant), Babbar said.

Speaking at the launch of the new smart phone, he said "Our consumer insight found that millennials love to click and edit photos and that 44 per cent of them use smart phone camera every day and open the same 18 times a day.

Also, 40 per cent of them edit photos before sending or sharing it."



The Galaxy A7 has got an ultra wide lensthat allows one to capture unrestricted wide-angle photos, hesaid.

In the new triple camera set up, there is an additional 8MP 120 degree ultra wide lens which has the same viewing angle as the human eye, Babbar said.

"This allow users to capture unrestricted wide angle photos exactly like what one can see," he added.

Galaxy A7 would further strengthen Samsung's leadership in the mid-range segment, which has been bolstered by the recent launch of Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+, Babbar said.

"The devices come in just ahead of the festive season, thus adding to the consumer delight," he added.

The new phone is powered by a Samsung Exynos 7885 2.2GHz Octa Core processor, Babbar said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court Tuesday asked BJP leader Subramanian Swamy to wait for 10 days for a direction to the Centre to clear its stand on giving national heritage status to the mythological 'Ram Sethu'.

Ram Sethu or the Adam's bridge is a chain of limestone shoals between Pamban or Rameswaram Island off the south-eastern coast of Tamil Nadu and Mannar Island on the north-western coast of Sri Lanka.

Swamy told a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud that even after its direction, the Centre has not filed an affidavit on the issue of Ram Sethu.

He said the court had issued a notice to the Centre on the matter but even after 10 years, it has not responded on the issue.

"You wait for another ten days. Then come again," the bench said.

Swamy had in March this year announced that he would be moving the top court to direct the Centre to declare Ram Sethu as a national heritage monument.

The BJP leader had earlier raised the issue of declaring Ram Sethu as national monument in his PIL against the controversial Sethusamudram Ship Channel project, initiated by the UPA-I government.

The matter had reached the apex court which in 2007 had stayed the work for the project on the Ram Sethu.

The Centre had later said that it considered the "socio-economic disadvantages" of the project and was willing to explore an alternative route to the shipping channel project without damaging the 'Ram Setu'.

"That the Government of India intends to explore an alternative to the earlier alignment of Sethusamudram Ship Channel project without affecting/damaging the Adam's Bridge/Ram Sethu in the interest of the nation," the affidavit filed by the ministry had said.

The court had then asked the government to file a fresh affidavit.

In the Ramayana, the Rama Setu bridge was built by the 'Vanara army' to rescue Sita who was kidnapped by Ravana.

The Sethusamudram shipping channel project has been facing protests from some political parties, environmentalists and certain Hindu religious groups.

Under the project, a 83 km-long deep water channel was to be created, linking Mannar with Palk Strait, by extensive dredging and removal of the limestone shoals.

The apex court had on November 13 last year granted six weeks to the Centre to clarify its stand on the mythical Ram Sethu, a chain of limestone shoals between the coasts of India and Sri Lanka. It had also granted liberty to Swamy to approach the court if the response of the Centre was not filed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In his Memoires titled Le soleil ne se leve plus a lEst (The sun no longer rises in the East), Bernard Bajolet, former boss of French intelligence, and former ambassador to Algiers, highlights the Algerian regimes hostility against its Moroccan neighbor and Moroccan territorial integrity.

In the book, published by French publisher Plon just a year after his departure in 2017 from the Directorate General of External Security (DGSE), which he had headed since 2013, Bernard Bajolet, gives documented evidence of how Moroccos relations with France infuriate obsessively the Algerian rulers.

Bernard Bavolet, a connoisseur of the corridors of power in Algeria, where he has been positioned as ambassador of France from 2006 to 2008, claims to have perceived, on his first meeting with President Bouteflika, the extreme wariness of Algerian leaders about the excellent relations between France and Morocco and the position of the Elysee on the Sahara issue.

At our first meeting, in December 2006, a few days after my arrival, I conveyed him (to President Bouteflika) the message of friendship, esteem and affection that President Chirac had tasked me to deliver to him .

But the message, he said, was not to the liking of President Bouteflika, who replied in a tone of profound disappointment: there is always talk about privileged relations with Algeria. But in reality, privileges have been reserved for Morocco and Tunisia. Algeria, on its part, did not see anything .

Shortly after he settled in Algiers, Bernard Bajolet realized, like his predecessors, the complexity of his task as ambassador, who had to manage the Algerian wariness about the French-Moroccan understanding.

For the former boss of the DGSE, the Polisario is a mere pawn of Algeria. Western Sahara was one of the first topics he raised, as ambassador of France, with President Bouteflika.

The Algerian President had then bitterly deplored that Paris has always supported the Moroccan position, and this since the time of President Giscard dEstaing.

Bernard Bajolet emphasizes in this regard, the existence of a struggle of influence over Western Sahara between Morocco, disadvantaged by the colonial sharing of the desert, and Algeria which instrumentalizes the Polisario that it incites to defend the Sahrawi peoples right to self-determination.

In the early 90s, while he was deputy director of North Africa and Middle East at the Quai dOrsay, Bajolet said he tried to meet secretly, in a Paris hotel, leaders of the Polisario.

But this attempt was unsuccessful, for the simple reason that the decision-making power is in the hands of Algiers, not the Polisarios, he said, adding that the Polisario only plays the role of a puppet in the Western Sahara issue.The Supreme Court Tuesday constituted a three-member committee, to be headed by former apex court judge Amitava Roy, to look into the aspect of jail reforms across the country and make recommendations on several aspects, including overcrowding in prisons.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said the committee would also comprise Inspector General of Police of Bureau of Police Research and Development and Director General (Prisons) of Delhi's Tihar Jail.

The bench, also comprising justices S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta, asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to forthwith issue a notification constituting the 'Supreme Court Committee on Prison Reforms'.

The bench passed the order while hearing a matter relating to inhuman conditions in 1,382 prisons across India.

It said the committee would review implementation of the guidelines contained in the Model Prison Manual 2016 by states and union territories (UTs) and also recommendations made by the Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women in its report tabled in the Parliament titled 'Women in Detention and Access to Justice'.

The bench said the committee would "examine the extent of overcrowding in prisons and correctional homes and recommend remedial measures, including an examination of the functioning of under trial review committees, availability of legal aid and advice, grant of remission, parole and furlough".

An undertrial review committee, set up in every district, deliberates and recommends the release of under trial prisoners and convicts who have undergone their sentence or are entitled to be released from jail due to bail or remission granted to them.

The court also said the committee would examine the aspect of "violence in prisons and correctional homes" and recommend measures to prevent unnatural deaths, assess availability of medical facilities there and make recommendations in this regard.

It said the panel would also assess the availability and inadequacy of staff in prisons and correctional homes, recommend remedial measures and suggest training and educational modules for them.

The bench said the committee would also assess the feasibility and possibility of and potential for establishing open prisons in different parts of the country and give effect to the recommendations.

Semi-open prisons or open prisons allow convicts to work outside the jail premises during the day and earn a livelihood and return in the evening. The concept was brought in to assimilate the convicts with the society and reduce their psychological pressure as they faced lack of confidence in leading normal lives outside.

In its judgement, the bench said the committee would also recommend steps for the psycho-social well-being of minor children of women prisoners, including their education and health.

The apex court said the committee would "review the recommendations made in the report of the Ministry of Women and Child Development in collaboration with the National Commission for Women and the National Law University Delhi on 'Women in Prisons'."



It also asked the committee to review the implementation by states and UTs of the guidelines contained in 'Living conditions in Institutions for Children in Conflict with Law' prepared by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the model rules and procedures prepared by the ministry under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.

The committee would examine and recommend measures for the health, education, development of skills, rehabilitation and social reintegration of children in observation homes, places of safety and special homes set up under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, it said.

The bench directed that the chairman of the committee would be entitled to financial benefits as available to a judge of the Supreme Court.

It said the committee would have its office in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and it would indicate to the Centre about its requirements of infrastructure support, including personnel necessary to carry out the work.

"The necessary infrastructure, including manpower will be provided by Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India," it said, adding, "All payments indicated above shall be made by the Union of India."



"We request the committee to complete the collection of data and information and make appropriate recommendations and submit the same to this court preferably within a period of 12 months," the bench said.

The court also appreciated the efforts put in by advocate Gaurav Agrawal, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the jail reforms matter, in making valuable suggestions.

It had earlier taken strong exception to overcrowding of jails across the country and said prisoners also have human rights and cannot be kept like "animals".

The court had earlier passed a slew of directions over unnatural deaths in jails and on prison reforms across India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Tuesday took strong exception to Delhi chief and MP for allegedly violating its directions on the sealing of illegal structures in the capital, and said that being an MP does not give him liberty to take the law in his hands.

Tiwari was present before the court in pursuance to the contempt notice issued to him for allegedly breaking the seal of a premises which was being run in violation of the Delhi Master Plan.

The apex court expressed its anguish against his statement in which he had said that the monitoring committee was not sealing thousands of illegal structures and directed him to file an affidavit within a week.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur asked the leader to explain his claims made to a news channel related to the Delhi sealing matter.

"Mr Tiwari, in your CD, you say there are one thousand places which deserve to be sealed. Give us a list of these places. We will make you the sealing officer," said the bench, also comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta.

Tiwari, who is an MP from northeast Delhi constituency has an FIR against him by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation for allegedly breaking the seal of a premises in Gokalpuri area in north-east Delhi.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Tiwari, said that no seal was broken by the leader and he himself being an MP has not ever disrupted the sealing process. The lawyer said he needed time to file a detailed reply in the matter.

"We are asking you, have you seen the CD? In the CD he says there are thousand places which deserve to be sealed. He a member of the Parliament. That does not give him liberty to take law in his hands," the court said.

The court directed Tiwari to appear on October 3 when it will next hear the matter.Declining to bar those facing serious criminal cases from contesting elections, the Supreme Court Tuesday left it to Parliament to enact a "strong law" before the "malignancy" of criminalisation of politics becomes "fatal" to democracy.

According to the prevalent law, lawmakers and candidates are barred under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act from entering the poll fray only after their conviction in a criminal case.

The court, however, passed a slew of directions aimed at keeping those with criminal antecedents at bay one of which was each candidate will have to state "in bold letters" about pending criminal cases in the form provided by the Election Commission. The candidate and the concerned political party were also directed to issue a declaration in widely circulated newspapers in the locality and in electronic media about his or her antecedents.

The court said the nation was "eagerly" waiting for a legislation as the society has legitimate expectation to be governed by proper constitutional governance and citizens cannot be compelled to stand as "silent, deaf and mute spectators" to corruption by projecting themselves as helpless.

Holding that criminalisation of politics is an "extremely disastrous and lamentable situation" and the "polluted stream of politics" needs to be cleansed, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra in its unanimous verdict said this "unsettlingly increasing trend" has the propensity to "send shivers down the spine of a constitutional democracy".

"A time has come that the Parliament must make law to ensure that persons facing serious criminal cases do not enter into the political stream.

"We are sure, the law making wing of the democracy of this country will take it upon itself to cure the malignancy," it said.

The 100-page verdict was pronounced 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. The PILs were filed by NGO 'Public Interest Foundation', BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay and others.

A senior government funnctionary welcomed the verdict, saying it seeks to cleanse the polity of criminal elements. He, however, said issues like politically motivated cases have to be considered. The official said the government will study the order in detail and decide the next course of action.

He pointed out that several of the directions given by the top court have already been implemented, including filing of affidavits by candidates giving details of criminal cases against them.

"Substantial efforts have to be undertaken to cleanse the polluted stream of politics by prohibiting people with criminal antecedents so that they do not even conceive of the idea of entering into politics. They should be kept at bay," the court said.

The bench, which also comprised Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, said malignancy of criminalisation of politics was "not incurable" but the issue was required to be dealt with soon before it becomes "fatal" to the democracy.

The bench said complete information about criminal antecedents of the candidates forms the "bedrock of wise decision-making and informed choice by the citizenry" as informed choice was the cornerstone to have a pure and strong democracy.

The court also referred to the 244th report of the Law Commission and cited its finding that in 10 years since 2004, 18 per cent candidates contesting elections have criminal cases pending against them (11,063 out of 62,847).

"The voters cry for systematic sustenance of constitutionalism. The country feels agonized when money and muscle power become the supreme power," the bench said, adding it was imperative that persons who enter public life and participate in law making should be above any kind of serious criminal allegation.

Underlining the need for giving citizens an "informed choice" and infusing a culture of purity in politics, the bench said increasing trend of criminalisation of politics tends to disrupt constitutional ethos and strikes at the very root of our democratic form of government.

The bench also took note of the submissions of Attorney General K K Venugopal that the court should not cross the 'lakshman rekha' vis-a-vis the separation of powers and said it was well settled in law that the court cannot legislate.

The apex court while recommending that Parliament bring out a "strong law" said it would be mandatory for the political parties to revoke membership of persons against whom charges were framed in heinous and grievous offences and not to set up such persons in elections for Parliament as also State Assemblies.

"If a candidate is contesting an election on the ticket of a particular party, he/she is required to inform the party about the criminal cases pending against him/her," it said, adding that "the concerned political party shall be obligated to put up on its website the aforesaid information pertaining to candidates having criminal antecedents".

The apex court also said that criminalisation of politics was never an "unknown phenomenon" in Indian political system but its presence was seemingly felt in its "strongest form" during the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts which was the result of a collaboration of a diffused network of criminal gangs, police and customs officials and their political patrons.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Tuesday left it to Parliament to "cure the malignancy" of criminalisation of politics by making a law to ensure that persons facing serious criminal cases do not enter the political arena as the "polluted stream of politics" needs to be cleansed.

Holding that criminalisation of politics is an "extremely disastrous and lamentable situation", the apex court said this "unsettlingly increasing trend" in the country has the propensity to "send shivers down the spine of a constitutional democracy".

It said the nation was "eagerly" waiting for such legislation as the society has legitimate expectation to be governed by proper constitutional governance and citizens in a democracy cannot be compelled to stand as "silent, deaf and mute spectators" to corruption by projecting themselves as helpless.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said malignancy of criminalisation of politics was "not incurable" but the issue was required to be dealt with soon before it becomes "fatal" to the democracy.

Passing a slew of directions aimed at de-criminalisation of politics, giving citizens an "informed choice" and infusing a culture of purity in politics, the bench said that increasing trend of criminalisation of politics tends to disrupt constitutional ethos and strikes at the very root of our democratic form of government.

"A time has come that the Parliament must make law to ensure that persons facing serious criminal cases do not enter into the political stream," said the bench, which also comprised Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, in the unanimous 100-page verdict.

"We are sure, the law making wing of the democracy of this country will take it upon itself to cure the malignancy," it said.

It also recommended that Parliament bring out a "strong law" whereby it would be mandatory for the political parties to revoke membership of persons against whom charges were framed in heinous and grievous offences and not to set up such persons in elections for Parliament as also State Assemblies.

The bench directed that each contesting candidate will have to fill up the form provided by the Election Commission of India and he or she will have to state "in bold letters" about the criminal cases pending against the candidate.

"If a candidate is contesting an election on the ticket of a particular party, he/she is required to inform the party about the criminal cases pending against him/her," it said, adding that "the concerned political party shall be obligated to put up on its website the aforesaid information pertaining to candidates having criminal antecedents".

The top court directed that candidate and the concerned political party will have to issue a declaration in widely circulated newspapers in the locality and in electronic media about his or her antecedents.

"When we say wide publicity, we mean that the same shall be done at least thrice after filing of the nomination papers," it said.

The bench said that complete information about criminal antecedents of the candidates forms the "bedrock of wise decision-making and informed choice by the citizenry" as informed choice was the cornerstone to have a pure and strong democracy.

"The voters cry for systematic sustenance of constitutionalism. The country feels agonized when money and muscle power become the supreme power," it said.

"Substantial efforts have to be undertaken to cleanse the polluted stream of politics by prohibiting people with criminal antecedents so that they do not even conceive of the idea of entering into politics. They should be kept at bay," the bench said.

It was imperative that persons who enter public life and participate in law making should be above any kind of serious criminal allegation, the bench said.

The apex court also said that criminalisation of politics was never an "unknown phenomenon" in Indian political system but its presence was seemingly felt in its "strongest form" during the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts which was the result of a collaboration of a diffused network of criminal gangs, police and customs officials and their political patrons.

The bench also took note of the submissions of Attorney General K K Venugopal that the court should not cross the 'lakshman rekha' vis-a-vis the separation of powers and said it was well settled in law that the court cannot legislate.

The verdict by the Constitution bench was pronounced 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.

According to the prevalent law, the lawmakers and candidates are barred under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act from contesting elections only after their conviction in a criminal case.

The Centre had 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 Election Commission of India had taken a view which was apparently opposite to that of 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.

The PILs were filed by NGO 'Public Interest Foundation', BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay and others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The percentage of poll winners having criminal cases pending against them was higher than those with clean records in the national and state level elections held between 2004 and 2014.

The Supreme Court Tuesday noted that this disturbing data was revealed in a report of the Law Commission, which has been submitted before it.

The apex court, which pronounced its verdict on the issue of criminalisation of politics, stated that the data in the Law Commission's 244th report revealed that while only 12 per cent of candidates with a "clean" record won on an average, 23 per cent of candidates with some kind of criminal record win, which implied that the candidates charged with a crime actually fared better in the elections than "clean" candidates.

A five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, referred to the report which also said that not only do political parties select candidates with criminal background, there was also evidence to suggest that untainted representatives later became involved in criminal activities.

Among the states, in Uttar Pradesh, 47 per cent of the MLAs had criminal cases pending and a number of these lawmakers have been accused of multiple criminal charges, the top court said referring to the report.

The report said that in one constituency of Uttar Pradesh, one of the MLAs had 36 criminal cases pending, including 14 cases relating to murder.

It said that this had resulted in the tendency that candidates having criminal cases were given tickets a second time, the top court noted.

According to the report, during the 2004-2014 period, 18 per cent (11,063 out of 62,847 candidates) of the candidates contesting either national or state elections had criminal cases pending against them.

In 5,253 (or about half of the cases), the charges were of serious criminal offences such as murder, attempt to murder, rape, crimes against women, corruption cases or cases under organised crime and terrorism, which, on conviction, would result in five or more years of imprisonment.

The report showed that 1,187 of the 5,253 candidates with serious criminal charges, went on to win the elections they contested, which was 13.5 per cent of the 8,882 winners analysed by the commission from 2004 to 2013.

The commission said that a total of 2,497 candidates (or 28.4 per cent of the winners) had 9,993 pending criminal cases, serious and non-serious, against them.

According to the report, in the current Lok Sabha, 162 sitting MPs had criminal cases pending against them, of which about half (76) had serious criminal cases.

Further, the prevalence of MPs with pending criminal cases had increased over time, for in 2004, 24 per cent had pending criminal cases which increased to 30 per cent in the 2009 elections, the report said.

It said this situation was similar across states with 31 per cent or 1,258 out of 4,032 sitting MLAs with pending cases being serious cases.

The report 152 candidates had 10 or more serious cases pending, 14 candidates had 40 or more such cases and five candidates had 50 or more cases against them.

The commission had also observed that the 5,253 candidates with serious cases together had 13,984 serious charges against them.

It said that 31 per cent were cases of murder and other murder related offences, 4 per cent were cases of rape and offences against women, 7 per cent were of kidnapping, 7 per cent were of robbery, 14 per cent related to forgery and counterfeiting including of government seals and 5 per cent related to breaking the law during elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court is likely to deliver its verdict on Wednesday on a plea of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel challenging the Gujarat High Court order refusing to quash a petition of a BJP leader against his election to the Rajya Sabha.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had reserved its verdict on September 19 after hearing the counsel for Patel and BJP leader Balwantsinh Rajput.

Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Patel, said the petition filed by Rajput challenging his election to the Rajya Sabha in the Gujarat High Court contained "vague" allegations and the court cannot be asked to conduct a "fishing and roving" inquiry.

"The election law is very strict law and the allegations have to be specific and substantiated... allegations in an election petition have to be clear and they cannot be vague. The court cannot be asked to conduct a fishing and roving inquiry into the allegations of corrupt practices," Singhvi had said.

He had said that Congress party had 57 MLAs in Gujarat assembly and it has been alleged that Patel bribed 44 of them and the peculiar thing was that the plea did not disclose "who, when and how" they were bribed.

Earlier, the apex court had asked the Gujarat High Court not to proceed with the hearing on the plea filed by a BJP leader challenging Patel's election, after framing of issues in the case.

It had also issued the notice to Rajput on the appeal of Patel seeking a stay on the proceedings before the high court in the matter.

Rajput lost the election to Patel and had later challenged the election in the high court.

The senior Congress leader has challenged the April 22 order of the high court which had dismissed his plea.

He had contended before the high court that the election petition was "not at all maintainable" and should be "dismissed at the threshold" as it violated the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The plea said the decision of the poll panel cannot be challenged in an election petition. "Election Application ...was preferred by the Petitioner (Rajput) under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC praying for dismissal of the Election Petition for non disclosure of cause of action," it said, while seeking a stay on the proceedings before the Gujarat High Court.

Patel was elected to the Rajya Sabha last year after defeating Rajput, who had earlier quit Congress to join the BJP.

The win for the Congress leader had come after the Election Commission had cancelled the votes of rebel Congress MLAs, Bhola Bhai Gohil and Raghav Bhai Patel. This had brought down the requirement for an outright victory for a candidate to 44 from 45.

Soon after Patel got elected, Rajput had filed a petition in the high court challenging the poll panel's decision to invalidate the votes of the two rebel MLAs. Had these votes been counted, he would have defeated Patel, Rajput had contended in the High Court.

In his petition in the high court, Rajput had also alleged that Patel had taken the party MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru before the election, which, he claimed, amounted to bribing the voters.

Patel had challenged Rajput's plea and sought its dismissal for not serving the respondents an attested copy of the petition as required under the law.

The high court, however, rejected his plea and said the petitioner had substantially complied with the provisions of law and the defects could be easily cured.

Patel moved the top court against the high court order, saying that Rajput's petition was "devoid of merits" and failed to show any "cause of action".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Will homosexuality eventually be extinct?



With new evidence suggesting that homosexual behaviour is governed primarily by genetic influences and gay couples reproducing significantly less than heterosexuals, that's a question scientists across the world are pondering.

While environmental factors play a part in the expression of a homosexual phenotype, or physical trait, scientists suggest their influence is not powerful enough to cause an otherwise heterosexual organism to become homosexual.

Scientists are also debating how such behaviour fits with British naturalist Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

"The Darwinian paradox suggested that it is impossible to maintain genes which do not promote reproduction, as in the case of homosexuality. Since homosexuals reproduce significantly less than heterosexuals, the genes promoting this trait should rapidly go extinct, Andrea Camperio Ciani, professor of evolutionary psychology in Italy's University of Padova, told PTI.

Ciani, who has pioneered efforts to solve why homosexuals have not become extinct from human population, notes that this paradox for a long time excluded the genetic hypothesis and suggested that homosexuals behave so due to a sin and a misbehaviour that can be eradicated through therapy.

Over the past few decades, evidence has begun to accumulate that homosexuality is a behaviour that appears primarily due to biological or genetic influences, scientists said.

The predisposition to mate with the opposite sex is aimed at reproduction and passing genes to the subsequent generations. However, homosexual behaviour is quite widespread and not a new phenomenon in the animal kingdom, said Manaswini Sarangi, a PhD research scholar in Evolutionary Biology at Bangalore's Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR).

Through several studies across a variety of species, displaying homosexual behaviour has been shown to give an evolutionary advantage to the organisms, she told PTI.

According to T N C Vidya, associate professor, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit at JNCASR, some gene variants are more common amongst gay men.

As far as I know, it is not clear to what extent homosexuality is heritable, she said.

Whether gene variants that influence homosexuality propagate over generations will depend on whether homosexuals get to reproduce. Even if they themselves do not reproduce, such variants may be transmitted if their relatives who carry copies of the genes but do not express them (are not homosexuals themselves) reproduce, Vidya said.

If homosexuality is indeed heritable, she said, it does not necessarily contradict the theory of natural selection.

Ciani noted that genes promote fecundity, or ability to produce offspring, in some individuals but promote homosexuality in others. In this way, they are preserved in the human gene pool.

By studying the pedigree of hundreds of homosexuals and their families, he said he has resolved the paradox and discovered that the genes influencing homosexuality indeed exist.

Scientists also say that homosexual behaviour is not specific to humans and has been documented in over 500 non-human species, including bonobos, penguins, and even grizzly bears.

According to Sarangi, it is quite widespread in the animal kingdom, ranging from insects to birds to primates.

Therefore, saying that homosexuality is unnatural is factually incorrect. It is another behavioural variant like in many other traits, she said.

The Indian Supreme Court's recent verdict decriminalising adult, consensual homosexual acts has been widely welcomed.

I am pleased to learn that the Supreme Court of India has de-penalised homosexuality since it is a great acquisition in civil rights. Most homosexuals are born with this orientation, under the influence of genes that belong to the normal human gene-pool, Ciani said.

Decriminalising homosexuals was long overdue. It will probably help to some extent against harassment of homosexuals, but society itself also has to change so that people are more welcoming of those who are not like them in some way or the other. I hope this judgment will lead the way to more changes, such as allowing gay/lesbian marriages, said Vidya.

Sarangi added that the historic judgement decriminalising homosexual behaviour among consenting adults is a progressive step for the country.

Ciani said his findings are an outcome of a series of different research studies conducted in the past 20 years, starting with the first publication in 2004 and a series still ongoing with statisticians, mathematicians and psychologists and students in laboratories across the world.

Our last research, just published last year in Human Nature on a very large number of lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual females and their families, pointed to the same mechanism as we discovered in gays, Ciani said.

An important precursor of Ciani's studies is Dean Hamer from the US National Institute of Health who first suggested genetic inheritance in the 1990s. But most colleagues disproved his pioneering researches at the time.

Ciani hopes that his studies contribute to increased tolerance for diversity.

I am happy that my studies and their scientific results contributed to this historical event in your large and great county, which I am particularly fond of since I started my scientific career doing field research in India studying the social behaviour of monkeys in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A self-styled Shiv Sena leader, who was serving a four-year imprisonment in a fraud case, was injured when at least five inmates attacked him with some sharp-edged weapon on Tuesday morning.

Nishant Sharma was lodged in Rupnagar sub-jail here.

SSP Swapan Sharma said investigations were underway and it was being ascertained how attackers broke open the barrack where Nishant Sharma was lodged.

IG (Prisons) V Neerja along with the SSP visited the jail.

After the incident, Nishant Sharma was taken to the hospital for treatment and then brought back to jail, police said.

The self-styled president of the Shiv Sena outfit was awarded four years of imprisonment by a Ropar court in a fraud case on Monday, police said.

He was booked in 2011 by Kurali police on the complaint of Hisar resident Anil Kumar who had alleged that Sharma had duped him of Rs 1.50 lakh.

Nishant Sharma had earlier been provided security allegedly after he faced life threat from some Sikh radicals.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for using foul language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh Tuesday said the Congress president has graduated from being a shehzada (prince) to "an emperor of lies".

Alleging that the Congress chief was misleading people, which will be of no use, the senior UP minister said Gandhi needs to come out with details to substantiate his claims about the then UPA government's decisions on the Rafale deal.

"The shehzada has now graduated and become a shehenshah (emperor)... Rahul Gandhi has become an emperor of lies... I am saying this as he had in Amethi yesterday presented a story which is totally a lie," Singh said.

"He is trying to convert lies into truth by repeatedly hammering them (Sau jhooth bol kar sachh sabit karna chah rehe hain)," he said, asking Rahul to stick to the truth.

On a question if this will have an impact in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Singh said he does not agree "as elections are not fought on lies".

On the first day of his visit to Amethi, his Lok Sabha constituency, Rahul had said, "There is 'chori' (theft) in the works of Narendra Modi -- Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Notebandi (demonetisation), Gabbar Singh Tax (referring to GST). There is theft in all these. One by one, we will prove that Narendra Modi ji is not a 'chowkidaar'. Narendra Modi is a 'chor' (thief)."



Firing a fresh salvo at the prime minister over the Rafale jet deal, the Congress president had Monday charged that the country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

He had 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 Congress chief, in a veiled attack, also called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "India's commander-in-thief".

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Six trekkers from Delhi and Shimla have reportedly been missing in Himachal Pradesh's tribal Kinnaur district due to bad weather since September 21, police said.

The youths, all below 27 years of age, had started the trek from Jakha in Dodra Kwar Tehsil in Shimla district on Friday and were supposed to reach Sangla in Kinnaur district, he added.

Three trekkers -- Puneet, Nikhil and Ashutosh -- are from Jubbal area in Shimla district, he said. However, the identities of the other three were yet to be ascertained but they are said to be from Delhi, he added.

Rescue operation for locating and bringing them to safer places will restart on Wednesday morning, he added.

A rescue team has already been constituted which has proceeded towards Kinnaur on Tuesday morning, he said, adding that the team would restart trekking towards Sangta from Jakha on Wednesday.

Kinnaur police has also been intimated and a police rescue team along with the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has proceeded towards the Rupin pass, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Blaming police action for the death of two students during a protest in Islampur, West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday alleged that some IPS officers were working for the Trinamool Congress government and warned that they would "not be spared".

Ghosh alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government was trying to impose Urdu language in schools in the state and asserted that such attempts would be resisted. "We respect all languages but we will not allow imposition of Urdu," he said.

The two students were killed when protesters clashed with the police on Thursday over recruitment of a Urdu teacher at Daribhita High School in North Dinajpur district, police had said.

The protesting students had said they did not require a Urdu teacher and demanded that teachers be recruited for science and other subjects.

North Dinajpur district superintendent of police Sumit Kumar had claimed that police did not open fire.

"Then who fired on the students? The police should answer," Ghosh said.

"Some IPS officers and police officers-in charge are working for the TMC government. The TMC government will not be there after 2021 but they (officers) have long services.

"We (BJP) will not spare them... We will remember their names. We have sharp memories," he told a public meeting at Hemtabad in North Dinajpur district.

The state BJP chief said, "The police was not seen when the miscreants had set on fire Kaliachak police station or when bombs had exploded in TMC offices".

The Kaliachak police station and about 24 vehicles were set on fire in January 2016 by protestors angry over alleged remarks by a Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha leader.

Alleging that the police are opening fire on the common people, he said the TMC has no right to continue in power in the state.

"If the police come to the village at night, the people have the right to tie them to trees", he said.

The police on Sunday arrested BJP North Dinajpur district president Shankar Chakraborty for making provocative comments against the force.

Ghosh said, "We (BJP) have seen many police forces. We have seen goonda raj in Tripura and we have uprooted it".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Sonu Sood has been honoured with the Doctorate Degree of Taekwondo.

The 45-year-old actor actor, who is known for leading a healthy lifestyle over the years, was felicitated with honour for his outstanding contribution and support towards taekwondo sport.

He was honoured in the presence of Prabhat Sharma, secretary general of Taekwondo Federation of India at the opening ceremony of 107 International Kyorugi Referee Seminar/121st International Kyorugi Referee Refresher Course and 40thInternational Poomse Referee Seminar.

"It feels good to see everybody so fit out here, all thanks to the event organisers who have managed to get the taekwondo experts all over the country on the same platform and created the Taekwondo Federation," Sonu said in a statement.

"It's great to know that people across all age groups are interested in taekwondo sport and they want to create awareness regarding the same and inspire others. Felicitating these experts would certainly inspire them and others to take up the sport as also a fitness initiative. I really hope such good fitness initiatives inspire the people and help us make a healthy India," he added.

On the work front, Sonu will be next seen in Rohit Shetty's "Simmba", alongside Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Spinal cord stimulation and physical therapy have helped a man paralysed since 2013 regain his ability to stand and walk with assistance, say scientists, offering hope to people with backbone injury.

With an implanted stimulator turned on, the man was able to step with a front-wheeled walker while trainers provided occasional assistance, according to the research published in the journal Nature Medicine.

He made 113 rehabilitation visits over a year, and achieved results during individual sessions, said researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Mayo Clinic in the US.

"What this is teaching us is that those networks of neurons below a spinal cord injury still can function after paralysis," said Kendall Lee, a neurosurgeon and director of Mayo Clinic's Neural Engineering Laboratories.

In the study, the man's spinal cord was stimulated by an implanted electrode, enabling neurons to receive the signal that he wanted to stand or step.

Currently, as a safety precaution, the patient takes steps only under the supervision of the research team.

The man, now 29, injured his spinal cord at the thoracic vertebrae in the middle of his back in a snowmobile accident in 2013.

He was diagnosed with a complete loss of function below the spinal cord injury, meaning he could not move or feel anything below the middle of his torso.

In the study, which began in 2016, the man participated in 22 weeks of physical therapy and then had an electrode surgically implanted by Lee and his team.

The implant sits in the epidural space -- the outermost part of the spinal canal -- at a specific location below the injured area.

The electrode connects to a pulse generator device under the skin of the man's abdomen and communicates wirelessly with an external controller.

The research team then tried to determine if the man could stand and walk with assistance.

During 113 rehabilitation sessions, the researchers adjusted stimulation settings, trainer assistance, harness support and speed of the treadmill to allow the man maximum independence.

The research demonstrated that the man was able to walk over ground using a front-wheeled walker and step on a treadmill placing his arms on support bars to help with balance.

However, when stimulation was off, the man remained paralysed.

In the first week, the participant used a harness to lower his risk of falling and to provide upper body balance. Trainers were positioned at his knees and hips to help him stand, swing his legs and shift his weight.

Since the man did not regain sensation, he initially used mirrors to view his legs, and trainers described leg position, movement and balance.

By week 25, he did not need a harness, and trainers offered only occasional help. By the end of the study period, the man learned to use his entire body to transfer weight, maintain balance and propel forward, requiring minimal verbal cues and periodic glances at his legs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Students should debate on issues but not take sides, said spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), while noting that the country has become "ideologically divided" like the US in the past 10 years or so.

He also expressed concern over the cases of suicides among teenagers due to education-related issues and stressed there is a need to revisit education system.

The spiritual leader delivered the Nehru Memorial Lecture at the varsity and spoke about a variety of issues ranging from education, democracy, monogamy and artificial intelligence.

He also paid homage at the Wall Of Heroes at the varsity when he had come, JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said on Twitter.

In response to a query by a student on how one can remain neutral in JNU, which is a politically vibrant campus, he said, "This has become a phenomenon across the county. If you open your month to say something about the nation they will try to fix you something to some ideology. Inevitably someone is trying to pin you on some board. Unfortunately, this is how you are destroying a democracy."



"What is the point of secret ballot? What is the point of offering a citizen the choice of choosing?"



Citing the example of the US, he said citizens there are either Republican or Democrats.

"We are becoming like that. US was unfortunately divided like that for decades but that was not there in India. But in the past 10 years or so, everyone belongs to some party. This is destruction of democracy. Three months before elections, one should start evaluating whether they have done something. You must evaluate according to your intelligence. There is enough information available to help you do that," he told students.

He said that a country's citizens, specially students, should not be politically inclined.

"If you want a lively democracy, except for a few committed party workers, the rest of the country should not be committed to any political ideology. But unfortunately, it has become a worldwide phenomenon. I was proudly speaking in the US about Indian living democracy till sometime back. I have just kept quiet about Indian living democracy in the past five years. We have become the same thing," he said.

He urged the students to stay away from taking sides because by doing so, they are destroying democracy and creating a feudalistic society.

"You must debate on issues but do not take sides at this stage. You are just destroying democracy. It becomes a feudalistic society then. Otherwise we can function like China. But we have chosen a democratic process," he stressed.

The lecture was an interactive session where one of the students asked him about his view on the education system.

"Seven thousand children below 15 years of age are committing suicide. If 12, 13 year-olds start killing themselves, are we not doing something fundamentally wrong in our society. Children aged 12 or 13, who must be exuberant about life, are taking their lives. Unfortunately 90 per cent of suicides are education-related. Definitely we need to revisit education. We are trying to put everybody through the same process and nobody is equipped to go through the same process. It's most cruel way of handling a child, he opined.

He also said India is on the threshold of possibilities and can accomplish the task of moving five hundred million people from abject poverty to reasonable level of well-being.

"The only country which has done that is China but through the use of bullets. But they have done a great job. Keeping people in poverty through generations is worse than killing them. You can condemn them or admire them. It's a set of painful wisdom for me," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held bilateral meetings on Monday with her key foreign counterparts on the sidelines of the high-level session of the General Assembly here and discussed several issues including trade, investment and capacity building.

Swaraj met Moroccan 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, Foreign Minister of Ecuador Jose Valencia, Foreign Minister of Australia Marise Payne and Foreign Minister of Mongolia Damdin Tsogtbaatar.

"Strategic partnership gaining momentum! Continuing our frequent engagement at the highest level, EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Foreign Minister of Australia @MarisePayne," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

In another tweet following Swaraj's meeting with Valencia, he said "good discussion on ways to further consolidate bilateral relationship in the areas of trade, agriculture, pharma, IT and capacity building."



"Relations characterized 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," Kumar said in a separate tweet.

On the meeting between Swaraj and Borrell, he said, "explored ways to intensify ties in investment, renewable energy, water treatment, tourism and their contribution to our flagship initiatives."



On the meeting with Nepal, Kumar tweeted, "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," Kumar 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.

As the General Debate begins Tuesday, Swaraj has bilateral meetings planned with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Eshaiqer Al-Jafari, Moldova's Foreign Minister Tudor Ulianovschi, Cyprus Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides, Fijian Foreign Minister J V Bainimarama and Estonia's Foreign Minister Sven Kikser. She will also participate in the G4 meeting with her counterparts from Brazil, Germany and Japan.

Swaraj attended the high-level event on counter-narcotics hosted by US President Donald Trump and addressed the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit.

During the day, she also briefly met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Gambian President Adama Barrow and Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale participated in a special meeting on Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended till November 15 the time for Uttar Pradesh government to come out with a vision document on protecting the Taj Mahal, and asked it to consider declaring a portion of the area surrounding the monument as 'heritage'.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, S Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta was informed by the state government that Delhi-based School of Planning and Architecture, which is preparing the vision document, has sought for extension of time till November 15 to finalise it.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the state government, told the court that "in-principle" there cannot be any objection in declaring entire Agra as a heritage city but that would have several ramifications.

He said it would be difficult to declare entire Agra a heritage city but some portion of it could be brought within its ambit covering sites like Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and Agra Fort.

"If it is difficult for entire city of Agra then some area surrounding the Taj Mahal can be declared as heritage," the bench told Mehta.

The ASG said the state government has sought the assistance of Ahmedabad-based Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology on this issue and asked it to prepare a report on it.

Advocate Aishwarya Bhati, who was also representing the state, told the bench that even in Ahmedabad, the entire city was not declared as heritage.

She said an area of around 5.5 km in Ahmedabad was declared as heritage.

Besides seeking extension of time for the vision document, Bhati told the bench that School of Planning and Architecture has asked for three additional experts from the field of water resources, air pollution and a hydrologist to prepare the paper.

She suggested the names of institutes from where these experts could be called to assist the school in the work.

The bench allowed the request and asked the person in-charge of these three institutes to appoint an expert to assist in the process of preparing vision document.

The ASG said that a communication will be sent to the Ahmedabad-based institute so that a final decision on declaring portion of Agra city as heritage could be taken soon.

The bench has posted the matter for hearing on November 29.

During the hearing, the bench, while referring to media reports, asked as to whether Chandni Chowk in Delhi would be declared as heritage.

The state had earlier told the court that they would come out with vision document by October 15.

The Centre had earlier told the court that it had communicated to the Uttar Pradesh government to send a proposal to declare Agra a 'heritage city'.

It had also said that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was in the process of preparing a heritage plan for the Taj Mahal which would be filed with the UNESCO in three months.

The apex court had earlier asked the authorities to take a larger perspective on issues of pollution and green cover while preparing a vision document, saying that there will be no "second chance" to preserve the Taj Mahal.

The top court, while observing that the Taj Mahal would "of course be the centre piece" of the matters to be considered, had said that other issues like vehicular traffic, pollution from the industries operating in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) and the water level of the Yamuna river, should also be looked into while preparing the vision document.

The TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.

Environmentalist M C Mehta, the petitioner in the case relating to the protection of Taj Mahal, had told the court that green cover in the area has reduced and there were encroachments in and outside the Yamuna flood plains there.

He had referred to apex court's 1996 order in the case and said several industries have come up in the area, with many of them operating beyond their capacity.

The top court, which has been monitoring development in the TTZ area to protect the Taj, had earlier slammed the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and TTZ authority for their failure to restore the pristine glory of the Taj Mahal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)TDP MPs walked out of a meeting with South Central Railway officials here Tuesday, demanding that their 'sentiment' for setting up a new railway zone at Visakhapatnam be conveyed to the Ministry of Railways.

"The MPs raised the demand for a new railway zone, but they too said it is a decision to be taken by the Government of India.

They asked the South Central Railway to convey their sentiment (on the railway zone) to the Ministry of Railways.

We assured them that their sentiment will be conveyed," SCR General Manager Vinod Kumar Yadav told reporters after the meeting ended abruptly.

The YSR Congress and BJP MPs did not attend the meeting.

The meeting, convened by SCR General Manager, was to discuss ongoing railway projects in Andhra Pradesh and passenger related issues.

After the General Manager briefed the 12 TDP MPs about the railway works, the latter raised slogans, demanding establishment of a new railway zone at Visakhapatnam in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

They protested the Centres 'indifference' on the issue and walked out of the meeting.

Outside the Electrical Traction Training Centre at Satyanarayanapuram, where the meeting was held, TDP workers staged a protest on the railway zone issue.

The MPs too joined the protest after walking out of the meeting and alleged that the Centre had been cheating the state over the railway zone by making contradictory claims.

Also, no problem related to the railways in the state had been resolved in the last four and a half years, they added.

"It is futile to attend such meetings," they said.

TDP MPs Kesineni Srinivas, M Murali Mohan, Maganti Venkateswara Rao, K Ravindra Kumar and others attended the meeting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Tea Board has decided to rent out five floors of its head office in the central business district here for commercial use, its deputy chairman and CEO Arun Kumar Ray said on Tuesday.

"We have decided to rent out floors of the head office. Already, one floor has bee occupied by MPEDA and the Spices Board. One private bank has shown interest for space along with a few commercial entities," Ray told PTI.

The landmark head office is located at Dalhousie area of the city, and the building has nine floors. Two of them would be reserved for the board room and chambers of the chairman and deputy chairman.

Ray said that the employee strength of the Tea Board at present was 328 across all its offices.

"The Tea Board will have to prove its requirement before the industry and all the stakeholders. Our working needs to change and have to serve the industry better," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Thai court has convicted nine young Muslim men from southern Thailand of planning to set off a car bomb in the capital, in a case in which many of the defendants said they were tortured into making false confessions.

The Criminal Court in Bangkok on Tuesday found all nine guilty of belonging to an underground criminal group and sentenced each to four years' imprisonment. One was also found guilty of illegal possession of explosive devices, giving him a total of six years in prison. Five defendants were acquitted.

The case began when at least 50 Thai Muslims, mostly students at Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng University, were rounded up in joint police-military sweeps on Oct. 10, 2016. They were released but 13 were rearrested the following month along with an additional suspect.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amitabh Bachchan-Aamir Khan starrer "Thugs of Hindostan" will be dubbed in Tamil and Telugu to reach a wider audience upon its release.

Bachchan and Khan have also shot a video, announcing the film's release in the two languages.

Director Vijay Krishna Acharya said the coming together of two stars for the first time will be a treat for the audience.

"We are a nation of film lovers, and films have often been a cultural glue that binds us all in a way that transcends geography. We hope that in 'Thugs of Hindostan', the audience will find a story that's universal in appeal and unique in its presentation...

"If there's one thing we Indians know as a family is to share, and it is in this spirit that we'd like to share our film with our audiences across India. This Diwali let the Thugs entertain you all over Hindostan," Acharya said in a statement.

Rohan Malhotra, VP - Distribution, Yash Raj Films, said, "... 'Thugs of Hindostan' will be the biggest ever release a Bollywood title has ever had in the history of Indian cinema... We want to give the film a release scale that justifies its humongous hype."



Backed by Yash Raj Films, the mega action adventure, also featuring Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh, is scheduled to release on November 8.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Polish president of the International Society for Nubian Studies

For the first time in nearly 50 years a Polish scientist, Dr. Artur Obuski, was elected president of the International Society for Nubian Studies, reported the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology UW.

Dr. Artur Obuski from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology UW was elected president of the International Society for Nubian Studies at the Nubian Conference in Paris on September 15 by unanimous decision of an international group of researchers specialising in ancient Nubia (present-day areas of southern Egypt and Sudan).

The first president of the International Society for Nubian Studies was its founder - the creator of the Polish school of Mediterranean archaeology, Prof. Kazimierz Michaowski. A group of scientists elected him for this position in Warsaw in 1972.

"Although it is a personal success, it would not be possible without the huge work of Polish researchers from the University of Warsaw, the Jagiellonian University, Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology PAS in Poznan and Archaeological Museums in Poznan and Gdansk, Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures PAS and recently - the University of Wroclaw" - said Dr. Obuski, quoted in the release sent to PAP.

More than 20 researchers from Poland attended this year`s conference of the society in Paris, including two scientists from the University of Warsaw invited to deliver plenary address.

"Research on North-East Africa and Sudan in particular is one of those disciplines in the humanities, where we are constantly in the vanguard. The University of Warsaw is the strongest centre of Nubian research in the world, leaving US universities and leading universities European behind" - Dr. Obuski believes.

In his research work, the new president of the society focuses on the beginnings of Christianity. He leads the project "UMMA - Urban Metamorphosis of the community of a Medieval African capital city", financed with a prestigious ERC (European Research Council) grant. The scientist is the first archaeologist in Poland awarded that grant.

Dr. Artur Obuski heads the Cairo Research Station of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology UW (since 2015). He is also acting director of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology UW. He is a graduate of archaeology at the University of Warsaw. He first came to Egypt in 1996 when he took part in excavations. In the following years, without giving up his scientific activities, he started working at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland. He was responsible for managing EU projects. After 15 years, he decided to devote himself entirely to science. He was a Foundation for Polish Science and Brzezia Lanckoronski Foundation scholarships holder.

PAP - Science in Poland

Author: Szymon Zdziebowski

szz/ zan/ kap/

tr. RLTamil Nadu government Tuesday hinted BJP leader H Raja, facing a slew of cases over his controversial speeches, might soon face action, as it came under attack from opposition parties for not arresting him.

With the opposition alleging that action was not taken against Raja because of ruling AIADMK's proximity to BJP, senior minister D Jayakumar said the cordiality was only between the state and central governments.

"That is an illusion being spread in social media," he added.

There was no party-to-party ties with the BJP, he told reporters when asked why the government had so far not acted against the BJP leader, although it was quick to arrest AIADMK MLA S Karunaas for his alleged provocative remarks.

Founder of a small caste-based outfit, Karunaas, who was elected on an AIADMK ticket in the 2016 polls from Tiruvadanai segment, was arrested on Sunday for making alleged provocative remarks against Chief Minister K Palaniswami and the police.

Karunaas, who had later appeared to be supporting ousted AIADMK leader T T V Dhinkaran, had also made some alleged caste related remarks during a recent public meeting, following which a case was registered against him.

Jayakumar said the government had to act against Karunaas in the interest of law and order as members of communities he allegedly targeted in his speech took exception to it.

"The quick action was necessitated due to the intensity of the offence (by Karunaas) as he spoke in a demeaning manner about some communities and they had started agitating," he said wondering whether he should now continue as an MLA.

On Raja, the minister said he was facing 'strong cases' and "has to certainly answer them," hinting that police could take action against the BJP leader.

Raja is facing cases in Chennai, Pudukottai and Coimbatore on various issues, including his alleged derogatory remarks aginst courts and police during a Vinayaka Chaturthi procession on September 16.

The Madras High Court has initiated contempt proceedings against him over the remarks



The BJP leader had earlier courted controversy in March for making remarks indicating that statues of rationalist leader E V Ramasamy "Periyar" could be the next to be pulled down after a Lenin statue was razed in Tripura.

Jayakumar also sought to down play the invitation to arch rivals DMK's MK Stalin and Dhinakaran for the valedictory function of party founder late M G Ramachandran's centenary celebrations.

It was a government event and the 'tradition' of inviting local MLAs was being followed, he said adding Stalin, Dhinakaran, besides some other DMK MLAs from the city had been invited and their names printed in the invitation card because they were from Chennai district.

However, such a 'tradition' was never followed in the DMK rule of 2006-11, Jayakumar said, citing some instances.

"But as a large-hearted government, that tradition has been followed by us. There is no political intention. This is not a party function, but a government event and therefore their names have been included. Whether to participate or not is their option," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump on Monday held a meeting with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during which the two leaders discussed the situation in Syria, the aggressive behaviour of Iran and promoting free trade between the US and the European Union (EU).

"The two leaders discussed a wide range of international issues, including the situation in Syria, countering threats posed by Iran, and promoting fair terms of trade between the United States and the European Union," the White House said in a readout of the meeting.

They also discussed Trump's plan to visit Paris in November and attend the Armistice Day centenary commemoration.

"Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to closely coordinate to address global challenges," the White House said.

Earlier in the day, Trump said France is doing very well.

"We are doing very well. Very importantly, we are doing very well together. We have a lot of trade and we are discussing trade. We will be discussing it today," he said.

"We will be discussing military and defense. Terrorism is a big subject that we are always talking about. That is why we are here tonight, I think maybe more so than almost anything. And trade," Trump said.

Expressing his deepest condolences for Hurricane Florence, Macron said the French people feel very close to the American people, especially the Carolinas.

"We are here to discuss a lot of topics we have in common. President Trump just indeed expressed a few of them. But I think, we are here to deliver. And this occasion of all these meetings, and especially the meeting we will have on Wednesday, will be a great occasion to deliver for our common security," Macron said.

The two countries, he said, have a lot of visions in common.

"I think terrorism, defense, the situation in the Middle-East as well, are something we have and we want to fix, and we want to work together," said the French president.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The US President is traditionally the second speaker after Brazil to address the General Debate in the high-level UN General Assembly session, but President Donald Trump broke the tradition as he arrived late to the UN for his speech and missed his slot to speak.

Brazil's President Michel Temer addressed the General Debate as the high-level session of the 73rd UN General Assembly opened here Tuesday. In current practice, after the opening of the meeting by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General makes a statement, followed by the President of the General Assembly and then the representatives of Brazil and the United States.

The US President speaks second but Trump arrived late for the General Debate and President of the current session of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa had to call Ecuador President Lenn Moreno to address the General Debate.

Trump's motorcade pulled in late in the UN building and as he was headed to the General Assembly hall, he stopped for a few minutes to address reporters stationed at the delegates' entrance in the General Assembly building.

At the General Debate, Member States take turns delivering speeches and are given a right of reply when required. Since the 10th session in 1955, Brazil has spoken first and the United States has spoken second, with a few exceptions.

At the 38th (1983) and 39th (1984) sessions, the United States spoke first and Brazil spoke second. At the 71st session, on September 20, 2016, Chad spoke second due to the delay in arrival of the President of the United States.

According to the UN Protocol and Liaison Services, during the Organisation's early years, no one ever wanted to be the first to speak, and Brazil always ended up volunteering to go first. This has now become a tradition.

The second spot goes to the host country (the US), and then the order of speakers follows a complex algorithm reflecting level of representation, geographical balance, the order in which the request to speak was recorded, and other considerations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President on Monday inked his administration's first trade deal with South Korea, which he described as "a historic milestone" and a promise fulfilled to his countrymen.

"The new US-Korea agreement includes significant improvements to reduce our trade deficit and expand opportunities to export American products to South Korea," Trump told reporters at the signing ceremony in New York on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly.

Describing it as a "very big deal" and a great day for the two countries, Trump said these outcomes give the finest American-made automobiles, innovative medicines and agricultural crops a much better access to Korean markets.

"I think our farmers are going to be extremely happy. It was very limited as to what they could do and what they could send. And now, it is an open market and they are going to be sending a lot more farm products. That makes me feel very good," he said.

Trump said as a part of the agreement, the US has also secured an increased access to America's auto industry.

According to the US Trade Representatives, since the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) came into effect in 2012, the US trade deficit in goods with Korea increased by 75 per cent from $13.2 billion to $23.1 billion (2017), while the overall deficit increased by 57 per cent from $6.3 billion to $9.8 billion (2017).

"Through negotiations to improve KORUS, the United States has secured changes that will reduce the trade deficit and ensure that KORUS is a good deal for American workers, farmers and businesses," it said, adding that the US achieved important steps to improve the large trade deficit in industrial goods and address the KORUS implementation concerns that have hindered American export growth.

Trump said the agreement will reduce bureaucracy and increase prosperity in both the countries. Workers in the US and will find new customers and new opportunities to expand and grow.

"Our teams will be working hard to ensure that the terms of the deal are fully implemented," he said.

South Korean President said the free trade agreement between the two countries is significant in the sense that it expands the alliance to the economic realm as well.

"Today we have made amendments and modifications to improve the existing agreement. With the swift conclusion of the negotiations for the revision, the uncertainty surrounding our FTA has been eliminated. And, as a result, companies from both countries will now be able to do business under more stable conditions," he said.

In addition, he hoped that this will provide them with a platform upon which the economic ties of the two countries will be elevated to a higher level in a freer, fairer, and more mutually beneficial direction.

During the meeting, Moon shared with Trump the outcomes of September's inter-Korean summit, which included Democratic People's Republic of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un's reiteration of his commitment to complete denuclearisation.

Trump commended Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with the North Korean leader, Chairman Kim, and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea.

"The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining vigorous enforcement of existing sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that denuclearisation is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," the White House said in a readout of the meeting.

"Both leaders also discussed plans for a second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim in the not too distant future and committed to closely coordinate on next steps," it added.UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that the "courageous initiative" of a summit between the US and North Korea as well as the recent meeting of the two Korean leaders in Pyongyang offer hope for the possibility of a "full and verifiable" denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

"The courageous initiative of the Singapore Summit between the leaders of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, along with the recent meeting of the two Korean leaders offers hope for the possibility of a full and verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in a context of regional security," Guterres said, addressing world leaders at the start of the General Debate at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

He said despite the chaos and confusion in the world, he is heartened to see "winds of hope" blowing around the globe, as he cited the signing of the historic peace agreement between the leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea in Saudi Arabia.

In the context of a summit of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the two rival leaders in South Sudan have signed a peace agreement.

"I am hopeful that these efforts will continue to be consolidated so that the people of the Horn of Africa can finally turn the page on war and conflict," he said.

He also cited the the strengthened cooperation after Uzbekistan went through a peaceful political transition. The approval of compacts on refugees and migration also represents another sign of hope, even if there is still a long way to go to reconcile full respect for the rights of people on the move with the legitimate interests of states.

"Hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of extreme poverty across the world over the past three decades, and we averted looming famine in four countries in the past two years, he said, adding that the drive for gender equality is gaining ground, amid a growing awareness of pervasive discrimination against women and girls, from violence, harassment and exploitation to unequal pay and exclusion from decision-making.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump has said he expects to hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "in the not too distant future" over the progress in the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and praised him for being "very open and terrific".

The two leaders held their first historic meeting in Singapore in June but the details of their agreement over disarmament were vague, with no timeline or indication on how the steps towards denuclearisation would be achieved.

"I am going to be meeting with Chairman Kim in the not-too-distant future. The location is being worked on, the time is being worked on, and we will be announcing it," Trump told reporters during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In in New York on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly.

Trump praised Kim as "very open" and "terrific", despite the glacial pace of progress toward denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula.

His comments were in stark contrast to his debut address at last year's general assembly when he threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea and denounced Kim as "rocket man". Pyongyang responded by calling the US president "mentally deranged".

The White House on Monday said the two leaders discussed plans for a second summit between Trump and Kim and committed to closely coordinating the next steps.

Moon shared with Trump the outcomes of this month's inter-Korean summit, which included Kim's reiteration of his commitment to completing denuclearisation, the White House said.

"Trump commended President Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with Chairman Kim and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea," said a readout of the meeting.

The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining vigorous enforcement of the existing sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that denuclearisation is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, it added.

Since the June 12 meeting between Trump and Kim, the North has made overtures to the South and tried to improve its image.

While little concrete change has occurred, North Korea has suspended its controversial missile testing, a major source of regional tension.

Kim has promised to dismantle North Korea's main missile testing and launching site, and said he could decommission the main nuclear test site, if the US took some reciprocal action.

Some critics have raised concerns that the human rights situation in North Korea has been ignored to ensure better relations.

In the months since the Singapore summit, talks have faltered over North Korea's unwillingness to start dismantling its nuclear weapons programme without first having firmer security guarantees from Washington.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A year after threatening to "totally destroy North Korea" who's leader was on a "suicide mission", US President Donald Trump on Tuesday thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his "courage" and the steps he has taken towards the pursuit of a denuclearised Korean Peninsula.

In his second address to the UN General Debate, Trump said that in the last one year, the US has, with support from many countries like South Korea, Japan and China, "engaged with North Korea to replace the spectre of conflict with a bold and new push for peace.

Trump referred to his historic summit with the North Korean leader in Singapore in June. We had highly productive conversations and meetings and we agreed that it was in both countries interest to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Since that meeting, Trump said he has seen a "number of encouraging measures" that few could have imagined only a short time ago.

"The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction. Nuclear testing has stopped. Some military facilities are already being dismantled, he said.

Trump, who had last year called Kim a "Rocket Man on a suicide mission", thanked the North Korean leader "for his courage and for the steps he has taken." But he added that much work remains to be done. He emphasised that the sanctions will remain in place until denuclearisation occurs.

Last year, Trump had told the UN General Assembly that North Korea's reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles threatened the entire world with unthinkable loss of human life.

He had said it is an "outrage" that some nations would not only trade with a regime like North Korea, but would arm, supply and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict.

"The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime. The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary. That's what the United Nations is all about; that's what the United Nations is for. Let's see how they do, he had said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Polish company in collaboration with a stirling engine maker from Holland is exploring opportunities in India for a compact and direct combustion based electric generation unit using cow dung.

India already uses this to feed biomass generators, but biogas-based plants have not gained much momentum in the country as yet.

"The technology we are trying in India offers maintenance-free installation and can generate peak power of 1 KW or 1.8 KW per hour, with cow dung or any other biomass," Globe Solutions Vice-Chairman Marcin Wilczynski said on Tuesday, during an interactive session at the Bharat Chamber of Commerce here.

He said it uses stirling engines from Holland's Microgen Engine Corporation for direct combustion, which is safer and easy to operate.

These units can be either standalone or grid connected, Wilczynski said, adding, regulatory factors like net metering will be the key to large-scale success.

Bharat Chamber president Sitaram Sharma said among the European countries, Denmark was aiming to produce 30 per cent of power from cow dung.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Manish Gupta hailed the initiative and said the same technology could be of good use in power-deficit states.

He, however, raised some apprehension about the stirling engines' efficiency in India compared to the colder environment in European nations.

Globe Solutions did not reveal the price of the units in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Brexit spokesman of Britain's main opposition Labour Party on Tuesday raised the possibility of staying in the European Union, more than two years after Britons voted to leave.

Keir Starmer told the left-wing party's conference that another vote on Britain's relationship with the European Union should still be an option, in an attempt to bridge Labour's divisions on Brexit.

Many young, metropolitan, newer party members vociferously oppose leaving the EU, but older, working-class voters from the party's traditional heartlands are in favour.

"It's right that parliament has the first say" on any Brexit deal the government strikes with Brussels, Starmer told the party's annual conference in Liverpool, northwest England.

"But if we need to break an impasse, our options must include campaigning for a public vote -- and nobody is ruling out Remain as an option," he said in an unscripted addition -- to huge cheers and a standing ovation.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a long-time sceptic of the EU, has so far tried to maintain ambiguity on the subject while the government ties itself in knots during the Brexit process.

Prime Minister Theresa May, who has ruled out a second referendum, says leaving without a deal is the only alternative to her plan that would keep Britain close to Brussels on trade -- a blueprint that has been rebuffed by EU leaders.

Starmer said that if May struck a deal that did not match Labour's expectations -- something he said "seems increasingly likely" -- then it would vote against the deal in parliament.

If that happened, May would need the backing of almost all her Conservative MPs to approve the deal, which seems unlikely given the centre-right party's own ideological splits.

It would also radically increase the risk that Britain leaves the EU in March without any agreement at all, throwing the whole process, and the government, into chaos.

Starmer said Labour wanted a general election to break a Brexit deadlock in parliament.

However, if an election was not possible, a second referendum should be on the table.

The terms on which this could be held have been the source of confusion within Labour, reflecting its divisions over the issue.

Later Tuesday, the conference will formally vote on a motion on "all options remaining on the table", including the possibility of a second referendum.

The motion's wording was agreed on Monday after five hours of intense talks.

But it disappointed many party members, who had hoped for a solid commitment to a second vote on a final Brexit deal, including the option to remain in the EU.

After Starmer's speech, key figures and delegates said it had struck a good balance.

Jon Lansman, who founded the pro-Corbyn Momentum grassroots movement that is gaining increasing sway within Labour, told AFP: "The compromise we have got today is a good way of uniting the party. I think it does keep all the options on the table.

"We want people to be up to decide the future of the country. I'd rather do it in a general election.

"Leaving the EU and in particular leaving without a deal would be a disaster." Labour MP David Lammy said: "This has been a long fight over many months, many years and I think we are getting somewhere." Starmer's speech "successfully achieved bringing the Labour family together", he added. Many young party members have been going about the conference carrying bags reading "Love Corbyn, Hate Brexit".

"I was really pleased to hear that Remain is still an option," said Jane Harris, 41, from Corbyn's Islington constituency in north London. "A referendum is the only sensible option." Patricia Dale, 67, a Labour local councillor in Rochdale, northwest England, said: "There is no longer a division.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hitting back at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for using "foul language" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh minister Sidharth Nath Singh said Tuesday the Amethi MP had graduated from being a 'shehzada' (prince) to "an emperor of lies".

Alleging that the Congress chief was misleading people, Singh, who is also a spokesperson of the UP government, demanded Gandhi spell out details to substantiate his claims on the then UPA government's decisions on the Rafale deal.

"The shehzada has graduated and become the shehenshah (emperor)...Rahul Gandhi has become an emperor of lies. I am saying this as yesterday in Amethi he presented a story that was a total lie," Singh said attacking Rahul Gandhi.

The UP minister alleged that Gandhi was trying to "convert lies into truth" by continually repeating them.

"Rahul is saying his (UPA) government had inked a deal with Rafale for 126 fighter jets. He says the order was given to HAL. I want to know from Rahul Gandhi about the dates of these events. Please tell the country what the deal was (with Rafale) and what order was placed with HAL," Singh said.

Asked if the Rafale issue would impact the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Singh said he did not believe so as elections were not fought on "lies".

The Congress chief had in Amethi on Monday demanded answers from Prime Minister Modi on several issues related to the Rafale deal.

Gandhi had charged that the country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi snatched money from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

"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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Some Delhi-based urologists on Tuesday hailed the government's health insurance scheme, saying it would make treatment of all urological disorders, including prostate cancer, easier for the poor and weaker sections.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) under Ayushman Bharat Mission will cover treatment of all urological disorders, including prostate cancer, and this will immensely help patients from poor and weaker sections who had so far neglected the critical disease due to unaffordable cost of treatment, said Dr. Anup Kumar, Head of Department of Urology and Renal Transplant at Safdarjang Hospital.

"Under PMJAY, the government, in consultations with healthcare providers, has fixed up charges for treatment for all urological disorders and that will be reimbursed by the insurers. Due to lack of awareness in rural areas people tend to ignore prostate problems and now with PMJAY in place, a large number of people can avail treatment for prostate cancer which is the second largest cancer in the country (in terms of prevalence)," Kumar said.

Prevalence of prostate problems in India is progressively rising and the experts recommended targeted or smart screening to diagnose prostate cancer in early stage and cure the disease.

"The cancer projection data shows that the number of cases will become doubled by 2020. Delhi Cancer registry shows cancer of the prostate is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in Delhi where incidence of cancer is 10-12 per cent and after oral cancers, prostate is the leading problem," Kumar said.

Rising cases of enlargement of the prostate, which is not a result of cancer and is called benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostate cancer are major challenges for the Indian health systems, said Dr P N Dogra, head of department of urology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

In view of progressively rising non-communicable diseases, including cancer burden in the country, the government is mulling to launch a massive awareness campaign. The experts said that the proposed campaign would greatly help in creating awareness about prostate cancer, its causes and availability of latest treatments.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in Indian males, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and various state cancer registries. The incidence rate in India is 9-10/1,00,000 population which is higher than other parts of Asia and Africa but lower than the US and Europe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Congratulating Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory in Maldives' presidential election, the US on Monday said it was ready to work closely with the new government to expand cooperation on their shared interests in an independent and prosperous Maldives as well as a free and open Indian Ocean region.

"The United States congratulates Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory in Maldives' September 23 presidential election," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

The US, she said, commended the Maldivian people for their commitment to the democratic process and exceptional level of participation in an election that had ushered in a new chapter in their country's history.

"We expect all parties to respect the will of the Maldivian people and support a peaceful transition of power through the November 17 inauguration," Nauert said.

"As a fellow democracy, the United States stands ready to work closely with the next Maldivian government to expand cooperation on our shared interests in an independent and prosperous Maldives as well as a free and open Indian Ocean region," she added.

Separately, the Canadian government congratulated the people of Maldives, who turned out peacefully in high numbers to cast their votes, reflecting their strong desire to exercise their democratic rights.

"The provisional tally announced yesterday by the Election Commission points to a clear victory for Ibrahim Mohamed Solih," the Canadian government said in a statement.

"We look forward to a peaceful transition of power and will work with president-elect Solih and his new government to further strengthen the bilateral ties," it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The US Treasury went after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's inner circle Tuesday, imposing sanctions on his wife and other close associates.

Treasury named Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro, a former attorney general and the president's wife, as one of the figures who has helped Maduro retain his grip on power.

"Treasury will continue to impose a financial toll on those responsible for Venezuela's tragic decline, and the networks and front-men they use to mask their illicit wealth," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tata Steel's proposed acquisition of Usha Martin's speciality steel business will improve the share of its long steel products at no additional leverage, according to two international rating agencies.

Tata Steel, which has a capacity of 27.5 million tonne, has a disproportionate skew towards flat steel products currently, while Usha Martin has an integrated steel-making business with predominantly long steel products, which fetch higher margins.

The steel business of Usha Martin, which is amongst the top five wire rope manufacturers in the world and a leading speciality steel producer in the country, comprises the specialised one-million tonne alloy-based capacity in the long products segment in Jamshedpur, a producing iron-ore mine, a coal mine under development and captive power plants.

The deal is expected to be completed over the next two to three quarters.

Analysing the impact of the deal, global rating agencies S&P and Moody's Tuesday said the purchase is credit positive for Tata Steel as it widens its product portfolio to the high margin long products segments, where the Tatas are not strong now, without impacting the company's financial profile or leverage as the deal will be an all-cash one.

In one of the largest debt resolution case outside the NCLT, the Usha Martin board had on September 22 signed an agreement with Tata Steel to sell the Kolkata-based firm's steel and wire rope business for a cash consideration of up to Rs 4,300-4,700 crore in a slump sale.

Usha Martin, which had a debt of over Rs 3,700 crore and a revenue of Rs 3,441 crore in the last fiscal year, had informed the exchanges that the sale would bring down the debt significantly. SBI is the lead banker for the group's debt.

"Acquisition is credit positive for Tata Steel as it will help it strengthen the overall business as well as expand its presence in the eastern market. The deal will have no immediate ratings effect," Moody's said in a statement.

Echoing earlier views, S&P said, "At the proposed transaction value of Rs 4,300-4,700 crore, we do not expect the acquisition to have a material negative impact on Tata Steel's financial profile or leverage. We expect the company to pay in cash for the acquisition, which is through a slump sale. The acquisition will also improve its product portfolio."



Given the robust prices and strong volume outlook for the domestic steel market, S&P expects "Tata Steel to continue with its strategy of bidding for bankrupt steel assets as it strives to maintain leadership in a high growth market".

Moody's said the acquisition will help Tata Steel further widen its long products offering and increase the proportion of value-added goods in its product mix.

Moreover, the captive raw material sourcing at Usha Martin's operations will supplement Tata Steel's existing business, which is also vertically integrated, thus alleviating any concerns about the sourcing as it continues to expand its production capacity both organically and inorganically, it noted.

The Tata Steel counter closed 1.10 per cent lower at Rs 599.95 apiece on the BSE Tuesday, against 0.96 per cent rise in the benchmark.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The values of forgiveness, compassion and inclusivity embraced by late South African President Nelson Mandela are even more relevant today in the world which is "beset with conflicts, terror and hateful ideologies, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said here.

Recalling India's strong bond with "Madiba", as Mandela was fondly addressed by people across the world, Swaraj said Indians consider him to be one of their own.

"We are proud to call him a Bharat Ratna, jewel of India," she said.

"Nelson Mandela's life is an inspiration for all. He showed fearlessness and courage in the face of discrimination and adversity," Swaraj said at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit held Monday, a day before the start of the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly.

Swaraj underscored that the values of forgiveness, compassion and inclusiveness of society, espoused by Mandela, are needed now more than ever in the current turbulent times around the world.

The focus of the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit is on Global Peace in honour of Mandela's birth centenary.

Swaraj said the world today is "beset with conflicts, terror and hateful ideologies that are transcending borders and impacting our lives." She emphasised that no one should be allowed to support terror or its perpetration.

"Our collective survival as a global familty requires that the wisdom of pioneering leaders such as Mandela should remain as our moral compass," she said.

Mandela was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award in 1990. He is among only two non-Indians to be conferred with the honour. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1987.

"India cherishes its special relationship and longstanding partnership with Africa and its people. Our close bonds are reflected in the philosophy of Mandela and Gandhi," both of whom led their peoples to freedom though mass peaceful struggles, she said adding that the two leaders made all efforts to overcome divisive and narrow identity politics to turn society's diversity into its strength instead of a weakness.

At the Summit, the United Nations General Assembly honoured Mandela with a pledge to build a just, peaceful and prosperous world and to revive the values for which the former South African President and anti-apartheid campaigner stood. UN Member States adopted the first resolution of the General Assembly's 73rd session, "committing to demonstrate mutual respect, tolerance, understanding and reconciliation in [their] relations".

"We resolve to move beyond words in the promotion of peaceful, just, inclusive and non-discriminatory societies, stressing the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women and the meaningful participation of youth in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security," the resolution said.

Member States, many represented by their heads of State and government, also reiterated the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and said that they remain committed to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions economic, social and environmental in a balanced and integrated manner.

Addressing the Summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke of the growing pressure against human rights around the world, and urged everyone to draw inspiration from Mandela's wisdom, courage and fortitude, to face the challenges.

"[That] is the only way to build the just, peaceful and prosperous world envisioned in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Guterres said.

"Madiba was a global citizen whose legacy must continue to guide us," he added.

Earlier in the day, a statue of Mandela was unveiled at the UN Headquarters by Guterres alongside President of South Africa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa and President of the current session of the General Assembly Mara Fernanda Espinosa. Gifted by South Africa to the UN, the life-size statue shows Madiba with his arms outstretched and bears his warm and broad smile.

Speaking at the unveiling, Guterres highlighted Mandela's humility as a hallmark of his greatness.

"When he achieved the pinnacle of power as president of his beloved country, Madiba set an example that still resounds throughout Africa and the world he stepped down after one term, confident in the durability of South Africa's newfound democracy He did not pursue power for its own sake, but simply as a means of service," the UN chief said.

Espinosa recalled Mandela's first landmark speech at the UN, in 1994, in which he spoke of the interdependence of all nations and asked what can and must leaders do to ensure that democracy, peace and prosperity prevail everywhere.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday paid tributes to Bharatiya Jana Sangh co-founder Deen Dayal Upadhyaya on his 102nd birth anniversary and recalled his efforts to uplift the weaker sections of the society.

Upadhyaya was born on this day in 1916 in Mathura and was an RSS pracharak.

"Tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Ji on his jayanti," Modi tweeted.

He also posted a video of his speech on Upadhyay in which he had underlined the thinker's views on the principle 'antodaya' which calls for upliftment of the poor for the overall development of the society.

Naidu said Upadhyaya's life was a reflection of his trials in early childhood. "...it typified how a person could rise above his circumstances through sheer grit and determination," he said in a tweet.

He said Upadhyaya was a profound philosopher, organiser par excellence and a leader who maintained the highest standards of personal integrity.

"Deendayalji's views on 'integral humanism' were that it is essential that we think about 'our national identity' without which there is no meaning of independence. Human knowledge is common property," he wrote.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the successor party of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, is organising programmes across the country to mark his birth anniversary. Prime Minister Modi will address BJP workers at 'karyakarta mahakumbh' in Bhopal later in the day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Tuesday the Narendra Modi government should not have any problem in divulging the price of the Rafale fighter jets since it was not a technological subject.

The former defence minister said the Rafale aircraft was very useful for the country's defence as far as its technological aspects were concerned.

"Today, the Congress and other parties are raising the (Rafale) pricing issue and, according to me, the government should not have any problem in divulging the price details of the deal," Pawar told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Pune.

The former Union minister questioned the "confidential agreement" cited by the government to deny making the details public. "I, too, was a defence minister and a confidential agreement has information about its technology and the capacity, but price is not a technological subject."



Led by the Congress, the Opposition parties have been attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the Rs 58,000-crore deal, alleging it was procuring 36 Rafale jets from France at an exorbitantly high cost. The government has denied the charge, contending that it was getting the jets cheaper than what the UPA dispensation had agreed upon.

Pawar stressed that utmost care should be taken to conceal technological aspects of the fighter jets, but there should not be any problem in divulging the price details.

Taking a dig at the government for saying it was not possible to share the price details, he said the same people used to insist on getting all the information about the Bofors deal whenever it was discussed in Parliament.

"Right from Sushma Swaraj to other leaders, all used to demand that they must get all the information, including technological (details).

"There were instances of the House getting stalled for several days (on the issue)," the veteran parliamentarian added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The NCP Tuesday attacked the Centre over registration of "only" 84 lakh families from Maharashtra under the 'Ayushman Bharat' healthcare scheme, wondering if it had ignored other poor people in the state.

The Sharad Pawar-led party referred to the state's existing 'Mahatma Phule Janarogya Yojana', which insures a total of 2.2 crore below poverty line (BPL) families.

"Only 84 lakh families from the state are registered under the scheme. The existing Mahatma Phule Janarogya Yojana gives insurance cover to 2.2 crore families.

"Has the government ignored the remaining 1.25 crore families below the poverty line?" senior NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, Dhananjay Munde, Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule and Nawab Malik asked in a post on their respective Twitter accounts.

The leaders raised the issue under the party's "56 questions to those with 56-inch chest" - an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Modi had claimed at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh that only a person with a "56-inch chest" (implying a bold approach) could solve problems faced by the country.

Modi had Sunday rolled out the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)-Ayushman Bharat, and termed it a "game-changer initiative to serve the poor".

The health scheme will set an example for countries across the world, he had said.

The ambitious scheme aims to provide coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually, benefiting more than 50 crore people for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation through a network of empanelled health care providers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Ministry of Civil Aviation Tuesday said the country has 100 aerodromes connected by regular scheduled flights after the inauguration of Pakyong airport in Sikkim.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Pakyong aerodrome, where commercial flight operations are set to start from October 4.

After the inauguration, Modi had said that after Independence the country had only 65 airports till 2014, taking an apparent dig at the Congress. In the last four years, the government has built 35 airports, he had said.

Modi-led BJP government came to power in 2014.

Against this backdrop, the ministry said that with the inauguration of Pakyong airport, the country now has 100 airports connected by regular scheduled flights.

Evidently, not all these airports were benefitting the general public. Out of these, only 67 airports were connected by regular flights of scheduled airlines, it said in a series of tweets.

"In the last four years, the number of airports connected with scheduled flights (and thus benefitting general public) has gone up from 67 to 100 airports," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the fact was referred to by the Prime Minister in his speech when he said "ye airport ban ne ke baad hamare desh mein 100 airport kaam karne lag gaye hain".

The Prime Minister has referred to the fact that now 100 airports have become available for service to common man, the ministry said.

"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 had said.

India is one of the fastest growing domestic aviation markets in the world.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 22-year-old woman was charred to death and nine others sustained serious burn injuries Tuesday as a bus caught fire after coming in contact with a low-hanging high-tension wire near Inayatpur village, police said.

Fifty employees of an industrial unit in the SIDCUL area of Haridwar were in the bus when it burst into flames after coming in contact with the wire, Senior Superintendent of Police Haridwar Krishna Kumar VK said.

The bus was going to drop the employees from the Industrial area Roshanabad to Kaliyar Roorkee after night shift when the incident happened, he said.

The injured, who were employees of a private company, were admitted to hospitals in Roorkee, Meerut and Dehradun by the villagers with the help of police, Kaliyar police station incharge Pramod Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat ordered immediate suspension of the junior engineer of the Power Department and constituted a committee headed by the chief engineer of the department to probe the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actor Woody Harrelson has revealed that he had almost turned down the offer to star in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" but changed his mind due to co-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

The 57-year-old actor played Tobias Beckett, a criminal who mentors young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), in the Ron Howard-directed film.

Waller-Bridge voiced the droid L3-37 in the movie.

In an interview with Metro newspaper, Harrelson said he was excited to share the screen space with Waller-Bridge as he was her big fan, courtesy comedy drama series "Fleabag", which she wrote and featured in.

"Oh God, I just love Phoebe. She is just such a delightful, fun and uplifting friend. A friend of mine told me about 'Fleabag' and I watched it all. I love it. Love it! There aren't many episodes and I wish there were more. Luckily she is doing another season," he said.

"I was really debating doing this film and, in fact, I actually turned it down at first because I had been on such a long string of work and I just wanted to be home with my family. Thankfully I ended up doing it because I now can't imagine not knowing Phoebe," he added.

Harrelson will be next seen in "Venom" alongside Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed and Jenny Slate.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said there is "outrage" in the world over the inability of the international community to end the wars in Syria and Yemen, address the Rohingya refugee crisis, and to combat terrorism.

He said the threat of a new arms race looms, while nations close their borders to those in need and concerns grow over weaponisation of artificial intelligence.

Addressing world leaders at the start of the General Debate at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, Guterres said in his address last year, he had highlighted seven challenges that sadly still remain unresolved.

"There is outrage at our inability to end the wars in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere. The Rohingya people remain exiled, traumatised and in misery, still yearning for safety and justice. Palestinians and Israelis are still locked in endless conflict, with the two-state solution more and more distant," he said.

He voiced concern that the threat of terror looms, fed by the root causes of radicalisation and violent extremism. "And terrorism is ever more interlinked with international organised crime and the trafficking of people, drugs and arms," he said.

Nuclear security is another concern facing the world as the nuclear peril has not eased, with non-proliferation at serious risk.

"Nuclear-armed states are modernising their arsenals. A new arms race could be triggered, and the threshold for their use lowered. We have seen outrageous uses of chemical weapons, in full impunity despite their ban. Protections against dangerous biological weapons are weak," he said.

He also stressed that tensions over trade are on the rise and migrants and refugees continue to face discrimination and demagoguery in the context of clearly insufficient international cooperation.

"As the politics of pessimism spreads, we must guard against self-fulfilling prophecies. Those who see their neighbours as dangerous may cause a threat where there was none. Those who close their borders to regular migration only fuel the work of traffickers. And those who ignore human rights in combatting terrorism tend to breed the very extremism they are trying to end," he said.

On climate change, Guterres said there is a direct existential threat and if nations do not change course in the next two years, there is risk of runaway climate change. He said nations are not doing enough and there is need for greater ambition and a greater sense of urgency. "We must guarantee the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It has immense potential to set us on the right course, but its targets -- which represent the bare minimum to avoid the worst impacts of climate change -- are far from being met".

Next September, the UN chief will convene a climate summit to mobilise action and finance, bringing together countries and cities, business, finance and civil society, to focus on the heart of the problem. The summit will take place one year before countries have to enhance their national climate pledges under the Paris Agreement.

Talking about new technologies, Guterres said rapidly developing fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and biotechnology have the potential to turbocharge progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

"Artificial Intelligence is connecting people across languages, and supporting doctors in making better diagnoses. Driverless vehicles will revolutionise transportation," he said adding that there are also risks and serious dangers.

However, technology is being misused by terrorists and for sexual exploitation and abuse. Organised criminal networks lurk on the dark web, profiting from encryption and near-anonymous cryptocurrency payments to traffic in people and illegal goods. He emphasised that cybercrime is now putting USD 1.5 trillion in the pockets of cybercriminals annually.

"Malicious acts in cyberspace such as disinformation campaigns -- are polarising communities and diminishing trust among states," he said.

He further said the impacts of new technologies on warfare are a direct threat to the common responsibility to guarantee peace and security. "The weaponisation of artificial intelligence is a growing concern. The prospect of weapons that can select and attack a target on their own raises multiple alarms and could trigger new arms races," he said.

Guterres said diminished oversight of weapons has implications for nations' efforts to contain threats, prevent escalation and adhere to international humanitarian and human rights law.

"Let's call it as it is. The prospect of machines with the discretion and power to take human life is morally repugnant. Heaven forbid, any new war could very well include a massive cyberattack not only targeting military capacities, but also critical civilian infrastructure," he said.

He said technological advances may disrupt labour markets as traditional jobs change or disappear, even as the number of young job-seekers continues to grow as the very nature of work will change, governments may have to consider stronger social safety net programmes, including, possibly, universal basic income.

He also voiced concern over the deep gender gap in access to digital technologies, widening the digital divide.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned that the world is suffering from a bad case of "trust deficit disorder" where polarisation is on the rise and cooperation among nations is more difficult as he appealed to the global leaders for renewed commitment to a rules-based order.

Secretary-General Guterres, giving his second address as the UN chief to the world leaders from the iconic lectern in the General Assembly hall, painted a stark picture of the chaos in international order, saying cooperation among countries is less certain and more difficult, and divisions in the Security Council are stark.

World leaders from 193 UN member states, including US President Donald Trump, listened to Guterres as he voiced concern over the paradoxes facing the globe today.

Trump has been very critical of the United Nations and his administration has withdrawn from key UN institutions such as the Human Rights Council and the landmark UN pacts such as the Paris Climate Agreement.

"Our world is suffering from a bad case of 'trust deficit disorder'. People are feeling troubled and insecure. Trust is at a breaking point. Trust in national institutions. Trust among states. Trust in the rules-based global order.

"Within countries, people are losing faith in political establishments, polarisation is on the rise and populism is on the march," Guterres said in his address to the General Assembly at the opening of the high-level General Debate.

Trust in global governance is also fragile, as 21st-century challenges outpace 20th-century institutions and mindsets, he said.

The UN chief said that while the world never had a true system of global governance, still over decades nations established solid foundations for international cooperation but today, the world order is increasingly chaotic.

"Power relations are less clear. Universal values are being eroded. Democratic principles are under siege. The rule of law is being undermined. Impunity is on the rise, as leaders and states push the boundaries at home and in the international arena.

"The world is more connected, yet societies are becoming more fragmented. Challenges are growing outward, while many people are turning inward. Multi-lateralism is under fire precisely when we need it most," Guterres said.

He stressed that while individual leaders have the duty to advance the well-being of their people, they also have the responsibility to promote and support a reformed, reinvigorated and strengthened multilateral system.

"We need renewed commitment to a rules-based order, with the United Nations at its centre and with the different institutions and treaties that bring the Charter to life," he said.

Guterres voiced this commitment to reform, and to making the United Nations more effective in responding to the needs and aspirations of "we the peoples".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Yes Bank board Tuesday decided to seek at least a three-month extension for Rana Kapoor, managing director and chief executive, from RBI beyond January 31, 2019.

The RBI had last week curtailed the three-year term that the board had sought for Kapoor, also one of the promoters of the bank, to January 31, 2019, and asked the bank to find a replacement.

The regulator offered no reasons for the curtailment of the term.

In a regulatory filing, the bank said Kapoor has been in his position since the inception in 2004 and finding a suitable successor is a "time consuming challenge".

"It was decided that Reserve Bank of India be requested for an extension up to minimum April 30, 2019 for finalisation of audited financial statements for fiscal year ending 2019; thereafter subject to RBI approval, up to September 2019 in order for the statutory AGM process to be completed," it said.

To ensure a long-term succession plan, the board also decided to elevate senior group presidents Rajat Monga, who handles financial management, and Pralay Mondal, who heads the focus area of retail, as executive directors.

The board, which met at the bank's corporate office here this evening, also established a search and selection committee comprising three members from the existing nomination and remuneration committee along with two external experts to identify Kapoor's successor.

Meanwhile, Madhu Kapur, the wife of deceased co-promoter Ashok Kapur and also his legal heir, has written to the board asking Kapoor to be sent on leave till January 31 to ensure a fair search, sources said.

She has also demanded a forensic audit of loans sanctioned under Kapoor's leadership.

Kapoor owns 10.66 per cent of the bank, while Kapur owns over 8 per cent.

The bank had last week disclosed that the RBI has curtailed Kapoor's term by nearly two and half years. The board had reappointed him for a period of three years starting September 2018.

Kapoor is the second chief executive at a private sector lender after Shikha Sharma of larger rival Axis Bank to face regulatory wrath in terms of extension of CEOs' tenure.

Both the banks were found to have under-reported non-performing assets by over Rs 10,000 crore each for two consecutive years in regulatory audits conducted by the RBI.

The apex bank move has not gone down well with the investors and the bank stock has seen steep selling in all the trading sessions since the disclosure was made.

The Yes Bank stocks shed 2.83 per cent to close at Rs 219.85 a piece, a fresh 52-week low, on the BSE Tuesday, even as a few other lenders saw a surge in share prices. The stock lost almost 40 per cent since the RBI's action on Kapoor.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), BJP's youth wing, Tuesday launched a website under its "Bihar Youth Ambassador" programme to connect with youths residing in the state and outside.

The site- bya.bjymbihar.org - was launched in the presence of party's national general secretary-cum-Bihar in-charge Bhupendra Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Bihar state president Nityanand Rai and state Ministers-- Nand Kishore Yadav, Prem Kumar and Mangal Pandey at a function held at party's state headquarters here.

The site would solicit suggestions and feedback from the youths in age group of 17-40 years, especially residing outside Bihar for the overall development of the state.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi appealed to youths to connect with Bihar, BJP and its youth wing 'Yuva Morcha' through the newly launched site and be part of Bihar's overall development by giving their valuable suggestions and feedback.

"I welcome the initiative which is really good...Youths, especially those who reside outside the state, should get themselves registered on the website and contribute to the development of Bihar with their valuable suggestions and feedback," Modi said adding that the state government would act on their advice.

Modi, who is also the finance minister, asked the youth wing to put out on the website about the programmes and activities being carried out in the state.

Talking about the initiative, BJYM president and MLA Nitin Navin told PTI "We are giving youths, especially non-residents Bihari (NRBs), a platform to connect themselves with the party and Yuva Morcha and contribute to the state's development."



"They know better as what more should be done in their respective areas (rural and urban areas) for its development. They live in different cities and states of the country and may be able to contribute with their suggestions, ideas as what should be done for the development of eduation sector, youths etc," Navin said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)By Arathy S Nair(Reuters) - British American Tobacco named insider Jack Bowles to succeed Nicandro Durante as chief executive officer on Tuesday, giving him the task of adapting to new tobacco formats as smoking declines."I am confident that we will take full advantage of these opportunities as we accelerate the transformation of BAT into a stronger multi category tobacco and nicotine products company," Bowles said in a statement revealing his appointment.Shares in the maker of Lucky Strike and Dunhill cigarettes fell by more than 2 percent and were the top loser on the UK bluechip index ...BEIJING (Reuters) - Sino-U.S. trade talks have been difficult to proceed, with the United States "putting a gun to China's head", Chinese vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said on Tuesday. When the talks can restart completely would depend on the "will" of the United States, Wang said at a press conference. One cannot say that all previous trade discussions have been useless, but the United States has abandoned its mutual understanding with China, Wang said. (Reporting by Yawen Chen and Se Young Lee; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Eric Meijer)(This story has not been edited by Business ...By Muyu Xu and Manolo Serapio JrBEIJING/MANILA (Reuters) - Top Chinese steelmaker China Baowu Steel Group is in talks to take over rival Magang Group, three sources familiar with the discussions said, a deal that would help entrench the nation's position as a serious competitor in global steel markets.The mega-marriage would sharply narrow Baowu's gap with top-ranked international producer ArcelorMittal, and would be a major step in Beijing's drive to consolidate its bloated steel industry. Baowu and Magang's combined steel output last year surpassed total U.S. production.It would mark the ...NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday he expects India's economy to sustain an annual growth rate of around 8 percent on the back of measures taken by the government such as a unified tax code and a new bankruptcy law. But he said India needs to assess the efficiency of its debt recovery tribunals for quicker decisions. (Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Writing by Sudarshan Varadhan; Ediiting by Sanjeev Miglani)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BERLIN (Reuters) - A full-blown global trade war would have serious effects on global growth and there would be no winners of such a scenario, the director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo said on Tuesday.Speaking at a Berlin industry event against the backdrop of growing trade tensions between China and the United States, Azevedo said: "The warning lights are flashing. A continued escalation of tensions would pose an increased threat to stability, to jobs and to the kind of growth that we are seeing today." (Reporting by Michael Nienaber, editing by Riham ...By Aditi ShahNEW DELHI (Reuters) - Hotel chain OYO Hotels said on Tuesday it would raise $1 billion from existing investors, including Japan's Softbank Group, to grow its business in India and China, and expand into new international markets.In the latest funding round, which could value OYO at about $5 billion, it has already raised $800 million from investors led by Softbank's Vision Fund, the world's biggest private tech investor, and Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital and Greenoaks Capital. The investors have committed to invest an additional $200 million, OYO said.Markets such ...India's crude oil demand is forecast to grow to 500 million tonnes per year by 2040, but persistent increases in oil prices might act as a dampener for the rate of growth, Partha Ghosh, an executive director at Indian Oil Corp said on Tuesday. That would be equivalent to around 10 million barrels per day (bpd), up from about 4.7 million bpd in 2017. Globally oil demand will increase by 15.8 million bpd from now until 2040, Ghosh said during the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) in Singapore. India's growth of 5.9 million bpd will make up about 24 per cent of the ...By Paresh DaveRockville, MD (Reuters) - Instagram on Monday said co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have resigned as chief executive officer and chief technical officer of the photo-sharing app owned by Facebook Inc, giving scant explanation for the move.The departures at Facebook's fastest-growing revenue generator come just months after the exit of Jan Koum, co-founder of Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp, leaving the social network without the developers behind two of its biggest services.They also come at a time when Facebook's core platform is under fire for how it safeguards ...NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's largest state-run insurer, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), will not allow the country's beleaguered Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) to collapse, LIC Chairman V.K. Sharma told reporters on Tuesday.All options, including increasing LIC's stake in IL&FS, are open, Sharma said.IL&FS has revealed a series of delays and defaults on its debt obligations and inter-corporate deposits in recent days. (Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Sunil Nair)(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; ...By Jessica Resnick-AultNEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose Tuesday on global supply concerns following U.S. sanctions on Iran's oil exports, with benchmark Brent surging to a four-year high, then retraced gains to settle just slightly higher after U.S. President Donald Trump called again on OPEC to boost crude output. In a speech before the United Nations, Trump reiterated calls on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to pump more oil and stop raising prices. Earlier, oil prices had surged on worries about global supply after U.S. sanctions on Iran's oil exports take effect ...MADRID (Reuters) - Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo called for cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries on Tuesday, warning that failure to do so could lead to one crisis after another. "It is important that OPEC and non-OPEC countries cooperate so that we do not fall from one crisis to another," Barkindo said at an event organised by Spanish oil and gas company Cepsa in Madrid.Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Sunday he hoped decisions taken by the OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial committee would not be affected by comments made by the U.S. President Donald Trump on oil ...BEIJING (Reuters) - Confrontation between China and the United States means both sides lose, and talks with Washington cannot take place under threats and pressure, the Chinese government's top diplomat State Councillor Wang Yi told U.S. business leaders.Meeting representatives of the U.S.-China Business Council and National Committee on United States-China Relations in New York, Wang said certain U.S. forces have been making groundless accusations against China on trade and security, China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.These accusations against China have poisoned the ...By Jessica JaganathanSINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. oil producer Hess Corp has no intention to sell its assets in Asia as the region provides good, steady cash flow and a stable political environment, a senior company executive told Reuters on Tuesday. While the company sold assets in Thailand and Indonesia a few years ago as it saw little growth in those two countries, Southeast Asia still plays a key role in its portfolio, said Greg Hill, president and chief operating officer of Hess. "We have 20 years of investment opportunities that have provided good stable cash flow for us," said Hill on ...By Martinne GellerLONDON (Reuters) - Unilever executives remain confident that shareholders will back a move to base a new single headquarters in the Netherlands as they launched a charm offensive on Tuesday to win over opponents.The plan by the Anglo-Dutch company to reform a dual-headed structure has become a hot topic in Britain where it has become entangled in the debate over Brexit and its impact on business.Two main practical concerns are around the forced selling of Unilever shares by some British investors because Unilever will drop out of the benchmark FTSE 100 index, and the future ...unveiled changes Monday aimed at making the leading search engine more visual and intuitive to the point it can answer questions before being asked.

and machine learning are core drivers of how will pursue its 20-year-old mission to organise the world's information and make it accessible to anyone, search vice president Ben Gomes said at an event in San Francisco.

The search engine focussed strongly on mobile use and appeared to be growing more like Facebook, encouraging users to linger and explore topics, interests or stories with an increasing emphasis on photos and videos. Results will be increasingly personalised.

"Search is not perfect, and we are under no illusions it is," Gomes said.

"But, you have our commitment that we will make it better every day."



He described the latest changes as shifting from answers to journeys, providing ways to target queries without knowing what words to use and enhancing image-based searches.

Images was redesigned to weave in "Lens" technology that enables queries based on what is pointed out in pictures.

The Images overhaul includes carousels of online video clip highlights displayed with mobile search query results.

New Activity Cards will let users pick up searches where they left off, eliminating the need to retrace online steps.



The search engine will also let users create Collections of online content, and suggest related material that might be of interest.

A Google feed used by more than 800 million people monthly is getting a new name, Discover, an increased ability to offer people relevant information they are likely to want but have not thought to ask for yet.

The feature was described as "Google search helping you discover new things without a query".

Google said it is also testing out an improvement to its job-related search results that will figure out what skills are needed for such posts and information about how to acquire them.

"Information and language are core to what we are as human beings," Gomes said.

"Our work here is never done.Swiss Resource Capital AG

Sibanye-Stillwater presents at Denver Gold Forum and will host visitors at its Stillwater operations



ID: 1541585

(PresseBox) - Sibanye-Stillwater (JSE: SGL & NYSE: SBGL - http://www.commodity-tv.net/c/search_adv/?v=298572) wishes to advise that CEO, Neal Froneman delivered a presentation at the annual Denver Gold Forum in Colorado Springs on Monday, 24 September 2018.



Following the Denver conference, Sibanye-Stillwater will be hosting a site visit to the Stillwater operations based in Montana in the United States (US) from 26 to 28 September 2018. Various presentations on the US Platinum Group Metals (PGM) operations will be shared with investors and analysts during the visit.



All the above mentioned presentations will be available on the website at www.sibanyestillwater.com/investors/presentations/2018 on the days that they will shared.



FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS



This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including ?forward-looking statements? within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and the ?safe harbour? provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as ?target?, ?will?, ?would?, ?expect?, ?can?, ?unlikely?, ?could? and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements, including among others, those relating to our future business prospects, financial positions, debt position and our ability to reduce debt leverage, plans and objectives of management for future operations, plans to raise capital through streaming arrangements or pipeline financing, our ability to service our Bond Instruments (High Yield Bonds and Convertible Bonds), our ability to achieve steady state production at the Blitz project and the anticipated benefits and synergies of our acquisitions are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgement of our senior management and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sibanye-Stillwater, that could cause Sibanye-Stillwater?s actual results and outcomes to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. As a consequence, these forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in the Group?s Annual Integrated Report and Annual Financial Report, published on 2 April 2018, and the Group?s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed by Sibanye-Stillwater with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 2 April 2018 (SEC File no. 001-35785). These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Sibanye-Stillwater undertakes no obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, save as required by applicable law.

























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Bereitgestellt von Benutzer: PresseBoxDatum: 25.09.2018 - 01:07 UhrSprache: DeutschNews-ID 1541585Anzahl Zeichen: 3178contact information:Contact person:Town:Phone:Kategorie:Typ of Press Release:type of sending:Date of sending:Anmerkungen:Diese Pressemitteilung wurde bishermal aufgerufen.Die Pressemitteilung mit dem Titel:steht unter der journalistisch-redaktionellen Verantwortung vonBeachten Sie bitte die weiteren Informationen zum Haftungsauschlu (gema TMG - TeleMedianGesetz ) und dem Datenschutz (gema der DSGVO ).It's turning out to be a big year for hospitality company OYO. It has been expanding its global footprint by moving into China and the UK, and is close to turning profitable. The icing on the cake? It has reportedly just entered the coveted unicorn club.The Gurugram-based hotel chain, founded by 24-year-old college dropout Ritesh Agarwal in 2013, today announced that it has raised $800 million from Japanese telecom major Softbank through Softbank Vision Fund. The Economic Times further reported that the company also received an additional commitment of $200 million, taking the total fundraise to $1 billion.

The round also saw participation from its other existing investors such as Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia and Greenoaks Capital. JP Morgan played the role of the financial advisor to OYO for the same.

Though the company did not comment on valuations, sources previously told the daily that after the fundraise, OYO could be valued at between $4.5-5 billion - in the same league as Ola, India's largest taxi-hailing service. In its previous round last September, when OYO had raised about $260 million from SoftBank and other investors, it had been valued at about $850 million.

In a statement OYO said that it plans to channel approximately $600 million of the funds raised into "strengthening its position in China" and the rest to retain leadership position in India while expanding its footprint. The company also plans to continue investing in technology and talent, and deploy fresh capital to take their "unique model that enables small hotel owners to create quality living spaces" to new geographies.

"In a short span of time, Oyo Hotels has grown to become the most-preferred hotel brand in both economy and mid-market segments. We have already started expanding our presence to newer segments, with Oyo Home, Oyo Townhouse and more recently Palette Resorts by Oyo. We will continue to explore newer businesses while remaining focused on both organic and inorganic growth," said Agarwal.

According to the company, it already counts more than 1.25 lakh rooms across the country and is witnessing more than three times growth year on year with net take rates of over 20%. Other than attaining unit level profitability, OYO claims to be benefiting from 90% of the demand coming from the direct channels and 67% of the topline in India coming from repeat customers.

In the past year, OYO increased its international footprint to four countries - China, Malaysia, Nepal and, more recently, the UK. In less than a year since it forayed into China, the company already has about 87,000 rooms across 171 cities. In total, it claims to be present in over 350 cities with over 10,000 asset partners.

So the big-ticket fundraise does not really come as a surprise. Besides, SoftBank's CEO Masayoshi Son has long been raving about this company. In fact, in an investor presentation on August 6, he had even compared OYO's growth to the world's biggest hotel chains such as the Taj Group, Marriott and Hilton.With the closing of the $16 billion Walmart-Flipkart deal last month, the two companies are now focussing on building synergies. The homegrown ecommerce leader obviously gains a lot from the deal - not only in terms of leveraging the US giant's strengths, especially in the grocery and fresh produce segment, but also no longer having to worry about raising capital or its valuations.

But what's in it for Walmart, apart from an entry into India's red-hot ecommerce segment? The local unit of the Beast of Bentonville has finally shared a part of its plans.

Krish Iyer, the CEO of Walmart India said that it could leverage Flipkart to cross-sell each other's private brands, and use the etailer's expertise in technology and analytics, The Economic Times reported.

"Currently, we are selling our private brands only in our stores but don't see any reason why we can't sell it outside our stores. With Flipkart, there is an option," said Iyer. "Flipkart is a platform and there are sellers on it, and when you talk about grocery, it's about getting the right sellers to complete the mix. They are very good at technology, analytics and customer relationship management."

While the Bentonville-based retail giant gets nearly a third of its revenues from its own labels in the US, private brands like Right Buy and Member's Mark account for only 6-7% of Walmart India's overall sales.

India allows 51% FDI in multi-brand retail, while 100% FDI is allowed in cash-and-carry wholesale ventures that sell grocery and other products to business entities such as neighbourhood stores. Hence, Walmart can neither sell its own brands directly to end consumers, nor list it directly on Flipkart's platform.

However, kirana stores are already selling Walmart's private labels after buying them from Walmart's Best Price wholesale stores. The latter stocks over 5,000 items, including a wide range of fresh, frozen and chilled foods, fruits and vegetables, dry groceries, personal and home care items, hotel and restaurant supplies, apparel, office supplies, electronic goods and other general merchandise items. So the company now hopes to leverage Flipkart in a similar manner.

"As long as there's a reseller involved, there should not be any legal issue. Walmart can also set up another company just for these FMCG brands and list it at Flipkart but there could be complications," Devangshu Dutta, chief executive at consultancy firm Third Eyesight, told the daily.

Walmart India further clarified that both companies have a separate team and the benefits will not accrue immediately. "Nothing is going to happen in the next 2-3 months. It takes time and needs a lot of planning and good execution to get the benefit in the short to medium term," Iyer announced, after the company opened its second Best Price Modern Wholesale store in Ludhiana on Saturday. This takes the total tally of such stores to 22 across India.

Walmart India reportedly already generates nearly half its sales from outside its cash-and-carry stores. "It's all about omni-channel - anytime and anywhere concept because the customer wants to shop that way," said Iyer.

Meanwhile, Flipkart is also planning to invest heavily to promote its in-house labels such as MarQ (appliances like washing machines and ACs), Perfect Homes (furniture brand) and SmartBuy (electronics and accessories) during the upcoming festive season. Its fashion subsidiary Myntra, too, boasts several in-house brands like Roadster and Dressberry.

For the record, private labels are mostly priced much lower than branded products because of substantial marketing and distribution savings. Retailers instead rely on in-store promotions and prominent displays to push their own brands. Hence, a major benefit of focussing on private label is high margin value, which can really create a difference in the gross sales of a company.The petrol and diesel are touching new heights every day. Not only major cities like Delhi and Mumbai but state capitals like Patna are seeing fuel prices breaching the Rs 91 per litre mark. As per Indian Oil's daily pricing list for Tuesday, petrol has reached over Rs 91 in several districts of Maharashtra, with state capital Mumbai witnessing few paise jump to Rs 90.22 per litre.

Diesel has been priced Rs 78.69 in Mumbai, compared to Rs 78.58 per litre on Monday. In Delhi, petrol is being sold at Rs 82.86 per litre, while diesel has reached Rs 74.12 per litre.

As the Centre refuses to reduce excise duty on fuel, petrol has increased by Rs 4.04 since September 1, while diesel prices have jumped by Rs 3.60. The Centre currently levies a total excise duty of Rs 19.48 per litre on petrol and Rs 15.33 per litre on diesel, while VAT varies amongst states.

Despite a continuous rise in fuel prices, Delhi has the cheapest fuel rates among all metros. States like Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Karnataka have cut taxes on fuel to reduce the burden. Fuel prices are the highest in Maharashtra, which charges maximum sales tax or Value Added Tax (VAT).

The Centre government seems concerned over the falling value of rupee and increasing fuel prices as crude oil prices rise significantly. Brent crude oil has crossed $81 per barrel for the first time in the past four years. Reports suggest the government may soon announce import curbs on several non-essential items. Last week, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government may relax norms for raising overseas borrowing and impose restrictions on the non-essential imports as part of efforts to check rising current account deficit (CAD) and a falling rupee.

Brent crude oil prices breached the $81 mark due to the tightening oil market and OPEC leaders signalling they won't raise the output. On Tuesday, Brent crude price was trading at $81.44 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude was at Rs 72.26 per barrel.

Edited by Manoj SharmaQuestioning the veracity of media report claiming that Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has stopped funding for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train on the pretext that the government should first look into the problems of farmers, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), nodal agency for the execution of the project, said the report is not true and not based on facts.

"In fact, the GoI and JICA have already signed a loan agreement of about 10 billion yen and no payment is pending from JICA as on date," NHSRCL said in a statement.

NHSRCL said it is committed to care of the interests of the affected farmers, adding that all necessary steps with regard to submission of various reports ie. social impact assessment, environment impact assessment and indigenous people plan have already been taken by the Indian side and the reports already submitted to JICA.

Earlier, a news report had claimed that JICA has stopped funding for the construction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream project citing farmers' issues.

Formed on October 1, 2003, JICA is a governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance for the government of Japan. Its aim is to "contribute to the promotion of international cooperation as well as the sound development of Japanese and global economy by supporting the socioeconomic development, recovery or economic stability of developing regions".

The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHRCL), the nodal body to implement the project, has failed to make any headway in several areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is facing several issues over land acquisition in both the states, with farmers seeking more compensation and other basic amenities like common ponds, schools, solar lights and doctors in village areas. About 110 km of the 508 km train corridor passes through Palghar in Maharashtra where the NHRCL has faced stiff resistance from farmers. In Gujarat too, around 850 hectares is required to be acquired for the project from around 5,000 families across eight districts.

Some farmers of Gujarat, alleging the negligence of social and environmental concerns in the acquisition process, moved the Gujarat High Court, challenging the NHRCL's land acquisition process. They had sent a letter to JICA to stop funding till the government address the farmers' concerns. The farmers have also invited the Japan ambassador to India to visit the affected areas to understand the situation.Jack Ma, the pioneer of China's Internet industry, termed the speculation around his retirement as a "sea gossip", saying he would rather die on the beach than in his executive office at Alibaba.

On 10 September, Chinese billionaire Ma, on his 54th birthday, announced that he would step down as Alibaba's executive chairman in one year to make way for the next generation of leaders at the $420 billion e-commerce giant. He named the company's Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang as his successor who would take charge in September next year, while he would continue to be a director.

His retirement report sparked off speculation that he could be stepping down due to the prevailing business environment in China. The New York Times in its report said Ma was retiring as China's business environment had soured, with Beijing and state-owned enterprises increasingly playing more interventionist roles with companies.

Speaking about his retirement at the concluding session of the Summer Davos Forum in China's Tianjin city on Thursday, Ma said "gossip has been around us every day for the last 19 years. For someone who has a dream for the future, gossips, rumours, hardships and frustrations will always be part of your life."

Reporting on Ma's speech at the forum, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported that sceptics said he was forced to step down, while others claimed he had already shifted a large number of assets to other countries, and was planning to leave China.

Ma said he did not care about rumours. "To friends, you don't need to explain. To non-friends, the more you explain, the worse the situation becomes," he said. "At the age of 54, I am a bit old in the Internet industry, but quite young for many other sectors," he said. "In the next 15 to 16 years, there's still a lot of things I can do. I know it would be difficult for people at the age of 55 or 56, say 60, to leave. By then you would no longer be sure about your future, and you would hang on."

The retirement decision was not a retreat, but actually "a step forward" for himself and the company, Ma said.

Ma grew from an English teacher to China's top billionaires, transforming Alibaba into a $420 billion company. Ma started Alibaba.com in 1999 as a business-to-business marketplace with 17 co-founders in his Hangzhou apartment. Alibaba's sprawling businesses now include brick-and-mortar stores, online video, movies and other enterprises, and it has sought to foray into promising new markets such as India and Southeast Asia.

Ma gave up the CEO's role in 2013. He is currently working on other projects, including philanthropy. Ma, with a personal fortune of $39.9 billion, is the 19th richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.In 2013, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) paid nearly $30 million to settle a seven-year-old class action suit in the US filed by two former employees.

Two years later, the company got embroiled in another anti-discrimination lawsuit, which was expanded into a class action suit last December. Adding to its woes, India's largest IT outsourcing company has reportedly landed in another legal tangle, again alleging biased hiring practices.

According to The Economic Times, three US citizens, Darryl Stacy, Donald Stephen Bradley and Hesham Hafez, have sued TCS, alleging discrimination based on race and national origin, and are seeking exemplary and punitive damages.

The complaint, filed in the District Court of New Jersey late last month, alleged that TCS prefers to bring in employees on visas even when there are trained US citizens, and further discriminates when it hires locally by preferring Indians and South Asians.

Hafez worked at Royal Bank of Scotland in Connecticut while Stacy and Bradley worked for Southern California Edison, the region's primary electricity supply company. The latter, in February 2015, had reportedly cut 500 local jobs - including 100 voluntary retirements - after signing IT outsourcing contracts with TCS and Infosys.

Incidentally, one of the initial plaintiffs in the ongoing class action suit that TCS is embroiled in, Brian Buchanan, was also a former Southern California Edison. He was allegedly handed a pink slip after being asked to train the incoming TCS employees.

Along with other plaintiffs, he had reportedly backed his claims of hiring bias with statistical data showing TCS' US workforce was over 78% South Asian with a termination rate of under 1% for South Asian employees against 10.6% for other employees. Although, last month, a US a federal judge granted TCS' motion to bifurcate Buchanan's claims from the class, the latest case does seem to add fuel to fire.

The report added that the 16-page filing by the new group of plaintiffs seeks a jury trial and their "prayer for relief" includes compensatory damages as well as exemplary and punitive damages.

"TCS' president for North America Surya Kant and vice president and head of human resources Narasimhan Srinivasan devised and implemented a nationwide 'leadership directive' to utilise TCS's visa-ready South Asian employees (also known as 'expats') to the 'maximum extent' when filling US positions," added the complaint.

The plaintiffs are represented by Kotchen & Low, the law firm that is also representing some other employees of Southern California Edison in the class action suit being heard in the Northern District of California. The trial date is reportedly set for November 5.

According to Bloomberg Law, Kotchen & Low is acting as lead or co-counsel in six other class action suits asserting that IT staffing companies prefer foreign workers from South Asia over qualified Americans. The companies being targeted are Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro, Virtua, Mahindra and HCL, all heavy users of H-1B visas.

A TCS spokesperson told the daily that the company "believes that the allegations by the plaintiffs are baseless, and is confident that it will successfully defend itself" and made it clear that TCS is an equal opportunity employer.

As such, the company bases its employment decisions - including recruiting, hiring, promotions, retention, and discipline - on legitimate non-discriminatory business reasons. "Indeed, the federal court in California previously rejected a class-action for hiring discrimination by the same law firm concerning TCS' hiring practices, citing the same issues," the spokesperson added.

Unfortunately for TCS and other Indian IT firms, these lawsuits come at a very sensitive time. US President Donald Trump, a vocal opponent of immigration, has increased scrutiny on issuance of H1-B visas in line with his "Hire American" agenda.

In the bargain, Indian IT companies are facing tremendous pressure over hiring locally in the US. Moreover, the Trump administration is in the process of withdrawing an Obama-era policy that allowed spouses of H1-B visa holders to work in the US.

According to Poorvi Chothani, managing partner at immigration law firm Law Quest International, such cases can prove tricky for the Indian firms. "If the case were to reach jury trial, the facts and evidence would be presented to a judge and jury. The jury would comprise of members of the public, 'peers' of the plaintiffs.

In such cases, juries can be very sympathetic toward employees, often because their complaint resonates with the 'peers' in some way," she told the daily, adding that companies often end up settling such cases by paying plaintiffs large amounts of money.

Should the US courts rule that the Indian IT firms' reliance on H1-B visas violates anti-discrimination laws, it could force them to change their long-standing hiring and business models.Aavas Financiers, a housing finance company catering to low-income group, launched its initial public offering (IPO) on Tuesday at a time when non-banking finance company (NBFC) space is reeling under trouble on Dalal Street. But, given company's good track record, well-capitalised balance sheet and stable asset quality, most brokerages have recommended subscribe on the issue even as the IPO has been valued at a premium against industry peers.

The Jaipur-based HFC is planning to raise nearly Rs 1,734 crore with fresh issuance of up to Rs 400 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of up to 1.62 crore equity share. The price-band of the shares has been fixed at Rs 818-821. The company will utilise the net proceeds of the IPO towards increasing its tier I capital base to maintain the minimum capital adequacy ratio in accordance with Regulation 30 of the NHB Directions and to meet future capital requirements arising out of growth in the business. The issue will close on Thursday.

Premium valuation vs peers At the upper end of the price band, the price/book ratio of the company is as high as 5.23 as compared to the average industry peer group ratio of 5.92. The management, however, justifies the premium valuation.

"Our high-quality franchise - comparable to Gruh, HDFC, Bajaj Finance and AU Small Finance Bank-secular underlying growth (no under construction loans, only self-occupied residential property, no builder financing risk), best in class management team, which is highly incentivised and aligned and robust operating metrics against comparables justifies the valuation," told Sushil Kumar Agarwal, founder & CEO, Aavas Financiers to Business Today.

"Besides, entry price of one of the promoters kedaara and partner group was 5x LTM P/BV Which is the same as IPO multiple, he added.

Aavas Financiers vs peers: Key metrics

Brokerage views

Brokerage Emkay Global noted that Aavas is on a stronger footing on growth and product profile with most of its asset portfolio categorised under Priority Sector Lending, which attracts lower risk weight.

"As the company accelerates its overall leverage, the likely probability of achieving superior RoEs of 20 per cent remains fairly high. Also with sufficient capital already in place, further risk of dilution is also quite limited. We recommend SUBSCRIBE to the IPO," the brokerage said in a pre-IPO note.

Antique Stock Broking pointed out that although Aavas remains one of the best stories in the affordable housing space, investors may have to look beyond FY20 for generating meaningful returns.

"While the progress in affordable housing in India has been rather slow, with total outstanding loans at mere Rs 270 billion (2 per cent of mainstream housing), Aavas has crafted its own success story through a combination of identifying the right customer profile, the right collateral and heavy usage of analytics, systems and process. However, valuations at 4.1x on post-money book and 43x on FY19e earnings do not leave much upside in the near term. Investors with long term outlook can look to subscribe," it said.

Chola Securities also recommended subscribe on the issue. "We believe the valuation of 4.16X FY18's BV (on the upper limit of INR 821) is justified, given its loan growth potential, superior yields on assets and best in class asset quality," it said.

Aavas Financiers was initially incorporated as a subsidiary of AU Small finance Bank and later sold off to private firms Lake District Holdings, Kedaara Capital AIF and Partners Group ESCL, which are now the promoters. Through OFS, Lake District Holdings will sell 88.15 lakh shares, Partners Group ESCL will be selling 42.81 lakh shares and Kedaara Capital Alternative Investment Fund will offload 2.36 lakh shares. Partners Group Private Equity Master Fund LLC will sell 18.79 lakh shares, while CEO Sushil Kumar Agarwal will put 9.11 lakh shares on sale. US Sentencing Commission releases new report on application of mandatory minimum penalties specific to federal identity theft offenses | Main | "Extending 'Dignity Takings': Re-Conceptualizing the Damage Caused by Criminal History and Ex-Offender Status 

The sentencing of Bill Cosby following his conviction on three state charges in Pennsylvania got started today, but did not reach a conclusion. This lengthy New York Times article, headlined "Bill Cosby Sentencing: Psychologist Says Threat to Women Remains," reports on what transpired. Here are excerpts:

In the first of two days of hearings to determine Bill Cosbys sentence for sexual assault, a psychologist for a state panel testified that Mr. Cosby deserved to be categorized as a sexually violent predator because he had a personality disorder that pushed him to have sex with nonconsenting partners.

The finding by the psychologist for Pennsylvanias Sexual Offenders Assessment Board can be a factor in sentencing and in the conditions imposed on a person found to be a predator, both in prison and afterward. But the final decision rests with Judge Steven T. ONeill who is presiding over the hearing that could end Tuesday with one of the worlds best-known entertainers entering a prison cell.

Mr. Cosbys lawyer, Joseph P. Green, had argued that Mr. Cosbys age, 81, and legal blindness meant he was no risk, especially since there have been no new allegations of sexual abuse leveled against him since 2004. Hows he going to meet these people? said Mr. Green. There is no reasonable prospect that an 81-year-old blind man is likely to reoffend.

But the psychologist, Kristen F. Dudley, said she did not believe the disorder had dissipated with age. It is possible that he has already met someone who could be a future victim, she said. She said that, while Mr. Cosby had declined to meet with her, she was able to draw that conclusion by going through boxes of documents, including transcripts from Mr. Cosbys two trials, one of which ended in April with his conviction on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. Mr. Cosby was convicted of drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand, a former Temple University employee for whom he emerged as a mentor....

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.

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....

Mr. Green argued in favor of house arrest, saying Mr. Cosby is a danger to no one and that the court must be careful not to allow public opinion to affect its decision-making. In this case we rely on you to make sure that that public advocacy doesnt affect the application of the rule of law, he said, adding later, Its your obligation to make sure that the sentencing decision is not affected by all that noise.

Judge ONeill will also have to consider state guidelines that recommend, but do not mandate, appropriate sentence ranges. Those guidelines, which account for any previous criminal record (Mr. Cosby has none), the seriousness of his offense, and mitigating and aggravating factors, suggest a range of about 10 months to four years. (Sentences in Pennsylvania are given as a range of a minimum and a maximum. Inmates with good behavior may be eligible for parole when they have reached the minimum.)...

Ms. Constand, who now works as a massage therapist in Canada, spoke only briefly as her victims impact statement had already been incorporated into the record. The jury heard me, she said, Mr. Cosby heard me and now all I am asking for is justice as the court sees fit.... Though dozens of other women have accused Mr. Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them, Judge ONeill rejected a prosecution request to allow any of them to provide their accounts at the hearing.

Mr. Cosbys defense team chose not to present additional witnesses to discuss, for example, Mr. Cosbys character or any good works. But in his remarks, Mr. Green emphasized what he called Mr. Cosbys youth of hardship and racism, his time in the United States Navy and discussed his educational achievements....

Mr. Cosbys lawyers have filed several motions suggesting that they will file an appeal that challenges the judges rulings and even the judges personal integrity. A key question for Tuesday will be whether Mr. Cosby is allowed to remain out on bail while he pursues those appeals, a process that could take years.

His lawyers will argue that he is not a flight risk, and that he is not likely to commit another crime. But if Judge ONeill were to permit him to stay at home, the judge would surely face bitter criticism from the many female accusers eager for closure this week. I dont think the judge will let him out on appeal; he has had his freedom for a long time, said Barbara Ashcroft, a former prosecutor.India is one of the lowest-ranked countries in the world when it comes to air safety. In the wake of the Jet Airways incident, this news does not seem very encouraging. India's air safety oversight is lower than its Asia-Pacific counterparts such as Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and North Korea. The countries that have fared worse than India are small, lesser-known states like Timor-Leste, Samoa, and Vanuatu.

The ranking is the result of an aviation-safety audit conducted by the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) last year. The findings revealed that India slipped below its previous ranking of 66% to 57%. The ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme seeks to look at countries that have effectively and consistently implemented the critical elements of a safety-oversight system.

India is one of the 15 countries that have scored below the minimum target rates, as mentioned in a report in The Economic Times.

One of the consequences of a low score is a potential downgrading by US aviation regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA was in India in July this year to conduct an audit after India slipped in its score.

A downgrade by FAA would mean that Indian airlines won't be able to run new flights to the US or form alliances with US airlines. Indian carriers that would land in USA would also face harsher checks. India has already been downgraded once - in 2014. The downgrade was removed after a year.

This development does not come as welcome news for Indian airlines that have been trying to expand globally.

The report says that one of the reasons behind India's dismal performance is the government's neglect of aviation regulator, DGCA. There has been a "drastic reduction" - from 89% to 26% - in the effective implementation rate in the area of personnel licensing. This led to a major fall in India's score.

The ICAO highlighted that the licensing of air-traffic controllers (ATC) was being carried out by state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI), which was one of the key areas of concern. As per international practices, the DGCA should issue licences to ATC officials who play a very important role in the seamless management of flight operations across the country.

(Edited by Anwesha Madhukalya)The board of state-run Dena Bank Monday 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 per cent, significantly better than public sector banks' average of 12.13 per cent, he had said, adding so would be the provision coverage ratio at 67.5 per cent against average of 63.7 per cent and cost to income ratio of the combined entity would come down to 48.94 per cent as compared to average of 53.92 per cent.

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 USD 550 billion in combined assets. Post-merger of BoB, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, the number of PSU banks will come down to 19.Samsung will be launching its first triple camera smartphone in India with the Galaxy A7 2018. The device was launched globally last week and now it's making its way to India. The A-series smartphone will be aiming at the premium mid-range segment but will have to challenge flagships like OnePlus 6, Asus Zenfone 5Z in terms of pricing.

Samsung has, however, used flagship grade materials with the new Galaxy A7. In terms of camera, this will be their first shot at a triple lens setup. This could also mean that Samsung will implement a similar technology in their future flagships. The primary setup consists of a 24MP sensor with F1.7 aperture, an ultra-wide lens (120 degrees) 8MP sensor and a 5MP depth sensor with F2.2 aperture. The front camera comes with a 24MP sensor with F2.0 aperture.

The company has also introduced a side mounted fingerprint sensor with the Galaxy A7 which is why the rear panel of the device doesn't sport one. Samsung will be using Dolby Atmos audio with the Galaxy A7.

Samsung has also used a 6.0-inch FullHD+ Super AMOLED display with the new Galaxy A7. The device will be powered by an Octa-Core 2.2GHz chip which will either be assisted by 4GB of RAM or 6GB of RAM. The battery is a 3300 mAh unit. For connectivity there's Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), Bluetooth v5.0, USB Type-B, NFC, Location, GPS and Glonass.

"Samsung is committed to delivering meaningful innovation to all consumers across the Galaxy family, no matter who they are or where they are in the world" said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. "That's why we're excited to introduce innovative new features to the A series with the Galaxy A7, a practical but powerful device that is built to help make your everyday both convenient and extraordinary."

The pricing and other details about the availability will be revealed at the launch event in New Delhi. Stay tuned to BusinessToday.In for updates and analysis.Only 1 in 8 Irish businesses believe a Brexit deal will be struck between the EU and Britain by the October deadline. Of the 400 Irish businesses surveyed as part of the BDO quarterly Optimism Index, 88% believed a final agreement on Britains withdrawal from the EU will not be reached by the October deadline.



The news was revealed as part of BDOs quarterly Optimism Index which monitors business sentiment among Irish companies. The survey found that exporters reported a fall in business activity in the third quarter of this year. Despite these beliefs, Irish businesses are doing well.



According to the latest BDO Optimism Index, Optimism levels are the highest they have been since this survey began at 70.3; this is a 37% improvement in optimism levels since 2011. Companies outside Dublin (70.69) are more optimistic than those based in the capital (69.49).

Brexit is having a real impact on Irish business, as the number of indigenous companies reporting higher levels of business activity rose above exporters for the first time since 2012. However, despite Brexit uncertainty exporters are notably more optimistic, with 60% saying they expect business levels to be better in third quarter, up from only 41% saying the same this time last year.

In contrast, less than half of non-exporting companies expect their business to perform better next year with 46% predicting this outcome.

The number of companies who recorded an increase in operational profit in second quarter 2018 compared to the same period last year has increased to 42%, an 11% increase from last year. This is a 34% increase since 2011.

Irish businesses also reported a significantly higher amount of business activity this year with 48% experiencing an increase in business activity this year in comparison with the same quarter last year at 39%.

Employment levels have remained stable, with the majority of firms maintaining the same employment levels as last year. Employment in micro firms has improved slightly and is consistent for large companies. However, medium sized companies stated that their employment levels have decreased since the same period last year. Employment levels continue to be higher in the capital than in the rest of Ireland.



Commenting on the index, Partner of the BDO Customs and International Trade Services department, Carol Lynch said, "The majority of Irish businesses do not believe the EU will reach a Brexit deal on time, this is understandable given the amount of work that is still to be done on Northern Ireland, Border checkpoints and the future trade agreement, , along with other items. Its also prescient taking into account Donald Tusks comments from Salzburg requiring clear progress on the backstop in order to continue talks, mean we are left with a short window of less than 20 days to secure results."

She added, "We are now close to the wire with a high risk of a no deal Brexit happening by default. Therefore its become vital that businesses continue to prepare for Brexit or immediately start if they have not done so.."

Source: www.businessworld.ie The latest controversy over a lenient sentence involving sexual assault comes from Alaska | Main | Bill Cosby gets 3 to 10 years of state imprisonment with no bail pending appeal 

Alex Kreit, who I am lucky to have time to hang out with this semester as he serves as the first Visiting Professor at The Ohio State University's new Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, has this new paper now posted on SSRN that has the same title as the title of this post. Here its abstract:

Safe injection sites have become the next battlefield in the conflict between state and federal drug laws. A safe injection site is a place where injection drug users can self-administer drugs in a controlled environment under medical supervision. They have been operating in other countries, including Canada, for decades and a wealth of evidence suggests that they can help to reduce overdose deaths. To date, however, no U.S. city or state has sanctioned a safe injection site. Until recently, safe injection sites were politically untenable, seen as a form of surrender in the war on drugs. This dynamic has changed over the past few years as prominent politicians from both parties have called for an end to the drug war and the opioid epidemic has grown increasingly dire.

Efforts to start a safe injection site are currently underway in at least 13 cities and states. Four cities  New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle  have gone so far as to announce plans to open an injection site. There is just one small problem. They appear to violate the federal crack house statute, which makes it a crime to maintain a drug involved premises. The Department of Justice has not yet taken a formal position on safe injection sites. But in a New York Times editorial, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein threatened that cities and states should expect the Department of Justice to meet the opening of any injection site with swift and aggressive action.

Surprisingly, this looming conflict has gone almost entirely overlooked by legal academics. Meanwhile, the public debate has assumed that the status of safe injection sites under federal law is clear. In this article, I argue that assumption is wrong. Despite the crack house statute, an obscure provision of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) might allow states and localities to establish government-run safe injection sites. Buried in the CSA is a statute that immunizes state and local officials who violate federal drug laws in the course of the enforcement of any law or municipal ordinance relating to controlled substances. This provision was almost surely intended to protect state and local police officers who possess and distribute drugs in connection with undercover operations. But, I argue, the text of the immunity provision and the little caselaw that exists interpreting it suggests it could shield government-run safe injection sites from federal interference.news, latest-news

David Faulks of Tallangandra Hills winery is busy putting together the vinyl selection for his vintage jukebox ahead of this weekends Murrumbateman Moving Feast. There might be a little Cat Stevens, maybe some Madonna or Boney M depending on his mood. Over at Barton Estate Julie Chitty is channelling her inner Nigella Lawson, perhaps lit by the light of her fridge late at night, as she works on a Nigella-inspired slow-cooked Moroccan lamb recipe. At Shaw Vineyard Estate, Tanya Olinder is looking over her new high-end cellar door, wondering how its going to cope with its first big event. The makers of Murrumbateman are getting ready to have you over for a celebration. Over the weekend of September 29-30, 19 participating wineries and specialty producers in and around Murrumbateman are opening their doors, offering up a little taste of the region, and a little insight into the people that are so passionate about what they do. It first began in 2006, when the regions pioneers, Ken Helm, John Kirk, Rob Howell, Rick Ruker and Duncan Leslie, got together, over a few wines one might suggest, and decided to showcase what they were all doing, what the region was doing. The cellar door at Tallagandra Hills is more like a living room. Theres the jukebox in the corner, some vintage furniture in glorious shades of orange and brown, old posters and family photos on the walls. Mac the golden retriever might curl up at your feet in a sunny corner if you ask him nicely, he gets very tired from his role as winery marketing manager. And Faulks and his partner Mary McAvoy are just as likely to forget theyre meant to working and join you for a chat. The Moving Feast is about food and wine but its also about good company and story telling and sharing the vibe of the region, says Faulks. 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 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. He says the Murrumbateman community has warmly welcomed the hotel into the district and he is particularly looking forward to visiting Shaw new cellar door and try the menu at Eden Road. More details on Abode at abodehotels.com.au/hotels/murrumbateman/

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/9adbbbc7-22b2-45d3-994a-1d9b53f3038f/r0_171_4071_2471_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgTop U.S. Department of Education officials met privately Monday with a select group of education advocates at the department to talk the Every Student Succeeds Act, the school safety commission, choice, and career and technical education.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy wasnt in attendance at the meeting head at department headquarters. But the group heard from Mick Zais, the deputy secretary; Frank Brogan, the assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education; Jim Blew, the assistant secretary for planning evaluation and policy analysis, and Scott Stump, the assistant secretary for career-and-technical education.

The meeting was by invitation only. A few groups that have been critical of the departments policiesincluding both nation teachers unions, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the National Association of Secondary School Principalswerent asked to attend, sources said. Still, other groups that have also criticized the departments processes and policies were on the invite list, sources said.



A department spokesman took issue with the sources characterization of the meeting. He said the department has been holding small, informal group meetings like Mondays regularly. The goal of the meeting was in part to help forge connections between the departments newly confirmed top officialsBlew, Brogan, Stump, and Zaisand the advocacy community, the spokesman said.

The Trump administration has gotten flak from some advocacy groups in Washington for lacking transparency and for failing to seek input on its policies from the people most affected by them.

The meetings vibe? Positive and collegial, according to one attendee.

Brogan talked about ESSA implementation. He said the departments job is leave it the hell alone and let it work. He did not sketch out any guidance or regulations that the department would be issuing on the new law. But he did say that the feds would be reviewing programs authorized under the law to make sure taxpayers are getting a fair return on their investment.

Blew said the department will be looking at every policy proposal through two lenses: Does it help students reach their potential? Does it protect taxpayers? He reiterated the departments commitment to school choice, saying hes never seen a high-performing system that didnt have some choice and competition. And he said that, Parents should have the right to use public dollars to send their kids to private schools.

But Blew didnt give a clear indication of where the Trump administration wants to go on school choice next. So far, Congress has rejected the departments pitch to allow some federal funding to follow students to the school of their choice and to create a new, competitive-grant program for choice, including private school choice.

Zais gave a quick update on the Federal School Safety Commission, which DeVos chairs. He said portions of the commissions report have been written and they are now in the editing stages. The report will be the product of four different agenciesthe Education Department, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice. The report is expected to be released by the end of the year.



Zais also talked about teacher shortages.The department, he said, has put together a task force to look at issues in the education workforce.

Photo: Swikar Patel for Education Week

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . "Extending 'Dignity Takings': Re-Conceptualizing the Damage Caused by Criminal History and Ex-Offender Status | Main | "Safe Injection Sites and the Federal 'Crack House' Statute" 

This lengthy new Washington Post article provides a detailed review of a lenient Alaska sentencing causing a stir. The article is headlined "A man accused of kidnapping and masturbating on a woman got a pass. Now people want the judge and prosecutor out." Here are excerpts:

Hours after Elizabeth Williams learned last week that Justin Schneider wouldnt spend a day in jail, she turned to Facebook to channel her outrage.

The Anchorage social worker didnt know Schneider, 34, before he was arrested in August 2017 after police said he offered a woman a ride from a gas station, stopped on the side of a road and asked her to step out under the pretense of loading items into the car, then choked her until she lost consciousness and masturbated on her. Nor did Williams know the victim in the case, identified only as a 25-year-old Native woman who called police after the assault.

What she was familiar with was how the case ended: Schneider pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree felony assault in exchange for the dismissal of his other assault, kidnapping and harassment charges. He was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison, the maximum for that charge, with one year suspended.

However, Schneider was given credit for a year under house arrest, meaning he would not serve additional time in prison. He will instead be required to continue wearing an ankle monitor and participate in a treatment program. I was just absolutely appalled, she told The Washington Post.

Soon afterward, Williams learned that Alaska voters were slated to decide whether the judge in the case should be retained on the Anchorage Superior Court in the November elections. And so, Thursday morning, Williams started a Facebook page: NO retention for Judge Michael Corey, she named it....

Many in the group also directed their anger at Anchorage Assistant District Attorney Andrew Grannik, the prosecutor in the case, who said he had made the plea deal because Schneider had no prior criminal record and seemed amenable to rehabilitation, according to the Alaska Star.

Grannik said in court that he had reasonable expectations that Schneider would not offend again. But I would like the gentleman to be on notice that that is his one pass. Its not really a pass, but given the conduct, one might consider that it is, Grannik said then.

On social media, people seized on the one pass comment and demanded that Grannik be given the boot along with the judge.

Meanwhile, Alaska state officials have acknowledged the outrage but said that, while Schneiders conduct was very disturbing, Corey and Grannik were constrained by sentencing laws. Both the governor and the attorney general think what occurred in this case was unacceptable in terms of the current state of the law, said Cori Mills, a senior assistant attorney general in the Alaska Department of Law. The law needs to be changed.

Under Alaska statute, the definition of sexual contact encompasses only direct physical contact with genitals, buttocks, female breasts or the anus  not semen. In other words, despite the accusation that Schneider ejaculated on the woman, he could be charged only with harassment in the first degree, which is not a sex offense, according to state Deputy Attorney General Rob Henderson.

He reiterated what the Alaska Criminal Division director stated Friday, in the face of strong backlash over the sentence: State officials had feared that the kidnapping charge, the most serious of the counts, could not have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt if the case had gone to trial because Schneiders victim had willingly entered his vehicle.

Given that, Henderson said, the prosecution would have been left to pursue lesser charges that, even if they had resulted in convictions, would not have forced Schneider to enter sex offender treatment. Because the state realized there was a need for sex offender treatment, the only way to obtain that requirement was to get him to agree to it" in a plea deal, Henderson said. When you have sex offender treatment, you have to have some type of leverage or incentive to compel the person to complete the treatment....

In the wake of the case, Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I) said he planned to propose legislation that would make causing unwanted contact with semen a sex offense. If successful, the penalty for a first-time offense would carry jail time of two to 12 years and require registering as a sex offender. However, the Alaska legislature does not convene until January, so any fix to the loophole would be months away at the earliest.

Williams, who started the Facebook page calling for the judges ouster, said she agreed with the proposed loophole fix and understood the sentencing constraints the judge and prosecutor were under. However, she wished that the judge had sentenced Schneider to some jail time  or that the case had been taken to trial, even if it meant risking that Schneider would be acquitted of all charges...

The Alaska Star reported that Schneiders victim was not at the hearing and had, according to police, been traumatized to the point where she couldnt hardly speak after the assault. Details about the case were graphic enough that some local news outlets placed editors notes at the tops of their stories warning readers.

The victim said she could not fight him off, he was too heavy and had her down being choked to death, Anchorage police Detective Brett Sarber wrote in a criminal complaint obtained by KTVA News last year. [She] said she lost consciousness, thinking she was going to die. When she regained consciousness, the man zipped up his pants, gave her a tissue and told her that he wasnt really going to kill her, that he needed her to believe she was going to die so that he could be sexually fulfilled, Sarber wrote in the complaint.news, act-politics

Clare Holland House will get up to 12 extra beds in a $6 million expansion that could allow the hospice to care for patients longer. The hospice will receive a $4 million injection from the federal government and a $2 million donation from the Snow Foundation, ACT senator Zed Seselja and ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris announced on Tuesday. It's the first expansion of the hospice since it opened in 1995, and construction is expected to begin next year. It comes after an inquiry into end-of-life choices in Canberra heard stories of bed shortages, bottlenecks in referrals and staff stretched beyond capacity at the hospice and in the hospitals. Ms Fitzharris said the territory government would fund extra staff for the expanded facility, but was waiting on the recommendations from the end-of-life choices inquiry and the finalisation of the territory-wide health framework to determine exact numbers. Were looking at the moment at around eight to 12 extra inpatient beds," Ms Fitzharris said. Ms Fitzharris said the demand for palliative care at home was also growing, which the government would try to address. "More people actually tell us they want to be able to spend their last days at home as close to family and friends as they can if they can with the support of community based palliative care teams," she said. What well be able to do is provide extra funding for community based care, care in residential aged care facilities as well as in-patient care." Clare Holland House has 19 in-patient beds but is caring for about 300 people in the community or in nursing homes. The average in-patient stay right now is between 11 and 14 days, and more beds could mean more capacity to care for people in the medium term. Senator Seselja said the expansion would include more "family friendly features" to allow loved ones to stay with patients on-site. "This is about building on what's an extraordinary facility. This has served the community for many, many years and most Canberrans have a story related to Clare Holland House.," he said "It has an extraordinary reputation, the only challenge is the capacity so what we're announcing today is the start of an expansion of that capacity ... to deliver more palliative care in the territory to deliver better end of life care for more Canberrans." The expansion will also allow more room for education and research, which Snow Foundation chief executive Georgina Byron said would make Clare Holland a world leader in palliative care. Clare Holland House staff, Senator Seselja and Ms Fitzharris indicated talks about the expansion began before overcrowding at the hospice became a focus of the inquiry. Palliative care medical director Dr Suharsha Kanathigoda said discussions began with the Snow Foundation about its donation 10 months ago, after the Snow family's close friend Richard White received care in the hospice. "Its one of the happiest days of my life. I never thought this [expansion] would happen so soon," Dr Kanathigoda said. Ms Fitzharris said the donation coincided with territory and federal government negotiations around the national health funding agreement. "The worlds aligned and those conversations all took place at the same time and I proposed to [Health Minister Greg] Hunt that a very worthwhile investment in the ACT from the Commonwealth could be to partner with the ACT government and the Snow Foundation for this significant expansion," Ms Fitzharris said. "Our undertaking in the ACT government is once we have these buildings completed is to be able to fund the extra doctors and nurses and research activity that will take place here." She was still considering whether a dedicated palliative care ward was required in the Canberra Hospital. "We need to get the right model so we can sure were delivering the best possible services right across the territory," Ms Fitzharris said. "It may well be it's a different type of model at Canberra Hospital than it is here at Clare Holland House but those are all part of the territory wide planning under way." The news will likely be welcomed by those who've struggled to get their loved ones into Clare Holland House in recent years. Retired surgeon Dr Verinder Sapra said Clare Holland House was a "blessing". His wife was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, and moved to the hospice five weeks ago after receiving care at home for the last year. "Id been the sole carer which was really hard for me because she can hardly move her feet, she cant even go to the bathroom so thats why we brought her in," Dr Sapra said. And while Dr Sapra said there needed to be more support to help people die at home, the hospice was a good compromise. "You have the right to live with respect and die with respect. If that cant happen at home, then this is the place," Dr Sapra said. I would never have imagined such a place existed, Ive been in medical practice for the last 50 years and I havent seen a place like that, the staff are so dedicated, so passionate day in day out, how do they keep up with this? Its unbelievable."

/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/dcb0408d-01d0-4659-805d-261888102e57/r0_219_4256_2624_w1200_h678_fmax.jpgUber Technologies Inc sold its Southeast Asian business to bigger regional rival Grab in March this year in exchange for a 27.5 percent stake in the Singapore-based firm. But the deal also put both firms under the watch of authorised agencies of many countries, including the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore.



The commission concluded that the deal has seriously affected the market in Singapore, noting that effective fares on Grab rose 10 to 15 percent after the deal, and that the firm now holds a Singapore market share of around 80 percent.



Grabs rivals have also met difficulties from exclusive deals of Grab and taxi service suppliers or car renters and drivers, which prevent driver to access other ride-sharing companies.



Uber was fined 6.58 million SGD (4.8 million USD) while Grab was fined 6.42 million SGD (4.7 million USD). Grab has also been told to maintain its pre-merger pricing algorithm and driver commission rates, while allowing its drivers to work with other similar service suppliers.



Grab's representatives in Singapore affirmed that the company finished its deal with Uber without violating the country's competition law.



In the Philippines, where the deal has been approved, the competition watchdog has said it is monitoring Grabs compliance with conditions intended to improve the quality of service, with any breaches possibly resulting in fines.



Malaysian authorities are also considering the deal.-VNABharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has announced vacancies for the post of Craftsman in various disciplines and Process Technician. There are 25 vacancies in total and reservation in the posts will be provided for the backward classes in accordance with the government norms.

It is important to note that the job demands working in rotational shifts including night shifts alongside possessing a high level of physical and medical fitness from the candidates. Hence, apart from being tested on the technical levels all candidates will also be tested for physical and medical endurance. The application is free of cost.

BEL Recruitment 2018 For Contract Engineers

BPCL Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Craftsman and Process Technician Organisation Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Educational Qualification Engineering degree in relevant field Experience 5 to 7 years Job Responsibilities Differs according to the posts Skills Required Technical skills Job Location Mumbai Salary Scale INR 13,800 to INR 41,000 Industry Petrol Application Start Date September 29, 2018 Application End Date October 14, 2018

Age Limit: 18 to 30 years

Also Read: Railway Jobs 2018: RITES Ltd Is Hiring Engineers

How To Apply For BPCL Recruitment 2018

In order to apply for BPCL Recruitment 2018, follow these steps:

Step 1 Log on to the BPCL official website. Step 2 Hover over the Careers tab on the home page. Step 3 Select Current Openings. Step 4 The list of vacancies will be displayed on the screen. Step 5 Click on the application link against Recruitment of Craftsman (Mechanical)/ Craftsman (Electrical)/ Craftsman (Instrument)/ Process Technician in Mumbai Refinery. (The link will be active only from Sep 29, 2018.)

Step 6: The application form will open. Enter your details in the fields provided.

Step 7: Follow the subsequent pages and complete the application process.

Follow the link - https://www.bharatpetroleum.com/images/files/Full Advertisement _English_25092018(1).pdf to read the detailed official notification.[September 25, 2018] Purplebricks Celebrates U.S. Anniversary with Entry to Sunshine State In an era when Americans desperately seek greater levels of trust and transparency, Purplebricks Group plc (AIM: PURP) ("Purplebricks" or "the Company"), the pioneering next-generation real estate agency, today announced that home sellers and buyers in Orlando and Tampa, Fla., now have a more transparent and cost-effective way to transact. As of today, home sellers in both cities can list their homes with the innovative flat-fee, full-service agency. Aaron Drucker, a real estate professional with more than eight years of experience in the Florida market, has been tapped to serve as Florida State Director. The Florida launch comes as Purplebricks celebrates the one-year anniversary of its entry into the U.S. Since launching in Los Angeles in September 2017, the Company's footprint has expanded to comprise seven states, including California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Arizona and Nevada, in addition to Florida. Purplebricks' rapid national growth over the last year is a clear sign that consumers have grown weary of traditional brokerage models - which often charge exorbitant commissions while limiting access to information - instead seeking agencies that offer greater control over the home buying and selling process. "We've seen a huge cultural shift favoring total transparency as Americans' faith in a number of professions - including real estate agents - has dwindled," said Eric Eckardt, U.S. CEO of Purplebricks, citing a national study* the company commissioned to compare trust levels among a number of occupations, which revealed that only 11 percent of Americans "completely trust" real estate agents. "The fact is that before Purplebricks, there was little to no visibility into the home buying and selling process - the agents had all the control, which allowed them to hike up commission fees and dole out information as they saw fit. We have remedied this conundrum by providing a full-service offering that grants total transparency into the entire process, empowering our clientsto play a greater role in the sale of their homes in partnership with our local real estate experts."

Residents in the Orlando and Tampa regions can list their homes with Purplebricks for a flat fee of $3,600 and, upon closing, pay the buyer's agent commission, which is standard in U.S. real estate transactions. The flat fee is the same for homes of all values across the regions. Purplebricks agents provide a full-service offering that includes pricing and staging advice, professional photography, signage and marketing, an immersive 3D virtual tour and dedicated support through closing. A homeowner selling a $306,000 home in these regions would save approximately $5,580 using Purplebricks compared to paying a real estate brokerage commission of 6 percent. "Both Tampa and Orlando are experiencing sellers' markets with 2.5 and three months' supply of inventory, respectively, which is leading to rising home prices. Now is the perfect time to introduce consumers to Purplebricks' revolutionary platform, through which clients can save thousands," said Mr. Drucker. "What attracted me to the Purplebricks platform is the value proposition to both the consumer and the agent; it's the best in the industry. Furthermore, Purplebricks is nimble and able to scale rapidly without sacrificing on service. I look forward to leveraging my extensive expertise in the Florida real estate market to make an immediate impact for customers and agents." Purplebricks works exclusively with experienced agents who are dedicated to providing exceptional customer service. All Purplebricks agents benefit from an extensive training program that covers all aspects of Purplebricks' culture and business model and platform, designed to help them work more effectively. Purplebricks' agents have territorial exclusivity determined by zip code with central resources available, including a robust lead generation pipeline, for them to build and grow their business. This approach guarantees Purplebricks agents have exceptional local market knowledge and the ability to provide expert advice to sellers and buyers. For more information on Purplebricks' platform, savings and services, visit www.purplebricks.com. Real estate agents interested in joining the Purplebricks team are encouraged to email their resumes to joinus@purplebricks.com. *Online survey conducted by Kelton Global to 1,028 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent. About Purplebricks Purplebricks, with operations in four major real estate markets including the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and now Canada, is the pioneering next-generation real estate brokerage, combining highly experienced and professional Local Real Estate Experts with an innovative and intuitive technology platform to make the entire process of selling and buying homes much more convenient, transparent and cost effective. Purplebricks is transforming the way people perceive real estate agencies, while in the process helping sellers save thousands of dollars, affording buyers greater transactional flexibility and control and offering agents the chance to build and grow their own profitable businesses. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005114/en/

[ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ]Skoda has released images of the interiors of the Kodiaq RS ahead of its global unveil at the 2018 Paris Motor Show next month. A car thats long been in pipeline, it will be the most expensive version of the Kodiaq and has already made its mark in the world of sporty SUVs thanks to a Nurburgring record at the hands of legendary driver Sabine Schmtiz.

This being Skoda, none of the practicality of the Kodiaq has been lost in making this a sporty SUV. You get all the bits and pieces of the standard car but now

the whole cabin has been trimmed out in Alcantera and with red stitching everywhere including the front racing buckets. Added to this mix is a fully digital instrument cluster and light sprinkling of RS badges just so one doesnt forget that this is an RS spec Kodiaq.

Reports suggest that this RS spec Kodiaq will get a 232bhp diesel motor, AWD and then some more to ensure you can tap out all the performance of the car when needed.



The Octavia RS has been a massive success in India and its sales figure should be more than enough to convince Skoda to bring the Kodiaq RS to India, probably in early 2019.

Skoda Kodiaq  N/A Onwards

Skoda | Skoda Kodiaq | Kodiaq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Photo: The Canadian Press MDA's President Mike Greenley is seen in front of one of three RADARSAT Constellation Mission spacecrafts being built for the Canadian Space Agency at the company's facility in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec on Tuesday January 30, 2018.

With an eye on future lunar exploration, Canada's space agency is calling on companies to present their ideas for everything from moon-rover power systems to innovative mineral prospecting techniques.

The Canadian Space Agency issued the tender this week for projects that will put Canada in position to contribute to future space missions involving human and robotic exploration of the moon.

The idea is to demonstrate technologies at agency headquarters in Saint-Hubert, Que., next year with possible follow-up testing in the Canary Islands in 2020.

Canada is already quietly working with space agencies in Europe, Japan and the United States on the next phases of exploring the final frontier.

As a step toward a mission to Mars, U.S. space agency NASA is spearheading the Lunar Gateway, an outpost that would orbit the moon. Through the Gateway, four astronauts would have access to the moon's surface for weeks at a time to carry out experiments and exploration.

There is already talk of Canada contributing an advanced moon rover for future missions.

"The next focus for exploration is to move deeper into space, to go to the moon and to Mars," said Mike Greenley, group president of MDA, a leading space technology firm.

"And so the next series of projects, over the next five to seven years, will be to get back to the moon, and then over the next 12 to 15 years, to move beyond that to Mars."

Canada has a long history of space involvement dating from the 1962 launch of satellite Alouette I to study the ionosphere. Since 1984, eight Canadian astronauts have taken part in 16 missions, and the Canadarm established the country as a leader in space robotics.

There will also be opportunities for Canada to take part in activities on the lunar surface  for instance by designing and building rovers and assisting with space mining, which will be key to extracting needed resources for a budding moon colony, he said.

A coalition of space-sector players including MDA recently launched a campaign  #DontLetGoCanada  to try to raise awareness of the country's accomplishments in space and the benefits that flow from federal spending and support.Photo: The Canadian Press NDP MP Romeo Saganash

New Democrat MP Romeo Saganash apologized to the House of Commons Tuesday after using the F-word to describe Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's relationship with Indigenous peoples.

During question period, the NDP's reconciliation critic said the federal government was wilfully violating its constitutional duties and obligations when it comes to its approach to the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline.

Saganash dropped the F-bomb while accusing Trudeau of not caring about Indigenous rights.

Speaker Geoff Regan immediately demanded an apology from Saganash for using profanity, while noting the longtime Quebec MP is an experienced member who knows the word constitutes "unparliamentary language."

Saganash apologized, but added the government's approach is so insulting that it makes him angry.

Regan thanked Saganash for withdrawing the word.Atletico-MG has kept its distance from the right competitors as it moves closer to winning the 2021 Serie A title....Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on September 25

2018/09/25

Q: On September 24, the Maldives Election Commission announced the preliminary results of the presidential election. Maldivian joint opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won the election with 58 percent of the vote. What is your comment? What are China's expectations for the future development of China-Maldives ties?

A: The Chinese side congratulates the Maldives on the smooth holding of the presidential election and Mr. Solih on his election as the President. We respect the choice made by the people in the Maldives and hope that the Maldives can maintain stability and development.

China and the Maldives enjoy traditional friendship. In recent years, our bilateral relations have maintained a sound momentum of growth. Our two sides have conducted mutually beneficial cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, which has yielded fruitful outcomes. We are willing to work with the Maldives to continue to cement traditional friendship and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation so as to deliver benefits to our two countries and two peoples.

Q: During the ROK-US summit in New York today, the two sides held consultations on the declaration on the end of war and the second DPRK-US summit. President Trump said that the second DPRK-US summit will be held soon and the corresponding measures will be taken on realizing the denuclearization of the DPRK. What is your comment?

A: We support and look forward to the efforts made by the DPRK and the US to step up contact and consultations, accommodate each other's legitimate concerns, continuously enhance mutual trust, promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and move forward the political settlement process of the Peninsula issue.

The Chinese side has made clear its position on the declaration on the end of war many times. We believe that the issuance of the declaration corresponds with the trend of the times and meets the expectations of the people of all countries around the world, including those on the Korean Peninsula. The Chinese side supports the efforts made by all relevant parties to this end. As an important party to the Korean Peninsula issue and a contracting party to the Korean Armistice Agreement, China will play its part in achieving the lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Q: According to reports, on September 25, the Defense Security Service under the US Department of Defense notified the Congress of the plan on selling about 330 million dollars worth of military equipments to Taiwan, including spare parts of military airplanes and relevant logistics support. What is your comment?

A: The US arms sales to Taiwan severely violates the international law, the basic norms governing international relations, the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques and undermines China's sovereignty and security interests. The Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the US plan on arms sales to Taiwan. We have lodged stern representations with the US side on this.

It must be stressed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. No one can shake the strong will and determination of the Chinese government and people in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity and opposing foreign interference. The Chinese side urges the US side to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, immediately cancel the above-mentioned plan on arms sales to Taiwan and stop its military links with Taiwan lest it should cause more harm to China-US ties and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Q: It is reported that Pakistan's Minister for Religious Affairs met with Chinese Ambassador in Islamabad last week and raised concerns about China's restrictions on Muslims in Xinjiang. Do you have any comment on this?

A: On September 19, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing met with Pakistan's Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, during which the two sides had good communication on China-Pakistan relations and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The Chinese side commends the efforts made by the Pakistani government to promote religious harmony. Our two sides share the same position on religious issues. In the information released by the Associated Press of Pakistan on that day, the meeting was reported in an accurate way. However, some foreign media made unfounded and distorted reports on the meeting. China is firmly opposed to that.

The Chinese government governs and develops Xinjiang in accordance with law. A host of policies and measures have been introduced to promote stability, development and solidarity and improve people's livelihood in Xinjiang, thus safeguarding social stability and lasting peace there. Currently, Xinjiang enjoys social stability and a sound momentum of economic development with people of different ethnic groups living in harmony.

Q: On September 24, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Gazette published an order to ban the operation of the Hong Kong National Party. The United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union issued statements and remarks, saying that the Hong Kong SAR government's move has restricted the freedom of speech and association as well as political activities. What's your comment?

A: Certain countries and institutions have made irresponsible remarks on the Hong Kong SAR government's ban on the operation of the Hong Kong National Party. We express strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to this.

Any organization or behavior to promote "Hong Kong Independence" and separate the nation can by no means be tolerated. The Hong Kong SAR government's decision to ban the operation of the Hong Kong National Party in accordance with relevant laws and legal procedures is a due move to safeguard national security and the rule of law in Hong Kong, which falls within Hong Kong SAR's affairs and China's internal affairs and brooks no foreign interference. We demand relevant countries and institutions to respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stop interfering in the Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs under the pretext of "freedom of speech and association".

Q: The opposition party will just come to power in the Maldives, which has been critical of China. They have also slammed some of the investment by China. In fact, the free trade agreement which was signed between the Maldives under the Yameen government and China came under a lot of criticism from the opposition party. Is China concerned because there are reports that the opposition party coming to power may just lead to renegotiation of the free trade agreement?

A: With regard to the presidential election in the Maldives, I have elaborated on China's position just now. We congratulate the Maldives on the smooth holding of the general election and Mr. Solih on his election as the President. We respect the choice made by the people in the Maldives and hope that the Maldives can maintain stability and development. Meanwhile, I also said that China is willing to continue to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with the Maldives so as to deliver benefits to our two countries and two peoples.

As to China's projects and investment in the Maldives which you are interested in, the Chinese side always encourages Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in the Maldives in accordance with the market principles and play a positive role in promoting the Maldives' socioeconomic development. We hope that the Maldives can maintain the consistency and stability of relevant policies and create a sound business environment for Chinese enterprises' operations there.

Regarding the China-Maldives free trade agreement, our two countries inked the free trade agreement in December last year. The Chinese side is willing to work with the Maldives to implement this agreement and continuously expand bilateral trade and investment cooperation so as to deliver more benefits to our two countries and two peoples.

Q: The Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan were scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. However, recently some media reported that the Indian side announced the meeting would be canceled. What is your comment?

A: Both India and Pakistan are important countries in South Asia. Maintaining the steady development of India-Pakistan relations is of important significance to the peace and development of the region and the world at large. We sincerely hope that the two countries can enhance communication and dialogue, properly handle differences, improve their relations and jointly uphold regional peace and stability.

Q: It is reported that Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong was recalled from the visit to the US and at the same time, a US navy ship has been denied permission to call in Hong Kong. What's your comment on that?

A: On September 22, Vice Director of the Office for International Military Cooperation of China's Central Military Commission has summoned the Acting Military Attache of the US Embassy in China and lodged stern representations and protest against the US announcement of sanctions on the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission and its Director. Meanwhile, relevant military officer also made clear China's stern position and explicitly announced that the Chinese side would immediately call back Navy Commander Shen Jinlong, who is attending the 23rd International Seapower Symposium and planning to visit the US. I believe this has been made very clear in the press release.

As to the issue of US warship calling in Hong Kong you asked, the Chinese side reviews and approves such request in accordance with the principle of sovereignty and in light of specific situation on a case-by-case basis.'AMR Challenge calls for more action to save lives from one of the greatest threats to public health

Press Release For Immediate Release

Tuesday, September 25, 2018 Contact: Media Relations

(404) 639-3286

The United States announced today, during the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, The AMR Challengethe most ambitious global initiative to date to combat the growing threat of antibiotic resistance (AR or AMR). This unprecedented challenge, led by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), charges pharmaceutical and health insurance companies, food animal producers and purchasers, medical professionals, government health officials, and other leaders from around the world to work together to address antibiotic resistance by:

reducing antibiotics and resistance in the environment (e.g. in water and soil);

improving antibiotic use, including ensuring people can access these medicines when they are needed;

developing new vaccines, drugs, and diagnostic tests;

improving infection prevention and control; and

enhancing data sharing and data collection.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar will announce the challenge tonight at a U.S. event co-hosted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the United Nations Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and the CDC Foundation. Secretary Azar will unveil the first commitments from more than 100 organizations intent on building on progress against one of the greatest global public health threats.

Untreatable infections are the reality for too many families around the worldand in the U.S. says HHS Secretary Alex Azar. Weve had some success fighting antibiotic resistance but, if we dont all act fast together, we will see global progress quickly unravel. Antibiotic resistance isnt slowing down. Every country and industry has to step up.

Among the first AMR Challenge commitments received include:

As part of the AMR Industry Alliance, generic and research-based pharmaceutical companies have agreed on a framework that promotes responsible antibiotic manufacturing. Antibiotics and their residues can be released (or discharged) into the environment when these drugs are made and can potentially contribute to the emergence and spread of resistance. AMR Industry Alliance companies took a further step by publishing the first list of discharge targets external icon to guide environmental risk assessments for the manufacture of antibiotics.

generic and research-based pharmaceutical companies have agreed on a framework that promotes responsible antibiotic manufacturing. Antibiotics and their residues can be released (or discharged) into the environment when these drugs are made and can potentially contribute to the emergence and spread of resistance. AMR Industry Alliance companies took a further step by publishing the first list of discharge targets to guide environmental risk assessments for the manufacture of antibiotics. Walmart U.S. is working with its animal protein suppliers to report antibiotic use throughout its supply chain and will conduct blockchain projects (a ledger of transactions) to improve responsible antibiotic use in farm animals, affecting its more than 5,000 stores and clubs nationwide.

is working with its animal protein suppliers to report antibiotic use throughout its supply chain and will conduct blockchain projects (a ledger of transactions) to improve responsible antibiotic use in farm animals, affecting its more than 5,000 stores and clubs nationwide. NovaDigm Therapeutics is developing a vaccine for Candida auris, an emerging resistant fungal threat that has caused serious illness and death worldwide, to prevent infections.

is developing a vaccine for Candida auris, an emerging resistant fungal threat that has caused serious illness and death worldwide, to prevent infections. CARB-X will invest $80 million globally by December 2019 to support more than 40 product developers as they pursue new drug classes to treat gram-negative bacteria, new diagnostics to identify new resistance and infections faster, and new treatment alternatives and vaccines. Each award agreement will include commitments to access and stewardship to ensure proper use of these live-saving innovations.

will invest $80 million globally by December 2019 to support more than 40 product developers as they pursue new drug classes to treat gram-negative bacteria, new diagnostics to identify new resistance and infections faster, and new treatment alternatives and vaccines. Each award agreement will include commitments to access and stewardship to ensure proper use of these live-saving innovations. Aetna , whose healthcare network includes 1.2 million health care professionals and more than 5,700 hospitals, commits to partnering with state health departments to provide feedback to providers about their antibiotic prescribing performance and promote vaccinations.

, whose healthcare network includes 1.2 million health care professionals and more than 5,700 hospitals, commits to partnering with state health departments to provide feedback to providers about their antibiotic prescribing performance and promote vaccinations. Petco commits to not allowing prophylactic use of antibiotics in its supply chain and supporting veterinary oversight for access to antibiotics in its 1,500 locations across the U.S. and online channels.

commits to not allowing prophylactic use of antibiotics in its supply chain and supporting veterinary oversight for access to antibiotics in its 1,500 locations across the U.S. and online channels. Healthcare systems, which impact care at more than 20,000 healthcare facilities in the U.S. and abroad, are committed to reducing inappropriate antibiotic usemany between 20 and 45 percentand hundreds have also committed to reducing infections.

which impact care at more than 20,000 healthcare facilities in the U.S. and abroad, are committed to reducing inappropriate antibiotic usemany between 20 and 45 percentand hundreds have also committed to reducing infections. Professional clinical societies, representing more than 283,000 providers across U.S. healthcare settings, are committed to improving antibiotic use among their members.

representing more than 283,000 providers across U.S. healthcare settings, are committed to improving antibiotic use among their members. Patient representative organizations , representing individuals impacted by antibiotic resistance and sepsis, continue to provide education and awareness to patients and caregivers about this important threat.

, representing individuals impacted by antibiotic resistance and sepsis, continue to provide education and awareness to patients and caregivers about this important threat. APHL, ASTHO, and CSTE (see acronyms below) are working with state and local health departments to develop more than 50 tailored commitments that align with each states AR threats and goals.

Tonights event will commence a commitment year wherein organizations worldwide are invited to take action. Event attendees will include industry and world leaders, including Secretary Azar; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization; Dr. Balram Bhargava, Director-General at the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi and Secretary, Department of Health Research; and Anand Anandkumar, CEO and managing director of Bugworks Research, Inc.

CDC Director Robert Redfield remarks, We are seeing resistance to life-saving antibiotics, and scientists worldwide are uncovering new types of resistance. Our shared commitment to confront this threat is critical to all American communities and companies, protecting our progress in healthcare outcomes, food production and even life expectancy.

The U.S. Government remains a global leader in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Earlier in September, CDC published The Core Elements of Human Antibiotic Stewardship Programs in Resource-Limited Settings: National and Hospital Levels to help improve antibiotic use in healthcare settings worldwide; and FDA announced its plans to combat antibiotic resistance through antibiotic innovation and antibiotic stewardship in human medicine and animal agriculture. CARB-X, launched in 2016 by ASPR and NIH, continues its investments of more than $500 million by 2021 in research and development of new antibiotics, vaccines, rapid diagnostics, and other life-saving products.

These activities build on U.S. momentum since 2015 to support the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, including antibiotic use commitments made at the White House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship. Read more about what the U.S. Government is doing to fight AR: https://www.cdc.gov/DrugResistance/us-activities.html.

Antibiotic resistance has been found in all regions of the world. In the U.S. alone, at least 2 million people get resistant infections each year and at least 23,000 die.

Modern travel of people, animals, and goods means antibiotic resistance can easily spread across borders and continents. Antibiotic resistance in one country means antibiotic resistance in every country, says Secretary Azar. Fighting this threat requires a collaborative global approach across sectors to detect, prevent, and respond to these threats when they occur. Every country, regardless of resources, can take steps to slow antibiotic resistance.

Read the commitments received to date and learn how to make a formal commitment to the AMR Challenge: https://www.cdc.gov/DrugResistance/intl-activities/amr-challenge.html

Watch the event live starting at 7 p.m. ET: http://cdn.DigitalServices.online/AMR-Challenge/external icon

As of September 24, 2018, 106 organizations have made 99 commitments.

AdvaMedDx Aetna American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons American Association of Avian Pathologists American Cancer Society American College of Physicians American Hospital Association American Society for Microbiology American Society of Health-System Pharmacists American Veterinary Medical Association AMR Industry Alliance Antibiotic Resistance Action Center Ascension Asolva, Inc. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) Atrium Health BD Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation bioMerieux Biotia Bugworks Research, Inc. C Diff Foundation CARB-X CDC Foundation Cepheid Chicago Area Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Network Chicago Prevention and Intervention Epicenter Conduent Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) CVS Health Doctor on Demand, Inc. Duke University and the Duke Center for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention Ecolab, Inc. Elanco Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center Emory University Express Scripts Global Health Alliance Melbourne Global Health Technologies Coalition GoHealth Urgent Care Government of Finland Government of India  Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology Government of India  Indian Council of Medical Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of Japan Government of Nigeria Government of Pakistan HCA Healthcare Henry Ford Health System HP, Inc. Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) Intermountain Healthcare International Livestock Research Institute Kaiser Permanente Making a Difference in Infectious Diseases Max Healthcare Merck Milken Institute Mountaire Farms, Inc. National Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education National Milk Producers Federation National Pork Board National Pork Producers Council North American Meat Institute Northwest Antimicrobial Resistance Coalition NovaDigm PATH Pediatric Infectious Disease Society (PIDS) Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) Petco Pew Charitable Trusts Premier, Inc. Roche Diagnostics Rush University Medical Center Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science SCYNEXIS, Inc. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists (SIDP) The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia The Joint Commission The Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania Trinity Health U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Global Affairs (HHS/OGA) U.S. Department of State (DOS) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum United Nations Foundation University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago University of Iowa University of Maryland University of Utah Urgent Care Association of America Vermont Oxford Network Walmart Wellcome Trust

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

external icon

CDC works 24/7 protecting Americas health, safety and security. Whether disease start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to Americas most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.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.California Department of Education

News Release

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Record Number of Seals of Biliteracy Awarded to California Seniors in 201718

SACRAMENTOState Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced that a record 55,000 State Seals of Biliteracy, which signify fluency in another language, were awarded in 20172018. That means more graduating high school seniors than ever before can read, write, and speak at least two languages.

The soaring number of biliteracy seals represent progress in Torlaksons Global California 2030 initiative, which seeks to rapidly expand the teaching and learning of world languages, in part by increasing the number of biliteracy seals awarded and by expanding the number of dual language immersion programs.

Im thrilled that so many of our students are learning a second language that will improve their cognitive abilities, better prepare them for the global economy, and broaden their horizons and understanding of other cultures and nations, Torlakson said. This is a great start in meeting the goals of Global California 2030.

Global California 2030 seeks to more than triple the number of biliteracy seals awarded to graduating seniors each year to around 175,000 in 2030; and to quadruple the number of dual immersion programs from about 400 in 2017 to 1,600 in 2030.

Research shows that fluency in another language improves students ability in their first language and in other subjects and builds self-confidence.

Torlakson made the announcement while visiting Bryant Elementary School in San Francisco to highlight its Spanish Immersion programs.

The 55,000 State Seals of Biliteracy awarded this year are more than five times the number of biliteracy seals earned when the program began seven years ago in 20112012 when about 10,000 students received the award.

In 2017-2018, the San Francisco Unified School District awarded more than 700 State Seals of Biliteracy with the top three languages being Mandarin (400), Spanish (230) and Japanese (50). In the Los Angeles Unified School District, just under 5,000 students were recognized with the honor with the top three languages being Spanish (4,538), French (159), and Mandarin (75).

The State Seal of Biliteracy was established in 2011 by Assembly Bill 815 (Brownley) to recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. It takes the form of a gold seal affixed to the high school diplomas of qualified students. School district participation in the program is voluntary.

In 20172018, approximately 77 percent of students earned the seal by demonstrating proficiency in Spanish, followed by French (8 percent), and Mandarin (6 percent). Altogether, California students earned the seal for demonstrated proficiency in more than 40 different languages, including American Sign Language.

To qualify for the State Seal of Biliteracy, high school graduates must meet all of the following criteria:

Completion of all English-language arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or above in those classes.

Passing the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress for English-language arts or any successor test, administered in grade eleven, at or above the standard met achievement level.

Proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English, demonstrated by passing a world language Advanced Placement examination with a score of three or higher; or an International Baccalaureate examination with a score of four or higher; or by successful completion of a four-year high school course of study in a world language and attainment of an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above in that course of study; or passing a district test with a score of proficient or higher; or passing the SAT II world language examination with a score of 600 or higher.

In addition to the requirements mentioned above, if the primary language of the pupil is other than English, the pupil shall demonstrate English language proficiency on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California.

For more information, please see the State Seal of Biliteracy Resources web page , the Global California 2030 report (PDF) and the Global California 2030 web page [Note: The preceding web page is no longer available].

For more information on number of State Seals of Biliteracy by school district, email the CDE Communications Division at communications@cde.ca.gov.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson  State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Last Reviewed: Tuesday, October 19, 2021Oman Cement unveils new brand identity

ICR Newsroom By 25 September 2018

Oman Cement Co unveiled a new brand identity and logo to convey its strong brand value proposition that is synonymous with quality, strength and reliability.



The new brand identity was launched at a function held under the auspices of H E Qais Mohammad al Yusuf, chairman of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The event was attended by Dr Abdullah bin Abbas bin Ahmed, chairman of OCC, Eng Salem bin Abdulah al Hajri, chief executive officer of OCC, other top-level officials of the company and dignitaries.

Published underPakistan cement exports rise during July and August

25 September 2018

According to Federal Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan's cement industry earned foreign exchange revenue of US$27.57m by exporting 617,745t of cement during the month of August 2018, compared to US$20.96m from exporting 475,134t of cement in previous month. This equated to a growth of 31.5 per cent and 30 per cent in terms of value and quantity, respectively MoM.



When compared with the figure of August 2017, earning of US$22.41m from 442,945t of cement  it translates to a YoY growth of 23 per cent in foreign currency earnings and 39.5 per cent in quantity.



On a cumulative basis, export revenue during July-August 2018 surged by eight per cent to US$48.53m with exports of 1.09Mt of cement and US$44.93m from exports of 871,434t in July-August 2017. The growth in Pakistan rupees rose by 27.1 per cent to PKR6bn during this period.



Data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) recorded that cement exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan and India fell by 34 per cent and 22 per cent to 278,253t and 164,552t, respectively during first two months of the current financial year. However, cement exports to rest of the world rose by 149 per cent to about 633,385t during this period.

Published underNuvoco Vistas appoints new MD

25 September 2018

Indias Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd has announced the appointment of Jayakumar Krishnaswamy as its managing director with immediate effect. Mr Krishnaswamy will be responsible for the companys three business divisions of cement, ready-mix and aggregates.



Mr Krishnaswamy had previously worked as the managing director of AkzoNobel India, a paints and coating manufacturing company, and was responsible for its operations in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, according to a press release.

Published underUnacem seeks loans of up to US$490m

ICR Newsroom By 25 September 2018

Union Andina de Cementos SAA (UNACEM) plans to start talks with banks for up to US$490m in loans to refinance existing US$-denominated debt and other corporate purposes.



The company is seeking US$50m from Citibank, US$45m from Banco Santander and local currency credit facilities for up to US$100m from Banco de Credito del Peru and Scotia Bank Peru, the Peruvian cement producer said in a recent stock exchange announcement.



UNACEM posted a YoY flat consolidated EBITDA of PEN290m (US$87.5m) for 2Q18, as a rise in revenues was offset by increasing costs. Net debt stood at PEN4.2bn (US$1.27bn) at the end of 2Q18, with a net-debt/EBITDA ratio of 3.6x, lower than the 3.8x reported at the end of 2017.

Published under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The experience in Samoa is different to other islands and is special, says Helen Moore.

She is on a short trip in Samoa for five days with her friend Jill Kennedy and it is their first time to be on the island. They are based in Auckland, New Zealand and headed over to Samoa to relax in the warm climate.

Helen and Jill have been friends for over 20 years, but it is their first trip together overseas.

Talking about her previous travels, Helen said Samoa  compared to Fiji  has its natural looks and is not industrial.

I definitely noticed it is compared to Fiji (Samoa is) prettier not so industrial, it still looks like an island like as suppose to.

The drive that we came through from the airport it was really just natural, she added.

Helen said facilities such as the Taumeasina Island Resort provide a high level of service on top of having a natural beach and a swimming pool.

I didnt come here for just lying on a pool I want to have a beach and here we got both, added Jill.

Apart from the natural and authentic beauty of the place they appreciate the fact that the resorts are not packed with guests.

It is probably getting busier later on but going to a beach and just be the only ones, thats really nice. The atmosphere is fine its lovely here, Helen added.

In terms of services and standards, they are of the view that Samoa is similar to other countries.

In Fiji they speak their language more to the tourists like saying hello and using it where here everyone is talking English to you.

It is probably a sad thing not using the own language more when you feel more involved as a foreigner. Just the basic greetings, added Helen.

Jill then highlighted the importance of having an authentic experience, which is provided here in Samoa and targets tourists.

I believe Thailand and the Philippines have a different sort of behavior and culture just so humble and I dont believe it has to be like that.

Its not they have to be like that just because they are there you only have to be polite and respectful with people, Jill added.

I guess we found it so comfortable here because it is so different to our culture. I have been quite surprised how many non-Samoans are working here in the resort, Helen added.

Jill said it is nice that it is mixed but maybe it is also less kept on the culture.

According to Helen, in Fiji there is a minimum number of local people to be hired, there is a lot more of governmental interaction improving local employment.

Helen said that she believes through the early stages of tourism development in Samoa, compared to Fiji where tourism has a 20-plus years history, there will probably be changes in terms of hiring locals to higher positions in hospitality or tourism sectors in future.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.(AP) Vermonts transgender gubernatorial candidate said Tuesday shes been getting a steady stream of death threats and other personal attacks since her candidacy began to draw attention from across the country and the world.

Christine Hallquist, who won Vermonts Democratic gubernatorial primary last week, said most of the threats, which began before she won the nomination, have been coming from outside of Vermont, although during her primary campaign it was not unusual for people to yell insults at her during parades and other public appearances.

Early on when our team assembled I said the more successful we are, the more vitriol and threats we are going to receive, Hallquist said Tuesday. Its kind of a natural outcome of our divided country.

Hallquist, who is now running against incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott in the November election, is the first openly transgender political candidate to have won a major party nomination for governor.

Scott said Tuesday he was saddened to hear Hallquist had been threatened and he would not tolerate hate speech or violence against anyone.

We must  as a society  do better to combat anger and violence, Scott said. Im hopeful Vermonters will join me in ensuring everyone  regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or other characteristics - are treated with dignity, respect and acceptance.

Elliot Imse, a spokesman for The Victory Fund, a political action committee that backs LGBTQ candidates and has labeled Hallquists candidacy a game changer, said LGBTQ candidates face a number of obstacles heterosexual candidates do not and threats are not uncommon.

While the people of Vermont know Christine as the intelligent executive with a clear vision for their state, her courage in running as an openly trans woman cannot be understated, Imse said. It takes guts to be a trailblazer because with it comes opening yourself to attacks from the most hateful among us - it is what the leaders of social change nearly always encounter.

Due to the potential threats, Hallquist isnt giving advanced notice of certain appearances nor is she publicizing the location of her Morrisville campaign headquarters.

The threats are also changing the way she interacts with the public. Hallquist said that on Monday she received a call from an-out-of-stater who was staying at a Lamoille County resort who was asking about an upcoming public event.

Normally, I wouldnt have thought about it, but we decided not to tell them about events because they are not from Vermont, she said. Im sure its perfectly innocent, but with a little heightened awareness, were just taking a little extra precaution.

Vermonters have been generally accepting of her candidacy, focusing on the issues rather than her status as transgender, she said. The threats come on the phone of via social media platforms. She estimated the campaign had received about a dozen actual death threats.

Getting into this, this is what fighting for American freedom is all about, Hallquist said.

Hallquist said her campaign had reported the threats to the Vermont State Police and the FBI.

State Police spokesman Adam Silverman said Tuesday troopers would be speaking with campaign officials to get a sense of what they might be facing and what their needs are.

We take any threat against a Vermonter seriously and are doing what we can to work with her campaign to make sure the threats are taken seriously and are investigated, Silverman said.

FBI spokeswoman Sarah Ruane, in the Albany, New York, field office, which covers Vermont, said that as is standard policy she couldnt comment on how, if at all, the FBI was involved in investigating the threats.Want to know whether your views on Donald Trump put you in the majority or minority in your state (or city)? You could look at how your state voted in the 2016 election. But theres definitely a more interesting chapter to that story: The approval ratings that Trump has earned in each state, and how his net approval has changed, state by state, during his time in office.

To figure out which states love Trump the most  not just those that voted for him in large numbers in 2016  well take a look at the states where his approval ratings are the highest. Morning Consult tracks the presidents state-by-state approval ratings, and also his net approval. In some states, one or both of those numbers has changed significantly during Trumps time in office. And its normal for presidents to become less popular after they get elected. But in many of the states that love the president the most, the numbers havent changed as much as youd think.

Ahead, find out whether you live in one of the states that loves Donald Trump the most.

15. Missouri

Missouri begins the list of the states that love Donald Trump the most with its 51% August 2018 approval rating of the president, down only slightly from the 53% rating that Trump received in January 2017 in the state. The presidents net approval  the percentage of approval minus the percentage of disapproval  has fallen by only 12 points so far during his time in office. Disapproval ratings grew from 34% in January 2017 to 45% in August 2018.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump won 56.4% of the vote in Missouri in 2016, and Missouri is a competitive state that tends to lean Republican.

Next: Trumps approval rating in this state hasnt moved much, but his net approval has fallen.

14. Kansas

In Kansas, the president has an approval rating 52% as of August 2018, just a few points lower than the 56% approval rating he earned in January 2017. But Donald Trumps net approval has actually fallen 17 points during the same period, with disapproval ratings growing from 32% at the start of his term to 45% at the time of Morning Consults most recent numbers.

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump won 56.2% of the vote in Kansas in 2016, and the state hasnt voted for a Democrat in a presidential election since 1964.

Next: The presidents approval rating has fallen only slightly in this state.

13. Alaska

Alaska is also one of the states that loves Donald Trump the most, with Morning Consults most recent numbers showing a 52% approval rating in the state in August 2018. Thats down slightly from Trumps January 2017 approval rating of 55%. But his net approval in the state has decreased by only 15 points, thanks to disapproval ratings that went from 31% in January 2017 to 43% in August 2018.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump won 51.3% of the vote in Alaska in 2016, winning the states three electoral votes.

Next: Trumps disapproval ratings have increased in this state.

12. Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, Donald Trump achieved a 53% approval rating in August 2018. But thats actually down significantly from the 61% approval rating he had in the state at the beginning of his term in office. His net approval in the state has also slid by a full 25 points during that time, with the presidents disapproval ratings going from 27% in January 2017 to 44% in August 2018.

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump won 65.3% of the vote in 2016 Oklahoma, a state that a Republican has carried in every presidential election in 1968.

Next: The presidents net approval has only fallen a little in this state.

11. South Carolina

South Carolina also makes the list of the states where Donald Trump has the highest approval ratings. As of August 2018, the president had a 54% approval rating in the Palmetto state, down only slightly from the 56% approval rating he had at the start of his term. His net approval in the state has slid just 13 points over the course of his tenure, with disapproval ratings going from 31% in January 2017 to 42% in August 2018.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump won 54.9% of the vote in 2016 in South Carolina, getting all nine of its electoral votes.

Next: Disapproval ratings have risen in this state. But it still gives Trump a high approval rating.

10. Kentucky

Donald Trump can count on Kentucky as one of the states that loves him the most. The president earned a 55% approval rating in the state in August 2018, down from 61% at the start of his term in January 2017. And interestingly enough, his net approval has slid 20 points in the state during that time, with disapproval ratings rising from 27% in January 2017 to 41% in August 2018.

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump won 62.5% of the vote in Kentucky in 2016, with just two counties in the entire state voting for Hillary Clinton instead.

Next: Trumps approval rating has fallen slightly in this state. But its still very high.

9. Idaho

Idaho also lands on the list of states that love Donald Trump the most. The president achieved a 55% approval rating in the state in August 2018, down slightly from 59% in January 2017. And Trumps net approval has actually slid 15 points in the state during his time in office, with disapproval ratings growing from 30% in January 2017 to 41% in August 2018.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump won 59.2% of the vote in 2016 in Idaho, a state that the Times characterizes as a Republican stronghold that has only backed a Democratic presidential candidate once since 1952.

Next: The president earns a high approval rating in this state. But his disapproval ratings have grown.

8. Arkansas

In Arkansas, Donald Trump has a 56% approval rating as of August 2018, enough to land the state in the top 10 ranking of states that love the president the most. Trumps net approval has slid 13 points in the state during his time in office, though. Approval ratings fell from 59% in January 2017. And disapproval ratings grew from 29% to 40% during that period.

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump won 60.6% of the vote in Arkansas in 2016. Even though Hillary Clinton had served as the states former first lady, Arkansas awarded its six electoral votes to Trump instead.

Next: Trumps approval ratings have risen in this state.

7. South Dakota

South Dakota is another state where Donald Trumps approval rating has actually improved during his time in office. The president had an approval rating of 54% in January 2017 in the state, and the number rose to 56% in August 2018. His net approval in the state has slid by just 6 points, thanks to disapproval ratings that grew from 33% in January 2017 to 41% in August 2018.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump won 61.5% of the vote in South Dakota in 2016. The state is reliably Republican, according to the Times, and awarded its three electoral votes to Trump.

Next: This state loves Donald Trump. But his disapproval ratings have grown.

6. Tennessee

Donald Trump has high approval ratings in Tennessee, where his August 2018 approval rating reached 58%. But that number is actually lower than the 61% approval rating that the president achieved in the state in January 2017. And his net approval in Tennessee has actually fallen by 14 points during that period, with disapproval ratings going from 28% in January 2017 to 39% in August 2018.

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump won 60.7% of the vote in Tennessee in the 2016 election. Even though Bill Clinton won the state in 1992 and 1996, the states 11 electoral votes went to Trump.

Next: The presidents approval ratings have increased in this state.

5. Louisiana

Louisiana ranks among the top five states that love Donald Trump the most thanks to the presidents 60% August 2018 approval rating in the state, up from the 59% he earned in January 2017. Trumps net approval has slid by 7 points during that time, with disapproval ratings in Louisiana starting at 28% in January 2017 and rising to 36% in August 2018.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump won 58.1% of the vote in Louisiana in 2016, easily winning the states eight electoral votes.

Next: Trumps approval ratings have stayed steady in this state.

4. Mississippi

Next on the list? Mississippi, where the president currently enjoys approval ratings of 61%  the exact same number he achieved in January 2017. Despite the stable approval ratings, Donald Trumps net approval has fallen by 8 points in Mississippi during that time, on account of disapproval ratings that have risen from 27% in January 2017 to 35% in August 2018.

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump won 57.9% of the vote in Mississippi in the 2016 election, though numerous counties in the southern state actually voted for Hillary Clinton.

Next: The president has a higher approval rating in this state now than he did when he entered office.

3. Alabama

Alabama lands in the top three states with the highest approval ratings for Donald Trump. As of August 2018, the president had a 63% approval rating in the state, a point higher than the 62% he earned at the start of his term in January 2017. His net approval dropped just 6 points during that period, with disapproval ratings rising from 26% in January 2017 to 33% in August 2018.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump won 62.1% of the vote in Alabama during the 2016 presidential election, and had the states nine electoral votes to back him.

Next: Approval ratings have gone up in this state, too. It must really love Donald Trump.

2. West Virginia

Donald Trump enjoys his second-highest state-by-state approval rating in West Virginia, where he has a 64% approval rating as of August 2018. Thats even higher than the approval rating he had at the beginning of his term, when he had a 62% approval rating in West Virginia. During his time in office so far, Trump has only lost 6 points in net approval in the state, thanks to disapproval ratings that went from 25% in January 2017 to 32% in August 2018.

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump won 67.9% of the vote in West Virginia in 2016. Experts predicted the landslide in the solidly red state. And not a single county in West Virginia voted for Hillary Clinton.

Next: This state gives the president the highest approval rating of all.

1. Wyoming

Wyoming is the state where Donald Trump currently enjoys the highest approval rating, at 65% as of August 2018. In fact, the president earned a higher approval rating in the most recent poll than he did at the start of his term, in January 2017, when he had a 63% approval rating. Plus, his net approval in the state has slid just 7 points, thanks to disapproval ratings that grew from 23% in January 2017 to 31% in August 2018.

According to The New York Times, Donald Trump won 68.2% of the vote in Wyoming during the 2016 presidential election. Only one county in the entire state  Teton County  voted for Hillary Clinton instead of Trump.

Read more: The Real Reason Donald Trump Always Eats Fast Food Will Make You Feel Bad for Him

Check out The Cheat Sheet on Facebook!In honor of veterans: Here is how Pueblo honors its military heroes(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 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-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. 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, 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 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, 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 Womens 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.As expected, the Trump administration recently proposed a rule that would make it harder for legal immigrants to gain permanent residency in the United States, or green cards, if they receive certain benefits, such as food stamps, Medicaid, or Section 8 housing assistance.

Drafts of the rule that were leaked to the media earlier this year would have also penalized immigrants if their children used certain public benefits. The current proposal, on the other hand, does not do that. Green card applicants would be judged only on benefits they use themselves, not on benefits used by others in their immediate family.

However, Wendy Cervantes, a senior policy analyst on immigration and immigrant families for the Center for Law and Social Policy, said that her organization still has grave concerns about the proposal. Once rumors started getting out that the Trump administration was considering making it harder for public benefit recipients to earn green cards, it started a chilling effect, CLASP has noted through its own research .

We heard directly from parents as well as providers that parents were opting to play it safe and avoid use of public programs out of fear of possibly compromising their immigration status down the road, Cervantes said. Children still stand to suffer if their parents have no access to public benefits that provide health care or to housing, she added.

The federal government has long been able to deny permanent residency to a person deemed to be a public charge, or supported by the government. Under current practice, cash benefits (welfare) and government-funded long-term care were considered in public charge determinations.

The new proposal expands the types of programs that would be considered in public charge determinations. The changes would be aimed at legal immigrants, because undocumented immigrants are already ineligible for most public benefits.

The proposed rule has not yet been officially published, but once it is, it will be open for a 60-day comment period. The Department of Homeland Security, which released the proposed changes, is seeking additional comment on whether use of the Childrens Health Insurance Program should be should be a program that would potentially penalize a green card applicant. CHIP is significantly expensive to the country and is similar to Medicaid, which is listed as one of the potential penalizing programs, said the proposal.

Overall, the changes are intended to ensure a self-supporting immigrant population, said Kirstjen Nielsen, the Homeland Security secretary, in a statement.

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, she said.With the 2018 congressional mid-terms fast approaching, a record number of LGBT candidates are seeking election to all levels of government ranging from federal office to state attorney general, many under a banner of challenging President Trump.

Amid expectations of a blue wave of Democratic wins in November, political observers say wins for these LGBT candidates constitute a rainbow wave and break pink ceilings in races where no LGBT candidate has won before.

The LGBTQ Victory Fund, which endorses LGBT candidates, has backed 218 candidates so far in the 2018 cycle. Thats up from the 160 candidates the Victory Fund endorsed in 2016 and the 162 it endorsed in the 2014 cycle.

Annise Parker, a lesbian former mayor of Houston and CEO of the Victory Fund, said in an interview with the Washington Blade her organization endorsed slightly half of an unprecedented number of more than 430 openly LGBT candidates running this cycle.

Its part of a larger surge of candidates who are women candidates, who are people of color, candidates who are from immigrant communities  all of whom feel they are under attack and want to have a place in the political process to push back on some of the rollbacks on civil rights, Parker said.

Among the candidates Victory Fund has endorsed this cycle are 13 candidates running for federal office, including two running in U.S. Senate races, four candidates running for governor, as well as candidates seeking state legislative seats and statewide office.

Another factor in having a record number of openly LGBT candidates running for office, Parker said, is the success enjoyed by previous LGBT candidates who sought office and won elections.

Success breeds more candidates who want to obtain that same success, Parker added.

In the aftermath of the 2018 primary season, the Democratic National Committee is claiming an even broader number of at least 126 LGBT candidates this cycle as a result of these hopefuls winning the Democratic nomination in their states.

The portion of non-incumbents in this list is high. Of the 19 openly LGBT people nominated by Democrats for federal office, 14 are non-incumbents. Of the 13 openly LGBT people nominated by Democrats for statewide office, nine are incumbents.

Democrats also nominated at least 101 openly LGBT non-incumbents for state legislative seats across 32 different states and U.S. territories, according to the DNC.

Lucas Acosta, director of LGBTQ media for the DNC, said the party is proud of the number of LGBT candidates running under the Democratic banner this election cycle.

In 2018, LGBTQ Democrats are stepping up to the plate, making history, and breaking records, Acosta said. Our community deserves a seat at every table and a voice in every legislature. Too often, decisions about us are made without us. Thats why the DNC is excited to support LGBTQ candidates up and down the ballot across the country.

Many of these LGBT candidates would achieve significant milestones by winning elections no LGBT person has won before:

 Two candidates  Jared Polis and Lupe Valdez  could be the first openly gay people to win elections as governor. Polis is running in Colorado and Valdez is running in Texas.

 Another candidate, Christine Hallquist, is running in Vermont and could be the first openly transgender person to be elected and serve as governor.

 In Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown is seeking re-election after being appointed to office and winning election to one term. Brown, who was the first openly LGBT and first out bisexual to win election as governor, would be the first openly bisexual person to win re-election as governor.

 In Arizona, Kyrsten Sinema could be the first openly bisexual person elected to a seat in the U.S. Senate. Also running for re-election to the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin is Tammy Baldwin, an LGBT favorite and the longest-serving openly gay member of Congress.

 Two candidates  Ricardo Lara and Nelson Araujo  could the first openly gay people of color to win election to statewide office. Lara is running in California to become insurance commissioner and Araujo is running in Nevada to become secretary of state.

 The 14 non-incumbent openly LGBT Democratic nominees running for federal office could significantly shake up LGBT representation in Congress if they each won. Those wins would more than triple the current number of eight lesbian, gay and bisexual lawmakers serving in the House and Senate.

In the aftermath of primary season, Democrats have nominated for governor one candidate for each letter of the LGBT acronym. Valdez represents the lesbian community in Texas, Polis represents the gay community in Colorado, Brown represents the bisexual community in Oregon and Hallquist represents the transgender community in Vermont.

Parker said LGBT candidates are achieving milestones just by sheer number of people running, but particularly in those gubernatorial races.

With four candidates interestingly representing every aspect of the alphabet  lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, Parker said. Weve broken a milestone just by them becoming nominees whether or not they win in November.

Parker said the LGBT women candidates are poised to make great strides in the upcoming election as female candidates generally have won over male contenders in the 2018 primary season. Among them are Gina Ortiz Jones, a lesbian Air Force veteran running for Congress in Texas, and Angie Craig, whos running for election to Congress in Minnesota after losing by one point in 2016.

Whether lesbian or bisexual or straight, women candidates are outperforming male candidates in most races, Parker added.

In contrast to the wide array of LGBT candidates the Democrats have nominated for office, the Republican Partys embrace of LGBT candidates is much smaller. There has always been a significant disparity in the number of LGBT candidates nominated by the parties, but Republicans have in years past usually at least fielded one openly LGBT candidate, such as perennial Massachusetts congressional candidate Richard Tisei.

The Victory Fund  which as a bipartisan organization has traditionally endorsed Republican LGBT candidates as long as they support LGBT rights  has thrown its support behind five GOP contenders this cycle, four of whom will be on the ballot in November.

But Parker said the number and nature of LGBT candidates running on the Republican ticket has declined from previous years.

There was a slow rise of Republican congressional nominees, Parker said. For example, in 2012, there was one, in 2014, there were two, in 2016, there were three. Unsuccessful, but they were running. This year there were none.

Parker attributed the lack of LGBT candidates running under the Republican banner to the anti-LGBT policies of the GOP and Trump administration.

Its not there arent LGBT Republicans, Parker said. I think the Republican Party is making it harder and harder for mainstream, fiscally conservative, socially liberal candidates to get elected and there are candidates either choosing to stay closeted or switch parties or not run.

Gregory Angelo, president of Log Cabin Republicans, said LGBT candidate recruitment has never been the mission of Log Cabin Republicans, but disputed the notion LGBT Republican candidates are in decline.

There were a number of gay Republicans running for federal office this year, all of whom Log Cabin Republicans was tracking; unfortunately none emerged victorious in their primaries, Angelo said.

Significant attention is also being placed on transgender candidates, who previously had infinitesimal representation in public office. That changed in 2017 after Virginia State Del. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) became the first openly transgender person elected and seated to a state legislature and other transgender candidates won in local races.

The Victory Fund has endorsed 11 transgender candidates this cycle, eight of whom will be on the ballot in November. The most high profile is Hallquists quest for the governorship in Vermont.

Parker credited Hallquist for being nominated in the highest level race for a transgender candidate and being a well-qualified candidate, very comfortable with the issues in Vermont and well known in the state.

The fact that voters in Vermont got behind an openly trans candidate in a big way and carried her to a primary victory and positioned her to be the Democratic nominee as governor isa new milestone for the community, Parker said.

Drawing a distinction between transgender candidates and the decline in LGBT Republicans candidates, Parker said there are more out trans elected officials than out Republican LGBT elected officials.

But being nominated for public office is one thing and winning the election is another. Many of these LGBT candidates face daunting odds in winning election in November and may have to rely on the boost from the expected blue wave to achieve victory. Among them is Hallquist, whos running against a popular GOP incumbent in Vermont.

In Texas, a Quinnipiac poll found Valdez is significantly behind Gov. Texas Greg Abbott, who as part of a significant anti-LGBT record made an unsuccessful attempt at passing anti-trans bathroom legislation a priority. Abbott leads Valdez 5839 percent among likely voters.

But in Arizona, a new CNN poll this week shows Sinema leading Republican opponent Martha McSally by seven points, 50-43.

Parker cautioned against placing too much emphasis on the need for these candidates to win election to make an impact.

Dont discount the fact that they run and whether or not they win or lose, Parker said. If they run good races and address issues important to their constituents, they are plowing the ground for the next wave of candidates, and the next and the next.

Still, Parker acknowledged wins for these candidates would be significant, especially if theyre part of a blue wave that wins a majority in the U.S. House, or even the U.S. Senate, in November.

Many of them are in marginal seats, red to blue seats, Parker said. If they win their seats, theyre going to be part of the Democratic wave that looks poised to sweep into Washington and if theres a change in leadership in the House of Representatives, it creates a whole new ball game.Chick-fil-A Helps Hurricane Florence Evacuees; Open Sunday, Giving Free Meals 25 September, 2018 by Jeannie Law , |

Chick-fil-A was among the restaurants that came to the rescue for Hurricane Florence evacuees in Wilmington, North Carolina this week by opening on Sunday and offering free meals to first responders and locals.

Chick-fil-A was among the restaurants that came to the rescue for Hurricane Florence evacuees in Wilmington, North Carolina this week by opening on Sunday and offering free meals to first responders and locals.

43 people have died since the hurricane made landfall over a week ago. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced that "treacherous" floodwaters are still a continual threat to the state and about 5,000 rescues are reported so far.

The restaurant known for its chicken and Christian practice of never opening on Sundays, announced that four of its Chick-fil-A locations in the Wilmington area started offering free meals to all the first responders, emergency personnel and those working on electrical lines. The stores are operating from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time with workers welcomed to access the restaurants' dining rooms and the general public welcomed to the drive-thrus.

WTVD reported that the Chick-fil-A in Raleigh, North Carolina opened its doors last Sunday, despite their closed on Sunday policy, to serve relief workers "500 sandwiches and 1,200 nuggets."

The restaurant owners, Donovan and Nikki Carless asked themselves, "What can we do to help?"

The Carless couple then reached out to their Chick-Fil-A team who happily came into work and help those in need.

They eventually teamed up with Red Cross and helped evacuees at three different shelters by providing warm meals for free.

Read more about Chick-fil-A Helps Hurricane Florence Evacuees; Open Sunday, Giving Free Meals on The Christian Post.Due Process? Do Something! Christian Examiner Contributor | 24 September, 2018 by Mark Klages

"No one stays good in this world."

That single statement seems to be the mantra of the day in American politics. Just this morning, after more than a week of negotiations between Senate leadership and Ms. Christina Blasey Ford, the accuser of Brett Kavanaugh, another accusation of sexual misconduct arises to delay the confirmation process for Kavanaugh. This time, even the New York Times recognized that an accusation with zero details, zero corroborating evidence, and zero supporting testimony has zero credibility. Still, Senator Chuck Grassley, Iowa Republican and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee claimed, based on a Fox News article, that the committee would investigate claims made by Ms. Debbie Ramirez and superstar attorney Michael Avenatti, despite neither claim having a stitch of evidence or a single corroborating witness in support.

Mea CulpaI am not on the Senate Judiciary Committee, I am not a lawyer, I am not an investigative reporter with inside information on Brett Kavanaugh nor have I even met the man. I do not have any more information on the character of the man than any of my readers. Still, in church we have a saying, "if you are on Satan's radar, you might be doing something right." It seems to me that Brett Kavanaugh is on Satan's radar.

As I recount the facts, I must admit I am biased. I am biased by the globally accepted, and truly American legal maxims of "innocent until proven guilty" and "burden of proof." I am also biased by over forty years of Christian teachings, one of which is found throughout the Bible and seems so very appropriate in today's world of easy offense and fantastical claims.

"One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." (Deut 19:15, NIV)

"This will be my third visit to you. 'Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'" (2 Cor 13:1, NIV)

Even God recognized the importance of witnesses when discussing the condemnation of this sinful world in Revelation.

"'I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth.'" (Rev 11:3, NIV)

Unfortunately, in these United States today, we appear more like the ones who gloat over the death of the witnesses, as described later in Revelation 11, rather than the champions of liberty and justice portrayed in the DC Universe I used to open this article. This time it is more than just the mainstream media and dozens of filthy rich Hollywood elites, each of whom vies for your political allegiance, seemingly bent on convicting the nominee in the court of public opinion. Everyday Americans have come to the conclusion that "no one stays good in this world;" therefore, Brett Kavanaugh must have done terrible things as a teenager that outweigh the last thirty-five years of service as a jurist and devout Catholic. That same opinion seems to permeate both national parties, as Democrats like Senator Diane Feinstein of California, who is in the news for withholding and then breaking the news of Ford's accusations against Kavanaugh, and Republicans like Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who continues to bow to partisan pressure to delay Kavanaugh's confirmation vote, spar over who gets to take the lead in destroying the Hon. Judge Kavanaugh's character on the national stage.

At the end of the day, we average Christians know little more than Judge Kavanaugh accepted the nomination to the highest court in the land and neither political party seems inclined to support him. But the lesson here is less about popular political posturing than it is about basic Biblical beliefs. As Christians we feel for both the accuser and the accused. We feel for the accuser because she either has lived with this pain for thirty-five years, or she is the victim of a lie that says she can make unfounded accusations and destroy a man's reputation with impunity. We feel for the accused because he and his family are being tried in the court of public opinion, not in a court of law where everyone is protected. We also feel for our nation as more and more of these political shows tear at the basic threads that build our national identity and instead sew disunity.

More and more we find that we must rely on God's guidance to muddle through these very murky waters. And frankly, the only means to that end is more God and less everything else. Maybe Superman cannot stay good, but God can. So don't fall for the growing belief that "no one stays good in this world." Rather, put on the whole armor of God, dig into His word, seek His face, and allow His wisdom to guide your every thought. We just might discover that John the Baptist knew what he was talking about.

"He must become greater; I must become less. The one who comes from above is above all.... The one who comes from heaven is above all." (John 3:30-31, NIV)

 Mark Klages is an influential contributor, a former US Marine and a lifelong teacher who focuses on applying a Christian worldview to everyday events. Mark blogs at https://maklagesl3.wixsite.com/website under the title "God Provides where Hate Divides," with a heart to heal social, political, relational, and intellectual wounds through God's divine love and grace. Mark can also be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-klages-04b42511/.Evangelical College Azusa Pacific Agrees to Allow LGBT Relationships; Conservatives Slam 'Surrender' Christian Post Contributor | 24 September, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov

Evangelical College Azusa Pacific announced last week that it will be allowing LGBT relationships for students on campus following years of pressure.

Zu Media, the student paper, reported last week that officials at the Christian university in California have decided to remove language from the student standard of conduct that previously prohibited such relationships on campus.

APU has said that despite the change, set to take effect in the Fall 2018 semester, it still backs the "Biblical principles of human sexuality," in the belief that "sexual union is intended by God to take place only within the marriage covenant between a man and a woman."

LGBT activists have long called for the change, and held a vigil in November 2017 for a former employee who sued the university for wrongful demotion, claiming he was harassed and assaulted by colleagues who believed he was gay.

The school paper explained that the development is a result of long dialogue between students and the administration, and years of efforts to that end.

Associate Dean of Students Bill Fiala described the change to the student code of conduct:

"The changes that occurred to the handbooks around sexual behavior creates one standard for all undergraduate students, as opposed to differential standards for different groups," Fiala said.

"The change that happened with the code of conduct is still in alignment with our identity as a Christian institution. The language changed, but the spirit didn't. Our spirit is still a conservative, evangelical perspective on human sexuality."

Some, such as Erin Green, co-executive director of Brave Commons and recent APU alumni, who has pushed for the recognition of LGBT groups, said that it was "unfair" to exclude people in gay relationships.

"Queer students are just as able to have romanticized relationships that abide by APU's rules. The code used falsely assumed that same-sex romances always involved sexual behavior. This stigmatization causes harm to our community, especially those serious about their Christian faith," Green insisted.

Along with the change to the code of conduct, there will also be a new pilot program aimed at providing "a safe space for LGBTQ+ students on campus."

Fiala positioned that the hope is for students to "experience respect, justice, grace and understanding."

"If you look at our mission, it's consistent with Christianity. Our values for the pilot program are inclusivity, love, bravery. Our goals are care, connection and conversation. These all seem like Christian values to me," he continued.

"I believe that our program's mission is alignment with the values of the university in caring for students and creating conversation about difficult topics."

Conservative commentators, such as Orthodox Christian author Rod Dreher, criticized the decision, however.

"They can tell themselves whatever they like about their 'spirit,' but it's self-deception. This is how conservative institutions surrender: by giving up, then telling themselves (and their donors) that they haven't surrendered. Saving face is not the same thing as saving the institution's core values," he wrote on The American Conservative website on Saturday.

Read more about Azusa Pacific University on The Christian Post.NM School to Allow Pro-Life Group, Deemed 'Too Controversial' by Principal, After Legal Action Threat Christian Post Contributor | 25 September, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov

A public school in New Mexico has decided to allow a student pro-life group on its campus after a law group sent a discrimination claim letter.

Thomas More Society, a non-profit legal group, revealed in a statement shared on Friday with The Christian Post that Rio Rancho Middle School in Rio Rancho has responded to its letter, now saying that it "would certainly allow a club of this nature."

"We appreciate that the Rio Rancho School District finally decided to honor the First Amendment rights of its students. Sadly, it took the threat of legal action for the school to recognize the rights they consistently previously denied students," Thomas More Society Special Counsel Joan Mannix explained.

"The Thomas More Society pointed out that Principal Lynda Kitts was wrong to deny a pro-life group at Rio Rancho Middle School. She stated such a club was 'too controversial' and that other students might disagree with the pro-life point-of-view. She refused to approve the pro-life club even after she was asked to reconsider her denial."

The incident stems from the attempts last year of student Dylan Fredette, who tried to set up a Students for Life group at the school, but had his request denied. The 8th grader was apparently told that setting up such a group would not be "fair" to people who are "on the other side of the issue."

Thomas More Society then sent a letter to Rio Rancho Public Schools Superintendent Dr. V. Sue Cleveland and Rio Rancho Middle School Principal Lynda Kitts, explaining that Dylan has continued being ignored in his requests to start up such a club.

The student had even found a teacher willing to be the club's faculty adviser, but still Kitts did not respond to his requests.

Dylan's younger brother, 7th-grader Isaiah, has said that he is dedicated to pursuing the formation of the pro-life club at RRMS.

Kristen Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, said that the two brothers "showed tremendous courage in fighting back against their own school's discrimination."

"They are great models for the pro-life generation. We are glad to see that the school is belatedly recognizing that Constitutional protection extends to pro-life students, as well," Hawkins argued.

Read more about NM School to Allow Pro-Life Group, Deemed 'Too Controversial' by Principal, After Legal Action Threat on The Christian Post.North Carolina Megachurch Turned Into Hospital to Serve Medical Evacuees of Hurricane Florence Christian Post Contributor | 25 September, 2018 by Samuel Smith

As Hurricane Florence flooded North Carolina this month, an nondenominational megachurch was turned into a makeshift medical shelter to provide safe haven for some of the most medically-reliant people in the area.

Although thousands of people were evacuated throughout North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia to normal disaster response shelters, some evacuees needed more care than could be provided in a typical evacuation shelter.

Thankfully for people in the Raleigh area, C3 Church in Clayton voluntarily opened its doors to those in need of medical assistance during what is said to be the wettest tropical cyclone ever to strike the Tarheel State.

According to North Carolina Health News, Pastor Matt Fry wanted his church to be proactive in its response to Hurricane Florence, as the storm was projected to hit the region for days leading up to the heavy downpour.

Having seen the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Fry called county officials ahead of the storm and volunteered the church to be used as a shelter.

The church, which sits on 47-acre former tobacco field, had never before been used as a medical shelter. But after making the call to county officials, that changed.

"One thing led to another ... to now where we have a hospital here," Fry told North Carolina Health News. "We were already set up before the storm even hit."

Thanks to the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the church was staffed with a team of 72 medical professionals led by team commander Keren Hilger, an emergency physician from Alaska. The shelter was also assisted by a team of church volunteers.

Additionally, several trucks filled with state and federal emergency supplies were sent to the church providing supplies to create a 50-75 bed facility to cater to the most vulnerable evacuees in the metropolitan region.

"Everybody, no matter what their role is, will help a patient," Hollie Benson, the acting deputy team commander with the USPHS, told CBS17. "Do you need some water? Let me sing to you. They will paint nails and cut toenails or braid hair and this is totally different than what their job is as a nurse or pharmacist or dentist is. So, seeing the patients light up and doing what we can to help them while they're here is really the best thing."

Read more about North Carolina Megachurch Turned Into Hospital to Serve Medical Evacuees of Hurricane Florence on The Christian Post.The Activist Mommy on What Fuels Her Fight Against Sexualization of Kids, Evil in Culture Christian Post Reporter | 25 September, 2018 by Brandon Showalter

WASHINGTON  A Christian activist mother with over 600,000 followers on Facebook and known for her viral videos railing against evil at work in culture, is urging every Christian to engage in the fight for the preservation of children's innocence. Voting is not enough, she maintains.

Known as The Activist Mommy, Elizabeth Johnston, a petite blonde mom of ten is now based in North Carolina. The longtime pro-life advocate considers it a privilege to inspire others to resist the increasingly coarsened American culture, particularly the sexualization of children and youth taking place in popular media and in government-backed sex-ed curriculums in public schools.

Her viral video in July of 2017 blasting Teen Vogue for its article promoting anal sex to young people brought awareness to many parents who had no idea the teen fashion magazine was marketing that agenda to minors. The magazine shut down the print publication for good just weeks after that last summer.

Johnston has a new book coming out called Not on My Watch, which explains how she became an activist. It also aims to encourage and equip others to use their voices to push back against evil of all kinds. It will be released early next year.

"Voting is not enough. Voting Republican is not enough. Waiting for Republicans to fix our problems is not enough. As everyday citizens, as moms and dads, we can powerfully affect change," she told The Christian Post Friday in a sit-down interview.

"You don't have to have some fancy title in front of your name to make a difference. Every single person is a powerful force to be reckoned with."

CP caught up with Johnston Friday afternoon at the Values Voter Summit, the largest annual national gathering of social conservatives in the United States, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel to talk about her rise and ongoing advocacy.

Below is CP's lightly edited transcript of an interview with The Activist Mommy.

CP: Many first came to notice you after made a video that went viral in the days after the 2017 inauguration of Donald Trump, where you blasted the Women's March. Your online platform has only grown from there. Now that you have over half a million followers, how has your life changed? Ever since you started speaking up what has been the greatest challenge and the greatest blessing, particularly given that the issues you routinely address are touchy?

Johnston: The greatest blessing is to inspire people. Every day I receive messages from people telling me my boldness has inspired them to take action on an issue that they had feared before. So that is a tremendous blessing, to stiffen the spines of others and be the impetus to get them engaged in the battle.

Read more about The Activist Mommy on What Fuels Her Fight Against Sexualization of Kids, Evil in Culture on The Christian Post.What Happened to National Youth Ministries and Conferences? Christian Post Contributor | 25 September, 2018 by Samuel Smith

The movers and shakers of national youth ministry in America look a little different than they did 10 years ago.

While legacy organizations that have traditionally been relied on for providing curricula, resources and training to churches and youth ministers (such as Youth Specialties or Group Publishing) are still around today, they exist in somewhat diminished forms as challenges and new organizations have emerged on the scene.

Likewise, some national organizations like Dare 2 Share or Teen Mania that have been known for hosting national conferences and revival-like events attended by thousands of teens and pre-teens nationwide have either had to "reinvent" themselves or shut down entirely.

What is happening is what one expert in the field is calling the "tectonic plate shifting" in the world of youth ministry development and training.

"We saw just a plunge in national events in every industry with the recession that took place in 2008, 2009, 2010," Mark Oestreicher, a partner with Youth Cartel, a San Diego-based organization that has trained hundreds of youth ministers since its founding in 2010, told The Christian Post. "In the church world, whether that was a national youth ministry [training] event for youth workers or a national youth event, they really struggled and many of those organizations either went out of business or had to reinvent their way of doing things."

Oestreicher formerly served as president of Youth Specialties, an organization co-founded by theologian Mike Yaconelli over four decades ago that has grown to provide over 100,000 youth workers across the globe with training and resources to reach the younger generation each year. YS, which has been referred to by some as "the brand in youth ministry," also hosts the National Youth Workers Convention every November.

But like its peers in the industry, Youth Specialties has faced its fair share of struggles over the past decade as ownership has changed hands three times in the last 15 years.

"The truth is that training is done differently today than has ever been done before," Justin Herman, YS' director of social media engagement, said. "The majority of youth workers who are trained are done digitally. They don't need to show up to a location to get high-quality training. They can hop on Download Youth Ministry University and they can watch archives of videos that are going to be watched at [the National Youth Workers Convention] this year in St. Louis."

According to Herman, it's groups like Download Youth Ministry, which provides youth pastors with all the user-friendly tools and resources they need to better their ministries online, and Orange, which provides youth ministers customizable online curricula, that have essentially stolen the thunder from the legacy groups like YS.

As a matter of fact, DYM and Orange announced in April that they partnered to acquire YS from Real Resources/YouthWorks in hopes of bringing YS "back to life." Real Resources acquired YS in 2009 from Zondervan about three years after Zondervan purchased the organization.

Oestreicher, who was let go from YS in 2009, said that what has partially been responsible for plaguing YS and more established curriculum houses with their own warehouses has been the same thing plaguing most churches.

Customer base is "slowly going away"

"The way that has played out is that when churches start to struggle financially, and that was definitely the case with the recession, it's also playing out in churches that are struggling with attendance. Their numbers go down so their giving goes down also," he said. "The very first place they tend to cut is in staff development. So many youth workers I know, as their church struggles financially, the budget to go to an event for themselves gets cut. Then, the youth ministry budget is another place that gets cut."

"We are definitely seeing a lot of youth workers who are being downsized," he noted. "Churches are moving from a full-time position to a part-time position or they are letting go of a seasoned veteran with a reasonable salary in order to hire a young person with a starter salary. I can't quantify that but that's definitely an observable trend."

That trend means that the customer base for these national youth worker training organizations is getting smaller.

"Most youth ministries are already [on a volunteer basis]," Oestreicher said. "Our customers are the paid youth workers for the most part. This will definitely be a struggle for my organization in years to come. We are ... serving a customer base that is slowly going away."

Although he knows that the trend he has described could present a problem for Youth Cartel, Oestreicher said that Youth Cartel is still relatively new and in a trend of growth.

Read more about What Happened to National Youth Ministries and Conferences on The Christian Post.WASHINGTON (RNS)  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reiterated Trump administration promises to continue to work for the release of American pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been held in Turkey for almost two years.

We are sparing no effort to return Pastor Brunson home to the United States, Pompeo said Friday (Sept. 21) at the annual Values Voter Summit attended mostly by Christian conservatives from across the country. The work is important. He has been wrongly held and his proper place is to be able to return here to once again practice his faith in our great nation.

In August, the Trump administration sanctioned two high-level officials in Turkey for what it says is their role in the case of Brunson, who faces terrorism-related charges.

Pompeos speech, which was met by applause, was part of a focus on international religious liberty on the first day of the three-day summit organized by Family Research Council Action.

Brunsons daughter, Jacqueline Furnari, spoke shortly after Pompeos remarks during a panel discussion on the issue. She said her family awaits her imprisoned fathers next court date on Oct. 12. He has been charged with Christianization, which he denies.

She recounted how her father, who has lived in Turkey since 1993 and pastored a small Protestant church there, was called to a police station where he thought he would be reapplying for a residence permit. He was detained, denied a lawyer for two months, and later imprisoned in a cell made for eight that sometimes held 22 people. He has been on house arrest since July.

She said typically non-Turks might be deported but not imprisoned the way her father was.

The entire last two years has really shown that this is just baseless charges, she said. Its a sham trial and my dad is being used as a bargaining chip and suffering for Jesus Christ.

Since her fathers detention, Furnari said her family has marked her college graduation, her marriage, and the death of one of her grandfathers.

Throughout this entire time, my dad has been unable to be with his family, she said. Its what has hurt him the most, is having that time stolen from him  watching his children grow up, helping my brothers make their decisions as they go on in life. Its been a painful time and were just ready for it all to be over.

She spoke of her fathers reliance on his faith and said it led him to publicly forgive those who testified against him and to say Blessed am I as I am slandered during his July 18 court appearance.

It is an incredible testimony and I cannot be more grateful for his example, she said, drawing applause. And at this point, all that we can do is just continue praying. I ask that all of you pray for my dads release and pray for others who are persecuted for their faith.

Vice President Mike Pence added in a speech on Saturday at the summit that we will never stop fighting until Brunson is freed, drawing applause and cheers. We will not relent until Pastor Andrew Brunson is home with his family in the United States of America.

In his remarks, Pompeo drew a standing ovation when he said: Far and away, the greatest highlight to date of my job as secretary of state was bringing home three Americans from captivity in North Korea.

He read a notecard he received from the former prisoners that quoted Psalm 126 about the laughter of returned captives.

On the day Pastor Brunson returns just like the men I spoke of a bit ago, Pompeo said, again our hearts will be filled with joy.

Some former diplomatic officials questioned whether it was appropriate for the secretary of state to appear at a summit that traditionally features Republican luminaries and is viewed as being partisan.

There were some folks who didnt want me to come here today, Pompeo said. But it seems to me only natural that an American secretary of state would come to talk to you about Americas values and interests. And I know that religious freedom is important to each of you and its important for me to be here to talk to you.

At a summit gala on Saturday, participants honored former Republican congressman Frank Wolf with a leadership award. FRC Action President Tony Perkins, a commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, said Wolf, who 20 years ago sponsored the International Religious Freedom Act, was recognized for his longtime advocacy for those that are being persecuted simply because of their faith.

READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM

Photo courtesy: RNS/DHA via API want you to meet some brave Christian leaders pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

When thinking of the golden age of the Church, many of us hearken back to the book of Acts, when Peter and John stood up to the religious authorities, who told them to be silent about Jesus the risen Messiah. Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, they answered, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. Then they prayed for boldness, and the Church exploded across much of the ancient world.

But theres a golden age for the church going on right nowwith the same kind of courage, persecution, and Spirit-empowered growth. Where is it? In communist China.

World missions historians tell us that when all the foreign missionaries were kicked out of Maos China a few years after the Second World War, there were probably no more than 3 million believers in Jesus Christ in the whole, vast nation. But today, seven decades later, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life counts 67 million Christians of all kinds35 million independent Protestants, 23 million Protestants in government-sanctioned churches, and 9 million Catholics. Other estimates go even higher.

Whatever the true number is, its almost as many as there are members of the Communist Party! Maybe thats why the government is cracking down on Christians. According to Christianity Today and other news outlets, Under President Xi Jinping, Chinas government has been tightening its grip on religious affairs.

In February, regulations aimed at religious groups have brought increased pressure on churches to be Chinese culturally and to submit to the authority of the Communist Party. Churches are being told to burn their crosses and replace them with Chinese flags and to display slogans praising the Communist Party. Some are being forced to join the government-sanctioned churches and permit video surveillance of their services.

Meanwhile, in Jiangxi province, authorities have forced at least 40 churches to display banners forbidding foreigners from preaching and anyone under 18 from attending. In August, they even published new rules stating, Party members who have religious belief should have strengthened through education.

In the spirit of Peter and John, a group of at least 250 Chinese pastors has publicly signed a joint statement opposing the new regulations. In the statement they declare that Jesus is Lord of all, offering eternal life to anyone who will repent and believe in Him.

But they also say, in a challenge to the Chinese communists, God hates all attempts to suppress human souls and all acts of persecution against the Christian church, and he will condemn and judge them with righteous judgment.

Then, like Peter and John, they pledge obedience not to the earthly authorities but to King Jesus, no matter what. We declare that in matters of external conduct, churches are willing to accept lawful oversight by civil administration or other government departments as other social organizations do. But under no circumstances will we lead our churches to join a religious organization controlled by the government, to register with the religious administration department, or to accept any kind of affiliation.

They close their incredible joint statement with the bracing yet sobering words, For the sake of the gospel, we are prepared to bear all losseseven the loss of our freedom and our lives.

Friends, is it any wonder that the church in China has grown, and continues to grow? What were seeing before our eyes is the golden age of the church in China. How can we not pray for these wonderful brothers and sisters? And more than that, how can we not emulate their costly faithfulness in our own little corner of Gods world?

BreakPoint is a Christian worldview ministry that seeks to build and resource a movement of Christians committed to living and defending Christian worldview in all areas of life. Begun by Chuck Colson in 1991 as a daily radio broadcast, BreakPoint provides a Christian perspective on todays news and trends via radio, interactive media, and print. Today BreakPoint commentaries, co-hosted by Eric Metaxas and John Stonestreet, air daily on more than 1,200 outlets with an estimated weekly listening audience of eight million people. Feel free to contact us at BreakPoint.org where you can read and search answers to common questions.

Eric Metaxas is a co-host of BreakPoint Radio and a best-selling author whose biographies, children's books, and popular apologetics have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Publication date: September 25, 2018

Photo courtesy: James Coleman/UnsplashAzusa Pacific University (APU) has dropped a policy preventing students from engaging in romanticized same-sex relationships.

The Southern California member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) also dropped longstanding language from an eight-point statement on human sexuality which had declared: homosexual acts (among others) are expressly forbidden by Scripture; heterosexuality is Gods design for sexually intimate relationships; and humans were created as gendered beings in order to be fruitful and multiply.

The Christian school, which still requires celibacy of unmarried students, now has a shorter six-point statement that more succinctly states that marriage is between a man and a woman, which Jesus reaffirms, and refers to humans as created male and female instead of gendered.

The new statement drops a list of sexual behaviors prohibited by the Bible. It also drops the word sin from its concluding sentence, which previously read: Any deviation from a biblical standard of sexual behavior is sin and therefore is an opportunity for repentance, grace, and redemption, so that as a community we might honor one another and glorify God.

APU believes in a biblical definition of marriage as defined as between one man and woman, Rachel White, a school spokesperson, told CT. All others living outside of that definition are called to abstinence. (APU does not offer married housing.)

A change in policy does not change practice, the university said in a written statement, which also says the new sexuality statement strengthened its definition of marriage. We assessed our student code of conduct and made adjustments, much like other Christian schools have. In doing so, this enables us to care for all students and apply the same accountability across all populations.

The previous rule had unfairly singled out LGBT students, said Erin Green, a recent APU alumnus and leader of Brave Commons, an LGBT organization.

Queer students are just as able to have romanticized relationships that abide by APUs rules, she told ZU Media, APUs campus media outlet. The code used falsely assumed that same-sex romances always involved sexual behavior.

When students complained about this discrepancy, administration leaders agreed.

The changes that occured to the handbooks around sexual behavior creates one standard for all undergraduate students, as opposed to differential standards for different groups, Bill Fiala, APUs associate dean of students, told ZU Media. The change that happened with the code of conduct is still in alignment with our identity as a Christian institution.

The language changed, but the spirit didnt, he said. Our spirit is still a conservative, evangelical perspective on human sexuality.

The schools shift will also be accompanied by a pilot program meant to provide an officially recognized space for LGBT students on campus in order to reduce feelings of isolation and promote a sense of belonging, APU told CT. A support group called Haven has existed for some time, but it could not advertise or meet on campus because it had not been endorsed by the university as an official club, ZU reported. The outlet said the school is now hosting official campus meetings with Haven.

Strained Collegial Ties

The broader question is whether APUs shift could impact the CCCUs attempt at a united stand on institutional religious freedom regarding sexuality.

In 2015, after lengthy deliberation, Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) and Goshen College added sexual orientation to their nondiscrimination policies, opening the door for the schools to hire staff and faculty in same-sex marriages. In response, two other member schoolsUnion University and Oklahoma Wesleyan Universityquit the CCCU in protest. In an effort to avoid an organizational split, EMU and Goshen withdrew from CCCU membership.

APUs move is not a small change, said Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. (The schools undergraduate institution, Boyce College, is not a CCCU member.)

Thats a complete reversal and repudiation of the historic Christian understanding of what romance is to be as defined by scripture and what is appropriate as sexual and gender identity as described by scripture, he said Tuesday on his podcast, The Briefing.

APUs recent activism may make the CCCUs united stance even more complicated.

In 2016, a California state senator proposed withholding state funds from schools that ask for religious exemptions from sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination policies. APU was among the Christian schools that flooded the committee with complaints; the schools president Jon Wallace publicly opposed the bill, and APU and Biola University students created a website explaining how the bill particularly disadvantages minority lower-income students.

In the wake of the proposed legislation, Biola formed a government relations team to improve its outreach and began partnering with APU to together practically and prayerfully address potential legal challenges ahead, said Jennifer Walsh, a dean and political science professor at APU.

Earlier this summer, Kevin Mannoia, an APU chaplain and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, fought a California bill that would have banned reparative therapy for adults over concerns about how the bill might affect pastors ability to minister to those in the LGBT community. His friendship with Evan Low, the bills sponsor, led Mannoia to author an op-ed against reparative therapy and led Low to drop the legislation.

How APUs Statements Changed

APU dropped the section on Same-Sex Relationships from its Student Standards of Conduct. It earlier read: 9.0 Same-Sex Relationships: Students may not engage in a romanticized same-sex relationship. In addition, it made several revisions to its sexuality statement.

Here is the full text of the schools earlier and current statements. Deletions are marked in italics; additions are marked in bold.

[old version]

Biblical Foundations Foundational principles from the Bible on human sexual relationships are as follows: 1. Humans, being created in the image of God, are inherently relational beings (Genesis 1:26). 2. The inherent relational nature of humankind is expressed in a variety of contexts including family, marriage, work, and for Christians, the body of Christ (Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Corinthians 12:14). 3. Humans were created as gendered beings. They were expressly blessed by God to be fruitful and multiply and to exercise dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). 4. Heterosexuality is Gods design for sexually intimate relationships. Sexual union between a man and a woman is only to take place within the marriage covenant (Genesis 2:18, 21-24; Hebrews 13:4). 5. Jesus reaffirms the marital covenant as existing between a man and a woman (Matthew 19:4-9). 6. The New Testament teaches that followers of Christ are to remain celibate outside the bond of marriage. In sexual union, both body and soul are deeply impacted. A person who engages in sexual unions outside the bond of marriage sins against his or her own body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:13, 18-20). 7. The sexual union between a husband and wife has been designed by God to bring them together as one flesh, creating a solid foundation on which to build a family (Genesis 2:18-24; Ephesians 5:31). 8. In Scripture, several sexual behaviors are expressly forbidden, which include but are not limited to: fornication, adultery, incest, unnatural sexual intercourse, and homosexual acts (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:7-23, 20:10-21; Matthew 5:27-28; Romans 1:20-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:17-19; Colossians 3:5). Azusa Pacific University pledges to guide the university community toward understanding and embracing their God-given sexuality as reflected in this statement. Any deviation from a biblical standard of sexual behavior is sin and therefore is an opportunity for repentance, grace, and redemption, so that as a community we might honor one another and glorify God.

[new version]After more than three decades as the largest and best-known member of the Australian Christian Churches (ACC), Hillsong Church announced last week it would split from its parent group and form its own denomination.

The leadership of both Hillsong and the ACC, a branch of the larger World Assemblies of God Fellowship, have described the parting as amicable.

I want to make it clear that we have no grief or dispute at all with the ACC, wrote Hillsong Church cofounder and global senior pastor Brian Houston in a letter announcing the separation. Instead, this decision comes after almost two years of prayerful discussion within both our global and Australian church boards.

Founded in Sydney in 1983 by Houston and his wife Bobbie, Hillsong exploded into one of the most recognizable brands in contemporary Christianity.

With three record labels, a broadcasting network, global conferences, and its own college, Hillsong has blossomed beyond the geographical contours of its former denomination. With churches in more than 20 countries across 5 continents and 263 separate church services per weekend, the network estimates weekly attendance at Hillsong churches averages about 130,000.

A relatively small denomination in terms of attending congregantsby contrast, there are nearly 70 million Assemblies of God members worldwide, and approximately 375,000 constituents of the ACC specificallyHillsong boasts enormous influence. Tens of millions of Christians spanning 60 languages sing Hillsong originals, such as What a Beautiful Name and Oceans, every Sunday. Millions more watch and listen to its programming.

In his parting letter, Houston wrote admiringly of ACC president Wayne Alcorn, citing their mutual care for the movement and work of the charismatic denomination. Houston said the goal is to see the out-of-the-nest Hillsong as an associate church of the ACC, continuing to learn from and support it but forgoing the rights of full-fledged membership.

So if things were going well, why the split?

As Hillsong Church has continued to grow, we no longer see ourselves as an Australian Church with a global footprint, but rather a Global church with an Australian baseour global office now resides in the USA, Houston wrote.

Pointing to the churchs increasing global footprint, with more constituents and churches outside of Australia than inside it, Houston wrote, It has become clear to us that we need to be able to credential our own pastors and restructure our church in a way that enables us to give due diligence to governance, risk, church health, safe church, and many other policies that are crucial to the future progress of Hillsong, globally.

Alcorn described the ongoing relationship between the ACC and Hillsong as strong and said both sides are committed to continuing partnership. He conveyed the shift in familial terms.

In a way, this can be likened to a child who has grown up and now has a larger life outside the family home, he wrote in an email to ACC pastors.

The change-up is the second major development for Australian charismatics in less than a month.

At the end of August, Scott Morrison was sworn in as Australias 30th prime minster. Apart from being the seventh prime minister since 2007, Morrison is also the first to be a Pentecostal. He also has close ties to the Hillsong movement.

From Morrisons first speech to parliament back in 2008, he lauded the great assistance of Hillsong pastors, including Houston, and spoke of Australia not as a secular country but a free country in which secularism is just one of many options.

While Morrison has said the church will not direct his party policies, there is little doubt that such a high-profile Pentecostal on Hillsongs home turf will draw attention to the movement.

Not that Hillsong has trouble attracting attention all on its own.

With all of its many ministries and megachurches, Houston calls his church One House, with many rooms. And as the number of rooms continues to grow, so too do potential complications in church authority.

Houston says that, with the help of the ACC National Executive, the church has worked to draft a new structure to define the relationship between the churches as a means of addressing the needs of expanding both in number and in geography.

It is my great hope that the church in Australia will continue to be healthy and unified, and that more Australians than ever will come to faith in Jesus, wrote Houston. And it is my belief and my prayer that, by the grace of God, all our churches will continue to flourish and grow.Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Most Christians these days tend to shy away from describing themselves as "fundamentalists." And can you blame them? The term has become loaded with baggage that few believers want to bring along on their spiritual journey to the promised land. Fundamentalists, after all, are those wild-eyed fanatics who shove their religion down the throat of anyone in their vicinity, right? Such people tend to be aggressive and intolerant.

But this is not how most Christians interact with others. While affirming the fundamentals of the Christian faith, the vast majority of believers wisely recognize that fanaticism only turns people off. It simply pushes unbelievers away from the very message powerful enough to bring lost people into a relationship with Christ.

It has wisely been noted, "It's one thing if the Gospel offends someone. It's another thing if you do."

This critical aspect of Gospel outreach motivates us to be winsome in our witness and gentle in our approach. We want to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15)

Thankfully, the Lord has raised up a number of tactful messengers in our day who are engaged in apologetics. These faithful witnesses have led many unbelievers to Christ by proclaiming the truth of Scripture and defending Christianity against various objections. This cadre of Spirit-led apologists includes men like John Lennox, Ravi Zacharias, Michael Brown, Norm Geisler, Josh and Sean McDowell, Lee Strobel, William Lane Craig, Frank Turek, Hank Hanegraaff, J. Warner Wallace and Gary Habermas.

None of these faithful apologists display fanaticism. On the contrary, these men are extremely qualified to present a clear and loving defense of the Christian faith. And they do so in a gracious manner and a cordial spirit.

With this in mind, I was intrigued by the titles and the content of a couple recent articles in The Christian Post writtenby a seminary professor from Canada. Dr. Randal Rauser penned: "Fundamentalist Apologetics Comes of Age," and "Top 5 Problems With Contemporary Christian Apologetics." Rauser takes particular aim at Josh McDowell's classic apologetic manual, Evidence That Demands a Verdict.

Among his various concerns, Professor Rauser addresses what he calls "the fundamentalist commitment to tract-based conversionist evangelism." Now this is truly a puzzling criticism. After all, the goal of evangelism for 2000 years has been to lead people to Christ. Jesus and the apostles preached repentance and faith for the forgiveness of sins. They were completely committed to spiritual conversion because it is the only way a person can be saved, redeemed, born again, forgiven and justified.

Professor Rauser correctly identifies the false notion that a believer must be able to pinpoint the day he or she was converted. The fact of the matter is that many born again people cannot tell you exactly when they were converted. At the same time, it is terribly misguided to paint faithful apologists with the "fundamentalist" brush and to criticize "tract-based conversionist evangelism." Simply put, it sends the wrong message.

After all, many people have been converted when reading the good news in a Gospel tract or responding immediately to the message of Law and Gospel given by a Christian evangelist, pastor, or apologist. And the Lord was definitely preaching for conversion when He proclaimed in His first sermon, "Repent and believe the good news." (Mark 1:15)

Rauser's loose and incomplete references to the biblical teaching of conversion seem connected to something he wrote in his latest article: "I converted at the age of five after my mom confronted me with the bald choice to follow God or the devil." Where is the Gospel in this personal reference to his "conversion"?

Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt on this curious wording that implies he basically converted himself, where is the meat and the follow-up describing what the Bible actually teaches concerning the supernatural miracle of conversion? After choosing to raise the critical issue of conversion, the seminary professor leaves us with nothing more than, "I converted..."

This lack of theological depth makes it even more stunning that Rauser would take issue with Josh McDowell's apologetics. Rauser's explanation of conversion and the atonement are devoid of any real substance. And rather than affirming and unpacking the biblical teaching on these core issues, he merely presents a few personal anecdotes that glibly gloss over some of the most critical issues of our Christian faith.

Perhaps Rauser's main goal in writing these articles was to attach the "fundamentalist" label to faithful Christian messengers like Josh McDowell. A major problem of course with using the "fundamentalist" label to describe Christ-centered evangelistic efforts is that it fits the false narrative being promoted in various mainline denominations today.

The denominations that have fallen into the abyss of spiritual confusion didn't get there by sticking to the fundamentals of Christianity. Instead, certain professors at their seminaries were seduced into thinking that the old doctrines concerning Scripture, the cross and salvation are merely "theories" that need to be revisited today in the light of a newfangled and progressive agenda.

There are those who say, "Why preach for conversion when most if not all people are already on the path to heaven?" Sadly, the false doctrine of universalism is rampant these days. And in light of all the other doctrinal errors being taught by religious leaders who have forsaken Scripture, it is odd that Professor Rauser directs so much "friendly fire" at certain Christian apologists who have been faithful to Scripture while diligently serving on the frontline for decades.

That's not to say correction is never needed in the ministries of Christian evangelists, pastors, teachers and apologists. But theological and spiritual correction requires accurate discernment, as well as the counsel of wise and mature believers. Otherwise, we are prone to "go it alone" and assume that our perception is vastly superior to those who have faithfully gone before us.

A good example of such lone ranger analysis is when Professor Rauser writes, "Fundamentalist apologists have a very bad history of naively proof texting biblical prophecies to establish allegedly rationally compelling evidence for the supernatural origins of the Bible."

Really? A bad history of pointing to the Lord's prophetic Word to substantiate God's one and only plan of salvation?

If the fulfilled Messianic prophecies are not supernatural and overwhelming evidence that demands a verdict concerning Christ, then what are they? The fulfilled prophecies are definitely rock-solid proof that only God could have given us the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the free gift of eternal life in paradise through faith in the Messiah. (I addressed the issue of the fulfilled prophecies in an article 5 years ago entitled, "The Mathematical Proof for Christianity Is Irrefutable," as well as a Kindle ebook with the same title.)

Highlighting the fulfilled Messianic prophecies is perfectly consistent with an accurate presentation of Scripture, while downplaying the prophecies minimizes the supernatural reality of the Bible. And it distracts from the supernatural power of the Messiah. The bottom line is that the fulfilled prophecies in Scripture are indeed compelling evidence for the supernatural origins of the Bible. And those who deny this simple fact of history completely miss a major work of the Holy Spirit who put an exclamation mark on God's beautiful plan of salvation in Christ alone.

Interestingly, there is not another "holy book" on the planet with even one fulfilled prophecy pertaining to its prophet and its purported path to paradise. Compare the lack of evidence in those religious books to the biblical prophecies of the Bible. Peter wrote, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20,21) God certainly wanted us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that "all Scripture is God-breathed." (2 Tim. 3:16)

Who else could have directed things over many centuries to bring about the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah? Mere mortals could not have even come close to bringing about "the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will." (Eph. 1:11) The fulfilled prophecies within Scripture absolutely authenticate the message God decided to give us in His love letter known as the Bible.

Rather than affirming and celebrating this mind-boggling evidence that was graciously given to us by our Creator, Professor Rauser finds himself moving in a different direction with a alternate agenda. He feels that "fundamentalism" leads certain Christian apologists to end up with what he calls "a tendentious understanding of 'biblical inerrancy,' a skepticism of evolution and contemporary science, a simplistic soteriological exclusivism, a single theory of atonement (penal substitution) and posthumous judgment (eternal conscious torment), and so on." Rauser seems to be strongly opposed to what he calls a "narrow understanding of the Christian tradition."

So what is the most popular alternative these days to this narrow road and these traditional beliefs? Well, there are plenty of religious leaders today who reject the fact that the Bible is God-breathed and without error, and who teach that man evolved from monkeys. They claim that the gift of salvation is not exclusive to Jesus and His followers, but instead gets bestowed upon all sincere religious seekers even if they reject Christ. And they say the atoning work of Jesus on the cross is not essentially about the Lord bearing the punishment for man's sin as our substitute. Many of these religious teachers also present heaven and hell in moderate terms, or they simply ignore these extreme eternal destinations which Jesus spoke about on many occasions.

And what is the result of such alterations to God's Word? It is not good. Do counterfeit doctrines that contradict Scripture have the supernatural power to lead even one soul into Christ's kingdom? Far from it. Do such empty musings have the power to convert even one soul? Not at all. Therefore, the Holy Spirit will never lead a person to doubt the authority, truthfulness and infallibility of Scripture.

Few if any Christian apologists frame the biblical and historical evidence the way Professor Rauser has framed it in his recent articles. It is one thing to bash fanaticism, but it is quite another to paint reputable Christian apologists with the "fundamentalist" brush; while chipping away at biblical inerrancy, interjecting confusion into the uncomplicated doctrine of the atonement, downplaying the enormous significance of the fulfilled Messianic prophecies, and minimizing the clear biblical teaching concerning eternal torment in hell and everlasting joy in heaven.

Those who chip away at these biblical doctrines (intentionally or not) do nothing to weaken the faith of those who are strong in the Lord and strong in the Word. But unfortunately, it does harm those who are weak in faith and shaky in their belief in the Bible as the infallible Word of God. Therefore, the apostle Paul instructed Timothy: "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." (1 Tim. 4:16)

Rauser feels "the biggest problem" in contemporary Christian apologetics is "fundamentalism," and the first characteristic this professor lists to "define fundamentalism" is "biblicism." Rauser understands biblicism to involve "a high regard for the Bible and its unique authority in conveying spiritual truth," which helps to explain why he takes issue with Christian apologists like Josh McDowell who demonstrate such a high regard for Scripture.

Regarding the original manuscripts of the Bible, Rauser writes: "And we know that these copies have some errors because they differ at various points with each other." Rauser conveniently leaves out the fact that "for more than two centuries, most biblical scholars have declared that no essential affirmation has been affected by the variants." This is a huge distinction that Rauser simply seems to ignore, leaving his readers to wonder about the "errors" that he claims are in the Bible. If you would like to know the truth about the original manuscripts of the Bible, check out: "An Interview with Daniel B. Wallace on the New Testament Manuscripts." (Wallace started the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts in 2002, and he has debated Bart Ehrman a number of times.)

Rauser's latest article has taken aim yet again at the "theory" of penal substitution atonement. He seems to believe a different "theory" of the atonement is needed. While progressives love to use the word "theory" when discussing the sacrificial death Jesus endured for sinners on the cross, Isaiah wasn't presenting a theory when he wrote, "The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him." (Isaiah 53:5) And Peter wasn't presenting a theory when he wrote, "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Peter 3:18) And Paul wasn't presenting a theory when he wrote, "Christ was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:25) You see, the biblical teaching of penal substitution atonement is not in conflict with this fact: "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son." (John 3:16)

Professor Rauser wrote an article earlier this year entitled, "If God Wants Us to Be Saved, Why Isn't Salvation Simple?" Rather than landing on the simple explanation of how a person is converted through repentance and faith in Christ, Rauser gets detoured on tangents related to the question, "Precisely what do you need to believe (and not believe) in order to be saved?"

In contrast, most effective evangelists, pastors, teachers and apologists over the centuries have presented the crystal clear message of salvation, while at the same time addressing the various false doctrines that arise whenever God's Word is twisted and distorted to say something very different than what is actually taught in the Bible.

Oswald Chambers authored "the most beloved devotional book of all time": My Utmost for His Highest. In it he writes, "The reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much."

Once we find ourself in the grip of the Gospel, we bask in the freedom and the simplicity of the message. And we are less likely to bash the approach of faithful messengers on the frontline of evangelism and discipleship in the world today. But if we make things complicated in our mind and get away from the simplicity and power of the good news, we can easily end up engaging in much "friendly fire" against those who are accurately defending the faith and reaching the lost for Christ.

We will only become balanced and mature teachers of the Word when we rely upon the Holy Spirit to teach us true doctrine, and to guide us in the appropriate way to respond to perceived errors. Sometimes we hit the nail on the head, and other times we miss the mark because we are flawed human beings. It is only the grace and wisdom of God that is able to keep us from making a mess of things.

And while we can and should address objections to Christianity, we cannot argue or debate anyone into trusting Christ as Savior. It is only the good news of "the Gospel that is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." (Rom. 1:16) We must rely heavily upon the power of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to bring about the miracle of the new birth in a human soul. Jesus said, "Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John 3:6) Conversion is God's work; we don't convert ourselves, or anyone else for that matter. "No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Cor. 12:3)

The apostle Paul wrote, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel." (Rom. 1:16) "Boldly and without hindrance he (Paul) preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 28:31) Likewise, a number of faithful messengers such as Josh McDowell have been boldly and lovingly telling the world the good news about Jesus for decades.

And what has been the primary message of faithful evangelists, pastors, teachers and apologists for the past 2000 years? Jesus summed up the Gospel in this simple statement: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Professor Rauser writes, "I used to think the cross was about Christ dying in our place to satisfy the divine wrath against sin." Compare Rauser's current opinion to the words of a famous biblical prophet: "The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him." Isaiah 53:5) This is the "theory" Rauser says he bought into when he was younger.

Well, every Christian I know still believes this fundamental and foundational doctrine of Christianity. In fact, I don't personally know one Christian who thinks that God's wrath against sin on the cross is inconsistent with Christ's love for sinners. While being crucified for our sin on the cross, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) The cross is where God's love for sinners and God's wrath against sin came together perfectly in the sacrificial death of the Son of the God.

With these biblical facts in mind, it is no wonder Randal Rauser thinks Josh McDowell engages in "fundamentalist apologetics." I would too if I held the positions Professor Rauser has espoused in several recent articles.home World Site near Jordan River could hold evidence for biblical account of Exodus

Historical evidence for the biblical account of the Exodus might be located at a site near the Jordan River, according to a recently announced discovery.

Exodus, the second book of the Bible, has been a subject of much debate over its historical accuracy, as some scholars have questioned the claim that the ancient Israelites immigrated from Egypt during that time period.

However, at the Jordan Valley site of Khirbet el-Mastarah, archaeologists Ralph K. Hawkins and David Ben-Shlomo have said that there is evidence of ruins from a nomadic people believed to be the Hebrews coming from Egypt.

Ben-Shlomo said in comments quoted by the U.K. Daily Express on Tuesday that the ruins offer potential evidence for the biblical account.

"We have not proved that these camps are from the period of the early Israelites, but it is possible," noted Ben-Shlomo.

"If they are, this might fit the biblical story of the Israelites coming from east of the Jordan River, then crossing the Jordan and entering into the hill country of Israel later."

Ben-Shlomo and Hawkins had their findings published in the July/August 2018 edition of Biblical Archaeology Review, noting that the ruins appear to date to the Iron Age, which would be around the time of the Exodus.

In comments given to the Biblical Archaeology Society during the summer, Ben-Shlomo and Hawkins said their findings came from research on the site conducted in the summer of 2017.

At Khirbet el-Mastarah, they found among other things stone ruins and pottery fragments dating to either the Late Bronze Age (1400a1200 B.C.) or the Iron Age (1200a1000).

"By the end of our 2017 season, we were struck by the fascinating picture that had begun to emerge in the Jordan Valley, a region that up until recently has been virtually unknown archaeologically," said Ben-Shlomo and Hawkins.

"Within a range of just a couple of miles, we may be able to see the evolution of early Israel from a domestic-scale culture [at Khirbet el-Mastarah] to a political-scale culture [at Khirbet 'Auja el-Foqa]."

The aforementioned Khirbet 'Auja el-Foqa has been identified by researchers with the ancient city of Ataroth, as referenced in Joshua 16:5.

This article was originally published in The Christian Post and is re-published here with permission(CNN) A Kenyan high court has temporarily lifted the ban on 'Rafiki' a movie about love between two women.

The ruling will allow Kenyan adults to view the movie for the first time in the country for just one week.

The film was banned by Kenya's Film and Classification Board (KFCB) in April because of its lesbian theme.

Kenya's Film and Classification Board (KFCB) said 'Rafiki' was banned because of intent to "promote lesbianism," in the country.

"The film has been restricted due to its homosexual theme and clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law," a statement from the board said.

Its director Wanuri Kahiu filed a lawsuit earlier this month challenging the censorship board's ruling.

Kahiu's lawyers argued that banning the film violated her constitutional right to free speech and free expression as an artist.

Reacting to the high court judgment, Kahiu posted an emotional statement on Twitter.

"I am crying. In a french airport. In SUCH Joy! Our constitution is STRONG! Give thanks to freedom of expression!!!! WE DID IT! We will be posting about Nairobi screening soon," she said.

The court decision now makes 'Rafiki' eligible to be submitted for the Best Foreign Language film at next year's Academy Awards.

According to the Academy's rules, a film must be shown in the country where it was produced for seven consecutive days to be eligible.

The film will now be screened in the Kenyan capital Nairobi from September 23 until September 29, Kahiu said.

The movie made history in May this year as the first Kenyan movie to premiere at the Cannes film festival.

Inspired by the 2007 Caine Prize short story winner "Jambula Tree" by Ugandan writer Monica Arac Nyeko, 'Rafiki' which means 'friend' in Swahili is the story of friendship and tender love that grows between two young women amidst family and political pressures, according to the film's promotional material.

Being gay in Kenya

Kenya is highly conservative, and a vast majority of people hold negative views about LGBT people.

Kenya's penal code criminalizes "carnal knowledge against the order of nature." Anyone found engaging in gay or lesbian activities could face up to 14 years in prison.

Prompted by public uproar, the police arrested two men in 2015 and conducted forced anal examinations on them to prove they were gay.

In March this year, anal examinations were ruled unconstitutional by a Mombassa court of appeal. The court found that conducting forced anal examinations on people accused of same-sex relations is illegal, according to Human Rights Watch.

The ruling reversed a 2016 High Court decision that had upheld the Kenyan authorities' use of forced anal exams on men suspected of being gay.

Why was "Rafiki" banned?

The board said 'Rafiki' had same-sex scenes and undertones which were not in the script initially submitted for approval.

The director was asked to remove the scenes, but she refused.

The KFCB said in the statement that foreign sponsors who intend to introduce and normalize homosexuality in Kenya through movies should desist from such acts.

"Kenya is a country with a culture, beliefs and shared values which must be respected," it said.

"Hare-brained schemes by foreigners funding film producers in Kenya to promote homosexuality in the name of equality and inclusion will be exposed and strongly resisted," a spokesman for the board said.

Ezekiel Mutua who heads the censorship board said police would be present during the screening of 'Rafiki,' to ensure that only people over 18 were watching the film.

"It's a shame that someone thinks that gay content is what should define the success of the film industry in Kenya. Nollywood is doing wonders, and they don't pride in such nonsense!" he posted in a tweet.home World South Sudan: Aid agencies plead for peace efforts after deal reached

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.

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 a 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 a at national, regional or local-level a 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.'

Source: Christian TodayArchaeologists think they've found evidence for Bible's account of Exodus near the Jordan River

Historical evidence for the biblical account of the Exodus might be located at a site near the Jordan River, according to a recently announced discovery.

Exodus, the second book of the Bible, has been a subject of much debate over its historical accuracy, as some scholars have questioned the claim that the ancient Israelites immigrated from Egypt during that time period.

However, at the Jordan Valley site of Khirbet el-Mastarah, archaeologists Ralph K. Hawkins and David Ben-Shlomo have said that there is evidence of ruins from a nomadic people believed to be the Hebrews coming from Egypt.

Ben-Shlomo said in comments quoted by the U.K. Daily Express on Tuesday that the ruins offer potential evidence for the biblical account.

"We have not proved that these camps are from the period of the early Israelites, but it is possible," noted Ben-Shlomo.

"If they are, this might fit the biblical story of the Israelites coming from east of the Jordan River, then crossing the Jordan and entering into the hill country of Israel later."

Ben-Shlomo and Hawkins had their findings published in the July/August 2018 edition of Biblical Archaeology Review, noting that the ruins appear to date to the Iron Age, which would be around the time of the Exodus.

In comments given to the Biblical Archaeology Society during the summer, Ben-Shlomo and Hawkins said their findings came from research on the site conducted in the summer of 2017.

At Khirbet el-Mastarah, they found among other things stone ruins and pottery fragments dating to either the Late Bronze Age (14001200 B.C.) or the Iron Age (12001000).

"By the end of our 2017 season, we were struck by the fascinating picture that had begun to emerge in the Jordan Valley, a region that up until recently has been virtually unknown archaeologically," said Ben-Shlomo and Hawkins.

"Within a range of just a couple of miles, we may be able to see the evolution of early Israel from a domestic-scale culture [at Khirbet el-Mastarah] to a political-scale culture [at Khirbet 'Auja el-Foqa]."

The aforementioned Khirbet 'Auja el-Foqa has been identified by researchers with the ancient city of Ataroth, as referenced in Joshua 16:5.

This article was originally published in The Christian Post and is re-published here with permissionCherish and defend hard-won freedom, Pope Francis tells Latvians

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 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, defence spending was increased sharply and several thousand NATO soldiers were deployed.Has the Catholic Church given away too much to China?

China and the Vatican have concluded a landmark agreement aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over who has the ultimate say in appointing the country's bishops. While the official Catholic Patriotic Association has welcomed the deal  which will see some bishops appointed without Vatican approval retrospectively recognised, and a promise that the Vatican will have the final say in future appointments  it is not without its critics.

Some observers believe it gives far too much away to Beijing, which has recently shown itself to be firmly in opposition to religion and will not tolerate an alternative source of authority to the Communist party. The Vatican has been accused of 'selling out' and betraying fundamental principles in exchange for diplomatic advantages.

China Aid, which monitors religious freedom in China, was highly critical. Its founder and president Bob Fu told Christian Today: 'While we understand the eagerness of Vatican for searching more legitimacy in the eye of the Chinese Communist Party, this reported deal is nothing but a betrayal of both the millions of suffering persecuted Christians in China and the global Catholic Church.

'This could be a repeat of the 1940s Hitler's Germany, when the German state church consented to the persecution and slaughtered millions of Jews. Ironically, how can the Vatican respond with a good clear conscience for this appeasement deal while the CCP just launched a secret war vowing the wipe out of underground Catholics and Protestants?'

Fu was commenting after China stepped up its actions against house churches, closing the 1,500-member Zion Church in Beijing after it refused to install surveillance cameras in its auditorium. Nearly 350 Chinese church leaders have signed a protest letter affirming religious freedom in the light of the February 2018 'Regulations on Religious Affairs' which dramatically tightened state control of religion.

Other observers have also warned of the dangers of the Vatican deal  whose details have not been published  notably long-time critic Cardinal Joseph Zen, the former Archbishop of Hong Kong, who described it as 'an incredible betrayal', saying: 'They're giving the flock into the mouths of the wolves.' He added: '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.'

The agreement was vigorously defended by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Parolin, who said in a statement: 'And today, for the first time all the Bishops in China are in communion with the Bishop of Rome, with the Successor of Peter. And Pope Francis, like his immediate Predecessors, looks with particular care to the Chinese People. What is required now is unity, is trust and a new impetus; to have good Pastors, recognized by the Successor of Peter  by the Pope  and by the legitimate civil Authorities. And we believe  we hope, we hope  that the Agreement will be an instrument just for these objectives, for these aims, with the cooperation of all.'

Whatever the disagreements between observers, the undeniable truth is that the situation is diplomatically extremely complicated  not least by the fact that the Vatican has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China regards as its sovereign territory. Though the details of the agreement have not been published, they evidently do not include the condition that these relations are severed.

The Vatican's dilemma is one that it has faced often before. How far should it go in working with the grain of a particular regime in order to preserve the lives and freedoms of its members, and how far should it resist in order to preserve non-negotiables  such as its right to appoint bishops, the guardians of the faith? No pope could ever give way on that, but the question is whether that right has been adequately safeguarded from undue government influence. Without knowing the terms of the agreement, we do not know.

According to Asia News' Bernardo Cervellera, however, there is uncertainty among Chinese Catholics about aspects of the deal, notably about the lifting of the excommunication of seven bishops ordained without a papal mandate  'some of these reconciled bishops are known to have lovers and children and to be "collaborators", he says. He also points out the absence from any public statement about the plight of China's persecuted Christians  a sharp contrast with Pope Francis' acknowledgement of the suffering of Christians in the Baltic States under communism. As Cervellera says: '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.'

While the Vatican-China deal is open to criticism, Pope Francis himself has said: 'Dialogue is a risk, but I prefer risk rather than the certain defeat that comes with not holding dialogue. As for the timing, some people say its Chinese time. I say it is God's time. Let's move forward serenely.'How African Christians can help a post-Brexit Britain

Britain is looking for key partners post-Brexit and has pledged to maintain its international aid at 13 billion. But unless the issue of corruption, which is endemic in Africa, is addressed billions will simply be siphoned away. The African Biblical Leadership Initiative Forum (ABLI), which is under way in Eswatini, aims to tackle the problem by bringing biblical principles to bear upon Africa's culture of corruption.

Theresa May's visit to Africa in August was aimed squarely at producing a post-Brexit dividend. The prime minister announced trade arrangements with six African nations and trade deals with Africa worth 31bn a year.

The UK is eager, some might say desperate, to explore trade opportunities beyond the EU. Mrs May understands that Africa's economy is set to exceed $5.6 trillion within a decade. And the prime minister knows that Africa's workforce is heading to overtake that of China by 2035.

Bleeding money

Mrs May will also be fully conscious that much of what is given to Africa in aid or is spent on trade will haemorrhage away in corruption. Africa is bleeding money even faster than Britain's water companies leak H2O.

According to pressure groups, Africa is the worst performing region in world for corruption. Sixty-five per cent of revenue from multi-national transactions simply disappears, while almost a third of Africa's financial wealth is syphoned into offshore accounts (Sources: Transparency International, African Development Bank, Global Financial Integrity, and Oxfam).

So, if Britain's aid and trade with Africa is to benefit either the people of Africa or the UK, that culture of corruption must change. Which is why corruption always heads the list of issues at ABLI.

This year's ABLI  the eighth such forum  in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) is no exception.

'We live in a world that is increasingly interconnected,' says ABLI organiser Dr Mohammed Girma. 'The challenges in Africa  such as violence, displacement and political unrest  directly impact the Western world. A peaceful and corruption-free Africa would benefit all, including Britain.'

Playing catch-up

Mrs May and the organisers of ABLI alike are well aware that Britain is playing catch-up in Africa and lagging badly behind. Mrs May's visit in August was the first by a British prime minister since 2011. Compare that to some 27 visits by French presidents since 2010 and a remarkable 79 African excursions by the Chinese premier since 2011.

'The Chinese are keen on investing in Africa,' emphasises Dr Girma. 'No African leaders missed the recent China-Africa Summit.

'If Britain doesn't change its policy towards Africa and start acting like an equal partner instead of a big brother, it could risk further isolation.'

Critical advantage

The ABLI organiser believes Britain is failing to make the most of its critical advantage with Africa  its frequently shared language and religious values. It is those religious values, if taught, understood and embraced, that would provide the best defence against corruption.

'Instead of simply challenging corrupt leaders, we need to address the culture and mentality that breeds corruption. That is why ABLI's focus this year is on culture and leadership,' says Dr Girma.

But the message from watchdogs such as Transparency International is that it is not just Africa that has to change. Many of Africa's main trading nations simply wink at corruption and work with it, instead of working to eradicate it.

According to Transparency International, only seven nations take active and effective enforcement against bribery: the US, Germany, Israel, Norway and Switzerland  and the UK.

Which is why ABLI's message  of the culture change that only the Bible can bring  needs to be heard across all seven continents, and not only in Africa.Teenager lost at sea for 49 days read his Bible and prayed as he struggled to survive

A teenager who spent 49 days adrift at sea was at the point of suicide when he decided instead to turn to his Bible and pray.

Aldi Novel Adilang was working as a lamp keeper on a floating fish trap, called a rampong, around 80 miles off the Indonesian coast when strong winds snapped the moorings on July 19.

With no paddle or engine to control the mooring's direction, the 19-year-old was helpless as the fish trap drifted miles across the ocean towards Guam.

Adilang's supplies of food and water ran out after a few days, forcing the teenager to burn wood from the rampong's hut to cook fish he caught from the ocean. He stayed alive for the next seven weeks by sipping seawater that had been filtered through his clothes.

'After he ran out of the cooking gas, he burned the rompong's wooden fences to make a fire for cooking,' said Mirza Nurhidayat, Indonesia's consul general in Osaka, Japan, who was quoted by The Jakarta Post. 'He drank by sipping water from his clothes that had been wetted by sea water.'

He reached breaking point after around 10 ships had passed by without spotting him in the water. As hopelessness set in, Adilang admitted he had contemplated jumping into the ocean to end his ordeal. But it was at this point that he remembered the advice of his parents to pray in times of distress.

He told the Tribun Manado that he read a Bible that was kept on the float as well.

His ordeal finally ended when he was spotted by a passing cargo ship, the MV Arpeggio, on August 31. Even the rescue operation proved to be an ordeal as the cargo ship was so large that its waves nearly caused the tiny fish trap to capsize. When it was apparent the vessel could not get close to the fishing trap, Adilang jumped into the ocean and the crew pulled him in on a rope.

The Arpeggio was on its way to Japan and took Adilang there, where he was assisted by Indonesia's consul general.Trump's Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh rejects 'false accusations'

US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said on Monday he would not step aside after a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct decades ago, with President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans showing no signs of relenting in their push for his Senate confirmation.

'The truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise,' Kavanaugh said in an interview on Fox News Channel's The Story with Martha MacCallum, aired on Monday evening.

The allegations, dating back to the 1980s, have put in jeopardy Kavanaugh's chances of winning confirmation to the top US court in a Senate narrowly controlled by Trump's party, with high-stakes congressional elections just weeks away.

Confirmation of the federal appeals court judge to the lifetime job would cement conservative control of the Supreme Court and advance Trump's goal of moving the high court and the broader federal judiciary to the right.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing for Thursday for Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who last week accused him of sexual assault in 1982.

Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, said Kavanaugh attacked her and tried to remove her clothing while he was drunk at a party when he was 17 years old and she was 15 when they were high school students in Maryland.

'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 I've never sexually assaulted anyone,' Kavanaugh said in the Fox News interview.

He said he was not present at a party like the one described by Ford and noted that others Ford said were at the gathering had no recollection of it.

'I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity and I know I'm telling the truth. 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 said.

He said he 'did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter'.

'Smear campaign'

A second woman, Deborah Ramirez, accused Kavanaugh in an article published in the New Yorker magazine on Sunday of sexual misconduct during the 1983-84 academic year when both attended Yale University.

Ramirez is cited by the New Yorker as saying Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drunken dormitory party.

Kavanaugh and his Republican allies portrayed the allegations as part of a 'smear campaign' by Democrats who have fought his nomination from the outset.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear that, no matter what happened at the hearing, the full Senate would vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation.

'This fine nominee to the Supreme Court will receive a vote in this Senate in the near future,' McConnell said on the Senate floor.

'Senate Democrats and their allies are trying to destroy a man's personal and professional life on the basis of decades-old allegations that are unsubstantiated and uncorroborated,' he said.

Trump, himself accused during the 2016 presidential race of sexual misconduct with numerous women, twice offered words of support for Kavanaugh while in New York to attend the UN General Assembly.

'Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person. I am with him all the way,' Trump said, calling the allegations politically motivated.

Ford's attorney Michael Bromwich sent a letter to the committee's Republican chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley, on Monday in which he objected to a plan by the panel's Republicans to hire an 'experienced sex crimes prosecutor' to conduct the questioning at Thursday's hearing. Ford's attorneys have said their client wants senators to ask the questions.

'This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate,' Bromwich said.

Protesters opposing Kavanaugh's confirmation held rallies in Washington, New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere. Dozens were arrested in Senate office buildings. About 200 people gathered in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, chanting: 'I believe Christine Ford.'

US Capitol Police reported that 128 people were arrested on charges of unlawfully demonstrating in Senate office buildings.

The committee's top Democrat, Senator Dianne Feinstein, has called on Grassley to postpone Thursday's hearing in order to investigate Ramirez's accusations.

The Kavanaugh controversy is unfolding just weeks before November 6 congressional elections in which Democrats are trying to take control of Congress from Republicans, against a backdrop of the #MeToo movement fighting sexual harassment and assault.

Republicans, with a 51-49 Senate majority, can confirm Kavanaugh if they stay united. So far, no Republican senators have said they would vote against him.US 'sparing no effort' to get pastor Andrew Brunson home from Turkey

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has promised that the US is doing everything it can to free pastor Andrew Brunson.

Brunson has been held for nearly two years in Turkey on espionage and terrorism-related charges  charges he denies. He was arrested in the southwestern city of Izmir, where he had spent more than two decades doing mission work. The pastor was recently moved from a prison to house arrest as his trial continues.

Speaking at the Values Voter Summit, which is attended mostly by Christians, Pompeo said the pastor's plight was important to the Trump administration and that their goal was to bring him home.

'We are sparing no effort to return Pastor Brunson home to the United States,' he said.

'The work is important. He has been wrongly held and his proper place is to be able to return here to once again practice his faith in our great nation.'

The summit was also joined by Brunson's daughter Jacqueline Furnari, who rejected Turkey's charges against her father.

'The entire last two years has really shown that this is just baseless charges,' she said. 'It's a sham trial and my dad is being used as a bargaining chip and suffering for Jesus Christ.'

The next court hearing in Brunson's trial is on October 12.

Furnari added: 'It's been a painful time and we're just ready for it all to be over.'

Brunson's trial has sparked a diplomatic row between Turkey and the US, with the latter increasing trade tariffs and imposing sanctions on two diplomats.

US president Donald Trump recently said he was 'very disappointed' with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his refusal to free Brunson after Trump apparently helped in the release of a Turkish citizen detained in Israel.

'I'm disappointed in him,' Trump told Bloomberg, adding that Brunson's release was 'too dear to my heart.'The saturation, the intensity of this stone is as good as it gets in a coloured diamond, states Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Jewellery, of the Pink Legacy, an extraordinary 18.96-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond that sold for CHF50,375,000 in the Magnificent Jewels auction on 13 November at Christies in Geneva, and was promptly renamed The Winston Pink Legacy by its new owners, Harry Winston.

To find a diamond of this size with this colour is pretty much unreal, he continues. You may see this colour in a pink diamond of less than one carat. But this is almost 19 carats and its as pink as can be. Its unbelievable.

Scientists classify diamonds into two main types  Type I and Type II. In the latter, the diamond has a particularly rare, almost homogenous colour. Pink diamonds fall under the rare Type IIa category of diamonds, explains the specialist. These are stones that have little if any trace of nitrogen, and make up less than two per cent of all gem diamonds. Type IIa stones are some of the most chemically pure diamonds often with exceptional transparency and brilliance.



Oil bulls cheered by the prospect of $100 oil beware. A rally in prices may be short-lived.

Thats according to Janet Kong, who heads energy giant BP Plcs trading business in Asia. Any spike on the loss of Iranian supply due to U.S. sanctions probably wont be sustainable in the long run, she said. Thats because the negative impact on demand from a trade war between the worlds two biggest economies hasnt been priced into crude yet.

Kongs comments stand in contrast to views from officials at major oil-trading firms Trafigura Group and Mercuria Energy Group Ltd., who see a looming supply crunch driving global benchmark Brent crude to $100 a barrel for the first time in four years. In recent weeks, prices have largely shrugged off escalating U.S.-China trade tensions, with speculation over the impact of American sanctions on Iran dominating investor sentiment.

The market is very fixated on the loss of barrels on the supply side, said Kong, the chief executive officer of Eastern Hemisphere integrated supply and trading at BP. The market has overlooked the results of the U.S.-China trade war, how that might impact the global economy, Chinas growth and the regional economy in Asia, she said in an interview in Singapore on Monday.

RELATED: Major traders are talking about $100 oil again

Brent climbed above $80 a barrel on Monday after OPEC and its allies signaled less urgency to boost output despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to temper prices. Crudes recent rally has spurred a divergence from other commodities like copper, which have been dragged down on fears that global growth will be eroded by a trade war thats showing no signs of easing.

Brent futures for November settlement traded at $81.41 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange, up 21 cents, at 6:48 a.m. in London.

Some $200 billion of Chinese products became subject to increased U.S. tariffs from noon Beijing time on Monday, on top of $50 billion in goods imposed earlier this year. The Asian nation said it wont hold trade talks with America unless Trump stops his threats.

Demand Shock

While there may be a meaningful tightening of the market in the next three to six months with the disappearance of Iranian oil exports, demand may be affected next year due to the trade war, Kong said. Also, within the next 12 months, supply is likely to grow as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries boosts output and the U.S. pumps more in 2019 after lifting production by 1.3 million barrels a day this year.

RELATED: OPEC, allies agree not to further increase oil production

Escalating trade tensions are threatening to derail a global upswing thats already losing momentum, the International Monetary Fund warned in July. That could translate to a global decline in oil demand of 150,000 to 200,000 barrels a day in what could become known as a demand shock, said Kong, who is set to become head of BPs U.S. oil trading business.

Still, the lack of clarity on the potential total volume of Iranian crude losses due to U.S. sanctions will help support prices in the short term, she said. If the loss is dramatically high, resulting in 1.5 million barrels per day or more being taken out, then the market will experience a shock in the final three months of this year.

But is that really sustainable? I doubt it, Kong said.

2018 Bloomberg L.P.Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.



A 6-year-old Modesto boy allegedly abducted by his father was found safe at a Dublin hotel Tuesday morning and returned home to be reunited with his mother.

A photo posted to Facebook by the Modesto Police Department shows Jayce Cosso walking across the front lawn to meet his mother, Kimberly Valente, at their Modesto home around noon. Other people and a bouquet of balloons next to the homes entrance were there to greet him.

Jayce is now with mom, the caption read.

John Cosso, 41, was arrested by Alameda County sheriffs deputies and Dublin police at the La Quinta Inn on Dublin Boulevard at about 8 a.m. along with his 17-year-old son, who was not identified because he is a minor. The arrests and rescue took place without incident or injury, said Capt. Nate Schmidt, of the Dublin Police Department.

Its unclear whether John Cosso has been returned to Stanislaus County, but Schmidt said Modesto authorities will handle the case.

Online records show that John Cosso and Valente have been involved in a custody dispute involving Jayce since he was about 2 years old. The Modesto Bee reported that Valente was granted custody in 2016 and the father was allowed only scheduled and supervised visits.

Jayce was located about 24 hours after he was ripped from his mothers arms in their Modesto home in a brazen kidnapping with five accomplices, authorities said.

Modesto police tracked the father and son an hour west to the Dublin area and Alameda County sheriffs deputies helped find them and make the arrest and rescue, said Sgt. Ray Kelly, a sheriffs spokesman.

All we did was help them bring this to a safe conclusion, Kelly said. Modesto really worked hard on this. There were a lot of people working through the night to find this little boy.

Valente told multiple news media outlets that a stranger posing as a utility worker knocked on her door on Poinsettia Drive early Monday morning. She said she saw Cossos car when asking the person to leave. Valente locked the door, she said, but another person arrived and broke in before pepper spraying her 17-year-old son and her sister. The mother reportedly grabbed Jayce and ran to her car, locking the doors, but John Cosso, another man and his older son broke in and took Jayce.

Modesto police said that five people, including three men, were involved in the abduction.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert on Monday afternoon to help find Cossos 2012 black Ford Fusion, and a description of the father noted he has face tattoos, including an om symbol.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuanA 30-year-old Houston man was arrested for allegedly groping a woman seated next to him on a Southwest Airlines flight without her consent.

The victim stated that she spoke with the man, Alfredo Vela IV, seated next to her on the flight from Hobby Airport for a bit before falling asleep on Sunday, according to an affidavit written by the prosecutor, Chevy Estes.

She said she woke up to Vela rubbing her back with his hand, and that he continued to rub her inner thigh, touch her breast and tried putting his hand under her shirt.

GREENSPOINT: Humble teen pleads guilty in murder of 4-year-old

The victim alerted the flight crew, who contacted the dispatch around 9 p.m. to request officers respond at the Nashville International Airport.

Estes stated that Vela admitted to officers that he did scratch the woman's back.

Vela was charged by airport police with sexual battery without consent. He is free on a $5,000 bond.

In a statement, Chris Mainz of Southwest said that on Sunday evening, the airline "requested law enforcement meet flight #4562 upon arrival into Nashville to investigate a customer situation reported on board.

"The passengers deplaned and the authorities conducted an investigation in the gate area. Southwest crews are trained to take care of a wide range of sensitive customer issues, and we have zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior on board our aircraft.

"If our Crews are made aware of a harmful situationwhether witnessed first-hand or reported by someone elseour Flight Attendants are responsible for notifying the pilots who will request the appropriate authorities meet the aircraft on the ground."A Pearland man was charged with murder after allegedly strangling his mother-in-law, according to Harris County court records.

Richard Key, 55, was arrested on Sept. 21 by the Pearland Police Department, charged with strangling a 61-year old woman with his hands on Sept. 20. Police did not release the name of the woman, but Harris County medical examiner and public records identify her as Kathryn Harson (nee Davis.)

At approximately 5:43 p.m. on Sept. 20, Pearland officers were dispatched to the 1500 block of Panorama View Lane to assist Pearland Fire Department with a sick call where CPR was being performed on Harson.

VICE OPERATIONS: Houston police arrest 54 on prostitution charges in August

While the medics were on scene treating Harson, they noticed markings on her neck consistent with strangulation. The medics then called the Pearland Police Department, who responded and arrived on scene and initiated investigation. The woman died at the scene.

Key was arrested the following day and charged with murder. He is being held in Harris County Jail with bail set at $250,000. His next court date is scheduled for Nov. 7.

A Pearland Police Department spokesman said that Harson was the mother of Key's wife. Public records show that Key and Harson shared an address on Panorama View Lane in Pearland and a previous address in Friendswood.

Key has two prior incidents on his criminal record. He spent six months in jail and paid a $300 fine after pleading guilty to a reckless conduct charge in 1987. He also spent three days in jail and paid a $300 fine after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm in 1989.

Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.comA Santa Fe High School student was arrested on Tuesday after a teacher there received a verbal threat, school district officials said.

Rachel Blundell, the principal of Santa Fe High School, wrote a letter to parents on Tuesday to notify them of the incident.

"Yesterday afternoon a verbal threat was made directly to a teacher at the high school," Blundell said. "Santa Fe ISD Police Department, and our administrators confirmed that this threat was directed towards this teacher."

The 16-year old student, who was not named because of federal and state privacy laws, was arrested and charged with terroristic threat on a public servant, a misdemeanor. Blundell said the student was removed from campus and "appropriate discipline was applied according to the Student Code of Conduct."

Blundell did not discuss the details of the threat or the consequences the student will face. The Galveston County district attorney's office investigated the threat and the case will be heard in Galveston County Juvenile Court.

The threat comes four months after a shooter killed 10 people and injured 13 at Santa Fe High School on May 18. It is the second threat investigated by the school district since the school year began a month ago. The school district alerted parents on Sept. 6 to a text message threat sent by two Santa Fe High School students that led the Galveston County district attorney's office to investigate.

The earlier threat angered many Santa Fe parents, including the families of victims and survivors of the May shooting, who expressed their displeasure with the Santa Fe ISD's handling of safety at a school board meeting on Sept. 17, calling on several board members to resign.

The school district encouraged parents and students to report any criminal activity and threats through the "Tribal Tips" anonymous reporting system, which can be accessed on the Santa Fe ISD police department's website.

"The safety of our students and staff is always the top priority," Blundell said.

Nick Powell covers Galveston County for the Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter and send him tips at nick.powell@chron.comContributed Photo / Trumbull Police Department

TRUMBULL  A former town resident is facing a slew of charges after he repeatedly reached out to his ex-wife and family after being ordered by the court not to contact them, police said Tuesday.

Raymond Genet, 49, of Cranston, R.I., was charged with 23 counts of violation of a protective order and two counts of failure to appear.A car crash during a botched ATM robbery near Atascocita on Tuesday morning ended up knocking out power in a strip mall, police said.

People driving a stolen car crashed around 2:45 a.m. at a Chase Bank at 12700 West Lake Houston Parkway, near the North Sam Houston Parkway.Friends of West University Place Parks Fund, Inc. has announced a new slate of officers.

Sami Morrison is replacing Mark Prescott as chair; Michelle Huth is the vice chair; Peyton Popp is the secretary; and Christine Parker will continue in her role as the treasurer. All were voted in at the Sept. 12 Friends Board of Directors meeting.

Mark Prescott joined the Friends board in August 2013 and was elected chair in September 2014. Under his leadership, Friends raised $2,555,614.

West University Place Mayor Susan Sample presented him with a Star Citizen award in appreciation for his service to the community. Prescott will remain on the board as co-chair of the annual Party on the Patio Concert Series.

Morrison was appointed to the board in October 2015. She served as the Park Lovers Ball co-chair in 2017 and will be a Fathers & Flashlights co-chair in 2019 and 2020.

Huth has been on the board since April 2012 and served as Party on the Patio Concert co-chair and helped with the Friends stork project. She will be a Fathers & Flashlights co-chair for 2019 and 2020.

Popp was appointed to the Friends board in March 2018 and was the Park Lovers Ball co-chair in 2017.

Parker joined the Friends board in September 2013 and continues to serve as treasurer.

Need to know The Friends of West University Place Parks Fund, Inc. is a volunteer based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising funds for the renovation, expansion, development and improvement of parks and green spaces in the neighborhood parks of the city of West University Place. The board is appointed by City Council and raises money through foundation grants, citizens' bequests, memorials, special events and various other programs and events including partnerships with local businesses. See More Collapse

It is an honor to work with such great leaders and dedicated people on Friends projects. I look forward to working with our new officers and the Friends board in the coming years, said Donna LaMond, Friends Executive Director.

For more information, go to www.westuparks.org.Karen Warren

The French energy major Total and its partners said they will soon start construction on a new plastics plant at Total's Bayport campus near Pasadena, a project estimated to create more than 1,700 construction-related jobs.

The $1 billion project involves building a new plant to annually produce 625,000 metric tons - more than 1.3 billion pounds - of polyethylene, which is the world's most common plastic.A West Houston businessman is offering a $3,000 reward for the safe recovery of one of his best friends and office pet  Fluffy.

Yes it is crazy and we know it but it is true, he says on the website he made for the cat, stolenfluffy.com.

Sean Panahi, owner of Discount Auto Co., 1990 S Texas 6, Houston, said Fluffy and his brother, Garfield, were born in his office in June 2017to a stray cat. Their mom passed away and Panahi said he took care of them.

NEW LAW: New York making it illegal to lease dogs and cats

I really, really took care of them, he said. Adding that the loss of Fluffy took the wind out of me.

Fluffy went missing about 9:30 p.m. Aug. 2 and Panhai has posted 100 signs through the community, including S. Mason Road in Katy, on vans and on Facebook, trying to bring him back home.

The webpage says, The full $3,000 reward goes to any person who provides us with his location where he is being held as a pet or anything else for that matter.

If you find Fluffy on the street and grab him for us and bring it to our office, you will be rewarded $2,500. And for the kicks, if the person who took him brings him back, he will still receive $1,000 and we will part friends. Please note that the reward will be much higher if you know the person or the place he is being held."

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Panahi has scoured nearby neighborhoods looking for Fluffy, contacted area animal shelters and filed a report with the Houston Police Department. Hes made three banners and had them posted on vans parked in different places in addition to stickers to post on bumpers and laminated fliers distributed throughout the community.

Both Fluffy and Garfield had microchips implanted. Panahi is hoping the chip will help officials identify Fluffy when he turns up.

The brothers lived at the business and Panahi installed a door for them to be able to go in and out when they needed to.

One morning I realized he didnt come back and didnt show up, said Panahi, adding there was zero chance of him not coming back unless someone took him.

He found the tile tracker and name tag attached to Fluffys collar nearby on grass behind the tree line behind a restaurant near Texas 6 and Westheimer. This led us to believe he might be alive and living as someones pet not far from here, said Panahi on his website, which contains multiple photos of Fluffy to help people locate the missing pet with a white chest and four white paws.

I knew someone had taken him. I started looking for him from the get-go.

Fluffy has a very, well, fluffy tail. We used to give him a lion cut once a month and therefore he looks like a mini lion, wrote Panahi. His tail is the give away feature.

Because he was an office cat, he socialized with the people who came into the business. People would pet him and make comments, said Panahi.

Panahi said he thinks Garfield saw something. He was scared to go out for a while. He wouldnt eat. For 10 days he was kind of depressed. Since then, hes brought in another cat that a friend was unable to care for to keep Garfield company.

I hope Fluffy turns up. I hope to find him, said Panahi. He was always sitting on my desk while I was working. He is my best friend.In the summer of 1980 I participated in an internship in Miami, Florida. Just committing to travel to Miami and spend three months there took this West Texas novice out of his comfort zone. I suddenly found myself in the heart of Little Havana. It was my first experience feeling like a minority.

I felt that way, too, when it came to prayer and sharing my faith. Prayer was a struggle for me at 20 years old and still can be. And I had been in few opportunities to actually share my faith seeing as how I spent most of my time with people who were already believers. The internship threw us all into both areas where none of us had much training. Our mornings started with an hour of prayer. Our afternoons would be spent serving people and looking for opportunities to share our faith.

It took about half the summer before it dawned on some of us that the prayer time in the morning and the witnessing in the afternoon were not disconnected. They went together. When we started connecting the two we began to see more opportunities right in front of us and as a result, more fruit.

The Apostle Paul thinks both are critical. He tells the Colossian church: Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. Literally, the Greek reads: Prayer  devote yourselves to it. By placing the word prayer at the start of his directive, he emphasizes it. Prayer is an integral part of the life that follows Jesus. So Paul gives a short lesson on prayer and mentions three characteristics of a praying Christian.

First, one is to be devoted. The word can mean to be persistent, but it also carries with it the idea of patience. Devotion does not mean a person stops everything else they are doing and gives every minute of the day to prayer. But it is to be regular and central in our lives.

Another characteristic of prayer is that we are to be watchful or alert. We need to be asking God to search our hearts and help us to be wise in our lives. But there may be more Paul is referring to. He may be connecting devotion and alertness in prayer to our walk as we will see.

But before we get there, a third characteristic of prayer is thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a theme in Colossians. This is the fifth time Paul has mentioned it. Thanksgiving in our lives grows from a life that has learned to trust God.

We learn that in life we are dependent on God and interdependent on the people of God. Paul asks the church to pray that God may open a door to us for the word  Paul may be in chains, but his prayers are unchained. It has been said, When we work, we work. But when we pray, God works.

And often God works through us. We pray and then he moves us to walk. But eventually we pray and then walk. We go on a prayer walk. After Paul tells the Colossians to devote themselves to prayer, he says, Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. The Greek word for act is the word peripateo. Paul has used the word in 1:10 and 3:7. It has to do with the way you go about your life.

They are to walk in wisdom. This is the wisdom of Christ and not of the world. When he says to walk in wisdom, Paul is tying together all that he has been teaching them since chapter one.

Walking in wisdom is explained by Paul as make[ing] the most of our opportunities. We watch for opportunities to speak and opportunities to do good. In other words, you dont have to go out and try to manufacture a time to witness. Instead, pray for open doors and then be alert.

When you do speak wisdom includes using gracious speech. People with gracious speech use words that are attractive, winsome and wholesome. Gracious speech is to be seasoned with salt. Salt brings out the flavor in foods. We need to learn the art of seasoning our speech so that it leaves a good taste with the other person.

Gracious speech takes prayer. This is what we learned to do in Miami. Pray in the morning. Walk in the afternoon. What might happen if we learned this two-step rhythm for our lives? Prayer, then walk. Prayer Walk. We might be less stressed about both.

rickbrown1Life2Love.comMost Texans are familiar with the term "doohickie" - it's that random part, or that weird tool, needed for a home improvement project that no one knows what the actual name is.

While some stores would probably have trouble helping home improvement novices and even experienced contractors track down the doohickie they need, one store in Cypress specializes in helping people find them.

The signage in the front of the Cypress Ace Hardware & Feed store off Jones Road in Houston advertises for a multitude of services and supplies: plumbing, electrical, paint, tools, post office and doohickies. Yes, doohickes.

Co-owner Susan Murff said after the store was expanded two years ago, more space for signage was left to fill out on the front end of the building. Everything else they sold was already advertised, except for one thing.

HAPPY HANDYMAN: Tips for fall home remodeling projects

"When we were thinking of what else to put on the signage we thought what are our most popular items or more shopped items and doohickies just kept coming up," Murff, who has owned the store with her husband for the last 23 years, said. "We have so many people that walk in with a random part in their hand and say 'Do you carry these doohickies?'"

Murff said the sign was installed about 8 months ago, but it wasn't until Monday when a friend told her a popular Facebook page had shared an image of the sign and it started to make its rounds on social media.

"We had no idea," Murff said of the post, which now has nearly 1,000 shares on Facebook. "I thought it was great. We try to keep things lighthearted and fun because sometimes this world isn't much fun. Sometimes people have projects that aren't fun, like fixing a toilet for example. Anything we can do just to put a smile on somebody's face - we are all about that."

Murff said as the independent owner of the store she and her husband are able to customize it.

"Certain Ace signage does have to be up there because we are a co-op with Ace, but [other signage] is also up to each individual store," Murff said.

The hardware store also boasts a post office, homemade fudge bar and an an indoor grilling center where customers can schedule a time to cook their favorite meat on a grill they are interested in buying.

ONLY IN HOUSTON: Houston's most famous and memorable signs

"Why not be able to try it before you buy it?," Murff said. "They [Ace stores] are all different, though."

Murff said as the sign advertises, her staff will help any customer that comes to the store in search of a doohickie.

"We can backtrack a little bit and get....as much as they can tell us, and then backtrack our way into what kind of part they need."

Murff said the store also sells whatcha-ma-call-its and thingy-ma-bobbers, but those don't have their own sign, unfortunately.

"One lady said 'this [the doohickie sign] makes me laugh every time we pass the store,'" Murff said. "That just makes me happy. We have enough bad stuff going on in the world, if we can make one person smile that makes me happy."

Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on the breaking news site chron.com and the subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Follow her on Twitter: @beccaghennes.

Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message.

In an effort to provide equitable access to the internet for students, telecommunications company Sprint donated 1,500 tablets to Cypress Park High School, according to a Cy-Fair ISD press release.

Through their 1Million Project Foundation, a foundation with the mission of providing 1 million high school students reliable internet access, Sprint donated the tablets with high-speed internet to students. From Sept. 18 to Sept. 19, 550 HP Slate 8-inch tablets were distributed during the first phase of distribution, according to the press release. More tablets will be gifted at a later date.

Doug Michelman, president of the 1Million Project Foundation, said the program is meant to give students with lack of internet access and digital tools a helping hand.

Those students who are disconnected when they leave school every afternoon should not be at a disadvantage just because their families cannot provide them connectivity at home, he said. With the support of Sprint, a national wireless company, we are in a powerful position to do something about this problem by arming eligible students with the critical tools they need to succeed and to believe that they can succeed.

The tablets are free for students and come with data plans and content filters that expire the August after a students graduation.

The value of the donation is approximately $540,000, which the press release states could increase annually with additional device donations and data plans.

According to the press release, a survey conducted by Cypress Park High School administrators revealed that 1,500 of 1,900 students have a lack of access to digital tools.

One of the things here at Cypress Park is we want to give our kids every opportunity to be successful, said Chris Hecker, principal of Cypress Park High School. What we found out is roughly 80 percent of our kids needed this service to further their education because we know were moving toward everything being online and different access points they could have for their research and development.

chevall.pryce@chron.com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Tide Dry Cleaners invites the Houston community to join them on Saturday, Sept. 29, to get their first two garments cleaned for free and for the chance to win free dry cleaning for a year, while celebrating the opening of 36 Tide Dry Cleaners locations across the Houston metro area.

From Katy to Conroe and Pearland to inside the Loop, were encouraging all Houstonians to visit their local Tide Dry Cleaners on Saturday, Sept. 29, said Mike Nesbit, CEO, EDIT TX. We will clean their first two garments for free, while each customer will also be entered into a drawing for the chance to win free dry cleaning for a year. With this offer of free dry cleaning at each of our 36 Houston-area stores, we think we can make this the Biggest Day in Dry Cleaning History, said Nesbit.The Crosby ISD Board of Trustees approved Whitley Penn, LLP to conduct a third-party audit of district finances amid a multi-million budget deficit on Monday.

The board approved spending up to $20,000 for the firm to help them analyze financial transactions, not repeat the same mistakes and provide an evaluation on its findings during the Sept. 25 special meeting.

The audit will begin after results come in from the districts planned yearly audit arrives Oct. 15.

What we like to do is, first off seeing the money coming in from the bonds and tracing all the money coming out of the bonds, Whitley Penn CPA Celina Cereceres Miller said during the meeting. Seeing where exactly did the money go.

On Monday, questions were also raised about the firm currently auditing the district on an annual basis. Weaver and Tidwell, LLP will present an annual audit of the 2017-2018 fiscal year to Crosby ISDs board at the regular Oct. 15 meeting, but Superintendent Scott Davis said Monday that the firm made a glaring mistake in their accounting of the 2016-2017 school year.

That audit failed to note that the district did not include July and August 2017 payroll expenses in its budget after the district moved the end of its financial year from the end of August to the end of June that same year. That meant the district did not recognize $3.8 million in payroll expenses, which caused the reserve fund balance to fall by that amount.

The fact that Weaver and Tidwell LLP apparently missed a $3.8 million mistake in the audit presented last year gave Davis pause.

When you miss a substantive expense like payroll accruals, that gives you pause, Davis said. They (Weaver and Tidwell) would even say I understand that.

Davis suggested the board to declare a financial exigency or financial emergency, which would allow the district to layoff several staff members before the end of year.

The designation has been only been approved by 12 of Texas more than 1,200 school districts since 2012, including Beaumont ISD and the now-closed La Marque ISD in Galveston County.

The financial woes were discovered this summer.

In June, Crosby ISD had to borrow about $2 million to cover the payroll for July 15. The district has also borrowed millions from its construction fund to pay teachers. Davis said the monies will be paid back by the end of the year.

It is estimated that out of the $52 million recalculated revenue budget that was adopted for the 2018-19 school year about $46.4 million is used for payroll. Crosbys original budget was set at $57 million.

Well treat it as a mini audit and where we find most of your money goes to payroll  its usually between 75 percent to 85 percent of the school districts budget  but well be focusing on the general fund, Miller said.

Crosby ISD Board President Carla Windfont said they did not see any implications of a financial crisis until May.

I think whats going to be interesting is looking at the information that was provided to the board in this period of time and see how that compares to what actually was occurring, Guadalupe Lara, Whitley Penn CPA said. To see if the board had all the information, the complete information to make the decisions that it made.

Miller said she is interested in looking into information that was provided to the board that may differ from previous external audits.

Based on these findings if you want us to keep (going) further, to keep going with our testing, then you would approve an additional amount. But we want to run the procedures by you first, let you look at our samples, make sure that its sufficient, Miller said.

Board Member John Swinney and Randy Condra questioned the auditors and Davis, asking if there is something in the third party audit that is illegal could the the board press charges.

Miller said it was up to the board if they would seek legal action if any fraud or any illegal activity was discovered.

Swinney made a motion to the board to seek legal action if there was any criminal acts detected during the third party audit.

Before approving Whitley Penn to perform a third party audit, Condra wanted know what was the difference from the Whitley Penn audit to the audit results performed by Weaver & Tidwell, LLP that will come back Oct. 15.

Davis said that audit was performed to make sure the 2018-19 budget was on track and to make sure there was a smooth transition with the new chief financial officer.

Davis will recommend the board to declare financial exigency on Oct. 8 and identify areas of employment that will be laid off. During the Oct. 15 there will be a list of employees that will be affected.

Davis said the human resource department is currently looking for open positions in the Houston area to help those employees who will be laid off.

News has gone area wide of what it is were about to have to do and so there are many school districts that are calling us first, Davis said. That network of professional educators in Harris County is amazing.

kaila.contreras@chron.comTo create a bridge between the community and the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constables Office, Constable Ryan Gable has made it routine to host Coffee with Cops at coffee shops around The Woodlands area since he took office in 2012.

Traditionally held in the morning, the Precinct 3 Constables Office is branching out to host a Coffee with Cops during the evening on Oct. 9 and an ice cream gathering aptly titled, Cones with Cops, at the TCBY on FM 1488 in Magnolia on Oct. 20.

We hosted our first Coffee with Cops at the beginning of 2013 and its really caught on from there; we really enjoy hosting these events, Gable said. This gives us the opportunity for law enforcement to get together with the community outside of crisis situations or residents contacting law enforcement for a public safety issue.

Gable further stated that Coffee with Cops gives his deputies the chance to sit down with residents to talk about things they can improve in the community and get to know the area better.

Every time they host one of these events in the community, they will post the information on their social media pages and have found that they have developed a following.

We always have new people that join us at Coffee with Cops, but we also have a group that comes to most of our events and received great positive feedback, Gable added. Because people cant make our morning Coffee with Cops events, we wanted to provide more options with evening events for more residents to join us.

The Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constables Office also encourages residents to contact them through their website to request a deputy at the upcoming National Night Out celebration.

Various organizations throughout The Woodlands and Montgomery County will celebrate National Night Out on different days, but the Precinct 3 Constables Office wants to be a part of the gatherings.

We want to make sure our residents know they can invite a deputy to their National Night Out event or any event such as a birthday party; we really want to be there to shake hands with our residents and introduce ourselves, Gable said.

In the future, the Precinct 3 Constables Office has the following events planned for the community:

Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. - The Woodlands Public Safety Expo at Northshore Park in The Woodlands.

Oct. 9 at 6-7:30 p.m. - Coffee with Cops at Starbucks at 3068 College Park in The Woodlands.

Oct. 20 at 1-2 p.m. - Cones with Cops at TCBY at 6311 FM 1488 in Magnolia.

Oct. 25 at 7:30-8:30 a.m. - Coffee with Cops at The Breakfast Place located at 8000 MacBeth Way in The Woodlands.

Dec. 7 at 7-9 a.m. - Safe Harbor Breakfast at LongHorn Steakhouse located at 26805 Interstate 45 in Spring.

This makes for great community-based policing where the community gets to know us better but also business owners who host these events and other residents, Gable said. This displays that everyone is coming together in a positive manner.

For more information or to request a deputy, visit https://www.mcco3.org/how-to/#appear.

jennifer.summer@hcnonline.comThe Republican Party of Texas Executive Committee was unanimous in its stance on the validity of new bylaws adopted by the Montgomery County Executive Committee in June that stripped power from Party Chairman Dr. Wally Wilkerson. However, Wilkerson isnt backing down on his view that the action taken by the local party was illegal.

During a June 26 meeting, the executive committee, which is made up of the precinct chairmen in the county, passed new bylaws in a 39-32 majority vote to form a seven-member steering committee to make major decisions for the local GOP. Wilkerson, who called the new bylaws radical, would be just one member of that committee.

However, Precinct 50 Chairman Reagan Reed said the move was not personal.

This is about decentralizing power  , Reed said during the June meeting. Its about fairness, openness and transparency.

The move to strip Wilkerson of power came just four months after the 87-year-old beat tea party challenger Terrance Boggs in the March 6 Republican primary.

What they did was overturn the results of the county chair election because they took all the power away from the county chairman, Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson maintains that Roberts Rules of Order  which the committee operates under  requires a two-thirds vote, not a majority vote. Additionally, the partys bylaws also stipulate amendments to the bylaws may be made in a two-thirds vote.

bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3rds) vote of the members of the Executive committee present and voting at a properly called meeting of the Executive committee by giving notice at the previous regular meeting, or by mailing written notice to each Executive committee member at least seven (7) days in advance of a regular or special meeting called for that purpose, the MCRP bylaws state.

According the Roberts Rules of Order, organizations that have amendment rules, such as Montgomery County, the bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those voting, a quorum being present.

In a press release by Reed, Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey stated the committee adopted new bylaws, not just amend them, which would require a majority vote.

As the clarification passed by the SREC makes clear, it is not amendment of bylaws, it is adoption, therefore, the relevant threshold for that adoption is a majority, Dickey stated in the release.

Jack Barcroft, president of the Texas Republican County Chairman Association, said his organization has a team of attorneys researching the action to determine if it complied with state election laws.

Barcroft said this represents the latest effort to weaken county party chairs. Also in June, rules were adopted for the first time that allow executive committees to seek censure of county chairs.

That tells you what kind of climate we are getting into, Barcroft said, adding that there is a movement by those whose candidate did not get elected as county chair to simply usurp their power by adopting bylaws that set up steering committees. Then you have a chairman in name only that is not able to perform the duties for which they were elected.

Barcroft said he did not have a time frame on when his organization would complete its review.

State Republican officials will meet Thursday to address a complaint filed by several MCRP precinct chairs alleging misbehavior by Wilkerson. Wilkerson denies any wrong doing.

cdominguez@hcnonline.comProfessing his innocence till the end, an East Texas man convicted of drowning his former housemate and stuffing her body into a barrel of lime was put to death in the first of two consecutive executions scheduled in the Lone Star State.

Now, if Thursday's punishment goes through as planned, it'll be the first time in six years that Texas has put to death two prisoners in two nights, a grim milestone that comes amid a slight uptick in executions here this year.

"I'm not the one that killed Christina, so whatever makes y'all happy," Troy Clark said in his last words. "I love ya'll. I'll see you on the other side. Y'all be good. OK Warden I'm ready. "

He chuckled before giving his final statement.

The lethal dose began at 6:15 p.m., according to a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman.

"I feel it," he said as the drugs began to flow.

He was pronounced dead at 6:36 p.m.

The Tyler man was sentenced to die in 2000 for killing Christina Muse out of fear the young mother would snitch on him for his drug use, according to court records. He was convicted in part due to the testimony of his then-girlfriend Tory Bush, who admitted to the crime then fingered Clark - even though there was no physical evidence connecting him to the murder.

The May 1998 slaying came just after Muse moved out of the Smith County home where Clark and Bush lived and sold meth.

One day when Muse stopped back at the home to visit, she and Clark started talking and at some point in the conversation, according to court records, he used a stun gun to take her down, then duct-taped her arms and legs and left her in a closet for hours. Then, he moved her into the bathtub and ordered Bush to get a board so he could beat the bound woman.

After drowning Muse, according to court records, Clark ordered his girlfriend to go get lime. When she got back, he dumped the slain woman's body in a blue barrel filled with lime, cement mix and water.

Later, according to the state's theory, Clark and some friends loaded the barrel into a truck and ditched it in a remote spot on his landlord's property.

When authorities found the gruesome remains, they also discovered the body of Tracy Mize - another possible victim - decaying in a septic tank on the same property.

Clark has consistently denied any involvement in Muse's death, saying he wasn't at home at the time of the slaying, and that he was out delivering drugs. No physical evidence linked him to the crime, defense lawyers pointed out.

In the years since he was sent to death row, Clark has argued that he suffered bad lawyering, didn't get to show evidence rebutting claims he would be a future danger to society, and that his girlfriend's testimony was self-serving and unreliable - especially considering she once confessed to the crime herself.

"Clark's death sentence is the product of the largely uncorroborated testimony of an incentivized co-defendant and a trial attorney whose performance was abysmal," attorneys David Dow and Jeff Newberry wrote in a clemency petition, alleging the trial team failed to present evidence of Clark's traumatic childhood and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder.

In the days leading up to Clark's execution, the case attracted attention from actress Susan Sarandon, author Mary Buser and renowned death penalty abolitionist Sister Helen Prejean.

"Texas plans to execute Troy Clark on Wednesday but there are some serious problems with his case," Prejean tweeted. "Troy has always maintained his innocence. Someone else made a detailed confession and then completely changed her story in exchange for a reduced sentence."

A day after Clark's scheduled date with death, Daniel Acker is slated for execution. The Sulphur Springs man was sent to death row in 2001 after he was convicted of strangling his girlfriend and pushing her from a moving car - though the state abandoned the strangulation theory after trial.

Like Clark, he's consistently maintained his innocence, and defense lawyers have argued Marquetta George jumped from the car on her own, making the death possibly manslaughter but not capital murder.

The last time two convicted killers were executed in two days was in 2012, when the state put to death Ramon Hernandez of Bexar County and Preston Hughes, from Harris County. Hughes, who also professed his innocence with his final words, was convicted in the stabbing deaths of two children.

This time around neither of the executions is out of Harris County, the erstwhile "capital of capital punishment."

Last year, the Lone Star State executed seven men, nearly one-third of the nation's 23 total. This year, the death house in Huntsville has now seen nine executions, and another seven are scheduled in the remainder of the year. Two more - including a cop-killer from Harris County - are on the calendar in early 2019.

Despite the slight uptick in Texas this year, national numbers are likely to hold fairly steady by year-end, according to Robert Dunham of the Death Penalty Information Center. And even that uptick in the nation's busiest death chamber, he added, isn't necessarily indicative of any change in the long-term waning of capital punishment.

"Executions look as though they will remain near generational lows this year and to the extent that there is any difference," he said, "that difference will be Texas."A Busch Beer tractor-trailer could have caused the next catastrophic emergency involving a train on Tuesday morning, when it stopped over two railroad tracks with an oncoming locomotive at the intersection of South Post Oak Road and U.S. Highway 90.

The Union Pacific locomotive was roughly 50 yards away, but luckily for the Busch truck driver, it wasn't pulling any cargo. The locomotive also was traveling around 15 mph, allowing those inside to safely observe just how dangerous it can be for drivers to stop on railroad tracks.

RELATED: Union Pacific offering up to $25,000 in hiring incentives

Houston police pulled over the truck driver before the train arrived at the crossing. The heightened enforcement was part of Union Pacific's National Rail Safety Week initiative to promote good railroad safety habits.

"Had the driver not gone, the train would have had to go into an emergency break application to not hit him," said Union Pacific special agent Chris Cordary, who was inside the train with media members on Tuesday.

Cordary added that the driver may have received what amounts to a traffic citation for stopping on the tracks. He said those infractions, as well as driving around crossing arms, are among the most common mistakes drivers make at rail crossings.

Houston police issued 64 citations in a two-hour period Tuesday morning while monitoring the crossings along Highway 90 between Fondren and South Post Oak, according to Union Pacific spokesman Jeff Degraff.

Those violations could have led to fatal accidents like the one Monday in Louisiana, where a 33-year-old man died after a freight train hit his pickup truck on the tracks, according to the Associated Press.

Also, last week, an Amtrak train derailed after hitting a tractor-trailer sitting on the tracks at a crossing in Missouri City. No injuries were reported in that incident.

From January to June 2018, the Federal Railroad Administration recorded 400 accidents among the 74 railroads in Texas, leading to 20 fatalities. The FRA recorded 588 such incidents the previous year with 39 fatalities.

RELATED: Traffic stalled for two hours after Amtrak train craches into big rig, derails near Missouri City

From inside the Union Pacific locomotive Tuesday, cars could be seen stopping directly under the crossing arms, forcing the driver to back up for the oncoming train. Other vehicles stopped on the tracks and attempted to quickly pull over to the side of traffic when the drivers noticed the train.

Cordary emphasized that all drivers should be certain whether they have enough space to cross railroad tracks at a traffic signal. Large tractor-trailers and school buses typically need to stop before they hit the tracks  even without a train in sight.

He said trains may travel up to 70 mph during cross country trips, and the engineers can apply breaks with varying amounts of pressure. But sometimes, depending on the weight of the cargo and the number of engines, that may not be enough, Cordary said.

He said the average train traveling at 55 mph takes about 1.5 miles to stop. The engineer may not be able to avoid an obstruction, even with a quick reaction time, he said.

"There are plenty of warning signs for a motorist approaching the railroad tracks," he said. "Just get in that frame of mind to think about what you need to do to safely traverse those tracks."

Cordary also said pedestrians on railroad tracks have been a growing problem in recent years. The tracks serve as a popular setting for wedding or graduation photos, but Cordary likened that trend to standing in the highway.

"You're not going to stop in the middle of Highway 90 to have your wedding photos taken," he said.

In addition to signage and warning sounds at railroad crossings, the locomotive comes equipped with bells and horns for pedestrians near the tracks.

Despite the array of safety features, the real solution arises out of drivers' and pedestrians' general awareness, he said.

"Just pay attention to where you are," he said.

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A 22-year-old man has been charged in a shooting death last year outside a Westwood area apartment complex.

Rodrigo Santos is charged with murder, accused of shooting Melvin Davis in the parking lot at Vineyard Townhomes, 9550 Deering in southwest Houston.

According to Houston police, Davis was in the parking lot on April 26, 2017, when someone drove a Chevrolet Avalanche into a nearby parking space. A man, who authorities identified as Santos, then got out of the SUV about 11:40 a.m. and shot at Davis several times, fatally injuring him.

MUGSHOTS: Sex trafficking investigation leads to numerous drug arrests

He had gunshot wounds to his head, chest, back, right buttock and right arm, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Davis was taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Santos, who was arrested in June, is being held in the Harris County Jail without bond. He also faces a charge of an aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in a separate incident last year.3 1 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Show More Show Less 3 of 3





One man died after being shot in the Alief area Monday afternoon, police said.

The shooting happened about noon in the 8800 block of Boone Road, south of Beechnut.Houston officers on Monday night arrested two men who are accused of using stolen and cloned credit cards to buy hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel, police said.

An undercover police unit responded to the fuel theft around 11:15 p.m., at a gas station on East Orem south of Houston Hobby Airport.Katy Community Chip Clinic (KCCC), a local non-profit, volunteer-run organization, is pleased to announce its next event, Saturday, Sept. 29, from 9 a.m. to noon, at Paw Envy Pet Care in Sugar Land. KCCC offers $10 microchipping for pets with free lifetime registration.

Paw Envy Pet Care is located at 5022 Highway 90A, Ste J, Sugar Land, Texas 77498.

Not only is microchipping an easy safety precaution for pet owners to invest in, but lost pets with registered microchips are more quickly returned to their families without placing undue burden to neighbors, veterinarians, law enforcement officers or shelter systems.

What is a microchip? A microchip is a rice-sized transponder that is injected between a pets shoulder blades with a needle. When getting chipped, most animals dont notice any difference from when receiving yearly vaccinations. A microchip does not have a GPS locator on it, but as long as the account is kept up-to-date, its number will be linked to the pet owners contact information. The microchip account is easily accessible online, and pet owners can update as needed and even add pets photo and veterinarian info.

Why is it so important to microchip your pets? Microchipping is a free call home for life should your pet accidentally get out and be brought to a shelter or veterinarians office. Collars and tags can be removed or fall off, but a microchip goes wherever your pet does. In the state of Texas when a pet escapes its home, if brought to a shelter, after only three days it can be released for adoption (or worse).

With more than 10 shelters in the Houston metropolitan region (pets dont observe city limits or county lines), finding a lost pet can suddenly become a full time job (posting signs, searching online, visiting shelters). Many times, the correct breed isnt even entered into a shelters registration system upon intake, so making phone calls and asking if a specific breed was brought in, cant guarantee an owner finds its pet.

However, if a pet is microchipped, it will be scanned upon intake, and can often be back home within hours. Microchipping your pet provides a direct link to contact information and expedites a joyful reunion.

People bringing their pets in should know this event is cash only and they mustbring rabies certification paperwork (not just the collar tag)  for volunteer and attendee safety. Cats should be in a secure carrier and it is recommended that dogs should be on a no-slip leash with a securely fastened collar that they cant pull out of, if they get a little excited (no retractable leashes).

There is a limit of two pets per family, unless pre-approved.

For more information on this event, or to see the upcoming calendar, follow the group at www.facebook.com/KatyCommunityChipClinic.Harris County Precinct 4 Constables deputies usually chase suspects, but were surprised to find one already in a Tomball Police Department patrol car parked beside a cops house on Monday night, Sept. 24.

Constable Mark Herman said his office received a call at about 11:15 p.m. on Monday from the Stonepine subdivision in Tomball about a suspected car thief.

We dont know what his intentions were with the car or what he was going to do. He was sitting in the car trying to get it started, he said.

The constables deputies responded to the call as the subdivision is located outside of the Tomball city limits.

OUCH: Mugshot shows what happens when you try to car jack three football players

Sgt. Chris Burns with the Tomball Police Department said the patrol car was unlocked while an off-duty police officer moved items from the vehicle to take inside the house.

The suspect then noticed the unlocked car and attempted to hotwire it, he said.

He did try to pop the ignition on it and the ignition locked up on him, so he couldnt take it, Burns said.

So far in September, the Tomball Police Department have responded to six vehicle burglaries which have occurred in business or apartment complex parking lots.

Usually, the cars have been unlocked, Burns said.

BANK JUGGING STING: Suspected gang members arrested using bait police car

The suspect, Wahaj Usama, of Houston, was charged with burglary of a vehicle and is in jail, according to the Harris County District Clerk.

Herman said he was unsure why the car was being stolen.

Ive never seen it in my career where theyve tried to steal a police car. Ive seen them break into patrol cars and try to take equipment and guns out when people leave them in them. That really concerns me that this guy would be doing that, he said.

mayra.cruz@chron.comWASHINGTON - On social media and in protests that swarmed the Capitol on Monday, liberal and conservative activists have used apocalyptic terms to describe the stakes and have rallied behind the two key figures, who have taken on larger-than-life roles: Kavanaugh, a federal judge, and Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers.

Kavanaugh has become a stand-in for Republicans, Christians and self-identified "deplorables" who feel bullied and smeared by liberals, while Ford has come to symbolize the many women who have been victimized with impunity by powerful men.

"It's the culture war on steroids, an incredible divide and intense to the point where people won't talk to each other in some cases," said William J. Bennett, a conservative commentator and former education secretary in the Reagan administration. "You have the anti-Trump resistance, the 'MeToo' movement and the Supreme Court making for a perfect storm of controversy."

Supreme Court nominations are nearly always contentious, as justices serve for life and make decisions on hot-button issues such as abortion and religious liberties. An opening on the court prompts a reflection on where the country has been and where it should aim to go.

But many prominent Republicans and Democrats say they have never seen a nomination process like this one, with the hyper-charged politics, 24-7 news coverage and social media firestorms. They say the contentiousness surpasses the failed high-court bid of Robert Bork in 1987 and Justice Clarence Thomas's hearings in 1991, when he was accused of sexual harassment.

The divisions have come to define the debate in the closely divided Senate, which has the responsibility to confirm or reject Kavanaugh's nomination and where most members have dug in for or against the nominee along party lines. That has left his fate largely resting in the hands of a few GOP senators who sometimes cling to a vanishing ideological middle - including the chamber's only Republican women, Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.

The tensions stem in part from the unusual significance of Kavanaugh's nomination. A former Bush administration official who is widely considered a conservative in the mold of the late justice Antonin Scalia, he would replace the court's perennial swing justice, Anthony Kennedy, who retired this summer. His confirmation could tilt the ideological balance of the court for a generation.

Kavanaugh has strenuously denied Ford's accusation and that of a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who alleged in an article in the New Yorker this week that he exposed himself at a party while the two were freshmen at Yale University.

Kavanaugh and Ford have faced threats of violence and have worried about the safety of their families. Ford's home address was publicized on Twitter, and Kavanaugh's wife reportedly received an email that said in all-caps: "May you, your husband and your kids burn in hell."

A chorus of conservative activists are mounting a crusade to block efforts to stop his confirmation. Some have suggested that if Republican senators do not confirm Kavanaugh, the party will lose their majorities in Congress in the midterm elections, with one commentator adding to his cautionary tweet the hashtag #bloodbath.

Many Republicans also have accused Democrats of unfairly smearing Kavanaugh, using similarly graphic language. The scrutiny of Kavanaugh has been called an "ambush" and a "drive-by shooting" by elected Republicans. Kavanaugh called it a "last-minute character assassination" in a letter to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday.

"The GOP is getting bullied. It must stand up to the bullies and defend Brett Kavanaugh," conservative commentator Erick Erickson wrote in a column this week. "The GOP rejecting Kavanaugh will be rejecting the desires of its base, embracing false accusations, and rendering itself utterly useless."

Media personality Michelle Malkin sounded even more ominous in a Sunday tweet. "This is a cultural & sociopolitical battle of all battles," she wrote. "The stakes are high for all upstanding Americans, not just GOP candidates."

Meanwhile on Monday, thousands of women rallied in support of Ford and Ramirez on Capitol Hill and in communities throughout the country, including at Yale Law School, Kavanaugh's alma mater. Twitter was filled with testimonials and messages of support from politicians, actresses, Hollywood writers and hundreds of others, accompanied by the hashtag #BelieveSurvivors.

"I stand in solidarity with women and men who share their stories. Every single allegation of sexual assault and sexual harassment should be heard and believed," tweeted Lauren Baer, who is running for Congress in Florida's Palm Beach area.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., framed the nomination standoff this way on Monday: "Republicans in Washington now have an important decision to make. Will they stand with women and survivors or stand against them? History will remember whether they #BelieveSurvivors."

After Trump criticized Ford last week for waiting decades to publicly accuse Kavanaugh of assault, a host of women came to her defense and shared why they also kept their experiences a secret. Their stories of shame, embarrassment, confusion and fear were united by the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport.

Democrats hope this nomination process has reminded voters - especially women living in battleground states - of the importance of the upcoming midterm elections. They often note that after the contentious Supreme Court hearings for Thomas, who was accused of sexually harassing attorney Anita Hill, a wave of Democratic women sought office nationally and won in 1992, which was then called the "Year of the Woman."

"This could be the second 'Year of the Woman' if Republicans are seen as having total tone-deafness and a willingness to put aside the expectations women have about these things, in order to get this guy confirmed," veteran Democratic strategist Bob Shrum said. "Sometimes, history does repeat itself."

For years, America has become more and more polarized - a trend hastened by Trump's election. A Washington Post-ABC News poll in January found that 84 percent of Democrats were concerned about the issues raised through the #MeToo movement, compared to 59 percent of Republicans. A Fox News poll released this weekend found that 59 percent of Democrats believe Ford's accusations, compared with 14 percent of Republicans.

A rallying point for the right came in recent days at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, an annual confab where talk of Kavanaugh dominated speeches. The message from GOP leaders to the party's evangelical base: Stand by Kavanaugh and blame Democrats.

"Don't get rattled by all of this," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urged the crowd. "We're going to plow right through it and do our job."

The tone was similar on the other side of the ideological spectrum Monday. At a rally in Denver, one protester held a sign that read: "Women are screaming 'NO' while the GOP just turns up the music & plows ahead."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.



Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.NEW HARTFORD  A 51-year-old woman from East Longmeadow, Mass., died Sunday after a scuba diving accident at West Hill Pond, in Brodie Park in New Hartford.

State Trooper Tanya Compagnone said the victim, Carol R. Driscoll, was taking scuba lessons from a private diving company on Saturday at the pond.

She was training to be certified for a deep water certification, police said in a statement provided Saturday.

Driscoll failed to resurface from a deep dive, police report, and the scuba instructor, whose name has not been released, brought Driscoll to the surface. She was not responding, according to a state police statement, and CPR was performed.

Troopers from Troop B barracks in Canaan, the New Hartford constable and the New Hartford Volunteer Ambulance service responded to the emergency call of a diver in distress, state police said.

Driscoll was taken to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, according to police, and was transferred later Saturday to Hartford Hospital by Lifestar helicopter.

She was pronounced dead about 7 a.m. Sunday.

Mike Granoth, commander of the Region 5 Dive Team, a regional search and scuba team, which serves portions of Litchfield County and Greater Waterbury, said West Hill Pond is very popular with divers. It has lots of rocks and obstacles and it has very good visibility.

The Region 5 Dive team was not involved with the rescue of Driscoll, but Granoth said a scuba trainer would have to have many years of experience to provide certification lessons for deep water dives.Im Your Captain converted a lengthy quarter-pole move to victory in 1:53.4, fastest in Mondays $78,698 Keystone Classic at The Meadows. The stake for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters was contested over three divisions, with Mississippi Storm and Make It A Double taking the other divisions.

Im Your Captain entered the Keystone Classic off a victory in the Old Oaken Bucket at Delaware, and Miller drove him as if he were the best, launching that quarter-pole move from fourth.

I thought he was as good as anything in there, Miller said, and I just didnt want to rush him out of the gate and make a mistake. So I just moved him up the front side, and he did the rest. He finished with his earplugs in and kind of coasted. I just kept him to his task.

The son of Muscle Hill-Frisky Strike drew off late to down Jackies Jim by 3-3/4 lengths, with Meadowbranch Ricky third. Andy Miller Stable and Black Horse Racing campaign Im Your Captain, who boosted his career bankroll to $128,373.

Mississippi Storm also entered the Keystone Classic off a strong performance  a victory in a Liberty Bell split  and he had little trouble muscling to the early lead and scoring in 1:54.2, a life mark. The pocket-sitting Mr Contestant was second, two lengths back, while Rich And Miserable rallied for show.

Id never driven him before, so I didnt know what to expect, said winning driver Jim Pantaleano. He was very handy. I kicked out the plugs at the head of the stretch, and he still had plenty left. I was happily surprised.

Ton Fanning conditions the Cantab Hall-Mississippi Beauty gelding, who now has banked $153,908 for Joseph Smith.

Make It A Double stretched out 3-5 favourite Scirocco Rob before yielding to the pocket. That might have been the decisive move, as the Donato Hanover-Dodger Blues gelding overtook Scirocco Rob near the wire and defeated him by a length in 1:54.3. Stonebridge Gamble completed the ticket.

I was stuck between horses, and I wanted a two-hole trip, so I kept going, Miller said. I had to use my horse and make the favourite work a little to get where I wanted to be. The horse trotted good late.

Make It A Double lifted his lifetime earnings to $94,011 for Andy Miller Stable, Jason Allen and Douglas Allen. Miller indicated Im Your Captain and Make It A Double would be pointed to the Simpson for their final starts this year.

In the $20,000 Preferred Handicap Trot, Classicality zipped to the front from post 8 and collected a comfortable 2-1/2-length victory in 1:55.1 for Brian Zendt and owner/trainer Lisa Dunn. The eight-year-old Classic Photo-Penn Worthy Lane gelding won for the 50th time in his career and extended his career bankroll to $647,812.

Stake racing at The Meadows continues Tuesday, when the card features a $75,700 Keystone Classic for three-year-old filly trotters. First post is 1:05 p.m.

(The Meadows)Facing a financial crisis and questions from the Texas Education Agency, Crosby ISD in northeast Houston on Monday night voted unanimously to pay independent auditors up to $20,000 to comb through its finances in an effort determine how the district ended up on the brink of insolvency.

Trustees and Superintendent Scott Davis hope the audit by Whitley Penn LLP will provide some answers about what caused the 6,000-student district to drain a large portion of its reserve funds, how former officials spent millions more than the district collected in revenue and why it was forced to take millions from its construction fund to pay teachers.

Those issues have led the TEA to ask the district for a financial solvency plan and Davis to institute bone-deep spending cuts.

DEPARTURE: Crosby ISD trustee resigns amid financial turmoil

Joseph J.R. Humphries, who is running uncontested for Crosby ISDs district 3 seat, said during public comment that the district needs to complete the audit in order to be accountable to those who may soon be laid off.

We have to lay off a lot of people, if we lay them off and we dont have good answers as to everything that happened, its all in vain, Humphries said.

Davis said he would call another special meeting on Oct. 8 and ask the board to declare an official financial emergency, or financial exigency.

The designation will allow the district to lay-off teachers mid-year, drastically cut funding across departments and seek some legal exemptions, moves Davis said will be necessary to keep the district financially solvent.

The designation has only been approved by 12 of Texas more than 1,200 school districts since 2012, including Beaumont ISD and the now-closed La Marque ISD in Galveston County.

On Monday, questions were also raised about the firm currently auditing the district on an annual basis. Weaver and Tidwell LLP will present an audit of the 2017-2018 fiscal year to Crosby ISDs board at the regular Oct. 15 meeting, but Davis said Monday that the firm made a glaring mistake in their accounting of the 2016-2017 school year.

That audit failed to note that the district did not include July and August 2017 payroll expenses in its budget after the district moved the end of its financial year from the end of August to the end of June that same year. That meant the district did not recognize $3.8 million in payroll expenses, which caused the reserve fund balance to fall by that amount.

The fact that Weaver and Tidwell LLP apparently missed a $3.8 million mistake in the audit presented last year gave Davis pause.

When you miss a substantive expense like payroll accruals, that gives you pause, Davis said. They (Weaver and Tidwell) would even say, I understand that.

Celina Cereceres Miller, a CPA with Whitley Penn, said her firm will not begin the independent audit until they receive the annual audit findings from Weaver and Tidwell on Oct. 15.

Trustees have questioned the actions of district's business and finance department, led by former CFO Carla Merka, who presented the botched audit to the board, according to board president Carla Mills Windfont. The districts current financial situation was not revealed until June, when Merka left the district to take the top finance job with the much larger Pasadena ISD.

Soon after Merkas departure, current CFO Lesa Jones found that a combination of issues contributed to the districts dire financial straits: questionable construction spending, bloated personnel costs and inaccurate revenue estimations.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houston sprawl creates growing pains for this district

She found the district drained more than $9 million in 2016-2017 from its fund balance, essentially its emergency savings account. Officials have had to borrow a total of $7.64 million from its construction fund to pay teachers and other staff, which Jones said will be repaid by the end of the year. And in 2016-2017, the district spent about $8 million more than it collected in revenue.

That reality already has forced the district to make some painful decisions. Davis ordered every department to cut its spending by 10 percent in August, and eventually increased the cuts to 60 percent on Sept. 18. Staff are working on a budget amendment that will make further cuts to the $57 million budget that trustees voted to adopt in June. And, although Davis does not yet know the extent of layoffs, he said reduction-in-force notices could be sent to district employees by January.

Officials still dont know exactly what happened to create the current chaos, and Davis and trustees originally sought a forensic audit for detailed answers. A forensic audit, which would essentially recreate past spending check-by-check, can cost nearly $500,000. Davis said that when he originally proposed the more exhaustive audit, he believed it to be a thorough audit rather than a recreation of the districts past finances and thought it would not cost a large sum.

We had to step back for just a second  Davis said. Were actually on a fact-finding mission because of the level of complexity of what were talking about.

The board could still vote to do a forensic audit if the approved audit uncovers specific areas of concern.

Trustees also unanimously approved a motion promising that any wrongdoing uncovered would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Trustee John Swinney, who made the motion, said asked what would happen if the third-party auditors found evidence of a crime. Miller said the firm would present the findings to Davis, who would confer with the board about how to proceed. They would not go straight to the district attorneys office, but Swinney said taxpayers needed a pledge that trustees would hold those potentially responsible for the districts current situation accountable.

If were not going to do anything about it, why would we spend a dime? Swinney said.

shelby.webb@chron.com

Twitter: @shelbywebbTom Carson drives six hours to Rio Bravo, Mexico, to see his wife and their three children every two weeks.

Each visit is bittersweet.

It just breaks my heart every time I have to leave her, Carson said of his youngest daughter. Its the way she holds you and says I love you. Its heartbreaking.

Carson, a controls engineer contracted with Anheuser-Busch, met his wife, Lucia, through mutual friends at a bar in Reynosa, Mexico, in 1999 when he was restoring a plant that burned down.

Just a few months earlier, Lucia, now 45, had attempted to enter the United States with a false claim of citizenship. She was detained for a day but never arrested. Because of that thwarted attempt, Lucia is no longer eligible to cross the border, even though she married Tom, an American citizen, in 2004.

A 1996 law, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, was meant to decrease the number of people entering and staying in the country illegally. It made false claims to citizenship a permanent bar to enter the U.S.

A little-known repercussion of the law is that some couples, like Tom and Lucia, are stuck on opposite sides of the border.

Even the president couldnt pardon her, said Randall Emery, president of American Families United, a nonprofit that helps U.S. citizens navigate the immigration system. Its an administrative violation. Its so askew and different than the way the rest of the law works.

U.S. citizens have the right to sponsor a spouse, but the government can deny them if the applicant has a prior immigration violation, Emery said.

This is something that happens a lot with U.S. citizens, he said. They want to go through the process, but the process is cut off here for them. In this case, theres no opportunity for a waiver. Under the law, a judge cant even look at their case.

The defining law impacted many aspects of immigration, including the permanent bar for false claims to citizenship, said Ruby Powers, a board certified immigration attorney for Powers Law Group in Houston.

Before 1996, it wasnt uncommon for people to cross the border without passports or much documentation, she said. It wasnt as strict until after Sept. 11, 2001. Powers said she remembers crossing the border as a child with just a birth certificate.

There was a trust or honor code that you were telling the truth at the border, she said. I think they made the consequences so dire because they didnt want people to take advantage of the system.

Carson said hes passed through the Donna border checkpoint near McAllen so many times that he recognizes some of the agents. The trip to Rio Bravo is 369 miles, so he bought a Volkswagen Jetta TDI for better gas mileage.

Carson and his wife have 11 children  seven from previous marriages and four together. The oldest of their children together is with Carson, but the other three are in Rio Bravo with Lucia.

Carson said hes seriously considered moving the family to Canada, but that would mean separating his wife from her mother and grandchildren in Mexico.

He said he also considered getting a coyote to bring his family over last year after a neighbor in Rio Bravo was kidnapped and two men with guns pulled him and his two children over.

You talk to people who have done it, and you get this sort of sense, you think you can do it, too, he said.

But as a Navy veteran, Carson said he lives by the law, even when it is unjust.

The controversy surrounding President Donald Trumps recent move to separate families seeking asylum have brought the Carsons situation back into the discussion. He wants Congress to amend the troublesome law.

Its your job to figure out where theres injustices and fix them, Carson said. This is an unjust situation. Theres no way you can say the punishment fits the crime.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke of El Paso, who is vying for Ted Cruzs U.S. Senate seat, and Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, who is running for governor of New Mexico, sponsored a bill to allow a request for an exception for false claims of U.S. citizenship if inadmissibility would create family hardship.

But that bill, called the American Families United Act, was referred to a subcommittee in March 2017, and has been shelved since.

Its been so long, I dont know what hope looks like anymore, Carson said.A 43-year-old man accused of beating his disabled ex-mother-in-law at her Houston home has been charged in her death after she slipped into a coma after the March attack and never recovered, court records show.

A murder charge was added to Robert Perrys rap sheet Saturday, more than three months after the comatose victim, Barbara Haynes, 55, died at a Pasadena nursing home in June.

In July, Houston police arrested Perry for aggravated assault in the March 27 attack at Haynes home in the 1500 block of Robin Street, where the suspect also lived.

IN PEARLAND: Man charged in strangulation death of mother-in law

Haynes nephew, Cannon Morris, found her and two more victims severely beaten at the home, according to a probable cause filing. And when Morris started yelling for help, Perry emerged from a small bungalow on the same property and offered to call 911.

A handyman who survived the attack and who worked on Haynes home, managed to identify Perry to Morris as his assailant, records show.

Why did you beat all of us, the victim, Binh Van Do, allegedly asked of Perry.

Do told police he was inside the home but did not see the initial assault unfold. He heard what began as something falling to the ground and then Haynes crying out.

What happened? What are you doing, Do heard Haynes scream.

The old man owes me money, Perry replied, according to Dos account.

Perry came for Do next and started choking him, documents read. The suspect let go and Do ran to Haynes bedroom, where he found her on the floor and unresponsive. He locked the door and armed himself with a razor blade, which he used to slash Perrys arm when he started breaking down the door.

FLIGHT FROM HOBBY: Man accused of allegedly fondling Southwest flight seatmate

Another victim inside the home, Tom Stubble, told police that he woke to Perry standing behind a curtain. The suspect allegedly started choking him until he passed out. When Stubble came to, Haynes was lying unconscious and bloody on the floor, police wrote. Stubbles relation to Haynes was not immediately known.

An investigator who in May tried interviewing Haynes about the attack learned she had been checked into the Courtyard Pasadena nursing home in a comatose state. There, a nurse told the investigator Haynes was not expected to recover.

She died in June of complications of blunt head trauma, according to Harris County Institute of Forensics records.

In 1992, when Perry was 18, he pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison was apparently granted an early release. Since then, Perry has been charged twice with failing to register as a sex offender after moving to new addresses in both instances. Both charges were later dropped. He served time in the Harris County Jail for drug possession charges.A Houston man accused of causing a string of crashes while driving impaired was fleeing the scene of one fatal collision when he struck another vehicle, killing a 6-year-old boy inside, prosecutors told jurors Monday.

As family and friends of young Joshua Medrano sobbed softly, Harris County prosecutor Lynn Nguyen pointed to Blaine Boudreaux, 38, in the courtroom.

Youre looking at Joshua Medranos killer, Nguyen said in the opening of Boudreauxs trial on felony murder.

Defense attorneys, however, told jurors that Boudreaux was not involved in the first crash that killed military veteran Leonard Batiste. The assertion marked the first time defense lawyers have tried to explain Boudreauxs actions in the series of wrecks on April 26, 2015.

They are not going to be able to prove that Mr. Boudreaux killed Leonard Batiste, attorney Matt DeLuca said. They certainly arent going to be able to prove that he intended to fail to stop and render aid.

The trial begin in state District Judge Robert Johnsons court shortly after a Houston Chronicle investigation found that the nine-county Houston region tallied more fatal impaired-driving crashes in the past 16 years than any other major metropolitan area in the country. A Chronicle analysis of federal highway data shows drivers and passengers died in more than 3,000 wrecks caused by drunk or drugged drivers, about 1,000 more than the Los Angeles area, which has twice the population.

OUT OF CONTROL: Houston is ground zero for drunken and drugged driving

Boudreaux made international headlines when he was arrested on charges of DWI, failure to stop and render aid and two counts of intoxication manslaughter, accused of driving his black Dodge Ram pick-up while intoxicated on prescription medication and causing four wrecks in about two hours. Failure to stop and render aid is the legal charge for hit-and-run.

Instead of trying to convict Boudreaux on two counts of intoxication manslaughter, however, which would cap the punishment at 20 years in prison, Harris County prosecutors are trying to prove felony murder.

To get a conviction, they must convince jurors that Boudreaux was committing the felony of hit-and-run when he caused the fatal wreck that killed the Medrano child, who was riding home with his mother in a Honda Civic.

Boudreaux, who is free on bail, faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted of felony murder.

OUT OF CONTROL: Houston roads, drivers are countrys most deadly

After emotional opening statements Monday, prosecutors began calling witnesses to trace Boudreauxs day beginning when he left his apartment near the Texas Medical Center at 3:03 p.m.

They saw video of Boudreaux allegedly rear-ending a woman and her daughter on Fannin near the Medical Center about 3:20 p.m., for which he was cited by a Houston police officer for failure to control his speed.

They also heard testimony from Joe Sexton, 78, who said Boudreaux rear-ended him at Weslayan and Westpark about 5 p.m. Sexton testified that Boudreaux was agitated because his son, who was born prematurely, was in Texas Childrens Hospital.

It was pretty sad, Sexton said.

A Houston police officer responded to that scene, but did not cite Boudreaux.

The two officers who responded to the wrecks but did not notice that Boudreaux may have been impaired were disciplined after an HPD internal investigation, Sean Teare, chief of the Vehicular Crimes unit of the Harris County District Attorneys office, confirmed.

READ MORE: Timeline of four alleged wrecks in one day

After those two minor wrecks, Boudreaux is accused of running up onto a curb about 15 minutes later on Texas Spur 5 near the University of Houston and running over Batiste, 61, who was collecting scrap metal with a shopping cart.

Batistes body was found the next day.

Just minutes after that fatal wreck, Boudreaux allegedly ran the red light at Lockwood and Interstate 10, hitting Cynthia Medranos Honda and killing her son.

In the aftermath of that crash, witnesses allegedly saw Boudreaux dumping pill bottles down a street grate to conceal them, prosecutors said. No pill bottles were ever recovered.

The trial is expected to last about a week.

Brian Rogers covers Houston crime and courts. You can email him at brian.rogers@chron.com and follow him on Twitter at @brianjrogers.A Toronto companys plan to open a sex service in Houston offering adult love dolls available to rent before you buy has sparked opposition from city leaders and an online campaign to keep so-called robot brothels out of the city.

KinkySdollS, a Canadian company that opened the first North American robot brothel last year in Toronto, unofficially announced via Facebook last month that its first enterprise outside Canada would be in Houston, confirming on the company website that the business was coming soon to the Bayou City.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city is currently reviewing existing ordinances  or will consider drafting new ordinances  that could restrict or regulate such enterprises.

OPENING SOON?: Things to know about Houston's soon-to-open sex robot brothel

This is not the kind of business I would like to see in Houston, and certainly this is not the kind of business the city is seeking to attract, Turner said in a written statement to the Houston Chronicle.

Elijah Rising, a Houston nonprofit organization whose mission is to end sex trafficking, has initiated a petition on change.org calling on the mayor to stop the business from coming to the city, with nearly 7,000 signatures collected as of Tuesday.

The business of robot dolls only reinforces the idea that women are just body objects or properties, said David Gamboa, one of the directors of Elijah Rising. We dont need this in a city like Houston where we already have a major problem with sex trafficking.

KinkySdollS did not respond to a request for comment.

Health, legal concerns

The brothel would apparently not be illegal under current laws, according to experts.

Unfortunately, there are currently no laws in the U.S. to prevent the sale of the type of dolls intended for this robot brothel, said Houston attorney Richard Weaver, who specializes in business law.

Unless a new ordinance is passed, this business will likely open and operate in Houston, Weaver said.

Albert Van Huff, a Houston attorney who is familiar with Houston's sexually oriented business ordinances, said that robot brothels would likely fall under the citys definition of an adult sexual operation, however, and could likely be regulated for visibility and distances from schools, churches and other religious facilities.

Supporters say the robot brothels can reduce human trafficking by substituting life-like dolls for real victims. Others say they pose potential health hazards and could contribute to the spread of venereal disease.

The concern from the public health standpoint is that (the dolls) would have to be very well sanitized if they are going to be shared in order to prevent the spread of diseases, said Elizabeth Perez, spokesperson for Harris County Public Health. Anywhere you are touching an area with multiple peoples traces, there is risk for potential diseases.

Perez said the use of condoms would be important to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.

Real Love Sex Dolls of Austin, the top seller of life-size sex dolls in the United States, recommends that customers refrain from sharing the dolls.

They are one-man women and not meant to be shared, said Stacey Townsend, chief executive of Real Love Sex Dolls, noting that women are also among the customer base, as are couples and people who use them for therapeutic purposes.

A material to make these ultra-realistic dolls called thermoplastic elastomer, or TPE, cannot be properly sterilized after use, she said.

Mechanized pornography

KinkySdollS offers a variety of human-like dolls with articulated skeletal structures.

The dolls are set up in a showroom where patrons can rent them for a half-hour for $80, or $120 for a full hour, according to its website. Customers can also buy the dolls for about $4,000.

The company says it offers a unique service to those who (are) looking for a companion."

Such businesses began making inroads in Asia and Europe before coming to North America. A report from the Foundation for Responsible Robotics, headquartered in The Netherlands, concludes that, although some experts have said that sexual robots could replace sex trafficking and forced prostitution, they did not find evidence of such claims.

"We have a legitimate concern that this business would encourage men to dehumanize women," opined attorney Weaver. This perception is echoed in social media by people like him that are in opposition to allowing this kind of enterprise in Houston.

For Gamboa, "This is mechanized pornography." He believes that "Robot brothels would also ultimately harm men and their understanding of healthy sexuality."

Gamboa said that Elijah Risings petition is not against sex toys in general but the robot brothels.

We want all brothels to close, but this one is just absurd, he said.

olivia.tallet@chron.com

Twitter: @oliviaptalletThe Harris County Sheriff's Office released the names and mugshots of a dozen people arrested during a drug and sex trafficking investigation last week.

Police and federal authorities said they arrested 13 patrons and the owner of El Condor Pool Hall, a bar in north Houston.

Harris County police booked 11 people on drug-related charges and one person on a misdemeanor charge of failure to identify. In addition, two persons were arrested on outstanding warrants, although authorities did not specify what the warrants were for.

READ MORE: Drug, sex trafficking investigation closes pool hall, 14 arrested

A spokesperson for HCSO said Homeland Security was handling the investigation of sex trafficking at the bar and had already interviewed and let go an unspecified number of woman on the premise.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said it had seized several grams of narcotics, including cocaine and heroin at the premise. The agency also said the owner of the bar had agreed to cancel the establishment's alcohol permit.

The multi-agency effort to investigate the bar arose from allegations that the bar was serving alcohol after hours and that narcotics were being purchased on the premise.

See the names and mugshots of those arrested by Harris County police above.

Fernando Ramirez covers Texas news and politics. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. | Fernando.ramirez@chron.com | @fernramirez93



By now, most people have heard that Helen Keller and Hillary Clinton are on the chopping block for Texas' history curriculum.

They are joined by more than 80 historical figures who were voted unessential by the Texas Board of Education earlier this month.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Trot Insider has been informed that arrangements have been finalized for John Patterson of Bayfield, Ont., formerly of Brantford, Ont., who passed away on Monday (Sept. 24) at the age of 64.

Patterson worked as an accountant for many horsepeople under the business name Minor Details. He was a supporter and avid fan of Racing Under Saddle. Patterson also dabbled in racehorse ownership.

John was the loving son of the late Haszard and Mona Patterson. Cherished brother of Cathy. John was born in Sydney, NS and remained a lifelong proud Cape Bretoner. He was an avid golfer, hockey and harness racing fan as well as a voracious reader.

In addition to his many friends and relatives, John will be fondly remembered and missed by his special friends Natalie Elliott and Brianne Sloan, cousins Billy and Nancy Patterson, Diane and Autumn Patterson, Karen Bourgoin and buddies Dave Berry, Roy McCarthy and Bill Simmons.

Visitation will be held at Falconer Funeral Home, 153 High Street, Clinton at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 2 with service at 1:00 p.m. Cremation has taken place.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the War Amps would be appreciated. Messages of Condolence for John's family are welcome at falconerfuneralhomes.com (click here).

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of John Patterson.More than a year after Hurricane Harvey showed the Houston area's floodplain maps were outdated and inaccurate, Harris County is prepared to begin the years-long process of drawing new maps.

Commissioners Court on Tuesday agreed to accept $6.5 million in federal FEMA funds to complement $8 million in local dollars to create new maps, to be completed by 2023.

"We're excited about that, and it's going to be a big undertaking," said Russ Poppe, executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District. He added the county has already begun the search for contractors.

A Houston Chronicle investigation found that of the more than 204,000 county homes and apartments that flooded during Harvey, nearly three in four were outside the 100-year floodplain. In those zones, which have a 1 percent chance of flooding in a given year, homeowners are required to purchase subsidized flood insurance through the federal National Flood Insurance Program.

County Judge Ed Emmett said there is no need to wait for new maps to complete the more than 230 projects included in the $2.5 billion flood bond voters approved in August.

"The maps are really more important to the homeowners and business owners and insurance than they are to our projects," Emmett said. "Flood Control knows that the projects are needed to prevent flooding."

He said the redefined floodplains will be essential to planning future development and assessing flood risk in communities. For years, he said government and private developers failed to keep track of where creeks and bayous drained, and where water flowed when waterways crested their banks.

The re-drawn maps also will allow the county to more fairly enforce its new floodplain building codes. In the year after Harvey, Houston and Harris County added new requirements for floodplain development.

The county's flood control district hopes to hire contractors through the end of the year to begin work in January. Director of Operations Matt Zeve said engineers hope to complete the new maps, which will cover nearly 800 miles of waterways, by 2023.

The new maps will cover Harris County's 23 watersheds, including bayous, creeks, the San Jacinto River, Addicks and Barker reservoirs and Galveston Bay.

Zeve noted that the last time Harris County mapped its floodplains, starting in 2001, the project took six years. With better technology, the county now can do it in four.

Engineers will use LiDAR, a laser-based system used to measure land elevation, as well as Atlas 14, a tool developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to study hypothetical flood-producing rainfall events.

"It's a better product for the public," Zeve said.

With the approval of several additional projects by Commissioners Court on Tuesday, the flood control district has begun work on about 40 flood bond projects, or about 17 percent of the total.

Zach Despart covers Harris County for the Chronicle. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at zach.despart@chron.com.AUSTIN  Cody Wilson, the activist who captured national attention by distributing blueprints of guns that can be made at home with a 3-D printer, has stepped down from the company he founded after his arrest on charges he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl.

The company, Defense Distributed, will instead be run by new director Paloma Heindorff, who was introduced at a Tuesday morning news conference.

Heindorff told reporters that Wilson will not be involved with the company, but said Defense Distributed remains committed to selling blueprints for the do-it-yourself guns over the Internet.

Wilson, 30, was arrested on the sex charge at a restaurant in Taipei City late Friday, according to Taiwanese media, and was released on bail of $150,000 from the Harris County jail on Sunday. He was not present at Tuesdays news conference.

He is charged with having sex with a 16-year-old girl he met on SugarDaddyMeet.com. They had sex at an Austin hotel in August, according to an arrest report. Wilson allegedly paid her $500 at the hotel before dropping her off at a Whataburger restaurant. The two also traded nude pictures of themselves, the report says.

The girl told a counselor about the sexual encounter, sparking an investigation by police.

A friend of the 16-year-old girl reportedly tipped off Wilson about the investigation. Wilson then traveled to Taiwan where Taiwanese authorities apprehended him before sending him back to the U.S.

More: 3-D printed gun advocate Cody Wilson bonds out of jail in Houston after arrest in Taiwan

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 and can evade some metal detectors.

Nineteen state attorneys general have filed suit to stop Wilson from freely distributing the plans, and a federal judge ultimately barred Wilson from doing so. In late August, he announced he would still sell the plans directly online, and buyers could name their price.

On Tuesday, Heindorff said the company has received 3,000 orders for the blueprints so far. About 1,500 of those orders have been filled, she said.

The company has raised about $400,000 from supporters to fuel its fight in court. Heindorff said none of those funds will go to Wilson's legal defense in the sex assault case.

andrea.zelinski@chron.comAfter protesters harassed Ted Cruz and his wife Heidi Cruz as they tried to dine on Monday night, even his political opponent Beto O'Rourke is calling foul.

A video shared widely on social media shows that as Cruz and his wife were at dinner at an Italian restaurant in D.C., a mob of protesters confronted them and chanted at them until eventually they got up and left.After protesters harassed Sen. Ted Cruz and his wife, Heidi, as they tried to dine on Monday night, even his political opponent Beto ORourke was calling foul.

A video shared widely on social media shows that as Cruz and his wife were at dinner at an Italian restaurant in Washington, D.C., a mob of protesters confronted them and chanted at them until eventually they got up and left.

We believe survivors, the crowd chanted, a reference to the two women who have accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct he was in high school and college, including an assault.

The event has brought both conservatives and Democrats to the defense of Cruz.

Conservative commentator and talk show host Mark Levin called the incident truly reprehensible.

ORourke, Cruzs opponent for re-election, said it is not right that protesters would target Cruz and his wife they way they did.

Not right that Senator Cruz and his wife Heidi were surrounded and forced to leave a restaurant last night because of protesters, ORourke wrote on Twitter. The Cruz family should be treated with respect.

Cruz has not responded with an official statement, but he has advocated for Kavanaughs appointment to the court. However, Cruz also has called for accuser Christine Blasey Ford to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which he is a member.

Cruz said earlier this month that Ford should have a full opportunity to tell her story before the Judiciary Committee, and Judge Kavanaugh should have a full opportunity to defend himself.

Ford says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh calls the claim completely false.Over the weekend, the controversy over Brett Kavanaugh's 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 Kavanaugh's 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 Ramirez's memory, and she was initially reluctant to characterize Kavanaugh's 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 Trump's populist posturing, there are few people more obsessed with Ivy League credentials. Kavanaugh's nomination shows how sick the cultures that produce those credentials  and thus our ruling class  can be.

Let's start with Kavanaugh's high school, Georgetown Prep, also the alma mater of Neil Gorsuch, Trump's first Supreme Court pick. There's now a wealth of reporting painting the private school as a bastion of heedless male entitlement. Kavanaugh's high school friend Mark Judge  who Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh's first accuser, says was in the room when Kavanaugh allegedly assaulted her  has written extensively of his drunken teenage debauchery. According to The New Yorker, Judge confided in an ex-girlfriend, Elizabeth Rasor, about an incident where he and other boys took turns having sex with a drunken woman.

From Georgetown Prep, Kavanaugh went to Yale. There he joined the fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon, or DKE, which was, according to The Yale Daily News, "notorious for disrespecting women." (Long after Kavanaugh graduated, the fraternity, once headed by George W. Bush, was banned from campus after video emerged of pledges chanting, "No Means Yes! Yes Means Anal!") Kavanaugh was also a member of an all-male secret society called Truth and Courage, which had an obscene nickname affirming its dedication to womanizing.

It may not be fair to judge Kavanaugh by the company he kept. But it's telling that these were the crucibles in which he and other members of our ostensible meritocracy forged their identities and connections.

Besides, if we're expected to heed all the character witnesses who've called Kavanaugh a great guy, we might also listen to those who knew him as a member of this piggish milieu. Speaking of Ramirez's claim, a former roommate of Kavanaugh at Yale told The New Yorker, "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. Is it believable that Kavanaugh was one of them? Yes."

There's no equivalent culture in which girls reap social capital for misbehaving. You rarely see women in politics or law who flaunt college reputations as party girls; the women who make it are expected to show steely self-control. In the rarefied social world that produces so many of our putative leaders, a young man who frequently gets blackout drunk, as Kavanaugh reportedly did, is a fun guy. A young woman who does so is a mess.

Kavanaugh went on to become a protege of appeals court judge Alex Kozinski, for whom he clerked in the early 1990s. Last year, Kozinski resigned after multiple accusations of sexual harassment by former female clerks and junior staffers; two said he showed them porn in his office. The judge's lewd behavior was, by many accounts, an open secret. "All the clerks and former clerks in Kozinski's ambit knew and understood that you assumed the risk and accepted the responsibilities of secrecy," wrote Slate legal correspondent Dahlia Lithwick, who had clerked for another judge on the same court. Kavanaugh has said he knew nothing. Whether you believe this or not, he had an obvious advantage over his female peers.

There is currently an uproar at Yale Law School involving professor Amy Chua and her husband, Jed Rubenfeld, both of whom had a reputation as gatekeepers for students who hoped to land coveted clerkships with Kavanaugh. Sources told The Guardian that Chua instructed female applicants to exude a "model-like" femininity. (Chua denies this.) One prospective clerk said Rubenfeld advised her, "You should know that Judge Kavanaugh hires women with a certain look." Rubenfeld, The Guardian reports, is the subject of an internal investigation regarding his conduct with female law students.

Watching all this unfold is radicalizing for reasons far beyond Republican mistreatment of Kavanaugh's accusers. His story shows, in lurid microcosm, how a certain class of men guard and perpetuate their privileges. Women who struggle ceaselessly to be smart enough, attractive enough, ambitious enough and likable enough have been playing a rigged game. As they realize that, their incandescent fury is remaking our politics. We'll know things have changed when palling around with sexual abusers carries more stigma than being abused does.Rain poured across the region Tuesday, causing flooding throughout the state.

With the flooding came water rescues and local law enforcement urging motorists to stay off the roads if possible.

Below are town-by-town updates from local agencies.

For updates on crashes or other traffic-related problems on highways, head over to: https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Rain-to-affect-morning-and-afternoon-commutes-13255707.php.

UPDATE: 7:15 AM

From Westport police:

As a result of yesterdays heavy rainfall there are still two roads within the town that remain partially closed due to flooding conditions. The following are the effected roadways: Compo Road South at the railroad underpass - this means that all vehicular traffic south of the underpass will have to utilize Hillspoint Road to access Greens Farms Road and the Post Road; Additionally, Roseville Road is closed between Salem Road and Whitney Street.

The town is working to reopen these roadways as quickly as possible.

Motorists are asked to be patient, and leave extra time to get to work and/or school.

UPDATE: 6:40 AM

Metro-North says substitute bus service will be provided for the 7:28 AM train from Danbury to South Norwalk due to equipment availability.

Waterbury Branch Customers: Substitute Bus Service will be provided beginning with the 6:38 AM train from Waterbury to Bridgeport and the 8:02 AM train from Bridgeport to Waterbury due to equipment availability

UPDATE: 6:20 AM

North Haven police say the roadway on Kings Highway at Mount Carmel Avenue has collapsed. Avoid the area.

UPDATE: 5:08 AM

Eversource reports 319 customers without power including 261 in Guilford, 31 in Haddam, , six in Monroe and five in Ridgefield.

UPDATE: 4:46 AM WEDNESDAY

The following schools have two-hour delays Wednesday: Bridgeport, Kolbe Cathedral, Trumbull, The Bridge Academy and Notre Dame in Fairfield.

St. Andrew Academy in Bridgeport is closed because of flooding.

UPDATE: 9:30 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

DANBURY BRANCH

Service resumed between South Norwalk and Danbury. Substitue bus service was provided for the 9:17 p.m. train from Danbury to South Norwalk.

More for you Traffic problems throughout Conn. during rain, floods

UPDATE: 9 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

DANBURY BRANCH

Service has resumed, three hours and 20 minutes after initially being suspended.

UPDATE: 8:45 P.M.

WESTPORT

Two adults and two children were rescued from two cars that were swept off the road by swift water caused by flooding.

Three occupants were removed from the roof of a car and one from inside the car. The fire department had to break a window and extricate that individual. No injuries reported.

UPDATE: 8:30 P.M. - POWER OUTAGES

United Illuminating is reporting 702 customers without power.

Fairfield: 623

Shelton: 22

Bridgeport: 18

Trumbull: 2

Shelton: 1

Eversource is reporting 983 customers without power.

Bethel: 406

Ridgefield: 177

Monroe: 52

Norwalk: 11

Wilton: 4

Weston: 3

Westport: 2

Oxford: 1

Greenwich: 1

It was unclear if all the outages were caused by Tuesdays storm.

UPDATE: 8:20 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

NEW HAVEN LINE

Westbound service has gone back to making stops at Fairfield Metro, Fairfield and Southport.

UPDATE: 7:45 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., emergency responders were dispatched to over 130 emergencies, ranging from cars in water to flooded roadways and basements, said a weather update from the citys Emergency Operations Center, provided by police spokesman Av Harris.

The water that flooded city roadways began to dissipate as of 7:45 p.m., the EOC weather update said.

We are continuing to assess the damages, the weather update said. At this time we have Geraldine Johnson (school) on standby for a shelter.

UPDATE: 7:40 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

DANBURY BRANCH

Service is still suspended.

NEW HAVEN LINE

Delays up to 20 minutes remain. Earlier delays were between 65 to 70 minutes.

UPDATE: 7:30 P.M.

MILFORD

Milford police spokesman, Officer Mike DeVito, said flooding isnt bad in the city, adding that low tide was at 6:18 p.m., which would have helped any flooded areas.

UPDATE: 6:35 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

The fire department has responded to at least 15 boat rescues  which includes people stuck in flooded homes and cars stuck in water  as of 6:35 p.m., city spokeswoman Rowena White said.

The number of boat rescues doesnt accurately represent the amount of people impacted though, just the number of incidents the firefighters responded to.

Most of the rescues are happening in the Lakeside Drive area of the city, White said.

There is no official evacuation plan set up right now, but White said that could change.

Stay home, stay off the roads, she said. All city officials ... are requesting that people stay off the roads. And if you absolutely have to be on the roads, dont drive through flooded areas.

UPDATE: 6:15 P.M.

DANBURY, BETHEL, RIDGEFIELD

A couple roads in Danbury are closed due to flooding. Main Street at Elmwood Park, as well as Old Lantern Road at Lamppost Drive, will be closed until they are safe to pass, a police dispatcher said.

Ridgefield and Bethel police dispatchers said all roads were open, but the Bethel dispatcher said a caller reported some water on Plumtrees Road earlier Tuesday evening.

UPDATE: 6 P.M.

METRO-NORTH

Westbound trains of the New Haven Line are currently unable to stop at Fairfield Metro, Fairfield and Southport because of weather-related track conditions.

Customers at these stations should travel east to Bridgeport for westbound service. Please listen for announcements at your stations, Metro-North said.

EASTON

Many roads in town are flooded and some are not passable, police said.

If you dont have to drive, stay where you are until the rain slows and the roads have some time to drain, police said, adding never to drive through water if you cant tell how deep it is. Never drive through rushing water.

UPDATE: 5:50 P.M.

WESTPORT

Sherwood Island State Park in Westport is closed due to flooding as of 4:30 p.m., the DEEP said.

UPDATE: 5:45 P.M.

FAIRFIELD

All units it town are currently out dealing with numerous flooding incidents, fire officials said.

Vehicles are stuck in water on Wilson Street near valley. Units are extricating the drivers, officials said.

UPDATE: 5:40 P.M.

METRO-NORTH

The Danbury Branch service of Metro-North is suspended because of weather-related high water issues.

Customers should seek alternate transportation options, the railroad service said.

UPDATE: 5:35 P.M.

WESTPORT

Due to the heavy rain we have experienced throughout the day, many Westport roadways are flooded, police said. We urge residents to stay off the roadways unless necessary ... Do not attempt to drive through flooded roadways and avoid low-lying areas prone to flooding.

Police are urging any residents needing to travel to give themselves extra time to get there.

UPDATE: 5:20 P.M.

GREENWICH

Its been busy weather- related, said Deputy Fire Chief Tom Nixon, We didnt have any rescues, but weve been busy with water issues at residences.

By late afternoon, Greenwich firefighters had been dispatched to 19 homes in town, to make sure everything is safe, Nixon said. Firefighters made sure electrical systems and other utilities deluged by water were turned off temporarily.

Multiple cars traveled through floodwaters on North Main Street in Port Chester, N.Y., as it crosses the state border into Greenwich. One car was damaged by the high water.

NORWALK

Police said Connecticut Avenue near Lowes, Shop Rite and Scribner Avenue flooded heavily. They advised people to stay off the roads because flooding was occurring pretty much everywhere.

Also, they advised people not to not attempt to drive through the puddles, tweeting turn around, dont drown, on Twitter.

West Avenue near the new mall flooded, causing trouble for vehicles getting off Route 7. Many smaller roads near the bottoms of hills  including East Rocks Road near St. Marys Lane and Bettwood Road  had large puddles.

Parts of Interstate 95 were closed, such as near Exit 16.

STAMFORD

Police and firefighters were dispatched to assist flooded motorists in several areas of the city Tuesday afternoon.

Flooded cars were reported on Broad Street near Mill River, under the railroad bridge on Elm Street and under the Myrtle Street railroad bridge. While most got out of their own cars without assistance, firefighters were called out to help a driver with water rising under the Elm Street bridge.

Flooded cars were also being reported on Palmer Avenue, Research Drive, Larkin and on West Main Street near Alvord Lane. Thirty one children and their bus driver were reported stranded on Dale Street and police called for a heavy wrecker to pull them out of the water.

Police are closing roads around Stamford that are determined to be too deep in water to travel. Reports were also coming in from police of manhole covers being blown off by water.

Flooding was also reported at the Domus Administrative Center on Lockwood Avenue where a voter registration drive had to be canceled on Tuesday afternoon.

UPDATE: 5 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

DANBURY BRANCH

Train #1838 (the 4:13 p.m. train from South Norwalk to Danbury) is delayed because of high water conditions.

UPDATE: 4:45 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

Harrel Street and Calhoun Avenue are completely impassable, a city police officer said. And Main Street between Capitol Avenue and Charles Street is closed because of flooding.

Bridgeport firefighters have responded to two water rescues as of 4:45 p.m.  one is at Park Avenue and Rooster River Boulevard, another was in the 300 block of Savoy Street and the third was at the intersection of Hancock and Maplewood avenues.

UPDATE: 4:20 P.M.

NORWALK

The road in front of the Shop Rite Plaza on Connecticut Avenue is flooded, with some cars stuck on the flooded roadway.

A passerby said the drivers of the cars were unharmed and that the street was completely flooded.

UPDATE: 4:15 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

Mayor Joe Ganim warned city residents after the National Weather Service issued the flash flood warning.

Please be careful in Bridgeport this afternoon, Ganim said.

UPDATE: 4 P.M.

STAMFORD

Please stay off the roads, fire officials urged. The Stamford Fire Department is actively making dozens of water rescues due to the heavy rain. Please do not drive through deep water.

NORWALK

City police are asking residents not to drive through flooded roadways, tossing in the classic phrase  turn around, dont drown, on Twitter.

UPDATE: 3:50 P.M.

DARIEN

Route 1 at Tokeneke Road is closed because of a flooded underpass. Police are blocking off the area.

Please seek alternate routes and do not attempt to drive through flooded roadways, police urged.

UPDATE: 3:40 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

Heavy rainfall, with rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, is expected in the city between 3:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

As with all storms, we will continue to keep a close eye on them and issue alerts as needed. Stay safe, said the Bridgeport EOC on social media.

UPDATE: 3:20 P.M.

BETHEL

More than 2 inches of rain has fallen in Bethel so far.

Expect small stream and poor drainage flooding this afternoon, a tweet from Bethel OEM/FM said. Turn around, dont drown. Avoid flooded streets.

UPDATE: 3:18 P.M.

The flash flood warning issued by the National Weather Service on Tuesday has been extended until 6:15 p.m.

The warning was initially planned to last through 4 p.m.

The NWS said Doppler radar picked up heavy rain across the area with flash flooding expected to pick up soon (as of 3:18 p.m.).

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other drainage areas and low-lying spots, the NWS said.

Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, Danbury, Milford, Shelton, New Canaan, Newtown, Fairfield, Greenwich, Stratford, Trumbull, Westport, Ridgefield and Darien are expected to see some flooding, the weather service warning said.

Turn around, dont drown when encountering flooded roads, NWS said. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

Original story:

With the National Weather Service predicting rain to continue to fall well into the evening, a flash flood warning was issued for southern Fairfield County until 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Weather radar indicated heavy rain across the area in the warning.

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage areas and low lying spots, the NWS said.

In its 1:09 p.m. weather discussion, the NWS said, A warm front will lift through the area this afternoon and evening. Thunder was pushed into the forecast with the passage of the warm front.

A widespread rainfall between 1 to 2 inches is possible, the weather service said.

In its hourly forecast, the NWS has moderate to heavy continuing to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The forecast

This Afternoon: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3 p.m. High near 70. Southeast wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tuesday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 9 p.m, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9 p.m. and midnight, then a chance of showers after midnight. Patchy fog after 9 p.m. Steady temperature around 70. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 6 to 10 mph.

Wednesday night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before midnight. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southwest wind around 9 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.In todays hospitals and healthcare clinics, a new doctors new assistant is now often on the job  in the form of artificial intelligence. Whether its analyzing medical images or guiding robots that assist with surgeries, AI is making steady inroads into our hospitals and clinics. Need an online nursing assistant or a watchdog that helps detect dosage errors? Theres an AI application for that.

The advent of AI in healthcare is a promising trend in terms of both patient care and economic efficiency. AI can help us address a forecasted shortage of physicians, particularly in specialty-care fields, while containing the costs of caring for an aging and growing population.[1] A recent study by a team of researchers from the consulting firm Accenture found that the use of 10 promising AI applications could create up to $150 billion in annual savings for U.S. healthcare by 2026.[2]

For an example of the potential of AI in healthcare, we need to look no further than Gustave Roussy, a leading European center for cancer research and care. In a study published this summer in the medical journal The Lancet Oncology, a team of medical researchers from Gustave Roussy and a few other institutions demonstrated that AI can process medical images to extract biological and clinical information to help with immunotherapy treatment, according to a news release on the study.[3]

In this groundbreaking study, the researchers used an algorithm they designed and developed to analyze CT scan images and create a radiomic signature. This signature defines the level of lymphocyte infiltration of a tumor  or the degree to which immune cells have moved from the blood into a tumor cell. The radiomic signature also provides a predictive score for the efficacy of immunotherapy in the patient.

Heres how AI played into this research: Using an approach based on machine learning, the team first taught the algorithm to use relevant information extracted from CT scans of patients participating in the study. Then, based solely on images, the algorithm learned to predict what the genome might have revealed about the tumor immune infiltrate, and it established the radiomic signature.

The announcement summarizing the findings of the study notes that in the future, physicians might be able to use imaging to identify biological phenomena in a tumor located in any part of the body without having to perform a biopsy.

At Dell EMC, this research is particularly close to our hearts because we are active supporters of Gustave Roussy. The Paris-based cancer center is one of nine partner organizations within the Dell EMC Childrens Cancer Care program. This global initiative  part of the Dell EMC Sponsorships and Giving program  involves a multimillion dollar commitment that covers both technology and volunteering by Dell EMC employees. Through it, Dell EMC has provided technology to Gustave Roussy that powers classrooms so that children can continue with their education while receiving treatment.

Dell EMC also provides a lot of technology that helps Gustave Roussy stay at the leading edge of cancer research and care. That technology includes the Intel-based Dell EMC HPC System for Life Sciences, which the cancer center is using for a genomic data analysis platform. That platform has helped Gustave Roussy run eight times more analyses on genome deterioration in a single day  to accelerate research into pediatric cancers and reduce patient waiting lists. [4]

For a closer look at the great things Gustave Roussy is doing with Dell EMC systems, read the case study Cancer centre speeds up life-saving treatments or watch the video Gustave Roussy improves pediatric cancer treatments by speeding genomic analysis with Dell servers.

[1] Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), GME Funding and Its Role in Addressing the Physician Shortage, May 29, 2018.

[2] Brian Kalis, Matt Collier, Richard Fu, 10 Promising AI Applications in Health Care, Harvard Business Review, May 10, 2018.

[3] Gustave Roussy news release, Predicting the response to immunotherapy using artificial intelligence, August 27, 2018.

[4] Dell EMC case study, Cancer centre speeds up life-saving treatments, August 2017.A pair of new surveys shows deep skepticism about the role the SAT, ACT, and Advanced Placement courses play in college admission.

Inside Higher Ed commissioned the surveys, and published the results Monday . One survey, conducted by Gallup, is its annual exploration of the attitudes of 599 college admissions and enrollment-management officials . Inside Higher Ed added questions about AP to that survey this year, in light of a decision by a group of elite schools to drop AP courses. The second survey is a new one that Inside Higher Ed added to its lineup this year. Conducted by Hanover Research, the survey explores the views of 535 high school counselors on a range of topics, including AP.

Here are highlights of the results:

Colleges Going Test-Optional:



59 percent of the high school counselors said theyd like to see all colleges go test optional. But only about half said they thought students at their schools were aware of college options that did not require standardized test scores.

62 percent of the college-admissions and enrollment-management officials said they think that the emphasis on colleges test-score requirements discourages students from considering colleges where they could get in and do well.

56 percent of the college-admissions leaders said they think the University of Chicagos recent decision to make ACT or SAT scores optional will lead other colleges to do likewise. Seventeen percent said it was already prompting their institutions to reconsider their SAT or ACT requirements.

Advanced Placement Courses:



67 percent of high school counselors report that students see taking AP or International Baccalaureate courses as essential for college admission. Even so, half said students at their schools pass up chances to take as many AP classes as possible.

44 percent of the counselors said they worry that their schools limit students options by offering too few AP or IB courses. Theres more worry at schools with large low-income populations: 49 percent of the counselors in those schools said they worried about inadequate offerings of AP or IB courses, compared to 37 percent in wealthier schools.

53 percent of the college-admissions leaders reported that they worry about inequities in access to AP.

70 percent of college-admissions leaders said they think AP courses are rigorous, but 62 percent said they worry that students feel pressured to take too many. Only nine percent said that their institutions favor applicants with AP coursesinstead of just honors classeson their transcripts.

College Recruitment:



70 percent of the counselors said they wish more colleges recruited prospective students at their schools.

Only 38 percent of counselors from schools with large popuations of low-income students said competitive out-of-state colleges regularly recruit on their campuses, compared to 51 percent of counselors from wealthier higher schools.

Writing tests on the SAT and ACT:Not one United States senator knows whether Judge Brett Kavanaughs accusers are telling the truth. And yet, quite a few of its membersall Democratshave already decided that they are telling the truth. Connecticuts Richard Blumenthal and New Yorks Kirsten Gillibrand, for example, have declared that they believe the allegations of Professor Christine Blasey Ford, though she has yet to testify. Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii insists that Ford needs to be believed, and that men need to just shut up and step up.

Oddly enough, the same Democratic politicians who seem to have made up their minds about the matter are the very ones calling for a full investigation into Fords accusations, as well as those of Kavanaughs former Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez. This should set off alarms for anyone concerned about the old-fashioned notion of due processthat is, the procedural fairness that Anglo-American law guarantees to those accused of crimes.

The hallmark of due process is the presumption of innocence. Imagine a judge who announcesbefore the trial even beginsthat he thinks that the accused is lying. Defense counsel would rightly demand that the judge recuse himself. But no recusal has been offered by those senators who would sit in judgment on the Supreme Court nominee.

Because every defendant is presumed innocent, due process also requires that ones accusers bear the burden of proof. Today, however, this tradition has been turned on its head, with politicians and commentators on the left asserting that the burden is on Kavanaughand any other man accused of sexual misconductto disprove the accusations against them. Blumenthal, for example, tweets that Kavanaugh has a responsibility to come forward with evidence to rebut Ramirezs accusations of sexual assault. Anita Hill, the law school professor who accused Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during Thomass 1991 confirmation hearings, has argued that Kavanaugh bears the burden of disproving Fords allegations.

Proving that something did not happenparticularly something 35 years agois virtually impossible. Compounding these attempts to reverse the traditional evidentiary burden, Democratic senators supported Fords initial demand that Kavanaugh testify before Ford, thus denying him even the chance to respond to her specific allegations.

Commentators on the left have argued that due process is irrelevant here because Senate confirmation hearings do not constitute a trial. Rather, the hearings are more like a job interview: Kavanaugh wants the job, so he bears the burden. But this argument is too clever by half. Kavanaugh is not merely a job applicant; he is a sitting Court of Appeals judge. If the accusations against him could be proven, he would almost certainly be forced from the bench. At a minimum, if the accusations are deemed credible, they will stigmatize Kavanaugh for years. In the context of state and local governments, courts have consistently held that public employees deserve due process when faced with government action that threatens their jobs or good reputation. Is it too much to hold senators to the same standard before they destroy the career of one of Americas most distinguished jurists?

Even where due process is not strictly required, the basic principle of impartial justicea goal that the Senate Judiciary Committee ought to embracedemands something akin to due process. The Lefts impatience with procedural fairness in the Kavanaugh hearings echoes the Obama administrations requirement that university administrators dispense with standard protections for students accused of sexual assault, such as the right to cross-examine the accuser. The erosion of due process on campus has only recently been reversed, thanks to revised guidance from the Department of Education.

The groundswell of support for the victims of sexual assault is a welcome development, but it does not change the fact that allegations of serious crimes must be judged on a case-by-case basis. The allegations against Brett Kavanaugh should receive an impartial hearing with sensitivity to the accusersand due process for the accused.

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesAn unexplained break from a stable family routine. A bathroom only very slightly out of order: a rumpled towel on the floor, a broken vase, tiny specks of blood. An unbelievable 9-1-1 call and, soon after, an arrest.

Countdown to Capture has all the ingredients of a good true crime podcast, but its not a decades old mystery picked apart by probing reporters. Its a police manhunt, produced and hosted by the Newport Beach Police Department in Southern California.

In six parts, the podcastperhaps the first produced by law enforcement on an open murder investigationtells the story of Peter Chadwick, a wealthy real estate investor suspected of killing his wife, Quee Choo Lim Chadwick, 46, on October 10, 2012. Two of the three Chadwick children were brought home from school by a neighbor after their mother didnt show up to pick them up from the school bus stop. Their mom, Quee Choo, who is known as Q.C., is not the kind of mom who would let her boys wait at a bus stop, host Jennifer Manzella, the departments spokeswoman and podcast host, says in the first episode.

Peter Chadwick called police early the next morning, on October 11, 2012, with a wild tale about a day laborer named Juan, who Chadwick said killed Q.C., stole her body, and held him captive for hours. But police have found no evidence this man exists, and Chadwick was arrested on October 12, 2012, 100 miles south in San Diego, with dried blood and scratches all over him. Q.C.s body was found in a dumpster days later. He was held in custody until December 2012, when he made bail for $1 million, and made regular court appearances until December 2014. In January 2015, he missed the first appearance of the new year, and the cops havent seen him since.

The department decided to make a podcast to enlist the public in searching for Chadwick, who has been missing for three years and is believed to be abroad. Podcasts, thought Manzella, could reach people outside of Southern California.

Its an interesting experiment: a merging of police work with a journalistic medium, minus all the rules of journalism (Chadwick has not been convicted of a crime, but the podcast suggests his guilt), plus an admission from law enforcement that they need help. Where other podcasts have questioned convictionsthe first, viral season of Serial focused on the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, and raised reasonable doubts about the guilt of Adnan Syed, her ex-boyfriend and convicted killerManzella says Countdown to Capture has a different goal in mind.

Sign up for CJR 's daily email

The point isnt to convince people that he is guilty or that the crime is heinous. Its to conduct a manhunt. We need to find Peter Chadwick and have been unable to do so with our staffing and resources, says Manzella. If we can deputize everyone who listens to the podcast and goes to the website and looks at [the pictures], someone is going to recognize him. Hes been on the run since January 5, 2015. The more that net widens, the closer it gets to Peter.

After Chadwick fled, the Newport Beach police went the usual route as they searched for their fugitive: news conferences and press releases. But Chadwick, a dual citizen, is believed to have fled the country with hundreds of thousands of dollars, despite having both his American and British passports confiscated. And the police department says they lack the ability to get stories in front of people across the countrymuch less around the globewho may know where Chadwick is. A podcast was a cheap way to try something new in a stagnant case. The police department spent less than $2,000 producing the podcast, according to Manzella.

This case has been out there, but it hasnt grabbed attention. Its been in People magazine, Crime Watch Daily, and [CNNs] The Hunt with John Walsh, Manzella tells CJR. We wanted to intensify the search and we didnt believe that the traditional route of pushing press releases was going to get the attention we wanted.

So Manzella, who has no journalistic or audio training but had listened to Serial, suggested they make one of their own. The top investigator on the case, Sergeant Court Depweg, wasnt fully sure what a podcast was. But he told Manzella to run with it in the hopes that helpful tips would begin to roll in.

Manzella is careful to note that she is not a journalist, but her process was not unlike what journalists do when they want to write a story. She got her hands on documents and started to dig. Manzella met with detectives who were first assigned to the case in 2012, and those working on the case now. (Detectives in Newport Beach rotate back to patrol duty every three to five years.) She gained access to the case filephotos, interview notes, evidence logsand met with detectives to broker what information she could and couldnt make public. They needed to be careful, she says, because if Chadwick is caught, they intend to put him on trial.

I had to go over with investigators what bits had already been made public and what was fair game, and what we werent able to share in case we bring him back and put him on trial, says Manzella. It was a bit of a vetting process [of] what I could include in the script. I sat down and started writing narratives that weave together a story arc.

Manzella wrote and recorded all six scripts herself in police conference rooms and at home. The department works with a contracted videographer (they declined to name the person, citing a policy against helping contracted workers promote their business) who helped teach Manzella how to record audio and edit tape, a process she called a bit of a learning curve.

Manzella at times reveals her rookie podcaster statusa music cue a beat too soon, a pause that lasts just a bit too long, a too-dramatic line. (But today wont be like every other day, Manzella croons in the first episode.) But the script itself follows a clear narrative arc, accented by scene tape, and the mysterywhere is Peter Chadwickis compelling. The podcast does not feature interviews with any of the Chadwick boys for fear of retraumatizing them needlessly, but the script intentionally targets listeners sympathies for the children left behind.

Detectives such as Lieutenant Bryan Moore, who was assigned to the case in 2012, chime in, sharing details from the case file. In the first episode, called Something is Wrong, Moore describes what officers found when they finally entered the Chadwick home on that night in 2012. The bath mat is rumpled and slightly out of place, says Moore, who recalls details from the notes officers took. There is a towel on the floor. On the side of the Jacuzzi tub, there are shards of broken glass. It looks like one of the decorative vases on the deck of the tubs been broken. Inside the tub, there is a faded reddish smudge and, on the wall, theres a few faint drip marks, tinged with a ruddy brown color.

What makes this different from similar, journalistic efforts, is the lack of scrutiny of the police working the case. Their bias is clear: The department harbors open disdain for Chadwick, a rich man who they say killed his wife, lied about it, and then ran away, abandoning his children. In Countdown to Capture, Peter Chadwick is the only character held under a microscope. In a journalistic version, the police work would be up for probing, too.

Its easy for this to become [just about] a rich man [who] kills his wife and gets away with it, says Manzella. The tragedy for us is that [the kids] mother was taken, and now they dont have closure and dont have a father. Even if he was in jail, he would still be here.

RELATED: Using true crime to teach Indigenous history: Reporter Connie Walker on Finding Cleo

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Alexandria Neason was CJRs staff writer and Senior Delacorte Fellow. Recently, she became an editor and producer at WNYCs Radiolab.When The Washington Posts Margaret Sullivan published a users guide to the media maelstrom ahead around 11am on Monday morning, she couldnt have known how necessary some of her advice would immediately prove. Sullivan warned that the week ahead would bring an avalanche of newson both Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court confirmation and Rod Rosensteins future as deputy attorney general. But even that relatively brief timeframe proved optimistic; as her piece went live, all hell was breaking loose in the media space.

One of Sullivans maxims is, Wait and see. That advice would have been useful to keep in mind throughout Monday morning, as Rosenstein was reported to have verbally resigned, or was expecting to be fired, or was considering resigning. At noon, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders put the speculation to restfor nowwith a statement announcing that Rosenstein and Trump would meet on Thursday.

The uncertainty over Rosensteins future briefly knocked the drama surrounding Brett Kavanaughs nomination from the top of the news cycle, but the allegations against the nominee raised by a Sunday evening New Yorker article were a prominent topic of debate throughout the day. By Monday evening, the story, carefully written by Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer, proved to be neither a knockout blow to Kavanaughs prospects, nor evidence of a conspiracy between the media and Democrats to sink his confirmation.

RELATED: Were all caught in the dizzying Trump news cycle

Then, Fox News announced on Monday afternoon that Kavanaugh and his wife would be interviewed by Martha MacCallum. Plenty of critics assumed that softball questions from a network favored by conservatives were on the way. For those following Sullivans advice to know your source, those assumptions were fair. MacCallum, however, proved up to the moment, earning generally positive reviews for challenging Kavanaugh on each of the specific allegations against him and probing into his personal life. The full transcript is here, but the main takeaway from the interview may be the fact that it occurred at all. As the Posts Robert Barnes wrote, It is unheard of for a Supreme Court nominee to give interviews during the confirmation process.

Both the Rosenstein and Kavanaugh stories are headed for watershed moments on Thursday, when the deputy attorney general will meet with the president, and the Supreme Court nominee will testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Over the next couple of days, more reporting on both of those stories will undoubtedly occur, driving the news cycle in various directions. At some point, its probably wise to follow Sullivans final piece of advice: Take a break. And if you cant do that, Consider actually reading that story before you share it on social media.

Sign up for CJR 's daily email

Below, more on the Rosenstein, Kavanaugh, and our chaotic news cycle.

Other notable stories:

The New York Review of Books has addressed the departure of editor Ian Buruma following the widely criticized decision to publish an essay by accused sexual abuser Jian Ghomeshi. In an unsigned statement, the magazine acknowledged the validity of the criticism it faced, and said that Buruma misrepresented the input of staffers. This article was shown to only one male editor during the editing process, the statement read.

In the sometimes murky world of national security reporters, few people are wrong less often than Marcy Wheeler, writes CJR Tow Editor Sam Thielman. Thielman has a great interview with Wheeler, a prolific national security reporter, on everything from the value of poring over declassified documents to find scoops hiding in plain sight to the reasons that she doesnt trust encrypted apps.

CJRs Mathew Ingram praises the BBCs Africa bureau for providing a master class in how to verify a video using digital tools. BBC Africa broke down a video that had been circulating online over the summer purporting to show Cameroonian soldiers blindfolding and shooting two women and two children. The government labeled the clip fake news, but BBC Africa was able to verify not just that soldiers were involved, but also where and when the shooting took place.

For The Daily Beast, Robert Silverman examines Barstool Sports culture of online hate. Silverman speaks with several female journalists who have been on the receiving end of harassment from the sites personalities and fans, painting a picture of a misogynistic culture at the millennial-focused outlet.

Nikole Hannah-Jones has won the Columbia Journalism Schools John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism. Hannah-Jones, a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine, covers school segregation and racial injustice. In announcing the award, J-school Dean Steve Coll called her, one of the countrys most distinctive and respected voices on the subject of race in America.

ICYMI: Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer drop a Kavanaugh bombshell

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.David Begnaud cannot forget the man at the San Juan airport. After Hurricane Maria made landfall, on September 20, 2017, Begnaud, a CBS News correspondent, spent weeks reporting from Puerto Rico. He took a quick trip back to the mainland, then returned to the island in October. He hadnt realized, in the chaos and scarce connectivity of those first days, how much attention his reporting and social media posts had received. So when he returned, he wasnt prepared for the response. At the airport, there was a grown man who put both hands on my shoulders and cried like a baby, Begnaud remembers. He said to me, What you did was a lifeline for me. That meant the world and saved peoples lives. . . I had never seen people so moved by journalism.

Hurricane Maria and its aftermath were generally under covered by the US pressnumerous reports and analyses have shown that hurricanes affecting the mainland received far more attention and that stories from Puerto Rico often failed to break into the national conversation unless they included a Trump angle.

But for a number of journalists from mainland outlets, who are either based in Puerto Rico or have made repeated trips over the past year, the story has become a mission. CJR spoke with several of them in the days leading up to the anniversary of Marias landfall. Together, their work has kept Puerto Ricos recovery in the news and put pressure on the authorities to do more: from initial reports of devastation from remote areas, to early questions about the official death toll, to forcing FEMA to reverse a decision that would have prematurely ended emergency food and water dispersal, to exposing government waste symbolized by millions of water bottles sitting unused on a tarmac.

Begnaud has become the most well known of the group; his social-media nickname is Saint David of Begnaud. From highlighting the plight of Puerto Ricans desperate for supplies in the weeks after the storm to reporting on power outages across the country months later, he has worked to maintain the storys place in CBSs news broadcasts. Begnauds continued focus on the islands recovery efforts have earned him the appreciation of Puerto Ricans on the ground and on the mainland. As he spent more time reporting from the island, similar reactionsfrom people who stopped him in the middle of San Juan or at a coffee shop in Manhattandrove home the message that the reporting he was doing made a difference. I never experienced that power before in journalism. I heard my colleagues talk about it. I heard college professors lecture to me about that. But I never felt it; I never knew it.

RELATED: Puerto Ricos devastation takes a backseat to Roseanne coverage

CNNs Leyla Santiago, who was born in Corozal, Puerto Rico, and has spent six months of the past year reporting from the island, shares that sense of mission. When I saw what I sawthat destruction, that desperation, that helplessness[the reporting] was my way of saying I get it, I understand, she says. And now I have a responsibility. I will tell your story. In the last year of my life, I wake up with that.

BREAKING: What may be millions of water bottles. meant for victims of Hurricane Maria, have been sitting on a runway in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, since last year, according to @FEMA, which confirmed the news to me, late tonight, after pictures, posted today on social media, went viral. pic.twitter.com/jidGJAvCyJ Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project  David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) September 12, 2018

The journalists CJR spoke with had similar recollections of the days after the storm: reaching towns and villages cut off from all communication, seeing the disappointment of residents that journalists had arrived before FEMA or government officials, and receiving appreciation that someone cared to tell their stories. All were quick to credit their news organizations for making a commitment to sustained reporting on the story, but acknowledged concerns that, after the anniversary passes, news from the island may once again slip from the national conversation. I feel a larger sense of responsibility because I get the sense that they have not gotten the coverage that they deserve in terms of airtime, minutes, words on a piece of paper, Begnaud says of Puerto Ricans.

Some news organizations realized that reporting on the lives of more than 3 million Americans required more than sending someone intermittently to cover the storms aftermath. NPR relocated Adrian Florido, a national reporter, to San Juan, where he has spent 2018 covering daily news. Luis Clemens, a supervising editor on NPRs national desk, says that having someone based on the ground demonstrated an organizational recognition of the disasters severity. How could we not do it? he asked. We needed to show a commitment to covering a part of the United States that had been hit hard by this natural disaster.

Frances Robles, a national and foreign correspondent at The New York Times, had already made three reporting trips to Puerto Rico in 2017covering the governments bankruptcy, a plebiscite on statehood, and the impact of Hurricane Irmain the months before Maria made landfall. And in the year since the storm, she has returned repeatedly, breaking news about the death toll and the islands ongoing health crisis. The Puerto Rican government recently revised the official death toll from 64 to 2,975, a decision that came after months of reporting from Robles and others that challenged the official statistics. You have to stay on the story, the money, the deaths, the recovery, the rebuilding, she says.

President Trump has stirred resentment of the press among people on the mainland, but Puerto Ricans have overwhelmingly responded to journalists with encouragement and gratitude. Santiago, the CNN correspondent, remembers covering the arrival of the first tourist cruise ship to arrive in Old San Juan after the storm hit. As she stood with a network logo on her mic, a tourist walked by and directed a fake news taunt her way. I thought to myself, Wow, its been a long time since I heard that, Santiago tells CJR. Everyone on that island understood that we were doing what many would argue was life-saving work, getting the word out to people what was going on on that island. I forgot about that term for a little while.

Keeping the story of Puerto Ricos recovery in the national conversation may prove difficult now that the special reports pegged to the anniversary have passed. Danica Coto, who has been based on the island since 2007 for the Associated Press, acknowledges that challenge, but believes that anger over the governments slow response will help drive a spotlight to reporting. Obviously there are some big stories coming up on the US mainland that might drown out whats going on here in Puerto Rico, but I think a lot of outrage remains, she says, noting that 60,000 homes remain roofed by blue tarps and that FEMA is expected to maintain a presence on the island for five to ten years. The issues of not having power, of not having water, of being a respondent to the way Trump has spoken about Puerto Rico: I think that touches a nerve regardless of where people stand politically.

ICYMI: Is the podcast bubble bursting?

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.City officials in central Iowa have designated about 60 structures as unsafe following a July tornado that damaged about 2,000 buildings.

The properties in Marshalltown now have small red posters that say Dangerous building  do not occupy, The Times-Republican reported . City officials placed the signs after engineers assessed the structures.

The posters are a warning, not an eviction notice, said city housing and community development director Michelle Sponheimer. Owners can decide if they want to rebuild or demolish the structure.

We certainly want people to know theres a risk and a danger  we highly recommend that (residents) do find alternate housing, because we dont want to see anyone injured, she said.

The nonprofit Mid-Iowa Community Action is helping displaced residents find alternate housing, Sponheimer said.

We recognize that thats a very scary thing for a family to have to go through if theyre still staying, she said. Were not trying to force a whole lot of action immediately  but we do have certain procedures we have to go by and follow.

The city may eventually need to demolish unsafe properties that are abandoned because they pose a risk to public safety, Sponheimer said. The city may seek demolition funding assistance from entities such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, she said.

Residents who have questions about the unsafe designation should reach out to the housing and community development office, she said.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.The city of Austin, Texas, has dropped a lawsuit challenging the determination by state workers compensation officials and an appeals panel that a firefighter diagnosed with cancer is eligible for workers comp benefits.

According to the Austin Firefighters Association, Lt. Carrie Stewart has served in the Austin Fire Department for 18 years. In 2015 she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.

The Austin American Statesman reported that Stewart filed for workers comp after her cancer diagnosis, arguing that her disease was work-related. An administrative law judge with the Division of Workers Compensation determined she was eligible for benefits and a three-judge panel ruled in her favor after the city appealed that decision.

The city then filed suit, disputing the outcome of its appeal and seeking to recover attorneys fees generated in fighting Stewarts case, according to various media reports.

On Sept. 18, the Austin City Council made the decision to drop the action against Stewart.

Stewart had been strongly supported by the firefighters union and the general public. In a message on the Austin Firefighters Association website, Stewart thanked her supporters, stating that she was humbled, amazed and overwhelmed by the emails, phone calls, and social media efforts that not only our members participated in, but that were forwarded to friends and family so they might participate also. Council member staff reported they received an influx of opinion and feedback about the lawsuit  She said the support not only made a difference to herself and her family but also will influence how such claims are handled in the future.

Apparently Austin is not alone in Texas in trying to limit firefighters workers comp claims for cancer they say is work-related. The Associated Press reported in August that many Texas cities are denying workers compensation to firefighters with cancer, according to union leaders and state lawmakers.

The AP reported that in the past six years, more than 90 percent of the 117 workers compensation claims filed by Texas firefighters with cancer have been denied, according to the Texas Department of Insurance.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The city of Cleveland has agreed to pay $3.7 million to resolve a lawsuit filed by the family of a Euclid man shot and killed by an off-duty police officer in 2012.

The agreement between the city and the family of Kenny Smith comes more three years after a jury found officer Roger Jones liable for using excessive force when he shot Smith in the head at East 9th Street and Prospect Avenue, following a disturbance outside Wilbert's Food & Music on East Huron Road in downtown Cleveland.

The jury awarded Smith's family $5.5 million, though a federal judge later decreased the award to $4 million. An appeals court upheld the judgment, but the Smith family's attorney Terry Gilbert said they agreed to the lesser amount so they don't have to continue fighting the city in court.

The agreed-upon payment was announced in a court filing in federal court Tuesday afternoon.

"They just did not want to prolong this anymore, and the family wanted to get this over with and move on," said Gilbert, who worked on the case along with attorney Jacqueline Greene. "We think it's a very respectable resolution."

The payment is one of the largest the city has ever agreed to make in a police use-of-force case. The largest is believed to be a $6 million settlement the city entered into with the family of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy shot and killing by a police officer November 2014.

The negotiated amount also includes attorneys' fees for Gilbert and Greene. A federal judge, as well as a judge in Cuyahoga County Probate Court, must approve the agreement.

Cleveland spokesman Dan Williams said the city had nothing to add.

Jones had just gotten off his shift that night and was downtown to get a drink.

Smith, a 20-year-old aspiring rapper with no criminal record, was a passenger in a car driven by Devonta Hill, whom police believed caused the disturbance at Wilbert's by firing into a crowd.

Then-Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty initially cleared Jones of wrongdoing and wrote in an April 2014 letter that the officer "correctly and heroically took action to protect the safety of the citizens of Cleveland." McGinty, as well as Cleveland police detectives, concluded that Jones fired as Smith lunged for a gun on the car's center console.

Smith's family asserted at the civil trial that Smith was outside of the car -- and away from the gun -- when Jones shot him.

Attorneys for the city, Jones and the Smith family participated in the negotiations, as did an attorney for the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, Tuesday's court filing says.

Hill, the driver of the car that Smith was in when police approached, was indicted on murder and other charges in Smith's death and the nightclub shooting.

He pleaded guilty in 2016 to felonious assault and discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises, in exchange for prosecutors dropping the more serious charges.

Even though two courts ruled in favor of Smith's family, they agreed to enter negotiations with the city earlier this year. Since the judgment was against Jones and not the city itself, one question that lingered was whether the city had to pay a judgment on behalf of the officer, Gilbert said.

A similar question is the subject of a case the Ohio Supreme Court agreed to hear in August, as a man who spent more than a decade in prison for a murder he did not commit argues the city of Cleveland should be required to pay a $13.2 million judgment on behalf of two officers who he say framed him.

"We didn't want to go through the same kind of litigation that David Ayers went through," Gilbert said, referencing the wrongfully convicted man seeking the unpaid judgment.

Records show the city hired a bankruptcy attorney for Denise Kovach, a former officer involved in Ayers' case, to discharge the judgment. The city also said it would hire a bankruptcy attorney for Jones, but he did not file for bankruptcy.

Jeff Follmer, president of the CPPA, said Tuesday that the union had an attorney at the negotiations to make sure the interests of the officer were represented.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Tuesday's crime and courts comments section.ELYRIA, Ohio -- An Elyria man jumped from a correctional facility transport van and led police on a manhunt for over four hours before finding himself behind bars again, according to the Lorain County Sheriff's Office.

Charles F. Thompson, 39, was returning Monday from a hearing before Lorain County Court of Common Pleas Judge John Miraldi on charges of receiving stolen property, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia, court records show.

Thompson was held at the Lorain/Medina Community Based Correction Facility, CBCF, on Murray Ridge Road in Elyria, according to a Lorain County Sheriff's Office press release.

A CBCF transport van was driving with Thompson around 11:50 a.m. when he jumped out of the van and ran eastbound from the intersection of West River Road and 2nd Street in Elyria.

Thompson was not restrained during transport, CBCF operations director Don Nickerson told the Lorain County Sheriff's Office. Nickerson could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Deputies from the Lorain County Sheriff's Office and Elyria police officers began to check the area but were not able to find him, so they sent out a press release with information about Thompson's appearance.

Elyria police officers captured Thompson about 4:15 p.m. Monday in front of Middle Avenue Laundry Center on the 800 block of Middle Avenue in Elyria.

Thompson is in the Lorain County jail on a felony charge of escape, court records show.

To comment on this story, visit Tuesday's crime and courts comment section.CLEVELAND, Ohio - Wine-dinner prices often do not include tax or tip. Deadline to submit info is Thursday; email me. Cheers!

SEPTEMBER

Wednesday, Sept. 26: Kingfish Seafood will hold a Frog's Leap wine dinner with Jonah Beer at 6:30 p.m. Beer is general manager at the Napa Valley, California, winery. Four courses will be paired with six wines. Cost is $85. Kingfish is at 115 Montrose West Ave., on Akron's restaurant row adjacent to Interstate 77.

Wednesday, Sept. 26: Western Reserve Wines will hold a 2015 Bordeaux tasting with guest speaker Dan Greathouse of Heidelberg Distributing 7:30-9:30 p.m. Reservations are required; call 440-498-9463, stop in or email info@westernreservewines.com. Nibbles will be served to complement the wines. Cost is $55. It's at 28300 Miles Road, Solon.

Wednesday, Sept. 26: The Arthritis Foundation's 21st annual L'Amour du Vin is 6-9 p.m. at Avon Oaks Country Club. Features include a VIP Lounge, silent auction and raffles. Tickets include all food and wine tastings and valet parking. Advance ticket purchase recommended for the business-cocktail attire event. Admission is $75 ($95, VIP). It's at 32300 Detroit Road, Avon.

Thursday, Sept. 27: Toast CLE will feature Barks and Bubbles at 6 p.m. A flight of four sparkling wines will cost $20, with 20 percent of that price going to City Dogs, the adoption program at Cleveland's Division of Animal Care and Control. Toast CLE is at 1365 W. 65th St., Cleveland.

Thursday, Sept. 27: West Shore Wine Co. will feature wines from the family-owned Truchard Vineyards of the Carneros region of Napa Valley, Calif. 6-8 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes six wines and food. It's at 21629 Center Ridge Road, Rocky River. Call 216-712-6400 to reserve a spot.

Thursday, Sept. 27: The Wine Spot will have a tasting of wines from BROC Cellars - an urban winery in Berkeley, California - using naturally grown grapes, 6:30-8:30 p.m. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights.

Thursday, Sept. 27: Rosewood Grill will hold a Frog's Leap wine dinner with Jonah Beer at 6:30 p.m. Beer is general manager at the Napa Valley, California, winery. Four courses will be paired with six wines. Cost is $75. Rosewood Grill is at 2033 Crocker Road, Westlake.

Saturday, Sept. 29: Miami University professor Jack Keegan, who specializes in wine education and wine-food pairings, will guide a tasting at Heinen's. Cost is $60 and includes appetizers. It's at 900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

Saturday, Sept. 29: West Shore Wine Co. will feature wines from the family-owned Truchard Vineyards of the Carneros region of Napa Valley, Calif. 3-6 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes six wines and food. West Shore Wine Co. is at 21629 Center Ridge Road, Rocky River. Call 216-712-6400 to reserve a spot.

Saturday, Sept. 29: Western Reserve Wines' weekly tasting will be themed Taking the Fall 2-5 p.m. Cost is $10. Darryl Spansky will guide the casual tasting of great wines for fall weather. It's at 28300 Miles Road, Solon.

Saturday, Sept. 29: 750ml Wines will hold a series of master sommelier events with MS Larry O'Brien at noon. This one is a deep dive on the South. Cost is $69 (club members: $59 per class, $343 for all). It's at 8903 Brecksville Road, Brecksville. Email info@750ml.com.

Sunday, Sept. 30: Gervasi Vineyard will hold its annual Festa Gervasi Grape Harvest Festival 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Gervasi is teaming with 720 Market for a family-friendly open-air market showcasing local makers, bakers, brewers and growers, along with live music and great food. Gervasi is at 1700 55th St. NW, Canton.

Sunday, Sept. 30: Royal Park Fine Wines will hold its annual fall wine and beer tasting 5-7:30 p.m. Two dozen wines (reds, whites, sparkling, sweet, dry) and six beers will be poured. Cost is $25. It's at 12770 Royalton Road, North Royalton.

Sunday, Sept. 30: Urban Farmer will offer $25 bottles on Sunday nights. It's is at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

OCTOBER

Wednesday, Oct. 3: Ken Stewart's Grille will hold a five-course tasting with Fess Parker Winery at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $80. Reservations required; call 330-697-6917. It's at 1970 W. Market St., Akron. Wines to be served: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, The Big Easy Red and Riesling.

Thursday, Oct. 4: National Vodka Day.

Thursday, Oct. 4: Details are in the works for The Wine Spot's tasting of Colene Clemens Oregon Pinot Noirs. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights.

Thursday, Oct. 4: 750ml Wines will hold a fundraising event highlighting J. Lohr Vineyards. For every bottle sold, the California winery will donate $3 and 750ml will donate $4.50 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It's at 8903 Brecksville Road, Brecksville.

Thursday, Oct. 4: Bonefish Grill will hold a Grey Goose Martini Experience at 6 p.m. Cost is $30. Guests will learn how to shake up some of Bonefish Grill's hand-crafted martinis. Includes light bar bites. It's at 1900 Crocker Road, Westlake.

Friday, Oct. 5: Heinen's will hold Kick the Dirt with Rodney Strong Vineyards at 6 p.m. Taste wines from different appellations in Sonoma County, California: Upshot Red (new red blend), Russian River Rose, Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Russian River Pinot Noir and Chalk Hill Chardonnay. Cost is $5. It's at 900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

Sunday, Oct. 7: Urban Farmer will offer $25 bottles on Sunday nights. Urban Farmer is at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

Monday, Oct. 8: Little Italy Wines will hold a Columbus Day Grape Stomp Contest at 12:30 p.m. Cost is $5 to compete. Winner receives a $50 gift certificate from the wine shop at 12414 Mayfield Road, Cleveland.

Friday, Oct. 12: The two-day Bourbon Legends Boxcar Tour hits Cleveland. It's a chance for folks to sample assorted Kentucky bourbon from Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Knob Creek and Basil Hayden's. Free, but you must register. Space is limited; RSVP at least 24 hours in advance. Location details and time slot will be emailed.

Friday, Oct. 12: Heinen's will serve a dozen sparklers from around the world in honor of upcoming Sweetest Day. Tickets are $15 and available via eventbrite. It's at 900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland.

Saturday, Oct. 13: Papa Joe's is holding a Right Bank Bordeaux wine dinner at 7 p.m. Cost is $85. It's at 1561 Akron Peninsula Road, Akron.

Saturday, Oct. 13: Texas de Brazil will mark its 20th anniversary with a "Celebration Series" wine from the company's private-label collection bottled by Chilean winemaker Santiago Margozzini. The limited-edition XX Celebration Series MontGras is a red blend of Cabernet, Syrah and Carmenere. Cost is $69. The restaurant's Northeast Ohio locations are at 28125 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere, and 174 Union St., Westlake.

Saturday, Oct. 13: The two-day Bourbon Legends Boxcar Tour hits Cleveland. It's a chance for folks to sample assorted Kentucky bourbon from Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Knob Creek and Basil Hayden's. Free, but you must register. Space is limited; RSVP at least 24 hours in advance. Location details and time slot will be emailed.

Sunday, Oct. 14: Urban Farmer will offer $25 bottles on Sunday nights. Urban Farmer is at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

Thursday, Oct. 18: Ruth's Chris Steak House will hold its sixth of six TasteMaker Dinners with wine pairings. The sixth five-course dinner will feature Stag's Leap of California. Seating is limited; call 216-539-8404 for reservations and price. (There is a fee if cancellation occurs within 24 hours of the event.) Ruth's Chris is at 200 Public Square, Cleveland.

Saturday, Oct. 20: North Coast Wine Club is holding its third annual Hobo party. Email info@northcoastwineclub.net for details.

Saturday, Oct. 20: 750ml Wines will hold a series of master sommelier events with MS Larry O'Brien at noon. This one is a deep dive on Spain. Cost is $69 (club members: $59 per class, $343 for all). It's at 8903 Brecksville Road, Brecksville. Email info@750ml.com.

Sunday, Oct. 21: Urban Farmer will offer $25 bottles on Sunday nights. Urban Farmer is at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

Saturday, Oct. 27: In honor of its 40th anniversary, Morton's The Steakhouse will host A Taste of Two Legends, featuring Mondavi wine. A six-course, chef-curated menu will be paired with what the restaurant says are "rare, world-class wines from four Mondavi generations," including Charles Krug library wines. It's at 1600 W. 2nd St., Cleveland.

Sunday, Oct. 28: Urban Farmer will offer $25 bottles on Sunday nights. Urban Farmer is at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

NOVEMBER

Sunday, Nov. 4: Urban Farmer offers $25 bottles. It's at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

Sunday, Nov. 11: Urban Farmer offers $25 bottles. It's at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

Friday, Nov. 16: Papa Joe's is holding a dinner featuring Justin Winery at 7 p.m. Cost is $85. It's at 1561 Akron Peninsula Road, Akron.

Sunday, Nov. 18: Urban Farmer offers $25 bottles. It's at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

Sunday, Nov. 25: Urban Farmer offers $25 bottles. It's at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

DECEMBER

Saturday, Dec. 1: 750ml Wines will hold a series of master sommelier events with MS Larry O'Brien at noon. This one is Larry's holiday favorites. Cost is $69 (club members: $59 per class, $343 for all). It's at 8903 Brecksville Road, Brecksville. Email info@750ml.com.

Sunday, Dec. 2: Urban Farmer offers $25 bottles. It's at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

Tuesday, Dec. 4: National Cabernet Franc Day.

Saturday, Dec. 8: The Wine Spot will hold its sixth annual holiday wine show 1-4 p.m. As many as 100 wines will be available for tasting. The Wine Spot is at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights.

Sunday, Dec. 9: Urban Farmer offers $25 bottles. It's at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

Sunday, Dec. 16: Urban Farmer offers $25 bottles. It's at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland.

Saturday, Dec. 29: Papa Joe's is holding a Champagne dinner at 7 p.m. Cost is $95. Papa Joe's is at 1561 Akron Peninsula Road, Akron.

JANUARY 2019

Thursday, Jan. 24: Red & White on Thursday Night returns to Quaker Station at the University of Akron. The Arthritis Foundation fundraiser includes scores of wines for tasting. Details are in the works.MEDINA, Ohio -- City Council held a public hearing at Monday's meeting to consider implementing a Community Revitalization District that would cover much of downtown.

The C-2 zoning district would allow the city to grant additional D5 state liquor licenses in the district, which would make it easier for restaurants moving in to secure a liquor license.

According to Kimberly Marshall, Medina's economic development director, the city only has one liquor license left to grant, with two applications currently submitted. Creating the district would allow for more licenses, which would help promote businesses moving into downtown Medina.

"We just feel that this would be great economic development tool," Marshall said.

Mayor Dennis Hanwell added during the hearing that businesses who hold these types of licenses must sell at least 75 percent food, which could bring more dining opportunities to the downtown area.

"What we're looking at is to create other dining opportunities, with the availability of alcohol, to enhance our downtown, which is becoming a destination spot," Hanwell said.

Hanwell also said that this proposition would help new businesses avoid having to pay large amounts of money to bring in liquor licenses from other parts of the state.

If the proposition goes through, the new licenses would cost $2,344 for new businesses moving into the district.

Also at Monday's meeting, the city's safety forces were honored for their commitment to supporting the U.S. military.

Fire, LST chiefs thanked for support of military

Brian Cavanaugh, a Medina firefighter and LST medic, has served in the military for 25 years. He has been deployed to Iraq twice and also to Germany while working for the city.

Cavanaugh presented flags to both Fire Chief Bob Painter and Life Support Team Director Mark Phillips for their support of him and the military during his deployments.

"They've been very supportive of me and my deployments and they continue to do that," Cavanaugh said. "Hats off to the city and what they do with Reservists and how they take care of the military."

Police Chief Ed Kinney reported that three of his department's newest officers have finished their field training program and will be going out on patrol on their own starting next week.

Marshall announced that Medina's ribbon-cutting day will be this Friday, Sept. 28. Shine Acupuncture and Wellness, Orange Theory Fitness and North Court Laundry will be among the businesses opening or reopening.

Jansen Wehrley, Medina's parks director, reported that the Parks Department has finished their turf renovation on the square. He said parts of the square will stay roped off to allow the grass to grow for next season.

Council representative says farewell

City Council Representative Laura Parnell-Cavey, who announced her resignation at a budget hearing on Sept. 12, thanked citizens who had reached out to her after the announcement.

"I would like to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with very kind words," Parnell-Cavey said. "I've enjoyed what I have done and I appreciate you putting me in this position in the first place."

Parnell-Cavey is resigning due to her moving out of the community. She was elected to the Ward 1 seat last November.

Council president John Coyne said the council will lay out the replacement process for Parnell-Cavey's seat at the next council meeting.CLEVELAND, Ohio - Officials from Mayor Frank Jackson's administration will meet this week with developers working on a site for a new police headquarters to discuss whether the former home of The Plain Dealer can still be secured.

The site at 1801 Superior remains the preferred site, but the city on Sept. 18 wrote to developer Fred Geis that it "no longer desires" to pursue purchase of the building with Geis' company, GLP Superior Ltd.

The city made the letter public Monday. In an interview Tuesday with cleveland.com, Jackson wouldn't say specifically what prompted the decision, saying he wouldn't negotiate in public.

But the mayor confirmed the problems were not with the site itself.

"Sometimes you just can't make a deal," Jackson said. "It just doesn't work for us. ... I just can't give you the details."

Geis responded to cleveland.com in a text message.

"We have little to no information at this time. Sorry, I'll call when I know something," Geis said in his text reply.

Jackson was unsure exactly when his team would meet with the developer. Nor was he optimistic about chances that the differences can be resolved.

"It's very slim. If the door is open, it's not open for very long," Jackson said.

"Teams from both sides are meeting this week. I don't know what will come of that. Our letter was pretty specific," he said.

The letter, sent by Jackson's director of capital projects Matthew Spronz, was short and to the point.

"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."

While the Jackson administration hasn't detailed what prompted it to send the letter, City Council President Kevin Kelley said Monday his understanding was that problems cropped up related to the status of tenants in the 1801 building.

It now is occupied by the Council for Economic Opportunities of Greater Cleveland, the YMCA of Greater Cleveland and Advance Ohio/cleveland.com.

Those tenants were there under lease with The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. With transfer of the building, GLP would negotiate departure of those tenants to make way for the new headquarters.

Cleveland announced in June it intended to move its police department out of the Justice Center downtown and into the building on Superior, once GLP Superior LTD converted the space. The site, more than 8 acres on Superior between East 18th and East 21st streets, formerly housed The Plain Dealer.

The project was a $60 million deal that included the purchase and alteration of the building. The package included $19.5 million to purchase the property from The Plain Dealer Publishing Co., with some negotiating still to come.

The site was selected from among two dozen proposals. The city's team praised the proposal for the office space that could be converted to a police headquarters relatively quickly, the presence of a parking garage to store vehicles and equipment and the available parking, both for officers and for the public.

In July, Cleveland City Council approved the project and the hiring of GLP Superior Ltd. to buy and renovate the property.

The target for completing the move was next spring, police Chief Calvin Williams said.

If the 1801 Superior deal cannot be worked out, the city will begin anew to find a location for its police headquarters.

"We start over again," Jackson said.

Among the other sites, the next most cost effective was use of the old Third District headquarters building at 2001 Payne Ave. That site, which would require modification and expansion, was proposed by two separate developers at projected costs of $80 million and $93.4 million.

But Jackson noted that the city was able to work with Geis to lower the costs in GLP's bid from $72 million to $60 million for the 1801 Superior site.

"That's one factor, but that's not the sole factor," Jackson said. "There were other places that were eliminated because of the dysfunction. Others were just too expensive."

The city is on the clock, too, for vacating its current Justice Center headquarters. The city sold the property to Cuyahoga County for $9.25 million as part of a deal under which the county will handle all jail operations.

The county is to take title of the property Oct. 1. After that, the city can remain in its offices, but will pay the county $10 a square foot in rent.

Jackson has made clear he wants the city to avoid as much of the rental costs as possible and intends to move departments out of the Justice Center regardless of where the police headquarters is relocated. Some offices will be in temporary quarters around the city.MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A standing-room-only crowd attended the Sept. 19 Middleburg Heights Planning Commission meeting, despite knowing that no decision would be made about Grace Church's request for an additional entry/exit road.

The Rev. Jonathan Schaeffer hopes to construct an additional ingress/egress point from the church's lower parking lot onto Webster Road. Quicker vehicle entries and departures during Sunday services would encourage parishioners to use Grace's shuttle service instead of parking on nearby streets, he said.

Schaeffer and Mayor Gary Starr emphasized the public safety aspect of the proposal. Parking lot wait times currently average 15 minutes. Approximately 1,500 people attend each of the four Sunday services, with vehicle access only at Pearl Road.

The Rev. Jonathan Schaeffer, senior pastor at Grace Church, made his case for a new access road during the Sept. 19 Planning Commission meeting.

"If we had an additional release valve onto Webster Road, it would allow shuttling to be more attractive because it wouldn't be such a long wait," Schaeffer said, adding that on-site parking is often at capacity, though he said he currently has no plans to provide more.

Residents living on nearby Glenridge Avenue, Lanier Drive and Briarcliff Parkway have complained for years about churchgoers parking bumper to bumper in front of their homes.

Commission Chairman Anthony Crea asked Briarcliff resident Catherine Santofimio if she believed the proposed new ingress/egress would increase use of the church's lower lot.

"If people aren't parking there now, they're not going to park there then," she said.

People will seek the closest place to park because it's "human nature," Crea said.

"Obviously, Briarcliff and Lanier are easier, rather than schlepping up the side of a hill (from the lower church lot)," Crea emphasized to Schaeffer. "There has to be something done to alleviate that."

Commission member Corey Shimell summarized the meeting.

"It seems you are at capacity for the parking spots, and I don't know if the ingress/egress onto Webster is going to do anything for the residents on Briarcliff and Lanier," Shimell told Schaeffer. "It doesn't alleviate the parking situation on those streets, and then you would have the influx of traffic that comes out the back and goes up Webster."

Discussions will continue in the future, with Crea cautioning that it will be "a long, drawn-out process."WASHINGTON (AP) -- Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein headed to the White House on Monday expecting to be fired by President Donald Trump, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

Trump himself was in New York for a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.

The development comes three days after news reports indicating that last year Rosenstein had raised the idea of secretly recording 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 Mueller's investigation of possible collaboration between Russia and the Trump campaign before the 2016 election. Rosenstein appointed Mueller and oversees his investigation.

Trump had previously contemplated 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 hours of interviews with Mueller. But the latest move comes after a New York Times report of Rosenstein comments early in 2017. That report and an unsigned opinion piece by a senior official in the Republican administration played to some of the president's worst fears 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.NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- The city's firefighters, police officers and sergeants, wastewater and service workers, corrections and animal control officers, and police maintenance and records staff will receive 2.5 percent raises in 2018 and 2 percent raises in both 2019 and 2020.

The pay increases are included in a slew of new three-year collective bargaining agreements recently approved by City Council.

The city's nonunion full-time workers -- including Building Commissioner Dan Kulchytsky, Assistant Law Director Donna Vozar, office managers, inspectors, secretaries and clerical workers -- will also receive 2.5 percent raises in 2018, as will the city's part-time workers. Their agreements cover this year only.

City Finance Director Eric Dean estimates that the raises will cost the city about $254,000 a year in additional wages.

The city will also contribute more toward employee health insurance premiums, but employees will pay more, too, due to rising healthcare costs.

In addition, the city will deposit $1,900 this year into health-savings accounts for each employee. The accounts are to make up for a rise in the insurance deductible -- the amount in medical expenses employees must pay each year before their insurance kicks in -- from $800 to $2,700 in 2018. Deductibles for 2019 and 2020 haven't been determined.

In effect, the new health-savings accounts mean that employees' healthcare exposure -- their costs in deductibles, copays and other out-of-pocket expenses -- will remain $800 for a family plan in 2018. The exposure limit will rise to $1,200 in 2019 and $1,300 in 2020.

For firefighters alone, the city will pay $599,455 for healthcare insurance and health-savings accounts in 2018, Dean said, an increase of 1 percent over the amount the city paid in 2017 for firefighters' healthcare.

And, if employee healthcare exposure rises beyond the limits set in the contracts, the city will contribute additional money into the health-savings accounts or reimburse firefighters in some other way, Dean said.

It hasn't been determined how much the city will contribute to employee health-savings accounts in 2019 and 2020.

Meanwhile, the amount employees pay for a family health insurance plan will increase from $180 a month last year to $199 in 2018, $210 in 2019 and $220 in 2020.

Nonunion workers will receive the same healthcare benefits as union workers, Dean said, but only for 2018 as of now. Part-time workers are provided no healthcare benefits.

Negotiation trendsetters

Firefighters were the first group of city employees to reach a new agreement. In the first quarter of this year, negotiations between the city and firefighters stalled due to a disagreement over healthcare coverage.

At the time, the city wanted to give firefighters the right to reopen wage talks if their out-of-pocket healthcare costs rose too high. Firefighters overwhelmingly rejected that idea, saying that any increases in wages might not match skyrocketing medical insurance deductibles.

Due to the stalemate, the Ohio State Employment Relations Board appointed fact finder Jonathan Klein to mediate a settlement. His report, issued March 5, was accepted by the city but rejected by firefighters.

Vozar said SERB then ordered the city and firefighters to the next step, which was conciliation. In May, prior to reaching that step, both parties negotiated a settlement.

Contracts and agreements with the remainder of union and nonunion workers followed over the next two months or so.

The wage reopener that the city initially proposed was not included in the final contract.

Dollars & cents

Under the new contracts, by 2020, firefighters will earn between $23.33 and $38.10 an hour. Fire Department lieutenants will earn between $34.01 and $42.36 an hour.

Police officers will earn between $29.44 and $36.39 an hour in 2020. Officers assigned K-9 handling duties will receive an additional $500 a year. Police sergeants will earn $42.22 an hour in 2020.

The pay range for animal control officers and police records and maintenance staff will range from $17.68 to $23.36 an hour in 2020.

That same year, Wastewater and Service Department workers will earn between $27.22 and $37.34 an hour.COLUMBUS, Ohio - While Steve Dettelbach believes criminal justice reform is essential to tackle the opioids epidemic, the Democratic attorney general candidate says he will not vote for a constitutional amendment that emphasizes treatment over incarceration for some drug offenses.

Dettelbach, a former federal prosecutor, discussed Issue 1 as part of unveiling his opioids plan Tuesday morning.

Dettelbach said it's not the fault of Gov. John Kasich, Attorney General Mike DeWine or his attorney general opponent Auditor Dave Yost that Ohioans became addicted to opioids.

But he said it is their fault that overdose deaths are among the highest in the country, that overdose deaths continue to climb and prisons are full of drug offenders. Yet no new ideas have come from the Republicans to reverse the trend, Dettelbach said.

"It's a tragic symptom," he said Tuesday morning. "Ohio's political system is just fundamentally broken. It's not working. We've had a total failure in the last years of effectively addressing the opioid crisis in this state, and addressing criminal justice modernization and reform."

Dettelbach has waited some time to opine about Issue 1, which has drawn criticism from the Yost campaign.

"Having stuck his finger resolutely into the wind, Dettelbach has at long last decided to join the parade against Issue 1," said Yost's spokesman, Carlo LoParo, Tuesday morning. "We welcome his belated conversion commonsense."

If elected Nov. 6, Dettelbach said he would:

Pursue lawsuits against Big Pharma

Make sure that insurance companies cover non-addictive treatment alternatives and provide access to addiction treatment

Give the state testing lab resources to quickly perform toxicology reports so police and prosecutors can proceed with cases against drug dealers,

Expand drug courts to the 30 counties that lack them

Enact criminal justice reform

Fighting Big Pharma

Republicans and Democrats alike have blamed pharmaceutical companies for starting Ohio's opioids addiction problem by encouraging doctors to prescribe pain killers, while downplaying their addictive properties.

In fact, DeWine is suing several drug makers, including OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, seeking financial relief for Ohio.

"I will aggressively pursue the cases that have been filed, but I also will consider whether there should be additional people and organizations at the table," Dettelbach said.

Dettelbach said that he has experience in fighting Big Pharma in court. For instance, he won $50 million from pharmaceutical company Omnicare when he was U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, in Cleveland.

Conflict?

Yost, Dettelbach's opponent in the Nov. 6 election, has questioned whether Dettelbach can even pursue Big Pharma, considering the firm where he's a partner - BakerHostetler - is representing a defendant in DeWine's case.

Dettelbach said he's taken steps to wall himself off from the case, even making the firm reduce his salary by the business brought in through the drug company. Two ethicists - one with expertise in legal ethics and another in state ethics laws - reviewed the plan and concluded there would be no conflict of interest if he took office.

Dettelbach said he's not taking any campaign contributions from Big Pharma, but said Yost is.

But Yost's campaign shot back, saying the Democrat has benefitted by his firm's work defending drug makers.

Dozens of attorneys for Baker have contributed to their colleague. LoParo, Yost's spokesman, said Dettelbach received thousands in campaign contributions from his law firm.

Dettelbach received around $109,000 from Baker attorneys, according to campaign finance records.

"And he does all of this while taking... campaign contributions for the law firm defending opioid makers who are being sued by the state," said LoParo, Yost's spokesman. "Shame on him."

Issue 1

Dettelbach said he cannot vote for Issue 1 because, while it is well-intended, it would be enshrined in the Ohio Constitution. If provisions in Issue 1 needed to be updated, it would be difficult to change them, he said.

Yost, Dettelbach's opponent, also opposes Issue 1. In a telephone call with reporters earlier this month, the Republican said drug possession for personal use should not be a felony offense and penalties for trafficking should be greater. But Yost also believes those changes are best left to the state legislature, not a constitutional amendment.

Dettelbach wants to "modernize our drug code," he said. That would require working with the Ohio General Assembly, which is likely to remain GOP-controlled next year.

He is interested in bail reform, and treating addicts like people who are sick, instead of people who have moral failings.

Dettelbach is not a fan of private prisons. He said that private prisons have a legal obligation to their shareholders to make a profit, which means minimizing expenses. That conflicts with the public obligation to rehabilitate inmates and keep the public safe.

"Quite frankly, almost everything in my plan should have been done long ago in the state of Ohio," he said.

The Yost campaign found a press release Dettelbach's firm wrote two years ago, after Baker had hired him back. The press release touted Dettelbach's accomplishments as U.S. attorney.

"During his tenure he created what is now a national model to fight heroin and opioid addiction in his district," the press release said.

The press release is no longer on Baker's website.

"In 2016, Steve Dettelbach took credit for solving Ohio's opioid crisis. He even accepted an award from President Obama for it," LoParo said. "We know today, his so-called plan did not work. Now he tries to assign blame for his own failures. He's just a typical politician who will say anything to try and win an election."

Liz Doherty, Dettelbach's spokeswoman, called the Yost claims untrue.

"It's sad that instead of offering a plan to combat the opioid crisis, all Dave Yost can do is spread lies paid for by big drug companies," she said. "It's no wonder Steve's commitment to this fight has drawn the praise of Republicans and Democrats alike in this campaign."Rotunda Rumblings

Executive decisions: Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed an executive order Monday requiring law enforcement to upload certain protection orders and warrants into a system that could prevent people from illegally buying guns, cleveland.com's Laura Hancock reports. The governor has been pushing for gun reform for the past several months, which the GOP-dominated statehouse has refused to take up.

Dettelbach up on TV: Steve Dettelbach, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, will be the first downticket statewide candidate to buy TV ads. His campaign says it's launching a $300,000 week-long ad buy on Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus broadcast stations starting Tuesday. The 30-second spot highlights the former U.S. attorney's work to prosecute members of both parties on corruption charges.

They should see a doctor for that: For years, Republicans have been running on repealing Obamacare, but as cleveland.com's Sabrina Eaton writes, that's causing some headaches in the 2018 midterms. Democrats throughout Ohio are placing ads that argue Republican plans to dismantle Obamacare would jeopardize insurance coverage for people pre-existing medical conditions. Nowadays, Ohio Republicans who once highlighted their Affordable Care Act opposition are instead stressing their support for its provisions that keep insurance companies from discriminating against sick customers.

Medicare-for-nah: Democratic congressional candidate Betsy Rader says the latest ad from incumbent GOP Rep. Dave Joyce misrepresents her position on Medicare, Eaton writes. Rather than expanding Medicare to cover the entire country, she says Americans should have the opportunity to buy into it. Joyce's campaign manager accused Rader of not wanting "people to know she is a Bernie Sanders liberal."

Money talks: As reported by Capitol Letter on Monday, Danny O'Connor, the Democrat running for Congress in Ohio's 12th Congressional District, is back on the air, this time with an ad attacking Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson. The 30-second spot knocks Balderson for taking corporate PAC money from the big banks, drug companies and insurance groups.

Ad watch: Randy Ludlow of the Columbus Dispatch dissects Republican governor hopeful Mike DeWine's latest ad, which again attacks Democrat Richard Cordray over his support of Issue 1.

Dewine-Cordray: DeWine and Cordray appeared before the Dispatch's editorial board over the last couple of days. Ludlow has the highlights.

The Dispatch backs Brown: The Columbus Dispatch editorial board came down with its ruling on who to support in the Senate race, backing Brown. "We see no need to oust a proven leader, one of Ohio's longest-serving elected officials," the board said.

Ice cream wars: Per the Cincinnati Enquirer, Aftab Pureval, the Democrat challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot in the 1st Congressional District, is getting his own limited-edition Ben & Jerry's flavor. Not to be outdone, Chabot tweeted two photos of himself eating at Graeter's and United Dairy Farmer's in the same day.

Indebted: Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci will talk about an awful lot in the Senate race, but one thing they've both steered clear of is the national debt, writes the Dispatch's Jack Torry and Jessica Wehrman. That's probably because most polling shows voters aren't concerned with the debt, Torry and Wehrman write.

Quick fix: One race that hasn't gotten much attention this cycle is Ohio's 2nd Congressional District in suburban Cincinnati and Southern Ohio. The Enquirer has a 30-second primer video to catch everyone up to speed.

Abortion clinic closure: Women's Med, the Dayton area's last abortion provider, is appealing a judge's ruling that would force its closing, per the Dayton Daily News. The clinic is fighting a ruling from the state health director that revoked its license for violating transfer agreement and backup physician rules.

Workplace solutions: Businesses in three Ohio counties are hoping to take advantage of a Bureau of Workers' Compensation pilot program to help address the problem of workers addiction, the Dispatch reports. The program is aimed at helping businesses offset the costs of drug testing, train supervisors to assist workers in recovery and build a network for workplaces to share best practices.

Full Disclosure

Five things we learned from Jay Carson's April 19 financial disclosure. Carson, a Republican from Lakewood, is running against Democratic Sen. Mike Skindell in House District 13.

1. Carson reported earning $132,083 as a lawyer for Wegman Hessler & Vanderburg.

2. Carson serves on the board for the Three Arches Foundation as well as the secretary and board member for North Coast Health.

3. He has four investment funds. He has mutual funds in CUNA and Raymond James, a pension with the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and an annuity with Allianz.

4. At some point in 2017, Carson owed over $1,000 each to Fifth Third Mortgage, First Federal Lakewood, Chase VISA and Huntington National Bank.

5. Carson listed no travel, meals or gifts from lobbyists.

Straight From The Source

"(It's) an enduring base, it's never going to close, unless someone blows it up."

- Theresa Gasper, the Democrat running against GOP U.S. Rep. Mike Turner in the Dayton area 10th Congressional District, on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base during a campaign event, per the Dayton Daily News. Gasper said she recognized her "unfortunate" words, but not before Turner seized on the news to criticize his opponent.CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown is leaning into his less than glamorous image in a new campaign ad.

The ad opens with workers excerpting newspaper accounts which alternately referred to Brown's distinct appearance as "rumpled," "disheveled" and "wrinkled."

Staying on the clothing theme, it then shifts into describing Brown's work on behalf of Whirlpool, which employs around 3,000 workers at a factory in Sandusky County.

"We make washing machines, and Sherrod Brown looks great to us," one Whirlpool worker says.

Brown, a Democrat, is running for re-election in November against Republican Wasdworth Rep. Jim Renacci.

Brown and Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman spent years advocating for the Michigan-based Whirlpool. The company complained that Asian competitors Samsung and LG broke U.S. trade laws by importing foreign-manufactured washing machines at artificially low prices.

In October 2017, the U.S. International Trade Commission unanimously ruled that the companies' practices amounted to "a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry producing an article like or directly competitive with the imported article."

And in January 2018, President Donald Trump's administration slapped penalty tariffs, as high as 50 percent over a three-year period, on LG and Samsung's products.

As evidenced by the ad, references to Brown's attire periodically have made their way into his press clips over the years. Standards in Brown's wardrobe have included wrinkled suits, a pair of black velcro sneakers (although he's swapped them out for a navy pair with shoelaces for this election cycle) and during the final days of the high-stakes 2016 election, a Cleveland Indians hoodie.STRONGSVILLE, Ohio -- City Council is receiving legal pressure to allow a Circle K at the southwest corner of Royalton Road and West 130th Street.

Petros Development Corp. of Broadview Heights wants to build the gas station-convenience store on a 1.5-acre vacant lot, just north of Cleveland Metroparks, but first needs council to rezone the parcel from a local-business district to a motorist-service district. Petros applied for the rezoning about three months ago.

"The rezoning is proper and is supported by Ohio law," John Slagter -- an attorney with Buckingham, Doolittle and Burroughs LLC, a Cleveland law firm representing Petros -- told council in an Aug. 29 letter. "We respectfully request that you approve the rezoning."

Meanwhile, families living near the Royalton-West 130th intersection, during a Sept. 4 public hearing, pushed back against the rezoning. They are concerned about traffic, pollution and noise they said the Circle K would bring.

Margaret Nicholson, who has lived on Royalton near West 130th for more than 60 years, told council that about a year ago, Petros' corner lot was cleared of old trees and left barren.

"This is sad," Nicholson told council on Sept. 4, according to meeting transcripts. "My house no longer has privacy. The noise from the corner traffic and the local taverns are loud. The streets light up my yard at night.

"It has been very hard," Nicholson said. "Do any of you council members want to live next to a gas station?"

In December, council voted 4-3 to allow a four- or five-building retail center on Royalton across from SouthPark Mall after attorneys representing the developer threatened to sue if council didn't approve the plan.

At the time, then-council President Ken Dooner said he opposed the rezoning that made the retail center possible, but voted in favor due to the legal threat. Dooner and Councilman Duke Southworth, who also voted for the rezoning, are no longer on council.

Slagter, in his August letter to council, did not overtly threaten to sue the city.

Council didn't vote on the proposed Petros rezoning Sept. 4 and the rezoning did not appear on its Sept. 17 agenda.

"My understanding is that council has every intention of addressing (the proposed rezoning) in the near future," Law Director Neal Jamison told cleveland.com Monday. "They just haven't scheduled a vote yet."

Council members Ann Roff, Kelly Kosek, Gordon Short, Jim Carbone, Joe DeMio and Matt Schonhut did not return calls. Councilman Michael Daymut was unavailable for comment.

Legal arguments

In his Aug. 29 letter to council, Slagter said the proposed rezoning is proper because it would protect Petros' property rights. He said the Ohio Supreme Court has considered property rights as a fundamental right.

Slagter said Ohio case law recognizes that zoning is discriminatory if it's different than zoning around it. Property on the northwest corner of Royalton-West 130th, across from the Petros lot, is zoned motorist service.

"One of the primary factors that courts look at in determining whether a zoning regulation passes the constitutional muster is whether the zoning classification arbitrarily imposes regulations that are inconsistent with the character of the surrounding area or substantially similar properties," Slagter said.

The proposed rezoning, Slagter said, would also "advance legitimate governmental purposes" because it would benefit the public. The existing zoning does not advance legitimate governmental purposes because the lot's location at a major intersection supports a change to motorist-service zoning, he said.

Slagter said Petros has marketed the Royalton-West 130th lot for several years, but has failed to find a buyer or user. That means the existing zoning is "not economically feasible."

"There is no rational basis to continue to apply the restrictive and economically infeasible local-business zoning designation on the (Petros) property," Slagter said.

Greg Modic, a Petros representative, told council on Sept. 4 that Circle K would not generate additional traffic because it's a "convenience draw," not a "destination draw." People will not drive out of their way to go there, but might stop in if they are passing by, he said.

Environmental arguments

At the Sept. 4 public hearing, Joe Stronsick, who lives on Royalton, said Strongsville already has enough gas stations. He counted four on West 130th alone between Ohio 303 and Royalton.

Joe Nicholson, a Grafton resident whose family lives near the Petros lot in Strongsville, said Strongsville contains 12 gas stations, or about one every 2 square miles.

Nicholson said residents living near Royalton-West 130th don't want to smell gasoline fumes or see litter and bright lights emanating from a gas station. He said such conditions would decrease residential property values.

Dr. Richard Mahon -- a Copley resident who works at Akron Children's Hospital and whose family lives near the Petros property -- said exposure to benzene, an ingredient of gasoline, causes "numerous blood cancers. ... It's also a known carcinogen that has been shown to affect the central nervous system, respiratory track (and) immune system."

Mahon said prolonged living next to a gas station can cause cardiac arrhythmia, liver and kidney disease, and developmental issues.

Mahon added that gasoline from pumps can leak into the soil and groundwater below. He said research has shown that, conservatively speaking, about 1,500 liters of gasoline are spilled each decade at a typical gas station.

Also, Mahon said gas stations that fail as businesses are not easily converted to other types of business.

"The pumps, canopies and building you see above ground may seem easy to demolish, but again, a bigger challenge is found below the surface in the large underground fuel storage tanks that serve the station," Mahon said.

"Removal of these tanks, including preventing contamination caused by leaks from them, is a very involved and expensive process that could possibly make the site undesirable for future development," Mahon said.

Michael Gollini of Royalton Road said the proposed Circle K would be open 24 hours and would attract "unsavory" people wanting only to hang out there. That would burden both police and residents.

Linda Ponstingle of Royalton Road said the city should focus on filling vacant commercial buildings, some on Royalton near West 130th, instead of building new ones.

"The city continues to build and build and build," Ponstingle said. "Are you at the point that you are maxed out?"WESTLAKE, Ohio -- Westlake High School has teamed up with the New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) in East Greenwich, R.I., for college credits for its drone technology classes.

The new agreement between the two schools will provide students in Westlake's Unmanned Aircraft Systems-Drone Technology program with college credits through NEIT's Advanced Tech Program. Specifically, they can earn credits toward an associate degree in electronics, robotics and drone technology.

Scott Kutz, the technology and engineering teacher at Westlake High School, said he worked with Dean Plowman and Tara Rugg at NEIT to develop the partnership.

Plowman is from the Electronics, Robotics and Drones Technology Department, and Rugg is the school's communications coordinator.

"By transferring credits, students may receive advanced standing and reduce the costs of tuition," said Rugg. "Earning college credit while in high school is an outstanding opportunity for students planning to pursue careers in the technical fields."

She noted that the Rhode Island school's program "will offer students an opportunity for a head start in a career area and also get them involved in a post-secondary education with a specific direction in mind."

She added, "We congratulate the administration and faculty at Westlake High School for offering this opportunity to their students."

Currently, Kutz said he has 13 students in the first semester class, including three girls. The second semester class has 19 students enrolled.

According to NEIT's information, most of their associate degree programs can be completed in as little as 18 months and bachelor's degree programs in as little as three years. Student enrollment in the school is currently 3,000.

The associate degree in electronics, robotics and drone technology is only one of the associate and bachelor's degrees in the many technical fields offered at NEIT. The school is located an hour outside of Boston and three hours from New York City.

For more information on the Rhode Island school, visit https://www.neit.edu/.While more Americans are going to college than ever before, that shift might not be enough to compete in the global economy in the years ahead. New numbers reveal which states are producing the most educated workers, the ones poised to succeed in a market that values training and adaptability.

In 1940, just 4.6 percent of adults over the age of 25 held a bachelor's degree or more. Today, that figure is closer to 33.4 percent, a jump of more than 600 percent. Around 12 percent have an advanced degree such as a master's.

But even though the United States has made great strides in increasing access to higher education, the country is still falling behind other nations. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the U.S. ranks fifth in adult education levels.

This fall could not come at a worse time. Researchers at the Department of Education, the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce and the Lumina Foundation all predict that around 65 percent of all jobs in the United States will require workers to have some form of post-secondary education by 2020.

Career services site Zippia recently analyzed U.S. census data in order to determine which states were leading the charge in creating a highly-educated workforce.

They found that 10 states stood out for having the highest percentage of people holding a master's degree or more. Massachusetts, where 41 percent of citizens have a bachelor's degree and 18 percent have a master's degree or more, topped the list. Several other states in the Northeast ranked highly including Connecticut, New York and Vermont. Zippia credits this geographic trend to significant investments in public education as well as prestigious colleges and universities in the region.

Here are the 10 most educated states in America:The governor of Argentina's central bank, Luis Caputo resigned on Tuesday for personal reasons, the bank said in a statement, a surprise announcement in the midst of the country's talks with the IMF that sent the peso tumbling.

Former finance minister Caputo has only held the role since June and is the second Argentine central bank president to resign this year.

Argentina's peso currency slid 4.65 percent to open at 39.15 per U.S. dollar after the announcement, traders said.

Former Economic Policy Secretary Guido Sandleris was named as Caputo's replacement, a statement from the presidency said.

"This resignation is due to personal reasons, with the conviction that a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund will reestablish confidence in the fiscal, financial, monetary and exchange rate situation," said the central bank statement.

The news comes as Argentina is finalizing a deal to bolster a $50 billion credit line with the IMF in New York.

Argentina's recession-hit economy is burdened by high interest rates and a currency that has lost around 50 percent of its value against the dollar this year.Trump nemesis Michael Avenatti said Tuesday a third woman with damning allegations against Brett Kavanaugh will reveal her identity and detail her claims when "we have adequate security measures in place." But the attorney also said in a tweet Tuesday that he expects her to go public before Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing featuring testimony from Kavanaugh and another accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. Ford has claimed the Supreme Court nominee tried to sexually assault her when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh has denied all claims of sexual misconduct. Ford's allegations date to the early 1980s, when she and Kavanaugh were high school students, the same time frame for the accusations by Avenatti's client. "Let me be clear: We will disclose the client's name and accusations only when SHE is ready and we have adequate security measures in place," Avenatti's tweet said. "And not a moment before that. It is her choice and hers alone as to when to surface bc it is her life. We expect it within the next 36 hrs."

Avenatti, who in the past year has become a leading antagonist of President Donald Trump, said last month he was exploring running for the presidency in 2020. Avenatti's client, whom he has called both an accuser and a witness against Kavanaugh, has not been publicly identified. NBC News has not be able to verify her allegations. She would be the third woman, in addition to Ford and Kavanaugh's Yale University classmate Deborah Ramirez, to accused the now 53-year-old federal appellate judge of sexual misconduct as a young man. Avenatti in an email to the Judiciary Committee's chief counsel for nominations outlined his client's allegations. The email said he had knowledge of Washington-area house parties in the early 1980s, when Kavanaugh was in high school, at which Kavanaugh, his pal 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." "There are multiple women that will corroborate these facts, and each of them must be called to testify," Avenatti said. During an interview that aired Monday night on Fox News, Kavanaugh was asked "did you ever participate in any gang rape?" Kavanaugh, his wife by his side, answered: "That's totally false and outrageous, never done such thing, known about such thing." He then said that when he went to Georgetown Prep, an all-boys high school in Maryland, he was focused on "sports and academics, friendship with classmates and all girls school."A visitor of BMW World walks past a BMW car during the annual accounts press conference of German car manufacturer BMW at the BWM World in Munich, Germany.

Shares of BMW fell 5 percent Tuesday after the automaker warned investors its 2018 revenues and profits will likely fall due to the costs of implementing new emissions standards in Europe and rising uncertainty stemming from the escalating global trade war.

Automotive revenues are now expected to fall slightly from the 88.6 billion euros ($104.4 billion at the current exchange rate) it generated last year, the company said. It previously told investors sales would rise.

BMW had also previously forecast profits to be on par with last year, but now expects a "moderate decrease," the company said. The company earned 10.7 billion euros ($12.6 billion at the current rate) in 2017.

"The continuing international trade conflicts are aggravating the market situation and feeding uncertainty," BMW said in a statement. "These circumstances are distorting demand more than anticipated and leading to pricing pressure in several automotive markets."

The German automaker also said the industry's shift to a new laboratory test for emissions, the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, has created "supply distortions in several European markets and an unexpected intense competition."

BMW had already expected 2018 to be a challenging year, due to the more than 1 billion euros in investments it is making in mobility, along with currency headwinds.

Fellow German automaker Daimler had warned at the end of July that the heightening trade war between the U.S. and China could affect its profitability this year. Both automakers have factories in the United States, where they build vehicles for both the U.S. market and for export.

WATCH: How automakers sell a $71,000 version of a $27,000 carWith the humiliating rejection of her 'Chequers plan' that was designed to keep the U.K. closely aligned to the EU, the prime minister is looking vulnerable abroad as well as at home.

Both the ruling Conservatives and opposition Labour party appear to be considering the possibility of a snap election as early as November, particularly in light of May's disastrous meeting with her EU counterparts in Salzburg last week, at which they appeared to throw her and her Brexit proposals under the bus.

Theresa May's Brexit negotiations with the European Union (EU) are going very, very wrong and there is speculation that the U.K. could be heading for a snap election  cue eyerolls and yawns nationwide.

British Prime Minister Theresa May looks back as she and other leaders depart following the family photo on the second day of an informal summit of leaders of the European Union on September 20, 2018 in Salzburg, Austria.

The Sunday Times reported that two senior aides within May's Downing Street team had responded to her "summit humiliation" last week by suggesting that an early general election in November could help save both her leadership and her job.

The newspaper said that one unnamed senior aide said to another Tory strategist: "What are you doing in November? Because I think we are going to need an election." For its part, Downing Street has denied the reports as "categorically untrue."

Labour certainly seems to be preparing for another possible vote, although whether it's a snap election or a second Brexit referendum is the big question. As the party holds its annual conference in Liverpool, the spotlight is on what leader Jeremy Corbyn  known for his ambivalence toward the EU  thinks.

Pressed on the issue of another referendum (a tricky one for Labour, with many of its supporters voting for Brexit) by the BBC's Andrew Marr on Sunday, Corbyn said he would back party members if they wanted another EU vote, although he said he'd prefer to have a general election.

Senior Labour party member Emily Thornberry also suggested recently that she was confident that a general election would happen in the fall or in spring 2019.

U.K. voters are likely to be spluttering into their cups of tea at the prospect of another vote on either Brexit or another general election so soon after 2017's snap vote. As we all know, the British public punished what it perceived to be an arrogant move by May in calling last year's election and it cost the Conservatives their majority in parliament.

That vote showed that U.K.'s voters are more than ready and willing to deliver a bloody nose to the political establishment given half the chance  especially when it is a suspected political ploy or power grab. There's every likelihood they'd do so again if another snap election is called.

WATCH: Meet Saudi Arabia's Crown PrinceAerial of the Pentagon, the Department of Defense headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, near Washington DC, with I-395 freeway on the left, and the Air Force Memorial up middle.

China has reacted with anger to the news that the United States is ready to approve a $330 million arms sale to neigboring Taiwan.

The contract was confirmed in a Pentagon news release on Monday that detailed an inventory of spare parts and repairs to be bought from the U.S. for Taiwanese military aircraft.

At a daily press conference on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Geng Shuang, expressed anger over the deal and said China had already made its feelings clear to U.S. representatives.

The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in its statement that the proposed sale would "contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security and defensive capability of the recipient."

The statement added that Taiwan continues to be "an important force for political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region."Disruptive businesses are cropping up everywhere these days, but investors shouldn't take a company's word as gospel just because it brands itself as innovative, CNBC's said Tuesday.

"You can't understand [disruption] without looking the actual disruptors in the eye to see who's a poser and who's the real deal," the "Mad Money" host said, speaking from CNBC's 1Market studio in San Francisco.

"The truth is what happens in tech reverberates through the rest of the market and, really, the rest of the world," he said.

Take the semiconductor space. Analysts are reportedly worried that the notoriously boom-and-bust industry is showing signs of slowing, as evidenced by Micron's recent weaker-than-expected forecast and Intel's chip manufacturing issues.

The weakness among the chip stocks illustrates that "disruption also has its downsides," Cramer said, though he said he still liked the stock and argued last week that Micron's boom-and-bust cycle could be uprooted by the company's $10 billion buyback.

"Intel, the onetime king of the semiconductor industry, seems to have taken a step back in its age-old battle with AMD over the PC business," he noted. "Right now, [Intel's] manufacturing is coming up short and we're actually short of processors because of it, which is incredibly shocking to anyone who's followed this company for a long time."

And thanks to the power of tech-heavy exchange-traded funds, shares of semiconductor plays Analog Devices, Broadcom and NXP Semiconductor all slid as a result of Wall Street's negative call.

"Because the whole group is interlinked by the ETFs, no prisoners are taken," Cramer said.

His big takeaway? When investors hear about disruptive companies, they should never just buy their stocks blindly.

"There's no crystal ball to tell you who wins," he said. "The bottom line is that you need to know what industries are being disrupted if you're going to invest in the stock market."Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein leaves his home on September 25, 2018 in Bethesda, Maryland. Presuming his time at the Justice Department was in jeopardy, Rosenstein met Monday with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly but was told to stay on the job at least until Thursday when they will meet with President Donald Trump.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will remain in his job at least until Thursday, when he is scheduled to sit down with President Donald Trump to discuss his future at the Justice Department, the White House says.

Yet the fact that Rosenstein went to work at the Justice Department at all on Tuesday morning was noteworthy, coming on the heels of a whirlwind 24 hours marked by competing reports that Rosenstein's firing was imminent, that he had already resigned, and that he planned to resign after being summoned to the White House on Monday.

Rosenstein has an unusually high profile for a deputy attorney general, in large part because he assumed oversight of the special counsel's Russia probe after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself in 2017. Reports Monday that Rosenstein was being pushed out of his job immediately raised concerns about the fate of the special counsel's inquiry, and caused markets to dip briefly before recovering somewhat as the day progressed.

Over the course of the day Monday, several conflicting accounts emerged of what happened at the White House following a report Friday by The New York Times that Rosenstein had once mused about wearing a wire to meet with the president, and that he had questioned Trump's fitness for office.

The report sent shockwaves through the Justice Department and the White House, further straining what was already a messy relationship between the president and his DOJ. Trump has made no attempt to hide his disdain for Sessions, whom the president holds personally responsible for the escalation of the Russia probe. Moreover, it was Rosenstein himself who appointed Robert Mueller to lead the inquiry after Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey in May 2017.

NBC News reported that Rosenstein and White House Counsel Don McGahn discussed the possibility of his resigning over the Times story, but that Rosenstein made it clear to McGahn that if Trump wanted to fire him, the president would need to speak to him directly about it, face to face.

NBC also reported that sometime over the weekend, Trump decided not to fire Rosenstein after all, in part because of the political firestorm it would ignite, just weeks from the November elections.

On Monday morning, however, the news site Axios incorrectly reported that Rosenstein had "verbally resigned" over the weekend, giving the strong impression that Rosenstein was quitting of his own accord, and that his departure was already a done deal. (Axios, for its part, said Tuesday that its initial report Monday "conveyed too much certainty to a fluid situation by presenting Rosenstein's resignation as a done deal.")2016A statue is seen next to the logo of Germany's Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Germany.

German regulators have ordered Deutsche Bank to take internal actions to prevent money laundering, a few weeks after a scandal erupted in Danske Bank.

In a statement issued Monday evening, BaFin, the German financial watchdog, has also announced the appointment of a special advisor to oversee whether Deutsche Bank takes effective measures to stop illegal money transfers.

This comes a few weeks after the head of the Danish lender, Danske Bank, resigned following a money laundering investigation into the bank. A probe into the bank's activities showed that 200 billion euros ($234 billion) were moved through the Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015, most of which was suspicious.

Earlier this month, ING agreed to pay 775 million euros ($910.20 million) in penalties for failing to stop several companies to allegedly launder money over a six-year period.

Deutsche Bank told CNBC Tuesday: "We have the strong commitment to operate within regulatory compliant practices for the identification of our clients. We are in agreement with the BaFin that we have to improve these processes in the Corporate & Investment Bank further. The bank will work together with the BaFin and the special auditor KPMG to fulfill the regulatory requirements as soon as possible and within the given time frame."

In 2017, Deutsche agreed to pay $425 million to U.S. regulators over a scheme that moved $10 billion out of Russia between 2011 and 2015.The phenomenon, which is hard to predict and elusive, has shown up at El Porto in Manhattan Beach and Marina del Rey this week.After months of testing a possible name change, Dunkin' Brands is finally ditching the word "donuts" from the coffee chain's branding and logo.

The company, which also owns Baskin Robbins, said Tuesday that its company name, Dunkin' Brands, will remain the same.

The switch to just "Dunkin" will begin in January. The restaurant has used "Dunkin'" in its tagline "America Runs on Dunkin'," since 2006 and found that customers reacted positively to the shortened name.

Growing competition in the coffee and breakfast space has pressured Dunkin' into making itself known for more than just its doughnuts. Dunkin's strategy, which it laid out during its investor day in February, includes slimming down its menu, increasing speed and convenience, and focusing more on its beverages than its food.Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Dursun Aydemir | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

In the latest sign of the growing divide between Washington and its allies, the European Union's foreign policy chief announced Monday that the bloc was creating a new payment mechanism to allow countries to transact with Iran while avoiding U.S. sanctions. Called the "special purpose vehicle" (SPV), this mechanism would aim to "assist and reassure economic operators pursuing legitimate business with Iran," according to a joint statement released by the remaining members of the Iran nuclear deal  France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China. "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," Federica Mogherini, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. The technical details will be worked on by experts in future meetings, she said. But analysts already doubt the viability of the plan  while the SPV would establish a clearer financial channel to trade with Tehran, it's not likely to be able to protect participating companies from U.S. secondary sanctions. American sanctions have already been imposed on a number of Iran's industries  including aviation, metals, automotives and its ability to trade gold and acquire dollars  as a result of President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal. On November 4, a second round of penalties will fall on Iran's massive oil sector, which accounts for 70 percent of the country's exports. Iran is the world's seventh-largest oil producer.

Oil sanctions loom

The Iran nuclear deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was spearheaded by the Obama administration and signed by the aforementioned five world powers, the U.S. and Iran, lifting economic sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The Trump administration pulled out of the agreement in May, calling it the "worst deal ever," despite U.S. allies and international agencies attesting to Iran's compliance to the deal's requirements.

Washington's subsequent reimposition of sanctions now threaten to cut those who transact with Iran off from the U.S. financial system. This has forced numerous multinational companies and foreign investors out of the country, while the impending oil sanctions aim to push countries' imports of Iranian crude down to zero. The move angered U.S. allies and the deal's signatories, who have since been searching for ways to enable their companies to continue doing business with the Islamic Republic. All of the deal's remaining members engage in trade with Iran, particularly for its oil.

An act of defiance

The SVP will intend to serve as a "clearing house" of sorts for transactions with Iran in euros, in order to avoid involving central and commercial banks, who fear U.S. penalties on their operations. It's a blatant show of defiance from foreign leaders who have expressed mounting frustration at Trump's foreign policies, which have been characterized by trade war antics against allies and adversaries alike, as well as financial sanctions. Just on Tuesday, China's vice minister of commerce stated that Beijing and Moscow could combine their efforts to counter the negative impacts of Washington's trade tariffs and sanctions on their economies. Whether the sanctions-skirting plan will actually work is a different matter. Washington has the power to expand its sanctions in response, but the scale of retaliation may depend on how far each side is willing to push its aims. EU entities doing business with Iran through the SPV could still be caught by the re-imposed U.S. secondary sanctions on Iran, according to Roger Matthews, Senior Director at Dechert LLP's International Trade and EU Law practice. "And even if they are not, the U.S. could adjust the scope of its sanctions to capture them  and potentially designate the SPV itself, although this would politically further up the ante," he told CNBC in an email. "At present, it seems unlikely that EU entities will see this model as offering any meaningful protection from U.S. secondary sanctions exposure."The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally closed 0.45 percent higher with the various sectors trading mostly in positive territory. Oil stocks rose 1.69 percent and Basic Resources lifted by 1.76 percent, the latter becoming the top-performing sector on the day. This followed a fresh four-year high in Brent Crude prices.

The FTSE 100 in London was higher by 0.63 percent as the closing bell rang.

Looking at individual stocks, Next led the gains across Europe, up by more than 7.6 percent on Tuesday. The retailer reported a 0.5 percent increase in first-half profit and a decision to lift its guidance for the year.

Italian defense firm, Leonardo, saw its shares rise 2.3 percent after reaching a deal with the U.S. Air Force. The UK listed miner, Glencore, moved higher too after announcing plans to repurchase a further $1 billion of its own shares.

Investors continue to digest merger news after Comcast made the highest bid for the U.K. broadcaster Sky. The latter's stock was trading marginally higher. Earlier on Tuesday, Comcast announced that it had bought 29.1 percent of Sky shares in the market.Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai will meet privately with top Republican lawmakers this week, the company confirmed to CNBC.

"I look forward to meeting with members on both sides of the aisle, answering a wide range of questions, and explaining our approach," Pichai said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

"These meetings will continue Google's long history of engaging with Congress, including testifying seven times to Congress this year."

The news, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, comes after Google snubbed Congress last month, refusing to send a top-tier executive to a hearing on Capitol Hill.

The company, owned by tech conglomerate Alphabet, was derided by U.S. politicians for not sending C-suite executives like Pichai and Alphabet CEO Larry Page. A chair was left vacant where a Google representative would have sat during the hearing.

Google's boss will address issues ranging from the firm's business dealings in China to allegations of political bias at the meeting with GOP officials. The meeting was organized by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

"Google has a lot of questions to answer about reports of bias in its search results, violations of user privacy, anticompetitive behavior, and business dealings with repressive regimes like China," McCarthy said in a statement.

"Google CEO Sundar Pichai has kindly agreed to field Congress's questions with Republican members on Friday. This meeting will inform the Judiciary Committee hearing that will be scheduled later this fall."

The WSJ reported that Pichai plans to appear at a House Judiciary Committee hearing in November following the mid-term elections.Google is ending its sweeping ban on cryptocurrency-related advertising and plans to allow regulated crypto exchanges to buy ads in the United States and Japan. The new policy starts in October.

Google's original restrictions, which it announced in March and rolled out in June, were intended to protect consumers and included initial coin offerings (ICOs), wallets and trading advice, which are still not allowed.

While the cryptocurrency boom has produced both excitement and wealth, it has also spawned fraud and high-profile scams, as regulation struggles to catch up with a fast-moving space. At various points earlier this year, Google, Facebook, Twitter and Snap all cracked down on crypto-related advertising to stop bad actors, though their initial hard-line approaches prevented even legitimate businesses from buying ads.

"We don't have a crystal ball to know where the future is going to go with cryptocurrencies, but we've seen enough consumer harm or potential for consumer harm that it's an area that we want to approach with extreme caution," Google's Scott Spencer told CNBC at the time of its original ban.

Google's updated policy applies to advertisers all over the world, though the ads can only run in the U.S. and Japan, and interested parties will need to apply for certification to serve ads in each country individually. Google's move follows Facebook, which started allowing preapproved cryptocurrency advertisers in June.

Google parent company Alphabet gets roughly 86 percent of its total revenue from advertising. The company booked more than $54 billion in ad revenue in the first half of 2018.

WATCH: How to start your very own cryptocurrencyIn this Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018 photo, University of New England marine sciences professor Markus Frederich holds a green crab at a campus research lab on in Biddeford, Maine.

In the "Crab Lab," the limits of feisty green crabs from Maine are put to the test.

Markus Frederich and his students at the University of New England in Maine placed about a dozen crabs in a bucket, pumped in nitrogen to deprive them of oxygen for 45 minutes and then put them on an underwater treadmill.

Some crabs ran for as long as five minutes and still survived.

More from The New York Times:

Climate change brought a lobster boom. Now it could cause a bust.

A famed fishing port shudders as its Codfather goes to jail

Fish seek cooler waters, leaving some Fisherman's nets empty

"That is pretty wild," Professor Frederich said. "Students were in awe."

In the mid-1800s, European green crabs hitched a ride on boats and came to the United States. But over the past few years, a genetically different European green crab from Nova Scotia, Canada  one that is more combative and more destructive of ecosystems  has appeared off the coast of Maine.

"To use nice words, I would simply describe them as highly aggressive," Professor Frederich said. In the lab, he and his students use more colorful language while working with the crabs, which come at them, pincers up.

The aggressive nature of the Canadian hybrid poses another problem for Maine, which already struggles to defend its soft-shell clam population from Maine green crabs.

The green crabs from Canada have been described as the "cockroach of the sea." Green crabs are voracious predators that can withstand changing temperatures, low salinity and low oxygen levels. They eat oysters, can prey on lobsters in groups and have been known to turn on each other, experts said.

Researchers worry that a changing climate and warming waters could make conditions more favorable for them.

Green crabs slice through eelgrass, an important habitat for other sea creatures, Professor Frederich said. Preliminary research shows that the aggressive crabs from Canada wreaked more havoc on eelgrass and soft-shell clam populations compared with their Maine counterparts.

A video posted by Professor Frederich shows a green crab from Maine scuttling away from a prodding finger while one from Canada menacingly accosted the camera.

"Simply walking up to the tank full of Canadian crabs made them go wild and jump at us," Professor Frederich said.

Attempts to reduce the impact of the crabs have included creating products out of them, such as commercial compost and food paste. Fences have also been placed in the water to protect soft-shell clam populations.

Brian Beal, a professor at the University of Maine at Machias, said the crabs from Canada have no native predator in North America, and only cold winters keep their population in check. Rising temperatures in the Gulf of Maine mean "conditions are becoming more and more favorable for green crabs to survive and populate areas," he said.

The aggressive green crabs have hurt the state's $15 million soft-shell clam industry, and they are ravenous in their pursuit, he said, adding, "If people could actually see that, Stephen King would love it."

Chad Coffin, president of the Maine Clammers Association, said as a shell fisherman, he already deals with aggressive crabs apart from the ones from Canada that are ready to fight when he pulls up a haul. It's hard to imagine things getting worse "because the crabs we have now are already eating everything," he said.

While the green crabs from Canada do not pose a threat to people, Professor Frederich predicted their population would continue to grow. He's studying their genetic makeup to determine why they're more aggressive.

"At this point, we just try to understand how those different populations are moving and why they are different," he said.An Indonesian teenager survived while lost at sea for well over a month.

An Indonesian teenager lost adrift at sea on a floating platform known as a rompong stayed alive by catching fish and drinking sea water, according to reports from the Jakarta Post and the Associated Press.

Aldi Novel Adilang worked as a lamp keeper for the rompong , which is used to catch fish, and was posted around 125 kilometers (78 miles) out at sea from North Sulawesi province at the time of his ordeal, the reports said. The Jakarta Post put his age at 19, while AP said he was 18 years old.

A strong wind on July 14 blew Adilang 1,920 kilometers (1,200 miles) to waters near Guam, the Associated Press said, forcing him to survive for 49 days until a ship eventually rescued him on August 31.

Fishing is an important livelihood in Indonesia, which exported more than $3.1 billion in seafood in 2016, according to data compiled by MIT's Observatory of Economic Complexity.

Shaped like a hut, rompongs are typically cast out in the middle of the sea and are anchored to the seabed by a rope.

Adilang's responsibility was to light lamps around the device with a power generator to attract fish, according to both reports. In an interview with AP, Adilang said that he no longer wants to work on a rompong.

Read the Jakarta Post's story and the AP's report for more on Adilang's rescue.Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, the co-founders of the photo-sharing app Instagram, have resigned and plan to leave the company in the coming weeks, adding to the challenges facing Instagram's parent company, Facebook.

Mr. Systrom, Instagram's chief executive, and Mr. Krieger, the chief technical officer, notified Instagram's leadership team and Facebook on Monday of their decision to leave, said people with direct knowledge of the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Mr. Systrom and Mr. Krieger did not give a reason for stepping down, according to the people, but said they planned to take time off after leaving Instagram. Mr. Systrom, 34, and Mr. Krieger, 32, have known each other since 2010, when they met and transformed a software project built by Mr. Systrom into what eventually became Instagram, which now has more than one billion users.

In a statement late Monday, Mr. Systrom said he and Mr. Krieger were "ready for our next chapter," and hinted that they would create something new.

"We're planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again," Mr. Systrom said. "Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs; that's what we plan to do."

More from the New York Times:

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, praised the Instagram founders in a statement and said that he wished them "all the best and I'm looking forward to seeing what they build next."

The departures raise questions about Instagram's future at a time when Facebook faces its most sustained set of crises in its 14-year history. For much of the past two years, critics have railed against Facebook for being careless with user data and for not preventing foreign interference across its network of more than two billion people. The issues have started taking a toll on Facebook's business, with the company saying in July that growth in digital advertising sales and in the number of its users had slowed down.

Against those problems, Instagram has been one of the jewels of Facebook. The social network acquired Instagram in 2012 for $1 billion, when the photo-sharing site was used by around 30 million people. Since then, Instagram's reach has ballooned and it has widely been seen as one of Facebook's most successful acquisitions.

Facebook has lost other founders of businesses it has acquired. In April, Jan Koum, a Facebook board member and a founder of WhatsApp, the messaging app that the social network purchased in 2014, said he was leaving. Mr. Koum had grown increasingly concerned about Facebook's position on user data in recent years, people with knowledge of the situation said at the time.

In Silicon Valley, reaction to the Instagram founders' resignation was swift.

"Wow," tweeted John Lilly, a venture capitalist at Greylock, calling the exits "a real moment." He added, "What an impact they've had on all of us."

Instagram was founded in 2010 and at first was a location check-in app called Burbn. Mr. Krieger, an enthusiastic user of Burbn, met Mr. Systrom at a Stanford University fellowship program and they decided to work together. Eventually, Burbn was retooled and renamed Instagram.

Instagram became popular in Silicon Valley almost immediately. The app heavily emphasized the use of a smartphone camera as iPhones were being widely adopted, turning everyday people into amateur photographers. Mr. Systrom and Mr. Krieger popularized photo filters and camera lenses, spurring a wave of copycat apps for the iPhone and Android-based smartphones.

The duo worked out of a small office in the South Park neighborhood of San Francisco. Instagram spent a lot of money in its early years just trying to keep its app online as its servers struggled under the constant stream of new user sign-ups.

Instagram eventually caught the eye of Mr. Zuckerberg, who realized how powerful Instagram's nascent photo-sharing network would become, and saw the wealth of photo-sharing activity across his own social network. Mr. Zuckerberg handled the negotiations with Mr. Systrom and Mr. Krieger largely on his own.

Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock (though the final cost was closer to $715 million because the stock on which part of the deal was based declined in value). It was Facebook's biggest acquisition to date, and came a month before the social network's initial public offering.

"For years, we've focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family," Mr. Zuckerberg wrote in a blog post about the deal. "Now, we'll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests."

The deal immediately turned Mr. Systrom and Mr. Krieger into millionaires many times over. Instagram has since been valued at 100 times that $1 billion acquisition price by Bloomberg Intelligence, a sizable return on investment on paper.

Facebook went on to purchase Parse, a service that provided tools for mobile developers, and Oculus, a virtual reality hardware start-up, branching into new areas beyond the original social network. Mr. Zuckerberg also spent $19 billion to buy WhatsApp.

But Instagram remained Mr. Zuckerberg's main success story. As Facebook saw a threat in young people departing the network for Snapchat, a rival photo-sharing network, Instagram was quick to shift and recreate one of Snapchat's key features of online stories. Since then, Instagram has surged further in popularity, while Snapchat's growth has been inconsistent.

The departures of Mr. Systrom and Mr. Krieger create uncertainty around the app. It is unclear who will lead the company on the founders' departures, and if that person can continue Instagram's longstanding success streak. Marne Levine, who was previously Instagram's chief operating officer, left her role at Instagram earlier this month to return to Facebook and lead partnerships.

WATCH: The man who "invented" the #hashtag and how it changed social mediaThere's a powerful force turbocharging small-business growth in the United States that often goes overlooked. It's the Latino contingent that has outstripped all other demographic groups in the sector. The nearly 4.4 million Latino-owned businesses in the United States contribute more than $700 billion to the American economy every year, according to a study by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In fact, Latino-owned companies have grown 31.6 percent since 2012, more than double the growth rate of all businesses across America (13.8 percent), the USHCC reports.



The achievements of Latino small businesses are impressive when you consider it is often hard for them to gain access to capital. Yet they are making progress.

An estimated 55 million Latinos live in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the numbers continue to climb. In fact, Latinos represent 17 percent of the country's population, making them the country's largest ethnic or racial minority. Census Bureau projections reveal that 120 million Latinos will compose 28.6 percent of the U.S. population by 2060. Almost two-thirds of the Latino population (64 percent) are of Mexican heritage, followed by Puerto Ricans, who comprise almost 10 percent, according to the Census Bureau.

A new study of small-business loan applications from more than 28,000 businesses, including requests from over 2,000 Latino entrepreneurs on Biz2Credit's online credit marketplace, found that average annual revenue of Latino-owned business jumped an impressive 26.5 percent during the past 12 months. Revenue for Latino businesses grew from $258,702 in 2017 to $327,189 in 2018.

The analysis also revealed that the number of credit applications from Latino-owned businesses rose 22 percent over the same time period and that their average credit scores increased from 592 in 2017 to 594.

"Biz2Credit's study confirms what we have known for some time: the growing contribution and importance of the Latino-owned businesses in our marketplace. For years we have been strong supporters of their entrepreneurial needs and believe it is critical to enable their business growth with comprehensive product offerings, tools, education and services," said Manuel Chinea, COO of Popular Bank.

"Providing access to better and faster financing options will allow Latino-owned businesses to build upon this momentum," Chinea added.

Meanwhile, optimism has grown in the community.

"As a Latino business owner, I have seen such an increase in the Hispanic population over the past 20 years. This growth has afforded Latino business owners with a great deal of confidence and has made the general market take our community serious," said radio station owner Victor Canales, president of VCMG Live.

"The Latino business community now represents billions of dollars in income despite constraints and barriers. It is these constraints, whether political, financial or cultural that still holds back Latino entrepreneurs from enhancing their businesses."

"In the last year, specifically in Florida, we have seen a tremendous influx of displaced Puerto Ricans due to natural disasters," added Canales, well known in the New York radio market as Vic Latino. "I believe once these families arrive and see companies owned and operated by fellow Latinos, it gives them a sense of pride and inspires them to become business owners."The election of a new president in the Maldives could see the South Asian nation re-enter India's orbit of influence following a long period of close ties with China.

The tropical archipelago, located 400 kilometers from India, has historically relied on New Delhi for security and trade. But those ties weakened when President Abdulla Yameen took power in 2013 and began cozying up to China, the world's second-largest economy.

However, last Sunday's presidential election could change that dynamic.

Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih won 58 percent of the vote on Sunday, defeating Yameen in a poll that was considered fair despite concerns about transparency in the run-up to the ballot.

Solih's administration may now restore civil liberties that were previously restrained under Yameen's authoritarian regime, which was characterized by a deteriorating rule of law, the jailing of critics, religious fundamentalism and emergency rule.

Solih's party is on track to reinstate freedom of expression, implement judicial reforms and clamp down on corruption, Alyssa Ayres, a senior South Asia fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in a note.

As his pro-democracy government is more politically aligned with New Delhi, Solih will likely repair ties with India and "veer back to the more traditional close regional partnership," Ayres stated.

India welcomed Sunday's election result.

"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 country's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.The workplace is not designed for families, and that needs to change, philanthropist Melinda Gates told CNBC on Tuesday.

"We need to have a good, paid family medical leave policy," said the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "We're one of only eight countries in the world  in the world  that doesn't have a paid family leave policy. That's crazy."

The Gates Foundation talks-the-talk and walks-the-walk, changing in 2015 its parental leave program for men and women from 12 weeks to 52 weeks.

"We can't accept that less than 14 percent of women have paid family medical leave," Melinda Gates said in a "Squawk Box" interview in New York, where world leaders have gathered for the United Nations General Assembly's annual meeting.

"We have to redistribute the workload at home, and paid family medical leave for men and women helps with that," she said. "In the United States, women do five years of unpaid labor their husbands don't do. We do 90 minutes more a day: make the school lunch, help with the homework, fix the breakfast, drive them to school."

Technology companies have generally been more generous of late with leave for new moms and dads than the rest of Corporate America.

According to career site GlassDoor, Microsoft, which was co-founded by Bill Gates, gives birth mothers 20 weeks of paid leave, while other parents get 12 weeks. Spotify and Etsy offer six months. GlassDoor also highlighted Johnson & Johnson and TD Bank for standout parental leave policies.

"We need to say to men, 'It's OK to go out and to take leave.' Because one of the things when men take leave, they're more involved in raising the children. It's better for him and it's better for the kids," said Melinda Gates, who has two daughters and a son with husband Bill Gates.

On New Year's Day 1994, Bill and Melinda were married after an office romance at Microsoft where Melinda worked from 1987 to 1996. Twenty-four years later, the couple is worth $98 billion and rank No. 2 on the Forbes' list of the world's most wealthy people.German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May shake hands during a joint press conference after talks on February 16, 2018 in Berlin.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that a Brexit agreement between the European Union and the U.K. is possible in October, but it is not yet clear what the British government wants.

Speaking at a conference in Germany, Merkel said the U.K. cannot choose to be part of the single market  the European common area where goods, services and people move freely  without respecting all its principles.

The U.K. government wants to control the number of European citizens moving to the U.K. During a cabinet meeting Monday, Prime Minister Theresa May's government agreed that EU workers should face the same immigration rules as non-EU citizens. Some have argued that restricting the number of low-skilled EU migrants will hurt the U.K. economy.

Merkel also said Tuesday that European businesses need clarity, which demands "hard work" from Brexit negotiators in the next six to eight weeks.

There have been repeated comments from both sides of the English Channel that negotiations need to be intensified to reach a deal by no later than November. However, many analysts are sceptical that a Brexit agreement will be reached.

"We have highlighted for some time that the risks of 'no deal' are appreciably high," Dean Turner, economist at UBS Global Wealth Management, said in a note Tuesday morning.

"We don't believe that this will happen by design, as it is in neither sides' interests to generate the kind of economic disruption that would likely ensue. But with every day that passes without progress, the risks grow that such an outcome could occur by accident."

UBS has estimated a growth rate of 1.4 percent in the U.K. this year and 1.2 percent in 2019.Candy lovers will soon have a new way to enjoy M&M's.

Mars Incorporated announced Tuesday it will roll out M&M's Chocolate Bars and a new flavor  hazelnut spread  for its popular treats.

The chocolate bars will be made of smooth milk chocolate with whole M&M'S Minis. They will launch in December in five flavors: peanut, milk chocolate, crispy, almond and crispy mint.

Mars is also adding another new flavor to the traditional M&M's candy: hazelnut spread. The candies will include the classic milk chocolate coating with a center containing hazelnut spread.

The two additions are among several flavors M&M's has unveiled in the past year. Last spring, M&M's hit stores in three new flavors: Crunchy Espresso, Crunchy Raspberry and Crunchy Mint.

And the brand announced three more flavors this month: English Toffee Peanut, Mexican Jalapeno Peanut and Thai Coconut Peanut.

"The industry is changing and consumer tastes are evolving," Allison Miazga-Bedrick, senior brand director of the M&M'S brand, said in a statement. "We're continuing to recognize and anticipate demand."Qualcomm has unveiled explosive charges against Apple, accusing it of stealing "vast swaths" of confidential information and trade secrets for the purpose of improving the performance of chips provided by rival Intel, according to a court filing.

Qualcomm hopes the court will amend allegations in its existing lawsuit against Apple accusing it of breaching the so called master software agreement that Apple signed when it became a customer of Qualcomm's earlier this decade.

The two companies have been embroiled in direct and indirect litigation around the globe centered on Apple's unwillingness to have its suppliers pay Qualcomm royalties it deems excessive for the iPhone.

The filing, made overnight in Superior Court in San Diego, is the latest salvo in that fight, designed to put pressure on Apple to settle. But Qualcomm's general counsel, Donald Rosenberg, told CNBC the case stands on its own and would have been filed regardless of the on-going dispute.

"Unlawful use of Qualcomm's valuable trade secrets to try to help a competitor catch up irreparably harms us and must not be allowed to continue," he said.

The new charges are part of a separate lawsuit filed in November alleging that Apple was in violation of the agreement it signed with Qualcomm when it began work to use Qualcomm's chips in the iPhone. That agreement required Apple to allow Qualcomm to periodically insure that the source code software and tools it was sharing with Apple as part of the agreement were being appropriately protected.Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee  who are all men  have hired a female sex-crimes prosecutor to question Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the woman accusing him of sexual assault, Christine Blasey Ford, at a hearing Thursday.

But Republicans refused to identify that prosecutor on Tuesday.

The committee's Democratic senators  four of whom are women  will question Kavanaugh and Ford themselves. Those women are Dianne Feinstein of California, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Kamala Harris of California.

Ford's lawyer Michael Bromwich, in a letter Monday night to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, had blasted the suggestion of having a prosecutor, instead of senators, question her and Kavanaugh.

"This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate," Bromwich said. "Neither Dr. Blasey Ford nor Judge Kavanaugh is on trial."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told reporters "we have hired a female assistant to go on staff and to ask these questions in a respectful and professional way."

"We're looking for the truth here, I don't think because you happen to be a male that you're disqualified from listening to the evidence and making a decision based upon the evidence," said McConnell, when a reporter noted that Republicans on the committee were all men.

Grassley on Tuesday would not release the name of the prosecutor he hired to grill the two witnesses about an incident that Ford says occurred when she and Kavanaugh, 53, were both private high school students in suburban Maryland in the early 1980s. Kavanaugh, who is a federal appellate judge, has denied Ford's claims.

Grassley told Politico "we aren't announcing the name [of the prosecutor] for her safety," but also said he did not know of any threats to the attorney.

"I guess we're just being cautious," he said.

GOP committee aides told NBC News they're not sure whether they will announce the sex-crimes prosecutor's name before Thursday's hearing. The aides also would not release other details about the prosecutor's resume.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, who is not on the committee, criticized the decision by Republicans to farm out their work to a prosecutor.

"This is not a criminal prosecution It's a Senate hearing. I'm amazed they would not ask questions themselves and not disclosing who it is they are trying to make this as hard on Dr. Frd as they can at every turn they are trying to do that," Kaine said.

And Kristina Rose, executive director of End Violence Against Women International, said the arrangement "creates the wrong environment for any real fact finding and clearly gives the impression she is on trial for wrongdoing."

Ford's claims could disrupt Kavanaugh's chances of drawing enough Republican votes to secure confirmation to the high court. Republicans hold a 51-49 advantage in the Senate. Two GOP defections, combined with unified Democratic opposition, would sink the judge's confirmation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has expressed confidence that he would have the votes to confirm Kavanaugh.

The Judiciary Committee's chief counsel for nominations, in a letter Tuesday to Ford's lawyer Bromwich, said Grassley's goal is to "depoliticize this process and search for the truth  instead of creating a forum for senators to grandstand or launch their presidential campaigns."

The counsel, Mike Davis, also cast the Republican majority's decision to let an unelected woman do their jobs as an appropriate reflection of the seriousness of Thursday's hearing, which was scheduled after Ford went public with her allegations.

"For the most serious hearings in our more recent history, such as Watergate and Iran-Contra, the Senate had experienced counsel question the witnesses," Davis wrote.

"The Chairman believes that Dr. Ford's allegations are serious. Thus, the Chairman has hired an experienced sex-crimes prosecutor to serve as an investigative staff counsel for the hearing," Davis added. "She will question Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh on Thursday on behalf of the Republican members."

Davis also said in his letter that Grassley had promised Ford "that he would provide a fair, safe, dignified forum for Dr. Ford to provide her testimony."

"The Chairman and Dr. Ford both agree that we do not want a 'circus,' like we experienced during the first four days of the confirmation hearing," Davis wrote.

Bromwich did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

However, in the letter he sent Grassley on Monday night, Bromwich had objected to an non-committee member handle the questioning. Bromwich wrote:

"In our view, the hiring of an unnamed "experienced sex crimes prosecutor," as Mr. Davis described in his email, is contrary to the Majority's repeated emphasis on the need for the Senate and this Committee's members to fulfill their constitutional obligations. It is also inconsistent with your stated wish to avoid a "circus," as well as Dr. Blasey Ford's repeated requests through counsel that senators conduct the questioning. This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate. Neither Dr. Blasey Ford nor Judge Kavanaugh is on trial. The goal should be to develop the relevant facts, not try a case. Mr. Davis's comparison of the hearing on Thursday to the Watergate or Iran-Contra hearings is disingenuous. As you know, neither occurred in the Judiciary Committee. The Watergate hearings were conducted by the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities; they lasted for months resulting in over 319 hours being televised. The Iran-Contra hearings were conducted by a joint committee of the House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran and the Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition that lasted 41 days. The outside counsel hired to those Committees did not come on board to ask questions of witnesses three days before the hearings started. The central point is that there is no precedent for this Committee to bring in outside counsel for the sole purpose of shielding the members of the Committee from performing their responsibility to question witnesses. Mr. Davis still has not responded to a number of outstanding questions about the hearing, including an explanation of the role of the "experienced sex crimes prosecutor" in the Committee format. Please identify this person and ask your staff to send us her resume immediately. We respectfully request to meet with her tomorrow. We are available for a call with the Majority and Minority staff to discuss the remaining questions anytime."

Ford, 51, has said Kavanaugh and his high school friend Mark Judge, who were very drunk, brought her into a bedroom in a private home in Montgomery County, Maryland, one day in the early 1980s, during a gathering with several other then-high school students.

Ford claimed Kavanugh held her down on a bed while Judge watched, grinded his body against her, and tried to pull off her clothes. When she tried to scream, Ford told The Washington Post, Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand.

"I thought he might inadvertantly kill me," Ford, a research psychologist, told the newspaper. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing."

After Ford went public with her claims, another woman, Deborah Ramirez, told The New Yorker magazine about an incident involving Kavanaugh that occurred when they were both students at Yale University in the mid-1980s.

Ramirez, 53, claims that during a drunken dorm party, Kavanaugh exposed himself and thrust his penis toward her face, causing her to touch it when she pushed him away.

The lawyer Michael Avenatti, meanwhile, has said he represents a third woman who is both an accuser and witness to Kavanaugh's misconduct from their high school years.

Avenatti told Davis, the Judiciary Committee's counsel, in an email that he has knowledge of house parties in the early 1980s, at which Kavanaugh and 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."

"There are multiple women that will corroborate these facts, and each of them must be called to testify," Avenatti said.

Kavanaugh has denied sexually assaulting anyone, at any time, or being aware of gang rapes as alleged by Avenatti.Convention goers look at weapons at the Smith and Wesson booth last April at the 2015 NRA Annual Convention in Nashville, Tenn. Karen Bleier | AFP | Getty Images

The maker of Smith & Wesson firearms lost a prolonged fight with religious groups and other shareholders who have been pushing it to consider a plan to help reduce the harmful effects of its products. The investors, led by The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, presented a resolution on gun safety at American Outdoor Brand's annual shareholder meeting Tuesday, the same resolution it successfully passed at Sturm Ruger earlier this year. And the preliminary voting showed the shareholders also won this fight. The proposal calls on American Outdoor Brands, Smith & Wesson's parent company, to put together a report on whether the gun maker is adequately addressing the risks that its products are associated with gun violence and to show evidence it is exploring ways to make safer guns and products to reduce this violence. Speaking at the meeting after the results of the vote were revealed, American Outdoor Brands CEO James Debney said the vote was "politically motivated" and that he was "disappointed" the shareholders had taken their fight to the annual meeting rather than work through legislatures.

Sister Judy Byron, who presented the proposal on behalf of the 11 shareholder groups that backed it, said the move could be key to the company's survival. Recent mass shootings in the U.S. have involved American Outdoor Brands products, she said, exposing the company and shareholders to boycotts, protests and negative publicity. American Outdoor Brands, she said, "is obligated to help find these solutions." The company refused to respond to other shareholder questions about the proposal after the vote. In a statement after the meeting, Byron said, "Not only can these solutions help save many lives, they may help AOBC's long-term business prospects in the process and we are gratified that so many of our fellow shareholders supported our resolution today." The religious groups got a boost of momentum this year from big fund companies like BlackRock, which sided with them in the Sturm Ruger vote and cast its 2.8 million shares in favor of the proposal. BlackRock and Vanguard are Sturm Ruger's and American Outdoor's biggest shareholders by virtue of their large index fund businesses. Major shareholder voting advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis also supported the proposal's passage.Swedish lawmakers held a mandatory vote on Tuesday on whether parliament continued to support Prime Minister Lofven following an election on September 9 which resulted in a hung parliament.

The vote essentially throws the country's political establishment into tumult and could lead to a center-right coalition taking control of government, propped up by the far-right Sweden Democrats.

Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has been ousted from the government after losing a vote of confidence in parliament Tuesday.

Among Sweden's 349 members of parliament, 204 lawmakers voted "no" to Lofven remaining in his position, Reuters reported Tuesday morning. No one abstained, 142 voted in favour of Lofven remaining in the job and three members of parliament were absent.

The vote comes two weeks after an inconclusive election whose result rocked the country's political establishment.

Neither of the two main political coalitions in Sweden  that of Lofven's center-left grouping or the center-right Alliance -- gained a majority. Making matters worse for Sweden's more liberal politicians, the election saw the far-right Sweden Democrats party increase its share of the vote, becoming something of a "kingmaker" in the formation of a new coalition government.

Lofven, leader of the Social Democrats and the country's prime minister since October 2014, was leading a caretaker government whilst negotiations took place between the parties to form a new coalition government.

He refused to work with the Sweden Democrats, who in turn backed the center-right Alliance coalition in a confidence motion against the prime minister.

Following the vote of confidence result, Lofven warned that an Alliance-led government would be dependent on the Sweden Democrats for support.

The Alliance were defiant ahead of the confidence vote, however.

"Today, after the election, we're doing what we promised before the election," the Moderates' Ulf Kristersson, leader of the largest party in the centre-right Alliance opposition, told parliament ahead of the vote, Swedish English news outlet, The Local, reported Tuesday.

"To the Alliance it is obvious that Sweden needs a new government," Kristersson added.

The Social Democrats (Lofven's party), Greens and Left voted for Lofven, unsurprisingly, while the Alliance which is made up of four center-right parties - the Moderates, the Centre party, the Liberal People's Party and Christian Democrats -- voted against him, along with the Sweden Democrats, The Local reported.

WATCH: These are America's five richest presidentsA large pink diamond a could become one of the most expensive gems ever sold at auction, estimated to fetch up to $50 million next month in Geneva.

The 18.95 carat, fancy vivid pink stone is a rectangular cut and is called The Pink Legacy. Christie's will put it up for auction Nov. 13 at its Magnificent Jewels Sale in Geneva, with an estimate sale price of $30 million to $50 million, according to Christie's.

Fancy vivid pink diamonds are extremely rare, especially those more than a carat or two. Only four over 10 carats in size have ever come up for auction in 250 years, Christie's said. The Pink Legacy also has a type IIA classification, meaning it is among the most chemically pure diamonds.

The gem traces its history to the Oppenheimer family, which adds to its worth. The famed South African diamond dynasty controlled much of the world's trade over three generations. Nicky Oppenheimer sold the family's 40 percent stake in diamond mining company De Beers Group for $5.1 billion to Anglo American in 2011, after taking De Beers private in 2001.

"The discovery of this previously unrecorded and remarkable diamond will cause immense excitement with collectors and connoisseurs of diamonds around the world," said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry for Christie's.

The Pink Legacy won't be the most expensive stone ever sold. That honor is still held by The Pink Star, a 59.60 carat fancy vivid pink diamond that sold in Hong Kong by Sotheby's last year for $71.2 million. It first sold at auction in 2013, when Sotheby's sold it for $83 million to a New York-based diamond cutter. But the buyer defaulted on the deal, so it came back up for auction.

The second most expensive diamond ever sold is the Oppenheimer Blue diamond, which had also been in the Oppenheimer family, sold for $57.2 million in 2016. If the Pink Legacy fetches $50 million, it would become the third most expensive ever auctioned.President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a bilateral meeting with Colombia's President Ivan Duque on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, September 25, 2018.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched his most forceful attack yet on Deborah Ramirez, the second of two women who have alleged sexual misconduct by Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.

"The second accuser has nothing. The second accuser doesn't even know, she thinks maybe it could've been him, maybe not. She admits that she was drunk," Trump said of Ramirez.

"She was totally inebriated and all messed up, and she doesn't know," the president added, speaking at a bilateral meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Trump's comments about Ramirez seemed at odds with what his press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said Tuesday morning about the two women accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

"The president has been clear: Let them speak, but let's also let Brett Kavanaugh speak, and let's let him tell his side of the story," Sanders said. She also suggested that Ramirez could testify before the Senate Thursday, alongside another Kavanaugh accuser, Christine Blasey Ford,.

Ramirez alleges that Kavanaugh aggressively exposed himself to her at a party during their freshman year at Yale University. Ford says that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school. She recounted the experience in a letter to her congressional representatives this summer, and later, to The Washington Post.

Kavanaugh has categorically denied both allegations, and he will testify on Thursday, as well.

As Kavanaugh's confirmation battle has shifted into crisis mode in recent days, Trump has escalated his attacks on Kavanaugh's accusers. On Friday, he tweeted that "if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says," then it would've been reported it to police.

Still, the president lays the most blame for Kavanaugh's predicament on Senate Democrats. He accuses them of trying to destroy Kavanaugh's life for political gain.

In his Tuesday remarks, Trump upped the ante against the rival party, accusing them of not believing the allegations leveled against Kavanaugh.

"It's horrible what the Democrats have done. It's a con game they're playing," Trump said. "They're really con artists. They're trying to convince -- you know, they don't believe it themselves, okay? They know he's a high-quality person. They don't believe it."

Democrats, however, have repeatedly said they believe the allegations are credible, and have demanded that the FBI investigate Ford's and Ramirez's claims.

With the fight over Kavanaugh escalating, the president also began to identify with Kavanaugh in unexpected ways.

For instance, Kavanaugh claims that as a student, he was too focused on being number one in his class to have engaged in the heavy drinking and misogynistic behavior that some of his classmates did.

Trump took a moment to say he knew what that was like. '"He was focused on being number one in his class at Yale," Trump said of Kavanaugh. "To me, that was so believable. I understand college very well. Being number one in your class. I understand a lot of things. When he said that, I understood exactly."

Trump never released his college transcripts. But he did not appear on the Wharton School Dean's List in 1968, his senior year, suggesting Trump did not graduate at the top of his class.President Donald Trump gestures as Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R) stands next to him during a reception ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 20, 2017.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly ordered OPEC to tamp down rising oil prices, but his Twitter barbs might be wasted on the world's oil cartel.

Analysts say OPEC's ability to drive down the cost of crude will be limited until it gets the opportunity to prove it can fill the gap left by falling Iranian exports. Shipments from OPEC's third largest producer are widely expected to fall by roughly 1 million barrels a day in the coming months as U.S. sanctions bite.

The upshot is that no matter what OPEC does, prices may keep bubbling up ahead of two major events: Trump's Nov. 4 deadline for oil buyers to stop importing Iranian crude and U.S. midterm elections two days later.

This week, OPEC and its allies rebuffed Trump's latest demand to hike output. The 15-nation cartel, Russia and several other producers opted instead to stick to their earlier decision to only gradually increase supply.

@realDonaldTrump: 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!

On Tuesday, Trump told the UN General Assembly OPEC is "ripping off the rest of the world" by pushing up prices.

Trump blames OPEC for the rally because the cartel has been limiting its output since January 2017 in order to balance the market after a punishing oil price downturn. In June, OPEC and its allies agreed to increase output by about 1 million barrels day after cutting more than they intended.

However, prices have remained elevated since then and the national average gasoline price remains stuck near $2.85 per gallon as the market braces for the impact of sanctions on Iran.

On Monday, Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, hit a nearly four-year high above $81 a barrel. The rally continued on Tuesday, with Brent topping $82 for the first time since November 2014.

The main driver is inaction by the oil producer alliance at its meeting Sunday, said John Kilduff, founding partner at Again Capital. OPEC issued a statement saying the producers would continue to monitor the market and meet customer demand, but offered no new details about how they would compensate for the lost Iranian barrels.

"They're being cagey once again about what their plans are," Kilduff said. "They give these answers to questions that are sort of a Rubik's Cube of dialogue."

A Wall Street Journal report that top exporter Saudi Arabia is running low on supplies of Arab light, its most popular crude grade, is also rattling the market, analysts said. The report suggested that a shortage of certain types of oil is already developing as Iranian exports start to decline.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al Falih told CNBC on Sunday that markets are "quite balanced today" and "there is plenty of supply to meet any customer that needs it."President Donald Trump defended his administration's trade clashes on Tuesday, telling world leaders the U.S. will act in its "national interest" when it feels cheated.

Trump's comments to the United Nations General Assembly follow his latest shot in a trade war with China, the world's second-largest economy. His administration slapped 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods  a move he justified Tuesday as necessary to defend American workers.

"We will no longer tolerate such abuse. We will not allow our workers to be victimized, our companies to be cheated, and our wealth to be plundered and transferred," Trump said during his remarks in New York.

In wide-ranging comments, the president listed what he deemed his successes on the international stage, including withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal and working with North Korea's Kim Jong Un to dismantle the dictatorship's nuclear program. He also cited efforts to renegotiate what he called "broken and bad trade deals" with countries who he said gained an "unfair advantage" over the United States in the past.

Trump won the White House partly on his pledges to scrap trade agreements that he said punished American workers. The strategy has led to new tariffs  and fresh tensions  with major trading partners such as China, Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

The conflict with China has sparked backlash from Republican lawmakers and U.S. companies, some of whom argue the tariffs are simply taxes that will raise costs for consumers. Republicans and Democrats alike who support new trade agreements have worried the president's policy sows chaos rather than protects workers and consumers. The policy could cause political repercussions at home if voters express frustration with trade policy at the polls in November's midterm elections.President Donald Trump's boast about his administration's accomplishments provoked chuckles from an audience at the United Nations on Tuesday.

While Trump appeared surprised at the time  and said as much  he later claimed to reporters that that part of his speech "was meant to get some laughter."

Trump, in his second address before the U.N. General Assembly in New York, bragged that his administration "has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country."

It's a line of rhetoric Trump has repeated often in interviews and at campaign-style rallies during the second year of his presidency. But this time, the claim was not met with applause.

Trump's audience first reacted to the statement with muted laughs, prompting the president himself to follow up with levity, as well.

"So true," Trump said as he cracked a smile, which in turn raised the volume of the laughter in the General Assembly hall.

"Didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK," Trump said wryly, scoring the loudest response from the crowd of global representatives.

Trump has long decried past U.S. leaders  especially his predecessor, Barack Obama  for showing weakness on the world stage. In 2014, he tweeted, "We need a President who isn't a laughing stock to the entire World."

Trump tweet laughing

Some political insiders and journalists suspected that Trump would fixate on the reaction he got during the speech.

Haberman tweet

About two hours after his speech, Trump re-tweeted reactions from some of his most committed advocates.

Trump tweet Levin

Trump tweet Jeffress

Trump told reporters later on Tuesday that the speech had "gotten very good reviews, certainly, and I think it went very well."

Asked about the laughter, Trump said: "Oh, it was great. Well, that was meant to get some laughter, but it was great."

WATCH: Trump says UN speech line was "meant to get some laughter"The White House said Tuesday it would be "open" to allow Senate testimony from a second woman who accuses Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

"Certainly we would be open to that, and that process could take place on Thursday," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on ABC News' "Good Morning America."

President Donald Trump has been clear, Sanders said: "Let them speak, but let's also let Brett Kavanaugh speak, and let's let him tell his side of the story before we allow allegations to determine his entire future."

The White House's stance appears to clash with the lines drawn around the Senate hearing by Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who limited the hearing to two witnesses. Senators are currently scheduled to hear from Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused him of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers.

The second woman, Deborah Ramirez, has alleged that Kavanaugh's sexual misconduct came during a party at Yale University in the 1980s, when they were classmates. In a story published Sunday by The New Yorker, Ramirez claims Kavanaugh "exposed himself" to her, and caused her to touch his genitals "without her consent as she pushed him away."

Kavanaugh has strongly denied both allegations, and in a Fox News interview that aired Monday evening, he reaffirmed his commitment to pursue a seat on the high court.

Grassley has not shown any indication in recent days that he plans to allow more witnesses to testify, as many Democrats have called for. Grassley's office did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Sanders' remarks.

Grassley has also resisted Democrats' calls for an FBI investigation into Ford's allegations against Kavanaugh. Ramirez said she believes a federal probe of her own allegation "would be warranted."

Sanders backed Grassley's refusal to bring in the FBI to investigate the claims against Kavanaugh. "We have a process in place," she said.Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST

Bazaar Corporate Radar

Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar.The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission formFor all the marketing around B2B electronic payment platforms, many of which are based on blockchain, there are few actual users of the technology  even though it purports to reduce the time needed to send, clear and settle global payments from days to seconds.

The technology enables the representation of digital currency (a "stable coin") backed by traditional fiat money, or the creation of cryptocurrencies (a new asset class) such as bitcoin or Ethereum, Ripple's XRP or Stellar's Lumen, enabling new sources of liquidity. Those digital assets are transmitted across a decentralized network where transactions are recorded on an immutable blockchain ledger.

"The revolution we're seeing is from a cross-border perspective," said Fabio Chesini, a Gartner research director for transaction banking. "If you think about a cryptocurrency like a bitcoin, when you move money from point a to point b, you're actually encapsulating the message and the settlement in the same transaction. That's possible because a cryptocurrency is the first native digital asset ever created, which means an asset that has no liability from somewhere else."

PNC and RippleNet

For example, PNC bank last week announced its PNC Treasury Management division is now a member of RippleNet, a blockchain-based network for transmitting real-time, cross-border payments. Pittsburg-based PNC is the ninth-largest U.S. bank for assets and the 71st largest bank globally.

PNC is just one of more than 100 firms to join Ripple's global payment network; members now include banks, payment providers and remittance companies.

"As the global economy becomes increasingly digital, the need for real-time payments globally is critical," Chris Ward, executive vice president for PNC Treasury Management, said in a statement. "We are focused on providing our clients with capabilities that enable making secure digital payments in an instant, whether they are sent across the street or across the world."

RippleNet allows financial services firms to use either government-backed currency or its own XRP cryptocurrency for payments. Ripple claims its network can settle a cryptocurrency transfer in four seconds, compared to Ethereum, which it claims takes two minutes or bitcoin, which can take more than an hour. Traditional settlements that use banking networks and clearing houses can take from three to five days.

However, International cash management banks, such as Citi, HSBC and Bank of America, have their own payment networks from which they receive transaction fees and other revenue, leaving some to ask why they would cannibalize their own business by using a third-party network.

Also, XRP tokens are pre-mined, meaning all the coins that will ever exist have been created, unlike bitcoin or Ethereum, where the number of cryptocurrencies has no limit and they are not backed by fiat money. Ripple created 100 billion XRP coins, but the primary company and Ripple Labs  the subsidiary that created the payment protocol and exchange network  own 60% of the tokens.

If, for whatever reason, those additional tokens were put in circulation, they would affect the XRP's price.

"Some people may think there is a risk that Ripple would 'dump' XRP on the market. However, Ripple has 55 [billion] XRP locked in escrow," a Ripple spokesperson said via emial, explaining the company holds only about 13% of the outstanding XRP coins.

"Ripple's goal is to thoughtfully enable the XRP ecosystem by incentivizing customers and partners so it wouldn't make sense as a business to hurt the XRP Ledger by flooding the market," the spokesperson said.

Ripple now claims to have 11 of the world's top 100 banks by total assets as its customers, including JP Morgan Chase, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Credit Agricole. Bank of America and Santander are also members of RippleNet, though not all of the banks have actually deployed its payment platform.

When asked how many of those banks are actually using the RippleNet to transfer funds, a Ripple spokesperson said: "RippleNet members are in various states of deploying Ripple for commercial use."

Why banks are going slow

"We're seeing a lot of announcements about Ripple and the banks they're actively promoting in the media, but they're not actually using it in a mainstream production way," Chesini said. "They have very limited pilots in production. Moreover, they're using the messaging capabilities that the Ripple platform provides them, but they're not using XRP.

"Banks are wary due to several implications, such as the cannibalization consequences of the FX business by shifting to a more open-market-making ecosystem and the risk implications of introducing a new asset class, pre-mined and centrally distributed at inception such as the Ripple XRP. Using a new infrastructure rail based on blockchain by using them for messaging [does] not have a clear business case for banks when [they're] considering replacing existing traditional correspondent banking services. Also, [it's] worth highlighting the novelty of these platforms and their lack of maturity for being used in mission-critical businesses such as cross-border payments," Chesini argued

The RippleNet payments exchange network is now live in 40 countries, including recent entrants from North America, Asia, Africa, Europe and South America, according to a statement from Ripple.

"Working with leading blockchain technologies allows us to maintain our promise of driving down the cost of cross-border payments, combined with access to faster, more secure money transfers to even more corridors across the globe," Paresh Davdra, CEO of payment provider Xendpay, said in a statement.

Similar B2B payment networks have also been launched by traditional tech providers. For example, IBM is launching World Wire, an electronic cross-border payments, clearing and settlement platform based on blockchain and the Stellar open-source protocol. And Consensys is launching Adhara, a similar cross-border payments platform.

IBM

Consensys participated in a recent proof of concept with the South African Reserve Bank on a payment system for a [real-time gross settlement] RTGS.

Last week, MasterCard and Microsoft announced MasterCard Track, a B2B supply chain platform that includes a global payment network.

Last year, J.P. Morgan created what was arguably one of the largest blockchain payments networks at the time: the Interbank Information Network (IIN), which it said will significantly reduce the number of participants needed to respond to compliance and other data-related inquiries that delay payments.

If the digital currency is backed by fiat money, however, the clearance and settlement process still requires a central authority, i.e., a central bank.

IBM

So far, those promoting blockchain for cross-border transfers have yet to define "a clear, precise reason from a settlement perspective of why it's needed," Chesini said, explaining the funds still require a central banking authority behind it.

"Because we're dealing with assets that have a counterpart liability, we will never be able to get rid of that and that's why I'm really skeptical about them using blockchain technology for dealing with real-life assets with counterpart liabilities," Chesini said.May wins cabinet backing on Chequers (for the moment)

Shes pinning her hopes on Chequers  The Sun

And refused to allow any debate about Canada  Daily Telegraph

Cabinet gives her two week stay of execution  The Sun

Meanwhile, Starmer will say its increasingly likely Labour will oppose any deal she gets  The Times

Theresa May has faced down cabinet critics of her Chequers plan and won backing from ministers to sell it to next weeks Conservative Party conference. The prime minister also secured cabinet agreement yesterday for a new immigration system after Brexit despite objections from Philip Hammond, the chancellor, on how the change should be managed. A threatened rebellion from Brexiteer ministers demanding that Mrs May seek a looser, Canada-style deal with the EU failed to materialise after she told colleagues to hold their nerve in the face of opposition from Brussels.  The Times

>Today: ToryDiary: Hunt looks east to Japanand west to Canada

and on new immigration plans

EU migrants will not be given preferential treatment after Brexit and the number coming to the UK will fall significantly under Government plans. Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, on Monday unveiled plans at Cabinet for a crackdown on the number of low-skilled migrants coming to the UK after Britain leaves the EU. The Cabinet reached a consensus on the plans despite objections from Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, and Greg Clarke, the Business Secretary.  The Cabinet agreement over a crackdown on low-skilled migrants represents a significant victory for Mrs May and Mr Javid and comes after months of Cabinet clashes over the issue. The Telegraph understands that Esther McVey, the Work and Pensions Secretary, directly criticised Mr Hammond at the meeting. Ms McVey criticised Remainers for claiming that Brexit will cause a huge recession leading to job losses while also arguing the UK will need migrants to fill jobs. Both cant be true, she is said to have told Cabinet.  Daily Telegraph

A compromise was reached  FT

Javid presented the plan  The Times

It favours skilled workers  Guardian

And would cut EU migration by 80 per cent  The Sun

Theyd have no special treatment  Daily Mail

Comment:

Immigration is our new national obsession  Margaret Taylor, Herald

But Davis and others unveil a new Canada-style plan

Rees-Mogg supports it too  The Sun

The plan is set out in a report by the Institute of Economic Affairs  The Times

Heres a summary of it  Guardian

It says Chequers would not allow UK to do US trade deal  Daily Mail

Johnson said the plan would set us free  Daily Telegraph

Today, the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) set out an alternative Brexit plan which was backed by senior Conservatives who are against the Prime Ministers Chequers proposal. So what did they propose, and what is a Canada-style deal? The IEA, a non-profit, free-market think tank, issued the report titled Plan A+: Creating a Prosperous Post-Brexit UK, claiming it could deliver the Brexit Prize. The plan has already won the backing of leading Brexiteers, including David Davis, Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg. Mr Rees-Mogg dubbed it the most exciting contribution to the Brexit debate in months, as the plan sets off a Canada-style free trade deal as an alternative to Theresa Mays contentious Chequers proposal. But Mr Rees-Mogg said it went even further than the Canada deal struck in 2016, calling it Canada plus; Super Canada; or Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Canada.  Daily Express

>Today: Audio: The Moggcast. May should drop Chequers now  and not delay until after the Tory conference

Evans-Pritchard: This new Plan A+ is a breath of fresh air. Its what Brexiteers have been waiting for.

Brexiteers finally have the text they have been waiting for since the Referendum. It maps out the path to a sovereign free-trading Britain that escapes the Chequers cul-de-sac and promises to transform the chemistry of Brexit negotiations. Whether you call it Canada plus, or Japan plus, or more accurately Plan A+, the 147-page draft issued by the Institute of Economic Affairs is a breath of fresh air. A week ago it might have been just another of the freelance plans doing the rounds. Now it is suddenly the closest thing we have to a British government plan, for all signs are that the Cabinet is shutting down Chequers. Last weeks Salzburg convulsion  overblown in one sense, but a political earthquake in its effects  has re-opened the door to the sort of comprehensive free trade deal that Theresa May seem to promise long ago in her Lancaster House speech.  Daily Telegraph

Its an idiotic plan  John Crace, Guardian

Its no magic bullet  Peter Foster, Daily Telegraph

Yes it is. May should use it  Janet Daley, Daily Telegraph

Editorial:

It would be better than no deal  The Times

More Brexit

May annoys EU diplomats over Stormont veto  Guardian

Brussels gives UK big VAT bill  Daily Telegraph

May to hold trade talks with Trump tomorrow

She says he listens to her  The Sun

At the UN, she will call for Zaghari-Ratcliffe release

Theresa May is to hold trade talks with Donald Trump on Wednesday as she prepares for Britains successful future after Brexit. Downing Street confirmed that the Prime Minister will meet the US President on her trip to New York this week after she takes part in the UN General Assembly. In a packed 48-hour schedule the Prime Minister will also take part in UN discussions on controlling chemical weapons where she will again condemn the Russian links to the Salisbury nerve agent attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Mrs May is also due to hold a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani where she will again raise the case of British citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who has been falsely imprisoned in Iran. Mrs Mays bilateral with Mr Trump will see the two world leaders discuss a future trade and controlling chemical weapons.  Daily Express

Theresa May is to petition Irans president for the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and call for greater efforts to curb chemical weapons at the UN general assembly in New York, a trip also expected to be punctuated by repeated questions about Brexit. May sets off for two days at the gathering of international leaders on Tuesday morning. A schedule released in advance by Downing Street shows that among those she will meet later that day is Hassan Rouhani. No 10 said the prime minister would raise the case of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian woman who has spent more than two years in jail in Iran accused of spying. May will express serious concern at Nazanins ongoing detention and call for her to be released on humanitarian grounds, a senior British government official said.  Guardian

Shell also bring up issue of chemical weapons  FT

Gove backs new ocean protections

Montgomerie: The Conservatives need to show theyre the party of the little guy as much as big business

Almost a third of the worlds oceans should be protected by 2030, Environment Secretary Michael Gove has urged. The UK Government is backing calls to treble internationally-agreed targets to protect sea life and habitats by the end of the next decade, as countries meet at the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss ocean conservation. Less than 10 per cent of the worlds seas are currently designated as marine protected areas (MPAs), which can conserve sea life and habitats from damaging activities such as mining and destructive fishing. Countries have agreed a target of designating a tenth of the seas and coastlines as protected areas globally by 2020, under the UNs Convention of Biological Diversity.  Daily Telegraph

 I have three suggestions for them. First of all they must show that they are the party of the little guy as much as big business. They can do that by cancelling planned corporation tax cuts and using the money to reduce the price of petrol. Idea two would scrap or at least postpone the HS2 train project which is getting more expensive with every passing month. Use the savings to fund better local rail and bus services  improvements that will be noticed by the time of the next election. And, most of all, build many more affordable houses. Tories should match Labours promise to help people own the companies they work for by giving young families the chance to own their own homes. It was bad enough when folk ran out of money at the end of the month. Many families are now having to watch the pennies at the beginning of the month. Finding ways of helping such families isnt just or mainly about saving the Conservative Party.  The Sun

More Conservatives:

Orban thanks supportive Conservative MEPs  Guardian

Widdecombe says women should stop whinging  Daily Mail

Heres how to get through the party conference alive  William Hague, Daily Telegraph

>Today: Paul Scully in Comment: Conservative members in London still have time to vote for our Mayoral candidate

Labour 1) McDonnell backtracks on remain option second referendum (but is slapped down by Starmer)

Starmer says question is open  Guardian

And that the party will block Brexit  Daily Express

Meanwhile, they vote for new reselection rules  The Sun

The Labour leadership has been accused of betrayal after appearing to rule out putting the option to stay in the European Union on a second referendum ballot. While the majority of Labour members back a peoples vote, senior party figures have taken opposing views over what it should look like. On Monday John McDonnell, the shadow Chancellor, said: If we are going to respect the last referendum, it will be about the deal; it will be a negotiation on the deal. His words appeared to be at odds with the motion the party decided to put to Labour conference delegates today [Tuesday]. It does not rule out the option of staying in the EU being on the ballot.  Daily Telegraph

Comment:

Corbyn should join me in backing second referendum  Paul Mason, Guardian

>Yesterday: LeftWatch: McDonnell is more dangerous than Corbyn  not just because hes more extreme, but because he is more intelligent

Labour 2) The party would sack water company bosses, cap salaries, and give their jobs to groups

John McDonnell promised that a Labour government would sack water company bosses as he hinted that the party could reintroduce Clause IV almost a quarter of a century after it was scrapped by Tony Blair.The shadow chancellor would advertise company bosses jobs at capped salaries and hand control of the water giants to groups including councillors. A Labour government would set up a unit to handle the return of water, energy, rail and the Royal Mail to public ownership, but aides could not say if the plan to expel water industry bosses would apply to other sectors. He unveiled plans for regional water authorities made up of councillors and worker, consumer and environmental representatives. Shareholders in private water companies would be compensated with bonds in a way that would be cost neutral for taxpayers.  The Times

Editorials:

Its ideas deserve to be heard  Guardian

They are terrifying  Daily Express

Labour 3) Rayner would rein in academies

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.  Guardian

>Yesterday: Mark Lehain in Comment: Rayner says Labour will reject Goves school reforms  but what would they establish in their place?

Wallace: Actually, the Corbynites are right about party democracy

Ive yet to hear a convincing argument against greater internal democracy within the Labour Party. In fact, I think the Corbynites are essentially right about it. As a Conservative, those are not words I write very often, and I doubt the acolytes of the Dear Leader will welcome my support, but thats my view nonetheless. A stopped clock is right twice a day, though you may decide based on personal prejudice whether the broken timepiece in this instance is me or Jeremy Corbyns followers.  What reason would there be not to allow a partys members to choose their own local candidates and representatives? Or to vote on the values and beliefs of the party they slog their guts out for, in wind, rain and snow?  the i

We must stop Labour  Robert Jenrick, The Times

About the same amount of people want Corbyn to be prime minister as Johnson  Matthew Smith, The Times

Other parties

Foster unaware of any DUP donors cash for ash wins  Belfast Telegraph

News in BriefPaul Scully is the MP for Sutton and Cheam and the Conservative Party Vice Chairman with responsibility for London.

The ballot has been open for London Conservative members to vote for our candidate to be the next London Mayor. Members have until 5pm this Wednesday to cast their vote, one of the key benefits and indeed responsibilities of being a party member. We are choosing someone who articulates an aspirational vision for London and will demonstrate that, unlike the incumbent, they can deliver for Londoners.

The three shortlisted candidates have spent the summer reaching out to thousands of members across the capital. Shaun Bailey, Andrew Boff, and Joy Morrissey have fizzed with ideas over their twenty or so hustings together and various association events. This has given members an opportunity to come together and discuss the key electoral issues for Londoners, an exercise which when combined with the local election campaign in May is acting as the catalyst for the revitalisation of the London Conservatives  to ultimately reconnect with both the city and our electorate.

People move to London for jobs, education, opportunities, the lifestyle, the buzz  or some or all of the above. That might be from other countries, but certainly from other parts of the UK. London has been expanding since the time of Dick Whittington. What binds all these people together is their aspiration; their search for a positive future. We need to speak to that constituency and frankly, as Londoners ourselves, we should share that hope and sense of purpose.

Shaun, Andrew and Joy have been relentless in pushing their plans to keep London as one of the premier world capital cities: ensuring we thrive economically; improving transport, air quality and community links; building a range of housing for the next generation and keeping us safe.

Meanwhile the current Mayor has doubled his PR and event budgets whilst overseeing self-inflicted cuts in transport infrastructure plans due to his ever-worsening financial black hole. He will happily point the finger at the government regarding police numbers, having himself cut 38m in 2017 from the Met Police salary budget. He granted permission for a Trump baby blimp quickly enough whilst dragging his feet on house building.

Londoners need one of the three Conservative candidates, each with a resolve to deliver change to their home city, not just to have their face plastered on posters.

My job as Vice-Chairman for London has been to bring the various parts of the Party together in a coordinated manner. The local elections in May showed what we can achieve if CCHQ trusts each borough and constituency to tell their own story and to allow the grassroots to use CCHQ for the resource, the collective experience, and professionalism that it brings. This collaboration helped us achieve a result that the media had not thought possible in the weeks and months leading up to polling day. We all knew better as we tracked the hard work done by so many supporters, glued together with the additional resource of the borough campaign managers which allowed us a far greater reach than we have had in recent years. Now we need to build on this, creating capacity, maintaining that energy, and sharing a vision for London that chimes with people across the capital beyond our core vote. A dynamic mayoral candidate will be right in the centre of this process.

So who is your choice? If you are registered to vote in London and a party member you should have received your ballot by email. Last time we had an open primary. This time the selection is member-led, so as a member, I hope that you do get involved and vote in the short time remaining. I certainly look forward to working with the candidate that you choose.

All three are great campaigners and proven grassroots workers across London. All three can make an excellent Mayor. We know that winning is a challenge but make no mistake, the prize is definitely up for grabs if we run a unified, positive, well-organised campaign. Londoners are quickly beginning to realise that they deserve better. Lets make sure they get what they deserve.Andrew Selous: Our belief in free markets does not mean that we will fail to call out abuse where we see it

Andrew Selous is Conservative MP for South West Bedfordshire, Trade Envoy to South Africa, a member of the Health and Social Care committee and chairs the Conservative parliamentary Social Justice Caucus.

Unsurprisingly, Brexit continues to dominate the airwaves, taking all the political oxygen out of the room and reducing the bandwidth available to the Government to articulate vigorously a domestic agenda. Meanwhile, the most significant threat for decades to wealth creation and this countrys ability to pay for policies to protect the poor and vulnerable, in the shape of Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnells Labour Party, stays worryingly high in the polls.

Providing enough decent and affordable housing particularly for young people remains a pre-eminent challenge in attracting younger people to the Conservative Party. We have always been a party committed to a property-owning democracy, wanting to spread wealth and assets especially housing assets as widely as possible across society. The Prime Minister certainly understands this, and we must redouble our efforts to build the homes people need particularly in areas where housing has become unaffordable to keep the dream of the widest possible homeownership alive. Hermann Wildermuth, the post-war German housing minister, recognised this challenge when he noted that the level of the Communist vote was in inverse proportion to the number of housing units completed. For Communist then, read Momentum now.

As we make progress in building the homes our country needs, we also need to re-establish the twin pillars of conservatism, namely enterprise and social justice. As Conservatives, we understand that you cannot have a socially just society if you do not create the wealth to look after the disadvantaged.

As the Prime Minister said in Cape Town recently: In those countries that have successfully embraced properly regulated market economies, life expectancy has increased and infant mortality has fallen. Absolute poverty has shrunk and disposable income grown. Access to education is widened, and rates of literacy plummeted. And innovators have developed technology that transformed lives. She went on to say, I want to demonstrate to young Africans that their brightest future lies in a free and thriving private sector. One driven and underpinned by transparency, high standards, the rule of law and fairness. Only in such circumstances can innovation truly be rewarded, the potential of individuals unleashed and societies provided with the opportunities they want need and deserve. There are millions of young Britons who need to hear this narrative articulated powerfully, persuasively and as a clarion call by all in our party.

Conservatives absolutely get the need for inclusive growth, as well. It matters hugely that wage growth for so many has been so flat for so long. The Centre for Social Justices recent report on productivity should be compulsory reading for business and government alike. It is not acceptable that 85 per cent of people who start their working lives in entry-level jobs end their working lives in entry-level jobs. Many of our major competitors do much better than us. The new T-levels will help in this area but we also need to ensure there are multiple ladders of opportunity, for example in ensuring that Further Education colleges open in the evenings and on Saturdays to help those already in low-skilled work who cant take time out of employment to train, so they can gain the skills they need to earn more.

Our belief in free markets does not mean that we will fail to call out abuse where we see it. Matthew Taylors review of the gig economy and the work the Government is doing with the OECD to tax international digital businesses are just two examples of that in practice.

From Wilberforce to Shaftesbury, from Disraeli to Baldwin, from Sir Henry Willink and his commitment to the NHS, to Rab Butler, a commitment to social progress and social justice has always been at the heart of conservatism, although at times in our partys history it has not featured prominently as it should have  as Oliver Letwin has recognised in his recent book Hearts and Minds.

The power of the analysis of the Centre for Social Justices five pathways to poverty should continue to guide all we do. Iain Duncan Smith deserves huge credit for leading this work so passionately over the last 15 years. What this approach to combating poverty identifies above all is that a combination of disadvantages for many of our fellow citizens means that income transfer alone is not enough to help them escape their situation and become the author of their own life story, as Michael Gove so pithily puts it.

The five pathways are educational underachievement, worklessness, debt, addiction and family breakdown. Hard-working teachers are to be congratulated on improving the performance of their schools so that 1.9 million more children are now being taught in good and outstanding ones. The British jobs miracle under Conservative-led governments since 2010 has seen 1,000 jobs a day created and the lowest unemployment for 40 years. This could not have happened without our welfare reforms, which continue to make sure that work pays  something that, shamefully, did not used to be the case. Of course we want to see productivity increase further so that high skilled, high value-added businesses are able to pay higher wages.

Debt remains a huge problem and financial education in schools, and schemes like the recently introduced Help to Save are part of the answer, along with the more widespread use of credit unions.

Addictions rage across our society, causing untold harm to so many. We need to develop resilience, willpower and the ability to say no in our young people. Our hard pressed-police are having to deal with an epidemic of young people on motorbikes ruining lives as they brazenly sell drugs. Teachers are struggling to deal with the effects on children whose mothers have taken drugs and consumed excess alcohol during pregnancy. Many adoption societies are dealing with babies born addicted to drugs. Concerns have been expressed that fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is being diagnosed wrongly as ADHD. I would like to see greater prioritisation in tackling this issue from both Public Health England and the Home Office. Our national addiction to sugar and other high fat and salt foods costs the NHS around 15 billion a year. Think what a fraction of that could do for the police budget, for example.

It is in the area of providing the skills and support to people to help make a success of their marriages, relationships with their partners and their overall family relationships that I and at least 60 or more Conservative MPs want to see the Government taking more forceful action.

Strong families are indispensable to reducing poverty, increasing well-being, and helping governments live within their means. Just as we have a good understanding of sustainability in environmental and financial issues, so we need to appreciate the need for social sustainability. The UK has unusually high levels of family breakdown compared with our major competitors, and this is an economic as well as a social cost to our country.

I think of the 50-year-old man being divorced by his wife, a council tenant for decades coming to see me about his housing need in one of my surgeries recently. I also worry for his well-being as he moves to live alone and loses the companionship of family life. Healthier, happier marriages and couple relationships would reduce the demand for housing, felt so acutely by younger people.

There are a raft of interventions delivered by the voluntary sector that the Government could signpost people to throughout their lives, delivered by the charities in the Relationships Alliance and many others. This issue should be completely central to Conservative philosophy as a key part of our social justice agenda. Research of academics such as University of Berkeley Professors Cowan and Cowan has shown conclusively that improved couple relationships lead to better parenting outcomes and higher levels of income within families. The public strongly back pro-family policies which avoid any hint of stigma and which come along side people where they are, to offer the skills and support in the most important area of their lives.To the people of Japan, the UK will always be your friend @Jeremy_Hunt has travelled to Japan to take forward a new era of friendship between our countries. pic.twitter.com/F4ObM9RyhG  Foreign Office  (@foreignoffice) September 18, 2018

In the aftermath of the EU referendum, with a Conservative leadership election looming, Jeremy Hunt supported a Norway Plus option for Britain. Todays Sun reports that sources close to the Foreign Secretary yesterday say that he has intellectual sympathy with a Canada-style free trade deal. This seems to have been the case for some time, and he was certainly careful not to rule one out while broadcasting in the wake of Salzburg. Readers will remember that the Prime Minister was put in a difficult position last autumn when asked whether she would vote to leave the EU in a new referendum. (She stalled.) The reason why the question was being put to her was that the then Health Secretary had broken ranks to say that as a former Remainer he would now vote Leave.

Cynics will claim that Hunts change of mind just happens to coincide with the possibility of another Conservative leadership election, this time next spring, or even sooner. He will certainly be as aware as anyone else of the decidedly pro-Brexit views of Party members, who will have the final say in any contest  except in the event of a coronation, which is most unlikely to happen.

But ConservativeHome believes there is more to the Foreign Secretarys shift than positioning alone. As his recent remarks in Japan reminded us  see above  he worked there as a young man teaching English. He has also married into the Far East, so to speak: his wife is Chinese. In a momentary lapse of concentration (to which none of us are immune) he described her as Japanese. To the Chinese Minister. Japan must have made an impression on him.

At any rate, part of the Foreign Secretarys own story, plus his domestic circumstances, train him to gaze wider than Europe when he looks out at the wider world. He has been known to ponder the way in which Singapore and Israel built up their countries and economies relatively quickly and with few natural assets.

And to draw lessons from their experience: that what ultimately decides the prosperity of a country is the competitiveness of its tax rates, the balance of its regulation, the skills of its workforce, the condition of its universities, the robustness of its infrastructure  in short, its culture. In other words, not barriers, tariff or non-tariff. This take appears to be sufficently ingrained to resist the pro-Remain sympathies of parts of the Foreign Office.

But Hunt and other Cabinet Ministers will bide their time. Until the Conservative conference ends, the Governments Brexit policy will be be shoved into the deep freeze. Theresa May will pretend that Chequers can still be the basis for a deal. And the Cabinet will pretend along with her.

No adroit member of it will want to make her position more difficult in the run-up to next weeks Tory conference  or to open himself to the charge that he is somehow giving cover to those dastardly continentals. We know about Schrodingers cat. We have also read about Schrodingers Brexit. In a twist on that theme, meet Schrodingers Chequers. Alive but simultaneously dead, it will remain in suspended animation until after Birmingham. If May doesnt then pivot to Canada, and if the EU sticks to its guns, watch to see whether Hunt, and other Cabinet members, drag it from its box and finish it off.

There is a new method in development that could protect the increasingly complex and connected power grid from attack.

With increased connectivity, a new principle emerged: The more complex and connected a system is, the more susceptible it is to disruptive cyber-attacks, said Joao Hespanha, a professor in the departments of electrical and computer engineering, and mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara.

"It is more about cyber physical systems; systems in which computers are connected to physical elements," Hespanha said. "That could be robots, drones, smart appliances, or infrastructure systems such as those used to distribute energy and water."

In a paper entitled "Distributed Estimation of Power System Oscillation Modes under Attacks on GPS Clocks," Hespanha and co-author Yongqiang Wang (a former UCSB postdoctoral research and now a faculty member at Clemson University) suggest a new method for protecting the increasingly complex and connected power grid from attack.

The question in any system that incorporates sensors for monitoring is, what if someone intercepts the communication between two sensors that are trying to assess the health of the system? How does the system know not to believeand act onthe false information?

"In the power grid, you have to be able to identify what the voltage and the current are at specific, highly precise points in time for multiple points along the grid," Hespanha said. Knowing the speed at which electricity moves, the distance between sensors, and the time it takes an oscillation to move between sensors, one can determine whether the oscillation is real.

Making these precise, high-resolution measurements anywhere in the grid is possible through the use of phase measurement units (PMUs)devices aligned with the atomic clocks used in GPS. With the energy grid becoming increasingly distributed, power providers now have to monitor the system more, and PMUs are among the most important devices for doing so. While PMUs could be used to inform autonomous control systems, so far, they have seen limited use for one simple reason: They are vulnerable to GPS spoofing attacks.

"There is the possibility that someone will hack the system and cause a catastrophic failure," Hespanha said.

The attack could be as simple as someone taking a GPS jammer to a remote power-distribution station and tricking the system into providing false measurements, leading to a cascade effect as false readings ripple through the system and incorrect actions are taken. Since it is virtually impossible to prevent a hacker from getting close enough to a remote substation to jam its GPS, Hespanha said, "What you need is a control system that can process the information to make good decisions. The system has to keep hypothesizing that what it is reading is not real."

How the system works

"The power-supply system is a distributed system, so measurements are being made in many places," Hespanha said. "If one of them starts to give erratic or unexpected measurementsa sudden current surge or a voltage dropyou should be able to determine whether those measurements make sense."

In the case of an actual fluctuation, such as when many people in Los Angeles are using their air-conditioning on a hot summer day, the result may be a slight drop in the alternating-current frequency in the city. That drop creates a disturbance, which propagates along the power grid stretching from western Canada south to Baja California in Mexico and reaching eastward over the Rockies to the Great Plains. As the disturbance travels through the grid, the power stations that feed the grid try to counteract it by generating extra power if the frequency is too low or decreasing production if the frequency becomes too high.

"Youre going to start by seeing oscillation on the grid," Hespanha said. "Thats exactly what the PMUs are looking for. You then compare the precise time you saw the disturbance in Los Angeles to the time you saw it in Bakersfield and then at other sensors as it continues north. And if those readings dont reflect the physics of how electricity moves, thats an indication somethings wrong. The PMUs are there to see oscillations and to help dampen them to prevent them from developing."

But, if someone fooled an automated system, instead of damping the oscillations, the PMUs could create them instead.

So how would such an attack be recognized and stopped?

Hespanha mentioned an electrical line running between Los Angeles and Seattle, with many smaller, ancillary lines running off to the sides.

"If power is going in a certain direction, you should also be able to see any oscillation in the side lines in that direction. And you know the physical model of what things should do, so an attacker who changed the measurement on the main line would also have to mess up a lot of other measurements on the side lines along the way. And that would be very difficult."

Testing showed Hespanhas system would be resistant to attack and remain effective even if one-third of the sensor nodes were compromised.

"That would allow for a much more autonomous system; thats the next big step," Hespanha said. "This is an enabling technology that will be needed to make a lot of this control come online. And it will be needed soon, because the system gets more complex all the time and is therefore more susceptible to attack."

Gregory Hale is the editor and founder of Industrial Safety and Security Source (ISSSource.com), a news and information Website covering safety and security issues in the manufacturing automation sector. This content originally appeared on ISSSource.com. ISSSource is a CFE Media content partner. Edited by Chris Vavra, production editor, CFE Media, cvavra@cfemedia.com.Courtesy of SpinefarmAtreyu has released the video for "The Time Is Now," a track from the band's upcoming album, In Our Wake.

The trippy clip is full odd visuals including speeding clocks and futuristic buildings that wouldn't look out of place in Blade Runner. You can watch it now on YouTube.

In Our Wake, the follow-up to 2015's Long Live, arrives on October 12. Atreyu will launch a U.S. tour behind the album November 9 in Phoenix.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.



Theres a strong and growing demand for schools to provide instruction across grade levels and subjects that leads to students who are bilingual and biliterate. In the seventh, and final, installment on the growth in dual-language learning, a pair of state-level administrators advises schools stress the importance of training and supporting educators who are training students to read, write, and speak in two languages.

If you havent already, read the previous installments of our reporting on dual-language learning. Theres our explainer on dual-language learning , our chat about how to start planning for new dual-language programs , an interview with an expert talking about how all students benefit from dual-language learning , a look at how dual-language learning can boost linguistic and cultural diversity , an exploration of why should schools should focus on what students and their families need from dual-language programs , and a former principals argument that dual-language education provides an opportunity to immerse a student in both language and culture .



Education Week has talked with several regional and national dual-language education experts, who offer insights into what it takes to launch dual-language programs and strengthen existing ones. If you havent already, read our explainer on dual-language learning before you dive into our conversation with Gregory Fulkerson and Lynn Fulton-Archer, both of the Delaware Department of Education.

As part of a statewide initiative that began in 2011, Delaware has boosted resources and funding for dual-language education, with the goal of developing a multilingual workforce to lure international companies to their state in an increasingly global job market. The state now has more than 5,000 students in 41 schools enrolled in dual-language programs.

Fulkerson is the director of the language acquisition workgroup at the state education department. Fulton-Archer, a former Spanish teacher of the year in South Carolina, is an education specialist in dual-language immersion at the department.

Education Week edited the questions and answers for length and clarity:

Question: How does the state prepare prospective schools for a dual-language program?

Fulton-Archer: Once a district or school says they really are interested and they would like to participate, we have them create an application based on an action plan. We work with them to identify a trajectory for learners because we recognize that its important for immersion to not be isolated just to an elementary program. So we ask them to identify a pathway for students from elementary to middle and high school. We have them start thinking about their student population and looking at what kind of a program may be best for them.

Once they are accepted into the state initiative, then we work with the administrators both at the school and district level in an onboarding process to share research with them, to have them identify a team within their building who can help prepare faculty members, can help answer questions. We connect them with other immersion programs in the state so they can learn from administrator to administrator, principal to principal, and really help them create a unique plan that will best support and serve their particular school and their program.

We do ask districts to look at their enrollment policies and practices to ensure that their immersion classroom population is no less diverse than their general school population.

Fulkerson: Everybody starts out excited about having immersion programs ... without figuring out all of the complexities involved with what it means to have an immersion program, and so a lot of times they try to fit immersion into a block or into an existing program that they have in their building, like a gifted and talented program. A little bit over time they start to understand that wait, you cant just put immersion in a box, it requires different systemic thinking. You just cant say Were just going to plop it in there and its just going to fit in like any other type of program that we might want to put into an elementary school.

Q: How does the state support administrators and teachers?

Fulton-Archer: We have placed a really high priority on professional learning and on ongoing professional learning, and so before a program ever opened, once we moved through kind of that year of preparation, we also then provide a principal institute in the early part of our summer for all of our principals that are in new programs so they really can have an immersive experience, to know what immersion education is.

Then we also do a teacher institute right before the school year starts to give our brand-new teachers some foundational information about immersion, help them understand the curriculum, effective instructional strategies, and really send them off into the school year for the launch of their program on a really sound footing.

Fulkerson: We prioritize the ongoing use of data to ensure that students are performing academically, not just waiting until the end of the year and looking at our state assessment. Looking at benchmark assessments in the areas that are taught in the immersion language, such as math and science for us. So just having a systemic approach to looking at data to ensure that our immersion students are doing as well in the content areas as students who are not in immersion [programs].

Photo credit: Kindergarten teacher Bianca Pierre speaks Haitian Creole to students enrolled in the Toussaint LOuverture Academy, a Haitian Creole dual-language program at Mattahunt Elementary school in Boston. --Gretchen Ertl for Education WeekFredrikstad likes to think of itself as a small city with a historical flair, and is home to a preserved fortress town.

The fortified town, Gamlebyen, was founded in 1567 by King Frederik II and was constructed according to Dutch architectural models, with wide water-filled moats and high earth ramparts to keep intruders out.

On the cruise side of the business, the port welcomed a big call from the Marella Discovery on August 20, when the British brand brought some 2,076 guests to the town, said Renate Jacobsen, sales manager, cruise and conference.

Next year, there are five calls confirmed from four different cruise lines, Jacobsen noted.

Those five calls will be in for a treat, as passengers are welcomed by Norwegian trolls pierside.

As the gateway to Oslofjord, ships can save on costs and guests can mind their environmental footprint, Jacobsen said.

The port has four quays and is planning a fifth in the city center, two of which are located by the fortified town.

Ships sail in to Fredrikstad through the 833 islands of the Hvaler Islands.

There is a free ferry into the citys urban centre. The towns of Moss, Sarpsborg and Halden are a short bus ride away.

Berth bookings are taken on a first-come/first-serve basis, starting around two years in advance.

LNG bunkering is already available, Jacobsen added.

We see a significant growth in number of calls to Fredrikstad and will continue working to develop the port further, said Jacobsen.

Among other highlights, Fredrikstad is hosting The Tall Ships Races next July.

Calls in 2019 include Phoenix Reisen's Amadea in May and Deutschland in July.

Saga's new Spirit of Discovery makes an inaugural visit in late August, and is followed a few days later by the 2018-built Seabourn Ovation.

The Artania, also from Phoenix Reisen, closes out the 2019 season on September 7.Croatian government officials will have tough decisions to make as the fate of Uljanik shipyard hangs in the balance.

Fixing an ongoing situation at the yard could cost up to 1 percent of the countrys GDP, according to S&P Global Ratings.

"In particular, the resolution of the troubled Uljanik shipyard, which is currently in search of a strategic investor and could otherwise face bankruptcy, could cost the government up to 1% of GDP. The precise cost however depends on the final scenario, and the possible finalization of ships under construction," S&P wrote.

After financial problems over the winter, the yard received a 96 million euro loan from the Croatian government and found a new investor in Kermas Energija, although that deal is said to still be pending.

Summer brought more challenges, as the yard struggled to meet July payroll, which was then met with a worker strike in late August while Chairman Gianni Rossanda offered his resignation.

Now Croatian officials are weighing three different options that will affect thousands of jobs.

The easiest of those solutions would be to find a new strategic partner, or adopt a restructuring plan that is approved by the European Commission and Croatian government, enabling loan guarantees. Finally, officials are also weighing declaring the yard insolvent.

The Scenic Eclipse is under construction at Uljanik and slated for a January 2019 delivery, pushed back from August 2018. The company also has a second ship due for a 2020 delivery.In August 2018, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) unsealed the indictment of a North Korean spy, Park Jin Hyok, whom they claim was behind the hack against Sony and the creation and distribution of the WannaCry ransomware. The 170-plus-page document was written by Nathan Shields of the FBIs LA office and shows the careful sequence of forensic analysis they used to figure out how various attacks were conducted.

Security researchers have given Parks organization various monikers, including the Lazarus Group, APT37, Lab 110, Group 123, Hidden Cobra, Nickel Academy and Reaper. Some are from the malware elements they created. That is the first thing that you will learn from the indictment: the North Koreans have been at the center of many different campaigns over the past six or so years.

Of course, the North Korean government denies that Park ever existed and that the crimes he is accused of have nothing to do with us. Rather than enter into that debate, lets look at what the FBI found and what lessons CISOs and other IT managers can learn from this remarkable situation.

How the FBI found the Sony hacker

You should read the charging document not from a legal perspective, but rather for what it shows about North Koreas determination to penetrate our networks. Heres what the FBI discovered about how Sony was hacked.

The FBI was able to digitally track Parks movements. He was stationed in a Chinese border city working for Chosun Expo, a North Korean government front company known for its military hacking operations. Before the Sony hacks began, he returned to North Korea.

First, the FBI methodically took apart the various pieces of malware and put together attack timelines on the three Sony breaches and three different WannaCry versions.

The Sony malware contained 10,000 hard-coded host names that showed the hackers had done extensive research from living inside Sonys network for several months undetected. It also contained code that was designed to attack the specific Unix/Linux systems that were used on the Sony network.

Reconnaissance was done in the fall of 2014, before the first attack happened in December . This was just prior to the release of the movie The Interview, which was one of the motivations for the attack.

The attackers used a number of other targeted elements, including spoofed spear phished emails that appeared to come from the Facebook accounts of Sony staffers. These emails were infested with malware attachments. Other emails were sent to AMC Theater personnel. AMC was scheduled to screen the movie on its opening for Christmas. Like Sony, these emails contained malware attachments, but these attempts to penetrate AMCs network werent successful.

The same email and IP addresses that were used to attack Sony were also used to try to attack a British production company that was developing an independent TV series based on another North Korean-related plot line. In his book Dawn of the Code War , John Carlin describes the details about these efforts and also has a more narrative description of the series of attacks on Sony and other efforts by other nation-state cyberterrorists.

During 2016, the same North Korean actors also compromised SWIFT payment networks and stole funds from various banks in SE Asia. The FBI shows that they began targeting these banks in the fall of 2014. The banks were infected with a backdoor that communicated over a custom binary protocol designed to look like TLS traffic. The malware found in both the Asian banks and Sony shared a similar secure delete function that tied them to the North Korean hackers.

US Department of Justice The complex network that was used by the North Korean hackers to penetrate Sony Pictures

Park and his cronies were busy: Other watering hole attacks were targeted at various Polish banks that were discovered in 2017 and seemed to begin in the fall of 2016. The same email and Facebook accounts and North Korean IP addresses used in these attacks were also part of other campaigns to breach other US corporations, including Lockheed Martin and several South Korean businesses. Some of the malware created by the North Koreans includes Brambul and Destover.

The FBI corroborated its analysis with published work from the Russian research analysts at Group-IB. Their report was released in mid 2017 and also linked many of these hacking attempts together.

Finally, elements of the malware pieces used in the above hacks were also present in WannaCry, along with key tells such as IP and email addresses. WannaCry actually has three different versions, all of which are linked together by common code and shared Bitcoin wallet payments.

North Koreas far-reaching command and control infrastructure

What struck me as I read through the indictment was the global reach of the North Korean command and control infrastructure. Servers were scattered in the US, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Poland and other countries. Email accounts were accessed by multiple VPNs and proxy servers around the world as well, showing a deliberate effort to obscure their origins. Multiple backdoors and Trojans were employed, launched by numerous Gmail accounts and fake Facebook profiles. You can see an illustration of the various accounts that were linked to Park below.

US Department of Justice Parks complex network of various email accounts and infrastructure used in the Sony hacks

What makes this all the more incredible is that until relatively recently, the entire country of North Korea had about a thousand available public IP addresses and a very low-bandwidth internet connection. This was one of the reasons why a rogue collection of hackers was able to set up a DDoS attack on their ISP in January 2016 , to retaliate the Sony campaigns.

Key takeaways for CISOs and IT management

Here are 5 lessons for IT security that can be gleaned from the charging document and the various North Korean hacking efforts.

1. Phishing awareness training is essential

The reason AMC didnt fall for the spoofed emails is that they had more training, and better defenses. Awareness training needs to happen on a continuous, year-round basis. The hackers are getting better at crafting their phishing emails to look more genuine, and use insider information, corporate logos and templates, and almost-similar domain names and email addresses to fool recipients.

Various vendors offer awareness training programs, including Wombat Security, KnowBe4, MediaPro.com and the SANS Institute. The goal of such programs should be assessment, education, reinforcement, and measurement in a continuous cycle. Also, think about how you can offer incentives to your users to make the training less onerous and thereby more effective.

2. Evaluate your intrusion detection system

Enterprises need better early warning intrusion detection mechanisms. The North Koreans lived for many months inside the Sony and other networks, learning what servers to hit and which employee accounts to mimic. If your intrusion detection system (IDS) cant detect intruders, it is time to look for other solutions.

Each target acquired by the hackers was carefully picked and researched to improve the realism and the chances of their phished emails and watering holes ensnaring victims. Other than the AMC theater company, they were incredibly successful at penetrating other corporate networks and spending months looking around inside to find the right targets.

3. Beef up network segmentation

To complement your IDS, you also need to beef up your network segmentation. Sonys network wasnt well partitioned, which made it easier for hackers to move laterally across it. Separate data into the appropriate places where it makes sense.

4. Audit access controls

It is time to audit your access controls. Examine which employees have administrative rights and understand if these are too generous in terms of permissions.

5. Perform red team exercises

Look at having red team exercises to find weak spots. The full report contains details that red teams can use to help determine whether your network would be vulnerable to the same tactics that the Sony hackers used. Ideally, perform your red team exercises after youve addressed the other points above.A hotel could be the next attraction coming to downtown Danbury.

Plans that would convert the Paul Mitchell School at 2 National Place into a 40-room hotel have been approved by Danburys Department of Planning and Zoning, according to a letter sent to the engineering firm that conducted the site work. The plan may now move into the permitting stage.

Plans submitted to the city call for a renovation of the interior of the three-story building, a 1,495-square-foot addition to the first floor and a new patio area. The plans do not include a bar or restaurant.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said the hotel would have an extended-stay option to accommodate the medical community with Danbury Hospital close by. Western Connecticut Health Network, which includes Danbury Hospital, is a branch campus in partnership with the University of Vermonts medical school.

We think its great, he said. Were happy about it and well try to make it happen as quickly as possible.

Boughton said Paul Mitchell School would not leave Danbury and would relocate within the city. Paul Mitchell School is a cosmetology school accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences. There are more than 100 Paul Mitchell Schools in the country.

The property owner is PM Danbury and the contract purchaser is Jnr Real Estate Holdings, according to documents at Danbury City Hall. Jnr Real Estate did not want to comment until the project is further along.

Betsy Paynter, director of City Center Danbury, said a downtown hotel would also be a draw for parents of Western Connecticut State University students.

We dont really have a hotel in downtown and we need one, she said. The medical students will need a place to stay and theyre young professionals. They will shop in the stores and eat at the restaurants in downtown. Also, it shows investment in downtown and thats encouraging.

The Danbury Historical Society said the downtown area has not had a hotel since the mid-1970s when the Danbury New Englander Motor Hotel at 198 Main St. closed. The New Englander opened in 1962 and had 120 rooms. It replaced Hotel Green, which closed in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Artel Engineering Group of Brookfield did the site planning work for the hotel and Danbury-based H&R Design is the architect and designer of the project, according to documents at city hall.

The building was previously a bank and the drive-through that currently exists would be enclosed and added to the square footage of the hotel.

A hotel is a permitted use in the Central Business District zone, and 2 National Place is located within the Downtown Revitalization Overlay Zone.

The writer may be reached at cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338About a dozen artists from Connecticut will be among the more than 85 artists selling their creative wares at the 37th annual Outdoor Arts Festival at the Bruce Museum.

The juried event, which lasts from Saturday to Sunday, Oct. 6 to 7, features photography, oil and acrylic paintings, watercolors, digital media, sculpture, mixed media, wood juried, with works coming from artists that hail from the West Coast, the Midwest and up and down the Eastern seaboard.BRIDGEPORT  There are a great number of organizations that no longer have the city school district as a member due to cost.

The Council of Great City Schools is not one of them.

So intent was the city school board on scraping together the 2018-19 membership fee for the nationwide urban school district association that it told former board member Sauda Baraka on Monday that she didnt have to get up to the microphone to answer questions before the panel took it 6-to-1 vote of approval.

Board member Maria Pereira voted no, saying she did have questions. She also pointed out that the $31,269 membership fee included in the motion was more than the district would be paying since it is reportedly getting a $9,000 discount.

Regardless, Ben Walker, a board member, called the membership important to help the district narrow the achievement gap, build capacity and stay informed.

The district has belong to the council since the 2011-12 school year when Paul Vallas was superintendent. Once he left, it was kept and used as a catalyst to work on a Males of Color imitative championed by Baraka and others.

We chose them over (Connecticut Association of Boards of Education) because they offer the (nationwide) urban agenda, Baraka said. Thirty thousand dollars is well worth the cost because of what we get back.

The board dropped its CABE membership more than a year ago when it made millions in cuts to its budget. It faced a similar exercise for the current school year.

Before leaving the board last year, Baraka led a Males of Color Ad Hoc committee that held forums designed to strengthen curriculum and policies so that more male students of color graduated, went on to college and avoided the school to prison pipeline.

Ultimately she would like to see the district create an office and a coordinator who can regularly get information from the organization to inform district work, curriculum and policies.

They have been a resource to us, Schools Superintendent Aresta Johnson said of the council. Johnson plans to attend the councils annual conference next month in Baltimore.

The council has 72 urban districts as members. Most much larger than Bridgeport. Its mission is to advocate for inner-city students through legislation, research and media relations. It provides a network for school districts sharing common problems to exchange information and possible solutions.

Some 7.3 million students are served by districts that are members.BRIDGEPORT  Bridgeport Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer William Jennings will leave the post, and the hospitals chief medical officer, Dr. Michael Ivy, will become the interim CEO.

Jennings has accepted a role as president and CEO of Reading Hospital in Pennsylvania, which takes effect in early October, according to Marna Borgstrom, CEO of Yale New Haven Health System and Newman Marsilius III, chairman of the hospital Board of Trustees.

Jennings joined Bridgeport Hospital in 2010 and served concurrently as executive vice president of Yale New Haven Health. He was previously president of SSM St. Marys Health Center in St. Louis.

Ivy has been chief medical officer of Bridgeport Hospital since 2012 and chief medical officer of the Yale New Haven Health System since 2016. He said the new job is a massive change of pace from what hes used to, but he is looking forward to it.

Its a very different thing for me, Ivy said. Its a new challenge but an exciting challenge.

He said that there would likely be a national search for someone to fill Jennings position, and that he would probably be the internal candidate.

Its a pretty big job, Ivy said. Its always good to see whats out there.

Ivy added that Jennings was a transformative leader who brought a lot of integrity to the job and would be missed.

In addition, Dr. Ryan OConnell has agreed to serve as interim chief medical officer, beginning in October. He has been Bridgeport Hospitals vice president of performance and risk management for the last six years.

Ivy began his medical career in the U.S. Navy and joined Bridgeport Hospital more than 20 years ago as chief of trauma, burns and surgical critical care. In 2007, he became vice president of performance and risk management.

OConnell earned his medical degree from New York University and completed an Internal Medicine residency and Medical Informatics fellowship at Yale New Haven Hospital. He was a primary care physician before joining Bridgeport Hospital to lead medical informatics initiatives. He has also been a member of the hospital medicine team and most recently cared for patients in the primary care clinic.Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

BRIDGEPORT  The School Volunteer Association of Bridgeport, Inc. is seeking volunteers for its 33rd annual Read Aloud Day in city schools.

The event takes place from 9 to 10 a.m. on Thursday Oct. 18. Some 650 volunteers who live and work in the greater Bridgeport community share their love of reading with every prekindergarten through sixth grade class in Bridgeports Public Schools. About 100 spots are left.HAMDEN  A local man got a bit of a surprise last week as he opened his garbage bin and found a copperhead snake inside, officials say.

Assistant Animal Control Officer Mitch Gibbs responded to a Lane Street home after the resident called to report the snake in the trash can, according to a release from Hamden police.

Gibbs learned that the resident frequents West Rock Park. During a recent visit, he noticed a garbage bag near the park and put it in his car to dispose of it at home, police said in the release. A day later, the man saw the venomous snake inside of his garbage bin, police said.

After contacting the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Gibbs returned the snake to West Rock Park, police said.

The copperhead is one of only two venomous snake species in Connecticut, the DEEP says on its website. The timber rattlesnake is the second kind, but neither is aggressive and will only bite if threatened or handled, according to the site.

If left alone, snakes pose no threat to people, the DEEP says.

There are 12 non-venomous snake species in the state, and the DEEP has put together an identification guide on its website hoping it will help people understand and be more tolerant of the animals.

Hundreds of snakes are needlessly killed each year because of mistaken identity, fear, and misunderstanding, the DEEP website says. Few Connecticut residents realize that they are unlikely to encounter a venomous snake around their home.In a music industry where streaming is king, one tried-and-true format is making a resounding and timely comeback. According to the Record Industry Association of America's mid-year report, vinyl record revenue has grown 12.6% from the first half of 2017, while CD's have drastically fallen by 41.5%.

Records are quickly taking over its CD predecessor as the primary format that people are using to consume physical music, despite the technology being more than three decades older.

This popularity is evident in Connecticut, with the number of "mom-and-pop" record stores eclipsing 15 just in our small state. Shops like Redscroll Records in Wallingford, which specializes in metal and indie music, have noticed that business is booming despite the popularity of music streaming apps such as Spotify and Apple Music.

"It will never be as satisfying to play a file as it is to grab a physical item and put the music on in that way, whether it be tape, CD or record," said Rick Sinkiewicz, co-owner of Redscroll Records.

"As much as big box stores might try and have a physical media selection, they'll never be as in touch with their surrounding community as smaller brick and mortar shops are because by their nature, they aren't run by people in that community."

Mary Snyder, co-owner of Replay Records in Hamden, looks forward to a new generation of music consumers discovering the perks of vinyl.

"Vinyl never went out of style at Replay, as we've been true to that since we opened in 1989. While digital music is convenient and portable, we sell more vinyl by far every year and will continue to do so," said Snyder. "The next generation of music lovers fill our store frequently and that's fine."

Connecticut-based musician, Pete Francis, member of Dispatch and founder of the Dragon Crest Collective, is no stranger to vinyl, being both a creator of vinyl for his music while also collecting the music that defines him. He believes that vinyl can bridge the divide between the musician and the consumer in a way digital can't.

"People that love music and love the artwork get the chance to look at the artwork very large and get to read the lyrics, and who played on the record," said Francis.

For Francis, the catalyst for his vinyl obsession came at the age of 7 when he was introduced to Cat Stevens' "Tea for the Tillerman," which spoke profoundly to him then, and still does now.

"On a philosophical basis, maybe I was right when I was younger, thinking about this songwriter who's searching in his life," said Francis, who looks to songs like "Father and Son" and "Hard Headed Woman" as pillars of songwriting.

Now, Francis sees record collecting as a kind of sport to both play and watch as vinyl has been reinvented in the methods of extremely limited pressings and exclusive, colored records. Older records, especially such as jazz from Blue Note and older soul pressings, are the kings and queens of his collection.

"I think listening to vinyl on a nice stereo is a visceral experience and also very peaceful. Like you put the record on, you put the needle on, and you just assume that record's spin," contemplated Francis.NEW YORK - President Donald Trump addressed the United Nations for the second time Tuesday. His political worldview and his view of the world often seem antithetical to the intent of that organization. His speech in 2017 was an aggressive restatement of his insistence on a more isolationist United States, an argument unusual for a U.S. president.

In his speech this year, written by his staunchly nationalist adviser Stephen Miller, Trump framed America's new introversion as a function of just another country being great by being itself.

"The dreams that fill this hall today are as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium and as varied as the countries represented right here in this body are," Trump said. "It really is something. It really is great, great history."

He praised India and Israel. He offered kind words for Saudi Arabia, "where King Salman and the crown prince are pursuing bold new reforms." And he reserved a sweeping bit of praise for Poland.

"In Poland," he said, "a great people are standing up for their independence, their security and their sovereignty."

This is an interesting way for a U.S. president to frame the changes in Poland's politics. Another way those changes might be framed is as a slide toward autocracy.

In an essay for the Atlantic, Washington Post columnist Anne Applebaum, whose husband used to serve in the Polish government, outlined the changes that have been seen in that country under the leadership of the Law and Justice party.

Those moves have been decried repeatedly, including by The Washington Post's editorial board last year. After Hungary's Viktor Orban led that country down a path toward increased autocracy, the leader of the Law and Justice party offered his praise.

"You have given an example, and we are learning from your example," Jaroslaw Kaczynski said.

Normally, a U.S. president would hold a country to task for moving away from democratic systems and personal freedoms. Instead, Trump presented Poland's change as a positive, a country doing what it believed to be right. (Thousands of Poles protested changes to the country's Supreme Court this year.)

"Many countries are pursuing their own unique visions," Trump said after praising Poland, "building their own hopeful future and chasing their own wonderful dreams of destiny, of legacy and of a home."

Why would Trump not only refrain from criticizing Poland but even offer praise for its shift? Certainly in part it's a function of the speechwriter. Miller's embrace of nationalism drives a substantial part of Trump's public commentary on the subject. At a speech in Poland in 2017, written in part by Miller, Trump praised Poland's opposition to Nazi and Soviet occupation as an example of how Western countries needed to stand up to terrorism - and immigration.

"The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive," he said then. "Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?"

Trump's praise for Poland's "independence" was also apparently a jab at the European Union, of which Poland is a part. When Trump visited Poland last year, it was seen by the E.U. as an unwelcome endorsement of the shifts that had already occurred in that country's politics. On Monday, the E.U. sued Poland for undercutting the independence of its courts. The next day, Trump praised the country's sovereignty.

Part of the reason that Trump praised the changes in Poland is also that he regularly praises autocrats such as President Vladimir Putin of Russia and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (who he praised Tuesday). He regularly praises "strong" leaders solely for their strength. The Washington Post spoke with Amy Zegart, a director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, after Trump praised Kim's leadership.

"What makes Trump's comments so disturbing is that they reveal a president who believes in projecting American power but not American values - he believes in might but not right," she said.

More to the point about Poland, Trump also has encouraged autocrats-in-the-making, such as Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan. After an attempted coup in his country in July 2016, Erdogan cracked down on dissent and pushed for a series of revisions that solidified his power. When the country passed a series of changes to the constitution to that effect shortly after Trump's inauguration, the State Department criticized Turkey's shift. Trump congratulated Erdogan on the vote.

Erdogan visited Trump at the White House in May 2017. After that meeting, Erdogan traveled to the Turkish ambassador's house in Northwest Washington. Erdogan's guards attacked demonstrators who'd gathered to protest his presence. Charges were filed against several of the bodyguards, but most of the charges were later dropped.

Nonetheless, last September, Trump praised Erdogan as a "friend" who got "very high marks" for his leadership. In July, he fist-bumped Erdogan and declared that the Turkish leader "does things the right way."

In front of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump offered more abstract words of praise for a country that, like Erdogan's Turkey, has moved away from the ideals that U.S. presidents have traditionally endorsed. There was a message that other budding autocrats might have taken away from Trump's speech: If stepping away from democracy is your "own unique vision," a move that allows you to stand up for your own sovereignty - have at it.In President Donald Trump's speech Tuesday at the United Nations, one thing about his Iran policy became clear: its incoherence.

"We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues. And we ask all nations to support Iran's people as they struggle to reclaim their religious and righteous destiny," Trump said.

Earlier in the day, however, Trump had tweeted about the person who embodies that despised Iranian regime like no other: "Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!"

Those conflicting words underscore this administration's shaky handle on its biggest foreign policy dilemma.

Iran is once again a focus of the proceedings at the U.N. General Assembly this year. That's partially by Iran's own design, as leaders from Tehran seize their lone opportunity on the calendar to meet with other world leaders and the Western media.

But this year American leaders are ratcheting up the pressure. Trump's speech follows a series of antagonistic statements by his top foreign policy officials in recent days. "There is no love for Iran here in the United States, and there is no love for the United States in Iran, and both sides are going to go back and forth," Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Sunday.

Perhaps that is true. Yet it's also true that each has a strange and enduring fixation - obsession, really - with the other. At no time is that clearer than at the U.N. meetings.

The latest instance is the terrorist attack that occurred Saturday in the southern Iranian city of Ahvaz, which targeted an annual military parade commemorating the start of the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Unknown assailants opened fire on the crowd, which included defenseless women and children. Nine people lost their lives.

Iran was quick to blame regional allies of the United States. The United States, meanwhile, denied any involvement, but multiple Trump administration officials and surrogates used the opportunity to blame Iran.

Rouhani reacted, tweeting that accusing Iran of contributing to an attack on its own people would be like blaming the U.S. government for 9/11: "A US official has recently said terrible things about Ahvaz terrorist attack and held Iranian gov. responsible for that attack! What would Americans think if we were to say such a thing about the 9/11 terrorist attacks?"

Even though top Trump officials say there is no plan for regime change in Iran, their disdain and contempt for the leadership in Tehran has rarely been more palpable.

"I don't know when we're going to overthrow them. It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years. But it's going to happen," Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer and former mayor of New York, said at a rally Saturday in a Times Square hotel.

That event was organized by supporters of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), an exiled opposition group that was long on the State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations. Over the years it has paid large sums of money to current and former U.S. officials - including Giuliani - to amplify its messages.

The MEK is widely considered a cult because of its suspected brainwashing and torture of its own members - especially those who attempt to leave the organization. Current and former U.S. officials working on Iran have therefore quietly tried to keep it out of policy-making deliberations. But the loyalty shown to it by key figures close to Trump, including Haley and Giuliani as well as national security adviser John Bolton, should be worrisome.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his newly appointed special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, continue to say they want to negotiate with Iran.

"The new deal that we hope to be able to sign with Iran, and it will not be a personal agreement between two governments like the last one, we seek a treaty," Hook said in a speech last week.

To reach such an agreement, however, would require Iran conceding to a list of 12 demands that Pompeo outlined in May, which is almost certainly unacceptable for Tehran.

Ultimately the Trump policy appears to resemble the one Obama used to induce Iran into negotiations over its nuclear program - minus the participation of other world powers (especially Europe, China and Russia) or any actual incentives for Iran to reengage in talks.

The Trump administration hopes to use economic sanctions to create a massive public backlash against the regime. In my own conversations with State Department officials who support such an approach, they seem to be willing themselves to believe that such a policy would magically work, but have few arguments to support how it could.

Whether the goal is regime change or a change in the regime's behavior, the Trump administration has failed to provide a case for how it would achieve either. The president's speech in New York on Tuesday provided little but more confusion.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.A couple of years ago, my mom came to visit my family. At the time, we were living in Madison, Wisconsin and it was about a six-hour drive from where she lived in Hillsdale, Michigan. When I got home from work, we all sat down to dinner. I asked my mom about her drive. Despite my bias, my mom is one of the calmest, most patient and forgiving people I have had the pleasure to know. So, I was a bit surprised when she responded and shared, Well, the drive was fine, but I got kind of angry as I was driving through Chicago. I asked, What do you mean? Why angry? She went on to share that as she was sitting in traffic, she began to sing. When they noticed, the people in the car next to her started laughing. She said, I was really upset. My daughter MacKenzie, who was nearly six at the time said, Mommy, we always sing in the car. Why would someone laugh at Grandma Lizzie for that?

It struck me in that moment that this is what culture is all about. In our culture at home, singing is the norm. We sing in the car, in the shower, as we get dinner ready, and when we play games. Singing is not just something we do, but it is a part of who we are. Thats why it seemed to strange to my daughter that someone might laugh about it. For MacKenzie, there is nothing strange about singing in nearly every circumstance.

So, what are the norms at your credit union? What are those things that are so intrinsically a part of who you are, that it would be really strange if they were not happening? Most importantly, are those norms manifesting positive outcomes for your members?

As a new employee at Canvas Credit Union in April of this year, the culture was immediately clear. Members came first. In fact, we have a commitment that we share with all new employees to serve Members, Family and Others. It is very purposeful that our service begins with members. They are why we exist. However, that leads directly to serving our family. At Canvas, we are not just colleagues or team members, but we are family. In fact, we hear the word love on a daily basis from our CEO, Todd Marksberry.

In my short time at Canvas, Ive learned so many lessons about culture. As you look to build and grow your culture, here are five aha moments that Ive had that I hope you can use to make your credit union even stronger:

Culture starts and thrives with vision from the top. It may sound trite or like a nauseating cliche, but it is my belief that it is cliche because it is absolutely true. At Canvas, we are committed to being known for our people and our heart. Todd lives that every single day. He puts human beings first. He shares his love for our members and our family. What is your leaders vision for your culture?

Culture isnt about any one human being. Despite the fact that our culture would not be what it is without Todd, Canvas Credit Union is not only about Todd. One of the core tenants of our brand is about being delightfully offbeat. We invite our team to bring their whole self to work. They are not expected to put on their work self hat when they walk in each morning and then switch into their home self when they leave. We want them to bring all of who they are and create a unique experience because of their own perspectives and passions that align with our shared values. That ensures that this culture grows and thrives. How do you see your culture activating across the team?

Culture is grounded in shared values. One of our core values at Canvas is that we strive for constant improvement and consistent excellence. We have fun, we are playful, but we are here to transform financial services and help people afford life. We take that commitment very seriously and work tirelessly to make that a reality. People across the organization share that vision for exceptional performance. You see people from every functional area celebrating successes together, and also asking questions about how we can learn each day to make iterative improvements. Because values are not common across organizations, this also means that what works culturally for one organization is going to be very different than what works for another. Culture is not something to be copied, but grown organically from shared values. What values matter most deeply to your organization and does the entire team share those values?

Culture isnt the soft stuff. Often when I talk to groups about culture, I see one or two people in the audience start to roll their eyes. Sometimes Ill even have a question or two about the return on investment of culture. You may be wondering is an investment in culture worth it? In his book, Corporate Culture and Performance, John Kotter argues that strong corporate cultures that facilitate adaptation to a changing world are associated with strong financial results. Does your credit union believe that culture is worth investing in?

Culture takes care, feeding & measurement. Just as with all other important areas of the organization, measurement impacts the results. An annual employee engagement survey can help benchmark the current state of the culture, identify potential areas for improvement and also assist in celebrating successes. Such a tool is even more effective when results are shared and people are invited to participate in making improvements. How are you currently measuring the health of your culture and are you seeing it improve over time?

As credit unions race to win the war for talent, creating a unique, values-driven culture will be a crucial part of their ability to succeed. Our next generation of employees desire to work for organizations that do right by the world. In fact, according to Adrian Ridner, CEO and co-founder of Study.com, Millennials want to feel good about their work and make an impact on society at large. That is a wonderful foundation that all of us share.

No matter what the current state of your credit unions culture today, my invitation to you is to find your credit unions songbook. Youll find that when you do, not only will your performance improve, but youll wonder why anyone would ever laugh as you sing.On Tuesdays episode of The Ellen Show, host Ellen DeGeneres interviewed the two guys who played a prank on McDonalds, made a video about it, and became famous overnight. On the show, the guests and Ellen shared McDonalds response to the prank, in which the Golden Arches hit a PR home run.

If you didnt see the video, heres the backstory. Jevh Maravilla and Christian Toledo noticed their local McDonalds featured posters of people enjoying McDonalds food. The actors featured on the posters represented several different ethnicities, but didnt include Asians. As Filipino-Americans who were full of Asian pride thanks to the success of the film Crazy Rich Asians, they decided to take diversity into their own hands.

So, they made their own poster, which masterfully copied McDonalds marketing style. They even found a used McDonalds uniform at a Goodwill store and made a fake employee badge that Toledo wore when they put the poster up, just in case a worker noticed. He was prepared to claim he was from corporate and was there to correct a diversity issue, which was absolutely brilliant because its so believable.

Not only did the two pull off the prank, the poster remained up on the wall for 51 days. It would probably still be there if the video hadnt gone viral.

McDonalds has not only responded to the prank with grace, theyve used it to their publicity advantage. Here are four things they did right.

They kept their cool. McDonalds could have filed charges against the two for vandalism, but they didnt. That was smart, because millions of people thought the prank was clever and even admired the pranksters. They admitted their mistake. McDonalds acknowledged that their campaign was lacking in diversity by excluding Asians and apologized for it publicly, and directly to the pranksters. They harnessed the power of social media. Not only did they admit their campaign needed Asian actors, McDonalds went a step further and hired the pranksters to star in the campaign. The two guys are social media stars now, which means the new ads will be anticipated and shared on social media, exponentially increasing McDonalds advertising value. They added a charity angle. The poster itself will be auctioned off and the proceeds will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides a home environment near hospitals for families of seriously ill or injured children. Thats icing on McDonalds feel-good cake. (Or would that be a feel-good apple pie?)

Does your credit union turn negative publicity into something positive, or is your knee jerk response defensive and punitive? McDonalds could have put out a defensive statement reaffirming their commitment to diversity and cited examples. Even if the statement had a positive spin, opening with a line like, we appreciate Jevh and Christian bringing this oversight to our attention, but the end result wouldnt have been the same.

Its like the popular saying goes: you cant control what happens, only the way you respond to it. McDonalds responded in exactly the right way. Im lovin it, Ellen is lovin it, and America is, too.For Subscribers Holiday flight forecasts for Latrobe, Johnstown airports

Three of the AAA's forecasted top 10 Thanksgiving travel destinations are served by the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe.Not since Moses some 35 centuries ago has a red sea been so briskly bifurcated by a gleamy-eyed obsessive.

With a single off-piste remark, Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Labour should consider remaining in the EU.

It happened at the height of his conference speech. Sir Keir abandoned his script and shouted: Nobodys ruling out Remain.

Actually, they are. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell seem distinctly cool on the idea, for starters.

But it was a choice moment. In the midst of this Corbynist worship-fest, a Blairite had just exploded a potentially lethal electoral grenade.

Shadow Secretary of State for Brexit Sir Keir Starmer said, nobodys ruling out Remain, during his speech at the Labour Party Conference at the ACC Liverpool and Exhibition Centre

Some delegates, such as a smartly attired duo in front of me, loved it, clapping their bejewelled hands and rising to ovate.

Other delegates remained in their seats. Commentators who watched it on telly said the hall was overwhelmingly positive.

Well, I was in there and Id say a third stood. Two-thirds stayed put on what our older daughter used to call their bontoms.

Bold Sir Keir! He stood there, blinking in his avian way, an uncertain smile quivering. Call to Momentum operatives: Code 10-14, guys, weve got a Blairite lawyer on the platform and hes tooled up with vote-losing Europhile slogans. Can anyone get a clear shot at him?

Neither Mr Corbyn nor Mr McDonnell was present for Sir Keirs speech. Mr Corbyn turned up almost immediately after Sir Keir left the hall.

When a young man from Northumberland gave a spirited speech about the EU being a capitalist club which was hated by working-class Labour voters, he was given a special hug and pats on the back by Mr Corbyn.

Delegates at the Labour Party conference stand to applaud Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer's suggestion of an option of a 'People's Vote' to remain in the EU if a second referendum was called

Sir Keirs moment of Remainer rebellion did not win the biggest cheers. They were reserved for some classic Tosh.

I am not being rude. This was a speech of vintage class-warfare by Aslefs Tosh McDonald, making his adieu as a union leader.

Tosh is that noisy one with the long custardy hair, bearded muzzle and snaggled teeth: imagine if Sir Richard Branson had spent 40 years biting bottle-tops and shouting Tom Waits songs.

How Sir Keir changed his tune Theres no dispute that Britain will leave the European Union in March 2019. As our election manifesto made clear, Labour accepts and respects the referendum result. November 14, 2017 It is right that Parliament has the first say but, if we need to break the impasse, our options must include campaigning for a public vote and nobody is ruling out Remain as an option. September 25, 2018 Advertisement

A piece of work is our Tosh. Voice as scratchy as Bronco. And still boiling with fury about Mrs Thatcher.

I hated her! he boomed. I set alarm clocks an hour earlier than I needed just so I could hate her for an hour longer. Since she died, I dont do that but I still wake up an hour earlier. I cant help it.

Huge cheers and this time the complete hall rose to its feet. Tosh clapped himself all the way back to his seat.

A couple of other union leaders criticised Sir Keir, telling him not to undermine The Leader.

Nervous young Gemma Bolton had a message for the Starmers and Adonises of this world: Weve had a referendum  do you honestly think a second one would achieve anything else? A man near me shouted yes! but he was alone.

Were gonna leave this hole here today united, bawled Manuel Cortes of the salaried workers association. It turned out he had said hall.

Tony Kearns of the Communication Workers adapted 1 Corinthians chapter 13, saying, when I was a child... my dad taught me to hate the Tories. But when I became a man I realised he hadnt told me how MUCH to hate them.

Sir Keir went off script, against what was previously said by party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, when he said an option to Remain could still be on the table

Despite such bilious bluster, Conservatives should watch closely what is going on here. Many delegates are young, genuine and they look like modern Britain.

Among them was soft-spoken Carolanne Lello, who said of herself: Im a working mum from Stourbridge. Im not special. This, rightly, won immediate shouts of yes, you are!

That sort of party solidarity counts for much more than Brexit splits at the top. And in electoral terms, working mums from Stourbridge DO matter, and are the sort of people the Tories desperately need to attract.For a solemn and sacred event which has remained virtually unchanged for as long as most people can remember, it is all going to be very different this year as we put on our poppies and commemorate the fallen.

Remembrance Sunday 2018 will also be the centenary of Armistice Day  the day the guns fell silent  so it goes without saying that this is going to be a monumentally important anniversary.

In addition to the annual wreath-laying at the Cenotaph, led by the Royal Family and party leaders, there will be a number of special events across the land, including synchronised bell-ringing and a 'people's parade' through London by descendants of those who fought in the Great War.

It's understood that Frank-Walter Steinmeier has already accepted an invitation to attend the special candlelit service to commemorate the World War One Armistice

Yet the most remarkable aspect of this centenary has still to be confirmed: the presence of the German head of state. Thanks to a beady-eyed photographer outside Downing Street  and a careless official carrying a formal memo under her arm  we learn that ministers are debating whether to invite the German President, no less, to the Cenotaph.

Pivotal

I understand that Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who took office last year, has already accepted an invitation to attend the special candlelit service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey that will round off this milestone day.

Senior members of the Royal Family and cabinet ministers will join representatives of all the Services and veterans at the 6pm event, which will be televised live on BBC1. Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne has been earmarked for a central role, reading out dispatches from the trenches on the day peace broke out.

Herr Steinmeier's presence at the Abbey will certainly be a powerful statement of reconciliation  but there is the intriguing possibility that he may also be invited to the even more important 11am service at the Cenotaph.

According to the memo captured on camera, the Government had originally planned to limit German involvement to the Westminster Abbey service, 'given that the Cenotaph is about remembering those who have been effected [sic] by all wars/conflicts rather than just WW1'.

However, the unnamed official adds: 'I would welcome a fresh look at this.'

Let us hope that wise heads prevail and we do invite the president of Germany to Whitehall to mark that revered 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

For nothing, surely, would make it clearer that, contrary to what our foreign critics and self-loathing luvvies may say, this is not a small-minded nation fixated on the past.

The annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony does indeed commemorate those from all the Armed Forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the Crown, whether in wartime or in peacetime.

Yet it would in no way demean the fallen of other conflicts to have Herr Steinmeier there on this one, pivotal occasion, paying homage to a generation that is no longer with us.

One senior ex-officer, Colonel Richard Kemp, has voiced concerns that at such a sacred event just 'one offended veteran is one too many'.

He may have a point, but let us study the wider picture. For, if we look beyond these shores, we may be shocked to learn that we didn't actually have very much to do with World War I, after all.

Apparently, it was the French who won it.

President Macron of France has been extremely busy organising a series of international events which make it very clear that the main player in 1914 to 1918 was France.

According to the memo captured on camera, the Government had originally planned to limit German involvement to the Westminster Abbey service

He has decreed that the main international commemoration on November 11 will be at the Arc de Triomphe, with 'more than 100 heads of state' plus 3,400 lesser VIPs on the guest list. Donald Trump has already said that he is coming and the Elysee Palace is waiting to hear from Vladimir Putin.

This will follow a special event held earlier in Compiegne, on the very spot where the Armistice document was signed in that famous railway carriage. Except the French are calling this the 'Ceremonie Franco-Allemande'. In other words, the Armistice was purely a French/German affair. Really?

This claim is every bit as bogus as the railway carriage that currently stands in Compiegne as a French national monument (the original was hauled off to Berlin in 1940 after Hitler had humiliatingly forced the French to sign their own surrender inside the carriage, which was eventually torched by the SS).

Strutting

The ceasefire was not 'Franco-German'. There are two Allied signatures at the bottom: Marshal Foch, on behalf of France, and Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, the First Sea Lord, on behalf of Britain and her imperial forces. Don't expect to hear anyone mention poor old Wemyss come November 11.

It is well worth studying the hilariously vainglorious official French video of all the upcoming events. In the days running up to the anniversary, Mr Macron will be embarking on a week-long grand tour of the Western Front. An interactive map illuminates his route like the Tour de France. On November 4, for example, you can welcome him in Strasbourg.

Three days later, he'll be strutting around Verdun. On the sixth day, he is very kindly dropping in on the Battle of the Somme for a few hours, so perhaps he might make mention of Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the other Allies. Paris will also stage a vast (and very French) theatrical production called Spectacle Shell Shock.

Even after the big event is over at the Arc de Triomphe, the French President is not stopping. For November 11 also marks the start of his three-day Paris Peace Forum.

Mr Macron has recorded a video message urging 'world leaders, charities, intellectuals and stakeholders' to come together in Paris 'to reinvent multilateralism and all modern forms of co-operation'.

Gravitas

The subtext is very clear: this is all about reinventing France, and in particular Emmanuel Macron, as the 'grand interlocutor' of Western Europe  the same role which General de Gaulle sought for himself after the war.

I witnessed it with my own eyes last year when Mr Macron brilliantly rearranged the July 14 Bastille Day parade around the visit of Donald Trump. All anti-Trump protestors were banned from central Paris, and the parade was billed as a celebration of American support for France in World War I (once again, no mention of the Brits).

A crowd of cheering and singing Londoners outside Buckingham Palace on Armistice Day

In other words, France has grabbed this centenary and is shamelessly using it for its own grandiose ends.

Quite rightly, Theresa May will not attempt to compete. Britain will have some very British bell-ringing and a 'people's parade', thank you very much, but no triumphal road trip.

The presence of the Queen  the only serving Western leader who grew up surrounded by the Great War generation  will ensure that events in London are accorded the gravitas they deserve.

But how much more powerful still it would be for her to include the German President at this epochal moment. That really would be the definitive illustration of reconciliation, not some synthetic razzmatazz in France.

Presumably, if he is not invited by the Queen, Herr Steinmeier will feel obliged to accept Mr Macron's invitation. I suspect that most veterans would much rather extend a magnanimous hand of friendship than let this preening show-off rewrite history.This week the catwalks of Milan witnessed a real treat: supermodel Ashley Graham on the Dolce e Gabbana runway  a voluptuous vision of womanhood in leopard- print chiffon.

In fashion terms, Graham, 30, is a plus-sized model. In reality shes representative of ordinary women in a way that most models simply arent.

Not thin, but nor is she exactly fat. Shes a normal size, perhaps with a little more wobble than average, but beautiful with it.

For women like me  and countless others who will never fit the skinny stereotype  she is an inspiration.

Ashley Graham walks the runway at the Dolce & Gabbana show during Milan Fashion Week

Tess Holliday, by contrast  the 33-year-old, 5ft 5in, 20 st American model who graces this months cover of Cosmopolitan  is an altogether different prospect.

She is a woman whose weight, whichever way you choose to qualify it, is dangerously abnormal.

Yet she is lionised by the voices of political correctness and held up as a paragon of plus-sized beauty. She is seen as celebrating body diversity when in reality what she represents is just as extreme and just as unhealthy as all those size-zero waifs.

The sad truth is the only thing Holliday celebrates is the risk of Type 2 diabetes, a hip replacement at 40 and a higher risk of life-threatening diseases such as cancer.

This week Cancer Research UK released figures showing obesity will overtake smoking as the leading preventable cause of cancer in women within 25 years.

Holliday promotes and justifies a body type just as extreme as the thinnest of rail-thin waifs  and just as unhealthy. Yet anyone who dares question her extreme size is condemned as a bigot and a fat-shamer.

Hollidays body is hers, she and her supporters argue, and she can do what she likes with it. If that means stuffing her face to morbid obesity, its nobodys business but her own. Except thats not true.

Tess Holliday caused outrage when she was chosen as the front cover model of the October edition of Cosmopolitan

It is everyones business.

When you are an influencer, when youre on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine in a bathing suit, when you post pictures of yourself in your underwear to 1.7 million Instagram followers, it matters.

When you encourage young women to celebrate a body shape that will most likely lead them to an early grave, it matters a lot. Holliday claims the message she sends is one of positivity. But its really not.

If the notion that being severely overweight is perfectly fine, the obesity crisis threatening the health of the nation will become almost impossible to tackle.

Holliday isnt removing the stigma around obesity, shes part of a new cult of glamorising it  the fat boasters  and its not healthy.

Not for her, or the impressionable young minds who look at her and see an excuse to justify their unhealthy relationship with food. Yes, we come in all different sizes.

Tess Holliday posted this picture on Instagram to promote 'body confidence' amongst young women

Yes, its encouraging to see more realistic body shapes in fashion. But taking it to this extreme is not about empowerment. Its about denial.

As someone whose weight crept up gradually over the years and who, at 50, found themselves suffering a raft of fat-induced medical conditions, I understand that denial. I also know how defiance can feel like the best response to anyone trying to point out the reality.

But the truth is, being seriously overweight is just as harmful as anorexia  and no one in their right mind would condone that.

Pint in a suicide vest? Poor taste

Following Boris Johnsons recent suicide vest gaffe, was it really in the best of taste for Richard Madden, star of Bodyguard, to post a picture of himself enjoying a pint still wearing his suicide vest from the final episode? Bad taste is bad taste  regardless of whether you are a politician or a luvvie.

This slick thriller is not all about Eve

The real star of the BBCs Killing Eve is not the brilliantly psychotic Villanelle, played by Jodie Comer, or even her chaotic counterpart, Eve, played by Sandra Oh; but the woman behind it all, actress and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

The honesty and dark humour with which she explores the complexity of the female mind  something she did so well in her own series, Fleabag  is what makes this outlandish crime caper so relatable.

Its Bridget Jones meets Terminator  and Im hooked.

Astroturf coated in boot polish?

As a fellow hair-loss sufferer, my heart goes out to David Beckham. But surely as a multi-millionaire with impeccable taste he can do better than what looks like Astroturf coated in boot polish.

There would be no Tories if we brought up our kids properly

Teaching assistant Sion Rickard told the Labour conference there would be no Tories if we brought up our kids properly. He reminds me of the young woman who once screamed at me, in front of my children, that people like you shouldnt be allowed to have kids. She, too, was a teacher. At the time the encounter left me shaking; but looking back, it was a valuable lesson. It showed my children the true face of prejudice: ignorant, hate-fuelled bigotry in the guise of virtue-signalling political correctness.

Women judges improve the quality of justice?

Is it really the case  as Lady Brenda Hale, President of the Supreme Court, has now argued  that women judges improve the quality of justice?

Ordinarily I bridle at the idea that the answer to everything in life is more women.

However, during the time when my husband was Justice Secretary, I got a glimpse into the cloistered world of the law. And I was struck by the degree to which it remains overwhelmingly male in a very old-fashioned way.

Complex decisions on guilt and innocence are decided on the basis of dry, cold logic, or debated in rapier battles of words between bumptious men.

The women barristers and judges I met were every bit as intelligent as the men  in some cases sharper. But they also had a human insight the men often lacked  a higher level of emotional intelligence that at times proved invaluable, particularly in cases involving family law.

There are times when a womans life experience does, perhaps, allow for better decision-making.

Could Gwyneth Paltrow be human after all?

I only ask, because the Queen of Clean Living has just revealed that, when in London, she likes to eat curry every night, is a seven-day-a-week drinker, and relaxes in the bath with a glass of Japanese whisky. At last some lifestyle advice we can all aspire to.A fitness model with nearly 1.2 million followers on Instagram has revealed how she once battled an eating disorder that saw her weight drop down to just six stone.

Avital Cohen, 23, from Israel, has won fans from around the globe with her glamorous photos, including bikini shots and gym work-outs.

However, this week, the social media star, who now weighs over eight stone, left fans shocked after she revealed that she struggled with a 'severe eating disorder' just four years ago.

Posting a side-by-side photograph on Instagram showing her body in 2018, she told her fans that during that time, she believed she was 'fat'.

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Israeli Instagram star Avital Cohen has won 1.2million photos with her glamorous photos of her work-outs. However, the fitness fanatic has shocked her followers by revealing that four years ago she battled a severe eating disorder

The model shared side-by-side bikini snaps, one in 2014 (left) when she was battling a 'severe eating disorder' and weighed just over six stone, and another taken four years later (right) after she managed to rebuild a healthy relationship with food. She now weighs just over eight stone

The emotive post that Cohen, 23, shared with her followers; the Instagram missive detailed how food became her enemy and her weight plummeted to just six stone

The post has had more than 93,000 likes, with many praising Cohen's honesty. Her post read: 'My change 2018 Vs 2014, 42kg before and now 53kg, 16 per cent fat' before she detailed her struggle.

Speaking about her battle with food, she wrote: 'I get a lot of messages from girls with the same question: did you always live a fit, healthy life? Sorry to disappoint you girls but NO!! 4 years ago I had a severe eating disorder.'

She continued: 'I was afraid to eat because in my mind I was fat. Not that this is not ok but for ME it was a nightmare. I was never satisfied with my looks or my weight, never happy with myself and quite often very hard and judgmental about my body.

Cohen went on to tell her followers that she began the road to recovery by eating six 'little meals a day' to try and get her body to adopt to eating properly again.

She explained: 'Food was my enemy. It's a journey I took and embraced in order to LIVE. Since then Im a much happier person, positive, healthier and treat my body with the love it deserves. Its so easy to DOWNGRADE yourself while BELIEVING in yourself may be the hardest thing ever but not impossible.'

The star, who says she has a healthy relationship with her body again, was praised for showing people that you can find a way to overcome eating disorders

Many of Avital's Instagram followers praised her dedication to transforming her body and claimed to be encouraged by her story

The curvy star said she'd decided to open up as a way of getting others to 'better their lives'. The post has received a flood of praise from followers.

One person said: 'This goes to show everyone that with enough determination to work hard and have patience, great things can come in life. Avital trained a lot, and went through a lot to get to where she is today.'

Another wrote: 'You have to be really proud of you coz someone can see you say: 'I can do it, like Avital!''

Cohen said she trained her body to adapt to eating again by having 'six little meals a day'

Others attempted to reassure Avital that she looked just as beautiful in both the before and after photographs.

A user speaking under the handle 'Leandro.maciel.180410' wrote: 'When you see the photo you must have exercised a lot to get to that beautiful body that you have today. But even when you were younger, you were already beautiful. You were blessed with beauty, my friend.'

One person said: 'Beautiful! Awesome accompaniment overcoming problems! Keep up the hard work!'

Another added: 'I love that you were this open to show us the 'behind the scenes' and that you got out of that phase, you are gorgeous'.Since the premiere of Netflix's To All The Boys I've Loved Before, girls age 12 to 42 have fallen hard for the film's heartthrob.

And now Noah Centineo's admirers have something new to swoon over: a sexy new photo series starring the 22-year-old, who poses shirtless in bed and gives his best moody, sultry, make-you-blush stare into the camera.

Shot by Australian-born photographer and artist Sarah Bahbah, the images of Noah have proven to be a major pull, quickly becoming her most-liked images on Instagram yet.

Yes please! Noah Centineo stars in a steamy new photo series that's earning attention on Instagram

Artsy: The photos are by by Australian-born photographer and artist Sarah Bahbah

Super steamy: They feature a shirtless Noah laying down and giving moody expressions

Noah  who has been called 'the internet's boyfriend' since starring in the popular Netflix romcom based on a book by the same name  has been having quite a few months,

After To All The Boys I've Loved Before came out, he also starred in another Netflix teen flick, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.

Previously, he starred in Freeform's The Fosters and Camila Cabello's Havana music video.

But his latest project isn't on a TV network or streaming service  it's on Instagram, and it's comprised entirely of photos.

Sarah Bahbah is known for her 'cinematic' photo series, which tell stories with stills featuring captions of dialogue.

Very popular: Sarah is known for her cinematic photos, which tell a story in dialogue captions at the bottom

Internet boyfriend: Noah, 22, is the heartthrob of the moment thanks to a double feature of Netflix teen movies

In the past, she's mostly shot women for these series, but this time she cast Noah in the leading role.

She posted the first photo from the series on September 19, and the images quickly blew up, attracting attention from Noah's hardcore fans.

And it's not just because Noah looks so hunky with his messy hair and hazel eyes. The young actor also happens to be shirtless in the first few images in the series, laying around in a bed half-naked.

And the words are all about love.

'I dreamt we were in love, then I woke up,' it begins. 'Sometimes I think we're supposed to be lovers.

Tune in: The images are being released daily on Sarah's Instagram account

Yum! Fans have gone wild for his floppy hair, pouty lips, and sexy stare

Hunky: Sarah typically casts women in her series but coordinated with Noah after he DMed her

'My intuition led me to working with Noah,' she said. 'He is incredibly grounded and wise'

The camera zooms out to show his chest and arms, and his body becomes more illuminated from light coming from the window.

As the shot zooms out even more, it's revealed that he is actually on a couch, and his jeans are hanging low off his waist.

He then puts on more clothes and moves to a bed, though the images are no less swoon-worthy thanks to his moody stare and pouty lips.

Sarah told Teen Vogue that the pair first started communicating over Instagram, making it a fitting place for the series. Sarah followed him, and he sent her a message.

'My intuition led me to working with Noah. He is incredibly grounded and wise,' she said. 'I was drawn to this, so I followed my instinct, and this trust revealed to me a beautiful soul to collaborate with.'

She said that the series itself  which is called Dear Love  is about the 'complications of all aspects of human connection'.

Fans love it! The photos are earning hundreds of thousands of likes each

More! So far, there are 15 posts in the series, with new shots being released daily

Switch: While Noah was a change in direction for Sarah, this wasn't actually the first time she had a male star: Earlier this year, Dylan Sprouse appeared in another series

So far, there are 15 posts in the series, with new shots being released daily.

While Noah was a change in direction for Sarah, this wasn't actually the first time she had a male star: Earlier this year, Dylan Sprouse appeared in another series.

But Noah's overnight heartthrob status has made his series an especially huge hit.

In fact, his super-fast superstardom has been tricky to navigate. Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel last week, he recalled being stalked at the airport.

'I had this one experience  I went to New York for some work, and I was at baggage claim and I had my headphones on and was just waiting for my bag to come out,' he said.

Streaming: Noah stars in Netflix's popular teen movie, To All The Boys I've Love Before

Watch list: In addition to the flick (pictured)  based on a book by the same name, he also stars in Sierra Burgess is a Loser

'And then I feel a presence approach me...and without even knowing, I had to sidestep and take my headphones out and there's like four people looking at me. And I was like "Hi," and they were like "Hey, how was your flight?"

'And I was like, "'It was good, how was yours?" And they were like "Oh no no, we didn't fly, we're here for you.""

'They somehow knew I was flying into JFK and the time I was going there. They parked the same place where the driver parked, so they walked us to the car, and then they followed us into the city. And when we got into the city, I was like, there's totally people following us.

Still, he's grateful for his success, telling the New York Times, 'Its humbling, its inspiring, and its really motivating. Ive been working for this for 14-plus years.Over the past few years there has been an influx of realistic looking designer replicas flooding the market.

As a result, those who think they've scored a 'bargain' designer bag or shoe are actually strutting around flaunting a cheap fake.

The team at Luxe.It.Fwd - an Australian business that sells authentic second-hand designer handbags and heels - send all their items to specialist authenticators to ensure they are not fakes.

Here, the company's founder Miranda Gillespie lists the 10 key signs that designer heels are fake and the key differences between an authentic pair of Valentino Rockstud Pumps that retail for $1,295 and a pair of fakes bought for $200 from China.

So can you tell the difference?

Can you pick the authentic Valentino Rockstud Pumps that retail for $1,295 from the pair of fakes bought for $200 from China

GENERAL SHAPE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP

The genuine Valentino shoes on the right are sleek and elegant, crafted from patent leather.

'The fake pair on the left has a rounded appearance at the toe and have a slightly different shape overall,' Miranda said.

'The fake pair has an acrylic type smell to it, which is a common sign of a replica shoes and which indicates that they are not made from leather.

'Note how the authentic pair hold their shape while the replica pair sags.'

The genuine Valentino shoes on the right are sleek and elegant, crafted from patent leather where as the fake pair on the left has a rounded appearance at the toe

THE BOX

The genuine box has a linen textured appearance with Valentino Garavani embossed in red.

The replica box is a slightly differing shade of red and has a much subtler texture.

'The logo is embossed in black and appears slightly crooked. The replica box also has an odd, slightly unpleasant smell about it,' Miranda said.

The genuine box has a linen textured appearance with Valentino Garavani embossed in red

The replica box is a slightly differing shade of red and has a much subtler texture

DUSTBAGS

Valentino use several different dustbags, however the replica dustbags do not resemble any of them in any way. They are wrong in every way  material, colour and font.

Valentino use several different dustbags like the one pictured

The replica dustbags do not resemble any of them in any way. They are wrong in every way  material, colour and font

INTERIOR VALENTINO TAG

'On the genuine Valentino pair the interior tag is perfectly positioned and secured with neat even stitches. The font is clear and crisp,' Miranda said.

'Notice the differences in colour on the replica pair, which uses a brown for the font, rather than the black of the genuine pair.

'The stitches are messy and also note how puffed up the sole underneath the tag is compared to the genuine pair which is flat.'

'On the genuine Valentino pair the interior tag is perfectly positioned and secured with neat even stitches. The font is clear and crisp,' Miranda said

'Notice the differences in colour on the replica pair, which uses a brown for the font, rather than the black of the genuine pair,' she added

DATE CODE

Genuine Valentino shoes have a serial number printed on the interior in the same colour as the hardware. The fake pair have no serial number at all.

Genuine Valentino shoes have a serial number printed on the interior in the same colour as the hardware. The fake pair have no serial number at all

GLUE AND STITCHING

'Genuine Valentino shoes have no excess glue visible, whereas the fake pair have excess glue visible in nearly every area of the shoe,' Miranda said.

'Also note that the fake pair have used white stitching on the black patent, whereas the genuine shoes have black stitching.'

Genuine Valentino shoes have no excess glue visible

The fake pair have excess glue visible in nearly every area of the shoe

THE STUDS

The back of the studs are concealed within the straps on the genuine Valentinos. The back of the studs are visible on the interior of the straps on the replica pair.

'In person the studs on the replica pair also appear much shinier, slightly yellower and quite plastic when next to the genuine pair,' Miranda said.

'Also note that the buckle on the replica pair is rose gold, whereas on a genuine pair all hardware is the same colour.'

The back of the studs are concealed within the straps on the genuine Valentinos. The back of the studs are visible on the interior of the straps on the replica pair

In person the studs on the replica pair also appear much shinier, slightly yellower and quite plastic when next to the genuine pair

HEEL HEIGHT

Though both pairs are 100mm heels, there is a noticeable difference in the actual height of the heels, with the genuine Valentinos being a tad higher than the replicas.

Though both pairs are 100mm heels, there is a noticeable difference in the actual height of the heels, with the genuine Valentinos being a tad higher than the replicas

STAMPING

'The stamping on the genuine pair is crisp and neat, and imprinted quote heavily into the leather soles,' Miranda said.

'Whereas on the fake pair the imprint is much lighter, and the type and size of the font does not match.

'Note that the genuine pair have leather soles, while the fake pair have man made soles, which are a differing shade also.'

'The stamping on the genuine pair is crisp and neat, and imprinted quote heavily into the leather soles,' Miranda said

'Whereas on the fake pair the imprint is much lighter, and the type and size of the font does not match,' she added

INCLUSIONS

'The genuine valentine shoes are accompanied by two spare studs in red paper case, two spare heel caps and a care booklet,' Miranda said.

'The replicas are accompanied by many spare studs and a pair of spare heel caps in plastic bags  probably so many included because with the quality of the fakes theyll fall off soon.'

'The genuine valentine shoes are accompanied by two spare studs in red paper case, two spare heel caps and a care booklet,' Miranda said

'The replicas are accompanied by many spare studs and a pair of spare heel caps in plastic bags  probably so many included because with the quality of the fakes theyll fall off soon,' she added

Luxe.It.Fwd has a bunch of Valentino Rockstud shoes for sale hereIf you're expecting, chances are you're doing everything to prepare - from reading books to attending neo-natal classes.

And while preparation is key, childbirth is unpredictable.

Recently an Australian Reddit user posed the question: 'Women who have given birth, what's something no one told you about it and wish you had known?'

And as to be expected the online forum was flooded with honest replies with mothers everywhere revealing the things no one had warned them about.

Here FEMAIL takes a look at some of the most shocking standout responses.

Mothers have taken to Reddit to answer the question: 'Women who have given birth, what's something no one told you about it and wish you had known?' (stock image)

Starting off the thread, was one comment by a mother who said how shocked she was by the 'messiness' of childbirth.

'If your water breaks and you have a slow leak... there'll be fluid at home, in the car, in the waiting/triage area, in your room, in the hallway, in the bathroom,' she said.

'Combined with all the blood loss and peeing yourself, and it's almost like a slip-n-slide trying to get around.'

Another shared how when her waters broke it was blood due to a placental abruption - and how she coped with this happening on Halloween.

'I had blood in my bed, blood all over my bathroom, bloody clothes, bloody towels... my house looked like a horrible crime scene,' she wrote.

'I had a placental abruption, at 2am on Halloween morning. The horror fan side of me thought this was ironic, once I stopped panicking.'

Some posting on the forum also shared how their birthing pain wasn't gradual 'as they expected'.

One mother shared how when her waters broke it was blood due to a placental abruption (stock image)

'I went from "this is fine" to "this is not fine make it stop" in maybe half an hour. But then you have to wait before they can get you set up with an epidural, so it's hard to avoid that 'not okay' period entirely,' they wrote.

'I was induced and I went from 0cm to 10cm in one hour and she was born. It was the most intense experience of my life. I kicked the midwife!' Another said.

Those who'd undergone C-sections also opened up on the reality of how this experience affected them.

I gave birth to my second son without any pain relief, and by far the most painful part was after he had been born.

'The nurse described it to me as being like having someone do dishes in your abdomen, and that was the most horrifying accurate way you could put it,' one woman wrote.

While another said: 'The first time the nurse made me get up after my c-section I cried so hard and begged her not to make me. I would've sworn that my intestines were falling out through my incision with how it felt.'

Placenta was also a hot topic of discussion on the thread.

'I remember my doc being all excited and like "do you want to see the placenta?" soon after I gave birth. I'm into science-y stuff so I was like "sure!" and she held it up for me. S*** was huge and weird,' said one.

'I gave birth to my second son without any pain relief, and by far the most painful part was after he had been born, and my Ob reached into my uterus and manually removed retained bits of placenta,' a second chimed in with.

'Apparently, some doctors are really excited when they see a good placenta. Well, a compliment is a compliment, I guess,' a third revealed.

Mothers who'd undergone C-sections also opened up on how this experience affected them (stock image)

Lastly, the women dished on the reality of toileting post-childbirth.

'My mother thought I wasn't eating because I was trying to lose the baby weight ASAP,' one wrote.

'About 5 days after birth she confronted me, said I was still skinny, I would lose the weight soon enough, and I need to eat to be a healthy mom. I looked at her confused, 'you think I'm not eating because I want to lose weight? I'm just scared to poop',' she continued.

'Truth is I was eating, very little, but I was so scared to poop I can understand where the concern came from. I pooped on day 7 and it wasn't that bad.'A terrified mother has opened up about her baby daughter's near-death ordeal after she was struck down with meningococcal.

Tiffany Henderson, from South Australia, was told to prepare for the worse after her then-seven-month-old girl Violet contracted the B strain of the potentially deadly disease.

Little Violet was just two weeks away from getting her vaccination when purple blotches of rash started to appear all over her body.

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Mother Tiffany Henderson kissing her baby daughter Violet after fighting meningococcal

What is meningococcal? Meningococcal disease is an acute bacterial infection that can cause death within hours if not recognised and treated in time. The infection is a medical emergency. It can kill within hours, so early diagnosis and treatment is vital. Do not wait for the purple rash to appear as that is a critical stage of the disease. Common symptoms include: fever

nausea or vomiting

lack of energy

tiredness or drowsiness

confusion or disorientation

dizziness

irritability or agitation

sore throat Source: Meningococcal Australia Advertisement

'I didn't think I'd be holding her again,' Ms Henderson told 9News.

'I thought they were giving me my last cuddle which was the scariest moment of my life and I wouldn't want any parent to ever feel it.'

But against all odds, the baby miraculously survived after spending 12 days in hospital fighting for her life.

'I'm one of the luckiest mums out there to be able to go home with my baby after fighting meningococcal,' Ms Henderson said.

Earlier this year, the mother revealed how she first noticed something unusual about her normally bubbly baby.

'She started to get really purple lips, they got really dark purple, they started to get really dry and cracked and she started to just go limp and it was within five minutes that happened,' Ms Henderson told 9News in July.

Violet's father Peter Duffield added: 'Within a couple hours it was from one dot to all over her legs, very traumatic.'

Little Violet was just two weeks away from getting her vaccination when purple blotches of rash started to appear all over her body

Tiffany Henderson, from South Australia, was told to prepare for the worse after her then-seven-month-old girl Violet contracted the B strain of the potentially deadly disease

The family was airlifted to Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital where she underwent a life-saving treatment after being diagnosed with the B strain of meningococcal.

The story comes as more than a million teenagers across Australia are expected to receive free meningococcal vaccinations.

The combined vaccine for meningococcal strains A, C, W and Y will be available at no cost to Australians aged 14 to 19 from April next year.Australia's leading pharmacy retailer Priceline are holding a massive 50 per cent sale on selected items store wide.

The discount is also available online and covers a slew of products across the skincare, cosmetics, fragrance and hair care departments.

The mark downs are the latest in a series of mega-sales held this year by the chemist.

But you'll have to be quick as the reductions only run from Tuesday September 25 to Thursday September 27.

Priceline are holding a massive 50 per cent sale on selected items store wide

THE BEST BARGAINS AT PRICELINE RIGHT NOW David Beckham Classic EDT - $10 Neutrogena Sheet Mask - $2.99 Colgate Fruity Mint Mouthwash - $1.99 Neutrogena Cleansing Gel - $5.99 Colgate 2-pack toothbrushes - $3.99 Revlon Pink Lustrous Lipstick - $5.50 NAPRO Blonde Hair Dye - $4.99 Cover Girl Brow Pencil - $4.97 Advertisement

The 'Big Brands Sale' has been applied to a number of household beauty names, including Revlon and Cover Girl.

Anyone in the market for new cosmetics can grab Revlons Colour Stay Full Coverage for $14.97, Colour Stay Eye Shadow Primer for $7.47 and Mega Multiplier Mascara for $11.97.

Revlon's Super Lustrous Lipstick is half price at $5.50 while their branded nail files are a steal at $1.49.

Cover Girl have a selection of bold, statement nail polish starting from $3.47.

Bargain hunters can also avail of significant price cuts on popular self-care brands such as Colgate, Neutrogena, Olay and Jergens.

Revlon's Mega Multiplier Mascara is now $11.97 (left) while their Super Lustrous Lipstick is half price at $5.50 (right)

Neutrogena sheet masks (left) are now $2.99 while Deep Clean Purifying Gel is $5.99

Neutrogena sheet masks are now $2.99 and Deep Clean Purifying Gel has been marked down to $5.99.

Colgate's Fruit Mint Mouthwash is now $1.99 while original toothpaste has been reduced to $0.99 and two-packs of toothbrushes to $3.99.

Selected designer fragrance has also had its cost slashed in half, with David Beckham's 'Classic' and 'Instinct' eaux du toilettes now priced at just $10.

Lancome's long-time fragrance favourite 'Miracle' has been reduced from $205 to $125, while Jimmy Choo's 'Illicit' eau du parfum is now just $57.

David Beckham's 'Classic' eau du toilette (left) is now priced at just $10 while Lancome Miracle has been reduced by almost $100 (right)

Those looking for a quick touch up can also nab a bargain with NAPRO offering light and dark blonde colours for $4.99

Those looking for a quick touch up can also nab a bargain with NAPRO offering light and dark blonde colours for $4.99.

More adventurous creatives could opt for Metallic Rose Gold dye from German brand Schwarzkopf for $2.74.

Aveenos Baby Care range has been reduced to $5.49, which includes a baby wash, shampoo, moisturising lotion and soothing relief cream.Behind the doors of this incredible 1870s-era store lies a grocery trip back in time.

With rows upon rows of dusty Weetbix boxes, foggy glass bottles and faded tea bags, the general shop has been left untouched for almost 50 years.

Located in Maryborough, about 255km north of Brisbane, Brennan & Geraghty's Store remained in the family business for 101 years before closing its doors in 1972.

Frozen in time, more than 50,000 grocery products remain well-preserved on shelves, including margarine, milk bottles, rusty fruit tins, laundry powder and vintage records.

Dating back more than 10 decades, the store offers history buffs a glimpse into how retail trading looked like in regional Queensland town.

Behind the doors of this incredible 1870s-era general store lies a trip back in time

With rows upon rows of dusty Weetbix boxes, foggy glass bottles and faded tea bags, the shop has been left untouched for almost 50 years

The humble Queensland store was reopened as a heritage museum in 1975 by National Trust

The store was reopened as a heritage museum in 1975 by the National Trust.

Tourists can walk into the time capsule, and discover shelf after shelf of products used in an era when milk was still delivered by hand in glass bottles that were washed and returned for reuse.

Brothers-in-law Patrick Brennan and Martin Geraghty established the family business together in 1871.

Mr Geraghty's son took over the business until its closure in 1972.

And since then, the owners left everything inside the store exactly as it was on the last day of business 46 years ago.

Tourists can walk into the time capsule, and discover shelf after shelf of products used in an era when milk was still delivered by hand in glass bottles that were washed and returned for reuse

Under the layers of dust and old floorboards, more than 50,000 stock items has since remained untouched

Travellers from all walks of life have been sharing their incredible stories online after visiting the tourist attraction in Queensland

A vintage box of Bushells tea sits inside the store, with some of its packaging peeling off

Travellers from all walks of life have been sharing their incredible stories online after visiting the tourist attraction in Queensland.

'You're told when you enter that the store has been left exactly as it was the day it closed. There can be no doubt that this is the case, right down the accumulated dust and detritus of 46 years,' one man explained.

'This is a brilliant experience amongst numerous others from old Maryborough. A must see.'

Another said: 'This really is worth visiting, it really makes you remember how it was when we were youngsters and even before.

'Your memory is well and truly jogged remembering how far the retail experience has developed. This store was probably well ahead of its time in the day.'

Old dusty glass bottles fill the shelves - and it remains in an era when milk was still delivered by hand in glass bottles that were washed and returned for reuse

An old piano sits along dusty floor boards, surrounded by furniture and cardboard boxes

The Maryborough shop is opened to the public from 10am to 3pm, seven days a week

A flyer on the window advertising rolled oats

Another man wrote: 'If nostalgia is your thing and you hearken back to the days when you had to visit a retail shop to view what products were available and on-line shopping was the stuff of science fiction, then you will relish this place.

'Lovingly maintained, it has all the trappings of its glorious past, even some peanut butter from the 1970's. Yum!?'

And one woman revealed: 'My father grew up in Maryborough so we spent lots of holidays there. Popped into this store last time we were there. Everything has been left as it was when the owner walked out of the shop. Remarkably well preserved.'

Under the layers of dust and old floorboards, more than 50,000 stock items has since remained untouched.

The museum includes a tour of the store itself, a stable, a cottage and 'Uskerty', the early twentieth-century residence built by Mr Geraghty.

All are constructed in light-frame timber and iron, with parts of the store, including the fittings, recycled from other buildings previously located on the site.

The shop is opened to the public from 10am to 3pm, seven days a week.The recent emergence of 'Dad chic' has solidified the reality that ugly is the new beautiful.

As an increasing number of bizarre, avant garde trends take centre stage on runways around the world, a new form of summer shoe is sweeping street style sets across Australia just in time for the warmer season.

While typically women were reaching for Birkenstocks and dainty espadrilles at this time of year, those in the know have shifted gear to an unlikely footwear design that is decidedly more rock'n'roll than rustic.

A new form of summer shoe is sweeping street style sets across Australia just in time for the warmer season

Littering both runway and front row at last week's Milan Fashion Week, the clunky cowboy boot is the footwear du jour.

Whimn report the trick to pulling off an effortless look a la rodeo shoe is to 'balance out the masculine fit with feminine silhouettes' by pairing the boots with floating, dreamlike dresses and billowing skirts.

Those in the know tick two trendy boxes at once by wearing snakeskin boots with matching printed skirts for a somewhat unsettling optical illusion.

The boot has been popularised by the likes of Eloise Jaksic (pictured)

Fendi offer a quirky take on the cowboy boot featuring their signature FF logo print

A cult favourite boot is the $950 Zimmerman Mid-Leg, seen on the likes of Pip Edwards and Eloise Jaksic.

Zara currently stock a bargain version of the Zimmerman creation in the form of a snake print ankle boot for $139.

Showing the versatility of the shoe, German Instagram star and model Caroline Daur was photographed wearing the latest offering from Fendi with a quirky style of cutout cowboy in the campaign shoot for the new collection.

It's not the only unusual footwear trend that's stomping to success in the style stakes this season

And it's not the only unusual footwear trend that's stomping to success in the style stakes this season.

'Dadcore', as Vogue prefer to call it, has swiftly made unsightly clothing and shoes in particular the go-to look of the moment.

Never far behind the curve, Adidas has quickly capitalised on the unsightly shoe trend with the recent release of their new Falcon design.

The sought-after style comes in all-white, black and white and multi-coloured patterns and retails at the likes of Hype and The Iconic for $150.

Adidas has quickly capitalised on the clunky shoe trend with the recent release of their new Falcon design (pictured on brand ambassador Kylie Jenner)

The sought-after style comes in all-white, black and white and multi-coloured patterns

A throwback to the brands 1997 Falcon Dorf model, the latest sneakers have been endorsed by billionaire business mogul Kylie Jenner as the official face of their current campaign.

Kylie has shared Instagram pictures wearing black, white and pink as well as pure white variations of the shoe.

The newly-launched style sold out from Australian online stores in less than 24 hours after hitting sites earlier this month.

A popular all-white version of the shoe flew off the shelves after being seen on celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian.

Model Hailey Baldwin is a fellow face of the Falcon, while catwalk queens Winnie Harlow and Leomie Anderson have also been spotted sporting various colour-ways of the functional footwear

Model Hailey Baldwin is a fellow face of the Falcon, while catwalk queens Winnie Harlow and Leomie Anderson have also been spotted sporting various colour-ways of the functional footwear on the runway in London this week.

The Falcon range is sure to be welcomed by high fashion lovers thanks to its similarity to the coveted Balenciaga Triple S sneakers, albeit at almost one eight of the price.

Adidas' Vice President of Global Brand Communications Alegra O'Hare told Forbes the Falcon represents the 'confident mindset of a new generation of female creative consumers'.



'Falcon is for those who do what they want, regardless of what anyone thinks  it's not for the faint-hearted, but for those who know that living unapologetically is the only way to live.'A University Challenge contestant was mercilessly mocked online after he wore a beret to compete on the BBC quiz show.

Student Liam Alcock, from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, donned the accessory as he led the team from the University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP) in their match against University of London Goldsmiths on last night's episode.

But viewers failed to see the funny side and mercilessly mocked him for being 'a disgrace' and 'pretentious'.

Student Liam Alcock, of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, donned a beret as he led the team from the University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP) in their match against University of London Goldsmiths on last night's episode of University Challenge

Viewers failed to see the funny side and mercilessly mocked the contestant for being 'a disgrace' and 'pretentious'. Others joked his team missed the memo on dressing up

One outraged viewer posted: 'I'm sorry but Alcove in the beret is trying to be a character but is just a bit of a c**k and a p**t [sic].'

However Mr Alcock remained unabashed and hit back at the taunts with his own cutting tweets.

The move was enough to win over some of his critics, with one conceding: 'I appreciate the sense of humour he had in responding to the tweets.'

Mr Alcock, who is reading French, and his peers were the first team from ULIP to ever appear on University Challenge.

Some viewers criticised the playful wardrobe choice while others made light-hearted jibes

They struggled through the rounds before eventually losing to Goldsmiths 180 - 55.

Viewers were largely distracted by Mr Alcock's jaunty beret, which dominated the online commentary on the episode.

One joked: 'Salut! I am studying french...in France!. Subsequently, I must affix a beret to my head at a 45 angle for maximum Euroquirk, else Macron himself will bust down the door of the quaint salon I study at, screaming la marseillaise. Au revoir!'

Another tweeted: 'Alcock in a beret looks All c**k ffs. When did university challenge become fancy dress.'

Mr Alcock, who is reading French, and his peers were the first team from ULIP to ever appear on University Challenge. They eventually lost to Goldsmiths 180 - 55

Mr Alcock remained unabashed and hit back at the taunts with his own cutting tweets

BBC presenter Dan Walker was among those who jokingly questioned whether the rest of the ULIP team simply missed the memo.

Walker wrote: 'When your mates say "honestly... we are all going to wear berets on #UniversityChallenge next week" and you fall for it.'

Mr Alcock was quick to defend himself, retweeting some of the harshest posts with his own witty additions.

His defence was bolstered by sympathetic Twitter users, including Vernon Kay, who chastised trolls for their unnecessarily vicious attacks

His defence was bolstered by sympathetic Twitter users who chastised trolls for their unnecessarily vicious attacks.

'Young student appears on #UniversityChallenge in a beret and the Twitteratti launch into him saying the most awful things,' one shared. 'Social media is a very sad world indeed; it is just a chap on a quiz show.'

Even TV presenter Vernon Kay stood up for the student, posting: 'When youre Alcock you can do what you like.'She is a busy mother-of-four with a packed schedule of royal engagements to attend.

But Princess Mary of Denmark took time out of her hectic timetable to share her patriotic side as she cracked open a can of Carlsberg - one of Denmark's most famous exports - from her adopted home country on Tuesday.

The Crown Princess, 46, who was born in Tasmania but moved to Denmark in 2001 to be with her now husband, the country's future king Crown Prince Frederik, was pictured attending an event to spotlight Denmark's achievements in sustainability in New York this week.

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Princess Mary of Denmark took time out of her hectic timetable to share her patriotic side as she cracked open a can of Carlsberg from her home country in New York on Tuesday

Showing off her fun side, Mary was seen sporting a mock grimace as she grappled with the can of beer.

And having successfully opened the alcoholic beverage, the royal pretended to hold it up in a toast as she posed for onlookers.

Dressed in a silk bell sleeve blouse which featured a high neck and pretty floral pattern, the mother-of-four certainly put on a chic display.

The Australian-born former advertising executive teamed the shirt with black business-appropriate trousers and nude patent heels as she attended the event which recognised Denmark's outstanding contribution to environmental sustainability.

The Crown Princess, 46, was pictured attending an event to spotlight Denmark's achievements in sustainability in New York this week

Dressed in a silk bell sleeve blouse which featured a high neck and pretty floral pattern, the mother-of-four certainly put on a chic display

Speaking to Vogue in 2016 about her role in sustaining the environment, she said at the time: 'I believe that in order to find solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges of today we need to take a holistic approach that requires us to consider the social, environmental and economic aspects and work together in new and innovative partnerships, maybe with people and organisations we wouldn't have thought about working with before.

'It will require a continuous effort and patience, and strong and authentic leadership: it takes time to create real and sustainable change.

'I try, as effectively as possibly, to use the platform that I have built up over the years to advocate and work for the empowerment of women and of their human rights.'

Showing off her fun side, Mary was seen sporting a mock grimace as she grappled with the can of beer

The Australian-born former advertising executive teamed the shirt with black business-appropriate trousers and nude patent heels

Princess Mary is married to Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, the heir apparent to the Danish throne.

Mary and Frederik have four children together; Prince Christian, 12, Princess Isabella, 11, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, seven.

The love story between Princess Mary and Prince Frederick has been well documented; the couple met in a Sydney bar and Mary, born in Tasmania, moved to the northern hemisphere to be with Frederik.

Princess Mary was seen mingling as she attended the event which recognised Denmark's outstanding contribution to environmental sustainability

Princess Mary Of Denmark attends an event to spotlight Denmark's achievements in sustainability

Speaking to Vogue in 2016 about her role in sustaining the environment, she said at the time that she believes in a holistic approach (seen at the summit this week)

In December, in a candid interview with Australian Women's Weekly, the Crown Princess revealed that moving to the other side of the world was difficult.

She said: 'I did experience a feeling of loneliness - short-term - when I first moved to Denmark,' she told the magazine.

'Moving to Denmark was a huge change in my life - a new culture, new language, new friends, and another way of life.' 'So, I see it as quite natural that at times I felt quite alone or a little bit like I was on the outside looking in.'

Princess Mary is married to Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, the heir apparent to the Danish throneBollywood star Shilpa Shetty has published a scathing rant accusing an airline worker of racism in a row over hand-luggage.

The actress, 43, was travelling from Sydney to Melbourne with Australian airline Qantas when the argument over baggage took place.

Shetty, who shot to fame in the UK after she was the target of racist comments during the 2007 series of Celebrity Big Brother, penned an angry post about her treatment, saying it was clear the employee didn't like 'brown people'.

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The 43-year-old Bollywood star, who shot to fame in the UK when she appeared - and won - Celebrity Big Brother in 2007 posted a scathing rant aimed at Australian airline Qantas, claiming that she was treated 'curtly' by an employee who didn't like 'brown people'

Part of the lengthy post Shetty, who has a huge profile in her native India, posted about the row on Instagram. Qantas replied on Twitter expressing an apology for her experience with the airline

In the post, which has now been seen by 269,000 people, Shetty name-checked Qantas, saying: 'This should get your attention! Travelling from Sydney to Melbourne and at the check in counter met a grumpy #Mel (thats her name) who decided it was "OK" to speak curtly to "US" (Brown people!!) travelling together.

The mother-of-one, flying business, explained that she the employee told her to go to the oversized counter after deeming her 'half empty Duffel bag' too large for the cabin.

She explains: 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.'

However, Shetty claims that when she returned to the original employee, she was 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!

The Australian airline responded to Shetty's tweet apologising for the 'negative experience'

Shetty after winning Celebrity Big Brother; her appearance on the show in 2007 caused a national outcry after she was subjected to racism by a fellow contestant, the late Jade Goody, prompting some 54,000 complaints to Ofcom

She said that her missive on social media was to make the airline aware of how she'd been treated. She wrote: 'Their staff must be taught to be helpful and TONE cant change with preference to #COLOUR.

'"WE" are NOT #pushovers and they MUST know that being #callous and #Rude will NOT BE TOLERATED.' She ended with a series of hashtags including: '#truthmustbetold #standup #equality #whatswrongisnotright'.

After seeing a tweet from Shetty about the incident, Qantas apologised for her experience, writing: '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'

MailOnline has contacted Qantas for comment.

Shetty, 41, is one of Bollywood's most talked-about and photographed figures despite not having broken through in any major film roles. She is married to businessman Raj Kundra and the couple have one son together.

Shetty pictured with her businessman husband Raj Kundra in a recent photo posted on Instagram

She won fame when she was subjected to allegedly racist taunts on Britain's Celebrity Big Brother reality television series in 2007.

Some 54,000 viewers complained to Ofcom and Channel 4 about the perceived racism on the show, after the late Jade Goody, a reality television star, was accused of taunting Shetty including calling her 'Shilpa Poppadom'.

After she was evicted, Miss Goody, who died of cancer in 2009, said she was 'embarrassed and disgusted' by her own behaviour in the house but denied she was a racist.

Gordon Brown, who was then Chancellor, was forced to defend Britain as a 'country of fairness and tolerance'.Miss Ukraine has been stripped of her title after she failed to disclose that she has a child and was previously married.

Veronkia Didusenko, 23, took home the crown in Kiev last Thursday but was later disqualified when organisers discovered she had lied about her personal life on her application form.

The beauty queen has a four-year-old son with her ex-husband but competition rules ban mothers or women who have been married from entry.

Veronkia Didusenko, 23, was crowned Miss Ukraine in Kiev last Thursday but was later disqualified when organisers discovered she had lied about her personal life on her application form. Her status as a mother and a divorcee means she is ineligible for the competition

Miss Didusenko, pictured right shortly after being crowned the winner of the competition, has a four-year-old son with her ex-husband but failed to alert organisers of the beauty pageant

Miss Didusenko, who has 11,500 Instagram followers, posted a message on the site thanking fans for their support at such a 'difficult time', sharing the post alongside this picture

In a statement released yesterday Miss Ukraine officials explained Miss Didusenko had broken the rules and was no longer eligible to hold the title.

It means she will be replaced by another contestant at the Miss Universe 2018 competition in China in December.

Miss Great Britain previously had similar rules banning mothers and married women but abolished these in 2013 as part of a move to make the pageant more relevant.

Miss Didusenko, who has 11,500 Instagram followers, posted a message on the site thanking fans for their support at such a 'difficult time'.

Miss Didusenko, pictured in the centre with her crown and sash after winning will now be replaced by another contestant in the Miss Universe 2018 contest in China in December

The beauty queen had wowed judges and beat other hopefuls but was stripped of her title

The mother-of-one, pictured in an image shared on her Instagram, was criticised by some who accused her of being 'dumb' for failing to understand the rules

She wrote: 'Friends, I have never been a blogger, but we already have more than 10,000. Thank you for your sincere support at such a difficult time for me! You are FANTASTIC.'

However she has faced harsh criticism from some followers who accused her of being 'dumb' for failing to understand the rules.

One wrote: 'There are so many pageants, she could confuse a Miss contest with a Mrs one.' Another added: 'What a silly thing to do'.

Miss Didusenko, pictured in an Instagram selfie, could have faced paying a substantial amount to the contest to cover the costs of electing a new beauty queen

In a statement released yesterday, pictured, Miss Ukraine officials explained Miss Didusenko had broken the rules and was ineligible to compete

It is unclear who will take Miss Didusenko's place but event organisers suggested it might not automatically be passed to the runner-up.

The Miss Ukraine pageant said it has the right to ask Miss Didusenko to cover the costs related to electing a new winner but that it would not.

In 2013 Miss Great Britain announced it had abolished rules banning women who were mothers or had been married from competing.

It said at the time: 'Being a wife or mother has no bearing on career minded women in the 21st century so we strongly believe that a woman that is or has been married or has children can be a strong positive role model for others.'The family of the high-flying This Morning producer left brain damaged after eating nuts have described learning of the fate of a teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to a Pret baguette as 'horrendous'.

Amy May Shead, 30, was with friends in Budapest in 2014 when she took just one mouthful of a chicken and rice dish that contained nuts and suffered a near-fatal anaphylactic reaction.

Two doses of her EpiPen failed to contain the reaction and emergency services were called, but Amy had been starved of oxygen for nearly six minutes and was left in a coma with severe brain damage.

It emerged this week that Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, died in July 2016 after suffering allergic reaction to a Pret A Manger baguette, which contained sesame despite it not appearing on the ingredients list.

Speaking on This Morning, Ms Shead's aunt Julie Martin and her cousin Tom said when they heard about Natasha's death they had the 'same feeling' as when Amy was suffered her injury, calling it 'horrendous' that something like that has happened again.

The family of Amy May Shead, 30, appeared on This Morning today to discuss the news that a teenager died after eating a Pret A Manger baguette that didn't make it clear that it contained sesame, which she was allergic to. Amy was left brain damaged after a chicken and rice dish that she didn't know contained nuts. Pictured left to right: Amy's aunt Julie Martin, Amy and her cousin Tom

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, (pictured) who was allergic to sesame, died after eating a Pret baguette that didn't list it as an ingredient in 2016

Amy and her family appeared on This Morning via video link from Essex where they were asked by Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield about the news.

Natasha fell ill within three minutes of consuming the baguette she bought at Pret's Heathrow Terminal 5 branch, which she believed was safe to eat because sesame was not listed on the packaging.

The teenager, who was flying with BA to Nice with her father and a friend, later suffered a cardiac arrest on board and died in a French hospital. The inquest into her death began this week.

Tom, who helps run The Amy May Trust on his cousin's behalf, said: 'We never want to see this happen to anyone and when we do hear it's happened its just horrendous.

Amy's family said when they heard about Natasha's death they had the 'same feeling' as when Amy died. Pictured: Amy before the incident (left and right)

Natasha died of a severe allergic reaction after she bought the artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette from a shop at Heathrow Terminal 5 but was feeling ill within minutes

Pret didn't have to list sesame on sandwich ingredients because it was made in store Pret, one of the country's biggest food chains, did not have to list sesame seeds as an ingredient in the 3.45 sandwich. Pret products do not have to be individually labelled with allergen or ingredient information. This is because Pret sandwiches are freshly prepared in store. The loophole is supposed to free small, independent sandwich shops and cafe chains from onerous regulations applied to factory packaged foods. Instead, signs on shelves and by tills in Pret stores tell customers with allergies to speak to a manager who is trained to give allergen advice. Before hearing of the case, Pret had started to improve the allergen information it offers customers, but the inquest will explore whether more should be done. Pret's website now carries a list of allergens in its food and drinks, including highlighting sesame in the artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette. Advertisement

'We go through the same feeling we went through in 2014. To think another family and all the ripples they are going to go through its a horrendous feeling.'

Pret products do not have to be individually labelled with allergen or ingredient information. This is because Pret sandwiches are freshly prepared in store.

Before hearing of the case, Pret had started to improve the allergen information it offers customers, but the inquest will explore whether more should be done.

Pret's website now carries a list of allergens in its food and drinks, including highlighting sesame in the artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette.

Amy's family are now campaigning for nuts to be banned from all flights as they fight for package labeling regulations to be tightened so they list every kind of allergen.

Ms Martin said: 'The ripples extend huge after a tragedy like this. I have to send heartfelt condolences to Natashas parents and her brother because they are going through absolute hell at the moment.

'It should have been avoidable, it shouldnt have happened.'

In 2014 Amy had told the restaurant that she couldn't have anything with nuts and the chef had also been informed of the allergy, unfortunately just one mouthful of the chicken and rice dish she had selected, led to the catastrophic reaction.

Amy (back row, centre) was an online producer for This Morning before she had a devastating reaction to nuts

Amy was on holiday in Budapest when she ate just one mouthful of a chicken and rice dish at a restaurant that the chef had assured her was nut-free. She was left in a coma and is now severely brain damaged

Natasha (pictured) suffered a cardiac arrest on board and died in a French hospital

Amy administered two shots of her EpiPen - an epinephrine autoinjector - used in an emergency to treat an anaphylactic reaction.

It failed to counteract the allergy and it took half an hour for the medics to bring her back round.

Amy was placed on life-support when she arrived at the hospital in Budapest and her parents were told she only had a thirty per cent chance of staying alive and would probably not survive the week.

She spent 19 days in the hospital and after she was stabilised she was then flown home and treated at St Thomas' hospital, London.

Amy spent a further 11 months there before being transferred to Putney Neurological Hospital for nearly a year.

Since the incident, Amy's parents have had to sell their home to fund the costs of the hospital treatment she needs as the insurance didn't cover their daughter's condition.

The baguette she bought at Pret's Heathrow Terminal 5 branch did not have sesame listed on the ingredients, her family say

Amy requires intensive physiotherapy and receives speech and language therapy, which is entirely funded by the trust which also covers the costs of her specialist transport and any other medical needs.

A spokesman for Pret said: 'We were deeply saddened to hear about Natasha's tragic death and our heartfelt thoughts are with her family.

'We take food allergies and how allergen information is provided extremely seriously. We will continue to do all that we can to assist the inquest.'John Lewis has cause to celebrate after a coat from its new flagship womenswear range sold out in just three weeks.

The department store, which earlier this month recorded a 99 per cent fall in half-year profits, launched its John Lewis & Partners AW18 collection in early September as part of a major revamp amid 'challenging' high street sales.

And in data shared exclusively with MailOnline, the iconic British brand reports that the 300-piece range has been 'flying off shelves' with the coats in particular proving popular.

The John Lewis & Partners double-faced collar coat comes in three colours - sky blue, camel and raspberry pink - all of which have all sold out after less than a month.

Fashion influencer Erica Davies models the 199 John Lewis & Partners double-faced collar coat in raspberry pink. Part of the department store's new flagship womenswear collection, it has since sold out in all sizes and colours

The coat's success is undoubtedly due in part to the store's decision to work alongside high-profile social media influencers including Rosie Londoner, Erica Davies, Alexis Foreman and Megan Taylor.

Currently sold out in every size, the coats are being re-stocked in October so desperate shoppers can choose the 'email me when available' option and be the first to know when they are back in stock.

The newly-unveiled eponymous collection - dubbed its 'biggest and best yet' - emphasises 'riotous colours and easy silhouettes'.

Iain Ewin, partner and head of design for womenswear and accessories, said: 'We want to empower women to be individual, to be unique and find their own style.'

The John Lewis & Partners double-faced collar coat in camel as modelled by high-profile blogger Rosie Londoner. Currently sold out in every size, the coats are being re-stocked in October

Megan Taylor models the double-faced collar coat in raspberry pink. John Lewis' newly-unveiled eponymous womenswear collection has been dubbed its 'biggest and best yet'

Instagrammer Alexis Foreman models the sold-our coat in camel. Desperate shoppers can choose the 'email me when available' option and be the first to know when they are back in stock next month

The John Lewis & Partners double-faced collar coat comes in three colours (L-R) sky blue, camel and raspberry pink - all of which have all sold out after less than a month

The launch came just weeks after the retail giant reported profits had fallen to 1.2 million for the six months to July 28 as its chairman blamed a 'challenging time for retail' which had been 'created in part by Brexit'.

Speaking to the Mail earlier this month about its new branding and development strategies - they plan to create a 500m own-brand business across men's women's and children's clothing - fashion buying director Christine Kasoulis said: Were not standing still.

'Were evolving and capitalising on elements that have always been strengths for John Lewis. Our strategy within fashion is a key part of reinventing the department store.

People will always want to buy clothes and shop in a physical space with human interaction  I really believe that.As the summer has come to a close many of us will be getting stuck back into the books - but there is something hidden among these tomes.

A new frustrating new puzzle is challenging the web to spot the pencil hidden somewhere among these colourful novels.

With the busy image, commissioned by Exam Papers Plus, made up of a minimal colour palette, the minuscule pencil almost impossible to spot.

The record time for finding the hidden item is just 19 seconds according to its creators - so can you spot it any quicker?

Scroll down for solution

An infuriating new brainteaser is challenging puzzle fans to spot the pencil hidden somewhere in this pile of books

For those in need of a hint the pencil is the same shade of green as the books in the illustration.

And eagle eyed players should be able to spot it towards the centre, right of the image.

This is just the latest in a long line of brainteasers to leave the web baffled.

Last week a challenging puzzle asked netizens to find seven buffalos hidden in a photo of London's skyline.

They are spread throughout the image and you'll have to use your eagle-eyed observation skills to find each buffalo wandering among some of the capital's most recognisable landmarks, including Big Ben and Tower Bridge.

Eagle eyed players should be able to spot the pencil in the centre right of the image - the current record for finding it is 19 seconds

According to the puzzle's creator it takes around 30 seconds to find the elusive buffalos, but can you do better?

The puzzle was created by design agency Buffalo 7 to mark the opening of its new branch in Soho.

But you don't need to worry if you're stuck - here are a few clues that can help you in your search for the elusive buffalo.

For those who don't want any help, look away now!

Clues: Phone box. Cab. Queens Guard. Eye. Bridge. Palace. Bus.

PowerPoint and design agency Buffalo 7 is opening a new branch in Soho, London. To mark the new branch, the company has designed this tricky puzzle where you have to track down seven buffalo hidden in the drawing of London

Here are the answers to wear the buffalo were hidden. Did you manage to track all seven down? How long did it take you? Buffalo 7 said it took their staff on average 30 seconds

Another recent puzzle to bamboozle the internet could leave you with double vision, as it challenges you to spot a tutu among a sea of watermelons.

The tough animation by UK site Dancewear Central shows up to 300 slices of the fruit against a similarly coloured background.

Throwing a spanner in the works, a tutu nestles among the fruit fest- but is nearly impossible to spot...but can you find it?

A puzzle by UK site Dancewear Central is bamboozling the internet and could leave you with double vision, as it challenges you to spot a tutu among a whole sea of watermelons

Uploading the puzzle to their page, the dance website wrote: 'We love a good puzzle and its been a little while since we created one of our own. So weve put together this quick brain-teaser for a weekday morning.

'Hidden in the sea of watermelons in the photo below (theres a sentence we never thought wed write) is a tutu skirt.'

They added: 'Speed is everything. The fastest in the team at Dancewear Central HQ picked it out in an impressive 8 seconds.'

For those unable to find the hidden skirt in this tricky puzzle, the visual above shows the tutu circled in an almost undetectable position (seen)

And the visual below shows the tutu circled in an almost undetectable position.

Last month a similarly infuriating puzzle challenged users to spot a pair of twins on a busy beach.

In a scene familiar to thousands of parents who took their kids to the seaside over the heatwave, dozens of children are seen frolicking in the surf.

The animation sees up to 40 kids playing in the sand, framed by palm trees and seen against a backdrop of mountains and sea.

Last month a puzzle by UK parenting site Channel Mum is bamboozling the internet and could leave you with double vision, as it challenged users to spot a pair of twins on a busy beach

The puzzle was concocted by parenting experts ChannelMum.com, whose spokesman, Siobhan Freegard, said: 'Every parent will know what it's like to look at a sea of other kids and wonder exactly where their child is.

'And for those with twins, it's double trouble  which is exactly the case in this fiendish puzzle.

'One clue we can offer is that although the twins are indeed identical, they don't look exactly alike  you'll see why when you spot them.'

The website, described as a community for parents, is popular among young families looking for support and advice on parenting.Advertisement

The Duchess of Sussex was barely able to contain her giggles as she took part in a traditional Maori greeting during her first solo engagement on Tuesday.

While being introduced to a Maori guest at the opening of 'Oceania' at the Royal Academy of Arts Meghan, 37, did a 'hongi', the traditional Maori greeting of touching noses and foreheads.

Meghan performed a hongi with several of her hosts, including New Zealand's high commissioner Sir Jerry Mateparae and his wife Janine.

Just before she left, she did the same again with performers from Ngati Ranana, the London Maori Club, who had entertained the royal party with a waiata or song.

It was not, however, her first hongi. That came in April this year when she and Harry attended a dawn service on Anzac Day in London to commemorate Australian and New Zealand war dead.

Meghan enlisted the designer behind her wedding dress, Givenchy as she attended the opening of the exhibit, without her husband Prince Harry in tow.

The French fashion brand, of which the royal wedding dress designer Clare Waight Keller is artistic director, has proved to be a firm favourite in the royal wardrobe.

While being introduced to a Maori guest at the opening of 'Oceania' at the Royal Academy of Arts Meghan, 37, did a 'hongi' a traditional greeting of touching their nose and forehead

And while her companion was able to keep a straight face throughout their exchange Meghan appeared tickled by the unusual meeting

The Duchess of Sussex stunned in all black as she attended the launch of 'Oceania' at the Royal Academy of Arts as part of her first solo engagement on Tuesday

The elegant black dress worn this evening, costing 2,510, featured sheer sleeves as well as velvet panel around the neckline.

She could be seen carrying a small black box clutch, 1,390- also by Givenchy as she made her way into the Royal Academy.

The former actress showcased her flawless figure with a waist cinching belt and showed a flash of leg with a thigh high split.

Meghan also relied on an old favourite when it came to her shoes, opting for a pair of Aquazzura stilettos, 490, which she has worn on several previous engagements.

The confident royal revisited the straighter hair style that she debuted during her engagement at Loughborough University with Prince Harry on Monday.

While given a tour of the exhibit Meghan viewed many of the 200 artefacts on show at the exhibition and told New Zealand video artist Lisa Reihani 'It's so special. It's spectacular.'

The Duchess said it was a perfect introduction to the region she and Harry will be visiting next month.

'It's a great introduction to the sights and sounds of that part of the world,' she added.

Many of the guests at this evening's opening were dressed in traditional costume, much to the delight of the Duchess

The delighted Duchess was presented with a bouquet of autumnal blooms as she made her way into the museum

Meghan showcased her new straighter hairdo that she was seen wearing during her visit to Loughborough university on Monday for this evening's event

Meghan was joined in the back of her car by personal assistant and 'Girl Friday' Amy Pickerill who was on hand to offer her support throughout the evening

The fitted black dress complete with sheer sleeves and velvet panels is by the brand behind Meghan's wedding dress, Givenchy

The Duchess showcased her flawless figure with a waist cinching belt and carried a simple clutch bag also by the French designer

Upon entering the exhibition Meghan was shown to a hand carved grand piano in fluorescent pink by one of the museum staff

Curators at the museum were keen to show the royal some of the impressive pieces on display, including this headdress

The Duchess paused to examine a selection of the tribal jewellery on display at Oceania at the Royal Academy of Arts

Meghan was delighted as she was presented with her posy by a young schoolgirl, who had anxiously awaited her arrival

Earlier, when Meghan first arrived she practised her hongi when she was shown a large artwork by four female New Zealand women - a blue tarpaulin woven into a large cloth that symbolised a rising wave.

Some of the group, called the Mata Aho Collective, greeted Meghan with the traditional Maori greeting.

Artist Sarah Hudson said: 'We thought it might be a nice bit of practice before she comes to the Pacific next month and it's nice to be able to practise something that's customary for us.

'She's honouring our heritage and it's so humbling.'

The artefacts include some plundered from island tribes in the colonial era which are now part of Western museum collections.

But Meghan was steered clear of the one item on show that remains disputed: a Solomon Island feast trough in the shape of a crocodile. The academy has labelled it with the admission that it was 'forcibly seized' in a violent punitive raid by HMS Royalist in 1891.

Inside the academy's Gallery III the Duchess joined some of the 800 guests, including artists and those loaning the exhibits, invited to attend a private function tonight/last night celebrating their involvement in the project.

Carmel Sepuloni, New Zealand's associate minister of arts, culture and heritage, told them: 'What a great honour it is to have Her Royal Highness to attend this event as her first solo duty as a member of the Royal Family.

Despite this being the first time that Meghan has attended an engagement alone, the royal showed no nerves as she greeted officials outside the academy on Tuesday evening.

Meghan flashed a little leg this evening with her Givenchy dress featuring a thigh high split up the front

The Duchess had nothing but praise for the exhibit which she described as 'special and spectacular'

The Duchess made the short journey to the exhibit from her home at Kensington Palace and looked eager to explore the museum as she stepped from the car

Meghan could be seen thanking Sir Kenneth Olisa as she left the exhibit with a warm handshake and a smile

The former actress received as much applause on her departure as her arrival from well-wishers who had stuck around to see her leave

She added a touch of bling to her outfit in the form of some dazzling diamond earrings by Maison Birks

The smiling Duchess then turned to the crowds, flashing a smile and a wave to the well-wishers who had gathered in anticipation of her arrival.

By co-incidence, Meghan's appearance last night came a year to the day that she first went public with her then boyfriend, Prince Harry, when they appeared at the Invictus Games in Canada Together.

It was an early solo debut with the Firm for the former actress. Her sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge carried out her first solo engagement , standing in for Prince Charles at a private fundraising dinner, in October 2011, almost six months after her wedding day.

Meghan, who married on May 19, is a much more experienced performer on the world stage than Kate was at this point in her marriage.

Until now the newest royal has always stepped out on official engagements with her husband or another member of the Royal Family  including the Queen  by her side.

But her training as an actress, not to mention her sense of style and confidence, has already earned her plaudits.

The newly minted royal appeared to be in good spirits as she made her way out of the museum following her tour of the exhibit

The smiling Duchess turned to the crowds, flashing a smile and a wave to the well-wishers who had gathered in anticipation of her arriva

Meghan also relied on an old favourite when it came to her shoes, rewearing a pair of Aquazzura stilettos that she has relied on for several engagements

The Duchess of Sussex was welcomed at the Royal Academy of Arts event by Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London Sir Kenneth Olisa

Tonight will see Meghan introduced to 'Oceania' - the first ever major survey of Oceanic art to be held in the United Kingdom.

The exhibition will celebrate the art of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, encompassing the vast Pacific region including New Guinea, Easter Island, Hawaii and New Zealand.

'Oceania' will bring together around 200 works from public collections worldwide, spanning over 500 years.

The exhibit also marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy, which was founded in 1768  the same year Captain James Cook set out on his first Endeavour expedition.

The Duchess of Cambridge carried out her first solo engagement, standing in for the Prince of Wales at a private fundraising dinner at Clarence House in London, in October 2011, almost six months after her wedding day

Tonight will see Meghan introduced to 'Oceania' - the first ever major survey of Oceanic art to be held in the United Kingdom

The 490 Aquazzura stilettos have proven to be a firm favourite for Meghan who was seen wearing them in Dublin in July (left) and at the Queen's Young Leaders Awards Ceremony in June (right)

The exhibition will be organised around three main themes. Voyaging will look at life on the water as revealed through the stories of indigenous navigation. Place-making will explore the settlement of communities and Encounter will focus on trade and exchange in Pacific cultures.

During the visit, The Duchess will receive a tour of 'Oceania', spending time viewing exhibits from different regions including New Zealand, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga and Australia, which she and The Duke of Sussex will visit in October.

Her Royal Highness will also meet the exhibition's curators and artists as well as descendants linked to the works displayed and view a short performance of Ngati Ranana, a Maori cultural group.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's programme during their official visit to Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and New Zealand next month will focus on youth leadership, environmental and conservation efforts.

'Oceania' will run at the Royal Academy of Arts from 29th September  10th December 2018.An online retailer has come under fire for selling seductive Native-American-inspired costumes  just days after being slammed for offering a sexy outfit inspired by The Handmaid's Tale.

One of the outfits, labeled 'Native American seductress', includes a mini dress and matching boots with fringe and retails for $64.95. A similar design, labeled 'Native American sweetheart', consists of a midriff-bearing crop top and mini skirt and is for sale at $79.95.

Twitter users took to the platform to bash Yandy for the 'racist and disgusting' costumes and ask the retailer to remove them from its shop like it previously did with its Handmaid's-Tale-inspired costume.

Backlash: Retailer Yandy has come under fire for selling Native-American-inspired costumes

Outfits: The costume pictured left is called a 'Cherokee-inspired hottie costume' on Yandy's website. Pictured right is a 'foxy Native American duo costume'

'I will say it, in all my lush, creamy whiteness: @Yandy, you should take down your disgusting "Indian" and "Mexican" costumes,' writer Talia Lavin tweeted. 'They're racist and disgusting. Don't respect a fictional dystopia more than real people of color; you're gross.'

She added in another tweet: 'Your Handmaid's Tale costume was misguided but kind of funny honestly. This Native American section erases genocide and rape and theft and turns it into... some sort of panty party?? DISGUSTING. @Yandy you're filth if you don't fix this.'

'@Yandy please stop selling faux Native American costumes, it is wrong!' another person tweeted.

One Twitter user addressed the retailer as such: 'Good morning @Yandy! Have you considered removing your "sexy Native American / Indian" costumes yet? Reminder: costumes like these lead to the objectification of and assault of First Nations women. I'm sure you have heard of the #CancelYandy movement? Time to reconsider.'

Names: Yandy calls the outfit on the left a 'deluxe Native American cutie costume', while the one on the right is labeled a 'deluxe Native warrior costume'

Campaign: Twitter users have urged Yandy to remove the Native-American-inspired costumes from its shop

'You're gross!' Writer Talia Lavin asked Yandy to remove the costumes just like it did last week after being criticized for selling an outfit inspired by The Handmaid's Tale

#CancelYandy is a hashtag created and used by several Twitter users as part of the push for Yandy to remove the costumes from its platform.

Some people also called out the retailer for selling 'gypsy'-inspired costumes and by the Mexican Day of the Dead holiday.

'@Yandy take down the racist native american and g*psy (that's a racial slur, the correct word is Romani) costumes. Cultures aren't costumes and you guys should be ashamed of yourselves,' one person tweeted.

This isn't the first time Yandy has come under fire for selling Native-American-inspired costumes. Last year, the company, which is based in Phoenix, Arizona, told Cosmopolitan that the sexy Native American line earns it the most backlash  and that those costumes generated $150,000 in revenue in 2016.

One particular outfit called the 'Indian Sweetheart Costume', which at that time had been for sale for three years, was one of Yandy's top 10 most popular outfits and sold thousands of units every season, designer Pilar Quintana told the magazine.

Just last week, Yandy earned such backlash for its sexy handmaid garb, an outfit women forced into surrogacy wear in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, that it ended up pulling it from its shop.

Yandy, which urges its customers to own their sexy, debuted its 'brave red maiden costume' earlier this month. The description of the item read: 'An upsetting dystopian future has emerged where women no longer have a say. However, we say be bold and speak your mind in this exclusive Brave Red Maiden costume.'

Tone-deaf: Some people also called out the retailer for selling 'gypsy'-inspired costumes

Feedback: Others asked Yandy to stop selling costumes inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead holiday

TWITTER USERS SLAM YANDY'S 'DISGUSTING' COSTUMES Advertisement

The model on the site was seen wearing a long red cloak over a very short mini-dress paired with black heels, fishnet stockings and a white bonnet headpiece. The costume retailed for $64.95.

In the Hulu series, based on Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel, women are stripped of their rights as they are assigned various new roles by the men who govern them. A group of women, known as the Handmaids, are forced to have sex with their Commanders to have children for infertile women.

The women who are forced to be Handmaids are women who have committed gender and religious crimes, such as lesbianism and adultery. Elisabeth Moss' character Offred is one of the Handmaids.

The garb has since become a feminist symbol of protest against women's oppression around the world, and social media users were strongly displeased that Yandy decided to sexualize the outfit.

'This image represents the fact that at some point it all boils down to the sexualization of women. Someone somewhere actually sat down and thought: "Let's take the slaves of #HandmaidsTale and make them sexy!"', Twitter user Tammy D. Phillips wrote.

Another user who goes by the name SJM commented: 'How perverted can #men possibly be??? How can anyone be aroused by a #rape victim costume?? #RapeFantasy #HandsmaidTale."

Removed: Yandy was selling a sexy Handmaid's Tale costume, but pulled it after backlash

Inspiration: The costume was a rendition of the outfit Elisabeth Moss (pictured) wears in Hulu's Handmaid's Tale about the oppression of women

Message: Following the backlash, Yandy apologized and removed the costume from its site

Some called the costume 'tone-deaf'.

'How tone-deaf does one have to be to think this makes any sense? Have you... watched/read Handmaids Tale? Did you miss the point of it,' Twitter user Chris Evans posted.

The retailer later removed the costume and issued a statement reading: 'Yandy always has stood, and will continue to stand, at the forefront of encouraging our customers to "Own Your Sexy". We support our customers being comfortable in their skin, regardless of who they are or what they choose to wear. Our corporate ideology is rooted in female empowerment, and gender empowerment overall.

'Over the last few hours, it has become obvious that our "Yandy Brave Red Maiden Costume" is being seen as a symbol of women's oppression, rather than an expression of women's empowerment. This is unfortunate.'

The company went on to say that they were inspired to create the costume after seeing it used as 'a powerful protest image'.

'Given the sincere, heartfelt response, supported by numerous personal stories we've received, we are removing the costume from our site,' Yandy wrote.She is most often seen dressed to the nines at the world's most glamorous parties.

So it is of little surprise Lady Kitty Spencer was able to keep a low profile in sunglasses and exercise gear as she popped to the gym in London on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old model was seen heading for a workout as she returned to her daily routine following a glittering turn on the Dolce & Gabanna catwalk at Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

From runway to reality! Model and society beauty Lady Kitty Spencer kept low profile in sunglasses and exercise gear as she popped to the gym in London on Tuesday, pictured

Off-duty beauty: The model wore her blonde locks in soft loose waves and donned a pair of black shades to stay under the radar as she headed for her workout on Tuesday

Lady Kitty swapped her perfectly coiffed runway updo for natural loose blonde waves and donned a pair of oversized black sunglasses to stay under the radar.

The society beauty, who is Princess Diana's niece, was seen texting on her iPhone as she strolled down the street.

She looked ready to sweat in a pair of black three-quarter length leggings emblazoned with 'New York' and a flattering ice blue vest top.

Lady Kitty wrapped up against the autumn chill with a black zip-up lightweight jacket and finished the look with baby pink Nike trainers.

Full-on glamour: The off-duty look was a far cry from the extravagant look she wore on the Dolce & Gabbana catwalk at Milan Fashion Week on Monday night, pictured

The fitness fan had a Lulu Lemon shopping bag slung over one shoulder and a classic red patent leather handbag over the other.

The off-duty look was a far cry from the extravagant look she wore to join actresses Monica Bellucci and Isabella Rossellini, plus-size model Ashley Graham, and her close friend Emma Weymouth on the Dolce & Gabbana catwalk.

She dazzled a star-studded front row as she strutted her stuff in a striking geometric print dress with oversized sleeves and religious motifs.

Social media star: Lady Kitty shared some behind-the-scenes snaps after she walked the runway for iconic Italian label D&G at Milan Fashion Week on Sunday. Pictured before the show

Famous friends: The 27-year-old model said she was delighted to meet Stevie Wonder at the show, pictured, and later shared the snap on Instagram

All-star cast: She then posed alongside a slew of supermodels after the show. L-R Kitty seen with models Karen Elson, 39, Isabella Rosselini, 66, Helena Christensen, 49, Eva Herzigova, 45

Despite the statement garment in true D&G style Kitty was laden with colourful accessories including sandals and a handbag adorned with pompoms and a pair of tasseled earrings.

Her famous blonde locks were swept up into a low chignon and fastened with oversize hair pieces and her look was finished with a strong red lip.

Kitty, who has acted as a muse for the Italian design duo, was an obvious choice to showcase the new collection of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

Lady Kitty is Charles Spencer's eldest child from his first marriage to Victoria.President Donald Trump's children reunited in New York on Tuesday to watch him address the United Nations General Assembly for the second time since taking office.

Ivanka Trump, 36, Eric Trump, 34, and Tiffany Trump, 24, were seen sitting together at the United Nations Headquarters during their father's speech, but their older brother, Donald Trump Jr., 40, was noticeably absent.

The three siblings, who were also missing their 12-year-old brother, Barron Trump, sat together, while First Lady Melania Trump was in the front row to watch her husband address his fellow world leaders.

Family: President Trump's children Eric, Tiffany, and Ivanka (center) reunited in New York City on Tuesday. Eric and Ivanka were joined by their spouses Lara (left) and Jared (right)

Support: The siblings were seen sitting together at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during President Donald Trump's speech

Style: Ivanka, 36, donned a $3,090 skirt suit by Altuzarra for the high-profile event

Ivanka and Eric were joined by their respective spouses Jared Kushner and Lara Trump, who were seated next to them in the aisle.

The Trump children were all dressed to impress, especially Ivanka, who donned a $2,195 floral-checked wool-blend blazer and a matching $895 pencil skirt with a front slit by Altuzarra.

To match the black buttons on her gray skirt suit, Ivanka wore a pair of classic black pumps. Her long blonde hair was side parted and styled in loose waves for the event.

Ivanka's sister-in-law Lara, 35, wore a blue wrap top, a gray pencil skirt, and cream heels, while Tiffany opted to wear pants.

Trump's youngest daughter, who is his only child with his second ex-wife, Marla Maples, sported a light yellow blazer over a black top and skinny pants, which were cinched with a thick belt.

She topped off the outfit with a pair of patent leather nude heels, and her long blonde hair was straightened and worn loose around her shoulders.

Dressed to impress: Tiffany, 24, sported a light yellow blazer over a black top and skinny pants

Nervous? Ivanka bit her nail while waiting for her father to begin his address

Business casual: Lara, 35, wore a blue wrap top, a gray pencil skirt, while Eric, 34, donned a dark suit and purple tie

Missing out: Their older brother, Donald Trump Jr., 40, and their younger brother, Barron, 12, were absent from the event

All ears: First Lady Melania Trump sat in the front row during the speech

Support: Donald Jr. (right) was in North Dakota with his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle (second from left), to campaign for Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer (center), who's running for senate

Unsurprisingly, Eric and Jared, 37, stuck with their typical work outfits and donned dark suits and ties for the occasion.

As senior advisers to the president, Ivanka and Jared currently live in Washington, D.C. with their three children, but they have been spending the week in their Park Avenue apartment while in New York.

Like Ivanka, Tiffany is currently living in Washington, D.C. while attending her second year of law school at Georgetown University. Eric and Lara, however, live in Manhattan with their one-year-old son, Luke.

While they were in New York together, Donald Jr. was in North Dakota with his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle.

The president's eldest son was campaigning for Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer, who is looking to oust Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in the midterm election. He was also there to give a boost to Republican Kelly Armstrong, who is running for the state's House seat.

Eric took to Twitter before their father's speech to share a photo of himself posed with his wife, sisters, and brother-in-law, writing: 'United Nations Time #USA.'

Waiting game: Ivanka was seen chatting with her younger sister while her husband looked on

Not his intention: Trump 's opening remarks at the United Nations today drew laughter from world leaders bracing for a braggadocios address

Focus: Trump pushed the theme of 'patriotism, prosperity and pride,' telling fellow leaders, 'Let us choose peace, and freedom over domination and defeat'

Dreary: Ivanka and Jared were seen battling the rainy New York City weather as they left their Park Avenue apartment Tuesday morning

Making the best of it: Ivanka had a bright smile on her face as she stepped outside holding a black leather handbag while her husband walked close behind her

The siblings later watched as their father's opening remarks about his administration's success drew laughter from world leaders.

In the speech that was written for him, Trump claimed that 'in less than two years my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.'

As if reading the speech for the first time, he chimed in with a, 'so true,' leading to laughter from international leaders.

'Didn't expect that reaction but that's okay,' he said with a smile, before moving on to the extraordinary progress he claimed he has overseen in the U.S.

He proceeded to tout low U.S. unemployment before continuing with the rest of his address, a hardline defense of the U.S. right to act on its own without bowing to global rules.

Addressing world leaders at the start of the annual United Nations General Assembly, Trump lashed out at the OPEC oil cartel, China's trade policies, and the International Criminal Court, which he vowed the United States would never accept.

Hours before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani takes the same rostrum, Trump denounced the clerical regime as sowing 'chaos, death and destruction' and doubled down on the U.S. withdrawal of an international agreement on curbing Tehran's nuclear program.

Hands free: The two huddled under an umbrella that was held by one of their building's doormen

Chivalry: Jared ended up getting into the vehicle first, likely saving Ivanka from having to slide across the seat

Heading out: Ivanka waited under the umbrella while Jared got into the SUV. Despite the rain, she kept her legs bare and sported black pumps

Feeling chipper: Ivanka gave a wave when she returned to her apartment building after her father's speech at the UN

Feeling good: Ivanka had a bright smile on her face as she made her way into her apartment building. She and her family have spent the week in New York City so far

Back home: Later in the day, Jared was seen chatting on his cellphone when he returned to his New York apartment

But the real estate mogul turned populist leader was comparatively subdued a year after he stunned the global body with his bellicose language on North Korea, including a threat to 'totally destroy' Kim Jong Un's state.

This time around, Trump heralded his own diplomacy on North Korea including a historic summit in June with Kim, saying he has worked to 'replace the specter of conflict with a bold and new push for peace.'

The weather in the Big Apple was dreary on Tuesday, and earlier in the day, Ivanka and Jared were seen huddling under an umbrella held by one of their building's doormen as they made their way to the SUV waiting outside for them.

Ivanka had a bright smile on her face as she stepped outside holding a black leather handbag while her husband walked close behind her.

Jared ended up getting into the vehicle first, likely saving Ivanka from having to slide across the seat.

After her father's speech, Ivanka was seen returning to her apartment by herself, and the first daughter appeared to be in good spirits.

She flashed another megawatt smile and gave a wave as she made her way into the building.

Later in the day, Jared arrived back at their apartment. He was on his cellphone and huddled under an umbrella held by a different doorman from earlier in the day.Meghan Markle fans are already whipping up dishes from the charity cookbook she launched to support families affected by the Grenfell Tower inferno.

The Duchess of Sussex has inspired a wave of home cooks to try their hand at some of the recipes, and they've been sharing snaps of their efforts on Instagram using the hashtag #CookTogether, inspired by the book.

Together: Our Community Cookbook, which was produced by cooks from the Hubb Community Kitchen based near the site of the tower in West London, and features a foreword written by Meghan, hit shops on Thursday.

And already pictures of her admirers' attempts at the coconut chicken curry, or the avocado dip Meghan says has quickly become a personal favourite for her and Harry, are cropping up on social media.

Meghan Markle wrote the foreword to Together: Our Community Cookbook, a charity recipe book that will raise money for the Hubb Community Kitchen, pictured, that is based near Grenfell Tower in west London

This weekend her fans have been trying their hand at some of the recipes, which come from communities across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean. Pictured: Dee Burke tried the coconut curry and encouraged others to 'buy the book and support the #Grenfell women'

Before launching the cookbook, the Duchess of Sussex made several secret trips to the Al Manaar cultural centre. She helped out in the kitchen there and said she 'immediately felt connected' to the community. Pictured: Susane Barsby created this cake from the book

Several home chefs have attempted the simple chocolate cake, while one particularly ambitious blogger whipped up 10 different dishes from the cookbook over the weekend - including spiced potato kibbeh and kofta kebabs.

Susane Barbsy wrote: 'Together is a lovely book written by, and with proceeds going to, a community kitchen of women in Grenfell.

'Today we made our first recipe from it. E dropped an egg on the floor, I set the oven glove alight and put the dirty measuring spoons in Simon's tea but the cake is lovely.'

Another user wrote: 'After reading an article on the Duchess of Sussex and her involvement with the Hubb Community Kitchen, I was able to get my hands on a copy of the recipe for Aysha Boras Kuku Paka Coconut Chicken Curry from their new cookbook, Together: Our Community Cookbook

'It looked delicious in the article and its freakin amazing in person.'

Food blogger Gemma said: 'Spent the day making recipes from Together: Our Community Cookbook!'

Last week at the launch of the cookbook, Meghan described it as a 'labour of love'. It is her first solo project as a member of the Royal Family. Pictured: Food blogger Food Fash Fit created several dishes including hummus and koftas

In the foreword for the book, Meghan said: Melding cultural identities under a shared roof, it creates a space to feel a sense of normalcy - in its simplest form, the universal need to connect, nurture, and commune through food, through crisis or joy - something we can all relate to...' Pictured: Coconut chicken curry

Jason & Joe's kitchen therapy tried Sanna Mirza's Persian lamb and herb stew from the cookbook

For her first solo project as a member of the Royal Family, Meghan made several secret trips to the kitchen of the Al Manaar cultural centre after an initial visit in January.

On her visits to the Hubb Community Kitchen, the Duchess donned an apron and helped cook meals using the women's personal recipes from across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.

In the foreword, Meghan said: 'I immediately felt connected to this community kitchen; it is a place for women to laugh, grieve, cry and cook together.

'Melding cultural identities under a shared roof, it creates a space to feel a sense of normalcy - in its simplest form, the universal need to connect, nurture, and commune through food, through crisis or joy - something we can all relate to...

'Through this charitable endeavour, the proceeds will allow the kitchen to thrive and keep the global spirit of community alive.'

Now her self-described 'labour of love' has come to fruition and the proceeds of the book will support the kitchen as well as related projects helping those affected by the blaze which killed 72 on June 14 last year.

Lauren Parkinson baked the simple chocolate cake from the book which helps those affected by the blaze which killed 72 on June 14 last yearJohn P. OConnell is the coastal and marine resources Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent for Brazoria County. His column appears every fourth Tuesday on the Community page. Contact him at 979-864-1558 or john.oconnell@ag.tamu.edu .The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Ebola outbreak is set to spread even further within the next few weeks, an official warns.

Dr Peter Salama, emergency response chief at the World Health Organization (WHO), fears the combination of rebel violence and pre-election unrest is creating a 'perfect storm' for an even worse epidemic.

Armed opposition attacks in North Kivu province, which has been hit by the outbreak, have risen in recent weeks.

Refugee workers have even been forced to evacuate the town of Beni, where the outbreak started, due to a deadly raid that left more than a dozen locals dead.

Fears and misconceptions about the virus are also being exploited by politicians ahead of the DRC's December election, which is causing the public to lose faith in health workers, according to Dr Salama.

At least 142 people have been infected with Ebola in the outbreak around the North Kivu region in the north-east of Democratic Republic of the Congo since it was declared on August 1  the city of Beni has been the centre of the current outbreak

'We are now extremely concerned that several factors may be coming together over the next weeks to months to create a perfect storm,' Dr Salama said.

'The response at this stage is at a critical juncture.'

He has also warned the areas affected by the outbreak are expanding, notably to border areas, with Uganda facing 'an imminent threat.'

The outbreak, the 10th in the DRC's history, is thought to have killed 97 people since it was declared on August 1 in the eastern part of North Kivu. However, only 66 of these deaths are confirmed to be down to Ebola, according to the WHO.

This comes after the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) suspended all its activities in Beni and its surrounding areas following an armed group attack last Saturday.

Stephen Lamin, area manager for the NRC, said: 'It's a worst-case scenario for any aid group to have to suspend relief work that helps communities in need.

'But this weekend's attack on Beni town has left us in an impossible position.'

The NRC has already been forced to suspend or cancel relief efforts in the DRC several times this year due to insecurity.

Ms Lamin added: 'The recent attack has made the situation even worse as families have had to flee from their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs.'

Earlier this month Ebola was found to be responsible for the death of a woman in Butembo, which has a population of around 1.4 million.

In response, Dr Salama said 'no-one should be sleeping well tonight around the world'.

An Ebola patient is pictured being led to treatment by medical workers in Beni: Since the outbreak began, 5,088 people are thought to have come into contact with people who have the virus and at least 19 medical workers have been infected, three of which have died

Local reports claim the unnamed woman was the mother of a known Ebola patient, who travelled from the town at the centre of the outbreak.

Experimental drugs have been shipped into the area to control the virus, which is considered to be one of the most lethal pathogens in existence.

But virologists have repeatedly warned the situation is 'hard to control' due to cases occurring in a conflict zone roamed by armed militias.

The WHO has admitted the latest death makes ending the outbreak in the east of the country significantly harder.

Butembo's mayor revealed the victim was a woman, who was likely infected as a result of her participating in an unsafe burial. She died in a university clinic.

But the DRC's Ministry of Health claims it was a man from a nearby town at the centre of the outbreak, who refused to cooperate with health authorities.

'Ebola case from Beni has died in Butembo DRC,' Dr Salama wrote on Twitter.

'Good news is case detected quickly, response already in place and expanding. Bad new(s) is increases risk of further spread.'

He told the HuffPost: 'When you have an Ebola case confirmed in a city with one million people, no one should be sleeping well tonight around the world.'

Dr Salama added having Ebola in urban centres, such as Butembo, makes ending the ongoing outbreak much harder.

Most of the Ebola cases recorded so far have been in Beni, a city of 230,000 people with close links to bordering Uganda.

Butembo, about 35 miles (55km) away, is around triple the size of Beni and is a major trading route for consumer goods entering the DRC.

Some 97 people have died in the most recent Ebola outbreak, which is occurring in the North Kivu province in the north-east of Democratic Republic of the Congo. Pictured: Health workers carry the body of a suspected victim on August 22, in Mangina, a town near Beni

The virus has since spread to Oicha, an area almost entirely surrounded by militants, which stoked the fears of Dr Tedros Adhanom, chief of the WHO.

He previously told Reuters: 'If one case is hidden in the red zone or an inaccessible area, it's dangerous. It can just spark a fire, just one case.'

The International Rescue Committee, which responds to humanitarian crises, fears the outbreak will trump the pandemic four years ago, which killed 11,000 and decimated West Africa.

A spokesperson from the agency said: 'Without a swift, concerted and efficient response, this outbreak has the potential to be the worst ever seen.'

Ebola virus disease, caused by the virus with its namesake, kills around 50 per cent of the people it strikes, with no proven treatment being available.

The unsafe burial of a 65-year-old Ebola sufferer triggered the latest outbreak in the DRC, according to the WHO.

After she was buried members of her family began to display symptoms of the virus 'and seven of them died'.

Genetic analysis confirmed the virus is the Zaire strain; the same as the one that was behind an outbreak in the west of the DRC earlier this summer.

However, Dr Salama has argued the newer pathogen is genetically different to previous strains.

The 2014 international response to the Ebola pandemic, which decimated West Africa, drew criticism for moving too slowly and prompted an apology from the WHO.

But international aid teams have moved much quicker in response this time, with vaccination campaigns already underway in several regions.If you struggle to stop eating even when you're full, scientists may finally have the answer you've been waiting for.

The way the brain is wired means the signal to keep stuffing your face is stronger than the one telling you to stop, a study has found.

And even when the brain sends out a sign saying the body is full, it can trigger an overpowering keep-eating sign at the same time.

But researchers have now found a drug that could produce the stop signal in the brain, slashing the amount of food you scoff down.

People might be driven to overeat because the signals their brain puts out to tell them to stop is weaker than the one which encourages the body to keep eating (stock image)

An experiment on mice by researchers at the University of Michigan has discovered a link between opioids and appetite.

It revealed the overdose drug naloxone, which is used to block the effects of heroin or morphine in people who take too much, could curb people's over-eating.

Naloxone can target nerve cells to turn on the brain's 'brake', telling the body to stop eating without also triggering the stronger signal telling it to eat more.

The nerve cells scientists examined are in the hypothalamus in the brain, an area which is known to control eating habits.

Although the study was entirely done on rodents, the researchers hope the same processes will apply to the human brain.

When researchers tried to activate the nerves individually using lasers, the stop-eating sign would automatically trigger the keep-eating sign which overpowered it.

WHAT IS THE GLOBAL OBESITY CRISIS? Almost a quarter of the world's population will be obese in less than 30 years, according to research published in May. If obesity trends continue, 22 per cent of people around the world will be severely overweight by 2045, up from 14 per cent last year, a study found. One in eight people, rather than today's one in 11, are also expected to develop type 2 diabetes over the same period, the research adds. People with type 2 diabetes have an average life expectancy of just 55 due to them being at a much higher risk of heart attacks, stroke and kidney disease. Tam Fry, a health campaigner from the National Obesity Forum said the findings were 'desperately sad'. Advertisement

It was unclear how the brain's 'stop' and 'go' buttons for eating were linked, but triggering 'go' was found to also activate the brain's opioid system.

The opioid system is where painkillers like morphine are targeted  and it's also the same area which controls addiction.

Discovering the link between appetite and the opioid system meant the researchers could use a drug already designed to target that area to stop the mice eating so much.

They said once a mouse had taken naloxone there was a 'rapid and significant decrease' in how much food it ate.

Obesity is a growing problem around the world and nearly a quarter of the global population is expected to be obese within 30 years.

A quarter of adults in the UK are already obese, as well as 40 per cent of Americans and around 28 per cent of Australians.

Study author Professor Huda Akil said: 'There's a whole industry built on enticing you to eat, whether you need it or not, through visual cues, packaging, smells, emotional associations.

'People get hungry just looking at them, and we need to study the neural signals involved in those attentional, perceptional mechanisms that drive us to eat.'

The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Children born by caesarean section face a 21 per cent higher risk of developing a food allergy, research has found.

Swedish scientists believe youngsters born vaginally have different strains of gut bacteria that may protect them from allergies.

Paediatricians have now asked for mothers-to-be to be told of the potential risk, if they choose to have a planned C-section.

Food allergies - when the immune system mistakes proteins in food as a threat - can be deadly, if someone goes into anaphylactic shock.

Swedish scientists believe youngsters born vaginally have different strains of gut bacteria that may protect them from allergies

Researchers at Orebro University and the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm led the study, which tracked children for 13 years.

Several trials have uncovered similar findings, as scientists seek to understand why food allergies in children are on the rise. Figures last year suggested the number of peanut allergies in children has increased by 21 per cent since 2010 in the US.

But this study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, is the first to pinpoint a link between C-sections and food allergies.

Dr Jonas Ludvigsson, study co-author, said: 'We believe children born by C-section have a different bacterial flora than vaginally delivered children.'

He added this may 'impact the risk of developing food allergies', of which the most common are against shellfish and peanuts.

The types and amounts of gut bacteria people harbor are also thought to influence obesity, digestive diseases and even autoimmune disorders such as asthma.

Dr Niki Mitselou, study author, added: 'It is important mothers-to-be and physicians are aware of the risks associated with C-sections both in the short and long term.'

WHAT ARE THE MEDICAL REASONS FOR A CAESAREAN? There are various reasons why a doctor may recommend that you have a caesarean section instead of giving birth vaginally. If you had complications in a previous pregnancy or birth, or in your current pregnancy, you may be advised to have whats called a planned or elective caesarean, or a planned repeat caesarean. If you were planning to give birth vaginally, but complications during labour or birth mean that youre advised to give birth by caesarean, youll have whats called an unplanned or emergency caesarean. Here are some reasons why doctors may opt for a planned or emergency caesarean, rather than a vaginal birth: You've already had at least one caesarean section.

Your baby is in a bottom-down, or breech, position.

Your baby is in a sideways (transverse) position, or keeps changing its position (unstable lie).

You have a low-lying placenta (placenta praevia).

You have a medical condition, such as heart disease or diabetes.

You have lost a baby in the past, either before or during labour.

Youre expecting twins or more.

Your baby is not growing as well as it should be in your womb.

You have severe pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, making it dangerous to delay the birth. Source: BabyCentre Advertisement

She said these risks should be taken into account for planned caesareans  which mothers-to-be can ask for if they fear a painful labour.

However, Dr Mitselou accepted there are, 'of course', situations when an emergency C-section is 'absolutely necessary'.

Birth weight and whether babies were born prematurely were two of the other potential risk factors that researchers delved into.

Children who were considered large babies had a 15 per cent higher risk of having a food allergy, compared to their small counterparts.

And those who had a low five-minute Apgar score  a sign of severe stress during birth  also had higher odds, of around 22 per cent.

However, children who were born prematurely ran a 26 per cent lower risk of developing a food allergy, compared to those born at full-term.

Dr Ludvigsson said: 'We believe the lower risk may be because of a different food introduction to very preterm infants compared to other children.'

However, he added the researchers believe there may be a series of other factors relating to neonatal care that may protect against food allergies.

It comes after a study in May revealed vaginal seeding, an increasingly popular practice which sees babies born by C-section covered with bacteria from the mother's vagina, has no benefits and may even be dangerous.

Figures show slightly more than one in four children are born by C-section in Britain  around 160,000 babies each year.

The rate has risen three-fold since the 1980s, which some experts blame on soaring numbers of older mothers, obesity and a fear of childbirth.

The new study comes after Scottish researchers found youngsters born by C-section are more likely to be obese by their fifth birthday.

Edinburgh University researchers made the claim in January, after they reviewed data from 80 studies which involved around 29 million births.It only took two hours of talking to a stranger at a bar for Kristin Day to decide that he needed help - and to offer him her kidney.

Day, a mother-of-two from Pine River, Minnesota, said she saw the unnamed man had a port in his arm used for dialysis.

He told her that for the last two years, he'd been on dialysis every other day after health issues left him with failing kidneys.

Doctors had told him that he would need to remain on dialysis until a kidney transplant could be arranged - so Day, 36, proposed that she be the donor.

Kristin Day, 36, of Pine River, Minnesota, offered to donate her kidney to a man she met at a bar after just two hours of talking to him. Pictured: Day on the day of the transplant

Day (left and right), a mother-of-two, said she realized he had a port in his arm used for dialysis. He told her his kidneys were failing and he was on a waiting list for a kidney transplant

'It was just kind of crazy,' Day, an office manager, told the Grand Forks Herald.

'We were at Nimrod at a bar. That's just how it happened. We were in the right place at the right time.'

Without telling her new friend her plans, Day secretly decided to undergo months of testing.

After the donor's and recipient's blood are proven to be compatible, there are two more blood tests, according to Allina Health.

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.

Day told the newspaper that when she learned that she was a match for blood type and a cross match, she needed two hours to calm herself.

Day relayed the news herself of the match results to the man, who said he wanted to make sure she understood the implications of kidney donation.

'I honestly had no fear about the surgery,' Day said. 'I felt well-informed. I felt so sure about my decision. I think that's why I didn't feel scared about it.'

Almost six months to the day after the two friends met, they were admitted into the Sanford Transplant Center in Fargo, North Dakota, for the surgery.

There are currently more than 114,500 patients on the national transplant waiting list, 93,000 of them for a kidney transplant.

Day secretly underwent months of testing and, when she was found to be a match, she delivered the news herself. Pictured: Day with her family in the hospital before the procedure

Almost six months to the day after meeting, Day donated her kidney to the man. Pictured: Day's surgical scar

Day (left and right) said recovery was hard because she had a bad reaction to the pain medication. Despite the discomfort, she said she hopes sharing her story encourages more people to consider organ donation

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, about 20 people die every day waiting for a transplant.

Mary-Beth Miller, the living donor coordinator at Sanford, told the Grand Forks Herald that there were only six live donors within the Sanford network in 2017.

'[The number of live donors] varies from year to year,' Miller said. 'I would say 15 [live] donors is a high number. Our goal is to do more each year.'

Day spent four days in recovery before she was sent home, where she experienced side effects from the medication.

'Wednesday to Saturday into Sunday were horrible. Nothing anyone could predict,' she said.

The pain meds just set me back. The first week home was very hard.'

Despite that discomfort, Day says she hopes sharing her story encourages others to consider organ donation.

'If you are healthy enough to give back, and you are able to and have people who would take care of you, I strongly suggest it,' she said.

'You feel good. I feel happy and I'm so happy he's doing well. He gets his life back. That's a pretty cool deal."They're the things we see with, but how much thought do we give to the health of our eyes?

Now, contact lens wearers are being warned to look after their eye health following an outbreak of a rare infection that can cause blindness.

Scientists at University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital warned, last week, that paying attention to hygiene is essential for eye health, especially for Britain's 4 million contact lens wearers.

The researchers warned there had been a threefold increase in the number of cases of a rare eye infection that can cause blindness since 2011.

The condition, acanthamoeba keratitis is more likely to affect contact lens wearers as the disease is linked to lenses coming into contact with contaminated water, but anyone can be affected, say the researchers.

Contact lens wearers are being warned to look after their eye health following an outbreak of a rare infection that can cause blindness. That's not the only concern

The number of cases seen at Moorfields has risen from 15 to 23 in a year in the last decade to 36 to 65 a year.

The acanthamoeba micoorganism is found in the UK's domestic water supply in higher rates than other countries.

Researchers found that the risk is three times higher for contact lens wearers who don't wash and dry their hands before handling lenses and for those who use ineffective contact lens solution.

Showering while wearing lenses is also a risk factor, says the research which was published in the British Journal Of Opthalmology last week.

Professor John Dart, from the UCL Institute of Opthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, who led the study said: 'People who wear resuable contact lenses need to make sure they thoroughly wash and dry their hands before handling their lenses.'

This new research underlines the fact that our eye health is not down to luck, there's in fact plenty we can do protect our vision and keep our eyes healthy.

We've spoken to Vision Direct optometrist Brendan O'Brien to find out which daily habits can damage your eyes and what we should do to keep them healthy.

1. Your daily swim

Swimming is hugely beneficial for your cardiovascular system but if you're not wearing goggles, your eyes might be suffering, especially if you're a contact lens wearer and you open your eyes underwater, explains O'Brien.

'The water in pools, rivers and the sea, or even the shower can leave your eyes vulnerable to bacterial infection,' warns O' Brien.

'The microorganism acanthamoeba lives in water and can cause serious damage if it gets into your eye'.

'Wearing contact lenses makes us more vulnerable because the bacteria attaches to the lens and can cause the surface of your eye to become inflamed and eventually infected,' says O'Brien.

Contact lenses will also naturally absorb any water around them, which could change their shape dramatically. This will make them uncomfortable to wear, often causing your vision to become distorted and blurry.

If you really must wear your lenses in the pool stick to daily disposables along with waterproof swimming goggles, or better still invest in a pair of prescription goggles which will help you see clearly without water coming in direct contact with your eyes.

2. Your out of date mascara

You know how your mascara gets all clumpy after three or four months, but you don't want to buy a new one because that stuff is pricey?

Well, it's time to cull your make-up bag of all out of date eye make-up, especially mascara, yes even your favourite Chanel one you bought in 2016.

Mascara can harbour bacteria which can cause infections leading to redness, light sensitivity and irritation and, in rare cases, even blindness. Liquid liner and mascara have a shelf life of around three months once opened.

After four months, mascara starts to harbor dangerous bacteria, studies show

Unopened, well-formulated cosmetics can remain stable for a couple of years.

What's more, eye make-up applied inside the eyeline, such as eyeliner, can increase the risk of eye infection, according to research from the University of Waterloo published in the peer-reviewed journal of the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, Eye and Contact lens.

The research by the scientist Dr Alison Ng found that contact lens wearers were more vulnerable to infection from eye make-up. Dr Ng recommends preventing bacterial transfer by sharpening eye pencils thoroughly before each use.

Similarly, false eyelashes could put your eyes at risk. According to experts, false eyelashes are a hygiene risk because they tend to trap dirt and bacteria, while poor quality, unhygienic lashes increase the risk, so it's important to find a reputable beautician.

3. Skipping your annual eye test

One in six Brits aren't bothering to get our eyes tested, leaving us vulnerable to health problems.

'An eye test can turn up health problems like diabetes, glaucoma and high blood pressure, all of which can lead to serious eye problems and even blindness if left unchecked,' says O'Brien.

Even arthritis which causes joint inflammation can be spotted with an eye test, because the inflammation also turns up in the eye and will eventually attack the eye too if left untreated.

'Most optometrists recommended taking an eye test every two years, unless you have eye issues or are over 70, in which case, a test every 12 months is best to catch any health problems early,' says O'Brien.

'Children up to the age of 16 should be tested annually too, according to the College of Optometrists, as children's vision can change very rapidly at this stage of their lives.'

4. Staring at your smartphone

Staring at your smartphone or computer screen or TV for hours on end is not good for your eye health, says research by the University of Toledo, published in Scientific Reports.

Buy a blue light filter so your eyes aren't being damaging by the glare of your screen

That's because these screens emit blue light which is absorbed by vital cells in the eye's retina triggering toxic chemicals, which can eventually kill the photoreceptors we need for vision. And the older you get the more vulnerable you are.

The study's lead researcher Dr Ajith Karunarathne, an assistant professor in the UT department of chemistry and biochemistry says we shouldn't be checking phones and tablets in the dark, because this can dilate the pupils making them more vulnerable to damage.

Dr Karunarathne explains wearing glasses with an anti-glare coating that filters blue light, or adding a blue light filter screen to your phone or computer.

Examples of blue light filters for digital devices to look for include: Eyesafe (Health-E), iLLumiShield, RetinaShield (Tech Armor), Retina Armor (Tektide), Frabicon and Cyxus.

5. That casual smoking habit

We hardly need to say it: smoking is BAD, but few of us realise it damages our eyes. 'Smoking increases risk of cataracts and age related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a common condition that affects the middle part of your vision. In fact, AMD is Britain's leading cause of sight loss.

'AMD occurs when the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates and is the major cause of blindness in the over fifties, ' says O' Brien.

Risk of AMD doubles with smoking over fifty, says one British study published in The British Journal of Ophthalmology. So that's another reason to sign up for Stoptober.

Smoking increases the risk of cataracts and age related macular degeneration

6. Forgetting to wear sunglasses

You might you think your sunnies are no longer needed now that the dark nights are closing in. Not so says O'Brien. UV is still an issue on overcast winter days.

'Although the UV count is typically higher on sunnier days, it is important to bear in mind that up to 80% of UV radiation can penetrate cloud, meaning that forgetting to wear sunglasses on an overcast day can still damage your eyes,' says O'Brien.

'That means it's just as good an idea to pop on a pair of shades on a sunny December morning as it is on a hot July afternoon.'

But don't think just because your glasses are dark tinted they offer ultra violet protection. 'The tint of a sunglasses lens has no effect on UV protection,' says O'Brien.

'While wearing darker lenses means that less light will enter your eye and will help you see better, the same amount of UV is blocked as if you were wearing shades with a lighter tint.'

And unless your sunglasses are offering good UV coverage, the tint means they will dilate your pupils and allow more UV light in than normal, so it's potentially worse than going without sunglasses if your glasses aren't up to scratch.

The message? Don't fall for those designer look-alikes, unless you can verify their UV credentials. 'Look for a CE mark (a European standard of UV protection),' says O'Brien.

'This means they allow a maximum of 5% of UV rays to penetrate.'

Not all cheap sunglasses are bad news however. Tests reveal that some 3 Primark pairs do the job as well as 300 designer glasses.

Look for styles that fit close to your face and don't let light in at the side and if you're a contacts wearer opt for brands like Acuvue with UV filters included or remember to wear sunglasses with your contact lenses.

Warning: Your eyes are even more susceptible to burning than your skin. As it's harder to tell when your eyes are getting burnt than it is when your skin starts turning red, it's easy to end up doing lasting damage to your eyes without knowing.

Frequent exposure to UV can lead to the development of eye conditions such as cataracts and AMD which can impair sight and even cause partial or total blindness.

Indeed, One systematic review published in 2014 of scientific research on the subject found that sunlight exposure to eyes was a key risk factor in the development of AMD.

7. Your fan

Leaving a fan running all night can increase irritation and dry eyes for contact lens wearers. Why? Because fans blow allergens like dust or pollen towards your eyes as you sleep, so that when you insert your lenses in the morning these deposits cause irritation and discomfort.

The fix? Thoroughly dust bedroom surfaces, including the fan blades and keep a bottle of contact lens solution handy to cleanse your lenses to remove any impurities.

Consider setting a timer on your fan, so it switches off shortly after you doze off and wear a sleep mask, so your eyes are protected.

8. Over-using eye drops

While it's tempting to reach for the eye drops rather than put up with looking like a pink-eyed bunny, you can have too much of a good thing, say experts, as plenty of eye drops can lead to a rebound effect.

Rebound redness results because the blood vessels in the eye dilate as the effects of the medication in the drops wears off, creating a vicious circle. What should we do instead? 'Try to pinpoint the cause and deal with it, ' says O'Brien.

If, for example, your eyes are dry due to cold winter weather and central heating, invest in a humidifier and try not to sit too close to a radiator.

Rehydrate by drinking lots of water and eat plenty of foods rich in A, C and E vitamins and omega-3 fats, like salmon. And when the wind starts whistling, don your sunglasses to protect your eyes from the biting cold.

How often you can use eyedrops safely will depend on the type, says O' Brien.

'There are two types: eye drops with preservatives and preservative-free eye drops. Eye drops that contain preservatives have a longer shelf life. The preservatives are chemicals that prevent bacteria from growing. This allows you to use one bottle of eye drops for a length of time.

'However, the preservatives in OTC eye drops cause eye irritation to become worse. Eye specialists typically recommend that you use this type of eye drop no more than four times a day.' Preservative-free eye drops are best for those with sensitive eyes.A new 20-minute test is six times more effective at discovering hidden heart conditions than existing diagnosis methods.

The unnamed test is able to diagnose disorders that are caused by problems with the blood vessels that supply the heart. These vessels are often too small for issues to be picked up via current methods.

Six months after the test is used to diagnose and treat patients, they report having less chest pain and a better quality of life.

Scientists from the University of Glasgow argue the test should be used as standard whenever a patient complains of chest pain.

Until now, it was not yet routinely used in the NHS due to insufficient evidence on how it benefits patients.

A new 20-minute test is six times more effective at discovering hidden heart conditions than existing diagnosis methods. The unnamed test is better able to diagnose disorders that are caused by problems with the blood vessels that supply the heart (stock)

The test involves passing a thin, flexible wire into a patient's heart to measure how their blood vessels relax.

This was done on 151 patients with chest pain, known as angina, who had uncertain diagnoses based on currently available tests.

Chest pain can occur when the heart does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. This may be due to the arteries that supply the heart narrowing.

For half of the study's participants, the test's results were used to guide doctors towards a diagnosis and treatment.

The remaining patients' results were undisclosed, with them being treated via standard care.

This usually involves an angiogram, which is an invasive procedure that investigates whether the heart's main arteries have narrowed.

Results suggest the patients who had the new test were six times more likely to be diagnosed correctly.

The findings were presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference in San Diego today.

Chest pain, known as angina, can occur when the heart does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. This may be due to the arteries that supply the heart narrowing (stock)

In around half of patients who have an angiogram, no significant problem is found.

This is thought to be due to the blood vessels in the heart being too small to see via the medical imaging technique.

Such patients therefore often continue to experience severe chest pain, which can increase their risk of having a heart attack.

Lead researcher Professor Colin Berry said: 'As the angiogram looks "clear" patients may be falsely reassured.

'However, leaving these heart conditions undiagnosed and untreated presents a risk to patient wellbeing - these problems can lead to hospitalisation for chest pain and a heart attack  and symptoms persist in the longer term.

'We now hope to see this test rolled out across the country.'

Philippa Hobson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the research, believes the study may comfort patients who battle mysterious chest pain.

'People living with angina suffer from crippling and frightening episodes of chest pain that dramatically affects their day to day life.

'They are unable to treat their symptoms effectively as their angiogram is essentially normal.

'Medication currently prescribed to people with diagnosed coronary heart disease does little to resolve their pain or reduce risk of heart attack, so they are left in limbo.

'This study is very reassuring news for sufferers who live in the fear of having a heart attack as for many, there is currently no conclusive proof they have heart disease,' she said.

Angina affects around two million adults in the UK and 10 million in the US.

This comes after research released last year suggested having a stent implanted to widen the arteries may not benefit angina sufferers.

The procedure, which can damage the arteries or cause excessive bleeding, has no significant benefit on a patient's symptoms or their quality of life, according to a study by Imperial College London.Shameless banks have mounted a secret lobbying campaign to avoid having to refund victims of fraud.

Watchdogs will spell out tomorrow the steps banks must take to tackle scams costing families 1million a day.

It was hoped the measures would include a proper compensation fund.

However a letter leaked to MoneyMail reveals that banks have told regulators and government officials they should not be made responsible. Figures published yesterday show that around 145million was lost to authorised push payment fraud in the first six months of the year. Only 31million was refunded.

Watchdogs are the spell out the steps banks must take to tackle scams costing families 1million a day

Many of the victims were persuaded by fraudsters to transfer cash to another account for safety  only to see it vanish.

The banks are shameless, said Suzanne Raftery, a former Scotland Yard detective and fraud expert at Requite Solutions. They often dont care about the devastation these scams cause for people. They care about money.

Gareth Shaw, of Which? Money, said: Its two years since we highlighted a real lack of protection for people targeted through no fault of their own  but people are still losing life-changing sums of money every day and action from the banks has been woefully insufficient.

The finance industry and regulator must quickly introduce measures to stop these scams from happening in the first place and commit to reimbursing all victims who are not at fault  otherwise they risk further eroding trust in the banking system.

31k fraud forced boss to liquidate his cleaning firm Steven Vallance was forced to liquidate his firm after fraudsters cleared his personal and business accounts of 31,000. He received a text allegedly from NatWest saying his debit card had been used to buy Amazon goods worth 2,499, a transaction he had not made. The text appeared in the same chain of messages he had already received from the bank so he saw no reason to doubt it was genuine. Steve Vallance, 44, with his partner Claire and their 13-month-old daughter Jessica. Mr Vallance is no 31,000 out of pocket after fraudsters targeted him Mr Vallance called a number in the text and spoke to someone purporting to be from NatWests fraud department. He was asked several security questions and was told 2,499 had already left his account but would be refunded. Mr Vallance, 44, who lives in Essex, was asked to enter his card in his card reader and read out a series of codes to confirm the refund. After the call, he spoke to his partner Claire who felt uneasy. So he immediately called NatWest using the real number but an automated message said there was a waiting time of up to two hours due to severe weather. Mr Vallance finally got through on a third number and was told 18,000 had been transferred from his personal account and 13,000 from his business account. The money had been transferred into a Barclays account belonging to a payee he had never heard of. I felt sick. Like Id ruined our future and that of our baby daughter Jessica, he said. He later had to liquidate his commercial cleaning business. The money in the account was for tax I didnt have enough time to build up again, he said. NatWest said that, while its call waiting times were longer than usual, the payment had already been authorised by the time Mr Vallance called. A spokesman said: We sympathise with Mr Vallance and appreciate that this has been a very distressing experience for him and his family. We take our responsibilities to preventing scams very seriously and always support the victim of a scam in the recovery of their funds on a best endeavours basis. Spoof BT caller duped me out of my savings Robin Hirst was duped into handing over almost 10,000 to conmen posing as BT engineers. Mr Hirst and his wife Teresa, 61, of Chelmsford in Essex, received a call from a supposed BT staff member claiming their wi-fi router had been compromised. They were told fraudsters had hacked it and they needed to check their online banking accounts immediately. Robin Hirst, 66, lost 9,500 and 7,000 belonging to his parents Edwin, 91 and Joan, 90, as a result of the fraudsters Mr Hirst, 66, went to his laptop to open his internet browser. A similar page to the BT homepage appeared and he was told to click a black box. Fake Santander accounts showed someone had spent 300 at 1am. The scammers offered to resolve the issue but created a fake web page allowing them to control his computer remotely. He lost 9,500 and 7,000 belonging to his parents Edwin, 91 and Joan, 90, because he had Power of Attorney. Santander offered to pay the money back.

If fraud continued at the current rate, banks would be on the hook for an extra 200million of losses this year.

The biggest five, Lloyds, RBS, Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered, made profits of 9.3billion between them in the second quarter of the year.

The Mail is campaigning for clearer rules to protect victims, help them to trace their stolen money as well as get access to compensation.

The leaked letter was sent last month by Stephen Jones, chief executive of trade body UK Finance, to a number of officials including Andrew Bailey, who heads the Financial Conduct Authority.

How to avoid being scammed Hang up on ALL cold callers.

If you are worried that your bank really might need to talk to you, put down the phone and call it using the number on the back of your bank card or on its website.

Use a different telephone from the one the call came in on  fraudsters often remain on the line after people hang up. If you have to use the same phone, wait at least 30 minutes before calling back.

Remember banks will NEVER ask customers to move money to another account to keep it safe from fraudsters.

Be suspicious if the caller seems to be in a rush and eager for the transaction to go through quickly.

Never disclose personal information even if the caller sounds convincing and appears to know personal details.

Never respond directly to unsolicited emails or texts.

Mr Jones said: I speak for all payment service providers (banks) involved to date when I state that they do not believe they should be required to compensate a consumer for the (presently) unquantifiable residual risk to which your letter refers.

This is not because they do not wish a consumer who has acted reasonably to be reimbursed in such circumstances.

They do. It is because PSPs do not accept they should or could be automatically liable for this risk.

He claimed it was not right that banks should be financially responsible for scams that start with data breaches in other sectors such as telecoms and retail.

He warned that a code of conduct that did not put more onus on the customer might lead to more fraud. It is not known whether the rules will demand better compensation for victims.

The code is the result of eight months of work by banks, charities and consumer rights organisations, which were part of a steering group appointed by the Payment Systems Regulator.

The rules are likely to include giving customers timely warnings if they notice suspicious activity on their account and taking measures to prevent criminals opening accounts in the first place.

The idea is that if banks then fail to meet these minimum standards of care they must refund victims.

The proposed code, which should come into force at the start of next year, will be voluntary but it is expected that most major banks will sign up. It will also include a requirement for customers to take reasonable steps to protect themselves against fraudsters.

If they behave recklessly or negligently banks would not be expected to refund them.

What to do if you think you're at risk Call your bank straight away but only on a number taken from your bank card or its website.

Tell the call handler that you think you have been scammed and ask for the money to be recalled straight away.

Do not ask for the fraud team as there may be a queue  the crime can always be investigated later.

If the money has already gone out of your account, tell the call handler to contact the receiving bank and freeze the money so it cannot be cleared from the account.

Note the time of the call and any time spent waiting in telephone queues. If there are delays this could be used to support a complaint later.

Write down everything about the fraud. Ask the bank to explain what happened to the money when it left the account.

However, experts say that most scams these days are so sophisticated that even the smartest of people are at risk of being conned.

But while banks admit that it is right that these victims should be refunded, they refuse to accept this is their responsibility.

Nicky Morgan, the Tory chairman of the Commons Treasury committee, said: As online banking and payments become more prevalent, millions of customers are exposed to the risk of economic crime. As part of the Treasury committees inquiry into economic crime, well look at how consumers are affected, and the response of the regulators and financial institutions, including banks.

Whilst we all have a responsibility to protect ourselves against fraud, financial institutions also have a role to play in stamping out such criminal behaviour.

John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, said: For too long banks have been able to place the blame on intelligent and careful individuals when they are conned by sophisticated fraudsters manipulating the banks processes.

It is high time the financial services industry faced up to the fact that these people are not wilfully making payments  they are being tricked and the results are devastating.

Banks need to face up to the problem and reimburse their customers when they fall victim to scams instead of washing their hands of them. I am in full support of the Daily Mails campaign.

When the code is published the steering group is expected to continue to work together over the next couple of months in a bid to find a solution for a compensation scheme for authorised fraud victims.

Spokesmen for UK Finance and the Payment Systems Regulator refused to comment.As the British investor revolt against Unilevers decision to shift its domicile to the financial backwater of Rotterdam gathers pace, the consumer goods company has sent out its big guns to defend the move.

Virtually invisible chairman Marijn Dekkers and British finance chief Graeme Pitkethly insist the move is what shareholders want because it creates a simpler, unified structure.

The approach follows the lead taken by Anglo-Dutch powerhouses Royal Dutch Shell and media colossus Relx in ending a dual-share structure. The latter chose to keep their main share quotation in London and the FTSE 100.

Damage limitation: Unilever has sent out its big guns to defend its decision to shift its domicile to Rotterdam

Unilevers panjandrums seek to shift blame for the loss of a FTSE 100 quote on the shadowy advisory committee overseeing the index, which ruled it out.

In the interests of transparency, the FTSE 100 should reveal the names of those who reached the decision and the reasons why. In essence, the Unilever board seeks to shift blame elsewhere.

Dekkers says the new arrangements will make it easier to complete corporate deals such as last years demerger of the spreads arm. Truth is that having a London quote and being in the City is far more useful than Rotterdam.

Britain attracts greater inward investment than any other country in Europe, and has the deepest financial markets.

The investment banks are located here and so on. If flexibility for deal-making is what Unilever is really after then it has chosen the wrong place.

The Unilever chairman points out that 60 per cent of the enterprise is also run from London.

Unilever insiders tell me that on current projections, with hygiene and beauty the great growth areas, within a decade some 75 per cent of turnover could be managed from the UK.

Several British funds including Aviva, M&G, Lindsell Train and Columbia Threadneedle have already signalled they will vote against the shift. Legal & General and Standard Life Aberdeen are leaning in the same direction.

In a scheme which requires a 75 per cent majority of shares tendered, the hurdle is starting to look too high for Unilever directors to surmount, hence the assault on the FTSE 100.

Unilever also needs a simple 50 per cent majority of shareholders which includes 35,000 private investors.

If small shareholders want to have a say, they will need to unlock voting powers from platforms such as Hargreaves Lansdown and Barclays Smart Investor.

Shareholders must act urgently to reclaim their voting rights otherwise bureaucracy might render them powerless to keep Unilever on these shores.

Online winner

Of all Britains clothing retailers, Next sets the standard. Not only does it often outperform expectations, it holds little back.

The usual feeble excuses about the wrong weather, Brexit and business rates are foregone in favour of hard numbers.

Other retailers would shrink from precisely quantifying the reasons for a drop in retail net margins claiming commercial confidentiality.

Next breaks it down forensically noting among other things that increased pay rates were offset by a productivity rise.

The groups smooth transfer of the majority of sales from stores to online has to be attributed to the cerebral style of chief executive Lord Wolfson.

As the scion of a great retail dynasty, he has shopping and financial discipline coursing through his veins. There is little of the personality cult that many shopkeepers think is part of the job.

No wonder Next is the comparator that top Marks & Spencer management often refers to. It simply delivers, with profits just up at 311.1million in the first half of the year and the outlook upbeat for the rest of 2018.

A fascinating section of the half-year statement is an analysis of Brexit risks and the steps which have been or could be taken to offset them.

It is suggested, for instance, that income from increased duties on goods imported from the EU could be used by the Government to offset tariffs which would raise prices to consumers.

How much better it would be if other chief executives were less hung up on politics and more focused on finding answers.

Vaping revamp

Normally a leadership change at a top five FTSE 100 company is high drama.

But not at British America Tobacco. Veteran Brazilian boss Nicandro Durante is being replaced with chief operating officer Jack Bowles who is tasked with growing BATs investment and exposure to vaping.

No hint of deserting London, even though almost its entire income is earned outside the UK.Office politics: Goldman Sachs boss Lloyd Blankfein

Ructions at Goldman Sachs where outgoing chief executive Lloyd Blankfeins new office irritates some of the banks New York staff.

Its claimed the palatial berth, where bearded Lloyd will roost during his new advisory role, is costing upwards of 350,000.

Goldman insists the figure is less than 75,000 but either way its at odds with a recent expenses crackdown.

One banker moans he had a claim rejected for a piece of fruit.

Not a desperately happy ship, by all accounts.

Barclays boss Jes Staley met with the Duke of York this week at Buckingham Palace, an opportunity no doubt for Jes to garner Andrews extensive business insight.

The pair have a mutual friend in former investment banker and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who lobbied unsuccessfully for Jes to be made Barclayss chief back in 2012 after Bob Diamond got canned.

The job instead went to Antony Jenkins, dismissed by Epstein, not entirely groundlessly, as an internal dweeb.

In-the-pink hedgie Crispin Odey remains scornful of David Camerons premiership, telling Financial News: Once you met David, you realised he was going to do absolutely nothing. He was so unbrave.

Will Dave bother to retaliate in his long overdue memoirs? Theyre now rivalling the 55-year wait for Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird sequel, albeit without the anticipation.

Debenhamss retail chief Steven Cook yesterday appeared alongside his new menswear head Andrew Lepp, who warned journalists to expect an improvement at the ailing department stores shelves in the coming months.

Cook interjected: Months? Month! Or youre fired.

He was joking of course. Or least we must assume. Outre Mr Cook has a shaved head, a Rasputin beard and that menacing look of a man who delights in strangling poultry.

Comcast boss Brian Roberts is rumoured to be dropping by Skys headquarters today following his 30billion acquisition of the broadcaster.

Certain pinko outlets have claimed the sprawling, West London estate is known as Skyberia. Oddly, nobody I know ever calls it that.

But making the Murdoch Empire sound cold and horrid is compulsory among the liberal media.This may come as a surprise to many property and investment companies, but we are not living in medieval Britain.

So why is it that thousands of hardworking families are still being abused and treated like serfs by greedy landowners?

The leasehold scandal - and it is a scandal - that we describe here is tantamount to racketeering.

Some homeowners are being charged more than most people earn in a year to buy the land underneath their own home.

Trapped: Leaseholders Andrea and Roi Millward with their children Sienna and Isaac

The firms snapping up freeholds admit these have become increasingly valuable because they are viewed as a 'secure investment' by pension funds.

What they're really saying is that investors see leaseholders as lucrative cash cows.

The hundreds or even thousands of pounds leaseholders are trapped into paying each year in ground rent is a reliable little earner for landowners.

So why on earth would they want to make it easy for these people to free themselves from that financial burden?

Homeowners say they were told at the time of their purchase that they could buy their freehold down the line for a few thousand pounds.

They say they were never warned that, in the meantime, the freehold may be flogged to an investment firm which might hike the price ten-fold.

This screams of a mis-selling scandal - particularly when you've got professionals saying they cannot make head nor tail of their leasehold smallprint.

Last year, then Communities Secretary Sajid Javid pledged to liberate leaseholders from 'feudal practices'.

He said: 'It's unacceptable for homebuyers to be exploited through unnecessary leaseholds, unjustifiable charges and onerous ground rent terms. It's clear from the overwhelming response from the public that action is needed.'

Yet while the Government has gone some way towards protecting new buyers, where is the promised help for existing leaseholders? At the very least they deserve their freehold at a fair price.

Ministers say they are working with the Law Commission to make buying a freehold cheaper and easier, but in the meantime, families continue to be held to ransom by the greedy and unscrupulous.

Car cowboys

Hiring a car is like navigating the Wild Wild West - and you don't even need to go abroad to get caught out.

Earlier this month, my partner and I rented a car through Hertz for a couple of days in Scotland.

When we tried to return it, the woman at the desk claimed she had found a tiny chip in the paintwork that was not listed on her damage report.

'That will be 280 plus a 35 admin charge,' she announced. 'Please sign here.'

Imagine our (lack of) surprise when later we pulled up the photographs we had taken of the car when we'd picked it up and found that very same paint chip.

A paint chip, I might add, that did not look like it was even close to 280 worth of damage.

This is the second time in six months that a car hire company has tried to pull a fast one on me.

So at the risk of repeating myself: feeling like you've been ripped off shouldn't be the default experience when renting a car.

When are the regulators going to crack down on these sharks once and for all?

BA's fax faff

When a colleague asked me last week where in the office he might find a fax machine, I was first surprised, then intrigued.

I was under the impression that the advent of email meant no one really needed to use them any more.

It turned out that, on his way home from a family holiday in Italy, his British Airways flight had been delayed and, as a result, he and his brother had to pay for a taxi home from the airport.

When he asked British Airways to reimburse him the 16.07 taxi fare, he was told to fax over a letter from his brother giving permission for him to handle the complaint.

What a faff! Surely a simple email from his brother would have sufficed - especially given that British Airways was willing to accept a copy of the taxi receipt via email?

It's almost as if it's in its interest for you to give up...

v.bischoff@dailymail.co.ukRoss Ramsey is executive editor and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. This analysis originated at texastribune.com. Contact Ramsey at rramsey@texastribune.org.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.Glencores boss will bag a 90million pay-out tomorrow as the mining group dishes out the second half of a dividend.

Ivan Glasenberg, 61, owns an 8.5 per cent stake in Glencore after he and other bosses snapped up shares in 2015 to pour cash into the firm and help it reduce debt.

His stake is worth more than 4billion with shares having risen almost 400 per cent since lows of around 73p in 2016 to 341p.

The Swiss village where Glasenberg lives has slashed taxes from residents because of the huge sums it earns from the mining tycoon.

Windfall: Ivan Glasenberg owns an 8.5 per cent stake in Glencore after he and other bosses snapped up shares in 2015 to pour cash into the firm and help it reduce debt

He and other shareholders will be getting a pay-out of around 7.64p tomorrow, having received the first half of the payment in May.

Head of zinc Daniel Francisco Mate Badenes, 55, and director Telis Mistakidis, 56, who each own around 3.2 per cent of the firm according to Reuters data, should get around 34million each.

Yesterday the commodities trader and miner also announced plans on Tuesday to buy back a further $1billion (759billion) in shares.

It has already bought back $1billion worth since July in an apparent bid to shore up the share price that has fallen amid a corruption probe.

Glencores stock suffered its biggest one day fall in more than two years in July as the business revealed it had received a subpoena from the US Department of Justice demanding documents about the mining firms business in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Venezuela and Nigeria.

Glencore relies on the DRC as a source of cobalt, a key metal used to make batteries for electric vehicles. But the area is fraught with difficulties.

The US has slapped sanctions on Glencores former mining partner there Dan Gertler, accusing him of getting sweetheart mining deals out of DRC president Joseph Kabila.

Glencore has had to agree to pay his outstanding royalties in euros rather than dollars to avoid US sanctions.

Chairman Tony Hayward, as well as board members Leonhard Fischer and Patrice Merrin, are overseeing Glencores response to the US investigation.

Separately last week, a High Court judge told Glencores lawyers to hand over documents to a Bloomberg journalist, who was covering a commercial dispute at the court between the mining group and Peruvian rival.

Glencores solicitor refused to hand Kaye Wiggins a copy of a written skeleton argument. The reporter raised the matter with Mrs Justice Moulder.

Glencores lawyer said he had instructions not voluntarily to do anything to publicise the matter, but if Your Ladyship were to direct us we would certainly do so.

The judge told him to hand it over, saying: I cant really see any reason to refuse the journalist access.British American Tobacco has named Jack Bowles chief executive.

Chief operating officer since 2017, he will replace Nicandro Durante, 62, who is retiring after nearly 37 years with the cigarette company and eight years at the helm.

Bowles will become chief executive designate on November 1 and will join the board on January 1.

He joined BAT in 2004 as head of its France division before becoming managing director of the groups listed subsidiary in Malaysia.Retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone has taken the axe to jobs in a cost-cutting shake-up welcomed by investors.

Releasing its business transformation strategy, McCarthy said it would slash costs by 40million per year by 2021.

A reorganisation of the sales team would be key to this, it added, while it would also simplify its building designs and contract work out where cheaper.

The company has not yet decided how many jobs will be cut or where.

Cost cutting drive: Retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone said it would slash costs by 40m per year by 2021

McCarthy blamed political uncertainty following the Brexit vote for its lacklustre recent performance, saying this had made potential house-hunters more cautious about buying.

In reaction, it lowered its housebuilding target from 3,000 properties per year to 2,100.

John Tonkiss, its former chief operating officer who was installed as chief executive yesterday, said the strategy showed a shift in business mindset from pushing for growth to increasing the return on the money it spent.

He added: We are positioning the business to succeed in the current challenging market environment and over the next three years, we will be focusing on increasing shareholder returns.

Shares, which plummeted more than 17.1 per cent over one day in June after a surprise profit warning, climbed 8.1 per cent, or 9.8p, to 131.1p.

Anthony Codling, an analyst at Jefferies, said that though McCarthy may be down it certainly is not out.

But while the firm had one foot out of the grave, Codling added, he also questioned whether the turnaround was bold enough.

Stock Watch - Wandisco A contract win with a global car and truck manufacturer was not enough to drive software company Wandisco out of the doldrums. The group said it had been building its relationship with cloud computing giants, but its revenue for the first half of the year was still down from 7.4million to 5million. It also swung from a 0.2million profit to a 4.5million loss, though it said the 152,000 contract should grow to be in the multi-millions. Shares slipped 13.1 per cent, or 86p, to 570p.

In another blow for the construction sector, building materials company Low & Bonar tumbled as it issued a profit warning.

Though it sold as much as it was expecting to, the firm said prices of key raw materials had continued to rise.

Meanwhile stiff competition from rivals meant it hadnt dared to push up prices for its customers.

Profitability for the full year would be significantly lower than previously anticipated, the company confirmed.

To add to its woes, Lows chief financial officer Simon Webb announced he was jumping ship for personal reasons.

Analysts at Peel Hunt reduced their recommendation from buy to hold, as shares plunged 19.5 per cent, or 10p, to 41.3p.

The FTSE 100 had a moderately better day, rising 0.66 per cent, or 49.15 points, to 7507.56 as promising sales at Next (up 7.7 per cent, or 394p, to 5518p) bumped up the index.

But airlines weighed heavily after being hit with a double dose of bad news.

While the price of oil climbed, spelling increased costs for the sector, global airline industry body IATA warned that the Governments papers on a no-deal Brexit exposed the extreme seriousness of what is at stake.

IATAs boss Alexandre de Juniac said a huge amount of work would be required to maintain vital air links.

BAs owner IAG fell 4 per cent, or 27.2p, to 659.4p, while Easyjet slipped 3.4 per cent, or 47.5p, to 1333.5p.

On Londons junior market Keystone Law, the UKs third-ever listed law firm impressed shareholders as sales shot up 29.9 per cent to 19.9million in the first half of the year.

The firm, which has represented TV presenter Noel Edmonds in his fight against Lloyds Bank, also hired 31 lawyers in the six months to June.

Its flexible working model, which lets lawyers work from wherever they want, has proved popular. Keystone said they received 132 applications for a job.

Shares rocketed by 13.7 per cent, or 45p, to 374p as the firm said trading was ahead of expectations.Thousands of people are paying for 'unfair' mobile phone insurance policies with up to 40 exclusions littering the small print.

With handsets costing up to 1,450, one in ten now insures their device against theft, accidental damage and technical faults.

But Money Mail research reveals that even if you have cover, your claim could be refused for dozens of reasons.

Theft: Many insurers exclude instances where a phone was left unattended, you invited guests into your home or no physical force was used

These could include not keeping your mobile within arm's reach at all times, allowing rain or a washing machine to damage it, or losing the device after drinking alcohol.

Many insurers claim to cover you for theft  but exclude instances where the phone was left unattended, you invited guests into your home or no physical force was used.

This means only burglary and muggings are generally covered, while pickpocketing and distraction thefts are not.

Other insurers claim to cover you for accidents  only to insist you take 'all precautions' to prevent it happening, potentially making it hard to claim.

Phone insurance costs up to 120 a year and, if you want to cover other gadgets on the same policy, such as tablet computers or laptops, the cost can rise to more than 300.

But you could be wasting cash if the small print makes it difficult to make a successful claim.

Research for Money Mail, done by Defaqto, found that, of 150 policies, one in five failed to cover theft. One in ten did not cover gadgets stolen from commercial vehicles.

About one in three would not meet the cost of unauthorised calls or data  so you could be left with a big bill if someone makes overseas calls or watches films on your phone.

Exclusions: With some insurers only burglary and muggings are generally covered, while pickpocketing and distraction thefts are not

Two-thirds of policies ban you from making a claim for a certain period  sometimes several weeks  after taking out your policy.

Defaqto analysed 150 different mobile phone insurance policies and identified 25 common exclusions that might prevent a claim being paid, or make it harder for you to claim.

Money Mail also found dozens more obscure terms and conditions in the small print, which sometimes stretched to three pages.

Insurer Cover My had 40 exclusions, Insurancefair 32 and Better Buy Insurance, 30, and Debenhams Gadget Insurance, 34.

Many insurers will not cover stolen phones left 'unattended'  but the definition of this is vague and varies a lot.

Better Buy Insurance says it would turn down a claim where the phone was 'not within your sight at all times and out of your arms-length reach'.

One policy sold through broker HomeRescueCo, states: 'You must keep your gadget within your possession, control and proximity at all times'.

ZugarZnap uses the hashtag #stupidhappenz to advertise its accidental damage cover, but will not cover those who 'knowingly take a risk with your gadget'.

It says examples include, 'in a cafe or pub, you leave your gadget on the table when you go to the counter, the bar or the toilet instead of taking it with you'.

Martyn James, of online consumer complaints service Resolver, says: 'Insurers need to learn there's a big difference between being careless and being robbed. Firms should honour the spirit of the contract and not look for reasons not to pay.'

Mishaps: Some insurers claim to cover you for accidents  only to insist you take 'all precautions' to prevent it happening, potentially making it hard to claim

Others will not pay out for a stolen phone unless a thief broke into a building to get it. They often ask for a crime reference number.

However, Debenhams demands a full crime report  which is often harder to obtain and includes the investigating officer's details and how the crime is being probed.

Debenhams Gadget Insurance will not pay out for theft 'where the gadget has been stolen from any premises unless force, resulting in damage to the premises, was used to gain entry or exit.'

Gadgetinsurance.com and Tinhat will not pay out if thefts happen after inviting even friends and family to your home.

They will not cover claimants for theft 'when in your home with invited guests/tradesmen or other people unless the gadget is concealed on or about your person when not in use, or it is stored in a locked room or secured receptacle (such as a locked safe, locked locker or closed desk drawer)'.

Insurer i-Digital excludes any theft  or even accidental loss  not reported to police in 24 hours.

Cover My says it will not pay out 'where all precautions to prevent any loss or damage have not been taken', a somewhat all-encompassing clause.

HomeRescueCo, a broker, sells a policy that does not insure any 'accidental damage, loss or theft while you were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs'.

BuyMobilePhoneInsurance.com does not include unfortunate accidents 'where the equipment is placed into a washing machine'.

Research: Defaqto analysed 150 different mobile phone insurance policies and identified 25 common exclusions that might prevent a claim being paid, or make it harder for you to claim

And Simplesurance rules out 'liquid damage caused by rainfall'.

James Daley, of consumer research firm Fairer Finance, says: 'Insurers love to rely on large lists of exclusions and mobile phone policies are some of the worst.

'If an insurer is overly harsh, it may be worth taking your dispute to the Financial Ombudsman who will take a fresh look at your case.'

Often, customers would be better off taking out comprehensive home insurance which covers mobiles away from the home plus accidental damage.

You may need to pay an additional premium to cover items outside your property, but it would likely cover all personal possessions, rather than just your phone. The downside is you will usually pay a higher excess.

A ZugarZnap spokesman says it offers a free basic phone to customers taking out its gadget insurance which they could use on nights out or give to their children for events such as school trips and sleepovers, to avoid risking a costlier device.

Both Tinhat Insurance and Insurancefair say they typically accept over 90 per cent of claims received.

A Tinhat Insurance spokesman says: 'The typical value of a gadget we insure is 750 and as a comparison, we believe that most customers would not leave the equivalent in cash unattended and in view, in the same circumstances.'

Debenhams, Cover My, Insurancefair and Better Buy Insurance say exclusions were clearly stated online and also in policy documents.

Asked why Debenhams needed a crime report, a company spokesman says this is because 'it may assist in the recovery of the lost or stolen item as well as in local crime fighting.'

A spokesman for broker HomeRescueCo says that it does not consider the alcohol clause 'an excessive term'.President Donald Trump met with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday in New York.

Trump says the two men have had 'some very good experiences' but acknowledges, 'on occasion not so good, but 99 percent very good.'

He says they'll be discussing a range of subjects, including trade, defense and terrorism.

Trump is also fondly remembering the state dinner he hosted for Macron earlier this year- calling it something 'very special'.

He also remembered the dinner he had with Macron atop the Eiffel Tour when he visited Paris last year.

President Donald Trump meets with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Lotte New York Palace hotel during the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, September 24, 2018

Get in: Trump grimaces as he squeezes the French President's hand during their meeting

Macron and Trump react as they hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, 2018

Trump says the two men have had 'some very good experiences' but acknowledges, 'on occasion not so good, but 99 percent very good'

Trump is also fondly remembering the state dinner he hosted for Macron earlier this year- calling it something 'very special'

Trump is expected to return to France in November.

Macron is expressing condolences for the victims of Hurricane Florence, saying the people of France feel very close to Americans.

France's top diplomat is decrying what he calls U.S. President Donald Trump's 'mix of unilateralism and isolationism' but says that's no reason to snub Trump or lock him out of world events.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says the U.N. General Assembly this week will test whether people like Trump are 'playing together or playing lone horseman, whether they are seeking solutions or sticking to slogans.'

Trump is pictured during a bilateral meeting with French President Macron (off frame) in New York on September 24, 2018

Le Drian said Monday despite Trump's America first attitude France still wants Trump to join international ceremonies November 11 in Paris marking the end of World War I 'to celebrate the sacrifices of American forces.'

Le Drian suggested the ceremonies could remind Trump of the importance of international cooperation.

Trump says he's president of the United States, not the world.

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.

Hes calling for global action to address the illegal movement and abuse of drugs.

Trump meets with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi at the Lotte New York Palace hotel during the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, September 24, 2018, in New YorkCEO and primary shareholder Eddie Lamper has proposed a plan to avoid bankruptcy, as options and cash run low

Sears could be on the brink of bankruptcy if it does not repay a loan which is due in less than three weeks time.

Holdings Corp would have to sell more real estate and restructure its debt, Chief Executive Officer Eddie Lampert's hedge fund said in a regulatory filing, as the retailer looks to avoid bankruptcy.

The one-time American retail giant has struggled to transform its business in the face of declining foot traffic at brick-and-mortar stores and this month again warned about its ability to continue as a going concern.

To stem losses, the debt-laden company has closed hundreds of stores since last year and tried to sell assets.

Lampert had earlier said the company should sell its Kenmore appliances brand, home improvement businesses, and real estate, adding that his hedge fund ESL Investments Inc would bid in any sale.

The hedge fund, in the filing made public on Monday, urged the retailer's board to sell $1.5 billion more in real estate and restructure $1.1 billion in debt.

Lampert has also asked creditors to refinance $1.1 billion in debt before a $134 million debt payment is due on October 15.

He also called for the company to sell off $3.25 billion worth of real estate and assets, including Sears Home Services and the companys flagship Kenmore brand, which Lampert offered to buy last month for $400 million.

Sears is struggling to compete with online retailers like Amazon and Walmart. CEO Lampert has proposed restructuring the store chain's debt in an attempt to avoid going bankrupt

Sears said it has referred ESL's proposal to a special committee exploring the hedge fund's proposal to acquire Kenmore.

Lampert and his fund ESL are the company's two largest shareholders, according to Thomson Reuters data.

In recent decades, Sears, which was the worlds largest retailer in the 1960s, has struggled in the face of declining foot traffic at its brick-and-mortar stores.

Lamperts latest attempts may provide a short-term life line, but analysts said that it is not a sustainable plan for a company that has failed to reinvent itself in an era of online shopping.

Sears, which hasnt turned a profit since 2010, last year posted a loss of $383 million. Sales dropped 25 percent to $16.7 billion.

In another attempt to avoid bankruptcy, money-losing Sears last year sold its Craftsman tool brand to power tool maker Stanley Black & Decker for $900 million.Volatile actor Jeremy Piven stunned a Hollywood charity event for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking by yelling at the audience, 'f**k you all'.

Piven, 53, shocked guests with an expletive laden rant after his jokes fell flat at the 9th annual Face Forward fundraising gala at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Some guests were already surprised that Piven, who was dragged into the MeToo movement when multiple accusations of sexual abuse were leveled against him, agreed to host the $450 a seat event on Saturday night.

In a series of outbursts on stage Piven dished up often offensive material to an audience filled with recovering domestic abuse victims and others scarred mentally and physically by acid attacks.

Volatile actor Jeremy Piven stunned a Hollywood charity event for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking by yelling at the audience, 'f*** you all' on Saturday (pictured)

Piven resorted to sexual innuendos to gain an ironic cheer from the crowd, when he asked repeatedly if he should 'go deeper'. The star (seen here with two attendees of the gala) was not happy that his material was greeted with very little laughter, lashing out at the audience

During his brief stage appearances the star told jokes about sex acts, Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian, rehearsing vulgar acting material with his mother and complaining about his niece.

However the star, most famous for his role as Ari Gold on the hit show Entourage, was not happy that his material was greeted with very little laughter.

Reacting to the poor response, he blasted: 'This is a tough room by the way. Tough room. Oh I knew it. I knew it. I just decided I'm doing a two hour set because you're not giving me love. So f*** you all.'

Piven has been touring the country in a bid to reinvent himself as a stand up comic, but the star's routine fell flat.

The actor moaned that the room was 'tough' and it was 'hard to tell what material to do in here'.

Within seconds of walking out on stage, Piven started: 'Met a guy today who said, 'Bro I'm a big fan. I'm a douche bag because of you.' (Looks at crowd and then goes into this monologue): 'Do they do this to all actors you guys?

'Do they go up to the great Bryan Cranston, Walter White, and do say 'I sell meth and kill people because of you?' No they don't. 'Do they go up to Kim Kardashian and say, 'I do absolutely nothing because of you?' Do they go up to Justin Bieber and do they say, 'I'm a lesbian because of you.'

Piven resorted to sexual innuendos to gain an ironic cheer from the crowd, when he asked repeatedly if he should 'go deeper'.

So Piven turned to his most famous role on Entourage, bringing up his mother Joyce.

He said: 'Okay I grew up in a theater family. I ran lines with my mother. Until this very day I run lines with her. Whenever you see Entourage, note that every scene that I did, it was running with my mother.

'I'm running lines with my mom. She's in the kitchen serving up some soup, doing her thing. I go, ''You ready mom? Let's go run the scene.''

Then yelling like his character Ari, he acted out the scene: 'Have you had so much c** squirted in your face that you can't see what's right in front of you?'

'My mom says, ''Go again. Let's go again. I need you to commit more to the c**.''

As three people laughed, Piven smirked: 'By the way, that is why I am still in therapy.'

Piven turned to his most famous role as Ari Gold on Entourage, (pictured with co-star Adrian Grenier) to joke about rehearsing vulgar acting material with his mother

Soon after, as he realized that his audience wasn't amused by his performance, Piven reacted: 'I just decided to retire based on this applause,' before introducing other acts.

One guest, who asked to remain anonymous, told DailyMail.com: 'People there were wondering why Jeremy was there at this very serious event.

'He was surrounded by women who had been through abuse, domestic violence, mental torture from their partners and even acid attacks.

'But he seemed to treat the night as some kind of try out for his stand up work, and it fell flat.

'Many guests knew he had already been hit by claims of his own abuse - which he has denied - but it made him an odd choice for this event.'

But an event organizer, who asked not to be named, insisted that Piven did a great job and blamed a noisy room for him not getting the crowd's full attention.

'The Face Forward Gala audience is balancing very serious topics such as domestic violence and human trafficking, with party goers also looking for a great entertaining night to raise money,' the organizer told DailyMail.com.

'For this reason we are a tricky audience for any comedian. Jeremy has been performing to sold out crowds on his comedy tour and specifically canceled a sold out show to host for us.'

'He was gracious, hilarious, conscientious of the room and respectful to the founder and our audience. The room was loud and full of 700 people being served dinner and not always paying attention to what was happening on stage including the honorees.'

Some guests were already surprised that Piven, who was dragged into the #MeToo movement when multiple accusations of sexual abuse were leveled against him, agreed to host the $450 a seat event

They continued: 'Part of his act was to be self-deprecating and combative he was warming up the crowd and communicating with the founder asking how racy he could go and the crowd yelled ''bring it on!''

'If you take any joke from any comic out of context it would look inappropriate but it wasn't and at the end of the day he helped us raise over $500,000 to help victims of DV and HT.

Piven was fired by then CBS network chairman Les Moonves on the set of his drama Wisdom Of The Crowd.

DailyMail.com reported how Piven begged Moonves for his job back amid sex abuse allegations last year

Moonves, who has since himself been fired over a series of allegations, felt he had no option as more accusers came forward to claim Piven has been sexually abusive.

Piven was accused of five allegations of sexual misconduct and he has always denied any claims of sexual misconduct..

BAFTA and Emmy winner Piven was said to be an 'emotional wreck' because of the claims.

Piven was accused on Twitter of sexual harassment and assault by 38-year-old actress Ariane Bellamar at the end of October who claimed the star groped her twice, once in his trailer on the Entourage set and the other at the Playboy mansion.

Actress Cassidy Freeman (pictured) said on her Instagram page that Piven engaged in 'predatory behavior' against her when she was 'far too young'

Piven was accused on Twitter of sexual harassment and assault by actress Ariane Bellamar (pictured) who claimed the star groped her twice, once in his trailer on the Entourage set and the other at the Playboy mansion

That was followed by actress Cassidy Freeman who said on her Instagram page that Piven engaged in 'predatory behavior' against her when she was 'far too young.'

And then two more women have since come forward accusing the Emmy winning actor of sexual assault and harassment.

Washington-based advertising executive Tiffany Bacon Scourby, 39, and Hawaii-based porn star Isis Taylor both say Piven attacked or harassed them.

Piven has denied all allegations of sexual assault saying they 'are absolutely false and completely fabricated.'

Face Forward is an 11-year-old non-profit organization that provides free reconstructive surgery for victims of violent crimes.

All funds raised at their annual gala go directly toward patient treatment and recoveries, airfare, accommodations, and all necessary medical expenses for survivors.

The charity was founded by domestic violence survivor Deborah Alessi who then recruited her husband, Dr. David Alessi M.D., a renowned facial reconstructive surgeon, to help survivors from around the globe.

Since being founded, Face Forward has provided millions of dollars in donated surgical and counseling services to nearly 70 patients from eight different countries.Exclusive footage show Sarah Palin's son Track doing community service at a Salvation Army thrift store.

The 29-year-old was sentenced to unpaid work after breaking into his childhood home and beating up his dad Todd, 54, so severely it left him bleeding from the head.

Police arrested Track - the son of the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin - following the attack last December.

But he was let off with a slap on the wrist after admitting misdemeanor criminal trespass for breaking into his childhood home as part of a plea deal.

Track Palin was seen carrying out community service at a Salvation Army store after beating his dad Todd. He is pictured outside his Wasilla, Alaska home on December 22, 2017

Roughed up: Just days after being attacked by his son Track, Todd Palin (left) showed a bruise under his eye and large gash on his nose

Prosecutors dismissed a felony charge of burglary and misdemeanor charges of assault and criminal mischief.

It meant Palin, an Army veteran who served a year in Iraq, could take part in Alaska Veterans Court, a therapeutic rehab program.

A source revealed that as part of the program - which involves treatment and court monitoring - he worked three shifts at the Salvation Army goodwill store in Wasilla, Alaska, last month.

They said: 'His community service was cleaning bathrooms, sweeping floors and picking up and hanging clothes.

'He also has to go to classes several times a week and has court hearings.

'I think people would be surprised. It's almost incognito - it's not picking up trash on the highway.'

Police arrested Track Palin following the attack last December. But he was let off with a slap on the wrist after admitting misdemeanor criminal trespass for breaking into his childhood home as part of a plea deal

A source revealed that as part of the program - which involves treatment and court monitoring - he worked three shifts at the Salvation Army goodwill store

Sarah Palin with her husband Todd Palin at their home in Wasilla, Alaska

Track Palin was arrested on December 16 after breaking into his parents' house and assaulting his father in a row over a truck.

An incident report included in Palin's charging documents reveals that he broke into his family home through a window after being told by Todd he was not welcome, and then began to hit his father over the head.

Todd had tried to keep his son out by meeting him at the door and pointing a gun at him, but Track was able to disarm him and 'put him on the floor' before beating him bloody.

Sarah told police her son was 'freaking out and was on some type of medication'.

He was sentenced at Anchorage Veterans Court in June.

When Track successfully completes the Anchorage Veterans Court program his plea to a Class A misdemeanor will be withdrawn and will be allowed to plead to a Class B misdemeanor of criminal trespass with a maximum sentence of ten days in jail.

He will also be subjected to weekly urine tests, court dates and have to undergo intense counseling for at least nine months as part of the Anchorage Veterans Court program.

Track Palin (pictured right) was sentenced at Anchorage Veterans Court in June

Sarah and Todd Palin (center) are parents to five children, including Bristol (third from left), Willow (fourth from left), Trig (in Willow's arms), Piper (third from right) and Track (right)

In January, the mother of Track's son broke her silence to DailyMailTV about the domestic violence she suffered after he choked her when she was seven months pregnant and attacked her while she held their weeks-old baby.

Jordan Loewe, 25, who has a young son, Charlie, with Track filed for a change in custody, saying: 'I filed for a change in our custody because there has been a change in circumstances.

'Track filed in opposition, saying this event did not involve Charlie and me and he is still a fine and capable father.

'This isn't about Charlie, this is about Track being able to say he's a dad and he didn't lose custody.'

Jordan who detailed the abuse she suffered from for nearly two years at the hand of Track credits her family, close friends and two years of intensive counselling to getting her where she is today.

Jordan Loewe who was in an abusive relationship with Sarah Palin's son, Track Palin. The young couple had a son together named Charlie (pictured) before they split

Track Palin is pictured with Jordan Loewe, the mother of his son Charlie. Jordan revealed to DailyMailTV Track had choked her when she was seven months pregnant

Jordan also shared chilling phone calls from Track with DailyMailTV.

In one call from 2016, Track says: 'Obviously, if you're coming out here, and you're going to bring anybody else out here, then your person who you're going to bring out here is a hostile intent, and I'm going to treat him like a hostile intent I'm going to put him in the ground. I'm going to bury him.'

Jordan told DailyMailTV: 'This is a violent person. This is a really dangerous, unstable person. I started recording him and saving every voicemail he left me.'

Jordan revealed the physical assaults, harassment and psychological torture she endured as her ex awaits trial for assaulting his father at the Palin family compound in Wasilla, Alaska last month.Hikers who are risking serious injury and even death are doing so in the pursuit of likes and 'shares' on social media, rescue chiefs warn.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Search and Rescue teams conducted 681 missions in 2017, its largest number in five years.

The figure represents a 38 per cent increase from the 491 rescues they conducted in 2013.

Team leaders say the single largest factor for that increase is people posting videos of extreme activities online, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Wilson Guarin (pictured) recorded footage of cliff-jumpers who wanted to take a video of their antics but later up breaking limbs and had to be rescued by first responders at Hermit Falls

One man had to be airlifted (pictured) after he jumped into a rock pool and broke both his legs

Then without any thought about the difficulty others try to re-create their own 15-second version of glory.

The revelation comes after one man witnessed two thrill-seekers who had to be rescued after injuring themselves at Hermit Falls in Angeles National Forest.

Wilson 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 and that they wanted to get a video of themselves and post it to social media.

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.

Michael Leum, who oversees the LA County Sheriff Departments Search and Rescue teams, told the LA Times:

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.

Hermit Falls in Angeles National Forest (pictured) is a popular spot for hikers and people who like to jump in without knowing the layout or hidden dangers of the rock pool at the base of it

Young thrill-seekers like to go to Hermit Falls (pictured) and perform stunts to post on social media

He added: 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.

Robert Garcia, a fire chief for Angeles National Forest, doesnt discourage people from enjoying the outdoors but insisted that they should take precautions.

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.

The American Hiking Society recommends ten essential items any hiker should bring when heading out to take part in a trek.

They are appropriate footwear, a map and compass, food, rain gear and extra clothing, a first aid kit, sunscreen and a knife, and extra water and a way to purify it.Carlos Alberto Hernandez was 32 when he disappeared in November 1997

A mother continues to hold out hope that her son who disappeared as he tried to negotiate with car thieves in Colombia 21 years ago will come home.

Every day since Carlos Alberto Hernandez disappeared in 1997, Lilia Hernandez calls into a local radio show to deliver messages in the hope of finding her first born son.

Every time she goes on the air, she starts off by saying: 'Hello, my beautiful heart. Good morning. How did you wake up?'

She then goes on to provide her son with an update on how his two children and nephew are doing during the two minute slot the radio station gives over to her. She concludes with 'your entire family is waiting for you, I love you immensely'.

Carlos Alberto was 32 when he disappeared on November 24, 1997. His family believe he was kidnapped by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) but have never had any concrete proof to present a formal accusation.

According to a BBC interview, he had left the family home to reclaim his wife's car which had been stolen in Bogota. The alleged thieves had asked for $220,000 pesos ($74).

His mother told El Tiempo, that it was just a trick, advising him he was better off just forgetting about the vehicle.

The car was later found in Bogota, hours away from family's hometown of Villavicencio.

Lilia Hernandez does not miss a beat and is up every morning at dawn to call a local radio station that provides free on-air time with the only hope that her son hears the message

In the days followed his disappearance, a call from his cellphone was made to his wife, with whom he briefly spoke before being cut off.

Lilia Hernandez is seen above speaking on the radio station

There were also two additional calls made from the phone - one to the city of Meta, where there was a strong guerrilla presence.

The other call was made from the family's hometown of Villavicencio to the Bogota home of a man who had been liberated by the guerrilla group on the same day Carlos went missing.

According to Colombia's National Center of Historical Memory, there have been 80,569 cases of disappearance and 37,239 kidnappings over the last six decades.

Between 1958 and 2018, there have been an average of 1,343 cases per year.

The area where Carlos was last seen was known as a favorite target spot of the FARC guerrilla group, who in the country's volatile history have been second to the country's paramilitary groups when it came to disappearance and abduction cases.

Carlos had completed college and qualified as a doctor and was captain of the local police department when he disappeared.The 11-year-old girl who went missing after meeting up with her friends in Coomera.

Three girls have went missing after catching a train to a Gold Coast suburb on Sunday morning.

Two girls aged 13 and 14 travelled to Coomera at around 9.30am to meet up with their 11-year-old friend, before heading off on a train to an unknown location.

The 11-year-old is a Caucasian girl with brown hair and blue eyes, a fair complexion, and approximately 150cm tall. She was last seen wearing a baggy tie-died shirt, black tracksuit pants, Nike runners and carrying a black Nike bag.

The 13-year-old girl has tanned skin with short black curly hair and approximately 165cm tall. She was last seen wearing a light pink Everlast hooded jumper, long black leggings, blue Nike shoes and a pink polka dot backpack.

The 14-year-old is a Caucasian girl with long black hair and fair skin. She was last seen wearing a black Everlast hooded jumper with camouflage logo, black leggings and black Nike shoes, and was also carrying a Nike backpack.

The 13-year-old girl who went missing after catching a train to Coomera to meet up with her friends.

The Gold Coast suburb has a population of over 13,000 people.

Police urges the girls or anyone who may know about their whereabouts to contact them immediately on 131 444.Australian teenagers will be getting a free vaccine to protect them against four strains of the potentially deadly infection meningococcal.

The combined vaccine for meningococcal strains A, C, W and Y will be available at no cost to Australians aged 14 to 19 from next April.

The change is being listed for the age group on the National Immunisation Program, which provides free jabs.

Mishcelle Rhodes died from meningococcal the day after getting cleared by doctors.

More than a million teenagers are expected to get the vaccine in the next four years.

The listing for adolescents had been recommended by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.

It comes after the jab became freely available for 12-month-olds in July.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the bacterial infection, although rare, can be deadly.

It killed 28 Australians last year, compared to 11 in 2016 and 12 in 2015.

'The consequences are devastating for individuals and their families,' he said.

The federal government has also been under pressure to list a vaccine for the B strain of meningococcal on the National Immunisation Program.

But the prime minister has said the change cannot occur until the vaccine earned the recommendation of an expert committee.

The teenager was the second person on the Central Coast to die from the illness this year.

He has urged the company that makes the vaccine, GlaxoSmithKline, to have another attempt at becoming listed on the program.

The company confirmed in August it would consider the move but only after it had the results of a South Australian study on the impact of the vaccine, Bexsero, on meningococcal B immunity in 2019.A Sikh who became the first Coldstream Guard to wear a turban during the Trooping the Colour could be removed from his post after he allegedly failed a drugs test.

Charanpreet Singh Lall wore the traditional Sikh head covering at the Queen's 92nd birthday ceremony in June, this year.

But the 22-year-old from Leicester faces being kicked out of the Army after he allegedly tested positive for cocaine during a drug inspection last week, the Sun reported.

A source told the Sun last night that Lall had allegedly registered 'high levels' of the Class A drug.

Coldstream Guards soldier Charanpreet Singh Lall (pictured) is facing the boot after testing positive for cocaine

Guardsman Charanpreet at Southall Army Reserve Centre with his mother Ravinder, father Kulwinder and sister Simarpreet

The source added that, if true: 'The Guards carry out public duties at the Palace, it's disgraceful behaviour.

'It is for his commanding officer to decide if he gets the boot  but anyone caught taking Class A drugs can expect to be dismissed.

The insider said that 'everyone's shocked' by the situation and that Lall had caused 'embarassment' after being put in the limelight.

Lall and two other soldiers are alleged to have failed a test at Victoria Barracks, in Windsor, Berkshire, last week.

Brigadier Christopher Coles, Head of Army Personnel Services Group, said: 'I can confirm that a number of soldiers from the Coldstream Guards are under investigation for alleged drugs misuse.

Guardsman Lall made headlines when he wore his traditional Sikh headdress instead of a bearskin during the Queen's birthday celebrations in June (pictured)

Lall (pictured left on a night out with friends who are not suspected of any wrongdoing) had allegedly registered 'high levels' of the Class A drug, a source said

'Drugs abuse is incompatible with military service and those caught taking drugs can expect to be discharged.'

Originally born in Punjab, India, Lall moved to the UK with his family as a baby. He later joined the British Army in January 2016.

He hit the headlines in June after he made history as part in the 1000-strong ceremony marking the Queen's official birthday.

Lall said at the time that he hoped the moment was looked upon as a 'change in history' and would encourage those from different backgrounds to join the Army.

He said: 'I hope that people watching, that they will just acknowledge it and that they will look at it as a new change in history.

'I hope that more people like me, not just Sikhs but from other religions and different backgrounds, that they will be encouraged to join the Army.'

The 22-year-old spoke of his pride at making history after being among more than 1,000 soldiers taking part in the Queen's birthday celebrations

Prior to the Trooping of the Colour, Lall said: 'I'm quite proud and I know that a lot of other people are proud of me as well.

'For myself, being the first turban-wearing Sikh to troop the colour and to be part of the escort it is a really high honour for myself, and hopefully for everyone else as well.

'My mum was crying on the day I passed out so I wonder what is going to happen to her when she sees me in this.'

Trooping the Colour has been held for the past 250 years to commemorate the birthday of the sovereign  and also functions as a display of army drills, music and horsemanship.

Last year the Army insisted it's was not relaxing its drug rules after it was revealed new recruits would not be dismissed if they were found to have used drugs within their first 14 days of training.

Hundreds of soldiers tested positive for substances including cocaine and ecstasy from just July to October last year.

Officials carried out 22,910 tests during the four-month period, according to a freedom of information request.

Of those, 220 produced positive results  less than one per cent of those tested.A lawyer says mental illness caused the fraudulent promoter of a failed music festival to rip off investors and commit other crimes.

Attorney Randall Jackson sent a letter to Manhattan Judge Naomi Buchwald asking for leniency at Billy McFarland's October sentencing.

Jackson claimed that the fraudster suffered from an 'unspecified bipolar related disorder,' according to the New York Daily News.

'He was experiencing symptoms of mania or hypomania...He was not sleeping and felt exhausted and overwhelmed. He had a diminished capacity to foresee the consequences of his actions,' Randall said in his letter.

Attorney Randall Jackson sent a letter to Manhattan Judge Naomi Buchwald asking for leniency at Billy McFarland's (pictured) October sentencing

McFarland, 27, pleaded guilty earlier this year to defrauding investors in the 2017 Fyre Festival in the Bahamas and cheating customers in a ticket scam

McFarland, 27, pleaded guilty earlier this year to defrauding investors in the 2017 Fyre Festival in the Bahamas and cheating customers in a ticket scam.

Without leniency, he faces up to 14 years behind bars.

Jackson cited a psychological report saying McFarland has Bipolar Related Disorder and may sometimes have 'delusional beliefs of having special and unique talents that will lead to fame and fortune.'

Jackson asserted that his client was 'overwhelmed' with having to pay back the $26million he scammed out of investors, including rapper Ja Rule

Jackson also asserted that his client was 'overwhelmed' with having to pay back the $26million he scammed out of investors, including rapper Ja Rule.

McFarland earned tabloid headlines after fraudulently enlisting 80 investors to pour $26 million into a festival promoted as 'the cultural experience of the decade.'

The festival was canceled and party-goers found that they had inadequate housing and food, all the while stranded at the Great Exuma island.

The festival was canceled and party-goers found that they had inadequate housing and food, all the while stranded at the Great Exuma island

Irate festival goers chill in the shade as they try to figure out what happened to the festival

'His misrepresentation of his assets was analogous to his tendency to lie as a child to cover up his disorganization and activities,' Jackson stated, citing another shrink.

His client seeks 'a meaningful prison term' followed by 'a longer period of supervised release' so he can pursue mental health treatment.'

Following his guilty plea for the Fyre fraud scheme, McFarland was charged for two more fraud crimes including a $100,000 scheme where he sold fake tickets to the Met Gala, Emmy Award and a Cleveland Cavaliers game that included a lunchwith Lebron James.Bowalley Road Rules



The blogosphere tends to be a very noisy, and all-too-often a very abusive, place. I intend Bowalley Road to be a much quieter, and certainly a more respectful, place.

So, if you wish your comments to survive the moderation process, you will have to follow the Bowalley Road Rules.

These are based on two very simple principles:

Courtesy and Respect.

Comments which are defamatory, vituperative, snide or hurtful will be removed, and the commentators responsible permanently banned.

Anonymous comments will not be published. Real names are preferred. If this is not possible, however, commentators are asked to use a consistent pseudonym.

Comments which are thoughtful, witty, creative and stimulating will be most welcome, becoming a permanent part of the Bowalley Road discourse.

However, I do add this warning. If the blog seems in danger of being over-run by the usual far-Right suspects, I reserve the right to simply disable the Comments function, and will keep it that way until the perpetrators find somewhere more appropriate to vent their collective spleen.

Advertisement

New Zealand's 'First Baby' has made her first United Nations appearance, watching her mother Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speak.

Ms Ardern, 38, spoke at the United Nations General Assembly hall for the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit on Monday morning, New York time. She is expected to deliver a more wide-ranging speech on Thursday.

While her mother was speaking about what Mandela meant to New Zealand, three-month old Neve watched on, held by father Clarke Gayford, 40, who is the baby's full-time caregiver.

The couple, who first met in 2012, were relatively media shy until Ms Ardern was made leader last year. A short time later the pair announced they were expecting their first child.

Scroll down for video

Following on from her talk, Neve was lucky enough to spend the rest of the session in her mum's arms, watching other leaders speak

Baby Neve was a big hit at the United Nations general assembly hall on Monday, New York time. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said they were delighted to see her there

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's partner Clarke Gayford held baby Neve (pictured) as the pair watched mum speak

Clarke Gayford, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's partner, shared on Twitter baby Neve's security pass for the annual gathering of world leaders in New York this week

Ms Ardern spoke of Mandela's 'profound impact' on New Zealand during her first speech at the summit, and shared how her father, who was a policeman, missed her first birthday because he was called to work during the mass protests opposing the 1981 Springbok Tour.

Following on from the speech, Neve was lucky enough to spend the rest of the session in her mum's arms, watching other leaders talk.

Mr Gayford took to twitter to share Neve's first UN experience, which began with 37 hours of flying.

Mr 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.

'I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change. Great yarn for her 21st,' he said.

Ms Ardren is only the second female world leader to give birth while in office, which has sparked huge fascination. Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto was the first in 1990.

Monday (New York time) was the first United Nations visit for New Zealand's first baby Neve Te Aroha Gayford. The three-month-old was a big hit at the summit

When Ms Ardern appeared on the Today Show in America, she shared that she apologised to passengers ahead of the flight to New York

The United Nations was delighted to see baby Neve in the General Assembly hall, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

'Prime Minister Ardern is showing that no one is better qualified to represent her country than a working mother. Just five percent of the world's leaders are women, so we need to make them as welcome here as possible,' he said.

Ms Ardern appeared on America's highest ranking breakfast show the Today Show to talk about motherhood and leadership.

She spoke of her appreciation for parents and particularly solo mothers.

Baby Neve wore an adorable striped shirt as she watched other leaders speak during the summit, which is being held in New York this week

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's partner Clarke Gayford and baby Neve had a front row seat during Ms Ardern's speech

'Parents who do it on their own, my appreciation for that has increased tenfold.'

She said apologised to passengers ahead of their flight to New York as the pair took baby Neve on board.

'There's that look though that you get when you walk on a plane with a little one, that stare from other passengers, which I felt very conscious of.'Legal experts have slammed new drink-driving laws which mean drivers who are over the limit will be slapped with on-the-spot fines instead of facing court.

Low-range drink drivers in New South Wales will no longer be forced to defend their case in a local court and will instead be slapped with a $561 fine, up from $482.

The laws, which have passed NSW Parliament's Lower House but are yet to be approved in the Upper House, are expected to take pressure off overcrowded courts.

But experts have put the reforms introduced by the state government to shame, saying the changes would do little to dissuade motorists from drink-drinking.

New South Wales drink-drivers will pay the price through fines costing over $500 for low-range offences

But experts have put the reforms introduced by the Berejiklian government to shame saying the new laws won't change the driver's behaviour

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Sydney lawyer John Sutton claimed on-the-spot fines by police would do little to deter people from drink driving.

'Infringement notices as more or less a taxation rather than a punishment,' Mr Sutton told the publication.

NSW Bar Association deputy senior public defender Richard Wilson said issuing fines over attending court meant offenders saw the crime as a less serious offence.

Mr Sutton said facing court was an effective deterrent in ensuring drivers 'do not reoffend'.

'The humiliation and embarrassment of having to collect references and admit criminal conduct, culminating in the experience of appearing before a judicial officer is what is necessary to cause offenders to modify their behaviour,' he told the Daily Telegraph.A naked man has been caught on a home surveillance camera going for a late night dip in a family's pool.

Police in Ococee, Florida, are now trying to identify the man who was seen on camera in the family's backyard pool Saturday night around 8pm.

The mother and her two daughters, who do not want to be identified, said their dog caught the naked man skinny dipping right outside of the young daughter's window.

'My daughter's window is right there. That's why (we) put a security camera there. People are just sick,' the mother told Click Orlando.

Police in Ococee, Florida, are searching for a man caught naked on camera

The man was seen skinny dipping in a family's pool Saturday night for 25 minutes

The mother-of-two alerted police and showed them the alarming footage that show the man in the pool for 25 minutes.

Authorities say they may be close to finding the streaker.

'We have looked at the video and we believe that he's someone we've dealt with before,' Deputy Chief Stephen McCosker said. 'But again, we need to finish that up before we move forward.'

He added that detectives recognized the man immediately.

He did the act directly outside of the daughter's window and in view of cameras

'We are OK, a little terrified,' the woman told the news outlet. 'My girls were scared to go to school. We don't know the man.'

The woman came into the police station for a photo line up Monday to identify the man.

McCosker said the suspect could face charges depending on what his intent was.

'If you don't know what someone's intent is or why they are doing something that could be a joke or a prank, it actually is very concerning, and that's why we are going to investigate this all the way through,' he said.Labour will today pledge to halt bank and Post Office closures in a drive to save the High Street.

Under the plans, the Financial Conduct Authority would be handed the power to veto plans to shut branches.

Shadow business minister Rebecca Long-Bailey will today warn that Britains High Street faces a slow and agonising death.

Shadow business minister Rebecca Long-Bailey will warn the High Street faces a 'slow' death

Under her proposals, the party would also ban charges at cash machines and encourage the provision of free public wi-fi in town centres.

Mrs Long-Bailey will argue that stopping bank closures will help neighbouring shops remain in business. Banks have shut almost 3,000 branches in the past four years  about 60 every month.

Labour would also stop the closure of Crown Post Offices, which are the large town centre branches directly managed by the Post Office.

In the past five years the number of Crown Post Offices has fallen from 373 to 262 as they have been closed or sold off and put inside shops.

Consumer and small business groups last night welcomed Labours plans.

Gareth Shaw (pictured) of Which? said banks and free ATMs are closing 'at an alarming rate'

Gareth Shaw of Which? said: Bank branches and free-to-use ATMs are closing at an alarming rate  threatening to leave consumers and businesses without vital banking services. Urgent action is needed to protect access to cash and banking services in areas where people still need them.

We welcome steps to put local communities at the heart of these decisions and give them the chance to have their say before these services disappear.

Mike Cherry, of the Federation of Small Business, added: Small businesses on our high streets are under the cosh like never before.

Its good to see Labour renewing its commitment to their survival against the odds.

Access to cash and banking services are critical to the future of our high streets. Small firms and consumers alike need free and reliable access to cash points and in-person banking support.

Bank branch closures often hit vulnerable consumers hardest and make life incredibly difficult for small firms that dont have the necessary broadband or mobile speeds to install card payment facilities.New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has found herself in a bitter online feud with a Labor MP after sending the woman a handwritten letter as a kind gesture.

Ms Berejiklian sent the letter to Jenny Aitchison, the member for Maitland, after learning the mother-of-two had both of her breasts removed and reconstructed in July after learning she had a cancer gene.

'I was so sorry to learn of your serious health issueI hope you are recovering well and our thoughts are with you and your family during this time,' the letter read.

But Ms Aitchison took issue with the message, firing back a scathing letter of her own critiquing the government's approach to health and use of state funds.

Her lengthy response was then uploaded in full on Facebook, accusing Ms Berejiklian of 'wasting billions of dollars on stadiums'.

Jenny Aitchison (pictured), the Member for Maitland, in NSW, has the breast cancer gene BRCA2, and has had it for 10 years

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian sent Ms Aitchison a letter (left) wishing her well

In her response, Ms Aitchison thanked Ms Berejiklian for her letter but accused Ms Berejiklian of prioritising stadiums over women's health.

'I want @GladysB to know first hand what it's like to be a woman in regional NSW struggling with cancer or other 'serious health issues'...Fix our health system...stop wasting billions of dollars on stadiums!' she wrote in a Facebook post.

'When I was diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene, I had a risk reducing bilateral saplingo oopherectomy and hysterectomy to reduce my breast cancer risk by half and to reduce ovarian cancer risk by 97%,' the letter read.

'Free MRIs once a year, interspersed with annual mammograms and ultrasounds (or when a lump seem to show) delayed my breast cancer.'

She was also unable to take the preventable medication due to menopause.

Ms Aitchison slammed Ms Berejiklian (pictured) for spending so much money on stadiums and not enough on women's health

'I couldn't find a surgeon in the Hunter who could do my surgery and had to wait six months for a private specialist in Sydney,' the Member for Maitland wrote.

'After surgery I had complications where I spent 52 hours in St Vincent's Public Hospital emergency department without being fed for 18 hours. The staff were amazing and overworked but there were no beds in either private or public wards.'

She then went on to explain why she was detailing all this information to the Premier, stressing she knew 'first hand what it's like to be a woman in regional New South Wales struggling with cancer and other 'serious health issues'.'

'I didn't want ask for or want special treatment because I'm a member of Parliament.

'I want you to fix our health system. Fund more screening for all women and education campaigns, and stop wasting billions of dollars on stadiums!'

Ms Berejiklian intends to go ahead with her controversial $2.5 billion stadium rebuild plans despite speculation of a cost blow-out.

The plan has been slammed by the Opposition and fans who say the stadiums do not need to be rebuilt.A government drugs adviser has been forced out of his position after a sustained campaign of abuse saw him branded 'worse than Hitler' and a 'pharma-whore', it emerged last night.

Professor David Baldwin was subjected to the vile taunts after he wrote an open letter to a newspaper playing down the side-effects of coming off anti-depressants.

At the time he wrote: 'In the vast majority of patients, any unpleasant symptoms experienced on discontinuing anti-depressants have resolved within two weeks of stopping treatment.'

But his letter prompted a fierce backlash from campaigners and psychiatrists alike who disagreed with his statement, the Times reported.

Professor David Baldwin (pictured) has been forced out of his position after a sustained campaign of abuse saw him branded 'worse than Hitler' and a 'pharma-whore'

One anonymous critic called him a 'pharmaceutical rapist and a lying serial murderer worse than Hitler!'

Following the publication of Professor Baldwin's letter, ministers ordered a Public Health England panel to discuss the subject on which Professor Baldwin represented the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The college then received a complaint from ten psychiatrists and psychologist, with the mental health professionals insisting that many patients suffered serious long-term health problems after coming off anti-depressants.

Others said he and his co-author Professor Wendy Burn were putting patients at risk.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists have continued to defend Professor Baldwin, claiming his analysis of the after-effects of coming off anti-depressants were in line with NICE guidance.

Hewas subjected to the vile taunts after he wrote an open letter to a newspaper playing down the side-effects of coming off anti-depressants. Stock photo

Last night Professor Burn, Professor Baldwin's co-author, said that his resignation was a 'significant loss' and feared it would weaken the panel review.

Professor Burns said: 'He made it clear to me that he felt harassed into resigning over what he viewed as a campaign against him, both in terms of complaints and on social media. He felt that responding to this campaign had become a distraction from his work on the review and was having an impact on his main commitment to delivering patient care.

'It is disappointing that any resignation should take place for these reasons and it is critical that the review and this ongoing debate more generally can be conducted in an informed, professional and respectful manner.'

But one of the mental health professionals who complained to the Royal College of Psychiatrists after the letter was published, psychologist, Professor John Read, dismissed suggestions that there was a campaign against Professor Baldwin.

Instead, he argued: 'We are trying to raise an issue of scientific integrity.

'We can't control what the anger of people by denial of what these drugs can do.'

He added: 'It's a shame that when professionals and scientists raise legitimate concerns about another's work they try to turn it into a personal issue.'

Rosanna O'Connor of Public Health England told the Times the institution 'regrets any personal distress caused to Professor Baldwin' and promised the review would be published next year.Donors who gave blood to the NHS might have been surprised to find out their good deed could have been saving the Taliban.

During the Afghanistan war, large volumes of blood collected here were sent to the field hospital in Helmand province, where it was used to treat both our own soldiers and the men trying to kill them.

This strange state of affairs encapsulates the contradictions of war fought with honour  and, increasingly, war fought with an eye on the law.

Silent fury: A Royal Marines veteran protests at the jailing of Sgt Alexander Blackman for killing an Afghan insurgent. He was freed last year

British surgeons at Camp Bastion went to extraordinary lengths to save wounded enemy fighters  and rightly so.

It was their duty under the Geneva Convention but also the moral thing to do, even if it meant patching up injured Afghan insurgents and enabling them to return to their deadly activities planting more roadside bombs.

Army doctors and medics accepted their humanitarian obligations, approaching each patient as a medical challenge rather than an individual who might be on the wrong side of the war.

Nonetheless, they were acutely aware that the enemy did not share the same standards.

I bet you a million they dont give our boys that sort of treatment, one said.

Ask members of the Armed Forces what they think of this state of affairs and a few will roll their eyes and complain that it is topsy-turvy.

When resources are limited, should they be squandered on enemy fighters at the expense of British or Allied patients?

The majority, though, disagree.

From the earliest days of their training, new recruits are taught to take pride in the way they treat the enemy.

They willingly embrace the highest standards of battlefield behaviour.

But these servicemen and women behave in this exemplary way for another reason too  because, if they dont, they might face legal repercussions.

Today, warfare is increasingly accompanied by lawfare, as individuals at all levels within the military seek to avoid being sued.

It began in Iraq, where, encouraged by unscrupulous British lawyers, hundreds of Iraqis lined up to seek compensation for alleged abuse and torture during the conflict.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson

Many in the Armed Forces feel the British Government has done very little to protect them from this corrosive new environment.

They are particularly bewildered and resentful that British troops are far more exposed to the threat of legal action than their European and U.S. counterparts.

They cant help wondering why they are especially liable to be sued and pursued.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is determined to act, but is grappling with officials and lawyers who wring their hands and say its all too difficult.

He will not back down, and hopes to announce a solution soon.

He deplores the judicialisation of warfare and the way it affects our troops. In Afghanistan, the new tick-box culture in the Armed Forces, designed to minimise legal risk, had a profound effect on military operations.

Captain Johnny Mercer, now a Conservative MP, recalls how young field commanders and soldiers were paralysed by the almost constant over-watch and second guessing of their actions.

In close contact with the enemy, this could prove fatal.

The concept, he acknowledged, was good: soldiers always asking themselves should I, could I, must I engage the target? with the emphasis on the last one.

This, however, is a very easy process while sat in HQ watching the action unfold on TV. It is a great deal harder when its you involved in mortal combat.

Many voters will wholeheartedly approve of such a cautious approach by our soldiers.

The concern is how it would play out in a bigger, more desperate battle. If the law loomed too heavily over the campaign in Afghanistan, how much worse would it be in a war of national survival?

Adapted from White Flag? An Examination Of The UKs Defence Capability, by Michael Ashcroft & Isabel Oakeshott, published by Biteback Publishing on October 2 at 20.  MAA Publishing Ltd 2018

To order a copy for 16 (offer valid until October 9, 2018, P&P free), visit www.mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640.

SAS SECRET OP TO TAKE DOWN KIM JONG-UN

Unlike any other branch of our military, Special Forces such as the SAS have few complaints about resources.

They are able to short-circuit the onerous standard Ministry of Defence procurement process and buy what they need to facilitate operations, from small arms to weapon-sights and light radios.

Generally, defence chiefs ensure they get what they need.

This year a bitter diplomatic row blew up between Kim Jong-un and President Trump over Kims missile tests

As a result, private jets are sometimes used to transport their ammunition when no RAF aircraft are available.

A former Special Forces officer revealed that this happens for selection exercises, which take place in Brunei.

That means flying out 100-plus people for six weeks and sometimes the RAF simply dont have the capacity and Special Forces have to charter a civilian jet.

The bill for such flights can run to half a million pounds, because of the nature of the cargo.

You need a lot of ammunition, which means a special aircraft in case there is a fire, and very expensive insurance. Plus, you have to give the pilots danger money. It all adds up.

There is, however, no culture of casual extravagance.

The source stressed that the hiring of private jets was always a last resort and efforts are always made to secure the most competitive quote.

To those in parts of the Armed Forces with overstretched budgets, this special treatment may provoke envy.

Such is the sensitivity of Special Forces operations, however, that there would be no mercy for politicians or military leaders who penny-pinched at their expense.

After all, these men epitomise all that the British military does best.

Which is why this year, as the bitter diplomatic row blew up between Kim Jong-un and President Trump over Kims missile tests, they were drawing up contingency plans to go to North Korea.

Had the mutual chest-beating and trading of insults between the two leaders ended in military action, the plan was for UK Special Forces supported by Royal Marines to team up with U.S. Navy SEALs in an operation to neutralise dozens of North Korean weapons sites.

The Americans didnt fancy it, so we were going to take the lead, according to a well-placed Special Forces source.

In a sign of how seriously the MoD took this possibility, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson ordered a stockpile of anthrax vaccines for troops that could be sent to the Korean peninsula.Palm Beach County mayor Melissa McKinlay took to Facebook blasting Forest Hill Community High School

A Florida mom has been left reeling after her daughter was sent home from school for wearing ripped jeans.

Palm Beach County mayor Melissa McKinlay took to Facebook blasting Forest Hill Community High School in West Palm Beach for being 'sexist' after her daughter was pulled out of an IB History quiz because of the large hole in the right knee of her denim, which violated the dress code.

She wrote on Facebook: '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.

'Im sorry but EXCUSE ME? 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?

'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?

'Sexism. Victim blaming. Girl shaming.

'This Administrator should be suspended.'

Her daughter violated dress code but McKinlay was angry that a male authority figure allegedly told her daughter to think of boys' hormones when picking her outfits

The mayor posted the story on Facebook and accused the man of 'victim blaming'

McKinlay (pictured center right) is mother to two daughters and a son. She did not name which daughter was suspended

After posting an image of the jeans with her comments on September 13, the well-known figure in her community revealed she had received backlash people who opposed her view that her child was the victim of sexism.

'It is unfathomable to me how many people out there want to tell me that I am a bad parent. Let me set the record straight,' she posted on Facebook September 19 after a woman had written into their local newspaper suggesting McKinlay was not teaching her girl to obey the rules at the school.

McKinlay followed up on Facebook: 'Imagine someone basically telling your child that if she was raped, it was her fault because she wore ripped jeans.'

She acknowledged the school was addressing the matter and called the principal 'wonderful'

McKinlay had a bone to pick with a columnist who referred to her rant as a 'Knee Too' moment

McKinlay revealed text messages showing that she did indeed reprimand her daughter for flouting the dress code in her casual attire but reminded readers that the way the situation was handled was inappropriate.

'My daughter then told me how upset she was that a male authority figure at the school mansplaned to her that she needed to think about the way her clothes made boys feel,' she told social media followers. 'I rightfully became as upset as she was.

'Why should she have to worry about dressing a certain way to curtail a boy's potential behavior? So, like, it's her fault if the boy touches her because of what she was wearing?

McKinlay was outraged at suggestions she was a bad mother and showed text proof she disciplined her daughter for violating dress code

The messages show her daughter missed class because she could not come home to change

The mother admitted that her daughter should have been put in detention but will not accept the reasons that have sexual connotations connected to her child being pulled from class

She highlighted that Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino really missed the mark when he used 'Knee Too' to suggest the incident could gain momentum like the #MeToo movement that has liberated women around the world who have been victims of sexual harassment.

In his column, his own daughter Natalie, 28, said when she was in school girls were always 'thirsty to show some skin' adding that it's 'part of acting as adult as they can'.

McKinlay mentioned that it equates to the antiquated and very un-politically correct notion of 'they asked for it'.

She responded to a letter that claimed she needed to teach her daughter a valuable lesson

While the mother-of-three acknowledges that the 'wonderful principal' and members of the School Board were addressing in the situation, she added that she hopes that it will change the schools in her county for good.

'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,' she wrote in a post September 14.

'And I am hopeful this will be used as an opportunity to provide further sensitivity training to staff and students.'

Before then and since then the mayor has been tweeting to show support for women victims shamed by men

Daily Mail reached out to Palm Beach Schools for comment via phone and email but contact was not immediately returned.Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street today) and Cabinet agreed UK leaves the bloc should not discriminate against nationals from the Commonwealth or elsewhere

Theresa May's cabinet yesterday agreed a post-Brexit visa system based on the skills and wealth of migrants - but with no preferential access for EU nationals.

Ministers backed a plan put forward by Sajid Javid, the home secretary, which is now expected to be among the key announcements at next week's Conservative Party conference.

Skilled workers will be favoured over unskilled ones, as will those from countries that have struck a free trade deal with the UK. This will include EU nationals but could be extended to Americans, Canadians and others.

In a boost for Mrs May, no major concerns were raised by ministers about how the divorce talks are progressing, despite hard-Brexiteers ramping up pressure on her to back a Canada-style free trade deal.

The only person who referred to a Canada-style deal was Prime Minister herself, The Guardian reported. She also said some EU leaders were being more helpful than others behind the scenes, but did not say who.

Cabinet sources said no ministers had spoken out against her Chequers plan for Brexit - despite EU leaders humiliatingly rejecting the blueprint at a summit last week.

The meeting will bring an element of relief for the under-pressure leader, who goes to New York on Tuesday for a UN meeting before heading to the Conservative Party Conference, where the immigration plan is expected to be unveiled.

Sources told MailOnline Chancellor Philip Hammond raised concerns about the speed with which the flow of migrants from the EU would be stemmed - but the view of the Mr Javid and Mrs May carried the argument.

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, left, is among the harder line Brexiteers in the Cabinet. Health Secretary Matt Hancock (right) was at Cabinet today

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Cabinet had been briefed by Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) chairman Professor Alan Manning on its recent report on ties to the EU.

'Cabinet was told by Professor Manning that the MAC was recommending that, in the post-Brexit immigration system, EEA and non-EEA nationals should be part of one universal system,' the spokeswoman said.

'A key conclusion was that high skilled migration is of greater economic benefit than lower skilled migration, and as such the MAC recommended that the new system should make it easier for higher skilled than lower skilled workers to come to the UK.

'The Cabinet agreed that, once free movement is brought to an end, the Government will be able to introduce a new system which works in the best interests of the United Kingdom  including by helping to boost productivity.'

Earlier this month the MAC concluded there should be 'no preference' for nationals from the bloc under a new immigration system. This will reassure those who want a level playing field for immigrants from the Commonwealth and elsewhere.

But it insisted high skilled workers should still be welcomed to Britain - and it should be easier for them to get in than those with lower skills.

Immigration minister Caroline Nokes was at the Cabinet meeting at Downing Street today

Net inflows from the EU have been running at 86,000 a year - but that figure is down from close to 200,000 before the referendum in 2016.

The premier told ministers that there was 'no future relationship that will prevent a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, maintain the constitutional integrity of the UK and respect the referendum result that does not include frictionless trade', according to the spokeswoman.

'The PM said that, as it stands, the Governments White Paper is the only plan on the table which achieves this and she remains confident of securing a deal with the EU,' the spokeswoman said.

'At the same time, the Government will continue to sensibly plan for no deal.'

Tory Brexiteers step up pressure on May as they back report warning her Chequers plan would make it IMPOSSIBLE to do trade deal with US

By James Tapsfield

Boris Johnson ramped up pressure on Theresa May yesterday as he hailed a report warning her Chequers plan would make a trade deal with the US impossible.

The former foreign secretary joined Brexiteers including David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg in endorsing a rival blueprint for a 'clean break' from Brussels.

The free market Institute of Economic Affairs think tank (IEA) urged ministers to seek a 'basic' free trade agreement for goods and pursue 'regulatory freedom and trade independence'.

It warned that Britain will squander an 'historic opportunity' to broaden its horizons if Mrs May sticks to her proposals.

The launch of the report came as Mrs May held a Cabinet meeting in the wake of her humiliation at the hands of EU leaders in Salzburg last week.

David Davis (left) and Jacob Rees-Mogg attended the launch of the IEA report in London yesterday

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.

'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.

Remainer bid to force Corbyn to back second Brexit referendum fails 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. 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.' Advertisement

'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)

How does Theresa May's Chequers deal compare with a Canada-style free trade deal? CHEQUERS Trade: Britain would stick to EU rules on goods by adopting a 'Common rulebook' with Brussels, but not in the services sector. Theresa May says this would allow the UK to strike free trade deals globally, but the scope would be limited by commitments to the EU. The blueprint should minimise the need for extra checks at the borders - protecting the 'just in time' systems used by the car industry to import and export parts. The UK Parliament could choose to diverge from these EU rules over time. But there is an admission that this would 'have consequences'. Customs: Britain would set up something called a 'facilitated customs arrangement'. This would see the UK effectively act as the EU's taxman - using British officials to collect customs which would then be paid on to the bloc. The borders between the UK and EU will be treated as a 'combined customs territory'. The UK would apply domestic tariffs and trade policies for goods intended for the UK, but charge EU tariffs and their equivalents for goods which will end up heading into the EU. Northern Ireland: Mrs May says her plan will prevent a hard Irish border, and mean no divergence between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain. There would be no need for extra border checks, as tariffs on goods would be the same. Single market origin rules and regulations would also be sufficiently aligned to avoid infrastructure. CANADA-STYLE Trade: Britain would strike a Canada-style trade deal with the EU, meaning goods flow both ways without tariffs. As it is a simple free trade deal, Britain would not be bound by most of the rules and red tape drawn up in Brussels. The arrangement would be a relatively clean break from the EU - but would fall far short of full access to the single market. Eurosceptics have suggested 'Canada plus' in key areas such as services and mutual recognition of standards. The UK would have broad scope to strike free trade deals around the world. Customs: Technology would be used to avoid extra customs checks on the borders. As a result goods travelling into the UK from the EU and vice versa would be tracked and customs paid without extra checks. The EU has suggested this is 'magical thinking'. Northern Ireland: The EU says the Canada model would mean border controls are required between Northern Ireland and the Republic to protect the single market and customs union. It insists Northern Ireland must stay in the bloc's customs jurisdiction in order to prevent that. Mrs May has signalled she agrees with the analysis - seemingly the reason she is reluctant to go down this route. But Brexiteers point out that there is already a tax border between the UK and Ireland, and say technology and trusted trader schemes can avoid the need for more infrastructure. Advertisement

Emmanuel Macron 'threatens to SNUB crunch EU summit to seal Brexit deal' unless Britain caves in over Irish border demands

By James Tapsfield

Emmanuel Macron is said to be threatening to snub a crunch EU summit intended to seal a Brexit deal unless Britain caves in over the Irish border.

The French president apparently made clear he is ready to boycott negotiations as he led a brutal assault on Theresa May by the bloc's leaders in Salzburg last week.

Mrs May was plunged into chaos after being bluntly told that her Chequers plan 'will not work'.

Mr Macron was among those demanding the hardest line against the UK, and he vowed to torpedo talks unless Mrs May backs down on the Irish border.

French president Emmanuel Macron (pictured in Salzburg last week) apparently made clear he is ready to boycott negotiations if the UK does not cave in over Irish border demands

The EU has insisted that the UK must agree to Northern Ireland staying within its jurisdiction for customs as part of a 'backstop' in the Withdrawal Agreement to avoid a hard Irish border.

But Mrs May says she will never accept such a plan as it would risk breaking up the UK.

One diplomat told The Times: 'President Macron was very clear that unless there was a true Withdrawal Agreement in October, he would not show up in Brussels for the planned November summit. He flatly refused to.'

Refusing to attend a summit would be seen as a 'nuclear option' in Brexit talks - and would almost certainly spell the end of negotiations.

Mr Macron sparked particular outrage last week when he gloated that turmoil in negotiations will teach Britons not to listen to 'liars' about how easy it would be to leave.

In his press conference, Mr Macron said: 'Brexit is the choice of the British people and it is a choice pushed by certain people who predicted easy solutions,' he said in Salzburg,' he said.

Theresa May (pictured at church in Maidenhead yesterday) was humiliated by EU leaders in Salzburg last week when they dismissed her Chequers plan

'Brexit has shown us one thing  and I fully respect British sovereignty in saying this  it has demonstrated that those who said you can easily do without Europe, that it will all go very well, that it is easy and there will be lots of money, are liars.

'This is all the more true because they left the next day, so they didn't have to manage it.'

Mr Macron said it was true that Brexit negotiations had been complex and lengthy.

But he added: 'That fact must not be exploited by those very people who are the cause of this problem, who got us into the Brexit situation and who now tell us that Europe is going from crisis to crisis.'

His claim the leaders of the Brexit campaign 'left the next day' after the vote appeared to confuse them with David Cameron, who quit as PM after calling on voters to back Remain.

By contrast, Brexit supporters David Davis, Boris Johnson and Liam Fox were brought into the Cabinet.Shadow chancellor John McDonnell was accused of playing down the hard-Left threat to Jewish MPs last night  by saying the risk came from the Right.

Jewish MP Luciana Berger was accompanied by police at the party conference on Sunday.

But when confronted on BBC Radio 4s Today with Miss Bergers comment that the threat comes increasingly from the Left, he highlighted the menace of the far-Right and replied: Wherever the threat comes from, were going to make sure our MPs are protected.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell (pictured) was accused of playing down the threat to Jewish MPs by the hard-left, claiming the real risk came from the Right

It came as Jewish Labour MP Ruth Smeeth said she only felt safe at the Labour conference accompanied by friends.

She told Londons LBC radio station yesterday that although she was tall and outspoken, she felt she needed support against abuse from anti-Semites.

Im 6ft, and Im pretty gobby, she said. Its not a friendly environment. I have very good friends with me all the time. Its a horrible place that were in.

Outspoken: But 6ft Ruth Smeeth still feels unsafe at the Labour conference

There was also anger yesterday after one of Jeremy Corbyns allies was pictured with Miko Peled. At last years conference, Mr Peled questioned whether the Holocaust took place.

Chris Williamson, the Labour MP for Derby North, met him at a fringe meeting in Liverpool.

Labour Against Anti-Semitism said Mr Williamson should be thrown out of the party. It added: The atmosphere of bullying and intimidation towards Labour Jewish MPs is not coming from the far-Right but from a hard-Left membership. It is a shame that Mr McDonnell cannot be more honest about this.A school principal has slammed the NAPLAN testing scheme, revealing he once discovered a student trying to take his own life during the examination.

Shane Gorman from Wanniassa School in Canberra told an ACT inquiry that several years ago a Year 5 student left a note in his classroom, where he was sitting the NAPLAN test, and was found shortly after, attempting suicide.

'He was going to end it,' Mr Gorman told the inquiry yesterday.

The principal of a school in Canberra has slammed the NAPLAN testing scheme, revealing that he once discovered a student trying to take his own life during the examination (stock image)

'People don't realise the stress it [NAPLAN] puts on kids.'

Mr Gorman admitted the example he provided was extreme, but added that it was almost more concerning given that he makes every effort to reduce the stress of NAPLAN testing on students, ABC News reported.

'I hate to think what happens in other schools where it's high stakes,' he said.

The 'Inquiry into Standardised testing in schools in ACT' was launched earlier this year to examine the purpose of the tests, alternate forms of assessment, their cost and efficiency, and impact on student wellbeing and mental health.

Mr Gorman is not alone in his criticism of the NAPLAN test, with an anonymous submission from the parent of another student also noting their concern (stock image)

And Mr Gorman was not alone in his criticism of the NAPLAN test, with an anonymous submission from the parent of another student also noting their concern.

'People don't realise the stress it puts on kids,' Wanniassa School Principal Shane Gorman (pictured) told an ACT inquiry into standardised testing

'My son who has just completed the NAPLAN for Year 5 was so worried and anxious that he begged to stay at home from school and was asking me how he would get into high school if he failed the NAPLAN,' they wrote.

'The pressure and time wasted by teachers, students and parents alike is ridiculous.'

Secretary for the Australian Education Union in ACT Glenn Fowler also submitted a recommendation to the government during the inquiry.

The AEU represents almost 190,000 educators and Mr Fowler said that in ten years, NAPLAN has delivered 'next to nothing' for ACT.

'NAPLAN has done more harm than good,' he stated.

'It must be replaced.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Committee Secretary for the Inquiry for further information.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide contact Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14Arsenal's star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was fined 1,250 yesterday after he was caught speeding in his Lamborghini.

The Gabon star was doing 99mph and was given six penalty points after being snapped by a speed camera on the M1.

The striker, who is a known fans of super-cars, was thought to be driving his 270,000 silver Lamborghini Aventador.

He appeared at Willesden Magistrates court in North London on Monday to receive his punishment.

Arsenal Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, pictured on top of his silver Lamborghini, was fined 1,250 after being caught speeding on the M1

According to the Sun, prosecutor Alison Larkin told magistrates: 'The defendant was stopped and asked why he was speeding and made no reply.'

Aubameyang's lawyer Robert Morris said the Gunners ace admitted speeding and added: 'He is very sorry he is in this position. He accepts he has no excuse.

'He uses his car to attend training and matches. It is the top of the bracket but is not by any stretch of the imagination the worst case of speeding.'

Aubameyang is a known fan of super-cars and has a collection worth 3 million, including a Porsche, Ferrari and a gold Range Rover

Aubameyang is believed to be earning 180,000-a-week after signing for Arsenal from German side Borussia Dortmund for 56 million in January.

His car collection, which he has previously shown off, is thought to include a Porsche, Ferrari and a gold Range Rover.

It is believed to be worth more than 3m.

Aubameyang could have also been banned for up to 28 days by North London's Willesden magistrates.Advertisement

The Yale community has thrown out its alumni pride to protest the Supreme Court nomination of law school alumnus Brett Kavanaugh amid claims of sexual misconduct against him.

The demo came a day after fellow Ivy League graduates Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer published a bombshell new report that included a new allegation.

Faculty members at the nation's most selective law school cancelled classes Monday as students demonstrated in Washington DC and several others staged sit-ins at the widely-liberal university.

Dozens of students were pictured outside the office of Democratic Senator of California, Dianne Feinstein, and Republican Senator of Maine, Susan Collins, as they angrily protested Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick.

Protesters donned black shirts with white lettering that said: 'Be A Hero' as well as signs that said, 'Women Demand Justice' and 'Susan Collins vote no or we will fund your future opponent.'

Police were seen monitoring the rowdy crowds and even placing several people in handcuffs.

Scroll down for video

A group of protesters against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh hold a banner that reads 'Be A Hero' outside offices of Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday

Protesters don black shirts while one holds up a sign that says 'Women Demand Justice'

Demonstrators protest against Supreme Court Associate Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh outside of Republican Senator of Maine, Susan Collins, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Monday

Protesters sit and chant against Kavanaugh as Capitol Hill Police officers make arrests outside the office Collins on Capitol Hill Monday in Washington

Another sign at the rally said 'Susan Collins Vote No Or we will fund your future opponent'

US Capitol Police arrest a demonstrator during a protest against the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh to be a Supreme Court Justice on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Monday

The protests followed a bombshell Sunday report by The New Yorker which included a new allegation from one of Kavanaugh's former colleague's, Deborah Ramirez, at the Ivy League university.

Ramirez claims Kavanaugh exposed his penis to her at a dorm party in the early 80's when they both attended Yale.

Authors of the New Yorker piece, Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer, also graduated from Yale.

Police on Capitol Hill were seen arresting several protesters on Monday during the demonstration

Another protester is seen being placed in handcuffs during the Monday protests in Washington, DC

The protests followed a bombshell Sunday report by the New Yorker which included a new allegation from one of Kavanaugh's former colleague's at the prestigious university, Deborah Ramirez

Protesters sit down and block the hallway shortly before being arrested outside the office of Democratic Senator from California Dianne Feinstein on Monday on Capitol Hill

The attack against Kavanaugh mimics that of Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas - who came under fire by Mayer during her time working at Wall Street Journal.

Thomas was accused of sexual harassment by his former employee, Anita Hill, in the early 90's.

The law school also has turned its back against Yale professor Amy Chua, a Kavanaugh supporter, after she denied allegations that the nominee told female clerks to dress provocatively for interviews with him.

Yale Law School is known to be widely intolerant of conservatives in its faculty.

More than 1,300 women from the Yale community signed a letter Monday in support of Ramirez, some of whom said they, too, are also survivors of sexual abuse.

The letter said: 'As women of Yale, some of whom are ourselves survivors of sexual assault, we stand behind Deborah Ramirez, Yale 87, and with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

'These two women have come forward with grave allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a Yale graduate.

'We are coming forward as women of Yale because we have a shared experience of the environment that shaped not only Judge Kavanaughs life and career, but our own. We are committed to supporting all women who have faced sexual assault, not only at Yale, but across the country.

Kavanaugh sat for a Fox News interview along with wife Ashley in a bid to keep his nomination from going off the tracks

'Ramirez has made allegations against Judge Kavanaugh about an incident that took place when both were students at Yale.

'We commend her courage in coming forward. We ask that she be afforded respect and security to protect her privacy, quality of life, and emotional stability.

'We demand that her allegations be thoroughly investigated and that she be treated with fairness, and given an opportunity to tell her story.

What I know is the truth, and the truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone -Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh

'We also demand that the Senate Judiciary Committee delay any vote on Judge Kavanaughs nomination to the United States Supreme Court until all allegations against him have been investigated, all witnesses have testified under oath, and his nomination has been thoroughly vetted.'

Last week, the Yale Daily News exposed Kavanaugh's wild antics during his time with the university's Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

This includes Kavanaugh's part in a shameful all-male club called 'Truth and Courage' - also referred to as the 'T*t and Cl*t' club.

Former Yale student, Kristin Sherry, told Buzzfeed News that TNC was different from other sororities and fraternities that had been 'looking for a prestigious family background, or your GPA.'

Sherry said TNC instead was mostly 'organized around having sex with coeds.'

Kavanaugh launched an all-out bid to save his nomination and blasted the 'smears' against him Monday.

He sat down for a joint interview with Fox News alongside his wife, Ashley, where he directly took on sexual assault accusations by a two different women that date back decades.

Following allegations by a woman who claims he exposed himself to her at a Yale University party, Kavanaugh released a statement that 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'

'What I know is the truth, and the truth is I've never sexually assaulted anyone,' Kavanaugh told Fox News' Martha MacCallum.

In another excerpt of the interview released before it aired, Kavanaugh said he was a virgin in high school and 'many years thereafter.'

Montgomery County investigators are aware of the allegation about Kavanaugh dating to his senior year in high school.

Following the new allegation Sunday, Kavanaugh released a statement that 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.'

Christine Blasey Ford (L) accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in high school. Deborah Ramirez (R) has newly claimed the nominee exposed himself at a Yale party in the 80's

Kavanaugh sat down for an interview on Fox News with host Martha MacCallum Monday evening alongside his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh. Here Kavanaugh (C) kisses his daughter Margaret as he is joined by his wife Ashley Estes Kavanaugh and daughter Liza, after President Donald Trump (R) nominated him

Ashley Estes Kavanaugh will defend her husband on the conservative Fox network after his nomination was thrown into turmoil by assault allegations

'SMEARS': Kavanaugh blasted the latest charges as 'smears, pure and simple'Flight cancellations and delays have made up 54 per cent of domestic travel claims in Australia.

InsureandGo revealed domestic disruptions were causing out-of-pocket expenses for Australians between January 2016 and June 2018.

'When it comes to insuring a local holiday, too many Aussies dont bother with travel insurance,' said Raphael Bandeira, Managing Director at InsureandGo.

'It will, therefore, be a surprise to them that in an 18-month period many travellers have made claims for trip delays and disruptions for local travel.'

Tigerair Australia achieved the lowest on time arrivals at 69.4 per cent, while Virgin Australia achieved the highest on time arrivals at 83 per cent

According to the 2017-18 Financial Report, Virgin Australia achieved the highest on time arrivals among major domestic airlines at around 83 per cent, while Tigerair Australia achieved the lowest on time arrivals at 69.4 per cent.

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines and Tigerair Australia had the highest cancellations rates at 2.6 per cent during 2017-18. On the lower end, Qantas airlines cancelled 1.5 per cent of flights and Jetstar and Regional Express cancelled 1.3 per cent.

The travel problems experienced by Australian claimants included a waiting time of over 12 hours for the next flight, bad weather and other unforeseen events, and personal matters such as family emergencies, job redundancies, and jury duty.

InsureandGo revealed the travel insurance claims involved waiting times of over 12 hours for the next flight, bad weather, and personal and family matters

Tigerair Australia spokeswoman commented the airline was 'committed to delivering consistent and reliable services' to customers and continually reviewing their operational framework.

'Unfortunately, we do occasionally need to change services due to adverse weather, operational requirements or other factors outside of our control,' she said.

'We understand that this can be frustrating for our customers and we work hard to ensure that any disruption is kept to a minimum.'

International trip disruption claims were approximately half of the domestic disruptions in Australia. 19 per cent of disruption claims were trip the US, 20 per cent to Asia, and 28 per cent to other international regions.

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines and Tigerair Australia had the highest cancellations rates at 2.6 per cent during 2017-18

Bandeira urges Australians to take domestic travel insurance starting from as little as $32.

'It could be the difference between the price of a lunch and price of thousands of dollars in pre-paid tours and accommodation.'

InsurerandGo has suggested tips to protect your next trip including getting insurance before travelling, reporting an incident within 24 hours and keeping all receipts and travel contracts.A convicted paedophile who was jailed for 12 years for molesting 15 schoolboys has outraged his victims by appealing to have his already lenient sentence reduced.

Former Sydney teacher Shane Andrew Matthews pleaded guilty to 33 charges of child sexual abuse, possession of child pornography, and child grooming between 2012 and 2015.

But in a final insult, Matthews has filed a notice of intention to appeal, just two days after he was handed the maximum 18-year jail term, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Primary school teacher Shane Matthews (pictured) was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in jail on Monday over child sex abuse charges

During the trial, Matthews wrote apology letters to each of his students, claiming he would accept the punishment handed down on him by the courts.

But one of his victims now believes the predator's admission of guilt and apology wasn't genuine as he is now trying to appeal what was already a 'lenient sentence'.

'He's not sorry at all. It's just bull****,' the schoolboy said.

'He should've got longer than 18 years.'

In sentencing at Campbelltown Local Court, Judge Jennifer English said that Matthews had acted like a 'predator'.

In total, he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 15 of his male students during his time at Wattle Grove Public School between 2012 and 2015.

On several occasions Matthews had meetings with parents of students at Wattle Grove Public School (pictured), where he told them their children needed tutoring

Matthews was regarded as a 'cool' teacher by students and regularly held superhero dress-up days (pictured)

Matthews (pictured) pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 15 students during his time teaching at Wattle Grove Public School, in Sydney's west, between 2012 and 2015

Judge English's comments were in contrast to the reputation Matthews developed in his three years working at the school.

During his trial, the court heard that he was 'considered by the students to be a 'cool' teacher and was considered by parents to be a 'good teacher'.

He would regularly hold 'superhero days' where he and the children would dress up and he would play games with his class in the schoolyard.

SHANE MATTHEWS' TIMELINE OF ABUSE: 2012-2015: Shane Andrew Matthews abuses 15 male students at Sydney primary school 2015: A former student, now in Year 10, reveals a history of abuse by Matthews 2015: Police investigations uncover 14 other boys had been abused 2016: Matthews charged with 33 counts of child sex abuse May 2018: Matthews pleads guilty to all 33 charges August 2018: Matthews is sentenced to a minimum of 12 years in jail Advertisement

But it was this person that Matthews used to target the children he wanted to groom.

On several occasions the young teacher called parents in for private meetings about the progress of their child.

During these meetings he would often ask to provide additional private tutoring in an effort to help their child's development.

But when children stayed behind to go through their studies one-on-one, Matthews would prey on them.

On multiple occasions during private one-on-one tutoring with another student the teacher told the boy to 'stand up' and 'pull down his shorts'.

The ordeals left the boy so traumatised he lied to his mother about being 'bullied' at school in an attempt to be allowed to stay home.

Matthews was only caught when one of his former students, now in Year 10, told a different teacher to 'f*** off' after they put their hand on his leg years later.

When the boy's parents asked him why he had reacted in this way the truth came out and police began to investigate Matthews' history of abuse.

Police then spoke with other students taught by Matthews who revealed more complaints.A farmer battling the drought has won a $200,000 lottery prize and now plans to spend his good fortune feeding his starving livestock.

The cattle grazier from the New South Wales Hunter Valley, one of the state's worst drought-hit areas, said the lack of rain had dried up his dams and tripled hay prices.

The land owner from Singleton, a two-hour drive north-west of Sydney, said his $200,000 Lucky Lotteries win had come at the perfect time.

A farmer battling the drought has won a $200,000 lottery prize and now plans to spend his good fortune on livestock (pictured as cattle at Quilpie in south-west Queensland)

The cattle grazier from the New South Wales Hunter Valley, one of the state's worst drought-hit areas, said the lack of rain had dried up his dams

'It's brilliant. It cheered my day up, as you can imagine,' he laughed today when contacted by a NSW Lotteries official.

'We've been going through the drought and things are a bit tough at the moment, so the win will be a godsend.

'It's a great win. We'll be using the money for all that and making our life a little less stressful.'

The farmer, who wished to remain anonymous, said the win would be used to feed his livestock.

The land owner from Singleton, a two-hour drive north-west of Sydney, said his $200,000 Lucky Lotteries win had come at the perfect time

'I've been buying hay for the animals and things are triple the price, so it will be very good,' he said.

'We are going to get a water bore and that can be expensive, so this will go towards things like that.

'We raise cattle for the markets and it has been tough, as a lot of our dams have been drying up.'

The farmer, who bought his winning ticket at the Singleton Discount Drug Store, won the first prize in Friday's Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot draw 1131.

With a consolation prize added in, his total winnings were $201,000.

The win came a month after the NSW Department of Primary Industries declared the entire state was in drought, with 61 per cent of it in drought or an intense drought.A tight-knit community has been left devastated following the death of a popular surfer.

Father-of-two Ricky Taylor, one of the original Bra Boys, a surfing brotherhood from Maroubra, in Sydney's east, died earlier this month, aged 43.

Mr Taylor was farewelled at a service on Friday, where more than 600 family and friends came together to pay tribute to the man who had a 'heart of heart' and was a 'loving husband and father'.

His funeral service was followed by a paddle-out involving hundreds of surfers just off Maroubra Beach.

Sydney surfer Ricky Taylor (pictured here with his family) has been remembered as a 'loving husband and father' following his death earlier this month

Following Mr Taylor's funeral, surfers came together for a paddle-out just off Maroubra Beach in Sydney's east

Among the mourners was friend John Sutton, a star player with Mr Taylor's beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs.

The NRL side also wore black armbands in their preliminary final against the Sydney Roosters on Saturday, as a tribute to Mr Taylor.

As well as being known for his surfing prowess, Mr Taylor was a top tradesman, keen fisherman and talented bass player.

His wife Ashleigh told Daily Mail Australia Mr Taylor was 'as real as they get - genuine, kind, driven' and a doting father to his two boys Kye, 11, and Brixton, 7.

'He loved them more than anything... and it's so cliche to say but it was true. He was always planning surf days music concerts and road trips for them. He talked about them non-stop. He was so proud,' she said.

Mrs Taylor said her best memories with her husband, who she met 14 years ago, 'are all the ones of him being a dad', saying parenting with Mr Taylor was always an adventure and he oozed happiness when he was around his two children.

'Watching Ricky in the surf and performing in bands onstage are also my favourite memories. He was always so content and at ease in the water and playing music,' she said.

'He was a very talented surfer, blessed with a natural gift in the water. It was his favourite place to be.'

The wife of Mr Taylor (pictured) said he was 'as real as they get - genuine, kind, driven'

Mrs Taylor said her husband (pictured) was a very talented surfer who was blessed with a natural gift in the water

Mrs Taylor said her husband had been part of the Maroubra community his whole life, where he was an 'an avid surfer and proud Bra Boy'.

'Ricky's genuine character and friendship has left an everlasting impact down here. He always stopped to ask how you were, he was always helping out friends when they needed it and mentoring younger grommets in the surf including his own boys,' she said.

'His infectious smile will be missed around here as well as his humour and lighthearted approach to life. Ricky did everything with love, integrity and style. He did things his way. And everyone loved that about him.'

A post on the My Brothers Keeper Facebook page said 'Maroubra has been punched in the chest with the loss of our brother Ricky Taylor'.

A GoFundMe page has been set-up in memory of Mr Taylor, 'to help Ashley and her boys with Ricky's funeral cost, and other expenses', with the page so far raising more than $40,000.

Mrs Taylor said her husband battled depression most of his life and he 'fought to stay here as long as he could but sometimes the black dog wins'.

'There are not enough free mental health services readily and easily available. Mental health treatment should not be so hard to find,' she said.

Lifeline: 13 11 14The only option to remove a giant rotting whale carcass that is attracting scores of sharks to a popular beach may be to tow it out to sea and sink it, a marine expert has said.

Authorities are so far stumped as to how to remove the 20m body of a whale, estimated to weigh up to 40 tonnes from Wattamolla beach, south of Sydney.

They have warned swimmers to stay out of the water as scores of hungry sharks have been attracted to the carcass which is wallowing in the shallows.

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Authorities are so far stumped as to how to remove the 20m body of a whale, estimated to weigh up to 40 tonnes from Wattamolla beach, south of Sydney

The sharks have been eating the mammal's carcass as it floated in a remote inlet located in the Royal National Park, before washing up on Wattamolla beach, more than 15 kilometres by car or boat from the nearest town.

University of Wollongong marine biology professor Andy Davis said the body was most likely an endangered Sei whale, the third largest species in the world, and that it may have to be towed out to sea and sunk.

'I've seen it done two ways,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday.

'The first is to drag it on shore, dig a big pit and bury it. But it's a rocky coast so that is virtually out of the question. I think the only option is to drag it offshore and sink it.'

A spokesperson for the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage which manages the Royal National Park warned people to stay out of the water.

Authorities warned people to stay out of the water as sharks have been attracted to the body

They have not yet decided how to remove the dead whale.

'No activities will be undertaken today,' the spokesperson said.

'National Parks and Wildlife Service is still considering options, which include towing the carcass out the sea.'

The whale carcass first became lodged on rocks near Wattamolla Beach a week ago before it was washed onto the sand overnight.

Its size and the beach's location inside the vast Royal National Park mean options for disposal are limited, a spokesperson said.

Authorities are yet to confirm the species of the whale but have ruled out it being a humpback.

Two Sydney bothers filmed themselves swimming near the carcass on the weekend even though sharks were nearby to feast on the dead mammal.Trump's personal attorney, Jay Sekulow, called for a 'time out on this inquiry,' referring directly to Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 campaign

While speculation and confusion reigned on Monday as to whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would be leaving his post at Justice Department, President Donald Trump's lawyer has called for a pause in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation should Rosenstein leave his post.

Trump's personal attorney, Jay Sekulow, called for a 'time out on this inquiry,' referring directly to Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 campaign.

'It clearly becomes necessary and appropriate... that there be a step back taken here, and a review - and I think it's a review that has to be thorough and complete' if Rosenstein is dismissed or resigns, Sekulow said.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein went to the White House on Monday expecting to be fired. The man who oversees Mueller probe will now meet President Trump on Thursday

Sekulow's comments reflect an ongoing campaign from President Trump's legal team, which includes Rudy Giuliani, to call for an end to Mueller's probe.

Rosenstein visited the White House on Monday to meet with Chief of Staff John Kelly with the expectation that he would be fired but he remained in the post as of Monday night.

The news came in relation to reports in recent days that at two separate meetings attended by Rosenstein then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe the day before Mueller was appointed in May 2017, Rosenstein suggested that McCabe or others wear a wire when speaking with the president.

Robert Mueller is conducting an investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 election campaign

Sources told ABC News that, according to the memos, Rosenstein raised the possibility of recruiting members of the president's Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office for being unfit.

Rosenstein said he thought he would be able to persuade Attorney General Jeff Sessions and then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to sign on.

On Friday, Rosenstein issued statements denying that he took any action to pursue secret recordings of Trump or that there was any basis to invoke the 25th amendment.

However, Rosenstein did not deny that he raised the prospect of using the 25th amendment or a wire to record the president.

Rosenstein is pictured leaving the White House on Tuesday after a meeting

Earlier this year, Trump accused Rosenstein of being one of the most conflicted officials at the Justice Department, asserting without evidence that he was among those seeking proof of a Trump-led conspiracy with Russias election interference

Rosenstein's fate remains unclear. ABC News reported on Monday that the president has already spoken to another official about becoming the acting deputy attorney general.

Rosenstein is now expected to meet Trump in person on Thursday 'to discuss the recent news stories,' according to White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.

Discussions over whether Trump will be interviewed by the special counsel have gone on for more than a year but as of now there is no clear indication as to whether the president will be summoned to give evidence.

The uncertainty is clearly bothering members of Trump's inner circle. In late August, Rudy Giuliani, one of the president's lawyers, tweeted, 'Just a few days before 60 day run-up to 2018 elections. If Mueller wants to show he's not partisan, then issue a report on collusion and obstruction.'The founders of social media platform Instagram have resigned without offering any explanation.

Chief Executive Kevin Systrom and Chief Technical Officer Mike Krieger announced late on Monday that they were leaving the smartphone photo-sharing service bought by Facebook six years ago for a billion dollars.

Facebook shares were down 2 per cent from Monday's close at the opening bell on Tuesday.

The pair's sudden departure follows frequent clashes with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over product changes to Instagram, including changes to comments and how posts are shared between the two networks, according to ReCode.

'We're planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again. Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs; that's what we plan to do,' Systrom said in a statement late Monday night.

Systrom, 34, is worth $1.4 billion, while the 32-year-old Krieger's wealth is estimated at about $500 million, according to Forbes.

Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom (left) and Mike Krieger (right) resigned Monday night

Reports have been swirling of 'clashes' between the men and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

'Mike and I are grateful for the last eight years at Instagram and six years with the Facebook team,' Systrom said.

'We've grown from 13 people to over a thousand with offices around the world, all while building products used and loved by a community of over one billion. We're now ready for our next chapter.'

'We remain excited for the future of Instagram and Facebook in the coming years as we transition from leaders to two users in a billion,' Systrom wrote in a statement.

'We look forward to watching what these innovative and extraordinary companies do next.'

The two men became overnight multi-millionaires when Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012, with Krieger going on to wed Kaitlyn Trigger in 2015 and Systrom marrying Nicole Schuetz in 2016.

Their departure from Instagram has not been a surprise for some tech commentators, who report that there has been tension between the pair and Facebook's leadership.

Business Insider's Tech Editor Alexei Oreskovic said the timing of their departure - both of them leaving at the same time - and the fact that neither Mark Zuckerberg or Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg are mentioned in their statement are clear signs of 'bad blood'.

According to Tech Crunch, it was Facebook's broken promise to allow Instagram to remain autonomous that was the main cause for their departure.

'Facebook had agreed to let it run independently as part of the acquisition deal. But in May, Instagrams beloved VP of Product Kevin Weil moved to Facebooks new blockchain team and was replaced by former VP of Facebook News Feed Adam Mosseri  a member of Zuckerbergs inner circle,' the website wrote.

Krieger wed Kaitlyn Trigger (left) in 2015 and Systrom married Nicole Schuetz (right) in 2016

The CEO and CTO are departing with no explanation after selling to Facebook six years ago but said they are 'ready for our next chapter'. Systrom is seen above

Facebook executives who have left in the past year Facebook is notorious for retaining its top talent, but the past year has seen a steady dribble of executive departures as the company comes under increasing public scrutiny and investor pressure. The high-profile departures include: WhatsApp cofounder Brian Acton, who left in September 2017. Acton said he intended to start a foundation "focused at the intersection of nonprofit, technology and communications." WhatsApp cofounder Jan Koum, who left in April 2018. Koum reportedly clashed with parent company Facebook over data privacy and the messaging apps business model. VP of Communications and Public Policy Elliot Schrage, who left in June 2018. Schrage gave no concrete reason for stepping down, but had come under criticism for Facebook's slow response to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos, who left in August 2018. Stamos left to join Stanford University full-time as a teacher and researcher. He was an an outspoken security and privacy advocate and had reportedly clashed with other Facebook executives about how much to reveal to the public about Russian election interference efforts on the platform. Instagram cofounders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, who left in September 2018. The pair said they were leaving to 'explore our curiosity and creativity again' and had reportedly butted heads with Zuckerberg over Instagram's autonomy and changes to the service's features. Advertisement

Dave Lee, BBC North America technology reporter, wrote: 'If being mocked for brazenly stealing ideas from Snapchat wasn't grating enough for Mr Systrom and Mr Krieger, the pressure to make Instagram more like Facebook has apparently pushed them to breaking point.'

Facebook acquired Instagram in April 2012 for a combination of cash and stock worth some $1 billion at the time.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg called Systrom and Krieger 'extraordinary product leaders' and said he was looking forward 'to seeing what they build next.'

Instagram in June announced it passed a billion active users, and unveiled a new long-form video feature in a bid to attract 'creators' like those on YouTube

The platform has been a hit with young internet users, an audience that Facebook is keen to keep in its fold.

Facebook has dealt with multiple challenges over recent years, including concerns over user privacy and the spread of 'fake news'.

Zuckerberg called the pair 'extraordinary product leaders' and said he was looking forward 'to seeing what they build next'. Pictured: Krieger (left) with Systrom

In March, Facebook faced a public relations disaster after it came to light that Cambridge Analytica may have harvested the data of up to 87 million users.

Facebook is facing multiple inquiries from US and British regulators about the Cambridge Analytica user data scandal, and Zuckerberg was grilled by the European Parliament and the US Congress earlier this year.

In July, the company reported declining growth in revenue and users, disappointing investors and sending Facebook's stock plummeting.

Earlier this year, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum also left Facebook, which bought the smartphone messaging service for $19 billion in February 2014.

Koum said in a post on his Facebook page that he was taking time off to pursue interests such as collecting air-cooled Porsches, working on cars and playing ultimate Frisbee.

Reports indicated that a disagreement with Facebook over the privacy of user data may have also been a factor in Koum's decision to quit his position as a high-ranking executive and likely leave his seat on the board at the leading online social network.A sheep who looks remarkably similar to The Bachelor's Honey Badger is quickly becoming famous online.

Meet 'Boofy', a ram from New Zealand's King Country, named in tribute to All Blacks stars Brodie Retallick and Liam Squire.

Aussie footy fans have pointed out the distinct similarity the sheep has to their very own Nick 'the Honey Badger' Cummins.

Meet 'Liam Retallick', the ovine from New Zealand's King Country, has become famous online

Former Wallabies star Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins signed on for this year's Bachelor in the hopes of finding his future wife

Cummins, 30, is famous for his long curly locks that frame his face in a mullet-type fashion.

The former Wallabies star, who signed on for this year's Bachelor in the hopes of finding his future wife, has had the ladies throwing themselves at him.

People on social media have decided, like the Bachelor, the mullet is all that is needed to get the girls.

'That thing will be the talk of the paddocks, he will be pulling ewes left right and centre,' one person said.

'What a beauty,' another commented.

The pet sheep, owned by the famous farming Fagan family, was given a mullet as a tribute to Retallick and Squire.

All Blacks star Retallick shared the picture on Instagram, saying it showed a great level of commitment to the mullet movement.A man drove into more than a dozen pedestrians at one of Melbourne CBD's busiest intersections before saying 'Allahu Akbar' as he was arrested by an off-duty policeman, a court has been told.

Saeed Noori allegedly drove his mother's Suzuki SUV into pedestrians outside Flinders Street Station, including one elderly man who later died.

Prosecutors also allege Noori's computer was found to have images of car terror attacks from around the world.

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Saeed Noori (pictured), 33, allegedly drove his mother's Suzuki SUV into pedestrians outside Flinders Street Station on December 21 last year

The 33-year-old has faced the first day of a Melbourne Magistrates Court committal hearing charged with one count of murder and 15 of attempted murder.

Noori allegedly hit 16 pedestrians at the busy crossing at Flinders and Elizabeth streets, while other people were struck by flying bodies in chaotic scenes.

Off-duty police Sergeant Francis Adams was nearby and rushed to the car, which stopped when it hit a bollard and had Middle Eastern-style music playing.

'Sergeant Adams said to the accused he was under arrest and the accused said Allahu Akbar two or three times,' prosecutor Mark Gibson SC said.

After the incident, Noori's home computer was found to have images of recent car attacks in London in the UK, Barcelona in Spain and Charlottesville in the US, Mr Gibson said.

Noori (pictured after his arrest) said 'Allahu Akbar' as he was arrested by an off-duty policeman, a court has been told

A reconstruction of the scene determined the SUV was travelling between 47 km/h and 53 km/h when Noori allegedly drove through a red light and into pedestrians about 4.30pm that Thursday.

Northcote man Antonios 'Anton' Crocaris, 83, died eight days later from head injuries.

Before the incident, Noori visited two hire car outlets and inquired about SUVs but could not rent one because of bank card issues, prosecutors say.

Off-duty police Sergeant Francis Adams was nearby and rushed to the car, which stopped when it hit a bollard and had Middle Eastern-style music playing

A reconstruction of the scene determined the SUV was travelling between 47 km/h and 53 km/h when Noori allegedly drove through a red light and into pedestrians about 4.30pm

He then visited his mother's Oak Park home, leaving in her car and driving to the CBD where he carried out the alleged attack.

Also that day, Noori went to a bank to withdraw $7000, later depositing $3000 into his mother's bank account.

Noori came to Australia from Afghanistan as a refugee in 2004 and is now an Australian citizen.

He has had mental health and drug problems, and defence lawyers say mental impairment may be a defence.

The hearing continues before magistrate Suzanne CameronA man is giving alcohol suppliers a run for their money with a new delivery method.

The man, atop the Stirling Highway Bridge in Fremantle, Western Australia, jumped off with a carton of beers in his hand to provide his mates waiting in a boat below.

With the man attempting to hold tight to his carton of Emu Export and his friends in the boat edging him on, the beers were successfully delivered with a splash.

Perth local readying to jump with a carton beers in hand and mates in a boat below

In what was supposed to be an innocent stunt from the group of friends, WA Police are taking the matter seriously.

This comes months after another Perth local jumped off a moving train across the Fremantle Railway Bridge into a river, almost colliding with a concrete pylon which could've proven deadly.

'That guy is a complete, utter, bloody idiot,' WA Premier Mark McGowan told reporters.

'He endangered his own life (and) he set a very poor example for others.'

Though the leap seemed thoroughly enjoyed by those involved, police are making efforts in deterring people from attempting these leaps of faith after it occurred for the second time this year.

'Members of the public who capture vision such as this are encouraged to take it to their local police station,' a statement read.Donald Trump has doubled down on his support for Brett Kavanaugh, branding him a 'wonderful man' in a tweet Monday night after calling up the Supreme Court nominee to assure him of his backing.

'The Democrats are working hard to destroy a wonderful man,' the president wrote on Twitter.

'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!'

A few hours earlier, the President personally rang up Kavanaugh, assuring him that he would continue to support him.

Donald Trump took to Twitter Monday night to support Brett Kavanaugh for the third time in one day

He called his nominee a 'wonderful man' who 'the Democrats are working hard to destroy' and potentially 'one of our greatest Supreme Court Justices ever'

Kavanaugh told Fox News that Trump called him yesterday afternoon to say 'he's standing by me', adding that he was confident the President would not let him down.

This comes after Trump told reporters earlier in the day in New York City that Kavanaugh is 'a fine man' who he hopes 'will be confirmed quickly', despite the sexual assault accusations made against him.

The late night tweet - which was his second attempt at tweeting his support after misspelling 'accusations' as 'acquisitions' - was the third time in a day Trump publicly defended his nominee.

'It would be sad indeed if something happens to reroute that,' the president told reporters in New York City on Monday after he signed a South Korean trade agreement. 'His family has suffered. Brett Kavanaugh is an absolutely outstanding person. Hopefully he will be confirmed quickly.'

Earlier Monday, Trump slammed the charges against Kavanaugh as 'totally political,' criticizing the accusers for waiting so long to speak, and says he is with his Supreme Court nominee 'all the way.'

'Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person and I am with him all the way,' the president told reporters as he arrived at a United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City on Monday. 'This could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate.'

Pictured is Trump's first attempt at his supportive tweet for Kavanaugh, which has since been deleted, that misspelled 'accusations' as 'acquisitions'

His defense comes as Kavanaugh blasts a 'smear' campaign against him and vows he won't let it drive him out of the confirmation process

He said the allegations against Kavanaugh are 'totally political.'

And he criticized Christine Ford and Deborah Ramirez for waiting for so long to speak about their allegations.

'For people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago and 30 years ago and never mentioned it. All of a sudden it happens. In my opinion, it's totally political. It's totally political,' he said.

Trump also suggested looking into the legal teams behind the charges. 'We should look into the lawyers doing the representation,' he noted.

Kavanaugh also wrote a defiant letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday.

'There is now a frenzy to come up with somethinganythingthat will block this process and a vote on my confirmation from occurring,' Kavanaugh said in the letter.

'I 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,' he wrote.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell joined the defense efforts during a blistering speech on the Senate floor on Monday.

McConnell called it 'a smear campaign, pure and simple, aided and abetted by members of the United States Senate.'

'I want to make it perfectly clear ... Judge Kavanaugh will be voted on here on the Senate floor, up or down, on the Senate floor.' He said it would occur ' in the near future.'Opposition leader Bill Shorten is facing pressure from within his own party to bring in quotas for gay, lesbian, transgender and Indigenous MPs.

Mr Shorten has angered left wing Labor MPs by not acting on his 2013 proposal to introduce quotas for marginalised or underrepresented groups within society.

The proposal was widely considered one of the main factors in seeing him edge out Anthony Albanese to become the leader of the Labor party.

Bill Shorten is facing pressure from his own party to implement quotas for LGBTQI and Indigenous MP's after he proposed it in his bid for leadership of the Labor party

Penny Wong (right) is a Labor finance minister. She is pictured here with her partner, Sophie Allouache (left)

One Labor MP said 'it [quotas] was a big part of [Shorten's] campaign and it has seemed to disappear,' The Australian reported.

Mr Shorten argued more needed to be done to represent and reflect the diversity of Australian society within the party.

'We should consider quotas for sections of our community that are under-represented in our parliaments, including indigenous Australians and the LGBTI community,' he wrote in a 2013 manifesto.

His office declined to address whether steps toward implementing the policy were in motion, or whether the plan had been scratched.

Alison Standen (pictured) is Tasmania's first openly gay female MP after being elected into parliament in 2018

Mr Shorten was in favour of legalising same-sex marriage and has spoken in support of equality

Alex Greenwich, an Independent New South Wales MP and same-sex marriage campaigner, acknowledged both Liberal and Labor parties were taking steps to improve gay representation.

However, he believes more can still be done.

'Political parties should really reflect the communities that they seek to represent and if they are not able to do that naturally then putting in place a quota will encourage them to do that,' he said.

Labor is currently attempting to implement a transparency policy, which would force companies with over 1,000 staff to allow all male and female staff to reveal and discuss their salaries.Wildlife rescuers have been hit with a hefty fine for putting up signs warning drivers not to hit animals.

The Bass Coast Shire in Victoria has been slammed for slugging the volunteer rescue team with a $2470 fine after seizing the signs which read, 'Slow down! Reduce the wildlife road toll! Be alert. Be aware. Be wildlife ready.'

Kaylene Mendola, from Wildlife Rescue Phillip Island, told 3AW that the council fined them $130 for each sign and were not warned before they received the infringement notice.

The Bass Coast Shire in Victoria has been slammed for slugging the volunteer rescue team with a $2470 fine after seizing the signs (pictured)

'Not a request, no phone call, no nothing...so we've been fined nearly $2500 to get our signs back,' Ms Mendola said.

She also said the rescuers had sought permission from the council twice to put up the signs but were not given any response, and were left wondering why no one was calling them.

'In the two days that they were up, we didn't get a single rescue call, we didn't get an emergency email,' Ms Mendola said.

'This is a service we've provided for more than 10 years with no help from the Shire, all the funding comes out of our pocket, yet when someone calls with an injured animal they're only too happy to forward the call straight to us.'

Following the interview on Tuesday, the council's CEO Paul Buckley, said they will waive the fees.

'We could have worked more closely with the group on a resolution but there'll be no fines, no penalties issued to the group,' Mr Buckley said.Darren Flood (pictured outside court) allegedly sold worthless investments in 'rare earth elements' to victims

David Beckham's former brother-in-law was part of a fraud which used the star's name to trick investors out of more than 800,000, a court heard.

Darren Flood, 39, who was married to Victoria Beckham's sister, was allegedly part of a 'boiler room' fraud which tricked people into 'worthless' investments.

The company focused on 'high net worth clients' and discussed potential targets including former Chelsea footballer Joe Cole's dad, it is alleged.

A jury at Kingston Crown Court was told staff 'made great play on Darren Flood being David Beckham's brother-in-law' to win the trust of investors.

But Flood was accused by colleagues at the company, The Commodities Link, of not performing on 'any level' other than to 'extract expenses', the court heard.

Victims were allegedly encouraged to buy 'rare earth' substances, which are mainly used to make tech products, with the promise of big profits.

They invested more than 800,000 between April 2012 and August 2014 - but the materials had no resale value, prosecutor Stephen Shay said.

Flood was tasked with targeting potential 'high net worth' investors, who paid up to 200 times over the odds for 'baskets' of materials, the jury heard.

Mr Shay said one company salesman, Paul Muldoon, used the false name Paul Roberts to con thousands of pounds from victims.

He told jurors: 'Paul Roberts stresses his experience and that of other brokers, even though the company, TCL, had only just been set up.

'He, Paul Roberts, made great play of Darren Flood being David Beckham's brother in law, which was the position, I think, at one point in the past.'

Muldoon pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at an earlier hearing.

Referring to the bogus investments, Mr Shay added: 'There is no resale market for rare earth elements in this format or quantity.

Among the potential targets was the father of Joe Cole, who formerly played alongside Beckham (pictured) for England

'Manufacturers buy directly from suppliers by the ton. They would never seek to purchase a few kilograms from a private individual.'

The jury was told rare earth materials gained publicity in 2010, two years before the alleged fraud, because the main supplier, China, 'restricted global exports, causing a spike in the price.'

But when The Commodities Link began trading in 2012, prices were falling as buyers searched for cheaper alternatives.

Victims of the company paid 'between seven and 200 times' over the odds, Mr Shay said.

Flood was a director of the company between June 2012 and April 2013 - but documents uncovered by detectives revealed 'tensions' with colleagues, Mr Shay said.

One titled 'TCL requirements', which was read to the jury, said: 'Jonny and Darren need to talk with high net worth clients, people, potential customers that you know.

'Since June we have been talking about Joe Cole's dad.'

The document, which was meant for co-defendant Jonathan Docker, said the company's 'output is terrible'.

It said: 'The politics between you and Darren must be sorted.

'The business is on its knees over where leads get sent. That is fucking ridiculous.'

Mr Shay said: 'That document would appear to suggest Darren Flood and Jonny Docker were not getting on particularly well while TCL was in operation.'

The document went on: 'Darren has not performed on any level other than to charge money to the business and extract expenses.

'He got a bank account but this could have been done with any high street bank.'

It added: 'Darren threatens to leave and close the bank accounts. This is a common threat and makes progressing the business very difficult.'

The Commodities Link was 'wound up' by the High Court on August 29, 2014, Mr Shay said.

Flood and four others deny one count of fraud by false representation after claiming 'rare earth elements were a suitable investment product'.

The others are Gennaro Fiorentino, 38, Jonathan Docker, 32, Mark Whitehead, 59, and Vikki King, 39.

Paul Muldoon, 34, pleaded guilty to the same charge at an earlier hearing.

Tarun Jain, 49, Ike Obiamiwe, 56, and Daniel Jordan, 35, deny laundering earnings from the alleged fraud.

The trial continues.Australian workers will miss out on a comfortable retirement unless they start doubling their contributions, a superannuation expert says.

The average employee has only $253,000 in super as they approach 65.

Super Ratings chairman Jeff Bresnahan, however, said workers needed to have seven times their annual salary before tax in their superannuation accounts if they wanted to retire comfortably.

Australian workers will miss out on a comfortable retirement unless they start doubling their contributions, a superannuation expert says

For someone on an average full-time $82,000 salary, that means having $574,000 saved up.

'It depends on existing salary, existing lifestyle, what you actually want to do in retirement,' he told Daily Mail Australia today.

'As long as you manage it well.

'Clearly, you can't go from an $80,000 salary and suddenly take a $30,000 overseas trip every year.'

Super Ratings chairman Jeff Bresnahan said workers needed to have seven times their annual salary before tax in their superannuation accounts if they wanted to retire comfortably

Australian Bureau of Statistics gender indicators data released on Tuesday showed men over 55 had an average of $310,145 in super compared with women, who had a much smaller $196,409.

Compulsory superannuation did not debut until 1992, and back then employer contributions were at a much lower level than the current nine per cent.

Mr Bresnahan said many older workers would retire with insufficient super because they started saving later in life.

'The people who are retiring now haven't got to enjoy the full benefits of compulsory super,' he said.

For someone on an average $82,000 salary, that means having $574,000 saved up by the time they retired

Salary levels also determine the level of employer super contributions.

While more women are studying at university and graduating, they are earning slightly less in their first full-time job, having salaries of $59,000 a year compared with $60,100 for men.

ABS program manager Dean Bowley said the gender pay gap had barely moved during the past decade, even though 45 per cent of women had a degree compared with just 32 per cent of men.

'The gender pay gap has remained stable over the last decade, with women earning 89 per cent of the earnings of men, taking into account the differences in working hours,' he said.

'Superannuation balances for women approaching retirement are 37 per cent lower than men.'Michael Drejka didn't seem to be shocked after shooting dead an unarmed man in Florida last July and even brazenly suggested the victim had it coming according to witnesses.

Markeis McGlockton, 28, was gunned down outside a convenience store Clearwater where he had shopped with his five-year-old before being killed.

The 48-year-old shooter claims he was in fear of his life but witnesses recall him appearing irate rather than scared, according to NBC News.

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Witnesses say Michael Drejka, 48, (left) had a proud demeanor after shooting dead unarmed man Markeis McGlockton (right) in Florida last July

McGlockton (left, standing) was shot dead by Drejka (kneeling) outside a store following a dispute about the parking spot

McGlockton, 28, (pictured left in a photograph held by his father Michael) was killed in front of his children after coming to his family's defense

Drekja was released on bail Monday ahead of his pretrial hearing October 19 but bystander Robert Castelly claims to have heard Drejka mutter to no one in particular: 'I just shot someone. What'd you think was gonna happen? He shouldn't have ran up on me.'

Vicki Conrad was there at the time and while she was not able to hear him speaking she believes his body language was contradictory to him claiming he was simply standing his ground and defending himself.

'His demeanor was, you know, uh, like, proud,' the witness says in police transcripts.

When the interviewer asked her if it seemed like he didn't care after taking his life outside the Circle A store, stating 'I don't want to put words into your mouth,' she agreed.

'Yeah, yeah. And, like, it's all cool, you know,' she added.

Michael Drejka said he has no regrets about shooting Markeis McGlockton, 28, over a handicapped parking spot. Drejka is currently in prison facing manslaughter charges

It supports prosecutors posing the question of whether Drejka really was acting in self-defense.

Even he has said he's not sorry for putting a bullet through the father in full view of three-year-old and four-month-old children who waited in the car with the victim's girlfriend Brittany Jacobs.

Drejka simply pointed out that he believes he stayed within the guidelines that the state's laws allow when pulling the trigger.

When he was behind bars on $10,000 bond Drejka said he had 'plenty of time to think' about the shooting but still would not do anything different if he could turn back time.

'As far as changing anything, events, I don't see - no, not off the top of my head,' he told WTSP in an interview from prison.

'I followed the law the way I felt the law was supposed to be followed. I cleared every hurdle that the law had to put in front of me.'

Under the law, people are allowed to use deadly force if they believe they are in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm and have no obligation to retreat.

McGlockton's girlfriend Brittany Jacobs (pictured with his father Michael McGlockton for Drejka's first court appearance) got into a fight before he shot McGlockton

Jacobs said Drejka confronted her for being parked in the handicapped-accessible space and told her to move the 'f*****g car'.

Security footage showed McGlockton leaving the store and, seeing the argument, shoving Drejka to the ground.

Seconds later, Drejka pulls a handgun and shoots McGlockton as he backs away.

McGlockton then runs back into the store clutching his chest. Witnesses said he collapsed in front of young Markeis, who was waiting inside.

Drejka said that he's spent his 'whole life' looking 'for a handicapped parking spot' for his late high school sweetheart and, more recently, his mother-in-law.

'It's always been a hotbed for me, always touched a nerve with me,' he said.

Drejka said he doesn't 'usually confront people about it' and claims that was the case with McGlockton, despite the fact that footage shows him walking up to Jacobs' car and confronting her over the spot.

'I did not confront anyone,' he said. 'I was confronted and I answered.'

Drejka also claims McGlockton 'tackled' him to the ground and that it felt like 'someone hit me from behind with something'.

The footage clearly shows the victim pushing Drejka in the chest, not the back.

Drejka said he felt 'vindicated' when Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri refused to arrest him and said he was protected by the state's Stand Your Ground law.

But after protests from McGlockton's family and civil rights group, the State Attorney reviewed the case and decided to pursue charges against Drejka.

Drejka, who was arrested on August 13 for the July 19 shooting, maintains that he is not a racist and not a violent or confrontational person.

But Drejka has threatened three other drivers in the past few years, even pointing a gun at them, according to Pinellas County Sheriff's Detective George Moffett.

Three months before the fatal July incident, Drejka allegedly threatened to shoot Richard Kelly, a black septic truck driver.

He also allegedly hurled the N-word at Kelly when the driver parked in the same handicapped-accessible parking space as McGlockton, CNN reported.

Kelly drove away, but his boss told Moffett that Drejka later called and told him 'he was lucky he didn't blow his employee's head off.'

Drejka told WTSP that the claim was 'false' and he 'wouldn't have used that word'.

The detective said that in another case in 2012, 18-year-old Tyler Smith was driving in front of Drejka's truck when he stopped at a yellow light.

This enraged Drejka, who allegedly displayed a gun to the teenager and later followed him. Smith declined to press charges.

In another incident that year, a woman told police that Drejka pointed a gun at her and the occupants of her car.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri (pictured) recently stood by his decision not to arrest Drejka, saying the man was defending himself and had claimed he was in fear for his life

When police interviewed the suspect, Drejka denied pointing a gun at the other vehicle, but said he honked at the motorist because she was driving too slow through a school zone.

In November 2013, Drejka was again interviewed by police in connection to a road-rage incident in which he was accused of deliberately causing another vehicle carrying two children to rear-end his truck.

Drejka claimed he missed a turn, but the trooper who responded to the scene said it did not appear like the motorist had attempted to turn before the crash.

Michael McGlockton said he believes his son would still be alive if the law didn't exist.

'He didn't have to pull that trigger. But because of Stand Your Ground, this is what happens,' he said.Arizona mom Alexandra Ciliento, 29, was arrested early Sunday after she left her four-year-old daughter home alone overnight while she partied

An Arizona mom was taken into custody early Sunday after she admitted to authorities that she abandoned her four-year-old daughter so she could go out and party.

Alexandra Ciliento, 29, left her apartment near Bell and Pima roads in Scottsdale around 11pm Saturday, when her daughter was left to fend for herself the entire night and into the following morning.

The young child left the apartment around 6.20am Sunday when wandered to neighbors' doorsteps to nervously inform them she had been alone for several hours.

Police in the area said a neighbor phoned police after they waited less than an hour for Ciliento to return.

But she didn't - instead, the mom-of-one was occupied with other company downtown in Old Town Scottsdale.

Police did not reach Cilento until 8am on Sunday after they received assistance from the child's furious father.

The mom is pictured in a Facebook profile photo posing seductively as she works up a sweat on a treadmill

Ciliento has been charged with one count of child abuse and is currently under investigation of child services

'No plan was set in place to have the child watched by a family member or guardian. Nor was there any attempt made to secure a babysitter,' police said.

The child is now in custody of the father - who has not been identified.

Ciliento is pictured in a Facebook profile photo posing as she works up a sweat on a treadmill.

Her adorable daughter is pictured above in her cover photo smiling brightly while holding a Spider-Man plush doll.

Ciliento has been charged with one count of child abuse. She is currently under investigation of child services.Tens of thousands of people are set to take a stand against the surge in fuel prices when they take part in a national fuel strike next month.

The National Fuel Strike on October 26 was organised by retired music teacher Sabrina Lamont, who decided to boycott buying fuel as a national day of action.

Ms Lamont gave up a job she loved when she could no longer afford to keep buying costly fuel to travel 500km a week to teach isolated children.

The National Fuel Strike on October 26 was organised by retired music teacher Sabrina Lamont (pictured), who decided to boycott buying fuel as a national day of action

Tens of thousands of people are set to take a stand against the surge in fuel prices when they take part in a national fuel strike next month (stock image)

Last Wednesday, she decided she wasn't going to put up with costly pump prices any more when she created the Facebook page 'National fuel strike'.

Already more than 46,000 people have committed to the national day of action - with another 54,000 interested - and the number keeps on increasing every day.

Ms Lamont said she created the day to reduce the burden of excise and taxes, which according to the publication, adds up to more than 30 per cent of the bowser price.

On the Facebook page, Ms Lamont wrote: 'It's time to rise up against the petroleum industry and make a stand.

'On the 26th of October let's join together in an Australian wide fuel strike.'

The post already garnered plenty of interest with many people taking to social media to share their comments.

'Lets get on board about time,' one woman wrote.

'The people, united, will never be defeated,' another person said.

Retired music teacher Sabrina Lamont decided she wasn't going to put up with costly pump prices any more when she created the Facebook page 'National fuel strike' (pictured)

A third person added: 'Complete gouging especially shell and Caltex will never buy from them again.'

Ms Lamont believes the effect of boycotting servos - even for just one day - will be enough to shock the industry into keeping prices to a minimum.

'The loss of the fuel plus the added sales of drinks, chocolates etc should be enough to send a shock to the industry,' she wrote.

'Following on from this strike we will be arranging targeted strikes until our voices are heard and a change is made!!'

Australian motorists are being slugged almost $1.70 a litre for unleaded fuel thanks to a weak Australian and high global oil and wholesale prices (stock image)

While not purchasing fuel one day a month will undeniably have an impact, RACQ spokeswoman Lucinda Ross believes it won't be effective in the long-term.

'We see many motorists continuing to buy from the most convenient site, often just because it's on the way home from work - but these servos could be the ones charging the highest prices,' Ms Ross said.

According to Ms Ross, the most effective way to keep petrol prices at their lowest is to do your research and always purchase fuel at the cheapest servo.

Regardless, Ms Lamont is hopeful the government will listen to her call to action and bring down taxes for 'basic living necessities - like fuel'.

The news of the boycott comes after it was revealed petrol prices have surged just days out from the school holidays with motorists being slugged almost $1.70 a litre.

The price of unleaded fuel in Sydney on Monday, which reached as high as 167.4c a litre, as reported by Seven News

Drivers are also bracing for more pain at the pump, with warnings the cost of fuel is set to rise even further.

The price of unleaded fuel reached as high as 167.9c a litre in Melbourne on Monday, the most expensive it has been in the city since-mid 2008, according to fuel data source MotorMouth.

Back then, drivers were forking out about $1.70 a litre to fill up their vehicles, The Herald Sun reported.

PETROL PRICE SPIKE - The average price for unleaded fuel across Australia's major cities, taken at 8am on Tuesday Sydney: 163.2c a litre Melbourne: 157.4c a litre Brisbane: 157.4c a litre Perth: 158.9c a litre Adelaide: 148.0c a litre Darwin: 157.1c a litre Hobart: 160.0c a litre Canberra: 158.2c a litre Source: MotorMouth Advertisement

Of the Melbourne metropolitan petrol stations monitored by the RACV, about half had increased prices to the new high by Monday afternoon.

Motorists are currently feeling the effects of a weak Australian dollar and high global oil and wholesale prices.

RACV vehicle engineering manager Michael Case told The Herald Sun that 'fuel prices have been influenced by an underlying increase in oil prices'.

'The increased oil price has a flow-on effect which extends to the wholesale price of refined petrol, and subsequently the prices we see at the pump,' he said.

The average petrol price in Sydney hit 162.2c a litre on Monday, with the wholesale petrol price currently at a four-year high.

Some petrol stations across the city had prices as high as 167.4c a litre.

'As we approach the school holidays in New South Wales next week, we expect prices to remain elevated. Petrol prices are lifting at the moment, that's putting pressure on household budgets,' Ryan Felsom, Commsec Senior Economist, told Seven News.

Prices in Brisbane are slightly less expensive, although they have been nudging $1.60 a litre.

Across the nation's other major cities, pertol prices are either at or close to $1.60 a litre.Samantha Cameron left No 10 and started her fashion business, which has received a significant cash injection from a Tory donor

Samantha Cameron's upmarket clothing brand has raised 2.5million to expand with a major helping hand from a prominent Conservative donor, it was revealed today.

David Brownlow, one of the Tory partys biggest financial backers, has been appointed a director of Mrs Cameron's Cefinn, which lost 560,000 in its first year.

The label, founded by the wife of former prime minister David Cameron in 2016 and sold online and in Selfridges, is now being bankrolled by Mr Brownlow's business Havisham Investments.

The money will be used to help the business grow internationally and improve logistics.

Mr Brownlow told The Times: 'I am joining the company in part because I like the management team. I thought they were very energetic and enthusiastic. I like the creative direction of the business. I am joining because its a business I like and I want to help it grow'.

But he denied his financial support was anything to do with the Tories or his links to the Camerons and said: 'No, I am a businessman'.

Other new backers include Wendy Yu, of Hong-Kong based Yu Holdings and Philip Bassett, founder of investment firm Brightwell Partners while its original investor Venrex has also found more money to put in.

Mrs Cameron's Cefinn business had a tough first year and latest accounts show it lost 561,795.

The disappointing figures are a surprise given the stellar support for the venture, including from fashion luminaries such as Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

David Brownlow (pictured centre behind Prince Charles and the Queen), has been appointed a director of Mrs Cameron's Cefinn

The losses will do little to calm the nerves of former Prime Minister David Cameron's wife about her first foray into the world of fashion.

Mrs Cameron has admitted she fears 'going bust' but has secured a number of high profile backers

In an interview last year she admitted: 'I worry about not selling anything and going bust it's definitely terrifying and totally all- consuming - but it's fun.'

The 47-year-old is regularly seen in her own creations and describes her clothes as being for 'busy women'.

Last year, President Trump's wife Melania was pictured wearing a 295 'belted muslin shirt dress' design from the Ceffin range.

Selling online and at top stores including Selfridges and Fenwick, most of Sam Cam's dresses cost between 270 and 340.

The financial teething troubles are unlikely to concern Cefinn's wealthy investors, who include former Tory Party chairman Lord Feldman of Elstree and Mark Esiri, chairman of luxury goods firm Smythson, where Mrs Cameron used to be creative director.

A spokesman for Cefinn, which employed ten staff when the accounts for the period ending October 31, 2017, were filed, insisted that its performance had been 'above expectations'.

Last week 47-year-old Mrs Cameron was all smiles as she returned to the Prime Ministers official residence to meet with fashion heavyweights for a party to mark London Fashion Week.

Mrs Cameron, who was creative director of luxury brand Smythson until her husband David became Prime Minister and still works as a consultant for the retailer, was joined on the famous steps by Scottish fashion designer siblings Christopher and Tammy Kane.

The mother-of-three, who stood by her husband outside the famous front door as he delivered his resignation speech in June 2016, wore a 330 brick red Chloe Maxi dress from her own label, Cefinn, which she set up in 2017.

Mrs Cameron's Cefinn business is sold online and in Selfridges (pictured) - but had a tough first year and latest accounts show it lost 561,795A former New Mexico priest, who fled the U.S. decades ago amid allegations of child sex abuse, once blamed his behavior on a cancer diagnosis which prosecutors say he didn't have, according to court documents.

Arthur Perrault is scheduled on Tuesday to appear in the U.S. District Court in Albuquerque for a detention hearing as prosecutors seek to hold the 80-year-old priest until his aggravated sexual abuse trial.

Court documents filed in federal court late last week said victims described Perrault showering them with gifts and meals before abusing them. Victims also collaboratively described Perrault as someone who smoked pipes and wore silk underwear.

Arthur Perrault is scheduled Tuesday to appear in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque for a detention hearing

Documents also said the Connecticut-born Perrault wrote an apology letter to the parents of one victim in 1971 and blamed his actions on cancer, which prosecutors said he was never diagnosed with.

Perrault was extradited to New Mexico last week from Morocco in connection with sexual abuse cases that are alleged to have taken place between 1991 and 1992 at Kirtland Air Force Base and Santa Fe National Cemetery.

The former Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and a former Air Force chaplain has been charged in a federal indictment with seven counts of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.

Perrault was extradited to New Mexico last week from Morocco in connection with sexual abuse cases that are alleged to have taken place between 1991 and 1992 at Kirtland Air Force Base

Incidents were also said to have occurred at the Santa Fe National Cemetery

'We were hired to sue on behalf of someone who had suppressed all this since the early '90s,' said Albuquerque lawyer Brad Hall.

The civil suit brought on by Ken Wolter, who sued the Archdiocese before suing Perrault, helped launch the criminal case against the priest.

'I brought a picture of myself at 10 years old with my abuser, Father Perrault,' Wolter said, according to KOAT.

Perrault was ordered to pay $16million in damages for the suit.

The civil suit brought on by Ken Wolter, who sued the Archdiocese before suing Perrault, helped launched the criminal case against the priest

Perrault pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Friday. He also told a U.S. magistrate judge he'd had a stroke three years ago, was deaf in one ear, and had trouble walking.

Perrault, a one-time pastor at St. Bernadette parish in Albuquerque, is one of many priests sent to New Mexico in the 1960s from around the country for treatment involving pedophilia.

Victims, lawyers and church documents show the priests were later assigned to parishes and schools across New Mexico - especially in small Native American and Hispanic communities.

Wolter was an altar server at St. Bernadettes Church, where he said he encountered abuse at the age of 10

Perrault vanished in 1992, just days before an attorney filed two lawsuits against the archdiocese alleging Perrault had sexually assaulted seven children at his parish.

Church records released last year by a New Mexico judge show Perrault is also accused in state lawsuits of sexually abusing at least 38 boys in other cases

The FBI said Perrault first fled to Canada and then to Tangier, Morocco, where he worked until last year at an English-language school for children.

Perrault denied abusing children in a handwritten letter to a judge related to sexual abuse lawsuits in Albuquerque. Perrault said his assets included money from military retirement and Social Security.

Church records released last year by a New Mexico judge show Perrault is also accused in state lawsuits of sexually abusing at least 38 boys in other cases.

Records also show Perrault was sent in 1965 to Servants of the Paraclete - a religious order that ran a treatment center for pedophile priests in Jemez Springs, New Mexico - after he was accused of molesting young men while serving in Connecticut.It's not for another three months but it's already beginning to look like Christmas in department stores and supermarkets across Australia.

Some of Australia's biggest retailers are getting into the festive spirit early with Christmas trees and decorations, cards, mince pies and puddings already on shelves.

Online shoppers can get in early on their Christmas ordering with puddings and mince pies already available on Coles Online.

But is it too much too soon?

This Christmas tree in David Jones Chadstone in Melbourne took two days to assemble

Coles, Woolworths, David Jones and Myer have come under fire on social media in recent weeks for their premature festive displays in-store.

Not everyone has quite so much festive spirit, with many commenting on social media that the premature arrival of the festive fanfare is 'ridiculous' and simply too early!

'Woolworths, Christmas is a quarter of a year away. Christmas should be a special, once a year event, not a three month ordeal. No wonder Frank Costanza created Festivus,' one commented.

Another wrote: 'September 22nd. Local department store complete with Christmas music. This is beyond ridiculous. Pure corporate greed.'

It's never too early to send Christmas, according to David Jones

Others believes it takes away the importance of Christmas.

'There's nothing really special about the actual day if we've been surrounded by it for months beforehand,' one person tweeted.

Another added: 'Refuse to think about Christmas until 1 December. Then will not act until approx 24th.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Woolworths and David Jones for comment.

A Coles spokeswoman confirmed a limited range of Christmas products started to appear in-store this month.

'Our customers have many different reasons for wanting to shop early for Christmas products with some liking to spread the cost out or plan ahead and do taste tests before the big event, others are catering for festive events and some just like to enjoy spiced treats like fruit mince pies and puddings,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

A Myer spokesperson said earlier this month that the recent opening of its Christmas Trim department is based on the timing of previous years and customer demand.

'Many of our trim decorations are limited collectibles that our shoppers are always eager to get their hands on each year,' they said.

Social media has gone into meltdown over the premature Christmas spirit

Coles confirmed a limited range of Christmas products (pictured) is already available in stores

A 2dayfm social media post earlier this month showed a festively decorated Myer store in Penrith and asked viewers: 'Too early? Or yassss Christmas?'

Some people were thrilled at the arrival of the decorations, hoping that getting in early will help them to avoid the last minute Christmas chaos.

If I can get sh** purchased and out of the way early to save on stress, why the hell not, one person wrote on Facebook.

Others hope it will allow families on a tight budget or those who rely on monthly payments to be able to spread out the cost of the festive period.

We've all heard of Christmas in July but Christmas in September?The iconic Coke sign in Sydney's Kings Cross has been turned upside down for the first time in the company's history.

In a day-long operation, the iconic international brand flipped the famous billboard to visually represent the beverage being made Down Under.

Exactly 80 years ago to the day, Coca Cola was launched on Australian shores, with ten employees and four trucks, in a small factory on the corner of Crescent and Dowling St in the inner-city suburb of Waterloo.

Sydney's iconic Coke sign in Kings Cross (pictured) has been turned upside down, and nobody can figure out why

In celebration of the monumental occasion, Coca-Cola decided to show their appreciation for the nation by flipping the sign 'Down Under' too.

Coca-Cola currently has a portfolio of over 165 products and employs almost 4,000 Australians.

As a brand, it contributes approximately $3.5billion to the local economy, a spokeswoman from the company told Daily Mail Australia.

The company recently bought out husband-and-wife duo Anthony and Sarah Crabb's Mojo Kombucha brand, in an effort to expand Mojo's reach and increase sales.

In a day-long operation, the iconic international brand has taken to a visual representation of coming 'Down Under' (pictured)

'From the milk bars of the 50's, the yo-yo craze of the 60's and 70's, the Surf-about competitions of the 80's, to the Sydney 2000 Olympics, "Share a Coke" and the Say Yes "love can", Coca-Cola has been a part of the fabric of the Australian community for many years,' the spokeswoman said.

Coca-Cola as a brand is known for some of the most successful and well-known marketing campaigns across the globe, with the 'Share A Coke' campaign being one of the most well-received of the company's history.

That campaign sold more than 250million named bottles and cans in a nation of just under 23million people in one summer alone.

The sign itself is synonymous with Australian nightlife and culture, shining light on the once-notorious party district.

The sign itself is synonymous with Australian nightlife and culture, shining light on the once-notorious party districtA mother has been left shocked after finding a vile, handwritten note on her windscreen, criticising her for using a wheelchair space for her autistic daughter.

Serena Jeanneret from Forest Lake, Brisbane has four children  all with special needs  and has a doctor-recommended disabled parking permit for her 11-year-old daughter who has autism.

Ms Jeanneret found the note on her windscreen at Mt Ommaney shopping mall last week after returning to the car, exhausted, with her children.

Serena Jeanneret (pictured) from Forest Lake has four children and has a doctor-recommended disabled parking permit for her 11-year-old daughter who has autism

Ms Jeanneret found the note on her windscreen at Mt Ommaney shopping mall last week after returning to the car, exhausted, with her children

'That you've abused your disability parking permit has not gone unnoticed!' the note read.

Speaking to the Courier Mail, Ms Jeanneret said she got a 'sinking feeling' when she spotted the note.

'It's specifically for my daughter, and my daughter was there. When I don't have my daughter with me, it doesn't get used,' she said.

She added that whoever wrote the note could have approached her and she would have explained her situation.

As well as being autistic, Ms Jeanneret's daughter has a speech and language impairment, attention deficit disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.

Ms Jeanneret said that her daughter almost matches her in size, and that holding onto her is sometimes very difficult.

She said that whoever wrote the note could have approached her and she would have happily explained her situation

'I've got a Land Cruiser, and she's climbed on top of the roof in the past and I can't get her off. And she's got no road sense. This enables me to park closer to where I need to go,' she said.

Ms Jeanneret thinks she may have spotted the note-writer when she left the car at the beginning of her shopping trip.

She said she saw an older man parked next to her giving her 'the stare' as he returned to his vehicle with his partner.

Sadly, this is just one of many incidents for Ms Jeanneret who has urged people to have some compassion.

'I've had people who've backed me in. They wouldn't let me out of a (disabled) car park because they didn't think I was entitled to the permit. I had the kids in the car and a man was abusing me saying it wasn't for me, had I stolen it,' she said.Advertisement

The Duchess of Sussex stepped out solo as a member of the Royal Family for the first time tonight as she attended an art exhibition in London.

Meghan left her husband, Prince Harry, at home as she visited the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly for the opening of 'Oceania', the first ever major survey of Oceanic art to be held in the United Kingdom.

Meghan was wearing an elegant black bespoke Givenchy midi dress with vertiginous black heels as she arrived by car for her first solo engagement four months after her wedding.

The Duchess of Sussex left her husband, Prince Harry, at home as she visited the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly for the opening of 'Oceania', the first ever major survey of Oceanic art to be held in the United Kingdom

Until now the newest royal (pictured at the Royal Academy of Arts) has always stepped out on official engagements with her husband or another member of the Royal Family  including the Queen  by her side

Meghan's training as an actress, not to mention her sense of style and confidence, were on display again during her appearance at the Royal Academy of Arts

It was an early solo debut with the Firm for the former actress. Her sister-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge carried out her first solo engagement , standing in for Prince Charles at a private fundraising dinner, in October 2011, almost six months after her wedding day.

Meghan, who married on May 19, is a much more experienced performer on the world stage than Kate was at this point in her marriage.

Until now the newest royal has always stepped out on official engagements with her husband or another member of the Royal Family  including the Queen  by her side.

But her training as an actress, not to mention her sense of style and confidence, has already earned her plaudits.

The Duchess of Cambridge carried out her first solo engagement, standing in for the Prince of Wales at a private fundraising dinner, in October 2011, almost six months after her wedding day.

However Meghan, who married on May 19, will take part in her first royal event by herself four months after becoming a member of the monarchy.

The Oceania exhibition celebrates the art of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, encompassing the vast Pacific region including New Guinea, Easter Island, Hawaii and New Zealand.

It brings together around 200 works from public collections worldwide, spanning over 500 years.

The exhibition also marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy, which was founded in 1768  the same year Captain James Cook set out on his first Endeavour expedition.

The academy show has been organised around three main themes: voyaging will look at life on the water as revealed through the stories of indigenous navigation; place-making will explore the settlement of communities; and Encounter will focus on trade and exchange in Pacific cultures.

The Duchess was wearing an elegant black bespoke Givenchy midi dress with vertiginous black heels as she arrived by car for her first solo engagement four months after her wedding

Meghan waved to onlookers as she walked into the exhibition, which brings together around 200 works from public collections worldwide, spanning over 500 years

The Duchess of Sussex was welcomed at the Royal Academy of Arts event by Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London Sir Kenneth Olisa

Meghan, who married on May 19, is a much more experienced performer on the world stage than Kate was at this point in her marriage. She is seen here greeting members of the public before walking into the exhibition

The Duchess of Sussex wore vertiginous black heels for the event, once again showing off her well-honed fashion sense

The Duchess of Cambridge carried out her first solo engagement, standing in for the Prince of Wales at a private fundraising dinner at Clarence House in London, in October 2011, almost six months after her wedding day

Significantly, the Duchess will spend time viewing exhibits from different regions including New Zealand, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga and Australia, which she and The Duke of Sussex will visit on their first Commonwealth tour together next month.

She will also meet the exhibition's curators and artists as well as descendants linked to the works displayed and view a short performance of Ngati Ranana, a Maori cultural group.

The Duke and Duchess's programme during their three-week official trip will focus on youth leadership, environmental and conservation efforts.

Oceania runs at the Royal Academy of Arts from 29th September  10th December 2018. For more information about the exhibition, click here.Daniella Todorova-Besarbova, 52, leaves Cheltenham Magistrates' Court yesterday

A woman doctor's life was made a 'misery' by a female dentist who became besotted with her and wanted to be her lover, a court heard yesterday.

Cosmetic dentist Daniella Todorova-Besarbova, 52, was married and had never had a lesbian relationship - but she became fixated with her fellow medic and began stalking her, Cheltenham Magistrates' Court was told.

Bulgarian-born Todorova-Besarbova, of Longford, Gloucester, pleaded not guilty to stalking the married mother at various locations in Gloucestershire, causing her 'serious alarm or distress'.

Her behaviour allegedly had an 'adverse effect' on the doctor's usual day-to-day activities because she was monitoring her activities and making unwanted contact with her.

The stalking was said to have continued for 22 months from December 2015 to September last year - and included Todorova-Besarbova moving home at one stage to live only about 100 to 200 yards away from the doctor.

A collection of pictures of the doctor was found on the dentist's computer when she was arrested and she had been been researching stalking laws, the court heard.

A two-day trial was due to begin yesterday but at the last moment the prosecution offered not to proceed with the case if Todorova-Besarbova would accept an indefinite restraining order banning her from contacting her alleged victim.

Cosmetic dentist Todorova-Besarbova was married and had never had a lesbian relationship - but she became fixated with her fellow medic and began stalking her, the court heard

Through her solicitor, Kirsty Gordon-Cleaver, the defendant accepted the restraining order and agreed not to go near the alleged victim's home or workplace.

Todorova-Besarbova was told by magistrates 'You cannot make someone else's life a misery again.' She replied: 'I understand.'

Making the order, the magistrates warned her: 'This was a extremely serious allegation. You need to be very aware that if you breach this restraining order in any way you will be arrested and brought back to court.

'You need to understand the number of years you could serve in custody should you end up back in this court or the crown court.'

Matthew Jackson, prosecuting, said Todorova-Besarbova and her alleged victim met professionally in 2014.

'The relationship was entirely professional and appropriate,' he said. 'But towards the end of 2015 the defendant asked the complainant to go for a coffee with her.

'That was declined. A Facebook friends request then appeared from the defendant to the complainant. Several Facebook messages were also sent by the defendant.

'On April 28, 2016 the defendant told the complainant she was going back to Bulgaria to get a divorce.

'She asked questons about the doctor's personal life, whether she was happy etc. She again asked her to go for a coffee with her and this was again declined.'

Mr Jackson said Todorova-Besarbova met the doctor again on May 13 that year and 'produced a love letter which she handed over for the complainant's consideration'.

A two-day trial was due to begin at Cheltenham Magistrates' Court (file picture) yesterday

In the letter she said she had agreed divorce terms with her husband and would be free in three months, adding 'I will wait for you.'

The dentist wrote 'You are the only person I have ever wanted to spend my life with. I have never been in love with a woman before. You are the first in my life. Love Daniella.'

The doctor made it clear she did not want to see the defendant socially, said the prosecutor.'The defendant became very upset, saying this would break her heart.'

Mr Matthews said that in July 2016, Todorova-Besarbova sat in her car outside the doctor's workplace in the Cotswolds for five hours.

When the doctor finally left she was shocked to be approached by Todorova-Besarbova, who walked up and spoke to her.

The doctor warned the defendant she should not be contacting her - but then in March last year Todorova-Besarbova turned up outside her home address and spoke to the doctor, who was in her car.

Todorova-Besarbova appeared again outside the alleged victim's home in September last year and again spoke to her when she was in her car.

The doctor immediately drove away, said Mr Matthews.

'There were further occasions when the defendant was observed outside the complainant's house by neighbours,' he added.

'On one of those occasions a neighbour noted that the defendant arrived outside the house at 9.30am and stayed till 3pm.'

Later, he said, the shocked doctor discovered that Todorova-Besarbova had moved to an address just 100 to 200 yards away from her.

At that stage police were notified by the doctor and Todorova-Besarbova was arrested and her home searched.

'A lot of material was found in her home relating to the complainant,' Mr Matthews said. 'A note the defendant had written was found.

'It said "I am still in love with you. I would never do anything to harm you. I will be waiting for you."

Also found was a narrative account Todorova-Besarbova had written of how they first met and all their meetings since,.

Todorova-Besarbova described how she had 'gazed' at the doctor and first discovered the colour of her eyes.

Several images of the doctor were found on Todorova-Besarbova's computer. There was also a bookmark about UK stalking laws as well as several Facebook searches for the doctor's name.

For several months Todorova-Besarbova had looked at the doctor's Facebook almost every day.

Mr Matthews said the complainant had made a statement saying she felt 'extremely shocked and disturbed' when Todorova-Besarbova first professed her love for her.

She was left feeling upset and anxious when she realised Todorova-Besarbova may have been stalking her, the court was told.

It had affected her work and caused her and her husband to take extra security measures with both social media and the electoral register, she added.

'I have become vigilant and wary when leaving my home or driving to work. I have become irritable and upset with my husband and children.

'I have had nightmares, including one about finding the defendant in my home. I still do not understand what led her to fixate on me.

'I wonder now if I should be less approachable and open than I usually am. I do not feel that this woman will stop stalking me. I will not feel safe unless there is a robust and indefinite injunction to protect myself and my family from her.'Australia's largest detention centre is a hotbed of illegal and prescription drugs, an investigation has revealed.

New figures have revealed that there is a widespread drug problem in Villawood Immigration Detention Centre on the outskirts of Sydney.

The problem involves illegal drugs such as ice and bupe, as well as prescription drugs such as Viagra.

New figures have revealed that there is a widespread drug problem in Villawood Immigration Detention Centre (pictured)

The problem involves illegal drugs such as ice and bupe, as well as prescription drugs such as Viagra

Former inmate of Villawood and deportee Justin Miller told SBS News that drugs were all too easy to come by.

'Whatever you wanted you could get your hands on it in there,' he said.

Drug seizures are a weekly occurrence at the centre.

Figures obtained by SBS News via Freedom of Information requests show that there were an average of two drug raids per week at Villawood in 2017.

Documents from the Department of Home Affairs shows that most of the seizures were for pills and powder. Medicinal drugs, in particular Viagra, were also high on the list.

Kate Dolan of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre said that she was surprised by the figures.

'It seemed like every other day there was some drug being found in there,' she said.

'I believe there's only about 400 [people] inside [Villawood], so to have that many drugs being found, there would be a sizable drug problem in there.'

The inmates of Villawood are mainly comprised of immigrants who have overstayed their visa permits or had their visas cancelled, often due to criminal activity, and are waiting deportation.

There have also been incidents of inmates committing suicide in the facility over the years. In 2010, two men awaiting deportation hung themselves from the shower.

During the same year, a third man from Fiji jumped to his death as he was being removed from the detention centre.

Kate Dolan of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre said that she was surprised by the figuresBreakthrough technology designed to stop drug-trafficking truck drivers polluting towns with methamphetamine as they cross the country will soon be introduced.

Authorities plan to utilise Geospatial Information Systems to clamp down on traffickers delivering drugs in regional towns via major 'ice highways', news.com.au reports.

Since the early 2000s, truckies have used the 15,000km of roads connecting each state to distribute batches of ice - many creeping below the radar and avoiding penalty.

Breakthrough technology designed to stop drug-trafficking truck drivers polluting towns with methamphetamine as they cross the country will soon be introduced (stock photo)

Law enforcement officers believe those days are about to come to an end, with the new system set to make busting law-breakers far easier and less time consuming.

Historically truckies have traveled Victoria's Hume, Sturt and Calder highways to spread ice through towns like Mildura and Bendigo.

They have been known to exploit the regional town Roma, in Queensland, as it intersects the Carnavon and Warrego highways.

Nowra, two hours south of Sydney, has also become known as a hot-spot for truckies to dump large quantities of illicit drugs.

Since the early 2000s, truckies have used the 15,000km of roads connecting states to distribute batches of ice - many creeping below the radar and avoiding penalty (10kg of illicit drugs seized from a truck on Hume Highway in January pictured)

Towns in their war-path as they commute cross-country have been Mount Gambier in South Australia, Katherine in the Northern Territory and Mandurah in Western Australia.

The country's meth is produced in 'clan labs', most commonly by motorcycle gangs or criminal networks, according to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.

In an address at the Australian Security Summit, United States Border Patrol assistant chief Patrick Stewart said once police pinned down the source of the drugs, they could begin work to stop it being trafficked.

Towns in their war-path as they commute cross-country have been Mount Gambier in South Australia, Katherine in the Northern Territory and Mandurah in Western Australia (stock photo)

He said by using the GIS technology, officers would 'see footprints in the sand so we log those footprints and if they're travelling with drugs, we'd log the description of those drugs.'

'All of that is stored on the server and then, based on historical information even the available light from the moon, the weather patterns, everything, we can say it's highly likely (the drugs) are headed to this stash-house or this landmark.'

Mr Stewart said with the additional tracking information police could 'jump ahead of that trafficking and wait for them to come to us instead of chasing  so we're always a step ahead'.A man has been arrested in hospital after woman's body was found at a house in west London.

The suspect is thought to have been known to the woman, aged in her early 30s, who was found at the property in Whittington Avenue, Hayes on Monday.

Police were scrambled to the scene at 9.35am after the woman was reported missing.

A 26-year-old man was arrested at a west London hospital later that day. He remains in hospital but police said his condition was not life-threatening.

A policewoman is pictured outside the house in Hayes, west London where a woman was found dead yesterday

Today detectives and forensic investigators were scouring the house for evidence with police cordons in place in the area.

The Hayes murder probe is the 109th to be launched in the capital this year.

It comes after a 19-year-old boy was shot in a drive-by attack in Walthamstow on Saturday night.

Police said the man was bundled into a car by his friends after being shot and rushed to hospital in north-east London.

A police cordon blocks residents from going down an alleyway next to the house where the woman was found dead in Hayes, west London

Forensic investigators are pictured outside the house where a woman in her 30s was found dead yesterdayAn angry mob of protesters hounded Texas Senator Ted Cruz and his wife Heidi in an upscale Washington DC restaurant on Monday night, demanding to know his position on Brett Kavanagh and later threatening him: 'You are not safe'.

The group, which was made up of activists from Smash Racism DC and a handful of other left wing organizations, ambushed Cruz and his wife at Fiola, an Italian restaurant near the White House.

They proudly shared videos of their stunt on Twitter afterwards and threatened Cruz, the president and 'any the rest of the racist, sexist, transphobic, and homophobic right-wing scum' by saying ominously: 'You are not safe. We will find you.

'We will expose you. We will take from you the peace you have taken from so many others.'

At the start of two videos uploaded by Smash Racism DC on Monday after the stunt, Cruz and his wife are seen making their way to their table as the protesters chanted: 'We believe survivors! We believe survivors!'

Smash Racism DC would not answer questions about how its members knew where Cruz would be on Monday night when contacted by DailyMail.com.

A spokesman said the organization was 'gathering' media requests and would respond at a later date.

Demonstrators surrounded Ted Cruz and his wife Heidi in Fiola, an Italian restaurant near the US Capitol, shouting 'We believe survivors', which prompted them to leave on Monday night

Heidi stared at them incredulously then made her way to her seat. The senator told one of the women: 'God bless you ma'am,' then took his seat next to his wife.

They were seated for only a few seconds while helpless waiters and restaurant managers tried to control the group before the couple got up to leave.

As they left, a woman in the group shouted: 'I deserve to know your position on Brett Kavanagh Senator.'

She earlier described herself as a 'constituent' and taunted the Cruz's by saying: 'I know you're good friends with Kavanaugh.'

As footage of the incident spread online, the group tweeted that they had decided to 'interrupt.'

The harassing began as Cruz and his wife Heidi (pictured) made their way to their table. Heidi stared back at the protesters incredulously then took her seat without answering them

The senator smiled at the group then told one woman, who claimed she was a sexual assault survivor, 'God bless you ma'am' before sitting down

The senator came face to face with a man who stood in his way and asked him firmly: 'Excuse me'

Cruz became firm when asking the group to let his wife pass through

The couple was let out a side door by one of the smartly dressed waiters. The door was closed on the protesters afterwards. They marched out through the front, continuing to shout as they left

Afterwards, Smash Racism DM, a group of activists which formed last year, posted a thread taking responsibility for the stunt and making this threat to Cruz, the president and other Republicans

One of the protesters held his middle finger up in Cruz's face while others screamed at him as he tried to leave

A handful of protesters stood back and filmed the chaos as other diners watched

'Noyou cant eat in peaceyour politics are an attack on all of us Youre votes are a death wish. Your votes are hate crimes.

'Tonight Senator Ted Cruz arrived at Fiola, an upscale restaurant mere steps from the White House, to enjoy a hearty Italian dinner.

'He could have dined on a lavish four course meal for only $145 while millions of Americans struggle to buy groceries. He might have sampled from the top shelf wine list as migrant children languish in cages.

'Hed have laughed with his wife while women and members of the LGBTQ community collectively gasp in horror as Senator Cruz pushes forward on Bret Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination. At least he could have had activists not interrupted his evening just as he was being seated.

'Instead, activists from Smash Racism DC, Resist This, DC IWW, members of DC Democratic Socialists of America, Anarchists, women, sexual assault survivors, and members of the LGBTQ community interrupted Ted Cruzs peaceful meal.'

The group described themselves as a mixture of activists from Smash Racism DC, Resist This, DC IWW, the DC Democratic Socialists of America, Anarchists and 'women, sexual assault survivors and members of the LGBTQ community'

They went on to say that their interruption 'does not compare in scale to the interruptions his actions as a Senator have had on millions of American lives.'

'We hope that it reminds Cruz and others like him that they are not safe from the people they have hurt.

'This is a message to Ted Cruz, Bret Kavanaugh, Donald Trump and the rest of the racist, sexist, transphobic, and homophobic right-wing scum: You are not safe. We will find you. We will expose you.

'We will take from you the peace you have taken from so many others.

'Sincerely, Some Anti Fascist Hooligans. We demand a world free of sexual violence, and state violence. We want a world without prisons, borders, or capitalism,' they said.

They signed off by posting the phone number of right-wing activist Gavin McInnes.

Smash Racism is part of a coalition of 'anti-fascist' groups known as Shut It Down DC.

In August, they organized a counter-protest called No Unite the Right 2 to fight against the right-wing event, Unite the Right, but it was shut down by Facebook when they recognized fake profiles - similar to those operated by Russian trolls - were involved in its online promotion.

Washington's Metropolitan Police told DailyMail.com that it received a call to Fiola on Monday night at 9.42pm. It was categorized as a disorderly person's report.

It is unclear if this was in relation to the protesters and it is not yet known if anyone was arrested.

The restaurant

Kavanaugh, 53, a former White House staff secretary to George W. Bush, has been accused of sexual misconduct by two women, with the historical allegations dating back to his high school and college days.

A third woman is reportedly poised to speak out with a third allegation.

In response, Kavanaugh has launched an aggressive counter-campaign, appearing on Fox News on Monday, vowing to clear his name while appearing to claim his virginity at the time of the accusations as a defense.

Kavanaugh, , went on national television on Monday to deny any inappropriate sexual behavior, telling Fox News that he 'always treated women with dignity and respect'

Dr Christine Blasey Ford (left) alleges that Kavanaugh tried to tear her clothes off at a high school beer party in suburban Washington around 1982. Deborah Ramirez (right) also accused him of exposing himself to her at a Yale party but said she could not be sure it was him

'I've never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever. I've always treated women with dignity and respect,' he said.

He also sought to present an image of himself as a strait-laced student devoted to his studies and sports, and declared he was a virgin for much of his youth, apparently as a strategy of defense.

'I did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter,' he said, appearing alongside his wife Ashley ahead of his own Senate testimony due after Ford's.

'I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process,' he added, repeatedly calling for a 'fair process.'

Trump later tweeted to throw his full weight behind his candidate.

'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!'

Democrats have accused Republicans of not conducting a thorough review in their rush to get Mr Kavanaugh confirmed.

They want the FBI to reopen its background investigation of Mr Kavanaugh and look into the allegations against him.

Ms Ford and Mr Kavanaugh are set to testify on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

A spokesperson for the Time's Up movement later issued a statement calling for Kavanaugh to withdraw: 'His confirmation would compromise the integrity of the court for generations to come,' he said.Richard Bacon has revealed how doctors expected him to die from a lung infection as he recalled the moment his wife told him to 'stay away from the white light'.

The former Blue Peter presenter and Radio 5 Live host described how he was rushed to hospital after a virus 'exploded' in his lungs during a flight from the United States.

He would go on to spend 12 days in intensive care and nine in an induced coma, as medics battled to save his life from the mystery infection.

The 42-year-old spoke to Good Morning Britain about how close he came to death, describing the moment he was put under as the 'most shocking day of my life'.

The 42-year-old spoke to Good Morning Britain about how close he came to death, describing the moment he was put under as the 'most shocking day of my life'

He told co-hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid: 'I felt very bad for [my wife] Rebecca. For me, I found out afterwards how close I'd come [to death].

'As they were putting me in the coma she rubbed my feet and said "don't walk towards the white light", which I think was a joke, but I'm not entirely sure.

'There was one point where they had the crash equipment hovering over me, my body turned blue, there was a moment when they believed I was going to die.'

Father-of-two Richard has since made a miraculous recovery but still has a few months left to his fully recovers due to the 'amount of drugs pumped' into his body.

Father-of-two Richard (shown in hospital, left) has since made a miraculous recovery but still has a few months left to his fully recovers

The star, a healthy eater who does twice daily gym sessions, went to Lewisham Hospital's walk in centre complaining of struggling to breathe in July.

Explaining the hours before he went to hospital he said: 'It was bad luck; I breathed something in.

'The working theory, they never really worked out what it was exactly, is that I got on the plane at the wrong time and the pressurised cabin caused this infection in both of my lungs to explode everywhere.'

'When I got off the plane I couldn't breathe properly. I did something really stupid which is, I believed that because I go to the gym a lot I'd kind of be fine.

'Obviously working on your biceps has no impact on what's going on in your lungs. So, I left it 18 hours. When I got to A&E that's when it all kicked off.'

'I was very, very close to death,' he said adding that doctors 'went from telling me I needed to be in an induced coma to being in a coma in 4 minutes'.

'They said to me afterwards, "it wasn't that you might die, we expected you to die". I was the illest person in Lewisham hospital.'

Speaking of being in a coma and if he remembers anything he said: 'You're not in any way conscious.

Richard Bacon leaves Lewisham Hospital in south east London with his wife Rebecca (pictured)

'Doctors would come in the room and I'd recognise their voices. Some stuff seeps through basically.'

He added: 'Coming out of the coma was the worst day of my life. Being told I needed to go into the induced coma was the most shocking moment and coming out was the worst day because you hallucinate and it takes about 14 hours to come out truly.'

Speaking of his health now, he said: 'I feel really good. It's six months full recovery. It was in Lewisham. There's no question that hospital saved my life.

'There's no question the NHS saved my life. In 2012 Jeremy Hunt tried to close it down.

'The lead consultant said to me "If they had succeeded in closing that down, the next A&E would have been too far away and you would have died".

'If you think about the problems that south London has at the moment with violence, the idea that they should have one less hospital, it's obviously ridiculous.'A gang who posed as police officers to steal more than 215,000 from elderly people including a World War Two veteran have been jailed for 27 years.

The fraudsters contacted their victims by phone convincing them that their bank accounts had been raided by criminals and were no longer secure.

They persuaded up to 34 people from Watford, Rickmansworth, Berkhamsted, South Buckinghamshire, Hemel Hempstead, Middlesex, Bedfordshire and Yorkshire to empty their accounts and hand over thousands of pounds to bogus couriers.

Prosecutor Charlene Sumnall told St Albans Crown Court that the gang, from Camden and Islington, north London, stole 215,641.60 between March and November 2016.

Sheikh Hussain, 24, (left) was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud. He organised the conspiracy, contacted victims and controlled the couriers with Nahid Uddin, 24, (right) who also pleaded guilty and received the same sentence

Bank staff and members of the families of potential victims prevented a further 112,445 being taken.

Sheikh Hussain, 24, who was described as one of the organisers and principal fraudsters, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud.

He organised the conspiracy, contacted victims and controlled the couriers with Nahid Uddin, 24, who also pleaded guilty and received the same sentence.

Ms Sumnall said: 'These defendants carried out a long-running carefully planned and utterly ruthless fraud.'

Cyril Banks, 91, of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, was conned out of 9,000 in 2016. An online campaign raised 18,000 for him and he donated the extra money to charities

William Crinson, left, with his daughter's Celia Billep and Penny Crimson, who told how the fraud had a huge impact on his emotional health

Among their victims was Cyril Banks, 91, of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, who was conned out of 9,000 in 2016.

An online campaign raised 18,000 for him and he donated the extra money to charities.

Celia Billep and her sister Penny Crimson said the fraud on their father William Crinson, 87, of Shepperton, Middlesex had a huge impact on his emotional health.

They said: 'Before this incident, for a man in his 80's, my father was living a fairly full and active life.

Mohammed Khaled, 24, left, of Camden was jailed for four years three months in his absence for conspiracy. Mohamad Abdullahi, right, also of Camden, was jailed for a total of six and a half years. He was convicted of the Hertfordshire fraud and had carried out a second courier fraud in Lincolnshire while on bail

They added: 'Our father had had a life fairly sheltered from crime and was a trusting man.

'This fraud case totally knocked the wind out of my father's sails.

'The fraudsters played on his vulnerability. He was drawn into their deceit because of his trusting nature, his strong sense of citizenship and what he felt was his duty to help the police.

'In May 2017 our father passed away. It's hard not to link this crime with his rapid demise.'

Other victims included an 88-year-old woman from High Wycombe, who received a call from Hussain, pretending to be an 'Inspector Hart.'

Mushahid Miah, 24, (left) of Camden, who has two previous convictions for courier fraud, was jailed for two years for fraud. Masum Uddin, 23, (right) of Camden was jailed for seven years in his absence after being convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud

He told her there had been a fraud on her bank account. She was persuaded to empty her bank account.

Another 80-year-old Beaconsfield woman was called by a bogus PC Leonard who said he was a local officer. He told her to call Scotland Yard on 161 as she had been the victim of a fraud.

The prosecutor said: 'She dialled the number but the defendants had left the line open and DI Hart spoke to her.

'He told her the area manager of her bank was being investigated.' She was persuaded to withdraw 13,500 in Euros.

An 82-year-old woman from Berkshire, was persuaded to withdraw money from Barclays in Gerrards Cross, Bucks.

Prosecutor Charlene Sumnall told St Albans Crown Court that the gang, from Camden and Islington, north London, stole 215,641.60 between March and November 2016

She collected the cash and was told to wear rubber gloves while reading over serial numbers to the fraudsters. She was given a password to say to the courier when he arrived.

Jailing the 9 men judge Graham Allen said: 'Each victim was elderly - some were in their 80s or 90s. They are of a generation who assist police without question.

'It was a particularly mean fraud that plays on the vulnerability of the victims.It humiliates them and must cause great distress.'

Masum Uddin, 23, of Camden was jailed for seven years in his absence after being convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Mohammed Khaled, 24, of Camden was jailed for four years three months in his absence for conspiracy. Warrants have been issued for their arrest.

Mohamad Abdullahi, 22, also of Camden was jailed for a total of six and a half years. He was convicted of the Hertfordshire fraud and had carried out a second courier fraud in Lincolnshire while on bail.

Mushahid Miah, 24, of, Camden, who has two previous convictions for courier fraud, was jailed for two years for fraud.

Abdul Khan, 26, of Luton and Dedar Ali, 24, Camden were convicted of entering a money laundering operation.

They were sentenced to six months' jail suspended for 18 months.

Abdalla Abdalla, 27, of Islington pleaded guilty to entering a money laundering operation by allowing 9,800 proceeds of the fraud to go through his bank.

He received eight months suspended for 18 months with 120 hours' unpaid work. He must also attend a 30 day offending behaviour programme.

At the end of the case, the judge commended DC Julian Griffiths for his investigation saying: 'He did a lot of leg work. What he did led to a most satisfactory result for the public.'

DC Griffiths said: 'These men callously targeted elderly and vulnerable victims and defrauded them out of their lives' savings.

'I am pleased that they are now behind bars and I hope it brings some comfort to the victims and their families who had been left devastated by the actions of these men.'Dance and drama teacher Chloe Fitzpatrick had been nervous about her trip to Zante

A teenager was left 'humiliated and scared' when a Thomas Cook flight attendant allegedly refused to fly her home - because her life-threatening strawberry allergy would mean they couldn't serve Magners cider.

Chloe Fitzpatrick, of Bolton-by-Bowland, Lancashire, was already nervous about her first trip abroad without her parents to the Greek island of Zante last week.

The 19-year-old said she told the two stewards about her airborne strawberry allergy when she got on the plane and the pair agreed to not serve the berry Magners cider and rose wine.

However the dance and drama teacher claimed a more senior flight attendant then refused to not serve the two products on the flight, despite it putting her at risk of anaphylactic shock.

The staff member then allegedly told Miss Fitzpatrick she would have to get off and find another way back to the UK, because she was not comfortable with her on the flight due to her condition.

After two fellow stewards protested, Miss Fitzpatrick claimed the woman agreed to allow her to fly home and made an announcement to other passengers that they could not eat strawberries on board.

Thomas Cook Airlines has insisted that the cabin manager had followed the normal course of action in their pre-flight breifing, and that safety is 'always our first priority'.

But Miss Fitzpatrick, who was diagnosed with a severe strawberry allergy when she was ten months old, claims she was 'humiliated' by the attendant's treatment of her.

Miss Fitzpatrick had been in Zante with her boyfriend Matthew Higson (pictured together)

She said: 'It was disgusting really. She was saying people with my condition shouldn't be flying if it's that serious. Why should I not be able to get on a flight?

'The staff member was just really rude and belittled me and made me feel really small. I'm only 19 so it's the first time I've been on holiday without my parents.

'I just felt embarrassed and scared. But she knew that. She could tell I was a young girl. It was my boyfriend that was trying to talk her round.

'She couldn't really say anything when he was saying 'are you not going to put someone's life above someone else's experience of a flight?'.

'She was just really horrible to me. She said that I couldn't get on the flight.

'She was really rude and she could see that I was getting worked up when she said I couldn't get on the flight and they weren't going to stop sellIng strawberry products.

'She came towards me and she said 'I'm really not happy going through with this flight with you on board with your condition'.

'She was saying 'I'm not happy not serving these products because we've got more than 200 guests and what do you expect them to do?'.

'All the things that were on the menu that I couldn't have, they were out of stock for most of them anyway.

Miss Fitzpatrick claimed the woman agreed to allow her to fly home and made an announcement to other passengers that they could not eat strawberries on board

'They were refusing products to people anyway so two extra items weren't going to make a difference.

'It wasn't like they had the whole menu available, they were letting the customers down anyway.'

Miss Fitzpatrick was flying home to Manchester at the end of her 'last-minute' trip to Zante with boyfriend Matthew Higson, 21.

She carries two Epipens around with her at all times in case she has an anaphylactic shock, which would then leave her hospitalised and in recovery for up to two weeks.

After explaining about her allergy on the flight out to Zante the week before, Miss Fitzpatrick claims the first set of flight attendants were more than happy to help her.

Miss Fitzpatrick said: 'On the way there they were absolutely fine about the strawberries and couldn't have done more for me.

Miss Fitzpatrick was diagnosed with a severe strawberry allergy when she was still a baby

'They had meals on board and I had forgotten to ask about the meals, and they were just like 'don't worry, it's better to be safe than sorry'.

'But on the way back we were delayed an hour and I was rushing to get on.

'I explained everything to the two girls and they were like 'of course, we'll let the others know. Could you write down the things in our menu that you can't have?'.

'I sat down, quickly wrote the things down on a piece of paper that I couldn't have. Then the third staff member wanted to speak to me to see whether I could go ahead with the flight.

'I was in shock because how am I meant to get home if I couldn't get on this flight? I didn't have enough money to get another ticket. It wasn't like I could just go home if they'd refused me the flight. I'd have been stuck in Zante.

'I said to her it was fine on the way here so I don't understand why it's not now. If it was an issue with the company then surely they wouldn't have let me on the flight here.

'It's an airborne allergy. The slightest thing can set me off. I have about two to three (anaphylactic episodes) a year which is really hard.

'The woman didn't understand that the air conditioning used on planes is reused, so if someone is sat on seat one and I'm in seat 34 I can react to it because it's in the air.

'She said 'it's such an inconvenience to all our customers that you're allergic to strawberries and we can't serve these products'.

'Luckily the two girls she was working with said it wasn't an inconvenience. They convinced her in the end.

'She said 'like I said I am going to make an announcement but I'm not happy about it'.

'She could see I was about to cry and grabbed the phone and made the announcement 'you can't open any strawberries'. That was it really.

'Me and my boyfriend quickly sat down and everyone was looking at us. I was crying because I was upset and wondering if they were still going to sell them.

'The other airhostess came and apologised for the woman's behaviour and said she wasn't going to sell the strawberry products.

'They said we told her we're not selling them. She was just really rude. All through the flight she was scowling at me whenever she passed with her cart.

'I'm not saying it's Thomas Cook as a whole because on the way there they were absolutely fine, but I think they should be aware of it.

'It's definitely worth retraining staff. She didn't have any compassion towards me at all or my feelings.

'I think when you're doing customer service you need to take people's feelings into account and she could see I was upset and that I wanted to cry. She had no sympathy for me.

'She said to me 'have you got an Epipen?' I said 'yes', and she said 'right, you should be fine then if you've got your stuff. I should be able to serve up things'.

'She didn't get that you should only have to use your Epipen if you go into anaphylactic shock and if you can prevent that happening to someone then you should do everything to stop it.'

Miss Fitzpatrick shared her nightmare ordeal online to try and raise awareness of her allergy - where it was shared, liked and commented on more than 800 times.

A Thomas Cook Airlines spokesman said: 'The safety of our customers and crew is always our first priority.

'When a customer lets us know that they have an allergy, the cabin manager will share the information with the captain and crew as part of their pre-flight briefing to decide on the best course of action, based on the severity of the allergy.

'On speaking with both Ms Fitzpatrick and the captain, the cabin manager made an announcement to all customers asking them to refrain from opening products containing strawberries that they may have brought on board, and advised that no products containing strawberries would be sold on the flight.'Twitter users suggested that the body of a woman killed by a train should be left on the tracks and services allowed to continue running.

Another branded the deceased a 'selfish c****' after the death on tracks between Chadwell Heath and Goodmayes in East London.

Passengers complained about the amount of time it could take them to get home after the collision at 3.30pm yesterday shut down services until 5pm.

One wrote on Twitter: 'Just as I finish work some selfish c*** jumped in front of a train at Chadwell Heath so now we all have to wait hours to get a train.'

The incident caused chaos at London Liverpool Street Station (pictured, file photo) and caused furious Twitter users to brand the deceased a 'c***'

The body was found on the tracks between Goodmayes Station (pictured, above) and Chadwell Heath

Another said said that they 'burnt a hole in my jacket this morning and now someone's chucked themselves on the tracks at Chadwell Heath' and included an upside-down smiling emoji in the post.

As two men discussed the fact that there was no service between Ilford and Gidea Park.

When it was pointed out that an emergency incident is underway, one user replied 'selfish c***' before another suggested 'Trust leave dem there and run the trains lol'.

One mental health campaigner warned the abusive posters: 'Nothing about suicide is a laughing matter. Show some respect please.'

British Transport Police attended this road in Romford where a woman had been found on the tracks yesterday

Delays hit every Greater Anglia service, causing huge crowds to form at London Liverpool Street as journeys to Shenfield, Southend, Braintree, Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester were disrupted.

Simon, 50, told Essex Live that it was 'chaos' at the central London station, adding: 'Everything is cancelled. There might be a train to Southend Victoria at 5pm but I dont know how Ill get on it with all these people. Its mental. Crowds and crowds.'

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed that they were called at 3:43pm to Romford but that the person died at the scene.

A spokesperson for British Transport Police said the incident is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner.

For confidential support in the UK, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See Samaritans.org for detailsA British pub owner has been banned from holding a Coyote Ugly-themed night after being contacted by lawyers in New York.

Barney Wills, who owns Boomerangs in Plymouth, filmed a video of himself dancing on the bar and stripping to LeAnn Rimes song 'Can't Fight The Moonlight' to advertise the event.

The video, which quickly went viral, caught the attention of lawyers in America, and he received a letter on Friday telling him to cease and desist from using anything associated with trademarked Coyote Ugly.

Barney Wills, who owns Boomerangs in Plymouth, filmed a video of him dancing on the bar and stripping to LeAnn Rimes song 'Can't Fight The Moonlight' to advertise the event

He also has to change the name of the event to something that doesn't include the terms Coyote or Ugly or any other names similar to it.

But Mr Wills is determined to go ahead with an event, even if it means changing a few things.

The 43-year-old, told the Plymouth Herald: 'The letter just came Friday from New York, I had to sign for it. What is the point? I just think it's funny.

'I'll just come in [dressed] as a woman  we'll still be doing something. I've had loads of people say they wanted to dance, about 20-25 girls and we have three proper dancers too. It's crazy. I'm not going to pay too much attention to it [the letter]. I'll ruffle a few feathers yet.'

The video, which quickly went viral, caught the attention of lawyers in America, and he received a letter on Friday telling him to cease and desist from using anything associated with trademarked Coyote Ugly

A spokesman for law firm Pryor Cashman LLP said: 'While we are big fans of Mr. Wills and his comical viral video, Coyote Ugly must take any violation of its intellectual property seriously, and cannot countenance the use of its name in connection with the prospective event, which usurps its goodwill and will cause confusion among consumers as to the event's association with or endorsement by Coyote Ugly. We trust Mr Wills understands our client's concerns.'

The Coyote Ugly Saloon is a New York bar and the namesake of an international chain of bars. It served as the setting for the 2000 movie Coyote Ugly.Theresa May last night ruled out calling a general election before Britain leaves the EU - as it would not be in the 'national interest'.

The PM dismissed claims she could call a snap poll in the Autumn if she cannot get any Brexit deal through Parliament - and sidestepped questions over whether she would quit at that point.

As she flew to New York for the UN General Assembly, Mrs May also rejected a looser Canada-style arrangement, suggesting it would be worse than no deal as it would mean the break up of the UK.

Under the EU's proposals Northern Ireland would stay in the customs union and single market while the rest of the UK leaves something Mrs May has said no PM could accept.

Tory Eurosceptics including Jacob Rees Mogg and former Brexit Secretary David Davis urged Mrs May to abandon Chequers.

This week they urged her to accept a 'Canada plus' free trade deal would liberate the UK to make agreements with the US and other fast-growing economies.

Theresa May (pictured at Downing Street yesterday) will urge the world to unite against chemical weapons in a major address to world leaders in New York

But Mrs May said: 'First of all I have always said no deal is better than a bad deal.

'I think a bad deal would be for example a deal that broke up the United Kingdom.'

At the weekend it was claimed Downing Street aides discussed the prospect of an Autumn election - what would be the third in four years - to win a further mandate for any deal.

Interviewed by journalists on route to the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, Mrs May was asked whether 'Brenda from Bristol' - the woman whose horrified reaction to last year's election was caught on TV - could be reassured there would be no repeat.

Mrs May replied: 'What I'm doing is working to deliver a good deal with Europe in the national interest. It would not be in the national interest to have an election.'

She added that she 'absolutely believes in delivering on people's vote' in the referendum.

In a swipe at Labour, she accused them of siding with the EU in the talks.

'Labour will oppose any deal I bring back, regardless of how good it is for the UK.

'And they will accept any deal Europe gives regardless of how good it is for the UK,' she said.

Tory Eurosceptics including Jacob Rees Mogg and former Brexit Secretary David Davis urged Mrs May to abandon Chequers.

Tory Eurosceptics want Mrs May to abandon Chequers - which will mean accepting all single market rules relating to manufactured goods and food. They say it will restrict free trade deals with other countries.

Mrs May said a bad deal would be 'a deal that breaks up the UK' and undermines our 'constitutional integrity'.

In her speech to world leaders tomorrow Mrs May will urge the world to unite against chemical weapons.

The Prime Minister will use her speech to the UN General Assembly to warn 'red lines' around chemical weapons are being 'eroded'.

She will point to the 'despicable' use of novichok by Russia in Salisbury and by the Syrian regime against its own people.

She will point to the 'despicable' use of novichok by Russia in Salisbury to try and kill Sergei Skripal (pictured) and by the Syrian regime against its own people

In her speech tomorrow Mrs May will say: 'The Syrian regime has repeatedly used these appalling weapons against its own people while the Russian state has deployed them on UK streets.

'Attacks such as Salisbury and Ghouta are despicable in their own right, but they are also a threat to the wider international system.

'Each time we fail to challenge the use or development of weapons of mass destruction it erodes the framework of treaties we have built up so painstakingly over the past few decades.'

She will urge the international community to 'do more together to prevent future chemical weapons use and ensure those who use them are held to account'.

During her two days in New York, Mrs May is expected to meet US President Donald Trump for the first time since he came to Britain this summer.

The two leaders are set to discuss prospects for a post-Brexit US-UK trade deal.

Mrs May will also personally lobby the president of Iran to release the British mother imprisoned by the regime.

Aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was sentenced to five years in prison in 2016 after being accused of spying by Tehran's Islamist regime.

Mrs May will also personally lobby the president of Iran to release the British mother imprisoned by the regime. Aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Mrs May will use a one-on-one meeting with President Hassan Rouhani to urge him to release her.

A senior Government official said Mrs May would express 'serious concerns' at Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's ongoing detention and call for her to be released on humanitarian grounds.

The move marks an escalation of the Government's campaign on behalf of the mother-of-one, who has joint British and Iranian citizenship, and will increase the pressure on Iran to let her out.

It follows intensive diplomatic efforts from Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, which last month saw Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe granted temporary release.

She spent three days with her family, reuniting with her four-year-old daughter Gabriella. She was quoted as saying she 'cried so much' and said she wanted her child to 'have a mummy again'.A woman has recalled the terrifying moment she was attacked by a flying mackerel.

Belinda Bingham and her husband Neil were fishing near the ConocoPhillips pipeline in the Northern Territory's Darwin Harbour last week when a 10 kilogram, one-metre mackerel suddenly leaped from the water and slashed her throat.

It narrowly missed a major artery but caused a substantial loss of blood.

Baiting a line at the time, Mrs Binham's husband said he turned around to find his wife lying down in the boat with her hand to her throat and 'blood everywhere.'

Belinda Bingham (pictured) had her throat slashed by a flying mackerel on a fishing trip with her husband

He tried to stem the wound with his shirt, but the blood soaked through it in seconds.

'You could see the blood coming out through her fingers, pumping,' Mr Bingham told the ABC's Tales from the Tinny.

He called Triple-0 and made his way to the nearby Channel Island boat ramp, where they were met by paramedics who rushed Mrs Bingham to Royal Darwin Hospital.

Mrs Bingham said the flying fish left a deep wound in her neck and nearly cut into her thyroid.

The mackerel attack narrowly missed a major artery and caused Mrs Bingham to lose a substantial amount of blood

'Other than that, it's the chest pain and my voice, because the fish bashed my throat,' she said.

'It's the chest pain - it's like a whiplash I think. It's very sore.'

Although the mackerel died in the boat after its amazing leap, the couple decided against eating it later because it had spent too long in their boat.

St John Ambulance NT operations manager Craig Garraway told the ABC the woman could have ended up 'a lot worse off', judging by the reports from paramedics who were at the scene.The attorney for a white Dallas police officer who fatally shot her black neighbor inside his own apartment says the officer's firing was premature and unfair.

Robert Rogers, who represents the fired officer, Amber Guyger, said Monday night that Police Chief U. Renee Hall 'bowed to pressure from anti-police groups and took action before all of the facts had been gathered and due process was afforded.'

'That's not the way our system of justice should work,' Rogers said in his first statement since the shooting.

He called the Sept. 6 shooting that left 26-year-old Botham Jean dead 'a tragic mistake' and said 'words can never express our sorrow for the pain suffered by those who knew and loved' Jean. Rogers added that Guyger 'is completely devastated by what happened.'

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The Dallas Police Department fired Guyger weeks after she fatally shot 26-year-old Botham Jean inside his own apartment on September 6

Botham Jean, pictured speaking at Harding university in March 2014, was shot inside his own Dallas apartment on September 6

Guyger's firing came the same day that Jean was being buried in his Caribbean homeland. Hall dismissed the four-year veteran of the force during a hearing Monday, according to the Police Department.

The now-former officer is charged with manslaughter, 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 '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.

Since Guyger's arrest, a series of discrepancies have emerged in her story, while a search warrant contradicted her claims  saying that she had banged on Jean's apartment door at Southside Flats and shot Jean after he opened up

The case prompted protests across the city including one last weekend where demonstrators called on Guyger to be fired

The family's attorneys, along with protesters, had 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.

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 is booked for manslaughter for the September 6th killing of Botham Jean. She was arrested three days after the killing, on September 9

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.

Brandt Jean, center left, brother of shooting victim Botham Jean, hugs his sister Allisa Charles-Findley outside the Frank Crowley Courts Building on September 10

Brandt Jean and his mother Allison Jean, who are the brother and mother of Botham Jean mourn with another churchgoer three days after Botham Jean's death

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  Dallas' largest police employee organization  will be paying Guyger's legal fees.An Indian passenger sparked panic in mid-air when he tried to open the plane's evacuation door, apparently mistaking it for the toilet.

The man was travelling on a GoAir flight from New Delhi to Patna on Saturday when he attempted to open the aircraft's rear exit.

'A co-passenger raised the alarm and he was intercepted by the crew,' GoAir said in a statement on Tuesday.

Indian media reports said he was a first time flier in his late 20s.

The incident happened on a GoAir flight from New Delhi to Patna on Saturday September 22

The Telegraph, a Kolkata-based newspaper, reported that when fellow passengers asked the man what he was doing he told them he 'needed to use the washroom urgently and kept tugging at the exit door.'

Patna Airport police station house officer Mohammad Sanowar Khan confirmed that the passenger admitted the 'mistake.'

'Pandemonium prevailed amid all this and he was restrained and finally handed over to us.

'He said that the confusion happened because he had boarded a flight for the first time in his life,' Khan told the newspaper.

GoAir said the passenger was handed over to the authorities for further investigation after the plane arrived safely at its destination.

The Patna police later released him after he signed a personal bond stating he will appear at any potential future court dates.

A spokesperson for the airline added that the man wouldn't have succeeded in opening the door anyway due to air pressure in the cabin.

GoAir Aircraft next to private jets at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. Bargain fares, high oil prices and a tumbling rupee are causing turbulence in India's hyper-competitive aviation market (file photo)

India's aviation market has witnessed a six-fold increase in passenger numbers over the past decade as a growing middle class take advantage of better connectivity and cheap flights, with many taking to the skies for the first time.

The incident comes almost a week after a cockpit mix-up left more than 30 passengers on a Jet Airways plane bleeding from their ears and noses after the crew reportedly forgot to flick a switch regulating cabin air pressure.

The flight from Mumbai to Jaipur, which was carrying 166 passengers, had to turn back.

Those affected were given medical attention while the flight crew was suspended pending an investigation.The former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan is poised to begin the chemical castration of convicted paedophiles.

An unnamed sex attacker in the Turkestan region will be the first to undergo an injection supervised by the country's health ministry, officials announced.

The forcible castration is punishment for being found guilty of a child sex attack in April 2016.

Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Health Lyazzat Aktaeva (front left) confirmed there had been one request for chemical castration

Aktayeva (pictured) also revealed that the government has allocated funds for more than 2,000 injections

President Nursultan Nazarbayev has allocated 20,500 for some 2,000 injections on men who commit sexual offences on children this year.

Deputy health minister Lyazat Aktayeva said: 'At the moment there has been one request for chemical castration in accordance with a court ruling.'

Kazakhstan introduced a new law on chemical castration at the start of this year.

'Funds have been allocated for more than 2,000 injections,' revealed Aktayeva.

Turkestan region psycho-neurological dispancer which was named as one of places in the region where the castration might take place

When the law was passed senator Byrganym Aitimova said that castration would be 'temporary', consisting of a 'one-time injection' based on 'the necessity of preventing the man from (committing) sexual violence'.

Child sex crimes also carry prison sentences of up to 20 years in Kazakhstan.

Unlike surgical castration, chemical castration leaves organs intact and is considered to be reversible in most cases; while the drugs reduce sex drive they do not prevent a person experiencing sexual urges indefinitely.

Sceptics argue that the measure, first performed in the 1940s, does not necessarily prevent future attacks.

Reports say the procedure in Kazakhstan will be carried out at regional psychoneurological clinics.

Doctors will administer Cyproterone, a steroidal anti-androgen developed for fighting cancer.

Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev, whose government introduced a new law on chemical castration at the start of this year

Reports say the procedure in Kazakhstan will be carried out at regional psychoneurological clinics such as this one

Child rapes in the country doubled to around 1,000 a year in the period between 2010 and 2014.

In 2016, Indonesian president Joko Widodo authorised chemical castration for convicted child sex offenders following a national outcry over the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl.

Chemical castration is not altogether unusual and a number of countries - including Poland, South Korea, Russia, Australia, as well as some American states - exchange more lenient prison sentences to paedophiles who agree to it.

In 1952, the famous British World War II code-breaker Alan Turing underwent a forced chemical castration to avoid a prison sentence as a punishment being gay.A child's sparkler may have caused the explosion of a World War II bullet cartridge picked up by a father and his daughter at a beach.

The victims of the massive explosion have been identified as 37-year-old Ryan Glen and his four-year-old daughter Angel.

The pair are in a serious but stable condition after an explosion in Port Stephens on the New South Wales' north coast.

Emergency services were called to a home at Anna Bay at 10pm on Monday to find the man and girl with non-life-threatening wounds.

The victims of the explosion have been identified as 37-year-old Ryan Glen and his four-year-old daughter Angel (pictured)

Emergency services were called to a home at Anna Bay in Port Stephens at 10pm on Monday

Ryan and Angel Glen suffered injuries from shrapnel during the explosion, believed to have been caused by a 50-calibre shell and other military supplies being thrown into a fire

Police and army specialists said they removed several items from the home and rendered them safe.

The pair suffered injuries from shrapnel during the explosion, believed to have been caused by a 50-calibre shell.

It is understood that Mr Ryan Glen found the old ammunition on a nearby beach before taking it home.

'We thought somebody had been shot at first,' neighbour Leonie McCarthy told 7 News.

'And then I came out and heart the groaning and moaning.'

Both Mr Glen and Angel were treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition.

In a statement, NSW Police said they had removed a 'number of items from the home'.

Specialist Defence Force personnel are assisting the NSW Police bomb squad in their investigations.

A beach nearby was used as a dumping ground for World War II military supplies.

A massive explosion has left four-year-old Angel and her father Ryan (pictured) in hospital with serious injuries

Stockton Beach was fortified in preparation for attack from the Japanese during the war.

Barbed wire and traps were set up on the beach, and it was used as a firing range.

Aircraft bombs were also dumped on the beach during the war.Authorities in Bali are planning on stopping tourists from posing in bikinis in front of sacred temples - after criticising the 'quality of tourists' visiting the Indonesian island.

The island has become one of south-east Asia's most popular tourist destinations for westerners in recent years, and attracted more than five million visitors last year.

But the increase in popularity has come at a price for the local population, with a Danish tourist's photo of himself sitting on the Linggih Padmasana shrine drawing outrage earlier this month.

Authorities in Bali are planning on stopping tourists from posing in bikinis in front of sacred temples - after criticising the 'quality of tourists' visiting the Indonesian island (pictured tourist posing in front of erupting volcano)

The shrine is reserved for Balinese Hinduism's most important deity, and it is considered offensive for tourists to sit on it.

Seemingly prompted by the tourist's actions, Bali deputy governor Cok Ace told a regional council meeting last week that the government was concerned by a recent rise in disrespectful behaviour.

'This is the government's attempt to maintain the Pura,' he told The Guardian.

'The temples need to be reserved since they are the spirits of Bali's cultures and customs.'

The newly appointed Bali government also said the recent surge in visitors was having a negative impact on the island.

Cok Ace said: 'We are too open with tourists - so to many come - and the quality of toursits is now different from before.'

Bali deputy governor Cok Ace (pictured) told a regional council meeting that the government was concerned by a recent rise in disrespectful behaviour

The proposed crackdown follows a move by Cambodian authorities in 2016 to stop tourists from wearing skimpy clothing

The newly appointed Bali government also said the recent surge in visitors was having a negative impact on the island (pictured a bikini-clad woman performing the downward dog yoga position in front of another Balinese temple)

He said: 'The temples need to be reserved since they are the spirits of Bali's cultures and customs'

The island has become one of south-east Asia's most popular tourist destinations for westerners in recent years, and attracted more than five million visitors last year

In 2016, a picture of a bikini-clad woman performing the downward dog yoga position in front of another Balinese temple provoked a storm of criticism on social media.

And in 2017, western tourists flooded Instagram with shots of them posing seductively in front of Bali's Mount Agung volcano as it spewed out columns of black ash and threatened to erupt.

The proposed crackdown follows a move by Cambodian authorities in 2016 to stop tourists from wearing skimpy clothing - which included a ban on clothing which exposed knees and shoulders.

In 2017, western tourists flooded Instagram with shots of them posing seductively in front of Bali's Mount Agung volcano as it spewed out columns of black ash and threatened to eruptWeetabix has been censored in New Zealand after a British food store was ordered to cover up box labels in a row with rival cereal firm Weet-bix.

Sanitarium, the producer of Weet-Bix, claimed shoppers at 'A Little Bit of Britain' in Christchurch could mistake the British product for its own.

The row ended up in New Zealand's High Court with Sanitarium arguing the sale of Weetabix was a breach of the country's Fair Trading Act.

Weetabix has been censored in New Zealand after a British food store (pictured) was ordered to cover up box labels in a row with rival cereal firm Weet-bix

Sanitarium, the producer of Weet-Bix (right), claimed shoppers at 'A Little Bit of Britain' in Christchurch could mistake the British product (left) for its own

Judges said the fact it would go on sale in a UK-themed food store meant there was no chance of customers being mistaken and granted permission for the British product to be stocked.

But Justice Grendall found importing the item with a similar name breached the Trade Marks Act meaning the shop will need to cover the labels of Weetabix packets on its shelves.

In a statement, Sanitarium said the judge's decision had been the result it was looking for and that it would protect its brand of the whole grain wheat cereal.

Weetabix has yet to respond after MailOnline requested a comment this morning.

A Little Bit of Britain posted a Facebook picture of a Weetabix box with its label covered and asked customers to suggest new names for the product

According to RNZ, the row had meant some boxes of Weetabix had been seized by customs - with all 108 having to be destroyed.

A Little Bit of Britain posted a Facebook picture of a Weetabix box with its label covered and asked customers to suggest new names for the product.

'Woohoo! It's been such a long time coming but it's finally done. You can be assured we will be getting Weetabix in our next container.

'As per the Judge's ruling, we have to sticker over the Weetabix logo so please help us out and let us know below what you think we should call it.

'We were thinking "confuse a brit" since they think we are so easily led astray. Get commenting and let us know!'A British couple got the best wedding surprise ever when their dream ceremony in Italy was gatecrashed by Justin Bieber and his new fiance Hailey Baldwin.

Rebecca Reed-Sperrin and Stefan Johansen tied the knot at the exclusive Belmond Hotel Caruso in Ravello on the picturesque Amalfi coast.

But the couple were stunned to see Bieber and Baldwin watching the nuptials from their private suite on the hotel grounds, where rooms go for 3,700 a night.

Bieber, 24, and Baldwin, 21, had been enjoying some time away from the limelight at the Italian retreat just days after getting engaged earlier this month.

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin overlook the wedding at the Belmond Caruso Hotel in Italy

Rebecca Reed-Sperrin and Stefan Johansen tied the knot at the exclusive hotel in Ravello

The couple, who arrived in Italy after announcing their engagement, watched on as Mr Johansen, 31, and Miss Reed-Sperrin, 32, became husband and wife.

Miss Reed-Sperrin, who got engaged to her man at the hotel 18 months ago, said: 'It was surreal. We had no idea that Justin was going to be there before flying out.

One of the guests waved and he waved back, it was really cool Rebecca Reed-Sperrin

'They came a few days after us and ever since they arrived there were at least 30 or 40 teens outside the hotel.

'There was security everywhere. It's usually such a quiet resort. One of my friend's spotted them watching during the speeches. We were talking on microphones so they would have been able to hear us.

'One of the guests waved and he waved back, it was really cool. Hopefully Hailey picked up some tips from my dress. I'll have to see if she copies mine!'

Bieber watched on as project manager Mr Johansen went about his speech none the wiser

Guests at the wedding, which was held at the hotel where rooms go for up to 3,700 a night

However, a drone the couple had booked to film Miss Reed-Sperrin and Mr Johansen's big day was cancelled due to extra security around Bieber.

But Miss Reed-Sperrin, now enjoying a dream honeymoon in Capri, said Bieber's cameo made her special day 'even more spectacular'.

She said: 'He definitely didn't steal my thunder. It was great to have that extra wow-factor. It's nice that he stayed back.

'None of my guests got up to take photos or anything, the focus was still on our wedding. The venue is such an amazing place. It's so romantic.'

The star-studded crowd watched on as project manager Mr Johansen, from Richmond, South West London, went about his speech none the wiser.

Bridesmaids Claire Davenport, Kate Thomas and Claudia Konieczna at the wedding in Italy

Miss Reed-Sperrin and Mr Johansen are now enjoying a dream honeymoon in Capri

Miss Reed-Sperrin, who works in the oil trading industry, said Mr Johansen 'had no idea' that Bieber was listening to his every word.

She said: 'They were both stood there for a good ten minutes. Stefan didn't even realise they were there until afterwards.

'It's a good job to be honest, because if he had known it probably would have made him more flustered.

'The fact he was there shows it's one of the most romantic places in the world. It wouldn't surprise me if they were there to pick up wedding tips.'

Bieber and Baldwin are thought to have left their private apartment in Italy following their four-day getaway.A Vietnamese activist has been jailed for more than two years over anti-government Facebook posts in which he called for protests and 'insulted' the regime.

Doan Quang, 42, was found guilty of 'abusing democratic and freedom rights' to infringe the interests of the state, individuals and organisations', police in Can Tho City said on Monday.

Quang's actions 'seriously affected the political security and social order and safety', the police said in a statement, adding that he had admitted to having written and shared posts insulting the Party and the country since 2015.

Doan Khanh Vinh Quang (pictured), 42, was found guilty of 'abusing democratic and freedom rights'

He was arrested in early September as authorities found his Facebook posts 'distorted the guidelines and policies of the party and the state' and called for people to protest.

Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and does not tolerate criticism.

Facebook has a direct channel for Vietnam's information ministry to request the blocking or removal of accounts, content or posts deemed to violate the law. Many activists have complained about growing blocking of content this year.

Not all the ministry's requests are met, however, and acting information minister Nguyen Manh Hung this month proposed to set up a working group to improve communications between the government and Facebook.

Police said Quang also received two flags of the US-backed Republic of Vietnam, the former state in the country's southern half until the Vietnam War ended in 1975, from another Facebook user living overseas and agreed to hang them.

They added that Quang use Facebook to urge people to turn out for street demonstrations against a controversial draft law to develop economic zones against which thousands had protested in several cities in June.Life expectancy is stalling in England and falling across many parts of the UK, shock figures out today reveal.

The UK is lagging near the bottom of the league table of Western countries for life expectancy - behind Switzerland, Italy and New Zealand.

The analysis, by the Office for National Statistics, shows that after many years of Britons being able to make the most of living longer, the progress has stalled.

Across the UK as a whole, life expectancy did not improve at all between 2015 and 2017 - standing at 79.2 years for men and 82.9 years for women.

And in Scotland and Wales it actually fell - with men and women both dying on average 0.1 years earlier. The same was true for men in Northern Ireland.

Some health experts say that the decline is the result of austerity on the NHS an social care.

But others strongly contest the claim that squeezed budgets have directly led to a drop in life expectancy, and point out that more people live with multiple health problems.

Life expectancy is stalling in England and falling across many parts of the UK, shock figures out today reveal

In the UK, life expectancy did not improve at all between 2015 and 2017 - standing at 79.2 years for men and 82.9 years for women. And in Scotland and Wales it actually fell - with men and women both dying on average 0.1 years earlier. The same was true for men in Northern Ireland

Labour MP Jonathan Ashworth, shadow health secretary, said: 'This damning new data should serve as a wake up call.

'Place of birth too often determines length and quality of life. An overarching strategy to narrow these stark health inequalities must be a priority of Government ministers.'

The figures will alarm Theresa May's Government, which has faced massive criticism as health budgets have been squeezed over the past eight years.

Experts have warned that more older people are dying from dementia - a complex health disorder which sees sufferers often need years of expensive care.

Sophie Sanders, from the ONS' Centre for Ageing and Demography, said: 'The slowdown in life expectancy improvements in the UK has continued, as 2015 to 2017 saw the lowest improvements in life expectancy since the start of the series in 1980 to 1982.

'Some decreases in life expectancy at birth have been seen in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland whilst in England life expectancy has remained unchanged from 2014 to 2016.

'This slowing in improvements is reflected in the chances of surviving to age 90 years from birth, which has also seen virtually no improvement since 2012 to 2014.'

The ONS said that in England and Wales, 2015 saw the biggest percentage increase in deaths since 1968.

How does the life expectancy of women in the UK compare to the rest of the world? Here is how the life expectancy of women in the UK compares to other countries around the world? Japan: 87 Spain: 85.8 Switerland: 85.3 France: 85.3 Singapore: 85.2 Italy: 85 Norway: 84.3 Sweden: 84.1 Iceland: 83.9 Belgium: 83.6 New Zealand: 83.4 The Netherlands: 83.3 Denmark: 82.9 UK: 82.9 Poland: 81.8 USA: 81.2 Advertisement

In 2017, Scotland also saw the highest number of deaths registered since 2003 and provisional figures suggest Northern Ireland saw the largest number of death registrations since 1986.

Britons can expect to die earlier than people in most other Western countries - with France, Spain and the Netherlands all with better life expectancies.

Only a handful of countries, including the USA and Poland, fare worse than Britain, the analysis shows.

The findings show that one in five newborn boys and one in three newborn girls in the UK in 2015 to 2017 could expect to live to at least age 90 years.

The chance of survival to age 90 years has remained virtually unchanged since 2012 to 2014.

David Willetts, executive chairman of the Resolution Foundation think-tank said: 'Rising life expectancy has been one of the biggest boons to our living standards over the last century.

'Getting to the bottom of why this long-term improvement has stalled  particularly as we still lag behind many other European countries on life expectancy  is crucial for policy makers, economists and politicians.'

Veena Raleigh, a senior fellow at the Kings Fund health think-tank, said: 'These figures show a disturbing drop-off in UK life expectancy improvements. Although improvements have stalled across large parts of Europe, UK life expectancy remains lower than in many comparable countries, especially for women.

'In recent years the UK has shown the least improvement in life expectancy of all European countries.

'The evidence suggests It's likely that several factors have caused the slowdown, for example a Europe-wide spike in flu-related deaths reported for 2015 and a general slowing over recent years in the decline in mortality rates for diseases such as heart attack and stroke.

'Some of these patterns are reported in other countries and we must work internationally to understand the causes.

The figures will alarm Theresa May's Government, which has faced massive criticism as health budgets have been squeezed over the past eight years

'We also need to investigate why life expectancy improvements are worse in UK.'

Jon Date, from the International Longevity Centre think-tank, said: 'It's very hard to predict how long people born today will live, so the idea that increasing life expectancy in the UK has stalled should be taken with a pinch of salt.

'What is clear from our research is that the gap in life expectancy between the rich and poor is worsening over time.

'The reasons behind these disparities are complex, but it is utterly unacceptable to witness a growing health divide in 21st century Britain.'

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: 'Recent trends in life expectancy and mortality in the UK can also be seen in a number of countries across Europe, North America and Australia.

'As part of our long term plan for the health service we are taking action to help people live longer and healthier lives - cancer survival is at a record high while smoking rates are at an all-time low  backed by our additional funding of an extra 20.5 billion a year by 2023/24, which will transform care for cancer and other chronic diseases.'Advertisement

These eerie images reveal the abandoned remains of a former RAF airfield that was set to be an immigration centre.

RAF High Ercall is a former Royal Air Force station situated near the village of High Ercall, seven miles northeast of Shrewsbury, Shropshire. During the war it was used by both the RAf and the American Air Force but following the end of the Second World War it became a training centre before it was closed in 1962.

It was set to become an immigration centre but when plans fell through it was abandoned once again.

Today, still complete with a swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi, these haunting pictures also show the large hangar with an RAF vehicle left behind, an old mess hall with rows of tables and chairs and the bedrooms where aircraft servicemen would have slept.

Other striking shots show a room filled with bags of rubbish and rotting petrol pumps that would have once fuelled the military vehicles.

These eerie images revealed the abandoned remains of a former RAF airfield that was set to be an immigration centre

RAF High Ercall is a former Royal Air Force station situated near the village of High Ercall, seven miles north of Shrewsbury

Complete with a swimming pool, sauna and jacuzzi, these haunting pictures also show the large hangar with an RAF vehicle left behind, an old mess hall with rows of tables and chairs and the bedrooms where aircraft servicemen would have slept

Between the 1960s and 1990s, the site was a Multi-Occupational Training and Education Centre (MOTEC) which provided training for workers including HGV drivers and mechanics. In 2004 the site was sold to Angel Group, who planned to house asylum seekers there. After local opposition these plans came to nothing, and eventually the site was sold again in 2004

The photographs were taken at RAF High Ercall by an urban explorer known only as The Elusive.

They said: 'This is a mish-mash of old buildings that have had multiple uses throughout history; RAF Airfield and accommodation, mechanics training workshop, removal company, police training unit and BT Centre.

'It was even a proposed immigration site at one time but, everything has been left in the condition you can see for at least 10 years when I visited.

'I just love the way nature has taken everything back. I loved the old prices of beer and the items left around the place like with other sites has a feeling of folks just being here despite it being left for such a long time.

The accommodation blocks were partly stripped in the summer of 2007, but ground to a halt for some reason

The photographs were taken at RAF High Ercall by an urban explorer known only as The Elusive

The Elusive said: 'This is a mish-mash of old buildings that have had multiple uses throughout history; RAF Airfield and accommodation, mechanics training workshop, removal company, police training unit and BT Centre'

The majority of the runways have been removed leaving only small tracks however nine hangars still are present spread out over the site and near a local village. A local Wartime Aircraft Recovery Group also occupies a section of the site

'Most people are surprised the amount of things to photograph that is still in there the state of the accommodations.

'I've been in worse hotels over the years. It looks very post apocalyptic in places and I wouldn't fancy a swim in the pool.'

From 1942 the airfield was also used by the United States Army 8th Air Force's 309 Fighter Squadron.

The airfield has since returned mostly to agriculture, with the runways largely broken up. Pictured: The mess hall

From 1942 the airfield was also used by the United States Army 8th Air Force's 309 Fighter Squadron

Occupied by the RAF from October 1940, it was allocated to the Eighth Air Force as a fighter base in June 1942, although the site was shared with No. 29 Maintenance Unit. Occupied by the 309th Fighter Squadron of the 31st Fighter Group, equipped with Spitfire Vs, during June to August 1942, the station changed role to fighter training base in August 1942, with the arrival of the 27th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Group, equipped with P-38s

The 309th Fighter Squadron departed in September 1942, and was replaced for a short period in October 1942 by the 92nd Fighter Squadron, equipped with P-39s, en route to join the 12th Air Force in North Africa

Handed back to the RAF in April 1943, High Ercall remained the home of No. 29 Maintenance Unit until closed in 1962. Several hangars and other wartime buildings remain in use. The Headquarters site became the Road Transport Industry Training Board MOTEC 1 (Multi Occupational Training and Educational Centre), later Centrex and then owned by the Angel group. The sub sites with hangars became warehousingA scooterist has impressed the public after helping an elderly woman cross a wide road in China.

The Good Samaritan stopped his scooter in front of passing cars forcing them to stop, after seeing the frail pensioner stuck in busy traffic.

He then patiently watched the pedestrian walking to the other side of the four-lane thoroughfare with the help of her walking stick before finally riding off.

The woman in Hezhou, China, is seen stuck in the middle of the road as she tries to cross it

A scooterist (circled) tries to swerve into a moving lane of traffic to stop the cars for the woman

The incident took place in Hezhou, south China's Guangxi Province, last Friday.

CCTV footage of the touching event has been widely shared by Chinese media after being released by Hezhou Traffic Police on its Twitter-like Weibo account.

According to the police, there are a set of traffic lights in the section of the road where the pensioner was trying to cross.

It is said when she started crossing the road, the green light was on. But because she walked slow, the traffic signal changed when she was in the middle of the road.

Although some of the oncoming cars stopped for her, others on the outer lane carried on driving, leaving the helpless woman trapped in traffic.

Upon seeing the scene, the scooterist overtook two lanes of cars from the outside before stopping in front of a black car, forcing the moving traffic to halt.

He then gestured to the driver in the black car, telling the driver to let the pensioner cross the road.

The Good Samaritan stops in front of cars to ensure that the pedestrian can cross safely

The man's act has been highly praised by Chinese media, traffic police and internet users

The Hezhou Police has praised the unnamed scooterist on its social media account, saying he had come forward to help the others in admirable manner.

The CCTV footage was later shared by China's People's Daily Online on Weibo and the post has gathered more than 30,000 comments since yesterday.

Most Weibo web users said they were moved by the man's act.

One such user wrote: 'It is so heart-warming. Some people's behaviour can warm up an entire city.'

Another said: 'Spreading positive energy.'

However, some commentators pointed out that the scooter rider had not obeyed traffic rules. They questioned why he hadn't worn a safety helmet. They also said he shouldn't have swerved into a lane of traffic at will and ridden in the opposite direction.

Hezhou Traffic Police are yet to respond to the criticism towards the scooterist.The 51-year-old found dead has been named locally as Kevin McMahon

A British backpacker who died in India yesterday after vomiting blood was a father-of-four who made a fortune selling villas in Bali, MailOnline has learnt.

Kevin John McMahon, 51, was discovered dead in the bathroom by his American friend, named as Katherine, at the Kashi guesthouse in Varanasi in northern India.

He had been staying on a houseboat with Muslim friends in Kashmir and travelled to India after a dispute, without taking any luggage with him.

He had met Katherine on the houseboat, and the pair had travelled around India together before going on to Varanasi. His family said it was unclear whether they were romantically involved.

According to his sister Maureen McMahon, 52, he had been in India for just two weeks before he fell ill, suffering severe stomach pain before he died.

He was a larger-than-life character, definitely, she said. Definitely a big character.

I dont think it was a drugs-related thing. He had health problems. Hed get blood clots and DVT in his legs, he had two or three of those. He had a blood disorder. His legs were still swollen from the last blood clots he had.

Im not jumping to conclusions. I need to wait for the post mortem.

Kevin John McMahon, 51, was discovered dead in the bathroom by his American friend, named as Katherine

Mr McMahon had been in India but was not carrying around any luggage with him during his travels

The Briton died during the night at Kashi Guest House (pictured) in the city of Varanasi, a holy Hindu sight

A British traveller has been found dead in 'suspicious' circumstances while visiting Varansi, a city in India that is popular with backpackers (pictured)

Police said there were no marks on his body and his death is being treated as suspicious.

The backpacker, who had never visited India before, was in Varanasi to visit an orphanage run by two Canadian friends before travelling on to Hong Kong, where he lived, family members said.

Mr McMahon, originally from Southampton, had lived in Taiwan and Hong Kong since 1998, and could speak Mandarin.

He had married a Chinese woman in Taiwan and they had three children, aged between 12 and 16. He also had a 27-year-old son by a British woman.

Mr McMahon and his Chinese wife divorced some years ago, and he started a new life in Hong Kong.

Remembered as always a good laugh by his family, Mr McMahon was a drifter who picked up work as an English teacher before starting his own business selling villas in Bali.

His business was so successful that he did not have to work for a few years, his family said, but was thinking of starting trading again when he went out to India.

Mrs McMahon said: It is a great shock. I last saw him at the end of July, when he was looking forward to going to India. He had come to visit us in the UK, and stayed in London seeing friends for a week.

Katherine, an American national, with the Indian police in the guest house

Ms Gallagher, who was with Mr McMahon the night he died, said: 'Kevin was seriously ill'

He was always planning to go back to Asia but had never been to India, so went to Varanasi to visit a friend who runs the orphanage.

He seemed OK. He was upbeat. He never really seemed to know what he was going to do next.

He was a wherever-I-lay-my-head type person.

After first going out to Taiwan in 1998, Mr McMahon barely visited Britain for 17 years.

He came back in 2016 as a result of visa problems, and went back and forth to Asia for the two years before his death.

The city of Varanasi is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and is also next to the River Ganges

A spokesperson for Kashi Guest House, where Mr McMahon was found dead, said staff informed police on Sunday night that the backpacker had fallen ill after complaining of severe stomach pain.

The spokesperson added that staff had encouraged the traveller to go to hospital but claimed that the 51-year-old wanted to stay in his room.

On Monday morning he was found dead on the floor of the room with the door open.

A postmortem is expected to be completed in the coming days.

Ms Gallagher, who was with Mr McMohan the night he died, said: 'Kevin was seriously ill, he was writhing in stomachache when I asked for a medical aid but nobody came to help us in time, he was also vomiting out blood as he was sick.'

Chief Senior Superintendent Anand Kulkarni said: 'The man was severely sick and had complained of severe stomachache on the night before he died.

'The girlfriend had asked for a medical help but the help couldn't arrive on time, by the time paramedics arrived, Kevin was already dead.'

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man who died in India and are in contact with local authorities.'A pensioner with Parkinson's was repeatedly stamped on and kicked to death by a mentally ill neighbour two days after he was discharged from a psychiatric unit, an inquest heard.

Ronald Parsons, 71, who walked with a stick, was brutally attacked by Daniel Atkins, 34, at his flat in Bromley, south east London, suffering fatal facial and head injuries on March 2, 2014.

The inquest at South London Coroners Court heard that the housing association had not carried out criminal background checks on Atkins, who had a violent past and he had been deemed a 'low' risk by his care coordinator.

However a string of complaints flooded in from neighbours in the block of flats in Bromley, south east London, of him shouting at traffic while nearly naked and blasting loud music from his flat.

Ronald Parsons, 71, (pictured) who walked with a stick, was brutally attacked by Daniel Atkins, 34, at his flat in Bromley, south east London, suffering fatal facial and head injuries on March 2, 2014

The housing association admitted that they accepted a form from him detailing his past which omitted a lot of his previous convictions.

Emma Randall from Town and Country Housing Group told the inquest: 'Mr Atkins, on his application form put that he had been found not guilty of GBH and I believe he had been found guilty of ABH previously.

'Having now seen the long list of violent background, none of those were disclosed to us.

'We were relying on the support worker who completed the form with him.'

Regional Operations Manager Darren Donoghue said of the 'risk assessment' form received with Atkins's application, he said: 'Risk to physical aggression being low; risk to damage to property also being very low.

Daniel Atkins (pictured) was sentenced to an indeterminate hospital order after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in 2015 and the coroner told the inquest he was still too unwell to give evidence

The inquest was told that Atkins's family had tried to stop him being discharged from a mental health unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, (pictured) run by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

'So in this circumstance we would not have taken it any further.

'When the nominations coming from a local authority anybody who is suffering from any mental health issues or other disabilities, we require full details of their care package and support before we grant them a tenancy in our properties.'

Atkins was sentenced to an indeterminate hospital order after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in 2015 and the coroner told the inquest he was still too unwell to give evidence.

The family of Mr Parsons said they wanted answers as to why Atkins was housed next door despite an 'obvious and increasing threat' from him.

The inquest at South London Coroners Court (pictured) heard that the housing association had not carried out criminal background checks on Atkins,

The inquest was told that Atkins's family had tried to stop him being discharged from a mental health unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, run by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, because of his illness.

A statement by Mr Parsons' older brother Kenneth,84, said he had been the youngest of five siblings, never married and had seven nephews and nieces.

Kenneth Parsons said: 'All of us were obviously deeply shocked by the violent, sudden and unexpected manner of his death.

'The thought of somebody of his age and physical condition could be so brutally murdered is not something any of us could come to terms with.

'He wanted nothing more from life than to live out his retirement in peace in the flat.

'It's very difficult to put feelings into words.

'There's some anger that Ron spent the last months of his life with a neighbour whose erratic and intimidating behaviour was causing him worries.

'It's not apparent to the family that anything was done to safeguard Ron or his neighbours from the obvious and increasing threat from somebody who was known to suffer from mental illness.

'Ron had a keen interest in the RAF and would regularly attend shows up and down the country, in particular the show in Biggin Hill.

'I was shell-shocked by what had happened to Ron. He was a lovely kind person who was no threat to anyone.'

It was a year after Atkins was given a housing association flat when his risk to the public was judged 'low' despite his mental health problems and violent history.

In a statement DC Kevin Hawkes said Atkins had been sectioned at the Princess Royal Hospital in Orpington, Kent, after damaging his mother's car in early December 2013.

He said: 'Daniel's father was still concerned for Daniel's mental health. He explained he was showing all the signs he was becoming ill again.

'They tried to speak with a doctor as they weren't happy he was going to be discharged.'

Atkins stayed at his mother's home overnight before returning to his flat and was visited by his ex-girlfriend and their seven-year-old son.

DC Hawkes said he was told by the family Atkins was 'in and out' of psychiatric hospital after his father kicked him out of the family home when he was around 21.

He added: 'He robbed an old lady with a knife and was placed in prison for 18 months but the case was dismissed.'

Mental health practitioner Suzanne Amlers interviewed Atkins the day after the killing and said: 'He said 'I would not normally had done it but nothing could stop me at the time. It was like a wild cat or dog, I got really angry.'

A post mortem gave Mr Parsons's medical cause of death as 'severe maxillofacial and head injuries and associated complications'.

A consultant pathologists' report stated: 'In my opinion the fractures would be consistent with multiple stomps or kicks.

'I note that the suspect has said he strangled the patient. There's no positive evidence to indicate this.'

Injuries to Mr Parsons' knuckles suggested he may have tried to defend himself.

The hearing continues.Keir Starmer was cheered to the rafters by Labour activists today as he insisted a Brexit referendum could include an option to Remain in the EU.

The shadow Brexit secretary was given an ovation by delegates in Liverpool after using his speech to deliver a pointed rebuke to John McDonnell.

The shadow chancellor caused fury among pro-EU members yesterday by playing down the prospects of a referendum - and insisting that even if one happened it would not offer the public the chance to reverse Brexit altogether.

The remarks sparked an extraordinary public squabble as Sir Keir contradicted his colleague.

And in his conference speech this afternoon, Sir Keir doubled down on the row, diverting from his official script to say: 'If we need to break the impasse, Labour campaigning for a public vote must be an option.'

Meanwhile, in an interview this afternoon Mr Corbyn refused to say which way he would vote if a Brexit referendum was held again.

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer was given an ovation by delegates in Liverpool after using his speech to deliver a pointed rebuke to John McDonnell.

Sir Keir was cheered to the rafters by Labour activists today (pictured) as he insisted a Brexit referendum could include an option to Remain in the EU

Mr McDonnell (pictured delivering his conference speech yesterday) fuelled growing splits by insisting a second referendum should not include an option to Remain in the EU

Earlier, Sir Keir had risked fuelling tensions with Mr McDonnell - Jeremy Corbyn's closest ally - by jibing that he had initially misrepresented the situation because he was 'up early' and badly briefed.

Emily Thornberry threatened to raise tensions further with a call for Labour to extend the Article 50 negotiation if it wins the snap election it is demanding.

Labour conference is due to vote later on a motion that would keep the option of a referendum 'on the table'.

But after a fraught five-hour meeting of officials on Sunday night the text was fudged to avoid binding the hands of the leadership.

In a round of interviews yesterday, Mr McDonnell repeatedly stated that if a referendum was held, staying in the EU should not be on the ballot paper.





'We argued for remain in the past but we lost that vote so we have to respect that,' Mr McDonnell said.





'All the polling that we have seen is that the country is still pretty split down the middle.'

He added: 'We're respecting the referendum. We want a general election. If we can't get that, we will have a people's vote.

Activist is BANNED from flying EU flag at Labour conference Palestinian flags were flown at Labour conference today despite a ban on EU flags A Labour activist was banned from flying the EU flag in the Labour conference today - despite hundreds of people unfurling Palestinian flags. Delegate Paul Wilkinson raised a point of order to protest the 'double standard' from party officials. He said he was told in 'no uncertain terms' he was not allowed the flag inside the main conference hall in Liverpool. Pro-Palestinian activists have handed out thousands of flags for a heated foreign policy debate. Mr Wilkinson said: 'This morning a colleague and I unfurled an EU flag. We were told in no uncertain terms to take it down. 'There are double standards here as we have seen banners all over the place.' Advertisement

'The people's vote will be on the deal itself, and whether we can negotiate a better deal.'

The comments sparked an extraordinary public squabble, with Sir Keir responding to anger from pro-EU MPs by insisting that a Remain option could feature in a referendum.

Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning why he thought Mr McDonnell had managed to get the position wrong, Sir Keir suggested he might have been overtired.

'Well, we finished our meeting about one in the morning. And then John was up early doing the media round,' he said.

Sir Keir also made clear that Labour will reject any deal Theresa May secures from the EU, and pointedly refused to rule out extending the Article 50 process.

Labour has set six 'tests' for any Brexit deal, including one which states it must deliver the 'exact same benefits' as being in the EU.

'If Theresa May brings back a deal that fails our tests  and that looks increasingly likely  Labour will vote against it. No ifs, no buts.

'And if the Prime Minister thinks we'll wave through a vague deal asking us to jump blindfolded into the unknown she can think again. We will vote down a blind Brexit.'

Meanwhile, in an interview with the BBC, Mr Corbyn refused to say which was he would vote if another referendum is held again.

He said: 'Well we don't know what the question is going to be in the referendum so that is a hypothetical question. I can't answer that question because we don't know what the question is going to be.'

And he refused to rule out delaying Brexit and extending the Article 50 deadline - which sets the clock ticking on the UK's departure.

He said: 'That is not in our hands. Article 50 can only be extended by the agreement of the entirety of the European Union.'

Mr Corbyn risked further inflaming the spat today when he hugged an activist who had condemned the EU as a 'capitalist club' and rejected the idea of a second referendum.

Mr Corbyn (pictured at a fringe 'bingo' event last night) is a long-standing Eurosceptic and has been trying to avoid alienating Labour's Brexit-backing voters

Sir Keir Starmer (pictured at conference in Liverpool today) responded to anger from pro-EU MPs by insisting that a Remain option could feature in a referendum

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer (pictured in Liverpool today) jibed at Mr McDonnell as he tried to quell mounting fury from activists over the party's policy

Blyth Valley Labour Party member David Mallon also told the party's Brexit debate: 'I am against having a people's vote on the basis that in my constituency we voted overwhelmingly to Leave.

Corbyn embraces Labour activist who slammed Brexit referendum plan David Mallon shared a few words and a warm embrace with Mr Corbyn before leaving the stage Jeremy Corbyn risked further inflaming Labour's Brexit splits today when he hugged an activist who condemned the EU as a 'capitalist club' and rejected the idea of a second referendum. Blyth Valley Labour Party member David Mallon told the party's Brexit debate: 'I am against having a people's vote on the basis that in my constituency we voted overwhelmingly to Leave. 'My worry is if we go against the people's will, we'll lose those voters - I implore you all, come to Blyth Valley.' He urged people to see areas where buildings are crumbling, adding: 'Tell them why you want us to Remain.' Mr Mallon said he would have voted Remain in 2016, but is now against it as he believes the EU is a 'capitalist club' which is using free trade to 'take advantage' of eastern Europeans. He shared a few words and a warm embrace with Mr Corbyn before leaving the stage. Advertisement

'My worry is if we go against the people's will, we'll lose those voters - I implore you all, come to Blyth Valley.'

He urged people to see areas where buildings are crumbling, adding: 'Tell them why you want us to Remain.'

Mr Mallon said he would have voted Remain in 2016, but is now against it as he believes the EU is a 'capitalist club' which is using free trade to 'take advantage' of eastern Europeans.

He shared a few words and a warm embrace with Mr Corbyn before leaving the stage.

Asked on LBC Radio whether the Article 50 deadline could be extended, Sir Keir said: 'Well the answer is it depends, because we don't know when we're going to get a deal.

'The October deadline might slip to November, November might slip to December. I don't know, I'm not conducting the negotiations so the timeline is not in our control.

'I don't think at this stage anybody is talking about extending article 50 but if it has to be extended quite frankly it will be because of the collapsing failure of the discussions and the negotiations.'

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry backed an extension to give a new Labour government time.

Speaking on the conference fringes she said: 'We should have a general election and on our manifesto we should say 'we will abide by the results of the referendum', we cannot obviously leave in current circumstances, we need to extend article 50 - to pre-empt your next question I don't know how long it will take.

'But we need to extend article 50 and essentially turn up in Europe and say the 'grown ups have turned up now, let's sit down and talk. '

Emily Thornberry threatened to raise tensions further with a call for Labour to extend the Article 50 negotiation if it wins the snap election it is demanding

In further signs of divisions last night, shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner said the idea that Mrs May might call another election was 'Looney Tunes territory'.

Labour's official position is to push for an election if Brexit talks fail. But, speaking at a fringe meeting at Labour's conference in Liverpool, Mr Gardiner said it was time to 'inject some realism into the debate'.

Mr Gardiner said Commons officials had warned him there was little MPs could do to force the PM's hand in the event of the Chequers deal being rejected.

A senior union leader said today he loathed Margaret Thatcher so much he set his alarm clock an hour earlier so he could 'hate her for an hour longer' each day.

Tosh McDonald, president of train drivers union Aslef, told the Labour Party conference he stopped the practice after the former prime minister's death in 2013 but still wakes early.

Tosh McDonald, president of train drivers union Aslef, told the Labour Party conference he set his alarm clock an hour earlier so he could 'hate' Margaret Thatcher for an hour longer'

Delegates booed at the mention of Baroness Thatcher, who Mr McDonald said came to power a month before he started work on the railway in 1979.

Speaking in Liverpool, he said: 'I hated her. I wish I could be like Jeremy and rise above it but I can't...

'I did set my alarm clock an hour earlier than I needed just so I could hate her for an hour longer.

'Since she died I don't do that anymore, I just set my alarm at the right time, but I still wake up an hour earlier - I can't help it.'Jimmy Bennett took the opportunity to tour the sights of Rome just hours before Asia Argento will address his sexual assault allegations against her in an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV.

Bennett, 22, was seen visiting the Colosseum along with his lawyer, as the pair smoked and pored over press coverage of yesterday's television appearance.

The American actor was interviewed on Italian TV, where he spoke about having sex with Argento when he was 17 years old, which he claims was rape.

Later today, DailyMailTV will air the second part of the exclusive interview with Argento, where she will address Bennett's allegations.

Roman holiday: Asia Argento's accuser Jimmy Bennett is seen outside the Colosseum in Rome alongside his lawyer, after appearing on television to speak about the rape allegations

Taking a tour: Bennett is spotted in a throng of tourists outside the Colosseum in Rome

Emotional: Asia Argento will appear on DailyMailTV on Tuesday to discuss Bennett's allegations against her, and the drama with former friend Rose McGowan

The Italian actress and director will also speak about her feud with fellow MeToo activist Rose McGowan - sparked by Bennett's claims.

She tells DailyMailTV that: 'These lies have destroyed my life, and coming from somebody who I thought was my best friend [McGowan] is unacceptable.

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.'

Alongside McGowan, Argento was a vocal MeToo campaigner and pushed for Weinsten to face justice.

However when the news broke that her late boyfriend Anthony Bourdain had agreed to pay Bennett $380,000 in hush money to get him to drop a lawsuit against her, she fell into disrepute.

Breaking her silence: In yesterday's broadcast, Argento spoke for the first time about her relationship with Anthony Bourdain, three months since he took his life

Fight back: The 43-year-old is taking legal action against McGowan and her partner, model Rain Dove, after they compared her to Harvey Weinstein

Bennet opened up about details during his alleged rape by Asia Argento when he was 17

McGowan publicly denounced her, releasing a statement where she said there should 'absolutely should be no leeway or tolerance for sexual assault' and called on Argento to 'be the person you wish Harvey could have been.'

Last week, Argento took to Twitter to ask McGowan and her partner, model Rain Dove, to retract their statements, after which she informed them that she is taking legal action against them.

In today's second part of DailyMailTV's exclusive interview, Argento tells Laura Collins that 'these lies have destroyed my life'.

Yesterday's broadcast of DailyMailTV's exclusive interview, saw Argento speak about the loss of partner Bourdain, 62, who took his own life three months ago, while filming an episode of his CNN series, 'Parts Unknown', in France.

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.'

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.'

Jimmy Bennett appeared on an Italian television program in his first TV interview

The host of the show, famed Italian journalist Massimmo Giletti, appeared skeptical of Bennett

Her accuser Bennett faced similar allegations yesterday when he appeared on an Italian television show to speak about his relationship with Argento, which he claims culminated in her raping him when he was 17.

During his appearance on Non e l'Arean, which translates to Outside the Arena, Bennett was ridiculed by the host in front of a live audience who appeared skeptical of the actor's claims that Asia Argento raped him.

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.

The host of the show, famed Italian journalist Massimmo Giletti, also told the American actor that he did not think he appeared 'traumatized' or 'scared' in a picture taken with Argento after the alleged sexual assault.

'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.'One of the most scandalous mysteries of the art history world appears to have been solved.

The identity of the model who posed for a nude painting in 1866, Gustave Courbet's 'L'Origine du monde' (The Origin of the world), has mystified experts for around 150 years.

Yet, many now claim they are '99 percent sure' the painting's notorious naked nether regions belong to the Parisian ballet dancer Constance Queniaux.

L'Origine du monde (The Origin of the World) by French artist Gustave Courbet. Painted in 1866 with oil on canvas, the close-up framing purposefully emphasises the eroticism of the work

Even in today's climate, the canvas retains its power to shock; profiles featuring it were censored by Facebook as late as 2011.

For decades art historians have been convinced that the naked torso and genitalia depicted by Courbet belonged to his lover, the Irish model Joanna Hiffernan.

In a typically Parisian love triangle, Hiffernan was also romantically linked with his friend and fellow artist James Whistler.

Photographs taken in 1860 and now displayed on the Musee dOrsay website are believed to show Courbet's model and mistress Constance Queniaux

The picture is housed at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, where it is purported to be the second most popular painting after Renoir's Bal du moulin de la Galette

But doubts persisted - mainly because the dark pubic hair in the painting did not correspond with Hiffernan's own red curls.

Now, new documentary evidence has been unearthed in form of correspondence between the French writers Alexandre Dumas fils - son of 'The Three Musketeers' author - and George Sand.

Their letters point directly to Queniaux, a former dancer at the Paris Opera.

She was a mistress of the Ottoman diplomat Halil Sherif Pasha when the 'L'Origine' was painted in the summer of 1866.

And it was Halil who commissioned the painting from Courbet for his personal collection of erotica.

Art historians originally attributed the naked torso and genitalia in 'L'Origine' to Irish model Joanna Hiffernan (depicted here in Courbet's La Belle Irlandaise), but doubts persisted due to the contrast between Hiffernan's red and the model's dark hair

French historian Claude Schopp discovered the Queniaux connection while studying copies of Dumas' letters for a book.

One particular passage perplexed him: 'One does not paint the most delicate and the most sonorous interview of Miss Queniault (sic) of the Opera.'

After consulting the handwritten original he realised there had been a mistake in its transcription. 'Interview' was in fact 'interior'.

'Usually I make discoveries after working away for ages,' said Schopp, whose new book on the find will be published this week.

'Here I made it straight away. It almost feels unjust,' he joked.

The writer shared his discovery with the head of the French National Library's prints department, Sylvie Aubenas.

'This testimony from the time leads me to believe with 99 percent certainty that Courbet's model was Constance Queniaux,' she confirmed.

Queniaux was 34 at the time and, having retired from the Opera, was competing with the famous courtesan Marie-Anne Detourbay for Halil Pasha's affections.

Courbet first came to prominence in the late 1840s and early 1850s with depictions of peasants' and workers' hardships on a grand scale traditionally used for religious imagery. His association with the Paris Commune meant he was imprisoned for six months and lived in exile in Switzerland from 1973 until his death

Detourbay, sometimes known as Jeanne de Tourbey, held a famous salon and would later become the comtesse de Loyne. She was also considered by some to be the model for 'L'Origine du monde'.

But Aubenas said contemporary descriptions of Queniaux's 'beautiful black eyebrows' corresponded better with the pubic hair depicted by Courbet.

The French National Library has several photographs of her including one by the famed photographic pioneer, Nadar.

Aubenas believes the secret of the model's identity was known by the cognoscenti but was lost over time as Queniaux became a highly respectable lady of leisure known for her philanthropy.

According to Aubenas, a second discovery by Schopp helped to clinch the argument. When she died in 1908, Queniaux left behind a Courbet painting of camellias, at whose centre is a lusciously open red blossom.

The painting's creator, French artist Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) who was a leading figure in the Realism movement

Camellias were strongly associated with courtesans at the time thanks to Dumas' novel 'The Lady of the Camellias', which was adapted into Verdi's opera 'La Traviata'.

Aubenas believes it may have been a gift from Halil.

'What better tribute from the artist and his patron to Constance?', she said.

Born in Cairo, the pasha was a renowned art collector and gambler. His Turkish-Albanian family came from what is now northern Greece.

Hilal commissioned a series of major works from Delacroix including 'The Women of Algiers' and Ingres' equally iconic and extravagantly fleshly depiction of a harem, 'The Turkish Bath'.Advertisement

Chilling never-before-seen pictures have emerged that show the first shots of the Second World War being fired.

The heart-stopping images show the Nazi battleship SMS Schleswig-Holstein sending shots blazing towards Danzig harbour on Poland's Westerplatte peninsula at close range in the early hours of September 1, 1939.

Fired at dawn, the shots began the Nazi invasion of Poland and saw Britain declare war on Germany for a second time two days later.

They triggered the six-year conflict that tore Europe, Japan and the USA apart and left 70 million people dead.

The black and white snaps were taken by a German sailor and have ended up in the hands of a British historian who came across them on research trips to the country in the 1960s.

An album of them is now up for auction in Ashford, Kent and are expected to sell tomorrow for 250.

The beginning of World War II: This never-before-seen image shows the Nazi battleship SMS Schleswig-Holstein firing what is believed to be the first shot of the Second World War in Danzig, Poland on the Westerplatte peninsula at dawn on September 1 1939. The vessel fired at close range destroying the nearby harbour. It was the beginning of the Nazi invasion of Poland, known as the September Campaign, and saw Britain declare war on Germany two days later to start the Second World War

This striking image shows the harbour at Danzig, Poland being set ablaze after it was shot at close range by the Nazi battleship SMS Schleswig-Holstein in the early hours of September 1, 1939. It is now going up for auction for 250 in Ashford, Kent

Destruction: After the very first shots were fired by Nazi warships the Polish port at Danzig were soon completely ablaze. The offensive marked the beginning of the Battle of Westerplatte, the first battle of the Second World War, which after seven days of fighting saw Poland fall to the Nazis. The Polish Army's efforts are still celebrated to this day and are a symbol of resistance

A telling picture shows a Polish general surrendering after the Nazi invasion of Poland began on September 1, 1939

Gloating Nazi chiefs are pictured waving their hands in the air with a sign celebrating the Schleswig-Holstein's bombing of Danzig harbour on Poland's Westerplatte peninsula in early September

Two days after SMS Schleswig-Holstein fired the first shots of the war in Danzig, Nazi chief Hermann Goering visited the destroyed town. There are several pictures available of him inspecting the damage in the newly-unearthed album

Nazi boss Herman Goering is pictured (third right) inspecting the damage in the German port town of Danzig two days after the first shots were fired by German warships. These images are some of the first on record of World War II

Nazi boss Herman Goering and other leaders of the Third Reich are seen visiting the charred remains of Westerplatte

It took the Nazis seven days to get the Polish to surrender after invading in the early hours of September 1. Here German soldiers are pictured celebrating the occupation of Westerplatte with the erection of a swastika on September 7, 1939

A group of Polish men are pictured after being taken prisoner by the Nazis during the September Campaign that began the Second World War. This is just one of several images unearthed in a never-seen-before album from September 1939

German sailors are pictured collecting Polish ammunition after it invaded the country, triggering the Second World War after Britain declared a conflict with Germany in early September 1939

This is the Nazi warship Scharnhorst that formed a key part of the September Campaign when the Nazis took over Poland in September 1939. It successfully sank the British armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi in November 1939

The shots marked the beginning of the Battle of Westerplatte, the first battle of the Second World War, which after seven days of fighting saw Poland fall to the Nazis.

It saw German Army, naval and air forces attack the country at Danzig, bombing Poland's Military Transit Depot on the Westerplatte peninsula.

The heroic efforts to by Polish forces are still celebrated to this day and Westerplatte soon became a symbol of Polish resistance.

Matthew Tredwin, of C&T Auctioneers where the images of the battle are going under the hammer, said: 'It is a fascinating album and very historical as it seems to record the very first shots fired in anger in the Second World War.

'The pictures are clearly captioned identifying the German ship and the attack on the Westerplatte peninsula.

'An overwhelming message you take from flicking through the album is the contempt German servicemen held against their enemies from the very start of the war.

'There are lots of photographs taken on board Scharnhorst showing the might of her guns as well as her crew happily posing for the camera after the sinking of a Royal Navy ship.

'There are also images that show the ship completely iced up from when it carried out patrols in the north Atlantic in the winter of 1939. It is one of the finest captioned albums of its kind that that I have come across.'

Celebration: A crew of German men on board the Nazi warship Scharnhorst after it successfully sank the armed British merchant cruiser Rawalpindi in November 1939

The German sailor who took the pictures in the album up for auction is believed to have transferred to Scharnhorst after. Here four men are pictured celebrating the ship's sinking of an armed British merchant vessel in November 1939

Scharnhorst's crew are seen celebrating the sinking of the British armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi in November 1939

Pictures show the Nazi ship Scharnhorst having its float plane being winched on board in Polish waters in November 1939

Members of the Nazi warship Scharnhorst are pictured inspecting its float plane after it was hauled on board near Poland

The floatplane of the Nazi Scharnhorst boat, which successfully sank a British armed merchant cruiser off Poland in 1939

On the lookout: Nazi seamen are pictured looking out to sea on the Scharnhorst after the outbreak of World War II in 1939

Signal operators on board the Nazi warship Scharnhorst are seen preparing for an offensive campaign in Polish waters

Britain declared war on Germany two days after the images were taken and by September 7 Polish forces had surrendered at Westerplatte.

On the same day Nazi chief Hermann Goering visited the destroyed town, with several pictures showing him inspecting the damage.

Another shot from the album shows German soldiers waving a Swastika flag atop of a fortified wall that has had a huge hole blown through it.

There are also pictures of a Polish general surrendering and dozens of defeated soldiers being marched away with their hands up.

The identity of the German sailor whose album it was is not known but he later transferred to the German battleship the Scharnhorst.

There are pictures of Scharnhorst in all its glory after it managed to sink British cruiser Rawalpindi two months later in November 1939.

Young sailors take pictures of each other on board the Scharnhorst encased in ice due to the harsh Polish weather conditions

The SMS Schleswig-Holstein used to destroy the naval depot at Danzig served at the Battle of Jutland in the First World War and was one of the few vessels Germany was allowed to keep afterwards.

In 1939, as Adolf Hitler seized more territory across Europe and readied for war, the ship made a courtesy visit to Danzig, which was a free port largely populated by Germans.

In August, Britain and France signed a pact vowing to defend an independent Poland while Hitler made unreasonable demands on the country to hand over Danzig to Germany.

The Fuhrer had withdrawn from two non-aggression pacts over Poland and started preparing for invasion over the summer.

Britain and France made repeated demands to keep the Nazis out of Poland, but envisioning the Third Reich's takeover of Europe, Hitler ignored them.

When the doomed negotiation talks broke down Germany attacked Westerplatte, with the Schleswig-Holstein being used as a 'Trojan Horse' to fire the opening shots.

This is the album containing never-before-seen images of the first days of the Second World War. The front cover shows a Nazi flag and a swastikaSupermarkets across the country have been put on notice for ripping off customers with over-priced groceries.

Grocery shoppers have been paying too much for their goods due to false advertised weights, which are incorrectly calculating the price of people's food.

This means customers might not be getting their full money's worth.

Supermarkets across the country have been put on notice for ripping off customers with over-priced groceries

The National Measurement Institute of Australia will make 1000 'secret shopper' trial purchases in the supermarkets as part of their research

In some cases, customers are receiving 20 per cent less of a product than what they purchased.

The National Measurement Institute of Australia will test 10,000 supermarket scales and 60,000 packaged products this year. NMI will also make 1000 'secret shopper' trial purchases in the supermarkets as part of their research.

Coles, Super IGA, Aldi, Cosco and Woolworths are just some of the stores that will be subject to the tests.

Minister for the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Senator Zed Seselja said there were some basic principles that businesses should follow to ensure they are giving their customers correct measure.

'While we recognise that most businesses want to do the right thing and will usually quickly correct any errors, where we find severe or persistent offenders we can impose fines or initiate prosecutions,' Senator Seselja said.

Malcom Bartlett of Trade Measurement Services told 9 News that frozen seafood was the worst offender when it comes to value for money.

'They add extra water to make up for the weight,' Mr Bartlett said.

'Consumers are paying for water when they actually think that they're purchasing seafood.'

Mr Bartlett also pointed out that the falsely-weighed food can mount up to a considerable amount of lost money.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the NMI for further comment.Brothel madam Dan Wong, 44, pictured leaving Southwark Crown Court in London

A 'Walter Mitty character' pressured a mother into becoming a prostitute by pretending he was close to Chancellor Philip Hammond, a court heard today.

Gary Rich, 73, trafficked the young Chinese woman into working for brothel madam Dan Wong, 44, as a high class escort after he pressured her and suggested she had lesbian group sex.

The woman, who cannot be named, was tricked by Rich into thinking he had powerful connections in Whitehall and MI5, Southwark Crown Court was told.

She was then roped into becoming an escort - and Wong told her to use a fake name, pretend she was Japanese and charge hundreds of pounds an hour.

Part of that money was then funnelled back to Rich, which he claimed he spent mostly on clothes.

Prosecutor Ian McGloughlin said Rich pressured the young woman into moving to South Wales before driving her up to London to work with Wong.

He said: 'I have told your honour about the psychological bullying he subjected her to, culminating in a course of action that led to her becoming a prostitute,

'He had, amongst other things, foreign office cards. He had contact emails purported to be from members of the government to bolster his position.

'He caused (her) to think he had sway and that was all part of the manipulation. He mentioned emails from Philip Hammond and other in high authority.'

John Hipkin, defending, replied: 'I wasn't suggesting that Mr Hammond really contacted Mr Rich.' The judge then interjected: 'They are all fake.'

Gary Rich pretended he was close to Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond (pictured)

Mr McGloughlin continued: 'Contact was made with Miss Wong and she was driven to London in order for her to become a prostitute on July 5, 2014. He browbeat her to the extent that she capitulated.'

The prosecutor explained how Rich had pressured her to have 'lesbian group sex, to have a photographer round to photograph her naked'.

He added: 'One of the suggestions he put was to effectively encourage her to raise her libido by becoming involved in a lesbian gang bang.'

Mr McGloughlin explained that she reluctantly went to London to become a prostitute to avoid Rich's perverted proposals.

'She kept hoping that he would relent, that he would say that you don't have to go through with this but the effect of coming down to London was quite the reverse - it seemed to excite him,' he said.

The prosecutor said Rich handed the woman over to Wong, who acted as her madam: 'Instructions were given by Ms Wong for her to go to certain places and meet certain people.

'She is to say that she is called Natalie and that she's Japanese and that she is to charge 220,' explained the prosecutor, reading from a text from Wong to the victim, sent at 7.23am.

Mr McGloughlin said Rich made business cards for the woman to give out to potential clients.

Judge Michael Hopmeier asked: 'It is the prosecution's case that he benefited financially from her prostitution?'

The prosecutor replied: 'He did, yes. There is no doubt about that. I underlined the way in which the control of (the victim) by Miss Wong came to an end in that a sympathetic client gave her a shoulder to cry on.

'(She) realised that neither Miss Wong, nor the situation she was in, was going to improve and she garnered her strength to leave the brothel in December 2014.

John Hipkin, defending Rich, said: 'The facts of this care are bizarre, if not unique. It has been a difficult professional case.'

'He says to me that someone very close to him would refer to him as a 'Walter Mitty character'.

But Judge Michael Hopmeier said: 'This was a deliberate grooming of a young impressionable girl far from home.'

Rich, of Westbourne Park, West London, admitted assisting unlawful immigration, intentionally causing a person to become a prostitute and trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Wong, of Twickenham, South West London, admitted two counts of controlling a prostitute for gain, possessional of criminal property and concealing criminal property.

The pair are due to be sentenced on Thursday.Labour MPs have reacted with fury after the party today shelved plans to create a woman-only deputy leader post amid fears it would undermine Jeremy Corbyn.

The party had floated proposals to create a second deputy as a way to boost the voice women have in the party - which has never elected a female leader.

The plan was originally seen as a ploy to chip away at the authority of the current Labour leader Tom Watson - a leading moderate.

Mr Watson backed the plan - but it has now been ditched after left-wingers objected to it fearing that a moderate could get the post and use it to undermine Mr Corbyn.

The move has sparked a fierce backlash with several leading Labour MPs saying they are 'furious' at the move.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper said: 'Cannot believe that plan for woman deputy leader seems to have been ditched. Is this really true?

'Harriet Harman and I were calling for new rules on this more than 5 years ago - how come change is being blocked at last minute?'

Plans by Labour activists to create a second deputy leader to undermine the current holder of the post Tom Watson (pictured at conference on Sunday) were dropped today after he endorsed the plan

The current deputy leader has been an arch critic of Jeremy Corbyn (pictured last night at Bongo Bingo in Liverpool) and is loathed by many of the hard-left activists which support him

Mr Watson told the BBC's Politics Live how: 'I'm very disappointed with that because I think it will have put the cause of gender reprentation back in the Labour Party.

'I think we need greater women's representation at all levels in the Labour Party, and I am going to continue to campaign for that.'

Mr Watson said he understood that members of the 'hard left group the Campaign for Labour Party democracy' opposed it.

He added: 'But I think that's a great shame because they have nothing to fear from more women at the top table and in the shadow cabinet.'

Labour MP Wes Streeting said the decision to ditch the motion was a 'big missed opportunity' while his parliamentary colleague Gloria De Piero said she is 'furious' at the move.

She added: 'This is disgraceful. Lets keep up the campaign to get more women at the top of our great party.'

A senior Labour source suggested the movers of the motion - in the Merseyside Wirral West constituency - were 'leaned on to withdraw' it from the conference in Liverpool amid concerns creating the new job could undermine Mr Corbyn.

The plan had been endorsed by Labour's ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), and delegates were recommended to vote for it. Mr Corbyn personally backed the change when it was discussed at the NEC.

The current deputy leader Mr Watson has been an arch critic of the Labour leader and is loathed by many of the hard-left activists who support him.

Among those seen in the running for the job was Lisa Nandy, a leading moderate MP on the left of the party seen by many in Parliament as a future leader.

Sources close to the leader's office insisted the plan was 'none of our business'.

The bizarre events prompted claims the conference was being overrun by 'factional games'.

The Labour Women's Network said the party was 'playing politics' with improving female representation at the top of the party.

Centrist activist Luke Akehurst said pulling the motion was a 'disgusting' move prompted by fears of Mr Corbyn's office they would lose the election

MP Jess Phillips tweeted after the news broke: 'It's not a factional game for god's sake.'

MP Jess Phillips tweeted after the news broke: 'It's not a factional game for god's sake.'

Centrist activist Luke Akehurst said: 'Disgusting that Wirral West remitting has killed the chance of a woman second Deputy Leader - because the Hard Left were scared a moderate would win, scared of party democracy.'

Another activist suggested Mr Corbyn's office backed the idea until they feared they could not be sure of winning the post.

Paul Richards said: 'Leader's faction did want it, assuming they'd control the post. That's why pro-Corbyn Margaret Greenwood's Wirral West CLP submitted it.

'When Tom, Labour First and Progress swung behind the idea, they remitted. Feminism secondary to factionalism.'Kyall Parnell was the first victim of London's year of violence, he was stabbed on the night of New Year's Eve

Vijay Patel was beaten to death in January after refusing to buy Rizla cigarette papers for a teenager

January

1) Kyall Parnell, 17, was attacked in front of horrified revellers on his way to a New Year's Eve party and died after being chased through traffic in Tulse Hill, south London. A murder investigation was opened in 2018.

2) Steve Frank Navarez-Jara was the first person to be killed in 2018. The 20-year-old was stabbed on New Year's Day in Old Street, north London.

3) Elizabeta Lacatusu, 44, who came to London from Romania to work, was stabbed in Redbridge, east London on January 3.

4) Vijay Patel, 49, died on January 6 after being attacked outside a shop in Mill Hill Broadway after refusing a teenager trying to buy Rizla cigarette papers.

5) Daniel Frederick, 34, died after being stabbed in Hackney on January 8 while walking home after attending a hospital check-up with his pregnant partner.

6) Harry Uzoka, 25, worked as a model in London and was knifed in the heart in Shepherd's Bush on January 11.

7) Seyed Azim Khan's body was found in Ilford Cemetery with extensive head injuries in February after he went missing on his way home from work on January 24.

8) Yaya Mbye, 26, died in hospital after being stabbed in Stoke Newington. east London, on January 28.

9) Juan Olmos Saca, 39, was stabbed in the chest in Peckham, south east London, on the January 29 and died a week in hospital.

10) Khader Saleh, 25, was stabbed at Wormwood Scrubs prison on January 31.

11) Eleven-week-old Lily-Mai Saint George was found unresponsive at an address in Tottenham on January 31. She died at Great Ormond Street Hospital three days later.

February

12) Hassan Ozcan was just 19 when he died from multiple stab wounds in Barking, east London, on February 3.

13) Kwabena Nelson, 22, a youth worker from Tottenham, died after being stabbed near his home on February 3.

Elizabeta Lacatusu had her throat slashed in Ilford

Hannah Leonard was stabbed in a flat in Camden in February

14) Hannah Leonard, 55, was stabbed in a flat in Camden on February 8.

15) Sabri Chibani, 19, was stabbed in the chest in Streatham, south west London, on February 11.

16) Bulent Kabala was the first victim to be shot dead in 2018. The 41-year-old was gunned down on February 12 and died at the scene in Barnet, north London.

17) Saeeda Hussain, 54, was stabbed at a house in Ilford on February 13 and died from her injuries.

18) Lord Promise Nkenda was just 17 when he was stabbed in Canning Town, east London, on Valentine's Day.

19) Mark Smith, 48, died from multiple injuries after being found unconscious in Waltham Forest on February 15.

20) Lewis Blackman, 19, was stabbed in the early hours of February 18 after going to a house party in Kensington. He died outside the former home of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

21) Jozef Boci, 30, suffered serious head injuries after being attacked on the street in Greenwich on February 17 and died in hospital just under a week later.

22) Rotimi Oshibanjo, 26, was stabbed in Southall on February 19 and died from his injuries.

23) Sadiq Mohammed, 20, died after being stabbed in Camden on February 20.

24) Abdikarim Hassan, 17, a friend of Sadiq, died on the same night after also being stabbed in Camden.

25) Amir Ellouizi, 24, was shot in Westminster on February 20 and died seven days later on February 27.

March

26) Michael Boyle, 44, died from a single stab wound to the chest. He was attacked on 25 February and died in hospital on March 10.

27) Christopher Beaumont, 42, was stabbed at a house in Hammersmith on March 1.

28) Laura Figueira, 47, was found dead at her home in Richmond, south west London, on March 5th having suffered stab wounds.

29 and 30) Later the same day, her husband Adelino Figueia de Faria, 57 and two young sons Claudio, 10, and Joaquin, 7, were discovered at the bottom of Beachy Head at Birling Gap, East Sussex, with all three having died from 'multiple injuries consistent with falling from a height'.

Russian socialite Nikolai Glushkov was strangled at his home in New Malden

31) Kelva Smith was 20 when he died after being stabbed in the stomach in Croydon, south London.

32) Kelvin Odunuyi, 19, was shot outside a cinema in Wood Green on March 8.

33) Julian Joseph, 36, died in hospital 11 days after being attacked and suffering a serious head injury on a night bus in New Cross just after midnight of March 13.

34) Nikolai Glushkov, 68, died from compression to the neck in New Malden on March 13.

35) Joseph William-Torres, 20, was shot in a car in in Essex Close, Walthamstow on March 14. Two teens, 15 and 17, charged with murder.

36) Lyndon Davis was 18 when he was stabbed in Chadwell Heath on March 14.

37) Naomi Hersi, 36, was found with stab wounds at a hotel near Heathrow Airport on March 16 and was pronounced dead 30 minutes later.

Jozef Boci, 30, was assaulted in Greenwich and later died from his injuries

38) Russell Jones, 23, died after suffering from stab injuries and a gunshot wound in Enfield, north London, on March 17.

39) Tyrone Silcott, 41, died after being stabbed in Hackney on March 18.

40) Balbir Johal, 48, was admitted to hospital with stab wounds after being attacked in Southall on March 19 and died a few hours later.

41) Jermaine Johnson, 41, was stabbed to death an an address in Walthamstow on March 19.

42) Beniamin Pieknyi, 21, was found with stab wounds at the Stratford shopping centre in East London, on March 20 and was pronounced dead at the scene.

43) Abraham Badru, 26, was shot in Dalston on March 25.

44) Wieslaw Kopcynski, 59, died on March 27th two days after being found lying in bed in Barking with serious head injuries following a suspected assault. A post-mortem found the cause of death was a complex skull fracture

45) David Potter, 50, was found dead inside a house in Tooting High Street on March 26 after suffering from stab injuries.

Hersi Hersi was stabbed in Hounslow in March

46) Reece Tshoma was 23 when he was stabbed in Plumstead, south east London, on March 29.

47) Leyla Mtumwa, 36, was found with stab wounds at a home in Haringey on March 30.

48) Ourania Lambrou, 80, died in hospital after being pushed to the ground by her attacker in a drunken rage in Camden on March 31.

April

49) Devoy Stapleton, 20, stabbed outside bar in Wandsworth in the early hours of April 1.

50) Tanesha Melbourne, 17, was shot in the chest on April 2 after a drive-by shooting in Tottenham, north London.

51) Amaan Shakoor, 16, was shot in the face, also on April 2 in Walthamstow and died a day later in hospital.

52) Career criminal Henry Vincent, 37, died after being stabbed in the chest as he burgled Richard Osborn-Brooks' house in Lewisham on April 4. The 78-year-old was initially arrested for murder but cleared of all charges and faces no further action.

53) Babatunde Akintayo Awofeso, 53, died after fight at a bookmakers in Upper Clapton on April 4 following reports of an altercation with another man.

Russell Jones, 23, became the eighth person in a week to be killed in London in March when he was ambushed outside shops in Enfield

54) Israel Ogunsola, 18, in Hackney after being stabbed, also on April 4. The victim approached police who performed first aid but he died at the scene after 25 minutes.

55) John Maclean, 35, stabbed at a flat in the Isle of Dogs on April 12th.

56) Raul Nicolaie, 26, stabbed to death in Zenith Close, Colindale at 6pm on Sunday, April 15th.

57) Natasha Hill, 18, found dead with head injuries at an address in Sewell Road, Abbey Wood at 4.22am on Sunday April 15.

58) Samantha Clarke, 30s, stabbed to death in Sudbourne Road, Brixton, at 6:30pm on Sunday, April 15th.

59) Sami Sidhom, 18, who studied law and history at Queen Mary University, was stabbed in the back just yards from his home in Forest Gate, east London, after going to the West Ham v Stoke game on April 16.

60) Builder John Woodward, 47, found dead on the roof of the Pressman Mastermelts building in Hatton Garden on April 17. Post-mortem gave cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.

61) Aaron Springett, 32, died after street fight outside bookies in Merton, south west London, after suffering from a blunt force trauma to the chest on April 20.

There was outcry in April when Tanesha Melbourne, 17, was shot in the chest in Tottenham

62) Kwasi Anim-Boadu, 20, stabbed during a mass brawl in Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park, north London, on April 21.

May

63) Leon Maxwell, 38, shot outside Queensbury tube station on May 1. A 26-year-old man also shot went to a north London hospital.

64) Rhyhiem Barton, 17, shot dead in broad daylight near his family's flat in Kennington on May 5th.

65) Onees Khatoon, 71, murdered at her home in Gade Close, Hayes, on May 13. Her son Majid Butt, 51, has been charged.

66) Rosina Coleman, 85, found battered to death at her home in Romford on May 15.

67) Abdulrahman Nassor Juma, 24, known to friends as Mani, fatally stabbed in the chest in Barking on May 17.

68) Osman Shidane, 20, stabbed repeatedly in Ruislip on evening of May 15, died three days later on Friday May 18.

69) Homeless Arunesh Thangarajah, 28, stabbed to death in Mitcham in early hours of Sunday May 20th.

Rosina Coleman was battered to death at her home in Romford in May

70) Sophie Cavanagh, 31, viciously attacked at an address in Bromley around 6pm on Sunday May 20.

71) Father-of-two Marcel Campbell, 30, from Tottenham, fatally stabbed outside an ice cream parlour in Islington on Monday May 21st.

72) Gerry Gaffney, 46, died in hospital on May 21st, eight days after being repeatedly stabbed near The Oval cricket ground in south London on Sunday May 14th.

73) Molly Frank, 61, a care worker, suffered fatal head injuries at an Islington residential home on May 24 and died in hospital the next day. A special post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as intra-cerebral haemorrhage.

74) Aspiring actress and singer Bethany-Maria Beales, 22, fell to her death from the 19th floor of The Heron, a 36-storey residential skyscraper in the City on May 26.

75) Mark Fontaine, 41, from Walthamstow, repeatedly stabbed in Chelsea on May 30.

June

76) Andra Hilitanu, 28, who was seven months pregnant with her third child, found stabbed in the neck at her flat in Brent on June 1st. The Romanian national's family revealed that her unborn child also died.

77) Edmond Jonuzi, a 35-year-old Albanian, was knifed in park and collapsed near Turnpike Lane station in north London on the evening of Saturday June 9th.

Katerina Makunova, 17, was stabbed to in Camberwell in July

78) Gitana Matukeviciene, 50 and originally from Lithuania, found with multiple injuries at a residential address in Dagenham on Saturday June 9th never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on Tuesday June 12th.

79) Mark Tremain, 52, died from his injuries on June 14th two weeks after being badly beaten near his home in Albert Square, Stockwell, on May 31st.

80) Apprentice lift engineer Joshua Boadu, 23, died in hospital on June 18th, seven days after being repeatedly stabbed in Bermondsey.

81) Matthew Thomas, 39, died shortly after being found with multiple injuries at a flat in Pimlico on Thursday June 21st.

82) Slawomir Weglarski, 39, died after a fight outside a pub in Greenford in the early hours of Saturday June 23rd.

83) Gita Suri, 56, found with stab wounds to her back in the garden of a house in Greenwich on Saturday June 23rd.

84) Schoolboy Jordan Douherty, 15, from Chafford Hundred, stabbed to death after a birthday party in Romford on Saturday June 23rd.

85) Ishak Tacine, 20, of Enfield, repeatedly stabbed in Edmonton following reports of an altercation between men armed with baseball bats on June 27th.

July

Drill rapper Latwaan Griffiths died of stab wounds after he was dumped in a Camberwell street by a moped rider

86) Elderly woman Shuren Ma, 72, found with a fatal head injury at a house in Woolwich on July 1st.

87) Janek Brakonecki, 57, a Polish national, found critically injured in a car park off Leytonstone High Road on Saturday July 7th.

88) Katerina Makunova, 17, stabbed to death in a block of flats in Camberwell on Thursday July 12th

89) Latwaan Griffiths, 18, from Southwark, died in hospital hours after being found with stab wounds in Denmark Road, Camberwell, on July 25. He had been dumped in the street by a moped rider.

90) Sheila Thomas, 69, was found stabbed to death at her home in Casino Avenue, Herne Hill on Tuesday July 31st.

August

91) Drill rapper Sidique Kamara, 23, aka Incognito, stabbed to death in Camberwell in an alleged gang feud on August 1.

92) Thomas Peter, 50, of Valentines Way, Dagenham, has been charged with murder and arson with intent to endanger life after woman found dead in east London on Thursday August 2nd.

Joel Urhie was found dead inside the burnt-out shell of his family home in Deptford

93) Malik Chattun, 22, from Surbiton, stabbed to death in group fight in Kingston just after 2am on Aug 5.

94) Seven-year-old Joel Urhie died in arson attack on his family home in Adolphus Street, Deptford, just before 3.30am on Tuesday August 7th.

95) Simonne Kerr, 31, A nurse who starred as part of a the B Positive choir who reached the final of this year's Britain's Got Talent, stabbed to death at an address in Grayshott Road, Battersea, on Wednesday August 15th.

96) Joseph Cullimore, 42, died after being repeatedly stabbed at a house in Chingford in the early hours of Friday August 17th.

97) Gary Amer, 63, a plumber of Holborn, found with multiple knife wounds at an address off the Old Kent Road on the afternoon of Friday August 17th.

98) Leroy 'Junior' Edwards, 66, found with multiple stab wound at an address in Catford in the early hours of Saturday August 18th.

99) Kaltoun Saleh was badly burnt in a fire at a flat in Finsbury Park on July 5th and died at a specialist burns hospital on Tuesday August 21st.

100) Carole Harrison, 73, found dead inside her house in Teddington following a fire on Wednesday August 22nd. A post-mortem found she had suffered injuries consistent with an assault.The leader of a reclusive Muslim sect has claimed his violent enemies planted severed pig heads at the gates to his 'religious site' after he made headlines for refusing to abide by Australian construction laws.

Dr Mustapha Kara-Ali became embroiled in a bitter feud with Hawkesbury Council after it launched civil action against him and his brother Diaa Kara-Ali for carrying out illegal land clearing and earthworks.

The council alleged the men built fences, driveways and structures at their religious retreat in Colo, north of Sydney, without approval.

Dr Mustapha Kara-Ali (pictured) claimed his enemies planted severed pig heads at the gates to his 'religious site' after he made headlines for refusing to abide by Australian construction laws

Dr Kara-Ali became embroiled in a bitter feud with Hawkesbury Council after it launched civil action against him and his brother Diaa Kara-Ali for carrying out illegal land clearing and earthworks (damaged sign pictured)

The council alleged the men built fences, driveways and structures at their religious retreat in Colo, north of Sydney, without approval (severed pig head blurred)

Dr Kara-Ali told Tuesday's A Current Affair his position within a religious charity granted him immunity to compliance to council laws.

'The council should understand that they are inciting religiously motivated violence against us,' he told the program.

'The police should be concerned that there are villains and there are hit squads in the Hawkesbury region that are waging religious violence against a weak, small religious group that wish to be left alone'.

Dr Kari-Ali is the founder of the religious guild Diwan Al Dawla, which bought the Colo property for $670,000 in May last year and began building what it calls the Southern Chariot religious site.

Imam Mustapha Kara-Ali, pictured with one of the more than 30 Arabian horses on his Southern Chariot religious site at Colo, believes all government officials are 'Crusaders'

Hawkesbury City Council launched civil action against Dr Kari-Ali alleging the men carried out illegal land clearing and earthworks on the site. Pictured is the frame of a horse barn

The Diwan Al Dawla guild is carving a hippodrome out of this hillside at Colo so it can train Arabian horses. The group did not seek development approval from council to construct it

The 12 hectares is home to about 30 Arabian horses which the group intends to use to help troubled Muslim youth, particularly from western Sydney, engage with God.

A shed and two demountable buildings have been erected on the site and a barn is being built. There is also a grove of young trees including olives, figs and walnuts.

The Kara-Ali brothers were absent from their court hearing last month where a lawyer acted on their behalf and they were found guilty.

The court ordered that by the end of this week they were to remove all structures from the property, including signage and the front facade.

This shed on a concrete slab has been built without development approval by the Diwan Al Dawla guild at Colo, north of Sydney. The guild says it does not recognise Australian law

Dr Kari-Ali however claimed he was unaware of the order and was adamant to continue developing his site - he is now facing criminal charges for contempt of court.

He contends Hawkesbury City Council has no power to tell Diwan Al Dawla what to do because it is a 'basic religious charity' registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for profits Commission (ACNC).

'To ask us to be loyal to a religious symbol of another religion is horrendous,' Dr Kari-Ali said.

Moving forward, the religious leader conceded his group would be open to 'abide by a secular process of mediation' when it came to further developing his land.

But he remained adamant while his religious practice would work to meet concerns of the council if they were raised in discussion, it would not seek approval.As the 2018 midterm elections loom in the United States, one of the worlds largest and most influential technology companies is doing their part to encourage civic participation.

Google has just unveiled a new Google Doodle to mark U.S. National Voter Registration Day for Tuesday, September 25, 2018. The new Google Doodle offers a link to a tool containing critical information about registering to vote ahead of the upcoming midterm elections on November 6.

Heres all you need to know about what and when U.S. National Voter Registration Day is, how to register to vote in the U.S. and what a Google Doodle is.

The new Google Doodle offers a link containing key information about U.S. voter registration

What is National Voter Registration Day?

National Voter Registration Day is an annual event held to encourage voter registration in the United States and to celebrate the countrys democratic history.

First observed in 2012, this nonpartisan event sees volunteers and organizations from all across the country hold coordinated media, field and technology efforts to encourage voter registration and actively engage people across the country to register to vote.

The event mobilizes some 10,000 volunteers, educates millions of people about their voting rights and signed up more than 750,000 people across the U.S. to register to vote in 2016 alone.

When is National Voter Registration Day 2018?

National Voter Registration Day 2018 is currently being held on Tuesday, September 25.

Its always held on the fourth Tuesday of September.

How to register to vote

To vote in the U.S., eligible voters are required to be at least 18 years of age by Election Day and meet any specific requirements set forth by their state. Noncitizens and convicted felons are not eligible to vote in the country.

Every state, with the exception of North Dakota, requires voters to register in advance of Election Day. Those looking to register to vote are strongly advised to check on the U.S. Voter Foundation website for their specific state deadline.

Registration can be done online on NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org or on Vote.gov by completing a brief form. In addition, both of these websites can also be used to record an address or name change. They also offer services for U.S. citizens living abroad and U.S. military service members stationed abroad for absentee ballot registration.

Prospective voters in the U.S. can also register in-person at their local election office, their state Department of Motor Vehicles office or an armed services recruitment center.

They can also fill out and mail in a National Mail Voter Registration Form.

After signing up to vote, local election offices send voters polling cards to confirm their enrollment and give directions to their local polling station. Notably, some states and cities require that voters present a valid form of identification when showing up at their polling station.

Its also advised that people already registered to vote double check their registration status ahead of Election Day to ensure that they havent been accidentally purged from voter rolls due to inactivity or relocating.

What is a Google Doodle?

Google Doodles are changes to Googles homepage logo on a temporary basis to reflect a key individual, event, anniversary, accomplishment and the like.

First introduced back in 1998 to commemorate the Burning Man festival, they were initially created by Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin before a new in-house team called Doodlers was established to produce them on a more regular and consistent basis.

In addition to marking major holidays, Google Doodles in recent years have also celebrated events such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and notable people such as Fred Rogers and Josefa Llanes Escoda.A British couple have moved to Mallorca for a year and will commute to London for meetings claiming it will help them save a deposit for their first home.

Ryan and Kiera Crabbe believe it makes more financial sense to live 800 miles from the capital in Spain than live in the city or the surrounding commuter belt.

The self-employed couple, who both earn more than 50,000-a-year, say they can now save 2,000 every month thanks to lower rent and household bills on the Balearic Islands.

If they had stayed in Kensington, west London, where they lived for the past year, they believe that they could only save 600 a month.

And if they need to be in London or other cities for meetings they can always pick up budget flights to Britain for 60 return.

Ryan and Kiera Crabbe are living in Mallorca for a year because it will be easier to save the deposit they need for a London home

They can now save 1,400 a month more now compared to if they had stayed in their Kensington flat (pictured)

Mr and Mrs Crabbe have a deposit fund of 48,000 and believe that they can raise it to 75,000 by the end of their Spanish adventure.

This would cut the time they need to save the cash by two years and allow them to put down a deposit for a small flat in their favoured borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

The couple, who have been together since 2009 and married in 2015, are both self employed so can work from home most of the time,

Ryan told MailOnline: 'We're lucky we can live abroad and continue to earn what we did at home.

'As we are freelancers we can work from anywhere and we knew we could live more cheaply in Mallorca.

'We save 400 a month on rent compared to the 1,400 we paid in London before we lived for free in Kensington.

'We can work just as easily in Mallorca as we can London. I have to fly back occasionally to meet clients face to face but can book return flights for about 70 [61], which is cheaper than some train tickets when you live outside of London'.

Last year they were lucky enough win a rent free year in a Kensington studio flat after answering a few questions and completing some basic household tasks against the clock.

As part of the competition organisers B committed to match the savings the winner put aside while living in the flat.

This meant they ended up with 48,000 at the end of the year  24,000 of their own savings and the same matched by B.

Ryan and Kiera in 2017 after they won a competition to live rent free in Kensington for a year

They saved 24,000 and the bank who offered them the chance to live there matched their savings meaning they now have 48,000

B is a digital banking service from Clydesdale and Yorkshire bank that helps consumers manage their finances through an app

Ryan said: 'Kiera and I were incredibly fortunate to win the B app competition as it meant that we got to live rent-free flat for a year and as part of that we knew if we saved 2,000 a month between us, B would match that. So we saved 48,000 in total in a year.

'When our rent-free year was up, we were looking at places to buy or rent in London but we weren't sure where we wanted to live. We considered moving out of London but we then had to think about the commuting costs and it wasn't very appealing'.

He added: 'Once we have saved up enough of a deposit we plan to come back and buy in London. The lessons we've learnt in how to budget will hopefully stay with us forever'.An angry camel left a Kenyan TV journalist and his local aide laughing on the ground after tossing them from its back during a camel derby.

Journalist Thuku Kariuki was hosting a news segment from the Maralal International Camel Derby in Samburu, Kenya, when he decided to sit on the disgruntled animal.

During the footage Kariuki is seen falling to the ground head first with his assistant right beside him as the ship of the desert shows the two men that today is simply not its day.

TV journalist Thuku Kariuki (left)was hosting a TV-show from the Maralal International Camel derby in Samburu, Kenya. The annual Maralal International Camel Derby is a prestigious event held just outside of Maralal town

Footage captures the moment the journalist and his local aide are tossed from the disgruntled animal's back

Clearly unhappy with the sudden instruction to stand up the camel flings the top men and they fall to the ground laughing

In the video the journalist, who is describing the professional racing event to camera, can be seen climbing onto the back of the camel with a microphone in his hand and the local rider sitting in front of him.

The camel is then instructed to get up and the two men are raised from ground.

However the angry camel, who was not yet ready to stand up so abruptly, tosses the men from its back to the grassy ground below them.

The two men fall to the ground but quickly dust themselves off and get back on their feet to retake the shot

The local aide is seen rushing over to the disgruntled camel in an attempt to tame the animal and get it to sit down

As he tries to get the angry camel to sit by holding its legs, the animal refuses to give in, adamant to remain standing

The local aide, who quickly dusts himself off, is then seen rushing over to the disgruntled camel in an attempt to retake the shot.

As he tries to get the angry camel to sit down by holding its legs, the animal refuses to give in, adamant to remain standing.

The annual Maralal International Camel Derby is a prestigious event held just outside of Maralal town during the middle of the year.

The entertaining competition draws local professional camel racers and spectators across the country to the town.A leading architect has been ordered to demolish his award-winning home despite being granted permission for the project five years ago.

Amin Taha was granted permission in 2013 to transform the 1950s building in east London's trendy Clerkenwell into a plush six-storey office and apartment block.

Situated on the site of an 11th century Norman Abbey and in the shadow of the Grade I-listed St James Church, the property is made up of a two-storey office and eight flats, including a penthouse for him and his family.

But Mr Taha, who recently became a father, has now been ordered to demolish the property by Islington Council, which claims the building is no longer in keeping with the original plans.

Amin Taha was granted permission to transform the 1950s building in east London 's trendy Clerkenwell into a plush six-storey office and apartment block

Islington Council claims the building is no longer in keeping with the original plans (pictured), which were approved

Mr Taha bought the original 1950s property some seven years ago before he was granted permission to knock it down and built in its place the six-storey limestone structure

He began plans for his dream home in 2012 but after being approved he says the local authority then claimed elements of the build did not have planning permission.

Mr Taha said the problem was due to a new digital system for uploading plans and not the actual submissions he made.

The 47-year-old took two years to build the six-storey building, said be the former site of Oliver Cromwell's home, but has since been met with enforcement notices to remove its unique facade.

He said: 'It has cost quite a fair bit of money, of course it has - it's stressful mentally and financially.

'It was a shock, it should be obvious that it was a technical issue, this stuff is actually approved.

'I've explained again and again - eventually after two months of doing it I gave up - a year later the enforcement notice was issued.

'The idea was instead of going to the planning department and requesting to see it, you could view all proposed builds online.

The award winning building in Clerkenwell has been ordered to be torn down after Islington Council ruled the structure was not in keeping with the original plans

Mr Taha called the row with the council 'petty' and hopes the other side will recognise the 'beauty' of his building

Mr Taha said the facade of the building was not to the original plans because the exact nature of the limestone used is not known until it is excavated from the ground

'It was finally acknowledged that the planning procedure was fine - but since then there has been challenges from a local community group.

'I thought, what's it got to do with me it's just an upload issue.'

The enforcement notice was subsequently dropped, but then in March 2018 another was issued, this time demanding the building be modified.

Born in Berlin to Iraqi and Sudanese parents, Mr Taha moved to Southend-on-Sea aged seven and went on to study at the University of Edinburgh.

He bought the original 1950s property some seven years ago before he was granted permission in 2013 to knock it down and build in its place the six-storey limestone structure.

He lives on the top floor of the building with his wife Sarah and 15-month-old son Sacha.

Hailed an 'architectural triumph' by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the 4.65million project has won two awards.

Mr Taha has been sent two enforcement notices to tear down his building this year after the plans were approved in 2013

Islington Council approved these plans for the property but have since issued an enforcement notice

But Mr Taha is now waged in a bitter war with councillors who served an enforcement notice in June last year, claiming the materials, design and height of the building were not in keeping with the original plans.

The council issued a second enforcement notice in February which said the building's 'design and location' was 'harming the character and appearance of the local area'.

RIBA describes the property as 'a brave, ambitious, highly innovative and bespoke, where risks have been taken and have paid off, resulting in a truly imaginative, intriguing and astonishing work of architecture'.

The council would not specify how the building has breached planning permission.

Mr Taha is waged in a bitter war with Islington Council

Mr Taha called the entire affair 'petty' and hopes the other side will recognise the 'beauty' of his building.

He said: 'I got in touch with the planning department and uploaded it - they consequently withdrew the notice.

'However, unfortunately for a particular councillor, they decided to claim it definitely didn't have planning permission - they had lots of egg on their faces.

'We asked for an apology letter and then they said 'we made a mistake serving that enforcement notice'.

'They also said, 'your drawing just shows stone, we didn't know where the fossils were going to be included'.

'The councillors opinion was "it is ugly" and must therefore be demolished - I have done nothing wrong.

'People that complain put themselves as "for conservation and the community" - they're part of a group which runs across the UK - anyone can apply.

'The head of the local group actually lives on the Isle of Wight. I thought they represented the community, but they don't.

'I ask why are you wasting your time, and why do you pretend to represent us.

He added that the facade of the building was not to the original plans because the exact nature of the limestone used is not known until it is excavated from the quarry.

Architect Amin Taha with his dog. He owns and lives in the six storey property which was unveiled in 2016 and won two awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects

The flats inside the property have been furnished to a modern standard

The living quarters inside the property in Clerkenwell - the building comprises eight flats in total

Mr Taha said: 'We left the limestone as it comes out of the quarry naturally - until you extract it from the quarry you don't know what it's going to look like.

'You submit your drawings beforehand, but you don't know exactly how it will look until it gets here - we don't know exactly until it goes up.

'Lots of nice neighbours have come out, architects and people that work in Islington have come out to support us - it's heartwarming.

'Ugly is a point of view - we've got support from the neighbourhood and from people more that.

'It's a daft starting point - the fact that something was simply not uploaded and then it snowballs into an enforcement notice.

'It's an embarrassment for them and to the neighbours that complained - just because it doesn't fit in with their vision - we will fight for it.'

The bathroom in one of the eight flats in the six-storey building

The view from one of the eight flats in the 4.65milion property, situated in trendy Clerkenwell

Islington Council ordered the demolision with one member of the authority saying it was 'awful'

Another of Mr Taha's properties. A small block of six apartments in Stoke Newington, north east London, which has won him a place on the shortlist for this year's Stirling Prize

An Islington Council spokesperson said: 'After an investigation, the council has come to the view that the building at 15 Clerkenwell Close does not reflect the building that was granted planning permission and conservation area consent in 2013.

'In the council's view, the existing building does not benefit from planning permission, and the council issued an enforcement notice on 26 February 2018, to take effect on 9 April 2018.

'The owners of the site appealed that enforcement notice on 6 April 2018, and the case will now be handled by the Planning Inspectorate.'A 52-year-old woman has been charged in the knife attack on five people, including three newborn babies, at a New York City home that was apparently being used as an unlicensed nursery for new mothers and their children.

Yufen Wang, of Flushing, Queens, was arraigned Monday on five charges of attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

She stabbed a father, a female worker and three newborn babies inside the three-story residence in Queens early Friday at Mei Xin Care home in Flushing.

It is an expensive, $4,600-a-month illegal home where women can pay to give birth and rest with their babies afterwards so that they may obtain US citizenship.

All five victims, including a three-day-old girl who was the youngest, were hospitalized and are expected to survive.

Wang was apprehended in the building's basement with self-inflicted wounds to her neck and wrist.

The motive for the attack is still unclear. Her next court date is Oct. 19.

Scroll down for video

A woman is pictured leaving the Mei Xin Care maternity center in Queens on Friday afternoon after three baby girls and two adults were stabbed by worker Yufen Wang. Wang, who has not been pictured, was arraigned on Monday in Manhattan on five counts of attempted murder

An empty Pampers box was left discarded outside the home next to a pool of spattered blood. At 3.40am, Wang stabbed three newborn babies, a father and a co-worker then tried to take her own life in the basement of the home but was unsuccessful

Harrowing 911 calls from inside the home revealed the terror as it unfolded. There were nine babies inside the home at the time and many adults who called police confused and scared for their lives as Wang went on her rampage.

At 3.40am, someone from inside the home called 911 to say that worker Yu Fen Wang, 52, had gone on a stabbing rampage.

One of the injured babies' mothers told the New York Post she paid $4,600 to stay there for a month.

In the 911 call on Friday morning, one of the injured babies' mothers reported the terror as it unfolded.

'Help, help, help!' she said, according to NBC which obtained the call.

'Hurry, my baby has already been stabbed twice.'

Another person called later, saying: 'Im sleeping  and then I heard somebody yelling  and then they are killing people.

'I just saw blood on the floor  and that somebody got hurt.'

That person told the operator they were scared to go outside in case they too were harmed.

'I'm afraid' they said. A high ranking NYPD official described it as 'illegal'.

The home is in one of a row of multi-family buildings on the quiet street in Flushing. It is what is known as a birth center for foreign women who come to the US quietly to give birth and rest with their baby afterwards so that they get an American passport

There was chaos on the otherwise quiet street in Flushing last Friday as authorities worked at the scene. Nine babies were inside and more adults were there when Wang went on her rampage

A crime scene unit continued to work at the scene well into the afternoon on Friday. Wang's motive for the attempted killings remains unclear

Authorities work at the scene on Friday as the victims recover in hospital. All are expected to survive, even the three-day-old girl, who was the youngest victim

There was a heavy police presence at the scene throughout the day on Friday. Wang has been the only one charged

'They used it as a place for Chinese women to keep babies they gave birth to,' they said.

After attacking the five victims, Wang went to the basement of the property where she slashed her left wrist in an attempt to take her own life.

She was found there by police a short while later and was unconscious but, after receiving a tourniquet, regained consciousness.

One of the baby girls was more severely injured than the other two.

Police initially feared for her life but her condition has improved to critical but stable since she was taken o the hospital.

'There was 1 child more seriously injured than the other two, at one point we thought might have been likely but thank God she was upgraded and is now stable,' NYPD Assistant Chief Juanita Holmes said.

She added that the property was split between living quarters but that they had uncovered paperwork which showed it was a daycare center too.

There is no record for any business at that site online.

It remains unclear how many stab wounds they each suffered and where on the body they were struck.

The building where the horror unfolded is a multi-family townhouse which contains several separate apartments.

The stabbing is understood to have happened on the ground floor and in the basement.

The Office of Child and Family Services distanced itself from the facility after the stabbing and said it was not certified by them in anyway.

'OCFS is saddened by this horrific situation and investigating it as a possible illegal operation,' the agency said.Dr Manish Shah, 48, allegedly carried out the assaults between June 2009 and July 2013

A GP sexually assaulted 20 female patients at his surgery during unnecessary breast and vaginal examinations, a court heard today.

Dr Manish Shah, 48, allegedly carried out the assaults at the Mawney Medical Centre in Romford, Essex, between June 2009 and July 2013.

One of the alleged victims was aged just 15, it is claimed.

But the GP - who was photographed arriving at the Old Bailey in London today - insists he only carried out appropriate examinations.

The details of the allegations against Dr Shah cannot be reported for legal reasons.

Shah, of Romford, denies 75 counts of a sexual nature and the trial is expected to last four months.A swinger murdered a transgender woman after a three-day sex and drugs binge before recruiting his teenage girlfriend to help clean up the crime, a court heard.

Jesse McDonald, 25, is accused of drugging Naomi Hersi, 36, before stabbing her to death with a knife and a broken bottle in a hotel room near Heathrow Airport.

The Old Bailey heard that 'bright and articulate' McDonald had met his victim when he went 'looking for excitement' on a website called Fabswingers.com.

After the killing, he got bags and cleaning products before contacting his girlfriend, Natalia Darkowska, 18, who joined him in the attempted clean-up, the jury was told.

The court heard McDonald contacted Ms Hersi online just 45 minutes after arriving at the Heathrow Palace Hotel in Hounslow, having returned from visiting his girlfriend on the night of March 12.

Jesse McDonald is accused of killing Naomi Hersi (left) before asking his girlfriend Natalia Darkowska (pictured at the Old Bailey today, right) to help him get rid of the body

He drove his BMW to her home, where he arrived after midnight, and stayed voluntarily for three days, the prosecutor said.

On March 15, he and Ms Hersi went to his small hotel room.

Throughout the period, McDonald is said to have ignored his girlfriend's increasingly frequent attempts to get in touch with him.

But on March 16, he sent her a message which said: 'Baby I been a f***ing idiot.'

Another read: 'I love u so much. Not cheated x. Got addicted to a nasty drug I had never met before.'

He then told her he had 'got a big drug dealer' lying across his floor, adding 'won't wake up... massive black guy'.

Jesse McDonald ignored texts from his girlfriend Natalia Darkowska (pictured left and right) as he went on a three day drug-filled sex binge Hersi Mohamed Hersi

Prosecutor Mark Heywood said McDonald had planned to dispose of the body, but the victim was found half-naked, partly covered by a rug on the bathroom floor.

'Each was thinking of themselves and each other, without a care for the deceased, whom they believed was unlikely, because of her lifestyle, to be missed,' he said.

McDonald denies murder between March 14 and 18, while he and Darkowska both deny perverting the course of justice between March 15 and 18.

Mr Heywood said McDonald will claim self-defence, telling jurors: 'You will not have to decide whether there was a killing or who did it.

'The first defendant, Jesse McDonald, accepts he inflicted all of the many injuries that caused the terrible, violent death she suffered.'

McDonald contacted his girlfriend Natalia Darkowska (pictured outside court at an earlier hearing), who joined him in the attempted clean-up, the jury was told

The court heard that Ms Hersi, whose legal name was Hersi Mohamed Hersi, was an openly transgender woman, although to her family, who are originally from Somalia, she remained a much-loved son.

McDonald, who grew up in West Sussex, did well in school, but turned to dealing drugs after dropping out of the London School of Economics (LSE), it was said.

He met Ms Hersi, who lived in Mill Hill, north-west London, online before spending four days with her, jurors were told.

'They passed time together, took drugs and had sex at her address, to which she had invited him,' said the prosecutor.

'After three days of that, he took her back to her address. After a time, he drugged her, fought with her and eventually killed her, stabbing and cutting her multiple times with a broken bottle and knife and perhaps other things in order to achieve her death.

'When it was done, when she was dead, he tried to clean it up and avoid detection.'

The court heard that McDonald then contacted others, including his then 17-year-old girlfriend Darkowska, whom he had also met online.

She was living with her family, from Poland, in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, at the time.

'His girlfriend, the second defendant, travelled to him and joined in with him at this stage of the attempted clean-up,' said Mr Heywood.

'Once she understood what had to be done, she went to buy the necessary things and tried to help and support him through it.'

After the murder and during the clean-up, Jesse McDonald called his mother, Sally Finley, and gave her a false story about what had happened but admitted stabbing the victim in 'a frenzy,' the court heard.

He claimed he went to meet someone and was drugged, chained up for days and raped by paedophiles.

The court heard that Ms Hersi (pictured) was an openly transgender woman, although to her family, who are originally from Somalia, she remained a much-loved son

McDonald claimed he managed to escape by leaving with a Somalian who pretended to be very feminine but became extremely violent.

He said Ms Hersi took him back to his hotel, ransacked his room and told him he was a hitman and threatened to kill him.

McDonald told his mother Ms Hersi had said: 'I'm gonna kill you, I've got HIV and you're gonna die anyway.'

He described a six hour struggle and said that he did not know why he had stabbed the victim 20, 30 or 40 times but that 'he felt in a total frenzy of anger towards the man and that he had felt abused.'

'McDonald told her: 'He's cold in my room,' said Mr Heywood,

'He confirmed to her that he was dead and that there was blood everywhere.

'He described the man as the worst person he had come across and that it was the worst week of his life.'

His mother told him to call the police but he replied he was not prepared to go into custody.

McDonald was incoherent and sounded terrified as he told her of Ms Hersi's blood on his cut up hands and that he needed anti-HIV pills.

Mrs Finley called the police and made a missing person report for her son.

The trial continuesNorth Sydney is set to ban smokers from lighting up in the street, becoming the first Council in the country to create a smoke-free district.

Mayor Jilly Gibson made the recommendation to North Sydney Council who unanimously voted for the ban this week.

'We're not going to hand out fines. It's going to work by goodwill,' Cr Gibson told the Sydney Morning Herald.

North Sydney is set to ban smokers from lighting up in the street, becoming the first Council in the country to create a smoke-free district

'No one should be forced to inhale passive smoke, but also for schoolchildren, they should not have to see people standing around smoking. The less they see, the less they are influenced,' she said.

The ban would include all streets, plazas, parks, and outdoor restaurant and cafe seating.

Regarding electronic cigarettes, the Mayor said she thinks they would fall into the same category although 'we haven't really thought about it yet.'

Cr Gibson said that the North Sydney CBD could become smoke free by early next year if community consultations are completed on schedule by Christmas.

Mayor Jilly Gibson made the recommendation to North Sydney Council who unanimously voted for the ban this week

Dominique Bergel-Grant, president of the North Sydney Chamber of Commerce, said the organisation welcomed the move to ban smoking in an area that sees an influx of 46,000 workers during the week.

In June 2016, Sydney Council permanently banned smoking in Martin Place following a 12 month trial and in September the same year added Pitt Street Mall as a smoke free zone.

The Federal Government increased the price of cigarettes in this year's budget, with each pack now costing almost $40.

The 12.5 per cent tobacco excise hike signals the government has no intention of going easy on smokers' wallets in a country that is already the most expensive place to buy cigarettes in the world.President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he won't meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during his time at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York this week - and blasted the country in his speech to delegates.

Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the nuclear deal with Iran in May, defended that action, saying it was a 'windfall for Iran's leaders.'

'The Iran deal was a windfall for Irans leaders,' Trump said Tuesday during his speech to the general assembly.

'In the years since the deal was reached, Irans military budget grew nearly 40 percent. The dictatorship used the funds to build nuclear-capable missiles, increase internal repression, finance terrorism, and fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen.'

He also said sanctions would continue.

'We cannot allow the worlds leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planets most dangerous weapons,' he said and he called on his fellow leaders to follow America's lead.

'We ask all nations to isolate Irans regime as long as its aggression continues. And we ask all nations to support Irans people as they struggle to reclaim their religious and righteous destiny,' he said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addresses the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in New York on Monday

President Trump left open the possibility of a meeting with Iran at a future date

Earlier Tuesday morning, Trump laid on the flattery, tweeting he wasn't meeting with Rouhani but adding 'I'm sure he's an absolutely lovely man!'

He told reporters at the United Nations Tuesday morning that 'I will meet with them when they change their tune.'

He noted: They want to meet. It will happen. I believe they have no choice. We look forward to having a great relationship with Iran but it wont happen now.

Relations are tense between the U.S. and Iran after Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed economic sanctions.

Trump claims there were requests for a meeting but the Iranian president said the economic sanctions precluded any sit down.

The president did leave open the possibility of their meeting.

'Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man!,' Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning.

But Rouhani accused the U.S. of creating a hostile atmosphere between the two nations.

'There is no such program for a meeting. Mr. Trump did not create conditions necessary to bring about the atmosphere conducive to a meeting,' Rouhani told NBC News.

'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,' he said. 'That means that the necessary willpower is absent in order to resolve outstanding issues.'

Iran's currency has fallen in the wake of economic sanctions and the U.S. threat of cutting off its oil exports.

Trump and his team had left open the possibility of a sit down. At last year's UN meeting, the president had reportedly requested a meeting but had been rebuffed. In his speech to the general assembly in 2017 he painted Iran as a 'murderous regime' focused on the 'pursuit of death and destruction.'

Rouhani indicated to NBC the U.S. needs to repair the damage done by its exit of he 2015 nuclear deal.

'That bridge must be rebuilt in order for both countries to be able to set programs for such conducive atmosphere and for their mutual futures,' he said.

He also brushed aside any threat of U.S. sanctions, saying the country's oil exports could not be cut off.

'The United States is not capable of bringing our oil exports to zero,' Rouhani said.

'It's a threat that is empty of credibility. Perhaps on this path, we will sustain certain pressures but certainly the United States will not reach its objective,' he said.

The 2015 nuclear deal - signed by the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - imposed strict limits on Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting sanctions on the country.

Trump flattered Rouhani in his tweet

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (right) has been meeting with other world leaders, such as Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Trump withdrew the U.S. from the pact in May and reimplemented economic sanctions in August. The United States plans to reintroduce sanctions on Iran's oil and gas industry on Nov. 4.

Rouhani, during his time in New York, is meeting with other world leaders to talk about how to get around those sanctions. Leaders of China, Turkey, India and other nations are requesting waivers in order to have access to Iranian oil.

He won reelection in 2017 in part on his platform of reopening negotiations with the West.

Iran has also been central to the Trump's policy on Syria.

National Security Adviser John Bolton told the Associated Press on Monday that U.S. troops will remain in Syria as long as Iranian troops are deployed outside of Iran.

Rouhani said Iranian troops were in Syria at the request of its government.

'Our presence in Syria has only to do with the will of the Syrian government. From the very beginning when we entered Syria was based upon the invitation of the Syrian government, based upon which we sent our military advisors there. And our fight was focused against terrorists,' he told NBC.

He also said they are willing to leave once a settlement was in place.

'Whenever terrorists are defeated in Syria and terrorism ceases to exist in Syria, and the government of Syria has no need for us, then at that point our continued presence in Syria will not have any meaning or serve any purpose,' he said.

Rouhani indicated to journalists on Monday that Iran would not be exiting Syria any time soon.

'We will be in Syria until terrorism is completely eradicated,' he said, and as long as Iran remained invited there by the Syrian government, according to The New York Times.

'The U.S. sees a right for itself to have a presence in the region,' he said, referring to the Middle East. But it 'does not recognize the right for Iran.'The EU still does not know 'what Britain really wants' from Brexit negotiations, Angela Merel complained today.

The German Chancellor insisted business needed 'clarity' on the shape of the future relationship - but said the discussion in the UK was 'not so clear'.

She also reiterated that Britain will not be allowed to cherry-pick parts of the EU single market - seemingly ruling out a crucial part of Theresa May's Chequers blueprint.

The German leader insisted business needed 'clarity' on the shape of the future relationship - but said the discussion in the UK was 'not so clear'

The intervention, in a speech to a German industry conference, will cause frustration in Downing Street amid deadlock in talks.

Mrs May was humiliated by EU leaders in Salzburg last week when they brutally dismissed her Chequers plan.

EU council president Donald Tusk said the proposals - which would effectively see the UK stay in the single market for goods but not services - 'will not work'.

Labour chaos over calls for second referendum on Brexit Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer was given an ovation by delegates in Liverpool after using his speech to deliver a pointed rebuke to John McDonnell. Keir Starmer was cheered to the rafters by Labour activists today as he insisted a Brexit referendum could include an option to Remain in the EU. The shadow Brexit secretary was given an ovation by delegates in Liverpool after using his speech to deliver a pointed rebuke to John McDonnell. The shadow chancellor caused fury among pro-EU members yesterday by playing down the prospects of a referendum - and insisting that even if one happened it would not offer the public the chance to reverse Brexit altogether. The remarks sparked an extraordinary public squabble as Sir Keir contradicted his colleague. And in his conference speech this afternoon, Sir Keir doubled down on the row, diverting from his official script to say: 'If we need to break the impasse, Labour campaigning for a public vote must be an option. Earlier, Sir Keir had risked fuelling tensions with Mr McDonnell - Jeremy Corbyn's closest ally - by jibing that he had initially misrepresented the situation because he was 'up early' and badly briefed. Labour conference is due to vote later on a motion that would keep the option of a referendum 'on the table'. But after a fraught five-hour meeting of officials on Sunday night the text was fudged to avoid binding the hands of the leadership. Advertisement

The bloc insists that it is not possible to get the benefits of part of the single market without accepting all of its rules - including freedom of movement and European law.

The rejection threatened to throw Mrs May into crisis as she was already facing a massive mutiny from Tory MPs who want her to ditch the blueprint in favour of a more limited Canada-style agreement.

Meanwhile, Labour is engaged in a bitter row over whether to back a referendum that could see Brexit cancelled altogether.

Mrs Merkel appeared to refer to the deep divisions in her speech to industry leaders in Berlin today.

Warning that much hard work was still needed to find a path to a deal over the next six to eight weeks, she said: 'The economy needs clarity... What is important is what Britain really wants - the discussion there is not so clear.'

The shadow Brexit secretary was given an ovation by delegates in Liverpool after using his speech to deliver a pointed rebuke to John McDonnell.

The shadow chancellor caused fury among pro-EU members yesterday by playing down the prospects of a referendum - and insisting that even if one happened it would not offer the public the chance to reverse Brexit altogether.

The remarks sparked an extraordinary public squabble as Sir Keir contradicted his colleague.

And in his conference speech this afternoon, Sir Keir doubled down on the row, diverting from his official script to say: 'If we need to break the impasse, Labour campaigning for a public vote must be an option.

Earlier, Sir Keir had risked fuelling tensions with Mr McDonnell - Jeremy Corbyn's closest ally - by jibing that he had initially misrepresented the situation because he was 'up early' and badly briefed.

Labour conference is due to vote later on a motion that would keep the option of a referendum 'on the table'.

But after a fraught five-hour meeting of officials on Sunday night the text was fudged to avoid binding the hands of the leadership.

Separately, Lord Hague warned today that allies of Mrs May who are plotting a snap election must be drunk or ill.

The Tory former leader voiced alarm at claims that Downing Street aides are seriously considering the 'nonsensical' idea in the wake of the PM's humiliation at the hands of EU leaders.

He said anyone responding to deadlock with Brussels and Conservative infighting by deciding to call an election has 'probably had too much alcohol' or 'might even need medical help'.

Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street yesterday) was humiliated by EU leaders in Salzburg last week when they brutally dismissed her Chequers planAdvertisement

A massive ornate straw-stuffed dragon danced through the narrow streets of a historic neighbourhood in Hong Kong on Monday as part of a century-old ritual.

The annual 'Fire Dragon' dance took place under the light of a full moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival and was celebrated by thousands of performers, locals and tourists.

The 67-metre (220-foot) -long beast was made with straw and covered with 70,000 incense sticks, which were then lit and carried by 300 volunteers for three consecutive evenings, accompanied by the sounds of roaring drums, dance performances and firecrackers.

Performers carry an ornate straw-stuffed dragon stuck with incense sticks in Pok Fu Lam village in Hong Kong on Monday night. The annual 'Fire Dragon' dance takes place under the light of a full moon during Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations

The head of the 'Fire Dragon' weighs 70 kilograms (150 pounds) and is formed by wrapping straw around a rattan frame

The dragon dance is thought to date back hundreds of years in the historic village when it was invented to chase away plague

A total of 300 volunteers carry the dragon for three consecutive evenings, accompanied by the sounds of roaring drums

Residents are greeted by performers carrying an ornate straw-stuffed dragon stuck with hundreds of incense sticks

The body of the massive 'Fire Dragon' consists of 31 segments, which are supported by long bamboo poles

Locals and tourists welcome the 'Fire Dragon', which is believed to bring good luck and prosperity to residents

The head of the dragon weighs 70 kilograms (150 pounds) and is formed by wrapping straw around a rattan frame.

The massive beast is prompted forward by two 'pearls', which are pomelo fruits inserted with lit incense sticks. The fruits are twirled to create a blur of light that looks like shining pearls.

Video footage of this year's happy celebrations from Sunday to Tuesday shows the monster billowing fragrant smoke and shaking its head in front of doorways to bring good luck and health to residents.

The tradition is said to have started around 1880, after the village of Tai Hang was hit by a typhoon, followed by a plague.

Desperate to change its fortunes, villagers created a 'fire dragon' and paraded it for three days and three nights, chasing away the plague, according to local lore.

'The event wass brilliant as it is a traditional Chinese festival,' third-time attendee Susanna Leung, 34, told MailOnline.

'It's so crowded but everyone was so happy. The atmosphere was amazing,' she added. 'I do believe that the Fire Dragon can bring me good luck and good health for the coming year.'

The neighbourhood of Tai Hang was once a coastal village; now, after decades of land reclamation, it lies inland from Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour and is home to upmarket cafes and restaurants.

The ancient ritual has now spread to different parts of the city, including west Hong Kong's Pok Fu Lam neighbourhood.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, timed to coincide with a full moon, is celebrated in various east Asian countries including Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam, where locals gorge on pomelo fruit and mooncakes - a dense, sweet pastry - during family dinners.

The massive beast is prompted forward by two 'pearls', which are pomelo fruits inserted with lit incense sticks

A resident peers through her window as performers carrying the 'Fire Dragon' pass her home in Pok Fu Lam village

The ancient ritual has now spread to different parts of the city, including west Hong Kong's Pok Fu Lam neighbourhood

Performers take part in a fire dragon dance event to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, at Pok Fu Lam Village in Hong Kong

The ancient ritual has become a a highlight of Hong Kong's Mid-Autumn Festival, attracting thousands of locals and tourists

Thousands of festival-goers packed a historic neighbourhood of Hong Kong to watch the 'Fire Dragon' lit with incense sticks

The mid-autumn festival, timed to coincide with a full moon, is celebrated across different countries in east Asia

The massive dragon is made of straw and metal and stuck with thousands of incense sticks which are then lit during the dance

Video of the celebrations shows the monster shaking its head in front of doorways to bring good luck and health to residents

The tradition is said to have started a century ago, after the village of Tai Hang was hit by a typhoon followed by a plague

Villagers of Tai Hang created the 'Fire Dragon' to 'chase away' the plague and bad luck, according to local lore

In Hong Kong, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family celebrations and evening barbecues under the full moon

Pok Fu Lam residents said it was important to keep the tradition alive as the village population dwindlesA shortage of anonymous sperm donors has forced a Japanese hospital to stop offering couples fertility treatment.

Doctors at Keio University Hospital in Tokyo said men have stopped donating because they fear the government will give children the right to contact their biological fathers.

The facility has now stopped taking appointments from couples seeking artificial insemination by donor, according to local media.

A shortage of anonymous sperm donors has forced a Japanese hospital to stop offering couples fertility treatment

The treatment is usually sought by couples where the man is infertile.

In such cases, the woman is artificially inseminated with sperm from an anonymous donor.

According to Japan Today, the hospital's obstetrics professor Mamoru Tanaka said there were concerns about the implications of Japan recognising the right of donor-conceived children to know their biological parents, for which there is spreading global recognition.

Tanaka said it could essentially result in cases where the child in question has two fathers.

'It is crucial to establish through legislation a safe and comfortable donor system,' Tanala said.FBI crime statistics place Baltimore's homicide rate above that of any other US city with a population over 500,000.

A total of 342 homicides in the city last year yielded a homicide rate of 56 per 100,000 people, according to the FBI's 2017 Crime in the United States report.

Among big US cities, Baltimore was followed by Detroit, which recorded a homicide rate of 40 per 100,000 people.

Memphis, Tennessee, with a rate of 28 per 100,000 and Chicago, with a rate of 24 per 100,000, came in third and fourth.

But some smaller cities reported a higher homicide rates, like St. Louis, which has a population of slightly over 300,000 and registered a homicide rate of 66 per 100,000.

So far this year, Baltimore says homicides are down 16 percent from 2017, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Baltimore's homicide rate tops that of any other US city with a population over 500,000

In 2017, there were an estimated 1,247,321 violent crimes, which includes all instances of murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault that were reported to local authorities.

The estimated number of robbery offenses decreased by four percent, and the estimated number of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses decreased 0.7 percent when compared with estimates from 2016.

The estimated volume of aggravated assault and rape (based on the revised definition) offenses increased by one percent and 2.5 percent, respectively.

Overall, the violent crime rate across the country dropped by nearly one percent from last year, the FBI said.

Regionally speaking, Baltimore falls in the South for this FBI data set.

The South also saw the most violent crimes collectively with 423.8 per 100,000 people last year. The area came in second for property crimes, with 2,609.9 reported.

Regionally speaking, Baltimore falls in the South for this FBI data set, which also saw the most violent crimes collectively with 423.8 per 100,000 people last year

The West ranked second, as a whole, for violent crimes with 423.1 while topping property crimes with 2688.6.

The Midwest came in third for both, with 380.7 violent crimes and 2,207.8 property crimes reported, and the Northeast was last, with 304.7 violent crimes and 1,558.6 property crimes reported.

The rate of overall property crimes declined by 3.6 percent from 2016 numbers.

FBI Director Chris Wray said in a statement that policing and crime data collection systems across the US are being updated.

FBI Director Chris Wray said in a statement that policing and crime data collection systems across the US are being updated

The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) will be the national standard for crime reporting starting January 1, 2021.

'We want to have greater transparency and accountability in policing. One way to get there is by improving the data. That data will give us a more complete picture of whats really going on in our communities and allow us to do what we need to do to keep people safe. Lets work together to make this happen,' Wray said.

'NIBRS provides a more comprehensive view of crime data and allows law enforcement agencies to report detailed offense and arrest information, such as demographics about victims, known offenders, and arrestees, as well as details about specific incidents.'

The FBI is encouraging law enforcement agencies to make the shift from the Uniform Crime Reporting Programs Summary Reporting System now.

Notable Homicide Rates for Smaller US Cities with a Population less than 500,000 St. Louis, Missouri had 205 homicides with a population of 300,000: 66 per 100,000 East St. Louis, Missouri had 30 homicides with a population of 27,000: 111 per 100,000 Wadesboro, North Carolina had six homicies with a population of 5,413: 111 per 100,000 Source: FBI's 2017 CIUS report AdvertisementDemocratic Florida Congressional candidate, April Freeman, died of an apparent heart attack on Sunday night aged 54

A Democratic Florida Congressional candidate has died unexpectedly aged 54 - just six weeks before the November elections.

April Freeman, who had recent heart issues, died of an apparent heart attack on Sunday night.

The candidate's husband, David Freeman, posted the news on her Facebook page Monday.

Freeman had been due to face Republican Senator Greg Steube in the November 6 elections to succeed Tom Rooney - a Republican who decided not to seek a sixth term in Congress.

'We are incredibly saddened by the sudden death of April Freeman,' Florida Democratic Chair Terrie Rizzo said in a statement on Monday.

'Just last night she was in the office, making calls and working to get out the vote.'

Her husband told local news outlets the cause of death appeared to be a heart attack but that was not certain yet.

Her rival, Senator Steube, paid tribute to the candidate on Twitter following her sudden death.

'My thoughts and prayers are with April Freemans family in the wake of her tragic passing. I respect her service to our community and admire her commitment to the causes she cared about. Out of respect to her memory, next weeks campaign events will be cancelled,' he tweeted.

Freeman, above with Bill Clinton in June, won a nominating contest earlier this year to secure a place on the ballot in November. She previously ran unsuccessfully for the seat

Freeman had been due to face Republican Senator Greg Steube in the November 6 elections. Steube tweeted his condolences on Monday following the news of her death

Freeman's political campaign in a heavily Republican district had focused on promoting equal pay for women and protecting the environment.

She worked as a writer and producer in the film industry.

Freeman wrote a children's book and was working on a self-help book, as well as a political guide for women, according to her campaign website.

She won a nominating contest earlier this year to secure a place on the ballot in November. Freeman previously ran unsuccessfully for the seat when she lost to U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney in 2016.

Political analysts view the central Florida district as solidly Republican, meaning it is unlikely to be a factor in Democrats' attempt to win the 23 House seats they need to take a majority in that chamber and act as a check on Republican President Donald Trump's agenda.Jeremy Corbyn is being sued by the British Jewish blogger he accused of not understanding 'English irony', MailOnline can reveal.

Richard Millett, 50, instructed solicitors after Mr Corbyn made further comments about him on Sunday that he views as defamatory.

During an interview with Andrew Marr on BBC One, the Labour leader painted a picture of Mr Millett as 'incredibly disruptive', claiming that the police wanted to throw him out of Parliament until Mr Corbyn said he could stay.

Mr Millett, whose father fought for Britain in WWII, says that the allegations are entirely untrue and have caused lasting damage to his reputation. He is suing Corbyn for 100,000.

He said: 'Jeremy Corbyn has constantly been trying to paint me as some aggressive traitor who has brushes with police.

'Listening to his interview, you'd have thought that the police were on the verge of hauling me out of parliamentary events and it was only saintly Corbyn who stopped that happening.

Jeremy Corbyn is being sued by a British Zionist he accused of not understanding 'English irony' when Corbyn was giving a speech alongside British extremists, MailOnline can reveal

Mr Corbyn is facing legal action after Richard Millett, 50, instructed solicitors after the Labour leader when he made further comments about him on Sunday that he views as defamatory

'It's totally untrue. It's preposterous. I think he just said it on the hoof, under questioning on the BBC on Sunday. He can't actually back it up.'

Mr Millett, an Israel supporter, often attends events he suspects of spreading anti-Semitism and writes about them on his blog afterwards.

As a result, he says, he has been smeared and insulted but he has never been aggressive or disruptive himself.

Mr Millett, an Israel supporter, often attends events he suspects of spreading anti-Semitism and writes about them on his blog

'I didn't berate anybody and I'm not an aggressive person,' he said. 'I've had this over the years, everyone's been trying to smear me as aggressive, and it's just not true.

'That's the smear, and now it's coming from the very top. Jeremy Corbyn is making it more widespread. He's trying to make me persona non grata.'

The revelations threaten to overshadow Mr Corbyn's keynote address to Labour conference in Liverpool tomorrow, where he hopes to draw a line under the ongoing anti-Semitism crisis.

The Labour leader would face paying damages of up to 100,000 if the case goes to court, with a further 100,000 in costs.

Mr Corbyn's comments came on Sunday after Mr Marr asked him about his remarks about 'English irony', which MailOnline exposed last month.

The Labour leader said: 'I was at a meeting in the House of Commons and the two people I referred to had been incredibly disruptive.

'Indeed, the police wanted to throw them out of the meeting. I didn't. I said they should remain in the meeting.

'They had been disruptive of a number of meetings. At the meeting where [the Palestinian representative] spoke, they were quiet.

Mr Corbyn's comments came on Sunday after Mr Marr asked him about his remarks about 'English irony', which MailOnline exposed last month

The Labour leader would face paying damages of up to 100,000 if the case goes to court, with a further 100,000 in costs

'But they came up and were really, really strong on him afterwards. He was quite upset by it and I was speaking in his defence.'

Although Mr Millett accepts that he may have had a conversation with the Palestinian representative, he called the idea that he was aggressive 'ridiculous'.

'He's the last person I'd have a go at,' he said. 'We don't agree on Israel but I've always got on with him personally.

Possible legal action comes as Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger required a police escort to the party conference on Sunday afternoon

'He's a very personable chap. He always answers my questions and we never get into arguments.'

The Labour leader knew Mr Millett personally at the time, the blogger said, as they 'mixed in the same circles' and were both involved with the same television station.

This, he said, made his comments about him not understanding 'English irony' all the more hurtful.

'Corbyn knew me to say hello to me,' he said. 'It's not like I was a stranger. He read my blog. He knew that I was British and Jewish. He was targeting me.'

Mr Corbyn has since said his use of the word Zionist was 'in the accurate political sense and not a euphemism for Jewish People'. He has also committed to being 'more careful' with his language in future.

Mr Millett, whose father founded the Millets chain of outdoor clothing stores, said Jewish people are 'scared on a physical level' amid Labour's ongoing anti-Semitism crisis.

Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, said: 'When Jeremy Corbyn's comments about 'Zionists' being un-English came to light, they sent shockwaves through the Jewish community.

'Throughout the summer, as the evidence of Mr Corbyn's antisemitism mounted, instead of apologising, he has dug deeper, responding to each allegation against him by splitting hairs and spinning tales that frankly beggar belief.

'At long last, Mr Corbyn has must now face a British court so that a judge can separate fact from fiction.'

A Labour spokesman said: 'This is just nonsense.'Madam President, Mr. Secretary General, world leaders, ambassadors, and distinguished delegates:

One year ago, I stood before you for the first time in this grand hall. I addressed the threats facing our world, and I presented a vision to achieve a brighter future for all of humanity. Today, I stand before the United Nations General Assembly to share the extraordinary progress we have made.

In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. America is so thrilled.

I did not expect that reaction, but that's okay.

America's economy is booming like never before. Since my election, we have added $10 trillion in wealth. The stock market is at an all-time high in history, and jobless claims are at a 50-year low.

African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment have all achieved their lowest levels ever recorded. We have added more than 4 million new jobs, including half a million manufacturing jobs. We have passed the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history.

We have started the construction of a major border wall, and we have greatly strengthened border security. We have secured record funding for our military, $700 billion this year and $716 billion next year.

Our military will soon be more powerful than it has ever been before. In other words, the United States is stronger, safer, and a richer country than it was when I assumed office less than two years ago. We are standing up for America and the American people.

We are also standing up for the world. This is great news for our citizens and for peace-loving people everywhere.

We believe that when nations respect the rights of their neighbors and defend the interests of their people, they can better work together to secure the blessings of safety, prosperity, and peace.

Each of us here today is the emissary of a distinct culture, a rich history, and a people bound together by ties of memory, tradition, and the values that make our homelands like nowhere else on Earth.

That is why America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination. I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions.

The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.

From Warsaw to Brussels to Tokyo to Singapore, it has been my highest honor to represent the United States abroad. I have forged close relationships and friendships and strong partnerships with the leaders of many nations in this room.

Our approach has always yielded incredible change. With support from many countries here today, we have engaged with North Korea to replace the specter of conflict with a bold and new push for peace.

In June, I traveled to Singapore to meet face-to-face with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un.

We had highly productive conversations and meetings. We agreed that it was in both countries' interest to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Since that meeting, we have seen a number of encouraging measures that few could have imagined a short time ago. The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction. Nuclear testing has stopped. Some military facilities are already being dismantled. Our hostages have been released.

And as promised, the remains of our fallen heroes are being returned home, to lay at rest in American soil.

I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken, though much work remains to be done. The sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization occurs.

I also want to thank the many member states who helped us reach this moment, a moment that is actually far greater than people would understand -far greater.

But for, also, their support and the critical support that we will all need going forward, a special thanks for President Moon of South Korea, the Prime Minister Abe of Japan, and President Xi of China.

In the Middle East, our new approach is yielding great strides and very historic change. Following my trip to Saudi Arabia last year, the Gulf countries opened a new center to target terrorist financing.

They are enforcing new sanctions, working with us to identify and track terrorist networks, and taking more responsibility for fighting terrorism and extremism in their own region.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have pledged billions of dollars to aid the people of Syria and Yemen, and they are pursuing multiple avenues to ending Yemen's horrible, horrific civil war.

Ultimately, it is up to the nations of the region to decide what kind of future they want for themselves and their children. For that reason, the United States is working with the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jordan, and Egypt to establish a regional strategic alliance so that Middle Eastern nations can advance prosperity, stability, and security across their home region.

Thanks to the United States military, and our partnership with many of your nations, I am pleased to report that the bloodthirsty killers known as Isis have been driven out from the territory they once held in Iraq and Syria.

We will continue to work with friends and allies to deny radical Islamic terrorists funding, territory, or support or any means of infiltrating our borders.

The ongoing tragedy in Syria is heartbreaking. Our shared goals must be the de-escalation of military conflict along with a political solution that honors the will of the Syrian people.

In this vein, we urge the United Nations-led peace process to be reinvigorated.

But rest assured, the United States will respond if chemical weapons are deployed by the Assad regime.

I commend the people of Jordan and other neighboring countries for hosting refugees from this very brutal civil war.

As we see in Jordan, the most compassionate policy is to place refugees as close to their homes as possible, to ease their eventual return to be part of the rebuilding process. This approach also stretches finite resources to help far more people, increasing the impact of every dollar spent.

Every solution to the humanitarian crisis in Syria must also include a strategy to address the brutal regime that is fueled and financed in the corrupt dictatorship in Iran.

Iran's leaders sow chaos, death, and disruption. They do not respect their neighbors or borders, or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead, Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond.

The Iranian people are rightly outraged that their leaders have embezzled billions of dollars from Iran's treasury, seized valuable portions of the economy, and looted the religious endowments, all to line their own pockets and send their proxies to wage war. Not good.

Iran's neighbors have paid a heavy toll for the regime's agenda of aggression and expansion. That is why so many countries in the Middle East strongly supported my decision to withdraw the United States from the horrible 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimpose nuclear sanctions.

The Iran deal was a windfall for Iran's leaders. In the year since the deal has been reached, the military budget grew nearly 40 percent.

The dictatorship used the funds to build nuclear-capable missiles, increase internal repression, finance terrorism, and fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen. The United States has launched a campaign of economic pressure to deny the regime the funds it needs to advance its bloody agenda.

Last month, we began reimposing hard-hitting nuclear sanctions that have been lifted under the Iran deal. Additional sanctions will resume November 5, and more will follow.

We are working with countries that import Iranian crude oil to cut their purchases substantially. We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons.

We cannot allow a regime that chants 'Death to America' and that threatens Israel with annihilation to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on Earth. We just cannot do it.

We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues, and we ask all nations to support Iran's people as they struggle to reclaim their religious and righteous destiny.

This year, we took another significant step forward in the Middle East in recognition of every sovereign state to determine its own capital. I moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

The United States is committed to a future of peace and stability in the region, including peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

That aim is advanced, not harmed, by acknowledging the obvious facts. America's policy of principled realism means that we will not be held hostage to old dogmas, discredited ideologies, and so-called experts who have been proven wrong, over the years, time and time again.

This is true, not only in matters of peace, but in matters of prosperity. We believe that trade must be fair and reciprocal. The United States will not be taken advantage of any longer.

For decades, the United States opened its economy, the largest by far on Earth, with few conditions. We allowed foreign goods from all over the world to flow freely across our borders.

Yet other countries did not grant us free and reciprocal access to their markets in return. Even worse, some countries abused their openness to dump their products, subsidize their goods, target our industries, and manipulate their currencies to gain unfair advantage over our country.

As a result, our trade deficit ballooned to nearly $800 billion a year. For this reason, we are systematically renegotiating broken and bad trade deals. Last month, we announced a groundbreaking U.S. - Mexico trade agreement.

Just yesterday, I stood with President Moon to announce the successful completion of the brand-new U.S.-Korea trade deal. This is just the beginning.

Many nations in this hall will agree that the world trading system is in dire need of change. For example, countries were admitted to the World Trade Organization that violate every single principle on which the organization is based.

While the United States and many other nations played by the rules, these countries use government-run industrial planning and state-owned enterprises to rig the system in their favor.

They engaged in relentless product dumping, forced technology transfer, and the theft of intellectual property.

The United States lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs, nearly a quarter of all steel jobs, and 60,000 factories after China joined the WTO. We have racked up $13 trillion in trade deficits over the last two decades.

But those days are over. We will no longer tolerate such abuse. We will no longer allow our workers to be victimized, our companies to be cheated, and our wealth to be plundered and transferred. America will never apologize for protecting its citizens.

The United States has just announced tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese-made goods, for a total so far of $250 billion.

I have great respect and affection for my friend President Xi, but I have made clear that our trade imbalance is just not acceptable. China's market distortions and the way they deal cannot be tolerated.

As my administration has demonstrated, America will always act in our national interests.

I spoke before this body last year and warned that the UN Human Rights Council had become a grave embarrassment to this institution, shielding egregious human-rights abusers while bashing America and its many friends.

Our ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, laid out a clear agenda for reform, but despite reported and repeated warnings, no action at all was taken.

So the United States took the only responsible course: We withdrew from the Human Rights Council and we will not return until real reform is enacted.

For similar reasons, the United States will provide no support and recognition to the International Criminal Court. As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority.

The ICC claims near-universal jurisdiction over the citizens of every country, violating all principles of justice, fairness, and due process. We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy.

America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism. Around the world, responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from new forms of coercion and domination.

In America, we believe in energy security for ourselves and for our allies. We have become the largest energy producer anywhere on the face of the Earth.

The United States stands ready to export our abundant, affordable supply of oil, clean coal, and natural gas. OPEC and OPEC nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, and I don't like it. Nobody should like it.

We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good.

We want them to stop raising prices; we want them to start lowering prices. They must contribute substantially to military protection from now on.

We are not going to put up with it, these horrible prices, much longer. Reliance on a single foreign supplier can leave a nation vulnerable to extortion and intimidation.

That is why we congratulate European states such as Poland for leading the construction of a Baltic pipeline so that nations are not dependent on Russia to meet their energy needs. Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course.

Here in the Western Hemisphere, we are committed to maintaining our independence from the encroachment of expansionist foreign powers.

It has been the formal policy of our country since President Monroe that we reject the interference of foreign nations in this hemisphere and in our own affairs.

The United States has recently strengthened our laws to better screen foreign investments in our country for national-security threats. We welcome cooperation with countries in this region and around the world that wish to do the same. You need to do it for your own protection.

The United States is also working with partners in Latin America to confront threats to sovereignty from uncontrolled migration. Tolerance for human struggling and human smuggling and trafficking is not humane.

It is a horrible thing that is going on, at levels that nobody has ever seen before. It is very, very cruel. Illegal immigration funds criminal networks, ruthless gangs, and the flow of deadly drugs.

Illegal immigration exploits vulnerable populations and hurts hardworking citizens and has produced a vicious cycle of crime, violence, and poverty.

Only by upholding national borders, destroying criminal gangs can we break the cycle and establish a real foundation for prosperity.

We recognize the right of every nation in this room to set its own immigration policy in accordance with its national interests, just as we ask other countries to respect our own right to do the same, which we are doing.

That is one reason the United States will not participate in the new Global Compact on Migration. Migration should not be governed by an international body, unaccountable to our own citizens.

Ultimately, the only long-term solution to the migration crisis is to help people build more hopeful futures in their home countries. Make their countries great again.

Currently, we are witnessing a human tragedy as an example in Venezuela. More than 2 million people have fled the anguish inflicted by the socialist Maduro regime and its Cuban sponsors.

Not long ago, Venezuela was one of the richest countries on earth. Today, socialism has bankrupted the oil-rich nation and driven its people into abject poverty.

Virtually everywhere, socialism or communism has been tried. It has produced suffering, corruption, and decay. Socialism's thirst for power leads to expansion, incursion, and oppression.

All nations of the world should resist socialism and the misery that it brings to everyone. In that spirit, we ask the nations gathered here to join us in calling for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela.

Today, we are announcing additional sanctions against the repressive regime, targeting Maduro's inner circle and close advisers.

We are grateful for all of the work the United Nations does around the world to help people build better lives for themselves and their families. The United States is the world's largest giver in the world by far of foreign aid.

But few give anything to us. That is why we are taking a hard look at U.S. foreign assistance. That will be headed up by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

We will examine what is working, what is not working, and whether the countries who receive our dollars and our protection also have our interests at heart.

Moving forward, we are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends. We expect other countries to pay their fair share for the cost of their defense.

The United States is committed to making the United Nations more effective and accountable. I have said many times that the United Nations has unlimited potential.

As part of our reform effort, I have told our negotiators that the United States will not pay more than 25 percent of the UN peacekeeping budget.

This will encourage other countries to step up, get involved, and also share in this very large burden.

We are working to shift more of our funding from assessed contributions to voluntary so that we can target American resources to the programs with the best record of success.

Only when we each of us does our part and contributes our share can we realize the United Nations' highest aspirations. We must pursue peace without fear, hope without despair, and security without apology.

Looking around this hall, where so much history has transpired, we think of the many before us who have come here to address the challenges of their nations and of their times.

Our thoughts turn to the same question that ran through all of their speeches and resolutions, through every word and every hope. It is the question of, what kind of world will we leave for our children and what kind of nations they will inherit.

The dreams that fill this hall today are as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium, and as varied as the countries represented right here, in this body, are. It really is something. It really is great, great history.

There is India, a free society over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class.

There is Saudi Arabia, where King Salman and the crown prince are pursuing bold new reforms. There is Israel, proudly celebrating its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land.

In Poland, the great people are standing up for their independence, their security, and their sovereignty.

Many countries are pursuing their own unique visions, building their own hopeful futures, and chasing their own wonderful dreams of destiny, of legacy, and of a home.

The whole world is richer. Humanity is better because of this beautiful constellation of nations, each very special, each very unique, each shining brightly in its part of the world.

In each one, we see also promise of a people bound together by a shared past and working toward a common future.

As for Americans, we know what kind of future we want for ourselves. We know what kind of a nation America must always be. In America, we believe in the majesty of freedom and the dignity of the individual.

We believe in self-government and the rule of law. We prize the culture that sustains our liberty, a culture built on strong families, deep faith, and fierce independence.

We celebrate our heroes, we treasure our traditions, and, above all, we love our country.

Inside everyone in this great chamber today, and everyone listening all around the globe, there is the heart of a patriot that feels the same powerful love for your nation, the same intense loyalty to your homeland, the passion that burns in the hearts of patriots and the souls of nations has inspired reform and revolution, sacrifice and selflessness, scientific breakthroughs and magnificent works of art.

Our task is not to erase it, but to embrace itto build with it, to draw on its ancient wisdom, and to find within it the will to make our nations greater, our regions safer, and the world better.

To unleash this incredible potential in our people, we must defend the foundations that make it all possible. Sovereign and independent nations are the only vehicle where freedom has ever survived, democracy has ever endured, or peace has ever prospered.

And so we must protect our sovereignty and our cherished independence above all. When we do, we will find new avenues for cooperation unfolding before us.

We will find new passion for peacemaking rising within us. We will find new purpose, new resolve, and new spirit flourishing all around us, and making this a more beautiful world in which to live.

Together, let us choose a future of patriotism, prosperity, and pride. Let us choose peace and freedom over domination and defeat. Let us come here to this place to stand for our people and their nations.

Forever strong, forever sovereign, forever just. Forever thankful for the grace and the goodness and the glory of God. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the nations of the world. Thank you very much.A Vietnamese student will be sentenced in November after he pleaded guilty to supplying drugs at a recent music festival, where two revellers died from suspected drug overdoses.

Vo Dang Khoa Phan, 22, appeared in Penrith Local Court on Tuesday after he was charged with supplying a commercial quantity of drugs at Defqon. 1 nearby in western Sydney on September 15.

Police alleged Phan was found with $1,000 of the party drug GHB hidden in 20 soy sauce bottles at the festival, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Ten people were charged with drug supply offences at the Defqon. 1 music festival (pictured) held in Penrith on September 15

Phan remains free on bail and will be sentenced on November 16.

He was one of 10 revellers charged with drug supply offences at the music festival.

Another man was denied bail when he appeared in court last week after he was allegedly found with 243 grams of MDMA at Defqon. 1.

Police conducted 355 drug searches at the the festival, where 69 people were allegedly found to be in possession of drugs.

The future of Defqon. 1. remains unclear after Sydney man Joseph Pham, 23, and Victorian woman Diana Nguyen, 21, collapsed at the recent festival and later died in hospital.

Two other festivalgoers were airlifted to hospital in a critical condition, while additional 13 people attended Nepean Hospital for drug-related issues during and after the festival.

One man still remains in hospital more than a week after the event, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Police alleged Vo Dang Khoa Phan was found with GHB hidden in soy sauce bottles (stock image)

Defqon. 1 organisers took to social media on Sunday night to express sadness over the deaths of Mr Pham and Ms Nguyen.

'All of us at Defqon Festival Australia are deeply saddened by the tragic events that have rocked our beloved community in the past week,' they posted on the Defqon. 1 Facebook page.

'The loss of young lives following the festival is beyond devastating and we would like to extend our heartfelt sympathies to their families and friends. We are so very sorry for your loss and are thinking of you all at this time.'

Joseph Pham, 23, from Edensor Park in Sydney's south-west (pictured) died after attending the recent Defqon. 1 festival

One reveller remains in hospital, more than a week after Defqon. 1 was held

Two other Australians have died at the festival in the last five years, including James Munro who died from a suspected ecstasy overdose in 2013.

The Penrith-based Sydney International Regatta Centre, which has hosted the annual dance party since 2010, announced the day after the festival that it would no longer host Defqon. 1.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she never wanted the international event to return to Australia but later backed down and said the festival will not be banned.

'All of us at Defqon Festival Australia are deeply saddened by the tragic events that have rocked our beloved community in the past week,' organisers posted on Facebook on SundayMEPs can continue keep their travel and office expenses secret from the public, an EU court ruled today.

A group of campaigners and journalists brought a case claiming the misuse of expenses 'will continue in the shadows' if records are not made public.

But the general court in Luxembourg has rejected their argument, saying it would compromise MEPs' privacy rights.

MEPs can continue keep their travel and office expenses secret from the public, an EU court ruled today. Pictured: The European Parliament in Strasbourg

MEPs get 3,950 a month to fund their constituency offices as well as free first class travel and 280 a day to pay for hotels when attending parliament.

The vast majority claim the maximum amount, with no obligation to publicly disclose what they spend it on.

A group of reporters called Journalists Of The MEPs in May released a report stating that offices for 249 MEPs 'do not exist or seem nowhere to be found' despite expenses being claimed for them.

Transparency International's Brussels said today's ruling was 'hugely disappointing' and allows MEPs to 'keep details of MEP expenses secret and hidden from journalists, civil society and citizens'.

Heidi Hautala, a Finnish Green MEP who has been leading calls for transparency, told The Guardian: 'The majority of MEPs agree on the need for more transparency around their own expenses, but the bureau of the parliament and president Tajani refuse to act.

'The rules need changing now, otherwise the misuse of expenses will continue in the shadows.

'We cannot demand openness and transparency from others, if those principles are not followed within our own institution. Secrecy around MEP's expenses only damages the image of the European parliament and emboldens Eurosceptics.'A hilarious picture has gone viral of a man on a night out desperately shouting into a woman's ear as she blankly stares ahead looking bored.

The pair were caught on camera on a Milk Tuesday at Bourbon nightclub in Edinburgh earlier this month.

The man in the picture, Patrick Ritchie, who appears to be in his late teens or early twenties, is wearing a red checkered shirt and is leaning over to shout something in his friend Lucia Gorman's ear.

She is wearing a red dress and appears to be extremely unimpressed with the conversation.

Commenting on the nightclub's Facebook page, user Alex Hall branded the image the 'the most relatable nightclub photo in the history of art'.

Patrick Ritchie and Lucia Gorman were caught on camera on a Milk Tuesday at Bourbon nightclub in Edinburgh earlier this month

The young man and woman in the picture have revealed themselves as Patrick Ritchie (left) and Lucia Gorman (right). They are old school friends and can't remember the fateful words said on the night out in Edinburgh

His witty observation has since been liked 19,000 times and shared more than 11,000.

Mr Ritchie told Capital Radio it was 'weird' seeing an image of himself re-tweeted as far away as Australia.

He admitted neither he nor his friend could remember the fateful words he was shouting in her ear.

He told the station: 'She's one of my pals from school so she's probably fed up. She looks like the most bored woman in the world.'

Miss Gorman, who is a student at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, told Capital: 'I wasn't having it.

'I don't remember (what he was saying). Patrick always talks rubbish so it could have been anything.'

Alex Hall's witty observation on the picture of Mr Ritchie and Ms Gorman went viral

She added: 'Someone sent me the tweet and it had 40 likes at the time and I was like 'this is funny', and at the end of the day it had 14,000.'

The image has been edited online to create a side-splitting collection of memes.

Matt Cleland commented saying he thinks Mr Ritchie was asking about the furry accessory his friend Miss Gorman had in her hand.

He thinks the man is saying: 'How'd they let you in wae a hedgehog?'

Another person joked he was imparting some scientific knowledge on her, writing: 'And that's why Einstein's theory of general relativity is flawed'.

On Twitter the image has had more than 44,000 likes and 9,000 re-tweets.White House press secretary Sarah Sanders isn't offering any reassurances special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe will continue if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein leaves the Justice Department.

But she did say President Donald Trump's thinking is that the look at Russia's meddling in the 2016 contest should be finished.

'The Mueller probe should end,' she said on 'Fox & Friends' on Tuesday morning. 'They spent a year and a half and they found nothing because there was nothing. There is nothing.'

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders isn't offering any reassurances special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe will continue if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein leaves the Justice Department

The White House was in chaos Monday amid reports Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, seen here leaving his home on Tuesday morning, was en route to offer his resignation, he attended a meeting instead

Speculation heightened that the Trump administration would nix Mueller's investigation should Rosenstein exit the Justice Department. Rosenstein oversees the probe as Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself.

And Trump's personal attorney, Jay Sekulow, called for a 'time out on this inquiry,' referring directly to Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling during the 2016 campaign.

'It clearly becomes necessary and appropriate... that there be a step back taken here, and a review - and I think it's a review that has to be thorough and complete' if Rosenstein is dismissed or resigns, Sekulow said on Monday evening.

Sanders continued to hammer the message of how the Mueller team has come up with nothing.

'I'm not going to get into the specifics on the Mueller investigation,' Sanders said on ABC's 'Good Morning America.' 'We think it should be finished because they've spent a year and a half digging through and have still come up with nothing.'

Four former Trump campaign associates  Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Richard Gates and George Papadopoulos  have been charged in Mueller's investigation.

Manafort, his former campaign manager, was convicted on eight counts of bank and tax fraud related to his lobbying business and not his work for Trump. He has cut a deal with prosecutors on the remaining charges and agreed to cooperate.

Manafort was in the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton. Papadopoulos is also cooperating and met with a professor who claimed to have knowledge of the Clinton campaign.

Mueller's team has also charged 25 Russians and three Russian companies.

Sanders pointed out none of convictions have anything to do with the president and accused the special counsel of dragging out his look into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in regards to the presidential election.

'Nothing that has anything to do with the president or his campaign and it's ridiculous they continue to drum this up and drag it out and it should, I think, be wrapping up,' she said on ABC.

Trump himself has railed against the investigation repeatedly, claiming he is the victim of a 'witch hunt' and hammering over and over again there was no collusion.

Asked directly if Trump will let the investigation continue if Rosenstein exited the department, she would not say.

'I'm not going to get ahead of where the president is but he has been very clear he wants this to come to a conclusion,' Sanders said. 'We expect that it should and, again, they've spent a year and a half and found nothing that has anything to do with this president because there was nothing.'

Sanders appeared on 'Good Morning America' and 'Fox and Friends' while she is in New York accompanying the president during his meetings at the United Nations General Assembly.

She was grilled about the chaos at the White House on Monday as there was a flurry of reports he was headed there to offer his resignation but he turned up instead to attend a routine Cabinet meeting.

Rosenstein's head was thought to be on the chopping block after reports of an alleged plot to secretly record Trump and use the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a lever to force him from office.

Sanders laughed off the tales of intrigue.

'You know people that work in the administration do go to the White House pretty frequently. That's not like ground breaking news. In fact, Rod Rosenstein was there a couple times last week, too. It shouldn't put everyone into a tail spin when somebody that works for the administration shows up and comes to the building in which they work for,' she said on 'Fox & Friends.'

Trump told reporters Monday that he'd spoken to Rosenstein on the phone and would be meeting with him on Thursday at the White House.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has charged four former Trump campaign officials as part of his investigation

President Trump has complained he is the victim of a 'witch hunt'

Trump and Rosenstein are scheduled to meet at the White House Thursday

Sanders wouldn't say if Trump has confidence in Rosenstein

'We'll be determining what's going on,' Trump said as he was peppered with questions about the deputy attorney general's employment status during a meeting in New York with the South Korean president. 'We want to have transparency. We want to have openness, and I look forward to meeting with Rod at that time.'

Sanders declined to say if Trump has confidence in Rosenstein, saying on ABC: 'The president has confidence in the system.'

'That's not what I asked,' ABC's George Stephanopoulos replied.

'I won't get ahead of the conversation that will take place. Certainly he wants things to take place. There have been a number of incidents that have caused a great deal of concern, not just to the president, but to Americans all over the country,' she said.

And she didn't answer when asked directly if the president would fire Rosenstein.

'I won't get ahead of the president's decision-making. Again, he wants the process to work. He wants the Department of Justice to be focused on what it should be and not focused on all of the things that have been taking place over the last several months,' she said.

Rosenstein denied a New York Times report last week that he suggested secretly recording the president in 2017 to provide a rationale for declaring him unfit to serve in the Oval Office.A self-proclaimed mommy blogger has been charged with shaking her boyfriends baby daughter until she passed out and eventually died from her injuries.

Brianna Valenti, 26, of Grand Island in New York, faces numerous charges in connection to death of Raelynn Rose Fuller, 2, including reckless assault of a child, police announced.

Cody Fuller, the victims father told WKBW on Monday that doctors believe she had been shaken 'almost to death' by Valenti on the afternoon of September 10.

Raelynn died over the weekend as a result of her injuries at Oishei children's hospital.

Raelynn Rose Fuller (pictured) died from injuries sustained as a result of child abuse, police say

Brianna Valenti, 26, (left) has been charged in connection with the death of Raelynn Rose Fuller, who was the daughter of her boyfriend of over one year Cody Fuller (right)

Valenti had been looking after her that day, along with her own daughter, 5, when the alleged assault unfolded, Fuller said.

She reportedly called him, saying his daughter had passed out and was having 'trouble breathing'.

Paramedics were called and the little girl was rushed to John R Oishei Childrens Hospital with 'injuries resulting in her being unresponsive,' police said.

She was admitted to the intensive care unit, and deputies with the Erie County Sheriffs Office were contacted by Erie County Child Protective Services soon afterwards.

On September 11, authorities arrested Valenti and charged her. She was still being held Monday at the Erie County Holding Center on $150,000 bail.

Police would not say if she will face further charges following the death of Fullers daughter on Saturday.

In a statement they said: On September 11, Detectives arrested Valenti and charged her with a felony count of reckless assault of a child, a felony count of assault  conduct causing risk of death, and a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child.

On Friday a family member shared a heartbreaking image of Raelynn (pictured) in the intensive care unit of Oishei Childrens Hospital before she sadly passed away

Valenti is described by police as an acquaintance of the biological father.

Captain Greg Savage, who works with the Erie County Sheriff's Office, told WIBV4:

'What exactly did she do or not do, what exactly are the babys injuries and what was her intent [are under investigation, we believe she was assaulted.

'Its very serious and we believe that is the person that caused the injuries.

'We were notified by the hospital that it appeared there may have been some type of injuries inflicted on the child and thats when detectives went over there and thats when the investigation began.

Police are currently investigating the motive which resulted in the death of Raelynn (pictured)

Valenti and the victim's father (left) have been dating since May 2017. She (right) wrote on Facebook how 'patience is a virtue' for parents who 'get better at handling it' as time goes on

According to her Facebook page, Brianna Valenti enjoys writing about her experiences as a mother.

She writes for a blog called Weird, Wicked & Wild, and is listed as its head parenting blogger.

Despite that title, Valenti does not appear to have contributed lately. Her last post under the parenting tab was dated August 20, 2017.

She has been dating Fuller since May 2017. Valenti also spoke of her relationship with Fullers daughter and her own little one in a blog post from August 2017.

'Its a blessing to wake up everyday to little feet running down the hallway, yelling good morning! Valenti said.

'And even if the day does start as you waking up to her, messing with her little sister in her crib, patience is a virtue parents  life doesnt get easier. We just get better at handling it'.

In her biography, Valenti encourages readers to reach out to her, writing, 'Whether you just need advice, or a laugh, or even someone who understands what youre going through!'.

It is understood that funeral arrangements have been made for the child , but they want them to remain private.An Iranian media outlet close to the country's hard-line Revolutionary Guard has threatened the capitals of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates with ballistic missile attacks.

The semi-official Fars news agency posted a video showing file footage of previous missile attacks launched by the Guard, then a graphic of a sniper rifle with its scope honing in on Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. The video also threatens Israel.

The now-deleted post, which appeared on Twitter on Tuesday, escalates regional tensions after Saturday's militant attack on an Iranian military parade.

Thousands of people gather in the south-western 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

Iranian soldiers, women, and children lay down and run during the terror attack on 22 September

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei blamed US-backed gulf countries for the attack in the city of Ahvaz, which killed at least 25 people and wounded over 60.

The threat amplifies the unease felt across the greater Persian Gulf; Iran's economy has been upended by America's withdrawal from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers and Saudi and Emirati forces are bogged down in their ongoing war in Yemen.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials on Tuesday identified the five men who carried out the parade attack, which authorities have blamed on Arab separatists.

At least two of the men identified have appeared in a video distributed by the so-called Islamic State group, which also claims responsibility for the Ahvaz attack.

Iranian officials on Tuesday identified the five men who carried out the parade attack, which authorities have blamed on Arab separatists

This further complicates the process of determining who exactly was behind Saturday's assault.

The Fars agency video uses a segment from an April speech by Khamenei, in which the supreme leader's voice can be heard saying: 'The era of the hit-and-run has expired.

'A heavy punishment is underway.'

Fars did not say why it took the video down. However, it came just before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was due to address the UN General Assembly.

Iran has fired its ballistic missiles twice in anger in recent years. In 2017, responding to an Islamic State attack on Tehran, the Guard fired missiles striking IS targets in Syria.

Then, earlier this month, it launched a strike on a meeting of Iranian Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq.

The Guard, a paramilitary force answerable only to Khamenei, has sole control over Iran's ballistic missile program.

Civilians try to take shelter during the shooting at the military parade on Saturday where almost 70 people were injured

Under Khamenei's orders, Iran now limits its ballistic missiles to a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles), which gives Tehran the range to strike Israel, Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as regional American military bases.

The Fars video follows a long tradition of martial propaganda films across the Middle East.

Last December, a pro-Saudi computer-animated video depicted a scenario in which the kingdom launched its own missiles into Iran and later sent its troops into Tehran to the applause of cheering Iranians.

Iran itself released a video in 2016 showing Iranian forces triumphing over an American naval fleet after they shot down an airliner, a reference to the USS Vincennes downing an Iran Air flight in 1988, killing all 290 people aboard.

Caskets of those who died in a terror attack on a military parade in Iran are displayed in Ahvaz, in Iran's oil-rich southwest

Iran on Monday held a mass funeral for those killed in the attack in Ahvaz, which has seen a spate of economic protests in recent months over the nationwide drought

Saturday's attack targeted one of many parades in Iran marking the start of the country's long war with Iraq, part of a commemoration known as 'Sacred Defense Week.'

Militants disguised as soldiers opened fire as rows of troops marched past officials in Ahvaz.

Arab separatists in the region claimed responsibility for the attack. They accuse Iran's Persian-dominated government of discriminating against its ethnic Arab minority.

Iran's Khuzestan province, where Ahvaz is the provincial capital, has also seen recent protests over the country's nationwide drought.

IS 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, however, did not pledge allegiance or otherwise identify themselves as IS followers.

Iran's Intelligence Ministry identified the attackers as Hassan Darvishi, Javad Sari, Ahmad Mansouri, Foad Mansouri and Ayad Mansouri. It said two of them were brothers and another was their cousin.

Militants attacked a parade marking the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, spraying the crowd with gunfire and killing at least 25 people

Darvishi and Ayad Mansouri both appeared in the IS video. A third man in the video resembled either Ahmad or Foad Mansouri, but could not be independently verified.

Iranian officials have maintained that Arab separatists carried out the attack. A spokesman for an Ahvazi separatists group on Saturday also identified one of the attackers by name - Ahmad Mansouri - in an interview with Associated Press reporters.

State TV reported late Monday that authorities have detained 22 suspects linked to the group behind the attack and confiscated ammunition and communication equipment.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (top centre) has accused US-allied regional countries of supporting the perpetrators

The Guard's acting commander, Gen. Hossein Salami, vowed revenge Monday 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.'

Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, said Monday that the attack showed Iran has 'a lot of enemies,' according to remarks posted on his website. He linked the attackers to the United States, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

'Definitely, we will harshly punish the operatives' behind the terror attack, he added.Angry passengers were seen arguing with a police officer who was trying to remove a drunk man on a grounded Air Austral flight.

As furious passengers took out their mobile phones to record the incident and air their outrage, the cop was seen reaching down to bring the intoxicated man to his feet before leading him off the plane.

An internal investigation is now underway to determine what happened onboard the chaotic flight at Charles de Gaulle Airport in the commune of Roissy-en-France, north-east of the French capital Paris.

Angry passengers were seen shouting at a police officer as he attempted to remove a drunk passenger off a grounded Air Austral flight in France

Passengers took out their phones and started recording as the cop tried bringing the drunk passenger to his feet

The flight was grounded at Charles de Gaulle Airport in the commune of Roissy-en-France, north-east of the French capital Paris

According to local media, the plane was scheduled to travel to the island of Mayotte, an offshore French territory in the Indian Ocean, however there was a lengthy delay for unreported reasons

According to local media, the plane was scheduled to travel to the island of Mayotte, an offshore French territory in the Indian Ocean.

However, there was a lengthy delay for unreported reasons and passengers became frustrated, as seen in the footage viewed by nearly 25,000 people on YouTube.

One man began demanding compensation from Air Austral and police intervened, escorting the man off the plane in front of complaining passengers who were already frustrated with the hold-up.

According to the French airline, the man was intoxicated and the captain refused to take off until he was removed from the plane in accordance with safety rules.

Passengers soon became frustrated as seen in the footage viewed by nearly 25,000 people on YouTube

In the end, the flight was cancelled and passengers remained at the Charles de Gaulle Airport until alternative routes were found. Air Austral immediately launched an investigation with the Portuguese charter airline Hi Fly, which has asked the crew to shed light on the incident

In the end, the flight was cancelled and passengers remained at the Charles de Gaulle Airport until alternative routes were found.

Air Austral immediately launched an investigation with the Portuguese charter airline Hi Fly, which has asked the crew to shed light on the incident.

The company apologised to passengers for the inconvenience, stating that while it was beyond their control 'safety remains our top priority'.Pope Francis today admitted that sexual abuse scandals are driving faithful people away from the Catholic Church - as a bombshell report revealed 3,700 children were assaulted in Germany.

Speaking on tour in Estonia, he said the Church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations.

He told a gathering of young people that he knew many youths felt the church had nothing to offer them and simply doesn't understand their problems today.

Pope Francis (pictured in Estonia today) admitted that sexual abuse scandals are driving faithful people away from the Catholic Church - as a report revealed 3,700 children were assaulted in Germany

Pope Francis, in his Popemobile, greets the crowd as he arrives at the Liberty Square

'They are outraged by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them,' he told a gathering of Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox young people in the Kaarli Lutheran Church in the capital Tallinn.

He said the Catholic Church wants to respond to those complaints transparently and honestly.

'We ourselves need to be converted,' he said. 'We have to realise that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off.'

It was a very public admission of the church's failures in confronting sex abuse scandals, which have hit headlines recently with revelations of abuse and cover-up in the US, Chilean and now German church.

His comments came as the head of the Catholic Church in Germany apologised 'for all the failure and pain' after a report found thousands of children were sexually abused by priests, a number an expert said was only the 'tip of the iceberg'.

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate a Mass in Freedom Square, in Tallinn before leading mass

Pope Francis greets the crowd as he arrives in the Liberty Square, Tallinn

Researchers of three German universities examined 38,156 personnel files spanning a 70-year period ending 2014, and found indications of sexual abuse by 1,670 clerics, with more than 3,700 possible victims.

More than half of those abused between 1946 and 2014 were 13 or younger and nearly a third of them were altar boys.

The report, compiled by university researchers, found evidence that some files were manipulated or destroyed.

Many cases were not brought to justice, and that sometimes abusers were simply moved to other dioceses without the congregations being informed about their past, according to the results that leaked earlier in the German press.

'For too long in the Church we have looked away, denied, covered up and didn't want it to be true,' Cardinal Reinhard Marx, chairman of the German Bishops' Conference said at a news conference for the launch of the report in the central German city of Fulda on Tuesday.

Pope Francis officiates the Holy mass in the Liberty Square, Tallinn, Estonia

'For all the failure, pain and suffering, I must apologise as the chairman of the Bishops' Conference as well as personally,' Marx said.

'The study opened our eyes to the fact that this issue has not been overcome.'

Harald Dressing of the Central Institute of Mental Health said that number represented only the lower bound of estimates as many cases were likely never reported or not taken seriously enough to make note of them in the files.

'The resulting numbers are the tip of an iceberg whose actual size we cannot assess,' Dressing said at the news conference.

Vatican cardinal slams Pope as an 'ice-cold, cunning Machiavellian' Pope Francis has been branded an 'ice-cold, cunning Machiavellian' and a 'liar' by one of his cardinals, a German magazine reports. The anonymous cardinal made the comments in a bombshell interview with Der Spiegel for its 19-page report on the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal. He said: 'The pope preaches mercy, but in reality he is an ice-cold, cunning Machiavellian, and, what is worse  he lies.' The cardinal was referring to claims that Francis knew about sexual abuse allegations against US Cardinal Theodore McCarrick long before he admitted he was aware of them or took any action. Pope Francis has been called an 'ice-cold, cunning Machiavellian' and a 'liar' by one of his cardinals who spoke to German magazine Der Spiegel (pictured is the front cover) A report from a high-ranking cardinal in August claimed the pope knew about McCarrick in 2013 - but still employed him as a consultant in naming new American bishops until his resignation in July this year. The pope declined to comment. The report was the main item in this week's Der Siegel magazine which featured a picture of the pope on the front and was titled Du Sollst Nicht Lugen (Thou Shalt Not Lie). The report criticised the pope's handling of abuse allegations generally, stating: 'He often speaks at inopportune moments, yet in important moments remains silent.' Advertisement

Francis' visit to Tallinn marked the last stop in a four-day pilgrimage that also took him to Lithuania and Latvia. The trip aimed to encourage the Christian faith in the Baltics, which saw five decades of Soviet-imposed religious repression and state-sponsored atheism, as well as the World War II-era occupation by Nazi Germany.

Francis has been warmly welcomed in the region, even if Catholics are only a majority in Lithuania. Estonia only has 6,000 Catholics nationwide, but residents still seemed to welcome Francis' inclusive message and flocked to his final Mass in a chilly but sun-soaked Freedom Square near Tallinn's charming medieval center.

'For me, it's in my heart what I believe, and I think Francis is this kind of `papa' who wants to change,' said Marko Tubli, a Tallinn resident. 'A church is not like `You must be this way and this way.' It is more open.'

Pope Francis greets faithfuls as he arrives to lead a Holy Mass at Freedom Square in Tallinn

Upon arriving Tuesday, Francis praised Estonia's social and economic transformation in the quarter century since the 1991 Soviet collapse. But he warned that a certain 'existential ennui' can set in when societies lose their cultural roots and put their faith in technological progress alone.

'One of the evident effects of technocratic societies is a loss of meaning in life and the joy of living,' he said. Interpersonal and intergenerational bonds can be lost, depriving young generations of foundations to build a common future, he said.

Estonia is considered both one of the most tech-advanced countries in Europe and one of the least religious societies in the world. More than half of Estonia's 1.3 million people profess no religious affiliation. The Lutheran and Russian Orthodox churches count the most followers of those who do.

In her welcoming speech, Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid acknowledged that rapid changes taking place amid robust economic growth - something particularly visible in the Baltic nations - shouldn't mean the 'vulnerable among us' are neglected.

She presented Francis with a special digital ID card giving foreigners access to dozens of digital services in the Baltic country, ranging from medical services to signing legal contracts and filing taxes. The government says over 37,000 people from dozens of countries have been registered as 'e-residents' in Estonia.One of 65 women who signed a letter in support of US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has learned there was a running joke about 'hooking up' with her in his high school yearbook.

Renate Dolphin, who attended an all-girls high school near Georgetown Preparatory School, the all-boys high school Kavanaugh attended in North Bethesda, Maryland, has just learned of multiple 'Renate Alumnius' references in Kavanaugh's senior yearbook.

'I learned about these yearbook pages only a few days ago. I dont know what "Renate Alumnus" actually means,' Dolphin said in a statement to the New York Times.

'I cant begin to comprehend what goes through the minds of 17-year-old boys who write such things, but the insinuation is horrible, hurtful and simply untrue. I pray their daughters are never treated this way. I will have no further comment.'

The references shed light into the mindset of a high school and soon-to-be-college-aged Kavanaugh, at times when he is now accused by two women of committing sexual assault and misconduct.

The Time's Up organization has called for Kavanaugh to withdraw his nomination, in a statement provided to DailyMail.com.

Kavanaugh has denied all claims of sexual misconduct and assault.

Renate Dolphin, who signed a letter in support of US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, has learned there was a running joke 'about hooking up with her' in his high school yearbook; Kavanaugh's personal page in the yearbook is shown here with 'Renate Alumnius'

Dolphin is pictured here in a photo from her senior yearbook from 1983 at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland

'I cant begin to comprehend what goes through the minds of 17-year-old boys who write such things, but the insinuation is horrible, hurtful and simply untrue,' Dolphin said, shown here in an undated, recent photo

'Judge Kavanaugh and Ms. Dolphin attended one high school event together and shared a brief kiss good night following that event,' Kavanaughs lawyer Alexandra Walsh, told the Times. 'They had no other such encounter.'

Dolphin however, refutes that account, telling the Times through her lawyer:

'I think Brett must have me confused with someone else, because I never kissed him.'

Kavanaugh was one of 13 graduating seniors who referred to Dolphin in some way in their Georgetown Prep senior yearbook.

Four of those men have released a statement explaining the 'Renate Alumnus' references away as 'intended to allude to innocent dates or dance partners and were generally known within the community of people involved for over 35 years,' stating that the comments were 'never controversial.'

However, Dolphin said she only just learned of the quotes throughout the senior yearbook, on her peers' personal pages.

Dolphin previously signed a letter of support for Kavanaugh, after allegations of sexual assault were brought against him.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford stated Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth with such force that she feared he might accidentally kill her, as he tried to remove her clothing while his friend watched, during a party in high school.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford (right) stated Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth with such force that she feared he might accidentally kill her, as he tried to remove her clothing while his friend watched, during a party in high school; Deborah Ramirez (left) stated that the nominee exposed himself to her and forced her to touch his penis during his freshman year at Yale University, at some time in the 1983-84 academic year

Kavanaugh has denied all claims of sexual misconduct and assault, and is expected to testify before the Senate regarding the allegations this week; He is seen here during his confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 6

The letter signed by Dolphin in support of Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court nominee, in response to that claim, dated September 14, reads in part:

'We are women who have known Brett Kavanaugh for more than 35 years and knew him while he attended high school between 1979 and 1983. For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect. We strongly believe it is important to convey this information to the Committee at this time.'

Dolphin's signature appears on the second page, in the left column, five lines down.

Last week, a second sexual misconduct allegation came to light against Kavanaugh by Deborah Ramirez.

Ramirez stated that the nominee exposed himself to her, putting his penis near her face and ultimately forcing her to touch it without her consent during his freshman year at Yale University, at some time in the 1983-84 academic year, as reported by the New Yorker.

Kavanaugh's wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, stood by her husband in an interview with Fox News on Monday.

Kavanaugh's wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, stood by him in an interview with Fox News

Time's Up gave the following statement to DailyMail.com on Monday:

'The time has come for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to withdraw his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Given the multiple serious allegations against him, Kavanaugh can no longer credibly serve on the nations highest court. His confirmation would compromise the integrity of the court for generations to come.

'There is simply no path forward: A man accused of multiple instances of sexual violence cannot have decision-making power over the lives of American women for decades to come. If elevated to the high court, the legitimacy of everything Judge Kavanaugh touches will be questioned. For the good of the court and the good of the country, Judge Kavanaugh must withdraw his nomination.

'We understand why some might think railroading this nomination through is still a viable option. Profound culture shifts are difficult to comprehend in history books, let alone as they happen. The Supreme Court is 229 years old and women have had the right to vote in this country for less than a century. For far too long, the safety and dignity of women was secondary to the needs of powerful men. But that era is done. The rules have changed. Thoughtful American citizens, regardless of political party, will not tolerate this man as an arbiter of justice on the nations highest court.

'Judge Kavanaugh, do not delay the inevitable. Withdraw your nomination now.'

Ford and Kavanaugh are both expected to testify before the Senate regarding her claims, later this week.Amanda Toward embezzled hundreds of thousands from Gateshead-based events management firm Big Purple Productions - leaving the company on the brink of collapse

An alcoholic office manager who plundered 200,000 from the events company she worked for to fund holidays in Mexico, an expensive house and a Range Rover has been jailed for three years.

Amanda Toward embezzled hundreds of thousands from Gateshead-based events management firm Big Purple Productions to fund her lavish lifestyle where she partied alongside TV celebrities Ant and Dec - leaving the company on the brink of collapse.

The 45-year-old has been jailed after pleading guilty to a fraud spanning four years.

Judge Edward Bindloss, at Newcastle Crown Court, told her: 'Your position is aggravated by the fact Mr McKay seems to have been a good and generous employer who looked after your interests.

'His good natured approach to you and your role was something you utterly betrayed because all the time you were stealing from him and the company behind his back and that threatened the company and its employees.

'The money went on alcohol for you and other extravagances. I've read you drove a Range Rover, had expensive holidays such as in Mexico, you had an expensive residence.

'You abused your position of trust and responsibility and this fraudulent activity was conducted over a sustained period of time.'

The firm, described as a small family business, was set up in 2013 with five members of staff, including Toward, who had worked for Mr Eddie McKay previously as a director of another events company.

The 45-year-old, pictured with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at a function, has been jailed after pleading guilty to a fraud spanning four years a at Newcastle Crown Court

She initially worked for Big Purple Productions part-time but, at her suggestion and following a presentation she gave about what she could do to further the company, her role became full-time.

Mr McKay knew she wanted extra money and felt he should support her by increasing her hours, the court heard.

Her role running the office included looking after company finances and only she and Mr McKay had access to the firm's bank account.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch said: 'They socialised at business functions together, he helped her when she had problems at home, he gave her support over and above that what would normally be expected for an employer supporting an employee.

'When her son experienced difficulties, she was given a significant amount of time off work with pay in order to address her family difficulties.

She initially worked for Big Purple Productions part-time but, at her suggestion and following a presentation she gave about what she could do to further the company, her role became full-time

'He described it was a great shock to him to realise she had been stealing from him throughout the entire period she had worked for the company.'

It was while Toward was in Mexico in August last year that the fraud started to unravel.

Mr McKay noticed a transaction on a bank statement showing a correct payment had been made, followed by duplicate payment two days later.

Mr Bunch said: 'Presuming this to be a clerical error, a request was made to the bank to sort the matter out.

'That same day a member of the fraud team at Lloyds Bank made contact with the complainant and said it was not a clerical error but a deliberate duplicate payment and that the second payment had been transferred to the defendant's own personal bank account.

The firm, described as a small family business, was set up in 2013 with five members of staff, including Toward, who had worked for Mr Eddie McKay previously as a director of another events company

'A check was carried out by the bank which indicated this system of duplicate payments had been going on for a number of years.

'Because of her control of the accounting system, she recorded the payments as legitimate recipients, companies with whom the business was actually trading.'

In total, Toward, of no fixed address, had fraudulently obtained 204,216.74.

Mr Bunch said: 'It threatened the existence of the company.'

Mr McKay had sold a house to set the business up and his parents had taken out loans to help him, the court heard. Toward, who was still on holiday, returned to find the locks on the business changed and she was dismissed.

When arrested, she told police: 'I got myself into financial difficulties and family stress. It became something of an addiction.'

In total, Toward, of no fixed address, had fraudulently obtained 204,216.74. Because of her control of the accounting system, she recorded the payments as legitimate recipients, companies with whom the business was actually trading

She admitted fraud and was jailed for three years and four months. Jamie Adams, defending, said:

'One can't help but feel enormous sympathy for the victim and she is completely and utterly ashamed of what she did.

'She only wishes she had the means to restore all of what she took from Mr McKay. She knows he was good to her. It was always going to come back to her and it did.

'She started stealing small amounts from the company but it became a vicious cycle.'

Mr Adams said Toward was a 'functioning alcoholic' who was born with congenital heart disease and developed epilepsy.

The court heard Toward was a 'functioning alcoholic' who was born with congenital heart disease and developed epilepsy

He told the court: 'She was drinking massively by then, six bottles of wine a day and she was admitted to hospital seven times last year with alcohol seizures.'

Mr Adams added: 'This was not just wickedness, in fact it was probably anything but wickedness. She was a hapless drunk.'

The court heard Toward had set up a dress hire shop but that was not funded by the fraud.

Judge Bindloss said after her divorce, her life had 'spiralled out of control' and instead of seeking help or reducing her expenditure, 'it was at another person's expense that you sought to find your way out of trouble'.The world order is in chaos and trust between countries is at breaking point, the UN secretary general declared today.

Addressing the opening session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Antonio Guterres said trust in the rules-based global order and among states was 'at a breaking point' and international cooperation was becoming more difficult.

'Today, world order is increasingly chaotic. Power relations are less clear,' Guterres told the 193-nation assembly just minutes before President Donald Trump was to take the podium.

World order is in chaos and trust between countries is at breaking point, the UN secretary general declared today

'Universal values are being eroded. Democratic principles are under siege.'

Guterres did not single out a country for criticism, but there are fears among UN diplomats that the world is being carved up into spheres of influence and a return to great power rivalry.

Trump's administration has made clear its distrust of international treaties, having scrapped the Iran nuclear deal, the Paris climate agreement and cut funding to the United Nations.

UN diplomats say the US stance has emboldened Russia and China to push their view of the global order in which human rights take a second seat to development and sovereignty rights.

'Today, with shifts in the balance of power, the risk of confrontation may increase,' warned Guterres.

The human rights agenda is losing ground and 'authoritarianism is on the rise,' he said

Guterres urged world leaders to renew their commitment to a rules-based order, with the United Nations at its center to confront 'massive, existential threats to people and planet.'

'There is no way forward but collective, common-sense action for the common good,' he said.

Drawing a list of global problems, Guterres acknowledged that peace efforts were failing and that respect for international humanitarian norms was unraveling.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks to open the General Debate of the General Assembly of the United Nations

'There is outrage at our inability to end the wars in Syria, Yemen and elsewhere', he said.

'The Rohingya people remain exiled, traumatized and in misery, still yearning for safety and justice.'

The two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become 'more and more distant' while the nuclear threat 'has not eased'.

Guterres zeroed in on climate change as an urgent priority, warning that if no concrete action is taken in the next two years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the world risks facing runaway climate change.

'Climate change is moving faster than we are - and its speed has provoked a sonic boom SOS across our world,' he said.

About 130 world leaders are attending this year's annual session including Trump and Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani who also speaks on Tuesday. France's Emmanuel Macron, a champion of multilateralism, also has his turn at the podium on Tuesday.A silverback gorilla in Paignton Zoo has lost his position of Alpha male having been ousted by three teenagers who went on a rampage last year after escaping the ape enclosure.

Pertinax, who is 36, has been forced into 'retirement' to prevent a bloody confrontation with the three younger apes.

Last year, N'Dowe, 15, Kiondo, 16, and Kivu, 15, managed to escape from their enclosure causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Pertinax, the 36-year-old silverback gorilla has been forced into retirement at Paignton Zoo

Pertinax's role is being taken over by three teenage gorillas, including N'Dowe, pictured

Kiondo, pictured, was also involved in the plot to topple Pertinax, who was the alpha male in the Devon zoo for the past 20 years

The three teenage apes ripped out electric cables and water pipes during their rampage.

Nic Dunn of Paignton Zoo said Pertinax dominated the enclosure for 20 years but is no longer the leader.

Mr Dunn told The Express: 'We have to manage Pertinax separately from Kiondo, Kivu and NDowe as the old boy has effectively gone into retirement.

'The dominance in the trio is fairly fluid as theyre still young silverbacks. They are yet to fully mature. Pertinax has been managed away from the others for a while. He is 36 now, and we would consider 40 or 50 to be a typical age for a male gorilla in a zoo.

'He has a few health issues. Hes got bad feet, colitis and hes not as active as he used to be, but he has a good life, and were always striving to make it better. For now, Pertinaxs health issues dont cause him too much trouble but we keep a close eye on the old boy.'

Keepers at the zoo said Pertinax has become more relaxed since he was separated from the rest of the apes.Hartmut Hopp, a former doctor of the notorious cult Colonia Dignidad in Chile

A German court said Tuesday it could not enforce a Chilean prison sentence for a German former member of a Nazi paedophile sect for complicity in child sex abuse.

It ruled that Hartmut Hopp, 74, could not be jailed because the evidence the Chilean court had provided against him fell short of that required under German judicial standards.

Hopp was a doctor in the notorious 'Colonia Dignidad' sect that abused members and was used as a place to torture and 'disappear' regime critics during the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

The doctor was the right-hand man of convicted paedophile Paul Schaefer, a former Wehrmacht soldier and lay preacher who in 1961 founded the commune that indoctrinated residents and kept them as virtual slaves.

Hopp was convicted in Chile of crimes including complicity in Schaefer's rape and sexual abuse of minors but in 2011 fled to Germany before the final court ruling was imposed.

Hopp, pictured in Chile in 1997, fled to Germany in 2011 before the final court ruling was imposed

A German boy rides his bicycle in Villa Baviera or Bavaria Village, formerly known as Colonia Dignidad, Chile

Berlin declined to extradite the German citizen, but a lower court in the city of Krefeld in August 2017 upheld the Chilean court's jail term of five years and one day, in a ruling cheered by human rights groups.

But that ruling has now been overturned by a higher court in Duesseldorf, which found that the evidence provided by the Chilean court fell short of that demanded by German justice.

The court said that it had to ascertain 'whether the findings of fact made in the Chilean judgements are sufficient to justify criminal liability under German law'.

'This is not the case in the view of the court,' it said in a statement on the ruling it reached last Thursday, adding that the appeal decision was final.

It said it had found no concrete evidence in the Chilean rulings that Hopp, who ran the compound's clinic, had actively aided and abetted the abuses committed by Schaefer, who ran its boarding school.

German Greens party politician Renate Kuenast voiced dismay at the latest ruling on Hopp, saying that 'this decision will cause great pain for many victims of Colonia Dignidad'.

Villa Baviera or Bavaria Village, formerly known as Colonia Dignidad, a secretive former cult which was embroiled in child sex abuse scandals

The commune was tightly guarded and leaders brainwashed residents into living in effective slavery

Most of them were 'traumatised by their time in the Colonia, which for many meant sexual violence, electric shocks and daily repression', she said.

While many of the now elderly victims were living in poverty, Kuenast said, 'the doctor of Colonia, who was part of the repressive system, fled the justice system for Germany'.

The scale of the atrocities committed at the fenced-in 13,000-hectare (32,000-acre) mountain commune some 350 kilometres (215 miles) south of Santiago came to light only after the end of Pinochet's regime.

The abuses at the sect were the subject of the 2015 movie 'The Colony' starring Emma Watson and Daniel Bruehl.

Schaefer had in 1997 faced a series of lawsuits and fled Chile. He was arrested in Argentina in 2005 and convicted in Chile the following year for sexual abuse of children, weapons possession and human rights violations.

He died in a Chilean jail in 2010 at the age of 88 while serving a 20-year sentence.

Germany in 2016 said it was declassifying its files on the sect, and the foreign minister at the time, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, admitted that 'from the 60s to the 80s, German diplomats looked the other way, and did too little to protect' the German citizens living in the sect.- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."Brett Kavanaugh's Yale roommate says he believes the Scotus nominee's second sexual misconduct accuser and claims her allegations are consistent with the 'heavy drinker' he came to know.

James Roche admits he never saw Kavanaugh engage in any sexual misconduct against Debbie Ramirez and did not attend the party where Ramirez claims he flashed his genitals at her.

However, Roche who is now CEO of a software company, says Ramirez 'stood out as being exceptionally honest and gentle' while Kavanaugh was a 'notably heavy drinker' during their time at the Ivy League school.

James Roche, Brett Kavanaugh's former Yale roommate (pictured), has accused of him of being a heavy drinker in college and says he believes classmate accusing him of misconduct

Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh's Yale roommate has broken his silence to say he believes the female student who has accused him of exposing himself to her in the 80s

'He was a notably heavy drinker, even by the standards of the time, and he became aggressive and belligerent when he was very drunk', he wrote in a statement.

'I did not observed the specific incident in question, but I do remember Brett drinking excessively and becoming incoherently drunk...Based on my time with Debbie. I believe her to be unusually honest and straightforward and I cannot imagine her making this up,''Based on my time with Brett, I believe that he and his social circle were capable of the actions that Debbie described.'

He added that he is 'not a political person' and has 'no political agenda' and is speaking out because he believes 'Debbie has a right to be heard and I believe her'.

In a further statement to the New Yorker, he added: 'Is it believable she was alone with a wolfy group of guys who thought it was funny to sexually torment a girl like Debbie? Yeah definitely is. Is it believable Kavanaugh was one of them? Yes.'

Ramirez, now 53 living in Colorado, claims Kavanaugh 'thrust his penis in her face and caused her to touch it without her consent' during a dorm party at Yale during the 1983/84 academic year.

She made her claims in a piece in the New Yorker published on Sunday evening.

Brett Kavanaugh, third from left, attended Yale after graduating from Georgetown Prep (pictured with classmates)

Debbie Ramirez (left) has come forward to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. She follows Kavanaugh's original accuser Christine Blasey Ford who says Kavanaugh molested her in high school

WHAT RAMIREZ CLAIMS Ramirez told The New Yorker she, too, had been drinking during the alleged incident, which 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.' 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. Advertisement

Her allegations heaped further pressure on Kavanaugh, whose nomination process was thrown into turmoil when a woman claimed he molested her at a high school party.

Christine Blasey Ford alleges that a drunken Kavanaugh and another boy shut her in a room and tried to tear her clothes off at a party while the boys attended Georgetown Prep in suburban Washington DC around 1982, when she was 15 and he 17.

On Monday. Kavanaugh launched an aggressive campaign against the allegations, appearing on FOX to deny both accusations and using his virginity at the time as a defense.

Mr Kavanaugh denied he was 'at any such party'. He said he did not question that perhaps Ms Ford at some point in her life was sexually assaulted, 'but what I know is Ive never sexually assaulted anyone.'

Mr Kavanaugh said it was possible he may have met Ms Ford at some time, but he said they were not friends and did not travel in the same social circles. He said he did not remember being at a party with her.

'I was not at the party described,' Mr Kavanaugh said.

Mr Kavanaugh was asked if there was any chance Ms Ford misunderstood an exchange between them.

'I have never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr Ford,' Mr Kavanaugh said. 'Ive never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise.'

On Ramirez, he added: 'I never did any such thing. If such a thing had happened, it would have been the talk of campus.'

Mr Roche said he wasn't close friends with Kavanaugh but he came to know him when they shared a 'two-bedroom unit in the basement of Lawrence Hall'.

'Despite our living conditions, Brett and I did not socialize beyond the first few days of Freshman year. We talked at night as freshman roommates do and I would see him as he returned from nights out with his friends. It is from this experience that I concluded that although Brett was normally reserved, he was a notably heavy drinker, even by the standards of the time, and that he became aggressive and belligerent when he was very drunk', he said.

'I did not observe the specific incident in question, but I do remember Brett frequently drinking excessively and becoming incoherently drunk.'

Last night, lawyer Michael Avenatti said he would soon reveal a third woman who is ready to accuse the embattled Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

Stormy Daniels' lawyer, who appeared on CNN and MSNBC after being in court representing the porn star who allegedly had sex with President Donald Trump, also blasted Kavanaugh for claiming that he could not have committed sexual misconduct in his youth because he was a virgin in high school.

On MSNBC Monday night, Avenatti told host Rachel Maddow that his mystery client could conceivably bring criminal charges and that he would reveal her identity within the next two days.

Kavanaugh is accused of sexual misconduct against Ramirez in a common room at the Lawrance Hall dormitory in the Old Campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut (above)

Stormy Daniels lawyer Michael Avenatti told Rachel Maddow of MSNBC on Monday that he will reveal a third woman who is ready to accuse Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct

Avenatti says the woman will 'literally risk her life' by going public.

The lawyer said the woman is '100 per cent credible' and is willing to take a polygraph if Kavanaugh does as well.

Avenatti said that the woman, who once worked for the U.S. Mint and the State Department, has information about Kavanaugh and his childhood friend, Mark Judge.

'It will relate to how they behaved at countless house parties,' Avenatti told USA Today earlier in the day.

He says there will be 'many, many' corroborating witnesses to confirm the womans account. He also poured scorn on Kavanaugh's claims he was a virgin throughout the time he is accused of misconduct.

Kavanaugh, meanwhile, went on national television on Monday to deny any inappropriate sexual behavior. He told Fox News in an interview broadcast Monday that he 'always treated women with dignity and respect.' He is seen with wife Ashley Kavanaugh during the interview

'I just think its absolutely unbelievable,' Avenatti said.

'And I think the American people are smarter than this.

'You cannot reconcile the individual on Fox News with the individual that was joined at the hip with Mark Judge throughout the years at issue.

'You just cant. I dont believe that America is going to believe what Brett Kavanaugh just stated on Fox News.

'So, what exactly is he saying? Is he saying that he did not have sexual intercourse?'

Avenatti continued: 'Are we going to get into a definition of sexual intercourse?

'Does that mean he performed oral sex or had oral sex performed on him?

'Does that mean any host of any other sexual activities occurred?

'Or does he want America to believe that the only thing that he did until well into his college years was effectively kissed or French kissed a woman? Is that what he wants America to believe?'The 2016 massacre of eight members of the same Ohio family had signs of being a 'professional hit', an expert has claimed.

The victims, seven adults and a 16-year-old boy, all members of the Rhoden family, were found dead in their beds in Pike County on the morning of April 22, 2016.

To this day, there are no suspects in the Rhoden case and nobody has been arrested over the murders.

Autopsy reports released last week revealed that each victim has been shot in the head, many of them multiple times.

Christopher Roden Jr. (left), 16, was the youngest victim of the killings, and was with his mother when he died. Hanna May Rhoden, 19, (right) was also killed, but her five-day-old child was spared

Husband-to-be Clarence 'Frankie' Rhoden and his fiancee Hannah Hazel Gilley, both 20, were among those killed

Dr. Jennifer Murray, an associate professor at Indiana State University whose research focuses on mass killings, has analysed the autopsy reports.

'It has aspects of a professional hit,' Dr. Jennifer Murray told WLWT-TV.

A 'drug turf war' has been touted as a possible motive, after revealed that three of the four properties where the bodies were found had been used for large-scale marijuana production.

However, Dr Murray noted that the Rhoden family murders did not have the characteristics of a drug cartel massacre.

'They're not usually this cleanly done. Usually, you can see right away who did it.'

She also noted that several of the murdered family members appears to have been shot post-mortem or after fatal shots had been fired.

'When you get that after they're dead, that's showing even more aggression,' Dr Murray said.

Dana Rhoden, 37, (left) was killed along with seven other relatives - including her ex-husband Christopher Rhoden Sr, 40 (right). All of the victims sustained gunshots to the head, with all but one suffering multiple wounds

Kenneth Rhoden, 44, (left) was murdered execution-style -with a single shot to the eye. His cousin found his body with dollar bills strewn from his knees to his feet. Gary Rhoden, 38, (right) was also killed after he was shot twice in the head and a third time in the face

More than two years later, police have not identified who was behind the killings, but autopsy reports suggest the murders were calculated and brutal, the Chillicothe Gazette reported.

Christopher Rhoden, 40, his ex wife Dana Rhoden, 37 and their children Christopher Jr, 16, Hanna May, 19, and Clarence 'Frankie' Rhoden, 20, were all shot, as was Frankie's fiancee Hannah Giley, 20, Christopher Sr's brother Kenneth, 44, and their cousin Gary Rhoden, 38.

All of the victims were reported to have been asleep when they were shot, except Christopher Sr, who is now understood to have been awake.

The father-of-three sustained nine gunshot wounds, in his forearm, torso and cheek. One bullet was shown to have shot through his bedroom door.

Sharing a trailer with Christopher Sr was his brother Gary, who was shot twice in the head and a third time in the face. His autopsy report says a 'muzzle stain' was left on his head, suggesting at one point a shot was fired while the gun was pressed against him.

Dana Rhoden was carefully shot four times around her head, and a fifth time from under her chin.

She was sharing a trailer with Christopher Jr and Hanna, both who were shot in the head multiple times.

Hanna was in bed with her five-day-old child, who was spared from the cruel and calculated murders.

Dana Rhoden (back row, left) was murdered but the killer spared grandchildren (left to right) Brentley Rhoden, Ruger Lee and Sophia Wagner. The Wagners insist they are innocent and claim they are being turned into 'scapegoats' by police

The murders of of the Rhoden family have led to the biggest murder investigation in the state of Ohio's history. The Wagner family claims they are innocent

The killer also shot Frankie Rhoden and Hannah Gilley in the head, sparing the life of their six-month-old child who slept between the two.

Hannah was shot five times in total, with one shot hitting her left eye.

Kenneth Rhoden was shot only once, with the bullet entering his right eye. His cousin earlier claimed he found his body with dollar bills strewn from his knees to his feet.

Police are still hunting for their killers and have yet to make a single arrest in the case.

The Wagner family, who lived nearby and whose son fathered a child by Hanna May Rhoden, moved to Alaska after being questioned over the killings multiple times.

They took the then two-year-old Sophia Wagner with them.

Anyone with information related to the case is asked to call Southern Ohio Crime Stoppers at 740-773-TIPS.An investigation has uncovered the Cameroon soldiers who executed women and children in a video - after the government dismissed the clip as 'fake news'.

Horrific footage that sparked international outrage showed victims being led to a clearing and ordered to kneel before being gunned down by men dressed in military outfits.

Cameroon initially denied its soldiers were involved but has since said seven men have been arrested and being held over the video, which emerged in July.

An investigation now claims to provide clear evidence of where and when the incident happened in the country and, crucially, who was involved.

An investigation has uncovered the Cameroon soldiers who executed women and children in a video - after the government dismissed the clip as 'fake news'. An investigation has named one of the men seen firing in the video as 'Tchotcho' Cyrique Bityala

Horrific footage that sparked international outrage showed victims being led to a clearing and ordered to kneel before being gunned down by men dressed in military outfits. A man seen blindfolding the women just before the shooting starts has been identified by a military source as Barnabas Gonorso'

The BBC located a mountain range with a distinctive profile in the video and, following a tip off found the same ridge line on Google Earth.

Using satellite images, they were able to pinpoint the scene of the atrocity to a dirt road outside Zelevet, in northern Cameroon - a region where the country's forces are battling Boko Haram near the Nigeria border.

The exact site was pinpointed using tracks, trees and buildings seen in the footage which could be matched to satellite images of the area.

The probe narrowed down the date of the killings to between March 20 and April 5 2015.

Footage showed a building that, according to satellite images, was not yet built in November 2014. By February 2015, overhead shots showed, the same building had been demolished.

A Facebook profile (pictured) links the nickname 'Tchotcho' to a soldier called Cyriaque Bityala. The same name appears in a list of soldiers held over the killing

Further evidence was provided by the appearance of a track that is only visible on satellite imagery between January and April, the investigation found. Experts then looked at the angle of the sun to narrow the window further.

The investigation also claimed that one of the men seen firing in the video is 'Tchotcho' Cyrique Bityala. The name Sergeant Cyriaque Hilaire Bityala appears on the list of men Cameroon has arrested.

Another man seen blindfolding the women just before the shooting starts has been named by a military source as Barnabas Gonorso'.

A man with a similar name, Barnabas Donossou, also appears on the list of men now under investigation.

A third is named as 'Cobra'. He is said to appear at the end of the video.

On August 10, Cameroon's Ministry of Communication arrested seven men over the video. They were named as Lieutenant Etienne Fobassou, Sergeant Cyriaque Hilaire Bityala, Lance Corporal Didier Jeanot Godwe Mana, Lance Corporal Tsanga, Private 2nd Class Barnabas Donossou, Private 2nd Class Jacobai Jonathan and Private 1st Class Ghislain Ntieche Fewou.

The shaky video shows two women, one with an infant strapped to her back, being led by a group of men in military uniform across a patch of dusty scrubland.

'You are BH, you are going to die,' said one French-speaking man in aviator sunglasses and khaki attire, hitting a woman across the face.

The exact site of the killings was pinpointed using tracks, trees and buildings seen in the footage which could be matched to satellite images of the area

A mountain range with a distinctive profile can be seen in the video and, the same ridge line was found on Google Earth

Using satellite images, they were able to pinpoint the scene of the atrocity to a dirt road outside Zelevet, in northern Cameroon - a region where the country's forces are battling Boko Haram near the Nigeria border

BH is short for Boko Haram, which for nine years has been fighting to carve out an Islamic caliphate centered in northern Nigeria.

The women are blindfolded and told to sit down alongside their children. Moments later, two men step back, level their rifles and fire a series of rounds.

The graphic video circulating on social media caused an outcry and condemnation by groups including Amnesty International.

It again raised concerns about alleged military abuses as Cameroon combats Boko Haram extremists in the north along the Nigerian border and Anglophone separatists in parts of the west.

At the time Cameroon's president Paul Biya ordered an investigation. But government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary said the men in the footage appeared not to be Cameroonian army soldiers.

Bakary called the Central African nation's military professional and said the camouflage uniforms in the video were fabricated with the intention of destroying its reputation.

'The video ... is nothing but an unfortunate attempt to distort actual facts and intoxicate the public. Its sincerity can be easily questioned,' Bakary told journalists at the time it emerged, describing the clip as 'fake news' and an act of 'gross misinformation'.

He added 'The combat uniforms used by the Cameroonian army in such circumstances are standard combat suits, namely heavy helmets, bulletproof vests and rangers' boots. This is obviously not the case in the video.

'The weapons displayed by the alleged soldiers presented in the video are not those used by the Cameroonian army in this area of operation.'

The shaky video shows men in military uniform shooting dead two women and two children for being suspected members of the Islamist group Boko Haram

'You are BH, you are going to die,' said one French-speaking man in aviator sunglasses and khaki attire, hitting a woman across the face

Military spokesman Didier Badjeck also disavowed the video in July

'It indicates how much our enemies are at work to distract the attention of the soldiers,' Badjeck said.

'Cameroon is signatory to international treaties and conventions and knows what it means to respect human dignity at war.'

Amnesty International, however, said its own investigation has 'gathered credible evidence that it was Cameroonian soldiers depicted in a video carrying out the horrific extrajudicial executions of two women and two young children.'

The human rights group said analysis of the weapons, dialogue and uniforms, along with witness testimonies, 'all strongly suggest that the perpetrators of the executions are Cameroonian soldiers.'

The government's denial 'simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny,' it said.

'Given the gravity of these horrific acts - the cold-blooded and calculated slaughter of women and young children - these hasty and dismissive denials cast serious doubt over whether any investigation will be genuine,' said Samira Daoud, deputy director of Amnesty International's West Africa office.

Two women, one with an infant strapped to her back, are seen being led by a group of uniformed men across a patch of dusty scrubland

Moments later, two men step back, level their rifles and fire a series of rounds at the victims

'It is imperative that a proper, impartial investigation is undertaken and those responsible for these abhorrent acts are brought to justice.'

Amnesty International in a report last year said the military brutally tortured Boko Haram suspects and held them incommunicado in illegal detention facilities.

A separate Amnesty report this year accused both Cameroon's military and armed separatists fighting for the independence of English-speaking regions of using unnecessary and excessive force.

The Cameroonian army is fighting insurgencies on two fronts: against Anglophone separatists in the heavily forested west and Boko Haram in the arid north.

Rights groups have accused the army of mistreating civilians and opposition fighters, charges the army and the government deny.

Last year, Amnesty International said the army tortured suspected Boko Haram fighters.

In the English-speaking western regions, soldiers have burned villages and killed civilians as they try to quell a growing secessionist movement, according to local residents contacted by Reuters earlier this year.

The army rejected those accusations and said it respected human rights.

The conflicts have been destabilizing factors in the cocoa- and oil-producing country which has been run by Biya for 36 years.A man in east China was arrested for stabbing his 10-year-old daughter's classmate to death after he injured her during an argument.

The 36-year-old father decided to launch the assault on Friday after his daughter told him that her classmate had hit her in the eye two days earlier at Longshan Experimental Primary School.

Armed with a fruit knife, the man went to the school in Ruian city looking for the boy. The 10-year-old student was then found collapsed in a pool of blood in the bathroom at about 4pm.

The 36-year-old father decided to take matters into his own hands after his daughter told him that her classmate at Longshan Experimental Primary School had hit her in the eye

He suffered multiple knife wounds to his back and neck and was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead three hours later, according to Ruian police in a statement on Weibo.

Photos of the bloody crime scene circulating on social media show a man sitting on the school bathroom floor and smoking next to the boy's body. A knife is seen next to the child's head.

'The suspect, surnamed Lin, said his daughter had an injured eye after an argument with the boy, surnamed Ye, at school on Wednesday,' the police statement said.

'He was angry at the boy, so he brought a fruit knife to the school to seek revenge and hurt him.'

The police also added that the girl only sustained a minor injury to her eye and did not seek medical attention.

The 10-year-old boy (pictured), surnamed Ye, suffered multiple knife wounds to his back

The man has been detained by police and the incident is under investigation.

News of the tragic incident shocked China. A topic page with the title 'Father stabs boy to death for hitting daughter' has been trending on Weibo with more than 22 million views.

'What on earth was the father thinking?' one user commented. 'No matter what the boy did to his daughter, he's still only a 10-year-old kid!'

'The school should also take responsibility for letting this horrible incident happen,' another said.

'This is just brutal. I cannot imagine what the boy's parents are going through now,' another said.A cruel family who were filmed abusing a herd of donkeys ridden by children on Blackpool beach have been banned from keeping animals.

Suzzana Taylor, 48, her 18-year-old daughter Grace, and Suzzana's ex-boyfriend Andrew Lomas, 43, subjected the animals to a sickening 'regime of cruelty and denied them proper treatment.'

Two of the donkeys had to be destroyed as a result of their injuries.

Suzzana Taylor, pictured with two of her donkeys on Blackpool pleasure beach was filmed abusing her animals at her farm, which resulted on two of the animals being destroyed

Taylor, her ex-partner Andrew Lomas, and her daughter Grace were banned from keeping animals for three years

The trio appeared at Blackpool Magistrates' court following an investigation by the RSPCA

Covert video footage of the 'shocking and appalling' abuse was released RSPCA and shows the animals being whipped, punched in the face and one, Bruce, targeted for a running kung-fu style drop kick.

The trio were prosecuted at Blackpool Magistrates' Court by the RSPCA.

The court heard how the animals thrilled holidaymakers to the Lancashire seaside resort by day but were neglected and abused at their stables.

Taylor, her partner and her daughter were living at the 450,000 farm when it was raided by police, RSPCA inspectors, vets, and council enforcement officers last September.

District Judge Margaret McCormack viewed video clips taken by a neighbour and his wife which showed donkeys being abused with sticks and whips.

The animals were kicked in the stomach, and Lomas rained punches down on a donkey's head and face as he held it.

RSPCA Insp Amy McIntosh, who lead the investigation, said: 'The footage of the donkeys being assaulted is shocking and appalling particularly the flying kick on the donkey Bruce.

Taylor, pictured right, had previously met The Queen during a visit to the north west

'Their terrible treatment is compounded by the fact the people inflicting it were making money from them.

'These donkeys are such lovely, docile and friendly animals whose wonderful nature was evident in the fact that they were being worked with children on the beach every day.

'They were being presented to the public as being well looked after but behind the scenes were being cruelly treated and abused and the conditions they were living in were filthy.

'Then there were the dogs, fluffy little Pomeranians, who were living in wet and muddy conditions without adequate shelter, and had untreated bite wounds from where they'd been fighting with each other.

'Sadly two of the donkeys had to be put to sleep on the advice on a specialist equine veterinary surgeon, but all of the remaining animals are now enjoying great lives, and those not previously signed over will now be able to be permanently adopted.

'The witnesses in this case, who shot the footage, were fantastic. They were so brave to come forward given the repercussions to them personally of doing so and we're extremely grateful to them. They have changed these animals' lives.'

The surviving donkeys have been taken away from Taylor, pictured, and are at a sanctuary

Hannah Briar, head of welfare at The Donkey Sanctuary, added: 'The footage, in this case, shows a series of brutal and needless attacks on the donkeys. This cruel and callous behaviour is unacceptable in any arena but is made worse by the fact that the perpetrators were the very humans who should have been safeguarding their welfare during their working life.

'Donkeys are incredibly stoic animals so by their nature, they often hide the true extent of their suffering, however, there can be no doubt that the violence inflicted on these donkeys caused them fear and distress.'

Both Taylors had licences, issued by Blackpool Council, to have donkeys on the beach and give rides to children and, earlier in the year, the animals passed an annual inspection by a council-employed vet.

Ms Wilde said: 'The videos show on different dates the donkeys suffering violent abuse; being kicked punched, whipped and hit with sticks. One was given a flying kick.

'On the day of the raid on the farm, the animals were found in a concrete yard where the floor was covered in their urine and droppings.

'Their bedding was wet and soiled.

'The vets' evidence reveals that they believed the donkeys had suffered abuse over a long period and were living in fear of pain.'

The court heard how the Pomeranian dogs were also in a wet and dirty area.

They had no fresh drinking water, the court heard. One had a painful and untreated bite, and the others had matted hair and running eyes.

Hannah Briar told the court that the area where the donkeys were being kept had broken wooden sides and was in need of repair. She said the animals' bedding was inadequate, and had just a scattering of dry straw.

She said: 'There was problems with drainage and at one stage whilst in the donkey area my boot sunk down to my knee.'

Expert witness and equine behaviourist Ben Hart told the court the donkeys were put through considerable pain, including whips being brought down on them from on high and being punched 'like a boxer'.

He said: 'The donkeys appear to have developed a learned helplessness about the way they were being treated. They were enduring their situation.

'They were stoic as if they had been through it before.'

A former neighbour of the Taylors said: 'My wife and I would view footage from our security cameras on a daily basis and, afterwards, we vowed we would reveal the evidence after we found somewhere else to live.'

Lomas, who did not give evidence at court, had been refused a donkey licence, while the Taylors' licences have been suspended. Suzzana Taylor told the judge she had been giving donkey rides on the beach for 15 years and had kept the animals for 20.

She denied failing to meet her herd's medical needs, and said the donkeys had a sand paddock 'to play in'.

She said she and her husband split up two years ago and her daughter Grace now helped her.

She claimed to use a farrier regularly and also had the donkeys' teeth treated.

She told the hearing: 'One of the donkeys which was euthanased was Bethany. She never had a lot of weight.

'She had been rescued from Spain, where she was used as a taxi.

'As for the dogs; we showed the Pomeranians at Crufts.

'They were let out into that run when the tribe of police arrived at the farm.'

Grace Taylor said she looked at the donkeys' feet every day, and said she would spread up to 15 bales of fresh straw for the donkeys every day.

The Taylors have now given up the lease on the farm and now live in a horsebox parked on the yard.

They continue to deny the offences, probation officer Brian Weatherington said.

Grace Taylor was given a community order with 30 days' rehabilitation, and must do 150 hours of unpaid work. She must also pay 500 costs. She was banned from keeping any animal for three years.

Her mother was given a 14-week jail term, suspended for a year. She must pay 500 costs. She also got a three year order banning her from owning animals.

Animals which were not seized at the raid - some more dogs, and horses - were taken off her by the judge.

Lomas, who has previous convictions for violence, was given 14 weeks' jail, suspended for a year. He must do 150 hours of unpaid work and must pay 500 costs. He was disqualified from keeping animals for three years.



Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 27, is charged with murder in Sunday's attack

A Mexican national who was living in the US illegally and free on bond in a prior domestic violence incident has been charged with murder in an attack on his fishing crew mates off Nantucket.

Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 27, is charged with murder in the Sunday attack on board the Captain Billy Haver, which was trawling the waters about 55 miles off Massachusetts.

Prosecutors say that the vessel had seven crew members on board, including Vazquez, when he charged at a shipmate wielding a hammer in one hand and a knife in the other.

The victim said that he fought Vazquez off and then looked down to see another shipmate lying on the deck in a pool of blood.

Vazquez allegedly struck a third crew member before scaling the ship's mast in a bid to escape as the crew tried to subdue him.

A crew member on the Captain Billy Haver (above) says that Vazquez charged at him wielding a knife and hammer, before climbing the mast in a bid to escape

The Virginia-based fishing vessel put out a call for help, and first to respond was the German cruise ship Mein Schiff 6. Two of the victims were brought aboard the massive cruise ship for medical treatment, and one was pronounced dead by the ship's doctor.

A Coast Guard vessel also responded to the scene, escorting the Billy Haver and Mein Schiff into port in Boston, where Vazquez was taken into federal custody.

On March 9, Vazquez was arrested in Newport News, Virginia on a charge of abduction by force, intimidation, or deception.

Lindsay McDannald, Vazquez's soon-to-be-ex mother-in-law, told WCVB that the charge related to an attack on her daughter.

She says that Vazquez is a heroin addict and that he 'assaulted her, strangled her and held her against the wall.'

German cruise ship Mein Schiff 6 (above) was the first to respond, and took on two victims for medical treatment before the ship's doctor declared one of them dead

Vazquez was released from the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 23, records show.

'I think it's a travesty, I think that the court system failed and that they should do a better job in terms of releasing these people,' McDannald said.

Vazquez is charged with one count of murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US, and one count of attempted murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US.

If convicted on all counts he faces a sentence of up to life in prison and a fine of $250,000, and would be subject to deportation upon release.

Vazquez is due to appear in federal court in Boston at a time yet to be determined. It was unclear whether he had at attorney who could speak on his behalf.A young girl died over the weekend when she was swinging from a hammock at a family gathering in Virginia and a tree fell on her.

Sabina Henderson, the seven year old from Ashburn, was identified by her parents on Monday night.

'Sabina was smart, witty girl who loved to tell jokes and make other people laugh,' parents, Ben and Monica Henderson, said in a statement to the Loudoun Times-Mirror.

Sabina Henderson, the seven year old from Ashburn, was identified by her parents on Monday night

'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.'

Ben shared that he and his family were attending a retirement party for his father in Purceville when the accident occurred.

Loudoun County Sheriff's deputies responded to the a call at the Seven Elms Farm on St. Francis Court at 6pm on Saturday

Sabina (center right) was attending a retirement party for her grandfather (left) at the farm. Also pictured is her father Ben (right), grandmother and sister Delisa (center left)

Loudoun County Sheriff's deputies responded to the a call at the Seven Elms Farm on St. Francis Court at 6pm on Saturday.

They were told that two children had been swinging in a hammock when the tree that it was attached to, fell on top of the children.

Both children were airlifted to the Inova Fairfax Hospital but Sabina succumbed to her injuries.

Sabina had been sitting in a hammock with an eight-year-old boy when a tree fell on them

The other child, an eight-year-old boy, was treated for minor injuries.

Investigators have determine that the incident was a 'tragic accident.'

The family has prepared to have a memorial for the girl on Friday at the Brambleton Corner Clubhouse, 42255 Palladian Blue Terrace, at 6pm.President Donald Trump's nominee for the United States' Supreme Court is facing more allegations of sexual misconduct - amid a ferocious and increasingly bitter battle over his nomination that has seen even his university roommate brand him a 'belligerent and aggressive drunk'.

Judge Brett Kavanaugh, 53, has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by two women, with the allegations dating back to his student days, with a third accuser reportedly ready to go public this week.

Fellow Yale alumnus James Roche said that he believed their classmate Deborah Ramirez, who alleges that Kavanaugh once thrust his genitals in her face at a party.

While Roche admits he never saw his Kavanaugh engage in any sexual misconduct, he says Kavanaugh was a 'notably heavy drinker' and 'capable of the actions described.'

Kavanaugh, a former White House staff secretary to George W. Bush, vehemently denies the accusations, vowing to fight what he has denounced as 'smears, pure and simple.'

The claims threaten to derail what was seen as an all-but-certain confirmation to the lifelong post on the U.S. top court.

Kavanaugh went on national television on Monday to deny any inappropriate sexual behavior, telling Fox News that he 'always treated women with dignity and respect'

Dr Christine Blasey Ford alleges that Kavanaugh tried to tear her clothes off at a high school beer party in suburban Washington around 1982

University professor Dr Christine Blasey Ford alleges that a drunken Kavanaugh and another boy shut her in a room and tried to tear her clothes off at a high school beer party in suburban Washington around 1982, when she was 15 and he 17.

On Sunday, The New Yorker dropped a new bombshell, reporting that a second woman was accusing the Washington appeals court judge of sexual misconduct, while they were students at Yale University around 1983-84.

Deborah Ramirez, 53, says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party, thrusting his genitals in her face and causing her to touch them without her consent, according to the magazine.

Allegations: Deborah Ramirez, 53, says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party at Yale University

Today, the lawyer of former porn star Stormy Daniels, who allegedly had sex with President Trump, claims he is representing a third accuser.

Michael Avenatti told MSNBC that his client could conceivably bring criminal charges against Kavanaugh.

He said he would reveal her identity within the next two days, and that the woman will 'literally risk her life' by going public.

In response to the allegations, Kavanaugh has launched an aggressive counter-campaign.

Yesterday, he appeared on Fox News, vowing to clear his name while appearing to claim his virginity at the time of the accusations as a defense.

With his future and reputation on the line, Kavanaugh stepped up his defense, saying 'I've never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever. I've always treated women with dignity and respect.'

Judge judged: Brett Kavanaugh, 53, has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by two women with a third accuser reportedly ready to go public this week

James Roche, Brett Kavanaugh's former Yale roommate (pictured), claims the Supreme Court nominee was a heavy drinker in college, and says he believes Deborah Ramirez

He also sought to present an image of himself as a strait-laced student devoted to his studies and sports, and declared he was a virgin for much of his youth, apparently as a strategy of defense.

'I did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter,' he told Fox News, appearing alongside his wife Ashley ahead of his own Senate testimony due after Ford's.

'I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process,' he added, repeatedly calling for a 'fair process.'

Trump later tweeted to throw his full weight behind his candidate, after reportedly personally phoning Kavanaugh up to pledge his continued support.

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!'

Democrats have accused Republicans of not conducting a thorough review in their rush to get Mr Kavanaugh confirmed.

They want the FBI to reopen its background investigation of Mr Kavanaugh and look into the allegations against him.

Dr Ford and Mr Kavanaugh are set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

Anger: Hundreds of people from half a dozen progressive organizations, including students from Yale University Law School, protested on Capitol Hill for a #BelieveSurvivors Walkout against Judge Kavanaugh on Monday

Protest: Demonstrators protest against the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be a Supreme Court Justice outside the US Supreme Court in Washington on Monday

Outrage: Hundreds of protesters rally in the Russell Senate Office Building Rotunda while demonstrating against the confirmation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill

Today, the President has also opened up for his second accuser, Ms Ramirez, to do so, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said today.

'Certainly we would be open to that and that process could take place on Thursday,' Sanders told ABC's 'Good Morning America,'

'Again the president has been clear: let them speak but also let Judge Kavanaugh speak and let's let him tell his side of the story before we allow allegations determine his entire future,' she added.

With emotions running high, dozens of protesters were removed from the US Capitol for unlawfully demonstrating against the judge's confirmation.

A spokesperson for the Time's Up movement later issued a statement calling for Kavanaugh to withdraw: 'His confirmation would compromise the integrity of the court for generations to come,' he said.Emily Thornbery today angrily demanded that 'sickening individuals' who voice a 'despicable hatred' for Jews are kicked out of Labour amid the anti-Semitism crisis.

The shadow foreign secretary used her speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool to lash activists who use the issue of Palestine as a 'cloak' to hide their racist views.

And she said the anti-Semites lurking in Labour party branches must be booted out just as Oswald Mosley was in the past.

Her outspoken intervention on stage came after her party has been plunged into a protracted and bitter civil war over the anti-Semitism crisis.

Jeremy Corbyn - who sat on stage as Ms Thornberry spoke - has been accused of being an anti-Semite and allowing the racism to fester among his supporters.

In a sign of how poisonous the issue has become for the party, the conference chairwoman took the highly unusual step of warning activists not to use anti-Semitic language when debating the topic of Palestine.

And hundreds of party activists unfurled Palestinian flags and waved them in the conference hall in a protest viewed as inflammatory.

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Emily Thornbery (pictured today at the Labour Party conference) angrily demanded that 'sickening individuals' who voice a 'despicable hatred' for Jews are kicked out of Labour amid the anti-Semitism crisis

The shadow foreign secretary (pictured at Labour conference today) used her speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool to lash activists who the issue of Palestine as a 'cloak' to peddle their racist views

In a fiery speech to the conference hall, Ms Thornberry said: 'We all support the Palestinian cause, we are all committed to recognise the Palestinian State, and I stand here with no hesitation when I condemn the Netanyahu government for its racist policies and its criminal actions against the Palestinian people.

Corbyn sued by British Jew who he accused of not understanding English irony Jeremy Corbyn is being sued by the British Jewish blogger he accused of not understanding 'English irony', MailOnline can reveal. Richard Millett, 50, instructed solicitors after Mr Corbyn made further comments about him on Sunday that he views as defamatory. During an interview with Andrew Marr on BBC One, the Labour leader painted a picture of Mr Millett as 'incredibly disruptive', claiming that the police wanted to throw him out of Parliament until Mr Corbyn said he could stay. Mr Millett, whose father fought for Britain in WWII, says that the allegations are entirely untrue and have caused lasting damage to his reputation. He is suing Corbyn for 100,000. He said: 'Jeremy Corbyn has constantly been trying to paint me as some aggressive traitor who has brushes with police. 'Listening to his interview, you'd have thought that the police were on the verge of hauling me out of parliamentary events and it was only saintly Corbyn who stopped that happening. 'It's totally untrue. It's preposterous. I think he just said it on the hoof, under questioning on the BBC on Sunday. He can't actually back it up.' Advertisement

'But I know as well, and we must all acknowledge, that there are sickening individuals on the fringes of our movement, who use our legitimate support for Palestine as a cloak and a cover for their despicable hatred of Jewish people, and their desire to see Israel destroyed.

'Those people stand for everything that we have always stood against and they must be kicked out of our party the same way Oswald Mosley was kicked out of Liverpool.'

Her punchy intervention came immediately after an incendiary stunt which saw hundreds of activists wave Palestinian flags in the middle of the conference hall.

They staged the protest as the conference debated a motion about palestinian rights.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey was among those seen to be holding one of the flags, which have been handed out at conference today.

And the party has been wracked by in-fighting over the anti-Semitism crisis.

Rhea Wolfson, who chaired the debate in the conference hall, took the highly unusual step of warning speakers not to use racist language.

She said: 'The party is totally and completely committed to protecting the freedom of our members to discuss and debate and condemn the actions of the Israeli government and the situation of the Palestinians.

'We're also committed to our conference being a safe, welcoming space for all religions and ethnic minority groups.'

She added: 'Please think carefully about the language you use and how you express yourself, and please ensure that every speaker is made to feel welcome and nobody is booed and heckled for having a view you may disagree with.'

But one speaker who addressed the conference centre said the anti-Semitism row has been inflated as a smear against Mr Corbyn.

Hilary Wise, a Labour member from Ealing and Central Action in west London, said there has been a 'campaign of slurs and accusations of anti-Semitism, largely against the leadership, against Jeremy Corbyn, against the left of the party'.

She added: 'I have looked into these accusations very carefully - I am an academic I know how to do research - a few of them are justified, but most of them actually are not.

'I'm afraid it is an orchestrated campaign.'

Activist is BANNED from flying EU flag at Labour conference Palestinian flags were flown at Labour conference today despite a ban on EU flags A Labour activist was banned from flying the EU flag in the Labour conference today - despite hundreds of people unfurling Palestinian flags. Delegate Paul Wilkinson raised a point of order to protest the 'double standard' from party officials. He said he was told in 'no uncertain terms' he was not allowed the flag inside the main conference hall in Liverpool. Pro-Palestinian activists have handed out thousands of flags for a heated foreign policy debate. Mr Wilkinson said: 'This morning a colleague and I unfurled an EU flag. We were told in no uncertain terms to take it down. 'There are double standards here as we have seen banners all over the place.' Advertisement

Mr Corbyn has been accused by the ex chief rabbi Lord Sacks of being an anti-Semite, while one of his own MPs has said that under him Labour has become an institutionally racists party.

Jewish Labour MPs who have spoken out against his inaction, have faced abuse and threats.

Luciana Berger, a Jewish Labour MP, has been forced to have police protection accompanying her at her own party conference after she received abuse after speaking out on anti-Semitism.

She joined half a dozen other Labour MPs at a highly charged fringe meeting this week to speak out about the fear which many British Jews now experience.

She said: 'This year, more than ever, we have experienced attacks from the left - from people who claim they share our values, who wear the same rosette as us.'

She added: 'What maters 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.

'The party's new general secretary said this is her top priority and it would be dealt with by July. We are now in September and there is still that backlog.'

Mr Corbyn has faced mounting pressure to apologise over the anti-Semitism scandal - but invited to do so in a TV interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr show on Sunday, he refused.

He said: 'I'll simply say this  I am an anti-racist and will die an anti-racist.

'Anti-Semitism is a scourge in any society and I will oppose it all my life and I will continue to oppose it all my life.'

Unite leader Len McCluskey was among the hundreds of activists who waved a Palestinian flag in the conference centreDomestic drama: Police in Michigan say Bruce Huntley, 33, killed himself Sunday after shooting dead his mother-in-law, Lisa Bradley, 58, her boyfriend James Cole, 54, and their dog

Authorities in Michigan say a married dad killed his mother-in-law and her boyfriend, then took his wife and two young children hostage before killing himself shortly after his release from jail in a domestic violence case.

The Kent County sheriffs office on Monday released details of the circumstances that led up to the slayings of 58-year-old Lisa Bradley and her longtime boyfriend 54-year-old James Cole at their home in Kent Countys Spencer Township on Saturday.

The man suspected in their deaths was Bradleys son-in law, 33-year-old Bruce Huntley.

Huntley lived with his wife of six years, Samantha, and their two children, ages four and two, in the Grand Rapids-area community of Wyoming, but his wife left with the kids after Bruce was arrested on a domestic abuse charge on September 16.

Samantha went to stay with her mother and step-father, who according to relatives were helping the woman prepare for a divorce.

Huntley, pictured on his wedding day with wife Samantha, her mother and the mom's boyfriend in 2012, was arrested on September 16 on a domestic violence charge

Samantha left her husband and went to stay with her mother along with the couple's two children, ages 4 and 2 (pictured)

Huntley was released from jail the next day after posting 10 per cent of $10,000 bond.

In the early hours of Saturday, Huntley headed to Bradley and Cole's home in the 10000 block of Rooksby Street NE in Spencer Township, forced his way inside and fatally shot them and their dog, Callie, police said.

He then abducted his wife and children, and took them back to the family's apartment on Stoneridge Road SW in Wyoming, reported Fox17.

A police SWAT team rushed to the scene and hostage negotiators managed to convince Huntley to release his wife and children unharmed.

After a prolonged standoff, SWAT officers entered the Huntleys' apartment shortly after midnight Sunday and found Bruce dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He was due back in court on Monday to face a count of domestic violence, reported Detroit Free Press.

Lisa Bradley and James Coles' obituaries indicate that the couple had seven children and six grandchildren between them.

After killing Bradley and Cole, police say Huntley took Samantha and their children back to their apartment in Wyoming, Michigan (pictured)

Hostage negotiators eventually convinced Huntley to release his wife and children unharmed

Cole (pictured) and Bradley had been together for many years and had seven children between the two of them

Cole's daughter Shanda VerHey told WOOD-TV her brother-in-law was 'very possessive and controlling,' and speculated that he was not going to allow Samantha to take back control of her life.

'He had that mindset [of] "If Im not going to have you and my kids, nobodys going to have you,' VerHey added.

Samantha's step-sister shed some light on the woman's terrifying ordeal, revealing that while she was being held captive Saturday, her husband led her to believe that he also killed one of her sisters, brother-in-law and nephews, and that no one was looking for, or trying to rescue, her.

VerHey said she and her siblings believe Huntley's initial plot was even worse, but that his wife managed to dissuade him from carrying out additional acts of violence.

'I think most of my siblings, if not all, fully agree that his intentions were to eventually eliminate everybody and then himself,' she said.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help Samantha with funeral and everyday expenses.Advertisement

A funeral for an unidentified woman whose body was found washed up on the south coast was attended by more than 150 people who never knew her.

Crowds gathered at Hailsham Cemetery in East Sussex today to pay tribute to the mystery woman found dead near the notorious Seven Sisters cliffs at Birling Gap on July 4 last year.

The woman is believed to have been middle aged, with shoulder-length reddish brown hair and wearing a vintage necklace when she died, but DNA tests were unable to decipher who she was.

Police used an e-fit to appeal for her friends and relatives to come forward soon after she was found, but no one ever claimed any connection to her.

Rother and Wealden District Council organised a public burial, with funeral directors and Martin Ellis, an Eastbourne-based celebrant, who carried out the service which was attended by more than 150 locals on the day.

Crowds gathered at Hailsham Cemetery in East Sussex today to pay tribute to a mystery woman found dead near the notorious Seven Sisters cliffs at Birling Gap last July. Police have been unable to identify her after a year

Notes left after the funeral paid tribute to the 'unknown lady'. They were all left by strangers who did not know who she was

Sarah Taylor, a resident of the nearby town of Heathfield, made an order of service, a memorial book and organised a wake.

Among the heartfelt messages left for her at the wake was one from a man called Peter Booth who found her, saying: 'From the man who found you on the beach, may you rest in peace.' Another read: 'With kindness to the unknown lady.'

The mother-of-two and quantity surveyor, 42, used social media to help increase numbers to the memorial service.

Police used an e-fit to appealed for her friends and relatives to come forward soon after she was found, but no one ever claimed any connection to her

Public burials are organised by the local authority when there is no next of kin or close friend to organise a funeral.

Ms Taylor said: 'I wanted to have a service not just reflecting she was unknown, but she was something to somebody. A mother, daughter, a sister. Sometimes those links back to family aren't there the way they used to be.

'To know that somebody who nobody knows was ending her days with nobody at her funeral, I thought somebody had to do something. We sang Hallelujah and read poetry.

'From there, we're going back to a wake in Hailsham where there are cards left for people to write either to the lady or just anything. It's all going into a memorial book.

'The flowers are going to be pressed in the book and left with the police and her necklace in the hope that someday we may be able to find her family.

'We are taking the police release and translate it into as many languages as we can. Somebody somewhere, this will mean something to them.

'It's not for us to judge, we just want provide the love and care that the lady deserved. We don't know if she jumped or if she was put there.

'It's wrong for us to think what could have happened, it's what we can do that makes a difference.'

A funeral procession is pictured attended by local residents and emergency service workers in memory of the unidentified woman found near the Seven Sisters cliffs on the south coast of East Sussex on July 4 2017

The funeral was organised by Rother and Wealden District Council in the absence of a next of kin or close friend. Pictured is the funeral car with flower-adorned coffin inside

The funeral took place at Hailsham Cemetery near to where the unidentified woman was found near the cliffs in East Sussex

More than 150 attended today's funeral for the mystery woman whose body was washed up near Seven Sisters cliffs last year

A local priest is pictured attending the funeral at Hailsham Cemetery in East Sussex today where 150 people attended

Police said at the time her severely degraded corpse washed up near Birling Gap, East Sussex, in July 2017.

Hastings Coroner's Court heard the body had been in the sea for several days and was seriously decomposed.

Fingerprints, DNA, and dental examination have all failed in the effort to identify the woman.

East Sussex coroner Alan Craze said: 'I hope in the future she might be identified.'

Pictured: Neighbouring residents and emergency service workers pay tribute to the mystery woman who died last year

Among the heartfelt messages left for her at the wake was one from a man called Peter Booth who found her, saying: 'From the man who found you on the beach, may you rest in peace.'

A couple share an order of service featuring hymns in memory of the woman - despite the fact her identity is still a mystery

Cemetery staff are pictured laying the unidentified woman to rest in the ground at Hailsham Cemetery East Sussex todayJeremy Corbyn risked inflaming fury at the wave of anti-Semitism wracking Labour today as he dismissed the idea there was a threat to MPs at party conference.

The veteran left-winger defied desperate warnings from his own ranks by denying there were any problems.

In a round of interviews, Mr Corbyn was asked whether he was concerned that Luciana Berger was being accompanied by a protection officer after receiving abuse for speaking out over the anti-Semitism crisis.

But he replied: 'There is no threat within this conference... We are a party that is open and inclusive and oppose anti-Semitism as a totally united party.

'I've opposed anti-Semitism and racism all my life and will continue to do so.'

Luciana Berger pictured at Labour Party conference in Liverpool over the weekend, where she has been accompanied by police protection

The dismissive tone adopted by Mr Corbyn (pictured at conference today) in the interview could undermine strenuous efforts by the leadership to move on from the damaging row

Mr Corbyn (right) on stage today with Labour NEC member Claudia Webb (centre) and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry

It is highly unusual for a backbencher to be given the extra security, which is usually only given to ministers who are terror targets.

The dismissive tone adopted by Mr Corbyn in the interview with Channel 4 News could undermine strenuous efforts by the leadership to move on from the damaging row.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry told activists today there were some 'sickening individuals' on the fringes of the Labour movement who were spreading 'despicable hatred of Jewish people'.

Mr McDonnell said yesterday that the party was taking action to make sure 'everyone's really protected from any threat'.

Over the weekend Labour MPs and Jewish leaders lined up to tear into Mr Corbyn for failing to tackle the anti-Semitism crisis at a highly charged fringe meeting.

Ms Berger said the party must finally root out the racism - warning that 'enough is enough' and Mr Corbyn must take action.

They spoke out hours after the Labour leader appeared on TV where he refused to say sorry as he was confronted with a litany of examples of alleged anti-Semitism.

Ms Berger told the packed crowd that Jews are experiencing a growing wave of attacks and abuse - and warned 'there are Jews in this country who do not feel safe'.

She said: 'This year, more than ever, we have experienced attacks from the left - from people who claim they share our values, who wear the same rosette as us.'

She added: 'What maters 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.

'The party's new general secretary said this is her top priority and it would be dealt with by July. We are now in September and there is still that backlog.'

Ms Berger said at the weekend that the party must finally root out anti-Semitism - warning that 'enough is enough' and Mr Corbyn (pictured at conference today) must take action

She also took a swipe at the 'utterly shameful' bid by Mr Corbyn to water down the definition of anti-Semitism used by the party to discipline its members.

Labour MP Stella Creasy told the Jewish Labour Movement event that the racism must be confronted and urgently rooted out.

She said: 'Nazism doesn't turn up fully formed wearing black shiny boots and black shirts and goosestepping.

'It appears every single day, slowly but surely as the debate is turned. It builds up bit by bit, it gains little by little, it paints itself as the victim - punching up.

'It paints its victims as its enemies, as traitors, as the other - dual loyalties. It rejects those norms and conventions on anti-Semitism that we have worked so hard to defend.'

Labour MP Ian Austin told the rally: 'Let's have no more of this offensive nonsense that people like me are only complaining about these issues to undermine Jeremy Corbyn, that it has been weaponised to undermine him.'

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.'

Barry Gardiner, shadow international trade secretary, insisted earlier this week that Labour is 'vigilant' against the threats.

He told a fringe meeting in Liverpool hosted by PoliticsHome: 'Jo Cox was murdered by a right-wing extremist ... we have to keep our MPs safe, we have to keep all our party members safe and it's right that a detailed officer was provided to keep Luciana safe.

'I want to live in a society where public figures don't have to have that sort of protection and I certainly don't want them to have to have that sort of protection because of their religion.

'We all understand that in public life if you express views that some people don't like, then you are open to various forms of attack and some people on the extremes will attack you physically and therefore it's right that we are all vigilant.

'But to get to a state where a detailed officer is required for an MP I think that is a terrible tragedy. This should not in any way be acceptable.'Thomas, head at Glan-yr-Afon Primary school in Llanrumney, Cardiff, is said to have bought his alleged victim white underwear after having a sordid dream about her

A sex-pest primary school head teacher bought knickers for a woman, sent her sexually suggestive emails, and sexually assaulted her, a court heard.

Kevin Thomas, 47, who joined Glan-Yr-Afon Primary School in Cardiff as headmaster in 2012, denies the charges against him and is on trial at Newport Crown Court.

The two counts of sexual assault relate to the period between May and August 2015.

In a recorded statement to police played to the court, the alleged victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons - said: 'He would always put his arms around me.

'I remember a few occasions where he would surreptitiously move me out of the way.

'His hands would be past my lower back but I never used to think about it. I would just get out of the way.'

She added that Thomas 'seemed quite touchy feely' which 'seemed his nature'.

The complainant said Thomas saw her as his 'stress ball' and that over time his behaviour became more 'amorous' and 'flirty'.

In her statement she said: 'At first I did not know how to respond. I did not want this man to fancy me. I most certainly did not fancy him.'

She said that 'alarm bells started to ring' after one incident in May 2015.

The court heard she asked him: 'What are you doing?'

He held his hands up and replied 'I did not do anything' while looking 'gormless'.

The court heard Thomas also sent the victim several emails from his work and personal account.

The victim said: 'Over time they became more and more explicit, more daring.'

In one email the defendant told the woman he had a 'lovely dream' about her wearing white knickers.

She told the police he later bought her a pair of white knickers.

The woman said: 'He said they will look lovely on you. I just remember closing my eyes and gritting my teeth.

'I said "give them to your wife".

'I walked away and thought: "I can't believe he's bought me knockers and that he thinks it's okay".'

After discussing the emails in person Thomas dismissed one sexually suggestive email as 'only a laugh', according to the alleged victim.

The court also heard how Thomas is alleged to have groped his victim when she was in his office

The alleged victim said on one occasion Thomas phoned her and said he was near her home and that he wanted to come inside.

She said it made her feel 'scared' and 'unsafe'. The second alleged offence took place at a party.

The complainant said Thomas approached her 'rocking his pelvis' and then pulled her close.

She told the police she pushed him back with both hands and screamed.

She said he later told her: 'All I was trying to do was tell you how lovely you looked.'

The court heard the defendant's wife accused them of having an affair.

After Thomas, Fairwater, Cardiff, had been suspended he continued to email the complainant.

The woman initially reported the incidents to Cardiff council in March 2016 and contacted South Wales Police in November 2016.

Thomas, represented by Byron Broadstock, denies he committed either of the alleged sexual assaults.

The case, presided over by Judge Thomas Crowther, is before a jury of six men and six women and is expected to last for five days.

The trial continues.

Court continues.An unemployed worker, who didn't even have enough money to print his resume, has shown that a little determination mixed with social media goes a long way.

Carlos Duarte, 21, who is hunting for work approached cafe worker, Eugenia Lopez, in Cordoba, Argentina. He explained he couldn't afford the minor expense of printing his resume so she had an idea: scribble it on a piece of paper.

He closed the resume by thanking Lopez for accepting it and asked if she could forgive him for turning in the resume on a the handwritten note.

Impressed by Duartes penmanship, Lopez, shared her fellow Argentines resume on her Instagram and Facebook account.

It has since gone viral and Duartes phone has not stopped ringing with countless job offers.

Carlos Duarte's handwritten resume went viral over the weekend after he told an employee of a local Argentine cafe he couldn't afford the minor expense of paying for printed copies

'It caught my attention that he did not have [money] to print and the sheet was so neatly written on, with two pens, Lopez told Todo Noticias.

I never thought the post that I published was going to be shared so many times and that today Carlos has a job interview.

As of Tuesday, her Facebook post has generated over 9,000 shares and more than 9,000 likes.

Duarte, who lives with his aunt, had previous experience as a waiter, dishwasher, masonry and added that he had worked in sales before.

Carlos Duarte (left) was discouraged since he couldn't afford to pay for resume copies. Eugenia Lopez (right) had an interesting idea, write it on a piece of paper, and it went viral

Feeling a bit discouraged because he was not in possession of a properly formatted resume, Duarte was still motivated before taking on his most recent job seeking journey.

I woke up and said, I dont have a resume but I am still going to try, he recalled.

With enthusiasm, like always, I said, today I am going to find a job. But I was a bit shamed that I did not have a resume. I felt uncomfortable.

Duartes eagerness to join find employment coupled with Lopezs self-responsibility to help the young man led to two job interviews on Monday, at local bar and a window manufacturing company.

'I gave Eugenia my resume and she posted it on social media,' Duarte said.

'Now she is my angel.'Advertisement

Stunning photographs show the moment a deer sheds its velvet in the wild.

The natural process happens just before rutting season when bucks shed the velvet from their antlers depending upon many factors including the animals age and the latitude at which they live.

Gary Kramer captured a barren ground caribou shedding its velvet at Denali National Park, Alaska.

Stunning images show the deer shedding its velvet from its antlers. The process happens at this time of year and can depend upon many factors including the animals age and the latitude at which they live.

Deer antlers are used primarily to battle other male deer for mating rights. Male deer grow their first set of antlers when they hit puberty, at approximately one year of age.

When the antlers, which unlike horns have blood vessels, nerves and cartilage, are growing, they are soft to the touch or spongy which is called 'deer velvet'.

Gary Kramer, 70, captured a barren ground caribou shedding its velvet at Denali National Park, Alaska

When the antlers, which unlike horns have blood vessels, nerves and cartilage, are growing, they are soft to the touch or spongy which is called 'deer velvet'. Although there is a lot of blood, the process doesn't cause the deer any discomfort

By late summer, when testosterone levels are at their peak, the blood vessels shut down around the base of the antlers and they harden into bone.

Although there the antlers shed bloody red velvet, the deer do not feel any discomfort from the outgrowth.

Velvet peeling typically takes a day or two to complete and those lucky enough to witness this process will often see the deer rubbing their antlers against tree branches.

The process usually happens before rutting season and takes about a day or two to fully come off. The harder antlers are used for fighting off competition

Gary, a 70-year-old wildlife biologist from California, said: 'This was very unique opportunity to photograph a barren ground caribou in Alaska on the day the animal was shedding the velvet.

'In the early fall the males rub their antlers against trees and shrubs to remove the velvet that now cover the hardened antlers that will later be used for sparing and fighting with other males during the rutting season that is approaching.

People who catch this extraordinary scene will sometimes see the bucks rubbing their antlers on trees to pull the fur or 'deer velvet' off

'I saw this bull in the morning and the velvet was mostly in place with the rubbing just beginning.

'I returned the same afternoon and took these images. I saw the bull the next day and the blood had dried, and the antlers were brown, and all the velvet was gone.'President Donald Trump is boasting that, thanks to him, 'missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction' from North Korea although he warns economic sanctions will remain in place until there is denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.

In his 34-minute speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump bragged that his meeting with North Korean President Kim Jong-Un in Singapore in June resulted in a 'bold and new push for peace.'

He said that was 'a moment that is actually far greater than people would understand.'

President Trump said missiles are no longer flying from North Korea but economic sanctions will remain in place until denuclearization occurs

Trump bragged about his accomplishments with North Korea in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday

'The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction,' Trump bragged.

He also outlined what else has happened since June: Nuclear testing has stopped, some military facilities are already being dismantled, U.S. hostages have been released, and the remains of American service members who died in the Korean War are being returned.

He did acknowledge 'much work remains to be done' as his administration works to set up another meeting with Kim.

And he added he would keep sanctions on Pyongyang.

'The sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization occurs,' he said.

Trump told reporters later in the afternoon he and Kim have an 'extraordinary' communication between them.

'Weve had communication that nobody will know about that is extraordinary. When you look at last year at this exact time, my words were slightly different having to do with the events taking place in North Korea  slightly different,' he said 'but there has been a tremendous difference from one more to the next and far greater than anyone would understand.'

The original Singapore agreement was criticized for its lack of specific, measurable outcomes for North Korea and for not having a timetable on when denuclearization would occur.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been in negotiations with Pyongyang and plans to make another trip there before the end of the year, he told reporters in New York on Monday.

Trump said on Monday his next summit with Kim Jong-un will be 'most likely in a 'different location' than it was before, seemingly ruling out Singapore out as an option.

Trump said his second summit with Kim will be similar to the format they had before at a 'location to be determined' that will be 'announced within a fairly short period of time.'

'We are in no rush. There's no hurry. We got back three months ago or so,' he said of their summit in June. 'We've made more progress than anybody's made in - ever, - frankly, with regard to North Korea.'

Donald Trump says his next summit with Kim Jong-un will be 'most likely in a 'different location' than it was before, ruling out Singapore out as an option

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-In walk at the Samjiyon Airport earlier this month

The U.S. president declared that 'in some ways' he has an 'extraordinary' relationship with Kim.

'I really believe North Korea has tremendous economic potential, and I believe that Chairman Kim and the people of North Korea want to see that potential arrived at, and we'll help them to that end,' he said as he met with the South Korean president. 'The relationship is very good. in fact in some ways it's extraordinary. we'll see what happens. But we will be having a second summit in the not too distant future.'

Trump on Monday boasted that his administration has made 'tremendous progress' in the dispute with North Korea in the year since he called Kim Jong-un 'Rocket Man' and placed heavy sanctions on the isolated regime for its illicit nuclear activities.

He said on his way into the United Nations that talks were 'moving very well' with the hermit nation and 'the relationships are very good.'

'We have many things in store, looks like we will have a second summit quite soon,' he said. 'As you know, Kim Jong-un wrote a letter - beautiful letter - and asking for a second meeting, and we will be doing that.'

Trump also boasted Monday that his administration has made 'tremendous progress' in the dispute with North Korea in the year since he called Kim Jong-un 'Rocket Man' and placed heavy sanctions on the isolated regime for its illicit nuclear activities

MAN OF THE HOUR: President Trump is seen here departing a counter-narcotics event at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday

Trump talked briefly about the 'critical steps to combat the global drug problem' that the U.S. and its allies are taking at the televised session

President Trump confers with U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley during the 'Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem' event at the United Nations this morning. He has an open afternoon before he meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in

'We have many things in store, looks like we will have a second summit quite soon,' Trump said on his way into the UN. 'As you know, Kim Jong-un wrote a letter - beautiful letter - and asking for a second meeting, and we will be doing that'

Pompeo said later, at a White House briefing, that he expects to make his next visit to Pyongyang before the end of the year and a meeting with Trump is likely to follow. 'Lord willing, Ill be traveling before the end of the year,' he told reporters

Trump said that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will 'work that out in the immediate future.'

He added: 'Looks like its moving very, very well, tremendous progress on North Korea.'

'Since we got here, it was a different world. That was a very dangerous time. This is one year later, a much different time,' Trump said.

The president briefly spoke to press about North Korea on his way into the United Nations on Monday for his first meeting of the day, a U.S.-led forum on counter-narcotics efforts around the globe.

He commented on his way out about his under-fire Supreme Court nominee who was hit with two new sex assault allegations on Sunday night.

'We should look into the lawyers doing the representation. Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person and I am with him all the way,' he told press. 'And for people to come out of the woodwork from 36 years ago and 30 years ago and never mentioned it. All of a sudden it happens. In my opinion, it's totally political. It's totally political.'

Pompeo said later, at a White House briefing, that he expects to make his next visit to Pyongyang before the end of the year and a meeting with Trump is likely to follow.

'Lord willing, Ill be traveling before the end of the year,' he told reporters.

He declined to detail 'reciprocal action' to DailyMail.com that the U.S. would be willing to take to secure a nuclear deal during the briefing while asserting that sanctions will stay on Pyongyang until it completely and verifiably ends its nuclear program.

'Were not going to talk about the state of the negotiation  it would be inappropriate for us to do that or our North Korean counterparts to talk about particular deal points, things were working on,' he stated.

'But the fundamental principles remain the same. We expect the full, complete, verified denuclearization of North Korea,' Pompeo added. 'And until such time as that occurs, the economic sanctions  the sanctions that have been put in place by the United Nations Security Council  will remain in place.'

Trump said that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (pictured, center right) will work out a time for him to meet with Kim Jong-un again soon

Trump is meeting later on Monday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to get a readout of his meeting last week with Kim

TALK TO THE HAND: President Trump refused to answer questions about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on the way into the United Nations. He commented on the sexual assault allegations against on the way out

Trump is meeting this afternoon with the South Korean president. In addition to North Korea, the two leaders will discuss trade.

The U.S. president had a working dinner with the Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe as soon as he arrived in New York on Sunday evening in the building that was once his office and residence.

The meal was closed to press from both sides, but pictures distributed by the U.S. and Japanese governments later showed Abe and Trump shaking hands in the president's lavish penthouse.

Trump said in a tweet on Sunday night, before the meeting, that they'd be talking about the military and trade, in a nod to Japan's long sought after agreement for a formal economic relationship with the U.S.

'We have done much to help Japan, would like to see more of a reciprocal relationship. It will all work out!' Trump said.

Tump met Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and had a working dinner at Trump Tower on Sunday night. The dinner, at which North Korea was a likely topic, was closed to press. Abe shared a picture of the pair on Facebook

Donald Trump arrived on Marine One in Downtown Manhattan Sunday with a luxury motor waiting for him

The American leader returned to New York Sunday to attend the United Nations General Assembly

The billionaire president was spending his first night in New York since September of 2017. He also slept in his apartment in August of 2017 during a working vacation, making this week just his third visit to his Manhattan apartment since the beginning of his term.

Heavy security and traffic closures were expected across New York City all week to accommodate Trump and other visiting leaders.

Trump is making his second appearance at the United Nations this year, where he will deliver a speech and preside over a Security Council meeting in addition to one-on-one sessions with world leaders.

Trump's grand arrival in New York was the beginning of several days of important meetings

His vehicle at Downtown Manhattan Heliport was decorated with flags and was parked beside a Fire Department New York truck

The motorcade carrying US President Donald Trump could be seen moving along the FDR Drive on Sunday ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan on Tuesday

The president is staying at Trump Tower, which was his home before he moved into the White House for four days until Thursday when he goes to DC

Police stood guard Sunday night and dump trucks were parked in front of Trump Tower as a security measure against protesters during the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly

TRUMP'S WEEK IN NY September 24: President Trump will make a 'Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem' at a counter-narcotics event that he's co-hosting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Later he will host a reception for heads of state visiting his home city for UNGA. September 25: The U.S. president will deliver remarks at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He will also have a 'pull-aside' with Guterres before attending a luncheon hosted by UN Secretary General. President Trump will have another pull-aide that afternoon with this year's UNGA President Maria Fernanda Espinosa before he attends U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley's Security Council Presidency Reception. September 26: The president will chair a United Nations Security Council briefing, where members will discuss their counter-proliferation efforts. Advertisement

Shinzo Abe holds a special place on the list of leaders that Trump will meet with, having been the first head of government to fly to New York to meet him at Trump Tower after the real estate tycoon's 2016 election .

Japan is also a key partner for the United States in the Asia Pacific, where the United States is engaged in an escalating trade dispute with China while navigating a tricky disarmament agreement with North Korea.

Abe was just reelected himself in the past week - a feat that Trump congratulated him for on Twitter.

But Trump also signaled that he wouldn't let their friendship or security relationship get in the way of trade rules he believes are fair to the United States. He has taken the same approach to his talks with with Xi Jinping of China.

Trump and Abe have much to discuss since their last meeting at the G7 summit in Canada in June. Trump traveled straight to Singapore to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.

A year ago at the general assembly gathering, Trump derogatorily referred to Kim as 'Rocket Man' in comments that critics of the new president's in-your-face style worried would start a nuclear war. He introduced tough new sanctions on North Korea at the conference, as well, and vowed to keep maximum pressure on Kim's government until it stopped building nukes.

In a major turnaround, Kim and Trump signed an informal pact for North Korea to completely and verifiably end its nuclear program in Singapore.

'Prior to my coming into office, a lot of people thought we were going  it was inevitable  we were going to war in North Korea. And now were  the relationships, I have to tell you, at least on a personal basis, theyre very good. Its very much calmed down,' Trump asserted last week at the White House.

So far, the tete-a-tete has not produced significant results on the nuclear front, although North Korea has not conducted missile or nuclear tests since and followed through on a pledge to return the remains of American soldiers.

Talks reached a total standstill in late August as North Korea failed to make good on its promises to Trump at the nuclear summit. They were considered back on track by the administration this month after North Korea opted not to use its founder's day parade to show off its arsenal as it had done in year's past.

'The fact that the two leaders in Korea both shook hands and said they want to denuclearize and they want peace, that's no small thing. I think the fact that their parade, they didn't show off nuclear weapons for the first time is a major accomplishment,' U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley told CNN on Sunday.

Trump announced that he would be having a working dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Abe on Sunday night in Trump Tower

Japan is also a key ally for the United States in the Asia Pacific, where the United States is engaged in an escalating trade dispute with China

Abe was just reelected himself in the past week - a feat that Trump congratulated him for on Twitter last week

Trump otherwise received a letter from Kim that he says revealed the 'tremendous progress' the nations have made in the past year.

His senior aides like Haley and Pompeo are optimistic yet cautious of the overtures from Kim.

'Look, we are far from reaching the end of this,' Haley said Sunday. 'We have to both make sure that North Korea knows what we mean by denuclearization. We have got to make sure we enforce sanctions, because that's what brought them to the table in the first place.'

Her comments echoed State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert's proclamation on Thursday that 'in order to get to the denuclearization of North Korea, sanctions must be enforced. We cannot let our foot off the gas.'

Pompeo was expected to meet with his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong-ho, this week in New York. A second summit between Trump and Kim, he says, is soon to follow.

'Its in the works. Were hoping everything falls together and it makes good sense here before too terribly long,' he told the BBC in an interview on Friday.

Trump will in the meantime meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is fresh off his own summit with Kim.

The leaders of the two Koreas clasped hands victoriously, shared hugs and announced a joint bid for the 2032 Olympics at the conclusion of a meeting last week in Pyongyang.

Kim credited Trump for generating regional stability at the finale of his three-day summit with Moon, their third set of talks since South Korea hosted the Winter Olympics in February. The countries' athletes entered the arena under one flag at the Opening Ceremony.

Moon and Kim agreed at the summit to new steps that the North would take to denuclearize, specifically the closure of the Tongchang-ri facility, which the U.S. says would be independently supervised. Kim said he would be willing to close a second site, at Yongbyon, if Trump takes 'reciprocal steps' that were left unspecified but are assumed to be referring to sanctions.

Moon reported after the summit that Kim is eager to meet with Trump again.

He'll reveal more of his conversation with Kim during his meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations.

Trump will also hold private talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi while he is town.

The president is meanwhile avoiding sit downs while he's in New York with U.S. allies from around the globe such as Germany, which he knocked over the summer at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit for a Russian pipeline deal, as Angela Merkel skips the conference.

He's bypassing Canada, another country which the U.S is currently engaged in a messy trade negotiation, as well, even though the neighboring nation's prime minister will be in New York.Australian jihadis could soon be teaching the country's youth under new plans unveiled by one of Australia's leading counter-terrorism strategists.

Former NSW Police deputy commissioner and UN investigator, Nick Kaldas, said the government should consider employing some of the 400 Australians who are in hiding overseas after fleeing to fight for Islamic State.

The radical new thinking, which Mr Kaldas said comes at a time when the terrorist threat is 'as high as ever', means they could be 'deployed' as mentors to dissuade young people who were considering turning to extremism.

One other Australian, Khaled Sharrouf, is believed to have been stripped of his citizenship after joining Islamic State.

The radical new thinking, which Mr Kaldas said comes at a time when the terrorist threat is 'as high as ever', could help would-be terrorists like Khaled Sharrouf's son

While admitting the concept was controversial, he said it offered a better alternative than prosecuting those who had gone to fight under ISIS' black flag.

He said: 'It may be useful to consider using them as an example and have them talk to those who may follow their path.

'To say "it's not that good, it's not what you think it is, it is a horrible thing to do,"' he told The Daily Telegraph.

While admitting the concept was controversial, the former police deputy chief said it offered a better alternative than prosecuting those who had gone to fight under ISIS' black flag (pictured)

Former NSW Police deputy commissioner and UN investigator Nick Kaldas (pictured) said the government should consider employing some of the 400 Australians who have left to fight for Islamic State as mentors to dissuade young people thinking of turning to extremism

'I know that would be controversial but I think there could be some uses in having people who have done it come back repentant - and share those mistakes with others.'

Mr Kaldas' proposal comes after five Australian jihadists who had travelled to the Middle East to join the Islamic State were stripped of their citizenship last month.

Included in those five was Neil Prakash - a senior ISIS figure behind bars in Turkey on terror charges.

One other Australian, Khaled Sharrouf, is believed to have been stripped of his citizenship after joining Islamic State.

The former police deputy chief was in talks with then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2017 about running his own ministry to combat terrorism.

The ministry, which would be similar to the UK's Home Office or the US' Homeland Security, would co-ordinate Australia's authorities in countering the terror threat.

He said the new policy would help those like Neil Prakash, who was stripped of his Australian citizenship last month after joining the Islamic State, to reintegrate into society upon return

Mr Kaldas also said the implementation of intelligence sharing between public and private law enforcement sectors could help Australian authorities fight terrorism better.

He added it was imperative that high-profile landmarks like the Sydney Opera House were in constant communication with police over possible threats - rather than being kept in the dark.

Around 230 Australians have joined the Islamic State, of which 90 have been killed in combat.A Florida history teacher says she was fired for refusing to give half-credit to students who didn't turn in their assignments - and now her farewell message to her class is going viral.

Diane Tirado says West Gate K-8 School in Port St Lucie had a 'no zero' policy, requiring teachers to give students no less than a 50-per cent grade on assignments.

Tirado, 52, tells television station WPTV that she was fired on September 14 when she refused to follow the policy after several students didn't turn in a homework project she had assigned two weeks earlier.

Viral farewell: Florida teacher Diane Tirado left this message for her eighth-grade history class after she was fired on September 14

Before leaving, Tirado left a handwritten message on a whiteboard for her students that read: 'Bye kids. Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes young the best in life! I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50% for not handing anything in. [Love] Mrs Tirado.'

The teacher then took a photo of her missive and posted the image on her Facebook page, where it has been shared more than 740 times.

'Im so upset because we have a nation of kids that are expecting to get paid and live their life just for showing up and its not real,' Tirado told the TV station.

Tirado, 52, a veteran teacher but a new hire at West Gate K-8 School, says she was terminated for refusing to follow the school's 'no zero' grading policy

After her post drew national attention, Tirado again took to social media on Tuesday to share her thoughts on the controversy.

'The reason I took on this fight was because it was ridiculous,' she wrote. 'Teaching should not be this hard. Teachers teach content, children do the assignments to the best of their ability and teachers grade that work based on a grading scale that has been around a very long time.

She continued: 'reachers also provide numerous attempts to get the work collected so they can give a child a grade. By nature, most teachers are loving souls who want to see students succeed.

'We do above and beyond actual teaching to give them the support they need. Are we perfect? NO. We make mistakes like all other human beings, but I know teachers work their butts off to help children to be the best people they can be!!!'

No specific cause was given in her termination letter from the principal at West Gate school, since Tirado was still on probation.

Officials with St. Lucie Public Schools say there is no district policy prohibiting teachers from giving a grade of zero

Tirado, who's been a teacher for many years, is married and has a daughter (pictured together)

The married mother-of-one has worked in education for many years but was hired to teach eighth-grade history at West Gate only on July 30.

The principal deferred comment to the school district.

A spokeswoman for St. Lucie Public Schools says there is no district policy prohibiting teachers from giving a grade of zero.

The West Gate student and parent handbook contains a grading rubric that includes the line, written in red all-caps: 'NO ZERO'S-LOWEST POSSIBLE GRADE IS 50%'

The rubric, however, allows for an 'Incomplete' grade that is the equivalent of 0 per cent, according to the table included in the handbook, which Tirado argues creates confusion.A female law student has has been splashing water mixed with bleach onto men's groin on underground trains in order to tackle 'manspreading'.

Anna Dovgalyuk, 20, from Russia, accuses men of 'gender aggression', and that her country is slow to counter the problem.

The social activist has been targeting males males sitting with their legs spread wide on public transport in St Petersburg, Russia.

Anna Dovgalyuk, 20, accuses men of 'gender aggression' pours water and bleach onto men's laps

The social activist tackles manspreading on the metro in St Petersburg by splashing a mix of 30 litres of water and six litres of bleach

The feminist tackled the 'a disgusting act' by splashing a mix of 30 litres of water and six litres of bleach into the groin areas of men she deemed to be sitting in an offensive manner.

Miss Dovgalyuk said: 'This solution is 30 times more concentrated than the mixture used by housewives when doing the laundry.

'It eats colours in the fabric in a matter of minutes - leaving indelible stains.'

The activist complains that manspreading is being 'fought around the world - but hushed up here'.

But Miss Dovgalyuk was silent about the alleged manspreading prowess of a notable former graduate of her own law faculty - Vladimir Putin, the Russian president.

Miss Dovgalyuk said: 'This solution is 30 times more concentrated than the mixture used by housewives when doing the laundry'

The social activist complains that males sitting with their legs spread wide on public transport are guilty of 'a disgusting act'

Ex-US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton last year upbraided the Kremlin leader explaining: 'There's an expression- we certainly know it in New York- called manspreading.

'Every time I met with him, it would be(she gestured to show legs spread apart) the whole deal'.

She claimed her video was dedicated 'to all 'men' for whom manspreading is the norm.

She claimed her video was dedicated 'to all 'men' for whom manspreading is the norm

'So everyone can immediately understand which body part controls the behaviour of these men.'

Showing some of her alleged hits on metro trains, Miss Dovgalyuk said: 'We not only cooled the manspreading down but also marked them with identification spots!

The student claimed to be acting 'on behalf of everyone who has to endure the manifestations of you declaring your macho qualities on public transportation'.

Miss Dovgalyuk said: 'We not only cooled the manspreading down but also marked them with identification spots

Miss Dovgalyuk targeted the groin 'so everyone can immediately understand which body part controls the behaviour of these men'

Calling herself a 'social activist', Miss Dovgalyuk has previously achieved worldwide attention by flashing her underwear to commuters to raise awareness for upskirting laws in Russia.

Critics asked how she was helping counter the menace of up skirting by flashing her undies.

She said: 'I am a social activist who advocates for women's rights and against discrimination in any form.'

Ex-US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton last year upbraided Vladimir Putin and accused him of manspreading

Miss Dovgalyuk has previously achieved worldwide attention by flashing her underwear to commuters to raise awareness for upskirting

A Russian news outlet claimed that her video was a sham - and that she had used actors.

But the campaigning student flatly denied this.

She said: 'My action is absolutely real,' she said, denying it was linked to an organisation specialising in online stunts.

She admitted that no commuters had sued her so far.

She said: 'I don't think people are going to go to the police to file a report about jeans.'Thomas Ravenel, one of the star's of Bravo's Southern Charm, has been arrested on assault and battery charges for allegedly forcing himself on his former nanny, stripping her and putting his penis in her face in January 2015.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com on Tuesday, Ravenel attacked Dawn Ledwell, 43, at his home in Charleston, South Carolina, on January 25, 2015.

She had been watching his children while he was out at dinner. When he returned home, he forcibly removed her clothes, forced her hand onto his penis and grabbed at her vagina', according to police.

The affidavit claims he ordered her: 'Show me your p***y' and asked her: 'Do you like big d***s?' as he shoved his penis in her face.

Ravenel, 56, was booked on Tuesday morning for second degree assault and battery, a misdemeanor charge which carries a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $2,500.

Contrary to what Ledwell claimed in May this year, the police report does not describe him 'forcibly raping' her.

Ledwell said that he stripped her and that he was being investigated for first degree forcible rape in an interview with DailyMailTV in May. Ravenel denied her allegation through an attorney at the time.

His attorney did not respond to requests for comment about his arrest on Tuesday.

He was bailed out of Al Cannon Detention Center by the afternoon on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond which means he didn't have to put up any money but must promise to attend all court appearances.

Thomas Ravenel, 56, of Southern Charm was booked into jail on Tuesday morning for assault and battery. DailyMail.com understands it is in relation to an incident involving his former nanny Dawn Ledwell, 43, (right). She claimed in May that he forcibly raped her

The police report describes how Ledwell was left with injuries on her back and chest by the underwire of her bra which cut into her as Ravenel allegedly tore at her clothes.

'[He] undressed and made sexual advances on the victim. The victim grabbed the victim's hand and placed it on his penis before attempting to remove the victim's clothing,' it said.

'While attempting to remove the victim's clothing, the victim's underwire bra cut into her skin and her shirt wrapped around her neck which caused the victim to struggle to breathe,' it said.

Ravenel then allegedly pulled down 'the victim's pants and said: "Show me your p***y" and began grabbing at the victim's vagina.

'The victim crouched down to the ground to try to prevent further assault and [he] put his penis in her face and asked: "Do you like big d***s".

The report does not say what happened next. It continues: 'After escaping the asault, the victim called her then ex-husband and sister and told them of the incident, fled the scene and notified several family members of the incident.'

It says she took photographs of her neck and chest which showed her injuries.

Debbie Holloway Perkins , 54, was allegedly sexually assaulted by him after a 2015 Tinder date. Her daughter revealed the accusations in May, claiming the pair went on a last minute Christmas Day date

Police saw those photographs and interviewed some of the people Ledwell told, it said.

In May, she told DailyMailTV that Ravenel was being investigated for 'forcible first degree rape'.

She did not want to describe the specific sex attack in detail but said: 'I felt so humiliated especially when he was ripping my clothes off, you know I was a bigger girl back then - almost 100 pounds bigger - and he's torn my clothes off and I'm just so mortified thinking am I going to run outside in this very upscale neighborhood in the freezing January without my clothes on?' she said.

After the attack, she said she was left with scratches in between her legs, on her arms, back and her throat.

Ledwell claimed Ravenel used her t-shirt to strangle her during the attack and prevent her from escaping.

She continued to work for him for more than a year and claims he apologized for the attack after it happened.

She later told Kathryn Dennis, the mother of his two children, she said, but he allegedly denied it in front of her.

Perkins took these photographs of her injuries after Ravenel 'held her down' and sexually assaulted her on a bed in 20145 after their Tinder date. Her daughter revealed them and said her mother had been forced to sign an NDA. She was given $200,000 by Ravenel in return

'What had really hurt me was that when I was finally able to tell Kathryn he recanted.

He denied what he did and what he said and he victim shamed and bullied me,' she said.

Dawn eventually reported it to police and spoke out after hearing the story of another woman who claimed Ravenel assaulted her during a 2015 Tinder Date.

Debbie Holloway Perkins' daughter was the one who shared her story. She said her mother was paid off by Ravenel and made to sign an NDA after the incident.

Her daughter, who was not bound by the agreement, told how he held her down on a bed and sexually assaulted her.

The City of Charleston Police did not respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries on Tuesday morning, nor did Ravenel's lawyer.

He recently broke up with Ashley Jacobs, his girlfriend of 15-months.

Ravenel quit Southern Charm in August this year after the sexual misconduct allegations.

Ravenel has two young children with his Southern Charm co-star, 27-year-old Kathryn Dennis (shown above together on the show). He quit in August

At the time, he said it was because the show's producers had 'taken advantage' of him and their 'right to fictionalize' his story.

The network later said it was a mutual decision for him to leave.

He previously starred alongside his 27-year-old former girlfriend Kathryn Dennis. The pair have two children together.

Before his reality TV career, Ravenel served as as the State Treasurer for South Carolina but was forced out of the role in 2007 after just five months after being arrested for cocaine possession with intent to distribute.

He was sentenced to 10 months in a federal prison.

He ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in 2004. Ravenel is the son of former congressman Arthur Ravenel Jr.A group of 30 students reportedly suffered 'hysteria' after playing with a Ouija board at a boarding school in Peru.

The daughter of a teacher brought a book of black magic and the board to the school in San Jose de Saramuro in the Loreto region, according to local media.

She allegedly encouraged fellow students to play with the Ouija board.

A group of 30 students reportedly suffered 'hysteria' after playing with a Ouija board at a boarding school in Peru

Disturbing footage purportedly shows one of the students convulsing and screaming as others try to restrain her, according to local media.

'It's all your fault!' the girl is heard screaming in the clip.

Around 27 other students were also affected in a similar manner, local media reports claim.

Teacher arrived to the classroom after hearing the strange noises.

Disturbing footage purportedly shows one of the students convulsing and screaming as others try to restrain her

Adults reportedly saw students lying on the ground, incoherent and suffering from spasms

They reportedly saw students lying on the ground, incoherent and suffering from spasms.

Panicked parents are said to have taken their children to evangelical churches in the community in a bid to help their children amid fears they had been possessed.

The school suspended classes for a week, local media said.

But the students involved have since returned to school.Jeremy Corbyn has been pictured at Labour conference with an activist who suggested it was 'free speech' to question whether the Holocaust happened.

The Labour leader posed for a 'selfie' with Miko Peled near the venue in Liverpool over the weekend.

The pro-Palestinian activist also praised Mr Corbyn as 'courageous, gracious and generous' as he posted the photo on social media.

The encounter is embarrassing for Mr Corbyn as he struggles to quell Labour's anti-Semitism crisis.

A party spokesman insisted Mr Peled was not attending the formal conference, and Mr Corbyn had taken selfies with 'hundreds' of people.

A fringe meeting where Mr Peled is due to speak was advertised on the Labour conference app earlier today - but has now been removed.

Pro-Palestinian activist Miko Peled praised Mr Corbyn as 'courageous, gracious and generous' as he posted a photo of them together on social media over the weekend

Mr Peled, an Israeli-American, was on the panel for a controversial fringe meeting at last year's Labour conference.

The event, titled 'free speech on Israel' was chaired by Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, who said there was a 'vicious campaign that's been directed at the Palestinian cause, misusing anti-Semitic allegations'.

Although described as a free speech meeting, audience members were told not to record it or tweet.

Mr Peled said 'they'  an apparent reference to Israel or the pro-Israel lobby  did not want Mr Corbyn to enter Number 10.

'This is about free speech, the freedom to criticise and to discuss every issue, whether it's the Holocaust: yes or no, Palestine, the liberation, the whole spectrum. There should be no limits on the discussion.'

He added: 'It's about the limits of tolerance: we don't invite the Nazis and give them an hour to explain why they are right; we do not invite apartheid South Africa racists to explain why apartheid was good for the blacks, and in the same way we do not invite Zionists  it's a very similar kind of thing.'

It is understood Mr Peled accosted Mr Corbyn as he was on his way to get in a car.

A Labour Party spokeswoman said an event where Mr Peled is due to speak was 'not being advertised' by the party and was not part of the conference.

'Miko Peled is not attending Labour Party Conference,' the spokeswoman said.

'He does not have a pass and has not been inside conference. This event is not being advertised by the Labour Party and is not taking place on the conference site.

'Jeremy has been stopped by hundreds of people in Liverpool over the last few days.'Jodie Whittaker (pictured) will be the first female Doctor Who. The new series is due to air on Sunday, October 7

The commercial arm of the BBC is looking at carrying out 'live audits' of shows to ensure it hits diversity targets.

BBC Studios, which makes programmes such as Top Gear and Strictly Come Dancing, will cherry pick shows while they are still in production to monitor how inclusive they are.

This is in a bid to increase actors from minority backgrounds getting involved in the industry.

Miranda Wayland, diversity lead at BBC Studios, told Westminster Insight's diversity in television forum: 'The fact we have a female Doctor Who and everyone got excited amazed me, but also showed we still have so much to do that we get excited about having a female Doctor Who.'

She added: 'Retention has to be one of the biggest challenges we face within our sector and the inability to retain diverse talent that we have worked so hard to attract, especially when we said for so long we don't know where to find them, has to be pretty careless.

'At the BBC and at studios, retention, culture and accountability is a huge priority, recognising that getting diverse talent into our business is the first step.'

Ms Wayland was appointed in April last year to drive the production arms diversity strategy and ensure the studios people and programmes continue to properly reflect and represent the UK.

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BBC studios makes programmes such as Top Gear. The recent series starred Chris Harris (left), Matt LeBlanc (middle) and Rory Reid (right) as the three main hosts. LeBlanc however has said that the recent series will be his last

She continued: 'The BBC is taking real action to develop a greater culture of greater inclusion for all... divisions with lower representation need to undergo a review, they are required to devise an action plan stating the steps they will take to make progress.

'We are working with our genre directors and our productions and looking at running a live audit for productions, so we will cherry pick certain programmes within those genres for a live time audit.

Miranda Wayland, diversity lead at BBC Studios, spoke to Westminster Insight's diversity in television forum and said that there was a struggle to retain diverse talent

'We will make those people accountable and work with them to find where there are challenges to meeting the targets.

'It is a small shift that should have a long lasting ripple effect, our industry expects better from us and we should expect better from ourselves.'

Nina Bhagwat, off-screen diversity executive at Channel 4, echoed the issue with talent retention, saying: 'We are never going to be able to get diversity at a senior level if people are leaving,

She also said that the 'broken bit of the talent pipeline' is in the middle, between new starters and senior managers.

She said: 'I'm not interested in schemes anymore, I'm interested in opportunities.

'Diverse talent don't need to be trained, they don't need to be mentored, they need jobs.

'We are running lots of initiatives but not addressing the hiring culture.'A Mormon bishop has been excommunicated for challenging church leaders on their policy of asking children sexually explicit questions during interviews.

Sam Young, 65, from Salt Lake City received news of his excommunication in a hand-delivered letter from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday.

Young is protesting against the Churchs policy of conducting worthiness interviews on children and teens, which he feels is a physically and emotionally abusive practice.

Members are asked a series of questions about their adherence to church rules, specifically its sexual code of conduct, alone in their bishop's office.

Former Mormon Bishop Sam Young (pictured) reading his excommunication letter Sunday

Young (left) became emotional as he held a press conference after his excommunication with his supporters outside the Mormon Tabernacle Church in Salt Lake City (right)

The interviews are required for all teenagers for worship in the church's temples and for baptism into the faith of 16 million members.

Young, who posted a copy of the excommunication edict on his blog, said he will appeal the order.

In an interview with CNN, Young said he feels 'supremely disappointed' in the loss of his membership in the church itself and in the leadership.

He also feels 'sadness for the victims who the church was rejecting by this verdict.

'You are entitled to your opinion or position,' the edict said. 'But you cannot remain a member in good standing while attacking the Church and its leaders and trying to get others to follow you'.

Young, 65, spent his life following Mormon cultural prescription. Born in rural Utah, he served as a church missionary in Guatemala and El Salvador, married in a church temple and raised six Mormon daughters.

But after discovering his daughters' experiences with bishops as Mormon youth, he became an unlikely activist in the #MeToo era.

As a bishop in the early nineties, Young said he regrets inviting 12 to 18 year olds into his small office in a Mormon meetinghouse in Houston and asking them church-mandated questions about their abstinence from premarital sex.

'It was wrong, so wrong. Young said. I regret I ever asked'.

People (pictured) show their support for Sam Young outside church on Sunday

While all bishops are required to ask whether members "obey the law of chastity," abstaining from all premarital sexual activity, Young said more than 3,000 people said their bishops probed for the explicit details of their sexual conduct as children.

The church now offers the opportunity for youth to be interviewed with an accompanying adult.

But it has yet to condemn the practice of asking sexually explicit questions in interviews.

Critics (pictured) say the interviews are traumatizing, intrusive and unnecessary

The church calls the practice of bishops' interviews a 'sacred responsibility' and offers the opportunity for mentorship.

But critics argue it is traumatizing and creates opportunities for grooming and emotional or sexual abuse.

In the excommunication edict, the president of Young's district in Houston told Fox13 in a statement: This action was not taken because of your opinion or position on protecting children.

The Church has a strong desire to protect children and, as you know, issued updated guidelines for interviewing youth earlier this year.

The issue is not that you have concerns -- or even that you disagree with the Church's guidelines, rather it is your persistent, aggressive effort to persuade others to your point of view by repeatedly and deliberately attacking and publicly opposing the Church and its leaders'.

The church took disciplinary action against Young when he took part in a 23 day hunger strike requesting a policy change, putting and end to the interviews.

In July he subsisted only on an electrolyte mix of water, one teaspoon of salt, and one tablespoon of honey.

Earlier this year, Young marched across Salt Lake City with more than 1,000 protesters, including eight of his grandchildren. He delivered three books of victims' testimonies to Mormon church headquarters.

The testimonies contain two accounts of suicide that relatives claim were a direct result of mental health complications from interviews.

It detailed 97 accounts of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide; and accounts from dozens of women who said they were blamed by their bishops when reporting rape or assault.

Hundreds more recorded in detail the explicit questions regarding masturbation, sexual intimacy and sexual orientation they were asked by bishops.One of Britain's most notorious prisoners has dismissed his ex-wife's 'frail old man' jibe by sharing a photo of himself flexing his muscles.

Charles Bronson, 66, married Coronation Street actress Paula Williamson, 38, in Wakefield Prison last year after exchanging letters and falling in love.

But their relationship quickly fell apart and a photograph of Williamson with a lad's head in her boobs sparked outrage from Bronson who demanded a divorce.

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Charles Bronson, who is currently serving time at HMP Frankland in County Durham, shared this image of himself to rebuff claims from his estranged wife Paula Williamson that he is a 'frail old man'

Charles Bronson (left and right) is famed for his fitness regime and is said to do around 2,000 press-ups in his cell everyday. Now named Charles Salvador, his former surname name is due to feature on a new brand of fitness supplements

Bronson, who is now called Charles Salvador in honour of artist Salvador Dali, was subsequently slammed by his estranged wife earlier this month.

According to The Sun, Ms Williamson said in a scathing attack: 'He's not this hard geezer  if anything he's a frail little old man.

'At his parole hearing he started crying when he found out he'd been turned down. He also blubbed at our wedding  he's soft.

Paula Williamson (pictured) spoke to Loose Women about the breakdown of her marriage to Charles Bronson. The break-up came after 'inappropriate' pictures of her with various men whilst on holiday in Tenerife

'Charles isn't buff any more. He's lost loads of muscle mass and has saggy skin  I'm glad I never had to have sex with him.'

Bronson was jailed for life in 1999 for taking a prison art teacher hostage - although he has been in jail since 1974.

He is a notorious keep fit fanatic and works out in his cell at HMP Frankland every day and is even releasing his own brand of fitness supplements.

Responding to Ms Williamson's comments, he boasted that he is far from a frail old man and that he could even beat SAS recruits in a press-up challenge.

He told a friend: 'Despite being an OAP I can do 94 press-ups in 30 seconds.

'The SAS have to do 60 press-ups in 60 seconds so I smash that in half the time.'

He made the comments to new pen-pal Jasmine Lennard - an ex of Simon Cowell - who posted several of the letters she has received to Twitter.

She told The Sun: 'How dare Paula try and tarnish him like this.'

Bronson spoke to his new pen-pal Jasmine Lennard about the comments his estranged wife Paula Williamson made. Ms Lennard shared some of the messages she and Bronson have exchanged on her Twitter page (above and below)

Captioning the images of Bronson's letters, she said: 'Meanwhile these are the inspiring words of Britain's supposed 'most violent prisoner' who's deemed too much of a threat to be allowed out of segregation let alone released back in public.'

In another she wrote: 'Someone just brought my Charlie mail to the hospital for me.

'Its made me SO happy I could cry. Its like exactly what I needed right now to cheer me up.'

Bronson's reputation for fitness will be tested later this year when he releases his own-brand of food supplements.

Products Bronson Fitness Ltd will be selling include Extreme Bronco Pre-Workout and Bronco Iso Whey.

Salvador also faces trial at Leeds Crown Court in November after allegedly attacking a prison governor at HMP Wakefield on January 25 this year.A heartbreaking video shows a chained up elephant swaying in distress after almost two months of 'rigorous training' for an Indian festival.

More than 400,000 people from all over India are expected to attend the annual Dasara festival in Mysuru in October.

During the festival's Jumbo Savari procession, 12 elephants are forced to walk more than 5km (three miles) with heavy weights on their backs.

A heartbreaking video shows a chained up elephant swaying in distress after almost two months of 'rigorous training' for an Indian festival

And the cost of training on one of the elephants set to take part is clear  as the animal is seen rocking helplessly from side to side in newly released footage.

PETA India has recently staged a protest calling for an end to the Dasara festival's use of the elephants.

Rangaraju, an elephant handler who is responsible for taking the animals from the wild, has taken part in more than 24 Darasa festivals.

Known as the 'nail man,' his job involves walking ahead of the elephants during the parade and watching out for nails, stones and other sharp objects that could injure them.

During the Dasara festival's Jumbo Savari procession, 12 elephants are forced to walk more than 5km (three miles) with heavy weights on their backs

An elephant handler says the training involved causes the feet of elephants to wear out

And he has admitted that the training involved causes the feet of elephants to wear out.

'Elephants spend a minimum of 50 days to two months in Mysuru and undergo rigorous training. This makes their feet wear out,' he said.

'As such a very small stone can cause a big injury and pus formation is easy once the leg is hurt.

'My job is to ensure that roads are smooth for the elephants to move.'

According to local media, some elephants are even poisoned by drunken mahouts looking to disrupt the event.



A jilted husband has been banned from flying for five years by a budget airline after he spilled secrets from the private diary of his air hostess wife telling of her sexual exploits with colleagues.

The 48-year-old mother-of-four had kept an intimate diary on her computer during her time working for Dutch low-cost airline Transavia, which is owned by KLM/Air France.

She revealed details she had sex with numerous colleagues, including details of romps on planes and during stopovers at rest places and hotels.

A jilted husband has been banned from flying for five years by a budget airline after he revealed details from his air hostess wife's diary telling of her sexual exploits with colleagues. Stock photo

But two years ago, the diary was discovered by her husband, who was furious to learn of her infidelity.

He passed the document to members of the media and also confronted male crew members over the revelations in the diary on two occasions.

The man, who is now divorced from the air hostess, confirmed he had been banned from flying with the airlines after a tussle with a Transavia pilot in 2015.

He said: 'His name was in the diary. I also have audio tapes. The pilot filed a criminal complaint, but the case was closed by the judiciary with a settlement.'

After the man sent excerpts of the diary to the media in 2016, his wife went to court to try and have the full release of the diary blocked.

The 48-year-old mother-of-four had kept an intimate diary on her computer during her time working for Dutch low-cost airline Transavia. File photo

She was backed up by Transavia as it felt the reputation of its staff, including a number of married pilots, as well as that of airline itself, was at stake.

But the case never went before a judge as the man managed to reach an out-of-court settlement with his ex-wife not to publish.

A Transavia spokesman said: 'Because of the defamation and abuse of our personnel he has been banned from flying for five years.'

The spokesman added: 'We take everything very seriously. An internal research has shown that the safety of passengers was never in doubt.

'Our colleagues consider those emails as unwanted and unacceptable as they harm our interests.'The family of a 13-year-old boy was charged after authorities found the boy  who was allegedly forced to sleep inside a dog crate  naked, with chains around his ankles at his home.

The boy's mother, Danielle Nicole Martin, 32, his stepfather, Joshua Daniel Martin, 26, and his grandmother, Vickie Seale Higginbotham, 58, were all taken into custody following an anonymous 911 caller's report of potential child abuse at their home.

Authorities said the 911 call came in on September 20. When deputies and investigators arrived at the Prattville, Alabama, home, they discovered the 13-year-old boy, who has not been named, naked with chains 'padlocked' around his ankles, according to a post on the Autauga County Sheriffs Office Facebook page.

The 13-year-old boy's mother, Danielle Nicole Martin, 32, his stepfather, Joshua Daniel Martin, 26, were arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after police received an anonymous 911 call about potential abuse at his home

The boy's grandmother, Vickie Seale Higginbotham, 58, was also arrested and charged

The chains were said to have linked the boy's ankles to a door, restraining him from normal movement. The investigation would later reveal that he had been tied up this way 'over a long period of time.'

The three adults were initially charged with torture/willful abuse of a child, but the charges were upgraded to aggravated child abuse after the investigation determined that the boy had been chained up for about 18 hours before authorities arrived and that it was not a one-time occurrence, the Montgomery Advertiser reported.

Danielle, Joshua and Vickie are expected to be hit with additional child abuse charges, since the investigation also revealed that the boy was allegedly forced to sleep in a dog crate at night.

During their court appearance Monday, Danielle and Joshua laid the blame for the boy's alleged abuse at Vickie's hands.

At their court appearance, both Danielle and Joshua blamed Vickie for the boy's treatment. Danielle said she tried to stop her mother, while Joshua said he was unaware of the abuse

'We didnt know what she did,' Danielle said, according to the newspaper. 'My mother has a mind of her own. I tried to stop her when she put him in the dog crate.'

Meanwhile, Joshua claimed to have been unaware of the abuse, stating that he woke up early for work, came home late and went straight to bed.

Vickie said that she was to blame for the boy's treatment and said that she 'did what was done to me when I was a child' because she didn't know what to do with him

Vickie told the judge that she accepted all the blame for the boy's treatment and said that she 'did what was done to me when I was a child' because she didn't know what to do with him.

She also said that both her daughter, Danielle, and Joshua had 'nothing to do with this' and that she 'made a mistake' and 'would never harm a child on purpose.'

Authorities testified that in addition to being chained up, the boy was forced to stay in a closet-like room during the day, which was just big enough for a mattress on the floor.

When the judge asked Danielle if anybody in the house used drugs and she said no, the judge remarked, 'That fact that youre not on drugs makes it worse,' according to the Montgomery Advertiser.

The boy was taken to the hospital and treated for malnutrition.

Two other children, ages 5 and 12, said to be the boy's half-siblings, were also removed from the home by authorities.

All three children were placed in the care of Alabama's Department of Human Resources.

Meanwhile the three adults were sent to Autauga Metro Jail with $30,000 cash bonds each.A second trial got under way in Mississippi this morning in the brutal 2014 murder of 19-year-old Jessica Chambers after the first trial ended in a hung jury.

Prosecutors say evidence will show Quinton Tellis killed Chambers by setting her on fire, but defense attorneys say prosecutors cant prove it and that another man killed her.

Tellis is being retried on capital murder charges, after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict last year.

Opening statements began Tuesday in Panola County Circuit Court in Batesville in a trial that could last a week. Jurors were selected Monday in Starkville more than 120 miles away because of pretrial publicity.

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Take two: Quinton Tellis, 29, is pictured in Mississippi court Tuesday on Day 1 of his second trial. He is accused of killing 19-year-old Jessica Chambers by setting her on fire in 2014

Jurors heard testimony from Jessica's mother, Lisa Chambers (seen left on the witness stand), who talked about the teen's final days

Jessica's best friend, Lakesha Meyer, testified about meeting Tellis for the first time, just a few days before the deadly attack

Dr. Carolyn Higdon, a speech language pathology expert, told the court that based on Jessica's injuries, the woman would have been unable to utter the names 'Eric' or 'Derrick'

Ben Chambers, father of Jessica Chambers, is seen in the courtroom on the first day of the retrial of Quinton Tellis in Batesville Tuesday

Tellis faces another murder indictment in the 2015 stabbing death of another woman in Monroe, Louisiana. Hes already pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of her debit card.

The 29-year-old defendant is currently serving a prison sentence in Mississippi on an unrelated burglary charge.

Prosecutors say cellphone locations, video, DNA on a keychain and Tellis statements link him to Chambers death. A new witness may testify she picked up Tellis that night near where Chambers was burned.

'Once you hear all the evidence the state offers, youre going to have plenty of evidence to convict him of capital murder,' Panola County Assistant District Attorney Jay Hale told jurors.

The defense emphasized that multiple emergency workers heard the dying Chambers say someone named 'Eric' attacked her, calling the prosecutions evidence 'speculation' or 'unreliable.'

Defense attorney Darla Palmer urged jurors to disregard evidence about cellphone locations that she said cant prove Tellis and Chambers were in exactly the same place.

Deputy Prosecutor Jay Hale holds up a picture of Jessica Chambers in court Tuesday

Defense attorney Darla Palmeron gives an opening statement during Day 1 of the retrial

Tellis' first trial in 2017 ended in a hung jury because the panel could not reach a verdict

'This evidence is always going to show, its always going to say Eric did it, no matter what the state does to diminish that, and we would ask that you find Quinton not guilty.'

Hale said investigators had interviewed many people named Eric or Derek but ruled all of them out. He said that after the inquiry reached a dead end, investigators re-examined Tellis who had been an early suspect.

Hale said investigators focused on him after he changed his story and admitted he had been with Chambers later on the Saturday of her death.

'Quinton Tellis had not been truthful to investigators,' Hale said.

On the first day of testimony, the jury heard from Jessica's mother, Lisa Chambers, who described in detail the last few days in her daughter's life, reported WREG.

Next up on the stand was Jessica's best friend Lakesha Meyer, who recounted how she first met Tellis a few days before Chamber's death, and how the 19-year-old introduced the man as just a friend.

Jessica suffered burns to 98 per cent of her body and later died from her injuries

After a break, Dr. Carolyn Higdon, a speech language pathology expert, took the witness stand, telling the court that based on her analysis of autopsy photos showing extensive damage to the victim's mouth, larynx and lungs, and her conversations with Chambers' doctor, the young woman would have been unable to utter the names 'Eric' or 'Derrick.'

That testimony could help undercut a key defense argument  that multiple EMTs heard a dying Chambers say someone named 'Eric' attacked her. Defense attorneys urged jurors to trust that testimony  a foundation of their arguments in the first trial.

Tellis has always insisted that he is innocent, telling police in the interrogation room, even after being threatened with the death penalty if it went to trial: 'I told the truth. I didn't kill Jessica. It ain't even in my heart to kill nobody.'

His family claim that the police are simply looking for someone to blame in the case, which has become a highly charged racial issue after Tellis, who is black, was arrested for the death of the pretty, white cheerleader.

Chambers told her mother, Lisa, she was going out to get something to eat at around 5.15pm, on December 6, 2014.

Speaking to the producers of the new docu-series 'Unspeakable Crime: The Killing of Jessica Chambers,' which premiered September 15 on Oxygen, Lisa said she called Jessica while she was out to see what time she would be home.

Tellis (left) also faces another murder indictment in Louisiana, where he is accused in the torture death of Meing-Chen Hsiao (right), a 34-year-old Taiwanese graduate student

'I called her and she said ill be home in a little while Momma, but I love you.

'I told her I loved her too. She said, 'See you in a little bit.'

'That's the last I heard from her.'

Chambers later stumbled out of the woods near her hometown of Courtland, Mississippi, after she and her car were set on fire.

The last time Lisa Chambers saw Jessica alive was at the hospital. Her daughter had suffered burns to 98 per cent of her body and was barely clinging on to life.

The volunteer firefighters and first responders who found Jessica were shocked at the state of her injuries, with one describing her as resembling a 'zombie.'

He said that one of his fellow firefighters had asked her who had done this to her.

'She said "Eric did this." We were all kinda stunned.

During the investigation, police interviewed several people called Eric or Derek, but none were charged.

After Tellis was arrested, prosecutors told the court last year that Jessica may have been trying to say another name but her throat and mouth were so badly burned that it only appeared to sound like 'Eric' or 'Derek.'

Prosecutor John Champion said during the first trial that Tellis thought he suffocated Chambers while they were having sex before he drove her car to a back road.

Prosecutors also showed a number of text messages, which appeared to show Tellis, who was from the same neighborhood as the victim and attended her high school years earlier, pestering Jessica for sex.

After he believed he'd choked her to death, Champion said that Tellis ran to his sister's house nearby, jumped in his sisters' car, stopped to pick up gasoline from a shed at his house and torched Chambers' car and her.

Tellis also faces another murder indictment in Louisiana, where he is accused in the torture death of Meing-Chen Hsiao, a 34-year-old Taiwanese graduate student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Tellis will not return to Louisiana to face the charges or an indictment until the conclusion of his case in Mississippi because of the extradition agreement.A corrupt bankers sister who helped her brother launder more than 2million in bribes has been spared jail to look after her children - after falling pregnant again for the fourth time.

Single mother Tatjana Sanderson, 39, who is expecting her fourth child, let Channel Island accounts in her name be used to hide the dirty cash for her Anglo-Russian sibling, Andrey Ryjenko.

Last June Ryjenko, who has duel Russian and British citizenship, was jailed for six years after he was convicted of taking backhanders while working for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The 45-year-old was jailed in 2017 after he was convicted of accepting bribes to approve loans worth hundreds of millions of pounds to finance fuel projects in former Soviet states.

Sanderson last month pleaded guilty to concealing, converting or transferring criminal property between September 2007 and March 2010, following a long-running bribery case which led to convictions in Britain and the United States.

Tatjana Sanderson as leaves the Old Bailey, London today. She helped her corrupt banker brother launder over 2 million in bribes and has been spared jail to look after her children

The laundered money had been seized and remains in bank accounts, having not been touched by Sanderson, who lives in her parents' multi-million pound flat near Hyde Park, central London.

Judge Nicholas Cooke QC told Sanderson at The Old Bailey today she would have been jailed immediately had she benefited financially from her crime.

But despite saying the courts should 'make war' on financial criminals, he handed her a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years after adding judges would not 'make war on small children'.

He said: 'Corruption in the financial world and the world of banking is something upon which the criminal justice system needs to make war because it is such a devastating problem in many, many ways. It strikes at the fabric of society.

'However, we do not make war on small children and in this case that is what in some ways I would be doing, were I to send her immediately to prison.'

Corrupt banker Andrey Ryjenko was jailed for six years last June after he was convicted of conspiring to make or accept corrupt payments

Sanderson broke down in tears in the dock as the judge detailed how her baby daughter was diagnosed with cancer in October 2015 before receiving years of distressing treatment.

Judge Cooke added: 'Children with cancer need their parents to be fully committed for this extremely stressful period.

'There is a significant chance of relapse over the next few years and so this will prove a stressful time for the family.

'You have become pregnant again, so were I to send you to prison there would be additional suffering.'

Judge Cooke said that some may say 'she got pregnant deliberately to take advantage of the judge's potential mercy'.

But he added, 'I know better', having seen a doctor's report that she conceived after a contraceptive device had been fitted.

The judge said: Some might say I expect she got pregnant deliberately". I know better.

'You realised that a future pregnancy was not in the interests of your family so you had a device fitted.

At the time of the offences, Ryjenko was employed in a role which required him to consider equity investment and loan applications from firms.

Took bribes to approve loans worth millions of pounds to finance huge gas and oil projects in former Soviet states

The court heard he accepted more than 3.5 million dollars - then worth just over 2 million - in return for approving loans for Dmitrij Harder, then principal owner of Chestnut Consulting Group, based in Southampton, Pennsylvania, in the United States.

Their plot was formulated after financial consultant Harder revealed his company had been retained by a Russian-based oil firm to obtain project financing in September 2007.

Ryjenko seized the opportunity to abuse his position and make money corruptly by directing his employer's potential clients to hire Harder as a financial consultant in exchange for a share of the hefty fees.

Bogus business cards were produced for Sanderson to convince her bank the funds were legitimate payments for work carried out for Chestnut as the funds were funnelled into her accounts.

City of London Police were alerted in February 2010 by the chief compliance officer at the EBRD, after an anonymous tip-off sparked an internal investigation.

Ryjenko was jailed for six years after being convicted of conspiring to make or accept corrupt payments and transferring criminal property following a five-week trial at the Old Bailey.

Tatjana Sanderson worked for the Moscow office of Jones Lang LaSalle between 2007 and February 2008 as Director of Capital Markets, advising clients on buying and selling commercial real estate in Russia.

Then between May 2008 and April 2009 she was employed by Standard Bank as a senior manager.

Sanderson allowed her brother, Andrew Ryjenko, to hide the dirty cash in her Channel Island accounts, providing a 'safe haven' for the money

Despite never being employed or doing any work for Chestnut Consulting Group she received five payments from the company.

Sanderson, of Paddington, west London, developed mental health problems and had been declared unfit to stand trial.

But the jury decided she was involved in the corruption as a matter of fact and she was later found fit to plead to the charges after her condition improved.

Tom Little, QC, prosecuting said: This case can be summarised in one word - greed. Or alternatively, perhaps two words - familial greed.

Ryjenko and his sister, the prosecution say, conspired with a man called Dmititrij Harder to make and accept corrupt payments. Those are sometimes referred to as bribes.'

The Odd Bailey in London heard today that the laundered money had been seized by police and remains in bank accounts, having not been touched by Sanderson

Harder, the former owner and president of Chestnut Consulting Group Inc, was jailed in the US for five years for bribery.

The 45-year-old of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in April 2016 to two counts of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

In sentencing, US District Judge Paul Diamond ordered Harder to forfeit 1.9 million dollars (1.4 million).

Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Elspeth Pringle said: 'Tatjana Sanderson knew the millions of pounds she was storing in these bank accounts was taken through corrupt payments made to Ryjenko at his banking job.

'Sanderson took the money to distance her brother's involvement in the corruption.

'The CPS showed in court the extent of the corrupt payments made to Ryjenko and how the money was then followed to Sanderson's accounts to secure this guilty verdict.'The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option.The ex-lover of the Bridalplasty contestant who was bludgeoned to death in 2016 has been found guilty of first-degree murder after he confessed to the killing.

Lisa Marie Naegle, 36, was a married registered nurse who rose to fame on the E! Reality show Bridalplasty in 2010.

Her skull was smashed with a hammer and her naked body buried in a shallow grave in the backyard of her 35-year-old lover and nursing student Jackie Jerome Rogers on December 18, 2016.

A jury of 12 convicted Rogers following a two-week trial and two years after her horrific death on Monday, according to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office.

Jackie Jerome Rogers, 35, (left) has been found guilty of murdering reality show contestant Lisa Marie Naegle by a jury on Monday in Los Angeles

Lisa Marie Naegle, 36, was a married registered nurse who rose to fame on the E! Reality show Bridalplasty in 2010. She was murdered by her student lover on December 18, 2016

He could face life in prison for his crime and his sentencing is set for the end of October, according to TMZ.

In a bombshell confession to authorities in December 2016, Rogers admitted to killing her after she told him she wanted to end their romance to patch things up with her husband.

Defense attorney Jeremy Lessem said that Rogers fell in love with Naegle, from San Pedro, who was his nursing teacher. He helped out in her classroom and the two would go out for lunch.

He said his client finally 'broke' after months of being 'toyed' with by Naegle, according to NBC4.

Naegle flirted with him and when Rogers passed his nursing certification she took him and friends to Las Vegas in June 2016 where they slept together.

'For the first time in his life ... there was somebody who really cared about him,' Lessem said.

A jury of 12 convicted Rogers following a two-week trial on Monday, according to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office. Rogers pictured above in court in December 2016

His attorney said he snapped after Naegle 'toyed' and flirted with him for months but never left her husband. The night of her murder she allegedly told Rogers she wanted to end their relationship to patch things up with her husband

Rogers and Naegle were seen leaving a party together on surveillance footage in the early morning hours of December 18, 2016 in Torrance, California, before she went missing

The death certificate (above) issued by the Los Angeles County Coroner did not specify cause of death. The circled word 'DEFERRED' indicated that that authorities were not sure

She also told Rogers she and her husband weren't in love. But she didn't leave him and went in for in vitro fertilization appointments a week before she was murdered.

Around her friends she reportedly ridiculed Rogers - who has developmental disabilities - and called him 'Lennie' from 'Of Mice and Men'.

His attorney said Rogers suffered after 'the repeated mental abuse over a six-month period'.

Rogers finally snapped on the night of December 18, 2016 at a party at Alpine Village in Torrance, California.

At first Rogers told police he dropped Naegle off at a bar past midnight following the party. But surveillance footage showed her getting into his SUV around 2am.

Rogers said in the car she started to hit him and he started to cry and then attacked her.

Rogers attorney said that Naegle flirted with him, helped him in class, and slept with him but didn't want to leave her husband, torturing the student until he finally 'snapped'

'Just snapped. Something broke...it all finally came crashing down,' Lessem said.

She and Rogers were last seen in the parking lot of a Jack in the Box restaurant and she had allegedly broken up with him in the car to return to her husband.

At 2.45am she texted her husband Derek Harryman to say she was grabbing food then coming home.

Rogers killed her with eight blows to the head with the hammer, crushing her skull into pieces.

She was unheard of following that text and she found two days later naked and face down in Roger's yard, TMZ reported.

'Miss Naegle did not deserve to die. This is a tragedy' Lessem said in court, adding the killing was 'the act of a very damaged, very hurt person with intellectual deficits who broke down and did something he never should have done.'The Republican-run Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a vote for Friday morning on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh  hours after the Supreme Court nominee and a female accuser will deliver bombshell testimony.

The committee announced that the vote is set for 9:30 AM on Friday  the morning after the blockbuster hearing where key holdouts say they will be watching to decide whether or not to vote to confirm Kavanaugh.

Such a move could clear the way for a swift floor vote  if Republicans can muster the votes to confirm Kavanaugh despite swirling accusations.

Even if the Judiciary panel does not provide a favorable recommendation, Senate leaders can bring Kavanaugh's nomination to the floor for a vote.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley said he is holding back the name of the female lawyer who will question Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford for the lawyer's safety

The announcement came in the form of a jargon-filled email that only hinted at the controversy and serious sexual assault allegations facing the nominee, who denies them.

'As a procedural matter, the Judiciary Committee today noticed a potential executive business meeting for Friday, September 28 at 9:30 a.m,' said a message from Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley's office.

'Committee rules normally require executive business meetings to be noticed three days in advance, so an executive business meeting is being noticed tonight in the event that a majority of the members are prepared to hold one on Friday,' the announcement said.

The push to vote on Kavanaugh comes after the panel's chair agreed both Kavanaugh and accuser Christine Blasey Ford would be allowed to testify  but under terms that drew complaints from Ford's attorney.

Assuming that hearing runs a few hours during questioning, the committee vote would come less than 24 hours after it ended.

Republicans have increasingly blasted Democrats for what they called delay of a vote, while panel Democrats say they want to assess the accusations, and note that Republicans stalled President Obama's Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland for 10 months.

Senate Republicans have engaged a female lawyer to question Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's accuser  but are refusing to release her name.

The Senate Republicans who oversaw three days of hearings on Kavanaugh are preparing to hand over their normal investigative role int he blockbuster hearing set for Thursday.

Having the lawyer pepper Christine Blasey Ford with questions might spare the Senate Republicans who run the committee of potentially bad optics of having the all male, aging committee members conducting a televised interrogation of a woman claiming assault.

But the identity of the lawyer herself remains a mystery. 'We aren't announcing the name for her safety,' Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley of Iowa told Politico.

Ford'a lawyer, Debra Katz, blasted the decision not to hand over the name of the lawyer  which might allow for better preparation  in an email to Grassley's chief lawyer.

'Are there reasons  other than strategic advantage and unfair surprise  that you will not tell us the name of the experienced sex crimes prosecutor?' Katz wrote, USA Today reported.

THESE GUYS KNOW HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS ALSO: The all-male Senate Republican panel elected to hire a female lawyer to ask questions of Kavanaugh's accuser

'Are there reasons  other than strategic advantage and unfair surprise  that you will not tell us the name of the experienced sex crimes prosecutor?' wrote Ford's lawyer Debra Katz to the committee

Committee counsel Mike Davis also replied that it was 'for safety reasons'  although the Capitol has its own police force and has various ways to ensure the safety of visiting dignitaries and lawmakers.

Another of Ford's lawyers, Michael Bromwich, complained: 'This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate. 'Neither Dr. Blasey Ford nor Judge Kavanaugh is on trial. The goal should be to develop the relevant facts, not try a case,' he added.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought up the decision when asked how an all-male committee and an all-male GOP leadership committee could make decisions that have such an impact on women.

'We're looking for the truth here. I don't think because you happen to be a male you are disqualified from listening to the evidence and making a decision based upon the evidence,' said McConnell.

'We have hired a female assistant to go on staff and to ask these questions in a respectful and professional way. We want this hearing to be handled very professionally. Not a political side-show like you saw put on by the Democrats when they were questioning Judge Kavanaugh,' he said.

Republican senators have been told to prepare for a possible floor vote on Kavanaugh's nomination this weekend. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said if Kavanaugh's was reported by the Judiciary Committee by Friday, a vote could occur 'by the first part of next week.'

Judiciary member Sen. Orrin Hatch is even more anxious for a vote. 'I think it's going to be pretty hard to move this along without having votes on, certainly Friday and Saturday,' he said, predicting a weekend work session, BuzzFeed reported.

Christine Blasey Ford is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday

Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh will testify in his own defense Thursday, after vigorously denying assault allegations in a Fox News interview

Kavanaugh defended himself in an appearance on Fox News

Democrats plan to ask their own questions of Ford and Kavanaugh.

A day after Kavanaugh proclaimed his innocence and President Trump bashed a second accuser, Debbie Ramirez, Senate leaders were setting a course for a quick vote.

'I look forward eagerly to hearing from both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh under oath this Thursday morning. I am glad we will be able to hear testimony from both,' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday in the Senate. 'And then I look forward to an up-or-down vote on this nomination right here on the Senate floor.'

Trump fired at Kavanaugh's accusers at the UN on Tuesday, saying Ramirez 'has nothing' and was 'totally inebriated and all messed up' at a Yale party decades ago where she claims Kavanaugh exposed himself.

Trump called it a ' con game being played by Democrats.'

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday the White House was 'open' to having a second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, testify on Thursday. Ramirez claims Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a Yale party decades ago.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee on Tuesday called the Ramirez allegation 'thin,' and added: ''This is really kind of getting carried away.' He added: 'It's feeling more like a circus.'A woman convicted of murdering a pregnant woman and slicing the baby from her womb has testified against the ex-boyfriend she was arrested alongside, claiming he pressured her to get a baby by any means necessary.

Brooke Crews testified on Tuesday in a Fargo, North Dakota courtroom, where her ex-boyfriend William Hoehn is fighting murder conspiracy charges in the August 2017 death of Savanna Greywind, 22.

Hoehn has admitted helping to cover up the crime, but says he didn't know that Crews had planned to kill Greywind and take her baby.

Crying and sniffling throughout her testimony, Crews told the court that she lied to Hoehn saying she was pregnant in order to save their relationship, which she described as as rocky, violent and fueled by booze and drugs.

William Hoehn watches testimony Tuesday in court where he is on trial for conspiracy in the August 2017 death of 22-year-old Savanna Greywind

Brooke Crews (above in February) took the stand, telling the court that Hoehn had pressured her to 'produce' a baby after she lied that she was pregnant to keep him from breaking up

Savanna Greywind (left and right) was eight months pregnant and living next door to Crews and Hoehn when she was murdered in August 2017

Greywind's boyfriend Ashston Matheny is seen with their daughter Haisley Jo, who survived the ordeal of being cut from the womb and is being raised by him now

This undated evidence photo shows a rope in connection with the August 2017 death of 22-year-old Savanna Greywind, who was pregnant when she was killed

After a breakup in December 2016, Crews went so far as to email him a phony positive pregnancy test and sonogram photo.

In early August, Hoehn told Crews he didn't believe she was pregnant and said she needed 'to produce a baby.'

Greywind (above) was eight months pregnant

Crews said she believed this was 'an ultimatum.'

'I took that to mean I better have a baby, no matter how it happened,' Crews said.

Greywind lived next door to the couple, and Crews said that Hoehn remarked on how pregnant she was - a remark Crews said she interpreted as a signal that they should take Greywind's baby.

Nevertheless, Crews admitted that Hoehn appeared surprised when he came home to discover she had sliced the child from the womb of Greywind, who was eight months pregnant.

'What the f**k?' Hoehn said, asking if Greywind was still alive, according to Crews.

'I don't know. Please help me,' Crews said she responded.

Crews said Hoehn then retrieved a rope and tightened it around Greywind's neck, saying: 'If she wasn't dead before, she is now.'

Crews said the couple kept ropes around the house because Hoehn liked to tie her up during sex, including tying one around her neck.

Sonogram images show Greywind's unborn child six months before the horror attack

Crews (left) said that she and Hoehn (right) hid Greywind's body in a closet, which police walked right by as they were searching the couple's apartment

She also said Hoehn expressed fantasies about killing people and Crews said she initially told him she would be interested in that too.

Greywind's disappearance sparked massive searches, and Crews testified that that during one police search of the couple's apartment, Greywind's body was in the bathroom closet and the baby was covered up next to Hoehn on a bed as cops walked right by.

She says Hoehn eventually moved Greywind's body to a hollowed-out dresser and the two of them took it out of the apartment.

Crews originally told police that Greywind had given her the child. She later told police they had argued and that she pushed Greywind down and knocked her out before cutting her open.

A medical examiner testified Monday that there was no evidence of any head injuries.

The trial of William Hoehn (seen right last week) continued on Tuesday in Fargo, North Dakota

Savanna Greywind's boyfriend Ashston Matheny holds their daughter, Haisley Jo, as victim impact statements are read during the Crews' sentencing in February

Community members are seen calling for justice in the case after Greywind's body was discovered following her murder in August 2017

William Hoehn appears via a video monitor last year in his initial court appearance in the case

Crews stuck to her story Tuesday, saying she pushed Greywind, who was knocked out when her head hit the bathroom sink.

Crews said that's when she got a knife and began cutting the baby out.

The medical examiner who performed the autopsy, Dr. Victor Froloff, testified Monday that he isn't sure whether Greywind died from blood loss or strangulation .

Crews pleaded guilty to murder and is serving life in prison without parole. She said she has no agreement with prosecutors for a lesser sentence in exchange for testifying.

Hoehn has pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping the baby and providing false information to law enforcement, but has denied he was part of the plot to kill Greywind.

The baby, a girl named Haisley Jo, is healthy and being raised by Greywind's boyfriend.Visiting igloos and taking husky rides in Lapland could soon come to an end, should indigenous leaders have their way.

Representatives of Finland's indigenous Sami are urging holidaymakers to stop such activities claiming non-Sami traditions are being passed off as authentic.

This they claim is exploiting their culture.

Finland's Sami parliament, a representative body in the nation's northernmost town of Inari, made the calls today and put forward proposals to sanction tour operators who do not comply.

The sight of husky dogs pulling a family on a sledge through a winter forest in Lapland (pictured) could soon be over should indigenous leaders have their way

These igloos (pictured) are not in keeping with Sami culture, according to representatives of the group. Tourists flocking to see them are said to be 'objectifying' the Sami people

A spokesman said: 'The widespread, inaccurate and primitive image of the Sami which comes across in exploitative tourism is at best objectifying and offensive to the Sami community.'

Among the issues highlighted were workers pretending to be Sami when they're not, and products or tourist attractions portraying Sami people as magical and primitive.

The spokesman continued: 'The repeated, public, inaccurate image and the spreading of incorrect information are harmful both to the Sami community and to the vitality of Sami culture.'

The Sami, formerly known as Lapps, are spread out across the northern parts of Sweden, Finland and Norway and the Russian Kola peninsula, in a region known as Lapland.

According to the Finnish Sami parliament, there are 10,000 Sami in Finland.

The proposal lamented the spread of non-Sami traditions being passed off as authentic, such as husky rides and igloos, and the widespread sale of low-quality handicrafts.

Finnish Lapland has become an increasingly popular destination for holidaymakers, who flock to the Arctic Circle in winter to meet the 'real' Father Christmas and engage in winter pursuits such as husky sledding.

Last year, visitors spent 3.5 million nights in Lapland, up from 2.6 million a decade earlier, according to Finland's tourist board.

No complaints have been raised about people visiting Father Christmas at Santa Claus Village (pictured) in Lapland

But some of the area's indigenous population feel the growth has been at their expense.

'There is a long and sad history of how Sami culture has been used in tourism,' said Kirsi Suomi, leader of the Culturally Responsible Sami Tourism project and lead author of the proposals.

The project, funded by Finland's culture ministry, gathered testimony from Samis about the impacts of tourism on their culture.

The proposal recommended that outside designated tourist zones, visitors should be banned from approaching - and potentially distressing - reindeer, a source of livelihood for many Sami.

Holidaymakers should also be urged not to photograph Sami dressed in their national costume, apart from those at tourist sites.

'If for example one person refrains from wearing Sami dress because they do not want to be photographed by tourists, that is one person too many,' the proposal stated.

Instead, the document advocated offering visitors a more authentic and culturally sensitive view of the Sami.

'Sami tourism should above all support the preservation of Sami culture and ways of life for future generations,' the proposal said.

The Sami share a common culture based on their closeness to nature, traditionally involved in reindeer herding or coastal fishing, fur trapping, and sheep herding.

They have strong cultural traditions, notably handicrafts and the singing of 'yoik' song chants, and speak related dialects of their Sami language.For years, Noel Francisco has worked behind the scenes for two Republican Presidents, largely avoiding the spotlight.

Now, all eyes are on him.

Francisco, the current Solicitor General in the United States Department of Justice, is slated to take over supervision of the investigation of Russias alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election should Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein resign or be fired by Trump, both of which are believed to be distinct possibilities soon.

Noel Francisco could have a major impact on the Russia probe if Rosenstein resigns or is fired

But just who is Noel Francisco? Heres all you need to know about him.

Who is Noel Francisco?

Noel Francisco is an attorney who currently serves in the Donald Trump administration as the Solicitor General of the United States. Notably, hes the first Asian-American confirmed by the U.S. Senate to hold the position, being of Filipino descent.

He was born in Syracuse, New York on August 21, 1969 and raised in the city of Oswego, New York.

Francisco attended Brandeis University in Massachusetts and later the University of Chicago, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later received his Juris Doctor in 1996 from the University of Chicago Law School and then worked as a law clerk on the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and for the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Later, Francisco worked for the law firm Cooper & Kirk and also for the George W. Bush administration starting in 2001, first as an Associate Counsel in the Office of Counsel to the President before serving in the Office of Legal Counsel for the Deputy Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice from 2003 to 2005.

Francisco later left the Bush administration in 2005 and returned to the private sector, working in the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm Jones Day where he argued a number of cases in Federal and state courts on a wide array of issues.

After Trumps election, Francisco was appointed Principal Deputy Solicitor General for the United States on January 23, 2017 while also serving as acting Solicitor General until March 10, 2017.

On March 7, 2017, he was formally nominated to the positon of Solicitor General by the White House and confirmed on September 19, 2017 after a 50-47 vote in the U.S. Senate.

After the resignation of Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand on February 8, 2018, Francisco became the third highest-ranking official currently in the U.S. Department of Justice.

How old is Noel Francisco?

Noel Francisco is 49 years old.

He was born on August 21, 1969.

Who is Noel Franciscos wife?

Noel Franciscos wife is Cynthia Francisco.

The couple currently resides in Washington, D.C. with their two daughters Maggie and Caroline.

Role in Mueller probe if Rod Rosenstein is fired or quits

In recent days, much speculation in Washington, D.C. has centered on what impact Francisco will have on the U.S. Department of Justice if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein resigns or is fired by President Trump.

It was recently revealed that Rosenstein reportedly planned to attempt to oust Trump by secretly recording him to build a case for removing him via the 25th Amendment, which states that the members of the Presidents Cabinet have the authority to notify Congress if they believe the President is incapable of performing his or her duties successfully, allowing Congress to vote on whether the Vice President should be made Acting President.

Many have speculated that Rosenstein, above, may be fired by Trump or resign on his own

While many expected Rosenstein to be swiftly terminated following this shocking revelation, Trump declined to do so, even inviting him into a Cabinet meeting to sit in for Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was traveling at the time.

Rosenstein will, however, meet with Trump on September 27 in a meeting that could possibly decide his fate in the Presidents administration.

Should Rosenstein ultimately be fired or resign from office, the consequences could be enormous. Notably, Francisco would oversee the Russia investigation currently being spearheaded by former FBI Director Robert Mueller.

As the third highest-ranking spot at the U.S. Department of Justice, Associate Attorney General remains officially unfulfilled since Rachel Brand left in February, the task of overseeing the investigation into Russias alleged interference in the 2016 election will fall on Francisco, as Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the probe.

By overseeing the investigation, Francisco would have immense influence on the probe by having the authority to approve indictments and decide if Mueller can take the investigation into new ground. Most important of all, he would also have the authority to terminate Mueller if he wished to do so.

Francisco has reportedly never overseen a criminal investigation before, though his past legal statements and writings have offered a glimpse into his views on Presidential power.

The president's constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute the laws requires adequate authority to remove subordinate officers.

The framers understood the close connection between the president's ability to discharge his responsibilities as head of the executive branch and his control over its personnel

The president's ability to execute the law is thus inextricably linked to his authority to hold his subordinates accountable for their conduct, he argued before the United States Supreme Court in February 2018, indicating a fairly broad view of Presidential power.

According to reports, Francisco also holds a skeptical view of special counsels, meaning that he could possibly not be nearly as open to supporting the Russia investigation as Rosenstein has.

Ultimately, the fate of the Russia probe likely lies in the future of Rosenstein and whether he will retain his position as Deputy Attorney General or leave his post via termination by the President or by stepping down on his own.The 55-year-old co-founder of the popular YouTube channel for girls, SevenAwesomeKids, was arrested on allegations of 'lewd or lascivious molestation' against one of his underage video stars.

Ian Rylett, the 55-year-old man who co-founded the YouTube channel, was arrested and charged in Orange County, Florida, after police were called to his hotel room following an incident that allegedly occurred between him and one of the girls in the chanel's videos on August 16.

Rylett is accused of having verbally abused the girl, who is under the age of 16, insisting that she take off her clothes in front of him and 'practice wrapping her breasts down, to make them appear smaller for the video shoot,' according to an arrest warrant obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Ian Rylett, 55, was arrested and charged with lewd or lascivious molestation of a minor after being accused of verbally abusing and fondling one of his YouTube channel stars

Rylett's SevenAwesomeKids YouTube video brand has 17million subscribers

The warrant also states that the girl, who has not been named, said that Rylett touched her breasts and fondled her during that time and even attempted to take off her underwear.

The girl allegedly told authorities that if she didn't do what he wanted, Rylett 'threatened to use the contract to fine her.'

Rylett, who lives in the UK, pleaded not guilty to the charge of lewd or lascivious battery of a minor of a minor child under the age of 16 during his August arraignment and is said to have surrendered his passport.

He is due to stand trial later this year.

Rylett's SevenAwesomeKids brand's seven YouTube channels  bearing names such as SevenFuntasticGirls and Seven PerfectAngels  have more than 17million subscribers combined, with the videos having been watched billions of times, according to The Verge.

The videos star a cast of more than 20 girls who are between the ages of eight and 18 years old.

All the channels remain live on YouTube, despite the company being aware of Rylett's arrest for alleged child molestation. No new videos have been posted since August 14, two days prior to Rylett's arrest.

The videos star girls between the ages of eight and 18, appearing in videos that have been watched more than a billion times

In a YouTube statement obtained by both BuzzFeed and The Verge, the streaming video company said, 'We take safety on YouTube very seriously,' and noted that 'We work closely with leading child safety organizations and others in our industry to protect young people. When were made aware of serious allegations of this nature we take action, which may include suspending monetization, or, upon conclusion of an investigation, terminating channels.'

The SevenAwesomeKids channels were indeed 'demonetized'  so the videos no longer receives lucrative ad dollars  by YouTube following Rylett's arrest, although YouTube never told the girls starring in the videos about Rylett's arrest, according to reports.

In 2017, comedian Daniel Tosh did a segment on his Comedy Central show Tosh.0 in which he questioned the demographic of people watching the SevenAwesomeKids videos.

'I'll level with you  I may have stumbled across something dark here,' he said in the clip.

He later asked, 'Whos watching all of these videos of little girls in bathing suits and taped up to beds?' I supect it's not just teenage girls, it's dude. Chomos, if you will.'

'Chomo' is said to be prison slang for child molesters.

Following the broadcast of the Tosh.0 episode, 'some of us started to get the feeling we were being groomed for some darker audience,' a former SevenAwesomeKids performer told BuzzFeed News, noting that things that had seemed innocent to her at the time 'like the themes, the leotards, and the camera angles  started to feel strange,' especially considering some of the girls in the video are as young as nine years old.

In the wake of Rylett's arrest, some of the former channel regulars have started to question the fact that there are 'no regulation or protections' for performers on platforms like YouTube, standing in start contrast to those put in place by traditional actors unions.

One of Rylett's channels, SevenGymnasticsGirls, said to be the most popular of channels, was terminated for violating YouTube's Community Guidelines in early August, not long before his arrest.Victims of the tainted blood scandal were labelled drug addicts or secret alcoholics as doctors tried to cover up the role of the NHS, an inquiry heard yesterday.

Around 30,000 patients were said to have been given unsafe blood products in the 1970s and 1980s, exposing them to hepatitis C and HIV. Some 3,000 are thought to have since died.

At the second day of the public inquirys preliminary hearings, chairman Sir Brian Langstaff was repeatedly told medical records of those affected had been destroyed or redacted.

Devastated wife who lost two husbands to deadly infections Liz Hooper lost two husbands  her first love and then her soulmate  to the infected blood scandal. The 53-year-old married haemophiliac Jeremy Foyle after they met at a village disco as teenagers. Mr Foyle was a talented salesman and his work allowed the couple to have a comfortable living. But Mr Foyles blood condition made much of life a struggle. He relied on a coagulant to stem the bleeds, and by the time he found out about his exposure to hepatitis C, the damage had already been done. In December 2008, Mr Foyle was taken to hospital after suffering a bleed at home but then developed a further bleed and suffered a cardiac arrest. Hepatitis C was recorded as the official cause of death. He was 43. Mrs Hooper, a mother from Warwickshire, later met Paul Hooper on the internet and they married in 2011. Mr Hooper, a former civil servant had told his wife that due to his haemophilia he had been infected with both hepatitis C and HIV. Last December, the 53-year-old lost his health battle. According to campaign group Tainted Blood, Mr Hooper is one of more than 70 victims who have died since Theresa May announced the inquiry. They were both fantastic men... who deserved their lives, they didnt deserve what they had done to them, Mrs Hooper told the BBC. I had my first love and I had my soulmate. Theyll always be with me. Advertisement

Sir Brian was urged by lawyers and individual victims to expose an alleged cover-up at a Department of Health steeped in a culture of losing records.

David Lock, QC, acting for 241 of those affected, emphasised that many victims had been accused of drug use, alcoholism or sexual promiscuity, with the NHS apparently desperate to wash its hands of any responsibility.

And Sam Stein QC, for four core participants, suggested criminal offences of grievous bodily harm, murder and conspiracy to murder could have been committed. Mr Stein added: It is clear that those responsible for the criminal infection of people through the supply of contaminated blood should be prosecuted. Those people who wiped out thousands of haemophiliacs and other people should pay for their crimes.

Karon Monaghan QC, representing another four key participants, said they believed there was clearly a cover-up and demanded the Government produce a schedule of what documentation had been destroyed, and why.

The shredding of potentially key evidence was initially blamed on an inexperienced member of staff, but the true extent of the loss of evidence has never been properly examined.

Departmental papers, apparently relating to the extent to which ministers were made fully aware of the facts during the 1970s were also destroyed.

Mr Lock added: We understand that there are reports that the private papers of the former Secretary of State, Dr David Owen, [now Lord Owen] were part of this destruction exercise.

He repeated a previous assertion that Department of Health paperwork was apparently destroyed with intent, in order to draw a line under this disaster. The TV broadcaster and author Lord Winston has previously called the scandal the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS.

Many of the infected products, often used for treating haemophilia or haemorrhages, were derived from the blood of drug addicts, prostitutes and convicts from the US.

Besides doctored medical records and inaccurate death certificates, many victims believe government officials deliberately destroyed evidence relating to groups like the Advisory Committee on the Virological Safety of Blood.

This disaster ruined lives and ruined families

Aidan ONeill, QC, represented 250 Scots affected, as well as Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum.

He said that when victims sought treatment, they were stigmatised by healthcare professionals, blamed for their conditions, accused of being drug addicts or secret alcoholics.

Mr ONeill added: Their medical records during their lives and sometimes their death certificates baselessly recorded and maintained these false accusations, based on ill-founded assumptions and prejudice and ignorance.

They asserted that the patients were themselves to blame.

Such records did not acknowledge that the state had caused these conditions by its own reckless and abusive conduct.

This disaster ruined lives and ruined families.

Lloyd Williams, QC, for 107 victims, also questioned the role of Lord Owen  health minister in 1974  who pushed for Britain to start producing its own blood products. The inquiry was asked to investigate what made him so concerned regarding the contamination of [blood products] purchased from America that he directed that measures should be put in place to become self-sufficient within five years.

The inquiry continues.Cordelia Adair, 31, was charged with five counts of chemical endangerment of a child after she was arrested by the Montgomery Police Department

An Alabama mother was detained on Friday after local authorities found that she exposed her five children to cocaine.

Cordelia Adair, 31, was charged with five counts of chemical endangerment of a child after she was arrested by the Montgomery Police Department.

Adair's four-year-old son, seven-year-old daughter, nine-year-old daughter, 12-year-old son and 13-year-old son were said to be the victims, according to the Montgomery Adviser.

Arrest affidavits state that the controlled substance was exposed to the children between June and September.

'MPD was contacted by DHR on Sept. 6 in reference to possible drug activity in the home,' MPD Captain Regina Duckett said.

'Following a joint investigation with DHR, warrants were secured against Adair. She was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force on Sept. 21 and charged.'

The children's current whereabouts are unknown as the Department of Human Resources would not release information pertaining to the investigation.

State law lists chemical endangerment of a child as a felony but the crime lies under three different classes.

Adair was charged with a Class C felony, applicable if a person 'knowingly, recklessly, or intentionally causes or permits a child to be exposed to, to ingest or inhale, or to have contact' with a controlled chemical substance.

She was held in custody on a $15,000 bond per count but Montgomery County District Judge Jimmy Pool decided to halve that amount on Monday.Feezan Choudhary is Britain's biggest ever bank transfer fraudster

They called him 'The Voice', and Feezan Choudhary certainly knew how to profit from his gift of the gab.

By the age of 24, the son of Pakistani immigrants from Pollokshields, a diverse and relatively affluent neighbourhood of Glasgow, had already acquired all the trappings of turbo-fuelled wealth.

A natural show-off with a social media habit, he wasn't afraid to flaunt them, either.

There was, for example, the fleet of supercars, including a Bentley, a Range Rover, a Rolls-Royce and a lime-green Lamborghini. Plus the global property portfolio, which included rental flats in Glasgow and Motherwell along with swanky holiday residences in Dubai and Lahore.

On Instagram, where he posed as a hot-shot music producer, 6ft 2in Choudhary cut a remarkable figure, dripping with gold jewellery (including a 48,000 Rolex watch) as he posted images of luxury hotel rooms and trips to favoured stores, including Harrods, where he once spent 98,500 in a single visit and carried such large wads of cash that staff mistook him for a celebrity.

His vanity knew no bounds. During a well-chronicled trip to the Middle East, he even paid for a professional photoshoot in which he stood atop a sand-dune, in gold-rimmed sunglasses and baroque-patterned Versace trousers, accompanied by a tiger.

Another time, to celebrate his engagement, he hired Bollywood star Bilal Saeed to headline at a glittering bash in Lahore. A film crew was hired to document proceedings, using aerial cameras mounted on a drone to capture him slipping a diamond ring on the finger of his dazzling fiancee Ayesha Nadeem.

Guests were then ferried around in a fleet of Porsche Cayenne SUVs, kept spick and span by Choudhary's favourite team of car valeters who had been flown 8,000 miles from Glasgow to Pakistan for the weekend.

Extravagant: Feezan Choudharys social media posts included a photoshoot with a tiger

Observers of these (and other) preposterous displays of conspicuous consumption often wondered what was fuelling this lifestyle: the suspiciously young multi-millionaire did not, after all, boast any obvious source of legitimate wealth.

As it eventually transpired, they were right to smell a rat. For Feezan Hameed Choudhary was subsequently exposed as a criminal mastermind: Britain's biggest ever bank transfer fraudster. As the leader of an audacious gang, with members across the UK, in just two-and-a-half years he managed to preside over the theft of an astonishing 113million from 750 hapless victims.

Choudhary created what police later described as a 'Monday-Friday, 9-5 operation' which saw them working in well-orchestrated teams that were 'smashing victims all day, every day, and running their criminal business like a proper business'. At their height, they were stealing 2million a week.

Choudhary's career, which ended when he was jailed in 2016, offers a chilling insight into not just the slick modus operandi of Britain's growing army of financial scammers, but also the myriad failures of major banks and law-enforcement agencies that allow them to get away with it.

As yesterday's Mail revealed, transfer fraud has roughly doubled in the past year alone, with bank customers now losing up to 1million daily.

A mere 20 per cent of the stolen money is being recovered, while shocking figures from Which? show that just one in every 25 cases reported to Action Fraud, the police's under-resourced fraud and cyber-crime centre, are solved.

In another social media picture, he flaunted a Rolex watch and a lime-green Lamborghini

The true extent of this spiralling problem is likely to be even worse, since large numbers of victims are thought to be too embarrassed to report the crimes in the first place.

Against this sorry backdrop, two precious resources allowed Choudhary to build his ill-gotten fortune.

Firstly, he controlled a network of corrupt junior bank staff who were prepared to steal statements on his behalf. And secondly, he developed a priceless ability to sweet-talk the ordinary men and women named on those statements into revealing their internet banking details over the telephone.

Clever and highly articulate, Choudhary used a mixture of Scottish, Welsh and cut-glass English accents when calling victims, posing as a member of their bank's fraud department who had spotted suspicious activity on their accounts.

To convince them he was genuine, he'd quote information gleaned from their private bank statements, detailing recent transactions, account balances and even the name of their relationship manager at their local branch.

He'd originally obtained those statements via crooked employees at a range of high street banks, who were paid 250 for each one they passed to him. Three of them, who worked for Lloyds, were subsequently convicted.

Once Choudhary had gained a victim's trust  and with it the details required to access their accounts online  he'd keep them talking while a team of accomplices transferred large sums of money to a network of hundreds of UK accounts his gang controlled.

Suspiciously the young multi-millionaire did not boast any obvious source of legitimate wealth

These accounts, where the stolen money was deposited, were known as 'mule' accounts.

Some of them had been opened under fake names by the corrupt bank staff (again for a small fee). Others had been purchased from overseas students who'd finished studying at UK universities and had no further need for their British current accounts.

Soon after the stolen money landed, it was then either withdrawn from UK cashpoints in small tranches or transferred on to accounts in Dubai and Pakistan where large volumes of cash could be more easily laundered.

The more times Choudhary carried out his scam, the more audacious his methods became.

At one point he even installed a team of fraudsters in an upmarket room inside a 1,000-a-night suite at the May Fair Hotel in London.

Their ranks included an expert in telecoms 'spoofing'  a technique that allows fraudsters to display false caller ID numbers, to convince victims they were genuinely being contacted by their bank. The team also included an IT professional who made sure the computers they used were untraceable.

Together they worked for days at a time, and each time they completed a 'hit' they would destroy their pre-paid phone SIM cards and internet dongles (small devices that plug into a computer's USB port and link it to the web).

One of the detectives who investigated the gang said: 'He got better and better, and more and more confident. He's got a very Scottish accent, but for the calls he put on a very soothing, professional English accent. He's a very good career criminal, but the way he preyed on his victims was horrendous. It's all down to pure greed. All the time he was just thinking about the money, not about the lives he was affecting and, in some cases, ruining.'

At one point he even installed a team of fraudsters in an upmarket room inside a 1,000-a-night suite at the May Fair Hotel in London

And Choudhary undoubtedly did ruin lives. His gang largely targeted independent tradesmen and small business owners, on the grounds that up to 100,000 could be withdrawn at a time from corporate accounts without automatically triggering bank security checks (for private accounts, the limit is smaller). Several of the companies were bankrupted, and one firm of solicitors lost more than 2million. One tradesman committed suicide after falling for the scam.

Among Choudhary's victims was entrepreneur Des Dillon, who runs a small property company. 'He told me someone in Aberdeen had got access to a [handheld] card reader and was attempting to use it to get into my account,' Mr Dillon recalled.

'I believed it because I'd ordered a new card reader and assumed it had been misappropriated. He was giving the impression it was a race against time to lock this person out. He was just so friendly, so talented, saying things like, 'I'm here to protect your interests.' '

Mr Dillon eventually lost 115,000. 'I feel a total idiot but I was let down by the bank's systems,' he added. 'The attitude at NatWest was just, 'Tough luck. You were the one that was conned.' '

While no two criminal gangs are identical, Feezan Choudhary and his team have several key features in common with other crooks who are profiting from Britain's bank fraud epidemic. Police sources say almost every leader of the gangs currently active are believed to have personal links to Pakistan, a lightly regulated country where cash can be easily laundered, but which is nonetheless part of the IBAN (international banking) network, meaning money can be wired there at the drop of a hat.

In July, for example, another British Pakistani, Muhammed Azhar, was jailed for running a 1.8million scam from a house in north-west London. He led the technical side of the operation while accomplice Alexander Wood, a well-spoken conman with a previous conviction for posing as the Duke of Marlborough to rip off luxury hotels, was the front-man who actually telephoned victims.

A senior officer with knowledge of that case estimates there are currently 'between three and five' active gangs who are responsible for stealing the vast majority of the 1million a day being lost to the crime in the UK.

'At the top end, they are almost all being run by British Pakistanis. The gangs have links between each other, and we believe they share the same laundering networks and in some cases are being taught how to carry out the crime by the same individuals,' he says.

'They tend not to be involved in other forms of crime, because this one is so lucrative and so low risk. The technical things you need to know are pretty easy to find out, and provided one or two members of your gang have the chat, which not everyone can master, you are away.'

Bringing them down would be 'perfectly possible', he adds, provided political will was mustered to target them.

Feezan Choudhary was brought to justice after a team from Falcon Taskforce, Scotland Yard's Fraud And Linked Crime Online Taskforce, were instructed to focus on the rising transfer fraud epidemic. They spent six months investigating his gang, with support from 16 police forces.

When he was eventually arrested, police found more than 120,000 in cash, plus gold bars and a money launderer's 'toolkit' containing more than 100 bank cards, complete with PINs, plus a selection of card readers, SIM cards, mobile phones and laptops. Of the 113million he stole, around 47million was recovered. Nineteen members of his gang were convicted, getting a total of 39 years in prison, while Choudhary himself got 11 years.

Yet despite this success, police cuts meant that Falcon Taskforce was disbanded not long after the trial was completed in late 2016.

Scandalously, no law-enforcement agency is currently being given resources to carry out similar investigations, which require extensive surveillance work.

So it goes that, while the fraudster they called 'The Voice' languishes behind bars, a host of equally prolific crooks continue plying their evil trade with virtual impunity.Rape arrest: Pareisha Johnson, 30, was arrested in Memphis Monday on a charge of aggravated statutory rape involving her 17-year-old male relative

A Memphis woman has been arrested on rape charges for allegedly having sexual relations with a teenage relative.

Shelby County jail records indicate that Pareisha Johnson, 30, was taken into custody just before 3pm on Monday on a count of aggravated statutory rape.

According to court filings cited by Fox 13, a Memphis mother contacted police earlier this month, saying that Johnson was having sex with her 17-year-old son, who is also the defendants family member.

When police questioned the 30-year-old, Johnson reportedly admitted to performing oral sex on her teenage relative in the living room of her home in the 5000 block of Dunnellion Avenue, reported WREG.

Johnson was released from jail on Tuesday after posting $5,000 bond.

Online records reveal that the Memphis resident has an extensive criminal history that includes at least a half-dozen arrests.

Johnson has an extensive criminal history that includes at least a half-dozen arrests on charges ranging from driving violations to theft of property (pictured in past mugshots)

Johnson was arrested in 2013 for driving with a suspended license.

A year later, she was arrested on counts of driving while license suspended, speeding and violation of financial law.

Later that same year, she was jailed on a charge of theft of property under $1,000.

In May 2017, Johnson filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy, which allows people with a steady income to develop a plan to repay their debts.Other Council Actions

Paris City Council took the following action at a Monday meeting, all on unanimous votes with Mayor Steve Clifford absent.

 Approved the purchase of 150 acres on SW Loop 286 by Paris Economic Development Corp. for a second industrial park at a cost of $1.1 million for property and land preparation.

 Approved budget amendments to the 2017-18 Paris Economic Development Corp. for auditing purposes.

 Authorized a solid waste collection permit for County Trash Service.

 Approved zoning change from office district to general retail district at 2300 Clarksville St.

 Approved zoning change from general retail district to general retail district with a specific use permit for permanent make-up, micro-blading and tattoo salon at 3703 Lamar Ave.A Texas bride who flew to Hawaii for her dream destination wedding and honeymoon earlier this month has been left paralyzed after a freak accident while boogie boarding.

Nikki Lewis, 36, is in a hospital in Honolulu, unable to walk and relying on the care of her new husband Will.

On September 12, the mother-of-two from Prosper, Texas, was boogie boarding in Maui with friends when a rogue wave sent her head first into the sand and broke her neck in two places.

She and Will, who has a son of his own, got married four days earlier and they had decided to stay on in Hawaii to start their honeymoon and spend time with friends and family.

Nikki Lewis, 36, is pictured left in hospital and right, on September 8. On September 12, four days after her wedding in Hawaii, she was paralyzed by a rogue wave which broke her neck in two places

Now, they are asking for donations to help pay for her round-the-clock care.

Since the accident, she has been able to regain enough strength to sit up, feed herself and talk.

It remains uncertain if she will ever walk again but her family is hopeful.

On the day of the accident, Nikki's friends said they watched as she got on her board while a huge wave rose behind her.

It crashed down on her and sent her face first into the sand. They watched nervously from the shore and waited for her to get up but she did not move.

The 36-year-old mother-of-two is shown before her accident in an excited selfie taken before her wedding

On September 8, Nikki married Will Lewis. The couple have three boys between them

'It seemed like the wave was just bigger than me standing up and I'm six feet tall, so it just engulfed her; kind of landed on top of her and nose dived her into the sand,' friend Ja'Mikal Moorer told KITV.com.

'You say in your head, like, "Get up. Get up!" but she didn't get up,' he added.

It took four men to pull her out of the water, he said, because the waves continued to pound down on her.

At first, doctors did not think the young mother would be able to walk again. She has been able to sit up and even dance in her bed since she was first hospitalized and her husband says she is remaining positive

Friends are now trying to raise funds to get Nikki back to Texas. She remains in Honolulu

Among the group of rescuers was an off-duty paramedic who ran into help them.

They called for an ambulance and she was airlifted from Maui to Honolulu to receive treatment.

Now, is making progress and is able to sit up and feed herself.

She is still confined to a wheelchair.

The family has raised $45,000 of the $100,000 they hope to get through GoFundMe donations.

On Facebook, Nikki's new husband Will refers to her frequently as a 'miracle'. He did not think she would ever be able to walk again when she was first hospitalized.

The family is still unsure when she will be able to return to Texas to continue treatment.Monica Youngblood (pictured) was found guilty of DWI in court yesterday even though she maintained her innocence and is contesting the next state election in November

A New Mexico state lawmaker has been found guilty of drink driving after tearfully begging police not to arrest her during a roadside sobriety test, declaring I always fight for you guys.

Monica Youngblood, 41, a Republican from Albuquerque, was arrested in May on suspicion of aggravated DWI during a checkpoint stop.

Police said the 41-year-old had bloodshot eyes, smelled of alcohol and that she failed to perform well on four different field sobriety tests.

Nearly 40 minutes of police bodycam footage shows Youngblood being questioned by officers at the checkpoint and later when she was handcuffed and taken for processing.

A judge today convicted Youngblood of aggravated drunken driving, a verdict that comes as a blow in the last months of the tough-on-crime Republican lawmakers re-election campaign.

She maintained her innocence in a legal battle that culminated in a nearly four-hour bench trial at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.

Monica Youngbloods attorney, Paul Kennedy, said in his opening statement in Metropolitan Court that there was no evidence that his client was impaired that night.

Police said the 41-year-old had bloodshot eyes, smelled of alcohol and that she failed to perform well on four different field sobriety tests including walking in a straight line

Youngblood, who refused to take a breath test, insisted that she hadn't had a drink and was instead upset over a fight with her boyfriend when she was stopped at the DWI checkpoint

She had done 'not only well, but very well' on field sobriety tests, he was reported as saying by the Albuquerque Journal.

However, Judge Kevin Fitzwater was unmoved by her defense. He described her demeanor in police video of the episode as either flippant or that of someone whose faculties were impaired.

Youngblood faces a minimum of 48 hours in jail and up to 90 days behind bars as well as $500 in fines, drug screening and completion of a DWI education program.

Fitzwater scheduled Youngbloods sentencing for October 3.

Youngblood, who refused to take a breath test on the night of her arrest, insisted that she hadn't had a drink and was instead upset over a fight with her boyfriend.

She tearfully begged the officers not to arrest her before repeatedly telling them that she's a legislator who fights for police.

'I literally fight for you guys... I fight for you guys every time I get the chance,' Youngblood can be heard saying from the back of the squad car.

The officer responds: 'That doesn't make it okay for you to drink and drive.'

The Republican lawmaker is seen sticking her tongue out during the sobriety tests

After completing the series of tests, Youngblood appeared shocked (above) when the officer said he was placing her under arrest for drunk driving

The Republican lawmaker also told the officer that she had sponsored legislation that would reinstate the death penalty for cop killers.

'So many people tell me that you guys treat people of color like s**t, and I always stood up for you,' Youngblood can be heard saying.

Youngblood has also sponsored legislation that would give harsher penalties for repeat drunk drivers, as well as a bill that would not allow those arrested for a DWI to be released on their own recognizance.

She was booked on one count of aggravated DWI for declining a breath test.

Prior to her arrest, the bodycam footage shows the officer asking Youngblood to get out of her car so she could perform a series of sobriety tests.

She was asked to count backwards, recite the alphabet, walk in a straight line and stand on one leg.

The Republican lawmaker (above in 2016) said she had sponsored legislation to reinstate the death penalty for cop killers. She also supported a bill for harsher penalties for repeat drunk drivers

Throughout the ordeal, Youngblood repeatedly complained that she was cold despite the officer commenting that the temperature was in the high 60s.

After completing the tests, Youngblood appeared shocked when the officer said he was placing her under arrest.

'I did everything that you asked me to do officer, please... Officer are you kidding me?' she said.

At one point during her arrest, Youngblood appeared to suggest she was being mistreated because the officer wouldn't remove the handcuffs so she could wipe her face of tears.

Youngblood was released that same day after her arrest and is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on June 13.

She later said in a statement to KOB-TV that she regretted not taking a breath test.

Youngblood, a real estate agent, first won the seat in 2012 by 10 percentage points over a Democratic opponent. She was unopposed in the last two election cycles.

As a legislator, Youngblood has pushed to reinstate the death penalty in New Mexico and sponsored DWI-related legislation.The full text of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's exit statement was revealed on Tuesday after Monday's dramatic turn of events that left questions about his status in President Trump's administration.

The statement from the Justice Department spoke of his 'many and significant' contributions but it never had to be used as Rosenstein did not end up exiting the agency.

'Rod Rosenstein has served the Department of Justice with dedication and skill for 28 years. His contributions are many and significant. We all appreciate his service and sincerely wish him well,' it said, according to Axios.

The rest of the statement detailed who would take over his duties.

Rod Rosenstein exit statement from DoJ Rod Rosenstein has served the Department of Justice with dedication and skill for 28 years. His contributions are many and significant. We all appreciate his service and sincerely wish him well. Matt Whitaker, my Chief of Staff for the last year, will instill confidence and uphold the integrity of the Department as the second highest law enforcement officer in the Nation. Finally, I am confident that Noel Francisco will oversee the special counsel with a commitment to justice as Acting Attorney General for this matter. As I have said before, the American people deserve an expeditious resolution of this investigation consistent with the rule of law. Advertisement

It was written by Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores in the voice of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and sent to the White House Monday morning, the news website reported.

But it stay on the shelf after Rosenstein remained in his job.

Following a flurry of reports Monday that Rod Rosenstein would head to the White House to tender his resignation, the deputy attorney general turned up to attend a routine Cabinet meeting instead.

Rosenstein's head was thought to be on the choppping block following a spate of negative press revolving around alleged plots to secretary record President Trump and use the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a lever to force him from office.

A handful of media outlets, led by Axios, reported that Rosenstein had toldWhite House Chief of Staff John Kelly that he was leaving his post in anticipation that Trump would swing the axe.

'He's expecting to be fired,' a source told the news website Axios.

Bloomberg News reported that Kelly, who spoke with Trump on the phone before the president's lunch in New York City, had accepted Rosenstein's resignation.

But within an hour the Justice Department's second-in-command was attending a previously scheduled Cabinet meeting in the West Wing, sitting in for a traveling Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

President Trump told reporters later in the day that he'd spoken to Rosenstein on the phone and would be meeting with him on Thursday at the White House.

'We'll be determining what's going on,' Trump said as he was peppered with questions about the deputy attorney general's employment status during a meetin in New York with the South Korean president. 'We want to have transparency. We want to have openness, and I look forward to meeting with Rod at that time.'

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (right) was expecte dto be out of a job by lunchtime Monday after meeting with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly (left) but instead he talked to President Donald Trump on the phone and arranged a meeting Thursday to talk about his future

Rosenstein left the White House after attending a regularly scheduled Cabinet meeting in the place of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was traveling; news reports swirled that he was on his way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to tender his resignation or be fired

United States Solicitor General Noel Francisco (left) would oversee the Russia probe if Rosenstein were to leave;Justice Department Chief of Staff Matt Whitaker (right) was reportedly set to become acting deputy AG

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders had hinted in a statement that crunch time won't come for another three days, because of Trump's travel to 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,' 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.'

Sanders on Tuesday declined to say if Trump has confidence in Rosenstein, saying on ABC's 'Good Morning America': 'The president has confidence in the system.'

'That's not what I asked,' ABC's George Stephanopoulos replied.

'I won't get ahead of the conversation that will take place. Certainly he wants things to take place. There have been a number of incidents that have caused a great deal of concern, not just to the president, but to Americans all over the country,' she said.

And she didn't answer when asked directly if the president would fire Rosenstein.

'I won't get ahead of the president's decision-making. Again, he wants the process to work. He wants the Department of Justice to be focused on what it should be and not focused on all of the things that have been taking place over the last several months,' she said.

Axios stood by its story, with its principal White House reporter tweeting that 'Rosenstein offered his resignation to Kelly. We wrote 'verbally resigned.' Justice Dept isn't denying he offered his resignation.'

Rosenstein denied a New York Times report last week that he suggested secretly recording the president in 2017 to provide a rationale for declaring him unfitr to serve in the Oval Office.

If he were to leave the administration, Solicitor General Noel Francisco would inherit Rosenstein's role overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's expansive Russia probe.

The rest of Rosenstein's duties, however, were reportedly set to go to Sessions' chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, who would serve as acting deputy AG.

A federal law called the Vacancies Act directs the president to fill power vacuums in executive branch agencies when officials quit or die  at least until a Senate-confirmed replacement can take over.

Trump's options, however, would be limited to the list of officials that the U.S. Senate has vetted and confirmed to their current positions.

Francisco could bring pluses and minuses to the acting deputy attorney general role.

He was the one-man Supreme Court wrecking ball who persuaded the Supreme Court to uphold Trump's country-specific travel ban.

But he also stood firm when Republicans in Congress threatened him with impeachment and removal for refusing to hand over Justice Department documents that lawmakers believed would cast doubt on the Mueller probe's origins and motives.

Francisco is also a former partner in the law firm Jones Day, which Trump retained for many years in his pre-political days.

The DOJ would be skipping over another more senior official to put Francisco in charge of supervising the Mueller probe, a move that's likely to raise some eyebrows among Democrats in Washington.

Edward O'Callaghan was appointed acting principal associate deputy attorney general in April, but the Trump administration's position is that he can't serve in two temporary 'acting' roles at the same time.

Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein departs the Supreme Court in April with his family, after arguing his first case before the court

US Ambassador Nikki Haley (R), Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (C) and national security adviser John Bolton (L) give a press briefing in New York

California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris urged federal lawmakers on Monday to step between Trump and the Mueller probe, demanding a new law that would prevent the president from ordering his ouster.

'The Senate must pass legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller TODAY. Republican leaders must allow it to be voted on,' Harris tweeted.

'We can no longer afford to wait. This is a matter of preserving the rule of law.'

Trump had not committed to Rosenstein's fate during a Friday morning radio broadcast.

'I don't want to comment on it until I get all the facts,' Trump told Geraldo Rivera when asked about firing Rosenstein. 'I haven't gotten all the facts, but certainly it's being looked at in terms of what took place. If anything took place and I'll make a determination sometime later, but I don't have the facts.'

He also said it was Sessions who hired Rosenstein.

'I was not involved in that process. They hire their own deputies and people who work in the department,' Trump said.

The president is in New York for meetings at the United Nations General Assembly. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, at a briefing for reporters, declined to answer questions on Rosenstein, saying check with the White House.

Officials there denied there have been any conversations about invoking the 25th Amendment against the president.

'I have never been in the White House when conversations like that have happened. I'm not aware of any Cabinet members even talking about that. It is completely and totally absurd. No one is questioning the president at all. If anything we're trying to keep up with him,' UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said.

'No one discussed with me any conversations on the 25th Amendment,' Pompeo added, 'so you can now say there are two senior administration officials that said your question is ludicrous.'

Democrats were quick to react to the news

Sen. Harris urged the Senate to pass legislation to protect Mueller

Democrats were quick to pounce.

'Saturday Night Massacres don't need to happen on a Saturday. If President Trump fires DAG Rod Rosenstein or forces his resignation, he will come one giant leap closer to directly meddling with the Special Counsel's Russia investigation,' wrote Sen. Patrick Leahy on Twitter.

'Saturday Night Massacre' refers to a series of events on October 20, 1973 during the Watergate scandal. Then-President Richard Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox; Richardson refused and resigned.

Nixon then ordered Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus to fire Cox; Ruckelshaus refused and resigned. When Nixon ordered Solicitor General Robert Bork to fire Cox, he did as the president asked.

The liberal leaning watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington pounced, raising the specter of improper interference by the president.

'[F]or the president to fire or force the resignation of a law enforcement official in order to derail an investigation into the president ... [would be] obstruction of justice, plain and simple,' the group's executive director Noah Bookbinder said in a statement.

He said that if Trump made a move to pink-slip Rosenstein, it 'must ultimately prove to be an unsuccessful effort to prevent a full investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and related obstruction of justice.'

President Trump slammed the 'bad ones' in the Justice Department following reports Rosenstein wanted to wear a wire to secretly record him

Speaking to a fired-up crowd at a rally, he said there was a 'lingering stench' in Justice 'and we're going to get rid of that

On Friday night, Trump slammed the 'bad ones' in the Justice Department following reports Rosenstein wanted to wear a wire to secretly record the president and discussed invoking the 25th Amendment.

Speaking to a fired-up crowd at a rally in Missouri on Friday night, he said there was a 'lingering stench' in Justice 'and we're going to get rid of that.'

He was in Springfield supporting Republican Senate nominee Josh Hawley, who is running against two-term Democratic senator Claire McCaskill.

Hours after the New York Times broke the story, Trump said: 'Just look at what is being exposed in our Justice Department.

'We have great people in the Department of Justice. ... But you've got some real bad ones. You've seen what's happened at the FBI. They're all gone.

'But there's a lingering stench and we're going to get rid of that, too.'

Rosenstein suggested last year that he should make covert audio recordings of President Trump in order to build a case for removing him from office, according to the New York Times report.

He disputed that account on Friday, and a Justice Department official who was reportedly in the room when Rosenstein talked about using the 25th Amendment to end the Trump presidency says he was being sarcastic.

Rosenstein (pictured in July) suggested last year that he should make covert audio recordings of President Trump in order to build a case for removing him from office, according to a New York Times report

Rosenstein (pictured with Trump in May) disputed that account on Friday, and a Justice Department official who was reportedly in the room when Rosenstein talked about using the 25th Amendment to end the Trump presidency says he was being sarcastic

The 25th Amendment allows for a majority of the president's Cabinet, or 'such other body as Congress may by law provide,' to decide if an Oval Office occupant is unable to carry out his duties  and then to put it to a full congressional vote.

Rosenstein released a statement on Friday night saying: '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 account agrees with a Fox News report based on sources who were in the room and said the meeting took place May 16, 2017.

The Washington Post, too, cited a source who said Rosenstein's comment was biting but unserious.

The reports about Rosenstein created even greater uncertainty for the deputy attorney general tenure at a time when Trump has lambasted Justice Department leadership and publicly humiliated both Rosenstein and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

More broadly, it's the latest revelation that could affect Mueller, the special counsel investigating possible coordination between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign in 2016. Sessions recused himself from that issue soon after he took office, to Trump's dismay, and Rosenstein then appointed Mueller.

With all that hanging in the air, Trump has resisted calls from conservative commentators to fire both Sessions and Rosenstein and appoint someone who would ride herd more closely on Mueller or dismiss him.

A number of key FBI officials, including Director James Comey and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, have been givien their walking papers since Trump took office.Theresa May today admitted there is 'uncertainty' about post Brexit Britain after she was warned company bosses are 'daunted' about the UK's looming departure.

The Prime Minister tried to reassure bosses that Britain would still be one of the best countries in the world to operate in on a trip to New York today.

But with just a month to make 'significant' progress on her Brexit plans and fears of a no deal growing, bosses said they are gloomy about the country's prospects.

Meanwhile, Mrs May and French President Emmanuel Macron looked to have buried the hatchet today after their explosive fallout over Brexit.

The two leaders were seen exchanging kisses of greeting before laughing and joking alongside Belgian premier Charles Michel.

The warm scenes were a million miles from the Salzburg summit last week - when Mr Macron led a brutal assault on Mrs May's Chequers plan for Brexit.

The PM had hoped to get a signal from her EU counterparts that they were close to a deal on the future relationship.

Prime Minister Theresa May and France's President Emmanuel Macron (right) chat with Belgian premier Charles Michel (left) before a meeting of the United Nations Security Council

The two leaders were seen exchanging kisses of greeting before laughing and joking alongside Belgian premier Charles Michel

But instead the Frenchman pushed his colleagues into issuing a blunt statement that Mrs May's blueprint 'will not work' as it would undermine the single market.

At the Bloomberg summit on Wednesday, the PM admitted that there is 'uncertainty' about the UK's departure - but promised she is committed to doing everything she can to boost investment and jobs.

Stephen Schwarzman , CEO of Blackstone investment fund, asked Mrs May at the Bloomberg summit: 'How bad can things get? It's a little daunting for those of us on the outside.'

Mrs May replied: 'I absolutely appreciate and understand from that  you're making decisions and looking ahead to what the future holds.

'And at the moment there is that uncertainty about what the future will hold in terms of Brexit.

'First of all, just if I can say this again, we beieve that we will and can get a good deal. And that's because it's not just about the UK, it's about the EU as well, an I think that continued trading relationship is going to be good for both sides.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, British PM Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron chat before the start of the United Nations Security Council meeting

The warm scenes were a million miles from the Salzburg summit last week - when Mr Macron led a brutal assault on Mrs May's Chequers plan for Brexit

'But there are several weeks of intense work to be done in order to get to that point.'

She vowed that Brexit Britain will be 'unequivocally pro business' as she tried to drum up support for the UK ahead of the looming departure.

The Prime Minister said London's financial centre will continue to be the 'envy of the world' as she addressed business leaders in New York.

She said the Government is committed to creating a British economy that has the skills to keep it at the forefront of global trade.

She said the UK economy will be 'knowledge-rich, highly innovative, highly skilled and high quality but with low tax and smart regulation'.

Theresa May (pictured in New York today) admitted there is 'uncertainty' about post Brexit Britain after she was warned company bosses are 'daunted' about the UK's looming departure

The Prime Minister (pictured with and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the summit today) tried to reassure bosses that Britain would still be one of the best countries in the world to operate in

Jeremy Corbyn to meet Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier after urging May to step aside for Labour Jeremy Corbyn (pictured today speaking to Labour conference in Liverpool) will meet EU negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels tomorrow after demanding Theresa May stand aside if she cannot get her deal through Parliament Jeremy Corbyn will meet EU negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels tomorrow after demanding Theresa May stand aside if she cannot get her deal through Parliament. Labour's leader used his main conference speech in Liverpool to demand a General Election if the Prime Minister cannot deliver a deal. Mrs May's proposals are rejected by the Brexiteer wing of her own party, Mr Corbyn's Labour and Brussels - making them look impossible to pass. Labour's conference has been dominated by Brexit splits amid a row over whether the party should endorse a second referendum. Party policy has stumbled toward backing a new poll if Mrs May refuses a general election - prompting further splits over whether remaining in the EU should be on the ballot. Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer has seen off critics in the party this week who insisted any new referendum should only be between an exit deal and no deal - making a remain option likely. But Mr Corbyn told activists: 'Keir, having got agreement yesterday in this conference hall, getting one in Brussels should be a piece of cake.' Advertisement

Mrs May made the address at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum just days after the EU flatly rejected her Brexit Chequers plans.

Brussels leaders have rubbished the PM's plans saying they are unworkable, while Tory MPs on both the Remain and Leave wings of the party have declared the plan dead.

But Mrs May continues to insist that her proposals are the only credible plan on the table.

Her speech in America today came as Jeremy Corbyn laid out his vision for a socialist government at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool today.

In words which laid bare the large gulf between Tory and Labour plans, the PM vowed to keep Britain's corporation tax at the lowest level of any G20 country.

Currently 19 per cent, the rate is due to fall to 17 per cent in 2021.

Despite sharp reductions in the tax, which is levied on company profits, revenues from it have increased in recent years.

Mrs May's comments will be seen as a sign of further tax cuts to come after Brexit.

She pledged to create 'one of the most dynamic and business-friendly economies in the world'.

She also promised to 'spread the benefits of new sectors and technologies to every part of the country'. S

She said: 'My message today is that a post-Brexit Britain will be an unequivocally pro-business Britain.

'Through our modern Industrial Strategy at home we will create one of the most dynamic and business-friendly economies in the world  driving investment opportunities for your businesses and spreading the benefits of new sectors and technologies to every part of my country.

'And internationally  as a Global Britain  we will champion our vision for the future of the global economy: a vision that is based on openness, innovation, competition, high quality and intelligent regulation.

Theresa May meets with President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the United Nations in New York

Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's representative in the Brexit negotiations, arrives at 10 Downing Street

'And we will be at the forefront of sustained international efforts to address the challenges facing global trade and to build a dynamic and competitive global economy that can truly work for everyone.'

She said: 'Whatever your business, investing in a post-Brexit Britain will give you the lowest rate of corporation tax in the G20.

'You will access service industries and a financial centre in London that are the envy of the world, the best universities, strong institutions, a sound approach to public finance and a consistent and dependable approach to high standards but intelligent regulation.'Tories are the party of racism, a Windrush descendent told the Labour conference today as delegates in Liverpool heard a motion to scrap Theresa May's hostile environment policy.

Cecile Wright, a delegate from Derby North, called the Windrush scandal a 'crime against humanity', as she backed the motion proposed by shadow home secretary Diane Abbott.

Ms Abbott said 'false and toxic' rhetoric about immigrants led directly to the scandal, which saw more than 60 British citizens wrongly deported decades after they arrived from the Caribbean on board the Empire Windrush in 1948.

Diane Abbott said 'false and toxic' rhetoric about immigrants led directly to the scandal, which saw more than 60 British citizens of Caribbean descent wrongly deported

She urged the conference to vote in favour of repealing the Immigration Act 2014, which aimed to make it as difficult as possible for unregistered migrants to stay in the UK, including by forcing landlords and charities to carry out ID checks.

The bill was put forward when Mrs May was home secretary and backed by Labour.

'Can you imagine living in a country which indefinitely detains its own citizens? Which deports them?' Ms Abbott asked.

'Which refuses them cancer treatment even when they've lived in the country all of their adult lives? Well, under this government we saw this happen to the Windrush generation.'

Speaking in favour, Ms Wright described herself as a daughter of Windrush and claimed the scandal was emblematic of racist attitudes within the Tory party.

Ms Abbott spoke out against the 2014 Immigration Act, which was passed by Parliament when Theresa May was home secretary. She is seen attending church in Maidenhead on Sunday

She said: 'Prominent Tories have for decades sought to remove, stigmatise or use racist name-calling ever since the Windrush generation arrived in this country in 1948.

'Indeed, it was the Tory Enoch Powell who wanted us repatriated to avoid the rivers of blood.

'It was the Tory Margaret Thatcher who told us the country was being swamped by immigrants.

'It was the Tory Boris Johnson who has used the racist jibes of watermelon smiles and pickaninnies, and the Tory Theresa May who devised a hostile environment policy and removed as many black Caribbean people as possible to keep down the net migration figures.'

Ms Wright asked delegates to consider the common link between the figures, and told them: 'The Tories are the party of racism.

'Let us all in the Labour party unite against racism, for it is the Tories we need to oppose.'

John Campbell from Unison also spoke in favour, saying the Windrush generation had been 'hounded' by the Conservative government, which had left British citizens 'destitute and homeless'.

He said: 'Fascists and racists have been encouraged to commit greater acts of violence, openly embracing white supremacy.

'We must bring the might of the Labour movement to bear against the hostile environment we face. This goes to the heart of our fight for social and economic justice.'Doctors have saved the fingers of a woman who was bitten by a blacktip shark while spearfishing in the Bahamas.

Maggie Ewing, 34, from Boston, Massachusetts had just speared a hogfish near Treasure Key Beach when the sea creature attacked her from behind.

'When I arrived there, she was lying on the floor with her hand elevated and trying to control the bleeding,' Chief Colin Albury of Abaco Crash and Fire Rescue told ABC News.

Ewing was airlifted to Florida for critical surgery, where despite suffering significant damage to her index and middle fingers on her left hand, doctors were able to save them.

After coming out of recovery, Ewing said she plants to go back soon.

Scroll down for video

Maggie Ewing, 34 (center), from Boston, Massachusetts is recovering after a blacktip shark shredded her middle and index fingers on her left hand while she was spearfishing in the Bahamas over the weekend

Ewing was actually looking for sharks when she speared a hogfish instead, WPLG 10 reported.

As she ascended back to the surface toward a private boat, that's when the blacktip shark came at her from the side to which her back was turned and shredded her fingers.

Thankfully, doctors at Regional Memorial Hospital were able to tend to her quickly, after Ewing was first brought by Trinity Air Ambulance International to Fort Lauderdale, and then taken to the medical facility in Hollywood.

As Ewing ascended to the surface toward a private boat, that's when the blacktip shark came at her from the side to which her back was turned and shredded her fingers on her left hand

While they remain optimistic about her recovery, it's not clear how her range of motion in her fingers and hand will ultimately be affected.

Albury called the incident an 'unfortunate accident,' noting that Ewing is an experienced hunter and diver.

'It's just one of those things and it happened,' Albury said.

'It can happen at any time. We must learn to respect the sea when were in there.'

Ewing's family has a second home in the Bahamas, where she said she plans to return to soon.The travel plans of 30,000 Ryanair passengers have been thrown into dis-array by another wave of strike action.

The budget airline said almost 200 flights have been cancelled on Friday due to a walkout by cabin crew across Europe.

Protests over working conditions in Spain, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Italy and Germany will ground 190 flights  or 8 per cent of 2,400 flights scheduled.

Protests over working conditions in Spain, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Italy and Germany will ground 190 flights (stock image)

Customers across Europe were sent text messages or emails yesterday to tell them. They have been offered an alternative Ryanair flight or a refund.

The airline said passengers will not be entitled to compensation if they are left out of pocket or forced to book a more costly flight with another airline due to the extraordinary circumstances.

It said staff from rival airlines whipped up the strikes which were beyond Ryanairs control.Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's prospects of confirmation remained in doubt Tuesday as a key Republican Senate holdout said her vote was in part contingent on whether a woman who brings forth accusations 'is to be believed.'

Murkowski, who helped sink President Trump and the GOP's plan to repeal Obamacare, voiced her concerns as Kavanaugh faced accusations from two named accusers  and was being challenged on claims about his past that he made in a Fox News interview.

Another holdout, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said she will be 'glued to the television' during the blockbuster hearing set for Thursday where both Kavanaugh and Ford will testify.

'It is about whether or not a woman who has been a victim at some point in her life is to be believed,' said Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska

Another holdout, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said she will be 'glued to the television' during the blockbuster hearing set for Thursday

No he said, she said: Lisa Murkowski's intervention makes the hearing at which Christine Blasey Ford is due to testify ahead of Brett Kavanaugh even more of a knife-edge for the Republican establishment

'We are now in a place where it's not about whether or not Judge Kavanaugh is qualified,' Murkowski told the New York Times.

'It is about whether or not a woman who has been a victim at some point in her life is to be believed,' she said.

Murkowski, who does not sit on the Judiciary panel and who is one of a pair of pro-choice women in the Senate GOP, stressed the importance of the hearing in her decision, rather than Kavanaugh's conservative credentials.

'All you can try to do is be as fair as possible to ensure that at the end of the day justice is delivered,' Murkowski told the paper.

In Separate comments Tuesday she said she would be 'listening to every word.'

'How can I base the credibility based on just what I read coming out of you all?' she told members of the press. She also said she wanted to hear form Debbie Ramirez, a second accuser. The White House said it was open to her testifying, though there has been no movement as of yet from the Judiciary Committee.

'If there are allegations out there, Miss Ramirez needs to be willing to come forward with them and just as Dr. Ford has been willing to come forward, albeit reluctantly, and I understand that is so, and so in order for us to take it under consideration, she needs to take the next step,' she said. 'I don't know if she has, but I do think that is important.'

Collins also called for hearing testimony from Ramirez, who claims Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a Yale party decades ago. Ford claims Kavanaugh groped her and covered her mouth while trying to rape her during high school in the 1980s. Kavanaugh vigorously denies both allegations.

'I believe that the committee investigators should reach out to Deborah Ramirez in order to question her under oath about what she is alleging happened,' said Collins.

Demonstrators protest against Supreme Court Associate Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh outside of Sen. Susan Collins' office, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on September 24, 2018

'We're going to be moving forward. I'm confident we're going to win, confident that he'll be confirmed in the very near future,' said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

Collins also helped doom the GOP's Obamacare repeal, and voted against President Bill Clinton's impeachment. But the former Senate staffer has also made comments critical of how Democrats have handled the Kavanaugh proceedings. If Murkowski were to vote 'no,' it could be up to Collins whether Kavanaugh gets confirmed.

Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) called for delaying a scheduled hearing last week after Christine Blasey Ford's bombshell allegations emerged. So did retiring Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, although Corker also said after the Ramirez allegations that the confirmation was becoming like a 'circus.'

Judiciary Republicans have hired a female lawyer to question Ford at the hearing to avoid a potential spectacle by the all-male panel members.

After delivering a blistering floor speech claiming Kavanaugh was facing 'smears,' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is planning for a quick floor vote after the hearing. It could come on the weekend or as early as next Tuesday.

'We're going to be moving forward. I'm confident we're going to win, confident that he'll be confirmed in the very near future,' McConnell said. 'I believe he'll be confirmed, yes.'

Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee are refusing to release the name of the attorney they hired to conduct the questioning.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley said he is holding back the name of the female lawyer who will question Brett Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford for the lawyer's safety

The Senate Republicans who oversaw three days of hearings on Kavanaugh are preparing to hand over their normal investigative role int he blockbuster hearing set for Thursday.

Having the lawyer pepper Christine Blasey Ford with questions might spare the Senate Republicans who run the committee of potentially bad optics of having the all male, aging committee members conducting a televised interrogation of a woman claiming assault.

But the identity of the lawyer herself remains a mystery. 'We aren't announcing the name for her safety,' Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley of Iowa told Politico.

Ford'a lawyer, Debra Katz, blasted the decision not to hand over the name of the lawyer  which might allow for better preparation  in an email to Grassley's chief lawyer.

'Are there reasons  other than strategic advantage and unfair surprise  that you will not tell us the name of the experienced sex crimes prosecutor?' Katz wrote, USA Today reported.

THESE GUYS KNOW HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS ALSO: The all-male Senate Republican panel elected to hire a female lawyer to ask questions of Kavanaugh's accuser

'Are there reasons  other than strategic advantage and unfair surprise  that you will not tell us the name of the experienced sex crimes prosecutor?' wrote Ford's lawyer Debra Katz to the committee

Committee counsel Mike Davis also replied that it was 'for safety reasons'  although the Capitol has its own police force and has various ways to ensure the safety of visiting dignitaries and lawmakers.

Another of Ford's lawyers, Michael Bromwich, complained: 'This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate. 'Neither Dr. Blasey Ford nor Judge Kavanaugh is on trial. The goal should be to develop the relevant facts, not try a case,' he added.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought up the decision when asked how an all-male committee and an all-male GOP leadership committee could make decisions that have such an impact on women.

'We're looking for the truth here. I don't think because you happen to be a male you are disqualified from listening to the evidence and making a decision based upon the evidence,' said McConnell.

'We have hired a female assistant to go on staff and to ask these questions in a respectful and professional way. We want this hearing to be handled very professionally. Not a political side-show like you saw put on by the Democrats when they were questioning Judge Kavanaugh,' he said.

Republican senators have been told to prepare for a possible floor vote on Kavanaugh's nomination this weekend. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said if Kavanaugh's was reported by the Judiciary Committee by Friday, a vote could occur 'by the first part of next week.'

Judiciary member Sen. Orrin Hatch is even more anxious for a vote. 'I think it's going to be pretty hard to move this along without having votes on, certainly Friday and Saturday,' he said, predicting a weekend work session, BuzzFeed reported.

Democrats plan to ask their own questions of Ford and Kavanaugh.

A day after Kavanaugh proclaimed his innocence and President Trump bashed a second accuser, Debbie Ramirez, Senate leaders were setting a course for a quick vote.

'I look forward eagerly to hearing from both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh under oath this Thursday morning. I am glad we will be able to hear testimony from both,' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday in the Senate. 'And then I look forward to an up-or-down vote on this nomination right here on the Senate floor.'

Trump fired at Kavanaugh's accusers at the UN on Tuesday, saying Ramirez 'has nothing' and was 'totally inebriated and all messed up' at a Yale party decades ago where she claims Kavanaugh exposed himself.

Trump called it a ' con game being played by Democrats.'

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday the White House was 'open' to having a second accuser, Deborah Ramirez, testify on Thursday. Ramirez claims Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a Yale party decades ago.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee on Tuesday called the Ramirez allegation 'thin,' and added: ''This is really kind of getting carried away.' He added: 'It's feeling more like a circus.'Keith Palmer (pictured left) was killed by Westminster Bridge terrorist Khalid Masood

A colleague of murdered policeman Keith Palmer said the senior officer responsible for security at Parliament had blood on his hands.

The officer blamed Chief Superintendent Nick Aldworth for the absence of marksmen when Mr Palmer was killed by Westminster Bridge terrorist Khalid Masood.

The firearms specialists had been based at Carriage Gates where Mr Palmer was stationed on the day of the vehicle terror attack.

But three years earlier, they were told to carry out roving patrols in the area instead.

Mr Aldworth was in charge of operations at the Palace of Westminster between March 2014 and May 2015 when the changes are said to have been implemented.

Messages posted on Facebook from four officers were sent anonymously to lawyers representing the widow of Mr Palmer and read out yesterday at the Old Bailey inquest into the deaths of Masoods victims.

One officer accused Mr Aldworth of threatening him with the sack when he questioned the merit of making marksmen carry out roving patrols.

Mr Aldworth bullied and swore at the officer after a complaint was made against him, it was said.

The officer said: Keiths blood is solely on his hands and he got promoted for it.

Mr Aldworth is now a chief superintendent at the National Counter-Terrorism Police headquarters.

He is the national coordinator of the Governments contest strategy, responsible for ensuring the country is more resilient to terrorist attacks.

Chief Superintendent Nick Aldworth (pictured) was blamed for the absence of marksmen when Mr Palmer was killed

A message from a former officer, which was read to the court, said: Those of us that worked at the Palace of Westminster will never forget and have been forever changed.

'I for one will never be able to forgive. The entire senior leadership team should hang their heads in shame. After the tragedy I was staggered by the bullying. Personally, I left to save my sanity.

They care little for the damage they have inflicted on individuals. I make no apology for the bitterness of my words. I look forward to the day I wont wake up angry.

Another colleague of Mr Palmer, 48, described security at Parliament as a colossal c**k up and said Mr Aldworth spent time justifying his position to aspire to the next rank.

Kahild Masood (pictured) drove a car into pedestrians on the pavement along the south side of Westminster Bridge

The officer wrote: So many sleep soundly at night convinced of their own infallibility, that they did what was necessary for the greater good.

But as is far too often the case had they bothered to confer with those that actually did the job, they might not have made the wrong decision.

Another officer said bosses were told it was a bad idea to replace fixed positions for marksmen with roving patrols.

He added: Did they listen? Take off the fixed posts, let them do a roaming patrol. Thats not going to end well. The marksmen wont be where you want them when it all goes wrong.

Giving evidence, Mr Aldworth denied moving firearms officers from fixed positions to roving patrols. He said: Throughout my tenure I did nothing but to try ensure post notes [instructions] were adhered to and to anchor armed officers to Carriage Gates.

In just 82 horrifying seconds in March last year, Masood, 52, knocked down Kurt Cochran, 54, Leslie Rhodes, 75, Aysha Frade, 44, and Andreea Cristea, 31, before stabbing Mr Palmer.

Masood was driving a 4x4 car at an average of 31mph before crashing. The rampage ended when he was shot dead by a plain-clothes officer.

The inquest continues.Kevin Systrom (right) and Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger (left) made a shock departure from their leading roles at the social network on Monday

Insiders have claimed one Instagram co-founder was 'super p***ed off' with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg before his shock resignation on Monday.

Kevin Systrom and co-founder Mike Krieger announced their resignations as the CEO and CTO of the photo sharing social network, claiming they wanted to 'explore their curiosity and creativity again'.

But sources close to the situation told NBC Systrom and Krieger had been furious with Zuckerberg for decisions that appeared to benefit Facebook and negatively impact Instagram.

One such issue was the choice to separate the social networks by removing the flow of traffic from Facebook to Instagram.

'Kevin [Systrom] has been super p***ed off at Mark,' a high-level Facebook employee told the network.

Facebook's broken promise to allow Instagram to run independently of the social media behemoth was also a major factor in the founders' departure.

When Zuckerberg purchased Instagram for $1billion in 2012, there was a clause in the acquisition that allowed the companies to remain separate, Tech Crunch reported.

But in May, a member of Zuckerberg's inner circle who had previously worked as the VP of Facebook's news feed, Adam Mosseri, was assigned to take the place of Instagram's VP of product, Kevin Weil.

There was little explanation for the men's departure, but high-level sources claimed Systrom was 'super p***ed off with Zuckerberg' shortly before he quit, with the pair coming to blows over Facebook's intrusion into how Instagram was run, and Zuckerberg's decision to stem traffic coming to Instagram from his own network

Weil moved to Facebook's new blockchain team.

Mosseri's proximity to Zuckerberg has widely been seen as the social tycoon 'installing' someone to take over from Systrom and Krieger.

A source told Tech Crunch Mosseri's role change was: 'succession planning for Kevin and Mike'.

'Mark is a brilliant strategist and of course he's going to want to install someone,' they said.

Alexei Oreskovic, Business Insider's tech editor, said the optics of both Systrom and Krieger departing the company at the same time, and the men failing to mention Mark Zuckerberg or Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in their statement, suggests 'bad blood'.

Systrom did mention Sandberg and Zuckerberg in an outgoing 'thank you' statement shared to Instagram.

Systrom did mention Sandberg and Zuckerberg in an outgoing 'thank you' statement shared to Instagram (pictured)

Instagram: The billion dollar app. How two Stanford graduates started photo sharing platform and sold it for a fortune just two years later Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger met when they were students at Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Francisco, California. Systrom and Krieger worked separately in Silicon Valley, before founding Instagram in 2010. After a brief testing period, the pair officially launched the app in October that year, and by December, Instagram had one million users. The following year saw the app win several accolades and users downloaded Instagram in their droves. Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom, pictured, and Mike Krieger launched Instagram in 2010 after meeting at college Facebook bought Instagram in 2012, just before going public, at a price that seemed inconceivable at the time - $1 billion - especially for a little-known startup with no profit. At the time Instagram was ad-free, with a loyal following of 31 million users who were all on mobile devices - still a somewhat elusive bunch for the web-born Facebook back then. Since then, the service has grown to more than 1 billion users and has of course added plenty of advertisements. It became the fourth Facebook platform to eclipse the billion-user mark, including the namesake social network with more than two billion users, and the messaging applications WhatsApp and Messenger. The app's latest product, IGTV, has been slow to gain traction. Offered through Instagram and as a standalone app, IGTV serves up longer-length video content, mostly from popular Instagram users. Video content has been a major emphasis for Facebook as it seeks to satisfy advertisers' desire to stream more commercials online. Advertisement

Despite any lingering issues between Systrom and Zuckerberg, the former CEO appears excited for some time off.

In recent months, Systrom moved the office out of Silicon Valley and further into San Francisco in order to grant himself a quicker commute home, where his wife and newborn daughter were waiting.

The 34-year-old and his wife, the CEO of a clean-energy firm, welcomed their first child, Freya, in January.

Systrom has taken to what he calls 'dad-life' with zeal, and was on paternity leave when he spoke with the Wall Street Journal earlier this year.

He joked about using Instagram's new 'IGTV' feature to launch his own cooking show in a bid to have more of a presence on social media.

Joking to a PR handler who was sitting in the room with them, he said: 'We're going to start a Cooking With Kevin series. With Freya in the BabyBjorn, and I'll be scrambled eggsing. Dad life.'

Zuckerberg was mentioned in a 'thank you' post shared to Systrom's Instagram account on Tuesday

Systrom will likely use his newfound freedom to spend more time with his infant daughter, Freya (pictured) after moving the Instagram office in May to lessen his commute home

And while it's not clear what the future will bring for Systrom, he doesn't appear concerned with money.

In 2012, Systrom and Krieger sold Instagram to Zuckerberg for $1billion. Comparatively, the Facebook founder bought WhatsApp for $22billion, and offered Snapchat $3billion - though the offer was declined.

Six years on, Systrom is worth $1.4 billion, while 32-year-old Krieger's wealth is estimated at about $500 million, according to Forbes.

Discussing the sale with WSJ, Systrom said the decision to sell was about growth, not money, and he has no regrets.

'I think for where we were, we made an awesome decision,' he said.

'The whole idea of joining Facebook was that we could scale way more quickly than we would independently. So if that is your goal, I think we've fulfilled that, and then some.

'If your goal, on the other hand, is not to have a billion dollars but two, or three, or four or whatever, well, good luck spending it. That's not what makes you happy in life.'A senior Eurocrat sparked fury yesterday after she attacked the British Press over its Brexit coverage and suggested a clampdown could be introduced.

Vera Jourova made the apparent threat after the front page of a newspaper mocked-up EU leaders as Prohibition-era gangsters following their ambush of Theresa May at the Salzburg summit last week.

The Suns article was singled out by the EUs justice commissioner, before she went on to claim Brexit is the best example of the media causing division rather than building dialogue.

In a speech in Vienna, Mrs Jourova, 54, said: Almost daily we could find examples of stories that are spiced up to identify an enemy, that paint a picture black and white'. Pictured: Mrs Jourova speaking in Brussels

In a speech in Vienna, Mrs Jourova, 54, said: Almost daily we could find examples of stories that are spiced up to identify an enemy, that paint a picture black and white.

The traditional media are under enormous pressure from the digital world, they lose readership and advertising revenue, they have to cut staff which means less fact-checking, less quality reporting. And I would advocate a European approach to media based on quality and smart regulation, if needed. But critics hit out at her comments.

Tory MEP David Campbell Bannerman said: Its quite scary. Its signalling the beginning of a process of censorship.

They [the EU] are not democratic instinctively. They are increasingly trying to crack down on what they think are extreme views, except these views can often be in the mainstream.

They have a view of the world where they are the shining light and everyone else is wayward.

They have also missed the humour in it, which shows how detached they are from the world. Its dangerous.

After the Salzburg summit where Mrs Mays blueprint for a post-Brexit relationship was trashed by Brussels, The Sun was one of a number of newspapers which criticised EU leaders. French president Emmanuel Macron had accused leading Brexiteers of being liars for telling British voters it would be easy to leave the EU.

Mrs Jourova said that she would 'advocate a European approach to media based on quality and smart regulation' during her speech in Vienna. Pictured: Mrs Jourova speaking in Brussels

The Suns front page included Mr Macron and EU Council chief Donald Tusk mocked up as gangsters carrying Tommy guns under the headline EU Dirty Rats. Mrs Jourova also criticised a front page of the Daily Mail from November 2016 which featured the pictures of three judges alongside the headline Enemies of the People.

But defending journalists coverage of Brexit, Amjad Bashir, the Tory MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: Commissioners should not be trying to shackle the Press.

A spokesman for Mrs Jourova denied she was threatening a crackdown on freedom of speech, pointing to a section in which she said the [media] do a job that is uncomfortable for us, but we have to respect the crucial role they play for democracy.Zaharie Ahmad Shah (pictured) was the pilot of the doomed flight

DID THE PILOT HIJACK HIS OWN PLANE?

Pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah planned mass murder because of personal problems, locking his co-pilot out of the cockpit, closing down all communications, depressurising the main cabin and then disabling the aircraft so that it continued flying on auto-pilot until it ran out of fuel.

That was the popular theory in the weeks after the plane's disappearance.

His personal problems, rumours in Kuala Lumpur said, included a split with his wife Fizah Khan, and his fury that a relative, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, had been given a five-year jail sentence for sodomy shortly before he boarded the plane for the flight to Beijing.

But the pilot's wife angrily denied any personal problems and other family members and his friends said he was a devoted family man and loved his job.

This theory was also the conclusion of the first independent study into the disaster by the New Zealand-based air accident investigator, Ewan Wilson.

Wilson, the founder of Kiwi Airlines and a commercial pilot himself, arrived at the shocking conclusion after considering 'every conceivable alternative scenario'.

However, he has not been able to provide any conclusive evidence to support his theory.

The claims are made in the book 'Goodnight Malaysian 370', which Wilson co-wrote with the New Zealand broadsheet journalist, Geoff Taylor.

It's also been rumoured that Zaharie used a flight simulator at his home to plot a path to a remote island.

However, officials in Kuala Lumpur declared that Malaysian police and the FBI's technical experts had found nothing to suggest he was planning to hijack the flight after closely examining his flight simulator.

And there are also theories that t he tragic disappearance may have been a heroic act of sacrifice by the pilot.

Australian aviation enthusiast Michael Gilbert believes the doomed plane caught fire mid-flight, forcing the pilot to plot a course away from heavily populated areas.

IF NOT THE PILOT, WAS THE CO-PILOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MYSTERY?

Co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, again for personal problems, was suspected by rumour-spreaders to have overpowered the pilot and disabled the aircraft, flying it to its doom with crew and passengers unable to get through the locked cockpit door.

Theorists have put forward the suggestion that he was having relationship problems and this was his dramatic way of taking his own life.

But he was engaged to be married to Captain Nadira Ramli, 26, a fellow pilot from another airline, and loved his job. There are no known reasons for him to have taken any fatal action.

There have been a series of outlandish theories about the disappearance of the plane

Others have suggested that because he was known to have occasionally invited young women into the cockpit during a flight, he had done so this time and something had gone wrong.

Young Jonti Roos said in March that she spent an entire flight in 2011 in the cockpit being entertained by Hamid, who was smoking.

Interest in the co-pilot was renewed when it was revealed he was the last person to communicate from the cockpit after the communication system was cut off.

DID THE RUSSIANS STEAL MH370 AND FLY THE JET TO KAZAKHSTAN

An expert has claimed the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was hijacked on the orders of Vladimir Putin and secretly landed in Kazakhstan.

Jeff Wise, a U.S. science writer who spearheaded CNN's coverage of the Boeing 777-200E, has based his outlandish theory on pings that the plane gave off for seven hours after it went missing, that were recorded by British telecommunications company Inmarsat.

Wise believes that hijackers 'spoofed' the plane's navigation data to make it seem like it went in another direction, but flew it to the Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is leased from Kazakhstan by Russia.

However, Wise admits in New York Magazine that he does not know why Vladimir Putin would want to steal a plane full of people and that his idea is somewhat 'crazy'.

Wise also noted there were three Russian men onboard the flight, two of them Ukrainian passport holders.

Aviation disaster experts analysed satellite data and discovered - like the data recorded by Inmarsat - that the plane flew on for hours after losing contact.

Careful examination of the evidence has revealed that MH370 made three turns after the last radio call, first a turn to the left, then two more, taking the plane west, then south towards Antarctica.

MH370 WAS USED BY TERRORISTS FOR A SUICIDE ATTACK ON THE CHINESE NAVY

This extraordinary claim came from 41-year-old British yachtsman Katherine Tee, from Liverpool, whose initial account of seeing what she thought was a burning plane in the night sky made headlines around the world.

On arrival in Thailand's Phuket after sailing across the Indian Ocean from Cochin, southern India with her husband, she said: 'I could see the outline of the plane - it looked longer than planes usually do.There was what appeared to be black smoke streaming from behind.'

Ms Tee's general description of the time and place was vague and she lost all credibility when she later stated on her blog that she believed MH370 was a kamikaze plane that was aimed at a flotilla of Chinese ships and it was shot down before it could smash into the vessels.

Without solid proof of the satellite data, she wrote on her blog, Saucy Sailoress, the plane she saw was flying at low altitude towards the military convoy she and her husband had seen on recent nights. She added that internet research showed a Chinese flotilla was in the area at the time.

While the debris proved the plane went down in the Indian Ocean, the location of the main underwater wreckage  and its crucial black box data recorders  remains stubbornly elusive.

THE JET LANDED ON THE WATER AND WAS SEEN FLOATING ON THE ANDAMAN SEA

On a flight from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur that crossed over the Andaman Sea on March 8, Malaysian woman Raja Dalelah, 53, saw what she believed was a plane sitting on the water's surface.

She didn't know about the search that had been started for MH370. She alerted a stewardess who told her to go back to sleep.

'I was shocked to see what looked like the tail and wing of an aircraft on the water,' she said.

It was only when she told her friends on landing in Kuala Lumpur what she had seen that she learned of the missing jet. She had seen the object at about 2.30pm Malaysian time.

She said she had been able to identify several ships and islands before noticing the silver object that she said was a plane.

But her story was laughed off by pilots who said it would have been impossible to have seen part of an aircraft in the water from 35,000ft or seven miles.

Ms Raja filed an official report with police the same day and has kept to her story.

'I know what I saw,' she said.

THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC SYSTEMS FAILURE AND CRASH-LANDED ON THE OCEAN

A catastrophic event such as a fire disabling much of the equipment resulted in the pilots turning the plane back towards the Malaysian peninsula in the hope of landing at the nearest airport.

Satellite data, believable or not, suggests the aircraft did make a turn and theorists say there would be no reason for the pilots to change course unless confronted with an emergency.

A fire in a similar Boeing 777 jet parked at Cairo airport in 2011 was found to have been caused by a problem with the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing.

Stewarts Law, which has litigated in a series of recent air disasters, believes the plane crashed after a fire - similar to the blaze on the Cairo airport runway - broke out in the cockpit.

After an investigation into the Cairo blaze, Egypt's Aircraft Accident Investigation Central Directorate (EAAICD) released their final report which revealed that the fire originated near the first officer's oxygen mask supply tubing.

The cause of the fire could not be conclusively determined, but investigators pinpointed a problem with the cockpit hose used to provide oxygen for the crew in the event of decompression.

Following the 2011 fire, US aircraft owners were instructed to replace the system - it was estimated to cost $2,596 (1,573) per aircraft. It was not known whether Malaysia Airlines had carried out the change.

If either pilot wanted to crash the plane, why turn it around? So the turn-around suggests they were trying to land as soon as possible because of an emergency.

THE US SHOT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT FEARING A TERROR ATTACK ON DIEGO GARCIA

The Boeing 777 was shot down by the Americans who feared the aircraft had been hijacked and was about to be used to attack the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia atoll in the Indian Ocean. So conspiracy theorists claim.

And former French airline director Marc Dugain said he had been warned by British intelligence that he was taking risks by investigating this angle.

There is no way of checking whether Dugain received such a warning or why he believes the Americans shot down the plane.

But adding to the theory that the aircraft was flown to Diego Garcia, either by the pilot Zaharie or a hijacker, was the claim that on the pilot's home flight simulator was a 'practice' flight to the island.

Professor Glees said: 'The Americans would have no interest in doing anything of the kind and not telling the world.

'In theory, they might wish to shoot down a plane they thought was attacking them but they wouldn't just fire missiles, they'd investigate it first with fighters and would quickly realise that even if it had to be shot down, the world would need to know.'Bill Cosby's furious spokesman compared the disgraced actor to Jesus on Tuesday, just moments after he was sentenced to serve three to 10 years in a Pennsylvania prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman 14 years ago.

Andrew Wyatt spoke to reporters outside a Norristown courtroom where he called anyone with foul words to say about Cosby a 'joke'.

Wyatt said: 'Bill Cosby is doing great... Mr Cosby knows that God is watching over him... he knows that these are lies. They persecuted Jesus and look what happened.'

The spokesman further added: 'I'm not saying Mr Cosby is Jesus, but we know what this country has done to black men for centuries.

'So Mr Cosby is doing fine... he's holding up well and everybody who wants to say anything negative - you're a joke as well.'

Wyatt went even further and suggested the trial was 'the most racist and sexist in the history of the United States.'

He praised the once-beloved TV star as 'one of the greatest civil rights leaders' as well as a 'great educator of men and boys.'

The 81-year-old former Cosby Show actor was sentenced to a minimum of three years for the 2004 incident in which he passed Andrea Constand three blue pills he called her 'friends' to help her 'relax'. He then molested her at his Philadelphia home.

Cosby's punishment concluded a two-day hearing at which the judge declared him a 'sexually violent predator'.

Bill Cosby's spokesman Andrew Wyatt said outside a Pennsylvania courtroom Tuesday: 'Mr Cosby knows that God is watching over him... he knows that these are lies. They persecuted Jesus and look what happened'

Bill Cosby, center, leaves the courtroom after he was sentenced to three to 10 years for felony sexual assault on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, in Norristown. Wyatt is pictured to his right

Cosby departs from his sentencing hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse on Tuesday. He left in handcuffs and his walking cane

Cosby is escorted out of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility Tuesday in Eagleville following sentencing

In a five-page statement submitted to the court, the accuser, who resides alone with her two dogs, said she has coped with anxiety and trust issues for several years since the assault.

'When the sexual assault happened, I was a young woman brimming with confidence and looking forward to a future bright with possibilities,' she wrote in the statement.

'Now, almost 15 years later, I'm a middle-aged woman who's been stuck in a holding pattern for most of her adult life, unable to heal fully or to move forward.'

Cosby was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs as he clutched his walking cane after the sentencing. He did not appear to show emotion out of the ordinary.

Cosby, once dubbed America's Dad, will be eligible for parole after his three-year prison term.

He is required to pay $25,000 in fines and an estimated $44,000 in prosecution fees.

People smile during a press conference with Andrea Constand (C), who was sexually assaulted by Cosby, after the sentencing of the comedian September 25, 2018 in Norristown

Constand listens as Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele talks about Cosby finally being behind bars. Cosby is pictured right on Tuesday as he enters the courtroom

Cosby's team and supporters rallied around the convicted predator Tuesday after the bombshell news.

His wife, Camille Cosby, also claimed a prosecutor in the case used 'falsified evidence' to convict her husband.

District Attorney Kevin Steele denied that he presented a doctored phone recording between Cosby and his victim's mother, and said: 'It that's what they've got, it's beyond a hail Mary.'

Steele said the actor was able to 'hide his true self and hide his crimes' during the height of his fame.

Camille Cosby added that her husband's defense team plans to address the matter on appeal.

Chief Cosby accuser Constand was seen beaming in the courtroom after the sentencing verdict.

The sexual assault survivor stood next to the district attorney at the press conference, but did not speak to reporters.

Cosby's sentencing comes five months after he was convicted for the sex crime in April.

Constand was just one of roughly 60 women who have come forward to accuse the comic of sexual misconduct.

The 2004 incident was the only one that resulted in criminal charges.

Cosby arrives for his sentencing hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse on Tuesday in NorristownWaleed Aly has proposed a new date for Australia Day - but he doesn't want a separate day to honour Aboriginal people.

The Project host was discussing calls to change the national day with fellow presenter Lisa Wilkinson on Tuesday night.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested a separate day for Aboriginal celebrations while keeping Australia Day on January 26, an idea Aly rejected.

'I think if you could float a really good alternative date people would shift pretty quickly,' Aly said.

The Project host Waleed Aly was discussing calls to change the national day with fellow presenter Lisa Wilkinson on Tuesday night

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has suggested a separate day for Aboriginal celebrations while keeping Australia Day on January 26, an idea Aly rejected

He proposed moving the national day to March 2, the date when the Australia Act was signed in 1986.

'The Australia Acts were passed in Australia but also in Britain, and up until that point the British government could've more or less eliminated Australia,' Aly said.

'They could've just passed a law and said Australia no longer exists... and that was in the 80s that we passed that law.

'So it was only then that we became a proper fully independent or sovereign nation, and the weather's good in March so let's get to it.'

Earlier this week, Mr Morrison said Australia Day should remain on January 26.

'We don't have to pull Australia Day down to actually recognise the achievements of indigenous Australia, the oldest living culture in the world; the two can co-exist,' he told Seven News.

It's not the first time Aly has called for the date to be changed, having pressed for it to be altered while hosting The Project on Australia Day this year.

Aly (pictured with wife Susan Carland) proposed moving the national day to March 2, the date when the Australia Act was signed in 1986

'I reckon this is the new same-sex marriage, this is the next inevitability. Whatever you view on it, I reckon that's where it's heading,' he said.

'Eventually, it will be won.'

Poll Should Australia Day be changed to March 2? Yes No I don't know Should Australia Day be changed to March 2? Yes 172 votes

No 817 votes

I don't know 34 votes Now share your opinion





Aly wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times which detailed the debate over the date of Australia Day.

'Australian-ness is forever being amended, negotiated, broadened. It is a country that continues to remake itself, less encumbered by the weight of its traditions,' he wrote.

'That might be a remarkable trait for running a society. But it turns out it's an awful one for establishing a national day.'

Australian Day is often referred to as 'Invasion Day' by protestors.

Tens of thousands of people attended Spring Street and Collins Street in Melbourne's CBD to protest against 'Invasion Day' earlier this year.

They marched down Bourke Street chanting 'always was, always will be Aboriginal land', 'no pride in genocide' and 'our land, our law'.

Councils across Australia have refused to celebrate Australia Day in protest, instead replacing it with 'Indigenous commemorative events'.'I was far too young': Rod Stewart reveals his first marriage in 1979 failed because he had too much 'living, partying, drinking and sh**ging to do' at age 34CHEQUERS

Trade:

Britain would stick to EU rules on goods by adopting a 'Common rulebook' with Brussels, but not in the services sector.

Theresa May says this would allow the UK to strike free trade deals globally, but the scope would be limited by commitments to the EU.

The blueprint should minimise the need for extra checks at the borders - protecting the 'just in time' systems used by the car industry to import and export parts.

The UK Parliament could choose to diverge from these EU rules over time.

But there is an admission that this would 'have consequences'.

Customs:

Britain would set up something called a 'facilitated customs arrangement'.

This would see the UK effectively act as the EU's taxman - using British officials to collect customs which would then be paid on to the bloc.

The borders between the UK and EU will be treated as a 'combined customs territory'.

The UK would apply domestic tariffs and trade policies for goods intended for the UK, but charge EU tariffs and their equivalents for goods which will end up heading into the EU.

Northern Ireland:

Mrs May says her plan will prevent a hard Irish border, and mean no divergence between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.

There would be no need for extra border checks, as tariffs on goods would be the same.

Single market origin rules and regulations would also be sufficiently aligned to avoid infrastructure.Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger met when they were students at Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Francisco, California.

Systrom and Krieger worked separately in Silicon Valley, before founding Instagram in 2010.

After a brief testing period, the pair officially launched the app in October that year, and by December, Instagram had one million users.

The following year saw the app win several accolades and users downloaded Instagram in their droves.

Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom, pictured, and Mike Krieger launched Instagram in 2010 after meeting at college

Facebook bought Instagram in 2012, just before going public, at a price that seemed inconceivable at the time - $1 billion - especially for a little-known startup with no profit.

At the time Instagram was ad-free, with a loyal following of 31 million users who were all on mobile devices - still a somewhat elusive bunch for the web-born Facebook back then.

Since then, the service has grown to more than 1 billion users and has of course added plenty of advertisements.

It became the fourth Facebook platform to eclipse the billion-user mark, including the namesake social network with more than two billion users, and the messaging applications WhatsApp and Messenger.

The app's latest product, IGTV, has been slow to gain traction. Offered through Instagram and as a standalone app, IGTV serves up longer-length video content, mostly from popular Instagram users.

Video content has been a major emphasis for Facebook as it seeks to satisfy advertisers' desire to stream more commercials online.Google Chrome could be tracking what users are doing without them being aware of it, according to an expert in digital content protection.

Until recently Google Chrome users have been able to use the browser without logging in.

However, now when people log into a service such as Gmail they are automatically logged in without their consent.

According to cryptographer and Professor Matthew Green who wrote a blog post 'Why I'm done with Chrome', Google quietly made these changes several weeks ago.

Professor Green revealed that people could mistakenly activate 'sync', which means the firm can log users' behaviour and access their data without them knowing.

Professor Green warned that the development has 'enormous implications for user privacy and trust'.

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For years Google Chrome users have been able to use the browser without logging in. However, now when people log into a Google service such as Gmail they are automatically logged into Chrome without their consent

'A few weeks ago Google shipped an update to Chrome that fundamentally changes the sign-in experience', Professor Green from the Johns Hopkins Information Security Institute wrote in his blog.

'From now on, every time you log into a Google property (for example, Gmail), Chrome will automatically sign the browser into your Google account for you.

'Itll do this without asking, or even explicitly notifying you', he said.

This means users are unknowingly sending their data to Google if they have the 'sync' feature activated, he warned.

According to Professor Green, the barriers between 'signed in' and 'not signed in' are gradually being eroded away.

This means many of Chrome's one billion users are mistakenly consenting to their data being accessed as the Chrome sync user interface is confusing.

He believes these changes make a hash out of Google's own privacy policies.

'In short, Google has transformed the question of consenting to data upload from something affirmative that I actually had to put effort into  entering my Google credentials and signing into Chrome  into something I can now do with a single accidental click.

'This is a dark pattern. Whether intentional or not, it has the effect of making it easy for people to activate sync without knowing it, or to think theyre already syncing and thus theres no additional cost to increasing Googles access to their data', he said.

Professor Green revealed that people could mistakenly activate 'sync' which means the browser can log users' behaviour and access their data without them being aware of it

A Google spokesperson directed MailOnline to a Twitter post by Chrome engineer Adrienne Porter Felt who explained that users still have to consent to have their data synced.

'I want to share more info about recent changes to Chrome sign-in', she wrote.

'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!', she wrote.

A Google spokesperson directed MailOnline to a Twitter post by Chrome engineer Adrienne Porter Felt who explained that users still have to consent to have their data synced

She also said that the Chrome privacy notice was being updated 'ASAP' to make the syncing option more clear.

Last month a study from Vanderbilt University gave a look at the just how much data Google is harvesting from its users.

Researchers examined how the search giant collects information from Android mobile devices, Chrome browsers, YouTube and Photos, among other Google products.

But the most surprising revelation gleaned from the study is likely to be that Google continues to collect data even when users are browsing in incognito mode.

Google collects data in 'active' ways, such as when users sign into an application, as well as 'passive' ways that users are less likely to be aware of.

In this scenario, an application is designed to gather information on users when it's running, sometimes without the user's knowledge.

Last month a study from Vanderbilt University gave a look at the just how much data Google is harvesting from its users

'The extent and magnitude of Google's passive data collection has largely been overlooked by past studies on this topic,' according to the study, which was published last month.

Most people assume that their browsing history is hidden from Google when they use incognito mode.

However, the study explains that Google can still link the data from incognito browsers to a specific user.

That's because if a user logs into a Google account while a private browser is open, cookies left behind on the incognito window can identify them.

If they close out of the incognito window before logging into a Google account, then the data will be erased.

HOW DOES GOOGLE TRACK ITS USERS' LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF 'LOCATION HISTORY'? A new investigation led by the Associated Press found that some Google apps automatically store time-stamped location data without asking - even when you've paused Location History. The investigation found, for example: Google stores a snapshot of where you are when you open its Maps app

Automatic daily weather updates on Android phones pinpoint where you are each time the forecast is refreshed

Simple searchers, such as 'chocolate chip cookies,' or 'kids science kits,' pinpoint your precise latitude and longitude  accurate to the square foot - and save it to your Google account This information is all logged as part of the 'Web and App Activity feature, which does not specifically reference location information in its description. This is enabled by default, and stores a variety of information from Google apps and websites to your Google account. When paused, it will prevent activity on any device from being saved to your account. Leaving 'Web & App Activity' on and turning 'Location History' off only prevents Google from adding your movements to the 'timeline,' its visualization of your daily travels. It does not stop Google's collection of other location markers. Advertisement

'While such data is collected with user-anonymous identifiers, Google has the ability to connect this collected information with a user's personal credentials stored in their Google Account,' the study says.

What's more, even if you avoid using Google services on an iOS device, the firm can still collect data on users.

Visits to non-Google webpages still registered a 'surprisingly high' number of communications with Google servers.

'The number of times such Google services are called from an iOS device is similar to an Android device,' the study noted.

'In this experiment, the total magnitude of data communicated to Google servers from an iOS device is found to be approximately half of that from the Android device.'

Researchers were most concerned by the amount of 'passive' data collected via third-party networks and advertisers that aren't owned by Google.

Google 'learns a great deal about a user's personal interests' during a day of typical phone use - things like their location, routes taken, items purchased and music listened to,' the study explained.Honeybees are being killed by the world's most popular weedkiller Roundup, new research has revealed.

The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate which causes bees to lose beneficial bacteria in their guts.

This leaves them more susceptible to infection and death from harmful bacteria.

Scientists believe this is evidence that Roundup, which is made by Monsanto, might be contributing to the decline of honey bees and native bees around the world.

Honeybees (pictured) are being killed by the world's most popular weedkiller Roundup, new research has revealed. The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate which causes bees to lose beneficial bacteria in their guts

'We need better guidelines for glyphosate use, especially regarding bee exposure, because right now the guidelines assume bees are not harmed by the herbicide,' said Erick Motta, the graduate student from the University of Texas at Austin who led the research.

'Our study shows that's not true.'

Because glyphosate interferes with an important enzyme found in plants and microorganisms, but not in animals, it has long been assumed to be nontoxic to animals, according to the paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

However, this latest study shows that it alters a bee's gut microbiome.

This is the ecosystem of bacteria living in the bee's digestive tract, including those that protect it from harmful bacteria.

Glyphosphate means they are less able to fight infection.

Researchers exposed honeybees to glyphosate at levels known to occur in crop fields, yards and roadsides.

They painted the bees' backs with coloured dots so they could be tracked and later recaptured.

Three days later they observed that the herbicide significantly reduced healthy gut microbiota.

Of eight dominant species of healthy bacteria in the exposed bees, four were found to be less abundant.

The hardest hit bacterial species, Snodgrassella alvi, is a critical microbe that helps bees process food and defend against pathogens.

The bees with impaired gut microbiomes also were far more likely to die when later exposed to an opportunistic pathogen.

Scientists believe this is evidence that Roundup, which is made by Monsanto, might be contributing to the decline of honey bees and native bees around the world

WHAT IS THE HONEYBEE CRISIS? Honeybees, both domestic and wild, are responsible for around 80 per cent of worldwide pollination, according to Greenpeace. But bee colony collapses across the globe are threatening their vital work. Bees are dying from a combination of pesticides, habitat destruction, drought, nutrition deficit, global warming and air pollution among other factors. The global bee crisis can potentially be solved if dangerous pesticides are eliminated, wild habitats are preserved and ecological agriculture is restored, according to Greenpeace (file photo) Greenpeace has reported: 'The bottom line is that we know humans are largely responsible for the two most prominent causes: Pesticides and habitat loss.' This is important for a number of reasons, chief among them the amount of work bees put into our food production. Vegetables, nuts and fruits are pollinated by bees. Of the top human food crops, a whopping 70 of 100 are pollinated by the creatures, which account for as much as 90 per cent of global nutrition. Greenpeace has suggested the following solutions to the problem: The preservation of wild habitats in order to protect pollinator health

The restoration of ecological agriculture

The elimination of the world's most dangerous pesticides Advertisement

About half of bees with a healthy microbiome were still alive eight days after exposure to the pathogen.

However, only about a tenth of bees whose microbiomes had been altered by exposure to the herbicide were still alive.

'Studies in humans, bees and other animals have shown that the gut microbiome is a stable community that resists infection by opportunistic invaders,' said Professor Nancy Moran from the University of Texas at Austin.

'So if you disrupt the normal, stable community, you are more susceptible to this invasion of pathogens.'

Native bumble bees have microbiomes similar to honey bees, so Professor Moran said it's likely that they would be affected by glyphosate in a similar way.

The researchers say that farmers, landscapers and homeowners should avoid spraying glyphosate-based herbicides on flowering plants that bees are likely to visit.

More than a decade ago, US beekeepers began finding their hives decimated by what became known as colony collapse disorder.

Millions of bees mysteriously disappeared, leaving farms with fewer pollinators for crops.

Explanations for the phenomenon have included exposure to pesticides or antibiotics, habitat loss and bacterial infections.

Glyphosphate means they are less able to fight infection. Researchers exposed honeybees to glyphosate at levels known to occur in crop fields, yards and roadsides

This latest study adds herbicides as a possible contributing factor.

'It's not the only thing causing all these bee deaths, but it is definitely something people should worry about because glyphosate is used everywhere,' said Professor Motta.

Earlier this year a terminally ill man won $289 million (220m) in a landmark verdict against the agrochemical giant Monsanto.

Dewayne Johnson, 46, who worked as a groundskeeper for a school district in Benicia, California, won the large settlement after a jury found that the weedkiller Roundup played a large role in causing his cancer.

Johnson, a married-father-of two, doesn't have long to live, having been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - a cancer that starts in the white bloods cells - in August 2014, which has since spread.

Monsanto plans to appeal the verdict and the compensation will only be released when this has been heard, meaning Johnson may not live to see his payout.

However, in an interview with CBS This Morning, Johnson said he's happy about the trial's outcome because he didn't want to 'die for nothing' and to make sure others were warned about the potential danger of using the weedkiller.Archaeologists have discovered a 'massive' ancient building in the Egyptian town of Mit Rahina, 12 miles (20km) south of Cairo.

An attached building containing a large Roman bath and a chamber likely used for religious rituals were also found at the site.

The area was once part of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, and the two buildings likely formed part of a residential block within the metropolis.

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Pictured is a staircase found at the new site. Archaeologists have discovered a 'massive' ancient building in the Egyptian town of Mit Rahina, 12 miles (20km) south of Cairo

Memphis, founded around 3,100 BC, was home to Menes, the king who united Upper and Lower Egypt.

Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced the discovery.

He said: 'The building was built of brick blocks supported by huge blocks of limestone, whose foundations, external walls and inner staircase were built with red brick moulds.'

The site covers an area spanning 55 by 47 feet (17 by 14.5 metres) and was discovered just 1,300 feet (400m) north of Mit Rahina Museum.

The huge building has an eastern entrance made from limestone blocks, with a second entrance leading to a small hall.

A room attached to its outer wall was likely used by servants, and was discovered at the building's northeastern corner.

This image shows a wash basin found in the religious chamber. The area was once part of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, and the two buildings likely formed part of a residential block within the metropolis

This image shows an artefact found within the building. The huge structure has an eastern entrance made from limestone blocks, with a second entrance leading to a small hall

Pictured is the site uncovered by researchers. An attached building containing a large Roman bath and a chamber likely used for religious rituals were also found at the site

The room contained a baking oven similar to those used in modern Egyptian villages.

A second, attached building contained a Roman bath and a small room that archaeologists believe was used for religious rituals.

They said the existence of the chamber suggests there were residents at the complex.

Pictured is the archaeological site. Memphis, founded around 3,100 BC, was home to Menes, the king who united Upper and Lower Egypt

Pictured is one of the artefacts found by the team. A room attached to the main building's outer wall was likely used by servants

The site (pictured) covers an area spanning 55 by 47 feet (17 by 14.5 metres). was discovered just 1,300 feet (400m) north of Mit Rahina Museum

Inside the room researchers found a limestone pots holder limestone decorated on one side with the head of the God, Bes.

The room also contained wash basins and small columns of limestone.

Egypt hopes such discoveries will spur tourism, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing, which was hit hard by political turmoil following the 2011 uprising.

Pictured is a historical artefact found at the Egyptian site. Egypt hopes such discoveries will spur tourism, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing, which was hit hard by political turmoil following the 2011 uprising

The discovery was made in the Egyptian town of Mit Rahina, 12 miles (20km) south of CairoDazzling pink and yellow neon striped fish have been discovered by divers deep at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

First spotted at a depth of 400 feet (120m) beneath the ocean's surface, this cryptic fish lives in the rocky crevices of 'twilight zone' reefs, where sunlight is scarce

The deep-diving team was so captivated by their finned find that they didn't notice a massive sixgill shark hovering above them - a moment they captured on camera.

Named after the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, is found nowhere else in the world, other than these reefs 600 miles (965km) off the coast of Brazil.

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Dazzling pink and yellow neon striped fish have been discovered by divers deep at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean (pictured)

APHRODITE'S FISH Experts at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco have scientifically described the new species they discovered. Tosanoides aphrodite  named after the Greek goddess of love for their enchanting effect on the people who found them  are found nowhere else in the world. Males are outfitted with alternating pink and yellow stripes while females sport a solid, blood-orange colour. Using a microscope, the team counted fins and measured spine length. DNA analysis revealed the new species is the first Atlantic-dwelling member of its genus  a rank in the biological classification that can include more than one species. Advertisement

The find was made by experts at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco on a recent expedition to the remote archipelago of St Paul's Rock.

The sixgill shark stretched nearly ten feet long and cruised overhead as doctors Luiz Rocha and Hudson Pinheiro delicately collected the fish for further study back at the academy.

Behind the camera, the team's diving officer Mauritius Bell enthusiastically announced the visitor to the duo, but to no avail.

The aptly named, Tosanoides aphrodite enchanted its discoverers much like Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty, enchanted the ancient Greek gods.

That is why they chose to honour the new species by naming it after the mythological figure.

'This is one of the most beautiful fishes I've ever seen,' said Dr Rocha, the academy's curator of fishes and co-leader of the Hope for Reefs initiative.

'It was so enchanting it made us ignore everything around it.'

First spotted at a depth of 400 feet beneath the ocean's surface, this cryptic fish lives in the rocky crevices of 'twilight zone' reefs, where sunlight is scarce

The new denizen of the deep is a remarkable testament to the vast ocean habitats that still remain unexplored.

Rocha and Pinheiro are part of a deep-diving research team that ventures to twilight zone reefs  mysterious coral habitats stretching across a narrow band of ocean 200 and 500 feet (60 and 150m) beneath the surface.

In these deep reefs, animals live in partial darkness beyond recreational diving limits, yet above the deep trenches patrolled by submarines and remotely operated underwater vehicles.

'Fishes from the twilight zone tend to be pink or reddish in color,' added Dr Pinheiro.

'Red light doesn't penetrate to these dark depths, rendering the fishes invisible unless illuminated by a light like the one we carry while diving.'

Back at the academy, experts helped the diving duo describe the new species.

They found that males are outfitted with alternating pink and yellow stripes while females sport a solid, blood-orange colour.

Using a microscope, the team counted fins and measured spine length.

DNA analysis revealed the new species is the first Atlantic-dwelling member of its genus  a rank in the biological classification that can include more than one species.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Zookeys.A simple solution to a 160-year-old problem could net one retired University of Cambridge mathematician a $1 million (760,000) prize.

Professor Michael Atiyah claims he has proof of the Riemann hypothesis - a way to map prime numbers, which can only be divided by one and themselves.

The 90-year-old suggested his 'simple proof' would likely ruffle feathers among his fellow mathematicians.

Some academics have expressed doubts, with one highlighting that many great minds have seemingly solved the problem before, only for other researchers to pick holes in their proof later down the line.

A simple solution to a 160-year-old problem could net one retired University of Cambridge mathematician a $1 million (760,000) prize. Professor Michael Atiyah (file photo) claims he has proof of the Riemann hypothesis - a way to map prime numbers

The Riemann hypothesis was first poised in 1859 by German mathematician G.F.B Riemann.

He proposed 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.

If this hypothesis is proved correct it could provide a neat way for mathematicians to find new prime numbers, which are useful for everything from computer encryption to the programming of super computers.

Scientists have spent 160 years attempting to prove Riemann's formula is correct, but all attempts have failed so far.

Professor Atiyah, who spent who spent most of his academic career at Cambridge, unveiled his attempt at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Germany this week.

He said: 'Solve the Riemann hypothesis and you become famous. If you are famous already, you become infamous.

The Riemann hypothesis was first poised in 1859 by German mathematician G.F.B Riemann. He proposed 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 (stock image)

WHAT IS THE RIEMANN HYPOTHESIS? The Riemann hypothesis was first poised in 1859 by German mathematician G.F.B Riemann. It is based around prime numbers - those that can only be divided by themselves and one. Riemann proposed 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. If this hypothesis is proved correct it could provide a neat way for mathematicians to find new prime numbers. Primes are useful for everything from computer encryption to the programming of super computers. Advertisement

'Nobody believes any proof of the Riemann hypothesis because it is so difficult.

'Nobody has proved it, so why should anybody prove it now? Unless, of course, you have a totally new idea.'

The academic says he combined the work of two mathematicians for his proof - 2oth century visionaries John von Neumann and Friedrich Hirzebruch.

By combining their insights on prime numbers, Professor Atiyah claims to have reached a logical contradiction, suggesting the hypothesis is correct.

'It looks miraculous, 'but I claim that all the hard work was done 70 years ago,' he said.

The hypothesis is ranked among the Clay Mathematics Institute's the six unsolved Clay Millennium Problems.

A correct solution would earn its author a $1 million (760,000) prize.

But doubts have been raised over the legitimacy of Professor Atiyah's solution.

His presentation was made up of just a few slides, in which the academic claimed to have found a connection with the fine structure constant.

The physical parameter describes the interaction between light and matter, and many academics have called its existence into question.

'The Riemann hypothesis is a notoriously difficult problem,' Dr Nicholas Jackson at Warwick University told New Scientist.

'Lots of other top-rate mathematicians have nearly but not quite managed to prove it over the years, only for a subtle flaw in the proof to become apparent.'Older people find it hard to follow conversations because they get easily distracted, according to new research.

They are more likely to deviate off topic  but not for the reason you may think, say psychologists.

As people age they have more information stored in their brains but find it more difficult to choose which bits to share with others and avoid unnecessary details.

The finding sheds fresh light on brain mechanisms which can change the quality of social interactions as we age.

It makes it harder to keep a conversation on track as they deviate off topic  offering hope of developing better ways to combat social isolation and depression.

People aged over 60 years old are less skilled than people in their 20s at choosing which bits of information to share in conversation, researchers from the University of Edinburgh say

The Scottish team used a series of computerised tests to assess 840 speech samples from 60 volunteers, whose ages ranged from 18 to more than 80 years old.

Those more likely to wander tended to be more knowledgeable  and older, reports the journal eLife.

But they were also less skilled at selecting the most relevant parts of their wisdom to use.

Dr Paul Hoffman, of the University of Edinburgh said: 'We all get distracted by irrelevant thoughts from time to time when we are speaking.

'But our results suggest this happens more often as we get older and accumulate more knowledge.

'Having larger stores of knowledge to select from increases the challenge of staying on topic for older people.

OLD PEOPLE ARE HAPPIER BECAUSE THEY WORRY LESS Almost two thirds of older people claim they are 'happier than they have ever been', a British poll found in April 2017. Some 63 per cent of people over the age of 70 feel more content than at any other point in their lives. And half claim they are in the prime of their life, according to the data from the Royal Voluntary Service. Worrying less and having more time for personal activities were some of the things highlighted as a benefit of growing older. While no longer caring what people think was also mentioned by the 1,500 British adults questioned by the charity. The survey also quizzed older people about the key to keeping happy in older age. Mental exercises, regular physical exercise and seeing friends and family were some of the top tips. David McCullough, chief executive of the Royal Voluntary Service said: 'It's heartening to find out so many people say life gets better as you age.' Advertisement

'At the same time, they may experience age-related declines in the ability to suppress unnecessary information.

'This may help to explain why some people become less coherent as they get older and why some do not.'

His researchers used two tests  one to measure the ability to choose relevant information and another to quantify knowledge.

Firstly, the participants were given a series of subjects to speak about for one minute enabling their coherence to be measured.

This was based on how likely they were to talk about the issue, rather than producing irrelevant information.

Then their thinking skills were analysed through a series of challenges, one looking at how knowledgeable they were by testing their vocabulary.

Another tested their ability to focus on specific aspects of their knowledge  for example, by matching familiar objects based on their colour.

The team found, on average, older people aged over 60 were not as skilled as 18 to 30-year-olds at selecting which information to share.

They were likely to have more knowledge  but were less good at selecting the most relevant elements of it.

Dr Hoffman added: 'Previous studies had found older people tend to be less coherent in conversation, but the reason for this change was not clear.

'Here we found older people are more knowledgeable than young people but are less skilled at selecting which aspects of their knowledge are most important.'

During a conversation, each person must plan and monitor what they say to make sure it is relevant  known as maintaining coherence during speech.

Researchers say old people are more knowledgeable but are more likely to produce irrelevant or off-topic information in a conversation because ageing brains find it more difficult to think of the right things to say

Dr Hoffman said: 'Studies suggest as people get older they find it harder to remain coherent, and become more likely to produce irrelevant or off-topic information when speaking.

'This reduces how effectively they communicate and can have negative effects on their social interactions.

'However, little is known about how thinking skills affect coherence in speech and why this declines in later life.'

He added: 'Our results indicate maintaining coherence in speech becomes more challenging as people age because they accumulate more knowledge, but are less able to effectively regulate how it is activated and used.'Incredible footage reveals the closest look yet at how plants have sex - and scientists say it requires plenty of thrust.

The sperm housed in a plant's pollen are unable to move themselves, and so are carried to the egg of another plant through an invasive 'pollen tube'.

The tube powers through a maze of tissue to make it to the egg, and scientists have now captured this process in greater detail than ever before.

They showed that the water pressure used by a plant to drive its pollen tube into a mate is equivalent to the air pressure inside a car tyre.

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Researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, conducted the new study using tiny microchips attached to microscopic gates.

Scientists registered the force and movement of pollen tubes as they grew through the gates, allowing researchers to measure the process in fine detail.

'From a mechanical point of view, the process of pollen tube elongation is similar to that of a balloon catheter used in angioplasty  forces are generated based on fluid under pressure,' said study coauthor Dr Muthukumaran Packirisamy.

'So, we designed a microscopic cantilever with a gauge built in that the pollen tubes had to forcefully push against in order to continue to elongate.'

Pollen tubes have to push through a lot of matter to reach the egg, which is deeply embedded in the plant tissue.

These invasive tubes are the fastest growing cells in the plant kingdom, growing up to 0.8 inches (2cm) - or 500 times their original dimension - an hour.

The sperm housed in a plant's pollen are unable to move themselves, and so are carried to the egg through an invasive 'pollen tube' (artist's impression)

Pollen tubes (artist's impression) power through a maze of tissue to make it to the egg, and scientists have now captured this process in greater detail than ever before

WHAT ARE POLLEN TUBES? Unlike animal species, the sperm housed in a plants pollen cannot move. Pollen tubes are used by plants to deliver sperm to an egg. The appendages push through a lot of matter to reach the egg, which is deeply embedded in the plant tissue. They can sometimes extend up to 12 inches (30cm), depending on the anatomy of the flower. Advertisement

They can sometimes extend up to 12 inches (30cm), depending on the anatomy of the flower.

But while scientists already knew much about pollen tubes, how they navigated had long puzzled scientists.

Using their new microchips, the Canadian team found that pollen tubes can divert their path when they encounter an obstacle.

The appendage changes its growth pattern, suggesting that the cells are in some ways able to 'feel' and respond to objects in their environment.

They also found that the water pressure exerted by the tubes is enormous, building the equivalent force to the air pressure within a car tyre.

Study coauthor Dr Anja Geitmann said: 'Thanks to the lab-on-a chip technology we were able to actually see and measure exactly what was going on within the pollen tube as it grew.

'Its very exciting to be able to see this process, and it leaves us with a lot of interesting questions ahead about male-female communication.'Patches the nine year-old dachshund has made medical history in a major breakthrough in cancer research.

Surgeons removed a large cancerous tumour growing on her skull and replaced it with a 3-D printed custom implant that surgeons fitted in place 'like a puzzle piece' in a pioneering operation.

The custom made skull piece could also help human patients, the researchers hope.

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Canadian surgeons removed a large cancerous tumour growing on Patches the nine year-old dachshund's skull and replaced it with a 3-D printed custom implant.

Oblak and Hayes had to replace about 70 per cent of the top surface of the dog's skull, which left the brain unprotected over a large area

'The technology has grown so quickly, and to be able to offer this incredible, customized, state-of-the-art plate in one of our canine patients was really amazing,' said Ontario Veterinary College's Dr. Michelle Oblak, assistant co-director of the U of G's Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation.

Oblak and Cornell small-animal surgeon Dr. Galina Hayes removed a large cancerous tumour growing on the dachshund's skull on March 23rd and replaced it with a 3D printed custom implant that fit in place like a puzzle piece.

The dog's tumour, a multilobular osteochondrosarcoma that had grown so large that it was weighing down the dog's head and growing into her skull, pushing dangerously close to her brain and eye socket.

'She was asleep for about five hours, and within about half an hour after surgery, Patches was alert and looking around. It was amazing,' said Oblak.

The dog's tumour, a multilobular osteochondrosarcoma that had grown so large that it was weighing down the dog's head and growing into her skull, pushing dangerously close to her brain and eye socket.

'We called her our little unicorn because she had this bump on her head, but it would have killed her,' Danielle Dymeck, who is from Willamsport, Pa, told CBC.

'It's pretty amazing what they did for my girl.'

Oblak and Hayes had to replace about 70 per cent of the top surface of the dog's skull, which left the brain unprotected over a large area.

'She was asleep for about five hours, and within about half an hour after surgery, Patches was alert and looking around. It was amazing,' said Oblak.

During the five hour operation, doctors removed the tumour, and replaced 70% of the skull with their 3D printed version. Pictured, the 3D models surgeons used to plan the operation next to the tumour they removed

Patches is now cancer-free - although in a separate incident a week after the surgery, suffered a badly slipped disc in her back which left here hind legs paralyzed.

'She has a wheelchair that she refuses to use, so she pulls herself around on her two feet, but she's pretty fast,' Dymeck said.

'I feel lucky to be her owner, and she's still the boss of the house.'

The procedure not only marked a veterinary first in North America, but it also signalled a potential new breakthrough in cancer research.

Doctors worked with an engineer from Sheridan College's Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Design and Technologies to create a 3-D model of the dog's head and tumour so doctors could 'virtually' perform the surgery and see what would be left behind once the growth was removed.

'I was able to do the surgery before I even walked into the operating room,' said Oblak, holding the small 3-D printed model of Patches' skull with a detachable model of the tumour.

Doctors worked with an engineer from Sheridan College's Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Design and Technologies to create a 3-D model of the dog's head and tumour so doctors could 'virtually' perform the surgery and see what would be left behind once the growth was removed. Pictured, Ontario Veterinary College's Dr. Michelle Oblak.

Once she could determine the dimensions of the portion of skull she'd need to replace, she worked with ADEISS, a 3-D medical printing company in London, Ont., to adapt software designed for human medicine. Together they created a skull plate to replace the part she planned to remove from Patches' head.

Typically, she said, surgeries of this kind take a long time, as once the portion of skull is removed, surgeons must assess the damage and shape titanium mesh over the spot.

Oblak and Cornell small-animal surgeon Dr. Galina Hayes removed a large cancerous tumour growing on the dachshund's skull on March 23rd and replaced it with a 3D printed custom implant that fit in place like a puzzle piece

For Patches, the 3-D printed plate fitted into place perfectly, and for future canine and human surgeries, the approach will eliminate the need to model an implant in the operating room and reduce patient risk by shortening the time spent under anesthesia.

'This is major for tumour reconstruction in many places on the head, limb prosthesis, developmental deformities after fractures and other traumas,' said Oblak, adding that she sees tremendous potential for 3-D printed implant technology to be transferred to humans.

'In human medicine, there is a lag in use of the available technology while regulations catch up.

'By performing these procedures in our animal patients, we can provide valuable information that can be used to show the value and safety of these implants for humans.

'These implants are the next big leap in personalized medicine that allows for every element of an individual's medical care to be specifically tailored to their particular needs.'Abolishing traffic lights seems like a recipe for chaos - but researchers say that in fact, replacing them with a hi-tech solution could dramatically improve your commute.

Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University are working on a system that would replace conventional traffic lights with virtual ones  with stop and go signals appearing directly on the windshield or dashboard.

This allows each driver to get a 'personalised' light - and can slash time spent waiting at signals.

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Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University are working on a system that would replace conventional traffic lights with virtual ones  with stop and go signals appearing directly on the windshield or dashboard. Pictured, an Audi 'Traffic Light Assist' that shows drivers exactly how far away their next red is - helping them time their drive to minimise stopping.

HOW IT WORKS Virtual traffic lights appear on the driver's dashboard and explain with green and red arrows which direction they can safely travel in, just like with normal traffic lights. But they disappear once the junction has been crossed. The developers say virtual traffic lights will cut carbon emissions, reduce accidents and cut those annoying commute times. Advertisement

'Drivers are ingrained to pay attention to the green, yellow, and dreaded red lights as they approach an intersection,' said Virtual Traffic Lights (VTL), the firm researchers set up to commercialize the technology.

'But what if cars could talk to each other, and manage traffic without infrastructure based traffic lights?'

The new system uses virtual traffic lights that appear on the driver's windshield as they approach an intersection.

'When the driver is looking through the windshield, they'll see that going straight is a green light, and turning right is a red light.

'It's a seamless process, the driver does not get involved in this decision making.

'The virtual traffic light will turn off once the driver proceeds through the intersection.'

The basic display used in the Pittsburgh trial. Eventually, it could be built into car dashboards

The system relies on cars being able to communicate with each other to work out the optimum light patterns, and was recently tested near the CMU campus in Pittsburgh.

It is able to share GPS data, maps, speed and the intended direction of moving cars.

'Preliminary results of the field tests conducted in Pittsburgh with vehicles using VTL equipment indicate that VTL is capable of coordinating traffic at intersections and reducing the commute time of people,' the team wrote in the journal Arxiv.

In the Pittsburgh trial, two vehicles were set up to approach a junction, one of which acted as the 'lead' car.

The leader was given a virtual red light display, which left the following vehicle with a green light.

The leader was then issued a green light and permission to move.

Once this car moved on, the 'leader' status was then passed to the next vehicle.

After testing this system at over 20 junctions in addition to the presence of four-way stop signs, the researchers say that VTL is able to reduce traffic congestion, carbon emissions and the average commute time by up to 60%.

In the Pittsburgh trial, two vehicles were set up to approach a junction, one of which acted as the 'lead' car.

'VTL reduced the average commute to 21.3 minutes from 35 minutes in Porto and to 18.3 minutes from 30.7 minutes in Pittsburgh,' the researchers say.

'Reductions for people commuting into the city from the suburbs and beyond were cut by a minimum of 30 percent and a maximum of 60 percent.'

Cars makers are expected to embrace the system.

The underlying principle of operation behind traffic lights has not changed much after it was invented in 1914 and first deployed in Cleveland, Ohio

Audi is already developing a system that could spell the end of red lights for drivers.

It is testing a system known as 'Traffic Light Assist' that shows drivers exactly how far away their next red is - helping they time their drive to minimise stopping.

The automaker first released the technology in 2016 in Las Vegas, and its since spread to cities such as Dallas, Denver, Houston, and Palo Alto, as the system now supports traffic signals for more than 1,600 intersections in the US.

The display, in the dashboard in front of drivers, shows a traffic light icon with a countdown timer that reads the number of seconds before a light changes from red to green.

The Virtual Traffic Light project will use sensors in cars to co-ordinate their location.

The system, is linked into a city's electronic traffic light network, and can even take into account lane changes.

Local data from city councils who install smart traffic lights, and motion sensors in the car are used to to predict exactly how long it'll be until the green light goes red.

Audi claims the traffic light info online enables CO2 reductions of up to 15 percent.

'In sum, this would be equivalent to about 900 million liters (237.75 million US gallons) of fuel per year, if this technology were to be implemented throughout Germany,' it claims.

how the system could work: Audi says it hopes smart cruise control could be integrated so automatically set the car's speed

Over the course of the six-month test phase, a total of 500 test drivers in 120 cars and three motorcycles covered a total of 1.65 million kilometers (1.03 million miles).Advertisement

India has a lot of airports, but few can match this one for views.

In fact, few anywhere can.

The Pakyong Airport near Gangtok is India's 100th airport - and has been carved out of a mountainside.

The runway at Pakyong Airport in northern India, which could be the world's most picturesque. The runway has been carved out of a mountainside

The Pakyong Airport near Gangtok is the first to open in the Sikkim state in the north of India, close to the Himalayas

The terminal building has capacity for up to 100 passengers at a time and will offer commercial flights to a variety of destinations

The airport - the first to open in the Sikkim state - is close to the Indian Himalayas and is very near to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. It is nestled in a deep valley and at 4,500 feet, is one of the highest airports in India.

It is set across 990 acres and engineers spent nine years working on the project in treacherous conditions. They toiled on rocky slopes in monsoon rains and during seismic activity and brought equipment up precarious mountain roads.

The entire airport is built on land that was created by building an embankment wall that is 263 feet deep. According to the BBC, this is one of the tallest 'reinforcement' walls in the world.

The terminal building has capacity for up to 100 passengers at a time and will offer commercial flights to a variety of destinations.

It is set across 990 acres and engineers spent nine years working on the project in difficult conditions. They toiled on rocky slopes in monsoon rains and during seismic activity and brought equipment up precarious mountain roads

The first flights from the brand new airport will start next week with the first plane to take off heading to Kolkata

The front of the terminal building. The airport was officially inaugurated by Indian Prime Ministe Narendra Modi last week

The airport was officially inaugurated by Indian Prime Ministe Narendra Modi last week.

The first flights will start next week with the first plane to take off from the airport heading to Kolkata.

Photographer Rajiv Srivastava was one of the first people to get a sneak peek at the airport ahead of it opening to the public.

He told MailOnline Travel: 'Pakyong Airport is indeed an engineering marvel set in the heavenly abode of the Himalayas.'

The entire airport is built on land that was created by building an embankment wall that is 263 feet deepShe's known for her chic sense of style, and impeccable red carpet looks.

And Salma Hayek was back to her old tricks again as she dazzled in a purple gown for Gucci's Spring/Summer 2019 show at Paris Fashion Week on Monday.

The 52-year-old actress looked sensational in her sparkling dress, which was semi-sheer across the sleeves and chest.

Stunning: Salma Hayek dazzled in a purple gown as she arrived at Gucci show during Paris Fashion Week on Monday

Salma cinched her outfit at the waist with a thin black belt, as she kept her personal items in a chic Gucci clutch bag.

The Frida star boosted her height in a pair of purple velvet heels, and complemented her ensemble with an array of silver jewellery.

The raven-haired beauty wore her locks in waves and parted down the middle, while she used a slick of mascara and pink lipstick to highlight her pretty features.

Chic: Salma cinched her outfit at the waist with a thin black belt, as she kept her personal items in a chic Gucci clutch bag

Pals: The star posed up a storm with a number of other guests, including Agnes Varda (second left), Jared Leto (second right), Marco Bizzarri (right) and Massimo Bottura (centre)

Stylish: The raven-haired beauty wore her locks in waves and parted down the middle, while she used a slick of mascara and pink lipstick to highlight her pretty features

Dapper: Salma's husband Francois Pinault also came to the event, and he looked sharp in a navy blue suit which he paired with a crisp white shirt (pictured with Marco Bizzarri and Massimo Bottura)

Her husband Francois Pinault also made an appearance at the event, and he looked sharp in a navy blue suit which he paired with a crisp white shirt.

The loved-up couple posed up a storm with a number of other guests, including Agnes Varda, Marco Bizzarri and Massimo Bottura.

Jared Leto arrived at the event dressed to impress, as he showed off his eccentric sense of style in a flowing red velvet coat.

The versatile actor and musician, 46, was in high spirits as he indulged fans with selfies and autographs outside the venue.

Accessorise: The Frida star complemented her ensemble with an array of silver jewellery

Striking: Jared Leto showed off his eccentric sense of style in a velvet tasselled coat as he arrived at Gucci show at Paris Fashion Week on Monday

Clashing colours: Underneath the striking jacket he wore a silk green tunic that also had a floral design, and which he offset with a pair of Gucci mountain hiking trainers

Trend alert! The outfits of the night featured a lot of tassles and a patchwork of fabrics

The fringed jacket also featured a detailed floral design, which had been bedazzled with rhinestones to give the ensemble an eccentric flourish.

Underneath the striking jacket he wore a silk green tunic that also had a floral design, and which he offset with a pair of Gucci mountain hiking trainers.

Completing his look with heavily tinted sunglasses, the Oscar-winning actor was sure to command plenty of attention with his bold attire.

The event showcased the must-have items of the fashion label's women's ready-to-wear collection, which included white ruffled gown and oversized sun hat.

Friendly: The versatile actor and musician, 46, was in high spirits as he indulged fans with selfies and autographs outside the venue

Standing out: The fringed jacket also featured a detailed floral design, which had been bedazzled with rhinestones to give the ensemble an eccentric flourish

Handsome: David Furnish looked dapper in a blue plaid jacket, grey trousers and red shoes

Salma's outing comes after she renewed her wedding vows with her husband in a surprise ceremony thrown by her spouse during their recent island getaway.

She revealed on social media that she was tricked into believing she was going to have a spa day, but ended up being surprised with the intimate beach vow renewal.

Wearing a red dress and flip flops, Salma celebrated nine years of marriage with her French businessman husband as their daughter Valentina, 10, served as a witness.

She gushed on her Instagram post: 'The summer is coming to an end and my best moment was when my husband surprised me with a vow renewal - it was not what I would have chosen to wear to my wedding but I was told I was going to the spa!'

The couple wore matching leis and flower crowns as they recommitted themselves to one another, and they ended their ceremony on a high note, sharing a romantic kiss right by the water.

Fashionable: The event showcased the must-have items of the fashion label's women's ready-to-wear collection, which included white ruffled gown and oversized sun hat

Unique: The Gucci show featured an array of fascinating outfits during the opening

Trends: Two male models showed off the new must-have items as they walked the runway

Salma and Francois married on Valentine's Day in 2009 and have daughter Valentina together.

The actress admitted several years ago she was 'desperate' to find the one before meeting Francois, and ended up dating some men she shouldn't have.

'I wish I knew [when I was younger] that I was going to fall crazy in love with the perfect man. I was so worried, and I dated some people I shouldn't have dated,' she told Allure.

'You get desperate, and you start seeing wonderful things in, like, the wrong guys. I also found some pretty good guys.

'But I wish I could say to myself: "Hey, chill out. You're going to get a great husband that's going to adore you,"' she added: 'I would have saved myself a lot of personal drama.'

Trend-setters: The models all looked sensational in their various outfits

Glamorous: Two models stepped out in chic outfits that would be perfect for a night outShe split with Essendon player Jake Stringer in 2016 in acrimonious circumstances.

And Abby Gilmore took to Instagram during Monday night's Brownlow Medal to remind her followers that she was once one of the sparking WAGs on the red carpet.

The blogger, who shares two children with Jake, posted a photo taken at the 2015 ceremony - but raised eyebrows by conspicuously cropping out her ex-boyfriend.

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'Just your yearly reminder that I was fortunate enough to attend once': Former WAG Abby Gilmore took a swipe at her ex-boyfriend Jake Stringer on Monday by cropping him out of their 2015 Brownlow Medal photo on Instagram

It was a rather unusual decision as Abby could have simply posted one of the many solo photos taken of her on the red carpet that night.

Instead, she shared a picture of the former couple but obscured Jake completely behind a vertical black bar, with only a portion of his tuxedo visible.

She captioned the edited photo: 'Just your yearly reminder that I was fortunate enough to attend [the Brownlows] once.'

Ouch! Abby shared a picture of the former couple from the 2015 ceremony but obscured Jake completely behind a vertical black bar, with only a portion of his tuxedo visible. Pictured: Jake and Abby in the original photo

She continued: 'I walked in matching the tablecloths and never got to redeem myself ever again. Everyone tonight looks SO HOT! It's next level.

'I was also in New Idea's worst dressed, so yeah happy Brownlow.'

After posting the Brownlows photo to Instagram, Abby shared a bizarre video of herself at home complaining about craving chocolate.

'I'm literally at the point where I'm about to get in my car and go buy chocolate. I need it that badly. This is not a drill,' she said.

'This is not a drill': After posting the Brownlows photo to Instagram, Abby shared a bizarre video of herself at home complaining about craving chocolate

Bitter ending: High school sweethearts Abby, 25, and Jake, 24, ended their relationship in 2016 and later became embroiled in a public feud. Pictured during a Western Bulldogs training session in Melbourne in September 2016

High school sweethearts Abby, 25, and Jake, 24, ended their relationship in 2016 and later became embroiled in a public feud.

The former couple share custody of their two children: Arlo and Milla.

Abby has since built a lucrative social media brand around her life as a 'former WAG' and runs self-improvement workshops for women.

Doting father: Jake is pictured with his children Arlo and Milla at an Essendon game at the MCG in Melbourne in June this year. He shares custody of the girls with his ex-girlfriend Abby

She underwent breast augmentation last year after finding herself unhappy with her appearance following the births of her two children.

'Breast surgery was never something I seriously considered until I noticed my body change after having my two girls,' she told Kidspot at the time.

'I loved that every bit of me that changed, except my boobs. I have curves I love, wide hips that carried my babies safely in there, but I now have boobs that look nothing like they used to.'

Moving on: Following her split with Jake, Abby has built a lucrative social media brand around her life as a 'former WAG' and runs self-improvement workshops for women. Pictured with her new boyfriend (right), who she has been dating for around a year

Meanwhile, Jake - who previously played for the Western Bulldogs from 2013 to 2017 - spoke to Fox Footy in April about overcoming the tumultuous period of his life following his split with Abby.

'I'm really happy with where I'm at with my life. My kids have played a massive part in that, and my mum and dad, and Taylor [McVeigh, his girlfriend],' he said.

'Those were the ones who were always holding me up. They made me push forward to where I am now.'The Biggest Loser star Michelle Bridges has helped thousands of everyday Australians overhaul their bodies with her 12-week fitness program.

And according to Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeon Dr Randal Haworth, the 47-year-old fitness guru may have undergone her own transformation in recent years thanks to various cosmetic enhancements.

'It appears Michelle's striking facial change came from an enthusiastic use of fillers and Botox,' the CEO of DrHaworth.com told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.

A stiff smile, 'Spock eyebrows' and an under-eye bulge: Leading plastic surgeon Dr Randal Haworth has claimed that Michelle Bridges, 47, may have undergone a facial transformation in recent years thanks to various cosmetic enhancements. Pictured left in 2007, and right in 2018

'Unfortunately, the manner in which they were used tends to detract from her natural facial harmony rather than enhance it,' he claimed.

Dr Haworth went on to describe what he believes are tell-tale signs of Michelle's supposed cosmetic work.

'Her eyebrows are a tad too elevated into a pointed arch similar to Captain Spock, which is most likely the result of Botox,' he claimed.

'Ironically, this shape can be softened with a further small shot of Botox above each arch.'

Has she or hasn't she? 'It appears Michelle's striking facial change came from an enthusiastic use of fillers and Botox,' the Beverly Hills-based surgeon told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. Pictured left in 2008, and right in 2018

'I have a small suspicion Botox was also injected in and around her chin because her smile in recent pictures seems somewhat restricted and stiff,' he speculated.

Dr Haworth also claimed that Michelle appears to have plumped her lips and under-eye hollows with filler such as Juvederm.

'In certain angles, the filler seems to have accentuated her long upper lip which is a sign of ageing,' he claimed.

Filler? Dr Haworth also claimed that that Michelle appears to have plumped her lips and under-eye hollows with filler such as Juvederm. Pictured left in 2007, and right in 2018

'A tell-tale sign that filler was used to treat under-eye hollows is bulging below her lower eyes next to the nose. I can see Michelle has those when she is smiling in recent photographs,' he added.

While Michelle is yet to reveal whether she has gone under the needle, she has previously supported the use of non-surgical enhancements.

Speaking to Confidential in 2014, she said of cosmetic work such as Botox: 'I am a fan of anything that makes a person feel good about themselves and more confident.

'Nothing enhances your features like a gratitude attitude and manners. Sarcasm and judgment is ageing. Compassion is beautiful.'He's the homegrown Australian A-lister known for his physically demanding movie roles.

And on Monday, actor Chris Hemsworth proved he's more than just a pretty face by performing a simple but precise car stunt which would not look out of place in any Hollywood blockbuster.

The star posted a short clip of himself to Instagram driving a black Jaguar car in a studio back lot.

Is there anything he CAN'T do? Thor star Chris Hemsworth shows off his driving skills with an impressive car stunt

As he accelerates towards the camera at speed, Chris quickly swings the car around into an expertly timed skid, bringing the car to a stop right in front of the lens.

Clad in a black singlet and wearing reflective sunglasses, the star shows off his muscly torso as he grins through the open driver's side window.

The 35-year-old Thor actor captioned the clip: 'Chunkin' a spinny.'

Nice driving! As he accelerates towards the camera at speed, Chris quickly swings the car around into an expertly timed skid, bringing the car to a stop, right in front of the lens

The clip triggered a deluge of comments on Chris' Instagram, including: 'Nice drift, man', 'Sick driving skills, Chris!', and 'Boys and their toys.'

Another fan quipped: 'Why you didn't say something like: "One Big Mac please."'

Aside from having fun in the driver's seat of luxury cars, Chris has been busy on set.

Busy bee: The Australian actor, who is married to Elsa Pataky (pictured left), 42, has spent the last three months in London shooting the anticipated Men In Black spin-off movie

'Finished the London portion of Men In Black, now we go to Morocco, a little bit of Italy, a little bit of Paris,' Chris recently told fans on social media. Pictured: Chris with Men In Black actress Tessa Thompson, 34

The Australian actor, who is married to Elsa Pataky, 42, has spent the last three months in London shooting the anticipated Men In Black spin-off movie.

On Friday, he wrapped filming in England, with plans to head to Europe to shoot other scenes across the globe.

'Finished the London portion of Men In Black, now we go to Morocco, a little bit of Italy, a little bit of Paris,' he told fans on social media.

While Morocco was next on the agenda for the Men In Black flick, Chris said he was first headed to Atlanta for additional Avengers 4 photography.She was the runner-up on this summer's Love Island, alongside beau Paul Knops.

But that ill-fated union - which came to an end two weeks ago - is clearly the last thing on Laura Anderson's mind, and the reality starlet was seen flashing a beaming smile for a night out on Monday evening in London.

Attending the Best Heroes Awards in the Capital, Laura joined co-stars Zara McDermott and Ellie Brown as the trio of beauties led the glamour at the sparkling bash.

No love lost: Laura Anderson's was seen flashing a beaming smile for a night out on Monday evening in London

Laura wore a mauve/silver minidress, which fell off-the-shoulder and featured a floral pattern of rose gold and cream.

She added silver strappy heels to the look and toted a statement bejeweled purse.

The reality personality, 29, wore her blonde locks piled above her head, falling down her back, and added dangling earrings to the ensemble, also in a creamy tone.

She joined Zara, who was looking bridal-esque in a lacy shoulder-less gown.

The gals: Laura was out with fellow Love Islanders Zara McDermott and Ellie Brown

Arrival of the fittest: Laura looked sensational as she stepped out of her car

Pretty: Laura wore a mauve/silver minidress, which fell off-the-shoulder and featured a floral pattern of rose gold and cream

Making an entrance: She added silver strappy heels to the look and toted a statement bejeweled purse

Walk this way: She accentuated her statuesque frame in a pair of silver sandals

Making a statement: Laura sported a pair of statement earrings for the star-studded occasion

A laugh a minute? Fellow Love Island alum Eyal Booker was also in attendance, seen catching up with Laura, finding something hilarious

God loves a trier: He is about to appear on the current new season of Celebs Go Dating, having failed to woo anyone in the Majorcan villa over the summer

Check that out: The pair chatted as they stepped outside

Chit chat: Laura introduced herself to James Jordan

She let her chestnut locks cascade around her bare shoulders as she joined Laura and Ellie at the shindig.

Ellie also slipped into a floral ensemble; the plunging number featured a hot pink and yellow pattern, its halterneck plummeting into a low-cut V.

Mimiking Laura somewhat, she tied her blonde locks high atop her head and allowed them to fall down her naked back.

Fellow Love Island alum Eyal Booker was also in attendance, seen catching up with Laura, finding something hilarious.

Tropicana: Ellie also slipped into a floral ensemble; the plunging number featured a hot pink and yellow pattern, its halterneck plummeting into a low-cut V

Final adjustments: Ellie appeared to have trouble with her clothing as she alighted from the car

The blonde leading the blonde: Mimiking Laura somewhat, she tied her blonde locks high atop her head and allowed them to fall down her naked back

Picture perfect: The trio posed for photos together

Women of their Ward! The Love Island stars commanded the pavement alongside RHOC's Dawn Ward

Helping hand: Laura held onto RHOC's Rachel Lugo's hand out of the venue

Having a laugh: The trio couldn't contain their laughter in the back of their waiting car

Friendship: Laura and Dawn appeared to be getting on like a house on fire

Blonde beauties: Rachel, Dawn and Laura smiled for waiting cameras as they drove off

He is about to appear on the current new season of Celebs Go Dating, having failed to woo anyone in the Majorcan villa over the summer.

Laura's self-confessed celebrity crush Eamonn Holmes was also in attendance, something the blonde would surely be excited about.

As was Strictly Come Dancing's Craig Revel Horwood - who crossed paths with former Strictly stars Arlene Phillips, James Jordan and his wife Ola Jordan.

Chic: Zara was looking bridal-esque in a lacy shoulder-less gown

Sashay away: She let her chestnut locks cascade around her bare shoulders as she joined Laura and Ellie at the shindig

Dazzling: Zara's bardot look highlighted her sensational frame

All in the details: She carried a patient leather nude clutch in her manicured hand

Mane attraction: She left her brown tresses cascade down her back in a tousled curl

Night on the town: Laura was the runner-up on this summer's Love Island, alongside beau Paul Knops

Date night: James and Ola Jordan were in attendance

Pink ladies: Model Caprice was there in a hot pink dress; Craig Revel Horwood wore the same colour shirt; and Anthea Turner sported a similar shade

Hot: Caprice looked elegant in the daring figure-hugging dress

Model Caprice was there in a hot pink dress; Anthea Turner sported a similar shade. And Lizzie Cundy wowed in a daring silver number.

Loose Women stars Carol McGiffin and Linda Robson were also in attendance, as were Vanessa Feltz and her husband.

Craig Fairbrass was also there, with his other half.

Sharp: Eamonn Holmes and Carol McGiffin put on a smart display

Glam: Vanessa Feltz and her husband put on eye-catching displays

Legs eleven: Lizzie Cundy wowed in a daring silver number

Lizzie on the street: The former WAG put on a typically glam arrival

Careful, Liz: The TV personality's golden gown proved to be rather revealing

Glam: Anthea Turner (L) and Gloria Hunniford (R) attended the worthwhile event

The awards laud remarkable members of society, who go above and beyond to achieve things for others.

Having launched in 2017, this sees the event's sophomore annual outing.

The ceremony celebrates everyone - from all backgrounds and ages - for their dedication to a particular cause.

Come on Arlene: Former Strictly judge Arlene Phillips made her entrance

Strike a pose: Craig Fairbrass was also there, with his other half

Loose Woman: Linda Robson looked lovely as she exited her car to attend the event

Ola Ola! The dancer looked great in a little black dress

Busty: The outfit left little to the imagination

Hand-in-hand: James and Ola Jordan left the venue together hand-in-handThey became a couple in September 2016, after landing an introduction through her sister, Erin.

And a few days following their two-year anniversary, Bringing up Bates star Carlin Bates became engaged to boyfriend Evan Stewart.

The romantic proposal happened over the weekend at the Portland Head Lighthouse in Maine, according to People.

Bringing up Bates star Carlin Bates, 20, became engaged to boyfriend Evan Stewart

'To say 'yes' to the man of my dreams is an opportunity that is a once in a lifetime dream come true!' the reality beauty told the site.

Carlin, 20, expressed her excitement over the 'surprise destination engagement,' and over her new title as fiance.

'I'm overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness that Evan put into this surprise destination engagement,' she says. 'It was a magical place with the one person that completes me in every way! I'm overjoyed to be his fiance!'

Their beginning: They became a couple in September 2016, after landing an introduction through her sister, Erin

'I'm overjoyed to be his fiance!': Carlin expressed her excitement over the 'surprise destination engagement,' and over her new title as fiance

The beauty rose to fame as one of the 19 children of Kelly Jo and Gil Bates.

The Christian family share their life experiences with their fans through their popular Up reality show, Bringing Up Bates.

Five of the children in the family are married, while two, including Carlin, are engaged.

Very romantic: The Tennessee native was in Nashville with her parents and brother, when Evan popped in for a visit. The group then headed to Maine, where Evan proposed against a beautiful lighthouse backdrop

As for Carlin's engagement, the lifetime event came as a surprise.

The Tennessee native was in Nashville with her parents and brother, when Evan popped in for a visit.

The group then headed up to Maine for the weekend. In one evening of their quick family get-a-way, Evan got down on one knee and asked Carlin for her hand in marriage.

The beautiful proposal took place against a setting of a lighthouse, beach and shoreline. Evan read his love a poem he wrote, as the couple's parents witnessed the happy moment off in the distance.He announced he had got married with an Instagram post on Sunday.

And the fun continued for Radio 1 Breakfast host Greg James and his journalist wife Bella Mackie as they enjoyed a very brief honeymoon on Monday.

After marrying in an intimate ceremony on Saturday, the couple headed to Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve in Kent on Sunday night for a one-day safari break.

Honeymoon: Radio 1 Breakfast host Greg James and his journalist wife Bella Mackie enjoyed a very brief honeymoon on Monday after tying the knot on Saturday

Greg shared snaps from the stunning retreat where guests can stay in luxury treehorses and see the wildlife on safari trips.

Captioning a shot of the stunning view from their room, Greg told his Instagram followers: 'One night honeymoon so went on safari...in Kent. This is one of my favourite places in the world. The view from our room. Unreal.'

The newlyweds also got up close to a friendly camel during their safari tour as they snapped selfies.

Nice view: After marrying in an intimate ceremony on Saturday, the couple headed to Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve in Kent on Sunday night for a one-day safari break

Their first night as husband and wife was spent at London's Ritz hotel, where Greg shared a selfie from bed as the pair tucked into a Dominoes, after a 'failed 4am McDonalds search' after their wild wedding reception.

Greg shared more photos from the big day on Sunday night as he gushed: 'F**king hell shes beautiful (Bella, the car and the breakfast Dominos).'

It's been a whirlwind couple of days for the couple as Greg heads back to work on Tuesday morning, bright and early at 6:30am.

Breakfast in bed: Their first night as husband and wife was spent at London's Ritz hotel, where Greg shared a selfie from bed as the pair tucked into a Dominoes

Scott Mills stood in for the new Breakfast show host on Monday.

Greg first shared his happy news on Sunday afternoon, taking to Instagram to share a series of shots in which the couple looked overjoyed while departing their nuptials.

He added the caption: 'Bella and I got married and it was the most incredible day of my life. I think it was up there for her too. She is the best thing ever and I feel like I might actually burst with happiness'.

Time for a selfie: The newlyweds had a 'failed 4am McDonalds search' after their wild wedding reception, snapping a selfie in Piccadilly Circus with Greg's Radio 1 ad

Happiness: It's been a whirlwind couple of days for the couple as Greg heads back to work on Tuesday morning, bright and early at 6:30am

In June, the presenter announced he became engaged to Bella, who popped the question to him back in February.

Taking to Instagram at the time, the star, who famously dated Ellie Goulding from 2010 to 2012, shared the sweet news - which came just a day after it was announced he was taking over from Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1's Breakfast Show.

The caption read: 'Oh while were doing announcements, heres something else...Im having the time of my life and enjoying my work more than ever.

'I feel really content and its nice to have my s**t together before I undertake a huge new work challenge. One of the main reasons for this happiness is because I met this person. This is Bella and in February she asked me to marry her.

'I said yes immediately because she is the smartest, funniest and most beautiful person Ive ever met.

Happiness: Greg announced he and Bella had married with a post on Sunday afternoon

Happy days: Greg took to Instagram to share a series of shots in which the couple looked overjoyed during the intimate ceremony

'The only problem is she loves staying up into the early hours drinking as much as I do and this is not conducive with 5am alarms. That said, its been quite a year.'

When news of his job was announced, journalist Bella took to Twitter to echo his sentiments as she shared the announcement with the added text: 'Im proud as hell. But I also hate early starts and early nights. What a tangled web of human feelings.'

With his heartthrob status, it is little wonder his news was met with such devastation on both Twitter and Instagram as fans wept over their broken hearts, with one user writing: 'Greg James is getting married. Life is over.'

Smitten: In June, the presenter announced he became engaged to Bella, who popped the question to him back in February

The day before the big announcement, Nick confirmed he will step down as host of BBC Radio 1's flagship breakfast show before the BBC revealed Greg will take over.

The DJ's decision to leave comes after the programme lost 600,000 listeners in the first quarter of 2018: 'It was always my dream to do the breakfast show and I'm very grateful that I got to live my dream every day for what will be nearly six years.

'But six years is a long time and this isn't a forever job. I had the time of my life.'

BBC Radio 1's Twitter account wrote: 'Don't worry though guys, Grimmy may be stepping down from the Breakfast Show but he's staying with the station and our friend and yours, Mr @gregjames will be waking you up every morningShe split from Richard Madden in 2015 following a four-year on-off romance.

But Jenna Coleman had to discuss her ex on Monday despite their split, because her new show The Cry is replacing his hit BBC drama Bodyguard on Sunday nights.

Appearing on BBC's The One Show, the 32-year-old actress was asked about the thriller, and its recent finale, even though she was booked to promote her new series.

Unfazed: Jenna Coleman dodged awkward One Show questions as they asked her about ex Richard Madden's hit Bodyguard on Monday

Jenna kept her cool as she was asked how The Cry would compare to Bodyguard, after it gripped the nation for six weeks.

Taking the questions in her stride, she said: 'I think its quite a different tone and pace perhaps. I watched all of Bodyguard and I thought it was fantastic.

'The first twenty minutes of that programme was [grand gesture]. But [The Cry is] quite a different feeling and its very much a psychological thriller.'

Intense show: Jenna kept her cool when she was asked how The Cry would compare to Bodyguard, after it gripped the nation for six weeks

Supportive: Taking the questions in her stride, she said: 'I watched all of Bodyguard and I thought it was fantastic'

Not the same: Speaking about her show, she explained, 'Its quite a different feeling and its very much a psychological thriller'

Some fans called out the uncomfortable discussion, as one wrote on Twitter: 'Feel so awkward for Jenna Coleman sat on #TheOneShow couch surrounded by people talking about how fabulous #Bodyguard was even though Richard Madden's her ex lollll (sic)'

Bodyguard achieved consolidated viewing figures of 10.4 million for its first episode, while the finale garnered a peak of 10.9 million viewers.

The Cry has big shoes to fill, but many expressed their excitement to see the new show that will be replacing BBC's biggest hit in a decade.

One Twitter user said: 'Ooh, excellent. #TheCry will fill the #Bodyguard hole! LOVED the book by @FitzHelen. Can't wait.'

While another wrote: 'The cry starts in the bodyguards (sic) place next week. It promises to be as good if not better. We will see.'

Moving on: The couple (pictured in 2015) split in 2015 after a four-year romance, he is now dating model Ellie Bamber while Jenna is loved-up with her Victoria co-star Tom Hughes

Excited: Some fans called out the uncomfortable discussion, as one wrote on Twitter, while others were keen to see the show that would replace Bodyguard

Jenna was the picture of elegance on the show as she stepped out in a green velvet suit, which she wore with a white shirt that had a black bow on the front.

Her brunette tresses were styled into glamorous curls with a middle parting, so that her hair framed her face well.

The Doctor Who star accentuated her pretty features with a natural palette of make-up which wore eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, and nude lipstick.

Stylish: Jenna was the picture of elegance on the show as she stepped out in a green velvet suit, which she wore with a white shirt that had a black bow on the front

Pretty: Her brunette tresses were styled into glamorous curls with a middle parting, so that her hair framed her face well

Stunning: The Doctor Who star accentuated her pretty features with a natural palette of make-up which wore eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, and nude lipstick

Intense role: Jenna portrays Joanna who is married to Alistair, and travel from Scotland to a town in Australia, to fight for custody of Alistair's daughter before her baby son goes missing

The Cry was shot in Australia and Scotland and will be shown both in the UK and Down Under.

It is adapted from the novel of the same name, written by Helen FitzGerald.

Jenna portrays Joanna. She is married to Alistair, and together they travel from Scotland to a town in Australia, to fight for custody of Alistair's daughter, Chloe, against his Australian ex-wife, Alexandra.

As they drive from Melbourne to Geelong, their baby son Noah goes missing suddenly from the side of the road.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, under public scrutiny, their marriage collapses and her psychology disintegrates.

Exciting: The Cry was shot in Australia and Scotland and will be shown both in the UK and Down Under

Dramatic: Jenna portrays Joanna. She is married to Alistair, and together they travel from Scotland to a town in Australia, to fight for custody of Alistair's daughter, Chloe

Coming soon: The Cry airs on BBC One on Sunday at 9pmHe was only two years old when his father Steve Irwin was tragically killed by a stingray barb while filming a wildlife program.

And Robert Irwin, 14, is certainly growing up fast, having stepped out in New York on Monday looking more like the late Crocodile Hunter than ever.

Clad in a grey T-shirt and khaki shorts, Robert was spotted strolling through the city with his mother Terri, 54, sister Bindi, 20, and her boyfriend Chandler Powell, 21.

Crikey, you've grown! Robert Irwin is certainly growing up quickly. The conservationist, 14, is pictured in New York City on Monday looking more like his late father Steve than ever

Robert, who now stands a head taller than his famous sister, completed his casual look with a pair of black lace-up sneakers and a wristwatch.

Meanwhile, bubbly Bindi wore a purple plaid shirt and a pair of skinny jeans as she and Chandler held hands.

Chandler also showed his allegiance to the conservationist cause by donning a Wildlife Warriors T-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts.

The whole gang's here! Clad in a grey T-shirt and khaki shorts, Robert was spotted strolling through NYC with his sister Bindi (centre) and her boyfriend Chandler Powell (right)

Terri, who has stayed single following her husband's death, also wrapped up warm in fleece jacket while greeting fans.

The Irwins have been spending time in the United States promoting Australia Zoo and their conservation work.

Last year, Robert told The Courier-Mail he didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, and instead planned to continue his legacy in his own way.

Leader of the pack! Terri, who has stayed single following her husband's death, also wrapped up warm in fleece jacket while greeting fans

'I don't want be exactly like dad, I don't want to be dad, but I do want to continue his legacy,' he said.

'It's in my blood, it's in my DNA, and it's in everything I do. Dad never cared about being known for himself, he cared about the message, and that's what I'm trying to do, continue that message.'

Besides working at Australia Zoo alongside Terri and Bindi, Robert is also an award-winning photographer.

Throwback: Robert was only two years old when his father Steve was killed by a stingray barbBroadway's loyalty program, Audience Rewards, celebrated its 10-year anniversary on Monday night.

Kerry Washington attended the NYC gala alongside fellow actor and co-star, Steven Pasquale.

The 41-year-old actress sizzled in a red leather dress, while Pasquale looked dapper in a plaid suit.

Guest of honor: Kerry Washington attended the Audience Rewards gala in NYC on Monday

Washington's body-hugging dress featured a thigh-high slit and a scooped neckline.

She paired the sexy ensemble with suede heels and a matching clutch.

The Scandal star wore her hair in crimped waves for the event, while her glam included a deep red lip.

Dressed to impress: The 41-year-old actress sizzled in a red leather dress

Kerry, along with Steven, stars in American Son, a new Broadway play.

Set in Florida, the production follows Kendra Ellis-Connor, played by Washington, and Scott Connor, played by Pasquale, as they search for their missing teenage son.

The play debuts on October 6 and will run for a total of 16 weeks.

Co-stars: Kerry attended the event alongside Steven Pasquale

It's been nine years since Washington performed on Broadway.

'The theater was something that I'd hoped I'd be able to come back to,' she told AP in a recent interview. 'I love the theater. It's my first love. It's where I feel in love with acting.'

She went on to praise the American Son script.

'I think one of the things that the play does well is that it takes a lot of issues that we're grappling with in society and culturepolice brutality, race, identity, and classand puts these big ideas into the bodies of these very real characters,' Kerry explained.Sir David Attenborough has hit out at the BBC for failing to produce enough arts and cultural programmes.

Speaking to Radio Times as part of the special 95th birthday issue, the naturalist and broadcaster, 92, said the corporation did not prioritise these shows because they did not attract a large enough audience.

David also insisted that 'people of all kinds should be catered for' and that there were 'lots of gaps' in coverage.

'Lots of gaps': Sir David Attenborough has hit out at the BBC for failing to produce enough arts and cultural programmes

He said: 'I dont think the BBC does enough [arts and culture]. Its not enough simply to say, "Well, it doesnt get a big enough audience."

'If youre a public service broadcaster, what you should be saying is, "We will show the broad spectrum of human interest." People of all kinds should be catered for.

'You can measure success not necessarily by the maximum size of the audience, but by the maximum width of the spectrum, and see whether there arent any gaps in it and how youre filling them.

95th birthday special: Speaking to Radio Times, the naturalist and broadcaster, 92, said the corporation did not prioritise these shows because they did not attract a large audience

'There are lots of gaps in the BBCs coverage now, in my view, and thats because they are harried and badgered by all sorts of people.'

He also said that new technology had made documentary-making more accessible and had encouraged young producers to take up the mantle.

Blue Planet II, which was narrated by Sir David, was the most-watched TV programme of 2017 with an audience reach of 37million in the UK.

Documentary legend: He also said that new technology had made documentary-making more accessible and had encouraged young producers to take up the mantle

He continued: 'Now the technology is so versatile, so small, anybody can make a natural history programme.

'It's just a matter of time. When people say, "How do I become a natural history film-maker?"  the answer is, "Do it! It couldnt be easier."'

The full interview is available to read in the current issue of RadioTimes, which is a 95th birthday issue with Sir David Attenborough.She's the AFL WAG known for her haute couture fashion.

But Rebecca Judd proved she's just like the rest of us on Monday, when she arrived at the Brownlow Medal ceremony in Melbourne wearing a budget hair accessory.

The 35-year-old paired her stunning purple J'Aton frock with a large, metallic double bar slide from Lady Jayne that retails for just $11.

Who would have guessed? Rebecca Judd has revealed the VERY surprising $11 accessory that was part of her glamorous Brownlow Medal ensemble on Monday night

Rebecca stunned on the Brownlow red carpet in a design from her favourite label, J'Aton Couture.

The floor-length ensemble featured a fitted bodice that flowed into an embroidered flared skirt with intricate detailing.

Rebecca added decadent touches in the form of jewellery by Paul Bram, and styled her brunette locks in soft waves, framing a glamorous makeup palette.

However, she proved she was not afraid of using inexpensive accessories once in a while, as evidenced by the $11.49 Lady Jayne double bar slide used to pin back her hair.

Picture-perfect: Rebecca stunned on the red carpet in a J'Aton Couture floor-length gown

While she may count J'Aton Couture as one of her go-to designers, Rebecca relies on moderately-priced online fashion brand Next for her everyday attire.

The Melbourne model, who is also a co-founder of athleisure brand Jaggad, revealed to 9Honey in June the one item every woman should have in their wardrobe.

'A tailored jacket can take you a long way with tailoring [or] elevating any look,' she said. 'Whether it be adding a tailored jacket to jeans during the day or throwing it on in the evening on top of a dress, it can transform a simple look to a polished one.'

Did you spot it? However, she proved she was not afraid of using inexpensive accessories once in a while, as evidenced by the $11 Lady Jayne double bar slide (seen) used to pin back her hair

Rebecca also revealed that when it comes to her style evolution, she's now opting for the philosophy of 'less is more'.

'My style has definitely evolved over the years. I think we all go through that stage of trying some "out there" styles, but now I'm really drawn to pared back looks,' she explained.

'I definitely believe less is more - except for when you're on the red carpet!'Trial by Laughter

by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, Watermill Theatre, Newbury

Rating:

Two centuries late, the forgotten father of British Press freedoms (such as they are) has been honoured with a sparky historical comedy co-written by Private Eye editor Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.

William Hone was a threadbare London pamphleteer who in December 1817 was persecuted and prosecuted for seditious libel and blasphemy. The Crown claimed to be shocked by his spoofs of the Book of Common Prayer and Hone was tried and acquitted at three court hearings  on three successive days.

Much of this play is set in the courtroom. Dry legal argument? Not a bit of it. Snorting defiance is done with gusto. The burbling dissent of the public galleries in the court echoes round the tiny auditorium of the Watermill Theatre near Newbury. And there are scenes of cartooned satire  perhaps rather overdone  from the boudoir of the grotesque Prince Regent whom Hone was criticising.

A cartoon sketch of William Hone who was a threadbare London pamphleteer who in December 1817 was persecuted and prosecuted for seditious libel and blasphemy

Trial by laughter is co-written by Private Eye editor Ian Hislop (pictured) and Nick Newman

Defending himself to the point of physical and mental exhaustion after hours of argument, Hone (played with charm by Joseph Prowen amid a busy and energetic cast) scored a thrilling hat-trick of legal victories. The Law was made to look an ass and if the details in this play are correct, a crowd of 20,000 people gathered outside Guildhall awaiting word of the not-guilty verdicts, which were an unexpected slap in the chops for the Establishment and set important precedent for freedom of expression.

Mr Hislop, himself often hauled before the beaks for libel, is plainly in hero- worship mode. Nothing wrong with that. Hones mistreatment by the early 19th centurys legal establishment was outrageous. We see bent judges and amoral lawyers. Gasp. Fancy such things being possible.

Given that this is a play in part about favouritism, I should declare an interest: I have known Hislop for years. And I was slightly looking forward to giving this show a critical drubbing. Alas, it is irritatingly good.Advertisement

Thor actor Chris Hemsworth, 35, and his wife Elsa Pataky, 42, began construction of their mega-mansion in Byron Bay, New South Wales late last year.

And as the building nears completion, neighbours may be left wondering whether the Hollywood couple had planned to build a fortress rather than an idyllic coastal abode.

In extraordinary photos obtained by Daily Mail Australia, the structure appears to resemble a military stronghold or brutalist shopping mall thanks to its rectangular shape and monolithic, concrete platforms.

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky's Byron Bay fortress: Extraordinary photos reveal the Hollywood couple's $8million newly-developed family home secluded in picturesque beachside hills

The development's towering walls and sheltered location also contribute to its overall bunker-like aesthetic.

The building itself boasts enough space to accommodate every luxury the Hemsworth-Pataky family would desire, including an enormous infinity pool that appears to have already been constructed on the roof.

There will also be plenty of space for the couple's three children - twin sons Tristan and Sasha, and daughter India Rose - as well as their beloved pet pooches.

Colossal: As the building nears completion, neighbours may be left wondering whether the Hollywood couple had planned to build a fortress rather than an idyllic coastal abode

Mammoth: The structure appears to resemble a military stronghold or brutalist shopping mall thanks to its rectangular shape and monolithic, concrete platforms

Private: The development's towering walls and sheltered location also contribute to its overall bunker-like aesthetic

Their dream home! The building itself boasts enough space to accommodate every luxury the Hemsworth-Pataky family would desire, including an enormous infinity pool that appears to have already been constructed on the roof

A large patch of vegetation next to the home has also been cleared, possibly to make way for a garage space.

It looks like the garrison-inspired dwelling requires some work before the family can move in, given the prevalence of extensive scaffolding and construction materials.

Meanwhile, the internet has gone into a frenzy over the structure, with some comparing it to a shopping centre, hospital, prison and even an airport.

Response: Meanwhile, the internet has gone into a frenzy over the structure, with some comparing it to a shopping centre, hospital, prison and even an airport

'It looks like an office building right in the middle of that beautiful place,' one online user remarked, while another added: 'It looks like a factory.'

Another fan commented of the property: 'Obscene and totally out of character for the area.'

The new development is replacing Chris and Elsa's Balinese-style, eight-bedroom resort home, for which they paid approximately $7million in 2014.

Room for everyone! There will also be plenty of space for the couple's three children - twin sons Tristan and Sasha, and daughter India Rose - as well as their beloved pet pooches

The new, architecturally-designed estate is estimated to be costing the Avengers star over $8million to build.

It is expected to feature a gym, steam room, large swimming pool, luxury spa, media room and games room, as well as vast outdoor spaces and six bedrooms.

In 2016, the Gold Coast Bulletin first reported that Chris and Elsa were getting ready to splash out on the renovation of their Byron Bay estate.

Big plans: A large patch of vegetation next to the home has also been cleared, possibly to make way for a garage space

Pricey: The new, architecturally-designed estate is estimated to be costing the Avengers star over $8million to build

Everything under the sun: It is expected to feature a gym, steam room, large swimming pool, luxury spa, media room and games room, as well as vast outdoor spaces and six bedrooms

A development application for alterations and additions to the property was lodged to Byron Shire Council on 2 November 2016, according to the publication.

Plans for the work outlined the demolition of the existing house and structures, and the building of a new swimming pool.

In its former state, the house - which was spread over 4.2 hectares - had eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms.

When will it be finished? It looks like the garrison-inspired dwelling requires some work before the family can move in, given the prevalence of extensive scaffolding and construction materials. This is what appears to be the rooftop swimming pool

The new structure replaces this Balinese-style, eight-bedroom resort home, for which they paid about $7million in 2014Jennifer Hawkins, 34, recently stepped down as a Myer ambassador after serving for 12 years in the role.

And now it appears the model is reflecting on the meaning of life since departing from the retail giant.

Taking to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, Jennifer uploaded a cryptic message that read: 'Not every day is a good day, live anyway. Not everyone will tell you the truth, be honest anyway.'

'Not every day is a good day': Jennifer Hawkins, 34, took to her Instagram Stories with a cryptic message on Tuesday

The post continued: 'Not all you love will love you back, love anyway. Not all deals are fair, play fair anyway.'

While it's unclear why Jennifer shared this message, the quote comes after rumours that she departed Myer over an alleged 'pay dispute.'

In August, The Daily Telegraph reported that 25-year-old model Elyse Knowles inked a deal for $300,00 to replace the far costlier supermodel, who is believed to command $1 million a year for the same gig.

'Not all deals are fair, play fair anyway': While it's unclear why Jennifer shared this message, the quote comes after rumours that she departed Myer over an alleged 'pay dispute'

The paper reported that a source claimed: 'Myer just doesn't have the money any more, which suited Jen because she is going down the lifestyle path and steering away from fashion.'

Elyse has already begun a relationship with the department store, walking for Myer's 2018 Spring Fashion runway show in Melbourne earlier this month.

The swimsuit model, who has gained a legion of fans thanks to her appearance on The Block, signed with the struggling department store in late July.

Too pricey to keep? In August, The Daily Telegraph reported that 25-year-old model Elyse Knowles (right) inked a deal for $300,00 to replace Jennifer (left), who is believed to command $1 million a year for the same gig

Meanwhile, Jennifer's exit from Myer comes at a perfect time given that the retail giant suffered a record $486 million annual loss in 2017-18.

Despite having already slashed costs to remain competitive earlier in the year, sales still plummeted by 3.2 per cent to $3.1 billion.

As a result, the department store recorded a whopping loss - its first since publicly listing on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2009.Broadway thespian Lea Michele was 'so excited' to attend the Los Angeles premiere of A Star Is Born at the Shrine Auditorium downtown on Monday night.

The 32-year-old SAG Award winner teased a hint of cleavage in a silver-patterned maxi-dress featuring apron-style straps and a back bow.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show guest host fanned out her substantial skirt - which could have easily concealed sneakers - while strutting her stuff on the black carpet.

Musical time! Broadway thespian Lea Michele was 'so excited' to attend the Los Angeles premiere of A Star Is Born at the Shrine Auditorium downtown on Monday night

Seventies retro: The 32-year-old SAG Award winner teased a hint of cleavage in a silver-patterned maxi-dress featuring apron-style straps and a back bow

Michele (born Sarfati) finished off her glamorous attire with a tidy updo and diamond earrings.

Lea's 'hot date' for the evening was the very man who envisioned her look - stylist Brad Goreski.

When the 41-year-old Rachel Zoe protege asked 'Lady Gaga where are you?' over Insta-story, the Mayor actress replied: 'She's expecting us. See you soon!'

Who needs heels? The Ellen DeGeneres Show guest host fanned out her substantial skirt, which could have easily concealed sneakers

Black carpet moment: Michele (born Sarfati) finished off her glamorous attire with a tidy updo and diamond earrings

'Would we be anywhere else tonight?' Lea's 'hot date' for the evening was the very man who envisioned her look - stylist Brad Goreski

When the 41-year-old Rachel Zoe protege asked 'Lady Gaga where are you?' over Insta-story, the Mayor actress replied: 'She's expecting us. See you soon!'

'I heart you!' The Bronx-born brunette - who boasts 14.4M social media followers - also got 'glam' for the musical festivities courtesy of nail and beauty expert, Jenna Hipp

The Bronx-born brunette - who boasts 14.4M social media followers - also got 'glam' for the musical festivities courtesy of nail and beauty expert, Jenna Hipp.

Missing from Michele's side on Monday was her fiance of five months, Zandy Reich, a Wharton grad and president of women's clothing brand AYR whom she began dating in July 2017.

Lea and her former Glee castmate Darren Criss will kick off the second leg of their 14-date LMDC Tour on October 26 at The Cosmopolitan's The Chelsea in Las Vegas.

Engagement party: Missing from Michele's side on Monday was her fiance of five months, Zandy Reich, a Wharton grad and president of women's clothing brand AYR (pictured July 31)She's the Swedish-Australian reality TV star who made headlines when she debuted her jaw-dropping $50,000 plastic surgery transformation.

And this week, Josie Capllonch showcased the results of one of her many procedures by pouting her plump lips for an Instagram selfie.

The stunning 31-year-old puckered up for the camera, proudly flaunting her pricey, collagen-filled features for her 9,000 followers.

Scroll down for video

She's lippy! Swedish-Australian reality star Josie Capllonch flaunted her collagen-filled lips in a selfie shared to Instagram this week

The blonde beauty is completely unrecognisable compared to her former self thanks to her plastic fantastic makeover.

'I look nothing like I used to and people love to hate on it,' Josie told Daily Mail Australia last week.

In the past, she has had two boob jobs, a nose job, Botox, fillers in her cheeks, lips, and jawline, and even a Brazilian butt lift to plump up her pert derriere.

A nose job, two boob jobs, Brazilian butt lift, fillers, Botox and more! The 31-year-old (pictured) recently revealed the shocking $50,000 plastic surgery makeover that turned her from a sweet brunette (left) into a Barbie bombshell (right)

'I look nothing like I used to and people love to hate on it!' Josie (right) looked completely different before her plastic fantastic makeover

'For the Brazilian butt lift, they transferred fat from my stomach, back, and inner thighs to my booty,' she explained.

While the BBL only set her back $5,000, Josie admits her two breast augmentations cost $10,000 each, her nose job was $18,000, and that her fillers and Botox total over $4,000 a year.

Instead of being satisfied with her new look, the stunning star says she is planning to go back under the knife for a third boob job, a second nose job, and eyelid surgery.

'For the Brazilian butt lift, they transferred fat from my stomach, back, and inner thighs to my booty': The busty blonde claims she spent $5,000 on a Brazilian butt lift

It ain't cheap! Josie admits that her two boobs jobs cost $10,000 a pop, her nose job was $18,000, and that her fillers and Botox total over $4,000 a year

Explaining her reasons for undergoing another breast augmentation, Josie said that her last procedure left her with scarring and the wrong sized nipples.

'I wanted smaller nipples last time, but it backfired and now I've got huge scars all around my nipples and they've gotten even bigger now,' she said.

'I'm not comfortable without a bra on, which I hate.'

She's not done yet! Instead of being satisfied with her new look, the stunning star says she is planning to go back under the knife for a third boob job, a second nose job, and eyelid surgery

Superstar: The former Channel Seven reality star recently returned to screens as a late season entry on Love Island Sweden

Josie, who is Swedish but is based between LA and Sydney, was a 24-year-old student when she tried to woo Matt Kenny on Channel Seven's Please Marry My Boy.

She was briefly linked to Penrith Panthers player Sandor Earl after the series aired, but faded away from the spotlight after that.

She returned to screens last month for a short stint on Love Island Sweden.A trio of burglars targeted Chief Keef's Tarzana, California home Sunday, with one opening fire on police officers.

The burglary occurred Sunday night at around 11:15 p.m.,TMZ reported, as plainclothes officers saw a pair of men jumping over a fence and sought to speak with them.

The 23-year-old rap artist, whose real name is Keith Farrelle Cozart, was in the home during the time of the attempted heist, the outlet reported, but was not aware of the intruders.

Lucky break: Police intervened on a burglary at Chief Keef's Tarzana, California home Sunday. The rap artist was snapped in LA in 2015

One of the burglars had entered the home and was in the process of stealing money prior to their confrontation with authorities, police sources told TMZ.

At that point, one of the suspects opened fire on the police but did not hit anyone, CBS2 reported. Officers did not shoot back, but did call for enhanced support in the form of additional officers and K9s.

Following an exhaustive search that spanned from about 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., two of the suspected burglars were apprehended and arrested, with one brandishing a firearm when they were taken into custody in connection with burglary and weapons charges, the outlet reported.

At work: Chief Keef was seen onstage in NYC in December of 2016

Lucky break: The rap artist, whose real name is Keith Farrelle Cozart, was in the home during the time of the attempted heist, but was not aware of the intruders

The suspect, who is still at large, escaped with the help of a getaway car, TMZ reported.

One suspect was injured in a confrontation with K9 officers and was taken to a nearby medical facility via ambulance, according to CBS2.

The Love Sosa artist talked with police in the wake of the incident, according to TMZ.He has suffered from poor health in recent years, and was even photographed using a wheelchair back in December.

But Ian 'Molly' Meldrum was back on his feet on Tuesday for the opening of his own statue outside the The Corner Hotel in Richmond, Melbourne.

Walking with the assistance of a cane, the 75-year-old former Countdown host looked in lively spirits as he unveiled his bronze likeness.

Seeing double! Molly Meldrum appeared to be in lively spirits while attending the opening of his statue in Richmond, Melbourne on Tuesday

Molly, who is known for his catchphrase, 'Do yourself a favour', wore black trousers and a white shirt which he left partially unbuttoned.

He completed his look with Chelsea boots, several rings and an eye-catching purple tie, and also sported his signature cowboy hat.

The Australian music legend looked delighted by his statue, which was commissioned to honour his contributions to popular culture.

Frail: The 75-year-old former Countdown host was seen walking with the assistance of a cane

Tribute: The Australian music legend looked delighted by his statue (above), which was commissioned to honour his contributions to popular culture

The sculptor, Louis Lauman, told ABC News that Molly was initially 'ambivalent' about the project before eventually warming to the idea.

Louis said: 'It's really something much more special when someone's still with us if you can get to know them, which I certainly did. You're being immortalised. It's kind of strange for a living person.'

Meanwhile, Molly reportedly joked at the event that he only agreed to pose for the statue if he could carry his dog.

Flamboyant: Molly, who is known for his catchphrase, 'Do yourself a favour', wore black trousers, a white shirt and an eye-catching purple tie

Having a laugh: According to the ABC, Molly joked at the event that he only agreed to pose for a statue if he could carry his dog, Ziggy

Perhaps this was true, as the finished product shows the former TV presenter proudly holding his dog Ziggy.

Several media organisations were present at the unveiling, including Ten Eyewitness News which sent its roving reporter Georgia Love.

The former Bachelorette star was seen interviewing Molly before having her photo taken with him.

Fancy seeing you here! Several media organisations were present at the unveiling, including Ten Eyewitness News which sent its roving reporter Georgia Love (right) to interview Molly

A few words: Molly delivered a speech outside the famous live music venue, The Corner Hotel

The finished product: The sculptor, Louis Lauman, told ABC News that Molly was initially 'ambivalent' about the project before eventually warming to the idea

Man's best friend! Molly is pictured at the unveiling with his dog Ziggy

The music legend, who was the subject of the acclaimed TV mini-series Molly in 2016, has suffered from poor health in recent years.

In December 2011, Molly suffered life-threatening injuries after he fell from a ladder at his Melbourne home.

He fractured his skull, punctured his lungs and broke his ribs in the accident.

In January 2016, he slipped outside a hotel in Bangkok and dislodged a vertebrae, requiring emergency surgery.

Beloved figure: Eddie McGuire (left) delivered a speech in honour of Molly, which is said to have brought the music producer to tears

Here goes! Molly cut an oversized bow to unveil the bronze statueShe may have stunned in a beautiful pink Oglia Loro Couture strapless gown at the Brownlow Medal on Monday night.

But it was Jessie Murphy's (nee Habermann) young son Max who was eager to steal the spotlight as the blonde beauty and her husband Marc got ready for the star-studded affair in Melbourne on Monday night.

The adorable eight-month-old tot was front and centre in several behind-the-scenes photos that the couple took inside their Crown Casino hotel room.

Baby's first Brownlow! Jessie Habermann and Marc Murphy's adorable son Max steals the show as genetically-blessed couple get ready for AFL's night of nights

While the new parents posed for several happy snaps in their luxury suite, baby Max situated himself on the carpet in front of them, photobombing the pair.

Max's cute antics caused the young couple to break into fits of giggles.

Meanwhile, 28-year-old Jesse looked every inch the glamazon in an elegant frock with a structured bodice and tulle skirt.

The dress featured a saucy thigh split which highlighted her toned legs.

Jessie's stylist, Lana Wilkinson, teamed her look with a pair of nude Christian Louboutin heels to accentuate her leggy display.

Perfect pair: Later in the evening, the new parents enjoyed a night out with their AFL pals at the main event, most likely leaving Max in the care of family members or a babysitter

For a touch of sparkle, her outfit was teamed with rings and earrings from Anton Jewellery.

The blonde beauty's hair was styled in a stylishly messy low bun with plenty of volume.

Makeup was kept simple to show off her glowing complexion using mascara, subtle peach blush and a glossy pink lip.

Jessie and fellow WAGs Jordan Ablett, Ruby Keddie, Brit Davis met with the stylist extraordinaire Lana at the Crown Towers in Melbourne ahead of the AFL event.

Pretty in pink! 28-year-old Jesse looked every inch the glamazon in an elegant frock with a structured bodice and a fluttering tulle skirt

She shared photos from the private styling session including a candid photo of herself fixing her husband Marc Murphy's bow tie.

On the red carpet, she and Marc smiled for the cameras, who looked dapper in his tailored black suit and tie.

Her hubby stepped aside to let her show off the intricate button details of her gown.

Jessie also posed with fellow WAG Bec Judd, who looked incredible in a floor-length lavender ball gown.They are legends in the Cuban-American community of Miami and among the most respected musicians and songwriters in the US.

And on Monday, Gloria and Emilio Estefan were among the celebrities who showed up to celebrate the Bradley Cooper's remake of A Star Is Born at the film's Los Angeles premiere.

The couple, who've been married since 1978, walked the red carpet, posing for photos arm in arm.

Date night: Gloria and Emilio Estefan were among the celebrities who showed up to celebrate the Bradley Cooper's remake of A Star Is Born at the film's Los Angeles premiere

Gloria, 61, wore a bold and colorful figure-hugging dress with long sleeves and a round neckline.

She stepped out in black platform-soled heels and carried a black evening bag.

The hitmaker's long hair was styled back from her face and she accessorized with large diamond earrings.

Emilio, 65, wore a tailored jacket and trousers and sported sunglasses.

Fashion statement: Gloria, 61, wore a bold and colorful figure-hugging dress with long sleeves and a round neckline

Stylish: She stepped out in black platform-soled heels and carried a black evening bag. Her long hair was styled back from her face and she accessorized with large diamond earrings

Having a good time: The couple, who've been married since 1978, walked the red carpet, posing for photos arm in arm and waving to fans

The couple's night out came hours after it was announced that they will be the next recipients of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

Gloria and Emilio are the first husband-and-wife team and the first musicians-songwriters of Hispanic descent to receive the honor, Variety reported.

First finding fame in the early 1980s with Miami Sound machine, Gloria went on to enjoyed a string of solo hits while Emilio shaped the careers of many famous music stars.

'The Estefans symbolize the rich cultural diversity of the American musical experience,' a statement from the Library of Congress read.

'They are musical auteurs, creating a unique sound of Latin rhythms that transcends cultural boundaries, parlaying their creative genius into entrepreneurship and community activism, and propelling the careers of many of todays Latino artists to stardom,' the statement went on. 'During their more than 30-year career, they have built a musical empire and made listening to Cuban-infused music one of Americas favorite pastimes.'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne was none too pleased over castmate Lisa Vanderpump's absence at a recent photoshoot for the show's upcoming ninth season.

Jayne, 47, told E! News' Daily Pop made clear that it was the London-born socialite, 58, who was not at the gathering.

'You know, facts are facts - that's a fact,' Jayne told the program, noting that all of the cast members, including Lisa Rinna and Dorit Kemsley, put rivalries aside for the professional obligation.

Feud alert? Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, 47, (L) said on E! News' Daily Pop Monday that she was none too pleased over castmate Lisa Vanderpump's absence at a recent photoshoot for the show's upcoming ninth season

'If everyone can take it on the chin, like Rinna has, Dorit has, or everyone else has, you know, it's an ensemble cast,' Jayne said.

Jayne answered a question over Vanderpump receiving special treatment from Bravo in repeating, 'It's an ensemble cast.'

She said that some people on the program disregard their castmates.

In the aforementioned incident which took place earlier this month, Rinna and Jayne appeared on Instagram Live stream and said that 'rumor has it that one of the cast members won't shoot with us; they won't do a group shot with us.

Outspoken: Jayne answered a question over Vanderpump receiving special treatment from Bravo in repeating, 'It's an ensemble cast'

Good times: Jayne told the program that new co-star Denise Richards contributes to what is shaping up to be a 'really good season'

Coming soon: Jayne sat down with E! News' Daily Pop to reveal new details over the show

'They're going to have to, like, put her, in a computer-like way,' Rinna said at the time. They won't do a group shot with us. So we're sequestered in a room. But somebody's holding out and won't come out and shoot with us, can you imagine? Who is that?'

Jayne told the program that new co-star Denise Richards contributes to what is shaping up to be a 'really good season.'

She said of the Wild Things actress, 'I really like her, she's really sweet. We did go to Denise's wedding and she's really nice.

'I really like her and I think she's really cool. She has a voice and she uses it.'

Interesting: Lisa Rinna and Erika Jayne Girardi took to Instagram Live earlier this month to reveal that they were 'sequestered' in a room as one of their castmates refused to take group photos with them

'But somebodys holding out': The 55-year-old Rinna spilled the beans as they left kept who it was under wraps

Squad: Season eight cast pictured from left to right: Camille Grammer, Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave, Rinna, Erika and Dorit Kemsley

Fresh blood: Actress Denise Richards - pictured in North Hollywood back last month - also has joined the cast

Denise, 47, seems to be fitting in just fine as she recently shared a new picture showing how she left her wedding - on the back of her new husband Aaron Phypers's motorbike.

'Best way to leave your wedding...' she boasted.

The grinning actress wore a super short white skirt in the picture, having earlier ditched her hi-low wedding dress.

Denise seems like she will fit right into the cast as she recently boasted she found the 'best way to leave your wedding' as she sheds her skirt to hop on the back of new husband's motorbike

The World is Not Enough actress - who has daughters Sam, 14, and Lola, 13, with first husband Charlie Sheen, as well as seven-year-old Eloise, who she adopted alone - caused a stir with her unconventional wedding outfit.

But the lace romper with a long tulle skirt was exactly what Denise wanted for her big day because it was so different to her first bridal gown.

She told People magazine: 'I didn't want to do a traditional wedding dress.

'I wore a traditional dress for my first wedding, so I wanted something different this time.

'My dress was actually a romper which was perfect since we left the reception on Aaron's motorcycle.

'I didn't take the tulle skirt off until I got on his bike. I loved the skirt so much I wore it the entire evening.'

Quick but good: Denise, seen here with her husband and three daughters, gave wedding planner Mindy Weiss 48 hours notice. Part of the big day will be shown on the upcoming ninth season of the reality show

Denise didn't pay attention to any of the critics of her outfit as she 'loved' her look and thought it was perfect for the celebration.

She said: 'I didn't know there were so many opinions on what I wore. I stopped reading stuff about me online a long time ago.

'I loved what I wore - it was fun and sexy and I thought appropriate for a Malibu wedding by the beach.'

Denise tied the knot with Aaron last Saturday days after confirming their engagement, and their 'beautiful' nuptials were organised in a rush so they could take place on a meaningful date.

'He really wanted to marry on September 8 because eight means infinity,' said the reality TV star.

'We called [wedding planner] Mindy Weiss and she did it less than 48 hours and it was beautiful,' added the Playboy cover girl.

Genius idea! Denise Richards' wedding date held a special significance for her new husband. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star tied the knot with Aaron Phypers last Saturday because it fell on the eighth day of the month

To infinity and beyond: Denise said her Aaron 'really wanted to marry on September 8 because eight means infinity'. The symbol was featured at the altar, pictured here

She added, 'Aaron and I have been together since June 2017. We kept the engagement private.'

Her three daughters were bridesmaids at the small ceremony, while guests included Rebecca Romjin and Jerry O'Connell, as well as Denise's new Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-stars including Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd, and Camille Grammer and her fiance David Meyer.

Part of the big day will be shown on the upcoming ninth season of the reality show.

Bravo have already released a clip, in which the actress said: 'Hi, I'm Denise Richards, and yep, the rumours are true: This is my husband Aaron, and we just got married.'

Aaron finalized his divorce from Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan last month, though they separated two years ago after six month of marriage.

Denise was married to Charlie Sheen from 2002 to 2006.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is slated to come back for its ninth season on Bravo later this year.The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

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Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

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Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

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Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

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Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

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Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

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How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.Lauren Goodger appears to have placed some of her ex Joey Morrisson's designer gear on selling site, Depop, following her split from him.

No doubt the reality star has been keen to recoup some of the thousands of pounds she 'wasted' on the convict during their two year relationship.

Talking in her column for Now magazine, Lauren discussed Joey's recent release from prison.

Is Lauren Goodger SELLING jailbird ex Joey Morrisson's designer clothing? Star posts new items for sale after admitting to 'wasting' thousands on him while he was incarcerated

She said: 'Joey was released on my birthday. I knew he would be as I'm still in touch with his family. It was tough, of course, as it wasn't long ago we were making plans for his release, but it is what it is.

'Luckily, I have good friends around me, so I didn't dwell on it too much. I just had a lovely chilled time with my besties.'

Lauren regularly uses the site to sell her own designer clothing after it has been worn at red carpet events but now she has added some of Joey's.

She has listed a pair of Yeezy trainers, in size 7.5, writing: 'Yeezy oreo size 7.5... MAKE AN OFFER******* DEADSTOCK AND UNWORN. never even been tried on and 100 percent authentic...

'These are in perfect condition and are very rare to be brand new with tags. Seen these going for 350 380 at 7, 8/10... these are 10/10 and will listen to serious offers... will fit from a 7 to a 8.'

Lauren also posted a pair of Christian Louboutin diamante trainers, after she and Joey bought his and hers, sharing pictures of them on Instagram.

Up for grabs: Lauren shared a picture of her latest listings on selling app depop on her Instagram stories

While the pair for sale are likely to belong to Lauren, as they are size 6, perhaps it's fair to say she might not want the association with the shoes.

She wrote: 'Christian louboutin swarovski crystals. These are like new and only been worn twice inside... soles are immaculate and no crystals missing and come with the box... these are literally like new... these are 2k new... SERIOUS OFFERS ONLY #yeezy #gucci #trainers #perfect #balmain #valentino #ysl #chanel #louisvuitton.'

Also for sale is a man's coat which is modelled by a male who looks just like Joey.

For sale: Among Lauren's listings are her own pair of 2k pair of Christian Louboutin trainers (left) and men's Yeezy footwear (right)

All over: While the trainers listed were Lauren's, she also bought a pair for Joey, as they had his and her versions - Joey pictured wearing the exact same shoes - it's no wonder she has wanted to sell hers following the split

She wrote: 'This jacket is sold.Authentic men's stone island jacket. Size medium however would fit a size small. Bought for 250. Amazing condition, looking for 100. Message me before buying. Authenticity code can be checked on website.'

MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Lauren Goodger for comment.

When Lauren announced the end of her romance to Joey, she spoke about how she regretted what she had spent on him.

Taking to social media at the time, she accused him of lying about owning her car and branded him a 'control freak'.

She wrote on Twitter: 'Just feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders!!!!

'2 years waited loyal and faithful and wasted soooo much money!! Now I am about to live my life with all I've missed out on!!!! I've been hurt but nothing or no one will take away my sparkle.'

She later penned on Instagram: 'It's going to be my time now.. I've learned lessons! I've grown! I've changed over the years and I promise to never let myself down again!

'Just a big heart that loved 2 much! But it's ok because what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Here's to my time I promise that I'm make the most of it (sic).'

Joey has now been released from prison after serving nine years of his 16-year sentence for a string of violent offences.Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen tied the knot in an idyllic Essex ceremony earlier this month yet kept the details of their nuptials shrouded in secrecy.

However the newlyweds have now revealed the ins and outs of the long-awaited day as they revealed all in OK! Magazine, including details of their outlandish arrivals, extremely boozy antics and romantic personal moments.

As Love Island's first ever marriage, having met on the second season of the show in 2016, the couple gushed over their love while also flaunting their lavish nuptials - complete with gold thrones and a surprise helicopter.

Happy days: Olivia Buckland and Alex Bowen tied the knot in an idyllic Essex ceremony earlier this month yet kept the details of their nuptials shrouded in secrecy

Olivia and Alex could not contain their glee in their post wedding chat, in which the revealed all about their idyllic Gosfield Hall nuptials, where they revealed they had added an opulent touch with the golden thrones.

In a unique touch, the duo named their tables after places they have visited around the world - including Majorca, where they first met on Love Island, and New York, where Alex proposed to Olivia in 2016.

The couple shunned a top table, as Olivia explained: 'We decided against having a top table - I wanted our first dinner as a married couple to be just us'.

After admitting they had drunk in excess, Olivia revealed the next day that she was forced to go on a McDonald's run, as she said: 'We were so hungover when we woke up, so we got a McDonald's on our way home...

Happy days: However the newlyweds have now revealed the ins and outs of the long-awaited day as they revealed all in OK! Magazine, including details of their outlandish arrivals, extremely boozy antics and romantic personal moments

All white? 'My hair was everywhere, I had no make-up on, no bra on and I came downstairs clutching champagne glasses. I was just like: 'Where am I?'

'My hair was everywhere, I had no make-up on, no bra on and I came downstairs clutching champagne glasses. I was just like: "Where am I?"'

In a romantic gesture, the stunner surprise her beau with a helicopter arrival - making for a superstar touch.

Celebrity guests at the bash included Lottie Moss, Sophie Kasaei, Ashley and Dawn Ward, Lateysha Grace, Charlotte Dawson and Rebecca Ferguson.

The couple had a social media ban at the wedding, so they delighted their fans when Olivia unveiled the first image from their reality star-packed nuptials.

Alex couldn't help but comment when Olivia shared the image, playfully writing that they were '20 beers in' during the shot along with a cry face emoji.

Clearly perturbed by the choice of picture, Alex later added: 'Only me and Liv would be drunk on the cover of a magazine. Wow!'

The big day: As Love Island's first ever marriage, having met on the second season of the show in 2016, the couple gushed over their love while also flaunting their lavish nuptials - complete with gold thrones and a surprise helicopter

Happy days: When sharing the image, Olivia also wanted to make it clear that the image selected was from the evening's reception and not one from the ceremony

Olivia dazzled in her striking wedding dress, a fishtail lace gown by Enzoani, while Alex scrubbed up in an electric blue suit as the happy couple posed with reality stars Gabby Allen and Pete Wicks.

When sharing the image, Olivia also wanted to make it clear that the image selected was from the evening's reception and not one from the ceremony.

She wrote in her caption: 'PPS this was an evening party photo,' alongside a cry face emoji, side eyes and a champagne emoji.

The wedding had it all - including an arrival by chopper by the groom and over 200 guests - 98 during the day and a further 150 for the evening reception.

The newlyweds explained that it felt like they were 'in a movie', with Alex admitting he burst into tears when he first saw his bride. 'I cried when I looked at her. I was actually crying before she got out of the car!' he recalled.

Shock: Olivia added: 'When we saw each other we just burst into tears. I was really trying to hold it together and compose myself, because I didnt want to fully lose it'

Olivia added: 'When we saw each other we just burst into tears. I was really trying to hold it together and compose myself, because I didnt want to fully lose it.'

She also added: 'The wedding was overwhelmingly perfect. It feels like it didnt happen because it was so perfect.'

Olivia and model Alex chose the venue for its sweeping grounds, crystal chandeliers and double-height mirrors.

It took place in their main dining hall, the Marquis of Buckingham's Ballroom, and following a night of celebration it's thought that the couple spent their first night in the Rococco Bridal Suite, which was decorated during King Louis XVIII's residency.

Olivia and Alex came in second place on their Love Island year.

Following their stint on the popular series, the couple quickly moved in together in Olivia's native Essex in August 2016, before Alex popped the question during a romantic trip to New York that December after just five months of dating.

Hunky scaffolder and fitness model Alex ignored claims that the couple were only a 'showmance'.

The pair got off to a rocky start in the villa when Alex bedded former Miss Great Britain winner Zara Holland on his first night, a move that resulted in her being stripped of her beauty queen crown.She wed her long-term love Oliver Mellor in a lavish beach ceremony in Turkey last week.

And Rhian Sugden, 32, continued to revel in wedded bliss as she and her actor beau, 37, donned matching swimsuits while they enjoyed a post-wedding pool party during their fun-filled honeymoon.

The former Glamour model looked sensational as she slipped into a striking white one-piece which featured 'bride' in gold script font across the chest.

Matching: Rhian Sugden, 32, continued to revel in wedded bliss as she and her actor beau, 37, donned matching swimsuits while they enjoyed a post-wedding pool party during their fun-filled honeymoon

The daring look accentuated her slender figure and highlighted her lean legs while she relaxed by the pool with a wine glass in her hand.

Looking radiant, the newlywed swept her blonde locks into a low-ponytail and sported a natural beauty look for the pool party.

Mimicking his new wife's poolside attire, former Corrie star Oliver slipped into a black swimsuit, which read 'I should have been on Love Island' sprawled across it.

The actor's muscular physique was highlighted in the skintight swimsuit while he posed for photos alongside Rhian amongst their pals.

'Bride': The former Glamour model looked sensational as she slipped into a striking white one-piece which featured 'bride' in gold script font across the chest

Making a splash: The daring look accentuated her slender figure and highlighted her lean legs while she relaxed by the pool with a wine glass in her hand

The pair, who married in beach-side ceremony Kalkan last week, were later spotted taking part in an inflatable swan race in their pool while their pals cheered them on.

Rhian has continued the celebrations on the Turkish coast, sharing a sizzling bikini picture with her thousands of Instagram followers.

The Manchester born beauty walked down the aisle to the Beatles hit Here Comes The Sun in the beach-side resort last week.

Water about that: Looking radiant, the newlywed swept her blonde locks into a low-ponytail and sported a natural beauty look for the pool party

All smiles: Rhian donned a pair of classic oversized shades for the occasion

Rhian wed Oliver, her boyfriend of six years, in a blissful ceremony by the Mediterranean sea, with their close friends and family in attendance.

Guests were reduced to tears as Oliver's sister Kate read an emotional poem while the couple read their own vows. The bride chose a gorgeous dress with a figure-hugging bodice in delicate white.

Rhian lifted up her full tulle skirt to flash her legs as she walked, also flaunting her silver strappy heels.

For shore the party of the year: Mimicking his new wife's poolside attire, former Corrie star Oliver slipped into a black swimsuit, which read 'I should have been on Love Island' sprawled across it

Splish splash: The actor's muscular physique was highlighted in the skintight swimsuit while he posed for photos alongside Rhian amongst their pals

Wedded bliss: The pair looked utterly relaxed in each other's company

A simple silver pendant was the only bit of bling the low-key bride needed, while her blonde locks were styled into loose curls and pinned back with a glittering diamante hair clip.

Oliver proposed at a sold-out Manchester theatre in 2014.

Before she met Oliver, Rhian was involved in a scandal with Vernon Kay, with the starlet first coming to the forefront when she went public with several racy messages sent by the married TV presenter in 2010.

It was then revealed the pair had got back in touch in 2015, with Vernon sending hundreds of texts asking to 'reconnect' with the model.

Sparkling: Rhian flashed her diamond wedding rings during the sun-soaked afternoon

Bride squad: Rhian caught up with her pals by the pool

Having a blast: The pair, who married in beach-side ceremony Kalkan last week, were later spotted taking part in an inflatable swan race in their pool while their pals cheered them on

After a break of six years, the busty blonde candidly and shockingly admitted that it felt like an 'old friendship coming back'.

The blonde beauty recently claimed however that she had been treated as 'the villain' in the light of the sexting scandal, while the radio host has had a career boost.

The 44-year-old was famously forced to make an apology to his wife Tess Daly on BBC Radio 1 following the sexting scandal.

Vernon went on to promise live on air that he would no longer contact Rhian or the four other women he had been caught messaging at the time.

Celebrations: Rhian has continued the celebrations on the Turkish coast, sharing a sizzling bikini picture with her thousands of Instagram followersShe was spotted putting on a very cosy display with boohooMAN CEO Samir Kamani last week, sparking rumours of a romance.

And Alexandra Cane made a show-stopping arrival as she attended the brand's dinner party in London on Monday night to celebrate becoming an ambassador.

The Love Island star, 27, turned heads in a white strapless dress, while Gabby Allen, 26, was dressed to impress in a figure-hugging midi for the lavish dinner at Bob Bob Ricard in Soho.

All eyes on her: Alexandra Cane made a show-stopping arrival as she attended Boohoo's dinner party in London on Monday night to celebrate becoming an ambassador

Alexandra teased a glimpse of her cleavage in the strapless dress which clung to her hourglass physique, before it skimmed over her tremendous pins with its peplum hemline.

The reality star added a boost to her statuesque frame with simple gold sandals and complemented the full-length gown with diamond stud earrings.

Styling her raven tresses in Hollywood curls, the Love Island alumni complemented her heavily-bronzed tan with a radiant make-up look and a slick of pink lipstick.

Glam: Alexandra teased a glimpse of her cleavage in the strapless dress which clung to her hourglass physique, before it skimmed over her tremendous pins with its peplum hemline

Stylish display: Gabby Allen, 26, was dressed to impress in a figure-hugging midi for the lavish dinner at Bob Bob Ricard in Soho

Svelte: The Big Brother star strutted into the Russian restaurant in a strapless black dress, which boasted a sweetheart neckline and a waist belt which cinched in her tiny waist

Killer curves: The reality star added a boost to her statuesque frame with simple gold sandals and complemented the full-length gown with diamond stud earrings

While Alexandra made sure the camera got all angels of her glamorous ensemble, Gabby strutted into the Russian restaurant in a strapless black dress, which boasted a sweetheart neckline and a belt which cinched in her tiny waist.

She paired the look with elaborate tassel earrings, black sandals and a cream snakeskin print clutch bag.

Their night on the tiles comes after Alexandra was spotted cosying up to the boohooMAN CEO Samir Kamani, last Wednesday after she secured a deal with the fashion brand.

Celebrations: The reality stars cut glamorous figures as they posed with a guest inside the venue

The Love Island star and the single entrepreneur affectionately parted ways after partying the night away at Tape nightclub.

A source dished to MailOnline exclusively: 'Alexandra Cane and Samir Kamani danced the night away at Tape nightclub.' Despite the very friendly goodbye, the insider insisted the pair were just friends.

'They are just friends and Alexandra will be seeing Samir on Monday for work.' The source added.

It seems the dumped islander has picked up the pieces of her heart after she was left feeling humiliated when she was dumped days before the live final.

Alexandra made a beeline for the nation's sweetheart Dr. Alex when she burst onto the Love Island scene over the summer.

Despite enjoying the A&E hero's dream date in a Ferrari days before the final, their summer fling came to a dramatic end.

Since leaving the villa, Alexandra has caught the eye of a number of hunks including former Love Island star Alex Miller but their flirtation came to nothing.

Meanwhile Gabby has found love with Rak-Su's Myles Stephenson since leaving the Celebrity Big Brother house.Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone hosted a networking event for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce at his restaurant, Gwen, in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old star wore his chef whites at the event, posing for photos with his two sons Hudson, six, and Emerson, four, who sweetly cut the ribbon.

Gwen, housed in a 1928 building on Sunset Boulevard, is a collaboration between the recurring MasterChef guest judge and his brother Luke.

Cooking up a storm! Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone leads networking event at his restaurant in Los Angeles... with his sons Hudson, six, and Emerson, four, adorably cutting the ribbon

It opened it 2016 and serves a seasonal menu focused on making the best use of the whole animal to a vaulted 62-seat dining room, and includes a European-style butcher shop in its entryway.

First stop is the welcome mat, a hand-laid mosaic made from a mixture of newly made and salvaged tiles found as far as Ohio and New York City.

The 6,500 square metre interior begins with the butcher shop, selling pates, terrines, rillettes, charcuterie, rabbits, grass-fed lamb, ducks, and Wagyu beef.

In good company! The 42-year-old Award-winning chef posed for photos during the ribbon ceremony with his two children Hudson, six, and Emerson, four, (pictured) along with fellow hosts The Hollywood Chamber Of Commerce

Ready to cook! Gwen, which is housed in a 1928 building on Sunset Boulevard, is a collaboration between the recurring MasterChef guest judge and his brother Luke

These complicated specialities are complemented by simple salami, chorizo and other favourite deli meats.

'We have beautiful produce, but we struggle a little to find excellent meat,' Curtis explained to the Wall Street Journal about why it was included back in 2016.

Beyond that is an open kitchen featuring its own custom-made fire pit, followed by a staircase to the mezzanine wine room with 2,000 bottles of wine, a bar and 24 of the restaurants 86 seats.

New business venture: It serves a seasonal menu focused on making the best use of the whole animal to a vaulted 62-seat dining room, and includes a European-style butcher shop in its entryway

Unique touches: First stop is the welcome mat, a hand-laid mosaic made from a mixture of newly made and salvaged tiles found as far as Ohio and New York City

Spectacular: It serves a seasonal menu focused on making the best use of the whole animal to a vaulted 62-seat dining room

On the second floor, is the huge shining new test kitchen, dominated by six Jenn-Air stoves, that will serve as the research and development space for both Gwen and Curtis' other LA eatery, Maude.

Family is a recurring theme, as Gwen is named after their maternal grandmother who fed them hand-cut lamb chops from the family livestock during their rural childhood.

'[Our] maternal grandma spent her whole life on a rustic farm in Victoria, Australia where she and her husband lived off the land growing produce and farming animals,' Curtis wrote next to an old photo of his grandparents.

'What they raised, they ate, and she cooked for her family over an old wood-burning stove.'

Trendy: 'We have beautiful produce, but we struggle a little to find excellent meat,' Curtis explained to the Wall Street Journal about why it was included

Family inspiration: Gwen is named after their maternal grandmother (right) who fed them hand-cut lamb chops from the family livestock during their rural childhood

The meat focus is a contrast to the more vegetable-leaning Maude in Beverley Hills, named after Stone's paternal grandmother, who taught him to cook.

'The menu is centric food, but it will be a multi cross degustation menu, which will be a lot of fun,' Curtis said.

Meat isn't the only highlight on the menu, however, as Curtis showed by taking a picture of one of the restaurant's signature desserts on his Instagram.

'Something sweet to close out the week: creme fraiche panna cotta, apricot sorbet, lemon verbena meringue, macerated cherries & elderflower gelee,' he wrote.They have remained on great terms since their split in 2003.

And Kate Beckinsale took the opportunity to poke fun at her ex-boyfriend Michael Sheen with a hilarious 90s throwback snap on Tuesday.

Taking to Instagram, the 45-year-old Hollywood actress joked about 'fussy' millennials in the post where she compared British actor Michael to a 'cult leader' thanks to his head of dark curled hair.

Funny: Kate Beckinsale took to the opportunity to poke fun at her ex-boyfriend Michael Sheen with a hilarious 90s throwback snap on Tuesday

In the caption, Kate wrote: 'Listen millennials, I know it's all dogging and poo now-but back in the nineties all we had was a few rounds of 'cult leader/devotee' role-play and the sharp sexual thrill of making our own waistcoats out of bark and we jolly well got on with it without making a fuss.'

Michael's appearance was certainly a far cry from the greyed clean-cut persona of now with enormous curled hair and the 90s classic of double denim.

Meanwhile Kate looked as if she had barely aged a day in the snap with the same glossy dark tresses and flawless complexion.

The Love And Friendship star also appeared to poke fun at the 'fussy' millennials of today in her post, joking that back in the day she and Michael 'jolly well got on with it.'

Old times: Kate posted the hilarious snap from the couple's relationship back in the 90s (above in 1995) with Michael's enormous curled dark hair taking centre stage.

Happy: After splitting in 2003 the couple have remained on friendly terms, with Kate also sharing kind words for Michael' ex Sarah Silverman before their February split (above in 2016)

Kate and Michael dated from 1995 to 2003 before calling the quits, but the pair have remained on friendly terms and co-parent their 18-year-old daughter Lily.

Even during Michael's relationship with comedienne Sarah Silverman - which ended in February after four years together - Kate had nothing but kind words to say about the couple.

She told Stylist magazine in 2016: 'I don't know why everyone was so surprised. Sarah's such a fantastic woman, I love her and Michael and I have gotten on for years now. I've known him since I was 22, we're basically family.

Loved-up: Kate previously said she views Michael as 'family' thanks to their close friendship, with the pair co-parenting their daughter Lily (above in 2001)

'The thing that surprised me was what a big deal everybody made about us all getting on and then thinking, "F**k, that's really sad if it's that unusual.'

The actress, who divorced director Len Wiseman in 2016 after 12 years of marriage, added: 'I'm completely open to any other strong, cool sensitive independent-thinking women who are going to be an influence in my daughter's life.'

Similarly speaking about Kate and her friendship with Michael on Howard Stern's Sirius XM show in 2014, Sarah said: 'I love [Kate]. She's hilarious... She's really really cool. They're really funny together.'Danniella Westbrook has shared her hopes to get married following her womb cancer diagnosis last week.

The 44-year-old revealed in recent days that she is set to have a hysterectomy in three weeks time as she battles the disease and admitted she has been terrified by the thought of dying.

Now reflecting on her life, the former EastEnders actress has admitted that she wants to find someone special following her split with Alan Thompson, after sadly suffering a miscarriage last year.

Reflection: Danniella Westbrook has shared her hopes to get married following her womb cancer diagnosis last week

'I'd like to get married,' she told Now Magazine. 'I've been on my own for about a year since I split with Alan.

'I really want someone with their own life, their own job and their own thing going on.'

Danniella was previously married Ben Morgan in 1998 before they split a year later. Following the demise of her relationship, she then wed Kevin Jenkins in 2001 and welcomed two children; Kai, 21, and Jody, 17, before they parted ways in 2014.

In light of her health troubles, the TV star has got candid about her cancer battle and explained that the news hit her hard.

Worry: The 44-year-old revealed in recent days that she is set to have a hysterectomy in three weeks time as she battles the disease and admitted she has been terrified by the thought of dying

Reflection: Now reflecting on her life, the former EastEnders actress has admitted that she wants to find someone special following her split with Alan Thompson, after sadly suffering a miscarriage last year

She said: 'It hit me quite hard when I found out. I feel like crap. I'm tired. I'm just trying to get this treatment out of the way for the cancer... I'm going to be going in [to hospital] for treatment and operations in the next few weeks.'

Her comments come after admitting she has been thinking about her late friend Jade Goody - who died of cervical cancer in 2009.

The former EastEnders actress is set to have a hysterectomy in three weeks time as she battles the disease.

Upsetting news: Her comments come after admitting she has been thinking about her late friend Jade Goody - who died of cervical cancer in 2009

Speaking to The Mirror, she explained: 'I've always said I am not scared of dying. But when the doctor said, "You have cancer", straight away my thoughts turned to Jade and that I don't want to die.

Jade died in 2009, aged 27, after a short battle with cervical cancer that promoted a surge in women having cervical screenings.

Danniella, who has two children, added: 'Getting this diagnosis has made me realise I don't want to die. I want to live and sort out my health.

'I know I have to fight, I know I have to get up and battle it.'

Late friend: The actress admitted she has been thinking about her late friend Jade Goody - who died of cervical cancer in 2009 (pictured together in 2005)

The star, whose mother also battled the disease and is now cancer-free, revealed that doctors initially misdiagnosed her illness after finding a tangerine-sized clot in her womb, mistakenly believing she was pregnant.

After collapsing in the UK, Danniella was rushed to the hospital by her best friend Kerry Katona, but didn't receive the cancer diagnosis until she had returned home to Spain.

In July, Danniella took to Twitter to reveal that Kerry had come to her rescue as her 'blood was burning'.

Misdiagnosed: The star revealed that doctors initially misdiagnosed her illness after finding a tangerine-sized clot in her womb, mistakenly believing she was pregnant

The former Celebrity Big Brother star said at the time that she was being treated for two blood infections, which she claimed were a result of dental implants that she had during the filming of Celebrity Botched Up Bodies.

She wrote: 'Thanks my darling @kerrykatona did a 2 &1/2 hour journey to get to me &get meto the hospital. I had pjs on was so weak.

'Was both in tears thought I was gonna die my blood was burning & no one was listening 2 me. Kez took me In & made them listen. I trust her with my life'.

Explaining why she posted about the ordeal, the former EastEnder's star said she wanted to be clear about why she was in hospital.

'Thank you all 4 ur kindness,I tweeted b4 people who took pictures of me being brought in sold them & false allegations were made.

'I had 2 blood infections &wrong medication. I just wish @BotchedTV @UnitedSmileCtrs would take responsibility 4 this & put it right'.

In November 2016, it was reported that Danniella was suing the makers of Celebrity Botched Up Bodies, with the star claiming dental implants she had fitted on the show left her with blood poisoning.

Best friend: After collapsing in the UK, Danniella was rushed to the hospital by her best friend Kerry Katona, but didn't receive the cancer diagnosis until she had returned home to Spain

Last month, Danniella took to Twitter to confess she had made 'some bad choices' as a result of discovering 'bad news' about her health, later confirming that she began using cocaine again after learning of her diagnoses.

In a candid message, the reality star, who previously admitted to first experimenting drugs at 14, revealed she has a 'tendency to run back to what I know in times of struggle and hardship.'

Revealing details of her 'addiction' with her keen fans, the Celebrity Big Brother star admitted: 'Human beings make mistakes...Its insane but its addiction (sic).'

'I hate it & I hate myself after but tbh its a illness that twists ur soul. But its 1 I battle and wont let get the better of me', she continued.

Hospitalised: In July, Danniella took to Twitter to reveal that Kerry had come to her rescue as her 'blood was burning' whilst she battled with two blood infections

Confessing that she jetted off to her holiday hotspot of Spain for time away from her stresses, Danniella went on: 'Always x I have had bad news of late about my health and i did what I always do and buried my head for a few weeks in Spain.. made some bad choices because the news has rocked me .. x.'

As a young actress in the spotlight, Danniella famously snorted so much cocaine that she damaged her nasal septum in 2001, leading her to have restorative surgery.

She had been off drugs for more than a decade but first turned to them once again thanks to a turbulent relationship with 25-year-old cage fighter Tom Richards.

She admitted it was difficult having to deal with her problems in the media spotlight, especially as she has met people who have sold stories about her for their own financial gain.

Speaking on This Morning in 2016, Danniella admitted: 'Myself and my kids have been through a tough time with my ex partner... I have made a lot of mistakes. I relapsed because I wanted to after I was clean for 13 years.

'We all battle with our demons but mine are in the public eye,' she concluded.She has faced her fair share of heartbreak in recent weeks on ITVBe favourite TOWIE.

And Courtney Green, 25, appeared to put her recent woes behind her as she indulged in a spot of retail therapy alongside Shelby Tribble, also 25, on Tuesday in Newcastle.

The pint-sized beauty was left in tears on Sunday night's installment of the beloved reality show when her ex-boyfriend Myles Barnett's new girlfriend Kady McDermott introduced herself.

Walk this way: Courtney Green, 25, appeared to put her recent woes behind her as she indulged in a spot of retail therapy alongside Shelby Tribble, also 25, on Tuesday in Newcastle

Focusing on the now, Courtney slipped into a khaki-coloured jumpsuit which accentuated her petite frame.

The brunette beauty teamed the look with a leather biker jacket while a fabric waist belt drew attention to her narrow midriff while she strolled along the pavement in a pair of white strappy heels with green socks.

Complementing her ensemble, she worked her brunette tresses into a long loose curl and sported a glamorous beauty look, carrying her leather handbag in her manicured hand.

Shelby followed Courtney's fashion lead and looked stylish in a pair of loose-fitting denim jeans.

Moving on: The pint-sized beauty was left in tears on Sunday night's installment of the beloved reality show when her ex-boyfriend Myles Barnett's new girlfriend Kady McDermott introduced herself

Style savvy: Focusing on the now, Courtney slipped into a khaki-coloured jumpsuit which accentuated her petite frame

Walk this way: She was joined in Newcastle alongside Shelby (L) and Cleila Theodorou (R)

Waist not: The brunette beauty teamed the look with a leather biker jacket while a fabric waist belt drew attention to her narrow midriff

The reality star teamed her look with a cream knee-length coat, white bodysuit and python snakeskin boots.

Shelby, who is recently split from Pete Wick after he reportedly cosied up to another girl during a holiday, accessorised her ensemble with a complementing cream handbag and silver oversized hoops.

The beauty recently admitted she was 'devastated' to find out that Pete, 29, had also been sending sexually explicit messages with up to ten women.

Picture perfect: She strolled along the pavement in a pair of white strappy heels with green socks

Wrapped up: Complementing her ensemble, she worked her brunette tresses into a long loose curl and sported a glamorous beauty look

Posing up a storm: She carried her leather handbag in her manicured hand

Denim days: Shelby followed Courtney's fashion lead and looked stylish in a pair of loose-fitting denim jeans

Cosy: The reality star teamed her look with a cream knee-length coat, white bodysuit and python snakeskin boots

Speaking candidly with The Sun on Monday, the TOWIE star said: 'I was devastated, I thought he was The One but after reading those texts I was left heartbroken. He was sexting another girl and talking about joining the Mile High Club with her.

Adding: 'Someone else sent nude pictures to him. I saw all these messages to other girls on Instagram, other texts in his archive  in fact some of the texts were sent just two days before we were due to go to a wedding together in Croatia.'

The girls were joined by Cleila Theodorou for their outing in the Toon and carried a number of bags following their shopping stint.

While the girls stepped out, Shelby's ex Pete and Courtney's former flame Myles were spotted around Newcastle with James Lock, enjoying an open-top bus tour.

Looking forward: Shelby recently split from Pete Wick after he reportedly cosied up to another girl during a holiday

All the details: She accessorised her ensemble with a complementing cream handbag and silver oversized hoops

Bag it up: The girls were joined by Cleila Theodorou for their outing in the Toon and carried a number of bags following their shopping stint

Casual: Cleila draped her leather jacket over her shoulders and donned a pair of high-waisted skinny jeans for the outing

Pucker up: Shelby pouted for the camera as Courtney got the best shot

Retail therapy: The girls held onto their purchases as they began filming

Mane attraction: The trio's brown locks were tousled in a gust of wind

Meanwhile, Kady McDermott made an explosive entrance for her TOWIE debut on Sunday night as she introduced herself to Courtney as Myles Barnett's new girlfriend.

In a teaser clip for next week's show, the reality star, 23, leaves the Essex beauty stunned as she struts into The Old Regent Ballroom and approaches the group to make peace- but her shock arrival becomes too much for Courtney, who bursts into tears.

As Kady walks into the party, Courtney spots Kady from a mile off whispering to Georgia Kousoulou and Chloe Meadows, 'Kady, Kady'.

Spotted: Pete Wicks was pictured with James Lock in Newcastle also

Fashion: Pete, 29, kept to his usual style for the outing in a leather jacket and grey skinny jeans

Hats on: The reality star donned a baker boy hat for the occasion

Grab and go: The pair grabbed a coffee during the shoot

Chit chat: The pals chatted as they walked around the city

Take a break: James enjoyed a baguette in between filming scenes

Water about that: Pete sipped on a bottle water while he chatted to a crew member

Determined to nip any awkwardness in the bud, Kady introduces herself, saying: 'I'd just thought I'd come over to just say "Hi".'

However, their exchange was soon halted as Courtney burst into tears after coming face-to-face with her ex-boyfriend's new flame and ran away from the group table with her best pal Chloe rushing after her.

Kady, who shot to fame on Love Island's second series in 2016, was dressed to impress in a perilously slashed nude dress as she made her dramatic entrance.

Stopping by: Myles was also spotted in the city

All smiles: The TV star, who is currently dating Kady McDermott, donned a pair of fitted navy chinos

Grab a snack: Myles carried a packet of crisps and a bottle of water ahead of his sightseeing tour

Sightseeing: He donned a salmon-coloured hoodie for the shoot

Careful now: Myles carefully climbed over a camera while on the bus

The brunette beauty found TV fame on the ITV2 dating show, where her romance with Scott Thomas kept fans captivated due to their tumultuous rows.

Since the show wrapped up, her work moved from TV to social media and later cosmetics as she launched her 'By Kady' make-up range.

Last month, Kady returned to headlines when it was first reported that she was dating Myles, who had become something of a villain on the show due to his outrageous temper and various infidelities towards girlfriend Courtney.

Ready for fun: James 'Diag' Bennewith joined Myles on the bus

Soaking up the sun: Dan Edgar was also on the tour with Diags and Myles

Relaxed: Dan donned a green sports jacket and grey hoodie for the outing

Moving around: Dan sported a pair of black denim jeans

Joking around: Diags playfully jostled Myles' shoulder

Taking it all in: Myles laughed as Diags entertained his pals

It was unknown if she would join the show, although she was referenced on the series when Myles' enemy Chris Clark hit out at him saying he was only dating Kady because she boasts 'over a million Twitter followers'.

With the idea of seeing her cheating ex-beau's new flame, Courtney ensured she was dressed to impress as she sported a flowing blue gown with her hair worn in flowing lengths to round out the preened ensemble.

When rumours first surfaced earlier this month, the couple remained coy at first shortly before sources revealed the details of their love.

Settling down: Myles and Dan found their seats on the bus

Ready to go: Diags walked towards his seat on the bus while a cameraman set up the shot

Catching up: The trio chatted to the show's crew following their tourIt's been a moment awaited by fans for months, after the couple finally reunited in emotional Valentine's Day scenes.

And Emmerdale fans will finally get to see the moment Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle tie the knot next week, as the day is thrown in doubt after Chas loses her baby daughter Grace.

Fans of the much-loved 'Robron' will finally get the moment they've been waiting for when the couple exchange vows next week, as despite Aaron's fears for his mum, she insists the big day go ahead.

At last! Emmerdale fans will finally get to see the moment Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle tie the knot next week, months after the couple's Valentines Day reunion

After weeks of build-up Robert (played by Ryan Hawley) and Aaron's (Danny Miller) big day will finally arrive on Friday (September 5), but it will come soon after Chas (Lucy Pargeter) struggles with her own grief.

Going into labour at her son's stag party, Chas and fiance Paddy (Dominic Brunt) will finally welcome their baby daughter Grace, but the happy moment is clouded with sadness, as they realise their time with the little one is short-lived.

The couple were told their baby was suffering from bilateral renal agenesis, which meant she would only survive for a short time after leaving the womb.

Hard times: The day will be thrown into doubt as Aaron's mum Chas struggles to cope with her grief, after losing her baby daughter Grace

Rather than have an abortion, Chas insisted she wanted to take the pregnancy to term, and mere hours after her birth little Grace passes away in her arms.

The moment inveitably leaves Chas and Paddy devastated, but the Woolpack owner insists Aaron and Robert's big day goes ahead despite Paddy's concerns.

Meanwhile Robert is at the centre of his own family dramas, as his sister Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) is furious that Aaron lied about Adam (Adam Thomas) being responsible for Emma Barton's murder - forcing him to go on the run when Moira (Natalie J. Robb) was really the culprit.

Rough ride: Chas and her fiance Paddy said goodbye to their daughter, after hearing that due to her suffering from bilateral renal agenesis she wouldn't survive long after birth

But after some convincing words, Victoria finally decides to support her sibling and tells Robert she will attend the big day.

In a touching final moment before the big ceremony, Aaron will present Robert with an old watch he had engraved with the dates of their two weddings - with fans remembering the first which saw them privately exchange vows in a barn.

Heading to the big day outside the pagoda in Village Hall, the ceremony begins with Robert and Aaron finally ready to (legally) say 'I do.'

Emmerdale airs Robert and Aaron's wedding on Friday 5th October at 7pm on ITV.Paul Hogan is currently in Australia shooting the upcoming film, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee.

And the veteran actor's teenage son, Chance, is also spending time Down Under, according to a new report in Woman's Day.

On Monday, the magazine reported that the L.A. based 19-year-old 'has been spotted looking happy and healthy while hanging out with friends' in his father's native country.

'It's a sign his troubled days are over': According to Woman's Day, Paul Hogan's son Chance (pictured centre front) has been 'spending time friends with in Australia'

Chance was seen front and centre in a recent snap shared by one of his Sydney-based pals.

Sporting a smile and giving a thumbs up to the camera, the teen looked to be in high spirits as he was surrounded by friends.

An insider allegedly told Woman's Day that Chance 'seems a lot more chilled and people are hoping its a sign his troubled days are over'.

Home is the heart is! Paul is currently in his native Australia shooting the upcoming film, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee. He is pictured in Sydney in 2016

Chance's mother is Paul's ex-wife and Crocodile Dundee co-star Linda Kozlowski, whom he married in 1990.

The couple split in 2013 and Paul has played a primary role in raising Chance in Los Angeles.

It hasn't all been smooth sailing, however, with the teenager being pictured throwing up outside a music venue earlier this year.

Father and son: Paul is pictured with Chance in 2013

According to a Woman's Day report, Paul was reportedly left 'shattered' after seeing the distressing photos of Chance.

'Hoges is at his wits' end,' an insider told the magazine. 'It's no secret Chance has been difficult to deal with over the years.

'It goes without saying the last thing he wants is to see Chance destroy his life.'

Famous parents: Chance's mother is Paul's ex-wife and Crocodile Dundee co-star Linda Kozlowski (centre), whom he married in 1990 and split with in 2013. Pictured in early 2013

In 2015, Chance was reportedly caught drinking beer and smoking what appeared to be a bong on the balcony of Paul's home.

The following year, it was reported by Woman's Day that Linda and Paul could be reuniting for the sake of their son.

Linda previously denied any suggestion that she had been an absent parent, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'This is not the case at all.'

'I am back and forth a lot and spend quite a lot of time in LA with Chance.'For decades, she's been widely regarded as one of the world's top supermodels, having risen to fame alongside a host of catwalk icons.

And Cindy Crawford, 52, showed how she continues to command attention on Tuesday, when she stepped out in typically chic style during Paris Fashion Week.

The stunning Illinois native looked effortlessly stylish in a black leather jacket over a striped top, which she teamed with faded skinny jeans and a pair of black booties, as she stepped out ahead of her model daughter Kaia Gerber, 17.

Stunning: Cindy Crawford, left, was spotted out and about, ahead of her daughter Kaia Gerber, right, during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday

Shielding her eyes behind a pair of oversized sunglasses, the mother-of-two wore her chestnut brown locks in voluminous waves, while her natural beauty was highlighted with a soft-toned palette of impeccably-applied makeup.

Toting a small black leather handbag, the star flashed a smile at onlookers and photographers as she exited her hotel and made her way into a waiting vehicle.

Cindy recently arrived in Paris, days after having soaked up the festivities surrounding Milan Fashion Week, with her 17-year-old daughter Kaia Gerber walking for top designers at hot-ticket shows in both cities.

Stepping out in style: The Illinois native looked effortlessly stylish in a black leather jacket over a striped top, which she teamed with faded skinny jeans and a pair of black booties

Commanding attention: Toting a small black leather handbag, the star flashed a smile at onlookers and photographers as she exited her hotel and made her way into a waiting vehicle

Kaia also caught the eye as she stepped out separately from her famous mother, wearing a patterned white sweater teamed with loose-fitting black trousers and matching leather combat boots.

With a pair of tinted sunglasses perched at the tip of her nose, the young model opted to go makeup-free, while her glossy brown locks fell beyond her shoulders.

Carrying a black patent Yves Saint Laurent handbag, Kaia raced through the bustling streets of the City of Light, as she prepared for another day of glamorous shows.

Stylish: Kaia also caught the eye as she stepped out separately from her famous mother, wearing a patterned white sweater teamed with loose-fitting black trousers and combat boots

Model behaviour: With a pair of tinted sunglasses perched at the tip of her nose, the young model opted to go makeup-free

The mane attraction: The teenage model wore her glossy dark hair in simple waves that effortlessly framed her face

Finishing touches: She injected a dose of luxury into her look with a Saint Laurent leather chain-trim bag

The veteran model, who has been married to husband Rande Gerber since 1998, is also mother to 19-year-old male model Presley.

During a recent interview with DailyMailTV as she scooped up the Brand Of The Year award at the Daytime Hollywood Beauty Awards for her anti-ageing skincare line Meaningful Beauty, Cindy opened up about her enduring career.

The supermodel, who was signed by Elite Models aged 17, said retirement was not on her mind, after walking away from the industry in 2000 and returning in 2011.

She explained: 'I think it depends on what I'm doing. To me, if I'm getting my picture taken, it's modelling, even if it's for my own brand.'

Wavy tresses: Shielding her eyes behind a pair of oversized sunglasses, the mother-of-two wore her chestnut brown locks in voluminous waves

Beauty: Her natural beauty was highlighted with a soft-toned palette of flattering makeup

She joked and added she'll quit 'when people stop asking. Maybe that's the answer.'

Cindy continued: 'When I started modelling, I thought  because I dropped out of college  I thought I'd model until I am 25 and then maybe I'll go back to school, or I'll figure out what I'm really going to do with my life.

'I had no idea that I would be standing here today still doing modelling and getting my picture taken.'

She also admitted that the industry has changed in some ways since her heyday, explaining: 'The act of modelling has not changed at all. When you're a model, you stand in front of a camera, or walk down a runway and that's still the same.

Driven: Later, the star was seen strolling through the city streets as she emerged from her car

Relaxed: She looked relaxed and happy as she prepared for another busy day at the big event

'But now there's this extra-added layer of keeping up your social media and I think there's a lot more pressure in a way, because it's daily.

'I always say it's like a little hungry animal that needs to be fed everyday and it's never full. It's always like, ''More, more, more.''

'And so I think that sometimes for young models, and especially when you're young, you're not always so, ''Hmm, is this a good thing to post, or a bad thing to post?''

'You know you're young; you make mistakes. So I think it puts some extra pressure on them.'

Family: The star has been married to Rande Gerber, right, since 1998 and they're the parents of models (L-R) Presley, 19, and 17-year-old Kaia, who has walked in Milan and Paris this seasonShe caused quite a disturbance when she launched herself - and one of her shoes - at rival Nicki Minaj at the Harper's Bazaar Icons party earlier this month.

But Cardi B has no regrets about the scuffle and even feels that the fashion world has embraced her more now following the incident.

The 25-year-old I Like It hitmaker has been in Italy for Milan Fashion Week where sources close to her have revealed she didn't have any issues getting into designer shows.

Designer darling: Despite her big fight with Nicki Minaj earlier this month Cardi B has had no problem attending shows at Milan Fashion Week

While some might have expected designers to distance themselves from the mother-of-one, she's experienced quite the opposite.

Friends of the star tell TMZ that Cardi thinks the fight with Nicki has even helped to 'raise her profile'.

None of her invites were pulled and no appearances were canceled, including the Dolce & Gabbana show she attended on Sunday, which was booked well before her brawl with Nicki.

Nicki was in Milan at the same time and it seems the duo have managed to avoid each other.

Cardi is now heading to Paris Fashion Week but no word if Nicki will be there too.

Only good things: Friends of the star tell TMZ that Cardi thinks the fight with Nicki has even helped to 'raise her profile'

All love: None of her invites were pulled and no appearances were canceled, including the Dolce & Gabbana show she attended on Sunday (pictured) which was booked well before her brawl with Nicki

The former stripper last made headlines for throwing her Gucci heels at Nicki at the September 7th Harper's Bazaar Icons bash.

She was filmed at The Plaza Hotel launching herself at the Super Bass hitmaker and screaming at her as bodyguards tried to hold her back.

Cardi emerged from the bash with a huge bump on her temple after apparently being elbowed by a member of security.

After the fight she claimed she was angered by Nicki allegedly trying to sabotage her career and speaking badly about her daughter, Kulture.

Nicki broke her silence on her radio show.

Beef: Friends of the star tell TMZ that Cardi thinks the fight with Nicki (pictured in Milan on Friday) has even helped to 'raise her profile'

Keeping a distance: Nicki was in Milan at the same time as Cardi last week and it seems the duo have managed to avoid each other

'The other night I was part of something so mortifying, so humiliating to go through in front of upper echelon people - it's not about black or white - people who have their lives together,' she said.

'I was mortified...I could not believe how humiliated I felt ... how we - and I use the term 'we' loosely - made ourselves look. I would never discuss anyone's child. It's so sad for someone to pin that on me.

'I would never talk about anyone's child's or parenting, I don't give a s**t. It's so crazy to me that people always need to make Onika the bad guy. If you're right in whatever you're doing, you don't ever have to make someone into the bad guy,' she added.TOWIE's Yazmin Oukhellou has reportedly pulled out of filming for the ITVBe show to jet to Marbella for a holistic retreat, as she battles with severe depression.

A source exclusively told MailOnline that the 25-year-old star's mental health struggles are so bad she 'hasn't wanted to get out of bed,' but has the full support of boyfriend James Locke as well as friends and family in her recovery.

Yazmin was snapped breaking down in tears as she visited the Holistic Bootcamp on Sunday, after a furious row with co-star Amber Turner saw her brand her 'disgusting' and 'pathetic.'

Tough time: TOWIE's Yazmin Oukhellou has reportedly pulled out of filming for the ITVBe show to jet to Marbella for a holistic retreat, as she battles with severe depression

The source said: 'Its true that Yazmin has gone to Holistic Bootcamp in Marbella to escape her troubles. Things have just got too much for her on the show and issues with various cast members have really got her down. Shes a very normal girl with no ego and she doesnt need that negativity in her life.

Shes been treated for anxiety there but its not been revealed that shes also being treated for severe depression that has been debilitating to the point where she hasnt wanted to get out of bed.

Flying out to Spain to work with Rob Hisee was the only answer for her. James (Locke) her boyfriend is behind her 100% and like her friends and family, just wants her to back to her old self and well again.

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Yazmin Oukhellou for further comment.

Emotional: A source exclusively told MailOnline that Yazmin has been getting help for 'anxiety and severe depression' after she was seen in tears at the Holistic Bootcamp in Marbella

Rough ride: The source added that Yazmin has the full support of her friends, family and boyfriend James Locke, after heading to the retreat to recuperate

This comes as Yazmin was seen breaking down in tears after arriving at the Spanish retreat over the weekend, with a member of staff comforting her as she took a break from the sunshine.

The star had appeared melancholy as she arrived at London's Stansted airport last week following another week of Essex drama.

Tension had been brewing between the brunette and fellow TOWIE star Amber Turner, which fans saw play out on Sunday night in an explosive fall-out when their boyfriends got involved.

But when Yazmin tried to apologise for the insults she threw at Amber, the blonde beauty wasn't ready to forgive her former pal, branding her 'disgusting' and 'pathetic,'

Looking emotional, Yazmin said: 'I just don't know how it's got like this, it's got so nasty. You were actually one of my good friends. I feel like you exclude me from everything.' Amber snapped back: 'Well, that's ridiculous!'

'I found out that you called the restaurant and club, and asked for my table to be moved. I was embarrassed,' Yazmin countered.

'It was never that, I asked them to do me a favour and not have us in the same place. Do you really think I want to cross paths with you after our blazing row?' Amber shot back angrily.

'I didn't want to be near you after you were shouting those comments at me at the festival.'

She continued: 'I think it was pathetic, for you to say "you're boyfriend is going to cheat on you", it just shows immaturity. Shouting at Chloe and Courtney, people who have done nothing to you, is disgusting.'

Yazmin admitted she was 'stupid and immature' and said: 'I will speak to them and apologise, because it was disgusting.'

Breaking down: This came after fans saw Yazmin pushed to break point by an explosive row with Amber Turner on Sunday, which saw her brand the brunette 'pathetic' and 'disgusting'

Brutal: The savage confrontation pushed the brunette close to tears as she and Amber came to blows once again

Amber went on: 'I think deep down you know I haven't done anything wrong,' as Yazmin countered: 'Well, I don't feel like you're genuine!'

Amber rolled her eyes and said in frustration: 'I think that's an excuse. You were half egging him [boyfriend James Lock] on.'

Trouble had been brewing between Amber and Yazmin Oukhellou in recent weeks, with the latter upset about being missed from the girls' nights out, and things only escalated when their boyfriends get involved.

The drama transpired when Yazmin asked Amber why she hadn't been invited out with her female co-stars, which prompted the pair's boyfriends James Lock and Dan to step in to defend them.K-pop stars BTS have already conquered the world.

So it seems like the United Nations is a natural stop for them.

The band appeared at the UN on September 24, bringing an important message to the worlds youth about the importance of listening to themselves and resisting pressures to conform to what others want.

BTS's recent speech at the UN encouraged young people around the world to be themselves

No matter who you are, where you're from, your skin color, your gender identity, just speak yourself, frontman Kim Nam-jun told a crowded hall during the launch of a new UNICEF campaign aimed at empowering youth throughout the world.

Called Generation Unlimited, the campaign is designed to promote full youth education and employment by 2030. The event launched during the annual UN General Assembly in New York City.

The band, in suit and tie attire, joined UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Bank president Jim Yong Kim, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, YouTube star and UNICEF ambassador Lilly Signh and others for the event.

Kim, flanked by his bandmates, spoke about growing up in Ilsan, South Korea and recalled his carefree childhood until he became gripped by self-doubt by around age nine or ten.

I think that's when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes. I tried to jam myself into the molds that other people made.

'Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and listen to the voice of others. No one called out my name and neither did I. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. Like this, I  we  all lost our names. We became like ghosts. But I had one sanctuary and that was music, he explained.

Kim said he wanted to quit music due to his own insecurities but eventually overcame them by listening to and believing in himself.

I have many faults and I have many more fears but I am going to embrace myself as hard as I can and I am starting to love myself, he said.

Kim also said that, despite his newfound global success, he's still worked hard to accept who he is and stay positive.

'Yesterday's me is still me. Today I am who I am with all of my faults and my mistakes. Tomorrow I might be a tiny bit wiser and that would be me too.

'These faults and mistakes are what I am, making up the brightest stars in the constellation of my life. I have come to love myself for who I am, for who I was, and for who I hope to become,' he said.

The K-pop star added: BTS has become artists performing in huge stadiums and selling millions of records right now, but I am still an ordinary 24-year-old guy. We have learned to love ourselves, so now I urge you to speak yourself.

BTS has been riding a wave of massive global popularity and will soon bring its Love Yourself tour to New York City for a major concert, notably making history by becoming the first South Korean musical group to perform a stadium show in the U.S. when they appear at Citi Field on October 6.

Who are BTS?

BTS is a K-pop boy band from Seoul, South Korea known for their recent string of worldwide hits.

Formed back in 2013, the band released their first album 2 Kool 4 Skool that July and later followed up with their sophomore album Dark & Wild in August 2014.

In October 2016, the band released their next album, Wings, which peaked at number 26 on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S. and helped the group attain increased exposure in the country.

The bands most recent album, Love Yourself: Tear, was released on May 18, 2018 and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S. and number eight in the UK while its lead single Fake Love peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.She's one of the world's top models, with a figure to die for.

And Joanna Krupa showed how hard she works to maintain her enviable physique on Monday, as the reality TV star left Crunch Gym in West Hollywood.

The 39-year-old went braless beneath a tight blue tank top for the sweat-inducing session.

Slim: Joanna Krupa, 39, showed how hard she works to maintain her enviable physique on Monday, as the reality TV star left Crunch Gym in West Hollywood

The host of Poland's Top Model paired the flattering garment with gray sweatpants and black runners.

Around her slim waist, Joanna had knotted a gray hooded sweatshirt.

The Real Housewives Of Miami star wore a light sheen of makeup for the workout and her straight blonde tresses were pulled back tightly in a low pony tail.

Krupa carried a black leather shoulder bag with a chain strap, a water bottle and her iPhone.

Sporty: The host of Poland's Top Model paired the flattering garment with gray sweatpants and black runners

Joanna has been on her honeymoon in her native Poland after tying the knot with businessman Douglas Nunes last month.

Their marriage came just five months after they got engaged.

The model confirmed the news with an Instagram post from inside the church where she wrote: 'We did it! It was a very private and small family gathering.

'Wish I could have shared it with all the people that I love.'

The ceremony came almost exactly a year since she finalized her divorce from first husband Romain Zago, whom she had wed in 2013.Angelina Jolie is pictured for the first time filming her new fantasy drama Come Away.

Despite her ongoing divorce negotiations with Brad Pitt, it was back to work for the 43-year-old as she got into character wearing a period costume on set in Hollywood on Monday.

Angelina stars alongside David Oyelowo in the adventure movie which is a prequel to Alice In Wonderland and Peter Pan.

In character: Angelina Jolie is seen in costume on the set of her new movie Come Away in Hollywood on Wednesday

Re-imagining: The movie is a prequel to the stories of Peter Pan and Alice In Wonderland

Angelina's outfit consisted of a white blouse tucked into a long olive green skirt along with a half apron tied at the waist.

She wore a wavy blonde wig which was pinned up elegantly at the back in perfect keeping with her early 1900s look.

The storyline follows Alice before she went to Wonderland, and Peter before he became Pan, as brother and sister who live an idyllic childhood with parents Jack and Rose (Oyelowo and Jolie) and older brother David.

Fate turns their games of tea parties, pirates and lost boys upside down, setting the stage for their iconic journeys into Wonderland and Neverland.

Storytelling: The 43-year-old actress was seen in period dress with white blouse and long flowing skirt

1900s chic: Angelina wore a half apron over her billowing skirt along with some flat tan pumps

Prequel: Angelina plays Rose opposite David Oyelowo who plays Jack - parents of Alice and Peter

Ready to go: Jordan Nash will play the part of Peter and was also seen on set and in costume on Monday

The movie, which started filming in the UK in August, will be the live-action debut of Brave director Brenda Chapman and is scripted by Marissa Kate Goodhill.

Keira Chansa and Jordan Nash, both newcomers, have been set to play Alice and Peter.

Jordan, 10, was also spotted on set on Monday wearing a smart shirt tucked into grey shorts and carrying a book in his hand.

The London born actor, a former contestant on Britain's Got Talent, made his feature film debut in 2013 in Dom Hemingway opposite Jude Law and has also had a recurring role in Hulu series Harlots.

Fresh faces: Keira Chansa and Jordan Nash, both newcomers, will play Alice before she went to Wonderland and Peter before he became Pan

British star Oyelowo, 42, is also co-producing the fantasy drama along with Jolie

For Keira, Come Away will be her first movie role.

Sharing snaps to Instagram from set earlier this month Oyelowo posed next to co-star Michael Caine, whose role in the movie has not yet been revealed.

'Walking with giants. Sir Michael Caine came to play on COME AWAY. #legend' the 42-year-old British star wrote next to the selfie.

Meanwhile, it was reported last week that Angelina has reached out to her ex Brad for a secret meeting amid their divorce battle.

'Legend': Sharing snaps to Instagram from set earlier this month Oyelowo posed next to co-star Michael Caine, whose role in the movie has not yet been revealed

'Brad and Angelina actually set up a secret meeting at her house. Its the first time they have truly gotten together to make things work since their group therapy with the children,' a source told ET on Wednesday.

'Brad and Angies meeting was a success. They are going to stay with the plan set forth through the courts,' the insider continued.

'Angelina decided it was time to try to make things work and Brad was relieved and very ready for the offer.

'Brad has been dedicated to making peace throughout the process and now it finally seems like they are at a point where they can create a calmer situation for the kids,' the source added.

The former mega-star couple - who split in 2016 - share six children: Maddox, 17, Pax, 14, Zahara, 13, Shiloh, 12, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 10.

'Great actors': In another image Oyelowo posed with co-stars Clarke Peters and David Gyasi (left)Michelle Williams was seen with her new husband Phil Elverum for the very first time in public since shocking fans this summer with news of their shock nuptials.

The couple looked very much in love as they shopped for antiques in New York on Saturday.

Also with them was her 12-year-old daughter, Matilda, and his daughter, Agathe, aged three.

Out and about at last: Michelle Williams was seen with her new husband Phil Elverum for the very first time in public since shocking fans this summer with news of their shock nuptials

A sweet kiss: The couple looked very much in love as they shopped for antiques in New York on Saturday

She shares Matilda with the late Heath Ledger, while the former Microphones frontman shared Agathe with the late illustrator Genevieve Castree.

Williams, 38, had on overalls with a long-sleeved blue top and sunglasses.

Phil, 40, was in a T-shirt and jeans.

They wed in July in the Adirondacks in upstate New York.

Dressed down: Williams, 38, had on overalls with a long-sleeved blue top and sunglasses. Phil, 40, was in a T-shirt and jeans

Newlyweds: The duo tied the knot in upstate New York in July with just a few guests

And though the very private actress kept things close to her chest in a Vanity Fair profile, describing their partnership as 'very sacred and very secret', it's clear the duo connect on a deep level.

Elverum, who plays in the indie bands The Microphones and Mount Eerie, endured a similar loss as the actress, whose co-parent and former partner Heath Ledger passed away back in 2008.

Phil lost with wife Castree in 2015, when daughter Agathe was only 18-months-old.

Heart to heart: And though the very private actress kept things close to her chest in a Vanity Fair profile, describing their partnership as 'very sacred and very secret', it's clear the duo connect on a deep level

Michelle's daughter Matilda was only two when her father passed of an accidental drug overdose.

Both parents found solace in their children following their losses.

As Michelle explained in a statement following Ledger's death: 'I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day.'

Her mini me: She also was with her daughter Matilda Ledger, who she had with the late actor Heath Ledger

So close: The two were arm in arm as they strolled on the grass

Blended family: Michelle and Phil seemed at ease with their kids and a cute dog

'His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up in the best memories of him.'

Phil told Pitchfork about how his daughter was 'a tether back to the functional world' when he was close to being 'suicidal' after his wive's diagnosis and death in a profile last spring.

'I have to cut up the broccoli; I cant be weeping. And yet, sometimes I am weeping, and shell come up to me and say, "Papa crying!" And Ill be like, "Yeah, Im crying right now, Im sad. Its fine." And she laughs and goes back to her LEGOs.'

Though they'd both been through hardship Williams revealed she 'never gave up on love' in the profile, adding: 'I always say to Matilda, "Your dad loved me before anybody thought I was talented, or pretty, or had nice clothes."'

The Mount Eerie frontman is still working through his pain, it appears.

Nice kicks: The star - best known for Dawson's Creek - wore high-heeled clogs

A fun day out of the city: The star also carried a straw bag as she looked for antiques

Just weeks ago the musician struggled to get through an emotional set at Chicago's Thalia Hall while playing a song called Now Only about his wife.

The couple value their privacy tremendously with Williams explaining point-blank: 'I dont really want to talk about any of it.'

She confessed how she entertains the idea of being more open, '...There's that tease, that lure, thats like, "What if this helps somebody?

'"What if somebody who has always journeyed in this way, who has struggled as much as I struggled, and looked as much as I looked, finds something that helps them?" Dont settle. Dont settle for something that feels like a prison, or is hard, or hurts you,' she says.

'If it doesnt feel like love, its not love,' she finished.A host of soap stars are coming together to perform an Audience With... style live show in cinemas across the UK.

The live shows premiere in Manchester, the first show featuring Coronation Street favourites Sherrie Hewson and Brian Capron, current Emmerdale star Chris Chittell, and EastEnders legends John Altman and Sid Owen.

Tying in with the launch of this soap extravaganza, fans will have the chance to audition and star in a soap of their own, alongside some of TVs biggest icons.

An X-Factor style search for a star coming to Manchester on October 14th will culminate with a lucky handful of fans starring in the new soap.

The soap, written by BAFTA winner Tony McHale, will screen at cinemas in 2019 and the producers even want to find a dog to star in the series and encourage pooches to be brought along to the auditions.

The project is the brainchild of actress Debbie Arnold, who has appeared in every major TV soap (Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders, Hollyoaks) and even featured in two soaps at the same time (EastEnders and Hollyoaks).

Arnold will co-present the live show with former EastEnders writer Tony McHale.

She said: 'When we were all in soaps, 25 million fans would tune in and theyd see us lot as old friends. Nowadays there seems to be so much less engagement with fans and thats a real shame.

'This show is all about taking soaps from the sofa to the big screen and we want the audience to be part of that! We want them to arrive as fans and leave as friends!'

The live shows kick off on October 14th at the Manchester Odeon where fans will be able to meet and quiz the stars about their favourite and most embarrassing moments on TV.

Altman, an original cast member from EastEnders, said: 'It's very rare to get this many soap stars together all in one place, so this is a great opportunity for far-flung fans from across our soap-crazed nation to see who we are and what we're all about. It's going to be a great night out.'

Each show will see vintage clips of memorable TV moments being played for the first time on the big screen  all in an intimate and atmospheric setting.

The Soap in the Cinema extravaganza is being rolled out at Odeon Cinemas starting in Manchester, then Darlington, Southampton & Brighton this year - with 19 more shows in 2019.

Tickets for the star-studded tour go on sale now.She is always rocking the latest trends.

And Monday was more of the same for Sofia Richie as she ran some errands at a supermarket in Malibu.

Clad in a black crop top that showed off her toned abs, the daughter of Lionel Richie, 20, looked incredible for her grocery run at Ralph's.

Sporty style: Sofia Richie showcased her toned abs in a black crop top and sweats during a grocery run to Ralph's in Malibu on Monday

Sofia teamed her fitted black top with a pair of stylish and trendy sweatpants and pristine white sneakers.

She had her hair slicked back away from her face, and protected her eyesight behind large sunglasses.

Sofia accessorized the sporty look with a pair of large silver earrings.

The model looked relaxed and carefree as she followed her gal pal towards their car.

Ab-tastic: Clad in a black crop top that showed off her toned abs, the daughter of Lionel Richie looked incredible for her grocery run at Ralph's

The model looked relaxed and carefree as she followed her gal pal towards their car

Glammed up: Richie accessorized the sporty look with a pair of large silver earrings

After unloading their grocery bags into the car, the model lent a hand and pushed the cart towards it's designated area.

Not pictured during this particular outing was Sofia's boyfriend, Scott Disick.

The couple are ordinarily attached at the hip, and last month traveled to Mexico with Scott's children, who he shares with his ex Kourtney Kardashian.

Let's get going: After unloading their grocery bags into the car, the model lent a hand and pushed the cart towards it's designated area

Sofia was recently accused of acting like a total diva after she refused to talk to reporters in Australia about the two of the major reasons that she's famous, her father and her boyfriend.

However, in an interview with The Goss, she waxed poetic on the previously off-limits topic of Lord Disick.

On her relationship with the former longtime boyfriend of Kourtney, Sofia said, 'we are very happy, very lovey dovey.'

The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, who is 15 years her senior, started dating the aspiring fashion designer when she was just 19.She's flown into the city of love especially for Paris Fashion Week.

And Sara Sampaio kept up her stylish image while she was spotted out shopping on Avenue Montaigne, in France on Tuesday.

The Victoria's Secret Angel pin-up, 27, put on her own fashion parade when she showed off her legs in her PVC pink mini skirt and boots to match.

Sensational sense of style: Sara Sampaio showed off her legs in a pink PVC miniskirt as she kept up her catwalk glamour in Paris during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday

The runway queen highlighted her slender model waist with a skinny belt snaking through the hoops of her Drome mini skirt.

Head-to-toe in pink, the Portuguese model donned a chic crotchet sweater and she toted sunglasses as well as her transparent handbag in different shades.

Taking a break from the catwalks during the day, Sara embraced her natural beauty with a minimal make-up look and she tucked her long locks behind her ears.

She's beautiful: Taking a break from the catwalks during the day, Sara embraced her natural beauty with a minimal make-up look and she tucked her long locks behind her ears

Pin-credible style: The Victoria's Secret Angel pin-up, 27, put on her own fashion parade when she showed off her legs in her PVC pink Drome mini skirt and boots to match

Sara has a long list of achievements include walking for Victoria's Secret, fulfilling a Giorgio Armani beauty ambassador role and working for Calzedonia.

A-list stars have descended on Paris for the fashionable occasion including Nineties supermodel Cindy Crawford who is present to support her daughter Kaia Gerber.

Away from the catwalk, Sara admitted she avoids beauty products as she focuses on replenishing and restoring the moisture in her skin.

Pin-credibly trendy: The runway queen highlighted her slender model waist with a skinny belt snaking through the hoops of her mini skirt

Cute and cosy: Head-to-toe in pink, the Portuguese model donned a chic crotchet sweater and she toted sunglasses as well as her transparent handbag in different shades

She told GLAMOUR magazine in June: 'When I'm off-duty and don't have to work, I try not to use any products on my hair or my skin.

'I just focus on replenishing the moisture and restoring radiance. I'm all about hydration and trying to get as much of that as I possibly can.

'I love going on holiday as the sun always makes my hair a little lighter.'

Good looks: Away from the catwalk, Sara admitted she avoids beauty products as she focuses on replenishing and restoring the moisture in her skinDina Lohan has filed for bankruptcy.

In documents filed in federal bankruptcy court, Dina, 56, declared she was $1,578,049.00 in debt, according to TMZ.

The largest debt Dina accrued was $1,554,240 to mortgage company PennyMac Loans, and in her filing listed her Long Island home as collateral on the loan, according to the New York Daily News.

Bankruptcy: Dina Lohan, pictured earlier this month in New York, has filed for bankruptcy, declaring she is over $1.5 million in debt

The house was put in foreclosure earlier this year and was set to be auctioned off on Tuesday, however her new bankruptcy filing will now put an end to the foreclosure.

This allows Dina the opportunity to save the house, which she valued at $1.27 million in her filing.

In addition to her debt with PennyMac, Dina also owes $4,651 in California state taxes, and $9,000 in New York state taxes.

Dina had also listed her Victoria's Secret credit card as a revolving account, but she is uncertain exactly how much she owes the company, according to The Blast.

New filing: According to TMZ, the mother of Lindsay Lohan owes $1.55 million to mortgage company PennyMac Loan services, $4,651 in California state taxes, and $9,000 in New York state taxes (Lohan pictured with daughter Lindsay in December 2017)

Dina also owes $10,000 to Honda and $10,000 to St. Anthony High School, the institute her children previously attended.

Dina lost Lindsay's childhood home to foreclosure after fighting off the bank for years in April.

Lindsay had previously tried to stave off the bank, giving her mom $40,000, in October 2012, but as of December 12, she became in arrears to the tune of $1.5 million.

In April, a New York judge ordered the home go up for auction in the next 90 days, according to The Blast.

Financial woes: Dina lost Lindsay's childhood home to foreclosure after fighting off the bank for years in April (pictured April 2018 in New York)

Dina defaulted on the mortgage and failed to respond to a foreclosure lawsuit.

In 2013, Dina was sued by JPMorgan Chase for foreclosure, but she and the bank were able to hammer out a deal and the lawsuit was put on hold.

That lawsuit claimed Dina 'failed to comply with the conditions of the mortgage  by failing to pay portions of principal, interest or taxes, assessments, water rates, insurance premiums, escrow and/or other charges.'

Lindsay giving Dina money in 2012 became public knowledge when her father released a phone call he had recorded of his daughter talking about it.

In the phone conversation with her father, Michael Lohan, she said: 'I was like, ''Give me my money back! Give me my 40 grand back that I just gave you!'''

When he asked why she gave her mother the money, Lindsay said: 'Because she needs it to keep the house.'

Dina has four children with her ex-husband Michael: Lindsay, 32, Ali, 24, Cody, 22, and Michael, 30.Emma Stone stepped in to help Stephen Colbert with his latest Rescue Dog Rescue segment Monday night on The Late Show.

The duo showcased some cute puppies saved from Hurricane Florence which are available for adoption.

In a hilarious twist, Emma and Stephen promoted the pups by telling ridiculous lies about their background.

Furry friends: Emma Stone stepped in to help Stephen Colbert with his latest Rescue Dog Rescue segment Monday night on The Late Show

'Stephen I'm an actor, lying is what I do best' Emma, 29, told the comedian when he brought her in to his special puppy area.

First, Stephen brought out Dwayne, an adorable Shepherd mix.

'A lot of people ask him, "were you named after Dwayne the Rock Johnson?" but in fact, the rock was named after him, Dwayne 'The Dog' Johnson.' Stephen joked.

Next up was Mia, a Shepherd/Lab mix, which Emma held up for the cameras as she revealed, 'She's a spiritual dog who believes in reincarnation,

Rescue Dog Rescue: The duo showcased some cute puppies saved from Hurricane Florence which are available for adoption

Too cute: Here Stephen is holding Barkley who suffers from a ' crippling porn addiction'

'She thinks in a past life you were her dog which means if you adopt her she might let you drink from the toilet' the Superbad star quipped.

Stephen then showcased Olive, a 'private security consultant who has been working with the Robert Mueller investigation,'

Also up for adoption is Ruby, named that because 'that's what she poops', Barkley 'who suffers from a crippling porn addiction' and Riggs who isn't colorblind but instead sees 'too many colors'

Needs her forever home: Emma joked that this little pup Mia is a 'spiritual dog who believes in reincarnation'

Terrier Mix: Emma revealed this puppy is named Ruby 'because that's what she poops',

Finally, a Hound mix named Owen, 'who directed the 2015 best picture winner Spotlight'.

For anyone interested in adopting one of the pups, they can be found here at Rescue Dog Rescue.

Afterwards Emma sat down with the host to talk about her new Netflix show Maniac with Jonah Hill.

The La La Land actress was asked by Stephen if she could explain the premise of her new show, to which she laughed 'not really!'.

'It's a pharmaceutical drug trial in kind of a retro future world New York City - is this helping? And then we're in different realities, the drugs induce these dream states,

'It's funny and it's sad and it's scary and it's fun.' she added.

Comfy spot: Emma then sat down to chat with Stephen while Dwayne snoozed on her lapHer new film Eve has been marred with controversy since its director Matthew Newton's alleged history of domestic violence came to light.

But Jessica Chastain proved things were back on track as she was pictured with co-star John Malkovich on the first day of filming for the action movie in Gloucester.

The Molly's Game actress, 41, wrapped up in a woolly cardigan before acting legend John, 64, stepped in to shield her from the cold with a friendly hug.

And we're off: Jessica Chastain wrapped up in a cosy coat as she received a warming hug from co-star John Malkovich on the first day of filming her new action movie Eve in Gloucester

Looking worlds away from her normally glamorous self, Jessica donned a printed wrapover blouse with a red striped midi skirt.

She stood close to John, who wore a tartan shirt under overalls, while he fished by the water and chatted away to him.

In between takes, The Help star, who is producing as well as starring in the film, held a hot water bottle close to her to keep warm.

Plot details for Eve have been kept under tight wrap but recent reports have described the movie as a character study.

Hanging out: The Molly's Game actress, 41, donned a printed wrapover blouse with a red striped midi skirt

Warding her from the cold: She wrapped up in a woolly cardigan before acting legend John, 64, stepped in to shield her from the cold with a friendly hug

While the first day of filming seemed to kick off without a hitch, the project has been embroiled in criticism.

Chastain had announced in August that she was set to produce as well as star in the film which Matthew Newton was set to direct from his own script.

Given the actress's high profile role in the Time's Up movements, her decision to work with someone accused of assaulting two former girlfriends provoked an outcry.

Multi-talented: The Help star is producing as well as starring in Eve. Plot details have been kept under tight wrap but recent reports have described the movie as a character study

In announcing his departure, Newton, who currently lives in New York and is engaged to be married, said in a statement: 'Since the announcement of this film, the responses, which are powerful and important, have not fallen on deaf ears. I am profoundly aware that I have a responsibility to lead where I have failed in the past.'

'I can never undo the harm that Ive caused the people Ive cared about and I carry that shame and responsibility with me every day,' he added.

The Interstellar actress has reportedly now turned to her The Help director Tate Taylor to rescue the troubled feature project.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor will step in to helm the action film following the departure of Australian Matthew Newton.She was seen with her husband-to-be Caspar Jopling for the first time since their engagement announcement just days ago.

Yet Ellie Goulding was happy to be flying solo on attendance at the Annual First Ladies Luncheon, in New York City on Tuesday following her return from Japan.

The Love Me Like You Do hitmaker, 31, looked astonishing in a shimmering Edeline Lee midi dress and heels when she burst onto the glittering social scene.

One to watch: Ellie Goulding oozed sophistication in her shimmering Edeline Lee dress at glitzy Annual First Ladies Luncheon hosted in New York City on Tuesday

Shaping the demure number, Ellie wrapped a belt around her waist to show off her sensational figure while she posed for cameras at the event.

The songstress plumped out her pout with glossy make-up and she let her soft golden curls tumble down her shoulders.

On My Mind hitmaker Ellie flashed a glimmer of her huge rock on her left hand when she arrived at the bash all in black.

Good looks: Shaping the demure number, Ellie wrapped a belt around her waist to show off her sensational figure while she posed for cameras at the event

She's stunning: The songstress plumped out her pout with glossy make-up and she let her soft golden curls tumble down her shoulders

Ellie and Caspar made their engagement public by penning the news in The Times in August in the same way as Benedict Cumberbatch and his now-wife Sophie Hunter.

It read: 'Mr C.W.F. Jopling and Miss E.J. Goulding.

'The engagement is announce between Caspar, son of The Hon Nicholas Jopling of Yorkshire and Mrs Jayne Warde-Aldam of Yorkshire, and Elena, daughter of Mr Arthur Goulding of Hertfordshire and Mrs Tracey Sumner of West Midlands.'

Some-ring to show off! On My Mind hitmaker Ellie flashed a glimmer of her huge rock on her left hand when she arrived at the bash all in black

It's been quite the whirlwind romance, with the loved-up pair dating for 18 months before the athlete got down on one knee.

Prior to the engagement, Ellie told The Evening Standard: 'Were really, really happy together. Im loving my life at the moment.

'But people keep saying Caspar is a Team GB rower  its kind of got out of hand now but we find it really funny. He is most definitely an art dealer now.'

Heard they were good friends! Ellie joined forces with the glamorous Amber, inside the swanky soiree being held at the lavish hotelNetflix has set October 19 for the premiere of docuseries Making A Murderer Part 2, which won four Emmys for its first series in 2016.

The original 10 episodes followed Wisconsin native Steven Avery, who was freed from jail in 2003 after 18 years for his wrongful conviction for murder, only to be jailed for a second murder in 2007 with nephew Brenday Dassey.

Part 1 took filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos 10 years to create.

Back behind bars: Netflix has set October 19 for the premiere of docuseries Making A Murderer Part 2, about Steven Avery who is presently in jail after being convicted of a second killing

In Part 2 they return to the Midwest as they continue to chronicle the story.

They have exclusive access to Steven and co-defendant Brendan, their families and the legal teams fighting for justice on their behalf.

Over the course of 10 new episodes, Making a Murderer Part 2 provides 'an in-depth look at the high-stakes post-conviction process, exploring the emotional toll the process takes on all involved,' Laura and Moira said in a statement.

They introduce viewers to Kathleen Zellner, Steven's post-conviction lawyer, who fights to prove that he was wrongly convicted of the murder of Teresa Halbach and win his freedom.

Mugshot from 2015: Steven was jailed for the murder of Teresa Halbach just years after he was released following 18 years in prison when he was exonerated for killing another woman

Laura and Moira follow Kathleen as she uncovers unexpected evidence about what may have happened to Teresa and about how and why the jury convicted Steven of her murder.

'Steven and Brendan, their families and their legal and investigative teams have once again graciously granted us access, giving us a window into the complex web of American criminal justice,' the pair's statement continued.

'Building on Part 1, which documented the experience of the accused, in Part 2, we have chronicled the experience of the convicted and imprisoned, two men each serving life sentences for crimes they maintain they did not commit.

'We are thrilled to be able to share this new phase of the journey with viewers.'He's been known to pull off a full stunts in his life, but this one may take the cake.

Actor Will Smith plans to bungee jump out of a helicopter into the Grand Canyon Tuesday afternoon to mark his 50th birthday.

And it will be livestreamed on his YouTube channel for all to see.

Plunging into his 50's: Will Smith will bungee jump from a helicopter over a gorge just outside Grand Canyon National Park in Little Colorado River Gorge, Arizona; the actor arrived with his wife Jada Pinkett Smith and kids Willow, Trey and Jaden

The jump was set to go off at 3 p.m. PT.

The daring actor arrived more than hour beforehand with wife Jada Pinkett Smith and his three children Trey, Jaden and Willow.

'My Squad holding me down for my big 5-0. Were gonna start live streaming on my YouTube soon,' Smith shared on Instagram along with a picture of him with the family.

On the spot: The Youtube group Yes Theory challenged Smith to make the jump

Charitable: The stunt is part of an effort to raise awareness and encourage donations for education campaigns run by the international advocacy group Global Citizens

Wonder of the world: The Fresh Prince star is jumping over a smaller gorge on the Navajo Nation near Grand Canyon National park

The stunt is being billed as a leap 'in the heart of the Grand Canyon."

To be exact, the Fresh Prince star is not jumping into Grand Canyon National Park but over a smaller gorge on the Navajo Nation.

The tribe's reservation borders the east rim of the national park.

Happy B-day: The jump comes on Smith's 50th birthday

In a YouTube video posted earlier this month, Smith recalled visiting the Grand Canyon as a child but being terrified to walk up to the edge.

Smith agreed to the jump, which was a challenge from the Youtube group Yes Theory, in an effort to raise awareness and encourage donations for education campaigns run by the international advocacy group Global Citizens.

The event also helping raised money for charity with an online lottery for a chance to watch the jump in person.Nicki Minaj has finally come through on her pledge to give Geoffrey Owens $25,000.

The 35-year-old rapper said she would give the former Cosby Show star the money when he was photographed and shamed for working at a grocery store.

Nicki's team apparently reached out to Owens and sent him a check. The 57-year-old actor has chosen to donate the money to a cause that means a lot to him.

He explained to TMZ: 'I would like to give this donation of 25k to the Actor's Fund in memory of the late, great Earle Hyman - who played Cosby's father, Russell, on The Cosby Show - who lived his last many years and died at the Actors' Home, (funded and run by the Actor's Fund).

Followed through: Nicki Minaj has finally paid Geoffrey Owens the $25,000 she promised to give him when she heard about him being shamed for working at Trader Joe's grocery store

'I am extremely grateful to Nicki Minaj for enabling struggling actors to continue pursuing their dreams.' he said in a statement.

Fans weren't sure that Nicki would come through with the money after she made the promise earlier this month.

On her Beats 1 show Queen Radio Nicki called out the woman who took Geoffrey's photo at a Trader Joe's in New Jersey.

'They took a picture of Geoffrey Owens and put this motherf***ing man on the motherf***in' internet while he was f***ing baggin up some f***ing 'groceries to feed his muthaf***ing family,' said the Grammy-nominated artist. 'I personally want to donate, on behalf of Queen Radio, $25,000 to Geoffrey Owens today.

Owens has given the money to charity and told TMZ 'I am extremely grateful to Nicki Minaj for enabling struggling actors to continue pursuing their dreams.'

Owens donated the $25k to the Actor's Fund in memory of late Cosby Show star Earle Hyman who passed away in November 2017

'Let me tell you something: This man is a whole f***in' legend in these streets,' said Nicki, who noted that the 57-year-old actor 'is getting so many opportunities' amid interest in the wake of the job-shaming controversy.

Meanwhile, as well as being offered a guest star role on NCIS: New Orleans, Owens has begun filming his ten episode run on The Haves and the Have Nots following his public shaming for working at Trader Joe's.

The former Cosby Show star was pictured posing at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia last week for his triumphant return to acting.

Perry had stepped in to offer the 57-year-old a gig after he spoke out about being shamed for working at Trader Joe's when a customer took photographs of him at a checkout and posted them to her social media account.

In his memory: Hyman played Cosby's father, Russell, on The Cosby Show. He is pictured with Bill Cosby on the show in 1988

Back on set: Owens was pictured posing with actress Edwina Findley,at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, last week for his triumphant return to acting

On Wednesday, freelance casting associate Michael Gillespie posted a photo of himself with Owens at the studios, calling him 'an amazing human being'

On Wednesday, freelance casting associate Michael Gillespie posted a photo of himself with Owens at the studios, calling him 'an amazing human being.'

Then on Thursday, Get Hard actress Edwina Findley, and Here We Go Again star Andra Fuller, both posted separate selfies of themselves with Owens.

'Oooh.. Look who it is!!!' Findley wrote, adding to the hashtag #YesHeWill.

Fulled added: 'It was a pleasure to work with Geoffrey Owens on HAHN.

'Work ethnic and integrity are 2 necessary characteristics that every MAN should possess, yet should NEVER be made fun of.

'Kudos to TP for stepping up and creating a role that allowed Mr. Owens to showcase his acting chops perfectly. I look forward to seeing him back doing what he loves to do.'

Perry is the creator and director of The Haves and the Haves Nots, which is based on his own 2011 play.

Dedicated: The actor was photographed bagging groceries at a Trader Joe's in New Jersey

Owens had appeared on Good Morning America proudly wearing his Trader Joe's name tag as he spoke of being 'shamed' for working at the supermarket chain.

Shortly after the interview Perry invited Owens to join his hit drama as he tweeted: '#GeoffreyOwens I'm about to start shootings OWN's number one drama next week! Come join us!

'I have so much respect for people who hustle between gigs. The measure of a true artist.'

Owens had revealed that he quit his supermarket job due to the unwanted attention.

Done deal: Owens accepted an offer to star in Tyler Perry's drama The Haves And The Have Nots after the actor was shamed for working at Trader Joe's

Offer: Perry is the creator and director of The Haves and the Haves Nots and offered Owens a role on his show via Twitter after his story hit headlines

Joining the cast: Owens headed to Atlanta last week where the show shoots. It's currently in its sixth season

Owens is pictured in a head shot from The Cosby Show. He appeared in the hit show from 1985 to 1992, when it wrapped

During his GMA appearance Owens also seemed to indicate he would turn offers like Perry's down, noting he would not feel comfortable accepting an acting gig because of the recent attention.

'This might sound weird but I wouldn't feel comfortable getting acting jobs from this event,' he said.

'I wouldn't mind getting auditions. But I wouldn't feel comfortable, someone giving me a job, because this happened. I want to get a job because I am the right person for the job.'

Owens said he never intended to advertise his work at the store and was stunned when the photographs first emerged.

The actor revealed he had been working at store in New Jersey for 15 months 'out of necessity' between short-term acting gigs and teaching.On Sunday she spoke at the annual Social Good Summit during the United Nations General Assembly.

And on Tuesday, Amber Heard was back in New York City for the annual First Ladies Luncheon to celebrate the cooperation between diplomacy and fashion for the greater good of women worldwide.

The 32-year-old Justice League actress was the epitome of chic in a black dress with a deep plunging neckline.

Back in black: On Tuesday, Amber Heard was back in New York City for the annual First Ladies Luncheon

The ex-wife of Johnny Depp paired the elegant garment with a simple pair of black pumps.

Amber wore her wavy blonde tresses unties and slipped on a pair of gold drop earrings for her red carpet turn.

Her simple but effective makeup included soft pink lipstick and light eyeliner.

Style: The 32-year-old Justice League actress was the epitome of chic in a black dress with a deep plunging neckline

Well-heeled: The ex-wife of Johnny Depp paired the elegant garment with a simple pair of black pumps

The All The Boys Love Mandy Lane actress took to the UN stage on Sunday.

'Its an honor to take part in a real conversation. Through the Social Good Summit I cant think of a better way to announce my partnership as the newest @unitednationshumanrights Champion. #2030now #standup4humanrights,' the starlet captioned an Instagram post of her speech.

In recent years she has devoted her off-screen time to organizations like Amnesty International and Art of Elysium.

She recently returned from a humanitarian trip to Jordan where she visited Syrian refugees with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS).

The Los Angeles native has also helped raise awareness about domestic and sexual violence. Together with actors Gabourey Sidibe and Freida Pinto, she read a speech on behalf of sexual assault victim Emily Doe at Glamour's Women of the Year Awards in 2016.

Getting involved: 'Its an honor to take part in a real conversation,' said the actress on social media

Blonde ambition: Heard greets English singer-songwriter Ellie GouldingAndrew Lincoln could be returning to The Walking Dead for season 10 but not as an actor.

The 45-year-old will be back...behind the camera.

Andrew, who has played Rick Grimes on the show since 2010's season 1 is going to shadow a director with the aim of directing a future episode.

Gone but not for long: Andrew Lincoln, seen at Comic-Con in San Diego in July, revealed that's he's set to leave The Walking Dead as an actor but he hopes to direct an upcoming episode

The star shocked fans when he announced he was leaving this summer saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Andres lives in England and The Walking Dead shoots for over half the year in Georgia. U.S.

'I have two young children, and I live in a different country, and they become less portable as they get older,' the star told EW at the time. 'It was that simple. It was time for me to come home.'

But it seems he couldn't stay away from the zombie apocalypse for too long.

Learning curve: Andrew, who has played Rick Grimes on the show since season 1 in 2010, will shadow a director before getting behind the camera himself

'Im going back,' he told EW. 'Im going back to shadow a director, and my intention is to direct next year.

'I cant be that far away because I cant bear it,' Andrew joked about returning. 'Thats how much I am invested in the show and the continuation of the story.'

Andrew is the third actor in the franchise to try his hand at directing.

Going home: The Brit, seen at Comic-Con, wants to spend more time with his family, who live in England, so the director gig will help him do that

Colman Domingo, who plays Strand, recently helmed the Weak episode while Michael Cudlitz, who appeared as Abraham in one episode this year, returned to direct this seasons seventh episode, Stradivarius, which will air on Nov 18.

In both instances, the actors shadowed directors on set before getting the job themselves, just as Lincoln will be doing,

The new season will premiere on October 7.She returned to the fashion world during Milan Fashion Week, taking time away from her soon to-be husband Jason Statham and their son Jack.

And Rosie Huntington Whiteley's next stop was in the city of love, France as she arrived just in time for the first day of Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday.

The Victoria's Secret model, 31, looked ravishing in her risque LBD which showed off her tanned legs at the Saint Laurent Spring/Summer '19 show.

So leggy: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley exhibited her tanned legs in studded LBD at the Saint Laurent Spring/Summer '19 show during Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday

Studs were stitched into the shoulders of her seductive little black number and the decorative element also embellished the tips of the ribbon belt.

The mother-of-one defined her modelesque features with make-up and she styled her golden locks with a blow dry finish.

Already ready for the winter season, the model added to her statuesque height of 5foot 7inches with her tall boots.

Simply stylish: Studs were stitched into the shoulders of her seductive little black number and the decorative element also embellished the tips of the ribbon belt

Strike a pose: The Victoria's Secret model, 31, worked her angles like a pro at the show

Ready for her close-up: Rosie plumped her famous pout with a slick of nude lipstick and framed her eyes with smoky shadow

Rosie left her young son Jack behind with her fiance Jason while she jetted across the globe for the hottest four weeks in the fashion calendar.

They became parents for the first time last year after the blonde model welcomed their son in June.

The Rosie and Jason love story goes way back until 2010 when they laid eyes on each other eight years ago.

She's stunning: The mother-of-one styled her golden locks with a blow dry finish

All about the shoes: Already ready for the winter season, the model added to her statuesque height of 5foot 7inches with her tall boots

Working mum! Rosie left her young son Jack behind with her fiance Jason while she jetted across the globe for the hottest four weeks in the fashion calendar

Rosie discussed juggling her parenting duties with her modelling work back in March, just under a year into raising her son.

She told Harper's Bazaar: 'For every woman, it's a juggle. You start a family and it's like, "wow!" Becoming a mother has been the most humbling experience of my life.

'When you have a baby, your whole life changes. Your priorities and what's important is different to before.'



She walks! Kaia Gerber strutted her stuff on a jaw-dropping WATERFALL catwalk in front of the Eiffel Tower at Saint Laurent's Paris Fashion Week show

Astonishing: Rosie seductively looked over her shoulder as she posed in front of the Eiffel Tower where the waterfall catwalk had been set up for the glamorous fashion showHolly Willoughby has announced that she's quitting her lifestyle brand Truly after of its anticipated autumn launch, in a bid to spend more time with her family.

The This Morning presenter, 37, took to Instagram to make the announcement on Tuesday evening, informing her four million followers that she's unable to dedicate the required time to the brand  fashioned to rival Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop.

In making her announcement, which comes as she prepares to jet off to Australia to co-host I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, the mother-of-three wrote: 'After much consideration, I have made the decision to step away from Truly.

Quit: Holly Willoughby has announced that she's quitting her lifestyle brand Truly after of its anticipated autumn launch, in a bid to spend more time with her family

'To launch a brand needs total dedication and at the moment, with so many other commitments, this is not something I feel I can do without it starting to affect my family time at home. I wish Truly all the success for the future.'

The TV personality initially announced the venture in the spring, directing fans to sign up for updates on the brand's dedicated website ahead of its launch.

And just last month, she revealed that the launch was near ready, posting on Instagram: 'Couldnt wait to share this with you... Ive just finished shooting the Truly range in the most beautiful location with the most wonderful team.

Online: As of Tuesday night, the TV presenter was still featured on the website's homepage

Statement: Holly took to Instagram to make the announcement on Tuesday evening, informing her four million followers that she's unable to dedicate the required time to the brand

New venture: The TV personality initially announced the venture in the spring, directing fans to sign up for updates on the brand's dedicated website ahead of its launch

'Everything is coming to you really soon ... #Truly www.truly.co.uk Click on the link in my bio to become part of our Truly family.'

Much like Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth's brand, Truly is set to cover a wide range of areas, including home, fashion, baby, wellness, living and travel.

As of Tuesday night, Holly was still featured on the website's homepage, which describes Truly as 'a new lifestyle brand... about beautiful things that are of the highest quality, surprisingly affordable and designed to make your life easier'.

In an interview with the Guardian earlier this year, Holly addressed questions over whether Truly would resemble Gwyneth's Goop.

Teasing details: In recent months, the mother-of-three had been teasing details of her website

She responded: 'So the only things Ive heard on This Morning about Goop, we had some sort of vagina steamer thing that you put on the toilet with herbs and stuff. As yet, on our list, theres no vagina steamer.

At the start of September, Holly spoke about her upcoming co-presenting gig on I'm A Celebrity alongside Declan Donnelly as she temporarily replaces embattled TV host Anthony McPartlin following his recent treatment in rehab.

Speaking to her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield, she revealed she would be taking her children Harry, nine; Belle, seven, and Chester, three, out of school to join her in Australia when filming starts November.

The show traditionally runs for three weeks  meaning that her offspring could be missing up to a month of school.

Big shoes to fill: Holly will be jetting off to Australia with Declan Donnelly to present I'm A Celeb while Anthony McPartlin takes some time out following his drink driving conviction

Big news: Dec's wife Ali Astall welcomed the couple's first child recently  and Holly revealed she couldn't wait to meet the little bundle of joy in Australia

Holly and Phil extended their congratulations to Holly's I'm A Celebrity co-host Declan, who recently became a first-time father after welcoming a baby girl named Isla with his wife Ali Astall.

The programme opened with a beaming Phil discussing Dec's good news, calling it 'absolutely thrilling'.

Holly cooed: 'I can't wait for cuddles with her. I think she'll be coming to Australia as well!'

This prompted Phil to quiz the blonde beauty about the exciting news she will stand in for Ant McPartlin on the upcoming series of I'm A Celebrity this November.

Telling all: Holly discussing her new role on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! with her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield after they returned from their summer break

Family trip: The presenter revealed she would be taking her children Harry, nine; Belle, seven, and Chester, three, out of school to join her in Australia

Holly will be helping out Ant's best friend Dec while the embattled star takes some time out of the limelight following his drink driving conviction.

Phil said: 'You are what? When you told me I just couldn't believe my ears.'

Holly replied: 'When I first found out it's exciting, bittersweet but exciting'.

Confirming she would be taking her children out of school, Holly said: 'The kids are coming with me so I had to talk to the schools then mum and dad are coming for a bit too.'

'So when I sorted the logistics I then thought, "Theres going to be spiders there!'

Controversial? Confirming she would be taking her children out of school, Holly said, 'The kids are coming with me so I had to talk to the schools then mum and dad are coming for a bit too'

The squeamish star then went on to describe the things she wasn't looking forward to about being in the jungle.

She declared: 'Three things I'm not looking forward to - the eating something challenge. It's going to be horrible!

'The smells, Im not good with smells! And when they come out with the stuff... What have I done?'

Holly confirmed that she would be co-hosting I'm A Celebrity last month in a statement, in which she quipped: 'When is it a good time to tell Dec I'm scared of everything that moves?'

Meanwhile,Phillip Schofield also pointed out her fear of critters recently, as he took to Snapchat to quip: 'Holly in a jungle where everything will scare her s***less literally can't wait.'She became renowned for her baffling lack of knowledge about Brexit and feisty one-liners during her brief stint on Love Island this summer.

And Hayley Hughes proved she was very much still in the spotlight on Tuesday night, as she stormed the National Reality TV Awards at Porchester Hall in London.

The 21-year-old Scouse model turned heads in skimpy embellished co-ords as she joined forces with her glamorous fellow Islander, Samira Mighty.

Looking good: Hayley Hughes proved she was very much still in the spotlight on Tuesday night, as she stormed the National Reality TV Awards at Porchester Hall in London

Hayley certainly took centre-stage in her two-piece, which featured a crop top boasting diamante embellishments and lace-up sleeves.

Letting her statement outfit do the talking, she added height with a simple pair of black barely-there heels.

Styling her golden tresses in voluminous waves, the glamorous reality star framed her features with smoky shadow and nude lipstick.

Stunning: The 21-year-old Scouse model joined forces with her glamorous fellow Islander, Samira Mighty, who dazzled in an embellished jumpsuit

Turning heads: Hayley certainly took centre-stage in her two-piece, which featured a crop top boasting diamante embellishments and lace-up sleeves

Glam: Styling her golden tresses in voluminous waves, the glamorous reality star framed her features with smoky shadow and nude lipstick

Hayley was joined at the awards by her new boyfriend, DJ Tom Zanetti, who looked dapper in a grey double-breasted suit.

The pair confirmed their relationship while they partied at the BH Hotel Pool Party in Mallorca in August, kissing and cuddling as they lounged around on the day beds.

They previously cosied up at STK in Ibiza and left together hand-in-hand and were seen enjoying a romantic dinner date in London's Mayfair, according to The Sun.

Cute couple: Hayley was joined at the awards by her new boyfriend, DJ Tom Zanetti, who looked dapper in a grey double-breasted suit

Double trouble: The pair confirmed their relationship while they partied at the BH Hotel Pool Party in Mallorca in August, kissing and cuddling as they lounged around on the day beds

Killer footwear: Letting her statement outfit do the talking, she added height with a simple pair of black barely-there heels

A representative for Hayley Hughes told MailOnline at the time that the pair were 'just good friends'.

Hayley and Tom reportedly met on Good Morning Britain just a few days after she was dumped from the Island, when her relationship with Charlie Frederick ended in disaster.

Since then, Hayley took to social media to share some snaps of her enjoying dinner with Tom at Sexy Fish in Mayfair, before the couple moved onto Madison rooftop bar.

He's got some cheek! Tom messed around, posing with a mask of presenter Ant McPartlin as he and Hayler left the bash

Having a whale of a time: The DJ also jokingly placed a mask of the Queen over Hayley's face

Sweet: Hayley and Tom reportedly met on Good Morning Britain just a few days after she was dumped from the Island, when her relationship with Charlie Frederick ended in disaster

Since leaving the villa, Hayley has also been getting acquainted with politician Nigel Farage, and even appeared on Daily Politics to ask about Brexit.

Hayley also made an appearance on This Morning with Nigel to talk all things politics, where she made the shock admission she still doesn't understand what the European Union is as 'no one talks about it on social media.'

Her knowledge - or lack thereof- of Brexit became a social media sensation, when she told her fellow Islanders on the show shedidn't 'have a clue' about what the word meant, before asking: 'So does that mean we won't have any trees?'

Lovely in lace: Samira looked showstopping in her one-piece, which featured a decadent lace design

The mane attraction: She wore her raven tresses in glossy waves and plumped her pout with a slick of berry lipstick

He's got specs appeal: Love Island's Alex Miller donned square-frame shades and a tartan blazer

Calling it a night: Samira was still looking glamorous following a long evening of partying

A day after they were spotted arm-in-arm at STK, Hayley took to Instagram to share a loved-up snap of herself with the DJ in Playa de Cala Vinyes, Mallorca.

In the photo, Tom can be seen kissing Hayley's forehead, with an arm wrapped around her, while the Scouse beauty is smiling at the camera.

The pair are stood with two other friends in the adorable snap, which she captioned: 'Cutest night.'

Heading home: Samira and Hailey went hand-in-hand with 2017 Love Island star Chloe Crowhurst as they left the bash

Strike a pose: The reality star ensured she was still working her angles as she leftDame Judi Dench has spoken out in defence of disgraced actor Kevin Spacey, branding him a 'good friend', several months after a number of men stepped forward to accuse him of sexually harassing and assaulting them.

Speaking at a press conference in Spain while promoting her latest movie Red Joan on Tuesday afternoon, the 83-year-old actress also went on to slam bosses for replacing him with Christopher Plummer in the 2017 film All The Money In The World.

The screen star, who is currently attending the San Sebastian International Film Festival, bucked the recent Hollywood trend as she spoke fondly of the disgraced 59-year-old actor while addressing a room filled with journalists.

Speaking out in defence: Dame Judi Dench, left, spoke out in defence of disgraced actor Kevin Spacey, right, on Tuesday, as she attended Spain's San Sebastian International Film Festival

Recalling the time after her husband Michael Williams' 2001 death, she said: 'I went to do The Shipping News with Kevin Spacey, and Kevin was an inestimable comfort and never mentioned he knew I was in a bad way. He cheered me up and kept me going.'

According to film industry publication Variety, she then went on to attack film bosses for removing the actor from all of his previously-shot scenes in All The Money In The World, and replacing him with Plummer in a matter of weeks.

'I cant approve, in any way, of the fact that  whatever he has done  that you then start to cut him out of the films,' she said. 'Are we to do what happened when he was replaced with Christopher Plummer? Are we to do that throughout history?

Fond memories: The British actress revealed that Spacey 'cheered [her] up' as they worked together on The Shipping News, shortly after the 2001 death of her husband Michael Williams

Enduring marriage: The legendary star had been married to Michael Williams for 30 years until his January 2001 death from lung cancer. Pictured together in June 1999

Good friend: Dame Judi, pictured with Spacey and co-star Rhys Ifans at the February 2002 London premiere of their film, said that she regarded the shunned actor as a 'good friend'

'Are we to go back throughout history and anyone who has misbehaved in any way, or who has broken the law, or who has committed some kind of offence, are they always going to be cut out? Are we going to extrude them from our history? I dont know...'

The Oscar winner went on: 'I dont know about the conditions of it, but nevertheless he is, and was, a most wonderful actor. I cant imagine what he is doing now... And a good friend.'

The conversation then progressed to the Time's Up and #MeToo movements, which rose to the fore in Hollywood, after a number of powerful industry figures were accused of sexual misconduct.

She said: 'I think there are many things to be redressed and made right. It is an extraordinary moment of change, a sea change at the moment. And there are many.'

Defence: Judi made her comments at a press conference at the San Sebastian Film Festival on Tuesday, pictured with director Trevor Nunn

New project: Dame Judi and Nunn arrived for a photocall to promote the film Red Joan

Hours later, Dame Judi made her way to Kursaal Palace, where she received the Donostia Award  the San Sebastian International Film Festivals highest honour  as she was recognised for her widely lauded body of work.

Looking glamorous in a flowing black gown and diamonds, she was seen getting emotional and teary-eyed as she took to the stage while receiving a standing ovation from the well-heeled crowd gathered at the annual hot ticket event.

Dame Judi's statements come weeks after it was revealed that Spacey will not face charges for alleged sexual assaults that took place more than 25 years ago, according to the Los Angeles County D.A.'s office.

Legal documents from the Los Angeles County District Attorney state that the actor will not be charged in cases that stem from allegations from the early '90s, with the statute of limitations having expired at the end of that decade.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had been investigating allegations made in 1992 against Spacey related to sex crimes.

A man claimed that Spacey forced himself onto him in West Hollywood and raped him, according to the District Attorney's worksheet.

Accolade: The actress got emotional as she received her Donostia Award for Lifetime Achievement at the festival on Tuesday evening

Long career: Dame Judi was in tears as she accepted the honour

'The reporting party alleged that he was the victim of a sexual assault by the suspect in 1992,' the worksheet explained.

'The allegation is outside the statute of limitations, therefore, an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence is not warranted and prosecutor is declined.'

Spacey is still under investigation for a case prosecutors brought forth last month.

The Oscar-winning actor was said to have sexually assaulted a man in Malibu two years ago, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.Making a Murderer fans asked and Netflix answered.

The wildly popular docuseries will return with 10 new episodes on October 19. Netflix released an animated clip containing the shows release date and audio from the series.

In it, a male voice can be heard saying: When youre fighting for your innocence and you need to prove that, it takes time.

Viewers will get to take another look into Brendan Dassey and Steven Avery's lives post-conviction in Making a Murderer Part two

Steven Avery, Brendan Dassey, their family and their respective legal teams will appear in Making a Murderer Part two on Netflix this October

According to The Hollywood Reporter, in the second installment of Making a Murderer, filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos will travel back to Wisconsin to catch up with Steven Avery, co-defendant and nephew Brendan Dassey, their family and the legal teams working on their case post-conviction.

In a joint statement about the upcoming season, Laura and Moira said: Steven and Brendan, their families and their legal and investigative teams have once again graciously granted us access, giving us a window into the complex web of American criminal justice.

Building on Part 1, which documented the experience of the accused, in Part 2, we have chronicled the experience of the convicted and imprisoned, two men each serving life sentences for crimes they maintain they did not commit. We are thrilled to be able to share this new phase of the journey with viewers.

The case isn't over. Making a Murderer Part 2. October 19. https://t.co/lsh3cpubpx  Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) September 25, 2018

Kathleen Zellner, Stevens post-conviction lawyer, and Laura Nirider and Steven Drizin, Brendans post-conviction lawyers, will be introduced to viewers when Making a Murderer returns to Netflix.

In the meantime, heres what you need to know about Making a Murderer before part two premieres.

When does Making a Murderer Part two premiere?

Making a Murderer will be available for streaming on Netflix on October 19.

Making a Murderer Season two trailer

Prior to the official release of the season two trailer, Netflix released a short animated clip with audio from the upcoming season and the premiere date.

Its been viewed more than 400,000 times.

The Making a Murderer: Part Two trailer was officially uploaded to YouTube on October 9 and has already amassed more than 7,000 views.

What is Making a Murderer about?

Making a Murderer is a documentary series that focuses on the arrest, prosecution and conviction of Steven Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey. Steven spent nearly two decades behind bars for the sexual assault and attempted murder of Penny Beerntsen.

He was exonerated in 2003 only to be arrested again two years later for murdering Teresa Halbach. In 2007 he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Brendan, who has learning disabilities and at the time (aged 16) had a mental age of nine, was also charged in the murder after confessing to the crime under interrogation from police with no lawyer present.

What was the content of those messages? Who deleted them? #MakingAMurderer pic.twitter.com/3sYa0yQ13l  Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) September 21, 2016

Brendan Dassey released from jail

Brendan Dasseys conviction was overturned in August 2016 after a federal judge ruled that he was unconstitutionally coerced into confessing to Teresas murder. In November of that year, Federal Judge William Duffin ordered that he be released within 90 days if Wisconsin prosecutors did not move forward with a retrial.

In a matter of days, the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit blocked Brendans release while the appeal was being heard.

The following month, seven Seventh Circuit judges ruled in favor of upholding the original conviction on Brendans case, stating that they felt police properly obtained the confession.

The US Supreme Court rejected a motion to hear arguments in favour of overturning the Appeals Court ruling to reinstate the conviction.

Brendan is being held in Columbia Correctional Institution. Hes serving a life sentence.

It's taken a decade for courts to rule Brendan Dassey's confession involuntary. #MakingAMurderer pic.twitter.com/CH4q9Jbjxa  Making A Murderer (@MakingAMurderer) September 14, 2016

Is Steven Avery still in jail?

Steven Avery is still in jail following his 2007 conviction. Hes been sentenced to life in prison for murdering Teresa Halbach.

His lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, filed an appeal against his conviction in 2016, alleging that his right to due process had been violated, according to The Express.

According to NBC, in June 2018 the state of Wisconsin objected a request to have a new judge assigned to consider Stevens case.

Hes being held in Waupun Correctional Institution.Advertisement

She has gone all out there to make a name for herself in the fashion industry following in the star-studded footsteps of her supermodel mum.

And Kaia Gerber, 17, stole the Saint Laurent show during Paris Fashion Week when she took to the catwalk in two very different outfits while her proud mother Cindy Crawford supported her in the audience, in France on Tuesday.

Cindy's lookalike daughter was every inch the leading lady as she tread water on the very plush waterfall catwalk for the designer in front of the Eiffel Tower.

She walks! Kaia Gerber strutted her stuff on a jaw-dropping WATERFALL catwalk in front of the Eiffel Tower at Saint Laurent's Paris Fashion Week show with her supermodel mum Cindy Crawford and an A-list crowd sitting front row on Tuesday

Kaia exuded Parisian chic as she donned a deep crimson blazer, with a silver starfish brooch pinned to the collar, and straight-legged cut-offs in black when she walked the amazing runway.

The rising star brought a flash of leopard print to her first sleek ensemble by tying a stylish neckerchief in a bow at the collar of her elegant blouse which was embellished with lace detailing and flamboyant cuffs.

Standing statuesque at 5foot 7inches, the supermodel's offspring fastened her vertical platforms to her frame with their golden ribbons tied neatly at her ankles.

She's got style: Kaia exuded Parisian chic as she donned a deep crimson blazer, with a silver starfish brooch pinned to the collar, and straight-legged cut-offs in black when she walked the amazing runway

Keeping up with the trends: The rising star brought a flash of leopard print to her first sleek ensemble by tying a stylish neckerchief in a bow at the collar of her elegant blouse which was embellished with lace detailing and flamboyant cuffs

Bursting out: Kaia stole the show as she ensured she stood out from the crowd in her edgy ensembles

Later, Kaia burst onto the jaw-dropping waterfall catwalk again but this time in a trendy ivory blazer which she teamed with a PVC skirt and ribbon heels.

The magazine cover girl accessorised with a gem-encrusted headband which gave her second catwalk look a sparkling finish when she made her appearance on the waterfall runway.

Gigantic sunglasses shielded her face when she put her fashionable parade in front of the infamous French landmark which was lit up for the evening.

Taking the plunge: The models were also showing off the latest swimwear available, which was highly appropriate with the waterfall-themed catwalk

Revealed: Cindy's daughter has gone all out there to make a name for herself in the fashion industry following in the star-studded footsteps of her supermodel mum

Cool in crimson: Kaia ruled the runway once again as she continued to show no signs of slowing down during her jam-packed schedule throughout the fashion weeks across the globe

Have you seen anything like it? Standing statuesque at 5foot 7inches, the supermodel's offspring fastened her vertical platforms to her frame with their golden ribbons tied neatly at her ankles

Hollywood merged with Paris Fashion Week as actress Lindsay Lohan joined forces with the biggest names in the fashion world including Cindy, Nicole Richie and Kate Moss.

Having made her return to the spotlight, Lindsay Lohan proved she was making every moment count in her thigh-grazing black number which was cinched at the waist with a ribbed design to show off her phenomenal figure.

The Parent Trap star, who was joined by the Saint Laurent Artistic Director on arrival, looked casually cool as she posed for photographs off the catwalk.

Check her out: Having made her return to the spotlight, Lindsay Lohan proved she was making every moment count in her thigh-grazing black number which was cinched at the waist with a ribbed design to show off her phenomenal figure

Leggy lady: The Parent Trap star, who was joined by the Saint Laurent Artistic Director on arrival, looked casually cool as she posed for photographs off the catwalk

Row with a view! A very A-list crowd filled the seats of the front row, where Cindy was in the charming company of Amber Valletta as well as British fashion icon Kate and VOGUE editor Edward Enninful

Dream team! Hollywood merged with Paris Fashion Week as actresses Lindsay Lohan joined forces with the biggest names in the fashion world including Cindy, Nicole Richie and Kate Moss

A very A-list crowd filled the seats of the front row, where Cindy was in the charming company of Night And Day star Cameron as well as British fashion icon Kate and VOGUE editor Edward Enninful.

Cindy cut a supermodel figure in her racy leopard print blouse which gave passers by just a glimpse of her black bra with its sheer fabric finish.

The Nineties supermodel made the most of her incredible figure by slipping into tight PVC trousers which she hoisted in at the waist with a belt to accentuate her sensational shape.

On the prowl: Cindy cut a supermodel figure in her racy leopard print blouse which gave passers by just a glimpse of her black bra with its sheer fabric finish

Hot stuff: The Nineties supermodel made the most of her incredible figure by slipping into tight PVC trousers which she hoisted in at the waist with a belt to accentuate her sensational shape

On the prowl: The Nineties icon was completely in her element as she soaked up the buzzing atmosphere

Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, 31, took time away from her mummy duties to return to the fashionable spheres for the hottest style events in the calendar all year round.

The Victoria's Secret angel model, 31, looked ravishing in her risque LBD which as well as showing off her legs was stitched with studs on the shoulders for a glittering finish.

Mother-of-one Rosie defined her modelesque features with make-up and she styled her golden locks with a blow dry finish as she stepped out for the evening's festivities.

Astonishing: Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley seductively looked over her shoulder as she posed in front of the Eiffel Tower where the waterfall catwalk had been set up for the glamorous fashion show

Blonde bombshell! The mother-of-one showed off her flirty side when she toyed with her golden locks while waiting for the A-list event to get started

She's back: Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, 31, took time away from her mummy duties to return to the fashionable spheres for the hottest style events in the calendar all year round

She's stunning! Mother-of-one Rosie defined her modelesque features with make-up and she styled her golden locks with a blow dry finish as she stepped out for the evening's festivities

Kate, 44, showcased her sartorial prowess in a decadent velvet jacket and towering stilettos as she stepped out in the City Of Love.

The catwalk queen kept the rest of her styling simple, donning a distressed black T-shirt teamed with figure-hugging jeans rolled up at the cuffs.

Injecting a dose of designer glamour to her ensemble, the mother-of-one accessorised with a gold and black Saint Laurent tassel clutch.

Amazing sights: The Saint Laurent fashion show really showed off the designer's creativity as the catwalk was reimagined with water and the Eiffel Tower made the perfect backdrop for the performance

Moss be the style! Kate, 44, showcased her sartorial prowess in a decadent velvet jacket and towering stilettos as she stepped out in the City Of Love

Moss be how it's done! Injecting a dose of designer glamour to her ensemble, the mother-of-one accessorised with a gold and black Saint Laurent tassel clutch

All in black! Amber Valletta shimmered in her tasseled blouse while Carla Bruni looked incredible in her tight trousers and sleek blazer on arrival at the fashion show

Leggy lady: Nicole Richie stunned as she put her tanned pins on display in her little black number which grazed her thighs

Variation! Another model took to the eye-opening catwalk in a similar ensemble to Kaia but rather with PVC shorts and star embellishments on the jacket

Model Kaia has showed no signs of slowing down after storming all of the hottest runways during Milan Fashion Week just days ago.

Cindy's daughter joined forces with modelling queens and heavenly sister duo Gigi and Bella Hadid as well as Keeping Up With The Kardashian star Kendall Jenner on the various runways.

The rising star has been making the most of the city of love since touching down in the French capital and often joined by her supermodel mum Cindy for her fun-filled days out.

Flashing lights! The models didn't show any signs of slowing down in their stilettos as they took to the waterfall catwalk with ease and grace

Parisian chic! Alison Brie put her legs on display in her saucy scarlet mini dress as she joined forces with Dave Franco

Lights, camera, action! Francois-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek looked to be in high spirits on arrival at the biggest fashion event of the night in the city of love

Different look: The actress kept a low-profile as she made her attendance all-in-black and wore huge sunglasses shielding her face at the fashion show

Going strong: The lovebirds proved their love had gone from strength to strength in the spotlight after they began dating more than 12 years ago in April 2006

Picture perfect! Salma couldn't resist snapping a series of selfies with the breathtaking Eiffel Tower in the background of the image

Impressive: Gigantic sunglasses shielded her face when she put her fashionable parade in front of the infamous French landmark which was lit up for the evening

Looking good! The magazine cover girl accessorised with a gem-encrusted headband which gave her second catwalk look a sparkling finish when she made her appearance on the waterfall runway

Cindy has enjoyed a long-lasting career that has stood the test of time in the modelling spheres after she was signed to Elite Models aged 17.

The mother-of-two confessed retirement wasn't on her mind after walking away from the modelling industry in 2000 and returning to the scene just eleven years later in 2011.

She explained to DailyMailTV: 'I think it depends on what I'm doing. To me, if I'm getting my picture taken, it's modelling, even if it's for my own brand.'

Different looks: Models showcased the latest look as part of the Spring Summer 2019 collection on the waterfall catwalk

Loud in leopard print: A series of models graced the waterfall catwalk in a number of animal print swimsuits as they walked through the water in their heelsLil Xan presumably won't be eating Flamin' Hot Cheetos again after the popular snack left him hospitalized.

The rapper took to his Instagram page on Monday, where he stressed to his 5 million followers that his high consumption of Hot Cheetos led to the urgent need for medical assistance.

In his Instagram video, the Betrayed hitmaker - who used to date Noah Cyrus - explained: 'Yeah, I went to the hospital today.'

Too spicy? Lil Xan says he was hospitalized for eating too many Flamin' Hot Cheetos; pictured at the SiriusXM Studios in March 2018

'I just want to let everyone know I was in the hospital not due to any drugs, but I guess I ate too many Hot Cheetos, and it ripped something in my stomach open.'

Shocked fans were quick to question Xan's version of events in the comment section, adding that they had found it odd for someone to be hospitalized because they had indulged in a spicy snack.

Lil Xan has made it no secret that he's battled a serious drug habit in the past.

In October 2017, the California native opened up about his former addiction to Xanax.

Concern: The popular spicy snack supposedly led to Xan's need for medical assistance

Candidly speaking to Genius, Xan reveals: 'I was painfully addicted to Xans for, like, two years of my life.'

'Anyone trying to tell me I'm a poser can shut the fuck up. I know what it's like to be addicted to that. I was lucky enough to get off that shit.'

Xan goes on to reflect on the previous attempts he made to stay off the drugs and remain sober.

His wake-up call, however, appeared to have come during one hospital visit where the Live or Die hitmaker wondered how long his body could tolerate the consistent drug intake.

Just last week: The 22-year-old was smiling in this Instagram photo, just days before being hospitalized

Earlier in the month: Xan appeared nonchalant in a selfie earlier this month

'I definitely learned that lesson after ending up in the hospital from withdrawing,' Lil Xan explained, adding that his hit song Betrayal was actually written to help his impressionable fans steer clear of any drugs.

'This ain't fun, I can't live this life.' A lot of rappers don't really be talking about not doing drugs. You know, it's like the opposite way, so it's refreshing, I think.'

While his loyal Instagram followers appeared worried for the star following his most recent hospitalization, Lil Xan assured fans that he was doing just fine.

In fact, his plans to move forward with his Total Xanarchy Tour haven't changed either.

'Just wanna let everyone know that I'm good, healthier than I've ever been and ready to kick off my third Tour in NY ina couple days ! Also be careful, Hot Cheetos are one hell of a drug aha !'

Heartbreak: Earlier this month, it was reported that Lil Xan had parted ways with Noah Cyrus

Not too long ago: The couple were all smiles just last month at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York CityBrandon Jenner, 37, and his wife Leah have officially filed for divorce.

The couple - who have been together for 14 years but were only married for the past six years - signed the paperwork on Tuesday, according to TMZ. They announced their split in early September.

They have one child together, Eva, aged three. She is reportedly 'asking for spousal support and says she wants to share custody of their child.'

Done: Brandon Jenner, 37, and his wife Leah have filed for divorce. Seen in 2013 in LA

One of his folks: Brandon's most famous parents is Caitlyn Jenner, seen here on Loose Women in London last week

According to the divorce documents, Leah claims they split on July 10 due to 'irreconcilable differences.'

They shared the news of their split with a long note to Instagram.

'Hi everybody, it is with love in our hearts that we feel it's time to share some personal news with you all. After celebrating fourteen beautiful years together, we have lovingly come to the decision to end the romantic aspect of our relationship,' they said.

'We are deeply proud of the life we've cultivated together and are truly grateful for the bond of friendship we hold and cherish today. It is stronger than ever.

'Even though we have chosen to separate as a couple, we still love one another very, very much and remain a major part of each other's lives  as best friends, family and loving parents to our daughter,' they continued.

They hit a bad note: Both Brandon and Leah are musicians; her father is with the Eagles

'There has been no lying or cheating or fighting that prompted this change, just an expansion of our individual evolution which has inspired us to support each other in a new way.

'We are still, very much, a loving family and are bonded by a deep connection that is rooted in love.'

'Here we openly share our truth with you all and, respectfully, we won't be commenting further so anything that might state the contrary of this message would, undoubtedly, be a fabrication,' they concluded their message. 'Thank you for your love and support and big love back to you guys!'

Fam: Brandon's half sisters are Kendall and Kylie Jenner. They also have former stepsister Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian

They wed in front of his parents Linda Thompson and Caitlyn Jenner six years ago.

The two met in high school in California.

Brandon's half sisters are Kendall and Kylie Jenner. They also have former stepsister Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian.

Leah's father is Eagles guitarist Don Felder.The whole cast gathered for The Ellen DeGenares Show on Tuesday, a day ahead of the premiere of its 10th season.

And Ariel Winter, who plays Alex Dunphy in Modern Family, added to the fun by posting two Instagram snaps of herself in the beautiful frock she wore for the appearance.

The 20-year-old showed off her cleavage thanks to her mini-dress's plunging neckline.

Looking over her shoulder: Ariel Winter, who plays Alex Dunphy in Modern Family, joined the cast on Tuesday's Ellen DeGeneres Show, posting two snaps of herself in her dark red dress

And she positively glowed in the deep red garment that featured black flowers outlined in lighter red.

Ariel's long brunette tresses tumbled down her back as she smiled at the camera.

Naturally, Ellen played a joke on the gathered stars, getting them together for a photo...as a clown suddenly jumped out of a white box, scaring them all.

Meanwhile, the cast revealed a number of secrets including that Julie Bowen, 48, who plays Claire Dunphy, does the best impression of 46-year-old Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett.

Smiling star: Th e 20-year-old smiled as she looked back over her shoulder

The gang's all here: On Tuesday, the entire cast of Modern Family appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Practical joke: Everyone but a smug Ellen jumped out of their skins when a clown suddenly jumped out of a box where the host had gathered them for a snap

Ellen began the interaction by asking Sofia, 'You've been on this show for 10 years, and your accent has gotten worse, how is that possible?'

'Well it's a talent. I made a commitment with my self that I'm going to be Gloria, a very thick Latin spoken woman,' she responded.

'You sure have, it has gotten worse and worse over the years,' replied the host.

Then after a quick commercial break, she asked the rest of the cast who does the best impression of the Colombian actress?

Sharing secrets: Among the many secrets divulged during the Tuesday afternoon telecast, the actors revealed to Ellen that Julie Bowen, 48, does the best impression of Sofia Vergara, 46

Please explain: Ellen began the interaction by asking Sofia, 'You've been on this show for 10 years, and your accent has gotten worse, how is that possible?'

'Julie,' responded everyone.

'I just do it a lot, it doesn't mean it's good,' clarified the actress who plays Claire Dunphy in the series, explaining, 'You have to give me a topic...'

'It comes natural to her,' responded Sofia.

'Of course all I can think of is disgusting things,' the blonde beauty explained before launching into a perfect impression of Sofia and a discussion over what each actress would wear on the Ellen.

Nailed it: The blonde beauty launched into a perfect impression of Sofia discussing what each actress would wear on Ellen's show

The cast also confirmed that there would be a significant death during this season of Modern Family.

'Jesse,' exclaimed Eric Stonestreet, 47, jokingly.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, 42, then explained, 'Maybe, I don't know. We can't say anything.'

'I didn't get nervous when I heard somebody was,' broke in Sofia. 'If I had heard, ''someone is going to get deported this season,'' I would have been nervous.'

Bad news: The cast also confirmed that there would be a death during this season of Modern Family. 'Jesse,' exclaimed Eric Stonestreet, 47, jokingly as Sarah Hyland, 27, hugged Jesse

The cast also talked about how they felt about the show when they first started 10 long years ago.

Ed O'Neill, 72, explained, 'the first time I met everybody was at the table read. So we're reading the pilot, and I sat down and looked around and waved, and I thought, "I don't know anybody here... None of them are famous.'"

'So you thought it was going to be your show?' Questioned Sofia.

'I thought it was going to be no show,' quipped Ed in return.

Memories: 'And Ed saw the pilot before any of us because he's Ed, and I got a call on my phone from a number that was unavailable, and I answered, and I had friends in the car, and I said, "Hello?" And he said, "Eric... Ed O'Neill."'

Then he continued, 'Anyway, when I read I don't act, I more or less am just reading it, and then two or three minutes in I started going, "Who are these people?" It was like they are so good, and the kids, everybody was so good. I thought, "Maybe we have a shot here."

Next, Eric spoke about some of his first memories, 'I remember thinking, "Wow, I'm potentially going to be friends with Al Bundy," Which was really cool.'

'And Ed saw the pilot before any of us because he's Ed, and I got a call on my phone from a number that was unavailable, and I answered, and I had friends in the car, and I said, "Hello?" And he said, "Eric... Ed O'Neill."'

So long ago: The cast also talked about how they felt about the show when they first started 10 long years ago

'Ed, how are you?'

Eric then continued in his best Ed O'Neill voice, 'Listen, if this show doesn't go on for 10 years, I don't know what I'm doing in this business.'

Modern Family will debut its tenth season Wednesday at 9 p.m.She's in Paris to check out the big name shows, and catch up with her fashionable pals.

And Lindsay Lohan bagged herself an invite to one of Fashion Week's hottest tickets on Tuesday - Yves Sain Laurent's stunning runway which took place in front of the Effiel Tower.

The actress arrived on the arm of her brother Dakota, a rising star of the modelling world.

FROW: Lindsay Lohan bagged herself an invite to one of Fashion Week's hottest tickets on Tuesday - Yves Sain Laurent's stunning runway which took place in front of the Effiel Tower

Lindsay put on a leggy display in a tight black mini skirt, with a black blouse tucked in to highlight her trim waist.

Tie detail on the neck of the shirt gave Lindsay's ensemble a slick twist, while she accessorised with classic black heels and statement shades.

Lindsay matched her date for the night who was looking typically dapper in his own suit and shades.

Plus one: The super chic actress arrived on the arm of her brother Dakota, a rising star of the modelling world

Fashionable friends: Lindsay and Dakota earlier posed in front of YSL HQ in Paris for Instagram

The pair sat front row to see the likes of Kaia Gerber strut down a jaw-dropping water-covered runway with the lit-up Effiel Tower as a backdrop.

Lindsay's outing came as she continues her recent career comeback with work on her Lohan Beach House resort.

The new venture came after she proceeded to slam sexual assault accusers in a recent interview with The Times earlier this year, claiming many of them are simply speaking out for 'attention'.

Close friends: The famous redhead looped her arm through her brother's when they made their way home from the bash

What a view! The Mean Girls actress looked radiant, accentuating her natural beauty with defining touches of make-up

Keeping a low-profile! The Parent Trap star swept her famous red locks behind her shoulders and she wore huge sunglasses to shield her eyes

Stunning: The pair sat front row to see the likes of Kaia Gerber strut down a jaw-dropping water-covered runway with the lit-up Effiel Tower as a backdrop

Addressing the #MeToo movement in Hollywood, Lindsay slammed those who did not report their experiences to the police, and make it into a 'real thing'.

She said: 'I'm going to really hate myself for saying this, but I think by women speaking against all these things, it makes them look weak when they are very strong women.

'You have these girls who come out, who don't even know who they are, who do it for the attention. That is taking away from the fact that it happened.'

However, she added: 'I can't speak on something I don't live, right? Look, I am very supportive of women.'

Walking in style: Model of the moment Kaia stole the show as she navigated the waterfall runway in the heart of Paris

Model behaviour: Kaia wowed in a series of chic jackets while her fellow models worked skimpy leotardsMelbourne-born model Duckie Thot is joining the ranks of Jane Fonda and Eva Longoria after being announced as the latest ambassador for L'Oreal Paris.

The 22-year-old, who is of Sudanese descent, will make her debut for the cosmetics company at Paris Fashion Week later this month.

It comes after the former Australia's Next Top Model star landed a coveted spot at the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York City.

Rising star: Australian model Duckie Thot, 22, has been announced as L'Oreal Paris' newest ambassador... after landing a spot on the 2018 Victoria's Secret runway

Duckie will make her L'Oreal Paris debut on September 30 at the brand's Paris Fashion Week show, which is being held on a floating runway on the River Seine.

Following that, she will front campaigns for L'Oreal Paris' Volume Million Lashes, Infallible Foundation and Colourista collections.

Duckie, who is also a face of Rihanna's Fenty Beauty line, said she was honoured to join forces with the cosmetics giant.

She told Women's Wear Daily: 'I'm honoured to represent LOreal Paris, a brand that celebrates infinite ways to be beautiful and makes products for all women.

Beauty: Duckie will make her L'Oreal Paris debut on September 30 at the brand's Paris Fashion Week show, which is being held on a floating runway on the River Seine

'I'm looking forward to helping more girls love the beauty of their dark skin. In my mind, I'm going back in time and telling the young girl I was: "Dream big, work hard and trust in yourself, girl, because one day you're going to say yes to the number-one beauty brand".'

Duckie's latest appointment is another step on her journey to stardom.

Raised in Melbourne as the daughter of South Sudanese refugees, she competed in the 2013 season of Australia's Next Top Model where she finished in third place.

Despite her success on Top Model, the African-Australian beauty struggled to achieve any mainstream recognition Down Under and subsequently moved to New York City - where her career took off.

'I just thought, "Why am I here?" So I was just like, "Let me make the executive decision to move to New York. I'm not getting my coins in Australia",' she told Sydney's Daily Telegraph last year.

She eventually signed with New York Model Management but it was a chance run-in with rapper Kanye West in 2016 that helped propel her career to new heights.

Chance run-in: Duckie signed with New York Model Management after moving from Australia, but it was a chance run-in with rapper Kanye West (pictured earlier this month in NYC) in 2016 that helped propel her career to new heights

'I left a casting in New York and Kim, from Kanye's team, ran out after me,' she previously told Vogue magazine.

'"You have to come upstairs! Kanye will love your look!" she cried. I didn't even know Kanye was in the same building! I followed her to see what was up and ended up shooting a magazine cover that day.'

Duckie then booked the Yeezy spring/summer 2017 show, which was her first runway gig.

A-list connection: Last year, Duckie (second from right) became the face of pop star Rihanna's (centre) beauty brand Fenty

Last year, she became the face of pop star Rihanna's beauty brand Fenty.

'I'm still trying to get my head around working with Rihanna, she's one of the most influential women in the world,' she said.

Duckie also starred in the 2018 Alice in Wonderland-inspired Pirelli Calendar alongside supermodel Naomi Campbell.

'I went to Tim Walker's casting in London and was more nervous than ever, I had no idea what to expect,' she said. 'By the time I was off the plane back in New York, I had the part.'

Her idol: She also starred in the 2018 Alice in Wonderland-inspired Pirelli Calendar alongside supermodel Naomi Campbell (right). The pair are pictured at V Magazine's intimate dinner in honour of Karl Lagerfeld at The Top of The Standard on October 23, 2017 in New York City

In November 2018, Duckie will make her Victoria's Secret runway debut in NYC.

Duckie shared the exciting news via an Instagram post recently.

'Words can't express how much this means to me! Thank you @victoriassecret for the opportunity of a lifetime. This moment means the world. Always believe you can do anything,' she told her followers.

Duckie will be in good company at the upcoming Victoria's Secret show, with Georgia Fowler and Shanina Shaik also gracing the runway.The total non-oil intra-trade between the UAE and Saudi Arabia amounted to Dh720 billion ($196 billion) since the establishment of the GCC Customs Union in 2003 until the end of the first half (H1) of 2018, marking a growth of 1,230 per cent, a media report said.



UAE imports from the Kingdom reached Dh244.2 billion ($67 billion) during the monitored period and exports to Dh144.8 billion ($39.7), reported Emirates news agency Wam, citing statistics of the UAE Federal Customs Authority (FCA).



UAE re-exports totalled Dh330.9 billion ($90.6 billion) during the same period.



"Saudi Arabia is a strategic partner of the UAE which in the same time constitutes a major trade gateway for the Kingdom, a country that continues to be among the key partners of the UAE across the Arab world and Middle East region," said Ali bin Sobeih Al Kaabi, chairman of the FCA.



"Bilateral relations have been so buoyant and steadily growing over the years, leveraged by the robust historical relations binding that two sisterly countries, whose partnerships across various domains have fructified into tremendous achievements in areas of sustainable development, economic growth and economic diversification," he added.



He hailed the optimum level of coordination between the two countries with regards to streamlining trade and addressing customs-related risks, including smuggling counterfeited commodities.



The UAE-KSA Joint Determination of last year contributed to streamlining and increasing the flow of intra-trade through Al Bath'a and Al Ghoweifat border crossings and to facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the two countries.



He re-affirmed the FCA's determination to stamp out all obstacles and challenges obstructing the growth of intra-trade between the two nations.Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kourtney Kardashian enjoyed a casual date with a new mystery man at a West Hollywood juice bar on Tuesday.

The 39-year-old mother-of-three's bearded companion, singer Fai Khadra, towered over her 5ft, 98lb frame.

The half-Armenian brunette - who relies on stylist Dani Michelle - wore clingy blue jeans, a simple black T-shirt, and matching $430 Acne 'Mule Pumps' from Shopbop.

New beau? Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kourtney Kardashian enjoyed a casual date with a new mystery man at a West Hollywood juice bar on Tuesday

Looks young: The 39-year-old mother-of-three's bearded companion towered over her 5ft, 98lb frame

Clutching a green smoothie, Kourtney shielded her minimally made-up complexion with skinny sunglasses and she wore her shoulder-length hair down.

Kardashian's gentleman caller wore an off-white, long-sleeved polo over a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers.

Meanwhile, the Calabasas socialite's rumored toyboy Luka Sabbat was in foggy San Francisco and her ex-toyboy Younes Bendjima was in Paris.

Kitten heels: The half-Armenian brunette - who relies on stylist Dani Michelle - wore clingy blue jeans, a simple black T-shirt, and matching $430 Acne 'Mule Pumps' from Shopbop

Clutching a green smoothie: Kourtney shielded her minimally made-up complexion with skinny sunglasses and she wore her shoulder-length hair down

Tall drink of water: Kardashian's gentleman caller wore an off-white, long-sleeved polo over a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers

It's a mystery: It's still unclear who Kourtney's new friend was

Last Friday, Us Weekly claimed the Calvin Klein spokesmodel and the 20-year-old creative entrepreneur were 'exclusive' and 'edging toward becoming boyfriend and girlfriend.'

As for the 25-year-old Algerian boxer-turned-model, Kourtney ended their 22-month relationship in early August but then they were spotted together outside Bui Sushi in Malibu on September 3.

Noteably, Younes had been pictured canoodling with Jordan Ozuna in Mexico prior to the split news.

Far away: Meanwhile, the Calabasas socialite's rumored toyboy Luka Sabbat (L) was in foggy San Francisco and her ex-toyboy Younes Bendjima (R) was in Paris

Just friends? Last Friday, Us Weekly claimed the Calvin Klein spokesmodel and the 20- year-old creative entrepreneur were 'exclusive' and 'edging toward becoming boyfriend and girlfriend' (pictured September 15)

Moved on? As for the 25-year-old Algerian boxer-turned-model (R), Kourtney ended their 22-month relationship in early August but then they were spotted together outside Bui Sushi in Malibu on September 3 (pictured July 2)

Split in 2015: Kardashian also has three children - son Mason, 8; daughter Penelope, 6; and son Reign, 3 - with babydaddy Scott Disick (pictured May 29)

Kardashian also has three children - daughter Penelope, 6; son Mason, 8; and son Reign, 3 - with babydaddy Scott Disick, and she ended their on/off nine-year relationship in 2015.

On Tuesday, the University of Arizona grad told her younger sister Kim to be 'positive' after she accused her of 'dragging' out arguments while live-tweeting Sunday's KUWTK episode.

The famous family scored a massive $100M deal with the E! Network through 2020, and fans can catch more of the 15th season of KUWTK every Sunday.

'Hate is a strong word': On Tuesday, the University of Arizona grad told her younger sister Kim to be 'positive' after she accused her of 'dragging' out arguments while live-tweeting Sunday's KUWTK episodeKathryn Dennis has celebrated her children following their father's arrest for assault.

The Southern Charm star took to Instagram on Tuesday with a photo of daughter Kensington and son St. Julien smiling happily, following Thomas Ravenel being taken into custody.

'Everything in life to me,' the 27-year-old reality TV star captioned the picture.

'Everything': Kathryn Dennis, 27, shared a photo of daughter Kensington and son St. Julien smiling happily to Instagram on Tuesday

The couple share 50/50 custody of their children.

Thomas Ravenel, one of the star's of Bravo's Southern Charm, was arrested on assault and battery charges for allegedly forcing himself on his former nanny, stripping her and putting his penis in her face in January 2015.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com on Tuesday, Ravenel attacked Dawn Ledwell, 43, at his home in Charleston, South Carolina, on January 25, 2015.

She had been watching his children while he was out at dinner. When he returned home, he forcibly removed her clothes, forced her hand onto his penis and grabbed at her vagina', according to police.

Dennis has two young children with her Southern Charm co-star Thomas Ravenel (shown above together on the show). He quit in August

The affidavit claims he ordered her: 'Show me your p***y' and asked her: 'Do you like big d***s?' as he shoved his penis in her face.

Ravenel, 56, was booked on Tuesday morning for second degree assault and battery, a misdemeanor charge which carries a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $2,500.

Contrary to what Ledwell claimed in May this year, the police report does not describe him 'forcibly raping' her.

Ledwell said that he stripped her and that he was being investigated for first degree forcible rape in an interview with DailyMailTV in May. Ravenel denied her allegation through an attorney at the time.

His attorney did not respond to requests for comment about his arrest on Tuesday.

He was bailed out of Al Cannon Detention Center by the afternoon on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond which means he didn't have to put up any money but must promise to attend all court appearances.

Thomas Ravenel, 56, of Southern Charm was booked into jail on Tuesday morning for assault and battery. DailyMail.com understands it is in relation to an incident involving his former nanny Dawn Ledwell, 43, (right). She claimed in May that he forcibly raped her

The police report describes how Ledwell was left with injuries on her back and chest by the underwire of her bra which cut into her as Ravenel allegedly tore at her clothes.

'[He] undressed and made sexual advances on the victim. The victim grabbed the victim's hand and placed it on his penis before attempting to remove the victim's clothing,' it said.

'While attempting to remove the victim's clothing, the victim's underwire bra cut into her skin and her shirt wrapped around her neck which caused the victim to struggle to breathe,' it said.

Ravenel then allegedly pulled down 'the victim's pants and said: "Show me your p***y" and began grabbing at the victim's vagina.

'The victim crouched down to the ground to try to prevent further assault and [he] put his penis in her face and asked: "Do you like big d***s".

The attack happened at his home in Charleston, South Carolina, (picture) on January 25, 2015, according to police

The report does not say what happened next. It continues: 'After escaping the asault, the victim called her then ex-husband and sister and told them of the incident, fled the scene and notified several family members of the incident.'

It says she took photographs of her neck and chest which showed her injuries.

Debbie Holloway Perkins , 54, was allegedly sexually assaulted by him after a 2015 Tinder date. Her daughter revealed the accusations in May, claiming the pair went on a last minute Christmas Day date

Police saw those photographs and interviewed some of the people Ledwell told, it said.

In May, she told DailyMailTV that Ravenel was being investigated for 'forcible first degree rape'.

She did not want to describe the specific sex attack in detail but said: 'I felt so humiliated especially when he was ripping my clothes off, you know I was a bigger girl back then - almost 100 pounds bigger - and he's torn my clothes off and I'm just so mortified thinking am I going to run outside in this very upscale neighborhood in the freezing January without my clothes on?' she said.

After the attack, she said she was left with scratches in between her legs, on her arms, back and her throat.

Ledwell claimed Ravenel used her t-shirt to strangle her during the attack and prevent her from escaping.

She continued to work for him for more than a year and claims he apologized for the attack after it happened.

She later told Kathryn Dennis, the mother of his two children, she said, but he allegedly denied it in front of her.

Perkins took these photographs of her injuries after Ravenel 'held her down' and sexually assaulted her on a bed in 20145 after their Tinder date. Her daughter revealed them and said her mother had been forced to sign an NDA. She was given $200,000 by Ravenel in return

'What had really hurt me was that when I was finally able to tell Kathryn he recanted.

He denied what he did and what he said and he victim shamed and bullied me,' she said.

Dawn eventually reported it to police and spoke out after hearing the story of another woman who claimed Ravenel assaulted her during a 2015 Tinder Date.

Debbie Holloway Perkins' daughter was the one who shared her story. She said her mother was paid off by Ravenel and made to sign an NDA after the incident.

Her daughter, who was not bound by the agreement, told how he held her down on a bed and sexually assaulted her.

The City of Charleston Police did not respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries on Tuesday morning, nor did Ravenel's lawyer.

He recently broke up with Ashley Jacobs, his girlfriend of 15-months.

Ravenel recently split from his most recent girlfriend, 33-year-old nurse Ashley Jacobs

Ravenel quit Southern Charm in August this year after the sexual misconduct allegations.

At the time, he said it was because the show's producers had 'taken advantage' of him and their 'right to fictionalize' his story.

The network later said it was a mutual decision for him to leave.

Before his reality TV career, Ravenel served as as the State Treasurer for South Carolina but was forced out of the role in 2007 after just five months after being arrested for cocaine possession with intent to distribute.

He was sentenced to 10 months in a federal prison.

He ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in 2004. Ravenel is the son of former congressman Arthur Ravenel Jr.The bitter battle between Dominic Perrottet and a cabinet colleague is reportedly over after the NSW Treasurer backed down and accepted a consolation prize.

Multiculturalism Minister Ray Williams will remain in his seat of Castle Hill while Mr Perrottet, who had challenged his Liberal front bench colleague for preselection, will switch from the seat of Hawkesbury to Epping, several outlets reported on Monday.

The current member for Epping, Damien Tudehope, will reportedly take an upper house seat to be vacated by the retiring David Clarke.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had warned Mr Williams he faced the axe if he continued to push a spill motion against the treasurer.

A party room meeting is expected on Tuesday.

Labor leader Luke Foley says the issue had caused Ms Berejiklian to miss a sod-turning ceremony for the new Western Sydney Airport on Monday, and should have been resolved long ago.

"It's now got to an absurd situation where the premier stands up Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the soil turning for the most important jobs-generating project in Australia," he told reporters.

"She can't turn up because she's busy on the phones trying to negotiate with the factional warlords within the Liberal Party."

Mr Perrottet, whose large family lives in Epping, says his reason to contest pre-selection for Mr Williams' seat was to balance work and family commitments while giving the people of Hawkesbury the representation they deserve.

"This is not a decision I have taken lightly and comes after a great deal of reflection and discussions with my family and colleagues," he said in a statement.

Mr Williams however refused to budge.

"My community is everything to me and I will be contesting the seat of Castle Hill at the next election and will continue to work hard on behalf of my local community," he said in a statement.

"Given Dominic is challenging myself as both a fellow member of parliament and a ministerial colleague I believe it is untenable for him to remain as the deputy leader."TIMELINE OF MICHELLE GUTHRIE, ABC MANAGING DIRECTOR:

* March 2016: Former media lawyer and Google executive Michelle Guthrie takes over from Mark Scott as the ABC's managing director. Liberal senator Eric Abetz says she will have to end the "lefty love-in" at the public broadcaster.

* October 2016: Ms Guthrie, at a Senate estimates hearing, rejects suggestions made in an opinion piece by former ABC presenter Johnathan Holmes that the public broadcaster is biased towards the left.

* February 2017: Both sides of politics criticise Ms Guthrie over a decision to switch off the ABC's shortwave radio service in the Northern Territory and parts of the Pacific. She insists in a Senate hearing the ABC would still be broadcast via FM and AM frequencies, the viewer access satellite television (VAST) service and online in the areas.

* March 2017: The ABC boss announces sweeping changes at the ABC, including axing a fifth of management, spending millions worth of savings on making new content and beefing up the broadcaster's presence in regional Australia.

* November 2017: Ms Guthrie reveals a plan to dismantle the divide between the public broadcaster's TV, radio and online divisions to instead create content across all platforms.

* May 8, 2018: The ABC boss lashes out at federal budget cuts to the broadcaster, saying a proposed $84 million hit can't be absorbed by efficiency measures alone.

* May 24, 2018: Calls for ABC to reconsider its advertising spending, after it was revealed in Senate estimates it had spent $440,000 on Google Ad Words and $1.4 million in Facebook advertising during the year.

* June 2018: Ms Guthrie rejects calls from within the Liberal party to privatise the public broadcaster, saying the commercial media sector doesn't need a new "advertising behemoth".

* August 2018: The ABC faces calls to justify its plans to create new digital lifestyle-focused projects, with free-to-air TV lobby group FreeTV saying lifestyle is "one of the most comprehensively covered market segments in Australian media".

* September 2018: Ms Guthrie is sacked, with the board declaring it is "not in the best interests" of the broadcaster for her to continue in the role.Queensland's health minister is under fire for not knowing his department was moving to axe an aged care program at a Gold Coast hospital.

Steven Miles has admitted he wasn't aware the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service was planning to end its free in-home care program and replace it with a privately run program that would have charged elderly patients.

Mr Miles has now stepped in and stopped the phase-out of the program, but the opposition claimed on Monday that he's lost control of his portfolio.Scott Morrison's government is still heading for a terrible defeat, but the latest polls show he's clawed back some ground.

Instead of a horror wipeout, the coalition looks to be heading for just a regular wipeout, with Labor leading the two-party preferred vote 54 per cent to 46.

The coalition was behind 56-44 in the previous two Newspolls, but is looking better after its primary vote rose two points to 36 per cent.

"I'm just sticking to my job mate, basically," the prime minister said when he was asked about the polls on Monday.

Mr Morrison, who attended a ceremony to mark construction of the Western Sydney Airport, increased his lead as preferred prime minster to 45 per cent ahead of Bill Shorten's 32 per cent, the Newspoll shows.

Mr Shorten's approval fell five points while Mr Morrison's rose three points. Mr Morrison's approval is the best result for a prime minister since February 2016.

Mr Shorten, who is on leave this week, recently met business figures for dinner, sparking concerns in the coalition the business lobby is preparing for a Labor election win.

"Bill Shorten thinks he's already there, he's strutting around like if he's in the job. I have no such arrogance and complacency," Mr Morrison told reporters.

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop also told the Nine Network there was too much "vicious behaviour" in question time, including name-calling and insults.

Mr Morrison said it was a matter for the speaker Tony Smith, but argued Australians saw the parliament working well last week to quickly pass laws to deal with the strawberry needle issue.

"When the strawberry farmers of Australia and the mums and dads of Australia needed our parliament and the government to step up, our government, we did," he said.

The prime minister also came out in front on the Newspoll question of which leader voters considered more authentic.

In a bad sign for Mr Shorten, 21 per cent of Labor voters also chose Mr Morrison.

The poll of 1675 voters was conducted nationally for The Australian.Police have lost contact with high risk Victorian sex offender John Huggins.

The homeless 42-year-old, who is known to frequent central Melbourne, St Kilda, Hampton, Brighton, Highton and Fitzroy, is legally required to tell police where he lives, but hasn't been seen for almost a month.

Huggins was added to the sex offender register in 2006 for an indecent act with a child aged under 16, Superintendent Lauren Callaway said.

He is not dangerous but has a history of failing to meet his reporting obligations, she said.The federal minister responsible for "congestion busting" in major cities has promised to unveil a national population policy well before the next election.

Cabinet ministers have for months been wrestling with how to confront surging population growth in Sydney and Melbourne, while boosting migration to smaller states and towns crying out for more residents.

Recurring themes in the coalition's long-running policy push have been slowing the intake of temporary workers and forcing new migrants to settle in regional centres.

Population Minister Alan Tudge has indicated voters could finally get a glimpse of the detail by the end of this year.

"Certainly it'll be well before the election," Mr Tudge told Sky News on Monday.

Australia welcomed 160,000 permanent migrants last year. The overwhelming majority flocked to Sydney, Melbourne and southeast Queensland.

As it stands, permanent migrants are free to move wherever they wish.

One possible antidote to soaring numbers in the east coast capitals is a points-based system to fast-track temporary workers who head to smaller towns.

Mr Tudge is also looking at imposing extra restrictions on where certain visa-holders can work and reside.

"We attach all sorts of conditions already, including some people being sponsored into South Australia presently under one of the migration schemes," the minister said.

"We're not just talking about the regions, we're talking about the smaller states."

The conditions are fairly easily imposed on a state-by-state basis, but could prove more challenging to administer when forcing people from major cities to settle in regional towns.

Mr Tudge has ruled out implementing special tax zones as part of the population plan.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.

"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.

"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.Australia and France are planning joint naval exercises in the South China Sea in a bid to maintain freedom of navigation conventions in the contested region.

Following China's decision to build man-made islands in the sea and militarise them, Australia has been pushing for freedom of navigation conventions to keep applying despite rising tensions.

French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly met Defence Minister Christopher Pyne on Monday and they discussed the future of Franco-Australian naval co-operation.

"Both Australia and France share a common view, which is that the South China Sea is international waters and that we are entitled to navigate as we see fit," Mr Pyne told reporters on Monday.

Mr Pyne said Australia had increased its naval exercises with other countries in the South China Sea in recent times.

"We are looking forward to doing so with France in coming years, in terms of a group working together in one particular formation that is multi-flagged," he said.

"We reserve the right to operate in the South China Sea with other nations completely peacefully, and we don't see any reason why any country should see that as a particular threat to their sovereignty."

Ms Parly said France was not taking a side over who controlled the South China Sea.

"But we want to make sure that the free maritime sailing right is assured and guaranteed so that's why we sail several times a year," she told reporters.

She said the region was a topic for future discussions with Mr Pyne.

"How we could, together, better co-ordinate what we're doing in the South China Sea because we are very conscious that China is more and more receptive," she said.Pure Harvest Smart Farms, a transformational, tech-enabled arid climate agribusiness based in the Abu Dhabi, has announced the successful commissioning of its inaugural high-tech greenhouse.



Immediately following commissioning the company also planted its first-ever crop, said a statement from Pure Harvest.



Pure Harvest aims to be part of the solution to the regions growing food security, water conservation, and sustainability challenges, it said.



Pure Harvests proprietary solution has positioned the company as a pioneer of high-yielding, year-round production of fresh fruits and vegetables.



The companys growing system was specifically tailored for the challenging climates of the Gulf region.



The inaugural greenhouse was developed in partnership with Certhon Greenhouse Solutions, a leading Dutch designer and builder of modern greenhouses.



Indoor temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels are carefully balanced and automated using a climate management computer system developed by Priva, a leader in horticulture and building automation.



Pure Harvest co-founder and chief executive officer Sky Kurtz said: The early results are very promising. Were just a little over a month into production and to-date weve been able to create a near-perfect climate for the plants, even when the temperatures outside reached over 46 degrees and humidity over 82 percent!



All credit to our Head Grower Jan Prins and his team. This is a critical milestone: we needed to operate in August so that we could prove our concept during the most extreme summer period, he said.



We now know for certain that we can deliver year-round production as winters are easy and we will only improve upon these results with experience and innovation, he added.



Majed Halawi, chief of staff, Pure Harvest, said: We are excited about the growth potential of our business.



Im personally thrilled that we are beginning to realise our shared mission to produce delicious, healthy, sustainably-grown fresh produce  grown right here in the UAE, he added.



Halawi said: Transforming the local agriculture industry has always been part of my life vision and launching Pure Harvest has been one of my most fulfilling personal experiences to-date. We are very close to harvesting our first tomatoes and to launching them into the UAE market.



It has not been an easy journey and it likely never will be  but our strong team has been able to rally behind the broader mission and successfully control the climate during the toughest months of the year. I can't wait to hear customer feedback once our delicious products hit the market, Halawi concluded.  TradeArabia News ServiceAuthorities say options to remove a huge whale carcass from a popular beach south of Sydney are limited as swimmers are again warned to stay well away.

The whale carcass, some 15 metres long, first became lodged on rocks near Wattamolla Beach a week ago before it was washed onto the sand overnight.

The NSW environment office on Monday said there was a range of options being considered including managing the carcass on the scene or towing it back out to sea.

Its size and the beach's location inside the vast Royal National Park mean options for disposal are limited, a spokesperson said.

Sharks have been spotted in the area and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has told visitors to stay out of the water.

"Community safety is paramount," the NSW environment office AAP in a statement.

"People continue to be reminded to stay out of the water, and the vicinity."

Authorities are yet to confirm the species of the whale but have ruled out it being a humpback.

Two Sydney bothers filmed themselves swimming near the carcass on the weekend even though sharks were nearby to feast on the dead mammal.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 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. It's no skin off their nose to do what will be life-saving for the family," national coordinator Gerry Georgatos said in a statement on Monday.A NSW mayor whose council won't hold its Australia Day ceremony on January 26 has hit back at Scott Morrison after the prime minister tweeted about the issue.

Byron Shire Council will hold some council events on the national holiday but has announced its official ceremony will move to January 25.

Mr Morrison on Monday said the "modern Aus nation" began on January 26, 1788 and that was the day to reflect on what the nation had accomplished, become, and still had to achieve.

"Indulgent self-loathing doesn't make Australia stronger," Mr Morrison tweeted on Monday. "Being honest about the past does."

Byron Mayor Simon Richardson said the celebrations on January 26 caused pain in a section of the community and questioned whether the values of a fair go and mateship were being reflected.

"Is it true mateship to willingly, willfully and continually to celebrate what rightfully is great to be an Australian on a day that some Australians are pained by?" the Greens representative told 3AW on Monday.

He said the prime minister's response was understandable but he found the remark about "modern Australia" interesting.

"I thought we were actually celebrating Australia Day, not 'modern' Australia Day," he told

"All we're trying to do is trying to reflect history and acknowledge that Australia began, not with the second wave of settlers, but the first."

Mr Richardson's motion was passed at a council meeting last week.A 72-year-old man who died after his new boat capsized in rough seas off Sydney was heading to Bundaberg in Queensland.

The man was winched to shore but couldn't be revived after his 8.7-metre sailing boat capsized off Boat Harbour, near Kurnell, early on Monday.

A 24-year-old woman, who was uninjured, had to swim to land to alert authorities.

The boat, called C.C. Rider, had been docked at Greenwell Point near Nowra for several weeks until Sunday morning, retired fisherman Graham Bates said.

Mr Bates posted online he thought the sailor was "a bit keen" to head off on Sunday for the trip to Bundaberg given the forecast of rough seas.

The local man told AAP he didn't receive any indication from the 72-year-old as to how long the trip would take.

The woman was taken to Sutherland Hospital for observation.

"Inquiries are continuing in relation to what actually has occurred, however, the seas were quite hazardous ... which obviously made it difficult for rescuers," Acting Inspector Mel Thompson told reporters.The number of businesses selling through Facebook and Instagram posts could more than double within six months, but consumers are still not entirely trusting of retail via social media, new research shows.

With one-in-eight Aussies now shopping on their mobile phone every day, the latest PayPal mCommerce Index says mobile-optimised sites are increasingly the window to the country's changing retail landscape, which in 2018 includes a boom in subscription 'set-and-forget' services, and a jump in the number of businesses planning to sell via social media.

The survey showed 13 per cent were already selling via sites such as Instagram and Facebook, with an extra 22 per cent of businesses planning to do so in the next six months.

But PayPal Australia managing director Libby Roy warned more than one in three buyers remained nervous buying while scrolling as the lines between user-generated and advertiser content increasingly blurred.

"Things are evolving so they are not obviously an ad," Ms Roy said.

"If you're on Pinterest and you see something you like, it's not necessarily an ad, it's just whether that buyable button on that item has been set up. So it's really blurry.

"We see the same (consumer fears) when people are buying from overseas and people are buying from a marketplace when it is a brand they don't know."

The PayPal mCommerce Index 2018 released Tuesday also showed nearly half of Australians are annoyed when a site doesn't work well on a mobile and almost a third of mobile shoppers have abandoned a purchase due to lack of mobile-optimisation.

Meanwhile, retail subscription services - including set-and-forget parcels - are at the frontier of business growth.

Half of Australians in 2018 are using at least one subscription service and spend an average of $32 per month on subscriptions, with 86 per cent of businesses who offer subscriptions seeing an increase in revenue.

However, Ms Roy said many businesses were missing out on a recurring revenue stream with only one-in-10 set up to provide a subscription model.

Movies, music and software are the top three most popular categories for online subscriptions, while shoppers aged between 18 and 34 years were interested in beauty and skincare, freshly prepared meals, clothing and active wear and pet accessories.Australia's determination to play a leading role in eliminating forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking around the globe is unwavering, Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne has told an event at the United Nations in New York.

Ms Payne, Australia's representative at this week's UN General Assembly attended by 130 world leaders including US President Donald Trump, said Australia had a long track record on funding programs and working to end human slavery.

"Australia is very pleased to join with the United Kingdom and so many other partners in working to end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking," Ms Payne told the Stepping Up Action to End Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking event on Monday in Manhattan.

"We have a long track record of domestic action and leadership of regional and international efforts to eliminate these terrible crimes."

Ms Payne acknowledged her predecessor Julie Bishop's role on the issue.Sharks will continue to be baited and killed in the wake of two attacks in the Whitsundays, in a move that has been firmly backed by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk but criticised by conservationists.

Fisheries Queensland have so far caught and killed six sharks in Cid Harbour since Justine Barwick, 46, and Hannah Papps, 12, were bitten in separate attacks last week.

"Can you imagine the public outcry if anything else happened up there in that particular region during school holidays if the Department of Fisheries took no action?" Ms Palaszczuk said on Monday.

Fisheries Minister Mark Furner insists shark nets and baited hooks first installed at Queensland beaches in 1962 have "undoubtedly" saved lives.

He says the government is protecting Queenslanders despite admitting it will never know if they caused the injuries.

But conservationists say killing sharks gives people a false sense of security and the government's response has sparked public outcry.

"That bit is easy and it's lazy policy. Making beaches actually safer is much harder and unrelated to their ability to kill sharks," Sea Shepherd's Jonathan Clark said.

The victims in last week's attacks, which happened less than 24 hours apart, are recovering in Brisbane hospitals.Australia's Ashleigh Barty is into the third round of the WTA event in Wuhan after a three-set win over Chinese wildcard Saisai Zheng.

The world No.17 dropped the opening before cruising home 4-6 6-1 6-2 to take out the match in a little over two hours.

The 22-year-old Queenslander will next face the reigning Wimbledon champion, Germany's Angelique Kerber, who progressed after her opponent Madison Keys was forced to retire trailing 6-0 4-1.

American Keys called it quits after injuring her left knee.

Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic is also into the next round after a 6-3 6-4 win over Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic.

The fifth seed from the Czech Republic has won the title in Wuhan twice in the past four years, and fired down 13 aces on her way to beating the world No.63.A Sydney council hopes to establish what is possibly the nation's first smoke-free CBD in a capital city.

North Sydney councillors this week unanimously passed a motion to ban smoking in every public place in what is Sydney's second largest CBD.

Mayor Jilly Gibson hopes to eventually go even further by extending the ban across the entire municipality.

She said the latest move wasn't about punishing smokers but about improving the amenity of the area for residents, workers, visitors and school children.

"It just seems like the right time," Cr Gibson told AAP on Tuesday.

"Why not try these big ideas?

"Even if we reduce people's smoking in the CBD by, let's say, 50 per cent, that would be a huge result."

She said the world had come a long way since her school days when one of her teachers chain-smoked his way through class.

Cr Gibson said the measure goes "hand in glove" with the council's attempts to make the CBD more pedestrian friendly with hopes to move to a council-wide ban eventually.

The NSW town of Glen Innes in the Northern Tablelands introduced a smoking ban across its CBD in 2015.

Hobart City Council last week voted on a similar proposal for the Tasmanian capital's CBD.

The North Sydney proposal will now move to a community consultation period.Official results showed opposition Maldives candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (2L)as the clear winner with 58.3 percent, the biggest margin of victory in any election since the advent of democracy in 2008

The strongman president of the Maldives on Monday conceded his surprise electoral defeat, 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.

He said he would hand over power when his term in office ends on November 17, and ensure a smooth transition in the 1,200-island nation popular with foreign tourists for its white sands and blue lagoons.

There had been concerns at home and abroad that Yameen might not accept the outcome.

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 outcome 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.

Map of Maldives and profiles of opposition legislator Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and incumbent leader Abdulla Yameen

Celebrations broke out across the 1,200-island tropical archipelago on Sunday night, with opposition supporters waving yellow flags of Solih's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing in the streets.

On Monday though the situation was calm.

It was far from certain if Maldives President Abdulla Yameen (C), whose main political rivals were either jailed or in exile, would graciously accept defeat in the poll

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 said the result marked "the triumph of democratic forces".

Sri Lanka, home to many Maldivian dissidents, also congratulated him but China was yet to comment, with Monday being a public holiday.

Beijing loaned Yameen's government hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure projects like the new "China-Maldives Friendship Bridge", which opened in August.

This has stoked fears among Western countries and India about China's growing influence under its "Belt and Road Initiative" stretching from Asia into Africa and Europe.

- 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.

The US State Department had warned before the election it may take "appropriate measures" if the vote was not free and fair

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.

Foreign monitors said Yameen failed to carry out any large-scale fraud thanks to intense international and local scrutiny from civil society groups.

"In the face of massive pressure, they had to abandon their plans," Rohana Hettiarachchi of the Asian Network for Free Elections told AFP.The UAE will be participating in the International Healthy Cities Conference 2018 being held from October 1 - 4 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.



Sharjah has been nominated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to take part in the Belfast conference following its successful implementation of the WHOs Healthy City initiative. Represented by Sharjah, UAE is the only Arab country to take part in the global forum.



The announcement came in the fourth meeting of the Executive Committee for Expansion of Healthy Cities in the Emirate of Sharjah, recently held at the Muwailah Suburb Council in Sharjah under the leadership of Dr Abdul Aziz Al Muhairi, chairman of the Committee.



Sharjahs participation in International Healthy Cities Conference Belfast 2018, for the first time at the Arab level, reflects the Emirate's global reputation as an Arab leader in joining the WHO Healthy Cities programme and making many achievements under the directives of Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, said Dr Al Muhairi.



The International Health Cities Conference in Belfast, Ireland, will host a number of leading cities from around the world which will explore and discuss the successful experiences of various cities and countries across the globe featuring more than 300 papers by experts.



Four cities including Sharjah-UAE, Bursa-Turkey, Washington-US and Copenhagen-Denmark have been selected to showcase their success stories as WHOs Healthy Cities.



The Belfast Conference focuses on the six themes of the new political vision of the European Healthy Cities Network of the World Health Organisation (WHO). These themes include people, space, participation, prosperity, planet and peace.



During the four-day conference, Sharjah-UAE will be making a presentation on the Sharjah Healthy City programme and its successful experience as the first healthy city in the region.



The meeting also agreed to form an internal audit committee to assess the performance of the Executive Committee as well as to expand the scope of healthy cities to other areas of the Emirate and briefing members of the Executive Committee and the Coordination Committees from time to time. The Committee also discussed the updating of the legislative plan of Sharjah Health City.  TradeArabia News Service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 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.

Iran

"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.At stake is not only the fate of President Donald Trump's hand-picked Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanugh, but also Republican chances in November's midterm elections

Donald Trump's embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was hit by a second accusation of sexual misconduct Sunday, leaving Republicans scrambling to save a confirmation that until recently had seemed all but certain.

The latest claims of impropriety during Kavanaugh's youth came as he was already facing a dramatic hearing where his testimony was to be weighed against that of a university professor who has separately accused him of assault.

Senate Democrats are now investigating a bombshell claim by Deborah Ramirez, 53, who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a 1980s college party at Yale University, thrust his genitals in her face and caused her to touch them without her consent, according to The New Yorker.

Ramirez told the magazine she had become inebriated during a drinking game and was on the floor when the alleged incident took place.

She added afterward, she remembered hearing a person shout from down a hallway, "'Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie's face.'"

"I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there," she said.

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.

- Investigation demands -

Like Christine Blasey Ford, the professor accusing him of assaulting her when they were teenagers, Ramirez wants the FBI to investigate the incident, and Democratic lawmakers are backing their demands.

Ramirez's call for an investigation came despite her admission to the New Yorker that there are gaps in her memory of the incident, and that she expects her memories to be questioned as she had been drinking.

Ford, meanwhile, agreed to testify Thursday after an increasingly ugly weeklong standoff that saw her forced to leave her California home as she faced death threats and the president openly attacked her credibility.

Kavanaugh, who strongly denies the allegation, said he wishes to testify as soon as possible to clear his name following Ford's claims that he attacked her at a 1980s high school party.

According to The New York Times, the federal judge has calendars from the summer of 1982 he plans to share with senators showing he was out of town most of that time with no indication of the party of concern.

The two parties will testify separately -- first Ford, followed by Kavanaugh's response -- the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed.

On Sunday, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, urged the panel to halt proceedings in light of the latest allegation.

"I am writing to request an immediate postponement of any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh," she said in a statement.

"I also ask 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."

Meanwhile, Democratic senator and committee member Richard Blumenthal echoed demands for an investigation.

"The Senate simply cannot in good conscience vote on this nomination without a full fair FBI investigation of all these allegations," he said.

Separately, lawyer Michael Avenatti -- who represents adult film star Stormy Daniels in the dispute over her claim she was paid to remain silent about an alleged tryst with Trump -- shared an email exchange on Twitter in which he promised the committee evidence of further misconduct by Kavanaugh at 1980s house parties, related to another unidentified accuser.

- Confirmation in the balance -

At stake is not only the fate of Trump's hand-picked Supreme Court nominee, but also Republican chances in November's midterm elections that face increased risk if the polarizing confirmation battle drags on.

White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec dismissed Ramirez's allegation as "the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man."

"The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh," her statement added.

Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham -- a member of the panel that must approve Kavanaugh's nomination before it goes to the full chamber -- summed up the position of many Republicans by saying he did not expect Ford's testimony to change his mind.

"What am I supposed to do? Go ahead and ruin this guy's life based on an accusation?" he told Fox News Sunday.

Republicans, who hold a paper-thin majority in the Senate, can ill afford defections if Kavanaugh is to be approved.

US Supreme Court justices

After days of relative restraint, Trump lashed out at Ford on Friday, contending that Ford's decision to wait before going public shows the incident probably was not "as bad as she says" -- even if this runs counter to what experts say is the typical reaction of sexual assault victims afraid or embarrassed to report.

But Susan Collins -- a Republican who sits on the Judiciary Committee -- said she was "appalled" by Trump's tweet.

Trump's outburst saw an outpouring of sympathy for Ford -- and outrage at the president -- as thousands of women, and men too, shared why they had kept silent after being assaulted, under the Twitter hashtag #WhyIDidntReport.Marine One, carrying US President Donald Trump, lands in lower Manhattan in New York on September 23, 2018

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.Kavanaugh denied the incident occurred, calling it "a smear, plain and simple"

A second woman has come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's embattled nominee for the Supreme Court, The New Yorker said Sunday.

Senate Democrats are investigating the bombshell claim by Deborah Ramirez, 53, who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a college party at Yale University in the 1980s, thrust his genitals in her face and caused her to touch them without her consent while pushing them away.

Kavanaugh denied the incident occurred, 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 sent to AFP.

The allegation is the latest twist in Kavanaugh's already heated confirmation battle, which is set for a dramatic hearing this week involving a university professor who recently came forward accusing him of assaulting her when they were high schoolers.

The New Yorker article was co-written by Ronan Farrow, whose reportage around disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was key in opening the floodgates of the #MeToo movement, along with another reporter Jane Mayer.

At least four Democratic senators have received information about Ramirez's allegation, the magazine said, of whom at least two have begun investigating it.

Senior Republican staffers have likewise learned of the allegation and expressed concern about its impact on the nomination, The New Yorker added.

"This is another serious, credible, and disturbing allegation against Brett Kavanaugh. It should be fully investigated," Senator Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, was quoted as saying.

When The New Yorker first contacted Ramirez, it said she was reluctant to come forward, partly because of gaps in her memory because she had been drinking at the time of the incident.

But having spent six days assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney, she felt more confident and is now calling for an FBI investigation.

"I would think an FBI investigation would be warranted," she told The New Yorker.

The magazine said it had not found eyewitnesses to confirm that Kavanaugh was at the party, though one former classmate remembered hearing about the incident from another, and independently corroborated many of the details offered by Ramirez.Chinese police patrol outside a mosque in Kashgar, Xinjiang

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."

China's Xinjiang crackdown

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Indonesian farmer Kawal Surbakti says a planned EU palm oil ban could devastate his income

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.

Palm oil production

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.

Palm oil has become a major earner for Malaysia and Indonesia but at huge environmental cost

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At Privates Beach in the Opal Cliffs area of Santa Cruz, California, there is a $100 annual access fee and an imposing gate, even though it is supposed to be a public beach

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 -

Coastal access walkways lead to public beaches up and down California's coast, but here in Malibu, many homeowners are willing to go to great lengths -- and to spend a great deal of money -- to keep the riff-raff off the pristine sand

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.

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 -

Owners of multi-million-dollar beachfront homes in Malibu, shown here, and elsewhere in California argue that visitors to the public beaches produce litter, vandalize property and are a nuisance that can turn their dream homes into a nightmare

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' -

Martin's Beach at Half Moon Bay, California was bought by tech billionaire Vinod Khosla a decade ago -- since, he has been limiting access and charging fees to the general public in order to be able to enjoy the beach

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'."Turkey has the near-impossible mission of ensuring that jihadists and heavy weaponry are removed from the demilitarised zone set up around Idlib

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 around Idlib, 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 demilitarised zone is controlled by jihadists

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.

Persuading jihadists to leave the buffer area is just one step towards ousting them from the larger region partly encircled by the zone

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.Myanmar's commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the UN had no right to interfere in the country and shrugged off demands for the army to get out of political life

Myanmar's powerful army chief said the United Nations had no right to interfere in the sovereignty of his country, a week after UN investigators called for him and other top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide" against the Rohingya.

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).

Min Aung Hlaing also shrugged off demands from the UN for the army to get out of political life in Myanmar, where it remains hugely influential despite a nominal transition to civilian rule in 2011.

No country, organisation or group has the "right to interfere in and make decision over sovereignty of a country", military-run newspaper Myawady reported Min telling troops in a speech Sunday.

"Talks to meddle in internal affairs (cause) misunderstanding."

The 444-page UN probe report, compiled over 18 months, outlined in meticulous and searing detail claims of atrocities against the Rohingya, who fled a violent military campaign that started in August last year.

Troops, sometimes aided by ethnic Rakhine mobs, committed murder, rape, arson and torture, using unfathomable levels of violence and with a total disregard for human life, investigators concluded.

Major Rohingya refugee camp populations in Bangladesh

More than 700,000 of the stateless Muslim minority took refuge in Bangladesh, where they remain, fearful of returning to Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries.

The military has denied nearly all wrongdoing, justifying its crackdown as a legitimate means of rooting out Rohingya militants.

But rights groups and the UN say the operations were vastly disproportionate and that a troop build-up in the area occurred before insurgents attacked police posts in August 2017.

-- Army 'will continue' efforts --

In a further ratcheting up of pressure on Myanmar, the ICC independently ruled that it had jurisdiction to open a preliminary investigation, even though the country has not signed the treaty underpinning the court.

Analysts say, however, that any road to prosecution would be long and fraught with political difficulties.

Last month Facebook removed the pages of Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals, accusing them of sowing ethnic divisions in a country where the social media platform enjoys excessive influence.

Myanmar's civilian government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, rejected the UN report's finding on the Rohingya as "one-sided" and "flawed"

Myanmar's civilian government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, rejected the UN report's finding as "one-sided" and "flawed" and dismissed the ICC's authority.

Suu Kyi's government shares power with the still-mighty army, which retains control over a quarter of parliamentary seats and three key ministries.

The UN team also criticised the Nobel Laureate's government for "acts and omissions" that had "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes".

In a rare, if understated, criticism of the military, Suu Kyi recently said that the Rakhine crisis "could have been handled better".

The army chief made it clear that the Tatmadaw, as the military is known locally, has no intention to extract itself from politics.

"Take a look at the democracy practices in the world, the countries exercise the democracy system suited to them," he said, adding that the country needs to end armed conflict on its road to true multi-party democracy.

"The Tatmadaw will continue its efforts to achieve eternal peace," he said.

The Rohingya languishing in refugee camps in Bangladesh refuse to return to a Myanmar that does not grant them citizenship.

In his speech the army chief doubled down on the narrative widely held in Myanmar that the minority are outsiders, calling them "Bengalis" and insisting that the law, which does not recognise the group among the country's many ethnicities, will remain in place.

burs-rs/joe/hgWounded Iranian soldiers lie on the ground at the scene of an attack on a military parade on September 22, 2018

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.Etihad Credit Insurance, the national export credit agency of the UAE Federal Government, has conducted a focus group workshop with Abu Dhabi-based exporters in partnership with Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI).



The workshop was aimed at listening to UAE exporters challenges and needs to boost their competitiveness in global trade, said a statement from Etihad Credit Insurance.



The workshop outcomes, which was held in the headquarters of the ADCCI, will inspire Etihad Credit Insurance to identify areas where support is needed, and develop bespoke solutions to mitigate trade and export risks. These are instrumental to drive in more growth for UAE businesses, locally and internationally, it said.



This initiative is the first amongst the many roadshows that Etihad Credit Insurance will be running together with all chambers of commerce across the UAE, it added.



Mohammed Hilal Al Muhairi, director general, ADCCI, pointed out that the cooperation with Etihad Credit Insurance as the umbrella for UAE exporters cements the commitment of Abu Dhabi Chamber in holistically serving the private sector and helping the sector increase its contribution to the local economy.



Al Muhairi said: ADCCIs participation in organising this workshop, in cooperation with Etihad Credit Insurance, comes within the framework of the chamber in supporting the development of the private sector in the UAE, in general, and in Abu Dhabi, in particular, which is the main point of trade between different countries.



The partnership, Al Muhairi added, is in line with the vision of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to support and develop non-oil sectors as the collaboration is set to widen the opportunities available for businesses, raise the volume of national exports, and enhance exporters competitiveness in the international markets.



Massimo Falcioni, chief executive officer, ECI, said: We play a catalyst role in the promotion of UAEs non-oil exports, trade, investments and strategic sectors development, in line with UAE Vision 2021 agenda.



Our collaboration with ADCCI is part of our comprehensive plan to build a platform of strategic partnerships, which will enable us to provide businesses with tools that will meet their needs, he said.



The event indeed gives us the unique opportunity to share Etihad Credit Insurances national mandate to accelerate and sustain the national non-oil diversification, and to learn from corporates based in Abu Dhabi their challenges and recommendations for trade and export, added Falcioni.



Abu Dhabis non-oil exports and re-exports in the first half of 2018 reached Dh23.4 billion ($6.37 billion), a 6 per cent increase from the Dh22 billion ($5.99 billion) recorded in the same period in 2017, figures from the Statistics Centre  Abu Dhabi show, said a statement.



Non-oil exports stood at Dh11.1 billion ($3.02 billion) in the first half of 2018, which is 1.5 per cent up from Dh10.9 billion ($2.96 billion) in the same period last year while re-exports rose to Dh12.3 billion ($3.34 billion) from Dh11.1 billion ($3.02 billion), it said.



The Focus Group Discussion served as a strategic platform to learn more about businesses operating in the UAE, especially in Abu Dhabi.



The event included a roundtable discussion that touched on timely and strategic topics like market environment and implied challenges; trends impacting the market; current risk management practices and ECI support and its product features, it stated.  TradeArabia News ServiceFruit wholesalers are reporting an uptick in sales, thanks in part to social media campaigns that encouraged Australians to bake a strawberry pavlova or just "#Smashastrawb" and eat it

Australia's pins-in-punnets strawberry crisis prompted a spate of social-media driven hoaxes, but sites like Facebook and Twitter are also helping stir a revival in sales that has left some farmers struggling to meet resurgent demand.

For almost two weeks, reports of pins and needles being found in fruit across Australia have delivered a gut punch to industry, set grocery-shoppers on edge and left police struggling to find needles in a haystack of copycat pranks.

But now Australians -- adopting a shrug-and-get-on-with-it attitude -- have had enough. They are getting back on their berries.

Wholesalers are reporting an uptick in sales, thanks in part to social media campaigns that encouraged Australians to bake a strawberry pavlova or just "#Smashastrawb" and eat it.

"Things are on the up," said Jim Ripepi of Australian Strawberry Distributors, a family-owned company that grows and sells strawberries wholesale.

"The public support has been really overwhelming. Sales are picking up," he told AFP. "I was selling out every day this week."

Supermarkets are starting to report a similar trend and are even struggling to meet demand after many of their usual suppliers packed up tools fearing the worst.

For some farmers it may be too little too late, but for the industry at large, it's a godsend.

- Mystery remains -

The crisis began almost two weeks ago with needles being found in two brands of strawberries in the northeast state of Queensland.

The cause of the initial scare and the scale of the problem remain a mystery.

Police in Queensland say only that the initial investigation is ongoing, leaving the public to speculate about the motives -- could it be a disgruntled employee or competitor? -- or how close they are to solving the crime.

The Australian government has instructed police and other agencies to avoid giving specific numbers about how many pins or needles have actually been found in fruit -- including bananas, apples and a mango.

Indications are that of the 100 or so instances looked at by police, the vast majority were hoaxes or pranks.

Two kids are believed to have been cautioned for such copycat stunts and in Adelaide in southern Australia, a father has reportedly been charged with making a false claim to police about his daughter eating tainted fruit.

Australian state governments have offered cash rewards and indemnity from prosecution for anyone providing information about the culprit.

Throughout the crisis, the government of new Prime Minister Scott Morrison has strained to appear in control, using its parliamentary majority to introduce longer potential jail sentences for deliberate contamination.

Strawberry farmers "were having their livelihoods threatened", Morrison said Monday, heralding the parliamentary response.

"We had mums and dads worried about what they were putting in the school kids' lunches. We were able to act swiftly and get that through the parliament in about 36 hours."

In the latest twist, needles have turned up in a punnet of Australian strawberries in New Zealand, prompting the authorities there to say each punnet would be screened.

Strawberry Growers NZ said there had been no reports of problems with locally-grown fruit.

"While this is naturally of concern to our industry, this is an Australian strawberry issue and there is no evidence to suggest any connection to New Zealand-grown strawberries," executive manager Michael Ahern said.

New Zealand Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said it was unclear whether the strawberries had been tampered with before or after they entered New Zealand.

But he did not rule out the prospect of copycat sabotage.

"It's the kind of sordid and sick proposition that does arise when these situations are publicised," he told Radio New Zealand.

"We hope that it would not be a New Zealander doing a copycat, we hope that it wouldn't happen at all."Senior General Min Aung Hlaing says the UN has no right to interfere in Myanmar's sovereignty

Myanmar's powerful army chief says the United Nations has no right to interfere in his country's sovereignty, a week after UN investigators called for him and other top generals to be prosecuted for "genocide" against the Rohingya.

Min Aung Hlaing's comments to an army newspaper were his first public reaction since a UN fact-finding mission urged the Security Council to refer the top military brass to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

They came as the UN General Assembly prepares to discuss the crisis in New York.

Min Aung Hlaing also shrugged off demands from UN investigators for the army to withdraw from politics in Myanmar, where it remains hugely influential despite a nominal transition to civilian rule in 2011.

No country, organisation or group has the "right to interfere in and make decision over sovereignty of a country", military-run newspaper Myawady quoted him as telling troops in a speech Sunday.

"Talks to meddle in internal affairs (cause) misunderstanding."

The 444-page UN probe report, compiled over 18 months, outlined in meticulous and searing detail atrocities against the Rohingya, who fled a violent military campaign that started in August last year.

Troops, sometimes aided by ethnic Rakhine mobs, committed murder, rape, arson and torture, using unfathomable levels of violence and with a total disregard for human life, investigators concluded.

More than 700,000 of the stateless Muslim minority took refuge in Bangladesh, where they remain -- fearful of returning to mainly Buddhist Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries.

The military has denied nearly all wrongdoing, justifying its crackdown as a legitimate means of rooting out Rohingya militants.

But rights groups and the UN say the operations were vastly disproportionate and a troop build-up in the area occurred before insurgents attacked police posts in August 2017.

- 'Very flustered' -

Further pressuring Myanmar, the ICC independently ruled that it had jurisdiction to open a preliminary investigation, even though the country has not signed the treaty underpinning the court.

Any road to prosecution would be long and fraught with political difficulties, but analysts say the generals are feeling the heat.

"We're hearing informally that they're very, very flustered about what's happening at The Hague," said Khin Zaw Win, director of Yangon-based think tank the Tampadipa Institute, in reference to the ICC's headquarters.

Last month Facebook removed the pages of Min Aung Hlaing and other top generals, accusing them of sowing ethnic divisions in a country where the social media platform enjoys excessive influence.

Myanmar's civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi rejected the UN report's findings as "one-sided" and "flawed" and dismissed the ICC's authority.

Suu Kyi's government shares power with the still-mighty army, which retains control over a quarter of parliamentary seats and three key ministries.

The UN team also criticised the Nobel laureate's government for "acts and omissions" during the Rohingya crisis that "contributed to the commission of atrocity crimes".

In a rare, if understated, criticism of the military, Suu Kyi recently said the situation "could have been handled better".

The army chief made it clear that the Tatmadaw, as the military is known locally, has no intention of extracting itself from politics.

"Take a look at the democracy practices in the world, the countries exercise the democracy system suited to them," he said, adding that the country must end armed conflict on its road to true multi-party democracy.

"The Tatmadaw will continue its efforts to achieve eternal peace," he said.

The Rohingya languishing in refugee camps in Bangladesh refuse to return to a Myanmar that does not grant them citizenship.

In his speech the army chief doubled down on the narrative widely held in Myanmar that the minority are outsiders, calling them "Bengalis" and insisting that the law which fails to recognise the group among the country's many ethnicities would remain in place.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, given the cold shoulder by the army chief on his visit to Myanmar last week, will chair a foreign ministers' meeting on the crisis later Monday in New York.

burs-rs/joe/smAbhilash Tomy, a competitor in the Golden Globe round-the-world race, was badly injured during a storm that damaged his vessel and snapped its mast on Friday as he sailed through an a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean

A solo Indian sailor adrift at sea thousands of kilometres (miles) from dry land with a serious back injury was safely rescued from his stricken yacht Monday after an international search effort.

Abhilash Tomy, a competitor in the Golden Globe round-the-world race, was badly injured during a storm that damaged his vessel and put its mast out of action on Friday as he sailed through a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean.

Adrift some 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) from western Australia, the 39-year-old navy commander had been confined to his bunk and unable to move.

But Indian and Australian officials said a French fisheries patrol vessel involved in the international rescue mission had recovered the sailor "in a stable condition".

"A sense of relief to know that naval officer @abhilashtomy is rescued by the French fishing vessel. He's conscious and doing okay," Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman posted on Twitter.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said Tomy would be transferred to a nearby Indian Ocean island, Ile Amsterdam, for medical treatment.

Tomy's own yacht is a replica of the vessel that won the first Golden Globe Race 50 years ago

An Indian naval ship would later transfer Tomy to Mauritus, according to Sitharaman.

Rescuers had been unable to make direct contact with Tomy as his main satellite phone was damaged, and his injury meant he was unable to reach a second satellite phone or his handheld VHF radio.

Two P8 Poseidons -- one from the Royal Australian Air Force and another from the Indian Armed Forces -- flew over the yacht Sunday.

- Damaged and dismasted -

Fears had been growing for Tomy's safety as conditions in the isolated region can be treacherous, with strong winds and high waves buffeting the yacht and rescue vessels.

AMSA search and rescue mission coordinator Phil Gaden said the yacht was dismasted and damaged in Friday's squall, with equipment hanging over the side.

Though upright and adrift, he said the vessel was at the mercy of the sea and waves and could be compromised at any moment.

As the days wore by, his family grew increasingly concerned for the experienced yachtsman.

"Abhilash has done long voyages before, but we remained in touch through satellite phones and internet chats," his wife Urmi told the Indian newspaper Business Standard before his rescue.

"The separation on this voyage has been tough. But all that matters now is to rescue him unharmed."

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 Suhaili, winner of the first Golden Globe Race.

He also helped train the all-woman crew of the Indian Navys sailing vessel Tarini, which created history by circumnavigating the globe in a gruelling 254-day voyage.

"He has been an inspiration and hope for millions of Indians who dream big and want to achieve their goals," Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, one of the Tarini's crew, told the Hindustan Times newspaper.

burs/np/rmaSaudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih left the way open to a future production hike

Brent oil soared Monday close to $81, reaching the highest level since November 2014 after OPEC and other global producers snubbed pressure from US President Donald Trump to dampen prices.

At 0840 GMT, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in November soared to a peak of $80.94 per barrel. That was the highest level since November 12, 2014.

The benchmark Brent contract later stood at $80.85, up $2.05 from Friday's close.

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) or light sweet crude for delivery in November, added $1.52 to $72.30 after earlier striking a two-month pinnacle.

Oil leapt after the world's top producers decided to maintain output during a meeting in Algeria at the weekend.

A committee comprised of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cartel and non-OPEC producers said it was satisfied with the current market outlook, which represented "an overall healthy balance between supply and demand".

However, Saudi Arabia's influential oil minister Khalid al-Falih 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.

"Saudi Arabia and Russia confirmed that they not raising output -- and this is bad news for President Trump as he wants a lower oil price that is good for business," said CMC Markets David Madden.

"Last week, Mr Trump verbally attacked OPEC and some traders thought we might see an increase in supply from the United States' Middle Eastern allies.

"The Algiers meeting did not bring about an increase in output -- and that is fuelling the rally.

"Fears that supply will be hit when the US sanctions on Iran kick in come November are pushing up oil prices."

OPEC 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.Argento says she only gave Bennett money to help him out during a difficult period.

US actor Jimmy Bennett, who accuses Asia Argento of sexually assaulting him as a teenager, said in his first television interview since the allegation emerged that they had a "complete" sexual relationship.

Argento, who shot into the headlines for accusing disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of rape, reportedly paid Bennett money after he said she had sex with him in a California hotel room in 2013.

The actor and rock musician was 17 years old at the time of the alleged assault. The legal age of consent in California is 18. Argento was 37. She has denied having sex with him or paying hush money.

"It all happened very fast," Bennett told Italy's La 7 channel, accompanied by his US lawyer, Gordon Sattro.

"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," Bennett told sceptical interviewer Massimo Gilletti.

"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," he said.

Asked whether it was a "complete" relationship, Bennett confirmed that it was, implying they had sex, but declined to go into detail.

Bennett was seven years old when he played Argento's son in the 2004 film "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things".

"The power that she had over the situation made me feel powerless in a way," Bennett said.

The New York Times reported in August that Argento paid Bennett $380,000 after his lawyers launched legal action, a month after Argento's accusations against Weinstein were made public.

Argento says she only gave Bennett money to help him out during a difficult period.Palestinians are seen behind the closed gate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) during a strike by employees in the Gaza Strip on September 24, 2018

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 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 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.A Russian IL-20M plane lands at an unknown location on July 23, 2006

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.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 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.Deadly: Eastern DR Congo is struggling with militia violence and an outbreak of Ebola

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 -

Democratic Republic of Congo

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.

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.French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (C), seen here at an independence ceremony in Mali September 22, has called for stronger sanctions against Libyans blocking a political solution in that country

France on Monday called for stronger UN sanctions on Libyans who stand in the way of a political solution in the conflict-ridden country.

The current situation "forces us to show greater firmness toward those who want to insist on the status quo for their sole benefit," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters at the United Nations.

"The sanctions recently imposed by the Security Council against a number of traffickers should be followed by further sanctions, especially, I think, against militia members who threaten Tripoli," he said.

The UN Security Council in June slapped sanctions against six human smugglers amid outrage over slavery in Libya, which has become a major transit point for migrants heading into Europe in the chaos since the Western military campaign that helped topple dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

Last week the internationally recognized government in Tripoli called on the United Nations to do more to protect civilians and end fighting near the capital that has claimed more than 100 lives since August.

Le Drian, whose government has been pushing a peace plan that includes elections by the end of the year, also called for stricter control of the cash flow from sales of Libyan oil to prevent funding of hostile groups.

The feuding militias come mostly from Libya's third city Misrata and the town of Tarhouna to the southeast of the capital, with fighting flaring despite a ceasefire reached on September 4.

Le Drian, speaking on the eve of the annual General Assembly, also urged countries to mobilize to end the war in Syria, which has claimed more than 360,000 lives since 2011.

Syrian President "Bashar al-Assad but also those who support him have a responsiblity to work for a political solution," Le Drian said.

"If not, we risk heading toward a sort of perpetual war in the area," he said.US-based Raytheon, a technology and innovation leader, has been awarded a multi-year contract for cybersecurity solutions and training, knowledge transfer and operational and support with a new government customer in the Mena Region.



"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 honoured 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."  TradeArabia News Service





Sources in the Maldives said former leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom had been brought to the capital to appeal his sentence after his estranged half-brother suffered a shock electoral defeat

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.Rod Rosenstein plays a key role in overseeing the probe into alleged collusion between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, which the president calls a politically motivated "witch hunt"

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.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

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.Displaced Syrian children attend class at a makeshift school in an opposition-held area in the west of the northern province of Aleppo

In rebel-held northern Syria, displaced children sit or lie on the ground of an unfinished villa, bending over their notebooks to apply themselves as they write the day's lesson.

Four teachers instruct around 100 children -- girls and boys aged six to 12 -- at the makeshift school in an opposition-held area in the west of the northern province of Aleppo.

Between the bare walls of the villa abandoned mid-construction, children sit or lie on sheets or plain carpets, their small backpacks cast by their side.

Dubbed "Buds of Hope", the teaching facility has no desks, library or even working toilets.

Instead, the air wafts in from beyond the pine trees outside through the gaping windows in the cement wall.

Dressed in a bright blue T-shirt and jeans, her hair neatly tied back in a pony tail, a barefoot girl kneels over her book, carefully writing.

Displaced children sit on the floor at the "Buds of Hope" school in Syria's Aleppo province which has no desks, library or even working toilets

"This isn't a school," says 11-year-old Ali Abdel Jawad.

"There aren't any classrooms, no seats, nothing. We're sitting on the ground," he says.

In one classroom, a gaggle of veiled young girls sit on a bench, as the teacher explains the lesson to one of their male counterparts near a rare white board.

In another, the school's only female teacher perches on a plastic chair, as her students gather around on the floor, their backs against the wall.

- 'Scared of bombardment' -

Some sit with their knees drawn on a plastic woven carpet, their shoes neatly by its side.

The children and their teachers have been displaced from their homes in other parts of Syria due to the seven-year war

The children -- as well as their teachers -- have been displaced from their homes in other parts of Syria due to the seven-year war, a teacher told an AFP photographer.

Some hail from Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus, a former rebel stronghold that fell back under regime control in April after a blistering offensive and surrender deals.

Others come from the central provinces of Hama or Homs.

A dry fountain lies in the courtyard outside the villa's elegant facade, where girls link arms and swing around in a circle.

Schools in opposition-held areas are generally funded by aid organisations, but have in the past been hit by bombardment.

"We're always scared of bombardment and of the situation in general," says one of the teachers, giving his name as Mohammed.

Displaced children play outside their makeshift school building in the village of Muhandiseen, in the southwestern countryside of the Aleppo province

The building lies in rebel-held territory adjacent to regime-controlled parts of Aleppo city to the east, but also the major opposition stronghold of Idlib to the west.

Some three million people live in the Idlib province and adjacent areas of the neighbouring Aleppo and Latakia provinces, around half of them displaced by war in other parts of Syria.

Earlier this month, many feared a regime assault on Idlib, but last week Damascus ally Moscow and rebel backer Ankara announced a deal to temporarily halt it.The brochure portrayed Arous as a divers' paradise located along the Red Sea in Sudan. It was in fact one of the Israeli intelligence agency's most audacious operations.

The stunning tale is set to become a Hollywood film, starring Ben Kingsley, Haley Bennett and Chris Evans.

It dates to the early 1980's, when the Arous holiday resort and its around 15 beach houses became a prized spot for divers seeking access to Red Sea coral reefs in an unspoilt location.

'The fish came to nibble on the divers' masks,' said Daniel Limor, who led 'Operation Brothers' for Israel's spy agency, Mossad.

As far as tourists and Sudanese authorities knew, the resort village was owned by Europeans who employed local residents.

They were unaware that Arous was a Mossad base to secretly evacuate 7,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel from refugee camps in Sudan.

The operation played out for four years, from 1981 to 1985.

Hollywood has found inspiration for a film coming out next year in the Mossad operation of the early 1980's, in which agents set up a fake diving resort in Sudan to rescue Ethiopian Jews. Gad Shimron (pictured) was one of the agents based at the resort called Arous and the author of a book on the operation

Israeli author Shimron speaks during an interview with AFP in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on August 23, 2018

The brochure portrayed it as a divers' paradise located along the Red Sea in Sudan

Urged into action by an Ethiopian Jew in Khartoum, Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin decided to move ahead with the mission in 1977.

Limor, who was also a diving aficionado, spotted a holiday resort built by Italian entrepreneurs in the 1970s along the Red Sea that had been abandoned due to lack of road access and running water.

'It's something that just fell from the sky,' he said, his voice still filled with surprise decades later.

At the time, Ethiopian Jews had fled their country for refugee camps in neighbouring Sudan to escape famine, war and persecution, with the goal of ultimately fulfilling the isolated community's dream of reaching the holy land.

But the journey by foot to Sudan was filled with danger.

'They were attacked, raped, robbed,' said Limor, who was consulted for the script for the film, due out next year.

'They suffered. They also died in the refugee camps.'

To set the plan in motion, Ethiopian intermediaries selected Jews who would be exfiltrated from the Sudanese camps.

The operation held great risk for all involved given the relations between Israel and Muslim-majority Sudan.

'We were the eyes, the ears and the feet of the Mossad,' said Miki Achihon, an Ethiopian Jewish student at the time who had fled to Sudan.

Without telephones or internet, everything was done person-to-person.

The stunning tale is set to become a Hollywood film, starring Ben Kingsley, (pictured in London in September 2018)

The film will also star actress Haley Bennett (pictured above in Beverly Hills in March 2018)

Chris Evans will also star in the film. Evans is pictured above in New York in February 2018

'The Mossad doesn't give us a sort of contract. It doesn't give us a down payment,' said Achihon, who would later become a lieutenant colonel in the Israeli military.

After being taken into the Sudanese desert, groups of between 100 and 200 people were met by Mossad agents who drove them away in trucks.

'Then started the long drive to the shore - something like 700 kilometres (435 miles),' said Gad Shimron, one of the agents based at Arous and the author of a book on the operation.

At the end of the road, they delivered the refugees to Israeli ships waiting in international waters.

'Of course, we had in mind the possibility of us hanging - you know, feet up,' Shimron said.

Apparently taking them for traffickers, Sudanese soldiers opened fire one night as the last boat left.

They escaped unharmed, but the Israelis were shaken and changed tactics.

They opted for another daring strategy: landing planes in the desert in the middle of the night to transport the refugees to Tel Aviv.

Satellite imagery of a plot of land roughly where the Arous resort used to be

Ethiopian children, whose roots trace back to Judaism, walk at Beta Israel school while awaiting immigration to Israel, in Gondar March 8, 2007

Shimron said there was a 'moment of elation' when the planes took off and the operatives would stand in the quiet of the desert.

Some tourists suspected that Arous was being used as a trafficking site due to its location just across the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah.

But the agents' double lives were never exposed, said Yola, a Mossad operative who managed the resort.

She said she could have remained at Arous for the rest of her life.

'I didn't want to go back,' she said. 'I was completely the other person.'

The operation would have to come to an end in 1985 when one of their Ethiopian contacts was questioned by the police.

As a precautionary measure, the Mossad urgently evacuated the village.

But today, its legacy stands as a key part of Israel's efforts to bring their Jewish brethren over from Ethiopia.

More than 100,000 Ethiopian Jews have emigrated to Israel since the 1980's.

In 1984, Operation Moses exfiltrated 8,000 Jews, while seven years later Operation Solomon brought more than 14,000 people to Israel in 36 hours.

For the Ethiopians, the joy of arriving was accompanied by the difficulty of adapting to a new home and overcoming trauma they had endured.

Many regretted leaving behind family.

Achihon said they should have been given psychological treatment, but the government 'immediately tried to take us to be part of the society', offering language and other types of training.

'Many were not ready,' he said.

He said there was also discrimination.

For Achihon, the 'heroic' role of the Ethiopian activists should never be forgotten.

More than three decades later, the movie version of Operation Brothers - 'The Red Sea Diving Resort' - is being directed by Israeli filmmaker Gideon Raff, filmed in South Africa and Namibia.

'It is a unique, Zionist James Bond story,' said Shimron.French fisheries patrol vessel the FPV Osiris eventually rescued the sailors

Two solo yachtsman stranded in the remote Indian Ocean during a round-the-world race were in a "good and stable condition" after being rescued in an multinational mission, Australian authorities said Tuesday.

The yachts of Indian Abhilash Tomy and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, competitors in the Golden Globe race, were damaged during a storm on Friday, leaving them marooned some 3,500 kilometres (2,200 miles) off Australia's west coast.

Tomy, a 39-year-old navy commander, was badly injured during the storm and on his bunk unable to move, race organisers said.

As part of an international effort to reach the men, both sailors were located and brought on board French fisheries patrol vessel FPV Osiris on Monday.

"Both sailors at this stage are reported to be good and in a stable condition," Al Lloyd of coordinating agency the Australian Maritime Safety Authority told reporters in Canberra.

Lloyd said the men were due to arrive at a nearby Indian Ocean island Ile Amsterdam later Tuesday, where they would be assessed by doctors.

McGuckin, 32, was not injured but said he wanted to abandon his yacht after it was damaged. He made his way to Tomy in an attempt to assist him, and arrived at the same time as Osiris, Lloyd said.

India's Abhilash Tomy reported that he had injured his back during a storm and was unable to move

At this stage, the plans were for them to be transferred onto the Royal Australian Navy's frigate HMAS Ballarat due to arrive at the island on Friday, and brought to Australia, he added.

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 was a replica of Robin Knox-Johnston's Suhaili, winner of the first Golden Globe Race.A Huthi rebel fighter stands guard during a rally to mark three years of war in Yemen in Sanaa on March 26, 2018

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused Yemen's Huthi rebels of hostage-taking, torture and other serious abuses against people in their custody.

The New York-based watchdog said it had documented 16 cases of illegal imprisonment by the Iran-backed Shiite insurgents, "in large part to extort money from relatives or to exchange them for people held by opposing forces".

"Huthi officials have treated detainees brutally, often amounting to torture," HRW said, adding that former detainees described being beaten with iron rods, wooden sticks and assault rifles.

Prisoners were shackled to walls, caned and threatened with rape, it said, noting that hostage-taking "is a serious violation of the laws of war and a war crime".

"The Huthis have added profiteering to their long list of abuses and offences against the people under their control in Yemen," said HRW Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson.

"Rather than treat detainees humanely, some Huthi officials are exploiting their power to turn a profit through detention, torture and murder."

The Huthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, forcing the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee south.

Nearly 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates intervened on the side of the Yemeni government in 2015.

UN investigators said last month that all sides in the conflict may have committed war crimes, pointing to widespread arbitrary detention, rape, torture and the recruitment of children.

HRW called on the UN Human Rights Council to renew the mandate of a group of experts on Yemen to investigate and identify all parties responsible for abuses.

"The United Arab Emirates, UAE proxies, and Yemeni government forces have also arbitrarily detained, tortured and forcibly disappeared scores of people in the Yemeni conflict," it said.A Moroccan navy patrol, similar to the one pictured August 2015, was "forced" to open fire on a speedboat driven by a Spaniard who "refused to obey" orders in waters off the Moroccan locality of M'diq-Fnideq

Morocco's navy on Tuesday fired on a boat carrying migrants that refused to respond to its orders, leaving a young woman dead and three other Moroccans wounded, local officials said.

The patrol was "forced" to open fire on a speedboat driven by a Spaniard who "refused to obey" orders in waters off the Moroccan locality of M'diq-Fnideq, the authorities said in a statement.

Those on board the powerboat were lying down and could not be seen, a local official told AFP.

Four migrants were wounded, including a Moroccan woman who died of her injuries in hospital.

Mohamed Benaissa, head of the Northern Observatory for Human Rights, said the woman killed was 22 years old and the three wounded were also Moroccans, one of whom was left in critical condition with an arm amputated.

A total of 25 people were on the boat, including the people traffickers who were Spanish nationals, he said.

The Spanish driver of the boat was unharmed and later arrested, according to the same source, adding an investigation had been opened.

Morocco -- a key route for sub-Saharan Africans trying to reach Europe via Spain -- said this month it has foiled 54,000 bids so far in 2018 by illegal migrants to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

The figures included 7,100 Moroccans for the period until the end of August, according to figures released last week by the Moroccan government spokesman.

Since early 2018, Spain has recorded more than 38,000 arrivals by sea and land, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Since the beginning of September, social media networks in Morocco have been inundated with videos showing young people from the North African country heading to Spain aboard inflatable boats.MALE, Maldives (AP) - Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory early Monday in the Maldives' contentious presidential election, which was widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.

The win was unexpected, and Solih's supporters flooded the streets, hugging one another, waving the Maldivian flag, cheering and honking horns in celebration. The opposition had feared the election would be rigged for strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, whose first term was marked by a crackdown on political rivals, courts and the media. Yameen did not concede, and his campaign couldn't be reached for comment.

"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.

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, center, shakes hands with a supporter as his running mate, Faisal Naseem, right, addresses the gathering in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker, Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

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.

Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the nation of islands and atolls in the southern Indian Ocean has seen economic growth and longer life expectancy under Yameen, according to the World Bank. But democratic freedoms have been curtailed.

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."

But Solih had 58.3 percent of the vote with nearly 97.5 percent of ballots counted early Monday, according to independent news 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 in the capital city of Male, 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 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.

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. The statement from spokesperson 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.

Few foreign media organizations were allowed into the country 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.

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, 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.

___

Associated Press writer Krishan Francis contributed to this report from Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih addresses the media in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker, Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, left, and his running mate, Faisal Naseem, leave after addressing media in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker, Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldivian polling workers prepare to count ballots at the end of the presidential election day in Male, Maldives, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. As officials began tabulating votes after the polls closed at 7 p.m., people in the Maldives and observers outside the tiny, tropical South Asian country waited for the results to see whether the opposition's cries of a rigged vote would be validated. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldivians hold colorful umbrellas as they wait in the sun to caste their vote during presidential election day in Male, Maldives, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Mohamed Sharuhaan)

Maldivian polling workers open a ballot box to count votes at the end of the presidential election day in Male, Maldives, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. As officials began tabulating votes after the polls closed at 7 p.m., people in the Maldives and observers outside the tiny, tropical South Asian country waited for the results to see whether the opposition's cries of a rigged vote would be validated. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldivian polling workers prepare to count ballots at the end of the presidential election day in Male, Maldives, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. As officials began tabulating votes after the polls closed at 7 p.m., people in the Maldives and observers outside the tiny, tropical South Asian country waited for the results to see whether the opposition's cries of a rigged vote would be validated. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Two Maldivian women share a happy moment as they wait to caste their vote at a polling station during presidential election voting day in Male, Maldives, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Huge crowds flocked to closely guarded polling stations on Sunday to vote in the Maldives' third multiparty presidential elections, widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)MALE, Maldives (AP) - The Latest on the Maldives' presidential election (all times local):

5 a.m.

The U.S. State Department has congratulated the Maldives' on its peaceful democratic election.

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, left, and his running mate, Faisal Naseem, leave after addressing media in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory in Sunday's vote, which was widely seen as a referendum on democracy in the nation that was holding only its third multiparty democratic elections.

The nation's strongman president hasn't conceded, and official results won't be announced until Saturday, allowing possible court challenges of the vote.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert noted the reported opposition victory in a statement that urged "calm and respect for the will of the people" as the election process concludes.

___

12:25 a.m.

Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has declared victory in the Maldives' third-ever multiparty presidential elections.

Independent newspaper website mihaaru.com reports that Solih has 58.3 percent of the vote, with nearly 92 percent of ballots counted.

Independent election watchdog Transparency Maldives tweeted that Solih has won "by a decisive margin."

The opposition had feared the election would be rigged in favor of Maldives' strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, whose first term in office was marked by a crackdown on political rivals, courts and the media.

In a victory speech in Maldives' capital Male, Solih called it "a moment of happiness, hope and history."

___

7:25 p.m.

Election officials in the Maldives say voting has ended in the South Asian island nation's third-ever multiparty presidential election after the polls were kept open longer than planned due to high voter turnout.

More than 260,000 of the 400,000 citizens of the Maldives were eligible to vote at about 400 polling stations across the islands that comprise the Indian Ocean archipelago.

An elections-eve raid of the opposition presidential candidate's main campaign office cast a pall over Sunday's election, widely seen as a referendum on the Maldives' young democracy. But it did not appear to deter voters, who waited in rain and high temperatures to cast ballots.

Election officials said results were expected as early as 10 p.m. Sunday (1700 GMT).

___

4:35 p.m.

Authorities in the Maldives say voting hours have been extended to accommodate high voter turnout in the country's presidential election.

Election commission spokesman Ahmed Akram says the polls, which were originally scheduled to close at 4 p.m., will remain open until 7 p.m. He says that by midday Sunday, voter turnout was about 42 percent and that turnout may rise to as much as 90 percent by the time the polls close.

More than 260,000 of the 400,000 citizens of the Maldives were eligible to vote at about 400 polling stations across the islands that comprise the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Observers from Transparency Maldives said in a statement earlier Sunday that opening procedures "went well."

Democracy was introduced to the Maldives, a former British protectorate, in 2008 after decades of autocratic rule. Incumbent strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom's only opponent in Sunday's election is longtime opposition lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

___

10:35 a.m.

Party officials say no arrests have been made Sunday after an elections-eve raid of the presidential opposition candidate's main campaign office in Male.

A warrant for the raid obtained by The Associated Press cited police intelligence of possible vote-buying at the campaign office. The presidential candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, was not in the office during the hours-long raid.

The raid has cast a pall over Sunday's elections, widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.

The opposition says it bolsters fears that the vote will be rigged in favor of the Maldives' strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom.

Both Yameen and Solih voted in Male shortly after polls opened Sunday morning.

The polls close at 4 p.m. and election officials say results are expected after 10 p.m.

___

9:30 a.m.

Voting has started in the Maldives in a presidential election that is widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.

President Yameen Abdul Gayoom cast his ballot in the capital, Male, about 40 minutes after polls opened. Huge crowds flocked to closely guarded polling stations.

Gayoom has been criticized for cracking down on freedoms. He used his first term to consolidate power, jailing opponents, including his half brother, a former president, and two Supreme Court Justices, or forcing them into exile and asserting control over the courts.

Police raided the opposition presidential candidate's main campaign office on Saturday evening, citing a warrant to search for evidence of vote-buying.

Members of the opposition decried the raid, saying the election could be rigged in favor of Gayoom.

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih addresses the media in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A Maldivian polling worker shows a ballot paper to monitors as she counts votes, following the end of the presidential election day in Male, Maldives, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Officials began tabulating votes after the polls closed in the tiny, tropical South Asian country, with the opposition calling it a rigged vote.(AP Photo/Mohamed Sharuhaan)

Maldivian polling workers prepare to count ballots at the end of the presidential election day in Male, Maldives, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. As officials began tabulating votes after the polls closed at 7 p.m., people in the Maldives and observers outside the tiny, tropical South Asian country waited for the results to see whether the opposition's cries of a rigged vote would be validated. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldivian polling workers prepare to count ballots at the end of the presidential election day in Male, Maldives, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. As officials began tabulating votes after the polls closed at 7 p.m., people in the Maldives and observers outside the tiny, tropical South Asian country waited for the results to see whether the opposition's cries of a rigged vote would be validated. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Two Maldivian women share a happy moment as they wait to caste their vote at a polling station during presidential election voting day in Male, Maldives, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Huge crowds flocked to closely guarded polling stations on Sunday to vote in the Maldives' third multiparty presidential elections, widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)C5 Accelerate, a Bahrain-based technology investment firm, has signed up as the platinum sponsor of the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum & IT Expo 2018, said the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA).



The event will be held under the patronage of HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa - Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology  on October 7 and 8 at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain.



C5 Accelerate executive director Hadyah Fathalla expressed her delight in companys sponsorship for the prestigious Forum as such sponsorship is considered as a verification of companys dedication towards the Kingdom of Bahrain by allowing C5 Accelerate to play a focal role as a technology partner for public and private entities.



She also expressed companys pride in inviting all those interested in technology to visit the C5 Accelerate pavilion in the Bahrain IT Expo 2018 to become introduced to state-of-the-art advancements in the IT industry and experience the latest innovations, products and programs.



Fathalla added that 'C5 and our portfolio companies are proud to be playing an important role in this arena and to be working alongside the government in their constant efforts to develop Bahrain's technology industry.



Cybersecurity remains a key consideration for all companies and governments, globally and regionally and we can only expect the sophistication and frequency of hacks to increase. It's important we continue to evolve our security to ensure that the online world is safe for all. We look forward to continuing to work with the Bahraini government and private sector to keep cybersecurity at the top of the agenda, she said.



C5 Accelerate participates in the event side-by-side with experts and exhibitors who present innovative concepts and solutions on followed methodologies to enable everyone  from various levels  whether companies, academics, governments or individuals to deal with technology and generally improve their lifestyles.  TradeArabia News ServiceLIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Britain's main opposition Labour Party confirmed Sunday it will hold a major debate on Brexit at its party conference this week, buoying Labour members hoping to stop the country from leaving the European Union.

With the U.K. and the European Union at an impasse in divorce talks, many Labour members think the left-of-center 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, but he and other party leaders are under pressure to change their minds. As delegates gathered in Liverpool, one message was emblazoned on hundreds of T-shirts and tote bags: "Love Corbyn, Hate Brexit."

Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn gives a thumbs up gesture as he arrives for an interview by BBC TV journalist Andrew Marr, in Liverpool, England, Sunday Sept. 23, 2018. The Labour Party is holding its annual party conference in Liverpool, which is due to decide on decisive issues like whether to back a new Brexit referendum on the country's departure from the European Union. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)

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.

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 "Exit from Brexit" and a few ruder slogans.

More than 100 local Labour associations 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 said Sunday that members and affiliated unions had selected Brexit as one of the priority issues delegates will consider, with a debate scheduled for Tuesday. But what exactly they will vote on has yet to be decided, and will be crucial.

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.

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.

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."

__

Follow Jill Lawless on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

People protest against Brexit at St. Georges Plateau in Liverpool during the Labour party's annual conference abeing held at the Arena and Convention Center (ACC), in Liverpool. Sunday Sept, 23, 2018. Britain's Labour Party is facing a huge choice at its annual conference, whether to back a new Brexit referendum on the country's departure from the European Union. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, left, talks with deputy leader Tom Watson during the start of the party's annual conference in Liverpool, England, Sunday Sept. 23, 2018. Britain's Labour Party is facing a huge choice at its annual conference, whether to back a new Brexit referendum on the country's departure from the European Union. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)

Britain's Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, waves to supporters outside the International Slavery Museum at the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool, England, as he arrives in the city for his party's annual conference, Saturday Sept. 22, 2018. The annual Labour Party conference includes a weekend of full of various rallies and meetings, with thousands of people expected to greet party leaders. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at Labour's National Women's Conference at the ACC, ahead of the party's annual conference, in Liverpool, England, Saturday Sept. 22, 2018. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a rally at Pier Head in Liverpool, England, Saturday Sept. 22, 2018, ahead of the party's annual conference in the city. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)

Labour member of the House of Lords, Andrew Adonis speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in London, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. Britain's Labour Party may hold the fate of Brexit in its hands, if only it can decide what to do, and Adonis supports holding a second referendum on the Brexit issue. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Labour member of the House of Lords, Andrew Adonis speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in London, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. Adonis supports holding a second referendum on the Brexit issue, and says Labour can't sit on the sidelines while the country staggers toward political and financial chaos. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Labour Deputy Leader Tom Watson, centre, cycles at the party's annual conference at the Arena and Convention Centre (ACC), in Liverpool, as part of the Labour Cycles initiative to enable more people to have access to active travel. Britain's Labour Party is facing a huge choice at its annual conference, whether to back a new Brexit referendum on the country's departure from the European Union.Sunday Sept. 23, 2018. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - The Latest on the fallout from Saturday's attack on a military parade in Iran (all times local):

4:25 p.m.

Iran's state TV has reported that a 4-year-old boy who was wounded during Saturday's terror attack on a military parade in the city of Ahvaz has died at a hospital.

In this photo provided by the Iranian Students' News Agency, ISNA, a Revolutionary Guard member carries a wounded boy after a shooting during a military parade marking the 38th anniversary of Iraq's 1980 invasion of Iran, in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. Gunmen attacked the military parade, killing at least eight members of the elite Revolutionary Guard and wounding 20 others, state media said. (Behrad Ghasemi/ISNA via AP)

Sunday's report showed the deceased Mohammad Taha lying on his bed in an Ahvaz hospital. Beside him, a doctor next says: "He was wearing a black shirt when he was killed because he was at a mourning ceremony," referring to Ashoura, an annual commemoration mourning the 7th century death of Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein, one of Shiite Islam's most beloved saints.

A photo of wounded, motionless Mohammad Taha resting in a soldier's arms circulated on Saturday after the shooting. He died on Saturday.

Arab separatists claimed the attack, which killed at least 25 people and wounded about 60 others.

Iran said a U.S.-allied regional country supports the group.

___

2:30 p.m.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard says that those behind an attack on a military parade will face "deadly and unforgiving revenge in the near future."

The Guard issued the statement Sunday, a day after an attack claimed by Arab separatists in Ahvaz killed at least 25 people and wounded over 60. It was the deadliest such attack in Iran in nearly a decade.

A news agency close to the Guard said at least eight of its members were killed in the attack.

The Guard said in its statement that it was willing to pursue the attackers "regionally and beyond."

Iran's leaders have blamed the attack on the United States, saying an unnamed U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf aided the militants.

The Guard in September launched a missile attack targeting Kurdish separatists meeting in Iran, killing at least 11 people and wounding 50.

___

11 a.m.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani claims an unnamed U.S.-allied country supports the group that attacked a military parade on Saturday.

Rouhani said Sunday that the U.S. supports small nations in the southern Persian Gulf that in turn back the militants behind the attack. He did not identify the attackers. Arab separatists claimed the assault, which killed at least 25 people and wounded more than 60, and Iranian officials appear to have accepted the claim.

Rouhani could have been referring to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain, all of which are close U.S. military allies. He says Iran will respond to the attack in a lawful way.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE view Iran as a regional menace and have long accused it of meddling in other countries' affairs. Iran backs militant groups across the region.

___

6:45 a.m.

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.

A statement early Sunday from Iran's Foreign Ministry also quoted ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi as saying Danish and Dutch diplomats were told Iran "already warned" their governments about this.

The statement also criticized Britain over a Saudi-linked, Farsi-language satellite channel immediately airing an interview with an Ahvazi separatist claiming the attack.

Saturday's attack in Ahvaz killed at least 25 people and wounded over 60.

Arab separatists in the region claimed the assault and Iranian officials believe they carried it out. The Islamic State group also claimed the attack, but initially offered incorrect information about it and provided no proof.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - 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.

FILE - In this May 5, 2018, file photo, Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for President Donald Trump, speaks at the Iran Freedom Convention for Human Rights and democracy in Washington. On Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, Arab separatists killed at least 25 people in an attack targeting a military parade in Iran, and Giuliani declared that the Iranian government would be toppled. From Saturday's attack in Ahvaz to America resuming sanctions despite Iran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, pressure on Tehran is rising and its leaders are growing more combative toward the West. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

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."

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap . His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz .

In this photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani, center, leaves for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. On Saturday, the same day Arab separatists killed at least 25 people in an attack targeting a military parade in Iran, Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's lawyer, declared that the government would be toppled. Iran fears that America and its Gulf Arab allies are plotting to tear the Islamic Republic apart. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

FILE-- In this June 25, 2018, file photo, a group of protesters, angry over economic woes, chant slogans at the main gate of old grand bazaar in Tehran, Iran. On Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, Arab separatists killed at least 25 people in an attack targeting a military parade in Iran, and President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani declared that the Iranian government would be toppled. From Saturday's attack in Ahvaz to America resuming sanctions despite Iran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, pressure on Tehran is rising and its leaders are growing more combative toward the West. (Iranian Labor News Agency via AP, File)WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses him of sexually assaulting her decades ago (all times local):

11:40 p.m.

Senate Judiciary Committee staff say they will look into a report that a second woman is accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Judiciary spokesman Taylor Foy says Republican committee staff found out about the claim when The New Yorker reported that Deborah Ramirez says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a college party.

The New Yorker piece says Senate Democrats have been looking into the allegations. Foy says Democrats "actively withheld information" from the Republicans and "it increasingly appears that they are more interested in a political takedown than pursuing allegations through a bipartisan and professional investigative process."

Foy said the committee is also looking into comments by lawyer Michael Avenatti Sunday that he represents a woman with information about high school-era parties attended by Kavanaugh.

9:50 p.m.

The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee is seeking "immediate postponement" of any further action on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court amid a new report of alleged sexual misconduct.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California sent a letter late Sunday to GOP Chairman Chuck Grassley after The New Yorker magazine reported that Senate Democrats are investigating a second woman's accusation of sexual misconduct by the nominee when he was a Yale freshman.

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.

In a story Sunday, The New Yorker says Deborah Ramirez recalled Kavanaugh exposing himself at a drunken dormitory party.

___

9:50 p.m.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has made public the letter in which Christine Blasey Ford alleges sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

In the letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, dated July 30, Ford recalls a party in the early 1980s where she says a drunken Kavanaugh pushed her on a bed, stifled her screams and tried to undress her before she escaped. Kavanaugh denies the allegation.

Ford also claims that Kavanaugh's friend Mark Judge was in the room during the alleged attack.

A lawyer for Judge told the committee he has "no memory of the alleged incident" and has never seen Kavanaugh act the way Ford describes.

Ford and Kavanaugh are slated to testify Thursday before the Judiciary panel. Ford also wants Judge to testify, but Republicans have rejected that request.

___

8:35 p.m.

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is denying a second allegation of sexual misconduct.

The White House released a statement from the nominee Sunday after the allegations in a New Yorker article in which a woman, Deborah Rodriguez, a former Yale classmate, alleged he exposed himself and thrust his penis in her face during a drunken dormitory party.

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."

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.

___

8:30 p.m.

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.

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.

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5:15 p.m.

After days of negotiations, the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing Thursday for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and a woman, Christine Blasey Ford, who says he sexually assaulted her as a teenager.

The two have agreed to a date and time after nearly a week of uncertainty over whether Ford would appear at all. The agreement sets the stage for a dramatic showdown as Kavanaugh and Ford each tell their side of the story.

The hearing will also determine the fate of Kavanaugh's confirmation, which hangs on the votes of a handful of senators. It had seemed assured before the 51-year-old California college professor went public a week ago with her allegation that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party when they were in high school.

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3:05 p.m.

Top Democrats are asking President Donald Trump again to direct the FBI to investigate Christine Blasey Ford's claim that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when both were teenagers.

Trump and Senate Republicans have repeatedly said an investigation is not necessary. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, sent a letter to Trump on Sunday saying the FBI has more than enough time before Ford and Kavanaugh testify on Thursday.

Schumer and Feinstein write that Trump's comments this past week about getting to the bottom of the charges is "is merely lip service unless you are willing to direct the FBI to investigate."

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2:35 p.m.

Senate Judiciary Committee staff have written lawyers for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, and said they would do everything they could to "provide a safe, comfortable, and dignified forum" for her testimony Thursday. But they also say the committee will decide who testifies, in what order and how they will be questioned.

In an email exchange between the committee and Ford's lawyers obtained by The Associated Press, a counsel for Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley wrote that the terms over which witnesses to call and questioning are "non-negotiable." Ford's lawyers asked for several conditions surrounding her testimony.

Davis wrote that they would hold the hearing in the Judiciary panel's regular hearing room, which is small. He said that was to avoid a "circus" atmosphere.

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1:40 p.m.

A spokesman for the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is confirming that the committee will hold a public hearing Thursday on the sexual assault allegation that's been made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

That word comes from Taylor Foy, an aide to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, soon after lawyers for Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford said in a statement that they were "committed to moving forward with an open hearing" on that day.

The Ford lawyers' statement also said further details about the upcoming hearing are still to be worked out.

At issue is Ford's accusation stemming from an incident she says took place when she and Kavanaugh were teenagers.

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1:20 p.m.

Attorneys for Brett Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, are citing "important progress" on a high-stakes public hearing to air out her decades-old sexual assault claim against the Supreme Court nominee.

Her attorneys say they have committed to a 10 a.m. hearing on Thursday and accept the committee's decision not to subpoena Mark Judge, a Kavanaugh friend who Ford asserts was present when the incident occurred.

But they say the Republican-controlled Senate panel hasn't said who will be asking questions of her and Kavanaugh. The Senate Judiciary Committee's 11 Republicans - all men - have been seeking an outside female attorney to interrogate Ford.

Ford's attorneys say the committee has not indicated when they will respond, but said the remaining "procedural and logistical issues" will "not impede the hearing taking place."

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11 a.m.

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Brett Kavanaugh's accuser will be treated "respectfully" by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but both witnesses "will be challenged" over the sexual assault allegation from decades ago she's made against the Supreme Court nominee.

Talks continue between the GOP-run committee and Christine Blasey Ford's lawyer over details of a tentative agreement for a hearing Thursday.

Graham says Ford's lawyers are contesting two conditions for her testimony - that Ford and Kavanaugh will be the only witnesses and that an independent counsel will ask the questions.

The South Carolina Republican tells "Fox News Sunday" that "I hope she comes. I will listen if she does."

But he adds that "unless there's something more" to back up her accusation, he's "not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh's life over this."

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10:20 a.m.

A Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee says Brett Kavanaugh's accuser deserves a fair hearing to determine whether her allegations of sexual assault are "serious" enough to vote down his Supreme Court nomination.

Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, acknowledged that lawmakers will "probably not" be able to know the truth of Christine Blasey Ford's decades-old allegation that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a house party when they were teenagers.

Durbin indicated that Democrats are likely to ask about Kavanaugh's drinking history because Ford has alleged Kavanaugh was "stumbling drunk" when it happened.

Durbin told ABC's "This Week" that some Republicans "reached out to Democratic senators and assured them that they are looking to this as kind of a determination as to how their final vote" on Kavanaugh is cast.

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1:20 a.m.

Talks are set to continue on tentative agreement for a Thursday hearing for Brett Kavanaugh's accuser to tell the Senate Judiciary Committee about her allegation that the Supreme Court nominee sexually assaulted her decades ago.

Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford and representatives of the committee came to the tentative agreement late Saturday. Kavanaugh also is set to appear at the hearing.

Some details, such as the order of their testimony, are being negotiated, and talks are expected to continue Sunday.BLADENBORO, N.C. (AP) - The Latest on the aftermath of Hurricane Florence (all times local):

11:40 p.m.

North Carolina's governor has announced that Interstate 95 has been reopened to all traffic within the state.

Dead fish lie around the edges of Greenfield Lake in Wilmington N.C., Sunday, September 23, 2018. The fish began dying following the landfall of Hurricane Florence but no official explanation has been given by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)

Gov. Roy Cooper announced the surprise development Sunday night in a news release.

The major highway runs north-south across the eastern part of the state and runs just east of Fayetteville. Officials had thought portions of the highway would continue to be underwater for days, but Cooper said floodwaters had receded faster than expected.

Parts of the highway had been closed since Sept. 15 due to Hurricane Florence.

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11:10 p.m.

A storm in the eastern Atlantic has been downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical depression.

The National Hurricane Center said Sunday at 11 p.m. that Tropical Depression Kirk has weakened and now has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) and is moving west at 25 mph (41 kph).

It is located about 835 miles (1,345 kilometers) southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands.

Forecasters say Kirk could weaken into a trough of low pressure Monday or Tuesday as it continues to rapidly move westward.

Meanwhile, Subtropical Storm Leslie is expected to dissipate in a few days. It is located about 1,245 miles (2,005 kilometers) west of the Azores and has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect for either Kirk or Leslie.

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10 p.m.

North Carolina's governor says travel remains treacherous in parts of southeastern North Carolina even as floodwaters start to recede in some areas of his state.

Gov. Roy Cooper released a statement Sunday evening saying people should remain aware of the dangers in still-flooded areas.

He says "Florence continues to bring misery to North Carolina," adding crews were still rescuing people who had driven into floodwaters over the weekend.

He says teams have conducted about 350 rescues most recently and that more than 5,200 people have been rescued since Florence slammed into the Carolinas on Sept. 14 as a hurricane. He also says more than 3,700 people had to be evacuated.

Now he says authorities are focusing on going door to door and conducting wellness checks on those in flooded areas.

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5 p.m.

Forecasters say Subtropical Storm Leslie, newly formed in the North Atlantic, is expected to dissipate in a few days. But the National Hurricane Center says it's keeping watch on Tropical Storm Kirk, now speeding westward across tropical Atlantic waters.

At 5 p.m. Sunday, the hurricane center reported, Leslie was about 1,170 miles (1,885 kilometers) west of the Azores and moving west at 3 mph (6 kph). There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect from that storm, which packs top sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).

Meanwhile, Kirk was moving at a fast 23 mph (37 kph) westward across the Tropical Atlantic. The storm was centered about 645 miles (1,040 kilometers) southwest of the southernmost Cabo Verde Islands. Some strengthening is expected in coming days, but forecasters say Kirk is likely to begin weakening later in the week.

____

3 p.m.

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.

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.

____

1:10 p.m.

About 6,000 to 8,000 people are being told they should prepare to evacuate because of anticipated flooding from rivers in a coastal South Carolina county.

Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers says Sunday that a "record event" of up to 10 feet (3 meters) of flooding is expected because of heavy rains dumped earlier by Hurricane Florence. The flooding is expected to start Tuesday near parts of the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers.

Broach-Akers says people in the potential flood zones should plan to leave their homes Monday. Georgetown County is opening two shelters for those who evacuate. Schools in Georgetown County are closed until further notice.

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1 p.m.

A woman 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 told the News-Argus of Goldsboro that she felt she had to help the animals brought to her during the storm.

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."

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Noon

At least three of North Carolina's wild horse herds on the Outer Banks have survived Hurricane Florence, but caretakers are still trying to account for one herd living on a hard-hit barrier island.

The News & Observer reports that the condition of the Shackleford Banks Herd was still unknown Sunday.

The president of the nonprofit Foundation for Shackleford Horses said the uninhabited island is still inaccessible, so it has been impossible to survey the entire herd of 118 horses. She said about 30 horses have been spotted so far and all appeared to be healthy.

The Carolla, Rachel Carson Reserve and Cedar Island horse herds weathered the storm fine.

Staff members are planning to make trips to the island this week to check on the Shackleford Banks herd.

___

11 a.m.

Forecasters say Subtropical Storm Leslie has formed in the north Atlantic, far from land.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sunday morning that Leslie is expected to be short-lived. Leslie is about 1,145 miles (1,840 kilometers) west-southwest of the Azores and has winds of 40 mph (65 kph). The storm is moving 3 mph (5 kph), and little motion is expected in the next two days.

Farther southeast, Tropical Storm Kirk is moving quickly west across the eastern Atlantic and is expected to pick up speed in the next few days. Forecasters say Kirk is about 545 miles (875 kilometers) southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and is moving west at 21 mph (34 kph). Forecasters think the storm will move even faster though Tuesday.

Kirk is expected to strengthen for a few days and then weaken toward the end of the week.

___

10:45 a.m.

Images on social media show masses of dead fish rotting on a North Carolina interstate after floodwaters from Hurricane Florence receded.

State Department of Transportation road maintenance supervisor Jeff Garrett posted photos Saturday of the rotting fish scattered along a stretch of Interstate 40.

The Penderlea Fire Department posted similar photos and video of firefighters using a hose to wash the fish off the pavement. In a statement posted online, they quipped: "We can add 'washing fish off of the interstate' to the long list of interesting things firefighters get to experience."

More than a week after Florence hit, travel remains difficult in the eastern part of the state.

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9 a.m.

Officials say counties in eastern North Carolina continue to see major flooding more than a week after Hurricane Florence made landfall.

Gov. Roy Cooper said Saturday that nine of the state's river gauges are at major flood stage and four others are at moderate stage. The Cape Fear river is expected to crest Sunday and remain at flood stage through early next week.

Parts of Interstates 95 and 40 will remain underwater for another week or more.

Emergency management officials said residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed will begin moving into hotel rooms next week.

South Carolina also has ordered more evacuations as rivers continue to rise in the aftermath of a storm that has claimed at least 43 lives.

___

For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes

A road is flooded from Hurricane Florence in the Avondale community in Hampstead, N.C., Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (Matt Born /The Star-News via AP)

Flooding from Sutton Lake has washed away part of U.S. 421 in New Hanover County just south of the Pender County line in Wilmington, N.C., Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (Matt Born /The Star-News via AP)

Volunteer Johnnie Evans brings a wagon of water to cleanup crews helping with the grisly task of removing storm damaged belongings, spoiled food and soaked furniture at Trent Court Apartments in New Bern, N.C., Sept. 21, 2018. Hurricane Florence brought storm surges which overflowed from the Trent River and forced many residents of Trent Court to evacuate. (Gray Whitley / Sun Journal via AP)

Avery Singleton takes a boat to Pine Grove Baptist Church Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Brittons Neck, S.C. Residents of Brittons Neck in Marion County are nearing the crest of the flooding from the Little Pee Dee River on Saturday, but many are concerned that the flooding Great Pee Dee will increase damage to their community. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

In this Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 photo, Kristen and Jason Atoigue Burgaw pilot a boat through floodwaters after visiting their house to retrieve their flood insurance papers and their son's hamster in Pender County, N.C. The Atoigues sustained a few feet of water in their residence. (Kristen Zeis/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Jimmy Poston holds a sunfish caught by hand in the flood waters of a front yard on Bay Road Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Brittons Neck, S.C. Most houses were cut off completely Saturday, with water on the front steps and creeping closer to the porch. Many residents were concerned that the flooding Great Pee Dee River will increase damage to their community. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

Dozens of homes are surrounded by floodwaters brought to the area by Hurricane Florence in Pender County, N.C., on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. The floodwaters have swallowed an estimated 25 percent of Pender county. (Kristen Zeis/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

John Davis grabs meals to had out at the NC Baptist Men's relief site at First Baptist Activity Center in Wilmington N.C., Sunday, September 23, 2018. The organization was distributing more than 16,000 meals on Sunday.(Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)

Auxilia Gerard, left, and Lou Anne Liverman help to fill boxes for individual meals at the NC Baptist Men's relief site at First Baptist Activity Center in Wilmington N.C., Sunday, September 23, 2018. The organization was distributing more than 16,000 meals on Sunday. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)

Jimmy English, left, and Bubba English with Wildlife Removal Service measure a five and a half foot alligator that was found under a house off Shipyard Blvd. in Wilmington N.C., Sunday, September 23, 2018. English said that it's not unusual to find alligators that have become disoriented after a major storm. He expects to see more when all of the waters recede.(Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)

The Hotel Ballast is reflected in floodwaters from the Cape Fear River along Water St. in downtown Wilmington, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. The river is expected to crest on Monday night. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)

Godfrey Guerzon takes a picture of floodwaters from the Cape Fear River at the foot of Market St in downtown Wilmington, N.C., Sunday, September 23, 2018. The river is expected to crest on Monday night. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)HONG KONG (AP) - Authorities in Hong Kong on Monday took an unprecedented step to quash 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 would be prohibited from operation from Monday.

At a briefing, Lee said the political party led by 27-year-old Andy Chan posed a threat to national security because it wants Hong Kong to be an independent republic and has taken steps to push this agenda. Lee cited as examples alleged plans by the party to recruit members and infiltrate schools to promote its views.

In this Aug. 14, 2018, photo, Andy Chan, founder of the Hong Kong National Party, speaks during a luncheon at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong. Authorities in Hong Kong have taken an unprecedented step against separatist voices by banning a political party that advocates independence for the southern Chinese territory on national security grounds. Hong Kong's secretary for security, John Lee, announced Monday, Sept. 24, that the Hong Kong National Party will be prohibited from operation. (Paul Yeung/Pool Photo via AP)

Lee said the party also "spreads hatred and discrimination against mainlanders in Hong Kong," referring to people from mainland China who live in the city. He accused the party of saying that it would employ all means to achieve its goals, including force - though the South China Morning Post newspaper said he acknowledged that the party hasn't actually used violent means to promote its cause.

The ban cites a national security law that has not been invoked since 1997. It is likely to raise further questions about Beijing's growing influence in the former British colony, which was promised semi-autonomy as part of its 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.

In Beijing, the office in charge of Hong Kong affairs in China's Cabinet, the State Council, expressed support for the ban, saying in remarks carried by the official Xinhua News Agency that the move was necessary to protect China's national security.

A spokesman for the office said China fully supported punishing what Xinhua described as "any acts that jeopardize national security," and that Beijing has "zero tolerance for any organizations preaching 'Hong Kong independence' or engaging in activities of splitting the country."

Chan, the leader of the National Party, had no immediate comment on Monday. He 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.

Maya Wang, a researcher with Human Rights Watch, said the ban sets a dangerous precedent. "The banning of the Hong Kong National Party is a milestone in the Beijing and Hong Kong governments' assault on Hong Kong's freedoms," Wang said. Though Hong Kong police said the party has not yet used any violence, it justified the ban as a necessary pre-emptive move.

"This justification sets a dangerous precedent, where more non-violent pro-democracy political groups may be similarly banned," Wang wrote in an email.CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australian filmmaker James Ricketson took a stroll on a Sydney beach at dawn Monday while recuperating from more than a year in a Cambodian prison, his nephew said.

Ricketson, 69, landed in Sydney on Sunday night two days after his 15-month stint in a Phnom Penh prison ended with clemency granted by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.

The filmmaker had been arrested after flying a drone to photograph an opposition party rally in June 2017. He was sentenced on Aug. 31 this year to six years in prison for alleged espionage even though prosecutors never specified whom he was spying for nor presented evidence that he possessed or transmitted any secrets.

Australian filmmaker James Ricketson, third left, walks with his daughter Roxanne Holmes, second left, after his arrival at Sydney International Airport, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. Ricketson arrived two days after his 15-month stint in a Phnom Penh prison ended with clemency granted by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni. (Dean Lewins/AAP Image via AP)

Ricketson's arrest came during a severe crackdown on political opponents and media in Cambodia before its general elections this year that were widely considered neither free nor fair and resulted in a sweeping victory by long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen and his party.

Ricketson's nephew said the imprisonment took a toll on his uncle's health.

"He was this morning walking on the beach at dawn and ... enjoying the freedom and just being amazed at his current situation compared to where he was 24 hours before," Bim Ricketson told reporters Monday.

"He's just recuperating. He's just taking a breather. He's just taking some time. You know, he's not very well. He's got to go to the doctor and he's exhausted," the nephew added.

James Ricketson said he wants to return to Cambodia. "I'll be going back as soon as I can, but I'll need to recover obviously," he told reporters upon his arrival in Sydney.

"I need to spend some time with myself and some time with my family. But yeah, I'll be going back," he added.

Ricketson deflected questions about how his release came about but thanked Hun Sen for recommending the king pardon him "for a crime I did not commit."

His pardon was the latest in a series of releases of political prisoners after the ruling party secured its landslide victory in the July elections.

Ricketson, co-founder of the Australian Directors' Guild, repeatedly insisted he had no political agenda and his work making documentary films was journalistic in nature.

Australian leaders expressed only lukewarm public concern about Ricketson's case, a stance that was criticized but also led to speculation that an understanding might have been reached with Cambodian authorities for Ricketson's early release.JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Nelson Mandela's South African journey from anti-apartheid leader to prisoner to president to global statesman - the "Long Walk to Freedom" of his autobiography title - is one of the 20th century's great stories of struggle, sacrifice and reconciliation. Now the United Nations is seeking to harness its soaring symbolism.

The unveiling of a statue of Mandela, born 100 years ago, with arms outstretched at the U.N. building in New York on Monday opens a peace summit at the General Assembly, where world leaders will once again address the planet's pressing problems: war, poverty, disease, migration and climate change. They'll do so amid a massive security operation in a city where Mandela was welcomed by exultant crowds in 1990, a few months after he walked out of a South African jail, ending 27 years of imprisonment under the country's white minority government.

"South Africa will be free," Mandela said during that visit, and indeed, he became the country's first black president in its first multi-racial elections four years later. His death in 2013 at age 95 brought a global outpouring of grief and tributes.

FILE - In this file photo dated Wednesday, March 28, 2007, Former South African President Nelson Mandela is photographed at the Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. The United Nations is seeking to harness the soaring symbolism of Nelson Mandela's struggle and national reconciliation, as it unveils of a statue of Mandela, born 100 years ago, at the U.N. building in New York on Monday Sept. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

But there is something of a distinction between the main global perception of Mandela - the moral colossus whose resolve and generosity of spirit, tactical as well as genuine, inspired people in Colombia, Northern Ireland and other places struggling with seemingly intractable conflicts - and a growing body of opinion at home that he and his party were too quick to accommodate South Africa's white minority, which lost political control but still dominates industry in one of the world's most economically unequal societies.

Despite South Africa's sense of unfinished business, it is a country enormously proud of the tall, charismatic orator with a broad smile and ironclad principles whose image and words were banned by his former captors, rendering him virtually invisible to the outside for decades. Mandela's universality means that he also belongs to the world, which has wrestled with a fresh set of economic and political ruptures of late.

In July, former U.S. president Barack Obama traveled to Johannesburg and spoke about how Mandela, by offering the possibility of "moral transformation," means as much to the globe as he does to South Africa.

"At the outset, his struggle was particular to this place, to his homeland - a fight to end apartheid, a fight to ensure lasting political and social and economic equality for its disenfranchised non-white citizens," Obama said. "But through his sacrifice and unwavering leadership and, perhaps most of all, through his moral example, Mandela and the movement he led would come to signify something larger."

The United Nations is declaring 2019-2028 as the "Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace," and a declaration being adopted at Monday's peace summit identifies the personal qualities that made him a transcendent humanitarian - "humility, forgiveness and compassion" - and connects them with U.N. goals, including disarmament, human rights and poverty alleviation.

It also warns of "challenges to the primacy of multilateralism," a catch-all term that could refer to trade disputes between the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and other countries, or the European Union's Brexit challenge, or other pressures testing the idea of shared values on which the U.N. was founded after World War II.

The declaration's signatories recognize "that the world has changed significantly since the founding of the United Nations, and acknowledge that global peace eludes us to this day," it says. But the tone is hopeful - "we must make the impossible possible" - and the document singles out South Africa for praise, remembering the country's dismantling of its nuclear weapons program toward the end of apartheid and Mandela's appeal for the "total elimination of nuclear weapons."

Mandela's plea is no closer to reality, and other elements of his legacy are under threat. In 2016, South Africa said it was withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, though a South African court later ruled against the move to pull out of the Hague-based tribunal, which was launched in 2002 and pursues perpetrators of the world's atrocities. Mandela had been a strong advocate for the court's creation.

The shine has come off the "rainbow nation" that was internationally admired in its early post-apartheid years during Mandela's presidency. South Africa struggles with fallout from allegedly massive corruption under former president Jacob Zuma, and a contentious debate about land reform reflects the frustrations of many in the black majority who think their country has let them down since they got the right to vote.

Still, it has one of the biggest economies in Africa, as well as a relatively robust judicial system and civil society.

"For all our shortcomings and simmering tensions, our country was truly inspirational, and it still is. In recent years it had become harder to sell the South African miracle, as our detractors would point to rampant corruption, cronyism, and the masses who are yet to share in the dividends of peace," Shannon Ebrahim, foreign editor for the Independent Media Group in South Africa, wrote in a column.

The U.N.'s honoring of Mandela, Ebrahim said, again gives South Africans a chance to inspire the world.

Monday is also a public holiday in South Africa, Heritage Day, introduced when Mandela was president to celebrate the country's cultural diversity.

According to accounts, Mandela wanted to be seen as a normal human being with both flaws and virtues, and not as an icon or legend. In 2007, he spoke at the dedication of a statue in his likeness opposite the Houses of Parliament in London, and his talk about the symbolism, not the man, seems equally apt for the new statue at the United Nations.

"We trust that the statue will be a reminder of heroes and heroines past," Mandela said, "as well as an inspiration for continuing struggles against injustice."

___

Christopher Torchia on Twitter: www.twitter.com/torchiachris

FILE - 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. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this June 27, 2013 file photo, large photographs of former South African President Nelson Mandela are displayed at the Nelson Mandela Legacy Exhibition at the Civic Centre in Cape Town, 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. (AP Photo, File)Trump leads aggressive, all-out GOP drive to save Kavanaugh

WASHINGTON (AP) - 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.

___

Cosby prosecutor asks for 5 to 10 years in prison

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Declaring Bill Cosby doesn't deserve a free pass because of his advanced age, prosecutors on Monday asked a judge to sentence the comedian to five to 10 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman, while the defense argued that he is too old and helpless to do time behind bars.

"What does an 81-year-old man do in prison?" defense attorney Joseph Green asked on Day 1 of the sentencing hearing for Cosby, who is legally blind and dependent on others. "How does he fight off the people who are trying to extort him, or walk to the mess hall?"

Green suggested that Cosby instead receive something akin to house arrest.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said that he has no doubt Cosby would commit another such offense if given the opportunity, warning that the TV star seemingly gets a sexual thrill out of slipping women drugs and assaulting them.

"So to say that he's too old to do that - to say that he should get a pass, because it's taken this long to catch up to what he's done?" Steele said, his voice rising. "What they're asking for is a 'get out of jail free' card."

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Rosenstein still has his job _ at least till Trump showdown

WASHINGTON (AP) - 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 on Thursday. That's 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 Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

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Dallas police officer who shot neighbor fired by department

DALLAS (AP) - 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."

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'Rocket Man' to 'Terrific': Trump lauds Kim in UN return

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - 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.

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US: Myanmar military led 'extreme' violence against Rohingya

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - A U.S. government investigation has found that Myanmar's military targeted Rohingya civilians indiscriminately and often with "extreme brutality" in a coordinated campaign to drive the minority Muslims out of the country.

The hard-hitting State Department report released Monday is based on a survey this spring of more than 1,000 refugees among the hundreds of thousands who have fled the crackdown to neighboring Bangladesh in the past two years.

The 20-page report does not say whether the abuses constitute genocide and crimes against humanity, as U.N. investigators have surmised.

But the U.S. findings make grim reading and are likely to reinforce calls for the Trump administration to make that determination and strengthen sanctions against the Southeast Asian nation.

Most of those interviewed had witnessed a killing, and half had witnessed sexual violence. Rohingya identified the military as the perpetrator in 84 percent of the killings or injuries they witnessed.

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Kavanaugh says he won't let 'false accusations' push him out

WASHINGTON (AP) - Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh declared in a televised interview Monday that he never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or at any other time in his life.

Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley, sat down for an interview with Fox News Channel's "The Story with Martha MacCallum" after a second woman accused him of sexual misconduct.

Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh denied he was "at any such party." He said he did not question that perhaps Ford at some point in her life was sexually assaulted, "but what I know is I've never sexually assaulted anyone."

Kavanaugh said it's possible he may have met Ford at some time, but he said they were not friends and did not travel in the same social circles. He said he did not remember being at a party with her.

"I was not at the party described," Kavanaugh said.

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Mandela's widow urges world: put egos aside and end violence

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - 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.

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Trump: No statehood for Puerto Rico with critics in office

WASHINGTON (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."

Gov. Ricardo Rossello, an advocate of statehood for the island, said Trump's remarks had trivialized the statehood process because of political differences.

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Newly released records show lead-up to parking lot shooting

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - 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.BLADENBORO, N.C. (AP) - Rivers 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 Monday in expectation of a "record event" of up to 10 feet (3 meters) 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.

This Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, photo provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation shows fish left on Interstate 40 in Pender County in eastern North Carolina after floodwaters receded. 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. (Jeff Garrett/N.C. Department of Transportation via AP)

Georgetown County's 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 they're closely monitoring two sites where Florence's 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 today's dollars, while last year's Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion. Moody's 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.

___

Waggoner and Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Also contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina and Michael Biesecker in Washington.

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For the latest on Hurricane Florence, visit https://www.apnews.com/tag/Hurricanes

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)

The Hotel Ballast is reflected in floodwaters from the Cape Fear River along Water St. in downtown Wilmington, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. The river is expected to crest on Monday night. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)

Dead fish lie around the edges of Greenfield Lake in Wilmington N.C., Sunday, September 23, 2018. The fish began dying following the landfall of Hurricane Florence but no official explanation has been given by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)

This Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, photo provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation shows fish left on Interstate 40 in Pender County in eastern North Carolina after floodwaters receded. 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. (Jeff Garrett/N.C. Department of Transportation via AP)

Godfrey Guerzon takes a picture of floodwaters from the Cape Fear River at the foot of Market St in downtown Wilmington, N.C., Sunday, September 23, 2018. The river is expected to crest on Monday night. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)

S.C. Highway 22 is flooded between SC-90 and SC-905 on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Conway, S.C. An officer with the South Carolina State Highway Patrol marks the water level to compare against previous days. The blocked road has traffic snarled around Conway and the Waccamaw River continues to rise past record levels. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

Jimmy Poston holds a sunfish caught by hand in the flood waters of a front yard on Bay Road Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Brittons Neck, S.C. Most houses were cut off completely Saturday, with water on the front steps and creeping closer to the porch. Many residents were concerned that the flooding Great Pee Dee River will increase damage to their community. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

Candi Cisson, left, stands on the porch of the flooded home where she lives with her fiance Brian Terry on Bay Road Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Brittons Neck, S.C. Most houses were cut off completely Saturday, with water on the front steps and creeping closer to the porch. Many residents were concerned that the flooding Great Pee Dee River will increase damage to their community. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

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. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

Dead fish lie around the edges of Greenfield Lake in Wilmington N.C., Sunday, September 23, 2018. The fish began dying following the landfall of Hurricane Florence but no official explanation has been given by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality. (Matt Born/The Star-News via AP)Microsoft underscored the need for increased IT security and released an array of security programs and products at its annual IT event Ignite 2018, held in Orlando Florida.

Ignite, which opened yesterday, has gathered over 26,000 people from over 100 countries and runs till September 28.

Among the solutions launched 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.

The company also advanced its commitment to democratise access to AI through a new AI for Humanitarian Action program aimed at harnessing the power of AI for disaster recovery, helping children, protecting refugees and displaced people, and promoting respect for human rights.

In this era of the intelligent cloud and intelligent edge, businesses in every industry are looking for a trusted partner to help them transform, said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. We are pushing the bounds in AI, edge computing and IoT, while providing end-to-end security to empower every organization to build its own digital capability and thrive in this new era.

Cybersecurity

Every day organisations take precious time and resources away from their core business mission to defend against, and recover from, cyberattacks. They operate dozens of complex, disconnected tools, yet the gaps between those tools remain and threats get through. As the nature of the threats and the profile of the attackers continue to evolve, security teams struggle to keep up, and skilled expertise is scarce.

Microsoft is uniquely positioned to help, and the company shared ways it is empowering IT to unlock the security capabilities of the intelligent cloud. To tip the scales in the cyberwar, Microsoft has a unique focus on three things: security operations at global scale that work not just for us but also for our customers, enterprise-class technology, and broad cybersecurity partnerships for a heterogeneous world.

Some of the key announcements from the event include:

 Microsoft continues to share how the company is making security a priority for customers by declaring an end to the era of passwords.

 Company leadership shared practical view and approach with the idea that AI can be used for good, which is also the guiding the principles used in creating all the new AI and data products and initiatives shared today.

 Microsoft also announced new IoT and Edge Computing products that are making everything from smart spaces to employees more efficient and productive.

 Also introduced, was the Open Data Initiative with Adobe and SAP to help companies connect, understand and use all their data to create amazing experiences for their customers with AI. - TradeArabia News ServiceNEW ORLEANS (AP) - A preservation group is inviting the public to vote on 20 sites across the country that showcase the nation's diversity and the fight for equality as part of a $2 million historic preservation campaign.

The project is a collaboration between The National Trust for Historic Preservation, American Express and Main Street America.

Voters have from Monday through Oct. 26 to vote for their favorite location and then the money will be apportioned to the top vote getters.

FILE- In this Oct. 21, 2008 file photo, mounted city of Miami police line up in front of the famed Freedom Tower as they wait for a rally with then Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., at Bicentennial Park in Miami. A preservation group is inviting the public to vote on twenty sites across the country, including the Freedom Tower, that showcase the nation's diversity and the fight for equality as part of a $2 million historic preservation campaign. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Sites include the Alabama church where four black girls were killed during a 1963 bombing, a church in Los Angeles that was a hub for Mexican immigrants and a Miami building often referred to as the Ellis Island of the South because of its support for Cuban refugees.

Germonique Ulmer from The National Trust for Historic Preservation says the "Partners in Preservation" campaign started in 2006. So far it's committed over $22 million-plus to support more than 200 historic sites across the country. Last year's campaign focused on various projects to preserve theaters, parks, landmarks and other venues in downtowns, historic neighborhoods and cultural districts.

This year the 20 sites chosen in some way reflect the country's diversity, multiculturalism and fight for equality.

"It's just a wonderful collection of sites that really help bring together the story of our diverse nation," Ulmer said. She said the campaign also aims to get people to see the "beauty and opportunity" in old buildings.

One of the 20 locations is The Women's Building in San Francisco, a community center started in 1979 to help women. Teresa Mejia, the executive director, said it was started by a group of women who had difficulty finding a place to hold a conference on violence against women, so they decided they needed their own building. The organization provides various services to women, such as helping them find jobs or learn computer skills, and houses a food pantry. The building also houses nine other organizations helping women.

They will use the grant money to replace windows on the 1910 building. Noemi Zulberti, the facilities director, says many of the windows don't close properly, which means more noise inside and wasted energy. Mejia, noting the number of women running for office this year, said people don't have to wait until Election Day to vote for women. They can cast their vote Monday for their project.

"We need to take care of the building because it's our main asset," she said.

Each of the 20 locations will receive $20,000 to help bring attention to their project and get people to vote for them. Each site also hosts an open house weekend from Oct. 19-21 during which they open their doors to the local community and encourage people to come by and vote, Ulmer said. The winners will be announced Oct. 29.

To vote people can go to http://VoteYourMainStreet.org

__

Follow Santana on Twitter @ruskygal.

FILE - This March 26, 2017, file photo, shows the Clayborn Temple in Memphis, Tenn. The historic church was the home base for the sanitation workers strike that brought civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Jr. to Memphis. It was the starting point for a March 28, 1968 march led by King in support of the workers, a rally that turned violent when police and protesters clashed. A preservation group is inviting the public to vote on twenty sites across the country, including the Claiborne Temple, that showcase the nation's diversity and the fight for equality as part of a $2 million historic preservation campaign. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)Sentencing is scheduled Monday for a soldier who pleaded guilty to making bombs that released chlorine gas in a forested training area near a U.S. Army base in Louisiana.

Twenty-five-year-old Ryan Keith Taylor, of New Llano, could get life in prison and a $250,000 fine on the single count of using a chemical weapon, a charge he pleaded guilty to in June.

Expected to testify at the sentencing is an investigator who says he now struggles to breathe as a result of chemical exposure while collecting the evidence.

Prosecutors agreed to drop a separate indictment charging Taylor with possession of child pornography.

A court document says two sergeants and a specialist doing land navigation training near Fort Polk heard several small explosions and saw white smoke, and a sergeant identified only as JM investigated. He saw a uniformed soldier who appeared to be filming an explosion with his smartphone.

"Seeing the rank and nametape on the soldier's uniform, JM identified the soldier as Specialist TAYLOR," according to the document, the factual basis for Taylor's guilty plea.

He told the sergeant he'd been lighting firecrackers. JM smelled a "bleach-like odor" and saw a ring of residue and a black plastic container riddled with small holes.

The specialist who had been working with JM came up afterward, smelled a "chlorine-like" odor and picked up an empty wrapper for chlorine tablets.

Three investigators showed up nearly two hours after the incident was reported. Investigator JF noticed a strong chlorine smell and began using a metal scraper to put rocks "covered in an unknown substance" into a plastic bag, according to the document.

"Shortly after collecting the rocks, the unknown substance had caused the bag to inflate and pop. JF's latex gloves began to melt. JF quickly experienced difficulty breathing and felt his skin burning," the document said.

Joshua Farbro, the lead investigator, told The American Press of Lake Charles earlier in September that he now has only 20 percent of his original lung capacity and cannot find employment. He said he planned to testify at Taylor's sentencing.

___

Janet McConnaughey reported from New Orleans.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)MALE, Maldives (AP) - 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.

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, third left, and his running mate Faisal Naseem, third right, pose for photographers as they celebrate their victory in the presidential election in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker, Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.(AP Photo/Mohamed Sharuhaan)

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.

Maldivian watch a live telecast of statement delivered by president Yameen Abdul Gayoom at a cafe in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory early Monday in the Maldives' contentious presidential election, which was widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the nation of islands and atolls in the southern Indian Ocean has seen economic growth and longer life expectancy under strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, according to the World Bank. But democratic freedoms have been curtailed. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.(AP Photo/Mohamed Sharuhaan )

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, center, shakes hands with a supporter as his running mate, Faisal Naseem, right, addresses the gathering in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker, Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih addresses the media in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - 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 Iran's Islamic Revolution, the country's 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 Iran's 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 Iran's 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," Faezeh Hashemi, the activist daughter of Iran's late President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, told The Associated Press. "I don't 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. America appears poised to further sanction Iran despite Tehran abiding by Rouhani's nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Iran limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for sanctions being lifted.

FILE - In this May 11, 2018 file photo, an Iranian protestor clenches his fist behind a burnt representation of the U.S. flag during a protest over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the nuclear deal with world powers, in Tehran, Iran. Ahead of the 40th anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution, the country's government is allowing more criticism to bubble up to the surface. But limits still clearly exist in Iran's Shiite theocracy and the frustration people feel may not be satiated by complaining alone. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

In response, Rouhani has slowly replaced his message of rapprochement with the West with hard-line hints about Iran's ability to close off the Strait of Hormuz, through which a third of all oil traded by sea passes.

Part of that may be a hedge over his political future. The 69-year-old Rouhani, himself a Shiite cleric, could potentially be considered when Iran picks its third-ever supreme leader. It isn't out of the realm of possibility: Iran's current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, served two four-year terms as president before becoming leader after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Islamic Republic's founder.

"From (Rouhani's) perspective, the most important thing is to come through the presidency in one piece and keep himself in the running for the ultimate job, the supreme leadership, which will be up for grabs the day the 79-year-old Khamenei dies," recently wrote Alex Vatanka, an analyst at the Washington-based Middle East Institute.

But popular anger continues to rise against Rouhani, threatening whatever mandate he could claim in the future.

Telephone surveys by IranPoll, a Toronto-based firm, also have seen a precipitous drop in Rouhani's 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. The margin of error for the firm's polls was around 3 percentage points.

"A president whose election slogan was the 'Government of Prudence and Hope' will be hard-pressed in the next three years of his term to bring back the promised hope," Farmanesh told the AP.

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. They've 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.

At the same time, social media photos of children of the country's elite enjoying luxuries the average Iranian can't have similarly sparked outrage.

"Such stories suggest that the Islamic Republic may be approaching an existential crisis, where its core values such as adopting a simple lifestyle and observing Islam strictly are widely promoted by the establishment but not necessarily followed by the elite," analyst Sara Bazoobandi recently wrote for the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. "The hypocrisy of the elite that has become apparent through these scandals has prompted widespread public anger in Iran."

Iran saw nationwide protests in late December and early January over its worsening economic situation, which resulted in nearly 5,000 reported arrests and at least 25 people being killed. Iran's economy only has gotten worse since President Donald Trump withdrew America from the nuclear deal, with the rial going from 62,000 to one U.S. dollar to as low as 150,000 rial to $1. Also, an attack by Arab separatists Saturday on a military parade in the country's southwest killed at least 25 people.

Meanwhile, social change can be seen on any street in Tehran, as some young women wear their state-mandated hijabs loosely over their hair. Some even shrug it down to their shoulders while driving. An image of a young woman, her head uncovered and waving her hijab like a flag in Tehran's main Enghelab Street while standing on a telephone junction box, became famous during the economic protests.

In the time since, authorities have welded slanted roofs over such junction boxes to stop women from carrying out similar protests. Tehran's police meanwhile have said they won't arrest women for not observing the Islamic dress code. However, online videos of women being harassed continue to circulate on social media.

A public referendum on the hijab and other issues, such as whether Iran should re-establish relations with the U.S., could be one way to address the public's concerns, said Hashemi, who learned politics from her father while growing up in a home only steps away from Khomeini's own.

Noting nearly 40 years have passed since the Islamic Revolution, she added: "The world and the situation have changed."

"People have reached a point that they have nothing to lose," said Hashemi, who herself has served prison time over her comments and activism. "Usually you only fear things for the first time, when things happen once you are no longer worried, and you get a bit braver, and you raise your demands more freely."

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap . His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz .

In this Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018 photo, Faezeh Hashemi, the activist daughter of Iran's late President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, speaks in an interview with The Associated Press, in Tehran, Iran. Ahead of the 40th anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution, the country's government is allowing more criticism to bubble up to the surface."People have reached a point that they have nothing to lose," said Hashemi, who herself has served prison time over her comments and activism. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 file photo, various currency rates are displayed at a window of an exchange shop in downtown Tehran, Iran. Iran's economy only has gotten worse since President Donald Trump withdrew America from the nuclear deal, with the rial going from 62,000 to one U.S. dollar to as low as 150,000 rial to $1. As nuclear deal threatened, Iran's politics increasingly under pressure 40 years after Islamic Revolution. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE-- In this Dec. 30, 2017 file photo, taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, a university student attends a protest inside Tehran University while a smoke grenade is thrown by anti-riot Iranian police, in Tehran, Iran. Ahead of the 40th anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution, the country's 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. (AP Photo, 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)WASHINGTON (AP) - 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.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, file photo, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, responds to reporters' questions on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh amid scrutiny of a woman's claim he sexually assaulted her at a party when they were in high school, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

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 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.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.

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)

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." He did not elaborate.

"We will punish the terrorists, one by one," he promised the crowd.

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 officials say four men carried out the assault. Iranian state media has 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."

___

Associated Press cameraman Mohsen Ganji reported from Ahvaz, Iran. Karimi reported from Tehran, Iran, and Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.

Families of victims of Saturday's terror attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, that killed 25 people mourn at a mass funeral ceremony, in Ahvaz, Iran, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Thousands gathered at the Sarallah Mosque on Ahvaz's Taleghani junction, carrying caskets in the sweltering heat. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Flag-draped caskets of those who died in Saturday's terror attack on a military parade are laid out during a mass funeral, in the 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)

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)

Mourners carry a flag-draped casket during a mass funeral for victims of Saturday's terror attack on a military parade, in the 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)

Mourners carry a casket during a mass funeral for those who died in a terror attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, that killed 25 people attend a mass funeral ceremony, in 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)

Mourners carry flag-draped caskets during a mass funeral for victims of Saturday's terror attack on a military parade, in the 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)

Mourners carry flag-draped caskets during a mass funeral for victims of Saturday's terror attack on a military parade, in the 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)

Families of victims of Saturday's terror attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, that killed 25 people attend a mass funeral ceremony, in 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)

Mourners carry a casket during a mass funeral for those who died in a terror attack on a military parade in Iran in Ahvaz, Iran, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Iran on Monday held a mass funeral for those killed in the attack Saturday in the country's oil-rich southwest. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

People attend a mass funeral for those who died in Saturday's terror attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, that killed 25 people, in 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)

Mourners carry flag-draped caskets during a mass funeral for those who died in Saturday's terror attack on a military parade, during a mass funeral ceremony for the victims, in the 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)

Families of victims of Saturday's terror attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, that killed 25 people attend a mass funeral ceremony, in 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)

Mourners carry a flag-draped casket during a mass funeral for those who died in Saturday's terror attack on a military parade, in the 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)

People attend a mass funeral for those who died in Saturday's terror attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, that killed 25 people, in 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)

Families of victims of Saturday's terror attack on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, that killed 25 people attend a mass funeral ceremony, in 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)

Caskets of those who died in a terror attack on a military parade in Iran are displayed in Ahvaz, Iran, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Iran on Monday held a mass funeral for those killed in the attack Saturday in the country's oil-rich southwest. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Mourners gather for a mass funeral for those who died in a terror attack on a military parade in Iran in Ahvaz, Iran, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Iran on Monday held a mass funeral for those killed in the attack Saturday in the country's oil-rich southwest. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Caskets of those who died in a terror attack on a military parade in Iran are displayed in Ahvaz, Iran, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Iran on Monday held a mass funeral for those killed in the attack Saturday in the country's oil-rich southwest. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - A French ship on Monday rescued an Indian sailor who was injured in the remote southern Indian Ocean during a round-the-world solo yacht race, Indian officials 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."

Indian navy spokesman Capt. D.K. Sharma said the 39-year-old Tomy was sailing his boat for a solo sailboat race around the world called the Golden Globe Race.

In this photo provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, the distressed yacht, Thuriya, with Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy on board, floats in the southern Indian Ocean. Tomy was injured and his yacht lost its mast in a storm on Friday. (AMSA via AP)

"He has been pulled out on a stretcher by a French fishing vessel. He is conscious and is in safe hands," Sharma said.

Australian officials earlier said the french fisheries patrol boat Osiris headed the 740 kilometers (460 miles) to Tomy after his yacht, Thuriya, lost its mast in a storm on Friday.

The yacht was 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 of Reunion, said Australian Maritime Safety Authority search and rescue officer Phil Gaden.

He said Tomy had an injured back.

"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 said.

Tomy, an Indian navy commander, had been keeping in contact with rescue authorities through texts, but batteries on his two devices were running low, Gaden said.

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.MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Activists are questioning the level of force used by Tennessee police officers to arrest people protesting the Memphis Police Department's shooting of a black man who was in critical condition.

The Commercial Appeal reports a video of one woman arrested during the Wednesday protest that blocked a city street shows her fleeing officers and being tackled. Police say Barbara Buress struggled against the two officers that tackled her, kicking one in the face.

Another protester, Theryn Bond, says officers' "manhandling" left her bruised. Buress and Bond are two of six people arrested during a protest of 25-year-old Martavious Banks' shooting last week.

The shooting has sparked multiple angry protests from activists and relatives of Banks. Police have said Banks was shot during a confrontation with officers, who didn't have their body or in-car cameras activated.

___

Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.comMALE, Maldives (AP) - The Latest on the Maldives presidential election (all times local):

1 p.m.

The Maldives' strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has conceded he lost Sunday's election to his challenger.

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih addresses the media in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker, Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Gayoom said at a news conference televised live from the capital, Male: "I know I have to step down now."

The election commission has released provisional results earlier Monday showing longtime lawmaker Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had won with 58.3 percent of the vote.

Solih's win was unexpected. Opposition party members had feared Yameen would rig the vote in his favor. Since his election in 2013, Yameen has cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals and Supreme Court justices.

___

11 a.m.

The Maldives Election Commission says provisional results show opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih winning Sunday's presidential election.

The commission's results released Monday show Solih with 134,616 votes and incumbent President Yameen Abdul Gayoom with 96,132 votes.

The results show 89.2 percent voter turnout.

Commission spokesman Ahmed Akram says the final results will be released within the 7-day window parties have to challenge the results in court.

Solih declared victory early Monday in Male.

Yameen has not conceded the race. Spokesman Hussain Shihab says he is awaiting a briefing by top Yameen administration officials before making a statement.

Solih's win was unexpected, with opposition members fearing Yameen would rig the vote in his favor.

Since his election in 2013, Yameen has cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals and judges.

___

5 a.m.

The U.S. State Department has congratulated the Maldives' on its peaceful democratic election.

Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory in Sunday's vote, which was widely seen as a referendum on democracy in the nation that was holding only its third multiparty democratic elections.

The nation's strongman president hasn't conceded, and official results won't be announced until Saturday, allowing possible court challenges of the vote.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert noted the reported opposition victory in a statement that urged "calm and respect for the will of the people" as the election process concludes.

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, left, and his running mate, Faisal Naseem, leave after addressing media in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A Maldivian man walks on a street in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory early Monday in the Maldives' contentious presidential election, which was widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the nation of islands and atolls in the southern Indian Ocean has seen economic growth and longer life expectancy under strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, according to the World Bank. But democratic freedoms have been curtailed. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldivians walk down the breakwater in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih declared victory early Monday in the Maldives' contentious presidential election, which was widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy. Famed for its sandy white beaches and luxury resorts, the nation of islands and atolls in the southern Indian Ocean has seen economic growth and longer life expectancy under strongman President Yameen Abdul Gayoom, according to the World Bank. But democratic freedoms have been curtailed. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, third left, and his running mate Faisal Naseem, third right, pose for photographers as they celebrate their victory in the presidential election in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker, Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.(AP Photo/Mohamed Sharuhaan)

Supporters of Maldives' opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih celebrate their victory in Male, Maldives, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. A longtime but little-known lawmaker Solih declared victory at his party's campaign headquarters in the capital city Male in a contentious election widely seen as a referendum on the island nation's young democracy.(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)Ibis Dubai Al Barsha Hotel, part of the Accor Group, has announced renovation plans for the months ahead.



The locally renowned three-star property will undergo a four-month makeover of the ground floor and lobby area, set for completion and launch in December. Throughout the transformation, the property will remain open for business as usual, with minimal disruption to guests.



The planned upgrade will include a brand new reception area, a state-of-the-art gym for fitness enthusiasts, along with the enhancement of the hotels facilities, with the addition of dynamic meeting rooms. The hotel is also set to introduce an exclusive new restaurant and bar concept to Dubais dining landscape.



Robin Solomon, hotel director of Ibis Dubai Al Barsha, said: We are very excited to announce the ground floor and lobby makeover. The Ibis Dubai Al Barsha has been a prominent feature of Sheikh Zayed Road since 2009 and we are thrilled to be upgrading our offering. We are aiming to create authentic experiences and memories for a confident, informed, and tech-savvy audience



An important factor for us is to reassure our guests that the hotel will remain open throughout this period, with a precise strategy in place to cause little to no disruption to travellers and diners alike. Our tagline being; New Vibes with continued good times. Solomon continued.



Ibis Dubai Al Barsha offers 480 guest rooms fitted with complimentary wi-fi, climate control, a mini-refrigerator and Satellite TV. The rooms are warmly decorated and equipped with coffee making facilities. Every room has an en-suite bathroom with a shower and hairdryer.



Guests can enjoy a range of dining and beverage offerings, from breakfast at Baharat, showcasing the best of international cuisine, to Casa Latina, a Cuban-style bar and restaurant, which is perfect for dinner and drinks. Madison, located on the ground floor will close its doors mid-October, to be replaced by the brand new dining concept in early 2019 following the renovation. - TradeArabia News ServiceBERLIN (AP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday that it's time for her coalition government to stop getting bogged down in internal squabbles, after its leaders reached a deal to resolve its second major crisis in just three months.

Merkel said she regrets the handling of the latest dispute, over the future of Germany's domestic intelligence chief, and called for Germany's biggest parties to move on from political infighting.

"It is all the more important that we now solve people's problems," she said. "In many areas we have been too preoccupied with ourselves in recent months. That must change."

FILE -- In this Thursday, April 14, 2016 photo, from left, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Horst Seehofer, Chairman of the German Christian Social Union and Andrea Nahles, Chairwomen of the German Social Democrats, address the media during a press conference in Berlin. 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 resolved an increasingly farcical standoff over the head of the BfV spy agency, Hans-Georg Maassen. The center-left Social Democrats had demanded his removal after he appeared to downplay recent far-right violence against migrants in the eastern city of Chemnitz.

Coalition leaders initially agreed last week to remove Maassen from his current job but make him a deputy interior minister - giving him a promotion and a hefty pay rise. Their decision unleashed a backlash that prompted the Social Democrats' leader, Andrea Nahles, to demand its renegotiation.

Maassen will now become a "special adviser" to Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who has backed the official and refused to dismiss him, but won't be promoted or get a raise.

The saga has further battered the image of the coalition of Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union, Seehofer's Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and the Social Democrats, which took office only in March but had already been through one near-death experience over an apparently minor issue.

It has highlighted personal and political tensions in an alliance that took six months to negotiate and appears short on both trust and energy. In last year's election, all three governing parties lost support and the far-right Alternative for Germany entered parliament.

In June, the coalition tottered as Merkel and Seehofer - a conservative ally but a persistent critic of her initially welcoming approach to large numbers of migrants in 2015 - sparred for weeks over whether to turn back small numbers of asylum-seekers at the German-Austrian border.

Merkel conceded Monday that the initial deal on Maassen "wasn't convincing," saying that she had been thinking too much about organizational details "but too little about how people rightly feel when they hear about a promotion."

"I regret very much that this could happen," she told reporters in Berlin, without taking questions.

Merkel said coalition leaders will meet next week to consider "pressing questions," such as how to ensure diesel car owners don't face driving bans over air-quality concerns, an issue driven by recent court rulings. She noted that these are "particularly demanding times" and said they require "full concentration on substantive work."

Germany faces two major state elections next month - in Bavaria on Oct. 14 and in neighboring Hesse Oct. 28. The former in particular has been fueling tensions, with Seehofer's CSU polling badly and speculation rife that a poor result could threaten his political future.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a statement at the Christian Democratic Union party's headquarters in Berlin, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel leaves the podium after a statement at the Christian Democratic Union party's headquarters in Berlin, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a statement at the Christian Democratic Union party's headquarters in Berlin, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)LONDON (AP) - British police have released a man who was detained by security staff at Buckingham Palace on suspicion of carrying a Taser.

Police said Monday the man posed no threat and that his possession of the device was a genuine error. The device was found to be low-powered and part of a keyring.

The 38-year-old had been taken into custody at the visitors' entrance to the palace Sunday afternoon after discovery of the device.

Police said he was a visitor from the Netherlands. He was released Sunday evening.

London police said in a statement that visitors should be aware that small knives and Tasers can be considered offensive weapons in Britain.SINGAPORE (AP) - Singapore's competition watchdog has fined ride-hailing giant Uber and its regional rival Grab 13 million Singapore dollars ($9.5 million) for a merger in Southeast Asia that the agency says has driven up fares and reduced competition in the market.

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore said Monday that Uber's sale of its regional business to Grab in March violated the Competition Act.

As part of the deal, Uber took a 27.5 percent stake in Grab, a fast-growing Southeast Asian ridesharing, food delivery and financial services business, and was given a seat on its board.

FILE - In this March 26, 2018, file photo, office workers walk past Uber and Grab offices during their lunch hour in Singapore. Singapore's competition watchdog on Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, fined ride-hailing giant Uber and its regional rival Grab 13 million Singapore dollars ($9.5 million) for a merger in Southeast Asia that the agency says has driven up fares and reduced competition in the market. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

Grab holds an 80 percent market share after the merger, which caused fares to rise by 10-15 percent, the watchdog said.

"The transaction has led to a substantial lessening of competition in the provision of ride-hailing platform services in Singapore," it added.

Uber was ordered to pay a 6.6 million Singapore dollar ($4.8 million) fine, while Grab was fined 6.4 million Singapore dollars ($4.7 million).

The commission said the fines were meant to "deter completed, irreversible mergers that harm competition."

The company has been ordered to use pre-merger algorithms for pricing and driver commission rates. It has also been asked to stop making exclusive contracts with drivers and taxi companies.

Lim Kell Jay, the Head of Grab Singapore, said the watchdog had used "a very narrow market definition in arriving at its conclusion." He denied that fares have been raised.

"Grab completed the transaction within its legal rights, and still maintains we did not intentionally or negligently breach competition laws," he said.

Grab provides services in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. It says it offers access to five million drivers and agents and handles over a billion transactions a year.MOSCOW (AP) - Russia announced Monday it will supply Syria's government with sophisticated S-300 air defense systems after last week's 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 Syria's line of fire.

While President Vladimir Putin initially struck a reconciliatory note, blaming the downing on a "chain of tragic, fatal circumstances," the Russian military reaffirmed its accusations against Israel on Sunday.

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 it's 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.

FILE - In this file photo taken on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013, Russian air defense system missile system Antey 2500, or S-300 VM, is on display at the opening of the MAKS Air Show in Zhukovsky outside Moscow, Russia. Moscow will supply the Syrian government with modern S-300 missile defense systems following last week's downing of a Russian plane, the Russian Defense Minister announced on Monday Sept. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, File)

Shoigu also 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 Syria's coast like the Israeli strike that resulted in the Russian plane's 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.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the decision to supply the missile defenses.

U.S. 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.

International and regional powers backing various sides in Syria's civil war have been carrying out strikes for years, often using special hotlines to prevent aerial confrontations.

Israel said its warplanes were targeting a Syrian facility involved in arms shipments to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group. Israel has launched at least 200 strikes at Iranian and Hezbollah facilities in Syria over the past years, and has maintained a hotline with the Russian military to prevent any collisions.

Shoigu said that the Israeli military warned Russia about last week's strike just one minute before launching it and claimed it was being conducted in Syria's north. Instead, the Israeli jets targeted the western province of Latakia, putting the Russian warplane in the line of fire.

Russia launched its campaign in Syria to support President Bashar Assad in 2015, eventually turning the tide of war in favor of Syrian government forces. Moscow has tried to maintain good relations with Iran, which is also allied with the Syrian government, and Israel, which is wary of Iran's growing influence in Syria.

Assad's office said the Syrian leader received a call from Putin Monday and that the two discussed the latest developments, including the downing of the plane and the S-300 delivery. The statement said Assad expressed his condolences for the deaths of the Russian airmen.

Russian officials said Syria's Soviet-made S-200 systems, one of which downed the Russian plane, weren't sophisticated enough to identify the Russian aircraft as a friendly one.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies that supplying the S-300 to Syria is Russia's "own right" and expressed confidence that this would not hurt ties with Israel.

The downing of the plane came just hours after Russia announced it had reached a deal with Turkey to avert a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive against the northwestern province of Idlib, one of the last areas still in rebel hands.

Idlib, controlled by a mix of radical groups and Turkey-backed armed opposition, overlooks the Syrian coast, where Russian military and air bases are located. The bases have reportedly come under rebel fire.

Syrian state TV said insurgents shelled a government-controlled crossing east of Idlib on Monday that was reportedly prepared to allow civilians to leave the province.

Concerns are rising in Idlib over the details of the deal and how it will be implemented. The province is home to some 3 million Syrians, half of them displaced by violence in other parts of the country.

Hard-line armed groups have rejected the deal, saying it aims to strip the opposition of weapons and is a victory for Assad's government. On Sunday, tribal leaders and prominent local figures meeting in Idlib said they distrusted Russian mediation, citing Russia's previous cease-fire violations. The conference called on armed groups not to leave the front lines in Syria or hand over their weapons.

___

Associated Press writers Sarah El Deeb in Beirut and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

FILE- In this file photo taken on Saturday, March 4, 2017, 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. The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday Sept. 23, 2018, has renewed its accusations against Israel for causing the downing of a Russian military plane over Syria. (AP Photo/Marina Lystseva)LONDON (AP) - Shares in Sky plc are up 8.8 percent after Comcast won a bidding war for the British pay TV giant in a weekend auction that pushed the value of the company to almost 30 billion pounds ($39 billion).

The rare auction was organized by Britain's Takeover Panel after months of offers and counteroffers from Comcast and 21st Century Fox as the U.S. media companies sought a foothold in Europe.

After three rounds of secret bidding, Comcast offered 17.28 pounds a share for Sky, beating Fox's bid of 15.67 pounds. Sky's board recommended accepting the offer.

Philadelphia-based Comcast said it hoped to complete the takeover by the end of October. Comcast is one of the largest cable television providers in the U.S., with around 29 million customers.LONDON (AP) - 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 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 hammered out at a five-hour meeting on Sunday, does not specify that a new referendum should include an option to remain in the EU, as many party members want.

Britain's opposition Labour Party Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell takes a breakfast television interview ahead of his scheduled speech later today at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, England, Monday Sept. 24, 2018. The Labour Party confirms Monday it will hold a major debate on Britain's Brexit split from Europe Union at its party conference this week. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

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, 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.

Labour 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 on March 29 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 is holding a meeting Monday of her divided Cabinet, where some Brexit-supporting ministers will urge 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.

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, centre, attends a vigil for people caught up in the war in Yemen, in Liverpool, England, Sunday Sept. 23, 2018. The Labour Party is holding its annual party conference in Liverpool, facing a choice of whether to back a new Brexit referendum on the country's departure from the European Union. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - The man at the center 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.

Frenchman Jean-Claude Arnault at the district court in Stockholm on Monday Sept. 24, 2018, for hearings in his trial for alleged rape and sexual assault. Arnault, a major cultural figure in Sweden and the husband of Swedish Academy member Katarina Frostenson, is on trial accused for two counts of rape of a woman in 2011. (Janerik Henriksson / TT via AP)

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 behavior 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.

Frenchman Jean-Claude Arnault at the district court in Stockholm on Monday Sept. 24, 2018, for hearings in his trial for alleged rape and sexual assault. Arnault, a major cultural figure in Sweden and the husband of Swedish Academy member Katarina Frostenson, is on trial accused on two counts of rape of a woman in 2011. (Janerik Henriksson / TT via AP)LONDON, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky State Police say a trooper has fatally shot a man who tried to assault him with a weapon.

Police said in a statement that the shooting happened early Monday when police were called to a residence where a man was threatening to harm his 1-year-old child.

The statement said a responding trooper was able to gain entry into the home in Whitley County and a physical altercation occurred. Police say the man tried to assault the trooper with a weapon and the trooper fired, striking and killing the man. Police did not say what kind of weapon the man had.

Neither the trooper nor the child was injured.

The officer was placed on routine leave as police continue to investigate. No further information was immediately released.SRINAGAR, India (AP) - India's army says five suspected militants and a soldier have been killed in fighting near the highly militarized de facto frontier that divides the disputed region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia says a gunbattle erupted Sunday after a group of militants crossed from the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir into the Indian-held portion in northwestern Tangdhar sector. There was no independent confirmation of the incident.

Kalia said Monday the fighting was ongoing.

India and Pakistan claim Kashmir in its entirety.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir, rebel groups have been fighting for either independence or a merger with Pakistan since 1989. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, which Pakistan denies.

Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Gaza employees of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency have suspended services for a day to protest pay cuts and dismissals.

Schools, clinics, and food distributions were halted on Monday as UNRWA's 13,000 Palestinian employees in Gaza went on a one-day strike.

They threatened "harsher" surge in protests if the agency didn't rescind cuts by Thursday.

The United States, the largest single donor to UNRWA, effectively ended its $350 million contribution this year, resulting in a $217 million budget shortfall.

The deficit caused 113 emergency program jobs to be scrapped and 584 staff positions were converted to part-time.

UNRWA provides services to millions of Palestinians and their descendants who fled or were forced from homes in the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation.

Israel accuses the agency of perpetuating the refugee crisis.Etihad Airways marked this years Saudi National Day with a special Year of Zayed A380 flight between Abu Dhabi and Jeddah.



The aircraft was deployed on flight EY311 from Abu Dhabi to Jeddah yesterday (September 24) as the lead highlight in the airlines five-day Saudi National Day celebrations.



The A380 was welcomed by a traditional water cannon salute followed by a customary display of the Saudi and UAE flags from the cockpit windows.



In a fitting tribute to the special bond between the two countries, the flight crew operating the aircraft included captain Ahmed Almalood, Emirati, and senior first officer Wesam Sameer Al Najjar, the first Saudi National A380 pilot in the world.



Al Najjar said: Being the youngest Saudi National to pilot the A380 is a huge honour to me and my country. I am proud to be a part of this special day and to be greeted by a water salute in my home country on National Day.



Etihads five-day celebrations reinforced the companys commitment to the Saudi Arabian market, with further collaborations with Saudi organisations to be announced in the coming months. - TradeArabia News ServiceBANGKOK (AP) - 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.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, file photo, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, center, arrives at the government house for a cabinet meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. Prayuth on Monday declared that he is "interested" in the country's politics, providing further indication that he will run in elections scheduled for early next year. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

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.BERLIN (AP) - A German man has been convicted of being an accessory to a war crime for filming the abuse of a captive while he was with the Islamic State group in Syria.

Monday's verdict at the Frankfurt state court was the second against the 32-year-old, identified only as Abdelkarim E. B. in accordance with German privacy rules. He was already convicted in 2016 of membership in a terrorist organization, among other charges.

The court sentenced him to 10 years in prison, including 8  years from the earlier conviction.

It found that he was in Syria from Sept. 2013 to Feb. 2014 and during that time filmed IS members beating and kicking a captive, and threatening him with torture, in an attempt to make him talk.MILAN (AP) - An Italian newspaper reports that the Versace group is on the verge of announcing its sale to an American company for 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion).

Corriere della Sera reported Monday, without citing sources, that the announcement could come as early as Tuesday. Bloomberg and Reuters news agencies later reported the buyer would be fashion group Michael Kors.

The Italian company, founded by the late Gianni Versace, declined to comment on the reports.

The brand, which has been run by Versace's heirs since his murder 21 years ago, had been eyeing a public listing for several years.

Donatella Versace is the brand's creative driver. She presented her latest collection for next spring and summer last Friday during Milan Fashion Week, and was honored on Sunday by the Italian Fashion Chamber.

Donatella Versace comes on the catwalk at the end of Versace's women's 2019 Spring-Summer collection, unveiled during the Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Models wear creations as part of Versace's women's 2019 Spring-Summer collection, unveiled during the Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

A model wears a creation as part of Versace's women's 2019 Spring-Summer collection, unveiled during the Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Former model Shalom Harlow, right, wears a creation as part of Versace's women's 2019 Spring-Summer collection, unveiled during the Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)ATLANTA (AP) - Two Georgia men are expected to plead guilty to kidnapping and killing a pregnant woman and her fiance while they were out on parole for other killings.

WAGA-TV reports the Fulton County District Attorney's office says Andre Cleveland Gay and Richard "Fathead" Wilson could get life in prison Monday in the plea agreements.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports District Attorney Paul Howard had said he would seek the death penalty for the 2014 killings of 21-year-old Briana Brooks and 23-year-old Jeronta Brown. Authorities say the couple was kidnapped, shot and found handcuffed together. The seven-month-pregnant Brooks was able to give birth before she died.

Both defendants were out on parole at the time. Howard said they killed at least seven people in Fulton County alone.

___

Information from: WAGA-TV, http://www.myfoxatlanta.comBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - A woman is asking for help to find a necklace containing the ashes of her grandmother that was stolen from her home in Buffalo, New York.

University of Buffalo student Haley Lang says her grandmother died last year, and it feels like a piece of her is gone.

WIVB-TV reports someone broke into Lang's home last week and stole items and cash from Lang and her roommates.

She says everything can be replaced except the necklace, and she has posted pictures online seeking its return.

Lang says she doesn't care about punishing the thieves; she just wants her necklace back.

___

Information from: WIVB-TV, http://www.wivb.comROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) - A convicted fraudster and self-declared psychic who pleaded guilty to stealing $340,000 from people through scams has been sentenced to six years in prison.

WRC-TV reports Gina Marie Marks, who worked under the name Natalie Miller, was sentenced Friday following her February guilty plea.

The Maryland woman also was ordered to pay about $300,000 in restitution. She promised in February to return the payments she received from five clients, but maintained her services were real.

Police learned of Marks in May 2016 when a woman who sought Marks' help with a love spell noticed the charges were approaching $80,000.

Marks was later arrested at the Miami International Airport in Florida. She pleaded no contest and guilty to similar charges in 2009 and 2010 in Florida.

___

Information from: WRC-TV, http://nbcwashington.comDAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) - Tanzania's government on Monday launched an inquest into the cause of the ferry disaster, in which 227 people died when a boat capsized in Lake Victoria last week. The government is also taking steps to build a bigger ferry.

A preliminary investigation found that overloading was the main reason that the MV Nyerere overturned on Thursday, because more than 260 people were on the ferry, which had a capacity for 101 passengers. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said a report on the tragedy should be turned in to the government within 30 days. The committee will be led by former Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. George Waitara, he said.

The death toll climbed to 227 people when three more bodies were found in the boat. "There might be more bodies inside the wreckage," said Majaliwa. He said 41 people were rescued from the boat.

The Defence Forces Chief, Gen. Venance Mabeyo, will supervise the work to pull the ferry from the lake in order to retrieve more bodies that are believed to be inside.

The government is also making plans to build a new, bigger ferry. Majaliwa has ordered officials to begin taking bids for the construction of a new boat to travel between Ukara and Bugorora Islands in Ukerewe district so that business within the area will continue as usual.

"The ferry that sunk had a capacity to carry 25 tons and 101 passengers but now the president has directed me to make sure that we build a new one with a capacity to carry 50 tons and over 200 passengers," said the prime minister.

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)

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)

Coffins for some of the victims of the capsized MV Nyerere passenger ferry are laid in a line 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)LAND O'LAKES, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a Florida sheriff's deputy fatally shot his wife and before turning the gun on himself, leaving four children in their home.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco says the children were not injured in the early Monday shooting.

Nocco told the Tampa Bay Times that the gunman was a Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy.

Nocco said a 14-year-old ran from the home in Land O'Lakes and called 911 after hearing an argument and a gunshot.

The names of the deputy and his wife were not released. The sheriff said Pasco County deputies had not previously been called to the home.

___

Information from: Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.), http://www.tampabay.com.ISTANBUL (AP) - 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.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turks living in United States, during a speach in New York, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018. Erdogan is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly meeting. (Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool)

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.LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Police say a 5-year-old Arkansas boy was playing with a gun that he found when it accidentally fired, killing him.

Little Rock police Lt. Michael Ford says Brennan Esau was home with his siblings aged 14, 10 and 6, but no adults, when he shot himself Saturday night.

Ford says Brennan was alone in the room where he found the gun in the southwest Little Rock home.

No one has been arrested. Ford says a report will be turned over to the prosecutor's office to determine whether charges will be filed.Dubai has retained its ranking as the fourth most visited city in the world for the fourth straight year, according to Mastercards Global Destination Cities Index (GDCI) 2018.



The city welcomed 15.79 million overnight visitors last year and with a projected growth rate of 5.5 per cent, the emirate is expected to witness another year of steady expansion in 2018.

Bangkok was the world's most visited city in 2017, welcomig a total of 20.05 million visitors last year, followed by London (19.83 million), Paris (17.44 million), Dubai and Singapore (13.91 million).



Dubai also topped the list of global cities with the highest international overnight visitor spend for the third year in a row, with total international visitor spending of $29.70 billion in 2017. It is joined in the Top 10 with newcomers Makkah, Saudi Arabia ($18.45 billion), which debuts in the number two spot.



Abu Dhabi has once again been named the fastest growing city in the Middle East and Africa, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.21 per cent between 2009 and 2017 in overnight visitor arrivals. The UAEs capital city is also among the top 10 global cities that experienced the strongest growth in international arrivals in the Mastercard study.



Reaffirming its standing as a destination of choice for global travellers, Dubai has once again secured top rankings in Mastercards annual Global Destinations Cities Index. With its dynamic range of tourism, leisure, lifestyle, hospitality and business offerings, the emirate continues to attract visitors from across the globe. Renowned for global firsts and world records, Dubai has never shied away from evolving, and has transformed itself into one of the worlds most prolific tourism and investment hubs. The index offers research and insights into global spending and travel patterns, helping cities to innovate and improve their offerings and enrich the lives of residents and visitors alike. said Girish Nanda, general manager, UAE & Oman, Mastercard.



Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), commented: The Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index 2018 confirms Dubais retained position as fourth most visited city in the world, cementing the success of joint initiatives we have been working on over the last 12 months in partnership with both government departments and the private sector. With a focus on highlighting the depth of Dubais offering, encouraging visitors to look beyond the citys iconic landmarks Dubai has continued to be a must-visit and must-return destination. New attractions and experiences have contributed to this success  from culture and the arts to history and heritage as well as updates to attractions. The retail sector is also further enhancing its offering, presenting visitors with the opportunity to experience an ever-evolving array of shopping districts, activities and offers." - TradeArabia News ServiceMADISON, Wis. (AP) - A former co-worker says a gunman who opened fire at a Wisconsin software company was quiet and never smiled.

WTS Paradigm employee Anthony Tong shot four co-workers at the company's Middleton headquarters Wednesday before police killed him. All the workers survived their injuries.

Tong's motive remains a mystery.

Isaac Hall tells the Wisconsin State Journal he left the software company for a new job a week before the shooting. He says Tong never talked and never smiled. He says Tong "creeped" him out.

Former Madison Alderman Chris Schmidt said he and Tong were both in the physics program at Lawrence University in the mid-1990s. He says Tong studied often in the library and was interested in computers, but was as a sociable as anyone else.KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) - Ugandan pop star and opposition figure Bobi Wine says he is concerned about his safety four days after returning from the United States, where he sought medical care for injuries sustained during alleged state torture.

Bobi Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, told reporters Monday that "I don't feel safe at all ... My family lives in fear."

Ssentamu, a lawmaker since last year, says he's fighting for freedom from oppression and wants President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, to retire.

He was arrested and charged with treason over his alleged role in an Aug. 13 incident in which the president's convoy was pelted with stones.

The government denies allegations Ssentamu was tortured.

Ssentamu said he's awaiting the results of toxicology tests carried out in the U.S.NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - Kenyan police have charged a provincial governor with the murder of a university student who claimed he had impregnated her in an extramarital affair.

Migori Governor Okoth Obado Monday denied the murder of Sharon Otieno before High Court Judge Jessie Lessit and was held in remand prison until bail is determined.

Otieno was kidnapped along with journalist Barack Oduor last month when they were due to meet with the governor. Oduor says he was pursuing Obado's reactions to Otieno's claims that she was seven months pregnant with the governor's child when they were lured into a car by the governor's personal assistant. Oduor says he jumped out of the moving vehicle after two men accosted them and took their phones. Otieno's body was later found in a forest.FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Germany's financial regulator has ordered Deutsche Bank to install a special monitor to oversee the implementation of safeguards against money laundering.

The BaFin regulator said Monday that the monitor would report on the bank's progress in improving its procedures.

Deutsche Bank said it had taken on accounting firm KPMG as the monitor. The bank said in a statement that it agreed with BaFin that it needed to improve processes related to identifying the clients it was doing business with. It said it would implement the requirements "as soon as possible."

It's the first time in Germany that a monitor has been ordered in connection with anti-money laundering rules. BaFin's news release did not connect the step to any previous violation by Deutsche Bank.NEW YORK (AP) - 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.

Russia announced earlier Monday that it would give Syria's government more modern, S-300 missile defense systems after last week's downing of a Russian plane by Syria in a friendly fire incident. The military's 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 Syria's line of fire.LONDON (AP) - British police are warning the public to stay away from a rare goat-antelope that has escaped from a zoo in western England.

Official says the young female West Caucasian tur is likely in the woods near Paignton Zoo, about 200 miles southwest of London.

Devon and Cornwall Police said Monday the horned beast could pose a danger if she is startled by people approaching her.

Zoo officials say she became frightened and ran away when zookeepers were moving the herd.

Spokesman Phil Knowling says the zoo's main concern is bringing the animal bask safely. He said police are using a police drone with thermal imaging technology to try and located the animal.

The West Caucasian tur is on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature endangered species list.WASHINGTON (AP) - Melania Trump plans to announce details about her October trip to Africa during an appearance this week in New York.

The White House says the first lady will discuss the trip at a reception she's hosting Wednesday during the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. She'll address spouses of visiting heads of state, heads of foreign delegations, members of President Donald Trump's Cabinet and representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Mrs. Trump announced last month that Africa is the destination for her first solo international journey.

She told The Associated Press at the time that she's looking forward to learning about the issues confronting children who live on the continent.

The first lady joined the president in New York for this week's annual U.N. gathering.NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - 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 cancelled classes to accommodate the demonstration. Some Yale students traveled to Washington to protest the nomination.

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.

Fifty Yale faculty members have signed a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging the Senate to conduct "a fair and deliberate confirmation process."SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - Authorities in El Salvador say Interpol has notified them that it will not issue a red notice for the capture of fugitive ex-President Mauricio Funes and three family members who were granted political asylum in Nicaragua.

National Civil Police Chief Howard Cotto said Monday in an interview with Salvadoran television that the decision is due to the fact that they have asylum status.

Funes, his partner and two sons have been in Nicaragua since 2016. They and 14 others are suspected of involvement in a corruption network that allegedly embezzled $351 million in public funds.

The former president has denied wrongdoing and says he is the target of political persecution.JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Britain's Prince William is in Africa this week to discuss threats to conservation ahead of a London conference on the illegal wildlife trade.

The Duke of Cambridge was in Namibia on Tuesday and will visit Tanzania and Kenya. On Monday he met Namibian Vice President Nangolo Mbumba. The prince's weeklong trip ends Sunday.

Kensington Palace says Prince William is making the "private working trip" as president of the United for Wildlife group and patron of Tusk, another conservation organization.

The prince has campaigned against the killing of elephants, rhinos, pangolins and other species. He has also noted that poaching has a human toll when rangers are killed, communities lose the benefits of wildlife tourism and criminal networks flourish.

Britain hosts a meeting on the illegal wildlife trade on Oct. 11-12.

Britain's Prince William, left, is presented with a sculpture of a rhino by Namibia's Vice President Nangolo Mbumba, 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)

Britain's Prince William, left, presents Namibia's Vice President Nangolo Mbumba with a photo of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth with Namibia's 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)By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was recently in Varanasi to celebrate his birthday. While doing the same, he held a BJPs event in the campus of Banaras Hindu University where the stage was occupied by the leaders of Bhartiya Janta Party, and with the fact that the event was held in the premises of one esteemed Indian institute, Narendra Modis address and act was nothing which could benefit academicians or students of BHU.

However, just a year back, Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath both were in the Varanasi as wellModi spent a full night evenand they were welcomed by the girls of Banaras Hindu University, who sat on the main gate of University demanding security and gender sensitivity in the campus.

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It was September 21, 2017, when a girl was sexually harassed on the main road of the university campus. It was dark and the victim was returning to her hostel when few boys harassed her on the university road taking the benefit that the road was not well lit.

Terrified by this, when the girl went to register a complaint in the university proctorial board, she was asked that why she was wondering outside the hostel. As the Prime Minister was about to visit Varanasi the next, she was also told to not create a fuss about the incident to keep things quiet.

However, when the victim complained about the incident and insensitive behaviour of University security staff with her hostel mates on the same night, it infuriated girls and on the next day, September 22, when the hostel gates were opened in early morning, hundreds of girls came out to BHUs main gate demanding prosecution and punishment of accused of the previous night.

When the protest settled in the morning, BHUs several girls hostels were already in the news for curfew like situations inside the hostels. Girls were not being provided non-vegetarian foods inside the hostel mess. BHU administration had limited the timing of hostel entry until 8 pm only, and many of the girl hostels did not have good Wifi connectivity. At several points, girls were also told to wear decent clothes inside the hostels even. Prof Girish Chandra Tripathi, the former vice-chancellor of the university, had once told girls himself that they should not wear shorts inside the hostels.

After the harassment episode on September 21, girls occupied the universitys main gate and did not vacate it until the district administration lathi charged at them over the request of university administration.

In and around the protest, TwoCircles.net did extensive as well as exclusive coverage of the whole thing, and that too, in various formats. As the whole event complete one year, TwoCircles.net tried to look at the event more closely and register the changes inside the campus regarding girls security and gender sensitivity inside the campus. And to do this, who could be better than the girls who were leading and taking part in the protest of last year, who still think that BHU still needs gender sensitization and freedom of expression inside the campus.

I met Sakshi Singh at the protest site last year. She and her friends, who belonged to Womens College at BHU, were trying to make a continuity and unity among the protestors. Sakshi Singh, 20, is a graduate student of Physics. She is originally from Varanasi but as her home in far outskirts, she has to live in the hostel. Both of the Sakshi parents are into academics.

The protest made me politically aware of the situation I live in. I was only 19 then. But I knew that I had to raise my voice for the safety and security. And after all, it was the question of justice for one of the girls who was harassment in one of the worst ways possible, Singh told me.

At the night, when police forces barged into the girls hostel and charged at the studentswithout any female policeSakshi made a panic call to me and had said, Sir, they are sparing no one. We did not harm anyone but still we being beaten mercilessly. We want to tell this to everyone outside.

Next day, BHU announced holiday for several days and cut off the electricity and water supply inside the hostel in order to force girls to vacate hostels as soon as possible. Sakshi had to leave, but she was a bit worried that she could face questioning at her home, after all, she was a 19-year-old graduate student.

Even when the protest was happening, my father called me up. He said that I should continue the protest and take what I am fighting for. It gave me immense hope at the moment, and it also relaxed me that I wouldnt face intimidation at home, said Singh.

But for Deeksha Agrawal, things were not easy at home. 21-year-old Economics undergraduate Deeksha comes from a conservative family where everyone loves to watch propaganda news channels. She recalls, I left for my home on the night of 23rd. Soon I reached home, and I was welcomed with criticism for my so-called acts.

Discussing the specifics, Deeksha said, I was told that why I was doing politics when I was sent here for the studies. Why I was trying to defame one central universitywhich has been established on the core Malviyas valueswhich is giving cheaper education to many. The days I spent at home was not easy. I felt under constant watch.

The story is same for Akanksha Singh, 20-year-old Statistics undergrad from the university who comes from a joint family of Kanpur. Her argument over the gender security and sensitivity may or may not have been heard in the university she is studying, but her parents surely did not entertain the argument. Akanksha told me, I was at the protest until the night of 23rd, then I left for my home. I didnt hope to be welcomed at my home after protesting, as I know my parents very well, but I didnt hope to be criticised and to be taught a lesson on how to be a good girl or how to be a good student.

Akanksha, who talks without any interruptions and apprehensions, explains that whatever episodes of intimidations she has been facing in the university campus, she did not face a small fraction of it even at her home. She told me, BHU is a good place to study, but I still do not feel that the university space is easy and comfortable for girls. Even after our fight of last year, I dont see if we have achieved what we fought for.

In the early morning of September 22, girls decided to sit on protest demanding justice for the victim. As the mid-semester examinations were already on, many students thought that protest shouldnt last for more than a couple of hours. As per what students tell me, the girls decided that they would meet vice-chancelloras he could come in few minutes onlyand demand for the strict action against the security staff and hostel warden for the insensitivity. But soon, it turned out that vice-chancellor was not ready to entertain the meeting request and consequently, the protest extended until the VC could meet students.

BHUs gate was flooded with girls and police force. Placards like Unsafe BHU or Would you like if it was done with you were swinging in the tough humid day of September. Poster of Prof GC Tripathi, the vice-chancellor, in an outfit resembling the one of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was posted several places at the gate with the slogans VC GC go back and GC Commission go back being raised by hundreds of girls at the same time. Everything was rubbed away from the scene with the use of violence because our vice-chancellor did not want to meet us, said Anushka Kaushik, 20, an undergraduate student of Zoology.

Kaushik met me in the BHUs famous Vishwanath Temple, she came confident in the evening, after dark, and talked comfortably and proudly about what she has been going through or passing through. She told me, Earlier, girls used to think several times before coming out of hostels at this hour, but thanks to the protest, we have freedom to a greater extent.

Not associated with any political and ideological groups in and out of the campus, Anushka could be seen at the protest last year helping the girls and taking lead in the protest at several ends in various capacities. I asked her about her involvement in the protest, she said, I dont have any grudge against BHU or vice-chancellor. I have been facing episodes of intimidation and discrimination inside the hostels. But I have never been so much politically outspoken and aware of the social changes around me. It was the spur of the moment that day last year which compelled me to protest for justice and rights.

The home was welcoming for Anushka. On the second day of protest, I could not even speak well because of sloganeering and shouting continuously. I was literally talking in a hissing tone. But even then, my father called and told me that I should fight if I think this is the right thing to do. This lowered apprehensions, if there was any.

Anushka has seen changes in the university for her. She said, We are allowed to go out without any questioning. We see security in the campus. There are female guards, who were appointed right after the protest last year. We get three kinds of vegetables every day and non-veg food once a week. There are much fewer episodes of verbal sexist abuse or harassment cases, and with that, we can sense that we have brought a good change in the campus.

Now people listen to us, they pay attention to what we are saying, said Anushka.

Every student I talked with, has raised the issue of killing of freedom of expression. According to the allegation against the administration of BHU, the university is trying to suppress the free voices in order to minimize the further damage as well.

Right after the protest, BHU appointed Prof. Royana Singh as the first female proctor of the university. The appointment was welcomed at first, but soon it came out that Professor Singh was the piece of the same board which has been accused of gender insensitivity. For the attention, she has stated that girls were given pizza and cold drinks through large delivery trucks during the protest last year and also any girl would not be stopped from drinking alcohol, which has created enough controversy in the campus.

Just a few months back, Police booked twelve students of BHU, most of them took part in the protest last year as well, under murder charges. The charges imposed on the students include the sections 147, 148, 353, 332, 427, 504, 307 and 395 of Indian Penal Code, based on the complaint raised by Proctor Royana Singh. The FIR was lodged after students went to meet Royana Singh after her pizza-soft drinks supply remark to ask for a proof or apology otherwise.

Last month, BHU administration debarred 14 students from taking further admission in any of the courses being taught in BHU. Shivangi Choubey, a postgraduate student of linguistics at Delhi University, is one who also faced the FIR with the charges of attempt to murder. While talking on the phone, Shivangi broke into laugh several times imagining the extent of corruption and intimidation inside the campus. Originally from Buxar, Bihar Shivangi spent around 13 years in Varanasi just for education and getting debarred from BHU makes her sad. She told me, Implicating me in a police case or debarring me from further education makes me sad, but if you look it from outside it is one sequential protocol of BHU in which it is trying to kill dissent and expression.

I wasnt welcomed at home after the protest. My parents told me that they did not want to see me taking any more such leads or part in the protests. They asked me to complete my studies without any politics, as in my second year only, university administration made several complaints against me, and that reflected at my home, said Shivangi.

Shivangis implication in police FIR or her being debarred is still hidden from her parents. When she came back after curfew ended in BHU, everything was silent. Nobody was talking about it anymore but for good, girls felt secure. Shivangi continued her participation in debates, discussions, and protest, but in a very covert way, hiding it all from her parents. I have been an active participant in the campus activities, but the protest gave me an enlightenment, it opened the perspective even more for many of us girls, added Shivangi.

But Thriti Das, an undergraduate student of sociology at BHUs Womens College, thinks that even BHU has become secure and students have become more politically aware, the sensitization is missing. Originally from Durgapur, West Bengal, Das wanted to come out of Bengal for further studies so she opted BHU as her next stop. But, the institute did not meet her expectations. She took part in the protest and got praise from her father, as he himself has been active student politics and has an inclination towards left. I did not expect such regressive culture in BHU. I came here to become more independent and to move out of my comfort zone, but it was a more closed and conservative environment. I personally heard many times that I should not talk on the mobile phone after 10.30 pm, Das told me.

She further said, When I went back to my home after the protest, I could substantiate at my home that how situations were tough. We had a VC who was not willing to meet but was indeed willing to ask for the use of police force against us.

For Das, a two-day-long protest is a life event where she has taken a stand for the women and the community but as campus claims to provide more security to the women, it is policing things more. Das said, Now the episodes of police have increased. Security guards interrupt and stop any couple inside the campus claiming that it is for the security of the girl. We are still being given a moral lecture inside the hostel, offices and in our departments. Many of the students have become sensitive but there is a substantial lack of sensitization in the administration, which is still a cause of trauma and stress for many.

BHU indeed took some points to consider after the protest. It installed multicolored LED lights to beautify the main gate, while many of the campus roads are still dark. It claims to have brought down violence up to many folds with the use of face-recognition surveillance system, but in just last couple of weeks, there have been at least a dozen of small-large violent incidents inside the campus. Wondering around the campus for several times, I noticed that security guards close several roads after dark and no personnel is allowed to pass from those roads, the reason is security.

A month after student protests, BHU yet to do much to ensure women safety

Almost every girl I talked with took the name of Prof Chandrakala Tripathi, the newly appointed Principal of Womens College, who has brought a lot of positive changes in the college in the last couple of months. Such changes also include the good behavior of professors and non-teaching staff, hostel wardens and care takers, and security guards. Girls have also said that they feel much free since Prof Tripathi took charge a couple of months back. A girl went on to say that other hostels and institutes under BHU should take a lesson from Prof Tripathi.

Prof Chandrakala Tripathi is a woman of Hindi literature and philosophy and has written several books of poetry and literary criticism. This is the thing, she understands, that makes her create a positive environment for girls. I have been a student as well as a scholar of literature and I feel that answer to the problems girls have been facing is more humane and grounded as that of the literature.

She further told me, See, people have to understand. These are just little girls and many of them still under the age of 20. They do not understand politics or chains or ideologies. They just demand certain freedom so that they can enjoy their studies without any burden. They have no fault. So whose fault is this basically? The staff, who has not been cordial with them.

The day I took charge, I informed everyone that I am here for my students and will not give any excuse if they want to meet me. I told everyone that I would not spare anyone if the girls will complain against them, said Prof. Tripathi.

Girls wish to see more such examples around campus, but the appointment of Prof. Royana Singh as chief proctor is one biggest problem for them. Apart from the allegedly false cases and her statements before propaganda news channels, Singh herself is also booked in one FIR pertaining to attempt to murder. After the protest and violent crackdown last year, the National Commission for Women visited the university for inquiry. What Prof Singh did was surprising. As a proctor, she lined up students from institutes and hostels other than in question, and when Commission representative asked whether they face intimidation or abuse in campus or hostels, the girls said no. Sakshi Singh told me, We went to the commissions inquiry by ourself and tried to make them aware of the actual condition, but Professor Singh was not letting us speak even.

Moreover, when an internal inquiry over an attempt to murder Royana Singh was set up, Royana Singh was chairing the inquiry panel killing chances of free and fair inquiry, if there were any. Several attempts to reach Prof Royana Singh regarding the story were failed.

BHU still lacks Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH), a necessary practice inside all university campuses across India, and a grievance cell has been constituted as makeshift arrangement, in which no representative from the student side has been put.

The Banaras Hindu University still lacks a Student Union, and the practices to bring it in the campus have been killed multiple times. Students say that it is not a bit easier for them to get their voices heard, but university administration is clever enough to kill dissent by FIRs or debarring the students from further study inside BHU.UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The latest on the United Nations General Assembly (all times local):

11:20 p.m.

President Joseph Kabila of Congo is stressing that holding elections on Dec. 23 is "irreversible" and denouncing any interference in the electoral process from foreign governments.

Kabila became Congo's leader in 2001 after the assassination of his father and by law could not run again after his mandate ended in December 2016. But he has remained in office because of delays in holding elections, which sparked deadly protests.

He told the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that "everything will be implemented to guarantee the peaceful and credible nature of these elections "

Kabila warned that the United Nations will not be "an organization for all if the intrusive interference of some governments in matters undoubtedly in the domestic policy of the states" continues. He did not name any countries.

President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Joseph Kabila Kabange addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018, at the United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

He also called for an "effective and substantial" start to the withdrawal of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo.

___

4:40 p.m.

Germany and Saudi Arabia have agreed to patch up their strained diplomatic ties, after Berlin's top diplomat expressed regret for recent "misunderstandings" that angered the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia pulled its ambassador from Germany last year after then German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel suggested Riyadh was engaging in "political adventurism" in the Middle East.

Current Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters Tuesday that "our relations have witnessed misunderstandings which stands in sharp contrast to our otherwise strong and strategic ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We sincerely regret this."

Speaking after the two met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir responded by inviting Maas to visit the kingdom "at the earliest opportunity so that we may begin a new phase of close cooperation."

___

5:10 p.m.

Smirks and smiles, but no signs of shock: German diplomats appeared bemused by President Donald Trump's latest swipe at their country.

In a wide-ranging speech Tuesday to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump took time to reiterate his criticism of Germany's planned undersea gas pipeline from Russia.

After the U.S. president's warning that "Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course," cameras showed German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas gently shaking his head, while senior diplomats smiled.

___

4:50 p.m.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in says the current round of nuclear diplomacy with North Korea is "completely different" than the many failed deals that have frustrated past negotiators.

Moon is fresh off a dramatic summit in Pyongyang with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and now is at U.N. General Assembly meetings this week taking on the widespread skepticism that Kim is sincere in his vows to abandon nuclear weapons.

Moon told an audience at a New York think tank Tuesday that it was "only natural that we have plenty of suspicions regarding the true motivations" of Kim after a series of increasingly powerful weapons tests last year by North Korea had many fearing war.

But he says this time is "completely different" because it's being driven by Trump and Kim.

___

4:40 p.m.

Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales has used his time speaking to the U.N. General Assembly to rail against a U.N.-sponsored commission that has investigated corruption in his Central American nation, including a pending case against the president himself.

Morales said Tuesday that the commission violated Guatemala's constitution, its laws and the agreement under which the body was created.

In his 24-minute speech, Morales highlighted actions he considers excessive, such as the use of preventative detention that he says he results in some suspects spending years in custody.

Morales reiterated previous calls for the U.N. secretary-general to replace commission chief Ivan Velasquez, with whom he has repeatedly sparred.

Earlier this month Morales barred Velasquez from returning to Guatemala from a work trip to the United States.

He also recently announced that he would not renew the commission for another two-year mandate.

The commission and Guatemalan prosecutors have brought numerous corruption cases in recent years including a probe of Morales over more than $1 million in allegedly illicit campaign contributions. The president denies wrongdoing.

___

3:35 p.m.

Vice President Mike Pence says the U.S. will give another $48 million in humanitarian aid for Venezuelans who have fled their crisis-wracked nation.

Pence made the announcement Tuesday at the U.N. General Assembly. The money with go to several U.N. and non-governmental agencies helping Venezuelans in countries including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, which have seen a wave of migrants as Venezuela's economy has neared collapse.

The U.S. had already sent nearly $50 million in such aid, as well as $23.5 million to help Colombia absorb incoming Venezuelans.

Pence also urged Venezuela to accept foreign humanitarian aid to help cope with shortages of food and medicine.

Meanwhile, a bi-partisan group of U.S. senators announced a bill to expand humanitarian relief for Venezuelans and increase pressure of the country's socialist government. It calls for efforts to seek additional aid from other nations, financing to help "democratic actors and civil society," and expanded efforts "to freeze and recover the corrupt financial holdings of Venezuelan officials."

Earlier Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on four top members of the Venezuelan leadership, including first lady Cilia Flores.

___

3:15 p.m.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he wants a more "constructive" relationship with Russia, even as the western alliance is taking measures to respond to Moscow's increasing military assertiveness.

In an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, Stoltenberg said dialogue with Russia is needed "to try to defuse tensions" and "avoid miscalculations."

Speaking shortly before meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sideline of the U.N. General Assembly, he cited military interference in Ukraine and Georgia, and its support for Syria's Bashar Assad, as evidence of Russia's military buildups beyond its borders.

Stoltenberg said NATO is responding by deploying battle groups to its eastern members for the first time, and will soon hold the biggest exercise in the Norwegian Sea in a generation, involving land, air and naval forces.

___

3:05 p.m.

Iran's president has accused the United States of trying to overthrow his government, and he's rejecting the idea of bilateral talks with Washington.

President Hassan Rouhani issued a sharp rebuke to the U.S. at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. He accused President Donald Trump's administration of "economic terrorism" and a having "plan for overthrowing" the government in Tehran.

Rouhani's remarks came after Trump criticized Iran in his own speech at the assembly. He later predicted U.S. sanctions would push Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.

Rouhani said his country would "overcome" the sanctions.

Trump pulled the U.S. out of the multinational 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. His administration has since reinstated sanctions.

Meanwhile, U.S. national security adviser John Bolton issued a warning Tuesday that Iran would have "hell to pay" if it defies the U.S.

___

2:40 p.m.

Iran's president says U.S. sanctions against his country amount to "economic terrorism" that won't sway Iran.

Iran's Hassan Rouhani told world leaders at the General Assembly on Tuesday that the sanctions amount to an "economic war" that's disrupting trade and will harm people beyond Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has reinstated sanctions on Iran after pulling out the U.S. of the multinational 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Trump says the deal was a "horrible" agreement that didn't do enough to contain "aggression" from Iran.

In remarks earlier Tuesday, Trump predicted that the pressure from renewed sanctions would force Iran back to the table to negotiate.

But Rouhani noted that Iranians has endured sanctions before and "can overcome this difficult phase as well."

___

2:20 p.m.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is condemning "recklessness and disregard of some states for international values and institutions" hours after U.S. President Donald Trump lambasted global governing and sharply criticized Iran to world leaders.

Speaking Tuesday to the U.N. General Assembly, Rouhani launched into leaders who believe they can "ride public sentiments and gain popular support through the fomenting of extremist nationalism and racism" and through what he called "xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition."

Trump, in his own speech, said Americans "reject the ideology of globalism" in favor of what he called "the doctrine of patriotism."

He also blasted what he called Iran's "corrupt dictatorship.

___

2:05 p.m.

Qatar's ruling emir has told the United Nations that the ongoing boycott targeting his country is "paralyzing" Gulf Arab nations.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday that the boycott by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates has only caused "our Arab region to remain hostage to marginal differences." The boycott began in June 2017,

He said that his country remains open to "unconditional dialogue." However, the dispute has only hardened over time and affected Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Sheikh Tamim said: "We hope that we will all transform the council's current plight into an opportunity to reforming it."

___

1:10 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron is assailing self-interested world leaders and saying that "nationalism always leads to defeat."

Speaking Tuesday to the U.N. General Assembly, Macron urged fellow leaders, "Don't accept our history unraveling," and added, "Our children are watching."

He acknowledged that the old world order has failed to solve widespread inequality, and he called for a "new world order with a human face."

Macron noted there has been increasing skepticism toward the U.N., European Union and other international bodies and said that "you may be tired of multilateralism." But he urged against complacency and isolationism.

Macron drew wide applause in the hall for his impassioned plea for global cooperation, which came soon after U.S. President Donald Trump frustrated some by defending his America-first policies.

___

1:05 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron says it's time for authorities to stop telling women "what to do with their bodies" and wants international cooperation to stop violence against women.

Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, Macron said "it's time to put an end to all of this," to stop allowing women to be victims of sexual and other abuse and instead to give women "their due place" in world leadership.

Macron urged other leaders gathered in New York to join him in an initiative to "guarantee across the board" an end to violence against women.

Macron has been outspoken against sexual misconduct since the Me-too movement emerged last year, though his government has been criticized for not going far enough to protect women's rights.

Macron is joining Canada and some other countries in launching a new initiative this week to get more girls in school around the world. Millions of girls around the world never go to school and millions more drop out at a young age.

___

1 p.m.

Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno is telling world leaders at the United Nations that using a wheelchair has made him see the world and its social barriers in a new way.

Speaking Tuesday at the annual General Assembly meeting, Moreno recalled the searing pain he suffered after being shot in the back and paralyzed from the waist down during a 1998 robbery.

But he said experiencing life from a wheelchair makes people "discover other realities, other worlds" and see various roadblocks that societies put in people's paths. Beyond physical barriers, he pointed to xenophobia, racism, inequality and other social conditions.

He is exhorting leaders not to let "misery and injustice remain a part of our everyday landscape."

Moreno advocated for the rights of the disabled around the world while service as the U.N. envoy on disability and accessibility from 2013 to 2016.

___

12:40 p.m.

The U.N. special envoy for Syria says October is going to be "a very important month" both for the last major rebel-held stronghold in Idlib and for U.N.-led efforts to try to move toward peace.

Staffan de Mistura spoke briefly to The Associated Press on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday about two key issues in the seven-year-old Syrian conflict.

Last week, Russia and Turkey reached a deal to avert an offensive against Idlib and de Mistura said October will be very important "for the verification of Idlib."

De Mistura told U.N. reporters last week that he wants to move forward "expeditiously" with drafting a new constitution for Syria. He said there is agreement on delegations from the government and opposition to draft a new constitution - but not yet on the delegation the U.N. put together representing Syrian experts, civil society, independents, tribal leaders and women.

___

12 p.m.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the U.N. risks becoming an organization with "a reputation for failure" and catering to just five world powers unless it's restructured, particularly in the Security Council.

Erdogan told world leaders at the General Assembly on Tuesday that the U.N. has "moved away from the capacity to meet the expectations of humanity through peace and welfare."

He referenced Bosnia, Rwanda and the plight of the Palestinians and said the world body must be restructured if it is to succeed.

In his words, "We believe that when we say the world is greater than five, we are becoming the voice of the common conscience of the human race." That's a reference to the U.S., China, Russia, France and Britain, the Security Council's five permanent members and the only ones with veto power.

___

11:50 a.m.

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations says that President Donald Trump's speech to the global body proves that the US "is on the right side of history."

Ambassador Danny Danon says that the U.S. is leading the "United Nations into a new era that ends its obsession with Israel, and pushes back against the Iranian regime." He made the remarks in a statement shortly after Trump's speech at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.

In his speech, Trump asked the world's nations to join the U.S. in isolating Iran over behavior he deems aggressive. He says a regime that chants "death to America" and threatens Israel with destruction must not be allowed to have the means to deliver a nuclear warhead.

___

11:30 a.m.

Brazil's president is urging world leaders to reject growing trends for isolationism and intolerance and recommit to defending international cooperation and improving the United Nations.

President Michel Temer told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that his administration has done its part by increasingly opening Brazil's economy and by welcoming Venezuelans fleeing their country's economic collapse.

Temer stressed the importance of the United Nations in a world where countries are increasingly advocating going it alone.

But he also said the body needs significant reforms to become more effective and legitimate. He said that the Security Council as it currently stands reflects a world that no longer exists. Brazil and other countries have advocated expanding the number of countries that sit on the Security Council, including the number of permanent members.

___

10:20 a.m.

U.S. President Donald Trump is holding up the whole world.

Trump ran a bit late for his once-a-year speech at the U.N. General Assembly, forcing organizers to change the order of speakers.

Trump was scheduled to speak second at Tuesday's session, after Brazilian President Michel Temer.

Instead, Temer's speech was followed by an awkward pause, as U.N. officials prepared the podium to accommodate the No. 3 speaker, Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno, who is in a wheelchair.

Trump's motorcade arrived during Moreno's speech at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

The White House did not immediately explain why Trump was running late. Trump's America-first policies and criticism of allies has clashed with the multilateral spirit of the U.N. General Assembly.

___

9:50 a.m.

Germany's foreign minister is warning that too much pressure on Iran might lead Tehran to resume its military nuclear program and destabilize the entire Middle East.

Heiko Maas told reporters in New York on Tuesday that three European Union countries, Russia and China agreed overnight to try to maintain the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran despite the U.S. pullout.

Maas said "There was great unanimity among those involved that we want to keep this deal alive, that we want to soften the consequences resulting from U.S. sanctions." He said this includes facilitating payments for Iran's exports.

Maas added that Germany's worry is "that under greatest possible pressure Iran might one day resume military nuclear use again. We don't want this because it would set the entire region ablaze"

___

9:40 a.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling technology advances one of the "epochal challenges" facing the world.

Speaking Tuesday at the General Assembly gathering of world leaders, Guterres says the promise of such developing technologies as artificial intelligence, blockchain and biotech is tempered by risks and "serious dangers."

He notes that technology stands to change or eliminate some jobs and is a tool in the hands of terrorists, cybercriminals and creators of disinformation campaigns. And he worries about the possibility of artificially intelligent weapons that could choose their own targets.

Guterres declares that "the prospect of machines with the discretion and power to take human life is morally repugnant."

He also notes that people increasingly are getting information from social media feeds and outlets that echo their views and "reinforce tribalism."

___

9:20 a.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the world has reached "a pivotal moment" in global warming and risks runaway climate change if leaders don't act in the next two years.

He is telling world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly that they aren't doing enough to combat what he calls "a direct existential threat" that is moving faster than people are working to combat it.

He notes that thick, permanent sea ice north of Greenland began to break up this year for the first time.

He's calling for making sure the international Paris climate change agreement is implemented. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced he's withdrawing his country from the pact.

Guterres is planning a climate summit next year.

___

9:15

U.N, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the principle of multinational cooperation "is under fire precisely when we need it most."

The U.N. chief is issuing a sweeping appeal to revive multilateralism as he speaks Tuesday at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly.

He says that at a time of "massive, existential threats" to people and the planet, "there is no way forward but collective, common-sense action for the common good."

Guterres is warning of rising populism and polarization within nations. He says their leaders have the duty to improve their people's well-being, but also to "promote and support a reformed, reinvigorated and strengthened multilateral system."

___

9:05

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is telling leaders from around the world that it "is suffering from a bad case of 'Trust Deficit Disorder.'"

The U.N. chief is painting a bleak picture in his speech as the General Assembly's top-level gathering opens Tuesday. He points to rising polarization and populism within nations, ebbing cooperation among them and "fragile" trust in international institutions.

And Guterres says "democratic principles are under siege."

Presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and high-ranking ministers from 133 countries have signed up to attend the weeklong session. Among them are many defenders of the international order, but also such populist leaders as U.S. President Donald Trump, Polish President Andrzej Duda and Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte.

___

8:45 a.m.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to paint a grim picture of the state of the world as leaders open their annual meeting Tuesday, spotlighting the breakdown of trust around the globe and the need to counter unilateralism and reinvigorate international cooperation which is the foundation of the United Nations.

U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq gave a preview the U.N. chief's address saying he will "also sound the alarm on climate change" and stress that all people must benefit from new technologies "while safeguarding against the dangers from malicious acts in cyberspace to the weaponization of artificial intelligence."

He said Guterres will also appeal to world leaders "for greater solidarity in advancing peace, human rights and sustainable development," he said.

This year, 133 world leaders have signed up to attend the General Assembly session, up from 114 leaders last year.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, center, sit with his delegation as U.S. President Donald Trump address the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday Sept. 25, 2018 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

President Donald Trump addresses the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday Sept. 25, 2018 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

South Korean President Moon Jae-In is escorted by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after a photo opportunity Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Guatemala's President Jimmy Morales addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018, at the United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Columbia President Ivan Duque, center, listens as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence address a conference on regional migration and Venezuela, during the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday Sept. 25, 2018 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

A television screen develops a difficulty as Tamim bin Hamad Al -Thani, the Amir of Qatar, addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

France's President Emmanuel Macron gives a thumbs up as he waits to address the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

France's President Emmanuel Macron addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno Garces waits to address the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

President Donald Trump reacts to laughter from diplomats during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday Sept. 25, 2018 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Brazilian president Michel Temer addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno Garces addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

President Donald Trump listens as United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks at the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 24, 2018, at U.N. Headquarters. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls launched a bid on Tuesday to become Barcelona's mayor in an election next year with the aim to "rescue" the Catalan capital from "deterioration."

The 56-year-old Valls, who was born in Barcelona but was raised in France and made a career in local and national politics there, said he would resign as a French lawmaker in order to focus on his bid in the neighboring country.

His jump to Spanish politics raises the stakes for the May election as a battleground between those who want the wealthy northeastern Catalan region to either break away or remain part of Spain.

After months of negotiations with the anti-secession Ciutadans (Citizens) party, Valls finally announced on Tuesday that he was choosing to lead an independent ticket. His bid has the backing of the Spanish center-right party led by Albert Rivera but Valls said that he seeks wider support.

"Barcelona should be an antidote against populism," Valls said, adding that the city "has to be a meeting point and a space of cohabitation."

But rather than focusing on the territorial dispute, Valls chose to emphasize plans to bolster security and fight inequality in the city of 1.6 million, while promising efforts to boost the local economy and raise the international profile of the "Barcelona brand."

France's former prime minister Manuel Valls speaks during a press conference in Barcelona, Spain to announce his candidacy for mayor of Barcelona on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

The city, he said switching between Catalan and Spanish at a packed auditorium, "is deteriorating and none of us should be indifferent."

The comment was an attack on far-left incumbent Ada Colau. The former anti-eviction activist wants to earn re-election but is facing mounting criticism for her handling of street vendors and the prevalence of drug trafficking in the city center.

Valls has been a household name in French politics for more than a decade. He served as the mayor of Evry, a town on the outskirts of Paris, before becoming interior minister in 2012 and then prime minister between 2014 and 2016, when Francois Hollande was the country's president.

After failing in his bid to become a presidential candidate last year, Valls left the Socialist party and joined Emmanuel Macron's Republic on the Move centrist party.

On Tuesday, Valls announced that he would leave his seat in France's National Assembly.

French political opponents, on the left and right, had criticized him in recent weeks for holding onto his lawmaker's salary while launching a political career abroad.

France's former prime minister Manuel Valls speaks during a press conference in Barcelona, Spain to announce his candidacy for mayor of Barcelona on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)The Labour Party features on many of the front pages on Monday as politics dominates the headlines.

The Daily Mirror leads on an interview with shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who says he, Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson want Labour to be in power for 15 years.

He told the paper Mr Corbyn hopes to topple the Prime Minister before Christmas.

What the papers say - September 24

The i reports that Labour are ready to back a new Brexit vote, while the Metro describes the decision over whether to support a second referendum as crunch time for Mr Corbyn.

Mondays i: Labour ready to back new Brexit vote #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/KIPcOLdhzm  Helen Miller (@MsHelicat) September 23, 2018

Mondays METRO: Crunch time for Labour over Brexit #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/imiRVsodlx  Helen Miller (@MsHelicat) September 23, 2018

The Daily Express runs with the headline: Outcry at Labours betrayal of Brexit, and says the Labour leader faced a furious backlash after confirming he was ready to join calls for a re-run of the 2016 poll if delegates back the demand in a vote at the partys conference.

The Daily Mail reports that Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger was forced to rely on police protection as she attended an anti-Semitism rally in Liverpool.

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph reports that the PM is set to be told that the majority of the Cabinet now supports moving towards a Canada-style trade deal with the EU following the rejection of her Chequers plan.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid is to propose that EU citizens be waved through the border for more than two years after a no-deal Brexit, The Times says.

Javid angers Brexiteers with cop out on migrants #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/cjzunw885D  The Times (@thetimes) September 23, 2018

Elsewhere, The Sun reports that talks are under way to invite Germanys president to the Cenotaph for the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Tomorrow's front page: Secret plans to invite Germany's president to the Cenotaph for the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1 can be revealed https://t.co/V1YSuBl2pV pic.twitter.com/2KQVk6FSo6  The Sun (@TheSun) September 23, 2018

The Guardian says figures show less than a third of rape prosecutions against young men result in a conviction.

Mondays GUARDIAN: Juries convict less than a third of young men prosecuted for rape #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/5bjvhPn54q  Helen Miller (@MsHelicat) September 23, 2018

And the Financial Times leads on plans by Labour for every large British company to hand over 10% of its equity to workers within a decade.Team Europe retained the Laver Cup as Alexander Zverev fought back to beat Kevin Anderson to push Bjorn Borgs side over the 13-point line.

After securing the inaugural title in Prague last year, the Europeans took two straight singles matches in Chicago to seal the title.

Going into the final day at 7-5 in favour of Europe, Team World retook the lead through John Isner and Jack Sock who saved two match points and saw off Roger Federer and Zverev 4-6 7-6 (7/2) 11-9.

Team Europe pose with the Laver Cup after defeating Team World (Jim Young/AP)

But Federer put Europe on the brink of victory with a three-set win over Isner 6-7 (5/7) 7-6 (8/6) 10-7 and Zverev did the honours against Anderson.

The world number nine took the first set on a tiebreak 7/3, but the German had a break in the second to take it 7-5.

He then went on to win five points in a row to take the final set 10-7 as Europe took an unassailable lead.

"Chicago you've been absolutely amazing. Dammit we're going to win this one next year." #TeamWorld2018 Captain John McEnroe. pic.twitter.com/OqxsiwR6Ga  Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 24, 2018

Speaking after the win, Zverev said: It was such a close match all around not just this one, the whole weekend.

A few points here or there could have changed the whole thing.

Team World captain John McEnroe said: This team, I am so proud of these guys, it is awesome to be a captain for Team World.

We have got great camaraderie and dammit, were going to win this one next year.

Debutant Kyle Edmund won his only game on Friday against Jack Sock, while fellow first-timers Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin won their singles matches on Friday but lost as a doubles pair to Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock on Saturday.

Novak Djokovic, the current world number three, would have faced Kyrgios in the final singles tie after two straight defeats at the United Center  once with Federer as a pair against Anderson and Sock and again to Anderson on Saturday in the singles.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.

President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (J Scott Applewhite/AP)

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.

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley (Andrew Harnik/AP)

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.A man arrested at Buckingham Palace on suspicion of possessing a Taser has been released by police.

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.

The man was detained at the visitors entrance of Buckingham Palace (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Scotland Yard confirmed the man was released without further action on Sunday evening as 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.

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.Theresa May is to meet senior ministers as she battles to save her Chequers blueprint for Brexit following last weeks humiliating rebuff by EU leaders.

The Prime Minister will chair a meeting of the Cabinet in Downing Street on Monday amid intense pressure to change course and seek a simpler, less ambitious deal.

The meeting will take place just hours after the high-profile launch of an alternative plan for leaving the EU by the free market Institute of Economic Affairs think tank 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 the hands of Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party if the Government continued to pursue the same course in the facing of rising public hostility.

Boris Johnson says continuing with Chequers will play into the hands of Labour (Victoria Jones/PA)

If we go with the Chequers approach, the public will spot it.

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.

The 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 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.

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.

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.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has refused to rule out a change of policy (Victoria Jones/PA)

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, however, warned that Brussels offer of a Canada-style deal would mean agreeing to customs controls between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, something Mrs May has flatly rejected.

Meawhile The Times reported 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 in the Commons.

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.

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.The opposition leader in the Maldives has won the countrys general election, according to provisional results from the Maldives Election Commission.

Mr Solih claimed victory over President Abdulla Yameen in Male, the capital of the tropical island chain in the Indian Ocean.

President Yameen conceded the loss, saying: I know I have to step down now.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, third left, and his running mate Faisal Naseem celebrate in Male (Mohamed Sharuhaan/AP)

Mr Solihs win was unexpected, with opposition members fearing President Yameen would rig the vote in his favor.

Since his election in 2013, President Yameen has cracked down on political dissent, jailing rivals and judges.

The commissions results show Mr Solih with 134,616 votes and incumbent President Gayoom with 96,132 votes, with a 89.2 per cent voter turnout.

The commission said the final results will be released within the 7-day window parties have to challenge the results in court.Holiday giant Thomas Cook has warned over profits after sales were hit by the European heatwave and a fall in demand for last-minute trips abroad.

The firm said that the unprecedented prolonged period of hot weather across the continent meant more people spent June and July enjoying the sunshine at home and put off booking holidays abroad.

A slowdown in customer bookings during June and July extended into August, leading to higher-than-normal levels of promotional activity, which exacerbated pressure on profit margins.

As a result, Thomas Cook now expects to deliver full-year underlying operating profit of about 280 million, down from previous estimates of 323 million.

Shares plunged by nearly 25% at the market open to 57.9p as investors digested the news.

Thomas Cook makes all of its annual profits in the summer months and also warned that the impact of the heatwave is continuing to be felt into winter trading.

Boss Peter Fankhauser 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.

Soaring temperatures seen across the UK, Ireland and Europe over the summer have caused a headache for travel firms and airlines, with low-cost airline easyJet also warning in July that late bookings might be impacted.

Bookings for summer 2018 are 12% higher, driven by the return in popularity of holidays to Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Greece.

However, average selling prices are 5% lower.

Fun in the sun in Devon this summer (Ben Birchall/PA)

Northern Europe bookings are up 4% in the summer, but Thomas Cook said this has come at the expense of price, with average selling prices now up 2%, a fall of two percentage points since the last update.

A similar pattern has been seen in Continental Europe, with bookings up in recent weeks driven by lower pricing.

Average selling prices are up 2%, a fall of 1% since the firms last update.

However, Thomas Cook said that despite recent challenges, we continue to make good strategic progress which positions us well to return to profitable growth.Actor Will Smith is planning to celebrate his 50th birthday on Tuesday by bungee jumping from a helicopter over the Grand Canyon.

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 Arizona.

Thrillseekers have long been drawn to the 277 mile-long wonder.

At the end of the 1991 movie Thelma and Louise, the two leading ladies  fugitives cornered by authorities in the Grand Canyon  decide against surrendering and instead drive off a cliff.

Smith will jump into the Grand Canyon (PA Archive)

One of cinemas most iconic endings was not filmed in the national park, but not for lack of trying.

We didnt 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, Ms 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.

An acrobat, a magician and daredevils are among those who have approached Grand Canyon National Park over the years with visions of a made-for-TV moment.

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 would not be allowed anyway.

She said the park is responsible for protecting its assets.

Its everything relating to safety, impacts to visitors and impacts to the resources, she said.

Ms Oltrogge said other filming projects were turned down because of their size, the impact to tourism and because they did not align with the parks 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 publicised 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 is world-famous, spectacular and scary to most people, Mr Berger said.

In 1999 and 2011, Robbie Knievel, the son of stunt performer Evel Knievel, and Swiss aviator Yves Rossy 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 Canyons 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 tribes Grand Canyon Resort Corportation said any event must be respectful of Hualapai culture and consistent with its brand.

Our Tribal Council would need to approve any proposal, and thats 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.

Aerial artist Nik Wallenda was refused permission to walk a tightrope over the canyon in 2013.

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.

That is where Smith will be making his big leap.

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.The start of an inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal which left at least 2,400 people dead is a day few thought they would never see, a solicitor representing hundreds of victims said.

It will consider 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 this had on their families.

Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the inquiry, previously said the probe would examine whether there had been an attempt to cover up the scandal, and has promised a thorough examination of the evidence.

The infected blood inquiry is due to begin (NHS Blood and Transplant/PA)

Today sees the opening of the @bloodinquiry after so many years of campaigning across the community. We will all be thinking of those who are not here to see this and hope that finally we learn the truth and that justice is the result for so many. #ContaminatedBlood #haemophilia  Haemophilia Society (@HaemoSocUK) September 24, 2018

Des Collins, of Collins Solicitors, which represents more than 800 victims, their families and eight campaign groups, said the inquiry which begins on Monday in London is critically important.

For those affected, their families and the campaign groups this is a day few thought that they would ever see  and it is a testament to those who have campaigned so hard to make it a reality, he said.

The feeling among our many clients is that they felt that the Government had washed its hands of them, but now those responsible  both in government and at pharmaceutical companies  will be held to account.

For so many people whether affected or mourning those who have died owing to contaminated blood treatments, this is critically important.

He said the start of the probe will begin the long process of understanding how and why they received infected treatment from the NHS, the details of the extensive cover-up that followed, and what the Government proposes to do about it.

Collins Solicitors said fewer than 250 of the haemophiliacs who were co-infected with both Hepatitis C and HIV remain alive, with most dying before 1997.

The firm said many of those who have survived face a lifetime of medication  having to cope with serious illness and discrimination.

According to the terms of reference, which were published in July, the long-awaited inquiry will consider whether there have been attempts to conceal details of what happened through the destruction of documents or withholding of information.

It will also consider if those attempts were deliberate and if there has been a lack of openness or candour in the response of the Government, NHS bodies and other officials to those affected.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced in July last year that an inquiry would be held into the events over the two decades, when thousands of haemophiliacs and other patients in the UK were given infected blood products.

The announcement was welcomed at the time by campaigners, who have been pressing for years for an inquiry into the import of the clotting agent Factor VIII from the US.

Much of the plasma used to make the product came from donors such as prison inmates, who sold blood which turned out to be infected.

The inquiry is expected to take at least two-and-a-half years, and will begin with a commemoration service and public opening statements as the three days of preliminary hearings start.Last-ditch talks are being held in a bid to avert a strike on the London Underground line serving Heathrow airport.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union on the Piccadilly Line are due to launch a 48-hour walk-out from noon on Wednesday and for five hours from 8.30pm on Friday.

The union says there has been a complete breakdown of industrial relations and Transport for London warned there will be little or no service if the strike goes ahead, including the Night Tube on Friday.

The two sides will meet at the conciliation service Acas (Nick Ansell/PA)

The two sides will meet at the conciliation service Acas on Monday.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: This dispute is about a comprehensive breakdown in industrial relations over a series of long-running unresolved grievances including the abuse of procedures and failure to implement key safety and operational improvements agreed in the past with the union.

RMT will be attending the talks looking for serious progress.

Our arrangements for the strike action starting Wednesday are in place and the ball is firmly in London Undergrounds court.

TfL has advised Piccadilly line passengers to complete journeys by 1pm on Wednesday if the strike goes ahead.

Nigel Holness, TfLs director of network operations for London Underground, said: We will provide customers with the latest information in order to help them plan their journeys during this possible strike action.

The TfL website, journey planner and social media channels will all feature up-to-date travel advice and will be updated throughout the week.

We have met with the RMT leadership to identify areas where we can work together to resolve this dispute.

I urge them to continue to work constructively with us so that Londoners arent subjected to disruption across several days.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.

(PA Graphics)

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.Richard Leonard has condemned a Scottish Labour party official for making an anti-Catholic comment at the partys UK conference.

Andy Kerr, chairman of Labours ruling National Executive Committee, was speaking from the stage and 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 has apologised for the remark (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Asked if it was bigoted, Mr Leonard told BBC Radio Scotlands Good Morning Scotland programme: That might be one way of describing it.

The Scottish Labour leader said: 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.

He added: There should be no space for it inside the Labour Party and I condemn it.

Former Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick had called on Mr Leonard to take action.

Maybe it is about time you united people regardless of religion, creed or colour. The sectarian remarks today against Catholics by your Chair Andy Kerr in an open session of your Conference were disgraceful. What are you going to do about that? https://t.co/XXIHtMX3JM  Tricia Marwick (@TriciaMarwick) September 23, 2018

She tweeted him: Maybe it is about time you united people regardless of religion, creed or colour.

The sectarian remarks today against Catholics by your chair Andy Kerr in an open session of your conference were disgraceful.

What are you going to do about that?

Questioned on his comment, Mr Kerr, a deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union, said: I apologise unreservedly.

I was trying to be lighthearted but what I said was ill-judged and wrong.

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

The First Minister said his comment was appalling.

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.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 Cenotaph (John Stillwell/PA)

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.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 (NRS/PA)

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.

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.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.

Police Scotland said the attack was violent and unprovoked (Andrew Milligan/PA)

They then turned on the woman, aged 46, when she intervened, before making off towards Meadowpark Street.

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.An evacuation mission is under way in the Indian Ocean to bring to safety an Irish sailor who tried to rescue an injured rival during the Golden Globe Race.

Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy is safe on a French fishing vessel which is now heading to collect Dublin man Gregor McGuckin, a spokesman for Mr McGuckin told the Press Association.

The mast of Mr Tomys 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.

(PA Graphics)

The 39-year-old Indian navy commander was incapacitated on his bunk inside his boat some 1,000 miles south west of Perth in western Australia, race organisers said.

Mr McGuckin, 32, was dismasted in the same storm.

In a statement issued on Monday morning, the Golden Globe Race said the French fisheries patrol vessel Osiris reached Mr Tomys yacht at 5:30am local time and her crew successfully transferred him to the ship.

Abhilash Tomy on his yacht Thuriya (Christophe Favreau/PPL/GGR)

The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Canberra reported that Tomy is conscious, talking and onboard the Orisis, according to the statement.

Fellow GGR skipper Gregor Mcguckin, whose yacht Hanley Energy Endurance was also dismasted in the same storm last week, is making 2.2 knots towards Thuriyas position, sailing under jury rig. The 32-year-old Irishman is still 25 miles to the west and in radio contact with the reconnaissance aircraft.

He is not in distress, but has asked for a controlled evacuation from his yacht.

REPORT JUST IN from JRCC they have him BRAVO!! OSIRIS AND ALL INVOLVED! They have Tomy Onboard and he is conscious and talking...FANTASTIC NEWS..WELL DONE ALL INVOLVED INCREDIBLE NEWS!!!!https://t.co/w0ykzwrfX3  Golden Globe Race 2018 & 2022 (@ggr2018official) September 24, 2018

Mr McGuckin has been commended for his actions.

Faced with a 1,900 mile sail across the Southern Ocean to Western Australia under a small jury rig and without an engine [his fuel was contaminated when the yacht capsized], this is a responsible decision taken by a professional sailor when all the rescue assets are close by, the statement continued.

The alternative would have been to continue sailing single-handed without the aid of self-steering [also smashed in the capsize] and risk having to call on the Rescue Services again should he be disabled further in another storm.

Once the two solo yachtsmen are safely aboard the Osiris, the French fisheries patrol ship will proceed to Amsterdam Island where the rescued sailors will be given a full medical examination. The hospital on Amsterdam Island is well equipped with X-ray and ultrasound equipment.

The 2018 Golden Globe Race departed Les Sables dOlonne, France, on July 1. Competitors are aiming to sail solo, non-stop around the world, via the five Great Capes and return to the French port.Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been detained just after being released from jail.

Navalnys 30 days in jail for staging an unsanctioned protest ran out early on Monday.

A police officer approached him and took him away just as he came out of a detention centre in Moscow to be greeted by supporters and the media.

Police officers detain Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny (Dmitry Serebryakov/AP)

Navalny has been the driving force behind a recent series of anti-government rallies.

His detention comes amid a wave of popular discontent against a hike in the retirement age, an issue that angered Russians across the political spectrum.Scotland is outperforming the rest of the UK in reducing greenhouse gas emissions  but success in areas such as energy and waste is masking a lack of action in other sectors, a report has said.

Total emissions fell by 10% in 2016 compared to 2015, and were 49% below 1990 levels, the Committee on Climate Changes (CCC) 2018 Progress Report to the Scottish Parliament showed.

Some 17.8% of Scotlands total energy came from renewable sources that year, outperforming the UK overall and putting the country ahead of the EU average of 16.7%.

Total emissions fell by 10% in 2016 compared to 2015 (John Giles/PA)

But while good progress has been made in decarbonising the power sector and reducing emissions from waste, there has been a lack of progress in other sectors such as transport and agriculture, the report warned.

The Scottish Governments new Climate Change Bill sets a target of reducing emissions by 90% by 2050  but the committee said achieving this would only be possible if effective policy was extended to other sectors of the Scottish economy.

Lord Deben, chairman of the CCC, said: 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.

The Scottish Government has made some progress on tackling issues raised in the committees report in 2017. However, challenges remain.

He added: Achieving a 90% 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. 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.

Experts said the latest drop in emissions was driven by electricity generation, and urged the Government to move its strategy forward following the closure of Scotlands final coal plant, Longannet.

Emissions from agriculture, forestry and land use present substantial challenges, the report said, as they rely on voluntary measures for agriculture as well as uncertain funding for targets for tree planting and peatland restoration.

It also said a clear plan for rolling out electric vehicle charging infrastructure was needed to ensure the Governments 100% take-up target is achieved by 2032.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.More power would be handed to renters with a multimillion-pound expansion of renters unions under a Labour government.

Shadow housing secretary John Healey announced a 20 million fund for renters unions at the partys conference in Liverpool.

And he reaffirmed plans for a crackdown on second home ownership, to give the have-nots the chance of owning a first home.

John Healey said Labour will legislate for new renters rights to control costs (Jonathan Brady/PA)

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.

He said: In year one, we will legislate for new renters rights to control costs, improve conditions and increase security.

But we know that our rights are worthless when we cant enforce them, in the workplace or in the housing market.

So I can announce today, the next Labour government will back new unions for renters, and fund them in every part of the country  so renters who feel helpless in the face of this housing crisis can organise and defend their rights.

Unionisation is among a raft of measures the party would introduce to give more rights and power to people who do not own a home.

Meanwhile, holiday home owners would face a new 560 million tax to tackle homelessness and address rising wealth inequality.

Mr Healey said: It will fall to Labour to put a brake on the growing gap between Britains housing haves and have-nots and ensure those who have done well out of the housing market do not leave behind those with no home at all.

So today I can also announce the next Labour government will strike a blow against housing inequality with a new national levy on second homes used as holiday homes, to help give homeless families the chance of 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.Morgan Stanley will update investment banking clients on its Brexit plans this week, as the Wall Street giant prepares to transfer business from London to bulked up offices in Frankfurt, Paris and Dublin.

A memo seen by the Press Association  entitled Morgan Stanley Client Engagement Brexit Update  invites recipients to join a call on Thursday September 27.

The US bank is putting forward a managing director of its global capital markets division, a member of its sales and trading team, as well a member of its legal and compliance, to lead the session.

Morgan Stanleys UK headquarters in Canary Wharf, London (Matt Crossick/PA)

Dear Client, As part of our preparation for Brexit, we are pleased to invite you to a call explaining Morgan Stanleys Brexit approach, the memo reads.

It is likely to shed more light on how it is positioning itself for the EU divorce.

The Press Association understands that clients expect to start putting together paperwork by November that would enable them to do business with Morgan Stanleys EU entities once Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019.

The bank follows in the footsteps of Japanese lender Nomura, which started contacting clients to transfer business from London to Germany in August so that it was fully prepared in the event of a Hard Brexit.

EU clients are likely to have to complete the process multiple times, as they often conduct trades with a number of banks who are also preparing for post-Brexit regulations.

The shift of business to the bloc will be a blow to Londons reputation as a global financial centre, as a portion of lucrative trading revenues are set to be booked on the continent rather than in Britain.

Morgan Stanley has plans to add around 200 staff in Frankfurt through a mix of new hires and relocations of its 6,000-strong UK workforce, effectively doubling its local employee bases.

The bank is also set to bulk up its Dublin office, and could add around 80 staff to its Paris entity.

London will remain Morgan Stanleys European headquarters.

Peer Nomura is preparing to move around 100 staff from London to service its new EU entities, while JP Morgan is looking at relocating around 1,000 front and back-office roles across a number of its EU sites.

Among UK lenders, HSBC is on course to shift up to 1,000 jobs to France. Barclays is on track to bulk up its Dublin operations, while RBS expects that around 150 staff will help serve EU clients out of operation in Amsterdam.

Morgan Stanley declined to comment.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.

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)

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.

The Russian air defence system missile system Antey 2500, or S-300 VM (Ivan Sekretarev/AP)

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.Theresa May has faced demands to stop dragging her Governments feet over dealing with the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Shadow housing secretary John Healey attacked the Prime Ministers 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.

A total of 72 people died in the fire, which ripped through the west London tower block on June 14 last year.

 We will not rest until all those who need help and a new home have it.@JohnHealey_MP just laid out his pledge to the Grenfell community.#Lab18 pic.twitter.com/HYcBeh6anr  The Labour Party (@UKLabour) September 24, 2018

Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Mr Healey said to the PM: If this was your home, would it really take this long to fix?

If this was where your family slept each night, would you fail to act over 15 long months?

Grenfell Tower, now covered in plastic sheeting (Rick Findler/PA)

Lets send a message to Theresa May  stop dragging your Governments feet and act, act to get all survivors a new home, bring all those culpable to book and put in place every measure needed to prevent this ever happening again.

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 dont need to consult, you just need to take a decision to remove it.

Mr Wrack also said: This is an urgent matter, the Government needs to act, the Government needs to be held to account.

Comrades, its 15 months on and talking to people in that community, they are appalled.

Theres been no arrests, people still live in temporary accommodation, nothing serious has been done to address the issues raised by that fire and we have flammable cladding on 400-plus buildings.

Lets not allow the passage of time to diminish the significance and importance of this  which was indeed a crime against that community.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.

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.

Aldi Novel Adilang sits on the deck of the MV Arpeggio after being rescued (Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka via AP)

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.A teenage girl who died after suffering a severe allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette said Daddy, help me as she struggled for breath, an inquest has heard.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, collapsed on a British Airways flight from London to Nice on July 17 2016.

She had been travelling with her father and best friend and stopped to get an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette as they passed through Heathrow Airports terminal five.

Unknown to the group, the sandwich dough contained sesame seed, a detail not mentioned on its packaging, according to a statement from her father, Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, read on the first day of her inquest at West London Coroners Court.

Natasha was allergic to the ingredient and suffered a cardiac arrest despite two epipens being applied to her legs. She was declared dead the same day at a Nice hospital.

The familys lawyer, Jeremy Hyam QC, became emotional as he read Mr Ednan-Laperouses statement to the inquest on Monday, at one stage pausing to regain composure.

Natasha at first felt her throat growing itchy and returned from the toilet with vicious red hives on her midriff, the inquest heard.

She was rushed to the cabins toilets, where her father applied an epipen.

The statement said: We waited a couple of minutes to see how she reacted.

She said she couldnt breathe properly and it was was getting worse and urged me to get the second epipen right away.

He quickly jabbed the second epipen into her upper thigh, but it failed to relieve the symptoms.

Natasha said that she still couldnt breathe and desperately looked at me, she said Daddy, help me, I cant breathe.

She soon lost consciousness and cabin staff were aided by a junior doctor who had been on board in applying CPR for the remainder of the journey.

As hope began to fade that Natasha would survive in hospital, her father put a phone to her ear so her mother and brother could say goodbye.

Her mother Tanya could be seen wiping her eyes as she listened to the statement.

The pain and agony of the call was beyond anything I have known, the statement said of the moment Mr Ednan-Laperouse broke the news to Natashas mother.

He then called his own mother and asked her to visit a branch of Pret a Manger in west London to examine the sandwich.

Finding nothing on the label or on the shelf, his mother made inquiries at the counter and was handed a folder of 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.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse (Family Handout/PA)

Natasha had been travelling to Nice for a four-day break with her best friend at the start of what should have been the best summer ever, her parents said in an earlier statement.

She was due to attend a youth Christian festival in Norfolk and go on a two-week family holiday to Greece during the summer months.

At the time of her death, Natasha had been working towards her GSCEs and hoped to pursue a career in law.

She also showed promise as a figure skater and loved horse riding, her family said.

The inquest heard on Monday that she had suffered from food allergies her entire life, but learnt to be diligent in scrutinising food labels and was alert to the danger of cross-contamination, the inquest heard.

Natasha put her trust in food labelling, her fathers statement said.

Antihistamines, epipens and inhalers had never before failed to halt an allergic reaction, it was heard.

The inquest continues.The contaminated blood scandal is the worst tragedy to hit the NHS  and those responsible need to be held accountable for their actions and prosecuted, a victim has said.

A public inquiry will consider 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 this has had.

Victim Michelle Tolley spoke as the probe into the deaths of more than 2,400 people who were infected with HIV and Hepatitis C as a result of the scandal began in London on Monday.

Address by the Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry and Opening Statement by Counsel to the Inquiry (Jenni Richards QC) is due to begin at 2 PM today.  Factor 8 (@Factor8Campaign) September 24, 2018

Anyone who may be responsible they need to be held accountable and prosecuted if needs be  I strongly believe that, the mother-of-four told the Press Association.

People need to know that this tragedy happened, she said. This is the worst tragedy in the history of the NHS and it must never ever happen again, absolutely never.

The 53-year-old was infected following a blood transfusion after the birth of her child in 1987 and another in 1991  she eventually found out in 2015 that she had Hepatitis C.

(PA)

Describing how she wakes up every day feeling as though she is waiting to die, she said she thought the start of the inquiry is a day that would never come, and worries she might not see it end.

Feeling very positive about the inquiry and that prosecutions could be achieved, she added: I have great, great faith that they will leave no stone unturned.

Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the inquiry, previously said the probe would examine whether there had been an attempt to cover up the scandal, and has promised a thorough examination of the evidence.

Ms Tolley from Sparham, Norfolk, said the scandal has stolen her life, and that she fears a liver scan next month may reveal she has cancer.

I feel we have been given a death sentence without committing any crime. I have got a death sentence hanging over my head, she said

My future has been lost, my last 31 years have been cruelly snatched away from me.

It has a knock-on effect to the affected people  my husband, my children, my grandchildren, my colleagues  that ripple effect really is much wider.

We need the general public to know and understand exactly what has happened and why it happened.

Anthony Farrugia said a whole generation of haemophiliacs in his family has been wiped out as a result of the scandal  his father died of Aids, and he also lost two uncles.

It is important in that the public are going to be finding out what we have been through, the 46-year-old from St Neots, Cambridge, said.

I am thrilled that we are getting this opportunity today to flood the news channels, which we have not had before.

I think this is the loudest our voice has ever been, and obviously this is only the start of it.

The beginning of the Infected Blood Inquiry, which is expected to last at least two-and-a-half years, began with a commemoration to the victims.

Images of individuals and private family moments to the music of Read All About it by Emeli Sande filled the large screen, alongside more than half an hour of video testimonies.

There were also readings by Downton actor David Robb and actress Isla Blair who through a segment called this is what we know, spelt out the figures, facts and impact.

We have published an update on our expert groups who will help get to the truth in the most authoritative and transparent way possible. Using expert groups means that everyone will be able to see what expert input is given to the Chair. https://t.co/LQFGX5uFMU  Infected Blood Inquiry (@bloodinquiry) September 21, 2018

According to the terms of reference, which were published in July, the inquiry will consider whether there have been attempts to conceal details of what happened through the destruction of documents or withholding of information.

It will also consider if those attempts were deliberate and if there has been a lack of openness or candour in the response of the Government, NHS bodies and other officials to those affected.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced in July last year that an inquiry would be held into the events over the two decades, when thousands of haemophiliacs and other patients in the UK were given infected blood products.

The announcement was welcomed at the time by campaigners, who have been pressing for years for an inquiry into the import of the clotting agent Factor VIII from the US.

Much of the plasma used to make the product came from donors such as prison inmates, who sold blood which turned out to be infected.Gardai have begun conducting door-to-door cold case inquiries 34 years after the body of an infant washed up on a beach in Ireland.

The inquiries on Valentia Island are part of a review into the investigation of the 1984 Kerry Babies case.

The body of a newborn baby, who was later named John, washed up on White Strand in Cahersiveen, County Kerry, on April 14, 1984.

The baby had been stabbed several times.

A post-mortem examination carried out by the then state pathologist, John Harbison, in April 1984 estimated the infant was around five days old, the child had been dead for two days before his body was found by a local man.

The discovery of the babys body on the shore, and the subsequent discovery of the body of a second baby on a farm near Abbeydorney in North Kerry became known as the Kerry Babies case.

General view of a Garda officer (Julien Behal/PA)

A local woman Joanne Hayes was charged with the murder of baby John in May 1984.

The charge of murder against her and charges of concealment of the birth against four other members of her family were subsequently dropped on the instruction of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Ms Hayes and her family claimed that Gardai had threatened and coerced them into making a false confessions.

In January 2018, the garda serious crime review team began a review of the investigation, and local Kerry officers are being supported by the Serious Crime Review Team.

Todays door-to-door inquires are part of the work of that cold case review.

Approximately 20 members  both uniform and detectives  are taking part in the inquiries, expected to last for two days.

Gardai say there is no specific line of enquiry in Valentia Island other than proximity to White Strand beach where the baby was found.

Other areas may be targeted for specific inquiries in the future.

Superintendent Flor Murphy, Killarney, who is leading the investigation, said: The investigation into Baby John is continuing.

Over 9,000 investigative hours have been expended on the investigation and 225 separate lines of enquiry are being actively progressed.

Selective DNA sampling is ongoing and this is a key focus of the investigation.

The investigation is still appealing for information from the public.

The investigation is still appealing for information from the public. We still believe that members of the community in South Kerry have information about the identity of the mother of Baby John.

Baby John lived for five days so someone, somewhere knows about his very short life.

Someone is Baby Johns mother. Someone is Baby Johns father. Someone knew his mother or father. People have carried a lot of pain and hurt over the last 30 years.

This is an opportunity for them to help bring closure to this terrible event and ensure Baby John receives justice.

Even the smallest piece of information could be of major assistance to us.

Anyone who comes forward will be treated with sensitivity and in the strictest confidence. We have specially trained personnel available who are trained in dealing with difficult and sensitive issues in a compassionate and professional manner.

After all these years, Baby John deserves the truth.

Please help us find that truth for Baby John by contacting us here in Caherciveen on 066 9473610.

A Garda review of the DNA evidence, announced in January 2018, confirmed that Joanne Hayes was not the mother of the infant found at White Strand.

Ms Hayes received an apology from the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan and the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.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.

Anti-fracking campaigners held a protest outside the Scottish Parliament (Jane Barlow/PA)

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.An Irish sailor has been evacuated from his vessel in the Indian Ocean after suffering difficulties during a storm.

Gregor McGuckin, 32, from Dublin had been almost 2,000 miles south west of Perth in western Australia, taking part in the Golden Globe Race, when he became dismasted.

After the dismasting he went to aid his injured Indian rival Abhilash Tomy.

The mast of Mr Tomys yacht Thuriya broke off when it was rolled in the same storm on Friday, and the yachtsman suffered what has been reported as a severe back injury.

The 39-year-old Indian navy commander was incapacitated on his bunk inside his boat, race organisers said.

In a statement issued on Monday morning, the Golden Globe Race said the French fisheries patrol vessel Osiris reached Mr Tomys yacht at 5.30am local time and her crew successfully transferred him to the ship.

Gregor McGuckin was sailing on his yacht Hanley Energy (Christophe Favreau/PPL/GGR)

The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Canberra reported that Tomy is conscious, talking and on board the Osiris, according to the statement.

They then moved to evacuate Mr McGuckin.

Safely onboard Osiris. Full statement below. Huge thanks to all involved in the operation. https://t.co/4gsyHDP2Zs  Gregor McGuckin (@GregorMcGuckin) September 24, 2018

On Monday, it was confirmed that Mr McGuckin had been evacuated from his yacht Hanley Energy Endurance.

Team Ireland released a statement to say Mr McGuckin was in good condition.

We are delighted to confirm Gregor McGuckin and fellow competitor Abhilash Tomy are now onboard the French fisheries patrol vessel Osiris, the statement said.

The vessel initially rescued Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy who is reported to be conscious and talking.

The vessel then sailed approximately 30 miles to safely evacuate Gregor McGuckin.

McGuckins condition is good and has reported nothing more than bumps and bruises.

REPORT JUST IN from JRCC they have him BRAVO!! OSIRIS AND ALL INVOLVED! They have Tomy Onboard and he is conscious and talking...FANTASTIC NEWS..WELL DONE ALL INVOLVED INCREDIBLE NEWS!!!!https://t.co/w0ykzwrfX3  Golden Globe Race 2018 & 2022 (@ggr2018official) September 24, 2018

The two men are to be taken to Amsterdam Island where they will be given a full medical examination.

Team Ireland also revealed Mr McGuckins heroics, managing to steer his damaged vessel close to Mr Tomys.

In an incredible show of seamanship, the 32-year-old Irishman managed to build a jury rig and hand steer his yacht Hanley Energy Endurance for the past four days to within 30 miles of his fellow competitor in order to be on site to assist with the rescue if required, the statement continued.

McGuckin did not declare an emergency for his own situation despite being rolled over and losing his mast.

However, given the extremely remote location and the condition of his yacht, it was deemed the appropriate course of action to abandon his yacht under a controlled evacuation scenario as the opportunity arose.

The considered move ensures, in the event that his own situation deteriorated in any attempt to reach land in the coming weeks, a second rescue mission would not be required.

Team Ireland expressed their thanks to those who ran the evacuation.

Gregor McGuckins team, friends and family would like to express their sincere gratitude to all involved in the operation so far, the statement said.

It added: Our thoughts are now with Abhilash and his family.

Mr McGuckins actions were also commended by race organisers.

Faced with a 1,900 mile sail across the Southern Ocean to Western Australia under a small jury rig and without an engine [his fuel was contaminated when the yacht capsized], this is a responsible decision taken by a professional sailor when all the rescue assets are close by, the Golden Globe Race said in a statement.

The alternative would have been to continue sailing single-handed without the aid of self-steering [also smashed in the capsize] and risk having to call on the rescue services again should he be disabled further in another storm.

The 2018 Golden Globe Race departed Les Sables dOlonne, France, on July 1. Competitors are aiming to sail solo, non-stop around the world, via the five Great Capes and return to the French port.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.

Asked if it was bigoted, Mr Leonard told BBC Radio Scotlands Good Morning Scotland programme: That might be one way of describing it.

Mr Kerr was speaking from the stage at Labours national conference in Liverpool (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

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.Police have named the man murdered in north London over the weekend, and confirmed that four men have been arrested  including one minor  over the incident.

Elyon Poku, 20, from Stamford Hill, north London, died after being stabbed at a party in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Two men were arrested in connection with the investigation on Sunday. A 28-year-old man was detained on suspicion of murder, and an 18-year-old man on suspicion of affray.

UPDATE: Detectives make four arrests and name victim who was fatally stabbed in Stamford Hill. The appeal for information and witnesses to come forward continues https://t.co/qmpLKRbUQT pic.twitter.com/s11R7zY04S  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) September 24, 2018

On Monday, a 29-year-old man and a 16-year-old male youth were both arrested on suspicion of murder.

Police were called to reports of a fight at a flat in Wilderton Road, Stamford Hill, at 12:50am on Saturday.

Officers found Mr Poku and another 17-year-old male suffering from stab wounds, and a 24-year-old man with a head injury.

Elyon Poku (Met Police/PA)

All three were taken to hospital, and Mr Poku was pronounced dead at 4:30am.

The Metropolitan Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward and are keen to hear from the estimated 200 people at the party.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Packer, leading the investigation, said: We have been working hard this weekend to find out what happened at the party and the events that led to Elyons murder in the early hours of Saturday.

We have arrested four men, but we still need the publics help.

We believe there were more than 200 young people at the party which began on Friday evening and we need to speak to everyone who was there.

Even if you didnt witness the assaults, you may have some information that can help us determine how Elyon tragically lost his life.

People are being urged to contact the Metropolitan Police with any information, quoting CAD 297Sep22, or get in touch with Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.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.

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.

Donald Trump (Jane Barlow/PA)

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.The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has apologised to families over abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital.

Julian Smith met with the father of a patient on Tuesday, who is among some of those at the centre of the investigation into abuse at the facility.

The meeting was the first time Mr Smith has heard first hand from those involved in the case, which has caused considerable public outrage since it was first reported.

A Northern Ireland Office spokesman said: The Secretary of State was grateful for the meeting with Mr Brown and was very sorry to hear of his case, and the many others, where there are allegations of very serious abuse.

It would not be appropriate to comment further on a private meeting.

A previous independent review concluded that improvements are needed in leadership and management at Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Northern Ireland.

(PA)

The centre just outside Antrim town provides inpatient facilities for those with learning difficulties and mental health issues.

An expert report was commissioned in September 2017, following reports of inappropriate behaviour and alleged physical abuse of patients by staff in two wards.

Reviewers raised concerns about the safeguarding of adults, provision of meaningful activities for patients and physical health care.

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, which commissioned the report, did not publish the draft document but confirmed it had suspended 13 members of staff.

It said: We want to place on record our sincere apologies to those patients and their families affected by staff behaviours which fell significantly below professional standards and were unacceptable.

Senior Trust staff then met with families to discuss the findings and draft recommendations of the report into safeguarding at the care facility.

The Trusts statement said: We have taken decisive action, which included placing 13 members of staff on precautionary suspension.

We are actively working on improving leadership and management arrangements at Muckamore Abbey Hospital, with the goal of ensuring that the voices of patients, family carers, advocates and others are clearly and effectively part of the future arrangements in Muckamore Abbey Hospital.

A director oversight group led by the director of nursing and the director of adult, social and primary care is in place.

The Trust separately commissioned a fully independent team to undertake a review of the broader factors in play at Muckamore, to provide a clear picture of what happened and to make recommendations on how to improve safeguarding.

The Trust said: The findings highlighted that improvements are required in leadership and management, adult safeguarding approaches, advocacy, access to meaningful activities for patients and physical health care.

We fully accept all the findings and we will now work to ensure these are delivered.

The report strongly urges the Trust and the wider health, social care and housing organisations to re-double their efforts to ensure that patients do not have to live in hospital environments.

It recommends patients are enabled to live full lives in the community, with access to the right specialist multi-disciplinary support in the right accommodation.

Draft recommendations include:

 A renewed commitment to enabling people with learning disabilities and autism to have full lives in their communities;

 Delivery of robust community services which recognise the full range of needs of people and families throughout their lives.

 Assessment and treatment units should be closer to home and effective long-term quality accommodation options should be available.The public are being warned not to approach an animal that has escaped from a zoo in Devon.

The West Caucasian tur, which is a type of mountain-dwelling goat-antelope, ran off from Paignton Zoo and is believed to be in nearby woods.

Devon and Cornwall Police warned the public not to approach the horned beast as it could be a danger to the public if startled.

Paignton Zoo said the young female escaped after becoming spooked while keepers were moving the zoos herd into their house.

It cleared a fence, left the quarry area and entered the dense woodland above Clennon Valley.

Phil Knowling, from the zoo, said: Our main concern now is that the animal is safe and well, that we locate her and get her back into familiar territory with the rest of the herd.

A Paignton Zoo sign (Barry Batchelor/PA)

She is probably pretty stressed.

We are hoping that a police drone with thermal imaging technology can help.

A police spokesman added: Police are assisting specialists from Paignton Zoo to help them locate an escaped West Caucasian tur which is a mountain-dwelling goat-antelope which is believed to be Clennon Woods.

As you can see, it is a horned beast and could be a danger to the public if startled.

If you see the tur, please make no efforts to corner it and call police immediately on 999.

The West Caucasian tur is a mountain-dwelling goat-antelope found in the Caucasus Mountains range between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.

It is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The wild population is estimated to be between 5,000 and 6,000 individuals.Half of all land in Scotland is still owned by feudal private landowners, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has told conference.

Describing the matter as unfinished business, the Central Scotland MSP pledged land justice to end the situation where 432 private landowners still own half of all privately owned land in Scotland.

Mr Leonard also said a Labour government would give more state aid to Scottish businesses instead of foreign-owned companies and called for the creation of a federal Britain.

Giving his first address to the partys UK conference, he said: Labour has unfinished business on land reform.

Labour abolished feudalism in the first term of the Scottish Parliament but 20 years later we are still living with feudal ownership.

And with ownership comes power.

We need land justice because our Earth is a common treasury.

We need land ownership in Scotland for the many, not the few.

Mr Leonard said he wanted more support for home-grown business, after the crisis with marine energy company BiFab, which left communities facing ruin as hundreds of workers were threatened with redundancy earlier this year.

He said reform of state aid for business, known as regional selective assistance (RSA), would prevent foreign-owned companies continuing to benefit from nearly twice as much RSA than Scottish companies.

We will overhaul RSA and reform public procurement to support local industries and home-grown businesses, he said.

This will mean never again do we see factories and fabrication yards standing idle, whilst offshore wind farms in UK inshore waters paid for by public money and energy user levies are built in factories and yards overseas.

Mr Leonard also called for constitutional reform and the creation of a federal Britain.

He said: A federal Britain, with greater powers for the Scottish Parliament, is the radical solution that I want to see.

We need new powers to reflect the new realities of Brexit, which is why there is a Labour guarantee that devolved powers returning from the European Union will be transferred to the devolved governments and that we will enter a new era of co-determination in a new era of democratic politics.

Our task is to reinvigorate politics, it is to build up our movement for democracy and socialism.

Jeremy Corbyn said his party would "decide at the time" whether to hold another independence poll (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

It comes after he revealed his party will include a commitment to opposing a second independence referendum in its next manifesto.

Mr Leonard was to say that Scotland does not need another vote on independence, but the election of a Labour government.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn previously said he did not support another referendum but would decide at the time.

SNP MSP George Adam said: These are just more empty words from Labour who have promised federalism-max for years yet consistently failed to deliver it in both government and opposition.

This is the party that worked hand-in-hand with the Tories to block new powers for the Scottish Parliament, including in crucial areas needed to create a fairer and more equal society, like employment and equality law.

Labour needs to realise that when your actions consistently fail to live up to your promises, people stop believing you.UN leaders have honoured Nelson Mandela as a statue of the late South African leader was unveiled at its headquarters.

Nelson Mandela embodied the highest values of the United Nations  peace, forgiveness, compassion and human dignity, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said.

This year marks the centenary of Mr Mandelas birth, and the UN is declaring 2019-2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace.

A peace summit was scheduled in honour of the prisoner-turned-president as the UN General Assemblys annual meeting of world leaders began.

UN General Assembly president Maria Fernanda Espinosa addresses the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit (Richard Drew/AP)

Imprisoned in South Africa for 27 years, Mr 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 in 1990, he became the countrys first black president in its first multi-racial elections.

Over the ensuing decades, he became a Nobel peace laureate and global statesman.

Few people in the history of our world have left such an incredible mark on humanity, UN General Assembly president Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces said.

Dignitaries and members of Mr Mandelas family, including his widow Graca Michel, gathered as a cloth was pulled off a life-size sculpture of a smiling Mr Mandela, his hands outstretched.

He was a champion for all people  in his words and in his actions - @antonioguterres at the unveiling of Nelson Mandela's statue at UN Headquarters this morning. Full remarks: https://t.co/bMLrB0MatP #Mandela100 #UNGA pic.twitter.com/mCq5MsxPd8  UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) September 24, 2018

Someone in the group tucked a small South African flag in the statues lapel.

Ms Espinosa Garces said she hoped the figures presence at the UN would serve as a reminder that our differences are to be celebrated and that the world bodys work should always be guided by the inspiration and the promise that Mandela has left us.

In a speech at the UN 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!

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa said Mr Mandela believed the UN was the most valuable instrument to advance peace in the world and to develop equality and to advance the prospects of humanity generally.Brexit no-deal legislation has been delayed by the Stormont impasse, Northern Irelands justice department said.

Efforts to tackle criminality across the Irish border are among the measures which could be threatened if the UK leaves the EU next March without an agreement in areas like the European Arrest Warrant.

Nineteen laws or actions surrounding justice issues in Northern Ireland have been delayed since powersharing collapsed early last year following a row between the DUP and Sinn Fein.

They also include the former ministerial executives action plan for tackling paramilitary activity and a pay award for police officers.

The information was obtained by Ulster Unionist policing spokesman Alan Chambers.

He said: The response to my freedom of information request from the Department of Justice only increases my real concerns about the impact that the lack of an Assembly and executive is having right across Northern Ireland.

Brexit no-deal legislation is among measures delayed by the Stormont impasse. Liam McBurney/PA.

According to the Department of Justice, there are 19 pieces of legislation or actions that are being delayed because of a lack of ministerial sign-off, such as the Criminal Finances Act 2017, which seeks to tackle paramilitary and organised crime financing, and reform of legal aid remuneration.

The department also lists the police officer pay award for 2018/19 amongst a long list of issues that need to be addressed.

According to the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers are 1% worse off since the end of last month because a pay deal agreed a year ago has been cut in half.

Mr Chambers added: Given that this comes alongside reports that police officers in Northern Ireland are going to have to endure a 1% pay cut, the situation is reprehensible.

It is disgraceful that police officers are being expected to do more with less resources, yet they now face a pay cut.

We have heard repeated warnings from the PSNI chief constable about the direct impact which a tightening budget is having on the PSNI`s ability to carry out all the functions which the public have come to expect.

He must be wondering if anyone in politics is actually listening.

I can assure the chief constable and his officers that we are listening, and that`s why we have repeatedly called on the Secretary of State to take action.

Among the 19 areas awaiting a ministerial decision are:

 Judicial pensions

 Rehabilitation of offenders

 Legacy inquest funding

 Reform of civil legal aid

 Domestic violence measures

 Brexit no-deal legislationArchitects have launched a public campaign to stimulate debate about the future of Belfast city centre following the Primark fire.

The discount clothing retailers Bank Buildings flagship store was destroyed during last months blaze.

People are being encouraged to share their thoughts and suggestions for improving the city centre experience using the hashtag #MyBelfastIdea on social media.

PSNI officers watch as flames from a major blaze engulf a Primark store in the historic five-storey Bank Buildings in Belfast city centre (Liam McBurney/PA)

By appealing directly to the public, the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) said it was placing debates about urban design and architecture in the public sphere.

Director Ciaran Fox said: RSUA is committed to placing good design at the centre of decision making and the devastating fire at Bank Buildings has, inadvertently, presented Belfast with an opportunity to re-imagine how the city centre should work.

This campaign seeks views from right across the city and the wider region, not just from architects and not just from experts, but from all of us who socialise and work in Belfast about what would draw people in to the city centre for leisure and commerce.

Restrictions around the landmark former Primark store are expected to be in place until after Christmas, the City Council has said.

Some traders whose properties lie within a safety cordon established around the building to exclude shoppers have called for it to be demolished to allow commerce to be quickly re-established.

Financial support has been put in place for businesses affected.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.

Donald Trump with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres (Evan Vucci/AP)

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.Monaco bosses have refused to hit out at the clubs poor start to the campaign ahead of Tuesdays Ligue 1 clash with Angers.

The French giants have won just once in their first six matches of the new season, faltering again with Fridays 1-1 home draw with Nimes.

Vice president Vadim Vasilyev insisted that despite frustrations at the slow start, there would be no finger-pointing.

Nobody in the club is happy, we are not happy with our place in the standings, said Vasilyev, with Monaco languishing in 16th in the table.

But at the same time I have nothing to reproach the players for in the match against Nimes.

Manager Leonardo Jardim has so far been unable to generate the kind of early-season momentum that led to last terms second-place finish.

Radamel Falcao will be central to Monacos bid to drive up the Ligue 1 table (Martin Rickett/PA)

But Vasilyev believes the current set-up has the quality and experience to turn this mini slump on its head.

We have not had success, but we have to keep working, Vasilyev told Monacos official club website.

We are gaining momentum match after match; we just have to work harder.

Angers ground out a goalless draw with Toulouse on Saturday that left boss Stephane Moulin hoping for similar levels of solidity against Monaco.

We had to try not to distort our game by limiting their strengths, Moulin told Angers official club website.

It was a very tactical match as both teams left few spaces and opportunities, so a draw was logical.

Tactically we were solid, so we need to continue like that.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.

William is presented with a sculpture of a rhino by vice president Nangolo Mbumba (Dirk Heinrich/AP)

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.Karen Bradley will emphasise the Governments opposition to a hard border in Ireland following Brexit during a visit to the United States.

The Northern Ireland Secretary of State said she is visiting Boston and Washington this week to build relationships at a crucial time as the UK Government aims to restore devolution in Northern Ireland.

The Stormont Assembly in Belfast has been suspended since January 2017 when the then deputy first minister Martin McGuinness resigned amid disagreements between Sinn Fein and the DUP.

Several attempts at talks to resurrect the power-sharing institutions have failed.

Countryside near Castlederg, Co Tyrone, part of a former smuggling route covering both sides of the Irish border (Michael McHugh/PA)

Last week Ms Bradley met with the main political parties in Northern Ireland about starting a new round of talks.

The people of Northern Ireland deserve locally elected, democratically accountable ministers to take important decisions on a wide range of issues, she said.

That is my absolute priority and I am doing everything that I can to deliver devolved government as soon as possible.

During her visit to the US, Ms Bradley will meet senior politicians on Capitol Hill who have a strong interest in Northern Ireland.

She will hold bilateral meetings with political figures from the White House and State Department and various members of Congress to update them on the UK Governments priorities in Northern Ireland.

The NI Secretary will meet the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Friends of Ireland Caucus to brief them on the work that she is doing to restore an executive and help deliver a Brexit deal that avoids a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland and a border down the Irish Sea.

In a busy schedule, Ms Bradley is also set to deliver a keynote speech in Washington and undertake a series of high-level engagements with leaders from business and Irish-American civic society in Boston.

As Secretary of State, I aim to build on and deepen the unique relationship with key partners in the United States in this 20th anniversary year of the Belfast Agreement, she said.

Anti-Brexit billboards on the northern side of the border between Newry in Northern Ireland and Dundalk in the Republic of Ireland (Niall Carson/PA)

The UK Governments commitment to the Belfast Agreement and its successors remains steadfast and has been the bedrock of all that has achieved over the past 20 years.

Everything we do will have at its core the protection and implementation of the Agreement as we leave the European Union.

I look forward to meeting senior US politicians and policymakers to update them on my plan to enable a period where an executive can be appointed and formed, as well as setting out how the UK Government will ensure that Northern Irelands unique circumstances are protected and advanced in the months ahead.Another authoritarian ruler enamoured of a Chinese debt trap has been felled by voters in India's backyard. Nearly four years since Sri Lankan voters ousted Mahinda Rajapaksa as the country's President, people in the Maldives, in the presidential election held on September 23, gave President Abdulla Yameen the boot in a surprising electoral outcome.

He was considered a shoe-in. Now, hes been given the boot. (Source: Yameen's office)

President Yameen was considered a shoo-in to win another five-year term. He was overseeing a systematic democratic backsliding in his first term that began in 2013 and he had expected to contest the election virtually unopposed  with all of his potential opponents either in jail or forced into exile on charges ranging from corruption to terrorism. Virtually no one expected him to make a concession speech on September 24.

In the months leading up to the polls, Yameen had cracked down on political dissent, civil liberties, media freedom and the judiciary. In February, in a politically expedient move that invited worldwide condemnation, he imposed Emergency (the second time he was doing so) to annul a February 1 Supreme Court order that called for the immediate release and new trials of nine opposition leaders  including the exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed  freeing them to contest the presidential poll. The court order had also nullified a ruling in which 12 lawmakers lost their Parliamentary seats for defecting last July from Yameen's ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), costing the party majority in the country's Parliament, thus making the President vulnerable to impeachment.

He then got two Supreme Court judges, including the Chief Justice, removed and jailed, and forced the court to reverse the judgement. Just a day before the poll, the police raided Nasheed's pro-India Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) office in the capital, Male, without a search warrant.

Yet, the joint opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, an MDP man, defeated President Yameen.

All Smiles: Ibrahim Solih is the Maldives' new hope. (Reuters)

Democracy has been on the retreat in the Maldives for years but now, its allies, including India, should hope that the 2018 presidential vote would "bring the country back to the democratic path" again, as Nasheed put it. However, optimism must be tempered with caution, given the potential for political instability.

It was 10 years ago that the Maldives made a transition from autocracy to democracy, when Nasheed ended the three decade-old autocratic rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in the country's first multiparty presidential poll. However, the Maldives democracy model has been floundering, especially after February 2012 when the police and army forced Nasheed out of office in what he called a putsch against him by entrenched state interests represented by the PPM and the Gayoom family. However, critics of Nasheed say he was hardly a fall guy  he himself triggered the crisis by nakedly interfering in the judiciary by ordering the illegal detention of a criminal court judge he did not like.

Former President Nasheed was popular. But not uniformly. (Source: Reuters)

Nasheed was replaced in February 2012 by friend-turned-foe Vice-President Mohammad Waheed.

In the 2013 election, the PPM nominated Yameen who ran against Nasheed and won the presidential race in coalition with the Jumhooree Party and religious hardline Islamist Adalat Party, both of which backed Nasheed against Gayoom in 2008. Both the Jumhooree Party and Islamist Adalat Party supported Solih in the 2018 election. In an interesting twist, Yameen had turned against Gayoom, his half-brother and former ally, and imprisoned him this June.

India has watched the retreat of democracy in the Maldives with increasing alarm, even as the Yameen government sought to steer the country away from its traditionally strong relations with India and move closer to China.

Though Solih has won the vote, the fickle alliance that supports him might bring political instability as the common enemy, Yameen, is now defeated. Maldivian politics is often about skullduggery  there is no surety that Solih and MDP themselves not become authoritarian in a culture that breeds such tendencies.

Moreover, it will be a folly to discount the power vested interests  in the armed forces, politics and business that profited from corruption that moved into high gear after China started pouring money into infrastructure projects  hold in the country.

The Chinese have poured money into the Maldives  and some of its power groups. (Source: Twitter)

Even though a pro-India man will become now the President, New Delhi cannot wish away the influence China has assiduously built up in the seven years it has opened its embassy in Male, in terms of development investment, free trade agreement and lease of islands to companies, which have raised concerns about China pursuing land grabs and debt trap diplomacy in the Maldives. The days when India assumed that the Maldives is safely within its orbit are over long ago.

Nevertheless, India's interests are best served when the Maldives is a democracy, unlike China's, which prefers autocrats to push the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). A democratic Maldives is win-win for both nations most concerned.

In recent years, the incumbent government in the Maldives had radically followed policies to give China unprecedented prominence in a bid to defeat the conventional 'India first policy' and make otherwise friendly India-Maldives bilateral ties overtly strained. With the Bay of Bengal for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), India hopes to get China to pull back in the Indian Ocean. India's unprecedented recent investment in its Naval force is proof of this desire. Geopolitics was the raison d'etre for the birth of BIMSTEC. This is because the Indian Ocean has become the strategic pivot where rivalry between China and India are paramount.

India's 'Look East' is, therefore, primarily a counter to China's 'string of pearls' strategy that made the Maldives one of the major destinations of Chinese investment. Clearly, the aim has been for China to counter India's clout in the South Asian region through making favourable ports in the region and supplementing that through the hegemonic BRI.

Next to Pakistan and Nepal, the Maldives was made site of a plot where China expected to encircle India in a quagmire. For now, it's foiled as the Maldives has reclaimed over the democracy and rule of law.

In times to come, this democracy will be the prime target of China to triumph over. As the world's largest democracy, India has to uphold democratic spirits across nations and wage a mind-game with China. For this, India is in need of an empowered Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In addition, an army of diplomats, strategic thinkers and writers are needed to reciprocate China's incessant advances for reshaping South Asia. With the Maldives election, India can heave a sigh of relief. But with unpredictable time ahead, it needs to attain the capabilities which could match Chinese might.

Most importantly, it should continue believing in democracy and its values. These are priceless, if practiced purely.

(Rajiv Jayaram is a journalist and political commentator; Atul K Thakur is a New Delhi-based columnist, with keen interest in South Asian affairs.)

Also read: Why India-Pakistan talks getting cancelled is not good news for Kartarpur border openingAfter announcing that the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan would meet in New York during the forthcoming UN General Assembly session, India has abruptly called off the meeting because of the brutal murder of three J&K policemen by the Pakistan-linked Hizbul Mujahideen  with the clear aim of making the law and order situation in the state as unmanageable as possible  and the Pakistan governments egregious conduct in issuing 20 stamps glorifying terrorists, including Burhan Wani.

Imran Khan, or no Imran Khan, Pakistan's agenda remains intact. (Photo: Reuters)

Army matters

Imran Khan or no Imran Khan, Pakistans agenda to destabilise Kashmir from within remains intact and, despite international pressures, it will not sever its terrorist links.

That Pakistan can issue stamps to highlight human rights abuses in Kashmir shows the depth of its establishments animosity towards India.

Cancelling the meeting makes sense because a dialogue will remain unproductive until Pakistan is ready to cure its 70-year-old Kashmir obsession and look at India not through the prism of Islam, but as a modernising state that looks outside religion for its political, economic and social progress.

That Imran Khan wants to create a welfare society in Pakistan based on the Medina model speaks for itself.

Pakistans reaction to the cancellation is revealing.

Its information minister has argued that the new government is very close to the military, that Imran Khans initiatives have its full backing, and that whatever the government says has the full endorsement of the armed forces and vice-versa.

According to him, this creates a favourable ground for exploring normalisation.

What he describes as a positive is in fact a negative because the Pakistani military wants tight control over the civilian governments initiatives towards India and confine them to the bounds prescribed by it.

This leaves little scope for positive moves to meet Indias concerns about terrorism and bringing to justice those responsible for the Mumbai mayhem or the Uri and Pathankot attacks.

The armed forces would have to back this decision, and if they did, it will be viewed as succumbing to Indias pressure. On curbing LeT, HuM and Hafiz Saeed, in particular, the information minister has been evasive and has frivolously argued that both sides should have interest in making those groups who favour peace in both countries stronger rather than strengthening those who are against talks, marking once again Pakistans reluctance to acknowledge the problem of the free rein it gives to jihadi groups.

Its Supreme Court has now refused to ban the activities of LeTs two charity organizations, designated as terrorist entities by the UN. The minister has reiterated that a move forward on Kashmir as the nucleus of all problems would be required to progress on other issues. All this throws into relief the old position on Kashmir of the Naya Pakistan that Imran Khan wants to create.

Pakistan, too, accuses India of terrorism, capitalising on the Kulbhushan Jadhav saga. (Photo of Jadhav's mother and wife in Islamabad)

Discussing terror

India is clear-sighted enough not to believe that Pakistans willingness to discuss terror at the aborted Sushma Swaraj-Qureshi meeting promised any breakthrough, given that the two sides have discussed without any tangible success  the terrorism issue since the mid-1990s as part of the Composite Dialogue and subsequently through the back-channel between the National Security Advisers of the two countries under the Modi government.

Pakistan, too, accuses India of terrorism, capitalising on the Kulbhushan Jadhav saga and our own past ineptness in including the Samjhauta Express incident in our joint statements and even a reference to Baluchistan that implicitly recognised Pakistans concerns. When Pakistan expresses its readiness to discuss terrorism, it is to put its own counter-accusations on the table and not allow itself to be subjected to one-sided pressure.

Our thinking in accepting the meeting could well have been to scotch any propaganda advantage Pakistan could derive internationally from our rejection of its ostensible peace move. Some abroad and many more in India have been in favour of giving Imran Khan a chance. Not that we should be too worried about external opinion as a country that has suffered from Pakistans unremitting hostility since its creation and its terror onslaught against us since the mid-1980s.

Strong language

Our pro-Pakistan lobby, which unfortunately includes professionals who have dealt with Pakistan, can also be ignored as their facile arguments in favour of engaging Pakistan undermine the governments position, benefit Pakistan and damage our national interest.

Nevertheless, so long as we have diplomatic relations with Pakistan and we ourselves do not treat Pakistan as a terrorist state and want to keep the channels of communication open, some diplomatic manoeuvring would have appeared justifiable.

The government was right that a meeting did not mean a dialogue but that kind of semantic distinction is lost on the general public which would see in the meeting a willingness to engage Pakistan once again, particularly as the meeting followed an exchange of letters between the leaders of the two countries.

In announcing the cancellation, our spokesperson has used uncharacteristically strong language to denounce Pakistans evil designs and the rapid unveiling of Imran Khans real face, stating that any conversation with Pakistan in this environment would be meaningless.

This should foreclose any political-level meetings in the foreseeable future. More so as the morally pretentious, djinn believing, libido-driven, crypto-Islamist, terrorism-protective leader of Pakistan has characterised the Indian decision as arrogant and its leadership as small men occupying big offices, with the countrys information minister provocatively bringing in the Rafale controversy to explain Indias turnabout.

(Courtesy of Mail Today)

Also Read: India did not and India does not wish to have peace with Pakistan. Mehr Tarar explains whyFinally, the last state in India without an airport has one now. On September 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi fulfilled the dreams of the Sikkimese people by giving the state its first airport in Pakyong.

Built at a height of 4500 feet, Pakyong airport is one of the five highest airports in the country. It is located at Pakyong village, about 35km south of capital Gangtok.

Earlier, the nearest airport was 124km and a five-hour drive away in Bagdogra, West Bengal. The other option travelers had was to fly into or out of Paro airport in Bhutan.

After inaugurating the airport, Prime Minister Modi told a public gathering in Pakyong, "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."

Inaugarated by PM Narendra Modi, Pakyong airport is one of the five highest airports in the country. (Photo: PTI)

Pakyong airport is the 100th airport to become operational in India and the first greenfield airport in the North East region, in that it has been built from scratch.

"We are committed to make the North East an engine for India's growth story. For the first time since independence, stress has been on increasing both air and rail connectivity, electricity in remote areas of the North East and building infrastructure," said Prime Minister Modi.

Pakyong airport is being seen as a Himalayan engineering marvel.

The land for the airport was carved from the mountainside using massive geotechnical 'cut and fill' engineering works. These state-of-the-art soil reinforcement and slope stabilisation techniques were employed as traditional methods were considered unusable. This took care of the landslides upslope of the runway that were hindering construction activity.

Built at a cost of Rs 605 crore, the airport has a 1,700m  30m runway and a 116m long taxi-way connecting it to an apron that can accommodate two ATR 72 aircrafts at a time.

The Indian Air Force will have the ability to land military aircraft at the site, if needed. (Photo: PIB Gangtok)

The foundation stone for the airport was laid by former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel in February 2009. Almost ten years later, the people of Sikkim have an airport they can call their own.

Direct connectivity to the state of Sikkim is likely to boost tourism as well as economic development.

Last year, close to 14 lakh domestic tourists and nearly 50,000 foreign tourists visited the picturesque Himalayan state. Airport connectivity will significantly raise the footfall. Greater economic activity owing to a jump in tourism will also lead to creation of more jobs for the youth in the state.

Militarily too, the operationalisation of Pakyong airport will prove extremely beneficial. Pakyong airport is situated approximately 60km from the Indo-China border. As a result, the Indian Air Force will have the ability to land military aircraft at the site, if needed.

With border tensions with China being a common occurrence in the region, Pakyong is being considered a strategic asset. In fact, the trijunction between China, India and Bhutan  the centre of the Doklam stand-off last year  is located only 54km south of Pakyong airport. Interestingly, the IAF was the first to land its Dornier 228 at Pakyong airport on March 5 this year for test purposes.

For now, it will be SpiceJet which will be operating daily flights to and from Kolkata and Guwahati from October 4. In view of the upcoming Durga Puja holidays, this is expected to give a huge fillip to tourism in Sikkim.

Pakyong airport is the 100th airport to become operational in India and the first greenfield airport in the North East region. (Source:Twitter/PMOIndia)

SpiceJet will operate Bombardier Q400 aircrafts with 78 seats on this sector. The fare on the routes has also been capped at Rs 2600, because the airline has been granted permission to operate under the government's ambitious UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, which aims to enhance regional connectivity and make air travel affordable.

Here's to more holidays in spectacular Sikkim!

Also read: Why India should engage in development work with China in neighbouring regionsFr Stephen, named after the martyr for truth in the calendar of the church, the priest-in-charge of a Catholic congregation in Wynand, Kerala, announces to the world that Sister Lucy has been interdicted from discharging religious functions in the congregation due to the resentment of the parishioners against her for extending support and solidarity to the nuns strike against (bishop) Franco.

The removal of Sister Lucy only adds to the scandal around the church. (Photo: ANI)

In an instant, the parishioners, on whose behalf the punitive action was made out to be effected, rise in revolt. They force the priest, the shepherd of the flock, to convene a meeting of the parish committee.

The members of the congregation assemble at the venue of the meeting in full strength. They condemn the action against Sister Lucy and demand its peremptory revocation. The priest is forced to swallow his words and back off from hounding the sister.

The lie of the priest is exposed by the congregation as a whole, who declare themselves to be in cent percent solidarity with the targeted sister. He is proved to have lied thus not only about Sister Lucy apparently, but about the parish as a whole.

Yet, he will continue to exercise his sacred ministry as though what he has done, the mouthing of foul falsehood, is no more than routine.

He will administer the sacrament to the very same parishioners who rose in resentment against his lying. They will kneel before him, with their mouths open, to receive the body and blood of Jesus who said, I am the truth..."

This is meant to be the house of truth. Can lies be allowed to prevail here? (Photo: Wikimedia)

It is important for all who believe in bottom-line morality, if not in Biblical principles, to investigate the genesis of the priests perverse lie.

It is unlikely that the priest broke out into this fit of falsehood from personal inspiration, or was merely indulging an esoteric gift of turning lying into a high art.

Even the most hardened priests have a conscience! Priests too are human. That given, every priest is bound to experience traumatic self-revulsion in the wake of lying.

Lying, in other words, can never be a natural or voluntary exercise. It is a coerced act.

So, two questions arise out of this.

First, who coerced Fr. Stephen? Second, if he can be so coerced, is he a priest, a follower of Jesus Christ - or a slave of the church? May be one more question, if you please. And that, on the basis of the plausible hypothesis that Fr. Stephen would have lied for the sake of his church.

If the church that Fr Stephen serves can be served, or saved, only through his lying  imperiling his immortal soul by his own creed  what is this thing that we call church?

As to the first question, we can start safely from the obvious.

The priest was not coerced by his parishioners.

Nor was he coerced by Sister Lucy.

So, there is only one source of this coercion: the church hierarchy. The sort of hierarchy that the rape-accused, (bishop) Franco, represents.

By the way, I was watching this Franco on TV yesterday. He was in his full flow, glibly in his elements. Not a trace of embarrassment. No whiff of shame. No touch of remorse. Not even remote realisation that something viscerally awkward is underway!

No, he has shown no embarrassment even now. (Photo: ANI)

Either he is divinely innocent or he is diabolically hardened.

We have to wait a while to know which.

But we know this little thing from the investigating officers. Franco reportedly lied to them. So, he doesnt appear, at least for the time being, to be an archangel. Reportedly, the police are contemplating subjecting him to a polygraph test. Imagine a bishop being helped appropriately by drugs to tell the truth! A pretty pickle this!

We must get Fr Stephens plight aright. His plight is not personal but institutional. He apparently believes, as also those who arm-twisted him, that the church can be served and saved, by telling lies about the body of believers, who are the church.

So, the situation is as follows. To save the church-as-hierarchy, the church-as-the-body-of-believers must be damned.

So much for the caring spirit of the church, faithfully stewarded by these shepherds of the flock! This priest, and the church he serves like a slave  only slaves are stripped of freedom of conscience  have no qualms about compromising the moral integrity of the people to save the skin of one of their own breed.

This is an absolute disgrace, to say the least.

The church is meant to represent the best in humanity. But the Bishop Franco case has done the opposite so far. (Photo: Reuters)

Now to the second question: whose servant is this priest? Certainly not of Jesus Christ. That much is certain. He is a slave of the church. And today, there appears to be a contradiction  an incompatibility  between serving the church and serving Jesus Christ.

As to the third question, the church  by which we mean, in this context, the priestly hierarchy, with bishops as monarchs  today exists mostly for itself. The people could go to hell  or hell could come to them, as they please. Their only entitlement apparently is to be used like tools to serve the interests of the priestly class.

This is what I call practical atheism  Jesus is affirmed with lips but denied by deeds. As Dostoevskys Grand Inquisitor says bluntly to Jesus Christ, It is not you we serve, but Satan. Jesus is a huge inconvenience for the established church. This was the one insight, by the way, that Tolstoy endorsed wholeheartedly.

But there are silver linings even on this, the darkest of all clouds. The good thing is that the people of Sister Lucys church stood steadfastly by her. They stood by the truth, even as the priest  who pretends to be their shepherd  apparently lied through his teeth about them!

Also read: Why Kerala Police dragged their feet on Bishop Francos arrestEssence of secularism implies removing any trace of religion from family laws. A uniform civil code needs to be implemented at the earliest to keep Indias diverse moral fabric intact

After the Sepoy Mutiny, while the Britishers left various personal laws unchanged  the Indian Christian Marriage Act of 1872, the Indian Divorce Act of 1869, the Married Womens Property Act, the Hindu Inheritance (Removal of Disabilities) Act of 1928, the Special Marriage Act of 1923 and subsequently 1954, the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act of 1936 and eventually the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, were enacted to codify personal laws of various communities, pertaining to issues of marriage, succession, guardianship and maintenance.

Muslim radicals, however, resisted changes to their personal laws, leading to the Shariat Application Act of 1937. However, the Shariah was never codified, and hence, its legal standing tantamounts to nothing, despite the hullabaloo by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which in any case is simply another NGO with no legal sanctity, set up under the aegis of Indira Gandhi in 1973, for minority appeasement.

Also, the AIMPLB is primarily a Sunni Muslim body and does not represent Shias, Bohras or Ahmadiyya Muslims. Hence, what it says is hardly representative of the broader Muslim opinion. The Dissolution of the Muslim Marriages Act of 1939 in India, which gave recourse to legal help to Muslim women, too, remained a non-starter, thanks to many self-seeking ulemas and maulvis who wilfully wanted to subjugate Muslim women by misinterpreting Sharia for their vested interests.

Ancient Indias civil codes have progressively evolved over centuries from the Vedas and Manusmriti, which are a comprehensive set of sermons and smritis by Manu, Bhrigu, Yajnavalkya and Narada, on human duties, rights, laws, virtues, inheritance and other aspects of ethics as applied to various sections of Hindu society. Regressive traditions, like polygamy, sati, child marriage, dowry and female infanticide stopped having legal or moral sanction in India or in Hindu customs, eons back. The moot point here is most Hindu laws have also been applied to Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs, with the exception of Scheduled Tribes, over the last several decades.

While other communities, ethnic and religious groups realised the omnipotence of the Indian Constitution and the Indian Penal Code in the post-colonial period, patriarchal Muslim men were the only ones who refused to change with changing times, under the garb of Shariah. Much of the Shariah today owes its allegiance to radical schools of thought like Hanbali, Maliki, Shafii and the Hanafi school of thought, which was the governing diktat between 1664-1672 for the likes of Emperor Aurangzeb and other bloodthirsty Muslim invaders thereafter. Needless to add that the Supreme Court declared instant triple talaq as unconstitutional on August 22, 2017. The Narendra Modi Governments righteous efforts to make instant triple talaq a punishable crime as per provisions of the Muslim Women Protection of Rights in Marriage Act, 2017, were stalled by the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha on January 3, 2018 and again on August 10, 2018, on flimsy grounds.

In the given circumstances, the Modi Governments decision to bring an Ordinance on September 19 to declare triple talaq a punishable offence, is historic. In 1985, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi destroyed the confidence of Indias Muslim women by overturning the Supreme Courts 1985 verdict and denying Shah Bano, a hapless Muslim divorcee, a mere monthly alimony of Rs 179.

The wrongs done by the Congress were finally corrected by the current BJP-led dispensation after 33 long years, under the astute leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Naysayers from the Congress would do well to recall 70 Ordinances under Nehru, 77 under Indira Gandhi and 61 under Manmohan Singh, before criticising the Modi Government on opting for the Ordinance route to end triple talaq. Criminalising triple talaq sets the stage for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which in any case has been provided for under Article 44 of the Directive Principles. But since these principles are not legally enforceable, a suitable law is long overdue. Those who oppose UCC on the frivolous pretext that it will end Indias diversity and plurality, should know that family laws can never override the Constitution, which is the countrys only Holy Grail that is both legally tenable, and the one that has and always will, stand the test of time.

The case for the UCC was amply demonstrated by Justice Khehar and Justice Chandrachud, when a PIL by Catholic advocate Clarence Pais, who wanted divorce granted by Church courts to be held legally valid, was junked by the apex court in January 2017. The Court categorically stated that despite Christian marriages being solemnised by a parish priest in the Church as per the canon law (Christian Personal Law),when it came to divorce-related matters, only divorce granted by courts under the Indian Constitution and under the Indian Divorce Act of 1869, are legally valid. Family laws or Church courts have no place in a democratic society if such personal laws interfere with the basic tenets of the Indian Constitution or relevant parliamentary legislations contained therein.

The fact that personal laws run subservient to the Constitution had in any case been decided way back in 1996 in the divorce battle between Molly Joseph and George Sebastian, and the 2017 judgement against Clarence Pais, only reaffirmed the 1996 verdict. Be it making Christian divorce laws gender equal in 2001, or amending Hindu succession laws in 2005, if there can be a common criminal code, there is absolutely no reason why India should not have a common civil code. The essence of secularism implies removing any trace of religion from family laws, and that being the case, UCC is an idea that now needs to be implemented to keep Indias secular and richly diverse moral fabric intact.

(The writer is an economist and chief spokesperson for BJP, Mumbai)Ex-ultras diverting financial aid for jehad, six cases surface in J&K; forces asked to keep tabs on them

In an emerging new trend in terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir, ex-terrorists who returned through Nepal and surrendered in Jammu & Kashmir over the years have now joined terrorism again. The security agencies identified at least six such cases recently and advised the J&K Police and its Crime Investigation Department, besides the Army, to keep tabs on ex-terrorists in their respective operational theatres.

Reports said that surrendered terrorist Mohamamd Iqbal Ganie, resident of Nowpora, Doru, Anantnag, joined Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) on May 5, 2018.

In the past, ex-terrorist Ghulam Ahmed Sofi, alias Jani Baba, resident of Jahama, Baramullah, was arrested by the Army and Special Operations Group (SOG), Baramullah, of the Jammu & Kashmir Police .

Ex-terrorists like Mohammad Shafeeq Bhat, Diarwani, Batmaloo and Rahi-ul-Amin Dar of Qazogund, Kulgam, are back on the radars of the security agencies.

Bhat, resident of Diarwani, Batmaloo, Srinagar, is a surrendered ex-terrorist and had come to India via Nepal in 2001. He had been noticed providing shelter to terrorists in Batmaloo.

Another case is that of Rahi-ul-Amim Dar, alias Asif of Veesu, Kazigund, Kulgam, who had rejoined terrorism (2010-Hizbul Mujahideen) and was later killed in an encounter.

Yet another case in point is that of Sajad Ahmed Bhat, resident of Wayan, Pampore, Pulwama, who was found to be an overground worker (OGW) of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Member agencies, especially, CID, JKP (Jammu & Kashmir Police) and the Army are requested to provide us the details of such cases (surrendered terrorists re-joining terrorism) available with them, reads an Intelligence report.

The trend is being taken seriously and a detailed exercise has been undertaken to ascertain more such cases so that remedial measures can be taken. The surrendered terrorists get benefits under the rehabilitation packages and their coming back to the terror fold implies that they are fighting the forces from funds being made available to them under the Government amnesty schemes, a senior security agency official said.

The return of the ex-terrorists to terror activities is matter of serious concern for the security agencies because these hardcore terrorists have well-established links across the border. These terrorists are well trained in terror activities and can provide both logistical support and strategic inputs to foreign ultras entering into the country.

The Union Home Ministry has been opposed to keeping Nepal as a designated route for return of these terrorists from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under the J&K Governments surrender and rehabilitation policy in force since 2010. This is mainly because ultras have been using Nepal as an informal transit route to re-enter India along with their families, and as Nepal becomes designated route they could be spotted by the ISI and targeted while returning to India.

Around 450 terrorists have returned from POK to India via Nepal even though under the surrender policy it does not entitle them to any benefit. In contrast, a few ultras have re-entered India via the three designated routes: Salamabad, Chakanda-Bagh and Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.With party workers and leaders still uncertain over the stitching of a grand alliance with other Opposition parties, state Congress chief Raj Babbar seems to have started the ground work to contest Lok Sabha poll from Lucknow seat in 2019. Babbar has chosen the partys Prabhat Pheri programme, which started by him from Rajajipuram on Tuesday morning, to strike a better rapport with locals. Babbar had earlier unsuccessfully contested against former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from Lucknow.

During the Prabhat Pheri programme at Rajajipuram on Tuesday, Babbar declared taking out of Sandhya Pheri programme as well and walked from Rahimnagar to Khurramnagar later on Tuesday evening. While workers were seen chanting Ram Dhun, Babbar met locals, shook hands and waved at the crowd and passersby.

Last week, Babbar also visited the famous Sharma tea stall at Lalbagh in the evening and asked party workers, leaders and journalists to share a cuppa with him. By doing so, he probably wanted to send across the message that he was concerned about the people of Lucknow and wanted to represent their city in Parliament.

A senior Congress leader and Babbar confidant confirmed that irrespective of talks with Opposition parties, Babbar was preparing to contest from Lucknow as his term at Rajya Sabha would expire a few months after the Parliament poll if they were held in April-May 2019.

When pointed out that Babbar was likely to be removed from the UPCC top post and if that happens would he still be fielded, the leader replied that Babbar would contest from Lucknow irrespective of whether he remained the state unit chief or not.

Early Tuesday morning, Congressmen started Prabhat Pheri programme chanting Raghupati Raghav Rajaram in Rajajipuram area of the state capital. Babbar led the party workers at Rajajipuram and later in the evening walked from Rahimnagar to Khurramnagar.

State Congress general secretary Vinod Mishra said that Prabhat Pheri programme will be taken out in all blocks in the district till October 2. He said that on Gandhi Jayanti, a big gathering in each district would be organised to pay homage to the Mahatma. Mishra added that Congress leaders and workers would celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi falling this year as Non-Violence Day across the country.Aiming to catapult Deep Deepawali festival in Ayodhya to a global platform, the UP government has planned to make it a mega event this year and was even attempting a Guinness Record by lighting over 3 lakh diyas at ghats during the three-day function to be attended by a delegation from Korea that could have senior ministers. Deep Deepawali will be held on November 11 this year.

Tourism Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi told The Pioneer on Tuesday that the function was organised at a micro scale last year but this year the government wanted to take it to a mega level.

Last year, 1.67 lakh diyas were lighted at one time at Ram ki Pauri ghat at Ayodhya and this year, over 3 lakh diyas will be lighted. Last year, the event was a one-day affair, while this time round, it will be a three-day event. We have invited Guinness Book of World Record officials to record it, Joshi said.

The Toursim Minister said that last year the facade lighting was for a day while there would be permanent lighting this time so that the entire building adjoining Ram ki Pauri and both bridges at Ayodhya could be seen.

Not only lighting, the government has plans to organise elaborate culture programmes this year too. Last year, Ram Lila was staged but this year at least four troupes from across the country particularly from South India will perform. This time dignitaries will come from Korea. Some ministers and senior functionaries from the government will also attend the function, Joshi said.

About Ayodhya, the Tourism Minister said that the government had already earmarked Rs 200 crore to improve infrastructure there. The Saryu ghat and Ram Ki Pauri will be spruced up and work will be completed before Deep Deepawali. Besides, tableaux and Rath Yatra will be taken out around the city and cultural programmes will be on show all three days, Joshi said.

Last year, Deep Deepawali festival was organised in style at Ayodhya with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath being the chief guest. Models arrived from Delhi and Mumbai to recreate the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya.In the matter of the ban on the use of polythene in Uttarakhand, all District Magistrates submitted affidavits in the High Court of Uttarakhand informing the court about the measures taken so far to enforce the ban. In their affidavits, the District Magistrates have stated that orders passed earlier by the high court are being fully observed.

In order to completely ban the use of polythene, those found using it are being challaned. The public is also being informed about the ill-effects of using polythene.

Public awareness campaign is also being undertaken on this subject, apart from which nodal officers have also been appointed for implementation of the ban on polythene.

Earlier, the division bench had directed all the District Magistrates to also undertake public awareness campaigns for effectively implementing the polythene ban.

It is pertinent to mention here that recently, the State Finance, Parliamentary Affairs, Potable Water and Sanitation Minister Prakash Pant had chaired a meeting with officials in which it had been stated that the complete ban on storage, sale and marketing of polythene bags will be strictly enforced in the State.

It was also decided in the meeting that in compliance of the orders of the High Court and National Green Tribunal (NGT), notification will be issued soon.In order to discuss the various facilities provided by the Delhi Government to mediapersons, a delegation of 11 members of Goa Press Accreditation Committee (GPAC) led by Chairman and Editor of Lokmat Raju Nayak called on Secretary (Public Relations, Delhi Government) Dr Jayadev Sarangi.

The members in the delegation included Director (I&P) Goa TC Sawant, Information Officer John Aguiar, and others from various media and Goa news organisations.

In the meeting, various issues concerning to facilities being provided to accredited journalists by the Directorate of Information and Publicity of Delhi Government like medical facilities, parking facility, bus and rail travel facility were discussed at large.

Dr Jayadev Sarangi, Secretary (PR) opined that such type of interactions between two or more Government departments should take place on regular basis as it would be helpful in bringing out more coherence in the Government rules and policies adopted by different state Governments for the welfare of media persons.

He also informed the delegation that keeping in view the Supreme Courts guidelines on Government advertisements, the directorate has adopted a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for ensuring advertisement.

He also said that as per SOP, concerned head of department has to issue a content verification certificate for publication of the advertisement. The certificate is to be duly signed by the concerned Head of Department before the publication of the advertisement, he added.Haryana Government on Tuesday said that it has taken various steps for creating peace and harmony in the society and to deter the individuals from taking law into their hands in view of the incidents of lynching and mob violence.

The commissioners of police and superintendents of police have been designated as nodal officers to investigate such cases, said an official spokesman.

Only a day before, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Centre and the states over the issue of cow vigilantism and mob killings. The Apex Court had on Monday also sought response from the states on compensation for the families of mob killing victims.

The Centre and the State Governments were also asked to give wide publicity within a week on how mob violence of any kind will invite serious consequence under the law.

Notably, the incidents of lynching of 31-year-old Rakbar in July this year and 17-year-old Junaid Khan in June last year had shocked the entire nation.

Rakbar, a resident of Haryanas Nuh district, was lynched by a mob who had accused him of cow smuggling in Rajasthans Alwar district on the night of July 20. Junaid, who boarded the Mathura-bound train from Delhi, was stabbed to death when he, along with his brothers and cousins, was returning home to Khandawali village after shopping for Eid. His body was later dumped near Asaoti village in Haryanas Faridabad district.

Both the incidents had let to national debate over the incidents of brutal attacks by gau rakshaks (cow protectors/vigilantes groups) against minorities on the issue of cow protection and others.

To curb incidents of mob lynching, a spokesman of Haryana Government on Monday said that irresponsible and explosive messages, videos and other material on social media which have the tendency to incite mob violence and lynching of any kind are strictly prohibited.

Under relevant provisions of law, stringent action for registration of criminal case would be taken against such persons, he said.

He further said that departmental action would be taken against those officers of law enforcement agencies who fail to prevent such incidents despite having prior knowledge. The general public is requested to maintain peace and harmony and report the matter about any suspected event to the nearest police authorities and desist from taking law in their hands, he added.

Besides this, certain areas have been identified as sensitive areas and efforts are being made to eradicate hostile environment in these areas. Moreover, law enforcement agencies have been instructed to exercise their powers for prevention of such incidents and police patrolling is being carried out in the sensitive areas, the spokesman added.Inner Wheel Club of Jamshedpur Zest celebrated World Peace Day with the students of Oriya Madhya Vidhyalaya, Adityapur. The aim of organising a seminar was to strengthen the ideals of peace and promote unity between the students. IWC Zest members, students and staff of Oriya Madhya Vidhyalaya celebrated the event with speeches, workshop sessions, musical performances and sharing ideas of what peace actually means.

Ritika Singh spoke said for mental and physical peace one should bring discipline in his or her life, should respect each other and one should be a good listener.

She said peace and health are closely interlinked, one cannot exist without the other. Good health is the basic condition that enables people to contribute and participate in a society and their everyday activities.

In order to promote peace and explore its deeper components, we must understand and address the underlying reasons of its disruptions  such as violence, conflicts and aggression. Clubs former president Navneet Kaur, president Nisha Gadia, Chandani Mehta and Parul Adesara were present on the occasion.The ugly face of the men in khaki, especially in dealing with members of the fairer sex, once again stood exposed after video clippings showing a girl being assaulted by cops in Meerut went viral on Tuesday. While top Meerut officials feigned ignorance about the inhuman act of their junior colleagues, they suspended the errant cops and ordered a probe into the matter.

SP (City) of Meerut Ramvijay Singh said that after going through the video that went viral on Tuesday, it surfaced that the matter was related to a boy and a girl who were brought to Medical thana after a complaint a few days back. He said that the parents were later called and both were handed over to them after completing legal formalities.

Singh said that the video showed that the girl was being assaulted by a woman constable while some male cops around used objectionable language against the girl. He said that taking congnizance, all cops seen in the video were suspended and action was recommend action against a home guard, who was seen sitting in the video.

The officer said that a probe was also ordered and the victim would be called and asked to submit a complaint after which further action against the cops would be initiated.Even as the efforts are being made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) high command to win over its disgruntled and sacked leaders in the wake of prevailing turmoil the party is facing in Punjab, its rebel faction on Tuesday declared that none of them have been approached so far.

In fact, it has decided to take the initiative, and resolve the issue but on its own terms. The rebel faction, comprising eight out of total 20 MLAs led by Sukhpal Singh Khaira, has set up a five-member committee to resolve the internal differences within AAPs Punjab unit.

Despite announcements in the media, none of the seven MLAs with me have been approached so far, said Khaira.

Making an announcement to this effect, Khaira said that the five committee members  including Kanwar Sandhu, Nazar Singh Mansahia, Baldev Singh, Jagdev Singh (all MLAs) and Suresh Sharma  will hold discussions with other members to resolve the differences over autonomy for the state unit and other matters.

At the same time, it has been made amply clear that the basis of talks, if any, with AAP leadership will be on the basis of six resolutions passed at the AAPs Volunteers Convention at Bathinda on August 2.

AAP rebel faction came into being soon after Khaira was unceremoniously removed from the post of the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha, while replacing him with Dirba MLA Harpal Singh Cheema without consulting all the party MLAs.

Khaira was backed by seven MLAs, and the group raised the demand for complete autonomy to partys state unit.

At Bathinda convention, convened by Khaira-led faction, six resolutions were passed including declaring AAPs Punjab unit free from Delhi bosses, dissolving current organizational structure in the state, and setting up a new one for which it has set up an eight-member political affairs committee (PAC).

The divide between the two has become so apparent that the party is being run by two parallel power centres  one led by Khaira and other owing allegiance to Delhi Durbar.

Seeing AAPs declining graph in Punjab, AAP has chalked out a strategy to win over its displeased-cum-rebel leaders including the former state party convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur.

As a part of the same, the party has approached Chhotepur, who had floated his own party  Apna Punjab Party (APP)  ahead 2017 Punjab assembly elections after being expelled on corruption charges. During his meeting with Harpal Singh Cheema and AAP state co-president Dr Balbir Singh, Chhotepur lashed out at the Delhi leadership while also backing Khaira-led faction;s demand for autonomy.

The partys senior leader Sanjay Singh had also met partys Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, who has been under suspension since 2015 for anti-party activities but vigorously raising Punjab-related issues in the Parliament. However, Dr Gandhi too batted for autonomy for the state unit.

It was also announced that efforts would be made to win over its rebel MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and the seven legislators supporting him. But, Khairas statement has put a question mark of AAP leaderships commitment to resolve prevailing infighting.

Party has total of four MPs from Punjab, out of which two  Dr Gandhi and Harjinder Singh Khalsa  have been placed under suspension since 2015. Out of total of 20 MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha, eight have revolted against the party.

The division has created confusion among the party cadre as the rebel faction has set up its own political affairs committee, and an ad-hoc state executive headed by Khaira, besides undoing the decision of the state AAP unit and projecting itself as the real AAP.As part of Swachhta-Hi-Seva campaign, NTPC Korba organised a programme in Primary and Middle School, Gopalpur, a village located in the vicinity of the power station here on Tuesday, a company press release informed.

Over 200 students took Swachhta pledge and then participated in the awareness rally that covered the nearby village.

Cleanliness drive was also undertaken on the school premises on this occasion. Besides, a cartoon-based booklet on Swachhta was also distributed among the children.

It is to be stated that several programmes including cleanliness drive in plant, Township, awareness programme in nearby villages, competition to sensitise children in nearby schools are being organised as part of the campaign.

Teachers and staff of the school and officials of NTPC were also present on the occasion.Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh advocated positive use of social media so that people could know about developments being carried out across the country and avail the benefits. Addressing a workshop on social media in Lucknow on Tuesday, Singh said that social media had become an important tool in modern times. But more often than not, it is misused. The time has come for the positive use of this media, he said.

I appeal to all party workers to use social media to spread the message of good governance of Modi and Yogi governments across the country. There are many people-oriented schemes which people are not aware of. Use this media to educate them, the Union minister said. Local lawmaker Neeraj Bora and BJPs IT cell incharge also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier, Rajnath Singh paid floral tributes to party ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhaya.Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Tuesday directed the officials to review utility of all government buildings which are semi-constructed and vacant and submit a report on them. He asked the deputy commissioners to make the report available within a week.

The CM issued the order during the monthly Seedhi Baat programme at Jan Samvad Kendra in Suchna Bhawan here on Tuesday when one Manoj Gupta of Hazaribagh mentioned that a hostel in Khergaon in his locality was lying semi-constructed since 2010.

The CM issued a series of directions to the officials while hearing the complaints from across the State. He ordered all departments to review the appointment of person on compassionate grounds on priority basis when he was told that dependent of one Devendra Singh of the Golmuri police line under East Singhbhum district have not yet got job even though Singh died during service in 2013. The CM ordered the officials to give appointment letter to Singhs dependent within two days.

Chief Minister asked the Urban Development Department to take high level decision by checking outstanding claims and pay the amount under special package to the retired and dead personnel of Mines Board. He was reacting to a complaint lodged by Rajesh Kumar who said that the benefits were due since 1989.

During the review of a complaint related to Birsa check dam under the National Agricultural Development Scheme Das ordered the departmental secretary to complete all the pending schemes of check dam from the State government's fund till December next.

One Banjnath Prasad complained about destroyed corps in 2013-14 in Rajgunj Block due to poor seeds provided by primary agriculture cooperative society. He added farmers have not received compensation for the loss they suffered. The CM ordered the immediate payment of the claim amount of Rs 66 lakh to the farmers from amount of guarantee of the insurance company.

Hearing another compliant, Das also instructed the DC of Garhwa to pay the compensation to raiyats related to construction of a road from Ramna to Manjhiyawa by December. Pushpak Kumar Singh of Garhwa district complained about compensation being not paid in the lieu of land of 700 Raiyats which was taken to construct road from Ramna to Manjhiyawa.

Similarly, non-payment of the compensation by the tourism department in the Bhadrakali Mata Mandir area in Itkhori block of Chatra was also brought to the notice. On this the Chief Minister instructed the DC Chatra to hold a meeting with villagers and ensure payment of all claims.

The CM ordered DCs to complete the construction of toilets under Clean India Mission till October 2 in all respects.

Principle Secretary to CM Sunil Kumar Barnwal alongwith all the Additional Chief secretaries and principal secretaries were present in the programme.Announcing a major sop to farmers as well as sugar mills in the run-up to the election year, the Yogi Adityanath government has offered soft loans to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore plus a subsidy of Rs 4.50 per quintal to the mills to clear the dues of farmers by November 30 next. While announcing that the new crushing season of sugarcane would commence from October last week, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that soft loans to the mills would be provided through banks and other financial institutions at an interest of 5 per cent. These loans, however, will be available only to those mills which have cleared 30 per cent of the cane dues, and will be paid directly to farmers. But, all the dues of farmers should be paid by November 30 next at any cost, Yogi said. The decision was taken at the state Cabinet meeting held here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister. The CM said if a mill defaulted in repayment of soft loans, it would have to pay 12 per cent interest as penalty. In another decision, the government also decided to provide Rs 4.50 per quintal subsidy to the mills which will be given directly to the farmers. The government has sanctioned Rs 500 crore for this purpose. Adityanath said that till date, the total cane dues in the state stand at Rs 9,770 crore in the crushing season of 2017-18. The private mills have yet to pay Rs 8,500 crore while the cooperative and federation mills Rs 887 crore. This season, 1111.90 tonnes of cane was crushed at the cost of Rs 35,458 crore, of which Rs 25,888 crore have been paid to the cane growers. In UP, there are 119 sugar mills, of which 24 are in government sector while the rest in private sector. Among the private mills, 63 have paid 73 to 80 per cent of their dues to the farmers, 42 mills have paid above 50 per cent of the dues and nine mills have paid less than 50 per cent of their dues, the Chief Minister said, adding that low rate of sugar in the market was the main reason for the mills suffering losses. The CM said that the government was concerned about the financial health of the sugar mills, which is directly related to the four million cane farmers o the state, hence the Centre had approved the new ethanol policy where the mills would be given Rs 53 per litre for ethanol blended from molasses and Rs 59 per liter for blending from sugar juice. This new policy will improve the financial health of mills because we want mills to be financially robust because cane growing area in the state has increased in the next crushing season, he said. The government also approved construction of bridge over the Ganga river at Karteri Ghat near Sirathu at the cost of `249 crore which will be completed within three years while the Cabinet approved a proposal to strengthen 42.60-metre Sidhauli-Naimisaranya road at the cost of Rs 72.45 crore. Under the Prasad Scheme, the facade lighting in Varanasi ghats has been handed over to Central PWD from UPRNN while the Cabinet approved Swadesh Darshan scheme under which the light & sound programme will be held at Gorakhnath temple. The project will cost Rs 4.20 crore. In another decision, the Cabinet approved a budget of Rs 181.82 crore for the beautification of Shaheed Asfaqullah Khan Park in Gorakhpur.Attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal, Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh called him an emperor of lies for levelling unsubstantiated and absurd charges against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi, who was earlier called as shahzada, has now graduated to becoming emperor of lies for levelling charges on Rafale deal without substance and proof, Singh said while addressing media persons in Lucknow on Tuesday.

The Health Minister said that the Congress chief should answer two questions. One, when the deal for 126 Rafale fighter jets by UPA government was signed, was HAL included in it, and two, whether was there an agreement for the inclusion of Reliance with the manufacturing company Dassault Aviation of France in 2012? he asked.

Claiming that the jet mess would have no impact on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Singh said that the Congress was trying to confuse people as they had no other agenda before them to contest the coming poll. People of the country would not accept a liar, whose party and family have robbed the country in the past, he added.

Singh said that the Congress was questioning as to why the agreement with HAL was scrapped. They should first answer as to why their government did not enter into an alliance with the HAL and why did they put it on abeyance, he said.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister made it clear that Ayushman Bharat scheme would be implemented in full force in the next two months. You give us some time as hospitals are being linked and by the next two months, around 2,000 hospitals would be linked benefiting 60 million poor of the state. We have already linked Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Lucknow and the process is underway to bring King Georges Medical University (KGMU) under the umbrella. There is some issue over the rates for linking of SGPGI, but it will be resolved soon, Singh said.

The minister added that there were 1,350 diseases to be covered under the scheme and, hence, different hospitals would have to be assigned for different diseases. In the coming couple of months, everything will be in place, he assured. Ayushman Bharat scheme or Modicare was launched in UP on Sunday but the first patient from Gorakhpur had to be rushed to Kanpur for treatment as facilities were not available in BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur.US President Donald Trump on Tuesday lauded India's efforts to lift millions of its citizens out of poverty as he addressed world leaders at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

"There is India, a free society (of) over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class," Trump said in his second address to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly that opened here Tuesday.

In his about 35-minute address, he said over the years, history has transpired in the halls of the UN General Assembly. "We think of the many before us who have come here to address the challenges of their nations and of their times and our thoughts turn to the same question that ran through all their speeches, resolutions and through every word and every hope."

"It is the question of what kind of world will we leave for our children and what kind of nations they will inherit," Trump said.

He said the dreams that fill the UNGA hall today are as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium and as varied as the countries represented in the United Nations. "It really is something. It really is great great history."

Trump also cited Saudi Arabia's bold new reforms and Israel "proudly celebrating" its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land.Bahrains attorney general charged nearly 170 activists on Tuesday with forming a Shia terrorist organisation named after Lebanons famed Islamist movement Hezbollah.

The small but strategic Gulf Arab kingdom has been dogged by persistent low-level violence since 2011 when its Sunni minority rulers bloodily suppressed Shia-led peaceful protests for a constitutional monarchy with an elected Prime Minister.

The authorities have repeatedly accused Islamic Republic of Iran and it allies, including Hezbollah, of fomenting the unrest. Iran denies the charge.

Attorney General Ahmad al-Hamadi said 169 people, 111 of whom are in custody, will be tried for forming a terrorist organisation... Under the name Bahrain Hezbollah in collaboration with the Iranian intelligence services.

Hamadi did not specify when the trial would open or when the defendants had been arrested.But he said some of them were accused of travelling abroad to receive training in weapons and explosives from Iran and its regional allies.

Analysts have expressed scepticism about previous Bahraini allegations of Iranian and Hezbollah involvement.

Hezbollah is one of the best trained and equipped militant groups in the world, while most of the Bahrain violence has consisted of throwing stones and petrol bombs at police patrols or planting crude pipe bombs.

The authorities have closed most peaceful avenues for protest, banning the main Shia Islamist movement Al-Wefaq, which was the largest bloc in parliament, and throwing dozens of its leaders behind bars.The following companies are subsidiares of Fidelity National Information Services: 11601 Roosevelt Boulevard Realty LLC, AFSF II AIV Investors D-LP, AGES Participacoes Ltda., AKC Insurance Company LLC, Advanced Portfolio Technologies Ltd., Alphakinetic Ltd., Armed Forces Financial Network LLC, AssetExchange, Automated Securities Clearance LLC, Best Payment Solutions Inc., Bibit Spain S.L., Bitpay Payments KK, C&E Holdings Luxembourg S.a.r.l., CPRS Holdings Inc., Canadian Envoy Technology Services Ltd., Capco, Central Credit Services Limited, Certegy Canada Company, Certegy Card Services B.V., Certegy Dutch Holdings B.V., Certegy France Limited, Certegy SAS, Certegy UK Holdings B.V., Chex Systems Inc., Clear2Pay, Clear2Pay (Shenzhen) Company Limited, Clear2Pay APAC Pte. 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Z.o.o., Concentrix CVG Ireland Contact Services Limited, Concentrix CVG Ireland Limited, Concentrix CVG Italy S.R.L., Concentrix CVG LLC, Concentrix CVG Learning Solutions LLC, Concentrix CVG Malaysia (Phillipines) Sdn. Bhd., Concentrix CVG Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Concentrix CVG Philippines Inc., Concentrix CVG Pte. Ltd., Concentrix CVG Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Concentrix CVG Servicios Informaticos S.L, Concentrix CVG Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., Concentrix CVG Tunisie BPO S.A.R.L., Concentrix CVG Tunisie S.A.R.L., Concentrix Corporation, Concentrix Costa Rica S.A., Concentrix Daksh Services India Private Limited, Concentrix Daksh Services Philippines Corporation, Concentrix Digital Services Limited, Concentrix Duisburg GmbH, Concentrix Dusseldorf GmbH, Concentrix Europe Limited, Concentrix Frankfurt a. M. GmbH, Concentrix Free Trade Zone S.A., Concentrix Gera GmbH, Concentrix Global Services GmbH, Concentrix Gmbh, Concentrix HK Limited, Concentrix Halle GmbH, Concentrix Insurance Administration Solutions Corporation, Concentrix International Europe B.V., Concentrix International GmbH, Concentrix International Services Europe B.V., Concentrix Investment Holdings Corporation, Concentrix Investment Holdings Singapore 1 Pte. Ltd, Concentrix Investment Holdings Singapore 2 Pte. Ltd, Concentrix Investment Holdings Singapore 3 Pte. Ltd, Concentrix Investments Europe B.V., Concentrix Legal Services Company Limited, Concentrix Leipzig GmbH, Concentrix Logistics Corporation, Concentrix Management Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Concentrix Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, Concentrix Munster GmbH, Concentrix New (BVI) Corporation, Concentrix NewHK Limited, Concentrix Nicaragua S.A., Concentrix Osnabruck GmbH, Concentrix Receivables Inc, Concentrix Rechenzentrum GmbH, Concentrix Romania S.R.L., Concentrix Schwerin GmbH, Concentrix Services (Colombia) S.A.S., Concentrix Services (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Concentrix Services (Germany) GmbH, Concentrix Services (Ireland) Limited, Concentrix Services (Netherlands) B.V., Concentrix Services (New Zealand) Limited, Concentrix Services (Poland) spolka z o.o., Concentrix Services (Saudi Arabia) Corporation LLC, Concentrix Services (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Concentrix Services (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Concentrix Services (Uruguay) S.A., Concentrix Services Bulgaria EOOD, Concentrix Services Corporation, Concentrix Services GmbH, Concentrix Services Holdco (Netherlands) B.V., Concentrix Services Hungary KFT, Concentrix Services India Private Limited, Concentrix Services Korea Limited, Concentrix Services Mexico S.A. de C.V., Concentrix Services Philippines Inc., Concentrix Services Portugal Sociedade Unipessoal LDA, Concentrix Services Pty Ltd, Concentrix Services Slovakia s.r.o., Concentrix Services Spain S.L.U., Concentrix Services UK Limited, Concentrix Services US Inc., Concentrix Software Technologies (HK) Limited, Concentrix Solutions Corporation, Concentrix Technologies (India) Private Limited, Concentrix Technologies Limited, Concentrix Technologies Services (Canada) Limited, Concentrix Tigerspike Technology FZ-LLC, Concentrix VN Technologies Services Company Limited, Concentrix Verwaltungs GmbH, Concentrix Wismar GmbH, Concentrix Wuppertal GmbH, Convergys, Convergys Customer Management Group Canada Holding Inc., Convergys Customer Management International Inc., Convergys Customer Management Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Convergys Holdings (GB) Limited, Convergys Holdings (UK) Limited, Convergys India Services Private Limited, Convergys International Inc., Convergys International Nordic AB, Convergys Services Denmark ApS, Convergys South Africa (Pty) Ltd., CyberLogistics Corporation, Dalian Jumeng Information Services Ltd., Dalian Jumeng Technology Development Ltd., EMJ America Inc., Encore Receivable Management Inc., Foshan Jumeng Information Technology Service Co. Ltd, GLS Software S. de R.L., Guiyang Jumeng Technology Development Ltd., Hyve Design Solutions (Taiwan) Corporation, Hyve Design Solutions Corporation, Hyve IT Solutions Israel Ltd, Hyve IT Solutions South Africa (PTY) Ltd., Hyve SNX Solutions Ireland Limited, Hyve Solutions (Taiwan) Corporation, Hyve Solutions Canada Limited, Hyve Solutions China Limited, Hyve Solutions Corporation, Hyve Solutions Europe Limited, Hyve Solutions HK Limited, Hyve Solutions Holding Company Limited, Hyve Solutions India Private Limited, Hyve Solutions Japan K.K., Hyve Solutions Korea Limited, Hyve Solutions Malaysia SDN.BHD., Hyve Solutions New Zealand Limited, Hyve Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd, Hyve Solutions US Global Holding Corporation, IBM World Wide Customer Care, Intervoice Acquisition Subsidiary Inc., Intervoice Colombia Ltda., Intervoice GP Inc., Intervoice GmbH, Intervoice LP Inc., Intervoice Limited, Intervoice Limited Partnership, Intervoice do Brasil Comercio Servicos e Participacoes Ltda., Jack Of All Games Inc., Japan Concentrix KK, LATAM HoldCo Limited, Lasting Holdings Corporation, License Online Inc, Minacs, Minacs Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PT Concentrix Services Indonesia, PT Convergys Customer Management Indonesia, Pegasus Telecom LLC, SCGS (Malaysia) SDN. BHD., SGS Holdings Inc., SIT Funding Corporation, SYNNEX Canada Limited, SYNNEX Finance Hybrid II LLC, SYNNEX Holdco Inc., SYNNEX Information Technologies (Beijing) Ltd., SYNNEX Information Technologies (Chengdu) Ltd., SYNNEX Information Technologies (China) Ltd., SYNNEX Japan Corporation, SYNNEX Japan Holdings K.K., SYNNEX Servicios S.A. de C.V., SYNNEX de Mexico S.A. de C.V., SYNNEX-Concentrix UK Limited, Sennex Enterprises Limited, Servicios Afinasis S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Shunrong Telecommunication Technologies Ltd., Sichuan 86Bridge Information Technology Ltd., Stream Business Process Outsourcing South Africa (Proprietary) Ltd., Stream Florida Inc., Stream Global Services - US Inc., Stream Global Services Inc., Stream Holdings Corporation, Suzhou Ke Wei Xun Information Services Co. Ltd., Tech Data, The Global Email Trustee Limited, Tigerspike Co. Ltd, Tigerspike FZ-LLC, Tigerspike Holdings Pty Ltd, Tigerspike Inc., Tigerspike Ltd, Tigerspike Products Pte. Ltd., Tigerspike Pte. Ltd., Tigerspike Pty Ltd, Velami Holdings Corporation, Vietnam Concentrix Services Company Limited, VisionMAX, WG-UK Holding Company Limited, WG-US HoldCo Inc, Westcon Brasil Ltda., Westcon CALA Inc., Westcon Canada Systems (WCSI) Inc., Westcon Corporation Ecuador WCE Cia. Ltda, Westcon GDS LLC, Westcon Group Colombia Limitada, Westcon Group Costa Rica S.A., Westcon Group Inc., Westcon Group North America Inc., Westcon Group Panama S.A., Westcon Mexico S.A. de C.V., Westcon-Comstor Americas, Xi'an Jumeng Technologies Development Ltd, and eTelecare Philippines Inc..New Jersey Resources Corp. is a holding company. The firm provides safe and reliable natural gas and clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset management and home services. It operates through the following segments: New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR Clean Energy Ventures, NJR Energy Services, NJR Midstream, and NJR Home Services. The New Jersey Natural Gas segment provides regulated retail natural gas service to residential and commercial customers in central and northern New Jersey. The NJR Clean Energy Ventures segment invests in, owns and operates solar projects. The NJR Energy Services segment manages a diversified portfolio of natural gas transportation and storage assets and provides physical natural gas services in the U.S. and Canada. The NJR Midstream segment serves customers from local distributors and producers to electric generators and wholesale marketers. The NJR Home Services segment provides heating, ventilation and cooling service, sales and installation of appliances services to its customers, as well as solar installation projects, and is the primary contributor to home services. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Wall,

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Exxon Mobil: AKG Marketing Company Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company, Ampolex (Cepu) Pte Ltd, Ancon Insurance Company Inc., Barnett Gathering LLC, Barzan Gas Company Limited, Caspian Pipeline Consortium, Celtic Exploration Ltd., Coral FLNG S.A., Cross Timbers Energy LLC, Ellora Energy Inc., Esmeroon Oil Transporta Imperial Oil Limited, Esso (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd, Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 15) Limited, Esso Exploration Angola (Block 17) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Angola (Overseas) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Chad Inc., Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Deepwater) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, Esso Exploration and Production UK Limited, Esso Global Investments Ltd., Esso Italiana S.r.l., Esso Nederland B.V., Esso Norge AS, Esso Petroleum Company Limited, Esso Raffinage, Esso Societe Anonyme Francaise, Exxo Holdings Inc., Exxon Azerbaijan Limited, Exxon Chemical Arabia Inc., Exxon International Finance Company, Exxon Luxembourg Holdings LLC, Exxon Mobile Bay Limited Partnership, Exxon Neftegas Limited, Exxon Overseas Corporation, Exxon Overseas Investment Corporation, ExxonMobil (China) Investment Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil (Taicang) Petroleum Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil Abu Dhabi Offshore Petroleum Company Limited, ExxonMobil Alaska Production Inc., ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., ExxonMobil Australia Pty Ltd, ExxonMobil B Resources Company, ExxonMobil Capital Finance Company, ExxonMobil Capital Netherlands B.V., ExxonMobil Central Europe Holding GmbH, ExxonMobil Cepu Limited, ExxonMobil Chemical France, ExxonMobil Chemical Gulf Coast Investments LLC, ExxonMobil Chemical Holland B.V., ExxonMobil Chemical Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ExxonMobil China Petroleum & Petrochemical Company Limited, ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V., ExxonMobil Development Company, ExxonMobil Egypt (S.A.E.), ExxonMobil Exploracao Brasil Ltda., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Romania Limited, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, ExxonMobil Finance Company Limited, ExxonMobil Financial Investment Company Limited, ExxonMobil France Holding SAS, ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Europe Limited, ExxonMobil General Finance Company, ExxonMobil Global Services Company, ExxonMobil Golden Pass Surety LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Company Holland LLC, ExxonMobil Holding Norway AS, ExxonMobil Hong Kong Limited, ExxonMobil International Services SARL, ExxonMobil Iraq Limited, ExxonMobil Italiana Gas S.r.l., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc., ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc., ExxonMobil LNG Services B.V., ExxonMobil Lubricants Trading Company, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, ExxonMobil PNG Limited, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical BVBA, ExxonMobil Petroleum & Chemical Holdings Inc., ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH, ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc., ExxonMobil Qatargas (II) Limited, ExxonMobil Qatargas Inc., ExxonMobil Ras Laffan (III) Limited, ExxonMobil Rasgas Inc., ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, ExxonMobil Russia Kara Sea Holdings B.V., ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC, ExxonMobil Technology Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Finance Company, ExxonMobil Ventures Funding Ltd., Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO ENERGY, XTO Energy Canada, and XTO Holdings LLC.The Greater Collegedale School System began a 5K and Kids Fun Run seven years ago, in honor of Sandy Erickson, a teacher who taught first grade for over 20 years at A.W. Spalding Elementary School.

"Mrs. Erickson cared deeply for each of her students, working one-on-one to enhance their success. When diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease), she kept her cheery attitude and sense of humor, exemplifying a selfless spirit," officials said. "Many of the families who attend the GCSS  A.W. Spalding Elementary, Collegedale Adventist Middle School, and Collegedale Academy  are only able to attend because of financial aid provided through the Worthy Student Fund.

"In order to raise money for our students and ALS, we developed a 5K and Kids Fun Run. This race is critical to our mission in furthering our ministry for every student, especially those that couldnt otherwise afford a Christian education. This year, we are helping 160 students. This is only possible with donations from our generous constituents.

"Our overall goal is to raise $345,000 for WSF, and the race is key in jump starting our efforts. Last year, we raised $71,000 that benefited WSF. In addition, we had 46 sponsors and 517 registered student and community runners that participated in the event. Families and the community running together for a cause...what a tremendous event. Additional information, pictures and previous race results are available at: www.sandyericksonfunrun.com. We will gladly accept donations until the date of the race."



Assistance can be provided to those in need in a couple of ways:

 Consider becoming an event partner through sponsorship of the Sandy Erickson

Race for Christian Education. Donate at: www.sandyericksonfunrun.com.



 Register at www.sandyericksonfunrun.com to run/walk in the race on Sunday, Nov. 4.





National Bank of Canada engages in the provision of commercial banking and financial services. It operates through the following segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, US Specialty Finance and International (USSF&I), and Other. The Personal and Commercial segment involves in banking, financing, and investing services offered to individuals and businesses as well as insurance operations. The Wealth Management segment focuses on the investment solutions, trust and lending services, and other wealth management solutions offered through internal and third-party distribution networks. The Financial Markets segment includes banking and investment banking services and financial solutions for large and mid-size corporations, public sector organizations, and institutional investors. The USSF&I segment comprises specialty finance expertise activities of subsidiary ABA Bank, which offers financial products and services to individuals and businesses; and activities of targeted investments in certain emerging markets. The Other segment encompasses treasury activities such as asset and liability management, liquidity management and funding operations, certain no

Read MoreBrookfield Business Partners LP engages in owning and operating business services and industrial operations. It operates though the following segments: Business Services, Infrastructure Services, Industrial Operations, and Corporate and Other. The Business Services segment includes services such as residential mortgage insurance, healthcare, road fuel distribution and marketing, real estate and construction, entertainment, financing, and other businesses. The Infrastructure Services segment consists of services to the nuclear power generation industry and offshore oil production industry: and access, forming, and shoring solutions and specialized services. The Industrial Operations segment deals with automotive batteries, graphite electrode, and other manufacturing; water and wastewater services: natural gas production and well servicing; and a variety of other industrial operations. The Corporate and Other segment comprises cash and liquidity management, and activities related to the management of the partnership's relationship with Brookfield. The company was founded on October 1, 2015 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of D.R. Horton: 10700 Pecan Park Austin Inc., 11241 Slater Avenue NE LLC, 2 C Development Company LLC, 8800 Roswell Road Bldg. B LLC, 91st Avenue & Happy Valley L.L.C., ANN & 215 LLC, Austin Data Inc., BP456 Inc., C. Richard Dobson Builders Inc., CH Funding LLC, CH Investments of Texas Inc., CHI Construction Company, CHM Partners L.P., CHTEX of Texas Inc., CV Mountain View 25 Inv LLC, Cane Island LLC, Continental Homes Inc., Continental Homes of Texas L.P., Continental Residential Inc., Continental Traditions LLC, Crown Operating Company Inc., Cypress Road L.P., D.R. Horton - CHAustin LLC, D.R. Horton - Colorado LLC, D.R. Horton - Crown LLC, D.R. Horton - Emerald Ltd., D.R. Horton - Georgia LLC, D.R. Horton - Hawaii LLC, D.R. Horton - Highland LLC, D.R. Horton - Indiana LLC, D.R. Horton - Iowa LLC, D.R. Horton - MV LLC, D.R. Horton - Nebraska LLC, D.R. Horton - Permian LLC, D.R. Horton - Regent LLC, D.R. Horton - Terramor LLC, D.R. Horton - Texas Ltd., D.R. Horton - WPH LLC, D.R. Horton - Wyoming LLC, D.R. Horton BAY Inc., D.R. Horton CA2 Inc., D.R. Horton CA3 Inc., D.R. Horton CA4 LLC, D.R. Horton Commercial Inc., D.R. Horton Cruces Construction Inc., D.R. Horton Inc. - Birmingham, D.R. Horton Inc. - Chicago, D.R. Horton Inc. - Denver, D.R. Horton Inc. - Dietz-Crane, D.R. Horton Inc. - Greensboro, D.R. Horton Inc. - Gulf Coast, D.R. Horton Inc. - Huntsville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Jacksonville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Louisville, D.R. Horton Inc. - Midwest, D.R. Horton Inc. - Minnesota, D.R. Horton Inc. - NNV, D.R. Horton Inc. - New Jersey, D.R. Horton Inc. - Portland, D.R. Horton Inc. - Torrey, D.R. Horton Inc. Foundation, D.R. Horton Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton LA North Inc., D.R. Horton Life Insurance Agency Inc., D.R. Horton Los Angeles Holding Company Inc., D.R. Horton Management Company Ltd., D.R. Horton Materials Inc., D.R. Horton Realty LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Atlantic County LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Central Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Delaware LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Georgia Inc., D.R. Horton Realty of Melbourne LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Tampa LLC, D.R. Horton Realty of Virginia LLC, D.R. Horton Seabridge Marina Inc., D.R. Horton Serenity Construction LLC, D.R. Horton Urban Renewal LLC, D.R. Horton VEN Inc., D.R. Horton  Corpus Christi LLC, DBC54 LLC, DHI Commercial - Lakeview LLC, DHI Commercial - Signal Butte LLC, DHI Commercial - Tamarron LLC, DHI Commercial Inc., DHI Communities Construction LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Arizona LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Colorado LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Florida LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Iowa LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Nevada LLC, DHI Communities Construction of North Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of South Carolina LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Texas LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Utah LLC, DHI Communities Construction of Virginia LLC, DHI Communities II LLC, DHI Communities Inc., DHI Engineering LLC, DHI Insurance Inc., DHI Mortgage Company, DHI Mortgage Company GP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company LP Inc., DHI Mortgage Company Ltd., DHI Ranch Ltd., DHI Realty of Alabama LLC, DHI Realty of Mississippi LLC, DHI Title GP Inc., DHI Title LP Inc., DHI Title of Alabama Inc., DHI Title of Arizona Inc., DHI Title of Florida Inc., DHI Title of Minnesota Inc., DHI Title of Nevada Inc., DHI Title of Texas Ltd., DHI Title of Washington Inc., DHI Verandah South Shores Communities LLC, DHIC - Bridges LLC, DHIC - Brittmore LLC, DHIC - Carolina Forest LLC, DHIC - Desert Peak LLC, DHIC - Durbin Creek LLC, DHIC - Freestone LLC, DHIC - Hammock Landing LLC, DHIC - Heritage LLC, DHIC - Horizon Uptown LLC, DHIC - Jacobs Reserve LLC, DHIC - Lakeview LLC, DHIC - Lipoma LLC, DHIC - Minton Cove LLC, DHIC - Mountain Vista LLC, DHIC - Naco LLC, DHIC - Northshore LLC, DHIC - Prairie Village LLC, DHIC - South Creek LLC, DHIC - Tamarron LLC, DHIC - Valley Vista LLC, DHIC - Varina Gateway LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh II LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh III LLC, DHIC - Waterleigh LLC, DHIC - Westridge LLC, DHIC LLC, DHIC  Glendale LLC, DHIC  Grove West LLC, DHIC  South Park LLC, DHIC  Westinghouse LLC, DHIR - Aspen Vista LLC, DHIR - Avian Pointe LLC, DHIR - Emerald Lakes LLC, DHIR - Fosters Ridge LLC, DHIR - Gulf Stream LLC, DHIR - Parkview at Lynn Haven LLC, DHIR - Poplar Terrace LLC, DHIR - Properties I LLC, DHIR - Rock Ridge LLC, DHIR - Sunset Village LLC, DHIR - Village at Hickory Street LLC, DRH - ARK LLC, DRH - ASG LLC, DRH - HWY 114 LLC, DRH Cambridge Homes LLC, DRH Capital Trust I, DRH Capital Trust II, DRH Capital Trust III, DRH Colorado Realty Inc., DRH Construction Inc., DRH Energy Inc., DRH FS Mortgage Reinsurance Ltd., DRH Land Opportunities I Inc., DRH Land Opportunities II Inc., DRH Mountain View LLC, DRH Oil & Gas Inc., DRH Opportunities I Inc., DRH Properties Inc., DRH Realty Company Inc., DRH Realty of Iowa LLC, DRH Regrem L LLC, DRH Regrem LI LLC, DRH Regrem LII LLC, DRH Regrem LIII LLC, DRH Regrem LIV LLC, DRH Regrem LV LLC, DRH Regrem VII LP, DRH Regrem XII LP, DRH Regrem XIV Inc., DRH Regrem XIX Inc., DRH Regrem XLIX LLC, DRH Regrem XLV LLC, DRH Regrem XLVI LLC, DRH Regrem XLVII LLC, DRH Regrem XLVIII LLC, DRH Regrem XV Inc., DRH Regrem XVI Inc., DRH Regrem XVII Inc., DRH Regrem XVIII Inc., DRH Regrem XX Inc., DRH Regrem XXI Inc., DRH Regrem XXII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIII Inc., DRH Regrem XXIV Inc., DRH Regrem XXV Inc., DRH Southwest Construction Inc., DRH Tucson Construction Inc., DRHI Inc., Deer Valley Office Park LLC, Desert Ridge Phase I Partners, Emerald Creek No. 4 L.P., Emerald Realty of Alabama LLC, Emerald Realty of Central Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of North Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Emerald Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Encore II Inc., Encore Venture Partners II (California) L.P., Encore Venture Partners II (Texas) L.P., Encore Venture Partners L.P., Express Realty of Central Florida LLC, Express Realty of North Florida LLC, Express Realty of Northwest Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southeast Florida LLC, Express Realty of Southwest Florida LLC, Forestar Group, Forestar Group Inc., Founders Oil & Gas II LLC, Founders Oil & Gas III LLC, Founders Oil & Gas IV LLC, Founders Oil & Gas LLC, Founders Oil & Gas Operating LLC, GP-Encore Inc., Georgetown Data Inc., Germann & McQueen L.L.C., Grand Title Agency LLC, Grande Realty Incorporated, Grande Realty of Pennsylvania LLC, Greywes LLC, HPH Homebuilders 2000 L.P., Hadian LLC, KDB Homes Inc., Kaomalo LLC, Lexington Homes - DRH LLC, MRLF LLC, Martin Road Lake Forest LLC, McQueen & Willis LLC, Meadows I Ltd., Meadows II Ltd., Meadows IX Inc., Meadows VIII Ltd., Meadows X Inc., Melody Homes Inc., Pacific Ridge - DRH LLC, Rielly Carlsbad LLC, Rielly Homes Madison LLC, SFTEN LLC, SGS Communities at Grand Quay L.L.C, SHA Construction LLC, SHLR of California Inc., SHLR of Nevada Inc., SHLR of Washington Inc., SRHI LLC, SSHI LLC, Schuler Homes of Arizona LLC, Schuler Homes of California Inc., Schuler Homes of Oregon Inc., Schuler Homes of Washington Inc., Summerlin Pkwy & Cimarron LLC, Surprise Village North LLC, The Club at Cobblestone LLC, The Club at Hidden River LLC, Tierra Financial Advisors LLC, Travis County Title Company, Treasure Assets LLC, Venture Management of South Carolina LLC, Vertical Construction Corporation, WPH-Camino Ruiz LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon II LLC, WPH-Copper Canyon LLC, Walker Drive LLC, Western Pacific Brea Development LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Mountaingate L.P., Western Pacific Housing - SDG LLC, Western Pacific Housing - Westlake II L.P., Western Pacific Housing Inc., Western Pacific Housing Management Inc., Western Pacific Housing-Antigua LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Broadway LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Canyon Park LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Carrillo LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Communications Hill LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Copper Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Creekside LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lomas Verdes LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Lyons Canyon Partners LLC, Western Pacific Housing-McGonigle Canyon LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Norco Estates LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Pacific Park II LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue East LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Park Avenue West LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Playa Vista LLC, Western Pacific Housing-River Ridge LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Terra Bay Duets LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Meadows LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Torrey Village Center LLC, Western Pacific Housing-Windemere LLC, and Wilson Parker Homes.Gerresheimer AG, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells specialty glass, plastic products, and drug delivery-devices and solutions primarily worldwide. It operates through three divisions: Plastics & Devices, Primary Packaging Glass, and Advanced Technologies. The Plastics & Devices division offers drug delivery systems, including inhalers, pen systems, and injection systems; sterile and non-sterile syringe systems for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries; and disposables for various analysis systems that are used in laboratories and medical practices, quick tests for patients in medical practices or hospitals, skin-prick aids and lancets for diabetics, disposables, and components for dialysis machines, and catheters and surgical devices. It also provides containers for the delivery of tablets and powders, liquid dosages, ophthalmic and rhinological applications, parenteral packaging applications, oral prescription medications, and cosmetics. The Primary Packaging Glass division offers glass primary packaging for pharma and cosmetics industries, such as ampoules, cartridges, vials, syrup and dropper bottles, tablet jars, and wide-neck jars, as well as injection, infusion, and transfusion bottles; flacons and pots for fragrances, deodorants, and care and decorative cosmetics; and bottles and jars for spirits and food. The Advanced Technologies division develops drug delivery products and platforms, such as micro pumps, which are used to self-administer medication for heart failure or Parkinson's for pharmaceutical and biotech customers. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in DAsseldorf, Germany.

Read MoreAmerican Electric Power Co., Inc. engages in the business of generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Vertically Integrated Utilities, Transmission & Distribution Utilities, AEP Transmission Holdco and Generation & Marketing. The Vertically Integrated Utilities segment engages in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers through assets owned and operated by its subsidiaries. The Transmission & Distribution Utilities segment engages in the business of transmission and distribution of electricity for sale to retail and wholesale customers through assets owned and operated by its subsidiaries. The AEP Transmission Holdco segment engages in the development, construction and operation of transmission facilities through investments in its wholly-owned transmission subsidiaries and joint ventures. The Generation & Marketing segment engages in non-regulated generation and marketing, risk management and retail activities. The company was founded on December 20, 1906 and is headquartered in Columbus, OH.

Read MoreHornbeck Offshore Services, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides marine transportation, subsea installation, and accommodation support services to exploration and production, oilfield service, offshore construction, and the United States military customers. It operates offshore supply vessels (OSVs), multi-purpose support vessels (MPSVs), and a shore-based facility to provide logistics support and specialty services to the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry, primarily Gulf of Mexico in the U.S., Latin America, and internationally. Its fleet of U.S.-flagged OSVs and MPSVs support deep-well, deepwater, and ultra-deepwater activities of the offshore oil and gas industry, such as oil and gas exploration, field development, production, construction, installation, well-stimulation, and other enhanced oil recovery, as well as inspection, repair, and maintenance services. The company also provides vessel management services, including crewing, daily operational management, and maintenance activities for other vessels owners. As of December 31, 2018, it owned and operated 66 OSVs and 8 MPSVs. Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Covington, Louisiana.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Carnival Co. &: 1972 Productions Inc., 6348 Equipment LLC, A.C.N. 098 290 834 Pty. Ltd., A.J. Juneau Dock LLC, AIDA Kundencenter GmbH, Adventure Island Ltd., Air-Sea Holiday GmbH, Alaska Hotel Properties LLC, Barcelona Cruise Terminal SLU, Bay Island Cruise Port S.A., Belize Cruise Terminal Limited, CC U.S. Ventures Inc., CCL Gifts LLC, CSSC Carnival Italy Cruise Investment S.r.L, Carnival (UK) Limited, Carnival Bahamas FC Limited, Carnival Bahamas Holdings Limited, Carnival Corporation & plc Asia Pte. Ltd., Carnival Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Carnival Corporation Korea Ltd., Carnival Corporation Ports Group Japan KK, Carnival Finance LLC, Carnival Grand Bahama Investment Limited, Carnival Investments Limited, Carnival Japan Inc., Carnival License Holdings Limited, Carnival Maritime GmbH, Carnival North America LLC, Carnival Port Holdings Limited, Carnival Ports Inc., Carnival Support Services India Private Limited, Carnival Technical Services (UK) Limited, Carnival Technical Services Finland Limited, Carnival Technical Services GmbH, Carnival Technical Services Inc., Carnival Vanuatu Limited, Costa Crociere PTE Ltd., Costa Crociere S.p.A., Costa Cruceros S.A., Costa Cruise Lines Inc., Costa Cruise Lines UK Limited, Costa Cruises Shipping Services (Shanghai) Company Limited, Costa Cruises Travel Agency (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Costa Cruzeiros Agencia Maritima e Turismo Ltda., Costa Group Digital & Strategic Services GmbH, Costa International B.V., Costa Kreuzfahrten GmbH, Cozumel Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Creative Travel Lab Ltd., Cruise Ships Catering & Services International N.V., Cruise Terminal Services S.A. de C.V., Cruiseport Curacao C.V., D.R. Cruise Port Ltd., Ecospray Technologies S.r.L., F.P.M. SAS, F.P.P. SAS, Fleet Maritime Services (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services Holdings (Bermuda) Limited, Fleet Maritime Services International Limited, GXI LLC, Gibs Inc., Global Experience Innovators Inc., Global Fine Arts Inc., Global Shipping Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Grand Cruise Shipping Unipessoal LdA, Grand Turk Cruise Center Ltd., HAL Antillen N.V., HAL Beheer B.V., HAL Cruises Limited, HAL Maritime Ltd., HAL Nederland N.V., HAL Properties Limited, HAL Services B.V., HSE Hamburg School of Entertainment GmbH, Holding Division Iberocruceros SLU, Holland America Line Inc., Holland America Line N.V., Holland America Line Paymaster of Washington LLC, Holland America Line U.S.A. Inc., Ibero Cruzeiros Ltda., Iberocruceros SLU, Information Assistance Corporation, International Cruise Services S.A. de C.V., International Leisure Travel Inc., International Maritime Recruitment Agency S.A. de C.V., Milestone N.V., Navitrans S.R.L., Ocean Bahamas Innovation Ltd., Ocean Medallion Fulfillment Ltd., Operadora Catalina S.r.L., P&O Princess American Holdings, P&O Princess Cruises International Limited, P&O Princess Cruises Pension Trustee Limited, P&O Properties (California) Inc., P&O Travel Limited, Prestige Cruises Management S.A.M., Prestige Cruises N.V., Princess Bermuda Holdings Ltd., Princess Cays Ltd., Princess Cruise Corporation Inc., Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., Princess Cruises and Tours Inc., Princess U.S. Holdings Inc., RCT Maintenance & Related Services S.A., RCT Pilots & Related Services S.A., RCT Security & Related Services S.A., Roatan Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V., Royal Hyway Tours Inc., Santa Cruz Terminal S.L., SeaVacations Limited, SeaVacations UK Limited, Seabourn Cruise Line Limited, Shanghai Coast Cruise Consulting Co. Lda, Ship Care (Bahamas) Limited, Sitmar Cruises Inc., Spanish Cruise Services N.V., Sunshine Shipping Corporation Ltd., T&T International Inc., Tour Alaska LLC, Transnational Services Corporation, Trident Insurance Company Ltd., Westmark Hotels Inc., Westmark Hotels of Canada Ltd., Westours Motor Coaches LLC, Wind Surf Limited, and World Leading Cruise Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd..Sanchez Energy Corporation, an independent exploration and production company, focuses on the acquisition and development of U.S. onshore unconventional oil and natural gas resources. It engages in the horizontal development of resources from the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas. It also holds an undeveloped acreage position in the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS) in Mississippi and Louisiana. As of December 31, 2017, the company had assembled approximately 285,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford Shale; and owned approximately 37,000 net acres in the TMS. Sanchez Energy Corporation was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Read MoreThe European Union may try to adopt its own independent nuclear deterrent following the apparent breakdown of its relationship with Donald Trump, experts warned last night. It follows comments by French president Emmanuel Macron that the EU must be in a position to guarantee its own territorial security, amid fears that the US has become Europe-weary over its Nato commitment.

As Daily Express writes in an article "NUCLEAR EU: Macron's military demands could see bloc-wide 'nuclear power - experts", President Trump has urged all Nato member states in Europe to follow the US example and spend four per cent of GDP on defence.

Britains departure from the EU next year will leave France as the only nuclear power. President Macrons comments came after six months of intense debate and it was raised in February by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Polands former prime minister and now head of its ruling party. And German foreign policy spokesman Roderich Kiesewetter said: If the United States no longer wants to provide this guarantee, Europe still needs nuclear protection for deterrent purposes. My idea is to build on the existing weapons in Great Britain and France. But he acknowledged that Brexit could preclude UK participation.

President Macron said: France is ready to enter into concrete discussions with European states on the nature of reciprocal solidarity and mutual defence relations under our Treaty commitments. Europe can no longer entrust its security to the United States alone.

President Macron did not refer to nuclear weapons but Sir Adam Thomson, of the European Leadership Network, said: The inference may be taken. But if Europe has nuclear weapons, Maj Gen Tim Cross asked: The key question is who would own the responsibility for authorising the use of nuclear weapons? It must be one person. Would it really be the president of the European Commission? Is Europe really prepared to allow a man like Jean-Claude Juncker to have this responsibility?Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland.

Read MoreOil prices jumped more than 2 percent to a four-year high on Monday after OPEC declined to announce an immediate increase in production despite calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for action to raise global supply. As CNBC writes in an article "Oil jumps to a 4-year high after OPEC denies Trump and fails to raise output", benchmark Brent crude hit its highest since November 2014 at $80.94 per barrel, up $2.14 or 2.7 percent, before easing back to around $80.65. U.S. light crude was $1.25 higher at $72.03.

"This is the oil market's response to the OPEC+ group's refusal to step up its oil production," said Carsten Fritsch, commodities analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.

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.

"I do not influence prices," Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters as OPEC and non-OPEC energy ministers gathered in Algiers for a meeting that ended with no formal recommendation for any additional supply boost.

Trump said last week that OPEC "must get prices down now!", but Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Monday OPEC had not responded positively to Trump's demands.

"It is now increasingly evident, that in the face of producers reluctant to raise output, the market will be confronted with supply gaps in the next 3-6 months that it will need to resolve through higher oil prices," BNP Paribas oil strategist Harry Tchilinguirian told Reuters Global Oil Forum.

Commodity traders Trafigura and Mercuria said on Monday that Brent could rise to $90 per barrel by Christmas and pass $100 in early 2019, as markets tighten once U.S. sanctions against Iran are fully implemented from November.

J.P. Morgan said U.S. sanctions on Iran could lead to a loss of 1.5 million bpd, while Mercuria warned that as much as 2 million bpd could be knocked out of the market.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries as well as top producer Russia has been discussing raising output to counter falling supply from Iran, although no decision has been made public yet.

A source familiar with OPEC discussions told Reuters on Friday that OPEC and other producers have been discussing the possibility of raising output by 500,000 bpd.

"We expect that those OPEC countries with available spare capacity, led by Saudi Arabia, will increase output but not completely offset the drop in Iranian barrels," said Edward Bell, commodity analyst at Emirates NBD bank.

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories are at their lowest since early 2015 and although U.S. oil production is near a record high of 11 million barrels per day (bpd), subdued U.S. drilling activity points towards a slowdown in output.Hecla Mining Co. operates as a silver and gold production company. The firm produces lead, zinc and bulk concentrates for custom smelters and brokers; and develops unrefined precipitate and bullion bars for precious metals traders. It operates through the following business segments: The Greens Creek, The Lucky Friday, The Casa Berardi, The Nevada Operations, and The San Sebastian. The Greens Creek segment is located on Admiralty Island near Juneau in southeast Alaska. The Lucky Friday segment is located in northern Idaho. The Casa Berardi segment is located in the Abitibi region of northwestern Quebec, Canada and is operated by Aurizon. The San Sebastian segment is located in the state of Durango, Mexico and contains underground mines. The Nevada Operations segment is located in northern Nevada. The company was founded by Amasa B. Campbell, Patsy Clark, and John Finch on October 14, 1891 and is headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, ID.

Read MoreCelanese Corp. engages in the provision of technology and specialty materials businesses. It operates through the following segments: Engineered Materials, Acetate Tow, Acetyl Chain and Other Activities .The Engineered Materials segment includes the engineered materials business, food ingredients business and certain strategic affiliates. The Acetate Tow segment serves consumer-driven applications and is a global producer and supplier of acetate tow and acetate flake used in filter products applications. The Acetyl Chain segment includes the integrated chain of intermediate chemistry, emulsion polymers and ethylene vinyl acetate (""EVA"") polymers businesses, based on similar products, production processes, classes of customers and selling and distribution practices as well as economic similarities over a normal business cycle. The Other Activities segment consists of corporate center costs, including administrative activities such as finance, information technology and human resource functions, interest income and expense associated with financing activities. The company was founded by Camille Dreyfus and Henri Dreyfus in 1918 and is headquartered in Irving, TX.

Read MoreCEMEX SAB de CV engages in the production, distribution, marketing, and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete, and aggregates. It operates though the following geographical segments: Mexico; United States; Europe; South, Central America and the Caribbean (SCA&C); Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA); and Others. The Europe segment covers United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Czech Republic, Poland and Latvia, as well as trading activities in Scandinavia, and Finland. The SCA&C segment includes Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Caribbean TCL, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Jamaica, the Caribbean, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The EMEA segment comprises of Egypt, Israel, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates. The Others segment refers to the cement trade maritime operations, information technology solutions business, and other corporate entities as well as other minor subsidiaries with different lines of business. The company was founded by Lorenzo Zambrano Gutierrez in 1906 and is headquartered in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Dover: Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o, Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, Automatik Grundstucksverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Automatik Plastics Machinery (Taiwan) Ltd., BSC Filters Limited, Background2 Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression BV, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., DSR BZ Holdings LLC, Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover CR spol s r.o., Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Products Segment Inc., Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings, Dover France Participations, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover Imaging & Identification Segment Inc., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International Ventures Tunisia S.a.r.l., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty. Ltd., Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty. Ltd., Em-tec, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Gala Kunststoff-und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Hydronova Australia-NZ Pty Ltd, Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag Automatik GmbH, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty Ltd, Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn Bhd, Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A.U, Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Mouvex, Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International (UK) Ltd., OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OPW Engineered Systems Inc., OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW France, OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, RAV Equipos Espana S.L., RAV France, Ravaglioli Deutschland GmbH, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod SAS, Revod Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd, Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd, SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana Petrol Cihazlari Sanayi Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Start Italiana S.R.L., Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech GB Limited, Systech Shanghai Consulting Company Limited, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Heil Co., Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Trans - Logistic Group S.R.L., Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Unified Brands Inc., Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fuel Management UK Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Deutschland GmbH, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, XanTec Steuerungs- und EDV-Technik GmbH, and em-tec GmbH.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sept. 23 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 Turkeys struggle would continue until the terror threat against it ends and would eradicate terror gangs that aim at Syrias future.

As Hurriyet Daliy News writes in an article "Turkey to increase safe zones in Syria, says Erdogan", in a speech later at the TURKEN foundation, Erdogan said the Turkish military cleared a 4,000 square kilometer area from ISIL and the YPG as part of the Shield Operation and Olive Branch operations in Syria. We will take similar steps east of the Euphrates, said Erdogan, stating that Ankara has turned the areas into safe zones for the Syrian people.

Turning to Jerusalem, Erdogan vowed to safeguard the city against invaders. We will not abandon Jerusalem, our first Qibla [Islamic direction of prayer] to invaders and those who perform state terror on Palestinians, he said. Turkey will continue its struggle against the United States and the Israeli governments breaches of the holy city at the highest-level in diplomacy, he said. Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping East Jerusalem, now occupied by Israel, might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state. The Turkish president also criticized the United Nations Security Council for serving the interests of certain powers rather than working to ensure global peace and stability.

Meanwhile, Erdogan spoke to the Russian newspaper Kommersant on developments in Syria. The moderate Syrian opposition should be part of the political solution in Idlib, he said on Sept. 23. Erdogan said Turkey prioritized civilians, the preservation of deescalation 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 opposition's involvement was needed to carry out the agenda in the Geneva and Astana talks in a healthy way, he said, referring to previous agreements in Syria by the UN, and Turkey, Russia and Iran, respectively. Turkey opposed any attempt that aims to undermine moderate opposition by presuming them to be "terrorists," Erdogan stated. Erdogan hailed an agreement between Ankara and Moscow in Sochi to create a demilitarized zone in Idlib. He said opposition forces will stay in their areas and radical groups determined by both countries will not be allowed to operate in the region.The following companies are subsidiares of Zimmer Biomet: Abbott Spine, Beijing Montagne Medical Device Co. Ltd., Beijing Montagne Medical Device Co. Ltd., BioMet, Biomet 3i Australia Pty. Ltd., Biomet 3i Belgium N.V., Biomet 3i Benelux Holdings N.V., Biomet 3i Dental Iberica SL, Biomet 3i LLC, Biomet 3i Mexico S.A. de C.V., Biomet 3i Netherlands B.V., Biomet 3i Nordic AB, Biomet 3i Portugal Lda, Biomet 3i Switzerland GmbH, Biomet 3i Turkey, Biomet 3i UK Ltd., Biomet 3i do Brasil Comercio de Aparelhos Medicos Ltda., Biomet Acquisitions (Unlimited), Biomet Argentina SA, Biomet Australia Pty. Ltd., Biomet Biologics LLC, Biomet Brazil Medical Device Ltda., Biomet C.V., Biomet CV Holdings LLC, Biomet Cementing Technologies AB, Biomet Chile SA, Biomet China Co. Ltd., Biomet Deutschland GmbH, Biomet Deutschland Holding GmbH, Biomet Fair Lawn LLC, Biomet Finance US LLC, Biomet France Sarl, Biomet Global Supply Chain Center B.V., Biomet Healthcare Management GmbH, Biomet Holdings B.V., Biomet Hong Kong CBT Ltd., Biomet Hong Kong Holding Ltd., Biomet Hong Kong No. 1 Ltd., Biomet Inc., Biomet Insurance Ltd., Biomet International Inc., Biomet International Orthopedics LLC, Biomet Leasing Inc., Biomet Manufacturing LLC, Biomet Mexico S.A. de C.V., Biomet Microfixation B.V., Biomet Orthopedics LLC, Biomet Orthopedics Puerto Rico Inc., Biomet Spain Orthopaedics S.L., Biomet Sports Medicine LLC, Biomet Trauma LLC, Biomet U.S. Reconstruction LLC, Biomet UK Healthcare Ltd., Biomet UK Ltd., CD Diagnostics, CD Diagnostics Inc., CD Laboratories Inc., Cayenne Medical, Cayenne Medical Inc., CelgenTek Innovations Corporation, Centerpulse Ltd, Changzhou Biomet Medical Devices Co. Ltd., Citra Labs LLC, Clinical Graphics, Compression Therapy Concepts Inc., Compression Therapy Products, D.S. Comp Ltd., Dornoch Medical Systems, Dornoch Medical Systems Inc., EBI Holdings LLC, EBI LLC, EBI Medical Systems LLC, EBI Patient Care Inc., ETEX Corporation, ETEX Holdings Inc., Electro-Biology LLC, Endius, Espanormed S.L., Etex, ExtraOrtho, Hakuho Company Ltd., IC Guided Surgery SRL, Implant Concierge LLC, Implant Innovations Holdings LLC, Implex, InnoVision Inc., Interpore Cross International LLC, JERDS Luxembourg Holding Sarl, Kirschner Medical Corporation, Knee Creations, LDR Brasil Comercio Importacao e Exportacao Ltda., LDR Holding, LDR Medical Hong Kong (branch), LDR Medical S.A.S., LVB Acquisition Inc., Lanx Puerto Rico LLC , Lanx Srl, Medical Compression Systems Inc., Medtech SA, Medtech SAS, Medtech Surgical GmbH, Medtech Surgical Inc., NORMED Medizin-Technik GmbH, ORTHOsoft ULC, Ortho Transmission, Orthopaedic Advantage LLC, Ospol Participacoes Ltda., Representaciones Zimmer Inc. S. de R.L. de C.V., Respondwell, SM Re Ltd., Scandimed Holding AB, Shanghai Biomet Business Consulting Co. Ltd., Synvasive Technology, Synvasive Technology Inc., ZB COOP C.V., ZB COOP LLC, ZB Cayman (Asia) Holding Ltd., ZB Cayman Island CBT 2 Ltd., ZB Dental India Private Limited, ZB EMEA 1 LP, ZB EMEA Finance UK 1 Ltd., ZB EMEA Finance UK 2 Ltd., ZB EMEA Finance UK 3 Ltd., ZB EMEA US UK LLC, ZB Hong Kong CBT 2 Ltd., ZB Hong Kong Holding Ltd., ZB Hong Kong Ltd., ZB Manufacturing LLC, ZB UK Group Holdings Limited, ZH2LX Barbados Branch (branch), Zfx, Zfx GmbH, Zfx Innovation GmbH, Zhejiang Biomet Medical Products Co. Ltd., Zimmer (Shanghai) Medical International Trading Co. Ltd., Zimmer Asia (HK) Ltd., Zimmer Australia Holding Pty. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Asel Alarabiya Limited Company, Zimmer Biomet Asia Holding B.V., Zimmer Biomet Asia Holdings Pte. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Austria GmbH, Zimmer Biomet BVBA, Zimmer Biomet CBT, Zimmer Biomet CBT 2, Zimmer Biomet CMF and Thoracic LLC, Zimmer Biomet Canada Inc., Zimmer Biomet Centroamerica SA, Zimmer Biomet Comp Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Denmark ApS, Zimmer Biomet Dental Canada Inc., Zimmer Biomet Dental K.K., Zimmer Biomet Deutschland GmbH, Zimmer Biomet Distribution LLC, Zimmer Biomet Finance Srl, Zimmer Biomet Finance US Holding Inc., Zimmer Biomet Finland Oy, Zimmer Biomet France Holdings SAS, Zimmer Biomet France SAS, Zimmer Biomet GK, Zimmer Biomet Global Holdings Switzerland GmbH, Zimmer Biomet Hellas SA, Zimmer Biomet Ireland Limited, Zimmer Biomet Italia Srl, Zimmer Biomet Korea Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Nederland B.V., Zimmer Biomet New Zealand Company, Zimmer Biomet Norway AS, Zimmer Biomet OUS Holdings AG, Zimmer Biomet Polska Sp. z.o.o, Zimmer Biomet Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Zimmer Biomet Pty. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Romania S.R.L., Zimmer Biomet South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Zimmer Biomet Spain S.L., Zimmer Biomet Spine Inc., Zimmer Biomet Sweden AB, Zimmer Biomet Taiwan Co. Ltd., Zimmer Biomet UK Ltd., Zimmer Biomet US 2 Holding Inc., Zimmer CBT I Holding Inc., Zimmer CBT II Holding Inc., Zimmer CEP USA Holding Co., Zimmer CEP USA Inc., Zimmer CIS Ltd., Zimmer CV Inc., Zimmer Caribe LLC, Zimmer Cayman Islands Holding Co. Ltd., Zimmer Co-op Holdings LLC, Zimmer Colombia SAS, Zimmer Czech sro, Zimmer Dental (Shanghai) Medical Device Co. Ltd., Zimmer Dental Chile Spa, Zimmer Dental GmbH, Zimmer Dental Inc., Zimmer Dental Italy Srl, Zimmer Dental Ltd., Zimmer Dental SAS, Zimmer Finance Ireland, Zimmer France Manufacturing Sarl, Zimmer Germany Holdings GmbH, Zimmer GmbH, Zimmer GmbH Euro IP Branch (branch), Zimmer GmbH Winterthur Branch (branch), Zimmer Gulf FZ LLC, Zimmer Inc., Zimmer India Private Ltd., Zimmer International Logistics GmbH, Zimmer Investments LLC, Zimmer Knee Creations Inc., Zimmer Luxembourg II Sarl, Zimmer Luxembourg Sarl, Zimmer Manufacturing B.V., Zimmer Manufacturing B.V. (branch), Zimmer Medical Malaysia SDN BHD, Zimmer Netherlands Cooperatief U.A., Zimmer Orthobiologics Inc., Zimmer Orthopedics Manufacturing Limited, Zimmer Production Inc., Zimmer Pte. Ltd., Zimmer Slovakia sro, Zimmer Southeast Florida LLC, Zimmer Spine Next Inc., Zimmer Spine SAS, Zimmer Surgical, Zimmer Surgical Inc., Zimmer Surgical SA, Zimmer Switzerland Holdings LLC, Zimmer Switzerland Manufacturing GmbH, Zimmer Tibbi Cihazlar Sanayi ve Ticaret AS, Zimmer Trabecular Metal Technology Inc., Zimmer Trustee Ltd., Zimmer UK Limited, Zimmer US Inc., and Zimmer do Brasil Comercio Ltda..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Last weekend, Moscow paid the tribute to the memory of the great Azerbaijani composer, teacher and public figure Kara Karayev. A concert to mark the centenary of the Soviet classic was held at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall. In the program there were Don Quixote (Symphonic Engravings), violin concerto, the Path of Thunder ballet Suite No. 2 and Symphony No. 3. Unlucky music fans ask for tickets at the door - the venue have long been sold out. The crush-room is crowded, the guests look at the composer's photo exhibition with interest, take pictures.

Olga Rostropovich, the daughter of another outstanding Baku resident Mstislav Rostropovich, also attended the event.

"I was still a little girl, but I remember how Kara Karaev visited us, he worked with my dad. He was generally a wonderful person and a wonderful composer," Olga Rostropovich told the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza.

The event was opened by opened by Polar Bulbul oglu, the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia: "Kara Karaev's anniversary concert is held according to a special decree of the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. It is one of the final events of the whole year. No matter how many years passed, I I believe that this outstanding cultural figure, a world-famous musician, will be remembered in 150 years, in 200 years."

Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture Abulfas Garayev noted that the evening dedicated to Kara Karev has not been just a celebration of the composer's 100th anniversary, but also a tribute to the cultural figures leaving their trace in the history of the two countries: "There is no such international event in Azerbaijan, which is not attended by Russian musicians. Similarly, our musicians are frequent guests in Russia. It is natural, because we are united by a strong foundation of musical culture. Music makes us closer."

Russian Deputy Minister of Culture Pavel Stepanov conveyed the minister's congratulations: "Kara Karaev is a unique personality in the musical life of both Russia and Azerbaijan. The universiality of his work blows away: music, ballet, opera, small-scale music works, films, plays. "

The concert was performed by the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, one of the best musical groups in the world. People's Artist of Azerbaijan Rauf Abdullayev was conducting.The Hershey Co. engages in the manufacture and market of chocolate and sugar confectionery products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: North America; and International and Other. The North America segment is responsible for the traditional chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery market position of the company, as well as its grocery and snacks market positions, in the United States and Canada. The International and Other segment is the combination of all other operating segments which are not individually material, including those geographic regions where the company operates outside of North America. Its brands include Hershey's, Reese's, and Kisses. The company was founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894 and is headquartered in Hershey, PA.

Read MoreThe following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen Coding GmbH, Allen France SAS, Alpine Automation Limited, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Holdings Inc., Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Arylux Hungary Elektromechanikus Alkatreszgyarto Kft, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix (Suzhou) Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Holdings Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel (Ireland) Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Buell Industries Inc., CAPMAX Logistica S.A. de C.V., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS (Australia) Pty Limited, CS (Finance) Europe S.a.r.l., CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, CSMTS LLC, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures (Australasia) S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur (Shanghai) Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Dorbyl U.K. (Holdings) Limited, Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO (Holding) AG, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elga Skandinavian AS, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, FEG Investments L.L.C., Fasver, Filtertek, Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech (Taicang) Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart (Japan) K.K., Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart Foster Belgium, Hobart International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW (China) Investment Company Limited, ITW (Deutschland) GmbH, ITW (EU) Holdings Ltd., ITW (European) Finance Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW (Ningbo) Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Alpha Sarl, ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components (Langfang) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium, ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS (UK) Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Contamination Control (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Delta Sarl, ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.A., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Finance Designated Activity Company, ITW Finance Europe S.A., ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW France Finance Alpha S.A.S., ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments II Inc., ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics (Thailand) Ltd., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Italy S.R.L. in liquidazione, ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France (Luxembourg) S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings UK, ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW Hungary Finance Beta Kft, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Finance Srl, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lombard Holdings Inc., ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW M FILMS II LLC, ITW MH LLC, ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology (China) Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Plastic (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Philippines Holdings LLC, ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Spraytec, ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Ideal Molding Technologies LLC, Illinois Tool Works (Chile) Limitada, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Norway AS, Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron (Shanghai) Ltd., Instron (Thailand) Limited, Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Holdings Limited, Instron International Limited, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, International Leasing Company LLC, International Truss Systems Proprietary Limited, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kester Components (M) Sdn. Bhd., Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems (Canada) Inc., Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MOA Enterprises Inc, Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, Norden Olje AB, North Star Imaging Europe, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited (Enping), Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Penta Dnepr LLC, Penta Sever OOO, Penta Volga OOO, Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., Ramset Fasteners (Hong Kong) Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco (Nederland) B.V., Simco Japan Inc., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Taiwan) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes BVBA, Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek (China) Limited, Teknek (Japan) Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V.B.A., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta (Guangzhou) Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Vesta Global Limited, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, ZF TRW (Engineered Fasteners and Components), and Zip-Pak International B.V..The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 211 E. Russell Road LLC, Air-Relief, Belliss & Morcom Brasil, Belliss and Morcom, Boardwalk Enterprises, Charm Merger Sub Inc., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Canada, CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir Holman Ltd, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., CompAir UK Ltd, CompAir USA, Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Emco Wheaton, Emco Wheaton GmbH Branch, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton UK, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Propriety Limited (South Africa), GD Aria Holdings #2 Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First UK Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings, GD Global Holdings II, GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SA, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Services Ltd, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Hoffman, Gardner Denver Holdings, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica, Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd. Branch, Gardner Denver International, Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Intl Ltd Middle East Regional Rep Office, Gardner Denver Investments, Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan, Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd South Africa, Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd. Branch (Ireland), Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co, Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oberdorfer Pumps, Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Petroleum Pumps, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia, Gardner Denver SudAmerica S.r.l., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas, Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH, Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver UK, Gardner Denver Water Jetting Systems, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, Indonesia Foreign Trade Representative Office, LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MP Pumps Inc., Mako Compressors, Nash, Nash Elmo, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Robuschi, Rotary Compression Technologies, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Syltone, TCM Investments, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, TODO AB, Tamrotor Marine Compressors AS, Thomas Industries, Thomas Industries Inc., Tri-Continent Scientific, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, and Zinsser NA.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Belgium and Turkey have decided to revive the relatively slowed-down relations, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said.

In an interview with the Le Soir newspaper, Michel termed his yesterday meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in New York as "open and sincere."

"We exchanged views on different matters. The issues of Turkeys geopolitical role in Syria, fight against terrorism, migration, Turkeys relations with the European Union, the U.S., and Russia were discussed," Yeni Safak cited Michel as saying.

"Weve decided to revive our relatively slowed-down relations with Turkey. We plan to hold meetings between our security units soon," the PM added. "On the other hand, we will restart the trilateral meetings between justice, foreign and interior ministers of the two countries, which were halted after the failed coup attempt in Turkey."

In addition, the Belgian PM said that Belgium and Turkey were on the same page to sustain the cooperation in the fight against terrorism.The following companies are subsidiares of Marsh & McLennan Companies: 8WORKS INC., 8WORKS LTD, A. Constantinidi & CIA. S.C., A.C.N. 000 951 146 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 001 572 961 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 076 935 683 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 102 322 574 Pty Limited, ACE Insurance Agents Limited, ACE Insurance Consultants Limited, ACE Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Limited, AD Corretora de Seguros, AFCO Premium Acceptance Inc., AFCO Premium Credit LLC, Access Equity Enhanced Fund GP LLC, Admiral Holdings Limited, Agnew Higgins Pickering & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd, Aldgate Investments Limited, Aldgate Trustees Ltd, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited, Alpha Consultants Limited, Alta SA, Altius Real Assets (GP) LLC, Amal Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Anda Insurance Agencies Pte Ltd, AssetVal Pty Ltd, Assur Conseils Marsh S.A., Assurance Capital Corporation, Assurance Services Corporation, Australian Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Australian World Underwriters Pty Ltd., BBPS Limited, Barney & Barney Orange County LLC, Beaumonts (Leeds) Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Services Limited, Beneficios Integrales Oportunos SA, Benefitfocus Inc., Blue Marble Micro Limited, Blue Marble Microinsurance Inc., Bluefin, Bluefin Insurance Group Limited, Bluefin Insurance Services Limited, Boulder Claims LLC, Bowring (Bermuda) Investments Ltd., Bowring Marine Limited, Bowring Marsh (Bermuda) Ltd., Bowring Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Bowring Marsh Asia Pte. Ltd., Bowring Marsh Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Bowring Marsh Limited, Broderick Piller Pty Ltd, Broker 2 Broker Limited, BuildPay LLC, Burke Ford Trustees (Leicester) Limited, C.T. Bowring Limited, CMC-Belgibo NV, CPRM Limited, CPSG Partners LLC, Carpenter Marsh Fac Chile Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Carpenter Marsh Fac Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Carpenter Marsh Fac Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.C., Carpenter Marsh Fac Re LLC, Carpenter Turner Cyprus Ltd, Carpenter Turner S.A., Cascade International Holdings C.V., Cascade Regional Holdings Limited, Central Insurance Services Limited, Charter Risk Management Services LLC, Chartwell Healthcare Limited, Chronos Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Claims and Recovery Management (Australia) Pty Limited, Clark Thomson Insurance Brokers Limited, Client Provide Limited, Colombian Insurance Broking Wholesale Limited, Consultores 2020 C.A., Cronin & Co Insurance Services Limited, DVA - Deutsche Verkehrs-Assekuranz-Vermittlungs GmbH, Dawson Insurance, DeLima Marsh S.A. - Los Corredores de Seguros S.A., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Managing General Agency Corporation, Dovetail Technology Service India Private Limited, Draw Connect Limited, Draw Create Limited, Draw Group London Limited, Eagle & Crown Limited, Echelon Australia Pty Limited, Echelon Claims Consultants Sdn Bhd, Echelon New Zealand Limited, EnBW Versicherungs Vermittlung GmbH, Encompass Insurance Agency Pty Ltd., English Pension Trustees Limited, Epsilon (US) Insurance Company, Epsilon Insurance Company Ltd., Eustis Insurance & Benefits, Evolution Management Ltd, Exchange Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Exmoor Management Company Limited, Faulkner & Flynn LLC, Freedom Trust Services Limited, GC Genesis LLC, GCube Insurance Services Inc, GCube Underwriting Limited, Gama Consultores Associados Ltda., Gem Insurance Company Limited, Global Premium Finance Company, GrECo International Holding AG, Gracechurch Trustees Limited, Gresham Pension Trustees Limited, Group Promoters Pty Limited, Guy Carpenter & Cia (Mexico) S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter & Cia. S.A., Guy Carpenter & Co. Labuan Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company AB, Guy Carpenter & Company Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Guy Carpenter & Company Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company GmbH, Guy Carpenter & Company LLC, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd./Guy Carpenter & Compagnie Ltee, Guy Carpenter & Company Participacoes Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company Private Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Proprietary Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Pty. Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A. (Uruguay), Guy Carpenter & Company S.A.S., Guy Carpenter & Company S.r.l., Guy Carpenter (Middle East) Limited, Guy Carpenter Bermuda Ltd., Guy Carpenter Broking Inc., Guy Carpenter Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter Insurance Brokers (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Guy Carpenter Japan Inc., Guy Carpenter Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, HAPIP GP 2009 LLC, HAPIP GP LLC, HSBC Insurance Brokers International (Abu Dhabi) LLC (in liquidation), Hamilton Bond Limited, Hansen International Limited, Hayward Aviation Limited, INSIA Europe SE, INSIA SK s.r.o., INSIA a.s., INSURANCE BROKERS OF NIGERIA LIMITED, IRC Asia Insurance Brokers Limited, InSolutions Limited, Industrial Risks Protection Consultants, Ingeseg S. A., Ingeseg S.A., Insbrokers Ltda., InsurTech Alliance LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC [BAHRAIN BRANCH], Insure Direct - Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC, International Loss Control Services Limited, International Risk Consultants (Asia) Limited, Invercol Limited, Irish Pensions Trust Limited, Isosceles Insurance (Barbados) Limited, Isosceles Insurance Company Limited, Isosceles Insurance Ltd, Isosceles PCC Limited, J&H Marsh & McLennan Limited, J.W. Terrill Benefit Administrators Inc., JI Holdings Limited, JIB Group Holdings Limited, JIB Group Limited, JIB Holdings (Pacific) Limited, JIB Overseas Holdings Limited, JIB UK Holdings Limited, JL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co. KG, JLM Verwaltungs GmbH, JLT (Insurance Brokers) Limited, JLT Actuaries and Consultants Limited, JLT Advisory Limited, JLT Affinity Colombia Solutions SAS, JLT Agencies Limited, JLT Asesorias Ltda, JLT Asia Holdings BV, JLT Asia Shared Services Sdn Bhd, JLT Belgibo, JLT Benefit Consultants Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Bermuda Ltd, JLT Brasil Holdings Participacoes Ltd, JLT Chile Holdings SpA, JLT Colombia Retail Limited, JLT Colombia Wholesale Limited, JLT Consultants & Actuaries Limited, JLT EB Holdings Limited, JLT EB Services Limited, JLT Employee Benefits Holding Company (PTY) LTD, JLT Employee Benefits SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Financial Planning Limited, JLT France Holdings, JLT Group Services Pty Limited, JLT Holdings (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Holdings (NZ) Limited, JLT Independent Insurance Brokers Private Limited, JLT Insurance Agencies Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited ( Shanghai Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Beijing Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Guangzhou Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Ireland Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers SA, JLT Insurance Group Holdings Ltd, JLT Insurance Management Malta Limited, JLT Intellectual Property Limited, JLT Intellectual Property [UK Branch], JLT Interactive Pte. Ltd., JLT Investment Management Limited, JLT LATAM (Southern Cone) Wholesale Limited, JLT Latin American Holdings Limited, JLT Life Assurance Brokers Limited, JLT Management Services Limited, JLT Marine (Pty) Ltd, JLT Mexico Holdings Limited, JLT Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., JLT Netherlands BV, JLT Norway AS, JLT PLA, JLT Pension Trustees Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Holdings Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Limited, JLT Peru Reinsurance Solutions Limited, JLT Peru Retail Limited, JLT Peru Wholesale Limited, JLT QFM Services Limited, JLT RE Brasil Administracao e Corretagem de Resseguros Ltda, JLT Re (French Branch), JLT Re (Northern Europe) AB, JLT Re Argentina Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.U., JLT Re Labuan Limited, JLT Re Limited, JLT Re Pty Ltd, JLT Reinsurance Brokers GmbH, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited [French Branch], JLT Risk Management Limited, JLT Risk Solutions AB, JLT Risk Solutions AB Branch - Germany, JLT SA IB Holdings Company (Pty) Limited, JLT SCK Affinity Administracao e Corretora de Seguros Ltda., JLT SCK Corretora e Administradora de Seguros, JLT Secretaries Limited, JLT Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerlii A.., JLT Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., JLT Specialty France, JLT Specialty Insurance Broker A/S, JLT Specialty Limited, JLT Specialty Limited [DUBAI BRANCH], JLT Specialty Pte. Ltd., JLT Towner Insurance Management (Anguilla) Limited, JLT Trust Services (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Trustees (Southern) Limited, JLT Trustees Limited, JLT UK Investment Holdings Limited, JLT Vantage Risk and Benefit Consulting Private Limited, JLT Wealth Management Limited, JLT do Brasil Corretagem de Seguros Ltda, JLTPCS Holdings Pte. Ltd., JMIB Holdings BV, JSL Securities Inc., Japan Affinity Marketing Inc., Jardine IBR Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson (Proprietary) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Asia Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Australia Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada Inc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited (UK Branch Office), Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance Consultants Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Inc., Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Holdings Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Unlimited Company, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Korea Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited [Macao Branch], Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS (Dubai) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS SA, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Sdn Bhd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Valencia y Iragorri Corredores de Seguros SA, Jardine Pension Trustees Ireland Limited, Jardine Risk Consulting Co. Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited [Macao Branch], Jardines PF- Consultoria Em Gestao De Risco Limitada, Jelf, Jelf Commercial Finance Limited, Jelf Financial Planning Limited, Jelf Insurance Brokers Limited, Jelf Limited, Jelf Risk Management Limited, Jelf Wellbeing Limited, John Lampier & Son Ltd, Johnson & Higgins (Bermuda) Limited, Johnson & Higgins Limited, KESSLER & CO AG, Kepler Associates Limited, Kessler & Co Inc., Kessler Consulting Inc., Kessler Prevoyance Inc., Key Underwriting Pty Limited, Kroll, Lambert Brothers Holdings Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Employee Benefits) Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Hong Kong) Ltd, Laterlife.com Limited (in liquidation), Lavaretus Underwriting AB, Lavaretus Underwriting AB (BRANCH - Denmark), Libra Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Lloyd & Partners Limited, Local Government Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Lomond Macdonald Limited, Lynch Insurance Brokers Limited, M&M Vehicle L.P., M.P. Bolshaw and Company Limited, MAG JLT SpA, MERCER ALTERNATIVES LIMITED, MM Risk Services Pty Ltd (for dissolution), MMA Mid-Atlantic Employee LLC, MMA Securities LLC, MMB Consultores S.A., MMC (Singapore) Holdings Pte. Ltd., MMC 28 State Street Holdings Inc., MMC Borrower LLC, MMC Brazilian Holdings B.V., MMC Capital Inc., MMC Cascade Regional Holdings LLC, MMC FINANCE (EUROPE) LIMITED, MMC FINANCE HOLDINGS LTD, MMC Finance (Australia) Limited, MMC Finance (Singapore) Limited, MMC France Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., MMC GP III Inc., MMC Group Services sp. z o.o., MMC Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, MMC Holdings (New Zealand) ULC, MMC Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC International Finance (Barbados) SRL, MMC International Holdings LLC, MMC International Limited, MMC International Treasury Centre Limited, MMC Middle East Holdings Limited, MMC Poland Holdings B.V., MMC Realty Inc., MMC Regional Asia Holdings B.V., MMC Regional Caribbean Holdings Ltd., MMC Regional Europe Holdings B.V., MMC Regional LATAM Holdings B.V., MMC Securities (Europe) Limited, MMC Securities LLC, MMC Treasury Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC UK Group Limited, MMC UK Pension Fund Trustee Limited, MMOW Limited, MMRC LLC, MOW Holding LLC, MPIP III GP LLC, MPIP IV GP LLC, MPIP V GP LLC, MPIP VI GP LLC, Mangrove Insurance Europe PCC Limited, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC Limited, Manoel Management Services Ltd, Marchant McKechnie Insurance Brokers Limited, Marine Aviation & General (London) Limited, Marsh & McLennan (PNG) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agencies AS, Marsh & McLennan Agencies Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency A/S, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, Marsh & McLennan Agency Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency Pty Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Argentina SA Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh & McLennan Colombia S.A., Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Funding Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Asia Pacific Treasury Center Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies BVBA/SPRL, Marsh & McLennan Companies Finance Center (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies France S.A.S., Marsh & McLennan Companies Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Marsh & McLennan Companies Regional Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Services B.V., Marsh & McLennan Companies UK Limited, Marsh & McLennan Europe S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan GP I Inc., Marsh & McLennan Global Broking (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Holding GmbH, Marsh & McLennan Holdings (Canada) ULC, Marsh & McLennan Holdings Inc., Marsh & McLennan Incorporated (for dissolution), Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings II, Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Limited, Marsh & McLennan Insurance Services Limited, Marsh & McLennan Ireland Limited, Marsh & McLennan Management Services (Bermuda) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Risk Capital Holdings Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Servicios S.A. De C.V., Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Canada Limited, Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Corporation, Marsh (Bahrain) Company SPC, Marsh (Beijing) Risk Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Marsh (China) Insurance Brokers Co. Ltd., Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh (Insurance Brokers) LLP, Marsh (Insurance Services) Limited, Marsh (Malawi) Limited, Marsh (Middle East) Limited, Marsh (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh (Pty) Ltd, Marsh (Risk Consulting) LLP, Marsh (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Marsh A/S, Marsh AB, Marsh AG, Marsh AS, Marsh Advantage Insurance Holdings Pty Ltd, Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd., Marsh Africa (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Argentina S.R.L., Marsh Associates (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Austria G.m.b.H., Marsh Aviation Insurance Broking Pty Ltd (for dissolution), Marsh B.V., Marsh Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh Brockman y Schuh Agente de Seguros y de Fianzas S.A. de C.V., Marsh Broker Japan Inc., Marsh Broker de Asigurare-Reasigurare S.R.L., Marsh Brokers (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh Brokers Limited, Marsh Canada Limited/Marsh Canada Limitee, Marsh Company Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Compensation Technologies Administration (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Isle of Man Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Malta Limited, Marsh Corretora de Seguros Ltda., Marsh EOOD, Marsh Egypt LLC, Marsh Emirates Consultancy LLC, Marsh Emirates Insurance Brokerage LLC, Marsh Employee Benefits Limited, Marsh Employee Benefits Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Marsh Eurofinance B.V., Marsh Europe S.A., Marsh FJC International Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh For Insurance Services S.A.E., Marsh Franco Acra S.A., Marsh GSC Servicos e Administracao de Seguros Ltda., Marsh GmbH, Marsh Holding AB, Marsh Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Marsh India Insurance Brokers Private Limited, Marsh Insurance & Investments LLC, Marsh Insurance Brokers, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Macao) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Private) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers AO, Marsh Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh Insurance Consulting Saudi Arabia (in liquidation), Marsh Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers LLC, Marsh Intermediaries Inc., Marsh International Broking Holdings Limited, Marsh International Holdings II Inc., Marsh International Holdings Inc., Marsh Investment B.V., Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited, Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited (UK Branch), Marsh Ireland Holdings Limited, Marsh Israel (1999) Ltd., Marsh Israel (Holdings) Ltd., Marsh Israel Consultants Ltd., Marsh Israel Insurance Agency Ltd., Marsh Israel International Brokers Ltd. (in liquidation), Marsh JCS Inc., Marsh Japan Inc., Marsh Kft., Marsh Kindlustusmaakler AS, Marsh Korea Inc., Marsh LLC, Marsh LLC Insurance Brokers, Marsh LLC [Ukraine], Marsh Lda., Marsh Limited, Marsh Limited [Fiji], Marsh Limited [New Zealand], Marsh Limited [PNG], Marsh Ltd. [Wisconsin], Marsh Management Services (Bahamas) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Dublin) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Labuan) Limited, Marsh Management Services (MENA) Limited, Marsh Management Services (USVI) Ltd., Marsh Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Management Services Guernsey Limited, Marsh Management Services Inc., Marsh Management Services Isle of Man Limited, Marsh Management Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Marsh Management Services Malta Limited, Marsh Management Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Marsh Management Services Sweden AB, Marsh Marine & Energy AB, Marsh Marine Nederland B.V., Marsh Medical Consulting GmbH, Marsh Mercer Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Marsh Nest Inc., Marsh Oman LLC, Marsh Oy, Marsh PB Co. Ltd., Marsh Philippines Inc., Marsh Privat A.I.E., Marsh Private Client Life Insurance Services, Marsh Pty. Ltd., Marsh Qatar LLC, Marsh RE S.A.C. Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh Rehder Consultoria S.A. (MRC), Marsh Rehder S.A. Corredores de Seguros, Marsh Resolutions Pty Limited, Marsh Risk Consulting B.V., Marsh Risk Consulting Limitada, Marsh Risk Consulting Ltda., Marsh Risk Consulting S.L., Marsh Risk Consulting Services S.r.L., Marsh Risk and Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd, Marsh S.A. Corredores De Seguros, Marsh S.A. Mediadores de Seguros, Marsh S.A.S., Marsh S.p.A., Marsh SA [Argentina], Marsh SA [Belgium], Marsh SA [Luxembourg], Marsh SA [Uruguay], Marsh SIA, Marsh Saldana Inc., Marsh Saudi Arabia Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers, Marsh Secretarial Services Limited, Marsh Semusa S.A., Marsh Services Limited, Marsh Services Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Marsh Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Szolgaltato Kft., Marsh Takaful Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Treasury Services (Dublin) Limited (in liquidation), Marsh Treasury Services Limited, Marsh Tunisia S.a.r.l., Marsh UK Limited, Marsh USA (India) Inc., Marsh USA Borrower LLC, Marsh USA Inc., Marsh Uganda Limited, Marsh Venezuela C.A. Sociedad de Corretaje de Seguros, Marsh Vietnam Insurance Broking Company Ltd, Marsh Zambia Limited, Marsh Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited, Marsh d.o.o. Beograd, Marsh d.o.o. za posredovanje u osiguranju, Marsh for Insurance Services - Jordan, Marsh i-Connect (Pty) Ltd, Marsh s.r.o., Matthiessen Assurans AB, Mercer (Argentina) S.A., Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer (Austria) GmbH, Mercer (Belgium) SA-NV, Mercer (Canada) Limited/Mercer (Canada) Limitee, Mercer (China) Limited, Mercer (Colombia) Ltda., Mercer (Danmark) A/S, Mercer (Finland) OY, Mercer (France) SAS, Mercer (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer (Ireland) Limited, Mercer (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Mercer (N.Z.) Limited, Mercer (Nederland) B.V., Mercer (Norge) AS, Mercer (Polska) Sp.z o.o., Mercer (Portugal) Lda, Mercer (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer (Sweden) AB, Mercer (Taiwan) Ltd., Mercer (Thailand) Ltd., Mercer (US) Inc., Mercer Administration Services (Australia) Pty Limited, Mercer Africa Limited, Mercer Agente de Seguros S.A. de C.V., Mercer Asesores de Seguros S.A., Mercer Asesores es Inversion Independientes S.A. de C.V., Mercer Broking Ltd., Mercer Career Unipessoal Lda, Mercer Consultation (Quebec) Ltee., Mercer Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Consulting (Chile) Limitada, Mercer Consulting (France) SAS, Mercer Consulting (India) Private Limited, Mercer Consulting B.V., Mercer Consulting Group Inc., Mercer Consulting Holdings Sdn. Bhd., Mercer Consulting Limited, Mercer Consulting Middle East Limited, Mercer Consulting S.L.U., Mercer Consulting Venezuela C.A., Mercer Corredores de Seguros Limitada, Mercer Corretora de Seguros Ltda, Mercer Danismanlik Anonim Sirketi, Mercer Deutschland GmbH, Mercer Employee Benefits - Medicacao de Seguros Unipessoal Lda., Mercer Employee Benefits Limited, Mercer Financial Advice (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Financial Services Limited, Mercer Financial Services Limited liability company, Mercer Financial Services Middle East Limited, Mercer Global Investments Europe Limited, Mercer Global Investments Management Limited, Mercer HR Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer HR Services LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Health & Benefits Administration LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits LLC, Mercer Holdings Inc., Mercer Holdings Inc. [Philippines], Mercer Human Resource Consulting Ltda, Mercer Human Resource Consulting S.A. de C.V., Mercer ICC Limited, Mercer Investment Consulting Limited, Mercer Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mercer Investment Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Investments (Australia) Limited, Mercer Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer Investments (Japan) Ltd, Mercer Investments (New Zealand) Limited, Mercer Investments LLC, Mercer Ireland Holdings Limited, Mercer Italia Srl Socio Unico, Mercer Japan Ltd., Mercer Korea Co. Ltd., Mercer LLC, Mercer Limited, Mercer MC Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer Master Trustees Limited, Mercer Mauritius Ltd., Mercer Oliver Wyman Holding B.V., Mercer Outsourcing (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Outsourcing S.L.U., Mercer Pensionsfonds AG, Mercer Pensionsraadgivning A/S, Mercer Philippines Inc., Mercer Private Investment Partners IV General Partner S.a.r.l., Mercer Private Markets AG, Mercer Private Markets Advisers (US) AG, Mercer Services Poland Sp. z.o.o., Mercer Sigorta Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Mercer South Africa (Pty) Limited, Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited, Mercer Switzerland Inc., Mercer System Services LLC, Mercer Technology Acquisitions Limited, Mercer Treuhand GmbH, Mercer Trust Company LLC, Mercer Trustees Limited, Mercer WorkforcePro LLC, Mercury Insurance Services Pty Ltd, Moola Systems Limited, Mountlodge Limited, Muir Beddal (Zimbabwe) Limited, NERA Australia Pty. Ltd., NERA Economic Consulting GmbH, NERA Economic Consulting Limited, NERA S.R.L., NERA SAS, NERA UK Limited, NERA do Brasil Ltda. (for dissolution), National Economic Research Associates Inc., NetComp Insurance Corp., Neuburger Noble Lowndes GmbH, Normandy Reinsurance Company Limited, Northern Alliance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), OWL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co.KG, OWL Marine Verwaltungs GmbH, Oliver Wyman (Bermuda) Limited, Oliver Wyman (Hong Kong) Limited, Oliver Wyman AB, Oliver Wyman AG, Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting Inc., Oliver Wyman B.V., Oliver Wyman Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Oliver Wyman Consultoria em Estrategia de Negocios Ltda., Oliver Wyman Energy Consulting Limited, Oliver Wyman FZ-LLC, Oliver Wyman Group KK, Oliver Wyman Inc., Oliver Wyman LLC, Oliver Wyman Limited, Oliver Wyman Limited Liability Company, Oliver Wyman Limited/Oliver Wyman limitee, Oliver Wyman Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pte. Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pty. Ltd., Oliver Wyman S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman S.A.S., Oliver Wyman S.L., Oliver Wyman S.r.l., Oliver Wyman SNC, Oliver Wyman SPRL/BVBA, Oliver Wyman Sdn. Bhd., Oliver Wyman Services Limited, Oliver Wyman Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman sp. z o.o., Omega Indemnity (Bermuda) Limited, Organizacion Brockman y Schuh S.A. de C.V., Osbornes Insurances Oxford Limited (in liquidation), PFT Limited, PI Indemnity Company Designated Activity Company, PT JLT Reinsurance Brokers, PT Jardine Lloyd Thompson, PT Marsh Indonesia, PT Marsh Reinsurance Brokers Indonesia, PT Mercer Indonesia, PT Nexus Asia Pacific, PT Oliver Wyman Indonesia, PT Quantum Computing Services, PT Quantum Investments, PT Quantum Support Services, Pallas Marsh Servicos Ltda., Pavilion Alternatives Group (Singapore) PTE. Ltd, Pavilion Financial Corporation Holdings UK Limited, Pavilion U.S. Investments Holdco LLC, Pension Trustees Limited, Pensionsservice Benefit Network Sverige AB, Perils AG, Personal Pension Trustees Limited, Pet Animal Welfare Scheme Limited, Portsoken Trustees (No. 2) Limited, Portsoken Trustees Limited, Potomac Insurance Managers Inc., Premier Pension Trustees Limited, Premium Services Australia Pty Limited, Professional Claims Handling Limited (in liquidation), Profund Solutions Limited, Promerit AG, Promerit Hungary Kft, Promerit Schweiz AG, Pymetrics Inc., R G Ford Brokers Limited, R R B Beratungsgesellschaft fuer Altersversorgung mbh, R. Mees & Zoonen Holdings B.V., Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters LLC, Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters Limited, Resource Benefit Associates, Rightpath Reinsurance SPC Ltd., Risk Management Australia Pty Limited, Rivers Group Limited, Rockefeller Risk Advisors Inc., Rutherfoord International Inc., SAFCAR-Marsh, SBJ Holdings Limited, SCIB (Bermuda) Limited, SCM Global Real Estate Select GP LLC, SCM Infrastructure General Partner S.a r.l., SCM International Private Equity Select III GP LLC, SCM LT General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE II GP Ltd., SCM PE II Scotland GP Ltd, SCM Strategic Capital Management (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., SICAR Marsh S.a.r.l., SME Insurance Services Limited, Sail Insurance Company Limited, Scalene Re Ltd, Seabury & Smith Borrower LLC, Seabury & Smith LLC, Secure Limited, Sedgwick (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Consulting Group Limited, Sedgwick Dineen Group Limited, Sedgwick Financial Services Limited, Sedgwick Forbes Middle East Limited, Sedgwick Group, Sedgwick Group (Australia) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Group (Bermuda) Limited, Sedgwick Group (Zimbabwe) Limited, Sedgwick Group Limited, Sedgwick Internationaal B.V., Sedgwick Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Singapore) Pte Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes (UK) Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Group Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Limited, Sedgwick Overseas Investments Limited, Sedgwick Private Limited, Sedgwick Re Asia Pacific (Consultants) Pte Ltd (for dissolution), Sedgwick Trustees Limited, Sedgwick UK Risk Services Limited, Sedgwick Ulster Pension Trustees Limited, Settlement Trustees Limited, Shanghai Mercer Insurance Brokers Company Ltd., Shorewest Insurance Associates LLC, Sirota Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Sirota Consulting UK Limited, Smith Long Term Disability Management Group Inc., Societe d'Assurances et de Participation Guian SA, Software Underwriting Systems Limited (in liquidation), Southern Marine & Aviation Inc., Southern Marine & Aviation Underwriters Inc., Sudzucker Versicherungs-Vermittlungs GmbH, Sumitomo Life Insurance Agency America Inc., Sylvite Financial Services, TBX Solutions Limited, Talent Tech Labs LLC, The Benefit Express Holdings Limited, The Benefit Express Limited, The Carpenter Management Corporation, The Insurance Partnership Holdings Limited, The Insurance Partnership Services Limited, The Positive Ageing Company Limited, The Purple Partnership Limited, The Recovre Group Pty Ltd, Thomsons Online Benefits (HK) Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits Inc., Thomsons Online Benefits Limited, Thomsons Online Benefits Pte Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits S.R.L, Torrent Government Contracting Services LLC, Torrent Insurance Services LLC, Torrent Technologies, Torrent Technologies Inc., Tower Hill Limited, Tower Place Developments (West) Limited, Tower Place Developments Limited, U.T.E. AMG, U.T.E. Marsh - Caja Castilla La Mancha Junta de Comunidades, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus (in liquidation), U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus 2012, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Vila-Seca 2010, UAD BB Marsh Lietuva, Vezina & Associes Inc., Vezina Assurances Inc., Victor Insurance Europe B.V., Victor Insurance Holdings Inc., Victor Insurance Italia S.r.l., Victor Insurance Managers Inc., Victor Insurance Managers Inc./Gestionnaires d'assurance Victor inc., Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd., Victor O. Schinnerer & Company Limited, Victoria Hall Company Limited, Wellnz Limited, William M. Mercer (Canada) Limited/William M. Mercer (Canada) Limitee, William M. Mercer AB, William M. Mercer Comercio Consultoria e Servicos Ltda., Wortham Insurance & Risk Management, everBe SAS, and realright GmbH.TOTAL SE operates as an integrated oil and gas company worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Exploration & Production; Integrated Gas, Renewables & Power; Refining & Chemicals; and Marketing & Services. The company's Exploration & Production segment is involved in oil and natural gas exploration and production activities in approximately 50 countries. Its Integrated Gas, Renewables & Power segment engages in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, shipping, trading, and regasification activities; trading of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petcoke and sulfur, natural gas, and electricity; transportation of natural gas; electricity production from natural gas, wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biogas sources; energy storage activities; and development and operation of biomethane production units, as well as provides energy efficiency services. The company's Refining & Chemicals segment is involved in refining petrochemicals, including olefins and aromatics; and polymer derivatives, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and hydrocarbon resins, as well as biomass conversion and elastomer processing. This segment also engages in trading and shipping crude oil and petroleum products. Its Marketing & Services segment produces and sells lubricants; supplies and markets petroleum products, including bulk fuel, aviation and marine fuel, special fluids, compressed natural gas, LPG, and bitumen; and provides fuel payment solutions. It operates approximately 15,500 service stations. As of December 31, 2020, the company had 12,328 Mboe of combined proved reserves of oil and gas. TOTAL SE has a strategic partnership with PureCycle Technologies in the area of plastic recycling. The company was incorporated in 1924 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

Read MoreArmenias Ministry of Health provided more details about an explosion at St. Gregory the Enlightener medical center in Yerevan.

The explosion was reported this morning. An oxygen cylinder reportedly exploded in the medical center killing an employee born in 1978.

"As a result of the explosion of the oxygen cylinder that occurred at the oxygen station of the medical center, a technician was killed and another worker with minor injuries was immediately hospitalized in the same hospital where he received the necessary medical assistance," ARKA cited the ministry's press release as saying

According to preliminary data, the cylinder does not belong to the hospital. The police have launched an investigation into the incident.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.A public ceremony of paying last respects to dean of the History Department of Lomonosov Moscow State University Ivan Tuchkov was held in Moscow today.

According to the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, the rector of Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy admitted that he can't believe that Ivan Ivanovich Tuchkov died so soon. "He was a man whose charm and kindness always mesmerized people communicating with him. Ivan Ivanovich dedicated his life to the History Department of Moscow University and he did a lot of good. He was an outstanding art critic, a wonderful lecturer, a favorite of students. Humanitarian education at Moscow University always raised questions in connection with the rapid development of technology and natural sciences, but Ivan Ivanovich was the first person which advice the Academic Council and me sought," he said.

"Together with your relatives and friends we mourn for your untimely demise, but your name will remain in the history of Moscow University, in our hearts and in the hearts of all those who met you. Goodbye, dear Ivan Ivanovich," the rector of Moscow State University concluded.

Director General of the State Tretyakov Gallery Zelfira Tregulova also noted that Ivan Tuchkov's death was a horrible and unexpected loss. "Ivan Ivanovich Tuchkov was a brilliant researcher of art, a direct heir to the classical school of art studies, which has been developed at Moscow University. Most importantly, Ivan Ivanovich was a man of great heart," she shared her memories.

"I think that the memory of Ivan Ivanovich Tuchkov will remain in the hearts of all those who studied and worked with him, his students. Thank you for all that you did for us. We will miss you very much," Zelfira Tregulova expressed regret.

Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Education and Science Vyacheslav Nikonov shared his memories of studying and working with Ivan Ivanovich. "He was a true friend, devoted and loyal, a man with a good sense of humor, a principled man who loved life, science and Moscow University very much. The historical faculty was his life until the last days. He was a brilliant scientist, lecturer and art critic," he said.

"In recent years we have often seen each other as the deans of the neighboring faculties. He was a dedicated person, who devoted his life to the family, students. This is a tragedy for all of us, a huge loss for science, for his family and, of course, for those students who have not yet heard his lecture. We will always remember him. God rest Vanya Tuchkova's soul. Goodbye my dear friend," Vyacheslav Nikonov concluded.

Ivan Tuchkov will be buried at the Khovanskoye cemetery.Azerbaijans Ministry of Defense Industry presented more than 270 types of military products at the Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition ADEX 2018, the country's Deputy Minister of Defense Industry Yahya Musayev said.

According to him, four new types of weapons are also being showcased at the exhibition.

"Despite that the exhibition is held every two years, the number of participants grows from year to year. I think that there will be more participants at the next exhibition to be held in 2020. The exhibition is aimed at expanding military-technical cooperation," the minister said.

The 3rd Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition ADEX 2018 has opened at the Baku Expo Center today. It will run until September 27.The 18th annual Chattanooga Dances! concert will be presented in the Center for Creative Arts Auditorium Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. The concert highlights the citys non-profit dance organizations, along with those schools that maintain a full dance curriculum. Companies appearing on this years concert will be Ballet Tennessee, Barger Academys Movement Makers, Baylors Verve, Center for Creative Arts Project Motion, Chattanooga Ballet and GPS Terpsichord.



"The evening will showcase Chattanoogas diverse dance community with a variety of genres from both professional and student choreographers. Join us for this unique evening when Chattanoogas dance organizations appear on the same stage. Audience and dancers alike can celebrate the richness of the dance community in Chattanooga and experience a taste of what each organization has to offer. The Chattanooga Dances! concert has become an anticipated event over its history as a valuable collaborative arts experience," officials said.



Karen Wilson, director of Dance at Center for Creative Arts, sees the concert as an important partnership between Chattanoogas public and private schools as well as among the communitys diverse dance organizations.

"Kudos to CCA's Chattanooga Dances concert for bringing our dance community together annually to celebrate both our unity of passion for dance and our diversity of artistry. states Andrew Parker, Chattanooga Ballet Co. artistic director.

Chattanooga Dances is the premier regional concert for non-profit performing dance organizations and schools. It provides an exciting artistic cross-pollination for dancers/choreographers of all ages, says Cathie Kasch, director of dance at GPS.



Center for Creative Arts sponsors this yearly event. Tickets are available at the door for $5. CCA is located at 1301 Dallas Road, Chattanooga, 37405. For more information, call 423-498-7365.Moscow received Kievs official note on its decision not to extend the friendship treaty yesterday, head of the Russian Foreign Ministrys second department for the Commonwealth of Independent States Andrei Rudenko said.

"Ukraine has decided not to extend the major treaty with Russia, certainly, we regret about this. Although this was a framework agreement, it set a tone for all other deals," TASS cited Rudenko as saying.

Ukraine and Russia inked the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership in May 1997. The treaty came into force in April 1999 for a term of ten years with automatic extension for further ten-year periods if neither of the sides decides otherwise. In October 2018, the term expires when the sides should announce their plans of extending or terminating the document.Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev will visit Iran on September 26, where he will discuss the situation in Afghanistan with colleagues from other countries, the Security Council press service reported.

"Multilateral consultations between the Security Councils on the Afghan issue will be held in Tehran on September 26. Russia will be represented by Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev at the meeting," TASS cited the report as saying.

Patrushev repeatedly noted the growing threat that Afghanistan poses both to Russia and other countries, including Moscows allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). According to him, there are 15,000-20,000 militants staying in northern Afghanistan.Beijing will maintain economic relations with Tehran in spite of pressures from the U.S., Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

During the meeting, the sides also discussed bilateral economic relations and the latest status of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"The positions of all parties are highly consistent, and new consensus has been formed," Wang said, noting that all parties have reaffirmed to continue to safeguard and implement the Iran deal.

All parties have deeply regretted the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, while recognizing that Iran has fulfilled its nuclear commitments under the deal," Xinhua cited Wang as saying.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.Today's talks between the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev, in Baku will be devoted to the most important topics of economic cooperation between the two countries, as well as regional geopolitics, the chairman of the Izborsk club, writer Alexander Prokhanov and director of the Institute of Political Studies Sergei Markov told the correspondents of Vestnik Kavkaza, commenting on the Russian leader's visit to Azerbaijan 24 days after his meeting with Ilham Aliyev in Sochi.

Alexander Prokhanov, in the first place, drew attention to Russia's interest in strengthening both economic and political contacts with Azerbaijan. "The frequency of meetings between the presidents says that it is necessary to intensify the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, not least because the Russia-Turkey-Iran alliance does not explicitly include Russia's cooperation with Azerbaijan, but Azerbaijan is a party to that union concluded by Russia in the Middle East," he said.

The chairman of the Izborsk club also stressed Azerbaijan's growing importance for Russia in connection with Armenia's shift to the West. "There was tension with Armenia, Russia's hidden anxiety caused by drastic changes in this republic and the creation of a serious pro-American political player there. It further increased Russia's interest in Azerbaijan and the establishment of special relations with Baku. I believe this topic will be also on the agenda of the Putin-Aliyev talks today," Alexander Prokhanov said.

The writer attributed the link between the Russian president's visit to a large-scale bilateral economic forum by Moscow's desire to maximize and strengthen economic cooperation with its neighbors, capable of constructive contacts. "Russia has developed a powerful economic expansion, hence the economic forums in Russia and in the nearest states," he said.

Sergei Markov also noted the presence of the Armenian issue on the agenda of the upcoming talks between Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev. "On the one hand, the president's visit to Baku during the forum is a reflection of the fact that the Russian-Azerbaijani relations have been developed. On the other hand, to some extent, it sets an example for Armenia, because there is not progress in the Moscow-Yerevan relations, and it seems to me that this visit of Vladimir Putin to Baku shows Yerevan that Armenia's current leadership's policy has taken the country into a very dangerous zone, when Russia will be ready to consider Azerbaijan as its main ally in the region," he explained.

"In general, the agenda of the talks will include economic relations in the field of energy cooperation, contacts on the Caspian Sea, transport projects such as the North-South Transport Corridor, as well as military-technical cooperation. In addition, the presidents are expected to discuss relations in the region as a whole, because the Middle East is in a state of imbalance, the US is pressing on Iran - Azerbaijan's neighbor - which creates a risk for Baku. Vladimir Putin is one of the main players in world politics, and Ilham Aliyev is very experienced, he has great connections, a lot of information and a clear understanding of what Islamic leaders are going to do. I think they will also touch upon the issue of forming a new organization of the Azerbaijani community in Russia," Sergey Markov said.

According to the political analyst, the frequency of meetings between Putin and Aliyev indicates that the relations between the two countries are developing on a very positive track. "In addition, it is a result of very good friendly relations between the presidents. The frequency of the talks is also caused by instability in the region, the events near the Russian and Azerbaijani borders. In particular, there is instability in Armenia and in the big Middle East," the director of the Institute of Political Studies concluded.When was the last time you looked at your bank account balance? According to a survey, over 60% of Americans check their balance at least once a week. This habit, if practiced the right way, can put you on the path to achieving your financial...The Naresh Goyal-controlled private airline, which is facing cash drought and has defaulted on the salary payments to its staff.

Mumbai: Aviation regulator DGCA has begun inspection of the training programme of the beleaguered Jet Airways, a senior regulatory official has said.

As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines, all air operators are required to develop a training programme for their crew and dispatchers. It's also the responsibility of the operator to ensure that its training programme is complete, current, and in compliance with the DGCA guidelines.

"The DGCA has commenced a three-day inspection of Jet Airways' training programme. During the exercise, it will asses all aspects of its training programme and also find out whether the airline is in comliance to those norms which are part of the training manual," a DGCA official told PTI.

The inspections began on Monday and will continue till Thursday, the official added. The Naresh Goyal-controlled private airline, which is facing cash drought and has defaulted on the salary payments to its staff also did not have training chief for more than a month, the official claimed. When contacted, an airline spokesman said such an inpsection is a routine affair.

"Senior commander K Venkat Vinod currently heads our training establishement, having taken it over from Capt Veisheh Oberoi", the airline said in a text message to PTI.

The inspection, which comes on the back of a comprehensive financial audit of the cash-strapped Naresh Goyal-controlled carrier, assumes significance as off late its pilots have been involved in a spate of incidents, including the mid-air scare that took place last week at its Mumbai- Jaipur flight last week.

In a mid-air scare, a Jaipur-bound Jet Airways flight carrying 171 people had lost cabin pressure after the crew "forgot" to turn on a control switch leaving 30 passengers bleeding from ears and nose and forcing the aircraft to return to Mumbai.

It can be noted that on August 6, the DGCA had suspended the flying licence of two of its pilots for attempting to take off from a taxiway parallel to the runway at the Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia.

As many as 148 people on board the Mumbai-bound Jet flight had escaped unhurt after the aircraft went off the runway following an aborted takeoff from there on August 3, the airline had said.

The pilots aborted the takeoff after they were informed about a "barrier" on the runway at a time when the plane was taxing at 100 knots and veered off the runway due to sudden stopping. The Saudi aviation authority is also conducting a safety probe into the incident along with India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

Again on August 25, a London-bound Jet Airways flight from Delhi carrying 337 passengers had almost taken off without the air traffic control clearance. The incident came to light only on September 5, though and the airline had de- rostered its crew members.

The New Delhi-London flight was asked to abort takeoff after it was detected that it had rolled down from the runway for takeoff without taking ATC permission. The incident took place on August 25 at the Indira Gandhi international airport. The airline had confirmed the aborted takeoff and had taken its crew members off flying duty pending investigation.Global tech major IBM is looking to partner with government bodies and financial institutions in the country to deepen reach of its artificial intelligence (AI) platform for the farm sector.

Mumbai: Global tech major IBM is looking to partner with government bodies and financial institutions in the country to deepen reach of its artificial intelligence (AI) platform for the farm sector.

The US-based company launched 'Watson decision platform for agriculture' globally on Monday evening, eyeing the USD 2.4-trillion agriculture market.

"We will be partnering with the public sector and banks and insurance companies for the platform," its vice president of research for India and Singapore, Sriram Raghavan, told PTI. When asked for a target on number of partnerships which the company aims to forge, he said there will be "tens" of such tie-ups.

The company's tie-up with the Niti Aayog in agriculture is also based on usage of AI for the farm sector, he said, adding that all the 10 districts where the pilot project has to be implemented have been identified.

The 'build phase' of the Niti Aayog project is over and it will be rolled out on the field soon, he added. The newly launched platform uses data from multiple sources, including satellites and also The Weather Company, which is part of the IBM group, he said.

It can give farmers real time advisories based on various data inputs and analysis, help banks and insurance companies assess the exact risk to build financial products and also help other stakeholders including commodity traders.

He said given the vast diversity and peculiar aspects like fragmented land holdings, the company will tie-up with public institutions and also farmer produce organisations.

Raghavan said the presence of remote sensed data availed through satellites makes it the right time for companies to invest to create AI-based tools for the farm sector. The newly launched platform can help predict yields, fight pests, determine soil moisture and monitor crop health, among other aspects, he said.Samsung on Tuesday unveiled its first triple camera smart phone, the Galaxy A7, with an ultra wide lens that allows one to capture unrestricted wide-angle photographs. (Photo: Youtube)

Bengaluru: Samsung on Tuesday unveiled its first triple camera smart phone, the Galaxy A7, with an ultra wide lens that allows one to capture unrestricted wide-angle photographs.

The phone will be available for a special preview sale on Flipkart, Samsung e-shop and at Samsung Opera House here on September 27 and 28, Samsung India General Manager (Mobile Business) Aditya Babbar told reporters here.

By the end of September, it would be available across 1.80 lakh outlets, he said.

The Galaxy A7 range would be priced between Rs 23,990 (4GB/64GB variant) and Rs 28,990 (6GB/128 GB variant), Babbar said.

Speaking at the launch of the new smart phone, he said "Our consumer insight found that millennials love to click and edit photos and that 44 per cent of them use smart phone camera every day and open the same 18 times a day. Also, 40 per cent of them edit photos before sending or sharing it."

The Galaxy A7 has got an ultra wide lensthat allows one to capture unrestricted wide-angle photos, hesaid.

In the new triple camera set up, there is an additional 8MP 120 degree ultra wide lens which has the same viewing angle as the human eye, Babbar said.

"This allow users to capture unrestricted wide angle photos exactly like what one can see," he added.

Galaxy A7 would further strengthen Samsung's leadership in the mid-range segment, which has been bolstered by the recent launch of Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+, Babbar said. "The devices come in just ahead of the festive season, thus adding to the consumer delight," he added.

The new phone is powered by a Samsung Exynos 7885 2.2GHz Octa Core processor, Babbar said.The RBI should consider lowering Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) in addition to buying government bonds to ensure adequate liquidity, an official said on Tuesday.

New Delhi: The RBI should consider lowering Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) in addition to buying government bonds to ensure adequate liquidity, an official said on Tuesday.

Concerned over volatility in the stock markets, the Reserve Bank and markets regulator Sebi had on Sunday said they were closely monitoring the developments in the financial sector and were ready to take appropriate actions.

"The RBI has tools like OMO (Open Market Operations) to manage liquidity. Also a CRR cut would ensure immediate liquidity in the market," the government official told reporters. The focus should now be on ensuring adequate liquidity in the system and "not jamming" the credit flow, he added. CRR, the percentage of deposits that banks have to park with the RBI in cash, currently stands at 4 per cent.

The central bank has kept the CRR unchanged since September 2013. Assuring lending support to non-banking financial companies, SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar had Sunday said there was no concern on liquidity of such firms, amid ongoing debt crisis in IL&FS Group.

Shares of housing finance companies had come under sudden heavy selling pressure as investors raised concerns over rising cost of borrowing for the companies amid crisis at IL&FS.

The RBI is scheduled to conduct OMO on September 27 by buying Rs 10,000 crore worth government bonds, thus releasing liquidity into the system. Having lost 1,785.62 points in the last five trading sessions, the BSE Sensex rebounded 347 points Tuesday.

The 30-share index closed at 36,652.06, up by 347.04 points or 0.96 per cent in a volatile trade. It touched a high of 36,705.79 and a low of 36,064.10 in day trade.West Bengal traders' body on Tuesday said they would join the proposed national strike of traders on September 28 to protest the Flipkart-Walmart deal and FDI in retail trade.

Kolkata: West Bengal traders' body on Tuesday said they would join the proposed national strike of traders on September 28 to protest the Flipkart-Walmart deal and FDI in retail trade.

"It is for the first time in the country that about seven crore voters across the country will participate in a Bharat Trade Bandh on September 28 for protection of their rights and business," Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) secretary general Rabishankar Roy said.

Though West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged to reconsider the bandh owing to festive season, but as the strike call is at the national level, we don't have any right to reconsider," he said.

There are 30-40 lakh traders in the state. The bandh has been called by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

CAIT president B C Bhartia said that Walmart-Flipkart deal was a violation of the FDI policy of the government, which will adversely affect the small businesses in the country, whereas the FDI in retail would be much disastrous for SMEs, small Industries and for national economy as well.

It is regretted that knowing well the ill affects, the MNCs are being given a passage to enter the retail trade of the country, he said in a statement.

The traders are feeling neglected and they are concerned over the future of their business, he said.The film titled I Am Not Alone aims to break the stigma and shame geared towards women when they choose to go for an abortion

The launch and screening will take place at Anti Social, Hauz Khas in New Delhi on 27th September 2018

The launch will be preceded by a panel discussion attended by key activists, healthcare providers and change makers

To mark the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, on 28th September, Love Matters, India first digital platform on sexual health, is launching a new campaign calling for support for women seeking abortion.

#IAmNotAlone  kya doge mera saath?

Love Matters - I Am Not Alone - Kya doge mera saath

As part of the campaign, Love Matters is launching Indias first 360/VR film on the issue of abortion, in Delhi on the 27th of September, 2018. The film I Am Not Alone uses virtual reality medium to narrate the powerful story of Mehak - a young girl, who was not alone, when she made a decision to abort. The short film has been conceptualized, scripted and produced by Love Matters India and directed by Gayatri Parameswaran from NoWhereMedia.

I wasnt ready to be a father at 22 #IAmNotAlone  kya doge mera saath?

The film, along with the campaign #IAmNotAlone  kya doge mera saath? is geared towards calling on partners, family members, friends, colleagues, doctors and media to support women when they take a decision to seek abortion and for women to step up and share their abortion experiences, enabling other women to take decision for their bodies, health and lives.

Abortion in India continues to be a stigmatised issue, often surrounded by shame, stigma, and silence at different levels  be it at personal, community, or institutional and structural level.

This prevents many women from accessing safe abortion, forcing them towards shady clinics and inexperienced practitioners, putting their lives at risk.

The shame and stigma about abortion in India also prevents women who have had an abortion and/or are seeking an abortion from speaking out openly about their experiences and inhibits people in their lives from coming forward and sharing their own experiences of helping and supporting women during this process, thus reinforcing the cycle of silence and stigma around abortion.

Speaking about the need for such a campaign, Vithika Yadav, Head of Love Matters India says, At Love Matters India, we look at the issue of abortion in context of a womans right to her own body. We spent a lot of time working on the concept of the film taking into account personal narratives of women who had undergone abortion. By staying away from the expected narrative of stigma and shame, the film charts a new, bold path, calling for conversations around abortion in India and across the world, that help generate support for women when they decide whats right for their bodies."

Sharing her experience while making the film, Director of the film, Gayatri Parameswaran said, The film, I Am Not Alone is a result of many conversations with women who have had abortions. It's about what they went through but it's also about what they would have liked to have happen. I hope the film helps us understand the needs of all women and can takes us forward in building a supporting environment for women seeking abortion."

The film I Am Not Alone gives me so much hope. I believe it can certainly help other people in understanding how they can contribute as a responsible society in letting women exercise their choices related to their bodies, especially safe abortion," said Kiran, the actor playing the protagonist.

The film is an effort to shatter the collective silence that exists around abortion, and scripts a fresh new narrative of building stronger and diverse support systems for women to be able to choose and access abortion, free of judgment, prejudice, and stigma.

As part of this campaign Love Matters India has partnered with Anti Social  a chain of pubs/restaurants in New Delhi, to install 360 film viewing booth with VR headsets. The launch will kickstart with a panel discussion on the topic of safe and legal abortion, followed by the screening of the film.

Under the campaign, Love Matters has also produced powerful friend, partner and parent video testimonials in support of abortion from real life stories that will be aired at the screening. Love Matters has also put together linguistic advisories for media and health professionals for changing the negative conversation on abortions.

Love Matters will send these to editors and health professionals across the country so that we can bring about a real and qualitative change to perceptions on abortion," says Yadav. I would also urge all young people to join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and other social media using the hashtag #IAmNotAlone."

To know more about the Love Matters campaign, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1071720966317436/

About Love Matters

Love Matters is a global multimedia project engaging young people to talk about love, sex and relationships, with a presence in 5 countries around the world: India, Kenya, China, Latin America (Mexico and Venezuela) and Egypt. Love Matters believes love, sex and relationships should be a right, a choice, and a pleasure. The first step towards making this possible and having an impact on young peoples lives is offering access to information.

LM India is the first bilingual sexual reproductive health (SRH) site to offer comprehensive youth-friendly information in English and Hindi. Since the launch of the bilingual site on January 14, 2014, it has had over 20 million yearly visitors, and has the current website monthly reach of 2 million visitors. Their Facebook community has a following of more than 1.4 million making it the most popular sexual health Facebook page in India.

Love Matters Indias work on safe abortion

In September of 2015, LM India executed the #StepIntoOurShoes campaign, which was a part of the global campaign to mark the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortions. This campaign was an attempt to create awareness around abortion as human rights issue and normalize conversations around the same.

In 2017, we launched the campaign #Choice Over Stigma - Reproductive Rights Matter, Choice Matter, Women Matter geared towards recognising, acknowledging, respecting and celebrating all the diverse choices that women make pertaining to their bodies, sexuality and reproduction including the right to access safe and legal abortion.

Disclaimer: This article has not been edited by Deccan Chronicle and is taken from a syndicated feed. Photos: NewsVoir.New Delhi: Union finance ministry on Tuesday said that the state-run banks are aiming to recover about Rs 1.80 lakh crore from bad loans in the current fiscal as compared to Rs 74,562 crore in the previous fiscal.

Speaking to media after meeting with the PSU bank heads, finance minister Arun Jaitley said that the bad loans are declining as recoveries have picked up and lenders are confident of maintaining liquidity as required. We have overcome what was traditionally described as legacy issues, and faster we get out of it, I think it is better as far as the economy is concerned, he said.

Mr Jaitley said the impact of various initiative was visible as after several quarter banks made net profit. He said that the lending ability of PSU banks are much better and their credit growth will move up significantly. He said that with the GDP growing and consumption up, banking activity is bound to pick up.

Mr Jaitley said that banks must strive to be seen always as institutions of clean and prudent lending.

On ex-RBI governor Raghuram Rajans letter to standing committee that the next banking crisis would be triggered by MSME lending, Mr Jaitley said: I think for anyone to do post-mortem is easier than action when it was required.

Finance ministry said that close to `18,500 crore worth of non-core assets will be sold by PSBs this fiscals to raise funds.

The ministry added that there will be complete rationalisation of foreign operations of PSBs by March 2019, with closure/consolidation of 57 branches and offices.Doctors said the child, from Brazil, only survived because she was given multiple doses of antidote within a two-hour time frame. (Photo: Pixabay)

In a shocking case, a three-day old baby girl was declared a living miracle after surviving seven deadly scorpion stings.

Medical staff found the venomous insect hiding inside Maria Sofia Ferreiras nappy, attached to her umbilical cord.

Doctors said the child, from Brazil, only survived because she was given multiple doses of antidote within a two-hour time frame.

The yellow scorpion, which feeds on insects such as termites and cockroaches, is the deadliest of its kind in South America.

The mother, 25-year-old Fernanda suddenly found her daughter foaming from the mouth, 10 minutes after being bathed and dressed in a fresh nappy on September 6.

Speaking about it, she said that Sofia felt really soft and weak and did not want to be nursed and was struggling to breathe.

I thought she had reflux. I had no idea a scorpion was buried in her diaper and had bitten her seven times, she added.

The fact that Sofia survived without any problems means she was meant to be here, and she is a gift from God, she further went on to say.

The baby was rushed to hospital in Vitoria da Conquista, Bahia state, northeast Brazil, suffering from an accelerated heartbeat, excessive saliva and a severe loss of appetite.

At one point she stopped breathing. The baby was given six emergency doses of anti-corticosteroid serum and after spending three days in intensive care was discharged.

Speaking about the harrowing incident, paediatrician Camila Mirante, who cared for Maria at the Esau Matos Municipal Hospital, said that she was so frightened when she made the discovery that she ran to ask for help from a security guard who removed the creature.

Mother-of-three Ferreira said medical staff at a health unit where she first took her daughter failed to spot the scorpion, despite checking the child over.

The units doctor decided to drive the child in her own car to the municipal hospital after becoming concerned her symptoms were life-threatening.

The frightened mum suspects the scorpion entered the home through a drain in the bathroom and climbed up a cupboard piled with nappies which was also where she changed her daughter.

Sofia is among 15,082 people stung by scorpions in Bahia from the beginning of this year, according to state health authority figures.Hyderabad: A woman from Kolkata studying in the United Kingdom lodged a complaint with the Medipally police alleging outraging modesty, cheating, illegal confinement and voluntarily causing hurt by a ma.

According to Medipally inspector B. Anji Reddy, the woman hailing from Kolkata fell in love with the man of the same city. The woman moved to the UK for education and the man came to the city for work. A month ago, she came to the city to meet him and they both stayed in Bhongirfor a few days, where they reportedly fought over the relationship and decided to depart.Bengaluru: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress party in order to project itself as a clean party in the country, has appealed to its leaders to deposit at least Rs 10,000 per booth committee to meet the poll expenses to face the parliament elections in 2019.

Congress party general secretary, K.C. Venugopal on Sunday appealed to party leaders to contribute at least Rs 10,000 from each booth level committee to the party kitty.

Speaking to reporters here after the party office bearers meeting, Mr Venugopal said, "Yes, the party needs money to fund its campaign across the country. We need to collect funds, that is why we have fixed a contribution of Rs 10,000 per booth from our leaders. This money will be spent to organise the party's campaign in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls from the booth level to national level."

He added that the party was looking at other avenues as well to meet its poll expenses by collecting members fee and deposits from party members.

"The amount may be small, but we need it as we are facing a cash crunch," he said.

It may be recalled that the election watchdog, Association For Democratic Reforms (ADR) had released its report on party funds in May this year, in which it had mentioned that the Congress had an income of $33m in 2017 when compared with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the richest with a whopping income of $151.5m. By far, the Congress is still India's second richest party, but its income in 2017 showed a dip of around $5.3m. The BJP's income, on the other hand, had more than doubled from what it earned in 2016. After this report was published, the Congress party had wasted no time and tweeted in May appealing to people to contribute to the party kitty.A clash between SFI and Campus Front activists over a graffiti had led to the killing of 20-year-old student leader Abhimanyu at Maharaja's College in Kochi. (Photo: File)

Kochi: Sixteen activists of radical outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), its student and political offshoots -- Campus Front and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) -- were named as accused in the charge sheet filed by police on Tuesday into the killing of a student leader in July.

The 1,500-page charge sheet, submitted before Ernakulam Judicial First Class Court-II, stated that the activists of these outfits were involved in the killing of Students' Federation of India (SFI) leader Abhimanyu on July 2.

So far, 20 persons, part of a 30-member gang involved in the murder, have been arrested. The prime accused, Campus Front leader Muhammed, was arrested on July 17.

Muhammed, a third-year Arabic degree student in the Maharaja's College, allegedly organised the group, comprising activists of PFI, SDPI and Campus Front, to attack SFI activists in the college campus.

A clash between SFI and Campus Front (student wing of SDPI--an Islamic political outfit) activists over a graffiti had led to the killing of the 20-year-old student leader at Maharaja's College in Kochi, police said.

Abhimanyu, second-year BSc Environmental Chemistry student and native of Vattavada in Idukki district of Kerala, was stabbed to death, they said.PM Modi expressed confidence that the BJP would emerge victorious in the upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh as well as in the Lok Sabha elections next year. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Bhopal: The Congress is indulging in mud-slinging against the government because it finds it easier than debating on issues like development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday, in an apparent reference to allegations on the Rafale fighter deal.

Addressing a rally here, he mocked Congress, saying the 125-year-old party has been reduced to such a condition that it is "begging" with small parties for alliances.

He said even if the Congress gets allies, the coalition will not be successful.

Modi said his government believes in social justice for all and that its 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' (cooperation of all, development of all) campaign is not just a slogan.

He expressed confidence that the BJP would emerge victorious in the upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh as well as in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

PM Modi also touched upon vote-bank politics and said that it has caused immense damage to the country in 70 years after Independence. He added, "Vote-bank politics is like a termite for the country."

"They (Congress) have indulged in mud-slinging earlier too. But I want to tell them, the more you throw mud at us, the more the lotus (BJP's symbol) will bloom," Modi said.

He was apparently referring to the charges of corruption being levelled by the Congress in the Rafale fighter deal.

Modi said the opposition party, instead of indulging in mud-slinging, should engage in a debate on issues like development which "they do not dare to".

Addressing the rally where BJP chief Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present, the prime minister said the opposition parties had formed the "Maha-gathbandhan" (grand alliance) out of fear of losing the polls.

"Congress has become a burden on the country today. It is the responsibility of BJP workers in democracy to save the country from it," he said.Shimla: All fifty trekkers, including 35 students of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, who had gone trekking in Himachal Pradesh's mountainous Lahaul and Spiti district, are stranded due to bad weather. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said all of them are safe.

"The group of 50 trekkers which includes IIT-Roorkee students are safe in Sissu area of Lahail-Spiti," the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister told news agency ANI.

Earlier, Rajvir Singh, father of one of the students, told ANI that the group had gone for trekking to the Hampta pass in Kullu and was supposed to return to Manali, the popular tourist hub. However, they have been unable to contact the group so far.

Also Read: 35 IIT students among 45 trekkers missing in Himachal Pradesh: reports

Most parts of Himachal Pradesh have witnessed heavy rain and snowfall. At least five people were killed and many have been injured in separate incidents as heavy rain pounded Kullu, Kangra and Chamba districts on Monday, the officials said.

Schools have been directed to remain closed in Kangra, Kullu and Hamirpur districts on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.Supreme 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. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking to ban lawmakers from practising as advocates, saying that the Bar Council of India rules do not prohibit them.

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 earlier 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, 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.New Delhi: The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on Wednesday on a bunch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar law on the ground that it violated human rights and right to privacy in every possible way and subjected the citizens to continued surveillance.

A constitution bench comprising the Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan had reserved verdict on May 10.

It was argued that Aadhaar law ex-facie violated an individuals fundamental right to privacy. The overall impact of Aadhaar law, which affects right to privacy and lacked security for protection of data, violated every aspect of human rights guaranteed to citizens under the constitution.

It was submitted that governments insistence on seeding Aadhaar numbers viz. the practice of incorporating the Aadhaar number into several databases, furthers the risk of identity theft as mere possession of the Aadhaar number can then enable an identity thief to access a host of other information linked to ones Aadhaar number but stored in different databases.

It was pointed out that the Aadhaar Act treats weaker and vulnerable sections of society as second-class citizens because they receive benefits and subsidy from the government. Those who did not receive benefits are forced to obtain Aadhaar as it is linked to various other laws. It affects bodily integrity, personal autonomy and has the inherent defect of compelling everyone to have an Aadhaar. The combined legislative scheme makes it impossible to live in India without Aadhaar.

The NDA government defended the Aadhaar law saying it was a policy decision of the previous UPA government, which introduced Aadhaar-based identity for the citizens. The present government only continued the policy decision of the previous government. It dispelled the apprehension of surveillance of citizens or that the data is being shared by the collecting entities is misplaced, as the encrypted information cannot be shared.

It was submitted that the information collected under the Aadhaar scheme is absolutely safe and kept confidential and there is no question of data breach. It said the mere possibility of misuse of a law couldnt be a ground to strike down its constitutional validity.The actor was in captivity for over 100 days in the jungles spread across Western Ghats abutting Thalawady. (Representational Image)

Erode: Eighteen years after late Kannada superstar Rajkumar was kidnapped by slain forest brigand Veerappan, his nine associates involved in the abduction were acquitted by a court near here Tuesday, holding that charges have not been adequately proved.

Third Additional Sessions Judge, Gobichettipalayam, Mani acquitted the nine accused, holding that the charges against them have not been proved adequately by the prosecution.

The judge said the deposition of witnesses also did not corroborate the prosecution case fully. Hence, he said he was acquitting all the nine accused.

As many as 47 witnesses were examined in the sensational case. Veerappan and his 14 associates kidnapped Kannada star Rajkumar from his farmhouse in Dhodda Gajanure village in Tamil Nadu on July 30, 2000, at gunpoint, according to the prosecution.

The actor was in captivity for over 100 days in the jungles spread across Western Ghats abutting Thalawady near here, leading to tension in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and further straining the ties between the two states.

After 108 days, Veerappan released the actor.

On a complaint from Rajkumar's wife, a case was registered against Veerappan and his associates under various section of the Indian Penal Code, including conspiracy, and kidnapping, besides for offences under the Arms Act.

Veerappan was killed in an alleged encounter near Dharampuri in 2004, along with three of his men. The remaining nine accused were arrested and later enlarged on bail.

When the judgement was pronounced, all the accused, except Puttusamy (who absented himself on health grounds), were present in the court. A heavy posse of police personnel was deployed around the court premises.Supreme Court made it obligatory for political parties to put out all information about their candidates on their websites. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Terming criminalisation of politics in the worlds largest democracy as unsettling, the Supreme Court asked the Parliament to frame measures to battle this menace.

The apex court was hearing a public interest litigation seeking to disqualify candidates contesting elections after a court has framed charges against him or her.

The 5-member Constitution bench, led by Chief Justice Dipak Mishra, directed candidates to declare his or her criminal antecedents to the Election Commission before contesting polls.

The court ruled that citizens have a right to be informed about their candidates past.

The top court made it obligatory for political parties to put out all information about their candidates on their websites.

It also directed wider publicity about political candidates through print and electronic media.

Informed choice is the cornerstone of a democracy, the bench said.Hyderabad: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday urged the authorities to cancel the recognition of educational institutions which fail to provide safety for children. He was addressing a programme on Women and Childrens Safety Awareness Campaign at Owaisi Playgrounds, Golconda, organised by the All India Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen on Tuesday. Our aim is to reach the children and remove the fear from the minds of school-going children, he said.

He distributed pepper sprays to female students of government junior and degree colleges and asked them to use it on the shaitaane who want to destroy your life. He told the managements of private and government educational institutions of the Twin Cities that it was their primary responsibility to provide safety for the children.

Recalling the instance of molestation of two kids at Azaan School, the MP said, What happened is very horrific. I strongly condemn it. The school management lacked the courtesy to express solidarity with the victims family. He adviced the children, If anybody does anything wrong to you, dont get scared. Tell your parents and also inform the school management. Dont be silent. We will stand by you. If you get scared, our country will not prosper. He said that it was not the sole responsibility of the police to ensure safe surrounding for children, but the responsibility also lies on politicians and society at large.TRS MLA in the dissolved Assembly Konda Surekha and her husband and MLC Konda Murali address the media at Somajiguda on Tuesday. (Photos: S. Surender Reddy)

Hyderabad: TRS MLA in the dissolved Assembly Konda Surekha and her husband and MLC Konda Murali have decided to quit the TRS. The Konda couple wrote an open letter to caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media, they both lashed out at the CM and his son and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao. They alleged that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had cheated and betrayed them. Ms Konda Surekha said, The TRS has committed a blunder by depriving me of the ticket in the upcoming assembly elections. Am I worse than the 105 candidates announced by TRS President Chandrasekhar Rao?

She alleged that she was denied the ticket and distanced by the party because of her proximity to irrigation minister T. Harish Rao. In fact, in a strategic manner, party tickets were denied to the leaders of the Harish Rao camp, she said.

Mr Harish Rao had recently confessed about his plans to resign from politics because he was not able to function freely in the party, according to her.

She alleged that the CM and his son were self-centred and added that even after she had written an open letter to them they had not spoken with her. Konda Surekha said that could not continue in the party under these circumstances. She said that several political parties including the Congress and the BJP had invited her to join their parties. She would announce her plan of action soon.

Ms Surekha said that she and her husband or her daughter would contest in the forthcoming elections. She said that IT Minister KT Rama Rao should prepare to take Rajakiya Sanyasam because the defeat of the TRS in the coming Assembly elections was certain. Mr Rama Rao had declared that if the TRS did not retain power, he was ready to take Rajakiya Sanyasam.

She alleged that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had never taken interest in solving the problems between both the Telugu states. Mr Rao has a personal rivalry with his AP state counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu, she alleged.

Reacting to comments made by KT Rama Rao over the grand alliance she questioned whether TRS was not continuing secret ties with the BJP. What is wrong if TRS MP D Srinivas son is in the BJP when TRS leader Errabelli Dayakar Raos son-in-law is in the Congress, she asked.

Konda Surekha alleged that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had decided to go for early elections to make his son, KT Rama Rao, the Chief Minister. She also alleged that the CM did not implement any assurances and instead of providing a job to each household, KCRs family got four political jobs.

In another context she claimed that she was denied a ministers post because she belonged to a BC community.New Delhi: Samastha Kerala Jamilathul Ulema has challenged in the Supreme Court the constitutional validity of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2018, which abolishes triple talaq among Muslims and makes it a punishable offence. The organisation submitted that this ordinance, notified on September 19, is violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution and, accordingly, requires to be struck down.

The ordinance is also unconstitutional for failing to satisfy the mandatory requirements of Article 123 of the Constitution, viz the ordinance-making power, it said. It pointed out that the ordinance applies across the country and has thus had national ramifications. The ordinance has introduced penal legislation, specific to a class of persons based on religious identity.

It said once there was a declaration made by this court that triple talaq was illegal, there was no surviving action, let alone immediate action warranted to reiteratively abolish the practice and penalise triple talaq by way of an ordinance under Article 123. The fact that the matter is pending before Rajya Sabha is a reason to await the outcome of the matter, it said.Mumbai: Under pressure from his party after he chanted Ganpati bappa morya when he visited a Ganesh pandal last week in Byculla area in Mu-mbai, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Waris Pathan has issued a public apology. The MLA released a video in which he sought forgiveness for saying certain words for which he has also apologised to the almighty.

In the video, he admitted that it was a mistake and he will never repeat it again. Mr Pathan also said that he hopes Allah will forgive him for the mistake. Yes, I accept my mistake. I assure you that this mistake will not be repeated. I am also a human and every human makes mistake. Even I did and I regret it, Mr Pathan said in a video.

Recently, Mr Pathan had visited a Ganapati pandal in his constituency, Byculla, where he reportedly chanted Ganpati bappa morya. However, according to reports, soon after the video of Mr Pathans visit to Ganesh pandal emerged, his party disapproved of it. As a result, he was forced to issue a public apology.New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to direct the Election Commission to debar candidates with a serious criminal background from contesting elections and instead asked Parliament to enact suitable legislation to decriminalise the countrys polity. A five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices Rohinton Nariman, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, however, directed that the criminal antecedents of all candidates seeking to contest elections must be made public through wide publicity in the media.

Writing the judgement disposing of the petitions filed by NGO Public Interest Foundation and others, the CJI said it would be mandatory for political parties fielding chargesheeted persons and contesting candidates to make known to the public their criminal background at least three times after the filing of nominations so that voters would have an informed choice before voting.

The CJI said on a perusal of the relevant articles in the Constitution, it was clear as crystal that disqualification for being chosen as a member of either House of Parliament and similarly disqualification for being chosen or being a member of the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council of a state, the law had to be made by Parliament.

While criminalisation in politics is a bitter manifest truth, that is a termite to the citadel of democracy, the court cannot make the law. The court said: In a multi-party democracy, where members are elected on party lines and are subject to party discipline, we recommend to Parliament to bring out a strong law whereby it is mandatory for political parties to revoke the membership of persons against whom charges are framed in heinous and grievous offences, and not set up such persons in elections, both for Parliament and the state Assemblies. This, in our attentive and plausible view, would go a long way in achieving decriminalisation of politics and usher in an era of immaculate, spotless, unsullied and virtuous constitutional democracy.

The bench said substantial efforts have to be undertaken to cleanse the polluted stream of politics by prohibiting people with criminal antecedents so that they do not even conceive of the idea of entering politics. We are sure, the law making wing of the democracy of this country will take it upon itself to cure the malignancy. We say so as such a malignancy is not incurable. It only depends upon the time and stage when one starts treating it; the sooner the better, before it becomes fatal to democracy. Thus, we part, leaving the future exercise to the wisdom of Parliament, the bench added.

In a series of other directions, the bench said that each contesting candidate shall fill up the nomination form which must contain in bold letters the criminal cases pending against the candidate; if a candidate is contesting an election on the ticket of a particular party, he/she is required to inform the party about the criminal cases pending against him/her. The concerned political party shall be obligated to put up on its website the aforesaid information pertaining to candidates having criminal antecedents. The candidate and the concerned party shall issue a declaration in widely-circulated newspapers in the locality about the antecedents of the candidate and also give wide publicity in the electronic media.

The CJI said: We have issued the aforesaid directions with immense anguish, for the Election Commission cannot deny a candidate to contest on the symbol of a party. A time has come that Parliament must make a law to ensure persons facing serious criminal cases do not enter the political stream. The court said it was one thing to take cover under the presumption of innocence of the accused, but it was equally imperative that persons who enter public life and participate in lawmaking should be above any kind of serious criminal allegation. It is true that false cases are foisted on prospective candidates, but the same can be addressed by Parliament through appropriate legislation.

The bench said constitutional functionaries, who have taken the pledge to uphold constitutional principles, are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the existing political framework does not get tainted with the evil of corruption. However, despite this mandate in the Constitution, Indias democracy, the worlds largest, has seen a steady increase in the level of criminalisation that has been creeping into the Indian polity.The case was subsequently transferred to a special investigation team of the state CB-CID, Coimbatore, as it had inter-state ramifications.

Gobichettipalayam: In an epic closure to the over 18-year-old case on the sensational kidnap of veteran Kannada actor Rajkumar by sandalwood brigand Veerappan and his associates, a district court in Gobichettipalayam in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday acquitted all the nine surviving accused who were tried in the case, as none of the charges against them were proved by the prosecution.

The Third Additional Sessions Judge, Gobi, Mr Mani , in his order set free all the nine surviving accused- Govindaraj, 46, Andril, 45, Basavannah, 57, Puttusamy, 53, Kalmandiraman, 52, Maran, 48, Selvam 43, Amirthalingam 44, and Nagaraj, 47-, who were among the 14 charge-sheeted in the case.

The much-wanted forest brigand Veerappan and two of his key associates, Sethukuli Govindan and Chandre Gowda, along with others had abducted Rajkumar at gun-point from his farmhouse at Doddagajanur near Thalavadi in Erode district on July 30, 2000. The actor was freed by the brigand after hectic parleys by intermediaries in the forests bordering Tamil Nadu-Karnataka after 108 days captivity. The charge-sheet in the case against 14 accused was filed in 2007.

Rajkumar was Veerappans prize catch those days and his was the most sensational of abductions by the elusive outlaw, who finally was shot dead along with Sethukuli Govindan and Chandre Gowda by a joint SIT team headed then by Mr. Vijayakumar in an encounter near Dharmapuri on October 18, 2004 night.

Even as the case was being investigated, both Kannada actor Rajkumar and his wife, Parvathavarthini Ammal, who had filed the police complaint, had passed away due to age-related health issues, it may be recalled.

The case was subsequently transferred to a special investigation team of the state CB-CID, Coimbatore, as it had inter-state ramifications.

All the 14 accused in the case were charged under various IPC sections including conspiracy and kidnap, besides under provisions of the Arms Act and the Explosives Substances Act, the prosecution said.

Besides the three main accused in the case, namely Veerappan, Sethukuli Govindan and Chandre Gowda having already died in police encounter, one other accused Kalmani Mallu died last year when the trial was still going on. Yet another accused Ramesh of Neyveli, has been absconding for long years, leaving only nine of the accused being tried and who were appearing in the court during the trial period.

Interestingly, the trial in the case that went on for over ten years, was heard by as many as ten Judges. Only one of the nine accused, Puttusamy, did not appear in court today on health grounds, when the Judge Mr. Mani delivered the verdict.

In a historic judgment, Mr. Mani pointed out to the several flaws in the police investigation, even as he stated that none of the charges against the accused was proved beyond doubt. The Judge in his order said, to start with neither the Kannada thespian Rajkumar nor his wife were enquired by the police.

Emphasising that the filing of the FIR in the case was delayed, the Judge said the prosecution failed to prove several cardinal aspects of the case. The Judge said that proper procedure was not followed while some arms were seized on connection with the case. No identification parade of the accused was done.

Referring to the popular Tamil journalist Nakkeeran Gopal and some others having gone as an intermediary on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government then to negotiate the release of Dr Rajkumar, the Judge said the police did not inquire them either. Important pieces of evidences were not attached to the case.

The Judge in his order further said that the prosecution had not produced any evidence to establish the kind of links the surviving accused in the case had with Veerappan. Hence, all the nine surviving accused were acquitted, he ruled.Hyderabad: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is more particular about the Telangana elections. The high command has decided to concentrate on the constituencies of Telangana where Congress leaders have lost in consecutive elections while selecting candidates for the upcoming elections.

The Congress high command is worried over the partys defeat in the 2014 elections even after granting Statehood to Telangana. This was said by none other than the AICC President Mr Rahul Gandhi to Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leaders at the airport in Hyderabad after returning from Kurnool to take his flight to Delhi last week.

Now the Congress high command doesnt want to take any chances in the upcoming elections and is therefore clearing all minor issues within the party. In this regard, the party has started focusing on the candidates who were defeated in elections consecutively. The screening process for these candidates will be tougher as their fate will be decided based on the survey reports that will be done soon by the TPCC. The high command has decided to replace these consecutive losers and the aspirants with more defeats than victories, if their graph is still declining.

Speaking to DC, a AICC senior leader from Delhi said, The party is concentrating more on the candidates with consecutive defeats. It doesnt mean that the party will not give a ticket to them. If they have lost in consecutive elections, we will check the percentage of votes, whether they were more or less than the last time the candidate lost and look at what the survey has found about the candidates winning chances this time. If the graph has declined, the indication is they are out of favour in the public, then we are ready to replace them.AIMIM leader Owaisi had dared BJP president Amit Shah to contest the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat after he attacked his party during a recent visit to poll-bound Telangana. (Photo: File | PTI)

Hyderabad: The BJP would come out with a game-plan to defeat the three-time Hyderabad Lok Sabha member and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and field "a son-of-the-soil" against him in next year's election, says a party leader.

Owaisi in his response said he is ready to face any candidate of the saffron party.

The AIMIM leader had dared BJP president Amit Shah to contest the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat after he attacked his party during a recent visit to poll-bound Telangana.

"These (Owaisi's challenge to Shah) are silly attempts to grab political headlines and attention. And we don't need to field our national president to defeat Owaisi", BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao told news agency PTI.

"We will field a son-of-the-soil from Telangana who will this time end Owaisi's continued run as Member of Parliament. This time, we will really trounce him in Lok Sabha polls", Rao asserted.

The BJP, he said, would certainly come out with a game-plan to defeat Owaisi, who has been representing the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat since 2004, and would field a local leader against him in the Parliamentary elections next year.

Owaisi said BJP might be having "all these game plans but the people of Hyderabad and people of India, in particular, are asking them what's the plan they have to bring down petrol and diesel prices".

"All their plans have failed in providing employment to youths which they promised, rupee is hitting 73 a dollar, what's the plan to bring normalcy in Kashmir? They don't have plans for things which are of national importance", he told PTI.

"So, BJP's priorities are completely misplaced but anyway they are welcome. In a democracy I cannot pick and choose my opponent, I am ready to face any one of them", Owaisi said.Hyderabad: Once again Telangana is becoming the main issue in the upcoming Assembly elections. The ruling TRS, the main opposition the Congress, and the BJP are trying to take credit for the formation of the separate state of Telangana.

AICC leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who played a key role in the state bifurcation in the UPA government, reopened the issue on his recent visit to Hyderabad. After four and a half years of the formation of the state, the main political parties are still playing on the Telangana sentiment to get political mileage in the coming assembly elections.

AICC leader Azad reignited the Telangana issue by alleging that the TRS had no role in the formation of the Telangana state and this credit went to the Congress only. He said that they had not even discussed the issue with TRS Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. He said the separate state was formed due to the struggle of Telangana Congress MPs and the overconfidence of Seemandhra MPs.

In a strong counter to Mr Azad, TRS MP G. Vinod Kumar accused him of twisting historical facts and challenged him to a debate on the issue. He said, Let the facts of the separate statehood movement be placed before people of Telangana.

He said that the Congress was forced to deliver the Telangana state due to the efforts of the TRS which convinced 32 political parties to support the bifurcation of AP. AICC Secretary and former MP, Madhu Yashki Goud, also challenged the TRS to an open debate on the Congress role in the formation of the Telangana state.

Meanwhile, the BJP also entered the debate and said that it had raised the separate Telangana issue earlier and also passed a resolution in its party meeting held in Kakinada. BJP MP and former Union minister Bandaru Datta-treya, condemning Mr Azads claim said Telangana people had rejected the Congress in the 2014 elections because it had delayed the creation of a separate state. TRS minister T. Harish Rao said had it not been for the fast unto death undertaken by KCR, the Congress would not have yielded to pressure.

The TPCC wants to make Telangana the main political issue. The Congress plans to highlight UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, respecting the sentiments of TS people, granted separate statehood and after the formation of the separate state, KCR was utilising the chance for the benefit of his family.With the arrival of the BJP-led government in 2014, the Make In India campaign introduced by the Government of India has had a tremendous impact on the economy of the country. Major manufacturers have since then considered shifting their manufacturing facilities from their native countries to the Indian soil. The campaign has led to a substantial growth of employment opportunities for the citizens across the country.

Ravi Raj, Brand Head Director, Sales and Support at NetRack says with the launch of Make in India initiative taken in the year 2014, the government realised especially to boost the Electronics and IT Hardware manufacturing (ESDM) sector to achieve the goal of zero imports by 2020. Of course, since its inception, there have been fundamental changes observed in the landscape and the business models of ESDM industry in India. We at NetRack believe that major steps like digital revolution and the dedicated commitment of using technology, along with this initiative, have opened-up the huge avenues for the ESDM industry to manufacture innovative products and offer solution across the country. In order to see a large shift to a high value-added product-based model in the ESDM sector, we think that fabless ecosystem requires the maximum support from both the government and the other industry bodies by focusing on design and intellectual property ownership in terms of boosting and scaling up the sector within the country.

However, it is one of the golden opportunities, helping to put India on the globe of becoming the design-led electronics manufacturing hub and attract investments and create skilful jobs in the country. Moreover, it also adds value to push the trade policies to the robust Indian economy.

Manish Krishnan, Founder and CEO at ATCS Inc feels like the worlds fastest-growing economy this fiscal year, India added another feather to its cap. The Make in India initiative was introduced to boost the national economy and has achieved much-deserved global recognition. With the economy becoming domestically oriented, the dependency on imports has been scaling down. In fact, the initiative has received its share of international support with global giants like Apple, who embrace it wholeheartedly.

Leading economies like USA and China also feature similar initiatives to boost their domestic economy. With its presence in all three leading economies, Advanced Technology Consulting Services (ATCS) has been focused on contributing to Indias domestic growth.

ATCS is a business and technology consulting firm specializing in offering technical solutions to global corporations. As a next-gen tech services provider, ATCS offers par excellence solutions in healthcare and automotive sectors. Aligned with the vision of Make in India, ATCS nurtures national talent and creates innovative solutions from the ground up, rather than relying on already established time-tested models.

ATCS has focused on the emerging city, Jaipur, to create employment opportunities, foster innovation, harness skills and attract upcoming talent. This has also been a strategic move of the company to lower attrition rates that are prevalent in highly competitive tier 1 city such as Mumbai and Bengaluru.

As Make in India expands manifold, so do ATCS goals to focus towards domestic businesses that will help create an impact at the domestic level. The company is continuously driven towards maintaining a healthy business environment and delivering high-quality business technology solutions.

Gaurav Ahluwalia, Managing Director at R&M India explains that with the launch of Make in India initiative in 2014, the Indian economy has witnessed radiant growth in IT and manufacturing sectors. This call from the Indian government has encouraged various global/foreign investors operating in different verticals to make investments in India and boost their business by building the products here. It has identified and facilitated the leading sectors of the country which are responsible for rapid economic growth and employment in the states.

Make in India initiative has also surged up the development of Smart cities across the country which sequentially demanded more IT and manufacturing hubs locally. This was surely a need for the additional workforce which led to an increase in employment in the country.

The manufacturing industry is one among the 25 focused sectors of the initiative. In-line to the initiative, R&M, a Switzerland based company has recently made a significant investment in India and successfully opened an expansive state-of-art production facility in Bangalore. Through this step, we at R&M are utilizing the skillset of Indian workforce and are able to manufacture innovative Structured Cabling, Data Center and Telecommunication products & solutions with Swiss standards for numerous verticals across the globe. It has also helped in manufacturing customized products.

Make in India initiative has soared the position of India in the context of ease of doing business on its land. The program has more potential to take Indian economy at much better ranking and soon brand India as a developed country.

Satish Kumar V, Co-Founder and CEO at EverestIMS Technologies Pvt Ltd says that Make in India is a supreme initiative taken up by the Indian government to accelerate the countrys economy. Successfully completing the 4-year mark from its launch, it has made an accountable growth in the GDP. With its effective campaigns, it has encouraged both multi-national and domestic industrialists across the globe to invest in India and manufacture their products here. This move resulted in an exponential rise in the home production/ local manufacturing hubs.

The primary objective of this initiative is to strengthen Indias IT and manufacturing sector. We can observe a paradigmatic shift in the Government policies and bureaucratic processes. Elimination of unnecessary laws helped to carry-out regulatory clearances faster. By cutting down the taxes for startups, India has positioned as the 3rd IT start-up hub in promoting various technologies. This step has played an integral role in facilitating jobs and nurturing innovative skills among the youth of India.

As EverestIMS, being an Indian based software company, specialized in providing software offerings for Unified IT Infra Management and ITSM, we feel proud/honoured to work along the lines of Make in India initiative. It has boosted up our business by tackling the SMB segment of India and also assisted in making our footprints into the government sector. With the governments recommendation on Make in India products, EverestIMS has become a primary vendor of Infrastructure Management Solutions for industry giants in Telco, PSU & BFSI sectors.

Establishment of local R&D centres has increased the utilization of Indian software engineering skills, resulting in the rise of youth employment. The initiative also provided a platform to enhance the skill set of the workforce with regards to the technology trends/market trends.

Make in India has totally changed the perspective of the Indian market. Today, we see a lot of demand for Indian products as it has built confidence in customers across the globe to use Indian products. Indeed, it has become the largest and fast growing government initiative ever!

Rajarshi Bhattacharyya, Country Head at SUSE feels Make in India has given an enormous boost in the domestic manufacturing sector that has slowly resulted in the sustainable growth of GDP. With the increased domestic business growth, the consumption of the IT OEM Software has increased drastically. SUSE in India has been growing phenomenally for the last 4 years and that growth is primarily powered by the growth in the Manufacturing Sector. Our Business in the BFSI market has also tripled in the last 4 years. Other Industry segments are also growing at an equally significant rate. Make in India is the much-required initiative that the business required to ensure sustainable growth in the country.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.Justice Kavanaugh is the second judge to be nominated by Trump on the nine-member US Supreme Court. (Photo: File)

Washington: Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Monday sought a fair process to defend his integrity, in the wake of what is described as a false accusation of sexual assault against him.

"I am looking for a fair process, a process where I can defend my integrity and clear my name. And all I am asking for is fairness and that I'd be heard in this process," Kavanaugh told Fox News in a rare interview Monday night.

Breaking his long silence on the issue, Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley appeared on Fox News in the Supreme Court nominee's first interview after the allegations against him surfaced.

Two women have come out publicly in the last 10 days to allege that they were sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh, in incidents 36 and 25 years ago. "I have never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever. I have always treated women with dignity and respect," Kavanaugh said. "Listen to the people who have known me best through my whole life, the women who have known me since high school, the 65 who overnight signed a letter from high school, saying I always treated them with dignity and respect...," he added.

Kavanaugh and his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. The Democrats are asking for an FBI investigation into the incident, which has so far been stonewalled by the Republicans and President Donald trump.

"And this is an allegation about a party in the summer of 1982 at a house near Connecticut Avenue and East-West Highway with five people present. I was never at any such party," Kavanaugh said.

"The other people who were alleged to be present have said they do not remember any such party. A woman who was present, another woman who was present, who is Dr Ford's lifelong friend, has said she does not know me and never remembers being at a party with me at any time in her life. All I am asking for is a fair process where I can be heard," he added. "I never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr Ford," Kavanaugh said, adding, "What I know is the truth. And the truth is, I have never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or otherwise."

"I am not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr Ford, at some point in her life, was sexually assaulted by someone in some place. But what I know is, I have never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or at any time in my life," he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump hoped that his Supreme Court nominee would soon be confirmed.

"We hope he is going to be confirmed. He is a fine, fine man. A great scholar and great at everything he has ever done. And it would be sad, indeed, if something happened to reroute that. This is a fine man. And we certainly hope he is going to be confirmed, and quickly," Trump told reporters in New York.

"His family has suffered. What is going on is not something that should happen. Brett Kavanaugh is an absolute outstanding person. Hopefully, he will be confirmed quickly," the US president said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also came out in Kavanaugh's defence.

"Senate Democrats and their allies are trying to destroy a man's 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," he said on the Senate floor.

Justice Kavanaugh is the second judge to be 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.The 30-year-old is charged with manslaughter for killing Botham Shem Jean, an immigrant from the Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia. (Photo: AFP)

Chicago: 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.

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.The two leaders held their first historic meeting in Singapore in June but the details of their agreement over disarmament were vague, with no timeline or indication on how the steps towards denuclearisation would be achieved. (Photo: File)

Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he expects to hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "in the not too distant future" over the progress in the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and praised him for being "very open and terrific".

The two leaders held their first historic meeting in Singapore in June but the details of their agreement over disarmament were vague, with no timeline or indication on how the steps towards denuclearisation would be achieved.

"I am going to be meeting with Chairman Kim in the not-too-distant future. The location is being worked on, the time is being worked on, and we will be announcing it," Trump told reporters during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In in New York on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly.

Trump praised Kim as "very open" and "terrific", despite the glacial pace of progress toward denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula. His comments were in stark contrast to his debut address at last year's general assembly when he threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea and denounced Kim as "rocket man". Pyongyang responded by calling the US president "mentally deranged".

The White House on Monday said the two leaders discussed plans for a second summit between Trump and Kim and committed to closely coordinating the next steps. Moon shared with Trump the outcomes of this month's inter-Korean summit, which included Kim's reiteration of his commitment to completing denuclearisation, the White House said.

"Trump commended President Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with Chairman Kim and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea," said a readout of the meeting. The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining vigorous enforcement of the existing sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that denuclearisation is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, it added.

Since the June 12 meeting between Trump and Kim, the North has made overtures to the South and tried to improve its image. While little concrete change has occurred, North Korea has suspended its controversial missile testing, a major source of regional tension.

Kim has promised to dismantle North Korea's main missile testing and launching site, and said he could decommission the main nuclear test site, if the US took some reciprocal action. Some critics have raised concerns that the human rights situation in North Korea has been ignored to ensure better relations.

In the months since the Singapore summit, talks have faltered over North Korea's unwillingness to start dismantling its nuclear weapons programme without first having firmer security guarantees from Washington.'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. (Photo: File)

Washington: 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 news 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.Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-up in Germany. (Photo: File)

Tallinn: Pope Francis acknowledged Tuesday that the sex abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church were driving people away and said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations.

Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-up in Germany.

Francis told a gathering of young people in Estonia, considered one of the least religious countries in the world, that he knew many young people felt the church had nothing to offer them and simply doesn't understand their problems today.

Those complaints recently poured into the Vatican via surveys commissioned ahead of a big meeting of bishops starting next week on how to better minister to young Catholics.

"We know - and you have told us - that many young people do not turn to us for anything because they don't feel we have anything meaningful to say to them," Francis told a gathering of Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox young people. "They are upset by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them."

He said the church wants to respond to those complaints transparently and honestly.

"We ourselves need to be converted," he said. "We have to realize that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off."

It was a very public admission of the church's failures in confronting sex abuse scandals, which have roared back to the headlines recently with revelations of abuse and cover-up in the US, Chilean and now German church. The Germany bishops conference on Tuesday was releasing a report that found that some 3,677 people  more than half of them 13 or younger and nearly a third of them altar boys  were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

The report, compiled by university researchers, found evidence that some files were manipulated or destroyed, many cases were not brought to justice, and that sometimes abusers were simply moved to other dioceses without the congregations being informed about their past, according to the results that leaked earlier in the German press.

The scandal, which erupted in Ireland in the 1990s and subsequently Australia and the US in following decades, now threatens Francis' own papacy since a former Vatican ambassador accused him of rehabilitating an American cardinal who slept with seminarians.

Francis has declined to respond to the accusations, but the Vatican is expected to soon.Embassy Office Parks, co-owned by property developer Embassy Group and private equity giant Blackstone, on Monday filed documents with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to raise over Rs 5,000 crore ($726 million) through a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).

Embassy Office Parks REIT was registered with the Sebi in July 2017 and the decision to list comes at a time infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) got a poor response in the market.

Speaking to DH, Blackstone official said the company is very hopeful of raising the money as it comprises of seven projects already generating a rental income of over Rs 2,000 crore.

"We believe many of the existing clients who are occupying these projects will renew their agreements and will fetch even more returns. So, investors will be assured more returns for their REIT investment," she said.

REITs and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs), two instruments promulgated by Sebi, were notified in September, 2014 as part of an initiative to formalise the real estate investment across the country.

The Bengaluru-based developer is going to add 50 million square feet in the coming years, almost tripling the company's capacity.

Embassy Office Parks owns and operates 33-million-sq feet space across Mumbai, Pune and Noida and Bengaluru. The company also leased its properties to global tenants like Google, Microsoft and JP Morgan.

According to the Blackstone official, the REIT is expected to list before the end of current fiscal year. "There is a likelyhood of raising 25% above the amount while filing the REIT. Then the total funds raised will be more than Rs 6,000 crore," she said.

Colliers International India Managing Director Joe Verghese said Embassy's decision to team up with Blackstone for the first REIT in India is one of the biggest milestones for the Indian Real Estate industry this year.

"Positioned to be the biggest REIT in Asia in terms of portfolio, the REIT will also be the first opportunity for retail investors to participate in investing into a single office asset platform with assets not only in Asias No 1 city of choice for technology occupiers but also in the major office districts of India," he said.

Verghese also added that for the industry, it opens up a new avenue for the exit for institutional office assets investments as well as provides developers a new avenue to gain more liquidity.

"Considering the buoyancy in the India Office leasing market and the forecasted growth, it seems to be very well timed both for the existing investors as well as for the market," he said.

Commenting on the development, SKY Dealz Inc CEO and Founder Satish B N said REIT will reduce debt instruments like LRDs and this will improve availability of credit to the larger number of developers.

"I do believe that larger investment in realty sector will have an overall positive impact on our economy and government's efforts to build massive infrastructure to spur growth," he said.

Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan and Kotak Mahindra are the lead bankers working on the REIT listing.The country's second largest IT services company Infosys has been awarded a CAD $80.3 million contract by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), with eyes on further federal departments and agencies.

The deal, that will be executed by Infosys Public Services (IPS), a Canada-based fully owned subsidiary of IT major partnering with public sector organisations, is aimed at modernising and automating PSPC's procurement processes.

PSPC is a key provider of services for federal departments and agencies. It supports them in the achievement of their mandated objectives as their central purchasing agent, linguistic authority, real property manager, treasurer, accountant, integrity adviser, and pay and pension administrator.

IPS is working with Ernst & Young LLP (EY) and SAP Canada (SAP) to digitise PSPC procurement system through the implementation and management of a cloud-based electronic procurement solution. The new solution, which will be using SAP Ariba, SAP Fieldglass and ServiceNow, will provide an intuitive, web-based portal for PSPC and its suppliers to access procurement information and services in both English and French, the company said.

As the prime system integrator, IPS will implement the SAP-based solution and set up a network that provides Tier-I, II and III support services. EY Canada will facilitate the design and deployment of future state processes and enabling technology to support PSPC procurement modernisation agenda. EY Canada will also provide change management and training support as the program gets rolled out.

Based on the experience within PSPC, the government will determine whether to expand the solution to other federal departments and agencies, the company added. Provincial and municipal organisations will later be offered an option to use this new platform to streamline their procurement processes and reduce the administrative burden while engaging with more than 1,83,000 government suppliers.

Navigating their programs and services to a digital future requires organizations to not only identify the right technologies to implement, but also to enable them quickly and at-scale, said Eric Paternoster, Chief Executive Officer, Infosys Public Services.While even moderate rains are triggering the lakes frothing, heavy downpour in the last two days have washed away any hope of improving conditions in one of the largest waterbodies in the city.

The Rs 50 crore allocation to rejuvenate the lake in this years budget apparently had no effect on its condition.

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said the government will take concrete measures to control frothing and improve the quality of water.

Bellandur lake hit international headlines when the foam emerging from the lake caught fire on several occasions. Much has been said about industrial effluent flowing into the lake, authorities turning their back on the lake and relentless campaign by locals and activists.

One of the activists and a member of Whitefield Rising Sonali Singh attributed the frothing to heavy rains and raising water levels. It was bad in the morning. Foam rose above and flew out of the mesh, she said.

Activists also point out that wire mesh and water sprinklers installed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to curb the foaming proved to be ineffective. The government and the BDA havent taken the advice of lake experts and Lake Committee to improve the water quality seriously, Sonali said.

G Parameshwara inspected the lake in June and promised the residents to stop the frothing and stench in three months.

The Deputy Chief Minister, also holding the city development portfolio, directed officials to ensure the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are functional.

Theres no visible action despite the ministers reassurance, Sonali said. The STP work is still in progress, while the BWSSB has set 2020 as deadline for this completion.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 several 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 rompong's 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, Adilang's 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 -- we're going to celebrate," his mother said.President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged heavy pressure both on Iran and Washington's trading partners as he offered a robust defense of the US right to go it alone.

With midterm elections in the United States little more than a month away, Trump's address at times took on the feel of a campaign address as he heralded low unemployment.

Boasting that his team "has achieved more than any administration in the history of our country," Trump was met with laughter, highly unusual in the solemn General Assembly.

"I didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay," Trump responded.

U.N. audience can be heard laughing following Trump's claims that his administration has accomplished 'more than almost any administration in the history' of the U.S. pic.twitter.com/QxmYDnONov  Reuters Top News (@Reuters) September 25, 2018

Addressing world leaders at the start of the annual United Nations General Assembly, Trump lashed out at the OPEC oil cartel, China's trade policies and the International Criminal Court which he vowed the United States would never accept.

Hours before Iranian President Hassan Rouhani takes the same rostrum, Trump denounced the clerical regime as sowing "chaos, death and destruction" and doubled down on the US withdrawal of an international agreement on curbing Tehran's nuclear program.

But the real estate mogul turned populist leader was comparatively subdued a year after he stunned the global body with his bellicose language on North Korea, including a threat to "totally destroy" Kim Jong Un's state.

This time around, Trump heralded his own diplomacy on North Korea including a historic summit in June with Kim, saying he has worked to "replace the specter of conflict with a bold and new push for peace."

Iran is a major focus of the annual week of UN diplomacy, months after Trump irritated US allies in Europe by withdrawing from a 2015 agreement under which Tehran has sharply curtailed its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

A day after the European Union announced a new legal framework in hopes that companies can keep doing business with Iran and evade incoming US sanctions, Trump demanded that all countries take aim at Tehran -- and noted that his decision has been popular among the Shiite-majority nation's Sunni Arab rivals.

"We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons," Trump said, in an allusion to Tehran's support for Islamic militant movements such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

"We cannot allow a regime that chants 'Death to America' and that threatens Israel with annihilation, to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on Earth," he said.

"We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues.

Trump robustly attacked the "globalist" view of the world -- shared by many at the United Nations and on the political left in the United States -- and vowed: "America will never apologize for protecting its citizens."

He said that the UN-backed International Criminal Court has "no jurisdiction, no legitimacy and no authority."

His national security adviser John Bolton earlier went so far as to threaten to prosecute judges from the court in The Hague if they take up accusations against US forces in Afghanistan.

"We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy. America is governed by Americans," Trump said.

Amid a growing trade war with China, Trump said that the commercial imbalance with the Asian power "cannot be tolerated" and reserved harsh words for OPEC, the global oil cartel that includes both US allies and foes.

"OPEC and OPEC nations are, as usual, ripping off the rest of the world, and I don't like it. Nobody should like it."Top Congress leaders on Monday met Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdary with a demand for a threadbare examination of the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

We have demanded CVC to take cognisance, to seize all files and documents related to Rafale and register an FIR, Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters after a party delegation comprising Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Kapil Sibal, Jairam Ramesh, Manish Tewari, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Vivek Tankha and Pramod Tiwari met the CVC.

Sharma expressed apprehension that the Narendra Modi government may destroy evidence and demanded that the CVC lodge an FIR in this regard and immediately take action.

The Congress has been claiming that the government bought the Rafale fighter aircraft at more than three times the price that was finalised by the UPA.

The Congress has also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally changed the Rafale deal to the benefit of his crony capitalist friend Anil Ambani.

Government is bound to provide full information to the 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 CVCs domain to examine and to return a finding, the Congress said in the memorandum submitted to the CVC.

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, the main opposition party said.

The meeting comes a week after a Congress delegation approached the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and urged the government auditor to prepare a report on the alleged irregularities in the deal and present it in Parliament.

Before the Congress delegation met the CVC, party president Rahul Gandhi quoted a French website which claimed that Hollande told them France was given no offset option but Anil Ambani.

The Congress leaders also submitted about two dozen documents as an annexure to their complaint which included a French media report on former French president Francois Hollande that claimed that the Indian government suggested Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as the offset partner for the Rafale deal.Dawn Patrol Rendezvous

by A. Kevin Grantham

The National Museum of the United States Air Force held their bi-annual Dawn Patrol Rendezvous over the weekend of September 21-23, 2018. The event focused on commemorating the centennial for the end of World War I with living history impressions, replica aircraft, and vintage cars.

Festivities began at 1:00 PM on Friday, September 21, 2018 with the dedication of a new World War I monument, sponsored by the League of WWI Aviation Historians (LWWIAH). Special guests included relatives of a number of legendary WWI aviators:

Ms. Nancy Hall Rutgers, daughter of Lafayette Escadrille pilot Lt. James Norman Hall

Lt. Col. Nicholas Rutgers, great-grandson of Lt. James Norman Hall

great-grandson of Lt. James Norman Hall Mr. and Mrs. Raoul Lufbery, Mr. Lufbery is the great-nephew of Lafayette Escadrille Pilot, Major Raoul Lufbery

Mr. William Nungesser, a cousin of the great French ace and Layfayette Escadrillle pilot Lt. Charles Nungesser

Mr. Barney Landry, son of WWI pilot Lt. Barney Landry, 35th Aero Squadron

Ms. Tarra Stenseth Riley, great-niece of WWI ace Lt. Martinus Stenseth, 26th Aero Squadron

Robert Kasprzak moderated the ceremony that opened with a very loud and moving flyover by an B-1 bomber in full afterburner. Ms. Mary Muller, daughter of WWI pilot Lt. Stephen Thomas; Col. Carl Fishbach, Commander 7th Operations Group, Dyess AFB, Texas; and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) John Hudson, Director, NMUSAF gave speeches that helped mark this event. Perhaps, the words of Michael ONeal, President, LWWIAH best captured the background and true motivation for installing this tribute to the American aviators of World War I:

In the early morning hours of 12 September 1918, just over one hundred years ago today, the combined forces of the United States and France launched the Saint-Mihiel offensive. Its purpose was to straighten out the bulge in the front lines of Saint-Mihiel in preparation for the final autumn offensives which would bring the war to end all wars to a close just two months hence. In support of this offensive, nearly 1,500 aircraft, French, British and American, were united under a single command. It was the largest concentration of airpower assembled during the Great War, and it signaled the maturation of US airpower as a strategic force in their prosecution of a war. In the long years prior to 1918, as the war began to envelop Europe and long before the United States entered the conflict, US citizens were already volunteering for duty with the British Royal Flying Corps and the French Aeronautigue. Being as early as 1915, these volunteers paved the way for all the American aviators that followed. As a vanguard, they deserve all we can afford them. But here, in Dayton, under this canopy of old growth trees in the very shadow of the National Museum of the United States Air Force where there is an abundance of tributes to American aviation history and the men and women who animated it, theres been no memorials to our World War I aviators. Today, under a welcoming sky and in attendance of the families of many of these men, I am delighted to saythis is no longer the case. We are gathered here today to dedicate this lasting tribute to these aviation pioneers. In this one-hundredth anniversary of the end of the First World War, it is my humble honor to represent the League of WWI Aviation Historians whose primary mission is the preservation of this important part of our national heritage. Today, with joyful hearts, we offer this tribute to our first aviators. Today, in quiet respect, we remember their sacrifice. And today, through the generous donations of family, friends and local charitable organizations, and upon this hundredth anniversary of their service  we dedicate this monument.

The airshow segment for the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous commenced on Sunday morning at 9:00am. Under cloudy skies with a slight, but chilly northwesterly wind, aircraft began taking to the air for a two-hour demonstration that included dogfighting techniques used during the first global conflict. Stephen Skinner, author of The Stand: The Final Flight of Lt. Frank Luke, Jr., narrated the event, pointing out key characteristics for each aircraft while highlighting the pilot as well. He also interjected interesting historical references on the evolution of aviation, and how this developing technology influenced battle tactics during the 1914-1918 period. Skinner later brought some of the performing airplanes behind the crowd line so spectators could get a better view of the craft, taking the opportunity to interview the pilot and take questions from the surrounding audience. It was a unique way to promote both aviation and history at the same time!

Most of the participating aircraft were scaled down replicas powered by a modified Volkswagen auto engine, a far more reliable powerplant than period engines of WWI. Despite their reduced size, these replicas ably demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of each type they represented.

There were also a few full-scale replicas on static display, including a SPAD XIII from Andy Parks Vintage Aero Flying Museum at Platte Valley Airport, in Fort Lupton, Colorado. It has taken us over five years to build this from scratch, said VAFM volunteer Norm Nickoly. It is built exactly the way it would have been built in 1918 except for a modern Lycoming engine. It also has heavier wheels with brakes and a tail wheel instead of a skid because we have to land on a [concrete] runway.

Fred Murrin also brought his full-size replica Fokker Dr.I triplane to Dayton. Mr. Murrin is one of the driving forces behind all of the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous gatherings dating back to 1996. Murrin built his triplane from plans he acquired during the 1970s. Since that time, he has modified this replica design to represent the original artifact more authentically, including the addition of an original, WWI-era Le Rhone rotary engine which Mr. Murrin graciously ran for the public during the show.

Radio controlled aircraft took over the airspace in between the main flying events. Over a hundred, beautifully-scaled flying models adorned the occasion. Your author was in awe of the skill and craftsmanship that went into building these highly detailed machines. In addition to the non-stop flying, there were also educational displays of WWI-period engines, machine guns, and vintage cars. The LWWIAH also held hourly lectures encompassing almost every aspect of WWI aviation. There were so many activities on site that one could hardly wish for more.

All in all, the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous was a fantastic experience that accurately represented a time when many thought the world was truly coming apart. Hopefully, events like this will help educate forthcoming generations to have a higher respect for their history so that tragedies like WWI will not take place in the future.

Note: The author would like to extend a big thank you to Rob Bardua and all of the NMUSAF Public Relations staff for making this article possible.

Many thanks to A.Kevin Grantham for going to the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous on our behalf. We hope our readers enjoy his story and looking through the variety of images he captured there. The event seems to have been a great success for all concerned!While asking for a law to be created against political parties fielding candidates with criminal cases in their name, a Supreme Court bench said the criminalisation of the polity "is a termite to the citadel of democracy".

Under the present law, only convicted persons are debarred from contesting polls.

The 100-page judgement was delivered on a batch of PILs filed by the NGO PIL Foundation and Delhi BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, among others, who sought direction to the Election Commission to disqualify political parties giving tickets to such candidates.

The court said substantial efforts have to be undertaken to cleanse the polluted stream of politics by imposing such a prohibition against people with criminal antecedents as the country feels agonised when money and muscle power reign supreme.

The bench said false cases are foisted upon prospective candidates but that the Parliament can address this while passing the appropriate legislation.

"The law-making wing of the democracy of this country will take it upon itself to cure the malignancy. We say so as such a malignancy is not incurable. It only depends upon the time and stage when one starts treating it; the sooner the better, before it becomes fatal to democracy," CJI Misra, who authored the judgement on behalf of the bench, said.

The bench also consisted of justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra.The strongman leader of the Maldives on Monday conceded defeat in the presidential election, 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, President 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.

He said he would hand over power when his term ends on November 17 and ensure a smooth transition in the 1,200-island nation, popular with foreign tourists for its white sands and blue lagoons.

Solihs victory 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 vote-rigging.

There had been concerns Yameen might not accept the result given what happened after the last election in 2013. The supreme court annulled that 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 released by the electoral commission showed Yameen on 41.7% of the vote, well behind Solih on 58.3%  the only other name on ballot papers.

The final official result will take up to a week to be published.

Yameen stayed quiet overnight after the outcome became clear. But signs grew on 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% of the 2,62,000 electorate turned out to vote, with some waiting in line for more than five hours.

Celebrations broke out across the archipelago on Sunday night, with opposition supporters waving yellow flags of Solihs Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and dancing in the streets.

On Monday the situation was calm.

The United States 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.

India said the result marked the triumph of democratic forces. But China was yet to comment, with Monday being a public holiday there.

Beijing loaned Yameens government hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure projects like the new China-Maldives Friendship Bridge from the airport to the capital Male, which opened in August.

The loans stoked fears among Western countries and India about Chinas growing influence under its Belt and Road Initiative stretching from Asia into Africa and Europe.

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 to block a push 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.Actor Raveena Randon was on Tuesday anointed as the brand ambassador of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai.

Spread across 103 sq km, SNGP is the biggest national park in the world to be located within metropolitan limits.

Maharashtra's Finance, Planning and Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar formally made her the brand ambassador at a function held inside the SGNP, in presence of top Forest department officials, representatives of various organisations dedicated to nature conservation and wildlife experts.

"It is matter of pride and honour that she has associated with us for a cause," Mungantiwar said, adding that she is spending considerable time towards SGNP.

Raveena said that SGNP was important for Mumbai and she is ready to do whatever possible.

She is the third celebrity to be associated with Maharashtra's Forest department after Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar.

Mungantiwar also accepted the suggestion of local MLA Praveen Darekar that a forest library be created in SGNP.

"Whatever our publications are there we are creating it in e-format. However, we accept that there is need for a forest library and we would make it. It would have books and literature related to wildlife issues, nature conservation... It would act as a resource centre," he said.There are more and more questions about the purchase of the Rafale aircraft for the Indian Air Force, and the government, which should give the answers, is only giving rise to more suspicion with its responses. There are some aspects of the deal that call for better explanations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a visit to France in April 2015, suddenly announced the purchase of 36 aircraft from Dassault Aviation, while the deal that was being pursued until then was for buying 18 aircraft off-the-shelf from Dassault and to produce 108 more in India at Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). Modis decision did not have prior clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security and may have violated defence procurement norms. The price of the aircraft was suddenly increased. The government has refused to disclose the price per aircraft but it is seen as being nearly thrice the ballpark figure the UPA government was negotiating around. Arguments that a secrecy clause in the deal forbid disclosure of the price and that such disclosure would compromise national security are not convincing.

Another controversial aspect is the choice of offsets partner. The choice of Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence, incorporated just days before Modis visit to Paris and which had no experience in aerospace manufacturing cannot be easily explained. The government said that Dassault chose the partner on its own. But the bottom has been knocked off that claim by former French president Francois Hollandes revelation that India thrust the Anil Ambani firm on the French. Denials that came later from the French and Indian governments and from Dassault are unconvincing. The unanswered questions have strengthened the charges made by opposition parties, especially the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi, about irregularities in the deal.

There are several circumstances that arouse suspicion of wrongdoing in the deal  the short-circuiting of procedures by Modi, the refusal to disclose the price per aircraft, the choice of Ambanis firm as a partner, the links between another Ambani firm and Hollandes partner, etc. But, instead of explaining matters, government leaders are ludicrously calling those who raise these questions friends of China and Pakistan. That is not how the government of the day, union ministers and ruling party spokespersons should respond. The questions raised must be answered to the satisfaction of the nation. The questions are not about the Rafale fighter, it is about the terms of the deal. The prime minister, who made the decisions, cannot claim to be exempt from scrutiny and is as accountable as anybody else. Modi is not India, and criticism and questioning of his actions is not an attack on the country.Eighteen years after the sensational abduction of Kannada thespian Rajkumar by forest brigand Veerappan, a local court here on Tuesday acquitted the nine men accused in the kidnapping, of all charges.

Third Additional District Judge K Mani, who delivered the verdict after an eight-year-long trial, ordered the release of all the nine men holding that the prosecution failed to produce even a shred of evidence to prove that these nine men were connected with the abduction and had links with Veerappan and his aide Sethukuzhi Govindan.

Though 14 people were made accused in the case, Veerappan, Govindan and Chandra Gowda died much before the trial began, while Mallu died during the trial. The remaining nine  Maran, Iniyan, Andril, Sathya, Nagaraj, Puttusamy, Rama, Basavanna and Govindaraj  were acquitted, while another person, Ramesh, was absconding through the trial.

The prosecution failed to provide even a shred of evidence to prove that these nine men were connected to Veerappan and (his aide) Sethukuzhi Govindan and played a role in the abduction. Hence, giving a benefit of doubt, I acquit all the nine men from the case, K Mani told the crowded court.

Tearing into the prosecution for failing on several counts, the judge sought to know why the FIR was filed 24 hours after the incident and why the weapons used during the abduction were not sealed on the spot. The court also sought to know why the prosecution did not question Rajkumar, his wife Parvathamma and interlocutors  Nakheeran Gopal and Pazha Nedumaran  among others.

Rajkumar, his son-in-law S A Govindaraj, assistant director Nagappa and the actors aide were abducted by Veerappan and his associates from the Kannada superstars farmhouse in Thalavadi in Erode district on July 30, 2000. Veerappan had handed over a video cassette with his demands to Parvathamma, who rushed to Bengaluru and woke up the then chief minister S M Krishna in the dead of the night.

Though the FIR was first filed by the Thalavadi police, the case was investied by the CB-CID Coimbatore wing.

The case should not be seen from the angle of a Kannada superstar being abducted, but from the angle of an Indian citizen being kidnapped, the judge said, reading the order in open court. The order was not uploaded on the website till the time of going to press.

The actor was released from Veerappans captivity after 108 days following several rounds of negotiations and visits to the forests by Gopal, Nedumaran and others. Though the case was filed in 2000, the CB-CID filed the charge sheet only in 2011 and the proceedings went on for nearly eight years.

Noting that neither Parvathamma nor the family members of the other three who were abducted filed a police complaint, the judge also pointed out that Rajkumar himself had told in a video from the forests that he was happy. The judge also wanted to know why the CB-CID did not conduct an identification parade of the accused to ascertain whether any of the captives saw them inside the forests.

Charges were framed under Sections 109 (abetment of an offence), 120 B (conspiracy) 147 (unlawful assembly), 148 (unlawful assembly with deadly weapons), 449 (criminal trespass into house), 364 A (abduction for ransom), 365 (abduction for wrongful confinement) of Indian Penal Code besides Section 25 (1) (b) and 27 (1) of the Arms Act.The Karnataka government on Monday told the Supreme Court it was preparing a scheme to provide compensation to the victims of the incidents of lynching and mob violence.

In an affidavit, the state government submitted before the top court that necessary action was also being taken to designate particular courts for trying cases pertaining to lynching and mob violence.

The state would take immediate action for compliance of the order of July 17 by the court. Further affidavit would be filed as and when the victim compensation scheme under Section 375(A) of the CrPC is framed by the state government and when the particular courts are designated for trying lynching and mob violence cases, it said.

The state government further informed the top court that the judgement passed on July 17 has been communicated to the DG and IGP, who in turn, has issued a circular dated September 3, appointing high-ranking police officers as nodal and assistant nodal officers. They have been instructed to set up special task force so as to procure intelligence reports about the people who are likely to commit such crimes and involved in spreading hate speeches, provocative statement and fake news, the circular stated.

Making it clear that the state would make all endeavours to comply with the SCs judgement, the state government said instructions have been issued to the police officers to remain extra-cautious, increase patrolling, identify the existence of tendencies of vigilantism and take steps to prohibit dissemination of offensive materials through different social media platforms.

Wherever it is found that a police officer or an officer of the district administration has failed, it would be considered as an act of deliberate negligence or misconduct, for which appropriate action would be taken that would be not limited to departmental action only, the affidavit said.The Karnataka High Court on Monday expressed concern over the state government diverting Rs 12.30 crore from Muzrai Department for disaster relief fund.

Hearing a public interest litigation by senior citizens Hema Naidu and V R Sampath, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice S G Pandit came down heavily on the government.

Did you request the public to contribute to the relief fund or force them, the bench asked advocate for the government S H Prashant.

The bench also demanded to know the basis on which 81 temples across the state were chosen as contributors.

Under what rule is this (diversion of money) allowed, the court asked.

The applicants have challenged the August 21 notification by the state government which directed some temples to contribute certain amount of money to the Chief Ministers Disaster Relief Fund.Around Midland and around the world, loving and leading all people to deeper life in Jesus Christ.For much of my life, the commitment to the Democratic Party has puzzled me. I was raised to analyze both sides of issues and to make an intelligent decision based upon that information. The values of self-reliance, hard work, and individual liberty that I grew up with were the same American values that have made this country exceptional.

As I have grown older, I have witnessed a growing divide between what Democratic voters think theyre getting from the politicians they vote for and the actual policies being proposed and implemented by these same Democrats.

The Democratic Party of John F. Kennedy is what I grew up with. Racial equality was brought to the forefront and greater civil rights were achieved. In the sixties they used to say they support free expression on college campuses. Now we are seeing conservatives shouted down unable to express their views and the silence from the Democratic Party leaders asking for the other side to be heard is deafening as if they are doing everything possible to silence students and speakers who disagree with their views. Dont believe me, go to a Democrat rally and say I support the Democratic Party but I dont support unlimited handouts. See how far that gets you.

Many Democrats used to say socialism was a danger to America, but now they embrace radicals like Bernie Sanders and that new darling socialist Octasio Cortez who openly call for the creation of far-left socialist programs that promote welfare instead of workfare. Check your phone bill, notice that five dollar charge. Thats to pay for the lesser among us; unfortunately that socialist program has been kidnapped by young able-bodied citizens who see no need to work and why would they if its free without accountability or a time limit. FYI, it was Bill Clinton who created that welfare program, not Barack Hussein Obama.

Speaking of him, our healthcare is an absolute total mess and it started that way - remember the website failure.

The Democratic Party has been hijacked by a socialist platform, which is increasingly adopting an ever-larger portion of the Democratic Socialists of Americas platform. For example, much of the Democratic Party now wants taxpayers to pay for the college tuition of every student in America. They also have called for a universal guaranteed-income program that would give every person free money.

Democrats are adamantly opposed to requiring people to work who are enrolled in welfare programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly called food stamps. And they remain the biggest roadblock to passing a balanced budget amendment, which simply asks the government to limit itself in the same way every American family must.

President Kennedy cut taxes. Todays Democrats arent only opposed to tax cuts, they have pledged to raise taxes by reversing the Republicans tax reform law passed in 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Now these crumbs as Nancy Pelosi describes them are not much to my meager income, nonetheless it is my money not yours. Politicians have a spending problem and I have an income problem but Im not asking for help so please leave me my crumbs.

For a brief time during this 2018 local election cycle I felt perhaps the old Democratic party had found itself again with the candidacy of Alyousee Brown for county mayor whom I personally thought expressed some of my political leanings, but as the campaign wore on it wasnt to be.

The Democratic party of yesteryear is gone and I hope my friends who routinely vote Democrat realize that fact. Its time for you to abandon your party and vote an America first policy that the Chattanooga, Hamilton County and national parties are fielding. They may not be perfect but they far out-distance their opponents in insuring an agenda that teaches self-reliance.

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16 (23) Jan 15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1)BLADENBORO, N.C.  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, 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 Monday.

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.

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 today's dollars, while last year's Hurricane Harvey cost $133.5 billion. Moody's 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 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 .

___

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.OGDEN  Weber State Universitys Department of Child and Family Studies will host the 2018 Families Alive conference, a three-day event focused on strengthening and improving relationships, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the Shepherd Union Building.

The conference will offer classes, workshops and speakers to help participants learn skills to enhance their lives and relationships.

This years conference, themed The Armor Within, will begin with a free opening-night keynote speech by Scott Kaufman, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and a groundbreaking psychologist expanding the definitions of creativity, human flourishing and intelligence. The speech will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Shepherd Union Ballrooms.

A second keynote speaker, Randy Chatelain, will speak at 8:45 a.m. Friday in the Shepherd Union Ballrooms. Chatelain is a marriage and family therapist, a former associate professor at WSU and a past member of the Utah Commission on Marriage. During his speech, he will share skills that can be used daily to increase happiness, improve coping skills and strengthen relationships.

After Chatelains presentation, the days events will include workshops and sessions on topics such as trauma recovery, uniting family members as a team, child development and parenting during a divorce or separation.

Registration is open to all, with an option to receive continuing education credit for an additional fee. Currently enrolled students registered for 12-17 credit hours may add the conference to their load for a course fee of $75, which includes university credit, conference materials and food. WSU students may receive one university credit for attending the entire conference.

This conference is sponsored by the Department of Child and Family Studies in collaboration with WSUs Division of Online & Continuing Education, the Jerry & Vickie Moyes College of Education and O.C. Tanner Corp.

To view a full schedule of events and prices, or to register log, on to continue.weber.edu/familiesalive.SALT LAKE CITY  While Labor Department statistics reveal veteran unemployment nationwide is near an all-time low, an advocate believes some veterans are underemployed.

"There are a lot of individuals out there who have so much more potential and who maybe settled for (any) job right out of the military," according to Heidi Miller of RecruitMilitary. "But there are a lot of very amazing opportunities out there that maybe they didn't have access to beforehand."

U.S. Department of Labor data shows that employers are competing with each other to hire highly trained military talent in the civilian workforce, Miller said. There is no better time than now to be a veteran looking for a job, she added.

To capitalize on the job market, RecruitMilitary, a company that supports veterans and their spouses free of charge during their job search, is co-sponsoring Thursday the inaugural Salt Lake City Veterans Job Fair at Davis Conference Center in Layton.

The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include more than 40 Salt Lake-area employers who will be on-site and prepared to interview and hire veterans  or their spouses  who are transitioning out of military service.

"Veteran candidates can have access to a few different jobs," Miller said.

She said the employers will represent a variety of industries, including defense contractors, law enforcement and technology.

Data shows that veteran employment is increasing among U.S. businesses, a news release stated. The U.S. Department of Labor noted that veteran unemployment nationwide is near an all-time low of 3.8 percent, the release said.

Organized in conjunction with DAV, a nonprofit charitable organization that supports veterans and their families, the job fair will provide candidates with the chance to meet with numerous potential employers, she said. Veterans and their spouses can register online for a pre-event interview to discuss the competitive landscape of the current job market.

"Sign up in advance if possible and bring multiple copies of your resume with you and come prepared both attire-wise and to talk about your background," she said. Candidates are free to meet with each of the employers on-hand to discuss the opportunities available at each company, she added.

Miller, who is a West Point Military Academy graduate and U.S. Army veteran, said veteran recruitment can have a positive impact on Utah businesses.

"As veterans, you have a lot of skill sets you don't realize when you're in the service in many cases," she said. "So a lot of the veterans that are coming straight out of the military don't know exactly what direction is the best way to go."

She said having exposure to more than 40 companies can offer better insights into what employment opportunities are available and what jobs they may be qualified for.

"That face-to-face interaction" could mean so much in a job search, Miller said.

Meanwhile, for those who may not be able to attend the job fair, she suggested the RecruitMilitary employment board to research job postings across the country. Also, if time is short, just attend for as long as possible, she said.

"We recommend to just come in during your lunch break," Miller said. "It doesn't take that long to go from company to company and get your name out there."WEST JORDAN  A man who allegedly confessed to police that he robbed a fast-food restaurant, only to later claim he was paid to take the fall, was booked into jail after police say they believed him the first time.

The odd series of events began late Friday when a man with a screwdriver robbed Apollo Burger, 7692 S. Redwood Road, of about $200, according to a Salt Lake County Jail report.

On Saturday, Jeovany Perez, 32, of West Jordan, walked into the Unified Police Department's Taylorsville precinct to confess, the report states. Perez was then taken to the West Jordan Police Department for questioning.

Detectives noted while they were interviewing him that Perez was wearing "the same clothing description seen in surveillance videos during the robbery," according to the report.

But after allegedly confessing, Perez then said "he wanted to be honest" and changed his story, claiming he was paid $150 by an unknown person in his apartment complex "to falsely confess to this crime," the report states.

"Jeovany stated he found an article with the details of the crime on KSL, and he used that as information to falsely confess," according to the report.

But as investigators further questioned Perez, he became more unsure of his answers.

"I asked Jeovany where he was on the night of the incident. Jeovany stated he was at home with his family watching movies. I asked Jeovany what movies he was watching and Jeovany stated he could not remember. Jeovany then stated he believed they were watching a pony movie. I asked Jeovany to tell me which day of the week this incident occurred, and Jeovany stated he did not remember," according to the report.

Perez was arrested for investigation of aggravated robbery and obstruction of justice.

Police also noted in their report that he was previously convicted of robbing a Walgreens near the Apollo Burger using a screwdriver. The Walgreens is located at 7794 S. 1700 West. His home address is listed in court records as being near 7400 South and Redwood Road. Perez was sentenced in that incident in 2013 to one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison, according to court records.Global religious leaders convene Wednesday in Argentina to show the world solutions to political and economic issues will not reach their full effect without valuable input from faith communities.

The G20 Interfaith Forum enters its fifth annual session this week in Buenos Aires, providing an important backdrop to the Group of 20 economic summit set to take place in Argentina later this year. At the economic forum, global leaders will debate how to give better access to food, to build sustainable infrastructure for needed development and to provide labor forces with skills to succeed in a digital era. In short, efforts to tackle these political-economic challenges aim for a single goal: to alleviate suffering through building human dignity.

One would be hard pressed to find a more appropriate sphere for religious leaders to influence.

Perhaps thats why the G20 Interfaith Forum chose Religious Contributions for a Dignified Future for its theme this year. The overarching aim of the forum is to develop recommendations on priority issues that draw on interfaith insight and experience.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns this paper, will take part in discussions regarding emerging global challenges. He also will deliver two formal addresses at the forum.

Its imperative political leaders understand the offerings of faith communities and the heritage of belief to answer the quandaries that afflict much of the global population.

Deseret News religion reporter Kelsey Dallas will also attend. Her recent in-depth reporting has highlighted the need for religious groups to be active in political matters and has explored ways for religious groups and social activists to find common ground in the so-called culture war.

On her way to the conference, Dallas told the Deseret News, "One of the conference's key goals is to show that religion and religious people still have a role to play in solving global crises, even as the world becomes more secular."

Its imperative political leaders understand the offerings of faith communities and the heritage of belief to answer the quandaries that afflict much of the global population. Without input from interfaith networks, nations further risk shunting religion to the sideline as a practice best reserved for the privacy of a home or a building of worship. To the contrary, religion needs a voice in the public square as a dimension of diversity. Religious input draws from a long history of community-based solutions and an inherent compassion for the individual often lost in 30,000-foot policy debates.

Those are necessary contributions when discussing the future of immigration, help for refugees and religious freedom. The value of interfaith groups is also needed to address the disturbing reality of religious violence and targeted persecution. Interfaith networks promote fairness, tolerance, understanding and patience with others who believe or act differently, and those qualities will go a long way to break down walls of intolerance among aggressive or despotic world leaders.

The countries that comprise the Group of 20 also account for 90 percent of global economic output and two-thirds of the worlds population. Millions of daily lives can progress if these leaders coalesce around the right plans. Chances for success will improve if input from faith groups is an element of those plans.PANGUITCH  Adding to the list of Utah reservoirs that have been invaded by algal blooms this summer, officials closed Panguitch Lake on Monday due to the green slime.

The Southwestern Utah Health Department said "extremely high toxin levels" in the lake make the water dangerous for both people and animals.

Officials Monday were posting closure signs and warning livestock owners in the area not to let their animals drink water from the reservoir or downstream sources.

According to the health department, toxin test samples on Sept. 12 showed microcystin levels at a dangerous level. Microcystin is a potent liver toxin and possible human carcinogen, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It causes the death of livestock and other domesticated animals.

The Division of Water Quality, and the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, were collecting more samples Monday at the lake. Officials believe levels of microcystin concentrations "could go even higher" after further testing.

Officials are also concerned about toxins found in algal blooms at several other lakes across the state.

At Utah Lake, Lincoln Beach and Lincoln Marina remain closed while the rest of the lake is under a warning advisory, meaning people should not swim or ski in the water. Other lakes under a warning advisory include Deer Creek Reservoir, Matt Warner Reservoir, Mill Meadow Reservoir, Otter Creek and Scofield Reservoir.

At lakes under a warning advisory, health officials caution people to keep their pets away from the water, avoid areas with scum and wash any fish they catch.

To stay updated on which Utah watering holes are safe, visit the Utah Department of Environmental Quality's website.ZION NATIONAL PARK  Vince and Theary Boling and their 1-year-old daughter, Elianna, enjoyed the heavenly views in Zion National Park but had entirely different experiences in its two campgrounds.

The Grayton, California, family spent Saturday night in the recently refurbished Watchman Campground, with new bathrooms, pergolas and stone fire pits.

"We were blown away. What a nice campground," Vince Boling said.

They spent Sunday night in the neighboring South Campground, which has fallen into disrepair the past 60 years and has open drainage ditches running through the campsites.

"Again, we were surrounded by the same beauty. However, there's some safety concerns for her just around our campground. It's not as well maintained," Boling said. "We felt a little spoiled over there, but we're both going, 'Aren't they both government run? Why does one seem so dilapidated and one seem so nice?'"

The Bolings shared their observations with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Monday as he and Utah Republican Congressmen Rob Bishop, Chris Stewart and John Curtis toured the park for a firsthand look at some of its $65 million in backlogged maintenance needs.

Zinke, making his first trip to Zion, said visiting a national park should be a "five-star" experience.

"We can do a lot better, and we should do a lot better," he said.

In addition to holding a public discussion and touring the campgrounds, Zinke held private meetings with congressmen, local elected officials and park administrators. A protest zone cordoned off in front of the Zion Lodge went unused.

The National Park Service is reeling under a staggering $12.7 billion in deferred maintenance projects, including roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, restrooms and historic buildings in need of repair or replacement. In Utah, national parks and monuments have an estimated $266 million in unfunded upgrades.

Bishop is sponsoring a bipartisan measure to fund park maintenance using some of the royalties from energy development, including wind and solar, on public lands, money that now goes into the federal government's general fund.

The Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act, endorsed earlier this month on a rare voice vote in the Natural Resources Committee that Bishop heads, has broad bipartisan support with 175 co-sponsors, including Utah's four House members.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., the committee's ranking leader, is a co-leader of the bill.

"That's a milestone," Zinke said of Grijalva and Bishop getting together.

The annual allocation would be capped at $1.3 billion over a five-year period to satisfy Democrats' concerns that the legislation not incentivize energy development, Bishop said.

Although the bill calls for "mandatory" spending on national parks and monuments, Zinke called it fiscally responsible.

Bishop called the plan a "conservative" approach that should appeal to proponents of limited government. He said it doesn't raise taxes and would be a reliable funding source.

"It doesn't grow government," he said. The money, Bishop said, would be "taken off the table so it could be put in a program that we should have been doing for decades."

Zinke said if the legislation "stays clean," he expects it to pass.

"Our parks tell a story. And the story we want to tell this season is that Congress and the administration work together to address our infrastructure needs," he said.

The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, made up of 1,200 former and retired park service employees, said while it appreciates Zinke discussing the maintenance backlog, he should be focused on saving the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is set to expire Sunday without congressional action.

"Being a good steward of our public lands requires addressing both our critical maintenance needs and saving this essential bipartisan program that has shaped Americas unique outdoor heritage for generations. America needs Secretary Zinke to step up in support of LWCF before it's too late," coalition Chairman Phil Francis said in a statement.

Zinke said he supported the fund as a congressman and now as Interior secretary. He said Bishop's bill does not affect the fund.

Some 330 million people visited national parks nationwide last year, including 10.5 million in Utah, home to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef. Officials expect those numbers to swell in the future.

"We have to be able to accommodate them, and to be able to accommodate them, it's going to take some money," said Stewart, whose district includes four of the state's five national parks.

Stewart has a bill to create a sixth national park in a small part of what is now Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The proposal came after President Donald Trump dramatically reduced the sizes of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bear Ears national monuments.

Another park, he said, would help spread visitors out to other areas, relieving congestion in Zion and elsewhere.

"Instead of being all packed into one place, let's give them six places to go visit," Stewart said, acknowledge it would take money to establish that park.

Zinke said "it's hard to justify building a new trail or a new park when we can't take care of what have today, so we have to focus on taking care of the property and being the best stewardship today.

In Zion, roads, tunnels and parking areas account for 42 percent of the $65 million in maintenance needs, followed by 31 percent for buildings. Maintained landscapes, trail and trial bridges, and water and sewer systems make up the remainder.

"The longer we defer these projects, the more expensive they become," said Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh.

Zion has a $8 million rehabilitation project planned for the South Campground in 2022. It intends to use park entrance fees to cover the cost.SALT LAKE CITY  As the new board meant to start a fresh chapter for the scandal-riddled Utah Transit Authority gets closer to its November deadline to take control, state leaders are moving forward  even though a third seat is still empty.

A Senate committee gave two names put forward by Gov. Gary Herbert preliminary approval Monday, subject to confirmation by the full Utah Senate expected during an interim day next month.

But a third name  meant to represent Utah and Tooele counties  remained missing, to the frustration of Utah County commissioners.

But if that third seat is still empty by the time the new board takes control Nov. 1, as mandated under state law, the new board could still get down to business, since it only takes two members of a three-member board to hold a quorum.

Despite state law setting an Aug. 31 deadline for the governor to nominate the three new board members, Herbert recently rejected nominations from Utah and Tooele county leaders, requesting additional names.

But so far, Utah County hasn't put forth any new names. One Utah County commissioner said Tuesday he's standing by their nominees as qualified candidates  and even said county leaders have been discussing the possibility of sending a petition to the Utah Supreme Court to request the governor be instructed to follow the law laying out the process for board nominations.

"That's being considered," said Utah County Commissioner Bill Lee, noting it's "very concerning" Herbert passed over Utah County's picks for representation.

"I don't know what else the governor wants us to do," Lee said. "If he wants to come down and pick them himself, he can, but that doesn't really follow the (process laid out in SB136)."

Herbert's office issued a statement Tuesday noting the governor has requested new nominations from the two counties.

"He's confident that he is acting within his constitutional and statutory authority," the statement said.

As for the other two nominees put forward by other counties and passed through to senators by Herbert, they have one more step to go  consideration from the full Senate  before being appointed to the new UTA board of trustees. The new board is meant to restore public trust in the agency tainted with a past of questionable land deals, exorbitant bonuses and a scathing audit.

To represent Salt Lake County: Carlton Christensen, a former Salt Lake City Council member who plans to leave his position as director of Salt Lake County's Department of Regional Transportation to take the new post at UTA.

To represent Davis, Weber and Box Elder counties: Bountiful City Councilwoman Beth Holbrook, who also served this year as president of the Utah League of Cities and Towns. Holbrook said she plans to resign from her seat on the Bountiful City Council for the UTA job, but planned to stay on the league's board  although amid questioning from lawmakers she agreed to resign if it becomes a problem.

Ultimately, both Christensen and Holbrook were given a favorable recommendation from the Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy and Technology Confirmation Committee.

Only one legislator, Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, cast the lone dissenting vote on Holbrook's appointment, saying she didn't have "exactly the qualifications that I'm looking for."

Another, Sen. Gregg Buxton, R-Roy, noted Holbrook's position on the Utah League of Cities and Towns  an organization that lobbies for local municipalities  was a point of "contention."

But after Holbrook pledged she would recuse herself from any UTA-related decisions on the league board, Buxton ultimately lauded her role with the league as a "great asset" to have for UTA's relationship with cities and towns.

Christensen, however, was given unanimous approval.

During their hearings in front of senators Monday, both Christensen and Holbrook promised to work to repair public trust in UTA. They both pointed to experiences with controversy with past organizations that saw scandals of their own.

Christensen noted he was a member of the Salt Lake City Council when former Mayor Deedee Corradini solicited donations to help her out of personal debt. Christensen called it a "serious judgment lapse" that caused "a lot of turmoil and consternation" in city government at the time.

"We put in place one of the most stringent ethics ordinances that surpassed state requirements that made sure something of that nature didn't happen again," Christensen said.

"I value my integrity," Christensen said, noting that he's "not afraid' to make tough choices. "As I've worked through my public service, I'm certainly not perfect by any means, but I've always tried to do what's right."

Holbrook served on the board of the Utah League of Cities and Towns last year when its former executive director, Ken Bullock, resigned after a state audit found questionable credit card charges and other expenses.

Holbrook pointed to the league's efforts to change policies and practices to restore trust and increase transparency within the organization.

Both Christensen and Holbrook vowed to increase transparency at UTA. Discussions "will be not only in an open and public meeting, but thoroughly vetted and discussed," Christensen said.

Meanwhile, Utah and Tooele counties still don't have a nominee.

The Utah County Commission previously nominated former Cedar Hills councilman Rob Crawler, owner of a consulting company, and Pleasant Grove City Councilman Ben Stanley, an attorney. But Herbert, in response, sent a letter to Utah County asking for more names.

The two nominations drew some criticism, including former Cedar Hills Mayor Gary Gygi, who wrote in a Daily Herald op-ed that both men are friends of Lee, questioning their qualifications for the position.

Lee said he believes the county's nominees were "more than qualified," and he criticized the governor for not following the process laid out in SB136.

"It's very concerning to me on multiple levels," Lee said.SALT LAKE CITY  Coming soon to a television near you, Gov. Gary Herbert and Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller urging Utahns to support a nonbinding ballot question intended to increase education funding through a higher gasoline tax.

With six weeks to go until Election Day, expect to hear more about statewide ballot Question 1, say backers of the nonbinding question that resulted from the compromise between state lawmakers and backers of the former Our Schools Now citizens initiative.

"We've been on the air for the past month and we had billboards up for the past month," said Bob Marquardt, an Our Schools Now steering committee member.

In the coming weeks, Utahns can expect to see even more billboards and campaign commercials on TV urging support of Question 1.

"They'll come back next week in a big way, a lot more (billboards) than we had the first time, twice as many. Starting today, we're on (TV) with the governor's endorsement asking people to vote for Question 1," Marquardt said Monday during a meeting with the Deseret News and KSL editorial boards.

A campaign commercial featuring Miller will roll out in coming weeks, he said.

Fundraising continues to be strong as the campaign heads into the final stretch, Marquardt said.

But the race is tight, according to the latest UtahPolicy.com poll. It shows 50 percent of Utahns support raising the gas tax for education, slightly down from 52 percent in May. Opponents of the increase are up to 47 percent, from 43 percent.

While no one likes to raise taxes, most Utahns strongly support their local schools or their college alma maters, said steering committee member Rich Kendell, former state Commissioner of Higher Education and a school superintendent.

Most Utahns likewise understand that Utah's system of education  K-12 and higher education  is underfunded, he said.

The 2018 Education Week "Quality Counts" report, which grades states on the performance of their respective education systems, ranked Utah 31st among 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Overall, Utah received a C-plus average, with the Beehive State earning a B in the report's "chance for success category."

But in the national report's measure of school finance, Utah earned a D-minus grade, which drove down its overall score, Kendell noted.

"That's just not something that's a good platform for moving ahead given the attractiveness of Utah, given the growth we anticipate. We can do better than that," Kendell said.

One of the appeals of Question 1 is that it envisions education funding flowing directly to schools on a formula based on population, said Marquardt. Each school would develop a teacher and student success plan. Funding would not be taken from schools that don't progress, according to the state report card, but future funding would be less flexible, giving districts more control of how the money is spent.

But the ballot question is non-binding. It was part of a compromise between state lawmakers and the Our Schools Now group that last year launched an initiative to ask voters to raise sales and income taxes to improve school funding.

For its part, the Utah Legislature increased school funding during the 2018 General Session by adjusting property and income taxes, and lawmakers agreed to place the gas tax question on the November ballot.

Increasing the state's gas tax by 10 cents per gallon  on top of the current 29.4 cents-per-gallon tax  would to raise an estimated $180 million in the first full budget year that begins July 1, 2019, according to the Legislative Fiscal Analyst's office.

About $60 million of the increased gas tax revenue would go to local transportation needs, while the rest would be used to offset the general fund revenues now being used for transportation, freeing up more money for education.

Heather Williamson, state director for Americans for Prosperity of Utah, said the organization opposes the ballot question, in part because the Utah Legislature has significantly raised education funding the past three years.

"The problem is, we don't know where the money is going," she said.

Williamson questions whether additional school funding will improve outcomes.

"In talking to the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, they've done studies for the Legislature that show increased funding has very little correlation to performance," she said."LITTLE WOMEN" 3 stars  Lea Thompson, Aimee Lynne Johnson, Sarah Davenport, Melanie Stone, Allie Jennings, Stuart Edge, Lucas Grabeel; PG-13 (for some thematic elements and teen drinking); special screening, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m., Cinemark 16, 1200 Town Center Boulevard, Provo; in general release

Clare Niederpruems Little Women puts a light modern spin on Louisa May Alcotts celebrated 19th century novel. Adapted to contemporary times and built around protagonist Jo Marchs quest to publish a novel, Niederpruems enjoyable movie  filmed last summer in Salt Lake City, faithfully reconstructs the familiar threads of Alcotts autobiographical story.

As the film opens, Jo March (Sarah Davenport) is a single 29-year-old woman living in Queens, New York. Headstrong and bursting with creative ambition, she is almost desperate to find a publisher, but despite her best efforts, Jo is unable to get her work the attention she desires. Her only lead is a Columbia professor named Freddy (Ian Bohen) who hesitantly agrees to read her manuscript.

From here, chronological flashbacks begin to fill in the story. We go back 16 years to see young Jo (Aimee Lynne Johnson) and her sisters living under the wise tutelage of their mother Marmee (Lea Thompson) while their father (Bart Johnson) serves in the military. Marmee charges the girls to chase their dreams, and their selections are telling.

Jo, of course, wants to be a novelist, and we see her directing her sisters in plays and activities as if they are her own characters to design. Amy (played first by Elise Jones, then Taylor Murphy once Amy reaches adulthood) aspires to be a painter, and her creative aspirations may partially explain the persistent tension in her relationship with Jo. Meg's (Melanie Stone) greatest dream is to marry and have a family of her own, and humble Beth (Allie Jennings) just seems happy to be blessed with the family she has.

As present-day Jo wrestles with her writing  and Freddys advice to focus on more personal material  subsequent flashbacks follow the realizations and frustrations of those dreams. Teenage Jo aspires to go off to Oxford University, refuses to apply elsewhere and is crushed when her application is rejected. Meg gets involved with the popular crowd in high school and realizes its downside at an eye-opening senior prom. Beth discovers her love of the piano with the help of the familys wealthy neighbor Mr. Laurence (Michael Flynn), then finds her passion complicated by a leukemia diagnosis.

For a long time, Amy seems to trail behind her sisters, but she too eventually follows her passions and aspirations. Along the way, all the girls get to know Mr. Laurences son Laurie (Lucas Grabeel, High School Musical" trilogy), who becomes an entrusted confidant and, inevitably, a romantic interest, as does his tutor  who they call the Manny  Brooke (local YouTube star Stuart Edge).

Although the story moves back and forth in time, the whole production glides easily along, and its contemporary setting works well with the nostalgic feeling Niederpruem, who starred in the Utah-made film "Once I Was a Beehive," infused into her own film. Even when a character sends a text message, Little Womens story doesnt feel forced or artificial, and goes for subtlety unlike, say, Baz Luhrmanns heavily-stylized 1996 update Romeo + Juliet.

That may be good news to purist audiences hesitant to see Alcotts story adapted to a new setting. Though changes are inevitable, Niederpruems Little Women  coming 150 years after the novel's publication  tries hard to stay faithful to the spirit of its source material, and those worried about the film's PG-13 rating should know that it is a very light PG-13. While some might want more from Marmee or more emphasis on the books exploration of poverty, Niederpruems film still gets at the heart of the classic novel: the joyous celebration of sisterhood.

"Little Women" is rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and teen drinking; running time: 112 minutes.HILL AIR FORCE BASE  The Hill Aerospace Museum is hosting its annual Open Aircraft Day on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

This year the museum is hosting more than 20 SR-71 pilots, range safety officers and crew members who will hold panel discussions about their Blackbird. Furthermore, SR-71 crew members will provide up-close tours of the plane throughout the day.

There will also be food trucks, live music, Hill Air Force Base unit demonstrations and displays, plus a chance to explore several aircraft, including such museum pieces as the SR-71, C-130, A-10, F-16, F-15, B-17, P-47, C-140, JN-4, H-3 and H-53.

The museum is located outside the Roy Gate at 7961 Wardleigh Road, Building 1955. Patrons can easily access the museum from I-15, Exit 338.

Correction: A previous version incorrectly stated Open Aircraft Day would feature range safety officers. It will feature reconnoissance systems officers.SALT LAKE CITY  The group Mormon Women for Ethical Government released a statement Tuesday that called for four members of Congress to stall Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaughs confirmation proceedings "until a thorough independent investigation can be conducted."

The group specifically called on Utah Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake and Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho to stall the proceedings. All four senators are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The statement comes as Kavanaugh faces multiple accusations of sexual misconduct.

Read the entire statement below:

Given the seriousness of the allegations levied against Judge Kavanaugh, we call upon the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to immediately suspend the confirmation proceedings until a thorough independent investigation can be conducted.

We very specifically urge the four members of the committee who share our faith as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  Senator Hatch, Senator Lee, Senator Flake, and Senator Crapo  to ensure that these charges be taken seriously and that every attempt be made to ascertain the truth of the situation. Our mutual faith teaches that any sexual abuse or assault in any context is contemptible and worthy of the most severe condemnation.

If these accusations are proved false, an investigation will prevent harm to the courts legitimacy. If they are true, then Judge Kavanaugh must not be confirmed.

As we have stated previously, sexual assault must not be normalized or condoned in any way or by anyone, especially those charged with political leadership. We boldly condemn any attempts to justify such inexcusable and reprehensible behavior and demand that our elected leaders set a morally sound example.

Read more about the statement at The New York Times.

Mormon Women for Ethical Government has described itself as "nonpartisan group dedicated to the ideals of decency, honor, accountability, transparency, and justice in governing. We are faithful, peaceful, and proactive. We are both watchdogs and activists, guided by our discipleship to Jesus Christ and His teachings. Our goal is to oppose unlawful and/or unethical proceedings and to promote positive change."

The group is not affiliated with the church. Its members "fully, sustain, honor, and support" the churchs doctrines and leaders, according to the groups website.PROVO  The man accused of brutally killing a young Eureka couple and dumping their bodies down an abandoned mine shaft has apparently been busy talking on the phone while in the Utah County Jail, according to a recently unsealed search warrant.

Jerrod William Baum, 41, allegedly beat and stabbed Riley Powell, 18, multiple times and then slit the throat of Brelynne "Breezy" Otteson, 17, while both were tied up, according to court documents.

Powell and Otteson disappeared on Dec. 29 while driving home to Eureka, Juab County, prompting an intense three-month search. The couple's bodies were found in late March.

Baum was arrested on March 29.

According to a search warrant affidavit filed in 4th District Court, "Baum has made over 1,000 phone calls" since being incarcerated.

Even though both parties are informed "that the calls are recorded and monitored by law enforcement," Baum has allegedly been discussing Powell and Otteson's death with others. Most of the calls placed by Baum were to a woman who allegedly lives in Missouri, the warrant states.

"Many specific details were discussed regarding the deaths of Riley Powell and Brelynne Otteson. Additionally, (the woman) speaks of conversations she had with Morgan Henderson on Facebook where they discussed the case," according to the warrant.

Detectives are now seeking those messages, the warrant states. The Utah County Sheriff's Office declined comment Tuesday, saying the calls were part of an ongoing investigation.

According to court documents, Powell and Otteson ended up visiting Morgan Lewis Henderson, Baum's girlfriend, Dec. 29 in nearby Mammoth. Baum arrived at home before the young couple left. He had allegedly told Henderson she could not have male friends at the house, charges state.

On March 24, after being arrested for investigation of drug- and weapons-related charges in Sanpete County, Henderson finally gave investigators information that lea them to the Tintic Standard Mine outside Eureka on March 27. A camera was lowered into the mine, which is more than 1,500 feet deep. The bodies of the young couple were found on a ledge 100 feet down.

Baum is charged in 4th District Court with two counts of aggravated murder and two counts of aggravated kidnapping, first-degree felonies; two counts of abuse or desecration of a dead body plus possession of a weapon by a restricted person, third-degree felonies; and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.

The case carries a possible death sentence if convicted, though prosecutors have not said yet whether they will pursue that.

Henderson, 34, faces 30 counts of obstruction of justice for continuously lying to police to cover up the whereabouts of Powell and Otteson's bodies.SALT LAKE CITY  Wanda Barzee has been moved to a federal halfway house, according to the Utah Sex and Kidnap Offender Registry.

The woman who helped kidnap and assault Elizabeth Smart in 2002 had been in a South Salt Lake motel off 3300 South since being released from the Utah State Prison a week ago. But according to the Sex and Kidnap Offender Registry, her address is now listed as being at the federal Bureau of Prisons' Salt Lake City Center on 2100 South.

The center is considered a residential re-entry center, also known as a halfway house. According to the Bureau of Prisons website, the centers "provide a safe, structured, supervised environment, as well as employment counseling, job placement, financial management assistance, and other programs and services. RRCs help inmates gradually rebuild their ties to the community and facilitate supervising ex-offenders' activities during this readjustment phase."

Barzee, 72, was released from the Utah State Prison last Wednesday after serving her entire 15-year sentence. She and her then-husband Brian David Mitchell were accused of kidnapping Smart from her Salt Lake home and holding her captive for nine months.

Barzee pleaded guilty in federal court in 2009 to kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor, and then guilty and mentally ill in state court in 2010 for the attempted kidnapping of Smart's cousin. She was sentenced to 1 to 15 years in both federal and state prisons.

But while her release date was originally calculated to be in 2024, the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole later determined that the two sentences were to run concurrently, and that Barzee was to be credited for time served for the many years she was in the Utah State Hospital. Thus, when she was officially sentenced in 2010, her term was already half over.

Smart publicly decried the decision, saying she believed Barzee still posed a threat.

Upon her release from state prison, Barzee was placed on five years supervised release as part of her federal sentence. Some of the conditions of her release include having no contact with Smart of her family, staying a certain distance away from Smart, not going outside her residence each night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., and actively participate in a mental health treatment.SALT LAKE CITY  A University of Utah-Brigham Young University partnership has been awarded a $6.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support language study and international education over the next four years.

The grant will provide funding directly to the U.'s Center for Latin American Studies and its Asia Center, and BYU's counterparts, and will earmark $4.6 million for student scholarships.

Claudio Holzner, director of Latin American Studies at the U., said Title VI grants are a main source of funding for academic programs in critical foreign languages and multidisciplinary international studies.

"These prestigious grants recognize the U. as a national leader in research and teaching of Latin America and Asia and of the languages spoken in those regions. We serve a critical role in ensuring that the U.S. maintains a deep pool of experts in regions of the world that are critical to economic competitiveness and national security," said Holzner, who is also an associate professor of political science.

The grant will fund undergraduate and graduate student scholarships from all disciplines to study less-commonly taught languages of Latin America and Asia. Funds typically cover full tuition plus a stipend to help ensure broader access to the university regardless of students' financial need.

Anh Cao, who is student studying international studies and economics at the U., said a Foreign Language and Area Studies scholarship has enabled her to be more adventurous with her education and develop career goals.

"I've been able to gain so much more with my education here at the U. with different classroom experiences, international travel and mentors because of FLAS," Cao said.

Cao aspires to work in business consulting or law and use her experience to benefit lesser developed countries. She had the opportunity to travel to Vietnam for three months because of her scholarship.

The U.'s Asia Center and the Center for Latin American Studies partner with BYU and with many departments across campus to facilitate the development of curriculum, public events, conferences, study abroad and internship programs.

The centers reach out to K-12 schools, community colleges and nonprofit and business groups, so the benefit of the grants are felt beyond the campus, Holzner said.

"Our mission is to serve as a resource for the university, community and the state of Utah. We work to enhance academic programs across campus and to train highly skilled graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce," he said.Darshan Records Recovery Message For His Fans

Kannada actor Darshan met with an accident on the outskirts of Mysore on Monday. As the news spreads out, thousands of his fans came outside the hospital in Mysuru, where the actor is being treated. Darshan who made his debut with Majestic, has acted in about 60 movies.

However, the actor urged his fans not to throng the hospital, as it would trouble other patients. He shares an audio message for the same and assured them about his wellness. He would meet everyone once he is back in Bengaluru.

Ventran actor Devaraj and his son Prajwal were injured in an accident. The trio was returning from Mysuru when the car hit the road divider as the driver could not see the sudden curve. Darshan and Devaraj were admitted to a hospital, while Prajwal has been discharged.

For latest movie reviews, ratings and trailers, download the Desimartini App.

Source: news18.comAxiatas tower unit Edotco has stated its goal of strengthening its position in its current markets via two or three acquisitions across the next year.

The announcement from Edotco CEO Suresh Sidhu comes a week after the firm scrapped its planned acquisition of 13,000 towers from Pakistan Mobile Communications for $940 million. The company was unable to procure the necessary approvals from the countrys regulator.

Sidhu said: The priority is to look at the current footprint we are in and look for opportunities to bulk up and add more towers thereMalaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh are countries of higher interest to us.

Edotcos infrastructure portfolio is focused around Central and Southeast Asia, with the company operating 28,000 towers across Bangladesh, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Malaysias Axiata Group holds a 62.4% stake in the firm.

Abandoning the acquisition of Pakistan Mobile Communications towers had reportedly raised concerns that Edotcos planned IPO would raise less than its goal of $500 million. However, Reuters reported that Sidhu is relatively relaxed about the timeframe for raising money, as Edotco has reserves of $200 million, having brought in $700 million over the past two years.

Sidhu added that acquiring the towers in Pakistan would have drawn from this reserve funding, which would have increased the pressure to generate more funds in the near-term. As it stands, the company is expecting to start a round of fundraising in the middle of next year. Sidhu noted that Edotco is discussing the possible acquisition of roughly the same number of towers as the Pakistan deal, although did not name the parties involved.Panasonic has announced its first Full-Frame Mirrorless cameras, the Lumix S1R and the Lumix S1, during the ongoing Photokina 2018 event. They are the company's first digital single lens mirrorless cameras with a 35mm full-frame image sensor and are claimed to be the worlds first to support 4K 60p/50p video recording in a full-frame digital single lens mirrorless camera and come with the Dual I.S. image stabilization system. The two cameras feature a newly developed image processing engine with 47MP effective pixels on the S1R and 24MP on the S1. The company has also announced that it will expand LUMIX S series lineup of compatible lenses by developing more than ten by 2020. This lineup is said to include a 50mm/F1.4 fixed-focus lens, 24-105 mm standard zoom lens, and a 70-200 mm telephoto zoom lens.

The cameras have the user-friendliness and robustness essential as tools for photography or videography by professionals. They incorporate an entire array of our technology refined over a century in the consumer electronics business and ten years developing Digital Single Lens Mirrorless cameras. Such innovations include digital technology like image or signal processing, plus optical and heat treatment technology and more. The combination of these will provide our customers with new value for photography and videography, Panasonic stated in its media release.

The two cameras come with two XQD memory cards and SD memory card slots, which is a first for Panasonic. There is also a triaxial tilt LCD display and the cameras with Leica L mount will also come with support for third-party lenses, starting with Sigma. Talking about its LUMIX G series of Micro Four Thirds Digital Single Lens Mirrorless cameras, the company says that it will commence developing a Leica DG VARIO-SUMMILUX 10-25 mm F1.7 lens, which will be able to achieve the worlds first zoom with a constant aperture value of F1.7. The Panasonic Lumix S1R and the S1 Full Frame Mirrorless cameras will be released globally by next spring.Revolutionary Club women

Mambises train in West Tampa

The order to begin fighting Spain for Cubas independence didnt arrive by telegraph or in a typed-letter. It came written in longhand, rolled in a cigar from West Tampas OHalloran Factory.Owner Blas Fernandez OHalloran wrapped the historic note himself -- one of five cigars; the important one distinguished with a little mark, explains West Tampa community historian Maura Barrios. "That cigar traveled from Tampa to Key West to Havana.''West Tampa was a center for activism in the war for Cuban Independence, Barrios adds. The Cubans of West Tampa formed revolutionary clubs, organized picnics and soirees -- all kinds of events to raise money.To understand how Cuba City, Ybors Cuba Town and the rest of the Tampa cigar community got involved with the late 19th century Cuban revolution is to appreciate the nations cultural influences -- the family ties, the sense of tradition and spirit of support and camaraderie -- that helped foment a revolution.It took a stern non-English-speaking grandmother, who told her stories in a kitchen rich with the aroma of olive oil and sauteed garlic, for Barrios to appreciate she wasnt just another descendant of Spain.Nosotros somos Cubanos, the elder corrected with a resonance and pride Barrios still feels today.The fourth-generation Cuban-American and Latin Studies scholar, who pioneered the community biography project Our Westside Stories -- Voces de West Tampa project, will be part of a University of Tampa summer institute funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.The University of Tampa has been awarded a $190,000 grant from the NEH to present a summer institute in 2019 focusing on the rise of the United States as a global power in the early 20th century as a consequence of its intervention in Cubas War of Independence.The four-week institute, Jose Marti and the Immigrant Communities of Florida in Cuban Independence and the Dawn of the American Century, will take place on the UT campus from June 17 to July 13, 2019. Up to 25 university and college professors from throughout the U.S. will be selected to participate.Among the locals included will be living legend/former Judge E.J. Salcines, the community go-to for West Tampa-related history. He will speak on Jose Martis 20 documented visits to Tampa and share some compelling artifacts from that time.Another West Tampa-bred scholar, James Lopez, UT professor of Spanish, wrote the grant proposal and coordinated the institute with Denis Rey, associate professor of political science and international studies. Its seminars will closely examine an often overlooked aspect of Cubas War of Independence: the role of immigrants.The cigar workers of Ybor City and West Tampa were pivotal in Martis efforts to finance and organize Cubas war of Independence, explains Lopez. Cubas founding father, Jose Marti, and other Cuban leaders founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party in Tampa and in Key West.How did late-19th century West Tampa become a home away from home for Cubans? Before the war for independence started, many had been fleeing the island amid the aftermath of the 10 Years War, which ended in 1878. Spains punitive backlash plus the drying up of the coffee and cigar trade -- their final blow dealt by U.S. tariffs -- forced thousands out. Many relocated to Key West to work in cigar factories, benefitted by manufacturers who devised a workaround.When labor strikes stifled the Key West factories, Vicente Martinez de Ybor decided to leave Key West in 1885 to open factories in Tampa. After a prolonged violent labor strike in the Keys, others followed suit, an ordeal detailed in Louis A. Perez Jr.s "Cubans in Tampa: From Exiles to Immigrants, 1892-1901.''In the Tampa cigar factories, men and women of different ethnicities worked side by side, earning equal wages for equal work. The workers contributed to their own betterment by paying lectores to read contemporary and classic literature aloud while cigars were being rolled by the thousands.Professor Lopez, whose grandfather was also a lector, says that the workers and factory owners pitched in and helped fund mutual aid societies that made up for a lack of assistance by the government.Cigar factories began to open in West Tampa too. Before 1925, West Tampa was its own municipality. Fernando Figueredo, its first mayor, served as Tampas delegate to the then-Cuban Revolutionary War Party. He also served in the Florida Legislature, as superintendent of schools and later worked in the Cuban republic after it formed.The Cuban independence movement had its riot girls in Tampa, too. The Discipulas de Marti (Disciples of Marti) gathered women in support of the insurgency. Soldiers, known as Mambises, even trained in Tampa.Naturally, UTs institute will focus heavily on the work of Marti, whose oratory, poetry, journalism, and essays would inspire the Cuban patriotic identity, which would outlast the U.S. military intervention, and establish Marti, as the Apostle in Cuban society -- a symbol and source of national identity on and off the island.Expect lectures, guided readings, archival materials and visits to significant historical sites. All of these are directed toward the development of innovative course modules and teaching plans to enrich the college curriculum and disseminate this history. The institute is one of 218 humanities projects across the country funded by NEH, which total $43.1 million in awards.As Lopez states in his grant proposal, the lessons of this history continue to be resonant today, and the close study of this seminal period from the perspective of the working class immigrants who organized, financed, and in many cases fought and died for a patriotic ideal that they helped inspire by their example, will enrich any.For more information on the institute, email Lopez at [email protected] , or Rey at [email protected]September is the month when technology giant Google marks its 20th anniversary. Although Google turned 20 on September 4, the company officially celebrates September 27 as its birthday, which is when one can expect the customary Google birthday Doodle. However, leading up to the date, the Mountain View-based company has introduced a number of new changes, which it calls three fundamental shifts in its earliest and oldest product - Search.

When Google Search first started, its results were displayed only in text. We all know how thats not the case anymore. Search is now available in more than 150 languages and over 190 countries and it brings up everything from videos to text to images and even emojis. Now, to mark its 20th birth anniversary, Google is bringing three important additions to Search which will see the service becoming more visually appealing and AI-driven.

Google Feed is now Discover

The first fundamental change Google is bringing to Search and the way Google users discover new information is an overhaul of the Google Feed, complete with a new name. More in tune with its function, Google Feed will now be called Discover. Google says more than 800 million people use the Google Feed each month and to help them find more desirable content, the company is also bringing a fresh look to the service. Googles Discover will now feature New topic headers with information cards underneath to make users more aware of what they are about to read or watch. Users can tap these topic headers to dive deeper into the content within that particular category. Users will also find a Discover icon next to each topic name, which they will also start seeing in Search. Users can tap Follow to start getting more info that topic in their Search experience. This is somewhat similar to what Google did with the new Google News.

Discover will also pull up more videos and fresh visual content depending on the users activity. For instance, if one is travelling to a destination, Discover may show up articles that best help the user explore the new place. Discover can also predict a users level of expertise on a topic and help them develop those interests further. A new control icon will let users bring up more or less content from a particular topic.

Currently, Discover can only be personalised to show English or Spanish content in the US but Google says that it will introduce more languages to the service soon.

Whats more is that Discover is also coming to google.com on all mobile browsers.

Think of it as your new mobile homepage where you can not only search, but also discover useful, relevant information and inspiration from across the web for the topics you care about most. This will be rolling out over the next few weeks, the company stated.

Search becomes more visual

Google seems to be taking its learnings from the new AI-based Google News to heart and is introducing similar visual content presentations in Search. Google will now construct AMP stories and surface this content in Search. These so called visual AMP stories look like blatant copies of Instagram Stories, showing images and videos layered with text. Google says it uses AI to construct these stories. Were starting today with stories about notable peoplelike celebrities and athletesproviding a glimpse into facts and important moments from their lives in a rich, visual format. This format lets you easily tap to the articles for more information and provides a new way to discover content from the web, the company wrote in a blog post.

Theres also a new Featured Video experience in Search that will show up most relevant videos about a topic.

Withing Googles Image Search tool, the company will now surface results based on the authority of a web page. For instance if one is looking for images for a particular DIY project, it is more likely that the image search will surface results from a DIY website. We also prioritize fresher content, so youre more likely to visit a site that has been updated recently, Google stated.

Starting this week, Google will also show more context around images, including captions that show the title of the webpage where each image is published.

Google Lens is coming to images to surface shopping results. Clicking the Lens button in image search will help bring up similar products with links directing users to websites where they can purchase these products.

Activity Cards to retrace your steps around the web

Google is introducing new Activity Cards that aim to help users pick up from where they left off in Search. When users revisit a query related to a task they started in the past, Google Search will show them a card with relevant pages that they visited previously as well as list older search queries on this topic. Users can also add content from their Activity Cards to Collections, which feature websites, articles or images that users might want revisit quickly.

You can read more about the new changes in Search here, here and here.Microsoft has announced a new $40-million (U.S.), 5-year program, AI for Humanitarian Action, which is aimed at leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to address some of the worlds biggest humanitarian challenges. Microsoft President Brad Smith unveiled the program while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

Read the complete press release below

Microsoft announced the third program within its AI for Good initiative: AI for Humanitarian Action, a new $40-million (U.S.), 5-year program aimed at leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to address some of the worlds biggest humanitarian challenges. Microsoft President Brad Smith unveiled the program while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, and in tandem, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted the new endeavour during his keynote at Ignite 2018.

As part of the new program, Microsoft will work deeply with specific nongovernmental and humanitarian organizations through financial grants, technology investments and partnerships that combine our AI and data science know-how with these groups core expertise. The four focus areas of the program include:

Disaster response: Support the ability to anticipate, predict, and target humanitarian response efforts

Needs of children: Ensure the safety and wellbeing of children

Refugees and displaced people: Enable scalable collaboration in service of the approximate 68 million displaced people, including refugees

Human rights: Accelerate breakthrough solutions to help monitor, detect and prevent human rights abuses

Over the past eighteen months, Microsoft has launched AI for Good programs  AI for Earth, AI for Accessibility and AI for Humanitarian Action  that now encompass a $115 million (U.S.) commitment to use artificial intelligence to help address some of the worlds biggest challenges. The initiative aims empower others in new and more impactful ways, and todays AI for Humanitarian Action news is the next step in that journey."ISX is a Euro focussed company, with an opportunistic eye on the evolving Australian landscape"



Investor Briefing September 2018

Melbourne, Sep 25, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - iSignthis Ltd ( ASX:ISX ) ( FRA:TA8 ) provides the Company's Investor Briefing presentation.What does iSignthis do?We are a leading payments, eMoney and identity technology company, publicly listed on the Australian Securities and Frankfurt Stock Exchange ( ASX:ISX ) ( FRA:TA8 ).We are an EEA authorised, deposit taking, Monetary Financial Institution and have licenses to operate transactional banking services across Europe and Australia.We provide EU/EEA and Australian businesses with transactional banking and a complete customer onboarding solution from remote identity verification to payment processing, settlement and deposit taking services.This is achieved via our patented Paydentity(TM) platform and ISXPay(R).We are Principal members (Tier 1) of Visa, Mastercard, JCB, and an aggregation partner of AMEX, with SWIFT membership (Bank Identifier Codes : ISEMCY22, ISEPAU31 & ISIGAU31) and Central Banking Facilities.Through our Probanx.com subsidiary, we also supply core banking software, to more than 15 banks in North America, Asia Pacific and the EU/EEA.Quarterly summaryHighlightsAudited accounts reflect the following revenue performance for the period ending 30 June 2018- Revenue in FY18 compared to FY17 is 363% greater- Revenue in Q4FY18 compared to Q3FY18 is 167%greater- Revenue in Q4FY18 was in excess of $3.95m- Unaudited revenue for the 6 months from 1st January 2018 to 30th June 2018 was in excess of A$5.5mCash Receipts increased to A$2.633m, representing a 67.4% increase versus the March quarter of A$1.571mManagement focus is on building a global, long term sustainable business"Our fixed cost based has remained relatively stable - our Cost of Goods have temporarily increased to facilitate sustainable long term growth under unexpected conditions."To view the full presentation, 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.Sterling Bio director Nitin Sandesara, family flee Rs5,000-cr fraud probe

After, Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, it is the turn of Nitin Jayantilal Sandesara, the director of Gujarat-based bio pharma company Sterling Biotech which is under probe in a Rs5,000 crore fraud case.

It is alleged that the company took loans of over Rs5,000 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 Rs5,383 crore as of 31 December 2016. The ED has taken the FIR into cognisance.

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested a 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 have also been filed by it before a special court in New Delhi.

It had also attached assets worth over Rs4,700 crore of the pharmaceutical firm in June this year.

Sandesara is reported to have fled to Dubai, even as some reports said he might have taken refuge in to Nigeria along with his brother Chetan, sister-in-law Dipti besides other family members to avoid arrests.

However, investigating agencies are planning to send a request to authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeking a provisional request, as per a report in The Times of India.

Earlier, there were reports about Sandesara being arrested by Dubai police based on a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by an Indian court. Indian probe agencies had information on Sandesara being in Dubai, following which the authorities alerted the officials in United Arab Emirates.

"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.

But a report in The Indian Express said he has left UAE and moved to Nigeria to evade arrest.

This is a blow to Indian investigative agencies as the country does not have an extradition treaty or Mutual Assistance Treaty (MAT) with Nigeriaa problem that has now been observed in multiple cases ranging from Vijay Mallya and Mehul Choksi. Sources also suggested that it would be difficult to extradite Sandesara and his family from Nigeria.

As of now, the Indian investigative agencies are mulling on sending a request to the UAE authorities to provisionally arrest Sandesara and his family members if they are spotted. They are not sure where he is and where his investment interests lie.

Meanwhile, the Indian authorities are also trying to get Interpol involved by getting the international agency to issue a Red Corner notice against the accused.

It may be noted that CBI and ED had in October last year booked Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech directors Nitin, Cheran and Diptiben Sandesara, Rajbhushan Omprakash Dixit, Vilas Joshi and chartered account Hemant Hathi, former Andhra Bank director Anup Garg and other unidentified persons for cheating banks to the tune of Rs5,300 crore.SC asks Parliament to make law to bar criminals from politics

The Supreme Court has refused to pass any order to bar criminals from entering politics, and instead asked Parliament to make suitable legislation to check criminalisation of politics.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, however, directed candidates choosing to take part in elections to declare their criminal antecedents to the poll panel before the conduct of the elections.

Justifying the order, the bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, and also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, Rohinton Nariman, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, noted that informed choice is the cornerstone of democracy even as it noted that growing criminalisation of politics in India was "unsettling".

The court, however, stressed that a law was required to ensure persons with serious criminal cases pending against them are prevented from entering the legislature and taking part in decision-making.

The top court noted that the roots of the Indian democracy were being weakened by corruption and criminalisation of politics. In the light of these remarks, a question has arisen in the minds of those who believe in democracy and want to keep it corruption free.

The court asked political parties to publish records of criminal pasts of the candidates on their websites and publicise it to ensure voters make an informed choice, calling it the cornerstone of democracy.

Addressing attorney general KK Venugopals submissions during the hearings that a person is presumed innocent until he is proven guilty, CJI Misra said, It is one thing to take cover under the presumption of innocence, but it is another to allow politics to be smeared by criminal stain.

The court further stated that the parliament should also consider the issue of false cases being filed against politicians.

The courts unanimous verdict was pronounced on a batch of petitions seeking to bar politicians facing charges of heinous crimes like murder, rape and kidnapping from contesting elections. Under the Representation of the People Act, while convicted politicians are disqualified, the same does not apply to accused ones.

The petitions were filed by various parties, including NGO Public Interest Foundation and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

But as the NGO stated in its plea, with 34 per cent of lawmakers coming with a criminal background (as in 2014), it was unlikely that Parliament would introduce any law to stop the criminalisation of politics.Jaitley exhorts banks to ensure clean and prudent lending

Finance minister Arun Jaitley has exhorted banks to take all steps to ensure clean lending and effective action in cases of fraud and wilful default, to justify the trust reposed in banks.

Banks must strive to be seen always as institutions of clean and prudent lending, he said while addressing chief executives of public sector banks (PSBs) at the annual review meeting in New Delhi today.

As lifelines of the economy banks would need to build their strength to support the lending needs of a growing economy, Jaitley said, highlighting the factors that make for sustained high growth for India over the next decade.

While this would help India sustain a growth rate of around 8 per cent, he said, a growing economy will also help banks grow in strength.

Jaitley said the formalisation of the Indian economy through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), implementation of GST, demonetisation and digital payments have enabled better assessment of financial capacity and risks. This, coupled with inclusive growth through massive financial inclusion, has unlocked purchasing power which will drive Indias growth, he added.

While noting the positive results from the IBC mechanism, the finance minister also flagged the need to assess and revisit the efficacy of the Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT) mechanism, particularly in view of long lead times in disposal of cases. He underscored the requirement for expediting recovery through the DRT mechanism, so that their original objective of speedy recovery proceedings is realised.

The finance minister noted that the perception regarding the health of PSBs has become more positive as banks have posted positive results in terms of resolution, recovery, provisioning and credit growth. He said the amendment of IBC to debar wilful defaulters has also had the unintended positive consequence of defaulting borrowers stepping forward to make payment in order to participate in the resolution process.

At the same time he noted the continued relevance of PSBs in the Indian context, in view of their development contributions and to support financial inclusion, as support for non-retail banking from other lenders continues to be insufficient.

Jaitley also underscored the need for trust and confidence in the banking system as a necessary precondition for meeting the needs of the economy. With the recent amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act, there now need not be any apprehension in the minds of bankers in supporting investments that are in the best interests of the economy, the nation and the banks, he said even as he exhorted banks to ensure all steps at their end to ensure clean lending and effective action in cases of fraud and wilful default, to justify the trust reposed in banks.Nepal revives $2.5 bn hydro power project deal with China

Prime Minister KP Oli's government in Nepal last week announced plans to hand over the Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project to the China Gezhouba Group Corporation, after playing the China card against India for some time.

Nepals pro-China government decided to revive a deal with a Chinese state-owned firm to construct a $2.5 billion hydroelectric plant, reversing a decision by the previous government to scrap the award.

The former government of Sher Bahadur Deuba had taken a decision to develop the 1200 MW project with internal resources, rather than seeking investment from other countries.

A Nepal cabinet meeting on Friday also directed the energy ministry to initiate the process to award the project to the Chinese developer.

Accordingly, the ministry will hold talks with the Gezhouba, prepare a proposal, and strike a deal to execute the $2.5 billion reservoir project, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The energy ministry will also invite the Chinese company for talks and prepare a draft of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) before signing it, according to 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.

The Deuba administration scrapped the deal in November last year citing irregularities.

The government had also announced plans to build the project using domestic financial resources via the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority. A committee was also 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 government had approved the proposal and had agreed to provide the gap funding.

But the plan never materialised as the government changed before the decision could be implemented.

$23 Million Funding Agreement

Perth, Sep 25, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Blackham Resources Limited ( ASX:BLK ) ( OTCMKTS:BKHRF ) ('Blackham' or 'the Company') is pleased to announce that it has executed an agreement with an entity managed by The Lind Partners, a New York based institutional fund manager, ('Lind') for an investment of up to A$23 million in total capital ('Funding Agreement'). The initial funding commitment will be provided within seven business days.- The Lind Partners has agreed to invest up to A$23 million- Initial convertible security of A$7.5 million to repay debt and to fund Wiluna resource drilling & expansion studies- Blackham has the option to repay the convertible security in shares or cash- Conversions restricted for four and half months to 14 Feb 2019Lind's initial A$7.5 million investment will be provided as a Secured Convertible Note ('Note 1') with a 24 month term, the proceeds of which will be used, along with Blackham's current cash, to fully repay A$13 million of short term secured debt owed to Orion Fund JV Limited. With the Orion debt fully repaid, Blackham will be able to re-direct operational cash flows to expand its reserves and finalise the Wiluna Expansion Definitive Feasibility Study.The Funding Agreement includes repayment provisions that allow for conversion into Blackham shares ('Shares'), optional cash payments, or early repayment at the Company's sole discretion at any time. A lock-up provision restricts conversion of debt into Shares for four and a half months until 14 February 2019, two weeks after the expiry of the Company's 534 million listed options which are exercisable at 8 cents per Share. Any proceeds from the exercise of listed options will be directed to repaying Note 1.Blackham's Managing Director, Bryan Dixon, stated:"Blackham has significantly boosted its gold production since January 2018. The current financing from Lind will remove short term debt service payments, improve our balance sheet and allow us to reallocate operating cash flows to expand production levels. The Lind Partners has been a long-time supporter of and investor in Blackham, and we are pleased to continue our relationship with Jeff Easton and The Lind Partners."Lind's Managing Director, Jeff Easton, said:"We have been following Blackham since Lind's first investment in 2012 and have seen them evolve from an explorer to a gold producer with a 6.7Moz resource and a considerable growth story. We are thrilled to invest in Blackham again and support management's strategic plans to expand operations to be one of Australia's most significant gold mines."Key Aspects of the Funding Agreement:The Funding Agreement is underpinned by the ability to draw up to A$23,000,000 in a number of tranches from Lind. The terms of the Funding Agreement expressly allow Blackham to carry out additional private placements of equity and debt funding or engage in other financing transactions.Lind will initially advance A$7.5 million to Blackham who will issue a secured redeemable convertible note with a face value amount of $9 million ('Note 1'), inclusive of interest Blackham has the right to redeem Note 1 at any time which, if repaid within six months, can be redeemed at a discounted face value of A$8.25 million. Lind cannot convert Note 1 into Shares prior to 14 February 2019.After 14 February 2019, the Company will repay the amounts owed to Lind via monthly instalments of 1/12th of the face value, which can be paid, at the Company's option each month, in cash or Shares; if in Shares, at a price being the minimum of $0.08 per share or 90% of five daily VWAPs during a specified period of time ('Conversion Price'). Additionally, the Company can use cash to redeem the entire outstanding amount at any time for no penalty, subject to the Investor having the right to elect to convert 30% of the Face Value at the Conversion Price.As part of the consideration payable for this Funding Agreement, the Company will issue 72 million Blackham options to the Investor with an exercise price of 8 cents and an expiry of 5 years from issue. Security will be provided to Lind by way of the issue of 50 million collateral Shares that will be credited at the end of the Funding Agreement.The parties have agreed that no more than 114,000,000 Shares ('Initial Maximum Share Number') can be issued under Note 1 without shareholder approval. As the Initial Maximum Share Number is within the Company's ASX Listing Rule 7.1 placement capacity, shareholder approval is not required for Note 1 to proceed. The Company will ratify the issue of Note 1 at its annual general meeting and seek shareholder approval for the issue of Note 1 to the extent it can convert into Shares above the Initial Maximum Share Number.Drawdown of $6 million is expected within seven business days with the remaining $1.5 million of Note 1 to be received within 20 business days of the date of the Funding Agreement.Further drawdowns via convertible securities under the Financing Agreement would provide Blackham with the option to obtain additional funding, if necessary, and would be subject to prior shareholder approvals, mutual agreement by both parties and Blackham maintaining a minimum market capitalisation of A$80 million. Any further drawdowns would be funded, on equivalent terms to Note 1, including the issue of further options in connection with each tranche (also subject to prior shareholder approvals). Lind has the right to reinvest up to A$3 million in a convertible note on similar terms to Note 1, subject to shareholder approval. The Investor has agreed not to acquire 10% or more of the total fully paid ordinary Shares in the capital of the Company.About Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd

Wiluna Mining Corporation (ASX:WMC) (OTCMKTS:WMXCF) is a Perth based, ASX listed gold mining company that controls over 1,600 square kilometres of the Yilgarn Craton in the Northern Goldfields of WA. The Yilgarn Craton has a historic and current gold endowment of over 380 million ounces, making it one of most prolific gold regions in the world. The Company owns 100% of the Wiluna Gold Operation which has a defined resource of 8.04M oz at 1.67 g/t au. In May 2019, a new highly skilled management team took control of the Company with a clear plan to leverage the Wiluna Gold Operation's multi-million-ounce potential.It is now one week since the tragic events unfolded on Linen Hall Street, which saw 31-year-old mum-of-two Ingrida Maciokaite stabbed to death in a brutal knife attack, and Dundalk residents and the local Lithuanian community are still reeling in shock.

St. Nicholas Avenue Resident's Association, who Ingrida volunteered with for the community groups' annual spring clean, took to Facebook to post a heartbreaking tribute.

The group noted that the young Lithuanian woman made "so many friends in her time here" and added that they are all "heartbroken at her untimely and undeserved death".

The post read: Sad news reaching us today of our friend and former neighbour Ingrida Maciokaite who passed away.

Ingrida always got involved in the community while she lived in D'avenya seen (see above picture) at our Annual Spring clean.

She made so many friends in her time here and they are all heartbroken at her untimely and undeserved death. Our thoughts and prayers are with her young children. Rest In Peace Ingrida from all her friends and neighbours in D'avenya."

An online fundraiser has also been set up to help raise funds for Ms. Maciokaite's funeral costs. Eugene Garvey, who set up the GoFundMe Page explained:

Ingrida Maciokaite's life was tragically taken away from her in the most horrible of circumstances. She leaves behind her two beautiful young children.

Her family in Lithuania has given permission to her close friends to bury her here in Ireland, a place that she had made her home. Her friends want to give Ingrida a proper send-off but unfortunately, funerals are not cheap.

As they grieve, I have offered to help them raise the funds. If there is anything you can do to help it would be greatly appreciated, any excess money raised will go toward her two children.

So far 3,324 out of the total of 6,000 has been raised.

See: www.gofundme.com/funeral-for-ingridaPlease allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

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Support our mission and join our community now.

Six representatives from water technology hubs from China, Korea, Singapore, USA, Israel and the Netherlands, participated in the first edition of the European Water Tech Week in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.

On the opening day of the water week, the representatives joined in a panel discussion sharing their experiences on clustering the efforts in their countries to innovate water technology in a structural way.

The European Water Tech Week takes place from 24 to 27 September.

Four of the six representatives, f.l.t.r.: Dean Amhaus (USA), Hein Molenkamp (NL), Yossi Yaacoby (Israel) and Fong Han Loong (Singapore).

Very different types of water hubs

The discussion showed how differently the water hubs are organised, each with their own accents. The Chinese water hub is part of a large cluster of some 1,800 companies specialised in environmental technology, of which some 40 in water technology. The cluster helps the companies to overcome the hurdles they face on the market.

The Israeli hub, WaTech, is part of the national water utility Mekorot and is based on dedicated partnerships for the development of new water technologies.

This is more or less the same for the Singapore Water Exchange Platform that is organised around the national water utility PUB.

Whereas WaterCampus Leeuwarden, Korean Water Cluster and Water Council Wisconsin have an additional focus on fundamental research.

According to Shaoxian Zhang of the Jiangsu cluster only 20 percent of the issues raised by its 2,000 members comes to the stage of real research.

Most difficult issues

Shaoxian Zhang, managing director at the Chinese Jiangsu cluster explained that many of the issues raised by the members can easily be solved. Some 20 percent remains, Zhang said, and those we take to the next stage. We try to find solutions for the issues with expert companies and our international partners'.

Zhang emphasised the importance of building real size demonstration plants. This enables water technology suppliers to test their new technologies at an industrial scale.

Yossi Yaacoby, director of Mekorots WaTech Centre mentioned the disappointment innovators have after a successful pilot. They complain that no one is buying their product. But a successful pilot is not enough, Yaacoby said. New products need hard work on marketing, but at the same time patience to wait for the right moment.

President Dean Amhaus of the US water tech hub mentioned the importance of getting talents on board.

Dynamic atmosphere

All six representatives mentioned the dynamic atmosphere they can create by working with students and small companies. Especially start-ups are very favoured by the hubs as they challenge the existing water technology market by introducing more agile solutions to water problems.

Host of the hubs, Hein Molenkamp, managing director of Water Alliance addressed the possibility for hubs to involve water in other sectors such as in the oil & gas, agriculture and energy sectors. Half of the suppliers connected to the WaterCampus Leeuwarden sell their products outside the water sector. Cross sectoral issues are very important for us.

Essentials of a hub

Closing the discussion, President and COE Dean Amhaus of the Water Council Wisconsin reffered to a report published by the Brooklyn Institute this summer on cluster initiatives. Amhaus mentioned the five essentials according to this report: create a good ecosystem for innovation, involve universities to attract talent, involve companies for the commercialization and involve investors outside the cluster that may benefit from cluster dynamics.

Read also on this website

 Less than two weeks for world watertech hubs to meet in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, 13 September 2018

 Water Tech Fest: Lets make disruptive water technology happen, 26 May 2016

 Expertise: Water technology



More information

European water tech week 2018

www.watercampus.nl/ewtw2018

WaterCampus Leeuwarden

Leeuwarden, the Netherlands

+31 58 284 90 44

www.watercampus.nl

New Quebec VP to Drive Authier Development

Brisbane, Sep 25, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emerging lithium miner Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( OTCMKTS:DMNXF ) announced today the appointment of experienced mining industry communications and external relations specialist, Alexis Segal, to the role of Sayona Quebec Vice President, Corporate Affairs.Highlights- Highly experienced mining industry communications/external relations specialist, Alexis Segal, appointed Sayona Quebec Vice President, Corporate Affairs- Experience includes senior positions at Rio Tinto, Alcan, Port of Quebec Corporation and City of Quebec- Strong track record of successful engagement with government, First Nations, landholders and other key stakeholders- Appointment follows successful Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Company's Authier Lithium Project, with Sayona focused on ensuring sustainable developmentAn expert in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and government relations, Mr Segal has extensive experience in Canada's mining, infrastructure and government sectors with a strong track record in creating value for all stakeholders.His experience includes 14 years at major miner Rio Tinto, where he successfully executed group strategy to support business objectives at posts including Vice President, Communications and External Relations at Rio Tinto - Aluminium, along with other senior communications posts encompassing Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America for Rio Tinto Alcan.Prior to joining Rio Tinto, Mr Segal served as Vice President, Corporate Affairs at leading aluminium manufacturer Aluminerie Alouette, with responsibility for external communications, corporate social responsibility and government relations.His government experience includes posts at Port of Quebec Corporation and the City of Quebec, while he has also acted as a consultant in regional development.Mr Segal is bilingual in English and French and was educated at Universite Laval, obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Geography and a Master's in land use planning and regional economic development. He has also held a number of board positions, including at Aluminerie Alouette, Groupe Alucam, Socatral, Rio Tinto Alcan and various non-profit organisations including business, sporting and charity groups.Welcoming the appointment, Sayona's Managing Director, Dan O'Neill said: "Alexis is the perfect candidate for this position, given his vast experience in Quebec, home to our Authier Lithium Project and his track record of successful engagement with a range of stakeholders."Community engagement is vital to ensuring sustainable outcomes from our Authier project and Alexis will be key to this, given his extensive connections across the business, government, sporting and non-profit sectors."Following Authier's positive DFS (refer ASX announcement 24 September 2018) we are confident of developing a successful and sustainable project that delivers genuine benefits for all stakeholders, including jobs and investment for the local community and increased value for shareholders."Mr Segal's responsibilities include representing Sayona to the broader community, government, First Nations, media and other stakeholders in Quebec; concluding successful permits to operate; and maintaining environmental, communication and human resources strategies, while ensuring ongoing transparent disclosure and commitment to corporate social responsibility and corporate governance.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The fiscal impact of financial sector support measures: where do we stand a decade on from the financial crisis?

Prepared by Joao Domingues Semeano and Marien Ferdinandusse

Published as part of the ECB Economic Bulletin, Issue 6/2018.

This box takes a further look at the fiscal impact of the financial sector support measures taken in the ten years since the financial crisis struck. With the euro area economy entering its fifth year of expansion, this seems like a good moment to take stock of the fiscal costs of the crisis and the extent to which the recovery has helped to recoup them. This is done by focusing on the measures impact on deficits and debt, and on the state guarantees granted to banks and other financial institutions.[1] Steps have been taken since the crisis to improve the supervision of the financial sector, the orderly resolution of failing financial institutions, the sustainability of public finances and the resilience of sovereigns, for example by establishing bodies like the Single Supervisory Mechanism, the Single Resolution Mechanism and the European Fiscal Board.

Financial sector support measures can affect deficit and debt differently. Unless they are financed from cash reserves, financial sector support measures will increase the general government gross debt. Whether they will also affect the budget balance depends on whether the operation presents a clear loss for the government.[2] If so, they are classified as a capital transfer for statistical purposes, meaning they have an impact on the budget balance and debt ratio. The acquisition of financial assets above market price and capital injections to cover bank losses are typical examples of this. However, if the government receives shares in a bank or debt securities that are considered to be of equal value to the capital injection it provides, the support measure is classified as a financial operation that only affects the general government gross debt. The statistical reclassification of entities from the financial sector to the general government sector, notably reflecting the nationalisation of banks, also increases government debt but not the budget deficit.

The fiscal impact of the financial sector support that euro area governments provided following the 2008 financial crisis was large and varied greatly across countries, and has only partially been reversed (see Chart A). During and after the global financial crisis that was marked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers on 15 September 2008, most euro area governments provided support to individual financial institutions in order to safeguard financial stability.[3] The size and timing of the support differed widely across countries (see Chart B and Chart C).[4]

Chart A Impact of financial sector support measures on euro area deficit and debt, and volume of contingent liabilities (percentage of GDP) Source: Eurostat.

Note: Positive figures indicate an increase in the deficit. The impact on the deficit is net of income generated from financial support measures, such as dividends received on shares in financial institutions and fees received for public guarantee.

At the euro area level, financial sector support measures had a very large impact on the aggregate budget deficit in 2010 (0.7% of GDP), 2012 (0.5% of GDP) and 2013 (0.3% of GDP) (see Chart A). Only one country, Germany, recorded a tangible increase in its deficit in 2008 caused by financial sector support measures; this number increased to six in 2009 and peaked at nine in 2012 (see Chart B). While declining until recently, the impact on the euro area deficit has never been zero in the past ten years, and 2017 saw the effect increase again due to capital transfers in Italy, Portugal and Cyprus. Viewed across several years, the scale of the impact was in many cases equal to, or even far greater than, the effect of fiscal measures taken during regular budget cycles. Eight countries saw a cumulative impact between 2008 and 2017 that was higher than the euro area average, varying from an increase in the budget deficit of more than 4 percentage points of GDP in Spain, Austria and Latvia to more than 27 percentage points in Ireland (see Chart B).

Chart B Net impact of financial sector support measures on the general government deficit (percentage of GDP) Source: Eurostat.

Notes: The chart does not include countries without support measures affecting the deficit (Estonia, Malta, Slovakia and Finland) or where such measures only have a marginal impact (0.1% of GDP in France in 2012). Positive figures indicate an increase in the deficit. The impact on the deficit is net of income generated from financial support measures, such as dividends received on shares in financial institutions and fees received for public guarantee. For readability, the countries are divided into two groups in order to present the same number of cases in each panel: the left panel excludes observations with a deficit impact below 0.4% of GDP and the right panel below 0.1% of GDP.

The impact on the euro area debt-to-GDP ratio, which peaked at almost 5.9% in 2012, stood at 4.1% in 2017. The maximum impact of the support measures on the debt-to-GDP ratio was 10% or more in eight euro area countries (see Chart C), including Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Slovenia as well as the four euro area countries that required an EU/IMF adjustment programme (Ireland, Greece, Cyprus and Portugal). The time profile of the impact of the support measures on the general government gross debt varies considerably. The impact has started to partially and slowly reverse in most countries and in the euro area as a whole, thanks to the income generated from the support measures, such as dividends received on shares in financial institutions and fees received for public guarantees, and the sale of financial assets. Across countries, the recovery from the support provided has been particularly pronounced in Ireland, where the impact of financial sector support measures on the debt-to-GDP ratio had declined by 30 percentage points by 2017 compared with the peak, and also the Netherlands (ten percentage points since the peak), Latvia and Germany (six percentage points since the peak). However, support measures added to the debt in Italy, Cyprus and Portugal in 2017.

Chart C Impact of financial sector support measures on general government gross debt (percentage of GDP) Source: Eurostat.

Note: The chart does not include countries without support measures affecting gross debt (Estonia, Malta, Slovakia and Finland) or where such measures only have a marginal impact (0.6% of GDP in 2008, and 0.1% of GDP in 2012 in France).

Euro area contingent liabilities fell from more than 8% of GDP in 2009 to 1.4% in 2017. In most cases, the explicit guarantees that many euro area governments provided to individual institutions at the height of the financial crisis or, in a few instances, the financing of asset management vehicles have been phased out (see Chart D). This mostly represents a positive development, as a return to financial stability meant there was no need to renew expiring guarantees. However, some guarantees have been called, and receiving entities have been classified in the general government sector, causing the reduction in the guarantee to be matched by an equivalent increase in government debt and/or deficit. For example, one-fifth of the guarantees provided as part of the partial privatisation of the Portuguese bank Novo Banco in October 2017, amounting to 2% of GDP, have been called, serving to increase the 2018 deficit by 0.4 percentage point of GDP. Six euro area countries, including France, Italy and Spain, still had outstanding contingent liabilities exceeding 1% of GDP in 2017. In addition, in July 2018 Cyprus provided guarantees for an asset protection scheme (APS) as part of the sale of the Cyprus Cooperative Bank (CCB). The APS covers potential unexpected losses on assets which have been acquired by the buyer of CCB, amounting to about 13% of GDP.[5]

Chart D Volume of contingent liabilities (percentage of GDP) Source: Eurostat.

Notes: The chart does not include countries without contingent liabilities associated with financial sector support (Estonia, Malta, Slovakia and Lithuania) or where such liabilities are minimal (0.1% of GDP in Finland in 2008). Contingent liabilities refer to government guarantees to the banking sector. The outstanding government guarantees do not include guarantees covering retail deposits (except for Ireland from 30 September 2008 to 29 September 2010) or state guarantees for emergency liquidity assistance.

The widespread, large and long-lasting fiscal impact of financial sector support measures underlines the importance of further reinforcing the institutional framework in the euro area. As the Euro Summit on 29 June 2018 concluded, there is still progress to be made on the completion of the banking union and strengthening the European Stability Mechanism. Further work on this reform agenda, as well as continued efforts to safeguard fiscal sustainability, will be required to prevent future financial crises and mitigate the associated fiscal impact.Its a trend noted by the news media, teachers unions, and educators themselves: Fed up with the state of public education, teachers are running for office.

And now, a new Education Week analysis shows that teachers are not only runningtheyre winning.

Out of the 158 current classroom teachers that Education Week confirmed were running for their state legislature, 101 have moved on to the general election. Thirty-seven of those teachers won their primaries, while 59 ran unopposed. Five are running as write-in candidates, so they didnt have to go through a primary.

If even just a handful of us win a seat [in November], ... then teachers will have a voice at the Capitoland we havent had one in so very long, said Jennifer Samuels, an 8th grade teacher who is running for Arizonas House as a Democrat.

While these teachers are scattered across the country in 32 states, many are in Oklahoma15 teachers won their primaries there, and 12 additional teachers in the Sooner State were unopposed. Thats about a 42 percent success rate so far for the 64 teachers there who filed to run.

In Kentucky, there are five candidates running write-in campaigns, seven teachers were unopposed in the primary, and three teachers defeated their opponentsmeaning 15 teachers out of 20 who started campaigns have advanced to the general election.

In Arizona, three teachers have moved on to the general election, and in West Virginia, six have advanced. In both of those states, only one teacher was knocked out during the primaries.

Most of these educators are first-time candidates, with little political experience. But they have one major advantage: They are riding the wave of teacher activism that began in a half-dozen states, including Arizona, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, in the spring.

In those states, teachers walked out of their classrooms to protest low wages, cuts to school funding, and, at least in Kentucky, changes to the states public pension system.

These days, when I come to [voters] doors and say, Hey, Im a public school teacher running for the legislature. You know why Im here, dont you?'at that point, theyll say, Yes, we know,  said John Waldron, a high school social studies teacher who is running for Oklahomas House as a Democrat. People get that education hasnt been funded, and its a crisis in Oklahoma.

After 10 years without pay raises, teachers in Oklahoma received an average $6,100 boost this spring, although they still walked out of their classrooms to call for more school funding.

Year of the Teacher

While Education Weeks analysis only includes teachers competing for state legislative seats, educators are also running in the general election for other high-profile positions. In Connecticut, Jahana Hayes, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, won the Democratic primary for an open U.S. House of Representatives seat. Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, a former teacher, narrowly won the primary for governor of Minnesota. And Wisconsin schools Superintendent Tony Evers took the Democratic nomination for governor in that state.

Many retired teachers and administrators are running for state office this year, too, as well as teachers who are seeking election to school boards and other local offices.

Its the year of the teacher, Waldron said. Teachers want to make the world a better place, and now were finding an appropriate venue for doing that in the field of politics.

Educators say voters are especially attuned to the problems in public education after the walkouts. That engagement, along with a boost in donations and volunteers, is a major factor behind their primary wins.

In Kentuckys Republican primary, for instance, a high school math teacher beat out the incumbent, who is a House majority floor leader and an author of the controversial pension-reform plan that sparked the states widescale teacher protests. R. Travis Brenda has credited his victory to massive support from educators.

And in Oklahoma, Craig Hoxie, a high school science teacher, is hoping to unseat the House majority whip, GOP state Rep. Terry ODonnell. ODonnell voted for teacher pay raises, but Hoxie said he has failed to take significant action to improve public education.

Hes part of the leadership that has failed for so many years now to bring about real change, he said.

For Jennie Scott, a 4th grade teacher who is running for Oklahomas House as a Democrat, her status as a teacher might have given her an advantage in the primary, too.

She said she was more informed than her opponent about specific solutions to issues like teacher shortages. And voters seemed receptive to listening to her, Scott said.

Teachers are a very trusted part of our community for the most part, she said. We entrust our children with teachers.

Second Time Around

While most of the teachers running for office this year are first-time candidates, a few are on their second lap. In 2016, about 40 teachers ran for the Oklahoma legislature, though many were knocked out during the primary. Only about five teachers were victorious overall.

Some of those educators now say theyre more experienced and better organized than they were two years ago, when they struggled to raise money and articulate their vision to enough voters.

I think Im in a much better, stronger position, said Waldron, who ran for the state Senate in 2016 and lost in the general election.

So far in his racethis time for the state Househes knocked on 10,000 doors in his district and is talking to people for the second or third time, he said.

I bring a different energy to the door now, he said. Im not there to confront people or argue with them. Instead of meeting them head-to-head, Im standing there side to side and pointing out whats wrong with our state.

There is also more collaboration among the teachers this time, he saidjust last month, there was a union-organized campaign rally for the dozen teachers running for office in the Tulsa area.

Waldron said its easier to get both campaign contributions and volunteers this year. Thats partly because of his previous campaign, he said, but its also because of the new political awareness of the problems facing schools in the state.

Indeed, the states teacher walkout has changed the tone of the campaign by placing education at the top of voters minds, said Jacobi Crowley, a crisis interventionist in the Lawton school district who is running for the Oklahoma House again, after losing in 2016.

This April really provided that wave of enthusiasm and hope [for] something different, he said.

A Diverse Field

Many of the teachers running this year are also part of another historic movement: More women are seeking political office than ever before, experts say. Indeed, more than half the candidates in Education Weeks database are women (although thats still a much smaller percentage than the percentage of all teachers who are female).

And while about 88 percent of the teachers who will be on the ballot in November are Democrats, candidates say their conversations on public education with voters often transcend party lines.

Public school funding is an issue that most people agree should not be a partisan issue, said Joe Bisaccia, a middle school teacher whos running for the Arizona House.

Sarah Carnes, a high school art teacher whos vying for the state House in Oklahoma as a Democrat, said that she makes a point to tell Republican voters: Im here to represent everybody, because thats what Ive been doing as a teacher.

The experience of working in diverse schools has paid off in her campaign, she said.

Ultimately, teachers are really good mediators and mentors, and we help solve problems in the classroom, and we work with parents hand in hand, Carnes said. We want to help everybody, thats why we have giving hearts. I think thats whats connecting and resonating with the constituents right now.Just what is it about Montessori education and billionaires?

Jeff Bezos is just one of several tech titans who are part of a so-called Montessori Mafia, a term coined in a 2011 Wall Street Journal article. It named Bezos, along with Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin, and Will Wright, the designer of the videogame The Sims.

The article also noted that young Bezos would get so engrossed in his activities as a Montessori preschooler that his teachers would literally have to pick him up out of his chair to go to the next task, according to his mother.

Little wonder, then, that free Montessori inspired education is an interest for Bezoss recently announced $2 billion Day One Fund.

It is potentially a game changer, said Jacqueline Cossentino, the director of research for the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector. There hasnt been this kind of investment in any model, let alone Montessori. Were eager to see what he has in mind.

Over time, Montessori education has taken on a stereotype that it is mostly for the rich, because, in the United States, the educational framework is primarily offered in private schools.

But Maria Montessori, the Italian physician and educator who built the educational framework in the early 1900s after years of observation on how children learn, started her work with children with disabilities and from low-income familiesexamples, perhaps, of the underserved communities that Bezos says he wants to reach with his new initiative.

Distinguishing Features

Montessori education offers several features that distinguish it from typical preschool classrooms. For example, classrooms feature multi-age groupings. They use specific materials intended to encourage touch and play appropriate to a childs interests and development. Children are allowed much more free choice in what materials they can use, and theres a premium placed on intrinsic motivation: Children master tasks based on their own needs and wants, rather than working for praise or for other types of rewards. Under the educational framework, teachers are guides, rather than drivers of student activity.

See Also Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Ambitious Pre-K Move Sparks Wary Reactions

In that kind of environment, children are developing so many of the soft skills that 21st century learners need to have, said Andrea Corona, the principal of Macdowell Montessori School, a public school in the Milwaukee school system that enrolls children from age 3 to 12th grade.

There is research that suggests children from low-income backgrounds do benefit from high-quality Montessori classrooms.

Angeline Lillard, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, studied public Montessori programs in Milwaukee and in Hartford, Conn. In Milwaukee, she found stronger math, reading, and executive function skills among elementary-age children who attended public Montessori programs, compared with similar children who attended traditional schools. In Hartford, Lillard found low-income children in Montessori programs academically outperformed similar children enrolled in typical preschools.

A Certain Dignity

One big question, however, is whether it is Montessori that makes the difference, or whether the type of educators drawn to the philosophy are primed to be excellent teachers no matter what.

Lillard said some smaller studies suggest that Montessori materials do make a difference, but there needs to be more research. Lillard is among several researchers in the early stages of the first large-scale, federally funded longitudinal study of Montessori effectiveness that will study public programs in multiple locations.

The Montessori environment has a certain dignity, Lillard said. Regardless of their background, [children] have a sense of self and who they are.

Bezos interest in expanding the educational philosophy further is exciting, she said. All children should be able to have this.After three weeks of teacher strikes dotting the state of Washington, students in all districts are back in school.

Teachers in the Tacoma and Battle Ground districts returned to school at the beginning of last week after settling contract agreements. Teachers in the Tumwater district were expected to return to work several days later.

In 14 districts, teachers went on strike over contract disputes stemming from an influx of cash districts had received from the state. The state had awarded $2 billion to districts to go toward salary increases, a result of a 2012 state supreme court ruling. It was required to fully fund raises by this school year. Though many districts achieved that goal, some had not.I hate being observed. When my principal walks in with her laptop or a clipboard and pen, Im instantly afflicted by a crippling self-doubt I havent felt since junior high. I scan the room with the alert panic a gazelle must feel when scanning the savannah for predators.

I trail off in the middle of a sentence, losing the thread of whatever I was talking about before my principal walked in. My face gets flushed, my armpits dump sweat, and my voice sounds plaintive and shrill. The kids suddenly seem either wild or half-asleep.

To my own critical gaze, my classroom looks like a junkyard: backpacks knocked off chairs, pencils scattered on the rug, crumpled tissues and broken crayons littering the book baskets. I experience a vast, volcanic anger toward Parker for choosing this precise moment to roll sideways on the rug and start jabbing his partner in the back with a splintered pencil. I would normally tell him to knock it off and sit up straight. In the presence of observers, though, I feel compelled to pretend I only ever speak to my students in the gently loving tone an elderly librarian might use when reminding her favorite grandson to whisper in the library.

So I shoot death ray lasers at Parker with my eyes, while sending him a telepathic message to please, for the love of all that is holy, sit up straight and at least pretend to listen because the principal is right there behind him, and now shes taking notes with a concerned expression that I interpret as, Why on Earth did we hire this fool?

Parker fails to receive my desperate mental message, of course, because he has now reclined on his back, folded his hands on his chest like a snoozing sea otter, and started a conversation with the kid behind him about whether Thor could beat up the Hulk.

A few days or weeks from now, Ill be able to laugh about this moment. But until the merciful river of time carries me beyond the present reality of this agonizing observation, I am dying inside.

Surviving observations

Theres something deeply personal about appraisals of our teaching. Its not just our professional competence thats wrapped up in an observation, but a sense of our worth as human beings. In walks an administrator, often at the worst possible moment, and suddenly our flaws loom in our minds like the distorted reflection in a funhouse mirror.

So for those of us who die inside every time an observer walks into our classroom, what can we do about it?

1. Remember that were all in the same boat.

There is no perfect day of teaching. Even the best teachers experience failure, frustration, multiple mistakes, and moments when their students are either maddeningly unruly or so bored they look catatonic.

Your principalor whoever else walks in with a clipboardisnt perfect, either. She is trying, like we all are, to do a good job in a role where mistakes are unavoidable and chaos theory bites a sizable chunk out of the best-laid plans. If the person observing you is a true professional, she will show you some grace. She will know that youre trying to do a complex job well, and shell recognize that whatever she witnesses is a single snapshot in the photo album of your classroom.

2. Keep direct instruction short, so you can spend most of your time helping kids one-on-one or in small groups.

I feel a thousand times better when my principal walks in while the kids are busy reading books, writing stories, or playing a math game, rather than during the direct instruction portion of a lesson when Im talking to 25 kids in various states of alertness. Even when Im not being observed, my best lessons happen when I give most of my thought to the experience, activity, or product the students will be creating, rather than the words Im going to say. When the kids are engaged in their work, Im not on stage. Im doing what comes most naturallyhaving a true conversation with children one-on-one or in small groups.

3. Clear some space in a really big cabinet where you can jam all your mess.

We dont always have the time or will to file student work into portfolios and resettle hundreds of scattered math manipulatives into their original homes. For those depleted afternoons when youre in desperate need of your beloved couch and a giant bowl of ice cream to replenish your spirits, a comprehensive cleanup might be out of the question. Instead, take 10 minutes to stuff the worst of the mess out of sight, then get home to your couch and ice cream. If observers do make an unannounced appearance the next day, the anxiety spike will be less piercing if your room looks a little less post-apocalyptic.

4. Show yourself some grace.

Most of us are way more generous with our colleagues than we are with ourselves. When other teachers on our hall are nervous about an upcoming observation, or feeling mortified after a bad one, we lavish them with reassurance and remind them of the many things they do well in their classroom. We need to show ourselves that same generosity of spirit.

When my wife and I were going through pre-marriage classes, the priest described this sense of grace you come away with when you visit certain couples homes. He told us, That grace doesnt come from everything being perfect in their marriage or their family. It comes from the couple trying as hard as they can, with everything theyve got, to be kind to one another and make it work. We need more of that sentiment when it comes to the work teachers do in our classrooms every day.

Principals, superintendents, and policymakers can help move observations in the right direction by focusing on things that matter, like student engagement and creativity, rather than things that dont: an immaculate classroom, students who remain silent as monks when walking the hallway, and the obedient inscription of every lessons objective on the board. (Is there a single one of us who recalls fondly, from our own time in school, that amazing lesson taught by a beloved teacher because of the numbered state standard written on the board?)

We often punish ourselves, though, by being our own harshest critics. We exhibit a brutal fixation on our flaws that we would never inflict on our students or colleagues. That harshness does nothing to improve our teaching.

This work is really, really hard. Were often doing better than we think. And when a lesson bombs, we can reflect, learn from the mistakes, and do better tomorrow when we get the gift of another chance.

None of this means that you or I wont experience crippling anxiety and self-doubt if our principal walks in tomorrow morning, clipboard in hand, at the precise moment our math lesson wobbles off the rails. But we can take a deep breath, consider our strengths, and get the kids started on their work. We can trust that the observers whose opinions truly matter will see what matters most: An imperfect but glorious class of young humans sharing the company of their glorious but imperfect teacher, all of us bringing our best selves to this messy, complicated, beautiful profession at the heart of it all.Active ingredient in Monsantos Roundup hurts honey bee guts

The weedkiller glyphosate decreases microorganisms in honey bee guts and these changes leave them more susceptible to death, according to a new study.

Option Exercised on +70,000 Ha Pegmatite Lithium Catamarca Project

Brisbane, Sep 25, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Argentine-focused lithium exploration and project development company Lake Resources NL ( ASX:LKE ) has taken the decision to exercise the option over a large belt of outcropping pegmatites in the Ancasti area of Catamarca province, Argentina (see figures 1, 2 and 3 in link below).- Pegmatites in Catamarca a likely host for significant lithium mineralisation as spodumene.- Decision made to exercise option and acquire project 100% of 70,000 hectare project.- Recent field programme suggests a number of potential targets in a 150km mineralised belt.- District in Catamarca has seen previous small scale production. Lake is using modern techniques to locate potential new large scale deposits.A recent field programme has reinforced the view that the 150 kilometre-long belt favourably hosts significant lithium mineralisation as spodumene in large pegmatite swarms.Lake signed an agreement with Argentine company, Petra Energy SA, in early 2017 over an area of exploration lease applications exceeding 70,000 hectares within a belt of outcropping pegmatites over 150 kilometres long.A total of 19 million ordinary LKE shares will be issued to the vendors to acquire 100% of the local company and the project, of which 50% of the shares will be escrowed for 6 months. Previously only 1 million shares were issued, on signing of the option agreement in 2017, with the remainder to be issued in the coming days.Recent field work in the Ancasti area has resulted in new exploration models being developed which clearly show potential for the belt to host large scale deposits. Previously, coarse grained spodumene crystals 30-70cm long had been identified in a number of locations. Further exploration activities will be conducted once the transaction is completed. Field based XRF analysis to vector in on potential new targets will be undertaken first, followed by trenching and auger sampling. Drill locations will then be defined by these results.Managing Director Steve Promnitz said: "The pegmatite project in Catamarca is an enormous target with lots of exploration upside. We secured the project because the geology is very compelling and there is a history of production in the area. We have had considerable interest from third parties, both foreign and local Argentine companies, wanting to jointly explore Catamarca and we'll assess these carefully.""Our in-country exploration team expects to commence work very soon on sampling and this will not inhibit progress being made at Kachi and Cauchari which are both on track and progressing to plan."To view figures, please visit: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.Local politicians attend UK Party conferences

The Chief Minister of the Isle of Man will be attending the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham next week.

Howard Quayle will be joined by Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan and Health Minister David Ashford at the event.

Mr Quayle hopes the trip will allow the Manx delegates to gain further insight into the Tories plans for the UK after leaving the European Union.

The Chief Minister and Enterprise Minister Lawrence Skelly met with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at their party conference in Liverpool this weekend.Police on the Isle of Man have seen a rise in reports of 'drinks spiking' since 2012.

A Freedom of Information request revealed the force received 11 reports from April 2017 to 2018.

They all included the words 'drink' and 'spiking' or 'lacing'.

The records from Isle of Man Constabulary go back to 2012 - officers dealt with only 2 reports from 2012 to 2015.25 September 2018

The EPO and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA, formerly SIPO) have agreed on a co-operation programme for next year as part of their long-term strategic partnership on strengthening the patent system. The 2019 co-operation work plan was signed by EPO President Antonio Campinos and CNIPA Commissioner Shen Changyu on Friday at their annual heads of office meeting in Munich.

The plan focuses on areas such as patent law and patent examination guidelines, examination quality, data exchange, classification, search tools and machine translation, and also foresees a joint study on computer-implemented inventions. It falls under the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed by the EPO and the Chinese office last year - the first such agreement between two major patent offices.

CNIPA Commissioner Shen Changyu and EPO President Antonio Campinos signing the 2019 co-operation work plan in Munich

"The partnership with China is of paramount importance to the EPO," said EPO President Campinos. "I am very pleased to have my first official meeting with Commissioner Shen to discuss how we can further improve the patent system to better serve users in both of our regions. By continuing our co-operation and close consultation also with Chinese and European industry, we strive to enhance the quality of our patent-granting procedures in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the global patent system," he said. Mr Campinos added: "Our offices will look at strengthening co-operation on inventions related to new technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big data. This will benefit users, who expect fast and reliable services also in these fields."

The EPO's co-operation with the Chinese patent office dates back more than 30 years to the signing of a first memorandum of understanding between the two patent offices in 1985. The co-operation has contributed significantly to the modernisation of the patent system in China, and to improving the patent system at international level. For Europe, it has made available the rapidly growing amount of Chinese patent data, and has improved access to patent protection in China for European companies doing business there.

CNIPA received more than 1.3 million applications for invention patents in 2017. China is now the fifth most active country of origin for European patent applications, with strong growth from Chinese applicants at the EPO in recent years (+17% in 2017). For the first time last year, a Chinese company, Huawei, became the top applicant at the EPO.

Following a reform of China's IP agencies, SIPO was recently renamed CNIPA, and in addition to patents, utility models and designs, the office now also processes applications for trade marks and geographical indications.

Further informationA new $4.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) has been awarded to the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) for the development of a new "Windows on the Universe Center for Astronomy Outreach" at NSF's Kitt Peak National Observatory. Located in the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope facility, an iconic structure that was once the world's largest solar observatory, the center will provide the public with a new way to experience the cutting-edge research being carried out at Kitt Peak and NSF's other astronomy facilities around the globe, including ground-based optical, radio, solar, and gravitational wave facilities.

New Windows on the Universe for the Public

The grant will fund the renovation and transformation of the McMath-Pierce into an astronomy visualization and presentation center with potentially global reach. The center will feature data visualization systems, interactive exhibits, and a simulated telescope control room, which will give visitors the virtual experience of being at a telescope and participating in research carried out at NSF facilities around the world, including those in Hawaii, Chile, and the South Pole.

To highlight its location in the McMath-Pierce facility, the Center will feature special exhibits on the history of solar astronomy. The grant will also fund public programs, including educational programs to be developed in collaboration with the Tohono O'odham Nation. Kitt Peak National Observatory, which is located in the Schuk Toak district on Tohono O'odham Nation land, 56 miles west of Tucson, Arizona, is part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), which is operated by the AURA under an agreement with NSF.

Visitors to the center will explore the wide variety of research carried out at NSF's astronomy facilities, including Kitt Peak, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Gemini Observatory, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, and the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope--all managed by AURA--as well as the Very Large Array, Atacama Large Millimeter Array, South Pole Telescope, and Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory.

The visualizations created for Windows on the Universe will feature imagery from these NSF facilities and will be designed for export to compatible visualization centers around the world, expanding the center's reach.

"The mountain-top setting in Arizona will provide visitors with a unique exposure to the history of astronomy at Kitt Peak, and it will serve as a gateway to the science taking place at NSF facilities in remote sites around the world," said NSF Program Director James Neff.

New Mission for an Iconic Facility

Recently retired as a scientific research facility, the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope, with its striking and unique architecture, will be repurposed for astronomy outreach. Dedicated in November 1962, the McMath-Pierce made important scientific discoveries about the Sun, planets, and the Moon over its 55-year research career. It was once the only solar telescope capable of observing the Sun at infrared wavelengths, and it has a long history of contributing to instrumentation development for both solar and night-time astronomy.

The McMath-Pierce now turns to a new mission focused on astronomy outreach and education, in an ambitious transformation of a research facility into a state-of-the-art outreach center. The center is expected to open to the public in about two years.

Lori Allen, Director of Kitt Peak National Observatory, expressed the excitement surrounding the new initiative: "We are thrilled to write this new chapter in the life of the McMath-Pierce. The new outreach center will greatly enhance the visitor experience on Kitt Peak, providing new and better ways for families, school kids, locals, and travelers from around the world to tap into the wonders of the universe and the beauty of the night sky."

A Transformed Kitt Peak Visitor Experience

The development and operation of the new center will be led by the Kitt Peak Visitor Center and its manager, Bill Buckingham. NOAO's Education and Public Outreach group will partner in developing new educational programming for students and teachers. Staff from NOAO and other NSF astronomy facilities will be invited to help develop exhibits that showcase results from their respective facilities.

Describing the evolving scope of the Kitt Peak Visitor Center's mission, Bill Buckingham explained, "Kitt Peak has welcomed visitors and students for decades with its programs that describe Kitt Peak research and general astronomy. With the new outreach center, we'll take a quantum leap beyond that, broadening our narrative to include all of NSF-funded astronomy, making the Sun and night sky accessible, enjoyable, and educational to many more visitors than is possible today."

Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) is part of NSF's National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF. NSF is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future. KPNO Visitor Center staff and volunteers are honored to be permitted to provide astronomy programs for the public on Iolkam Du'ag (Kitt Peak), a mountain with particular significance to the Tohono O'odham.

###

Contacts:

Shari Lifson

AURA Corporate Communications Coordinator

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

+1 (202) 769-5232

slifson@aura-astronomy.org

Dr. Joan Najita

National Optical Astronomy Observatory

950 N Cherry Ave

Tucson AZ 85719 USA

+1 520-318-8416

E-mail: najita@noao.edu

Joshua Chamot

Public Affairs Specialist for Mathematical and Physical Sciences

National Science Foundation

Office of Legislative and Public Affairs

(703) 292-4489

jchamot@nsf.gov

https://twitter.com/NSF_MPS

https://www.facebook.com/US.NSF/

Visitor Center and Project Information Contact:

Bill Buckingham, Manager

Kitt Peak National Observatory Visitor Center

Tel: +1 520 318-8163

E-mail: Buckingham@noao.edu

Information on current Visitor Center daytime and evening programs is available at https://www.noao.edu/kpvc.Nimshew Fire Update

The Nimshew Fire remained at 33 acres this morning but is now 50 percent contained. All evacuation warnings have been lifted.

Delta Fire Update

The Delta Fire is currently 98 percent contained and is expected to be fully contained by today.

"NorCal Rapist" Suspect in Court

The man police say is suspected of being the "NorCal Rapist" made his first appearance in court on Monday. Roy Waller did not enter a plea. He is accused of attacking at least 10 women across six Northern California counties between 1991 and 2006. Investigators arrested him after DNA evidence matched with a blood sample taken from a Chico victim who stabbed her attacker with a pair of scissors.

Butte County Board of Supervisors to Meet About Shelter Crisis



The Butte County Board of Supervisors will vote today on whether to declare a shelter crisis. If approved, the county can apply for nearly $5 million in emergency assistance from the state. The public meeting is taking place at 9 a.m.

National Rail Safety Week

It's National Rail Safety Week. Law enforcement around the country, and locally, will be undergoing Operation Clear Track to step up patrols around rail crossings starting today.

Developer Files Lawsuit Against Redding Following Carr Fire

A local developer has filed a lawsuit against the city of Redding over its strategy to prevent fires like the Carr Fire. The plaintiff wants the Redding City Council to reconsider a vote on the city's current Open-Space Strategy. He also wants the public to be part of the decision-making process.The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has selected the research institutions in the fourth round of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative: a total of 31 institutions across Germany will now be able to host threatened researchers from abroad. Funds are being provided for a total of 35 researchers who are seeking refuge in Germany because they are threatened by war or persecution in their own countries. As of October 2018, these scientists and scholars will spend two years conducting research as Philipp Schwartz Fellows at the institutions selected.

The 31 host institutions were chosen from a pool of 56 universities and research institutions that were keen to host one or more threatened researchers and whose proposals included concepts for integrating the researchers, both professionally and personally. Altogether, 91 individuals were nominated. In addition to the quality of integration plans, the academic match and the researchers' qualifications, the deciding factors included the prospects for a successful new start to their careers.

The researchers who will now be hosted by the universities selected come from Turkey (22 fellows), Syria (11), Iraq and Iran (one respectively).

The Philipp Schwartz Initiative was established by the Humboldt Foundation and Germany's Federal Foreign Office. It has also received financial support from various foundations at home and abroad. Having so far been extended from one round to the next, it is now going to be placed on a permanent financial footing by the Federal Foreign Office. In the future, up to 50 Philipp Schwartz Fellowships are scheduled to be funded under the programme annually.

German Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas explained, "When the freedom of research is under ever greater threat worldwide and academic work is being politicised, we can't sit back and ignore it. We Germans, in particular, know only too well from our own painful history where this can lead. That is why it is right to offer researchers the urgently needed scope and protected space here with us in Germany until the situation in their own countries has improved again."

The Secretary General of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Enno Aufderheide, commented, "We are most grateful to the Federal Foreign Office for financing the initiative permanently. It sends a reliable signal: any researcher who is persecuted or threatened in their own country may find protection and solidarity in German science as a Philipp Schwartz Fellow."

The following universities have been selected in the fourth round of the Philipp Schwartz Initiative:

Forum Transregionale Studien Berlin

Freie Universitat Berlin

Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin)

Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin

German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin

Berlin Social Science Center (WZB)

Bielefeld University

Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB)

University of Bonn

Technische Universitat Braunschweig

Technische Universitat Dresden

Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg (FAU)

Goethe University Frankfurt

University of Freiburg

Giessen University

Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU)

Universitat Hamburg

Heidelberg University

University of Hohenheim

Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU)

Forschungszentrum Julich

University of Kassel

University of Cologne

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig

Leipzig University

Philipps-Universitat Marburg

Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU), Munich

University of Potsdam

University of Siegen

University of Tubingen

University of Wuppertal (BUW)

The initiative is named after the Jewish pathologist Philipp Schwartz who had to flee Nazi Germany in 1933 and later established the "Notgemeinschaft deutscher Wissenschaftler im Ausland" (Emergency Society of German Scientists and Scholars Abroad). Besides fellowships, the initiative also provides funding for establishing necessary structures at the host institutions, conducting conferences for sharing information, and for networking host institutions with one another. In this connection, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation cooperates closely with international partners such as the Scholars at Risk Network, the Scholar Rescue Fund and the Council for At-Risk Academics.

###

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Every year, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation enables more than 2,000 researchers from all over the world to spend time researching in Germany. The Foundation maintains a network of well over 29,000 Humboldtians from all disciplines in more than 140 countries worldwide - including 55 Nobel Prize winners.SAN DIEGO - September 24, 2018 - Results from the Lipid-Rich Plaque (LRP) study demonstrate the correlation between the presence of non-flow-limiting, non-intervened upon, lipid-rich plaques detected by NIRS-IVUS imaging and the development of a major adverse cardiac event (MACE) from a de novo culprit lesion at both the patient level (vulnerable patients) and segment level (vulnerable plaques) within 24 months post intravascular imaging.

Findings 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.

Coronary lipid-rich plaques may be associated with subsequent cardiovascular events and it has been hypothesized that the outcome post-PCI could be improved by the detection and subsequent treatment of vulnerable patients and lipid-rich vulnerable coronary plaques. Intravascular near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is available as a dual modality catheter with simultaneous, co-registered intravascular ultrasound (IVUS).

From February 2014 to March 2016, a total of 1,563 patients with suspected coronary artery disease who underwent cardiac catheterization with PCI for an index event were enrolled at 44 sites in the United States and Europe. Imaging by NIRS-IVUS was performed in two or more arteries and patient level and plaque level events were detected for two years. All patients with at least one maxLCBI4mm segment greater than or equal to 250 and a randomly selected 50% of patients with all maxLCBI4mm segments less than 250 were followed.

In the vulnerable patient-level analysis, the risk of experiencing non-culprit MACE event within 24 months was 18% higher with each 100 unit increase in maxLCBI4mm. Patients with maxLCBI4mm ?400 had a MACE rate of 12.6% compared with 6.3% for patients with maxLCBI4mm?400. In the vulnerable plaque-level analysis, the risk of experiencing an event in a coronary segment within 24 months was 45% higher with each 100 unit increase in maxLCBI4mm. Plaque with maxLCBI4mm ?400 had a MACE rate of 3.7% compared to 0.8% for plaque with maxLCBI4mm?400.

"Multi-vessel NIRS can be easily and safely performed to assess and identify vulnerable patients and vulnerable plaques," said Ron Waksman, MD, associate director of the Division of Cardiology at MedStar Heart Institute in Washington, D.C. "Intravascular NIRS imaging in mildly or non-obstructive coronary arteries can be used as a tool to identify both patients and non-culprit arteries at high risk for future events and should be considered for use in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization with possible PCI."

###

The LRP study was funded by Infraredx Nipro Company. Dr. Waksman disclosed that he is on advisory boards for Abbott Vascular, Amgen, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Philips Volcano, Pi-Cardia LTD, and Cardioset; a consultant for Abbott Vascular, Amgen, Biosensors, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and Philips Volcano; and received grant support from Abbott Vascular, AstraZeneca, Biosensors, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, and Chiesi. In addition, he is part of the AstraZeneca and Chiesi speaker's bureaus; and is an equity holder in MedAlliance, DOMed, Pi-Cardia LTD and Cardioset.

About CRF and TCT

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) is a nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to helping doctors improve survival and quality of life for people suffering from heart and vascular disease. For over 25 years, CRF has helped pioneer innovations in interventional cardiology and educated doctors on the latest treatments for heart disease.

Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) is the annual scientific symposium of CRF and the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. Now in its 30th year, TCT features major medical research breakthroughs and gathers leading researchers and clinicians from around the world to present and discuss the latest evidence-based research in the field.

For more information, visit http://www.crf.org and http://www.tctconference.com.SAN DIEGO - September 24, 2018 - The first study designed to determine the benefits of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance over angiography guidance during drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in all-comer patients found that IVUS improved clinical outcomes by lowering the rate of target vessel failure at one year.

Findings from the ULTIMATE 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. The study was also published simultaneously in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).

IVUS is an intravascular imaging modality that provides detailed anatomic information about reference vessel dimensions and lesion characteristics, including severity of diameter stenosis, lesion length, and morphology (vulnerable plaque), which is less well-detected by coronary angiography. Whether the routine use of IVUS is associated with improved outcomes in all-comer patients is not known.

From August 2014 to May 2017, a total of 1,448 all-comer patients from eight centers in China who were undergoing DES implantation were randomly assigned (1:1) to either IVUS guidance (n=724) or angiography guidance (n=724). Multi-vessel disease was seen in 54.9% of patients. Mean lesion length was 34.5 mm, and 66.9% of lesions were classified as Type B2/C lesions. IVUS-guided procedures were longer in duration, and on a per-lesion basis used slightly greater stent diameters and stent lengths.

The primary endpoint was target vessel failure (TVF) at 12 months, defined as the composite of cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI), and clinically driven target vessel revascularization (TVR). At 30-day follow up, primary and secondary endpoints were comparable between the two groups.

One year after PCI, a total of 60 (4.2%) TVFs occurred, with 21 (2.9%) in the IVUS group and 39 (5.4%) in the angiography group (HR 0.530; 95% CI: 0.312-0.901; p=0.019). In lesion-level analyses, the IVUS group had a lower rate of target lesion revascularization (TLR) compared with the angiography group (0.9% vs. 2.3%, p=0.02). Despite the use of IVUS, 53% of patients met prespecified optimal criteria for stent implantation; in this group, TVF was 1.6%, compared with 4.4% in patients who failed to achieve all optimal IVUS criteria (HR 0.349; 95% CI: 0.135-0.898; p=0.029).

"The study demonstrated that IVUS-guided stent implantation significantly improved clinical outcomes in all-comers, particularly for patients who had an IVUS-defined optimal procedure, compared to angiography guidance," said Junjie Zhang, MD, Vice Director of the Cardiovascular Department at Nanjing First Hospital in Nanjing Medical University (Nanjing, China). "While previous studies and this trial have demonstrated the overall favorable effect of IVUS guidance for patients with particular lesion subsets, this study further reports that achievement of IVUS-defined optimal PCI improves clinical outcomes for all-comers."

###

The ULTIMATE trial was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and was jointly supported by Six Talent Peaks Project in Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Health and Family Planning Commission, Nanjing Health Youth Talent Training project, and Nanjing Municipal Commission of Science & Technology. Dr. Zhang has no conflicts of interest.

About CRF and TCT

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) is a nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to helping doctors improve survival and quality of life for people suffering from heart and vascular disease. For over 25 years, CRF has helped pioneer innovations in interventional cardiology and educated doctors on the latest treatments for heart disease.

Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) is the annual scientific symposium of CRF and the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. Now in its 30th year, TCT features major medical research breakthroughs and gathers leading researchers and clinicians from around the world to present and discuss the latest evidence-based research in the field. TCT also includes interactive training where clinicians can gain vital skills to apply immediately to their practices.

For more information, visit http://www.crf.org and http://www.tctconference.com.A study by MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) researchers finds that the immune cells of the brain called microglia play a crucial role in brain development during adolescence, but that role is different in males and females. The study, conducted in animal models and published online in Nature Communications, may improve understanding of the neurologic basis of both normal behavioral changes in adolescence - such as increased experimentation and risk-taking - and of neuropsychiatric disorders that typically emerge during adolescence.

"We found that microglia and other immune system proteins eliminate dopamine receptors in a reward-associated part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens in adolescent male rats, and this process shapes normal changes in social behavior that occur during adolescence," says Staci Bilbo, PhD, director of research at the Lurie Center for Autism at MGHfC. "Although this specific process occurs in males only, dopamine receptors also change over adolescence in females as well; we just don't yet know the mechanism by which that occurs."

Part of the innate immune system, the body's first-line defense against infection, microglia are known to participate in the early development of the brain by removing unneeded synapses - points of communication between brain cells - in key regions. Recent research has suggested their role may be more diverse, and one of the questions Bilbo's team set out to investigate was whether microglia contribute to development during adolescence, a time when the brain's reward circuitry undergoes significant changes. They also addressed a potential role for microglia in normal behavioral changes during adolescence and whether processes underlying those changes were different in males and females.

The researchers focused on the brain's dopamine system, a series of structures that handle signals involved with reward and motivation, which is known to undergo significant maturation during adolescence. Following up on previous observations suggesting that the D1 dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens have a critical role in social behavior, they examined - in male and female rats at different stages of development - levels of D1 receptors and of an immune protein that tags molecules for removal by microglia.

They found that, while D1 receptor levels in the nucleus accumbens drop in early adolescence (around 20 to 30 days of age) in females and mid-adolescence (30 to 38 days) in males, microglia-based immune signaling was involved in that reduction only in males. Another, yet to be identified process may influence D1 receptor elimination in females. They also found that the microglia-based reduction of D1 receptors in males is required for normal adolescent behavioral changes, specifically a reduction in social play behaviors - particularly "rough and tumble" play - between early and late adolescence. In females, while altering microglia-based immune signaling also influenced social play, the changes were more subtle and did not rely on D1 receptor reduction.

"To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that microglia play a role in adolescent brain development in a way that directly shapes behavior in sex-specific ways," says lead author Ashley Kopec, PhD, a research fellow in Bilbo's lab. "It also is the first demonstration that microglia prune specific receptors. And finding these sex-specific differences in brain development supports the need to conduct research - both in animal models and in human volunteers - in both males and females."

Bilbo notes that their findings raise several questions for future research, including whether aberrations in neuroimmune development could contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders that typically emerge in sex-specific patterns - such as, depression in woman and schizophrenia in males - during or soon after adolescence. "One thing we are very interested in looking at is whether excessively high levels of social play may transition to aggression, especially in males," she says. "Aggressive behavior is one of the toughest aspects of autism spectrum disorders to treat; so while we did not design this study to look at autism, the social behavior aspect probably has clear relevance for disorders in which social behavior is abnormal." Bilbo is the Lurie Family Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Field of Autism Research at Harvard Medical School.

###

The co-authors of the Nature Communications paper are Caroline J. Smith, PhD, and Nathan Ayre, Lurie Center, MGHfC; and Sean Sweat, National Institute of Mental Health. The study was supported by National Institutes of Health grants RO1 DA034185, RO1 MH101183 and F32DA043308.

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with an annual research budget of more than $900 million and major research centers in HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, genomic medicine, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, photomedicine and transplantation biology. The MGH topped the 2015 Nature Index list of health care organizations publishing in leading scientific journals and earned the prestigious 2015 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service. In August 2018 the MGH was once again named to the Honor Roll in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals."The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the largest private financier of research in Sweden, is making a S$9 million cash gift to Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) to establish a new postdoctoral fellowship programme to support up to 40 fellows over the next six years.

Through this Wallenberg-NTU postdoctoral fellowship, some of Sweden's most outstanding young scientists will spend two years at NTU Singapore to conduct postdoctoral research.

NTU President, Professor Subra Suresh, believes that the partnership will leverage the strengths of NTU Singapore and Swedish universities to nurture talent and build intellectual capacity in many disciplines critical to the economy and society.

Professor Suresh said, "We are deeply grateful to the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, whose new generous gift comes after their S$12.6 million donation to NTU just three months ago. The Wallenberg family is known for their passion for cutting-edge research and technologies, and NTU is privileged to be one of only three international universities to benefit from the Wallenberg Foundation's recognition and support."

In July this year, NTU received a S$7.6 million gift from the Foundation to set up a postdoctoral fellowship to nurture early-career scientists and an additional S$5 million over five years in support of the postdoctoral fellows. With this latest S$9 million gift, the university has raised, with government matching, almost $30 million to date arising from the generous gifts by the Wallenberg Foundation to NTU in support of a new university-wide post-doctoral fellowship programme established by President Suresh. (See annex)

"This new gift by the Foundation to NTU will benefit not just the two countries, but the rest of the world. It will allow some of Sweden's most promising young scientists to carry out their research over a two-year period at NTU Singapore in many different disciplines across all our colleges and schools. It will support a cohort of young researchers working in many areas of importance and benefit to society," said Prof Suresh.

Mr Peter Wallenberg, chairman of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, said, "We are pleased to extend our post-doctoral programme for young Swedish scientists to NTU, in addition to our present collaboration with Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)."

Under this new Wallenberg-NTU postdoctoral fellowship, 40 new Fellows will be appointed over the next several years. The fellowship support will enable them to carry out their research at NTU, over a two-year period, in any discipline offered by Colleges and Schools across the entire university. Fellows who decide to return to a Swedish University after the two-year period may receive further support from the Foundation.

The Fellowship comes after the university's town hall meeting last month where Prof Suresh announced ambitious plans to create 350 new two-year post-doctoral positions, over 5 years, to attract the best and the brightest young researchers from around the world to perform research at NTU Singapore.

###

Media contact:

Mr Feisal Abdul Rahman

Senior Assistant Director

Corporate Communications Office

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Tel: (65) 6790 6687

Email: feisalar@ntu.edu.sg

About Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and Graduate colleges. It also has a medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up jointly with Imperial College London.

NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes - the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering - and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).

Ranked 12th in the world, NTU has been placed the world's top young university for the past five years. The University's main campus is frequently listed among the Top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world and it has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) building projects comprising more than 230 buildings, of which 95% are certified Green Mark Platinum.

Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a campus in Singapore's healthcare district.

For more information, visit http://www.ntu.edu.sg.

About Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation

The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation was established in 1917. The Foundation's aim is to benefit Sweden by supporting Swedish basic research and education, mainly in medicine, technology and the natural sciences. The Foundation achieves this by awarding grants to excellent researchers and for projects.

Since 1917, the Foundation has awarded SEK 25 billion in grants for research and education, of which SEK 1.8 billion has been awarded annually in recent years, making the Foundation the largest private funder of scientific research in Sweden and one of the largest in Europe.

ANNEX

Gifts from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation to NTU Singapore

To date, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has raised almost S$30 million arising from the generous gifts by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

In July, the Foundation made a 50 million Swedish kronor (S$7.6 million) endowed gift to NTU Singapore to establish a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship. With matching by the Singapore government, the total endowment raised for the programme is S$11.4 million.

An additional S$5 million has been set aside by the Wallenberg Foundation, through its Artificial Intelligence (AI), Autonomous Systems and Software Programme, in support of the Postdoctoral Fellows, thus bringing the total donation to S$16.4 million.

The gift will go towards supporting the Wallenberg-NTU Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship, which will enable some of the world's most promising postdoctoral candidates to carry out their research at NTU. They will spend one year in Sweden affiliated with the Wallenberg Artificial Intelligence (AI), Autonomous Systems and Software Programme, Sweden's largest research programme.

Two months later, the Foundation committed another S$9 million to NTU to set up a post-doctoral fellowship programme for Swedish scientists to conduct postdoctoral studies and research at NTU.New digital cognitive behavioral therapy program links better sleep to better overall health

CHICAGO --- Treating insomnia with digital programs can improve insomnia symptoms, daytime functioning and overall health, a new study from the University of Oxford and Northwestern Medicine has found.

In a year-long study involving 1,711 people, researchers found online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improved not only insomnia symptoms, but functional health, psychological well-being and sleep-related quality of life.

The study was published Sept. 25 in JAMA Psychiatry.

A major limitation of insomnia treatments is the lack of providers to deliver CBT, but this study used an online platform that made it easily accessible to users. It also automated and tailored the treatment based on the user's sleep patterns.

Study co-author Jason Ong said there is a four-to-six month wait for an insomnia patient to get an appointment in his sleep clinic.

"We can reach many more patients with insomnia by using a digitally based program," said Ong, associate professor of neurology in sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Insomnia has been identified as a risk factor for the development of mental health disorders, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

"Sleep ranks with air, water and food as one of the essentials of life, yet 10 to 12 percent of the population doesn't get enough of it due to insomnia," said lead study author Colin Espie, Oxford University professor of sleep medicine and chief medical officer of Big Health, a provider of automated and personalized behavioral medicine programs for mental health. "Our study suggests that digital medicine could be a powerful way to help millions of people not just sleep better, but achieve better mental and physical well-being as a result."

The study provides new evidence that the clinical benefits of digital CBT extend beyond sleep to also improve a person's daytime functioning.

"Typically, what leads patients to seek treatment is when their insomnia begins to impact their quality of life or daytime functioning," Ong said. "The fact that we saw improvements in both of these areas shows that the digital program has benefits around the clock."

Though insomnia has traditionally been treated with pharmaceuticals, new guidelines published in 2016 by the American College of Physicians recommend that CBT be used first-line, ahead of sleeping pills.

Study participants received treatment using the Sleepio program and an associated iOS app. Sleepio, a digital sleep improvement program featuring CBT techniques designed by Espie, is a product of Big Health.

Delivery was structured into six sessions lasting an average of 20 minutes each, with participants having access to the intervention for up to 12 weeks. Researchers assessed the study participants online at 0 weeks (baseline), four weeks (mid-treatment), eight weeks (post-treatment), and 24 weeks (follow-up). Program content was based on CBT manuals and included behavioral, cognitive and educational components.

Additional study findings were as follows:

In the digital CBT (dCBT) group, 689 participants (80.8 percent) logged on for at least one session, 491 participants (57.6 percent) completed at least four sessions, and 413 participants (48.4 percent) completed all six sessions.

At weeks four, eight and 24, dCBT was associated with significant improvement in global health and mental wellbeing. Improvements in insomnia mediated these outcomes.

Symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleepiness and cognitive failures all demonstrated significant differences in favor of dCBT at weeks four, eight and 24. While the degree of change was relatively small, the changes were statistically significant.

The degree of change for fatigue was moderate to large at weeks four, eight and 24.

Regarding productivity at work due to sleep problems, results showed a small to moderate improvement after dCBT.

A small but significant effect in terms of reduced absenteeism attributed to poor sleep and increased job satisfaction was observed at week 24.

There were no significant effects at any time on relationship functioning.

"In clinical studies, dCBT has repeatedly achieved statistically significant and clinically meaningful results for outcomes including sleep, mental health and daytime functioning," Espie said. "Our latest results indicate that dCBT can be an effective, inexpensive way to help insomnia sufferers achieve better health over the long term through behavior change."

###

Funding for this study was provided by Big Health (Sleepio) Ltd. Independent research was supported by grants awarded to the University of Oxford.For the first time ever, an international team of scientists from NUST MISIS, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the University of Namur (Belgium), and Korea Research Institute for Standards & Science has managed to trace in details the structural changes of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide under long-term environmental impact. The new data narrows the scope of its potential application in microelectronics and at the same time opens up new prospects for the use of two-dimensional materials as catalysts. The research results have been published in the international scientific journal Nature Chemistry.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is considered a promising basis for a variety of ultra-small electronic devices such as high-frequency detectors, rectifiers, and transistors, so research teams around the world are actively studying its two-dimensional format, nanofilm. However, the new research conducted by NUST MISIS scientists has demonstrated that when this two-dimensional material is significantly oxidized in air, it turns into another connection.

Any electronic device using MoS2, without proper protection would simply stop working relatively quickly. To potentially use MoS2 in microelectronics, the devices would have to be encapsulated.

For the first time ever, we have managed to experimentally prove that a single-layer molybdenum disulfide strongly degrades under environmental conditions, oxidizing and turning into a solid solution MoS2-xOx,. The functions of a two-dimensional semiconductor without defects and losses can be implemented with molybdenum diselenides, another material with a similar structure, said Pavel Sorokin, head of the research team and leading researcher at the NUST MISIS Laboratory of Inorganic Nanomaterials.

In the experiments, two-dimensional layers of molybdenum disulfide obtained as a result of the stratification of molybdenum disulfide crystals by ultrasound, were maintained in environmental conditions at normal room temperature and lighting for long periods (more than a year and a half), during which scientists observed the changes in the structure of its surface.

Thanks to the use of tunneling microscopy, we were able to track the structural changes of crystals of two-dimensional sulfur disulfide at the atomic level during long-term exposure to environmental conditions. We have discovered that the material previously considered stable is actually subject to spontaneous oxidation, but at the same time, the original crystal structure of MoS2 monolayers retains formations of MoS2-xOx solid solutions. Our simulations have allowed us to propose a mechanism of forming such solid solutions, and the results of the theoretical calculations are in complete agreement with our experimental measurements - said Zakhar Popov, one of the co-authors of the study and a senior researcher at the NUST MISIS Laboratory of Inorganic Nanomaterials.

The study's second key discovery is the new material that the monolayer of the molybdenum disulfide turns into is a two-dimensional crystal of a solid solution MoS2-xOx, which is an effective catalyst for electromechanical processes, concluded Sorokin.

###New York, September 25, 2018 - The United Nations General Assembly is now calling for the establishment of prevention programs to reduce Tuberculosis (TB) among miners and other workers exposed to silica dust. This declaration was released in advance of the first ever UN General Assembly High-level Meeting on TB on September 26, 2018.

Occupational Knowledge International (OK International) spearheaded this effort at the UN to recognize the need for TB prevention in the workplace for the first time. The organization estimates that 300,000 new cases can be prevented each year with appropriate workplace interventions.

Miners and others working in dusty environments have a four times greater risk of acquiring active TB. Also, reducing silica dust in the workplace with improved ventilation, water spray misting, and personal protective equipment is an effective strategy to reduce the incidence of TB in high burden countries. These measures also help to prevent cases of silicosis, lung cancer, and other autoimmune diseases among workers.

Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director of OK International said, "The UN General Assembly is taking an important step in highlighting the need for governments and global health funders to invest in primary prevention to reduce silica dust hazards in high-risk workplaces. This UN action recognizes that we can take action to prevent TB and not just treat it."

"Treatment costs for a single case of the most drug resistant TB can exceed $40,000 per patient in Africa and hundreds of thousands of dollars in the U.S." he added.

The UN TB declaration specifically asks countries to commit to "implementing primary prevention in high-risk occupations by reducing silica dust exposures in mining, construction and other dusty workplaces." There are 230 million workers exposed to silica dust on the job and the majority are in countries with the highest prevalence rates of TB.

An editorial published today in conjunction with the UN meeting in the Journal Lancet Global Health called on governments to enact regulations to reduce silica dust exposures in mining, construction, and other high-risk occupations (See http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30313-9/fulltext).

Dr. Eric Goosby, the United Nations Special Envoy on Tuberculosis and a co-author of the editorial, said, "It is imperative that Governments and donors invest in workplace controls to prevent new cases of TB among the most vulnerable workers with the highest reported prevalence of TB."

The UN declaration also highlights the link to HIV. Workers that are HIV positive with silicosis face a near death sentence as the combination increases the risk of acquiring active TB by 15 times. In fact, TB is leading cause of death among those living with HIV.

Dr. Roberto Lucchini, Director of the Division of Occupational Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York said, "This is the first time there has been recognition among governments that we can actively prevent cases of TB among workers who are at greatest risk. Given the difficulty and cost of treating even a single case of multi-drug resistant TB, the UN action can save lives but is also cost effective," he added.

Earlier this year, the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) published a statement titled "Preventing Tuberculosis Among Silica Dust Exposed Workers" which outlined specific recommendations for governments, global health funders, and private sector employers. The full statement is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2018-105315.

Dr. Sophia Kisting, the Executive Director of the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH) in South Africa said, "This UN action should be a wakeup call for countries in our region to begin to enact and implement the necessary regulations and programs to significantly reduce silica dust exposures among miners, construction workers, and others at risk."

Although the U.S. recently updated its workplace silica standard for the first time in 45 years, many countries have no occupational exposure limit for silica dust.

###While a warming climate in recent decades may be a factor in the waning of some local populations of frogs, toads, newts and salamanders, it cannot explain the overall steep decline of amphibians, according to researchers.

After analyzing many years of data for 81 North American amphibian species including more than 500,000 observations collected at more than 5,000 sites in 86 study areas by a broad coalition of herpetologists, it is clear a warming climate is not the primary driver in their disappearance, according to lead researcher David Miller, associate professor of wildlife population ecology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

The researchers focused on how colonization and persistence of local populations were related to annual variation in five climate variables thought to affect key components of amphibian life cycles: winter severity, snowfall, breeding water availability, summer soil moisture and maximum temperature.

"The influence of climate on amphibian populations is complex," Miller said. "In the last 30 years, we have seen increases in temperature, while some spots have gotten drier and others have gotten wetter. In the big picture, those developments seem to counteract each other. As a result, the impact of climate change for the measures we focused on cannot explain the sharp decline we have seen and continue to see across amphibian populations."

The study showed that, on average, 3.4 percent of amphibian species are disappearing from local amphibian habitats each year. That is the equivalent of losing half the species in any wetland, stream reach or forest site every 20 years. Miller believes these declines are a continuation of losses of amphibian populations that have been occurring since the 19th century when human land-use began destroying their habitats.

"It is an alarming trend," he said. "Across species, on average, we lose more than three in 100 of the sites where they occur each year. Whether the sites are ponds, short stretches of streams or, if we're talking about salamanders, forest plots -- they're gone. Our research took place in the United States and Canada, but it's a trend worldwide."

In the study -- the findings of which were published today in Nature Communications -- 41 researchers estimated changes in amphibian numbers in plots they have been watching, in many cases, for a decade or more. They collected data on both public and private lands, including national parks, forests, and wildlife refuges.

Researchers correlated those changes with weather trends and climate-related conditions, directly measuring how climate drivers are affecting the processes that determine amphibian range shifts. For example, they found that less precipitation during breeding seasons generally has a negative effect on amphibian populations, while less snowfall during winter may benefit many populations.

The researchers determined that, while climate change likely has been and will be a factor in the decline of some local populations such as in the Rocky Mountain West -- where the effect of a warming climate seems to be more severe for amphibians -- it is not responsible for the current declines that are occurring.

That conclusion, of course, has scientists pondering the culprits most responsible for amphibian decline. Erin Muths, a scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey and a co-lead on the project, believes that the cause of declines comes down to a suite of local factors.

"It depends on the location whether habitat loss, disease, contaminants, climate, or a combination of these local factors is the culprit," she said. "Amphibians are challenged by a range of stressors that may be unique to location but in combination are leading to wide-range declines."

To better understand the causes of declines, Miller and colleagues from the USGS have initiated new work studying emerging pathogens that affect amphibians. A major concern for amphibian populations are new and deadly pathogens, mostly spread around the planet by humans -- likely propelled by the pet trade.

According to Evan Grant, with the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, there are at least two new pathogens that researchers know of that are currently affecting North American amphibians.

"One is the chytrid fungus and the other is ranaviruses," he said. "We are trying to figure out how these affect populations of amphibians in the Northeast. We are still learning how infections are spread and why some species are more susceptible."

This past summer, for example, Miller's research group at Penn State watched the die-off of salamander larvae and tadpoles in the ponds they monitor in a Centre County, Pennsylvania, site called the Scotia Barrens. Preliminarily, Miller believes ranavirus caused the mortality event.

"Once these diseases make it to North America then the animals themselves can spread them around," he said. "But it really takes people to be involved in carrying the diseases from, say, Asia to the United States."

###

This research is part of the Amphibian Decline Working Group supported by the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, funded by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Funding and logistical support for field data collection came from a range of sources, including the U.S. Geological Survey's Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Geographic Society, Morris Animal Foundation, and David and Lucille Packard Foundation.OAK BROOK, Ill. - Minimally invasive autopsy with CT and MRI performs as well as conventional autopsy in detecting cause of death and has the advantage of yielding more diagnoses, according to a study published in the journal Radiology.

Conventional autopsies are valuable tools that yield a wealth of information. Autopsies give insights into new diseases and the side effects of drugs while providing data for health statistics and epidemiologic studies and tissue for molecular studies. They are important for teaching pathology in medical school and training medical specialists. Perhaps most importantly, autopsies can answer central questions surrounding the cause of death, said the study's senior author, J. Wolter Oosterhuis, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Pathology at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

"Since in about 15 percent of cases autopsy reveals an unexpected cause of death, it provides important feedback to clinicians, to the benefit of future patients," he said.

Despite the importance of conventional autopsies, rates have been rapidly declining, the study authors said, for a variety of reasons, including reluctance of next-of-kin due to the invasiveness of the procedure. In the face of this trend, non-invasive or minimally invasive alternative autopsy methods have emerged as potentially valuable options. Postmortem CT and MRI enable visualization of the entire body, and image-guided tissue biopsies can be obtained for further examination.

Dr. Oosterhuis and colleagues recently compared the performance of minimally invasive autopsy to that of conventional autopsy in 99 deceased humans. The minimally invasive autopsy procedure combined post-mortem MRI, CT and CT-guided biopsies of the main organs and pathological lesions--abnormalities caused by disease or trauma.

The two methods showed similar performance in determining the immediate cause of death. The researchers found agreement between minimally invasive autopsy and conventional autopsy for cause of death in 92 percent of the cases. There was agreement with the consensus cause of death in 96 of 99 of the cases of minimally invasive autopsy, compared with 94 of 99 for conventional autopsy.

The total number of diagnoses established by minimally invasive autopsy was higher than that of regular autopsy. The deceased patients had a total of 288 major diagnoses related to the consensus cause of death, and minimally invasive autopsy diagnosed 259 of those, or 90 percent, compared with 78 percent for conventional autopsy.

"With minimally invasive autopsy, the body is investigated from top to toe, and with regular autopsy usually only the torso and, if consented by next-of-kin, the brain," Dr. Oosterhuis said. "Moreover, postmortem CT and MRI demonstrate pathology, in particular of the skeleton and soft tissues, that is easily missed by the regular autopsy."

According to Dr. Oosterhuis, minimally invasive autopsy presents a potentially more desirable option for next-of-kin who may be reluctant to approve the conventional procedure on religious grounds.

Minimally invasive autopsy has the additional benefit of providing information that can be stored for long-term use.

"It's very important to note that conventional autopsy cannot be redone, and items that were overlooked or misinterpreted cannot be corrected," Dr. Oosterhuis said "Minimally invasive autopsy, on the other hand, provides a permanent record of the entire body that can be revisited, and reanalyzed by pathologists, radiologists, clinicians and next-of-kin. For scientists, this dependable database has great potential for future research."

###

"Conventional Autopsy versus Minimally Invasive Autopsy with Postmortem MRI, CT, and CT-guided Biopsy: Comparison of Diagnostic Performance." Collaborating with Dr. Oosterhuis were Britt M. Blokker, M.D., Ph.D., Annick C. Weustink, M.D., Ph.D., Ivo M. Wagensveld, M.D., Jan H. von der Thusen, M.D., Ph.D., Andrea Pezzato, M.D., Ruben Dammers, M.D., Ph.D., Jan Bakker, M.D., Ph.D., F.C.C.P., Nomdo S. Renken, M.D., Michael A. den Bakker, M.D., Ph.D., Folkert J. van Kemenade, M.D., Ph.D., Gabriel P. Krestin, M.D., Ph.D., and M. G. Myriam Hunink, M.D., Ph.D.

Radiology is edited by David A. Bluemke, M.D., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc.

RSNA is an association of over 54,200 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA.org)

For patient-friendly information on CT, visit RadiologyInfo.org.Janet Connor, the AAs director of insurance says: At present, drivers can cross the Channel and drive where they like within the EU. All you need is your pink EU-compliant UK driving licence and your passport. The hard Brexit facts are that it could bring back the long-forgotten requirement of an insurance green card, last needed decades ago. At present that proof of insurance is not legally required although it is advisable to take a print-out of your insurance certificate with you. Drivers would need to remember to obtain their green card from their insurer prior to their departure, otherwise they run the risk of picking up a fine. Seven million drivers go into Europe for business or pleasure every year. The need for an insurance Green Card, which at present is free of charge, could bring a greater administrative burden and costs on insurers. The same rules would apply to Europeans driving in the UK, but no detail has been given about how the documents would be checked. The Government has made it clear that they will not check items at the border, so it needs to declare who will check them and where. This is on top of the potential need for an International Driving Permit (IDP) of which there are two types in different European countries. This extra administration is an inconvenience for drivers but for industry and particularly small businesses, it potentially adds a further layer of bureaucratic difficulty to cross-border trading. From what was an easy and simple process of driving on to the Continent, driving your own car in Europe could become a real pain. Overall, a no deal Brexit would mean more hassle than the current arrangements, so we hope a deal can be struck to avoid this potential red tape. And while there is no immediate change, its important for anyone planning to travel with their car on or after 29th March 2019 to check with their insurer.

DENVER, CO (September 25, 2018)--A recent study assessing the relationship between nursing specialty certification rates and surgical site infections (SSI) provides an innovative option for future research exploring relationships between nursing and hospital procedures and medical and/or surgical adverse events. Published in the July/August issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA), the peer-reviewed journal for nursing managers and executives, the research was conducted by representatives from the University of Kansas Medical Center, the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) and the University of Wyoming. It was sponsored through a grant from CCI.

The study examined data from 69 hospitals, 346 units and 6,585 registered nurses (RNs) participating in the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI), as well as the Centers for Disease Control National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) SSI data on 22,188 patients who underwent colon (COLO) and abdominal hysterectomy (HYST) procedures. The study found higher American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) scores, longer surgical procedure time, and contaminated or dirty wounds were associated with higher SSI occurrence.

"This study represents the first time researchers have had the opportunity to review extensive amounts of data for nursing outcomes by combining a large, nursing-focused database (NDNQI) with a large national database of patient outcomes (NHSN) and paves the way for future models of study down the road," said Emily Cramer, Ph.D., research assistant professor, University of Kansas Medical Center and study researcher. "Having access to this level of detail into care settings, procedures, nursing education and certification, surgical details, patient wound characteristics, and more allows us to have a unique understanding of what is truly impactful and essential when it comes to what surgical nurses require to ensure successful patient care."

The study authors utilized a "structure-process-outcome" framework utilized by Tavlov & colleagues, finding that structures and processes of care influenced care outcome. Effects of structure--provider (nurse), patient, and system (hospital) characteristics--were examined on the outcome of SSI. Utilizing this framework allowed researchers to control for other structural characteristics that might affect SSI occurrence, including: 1) system characteristics, such as Magnet  status, ownership, and teaching status; 2) provider characteristics, such as nursing education and years on the unit; and 3) patient characteristics of ASA score and wound class. (See Figure 1. SSI study structure, process and outcome variables.)

The study also found 40 percent lower odds for SSIs among hospitals with Magnet designation after adjusting for other hospital characteristics, patient/procedure characteristics, certification rates, and RN covariates.

"These findings reinforce the already well-known and well-researched benefits of Magnet status within a hospital system," said James Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR, CSSM, CEO, CCI, and study author. "Whether for recruiting top talent, maintaining a superior level of patient care and safety, or fostering a collaborative environment, the benefits of obtaining Magnet hospital status provides returns on investment and ample opportunity for nursing and hospital staff growth. The results of this study remind us of the intrinsic benefits of Magnet status to hospital staff and patients alike."

Moving forward, the researchers hope to explore further the relevance of Needleman's recently proposed Expanded Conceptual Model for Credentialing in Nursing. Needleman's expanded theory adds three intervening pathways between structure and outcomes (i.e. "invisible architecture") such as organizational and unit climate, culture and leadership, including how specialty-certified nurses provide secondary benefits to those not in their care, creating multiple associations and causal pathways that affect outcomes.

"The two large national databases contained multiple levels of data, so we have access to an overwhelming amount of information, but the datasets lacked information about organizational invisible architecture that may hinder or enhance nursing autonomy and patient success," said Diane K. Boyle, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Professor at the Whitney School of Nursing, University of Wyoming and study author. "To build upon the findings of this study, we would next hope to explore the concept of nursing autonomy within Needleman's theoretical framework in a given setting and its benefits to nurses amongst co-workers, with other medical staff, with patients, and within the larger hospital setting."

The study was a secondary analysis of 2014 data from the NHSN and the NDNQI annual RN survey, including more than 285,000 nurses on more than 16,000 units, spanning perioperative, surgical intensive care (SICU) and medical-surgical intensive care (MSICU), in nearly 850 hospitals. Participating NDNQI hospitals were required to submit 2014 SSI data to NHSN, resulting in 72 hospitals submitting 2014 NHSN SSI data on COCO and HYST surgical procedures to NDNQI.

The analysis was restricted to hospitals with eligible perioperative units, adult SICU, MSICU, surgical units, and M/S units, as well as hospitals where at least one perioperative unit and at least one SICU, MSICU, surgical, or M/S unit participated in the survey. To complete the NDNQI survey, RNs must have been employed on the unit for at least three months and spent fifty percent or more of their time in direct patient care.

###

For more information on this study and its findings, please contact CCI's James Stobinski.

CCI is the leading provider of certification and competency-based education to perioperative nurses. Established in 1979, CCI provides the CNOR, CRNFA, CNS-CP and CSSM credentials to more than 36,000 registered nurses, making it one of the world's largest specialty nursing credentialing bodies. For more information visit CCI online at http://www.cc-institue.org.A new auto-commentary published in SLAS Technology looks at how an emerging area of artificial intelligence, specifically the analysis of small systems-of-interest specific datasets, can be used to improve drug development and personalized medicine. The auto-commentary builds on a study recently published by the authors in Science Translational Medicine about an artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Quadratic Phenotypic Optimization Platform (QPOP), that substantially improves combination therapy in bortezomib-resistant multiple myeloma to identify the best drug combinations for individual multiple myeloma patients.

It is now evident that complex diseases, such as cancer, often require effective drug combinations to make any significant therapeutic impact. As the drugs in these combination therapies become increasingly specific to molecular targets, designing effective drug combinations as well as choosing the right drug combination for the right patient becomes more difficult.

Artificial intelligence is having a positive impact on drug development and personalized medicine. With the ability to efficiently analyze small datasets that focus on the specific disease of interest, QPOP and other small dataset-based AI platforms can rationally design optimal drug combinations that are effective and based on real experimental data and not mechanistic assumptions or predictive modeling. Furthermore, because of the efficiency of the platform, QPOP can also be applied towards precious patient samples to help optimize and personalize combination therapy.

###

The SLAS Technology auto-commentary, entitled "Artificial Intelligence-Driven Designer Drug Combinations: From Drug Development to Personalized Medicine," can be accessed for free for a limited time at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2472630318800774. For more information about SLAS and its journals, visit http://www.slas.org/journals.

A PDF of this article is available to credentialed media outlets upon request. Contact nhallock@slas.org.

About our Society and Journals

SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international community of nearly 20,000 professionals and students dedicated to life sciences discovery and technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building.

SLAS DISCOVERY: 2016 Impact Factor 2.355. Editor-in-Chief Robert M. Campbell, Ph.D., Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN (USA). SLAS Discovery (Advancing Life Sciences R&D) was previously published (1996-2016) as the Journal of Biomolecular Screening (JBS).

SLAS TECHNOLOGY: 2016 Impact Factor 2.632. Editor-in-Chief Edward Kai-Hua Chow, Ph.D., National University of Singapore (Singapore). SLAS Technology (Translating Life Sciences Innovation) was previously published (1996-2016) as the Journal of Laboratory Automation (JALA).

Follow SLAS on Twitter at @SLAS_Org.

Follow SLAS on Facebook at SocietyforLaboratoryAutomationandScreening.

Follow SLAS on YouTube at SLASvideo.

Follow SLAS Americas on LinkedIn at Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS Americas).

Follow SLAS Europe on LinkedIn at Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening Europe (SLAS Europe).Today, the Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Hon. Mark Green, and the Secretary of State for the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, The Rt. Hon. Penny Mordaunt, M.P., announced 23 intended finalists for Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge, at the 2018 edition of the Concordia Annual Summit in New York City.

The finalists emerged from a pool of 615 applications received from 86 countries, 48 percent of which came from lower-middle-income countries. About one-third of the applications involved projects led by women.

The finalists, who stand collectively to receive $5 million in funding, will now put their innovative ideas into action to implement solutions that will provide, supply, or generate locally safe drinking water and sanitation, energy, life-saving information, or health supplies and services to help the most-vulnerable and hardest-to-reach people affected by conflict.

USAID and DFID, which launched Creating Hope in Conflict as a multi-organizational partnership, today announced an additional combined investment of $10 million. In addition, the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands announced its commitment to join the partnership and invest $7.5 million in this effort, which brings the total contribution for the Humanitarian Grand Challenge to $32.5 million.

Grand Challenges Canada is implementing Creating Hope in Conflict on behalf of the investors.

The new commitment by the Dutch Government and the announcement of the 23 intended finalists are a testament to the power of partnerships to bring organizations together to respond more nimbly to complex emergencies and empower people to create better lives for themselves.

The Humanitarian Grand Challenge (humanitariangrandchallenge.org)

USAID and DFID launched Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge to enable governments and the private sector to work together alongside affected communities to address the unprecedented magnitude of suffering around the world.

The 23 selected seed projects will receive grants of up to $250,000 each over a maximum of 24 months to support the validation and testing of new approaches. Final grants, subject to negotiation, will be signed later this year.

The finalists:

Iristick - Testing "smart" glasses that allow local health care workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo to receive real-time medical expertise remotely from doctors.

Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations - Strengthening the resilience of health systems in Yemen and Syria-while diminishing reliance on diesel fuel-by integrating solar power, electronic-vehicle ambulance systems, and remote telemedicine services.

Murdoch Children's Research Institute - Developing CareNet in Yemen, a community-based network of support groups that promote the inclusion of children and young people with disabilities.

Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania - Deploying 3-D printing technology to make high-quality lower-body prosthetics for people with disabilities in Tanzania.

Griffith University - Developing maggot-debridement therapy for effective wound care in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

Fundacion Accion Contra El Hambre - Implementing chatbot technology to diagnose and monitor malnutrition in Senegal.

Alseeraj for Development and Healthcare - Validating the need for a tele-microbiology system in Syria to enhance capacity for diagnostic microbiological testing and the analysis of results.

Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation - Implementing high-tech water-purification and renewable solar-power systems in Yemen, with the goal of producing 1,000 gallons of safe drinking water a day.

Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research - Building and evaluating a safe-water optimization tool-by leveraging cloud computing and artificial intelligence-to ensure water is safe to drink at field sites in South Sudan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Malawi.

SurgiBox, Inc., Massachusetts Corporation - Manufacturing an inflatable surgical "mini operating room" that fits into a backpack, to enable safe surgeries to be done anytime, anyplace, piloted in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Uganda.

Change:Water Labs, Inc. - Validating and piloting a compact, portable, sewage-evaporating toilet that provides safe, private sanitation to homes with no power or plumbing in Panama, Lebanon, and Jordan.

OmniVis - Developing a water-based smartphone diagnostic device for Yemen and Haiti that uses DNA-amplification to detect the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, which causes cholera, in less than 30 minutes.

Enersion, Inc. - Piloting an inexpensive, electricity-free cold-storage box in India and Afghanistan that can keep essential food and medication fresh for more than 20 weeks.

Sun Buckets, Inc. - Testing a method to collect, store, and recover solar energy in portable containers for cooking, space-heating, and thermal pasteurization in Kenya.

Johns Hopkins University - Delivering a rapidly deployable telemedicine platform called Intelehealth to connect community health workers remotely with a network of doctors, with the goal of providing primary/specialist health consultations in hard-to-reach areas of Syria and Jordan.

Energy Peace Partners - Supporting renewable energy in Uganda and South Sudan by establishing the Peace Renewable Energy Credit, which monetizes renewable-energy generation from off-grid conflict settings, by linking robust international energy markets to fragile states.

WATAN - Designing and testing a low-cost, locally sourced, mobile, plug-and-play battery module to produce stable and renewable energy for health care in Syria and Turkey.

Deutsche Welthungerhilfe E.V. - Introducing hydroponic vegetable and fodder-production at the Zam Zam displacement camp in Darfur, Sudan, with methods that use 90 percent less water than traditional farming to improve food security.

Rainmaker Organization for Sustainable Development - Piloting a system of solar-powered water pumps and sensor-driven drip irrigation in villages across South Sudan to support the livelihoods of conflict-affected people.

Johns Hopkins University - Developing a tablet-based app called MIT Sana mHealth to provide guidelines and knowledge to healthcare providers who are treating diabetes and hypertension care in Syria.

ActionAid UK - Piloting a low-cost mobile platform, designed by women, to combat violence against female refugees in Jordan by reporting incidents and providing up-to-date information and awareness on rights, local services, and safe spaces.

Needslist - Implementing a chatbot program that aggregates real-time humanitarian needs from frontline responders, accessible to multiple stakeholders via secure database, piloted in Kenya.

Humanity Data Systems - Developing a process that simplifies the process of collecting large-scale data and feedback from the humanitarian community in Iraq, Niger, Syria, and Afghanistan.

###Five centuries of over-exploitation has halved mammal populations in South America's Atlantic Forest - according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

A new analysis of mammal populations, published today in the journal PLoS ONE, has revealed the devastating effects of human disturbance over the last 500 years.

More than half of the local species assemblages - sets of co-existing species - of medium and large mammals living in the forest have died out since the area was first colonised in the 1500s.

Human activity is largely responsible for this overwhelming biodiversity loss according to the study, which compared inventories published over the past 30 years with baseline data going back to historical times in Colonial Brazil.

Originally covering around 1.1 million square km, the Atlantic Forest lies mostly along the coast of Brazil and is the world's longest continuous latitudinal stretch of tropical forest. Activities such as farming and logging - as well as fires - have reduced the Forest to about 0.143 million square km which has, in turn, had a significant impact on mammalian populations.

Dr Juliano Bogoni - currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil - led the study, along with Professor Carlos Peres from the University of East Anglia (UEA), and collaborators from the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil.

The team analysed species loss among almost 500 medium-to-large-bodied local sets of mammal species that had been surveyed within the vast Atlantic Forest region.

As well as looking at individual species, the team examined species groups, to try to understand which ecologically related groups of species had diminished most rapidly. They found that apex predators and large carnivores, such as jaguars and pumas, as well as large-bodied herbivores, such as tapirs were among the groups whose numbers had suffered the most.

Prof Peres, from UEA's School of Environmental Sciences, said: "Our results highlight the urgent need for action in protecting these fragile ecosystems.

"In particular, we need to carry out more comprehensive regional scale studies to understand the local patterns and drivers of species loss.

"Efforts to protect the Atlantic Forest and other tropical forest ecosystems often rests on uncooperative political will and robust public policies, so we need compelling data to drive change."

Dr Bogoni, first author of the study, said: "The mammalian diversity of the once majestic Atlantic Forest has been largely reduced to a pale shadow of its former self.

"These habitats are now often severely incomplete, restricted to insufficiently large forest remnants, and trapped in an open-ended extinction vortex. This collapse is unprecedented in both history and pre-history and can be directly attributed to human activity."

###

'Wish you were here: How defaunated is the Atlantic Forest biome of its medium- to large-bodied mammal fauna?' is published in the journal PLoS ONE on September 25, 2018.Athens, Ga. - Every year, millions of people have vacations and business trips ruined when they succumb to "traveler's diarrhea" during their journeys. A major cause of traveler's diarrhea is bacteria called Enterotoxigenic E. coli, or ETEC. A joint effort between the University of Georgia and the University of Texas at Austin has discovered how ETEC works to cause disease. They are using this information in an effort to develop a preventive vaccine for travelers.

The researchers, led by the University of Georgia's Dr. Stephen Trent--a professor in the department of infectious diseases--teamed up with the U.S. Navy Medical Research Center and the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health to study samples taken directly from citizens who volunteered to become infected with ETEC.

"If we can understand how ETEC causes disease, we can develop new vaccines to prevent infections," Trent said.

Ingesting contaminated food or water can lead to ETEC infection, which can cause diarrhea for up to a week. Considering the fact that up to 200 million people become infected annually, an estimated 1 billion days of human productivity are lost every year due to ETEC infections.

Visiting the doctor to get vaccinated before a trip can prevent travelers from catching a disease. Unfortunately, there are no available vaccines to prevent ETEC infections, so travelers must constantly be concerned about what they eat and drink while on vacation.

The group examined how ETEC behaved inside humans during infection compared to how it behaved in the laboratory. They were surprised to find that ETEC produced more toxins when grown in the laboratory than it did in human infection samples. Bewildered, the researchers sought to figure out why. They discovered that ETEC could sense oxygen in the atmosphere, and that controlled the amount of toxins produced by ETEC. This explained their surprising data: There is more oxygen in the atmosphere than there is in the digestive tract, which resulted in the differing levels of toxin expression.

This breakthrough gives researchers hope that they have identified the "cue" that ETEC uses to determine when to make toxins that cause disease. How ETEC causes disease via toxins has been studied exhaustively for decades. Previous groups have identified numerous factors that contribute to toxin production in ETEC, but this is the first-time oxygen has been identified as a major player in ETEC virulence. Lead author and University of Texas graduate student Alex Crofts said, "We think ETEC can sense the oxygen given off by our own cells as a cue to produce toxins."

The group now hopes to use this oxygen-sensitive ETEC response against the bacteria to prevent infections. "Beyond toxins, we found ETEC regulates many other factors in response to oxygen, and some of those are promising new targets for future vaccines," explained Trent. "ETEC is a global burden on society, and we are doing all we can to advance our understanding of the disease."

###

The full article was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and is online at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/08/15/1808982115.

Writer: Lisa Herrmann, 706-583-5485, LISA.HERRMANN@uga.edu

Contact: Stephen Trent, strent@uga.edu

This release is available online at https://news.uga.edu/researchers-seek-vaccine-travelers-diarrhea/URBANA, Ill. - What if improving academic performance in some of the nation's most disadvantaged and lowest-achieving schools was as easy as planting trees in the schoolyard? It's not that simple, of course, but a new study from the University of Illinois suggests school greening could be part of the solution.

The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology and led by Ming Kuo from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at U of I, investigated the link between greenness and academic achievement in 318 of Chicago's public elementary schools. The district serves a predominantly low-income minority population, with 87 percent of third-graders qualifying for free lunch during the study year (2009-2010).

Previous studies have documented a positive relationship between greenness and academic achievement, but, until now, no one had examined the relationship in high-poverty schools.

"The goal was to see if the greenness-academic achievement relationship holds for poor, urban schools because that's where it matters. That's where educators and policy makers are desperately trying to find ways to help kids reach their potential," Kuo says.

The research team used high-resolution aerial imagery to quantify tree and grass cover in each schoolyard and its surrounding neighborhood, an improvement over previous studies that relied on coarse-grain vegetation imagery. "The older technology could basically tell us whether a 30-meter square was blacktop or green space, but the technology we're using can tell us there's a tree here, and a foot over, there's grass," Kuo explains.

The first step was to use a simple correlation analysis to identify relationships between tree and grass cover and academic performance, based on standardized test scores for math and reading. Schoolyard tree cover predicted academic performance, both for reading and math: the more trees, the better the performance. The same pattern showed up for trees in the adjacent neighborhood, but to a lesser extent. Grass, it turns out, does nothing for learning.

"There are consistent hints throughout the history of studying the effects of greenness on people that trees matter more than grass," Kuo says. "So this finding was not a big surprise."

The simple correlation tests helped the researchers evaluate the importance of other factors that could be related to academic performance: number of students in a classroom, student/teacher and gender ratios, and the percent of students that were bilingual. None of these showed strong ties to academic performance. But one other factor - disadvantage - did.

The researchers knew that race and socioeconomic status are strongly tied to academic achievement, and that they are strongly correlated with one another. Using innovative statistical techniques to simultaneously account for both factors, the team combined them into one they called disadvantage. After discovering that disadvantage strongly predicted low academic achievement in the correlation tests, the researchers included the factor in a more sophisticated analysis that accounted for disparities related to geography within the city.

That test confirmed that schoolyard trees positively predicted math scores. Reading scores tended to be better with more schoolyard trees, but the effect fell just short of statistical significance.

At almost 90 percent free-lunch eligible and only 10 percent white, schools in the Chicago Public School system are, on the whole, disadvantaged. But there were differences: The most disadvantaged schools in the sample had roughly half the number of trees as the least disadvantaged schools.

While Kuo is quick to point out that the study is purely correlational - it wasn't designed to show cause-and-effect - she is optimistic about the results.

"Early math skills are one of the best predictors of later success, not just in math, but in school in general. So what we have here is a very exciting clue that maybe simply greening--planting trees in school yards--could potentially have a significant impact in math achievement and school success down the line for these kids. And you don't have to plaster the schoolyard with trees - just bringing schools up to average looks like it could have a substantial effect."

Kuo has spent her career quantifying the effects of nature on human health and behavior, but she understands people have a hard time accepting just how necessary nature is to the human experience.

"What I really want to do is figure out what helps for these schools. If trees didn't work, then I would not want people spending money on trees. I want the money to be spent where it will make a difference. The outcome matters to me.

"As a society, we have not bothered to green our poorest, low-income minority schools. It might just seem like, well, that's too bad, it would be nice for poor kids to have nice schools, but we can't afford it," she says. "The larger body of research is suggesting that, in fact, some of the reason for the disparities we see in low-income schools versus more affluent schools may actually be due, in part, to the physical facilities we're providing. It's not a surprise to anyone that if you don't provide air conditioning or heating in a school then maybe the kids aren't going to do as well. But this is the first time we've begun to suspect that the lack of landscaping, such as trees, may help explain, in part, their poorer test scores."

###

The article, "Might school performance grow on trees? Examining the link between 'greenness' and academic achievement in urban, high-poverty schools," is published in Frontiers in Psychology [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01669]. Kuo's co-authors include Matthew Browning, Sonya Sachdeva, Kangjae Lee, and Lynne Westphal. The research was supported by a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Illinois.

Kuo is the winner of the 2018 Heinz Award for the Environment, and directs the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory within the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois.Sara Alfino and Dr David Roberts from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology within the School of Anthropology and Conservation at the University of Kent examined 19 different code words and phrases that have been identified as representing ivory products on sale across four of eBay's European websites: the UK, Italy, France and Spain.

They found that despite eBay's ban on ivory sales there were 183 ivory items on sale by 113 sellers during their research window between 18 January and 5 February 2017.

Not only did these sales violate eBay's trading conditions but some broke regulations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and EU regulations regarding the sale of 'unworked' ivory.

Despite the use of codes to hide sales and the problems this could pose law enforcement agencies working in different languages, the researchers found that the majority of items on offer - around 80% - were grouped around six code words across the four eBay sites monitored.

This suggests the sales of ivory items online between traders is standardising around set code words, even when using different languages, as globalisation and market forces affect their business like any other.

This could help narrow the scope within which law enforcement agencies have to search for the sale of ivory items and allow machine learning tools to be focused on key terms too, helping improve identification of illegal sales.

However, the researchers say further work will be required to monitor sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Craigslist to see what terms are used. These sites have different ways in which items are presented for sale and therefore it is not known to what extent these code words are not only shared between languages, but also across these online sales platforms.

Nonetheless, if a 'digital fingerprint' could be identified for the sale of ivory items or other wildlife trade items that spanned platforms, languages and countries, the global monitoring of wildlife trade could potentially be made easier.

Dr Roberts said: 'It is clear that identifying illegal online trade in ivory is a challenge for law enforcement agencies. However, the research shows that there are ways in which they can take advantage of market conditions that are forcing traders to standardise on code words to try and find buyers for their goods.'

The paper, Code word usage in the online trade in ivory across four EU member States, has been published in the Oryx-The International Journal of Conservation Fauna & Flora International.

###AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts Amherst food scientists have mapped and characterized microbial populations in a vegetable fermentation facility and report that its microbiome was distinct between production and fermentation areas and that the raw vegetables themselves - cabbages destined for sauerkraut - were the main source of fermentation-related microbes in production areas rather than handling or other environmental sources.

Writing in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College student and co-first-author Jonah Einson, with research fellow Asha Rani and senior investigator professor David Sela, say this study helps to resolve the question of how microbes are transferred within a food fermentation production facility.

The UMass Amherst team collaborated with scientists from two units of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and another in Winchester, Mass.

Real Pickles is a worker-owned cooperative in Greenfield, Mass. and makes pickles, sauerkraut, and other fermented vegetables the old-fashioned way, by natural fermentation and without starter microbial cultures or other media. Nutritional microbiologist Sela notes that very little is known about the microbiomes of these facilities. Fermented foods are increasingly popular internationally, he adds, because of their enhanced nutritional properties, cultural history and tastiness, so the new information from this study should be of interest to food scientists, microbiologists and manufacturers around the world.

Sela says, "We're grateful for the cooperation and collaboration we received from the management and employees at Real Pickles for the opportunity to carry out this interesting research. We're thrilled that they were so open to working with the FDA. Not all companies would be comfortable having government regulators come in to assist with scientific research. This was a great academic-government-industry partnership. Also it reflects the exciting explosion of interest in fermented foods and beverages we are experiencing locally in western Massachusetts and beyond."

Company founder Dan Rosenberg says, "It's fascinating to learn about the influence of fresh vegetables in establishing our facility's microbiome and suggests that our use of organic vegetables is important to contributing a diverse microbial community to support fermentation. It raises interesting questions about how we can further improve our production practices to be producing fermented and probiotic foods of the highest quality. We're excited to participate in research that improves understanding of fermented food production and nutrition."

Sela notes that he, Einson and Rani used a state-of-the-art approach to this survey, using high-throughput sequencing and genomics to identify microbial species present instead of culturing the microbes. This allowed the team to quickly identify more microbes than conventional methods, to estimate their relative numbers, predict their likely function and determine the flow of microbes into and within the facility.

He adds, "For the first time, we built a map of the facility and how it was transformed over time during fermentation, which has given us a more complete picture of the population in a real vegetable fermentation facility. Both cheese and beer have been done to a certain extent, but we feel that fermented vegetable facilities could be better characterized. And because we are using these new genomic tools, we have a better understanding of what is there and how they got there. Using the traditional approach, we couldn't possibly culture everything, so we'd have a far more limited picture."

The researchers report that Leuconostoc and Lactobacillaceae dominated all surfaces where spontaneous fermentation occurs. Also, they found that "wall, floor, ceiling and barrel surfaces host unique microbial signatures."

Sela says Einson, now a graduate student at Columbia University, took the early lead in this study as an undergraduate. He swabbed surfaces in the plant's fermentation room, processing area and dry storage surfaces to collect microbial samples, identify microbes present before and after cleaning, and in linking specific microbes to certain food processing stages. After he graduated, Rani took over and completed the project.

Sela says next steps might be to see if similar findings may emerge in other vegetable processing plants around the world, whether seasonal changes might be observed and whether microbial populations change with different cleaning protocols.

"It's not as important when making traditional sauerkraut," he notes, "but some other food processing facilities might face more risk of spoilage and it would be interesting to see what microbes are present at various stages. Batches of food do get spoiled and we never see that as consumers, but it costs a lot when a whole batch is lost. We might be able to find a way to predict when that might happen by understanding the microbiological communities that surround the processes."

###

This work was funded in part by the Center for Produce Safety, and Einson was supported by an American Society for Microbiology summer undergraduate research fellowship, a research assistant fellowship from the UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College and a UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment summer scholars fellowship.PHILADELPHIA (September 25, 2018) - Kathryn H. Bowles, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, the van Ameringen Chair in Nursing Excellence and a Professor in Penn Nursing's Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, will receive the 15th annual Claire M. Fagin Distinguished Researcher Award. The biennial award honors the best scholarly qualities that Dr. Fagin, the School's third Dean, exemplified. It is given to a Penn Nursing faculty member, or a graduate from the School's doctoral program, who has made a distinguished contribution to nursing scholarship. Bowles will deliver the lecture 'From Inquiry to Innovation: How a Clinical Question Became a Business Opportunity' during the October 25th event (Fagin Hall, 3:00-5:00 PM).

With funding from multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, Bowles discovered a unique set of high-risk factors, ranging from a patient's walking ability, to length of hospital stay, to having an in-home caregiver, that determined which older patients were most likely to need continued skilled care after discharge. After 10 years of research on these high-risk factors, Bowles and her interdisciplinary team developed and validated a decision-support methodology that identified patients who need post-acute care, ensuring that high-risk patients were monitored and received adequate post-acute care plans when they went home. To put her risk-scoring tool into practice, she co-founded RightCare Solutions in 2012, the first nursing business seeded by Upstart, the University of Pennsylvania's technology transfer host.

Through RightCare Solutions, Bowles and a team of experts incorporated the "Discharge Decision Support System" or D2S2, into a software product that helps hospitals assess patients for post-acute care needs, optimizes workflow, and ultimately lowers the number of readmissions. In 2015, naviHealth acquired RightCare Solutions.

Throughout her career, Bowles' research has focused on the use of information technology and health informatics to improve healthcare for at-risk older adults and support healthcare providers' efforts to improve planning and provide transitional care following hospital discharge, thereby reducing hospital readmissions. Her ongoing studies, funded primarily by the NIH, include the development of decision support tools to determine the best site of care for those needing post-discharge services; telehealth technology applications; the effect of home care and post-acute referrals on patient outcomes; and evaluation of electronic health records. Another program of research for Bowles involves using electronic monitoring and technologically-advanced devices that help patients monitor pulse rates, oxygen levels, weight, blood sugar and other health factors at home.

For her significant contributions to nursing and to health care, Bowles has been named a Fellow and Edge Runner by the American Academy of Nursing; a Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics; was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame; and has been recognized with many other research, practice, and mentoring awards. She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania; her Master of Science in Nursing from Villanova University; and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

###

About the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is one of the world's leading schools of nursing. For the second year in a row, it is ranked the #1 nursing school in the world by QS University, and has four graduate programs ranked number one by U.S. News & World Report, the most of any school in the United States. Penn Nursing is currently ranked # 1 in funding from the National Institutes of Health, among other schools of nursing. Penn Nursing prepares nurse scientists and nurse leaders to meet the health needs of a global society through research, education, and practice. Follow Penn Nursing on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram & YouTube.Termite colonies have been found to thrive and reproduce without males, new research from the University of Sydney reveals.

The findings provide new evidence that males aren't required to maintain some advanced animal populations. They add momentum to questions about the impact and function of males in animal societies.

It is well known that many hymenopteran insect species - which include bees and ants - are essentially all-female societies. But termites are from a different insect order and typically contain male and female reproductives and workers.

Population analysis by a team of researchers - including Professor Nathan Lo and postdoctoral researcher Dr Toshihisa Yoshiro from the University's School of Life and Environmental Sciences - has for the first time identified termite colonies that completely lack males.

Findings published in BMC Biology today showed six of 10 termite populations scrutinized by the researchers in Japan were entirely comprised of asexual females. Aside from a lack of males, the colonies' queens contained no sperm in their sperm storage organs and their eggs remained unfertilised. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the hatching rate of these unfertilised eggs and that of fertilised eggs among mixed-sex termite populations.

All the populations studied were of the Glyptotermes nakajimai species based in Japan. This species typically inhabits forest areas and is not considered a pest.

"These results demonstrate males are not essential for the maintenance of animal societies in which they previously played an active social role," said Professor Lo.

The occasional development of unfertilised eggs in mixed-sex colonies suggests asexual female populations may have evolved from their mixed-sex counterparts.

Professor Lo says asexual reproduction could allow termites to successfully adapt to a range of new environments.

"All else being equal, asexual populations grow at twice the rate of sexual populations because only females are required to reproduce. This increased growth rate of colonies makes it easier for populations to entrench themselves in new environments."

While it is possible some of the 276 termite species in Australia, among the most primitive and ecologically diverse in the world, reproduce asexually further research is required to determine this, Dr Yashiro said.

Loss of males from mixed-sex societies in termites was co-written by researchers from the Laboratory of Insect Ecology at Kyoto University.

###During his career, Mr. Colraine has held many senior roles in the insurance sector including Chief Operating Officer (COO) / Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of AIG Europe from 2009-2014, which followed his time as Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee between 2007 and 2009. Prior to AIG Europe, Mr. Colraine worked for Willis Group Holdings Inc. for nearly 20 years, from 1988-2007, where he held several senior leadership positions including CFO, Vice Chairman, and Co-COO. Chris Lay, CEO, Marsh UK & Ireland, said: I am delighted that Tom has agreed to join the board of Marsh Ltd. His exceptional industry experience, coupled with an in-depth understanding of the international risk landscape, will be of great benefit to Marsh, our colleagues, and our clients as we grow our business across the UK and Ireland. Jane Barker, Chairman of Marsh Ltd, said: Toms extensive expertise, together with his familiarity of the regulatory environment, will significantly enhance our strategic decision making and planning as we develop our strategy for growth. Mr. Colraine added: Marsh has a tremendous reputation for delivering innovative solutions that help their clients mitigate their risks, protect their businesses, and continue to be successful  regardless of their size or sector. I look forward to working closely with Marshs senior leadership team, as they continue to develop their business across the UK and Ireland.A new blockchain tool developed by a researcher at the University of Waterloo and a collaborator at Airbus in Germany could make procurement of goods and services safer and more impartial.

The tool, a blockchain auction protocol that allows for more safe and secure bidding on contracts with companies, so that the online auction is more difficult to hack or manipulate than conventional methods.

"The goal is to have something which is traceable, cannot be tampered with in any way, and is confidential except for absolutely necessary information that needs to be revealed," said Florian Kerschbaum, a computer science professor and director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at the University of Waterloo. "While blockchain can provide a strong audit trail, it is slow and generally shares too much information."

The researchers understood that the protocol needed to be fast and secure at the same time. Currently, blockchain message exchange can take up to an hour to correctly settle for consistency and to handle competing lines.

Protocols are not tuned for blockchain in auction situations, in general. In contrast, the new auction protocol Strain requires only four blocks: a commit of a bid, a computation of the winner, a verification, and finally an opening of the winning bid.

Strain protects the confidentiality of the bid against malicious parties using zero-knowledge proofs. This means that it reveals only that the computation is complete, but not the inputs or computational steps. It even offers an extension that would allow a vendor to participate in two auctions without revealing that they are the same bidder.

Ukraine is an example of a country that is using blockchain technology to hold auctions in a way that addresses concerns of nepotism and corruption.

Moving forward, Kerschbaum and his collaborator Erik-Oliver Blass at Airbus, would first like to further the performance and security of the protocol. They would also like to see if they can extend this to an open group of vendors as it has only been tested with a closed group.

The paper, Strain: A Secure Auction for Blockchains, appeared in the proceedings of the 23rd European Symposium on Research in Computer Security.

###Many wild and cultivated plants arise through the combination of two different species. The genome of these so-called polyploid species often consists of a quadruple set of chromosomes - a double set for each parental species - and thus has about twice as many genes as the original species. About 50 years ago, evolutionary biologists postulated that this process drives evolution, leading to new species. Due to the size and complexity of such genomes, however, proving this theory on a genetic level has been difficult.

Evolutionary biological theory confirmed by experiment

An international team of researches headed up by Timothy Paape and Kentaro Shimizu from the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies of the University of Zurich (UZH) has now been able to provide the experimental confirmation of this theory. To do so, the scientists from Switzerland and Japan used plant species Arabidopsis kamchatica, which is part of the rockcress genus. They sequenced the genome of 25 different individuals of the polyploid species from various regions of the world, as well as 18 different individuals of its parental species in order to study its natural genetic diversity.

Genomes sequenced thanks to latest technologies

Arabidopsis kamchatica arose through the natural hybridization of the two parental species A. halleri and A. lyrata between 65,000 and 145,000 years ago. With 450 million base pairs, its genome is somewhat small for a polyploid plant, but still very complex. Using state-of-the-art sequencing methods and technology as well as bioinformatics tools, the researchers were able to determine the genetic sequence of the plant individuals.

Advantageous genetic mutations in addition to spare copies

Due to the large amount of genetic information, A. kamchatica is better equipped to adapt to new environmental conditions. "With these results, we have demonstrated on a molecular-genetic level that genome duplications can positively affect the adaptability of organisms," says plant scientist Timothy Paape. The multiple gene copies enable the plant to assume advantageous mutations while keeping an original copy of important genes.

Astonishing wide spread

The usefulness of the double genome for A. kamchatica can be seen in its wider distribution - at both low and high altitude - compared with its parental plants. Its habitat ranges from Taiwan, Japan and the Russian Far East to Alaska and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. "Knowing the genomic and evolutionary context also helps us understand how genetic diversity allows plants to adapt to changing environmental conditions," says Kentaro Shimizu. The recently published research was supported by the University Research Priority Program Evolution in Action: From Genomes to Ecosystems of the University of Zurich.

###

Literature: Timothy Paape, Roman V. Briskine, Gwyneth Halstead-Nussloch, Heidi E.L. Lischer, Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi, Masaomi Hatakeyama, Kenta Tanaka, Tomoaki Nishiyama, Renat Sabirov, Jun Sese, and Kentaro K. Shimizu. Patterns of polymorphism and selection in the subgenomes of the allopolyploid Arabidopsis kamchatica. Nature Communications. September 25, 2018 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06108-1After decades of conflicting evidence and numerous publications, scientists at international conservation charity ZSL's (Zoological Society of London) Institute of Zoology, have finally put the 'world's largest bird' debate to rest. Published today (26 September 2018) in Royal Society Open Science - Vorombe titan (meaning 'big bird' in Malagasy and Greek), has taken the title reaching weights of up to 800 kg and three metres tall, with the research also discovering unexpected diversity in these Madagascan creatures.

Until now, it was previously suggested that up to 15 different species of elephant birds had been identified under two genera, however research by ZSL scientists boasts new rigorous and quantitative evidence - that shows, in fact, this is not the case. Armed with a tape measure and a pair of callipers, Dr Hansford analysed hundreds of elephant bird bones from museums across the globe to uncover the world's largest bird, while also revealing their taxonomy is in fact spread across three genera and at least four distinct species; thus, constituting the first taxonomic reassessment of the family in over 80 years.

Elephant birds (belonging to the family Aepyornithidae) are an extinct group of colossal flightless birds that roamed Madagascar during the Late Quaternary, with two genera (Aepyornis and Mullerornis) previously recognised by scientists. The first species to be described, Aepyornis maximus, has often been considered to be the world's largest bird. In 1894, British scientist C.W. Andrews described an even larger species, Aepyornis titan, this has usually been dismissed as an unusually large specimen of A. maximus. However, ZSL's research reveals Andrew's 'titan' bird was indeed a distinct species. The shape and size of its bones are so different from all other elephant birds that it has now been given the new genus name Vorombe by ZSL.

Lead Author at ZSL's Institute of Zoology, Dr James Hansford said: "Elephant birds were the biggest of Madagascar's megafauna and arguably one of the most important in the islands evolutionary history - even more so than lemurs. This is because large-bodied animals have an enormous impact on the wider ecosystem they live in via controlling vegetation through eating plants, spreading biomass and dispersing seeds through defecation. Madagascar is still suffering the effects of the extinction of these birds today."

Co-Author Professor Samuel Turvey from ZSL's Institute of Zoology said: "Without an accurate understanding of past species diversity, we can't properly understand evolution or ecology in unique island systems such as Madagascar or reconstruct exactly what's been lost since human arrival on these islands. Knowing the history of biodiversity loss is essential to determine how to conserve today's threatened species."

Analysing this data in a novel combination of machine learning combined with Bayesian clustering, Dr Hansford applied modern techniques to solve a 150-year-old taxonomic knot, that will form the modern understanding of these enigmatic avian megafauna. The revelation that the biggest of these birds was forgotten by history is just one part of their remarkable story.

###

For more information on the work ZSL is doing to conserve Madagascar's wildlife, visit http://www.zsl.org

Hansford J.P. Turvey ST. (2018) Unexpected diversity within the extinct elephant birds (Aves: Aepyornithidae) and a new identity for the world's largest bird. R. Slc. Open sci. 5:181295. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.181295

Notes to editors

Media contact

Emma Ackerley, emma.ackerley@zsl.org / +44 (0)20 7449 6288

Images available: https://zslondon.sharefile.com/d-s4673aa6097a4c29b

Madagascan elephant bird genera (Aepyornis, Mullerornis and Vorombe)

The extinct elephant birds were flightless megafaunal birds, which were once widespread on Madagascar. It is thought that one of their giant eggs could have fed an entire family, though there is no evidence of direct nest raiding.

They are thought to have died out around 1000 years ago, which was discussed in recent research from ZSL here: https://www.zsl.org/science/news/ancient-bird-bones-redate-human-activity-in-madagascar-by-6000-years

ZSL

ZSL (Zoological Society of London) is an international conservation charity working to create a world where wildlife thrives. From investigating the health threats facing animals to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, ZSL is committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction. Our work is realised through our ground-breaking science, our field conservation around the world and engaging millions of people through our two zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. For more information, visit http://www.zsl.org

Use of ZSL Images and Video

Photographs, video or graphics distributed by ZSL (Zoological Society of London) to support this media release may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the persons in the image or facts mentioned in the media release or image caption. Reuse of the picture or video requires further permission from the ZSL press office.

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NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.Heavy rains throughout Monday brought water over many Hamilton County roads and into some businesses.

The front area of the Mapco in the 8100 block of Standifer Gap Road was a small lake.

The Sheriff's Office said, "Drivers in the Middle Valley and East Brainerd Road areas are encouraged to avoid driving in low lying areas. All drivers should exercise caution.

"Drivers should avoid many areas until the water recedes.Do not attempt to drive over any roadways with rushing or standing water."

The roads listed below have at least one or more areas where water is over the roadway: Ooltewah-Ringgold Road, Snow Hill Road, 3200 Ripley Run Road, Standifer Gap Road, Old East Brainerd Road and Wandering Way.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for Hamilton County.

FLASH FLOOD WARNING FROM 11:53 PM EDT MON UNTIL 2:45 AM EDT TUE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... BRADLEY COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE... HAMILTON COUNTY IN EAST TENNESSEE... * UNTIL 245 AM EDT. * AT 1151 PM EDT, DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN ACROSS THE WARNED AREA. UP TO ONE AND ONE-HALF INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN. FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SHORTLY. * SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE... CHATTANOOGA, CLEVELAND, SODDY-DAISY, SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, WALDEN, LAKESITE, CHARLESTON, RIDGESIDE, SOUTH CLEVELAND, HARRISON, EAST CLEVELAND, WILDWOOD LAKE, FAIRMOUNT, RED BANK, COLLEGEDALE, CALHOUN, WATERVILLE, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, RED CLAY STATE PARK AND FLINT SPRINGS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. SINCE THE GROUND IS ALREADY SATURATED FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINS AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW LYING IS ALREADY REPORTED, ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS WILL LIKELY CAUSE FLOODING. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED ROADS. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN VEHICLES. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. &&By Twyla Ramos Seven years ago, my youngest daughter had a febrile seizure, at the age of 15 months. She had come down with a bit of a cough, and then suddenly her fever rose, and then she began convulsing. Nobody in our extended family had ever had a seizure. She had never had such a high fever before, and our first two children had never had such high fevers. It was quite scary. We took her to the emergency room. She was groggy and out of it for quite a while, and still feverish. For a couple of weeks her fever kept rising, and she had a deep cough which was diagnosed as croup. We were told that croup is caused by a viral infection that irritates the lungs. She had just had a well baby visit with our pediatrician a few days before the seizure. When we went back for a follow up appointment after the seizure, I asked our pediatrician jokingly, What did you do to our baby, anyway? Concern flashed across his face, but he smiled when he saw that I was just kidding.

Our two daughters are neurotypical  great conversationalists and excellent students, with lots of friends and wonderful involvement in many activities. But, our son is autistic. Because of his autism, I have read a lot in recent years about childrens adverse reactions to vaccines. Although for the most part our son did not seem to react to vaccines, I often wondered whether the preservative thimerosal (which is 49.6% mercury) caused or at least contributed to his autism.

Other vaccines have never contained thimerosal but do contain live viruses. I have read stories about children regressing into autism after receiving the MMR vaccine -- often with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and/or seizure disorders. I read Dan Olmsteds articles about adverse vaccine reactions among some of the children who participated in recent trials of a vaccine incorporating both the MMR and the vaccine for chickenpox  a quadruple whammy with four live viruses.

But it was not until a few days ago that a light went on in my head and I suddenly wondered, what vaccines did my daughter receive at that well baby visit before her seizure seven years ago? I have a copy of her vaccine record, and I contacted our insurance company to find out the date of her admission to the emergency room. Four days before the seizure occurred, she received both the MMR and the vaccine for chicken pox at the same doctors appointment.

Back then I had total confidence in those who develop vaccines and decide on the recommended vaccine schedule. I was so nonchalant, that I completely forgot that she had received the MMR and chicken pox vaccines at the same time. Until now, it never even occurred to me that her seizure could have been related to her vaccines. All these years, we wondered why a simple cold virus caused a febrile seizure.

Curious, I went to the CDC web site. I clicked on Vaccine Concerns and then on Febrile Seizures after MMR and DTP Vaccinations. I fully expected to hear the usual, Theres no proof of a connection and dont confuse coincidence with causation baloney. To my surprise, the CDC acknowledged that there is a risk of febrile seizures after both the DPT and the MMR. They cited a study from the August 30, 2001 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine entitled "The Risk of Seizures after Receipt of Whole-Cell Pertussis or Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine" by William E. Barlow and colleagues, and said:



The study confirmed what was already known: DTP and MMR vaccinations can temporarily increase the risk for fever-related, or what are called febrile, seizures In this study, the number of fever-related seizures following DTP vaccination was six to nine per 100,000 vaccinated children. The number after MMR vaccine was 25 to 34 per 100,000 vaccinated children.

I dont know where those numbers came from, but I am sure that many vaccine reactions, such as my daughters, are not reported.

The CDC reassured parents that febrile seizures are nothing to worry about:

Parents concerned about the link between childhood vaccinations and seizures need not worry, according to the results of this study. The study found that children who suffered rare fever-related seizures after getting DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, and whole-cell pertussis) and MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccinations did not have an increased risk for subsequent seizures or neurodevelopmental (e.g., learning) disabilities

Fever-related seizures are the most common type of seizure that occurs during childhood. Fever-related seizures may happen with any condition that causes a high fever. Children who have fever-related seizures uniformly have an excellent prognosis. This study found that febrile seizures following vaccination had no long-term effects.

I imagine that the reason why Children who have fever-related seizures uniformly have an excellent prognosis is because if they do encounter a problem, such as autism, their seizure is moved from the febrile seizure category to some other category, such as the autism which is genetic and not caused by vaccines category.

I went to another page on the CDC site called Frequently Asked Questions about Multiple Vaccines and the Immune System, where they said:

Giving a child several vaccinations during the same visit offers two practical advantages. First, we want to immunize children as quickly as possible to give them protection during the vulnerable early months of their lives. Second, giving several vaccinations at the same time means fewer office visits, which saves parents both time and money and may be less traumatic for the child Research is underway to find methods to combine more antigens in a single vaccine injection (for example, MMR and chickenpox). This will provide all the advantages of the individual vaccines, but will require fewer shots.

So, the CDC acknowledges that the MMR alone can cause febrile seizures, but they say that febrile seizures are nothing to worry about, so they are planning to add the chicken pox virus to the MMR anyway.

On this page the CDC also state:

No evidence suggests that the recommended childhood vaccines can overload the immune system. In contrast, from the moment babies are born, they are exposed to numerous bacteria and viruses on a daily basis. Eating food introduces new bacteria into the body; numerous bacteria live in the mouth and nose; and an infant places his or her hands or other objects in his or her mouth hundreds of times every hour, exposing the immune system to still more antigens. An upper respiratory viral infection exposes a child to 4 to 10 antigens, and a case of strep throat to 25 to 50.

Adverse Events Associated with Childhood Vaccines, a 1994 report from the Institute of Medicine, states: In the face of these normal events, it seems unlikely that the number of separate antigens contained in childhood vaccines ... would represent an appreciable added burden on the immune system that would be immunosuppressive.

Well, you know what? This combination of four viruses did overload my strong, healthy toddlers immune system.

Its natural to be exposed to a variety of microbes on a daily basis, but it is not natural to have those microbes injected directly into the bloodstream. This totally bypasses the defense mechanisms in the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and respiratory system. Moreover, have you ever heard of a case where someone came down with measles, mumps, chicken pox, and German measles simultaneously? Surely that must be confusing and overwhelming to the immune system.

I went to the page on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Measles Vaccine. In this section I read,

Measles, mumps, or rubella (MMR) virus infection is not known to cause IBD. The virus that causes measles disease infects the respiratory system and then spreads to lymphatic tissue (an important part of our immune system).

This supports my belief that my daughters croup was caused by the vaccine virus. (I will not even try to address the statement regarding IBD, except to say that there is considerable evidence to the contrary.)

We are so fortunate that she did not suffer worse effects from having these four live viruses injected together at such a young age. As far as we know, so far the only lasting effects of her exposure to multiple vaccines, containing various ingredients from mercury to aluminum to live viruses, were a tendency to get high fevers, prolonged coughs, and mild allergies, such as eczema when the weather is cold and dry. All of this has lessened somewhat over time.

Parents often wonder about the disruptive effects of mercury and aluminum on the immune system and whether this contributes to high rates of asthma. Now I wonder whether the injected MMR also contributes to over-sensitizing the lungs.

I am not anti-vaccine. But I am in favor of making vaccines as safe as possible. I am in favor of weighing the risks and benefits carefully. As a child, my friends and siblings and neighbors and I all came down with measles, mumps, chicken pox, German measles, and whooping cough, and none of us suffered any lasting effects. I know that rare complications are possible, but these illnesses are not like polio and smallpox. How could the powers-that-be think that the risks of measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox justify cavalier disregard of the risk of febrile seizures, and of even worse consequences reported by many parents?

How can the CDC acknowledge the risk of febrile seizures but deny the reports of parents who describe febrile seizures followed by descent into autism? Isnt this just a matter of degree, and level of individual vulnerability? Why are they considering adding another virus to the mix, instead of breaking the MMR up into three separate vaccines?

If I said, My cars brakes are making funny noises. I better have them checked out before I drive anywhere, would that mean that I am anti-cars? If I said, Im flying across the country tomorrow, and I sure hope the airline has done a good job of maintenance and safety checks, would that mean I am anti-airplanes? Cars and airplanes are important for transportation, but we must make them as safe as possible.

My autistic son was injected with a Hepatitis B vaccine containing mercury on the day he was born, although he was not even at risk for Hepatitis B. What kind of warped weighing of risks and benefits was involved in the decision to put that vaccine on the schedule for all newborns? My son turned blue a while after receiving this vaccine, and was resuscitated by the hospital staff. Was this a vaccine reaction? We will never know. But I do know that it was crazy for him to receive this shot a few hours after birth, when his liver and kidneys were not even fully functioning, and when he was not even at risk for this disease.

It would make more sense to advise mothers to be tested for exposure to Hepatitis B, so that they would know whether their babies might be at risk. Then they could decide whether the potential benefits of this vaccine outweigh the potential risks of injecting a newborn. If some mothers make poor choices and dont get tested, that is their decision. But my baby should not be forced to get an unnecessary and risky shot just because some mothers who are positive for Hepatitis B will make what the CDC considers to be poor decisions.

Some say thimerosal has been removed from vaccines, except for flu shots and exports. But I emailed the CDC to confirm something I had heard, and they emailed me back confirming it, saying:

Thimerosal still may be used in the early stages of making certain vaccines. However, it is removed through a purification process. When this process is complete, only trace, or insignificant, amounts of thimerosal are left (less than 0.3 mcg) and these amounts have no biological effect.

I emailed them back, asking, Does any government agency monitor and test to ensure that this purification process is effective, and that the final product contains only less than 0.3 mcg? Or do the pharmaceutical companies have sole responsibility for the testing and monitoring of this? So far, I have not received an answer.Talk to your grandparents about marijuana - before somebody else does.

The latest release of a massive federal drug use survey shows monthly marijuana use has skyrocketed among older Americans. The past decade, in fact, has seen a sea change in the demographics of marijuana use: As recently as the early 2000s, teens were more than four times more likely to use marijuana than 50 and 60 somethings. But as of 2017, Americans age 55 to 64 are now slightly more likely to smoke pot on a monthly basis than teens age 12 to 17. That difference is within the survey's margin of error.

The oldest age group - seniors age 65 and older - has seen steep increases in marijuana use as well. In the mid-2000s monthly marijuana use among this group was effectively at zero percent. As of last year 2.4 percent of seniors used marijuana monthly, and nearly 4 percent were using on at least an annual basis.

The Washington Post

Federal data showed that marijuana use among middle-aged Americans surpassed teen use several years ago, which underscores a point that often gets lost in contemporary debate about marijuana legalization: while debates about marijuana use tend to focus on the drug's effects on young people, marijuana use is becoming more concentrated among older Americans. The effects of long-term marijuana use among that cohort are less understood.

There are a number of factors driving these trends. Nine states plus the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use since 2012. It's only natural that those laws would boost use among older Americans while having little effect among younger ones.

The legalization wave happens to be happening as baby boomers are entering their golden years. The boomers were big supporters (and users of) pot in the late 60s and 70s, and it seems that many of them are using their retirement years to revisit some of the mind-altering experiences of their youth.

Finally, medical concerns appear to be a key factor driving marijuana use among older Americans. A recent study conducted by Benjamin Han and Joseph Palamar of New York University found that more than 20 percent of marijuana users over age 65 said a doctor recommended they try the drug. Other research has shown that marijuana is particularly effective at treating chronic pain, which is particularly prevalent among the elderly. Several recent studies have found that Medicare prescriptions for opiate painkillers are lower in states with medical marijuana programs.

Richard Vogel, STF / Associated Press

On net, grandparents smoking state-legal weed in their homes is much less of a legal or public health concern than teens using black market stuff at parties. But as with any recreational drug there are risks associated with marijuana use, even if the user is over the age of 60. The Han/Palomar study, for instance, found evidence for higher rates of nicotine dependence, cocaine use and prescription drug misuse among older Americans who had used marijuana in the past year. And dependency is always a concern, particularly among people who use marijuana frequently.

That said, it's becoming increasingly clear that stereotypes of marijuana users as risk-taking disaffected youth are outdated in the era of legal marijuana, with middle age and even older Americans becoming more likely to use the drug than their children and grandchildren.San Antonio-based Texas Armoring Corp. is opening a facility in Honduras, which will enable the company to more than double production.

The 40,000-square-foot space will position the armored car manufacturer to better serve our government, corporate and NGO clients with the same quality they are accustomed to with added value in speed of delivery and pricing, it said in a statement.

Were excited to expand our production output and capture some of this demand, CEO and President Trent Kimball said. We have been running at full capacity for the last several years, and its time to expand our reach.

On ExpressNews.com: Kimball helping protect power brokers

The armored car manufacturers San Antonio facility will remain in operation, with a focus on high-end luxury vehicles. It produces between 60 to 80 vehicles a year in San Antonio, said Lawrence Kosub, vice president of sales and operations. He said the company expects to manufacture 150 to 200 vehicles annually at the Honduras space.

Production in Honduras is expected to begin in October. Kosub said the site already has several orders in the queue.

Located in the city of San Pedro Sula in northern Honduras, the U.S.-managed facility will initially employ 30 people with the expectation of eventually hiring more workers, Kosub said.

On ExpressNews.com: Texas Armoring announces plans to expand

The facility is a joint venture with Victory Business Solutions, a firm owned and operated by Mark and Norma Caldwell.

Texas Armoring gets requests from around the world to build manufacturing facilities  at least one per month, Kosub said. While the people reaching out may have the capital to make the investment, they may not want to be involved in running the facility, which is what made Victory a good fit, he said.

You need somebody who has the vision and drive to make it succeed, Kosub said. Thats the kind of partner we were looking for.

miszler@express-news.net | @madisoniszlerOne of the big eye-catchers in the San Antonio Museum of Art exhibit Marilyn Lanfear: Material Memory is the triptych Uncle Clarences Three Wives.

The piece consists of three nearly-life-size portraits of the three very different women who married Lanfears uncle. All three depictions are created entirely out of buttons  thousands upon thousands of them. Look closely at the the portrait on the right of the war bride Aunt Gerry, and youll see gold military buttons stitched to the uniform jacket draped over her shoulders.

The piece rarely fails to spark one very specific question, said Suzanne Weaver, the museums Brown Foundation Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, during a stroll through the show with Lanfear.

Everyone asks me, Did she do all those buttons?, Weaver said.

Short answer? No. Although she collected all of them, an endeavor that took years, she enlisted nearly 40 volunteers to sew all those buttons in place. Their initials can be found on the sides of the pieces, Lanfear said.

On ExpressNews.com: Meet the artist behind the blue panther

When Lana Meador, who curated the exhibit, looks at the triptych, it calls to mind the way that it connects to other artworks both from the distant past and the present.

What I like to think about with this piece, particularly in the context of our encyclopedic museum, is this history of image-making with small units, said Meador, who spent much of this year working on the exhibit with Lanfear. For instance, a mosaic in our ancient Roman gallery, or you think about pointillism and impressionism, if you think about how digital images are created with pixels today, this has always been kind of a constant. So I love how it fits into that broader art historical context.

The piece is representative of much of Lanfears work, which often draws on stories from her own family. She recalled that her Aunt Billie, who is pictured in the piece on the left, met a particularly tragic end in the school explosion in New London, Texas, in 1937.

She was Clarences first wife, Lanfear said. She had moved to that town with Clarence and had just gone up to the school to say hello to her sister, who worked there. And the building exploded.

On ExpressNews.com: Artists present a fresh look at the Alamo

Nearby stands Library Table with Ink Paintings, a 2001 piece featuring a table covered with what appears to be family photographs. The photographs, though, are small paintings tucked into swing frames. The paintings were inspired by her own family photos, she said.

She was living in Oregon when she began working on the piece and picked up many of the frames in a shop there, she recalled. When she needed more, she returned to same spot and asked if they had any left.

They said, We did, but somebody just bought them all, she said. But it was I who had bought them all, but she didnt recognize me.

The idea behind the thoughtfully executed exhibit was to give a sense of the broad range of work Lanfear has created over more than four decades, said Meador. That includes several assemblages  including one made entirely of embroidery hoops  as well as drawings and sculpture.

When I started looking at her work and thinking about it seriously and thinking about what would be in the show, what really struck me was the diversity of materials and (processes), said Meador, noting that Lanfear learned how so solder lead to create the striking lead blouse sculpture and learned how to make paper for Marilyn/Marilyn, a 1994 piece that re-creates an outfit her mother had made for her when she was a child.

Meador noted how important the material is to her and the way the formal aspects of it, the physicality of it, how it evokes memories or certain associations and how that relates to the subject matter.

She is particularly taken with Untitled (WhatNot Shelves and Repisas), a 2008 work featuring more than a dozen of the shelves arrayed across two walls. Some are simple shelves, with little flash; others are much more elaborate.

As with the buttons, it took Lanfear years to collect all of them. A few came from her family, including one that was in her grandmothers house, where it held a Bible.

The toughest one to track down was the one specifically designed to be tucked into a corner, she said. As it happens, someone who knew about the project happened upon one and gave it to her.

Meador had never seen the piece displayed until it went up in the gallery.

Id seen the objects by themselves, but never on the wall as they should be, she said. To see it finally be realized, it really all came together, and you see different things in each one - each one has a different personality, and I love that about them.

Marilyn Lanfear: Material Memory can be seen through Nov. 11 at the San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones. Visit samuseum.org or call 210-978-8100 for more information.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN

Deborah Martin is an arts writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinENWhen jewelry maker James Avery died in April, it cast a pall over the Hill Country and its artists. Thats one reason this years Texas Arts & Crafts Fair  the first to be held in five years following what can only be called an involuntary hiatus  is being dedicated to the memory of Avery, who once served on the fairs board.

His company, James Avery Artisan Jewelry, also is a legacy sponsor of the resurrected event.

Jim was instrumental in the development of the Hill Country arts community, especially in Kerrville, said Philip Dewey who lives near Boerne. where he and his wife, Judy, make windbells (similar to wind chimes, except the clapper strikes the inside of a steel bell). Hes missed.

The fair, which runs Sept. 28-30, will feature more than 100 artists and craftspeople, all from Texas, as well as food trucks and music.

The kickoff concert Friday evening is at The Point Theatre, a 720-seat outdoor amphitheater on the banks of the Guadalupe River in Ingram. The concert will feature Matt Nokoa, a 2014 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk winner, and the classically trained trio Harpeth Rising accompanied by a 25-piece chamber ensemble from Kerrville's Symphony of the Hills, conducted by Gene Dowdy.

The fair runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the nearby grounds of the Hill Country Arts Foundation.

At a glance What: Texas Arts & Crafts Fair When: Sept. 28-30. Friday night concert, 7:30 p.m.; Arts & Crafts Fair, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Where: 120 Point Theatre Rd S, Ingram Admission: Concert, $25 and $35. VIP options available; Fair, adults $8, students $5, 12 and under free More info: txartsandcraftsfair.com See More Collapse

One new feature of the fair will be the exhibit by heritage artists who have a historical connection to the Hill Country and the fair. Among them will be goldsmith Fred Stockbauer of Wimberley, an exhibitor at the first fair.

I have vivid memories of that first show, he said. There were just so many artists from all around the state thrown together. Many of us had never met one another.

Then he stopped and laughed. And it seemed like about one-third of them were potters.

Therell also be plenty for the kids to do in the Art Exploration Zone on the patio and lawn outside the Duncan-McAshan Art Gallery, said Wanda Garner Cash, event director of the Hill Country Arts Foundation, which runs the fair.

The kids will be able to build, make, draw and paint, and whatever they create theyll be able to take it home, she said.

Artists and other craftspeople will also be on hand giving interactive demonstrations of spinning, blacksmithing, woodworking and more to children and adults alike.

The arts and crafts festival launched in 1972 on the campus of Schreiner University in Kerrville. That first year, organizers also put together a music lineup that included Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Murphey, Townes Van Zandt and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Out of that concert grew the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Hill Countrys premier music event.

When Schreiner needed to expand in 2004, the festival lost its space and moved to county-owned land until, in 2013, the nonprofit foundation that ran it declared bankruptcy.

Eventually, the arts foundation purchased the fairs intellectual property, including the name. Over time, the nonprofit has made improvements to the site where the fair will take place, including expanded parking and electrical upgrades and a new phone system that has boosted the wifi in the area.

Its taken us several years to get things in order, but were ready to go, Garner said.

Richard A. Marini is a features writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMariniA polite San Antonio business owner who insists the Bandidos is just a hobby motorcycle club that supports childrens charities was sentenced Monday to two consecutive life terms plus 20 years for directing murders and beatings to protect the clubs drug trafficking racket.

John Xavier Portillo, 59, a club member since the 1980s who rose through the ranks to become second-in-command of the national organization, said he plans to appeal. His old boss, then-national president Jeffrey Fay Pike, 63, will be sentenced on the same charges Wednesday.

After handing down the sentence, Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra asked Portillo if he had anything to say.

What would you like me to say? Portillo asked, still reeling from what he contends was a wrongful conviction.

The judge said Portillo 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.

Now Playing: The Bandidos Motorcycle Gang is considered one of the most dangerous motorcycle gangs in America. Here's what you need to know about it. Video: San Antonio Express-News

Portillos lawyers, Robbie Ward and Mark Stevens, had asked the judge not to grant the prosecutions request for three consecutive life sentences. The judge agreed, but because theres no parole in federal prison, observers say its a victory more in words than reality.

In the end, the judge gave Portillo two consecutive life sentences for two counts of racketeering murder, plus 10 years on each of two charges of using a gun in furtherance of racketeering, also to run consecutively. And Ezra handed Portillo sentences that will run concurrently on the other nine counts for which he was convicted, including racketeering conspiracy, murder conspiracy, extortion conspiracy, assault conspiracy, being a felon with a gun and drug charges. Those sentences ranged from five years to 20 years.

RELATED: Verdict in Bandidos case

Both Portillo and Pike were convicted earlier this year 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 club, 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 enforcement 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, 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 a 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 arrested on state charges of engaging in organized crime. But state prosecutions 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 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 who included ex-Bandidos, along with wiretaps of Portillos phone and body-wire recordings worn by cooperating witnesses, helped sway jurors to agree with prosecutors.

The jury convicted Pike and Portillo of conspiracy to murder and assault 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 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 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 that 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 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.

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 young Kerrville mother accused of leaving her two infant daughters in a hot vehicle for several hours, which led to their deaths, pleaded guilty on Monday, officials said.

Amanda Hawkins, 20, will be sentenced in December, according to Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer.

Kerr County District Attorney Lucy Wilke did not respond to a request for comment, but she told the Hill Country Breaking News that Hawkins could face up to 40 years for two counts of endangering a child and two counts of injury to a child.

Shes 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 next 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 Theyll cry themselves to sleep.

RELATED: Teen charged with murder in hot car deaths of two S.A.-area infants

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 cars windows and turned off the engine before going back inside at 8 a.m., according to court records. He claims he didnt know the girls were in the car.

They were discovered unconscious a few hours later. Hawkins rushed them to a nearby hospital, claiming they had collapsed during an outing to a local park, authorities said.

The girls died on June 8, at a San Antonio hospital.

She and Franke were later arrested. 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.The city of Converse placed six new firefighting positions in its 2018-19 budget, which starts Monday. The impact on the budget now has been minimized, as the city received a federal grant worth more than a half-million dollars to hire more firefighters.

Fire Chief Luis Valdez informed the Converse City Council at its Sept. 18 meeting that the department has been named the recipient of a $566,157 grant from the Department of Homeland Security directed at hiring and budgeting for new firefighters.

Valdez, who was sworn in as the citys new fire chief on Sept. 4, said he is grateful for the grant and it will help the city as it moves forward with its annexation and continues to grow.

Ive been in the fire service for a long time, and Ive never known anyone to get that grant, said Valdez, who gave credit for the grant to Stella Calvillo, the citys grant writer.

I walked into a really good situation here in Converse, he said. This is 100 percent to Stella and her work. Thats a very tough grant to get.

The grant is awarded to cities for staffing for adequate fire and emergency response programs, such as those Converse is undertaking in the coming budget year. It proposed hiring six more firefighters and three additional police officers.

Valdez said the grant will provide 75 percent of the pay for six firefighters the first year of the grant.

It pays 50 percent in year two and 25 percent in the third year, with the firefighters salaries rolling into the city budget in the fourth year and onward.

Its an outstanding achievement for the city of Converse, he added.

Mayor Al Suarez said last week that the city will use the funds to augment the positions it had already built into the budget.

We were planning to hire six more positions anyway, and the Homeland Security grant is for six more, Suarez said. This will save us the $500,000-plus it would cost us over the next three years.

He said the city may look at different ways to use the firefighter hiring funding already built into its budget that will now be freed by the grant money.

There may be some things we did not address in the budget because we didnt have the funds to do them. Once we receive the grant money, that budget funding becomes available over the next three years, the mayor said.

He said some cities might not apply for the grant because the outlined firefighter positions must become permanent after three years.

Not everyone can afford to take on a large number of new positions like that, he said, but we were hiring six more this year anyway.

Valdez told the council that he received correspondence from the office of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, who will be presenting the check to the city at a meeting Suarez said is likely to be held on Oct. 15.

In other action, council gave Calvillo permission to apply for a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant of $100,000 that would be used for building a splash pad at Converse North Park.

Calvillo told council that the grant is a 50-50 match, which would leave the city responsible for $50,000 of the total $100,000 cost.

City Manager Le Ann Piatt said if the city is awarded the grant, it would attempt to find funding in the budget to meet the match.

Calvillo said the city would know by February if it has been selected.

Hopefully, it would be done before summer; that would be the goal, Calvillo added.

Part of the design of the pad is to make it ADA-accessible ... so it could be a little bit wider, to accommodate everyone, she said.

jflinn@express-news.netThe San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association is a meme-factory these days, churning out Facebook-ready images designed to go viral and bolster its regressive campaign to amend the city charter.

One shows Mayor Ron Nirenberg literally grinding voters to a bloody pulp. Another depicts Nirenberg and former Mayor Julian Castro conspiring in cartoon bubbles to move the Cenotaph outside the footprint of the Alamo, a hot-button issue for Texas conservatives.

Its no surprise the union has tailored its attacks to thrive on social media: an alternate universe where fiction masquerades as fact and divisions are stoked by trolls to inflame voters.

The chief troll of the Vote Yes campaign, fire union President Chris Steele, has shown that he prefers dirty tricks to honest debate, backing out of an actual one with the mayor last week at the 11th hour and leaving his compatriots to convey the false impression that Nirenberg had bailed.

RELATED: Steele wears uniform resembling official Fire Department attire

Where is the mayor? the unions supporters chanted at the University of Texas at San Antonio downtown campus, where the debate was to take place.

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a professor of communications at the University of Pennsylvania, calls such tricksters discourse saboteurs, according to a recent New Yorker article by Jane Mayer. Jamieson was describing the Russian trolls and hackers who she believes likely delivered the presidency to Donald Trump in 2016 via a Kremlin-generated cyberattack that reached 126 million American Facebook users.

On a smaller scale, though, you could apply the same term to Steele and his cronies. Quite literally, the union wants to sabotage discourse about the amendments it has proposed.

And the issues complexity puts the union at an advantage.

The proposed amendments would make it easier to use referendums to challenge council decisions; cap the salary of future city managers; and give the fire union unilateral power to decide when contract negotiations would be taken to binding arbitration.

Thats more abstract than a picture of the mayor pulping voters in a meat grinder. Understanding how the charter amendments would hurt residents requires a minutelong span of attention, at least, compared to the instant splash of a cartoonish Facebook post.

Hired by the Go Vote No campaign to defeat the amendments, Mohammad Rasool understands this. So his political consulting firm, Duable Brand Trust, is meeting the union on its own turf, micro-targeting voters online by the neighborhoods they live in and the highly specific concerns they have.

RELATED: Fire union clutches victory

Take the residents of Beacon Hill, just north of downtown.

Theyre all concerned with in-congruent development in their neighborhoods, Rasool told me.

So one task of the Go Vote No campaign is to explain to these voters how the charter amendments could unleash such development in their own neighborhood.

One of the amendments would reduce the threshold for referendums on zoning changes from about 70,000 to 20,000 required signatures  making it much easier for a developer to use his or her deep pockets to pay an outside firm to gather support for subverting city council.

A Go Vote No ad targeting Beacon Hill residents on Facebook shows a row of two-story homes on a residential street, along with a warning: Starting on Nov. 7th, the Beacon Hill neighborhood becomes even more vulnerable to incompatible development. #GoVoteNo on #November6th to protect the integrity of your neighborhood.

The ad includes a link to a webpage that walks residents through how they can #SaveBeaconHill.

If Props A, B, and C pass on November 6th  All city council zoning decisions will be subject to referendum, it reads. Either 20,000 people or one person with $40,000 can place the future of your neighborhood on a citywide ballot.  Less than 3% of voters from any part of town will decide what happens in your backyard.

The ad concludes: #GoVoteNo to #SaveBeaconHill.

Theres no data mining that will be used to influence voters, Rasool said. All were doing is putting facts on the table and making sure people are informed.

Its the opposite of sabotaging discourse: using the internet to educate rather than obfuscate.

Explaining, not inflaming.

The internet is capable of both. Unfortunately, social media is built for the latter, and the fire union knows it.MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexican officials say gunmen targeted a man at a restaurant on one of Acapulco's most popular beaches, killing the customer and wounding two other people.

Guerrero state security spokesman Roberto Alvarez Heredia says the attackers stopped in a car outside the restaurant and fired at a man inside, killing him instantly Friday. The spokesman did not identify the dead man. He says the wounded were a 20-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man from Mexico City.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Low cost carrier Wizz Air will launch flights from London Stansted Airport to Ljubljana this winter season, complementing its existing service from London Luton to the Slovenian capital. The flights, which have been filed by Ljubljana Airport, will be operated by Wizz Air's newly established UK subsidiary, that will also maintain operations from Stansted. According to the "Sierra5" portal, the budget carrier will run two weekly flights from Stansted to Ljubljana, each Tuesday and Saturday, starting October 30, while services from Luton will be maintained on Thursdays and Sundays. Currently, the airline runs flights from Luton on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets for the new Stansted service are yet to be put on sale, although the flights have been scheduled. All services will be operated with the Airbus A320 aircraft.





Wizz Air will compete directly against easyJet on the Stansted route. According to the Slovenian portal, a total of 239.727 passengers flew between Ljubljana and London last year, with 47% of those opting for easyJet's Stansted service, followed by Luton and Gatwick. Slovenia's busiest airport still lacks flights to London's busiest airport - Heathrow. Wizz Air obtained a license for its UK operations in May in part to ensure it can keep operating in the country after Brexit. The airline's UK unit boasts a fleet of eight A320 and A321 aircraft. Wizz Air previously flew out of Stansted but currently has no flights from the airport.





Low cost carriers have steadily increased their presence in Ljubljana over the past few years with easyJet launching year-round services from Berlin in August and Transavia introducing flights from Amsterdam last year. High refuelling prices, state taxes and other charges, which the airport has no control over, continue to act as a deterrent for low cost airlines in Ljubljana. Eurowings, which intended on introducing services from Dusseldorf to the Slovenian capital earlier this year, cancelled such plans later on. The CEO of Ryanair, Michael OLeary, previously said, If Ljubljana Airport were to lower its taxes Ryanair would surely return to Slovenia.



Job cuts at Royal Bank of Scotland, which has laid off several hundred employees at its regional headquarters in Stamford in recent years, have dropped to their lowest year-to-date level since the company began major downsizing in the city in early 2015, according to a Hearst Connecticut Media review of state Department of Labor records.

The investment banking giant  which announced in June that it would sell its downtown building at 600 Washington Blvd., but lease offices there for another 10 years  has reported 47 layoffs in 2018 to the Labor Department. In contrast, it averaged about 150 Stamford job losses in the first nine months of the previous three years.

About 500 still work for the firm in Stamford, focusing on RBS NatWest Markets-branded corporate and institutional banking services.

A message left Tuesday for RBS was not immediately returned.

While the layoffs have subsided, they are likely not over. In a June 14 letter to the Labor Department that reported six job losses marking the most recent round of Stamford reductions  the firms Americas HR head director, Ronni Greenberg, said that the company would anticipate additional terminations throughout 2018.

RBS downsizing does not have an impact on Stamfords economy at all, representing 0.03 percent of the total jobs in the city, said Stamford economic development director Thomas Madden.

State officials, however, have pointed to RBS cuts as a key reason for area employment in financial services still running about 14 percent below its level when the financial crisis hit 10 years ago. The sector is one of the areas highest paying and also one of the largest producers of tax revenues.

We had a couple of large players that took gigantic hits, but we have quite a few bright lights that are seeing growth, Catherine Smith, the states economic development commissioner, said of the industry, in an interview earlier this month.

The Edinburgh, Scotland-headquartered companys troubles date to the 2008 financial crisis, which led to a bailout by the British government, still the majority owner of RBS.

Between 2008 and 2016, RBS incurred nine consecutive annual losses. The company bounced back in 2017 with a profit of about $1 billion.

Costly run-ins with regulators have also rocked the bank. In May, RBS agreed to a $4.9 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve an investigation into the banks sale and underwriting of mortgage-backed securities in the lead-up to the financial crisis.

Among other recent U.S. cases, state Attorney General George Jepsen reached in October 2016 a $120 million settlement with the bank tied to its oversight of mortgage-backed securities. It represented the largest penalty against a company in the states history.

Now on a more stable footing, the company is still looking to cut costs, motivating the decision to sell the building at 600 Washington. The sale is not expected to directly affect the remaining Stamford employees.

The bank has declined to name its asking price for 600 Washington, which was appraised last year at about $150 million, according to the Vision Appraisal property database.

At 600 Washington, RBS takes about 90,000 square feet in the 12-floor building, according to its U.S. real estate broker, JLL. Another investment-banking giant, Switzerlands UBS, occupies about 120,000 square feet, while Citizens Bank takes about 35,000 square feet.

In the same structure, Bank of America has said it would open launch this month an approximately 115,000-square-foot center.

RBS opened the steel-and-glass tower at 600 Washington in 2009. A package of up to $100 million in state tax credits supported a company investment of $400 million in the hub.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschottBank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services to institutional, retail, and high net worth investors. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, balance sheet management, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. It operates through approximately 1,400 bank branches and 4,800 automated banking machines in Canada and the United States. The company was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

Read MoreiShares MSCI Belgium ETF's stock was trading at $15.65 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWK shares have increased by 41.6% and is now trading at $22.1602.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.iShares Latin America 40 ETF's stock was trading at $22.49 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, ILF stock has increased by 14.9% and is now trading at $25.84.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF's stock was trading at $27.57 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWN shares have increased by 91.6% and is now trading at $52.82.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.6 Wall Street analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Tullow Oil in the last year. There are currently 1 sell rating, 3 hold ratings and 2 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street analysts is that investors should "hold" Tullow Oil stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in TLW, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

View analyst ratings for Tullow Oil or view top-rated stocks.by Gary VanDyke | Buccaneers Correspondent | Tue, Sep 25th 8:32am EDT

Rookie safety Jordan Whitehead may be counted on by Tampa Bay more after Chris Conte (knee) exited for the second week in a row.

Fantasy Impact:

After coming in relief for Conte for the second half of Monday nights loss, Whitehead held his own and recorded four solo tackles. IDP owners will want to monitor the situation this week to see if Whitehead could be a viable play if Conte misses time.Welsh pedigree Suffolk sheep breeders can now apply for a share of funding to boost the genetics of their flocks, thanks to the foresight of a group of pioneering breeders thirty years ago.

BRIDFA was a group-breeding programme established in 1990 by a group of progressive Suffolk breeders to advance genetic gain within their flocks.

The BRIDFA flock produced by this initiative ran successfully for many years and helped to raise the profile of performance recording.

The ownership of the BRIDFA Suffolk flock was later transferred to Aberystwyth University, supporting its teaching and research activities, and also creating a financial legacy.

With the agreement of the trustees, this legacy is now being made available to support ram breeders with an interest in performance recording and genetic improvement.

From Autumn 2018, eligible breeders that wish to performance record with Signet Breeding Services will be able to claim 50% funding for recording costs associated with weight recording and data analysis, ultrasound scanning and CT scanning.

'One off initiative'

Gwawr Parry, Industry Development Officer at Hybu Cig Cymru  Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), said this funding for breeders of Suffolk sheep is a one-off initiative.

Theres a fixed amount of money available, so I would encourage people to apply without delay.

Breeders must have a Welsh postcode, be registered with the Suffolk Sheep Society, and own at least 25 ewes producing pure-bred lambs in the flock, she said.

This funding will be of interest to many breeders keen to boost the performance of their flocks to the next level, she added.

Performance recording and scanning are proven tools to add a technological dimension to selective breeding programmes on-farm.The NFU says technical notices released confirm farmers fears that a no-deal Brexit scenario would have devastating impacts for British food and farming.

The government has released its latest, and last, batch of technical notices on the implications of a no deal scenario for UK businesses.

For the agricultural industry, the notices suggest that the export of animals and animal products would face a cliff-edge scenario in the event of leaving the EU with no deal.

The UK would need to be approved by the EU as an exporter  a process which could take a minimum of six months.

A technical notice has been released on organic farming, which suggests that the trade of organic agri-food products would face a cliff edge situation after Brexit.

The notices issued also include clarifications to farmers that, in the short term, farm payments will continue to be made on the same basis as now and under the same conditions.

'Critical importance'

The NFU says these notices underlines the "critical importance" of a deal that delivers free and frictionless trade with the UK's biggest trading partner.

The total value of agri-food exports to the EU in 2017 was 13bn, of which 3.15 billion was animals and animal products.

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.

While these notices are an essential part of Government planning, it is crucial that the Government does as much as possible to avoid disruption for farm businesses in all outcomes.

We urge everyone in the negotiations to work to achieve a deal that delivers free and frictionless trade between the UK and the EU, she said.

The NFU has been clear that its priority is achieving a good trading relationship with the EU, the UK's largest trading partner.

The farming union has previously warned that a 'no deal' Brexit could bring farms to the "brink of collapse".

The UK is due to leave the EU in March 2019.Applications for Tesco's career-focused Future Farmer Foundation is now open for people aged between 20 and 35.

The 12-month programme, sponsored by Tesco, is searching for young farmers to help build on their careers.

It is now in its fourth year, meaning 200 young farmers from across the UK and Ireland have attended.

The programme seeks to develop young people's future by building business skills, learn more about supply chains and find out from industry experts what they need to know to be successful.

The Future Farmer Foundation's website states: "First of all you'll get to know a group of like minded young farmers who face many of the same challenges as you.

"But, you also get to find out from them what works, where they see future opportunities and how they manage key challenges, like succession and obtaining land.

"You also meet and learn from top industry professionals across banking, law, consultancy, accountancy as well as senior executives in food businesses."

The programme is free, and all applications should be completed by Friday 28th September.The UK will create its own World Trade Organization compliant Geographical Indication system if it leaves the EU with no deal.

Food producers in the EU can currently protect the names of their products under Geographical Indication (GI) regulations put in place by the EU.

These ensure that EU countries, including the UK, comply with the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and that UK GIs are protected from imitation and evocation throughout the EU.

There are currently 86 GI-protected UK product names, comprising 76 agricultural and food products, including Gloucester Old Spot sausage, Melton Mowbray pork pie and Scotch Beef.

In a series of technical notices published by the Government which explores scenarios the UK will be faced with if it leaves the EU with no deal, UK food producers will afforded similar protections, with all 86 UK GIs given new status automatically.

Details to be explored in a public consultation include the UK GI logo and appeals process.

The UK would no longer be required to recognise EU GI status, and EU producers would be able to apply for UK GI status.

After March 2019, irrespective of the outcome of EU negotiations, the Government expects UK GIs currently named in and protected by EU free trade agreements and other sectoral agreements will continue to be protected.The United States has overtaken Brazil to become the EU's main supplier of soybeans, a major source of protein to feed livestock.

Latest figures on EU imports of soybeans shows that the US has become Europe's main supplier of this commodity, reaching a 52% share compared to 25% in in the same period last year.

Presidents Juncker and Trump issued a EU-U.S. Joint Statement following a meeting in Washington on 25 July, in which the two sides agreed to increase trade in several areas and products, notably soybeans.

To monitor the evolution of trade in soybeans, President Juncker put in place a reporting mechanism according to which imports from the United States increased by 133% compared to the same period in the previous year (July-mid-September 2017).

EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, said: "I welcome the latest trade figures which show that we are delivering on the commitment made by Presidents Juncker and Trump to increase trade, particularly in relation to soybeans.

"This reflects both our longstanding trade relationship and the potential to achieve so much more by working together to build on that relationship."

Overtaking Brazil

The current figures show that imports of US soybeans to the EU have been increasing over the past weeks.

In terms of the EU's total imports of soybeans, the US share is now at 52%, compared to 25% in in the same period last year.

This puts the US ahead of Brazil (40%), the EU's second main supplier, followed by Canada (2.3%), Paraguay (2.3%) and Uruguay (1.7%).

The EU currently imports about 14 million tonnes of soybeans per year as a source of protein to feed our animals, including chicken, pigs and cattle, as well as for milk production.

Soybeans from the US happen to be an attractive feed option for European importers and users thanks to their competitive prices.The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category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.

Double Date In Italy: Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja Hang Out Together!

The 2017 bilingual drama stars Irrfan, who has also co-produced it. Meanwhile the actor, who is currently undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London, is quite elated 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."

Doob has Irrfan essaying the role of a successful filmmaker facing a midlife crisis when he has a tryst with his daughter's childhood friend, causing a national scandal.

Exclusive! Radhika Madan: I Look Up To Ranbir Kapoor & Alia Bhatt; They Are So Inspiring

The film was initially 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. Later, the ban was eventually lifted and the film released in October 2017 in Bangladesh, France, India and Australia.

(Inputs from IANS)The Kamal Haasan-hosted Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2 is arguably one of the most popular and controversial shows on TV today. It has remained the top pick of the fans for nearly three months because of its bold content, wild twists and impressive presentation. Just like the first season, the current one too has given us some interesting participants. However, unlike the first season, Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2 is quite unhinged and this has kind of become its USP.

Now, here is some exciting news for those who have been following Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2 religiously.

The promo for the September 25, 2018, episode of Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2 has been released and it has a touch of naughtiness to it. In the promo, we see Aishwarya blushing as Shariq enters the house. As expected, this creates a great deal of buzz amongst the housemates.

Towards the end of the promo, she can be heard saying that barring Yashika, no one from the show matters to her. We must say that this is a pretty shocking comment and it indicates that tonight's episode is going to be quite volatile.

In case you did not know, during the early episodes, Aishwarya and Shariq had developed a sweet friendship with each other. The age gap between the Bengali lady and the teenager had created a great deal of buzz amongst the fans. The two eventually drifted apart, following the Pencil actor's elimination.

On a related note, Bigg Boss Tamil Season 2 is all set to wind up in a few days and the road to the finale is bound to be quite gripping. One can expect the last few episodes to be quite unpredictable. Enough said!Kapil Sharma's detox programme: Is Twinkle Khanna behind this plan ?; Check Out | FilmiBeat

Kapil Sharma had vanished from the small screen and social media after a series of controversies, but he has been hitting the headlines for one or the other reason! Recently, there were reports that he will be returning to small screen with Sony TV's new show and the promos will be shot soon. The actor-comedian is getting ready for the same. He recently has turned to meditation and yoga. He shared a couple of pictures of a yoga centre. Bharti Singh, who is quite close to the actor, had also confirmed that he is working on a lot of things and will be back soon!

The actor-comedian had also had a chat with his fans on social media and revealed that he will return soon on television. Interestingly, he also revealed that he is following Akshay Kumar's lifestyle these days! Now, it is being said that the actor-comedian is inspired by Akshay's wife, Twinkle Khanna's novel, Pyjamas Are Forgiving!

Kapil Sharma Is In A Bangalore Ashram It is being said that Kapil is currently in an Ayurvedic ashram in Bangalore for a full detoxification programme. The actor recently shared a video and wrote, "Heavy rain n thunderstorm in banglore ." - (sic) Kapil Needs To Lose 15 Kgs! A source close to Kapil was quoted by Bollywood Hungama as saying, "Kapil is off drinks and he needs to lose at least 15 kgs. He is at an ayurvedic ashram in Bengaluru for two weeks. He returns to Mumbai on October 28 to start preparing for his show." Is Twinkle Khanna Behind Kapil's Detox Programme? Reportedly, the actor was inspired to attend this programme after reading Twinkle Khanna's recent book, Pyjamas Are Forgiving. It is being said that the actor went to the same ashram a year ago and left the course incomplete! Kapil Is Determined To Sweat It Out At The Ashram! The source further added, "He went to the same ashram a year ago left the course incomplete and began drinking again. This time he is determined to sweat it out at the ashram because, as Kapil says, Akshay Paaji's wife has recommended the treatment."

Well, we hope Kapil gets over his drinking issue and soon returns to the TV to entertain us!

Zee Rishtey Awards 2018: Nomination List Is Out; Check Out Red Carpet PICS From Nomination Party!Rambha About Her Suicide Attempt

While speaking about the incident, the Hitler actress said that she did not attempt suicide and added that she was hospitalised because of a falling pulse rate. She also made it clear that her pulse rate dropped because of a 'quick breakfast' that she had eaten at a hotel.

Her Exact Words

"There was Lakshmi puja in my home and I had to fast for the whole day as is the tradition with my family. The next day I was supposed to shoot. In the morning I had a quick breakfast at some hotel and that did me in. I felt uneasy and started throwing up."

Rambha On Being Linked To Three Men

Rambha went on to reveal that certain sections of the media even linked her to three actors, while reporting on her 'suicide attempt'. She added that this proved to be an embarrassment for her and she ultimately had to apologise to the stars in question.

She Said...

"The authorities told my brother that I had to be admitted as my pulse rate was falling. And the next day it was reported that I had attempted suicide. I didn't attempt suicide at all. They even linked me with three actors. I had to call all of them and say sorry the next day."

Rambha About Her Early Struggles

During the interview, Rambha also reflected upon her initial years in the industry and made quite a bold statement. The actress said that she moved to the South in order to escape from the 'prostitute type' roles that were coming her way in Mumbai.

'Didn't Want Prostitute Type Roles'

"That became a trend perhaps and most of the roles that were offered to me were of a prostitute or something like that. I never wanted to do those roles. So I went to the South," she added

She Has Moved On

With her 'suicide attempt' and initial setbacks behind her, Rambha is currently busy with her personal commitments. She is settled in Canada and seems to be enjoying her life to the fullest. Recently, a few photos from her baby shower went viral and they created a great deal of buzz on the social media.LONDON, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The physical uptake of pharmaceutical cannabinoids when inhaled through Senzer's unique respiratory device is more than 50 times faster than oral delivery, at just a fraction of the dose, according to data released today under a clinical trial conducted in the US.

Senzer, a UK-based drug delivery company, reported the success of a 36-subject pharmacokinetic trial conducted in the US by its partner, Insys Therapeutics, Inc. a leader in the development, manufacture and commercialization of pharmaceutical cannabinoids and spray technology. Insys holds the license to use Senzer's device to deliver the cannabinoid, Dronabinol, in the US and the trial is part of its goal to achieve regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Senzer's patented device allows conversion of cannabinoids into very small particle sizes, and other research by the Company has shown that this allows delivery of actives deep into the lung, into the smaller distal passageways. Unlike other respiratory approaches, such as nebulizers or mainstream inhalers, Senzer's offering can result in a much more rapid uptake of the drug, comparable to injectables or IVs.

"These positive results generated by Insys show how our device can deliver cannabinoids faster and in much smaller doses, which should be of great benefit for both patients and health professionals,' Senzer CEO Alex Hearn said. "Our approach is unique in this exciting sector, and offers a simple and minimally invasive way to ensure much more effective delivery of pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids."

Insys reported the study enrolled 36 subjects and compared a single 0.35 mg dose of inhaled dronabinol to a single 5.0 mg dose of oral dronabinol (Marinol capsule). The findings indicated that inhaled dronabinol, even at just 7% of the oral dose, had a much faster absorption rate. The difference in Tmax--the time to peak concentration (Cmax) of drug in blood plasma--was over 50 times faster with the test product: 2 minutes with the inhaled dronabinol, compared to 1.53 hours with the oral dronabinol. In addition, Cmax with both formulations was similar, despite the considerable difference in doses, Insys reported.

"This pharmacokinetic study provides evidence of our unique drug-device combination's viability as a mechanism to deliver dronabinol into the distal lung for rapid systemic absorption," said Steve Sherman, senior vice president of regulatory affairs for INSYS Therapeutics. "Its completion represents the next step in our clinical development program for dronabinol inhalation as an investigational product concept, which has future potential in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including anorexia in cancer."

About SENZER

SENZER Ltd. is a U.K.-based inhalation technology company specializing in the

development and commercialization of therapeutic delivery systems of cannabinoid products,

and it is developing a pipeline of inhalation and delivery products to meet unmet medical needs. Senzer's platform is based around a patented device that allows swift and effective inhaled delivery of cannabinoids, as well as other active pharmaceuticals.

About INSYS

INSYS Therapeutics is a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes innovative drugs and novel drug delivery systems of therapeutic molecules that improve patients' quality of life. Using proprietary spray technology and capabilities to develop pharmaceutical cannabinoids, INSYS is developing a pipeline of products intended to address unmet medical needs and the clinical shortcomings of existing commercial products. INSYS is committed to developing medications for potentially treating anaphylaxis, epilepsy, Prader-Willi syndrome, opioid addiction and overdose, and other disease areas with a significant unmet need.ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2018 / Freedom Holding Corp. (OTCQX: FRHC) (the "Company") held its annual meeting of shareholders in Moscow, Russia on September 20, 2018. Among the matters submitted to the shareholders was the election of five directors to the board of directors. The terms of individual directors will vary between one and three years. Timur Turlov will continue as the Chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer. The shareholders also approved the executive compensation scheme of the company and established desired frequency of shareholder advisory voting on compensation in future years.

In his annual meeting address to the shareholders Timur Turlov noted, "During the week before our meeting of shareholders our retail brokerage division reached a major milestone in client accounts. We now exceed a total of 100,000 client accounts. That is tremendous growth from 2012 when we serviced only 2,000 client accounts. Today, we provide our clients the broadest market access and the most interactive and informative investor service tools available in the markets we serve. Our clients are part of an important investing community with us; they interact with us and with each other in exciting ways. They are accomplishing their investment objectives at a rate we have not seen before. We are committed to continuing the trend of providing the highest levels of customer service while we continue to grow our business and enlarge the investment opportunities of our clients."

Freedom Holding Corp. is a financial services holding company conducting retail financial brokerage, investment counseling, securities trading, investment banking and underwriting services through its subsidiaries under the name of Freedom Finance in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Company is a member of the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), Moscow Exchange (MOEX), the Saint-Petersburg Exchange (SPB) the Republican Stock Exchange of Tashkent (UZSE) and the Ukrainian Exchange. The Company is headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with executive office locations in Russia and the United States. The Company has branch offices in Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Cyprus.

The Company's common shares trade in the United States on the OTCQX Best Market operated by OTC Markets Group Inc., the world's largest electronic marketplace for broker-dealers to trade unlisted stocks. Investors are be able to view Real Time Level II stock quotes for the Company at http://www.otcmarkets.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results described in, or anticipated by, the forward-looking statements. Factors that could materially affect such forward-looking statements include certain economic, business and regulatory risks and factors identified in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release and the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

The OTC Markets Group, Inc. has not approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.

Contact: usoffice@freedomholdingcorp.com

SOURCE: Freedom Holding Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/512551/Freedom-Holding-Corp-Announces-Milestone-at-Annual-MeetingPress release

Boulogne-Billancourt, 25 September 2018



First-half 2018 results

Over the past year, the structure of Arjowiggins has undergone huge changes. Following the sale of Arjowiggins BV in July 2017, the Group exited completely from the banknote paper market with the sale of Arjowiggins Security (French banknote paper business) in April 2018. The sale of the Arjowiggins Graphic and Arjowiggins Creative Papers businesses to Fineska BV is currently in progress and should be finalised in Q4 2018.

Consequently, the contribution of all of these entities has been reclassified in discontinued operations in the H1 2018 and comparative H1 2017 financial statements in accordance with IFRS 5.

Therefore, the operating data presented and commented upon below only represent the operations of Antalis, Arjowiggins' residual activities and Sequana overheads.

Sequana's Board of Directors' meeting in Boulogne-Billancourt on 24 September 2018 examined and approved the financial statements for H1 2018.





Condensed analytical income statement

( millions) except for per share data H1 2018(3)

H1 2017(3)

 Sales Antalis

Other activities(2) 1,178.1

19.2 1,205.2

18.2 - 2.2%

NA TOTAL 1,197.3 1,223.4 - 2.1% EBITDA(1) Antalis

Antalis EBITDA margin

Other activities(2) & operating costs 36.0

3.1%

(3.3) 42.8

3.6%

(4.3) - 15.9%

-0.5 points

NA TOTAL 32.7 38.5 - 15.1% Consolidated EBITDA margin 2.7% 3.1% - 0.4 points Current operating income 22.3 29.7(4) - 24.9% Current operating margin (% of sales) 1.9% 2.4% -0.5 points Net income (loss) attributable to owners (71.4) 2.5 NA Diluted earnings (loss) per share () (1,11) 0,04 Average number of shares after dilution 64 789 569 64 904 303



(1) Recurring operating income before depreciation and amortisation and excluding movements in provisions.

(2) Other activities correspond to Arjowiggins' residual activities and Sequana overheads.

(3) The Arjowiggins Security, Graphic and Creative Papers divisions have been reclassified in discontinued operations in the H1 2018 and comparative H1 2017 financial statements in accordance with IFRS 5.

(4) Includes a 2.3 million gain arising on a change to a pension plan carried on Antalis' books.





Consolidated sales were down by 2.1% on H1 2017 to 1,197 million (down 0.7% at constant exchange rates).

EBITDA declined by 15.1% to 33 million, compared with 39 million in H1 2017, and the EBITDA margin was 2.7% (down 0.4 points).

Current operating income was 22 million for the first six months of the year (down 24.9%), versus 30 million for H1 2017, which included a 2.3 million gain arising on a change to a pension plan carried on Antalis' books. Current operating margin represented 1.9% of sales (down 0.5 points).

Sequana recorded net non-recurring expenses of 78 million during the period, mainly comprising 56 million in write-downs taken on Sequana's historic goodwill in Antalis (no impact on the Group's consolidated cash position) and 17 million in restructuring and refinancing costs for Antalis.

Arjowiggins' discontinued operations generated a net loss of 13 million which included a loss on the disposal of the banknote paper business and the net contribution of the Graphic and Creative Papers divisions to H1 2018 results.

After deducting finance costs, taxes and non-controlling interests, the net loss attributable to owners was 71 million for the six months to 30 June 2018, compared with a net profit of 3 million for H1 2017.

Consolidated net debt stood at 410 million at 30 June 2018 versus 340 million at end-June 2017. The 70 million increase in net debt since 30 June 2017 was mainly attributable to higher working capital requirements driven in particular by higher levels of inventories.

The consolidated financial statements are currently being audited and the audit report will be issued once procedures have been completed.



Resilient operating performances from Antalis

Antalis delivered resilient operating performances during the first six months of the year thanks to its capacity to pass on price increases in a context of falling volumes in the Papers sector on the European market.

Sales came in at 1,178 million, down 0.6% at constant exchange rates, days and perimeter (down 2.2% as reported) when compared with H1 2017. This drop essentially reflects the decline in Paper volumes, a 0.4% unfavourable calendar effect (or 4 million) and a negative forex impact amounting to 18 million (chiefly attributable to the Swiss franc and sterling). These unfavourable impacts were partially offset by solid growth in Packaging.

EBITDA declined by 12.7% at constant exchange rates, days and perimeter to 36 million (down 15.9% as reported). An improved product mix helped to partially offset the lower volumes of Papers and the negative forex impact (1 million) as well as the unfavourable calendar effect (0.8 million).

For full-year 2018, at constant perimeter and exchange rates, Antalis should record a low single-digit decrease in sales when compared with FY 2017 and deliver an EBITDA margin of between 3.0% and 3.4%.

Given the current context of declining volumes in the paper market, the distribution sector should undergo consolidation over the medium term and Antalis intends to leverage its leading position to continue playing an important role in this process.



Highlights of the period and subsequent events

Refinancing of Antalis and continued strategic shift towards more dynamic geographies and sectors while consolidating its leadership in the European papers sector

During the first six months of the year, Antalis completed the refinancing of its syndicated credit facility (285 million) and its main factoring contract (215 million), thus securing its financing through 31 December 2021 and enabling the group to continue to pursue its targeted external acquisition strategy.

It also continued the transformation of its business model towards more dynamic geographies and sectors while consolidating its leadership in the European Papers sector. During the period, Antalis acquired the Swedish Packaging products distribution business of Alos and Igepa's Papers distribution business in Sweden and Norway and in July, Antalis signed an agreement to acquire a Romanian distributor of Visual Communication media (operation scheduled to close by early November 2018). These acquisitions represent sales of approximately 24 million on a full-year basis.

The group should complete the sale of its South African and Botswana subsidiaries - essentially focused on the Papers sector - to the local management team (sales of 71 million in 2017) by the end of September.

These different operations will boost the contribution of the Packaging and Visual Communication sectors to Antalis' overall margin.



Sequana's refocusing on the distribution sector is nearing completion

In April 2018, Arjowiggins exited completely from the banknote paper market with the sale of Arjowiggins Security (French banknote paper business).

As announced in early July 2018, the process of selling Arjowiggins Graphic and Arjowiggins Creative Papers businesses to Fineska BV is ongoing and should complete during Q4 2018. The operation values the businesses at a gross amount of 125 million and will mark Sequana's complete withdrawal from industrial production activities (with the exception of Arjobex).

Factoring in debts and other liabilities that will be deducted from the sale price based on balance sheet amounts and business levels when the sale closes, this operation should have a positive impact on the Group's consolidated cash position.

Sequana obtained new financing in 2018 to cover the liquidity requirements of Arjowiggins and the sale of the residual assets of Arjowiggins should provide Arjowiggins with additional resources.



Litigation with BAT

As regards the litigation between Sequana and British American Tobacco (BAT), appeal hearings took place at the Court of Appeal in London in June 2018. Prior to the hearings, BAT eventually dropped its claims in relation to payment of the first dividend of 443 million. Sequana awaits the decision of Court of Appeal in London concerning repayment of the second dividend of 135 million. This decision should be handed down in Q4 2018.

As with any legal dispute, the outcome is in the hands of the court, however the Group remains confident of a favourable outcome.

Concerning the legal proceedings initiated by BAT in France, on 18 September 2018, the Court of Appeal of Versailles rescinded the decision handed down on 12 June 2017 by the Commercial Court of Nanterre to terminate Sequana's sauvegarde plan. Sequana is assessing possible appeals and will file a new sauvegarde plan with the Commercial Court of Nanterre within the three month deadline.

Once the Court of Appeal in London has handed down its decision, Sequana will prepare and present its strategy accordingly.

A detailed presentation of first-half 2018 results is available on the Sequana website at www.sequana.com.



About Sequana

Sequana (Euronext Paris: SEQ) is a major player in the paper industry, boasting leading positions in each of its two businesses:

Antalis: leader in B2B distribution of Papers and industrial Packaging and number two in the distribution of Visual Communication media in Europe with around 5,500 employees based in 43 countries.

Arjowiggins: global producer of recycled and specialty papers with around 2,600 employees.

Sequana reported sales of 2.8 billion in 2017 and employed some 8,200 people worldwide.



Sequana

Analysts & Investors

Xavier Roy-Contancin

+33 (0)1 58 04 22 80

Communication

Sylvie Noque

+33 (0)1 58 04 22 80

contact@sequana.com

www.sequana.com

Image Sept

Claire Doligez

Priscille Reneaume

+33 (0)1 53 70 74 25

cdoligez@image7.fr

preneaume@image7.fr





Appendices

Interim consolidated statement of financial position

Assets

( millions) 30.06.2018 31.12.2017 Non-current assets Goodwill 141.9 196.8 Other intangible assets 41.6 44.5 Property, plant and equipment 45.2 124.4 Non-current financial assets 6.8 5.3 Deferred tax assets 7.3 8.6 Other non-current assets 135.6 135.1 Total non-current assets 378.4 514.7 Current assets Inventories 211.0 299.2 Trade receivables 392.7 416.5 Other receivables 104.9 110.6 Current financial assets 8.1 6.7 Cash and cash equivalents 89.0 128.8 Total current assets 805.7 961.8 Assets held for sale 260.7 33.7 TOTAL ASSETS 1.443.8 1.510.2





Equity and liabilities

( millions) 30.06.2018 31.12.2017 Equity Share capital 65.2 65.2 Additional paid-in capital 163.2 163.2 Cumulative translation adjustment (116.6) (111.9) Retained earnings and other consolidated reserves 6.8 57.3 Shareholders' equity 118.6 173.8 Non-controlling interests 26.4 47.1 TOTAL EQUITY 145.0 220.9 Non-current liabilities Provisions 55.4 95.4 Long-term debt 299.9 30.2 Deferred tax liabilities 2.2 1.4 Other non-current liabilities - 8.4 Total non-current liabilities 357.5 135.4 Current liabilities Provisions 20.7 17.8 Short-term debt 201.8 433.3 Trade payables 305.0 472.8 Other payables 181.9 200.0 Total current liabilities 709.4 1 123.9 Liabilities related to assets held for sale 232.9 30.0 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 1 444.8 1 510.2





Interim consolidated income statement

For the six months ended,

30 June ( millions) 2018 2017 Sales 1,197.3 1,223.3 Purchases consumed and change in inventories (817.8) (833.1) Personnel expenses (150.3) (152.1) External expenses (115.6) (113.9) Taxes other than income taxes (1.7) (1.9) Depreciation and amortisation (10.4) (10.2) Net (additions to) reversals of provisions - 1.4 Other recurring income (expense) from operations (79.3) (83.9) Current operating income 22.2 29.6 Other operating income 5.5 6.0 Other operating expenses (26.3) (16.1) Other operating income and expenses, net (78.3) (10.1) Operating income (loss) (56.1) 19.6 Cost of net debt (16.8) (13.4) Other financial income and expenses, net (2.9) 5.0 Net financial income (expense) (19.7) (8.4) Income tax benefit (expense) (0.4) (3.6) Net income (loss) from continuing operations (76.2) 7.6 Net income (loss) from discontinued operations (12.9) (4.8) NET INCOME (LOSS) (89.1) 2.8 Attributable to: - Sequana shareholders (71.5) 2.7 - Non-controlling interests (17.6) 0.1 Earnings per share - Weighted average number of shares outstanding 64,789,569 64,904,303 - Diluted number of shares 64,789,569 64,904,303 Basic earnings (loss) per share (in ) - Diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations (0.90) 0.12 - Diluted earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operations (0.20) (0.07) - Consolidated earnings (loss) per share (1.10) 0.04 Diluted earnings (loss) per share (in ) - Diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations (0.90) 0.12 - Diluted earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operations (0.20) (0.07) - Consolidated earnings (loss) per share (1.10) 0.04





Interim consolidated statement of cash flows

For the six months ended,

30 June ( millions) 2018 2017 Cash flows from operating activities Continuing operations Operating income (loss) (56.1) 19.8 Elimination of non-cash and non-operating income and expenses: Depreciation, amortisation and provisions (except on current assets), net 61.6 0.6 Disposal gains and losses (0.2) (6.1) Other non-cash items (1.1) - Gross operating cash flow 4.2 14.3 Income taxes paid (2.3) (2.7) Change in operating working capital (53.2) (5.5) Change in loans and guarantee deposits (2.3) (3.9) Cash flows from continuing operations (53.6) 2.2 Cash flows from discontinued operations 13.1 (14.3) Net cash from (used in) operating activities (i) (40.5) (12.1) Cash flows from investing activities Continuing operations Expenditure on acquisitions of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (8.9) (6.9) Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 0.2 12.0 Impact of changes in scope of consolidation (24.1) (3.4) Cash flows from continuing operations (32.8) 1.7 Cash flows from discontinued operations (3.8) (4.4) Net cash from (used in) investing activities (ii) (36.6) (2.7) Cash flows from financing activities Continuing operations Net change in borrowings and debt 60.5 (48.9) Net interest paid (13.0) (12.7) Distribution of dividends (1.4) - Cash flows from continuing operations 46.1 (61.6) Cash flows from discontinued operations (8.5) 15.3 Net cash from (used in) financing activities (iii) 37.6 (46.3) Effects of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates (iv) (1.2) (2.5) CHANGE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS (i+ii+iii+iv) (40.7) (63.6) Net cash and cash equivalents at start of period 125.7 159.8 Net cash and cash equivalents at end of period 85.0 96.2 INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS (40.7) (63.6) Analysis of net cash and cash equivalents at end of period Cash and cash equivalents 89.1 99.2 Short-term bank borrowings and overdrafts (4.1) (3.0) Net cash and cash equivalents at end of period 85.0 96.2

------------------------



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Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-55141-seq_h1-2018-results_eng.pdfGOTHENBURG, Sweden, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Capio today announces the notice of the Extraordinary General Meeting (the "EGM") convened to resolve on the Board's proposal to approve the sale of Capio France. The EGM will be held at 4.00 p.m. CEST on 18 October 2018. Capio also announces information on the use of proceeds from the sale of Capio France, should the EGM approve the transaction.

The proceeds from the transaction will be used partly to pay down Capio Group debt and partly as a return of cash to shareholders. The return of cash to shareholders is expected to be between BSEK 1.8-2.1, equating to SEK 13-15 on a current per share basis.* This represents an attractive cash return whilst ensuring an efficient capital structure for Capio. Capio will have ample headroom for further investments, driving digitalization, specialization and competence development in the Nordics for the benefit of patients, employees and the healthcare systems at large. Capio will also continue to consolidate the fragmented Nordic markets.

An Extraordinary General Meeting will be convened after closing of the transaction to approve an exact amount and the proposed route to effect the cash distribution. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur on 31 December 2018.

For further information on the Board's proposal to approve the transaction and the reduction of Capio Group's debt including the above mentioned cash return to shareholders, please refer to the notice to the EGM, which will be communicated through a separate announcement.

PJT Partners is acting as exclusive financial adviser, Mannheimer Swartling and Allen & Overy are acting as legal advisers and Fogel & Partners as communication adviser to Capio on this transaction.

The Board of Directors of Capio AB (publ)

*Assumes 141,159,661 outstanding shares. Proceeds from the sale of France are converted at a EUR/SEK rate of 10.4213, as per the currency rate used in Capio's Interim Report January - June 2018. Potential transaction costs have been excluded.

Contact:

Henrik Brehmer

SVP Group Communication & Public Affairs

Telephone: +46-761-11-34-14

E-mail: henrik.brehmer@capio.com

This is information that Capio AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 08.00 a.m. (CEST) on September 25, 2018.

Capio AB (publ) is a leading, pan-European healthcare provider offering a broad range of high quality medical, surgical and psychiatric healthcare services through its hospitals, specialist clinics and primary care units. Capio operates in five countries; Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France and Germany. In 2017, Capio's 13,314 employees (average full-time equivalents) provided healthcare services during 5.1 million patient visits across the Group's facilities, generating net sales of MSEK 15,327. Capio operates across three geographic segments: Nordic (57% of Group net sales 2017), France (35% of Group net sales 2017) and Germany (8% of Group net sales 2017). For more information about Capio, please see www.capio.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/capio-ab/r/capio-announces-notice-of-extraordinary-general-meeting-and-information-on-the-use-of-proceeds-from-,c2626749

The following files are available for download:SINGAPORE, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Holmusk, a Singapore-headquartered digital health and data analytics company with a global presence, today announced closing of US$9.75 million in Pre-Series A financing. The financing round included funding from Heritas Venture Fund as well as participation from new and existing investors. The funds allow Holmusk to expand its footprint in USA and Europe.

Holmusk leverages technology and data science to accelerate research and improve outcomes for people with chronic diseases and behavioral health disorders. Partnering with Pharma and healthcare providers, Holmusk informs predictive algorithms and provides actionable insights for personalized medicine through its proprietary modelling platform. Alongside this, it has an innovative digital health platform for patient engagement.

"Holmusk's focus on promoting healthy lifestyles and addressing chronic disease management made this an exciting opportunity to be a part of," said Chik Wai Chiew, CEO of Heritas Capital Management which oversees Heritas Venture Fund. "Its approach of combining deep analytics with clinical research and real-world data is promising and we are pleased to see the company on track to build upon the successes of GlycoLeap and SuperLeap and develop next generation versions in 2019."

Holmusk is also expanding its assets in behavioral health. Having acquired MindLinc, a behavioral health EHR, it now holds one of the largest behavioral health databases in the world. Combining system dynamics with deep learning neural networks and quantitative systems pharmacology, Holmusk is developing MindLinc 2.0 which will include predictive disease models based on longitudinal patient data.

Based out of Singapore, Holmusk has offices in the US, UK and Malaysia. "Holmusk's technology platforms for behavioral health and chronic diseases have global application and we are excited about our expansion into USA and Europe. We look forward to sustaining the momentum as we grow our client base around the world," said Kenneth Ng, investor and Holmusk board chairman and co-founder/CIO for NTAsset.

"I'm excited that we are entering this next stage of growth. This financing reflects the trust our investors have in us and gives us a healthy financial runway, which allows us to focus on executing and growing aggressively in our core segments of chronic disease management and behavioral health," Nawal Roy, Founder and CEO explained. "The world is faced with unprecedented health challenges and we're thrilled to play our part in addressing them."

About Holmusk

Holmusk is a healthcare company on a mission to leverage the power of human relationships, technology and data to prevent, manage and reverse chronic disease and behavioral health issues. Our proprietary modelling platform leverages scientific research and digital healthcare data to inform predictive algorithms and provide actionable insights for personalized medicine. We build innovative, scalable and cost-effective digital behaviour change programs (e.g. GlycoLeap) designed to nudge people towards better health. For more information, visit: holmusk.comAMSTERDAM, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Canadian cannabis stocks will be on the minds of European investors tomorrow at the prestigious Cannabis Capital Convention in Amsterdam as four executives from a single Canadian company take center stage to talk about their plans to build a vertically integrated cannabis company.

In addition to C21 Investments, the convention will feature presenters from a wide range of international organizations including Bedrocan International, Berenberg Bank, Canaccord Genuity, Cannabis Industry Europe, Palo Verde Global, Prohibition Partners, and The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings.

Rob Cheney, the CEO of C21 Investments, will be giving a keynote presentation about his company's strategy to become a regional cannabis powerhouse in the United States through a disciplined approach to acquisition and growth.

Mr. Cheney will be followed by Randy Torcom, C21 Investments' VP of Marketing, who will speak about the company's goal to create compelling brands and deliver high-quality cannabis products that connect with consumers.

Sky Pinnick, CEO of Phantom Farms (which C21 has an agreement to acquire), will talk about the company's vertically integrated business model which includes 125,000 square feet of canopy, an extraction lab and a distribution company.

And Christine Smith, CEO of Gron Chocolate and Confections (which C21 has an agreement to acquire), will talk about how she has combined her project management experience, her culinary passion, and her creative background in the cannabis industry.

"Our convention will benefit from the many different experts C21 is making available to participants," said Michael Kraland, Chairman of the Cannabis Capital Convention. "Having recently listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, C21 Investments is of interest to investors attending our convention."

Mr. Cheney said the C21 team is pleased to have four speakers participating in the conference, which he credits to the interest that European investors have in Canadian cannabis stocks in general, and the C21 Investments story in particular.

ABOUT C21 INVESTMENTS

C21 Investments Inc. (CSE: CXXI) (FSE: C6QP) is a U.S. focused vertically integrated cannabis corporation that cultivates, processes, and distributes quality cannabis and hemp-derived consumer products in the United States. C21's current and announced operations currently comprise Silver State Relief in Nevada, as well as Phantom Farms, Swell Companies, Eco Firma Farms, and Gron Chocolate and Gron Confections in Oregon, and five dispensaries in two states. These brands produce and distribute a broad range of THC and CBD products from cannabis flowers, pre-rolls, cannabis oil, vaporizer cartridges and edibles. Based in Vancouver, Canada, C21 can be found at http://www.cxxi.ca.

The CSE has not accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Media contact: David Moorcroft, S2C Inc., david@strategy2communications.com , +1-416-727-1858

Investor contact: Keturah Nathe, Director, C21 Investments, knathe@cxxi.ca , +1-604-718-2800 # 312MUNICH, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Quick and easy one-click payments

Secure transactions with innovative bot technology

Best in class customer experience with the flexibility of payment by instalment or invoice with Klarna

Klarna, one of Europe's leading payment providers, and MYBESTBRANDS, Germany's largest online shopping mall for premium and luxury fashion, have joined forces to launch the Universal Checkout (UCO), the first cooperation of its kind in Germany. Innovative bot technology developed by MYBESTBRANDS combined with the Klarna Checkout will create a superior shopping experience for customers, driving increased order values, conversion and ultimately building loyalty for MYBESTBRANDS' merchants.

Customers will now be able to add items from different merchants to a single cart on MYBESTBRANDS and then pay with a click via Klarna. The UCO is based on Klarna Checkout and provides the same flexible benefits, offering customers to pay in instalments or by invoice, and thereby enabling them to buy items, try goods on at home and only pay for what they want to keep. Through Klarna Checkout, the most popular payment methods for a superior shopping experience on any type of device will be available.

Founded in 2008, online marketplace MYBESTBRANDS uses a single platform to present selected brand and designer products from different merchants. Previously, customers were redirected to the merchants to complete the purchase, now they are able to purchase the products directly via MYBESTBRANDS. Staying true to its claim, "Smoooth Payments", Klarna offers a checkout that simplifies the payment process for customers.

MYBESTBRANDS began testing the UCO on its website in November 2017. Now with further optimisation and more than 3,000 orders successfully processed, the checkout has officially launched on the website and in app. Since it's introduction, merchants such as Emporio Armani, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jil Sander, Lodenfrey, Unger-Fashion.com and Mybudapester.com have seen their sales increase. For each individual merchant Klarna assumes responsibility for payment administration as well as managing credit and fraud risks, guaranteeing that merchants quickly receive payments for orders.

Jorg Domesle, Co-Founder and CEO of MYBESTBRANDS, says:"Through the combination of bot technology developed by our IT team and Klarna's Checkout, we are bringing an entirely new solution to the market. Both customers and merchants will benefit from the Universal Checkout as customers can order items from leading online fashion multi-label and mono-brand stores with just one click, which is only possible at MYBESTBRANDS. Merchants can increase their sales and share of new customers without any additional IT costs, all while enjoying a better return on investment."

Michael Rouse, Chief Commercial Officer at Klarna Group, says:"Our partnership with MYBESTBRANDS is defined by outstanding teamwork, in a short amount of time we have successfully brought a solution to the market that enables customers to quickly and easily order and pay on the MYBESTBRANDS platform. At Klarna, our unrelenting focus is to help merchants provide superior customer experience by removing unnecessary friction in the checkout process. Together, we are helping merchants unlock growth, boost conversion rates and drive customer satisfaction and loyalty through a smoother shopping experience."

About MYBESTBRANDS

Founded in 2008 as a diverse marketplace, MYBESTBRANDS has concentrated exclusively on the fields of fashion and beauty since 2013 and presents the best in fashion and lifestyle from the top 100 online shops. With more than 5,000 designer labels from stores such as Net-a-Porter, Luisavi-aroma, Stylebop and About You, as well as brand shops by Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and others, MYBESTBRANDS has established itself in the premier luxury segment. The MYBESTBRANDS app has recorded more than two million app downloads, and the company's mobile traffic share is 75 percent. Currently, MYBESTBRANDS is Germany's largest fashion mall on the Internet for premium and luxury fashion. This position will be further expanded with the shareholder SIGNA and its strong brands, including The KaDeWe Group and La Rinascente. More at: www.MYBESTBRANDS.de

About Klarna Group

Klarna (www.klarna.com) is one of Europe's leading payment providers and a licensed bank, which wants to revolutionise the shopping experience for shoppers and merchants alike. Founded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2005, Klarna gives online consumers the option to "Pay now", "Pay later" or "Slice it" (pay over time) - offering a simple and safe payments. Klarna partners with 90,000 merchants, including Adidas, ASOS, JD Sports, Lenovo, Arcadia Group and Spotify. Klarna has 2,000 employees and is active in 14 countries.

For further information, please contact:

Press contact MYBESTBRANDS

Katharina Korb-Gerum

PR & Communication

kkorb-gerum@mybestbrands.de

mybestbrands GmbH

Pestalozzistr. 31

80469 Munchen

www.mybestbrands.de

Press contact Klarna

Johanna Nyman, Senior manager Communications & PR

press@klarna.com

+46(0)72855-83-29

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/klarna-bank-ab--publ-/r/mybestbrands-launches-universal-checkout-in-collaboration-with-payment-provider-klarna,c2626934

The following files are available for download:Allied Wallet, a globally leading provider of mainstream online payment processing, multi-currency merchant services, and a PCI Level 1 secured payment gateway, is partnered with China UnionPay in an effort to expand in Europe and offer an Allied Wallet-branded China UnionPay card.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005109/en/

Allied Wallet China UnionPay Card Sample (Graphic: Business Wire)

China UnionPay is the world's largest payment card issuer. In its domestic market, it has already issued over 6 billion cards more than MasterCard and Visa combined.

China UnionPay cards are growing in popularity across the world, especially in Europe. Allied Wallet is partnering with China UnionPay to supply the demand for China UnionPay cards and aid them in their growth across the world.

As early as next month, China UnionPay and Allied Wallet will begin issuing cards for European consumers. They may use these while traveling in Asia to simplify and secure their spending.

Though they plan to expand this effort, travelers going abroad are not the main target.

"In Europe, we want to target local customers in the domestic market, not only people traveling to Asia," said Zhilhong Wei, head of UnionPay in Europe. They plan to issue UnionPay-branded cards across Europe as early as December.

"We're proud to be partnered with China UnionPay to issue these co-branded cards," said Allied Wallet CEO Andy Khawaja. "[China UnionPay] cards are accepted by over 40 million merchants in the world and in millions of ATMs. We look forward to giving more people an opportunity to use these cards."

Thanks to companies like Allied Wallet, China UnionPay will not need a license for its European expansion. Allied Wallet will be handling card issuing and the transactions for the co-branded cards.

This new partnership should prove to be beneficial for all parties involved and offer consumers a new means for making payments all over the world and thanks to China UnionPay's partnerships with companies like Allied Wallet, the cards will be available very soon.

They plan to issue an estimated 10 million cards in the first year of its release.

About Allied Wallet:

Allied Wallet continues to revolutionize the e-commerce industry by introducing new and innovative payment processing solutions for merchants, enabling them to accept global payments. With PCI compliant merchant services for nearly any business size, Allied Wallet provides a state-of-the-art payment gateway to optimize transactions for businesses like restaurants, supermarkets, hotels, and car rental companies. For more information, please visit www.alliedwallet.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005109/en/

Contacts:

Allied Wallet

A.J. Almeda

E-mail: aalmeda@alliedwallet.com

United States: (310) 424-5495LONDON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new report, Advisory Boards are described as an inexpensive and effective vehicle for top management to address the scarcity of management skills, to focus on strategic issues post Brexit and avoid the dangers of board overload with compliance and regulation.

In a study involving interviews with 41 leading executives Turner Felix Associates, a board advisory and executive mentoring firm, found that Advisory Boards are a powerful way to obtain expert views on technology developments, regional and environmental issues and the economic/political landscape.

Dame Alison Carnwath, former Chair of Land Securities and now a main board Director of BP said: "Most organisations whether large, small or entrepreneurial feel the need for additional expertise and experience beyond that of their board and management. An Advisory Board can be a smart and very cost effective way of achieving this. It also provides an opportunity for experienced individuals to continue making an important contribution".

Paul Turner of Turner Felix said: "Organisations need to make every effort to improve the availability of expert advice and increase diversity in order to maximize their performance. In the post Brexit era British organisations will need to harbor every available resource to better understand the changing business environment and to prepare their organisations for change and global expansion."

Noel Harwerth, Chair of the UK Export Finance Board said: "A group of advisors set up as a sub committee of the Board with a clear, task-focused mandate can be very useful in looking at big picture issues that the board does not have time for. By having no legal liability the advisors can bring skills and diversity to the organization without the burden of main board responsibilities."

Sir John Parker, Chairman of Laing O'Rourke and former Chair of 5 FTSE 100 companies said: 'Advisory Boards should address topics that would not receive sufficient airtime at board meetings - digital engineering, cyber security, the impact of artificial intelligence and big data."

Peter Felix, of Turner Felix concluded: "Advisory Boards are a developing feature of the Corporate landscape. More organisations now use them to benefit from experienced managerial and technical skills at a time when there is a scarcity of full time management talent. Advisory boards could well provide one answer to the dangers of main board myopia brought about by burdensome governance requirements."

For a full copy of the report please contact Peter Felix on peter@turnerfelix.com, +44(0)785-174-1070. Website: www.turnerfelix.comVancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - Explorex Resources Inc. (CSE: EX) (FSE: 1XE) (OTC Pink: EXPXF) (the "Company" or "Explorex") is pleased to provide this update in regards to its activities at several key projects.

Kagoot Brook Co-Mn-Base Metal Project, New Brunswick

Historical work at Kagoot Brook has delineated two drainages, two kilometres apart, that exhibit remarkably high cobalt values up to 6,000 ppm in the silts (see Company news releases dated May 31 and February 14, 2018). The Company has received the results from a complementary silt sampling program that has:

Fully corroborated the existence and intensity of the cobalt mineralization; and Revealed a strong relationship and significant occurrence of manganese and base metals (nickel, copper, lead and zinc) with the cobalt mineralization.

The observed suite of elements and local geological units supports a ferromanganese marine environment expressing a strong affinity and trap for cobalt and base metals; a setting similar to the well-known ferromanganese stratiform mineralizing models around the world.

Of note:

The amount of manganese and iron in the cobalt enriched silts, upwards to 4.1% and 26.7% respectively, indicates a prevalent source with size potential; and The relative percentage of the manganese to cobalt indicates a favourable high cobalt tenor (i.e. grade component).

As a result, the Company has initiated a follow-up stream silt sampling program with tightly spaced sample stations to better frame the contact of the underlying target mineralized horizon. In conjunction, a detailed magnetometer and very low frequency electromagnetic ("VLF-EM") survey has been initiated to map the underlying stratigraphy to assist with the targeting.

Once these additional surveys have been completed and integrated with the historical work, a drill program is planned.

No drilling has ever been conducted and no source of the historic geochemical anomalies is known on the property.

Hautalampi Ni-Cu-Co Project, Finland

Hautalampi lies within the renowned Outokumpu Mining Camp and is an unmined cobalt enriched nickel-copper sulphide deposit that was the focus of pre-production development in the mid 1980's and subsequent extensive engineering to support a feasibility study in 2009 (see Company news release dated March 22, 2018).

Explorex has completed its due diligence on the project and is in the process of negotiating terms of a Transaction Agreement with regards to acquiring 100% of the project. The agreement is expected to contain definitive terms which will include a combination of cash payments and shares of Explorex as well as work commitments.

Silver Dollar Project, BC

Silver Dollar is situated within the historical Camborne mining camp dating from around the early 1900's. A number of mineral showings and past-producing gold-silver-lead-zinc, and gold-silver prospects are spatially related to the Camborne fault system and occur over a distance of approximately twelve kilometres. Historically, small prospect "miners" exploited only mineralization observed in outcrop and most exploration was fragmented due to a multitude of small claim owners with competing interests (see Company news releases dated February 2 and August 15, 2018).

Mariner Resource Corp, 75% optionee on the Silver Dollar project, is finalizing its plans to list on a Canadian stock exchange and expects to carry out an exploration program once it commences trading. Upon earning its full interest, a joint venture will be struck to advance the project.

Cobalt Projects, Ontario

The Cobalt-Paragon project in north eastern Ontario, comprising the combined Paragon-Hitchcock and Cobalt-Frontenac properties, demonstrates a geological setting similar to that of the many cobalt-silver occurrence elsewhere in the Cobalt Embayment.

Historic work at Paragon-Hitchcock consisted of underground development, a 180 metre shaft and several levels, sunk to explore and exploit a high grade silver-cobalt vein that was reported to be thickening with increasing amounts of chalcopyrite and skutterudite (a key cobalt bearing mineral) at depth. All funding and operations ceased due to the collapse in the silver price during the great depression by 1930.

A short drilling program at Paragon-Hitchcock, targeting the high-grade cobalt occurrences in vein type structures is being planned within the area of historic underground workings.

Arlington, BC

Arlington,100% owned by Explorex, is located in the Arrow Boundary District of south-central British Columbia. The property covers geologically prospective ground just north of the historic Beaverdell Mining camp and the past producing Carmi mine. Arlington is subject to an option agreement dated April 27, 2017 that provides Clarmin Explorations Inc. ("Clarmin") with the right to earn a 100% interest.

Clarmin has completed an exploration program (Clarmin news release dated August 16, 2018) consisting of:

A 2018 soil geochemical sampling program extended anomalous copper and silver soil anomalies; and have locally highlighted structurally controlled east-west trending fractures and shears, which locally host copper, silver plus or minus gold mineralization; and Prospecting in the southern portions of the project has located the Black Minfile occurrence consisting of a series of northwest-trending historical trenches and test pits exposing 20-centimetre quartz vein hosting disseminations of pyrite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite. A grab sample of the mineralized vein returned 1.05 per cent Cu, 37.65 grams per tonne Ag, 0.13 g/t Au and 3,556.4 ppm Mo.

Note(*): The surface rock grab and stream silt samples reported in this release are solely designed to show the presence or absence of mineralization and to characterize the mineralization. Grab and silt samples are by definition selective and not intended to provide nor should be construed as a representative indication of grade or mineralization at the projects.

Technical Information in this news release has been reviewed by R. Kemp, P Geo., a Qualified Person as that term is defined in NI 43-101.

About Explorex Resources Inc.

Explorex is an exploration company focusing on Cobalt and metals critical to rechargeable battery technology with the support of a strong strategic partner and end user. Explorex has a growing portfolio of multi-stage projects including an LOI to acquire the Hautalampi Co-Cu-Ni deposit in Finland, is earning a 75% interest in the Kagoot Brook project in New Brunswick, an option agreement to acquire 100% in the Cobalt-Paragon project located within the Cobalt Embayment region of north-eastern Ontario and 100% interest in the early stage Handlebar Co-Cu-Ni Project northeast of Kamloops BC. The Company also owns 100% of the Silver Dollar project, in BC subject to an option agreement providing Clarmin Explorations Inc. with the right to earn a 100% interest.

On behalf of the Board,

Gary Schellenberg, CEO

For further information, please contact Gary Schellenberg - CEO or Mike Sieb - President; phone 604.681.0221 or Ron Birch at bircress@shaw.ca; phone 1-800-910-7711

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Except as required pursuant to applicable securities laws, the Company will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements.ZYCUS' SOURCE TO PAY SOLUTION DRIVES PROCUREMENT TRANSFORMATION AT BANK OF CYPRUS

Zycus, a leading global provider of comprehensive and end-to-end Source-to-Pay software suite has announced that Bank of Cyprus has selected Zycus' software solutions to support its procurement transformation. The bank has the largest market share in Cyprus and currently operates through a total of 126 business offices.

The company sought a viable solution to automate their procurement processes a fully integrated Source to Pay Suite capable of enhancing digitization with an easy to use interface. As part of this deal, the company has licensed Zycus' Source-to-Pay suite that includes eSourcing, Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM), Request Management, Financial Savings Management, Project Management, eProcurement and eInvoice.

Besides being comprehensive the ability to support future requirements in a single integrated suite, earned a unanimous buy-in of the company's stakeholders.

"An organization like us needs a modern and sustainable procurement approach that gives us the best value for our investments. We wanted a solution which is flexible and responsive and after thorough evaluation, Zycus proved to be the best match for our requirements.", said Evripides C. Matsias, Manager Group Procurement, Bank of Cyprus.

"We are delighted that the company has trusted Zycus to fulfill and deliver comprehensive, end-to-end source-to-contract platform that addresses their procurement challenges. Enabling their growth and enhancement will be our momentous priority." said Dixit Jasani, VP Sales, Zycus Inc.

About Bank of Cyprus

Bank of Cyprus Group is a systemic bank in Cyprus and is regulated by the Central Bank of Cyprus and the European Central Bank. It is the largest banking and financial services group in Cyprus, with significant market shares across all business segments on the island. The Bank is contributing to and benefitting from the accelerated economic recovery in Cyprus. Visit http://www.bankofcyprus.com/

About Zycus Inc.

Zycus is a leading global provider of end-to-end Source-to-Pay suite. The comprehensive product portfolio includes applications for both operational and strategic aspects of procurement eProcurement, e-Invoicing, Spend Analysis, eSourcing, Contract Management, Supplier Management, Financial Savings Management, Request Management, and Project Management. To learn more about Zycus, visit http://www.zycus.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005486/en/

Contacts:

Zycus Inc.

Aakanksha Gupta

aakanksha.gupta@zycus.com

Customer Marketing

Myelo Therapeutics GmbH / FDA Grants Myelo Therapeutics Orphan Drug Designation for Myelo001 as Treatment for Acute Radiation Syndrome . Processed and transmitted by West Corporation. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

BERLIN, GERMANY, September 25, 2018 - Myelo Therapeutics GmbH announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted an Orphan Drug Designation to its orally applied new chemical entity Myelo001 for the treatment of Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS).

ARS, also known as radiation toxicity or radiation sickness, is an acute illness that presents after exposure to high levels of radiation, caused by a nuclear accident or attack. It can lead to severe health consequences, including death. The US government is encouraging the development of new drugs to prevent or treat ARS.

Myelo001 is a new, clinical-stage adjuvant cancer therapy for the treatment of chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced myelosuppression. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that Myelo001 applied orally is effective in reducing hematopoietic symptoms caused by chemotherapy and radiation. Comprehensive chronic toxicology and safety studies, as well as clinical studies, have confirmed an excellent safety profile of Myelo001.

The US FDA Orphan Drug Designation program provides incentives to companies that are developing therapies for diseases which affect fewer than 200,000 people in the US. The benefits of achieving Orphan Drug Designation include close guidance by the FDA, which may accelerate the path to potential marketing approval, orphan drug research grants, tax credits, waivers of regulatory fees, as well as a 7-year market exclusivity upon marketing approval.

Therapies for ARS qualify as medical countermeasures (MCMs), which are FDA-regulated products that may be used in the event of a potential public health emergency caused by a biological, chemical, or radiological/nuclear material. When developing MCMs for radiological and nuclear threats, it is not ethical or feasible to test a drug's efficacy by exposing human subjects to high levels of radiation. Given this, the FDA may grant approval based on well-controlled non-clinical studies. There is also a requirement to demonstrate the drug's safety in humans.

MCMs are purchased and stockpiled by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, and various foreign governments and militaries.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides an integrated, systematic approach to the development and purchase of the necessary vaccines, drugs, therapies, and diagnostic tools for public health medical emergencies.

Upon approval, the FDA may award a priority review voucher (PRV) to sponsors of MCMs. A PRV allows for an expedited review process for a new drug application. A sponsor may also sell awarded PRVs to other drug companies. Past transactions of PRVs have resulted in market prices of up to USD 350 million.

About Myelo Therapeutics

Myelo Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company based in Berlin and Dresden, Germany, that is developing innovative treatments in areas of high unmet medical needs, such as Chemotherapy-induced Myelosuppression (CIM), Radiation-induced Myelosuppression (RIM), and Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). For more information, visit www.myelotherapeutics.com (http://www.myelotherapeutics.com/).

Contact:Myelo Therapeutics GmbH, Till Erdmann, Kastanienallee 56, 10119 Berlin, Germany. Phone: +49 (0) 170 9126 402, info@myelotherapeutics.com (mailto:info@myelotherapeutics.com)

The information included in this press release concerns a drug use that has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.LONDON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- iProspect continues to strengthen its global executive team with the appointment of Desmond Bateman as Global Head of Client Development, and Dan Hagen as Global Chief Strategy Officer.

"iProspect is at the forefront of meeting clients' challenges by prioritizing innovation, technology, and data. To deliver effectively, we must continue to invest in the most experienced client strategists," commented Ruth Stubbs, Global President, iProspect. "Both Dan and Des bring creative and strategic brilliance to our senior team. Being able to promote from within our own Dentsu Aegis Network showcases the strength of our talent, and is key to our continued success."

Prior to joining iProspect, Des has more than 17 years' experience within the agency world. Previously he was Global Strategy Partner at Mindshare, and Strategic Planning Director in Hong Kong for iProspect sister agency, isobar. Des will be responsible for oversight of the agency's clients and client teams across iProspect's 93 global offices.

"In a world of increasing complexity for clients, I'm excited by the chance to work with performance specialists who know and lead the field," commented Des. "We all want to deliver the best work for clients and iProspect has been doing this successfully for 20 years."

Dan Hagen joins from sister agency Carat UK, where he served as Chief Strategy Officer. Dan has more than 17 years' experience within media agencies including running MPG's data and strategy teams and working across clients such as Microsoft, Novartis and the National Lottery. Dan will lead strategic insight, thought leadership, and data-driven innovation across the network.

"I've worked with iProspect many times in the 7 years I've been with Dentsu Aegis Network and I've always admired their deep digital, data and performance capabilities. I'm excited at the opportunity to help integrate and direct those capabilities on our clients' biggest business challenges," commented Dan.

About iProspect

iProspect is a global, award-winning agency - driving business performance for the world's largest brands including adidas, Diageo, Hilton, Burberry, General Motors, Procter & Gamble, Gucci, and Microsoft. The iProspect team works across a network of 4,300 employees spread over 93 offices in 55 countries.

In 2017, iProspect won more than 200 awards including 15 leadership recognition awards and 33 Agency of the Year titles, and was named a Leader in The Forrester Wave: Search Marketing Agencies, Q4 2017, #1 Global Digital Performance Agency by RECMA, Industry Agency of Choice at The International Performance Marketing Awards, and both Best Place to Work and Most Effective Media Agency by The Drum. Global President, Ruth Stubbs, recently received top honors as the Vision winner for the first Women Leading Change Awards presented by Campaign360. iProspect is part of the Dentsu Aegis Network, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dentsu Inc.



Go to www.iprospect.com or follow us on Twitter @iProspect.

Media Contact:

Nate Nicely

(917) 683-7456

nate.nicely@iprospect.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748858/iProspect_Bateman_Hagen.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/180620/iprospect_logo.jpgALBANY, New York, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global glass flake coatings market was valued at US$ 1480.00 Mn in 2017 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 4.51% from 2018 to 2026, according to a new report titled 'Glass Flake Coatings Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2018-2026,' published by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The global glass flake coatings market is driven by the rise in demand for these coatings in the marine industry. Asia Pacific accounts for major share of the global glass flake coatings market owing to the high demand for these coatings in various end-user industries in the region.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/664869/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg )



Rise in Demand for Glass Flake Coatings in Marine and Oil & Gas industries Projected to Drive Market

Glass flake coatings possess excellent physical and mechanical properties. Therefore, these coatings are suitable for usage in high-end applications in marine and oil & gas industries. High demand for these coatings in marine and oil & gas industries is expected to be a major driver of the global glass flake coatings market during the forecast period. The power generation end-user segment is also estimated to expand at a fast pace during the forecast period.

Request a Sample of Glass Flake Coatings Market:https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=50211

Growth in Shipbuilding Industry in Emerging Economies in Asia Pacific Propelling Demand for Glass Flake Coatings in Marine Applications

Glass flake coatings are employed in water tanks to protect the internal body from corrosion. Expansion in various end-user industries in emerging economies such as China, India, and Singapore and rise in demand for high-end products in marine, power generation, and oil & gas industry are anticipated to boost the glass flake coatings market. Glass flake coatings are used in the power generation industry owing to their properties of abrasion and corrosion resistance from high temperatures and harsh environment conditions. Power generation is expected to be a rapidly growing segment of the glass flake coatings market during the forecast period. The glass flake coatings market offers high potential in developing economies. Demand for high-end products in marine and power generation industries is estimated to increase in the near future. This is likely to offer lucrative opportunities to the glass flake coatings market. Better technical knowhow and ability to reach a wide range of customers are projected to boost the adoption of glass flake coatings in the near future.

Request For Multiple Chapters:https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=MC&rep_id=50211

Epoxy Segment to Dominate Global Glass Flake Coatings Market

Based on resin type, the global glass flake coatings market has been segmented into epoxy, polyester, and vinyl ester. Epoxy is a widely used resin type in glass flake coatings. The epoxy segment is anticipated to dominate the global glass flake coatings market during the forecast period due to the high temperature resistance of epoxy-based glass flake coatings and their compatibility with substrates used in various end-user industries. Ecofriendly attributes of epoxy resins are also driving the demand for glass flake coatings.

Marine Segment Leads Global Glass Flake Coatings Market

In terms of end-user industry, the global glass flake coatings market has been divided into oil & gas, marine, power generation, industrial, wastewater treatment, and others (paper & pulp, infrastructure, and transportation). Demand for glass flake coatings in the marine industry is increasing at a rapid rate owing to their superior properties such as high resistance to elevated temperatures, high tensile strength, and excellent water resistance. Power generation and wastewater treatment industries are also projected to expand at a significant pace during the forecast period.

Request For Custom Research:https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=50211

Asia Pacific Expected to Dominate Global Glass Flake Coatings Market

Based on region, the global glass flake coatings market has been classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific is estimated to be the leading region of the glass flake coatings market during the forecast period. The market in the region is estimated to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period owing to the growth in shipbuilding industry and power generation industries in emerging economies. Demand for glass flake coatings is expected to increase significantly in Middle East & Africa and Latin America in the near future. The glass flake coatings market in Europe is anticipated to expand at a sluggish pace, as it has reached the stage of maturity. Manufacturers based in developed regions have limited presence in Middle East & Africa and Latin America. Therefore, these regions are anticipated to provide lucrative opportunities for manufacturers of glass flake coatings in the next few years.

Request For Discount On This Report:https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=50211

High Degree of Competition among Market Players

High degree of competition exists among players operating in the glass flake coatings market. The market is dominated by large players that are technologically sound. They account for significant share of the market. Prominent players operating in the glass flake coatings market are Akzo Nobel N.V., PPG Industries, Sherwin-Williams, Jotun, Hempel A/S, Chugoku Marine Paints, and Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd.

Global Glass Flake Coatings Market, by Resin Type

Epoxy

Polyester

Vinyl Ester

Global Glass Flake Coatings Market, by Substrate

Metal

Concrete

Global Glass Flake Coatings Market, by End-user Industry

Oil & Gas

Marine

Power Generation

Industrial

Wastewater Treatment

Others (Paper & Pulp, Infrastructure, and Transportation)

Browse Popular Research Reports by TMR:

Solar Panel Coatings Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/solar-panel-coatings-market.html

Inorganic Pigments Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/global-inorganic-pigments-market.html

Wound Care and Medical Device Coatings Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/wound-care-medical-device-coatings-market.html

About Us

Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

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Research Blog:https://cmfenews.com/Belgium, Ireland, The Netherlands and United Kingdom become first international regions to utilize 100 percent of electricity from renewable/sustainable sources

BOSTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the global leader in storage and information management services, today announced that its operations in Belgium, Ireland, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom have achieved the company's stated goal of utilizing 100 percent of their electricity consumption from renewable energy sources. This milestone represents a significant achievement for the company following its joining of the RE100 initiative earlier this year in which Iron Mountain committed to using renewable energy sources for 100 percent of its worldwide electricity. In doing so, the company pledged to follow a rigorous standard for green power purchasing and achieving aggressive interim milestones on the way to a complete conversion by 2050.

Like other global organizations, the primary source of electricity for Iron Mountain has been coal and natural gas, the biggest single factor driving the company's greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. In 2016, electricity use alone made up almost half of Iron Mountain's GHG emissions. Data centers - like the Slough (UK) and Amsterdam locations acquired earlier this year - drive much of that, as they require continuous power to maintain the operation of servers and other technology and support. The Slough location alone uses as much energy as all Iron Mountain's UK records management facilities combined, while the Amsterdam facility doubled the company's energy footprint in Europe. Removing that dependence on fossil fuel delivers both environmental benefits and better cost controls, as fossil fuel prices are often volatile, while the cost of using sustainable/renewable sources like wind and solar are predictable for organizations.

Employing a combination of green power contracts, Iron Mountain was able to negotiate cost effective wind and other renewable resources to supply all of the company's electricity usage in these countries, including the data center operations in Slough and Amsterdam. These contracts in the UK and Europe further the company's RE100 goals and build on last year's achievement when wind and solar power totaled 30 percent of the company's global electricity supply.

"With the growth in our footprint in the UK and Benelux, we knew there would be an increase in our electricity usage that would significantly affect our environmental impact," said Steve Kowalkoski, senior vice president & general manager, UK and Ireland, Iron Mountain. "At the same time, we are aware we have an obligation to operate responsibly in the environments where we live and work, despite growth in our business. Looking across our operations, including the recent data center acquisitions, they saw an opportunity and solved this environmental challenge in a way that's good for our business and our customers while also ensuring we are prepared for future business and footprint growth."

"As a global organization, we recognize that continued dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation and usage has a negative effect on our worldwide carbon footprint," said Kevin Hagen, vice president, Environmental Social and Governance Strategy, Iron Mountain. "We also recognize that by reducing or eliminating our dependence on that kind of energy we can run our business better, with more predictable costs for energy. Our global commitment to social and environmental responsibility encourages and enables us to look for ways to deliver positive impact for our communities, for the environment and for our bottom line. We look forward to expanding our RE100 commitment to other countries and regions, working with others to help create a greener, more equitable, cost effective grid for everyone."

About Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), founded in 1951, is the global leader for storage and information management services. Trusted by more than 225,000 organizations around the world, and with a real estate network of more than 85 million square feet across more than 1,400 facilities in over 50 countries, Iron Mountain stores and protects billions of valued assets, including critical business information, highly sensitive data, and cultural and historical artifacts. Providing solutions that include information management, digital transformation, secure storage, secure destruction, as well as data centers, cloud services and art storage and logistics, Iron Mountain helps customers lower cost and risk, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and enable a more digital way of working. Visit www.ironmountain.com for more information.

For More Information:

Christian T. Potts

Iron Mountain Incorporated

617-535-8721

christian.potts@ironmountain.comNew Delhi (ots) - Ministers and sanitation sector leaders from around the world will convene this month at the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention (MGISC) in New Delhi. Hosted by the Government of India, this event will be an opportunity for delegates to exchange sanitation successes and best practices. The convention concludes with Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth year celebrations and the beginning of the final year of the Swachh Bharat "Clean India" Mission (SBM) - the intensive behaviour change campaign launched in 2014 by the Hon. Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi.



The number of people practicing open defecation in India has reduced from 550 million in 2014 to less than 150 million today. India is on track to achieve open defecation free (ODF) status by 2019. SBM will continue to significantly contribute to the global achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 which aims to "ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all."



Prime Minister Modi stated at the United Nations in 2015: "Much of India's development agenda is mirrored in the Sustainable Development Goals. Our national plans are ambitious and purposeful; sustainable development of one-sixth of humanity will be of great consequence to the world and our beautiful planet."



Rural sanitation coverage in India has increased from 39% in October 2014 to over 93% as of September 2018, with over 85 million household toilets constructed. Twenty-one States/Union Territories, over 450 districts, and 450,000 villages are now ODF.



An exhibition of global sanitation innovations and a site visit to a Gandhi Trail, where dignitaries will visit places of significance to Gandhi's life, will be part of the Convention.



For more information: Website: www.mgisc.gov.in Social media: SwachhBharat, MGISC, @SwachhBharat Facebook: http://facebook.com/sbmgramin



Originaltext: WSSCC digital press kits: http://www.presseportal.de/nr/81963 press kits via RSS: http://www.presseportal.de/rss/pm_81963.rss2



Pressekontakt: mgisc.sbm@gov.in

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.deDeloitte to be Global Sponsor at OutSystems NextStep 2018 and Worldwide Developer Conferences in Boston, Amsterdam, and Lisbon

OutSystems, provider of the number one platform for low-code rapid application development, today announced a series of moves to leverage its longstanding partnership with Deloitte. The low-code leader extended its collaboration with Deloitte into the U.K. and Sweden, and announced that Deloitte will serve as a global sponsor at three OutSystems conferences this fall.

OutSystems and Deloitte Portugal have been co-delivering exceptional IT solutions since 2010 and officially became alliance partners in 2016. Deloitte Portugal currently employs 80 OutSystems-certified professionals, and together the two companies have co-delivered solutions for the government, retail, consumer food and beverage, insurance, and transportation and logistics sectors.

OutSystems has existing alliances in place with Deloitte covering Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Portugal, where Deloitte has an OutSystems Center of Excellence. Today's announcement further strengthens the company's presence across western Europe with the addition of the U.K. and Sweden.

"The addition of these member firms further solidifies the strong, synergistic relationship OutSystems and Deloitte have developed over the years," said Bob Wilson, vice president of worldwide channel sales and strategic alliances at OutSystems. "Deloitte's broad vision into an organization's entire business helps the company identify enterprises that are ripe for digital transformation and the benefits that a low-code, visual development platform like OutSystems can offer."

"Our customers trust Deloitte to provide business recommendations and expertise that are going to innovate and develop companies and ultimately bring more value to the business," said Rui Vaz, Deloitte Portugal, Partner of Consulting in Technology.

"With OutSystems, we can make recommendations to our customers who are looking to update legacy systems. Projects that range from quick modernizations that meet short-term goals to full-scale core systems replacements take a fraction of the time compared to employing traditional development methods. In both instances, the customer is happy with the project scope and the end results, and that builds trust both for Deloitte and for OutSystems."

OutSystems also announced today that Deloitte is returning as an official global sponsor of OutSystems 2018 NextStep and Worldwide Developer Conferences. OutSystems NextStep 2018 is the premier event for digital transformation and low-code application development. The OutSystems Worldwide Developer Conference is a global showcase for developers of low-code applications in a variety of disciplines including IoT, machine learning, and AI.

This year's NextStep conferences take place in Boston on September 25-27 at the Renaissance Waterfront Hotel and in Amsterdam on October 8-9 at the historic Taets Art and Event Park. The OutSystems Worldwide Developer Conference takes place on November 6-7 at the Estoril Congress Center in Lisbon.

Cesar Marto, Deloitte Portugal's Associate Partner in Technology sector, will deliver keynote addresses in Boston and Amsterdam, focusing on the future of coding. Marto is responsible for digital offer development for customers in the retail, consumer goods, transportation, and energy sectors at Deloitte Portugal. He has over 16 years of experience in managing technology projects and participated in key projects in technology strategy, digital transformation, information management, and analytics and systems integration areas.

Learn more about OutSystems NextStep conferences and see the full agenda, including our exciting lineup of keynote speakers, on our NextStep Boston and NextStep Amsterdam registration pages.

About OutSystems

Thousands of customers worldwide trust OutSystems, the number one low-code platform for rapid application development. Engineers with an obsessive attention to detail crafted every aspect of the OutSystems platform to help organizations build enterprise-grade apps and transform their business faster. OutSystems is the only solution that combines the power of low-code development with advanced mobile capabilities, enabling visual development of entire applications that easily integrate with existing systems. Visit us at www.outsystems.com, or follow us on Twitter @OutSystems or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/outsystems.

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited ("DTTL"), its global network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/aboutto learn more.

Deloitte is a leading global provider of audit and assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax and related services. Our network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories serves four out of five Fortune Global 500 companies. Learn how Deloitte's approximately 286,000 people make an impact that matters at www.deloitte.com.

About Deloitte Portugal

"Deloitte Portugal" refers to Deloitte Consultores, S.A., an affiliate of Deloitte Associados, SROC S.A. Please see www.deloitte.com/pt/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Associados, SROC S.A. and its affiliates.

About Deloitte Consultores

Deloitte Consultores, SA. (hereinafter "we", "us" or "our") provides consulting services and is an affiliated entity of Deloitte Associados, SROC, S.A. the Portuguese Member Firm whose respective transparency report for 2017 can be found in the following link: https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/pt/Documents/about-deloitte/relatoriotransparencia/relatorio_transparencia_2017.pdf. "Deloitte" is the brand under which tens of thousands of dedicated professionals in independent firms throughout the world collaborate to provide audit assurance, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, tax and related services to select clients.

These firms are members of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"). Each DTTL member firm provides services in particular geographic areas and is subject to the laws and professional regulations of the particular country or countries in which it operates. Each DTTL member firm is structured in accordance with national laws, regulations, customary practice, and other factors, and may secure the provision of professional services in its territory through subsidiaries, affiliates, and other related entities. Not every DTTL member firm provides all services, and certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. DTTL and each DTTL member firm are legally separate and independent entities, which cannot obligate each other. DTTL and each DTTL member firm are liable only for their own acts and omissions, and not those of each other. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005146/en/

Contacts:

OutSystems

Media Contacts:

Ann Conrad, OutSystems (US), +1 404-994-2614

ann.conrad@outsystems.com

or

Katelyn Campbell (US), +1 617-502-4300

outsystems@pancomm.com

or

Laura Rijks (Netherlands), +31 (0)35-5822730

laura.rijks@marcommit.nl

or

Catia Gil (Portugal), +351 213 026 150

catia.gil@corpcom.pt

or

Michael Bartley (UK), +44 (0) 1189 497736

michael@c8consulting.co.uk

or

Melinda Ilagan (Singapore), +65 6303 0567

outsystems@preciouscomms.com

or

Julia Schreiber (DACH), +49 3731 2070915

outsystems@moeller-horcher.dePUNE, India, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

ReportsnReports adds Global and China Automotive Electric Motor (Small Motor, Starter, Generator and NEV Motor) Industry Report, 2018-2023 to its online database. Global automobile output reached 97.30 million units in 2017, a 2.4% rise from a year ago, and is expected to sustain a growth rate of around 2.0% over the next five years. As the world's biggest producer of automobiles, China made 29.02 million units in 2017, up 3.2% year on year and accounting for 29.8% of the global total.

With the evolution of the automobile industry and automotive technology, electric motor is replacing traditional mechanical system. Global automotive motor shipments approximated 3.99 billion units in 2017, representing a CAGR of 6.9% between 2013 and 2017. As automobile goes intelligent and NEV develops, the world's automotive motor shipments will maintain an average annual rate of 7.5% or so during 2018-2023.

Get Discount on Global and China Automotive Electric Motor Market (Small Motor, Starter, Generator and NEV Motor) Industry Report, 2018-2023 athttps://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/discount.aspx?name=1687661

Major Foreign Enterprises:

NIDEC

Mabuchi Motor

Mitsuba

ASMO

BorgWarner

Valeo

Denso

BOSCH

Mitsubishi Electric

Major Chinese Enterprises:

Johnson Electric

Zhejiang Founder Motor

Shenzhen Greatland Electrics

Zhejiang Dehong Automotive Electronic & Electrical

Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor

Jiangxi Special Electric Motor

Yantai Zhenghai Magnetic Material

UAES

Ningbo Yunsheng Auto Electric

Hitachi Automotive Systems ( Changsha ) Ltd.

) Ltd. Others

Automotive motors are mainly distributed in body, engine and chassis. The most used car-body motors, including power seats, power windows/doors and electric rearview mirrors, are largely small motors.

Global car body motor shipments were 2.49 billion units in 2017, occupying 62.4% of total automotive motor shipments. Around 50% share of the world's small motor market was taken by ASMO and Mitsuba in 2017.

Direct Purchase of this Research Report athttps://www.reportsnreports.com/purchase.aspx?name=1687661

About 90% share of the global automotive starter and generator market is seized by Valeo, Denso, Bosch and Remy. Denso, the world's largest producer of automotive starters and generators, serves Japanese carmakers and U.S. GM. Second only to Denso, Valeo provides services for customers chiefly in Europe and Mainland China.

As NEV develops, the drive motor market has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years. Global NEV drive motor market was worth about $2.61 billion in 2017, an upsurge of 21.4% over the previous year, and is predicted to maintain a growth rate of over 20.0% during 2018-2023.

The Chinese NEV motor market was roughly RMB8.79 billion in 2017 with new energy passenger car motor installations seizing more than 60.0%.

BYD and BAIC BJEV have certain advantages, each sharing at least 10% of the country's total drive motor shipments.

Get Sample Copy of this Research Report athttps://www.reportsnreports.com/contacts/requestsample.aspx?name=1687661

Global and China Automotive Electric Motor Market (Small Motor/ Starter and Generator/ NEV Motor) Industry Report, 2018-2023 focuses on the followings:

Automobile output and sales in China and worldwide;

and worldwide; Automotive motor market (overview, market size/structure, etc.);

Automotive motor market segments (small motor, starter, generator, and NEV motor) (market size, competitive landscape, market structure, etc.);

9 foreign and 18 Chinese automotive motor producers (operation, automotive motor business, etc.)

Table of Contents:

1 Global and Chinese Automobile Market

2 Automotive Motor Market

3 Automotive Motor Market Segments

4 Major Foreign Enterprises

5 Major Chinese Enterprises

Browse Another Related Research Report:

2015-2023 World Automotive Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles Market Research Report by Product Type, End-User / Application and Regions / Countries: This report includes market status and forecast of global and major regions, with introduction of vendors, regions, product types and end industries; and this report counts product types and end industries in global and major regions.

Company Profiles discussed: Allied Motion Technologies, Ametek, ARC Systems, Baldor Electric, Bosch, Denso, Emerson Electric, Faulhaber Group, Johnson Electric Holding, Maxon Motor, Siemens, Toshiba.

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RSS/Feeds: http: //www.reportsnreports.com/feed/l-latestreports.xmlGlobal PVC Compounding Solutions Business to be Acquired in $265 Million Transaction

OpenGate Capital, a global private equity firm, announced today that it has signed an exclusivity agreement with Westlake Chemical Corporation (NYSE: WLK), pursuant to which Westlake has made a binding offer to acquire NAKAN, a global PVC compounding solutions business headquartered in Reims, France. The transaction is valued at $265 million and is anticipated to be completed by early 2019.

NAKAN has eight production facilities located in China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain and Vietnam, as well as a world-class research facility in France and application laboratory in the United States. NAKAN products are used in a wide-variety of applications by customers in the automotive, building and construction, and medical industries.

OpenGate Capital acquired NAKAN in 2015, through the acquisition of Ivy Group, during the firm's pre-fund, legacy investment period. Ivy Group, formerly known as Kem One Innovative Vinyls, was acquired through a French administration process that originated with a complex acquisition of Kem One SAS in 2014, a fully integrated upstream producer of PVC resins.

Under the terms of the offer, which is subject to exclusivity protection, Westlake will pay approximately $265 million in cash, subject to adjustment. The binding offer will permit NAKAN to comply with its consultation obligations with French works councils prior to entering into a negotiated, mutually binding purchase agreement.

Andrew Nikou, OpenGate Capital's founder and CEO stated, "OpenGate Capital's acquisition of NAKAN in 2015 marked an important point in our firm's growth as it strengthened our position as a lower middle market firm specializing in operationally complex, often cross-border transactions. I am so proud of the work that has been accomplished and congratulate the NAKAN and OpenGate teams on their work that has resulted in the signing of this important agreement."

OpenGate Capital's Partner overseeing the negotiations, Sebastien Kiekert Le Moult stated, "The transformation of NAKAN since acquisition is a proud achievement in the history of OpenGate Capital and we are very pleased with the level of growth achieved by the business throughout our period of ownership. We look forward to working with Westlake as we complete the employee consultation process."

The transaction is expected to close by early 2019, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals, completion of required employee consultation procedures and other customary closing conditions.

About OpenGate Capital

OpenGate Capital is a global private equity firm specializing in the acquisition and operation of businesses to create new value through operational improvements, innovation and growth. Established in 2005, OpenGate Capital is headquartered in Los Angeles, California with a European office in Paris, France. OpenGate's professionals possess the critical skills needed to acquire, transition, operate, build and scale successful businesses. To date, OpenGate Capital, through its legacy and fund investments, has executed more than 30 acquisitions including corporate carve-outs, management buy-outs, special situations and transactions with private sellers across North America and Europe. To learn more about OpenGate, please visit www.opengatecapital.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005600/en/

Contacts:

For more information, please contact:

OpenGate Media Contacts

Alanna Chaffin

+1 (310) 432-7000

achaffin@opengatecapital.com

or

Sitrick & Company

Mike Sitrick

(310) 788-2850

Mike_Sitrick@sitrick.com

or

OpenGate Business Development Contact

Joshua Adams

+1 (310) 432-7000

jadams@opengatecapital.comHANGZHOU, China, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 14th, an inauguration ceremony for Narada's frequency regulation energy storage PCR project phase I was held in Leipzig, Germany. The Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, Wang Weidong, ALABC Product and Sustainability Director, Dr. Alistair Davidson, and other guests, project partners, representative of Mitnetsz Grid Company of Germany, and Upside, and more than 70 representatives from power grid companies and media reporters from 11 countries attended the ceremony.

Wang Weidong congratulated Narada on its project's successful operation, and affirmed Narada's extreme pursuit of technology, research and product innovation.

Chen Bo, CEO of Narada, thanked the Chinese Embassy in Germany for their support of the project and the cooperation of the project partners in his speech. He said, "This frequency regulation energy storage PCR project is a symbol of transformation and of the development of Narada's new business.This Grid scale large BESS is Narada first investment + operation model project in overseas market. Narada will take this opportunity to accelerate the promotion and application of the energy storage business in Europe and the global market."

The Technical General Manager of Mitnetsz, Dr. Schweer, and Dr. Rico Wojanowski, founder of Upside, also spoke at the ceremony. They think that their collaboration with Narada went very well, and they are confident that the solutions provided by Narada will encourage more cooperation in the future.

Afterwards, guests visited the project site and saw the safety of the system, its operation and grid-connected design. EDF, ENEL and other customers and representatives of ALABC gave high praise to the technology and quality of Narada.

The peak energy storage capacity of the initial construction capacity of Narada's frequency regulation energy storage PCR project can reach 25MWh, which can provide more than one month of power to 80 households per charge. This project has been reviewed and certified by the German power grid and has participated in the EU's power grid frequency auxiliary service. The second phase of the project has also begun construction.

For more information, please visit http://en.naradapower.com

Zhejiang Narada Power Source Co., Ltd

+86-571-56975980

intl@narada.biz

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/749347/Narada.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/749348/Narada.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/749349/Narada.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/749350/Narada.jpgDVLP Completes Acquisition of Market Leading Cannabis Consumer Resource

AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2018 / Golden Developing Solutions, Inc. (OTC PINK: DVLP) ("DVLP" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the Cannabis and CBD marketplace, is proud to announce the completion of its acquisition of Where's Weed (Layer Six Media DBA "Where's Weed"), and its primary asset, www.WheresWeed.com, an online and mobile cannabis services hub that focuses on fast, secure, and efficient discovery and purchasing of cannabis in both recreational and medical markets in the United States and Canada.

"Where's Weed is a true leadership play in the cannabis space, boasting over 2.9 million monthly page views and a mobile app that has already been downloaded over 80K times. These are the guys that developed and launched the first marijuana locator equipped with an Online Ordering platform. The service has been booming ever since. We strongly believe this acquisition adds an enormous dose of value and optionality for DVLP," noted the Company's CEO, Stavros Triant.

With the Marijuana space undergoing robust growth throughout North America, management believes that Wheresweed,com is ideally placed to benefit from legislative advances and greater awareness among a growing cohort of consumers. In addition, as a hub of sharply defined online activity, the property offers powerful positioning advantages that cross over to other business opportunities that the Company may wish to pursue in the future.

Mr. Triant continued, "We are extremely excited to have such a promising and popular cannabis services brand now under our ownership. We expect to add significant value and facilitate a further acceleration looking ahead."

About Where's Weed

Where's Weed is an American cannabis technology company known for connecting medical and recreational cannabis users with trusted local marijuana businesses in their communities. Where's Weed was founded in 2011. The company launched the Where's Weed Android app in 2014 and released the iOS version in 2015.

About Golden Developing Solutions, Inc.

Golden Developing Solutions (DVLP) is developing an online retail business for cannabidiol (CBD), hemp oil and health/wellness-related products. Through the website of its wholly owned subsidiary, Pura Vida Vitamins (www.PuraVidaVitamins.com), as well as through wholesale and distribution channels, the company offers a broad range of high-quality, price-competitive products, including traditional vitamins, supplements, and CBD-based tinctures, vapes and soft gels, among other products. Merchandise also includes hemp and CBD-related products and additional products focusing on health and lifestyle.

Golden Developing Solutions is a development-stage company providing business services and/or products supporting the cannabis industry, in which company intends to make acquisitions in the near future. Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws permitting their citizens to use cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes. Cannabis has shown encouraging signs as a treatment for various medical conditions and has become increasingly more acceptable to the public and society.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are encouraged to review the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The contents of any website referenced herein are not incorporated into this press release.

Media Contacts:

Stavros Triant

stavros@goldendeveloping.com

623-826-5206

SOURCE: Golden Developing Solutions, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/512560/Golden-Developing-Solutions-Inc-DVLP-Completes-Wheres-Weed-AcquisitionVANCOUVER, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

NRG Metals Inc. ("NRG" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NGZ) (OTCQB: NRGMF) (Frankfurt: OGPN) The Company is pleased to announce that it has completed the third installment of it's purchase option for the Hombre Muerto North Lithium Project (" HMN Project "), located in Salta Province, Argentina. A payment of $ US 250,000 and one million common shares have been made to the vendor as per the contract terms. The vendor has also become an insider of the Company as defined by Canadian securities regulations. The Company has now completed an extensive evaluation of the HMN Project, and intends to announce a maiden resource estimate in the immediate future through the release of an independent NI43-101 technical report.

The HMN Project is strategically located in the Hombre Muerto Salar, an area of lithium production by FMC at the Fenix Lithium Mine, some 12 kilometers south of the project area. The project is surrounded by ground now owned by POSCO, a Korean based conglomerate, as a result of their $ US 280 million purchase of the area from Galaxy Resources Ltd, an Australian based producer. Galaxy is also moving their portion of the Hombre Muerto Salar, the Sal de Vida Project, to lithium production.

Salar Escondido Update

The Company has completed a technical review of exploration results to date at the Salar Escondido Project, located in Catamarca Province, Argentina. Two holes have been attempted at this large project area, and drilling has proven to be very challenging. The presence of lithium in highly permeable host rocks was confirmed in both holes, but there was considerable variation in lithium grades and Mg/Li ratios. No representative sample to target depth has been obtained to date, and only a small portion of the project area has been drill tested.

The project is comprised of five underlying agreements. One has been terminated, relinquishing approximately 3,000 hectares of the 29,000 hectare total. As a completion of an option commitment on part of the Luz Maria claim group, the Company is issuing 420,000 shares to the underlying owner. Management are in discussions regarding the project, and anticipate further developments in the near future.

Consulting Agreements

The Company has entered into two consulting agreements with Market IQ Media Group Incorporated ("Market IQ") and VibraSlim Sales Inc. ("Vibraslim'). Each of the consultants were retained to provide digital marketing primarily using Google ads, digital media, corporate advisory, branding and strategic business services to the Company over a four-month period for consideration of $400,000 to Market IQ and $100,000 to VibraSlim. The Company prepaid the total amount of $500,000 to these two entities using cash on hand. Market IQ is located in Vancouver B.C. and owned by Brady Middleditch. VibraSlim is located in Vancouver B.C. and owned by Chris Jackson.

Subsequent to the entry into the consulting agreements, MarketIQ and VibraSlim subscribed for 2,000,000 units of the Company in the above-mentioned private placement for total subscription amount of $500,000. The Company has received full payment for the private placement units from these two entities by cheque.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed the content of this news release and therefore does not accept responsibility or liability for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release.

This news release contains certain "forward- looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes forward- looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward- looking statements. The transaction described in this news release is subject to a variety of conditions and risks which include but are not limited to: regulatory approval, shareholder approval, market conditions, legal due diligence for claim validity, financing, political risk, security risks at the property locations and other risks. As such, the reader is cautioned that there can be no guarantee that this transaction will complete as described in this news release. We seek safe harbor.

Contact:

Adrian F.C.Hobkirk

President and Chief Executive Officer

Investors / Shareholders Call 855-415-8100 or direct to Adrian Hobkirk 714-316-3272 ahobkirk@nrgmetalsinc.comAXIS Insurance, the insurance business segment of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited ("AXIS Capital") (NYSE:AXS), today announced that Paul Cullum has been appointed to the newly created role of Head of Business Development for AXIS Insurance International Division. Mr. Cullum will be responsible for helping to deliver a 360-degree approach to product distribution in the London market and at Lloyd's, including the deployment of cross-class solutions in certain lines of business.

"Paul has built a strong reputation within the London specialty insurance market and is a trusted partner to many of our most strategic brokers," said Edward Ashby, Global Head of Distribution and Marketing for AXIS Insurance. "His appointment as Head of Business Development for AXIS Insurance International Division reflects our commitment to being a superior partner to our London market brokers. We look forward to the contributions Paul will make in this new role as we seek to deliver more mutually beneficial cross-class solutions for our distribution partners."

Mr. Cullum brings 35 years' experience to the Head of Business Development position for AXIS Insurance International Division. Previously, he served for seven years as Head of London MGA at AXIS. Prior to joining AXIS in 2010, Mr. Cullum was the Head of Open Market Underwriting at Markel International. He has also held underwriting and broking roles in both specialty insurance and reinsurance at Sedgwick Forbes, Copenhagen Re (UK), Euclidian Lloyd's Syndicate 1243, Cooper Gay and Bowring Marsh.

Mr. Cullum will report to Mr. Ashby, and will continue to be based in London.

About AXIS Capital

AXIS Capital, through its operating subsidiaries, is a global provider of specialty lines insurance and treaty reinsurance with shareholders' equity at June 30, 2018, of $5.3 billion and locations in Bermuda, the United States, Europe, Singapore, Middle East, Canada and Latin America. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a rating of "A+" ("Strong") by Standard Poor's and "A+" ("Superior") by A.M. Best. For more information about AXIS Capital, visit our website at www.axiscapital.com.

Follow AXIS Capital on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About AXIS Insurance

AXIS Insurance the insurance business segment of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE: AXS) provides Property Casualty, Professional Lines, Terrorism, Marine, Energy, Aviation, Credit Political Risk, Environmental, Accident Health coverages and other customized insurance solutions. Our products are offered through our distribution partners, which include wholesale brokers, retail brokers and designated managing general agents/underwriters ("MGAs"/"MGUs") in the U.S. and abroad. Coverages are backed by the financial strength and security of the AXIS Insurance Companies, rated "A+" (Strong) by Standard Poor's, and "A+" (Superior) by A.M. Best. For more information, visit our website at www.axiscapital.com/insurance.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005269/en/

Contacts:

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited

Investors

Matt Rohrmann

investorrelations@axiscapital.com

212-940-3339

or

Media

Keith Trivitt

keith.trivitt@axiscapital.com

212-715-3557Group awarded four-year contract from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) to educate 800 law enforcement professionals in digital forensics

AccessData Group, a leading provider of integrated digital forensics and e-discovery software, today announced that it is a member of a consortium that won a prestigious contract to deliver professional training in digital forensics to European law enforcement agencies.

The four-year contract was awarded by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF, in the acronym based on the French spelling) to a consortium led by Zagreb, Croatia-based INsig2, a leading regional provider of services in the field of digital forensics. Other consortium members include: AccessData, in partnership with the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS); and Ventex, an IT provider based in Rijeka, Croatia.

"We are honored to be part of this winning consortium of expert providers and are humbled to have been awarded this contract by OLAF, which we believe is a reflection of how effectively AccessData's Digital Investigations Training program educates incident responders in the latest technology to identify, respond, investigate and prosecute cases," said Keith Lockhart, vice president of global training at AccessData. "There is no question that our partnership with IACIS was a key ingredient in the success of this contract award. IACIS is the premier international association specializing in law enforcement training and certification in the field of computer forensics, so we are delighted they chose to team up with us in developing this program for OLAF."

The OLAF contract engages the INsig2-led consortium to deliver and evaluate digital forensics and analyst training courses for staff working for national and regional law enforcement agencies in the EU. The training will provide national forensics experts access to certification procedures recognized and accredited at the international level.

"We are very proud to win a contract with the European Commission for organizing such a unique training event, as it shows that our knowledge, rich experience, systematic work and the quality of our experts have led to worldwide recognition," said Goran Oparnica, director of INsig2. "This success shows that we, along with our consortium partners, are doing a great job in the digital forensics community and that huge investment in knowledge always pays off."

INsig2, Ventex and AccessData working with IACIS, SUMURI and Spyder Forensics as sub-contractors will be responsible for providing instructors and delivering curriculum to include the following:

Digital investigations in Windows, Mac and Linux computers;

Investigations of mobile phones and smartphones on all relevant operating systems;

Investigations of computer networks; and

Quality assurance processes to improve competencies in digital forensics and analysis.

OLAF investigates fraud against the EU budget, corruption and serious misconduct within the European institutions, and develops anti-fraud policy for the European Commission. The expectations are that more than 800 investigators mostly from the countries of the EU will complete the digital forensics training over the course of the next four years.

For more information about AccessData, please go to https://accessdata.com/. For more information about INsig2, please go to https://insig2.com.

About AccessData

Whether it's for investigation, litigation or compliance, AccessData offers industry-leading solutions that put the power of forensics in your hands. For more than 30 years, AccessData has worked with more than 130,000 customers in law enforcement, government agencies, corporations and law firms around the world, providing both stand-alone and enterprise-class solutions that can synergistically work together. The company is backed by Sorenson Capital, a leading private equity firm focused on high-growth portfolios. For more information on AccessData, please go to www.accessdata.com.

About INsig2

INsig2 is a Croatian company founded in 2004, with the main focus on digital forensics. INsig2 has its own educational center with the capacity to conduct a variety of high quality forensics courses and advises, supports and conducts investigations for law enforcement and the private sector (corporations and small businesses). INsig2 also has extensive experience in designing, equipping and setting up digital forensics laboratories for different government agencies and the police. For more information on INsig2, please go to www.insig2.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005449/en/

Contacts:

AccessData Group

Lori Tyler

Vice President, Global Marketing

ltyler@accessdata.comGIBRALTAR, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

TokenMarket announces that CEO and Co-Founder, Ransu Salovaara, is set to speak at the upcoming Gibraltar International FinTech Forum (GibFin), taking place in London on October 24th. The conference will see blockchain enthusiasts gather to discuss the latest news from the blockchain space.

Gibraltar is the leading Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) jurisdiction in the world. It is the only jurisdiction in the world with an operational DLT regulator and is currently introducing a regulatory framework for token sales.

Regulation is an ever-pressing topic of discussion when looking at the future of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. In response, Gibraltar is one of the global leaders that is in a paramount position to provide operators, investors and customers the certainty they require in this new economy.

GibFin London has already announced multiple guest speakers who will be providing insight into the world of blockchain attending the event. The list of profile speakers includes; Dr Wulf Kaal, the eminent crypto and DLT economist, Jon Matonis, Founding Director of the Bitcoin Foundation, Simon Pearson, CEO of B21, and Anthony Provasoli, Partner at Hassans International Law Firm.

The one day event will cover topics including; blockchain regulation, blockchain market stability, distributed ledger technology, blockchain within financial services and the future of blockchain as a whole. It will offer attendees the chance to hear from Gibraltar based lawyers, experts and business owners.

"I am very excited to be speaking at this years GibFin event in London," said Ransu Salovaara, CEO and Co-Founder of TokenMarket. "The GibFin team has curated a stellar line-up with a real mixed variety of industry leaders and blockchain enthusiasts. It is a pleasure to speak amongst my peers all of whom are vastly experienced in their own field."

For more information and to register for tickets, visit its website: https://www.gibfinlondon.com/

About GibFin London

The Gibraltar International Fintech Forum (Gibfin) is the primary symposium for the Gibraltar DLT Ecosystem and GibFin London is now bringing that forum to the QEII conference centre in the centre of London, giving the widest possible audience the chance to join the global visionaries who are forging the DLT future and to experience Gibraltar's world leading DLT community.

About TokenMarket

TokenMarket is a strategic and technology advisory firm with offices in London, Gibraltar and Helsinki. The company, known for its extensive sector expertise, has advised over 30 token sales including Storj, Populous, Monaco, Civic and Dent, raising over $350 million in total. In addition to TokenMarket's award winning platform providing end-to-end token issuance including fund collection, compliance and marketing, it has recently opened its Security Token Offering (STO) service. For more information visit https://tokenmarket.net .

Media Contact:

Lawrence Chiu

lawrence@tokenmarket.netHANGZHOU, China, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dahua Technology, a leading solution provider in the global video surveillance industry, advocates openness and believes that an industry ecosystem can benefit all industry players. At Security Essen 2018, it launches the Dahua Integration Partner Program (DIPP), aiming to extend collaboration with 3rd party partners in technology integration and business development.

DIPP focuses on creating comprehensive and integrated solutions with 3rd party partners for wider customer and end-user base. Featuring three partner levels - Strategic Partner, Golden Partner and Silver Partner - DIPP ensures that its partners enjoy multiple benefits through Dahua Technology's global network. Partners who specialize in Video Management Software, Access Control System, Video Analytics, Physical Security Information Management, Alarm Systems, Cloud-based Services and other Vertical Systems that involve Security Surveillance are most welcome to join the program.

DIPP benefits partners on both technical and business sides, including in-depth marketing, project and technical support. Marketing-wise, DIPP partners enjoy dedicated marketing support including co-marketing opportunities at Dahua Technology's global events, recommendation in Dahua 3rd-party-partner-solution catalog, etc. Technical-wise, Dahua Technology guarantees feedback within 24h, dedicated technical support, opportunities for sample borrowing, roadmap sharing & product introduction, and free training regarding Dahua Technology integration protocols. The key is that Dahua Technology ensures considerable benefits at project parts, including end-to-end support, opportunities for projects pipelines sharing and product recommendation, etc.

So far, some 3rd party partners have joined DIPP, like Ivideon, AxxonSoft, to name just a few. "We're happy to launch DIPP, a program aiming to better serve our partners and achieve win-win results." said James Wang, Deputy General Manager of overseas business at Dahua Technology.

"We were the first to implement a solution on Dahua Open Platform, and we're very happy to be among the first companies to participate in the Dahua Integration Partner Program. Dahua Technology's innovative technologies, particularly its development of deep-learning video analytics, completely aligns with our vision of how video surveillance should develop. I'm confident that, together, we will create products that grow our value proposition for both our partners and clients." Said Alan Ataev, Global Sales Director at AxxonSoft.

For detailed information, please visit DIPP website portal. With a mission of "Enabling a Safer Society and Smarter Living", Dahua Technology will continue to focus on "Innovation, Quality, and Service" to serve partners and customers around the world.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/749364/Dahua_Integration_Partner_Program.jpgPALM BEACH, Florida, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Financialnewsmedia.com News Commentary

BDS Analytics recently commented that the total economic output from legal cannabis is expected to grow 150% from $16 billion in 2017 to $40 billion by 2021, according to the "US Legal Cannabis: Driving $40 Billion Economic Output" report released today by Arcview Market Research, in partnership with BDS Analytics. "The economic excitement around the legal cannabis industry is no longer just theory," said Troy Dayton, CEO of The Arcview Group. "Due to the giant impact adult-use legalization is already having in the United States, it's vital for key stakeholders to understand the full impact of legalization, beyond just retail sales numbers." Investors across North America appear to be craving marijuana stocks as Canada prepares to legalize cannabis next month, leading to giant gains for Canada-based companies listed on U.S. exchanges. Two major events on the horizon are expected to have huge potential to drive marijuana stock value which include Canadian marijuana legalization and the U.S. midterm elections. For obvious reasons, Canadian cannabis legalization is believed to be a major boon for marijuana stocks. In fact, Canada's announcement a few years ago that cannabis would be legalized at a federal level is what helped spark the surge in the industry in the first place. Active companies in the industry making moves to ready that include: Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE:CHOO) (OTC:CHOOF), Aleafia Health Inc. (TSX-V:ALEF) (OTC:ALEAF), The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX:TGOD) (OTC:TGODF), Namaste Technologies Inc.'s (TSX-V:N) (OTC:NXTTF), The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSX-V:FIRE) (OTC:SPRWF).

ChoomHoldings Inc. (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) BREAKING NEWS: Choom, an emerging, fully-integrated cannabis company, today announced that it has been included in the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF (TSX: HMMJ)



HMMJ is the world's first and largest Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) offering direct exposure to North American publicly listed life sciences companies with significant business activities in the marijuana industry. The ETF's holdings can be viewed directly from its website at the link below:

https://www.horizonsetfs.com/horizons/media/ETFData/en-ca/HMMJ/HorizonsHMMJHoldings.xls

"Choom's addition to the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF is recognition of our efforts to building a dominant branded cannabis company. The Choom brand was created exclusively to service the retail recreational market, ensuring curious customers and cannabis connoisseurs alike can 'cultivate good times'," said Chris Bogart, President and CEO of Choom. "Our inclusion in Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF provides an excellent avenue for increased exposure to the investment community." Read this and more news for Choom at:http://www.marketnewsupdates.com/news/choo.html



Additional industry related developments from around the markets:

Aleafia Health Inc. (TSXV:ALEF.V) (OTCQX:ALEAF) has also been added to the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF. Horizons Marijuana Life is the world's first and largest exchange-traded fund (ETF) offering direct exposure to North American publicly listed life sciences companies with significant business activities in the marijuana industry. With net assets in excess of $1.1-billion, Horizons Marijuana Life will allow for increased exposure to investors for Aleafia.

The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX:TGOD) (OTCQX:TGODF) has appointed American businessman, investor and television personality Tim Seymour to the company's advisory board. Best known for his role with CNBC as a recognized trader and market strategist, on "Fast Money," Mr. Seymour has over 22 years of investment experience as a portfolio manager and capital markets professional. For the past decade, Mr. Seymour has been a contributor on Fast Money and is cited as one of the top finance professionals on Twitter, including The Wall Street Journal's "Top Tweets for Your Money." Mr. Seymour is the founder and chief information officer of Seymour Asset Management (SAM). SAM provides asset and wealth management services for clients, including direct investment and allocation to private equity and alternative assets. Prior to SAM, he was the CIO and co-founder of Triogem Asset Management.

Namaste Technologies Inc.'s (TSXV:N.V) (OTCQB:NXTTF) wholly owned subsidiary, Cannmart Inc., has received its Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) medical cannabis sales-only licence with no cultivation, which is the first of its kind to be issued by Health Canada. The sales licence 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 on-line platform for medical cannabis. Cannmart will operate as an on-line 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 microcultivators 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.

The Supreme Cannabis Company Inc. (TSXV:FIRE.V) (OTCQX:SPRWF) has realigned its senior leadership in order to further position the company for global growth and continued operational success. John Fowler, currently chief executive officer of the company, will assume the role of president of the company, and Navdeep Dhaliwal, currently the president of the company, will assume the role of chief executive officer of the company, effective at the end of the business day on Sept. 24, 2018. Both individuals will continue to serve as members of the company's board of directors. Mr. Fowler and Mr. Dhaliwal recommended the realignment to the board, reflecting their belief that Mr. Fowler's intimate knowledge and expertise with infrastructure development and commercial cannabis operations is critical for the successful completion of the 7Acres facility and launch in the recreational market. Supreme Cannabis intends to utilize Mr. Fowler's extensive industry experience for the buildout of the company's previously announced Lot 16 California-style indoor cultivation project as well as future product and market segments that the company may enter. The realignment will allow Mr. Fowler to best support the company's growth through focus on product and operational development in the role of president.

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed MNU has been compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued above by Choom Holdings Inc. by a non affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Contact Information:

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - Exro Technologies Inc. (CSE: XRO) (OTCQB: EXROF) ("Exro") announced today that further to the Company's news release issued August 29, 2018, it has completed the acquisition of Adaptive Generators AS ("Adaptive"). Combining the resources, knowledge and technologies of both companies expands our value proposition as Exro nears commercialization of its unique approach to energy conversion. Further, the intellectual property portfolio is also strengthened with this acquisition and we will continue to pursue new patent opportunities moving forward.

"This is an exciting milestone for us at this point in our development. We believe the synergistic characteristics of our technologies will create incredible opportunities as we move forward with our strategic partners" said Exro CEO, Mark Godsy.

Kent Thoresen the founder of Adaptive will join Exro's management team, leading European business development. Mr. Thoresen commented: "I am very pleased to be joining forces with Exro. I believe the combination of our technologies and team will enable us to both develop new products and business opportunities for the energy conversion market."

Under the terms of the acquisition, Adaptive becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary company of Exro. Details and terms related to this acquisition are highlighted in the news release dated August 29, 2018.

About Adaptive:

Adaptive is a privately-owned Norwegian company that has developed a patented technology for use in programmable, fault-tolerant generators, motors and battery systems. This technology is bi-directional for use in standalone or combined motor-generator-battery-grid applications.

About Exro:

Exro offers the potential to accelerate the transition to clean energy by intelligently managing the efficiency and reliability of various power systems, including fuel-powered electric motors and generators, variable renewable energy sources, and energy storage in various applications such as EV and grid connected storage, which make up about half the worldwide market for electric power.

Exro's patented coil technology works for various energy systems, dynamically adapting input and output with the goal of achieving specific, measurable performance gains in applications ranging from electric cars, UAVs, pumps, ship drives, grid storage, industrial motors, vacuums and all other applications that require smart energy conversion. Please visit our website at www.exro.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mark Godsy, Director & CEO

INVESTOR CONTACT INFORMATION

ir@exro.com

604-961-8800

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this News Release constitute forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words "believe", "may", "would", "could", "will" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements and information concerning the Company's intention to commercialize its product in the near term, Such statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the Company's actual performance or achievements to vary from those described herein. Should one or more of these factors or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The Company does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - We've got a guy

The people behind VARIO, a digital currency mining company, are tech unicorns. They know enough about the cryptocurrency market to create a viable entry point for potential investors - a Canadian first - and enough about people to get them excited about the possibility. Their next step - helping everyday Canadians take the leap before technology marches on without them.

"Digital currency is changing the world, yet a vast number of potential investors are locked out of the rapidly emerging blockchain economy due to access - they want in but don't know how to get started," said Jason Pigeon, CEO, VARIO. "VARIO's singular focus is to find the cryptocurrency winners by securely and efficiently mining on an enterprise scale, then connecting with those who want to explore the market in a controlled, distinctly Canadian and sustainable environment."

Around the globe, established banks, research institutes and governments are beginning to take notice of cryptocurrency. Many more are scrambling to keep up with technology that changes daily. Those not paying attention on even the basest level risk being left behind as blockchain moves from the realm of Dungeons and Dragons to the world of Morgan Stanley.

"Make no mistake, digital currency mining is still in its wild, wild west phase. Speculation and open access to an unfamiliar market makes conservative and traditional investors uncomfortable. We get it. That's why we take a different approach. Rather than focusing on one trending coin, we are always tracking a diversified portfolio to find value and adapt quickly."

Today, VARIO launches a crowdfunding campaign to bring it's only in Canada crypto mining model to the world. Starting Tuesday, September 25, 2018, Canadians can invest in VARIO on the FrontFundr platform. The minimum investment is $1,000.

Everyone who completes their investment by 9 am PDT on Thursday, September 27, is eligible for 10 per cent bonus shares.

Full details of the offering can be found in the Offering Memorandum. This document is for information purposes only. Please consult your finance professional before making an investment.

Find out more at https://www.variomining.io/

Check out the VARIO blog for regular updates, information and advice on the digital currency industry.

-30-

VARIO is a proudly Canadian company mining a portfolio of high-potential digital currencies. Rather than maintaining focus on a singular currency, VARIO's experienced team analyses all available currencies to provide shareholders significant access and participation in the digital economy.

Located in British Columbia, the VARIO enterprise class data centre is committed to long-term sustainability by leveraging access to clean, renewable hydroelectric power and supporting and revitalizing the local economy.

For access to VARIO leadership team for comments and questions, please contact the representative below for immediate comment:

Victoria M A Bennett

Bennett Milner Williams Consulting Ltd.

(403) 589 7992

victoria@bmwconsults.comDUBAI, UAE, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The DataFlow Group's Service adds much-needed element of trust to hiring

TrueProfile.io, a subsidiary of The DataFlow Group - aims to expedite the verification of worker credentials with the launch of their new website - http://www.TrueProfile.io. Working with issuing authorities like universities, employers and licensing bodies around the world, TrueProfile.io's digital service allows job applicants and prospective employers to independently verify and confirm educational degrees, professional credentials, and licenses. TrueProfile.io brings Primary Source Verification (PSV) firmly into the 21st century with its use of cutting-edge blockchain technology. Most importantly, the new website addresses the need for greater security and transparency in overseas hiring by adding PSV as a critical trust element.

"TrueProfile.io is the No. 1 industry solution to remove the friction of repetitive background checks," says Sunil Kumar, CEO of The DataFlow Group. "Not only does this new service connect qualified applicants with just the right employers, it does so in a secure, online environment. The entire process instantly establishes trust and allows both employer and employee to move quickly through the hiring process." When speaking of the project, Rene Seifert, Chief Digital Officer of The DataFlow Group, states, "Our goal with this product was to create a tool that would give candidates a competitive advantage over other applicants during the hiring process, through onboarding, and throughout their employment. We're extremely proud of the work we're doing with TrueProfile.io."

TrueProfile.io offers a host of fully-digital PSV services, many of which are new to the industry.

Prospective employees can submit documents for verification - e.g. diplomas, licenses, reference letters, etc. Once verified, the applicant receives a digital TrueProof. The applicant owns their TrueProofs outright and can use them over and over throughout their career.

Each TrueProof uses embedded Ethereum blockchain technology to validate the applicant's credentials, adding a strong layer of digital security to the verification process.

TrueProfile.io includes secured sections for both employers (called Business Partners) and prospective employees (called Members). Members benefit from easy-to-use web-access where they can manage their TrueProofs and their myTrueProfile-page.

If they choose, Business Partners can purchase vouchers for applicants and guide them through the TrueProof verification process.

About TrueProfile.io TrueProfile.io an industry-leading provider of portable credentials via Primary Source Verification. TrueProfile.io uses the latest blockchain technologies to add much-needed security and trust to the hiring process. TrueProfile.io is powered by The Dataflow Group. The DataFlow Group has been a trusted partner for regulators and governments in Asia and Europe to deliver Primary Source Verification for more than one million applicants since 2007.

Press contact

ELEMENT C

Christoph Hausel

Aberlestrae 18

81371 Munich

Phone.: +49(0)89-720-137-20

Mail: c.hausel@elementc.de

Web: http://www.elementc.de

NEW DELHI, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new report, Global Artificial Intelligence Market (2018-2024), published by KBV Research, the global artificial intelligence market is estimated to reach USD 32,006.1 Million by 2024, at a CAGR of 44% during 2018 - 2024. The global artificial intelligence market is currently witnessing healthy growth as companies have started leveraging the benefits of such disruptive technologies for effective customer reach and positioning of their services/solutions. Market growth is also supported by an expanding application base of artificial intelligence solutions across various industries. However, factors such as low funding access or high upfront investment, and demand for skilled resources (workforce) are presently acting as major deterrents to market growth.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/519478/KBV_Research_Logo.jpg )

The report highlights the adoption of Artificial Intelligence market, globally. Based on the Technology, the Artificial Intelligence Market is segmented into Machine learning, Natural language processing, Image processing and Speech recognition market. On the basis of Application, the market is bifurcated into Government & Defense, BFSI, Consumer Goods & Retail, IT & Telecom, Healthcare, Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing, Education, Transportation and Others segment. The market is further geographically segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East and Africa) market.

Access Full report:https://kbvresearch.com/global-artificial-intelligence-market/

The Machine learning segment contributed the larger share to the Global Artificial Intelligence Market. This is because, the machine learning technology is a key element of artificial intelligence and is used in conjunction with other technologies such as natural language processing and image processing across a wide range of application areas. The market for natural language processing technology is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period.

The North America market dominated the Global Artificial Intelligence Market. The Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow with the fastest pace during the forecast period.

The report has exhaustive quantitative insights providing a clear picture of the market potential in various segments across the globe, with country wise analysis in each discussed region. The key influencing factors of the Artificial Intelligence Market have been discussed in the report along with the elaborated company profiles of IPSoft, Rocket Fuel Inc., Qlik Technologies Inc., Microstrategy Inc., Brighterion Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Google Inc., IBM Corporation, 24/7 Customer Inc., Next IT Corporation.

Artificial Intelligence Market Segmentation

By Technology

Machine learning

Natural language processing

Image processing

Speech recognition

By Application

Government & Defense

BFSI

Consumer Goods & Retail

IT & Telecom

Healthcare

Energy & Utilities

Manufacturing

Education

Transportation

Others

By Geography

North America US Canada Mexico Rest of North America

Europe Germany UK France Russia Spain Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Singapore Malaysia Rest of Asia Pacific

LAMEA Brazil Argentina UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa Nigeria Rest of LAMEA



Companies Profiled

IPSoft

Rocket Fuel Inc.

Qlik Technologies Inc.,

Microstrategy Inc.,

Brighterion Inc.,

Microsoft Corporation,

Google Inc.,

IBM Corporation,

24/7 Customer Inc.,

Next IT Corporation

Related Reports:

Global Artificial Intelligence Chip Market

Global Deep Learning Market

Global High Performance Computing Market

Global IoT Data Management Market

About Us:

Knowledge Based Value (KBV) Research is a global brand and consulting firm serving all kinds of business verticals, government and non-governmental organizations, and not-for-profit organizations. Our motto is to extend our services that will have a lasting impact on our clients who trust us with their business goals.

Our aim is to transform and customize our services to address the fast changing business needs of our clients. With innovative methods, we seek to empower our research tools with new capabilities that would eventually bring about customer delight, as we understand that businesses evolve.

Media Contact:

Mr. Alan D'Souza

KBV Research

244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1407

New York, N.Y. 10001

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Tel: +1(646)661-6066

Email: query@kbvresearch.comPORTLAND, Oregon, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Technological innovations, increase in disposable income across developing regions, and rise in internet marketing are expected to drive the global baby diapers industry.

Allied Market Research published a report, titled, Baby Diapers Market by Product Type (Cloth Diapers, Disposable Diapers, Training Nappy, Swim Pants, and Biodegradable Diapers), Size [Small & Extra Small (S & XS), Medium (M), Large (L), and Extra Large (XL)], and Age Group [Infants (0-6 Months), Babies & Young Toddlers (6-18 months), Toddlers (18-24 months), and Children above 2 years]: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018-2025. The report offers a detailed analysis of the top investment pockets, changing market dynamics, market size & forecasts, major market segments, and competitive landscape. According to the report, the global baby diapers market generated $48.12 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $78.42 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 6.3% from 2018 to 2025.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg )



Increase in healthcare expenditure, surge in infant population, and rise in internet marketing drive the growth of the industry. However, stringent government regulations would restrict the market growth. Conversely, technological innovations and increase in awareness across rural areas would create new pathways for the market players.

Request Sample Report at:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/379

Disposable diaperssegment to generate the highest revenue, biodegradable diapers to grow the fastest

The disposable diapers segment contributed nearly two-thirds of the total share in 2017 and is expected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. This is due to the ability of these products to transform liquid water into a slush-like solid substance as well as prevent skin rashes. However, biodegradable diapers segment would grow at the fastest CAGR of 10.0% from 2018 to 2025, owing to environmental concerns due to use of disposable diapers and growing awareness of biodegradable diapers. The study also analyzes other product types such as cloth diapers, training nappy, and swim pants.

Medium-sized diaperssegment to maintain itslead by 2025

The medium (M) sized diapers segment accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total market share in 2017. This segment would maintain its lion's share by 2025, owing to the large infant population. On the other hand, the small & extra small (S & XS) sized diapers segment would grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.5% from 2018 to 2025, owing to high birth rate in countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and South Africa. The report also discusses large (L) and extra large (XL) segments.

Babies & young toddlers segment to generate highest revenue by 2025

The babies & young toddlers (6-18 months) segment contributed nearly one-third of the total market share in 2017 and is estimated to continue its dominance throughout the forecast period. This is due rise in population of working women who find it convenient and time-saving to use diapers for their babies. However, the infants (0-6 months) segment would register the fastest CAGR of 7.0% from 2018 to 2025, owing to surge in R&D activities to improve the quality and design of diapers. The research also analyzes other segments namely, toddlers (18-24 months) and children above 2 years.

For Purchase Enquiry:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/379

North Americato remain dominant, Asia-Pacificto grow the fastest

North America contributed nearly one-third of the total market share in 2017, owing to rise in awareness, large base of working women, and presence of prominent manufacturers. This segment is expected to maintain its lead position throughout the forecast period. However, huge infant population in India and China would enable the Asia-Pacific region to grow at the fastest CAGR of 7.4% from 2018 to 2025.

Frontrunners of the industry

The report analyzes major market players including Procter & Gamble, Essity Aktiebolag (publ), Kimberly-Clark, Unicharm Corporation, Hengan International Group Company Limited, Bumkins, KAO Corporation, First Quality Enterprises Inc., Ontex Group NV, and Domtar Corporation. These companies have adopted strategies, such as expansions, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, collaborations, joint ventures, and others to sustain the intense competition in the industry.

Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree

Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas.

Similar Reports:

Baby Infant Formula Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017 - 2023

Baby Products Detergents Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017 - 2023

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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help@alliedmarketresearch.com



Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.comEdmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - Grizzly Discoveries Inc. (TSXV: GZD) (OTCQB: GZDIF) (FSE: G6H) ("Grizzly" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has appointed Jo Price, M.Sc., MBA, P. Geo as a Director to serve until the Company's next Annual General Meeting.

Grizzly is also pleased to announce that Kinross Gold Corporation's wholly owned subsidiary, KG Exploration (Canada) Inc. ("Kinross") has informed Grizzly that they have completed the drill program within the Greenwood Project, located near Greenwood in southern B.C., as announced on July 26, 2018.

In addition, the Company has begun exploration activities at its recently acquired Robocop property by mobilization of a field crew in advance of an airborne geological survey.

JO PRICE APPOINTED TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

On September 24, 2018, the Company's Board of Directors appointed Jo Price, M.Sc., MBA, P.Geo., as an interim appointment to the Board of Directors. Jo is an independent geological consultant to a number of junior mining and exploration companies with more than 20 years in the field, including 10 years in project management. She has worked on multiple gold, poly-metallic, and graphite projects in the USA, Australia, and Canada. Jo has a Bachelor of Science in Geology (1995) from the University of Wales, College of Cardiff, and a Master of Science in Geology (1997) from Dalhousie University in Halifax. Jo is a professional geologist registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) and Association of Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC). During her career, Jo has managed multi-million dollar exploration programs overseeing technical direction, budgets, and operations. She has extensive experience in field operations, drill programs, technical database administration, land management, community relations, and exploration permitting in multiple jurisdictions. Jo currently serves as Vice President of Exploration for K2 Gold Corp.

Brian Testo, President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, states that "Jo's experience and skill sets will make her an excellent addition to Grizzly's Board and we are very excited to have her on our team."

GREENWOOD

Kinross undertook a planned 1,200 m drill program at the Midway area during July and August, 2018, to continue the proof of concept drilling at the Midway Epithermal Target intersected in 2017. Proof-of-concept drilling in 2017 intersected silicification, alteration, anomalous geochemistry, and minor quartz veining in 2 out of 3 holes along strike, warranting further follow-up exploration. Further details of the results will be provided from Kinross once logging, sampling and assaying is completed.

The portions of the Greenwood Project being explored by Kinross, 100% owned by Grizzly Discoveries Inc., includes 131 claims that form a contiguous package totaling approximately 27,346 hectares, representing approximately one third of Grizzly's land holdings at Greenwood. Kinross can earn a 75% interest on the optioned land pursuant to an Option Agreement dated September 2015 by incurring US$3 million in exploration expenditures no later than September 23, 2020.

ROBOCOP

Grizzly mobilized a field crew to the 100% owned Robocop Cobalt-Copper-Silver (Co-Cu-Ag) project near Roosville in southeast B.C., as announced on August 13, 2018. The field crew, provided by APEX Geoscience Ltd., conducted and has completed a two week surface exploration program in advance of a follow-up airborne geophysical survey. Results for the fieldwork are pending.

The Robocop claims comprise 9,891 acres and are located in southeast B.C., approximately 45 kilometres (km) south of Fernie and 70 km southeast of Cranbrook, immediately north of the Canada-USA border. The property is located east of Grizzly's Greenwood Property in southeastern British Columbia.

Grizzly has submitted three Notices of Work ("NOW") programs to the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines & Petroleum Resources. The planned programs cover planned exploration, including planned drilling, at the Ket 28 - Dayton and Motherlode target areas in the Greenwood Project area on lands not under option to Kinross. The third NOW program will cover potential cobalt-copper-silver (Co-Cu-Ag) drill targets at the Company's 100% owned Robocop Project to be tested this fall or next spring after completion of an airborne survey and surface exploration activities planned during August and September 2018.

ABOUT GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.

Grizzly is a diversified Canadian mineral exploration company with its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange with 62 million shares issued, focused on developing its precious and base metals properties in southeastern British Columbia along with significant Potash assets in Alberta. The Company holds over 180,000 acres of precious-base metal properties at its Greenwood Project; additionally, Grizzly holds 9,891 acres with Co-Cu-Ag mineralization at its Robocop Property, both located in southeastern British Columbia. The Company also holds more than 160,000 acres of properties which host diamondiferous kimberlites in the Buffalo Head Hills region of Alberta; and metallic and industrial mineral permits for potash totaling more than 60,000 acres along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.

The content of this news release and the Company's technical disclosure has been reviewed and approved by Michael B. Dufresne, M. Sc., P. Geol., who is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

On behalf of the Board,

GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.

Brian Testo

CEO, President

Tel: (780) 693-2242

For further information, please visit our website at www.grizzlydiscoveries.com or contact:

Nancy Massicotte, Investor Relations

IR PRO COMMUNICATIONS INC.

Tel: 604-507-3377

Toll Free: 1-866-503-3377

Email: ir@grizzlydiscoveries.com

www.irprocommunications.com

or

Ian Lambert

COO, Grizzly Discoveries Inc.

Tel: 416-840-9843

Email: ilambert@grizzlydiscoveries.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



Caution concerning forward-looking information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Grizzly in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Grizzly's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon.

Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management's Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. Grizzly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required by law.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - Edison Cobalt Corp (TSXV: EDDY) ("Edison Cobalt" or the "Company") is pleased to announce additional prospecting from the historic Thomas Edison mine and along the fracture zone that hosts the Thomas Edison mine and Shakt-Davis mine, located ~1 km to the west. (Click here to view Map) (http://edisoncobalt.com/figures-from-press-releases/).

Neil Pettigrew, President and CEO said: "The Fracture zone which hosts both the Shakt-Davis and Thomas Edison Mines was traced over a strike length >1.5 kilometers during the summer mapping program. We are highly encouraged by the fact that 1/3 of the prospecting samples collected along this fracture zone returned >0.1% cobalt, which demonstrates that the fracture zone hosts significant cobalt mineralization."

To date a total of 167 samples (32 in 2017 and 135 in 2018) have been collected from the fracture zone that hosts the Shakt-Davis and Thomas Edison mines. Of the 167 samples collected 34% returned 0.1% cobalt and 16% returned >1% cobalt, confirming the fracture zone hosts significant cobalt mineralization. Significant results (>0.5% cobalt) from the 2017 summer prospecting program targeting the Shakt-Davis/Thomas Edison fracture zones are tabulated in Table 1.

Table 1. Shakt-Davis/Thomas Edison Fracture Zones Prospecting Results.

Sample

Number Material Co wt.

% Au

g/t Ag

g/t Cu wt.

% Ni wt.

% Pb wt.

% Zn wt.

% Bi wt.

% 469011 Waste Pile 2.36 0.35 10.3 0.08 1.39 1.37 0.01 4.41 469012 Waste Pile 6.13 0.17 0.9 0.01 2.22 0.01 0.01 0.07 469014 Waste Pile 2.09 0.00 0.1 0.00 0.13 0.01 0.01 0.02 469016 Waste Pile 1.02 0.01 0.1 0.00 0.07 0.01 0.01 0.02 760003 Waste Pile 0.50 0.04 2.9 0.01 0.76 0.00 0.02 0.41 760023 Waste Pile 2.45 0.02 0.9 0.03 0.17 0.00 0.00 0.01 760061 Waste Pile 0.78 0.01 0.1 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 760062 Waste Pile 0.67 0.00 0.1 0.00 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 760063 Waste Pile 0.75 0.00 0.1 0.00 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 760064 Waste Pile 2.90 0.00 0.3 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.01 760067 Waste Pile 1.69 0.00 0.4 0.00 0.07 0.00 0.01 0.01 760068 Outcrop 0.64 0.00 0.1 0.00 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 760072 Waste Pile 0.58 0.00 0.9 0.02 0.05 0.01 0.02 0.03 760073 Waste Pile 1.02 0.00 1.3 0.00 0.06 0.00 0.01 0.01 760103 Outcrop 0.55 0.00 0.1 0.00 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 760104 Outcrop 1.24 0.01 1.7 0.01 0.07 0.01 0.00 0.01 760111 Outcrop 0.51 0.00 0.1 0.01 0.06 0.00 0.01 0.00 760113 Outcrop 0.62 0.00 0.1 0.00 0.07 0.00 0.00 0.00 760114 Outcrop 5.79 0.18 0.9 0.00 1.99 0.00 0.00 0.06 760152 Waste Pile 0.54 0.01 0.1 0.00 0.06 0.00 0.01 0.00 760157 Waste Pile 1.06 0.01 1.3 0.22 0.09 0.01 0.00 0.02 760162 Waste Pile 4.10 0.01 0.6 0.00 0.17 0.00 0.00 0.02 760165 Waste Pile 1.15 0.01 0.1 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.02 760166 Waste Pile 0.68 0.01 0.1 0.01 0.13 0.00 0.00 0.01 760167 Waste Pile 0.55 0.02 0.4 0.02 0.07 0.00 0.00 0.00 760178 Waste Pile 0.99 0.03 5.0 0.23 0.06 0.01 0.01 0.01

Grey Italicized assays were previously reported (see News Release September 11th, 2018)

Exploration Update

Edison Cobalt's summer exploration program (see news release August 13, 2018) is ongoing. A total of 2,620 metres (21 holes) have been completed and sent for analysis, extensive geological mapping and prospecting will continue till mid-fall. The Exploration Program aims to delineate the full extent of the fracture system hosting the three historic mines on the Property: Thomas Edison, Shakt-Davis, and Kittson mines, as well as within the large western claim group acquired in late 2017. Additional results from these programs will be released as they become available.

About the Kittson-Cobalt Project

The Project is located near the town of Cobalt in northeast Ontario, Canada. The Project hosts the historic Thomas Edison, Shakt-Davis and Kittson mines, as well as numerous historic workings, the deepest extending down to 628 feet, and over 2,500 feet of lateral workings. Cobalt mineralization occurs in Proterozoic-aged quartz-carbonate veins hosted in brittle shears in Nipissing diabase. This style of mineralization is similar to that of the famous Cobalt Silver Camp located ~15 km east of the Property, which produced 420 million ounces of silver with cobalt as a significant by-product. Veins hosting the mineralization at the Kittson-Cobalt Project differ from the typical Cobalt Silver Camp veins in that they are lower in silver but richer in cobalt and are associated with significant gold. Historic reports from the Shakt-Davis mine indicate values of 1.5% Co over 1.37 metres and select grab samples returning up to 4% Co and 93.3 g/t Au. Locally significant nickel, copper and to a lesser extend lead, zinc and bismuth also occur within the quartz-carbonate veins.

About Edison Cobalt Corp.

Edison Cobalt Corp. is a Canadian-based junior mining exploration company focused on the procurement, exploration and development of cobalt, lithium and other energy metals in North and South America. Edison Cobalt' acquisition strategy focuses on acquiring affordable, cost-effective and highly regarded mineral properties in areas with proven geological potential. The Company's shares are listed and posted for trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "EDDY", the OTC Pinks under the symbol "PWMRF", and on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol "VV0".

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P.Geo., President & CEO and a director of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

"Neil Pettigrew"



Neil Pettigrew

President & CEO

For more information please contact:

Howard Milne V.P. Business Development

Tel: (604) 377-8994 Email: hdmcap@shaw.ca

Website: www.edisoncobalt.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - Nicola Mining Inc. (TSXV: NIM), (the "Company" or "Nicola") is pleased to announce and confirm the presence of a previously unexplored mineralized zone north of the historic Craigmont open pit. The near-surface zone is located within the boundaries of Nicola's active Mine Permit M-68. Nicola targeted the area after historic data and recent mapping from the Company's 2017 and 2018 Exploration Programs revealed the potential of mineralization north of the pit.

The second exploratory diamond drill hole (CC-18-02) targeting the northern extension of the Craigmont Pit Halo (the "Mineralized Halo") (Figure 1) was located approximately 100 metres from the pit and intercepted 1.05% Copper over 73.6 meters. The results confirm the existence of an in-situ mineralized halo adjacent to the Craigmont pit that is within the Craigmont Central exploration area. The mineralization within the hole appeared unique because, in addition to chalcopyrite, the presence of bornite was seen for the first time. Bornite often occurs closer to the source of high-temperature source of copper mineralization.

Intercepts from CC-18-02 include:

150 Metres grading 0.54% Cu, including 73.6 Metres grading 1.05% Cu 30.7 Metres grading 2.1% Cu 1.5 Metres grading 9.6% Cu and 1.5 Metres grading 9.8% Cu



Frank Hogel, Chairman commented, "It is becoming increasingly clear that this is a very special project. The Company understands the importance of combining the zones to create one large consolidated deposit. We look forward to providing additional exploration and operational updates in subsequent news releases."

Nicola continues to follow up by drilling additional holes to the east and west along the predicted strike orientation in a previously un-drilled area within Craigmont Central.

Figure 1: Pit Halo Leapfrog Model Highlighting Grades 0.5% - 1.0% Cu

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4873/38886_a1537832082102_25.jpg

Craigmont Central

A key target planned for Nicola Mining's 2018 Exploration Program is exploration of a Mineralized Halo, which represents an outward zonation of mineralization within the altered wall rock of the skarn deposit, particularly along the contact between the Guichon and the Nicola group rocks.

A diamond drilling program is currently underway in a previously undrilled area, 100 meters north of the Historic Craigmont open pit. Continuity of mineralization along strike to the East of hole CC-18-02 has been observed in hole CC-18-03 (assays pending) and step-out hole CC-18-04 is currently being drilled to the west of CC-18-02

This mineralization occurs within an unexplored zone that is within the active mine permit. While historic Craigmont ore bodies are well-delineated and documented, previous operators conducted minimal exploration beyond proven ore bodies grading below 2.0% copper. The Company's exploration program continues to target known mineralized zones within the skarn units that were under explored by previous operators. In addition, the Company plans to drill untested porphyry targets which may represent the source of the known skarn hosted copper mineralization of the historic Craigmont mine.

Within Craigmont Central, the western extension of the Pit Halo is well documented in various historic reports including a report produced by Jim Bristow P Eng., which documents a mineralized halo of approximately 50.0 million tonnes surrounding the underground workings, grading over 0.4% Cu. This mineralized halo was never mined by previous operators.

The 2018 Exploration Program focuses on testing previously unexplored sections of the property with the intention of working towards a maiden resource estimate for New Craigmont.

Overall Plan / Vision

The exploration program announced in the Company's July 19, 2018 news release is on track, with diamond drilling, reverse circulation drilling and an induced polarization geophysical survey underway. The objective of the program is to test the following five key zones:

Waste Piles (80-90 million tonnes)

Craigmont Central which hosts the Pit Halo

Craigmont West (which returned 101.1 metres of 1.33% Cu in Hole 2018-03 as announced in the Company's, April 2, 2018 news release)

news release) Northwest Promontory porphyry target

East Promontory porphyry target

The Company does not view the five targets as standalone programs, but, rather, all five targets add to the overall viability and resource of the New Craigmont Project as a whole.

Upon completion and releasing news on the other five 2018 Exploration target zones, the Company will be able to provide a better picture of one substantial project.

Peter Espig, CEO commented, "The initial drill result is very exciting, not only because of the high-grade copper mineralization, but also because of the existence of bornite. As highlighted by the Bristow Report, we are starting with a solid base that we will continue to add to with exploration."

Scientific and Technical Information

All information of a scientific or technical nature contained in this document, including sampling, analytical and test data has been reviewed and approved by Kevin Wells, P. Geo., a consulting Geologist to Nicola Mining. Wells is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Sample Preparation, Analysis and Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Nicola Mining applies a thorough quality assurance/quality control program at the New Craigmont Project compliant with industry best practices. A qualified geoscientist has logged and sampled all core and samples have been delimited according to lithologic, alteration and mineralization characteristics. This includes systematic insertion of blank, duplicate and certified reference materials into the sample batches by Nicola's geological staff. Core is then halved, where the sample is placed in a labelled sample bag with sample tag and the other half of the core is retained on site as a physical record. Samples are placed in sealed bags and transported to Actlabs (ISO 17025 Certified) in Kamloops, British Columbia for analysis, following a Chain of Custody. Samples are crushed up to 80% passing 2mm, rifle split (250 g) and pulverized to 95% passing 105 m. Samples are analyzed using Aqua Regia-ICP-OES 38-element (1E3) packages. All samples greater than 10,000 ppm Copper are tested using over-limit mass spectrometry methods (8-AR). All results included in this release have passed the QA/QC procedures as described above and have been reviewed by Kevin Wells, P.Geo. There are no known factors that could materially affect the reliability of data collected and verified. No quality assurance/quality control issues have been identified to date.

About Nicola Mining

Nicola Mining Inc. is a junior mining company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and is in the process of recommencing mill feed processing operations at its 100% owned state-of-the-art mill and tailings facility, located near Merritt, British Columbia. It has already signed four mill profit share agreements with high grade gold producers. The fully-permitted mill can process both gold and silver mill feed via gravity and flotation processes. The Company also owns 100% of Treasure Mountain, a high-grade silver property, and an active gravel pit that is located adjacent to its milling operations.

About New Craigmont

The New Craigmont Project (the "Property") is a wholly-owned copper property with an active mine permit (M-68), located within the world-class Highland Valley porphyry district. It benefits from excellent infrastructure. The Property is at the corner intersection of the Nicola and Guichon batholiths, of which the latter is the precursor to mineralization at Highland Valley. In November of 2015, Nicola became the first group in decades to consolidate ownership of the Property and has been actively conducting mineral exploration since.

There are currently no mineral resource estimates on the Property. Historical "non-NI 43-101" resource calculations are recorded in internal memos and geological reports for Placer Development. An internal memo written by J.F. Bristow on October 30, 1985 to Craigmont Mines Ltd. reported a zone known as Body No. 3 containing a historic estimate of 1,290,000 tons (1,170,268 metric tonnes) of copper grading1.53% copper. This estimate assumes a 0.7% copper cut-off and a 20-foot mining width between drill sections 6565E and 8015E. The material in Body No. 3 contains mineralization primarily in silicate-rich rocks.

Additionally, J.F. Bristow reported in an internal memo on July 22, 1985 to Craigmont Mines Ltd., a rough calculation of 60,000,000 pounds (1.6 million short tons or 1.45 metric tonnes) of +1.5% copper from an original ore estimate of 27,754,000 short tons (25,178,005 metric tonnes) of copper grading1.79% copper left behind in the sub-level cave. In addition, the Bristow report highlights a 50.0 million tonne halo grading greater than 0.4% surrounding the high-grade underground ore body.

It should be noted that these historical estimates do not meet the requirements needed to conform to National Instrument 43-101 standards. The Company notes that an independent Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to verify and classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources and is therefore not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. For further details on the Property, see the technical report entitled "TECHNICAL REPORT on the THULE COPPER - IRONPROPERTY, Southern British Columbia, Canada", filed on May 8, 2013 on Sedar at www.sedar.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Peter Espig"

Peter Espig

CEO & Director

For additional information

Contact: Peter Espig

Phone: (778) 385-1213

Email: info@nicolamining.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

DISCLAIMER FOR FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements that address future exploration and drilling plans, including with respect to the 2018 DD Program; the expected information to be derived therefrom; and potential mineralization. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "potential", and similar expressions, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "should", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of the Company to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: changes in 2018 DD Program parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks related to the interpretation and actual results of historical exploration at the Property; reliance on technical information provided by third parties, including access to historical information on the Property; current exploration and development activities; current economic conditions; future prices of commodities; possible variations in grade or recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; and delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of exploration. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date hereof and accordingly is subject to change after such date. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information included in this news release, except as required by applicable securities laws.Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - FluroTech Ltd. (TSXV: TEST), ("FluroTech" or the "Company"), is pleased to report that preliminary Good Manufacturing Practice ("GMP") validation testing, done by the Drug Development and Innovation Center at the University of Alberta, of the CompleTest cannabinoid assays for THCa and CBDa were recorded at less than 2% difference when compared to the industry quality control standard High Performance Liquid Chromatography ("HPLC") technology.

HPLC analytic equipment is considered highly technical to operate and reasonably expensive to purchase with measurement results that are relatively slow. The use of the CompleTest provides a tremendous opportunity for cultivators to benefit from FluroTech's technology providing ease of use, rapid measurement, high accuracy and low operating cost.

"This is a tool that no modern medical cannabis cultivator can go without. It takes all the guess work out of crop production," stated, Dr. MacMillan, Director of Scientific Research and Business Development.

FluroTech's technology provides an evidence-based solution for making critical operational decisions related to chemotypic plant screening and selection, breeding or determining the optimal time to harvest crops to maximize cannabinoid concentrations.

About CompleTest

CompleTest is FluroTech's flagship brand and product line. CompleTest is a portable, cost-effective, state-of-the-art cannabis testing device, able to provide quick, accurate and consistent testing results. It is designed for cultivators, dispensaries and anyone with a vested interest in consumer safety to test the quality and safety of their cannabis products and to optimize potency yield.

About FluroTech (TSXV: TEST)

FluroTech is a technology and marketing company whose core business is focused on the commercialization of new technologies in the cannabis industry. FluroTech's proprietary spectroscopy-based technology allows for the testing and identification of organic and inorganic compounds contained within biological samples. Using the technology that was developed at the University of Calgary in conjunction with the University of Alberta, FluroTech has developed a two-part solution comprising an instrument called the CompleTest and consumable testing kits.

To learn more, visit www.FluroTech.com and watch our video.

Contact Information

FluroTech Ltd.

Alistair Ross Technology Centre

Suite 111, 3553-31 Street NW

Calgary, AB T2L 2K7

info@flurotech.com

Danny Dalla-Longa

Chief Executive Officer

403.680.0644

danny@flurotech.com

Prit Singh

IR - Thesis Capital Inc.

905.510.7636

psingh@thesiscapital.ca





FluroTech Logo



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5928/38892_fllogo.jpg



Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally refers to information about an issuer's business, capital, or operations that is prospective in nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about the issuer's prospective financial performance or financial position. The forward-looking information in this news release includes disclosure about the future performance of the Company.

The Company made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to prevailing market conditions and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties to develop the forward-looking information in this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, adverse market conditions and regulatory and other risks associated with the medical cannabis industry in general. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive.

The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESCHICAGO, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the new market research report on the "Blow-fill-seal Technology Market by Material (Polypropylene & Polyethylene), Product (Bottles, Vials, Ampoules), End-use Industry (Pharmaceutical), and Region (North & South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size is projected to grow from USD 292.3 million in 2018 to reach USD 386.0 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 5.71%.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg )



For more Insights on this report,Speak to Our Analyst:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalyst.asp?id=151867774

Browse in-depth TOC on "Blow-fill-seal Technology Market"

160 - Tables

23 - Figures

139 - Pages



https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/blow-fill-seal-technology-market-151867774.html



The global Blow-fill-seal Technology Market is growing steadily owing to the rise in manufacturing activities and growth in demand for conveniently packaged products. The increase in demand from the pharmaceutical industry also provides an opportunity for market growth, especially in the emerging Asia Pacific and South American regions.

Polypropylene technology segment, by material, projected to lead during the forecast period

The polypropylene segment is projected to account for the largest share in 2018, mainly because of the growth in consumption of single unit dose drug products. Polypropylene is a versatile and cost-effective raw material; it is highly resistant to a wide variety of chemical solutions, such as acids and solvents with a temperature range of up to 10000C. Growth of the pharmaceutical industry also provides an opportunity for the growth of the Blow-fill-seal Technology Market due to the rise in consumption of polypropylene material for the manufacture of bottles, vials, and ampoules using the BFS technology, especially in the emerging markets of Asia Pacific and South America.

Request for PDF Brochure:https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=151867774

Bottles segment, by product, to grow at the CAGR during the forecast period

Products such as vials, ampoules, bottles, and pre-filled syringes & injectables are manufactured using the blow-fill-seal technology. There is high demand from pharmaceutical manufacturers for the BFS technology which provides versatility in the quick changeover between many different packaging formats to accurately and aseptically pack single doses; this segment is thus projected to be the fastest-growing in the Blow-fill-seal Technology Market.

Pharmaceutical segment, by end-use industry, is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The demand for the BFS technology in the pharmaceutical sector is growing due to the increasing demand for advanced aseptic technology. The BFS technology is mainly used to fill parental preparations as this is done with minimum contamination, and therefore, the principal demand is from the pharmaceutical segment. The BFS technology has a high potential demand from the food & beverage sector, as a growing number of food & beverage manufacturers are using advanced aseptic processing technologies, such as the BFS technology to minimize the risk of contamination in filling and packaging products. The rising demand from these industries is expected to drive the BFS technology market during the forecast period.

Asia Pacific to lead the Blow-fill-seal Technology Market by 2023

On the basis of key regions, the Blow-fill-seal Technology Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa. The Asia Pacific region is estimated to account for the largest share among all the regions in 2018, and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2023, in terms of value. This can be mainly attributed to the increase in demand for the blow-fill-seal technology in China and Japan coupled with the growth in the pharmaceutical industry in these countries. The urbanized population is shifting its preference to healthy and safe packaged products owing to the rise in disposable incomes.

The major players include Catalent (US), Recipharm (Sweden), Rommelag (Germany), Unither Pharmaceuticals (France), Pharmapack (Japan), Unipharma (US), Curida (Norway), Weiler Engineering (US), The Ritedose Corporation (US), and Unicep Packaging (US). These companies have adopted strategies, such as acquisitions, expansions, and agreements to meet the increase in demand in emerging markets.

Packaging Market Research Reports & Consulting

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Shelly Singh

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com



Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/blow-fill-seal-technology-market.asp

Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.comLONDON, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

A recent survey of US ag retail businesses from Proagrica showed that future-proofing is one of the dominant pain points for ag retailers of all sizes. Many also were concerned with the need to offer better customer services to remain competitive in the face of marketplace fluctuations.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/473567/Proagrica_Logo.jpg )



"Ag retailers and manufacturers in particular are well positioned to take full advantage of connected network capabilities," said Graeme McCracken, Managing Director at Proagrica. "The opportunities for business growth in the agriculture supply chain are endless but how do you get there? The answer isn't to endlessly add new software or equipment. This just results in a patchwork of cluttered processes that do little to solve the underlying problem and might even hinder company growth. The answer is connectivity - a solution that effortlessly links established company systems and data to your wider business network, without the need to worry about compatibility or human error."

In its mission to guide the industry towards 100% connectivity, Proagrica aims to cut through the confused discussion and half-measures, proposing a transformative approach to data connectivity that rethinks conventional business practice and system architecture.

"Despite a great deal of progress, businesses in the agriculture supply chain have not adopted new technologies at the same rate as other industries and risk missing out if they don't seize the new capabilities provided by advances in connected systems and tech," said Mr McCracken. "Proagrica has played a major role in spearheading connectivity between agricultural businesses, and our driving towards 100% connectivity is about data solutions that boost value and efficiency across the supply chain."

What does 100% connectivity mean for businesses?

Towards 100% connectivity is focused on bringing advanced data capabilities to businesses in the agriculture supply chain, with the aim of getting business' own ERP systems connected and transacting electronically with suppliers and customers either through EDI, OCR or a Portal. Reports into the benefits of integration, including those from respected research companies Forrester, Gartner, and the Aberdeen Group, have shown that electronically connected solutions not only aid in delivering increased profitability, but eliminate many common pitfalls in business that result in lower customer retention, satisfaction, and business growth:

Automated ordering: Electronic transactions remove every stage of an order that could be potentially slowed down or distorted by human input. A major manufacturer/supplier calculated the benefit per EDI order to be $37 (Forrester Research)

(Forrester Research) Quick response: Customers can receive a much faster response, with real-time updates directly from the supplier. Leading businesses reported 92% (Aberdeen Group) reduction in time spent processing an invoice

Improved efficiency: Eliminate the errors - and resulting costs - incurred from manual data entry. No more wasted time or correcting the fallout from simple mistakes, with results showing costs falling by 70% to 90% for each order process (Gartner).

Increased customer loyalty: All of the above combine to drastically increase a business' value offering, greatly boosting return business and retention.

Although digital solutions and business software for agribusiness have previously been available, Proagrica are the first to offer an entire suite of advanced tech options for the agriculture sector. Combining the world leading tech expertise of RELX and a deep understanding and experience of the agriculture industry, Proagrica are uniquely positioned to transform the agribusiness sector towards 100% connectivity.

Proagrica global supply chain network

Proagrica's agriculture network is already utilized by many businesses across the world, keen to take advantage of the benefits it provides in integration and data analytics. In Europe alone, 10m messages and $750m in trade are transmitted every year via the portals and EDIs used by agriculture supply chain businesses within the network. For new users, this means connecting your business instantly with a vast network, already populated by major players in the industry.

"Essentially, the solutions are out there," said Mr McCracken. "Many of the annoyances and costs we take for granted in business simply don't have to exist. This isn't about innovative tech coming in the future, that might create a change. The tech is here. It's simple, it's powerful and it's scalable with whatever direction your business may take.

A wave of businesses are already reaping the benefits. Moving towards 100% connectivity means that every business in the supply chain has the chance to thrive and grow, despite the changing industry. It's about taking that first step and finding what works for your business and your customers."

Your business can become more informed, efficient and connected through improved data analytics. Find out more atwww.proagrica.com/towards-100/

About Proagrica

Proagrica, part of RELX Group, is a global provider of independent connectivity and data-driven support solutions for the agriculture industry. We deliver actionable intelligence to drive business growth across the value chain. Our superior products and services connect and empower industry participants to address their key needs around trading, productivity and compliance.

Our solutions are built around the key competences of data connectivity and data analytics delivering seamless supply chain management, supply chain standards compliance, and customer insight and engagement, essential for businesses looking to improve their value offering and expand in the modern marketplace.

Proagrica also encompasses performance-boosting farm management software brand Farmplan, and industry-leading media platforms, Farmers Weekly and Boerderij.

Proagrica.com

About RELX Group

RELX Group is a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs about 30,000 people of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX.





For further information please contact:

Sarah Riley

Account Director

rdp

sriley@rdp.co.uk

+44-(0)-1452-429-175

VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the latest market report published by Future Market Insights titled 'MRI-Guided Neurosurgical Ablation Market: Global Industry Analysis 2013-2017 and Opportunity Assessment 2018-2028', the global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period 2018-2028 and reach US$ 216.3 Mn by the end of 2028.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/677274/Future_Market_Insights_Logo.jpg )



Global MRI-guided Neurosurgical Ablation Market: Dynamics

The per capita healthcare expenditure is currently following an uptrend across both developed and developing economies, which has made possible to implement quality patient care treatment options. The growing awareness regarding minimally surgery is expected to fuel the demand for MRI-guided neurosurgical system in the global market. The demand for MRI-guided neurosurgical system is primarily emanating from countries such as the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and Australia due to factors such as enhanced emergency room services coupled with affordability. According to a study published by the Oxford University in 2017, the overall incidence of brain cancer worldwide was 264,241 with prevalence of 5.57 per 100,000 people. The MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation system is more often used for the treatment of brain cancer, hence rising prevalence of brain cancer is expected to boost the growth of the market over the next decade. The MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation system requires a skilled neurosurgeon to perform the surgery efficiently, thereby shortage of neurosurgical workforce is a factor expected to hamper the growth of the MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market.

Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2514

Global MRI-guided Neurosurgical Ablation Market: Forecast

The global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market is segmented on the basis of product type, end users and regions. On the basis of product type, the global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market has been segmented into MRI-guided laser therapy systems, MRI-guided RF ablation systems, MRI-guided focused ultrasound system and accessories. The MRI-guided ultrasound focused system segment is expected to grow at a significant rate as the use of the system omits the need of an incision, which is required during the surgical procedure. The accessories segment is expected to dominate the global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market due to increasing adoption of minimally invasive surgery throughout the globe. The MRI-guided laser therapy systems segment is projected to witness significant growth compared to the MRI-guided RF ablation systems segment, and to reach the market value of US$ 30.9 Mn by 2028 with a CAGR of 4.0% over the forecast period.

On the basis of end users, the MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market has been segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and research laboratories. The hospitals segment is expected to dominate the global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market in 2018 as a large number of patients visit hospitals for the treatment of brain cancer. The ambulatory surgical center segment is estimated to account a high value share of 33.0% of the global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market by 2018 end and is expected to account for 30.2% share of the global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market by 2028 end.

Preview Analysis Global MRI Guided Neurosurgical Ablation Market Segmentation By Product type (MRI Guided Laser Therapy Systems, MRI Guided RF Ablation Systems, MRI Guided Focused Ultrasound Systems, Accessories, Probes, Electrodes); By End User (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Research Laboratories): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mri-guided-neurosurgical-ablation-market

On the basis of region, the MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market has been segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan, China, Japan and Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market with maximum value share in 2017, as MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation system were installed in more than 70 hospitals in the U.S. One-third of MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market share by value is accounted by the U.S. due to increasing prevalence of cancer and rising adoption of minimally invasive surgeries. China and APECJ are the fast-growing regional markets for MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation due to rising prevalence of brain cancer and expansion strategies followed by the key manufacturers in the regions. Latin America and MEA are expected to witness sluggish growth in the global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market due to low awareness regarding MRI-guided neurosurgery and lack of medical professionals.

Global MRI-guided Neurosurgical Ablation Market: Competitive Landscape

Examples of some of the top players operating in the global MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation market are Medtronic plc, Boston Scientific Corporation, Insightec Lmt, AngioDynamics Inc, Monteris Medical Inc, and MRI Intervention Inc. Maintaining and expanding international presence is an important long-term growth strategy of the leading manufacturers of MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation system. In addition, the manufacturers of MRI-guided neurosurgical ablation systems are investing in the emerging markets to strengthen their sales and service capabilities and gain maximum market share.

Our advisory services are aimed at helping you with specific, customised insights that are relevant to your specific challenges. Let us know about your challenges and our trusted advisors will connect with you: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-2514

More from FMI's Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Medical devices:

Smart Insulin Pens Market Segmentation By Indication - Diabetes Type I, Diabetes Type II; By Connectivity - Bluetooth Connected Smart Insulin Pen, USB Connected Smart Insulin Pen; By Distribution Channel - Clinics and Ambulatory Surgical Centres, E-Commerce, Retail Pharmacies: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/smart-insulin-pens-market

Segmentation By Indication - Diabetes Type I, Diabetes Type II; By Connectivity - Bluetooth Connected Smart Insulin Pen, USB Connected Smart Insulin Pen; By Distribution Channel - Clinics and Ambulatory Surgical Centres, E-Commerce, Retail Pharmacies: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/smart-insulin-pens-market Varicose Vein Treatment Market Segmentation By End User - Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centres, Specialised Clinics; By Treatment Type - Endovenous Laser Systems (Diode Lasers, Yag Lasers), Endovenous Laser Fibres (Bare Tip Laser Fibres, Radial Tip Laser Fibres, Gold Tip Laser Fibres), Treatment (Non-Thermal Ablation, Radiofrequency Ablation, Sclerotherapy): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/varicose-veins-treatment-devices-market

Segmentation By End User - Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centres, Specialised Clinics; By Treatment Type - Endovenous Laser Systems (Diode Lasers, Yag Lasers), Endovenous Laser Fibres (Bare Tip Laser Fibres, Radial Tip Laser Fibres, Gold Tip Laser Fibres), Treatment (Non-Thermal Ablation, Radiofrequency Ablation, Sclerotherapy): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/varicose-veins-treatment-devices-market Respiratory Devices Market Segmentation By Product Type - Respiratory Consumables (Oxygen Tubing Sets, Breathing Filters), Nebulizers (Compressed Jet Nebulizers, Ultrasonic Nebulizers), Oxygen Concentrators (Home Oxygen Concentrators, Portable Oxygen Concentrators), Positive Airway Pressure (Pap) Devices, Polysomnography Devices, Pulse Oximeters, Mechanical Ventilators, Spirometers; By End User - Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centres, Clinics, Long Term Care Centres, Others: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/respiratory-devices-market

About Us

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends.

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Website: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com25 September 2018

JZ CAPITAL PARTNERS LIMITED (the "Company")

(a closed-end collective investment scheme incorporated as a non-cellular company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registered number 48761)

LEI: 549300TZCK08Q16HHU44

Extraordinary General Meeting

The Board of Directors of the Company is pleased to announce that the resolution proposed at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company held today was duly passed without amendment by the required majorities.

Further details of the resolution are set out in the Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting dated 4 September 2018, copies of which are available on the National Storage Mechanism at: www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm

For information, the following proxy votes (which should be read alongside the Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting) were received prior to the Extraordinary General Meeting:

Votes for Percentage of votes cast for Votes against Percentage of votes cast against Votes withheld Resolution 1 40,598,086 99.75% 102,496 0.25% 8,399,767

Note: A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for or against the resolutions.

For further information:

Ed Berry / Kit Dunford

FTI Consulting +44 (0) 20 3727 1046 / 1143 David Zalaznick

Jordan/Zalaznick Advisers, Inc. +1 (212) 485 9410 Samuel Walden

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited +44 (0) 1481 745385

About JZCP

JZCP is a London listed fund which invests in US and European micro-cap companies and US real estate. Its objective is to achieve an overall return comprised of a current yield and capital appreciation. JZCP receives investment advice from Jordan/Zalaznick Advisers, Inc. ("JZAI") which is led by David Zalaznick and Jay Jordan. They have worked together for 30 years and are supported by teams of investment professionals in New York, Chicago, London and Madrid. JZAI's experts work with the existing management of micro-cap companies to help build better businesses, create value and deliver strong returns for investors. JZCP also invests in mezzanine loans, first and second lien investments and other publicly traded securities. For more information please visit www.jzcp.com.The "Netherlands Frozen Food Market Analysis by Type (Frozen ready meals, Frozen Fish/Seafood, Frozen meat, Frozen pizza, Frozen potato products, Frozen bakery products), by Distribution Channel (Offline, Online) and Trend Analysis, 2014-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Netherlands frozen food market is expected to reach USD 1.77 billion by 2024 and is anticipated to grow further over the forecast period. Increasing employment and working women are among the factors driving the growth of frozen ready meal in the country.

Changing lifestyle, consumer preferences for frozen is anticipated to boost market for frozen food produce over the projected period. Furthermore, hectic schedule and increasing work burden leads to less time for house chores such as cooking food which in turn is projected to boost the demand for frozen food products market in the projected period.

Convenience, flavor, and high nutritional value compared to fresh food products makes frozen food popular among consumers. Availability of varieties of flavors and increasing popularity of Italian dishes have made frozen pizza popular in the country.

As people in the Netherlands mostly preferred organic and domestically produce food, the market players are increasing awareness regarding frozen food category and are also focusing on adding nutritional value to cater larger population. Rising awareness regarding healthy and nutritious foods is anticipated to create more demand for frozen vegetables in Netherlands frozen food market.

Increasing investment by food giants for new product development and extension of existing brand with added benefits are the factors expected to boost the market for frozen food market in the near future. For instance, Dr Schar introduced gluten free and healthy frozen pizza brand.

Offline distribution channels such as supermarket, hypermarket, and small stores has dominated the frozen food industry owing to the prevailing penetration of supermarket in rural areas. Presence of wide food choice, food comparison capabilities, and convenience offered by online retailer is anticipated to boost the online distribution channel over the projected period.

Leading companies in this market are adopting new product development and technological innovation strategies to sustain in competitive environment and expand their presence in the market. Frozen food products are largely undifferentiated in the Netherlands which makes it more difficult to retain buyers and manufacturers to compete through pricing and consumers brand loyalty.

As Dutch people prefer healthier and gluten free products, companies are focusing on providing healthier and gluten free products to increase their market penetration and food offerings. For instance, in 2017, Dr Schar introduced gluten free and healthy frozen pizza brand Schar.

Companies Featured

Oerlemans

Dr. Schar

Duca Frozen Food

West Food Group

Unilever

Royal Cosun

Key Topics Covered

Chapter 1. Executive Summary

Chapter 2. Methodology and Scope

Chapter 3. Introduction

Chapter 4. Frozen Food Market Trends: Drivers Opportunities

Chapter 5. Frozen Food Market Trends, By Food Type

Chapter 6. Frozen Food Market Trends, By Distribution Channel

Chapter 7. Competitive Landscape

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/r6f5jm/netherlands_1?w=4

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005853/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

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For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

Related Topics: Fruit and Vegetables, Pizza, Processed FoodWest Virginia hospital committed to leveraging electronic surveillance platform for early identification and treatment of sepsis

Wolters Kluwer, Health, a leading global provider of trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions, today announced that Cabell Huntington Hospital (CHH) has selected POC Advisor as their enterprise surveillance solution to rapidly and accurately identify and treat sepsis patients. The not-for-profit, regional hospital in West Virginia chose POC Advisor for its evidence-based decision support capabilities, advanced predictive technology and proven effectiveness after testing other sepsis surveillance methods.

"The complex nature of quickly and accurately identifying sepsis is important when selecting an electronic solution. We have to ensure that it does not generate too many false positives, which can lead to alert fatigue," said Dennis Lee, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Cabell Huntington Hospital. "We learned from previous experiences how critical it is to have the appropriate level of alert sensitivity and specificity, which is exactly why we selected POC Advisor. Wolters Kluwer's proven track record and commitment to providing the latest evidence and treatments directly aligns with our mission and values around excellence in patient care."

Cabell Huntington Hospital is a 303-bed teaching hospital that is affiliated with Marshall University Schools of Medicine and Nursing. By integrating POC Advisor into the workflow at the point of care, CHH clinicians will receive patient-specific, evidence-based alerts and advice when they need it most. The platform draws upon real-time patient data from the electronic health record (EHR), including vital signs, medications, physicians' notes, comorbidities and lab results. POC Advisor has demonstrated a 95 percent sensitivity and 82 percent specificity of alerts, as documented in a peer-review study in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA). The study found POC Advisor also helped clinicians reduce sepsis mortality by 50 percent and related 30-day readmissions by 30 percent.

"To accurately and efficiently identify sepsis, Cabell Huntington Hospital needed a solution that could bring surveillance and relevant clinical decision support into the clinician's workflow," said Karen Kobelski, General Manager of Safety and Surveillance at Wolters Kluwer, Health. "POC Advisor addresses this challenge head-on by providing clinicians with trusted medical evidence to empower confident decisions that will improve clinical outcomes while lowering costs."

Nationally, an average 270,000 people in the United States die from sepsis each year and it remains the costliest condition to treat in the U.S., totaling about $27 billion. Worldwide, sepsis is the leading cause of preventable death, affecting 26 million people. However, with an enterprise surveillance and identification solution like POC Advisor, hospitals can lower their sepsis mortality rates and readmissions, along with the length of stay.

CHH will begin implementing the solution in the coming months. For more details on POC Advisor, please visit http://www.pocadvisor.com/.

About Wolters Kluwer

Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL) is a global provider of professional information, software solutions, and services for physicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, tax specialists, and finance, audit, compliance, and regulatory sectors.

The company provides expert solutions a combination of deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services that help professionals navigate change, solve complex problems, and deliver impact in their respective fields.

Headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, Wolters Kluwer holds market-leading positions in 40 countries globally, represents customers across 180 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. In 2017, it reported annual revenues of 4.4 billion.

Wolters Kluwer is a leading global provider of trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth.

For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005882/en/

Contacts:

Wolters Kluwer Health

Andre Rebelo, +1 781-392-2411

Public Relations Manager

andre.rebelo@wolterskluwer.comNovelli and Karofsky appointed co-Presidents Investment Bank

Andrea Orcel to leave UBS

Changes effective 1 October 2018

Regulatory News:

UBS Group AG

(NYSE:UBS) (SWX:UBSN)

Following the decision of Andrea Orcel to accept the role of CEO of Santander Group, and effective 1 October 2018, Piero Novelli and Robert Karofsky will jointly become co-Presidents of the Investment Bank (IB) and members of the Group Executive Board of UBS Group AG. Day to day, Novelli will primarily focus on Corporate Client Solutions (CCS) and Karofsky on Investor Client Services (ICS). Both bring a proven track record in the business and move into their new roles from within UBS.

Piero Novelli re-joined the firm in 2013 and is currently Executive Chairman, CCS, having previously served as Global Head of Advisory and, before that, Chairman of Global M&A. Prior to this he was Global co-Head of M&A at Nomura, having worked as Global Head of M&A at UBS between 2004 and 2009. He first joined UBS from Merrill Lynch in 2004 where he held the position of Head of European M&A. He holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universita' degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Rome, and a Master's degree in Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Robert Karofsky joined the firm in 2014 and is currently Global Head of Equities. Prior to joining UBS he was Global Head of Equity Trading at AllianceBernstein. He began his career at Morgan Stanley and joined Deutsche Bank as Head of North American Equities in 2005, later becoming co-Head of Global Equities. He holds a BA in Economics from Hobart and William Smith College and an MBA in Finance and Statistics from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.

Orcel has run the Investment Bank since 2012. In this time, he successfully executed the implementation of a new capital-light business model, delivering best-in-class profit before tax and top-tier return on attributed equity. This was achieved with unwavering discipline on costs and resources while continuing to invest for the future. Under Orcel's leadership, and in line with the Group, the IB also underwent a cultural transformation, putting client focus and sustainable performance at the center of the business.

Group Chief Executive Officer Sergio P. Ermotti: "I want to personally thank Andrea for the outstanding work he did while at UBS. We worked together very well and, both as a friend and professionally, I congratulate him on his new appointment and wish him all the best. Rob and Piero are well placed to continue driving the success of the Investment Bank within our proven model. Both are veterans of the industry with significant experience and I am certain they will further advance our business."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005904/en/

Contacts:

UBS Group AG

Investor contact

Switzerland:

+41-44-234 41 00

or

Media contact

Switzerland: +41-44-234 85 00

UK: +44-207-567 47 14

Americas: +1-212-882 58 57

or

APAC: +852-297-1 82 00

www.ubs.comAMSTERDAM, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Developers of the "Buchwald-Hartwig amination" recognized for their outstanding contributions to organic chemistry

Elsevier, the global information analytics business specializing in science and health, and the Board of Executive Editors of Elsevier's Tetrahedron journal series today announced that the 2018 Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Organic Chemistry has been awarded to Professors Stephen L. Buchwald of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts and John Hartwig, UC Berkeley, California, USA. They receive the award for their outstanding contributions to organic chemistry.

The awardees are credited with developing the "Buchwald-Hartwig amination", a chemical reaction used for the synthesis of carbon-nitrogen bonds. This reaction is an important tool that is widely used in organic chemistry, natural product synthesis and in the industrial preparation of numerous pharmaceuticals.

"I was very excited to learn that I would share the Tetrahedron Prize with John Hartwig," Professor Buchwald said on hearing of his winning the prize. "Given the history of the award and that two of my mentors, Gilbert Stork and Bob Grubbs, are previous winners, made it even more special. Essentially all of the accomplishments for which I receive this award are due to the creativity, tenacity and hard work of my students and postdoctoral co-workers. I thank them from the bottom of my heart."

Professor Hartwig, who is the youngest person to receive the prize, since Stuart Schreiber over two decades ago. "It is an incredible honor to receive a prize previously awarded to such pillars of organic chemistry who have been role models and inspirations for our own work," said Professor Hartwig. "It is a particular pleasure to receive this award with Steve Buchwald as a recognition of our combined work on new coupling reactions and as a recognition of how catalytic reactions in general have influenced organic synthesis over the past two decades."

The Tetrahedron Prize was established in 1980 and is intended to honor the memory of the founding co-Chairmen of the Tetrahedron publications, Professor Sir Robert Robinson and Professor Robert Burns Woodward. It is awarded annually and consists of a gold medal, a certificate, and a monetary amount of $15,000 USD, which will be presented during the American Chemical Society's 2019 Fall National Meeting in San Diego, California on the 25th - 29th August, 2019.

About Tetrahedron

The Tetrahedron series consists of four premier journals publishing experimental and theoretical research results of outstanding significance and timeliness in the fields of organic, bioorganic and medicinal chemistry. Tetrahedron and Tetrahedron Letters deal with organic chemistry and related disciplines especially bio-organic chemistry. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry and Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters focus on medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and drug discovery and design, emphasizing new and emerging advances and concepts in these fields.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals advance healthcare, open science and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support and professional education, including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, 38,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. www.elsevier.com

Media contact

Annis Moreira

Elsevier

+31-20-4852770

a.moreira@elsevier.com

spineEOS, part of the EOSapps suite of online 3D surgical planning solutions, will be presented by a renowned surgeon in EOS Booth #2314

Regulatory News:

EOS imaging (Paris:EOSI) (Euronext, FR0011191766 EOSI Eligible PEA SME), the pioneer of 2D/3D imaging and data solutions for orthopedics, will present the EOS imaging offering with a focus on its spineEOS 3D surgical planning software during the 33rd Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS). The NASS congress, being held September 26-29 in Los Angeles, CA, is a key international convention that brings together spinal surgeons and spine solution manufacturers.

Dr. Aaron J. Buckland, spine surgeon at NYU Langone Hospital in New York, will present the benefits of 3D full-body, weight bearing images for treating spine conditions during the Company's 'Meet the Expert' sessions at EOS Booth #2314. Dr. Buckland's presentation will also include several complex surgical cases that were planned with spineEOS.

spineEOS will also be highlighted in a podium presentation during the 'Innovative Technology Presentations' on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 2:19 PM. The presentation, "spineEOS: biomechanics-enhanced spine surgery planning", will show how 3D models and biomechanical simulations allow surgeons to plan and execute degenerative and deformative spine surgeries with spineEOS. The online software leverages three-dimensional anatomical information embedded in the EOS images to enable personalized spinal corrections based on scientific publications.

In addition, multiple scientific presentations and posters from key American institutions will showcase the value of EOS in the spine care pathway. Clinicians from New York University (NYU), Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and Columbia University will present various studies on EOS full body, standing and/or seated exams contribution to a better understanding of spine-hip relations, spine flexibility, compensatory mechanisms and eventually a new, multidisciplinary classification for spine surgery.

Marie Meynadier, Chief Executive Officer of EOS imaging, commented, "Our solution is becoming a standard of care for the treatment of spinal pathologies which is the core focus at NASS. We are pleased that a recognized specialist will be presenting on EOS and spineEOS and proud to bring the only spine planning solution that incorporates functional 3D anatomical models to the market. It's exciting to see the role of our solutions in advancing orthopedic care which will be a driving force of the company in the years to come."

The "Meet the Expert" session with Dr. Buckland will be held at the EOS Booth #2314 on Thursday, September 27 at 3:00 p.m. and Friday, September 28 at 10:00 a.m. For more information, visit our booth or contact us at: contact@eos-imaging.com

ABOUT EOS IMAGING

EOS imaging is listed on Compartment C of Euronext Paris

ISIN: FR0011191766 Ticker: EOSI

EOS imaging designs, develops and markets EOS, a major innovative medical imaging solution dedicated to osteoarticular pathologies and orthopedics combining equipment and services and targeting a $2B per year market opportunity. EOS imaging is currently present in 33 countries, including the United States under FDA agreement, Japan, China and the European Union under CE labelling, through the over 280 installed EOS platforms representing more than one million patient exams every year. Revenues were 37.1M in 2017, e.g. a +32% CAGR over 2012-2017. For more information, please visit www.eos-imaging.com.

EOS imaging has been selected to integrate the EnterNext PEA PME 150 index, composed of 150 French, listed companies on the Euronext markets in Paris.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005764/en/

Contacts:

EOS imaging

Marie Meynadier, +33 (0)1 55 25 60 60

CEO

investors@eos-imaging.com

or

Investor Relations (US)

The Ruth Group

Matt Picciano Emma Poalillo

646-536-7008 / 7024

EOS-imagingIR@theruthgroup.comCourtney Thurston Simmons son attends private school but that didnt stop her from getting up bright and early Saturday to learn about how she can help improve Alachua County Public Schools.

The Alachua County Council of Parent-Teacher Associations held an open forum, Making Public Schools Everyones Priority, in the Gainesville High School auditorium for people like Thurston Simmons, who wanted to learn more before voting on issues like the half-cent tax and the Childrens Trust.

I have some pretty significant concerns about public education in Gainesville, Thurston Simmons, 43, said.

Alachua County Superintendent Karen Clarke spoke to about 75 people about the half-cent sales tax initiative, which will be on the ballot in November, and how the increased revenue could improve the state of classrooms.

Attendees saw photos of current classrooms in Alachua County schools, some of which had broken windows and leaks. Thurston Simmons described the rooms as disheartening.

While she doesnt mind paying her share to improve facilities, Thurston Simmons said she wasnt satisfied with the all of the answers given at the forum on how the money would be spent and whether the tax would generate enough revenue.

Im a details person, and they didnt really dive into the details, she said.

Funding for security in schools should be mandatory, whether the tax passes or not, Thurston Simmons said. Right now, she only knows the possible funding may go to renovations such as new furniture and lighting.

Valerie Freeman, Alachua County Public Schools director of equity and outreach, focused on inequity in Alachua County schools and the new equity plan that was introduced. The 2018 Florida Standard Assessment showed that Alachuas public schools were at the top of the list for an achievement gap between white and African American students.

Thurston Simmons said she was alarmed to hear about the inequity but was supportive of the Childrens Trust, a board meant to oversee funding for programs, that was discussed at the forum and could improve equity in the county.

I want us to be first in a lot of things but not in racial inequity, she said.



Contact Jessica Curbelo at jcurbelo@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @jesscurbelo

[FILE PHOTO] 35-year-old Lilliemarie Gore leads students of Idylwild Elementary School through a series of math exercises. Mrs. Gore was awarded the title of "2017-2018 Alachua County Teacher of the Year" earlier this month.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Nowfirst steps FROM the transformation plan completed

Security Services and Solutions Platform LaunchED

2018-19 financial targets

Realigning itself around its most buoyant markets, while capitalizing on its experience, putting in place an integrated and optimized organization, restoring its margins...these were the challenges facing and successfully met by GECI International over the last two years.

ILLUSTRATION:

RANGE OF CYBERSECURITY SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES LAUNCHED

__________



The Israeli subsidiary GECI ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES has developed, with its local partners, Triple Cyber and Cyber X, a range of solutions to secure and protect IT and OT networks for industrial groups, mid-market firms and SMEs. After launching its first commercial operations, the GECI International Group is opening a Security Operations Center (SOC) in October 2018, providing the Group's experts with the physical and technological capabilities to cover all industrial information and control systems.

With the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is crucial for industrial groups to protect themselves against cyberattacks. The GECI International Group enables them to meet this challenge by offering continuous real-time monitoring services, based on the solutions developed by TripleCyber (networks) and CyberX (Internet of Things), two global market leaders, which the Group has set up partnerships with this year.

These solutions and services will be operated capitalizing on the teams from the new service center in Roanne (France), operational from October 2018.

This covers a wide range of security services, from risk mapping to system protection, continuous and predictive monitoring, real-time detection and reactive incident management. It makes it possible to meet the most critical demands of clients in France and around the world.

Lastly, to further strengthen its catalogue, the Group is launching its incubator GILAB (GECI Innovation LAB) and welcoming on board its first startup, an innovative young company that groups together self-employed professionals specialized in IT risks and security.

The Group has a comprehensive security solutions and services platform to offer its clients high value-added projects enabling them to successfully and securely move forward with their digital transformation.

Over the medium term, the Group plans to develop its cybersecurity offers in Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Portugal and Brazil, based on its French and Brazilian subsidiaries.

DIFFERENTIATED BUSINESS MODEL

FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING SMART SOLUTIONS

__________



The GECI International Group's business model is built around its ability to combine deep market expertise with strong value-added technological capabilities. The Group's ambition is to develop breakthrough solutions that help its clients to effectively manage increasingly complex environments marked by the proliferation of technologies, ultra-connected digital ecosystems and growing needs for robust, quick and effective solutions across the critical chain.

With the integration of next-generation technologies, the development of service platforms and the expansion of its international presence, the GECI International Group is further strengthening its positioning on its most innovative markets and ramping up its levels of more complex, international and package-based projects.

Serge Bitboul, the Group's Chairman, CEO and founder: "We have expertise in a number of areas. For instance, we have recognized expertise for auto manufacturing, research and design. Combined with our cybersecurity and systems development capabilities, we are effectively positioned to cover the fascinating field of autonomous vehicles, which we are already very active on. These capabilities are illustrated by our subsidiary Etud Integral, which has just won the contract to design and develop the autonomous shuttle Milla, created by the startup ISFM and selected in April this year for the Ubimobility program, targeting its presentation at the Las Vegas show in January 2019".

TARGETING STRONG AND PROFITABLE GROWTH FOR 2018-19

__________



The Group, a digital services and technology consulting specialist, is looking ahead to the year with confidence thanks to the growth achieved, with revenues up 24% in the first quarter.

In a positive environment, the Group is targeting full-year revenues of over 32m for 2018-19. Its effective cost management and development of various operational drivers are expected to deliver a significant improvement in operational profitability, and the Group aims to achieve a current operating margin of over 6% of revenues for FY 2018-19.

"We are now embarking on a new plan for 2018 to 2020, based on the premiumization of our solutions and expanding our scope for action. Our objectives for 2019 are ambitious and will involve a number of challenges linked to GECI International's capacity for innovation, which it has always successfully delivered on. This is our trademark!", concludes Serge Bitboul, Chairman, CEO and founder.

GECI INTERNATIONAL - SMART SOLUTIONS FOR A SMART WORLD



GECI International is addressing the key technological challenges facing our society (Smart Transport, Smart Energy, Smart City, etc.) by offering its clients an integration platform, from R&D through to project implementation, against a backdrop of industrial and information system security. For 35 years, GECI International has successfully demonstrated its ability to lead major complex projects, bringing together a global network of technological and strategic partners and innovative high-growth companies.

GECI International is listed on the regulated market Euronext Paris - Compartment C - and is part of the CAC Small and CAC Technology indices. GECI International is eligible for the SRD long-only deferred settlement service.

ISIN (shares): FR0000079634 - GECP / ISIN (BSAR A warrants): FR0013266764 - GECBT





CONTACTS

GECI INTERNATIONAL

Investors Relations: Tel: +33 (0)1 46 12 00 00 / relation.investisseurs@geci.net

CALYPTUS

Cyril Combe Tel: +33 (0)1 53 65 68 68 / geci@calyptus.net

------------------------



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Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-55153-gi-2018-19-financial-targets.pdfUnique cloud-based approach enables banking institutions to differentiate services and enhance customer experience while also expanding the financial services offered directly to NetSuite customers

SAN MATEO, California, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- To help banking institutions keep pace with evolving business and customer demands, Oracle NetSuite today announced NetSuite Banking as a Service. A unique open banking approach, NetSuite Banking as a Service strengthens bank-to-customer relationships and helps banks create new business models and revenue streams with end-to-end business process automation that is fast, reliable and provides strong security controls.

With innovative fintech providers reshaping the financial services industry, banks need to rethink traditional business processes to adapt to a new era of banking. In fact, according to Forrester Research's 2018 banking technology predictions, "More than 50% of banks will fail to exploit open banking, starting down the slow, painful path to becoming an unintentional utility." To be successful in this new digital reality, banks must turn to open banking solutions to differentiate their services and convert customer data into a strategic advantage.

"Customers are demanding deeper relationships with financial institutions and as banks have struggled to meet this demand, new fintech providers have emerged to fill the gap," said Jason Maynard, senior vice president of strategy and marketing, Oracle NetSuite Global Business Unit. "NetSuite Banking as a Service closes that gap and enables banks to provide their customers with a digital experience that we, as consumers, now expect. With NetSuite, banks finally have the means to offer the right services to enhance the customer experience and ultimately increase revenue."

NetSuite leads the cloud financials / enterprise resource planning (ERP) industry by extending existing ERP solutions to integrate bank processes. From cash forecasting, to trade finance, instant business loans and credit lines, NetSuite Banking as a Service allows banks to leverage their assets to offer these features as part of their own services to meet growing customer expectations. NetSuite customers will benefit from direct access to financial services such as embedded payments, reconciliation and lending delivered as an extension of their ERP. This will help increase operational efficiency and improve workflows driving down cost and creating peace of mind for NetSuite customers.

For additional information on NetSuite Banking as a Service, please contact BaaS@netsuite.com.

Supporting Industry Quotes

"One of the most exciting categories in the financial services market is Banking as a Service. This uber category creates big opportunities across the infrastructure, platform, and fintech app level," said Ray Wang, principal analyst and founder, Constellation Research, Inc.

"Providing our clients the ability to seamlessly connect to J.P. Morgan is part of our overall transaction banking strategy," said Jason Tiede, Head of Innovation, J.P. Morgan Treasury Services. "We are excited to offer connectivity to NetSuite's ERP system which will facilitate a better, more efficient experience for our clients."

"The Banking as a Service helps banks regain control over the customer experience, increase revenue opportunities by connecting efficiently with their corporate clients and getting access to new customers and real-time trade data," said Rob Barnes, CEO of TradeIX. "On the other side, customers using Oracle NetSuite have a single access channel to connect to existing and new financial institutions, thus widening the range of funding opportunities."

About Oracle NetSuite

For more than 20 years, Oracle NetSuite has helped organizations grow, scale and adapt to change. NetSuite provides a suite of cloud-based applications, which includes financials / Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HR, professional services automation and omnichannel commerce, used by more than 40,000 organizations and subsidiaries in 199 countries and territories.

For more information, please visit http://www.netsuite.com.

Follow NetSuite's Cloud blog, Facebook page and @NetSuite Twitter handle for real-time updates.

About Oracle

The Oracle Cloud offers complete SaaS application suites for ERP, HCM and CX, plus best-in-class database Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) from data centers throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com.

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/640624/Oracle_NetSuite_Logo.jpgLONDON, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The world's best business schools for budding entrepreneurs

Stanford University's Graduate School of Business has been named the world's leading MBA provider the QS World University Rankings: Global MBA 2019, released today by business school analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/702459/QS_World_University_Rankings_Logo.jpg )



QS World University rankings are the most visited rankings in higher education today and the Global MBA ranking is released alongside QS's Masters in Management, Masters in Finance, Masters in Business Analytics, and inaugural Masters in Marketing tables. Collectively these rankings cover the post-graduate programs most in-demand amongst employers around the world.

Nunzio Quacquarelli, founder of QS, says "QS Rankings seek to measure the key missions of Business Schools, whilst also taking into account what matters most to prospective students. The core indicators are: Employability, Entrepreneurship & Alumni Outcomes, Return on Investment, Thought Leadership and Class and Faculty Diversity. Our innovative measurement of strength in entrepreneurship and successful alumni outcomes, provides a fresh lens for the growing audience of prospective MBAs seeking to start their own business, or seeking leadership roles in non-traditional NGOs as well as looking at classic MBA career outcomes like Partnerships in Consulting or Fortune 1000 Director roles."

Stanford University's Graduate Business School leads the overall Global MBA ranking, performing especially well in terms of entrepreneurship & alumni outcomes, as well as thought leadership.

Graduate Business School leads the overall ranking, performing especially well in terms of entrepreneurship & alumni outcomes, as well as thought leadership. Six of the top ten MBA providers are based in the United States with all of them performing well in terms of employability and thought leadership. However, US MBA programs perform less well in terms of Return on Investment

with all of them performing well in terms of employability and thought leadership. However, US MBA programs perform less well in terms of Return on Investment On a country basis, MBA providers in Germany , Spain , Hong Kong , and Singapore show significant year-on-year progress

QS World University Rankings: Global MBA 2019 (Top 10) 2019 Rank 2018 Rank Institution Country 1 4 Stanford US 2 1 Harvard US 3 6 Penn (Wharton) US 4 5 London Business School US 5 7 MIT (Sloan) US 6 2 INSEAD France 7 3 HEC Paris France 8= 12 Chicago (Booth) US 8= 10 IE Business School Spain 10 8 Columbia US (c) http://www.TopMBA.com

The world-leaders of each of QS's individual business program rankings are:

QS World University Rankings: Masters in Business Analytics 2019: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan Business School)

(Sloan Business School) QS World University Rankings: Masters in Finance 2019: London Business School

QS World University Rankings: Masters in Management 2019: HEC Paris

HEC Paris QS World University Rankings:Masters in Marketing 2019: Columbia University

The full suite of rankings are accessible at http://www.TopUniversities.com/mba-rankings/2019LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2018 / Alkame Holdings, Inc. (OTC PINK: ALKM), a publicly traded health and wellness technology holding company with a focus on patentable, innovative, and eco-friendly products is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Bell Food and Beverage, Inc. has been awarded a 5-year Production Commitment from Pacific Flavors International Inc., a leading international food supplier and exporter of Oregon Blueberries. We expect this to generate potentially significant revenue for the Company.

For 20 years, Pacific Flavors, Inc. has been successfully showcasing the very best of the Pacific Northwest region's indigenous sustainably sourced Blueberries. Oregon Blueberries are one of natures perfect foods that are high in Potassium, Iron, and Calcium, and low in calories. Pacific Flavor has been supplying some of Asia's most prominent and largest grocery store chains through prestigious distribution networks, DELTA International Co., Ltd., and F&T Corporation.

Delta International has been working on building strong relationships with suppliers and manufacturers for 26 years, providing customers with consistent satisfaction over time. Delta International strives to develop one-on-one relationships with their packers, and under the strictest practices to ensure their clients are getting the highest quality of products from the highest quality in manufacturing. Their list of satisfied customers includes: Sejio Ishi, Kaldi coffee, Ito Yokado among others. As a member of the International Nut & Dried Fruit Council and working directly with the State of Oregon Japan Representative Office, Delta is an amazing opportunity for ALKM's wholly owned subsidiary Bell Food & Beverage to showcase its talents.

F&T International is a purveyor of some of the best foods from around the world. F&T's list of customers speaks for itself and the quality of its products. Established in 1987, F&T is focused on packing the freshness and taste of safe high-quality harvests from each region produced throughout the world, with standards that are second to none. F&T is continually expanding distribution, with a unique focus on new product development and manufacturing from a global perspective, especially focused on safety and non-chemical produced products, responding to the needs and demands of the increasing food safety-oriented consumers. We're proud to join the list of these well respected companies and are excited to be a part of this opportunity.

Pacific Flavors represents a tremendous opportunity for the Bell Campus, which in turn showcases the campus's versatility and broad spectrum of capabilities. Back in its day, the campus was one of the larger Cherry co-packing facilities in the country, and Pacific Flavors is a perfect fit for the equipment accumulated over the decades. The Campus was handling Oregon Blueberries at approximately 50,000 pounds of blueberries daily and packed at speeds up to 108 jars per minute for Pacific Flavors, equating to as many as 60 pallets per shift.

Robert K. Eakle, Alkame CEO states, "Our team did an amazing job for Pacific Flavor this year during the Blueberry harvest. We are very happy to announce that Pacific Flavors was thoroughly impressed with our output, quality, and capability, and graciously awarded Bell Food & Beverage this ongoing multi-year contract. Our program with Pacific Flavor should provide Bell with well over $1.3 million in annual gross revenue and growing, not including the additional yearly options to continue. We are very excited to be working with such a well-respected exporter, and we look forward to a long and 'fruitful' relationship together.'

About Alkame Holdings, Inc.

Alkame Holdings, Inc. is a publicly traded health and wellness technology holding company, with a focus on patentable, innovative, and eco-friendly consumer products. The Company's wholly-owned subsidiaries market and distribute enhanced waters utilizing an exclusive patented formula and technology to create enhanced water with several unique properties. The organization is diligently building a strong foundation through the launch and acquisition of appropriate business assets, and by pursuing multiple applications to utilize its Intellectual Property by placement into several emerging business sectors, such as the growing aqua-culture industry, consumer bottled water and RTD products, household pet products, horticulture and agriculture applications, as well as many other various water treatment solutions to both new and existing business platforms.

For more information, visit www.alkameholdingsinc.com.

Alkame Holdings, Inc. Investor Relations

Website: www.alkameholdingsinc.com

Email: info@alkameholdingsinc.com

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that Alkame will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the Company's contracts, the Company's liquidity position, the Company's ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

SOURCE: Alkame Holdings, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/512726/Bell-Food-Beverage-Awarded-65-Million-5-Year-Production-Contract-For-Export-Into-AsiaHANNOVER MESSE USA 2018, the first staging of the iconic HANNOVER MESSE brand outside of Germany, presented game-changing Industry 4.0 solutions over six days during its co-location with IMTS 2018 at McCormick Place in Chicago from September 10-15. HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 covered more than 114,200 square feet of exhibit space and featured 510 exhibitors who showcased their innovations to a record breaking 129,415 registered visitors attending both shows. The event's exhibition and conference space grew 443 percent from the first trade show launched alongside IMTS 2012. HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 increased exhibition space 26 percent compared to the co-located shows at IMTS 2016. More than 80 percent of this year's exhibitors have offices outside of the U.S.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006014/en/

HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 presented game-changing Industry 4.0 solutions over six days during its co-location with IMTS 2018 at McCormick Place in Chicago from September 10-15. (Photo: Business Wire)

"Technology providers of all sizes from around the world came to HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 to demonstrate the latest Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions for the connected factory of the future," said Larry Turner, president CEO of Hannover Fairs USA, the organizer of HANNOVER MESSE USA. "By leveraging the HANNOVER MESSE brand outside of Germany this year, we accurately underscored that manufacturing in North America will remain highly competitive. Not only did the event showcase the progression of Industry 4.0 in the U.S. it also highlighted that the world's industrial technology providers are actively collaborating to bring the digital factory to life," added Turner.

HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 featured four main trade shows: Integrated Automation, Motion Drives USA (IAMD USA) for industrial automation, power transmission and fluid technology; ComVac USA for compressed air and vacuum technology; Industrial Supply USA for industrial subcontracting and supply-chain solutions; and Surface Technology USA for surface treatment and finishing technologies.

With its prominent position in IAMD USA 2018, Beckhoff showcased its latest smart factory hardware, software, EtherCAT and TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) solutions. Beckhoff introduced several products to the North American market during the show this year, including its new EK1000 EtherCAT TSN Coupler that combines the advantages of the EtherCAT ecosystem with TSN networks to boost communication in industrial environments. The company also unveiled two new ultra-compact Industrial PCs that deliver maximum processing power for complex automation applications.

"HANNOVER MESSE is a globally recognized brand and with its introduction in the U.S. it brings an intense focus on automation and control technologies to the North American manufacturing industry," said Shane Novacek, marketing communications manager at Beckhoff Automation. "Since the co-location of the show with IMTS 2012, Beckhoff has continually and enthusiastically supported the event both on the show floor and as a sponsor/presenter at the Global Automation and Manufacturing Summit held in conjunction with HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018," added Novacek. Beckhoff also noted that it increased overall new business lead count by more than 40 percent at HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 compared with its participation at the trade show co-located with IMTS 2016, which it still regards as a highly successful trade show.

"Our participation at HANNOVER MESSE USA focused on bringing the Connected Enterprise to life to help foster strength in the future of manufacturing," said Reid Schook, global OEM segment business manager, Rockwell Automation. "We utilized the introduction of the HANNOVER MESSE brand in the U.S. to highlight strategic partnerships with both Fanuc and PTC. Alongside our partners, we showcased how to deliver integrated solutions, tools and capabilities to make the digital factory a reality for our customers," added Schook.

During IAMD USA, Festo, a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation, introduced its new electric actuators, ELGC and EGSC, which are ideal for applications where compact dimensions are essential. These electric axes can be combined into space-saving handling applications that fit seamlessly into assembly, testing, inspection, small parts handling and desk top systems and feature a common system approach and platform architecture, as well as space saving adapter-free connectors. Festo also exhibited its new VTEM Motion Terminal, a modular Industry 4.0 device a single unit capable of replacing 50 different components through the download of various combinations of cloud-based apps.

"HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 allowed our existing customers and new customers to see firsthand our product portfolio for one-on-one demonstrations and top-line discussions," said Kristine Inserra, director of marketing communications North America at Festo. "We were thrilled by the number of exhibitors and visitors. The show exceeded all expectations for new business development," added Inserra.

Exhibiting in the Industrial Supply trade show, Thoni Alutec, the largest aluminum foundry in Europe with locations in Poland, Mexico and India, showcased its complete casting solutions utilized in a variety of engineering applications. Thoni Alutec manages a green production philosophy and serves many industrial markets, including aerospace, renewable and fossil energy, power generation, robotics process machines, medical and automotive to name a few. "Thoni Alutec is a longtime exhibitor at HANNOVER MESSE in Germany. We decided to exhibit at the first HANNOVER MESSE USA to showcase how we can support the North and South American industrial markets casting needs," said Piotr Kasprzyk, technical sales manager of Thoni Alutec. "We were pleased with the new business opportunities we uncovered at the show and look forward to returning in 2020," added Kasprzyk.

New to the show this year, the Digital Factory space exported from HANNOVER MESSE in Germany showcased how digitalized production technologies are transforming business models and changing market structures. Concepts like Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) represent a paradigm shift in business and society, generated by a growing number of increasingly connected and automated devices, machines and products.

SAP's showcase in the Digital Factory demonstrated The Network of Digital Twins in action and turned the spotlight on SAP technologies that allow smart manufacturers to implement modular production, reduce equipment downtime and increase customer retention. "Following an outstanding experience exhibiting at HANNOVER MESSE in Germany this April, SAP brought its resources, references and pipeline of successful Industry 4.0 and intelligent product design solutions to HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 to address North American manufacturers' challenges," said Sayan Bose, global director of industrial machinery components, Industry Business Unit of SAP. "Not only were we able to connect with North and South American manufacturers during the U.S. show, we also extended our reach to a host of global attendees in the industrial manufacturing machinery and components space. Overall, HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 proved to be an amazing platform to showcase SAP's innovations for the manufacturing industry powered by intelligent technologies, including Blockchain, IoT and machine learning," added Bose.

Also, in the Digital Factory space, Dell launched a new IIoT solution developed in collaboration with Intel and Tridium specifically built to increase plant floor efficiencies for low-volume, high-mix discrete manufacturers. This innovative IIoT solution leverages the scalability and power of Dell's technology components, Intel's IoT technology for manufacturing and the energy industry and Tridium's enterprise software.

"The Dell/Intel/Tridium platform brings together cutting-edge capabilities from all three companies to provide a complete digital transformation solution that captures, normalizes and analyzes data to produce insights for the diverse plant floor," said Kirsten Billhardt, marketing director Internet of Things at Dell. "HANNOVER MESSE USA put our IIoT solution in front of the ideal audience of key decision makers in charge of their plant's digital transformation, and we look forward to demonstrating this innovative solution at HANNOVER MESSE in Germany next April," added Billhardt.

Visitors to the joint booth of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Fraunhofer USA and partners during this year's HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 could experience how a vibrant mix of new technology in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality as a service, cybersecurity and data sovereignty, sensor and actuator systems, digital engineering, human-machine interaction, 5G, smart materials and smart maintenance are reshaping the future. Fraunhofer successfully offered insight into the latest research results in the fields of production, digitalization, automation and networking, resulting in competitive advantage for businesses in this year's Digital Factory.

"The future of digitalized manufacturing and Industry 4.0 rests entirely upon the ability to pool expertise and resources," said Professor Georg Rosenfeld, member of the executive board of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. "Our interdisciplinary expertise sparks new ideas that meet the challenges of a digitalized world and helps create customized solutions right along the value chain for companies of all sizes. Attending HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 co-located with IMTS 2018 in Chicago has created a sustainable opportunity to share our ideas with U.S. and international stakeholders," added Rosenfeld.

In addition to a variety of demonstrations, Fraunhofer offered many in-depth lectures, talks and expert sessions by renowned German and U.S. scientific leaders during the event. "HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 has proven that the economic impact of digitalization is staggering. Industry 4.0 will give significant rise to productivity in all economically important industries," added Professor Fritz Klocke, director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. "But from the new opportunities that accompany digitalization, expectations grow. As well as being cost-efficient and sustainable, connected production and work processes must be secure, flexible and intuitive."

The brand-new Solutions Theater on the floor of HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 offered all visitors more than 60 educational sessions over five days delivered by top industry experts, educators and key influencers. Sessions covered topics from Industry 4.0 meets IIoT to case studies of Industry 4.0 in practice to an Intelligent Manufacturing Solutions Forum plus a live pitch showcase sponsored by GE Ventures and Sente for start-up companies focused on digital factory technologies.

Two HANNOVER MESSE USA conferences, GAMS (Global Automation Manufacturing Summit) and the Integrated Industries Conference covered new trends and best practices in robotics and AI, maintenance and IIoT, Cybersecurity, Motion, Drive Automation, Surface Technology, IoT and Industry 4.0.

The next HANNOVER MESSE USA will be co-located with IMTS 2020 and will take place from September 14-19, 2020 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

About HANNOVER MESSE USA

HANNOVER MESSE, the world's leading industrial technology show launched 70 years ago in Hannover, and HANNOVER MESSE USA are at the forefront of showcasing innovations in the factory of the future: cobots, industrial energy systems, IIoT, Industry 4.0 and related applications such as predictive maintenance, more efficient use of raw materials, faster time to market and other trends in industrial manufacturing. HANNOVER MESSE USA 2020 will be produced alongside IMTS 2020 from September 14-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

About Hannover Fairs USA

Hannover Fairs USA, Inc. (HFUSA) is the U.S. subsidiary of Hannover, Germany's Deutsche Messe one of the world's largest and most active organizers of industrial technology events. Chicago, Illinois-based HFUSA helps U.S. companies expand domestically and internationally through exhibit and sponsorship opportunities at Deutsche Messe's worldwide portfolio of events. Participation in these events offers U.S. companies an unparalleled opportunity for business development through trade shows and conferences held in Hannover, Germany and North America, as well as in key markets such as China, India, Mexico and Turkey. HFUSA creates qualified new business leads, helps U.S. companies enter new markets and aids them in forming lasting partnerships.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006014/en/

Contacts:

Mattson Communications, Inc.

Kathy Zoeller

312-988-9352

kathy@mattsonpr.comToronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - McLaren Resources Inc. (CSE: MCL) (FSE: 3ML) (OTC: MLRNF) ("McLaren" / the "Company") announces that it intends to undertake approximately 2,200 metres of exploration diamond drilling in three or more holes to test historic high grade gold mineralization on the north section of the TimGinn Property which is situated adjacent to the Hollinger and McIntyre Gold Mines operated by Goldcorp Canada Ltd. ("Goldcorp"). Drilling is planned to commence during the last week of September.

The program will test the vicinity of an historic diamond drill hole that intersected 6.3 gpt Au over 16.7 m incl. 30.2 gpt Au / 2.7 m (Source: Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, assessment file T-200, Consolidated Gilles Lake Mine Ltd.). The objective will be to both confirm and expand the gold mineralization on the northern section of the property as seen on the attached figure. The historic gold mineralization occurs within a favourable geological environment that includes quartz-feldspar porphyry (QFP) and ankerite altered mafic volcanics. This represents a favourable geology and alteration typical of Timmins area gold mines.

The Goldcorp Hollinger Open Pit Mine is located 100 metres from the TimGinn Property boundary. The TimGinn Property hosts the former producing Gilles Lake Gold Mine. Earlier exploration at this section of the property by McLaren has produced results such as:

MTG-11-02 - 24.2 gpt Au / 1.1 metres

MTG-11-04 - 7.0 gpt Au / 7.4 metres

MTG-11-05 - 4.1 gpt Au / 5.5 metres

See earlier press releases at http://www.mclarenresources.com/news.html for details andhttp://www.mclarenresources.com/timginn.html for additional images and information.



Image courtesy of Google Earth, an Alphabet Inc. subsidiary.

(http://www.mclarenresources.com/timginn.html)



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/932/38899_a1537899575014_98.jpg





About the TimGinn property

The TimGinn Property consists of nine patented mining claims covering 238 hectares in Tisdale Township, Central Timmins that lie between the Hollinger Mine (19.3 million oz) and the McIntyre Mine (10.7 million oz). Gold production took place on the TimGinn Property during the 1920's from a 940-foot-deep shaft at the Gilles Lake Gold Mine.

The information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved for release by Kenneth Guy, P.Geo, the Qualified Person for McLaren for exploration on the TimGinn Gold Property, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects".

About McLaren

McLaren is focused on exploration work on its three gold properties which are located in the Timmins Gold District of Northeastern Ontario. These properties include, the TimGinn Property (described above), the Augdome Property and the Blue Quartz Property. The Augdome Property, which consists of 414-hectares is located in Tisdale and Whitney Townships adjacent to the Dome Mine operated by Goldcorp. The Blue Quartz Property, which hosts the former Blue Quartz Mine, consists of 25 patented mining claims and 8 crown claims covering a total of 640 hectares in Beatty Township and is located 10 km north of McEwen Mining's Black Fox Mine in East Timmins.

During the rest of 2018 and during 2019, McLaren intends to continue its exploration efforts on these three attractive gold properties and will continue to review other properties of merit in the Timmins Camp for acquisition or joint venture.

For more information, please contact: Radovan Danilovsky, President, Phone: 416-203-6784, www.mclarenresources.com.

MCLAREN RESOURCES INC.

44 Victoria Street, Suite 1616

Toronto, Ontario M5C 1Y2

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of the press release. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward looking statements". When used in this document, the words "anticipated", "expect", "estimated", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements or information. These statements are based on current expectations of management; however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. McLaren Resources Inc. does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof, except as required by securities laws.Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - Romios Gold Resources Inc. (TSXV: RG) (OTC Pink: RMIOF) (FSE: D4R) ("Romios" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the offering of a non-brokered private placement of up to 5,000,000 flow-through units (the "FT Units") for up to $500,000 and up to 6,250,000 working capital units (the "WC Unit") for up to $500,000 for an aggregate of up to $1,000,000 (the "Offering"). Depending upon investor interest, the Company may place more WC Units or more FT Units but in any event does not intend to issue more than an aggregate of 12 million units.

Proceeds from the offering are expected to be used to advance the exploration program on the numerous Copper-Gold-Silver prospects at the Company's Newmont Lake Project within its large (72,368 hectares/178,825 acres) Golden Triangle Property in northwestern British Columbia, including the promising Burgundy Ridge discovery and the NI 43-101 compliant Northwest Zone resource, as well as other properties, and for working capital.

Each FT Unit is priced at $0.10 and consists of one (1) common share and one-half (0.5) of a share purchase warrant. Each full warrant ("Warrant") entitles the holder to purchase one (1) common share (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.18 per Warrant Share until the date which is twelve (12) months following the Closing of the Offering.

Each WC Unit is priced at $0.08 and consists of one (1) common share and one (1) common share purchase warrant ("WC Warrant"). Each WC Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one (1) common share (a "WC Warrant Share") at a price of $0.12 per WC Warrant Share until the date which is twelve (12) months following the Closing of the Offering.

The Offering is expected to have an initial closing on or before September 28, 2018, or such other date as is agreed between the Company and the subscribers. All securities issued under the Offering are subject to a statutory four month hold period.



About Romios Gold Resources Inc.

Romios Gold Resources Inc., a progressive Canadian mineral exploration company established in 1995, is engaged in precious and base metal exploration primarily focused on gold, silver and copper on its properties in the Golden Triangle area, northwestern British Columbia. In addition to the properties in the Golden Triangle area, Romios holds a 100% interest in the Lundmark-Akow Lake property in Ontario, the LaCorne Property in Quebec and the Scossa Property in Nevada. It also holds a 2% Net Smelter Return Royalty on the Hislop property in Ontario.

This News Release contains forward-looking statements which are typically preceded by, followed by or including the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "intends", "plans" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance as they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information, please contact:

Tom Drivas, President and Director, (tel) 416-221-4124, (fax) 416-218-9772 or (email) romios@romios.com.

Frank van de Water, Chief Financial Officer and Director, (tel) 416-221-4124 or (email) fvandewater@rogers.com.Pernod Ricard is the world's n2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of 8,987m in FY18. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouet champagnes, as well Jacob's Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,900 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 "Brand Companies" and 86 "Market Companies" established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard's strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.Today, Corra is pleased to reveal the launch of Avant, the only SAP Commerce Cloud-qualified accelerator designed to meet the needs of fashion brands.

This refined solution reduces both cost and time-to-market of a typical SAP Commerce Cloud implementation by up to 40%, allowing fashion retailers to bypass the need for costly customizations and to invest more budget in strategic business initiatives. From advanced price display to a highly functional product listing page, Avant incorporates the best practices Corra has perfected through years of strategic commerce advice in the fashion industry, while offering flawless code quality, powerful capabilities, and an elegant front-end.

Through months of analysis and monitoring, Corra's design leaders mined market and consumer data to enable a strong connection with fashion customers. Avant's sophisticated front-end functionalities include content-rich mega menus, configurable banners and merchandising blocks, enhanced filter and sort options, strategically placed product recommendations, and support for simple and multidimensional products. By enabling multi-language and multi-currency experiences, Avant will also allow brands to scale globally and meet their growing customer demands.

In addition to the robust and extensible features of SAP Commerce Cloud, Avant includes integrations from five strategic partners: Avalara, Klarna, Loqate (formerly Addressy), PayPal, and Worldpay. These industry leaders provide the best tax compliance, flexible payment, address verification, and global payment processing solutions on the market. Through these embedded technologies, apparel retailers will launch experiences equipped with a streamlined checkout process guaranteed to increase conversion and average order value.

"Corra's expertise as an ecommerce fashion agency is second to none, and we are extremely proud to unveil a solution that will help retailers utilize that knowledge to turn customers into brand loyalists", said Martina England, Global Director of Strategic Initiatives at Corra. "We are deeply familiar with the way fashion consumers make their purchase decisions. Avant is the result of this knowledge, and the SAP qualification comes as a recognition of more than fifteen years of excellence in fashion and technology."

Earlier this year, Corra invested in top SAP talent and announced the expansion of its SAP practice. As a SAP Customer Experience partner and Value Added Reseller (VAR), Corra employs SAP certified experts with unmatched knowledge of each platform component and broad experience in planning and integrating complex solutions. Corra's in-house team of specialists has, on average, more than ten years of SAP Commerce Cloud experience, and has worked with global clients such as Gucci, Levi's, Monsoon Accessorize, Coca-Cola, and David Yurman.

On October 10 and 11, Corra's SAP team will be presenting Avant at SAP Customer Experience Live in Barcelona. With more than 250 sessions and 50,000 feet of show space, the event will bring together retailers, industry thought-leaders, and SAP partners for two days of cutting-edge technologies, expert-lead sessions, and valuable networking opportunities.

Visit us at booth G5 (Worldpay) to learn more about Avant, or contact us today to schedule a personalized demo.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006180/en/

Contacts:

Corra

Erica Mazzucato, +1-212-268-4500 Ext. 184

Communications Marketing Manager

emazzucato@corra.comGazal Corporationhas responded to Fairfax media reports about a potential take-private proposal by PVH Corp.Gazal says it is in preliminary discussions with PVH around the potential privatization of Gazal.The branded clothing company says discussions are in very early stages and may not result in a proposal.PVH is a 50:50 partner in Gazal in the PVH Brands Australia joint venture (JV), and, is in regular discussions with PVH regarding the JV business.Shares in Gazal Corporationis up 3.81 per cent to $4.36.Love bugs are stuck to each other like a decades-old rumor has clung on UFs reputation.

Rumor has it that UF created love bugs as a failed product for a mosquito control experiment, said UF entomology professor Philip Koehler.

But its not true.

Love bugs were first found in Florida in 1949, so their existence cant be credited to UF or any other body of research, Koehler said.

I first heard the rumor 30 years ago, Koehler said. Im surprised its still around.

Love bugs originated in Mexico and Central America, said UF entomology professor Norman Leppla. The bugs traveled across the Gulf states in the 1950s before spreading throughout Florida and then making their way to Georgia and even South Carolina.

It is unknown who started the rumor or how it spread, Leppla said.

Its a curious folklore thats developed with no basis whatsoever in any kind of truth, Leppla said. Somebody just thought it up, and it spread.

UF has not intervened in the population control of love bugs since the late 1960s, when a research project was funded to study a means of controlling the love bug population due to their effect on vehicles, Koehler said. An enzyme in the body of the insect causes damage to the paint on cars, and since they are attracted to roadways, they are largely hit by cars.

The research that took place on campus, along with the insects relation to mosquitoes, is likely what caused the misconception, Koehler said.

Nicholas Gonzalez, a 19-year-old UF industrial engineering sophomore, said he swats the pesky love bugs whether hes on his way out to eat or in the doorway to his apartment. He was surprised to hear the rumor wasnt true.

I tend to believe that rumors like these are generally made up by people in an attempt to look cool, but I find something absurd like that very hard to believe, Gonzalez said.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe NowNufarmhas requested a trading halt for the remainder of the week in relation to an upcoming capital raising.The agricultural chemical company's shares have been placed in a halt pending the announcement about the outcome of the institutional component of the offer.The equity raising comes just one year after company raised over $400 million to fund the acquisition of a portfolio of crop protection products.The company provided a trading update in July this year which warned that extended dry weather conditions in Australia had significantly impacted the Australia and New Zealand business, downwardly revising earnings for ANZ to a range of $5-10 million.Shares in Nufarmlast traded $6.70.Vijay Mallya, his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines Limited and others availed loans from various banks and the outstanding amount, including interest, now stands at Rs 9,990.07 crore.

Mumbai: Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya told a special court on 24 September 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.

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".

The arguments in the extradition proceedings in UK have concluded and the matters are to be listed on December 10 for judgment, the reply read.

Mallya's reply sought that present proceedings ought to be stayed or adjourned sine die till the judgment 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 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 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.By Koh Gui Qing and Lawrence Delevingne MINNEAPOLIS/NEW YORK (Reuters) - 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.

By Koh Gui Qing and Lawrence Delevingne

MINNEAPOLIS/NEW YORK (Reuters) - 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.

(Additional reporting by Blake Morrison and Christine Chan in New York, Adam Jourdan and Engen Tham in Shanghai, and Cate Cadell in Beijing; Editing by Paritosh Bansal and Edward Tobin)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Piyush Goyal said the Narendra Modi government fixed the anomalies in the process of allocating coal blocks after coming to power.

Korba: 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.The move came after reports that Sandesara along with his family members, also accused in the scam, have fled from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria

New Delhi: The CBI has asked the Interpol wing of Nigeria to confirm if the absconding promoter of Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech, Nitin Sandesara, being probed in a Rs 5,300 crore banking fraud case, has moved in that country, officials said Tuesday.

The move came after reports that Sandesara along with his family members, also accused in the scam, have fled from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria with which India does not have any extradition treaty.

The agency has said it has no input on the whereabouts of Sandesara and his family members.

Following the reports, the agency has approached the Nigerian Interpol authorities to find out details of Sandesara and his family members.

Last October, the agency 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 Garg and other unidentified persons.

The CBI has alleged that the company had taken loans of over Rs 5,000 crore from a consortium led by Andhra Bank which have turned into non-performing assets.

The FIR has alleged that the total pending dues of the group companies were Rs 5,383 crore as on 31 December, 2016.

The directors of the company "connived with the in-house chartered accountant and falsified material records of the company", such as production, turnover and investments in capital assets, the FIR alleged.

"This was allegedly done using various India-based entities and those situated abroad," it said.

The company was earlier booked by the CBI in August for allegedly bribing senior Income Tax department officials.

On 28 June, 2011, the IT department had conducted searches and seizures at 25 premises of Sterling Biotech Ltd, during which a diary containing hand-written records of financial transactions was found, the FIR, in that case, had alleged.

"Some of these names were appended with further references such as IT or Commissioner etc," it had alleged.

In the present case, the CBI has booked all the accused for criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and corruption among other charges.

The CBI has alleged that false and fabricated documents and manipulated balance sheets were prepared for getting loans sanctioned from the banks which were later diverted for personal purposes.

It said that in an attempt to cheat the banks and falsely represent market capitalisation of the group companies, the shares in India and abroad in the names of non-promoters were held by directors themselves and were concealed from banks.

The CBI FIR alleged that the directors had quoted false documents under their signatures with "mala fide intention" to induce banks to sanction and release the credit limits.

"In three areas manipulation was substantial -- reporting of turnover of companies, reporting of investments in capital goods (fixed assets) and taxes to be paid on the manipulated turnover," it alleged.By Chris Kirkham (Reuters) - The sleek Juul electronic cigarettes have become a phenomenon at U.S. high schools, vexing educators and drawing regulatory scrutiny over their sweet flavours and high nicotine content

By Chris Kirkham

(Reuters) - The sleek Juul electronic cigarettes have become a phenomenon at U.S. high schools, vexing educators and drawing regulatory scrutiny over their sweet flavours and high nicotine content.

Now, a new wave of lower-priced Juul knock-offs is showing up at convenience stores, vape shops and online - despite a U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule banning the sale of new e-cigarette products after August 2016 without regulatory approval.

Start-ups and major tobacco firms have launched more than a dozen new high-nicotine devices with Juul-like designs since the FDA imposed the deadline, according to a Reuters review of the companies online advertisements, social media posts and public statements.

The FDA earlier this month threatened to ban Juul and four other leading vaping products unless their makers take steps to prevent use by minors. But the warning came after companies introduced a slew of new Juul copycats following the August 2016 deadline with no regulatory consequences.

In a statement to Reuters, the agency said it was investigating whether certain brands are being improperly sold without FDA approval and that it plans to take additional action on this front very soon. The agency said it would focus on products with high-nicotine concentrations and flavours appearing to target young people, and take swift action wherever appropriate.

The FDA set the August 2016 deadline to rein in the fast-growing industry but allowed sales of Juul and other older devices to continue without regulatory approval until 2022.

The companies that started marketing new devices after the deadline include startup firms such as Kandypens, Myle Vapor and VGOD, as well as large multinational tobacco companies including British American Tobacco Plc and Imperial Brands Plc.

Kandypens touted its new Rubi vaping device last October - more than 14 months after the August 2016 cutoff - with an Instagram post saying it had been working hard over here for the last 12 months on the product. Vaping distributor VGOD posted on its website in May that it was an honor to finally introduce the STIG, referencing its Stig Pods, a disposable three-pack of high-nicotine devices.

British American Tobacco chief executive Nicandro Durante said on a July 2018 earnings call that the company would be launching its higher-nicotine Vuse Alto product in the United States the following month. Imperial Brands announced its myblu brand of e-cigarettes in a February 2018 press release.

Kandypens, Myle and VGOD did not respond to requests for comment.

Spokespeople for Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco said their products were compliant and on the market before August 2016. Imperial Brands said it had purchased an existing e-cigarette brand and renamed it. British American Tobacco did not respond to questions about its marketing or sales.

A spokeswoman for Juul Labs Inc, Victoria Davis, said the company is cooperating with regulators and working to prevent underage use of a product designed to help adult smokers quit tobacco cigarettes.

No minor or non-nicotine user should ever try Juul, Davis said.

E-cigarettes vaporize a liquid that contains nicotine, the addictive stimulant that gives smokers a rush. The Juul design mimics a flash drive - with plug-in cartridges of concentrated nicotine juice. It is far more compact than earlier vaping devices and produces less vapour, making it easy to use without being detected - an attribute some health advocates say attracts teenagers.

Juuls imitators are also small and compatible with higher-nicotine blends, though some can also be filled with lower-strength juice.

The Chinese company Suorin introduced several such devices to the United States over the past year. Many high-schoolers and college students said they have switched to these products because buying widely available nicotine liquids is less expensive than Juul pods.

In a statement, Suorin said it didnt have clear guidance from the FDA on regulations governing its newer products but hopes to better understand how to fully comply. The company said its products are only intended for adult smokers.

One Juul pod has the nicotine content of about 20 cigarettes  the number in a traditional pack  according to Juuls marketing. A pod can be consumed in a day by a heavy user, according to interviews with Juul customers.

Many of the newest blends from Juul and its imitators - called nicotine salts in the industry - contain a compound called benzoic acid, which lowers the pH level of the liquid. That reduction allows users to take in more nicotine without a bitter taste, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In addition to the devices, dozens of high-nicotine e-liquids have arrived on the market with names such as frozen mystery pop, rainbow drops and Tokyo chocolate banana, which critics say are designed to attract young customers.

Vaping proponents argue the Juul and similar new products give cigarette smokers looking to quit a much better option than lower-nicotine e-cigarettes.

It gives the same exact sensation as a cigarette, except you dont wake up coughing at 2 a.m., said Charles Trejo, a manager at V for Vape, a Los Angeles retailer.

Public health researchers say high-nicotine vaping devices like the Juul have proven adept at drawing in new customers, including teenagers, who never used tobacco.

What theyre doing is creating addicts in large numbers, said Dr. Robert Jackler, a professor who heads a group studying the impact of tobacco advertising at Stanford University.

High-nicotine vaping devices amount to a weaponization of the drug, he said, citing research showing young people are particularly susceptible to nicotine addiction, which could lead them to other addictions including cigarettes.

HIGH SCHOOL 'JUUL ROOMS'

The companies launched the copycat devices as Juuls market share surged from 13.6 percent of the e-cigarette market in early 2017 to more than 70 percent now, according to a Wells Fargo analysis of Nielsen retail data, which does not include online sales.

The FDAs regulation of e-cigarettes has come under scrutiny in recent months as Juuls popularity has taken off. Anti-smoking advocates complained about the Juul lookalikes in an August letter to the FDA, saying the agency had failed to assert its authority over companies that had evaded the review process. The FDA said it planned to respond to the letter but declined further comment.

Vaping increased by nearly eightfold between 2011 and 2017 among U.S. high school students, according to the most recent CDC data. Experts say last years survey likely underestimates the increase because it was conducted before a surge in Juul sales.

Many high schools have resorted to locking bathrooms  jokingly called Juul rooms by students. Marcella Bianco, who helps develop school anti-vaping curriculum for the non-profit organization Catch My Breath, said elementary schools have recently started requesting materials.

Educators fear the high-nicotine devices could erode decades of progress in reducing youth tobacco use. Smoking among high school students declined from 15.8 percent to 7.6 percent between 2011 and 2017, according to the CDC, but e-cigarette use grew from 1.5 percent to 11.7 percent over the same period.

Its like a flashback to 20 years ago, said Kathryn Hensley, a school board member in St. Lucie County, Fla. Are we starting all over again?

E-cigarettes have occupied a regulatory grey area in the United States since they emerged a decade ago. Only in 2016 did the FDA finalise rules to regulate e-cigarettes, including the requirement that companies get approval for new products.

Research on the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes is limited. They are widely viewed as safer than tobacco cigarettes because they dont contain the same cocktail of toxic and cancer-causing chemicals.

The U.K. Royal College of Physicians said in a 2016 report that e-cigarettes were 95 percent less harmful than smoking tobacco, citing a reduction in the risk of serious disease and death. The CDC has said e-cigarettes are safer than conventional cigarettes but has not assigned a specific risk reduction because the products can vary widely.

Some health experts are particularly worried about the impact of nicotine from e-cigarettes on adolescents. Research from a 2016 U.S. Surgeon Generals report found that such exposure could have lasting adverse consequences for brain development and cognition on teenagers. A study released by the National Academy of Sciences this year cited evidence that vaping among young people increases the risk of eventually smoking tobacco.

BANNED IN OTHER COUNTRIES

High-nicotine vaping devices and liquids are not allowed in many other parts of the world, including in the European Union and the United Kingdom, which have both set nicotine limits at 20 mg/mL in e-cigarette liquids. Regulators said that level was effective for most smokers trying to quit.

Juul pods are rated at 59 mg/mL, according to the companys marketing. Israeli regulators last month banned Juul out of concern over its high nicotine content, saying the device posed serious danger to public health.

Davis, the Juul Labs spokeswoman, said in August the company was incredibly disappointed with what it called the Israeli governments misguided decision to crack down on healthier alternatives to tobacco cigarettes.

The company has since introduced a lower-nicotine version of the product in Israel that it says complies with regulations there. Davis said Juul believes the higher-nicotine version of the product still provides the best option for smokers trying to quit.

Imperial Brands new myblu product arrived in the United States earlier this year. Matt Kessler, a spokesman for Fontem Ventures, the Imperial Brands unit that owns myblu, said the brand complies with the FDA rules because it is a re-imagination of a similar e-cigarette that was marketed by a company that Imperial brands acquired a year earlier.

The new myblu brand, however, offers 4 percent nicotine strength, meaning at least 40 mg/mL, according to company advertising, higher than any previously offered by the earlier e-cigarette model, called My Von Erl.

Devices that vaporize higher-nicotine liquids fall under the definition of new products subject to FDA review, according to the 2016 regulation. Kessler declined to comment further on nicotine levels in myblu, saying only that the product is compliant with FDA regulations.

Durante, the CEO of British American Tobacco, acknowledged on the July earnings call that its Vuse Alto device had not been widely available before the August 2016 deadline. He said thats not required under FDA rules.

To be grandfathered by the FDA, he said, you could be in market, in one store, two stores only in the whole country.

The FDA declined to comment on whether myblu and Vuse Alto are compliant or if availability in one or two stores would be considered on the market. The agency said it would consider the totality of the evidence to decide a whether a vaping product had been commercially available before the regulatory deadline.

STRUGGLE TO QUIT

As new high-nicotine Juul competitors arrive, vaping enthusiasts on YouTube are posting reviews of the next Juul killer aiming to take a piece of the red-hot market.

Milo Gringlas, a freshman at Cornell University, said Juul has become so ubiquitous on campus that a popular late-night food truck now sells vaping devices and nicotine liquids.

Everybody either has one or is looking for one, he said.

Austin Tompkins, who lives in Los Angeles, has struggled for the last six months to kick his addiction to Juul, which he started using about three years ago, when he was 19. He realized he needed to stop when he would wake up in the middle of the night needing another hit.

In his latest attempt, hes made it two months without vaping. The urge hasnt gone away.

Im telling you, right now, I would love a hit of a Juul, he said.

(Reporting by Chris Kirkham; Editing by Vanessa O'Connell and Brian Thevenot)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The prosecutors accused the 30-year-old man of inappropriately touching the Filipina woman and then fleeing the scene. The case was registered at the Bur Dubai police station.

Dubai: An Indian youth has been slapped with molestation charges by a Dubai court after he allegedly groped a woman while she was walking late at night, according to a media report.

The man, a driver by profession, denied the charge, claiming that he touched the woman by mistake, Khaleej Times reported.

The prosecutors accused the 30-year-old man of inappropriately touching the Filipina woman and then fleeing the scene. The case was registered at the Bur Dubai police station.

The complainant, a 25-year-old waitress, told the prosecution that she did not know the suspect prior to the incident.

"It was at 1.20 am on 3 August. I was near a restaurant and was about to go to a supermarket. My friend was with me. There were a group of five to six men who were coming in the opposite way. One of them groped me intentionally. I yelled at him but he then replied in a very abusive and vulgar manner," the woman was quoted as saying by Khaleej Times.

He did not just ignore her screams for help but also laughed and continued his way, she said, adding, "I followed them and kept screaming until an African man came and restrained the defendant."

The woman said she had no idea about what could have prompted the accused into that behaviour as she did not encourage or provoke him in any way.

A ruling will be pronounced on 11 October.The Attorney General then continued his arguments on the money bill issue, arguing that Aadhaar was, at its core, a money bill and that Section 57 was just an ancillary provision.

Editor's Note: This copy was published on 3 May, 2018. It is being republished in light of the Supreme Court's verdict on the constitutionality of Aadhaar likely being pronounced tomorrow.

On Day 35 of the Aadhaar hearings, advocate Zoheb Hossain concluded his arguments on the issue of the furtherance of socio-economic rights via Aadhaar. He also discussed the issues of disclosure of information in the interest of national security, the filing of complaints by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) only under the Aadhaar Act, and on the Aadhaar-PAN linkages being applicable to individuals only and not to corporates. The Attorney General then continued his arguments on the money bill issue, arguing that Aadhaar was, at its core, a money bill and that Section 57 was just an ancillary provision.

Aadhaar advances socio-economic rights

Advocate Zoheb Hossain continued his arguments on behalf of the UIDAI and the State of Maharashtra, arguing on the issue of advancement of socio-economic rights and their harmonisation with civil and political rights. Aadhaar, he argued, was a project that ensures peoples socio-economic rights. He further pointed to the Justice Wadhwa Committee Report on the public distribution system.

Next, he pointed to the case of D.K. Trivedi vs State of Gujarat, in which the Supreme Court observed that the validity of a statute conferring discretionary powers on the executive or an administrative authority, could not be judged on the assumption that the said authority would act in an arbitrary manner in the exercise of that discretion.

He further made reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the reference made to them in previous judgments of the Supreme Court like in Unni Krishnan vs State of Andhra Pradesh. He argued, based on the ICCPR, that all human rights are equally important, indivisible and interconnected. Socio-economic rights are thus as important as civil and political rights.

PIL on the right to privacy?

In order to judge the proportionality of restrictions imposed on privacy, he argued that their reasonableness would have to be considered from the perspective of the general public and not that of an individual. At this juncture, he also questioned how a public interest litigation could be filed for the violation of the right to privacy, when privacy is essentially a personal right, and none of the petitioners were alleging a violation of their privacy.

In furtherance of this, he cited a US congressional report on the development of the Social Security Number (SSN), which describes it as a quasi-universal personal identification number, used for a variety of purposes such as identifying convicted criminals, obtaining a loan or insurance, etc. He argued that individuals in the US could be denied benefits if they fail to produce their SSN. As an example, he cited a US case where the firing of an employee for failing to produce her SSN was not seen as a violation of her privacy.

Disclosure of information for national security

Next, arguing that there were adequate safeguards for records under the Aadhaar Act, he cited Section 33(2) of the Aadhaar Act, which allows the disclosure of information in the interest of national security. He pointed to the safeguard under the proviso of this section, which requires every such direction under it to be reviewed by an Oversight Committee. He argued that the Aadhaar Act prescribes more oversight than even that prescribed under the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) case on telephone tapping. On the issue of national security, he further argued that a party could not expect strict adherence to the principles of natural justice during times of emergency.

Filing of complaints by the UIDAI only

He further argued on the challenge to Section 47 of the Aadhaar Act, which prevents the people from filing a case under the Act. He argued that since the person could file a complaint before the UIDAI through its grievance redressal system, he wouldnt be left remedy-less. He argued that it was best left to the UIDAI to file complaints since they have a better understanding of the highly technical nature of the Aadhaar system. He also pointed to the judgment of the Supreme Court in State of NCT v. Delhi,, where a similar provision under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act was discussed.

Further, he argued that the UIDAI may authorize a person to file a complaint if they felt that it was genuine since there was no bar to do this under the Aadhaar Act. Additionally, there were remedies available under the Information Technology Act, such as for identity theft and the violation of privacy, for actors outside the CIDR. For the CIDR, there were adequate provisions under the Aadhaar Act.

Promoting redistributive justice via Aadhaar-PAN

Next, he argued that the purpose of the Aadhaar Act as well as Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act on Aadhaar-PAN linking is to promote redistributive justice and ensure substantive equality, along with furthering the dignity of the individual. He argued that the term distribute under the Directive Principle of State Policy under Article 39(b) of the Constitution, includes revenue leakage control in furtherance of distributive justice. He also quoted the Puttaswamy judgment, arguing that rights of an individual could be curbed in the interest of prevention of tax evasion, curbing black money and prevention of money laundering.

He further argued that the Aadhaar Act and the Income Tax Act were stand-alone acts, and it cannot be said that the Parliament cannot, in the exercise of its legislative wisdom, make Aadhaar mandatory by way of an amendment. This argument, further, had already been decided by the Supreme Court in the Binoy Viswam case. The objects of the two statutes, he argued, are different, and they could run parallel to each other, with no intersection and thus, no conflict.

Aadhaar-PAN can resolve dummy directors and fake companies

Next, turning to the issue of why only individuals had been asked to link their Aadhaar with PAN, he argued that the rule for equality did not mean that the State has to strike all evils at the same time. Companies and individuals, he argued, were treated differently under the Income Tax Rules.

Further, the linking for individuals will also cure the evils vis-a-vis companies. For instance, under the Companies Act, a person can be a director for only 20 companies at a given time. The linking of Aadhaar with PAN, he argued, would allow the verification of whether a genuine person is the director of the companies. This could thus enable the deduplication of Director Identification Numbers. The genuineness of the companies can also be verified this way. With this, the counsel concluded his arguments.

Aadhaar is at its core a money bill

The Attorney General then commenced his arguments on the issue of money bill. He argued that Aadhaar was, in pith and substance, a money bill, and ancillary provisions in relation to appeal, revision, etc., which are needed to make the Act complete, do not fall outside the ambit of Article 110 of the Constitution (which defines a money bill). He argued that the term targeted delivery of subsidies contemplated the expenditure of funds. This expenditure was to the tune of thousands of crores from the Consolidated Fund of India. This, he argued, in itself brought the Aadhaar Act under the ambit of a money bill under the Constitution of India.

He argued that even though the law has ancillary provisions, the main aim of the Act was the delivery of services and benefits. He argued that Sections 7, 24 and 25 brought the Aadhaar Act under the ambit of a money bill. Not a single provision, he argued, was unnecessary or unrelated to the main purpose of the Act.

Section 57 is an ancillary provision

The Bench here pointed to Section 57, describing the allowing of body corporates and individuals to use Aadhaar as a concern with the link of the Act to the Consolidated Fund of India. This provision, they stated, did not involve the distribution of benefits and subsidies under the Aadhaar Act. To this, the Attorney General argued that the Section merely allows the existing infrastructure to be used for other purposes so long as the purposes are legitimate. Thus, this was just another ancillary provision. He further argued that the Court could judge the validity of a contract for the use of Aadhaar under this Section only if it was before them for consideration.

He further pointed to Article 110 of the Constitution of India, which defines a money bill and includes clause (g), which allows a money bill to include provisions on matters incidental to any of the matters which are the primary subject of a money bill. When the Bench pointed out that under Article 110, a money bill could only involve the matters as listed from clauses (a) to (g), the Attorney General argued that the term only implied that the matters listed under these clauses could only be dealt with as a money bill. The Bench, here, remarked that such an interpretation would constitute rewriting the Constitution.

The arguments will continue 3 May.

Sources of arguments include live-tweeting of the case by SFLC.in and Prasanna S, and LiveLaw Reports.

You can read our complete coverage of the Aadhaar Supreme Court case below:

Why SC needs to look into technical evidence of Aadhaars surveillance capabilities

Lack of governmental ownership of CIDRs source code can have serious consequences

Will State give citizens rights only if they agree to be tracked forever, asks lawyer Shyam Divan

Coalition for Aadhaar: A collective of private companies wants to ensure that Aadhaar ID and related services continue to be offered

Petitioners argue on centralisation of data and challenge Aadhaars claims on savings

Petitioners argue for a voluntary ID card system that does not collect user data

Petitioners argue that receipt of govt benefits cannot be at the cost of compromising fundamental rights

Aadhaar is architecturally unconstitutional, argue the petitioners

Petitioners argue that Aadhaar violates dignity by objectifying and depersonalizing an individual

Petitioners seek compensation for starvation deaths and extension of March 31st deadline

Section 7 exception in Supreme Courts interim order greatly affects peoples constitutional rights

Entire Aadhaar project is beyond the stated objectives of Aadhaar Act, argue petitioners

Petitioners conclude their arguments on 'the number of the beast' Aadhaar, highlighting various issues

Aadhaar hearing: Political liberties cannot be foregone for economic and social justice, states the Bench

Aadhaar hearing: UIDAIs presentation discusses Aadhaar enrolment, updation and authentication processes in detail

Aadhaar hearing: Supreme Court expresses concerns with data breaches, Aadhaar security and profiling

Aadhaar hearing: Petitioners question UIDAI on verification of residency requirement, de-duplication rejections and authentication failures

Aadhaar hearing: Attorney General argues that pervasive collection of fingerprints meets proportionality requirements

Aadhaar hearing: Bench criticises the argument that Aadhaar can prevent bank frauds and terrorists from acquiring mobile numbers

Aadhaar hearing: Additional Solicitor General argues Aadhaar-PAN linkage enables deduplication, prevents fraud and widens the tax base

Aadhaar hearing: Not necessary to prove least possible invasion of privacy, argues Additional Solicitor General

Aadhaar hearing: Counsel argues that Aadhaar is more secure than a data protection law, SC disagrees

Aadhaar hearing: Supreme Court questions why both the right to privacy and right to food cannot be secured under the Constitution

Aadhaar hearing: Senior counsel Rakesh Dwiwedi argues that the UIDAI is constantly improving and upgrading its systems

Aadhaar hearing: Aadhaar has the support of two governments, argues the State

Aadhaar hearing: The Act is a well balanced law of which a few provisions should be struck down, argues advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan

The author is a lawyer and author specializing in technology laws. She is also a certified information privacy professional.To create a sense of security among the government employees in Jammu and Kashmir amid the looming militant threat over Urban Local bodies and Panchayat polls, the government has decided to give one-month additional salary to those employees to those who will be deployed for election-duty in the upcoming electoral exercise.

Srinagar: To create a sense of security among the government employees in Jammu and Kashmir amid the looming militant threat over Urban Local bodies and Panchayat polls, the government has decided to give one-month additional salary to those employees to those who will be deployed for election-duty in the upcoming electoral exercise.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary V R Subrahmanyam on Tuesday said that the state employees will get additional one-month salary for poll duty. During a press conference in Srinagar, he said the state governments move is aimed at pleasing those employees who had expressed apprehensions regarding their personal security.

The decision comes at a time when militants have threatened to carry out acid attacks against those taking part in the upcoming polls with the situation turning more volatile particularly in southern Valley. This is first of its kind initiative in the electoral history of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to officials, 4,500 sarpanch-s and 39,500 panch-s will be elected in Jammu and Kashmir in the coming polls, but till now merely half a dozen candidates have submitted their nomination forms for the Urban Local bodies elections in the Kashmir region because of fear of militant attacks.

These elections are for the local issues; Bijli, Sadak, Pani (electricity, road, water)... have nothing to do with the big issue," Subrahmanyam said. He said at least 300 hotel rooms have been booked in Srinagar for candidates, who might want to stay in them due to security considerations and similar arrangements have been made in south and north of Kashmir as militant threat looms large on the polls.

Subrahmanyam said the polls will be held in north Kashmir without any fear, If there is problem in south, what is the problem in north Kashmir? There is none.

The government had asked for 400 additional companies of central forces for the conduct of smooth elections amid fears that large scale violence may break out. This is an unprecedented move despite elections going on in other parts of country, he said.

During the last election, over 79 percent of the electorate exercised their right to vote. The process stretched over 17 phases with 5.07 million voters electing a total of 4,130 sarpanchs and 29,719 panchs. The 4,098 panchayat bodies in the state  including 2,145 in Kashmir and 1,953 in Jammu  were defunct for two decades before the delimitation of Panchayats. Subsequently, 280 new panchayats and 4,000 panch segments were constituted.

"There are roughly fifteen thousand employees who will be part of the entire exercise, and they will be moving from one place to another during the entire process. This is good move which will give them a kind of boost," chief electoral officer Shaleen Kabra said.

More then 10,000 state employees will part of the exercise. As the violence has intensified in the region ahead of the polls and encounters and killings have become a daily routine, many employees have expressed apprehension on social media that the state government was "exploiting" them.

The decision is good because if someone is putting is life in danger he/she should be rewarded for that. It wont be easy for any government employee to be part of this exercise, Mohammad Shafi Khan, a Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan teacher, who is on a hunder strike in Pratap park of Srinagar form last one month, said.

The government has also canceled leaves of its employees and said no leave shall be granted to a government employee except in case of medical emergency till the conclusion of upcoming municipal and Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to an order issued from the office of the Commissioner Secretary to Government: Leaves of any kind sanctioned to government employees except leaves sanctioned on medical grounds or for study purposes shall stand canceled forthwith. The concerned employees shall report to their respective places of posting immediately, the order said.

No leave of any kind shall be granted to a government employee except in case of medical emergency till the conclusion of elections, the order states. Dozens of former sarpanch-s and panch-s have expressed dismay over the rush with which the elections are being conducted. Many have express their unwillingness to fight the elections again, not because of the militant threat only but also due to the non availability of funds and red tapism.

It is good decision but at the same time the government teachers are on a hunger strike from last one month and no body is paying heed to their grievances. One has to understand that this is not a normal duty. The situation is not conducive for polls and so by giving this sop to the employees, the government is not doing them any favour, Employees' Joint Action Committee (EJAC) president Abdul Qayoom Wani said.Margaret Hamer said driven people are the future of democracy.

Hamer was one of five local activist discussion leaders and the spokesperson of Moms Demand Action at the first TEDxUFSalon event.

Different than other TEDxUF events, the salon-style is an informal roundtable discussion that bridges the community and the university, said Laura Uribe, the TEDxUFs license holder and curator. The theme for the first event was activism and hosted 40 guests. Upcoming events will be themed personal development, art and technology, science and storytelling will be hosted.

In the first salon at UF, Hamer said she wanted to talk to young people about their priorities and give them advice.

I love anything that gets young people active and involved and excited, Hamer said.

For TEDxUFs 10th anniversary, organizers wanted to create more engagement between students and the Gainesville community, which inspired the salon idea, said Uribe, a 21-year-old UF political science senior.

She said she became involved with the organization because it allowed her to find her purpose and because she loved that TEDx discusses issues that relate to every type of person.

What drove me to TED was that fascination with being able to know a little bit about everything, she said.

Four other local activist leaders also led discussion roundtables at the event, including Jhody Polk, the executive director for the Florida Council for Incarcerated Women and Girls, and Giancarlo Tejeda, the president of CHISPAS UF, Uribe said.

Carole Fernandez, the president of the League of Women Voters of Alachua County and Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, a UF African studies and religion professor were some of the activists who came to talk with students about social issues, Uribe said.

The guests sat with the activists and engaged in discussion with people theyd never met and who likely had opposing views, Uribe said.

Each student had to apply to participate because the organizers were in search of participants who were eager to actively engage in debate, she said.

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An icebreaker started off the discussion. Attendees all put a sticker with a social issue on their backs. Others had to explain the issue well enough so the person could guess what it was.

Toward the end of the event, guests exchanged contact information and spoke about ways they could work together in the future, which Uribe said was one of the purposes.

There are so many great leaders in Gainesville that because were trapped in this bubble we dont get exposed to, so this space here allows UF students to connect with the community and enact change, Uribe said.

Cristian Guerrero, a 19-year-old UF psychology sophomore, said he was able to network and learn valuable lessons. Guerrero said it was interesting talking to the freshmen who sat at his table.

Just to think that I was in their shoes last year, and theyre also trying to develop as students and professionals is really cool, he said.What is surprising is the daring effort to supplant the Hizbul Mujahideen ideology in the northeastern state as is the ready availability of a ragtag band of wannabe militants.

Srinagar to Guwahati may be a good 2,800 km and may be much more apart in imagination, but in these days of social media and times of dizzyingly fast means of communicating with each other, ideas take seconds to travel. That is why the recent emergence of tentacles of the Kashmir-focused Hizbul Mujahideen in Assam is not really a far-fetched development.

While nine people have been rounded up by the Assam Police as recent as Sunday and linkages being explored and investigated in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, it has set alarm bells ringing within the security establishment in the state and efforts have gained ground to set up a Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on the lines of the ones in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and other places.

The emergence of the Hizbul Mujahideen module in Assam may be a one-off case. But we have sought the formation of an ATS in Assam in order to keep a close eye as these groups operate very surreptitiously and secretively because of the unique nature of the Assamese social fabric, Pallab Bhattacharya, additional director general (special branch), told Firstpost.

Hizbul Mujahideen is the largest militant outfit in Jammu and Kashmir waging an armed struggle seeking the severance of Kashmir from India although government reports say the outfit is fighting a growing crisis of shortage of weapons and finances. It is believed that of the about 210 hardcore militants active in Kashmir Valley now, about 126 belong to the Hizbul.

After Jammu and Kashmir, Assam has the largest population of Muslims among the Indian states. While Assamese Muslims adhere to a Sufi form of Islam cherished and propagated by 17th-century poet and spiritual leader Azaan Faqir that is deeply rooted in Assamese culture and traditions, Bengali-speaking Muslims are fairly liberal in their outlook too.

It is a unique Islamic culture in Assam due to which even the few radicalised elements tread very carefully lest they be exposed by members of their own community. But radical thoughts have increasingly been gaining ground and that is why there is an urgent need to tackle it and nip it in the bud, said Bhattacharya.

At the same time, what is surprising is the daring effort to supplant the Hizbul Mujahideen ideology in the northeastern state as is the ready availability of a ragtag band of wannabe militants.

The idea behind setting up the ATS would ostensibly be to identify and isolate the radical elements. While the states security forces have handled the insurgency led by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and other insurgent outfits in an effective manner, a different approach needs to be organised to combat jihadi modules.

At the same time, it has to be admitted that situation in certain parts of the state is indeed getting more fertile to breed radical Islamist ideologies which pave the way for setting up of jihadi outfits. The latest Hizbul Mujahideen involvement is a manifestation of that.

Says Ajai Sahni, a leading security expert: The Hizbul Mujahideen module in Assam doesnt mean much. A person from Assam went to Kistwar in Kashmir and got radicalised after coming into contact with certain elements. He went back to Assam and tried to cobble up a group. There is however no denying that there is significant potential for Islamist radicalism in the state.

According to South Asia Terrorism Portal, a leading portal on terrorism, about 20 Islamist terror formations have operated in Assam at different periods.

Four years back, the Assam state Assembly was informed that between January 2001 and November 2014, a total of 130 Islamist extremists, including 106 MULTA (Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam) cadres, 14 of Harakat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), and 10 of JMB (Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh), were arrested in Assam.

Clearly, the detection of such radical Islamist groups professing jihadi ideologies has been too frequent for comfort.Red alert issued in Punjab and 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.

New Delhi: 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.

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 on 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 news 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.The values of forgiveness, compassion and inclusivity embraced by late South African President Nelson Mandela are even more relevant today in the world which is 'beset with conflicts, terror and hateful ideologies, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.

United Nations: The values of forgiveness, compassion and inclusivity embraced by late South African President Nelson Mandela are even more relevant today in the world which is "beset with conflicts, terror and hateful ideologies, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit.

Recalling India's strong bond with "Madiba", as Mandela was fondly addressed by people across the world, Swaraj said Indians consider him to be one of their own. "We are proud to call him a Bharat Ratna, jewel of India," she said.

"Nelson Mandela's life is an inspiration for all. He showed fearlessness and courage in the face of discrimination and adversity," Swaraj said at the Summit held on Monday, a day before the start of the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly.

Swaraj underscored that the values of forgiveness, compassion and inclusiveness of society, espoused by Mandela, are needed now more than ever in the current turbulent times around the world.

The focus of the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit is on Global Peace in honour of Mandela's birth centenary.

Swaraj said the world today is "beset with conflicts, terror and hateful ideologies that are transcending borders and impacting our lives." She emphasised that no one should be allowed to support terror or its perpetration.

"Our collective survival as a global family requires that the wisdom of pioneering leaders such as Mandela should remain as our moral compass," she said.

Mandela was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award in 1990. He is among only two non-Indians to be conferred with the honour. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1987.

"India cherishes its special relationship and longstanding partnership with Africa and its people. Our close bonds are reflected in the philosophy of Mandela and Gandhi," both of whom led their peoples to freedom though mass peaceful struggles, she said adding that the two leaders made all efforts to overcome divisive and narrow identity politics to turn society's diversity into its strength instead of a weakness.

At the Summit, the United Nations General Assembly honoured Mandela with a pledge to build a just, peaceful and prosperous world and to revive the values for which the former South African President and anti-apartheid campaigner stood. UN Member States adopted the first resolution of the General Assembly's 73rd session, "committing to demonstrate mutual respect, tolerance, understanding and reconciliation in [their] relations".

"We resolve to move beyond words in the promotion of peaceful, just, inclusive and non-discriminatory societies, stressing the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women and the meaningful participation of youth in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security," the resolution said.

Member States, many represented by their heads of State and government, also reiterated the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and said that they remain committed to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions  economic, social and environmental  in a balanced and integrated manner.

Addressing the Summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke of the growing pressure against human rights around the world, and urged everyone to draw inspiration from Mandela's wisdom, courage and fortitude, to face the challenges.

"[That] is the only way to build the just, peaceful and prosperous world envisioned in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Guterres said.

"Madiba was a global citizen whose legacy must continue to guide us," he added.

Earlier in the day, a statue of Mandela was unveiled at the UN Headquarters by Guterres alongside President of South Africa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa and President of the current session of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa. Gifted by South Africa to the UN, the life-size statue shows Madiba with his arms outstretched and bears his warm and broad smile.

Speaking at the unveiling, Guterres highlighted Mandela's humility as a hallmark of his greatness.

"When he achieved the pinnacle of power as president of his beloved country, Madiba set an example that still resounds throughout Africa and the world  he stepped down after one term, confident in the durability of South Africa's newfound democracy; he did not pursue power for its own sake, but simply as a means of service," the UN chief said.

Espinosa recalled Mandela's first landmark speech at the UN, in 1994, in which he spoke of the interdependence of all nations and asked what can and must leaders do to ensure that democracy, peace and prosperity prevail everywhere.At least six students were injured after a clash erupted between resident doctors and hostellers in the BHU campus here allegedly over non-allotment of bed to a patient, police said Tuesday.

Varanasi: At least six students were injured after a clash erupted between resident doctors and hostellers in the BHU campus here allegedly over non-allotment of bed to a patient, police said Tuesday.

The incident took place late on Monday night after students of some hostels in the varsity joined the patient's family members who were engaged in an scuffle with the resident doctors.

Soon after, the hostellers and the resident doctors stone pelted at each other and indulged in arson in the campus, they said.

The family members of the patient were demanding allotment of bed at Sir Sunderlal Hospital of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), but when a resident doctor expressed unwillingness in meeting the demand on an immediate basis, an argument broke out between them, police said.

The argument took a violent turn after the resident doctors and hostellers indulged in arson in the campus, stone-pelting, hurled petrol bombs and attacked and injured each other.

Some "anti-social" elements also set afire two motorcycles and a police picket in the campus, police said, adding that the clashing groups damaged public property and vandalised an ATM cubicle.

At least six students were injured in the incident who received treatment at the trauma centre, they said.

Senior police officials including SP (City) Dinesh Kumar Singh rushed to the spot along with several policemen and used "mild force" to bring the situation under control in the early hours Tuesday.

District Magistrate Surendra Singh and SSP Anand Kulkarni rushed to the BHU this morning and held a flag march in the campus and also held talks with the university administration.

A probe has been launched into the incident and a person detained in this connection, police said.According to BJP's district unit president Uma Shankar Pandey, people of Amethi and the party staged a strong protest against the Congress chief's 'unfounded allegations' and his use of 'foul language' against the prime minister on Monday.

Amethi: Furious with Congress president Rahul Gandhi for using "foul language" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP workers staged a noisy protest in Amethi on Tuesday to demand an apology and were dispersed by police.

As Congress and BJP workers faced off against each other on the second day of his visit to his parliamentary constituency, Rahul went to the district magistrate's office here amid tight security, officials said. "The situation is under control now. The BJP and the Congress came face to face and police had to intervene," said Additional Superintendent of Police BC Dubey.

Congress spokesperson Anil Singh said he and other party workers were chased away by a "helpless administration" when they were objecting to the BJP workers raising slogans against their leader.

"Congress workers opposing the mudslinging on our leader by BJP workers were 'lathi charged' and chased away by the helpless administration," Singh said. According to BJP's district unit president Uma Shankar Pandey, people of Amethi and the party staged a strong protest against the Congress chief's "unfounded allegations" and his use of "foul language" against the prime minister on Monday.

"There is 'chori' (theft) in the works of Narendra Modi  Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, notebandi (demonetisation), Gabbar Singh Tax (referring to GST). There is theft in all these. One by one, we will prove that Narendra Modi ji is not a 'chowkidaar'. Narendra Modi is a 'chor' (thief)," Gandhi had said. The Congress MP bad mouthed the prime minister and used foul language, calling him a thief, Pandey said.

"We demand an apology from the local MP or else we will not allow him to enter in the constituency next time he comes here," Pandey told PTI. He said people in Amethi were ashamed they had elected an MP like Rahul and alleged that the Congress president is himself embroiled in a land scam in the constituency and is involved in the National Herald case.

"Jo swayam chor hai, woh machata shor hai (a person who is himself a thief raises the maximum ruckus)," he said, adding that Rahul's brother-in-law Robert Vadra faces serious charges in Haryana. Rahul's visit to Amethi is his first after his Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.

Firing a fresh salvo at the prime minister over the Rafale jet deal, the Congress president had Monday also said the country's "chowkidar" Modi snatched money from the poor and handed it over to industrialist, Anil Ambani. "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," Rahul said at a meeting in the Jais area of his Lok Sabha constituency.

On Twitter, Rahul posted a video relating to French publication Mediapart, which last week carried a story quoting former French president Francois 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.What we may say is that with the BJPs failures becoming more cruelly exposed on two fronts  the promises to deliver on development and good governance, the partys rhetoric is becoming shriller.

BJP president Amit Shah crossed a sort of Rubicon on Saturday as he sought to dispel what we might call a 'lingering stench around the government his party runs at the Centre and simultaneously consolidate its vote bank. In suggesting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was entering into an alliance with Pakistan by raising questions over the Rafale deal and by the Congress chief calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'thief', Shah was not only accusing the main Opposition party of hatching a treasonous conspiracy with India's intractable neighbour but also betraying his party's nervousness over the Rafale issue.

It's hardly par for the course to accuse the leader of an Opposition party of being in league with an 'enemy' country when he raises questions about a defence deal that at first sight appears to have some merit. The best and most transparent course of action to nail Gandhi's 'lie' would be to concede the demand for a probe by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC), as the Congress party had done over the allegations of criminal impropriety in relation to 2G bandwidth allocations.

That Shah was, however, only trying to deflect attention with majoritarian posturing became evident the very next day when he likened 'illegal immigrants' to termites who were eating the 'grain that should go to our poor and taking our jobs'. Forget the fact that the Modi government has not really become a beacon of hope to the poor by distributing grain and creating jobs. Given that the comment was obviously aimed at Bangladeshi immigrants, Shah's comments have piled the pressure on a regime that has gone out of its way to address India's security concerns. That the party running this regime, the Awami League, faces end-of-the-year elections in Bangladesh (while the BJP faces elections some four or five months later) and given the general anti-India feeling in that country, may now find it difficult to remain sympathetic to Indias concerns does not seem to have cut much ice with Shah. Or, just maybe, it did not occur to him.

At any rate, recourse to majoritarian rhetoric and politics is so central to the BJPs worldview that falling back on them is almost instinctive. Shah was, in fact, participating in the same kind of project that his party colleague, and incidentally the defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman had kicked off when she accused the victors in the elections to the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union of being anti-India.

Following Shah, his party is now running with the ball he has set rolling. On Monday, a number of senior leaders of the BJP chimed in with the suggestion that by raising questions about the Rafale deal and questioning the prime ministers integrity the Congress had, in effect, exposed the fact that it was anti-national, that catch-all accusation that can be aimed at practically anyone who is not a fully signed-up, uncritical party loyalist.

Thus, Sitharaman, ruling out a JPC enquiry, has said, "No way are we going to agree to this false propaganda. Now you see an international dimension too." This can be translated to mean: We couldnt be bothered to clear the air, though critical doubts have been aired. These doubts have been raised by people who are in cahoots with Pakistan.

Party spokesperson Sambit Patra, too, elaborated on this theme, in a more direct fashion. What did the Congress and Pakistan have in common? he asked, before proceeding to supply the answer himself. Frustration was, he said, common to them. Both the Congress and Pakistan wanted somehow to remove Modi from the Indian polity. That any dispensation in Islamabad could prefer to have a hardline regime in New Delhi, because hardliners feed off each others compulsions, is a thought that possibly did not occur to him.

What is common to all these insinuations of an international mahagathbandhan against the BJP and Modi, is the continuing attempt by the ruling party to conflate the nation, nation-state and their interests with the party, the Sangh parivar and their interests. Any criticism of the ruling party and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and siblings becomes, in this phantasmagorical register, a slur against the nation and the people who constitute it and an attempt to subvert the nation-state. No further comment is called for in relation to this surreal and hubristic ideological hallucination.

What we may say, however, is that with the BJPs failures becoming more cruelly exposed on two fronts  the promises to deliver on development and good governance -- the partys rhetoric is becoming shriller.Kumar had accepted a bribe of Rs 80,000 from JME Services Private Limited to help the Mumbai-based firm bag a contract of Rs 98 lakh, the official added. The firm's managing director James Masih and his son Robin have also been named in the CBI FIR though they are yet to be arrested, he said.

Ahmedabad: The CBI has arrested a civil official posted at the Indian Air Force base at Jamnagar for allegedly demanding and accepting bribe from a Mumbai-based firm over a works contract, an official said Monday.

Assistant Accounts Officer Pankaj Kumar, serving under the Integrated Financial Adviser in the Air Force Station at Jamnagar, was arrested on Thursday by the anti-corruption wing of the CBI, an official informed.

Kumar had accepted a bribe of Rs 80,000 from JME Services Private Limited to help the Mumbai-based firm bag a contract of Rs 98 lakh, the official added. The firm's managing director James Masih and his son Robin have also been named in the CBI FIR though they are yet to be arrested, he said.

Kumar had demanded Rs 2 lakh from Robin to get the firm a contract to supply earth movers, tractors and labourers for a work at Naliya Air Force station in Kutch, the CBI FIR stated.

The bribe amount was brought down to Rs 1.25 lakh and Kumar was nabbed while he accepted an installment of Rs 80,000, the official said. Kumar is currently in jail, he said. The three have been charged with hatching a criminal conspiracy under section 120 (B) of the Indian Penal Code as well as under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the CBI official said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, in its FIR, has claimed that Kumar took bribes "frequently" from "different private suppliers" for various work tenders floated by the Indian Army and the IAF field formations falling within the jurisdiction of the Integrated Financial Adviser, Jamnagar.

IAF officials said in Delhi that Kumar is a civil official and is not from the force.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 Congress asked the prime minister to come out with the truth in the case and bring 'sachhe din' (day of truth) at least, instead of the promised 'achhe din' (good days) that never came.

New Delhi: The Congress upped the ante on the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal on Tuesday, saying the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue showed why the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal was not constituted during his tenure.

The Congress also asked the prime minister to come out with the truth in the case and bring 'sachhe din' (day of truth) at least, instead of the promised 'achhe din' (good days) that never came.

It also said that the ruling party, instead of coming out with the truth in the Rafale deal, was resorting to abuse and mud-slinging and asked Modi whether he was "(Reliance Defence chief) Ambani's PM or the country's prime minister".

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is in his Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, said more facts on the Rafale fighter deal will be out soon, while telling the youth there that they lost jobs as a related contract went to the Reliance Group rather than the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). "This is the beginning," he told reporters in Amethi, and "the truth will be before you and you can judge".

Reminding his constituents that a HAL unit was located in Amethi district, he repeated the charge that the Rafale deal's offset contract "wrongly" went to Anil Ambani's Reliance group instead of the public sector HAL.

"The youth should understand that employment opportunities have been snatched from HAL and from you all," he said.

Targeting the prime minister, Rahul said Modi had claimed he wanted to be the country 'chowkidar' (watchman). "But he put Rs 30,000 crore in Ambani's pocket." "The money which belonged to the youth and IAF was snatched from them and put in Ambani's pocket," he said.

Rahul also took to Twitter to say that he understands the pain of jawans, Air Force officers, the families of martyred pilots as well as HAL workers and will work to bring to justice all those who dishonoured and stole from them.

He addressed them all on Twitter in his apparent attack against the Narendra Modi government on the issue.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala rejected the BJP's claim that Rahul wanted the Rafale deal to be scrapped to help a firm linked to his brother-in-law Robert Vadra and said the Modi government was responding to the alleged "scam" with abuses and mud-slinging.

On Monday, the BJP alleged that the Congress president was involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" and former French president Francois Hollande was part of the "nexus" to sabotage the Rafale deal.

Responding to the charge, Surjewala said, "The country has heard the tale of 'Ali Baba aur Chaalis Chor', now it is asking that when will Modi Baba and 'Chaalis Chor' answer," Surjewala said in a word play on the folk tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves".

"Are you Ambani's prime minister, or the country's prime minister?" he also asked.

Former union minister Kapil Sibal alleged corruption in the fighter jet deal, saying it has now become clear from the silence of the Modi government and Modi on why it did not constitute the Lokpal during its tenure.

"When we look at these undisputed facts on Rafale scam, we will know why Lokpal was never constituted. Had Lokpal been there, the truth would have come out," he told reporters."If not 'achhe din', at least bring 'sachhe din' now by speaking the truth on the issue," he said.

"We only want to hear what the prime minister has to say. He should come out with the facts of the deal," he demanded.

Narrating the chronology of events from the decision to buy 36 aircraft off-the-shelf from Dassault and the signing of the inter-governmental agreement, the former union minister said it points to a "conspiracy".

Sibal said neither the foreign ministry, defence minister, nor Dassault knew what the prime minister will be doing in France during his visit in April 2015.

On 10 April, 2015, the prime minister announced to buy 36 Rafale aircraft off-the-shelf and this is undisputed fact, he said.

"Who knew that Prime Minister Modi would change the deal? Who knew what Modi said to Hollande. Only Hollande and Modi knew what transpired during their meeting...the prime minister should say what happened at the meeting. We want him to come out with the facts on the Rafale deal," he said.

Sibal alleged that "this is corruption that India has never seen" and said no prime minister has ever gone to another country and signed a defence deal. "This is contrary to the democratic way of functioning. You don't buy armaments like this," he said.

On 24 August, 2016, he said, Cabinet committee on Security (CCS) clearance was taken, which should have been taken before hand, after the deal was finalised on 10 April, 2015 and on 23 September, 2016 an inter-governmental agreement was signed. The same day the offset agreement was also signed.

On 3 October, 2016, Reliance Aerostructure and Dassault formed a joint venture in which Reliance had a share of 51 percent and Dassault would have 49 percent, he claimed. "What was the benefit of sidelining HAL? Or who benefitted from it?" he asked.

The Congress leader said, "the prime minister thinks that he is entitled to do what he likes because he owns 1.3 billion people and he can do what he wants to do with them. That is the mindset of our Prime Minister. That is not acceptable."Pastors often exhibit exploitative and predatory behaviour, not necessarily sexual in nature, but they are in a position of power in churches to manipulate people and exploit them.

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.

***

The year was 2001. I had just finished college and was starting out my medical practice. I was working at a community clinic of an NGO that was functioning out of a room in a car garage right in the centre of one of the largest slum clusters in Chennai. We called it a drop-in centre to make it more inviting. As a paediatrician, I was treating a lot of children, but I was seeing other demographics too. The clinic saw a lot of people who were not from the mainstream, such as injecting drug users, male and female sex workers, and transwomen, among others. I shared my clinic wall with that of a large Pentecostal Church in Purasawalkam in Chennai.

One day, a pastor from the Church walked into my clinic with a young woman in tow. He was wearing the trademark white jibba and dhoti which pastors from that church wear. He wanted to speak to me alone and told me in whispers to test the young woman for HIV, adding that he did not want the test or its results revealed to the woman. He said that the woman was married but separated from her husband. According to the pastor, she had affairs with a neighbour, so he wanted to get her tested. That was the first time my unquestioning respect for men of god disappeared. I gave him a mouthful and explained about patient confidentiality and ethics and the plain cruelty of carrying out such a test on a woman without her knowledge. I spoke to the woman too and she was terrified and uncomfortable. She told me her family was not very supportive after she split from her husband. This man (the priest) had been coming to her house a lot. She also told me that she did not know why she was brought to the clinic.

A priest or a pastor is often called a gatekeeper. We do not mistrust him. Often in small communities where the church is situated, the pastor knows all about the family, its history and its ups and downs. They are involved in every aspect of the lives of the congregants. Prayers are said for birthdays, anniversaries, marriages, deaths. Prayers before an exam, prayers for the sick, prayers for every occasion. Women go for prayers when they dont have babies. When a woman is beaten black and blue by her drunken husband, she may not run to the nearest police station, but she certainly runs to the neighbourhood pastor or lay evangelist for prayers, support and strength.

Families often disclose information about their debts, loans and financial struggles to their priest, something they may not even share with their extended family. The men of god officiate in all events, good and bad, at home. In several well-meaning and spiritual families, the pastor, the evangelist, the church elder, and the lay preacher/teacher are woven into the fabric of the home.

There is a cultural naivete for unconditional trust. This is the breeding ground for exploiting emotions and vulnerabilities and a spiritual leader is uniquely placed to do just that. We must remember that Ted Bundy worked at a crisis hotline as he murdered young women.

I have known Ranis* family for the past 15 years. She was a young widow and a woman with HIV. Her two young children were not infected, and the entire family was under my care for years. After the mainstreaming of ART (anti-retroviral therapy) in government clinics, I saw less of her and her children clinically. Rani worked in a government programme for Prevention of Parent-To-Child Transmission that I managed for a few years as an outreach worker for pregnant and HIV-positive mothers in Chennai.

After the outreach programme wound up, she began to work as a cook in a guesthouse near her house. I heard occasionally from her and the kids. In March 2015, I received a call that her young daughter had committed suicide by hanging herself. The close-knit community of women with HIV was in shock. The daughter was a Class 12 student, nearly 16 years old.

When I visited Rani, the reason for the suicide became apparent. The child had been blackmailed into a sexual relationship with the 'friendly neighbourhood' pastor's son who was also a pastor. The mother usually worked in the evening from 4 pm to 8 pm at the guesthouse, and the pastor made frequent house calls. The young man had taken videos of the girl in various compromising positions. Fear and shame drove the child to her death.

All the women from the network and I told the mother to share more details so that we could have the man arrested and bring him to justice. But Rani refused. Her status as a woman with HIV was known to the pastor's family and she was sure it would be revealed if they made allegations. She had her son's future to consider, and she did not want to jeopardise that in any way due to the stigma. After all, she was a poor woman and did not want to get into a "unequal" battle.

Besides, she blamed her daughter for getting herself into trouble. Rani distanced herself from all of us after this event. I met her last week. She spoke very little about the incident and was still in denial. She said she had forgiven her daughter, adding that she had taken membership at a new church. That was that.

Stories of sexual abuse of women by pastors who do not belong to a mainline church are not unheard of. The pastors start their own little church and are not affiliated to any of the major Christian denominations. Such pastors do not have any supervision from a larger body and have a cultic control over their flock. The case of 46-year-old Pastor Millan Singh from a village near Narippaiyur in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district came to light in October 2016 for various offences against women. He reportedly cheated nearly 40 women by taking money from them and promising them jobs.

In one case, he not only took Rs 2 lakh from 24-year-old Anbu Stella, but he also had sexual relationship with her. When she got pregnant, she persuaded him to marry her. He then murdered Stella with his wife Jeevitha's help and disposed of the body. A habeas corpus petition her father G Gnaniah, an agricultural labourer, filed in the Madras High Court resulted in police investigations, which revealed the role of Singh and his wife in Stella's murder and disappearance. It was during the interrogations that several other similar cases of cheating and sexual abuse came to light. The police arrested Singh and his wife, and the trial is on.

A Christian home typically has a strong involvement with the Church and several of its activities. There is Sunday school, youth programmes, choir, youth retreats, Vacation Bible School, Bible study, care cells, festivals, conventions, workshops and programmes through the year that keep the congregation engaged. Pastors are often like rock stars and wield enormous power over the flock. Several of them exhibit exploitative and predatory behaviour, not necessarily sexual in nature, but they are in a position of power to manipulate people to exploit them.

The primary trigger for predators is authority, reciprocity and social comfort. The predators hide their dark side until they get us past the point where it's difficult to disengage. They work hard to manufacture compliance and conformity and make the unsuspecting prey move in their direction. When it comes to religious leaders, all our guards are down, and people tend to defend them ferociously, and do not like to listen to others telling them that there is something amiss. Nithyananda might be creepy for many, but to his devotees, he is a god incarnate.

Barbara Grabber founded the the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) in 1989, which maintains a list of perpetrators of such crimes. The list initially focused on abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Church, but it now includes Baptists, Presbyterians, Orthodox Christians and others. It is high time that we, in India, have our own version of SNAP, too.

Like the #MeToo movement that took off worldwide, with women sharing instances of sexual abuse and harassment they had been put through, a #ChurchToo movement, too, needs to get a firm foothold in India. During Christmas 2017, 140 evangelical women in the United States had started another hashtag, #SilenceIsNotSpiritual, with the aim to examine traditional beliefs and the status of women in the Church.

A pastor of a megachurch, Andy Savage, fell from his high pedestal after he confessed to sexually abusing a woman two decades ago. At the time of his confession, his church had applauded him, but social media users had taken up their cudgels. The New York Times had shared a video of the woman, now an adult, he had sexually assaulted. It had titled the video "I was Assaulted and He was Applauded". The public outrage that followed had forced Savage to resign.

Churches and Christians have so much to learn about consent, power differentials in sexual relationships, criminal penalties for sexual acts, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, as well as the differences between the immoral and illegal aspects of sexual misconduct. All of this could begin by empowering women within Churches. Nearly all leadership positions within its hierarchy are male. The patriarchal teachings on women's roles  even when complimentary  need to be called out.

Former US president Jimmy Carter left the Southern Baptist Church (SBC) 18 years ago because it had failed to acknowledge women as equal. The downfall of Pastor Paige Patterson in May this year because of an audiotape from 2000, in which he can be heard counselling women who were physically abused by their husbands to "pray and ask god to intervene" and "be submissive in every way you can", was a result of a petition by 3,000 women from the SBC seeking action against him.

Sometimes I think that the 10 commandments in the Bible are not complete, and there is a need for an 11th one  "Thou shalt not commit rape or be a sexual predator." I would like to think that Moses lost a tablet as he descended down Mt Sinia, and that the key commandment was lost forever. In its absence, the only way forward is for us to speak up.

Also read:

Church and sexual abuse: Catholics, State have been silent for too long; Kerala rape must cause Vatican to act

The author is a paediatrician and a public health expert. She is also part of the Indian Christian Women's Movement.From political slugfest over Rafale deal escalates as Rahul demands answers from Modi to rains wreaking havoc in North India, here are Tuesday's top stories

Supreme Court verdict on petitions seeking disqualification of accused lawmakers

The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict on Tuesday on a batch of pleas raising a question whether MPs and MLAs 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 28 August and is slated to pronounce the verdict on Tuesday. The bench, also comprising Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY 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.

Himachal Pradesh rains: Five dead; schools to remain closed in three districts

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. Schools have been directed to remain closed in Kangra, Kullu and Hamirpur districts on Tuesday as a precautionary measure. 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. Several houses were also swept away in flash floods as the Beas river is flowing at a dangerous level. Issuing a flood warning, the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) said that excess 49,000 cusecs of water from the Beas Dam would be released on Tuesday at 3 pm. The water level of the dam has already reached 1,385.56 feet.

Rahul Gandhi releases french media house video on Rafale deal, exposes 'sad truth'

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday released a video of a French media portal and suggested it was the sad truth about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The video quoted the editor of Mediapart, a French media house that published a story on Friday quoting former French President Francois Hollande as saying that it was the Indian government that "proposed" Reliance Defence as the partner of Dassault Aviation for Rafale offset contracts. Rahul, while speaking in Amethi, also asked the prime minister for answers on several issues relating to the Rafale jet fighter deal and asked him to clarify as to why the former French president had allegedly called him a "thief".

Kerala floods: Pinarayi Vijayan to meet Narendra Modi today

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in the latter's residence in Delhi. In the meeting, it is expected that the chief minister would request more financial assistance for flood relief from the Centre. A final decision on fund release is yet to be taken, even though the state government has submitted its report to the Centre. Based on the guidelines fixed by the Centre on natural calamities, the state had submitted a proposal seeking Rs 4,796.35 crore as compensation.

Rahul Gandhi in Amethi: Day 2

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday will chair a meeting of the District Development and Monitoring Committee (earlier known as District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee) on the premises of collectorate at Gauriganj, the district headquarter. On Monday, Rahul reached his Lok Sabha constituency. He launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal stating that the country's "chowkidar", Modi snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialists.

Karnataka Congress Legislature party meeting today

Siddaramaiah, who is the head of the Congress-JD(S) coalition coordination committee, has convened a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party on Tuesday. The meeting comes amid reports that the opposition party, BJP is trying to sway leaders of the Congress, in a bid to upstage the coalition government. The committee is also concerned about possible cross voting ahead of the Legislative Council bye-elections(on 4th October)

India faces Afghanistan in their final Super Four clash

Team India face Afghanistan in their final Super Four clash in Dubai on Tuesday. The match though will have little impact on the tournament as India have already made to the final, courtesy their unbeaten run across four matches. Afghanistan, on the other hand, has been knocked out of the event after their three-run loss to Bangladesh on Sunday.

Markets enter bear phase

Market benchmark BSE Sensex tanked nearly 537 points to end at over two-month low of 36,305.02 and the Nifty crashed below the 11,000-mark on Monday, extending their slide for the fifth straight session after heavy losses in banking and auto stocks. With defaults from Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), one of the biggest NBFC's in the country, and its group companies on the rise, markets are unlikely to calm down in a hurry. In a note to clients, Morgan Stanley warned that the funding costs for NBFCs are likely to stay elevated for some time.

macOS Mojave now available

macOS Mojave is the biggest visual overhaul to macOS in over two years. Available for most Macs and MacBooks made since 2012, the most striking new feature of the new OS is Dark Mode, which introduces a new, darker, system-wide colour scheme. Other updates include Stacks, a feature that helps organise your cluttered desktop, support for iOS apps Like Stocks, News and Voice Memos and brand new, reactive wallpapers.

Smartphone makers are lying: Report

After weeks spent testing 10 smartphones from six different brands, we have come to the conclusion that some smartphone makers are cheating on benchmarks and lying to their customers about it. While this is not new and several companies have been caught cheating on benchmarks in the past, the full extent of the cheating, as revealed in our testing, throws up some rather worrying results and brings into question the trustworthiness of some of the biggest smartphone brands around. Our full report on the issue will be available later today.

Prasoon Joshi-led CBFC suggests new initiatives

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), chaired by Prasoon Joshi, has suggested new initiatives such as to invite the heads and members of Hindi and regional film associations, and a communication campaign for educating audience segments about the various categories that film content is certified under. A CBFC board meeting was held in Mumbai last week under Prasoon's guidance.'Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to closely coordinate to address global challenges,' the White House said. Earlier in the day, Trump said France is doing very well.

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday held a meeting with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, during which the two leaders discussed the situation in Syria, the aggressive behaviour of Iran and promoting free trade between the US and the European Union (EU).

"The two leaders discussed a wide range of international issues, including the situation in Syria, countering threats posed by Iran, and promoting fair terms of trade between the United States and the European Union," the White House said in a readout of the meeting. They also discussed Trump's plan to visit Paris in November and attend the Armistice Day centenary commemoration.

"Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to closely coordinate to address global challenges," the White House said. Earlier in the day, Trump said France is doing very well. "We are doing very well. Very importantly, we are doing very well together. We have a lot of trade and we are discussing trade. We will be discussing it today," he said.

"We will be discussing military and defense. Terrorism is a big subject that we are always talking about. That is why we are here tonight, I think maybe more so than almost anything. And trade," Trump said.

Expressing his deepest condolences for Hurricane Florence, Macron said the French people feel very close to the American people, especially the Carolinas. "We are here to discuss a lot of topics we have in common. President Trump just indeed expressed a few of them. But I think, we are here to deliver. And this occasion of all these meetings, and especially the meeting we will have on Wednesday, will be a great occasion to deliver for our common security," Macron said.

The two countries, he said, have a lot of visions in common. "I think terrorism, defense, the situation in the Middle-East as well, are something we have and we want to fix, and we want to work together," said the French president.The Supreme Court on Tuesday left the matter of disqualification of politicians carrying criminal charges against them, to the Parliament saying that the Court cannot add to the grounds of disqualification.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday left the matter of disqualification of politicians carrying criminal charges against them, to the Parliament saying that the court cannot add to the grounds of disqualification. However, the apex court handed out a slew of directions for curbing criminalisation of politics including asking candidates contesting elections to declare their criminal antecedents. The court also directed the Parliament to make a law to ensure that candidates with criminal records dont enter public life and take part in lawmaking.

Here is the full judgment of the Supreme Court:

Follow LIVE updates on the Supreme Court verdict here'Osiris' was once a fishing boat from Seychelles, an island country located to the east of Africa which was seized by the French Navy in 2003 and turned into a patrol boat for France.

Mumbai: 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.

Commander 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 Commander (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, 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 him, 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.French fisheries vessel Osiris, which rescued Commander Abhilash Tomy, reached off Amsterdam isle by 9.30 am and the sailor was subsequently transferred to the hospital.

Kochi: A day after he was rescued from the Indian Ocean off Australia, Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy, who suffered a grievous back injury while participating in the Golden Globe Race (GGR), has been admitted to a hospital in a remote island, a defence spokesman said on Tuesday.

He said the French fisheries vessel Osiris, which rescued Commander Abhilash Tomy, reached off Amsterdam isle by 9.30 am and the sailor was subsequently transferred to the hospital there for further medical evaluation and treatment.

Tomy, 39, and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, were injured after their boats lost masts in a storm at south Indian Ocean on Friday while competing in the prestigious race. "Tomy and Gregor have been transferred ashore at "Amsterdam isle" by a medical team and have been taken to hospital for X-Ray and medical checkup," the spokesman said. He said the fishing vessel Osiris will remain in the area till HMAS Ballarat (Australian warship) and INS Satpura reach the island.

According to reports, the island only has a small hospital with limited facilities.

Tomy, who was sailing as part of the GGR, drifted in the sea for three days before he was rescued by French fishing vessel Osiris, officials had said on Monday. His boat Thuriya was hit by a deadly storm, about 1,900 nautical miles from Perth, on Friday.

Indian Naval ship Satpura has been sent to bring the commander 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 1 July 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," defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had tweeted. Tomy has covered 52,000 miles under sail, including a solo non-stop circumnavigation from Mumbai and back in 2012-2013.

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 the Mac Gregor medal.The BJP sees the killings in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore region as a message to those who want to participate in the upcoming municipal and panchayat polls.

Editor's note: With municipal and panchayat elections round the corner in Jammu and Kashmir, Firstpost will run a series of ground reports on different aspects of the polls, as well as the state of panchayati raj institutions and how they can empower democracy at the grassroots. The series will also look into the state of security arrangements, as voters and candidates face threats of attacks by militants. Read part I, part II, part IV, part V and part VI of the series here.

***

Harwan, Sopore: The recent killings by unknown gunmen, suspected to be militants, have sent shock waves across Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir, with leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fearing that the renewed violence may reduce their chances of winning a majority in the upcoming local elections in one of the most troubled towns of the region.

On Monday, local residents found another body in an orchard. The deceased, identified as Mushtaq Ahmed Mir, was abducted and later found at least 3 kilometres from his house in Sopore's Harwan village.

Harwan and its adjoining villages had witnessed a remarkable polling percentage in the last panchayat elections, held in 2011 after decades. A small hamlet of about 200 houses, Harwan is located on the foothills of the Yamberzal mountains in Sopore town.

Suspected militants had abducted the 45-year-old from his home two days before his killing. The police said a masked gunman had entered Mir's house in Harwan around 8.30 pm on Sunday and abducted him.

The Block Medical Officer of Sopore, Dr Sami, said Mir's body bore multiple bullet wounds. "There were a few cuts on his head, inflicted by some blunt object, and a few bullet wounds on legs and hip," he added.

Habla Begum, the physically challenged wife of the slain labourer, said the gunmen had covered their face and asked her husband to accompany them, claiming they had lost their way. "He said goodbye to me with a terrified face," she said.

"When I told them my husband is innocent, they promised me they will release him after 10 minutes. I want to ask them, why was he killed? What was his sin?" said .

At least three dozen villagers offered Mir's funeral prayers on Monday afternoon, with dozens of women were beating their chests to mourn his tragic killing.

The villagers said Mir was a low-rung political worker who had played a crucial role in the last panchayat and Assembly elections in his area. His is the third killing in Sopore's Harwan village this year, and people suspect that the previous two men were killed for their proximity with security forces.

Behind Harwan, in the backdrop of towering, lush, green peaks, a road leads to the Lolab Valley, where security forces say many foreign militants have taken refuge. The only thing that separates Harwan and Lolab is an army camp that sits atop mountains.

Due to the rising violence, the BJP constituency in-charge of Sopore, Farooq Ahmad Rather, is now a worried man. He was hoping that the situation would remain "as it as" as his party's chances had brightened after both the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decided to boycott the municipal and panchayat polls, seeking clarity on the Centre's stand on Article 35A of the Constitution.

"I had 15 people ready to fight the elections, and they would have won hands down because they had no opposition at all. But only six people are ready now after Mir's killing, Rather said. "These killings have created a kind of terror that will stay in the minds of people for a long time."

The right-wing party sees the killings as a "blunt message" to the political leaders and activists who may want to participate in the upcoming municipal and panchayat polls.

Sopore town and its adjoining villages in North Kashmir were once a hub of militancy, much before South Kashmir become the epicentre of such violence. It was, and still remains, the bastion of pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami.

Kashmir's tallest separatist leader, Syed Ali Geelani, represented the Sopore constituency three times in the Legislative Assembly. In fact, he remains the only elected representative to garner the highest number of votes in the history of the town before the state plunged into a political turmoil in the early nineties.

For some time, the town remained out-of-bounds for security forces, until 1993, when the army launched one of the biggest combing operation in the Kashmir Valley. Despite massive human rights violations and a developmental deficit  the roads in Sopore are a perfect case of underdevelopment  it still is one of the richest towns of Jammu and Kashmir. The money generated by the apple economy has made it financially vibrant.

Ghulam Rasool Dar, the former mayor of the Municipal Council of Sopore, said that despite lack of funds and their belief in grassroots democracy in the worst of times, he had begged the chief of local bodies and politicians to help them at least change the situation of the roads.

"They just wanted us to contest the polls and then get killed. They had no plans to develop any part of Sopore or any other area of Kashmir," Dar said. When asked whether he would stand in the local body elections, the former councilman said, "The question doesn't even arise."

Not one person has submitted his nomination form for the municipal elections in Sopore, the deadline for which is 27 September. Baramulla, Handwara and other areas of North Kashmir face the same situation.

The latest killings have affected the BJP's electoral calculus of taking over the Sopore municipality and panchayat. The party was banking on the boycott by two major regional parties and the Congress, whose MLA represents the constituency.

"More than anything, these killings have dampened the spirit of the people associated with us," Rather said. "We might win fewer seats now because there is a threat and people are afraid."He said Jammu and Kashmir will provide security to all the candidates who request for it and facilitate their campaigning as well.

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said it has taken adequate security measures to ensure free and fair polls to urban local bodies and panchayats in the state.

"We have made adequate arrangements for security for these polls. 400 companies of central forces will be deployed for these polls in addition to what we already have in the form of police and other paramilitary forces," state chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam told reporters.

He said the government will provide security to all the candidates who request for it and facilitate their campaigning as well. "We have arranged accomodation for the candidates who want it at various places across the valley. We have arranged 300 hotel rooms in Srinagar for this purpose," the chief secretary said.

Asked about the post election security plan for the candidates, Subrahmanyam said, "We have even plans for those who win as they will be at a higher risk." He said polling booths have been set up in clusters to ensure that the staff involved in the polls are provided security. "The government staff involved in the conduct of elections will be provided one month's extra salary. This has never been done in any part of the country," the chief secretary said.

On the threat by militants to those who participate in the elections, Subrahmanyam said, "Militancy exists (but) that is being handled on the law and order front. There are threats... we are confident that we can handle it."

Asked if holding polls was prudent in view of the boycott by two major political parties in the valley, he said there was no question of thrusting the elections on the people. "There is lot of enthusiasm on the ground. Two national parties (the BJP and the Congress) are participating. If you go down to Jammu, you will see the street-level campaigning," he added.

Subrahmanyam said more than 700 forms have been taken by prospective candidates for the first phase of urban local bodies, which will be held on 8 October. The last date for filing nomination for the first phase is Tuesday.

The chief secretary said the conduct of these elections will make a large amount of funds available to the state that will be used directly by the panchayats and urban local bodies in their respective areas. "The state may lose Rs 4,335 crore in funds (Rs 3,029 crore for panchayats and Rs 1,306 for urban local bodies) if these polls are not held. These funds do not come to the state government but directly to these bodies," he added.

Subrahmanyam said the government is making some far reaching changes that will make panchayats very powerful decision making bodies. "In addition to the grants under the 14th Finance commission, the funds of various schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee (MNREGA), the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and the mid-day meal scheme will be routed through panchayats.

Each panchayat will have Rs 50 lakh to Rs one crore funds available for local development. "Each panchayat will have an accountant for keeping books while an ombudsman will be appointed for transparency and accountability. The panchayats can levy taxes at local level as has been done in some parts of the country," he added.Abhijit Iyer-Mitra's purported crime is describing the iconic Konark temple as a 'humple', based on the explicit representations of sex on its facade.

Early on the evening of 27 May, 1953, Erode Venkatappa Ramasamy marched up to the podium in the Town Hall Maidan in Tiruchirapalli to educate the audience on his low opinion of Hinduism. In case anyone missed the point, the Dravida leader proceeded to break apart an idol of Ganesha. Over the course of his long political war against caste, Ramaswamy, was liberal with agitprop. He garlanded images of Krishna and Rama with shoes claiming that these "Aryan gods" considered Shudras "sons of prostitutes".

Now, in the high noon of the Indian republic Ramaswamy helped build, we have this spectacle: Abhijit Iyer-Mitra  self-described "pro-rich, anti-poor, farmer-parasite, queer, atheist"; son of Subramanian Swamy's key aide VS Chandralekha  facing criminal prosecution for offending Hindu religious sentiment.

That this free speech battle centres not on an epic political struggle, but a poseur serving up anodyne postmodern irony to millennials, ought take nothing away from its seriousness.

Iyer-Mitra's purported crime is describing the iconic Konark Temple as a "humple", based on the explicit representations of sex on its facade.

Odisha 9: my special message to you from the Konark temple expressing my utter disgust at this monumental conspiracy against the Hindu Civilisation pic.twitter.com/wJeqZPHRDk  Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) September 16, 2018

In addition, he made known his low opinion of Odias and their political leadership, for which he has been summoned before a privileges committee of the state Assembly  another potential gateway to prison. In an exemplary display of unity, the ruling Biju Janata Dal and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress all back this action.

The ironies havent passed unnoticed: Iyer-Mitra had cheered news that two editors were sentenced to prison by the Karnataka Assembly. He broadcast less-than-laudatory opinions of the journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was prosecuted  and then assassinated  for exactly the same crimes hes now alleged to have committed.

But there's more to this story than the learning that Karma is, indeed, a bitch.

Indians have grappled with the tensions between free speech and religious belief since at least 1924, when Arya Samaj activist Mahashe Rajpal published the anti-Islam polemic Rangila Rasul  in Urdu, 'the colourful prophet'. Lower courts condemned Rajpal to prison. Lahore High Court judge Dalip Singh, though, noted the perils of using the law to assuage hurt feelings: "If the fact that Musalmans resent attacks on the Prophet was to be the measure," he reasoned, so might "judgment passed on his character by a serious historian".

But, fearing communal violence, the colonial state moved to criminalise blasphemy. Today, Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code, allows for the punishment of anyone who "destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons". Its cousin, Section 153A makes it a crime to promote enmity between different groups on grounds of religion.

From the persecution of the painter MF Husain to Padmaavat, the Hindu Right has been enthusiastic in its embrace of the blasphemy laws. In 1993, for example, the New Delhi-based cultural organisation Sahmat exhibited a panel recording that, in one Buddhist tradition, Sita was Ram's sister; in a Jain version, she was the daughter of Ravan. This formed the basis of a criminal prosecution  even though the existence of these variant readings are well-documented historical facts.

Laws like these, though, have also served bigots of other other shade. The police used Section 295 to silence writers who spoke in defence of Salman Rushdie at the Jaipur Literary Festival. They deployed it, too, against the Dalit godman Piara Singh Bhaniarawala, who released a rendition of the Sikh Bhavsagar Granth, a religious text suffused with miracle stories.

Fraud-buster Sanal Edamaruku was charged with blasphemy by Mumbai church-goers for pointing out that the drops of water dripping off a statue of Jesus on Irla Road werent holy tears, but leaky plumbing.

Theres been plenty of low farce, too: Mahendra Singh Dhoni was prosecuted for appearing on a magazine cover as Vishnu, but armed with Lays chips, Pepsi, Boost and a sneaker; a Hyderabad-based fashion designer was persecuted for having printed Quranic verses on clothing.

Bloggers, film-makers, journalists  and now, Twitter provocateurs: No one is safe.

Hearing Ramaswamy's case in 1959, the Supreme Court sided with god. It urged lower courts "to pay due regard to the feelings and religious emotions of different classes of persons with different beliefs, irrespective of whether they are rational or otherwise". In the decades since, the right not to be offended has been consistently privileged over freedom of speech. That all of Odishas major parties have backed the action against Iyer-Mitra illustrates the state of play in stark relief. Indeed, Punjab's chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh wants to punish certain acts of blasphemy with life sentences.

This is, it could be argued, unexceptionable: After all, what purpose does hurting someone's religious beliefs serve? How can pluralistic societies survive if we are not restrained from hurting each other?

But Indians also need ask another question: If theres any way of moving forward without hurting some deeply-held beliefs. From the Churchs war against heliocentrism and Darwinism to more recent struggles around everything from genome research to gender, almost all progress has involved confrontations with faith. Being open to blasphemy  to the possibility that our most cherished beliefs are untrue  has been, and will be, key to human progress.

Living in plural societies makes it inevitable that there will be divergent, even irreconcilable opinions. The test of a society is how it mediates difference  not how it represses it.

Policing the expression of contentious thoughts only serves to drive resentments and hatreds underground. Years of blasphemy prosecutions, after all, have done nothing to still communal or caste hatred in India.

In 864 CE, the great physician Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakaria al-Razi committed this thought to paper: "Prophets are imposters". "Religions are the sole cause of the wars which ravage humanity; they are hostile to philosophical speculation and to scientific research. The alleged holy scriptures are books without values". He died surrounded by adoring pupils, none the worse for his blasphemy.

Later Islamic rulers were less tolerant of dissent  engendering an intellectual climate characterised by fear and censorship. Eventually, the Caliphate of Baghdad, one of the greatest civilisations the world has ever known, atrophied and collapsed.

Rushdie said that humans "shape their futures by arguing and challenging and saying the unsayable; not by bowing their knee whether to gods or to men". Hurt feelings are the price of freedom and it's a price we need to be willing to pay.Lance Naik Sandeep Singh reportedly gunned down three militants in Kupwara before being killed in an anti-infiltration operation that began on Saturday.

Lance Naik Sandeep Singh, who died on Monday during an anti-infiltration operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Tangdhar sector, was part of the Indian Army's special forces that carried out the surgical strikes on militant bunks along the Line of Control in Pakistan in 2016, reports said. He is survived by his wife and a five-year-old child.

According to reports, Sandeep Singh gunned down three militants in Kupwara in Tangdhar sector before being killed, in an operation that began on Saturday. A total of five militants were killed in the gunfight. The Lance Naik, who was from Gurdaspur district in Punjab, had headed the search party of 4 Para Commandos in Gagadhri Nar area of Kupwara after receiving tip-offs about an infiltration bid.

On the intervening night of 28 and 29 September, the Indian Army had confirmed that it had carried out surgical strikes against terrorist launch pads across the LoC. The then Director General of Military Operation (DGMO), Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, had revealed that these strikes were aimed at neutralise imminent infiltration into Indian territory. The targets of this infiltration bid, Ranbir Singh had said, were in Kashmir as well as other Indian cities.

It was reported that the surgical strikes were carried out in the wake of the attacks in Poonch and Uri on 11 and 18 September, days before the operation.

A surgical strike is a quick and specific attack involving minimum collateral damage, aiming to neutralise the other side.In a televised address on Monday, the outgoing president of Maldives promised to step down and allow smooth transfer of power.

Winds of change have hit Maldives. Again. Abdulla Yameen, the tinpot dictator, has accepted defeat. In a televised address on Monday, the outgoing president of Maldives promised to step down and allow smooth transfer of power. This is by no means insignificant in a country which suffers from chronic political instability and seemed to have fallen back into authoritarian rule after transitioning to democracy only in 2008.

The political ramifications of this result will spill out of the confines of this tiny archipelago and become a major factor in the great power game. For India, the development offers an opportunity to salvage some leverage in the string of atolls in its backyard that occupy a crucial geo-strategic location. Even a month ago, that seemed improbable as Yameen-led Maldives turned steadily hostile towards India. Its deepening partnership with China posed a threat to Indias security interests.

New Delhis reaction to the election results has therefore been on expected lines. Long accused of inaction and indecisiveness, New Delhi rushed in to congratulate Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The Maldivian Democratic Party leader had secured 1,34,616 votes (or 58 percent) against Yameens 96,132 votes (or 42 percent). A turnout of over 89 percent indicates Maldivian public were out in numbers to ring out the change.

The result brings a dash of optimism for democracy in Asia where it is seen to be in retreat. Whether it is in Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand or even Pakistan (where the military queered the pitch to put Imran Khan in power)  the decay of democratic norms, lack of independent judiciary, stifling of free press and free-and-fair elections contributed towards the decline of democracy and made it easier for China to extend its political influence.

This years Freedom House report, for instance, captured six out of 10 states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations suffering a fall in their scores. Only two witnessed an increase. Cambodia and Myanmar were categorised as places where anti-democratic forces are on the march.

This provides the backdrop for Indias palpable relief and alacrity at the development in Maldives, not the least because it had feared that pro-China Yameen will rig the election in his favour and secure democratic sanction for his authoritarian rule. These fears were not unfounded. Reports abounded on how Yameen government had denied visas to international observers and journalists. None of the Indian news organisations, for instance, could secure a visa to cover the elections, leading to a declaration from the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) that the 23 September presidential polls in Maldives were not free and fair.

Yameen had earlier put his political rivals in jail and forced Mohamed Nasheed, the former president and his biggest adversary, into exile. In February this year, he had declared a state of emergency and imprisoned two Supreme Court judges because he didnt like the judicial verdict. A day before, the election police raided the office of Solih, the consensus Opposition candidate, to ostensibly investigate acts of bribery but found nothing.

Major discrepancies were reported in voter registration process, the European Union and the United Nations refused to send observers for the elections, fearing that their presence may legitimise Yameens reelection, international media reported of an orgy of corruption under the Yameen regime and the United States and the EU threatened the tiny Indian Ocean nation with sanctions unless the polls were free and fair. The US had also called for the release of the falsely accused political prisoners, and for complying with the Supreme Courts orders in freeing the politicians.

In short, no one was expecting the polls to be free and fair, and there was little hope that a political lightweight like Solih would be able to pull off an upset. Yameens surprise defeat, therefore, triggered a rash of diplomatic reactions. First off the blocks was India, betraying a sense of urgency and relief.

Instead of waiting for a formal declaration of results, in departure of norms, the ministry of external affairs came out with a press statement based on provisional results. Similar statements followed quickly from Sri Lanka, the US and the UK.

New Delhi extended a warm welcome to Solih. 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, read the MEA release.

Indias message to Solih and the Maldives Election Commission masked the anxiety that Yameen could refuse to accept the results and hang on to power. Given the weakness of Maldivian democratic institutions, this wasnt a far-fetched apprehension. The rushed communication was therefore an attempt to build pressure on Yameen and force him to comply with voter opinion. The US wasted little time in adding to the pressure.

The United States congratulates the people of Maldives, who peacefully raised their democratic voices to determine the future of their country. Although the Election Commission has not yet announced the final tally, we note Maldives media and NGO reports that the Joint Opposition candidate has secured a victory following a peaceful day of polling. We urge calm and respect for the will of the people as the election process concludes, said the US State Department in a release. The words respect for the will of the people are directed towards Yameen, both as a nudge and a veiled warning.

The MEA release also 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.

Parsing the Indian statement further, we see a triumphalism at the win of democratic forces and a call for early reset of bilateral ties. By evening on Monday, the MEA had released another statement, relating that Prime Minister Modi had called and congratulated the new Maldivian president, conveyed his good wishes for the strengthening of democracy, peace and prosperity in Maldives under the leadership of Mr Solih and the two leaders agreed to work closely together to further strengthen the close, friendly and good neighbourly relations between the two countries.

The new government will be ushered in only after Yameens term ends on 17 November. Even the formal results wont be published before a week after the election. It is therefore possible to interpret Indias zeal and quickness in moving towards re-building the partnership with Maldives under a new leader as a reaction against charges of inaction and an ineffective neighbourhood policy when the Indian Ocean archipelago was seen moving firmly towards the Chinese orbit.

Given the fact that the tropical islands lie within Indias traditional sphere of influence and its atolls span the critical trading and shipping routes that provide access to Indias energy resources and also form the backbone of global trade across Indian Ocean, New Delhi had been alarmed at Chinas growing political influence in the islands. It feared that Beijing will eventually fortify its presence by building a military base in the islands and extend control over the crucial sea routes  employing the South China Sea playbook in Indias backyard.

In February, The Times of India had reported that China is building a joint ocean observation station in Makunudhoo, the westernmost atoll, that may allow the Chinese a vantage point of an important Indian Ocean shipping route through which many merchant and other ships pass. The proposed observatory would mirror the one that Beijing has established for South China Sea, formalising its control over the reefs and atolls in the disputed waters. According to the report, the station will have provision for a submarine base.

In face of such provocation, Indias waiting game with respect to Maldives was seen as useless, overly cautious and even counterproductive with editorials calling for jettisoning this diffident approach and military intervention because if one petty dictator in the region is allowed to go scot-free after harming Indias interests, there will be more of them in future.

Mohamed Nasheed, the exiled former president, urged India to take military action against Yameen to prevent, as he put it, Maldives being sold off to China piece by piece, island by island. Not just the former president of Maldives or its own public, India was facing international pressure as well. New Delhis role as the net security provider in the region was under scrutiny.

There are expectations from many other countries  the US, the UK and Australia  that are looking to India The ball is in Delhis court to do something, analyst Constantino Xavier was quoted as saying by Financial Times.

Yet, India refused to act beyond calling the imposition of emergency disturbing and issuing a travel advisory. Meanwhile, the Yameen government asked India to withdraw its military helicopters and personnel and clamped visa restrictions on Indian nationals despite New Delhis traditional role as prime civilian aid provider and its civilisational ties with Maldives. One Maldivian minister even bracketed Maldives situation with Kashmir.

Why haven't we gone into the Kashmir issue...and asked to be (an) intermediary? Because they are internal matters...India should stay away from our issue. We are independent and capable of dealing with the situation. If we need help, we will let India know, Mohamed Shainee, a senior minister in President Abdulla Yameens cabinet, apparently told Indian reporters.

Indias apparent reluctance to act was less due to fear of Beijing, and more due to an apprehension that any military intervention might turn popular opinion against India and may trigger a backlash that Yameen could use to further consolidate his power. Having burnt its fingers in Nepal, India was loathe to make the same mistake twice.

The developments bear out the success of Indias strategy of non-interventionism, but New Delhi will make a grave mistake if it confuses election result with waning of Chinas influence. Beijings roots in Maldives by now are so deep and enduring that it can easily take the unseating of Yameen  its man in Male  in its stride. The new government has already promised to reassess Chinese projects and may even renew the close strategic partnership with India but even if he is guided by best intentions, Solihs hands will be tied due to the mountain of Chinese debt that his nation must somehow repay without mortgaging Maldivian sovereignty.

That is easier said than done.

As Robert A Manning and Bharath Gopalaswamy writes in Foreign Policy, whereas Beijing didnt have even an embassy in Male in 2012, today, Maldives is awash with Chinese tourists, as well as large streams of Chinese foreign investment. A report by the Center for Global Development says the largest Chinese investment projects are an $830 million upgrade of the airport, including a 1.3-mile bridge to link the airport island with the capital, which is a $400 million project. The Chinese are also building a 25-story apartment complex and a hospital. Chinese projects reportedly account for some 70 percent of the total Maldivian debt, and $92 million a year in payments to China, roughly 10 percent of the entire budget.

India doesnt have the resources for chequebook diplomacy, neither does it believe in extending strategic influence through debt-traps, a ploy patented by Beijing. To be sure, China will woo Solih with the same zeal that it courted Yameen, and there will be enough sticks and carrots to prevent Maldives from veering back into Indias sphere of influence.

According to strategic affairs analyst Brahma Chellaney in Nikkei Asian Review, India must assist the new government in infrastructure development and meeting its foreign debt obligations, including by extending low-interest loans to pay off Chinese credits. Escaping debt entrapment is vital for the Maldives to retain strategic autonomy.

It seems improbable for a nation that doesnt have enough budgetary outlay to modernise even its own army. Nevertheless, it could align itself with like-minded powers such as Japan and the US to help smaller neighbours tide over the Chinese debt crisis. A recent report in Financial Times says that the US is planning to set up a $60bn agency to counter China in developing world. This may provide an opening for India. However, the strategic competition with Chine requires sustained and consistent diplomatic attention. This is a tall ask in Indian set-up, and even more so ahead of a busy election season. Solihs win therefore shouldnt lead us to count our chickens, yet.Y Yugindro Singh, the pro-vice-chancellor on whose complaint the police action took place resulting in the arrest of 89 students and six teachers has suspended the arrested professors.

Manipur University crisis that started as a demand for the removal of its vice-chancellor, Adya Prasad Pandey is set to further worsen following Thursday midnights police crackdown on agitating students and teachers.

Five days after the unprecedented police action on the five boys hostels of the university, six professors of the university and seven student leaders are currently lodged in jail under judicial custody with the arrested students and teachers refusing bail.

Meanwhile, Y Yugindro Singh, the pro-vice-chancellor on whose complaint the police action took place resulting in the arrest of 89 students and six teachers has suspended the arrested professors, following their remand in judicial custody.

Yugindro had in his FIR stated that he was manhandled and threatened by a section of students and teachers of the university when he along with M Shyamkishore, the registrar in-charge, went to assume charge as the vice-chancellor-in-charge by virtue of his appointment as the pro-vice-chancellor by Pandey just before he was suspended.

There was no case of manhandling of professor Yugindro and Shyamkisho as alleged by Yugindro, said Sumitra Phanjoubam, who was present during the alleged confinement of Yugindro and Shyamkishore in the locked room inside the administrative block of the university. I was present at the scene and I personally made sure decorum was maintained and no unparliamentary words or abusive languages were hurdled against the two professors as alleged, said the lady professor on the incident that took place when Yugindro and Shyamkishore had come to assume office on Thursday morning.

Agitating students and teachers opposed the appointment of Yugindro as the pro-vice-chancellor saying it is in violation of the Manipur University Act 2005. Reacting to Yugindro breaking open the sealed office of the vice-chancellor and assuming charge, the seniormost professor of the university, Vishwanath said the act transgressed the code of the inquiry committee that had restricted entry into the said office until the investigation is carried out.

Blaming the BJP led state government of supporting Pandeys move to sabotage the pending Ministry of Human Resources Development instituted enquiry into the alleged charges of derelictions of duty and responsibility against him, civil society organisations, student bodies of the state as well as the Congress party have termed the crackdown as a rape on the sanctity of the university and called it a blot on democracy.

Following the crackdown, the university campus has been heavily militarised and movement within and outside has been severely restricted with the state administration clamping the restrictive CrPc 144, preventing movement and gathering of more than four-five people inside the university campus in Imphal.

Security personnel are deployed at every nook and corner of the university. We feel afraid to move around and every time we pass them they would interrogate us. This is mental harassment, said a lady research scholar who is staying at one of the universitys girls hostel who took part in the hunger strike staged at the gate of the hostel. The university girl students are demanding the unconditional release of the arrested students and teachers and the restoration of normalcy in the university.

Significantly, the shutdown strike of the university that started on 30 May by Manipur University Students Union, and subsequently backed by the Manipur University Teachers Association and Manipur University Staff Association, was suspended after 85 days of crippling agitation on 18 August, following an agreement with the state government and HRD ministry as signatories. The agreement was that Pandey would be on leave and will not enter the university premises till a committee of enquiry conducts an investigation into the allegation against him.

Though the university reopened and preparation began for the stalled fourth-semester examination, the students and teachers alleged that attempts were being made to tamper with the evidence to shield Pandey, a former faculty member of Banaras Hindu University. Pandey himself returned to resume his duties on 1 September saying his leave had expired on 31 August. He then filed a petition against the 18 August Agreement in the Manipur High Court. This provoked the students' union to resume the agitation. Then on 17 September the President of India suspended Pandey until the enquiry is completed.

Interestingly before he was suspended, Pandey had appointed his close associate, Yugindro as the pro-vice-chancellor who will function as the vice-chancellor in-charge in his absence. This notification was issued despite the fact that Vishwanath, the seniormost professor was earlier appointed as the vice-chancellor in-charge by the HRD ministry as a measure to restore normalcy and to facilitate an independent enquiry when Pandey was on extended leave. Pandey issued another notification on 18 September stating that he had handed over the charge to Yugindro Singh and in another notification, Pandey had banned the Manipur University Students Union and Manipur University Teachers Association respectively.

After taking charge of the office of the vice-chancellor, Yugindro as an olive branch, offered to apprise the government to release the arrested students and teachers and make an appeal to the university community to help him restore normalcy by cooperating with him. Students and teachers, on the other hand, have adopted a non-cooperation mode against Yugindro and boycotted the ongoing semester examinations until normalcy returns in the campus and demilitarisation take place.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh also sought the cooperation of civil society organisations of the state in finding an amicable solution to the Manipur University crisis. Justifying the police crackdown the chief minister took recourse in recalling past untoward incidents that had taken place in the university campus such as a broad daylight killing of a professor and said that the state government couldnt remain a silent spectator when the agitating party chose to take law into their own hands. In the same breath, he assured that the state government is committed to restoring normalcy and peaceful academic atmosphere in the university for which he is helping in mediation between the agitating parties and the HRD ministry.

Meanwhile six student bodies of the stateAll Manipur Students Union, Manipur Students Federation, Kangleipak Students Association, Students Union Kangleipak, Democratic Students Alliance of Manipur and Apunba Ireipakki Maheiroi Singlup have gone beyond condemning the police crackdown and jointly called a 48 hours general strike, starting from 26 September midnight, demanding restoration of normalcy and unconditional release of the arrested teachers and students as well as cancellation of the suspension order of the arrested teachers.Fire tenders were rushed to the spot as soon as the news of the incident was received, the official said. He said this was the eighth such incident in which a panchayat ghar has been set on fire since the polls for municipal bodies and panchayats were announced in the state. Most of these buildings were set on fire in south Kashmir, the official said, adding that the police have registered cases in all the incidents and investigations were on.

Srinagar: Miscreants set a panchayat ghar on fire in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the number of such government buildings being torched since the announcement of the local bodies polls in the state to eight, police said Tuesday.

"Unknown miscreants tried to set ablaze a panchayat ghar at Matrigam Tikri in the Pehthkote area of Banipora district in north Kashmir Monday," a police official said. He said the fire resulted in partial damage to the building.

Fire tenders were rushed to the spot as soon as the news of the incident was received, the official said. He said this was the eighth such incident in which a panchayat ghar has been set on fire since the polls for municipal bodies and panchayats were announced in the state. Most of these buildings were set on fire in south Kashmir, the official said, adding that the police have registered cases in all the incidents and investigations were on.

Separatists and militants have asked people to stay away from the polls, which have also been boycotted by the state's two main political parties  the National Conference and the PDP  and also by the CPI(M). The violence has also cast a shadow on the polls, scheduled to be held in October and November, respectively.

Three cops were abducted and later killed by militants in Shopian district of south Kashmir, following which several special police officers (SPOs) of Jammu and Kashmir announced their resignation on social media.

Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh and the valley's top army official Lt Gen AK Bhatt on Monday reviewed the security situation ahead of the polls at a meeting at Handwara in Kupwara district of the state.

The senior security officials emphasised that the existing cooperation and synergy between different forces is to be further strengthened to combat militancy and also to ensure smooth conduct of the local governance elections.This present lecture of Mohan Bhagwat will be considered a defining moment for the RSS about how it is perceived by the society.

A lot has been written about Mohan Bhagwat's lecture series in New Delhi. This attempt at explaining RSS and its viewpoint on various issues has more than succeeded in its objective. Interpretations from intellectuals have been of three types  denial or cynicism, cautious optimism or endorsement. For the first two, it was a revelation that RSS had such views. For the last, it was an assurance about RSS.

Most of the observers have been stumped by Bhagwats liberal views although these views of the RSS are in the public domain for years. Then, there are analysts who are breaking their reading glasses trying to figure out hidden messages in what he communicated. Those who believe it was to do with 2019 elections have not understood RSS at all.

The most charitable comments talk of a makeover of RSS calling it RSS2.0. The most ignorant view is that Bhagwat has dumped Guruji. Another analyst has gone to the other extreme that Bhagwat has tried to reinstate Gurujis central guidance as his successors couldnt expand the RSS work the way he had done. It shows that RSS still remains an enigma for opinion leaders who take a superficial view of the RSS and do not study it.

In this nit-picking, the central message that seems to have been missed out is, RSS has shown its readiness to take this ideological battle to the opponents camp.

In its nine decades of history, the RSS has generally shunned publicity. It has avoided getting into arguments with the opposition that keeps making baseless charges against the RSS. Except individuals repudiating the abuse or going to courts, one won't find the organisation taking it at a higher level. It keeps saying its work will speak. This is the old legacy of Hedgewar, the founder and the second Sarsangchaalak MS Golwalkar. This open house kind of programme by RSS tells that it is willing to join the battle of ideologies.

There are a few landmark events in RSS as an organisation which brought about a major change in its own working or changed public perception. This is about the level of ideas and not at the ground level.

First was the foundation of Vishwa Hindu Parishad in 1964 with personal efforts of MS Golwalkar aka Guruji. It was for the first time in 8000 plus years of documented Hindu history that all the saints, sadhus, Shankaracharyas of various sects, matams, sampradayas came on one stage to proclaim that they are all Hindus. They passed a resolution Hindavah Sadoraha and Na Hindu patito bhavet meaning all Hindus are born of the same womb, so they are brothers/sisters and no Hindu can be treated as a fallen or untouchable. Can you imagine such a bold statement from a varied group of people? Can you think of Shankaracharyas repudiating varna vyavasthaa (caste system) before this?

The second was Gurujis five-day workshop with top RSS functionaries in 1971 in Thane, near Mumbai. The outcome of this meeting was called Dishabodh meaning understanding the direction. Guruji was suffering from terminal cancer. He would travel to Tata Cancer Institute in the morning from Chembur (a Mumbai suburb) for his radiation therapy and then reach Thane beyond North end of Mumbai and sit there the whole day for deliberations and giving guidance. In the evening he would return to the host familys home in Chembur. It set the tone for RSS work in coming decades. The RSS workers consider this as an unprecedented workshop. Can you imagine a 70-year-plus man undergoing debilitating treatment of terminal stage of cancer addressing five days of a workshop cheerfully! Although it was not a public programme, it was a definitive moment for the RSS ideologically and organisationally.

The third was the lecture of third RSS Sarsanghchaalak Balasaheb Deoras in Pune in a lecture series called Vasant Vyakhyanmala where he outlined the vision of a discrimination-free harmonious Hindu society, taking forward the message Guruji set forth in 1964. It is in this lecture that Deoras clearly said, If untouchability is not wrong then there is nothing wrong in this world. Untouchability must go out lock, stock and barrel. His exposition is still considered a lucid presentation of Hindutva and its message of inclusiveness.

This present lecture of Bhagwat will be considered a defining moment for the RSS about how it is perceived by the society. What Bhagwat said was more of a reiteration of its position, without any apologia. The difference was his style. Simple language, short simple sentences, upfront. This frankness impressed the objective listeners and left opponents gasping, not knowing how to react. His readiness to respond to every questionsimple or complexhas challenged the regular anti-Hindu, anti-RSS narrative built painstakingly for years by the Left-Secular lobbies. Some of the statements -- like on women were a jolt to fake feminists while one on LGBT were based on ancient Hindu thinking. Coming from an RSS chief, an organisation demonised by nearly all was an unexpected challenge to the so-called liberals.

His statement on Muslims was construed as a break from Guruji. Fact is, apart from the immediate post-Partition period, Guruji never carried any hatred for Muslims. When he went for a Sewa project he told volunteers there that there can be no discrimination in Sewa (or service) on religion caste or creed. In his illuminating interview with a veteran scholar Jeelani in Organiser weekly in August 1972, Guruji said, I would say, that only right policy towards Muslims is to win their loyalty by love. ..They should forget that they ruled India. They should not look upon foreign Muslim countries as their homelands.I am an optimist and feel that Hindus and Muslims will learn to live with each other.As many as 129 airports are owned by Airport Authority of India (AAI)  of which 23 are international, 78 domestic, eight customs and 20 civil enclaves at defence airfields, according to the annual report 2017-18 of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Mumbai: There are now 100 airports in India, out of which 35 were built in the last four years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday at the inauguration of Sikkims first airport in Pakyong.

Since Independence, the country had only 65 airports till 2014... Earlier the average was one airport every year, whereas for the past four years, on average, nine airports have been built per year.

  100     ,   35   4          2014   67       65    1    1    ,  4    1   9    : PM  PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 24, 2018

Fact: No more than seven airports were made operational over the last four years, according to official data.

As many as 129 airports are owned by Airport Authority of India (AAI)  of which 23 are international, 78 domestic, eight customs and 20 civil enclaves at defence airfields, according to the annual report 2017-18 of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Of 129 airports, 101 airports  including civil enclaves  are operational and 28 are non-operational, according to replies (here and here) by the government to the Lok Sabha on 19 July, 2018 and 8 August, 2018.

As many as 125 airports were owned by AAI at the end of 31 March, 2014, the aviation ministrys annual report 2013-14 shows. Of these, 94 were operational  including 29 civil enclaves  and 31, non-operational. This indicates that seven airports were made operational over the four years ending 2018.

Pakyong Airport: Approved in 2008, operational in 2018

The Pakyong Airport in Sikkim had received approval from the central government in October 2008.

About 83 percent of the work was completed in 2014, the government told the Lok Sabha on 21 July, 2014.

The project has been delayed over 50 months due to several hindrances like connectivity of site, adverse weather conditions, frequent bandhs and unrest by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, earthquake in 2011, and continuous agitation by the local inhabitants of the surrounding areas of the airport project demanding compensation for damage to their houses, GM Siddeshwara, then minister of state for civil aviation, had said on 21 July, 2014.

The date of completion of the Pakyong Airport project can be projected/re-assessed only after all the issues pertaining to compensation and security at the site are resolved by the state government of Sikkim.

Indiaspend is a data-driven, public-interest journalism non-profit / FactChecker is fact-checking initiative, scrutinising for veracity and context statements made by individuals and organisations in public life.Narendra Modi is set to visit Nepal in December this year, making it the prime minister's fifth visit to the Himalayan nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Nepal in December this year, making it the prime minister's fifth visit to the Himalayan nation. He will likely visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha, and inaugurate the first cross-border rail link between the two countries, according to reports.

The Janakpur-Jayanagar railway service, the only line linking Nepal and India underwent a successful test operation in August this year. The Indian government provided an assistance of Rs 7 billion for the construction of the broad gauge railway, which began about four years ago and is now in its final phase.

Apart from inaugurating the rail link, Modi is expected to lead a high-level delegation to Janakpur to attend the Ram-Janaki Bibhawa Panchami on 12 December, which commemorates the wedding of Lord Ram and goddess Sita, according to a Hindustan Times report.

The report also said that he will inaugurate the cross-border rail link.

Other dates being considered for Modi's visit are 28 and 29 November, a high-level official from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu told ANI.

Modi's visit to Nepal is significant in the current political context because the Himalayan nation has been drifting towards China under Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Nepal recently finalised the Transit and Transportation Agreement with China, which will allow Kathmandu vital access to Beijing's sea and land ports.

Nepal, according to Reuters, seeks to end Indias monopoly over its trading routes by increasing connections with Beijing. Kathmandu has sought access to Chinese ports to reduce dependence on India since a prolonged blockade of its border crossings with India in 2015 and 2016 left the country short of fuel and medicine for several months.

Given the deterioration in India-Nepal ties, Modi's visit is likely aimed at reaching out to the country and giving a new fillip to bilateral relations. Even though he chose India for his first foreign trip after taking charge as Nepal prime minister for the second time in February, Oli's immediate next visit was to China.

Both Modi and Oli have reiterated that the "mistrust" between the two nations is now over, however, the Nepal prime minister has favoured Beijing over New Delhi.

August 2018

Modi last visited Nepal in August this year to attend the fourth Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit.

Modi and Oli inaugurated a 400-bed Nepal-Bharat Maitri Pashupati Dharamshala  a rest house for pilgrims  build with the Indian assistance in Kathmandu in August. The dharamshala has provision for family rooms, kitchen, dining hall, library and some multipurpose halls to meet the requirements of the travellers and families on pilgrimage to Pashupatinath temple.

At the BIMSTEC summit, Modi made a strong pitch for enhanced regional connectivity and said India is committed to work with the BIMSTEC member states in the critical sector. The prime minister said this region has become a meeting point for India's Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. He concluded his visit after offering prayers at the Pashupatinath temple.

Modi also met Oli on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit and they held a detailed review on all aspects of the bilateral relationship including ways to further deepen economic and trade ties

May 2018

Before this, Modi had visited the Himalayan country in May 2018. Modi and Oli jointly inaugurated a direct bus service between Janakpur and Ayodhya, the two sacred cities for Hindus, as part of a "Ramayan Circuit" to promote religious tourism in Nepal and India during his two-day visit.

"Janakpur and Ayodhya are being connected. This is a historic moment," Modi said while inaugurating the bus service, connecting Lord Rama's birthplace Ayodhya with goddess Sita's birthplace Janakpur.

Modi and Oli also jointly laid the foundation stone of the 900-megawatt Arun III Hydroelectric Power Plant in Tumlingtar area in eastern Nepal through a remote system. The project is expected to bring in $1.5 billion foreign direct investment into Nepal and create jobs for thousands of people.

Nepal is currently facing shortage of power and the production of hydropower from the project will mainly serve its domestic demands. The Nepal government will receive benefits worth Nepali Rupees 348 billion from the project as royalty, income tax, customs tariff and free energy in the concession period of 25 years. The project will also provide 21.9 percent or 197 megawatts of the generated energy free of cost to Nepal.

November 2014

Modi visited Nepal to attend his maiden SAARC summit and announced a number of measures, including issuance of 3-5 years business visa and immediate medical visa for patients coming to India for treatment. He held bilateral meetings with top leaders of all SAARC countries except then Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

A glimpse from PM @narendramodi's visit to Nepal. pic.twitter.com/M648C6ppuH  PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 25, 2014

During his visit to Nepal in November 2014, Modi and his then Nepalese counterpart Sushil Koirala flagged off the first ever Kathmandu-Delhi bus service from Kathmandu. Before the flagging off, both the prime ministers hopped into the bus called the Pashupatinath Express and interacted with the travellers of the bus, which was decorated with streamers, balloons and flowers.

India and Nepal also signed the Motor Vehicle Agreement under which permit would be given to vehicles to ply on designated routes in each other's country. They also inked three twin-city pacts between Kathmandu-Varanasi, Janakpur-Ayodhya and Lumbini-Bodh Gaya.

The 10 agreements signed between the two countries are those on Indias assistance to construct a police academy, tourism, traditional medicines and youth exchange. The two sides finalised terms of the $1 billion Indian assistance for Nepals infrastructure development, which was announced by Modi during his August visit.

August 2014

Modi's first visit to Nepal after taking over as the prime minister, termed as "historic", focused on 4Cs  cooperation, connectivity, culture and constitution  to enhance bilateral ties. Modi also assured Nepal that India did not want to interfere in its internal affairs and said that New Delhi has no "intent" to dictate anything to Kathmandu.

He started his address to the Parliament in the Nepali language and recalled his previous visit to the country as a pilgrim. Modi reiterated that that Nepal is the country where apostle of peace in the world, Buddha was born and India-Nepal relations are as old as the Himalayas and the Ganga.

With inputs from agenciesDengue cases have increased in Delhi with over 340 people being diagnosed with the vector-borne disease this season, nearly 70 percent of whom were affected in September alone.

New Delhi: Dengue cases have increased in the city with over 340 people being diagnosed with the vector-borne disease this season, nearly 70 percent 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 22 September.

Of the total 343 dengue cases this year, 236 were reported till 22 September, 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 15 September, 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 13 January.

The report said domestic breeding checkers found mosquito breeding in 1,71,045 households in the city till 22 September. It said 1,43,611 legal notices have been served for various violations and "20,112 prosecutions initiated".

On 28 June, Delhi Lieutenant 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.More than 49,000 cusecs of water will be released from the Pong Dam in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district on Tuesday afternoon as the water level in the dam is nearing the danger mark, an official said.

More than 49,000 cusecs of water will be released from the Pong Dam in Himachal Pradesh's Kangra district on Tuesday afternoon as the water level in the dam is nearing the danger mark, an official said.

Bhakra Beas Management Board's (BBMB) Assistant Design Engineer (ADE) Arun Bhatia said more than 49,000 cusecs of water from the dam would be released at 3 pm Tuesday. Bhatia told PTI that reservoir level or water level of Pong Dam, also known as Beas Dam, reached at 1386.84 feet-mark on Monday at 11 pm against the danger level of 1390 feet.

"49,000 cusecs of water would be released on Tuesday afternoon," he added. There is no need to panic, he said. "However, the residents of low-lying areas in Himachal Pradesh and neighbouring Punjab should remain vigilant. The authorities have also been asked to make all kinds of preparations," he added.

Meanwhile, at least 11 people have died as incessant rains triggered flash floods and landslides in hill states of northern India in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. A 'red alert' has been 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.

With inputs from agenciesThe Supreme Court on Tuesday passed a verdict on the disqualification of MPs and MLAs against whom a chargesheet has been filed, and said that the apex court is 'not in a position' to order the disqualification of 'tainted' politicians.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday passed a verdict on the disqualification of MPs and MLAs against whom a chargesheet has been filed, and said that the apex court is "not in a position" to order the disqualification of 'tainted' politicians. However, the bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra issued a list of directions to curb the problem.

Asserting that corruption has become a "national economic terror", the Supreme Court held that each candidate shall declare his/her criminal antecedents to the election commission before contesting an election. A 5-judge Constitution bench said that citizens have a right to be informed about the antecedents of their candidates. The verdict was unanimously passed by a bench comprising Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud, and Indu Malhotra.

The Supreme Court also held that all candidates will have to declare their criminal antecedents to the Election Commission before contesting an election, saying criminalisation of politics of the largest democracy is "unsettling".

The bench said that political parties are obligated to put all the information about their candidates on their websites. It asked the legislature to consider framing a law to ensure decriminalisation of politics. The bench said that informed choice is the cornerstone of democracy.

The apex court put the onus on the Parliament, to decide on action against politicians with criminal cases pending against them. The bench said "decriminalisation" of politics "is important" but that the Court cannot "legislate on behalf of the Parliament". The bench also said that a chargesheet against a politician is not enough grounds for disqualification.

The apex court favoured wider publicity, through print and electronic media about the antecedents of candidates affiliated to political parties.

Issuing the guidelines, the Supreme Court noted that "citizens have the right to be informed" about the "antecedents" of their candidates. The directives include that candidates must fill out Election Commission forms with details of their criminal past and pending cases in bold letters; that antecedents be declared on the website of the party, and that Parliament must make laws to ensure candidates with criminal antecedents don't enter public life and take part in lawmaking.

The verdict was pronounced 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.

The status before the filing of these petitions was that lawmakers were barred under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act from contesting elections only after their conviction in a criminal case. The verdict was reserved on 28 August.

With inputs from PTI

Follow LIVE updates of the Supreme Court verdict hereThe official said the matter came to light after the department got verified in January this year degrees of all students who had enrolled for PhD courses. It was found that Kumar, who was also elected as the joint secretary of Delhi University Students' Union in 2010, had allegedly submitted fake MA (English) marksheets, he said, adding an FIR was registered at the Maurice Nagar police station in north district by the Department on 16 March this year.

New Delhi: NSUI national secretary Akshay Kumar allegedly submitted fake documents to secure admission in the Department of Buddhist Studies, a Delhi University official said on Monday, amid controversy over alleged fake degree case of DUSU president and ABVP's Ankiv Baisoya.

The official said the matter came to light after the department got verified in January this year degrees of all students who had enrolled for PhD courses. It was found that Kumar, who was also elected as the joint secretary of Delhi University Students' Union in 2010, had allegedly submitted fake MA (English) marksheets, he said, adding an FIR was registered at the Maurice Nagar police station in north district by the Department on 16 March this year.

According to the FIR filed by the Department of Buddhist Studies, Kumar had enrolled for the PhD programme in March 2017 and had submitted MA (English) marksheets from Manav Bharti University in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. His marksheets were sent to the university which denied issuing them, the department has alleged in the FIR.

The official said the department will now take Kumar's matter to the Departmental Research Committee with a copy of the FIR and alleged forged documents and a recommendation will be made for the cancellation of admission. The Departmental Research Committee will forward the recommendation to the Board of Research Studies of the varsity which will further look into the case.

"A due process is followed in such cases. The decisions are not taken in a haste," said the official. Saimon Farooqui, the all-India media and communications manager of the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India, said these are tactics by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to divert attention from Baisoya's case.

"The ABVP is raking up these issues to deviate attention from the actual issue (involving Baisoya). If the FIR was registered a few months ago, why is it being highlighted now? If the matter comes to our notice (of Kumar's fake degree), we will set up an investigative committee to look into the case," he added. He said the varsity should have taken suo-motu cognisance of Baisoya's case and taken action.

Another NSUI office-bearer said the department had got the FIR registered without due verification which is a reason why the police have not yet taken any action against Kumar. Last week, the NSUI had alleged ABVP's Baisoya had submitted fake documents to gain admission in the varsity. They had released a letter from Thiruvalluvar University sent in response to a communication from the student's body which stated that the BA certificate submitted by Basoya from the university is fake.According to an expert from TISS, the low 2018-19 budget for PMJAY was the fundamental flaw with the health insurance scheme under Ayushman Bharat.

Within 24 hours of Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), a newspaper report claimed that the initiative under the comprehensive "Ayushman Bharat" health insurance scheme had already benefited more than a 1,000 patients.

Dubbed the "largest government-funded healthcare scheme" in the world, it aims to provide coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually and help more than 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families  around 50 crore people  with secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation through a network of Empanelled Healthcare Providers.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has claimed that 13,000 private hospitals have already been roped in to be part of this mega healthcare initiative, which has an estimated budget of Rs 2,000 crore for 2018-19. The scheme covers more than 1,350 procedures, including cancer-related surgeries, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, cardiac surgeries, stents, spine, dental and eye surgeries, MRIs and CT scams.

This is a seemingly impressive list of benefits to avail of from the PMJAY. Why then is a large fraternity of doctors uneasy and sceptical about the scheme? Their sense of misgiving is related to both the fundamental design of the health insurance initiative as well as the modalities of its execution.

Scepticism and criticism galore

Explaining the shortcomings of the scheme, Dr Sakthivel Salvaraj, director of health, economics, financing and policy at the Public Health Foundation of India, said: "There is a major design problem with the PMJAY. Any health insurance scheme must seamlessly cover both inpatient and outpatient care, as is being done in neighbouring countries such as Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. This scheme provides for only hospitalisation and other expenses. But studies show that in India, only 4.4 percent of our population needs hospitalisation. Even the over 1,300 procedures covered under PMJAY includes a very tiny part of hospitalisation expenses. Unfortunately, a lot of other things have not been covered."

The National Health Agency, which is the central agency given the task of implementing the scheme, has tom-tommed the fact that besides Odisha, Delhi, Telangana, Punjab and Kerala, 31 states and Union Territories were already on board with the scheme. The Centre and states will share the costs under the PMJAY on a 60:40 basis, with the central government taking on the higher share of the expenses.

Dr Salvaraj admits that expanding the platform to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar  considered "bimaru states" (weak states) in more ways than one  is a good step, but poor families in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra were already covered by a basic health insurance package.

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) had a much broader mandate. It already provided a cashless insurance package across both public and private hospitals to over 40 million families.

Medical experts believe that PMJAY is nothing but a replication of these state healthcare models, with Telangana's scheme providing the technology backbone for the Centre's latest initiative.

Dr T Sundararaman of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences seconds this opinion. "It is wrong to say that this was the largest health insurance scheme in the world. The National Rural Health Mission covered the country's poor with an outlay of Rs 20,000 crore. The government should have aimed to strengthen the present healthcare system," he said.

"The fundamental flaw with this scheme is that it has a budget outlay of Rs 2,000 crore for 2018-19. This is supposed to cover over 10 crore families. If these families were to spend even 1 percent of this Rs 5 lakh amount, the annual expenditure would come to Rs 50,000 crore. Where is so much money going to come from? A Rs-2,000 crore allocation is less than one third of the cost of a Rafael aircraft," Dr T Sundararaman said.

The other more serious allegation that experts have levied against PMJAY is their belief that there is no evidence to show that the healthcare costs will decline with the implementation of this scheme.

"Private hospitals will continue to double-charge; they will continue to levy out-of-pocket costs, much higher than what a patient would pay at a government hospital," said Dr Sundararaman. "Our medical care today is one of the most privatised and most unregulated in the world. We suffer from the malaise of over diagnosis and over treatment with no controls in place."

Doctors associated with PMJAY find this criticism very harsh. Dr Ravi Vimal, the deputy CEO of this project in Haryana, believes that any scheme of this magnitude will face "teething problems", but these will be ironed out in the months to come, especially as private medical facilities see this as being a good business opportunity.

A senior bureaucrat in the health ministry pointed out that "50 crore people from a pool of 10.74 crore families in 444 districts of 26 states have been selected". "They will be given reimbursements for bed charges, drugs and diagnostics two days before, during and 15 days after hospitalisation. It also allows for national portability. The card-holder can avail of free hospitalisation at an empanelled hospital anywhere in the country," the bureaucrat said.

He went on to add that this was not an "entitlements-based scheme, which means that people cannot register of their own for it. "A person has to fit into the categories specified in the database of the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 to avail of these benefits. We are keen to have this database updated, which is why gram panchayats have been involved in the process," the bureaucrat said.

Poor Budget allocation

Highlighting what he believes is one of the major stumbling blocks of the healthcare scheme, Dr Selvaraj said that despite India's GDP having tripled in the last three years, the Budget allocation for healthcare in the past 20 to 25 years has remained at 1 percent of the figure.

Canada and the United Kingdom allocate 8 percent of their GDP to provide comprehensive social health insurance. The United States allocates 18 percent of its GDP, but nearly 20 million of its population continue to remain outside the loop of this programme.

India has no checks and balances for this industry. The situation was much better till the 1980s, but since the 1990s, when the government began to withdraw from medicare, the private sector took over, resulting in tremendous cost escalations.

"The US follows a private medicare system, but this is very strictly controlled. Here, the combination of private hospitals and insurance companies have created a powerful lobby that remains uncontrolled. Even Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal provide better delivery of public healthcare services," Dr Selvaraj claimed.

The other side

There are doctors who believe that PMJAY will benefit the poor. Dr Monik Mehta, an interventional cardiologist working with Artemis Hospital in Gurugram, is certain that if they maintain a high patient volume and keep their margins low, the scheme should succeed.

"What worries me is how the government is going to ensure that bills are not fudged, which is a common practice these days. The only way to check fraudulent billing is to make sure their IT Department remains vigilant, and for that Aadhaar cards will be a must," Dr Mehta said.

Till August, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), with its 3.1 lakh doctors as members, had asserted that this scheme was flawed. Their argument was that the rates quoted for the 1,350 procedures under PMJAY did not cover even 30 percent of their costs. It was only after health ministry secretary Preeti Sudan assured them that the rates for these procedures would be reviewed again in 2019 that the association agreed to change its stand.

Dinesh Arora, deputy CEO of Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission, told private doctors at a meeting that benefit packages and their rates will see frequent adjustments from 2019 based on costing studies that the NITI Aayog will steer.

It was only after this assurance that IMA representatives agreed to extend their support to empanelment of hospitals, spreading awareness about the scheme and processes to identify beneficiaries. Timely payments to hospitals, feedback and grievance redressal mechanisms and the ease of setting up IT infrastructure at hospitals to ensure paperless transactions remain key concerns for the private medical fraternity.

If timely payments for facilities are not rolled out, IMA general secretary RN Tandon has warned that they would not hesitate to shut down their workstations.

PMJAY targets both rural and urban areas, including Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and excludes metros. Such a large outreach can be evolved only if private healthcare providers and associations like the IMA and other industry bodies work hand in hand.

But there is another criticism this scheme faces. This pertains to the government's decision to create 1.5 lakh health and wellness centres, for which the finance ministry has allocated Rs 1,200 crore for 2018-19. The existing sub health centres will be upgraded to these health and wellness centres.

According to the current allocation, this works out to Rs 80,000 per centre, a budget that is hardly sufficient to bring about any kind of significant transformation in the facilities and ambience of these sub centres.

Scepticism about the PMJAY model also stems from the fact that a number of developing countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Thailand, have already achieved universal healthcare. It is high time the Government of India moves in this direction. Regurgitating old wine in a new bottle is not sufficient to be able to meet our health objectives.The Rafale is a top class 4+-generation fighter. Perhaps even the best. But we are concerned with prices and pay-offs. If this is a given, we must be happy that we made a good purchase.

How the Rafale purchase turned out to become a boondoggle  meaning a wasteful, unnecessary or fraudulent project in Americanese  is an interesting story. It tells us how ignorance, vested interests and bureaucratic turf wars hijack our system.

It all began when the Indian Air Force put in a requirement for more Mirage 2000 fighters, to augment its small fleet of these fighters, particularly since they were deemed to have done well in the Kargil War. Since we already operate the Mirage 2000, bought during Rajiv Gandhis time, the IAF reckoned buying more under the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) would circumvent the cumbersome procedure of buying a new aircraft. But they didnt contend with the creative minds of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) bureaucracy when it comes to obstructing any proposal. Complying with the IAF's requirement, the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation offered the Mirage 2000-5, the latest variant of the original Mirage 2000s purchased in 1982.

But technology and the strategic environment had changed by 2000. The Mirage 2000 was a fighter designed in 1972 and entered service a decade later. By 2000, the competition had moved on. Newer variants of the F-16 had begun entering service and Dassault needed to upgrade the 2000. The Mirage 2000, renamed Vajra by the IAF, did not have the capability to engage multiple targets simultaneously, and its weapons load capacity was smaller than the F-16 variants. Dassault now called it the Mirage 2000-5.

The MoD bureaucrats seized on the "dash five" suffix and deemed it a new aircraft and hence, not covered by the DPP route. There had to be a fresh tender. Since it was going to involve a lengthy procedure, the IAF saw it as an opportunity to buy many more new squadrons. The MIG 21, 23 and 27 fleet was rapidly depleting and so they too had to be replaced. Thats how the tender for the 126 MMRCAs came to be.

We know what happened to the MMRCA shootout. It was a shootout between apples and oranges, involving aircraft of capabilities, tonnages and ranges. Of the six competing, two were single engine light fighters, a better replacement for the fleets being replaced. At that time an IAF officer joked that it was a race between Maruti 800s, Honda Citys and BMWs. After seven long years two contenders were shortlisted: The Eurofighter Typhoon and the Dassault Rafale. The Rafale was chosen.

But Prime Minister Narendra Modi suddenly canceled the order for the 126 Rafale aircraft. He was visiting France in April 2015 and announcing the Rafale purchase was his way of crowning the visit. So he announced it quite dramatically. "I have asked President Francois Hollande to supply 36 ready-to-fly Rafale jets to India," Modi said at a news conference on the first day of a State visit to France. "Our civil servants will discuss (terms and conditions) in more detail and continue the negotiations," he said, speaking in Hindi through an interpreter.

The official joint statement read: "Government of India conveyed to the Government of France that in view of the critical operational necessity for Multirole Combat Aircraft for Indian Air Force (IAF), Government of India would like to acquire 36 Rafale jets in fly-away condition as quickly as possible."

"The two leaders agreed to conclude an inter-governmental agreement for supply of the aircraft on terms that would be better than conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway; the delivery would be in a time frame that would be compatible with the operational requirement of IAF; and that the aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by IAF, and with a longer maintenance responsibility by France."

But did he consult the IAF? The then defence minister Manohar Parrikar too had publicly voiced misgivings about the cost of the fighter. It would now seem only Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence  set up two weeks earlier to serve as Dassault's offset partner  was privy to this.

In the Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQR) provided by the IAF, there were 13 "India-Specific Enhancements" demanded by India in the 126-aircraft MMRCA contract. These included radar enhancements, helmet-mounted display, towed decoy system, low-band jammer and the ability to operate from high-altitude airfields.

That these were the same for the 36 Rafale jets ordered by Modi is made clear by the joint statement of 10 April, 2015 issued by Hollande and Modi, which reads: that the aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as has been tested and approved by Indian Air Force

There is much noise about the huge costs at which the 36 Rafales have been contracted. The comparable costs of the 126 and 36 deals can only be read when all the costs are factored in. The cost of the new deal for 36 Rafale fighters is 3.42 billion as the cost of the bare planes; 1.8 billion for associated supplies for infrastructure and support; 1.7 billion for India-specific changes to the planes; and 353 million for performance-based logistics support; with the weapons package of 700 million being the extra. So take 1,053 million out and you have the comparable cost, which means it is 7.1 billion euros. It appears the fiddle is in the India-specific costs, additional infrastructure and support, and performance logistics support.

But how much more are we paying for the "new" Rafales? According to Air Marshal M Matheswaran (retd.), the officer who participated in the evaluation of the six fighters bidding for the MMRCA contract, the Rafale was chosen as it was an exceptional aircraft in a multirole capability, but was an expensive aircraft. According to him the MMRCA tender was cleared "for $10.5 billion for 126 aircraft". The French Air Force acquired its Rafale for 55 million. The IAF was hoping for a minimum of four squadrons of Rafale fighters, but the Modi government kept the initial order down to 36 fighters in a flyaway condition for 7.8 billion or $9.13 billion (1=$1.17).

Clearly a huge cushioning has been provisioned to meet the needs of all the parties concerned. Look at these other facts now. According to the Ministry of Company Affairs, Reliance Defence Ltd was registered on 28 March, 2015. On 11 April, Reliance Defence Ltd becomes the main partner to ensure the 50 percent offset clause, under which Dassault and other related French parties would invest half the contract value back in the country.

Government officials insist that 74 percent of the offsets will be exported, earning 3 billion for the country in the next seven years. The experience with all offsets suggests that this is far-fetched. It has not happened so far. In the AgustaWestland offsets, investigators discovered money trails from Mauritius, Singapore, UAE, Tunisia, the UK and British Virgin Islands linking the agents and the manufacturer.

Incidentally, Anil Ambani's flagship company, Reliance Communications Ltd (stylised as RCom), just defaulted on a major foreign loan and its future ability to fulfil its Rafale offsets commitment should now be in doubt. Recently, IDBI Bank filed an insolvency application before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) seeking debt resolution of Reliance Naval and Engineering, the shipbuilding company, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Yet Reliance Defence is so confident about fulfilling its Rafale-related obligations. I suspect there are no obligations. Reliance Defence is just a pass through.

Serving IAF officers are now being sent out to justify the purchase at the price now revealed. One IAF-deployed "spokesmen" have even been justifying the Rafale purchase because the package includes the Meteor air-to-air missile. The Meteor is the new game-changer in the air. It increases the "no-escape" zone for a hostile aircraft by about three times. The Meteor is an active radar-guided beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by MBDA. It will offer a multi-shot capability against long-range maneuvering targets in a heavy electronic counter-measures (ECM) environment with range in excess of 100 kilometres (62 miles). According to the manufacturer, in a head-on engagement, the Meteor provides a no-escape zone three times greater than a conventionally-powered missile.

But the Meteor missile is not exclusive to the Rafale. The fact is that the Swedish Gripfen has now been integrated with the Meteor and open sources indicate the IAF too is contemplating integrating the SU-30MKI and the Meteor. Even the Tejas can be fitted out with Meteors. So we are not buying the Rafale for the Meteor. Besides, missile purchases can never be part of the capital cost of a fighter. Since they are expendable, and presumably meant to be expendable, they should be part of revenue expenditure.

Make no mistake. The Rafale is a top class 4+-generation fighter. Perhaps even the best. But we are concerned with prices and pay-offs. If this is a given, we must be happy that we made a good purchase.Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for using foul language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh on Tuesday said the Congress president has graduated from being a shehzada (prince) to 'an emperor of lies'.

Lucknow: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for using foul language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh on Tuesday said the Congress president has graduated from being a shehzada (prince) to "an emperor of lies".

Alleging that the Congress chief was misleading people, which will be of no use, the senior UP minister said Gandhi needs to come out with details to substantiate his claims about the then UPA government's decisions on the Rafale deal.

"The shehzada has now graduated and become a shehenshah (emperor); Rahul Gandhi has become an emperor of lies. I am saying this as he had in Amethi yesterday presented a story which is totally a lie," Singh said.

"He is trying to convert lies into truth by repeatedly hammering them," he said, asking Rahul to stick to the truth.

On a question if this will have an impact in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Singh said he does not agree "as elections are not fought on lies".

On the first day of his visit to Amethi, his Lok Sabha constituency, Rahul had said, "There is 'chori' (theft) in the works of Narendra Modi  Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Notebandi (demonetisation), Gabbar Singh Tax (referring to GST). There is theft in all these. One by one, we will prove that Narendra Modi ji is not a 'chowkidaar'. Narendra Modi is a 'chor' (thief)."

Firing a fresh salvo at the prime minister over the Rafale jet deal, the Congress president had on Monday charged that the country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi snatched money away from the poor.

He had 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 Congress chief, in a veiled attack, also called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "India's commander-in-thief".

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 top court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to consider declaring certain portions of the area surrounding Taj Mahal as heritage.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the time for Uttar Pradesh government to submit a vision document on protecting the Taj Mahal from pollution to 15 November.

The state government told a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur that it would be difficult to declare entire Agra as a heritage city. The top court asked the state government to consider declaring certain portions of the area surrounding the Taj Mahal as heritage.

The state government informed the court that an Ahmedabad-based Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology was assisting it on declaring areas surrounding the Taj Mahal as heritage. The matter has been listed for further hearing on 29 November.

The apex court had earlier given time till 15 October to the state, but it was extended on Monday after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta and advocate Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Uttar Pradesh government, sought an extension.

In the previous hearing, ASG ANS Nadkarni, appearing for the Centre, had said that it has communicated to the Uttar Pradesh government to send a proposal to declare Agra a 'heritage city'. He had said that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was in the process of preparing a heritage plan for the Taj Mahal which would be filed with the UNESCO in three months.

The apex court had earlier asked the authorities to take a larger perspective on issues of pollution and green cover while preparing a vision document, saying that there will be no "second chance" to preserve the Taj Mahal.

The top court, while observing that the Taj Mahal would "of course be the centre piece" of the matters to be considered, had said other issues like vehicular traffic, pollution from the industries operating in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) and the water level of river Yamuna, should also be looked into while preparing the vision document.

The TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq kilometres spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. "If the Taj Mahal goes once, you will not get a second chance," a bench of Justice Madan B Lokur, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Justice Deepak Gupta had told the project coordinator, who is involved in the process of preparing the vision document.

The state government had earlier said the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi was preparing a vision document. Besides looking into issue of protection of the Taj Mahal, they were also considering a larger comprehensive plan to deal with all these issues.

Environmentalist MC Mehta, the petitioner in the case relating to the protection of the Taj Mahal, had told the court that green cover in the area has reduced and there were encroachments in and outside the Yamuna flood plains. He referred to the apex court's 1996 order in the case and said several industries have come up in the area, with many of them operating beyond their capacity. Mehta said as per the 1996 order, there were 511 industries in the area out of which the court had then said it would deal with 292 industries separately.

The bench, which has been monitoring development in the TTZ area to protect the Taj Mahal, had asked the petitioner to give his suggestions to the expert body within a week. The top court had earlier slammed the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and TTZ authority for their failure to restore the pristine glory of the Taj Mahal.The Supreme Court is likely to deliver its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar.

The Supreme Court is likely to deliver its verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar, according to several media reports.

The Aadhaar hearing, the second-longest in the history of the Supreme Court, had the apex court hearing some 27 petitions which called Aadhaar a violation of the right to privacy.

What is Aadhaar?

Launched in 2009, Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) based on a person's biometric details including fingerprints, iris scans. Essentially, Aadhaar makes a massive database of the personal information of over 1 billion people in India.

When the project began, it was initially used to improve the delivery of welfare services. It was also aimed at making it simpler for people to identify themselves and making it easier for businesses and start-ups to use data.

Eventually, the scope of Aadhaar was expanded by the government. Aadhaar was linked with various essential services, like bank accounts, PAN card, passports and mobile connections.

Controversy surrounding Aadhaar

With the increasing number of services that Aadhaar was being linked with, questions began emerging about whether it was safe for the government to store the biometric and personal information of so many people on a single platform.

In November 2017, the UIDAI admitted that over 200 central and state government websites had publicly displayed details such as names and addresses of some Aadhaar beneficiaries, PTI reported.

The Aadhaar-issuing body had added, in response to an RTI query, that it took note of the breach and got the data removed from those websites. It had not specified when the breach took place.

In January 2018, The Tribune claimed in a report that it was able to access every single detail of any person submitted for Aadhaar to the UIDAI: including names, addresses, postal codes, photographs, phone numbers and emails.

The report said The Tribune was able to 'purchase' a service offered by anonymous sellers over WhatsApp for unrestricted access to the over 1 billion Aadhaar numbers.

"It took just Rs 500, paid through Paytm, and 10 minutes in which an 'agent' of the group running the racket created a gateway for this correspondent and gave a login ID and password. Lo and behold, you could enter any Aadhaar number in the portal, and instantly get all particulars that an individual may have submitted to the UIDAI," the report said.

The Tribune report caused such an uproar that the Delhi Police lodged an FIR naming The Tribune reporter.

Aadhaar has also created concerns over whether the benefits of subsidies and welfare schemes will reach those who do not have an Aadhaar card.

For instance, a Reuters report published on 12 September quoted activists as saying 14 people died of starvation in Jharkhand since authorities cancelled old handwritten government ration cards last year and replaced them with the biometric Aadhaar card to weed out bogus beneficiaries.

Some of the poor have not enrolled in the programme, or their fingerprints do not match those on the database, the largest in the world. Others suffer because the identification system requires functioning electricity, an internet connection and operational servers, not always assured in interior India.

In December 2017, the widow of a security personnel who died in the Kargil war passed away in a private hospital in Haryana's Sonipat after the medical staff allegedly refused to admit her for not carrying her Aadhaar card.

The legal battle against Aadhaar

A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AK Sikri, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan reserved the verdict on the batch of petitions challenging the validity of Aadhaar on 10 May after hearing the petitions for over 38 days, starting 17 January.

Prior to this, the matter was taken up on 14 December when the court heard a plea for interim relief for extending embargo on the government and its departments insisting on Aadhaar for availing various services and benefits. The interim order was pronounced the next day. The petition challenging the Aadhaar schemewhen it had no statutory backing which eventually came by the 2016 Aadhaar Actwas first moved by retired judge of the Karnataka High Court Justice KS Puttaswamy.

The plea was later joined by a number of other petitioners including Magsaysay awardee Shanta Sinha, feminist researcher Kalyani Sen Menon, social activists Aruna Roy, Nikhil De, Nachiket Udupa, CPI leader Binoy Visman and others.

The legal battle against Aadhaar from day one was led by senior counsel Shyam Divan who appeared for Justice Puttaswamy and later represented the other petitioners. The central government was particularly piqued over Divan comparing the collection of Aadhaar data to a "concentration camp", "totalitarian regime" or to that of an "electronic leash".

The hearing also saw the UIDAI assuring the court that the demographic and biometric data collected under Aadhaar was absolutely safe without any scope of its being intruded upon. The UIDAI told the court that it would require the "age of the universe" to crack the single data stored in encrypted form.

While holding that the individual data is a goldmine of commercial information, the court in the course of the hearing had said that Aadhaar was not a catch for all the frauds. The court also expressed concern over the safety of the demographic and biometric data collected.

An offshoot of the challenge to the Aadhaar scheme on the grounds of it being violative of the right to privacy was that a nine-judge constitution bench of the apex court examined the issue in August 2017 and held that the right to privacy was a fundamental right.

The judgment, which will have a bearing on the lives of all Indians, said that "the right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedoms guaranteed by Part III of the Constitution."

However, the Supreme Court also given a ray of hope to the embattled government over the Aadhaar scheme and said: "We commend to the Union government the need to examine and put into place a robust regime for data protection. The creation of such a regime requires a careful and sensitive balance between individual interests and legitimate concerns of the state. The legitimate aims of the State would include for instance protecting national security, preventing and investigating crime, encouraging innovation and the spread of knowledge, and preventing the dissipation of social welfare benefits."

With inputs from agencies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.A special CBI court on 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 chargesheet.

Raipur: A special CBI court on 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 chargesheet.

The "sex CD", purportedly featuring a state minister, had hit 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, chargesheeted 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 chargesheet. 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 on Monday evening, asking them to appear in the court on 24 September, he said.

Earlier in the day, the judge had returned the chargesheet 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 8 October 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, who is 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 chargesheet.

"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 27 October, 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.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'.

New Delhi: 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.Amidst chatter of political strategising, minority groups across Bundelkhand react to the release of Bhim Army supremo Chandrashekhar Azad

In what was touted as a victory for minority rights, Dalit leader and charismatic commander of the Bhim Army, Chandrashekhar Azad was released from jail almost two months early by the Uttar Pradesh government, as per orders from the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Azads release came after almost year-long protests by his supporters from all over the country, who celebrated the moment with much pride and joy.

A resident of the state's Saharanpur district, Azad founded the Bhim Army in 2015 with the twin aims of protecting minority rights as well as furthering the interests of Dalits and other marginalised communities. Ever since, Azad and his supporters have been involved in extensive development work for the Dalit community  from running schools providing free education to Dalit children to fighting for Dalit rights on a daily basis. Through the years, the Bhim Army has fast emerged as a political party in the region, often associated with Mayawatis BSP, though neither has confirmed that officially.

Not surprisingly, Azad has been a vociferous critic of the incumbent government, and has incorporated that as part of his political aura  with frequent repercussions from the State. In May 2017 when the Dalits of Saharanpur put up a board bearing the legend The Great Chamar, under Azads leadership, it upset the upper caste Thakurs of the area. Violent clashes followed and Azad was arrested and detained under the National Security Act, 1980 (NSA) for allegedly instigating communal violence.

The NSA, as a piece of law, is all but vague, allowing the government to detain an individual in jail for a year without trial  in the name of preventing him from acting in a manner prejudicial to the defence of India, the relations of India with foreign powers, or the security of India. Needless to say, it is often simply a convenient tool in the hands of unchecked powers, and can be used to essentially lock up anyone who disagrees with those holding office. Detention under the NSA is different (from ordinary detention under the IPC, for instance) for it is preventive in nature, ie instead of being arrested for committing a crime, a person is arrested so as to prevent him from doing a potentially illegal act. To make matters worse, the NSA empowers the government to detain a person practically indefinitely, for it can detain the same person on fresh grounds on the expiry of the original detention; there is no limit to the number of times a person can be detained. Ganesh Shankar, a student from Chitrakoot, explains it well, Anyone can be slapped with a random charge under the NSA and put behind bars these days. Azad was supposed to be released almost a year ago, but they constantly kept extending his detention  sometimes by three months, sometimes by six months.

This is not the first time when the vague blanket of national security is being used to silence those who dare speak against a government in power. The recent arrest of ten prominent human rights activists in the Bhima Koregaon case, under similar charges relating to national security, has exposed an eagerness to eliminate dissent  one among other similar episodes across the nation. This is an issue that rights activists across Bundelkhand understand only too well. When Azad claimed so dramatically, upon his release from prison, the Bhim Armys intention to perform nasbandi on the ruling BJP party, probably hinting at his own plans for the 2019 elections, he found celebratory echoes across the heartland too. A social worker from Chitrakoot, Kailash Baudh, was visibly overjoyed at the release of his hero, Raavan [as Azad is popularly called] is a true hero  not just for one caste, but for everyone. He says that not only Dalits, but all communities are a part of him, and fights for the rights of one and all. He goes by the principles of Ambedkar and Kanshiram [founder of BSP], and directly associates with the Bahujan Samaj Party now. After Kanshirams death, Behenji [Mayawati] took charge and has been the guiding light of the party ever since. But there were many who felt that the BSPs founding mission, as had been imagined by Kanshiram, had got lost somewhere. As a result, the BSP has been struggling to find a leader for almost a decade now  which they have finally found in Azad.

Although Azad had been granted bail by the Allahabad High Court in November last year, he was booked under the NSA and his detention was effectively extended till 1 November, 2018. The Yogi Adityanath governments unexpected act of magnanimity  the decision to release him almost two months in advance  is being met with certain suspicion though. Again, this is in light of the upcoming general elections. Munnalal Dinkar, Secretary of Banda districts Rashtriya Swaraj Panther, gets straight to the point. One obviously wonders that when they initially came after him with such force  with the aggressive investigation, repeated arrests and all the bad-mouthing  why are they being so kind to the same person now? They claim it is for the sake of his mother. But that same mother has been protesting in Saharanpur, Lucknow, and even Delhi, for months, begging for her son to be set free. Why didnt they listen to her then? This is undoubtedly a political gimmick.

Khabar Lahariya is a women-only network of rural reporters from Bundelkhand.A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud on 9 July had 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.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking to ban lawmakers from practising as advocates, saying that the Bar Council of India rules do not prohibit them.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud on 9 July had 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 earlier 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, 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.The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued some directions to political parties as it left the matter of disqualification of politicians carrying criminal charges against them, to the Parliament saying that the court cannot add to the grounds of disqualification.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued some directions to political parties as it left the matter of disqualification of politicians carrying criminal charges against them to the Parliament saying that the court cannot add to the grounds of disqualification.

In view of its verdict, the apex court thought it was appropriate to issue the following directions which are in accord with the decisions of the court:

 Each contesting candidate shall fill up the form as provided by the Election Commission and the form must contain all the particulars as required therein.

 It shall state, in bold letters, with regard to the criminal cases pending against the candidate.

 If a candidate is contesting an election on the ticket of a particular party, he/she is required to inform the party about the criminal cases pending against him/her.

 The concerned political party shall be obligated to put up on its website the aforesaid information pertaining to candidates having criminal antecedents.

 The candidate as well as the concerned political party shall issue a declaration in the widely circulated newspapers in the locality about the antecedents of the candidate and also give wide publicity in the electronic media. "When we say wide publicity, we mean that the same shall be done at least thrice after the filing of the nomination papers," the court said in its judgment.

The judgment was pronounced by a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and comprising of Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra.

Follow LIVE updates on the Supreme Court verdict here:The apex court noted the contention of the counsel for the petitioner that empirical evidence supported the view that the current legislative framework permits criminals to enter the electoral arena and become legislators.

New Delhi: The Election Commission is vested with absolute powers, but still has to act in conformity with the law made by Parliament, the Supreme Court said Tuesday.

The apex court said that even though the poll panel has powers to supervise and conduct free and fair election, those powers have their limitations.

It noted the contention of the counsel for the petitioner that empirical evidence supported the view that the current legislative framework permits criminals to enter the electoral arena and become legislators.

"There is no denial of the fact that the Election Commission has the plenary power and its view has to be given weightage. That apart, it has the power to supervise the conduct of free and fair election.

"However, the said power has its limitations. The Election Commission has to act in conformity with the law made by Parliament and it cannot transgress the same," a Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said while passing a slew of directions aimed at de-criminalisation of politics.

The bench, which also comprised Justices RF Nariman, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra, directed that each contesting candidate will have to fill up the form provided by the Election Commission of India and he or she will have to state "in bold letters" about the criminal cases pending against them.

The top court, however, left it to Parliament to cure the "malignancy" of criminalisation of politics by making a law to ensure that persons facing serious criminal cases do not enter the political arena.

The top court said the increasing trend of criminalisation of politics tended to disrupt constitutional ethos and struck at the "very root of our democratic form of government."

The court, while pronouncing the judgment, was analysing the role of the Election Commission and the extent to which it can exercise its power under the constitutional framework.The Supreme Court ruling may not have changed the situation on ground, but it squarely put back in focus the unabashed alliance between criminals and politicians.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that each candidate shall declare his/her criminal antecedents to the Election Commission before contesting an election. It also directed political parties to display all information about their candidates on their websites.

While the court acknowledged that it cannot pass an order to disqualify MPs/MLAs with a criminal antecedent, it said that informing the electorate about their representatives was the corner stone of democracy. The apex court also advised the Parliament to consider forming a law to this effect.

The Supreme Court ruling may not have changed the situation on ground, but it squarely put back in focus the unabashed alliance between criminals and politicians. According to Association for Democratic Reforms, at least 34 percent of MPs in Lok Sabha have self-declared cases against them, and about 22 percent of these face serious criminal charges.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had the highest number of MPs (94) with self-declared criminal cases against them, followed by Shiv Sena (15). Here's a list of some prominent names in the 16th Lok Sabha who have criminal cases against them:

BS Yeddyurappa

BJP MP from Shimoga in Karnataka, and the party's chief ministerial candidate in the recently conducted polls has nine cases against him. The charges relate to cheating, corruption, forgery and criminal breach of trust. Charges have not been framed in any of the cases so far.

DK Suresh

Congress MP from Bengaluru rural and brother of DK Shivakumar has eight cases against him. He is named in cases related to rioting and criminal intimidation amid other charges.

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

The Union Minister of Women and Child Development has a lone case standing against her, where charges of criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery have been invoked. However, no charges have been framed against her and only a court has taken cognosance of the offences so far.

Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has declared four criminal cases against himself in his affidavit to the Election Commission. He has been named in cases relating to obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions and criminal intimidation.

Rajesh Ranjan aka Pappu Yadav

Pappu Yadav, who was elected as an MP from Madhepura on an RJD ticket and who now has his own party, is the Lok Sabha member with the highest number of cases against him, including several serious crimes like murder and attempt to murder. He has 24 criminal cases lodged against him. Yadav has been is in active politics for about three decades and was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991. He has defeated political heavyweights like Sharad Yadav.

He was convicted in a murder case by a lower court and had to serve a term, staying away from electoral politics, for five years. However, after the Patna High Court acquitted him, he contested and won polls from Madhepura in north Bihar.

Uma Bharti

BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi and former minister for drinking water and sanitation, Uma Bharti has 13 criminal cases against her. Charges have been framed in two cases against Bharti while courts have taken cognisance in 11 other cases against her. Charges against her mostly relate to making provocative speeches, creating enmity between groups, criminal intimidation, unlawful assembly of people etc. She also has a case of attempt to murder against her and ranks sixth among the list of MPs with maximum number of cases against them.

Notably, charges have been framed against Bharti in the Babri Masjid demolition case. She is accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy and provoking a crowd that led to the demolition of the disputed Babri Masjid structure.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that citizens have a right to be informed about the antecedents of their candidates. The verdict was unanimously passed.

The verdict was pronounced 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.

The status before the filing of these petitions was that lawmakers were barred under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act from contesting elections only after their conviction in a criminal case. The verdict was reserved on 28 August.

With inputs from PTI

Follow all the LIVE updates from the Supreme Court hereMining major Vedanta on Monday told a panel in Chennai, 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

Chennai: Mining major Vedanta on Monday told a panel in Chennai, 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 PS Raman for the plant at its sitting in Chennai. 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 9 April 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 a renewal for five years and without even rejecting that report, they refused renewal of consent to operate on 9 April, they said. Amid protests demanding the closure of the Sterlite unit, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on 10 April 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, ST 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 KS 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 5 October in its sitting in Chennai. 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 5 October. The panel was constituted by the NGT on 20 August 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 10 September, 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 28 May 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 22 May when police had opened fire on a huge crowd of people protesting against environment pollution being allegedly caused by the factory.'The survey reveals that the recent violence in the northern Rakhine state was extreme, large-scale, widespread and seemingly geared toward both terrorising the population and driving out the Rohingya residents,' said the report by the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research

United Nations: The US said Monday it had found evidence of systematic violence by Myanmar's military against the Rohingya minority, including widespread killings and rape. The State Department released the report just as the US announced $185 million in new funding for Rohingya refugees during a meeting at the United Nations on Myanmar.

The State Department study, based on interviews in April with 1,024 Rohingya adults who have taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh, provided accounts consistent with reports from human rights groups but kept largely to dispassionate descriptions of events. The report notably did not use the terms genocide or ethnic cleansing to describe the mass killings of the Rohingya, a mostly Muslim group concentrated in Rakhine state that is despised by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and who are not considered citizens.

"The survey reveals that the recent violence in the northern Rakhine state was extreme, large-scale, widespread and seemingly geared toward both terrorising the population and driving out the Rohingya residents," said the report by the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. "The scope and scale of the military's operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated," it said.

"In some areas, perpetrators used tactics that resulted in mass casualties, for example, locking people in houses to burn them, fencing off entire villages before shooting into the crowd or sinking boats full of hundreds of fleeing Rohingya." The report said 82 percent of the interviewed refugees personally witnessed killings, with 51 percent also reporting sexual violence.

The State Department said witnesses hailing from multiple villages reported similar rapes, in which military men would force all the women to leave their homes. "They would then choose a smaller number of women  often four or five, but some refugees reported up to 20  whom as many as 15 soldiers would then take to fields, forests, houses, schools, mosques or latrines to gang rape," it said.

"Many victims were reportedly killed afterward, though not in all cases," it said, adding that soldiers in some cases would go door to door to find the "prettiest girls" to gang-rape. In an overwhelming 88 percent of cases, the witnesses said the military was behind the atrocities. Few said they saw attacks against them by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the Islamic militant group whose assaults on military posts in October 2016 triggered the crackdown.

The violence in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was unleashed soon after the country transitioned to democracy, undermining what Western governments had hailed as a triumph of engagement. The campaign against the Rohingya has especially tarnished the reputation of Aung San Suu Kyi, the long-detained democracy advocate and Nobel laureate who has been reticent in addressing the violence.

More than 7,00,000 Rohingya took refuge in Bangladesh, fearful of returning to Myanmar despite a repatriation deal between the two countries. Meanwhile, Britain hosted a meeting of about a dozen foreign ministers that was also attended by Myanmar's state counsellor Kyaw Tint Swe and International Cooperation Minister Kyaw Tin, although Suu Kyi did not come to New York.

Fresh from a visit to Myanmar, British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned that military leaders must answer for any atrocities committed against the Rohingya, a foreign office spokesperson said. "If in a year's time, we have not made a meaningful difference to the lives of the million or more people affected, then we have failed as an international community," Hunt told the closed meeting, according to the spokesperson.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley announced the $185 million for food, water, healthcare and other critical aid to the refugees, even as the US dramatically scales back its admission of refugees. Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing was recently quoted in a newspaper as telling his troops that no country, organisation or group has the "right to interfere in and make decision over sovereignty of a country".The Uttar Pradesh Police rescued the girl and took the responsibility of teaching her over her relationship with a Muslim boy.

The Uttar Pradesh Police drew criticism on Tuesday after a disturbing video emerged which showed a woman being thrashed by a police constable. The video, which was widely circulated on social media, showed four police officials attacking and abusing the woman over her alleged relationship with a Muslim man.

According to NDTV, the woman and her Muslim male friend, both medical students, were targeted by a group of men on Sunday. The group, allegedly from the right-wing Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), barged into the man's home in Meerut, manhandled the duo and handed them over to the police.

Meerut: Three police personnel including a woman constable suspended after a video of them abusing and slapping a woman for being friends with a Muslim man, went viral pic.twitter.com/ypqO5dxFbK  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 25, 2018

The police rescued the woman but then decided to attack her over her relationship with a Muslim boy. The incident took place after Dial 100 cops took the woman into custody, News18 reported.

The video that emerged, showed a lady constable beating up the woman, while another officer sitting on the front seat of the vehicle using derogatory language. The video had been shot by the same officer.

An inquiry was ordered by Superintendent of Police (SP) Meerut, Ranvijay Singh. Speaking to the media, Singh said, "A boy and a girl were brought to the police station and both were handed over to their families. They both were accused of indulging in objectionable acts in public. Now, a video has surfaced in which an officer sitting in front is using objectionable language, while a female officer sitting at the back with the girl is hitting the girl. A probe has been ordered and those who found guilty will be punished.

The Uttar Pradesh Police tweeted in response, saying, "With reference to a video by staff of PRV 561 in PS Medical Meerut, HC Salek Chand, Constable Neetu Singh, lady Constable Priyanka have been suspended. A report regarding the HG Sainserpal has been sent to District Commandant Home Guard. Such behaviour shall never be tolerated. (sic)"BJP's Sambit Patra also said that the Congress played with national security and the strength of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

New Delhi: Stepping up the attack on the Congress, BJP on Tuesday said that there was a nexus between Rahul Gandhi's brother in law Robert Vadra and arms dealer and middleman Sanjay Bhandari due to which the Rafale deal with French firm was cancelled in 2012.

"Bhandari, who has close links with Vadra, formed a company named Offset India Solutions (OIS) in 2008 and he formed a joint venture with Rafaut as he tried to enter into an offset clause in the Rafale fighter jets deal through the back door," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambit Patra told the media in Delhi.

He alleged that the then government mounted pressure on the French firm Dassault Aviation to give works to Bhandari's company.

"But when Dassault verified the infrastructure of OIS, it found that they did not have the required criteria. It also found Bhandari's links with Vadra. So Dassault became adamant and they made it clear that they do not want to enter into any kind of deal with the OIS," he said.

"And this was the reason why the Rafale deal was then scrapped after years of negotiations as Vadra was not getting the commission out of the deal," he accused.

Patra also said that the Congress played with national security and the strength of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

"When the BJP government came to power in 2014, investigations started against Bhandari. And during raids at 18 places in 2016 at the premises of Bhandari a lot of classified documents were recovered," he said.

He said that Bhandari's company was also blacklisted by the Indian government.

Alleging links between Vadra and Bhandari, the BJP leader said that during raids in 2016 and the emails exchanged between the two, Vadra's close associate Manoj Arora and a relative of Bhandari named Sumit Chahdha, also came to the fore.

"In an email it was revealed that Bhandari's relative Chahdha paid Rs 19 crore for a flat in London for Vadra," Patra alleged.

He also alleged that Bhandari's firm also paid for the air travels of Vadra in 2012.

"The government has acted against Bhandari as per law. And today we are saying that Vadra also would not be spared," he said.

The BJP leader further alleged that the then Congress government also rejected Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)-developed Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 and went for the Swiss aircraft Pilatus in 2012.

"This deal was given to the Swiss company to bribe the Gandhi family and to pay commission on the deal to the Gandhi family," he added.The CPI invited former prime minister Manmohan Singh to deliver the AB Bardhan Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The 2019 Lok Sabha election is practically knocking on the door. So loud and clear is the sound that India's political firmament is being transformed: Foes are becoming friends and ideological differences are being cast aside. The latest to seemingly give into such pressure is the Communist Party of India (CPI), which invited former prime minister Manmohan Singh to deliver the AB Bardhan Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Manmohan, speaking on the 'need to defend secularism and the Constitution', said that despite being from different political parties, CPI stalwart Bardhan played an important role in bringing growth and social justice during the United Progressive Alliance regime.

Nothing but an eye on the 2019 polls can explain the CPI's sudden desire to hear Manmohan speak: keeping in mind that when the latter was Union finance minister under then prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, the CPI was one of the most vocal critics of the government's key policies, such as opening up the economy.

It is to be recalled: In 2008, the Left parties, including the CPI, nearly brought down the Congress-led UPA regime after its decision to sign the India-US nuclear deal. On July 2008, the Left Front, which had 59 representatives in the Lok Sabhaand supported the UPA government without being part of itwithdrew support. It was a big blow to the Manmohan government. In an interview with The Telegraph on 11 August, 2007, Singh said, we cannot go back on it (nuclear deal). I told them (Left parties) to do whatever they want to do, if they want to withdraw support, so be it.

However in his lecture today, Manmohan referred to CPI Rajya Sabha member D Raja and CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, and said, Raja, Yechury had been a great support to me ensured that the UPA wasnt out of the race in following the common minimum programme. Yes, politicians make strange bedfellows. And ideologically opposed Left parties and the Congress choose their ideological battles carefully.

When asked the reason behind choosing Manmohan as guest speaker, CPI general secretary Sudhakar Reddy told The Hindu, Why not? What is wrong in it? We are together in this fight against communalism. Speaking on secularism, Manmohan referred to Jawaharlal Nehru and said, Nehru disliked communalism. He said that no majority can crush a minority India will not become a Hindu State.

So, the fight against communalism brings the two together at the Centre, while parliamentary equations in Kerala ensured that the Congress finds itself a part of a coalition called the United Democratic Front (not in power now) along with All India Forward Bloc, a Left outfit. And the Opposition between the Congress and the Left in Bengal is very well known. The Left Front that ruled the state of West Bengal for seven consecutive terms (from 1977 to 2011), was born out of a common Opposition of various Left parties to the Congress.

Even today, the Left in Bengal is not willing to form alliance with the Congress. So, is there a message that the political pundits can read in Manmohan's presence at the CPI lecture?

The Left Front committed a blunder by withdrawing its support to the UPA. We also lost one of our finest parliamentarians and stalwart leader Somnath Chatterjee in the process. Had we stayed with them, it would have been easier for the UPA government and us to fight communalism, which has reached its nadir at present in the country. Today were virtually nowhere except in Kerala, a central committee member of CPM said on condition of anonymity.

Somnath, an ex-Lok Sabha Speaker, was expelled from the CPM for not toeing the party line on the nuclear deal and refusing to step down. A growing rift between the Congress and the Left became visible. Gradually, the Left parties, whether CPM or CPI, started losing its base both at the Centre and in states. With just one member in the 16th Lok Sabha (CN Jayadevan from Thrissur in Kerala) and one in the Rajya Sabha (D Raja), the CPI is clearly in survival mode. Is it trying to align with the Congress to stay afloat?Rahul Gandhi had been accusing the Modi government and the prime minister of indulging in crony capitalism besides, violating procedures in Rafale deal.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday yet again attacked the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal row, in which the government has been accused of choosing Reliance Defence over state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to benefit the private firm though it did not have any experience in the aerospace sector.

Launching a scathing attack on the prime minister, Gandhi was quoted by ANI as saying: "Modi had said I am the chowkidar of the nation, so this chowkidar put the money of youth and the air force in the pockets of Anil Ambani, who has a debt of 45, 000 crore on him, just like Vijay Mallya (sic)."

Gandhi also questioned the government, asking why HAL was denied the Rafale contract and the contract was handed over to Ambani's Reliance Defence, a firm which Gandhi said was set up ten days prior to when the deal was made.

"HAL was given the Rafale contract to generate jobs. HAL had 70 years of experience, Anil Ambani had 10 days," Gandhi said.

Earlier in the day, the Congress president had tweeted, "To every Air Force officer and Jawan who has served India, to the family of every martyred Indian fighter pilot and every person who ever worked for HAL, we hear your pain. We understand how you feel. We will bring to justice all those who dishonoured and stole from you."

Gandhi has been accusing the Modi government and the prime minister of indulging in crony capitalism besides violating procedures in the Rafale deal.

On Monday, he had said the country's chowkidar (Modi) snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

With inputs from agenciesThe RSS leadership has faced more criticism from within for pursuing a course of reform that runs contrary to traditionalists beholden to dogmas.

Editors note: Russia is not the only riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. For many, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also fit Churchills description of Russia. So, analysts tend to interpret both (Modi and the RSS) according to the convenience of their own perceptions. This happened after Mohan Bhagwat's outreach to Delhi's elite on 17, 18 and 19 September. Bhagwat espoused the RSS' idea of India and spoke about Muslims, Hindutva, the Congress and caste divisions in India. His assertions were seen either as a radical departure from the RSS position or as an attempt to rein in Modi and reaffirm the RSS' position as the ideological mentor of the Parivar. This three-part series will attempt to unwrap the mystery that is sought to be created around the RSS and its relations with the BJP. More importantly, it will show how Modis politics is not delinked from the RSS concept of nation-building. This is the first part of the series.

***

Consistency is often seen as banal and non-intellectual ever since Karl Marx coined the phrase, History repeats itself; first as tragedy and then as farce. The consistency of history tends to get intellectual interpretation through the prism of this axiom very often.

In the case of the Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the consistency of its objective and broader discourse is ignored to invent a proposition which may appear innovative or thought-provoking. It happened when the RSS organised a three-day conference in mid-September to reach out to critics and non-conformists of Delhis elites.

When RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, in his 19 September address on Bharat of Future: An RSS Perspective, insisted on his organisations inclusive (yukt) approach to society, some have analysed it as a rap on the knuckle of the BJP political leadership which is bent upon making India free of the Congress (Congress-mukt Bharat). His praise for the older generation of the Congress leadership is seen as a well-deserved rebuke to an "upstart" BJP leadership that is apparently drunk on the arrogance of power. Some have drawn vicarious pleasure from what they perceive as the emerging dissonance between Bhagwat and the BJP leadership on national issues as they find the opposition led by Rahul Gandhi quite inadequate to weave an effective counter-narrative.

But a glance at the RSS history would be indicative of a canny consistency with which it has been approaching the national issues and changing its views with the changing times. Over the decades, the RSS has adapted itself to the transformations in Indian society and polity and recalibrated its approach on various issues. The conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi was an important sequel to that change.

Right since the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the RSS has faced many trials and public scrutiny to establish its credentials as a genuine socio-cultural organisation committed to the consolidation of the Hindus. It was proscribed by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1948 after Gandhis murder and again by his daughter Indira Gandhi in 1975 after the imposition of the Emergency. On both occasions, the RSS was blamed for carrying out a secretive and subversive mission that promoted violence and disaffection in society, a charge that has been levelled quite frequently and liberally but never been proven legally. And this formed the basis of a perception about the RSS which continued to be understood from a particular prism.

But the remarkable flexibility that the RSS leadership had often shown to adapt to the times is often ignored to perpetuate a particular narrative that stereotyped the RSS and its constituents. Now let us recall the manner in which the RSS, under Balasahab Deoras (the third Sarsanghachalak during the eventful period between 1973 and 1994), had thrown itself open for Muslims in the post-Emergency phase. This was a transformative event for an organisation committed to the cause of the Hindus.

There is no doubt that Deorass move was audacious even as it evoked criticism from within the fold. In an authentic account of that period, Lost Years of the RSS (2011), Sanjeev Kelkar refers to the criticism faced by Deoras and points out that Maharashtra RSS chief KB Limaye wrote a letter expressing his anguish. His letter reads, You have been given the position of the chief of the RSS of Dr Hedgewar. Kindly run that Sangh and try to foster its growth. Do not try to change it. If you think a change is necessary, start a new RSS. Leave the RSS of Doctorji for Hindu consolidation to us. If you change this RSS, I will not be able to have any relationship with that Sangh. Of course, Deoras remained unfazed and continued with his experiment.

It will be quite instructive to know how this new experiment came about. When Indira had put Deoras and many other RSS functionaries in jail during the Emergency, they found themselves in company with leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami. Both took the opportunity to interact with each other and got to know each other better while the tyranny of the Emergency was at its peak. In the post-Emergency phase, Deoras displayed an enormous sagacity not only to let its political affiliate, Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), merge its identity with the Janata Party but also promised to undertake initiatives dispel misconceptions about the RSS. He allowed Muslims to examine the RSS from close quarters.

Those who are surprised at Bhagwats assertion that Hindutva would be incomplete without Muslims are oblivious of yet another instance which was quite radical in its approach. After the Emergency, a group of Muslim clergy went to meet RSS leaders at its Nagpur headquarters. As the discussion was prolonged, they became anxious as it was time for their namaz. The hosts asked them if they could offer prayers there itself  within the RSS headquarters  and they said, yes. Indeed, that day the group of Muslim clergy said their prayers in the RSS headquarters. Perhaps, against the backdrop of the Emergency, the bonhomie between the RSS and the Muslims was at its peak. If you have any doubt then look at the utterances of Mohamed Ali Currim Chagla, a noted jurist and former Union minister, who praised the RSS and described himself as Muslim by religion and Hindu by race much to the annoyance of orthodox Muslims and liberal Muslims alike.

The end of the Emergency did not mean an end of the RSSs travails. The BJS members who were now part of the Janata Party were targeted over the dual membership as socialists questioned their allegiance to both the party and the RSS. However, much before the issue of the dual membership was raised as a pretext to break the Janata Party and bring down the anti-Congress coalition, there were several instances when the tallest leaders from the socialist block, like Madhu Limaye and Madhu Dandvate, sang paeans for the RSS and its contribution to nation-building. When the wrangling began in the Janata Parivar over the RSS, Deoras promptly issued a letter that freed its workers to follow their discretion in choosing a political course. The implicit message was that the RSS would not influence its volunteers political preferences. Once again, Deoras faced severe criticism within the saffron fold for his move.

Now read Bhagwats statement on Muslims with the post-Emergency changes brought about in the RSS by his predecessor, you will find a consistency. This clearly flies in the face of argument advanced by intellectual patricians (ironically drawn mainly from the Marxist stream) that the RSS is driven by a pernicious ideology that promotes orthodoxy, dogma and intolerance. Perhaps the RSS leadership has faced more criticism from within for pursuing a course of reform that runs contrary to traditionalists beholden to dogmas. Bhagwats exposition in Delhi is perfectly in sync with the organisations unique flexibility to adapt to change.

Read the second part here.Pooja Shukla, who has now joined the Samajwadi Party, speaks about the aftermath of her arrest after she waved black flags at Yogi Adityanath, as well as her ongoing struggle against the Lucknow University

Pooja Shukla, a commerce student from the Lucknow University (LU), wanted to gain admission into a course of her choice. She took the entrance test in June this year and waited for the result, which was later withheld by the authorities.

Now, in order to know whether she has passed the test, she has to submit an affidavit in the Lucknow High Court promising that she will never take part in any activity in the university, nor will she engage in university politics. She can't even enter the campus premises if she is accompanied by more than one other student, and she can't go to the seminar hall.

Pooja is not shocked by this directive from the court. For her, things have never been easy since the day she entered the university and "countered" those in power. She says her miseries have only increased ever since she had a brush with chief minister Yogi Adityanath last year.

Of black flags and brushes with the law

She attained both stardom and a notorious reputation after obstructing Yogi Adityanath's convoy and waving black flags to it. He was visiting the campus to unveil a statue of Shivaji in June 2017. She says she is one among 20 students who are being denied admission into the Lucknow University for staging this protest. The reason why we showed him black flags was simple: We, as ordinary students, wanted to gain the attention of our chief minister. We wanted him to ask us why we are protesting; in response, we would have told him about the mismanagement taking place in the university, which includes the hooliganism of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and the fee hike. But the chief minister termed us naxals. We were detained and later arrested," she says.

She adds that most of the organisers and attendees of the event were part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). She also alleged that the event had been organised by the university with students' money, while the administration would allegedly continue to claim that it could not waive off the fees of underprivileged students, or that it could not provide better facilities citing the lack of funds.

It seems that she sees life as being either black or white. She believes that even people and situations are either right or wrong, that there cannot exist a compromise between the two.

After being arrested, Pooja was sent to jail for 26 days. The sections of the Indian Penal Code she was charged with include 307 (attempt to murder) and 7 (the Criminal Law Amendment). She was also charged with rioting, obstructing a public servant from performing his duty and intimidation of a public servant. Once she was released, she says she decided to work full-time for the rights of students against the mismanagement happening at LU, with the aid of the Samajwadi Party (SP). She also joined the SP officially in July 2017.

Abhishek Dixit, Poojas lawer, says he doesnt expect any help for his client from the court, which has asked her to submit an affidavit with 'strange' clauses. Isnt the demand of an affidavit stating that she wont go to college or even stand in the premises with more than one student bizarre? The court denied our plea to quash the application so that we wouldn't get relief from the upper courts, he says.

Becoming an activist

But Pooja is of the opinion that she did not earn the ire of LU all of a sudden. She is the daughter of an employee who works in the private sector, and the eldest among three sisters. Her parents were reluctant about her decision to seek admission in the university. My parents were never happy with my decision to apply to the university instead of a girls college, but I managed to convince them. When I joined the university, my aim was quite clear: Get a degree in commerce and find a job in a good company. But things turned out very differently. The atrocities committed in the university, especially against poor students, worried me. Amid these adversities, I became exposed to the culture of debate and social activism. And I'm being treated as a criminal only because I ask questions, says Pooja.

She speaks about how she actively began participating in student politics. I observed rampant eve-teasing and harassment of juniors the day I first joined the university. When one of my friends was eve-teased by a senior, I yelled at him and forced him to apologise. I was told that girls cannot enter the university from gate number one, and I was the first to do that too. In November 2015, I joined the All India Students' Association (AISA), the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation.

She graduated from LU with first division in 2016, and later, took a drop from studies for next two years. She says that her reasons for taking a drop are personal. However, her participation in university politics continued.

The turning point in her life, Pooja says, was the decision to be part of the protests that followed the brutal gangrape in Delhi in 2012. She says it defined who she is today; it was at that time that she developed a sensitivity towards women and activism.

Pooja is angered by patriarchal mindsets, which she refers to as 'purushvaadi soch'. A kind of aggression surfaces when she speaks of the LU Vice Chancellor or proctor, or active members of student politics, who are all men. She also vehemently opposes the ABVP, who have shown a similar reaction to her. She claims that the university is being run by a Vice Chancellor chosen by the RSS. They know I am trouble for them. I will raise my voice, I will question what is wrong. This is why I am being denied admission.

Pooja also went on a hunger strike, demanding that the university give admission to all students who had appeared for the entrance tests, and whose results were being held back for waving black flags at the chief minister. When I approached the university administration, I was told that it doesn't admit students with "criminal backgrounds". Despite having secured first class marks in all my previous classes, I am not able to study further because I am fighting for what is right, and I'm doing it the right way, says Pooja. She had to call off her hunger protest after the doctors advised her about her deteriorating health.

Politics  personal and public

When asked if she is afraid of the police and those who are in power, Pooja just laughs. I have been randomly picked up by the police so many times, that now, I am just not afraid. I know they cant do anything to me because I am not guilty. They can raid my house in Sarojini Nagar, they can keep me under house arrest or threaten me, but I am not afraid." She's convinced that she has seen the worst that life has to offer.

Her arrest has had an effect on the lives of her family. Her sisters were afraid to step out of the house while she was in jail. My father had to hear offensive taunts from both within and outside the family... I am not sure about what will happen to my career after such serious charges were slapped on me. If there is anything left for me in life, it is the fight."

Many seem to draw strength from her spirit. Everyone present at the Sheroes Cafe, the place we decide to meet which is run by an acid attack survivor, knows her personally. She claims that people line up to get pictures clicked with her. Her phone never stops ringing once she wakes up every morning.

When asked about her political goals, Pooja claims that she will enter politics if people want her to, but for the time being, she wants to pursue her education and fight for students and their rights.

Notably, while Pooja remained extremely vocal about several things, such as the BJP, ABVP, the RSS, Yogi Adityanath and even Narendra Modi, the students themselves occupied very little space in the entire conversation, which lasted for over two hours. There is so much to talk about these people that sometimes I just lose focus, she says with a smile.

Why join the Samajwadi Party, considering the reputation Akhilesh Yadav has gained after the infighting within the family? It was all because of Shivpal Yadav and his purushvaadi soch. His goons were not letting young people, especially women, to grow in the party. Now the SP is a democratic place where all voices are being heard, she says.

Poojas reaction changes when she is asked about how Akhilesh Yadav can be her role model, when he directed his own wife to not to contest the elections in 2019. Who said he stopped her? Who knows whether she wanted this herself? Or maybe she wants to work in the party, she says.

The BJP might win the 2019 elections. How long will she continue to fight? Pooja smiles and recites the line she wrote to all her supporters from jail. Usse ye fikar hai har dum naya tarz-e-zafa kya hai? Humein ye shauk hai dekhein sitam ki intihan kya hai.Hardening its stand against the BJP-sponsored 12-hour bandh in West Bengal on 26 September, 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.

Kolkata: Hardening its stand against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-sponsored 12-hour bandh in West Bengal on 26 September, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government on Monday said all steps will be taken to maintain normal life on Wednesday while accusing the saffron party of trying to foment trouble in the state.

The BJP, which has called the bandh 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 26 September 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.Narendra Modi addressed a gathering of BJP workers, along with Amit Shah, at a rally in Bhopal, where Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also present.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the "They did not leave any expletives in the book to abuse me. But they can continue their mudslinging. Their own advisers will tell them that the more muck they fling at us, the wider the lotus will bloom," Modi said, in an apparent reference to allegations on the Rafale fighter jet deal.

He made the statement while addressed a gathering of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Bhopal ahead of the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh later this year. BJP president Amit Shah, too, addressed the rally, along with Chief Minster Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

In his address, the prime minister said that the BJP government believes in social justice for all and that its 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' (cooperation of all, development of all) campaign is not just a slogan. He expressed confidence that the BJP would emerge victorious in the upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh as well as in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Talking about BJP being a tolerant party, Modi said: "We are a party that welcomes and follows the ideology of Deendayal Upadhyay and Syama Prasad Mukherjee. We welcome all streams of thoughts."

Drawing from Shah's statement from two days ago, the prime minister compared vote-bank politics to termites, saying, "Vote-bank politics has caused immense damage to the country in the 70 years after Independence."

Attacking the Congress, Modi said, "The Congress is not ready to introspect on why it has been reduced to just 44 seats in the Lok Sabha because of its arrogance... The Congress has become a burden on the country today. It is the responsibility of BJP workers in a democracy to save the country from it."

He also urged people to show the Congress party its place. "The Congress was the party that treated Madhya Pradesh as their enemy. Till the time the UPA was in power at the Centre, they tried every trick in the book to impede the BJP government's work," Modi spoke.

Accusing the Congress of colluding with foreign powers to gain power in India, Modi accused the Congress of looking outside India to form an alliance as its efforts to form a "mahagathbandha" in India seemed to be failing.

Modi also claimed that this grand alliance was being formed before the Opposition was afraid of losing elections. He mocked the Congress, saying that the 125-year-old party has been reduced to such a condition that it is "begging" with small parties for alliances. He asserted that the coalition will not be successful even if the Congress does succeed in getting allies.

Congress made Madhya Pradesh a 'bimaru state'

During his address, Shah encouraged party workers to be prepared to take BJP's work to every voter in every booth. For this, the BJP chief said it was important that they use the NaMo app as it will help them be informed about the schemes and policies implemented by the BJP government.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Shah said: "The Congress party has faced a rout in most of the past elections, and yet its president Rahul Gandhi is dreaming about a win. There is no harm in dreaming, but even dreams should have some base in reality."

Shah also alleged that the Congress made Madhya Pradesh a "bimaru state" (weak state) and lowered its contribution to the GDP to pre-Independence levels. He also questioned the basis on which the grand old party was seeking votes.

The BJP president also lauded the efforts of the party for its recent electoral successes, urging party workers to take a vow to ensure BJP's win in the five upcoming Assembly polls and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Praising the Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Shah said: "I was surprised to see Shivraj Singh Chouhan ji counting scheme after scheme implemented in the state, without even consulting a paper. This can be done only when one has a strong will to work for the people."

He also credited Chouhan for helping Madhya Pradesh shed the "bimaru state" tag.

With inputs from PTICongress president Rahul Gandhi 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 Modi.

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on 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 Modi.

"The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief," Rahul 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 on 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 sad truth about India's Commander in Thief. pic.twitter.com/USrxqlJTWe  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 24, 2018

"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.tech2 News Staff

Editor's note: This copy was published on 24 January, 2018. It is being republished in light of the Supreme Court's verdict on the constitutionality of Aadhaar likely being pronounced tomorrow.

Aadhaar Database is one of the largest government databases on the planet, where a 12 digit unique-identity number has been assigned to the majority of the Indian citizens. This database contains both the demographic as well as biometric data of the citizens.

With the sheer amount of private and confidential data amassed in one singular database, it is no surprise that Aadhaar and Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the authority that established the database, continue to be the focus of attention whenever there is any security shortcoming.

Irrespective of the number of complaints and objections against the program, the government of India has made it mandatory in almost all the facets of public life. Despite the number of reports over the last couple of years, UIDAI has constantly maintained that the server and the data itself, especially biometric data is safe. We are not contesting the claims by the authority. However, we do think that the number of security incidents has increased in past few years and we wanted to highlight everything major that has happened.

App-based flaws

Most recently, the entire controversy around Aadhaar and privacy concerns, captured centre stage after a French security researcher pointed the flaws in the mAadhaar app that is available on the Google Play Store. What is striking is the fact that this is not the first time when the issue has been raised about a government mobile app with flaws that can potentially allow attackers to access the Aadhaar database while accessing the demographic data.

An IIT graduate was arrested for illegally accessing the Aadhaar database back in August 2017 for accessing the database between 1 Jan and 26 July without authorisation. He created an app called Aadhaar eKYC by hacking into the servers related to an e-Hospital system that was created under the Digital India initiative. The eKYC app would then route all the requests through those servers.

Government Websites

Over the last one year, there have been multiple instances of Aadhaar data leaking online through government websites. The most recent case was when an RTI query pushed UIDAI to reveal that about 210 government websites made the Aadhaar details of people with Aadhaar, public on the internet. The report pointed out that the data was removed from the websites but it also did not mention about the time frame of the leak of the data.

The problem was so rampant that a simple google search would reveal thousands of databases along with demographic data including Aadhaar numbers, names, names of parents, PAN numbers, mobile numbers, religion, marks, the status of rejection of applications, bank account numbers, IFSC codes and other information.

Three Gujarat-based websites were also found disclosing Aadhaar numbers of the beneficiaries on their websites. Last but not the least, a website run by Jharkhand Directorate of Social Security leaked Aadhaar details about 1.6 million people living in Jharkhand due to a technical glitch.

Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) also pointed out that about 130 million Aadhar numbers along with other sensitive data were available on the internet. The reason for the data leak was narrowed down to four government-run schemes ranging from National Social Assistance Programme by the Ministry of Rural Development, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), also by the Ministry of Rural Development, Daily Online Payment Reports under NREGA by the government of Andhra Pradesh and the Chandranna Bima Scheme, also by the government of Andhra Pradesh.

Third party leaks

There have been a number of leaks when it comes to demographic data. Sometimes the leak happens because of a picture is tweeted to showcase the infrastructure such as the time when Aadhaar card application of MS Dhoni leaked on the internet. The reason for the leak of the form was that the CSC e-governance Services India Ltd tweeted the picture of the machine with Dhonis form still on the screen with a bulk of personal details visible. This prompted UIDAI to blacklist CSC e-governance services for 10 years.

UIDAI has also regularly shut down fraudulent websites and mobile apps that claim to provide Aadhaar services to users as done almost a year back. It also blocked about 5,000 officials from accessing Aadhaar portal after it was reported that the portal was accessed without any authorisation.

It is almost amusing to note that it was not the first time that UIDAI blacklisted officials or operators. Back in 2017, it blacklisted about 1,000 operators and filed FIRs against 20 individuals for malpractice. The report did not point at any security issues but did state that charging for Aadhaar was illegal.

The most recent case was the investigative story done by a journalist from The Tribune, who uncovered a racket wherein you could get access to the Aadhaar data if you paid a sum of Rs 500 to certain individuals on a closed WhatsApp group.

Misuse of Aadhaar

A report from a year ago implied that several parties illegally tried to store the biometric data and conduct multiple transactions using the same fingerprint. UIDAI detected the problem when it found multiple transactions done using the same fingerprint. The official who spoke on conditions of anonymity to Livemint, said that this would not have been possible without storing biometric data.

The story is not over about the misuse of Aadhaar as the organisation suspended the eKYC license of Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank after they violated the Aadhaar Act which barred the company from opening bank accounts of their customers without undertaking any informed consent from them.

Duplicate Aadhaar cards

Apart from the usual fear associated with hackers breaching the Aadhaar database, the menace of fake Aadhaar cards is also a problem for UIDAI. According to a report last year, a gang in Kanpur was running a racket in order to generate fake Aadhaar cards. UIDAI stated that its systems detected abnormal activities and filed a complaint accordingly. It clarified that the big scam to generate the fake cards was foiled by the system and it did not affect the database of the processing system.

What is interesting is that UIDAI refused to disclose the number of fake or duplicate Aadhaar cards in circulation citing the threat to national security. So much for transparency and accountability on the part of UIDAI and the government.

Demographic data on sale

A recent investigation by The Tribune uncovered that anonymous individuals were ready to sell the Aadhaar card details of any individual with an Aadhaar number against the payment of a sum of Rs 500. An additional Rs 300 would also let you print out these Aadhaar cards. The investigating team was able to get a Login ID and username that allows the team to check details of any of the users in the database. What was surprising to note is that the agents were running a racket using messaging platforms as WhatsApp to reach out to potential buyers.

Access to the Aadhaar demographic data is not the only issue here. An additional Rs 300 could also let the agent with a login ID and username to print any Aadhaar card after entering the card number. The report also pointed out that the agents hacked into the website of Government of Rajasthan to gain access to the software. According to the report, the investigator was able to gain immediate access to particulars of all the users listed by UIDAI including name, address, photograph, email ID as well as the mobile phone number.

Other claims

The claims about unauthorised access to the Aadhaar database is not limited to the websites in the country. According to a previous report last year, WikiLeaks tweeted claiming that CIA might have access to the database as well.

The series of tweets claimed that CIA was using Cross Match Technologies to access Aadhaar database as this company was one of the first suppliers of biometric devices certified by the UIDAI. The report claimed that CIA was using Express Lane, a covert information collection tool to ex-filtrate the data collection.Indo-Asian News Service

Microsoft 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-foldand "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.Indo-Asian News Service

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 24 September.

"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 login. 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 by tiling up to four screens together in portrait or landscape view.Reuters

Business software companies SAP, Microsoft and Adobe said on 24 September they were forming a data alliance that will make it easier for clients running their applications to get a better overview of the customer.

The partners announced the Open Data Initiative at a Microsoft conference in Orlando, Florida, saying it would help break down information silos that make it hard for businesses to make the most of their customer base.

The core focus of the Open Data Initiative is to eliminate data silos and enable a single view of the customer, helping companies to better govern their data and support privacy and security initiatives, the three said in a joint statement.

The initiative will enhance interoperability and data exchange between their platforms  Adobe Experience Cloud and Adobe Experience Platform, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SAP C/4HANA and S/4HANA  through a common model, the partners said.

It comes as a new European data privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), puts a premium on access to customer data given by consent, structurally favoring direct marketing channels over the advertising ecosystem that relies heavily on tracking users online.Agence France-Presse

Nepal's wild tiger population has nearly doubled over the last nine years, officials said Monday, 24 September, 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 against poaching," Man Bahadur Khadka, director general of Nepal's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, told AFP.

Deforestation, encroachment of habitat and poaching have devastated big cat numbers across Asia, but in 2010 Nepal and 12 other countries signed a pledge to double their tiger numbers by 2022.

The 2010 Tiger Conservation Plan  which is backed by high profile figures including actor Leonardo DiCaprio  quickly began bearing fruit, and in 2016 the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum announced that the wild tiger population had increased for the first time in more than a century.

In 1900, more than 100,000 tigers roamed the world but that fell to an all-time low of 3,200 in 2010.

DiCaprio tweeted his support for Nepal's success.

I am proud of @dicapriofdns partnership with @World_Wildlife to support Nepal and local communities in doubling the population of wild tigers. https://t.co/RZzOCue1Dm  Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) September 23, 2018

Ghana Gurung, country representative of WWF in Nepal, said the country's progress was an example for tiger conservation globally.

"The challenge now is to continue these efforts to protect their habitats and numbers for the long-term survival of the tigers," he said.Indo-Asian News Service

President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate the fourth "India International Science Festival (IISF)" on October 6, it was announced on Monday.

Speaking at the curtain raiser of the event, Minister for Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan dedicated the festival to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, for bringing "science to the centre stage of national agenda".

"All stakeholders will assemble to collectively work towards 'Vigyan se Vikas'  contributing to the Making of a New India as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is taking forward the legacy of late Atal Ji," Harsh Vardhan said, according to a statement.

"IISF-2018 is expected to be represented by approximately 10,000 delegates including 5,000 students, 550 teachers, 200 students from North East Region, 20 international delegates and approximately 200 startups," the statement said.

Vajpayee is known to hail science through his slogan "Jai Vigyan" that added to an already popular "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" slogan given by another former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Update: Here are some highlights capturing what went down at the IISF event on 5 October:

.@IISF_2018 Day1 kicks off with @drharshvardhan, @RenuSwarup, @MeenakshiMunshi and @Ashutos61 talking about how our best bet for building an innovative science community comes from encouraging the enthusiasm and energy of #YoungScientists. pic.twitter.com/XvwtUMl1Lw  Tech2 (@tech2eets) October 5, 2018British media reports described Hogg, 64, as a millionaire from Edinburgh who built a lavish home with a swimming pool in the province not far from the Laos border.

Bangkok: The bodies of a wealthy British retiree and his Thai wife were found buried on their own property Tuesday a week after an alleged contract killing ordered by the woman's brother, police said.

Alan Hogg was shot while his wife Nhot Suddaen was bludgeoned to death with a hammer at their villa in the northern province of Phrae by men paid $1,540.

Their bodies were discovered Tuesday morning in graves six-foot-deep on their own land, Colonel Manas Kerdsukho, police commander in Phrae, told AFP.

Two suspects have been arrested and warrants issued for two other men including Varut Rattanasajjakit, Nhot's elder brother and the alleged mastermind accused of paying the killers.

"The motive for the killings was a long-running internal family conflict, feuds and property," he said.

British media reports described Hogg, 64, as a millionaire from Edinburgh who built a lavish home with a swimming pool in the province not far from the Laos border.

A Thai television station showed footage of an excavator digging up mounds of dirt in a search for the bodies.

The British embassy in Thailand did not immediately respond to a request for comment but police said they had been notified.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. US 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.'

Washington: 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. US 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 Judiciary Committee 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.

There were no immediate signs that the emergence of a second accuser had fatally wounded Kavanaugh's candidacy. Hoping to head that off, he and his GOP supporters went on offense, including the release of a letter he sent the Judiciary panel accusing 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.

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.A wary China on Tuesday hoped the Maldives' new government will provide an 'enabling environment' to the Chinese companies.

Beijing: A wary China on Tuesday hoped the Maldives' new government will provide an "enabling environment" to the Chinese companies and stick to the controversial Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Beijing signed with the now ousted President Abdulla Yameen.

China congratulated the Maldives for holding successful elections in which Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) defeated incumbent Yameen, perceived to be close to Beijing.

The MDP was critical of increased Chinese investment and the FTA which was rushed through the country's Parliament without debate last year.

"China congratulates the Maldives on its successful Presidential election and as well as Solih's victory. We respect Maldives people's choice and we hope the country can maintain stability and development," foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said

"As to the FTA, signed between China and the Maldives, we believe we have always encouraged the Chinese to invest and operate in accordance with the market-based rules and the regulations.

"And we hope the Maldives will maintain consistency and stability of their policy and create an enabling environment and atmosphere for the Chinese operation there," Geng added.

"China and Maldives signed an FTA and it came into force from 1 August. China will work with the Maldives to ensure the sound implementation of FTA and expand trade and investment cooperation between both the sides for the greater benefit and development of people of both the nations," Geng said.

Geng was responding to a question on whether China was worried over the election of the new government which might renegotiate deals signed by Yameen's government.

The Maldives sits on one the world's busiest shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean where both India and China vie for influence.

The Maldives has always been a traditional ally of India. But under Yameen's presidency, the country moved closer to China, worrying New Delhi.

China, which didn't even have an embassy in Male until 2011, has stepped up its engagement in the country by building bridges, airport and high-end housing complexes.

Yameen also approved China's Belt and Road project, which India does not support.

Maldives former president Mohammad Nasheed, a fierce critic of China and Yameen and living in exile, has already said the victory of the opposition party means resetting ties with India.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.

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.

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)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Donald Trump also blasted unfair trade practices around the world, saying America believes trade must be fair and reciprocal and the US will no longer be taken advantage of by anyone.

United Nations: President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted American sovereignty as he addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), saying the US rejects the ideology of "globalism" and embraces the doctrine of "patriotism" and will always choose independence over global governance.

"America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism. Around the world, responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from other, new forms of coercion and domination," Trump said in his second address to the UNGA's annual General Debate that opened on Tuesday.

He said the US believes that when nations respect the rights of their neighbours and defend the interests of their people, they can better work together to secure the blessings of safety, prosperity and peace.

As leaders from 193 UN member gathered in the iconic UNGA hall for the annual high-level session, Trump said each UN member and its leader is the emissary of a distinct culture, a rich history and a people bound together by ties of memory and tradition.

"That is why America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination. I honour the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live, work, or worship. We only ask that you honour our sovereignty in return, he said.

Trump also blasted unfair trade practices around the world, saying America believes trade must be fair and reciprocal and the US will no longer be taken advantage of by anyone.

"For decades, the United States opened its economy, the largest by far on Earth, with few conditions. We allowed foreign goods from all over the world to flow freely across our borders," he said.

He accused nations of not granting America free and reciprocal access to their markets in return.

"Even worse, some countries abused their openness to dump their products, subsidise their goods, target our industries, and manipulate their currencies to gain unfair advantage over our country, he said, adding that this resulted in the US trade deficit ballooning to nearly $800 billion a year.

"For this reason we are systematically renegotiating broken and bad trade deals," he said as he cited last month's groundbreaking US-Mexico trade agreement.

Trump also lashed out countries that were admitted to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) but who have violated every single principle on which the organisation is based.

"While the United States and many of the nations played by the rules, these countries use government-run industrial planning and state-owned enterprises to rig the system. They engaged in relentless product dumping, forced technology transfer, and the theft of intellectual property," he said.

Putting the blame on China, Trump said the US lost over three million manufacturing jobs and 60,000 factories after Beijing joined the WTO.

"Those days are over. We will no longer tolerate such abuse. We will not allow our workers to be victimised, our companies to be cheated, and our wealth to be plundered and transferred. America will never apologize for protecting its citizens," he said.

Hitting out at China, Trump said his administration has announced tariffs on another $200 billion in Chinese-made goods, bringing the total so far to $215 billion.

"I have great respect and affection for the president of China, but I have made clear that our trade imbalance is just not acceptable. The market distortions and the way that they deal cannot be tolerated," he said.The research which shows 1,670 clergymen in Germany committed some form of sexual attack against 3,677 minors, mostly boys, has shaken the Catholic Church.

Fulda: Germany's Catholic Church on Tuesday apologised to victims of sexual assault by clergy, with the institution's top cardinal saying perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx said he was ashamed over the decades of abuse that have shattered trust, the crimes carried out by officials of the Church, as well as how so many have looked away for so long.

The dismay expressed by the head of the German Bishops' Conference came as the institution published a damning report showing that in Germany, almost 3,700 minors - mostly boys - were assaulted between 1946 and 2014.

The report's authors said however that the figure was "the tip of the iceberg" and that the real extent of the problem was far greater.

"I have to say very clearly that sexual abuse is a crime. Those who are guilty must be punished," said Cardinal Marx.

"For all the failures and for all the pain, as chairman of Germany's Bishops Conference, I apologise. I also apologise on a personal basis.

We are not done with confronting the incidents and consequences, it begins now," he stressed at a press conference.

'Abuse, transfers, cover-ups'

Victims have criticised the report for falling short of what is needed to flush out perpetrators.

They urged the Church to bring in independent experts for a thorough audit, adding that victims should be offered compensation.

"The system of abuse, transfers (of offending priests) and cover-ups cannot be mapped out by a study that had access only to available personnel documents," said the victims' association Eckiger Tisch.

"We are not given names of perpetrators. There are no names given of the responsible bishops who have perfected the system of covering up sexual attacks over decades," said Tisch.

Justice Minister Katarina Barley also urged the Church to "take responsibility for decades of concealment, cover-ups and denials" and to work with state prosecutors to bring every known case to justice.

The independent commissioner for child sex abuse issues, Johannes-Wilhelm Roerig, recommended state authorities step in to clear up the crimes and ensure victims get access to Church files and compensation.

"The state has a duty of care for all children, including those who are in the care of the Church", he told the Sueddeutsche newspaper.

Predator priests

According to the study, 1,670 clergymen in Germany committed some form of sexual attack against 3,677 minors, mostly boys, between 1946 and 2014, intimidating their victims into keeping quiet.

More than half of the victims were 13 years old or younger, the study concluded, after examining 38,000 documents from the 27 German dioceses.

Researchers from three universities who carried out the survey warned that the true scale of the abuse was far greater, as many documents had been "destroyed or manipulated".

Predator priests were often transferred to another parish, which was not warned about their criminal history.

Only about one in three were subject to disciplinary hearings by the Church, and most got away with minimal punishment. Only 38 percent were prosecuted by civil courts.

Systemic abuse

The research is the latest in a series of reports on sexual crimes and cover-ups worldwide spanning decades that has shaken the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis has found himself embroiled after conservative US Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano claimed the pontiff had himself ignored abuse allegations against prominent US cardinal Theodore McCarrick for five years.

Francis has so far refused to respond to the allegations.

He has however announced a Vatican meeting of national Church leaders on the protection of minors, for February 2019.

Joerg Schuh of the Berlin-based Tauwetter centre for victims of sexual abuse told AFP TV that "the Catholic Church has a global problem".

"I would like the Pope to make it his number one topic, and for his Church to really work on it," he said.

Major abuse cases in Germany have included a Berlin elite Jesuit school and the world-famous Catholic choir school the Regensburger Domspatzen where more than 500 boys suffered sexual or physical abuse.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 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.

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 neighbours to avoid tensions.

"It's essential to be fully aware and increase our constructive dialogues to neutralise 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 antagonise 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)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The Lahore High Court on Monday summoned Nawaz Sharif on 8 October 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.

Lahore: The Lahore High Court on Monday summoned Nawaz Sharif on 8 October 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 (8 October)," a court official told reporters.

The judge, before summoning Sharif on 8 October, 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 11 September 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 8 October.

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.Clarke Gayford tweeted a picture of the infant's UN diplomatic photo ID that classified her as 'New Zealand first baby'.

United Nations: New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who shot to international fame for giving birth while in office, turned heads on Monday by bringing her three-month-old daughter into the UN Assembly hall.

Jacinda Ardern, 38, is only the second world leader to ever give birth while in the office. The first was the late Benazir Bhutto, who was prime minister of Pakistan when her daughter was born in 1990.

The premier was photographed kissing and bouncing up and down daughter Neve in the main Assembly hall next to partner Clarke Gayford, at a plenary meeting known as the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, which she also addressed.

Gayford, who is a television fishing show host and who plans to be the main caregiver for their daughter, tweeted a picture of the infant's UN diplomatic photo ID that classified her as "New Zealand first baby". "I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change. Great yarn for her 21st," he wrote.

Ardern became prime minister in October just three months after taking charge of the Labour Party as it languished in the polls. She returned to work last month after a six-week maternity leave. She had already announced that they would travel as a family to the United Nations in New York, where she will address the General Assembly. Earlier on Monday, she spoke at the launch of the annual "Climate Week" event.

Pregnancy, motherhood and her coalition government have turned her into a poster child for feminism against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement in the United States, where she is taking part in a series of media appearances. "It felt at the time on par I have to say!" she joked on The Today Show, the flagship morning program on NBC News, when asked what was harder - taking a three-month-old on a 17-hour flight or running the country.By Yara Bayoumy NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.N. agency that supports Palestinian refugees said schools and health centres are at risk if it is unable to plug a $185 million funding gap needed to keep operating until the end of the year, the agency's head said on Monday.

By Yara Bayoumy

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.N. agency that supports Palestinian refugees said schools and health centres are at risk if it is unable to plug a $185 million funding gap needed to keep operating until the end of the year, the agency's head said on Monday.

"Currently we have money in the bank ... will last I presume somewhere into ... mid October," said Pierre Krahenbuhl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in New York, where world leaders are attending the annual U.N. General Assembly.

"But it's clear that we still need approximately $185 million to be able to ensure that all of our services, education system, health care, relief and social services and our emergency work in Syria and Gaza in particular can continue until the end of the year," Krahenbuhl said.

The United States last month announced a halt in its aid to UNRWA, calling it an "irredeemably flawed operation", a decision that further heightened tensions between the Palestinian leadership and the Trump administration.

UNRWA provides services to about 5 million Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza. Most are descendants of some 700,000 Palestinians who were driven out of their homes or fled fighting in the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation.

The growing refugee count was cited by Washington, UNRWA's biggest donor, in its decision to withhold funding.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, has been critical of the U.N.'s count of Palestinian refugees. She has also questioned the "right of return" to Israel, claimed by the Palestinians as part of any eventual peace settlement.

"When you don't tackle the underlying causes of conflict, that's when you get 70 years of UNRWA, it's not UNRWA that perpetuates itself, it's because the refugee community is still there waiting for a political solution to address its situation," Krahenbuhl said on Monday.

Under Trump, Washington has taken a number of actions that have alienated the Palestinians, such as recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a reversal of longtime U.S. policy. It led to the Palestinian leadership boycotting Washington's peace efforts being led by Jared Kushner, Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law.

Krahenbuhl compared the Palestinian refugee "right of return" issue with those of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar who have fled into Bangladesh and the return of Bosnian Muslim refugees to areas under Serb control in the 1990s.

"So the only question one should ask is why should Palestine refugees be the one community where this question is not a justified question," Krahenbuhl said.

(Reporting by Yara Bayoumy; editing by Grant McCool)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.ABC News Photo Illustration(NEW YORK) -- At a time when our nation seems so polarized by politics, National Voter Registration Day is something we can all get behind, no matter who we're voting for.



Ahead of the midterm elections, "Good Morning America" is highlighting some ways you can make sure your voice is heard, and how some organizations are stepping up to show there is no excuse to not hit the polls this November.



Host a rose and register party, or do what you have to do to rally your squad for the sake of democracy

Stephanie Young, a spokesperson for the nonpartisan organization When We All Vote, which is co-chaired by former first lady Michelle Obama, told "GMA" that it is important to make voting a "collective" activity.



Young recommends starting a conversation with those around you about voting, saying, "People are more inclined to listen to people that they know and trust."



"It can help to encourage you," to hit the polls, she said, "and it can also help to hold you accountable.



"Start a text chain, say, 'Hey, is everybody registered? You can literally send them our link," she said. "Then follow up with that text chain."



Carolyn DeWitt, the president and executive director of Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan nonprofit also focused on increasing voter turnout, reiterated that positive peer pressure is a good way to increase voter turnout, especially among young people.



"Young people are a lot of times motivated by the collective, by being part of something," DeWitt told "GMA."



Registering to vote in the digital age is not hard

In many states, registering to vote can be done online, which has been a huge way to increase voter turnout over the years, according to DeWitt.



"We created the first online voter registration tool in 1999 and have been innovating it ever since. We have it available to partners for free; we have it available in 14 languages," DeWitt said.



Using this tool, DeWitt says they have been able to add more than 8 million voters over the past seven presidential cycles.



Plus, signing up online allows Rock the Vote to send election reminders, which DeWitt says have also been proven to increase voter turnout.



You could also register to vote right from your phone, while scrolling on the 'gram.



In honor of National Voter Registration Day, the social media platform Instagram is also making it easier for people to register to vote by implementing adds in feeds and stories that allow people to swipe up to register to vote or learn more about their states' voting rules, according to a company blogpost.



Educate yourself on the voting process, and the issues

"We have found over and over again ... the research tell us that young people don't participate at the same rate older voters do," DeWitt told "GMA" of voting. "A lot of times they are unfamiliar with the process and consequences."



DeWitt says that they have noticed education programs are a big way to increase voter turnout, especially among young people.



"Beginning last week we announced a program called Democracy Class, that is a free one-period curriculum on the history and importance of voting that culminates in them registering to vote," DeWitt said.



Scores of school districts and organizations across the country -- including the Los Angeles Unified School District and the School District of Philadelphia -- have signed on to implement Rock the Vote's Democracy Class.



Especially recently, DeWitt added that many young people are more motivated to turn out and vote when they are educated about critical issues, such as gun control.



"Young people are extremely passionate about the issues," DeWitt said, adding that "helping young people understand how issues are actually impacted by the elections that are going on" is a big way to get them to the polls.



Have a plan on election day to hold each other accountable

When it comes to the actual Election Day, Young recommends planning a day when you can all go together, as a way to hold friends and family members accountable.



"You can also do something super cute, and say, 'Let's plan to have dinner that day after we vote,'" she said. "There are so many things that you can do, I love to get my nails done; you can do a little voter spa day."



Whatever you decide, "You have to make it an activity, you have to make it a thing," Young added.



"There's a number of things you can do, but it takes one strong voice that's determined to influence their loved ones and their friends in the right way," she added.



Finally, Young recommends doing whatever you need to do to hold yourself accountable.



"We have to treat it like any other activity," she said. "We need reminders, we need an invitation, we need a calendar notification."



Think hard about the excuses you or friends may have

If you have friends that give logistical excuses on why they can't vote, or why it is difficult to vote, Young recommends encouraging them to think about what it means to stay home on Election Day.



"I think that unfortunately voting has been made a little difficult in places around the country and that's not a surprise, that's a fact," Young said.



"There is clearly a reason why some people want some people to stay home, and we need to stop and take a moment to think about it," she added. "Were telling folks not to give their power away."



If transportation is an issue, there are a number of organizations, including the ride share company, Lyft, that are offering free or reduced-price rides to the polls on Election Day.



"People are trying to make it hard and confusing and not the easiest process," she said. "But were letting people know that it's not hard as you think it is.



"Our democracy is stronger when everybody participates," she added.



In a PSA released by When We All Vote, Obama lists a litany of excuses for why people say they didn't vote, including everything from studying for exams to trying to get dinner on the table.



"Voting can feel like the furthest thing from your mind; you might even feel like it's just not worth it. But that's exactly what some people want you to think," Obama said. "The truth is when we stay home, things stay the same or get worse."



DeWitt added that it is also important to remember the context of what would happen if everybody, especially the young generation, thought this.



"Voting absolutely matters, you might not think that your voice or your vote matters, but when you put it with 70 million other young people, there's incredible power to decide the direction of not only our communities, but also our country," DeWitt said.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.A man police said struck and killed a motorcyclist was booked Monday at the County Jail on a custody order after the Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled against his appeal of his sentence. He was later released, but has a certain amount of days before starting to serve the term.

The Appeals Court upheld a nine-year sentence handed down by Criminal Court Judge Don Poole against Henry Cofrancesco III.

He had pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular homicide (by Impairment) and one count of (DUI per se) (enhanced) in a case involving the traffic death of 60-year-old Robert Benedict on May 21, 2016.

Cofrancesco, who was 34 at the time, was initially charged with possession of cocaine, failure to yield right of way, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid and DUI.

The victim was struck and killed on Lee Highway when a vehicle pulled onto the highway from the Images nightclub.

At 8:10 p.m., officers from the Chattanooga Police Department's Traffic Division responded to the fatal crash at 5950 Lee Highway involving a 2015 BMW convertible and a 2006 American Ironhorse motorcycle.

Police said Cofrancesco was driving the 2015 BMW.

He was pulling out of the parking lot at 5950 Lee Highway.

When his vehicle pulled out into the road he struck the motorcycle rider. The impact caused substantial damage to both vehicles.

Mr. Benedict was pronounced dead at the scene.

A blood search warrant was obtained and executed. Police said at the time that the results of the chemical test would determine if any charges would be filed related to intoxication.

A witness said Cofrancesco drove over a curb onto Lee Highway directly in front of the motorcycle.

The witness said the driver got out of his car, looked around, then went back into the bar.Posted on: September 25, 2018 2:18 PM

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has likened the Church shining the light of the Gospel in a world of puzzlement and confusion to switching on car headlights in fog: all you see is reflection without illumination. Speaking during Evensong during a vocations conference in Dallas, Texas, Archbishop Justin said that the role of ordained ministers is to ensure that all for whom they are responsible are walking in the light of Christ, in their freedom as children of light. Through Christ there is salvation. In him there is life. With him there is light. From him there is wisdom.

He continued: Unless that light is shining freely and unhindered, the call of the Church to the world is vitiated. Unless its minister lead its people faithfully, there will be confusion within as well as without.

The metaphor of light and children of light makes no sense when we divide. Gods light is one light; the children of light of whom Jesus speaks are children of one light.

Let me be clear, although as Anglicans we are already in a Church divided globally since the Great Schism, and far more so since the Reformation  and my goodness, as Protestants were good at doing that  we are called in everything we do to be together, despite all the difficulties involved: to be together in an often painful living out of what it means collectively to be children of light.

We are called to be children of light, yet we live in a world of puzzlement and confusion. Like switching on the main beam of your car headlights in fog, all you see is reflection without illumination.

The nature of ordained ministry is to seek to ensure that the Church shines a light that illuminates  and yet to find oneself doing that in a confusing world, where options and choices often have the appearance of equal validity.

The conference, Discerning a 21st Century Call to the Ancient Order of Priesthood, was organised by the Communion Partners  a group of theologically conservative bishops who are committed to remaining within the US-based Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Anglican Church of Canada despite differences over issues including sexuality.

Archbishop Justin was accompanied on his visit by TECs Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the former Bishop of Saskatchewan in the Anglican Church of Canada, Anthony Burton, who now serves as Rector of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation in Dallas.

There is no confusion with Jesus whatever the state of the world, Archbishop Justin said. He is to be raised up and on a cross find triumph; the great surprise of Johns gospel. His light burns up the fogs and dispels the darkness  and we are called to be children of that light. We are called to be children of that light.

Transformation is the divine response to confusion. Enabling transformation is the divine vocation of the ancient order. The vocation of the minister is transformation of all they meet, people and places. Not by their own strength but by bringing them face to face with Jesus Christ. The vocation of the church is the transformation of the world in the power of the Spirit.

He said that Christians should be the true radicals, the extremists of love, the subversive underminers of inertia, those that turn the whole world upside down, and he joked about a conversation he had held with a senior politician about extremism, saying: What is it with your bishops about our policy on extremism?, the politician said.

What do you mean by extremism?, I replied.

An extremist is someone who puts their faith before their country, they said  I hope everyone in this place is an extremist!

And I said to the politician, Im afraid youre talking to one.

Archbishop Justin continued: That is the radicality of the vocation. For to be a child of light in a dark world, and above all to lead the children of light, will require a firm decision and a walk of ever-growing closeness to Jesus who calls us.

He said that priests do not just shine a light into the darkness but also confront the darkness at every point.

During his visit to Texas this weekend, Archbishop Justin visited the Texas School Book Depository  the site from which Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated then-US President John F Kennedy on 22 November 1963.By Michel Rose PARIS/LISBON (Reuters) - France, Portugal, Spain and Germany struck a deal on Tuesday to take in migrants from the Mediterranean rescue ship Aquarius sailing off the coast of Malta, the French government said, after Italy refused to let the vessel dock.

By Michel Rose

PARIS/LISBON (Reuters) - France, Portugal, Spain and Germany struck a deal on Tuesday to take in migrants from the Mediterranean rescue ship Aquarius sailing off the coast of Malta, the French government said, after Italy refused to let the vessel dock.

The agreement marks the second such co-operation between European countries since Italy's new anti-establishment coalition started turning away from Italian ports ships carrying migrants rescued in the Mediterranean earlier this year.

Portugal said it had agreed to take 10 of the 58 migrants on board as part of a "response of solidarity to the flow of migrants seeking to reach Europe across the Mediterranean".

Malta said migrants would be transferred to a patrol boat in international waters and taken to the island, which will then send them to four other European Union states.

It was not immediately clear how many migrants Spain and Germany had agreed to take in, though a French government source said France would take 18.

The French prime minister's office said the Aquarius, whose registration was revoked by Panama earlier this week, would head to Marseille once its passengers had disembarked.

"Malta and France again step up to solve (the) migrant impasse," Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Twitter, adding that he, French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders wanted to show a multilateral approach was possible.

On Sunday, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini of the far-right League Party said the Aquarius had hindered the work of the Libyan coast guard and Italy's ports would remain shut.

A public backlash over the arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants in the past five years has fuelled a swing towards far-right parties in many countries in Europe and helped bring Italy's anti-establishment ruling coalition to power this year.

France had initially refused to let the Aquarius dock in Marseille, as requested by the charities operating the ship, arguing that under European rules, the ship was supposed to dock at the nearest port, in this case Malta.

In August, France and Malta struck a deal to let the Aquarius dock in Valletta harbour after France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain agreed to take in the migrants, ending a five-day tug-of-war among EU countries.

Aquarius 2 is the one remaining charity rescue vessel still operating in the central Mediterranean, picking up migrants who are in most cases trying to get to Europe from Libya, often in overcrowded, unseaworthy boats.

Italy became the main route into Europe for hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers arriving by sea since the other main route from Turkey to Greece was largely shut in 2016.

On Monday, Panama authorities revoked the Aquarius's registration, meaning that once it docks it will be 'de-flagged' and will not have the right to sail unless a new registration is found.

(Additional reporting by Axel Bugge in Lisbon; Brian Love and Jean-Baptiste Vey in Paris; and Chris Scicluna in Valletta; writing by Michel Rose; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Richard Balmforth)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court sentenced opposition leader Alexei Navalny to another 20 days in jail after he was freed and immediately detained again in the morning, his spokeswoman tweeted late on Monday. Navalny was charged with breaching legislation on protests.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court sentenced opposition leader Alexei Navalny to another 20 days in jail after he was freed and immediately detained again in the morning, his spokeswoman tweeted late on Monday.

Navalny was charged with breaching legislation on protests.

(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Theresa May's spokesman said that her senior ministerial team remains fully behind her Brexit proposals.

London: British prime minister Theresa May told her ministers on Monday that they must hold their nerve in an impasse with the European Union (EU) over Brexit, her office said after a cabinet meeting.

May said her plan was the only viable one on the table and that she remained confident of securing a deal with the EU, her office said in a statement. At the same time, the government will continue to sensibly plan for no deal, the statement quoted her as saying.

May's spokesman on Monday said that her senior ministerial team remains fully behind her Brexit proposals, after her plans were savaged by EU leaders at a summit last week.

Mays Conservative Party is deeply divided over the direction talks with EU, with opponents of her plans, including her former Brexit minister David Davis, holding a press conference to spell out an alternative vision based on a free trade agreement.

Her cabinet of top ministers is due to discuss the ongoing negotiations with the bloc and her spokesman reiterated that May remained committed to her plans. The cabinet gave its full support to the white paper (her proposals), and that continues to be the case, the spokesman told reporters.

The British prime minister, who has called for the EU to evolve their negotiating position, will also meet the European Parliaments chief Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt on Monday, her spokesman said.

With inputs from ReutersBy Harriet McLeod and Gene Cherry CHARLESTON, S.C./RALEIGH, N.C. (Reuters) - Thousands of people in and around the city of Georgetown, South Carolina, were urged to evacuate on Monday as two rivers gorged with rain from long-departed Hurricane Florence will flood the area this week. More than 10 days after the storm made landfall and killed 46 people mostly in North Carolina, several rivers throughout the state continued to rise

By Harriet McLeod and Gene Cherry

CHARLESTON, S.C./RALEIGH, N.C. (Reuters) - Thousands of people in and around the city of Georgetown, South Carolina, were urged to evacuate on Monday as two rivers gorged with rain from long-departed Hurricane Florence will flood the area this week.

More than 10 days after the storm made landfall and killed 46 people mostly in North Carolina, several rivers throughout the state continued to rise. Georgetown is expecting floodwaters of 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) as the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers overrun their banks in coming days.

Emergency management officials began sending recorded telephone messages to residents in harm's way and will go door-to-door in the next few days, Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

The Georgetown County administrator, Sel Hemingway, told a news conference the area was expected to see peak water levels from Wednesday evening, with the deluge threatening to cut off highways and isolate communities.

"There will not be an official evacuation order," he said, but said people in the flood zone need to get out before the waters come.

The potential flood zone encompasses some 3,500 homes in Georgetown, 37 miles (60 km) south of Myrtle Beach, and the coastal resort community of Pawleys Island where as many as 8,000 people live, Broach-Akers said.

The county opened two emergency shelters on Monday, and hotels outside the flood zone in nearby Myrtle Beach were offering discounts for evacuees. Public schools will be closed until further notice, Broach-Akers said.

First responders from around the state were assisting in relief efforts. State transportation crews were working to erect temporary dams on either side of U.S. Highway 17, the main coastal route through the area, and National Guard engineers were installing a floating bridge at Georgetown in case the highway is washed out at the river.

STRANDED DEAD FISH

The National Weather Service said flooding from Florence would likely persist in coastal parts of the Carolinas for days as the high-water crest of numerous rivers keeps moving downstream toward the ocean.

In North Carolina, where 35 people died due to the storm, Governor Roy Cooper said on Monday that seven rivers in the southeast part of the state were at major flood stages and three others at moderate flood stages.

"Florence is gone but the storm's devastation is still with us," Cooper said in a statement.

The storm dumped 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain on Wilmington, North Carolina, alone after making landfall nearby on Sept. 14. Heavy flooding left a commercial section of downtown Wilmington under at least a foot of water on Sunday.

Insured losses from Hurricane Florence will range from $2.8 billion to $5 billion, RMS, a risk modelling and analytics firm, said on Monday.

Flooding in Wilmington was expected to peak on Monday along the city's Water Street riverfront, where many businesses had stacked sandbags in advance, city spokesman Dylan Lee said.

Receding flood waters left hundreds of dead fish stranded on a highway near Wallace, about 35 miles from the nearest beach, according to the Penderlea Fire Department, which posted video of firefighters hosing the fish off Interstate 40.

About 5,000 people across North Carolina were rescued by boat or helicopter after the storm made landfall, twice as many as in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, according to state officials.

(Reporting by Harriet McLeod in Charleston, S.Carolina and Gene Cherry in Raleigh, N.Carolina; additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta, Steve Gorman in Los Angeles, Gina Cherelus in New York, Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago and Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lisa Shumaker)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.Citizens from the other 27 EU member states are currently free to live and work in Britain under the bloc's freedom of movement rules, but this will end after Brexit.

London: Prime Minister Theresa May's Cabinet has agreed that European Union (EU) citizens should not have preferential access to work in Britain compared to people from elsewhere after Brexit, media reports said Tuesday.

Ministers gathering on Monday "unanimously supported a system based on skills rather than nationality", an unnamed source told the BBC, with similar reports in The Times and The Guardian.

Citizens from the other 27 EU member states are currently free to live and work in Britain under the bloc's freedom of movement rules, but this will end after Brexit.

A government-commissioned report last week recommended that in future, EU and non-EU citizens follow the same immigration rules, with preference given to high-skilled workers.

The report's author, Alan Manning of the Migration Advisory Committee, briefed the cabinet meeting on Monday on his plan.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The cabinet agreed that, once free movement is brought to an end, the government will be able to introduce a new system which works in the best interests of the UK, including by helping to boost productivity."

May is now expected to make an announcement on future immigration rules at her Conservative party's conference next week, before likely introducing proposals later in 2018.

However, any post-Brexit immigration policy could be affected by Britain's future trade deals.

The EU may well seek to negotiate continued preferential treatment in return for access to its single market, while other countries could also seek visa waivers in return for trade deals.

May promised last week that even if Brexit negotiations with the EU break down, the rights of Europeans currently living in Britain "will be protected". Her spokesman said there would be formal proposals published "shortly".By Kylie MacLellan LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Britain's main opposition Labour Party is preparing to vote against any deal Prime Minister Theresa May clinches with the EU as it is increasingly unlikely to meet the tests Labour has set out, its Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday. With just over six months until Britain leaves the European Union, May has yet to reach a deal with Brussels on the terms of the divorce, and her plan for future trade ties has been rebuffed by both the EU and many lawmakers in her own party. Labour has listed six tests it would apply to any Brexit deal, including whether it ensured a strong future relationship with the EU and delivered the same benefits Britain has as a current member of the bloc's single market and customs union.

By Kylie MacLellan

LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Britain's main opposition Labour Party is preparing to vote against any deal Prime Minister Theresa May clinches with the EU as it is increasingly unlikely to meet the tests Labour has set out, its Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer will say on Tuesday.

With just over six months until Britain leaves the European Union, May has yet to reach a deal with Brussels on the terms of the divorce, and her plan for future trade ties has been rebuffed by both the EU and many lawmakers in her own party.

Labour has listed six tests it would apply to any Brexit deal, including whether it ensured a strong future relationship with the EU and delivered the same benefits Britain has as a current member of the bloc's single market and customs union.

"If Theresa May brings back a deal that fails our tests  and that looks increasingly likely - Labour will vote against it. No 'ifs', no 'buts'," Starmer will say in a speech to the party's annual conference, according to advance extracts.

"And if the prime minister thinks we'll wave through a vague deal asking us to jump blindfolded into the unknown she can think again... We will vote down a blind Brexit."

Starmer will say the Conservative government does not have a credible plan for Brexit, and that there is no majority in parliament for May's so-called 'Chequers' proposals, which envisage close ties with the EU in the trade of goods.

Labour could play a deciding role in whether any Brexit deal is approved by parliament. May has a working majority of just 13 in the 650-seat parliament and a former junior minister said this month as many as 80 of her own lawmakers are prepared to vote against a Brexit deal based on her Chequers proposals.

Labour published a document measuring the government's progress against each of the tests which showed it was on course to fail all six. It said May needed to adopt a Brexit strategy that put the economy and jobs first.

Labour's conference will vote later on Tuesday on keeping a second Brexit referendum as an option if May fails to get her Brexit plan through parliament, heaping pressure on a struggling prime minister.

"Labour seem determined to take us all back to square one by rejecting a deal out of hand then trying to delay Brexit and re-run the referendum," junior Brexit minister Robin Walker said in a statement.

"Labour promised to respect the referendum result, but are just playing political games and trying to frustrate it."

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Gareth Jones)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The White House promised Monday to keep exerting 'maximum pressure' on Iran and said new sanctions were in the pipeline while insisting that the US was not seeking the overthrow of Tehran's clerical regime.

United Nations: The White House promised Monday to keep exerting "maximum pressure" on Iran and said new sanctions were in the pipeline while insisting that the US was not seeking the overthrow of Tehran's clerical regime.

"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 United Nations General Assembly.

"We've imposed very stringent sanctions on Iran, more are coming, and what we expect from Iran is massive changes in their behaviour."

"And until that happens we will continue to exert what the president has called maximum pressure," he said.

As a private citizen, Bolton had advocated supporting Iran's armed opposition, a position reiterated recently by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who serves as Trump's personal lawyer.

Trump, who has warm relations with Iranian rivals Saudi Arabia and Israel, has pulled the United States out of an international agreement to constrict Iran's nuclear program and instead has restored sanctions.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of supporting Arab separatists who killed 24 people at a military parade last week in southwestern Iran.By Harriet McLeod and Gene Cherry CHARLESTON, S.C./RALEIGH, N.C. (Reuters) - Authorities urged thousands of people to leave their homes in the Georgetown, South Carolina, area as water dumped by Hurricane Florence surged down rivers, threatening to bring devastating floods and disrupt a toxic coal ash pond. Water levels were still rising on Tuesday, emergency officials said, long after the hurricane made landfall on the U.S.

By Harriet McLeod and Gene Cherry

CHARLESTON, S.C./RALEIGH, N.C. (Reuters) - Authorities urged thousands of people to leave their homes in the Georgetown, South Carolina, area as water dumped by Hurricane Florence surged down rivers, threatening to bring devastating floods and disrupt a toxic coal ash pond.

Water levels were still rising on Tuesday, emergency officials said, long after the hurricane made landfall on the U.S. Atlantic coast on Sept. 14 and killed 46 people in three states. The National Weather Service said flooding from Florence likely would persist in coastal parts of the Carolinas for days.

"If the flood map ... shows you are in an affected area, you need to leave," Georgetown County Sheriff Lane Cribb said on Monday. "Your property can be replaced, but your life can't."

Parts of Georgetown could be submerged in up to 10 feet (3 meters) of floodwaters in the next few days as the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers overrun their banks, the National Weather Service said, adding that the deluge threatened to cut off highways and isolate communities.

By Tuesday afternoon, the Waccamaw River, which already was well above flood stage, is expected to inundate a coal ash pond in Conway, South Carolina, that holds more than 200,000 tons of toxic ash, according to Santee Cooper, South Carolina's state-owned electric and water utility.

The Waccamaw is forecasted to crest at 22 feet on Thursday in Conway and at 21.2 feet in Georgetown on Thursday, a representative with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said on Tuesday.

The Santee Cooper utility removed more than 1 million tons of ash from its two ash ponds at the site in the past few years, the utility said.

The potential flood zone encompasses some 3,500 homes in Georgetown, 37 miles (60 km) south of Myrtle Beach, and the coastal resort community of Pawleys Island where as many as 8,000 people live, Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

FLORENCE IMPACT "STILL WITH US"

Authorities were sending warnings to residents in harm's way with recorded telephone messages and home visits. The county opened two emergency shelters on Monday, and hotels outside the flood zone in nearby Myrtle Beach were offering discounts to evacuees. Public schools will be closed until further notice, Broach-Akers said.

State transportation crews were working to erect temporary dams on either side of U.S. Highway 17, the main coastal route through the area, and National Guard engineers were installing a floating bridge at Georgetown in case the highway is washed out at the river.

In North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper said on Monday that seven rivers in the southeast part of the state were at major flood stages and three others at moderate flood stages.

The storm dumped 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain on Wilmington, North Carolina, alone after making landfall nearby on Sept. 14. The storm moved northwest before turning back east and becoming a post-tropical cyclone over West Virginia three days later.

Insured losses from Hurricane Florence will range from $2.8 billion to $5 billion, RMS, a risk modeling and analytics firm, said on Monday.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Bill Trott)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.The UKs trade agreement with Australia is the first it has negotiated from scratch, setting the template for a line of new deals currently underway. Analysts are... Read MorePosted on: September 25, 2018 12:30 PM

[Anglican Journal, by Tali Folkins] Archdeacon Larry Beardy, a Cree priest, educator and former executive archdeacon of the diocese of Keewatin, was consecrated first indigenous suffragan bishop of the Northern Manitoba Area Mission  a new grouping of parishes within the indigenous Spiritual Ministry of Mishamikoweesh  at a ceremony at Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba on Sunday (23 September).

Beardys is one of two new indigenous suffragan (assistant) bishop positions created by the synod of the ecclesiastical province of Ruperts Land this May, meant to help in providing pastoral care and spiritual leadership to indigenous people from northern Ontario to Saskatchewan. His area mission will span that part of Manitoba that lies within the Spiritual Ministry of Mishamikoweesh, but he will also assist the bishops of the dioceses of Brandon and Missinippi in the diocese of Saskatchewan, in providing ministry to indigenous people in these areas.

Beardy, the sole person to have been nominated for the role, was acclaimed bishop of the area mission on the last day of a meeting of the area missions Sacred Assembly, which took place between 21 and 23 September.

Its a very blessed situation, and I strongly believe its the work of God, the Creator, Beardy said in an interview. Im very excited at whats happening.What happened?

Shares of Michael Kors Holdings (NYSE:CPRI), designer and manufacturer of luxury apparel, footwear, and handbags, are down nearly 8% as of 2:14 PM EDT Monday after news broke that the company was close to completing a deal for Italy's Versace.

So what

Monday, the U.S. fashion company was said to be near a deal for Italian fashion brand Versace for a price tag around $2.35 billion, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The move would give Michael Kors -- known for handbags costing less than $500 -- a strong anchor in high-end fashion, as Versace handbags start at roughly $1,500. Michael Kors' business had slowed in recent years because it was overexposed and had seemingly watered down its brand, resorting to discounts to sell its products. Since then, the company has repositioned its brand and focused on increasing the quality of its products, and Versace's high-end brand image will boost that -- and price points -- further.

Now what

Although the Versace purchase price is likely at a significant premium, possibly why shares are moving lower Monday, the move fits with Michael Kors' 2017 $1.2 billion acquisition of Jimmy Choo, which helped drive strong first-quarter results and led management to raise full-year adjusted earnings-per-share guidance. When you combine big-name acquisitions with Michael Kors' efforts to rebrand its image and update its stores to a newer luxury concept, the long-term growth story is stronger Monday despite a stock price decline.Posted on: September 25, 2018 3:56 PM

The Worldwide President of the Mothers Union, Lynne Tembey, has prayed for victims of the MV Nyerere ferry disaster during a visit to Tanzania. The MV Nyerere overturned some 50 metres from the shore as it prepared to dock after travelling Ukara and Bugolora Islets last Thursday (20 September). The official death toll rose to 227 today (Tuesday) after another body was recovered from the water.

Tanzanias Mothers Union has been holding its provincial conference and the organisations Worldwide President, Lynne Tembey, was amongst those present.

I was terribly moved by [the disaster] and felt privileged and deeply humbled to be with fellow members as we prayed together for those who were affected, she said, those who lost their lives, those who lost loved ones, those who were injured, those who might find it difficult to come to terms with what has happened and those who will minister to all.

Organisers set aside time for prayer during the conference to pray for those affected. And on Sunday, members of the government joined MU members in Mbeya Cathedral where prayers were said. They spoke passionately about what had happened and they thanked members and others present for their commitment to prayer, Tembey said.

Lake Victoria has a great many boats and ferries on it. This disaster, understandably, has affected people badly. I continue, as I know many will continue, to pray for the people who will support and all those affected.

May those who lost their lives Rest in peace eternal, and rise in glory everlasting.

An extra collection was taken during the cathedral service to raise funds for the victims and their families. In total, some 557 million Tanzanian Shillings (approximately 185,000 GBP) has been raised by various voluntary donations  including from the Roman Catholic Episcopal Conference  to support the victims. This is on top of the one million Shillings (3,000 GBP) that the government has announced it will give to each of the 41 survivors and the families of those killed.

As I know generosity is at the heart of a Mothers Union member, and certainly this was yet another example of compassion and love for others. I was deeply moved seeing the children queuing to add their offering to the collection for the victims, such compassion in children so young.

Please keep them all in your prayers.

Many of the dead were buried in a mass funeral on Sunday, attended by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa. Our country has been hit by a big tragedy, he said. 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. So we need to console them instead of feeding them with bad words. Lets leave the government and relevant authorities to do their work.

During her visit to Tanzania, Lynne Tembey opened a new Mothers Union Centre in Tukuya, in Tanzanias Southern Islands. The centre is very much needed, an MU Spokesperson said. It will transform the community and the lives of the people living in it.Tracking dog

Some dogs go fetch the ball. Others understand the word sit. Some just do as they please. But Monty, he finds treasures. This dog from a Czech family recently got his paws on an unusual find, an incredible archaeological treasure dating back to the Bronze Age.

While Monty was walking with his owners in the Orlicke hory mountains (or eagle mountains) in northern Bohemia, his nose suddenly seemed to have been attracted by a particular smell. The Frankota family then rushed to get the object the animal was trying to dig up by frantically pawing at the ground. Or rather objects, he found an incredible collection of bronze artefacts.

The treasure included 13 sickle blades, 2 iron spears, 3 axe heads and several bracelets, all made out of bronze. This discovery indicates, according to archaeologists, a ritual deposit.

The fact that there are so many objects in one place is likely linked to a form of worship, probably a kind of sacrifice,

says archaeologist Martina Bekova.

An unusual discovery

Bekova and her colleagues analysed the objects in detail, setting their date of manufacture at 3,000 years ago. They would have been used by Indo-Europeans of the Bronze Age, belonging to the Urnfield culture civilisation. This name comes from their practice of placing the cremated remains of their dead in urns, which were then buried in the fields.

What really surprised us was that the objects were whole, the culture that lived here before was used to burying fragments, often melted. These objects are beautiful, but the fact that they are complete and in good condition gives them more value,

she claimed.

The artefacts have been handed over to the relevant authorities since for the most part they belong to the government. The Frankota family received a little over 250 for Montys discovery.

More research will be needed to understand how these objects could have ended up there. The area of discovery has since greatly aroused the interest of archaeologists.

The terrain has undergone considerable changes over the centuries, so it is possible that the deepest layers are still hiding secrets.Georgia second among the fastest growing tourist destinations in Europe - GeorgianJournalMotorola One Power to receive Android Pie Beta in October News oi-Sandeep Sarkar Moto One Power will receive the stable Android Pie version later this year.

Motorola has announced its latest offering Moto One Power smartphone yesterday in India. The device comes with an affordable price tag of Rs 15,999 and offers some decent set of specs which makes it worth at this price range. The device comes under the Android One program which means that it will be first in line to receive the Android updates and security patches.

Now, Motorola has some good news in store for the users. Just within a day of its launch, the company has announced that the Moto One Power will soon launch Pie soak testing program for the device. It is expected that the smartphone will receive a stable version of Android Pie update by the end of this year. Until then the users will be able to try out a developer preview of the Android Pie from next month.

The information was revealed by Abhishek Kumar, Product Manager, Motorola. According to him the company will begin opening up soak test registrations by mid-October. However, there is no specific timeline available for the same. Motorola will roll out the Android 9 Pie to some of the interested users before it is released for the masses. The aim behind this is that the users will be able to give a feedback on bugs or other issues related to the Android Pie on the device.

Motorola has also mentioned that the Moto One Power will receive regular Google security patches over next three years. As we mentioned earlier, being an Android One powered device the Moto One Power will be among the first smartphones to receive the Android updates and security patches.

To recall, the Motorola Power One features a 6.2-inch full HD+ Max Vision display which offers a screen resolution of 1080 x 2260 pixels and has an aspect ratio of 19:9. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by a 1.8GHz octa core Snapdragon 636 CPU whichis paired with Adreno 509 GPU to take care of the graphics. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is further expandable up to 128GB via microSD card.

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The good in the Samsung Galaxy A7

Display

One of the best things about this phone is its display. It comes with a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with True FHD+ resolution and 1080 x 2220 pixels. It has an aspect ratio of 18:5:9 making it ideal for multimedia consumption. The resolution looks crisp and vivid and the color reproduction is also very impressive. The display offers True FHD+ resolution and is Widewine L1 certified, which means the device will be able to play HD videos from all the video streaming services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others.

Storage options



The phone offers 4GB / 6GB RAM and 64GB / 128GB storage options and is expandable up to 512GB using a microSD. The good part is that the Galaxy A7 allows users to install the apps on the memory card, or move their social media content directly to the card. This feature isn't quite popular among other smartphones in this price range.

Audio Jack is intact



In a time where major smartphone makers are doing away with the 3.5mm audio jack in favor of the Type-C port, Samsung has managed to keep the functionality alive through all its devices. The Galaxy A7 2018 also continues the tradition, making it easy for the users to use a wide range of third-party hands-free products.

Side-mounted fingerprint sensor



With the latest smartphone, Samsung has changed the way of unlocking the device. The Galaxy A7 comes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which is very convenient to unlock the device without moving the fingers. The company was previously criticized for its the fingerprint sensor placement on devices like the Galaxy Note 8 and the Galaxy S8. The company has taken queues from the consumer feedback and made appropriate alterations to the placement of the sensor on the new phone.

Smart functionality



Fuelled by a 3300mAh battery, the device also has support for Samsung's smart assistant Bixby, and offer Bixby vision which is a smart way to interact with the surroundings. The device is also ready with Samsung pay, so users can make payments without reaching out for their wallets.

The Bad in the Samsung Galaxy A7

Lacks variable aperture



Coming to places where we felt the device could have shined. The first thing that we noticed is that despite having a triple camera setup, the company didn't add the variable aperture technology to the device. However, the company claims that the phone's camera is smart enough to adjust to the lighting conditions, but it would have been great if the variable aperture tech was included here.

Older processor



The Galaxy A7 2018 is powered by company's proprietary Exynos 7885 octa-core processor clocked at 2.2GHz, 1.6GHz. The company could have used a more recent 8890 processor, considering that smartphones at this range are offering processors like the Snapdragon 845. For instance, Xiaomi's Pocophone comes with the latest Snapdragon 845, and costs less than the Galaxy A7. If the company is aiming to regain the top spot in the Indian market, it would have made a lot of sense to add a more powerful processor at a lower cost.

Dated software



The Galaxy A7 2018 runs on Android 8.0 Oreo, which is disappointing, considering the fact that Android 9 Pie is already out. Calling Android 8.0 oreo outdated wouldn't be fair, but this could have been welcomed addition on the software, making the user experience a lot better. Also, the software comes with bloatware, which again could make the experience sluggish after a few days of extensive usage. Also, the audio output is powered by Dolby Atmos, but the setback is that it only works while using the headphones.

No in-display biometric security



Although Samsung did try to offer a new functionality with the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, it would have made the device even more special if it had the in-display fingerprint sensor, which the company is said to be working on. This would have made the device stand out in the much crowded mid-range market, which is dominated by Oppo and Vivo at the moment. Recently, Vivo also launched its V11 Pro with an in-display sensor and falls in the same price bracket as the Galaxy A7.

The X factor

The USP of the Samsung Galaxy A7 2018 is the triple camera setup. This is the second smartphone to pack a triple camera setup after the Huawei P20 Pro. The triple rear camera setup comprises a 24MP autofocus sensor with f/1.7 aperture, an 8MP ultra wide sensor with f/2.4 aperture, and a 5MP depth sensor with a fixed focus and f/2.2 aperture for the bokeh effect.

In our short test of the camera, we managed to see the camera capabilities, and it was impressive. We are yet to test the camera in different lighting condition, but our initial impression of the camera is positive. The camera was able to capture an ample amount of detail with minimal signs of noise. The colors looked authentic and the pictures weren't over saturated.

The primary 24MP sensor uses the SuperPixel technology, which merges 4 pixels into one, making the picture more clear. The 8MP sensor lets users capture ultra-wide shots at 120-degree angles in contrast to conventional smartphone cameras that offer only 78-degree angles. The ultra-wide angle sensor also works while taking videos, allowing for more area to be captured at once.

The 5MP sensor is placed for the popular bokeh effect shots. It keeps the subject of the picture in focus and blurs the background, making the picture appear like it was taken from a DSLR camera. The camera is also Live Focus ready, which means users can set the background blur while clicking as well as after taking the picture. For selfies, Samsung has added a 24MP shooter which also has support for AR Emoji and wide selfie mode.

The rear camera also has the Scene Optimizer feature that detects the scenes being captured in the image to offer the best color optimization. This feature is accompanied by the Slow motion mode and the Hyperlapse mode, which is basically the time lapse.

Hit or a miss?

By bringing the triple camera setup on a mid-range smartphone, Samsung has proved that it means business. The smartphone has all the features that one would expect from a mid-range device. There are a few areas where the phone could have done a little extra to gain more buyers, but overall this is a good package.

If you are someone who has a thing for smartphone photography but don't want to shell out a lot of money, this could be a good alternative. If you are okay with a phone that has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, alongside a brilliant camera performance, then spending Rs 23,990 isn't a bad deal. However, you wouldn't wanna buy the 6GB / 128GB variant if performance is what you seek, as shelling out 28,990 isn't a wise decision, considering there are other phones at this price which have powerful processors.

The 4GB / 64GB variant is a clear winner in our opinion, but the 6GB/128GB variant... well, not so much.Russia Summons Norway's Ambassador After Arrest Of Man On Espionage Charges

September 24, 2018

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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-summons-norway-- ambassador-arrest--man-espionage/29507368.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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ASD Jacksonville Earns Seventh Consecutive Blue 'E' for Supply Excellence

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS180924-15

Release Date: 9/24/2018 1:43:00 PM

From NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Jacksonville Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (NNS) -- Aviation Support Division (ASD) Jacksonville was awarded its seventh consecutive Ashore Navy Supply Blue "E" Award for Logistics Excellence Aug. 27, in a ceremony at NAS Jacksonville, Florida.

Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Eleven (CPRW-11), Capt. Craig Mattingly, presented the award to ASD Jacksonville and NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Jacksonville (FLCJ) personnel and congratulated them for their outstanding accomplishments.

"This was the result of an exceptional team effort," said Mattingly. "Each of you should be extremely proud of your efforts to realize this success."

The Blue "E" is awarded to supply departments that demonstrate excellent quality and efficiency, as judged by a comprehensive, multiple-day Supply Management Inspection (SMI) receiving an overall grade of Outstanding. Additionally, NAVSUP FLCJ Jacksonville and ASD continually met monthly standards of excellence within the goals set by Commander, Naval Air Forces. ASD Jacksonville maintained cumulative scores above established goals. This is the seventh time ASD Jacksonville has been recognized with the Blue "E" for Supply Excellence.

ASD Jacksonville provides supply support for a variety of Type, Model, Series aircrafts to include the P-3C, P-8A, MH-60R and C-130T assigned to the Naval Air Station. Team ASD sourced more than 73,000 aviation requirements annually and managed over 1,900 line items of aviation repairable components in support of assigned squadrons. They tracked more than 6,900 Weapons Replaceable Assemblies and Shop Replaceable Assemblies annually through the maintenance repair cycle. The FLCJ Warehouse and Inventory management team provides warehouse support, inventory management and inventory accuracy, as well as receipt and delivery management for over 8,900 consumable materials.

"A tremendous team accomplishment," said Cmdr. Bob Kovack, Site Director/Supply Officer for FLCJ Site NAS Jacksonville. "ASD and FLCJ are constantly working together to identify requirements and provide support to improve flight line readiness."

NAVSUP FLC Jacksonville, one of eight fleet logistics centers under Navy Supply Systems Command, provides operational logistics, business and support services to fleet, shore and industrial commands of the Navy, Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and other joint and allied forces.

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NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic CERT Returns from MCAS Cherry Point after Conducting Hurricane Damage Assessments

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS180924-12

Release Date: 9/24/2018 11:48:00 AM

By Jeffrey C. Doepp, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Mid-Atlantic deployed a Contingency Engineering Response Team (CERT) returns from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina after conducting Hurricane Florence damage assessments.

The five-member team, made up of two naval officers and three civilian employees, ranged from structural and architectural engineers to skilled and experienced construction managers and engineer technicians, was at Cherry Piont Sept. 17-21.

From its massive four-point runway system to its system of ranges and auxiliary landing fields, the air station and its associated support locations occupy approximately 29,000 acres. More than 53,000 people make up the total Cherry Point-related population, including active duty and retired Marines, Sailors, the civilian workforce, and their families, according to the MCAS Cherry Point website.

Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina Sept. 17, as a Category 1 storm, pounding the state with heavy wind and rain. The team's only access to the air station was by military aircraft, due to major flooding of all highways in the area.

The all-volunteer CERT Lt. Cmdr. David Sare, Lt. j.g. Tyson Barnhart, John Wells, Boris Shilman, and Brett Stodden went to work immediately upon landing with power restoration, clearing, and roof assessments as the top priority.

"We began initial, immediate assessments of critical facilities and infrastructure right after we arrived," said Sare, the team lead. "Recognizing that even with the stress and strain of the PWD (Public Works Department), they were able to help prioritize these facilities requirement inspections to help ensure the installation gets back to fully mission capable."

The CERT was mobilized to provide support to Facility Engineering Acquisition Division (FEAD) Cherry Point in damage assessment and scope writing. The FEAD manages construction projects from inception to completion on the installation. They provide government estimates, scope creation, and project design services for the installation and its tenants.

"Due to the severity of the storm, many of our local DATs (Damage Assessment Teams) were displaced and unable to respond," said NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Production Officer and Disaster Preparedness Officer Lt. Mallory Corey. "The intent of the region CERT is to provide out-of-area assistance so the assessment and initial repairs can get underway as soon as possible."

With a tiger team on the ground sitting out the storm in Cherry Point, the CERT was able to provide bolstered support to them as soon as the storm cleared.

"With CERT assistance, the FEAD was able to do assessments on all priority buildings and draft general scopes needed to support the GCC in the initial week of storm response," Corey added.

NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic provides facilities engineering, public works and environmental products and services across an area of responsibility that spans from Georgia to Maine and as far west as Indiana. As an integral member of the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic team, NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic provides leadership through the Regional Engineer organization to ensure the region's facilities and infrastructure are managed efficiently and effectively.

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Senate education committee Chairman Lamar Alexander on Tuesday said students would benefit from the law fixing No Child Left Behind because states are back in the drivers seat for decisions on how to help their students.

Senator Alexander said, Candace Hines, a kindergarten teacher in Memphis, recently wrote in the Memphis Commercial Appeal: This year, Tennessee schools will begin to implement our states new education plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Unlike the previous federal education law, No Child Left Behind, ESSA gives Tennessee more autonomy to design policies to meet the needs of our states students. ESSA empowers Tennessee with the responsibility to decide how to close achievement gaps, improve schools and make sure that all our children succeed.

Reaching the point of fixing No Child Left Behind took seven years of Congressional efforts, 27 hearings, and a three day markup where this Committee considered 57 amendments. The consensus this Committee reached was: Continue the laws important measurements of academic progress of students but restore to states what to do about that progress. The Every Student Succeeds Act gave Tennessee, in Candaces words, a real opportunity for our state to build on the progress weve made and enact change, particularly in traditionally-underserved communities.

Senator Alexander made his remarks today at a Senate education committee hearing focused on the state perspective on implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

He said, Today, we will hear specifically from three states who have also taken advantage of the flexibility we encouraged under the law to design innovative plans. For example, South Carolina is using flexibility provided under ESSA to use some of their Title 1 money to fund programs for high school students to take dual-credit classes or for students to receive extra math or reading help at after school programs.

Nebraskas ESSA plan included a statewide database so teachers can access best practices, share information with each other, and work together. And Delawares accountability system includes a College and Career Preparedness indicator which will measure the percentage of high school students who have successfully taken advanced classes or had technical skills training that will prepare them for success after graduation.

The Senate education committee unanimously passed the legislation to fix No Child Left Behind in April 2015. In December 2015, ESSA was passed by Congress and signed into law. Alexander was the lead Republican sponsor. ESSA ends federal interference in state standards and ends the federal mandates on states to adopt the Common Core State Standards.

See Senator Alexanders full prepared remarks here.British Jew who Jeremy Corbyn accused of not getting English irony sues Labour leader

Richard Millett is suing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for defamation, reports the Mail. Millett is the British blogger Corbyn was addressing when he accused British Zionists of not understanding English irony. Many, including the Labour Party supporting Daily Mirror newspaper, thought Corbyn meant Jews. Manhy Jews thought Corbyns comment anti-Semitic. Millett instructed solicitors to act after Corbyn talked about him to Andrew Marr on the journalists Sunday morning BBC 1 show. The Mail reports:

During an interview with Andrew Marr on BBC One, the Labour leader painted a picture of Mr Millett as incredibly disruptive, claiming that the police wanted to throw him out of Parliament until Mr Corbyn said he could stay. Mr Millett, whose father fought for Britain in WWII, says that the allegations are entirely untrue and have caused lasting damage to his reputation. He is suing Corbyn for 100,000.

Millett tells the website:

Jeremy Corbyn has constantly been trying to paint me as some aggressive traitor who has brushes with police. Listening to his interview, youd have thought that the police were on the verge of hauling me out of parliamentary events and it was only saintly Corbyn who stopped that happening. Its totally untrue. Its preposterous. I think he just said it on the hoof, under questioning on the BBC on Sunday. He cant actually back it up.

The anti-semitism chatter begins just after 9 minutes.



As for those so-called British Jews, well, theyve looked up irony in the English dictionary:

Jeremy Corbyn even said that we British Jews dont understand British irony. And yet he says hes opposed to all forms of racism  hows that for irony? WATCH: @BoDPres speech at the #SayNoToAntisemitism rally in Manchester. pic.twitter.com/1Mkd3vzSWI  Board of Deputies of British Jews (@BoardofDeputies) September 16, 2018

Anorak

Posted: 25th, September 2018 | In: News, Politicians Comment | TrackBack | PermalinkFive suspected militants, one Indian soldier killed in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 07:03PM

A total of five suspected militants and one Indian soldier have been killed in fierce fighting in Kashmir over the past two days, the Indian army says, amid an escalation of violence in the disputed territory following the cancelation of high-level talks between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Indian army spokesman said three militants and one Indian soldier were killed in a gunfight along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.

The spokesman also said two other militants had earlier been killed in a gun battle which began on Sunday after government troops noticed suspicious movement near the LoC  the de facto border that separates the disputed Kashmir region between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India.

The Indian army announced that the operation was still in progress.

The fatalities took place days after New Delhi pulled the plug on a meeting between its foreign minister and her Pakistani counterpart set for next week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, just 24 hours after saying it would go ahead.

The Foreign Ministry in New Delhi said its decision was to protest the killing of Indian security personnel in Kashmir and a Pakistani postage stamp it said was "glorifying" an anti-India fighter who Indian forces had killed in the disputed Himalayan region last year.

Islamabad immediately rejected New Delhi's charges as excuses to enable it to avoid holding talks before national elections next year.

Tensions are high in Indian-controlled Kashmir, where the Muslim-majority population stages regular protests against the Indian rule, demanding autonomy from New Delhi or a merger with Pakistan.

New Delhi accuses Islamabad of supporting pro-independence fighters, an allegation rejected by the Pakistani government. Islamabad, in turn, is critical of India's heavy military deployment to Kashmir, some 500,000 soldiers, and its crackdown against the region's Muslim population.

Armed battles between Indian forces and militants over the years have killed nearly 70,000 people, mostly civilians.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory. Despite a 2003 ceasefire agreement, sporadic skirmishes continue in Kashmir.

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Yemeni forces shoot down Saudi reconnaissance drone in Hudaydah

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 04:23PM

Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle, belonging to the Saudi-led military coalition, as it was flying in the skies over the country's strategic western province of Hudaydah.

An unnamed Yemen military source said Yemeni air defense forces and their allies shot down the drone as it was on a reconnaissance mission north of the al-Durayhimi district on Monday afternoon.

Three Saudi soldiers slain in clashes with Yemeni forces

Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have confirmed the loss of three servicemen during clashes with Yemeni troopers and Popular Committees fighters in Yemen's northern province of al-Jawf.

The pro-government Shohada al-Vajeb (Martyrs of the Military Service) group, which keeps track of Saudi military personnel killed since 2009, identified the trio as Lieutenant Nader bin Hamad bin Dhafer al-Ayadhah al-Ajami as well as Conscripts Yousef bin Sa'ad bin A'edh al-Fahad al-Wa'la and Hussein bin Maraei Alwan Mubaraki.

The group, in a post published on its Twitter page, said the three Saudi soldiers were killed during an operation in the al-Hazm district of the Yemeni province.

Scores of Saudi mercenaries killed in Yemeni bomb attack

Later on Monday, scores of Saudi-sponsored militiamen loyal to Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi were killed and injured, when Yemeni army soldiers and fighters from Popular Committees detonated two roadside bombs as the former were travelling along a road in the al-Maton district of Jawf province.

Two Yemeni civilians also lost their lives and three others sustained injuries when Saudi warplanes bombarded an area of the Zabid district in Hudaydah province.

Yemeni ballistic missile targets Saudi-backed militiamen in Asir

Moreover, Yemeni army forces and their allies fired a domestically-designed and -developed Zelzal-1 (Earthquake-1) ballistic missile coupled with a salvo of Katyusha rockets and mortar shells at the positions of Saudi mercenaries at the al-Alab border crossing of the kingdom's southern region of Asir, leaving a number of them killed and injured.

Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing the government of Hadi back to power and crushing the country's popular Houthi Ansarullah movement.

Some 15,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression.

More than 2,200 others have died of cholera, and the crisis has triggered what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian disaster.

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US secretly expanding military role in Tunisia: Report

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 10:53AM

A recent report suggests the United States is quietly expanding its role in Tunisia's operations against militants near the western borders amid controversy inside the North African state over Washington's military presence there.

The National Interest magazine earlier this month referred to a report by Task & Purpose  a news site run by military veterans  which said US Marine Corps Raiders were involved in a fierce battle in 2017 in an unnamed North African country, "where they fought beside partner forces" against what it called al-Qaeda militants.

Based on research and analysis carried out by the National Interest, the unnamed country could be Tunisia.

The Task & Purpose report cited a source with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) as saying that two US Marines had received citations for valor for that 2017 operation, without providing details about the location due to "classification considerations, force protection, and diplomatic sensitivities."

The National Interest said the events in the award citations match those that had taken place in Tunisia back then.

"Research and analysis strongly suggest US involvement runs much deeper" than what is conveyed to the US public, the Interest wrote.

The US has maintained a military presence in Tunisia since 2014, when several dozen Special Operations Forces troops were deployed to the North African country's restive western borderlands.

AFRICOM's air force, according to the National Interest, has also carried out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions across Tunisia.

This is while the Tunisian society is rife with anti-US sentiment, with many criticizing the US military presence under the pretext of fighting terrorism.

The issue of American military presence has prompted heated debates at the Tunisian parliament. Opponents say it is a matter of national sovereignty.

Military build-up in Africa

The US military has in recent years used the presence of Takfiri terrorists to build up its presence across the continent, where it has over 6,000 boots on the ground.

The report by the National Interest echoed a secret US secret mission in Niger in 2017, when four US Special Operations Forces soldiers were killed in an ambush by suspected Daesh militants.

The deaths received wide media coverage, prompting the Pentagon to launch a probe into the incident.

The partial results of the probe released in May found mistakes on all military levels in the secret mission that resulted in the deaths.

The US also carries out controversial drone attacks in several countries, including Niger and Somalia, claiming to be targeting al-Qaeda, Daesh and Boko Haram elements.

However, local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks.

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Pompeo Says Now Not Time to Ease Pressure on North Korea

Sputnik News

21:25 24.09.2018(updated 21:30 24.09.2018)

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo addressed Washington's relations with NOrth Korea, Russia and Turkey in a briefing on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Monday.

"Now it is not the time to ease pressure [on North Korea]," Pompeo told reporters.

The inter-Korean summit, Pompeo added, between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang last week is a positive step forward towards denuclearization.

"I expect I'll be traveling to Pyongyang before too long as well to make the final preparations for the second meeting between the two leaders," he noted, adding that setting a date for the completion of denuclearization in North Korea would be "foolish."

In June, US President Donald Trump and Kim held a summit in Singapore during which the North Korean leader expressed his country's commitment to abandon its nuclear weapons program, while the United States pledged to provide security guarantees and freeze joint military exercises with South Korea.

The White House has said that discussions are underway for the second summit between Trump and Kim, but had no other detail on when or where the meeting could happen.

On Brunson Case

Pompeo also reported on the situation with the US pastor Andrew Brunson, who was remaining under house arrest in Turkey, confirming that the evangelist "could be released this month."

"Pastor Brunson and other US persons who are being held by Turkey all need to be released by Turkey, and that needs to be done immediately," the official said.

US-Turkish relations deteriorated amid series of incidents, including the detention of Brunson by Turkish authorities.

Brunson has been detained by Turkish authorities since 2016 because of his alleged ties to the movement of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey holds responsible for orchestrating the failed military coup of 2016.

On Relations with Moscow

Pompeo mentioned that he planned to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.

"Yes. I am sure Sergey [Lavrov] and I will have our time together," the State Secretary confirmed.

Pompeo said he would raise the situation in Syria during the talks with his Russian counterpart.

"There are many topics that we'll talk about with the Russians. I'm very confident that their latest decision to move the S-300 will be amongst them," he told reporters.

Earlier this month, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia would deliver S-300 air defense systems to Syria as an adequate response to Israel's role in the downing of the Russian Il-20 plane.

According to Moscow, the Israeli Air Force used the Russian aircraft as a shield while attacking targets in Syria, which led to the death of 15 Russian servicemen when the plane was shot down by Syrian air defense systems.

 Sputnik

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European Parliament Seeks to Boost Battle Forces

Sputnik News

15:03 24.09.2018(updated 15:04 24.09.2018)

The European Parliament has submitted a proposal to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, suggesting that the number of EU military groups be quadrupled: from 18 battle groups to 18 brigades.

In its annual report on the implementation of the Common Security and Defense Policy, the European Parliament has invited the Council to investigate the "feasibility of potentially setting up a permanent Spearhead Europe Force, which could be drawing on the European multinational high readiness corps HQ in Strasbourg, Szczecin and Munster."

According to the European Parliament, such a possibility would largely contribute to the "continuous transformation of national armed forces, toward the goal of being more interoperable, more sustainable, more flexible and more deployable.

The report sent to the Committee on Foreign Affairs further suggested that the EU battle groups should evolve into "full-scale brigades" and be assigned to the corps HQ on a permanent basis.

The proposal outlined by the European Parliament will take effect if it is approved by the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the EP session, although, even if approved, it will remain a non-binding recommendation for the European Commission and the Council.

Currently, the EU has 18 battlegroups, each consist of 1,500 troops, held at readiness level of 5-10 days that can be deployed and sustained 6,000 km or more from EU territory for mainly humanitarian operations or peacekeeping missions lasting between 30 and 120 days, whereas a brigade in the European army has 3-5 battalion-sized units, capable of the autonomous implementation of a wide range of general-purpose tasks.

The battlegroups, which reached full operational capacity in January 2007, rotate actively so that two are ready to be dispatched at any time. Nevertheless, they have yet to see any military action.

 Sputnik

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Yemen: amid major roadblocks, an 'unprecedented' response to an unprecedented tragedy

24 September 2018 - Despite continuing challenges in Yemen, the United Nations and partners have provided a robust humanitarian response to the world's largest humanitarian crisis, thanks to major donor support. However, as the situation continues to worsen for civilians across the country, aid agencies warned on Monday that international aid efforts must be sustained to avoid a major catastrophe and called for a political end to the conflict.

During a high-level event at UN Headquarters in New York, chaired by UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, officials of the humanitarian and donor communities exchanged views on the scale of the need, what has been accomplished so far, and the roadblocks which remain across Yemen.

A tragedy of unprecedented proportions

The event started with the UN Humanitarian Coordinator Lise Grande stating that "there is no other place in the world where people are suffering so greatly".

The unprecedented scope and depth of the crisis in Yemen, now in its fourth year, has been repeatedly reported: three-quarters of the population require some form of basic assistance to survive; over 2 million internally displaced; 16 million in need of medical help. The figures are near-impossible to grasp.

The Humanitarian Coordinator painted a concrete picture: "One child is dying every 10 minutes because of the conflict 70 per cent of girls are being married before 18 as a coping strategy 8.3 million people have absolutely no idea when they wake up in the morning where their meal will come from one in four Yemenis are malnourished"

She also explained that the country's currency, the Yemeni Rial, has depreciated by 300 per cent compared to pre-crisis rates. "If the depreciation continues, we believe 12 million people could be at risk of starvation", she stressed.

Conflict in Yemen  already one of the poorest countries in the world before the crisis  escalated in March 2015, when an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened militarily at the request of the Yemeni presidency. Airstrikes and ground-fighting have become a daily occurrence for millions of civilians. "It is officially estimated that 16,000 people have been killed," said Ms. Grande. "The real numbers are probably a lot higher," she added.

Hundreds of thousands of families no longer have a regular source of income  including teachers, health workers, water and sanitation workers and other public servants. They have not been paid a regular salary in two years.

The Humanitarian Coordinator noted that the situation is particularly desperate in Hudaydah, an opposition-held governorate in western Yemen, where "vulnerability levels" are the worst and where, in the past three months alone, half a million people have been forced to flee their homes.

The world's largest humanitarian response

Lise Grande stressed that "humanitarians have been and will continue to do everything they can do" to address these devastating levels of need.

To date, the humanitarian response, called "very efficient" by Mr. Lowcock, has achieved a lot. This led several of the high-level representatives attending the event, including the Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs and various top donors, to congratulate the humanitarian community.

According to Ms. Grande, the more than 150 relief organisations in Yemen are reaching "more people in absolute terms and a higher percentage of the population than in any other humanitarian response" in the world.

To name only some of the achievements listed by the Humanitarian Coordinator, every month, 8 million Yemenis receive food assistance; 1.7 children and pregnant or lactating women are receiving nutritional support; millions are receiving emergency cash transfers; over 1 million people are receiving protection services; and a third cholera outbreak was avoided with medical teams responding within 24 hours, instead of one week as was the case in 2017.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, noted that 11 million people have been reached with vital health services, including vaccinations against cholera, diphtheria and polio. In addition, 2,000 disease surveillance sites have been established with trained personnel so any response required can happen in a timely fashion.

The expansion of the humanitarian operation across the country was made possible thanks to three factors, said the Humanitarian Coordinator: deconfliction, strong collaboration with the Government and local actors; and the support of donors above all.

Priorities ahead and remaining roadblocks

Ms. Grande listed three priorities for humanitarian organisations: reduce hunger and roll back malnutrition; prevent another cholera outbreak; and protect civilians at any cost.

She also provided the international community with a long list of requirements, topped by the need for the warring parties to stop fighting. "Humanitarians cannot solve the conflict in Yemen, only politicians can," she stated.

Other requirements included: the need for ports to remain open, the creation of a line of credit for importers of basic commodities, the creation of a medical aid corridor, the transfer millions of dollars in cash directly to families in need, as well as additional unearmarked funds for the response to continue.

These requirements were echoed by the other high-level speakers of the event, including WHO's Dr. Tedros, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Kelly Clements, and the CEO of Save the Children International Helle Thorning-Schmidt who said that "saving lives in Yemen is an uphill battle" due to the many challenges faced by aid groups.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), organizer of the event, impediments to humanitarian action include movement restrictions, attempted interference and harassment, fluctuating commercial import levels, and collapsing basic health, education, water and sanitation services.

Closing the event, the United Kingdom, Canada Kuwait, the USA and Denmark pledged their continued support to the international response to the Yemen crisis.

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Yemen: Tackling the world's largest humanitarian crisis

24 September 2018 - With three-quarters of the population requiring some form of basic assistance to survive, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, now in its fourth year, has reached unprecedented levels of need. On Monday, ahead of the United Nation's 73rd General Assembly high-level debate, a special event will focus on the humanitarian response across the country, its major achievements and its daily challenges, in an attempt to galvanize more international support.

The figures of the crisis are staggering and near-impossible to grasp: 22.2 million in need of assistance, 8.4 million people severely food insecure, and a further 10 million that could fall under the same category by the end of the year, if action is not urgently taken."It is bleak", UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the Security Council on Friday. "We are losing the fight against famine".

In addition, more than 1.1 million cases of acute watery diarrhoea or cholera have been reported since April 2017.

Conflict in Yemen  already one of the poorest countries in the world before the crisis  escalated in March 2015, when an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened militarily at the request of the Yemeni President. Airstrikes have become a daily occurrence for millions of civilians.

Since 1 June alone, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), half a million people have been forced to flee their homes in Hudaydah, an opposition-held governorate in western Yemen, bringing the total of internally displaced persons in the country to 2 million.

Hundreds of thousands of families no longer have a regular source of income  including teachers, health workers, water and sanitation workers and other public servants. They have not been paid a regular salary in two years.

Currently, over 150 relief organisations, including eight UN agencies, are working around the clock to provide food, shelter, nutritional assistance, protection services and much more to millions of Yemenis whose lives have been uprooted by the conflict.

Of the nearly US$ 3 billion required for this year's response plan, $2 billion (65 per cent) have been mobilized, making it the world's best funded humanitarian appeal. The humanitarian response reaches more than 7 million people every month across Yemen and the number of people reached has increased consistently across sectors during the year.

However, the needs continue to outpace the response capacity and humanitarian workers face critical challenges every day. According to OCHA, the organizer of the General Assembly high level event, these include impediments to humanitarian action such as movement restrictions, attempted interference and harassment, as well as fluctuating commercial import levels and collapsing basic health, education, water and sanitation services.

The event will take place from 1:15 pm to 2:30 pm at UN Headquarters and will be broadcast live on webtv.un.org. It will include opening remarks by the UN head of humanitarian affairs, Mr. Lowcock, and a briefing by Yemen's Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the UN, Lise Grande.

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Taiwan urges Hong Kong to be tolerant after political party ban

Central News Agency

2018/09/24 22:31:51

Taipei, Sept. 24 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) urged Chinese authorities and the Hong Kong government on Monday to adopt a tolerant, rational and open attitude when dealing with city resident demands for more political freedom.

The appeal came in response to Hong Kong's ban of the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP) -- a political party promoting independence from China -- on national security grounds earlier that day.

It was the first time Hong Kong has banned a political party since the former British colony was handed over to China in 1997, the MAC said.

There have been voices in Hong Kong calling the ban a suppression of free speech and freedom of association, and many Hongkongers have expressed strong protests in the streets, the MAC said.

The Basic Law of Hong Kong gives its peoples freedom of election, speech and association, and the high degree of autonomy and protection of human rights in Hong Kong is precisely the reason why the city has gained the trust of the international community and become an important international financial center, the council said.

With that in mind, repeated efforts to suppress Hong Kong residents' desire for democracy and freedom will only exacerbate political opposition and hurt Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, the MAC contended.

According to an Al Jazeera report Monday, Hong Kong's secretary for security announced the ban on the Hong Kong National Party in a statement issued Monday, 10 days after the party submitted its case against being outlawed.

The statement said the prohibition means that anybody who associates with the HKNP can be fined and sentenced to a jail term of two to three years, Al Jazeera reported.

(By Lin Ke-lun and William Yen)

Enditem/ls

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PLA halts US talks in protest over sanctions

People's Daily Online

By ZHANG ZHIHAO (China Daily) 10:05, September 24, 2018

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.

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Hong Kong's Rights and Freedoms Must Be Respected - UK Foreign Office

Sputnik News

14:53 24.09.2018(updated 15:50 24.09.2018)

Earlier in the day, Hong Kong Secretary for Security John Lee announced that the government of the Chinese special administrative region had banned the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP), which advocates for the region becoming an independent state.

"We are concerned by the decision. 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," the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.

The HKNP was prohibited under a law that requires all organizations to register with law enforcement services.

Earlier this year, local police called for the party to be banned, stating that its members were trying to implement plans to make Hong Kong independent. According to Hong Kong's local government, the party's platform does not comply with the Chinese constitutional principle of "One country, two systems."

China's southern region of Hong Kong, which became a British colony in 1842, was returned to China in 1997 on the condition that Beijing would adhere to the "one country, two systems" concept, which means that the region is to remain capitalist and would not have to comply with the Chinese socialist system until 2047.

 Sputnik

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(ANSA) - Bari, September 25 - A 36-year-old man was seriously injured in a fresh mafia-style ambush in a gang war in Bari on Tuesday.

The man was shot in the abdomen and the arm near an elementary school in the Puglia city's San Paolo quarter.

It was the third such ambush in Bari in the last week. Police say local gangs are engaged in a turf war over the control of the drugs market. A 24-year-old man was killed and his 33-year-old brother seriously wounded Monday, while a 28-year-olf man was injured on September 18.

Hong Kong Officially Bans Pro-Independence Party

By VOA News September 24, 2018

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.

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Pompeo says Trump prepared to meet DPRK's Kim again

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:30, September 24, 2018

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.

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Trump Says 2nd Summit With Kim to Have Similar Format, Likely Different Location

Sputnik News

22:20 24.09.2018

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump ahead of a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday told reporters that there will be a second summit between the United States and North Korea in a similar format as the first, but the location has not been determined yet.

"It will be between North Korea and the United States, so it will be similar to the format we had before, most likely a different location. Again, it will be announced very soon," Trump told reporters.

Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he would be traveling to Pyongyang before the end of the year to work on final preparations for the summit.

In June, Trump and Kim held a summit in Singapore during which the North Korean leader expressed his country's commitment to abandon its nuclear weapons program, while the United States pledged to provide security guarantees and freeze joint military exercises with South Korea.

 Sputnik

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Trump Promises Second Summit with Kim Soon

By Steve Herman September 24, 2018

South Korea's president personally relayed a message on Monday to U.S. President Donald Trump, telling him that North Korea's 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.

"I'm 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, I'll 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 Korea's nuclear and long-range missile programs.

"There's lots going on," according to Pompeo. "We're 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.

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US CIA Director: Indications N. Korea Serious About Giving Up Nukes

By Jeff Seldin September 24, 2018

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.

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Rouhani: No hope in Trump behavior change

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New York, Sept 24, IRNA -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with a group of senior American media directors, pointed out that US President Donald Trump had done some very wrong actions against Iran, saying Iran has no hope in change of behavior of the US president.

Hassan Rouhani said on Monday morning (in local time) and in response to a question about a possible meeting with the president of the United States, as the North Korean and the US leaders after a series of rhetoric such a meeting was held, adding that the similarities are not very accurate.

Since last year, the President of the United States has withdrawn from the very important agreement without any reason and has threatened the Iranian people, and such actions are simply not forgotten. North Korea is completely different from the story of Iran.

The president said, "Trump has in fact carried out some very wrong actions against Iran and the Iranian nation. He unjustifiably quit the deal, threatened the Iranian people for no reason and intervened in our internal affairs. Before any discussion, these false actions must be compensated."

In response to the question that if Europeans are joining the United States on the issue, what Iran will do, he said Iran has fulfilled its obligations to date, and if five countries adhere to their commitments, 'we can preserve it and if other conditions come about, naturally, we will also make our decision under those circumstances'.

The next point is that once the United States, Europe and others have been boycotting Iran for some years and saw the outcome, they eventually came to the negotiating table, and this bitter experience is not for the first time and has already been repeated.

"Our basis from the 2013 election was interaction with the world, and one of my important promises to the people was that the policy of engagement, dialogue and cooperation with the countries of the region and the world," Rouhani said about the violations of JCPOA and its effect on Iranian voters. "It will be one of the effects of this policy. In the run-up to the election, 2017 JCPOA was also operational, and we promised people at the same time that if other parties were to remain committed, we would adhere to it."

The president emphasized, "Even as the United States has quit JCPOA, we remain committed to it. The principle in our country is the people's vote, and people know that we did not initiate the withdrawal, and the country that has committed this breakup is the United States."

In response to a question about the role of some countries in the Ahvaz terrorist incident, Rouhani said, "There was a major terrorist crime in Ahvaz, and I regret that some countries refuse to mention the terrorist attack, which means they do not want all fight the same with all terrorists in the world.'

Iranian president added that at the very first hour a foreign-affiliated terrorist group was responsible for this crime, and we consider the same group responsible for and evidence is still confirming this, and of course our investigations are at an early stage. Suspects are arrested and interrogations continue to be made to determine exactly who and with what dependencies the operation has been carried out.

Rouhani, saying that Americans have consistently supported anti-Iranian terrorist groups since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution, noted, "Americans have always supported terrorist groups that have been struggling against the Iranian people in the past, and a group of terrorists now also have political and media activities in the United States. The United States cannot be indifferent to terrorist operations that violate all international regulations."

The president said that one of the US officials in recent days, following Ahvaz terrorist incident, has made shocking remarks, while supporting the terrorists by saying that the Iranian government is responsible for this terrorist act! If we say this about the perpetrators of the September 11 terrorist operation, how will the American people judge? If so, is it possible to say that any terrorist act taking place in European countries and other countries is the responsibility of the governments whose country has been the victim of terrorism.

9455**2050

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Ahvaz terror attack draws int'l condemnations

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 24, IRNA -- International condemnations poured in after a terrorist attack during a military parade in southwestern Iran on Saturday killed 25 people and wounded 60 others.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered condolences "to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Iran'.

A statement issued Saturday by the UN said Guterres also "condemns the attack" in the city of Ahvaz and "wishes those injured a speedy recovery'.

It was the deadliest terror attack to strike Iran in nearly a decade.

French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Agnes van der in a statement issued late Saturday offered condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the Iranian people.

"We are following closely developments in the site in connection with our embassy in Tehran," she added.

India Sunday denounced the Ahvaz violence. "India strongly condemns the dastardly terrorist attack in the city of Ahvaz, Iran," the Ministry of External Affairs said.

"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 ministry said in a statement. Syria's Foreign Ministry in a statement said Damascus condemns in the "strongest terms" the attack. The statement said those sponsoring "terrorism in the region won't be able to achieve their plots using such crimes."

The attack was roundly condemned by other governments, including Russia, the UK, Germany, Austria, Spain, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, and Oman.

Amnesty International also condemned the armed attack. "Those responsible must be held accountable, but in fair trials."

US officials reacted to the attack, saying that "the United States condemns all acts of terrorism and the loss of any innocent lives'.

A US State Department spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, said: "We stand with the Iranian people against the scourge of  terrorism and express our sympathy to them at this terrible time."

Four terrorists attacked a military parade commemorating the start of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war in Ahvaz, capital of the border province of Khuzestan.

Officials 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. Iranian officials saw an Arab separatist group as the main suspect.

AP and AFP contributed to this story.

Source: Iran Daily

9376**

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Iran to take revenge from terrorists: Defense Minister

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 24, IRNA -- Iran's Defense Minister vowed Monday that the country will take revenge against the terrorists who killed scores of people in southwestern Iran.

Iranian people have proved over the past 40 years that they will not retreat from their cause and firm beliefs, Brigadier General Amir Hatami said on the sidelines of a funeral procession held for those who were killed in a terrorist attack in the capital city of Khuzestan Province, Ahvaz.

Such indiscriminate, inhumane and worthless acts will not affect the determination of Iranian people in realizing the sublime goals of the revolution, the minister said.

The global arrogance headed by the US, the Zionist regime of Israel and their regional followers have resorted to the terrorist groups to pursue their vicious aims, the defense minister said.

He described the terrorist attack as the continuation of economic war of the US with the Treasury Department at the command center.

The terrorist attack targeted Saturday a military parade and the civilian bystanders in the southwestern city of Ahvaz. At least 25 people, including children and women, were killed and some 60 people were injured by the terrorists.

A group, calling itself al-Ahwazieh, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

9156**2050

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Daesh releases video, claiming Ahvaz terror attack

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 24, IRNA -- Daesh (ISIS) released a video on Sunday, showing three people who claim the deadly terror strike in Iran's southwest city of Ahvaz.

According to Reuters, the film posted on Amaq website, which is run by Daesh terrorists, shows three men in a vehicle on their way to attend the military parade held in Ahvaz to mark the anniversary of Iran-Iraq war.

Two men talk in Arabic and the third in Persian, saying Iran's Revolution Guards (IRGC) will be their main target.

Earlier, the 'Al-Ahwazieh' separatist group had claimed responsibility for the raid.

Experts say due to Daesh's futile efforts to carry out terrorist acts in some parts of the world especially in Iraq and Syria, the terrorist organization claimed Ahvaz terror strike to divert attentions from its previous failures.

The terror raid on Saturday killed 25 people, including civilians, and injured 69.

**2044

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Masterminds of Ahvaz terrorist attack to be crushed: Commander

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 24, IRNA -- Iran's Armed Forces will strongly confront the terrorist masterminds of Ahvaz attack that killed 25 people, including children, a senior general vowed on Monday.

The terrorist attack targeted Saturday a military parade and the civilian bystanders in the southwestern city of Ahvaz. Some 60 people were shot and injured by the terrorists.

A terrorist group, calling itself Al-Ahwaziyeh, has claimed the responsibility of the attack.

'They are the same people who were followers of Saddam at the onset of the war, and they are pursuing the same goal,' Iran's Deputy Commander of Army Ground Forces Brigadier General Nowzar Nemati told reporters at an Army parade on the occasion of the 38th anniversary of the Iraq-Iran war.

The eight-year war, known as the Sacred Defense in Iran, began in 1980 by Iraq's invasion under the former Iraqi dictator Saddam.

Those who plotted the indiscriminate terrorist attack in Ahvaz, are doomed to a fate not better than that of Saddam and his followers, the commander said, adding that they will be given a crushing response in the future.

He also noted that it was too early to comment on their alleged affiliation to Western intelligence services.

The issue is being investigated and the results will be released by respective officials, he said.

9156**1771

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(ANSA) - Rome, September 25 - Residents on Rome's outskirts blocked a road with a 'wall' of trash Tuesday protesting that rubbish has not been collected for days leading to foul-smelling piles of trash, attracting insects and rats.

Rouhani rules out meeting with Trump in New York

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 05:19PM

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has ruled out a possible meeting between him and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, saying Iranians could not easily ignore Trump's hostile measures against the Islamic Republic.

Rouhani made the remarks while speaking in a meeting with US media officials in New York on Monday ahead of the 73rd annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Asked whether he would meet with Trump similar to what North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un did in June, Rouhani said, "Comparing these two issues would not be [a] very accurate [comparison]."

"Since last year, the US president has withdrawn from a very important [nuclear] agreement [with Iran] for no reason and has imposed sanctions and threatened the Iranian people and these measures cannot be easily ignored. The case of North Korea is very different from that of Iran," Rouhani said.

The US president announced in May that Washington was pulling out of the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which lifted nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on Tehran's nuclear program. The deal had been signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany in 2015.

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.

Rouhani further said his American counterpart has taken a number of "very incorrect moves against Iran and the Iranian people."

"He has left the JCPOA without any reason, imposed sanctions and posed threats to the Iranian nation without any reason and has interfered in our internal affairs. Before any discussion, these incorrect measures should be redressed," the Iranian president explained.

Asked whether the European parties would also team up with the US on the issue of the nuclear deal, he said, "Iran has so far remained committed to its obligations under the JCPOA." The Iranian chief executive added that if the remaining parties fulfilled their obligations, the nuclear agreement could be kept alive, but Iran would definitely make another decision in case of other circumstances.

Despite Washington's withdrawal, Iran has not left the deal yet, stressing that the remaining signatories to the agreement have 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.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday that Iran is in compliance with its commitments under the nuclear deal, stressing that the agreement should be kept alive.

"From what we see, we believe that it is doing that," May told CBS.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani said interaction with countries across the world was one of his election slogans in May 2017, adding, "One of my important promises to the people was to pursue the policy of interaction, dialogue and cooperation with regional and world countries. The JCPOA was one of the outcomes of this policy."

"Although the US has quit the JCPOA, we are still committed to it," Iran's president said, adding, "People's vote and opinion is the basis [for everything] in our country and the Iranian people know that we have not initiated withdrawal from the JCPOA and the country, which has done this breach of promise is America."

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Iran says its missing barrels cannot be compensated

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 03:13PM

Iran says no country can ever compensate for its missing oil supplies to markets in case the US materializes its threat to bring the Islamic Republic's oil exports to zero with a top official saying that US President Donald Trump would sooner or later have a change of heart over his campaign to the same effect.

Hossein Kazempour Ardebili, Iran's ambassador to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said none of the current major producers including Saudi Arabia and Russia had the technical capability to fill the gap that would be created as a result of a potential halt in Iran's oil exports.

This, Kazempour Ardebili emphasized, would make US threats against Iran's oil exports  that he said stood at around 2.3 million barrels per day (m/bpd) - already impossible.

"By considering the current market conditions and the production levels of OPEC and non-OPEC producers, threats to cut off Iran's supplies from markets appear nothing but impractical," he told Iran's IRNA state news agency.

"The conditions of the market and the production status of oil producers are not as such to allow finding an easy replacement for Iran's oil and remove it from oil markets."

Kazempour Ardebili said Saudi Arabia had previously announced that it would make up for the missing Iranian oil barrels, stressing that the kingdom had not yet increased its output nor tapped into its strategic reserves to show that it could actually do what it had promised to do.

He added that Russia had not much extra oil left to supply to markets to compensate for a possible halt in Iran's exports once the US sanctions came into effect. This, the official added, would not change given that Russia's production would decline over the cold months of the year.

Kazempour Ardebili said the unfavorable conditions for the implementation of US oil sanctions against Iran could eventually force US President Trump to show a certain level of flexibility.

"Trump would have to show a certain level of flexibility toward the clients of Iran's oil," he said. "For example, he could allow Iran to export 1.2 to 1.5 m/bpd. By considering the current conditions, he will have to back down on his plan to bring Iran's oil exports to zero."

The official further said the US could tap into its own strategic reserves to compensate for the missing Iranian oil volumes. That, he added, would be only a temporary solution.

'Prices to surge'

Elsewhere in his remarks, Kazempour Ardebili warned that sanctions against Iran's oil exports could push up oil prices but did not provide a clear estimate.

He warned that the international community would eventually hold the US responsible for the consequences that this could cause.

He further said all producers  OPEC and non-OPEC - wanted to keep the price of oil at around $80 per barrel.

Kazempour Ardebili added that producers could nonetheless increase their production to see the prices slightly decline below $80 per barrel in order to appease Washington in its sanctions push against Iran.

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Trump's Iran policy of regime change 'wishful thinking': US national security leaders

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 01:48PM

More than 50 prominent US foreign policy, intelligence and national security figures have urged the administration of President Donald Trump to change its strategy toward Iran, saying any desire for "regime change" in the country is "wishful thinking."

In a statement released on Sunday, the national security leaders said that the current administration's strategy of pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic could lead to military conflict.

"The Trump Administration's Iran strategy is to assert maximum economic, political and military pressure to change Iran's behavior and threaten, if not cause, collapse of the regime. But since it has not undertaken diplomatic engagement on any of its twelve demands on Iran, the Administration has left Iran the option of either capitulation or war," the authors wrote.

The signatories of the letter, which include former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former Senators Richard Lugar and Carl Levin, asserted that President Trump's decision in May to withdraw the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal "does not advance the achievement of any of the U.S.'s objectives."

They further argued that the "suggested policy of regime change reflects wishful thinking and a flawed interpretation of intelligence about Iran's vulnerability."

While Iran's economy is under pressure and there are some signs of discontent among its population, the country "remains strong, well-armed and united against outside threat," the security experts noted.

They cautioned the White House that the 2003 US invasion of Iraq served as "a striking reminder of our inability to estimate accurately the long-term impact of U.S. actions."

The letter, however, is not entirely critical of the Trump administration's approach and the signatories offer support for some of the administration's objectives.

The message comes ahead of President Trump's appearance at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, where he is set to deliver a speech dominated by Iran and North Korea.

The US president will also chair a Security Council meeting on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction on Wednesday. Observers expect him to use the opportunity to again attack Iran.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Trump was open to holding talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during this week's General Assembly gathering.

"I think the president's been pretty clear about that. He's happy to talk with folks at any time," Pompeo said on NBC on Sunday. "If there's a constructive dialogue to be had, let's get after it."

Trump entered the White House promising to take a more aggressive approach to Iran than his predecessor, Barack Obama, whose administration negotiated the landmark nuclear deal with Tehran along with Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany.

Since then, he has surrounded himself with known Iran hawks like John Bolton, and reimposed many of the sanctions that were lifted as part of the 2015 deal.

On Saturday, Trump's attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, told members of an exiled anti-Iran group that the administration sympathized with their efforts to overthrow the government in Tehran.

"So I say to the Iranian government, you must truly be afraid of being overthrown," Giuliani told members and supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

The NCRI comes to New York annually during the gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly, staging protests outside the world body against Iran's leaders.

The terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) is politically linked to the NCRI. The US government considered the MKO a terrorist group until 2012, when the State Department removed it from its list of such organizations.

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Iran Mourns Victims Of Military Parade Attack, Warns Of 'Devastating' Response

RFE/RL September 24, 2018

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.

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 Rohani's 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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-mourns- victims-of-military-parade-attack-warns-of- devastating-response/29506589.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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22 Arrested for Links to Attack on Military Parade - Iranian Intel Ministry

Sputnik News

22:15 24.09.2018(updated 22:54 24.09.2018)

Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced on Monday that authorities have apprehended nearly two dozen in connection to the deadly attack on an Iranian military parade on Saturday that left 25 dead and 53 wounded.

"Some 22 people involved in the attack in Ahvaz have been identified and arrested weapons, exclusive material and communication equipment were seized in the house that belonged to the five-member terrorist group that carried out the attack," a statement from the intelligence agency said, according to Tasnim News Agency.

The military reportedly vowed a "deadly and unforgettable" response to the terrorist attack which was conducted in the southern city of Ahvaz during an annual military parade.

Twelve members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) were reportedly killed after the terrorists opened fire. Children and journalists were also among the casualties, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. "Terrorists recruited, trained, armed & paid by a foreign regime have attacked Ahvaz," he wrote. "Iran holds regional terror sponsors and their US masters accountable for such attacks. Iran will respond swiftly and decisively in defense of Iranian lives."

IRGC Lieutenant Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami blamed Israel, the United States and Saudi Arabia for the attack in a speech aired Monday for the victims's funerals. He promised that Iran would have a "devastating" response to the attackers and their sponsors.

Later Monday, US Defense Secretary James "Mad Dog" Mattis said he was not concerned with Iran's threat of revenge, adding that the suggestion the US had anything to do with the attack "ludicrous."

Israel and Saudi Arabia, for their parts, do not seem to have commented yet on the allegation.

The Islamic State group [Daesh] and a terrorist group local to the Iranian region where the attack was conducted called Al-Ahvaziya have both claimed responsibility for the attack. The former leader of the little-known terror group, Ahmad Mola Nissi, was gunned down in front of his home in The Hague, Netherlands, in 2017. On Sunday, a statement from the group made from The Hague denied responsibility for the attack, saying that the group who claimed responsibility in the name of Ahvaziya were expelled from the organization in 2015.

 Sputnik

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US to Find Options for New Sanctions Against Iran If Sees No Changes - Bolton

Sputnik News

07:44 24.09.2018

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - 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 on Sunday.

"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. And if they do not undertake that, they will face more consequences because we will find more sanctions to impose, another ways to put maximum pressure," Bolton told the Fox News broadcaster in an interview.

In May, US 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, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo announced earlier that US President Donald 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."

 Sputnik

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Iran Vows to Avenge Terror Attack as Confusion Mounts

By VOA News September 24, 2018

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 Iran's 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.

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Kazakhstan: A Falling Presidential Confidant And A Rising Presidential Daughter

Bruce Pannier September 24, 2018

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 -- though she has never publicly moved against him.

Azattyq contacted people who know Jaksybekov personally. Some of them 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."

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, and several government officials cited to Azattyq reports in the past suggesting that Idrisov had 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 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.

RFE/RL's Kazakh Service contributed to this report.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/qishloq ovozi-kazakhstan-falling-presidential- confidant-rising-presidential-daughter -darigha-jaksybekov/29507085.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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Half a million children face 'immediate danger' in Libyan capital: UNICEF

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 03:59PM

The UN children's agency (UNICEF) says intensified fighting in the Libyan capital Tripoli has put the lives of half a million children in "immediate danger," warning that more than 2.6 million children are living in dire conditions across the conflict-ridden North African country.

Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, made the remarks in a statement published on Monday.

Citing Libya's Health Ministry, local media said clashes that broke out last month between armed groups in Tripoli and those from another city over control of the capital had killed at least 115 people and wounded nearly 400 by Saturday night.

Clashes between the Seventh Brigade from Tarhouna, a town southeast of Tripoli where the Government of National Accord (GNA) is based, and the Tripoli Revolutionaries' Brigades (TRB) have escalated since late August and the two rival groups have been vying to take control of the Libyan capital despite a truce declared earlier this month.

"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.

The shortage of food, water and electricity is among the daily challenges that children and families in Libya face, according to the UNICEF official.

"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," Cappelaere said.

The regional director also noted that schools are increasingly being used to shelter displaced families, which is likely to delay the start of the academic year planned for October 3.

"Hundreds of detained refugees and migrants, including children, were forced to move because of violence. Others are stranded in centers in dire conditions," Cappelaere said.

"UNICEF calls on all parties to the conflict in Libya to protect children at all times," the official added. "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 center."

Libya plunged into chaos in 2011, when the country's long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi was ousted in a NATO-backed uprising.

The North African country is currently split between two rival governments in the east and west, each backed by an array of rival militias.

The Tripoli-based GNA is recognized by the UN as the official government. The other government, known as the House of Representatives, is based in the eastern city of Tobruk and has the support of forces loyal to military strongman General Khalifa Haftar.

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Irked by genocide report, Myanmar army chief says UN has no right to 'interfere'

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 08:31AM

Striking a defiant tone, Myanmar's army chief says the United Nations has no right to meddle in his country's "internal" issues, a week after the world body's investigators called for him and fellow top generals to stand trial for "genocide" against minority Rohingya Muslims.

In a report released last Tuesday, UN investigators had said Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims faced four of five prohibited acts defined as genocide at the hands of Myanmar's military in the northwestern state of Rakhine, where the minority group is mainly based.

The report also said Myanmar's military  which has members in the parliament -- should be removed from politics and stripped of further influence over the country's governance.

Hours later, the International Criminal Court (ICC) said it had opened a preliminary investigation into the military's crimes, including killings, sexual violence and forced deportations, against the Rohingya Muslims, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled their villages in Rakhine to neighboring Bangladesh.

In his first public reaction to the UN's stance, Myanmarese commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing told his troops during a speech on Monday that no country, organization or group has the "right to interfere in and make decision over sovereignty of a country," the military-run Myawady newspaper reported.

"Talks to meddle in internal affairs (cause) misunderstanding," he added, rejecting UN calls for Myanmar's army to stay out of politics.

"Take a look at the democracy practices in the world, the countries exercise the democracy system suited to them," said the general.

Last week's UN report came a week after representatives of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar said at a presser that the country's army, led by Min, had carried out the "gravest crimes" against the Rohingya  including mass killings and rape -- with "genocidal intent."

Last year, Myanmar's armed forces, backed by Buddhist extremist mobs, launched a state-sponsored crackdown campaign against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, using a series of attacks on military posts by gunmen they linked to Rohingya as a pretext.

The crackdown  described by UN rights officials as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing  forced over 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, where they are camped in overcrowded refugee centers in dire living conditions.

Rohingya Muslims, who have lived in Rakhine State for many generations, are denied citizenship and branded illegal immigrants who hail from Bangladesh, by Myanmarese officials.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has come under fire -- including in the latest UN report and by prominent human rights organizations -- for remaining silent on the military's brazen brutalities against the minority community.

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(ANSA) - Rome, September 25 - Matteo Garrone's Dogman will be Italy's candidate for the next best foreign-language film Oscar, the selection committee set up by Anica said on Tuesday. Dogman beat off competition from 20 other Italian movies. The film is inspired by the story of Pietro De Negri, a dog groomer in Rome's Magliana neighbourhood who tortured and killed boxer Giancarlo Ricci after locking him up in a small cage in a case that shocked Italy 30 years ago.

Marcello Fonte won the best actor prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Dogman.

Garrone, 49, is best known for his hit 2008 movie Gomorrah about the Neapolitan movie based on the book of the same name by Roberto Saviano.

The Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22 ahead of the ceremony for the Academy Awards on February 24.

"I thank the commission for choosing Dogman, giving us this great opportunity of which we are very proud," said Garrone.

"The merit is also the humanity of Marcello Fonte, the performance of Edoardo Pesce, and the passion all of us put into this project.

"We well know that the selection is only the first step and that the road is long. But we are happy to start this new journey".

Release And Catch: Russia's Navalny Freed, Then Immediately Detained Again

RFE/RL September 24, 2018

Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny was detained immediately after his release following a 30-day jail term, and faces up to 20 additional days 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, his spokeswoman Kira 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 Putin's 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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/navalny-detained- again-while-being-released-after-serving- 30-day-jail-term/29506243.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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Challengers Defeat Pro-Kremlin Candidates In Regional Races

RFE/RL September 24, 2018

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 Krai 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 weren't bad. So why wasn't 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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-govenor-races- putin-khabarovsk-vladimir-ldpr/29506041.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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US Certifies Russian Tu-214 Aircraft for Open Skies Treaty Flights - Pentagon

Sputnik News

21:59 24.09.2018(updated 22:03 24.09.2018)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States has certified Russia's Tu-324 aircraft to operate under the Open Skies Treaty, Pentagon Spokesman Eric Pahon told Sputnik on Monday.

"The US signed the Certification Report for Russia's Tu-214 Open Skies aircraft on the margins of the Open Skies Consultative Commission meeting in Vienna today," Pahon said.

The certification was carried out by more than 70 experts from 23 member states of the treaty on September 2-11. The United States was the last member-country to sign the final certification protocol on Monday.

"The certification of a new observation aircraft allows us to expand the capability for effective observation flights, including over the territories of Great Britain, the United States and Canada," the head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, Sergei Ryzhkov, said, commenting on the US decision.

The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in 1992 to promote openness and transparency of military forces and activities in the post-Cold War period.

The treaty allows the member states to openly gather information on respective armed forces and their military activities during scheduled observation flights. The signatories include most of the NATO states, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and several others.

 Sputnik

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Russia to supply S300 to Syria in two weeks

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Moscow, Sept 24, IRNA -- Russia's defense minister, Sergey Shoygu, has announced it will provide advanced S300 missile defense system to Syria in the next two weeks.

In a statement published on the Russian Defense Ministry's website on Monday, Shoygu noted the S-300 missile system has high degree reliability and it will significantly increase the Syrian army's defense capability.

The top military official said the missile can hit targets up to 250 kilometers away.

Shoygu went on to say in 2013, Russia trained some Syrian military personnel to use the S-300 air defense units, however, it did not provide Syria with the missile. Now the situation has changed and the blame for the changes should not be put on Russia.

He also stated as a tactic, military headquarters will be equipped with an automatic system.

On Monday, last week, a Russian IL-20 aircraft was shot down by Israeli fighter jets over the Mediterranean Sea, leaving all 15 on board dead.

**2050

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US airstrikes have killed 3,300 civilians in Syria: Observatory

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 08:36AM

A pro-opposition monitoring group says US airstrikes have killed 3,331 civilians in Syria since they began four years ago.

"Among those killed are 826 children and 615 women," said head of the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Rami Abdel-Rahman.

The US and its allies have been bombarding what they call Daesh positions inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate. Such air raids began in Iraq in August of the same year.

The aerial assaults, however, have on many occasions resulted in civilian casualties and failed to fulfill their declared aim of countering terrorism.

The Britain-based group's report comes as Washington claims that its airstrikes killed just 1,061 civilians in both Syria and neighboring Iraq until July 30, 2018.

Rights groups have censured the US and its allies for not pursuing investigations of civilian casualties rigorously enough.

In June, Amnesty International announced that US attacks in Syria's Raqqah last year broke international law by endangering the lives of civilians and 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 back then.

US officials dealing with the Syria issue said early this month that "the administration is now resolved to stay in Syria longer than President Donald Trump previously indicated."

US marines recently held eight days of unprecedented military exercises with militants in southern Syria in what US military spokesman Colonel Sean Ryan described the drills as "a show of force".

The drills were held at the US military outpost in Tanf, located 24 km to the west from the al-Tanf border crossing between Syria and Iraq in Homs.

The US illegally built the military outpost in early 2016 under the pretext of fighting Daesh terrorists, but it has declared a 55 km-radius "deconfliction zone" off-limits to others, providing a safe haven for at least 50,000 militants and their families in the Rukban camp that lies within it.

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Russia says to give Syria S-300; plane incident to harm Israel ties

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 07:14AM

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says Russia will supply Syria with a modern S-300 system within two weeks and block the communication of planes bombing the country from the Mediterranean.

The announcement on Monday came a week after Russia blamed Israel for the downing of a Russian military plane in Syria, which killed 15 service members.

The downing has forced Moscow to take "adequate retaliatory measures to increase the safety of Russian military fighting international terrorism in Syria," Shoigu said in a televised address.

"A modern S-300 air defense missile system will be transferred to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks," he said, adding the system will significantly increase the Syrian army's combat capabilities.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said the downing of the Russian plane in Syria will harm relations with Israel, reiterating that Israeli pilots had acted deliberately.

"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.

The Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft 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 the Russia-run Hmeimim airbase.

Moscow says Israeli F-16 jets used the landing Russian plane as a "cover" which resulted in the Il-20 being struck by a Syrian air defense missile.

Shoigu said Russia will equip Syrian anti-aircraft units with Russian tracking and guidance systems in order to identify Russian aircraft.

"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.

"We are certain that the realization of these measures will cool the 'hot heads' and will keep them from poorly thought-out actions which threaten our servicemen," Shoigu added.

Russia first indicated supplying Syria with the S-300 in April but abandoned the plan apparently under lobbying by Israel. The missile system fires missiles from trucks and is designed to shoot down military aircraft and short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Russia warned Israel before downing

Russia had warned senior Israeli officials that attacking targets in Syria would harm Moscow's interests ahead of last week's incident during which a Russian military plane was downed in Syria, the Haaretz daily revealed Monday.

The paper quoted security officials as saying that Moscow had recently conveyed a message to Tel Aviv that attacking Syrian targets was against its goal to strengthen Syrian President Bashar Assad's legitimate government and end the fighting in the country.

According to the report, Israel has refused to change its policy in Syria despite the Russian message.

The Russian Defense Ministry presented its latest findings on the Il-20's downing on Sunday, blaming "misleading" information from the Israeli air force command for the downing of the Russian plane by Syria's S-200 missile defense system and holding the Israeli regime fully responsible for the tragic event.

"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 Il-20 plane," Major General Igor Konashenkov said.

Russia also accused Israel of using a hotline, set up between the two sides to avoid airborne collisions, to mislead Russia about its plans.

Konashenkov said an Israeli officer had told them about an operation in northern Syria while the jets were actually in Latakia, in the country's west.

"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.

Konashenkov also said the Israeli fighter jets deliberately used the Russian plane to shield them from Syrian air defense missiles after Israel hit targets near the coastal city of Latakia.

He also complained that Israel has, over the years, waited until the last minute to notify Russia of its operations, putting Russian aircraft at risk.

According to Haaretz, Israel fears that Russia can influence its military activity through demanding greater warning time, deciding to close the airspace or requiring that more advanced air defense systems be put in place as a signal to Israel, among other things.

The Israeli military on Sunday rejected Konashenkov's remarks, claiming that mechanisms to coordinate with Russia had been used properly ahead of the Il-20's downing.

"The Israel air force did not hide behind any aircraft and the Israeli planes were in Israeli airspace when the Syrian [missiles] hit the Russian plane," read the military statement.

Russian jets have been conducting air raids against Daesh and other terror outfits inside Syria at the Damascus government's request since September 2015.

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 government forces.

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U.S. Says Russia Supplying S-300 Missiles To Syria Is 'Major Mistake'

RFE/RL September 24, 2018

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 "I'm 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 Syria's 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

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/after-downing- of-russian-plane-moscow-to-supply-s-300- missile-system-to-syria/29506669.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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Delivery of S-300 to Syria to Increase Risk to US, Coalition Forces - State Dept

Sputnik News

22:07 24.09.2018(updated 22:41 24.09.2018)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russia's planned delivery of S-300 air defense systems to the Syrian government will increase the risk to the US-led coalition forces in Syria, a US Department of State official told Sputnik on Monday.

"The Russian delivery of further enhanced air defenses to the Assad regime will only raise the risk of escalation in an already dangerous environment and increase the risk to US and partnered forces conducting D-ISIS operations in Syria," the State Department official said in an interview for Sputnik.

"It also reconfirms Russia's continued protection of the Assad regime and ultimate responsibility for the regime's actions," the official added.

On September 17, a Russian Il-20 military aircraft was shot down by a Syrian air defense system while returning to the Hmeimim airbase some 22 miles off the Syrian coast. The Russian Defense Ministry said Israeli F-16 jets flying in the vicinity used the Russian aircraft as a shield against Syrian air defenses. The incident claimed the lives of 15 Russian servicemen.

The State Department official recalled that the Syrian anti-aircraft systems shot down Russia's aircraft.

"Introducing even more air defenses does not solve the problem of Syria's unprofessional and indiscriminate firing of missiles, or reduce the risk to regional aviation," the State Department official said.

In addition, the official characterized said the death of the Russian aircrew as "an unfortunate incident."

"It reminds us that the many overlapping conflicts in the region need permanent, peaceful, and political resolutions in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254," the official said.

The incident underlines "the danger of escalation in Syria's crowded theater of operations," and that "Iran must end its provocative transit of dangerous weapon systems through Syria that are a threat to the region," the official added.

Earlier on Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced measures on increasing security of Russian servicemen in response to the crash of Russian Il-20 military aircraft, which Russia believes Israel is responsible for. Shoigu explained Russia would equip the Syrian air defense forces' command posts with automatic control systems, which had been previously possessed only by Russia, jam satellite navigation, on-board radars and communication systems of combat aviation attacking Syrian targets and, most importantly, supply S-300 air defense systems to Syria.

 Sputnik

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New Data Clearly Indicates That Syrian S-200 Missile Targeted Israeli Jets - MoD

Sputnik News

20:08 24.09.2018(updated 20:43 24.09.2018)

Moscow has blamed the Israeli Air Force (IAF) for using the Russian Il-20 aircraft as cover, subjecting it to an attack by Syrian air defense systems.

The information was provided by the Russian S-400 fire control system based at Hmeymim Airbase in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry stated, adding that Israeli claims rejecting involvement in the Il-20 downing are false. According to that data, at least one Israeli jet flew at altitude of 10,000 meters, sharing azimuth with the Russian plane during the incident.

"Today's data no longer suggests, but clearly proves that the blame for the tragedy with the Russian Il-20 aircraft lies entirely with the Israeli air force and with those who authorized this kind of activity," the ministry's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said at a news briefing, adding that the data allows to track on a second-by second basis both the Israeli jets and S-200 missiles

Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Tel Aviv is ready to provide Moscow with all necessary information to facilitate the investigation, claiming that Syria was responsible for the downing of the Russian plane.

Addressing the situation, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated, in turn, that his country jam satellite navigation, on-board radars and communication systems over the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, also promising to deliver S-300 air defense systems to Syria

in order to secure the safety of the Russian soldiers. According to Shoigu, this move would "cool hotheads" and "prevent ill-considered actions" against Russian military.

 Sputnik

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Supplying Syria With S-300 Will Increase Security Risks - Netanyahu to Putin

Sputnik News

19:35 24.09.2018(updated 20:07 24.09.2018)

Following an incident with a Russian Il-20 plane downed in Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Moscow will deliver S-300 air defense systems to the country in order to "prevent ill-considered actions" threatening Russian servicemen.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin that supplying the weapons systems to "irresponsible players" would increase security risks in the region, adding that Israel would continue to protect its security.

Commenting on the issue earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov noted that the S-300 supplies would not affect relations between Russia and Israel, stressing that Moscow and Damascus have a sovereign right to supply and purchase weapons.

Russia decided to boost security in Syria after the downing of an Il-20 aircraft with 15 servicemen on board near Hmeymim Airbase. According to the Russian military, four Israeli F-16 military jets, which were attacking Syrian targets in the province of Latakia, used the Il-20 as cover, thus subjecting it to an attack by the Syrian air defenses, which led to the catastrophe.

Moscow blamed Israel for the incident, stating that the Israeli Air Force provided Russia with misleading information on its operations in Syria and informed the Russian side about the attack just one minute prior to the airstrikes.

 Sputnik

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(ANSA) - Rome, September 25 - Matteo Garrone's Dogman will be Italy's candidate for the next best foreign-language film Oscar, the selection committee set up by Anica said on Tuesday. Dogman beat off competition from 20 other Italian movies. The film is inspired by the story of Pietro De Negri, a dog groomer in Rome's Magliana neighbourhood who tortured and killed boxer Giancarlo Ricci after locking him up in a small cage in a case that shocked Italy 30 years ago.

Marcello Fonte won the best actor prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Dogman.

Garrone, 49, is best known for his hit 2008 movie Gomorrah about the Neapolitan movie based on the book of the same name by Roberto Saviano.

The Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22 ahead of the ceremony for the Academy Awards on February 24.

Russia Supplying S-300 to Syria to Have No Effect on Ties With Israel - Moscow

Sputnik News

17:16 24.09.2018(updated 17:19 24.09.2018)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia's decision to supply advanced S-300 air defense systems to Syria should not affect the relations between Russia and Israel, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stated.

"I do not think so, it should not," Bogdanov told reporters when asked whether the S-300 supplies would have a negative impact on the Russian-Israeli relations.

He added that it was Russia's and Syria's sovereign right to supply and purchase weapons.

Il-20 was 22 miles off the Syrian coast when it was shot down while returning to the Hmeymim airbase. At the same time, four Israeli F-16 jets were bombing Syrian targets in 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 incident claimed the lives of 15 Russian servicemen.

A member of the Russian parliament's upper house's defense committee, Frants Klintsevich, in his turn, has dubbed Moscow's decision to deliver its S-300 air defense systems to Syria "a forced step."

"This is a forced step It is clear that this measure by Russia is directly related to the Il-20 downing and Israel's reluctance to admit responsibility for the tragedy in the Syrian airspace," Klintsevich indicated.

The Russian senator also accused the Israeli military of further escalating the situation by its pledges to continue its airstrikes in Syria.

"In other words, this means that there are no guarantees that the incident will not happen again We have no other choice. We waited as long as it was possible, hoping for Israel's understanding. Unfortunately, this did not happen," Klintsevich stressed.

Earlier in the day, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia would supply Syria with S-300 air defense systems as part of Moscow's newly-adopted measures aimed at increasing security of Russian servicemen following the crash of a Russian Il-20 military aircraft on September 17.

The Russian Defense Ministry has put the blame for the downing on the Israeli Air Force that was carrying out an air operation against Syrian forces in the Latakia province at the time of the incident, saying that the Israeli jets used the Russian aircraft as a shield against Syrian air defense systems.

 Sputnik

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Syrian Army Shifts Forces From Idlib to Southern Syria to Eliminate Daesh

Sputnik News

17:01 24.09.2018(updated 19:46 24.09.2018)

With Moscow and Ankara striking a deal earlier this month to avert all-out war in Syria's Idlib province, the Syrian Army has decreased its commitment of forces in the area, suggesting President Assad intends on adhering to the terms of the agreement.

The Syrian Army General Command has ordered two divisions to transfer their forces to the Al-Suwayda government to stamp out Daesh's* presence in the area, Al-Masdar News (AMN) reported on Monday, citing a military source.

The 5th and 9th divisions have reportedly already left Idlib for southern Syria, looking to bolster the Syrian Army's contingent of forces there ahead of the government's final push to eliminate Daesh terrorists in the province.

In July, Daesh terrorists carried out a largescale attack in the predominantly Druze province, killing over 200 civilians and local militiamen, in addition to kidnapping dozens of girls, who are believed to have since been executed.

As the Syrian Army's heavily anticipated Idlib offensive has been called off, or at least postponed, further units are expected to be redeployed to more active battlefronts, as government forces continue to liberate the country from hardline Islamist militants.

On Sunday, government forces cut off entrenched Daesh terrorist's last water supplies in the Al-Suwayda government, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

Daesh's caliphate has been reduced a few isolated patches of territory, with the Syrian Army scoring sizeable territorial gains against the terror group in recent years, aided by Russian and Iranian assistance.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.

 Sputnik

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Russia to Send S-300 Anti-Missile System to Syria After Il-20 Crash - DM Shoigu

Sputnik News

12:04 24.09.2018(updated 14:07 24.09.2018)

The Russian Defense Ministry promised to take "adequate" measures to boost the security of Russian servicemen after the Israeli Air Force used the Russian Il-20 as a shield while attacking targets in Syria, which led to the downing of the aircraft by Syrian air defenses last week.

During a Monday briefing, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow will deliver the S-300 air defense 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 defense missile system within two weeks. It is capable of intercepting air threats at a range of more than 250 kilometers and simultaneously hitting several aerial targets," Shoigu said, adding that the S-300 would significantly boost Syria's combat capabilities.

Furthermore, Shoigu emphasized that command posts of the Syrian air defense forces would be equipped with automatic equipment that would ensure the identification of Russian aircraft by Syrian air defenses.

"Command posts of the Syrian troops and military air defense units will be equipped with automatic control system, which have been supplied only to the Russian Armed Forces. This will ensure the centralized management of all Syrian air defense 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.

The minister stated that Russia would jam satellite navigation, on-board radars and communication systems of combat aviation over the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

"Russia will jam satellite navigation, on-board radars and communication systems of combat aircraft, which attack targets in the Syrian territory, in the regions over the waters of the Mediterranean Sea bordering with Syria," Shoigu said.

Measures That Will Cool Hotheads

He proceeded to say that Moscow had halted the delivery of S-300s to Damascus back in 2013 at Israel's request, but the situation around the delivery has changed "through no fault of Russia."

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 defense 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," he said at the briefing.

Shoigu further stressed that if measures taken by Russia following the Il-20 crash over the Mediterranean fail to cool "hotheads," "we will have to respond in line with the situation."

"We are convinced that the implementation of these measures will cool hotheads and prevent ill-considered actions threatening our servicemen. Otherwise we will have to respond in line with the current situation," Shoigu stated.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Embassy in Russia has so far refused to comment on the statements made by Shoigu.

Addressing the possibility of high-level contacts between Russia and Israel following the announcement by the defense minister, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow would inform if there were any, adding that the decision was not directed at any third country.

Earlier this week, the Russian Defense Ministry accused the Israeli Air Force of providing misleading information about the area of the planned airstrikes on Syrian targets, thereby violating its agreement with Russia. Shortly after that, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated that Tel Aviv would continue its military operation in Syria despite the Il-20 incident.

"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 said.

Il-20 Downing

On September 17, the Russian Il-20 aircraft with 15 servicemen on board vanished from radar screens near Hmeymim Airbase in Syria. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the disappearance coincided with an attack by four Israeli F-16 military jets on Syrian targets in the province of Latakia.

The ministry stressed that the Israeli Air Force used the Russian reconnaissance plane as a cover, thus subjecting it to an attack by the Syrian air defenses, with a Syrian S-200 surface-to-air missile hitting the Russian Il-20 while trying to repel Israeli strikes. Israel, for its part, insisted that Syria was responsible for the downing and that by the time the plane was destroyed, the four F-16 were already on their way home.

 Sputnik

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Russia to Supply New Missile Defense System to Syria

By VOA News September 24, 2018

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.

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Taiwan minister will not attend defense industry conference in U.S.

ROC Central News Agency

2018/09/24 17:11:49

Taipei, Sept. 24 (CNA) Defense minister Yen De-fa () will not attend an annual defense industry conference between Taiwan and the United States this year after the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced Monday that instead, a deputy minister will attend the event.

Deputy Defense Minister Chang Guan-chung () will attend the U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2018 Oct. 28-30 in Annapolis, Maryland, the ministry said in a statement.

The announcement ended media speculation that Yen could be one of the few Taiwanese defense ministers to attend the meeting after the organizer, the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council, sent him an invitation.

Since 2002, when the non-profit American organization held the first U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Taiwanese delegation has always been headed by a deputy defense minister, except for 2002 and 2008.

In 2002, then-Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-ming () gave a keynote speech at the maiden conference. Six years later in 2008, then-Defense Minister Chen Chao-min () did the same at the 7th conference.

In the statement, the MND explained that the regular U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference is an interaction activity in which discussions are made by the relevant industries of the two sides on defense industry cooperation and development.

The conference is a "non-governmental platform," the ministry said.

This year, the talks at the conference will focus on issues concerning industrial cooperation and security, it said, so the gathering will be attended by Chang, who knows the defense industry well.

The ministry further said that it welcomes any activity that helps the development of the country's defense industry and will take the initiative to have a presence so that it can detail Taiwan's defense self-sufficiency policies and administrative stance.

It stressed that this will allow all the relevant U.S. sectors to know about Taiwan's needs for developing its national defense industry, hence boosting bilateral industrial cooperation and reinforcing Taiwan's self-defense momentum.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Elizabeth Hsu)

Enditem/J

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Turkish authorities order to arrest 61 soldiers over affiliation to Gulen movement

Iran Press TV

Mon Sep 24, 2018 03:15PM

Turkish authorities have ordered the arrest of 61 soldiers from the navy and land forces, including senior officers, on suspicion of affiliation to a movement led by US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of having masterminded and orchestrated the mid-July 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

According to a report by Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency on Monday, 18 of those ordered to be detained were on active duty as part of a probe into the Turkish Land Forces Command and the Turkish Naval Forces Command.

Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued the arrest warrants on Monday as part of a probe into the Turkish Land Forces Command and the Turkish Naval Forces Command, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

It also said that 18 of those suspects were on-duty servicemen, adding that the total number of those ordered to be detained included 13 majors and 12 captains from the land forces and 24 first lieutenants from the navy.

In a separate report on Monday, Anadolu said that Istanbul police detained 21 people, who were accused of using an encrypted messaging application, known as ByLock, allegedly used by members of the Gulen movement.

It added that the arrests were made after police forces conducted anti-terror raids at 54 locations in 24 districts of the city.

According to Istanbul police, most of those detained were teachers who formerly taught at the network's schools or public institutions.

During the attempted coup, a faction of the Turkish military declared that it had seized control of the country and the government of Erdogan was no more in charge. The attempt was, however, suppressed a few hours later.

Gulen has denounced the "despicable putsch" and reiterated that he had no role in it.

Turkish officials have frequently called on their US counterparts to extradite Gulen, but their demands have not been taken heed of yet.

Turkey has been engaged in suppressing the media and opposition groups suspected to have played a role in the failed coup.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of having links to Gulen and the failed coup. More than 110,000 others, including military staff, civil servants and journalists, have been sacked or suspended from work over the same accusations.

The international community and rights groups have been highly critical of the Turkish president over the massive dismissals and the crackdown.

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Erdogan US Visit Seen as Opportunity to Reset Ties

By Dorian Jones September 24, 2018

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 KP 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.

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UK Media Claims Royal Navy Didn't Send Subs to Hit Syria Due to Lack of Assets

Sputnik News

09:59 24.09.2018(updated 10:03 24.09.2018)

In early September, a number of media outlets reported that the UK had dispatched a nuclear-powered submarine carrying cruise missiles capable of hitting ground targets, to the Mediterranean.

The UK didn't send its submarines to the Mediterranean to strike Syrian government forces amid expected false flag chemical attacks in the country, the Daily Mail reported, citing an unnamed source in the Ministry of Defense.

"We had no assets on location," the insider said.

According to the media outlet, UK Prime Minister Theresa May ordered airstrikes against Syria earlier this year in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons, while other British news agencies reported that submarines loaded with cruise missiles were on their way to the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail suggested that the UK's Armed Forces are "under-equipped, underfunded and under-trained."

The authors of the article conducted an investigation into the state of British defense capabilities and concluded that due to spending cuts imposed by the government, the Army, Navy and RAF "all struggle to meet day-to-day commitments" to protect the UK and take part in NATO's collective security, let alone prepare to respond to other potential new threats.

The media outlet further cited some statistics suggesting that at the climax of the Cold War, the army was 163,000 strong, but that now the strength is around half that figure as a result of a number of reforms launched under David Cameron's government in 2010.

Moreover, the new government seeks to reduce that number to 50,000, "at which point the British Army, once feared and revered all over the world" would be half the size of the French army and smaller than armed forces in Italy, Spain and Germany, the Daily Mail wrote.

The news agency claimed that in February 2017, 21 of the RAF's 67 Tornado GR4 bombers and 43 of its Typhoon fighters were "in bits," while the British military showed the worst results during drills held last year in the US because all the weapons at their disposal were inadequate for military operations.

Earlier this month, several media outlets reported that a British Trafalgar-class submarine, the HMS Talent, had sailed into Gibraltar. The sub has the capacity to carry up to 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles, capable of striking ground targets.

The reports came amid the Syrian army's looming offensive against remaining terrorists in the province of Idlib and multiple warnings issued by the Russian Defense Ministry that militants were preparing provocations with the use of chemical weapons in the same region.

Moscow further warned that terrorists might blame the attack on the Syrian government in order to provoke a new round of Western airstrikes against Damascus.

 Sputnik

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NEW YORK - Libya's dossier ''is not a French-Italian issue but of all of Europe'', Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero said in his first day in New York for the UN General Assembly.

The Libyan dossier will top the agenda in New York and the Italian minister has several days to work to ensure Italy has a leading role in the Mediterranean, involving all of Europe and the international community - without turning diplomatic efforts into a strong arm between Rome and Paris.

The objective of the Italian government is not just to reach an international conference on Libya to be held in Sicily mid-November, likely in Sciacca, but also to give more visibility to the event and as much importance as possible. This is why officials are hoping in the participation of US President Donald Trump or, as 'plan B', of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

It will thus be important to see whether Premier Giuseppe Conte will have the occasion to meet with the US president, strengthening the excellent relation so-far forged with him. The first occasion will be provided by a lunch on Tuesday hosted by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for all heads of State and government.

Meanwhile, the European Union's foreign ministers are taking advantage of their joint presence in New York - together with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini - to find a common solution to the Libyan dossier before it is too late. The effort is to tackle differences of positions that led to the failure of the Macron plan to hold elections in the North African country by the end of the year.

Meanwhile other countries, notably Italy, are asking for a real stabilization of the country before the vote.NYSE American Symbol  UEC

CORPUS CHRISTI, Sept. 25, 2018 - Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE American: UEC, the "Company" or "UEC") is pleased to announce USA TODAY published an Op-Ed on September 20, by UEC Chairman Spencer Abraham titled "Domestic uranium necessary for national security, healthy nuclear energy programs." Mr. Abraham is a former U.S. Secretary of Energy and U.S. Senator.

In the USA TODAY piece, Secretary Abraham expresses the need for a healthy U.S. uranium industry, its importance for national security, and the risks the country is facing from overdependence on foreign uranium.

He also applauds the current administration in their actions to implement constructive policies aimed at rebuilding and maintaining a vibrant domestic uranium and nuclear power industry.

The following is provided with the permission of USA TODAY.

USA TODAY

Domestic uranium is necessary for national security, healthy nuclear energy programs

Spencer Abraham | Opinion contributor

Published 7:00 a.m. ET Sept. 20, 2018

America used to export uranium, but now it is dependent on other countries. In order to protect ourselves, we need to increase uranium mining.

When I served as Energy secretary under President George W. Bush, our administration was deeply concerned that over 50% of our oil was imported, with much of it coming from unstable places. We considered this a major national security matter.

Today, that national security concern has been solved through a combination of American ingenuity, technology and fully embracing our abundant natural resources. But now, we face a similar national security challenge. The U.S. nuclear fleet, generating 20% of this country's electricity (and about 60% of our carbon-free energy) has become almost entirely dependent on foreign uranium, much of it from countries with elevated geopolitical risks.

At its peak in 1980, U.S. uranium production stood at 43.7 million pounds, enough to supply all of our U.S. reactors and a substantial portion of our allies' requirements.

In 2017, U.S. uranium production was less than 2.4 million pounds, accounting for about 5% of the nation's requirements, even though our uranium reserves are sufficient to meet our domestic demand.

Please click here: https://usat.ly/2PQfx3K for the full article.

About Uranium Energy Corp

Uranium Energy Corp. is a U.S.-based uranium mining and exploration company. The Company's fully-licensed Hobson Processing Facility is central to all of its projects in South Texas, including the Palangana ISR mine, the permitted Goliad ISR project and the development-stage Burke Hollow ISR project. In Wyoming, UEC controls the permitted Reno Creek ISR project. Additionally, the Company controls a pipeline of advanced-stage uranium projects in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Paraguay, and a large, high-grade titanium project in Paraguay. The Company's operations are managed by professionals with a recognized profile for excellence in their industry, a profile based on many decades of hands-on experience in the key facets of uranium exploration, development and mining.

Stock Exchange Information:

NYSE American: UEC

WKN: AJDRR

ISN: US916896103

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans, "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, the actual results of exploration activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation or realization of mineral resources, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking 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 such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usa-today-publishes-an-op-ed-article-from-uranium-energy-corp-chairman-spencer-abraham-on-us-uranium-and-national-security-300717945.html

SOURCE Uranium Energy Corp.Refiners Plan to Reduce Oil Imports as Crude Prices Touch Near 4-Year High Business oi-Olga Robert

In order to curb the foreign exchange outflows, the state-run refineries are planning to reduce crude oil imports. Sanjiv Singh, the chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on Monday told PTI that the company was looking at optimizing its inventory level without disturbing the domestic fuel supply in the country. Another report by Reuters quoted the director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) looking at options to reduce inventory as a coordinated effort among investors to cut costs.

The decision comes in the light of surging crude oil prices. International crude benchmark Brent has now reached $81.45 a barrel in five weeks from $71 per barrel. Additionally, the Indian rupee fell to new lows in the last one month, now nearing $73/dollar rate, making imports costlier.

In India, the petrol prices have hit new all-time highs at Rs 82.86 per litre in New Delhi, Rs 84.68 in Kolkata, Rs 90.22 in Mumbai and Rs 86.13 in Chennai.

The oil prices are rising due to the looming tension over US sanctions on Iranian imports starting 4 November. The Trump administration has been pressurizing governments and countries around the world to cut its purchases from Iran. US President Trump also demanded that the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) should increase its supply to compensate for the shortage from Tehran.

Iran is the third largest oil producer among OPEC.

Further, on Sunday, despite Trump's demand, the OPEC after a meeting with its allies in Algeria, announced that it would not increase its output unless its customer demands for cargoes increase.

Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and Iran on Tuesday said they were determined to develop payment mechanisms to continue trading despite the sanctions by the US, but a Reuters report suggested that most analysts expect the sanctions to knock between 1 million and 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil supplies out of global market.Mr. Choi Hung, father of Rev. Francis Choi, passed away on April 23, 2020. He was 91 years old. His faithfulness, passion, and dedication to God was manifested in his tender love for his own family and for his church. Rev. Francis Choi would like to express his love and reverence for his father through the following letter to him who just arrived in heaven.Former PM Valls to run for Barcelona mayor At head of civic platform with Ciudadanos

(ANSAmed) - MADRID, SEPTEMBER 25 - Amid a highly charged atmosphere, former socialist French prime minister Manuel Valls has confirmed that he will announce at a press conference at 7 PM on Tuesday whether he plans to run for Barcelona mayor.



The local elections will be held on May 26, 2019.



The press conference will be held at the Barcelona Contemporary Cultural Center (CCCB), said a spokesman for the Assemblee Nationale representative, former mayor of Evry and former French interior minister.



Born 56 years ago in Barcelona to a Catalan father and a Swiss-Italian painter, Valls became a French citizen when he was 18.



He will on Tuesday be announcing his entrance into Catalan politics at the head of a cross-sectional civic platform that includes Ciudadanos. ''The situation in Catalan obliges everyone to take on their responsibility'' as concerns Barcelona, the Ciudadanos leader in Catalonia, Ines Arrimadas, said. ''Once Valls' candidature is made official, we will find the best formula for it to be winning''. No further details were provided on the alliance. The Catalan Socialist Party and Partido Popular have refused to join a unified candidature against the current mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, from Bercelona en Comu, and that of independent parties, not yet made official. (ANSAmed).



France calls for Aquarius to disembark on Malta NGO says ship has resumed sailing towards France

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, SEPTEMBER 25 - France has suggested that the Aquarius, which is carrying 58 rescued migrants, dock in a Maltese port instead of Marseille, a source at the president's office said. ''We are clear on the fact that it shouldn't spend four to five days at sea going towards France or Spain or anywhere," the source was quoted by French media on condition of anonymity. "It needs to dock soon and it is close to Malta at the moment." The reference is to the time it would take to sail to Marseille, as asked for by the NGO SOS Mediterranee. The source said that it was necessary to ''disembark rapidly'' and ''today (the Aquarius, Ed.) is near Malta''. Meanwhile, the ship has resumed sailing northwards, towards France, the NGO said in a tweet. (ANSAmed).



AMMAN - The Jordan government referred a controversial income tax bill to the Parliament for deliberation, weeks after nationwide protests forced the former to withdraw the bill and resign, MPs and sources said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the parliament has called for an urgent session on Wednesday to include the bill in future discussion ahead of an expected yes vote. Prime minister Omar al Razaz has recently drove a charm offense through visiting villages and towns to speak to residents about the proposed law, which seeks to raise up to JD 300 million a year through a new system that would widen base of tax payers. Amendments to the law were said to have been made "based on dialogues with associations, political parties and other institutions of civil society," said the government in a statement run by the official news agency, Petra.

Activists have urged the government to focus on fighting deeply rooted corruption to bleeding in public spending.

The government has said it was driven by obligations to the IMF concerning the new tax regime, promising improved public services and serious battle against tax evasion and corruption in the public sector. Earlier this month, ministry of finance said that foreign debt stands at 95.3 percent of the GDP, while annual growth remains very slow due to lack of foreign investment and shut down borders with Syria and Iraq. Observers told ANSA the law is expected to be rubber stamped by the parliament, but wide protests across the country remain possibility.

Migrants -12% in EU in Q2 2018, -60% in Italy On the year, most asylum requests in Germany and France

(ANSAmed) - BRUSSELS, SEPTEMBER 25 - The number of new asylum seekers in the EU dropped by 12% in the second quarter of 2018 on the year and rose by 4% on the first quarter of the year. In Italy, the figure dropped by 60% on the year and by 23% o the quarter. In the EU, there were 137,000 asylum requests filed in the second quarter, like in 2014 and before the 2015-2016 peak, Eurostat underscored. Most of the requests were filed in Germany (33,700, or 25%), France (26,100, or 19%), Greece (16,300, or 12%), Spain (16,000, 12%) and Italy (13,700, or 10%). (ANSAmed).



School culture can have a variety of descriptors, that are not universally identified. In many ways it is similar to the characterization of pornography by Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart: I know it when I see it (Jacobellis v. Ohio, 1964).

School culture is the set of core values that shape patterns of behavior, attitudes and expectations in a school. For educators it can be associated with morale, job satisfaction, and effectiveness, as well as to student learning, achievement, and school safety. The culture in a school can support or limit student learning. It also impacts every action and decision in a school, from management by school administration, how curriculum and classroom materials are selected, all the way down to the interaction of students.

Educators seeks to promote safe, supportive learning environments that cultivate academic growth for all students. If we want to develop all children into healthy and productive citizens, we must also develop their essential social, emotional, and intellectual skills. This means we need to address some of the more critical issues many educators in our public schools face: chronic discipline issues with students with behavior issues that cannot be easily addressed in a classroom setting, with an unsupportive school climate. Engaged students rarely cause discipline problems.

Chronic Behavior Problems

The United States Department of Education has pushed back against the zero tolerance policies put in place in many states in recent years. In some cases, this was certainly justified. The most passionate proponents of zero tolerance have expanded the scope of student discipline to include the juvenile justice system. In this situation, an offending student is arrested and charged with a crime in addition to receiving a suspension or expulsion.

Our state and local policies, must consider a very tiered approach to student discipline. Good policies should be grounded on a plan developed by educators in the district, on a school by school basis, if needed. A one size fits all approach is unlikely to work. Texas Appleseed, an organization that seeks to derail the school to prison pipeline, offers these recommendations to schools and districts:

Develop, implement, and regularly evaluate a schoolwide disciplinary plan that employs research-based strategies that have been shown to reduce the number of disciplinary referrals.

Ensure that expectations for behavior and consequences for misbehavior are well defined, easily understood, and well publicized to faculty, staff, students, and parents.

Regularly recognize and positively reward genuine good behavior.

Provide ongoing teacher and staff training in positive behavior management, as well as training to enhance cultural competency and the ability to form a positive relationship with parents and students.

Adopt formalized, campus-based programs to monitor at-risk students to prevent escalating disciplinary action and support their success in school.

Strengthen transition planning, monitoring, and support of students upon their return to school from a disciplinary suspension or alternative school placement.

Engage parents/guardians as partners in reinforcing positive behaviors at school.

It is true that suspensions, alternative school placements, and expulsions, should not be a first step on student discipline. However, it must be included as an option and deterrent to chronic behavior issues. There are also some behaviors that may warrant more severe punishment. The underlying principle: all students and educators should feel safe in their classrooms.

Statewide Initiative

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System has implemented an innovative and more comprehensive effort to address some of these issues, which could be a model for other districts in the state. CMCSS is working to enhance emotional health and substance abuse and suicide prevention efforts on campus in order to ensure that schools have the strongest possible mental health safety nets in place. This benefits all stakeholders. It is also one of their strategic goals. This Mental Health Initiative is designed to assist students as they transition into thriving adults.

All districts should look to enhance their behavioral programs, including mental health, bullying and suicide prevention programming and systems. They must develop expert resources and create partnerships so that students have the support they need, when and how they need it. We must educate and assist the professionals in our classrooms and schools to learn to leverage this assistance when and how they need it, as well.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Strategic Plan (below) is innovative. It outlines how Clarksville-Montgomery County approached their strategic work of providing resources and supports to meet students needs social and emotional needs. This has been a long-term initiative of Professional Educators of Tennessee to address the growing behavior problems in all of our schools, assist social workers, and identify support for parents.

In 2019, we must consider a statewide school initiative for our next governor and state policymakers to champion. When the home life is stable, test scores and learning will improve. The learning environment increases school productivity. More importantly, we dont lose our best and most highly qualified educators due to the stress of the environment with increased behavioral problems and disciplinary action. We must be proactive.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Strategic Plan

This could be a model for other LEAs across the state, and something the state could model nationally. It will require coordination and better collaboration.

Principal Action Plans that focus on helping students: understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for other, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

General purpose budget Mental Health proposal. Contracted service with Mental Health Co-op to provide immediate mental health support to the neediest students. Provides immediate psychological and psychiatric support regardless of a student being in general ed or special ed and/or families insurance situation.

General Purpose budget added 12.5 Guidance Counselors to schools to help support the new TN Guidance Counselor Model that states that Guidance Counselors must spend 80 percent of their time directly working with students in the classroom, small groups, and/or individual counseling.

Joint Safety Grant with CMCSS, County Sheriff Department, and City Police Department added an Elementary Lead Counselor to work with Elementary Counselors and Social Workers on best practice and resource support of Social Emotional Learning in their elementary schools. They already had a Lead Counselor for Middle and High School.

Redistributed some existing Title I grant funding to provide an age appropriate alternative school experience for elementary students that have chronic behavior needs and/or have behaved in a way that jeopardizes that safety of the school, themselves, or others. This is a temporary placement that works on regulating the students behavior and provides a transition plan for when they transition back to their school of origin.

Used Title IV funding to add a Social Worker to the elementary alternative school placement.

J.C. Bowman

Executive Director of Professional Educators of TennesseeMigrants: 'France says no' to Aquarius, Le Maire 'For now' Paris not willing to open Marseille port

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, SEPTEMBER 25 - French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire told Bfm-TV-Rmc that ''so far, France says no'' to opening the port of Marseille to migrant-rescue vessel Aquarius with 58 migrants on board. Le Maire was replying to a question on whether France was willing to accept the request by the NGO operating the vessel, Sos Mediterranee.



Interviewed live during the program of Jean-Jacques Bourdin, the minister said that ''so far France says no'' to the arrival of the Aquarius in Marseille.



''If we don't define common rules, we will not be able to confront the challenge of immigration'', he warned, once again insisting - like other members of the French government - on the need for a common solution. Citing ''European rules'', Le Maire added that the humanitarian ship ''needs to dock at the nearest port not in Marseille''. He added that France takes its responsibilities by welcoming a quota of refugees but ''we must say no to economic migration''.



Yesterday, top officials representing Sos Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders (Msf) launched a solemn call to the administration of French President Emmanuel Macron to ''exceptionally'' open the port of Marseille to the 58 migrants aboard the Aquarius. But Paris refused. ''Humanity - said last night government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux - means letting the ship dock at the nearest and safest port. It is through cooperation with our European partners that we will provide a solution. Let's not fall into the trap that some have set''.



(ANSAmed).



Tunisia: president announces end of unity with Ennhadha 'No more consensus'

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, SEPTEMBER 25 - Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi has announced the end of relations with Islamic party Ennhadha, a member of the national unity government coalition.



''There will be no more consensus between Caid Essebsi and Ennahdha'', said the head of State during an interview to private channel El Hiwar Ettounsi. He added that the decision came from Ennhadha. ''After five years of unity since the meeting in Paris, Ennahdha last week decided to end the collaboration, at it's initiative'', said Rached Ghannouchi. ''We don't agree anymore'', added the president.



Essebsi spoke about Tunisia's main political issues, starting with elections scheduled in 2019, which he said must take place, and the crisis of the party which he co-founded, Nidaa Tounes, shaken by an internal rift for more than a year. A congress, according to Essebsi, will decide its future.



Speaking about Premier Chahed, the president clearly said that he advised him to seek a new vote of confidence in Parliament, although it was only advice, he said, and that he hopes he will succeed in ending the legislature, given he was the one to propose him as prime minister.



The president however said that he believes the national unity government is finished and that the Constitution needs to be reformed along with the electoral law. ''But it will not be up to me to do this'', said the president, who did not clarify whether he will be running in the 2019 election or not.



(ANSAmed).



GREENWICH  Heavy, sustained downpours throughout Tuesday caused flooding around Greenwich and the region, closing roads and keeping emergency crews on the move.

Its been busy weather-related, Greenwich Deputy Fire Chief Tom Nixon said. We didnt have any rescues, but weve been busy with water issues at residences.

By late afternoon, Greenwich firefighters had been dispatched to 19 homes in town to make sure everything is safe, Nixon said. Firefighters made sure electrical systems and other utilities deluged by water were turned off temporarily.

Town Emergency Management Director Dan Warzoha said Mallard Drive in Milbrook was impassable due to flooding and a stranded vehicle  a bus.

Weve got a lot of issues, Warzoha said. A lot of flooding issues, on Route 1, and homes with water in them.

Multiple cars traveled through floodwaters on North Main Street in Port Chester, N.Y., as it crosses the state border into Greenwich. One car was damaged by the high water.

Heavy rainfall during the day caused flooding on roadways throughout both states.

In Stamford, police and firefighters were dispatched to assist flooded motorists in at least three areas of the city.

Flooded cars were reported on Broad Street near Mill River, under the railroad bridge on Elm Street and under the Myrtle Street railroad bridge. While most got out of their own cars without assistance, firefighters were called out to help a driver with water rising under the Elm Street bridge.

Flooded cars were also being reported on Palmer Avenue, Research Drive, Larkin and on West Main Street near Alvord Lane. Thirty one children and their bus driver were reported stranded on Dale Street, and police called for a heavy wrecker to pull them out of the water.

In Norwalk, police said Connecticut Avenue near Lowes, Stop & Shop and Scribner Avenue was heavily flooded. They advised people to stay off the roads because flooding was occurring pretty much everywhere.

Also, they advised people not to not attempt to drive through the puddles, tweeting turn around, dont drown, on Twitter.

West Avenue near the new mall was flooded, and vehicles were having trouble getting off Route 7. Many smaller roads near the bottoms of hills  including East Rocks Road near St. Marys Lane and Bettwood Road  had large puddles.

A flash flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service, initially expected to last through 4 p.m. However, the warning was then extended until 6:15 p.m.

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other drainage areas and low-lying spots, the NWS said. Turn around, dont drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

Police were closing roads around Stamford that are determined to be too deep in water to travel. Reports were also coming in from police of manhole covers being blown off by water.

Traffic jams were reported on I-95 southbound in Norwalk due to flooding on the highway between Exits 18 and 15.GREENWICH  The numbers werent staggering, but volunteers registering voters at Greenwich High School Tuesday said the effort was worth it.

By the numbers we may not be successful, but were excited to be generating awareness, volunteer Cathy Steel said.

A dozen Greenwich High students became registered voters through a drive run by the League of Women Voters. But league members said their purpose for being at the school was also to inspire those still too young to vote this election cycle.

Sept. 25 has been deemed National Voter Registration Day since 2012. The Greenwich league got on board last year, collecting 20 registration forms from drives at Neighbor to Neighbor, the Boys and Girls Club and the YWCA, Steel said.

In 2017, A GHS civics class registered students, but volunteers from the league took over this year.

Its great that Greenwich High School is open to having us here, volunteer Barbara Kavanagh said. Its another part of enriching students lives.

The volunteers manned a booth in the middle of the student center, and walked among the senior tables every 30 minutes to drum up interest, which resulted in a slow trickle of students. Some already had registered when they received their drivers licenses, while many others will not turn 18 until after the election.

Senior Allesia Martinoli filled out a form during lunch. Social issues, including LGBT rights, gun control, animal rights and global warming, motivate her to become informed about the political positions of different candidates, she said, and will similarly motivate her to get to the polls on Election Day.

Everything is becoming polarized, and we need to research a lot about candidates, she said.

She and many of her peers were shocked when they learned in their civics class, a required semester-long class, that many people abstain from voting, she said.

Some only care about presidential elections, when state elections are equally important, she added.

She cited affirmative action in college admissions as a political issue she and her peers discuss often, saying minority students benefit from it directly, but not all students see it that way.

They dont realize some people need help, she said.

Martinoli later returned to pick up a registration form for her mother.

When you incorporate awareness, you dont know whose life youre touching, Kavanagh said as the senior walked away.

Senior Morgan Perna turns 18 next month, and recently began weighing how she would vote on abortion rights.

She and Martinoli both plan to remain independent, for now.

I have views on both sides, Perna said. Id love to keep my own views.

Steel had to turn away a few students who turn 18 on or just after Election Day, who wondered if the state makes special provisions for those who barely miss the cut-off day. These students will have another chance to register in June, when volunteers return to GHS before graduation.

The leagues presence was important for spreading awareness, said Lucy Arecco, the administrator of both Bella House and the social studies program.

Even if you cant register today, at least youll think about it, she said.

Social media has changed how and when students get involved in politics, she said.

Theres always been a feeling that voting doesnt have much of an impact, she said. So much of activism is promoted by social media, they see more of a direct impact of marches and walkouts, which spread like wildfire.

Arecco emphasizes to her students that being politically active means keeping up with current events and being able to form and defend opinions as much as it does voting and marching.

Students need to understand that action in Washington, D.C., affects their daily lives, Arecco said.

Theres the perception that the everyday person is isolated from government and politics, she said. I want kids to understand what politicians decide does impact them.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.comGREENWICH  Obesity, depression, substance abuse, suicide attempts and cancer. Many adults with these conditions can trace them back to negative experiences as children.

Before turning 18, these adults may have witnessed or experienced abuse or neglect; endured poverty; watched their parents divorce; or lived with a parent who abused drugs or alcohol, had a mental illness or was incarcerated. Childhood development psychologists call these adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs.

They add up. Adults with four adverse childhood experiences double their risk of heart disease. Those with an ACE score of five are eight times more likely to become an alcoholic. Those with a score of six or more decrease their life expectancy on average by 20 years.

These findings come from a landmark study that is now the subject of a documentary called Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope. Greenwich United Way will screen the film for the community for free at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Greenwich Library Cole Auditorium.

The story it tells is so clear and so powerful that everybody has got to see it, said clinical psychologist Janice Gruendel, who will moderate a discussion after the screening.

Gruendel has facilitated screenings of the documentary up and down the East Coast. She returns to Greenwich after she helped the United Way earlier this year roll out its Early Childhood Achievement Gap Solutions program, which helps at-risk kids catch up to their peers before elementary school through parent education and access to preschool.

Neuroscience has changed dramatically in the past decade, Gruendel said. The prominent belief was once that children did not remember many of their earliest experiences. Now, brain scans show how prolonged exposure to trauma floods childrens brains with stress hormones. In large quantities, these hormones cripple their ability to respond to adverse situations and have long-term health consequences, she said.

Now, whole communities are looking at the factors that stress families, she said. We can save a lot of money if we address this early.

The United Way is lucky to have Gruendel as a moderator, United Way CEO David Rabin said.

She is a riveting speaker, very compelling and impactful and knowledgeable, he said. I dont have a long list of heroes in my life, but she joined my list, with what shes been through and her knowledge of neuroscience.

Resilience relates directly to the United Ways Parents As Teachers program, one method the organization uses to close the achievement gap, Rabin said. The program pairs trained professionals with new parents to teach them important tools for raising a family.

Parents As Teachers has been implemented in cities and towns across the nation. In some communities, it has reduced domestic abuse  the most prevalent violent crime in Greenwich  by more than 20 percent, Rabin said.

Family Centers, a nonprofit and partner of the United Way, is recruiting families with children 4 months old or younger who meet income eligibility guidelines, Rabin said.

Educators will work with parents on meeting needs from child care and workforce development to time management and paying bills on time, United Ways Director of Community Impact Robert Moore said.

The program, tailored to each familys needs, lasts three years, ideally starting before a child is born and ending when the child enters preschool, Moore said. Educators will use data to track the childs development and the familys progress.

Other common sources of trauma in town include substance misuse, such as opioids, domestic violence and a lack of mental health resources, specifically, child psychologists, Moore said.

Greenwich Public Schools have been examining the impact of traumatic experiences in a childs life and on their ability to learn, Director of Communications Kim Eves said in an email. School administrators will be attending the screening, she said.

The screening will be a good opportunity for district leaders to get a sense of trauma science and advance discussions, Hamilton Avenue Principal John Grasso said.

Im very enthusiastic about the fact were going to see that movie, he said. The sooner we acknowledge trauma and understand it, the better.

As schools and teachers take on more responsibility in social-emotional learning, understanding the causes of trauma and the effect traumatic home experiences have on classroom behavior is critical, he said.

Grasso is working to increase trauma awareness among his Hamilton Avenue staff, from elementary teachers to custodians, so they can support children, help them feel safe at school and establish trust.

Everyone needs to understand that this is a thing, and that we have to present ourselves to students in a certain way, with consistency, he said.

Grasso is still investigating how Hamilton Avenue can be trauma-resilient. Part of that inquiry involved meeting with a school climate consultant from the state Department of Education, who has since lead workshops with Julian Curtiss and New Lebanon schools.

Greenwich, with all the organizations it has that want to roll up their sleeves and help, can impact kids, where other districts strapped for funding cannot, he said.

We need to publicize that for the sake of our community, Grasso said. Im feeling that a place like Greenwich can truly make a difference.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.comGREENWICH  To Stan Litow, big business and major corporations have too often been cast as the villains in the story of America, and he is committed to showing people the perception does not match reality.

Litow, the former vice president of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs for IBM, is the author of the new book, The Challenge for Business and Society: From Risk to Reward.

He will discuss the book 7 p.m. Thursday at Greenwich Librarys Cole Auditorium.

Twice named CEO of the Year by Corporate Responsibility Magazine, Litow is also a former deputy chancellor for the New York City Public Schools.

His book centers on criticism of the private sector, including from the left and the right in the political sphere.

People think the role of corporations is all negative but Im going to focus on the history of corporations, Litow said. That means talking about things like the age of the robber barons and modern problems like Bernie Madoff, but theres so much more to talk about too. There are so many examples of positive behavior in the private sector and of real, genuine leaders in it that are helping Americans every day.

More News IBM exec to speak on corporate citizenship at Greenwich Library

Litow said he will discuss how benefits like private pensions and health care for employees came not from government but from major corporations.

Progressive labor practices came from corporations and leaders who were ahead of what governments and non-profit organizations were doing, Litow said. These came from the private sector.

IBM, which Litow still serves as president emeritus of the IBM Foundation, helped push the government to create Social Security, Litow said, and integrated its plants in places like Lexington, Ky. in 1955, which he said helped lead to schools being integrated.

I will also look at where we are today and how it mirrors in a lot of ways where we were historically, Litow said. We have a lot of examples of bad behavior today, but we also have companies that are doing very progressive things today.

Litow will focus part of his speech on a program he is passionate about, IBMs Corporate Service Corps  designed as a corporate version of the Peace Corps.

Litow said people need to know about programs like it.

We have many examples of companies that are speaking out on immigration reform and racial equality and gender equality, long before government did, Litow said. Its very important that we move from the rhetoric to the facts. The message of my talk and my book is not that all corporations are good. The message is about ethics and values. Weve had bad behavior and examples of good behavior. Thats where ethics and values come in.

There is no charge to attend the library event, but space is limited. People can register online by using the librarys calendar at www.greewichlibrary.org.

Greenwich Librarys Development Director Nancy Klein has said the library is fortunate to have Litow as a speaker.

Stan had a remarkable career at a leading multinational technology company headquartered right in our backyard, Klein said. Hes an exceptional speaker and the role of corporations in todays society could not be more relevant.

The event will include a question and answer session and a book signing. Litow said he will be happy to also discuss what the future will hold for business and the private sector.

Once people understand the good as well as the bad we will get a better appreciation of what could be possible in the future, Litow said.

Introducing Litow at the event will be Louis Gerstner, former IBM chairman and chief executive officer.

Its definitely an audience that Im interested in engaging with, Litow said. Theres been a lot of interest in this book and I think weve been very successful with it. I want to get before a very large, engaged audience and I think thats what were going to find in Greenwich.  I think this is a message that will really resonate with the audience.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.comWASHINGTON - A 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 I've never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise," Kavanaugh said on Fox News Channel's "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 I'm telling the truth, 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."

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 defense, and he responded Monday with the interview and a fierce letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.

"I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process," 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."

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 Kavanaugh's 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 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 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.

Kavanaugh's 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 isn't 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 favorite 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)."PARIS - The government of Malta announced Tuesday that it would allow the 58 migrants aboard the Aquarius 2 - a private migrant rescue ship - to temporarily disembark on the shores of the island nation, after which point they would be distributed among France, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Malta.

The decision ended a days-long standoff among European states over shouldering responsibility for the latest group of migrants rescued from the waters off the Libyan coast. The news came in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron's Tuesday address to the United Nations in New York, which focused on the need for multilateralism, as well as French officials' refusal to allow the ship to dock in France.

"Malta and France again step up to solve the migrant impasse," Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced on Twitter late Tuesday afternoon. "With Emmanuel Macron and other leaders we want to show [a] multilateral approach [is] possible."

"Once again, a European solution has been found, humane and effective," French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said in a statement. "It respects two essential principles of responsibility and solidarity: landing in a nearby safe harbor and the care of the people on board."

Spain will take 15 of the 58 passengers, according to a Spanish official quoted by the Associated Press. Portugal will take 10, and France will take 18, according to Philippe's statement. Germany will take 15.

The ship - managed jointly by the aid organizations SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders - had been the subject of a fierce debate among European governments for days. The United Nations has declared Libya an unsafe destination for migrants. As recently as November 2017, video footage showed young sub-Saharan migrants being sold in apparent Libyan slave auctions. Still, European Union policy prefers that the Libyan coast guard return migrants to North Africa, rather than having aid groups bring migrants to European shores.

For months, the Aquarius has found itself at the center of Europe's struggle to manage the political fallout of a historic migrant influx in 2015, even as the numbers of arrivals have fallen to pre-2015 levels.

The Aquarius made international headlines in June when Italy's new populist government refused to allow it to dock in Sicily. Macron initially accused his Italian counterparts of "cynicism and irresponsibility" for refusing to admit the Aquarius, but he soon came under fire for doing the same. The ship was stranded off the coast of Malta at the time, with 629 migrants aboard. It then had to sail an additional three days to the port of Valencia in eastern Spain.

The migration issue has proved to be a major challenge to the tolerant, global image that Macron has sought to cultivate in a European climate marked by the rise of nationalism.

Macron is typically seen as the principal opponent to Hungary's Viktor Orban and Italy's Matteo Salvini, both of whom have embraced hard-line anti-migrant policies.

"He is at the head of the political forces supporting immigration," Orban said in August, speaking with Salvini in Milan. "On the other hand, we want to stop illegal immigration."

But Macron's critics point out that his administration has pursued an agenda that has likewise made life more difficult for migrants in France. In August, the French parliament signed into law Macron's controversial asylum bill, which favors political asylum seekers over economic migrants and eases the process for expelling those who do not qualify.

"Despite Macron presenting himself as a welcoming, tolerant figure on the European stage, as the inverse of Orban and Salvini, in fact, he's the same thing, at least in terms of the rescue operations," said Michael Neuman, director of the research division of Doctors Without Borders.

Others see a more calculated strategy designed to stave off a potentially bigger migrant influx in the future, even if the latest incident involved just 58 people.

"This stopped being about the actual numbers of people a long time ago," said Elizabeth Collett, director of the Brussels-based Migration Policy Institute Europe. "It's about the fear of whether saying yes once means you'll have to say yes in the future. That's what this conversation has become about between states."

"Macron doesn't want to do anything - or not do anything - which would lock him and France into a posture that would be extraordinarily difficult to live with two or three or four years down the pike," said Francois Heisbourg, a former French presidential adviser on national security and a Paris-based political analyst.

Rescue ships run by aid groups have been withdrawing from the Mediterranean under political pressure. Aquarius is one of the last, and it is unclear whether it will be able to continue its missions. The ship is registered with the Panamanian government, and Panama announced Saturday that it would begin withdrawing that registration. Speaking to France's Le Monde newspaper, Francis Vallat, the head of SOS Mediterranee France, decried what he called a "political" operation of Italian threats against Panama.

Although the numbers of migrants reaching Europe have fallen, the death rates have not. About 1,600 migrants died in the Mediterranean in the first seven months of 2018, according to U.N. data releasedthis month.

The figure represents the highest death rate since the peak of Europe's migrant influx in 2015. The United Nations concluded that a "major factor" is the decreased rescue capacity off the Libyan coast.Whats the difference between President Donald Trump and a takeout sandwich?

For one, it's how Google treats a search for each. Type best sandwich shops into the search engine, and chances are youll be presented with top-rated spots in your current zip code. Search Donald Trump, and more generally applicable content -- recent news hits, the presidents Twitter account and the White House website -- receive top billing.

Though we have an idea of how Google prioritizes different sets of search results, the algorithms themselves are a mystery. When it comes to personalized search, though, we do know one thing: The company saves user data, including recent search history, to potentially tweak results based on each individual. For your lunchtime query, if you type only "sub" into the search bar, Google may use your search history to determine you're talking about a sandwich and not a submarine.

No matter whether you're seeking out the president or a panini, there's a chance your past search history could inform the order of results. If you're, say, a CNN loyalist, Google may use your search history to bump up that publication's Trump content a couple of spots, whereas staunch readers of Fox News may see that publication featured slightly more prominently on the results page. By and large, however, searches should yield similar results for any user -- and Google will never personalize results to be more liberal- or conservative-oriented, said Danny Sullivan, Google's public liasion for Search. The company does not even have a way of sorting results into such categories, he said.

It's important to note that personalization is often conflated with localization, but the search engine giant maintains that they're two separate entities. For your lunchtime query, spots within walking distance of your office may show up first, but those results should be the same for everyone in your area.

"Personalization is when search results change on something that is related to only you and no one else," Sullivan told Entrepreneur. "Localization is when something changes based on the location where a search is happening, which isn't unique to an individual because it's shared by a group."

According to Google, around 2 percent of search queries are treated with some level of personalization. And though the company supports personalization, it condemns bias, as CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in an email to employees on Friday.

We do not bias our products to favor any political agenda, he wrote. 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.

Pichais comments follow a recent report in The Wall Street Journal that brought to light an internal Google discussion after President Trumps 2017 travel ban. The ban restricted travel to the U.S. from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for 90 days, and in the internal email thread, employees discussed an idea to volley pro-immigration results in search. According to Google, the discussion was simply a brainstorming session and none of the ideas were ever implemented. But the disclosure will likely fuel critics complaints, especially as the 2020 election approaches, that large tech companies such as Google suppress conservative perspectives online.

We build products for people of every background and belief, and we have strong policies to ensure that our products remain free of bias, Pichai wrote.

Its a vital conversation to have, as prominent tech companies hold the power to influence public opinion on a mammoth scale. According to peer-reviewed research published in 2015, a search engines algorithm may have the ability to shift undecided voters voting preferences by 20 percent or more -- and up to 80 percent in some demographic groups -- without the voters knowledge.

But in Google's case -- as far as personalized search results go -- that doesn't seem to be a pressing issue.

Although as much as 11.7 percent of search engine results may show differences due to personalization, according to a 2013 paper by Northeastern Universitys Algorithm Auditing Research Group, researchers were surprised to find that past searches and browsing history did not seem to inform results in a signfiicant way. They found that a users location -- as well as the status of being signed into a Google account -- had the most impact on results. (Note that in this paper, researchers included localization in their definition of personalization.)

Related: Here's How to Stop Third Parties From Reading Your Gmail

Though Google works to avoid top-level bias, theres a more overarching idea to consider here: Personalization in any capacity can contribute to ground-level bias -- or a filter bubble on the consumer level. The term was coined by internet activist Eli Pariser around 2010, and balancing that very idea -- of an echo chamber of sorts that purports an individuals own way of thinking -- is something many tech companies continue to struggle with.

While personalization provides obvious benefits for users, it also opens up the possibility that certain information may be unintentionally hidden from users, the Northeastern University researchers wrote.

Whether you're concerned with data security or want to avoid potential tweaks to results, heres your starter guide for turning off Googles personalization features on your computer.

To prevent saved searches and browsing history:

Go to Activity Controls, then pause each feature, such as Web & App Activity, Location History, Device Information, YouTube Search History and YouTube Watch History.

To delete account activity:

Go to Delete Activity, then select the date ranges for which youd like to delete your account activity.

To control ad personalization:

Go to Ad Personalization, turn off the feature, then go here to control it on other websites and apps that use Google ad services.

If youre aiming to turn off personalization on your Android, iPhone or iPad:

Go here. Then, in each of the four sections on the right, select your device and follow the instructions.

Related:

Here's How to Turn Off Google's Saved Searches and Personalized Results

How to Find Almost Anything With Google (Infographic)

How These Global Giants are Making the Life of a Business Owner Easy



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved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Debate about the pros and cons of marijuana legalization doesnt really tell the story on where American voters are on the issue. And even polls - most of which now show a majority of Americans support legalization - do not provide political leaders with definitive, actionable information.

But now some places have taken a new approach: voter advisory referendums. Counties and cities in Wisconsin have bought into the area in a big way.

On the Nov. 6 ballot, 16 Wisconsin counties and two cities will get a chance to vote their opinion on whether to legalize cannabis. While the vote is not binding, it will provide the states political leaders a clear indication where voters stand.

Its a vote worth watching for marijuana supporters. Wisconsin has become a swing state in national elections, and it can also provide a bellwether on the current support for marijuana legalization.

Related: This South Pacific Country Is Sponsoring Research Seeking a Cannabis Treatment for Diabetes

High Hopes for Marijuana Supporters

The hope for marijuana legalization supporters is that the referendums will provide clear direction to the state Legislature. If voters voice approval of marijuana legalization, it could lead to new laws that allow cannabis use.

Wisconsin currently does not allow medical or recreational marijuana.

Where it could lead depends on what supporter you ask. For example, Rep. David Bowen, a Democrat from Milwaukee, told the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal that approval of legalization in the referendums should at least lead to a similar, statewide advisory referendum.

However, state Rep. Melissa Sargent, a Democrat from Madison, said approval of legalization in the multiple referendums - which she believes will happen - will open the door to her introducing legislation that will legalize marijuana.

The most dangerous thing about marijuana in Wisconsin is that it is illegal," she told the Journal Sentinel, referring to black market that flourishes when weed is illegal.

Related: New Jersey Legalization Bill Reportedly Sets Nation's Lowest Tax on Legal Marijuana

Party Split

So far in Wisconsin, support for marijuana among elected leaders has largely split along party lines. Democrats are for it, Republicans against.

If that is representative of the people themselves, the referendums could prove close. Republican Donald Trump narrowly won the state in the 2016 election. Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, has split the states voters.

However, there are devils in the details. For example, the advisory referendums in four of the larger counties -- Milwaukee, Dane, La Crosse and Rock -- will ask voters opinion on recreational use. But 10 other counties are asking only about medical marijuana legalization.

Eau Claire and Racine counties will ask about both. The city of Racine will also ask its voters about both, while the city of Waukesha will only ask about medical marijuana.

These distinct types of questions scattered on ballots throughout the state could lead to debate over the results, whatever they turn out to be.

Cook County in Illinois, home to Chicago, already took the advisory referendum step earlier this year. Asked for their opinion on legalizing marijuana for recreational use on a ballot referendum, 63% of voters there supported legalization.

Follow dispensaries.com on Instagram to stay up to date on the latest cannabis news.

Related:

Wisconsin Cities and Counties Seek Voter Opinion on Marijuana This November

New Jersey Legalization Bill Reportedly Sets Nation's Lowest Tax on Legal Marijuana

Activists Say the White House Trying to Make Legal Marijuana Scary Is a Sign They're Winning



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reservedOn Tuesday, President Donald Trump continued a long-standing presidential tradition by giving a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Unlike most of his predecessors, however, Trump found himself isolated in front of the international community. Indeed, at one point during the speech, the president was laughed at.

That isolation is, at least in part, self-imposed. In his speech, Trump said that the "U.S. will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance." Compare those words to President Harry S. Truman's at the opening session in 1946: "This meeting of the Assembly symbolizes the abandonment by the United States of a policy of isolation." Under Trump, that long-standing vision - embraced by both Democrats and Republicans - has been not only abandoned, but denigrated.

This is an unforced error, a step toward isolation that harms U.S. interests and weakens its leadership on the world stage. It comes as the U.S.-led world order is under assault from the reemergence of a powerful and ambitious China and the meddlesome and aggressive behavior of smaller nations such as Russia. With so many potential international problems, it is more important than ever that the United States not go it alone or retreat from international engagement.

To confront the current crises requires a strong and committed executive. But, most importantly, one that is also compassionate and approachable. U.S. presidents have been central to sustaining a world order for generations. They understood it was a responsibility that required allies. And that sometimes they would have to put the interests of those allies ahead of America's to maintain America's larger interest in a stable world order.

President Bill Clinton demonstrated this when he intervened in Kosovo's ethnic genocide in the 1990s at the request of the European nations. Even President George W. Bush, who had his fair share of conflict with the international community, asked U.N. member countries in 2002 to "stand" with the United States and bring democracy to the Middle East. He claimed it would "show that the promise of the United Nations can be fulfilled in our time."

Historian A.J.P. Taylor famously wrote that wars are like road accidents. If that's the case, these recent developments indicate that we are in the midst of a slow-moving 21st century "wreck of nations." According to Taylor, wars "have a general cause and particular causes at the same time."

A world order in transition for the first time since World War II is the general cause of our current "wreck." Unless Americans acknowledge this new reality, the results of that "wreck" will be a more dangerous world order than the one we now know.

Conflicts between powerful nations seeking to be the dominant expanding civilization have been known in every era of recorded human history. What is different about this time, however, is that this type of conflict has not been seen since 1945, when the U.S. devised a world order in its own democratic and enlightened image. Even during the Cold War, an era of heightened tensions fed by nuclear proliferation, the Soviet Union and the United States never met face to face on any battlefield.

This spared the world from a clash of the two superpowers. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the U.S. had no viable challengers - leading conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer to observe in 1990 that we had reached an unprecedented "unipolar moment" in world history.

If we did experience a unipolar moment, that moment is over. That's largely due to the reemergence of an outward-looking and economically proficient China under the leadership of President Xi Jinping. China's version of a world order will mirror its own domestic values - where security trumps privacy and the expectation of civil obedience regularly displaces individual liberties.

There is no doubt that this will clash with the current world order built by the United States. The U.S. has sought to mold the world with its own democratic image in mind, not to rule it like previous dominant powers had. That's because Americans have historically been ambivalent about their power. The nation's interventions abroad are often accompanied by antiwar protests at home. As a result, the United States is a "benevolent hegemon," argues Robert Kagan.

In other words, the world has nothing to fear from its power.

To be sure, decades of unsuccessful foreign interventions - like the Vietnam War and the second Iraq War - have made Americans and the rest of the world wary. But there's no denying that the world has become safer under U.S. leadership. People are richer, happier and healthier today than in any other period in recorded history. The explanation for the success of this "Age of America" is simple: The U.S. is the first global power to establish a world order that is in actuality a de facto system of universal liberalizing norms.

The purpose of these norms has been to stabilize the world by making all nations prosperous. This is known as the "democratic peace thesis." According to this theory, nations that share the same values - in this case, democracy - do not go to war with one another. Moreover, the economic prosperity of democratic nations keeps them from turning to violence as an alternative means to thrive. Ironically, the U.S. often has to go to war to preserve that system - a position that Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, calls "global sheriff."

It has never been easy to convince Americans that the world requires their participation. During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson famously went to great lengths to convince the American public that it was "privileged" to "spend . . . blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured." Wilson had his work cut out for him in proving the value of Americans fighting in a European war that was largely of no consequence to the Western Hemisphere. His reelection slogan in 1916 was "he kept us out of war." Wilson came to understand the pivotal role the United States had to play in the world. In doing so, he convinced the nation.

Before Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt similarly struggled to implore Americans not to sit idly by and watch its European friends try to beat back fascism.

It is unclear whether war-weary Americans would positively respond to a similar call today. A recent study by the Chicago Council of Global Affairs found that only 50 percent of millennials think it a good thing for the U.S. to take an active role in international affairs. Compare that figure to the Silent Generation, born between 1928 and 1945, who polled above 80 percent for the same question.

Without America's continued involvement in global affairs, though, the world will be at the mercy of the vicissitudes of powerful, illiberal nations - and history demonstrates that, unlike the United States, most hegemonic states seek to dominate smaller nations. This scenario would surely lead to even more nation-state "wrecks" as the rising powers compete with little to no pushback.

And there should be little doubt that this would be bad for the U.S. and its interests. After the collapse of the British world order in World War I, there was a rise of despotic states that engaged in a new form of imperialism that was justified through hypernationalism. There was also global economic uncertainty, culminating in the Great Depression. Moreover, if the current world order collapses or, for that matter, even fractures, democracies will more than likely become outnumbered, leading to fewer partners for the U.S.

There is no other nation with a similar set of values that is capable of taking over for the United States as the guarantor of the most successful world order in history. So the U.S. better hang on, for its own interests and for those of its allies. And there's no better way to do so than by remaining a good-faith partner to the international community -- and not a loner state.New reports of a Samsung Galaxy mid-range device have surfaced. The new devices, dubbed the Galaxy P30 and Galaxy P30+ (with a supposed model number of SM-G6200) will launch exclusively for the Chinese smartphone market.

These rumors are still somewhat fresh - initial reports from @MMDDJ on Twitter claimed that theyd be the first Samsung devices to have in-display fingerprint scanners but newer rumors say these devices will boast LCD panels. It is generally known that the in-display fingerprint technology is incompatible with LCD panels.

You should that not all the people like oled display... And LCD also can make a good display. https://t.co/FAhnNaYIP3   (@MMDDJ_) September 24, 2018

Weve only seen this tech work on OLED displays since they are thin enough to let the optical signals pass through. According to the same report, JDI apparently makes a new kind of in-display fingerprint reader that is designed to work with LCD displays but were not really counting on this being the case for Samsungs mid-range devices. Its not as if Samsung is short of OLED displays to require a different in-display fingerprint sensor that will work with LCDs. Theres something off here.

Samsungs Galaxy S10 is currently rumored to be the first to use Qualcomms ultrasonic in-display scanner, which would use frequency waves to read the fingerprint. Current implementations are optical, which Samsung believes are vulnerable to lighting conditions and affect the displays image reproduction.

No,P30 is not the indisplay fingerprint sensor mid-end

Samsung smartphone I heard. https://t.co/ow8S0U1gO5   (@MMDDJ_) September 24, 2018

In any case, Samsungs China-only Galaxy P30 and Galaxy P30+ might launch as early as next month. This is where we might ironically point out that Motorola released an iPhone X look-alike in China with the same name: the Moto P30. We wonder if this means well see Samsung make an iPhone X look-alike and we wonder if such device would have a notch or not.

In any case, should Samsung get the latest in-display fingerprint working for a mid-ranger in China, it could get a leg up on its Chinese competitors on their own turf. Rumors have been saying that we might expect such tech in the Samsung Galaxy S10, which is going to receive a notable update to hardware and design from the S8 and S9 duos.

Source | ViaBy Vasia Orion | Published on 2018/09/24

The plot thickens, as we find out more about the titular Ms. of "Ms. Ma, Nemesis", as well as her two co-leads, with the information accompanied by stills. The drama, which is based on Agatha Christie's work, is about a woman hiding her identity while trying to clear her name.

Advertisement

Ms. Ma (Kim Yunjin) was raised in riches, but she loses it all when she is falsely accused of murdering her daughter. While locked in a psychiatric clinic, she gathers clues for her case, before escaping and setting her plans in motion. She disguises herself as a single, 40-year-old writer, and pretends to live peacefully in her luxurious village home, all the while planning her revenge. In this process, she meets people who are falsely accused, and uses her sharp reasoning to clear them of their charges, making her the local go-to problem solver.

Jung Woong-in plays detective Han Tae-gyoo, who never lets go of his target once his mind is set. After being expelled from high school under false charges, he becomes a man of he law in hopes of preventing such unfair treatment of others. He is the detective who originally arrests Ms. Ma, and after the woman's escape 9 years later, he is placed in charge of tracking her down. During this chase, he finds clues that were not available 9 years ago, and starts feeling conflicted about the case.

Ko Sung-hee's Seo Eun-ji finally gets more details as well. She is a cheerful woman in her 20s who helps Ms. Ma in order to find her missing younger sister, whom she lost in a terrible way 9 years ago. Upon discovering her sister's hairpin in the belongings of Ms. Ma's murdered daughter, Eun-ji begins following the case. She addresses Ms. Ma as her aunt in front of Han Tae-gyoo, preventing her identity from being discovered, and uses it as an opportunity to enter the woman's life and home, where they live as aunt and niece.

So we have two women who are very likely involved in the same incident, and a detective who messed up royally trying to make things right. This is a nice set up. According to the production, the Agatha Christie Foundation, which I am guessing means Agatha Christie Limited (ACL), have already shown their approval and excitement over the script and cast, so let's hope that "Ms. Ma, Nemesis" can dazzle us, starting October 6th at 21:05 KST on SBS.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

Sources (1) (2) (3)Bonnie Jean Meyers Sitting with a Bear (mahs kwah kah wit ah pah mat) of Rocky Boy, 60, was called to heaven on Sunday, September 23, 2018 at her residence.

A two-day wake started at 4:00 p.m. Monday, September 24, 2018 at Our Saviours Lutheran Church in Rocky Boy, continuing until her funeral service at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Please visit Bonnies online memorial page to leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com/.

Bonnie was born to John G. Meyers and Nancy (Knife) Meyers in Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Montana, on February 1, 1958. She attended school in Rocky Boy and Box Elder, and she found her calling crafting and repairing regalia, making necklaces, sewing outfits, and doing beadwork for powwows. She was well known for her meticulous costumes and beadwork which people traveled many miles for her artistic skills and talents.

Her children Buffy and Bryson followed her in her traditional ways, becoming traditional and grass dancers for whom she created and maintained regalia. She always was a gracious host inviting friends, family and powwow patrons to her humble home, cooking, sharing stories and demonstrating her amazing artistic talents. Bonnie also loved to travel, and she enjoyed being helpful at powwows all over the west and Canada. She absolutely loved her grandchildren, spoiling them with cakes and goodies every chance she could get. She was loved by family and friends near and far, many stopped by for tea and cookies, or just to say Hello.

Bonnie was preceded in death by her father and mother, John Gilbert and Nancy Knife Meyers; brothers John E. Meyers and Duane M. Meyers; sister Karen Jo Knife Meyers; and niece Jennifer C. Big Knife.

She is survived by daughter, Buffy Lee Youpee; son Bryson Jermaine Meyers; brother Donald Dale Meyers; sisters Diana (Dave) Upchurch, Maria Sponsler, Edna Meyers, Betty (Mark) Collins, Carol Ivy Meyers, and Ivy J. Meyers; and numerous nephews, nieces and grandchildren.International Association of Firefighters Local 601 firefighters collect donations on the corner of First Street and Fifth Avenue for the annual Fill the Boot campaign for Muscular Dystrophy Association. Drivers and pedestrians made donations of varying amounts into the old firefighter boots during the drive, held this year during Havre Festival Days.

The Local 601 of the International Association of Fire Fighters hit the streets Friday during Festival Days, raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, holding their boots out and asking for people to help.

Local 601 Vice President Cody McLain said they did very well this year, and there are still opportunities for the community to donate in the following weeks.

Some businesses are partnering with the firefighters for the Fill the Boot fundraiser, such as Pizza Hut Thursday, Oct. 11.

McLain said even if people didn't get a chance to see the firefighters Friday, boots were placed around town during the weekend for people to donate in such as at Old Station Brewing Co., Triple Dog Brewing Co., Oxford Bar and Palace Bar.

Local 601 President Chance Ophus said those boots would be picked up Monday, but more fundraising opportunities may be available around town in the next couple of weeks.

Members of the international firefighters union have been holding a fundraiser for the MDA since 1954. MDA funds research and provides services for people who suffer from muscular dystrophy.

"We do this by finding research breakthroughs across diseases, caring for kids and adults from day one and empowering families with services and support in hometowns across America," the MDA website said.

In 2016 the Havre firefighters union local raised more than $14,000, McLain said, and added that he believes they did even better this year.

Ophus said that the event was canceled last year due to the East Fork Fire in the Bear Paw Mountains.

Even though the MDA has a national presence and offer services all over the county, none of the money will go anywhere but to Montanans, Ophus added. The money raised in Havre for the Fill the Boot will stay in Montana.

Ophus said he wanted to thank the community for coming out and supporting the Fill the Boot event, adding that the community was very generous this year.

McLain said the union was very grateful to the community and to Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department, which had firefighters there Friday in support.

Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department has been working side-by-side with Havre firefighters in the Fill the Boot campaign for the past six years, Bear Paw Fire Chief Josh Bebee said, adding that it is a good cause and his department was glad to help.

Bebee said the Bear Paw department got involved because one of the firefighters in the department has two daughters with muscular dystrophy.

He added that he wanted to thank the community members for their support.The Third Annual Hi-Line Veterans Stand Down is set for Thursday, Oct. 4, and is intended to be an all-inclusive event for the entire community to assist veterans, an organizer said Monday.

The event, at the District 4 Human Resources Development Council Building at 2229 Fifth Ave. from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 4, is a collaboration between Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 497, American Legion Post 11 and other groups of volunteers, said organizer retired Sgt. First Class Scott Prindiville, who served in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard.

He added that some of the other groups that will be represented at the event are Havre Job Service, Montana National Guard, family programs, the public defenders office, Bullhook Community Health Center, U.S. Veterans Affairs, Homeless Veterans Advocates, representatives of the VA clinic giving flu shots, Great Falls Combat Veterans Center and Salvation Army.

The event will offer many free services for veterans, Prindiville said, such as Veterans Affairs service officers answering questions and providing help, legal advice, psychological and addiction services, medical screening and flu shots; Native American veterans representatives answering questions and providing help; educational skills; employment and training opportunities; and haircuts.

Prindiville said it is important for veterans to remember to bring their Dd214, VA card and military identification.

The purpose of the stand down is to assist veterans with any needs they have by providing them access to representatives, the events mission statement said.

Prindiville said the main purpose of the event is to connect veterans with the variety of services available to them at no cost, adding that another goal of this event is to bring veterans into organizations like the American Legion or VFW.

He added that the stand down has also received a grant this year from the Elks Club. The grant will be used to help buy soup and sandwiches from Grateful Bread for the event. Pepsi is also sponsoring the event with soda, coffee and water, Prindiville said.

The Hi-Line Stand Down started in October of 2016 and has seen success in its goal of providing aid to veterans, Prindiville said, adding that it was the first of its kind in Havre and is a great tool.

The mission statement says people are welcome to help.

We would appreciate any assistance you could give us to make this a success, it says. We are looking for assistance with services, monetary donations, and volunteers to host and direct individuals to the various representatives. We would also welcome donations that can be used as door prizes or giveaways.

For more information contact Prindiville at 265-4641 or email him [email protected]The underpayments occurred despite the FWO previously conducting investigations involving Hinchliffe and his company from 2011.

The majority of the underpayments related to a South Korean worker underpaid $8,294 for work performed at two hotels in Melbourne. The worker was in Australia on a bridging visa until becoming a permanent resident on 1 February 2016.

Ombudsman Sandra Parker said the substantial penalties served as a warning for employers who fail to act on advice about workplace laws.

All employers have a clear obligation under Australias workplace laws to pay correct wages and entitlements and rectify areas of concern the Fair Work Ombudsman raises with them, said Parker.

If companies do not improve compliance with workplace laws, we are clearly prepared to take court action that can lead to heavy financial penalties.Publix wins permit to open Wednesday

Publix is set to open its 50,000-square-foot Hendersonville store at 7 a.m. Wednesday after receiving a temporary certificate of occupancy allowing 90 extra days to get a federal floodplain permit.



Publix has filed numerous applications with regulators for the permit, which the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program administers on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Henderson County issued the temporary certificate of occupancy on Aug. 29. On Monday, engineers for Publix and its contractor, Benning Construction of Atlanta, received notification that the state flood prevention agency needed more documentation.

Theyre very close, City Manager John Connet said, describing the regulatory agencys request as routine.

The state agency required Publix to submit a workmap designating the special flood hazard area that would be removed from the regulatory floodway and evidence that it had notified the public and surrounding property owners of the request. Publix received a Conditional Letter of Map Revision and must have the final letter before it receives its permanent certificate of occupancy.

The regulatory process has been a long one for the supermarket chain's engineers. The state issued the conditional letter of map revision after Publix tried six times to win a no-rise permit under FEMA regulations showing that the development would not cause flood conditions to worsen.

Contractors for Publix have completed work on center-turn and right-turn lanes on Greenville Highway and White Street into the shopping center as required by the NCDOT.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.A convicted rapist who made a shocking approach to a 10-year-old girl in shopping centre toilets has died while awaiting sentence.

Paul Davis (55) had admitted showing the girl a condom and questioning her about it in the incident at Blanchardstown Centre, and was waiting for a penalty to be imposed by the courts.

He was out on bail pending the outcome of his case.

However, yesterday, when it was due to heard, a judge was told of his death and the proceedings were withdrawn by the prosecution.

Deceased

Davis, of Casement Road, Finglas, had pleaded guilty in July to breach of the peace, contrary to common law.

At that stage, the facts were heard at Dublin District Court by Judge Dermot Simms, who ordered a pre-sentence probation report and adjourned the case.

Yesterday, it came back before the same court, with Judge Ann Ryan presiding. Solicitor Danica Kinane said she was representing the accused.

A garda witness then told Judge Ryan that he had been informed by the prosecuting officer that "Mr Davis is now deceased".

The case was not discussed further and no cause of death was stated.

"May he rest in peace," Judge Ryan said.

On the previous date, the court heard the incident happened on June 29, 2016.

Garda Bernard Connaughton gave evidence that Davis met the girl in the shopping centre toilets on the day.

He had a condom in his hand and asked her if she knew what it was, Gda Connaughton said.

He then asked her more questions about it - if she knew how to open it, use it and put it on.

The little girl left the scene and went and told her mother what had happened. Davis returned to the centre the following day and was arrested.

When questioned, he told investigating gardai he was in the toilets on the day in question and did not remember what happened.

Davis had a severe drink problem and "didn't recall the entirety of the previous day", the court was told.

He had a number of previous convictions, including one for rape in 1998, for which he was given a 10-year sentence.

Drinking

Solicitor Michael Hanahoe, who represented Davis at the earlier hearing, asked Judge Simms to order a probation report before finalising the case, saying this would show the accused's circumstances.

He said Davis's parents had died, there was a dispute in relation to the family home, he was not allowed into it and had been drinking heavily.

State solicitor Michael Durkan had said if the girl did wish to make a statement and if that was available, he would make sure a copy was given to the defence.

Davis had not addressed the court during the previous brief hearing. After it, Judge Simms had remanded him on continuing bail.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he will sack Minister of State Catherine Byrne if she does not support Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy in tonight's motion of no confidence.

Ms Byrne has told ministerial colleagues she is considering supporting or abstaining on a Sinn Fein motion of no confidence in Mr Murphy.

Ms Byrne has been at war with Mr Murphy over the development of 470 new homes in her constituency.

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 campaigning 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.

Expand Close Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has faced public criticism from his Fine Gael colleague Catherine Byrne / Facebook

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Whatsapp Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has faced public criticism from his Fine Gael colleague Catherine Byrne

Her relationship with Mr Murphy has been extremely strained since her public criticism of his plan.

However, speaking after a United Nations meeting in New York yesterday, Mr Varadkar said he would be forced to sack Ms Byrne if she does not support her Government colleague in the Dail tonight.

"It is of course the case if a minister can't express confidence in their own colleagues then they can't continue as a minister," Mr Varadkar said.

The Taoiseach said Ms Byrne had not directly raised the motion with him but had spoken to him about her objections to the Inchicore development.

Expand Close Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has faced public criticism from his Fine Gael colleague Catherine Byrne / Facebook

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Whatsapp Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has faced public criticism from his Fine Gael colleague Catherine Byrne

"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. We need a mix of housing as well because everyone deserves a home," he said.

He said he does not have the authority to block housing projects but even if he did he would not stop the development.

Extraordinary

Several high-level Government sources yesterday confirmed Ms Byrne had privately threatened to support or abstain from the no-confidence motion tabled against Mr Murphy by Sinn Fein.

Several sources said Ms Byrne had told ministerial colleagues that 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.

It is understood she told ministers she would not back her Fine Gael colleague unless plans for the site were dramatically changed.

She told them she believed Mr Murphy did not understand the impact of the development on her local community.

"This is potentially very serious but there is a while to go before the vote on the motion [tonight]," one Government source said.

"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 move would present the Government with serious difficulties ahead of the debate on Mr Murphy's handling of the housing crisis.

The Government's small majority means that 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 their travel plans ahead of the crucial Dail vote.

The St Michael's 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 Michael's estate site is simply the wrong one if it doesn't 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.For Subscribers COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in many states. Why?

COVID-19 case counts are up in nearly 30 states, especially in the north. Experts say the latest surge underscores the virus is here to stay.Traditionally, we have depended on the private censorship that intermediaries conduct on their platforms. They enforce, with some degree of success, their own community guidelines and terms of services (TOS). Traditionally, these guidelines and TOS have been drafted keeping in mind US laws since historically most intermediaries, including non-profits like Wikimedia Foundation were founded in the US.

Across the world, this private censorship regime was accepted by governments when they enacted intermediary liability laws (in India we have Section 79A of the IT Act). These laws gave intermediaries immunity from liability emerging from third party content about which they have no actual knowledge unless they were informed using takedown notices. Intermediaries set up offices in countries like India, complied with some lawful interception requests, and also conducted geo-blocking to comply with local speech regulation.

For years, the Indian government has been frustrated since policy reforms that it has pursued with the US have yielded little fruit. American policy makers keep citing shortcomings in the Indian justice systems to avoid expediting the MLAT (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties) process and the signing of an executive agreement under the US Clout Act. This agreement would compel intermediaries to comply with lawful interception and data requests from Indian law enforcement agencies no matter where the data was located.

The data localisation requirement in the draft national data protection law is a result of that frustration. As with the US, a quickly enacted data localisation policy is absolutely non-negotiable when it comes to Indian military, intelligence, law enforcement and e-governance data. For India, it also makes sense in the cases of health and financial data with exceptions under certain circumstances. However, it does not make sense for social media platforms since they, by definition, host international networks of people. Recently an inter ministerial committee recommended that criminal proceedings against Indian heads of social media giants also be considered. However, raiding Googles local servers when a lawful interception request is turned down or arresting Facebook executives will result in retaliatory trade actions from the US.

While the consequences of online recruitment, disinformation in elections and fake news to undermine public order are indeed serious, are there alternatives to such extreme measures for Indian policy makers? Updating intermediary liability law is one place to begin. These social media companies increasingly exercise editorial control, albeit indirectly, via algorithms to claim that they have no actual knowledge.

But they are no longer mere conduits or dumb pipes as they are now publishers who collect payments to promote content. Germany passed a law called NetzDG in 2017 which requires expedited compliance with government takedown orders. Unfortunately, this law does not have sufficient safeguards to prevent overzealous private censorship. India should not repeat this mistake, especially given what the Supreme Court said in the Shreya Singhal judgment.

Transparency regulations are imperative. And they are needed urgently for election and political advertising. What do the ads look like? Who paid for them? Who was the target? How many people saw these advertisements? How many times? Transparency around viral content is also required. Anyone should be able to see all public content that has been shared with more than a certain percentage of the population over a historical timeline for any geographic area. This will prevent algorithmic filter bubbles and echo chambers, and also help public and civil society monitor unconstitutional and hate speech that violates terms of service of these platforms. So far the intermediaries have benefitted from surveillance  watching from above. It is time to subject them to sousveillance  watched by the citizens from below.

Data portability mandates and interoperability mandates will allow competition to enter these monopoly markets. Artificial intelligence regulations for algorithms that significantly impact the global networked public sphere could require  one, a right to an explanation and two, a right to influence automated decision making that influences the consumers experience on the platform.

The real solution lies elsewhere. Google and Facebook are primarily advertising networks. They have successfully managed to destroy the business model for real news and replace it with a business model for fake news by taking away most of the advertising revenues from traditional and new news media companies. They were able to do this because there was a trust deficit between advertisers and publishers. Perhaps this trust deficit could be solved by a commons-based solutions based on free software, open standards and collective action by all Indian new media companies.

Sunil Abraham is executive director, Centre for Internet and Society

The views expressed are personalA new report published by a US-based think tank that cited Pakistan army officers as perceiving home-grown terrorists as a greater threat than India was received with considerable interest.

However, similar views expressed by far more authoritative figures in the Pakistani military establishment and included in an official publication that provides insights into operational doctrines have not led to any change in the Pakistan armys India-centric approach.

The report The Quetta Experience, published by the Wilson Centre, and written by a retired US army colonel, focuses on the views of Pakistani officers attending the Command and Staff College in Quetta, a prestigious institution that provides a yearlong course for hundreds of officers with about a decade of service.

The report is based largely on accounts given by US military officers attending the Quetta college of their interactions with their Pakistani counterparts  in other words, second hand information.

Through interviews with US officials who attended the college during 1977-2014, the report states that Pakistani officers have gone from describing India as the number one threat in the 1980s to calling for better relations with India. We never get a sense of what percentage of the Pakistani officers in an annual batch  the Quetta college states on its website that each course includes 365 Pakistani and about 40 foreign officers  hold these changing views on India.

But long before the publication of this report, former Pakistan army chief, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, had several times spoken publicly about the countrys internal threat assuming a greater dimension than the external threat (read India). This was mostly at the time when Kayanis troops were engaged in a bloody campaign to drive out Pakistani Taliban fighters who had set up a parallel administration in the Swat Valley of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Addressing the passing out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul on October 25, 2008, Kayani talked about combating home-grown terrorism, which he described as an internal threat that warrants immediate action.

On July 3, 2009, while addressing a commissioning parade at the naval academy in Karachi, Kayani fine-tuned his forces approach further by saying that while the external threat to Pakistan continues to exist, it is the internal threat that merits the immediate attention of the country.

However, during a formal interaction with Pakistani journalists in February 2010, Kayani famously asserted that the Pakistan army will remain an India-centric force as long as the Kashmir issue and differences on the sharing of river waters with India were not resolved. He also said the Pakistan armys frame of reference for addressing issues related to Afghanistan included India-specific concerns.

Several years later, the 2013 edition of the Pakistan armys Green Book, which provides insights into the forces operational doctrines and internal debates, declared internal threats as the biggest security threat. For the first time, the Green Book included a chapter on sub-conventional warfare that referred to the threat posed by terrorist groups, mainly the ones operating near the Afghan border and in the countrys northwest.

The BBC cited an unnamed Pakistani officer as saying at the time that this was done to prepare the army to fight this new threat. Lt Gen Talat Masood, a respected defence analyst, had said this was the first time the army had admitted the real threat was internal and not emanating from India.

Just five years later, the Pakistan army is back to where it has always been  eyeing India as the number one threat and with a majority of its troops arrayed along the eastern borders. There has even been talk of avenging the blood spilt along the Line of Control (LoC) even after the two militaries agreed to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire along the frontiers in Kashmir.

It is a widely held belief among many Indian analysts and policy-makers that the Pakistan army would lose its very raison detre if it stopped considering India the greatest threat.

All of this brings to mind an off-the-record interaction between a group of Indian journalists and senior Pakistan army officers at a hotel in Rawalpindi in April 2011. The journalists kept grilling the officers about action being taken against the Lashkar-e-Taiba and other anti-India groups but most of the officers were evasive. Finally, a two-star general replied by comparing action against the LeT and similar groups to a large ship executing a turn. It takes some time, he said.

Based on the evidence so far, that ship still seems to be turning.

rezaul.laskar@htlive.comBellandur lake in Bengaluru spewed froth on to the streets on Tuesday following heavy rains in the past two days frustrating residents as the governments efforts have failed to address the issue.

The lake gained notoriety in 2016 when the froth caught fire, and the state government drew the ire of the National Green Tribunal. The froth is caused by the presence of detergents and chemicals that reach the lake through sewage, which is let into the lake.

Thanks to copious rains the city received on Sunday and Monday, a large amount of froth was seen on the surface of the 900-acre lake.

A resident, Ramesh Sharma, who works for a multi-national company, said people in the area worry about froth as soon as it rains. The stench from the lake is the first thing we smell in the morning and we know we can expect the froth to spill over from the lake, he said.

Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, who also holds the charge of Bengaluru development, said the government would make concerted efforts to address the issue.

Serious measures are being taken to find a permanent solution to the froth issue. Rs 50 crore has been set aside for this in the budget. We will soon come up with a solution to solve this issue, Parameshwara said, but did not spell out the specifics.

While the government decided to erect tall fences to stop the froth from spreading outside the lake, Sharma said this offered little comfort. The government has not been able to address the underlying problem, potentially jeopardising our health, he said.Khushi and Janhvi Kapoor know how to put a fashionable foot forward -- theres designer clothes, photo shoots, and lets not forget the constant presence of a glam squad, enabling them to look fabulous literally all the time. However, in recent days, the sisters seem to have taken their already very impressive life up a few notches, whilst in Italy for Anand Piramal and Isha Ambanis engagement celebrations. On Monday, Khushi and Janhvi Kapoor returned to Mumbai after living the epitome of La Dolce Vita.

At the high profile three-day Ambani bash, we assume they would have lounged on boats (we know, sister Sonam Kapoor did), swam in crystal blue waters (Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas and gang did) and eaten local, delicious food. If this is not the complete and utter definition of #holidaygoals, then we dont know what is.

But Khushi and Janhvi are now making us just as envious of their fashion from their Italian getaway. Their fresh pictures on social media prove the siblings upped the style stakes on the trip; their new looks could definitely give sister Sonam (Bollywoods unofficial fashion queen) a run for her money.

Between the two, Khushi and Janhvi sported several impressive looks, including a dress by Manish Malhotra, the fashion designer who was a favourite of their later mother, Sridevi. One of Janhvis best fashion moments though, involved a little black dress from British designer Julien Macdonald.

See Khushi and Janhvi Kapoor pose in Insta-worthy outfits in the photos ahead, with the picturesque Lake Como providing the ideal background:

On the work front, Janhvi will be seen in Karan Johars Takht.India and Pakistans bitter rivalry is costing them $35 billion worth of annual trade, the World Bank said in a report.

Someone might want to tell the two countries leaders -- both of whom want to boost trade to battle widespread poverty. The World Bank called for South Asia, the worlds least economically-integrated region, to start cooperating instead of feuding. Trade between India and Pakistan, the regions two largest economies, could jump to $37 billion from $2 billion if New Delhi and Islamabad tore down artificial barriers, last weeks report found.

But the breakdown last week of the most recent attempt by the two nuclear-armed nations to mend ties showed, once again, why South Asia -- with 33 percent of the worlds poor and 40 percent of the worlds stunted children -- is unlikely to realize those gains.

On Thursday, Indias foreign ministry announced it had accepted Pakistans request for a foreign minister-level meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. It was the first such attempt since 2015 -- when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to see then Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif at his home in Lahore.

By Friday, India called off the sit down amid fresh violence and its foreign ministry said Islamabads evil agenda had been exposed and any talks would be meaningless.

Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan, who suggested the renewed push at reconciliation after his July election victory, said he was disappointed by Indias arrogant response, noting that all my life I have come across small men occupying big offices who do not have the vision to see the larger picture.

The World Bank said total intraregional trade in goods could rise to $67 billion from $23 billion if South Asian nations eliminated tariffs and non-tariff barriers.The price of petrol touched Rs 90.8 per litre in Mumbai today, recording a hike of 11 paisa since Friday.

Other metros recorded a similar hike as petrol prices were recorded at Rs 82.72 per litre in Delhi, Rs 84.54 per litre in Kolkata, and Rs 85.99 per litre in Chennai.

Fuel prices had shot up on Friday as well with the cost touching Rs 82.32 per litre in Delhi while diesel rates were at Rs 73.87 per litre. In Mumbai, petrol was being retailed at Rs 89.69 per litre and diesel at Rs 78.42 per litre.

The fuel price has been witnessing a steep rise since the past few weeks. Earlier, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had blamed international factors for the hike in the prices of petroleum products.Delhi Universitys (DU) department of Buddhist Studies has received about a dozen complaints against students taking admission using fake certificates this year. This comes days after the complaint against the newly elected student union president Ankiv Baisoya did the rounds, university officials said.

The Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India (NSUI) had accused Baisoya, a member of the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), of allegedly submitting fake documents to get admission in the Masters in Buddhist Studies programme.

The NSUI had submitted a complaint against him with the varsitys grievance redressal committee, which was later forwarded to the Buddhism department for an inquiry.

KT Sarao, head of the department of Buddhist Studies, said the department had conducted a meeting with the admission committee on Monday and found that a dozen complaints of similar nature were received against other students.

Besides Baisoyas case, we have received a dozen of complaints of the same nature against students studying in different courses at the department. We have decided to get all certificates verified as per the procedure in place at DU before transferring the matter to the police, he said.

Explaining the procedure, Sarao said the university gets students certificates verified from the last educational institution they were enrolled in.

In case any certificate is found to be a fake, we report it to police as it is a criminal offence. After the police verify it and find that the degree or certificate is fake, they register an FIR against the person, he said.

The NSUI, however, alleged that the department is deliberately delaying the process to waste time so that fresh elections are not conducted for the presidents post.

As per the norms, if the cancellation of his candidature does not happen within two months, the vice president will be promoted to his position. They are simply helping the ABVP keep that post, NSUI national in-charge Ruchi Gupta said.

As per the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, based on which student union elections are conducted in educational institutions, re-elections can be conducted only if the post of an officer bearer falls vacant within two months of polls. Otherwise, the vice president is promoted to the post of president and joint secretary to the post of secretary.

The NSUI had last week circulated what they claimed was Baisoyas Bachelors degree along with a letter from the Tamil Nadu-based Thiruvalluvar University, claiming that Baisoyas degree was fake.

V Peruvalluthi, registrar of Thiruvalluvar University, confirmed that the certificate sent by the NSUI for verification was fake. Meanhile, Baisoya and the ABVP, denied the allegations and termed them as NSUIs propaganda against them after losing the Delhi Union student union polls.

The ABVP had bagged three out of four seats in the DU students union elections  president, vice-president and joint secretary. The NSUI had won the secretarys post.Three months after being rescued from her employers house, a 15-year-old girl finally had a smile on her face as she got ready to board a train to her Jharkhand village.

Severely infected, stabbed, beaten up with rods, confined, sexually harassed and forced to work as a domestic help without any wages, the minor girl who is still in trauma, had waited for as long as four years for her ordeal to end. She is one of the 17 girls who were trafficked and rescued over the past six months from Delhi-NCR. All of them left for home on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Sunday arrested a 42-year-old woman, the alleged kingpin of the placement agency racket, which trapped the 15-year-old girl and placed her as domestic help at a house in Faridabad. The woman and her husband reportedly ran their operation from west Delhis Punjabi Bagh.

Once home, the 15-year-old said she wants to go back to school and get a real job eventually. I cant believe that its over and that Im going back to my village. I havent seen or heard from my family since I was brought to the city around four years ago by a man who promised me a nice job and a place to live. It was a horror being trapped. I want to go back to school again, she said, hurriedly finishing her lunch at the railway station.

She was stabbed by a knife on her neck and back following which she developed a severe infection in her bones  it took three months to heal, she said.

The employer and their men would use different objects, including iron rods and wooden sticks, to beat me up. I just want to go home and meet my sister and brother, the girl said.

The child welfare committee (CWC) of Faridabad, in its report filed on January 28 this year, stated, The girl has been found in a miserable condition suffering a severe infection in her back and neck. The girl has been gang-raped on several occasions and beaten up with iron rods. She needs immediate medical care.

B K Goel, member, state protection child rights (SPCR), Haryana, said it was one of the most heinous cases but the girl was brave enough to survive.

She had jumped a floor and escaped from her employers house in Faridabad. She was trafficked, sexually harassed and tortured. In Delhi, she underwent two major surgeries, Goel said, adding that three persons were arrested and 12 girls were rescued after her case came to light.

The Faridabad police have since established a dedicated police station for dealing with trafficking and missing reports.

All the 17 girls were rescued from various parts of Delhi-NCR including Faridabad, Paschim Vihar, Shakarpur and Vikaspuri, among others. The rescues were made by district police along with the help of Shakti Vahini, an NGO that rescues trafficking victims.

The Delhi government is yet to enact a law that makes registration of placement agencies mandatory. Also, the residents need to understand the importance of police verification. The traffickers would get the girls from interior villages and place them here forcefully, said Rishi Kant, who heads Shakti Vahini.As many as 19 children have died of diphtheria at a municipal hospital in north-west Delhi, taking the death toll in the city to 20, according to a North Delhi Municipal Corporation report issued Monday. Diphtheria is a contagious bacterial infection which affects mucous membranes of the throat and nose.

While 19 children died at the North Corporation-run Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital, one child died at the Delhi government-run Lok Nayak Hospital. From September 6-24, there have been 157 admissions, of which 128 were from UP. Rest of the cases are from Haryana and Delhi, a senior North civic body official said.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to the hospital taking suo motu cognisance of reports on deaths of 14 children in 12 days. The DCW has asked the hospital to file a report on the reasons for the deaths and its stock of vaccines by September 26.New Delhi: A Turkish national was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in Delhi by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel Monday afternoon for allegedly trying to smuggle Tramadol tablets worth over Rs 4 crore out of the country. The man was handed over to officers from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The Intelligence Bureau (IB) was also roped in, officials said.

Tramadol, a painkiller, was declared a psychotropic substance by the Union government in April this year to monitor its sale in the country.

Surveillance and intelligence staff of the CISF, while performing surveillance duty at the check-in area of Terminal 3, spotted suspicious activities by a foreign passenger around 2:30pm at the airport.

Our officers approached him. He was identified as one Erbil Han, a Turkish national. His travel documents revealed that he had arrived to board a Turkish Airlines flight TK-717, to Istanbul. A quick check of his records revealed that in April this year, Han had been apprehended for entering the terminal building by using a fake ticket after which he had been handed over to the Delhi Police, a spokesperson for the CISF said.

On suspicion, Han was asked to cooperate for a detailed checking of his baggage. His bags were scanned through an X-Ray machine and some suspicious images were noticed. On opening the bag, about 1,30,000 Tramadol tablets weighing about 64kg were found. The NCB and IB officials were informed about the recovery. The NCB officials arrived at the airport and confirmed the tablets as contraband. Han as well as the tablets were handed over to them, the spokesperson said.

NCB officials said that there are reports that this drug is being used by terror organisations across globe.

Madhav Singh, zonal director, NCB said that Tramadol is a painkiller which is also used as an opioid. It has been reported repeatedly that large consignments of this drug are transported out of the country illegally. It was also learnt that is being used abroad as a narcotic substance. This is why we got it subdued into the category of psychotropic substances to bring its export and import under regulation, Singh said.

The drug is illegally sold in West Asian countries, costing as much as five US dollars per tablet, the CISF said in a statement.The Rajasthan Subordinate and Ministerial Services Selection Board (RSMSSB) on Monday issued the admit cards for the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) Grade III examination 2018. The examination will be held on September 30 in two sessions. The first session will be held between 10 am and 12 noon while the second session will be held from 3pm to 5pm. The first paper examination will be held in the first session while the second paper examination will be held in second session. The first paper will have 100 questions and will carry 200 marks, while the second paper will have 130 questions and will carry 260 marks.

The examination is being held to fill 4500 vacancies. Candidates must carry the admit card to the examination centre and read the instructions very carefully. Admit cards will not be sent by post. Candidates should reach the venue one and a half hour before the examination starts. They must carry their original photo identity card like Aadhar, Pan Card, driving licence etc.

Rajasthan RSMSSB PTI admit card 2018: Heres how to download

Visit the official website of Rajasthan Staff Selection Board, Jaipur

Click on the link for admit card

Click on Download Admit Card of Direct Recruitment of Physical Training Instructor (PTI) Grade III - 2018

Click on get admit card

Enter application number, date of birth and click on Get admit card

Admit card will be displayed on the screen

Take a print out and download it on your computerThe Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has issued the admit card for Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic medical Officer screening exam 2018. The examination will be held on September 30 at various centres in Lucknow and Allahabad.

Check the venue, date and time of the examination on the admit card. Candidates must bring their admit card and reach the venue for exam on time.

Candidates who do not have their photograph visible on the admit card must bring two photographs along with their original Id proof and its Photostat copy to the examination centre.

The commission has proposed to fill 596 vacancies of homeopathic medical officer and 544 post of Ayurvedic medical officer through the examination.

Scheme of the exam:

The Ayurvedic medical officer recruitment exam will be held between 9.30 am and 11.30 am while the Homeopathic medical officer recruitment exam will be held from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm.

In both the examinations, 150 questions of one mark each will be asked. For each wrong answer, there will be a penalty of one-third marks allotted to the question. Thirty questions will be asked on general knowledge and 120 question from homeopathic or ayurvedic exam syllabus (as selected by the candidate).

Steps to download the admit card for UPPSC medical officer screening test 2018:

1) Visit the official website of UPPSC

2) Click on the link to download admit card

3)Enter your registration number, date of birth, gender and verification code (as given in the image)

4) Click on the link for download admit card

5) Take a printout and save the admit card displayed on the screen

Note: Visit UPPSCs official website regularly for latest updates about the exam.The police, on Sunday, arrested a 29-year-old engineer for allegedly duping at least 40 people in Gurugram and Delhi using two aliases.

The accused would sometimes posed as a senior civil judge from Telangana and at other times hed be an IAS officer posted at AllMS in New Delhi. He promised school admissions, jobs and houses to desperate people in lieu of a few lakh rupees and lived it large. Once he got the payment, hed flee. But not on Sunday.

Identified as Kedarnath Sagar Sharma, the accused used to allegedly take between Rs 3 and Rs 5 lakh for government flats, which he promised he could acquire using as his influence as a judge on deputation in Gurugram from Telangana. The accused, posing as a judge, had also stayed at the PWD Rest House in the city once on May 2, police said.

Hed offer government jobs at AIIMS by posing as an IAS officer posted at the hospital, and the going rate for admission in a Kendriya Vidyalaya was around Rs 40,000. Hed taken such payments from parents of over two dozen students in Delhi, police said, adding that a Delhi-based property dealer had been helping Sharma reach out to parents who were willing to pay to secure admissions for their wards in central government-run schools.

The police are on the lookout for this property dealer.

Sharma spent the money he got by duping people mostly on partying at different locations and on expensive liquor, a police officer privy to the case said, adding that he even bought a second-hand BMW 5 series car, with the registration plate of a senior judge, to add a dash of reality to his con.

Since March, he has visited Mumbai and Goa with friends and spent about a month and a half there partying. Last month, he had gone to Thailand with his friends, said an officer privey to details of the case.

Sharma, who hails from Hyderabad, was arrested on Sunday after one of the men he took money from promising him a flat under Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category lodged a complaint. An FIR was filed under sector 420 (cheating), 170 (personating a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, at Sector 14 Police Station against the accused for cheating a man of Rs 4 lakh.

The police also seized the BMW car, fake seals, fake appointment letters and a fake identity card of a senior civil judge he has been using. He made the fake identity card himself and then took a printout, assistant commissioner of police Shamsher Singh said.

This happened about two months ago. When the victim did not get his flat or his money, he approached the police on Saturday and we filed an FIR on Sunday, assistant sub-inspector Trilok Chand, who is the investigating officer in the case, said.

Later in the day, the accused was taken in for questioning, following which he was arrested and sent to police custody for seven days.

Sharma, a BTech in computer engineering from a college in Hyderabad in 2011, had worked with at least two companies, one in Hyderabad and another in Mumbai before he moved to Gurugram in March this year, Sector 14 station house officer Deepak Kumar said.

Chand said Gurugram Police has contacted their Telangana counterparts for more details on Sharma and to know whether he had any criminal background.Doctor Stranges Benedict Wong shared a special picture as he returned to the sets of Avengers 4 for the leftover shoots for the film. The actor gave a bewildered expression in a selfie as gloved-up hands pulled skin off the back of his head.

Of the skin and the hair is all prosthetics but that doesnt make it look less eerie. Happy to be filming @avengers 4 .But the cleaning of spoilers is a bit much, he captioned the photo. And sure enough, Marvel fans began wondering if Wong had indeed let slip a spoiler. Tonnes of Instagram users left comments on the photo, wondering if the ripping skin could allude to Wong being a Skrull in Avengers 4.

As you might remember from the recent trailer for Captain Marvel, Skrulls are the spooky green alien with the ability to shape shift. They can take the forms of any creature and when they take off the disguise, their skin sheds off much like Wongs in the photo.

A fan even commented on his photo: Wong is a skrull... When the skrulls reveal themselves, they literally shed their skins. F***ing calling it. However, others are also vary about taking such a leap. They believe the prosthetics are being used to give him a shorter haircut as he has longer hair than he did in Infinity War.

The last time we saw Wong, he had got himself an invitation for Tony Starks wedding after slicing the arm of an alien from the Black Order in New York. He later ditched the Avengers to guard the sanctum and was nowhere to be seen in the rest of the film. It is also not known whether he made it through The Snappening or not.

Could it be that a Skrull has taken his shape and has infiltrated the remaining Avengers or as another fan commented: Its entirely possible that a Skrull is just impersonating him temporarily. It doesnt necessarily mean that the Wong we saw in Doctor Strange and Infinity War was a Skrull.

We will see the Skrulls soon enough when Captain Marvel arrives in theatres on Womens Day (March 8) next year. Avengers 4, meanwhile, will arrive in May.

Follow @htshowbiz for moreTwenty-five people have died in flashfloods, landslides, roof-collapse and other incidents triggered by incessant rain in the region. Eight deaths have been reported from Himachal Pradesh, seven from J&K, six from Punjab, and four from Haryana.

A high alert has been sounded in the worst-hit Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. Heavy landslides hit vehicular movement on the Chandigarh-Manali highway beyond Mandi town and on the Pathankot-Chamba highway.

Three people were washed away near Manali late on Sunday night when their vehicle fell into the swollen Beas river. Elsewhere, two people were washed away in the Parbati river in the Manikaran valley, while a girl died near Bajaura. Both incidents occurred in Kullu, one of the worst-affected districts by flashfloods.

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 flashfloods as the Beas is flowing above the danger mark.

Locals inspect a damaged car washed ashore due to incessant rains, at Palampur approximately 45km from Dharamshala, on September 24, 2018. (PTI)

Reports said five faculty members of the IIT-Mandi went missing in the Chandratal (4,300 metre high) in Lahaul-Spiti. They had gone there for trekking.

On governments request, the Indian Air Force has stationed a chopper in Kullu town to deal with any emergency.

The higher reaches of Kullu, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts experienced snowfall. Keylong town in Lahaul-Spiti district saw over two feet of snow.

The government has announced closure of all educational institutions in Chamba, Kullu, Sirmaur, Kangra, Kullu and Hamirpur districts till September 25.

In the wake of heavy rains, a red alert was also issued in Punjab where educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed on Tuesday.

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.

Vehicles wade through a waterlogged street after heavy rains at Golf Course extension road near Emaar building Sector 66, in Gurugram, India, on Monday. (Yogendra Kumar/HT Photo)

In Punjab, a total of six people died in rain-related incidents  three in Kapurthala, two in Amritsar and an 8-month-old girl in Jalandhar. A brother-sister duo was among three people who died in separate roof-collapse incidents in Kapurthala. Another roof collapse occurred in Buta village, in which a labourer died.

A 43-year-old man and his 12-year-old son were killed when the car they were travelling in plunged into a drain in Amritsars Khiala village on Sunday night.

In Jalandhar, an 8-month-old girl died after she fell off the bench on which she was put to sleep and drowned as the area was flooded. The infant was the daughter of a couple from Rajasthan. Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has announced an ex gratia of Rs 50,000 to the family.

Seven people died in Jammu and Kashmir  five in Doda district and two in Kathua, due to roof collapse and landslide. Four of the five people killed in Doda roof-collapse incident belonged to a family. A woman was killed in Kathua after she was hit by a landslide. A teenager was swept away in a swollen rivulet in Kathua and his body was recovered on Monday morning.The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) authorities will release 49,000 cusecs water from Pong dam on Beas river in Himachal Pradeshs Kangra district on Tuesday as water level in it is nearing the danger mark.

Heavy rain has resulted in rising of water in Pong dam and river Beas, causing panic among people living in its vicinity in Dasuya and Mukerian sub-divisions of the district.

BBMB chief engineer Suresh Mathur said the water will be released at 3pm. The discharge will be slow and will not create flood like situation, he assured.

BBMB authorities said water in the dam reservoir had reached a height of 1,385 feet, which was very close to danger mark of 1,390 feet.

Deputy commissioner (DC) Isha Kalia on Monday visited the dam in Talwara and vulnerable areas along Beas. She advised people to not go near the river. She also asked people to keep restraint and not trust rumours.

The BBMB authorities will keep the district administration in loop. They have assured that the proposed release will not cause any crisis, the DC said.

As venturing in the river can be risky, we have told the residents to remain cautious, she said. Special teams have been deputed to keep round the clock vigil at the situation.

We have made arrangements to tackle eventualities. Flood control rooms have been activated and people have been alerted through revenue staff to take precautionary measures, she claimed.Five states and the union territory of Chandigarh, ruled by three different parties  the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)  on Tuesday agreed to move towards uniform fuel rates. The prices of petrol and diesel have hit record highs in recent weeks and the Centre has been asking states to cut down their value added tax (VAT) on fuel to provide relief to the common man.

A meeting of North Zone Finance Ministers and Officers attended by Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh decided to form a committee of officers to prepare a report on bringing uniformity in fuel prices and submit it within two weeks.

The aim was to also ensure that widely different VAT rates do not encourage consumers to hop borders to fill fuel.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who holds the finance portfolio, suggested at the meeting that liquor rates too should be uniform in the neighbouring states to prevent undercutting of each others revenue. His Punjab counterpart Manpreet Badal proposed that registration fee and permits for transport vehicles too should be harmonised to avoid diversion of revenue. All are areas where arbitrage opportunities exist.

Haryana finance minister Capt Abhimanyu, who organised the meeting, later said the committee would look into all three aspects: uniform fuel rates, liquor rates and transport taxes. Based on its report, the states will decide on the next course of action. Excise and taxation officers represented Himachal Pradesh (chief minister Jairam Thakur holds the finance portfolio), Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh.

Punjabs tax on petrol (35.12%) is highest in north India, but the cash-strapped government has been refusing to cut it down saying it is hard pressed for funds and VAT on fuel is a major source of its cash flow to foot health, education and other expenses. Badal said the VAT charged by Punjab on diesel is lower than some neighbouring states.

Each state will have to tweak its tax slabs to finally have a common band with minimal difference in petrol and diesel rates. If the prices vary by less than a rupee, for instance, it would no more be lucrative for anyone to purchase fuel from a bordering state. The same applies to liquor and transport taxes. If all neighbouring states charge the same registration and permit fee for vehicles, the owners will not get the registration of vehicles done from a neighbouring state that charges less, he added.

Being a union territory, the taxes for petrol, diesel, excise on liquor as well as transport permits and registrations are the lowest in Chandigarh.

The first such meeting of northern states in May 2015 was held at Delhi and the Arvind Kejriwal government had to hike its VAT rate on petrol from 20% to 25% and diesel from 12.5% to 16.6% to bring them on par with Punjab and Haryana.

Six BJP-ruled states slashed their taxes in October last year after a surge in fuel prices. Some Opposition-ruled states such as Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, too, have done so recently.Keeping in mind chief minister Mamata Banerjees possible political engagements outside the state to shape up an opposition alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Bengals ruling Trinamool Congress is preparing its electoral campaign plan with her nephew and party MP Abhishek Banerjee in the forefront.

We will fight the election in the name of Mamata Banerjee but she may have to spend more time outside the state in the interest of national politics. In her absence, Abhishek Banerjee will take charge of Bengal, said Sonali Guha, deputy speaker of the state assembly and the Trinamool chiefs close aide for years.

The 31-year-old Abhishek, considered close to his aunt, is presently the partys youth wing chief, a member of the state committee and a Lok Sabha MP.

Abhishek Banerjee has inherited Didis aggression and confidence. He is a craze among the partys supporters, both old and young, said Manas Majumdar, Trinamool MLA from Goghat and one of the youngest legislators in Bengal.

After doing an MBA in 2009, Abhisheks businesses, Leaps & Bounds Infra Consultants Private Limited and Leaps and Bounds Pvt Ltd, were incorporated in May 2011 and April 2012 respectively.

However, he resigned from the companies after becoming an MP in 2014 and presently his wife, Rujira, and parents Amit and Lata look after the two companies, as well as the Leaps & Bounds Management Services LLP, which was incorporated in 2017.

The ground for installing Abhishek as Mamata Banerjees political heir has been prepared over the past few years and the process was expedited over the past few months.

Various Trinamool leaders, including the partys secretary general and education minister Partha Chatterjee and party national general secretary-cum-Lok Sabha MP Subrata Bakshi, have deemed him the partys future leader.

Abhishek has grown up closely watching Mamata, both as an uncompromising opposition leader and a committed and successful administrator. He has naturally inherited and developed political instincts. He is the future. The leader of the future will form his own team, Chatterjee said in June.

According to psephologist Biswanath Chakraborty, a professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University, the process of installing Abhishek as Mamata Banerjees political heir is complete.

Mamata is eyeing the chair of the prime minister. She has a high chance of clinching all of Bengals 42 Lok Sabha seats and that number, even a few less, can make her party crucial to the formation of the new government. She will invest more time in national political in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections and Abhishek will be the key campaigner in Bengal, he said.

Presently, Abhisheks office is flooded with pleas from leaders and workers in various districts seeking his time.

Demand for his time has increased manifold. Leaders and workers from almost every block in the state are seeking his time. However, it will take some more time for us to finalise his campaign schedule, said Sumit Roy, Abhisheks media advisor and assistant.

Launching Abhishek in politics and installing him as the Trinamool chiefs heir has been smooth more or less within the party.

In 2011, about three months before the assembly elections in which the Left was ousted after decades in power, banners and posters across the state curiously announced the launch of a new outfit named Yuva. After Mamata Banerjee assumed power, Yuva became Abhisheks political launchpad, as it turned into a parallel organisation of Trinamool Youth Congress, then headed by Suvendu Adhikary (now transport minister), one of the most popular youth leaders of the party who has his own fan following across Bengal.

In 2015, Abhishek became the Trinamool Youth Congress chief and Yuva was subsequently dissolved.

In September 2018, a massive board put up on a main thoroughfare at Bhawanipur, Mamata Banerjees assembly constituency, conspicuously describes her as the leader of the present and Abhishek as the leader of the future.

He is a fierce speaker but not as accessible as his aunt. Mamatas biggest USP has been her down-to-earth attitude. Abhishek needs to learn more of that skill from his aaunt, said a Trinamool Congress leader who did not want to be identified.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has emerged as Trinamools key political opponent, is busy chalking out a campaign strategy for targeting Abhishek.

From BJP national president Amit Shah, state president Dilip Ghosh and Trinamool-turned-BJP leader Mukul Roy to district level leaders  virtually no one completes a speech without referring to the nephew and hinting and disproportionate growth of his business and assets.

The Diamond Harbour MP, on the other hand, has dragged both Mukul Roy and Amit Shah to court with defamation suits.

Ghosh, however, is unfazed. For people to understand who we are referring to, dropping hints are enough, he said.The Allahabad high court has amended a three decade old rule which provided that bail could not be granted on an application unless 10 days had expired as prior notice of application is given to government advocate.

The high court issued a notification on September 19 amending the rule, thereby allowing the grant of bail in two days after notice of bail application is given to the government advocate.

After the notification, no arrested person applying for bail in UP will have to compulsorily suffer 10 days of imprisonment.

According to Rule 18(3)(a) of the Allahabad High Court Rules, save in exceptional circumstances, no order granting bail could be made on an application unless a notice was given to the government advocate and not less than 10 days had elapsed between the giving of such notice and the hearing of such application.

Advocate Syed Mohammad Haider Rizvi had drawn the attention of the high court through a representation made in 2016.

Rizvi appealed to the chief justice of the Allahabad high court to amend Rule 18(3)(a) as it was unconstitutional and illegal and interfered with the fundamental rights of innocent people.

On December 4, 2017, the joint registrar (judicial) of the Allahabad high court informed Rizvi that the issue was being considered by the court. However, no action was taken for 18 months since Rizvi made his first representation.

Rizvi approached the Supreme Court in July this year which disposed of the petition directing the high court to consider the representation and take a decision within six weeks.

Moving final representation before the high court, Rizvi said the provision was inserted in the Allahabad High Court Rules in 1980 when undivided Uttar Pradesh had a huge geographical area with no modern means of communication.

He said the peculiarity of things did not exist any longer and with technological advancements, instructions from even remote police stations could reach the government advocates instantly.

Rizvi also referred to the rules of different high courts across the country and said none of these required a 10-day wait period for grant of bail.

The high court finally passed a notification amending the provision, which now says that barring exceptional circumstances, no order granting bail would be made on an application unless notice has been given to the government advocate and not less than two days have elapsed between the notice and the hearing of such application.

According to lawyers, this will come as a respite to thousands of innocent detenues who have had to remain in jail for at least 10 days without their case being placed before the court for hearing.External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday called on world leaders at a peace summit at the UN General Assembly to work to end conflicts, terror and hateful ideologies that are transcending borders.

Swaraj named no country or entity but the call against terror has been a continuing and pressing theme for India at the global forum, as the worlds third-most affected country.

She had a busy first day at the UN on Monday, before the start of the General Assembly debate, holding nine bilateral meetings with counterparts from across the world, including Australia, Spain and Nepal.

Our world is still beset with conflicts, terror and hateful ideologies that are transcending borders and impacting our lives, Swaraj said at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit on Monday. No one should be allowed to support terror or its perpetration.

India has been at the forefront at the UN to call for an end to terrorism, and especially to prevent member nations from supporting terror and terrorist organisations as a tool of foreign policy.

Joined by the US, Britain and France, India has been trying in recent years to persuade a committee appointed by the UN Security Council to designate Masood Azhar, the head of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), as a global terrorist to prevent him travelling abroad and to force member nations to freeze his assets and deny him access to weapons.

Batting for Pakistan, where elements support and fund the JeM, China has repeatedly blocked these efforts.

Our collective survival as a global family requires that the wisdom of pioneering leaders such as Mandela should remain as our moral compass, Swaraj said at the summit. We, Indians, consider Madiba (Mandelas clan name used as a sign of respect) to be one of our own. We are proud to call him a Bharat Ratna  a Jewel of India.

Among Swarajs bilateral meetings was one with foreign minister Marise Payne of Australia, a member of the Quadrilateral security dialogue. The Quad is a group of four nations with the US and Japan that is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Strategic partnership gaining momentum! external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted about the meeting. Continuing our frequent engagement at the highest level.

About Swarajs meeting with foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali of Nepal, a neighbour that has received unprecedented attention from the Modi government, Kumar tweeted: Close neighbour and a friend!  (they) took stock of our bilateral relationship.

Swaraj has a string of bilateral meetings on Tuesday too, among them one with Ibrahim al-Eshaiqer al-Jafari, the foreign minister of Iraq, the second largest supplier of crude oil to India, which is facing pressure to cut imports from Iran, one of three largest suppliers.

Swaraj will also meet counterparts from Brazil, Germany and Japan, the G-4 nations. The four nations are seeking UN reforms to reflect the changing world order and expansion of permanent membership of the Security Council that has remained unchanged since its inception.A British tourist was found dead in a guest house at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi on Monday morning, police said.

The tourist was identified as Kevin John (52), said circle officer, Dashashwamedh, Abhinav Yadav, adding that the British high commission had been informed about the incident.

The body has been kept in the divisional hospital. A post-mortem examination will be carried out after kin of the deceased arrive, he added. According to police, no injury mark was found on the body.

As per police, John, a resident of Southampton, had reached the city on September 21 along with his woman companion Katherine and was staying at the guest house.

A sanitation worker found Johns body in the toilet of the room next to the one in which he was staying and informed the guest house owner who, in turn, informed police.

A police team reached the spot and took away the body.

The police also said that Kevins companion informed them that he had some liver ailment for which he used to take medicines. He also took medicine on Sunday evening, they said.The Congress on Monday began internal consultations on state-specific alliances for the upcoming assembly polls and also the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, a party functionary said.

A committee on alliances, which includes senior leaders such as AK Antony, Ashok Gehlot, Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad, discussed the possibility of tie-ups in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. The meeting was held in absence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi.

Each state was allotted different time slots for presentations on prospective alliance partners, said the Congress functionary familiar with the developments.

Apart from state chiefs and legislative party leaders, general secretaries and state in-charges attended the day-long deliberations. The panel will again meet on Tuesday to discuss alliances in Rajasthan, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Four states  Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram  are going to the polls in November-December.

The Election Commission will soon take a call on holding the assembly elections in Telangana, where chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao dissolved the assembly on September 6, nearly seven months ahead of schedule.

The discussions on Chhattisgarh came days after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati announced a tie-up with Ajit Jogis Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) following the breakdown of alliance talks with the Congress.

As per the seat-sharing agreement, the BSP will contest 35 seats and the JCC remaining 55.

Mayawati has also announced her partys candidates for 22 seats in Madhya Pradesh. The move has kept alive the hopes for a BSP-Congress seat-sharing deal.

The BSP is said to have demanded 40-50 seats in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress was willing to concede 20-22. Similarly in Chhattisgarh, the BSP had demanded 15 seats but the Congress was not ready to give more than nine, said a functionary.

In Bihar, the party leaders said the Congresss ties with the Rashtriya Janata Dal were strong and also did not rule out the possibility of some smaller parties joining the alliance.

Maharashtra leaders stressed the need for an alliance with the BSP and expressed confidence that the tie-up with the Nationalist Congress Party and other smaller parties will oust the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

In Odisha, the state leaders backed a tie-up with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Left parties in their respective pockets of influence.

Congress leaders from Jharkhand maintained that the alliance with the JMM and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) will do well on the ground.

Representatives from Karnataka insisted that the tie-up with the Janata Dal (Secular) needs to be strengthened to keep the BJP in check.

Congress leaders are also hopeful that the BSP chief will not rock the Opposition boat in Uttar Pradesh and continue to be a part of the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) for the 2019 elections.Many studies have elaborated the impact on structures due to global warming and their exposure to corrosion.

New Delhi: India is the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total area of 3,287,263 square kilometres (1,269,219 sq mi). It has a land frontier of 15,200 km (9,445 mi) and importantly a coastline of 7,516.6 km (4,671 mi).

This is just an indication of how much India is exposed to global warming which is set to severely impact buildings, dams, roads, bridges, automobile sector, railway sector, energy sector and petroleum sector.

Global climate change is one of the most important concerns for world governments and is a major research subject for the scientific international community with the participation of multi and interdisciplinary groups. Two fundamental reports  the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the N. Stern, The Economics of Climate Change, 2007 Cambridge University Press, UK, outlines parameters that will affect infrastructure, temperature change, atmospheric moisture change, sea level raise, wind, desertification, pollution and inclusive biological infestation.

Temperature change is gradually resulting in extreme climate, changing the periodicity of climate cycles. Such extreme climate events are bringing detrimental effect by way of corrosion and also bio-deterioration. This is also damaging both metallic and non-metallic materials used in infrastructure construction.

Many studies have elaborated the impact on structures due to global warming and their exposure to corrosion.

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are subjected to environment actions affecting their performance, serviceability and safety. Among these actions, chloride ingress and carbonation lead to corrosion of reinforcing bars that reduce the service life of RC structures. Evidence indicate that carbonation and chloride ingress are highly influenced by environmental and climatic conditions of the surrounding environment  atmospheric Co2 concentration, temperature and humidity.

Zinc, through galvanization process, protects steel from rusting that enhances the lives of buildings, houses, bridges, railways, ships, defence equipment, highways, and airstrips to name prominently, though there are a number of other usages of Zinc that protect steel from rusting.

Sunil Duggal said, Awareness is the key to build a galvanized Indian economy. People do not understand the difference between steel and galvanized steel. Galvanized steel increases the life of steel and gives life to not just industrial sectors but also house-hold sector. Galvanization is a layer of protection to safeguard steel from rusting. Globally people are understanding that use of galvanized rebars can increase the life of their houses that can withstand many risks. Infrastructure at coastal areas are at the maximum risk due to humidity and constantly changing climate. Galvanized rebars protect pillars and hold construction. Galvanization of steel used in car body enhances the life of vehicle multi-fold  your recurring expenditure on repairs decreases and your safety increases. The new mega infrastructure development that is happening in India today, with the use of steel, should only use galvanized steel for strength and long life.

Sunil Duggal reminded of the massive cloud burst that happened in Uttarakhand in 2013. He said, I remember in the year 2013, due to cloudbursts in the state of Uttarakhand, the flash floods in river Ganga and landslides washed away thousands of lives. The Kedarnath Bridge at Sonprayag was also washed out due to heavy floods. The death toll and destruction was so massive that it left the region devastated. Subsequently, a Bailey bridge (a portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge) was built by the Border Roads Organisation, limiting the traffic to one way and a maximum load of 12 tonnes at the most. But June 2015 saw more floods and this bridge was also washed away.

Since the Temple is 3500 feet above sea level and is situated in a challenging topography, the construction of a stronger flawless bridge required more than 3 years to build. Further, since the bridge was to be built in such difficult conditions, it would have been impossible to regularly protect or maintain. It was finally decided that the new bridge has to be made of galvanized steel to ensure that it does not collapse.

The galvanized bridge was shipped in containers from the USA, completed and became operational in an incredible 45 days. In the new bridge, all the panel chords, diagonals, verticals, raker, reinforcing cords along with all the structural beam members and flooring were hot dip galvanized. This bridge could have been Made in India.

He gave another example of Bandra Worli Sea Link. The Bandra Worli Sea Link is the first and the longest sea link bridge in India. It is an 8-lane cable-stayed bridge, spanning about 5600 meters in length and towering to a height of 126 meters. Executed at a cost of Rs.16.5 billion, the material used in the construction project had to meet quality regulations and standards considering an average daily traffic of 37,500 vehicles.

Infrastructure like bridges are extremely vulnerable to rust and corrosion due to their proximity to marine salts and moisture. One of the rust prevention methods for these structures is to provide a barrier coating by galvanization, galvanization by Zinc he said.

The quality and reliability of steel wire ropes was a crucial factor in the construction of the bridge since the steel wires are required to support the cable stay bridge. The bridge stands strong with support of high-strength galvanized steel cables, rigorously tested before being put to use. Over Rs.90 million is spent on illuminating the sea link. Many countries came together and decided to build this bridge to ensure that it stands tall in any condition. India, Egypt, China, Canada, Switzerland, Britain, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia and Serbia deliberated extensively on safety and longer life of Bandra Worli Sea Link Bridge and the importance of using galvanized steel.

Sunil Duggal is of the opinion that in India, for environment protection, government has listed several laws. Many Acts have been passed in Parliament. But what about the damage to environment and economy through rusting and corrosion  Creation of junk is destruction of environment and economy. Corrosion eats around $600 billion infrastructure a year which is about 6% of GDP he says.

Coastal salts can create a corrosive environment for any infrastructure across the world, the reason being humid and saline climate. When steel reinforcement corrodes, the corroded product occupies more than three times the volume of the original steel, exerting great disruptive tensile stress on the surrounding concrete, leading to further cracking, more weather access and further corrosion. According to the American Institute of Architects, it is essential to use hot dip galvanized steel, to make such coastal infrastructure decay resistant he said.

Speaking about the recurring expenditure being incurred by Indian Railways on changing of rails, fishplates and other infrastructure. The fourth largest rail network in the world, Indian Railways, comprises 125,000 km of track length over a route of 67,312 km. More than 50% of the route is electrified. Indian Railways has about Rs 1.35 Lakh bridges and about 800 are most important.

Sunil Duggal said, Indian Railways sector is a major concern since rusting and corrosion of the infrastructure is becoming a worry for safety of passengers. Almost all the infrastructure of Indian Railways is exposed to humidity, dust and extreme change in climate. It is already struggling due to huge expanses in replacement and repairing. The annual loss due to pre-replacement of corroded rails is huge about Rs. 440 crore. Many accidents have been attributed to corrosion of Fish-plates. Experts have estimated losses of almost 4% of GDP per year on account of corrosion which may be avoided if the railway tracks are galvanized. Corrosion reduces the life of rail to nearly half its expected life.

Car makers in Europe, North America, Korea and Japan have been using galvanized steel for body panels for decades and provide anti-corrosion and perforation warranties for a minimum of 10 years. More than 60% of the cars in India have surface rust which reduces steel strength and the life of the car.

Globally the top brands in cars started galvanising various parts of the cars including the body to fight corrosion issues. This brought safety to the cars and protection to the environment and strengthened the economy. By 1987, what became standard was a 10-year perforation and five-year cosmetic warranty from all the North American, European and Japanese automakers for vehicles sold in the North American market. Indian car manufacturers use about 3% galvanized steel for domestic market. However, the same Indian car manufacturers use over 70% galvanized steel for the same models which they export to markets in Europe, Asia and Africa, produced from the same stamping and assembly facilities.

He is of the firm belief that Indian consumers are not getting it, because they are not demanding for. It is their direct loss.

India is producing about 100 million tonnes of steel but surprisingly less than 1% is galvanized, which is just about 8 million tonnes. On the other hand we are importing 1.44 million tonnes of galvanized steel from China, Korea and Japan. We are increasing imports but not producing galvanized steel within the country Sunil Duggal says.

The global galvanized steel market for the industrial sector was valued at around 56 million tonnes in 2015 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of about 5% by 2020. America alone produced 4.5 million tonnes of galvanized steel in 2016, which is 30% more than what it produced in 2012. There is a focus for building long lasting infrastructure.

He finally says, Galvanization of steel will add to Make in India and Sustain in India. We might be making over-bridges, railways bridges, roads, high-rise buildings, railway tracks, fish plates, metros, electricity networks, ships, and automobiles, and using millions of tonnes of steel. But for how many years are we making them sustain is a point of contention. If our vision is long term, then the infrastructure also needs to sustain even longer.Heavy rains lashed several parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on Monday, triggering landslides that killed five of a family and cut off several roads, stranding hundreds of people in many places.

Two men, two women and a child were killed after a temporary shelter collapsed due to a landslide in Gandoh area of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir, deputy commissioner Simrandeep Singh told ANI.

The administration has announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh to the kin of the victims and Rs one lakh for the reconstruction of the damaged house. Doda has been receiving heavy rainfall for the past two days following which schools have been closed.

In Himachal Pradeshs Lahaul and Spiti district, which has been receiving snowfall, teams of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) rescued 200 people stranded at Killing Sarai along the Manali-Leh highway and shifted them to a nearby camp.

Another team is on its way to Bharatpur where 70 people including foreign tourists are stranded.

According to reports, hundreds of tourists including foreigners are stranded in Lahaul-Spiti district. Three hundred people are stranded between Sarchu and Baralacha La, over 200 have taken shelter at Batal, Bakarthach and Chhatru on Gramphu-Kaza route and over 100 at Koksar.

A group of 45 people, including 35 IIT Roorkee students, who were earlier reported missing, have been traced to Sissu village. They have been provided shelter by local villagers.

However, there was no information on the whereabouts of nine researchers from Kolkata who have been stranded somewhere near the 5,480-metre Gangstang glacier. Lahaul-Spiti administration has been trying to establish contact with them.

In rural Chamba district, where 150 roads are closed due to landslides, over 800 students have been stranded in Holi area of remote Bharmour sub-division and are being taken care of by local people and the administration.

Bharmour ADM, Prithipal Singh said work on restoration of Chamba-Holi road was on in full swing and was expected to open by evening. Students will be sent back at home once the road opens, he said.

Meanwhile, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and agriculture minister Ram Lal Markanda undertook an aerial survey of Lahaul-Spiti district which is cut off from the rest of the state due to heavy snowfall.

Landslides cut off roads in Jammu

The circular road along the banks of Tawi river in Jammu city was closed for traffic Tuesday following a massive landslide, officials said. Public works department officials said the road was being restored after the landslide damaged a building early on Monday. There was no report of any casualty in the incident.

Traffic on Doda-Thathri road was also disrupted due to a landslide which struck during the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday. The road was cleared for light motor vehicles this afternoon after being closed for several hours, officials said, adding that the road clearance operation was still continuing to make it feasible for two-way traffic.

Several parts of Jammu region received heavy rains on Saturday and Sunday, causing flash floods in rivers in Kathua district bordering Punjab, besides triggering landslides.

(With inputs from agencies)Responding to a cluster of petitions from civil society organisations, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that it did not have the authority to disqualify political candidates charge-sheeted with crimes  including sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assemblies (MLAs)  from contesting elections.

According to statistics compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), nearly one-third of incumbent MPs and MLAs face pending criminal cases, with roughly half of these facing serious charges that would merit real jail time if a conviction were obtained.

Although a five-judge Constitution Bench lamented the growing criminalisation of politics in India decried by the petitioners, it sided with the government in ruling that the authority to disqualify candidates was vested with the sovereign powers of the Parliament under the Constitution as well as the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, which provides the legislative framework for the conduct of elections.

Legislating on a subject on which the Constitution and subsequent statute is crystal clear regarding Parliaments role would be akin to crossing a Lakshman Rekha, the ruling argued.

The Court  in my view  was correct in deferring to Parliaments authority over this issue. It is another matter that a body comprised of some of the countrys foremost lawbreakers must make the very laws which would regulate their behaviour  something which is highly unlikely without a combination of sustained social pressure and intense judicial scrutiny. But in punting the issue to Parliament, the Court missed an opportunity to reflect on the deeper causes of the criminalisation of political life in Indiacauses it does have a role in remedying.

It is no surprise that political parties recruit candidates with criminal association to contest elections given that an abundance of empirical data conclusively demonstrates such candidates have a wealth advantage that gives them a leg up in financing  and winning  increasingly competitive elections.

Yet, the Election Commission (EC) struggles mightily to regulate the opaque flow of funds. Even when politicians brazenly flout election spending regulations, the ECs legal authority to check these transgressions has been called into question.

The Court made no mention of the role of money power and how it fuels criminality, but this is an area where the judiciary can buttress the ECs supervisory powers over elections to ensure that the agencys rules have real teeth. Just as the Court allied with the EC in a landmark 2003 ruling to ensure that candidates must disclose their financial assets and criminal antecedents at the time of nomination, it must also ensure that basic disclosure norms are not violated with abandon.

However, this begs the question why voters vote for criminal candidates in the first place. Until and unless the state of governance improves, there will always be pockets of support for politicians who can use their criminal reputations as a signal of their credibility to get things done.

The depressing fact is that when the state cannot deliver basic services, justice, or security, voters are willing to contract with those who will. The courts responsibility here is twofold. On the one hand, endemic delays in everyday justice help drive ordinary citizens into the embrace of tainted candidates willing to provide timely dispute resolution and contract enforcement.

Furthermore, it is the judiciarys laxity in processing cases against these politicians which allows them to ply their trade without fear of sanction. Because the judicial system operates at a snails pace, it can take decades for a criminal case to reach its logical conclusion  especially when one of the parties involved is an individual with considerable political and financial clout.

In December 2017, the Government announced it would set up 12 fast-track courts across the country to try criminal cases pending against sitting MPs and MLAs. Six months after a March 2018 deadline, 40 percent of pending cases have been transferred to special courts  of which judgments have been pronounced in just 136 (11 percent). Fast-track courts, the record reflects, quickly succumb to the broader pathologies of the countrys creaky justice system.

Parliament must take up the Courts plea to debate whether debarring candidates accused  as opposed to convicted  of crimes is a step worth taking given the presumption of innocence. Fixing the rule of law by potentially violating it is a step not to be taken lightly.

But the Court cannot absolve itself of the responsibility to address the deeper causes of the criminalization of politics, as opposed to merely chiseling away at the symptoms. In concluding its judgment, the Court urged Parliament to move swiftly because voters cry for systematic sustenance of constitutionalism. The Court failed to note that they are also crying out for the rule of law in practice to match up to the lofty ideals on paper.

(The writer is senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is the author of When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics published by HarperCollins in 2017)The lotus will bloom however much (Congress) maligns it: Modi

However much you (Congress) malign us, the lotus will bloom all over the country: PM Modi

Theres nothing left in the 125-yr-old party: PM Modi on Congress

Congress is failing at alliances within the country, so it is looking for alliances outside India. Will the world decide who will be the PM of India? Has the Congress party lost balance too, after losing power? There is nothing left in the 125-year-old party: Modi

Party led by a woman is not worried about Muslim women: Modi on triple talaq

Even in the Islamic nations across the world, triple talaq is not accepted. But here due to vote-bank politics, the party that is led by a woman is not worried about my Muslim sisters who are victims of triple talaq: PM Modi

Congress pleading with smaller parties for support: Modi

Congress is not willing to introspect even after massive defeat. It is seeking alliances for fear of losing power and is pleading with smaller parties for support, says PM Modi

Govt in Delhi believes that for India to develop, states have to be developed: Modi

Now there is a govt in Delhi which believes that for India to move forward, states have to be developed and strengthened: Modi

Congress never thought about MPs welfare: PM Modi

Congress never ever thought about welfare of Madhya Pradesh. Only if they would have thought, when they were in power for such a long time at Centre, they would have added to the states progress. Sadly, they only believe in vote-bank politics: PM Modi

Vote bank politics has destroyed our society: Modi

Vote bank politics has destroyed our society like termites, it is the special duty of BJP to rid the nation of this vote bank politics: Modi

Country can never forget Mahatma Gandhi, Lohia and Deen Dayal Upadhyay

The country can never forget three great men - Mahatma Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia and Deen Dayal Upadhyay. They guided the country: Modi

We will continue to work towards the welfare of our nation: Modi

Our beloved Atal Ji, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Ji, Rajmata Scindia Ji and the lakhs of our hardworking karyakartas have left no stone unturned to serve this land. Taking inspiration from them, we will continue to work towards the welfare of our nation: PM

BJPs ideology is identified with integral humanism

BJPs ideology is identified with integral humanism (ektam manavvad), I have not heard of any other political party in the world working on this ideology of humanism, says PM Modi

Fortunate to have been given opportunity to work for India as BJP workers

We are fortunate that we have been given the opportunity to work for the nation as the workers of this great party: Modi

Matter of pride to be in power in 19 states: PM Modi

Its a matter of pride to be in power in 19 states, but its a greater achievement to be the worlds biggest party: PM Modi

PM Modi starts his address

PM Modi starts his address at Bhopal rally after party president Amit Shahs address.

Indias security is BJPs priority, not vote bank

For BJP, its priority is the countrys security and not the vote bank; 40 lakh intruders were identified in Assam through NRC ; whatever Congress says, NRC will continue in Assam : Amit Shah

On what basis will Congress ask for votes in MP: Amit Shah

The Congress party made Madhya Pradesh a bimaru state, on what basis will it ask for votes: BJP president

Theres BJP govt in 70% of India

There is a BJP government under the leadership of Modi ji in 70% of India: Amit Shah

We have to take BJP to every booth and village: Amit Shah

BJP workers need to work and take BJP to every booth and village of India, lets resolve that BJP wins state and Lok Sabha elections: Amit Shah

BJP has taken forward work started by Deen Dayal Upadhyay under Modi ji

BJP has taken forward the work started by Deen Dayal Upadhyay under the leadership of Modi ji: Amit Shah

BJP national president Amit Shah addresses the rally

BJP national president starts his address at the Jambooree Maidan in Bhopal.

We are ready for 2018 assembly elections, says CM Chouhan

We are ready for the 2018 assembly elections, we want to achieve record win in these polls and win all parliamentary seats in Madhya Pradesh for BJP in 2019: MP CM Chouhan

Madhya Pradesh is moving forward: Chouhan

MP is moving forward with the help of initiatives taken by PM Modi, we are going to make three expressways in the state: Shivraj Chouhan

Shivraj Chouhan criticises Congress president Rahul Gandhi

Criticising Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi, CM lists out the various measures and achievements of his government. He (Rahul Gandhi) called me announcement machine, but he is a fun machine, says CM Chouhan.

CM Chouhan enumerates various central govt schemes

Shivraj Chouhan enumerates various schemes launched by the Modi government including the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Skill India and Startup India.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan addresses the rally

MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addresses the rally, welcomes PM Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah

PM Modi arrives at the venue

PM Modi arrives at the venue, yet to address the gathering.

A look at the rally ground ahead of PM Modis address

PM says looking forward to addressing Bhopal rally

Looking forward to interacting with the hardworking karyakartas of BJP Madhya Pradesh at the Karyakarta Mahakumbh in Bhopal today, PM Modi says in reply to a tweet from chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

PM Modi to arrive in Bhopal around noon

Prime Minister Narendra 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.Asking for price, not technology: Sibal

Why did they take decision on Rafale deal on April 10? We are only asking for the price, not the technology: Sibal

Govt not in a position to buy all 126 Rafales: Sibal

126 Rafales must be bought for the countrys security, but the govt cant afford to buy the rest because they already overspent on the initial lot. BJP compromised on national security: Sibal

BJP wont introduce Lokpal: Sibal

BJP doesnt want to introduce Lokpal because its strength will then be reduced in the House: Sibal

No one was aware of Rafale deal: Sibal

On April 8, 2015, the foreign secretary of India said the Rafale deal wasnt on the table during PMs visit to France on April 10, 2015. But the PM announced about the 36 Rafale aircrafts deal, while none of them were aware: Kapil Sibal

Cong questions Reliance

On March 28, 2015,Reliance Defence Ltd was incorporated. On March 25, 2015, Eric Trappier said that contract with HAL was finalised.On March 11, 2015, HAL and Dassault said parts of Rafale manufactured by them will be guaranteed by respective companies: Kapil Sibal

Where is the international conspiracy: Sibal

We wanted Rafale deal to go through, which would generate thousands of jobs. I want to ask Nirmala Sitharaman where did she come across international conspiracy: Kapil Sibal.

Rafale deal to favour Reliance: Sibal

On April 24, Reliance Aerostructure Limited was formed days after Rafale deal was announced. Therefore, both Modi and Reliance knew what the other was up to. Only HAL didnt know: Kapil Sibal, Congress leader

Amount paid in Swiss bank accounts: BJP

Amount was paid to two Swiss bank accounts on two dates in 2010: Sambit Patra

Cong wants to see Rafale deal fails: BJP

Congress did not get commission in Rafale deal, so it wants to ensure the deal fails: Sambit Patra, BJP spokesperson

Why was Ambani given Rafale contract: Rahul

Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not look me in the eye when I asked him why Anil Ambani was given a contract despite being under Rs 45,000 crore debt: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Rafale deal.The record victory of the Maldivian Democratic Party(MDP)-led joint opposition (JO) candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, or Ibu Solih to friends and admirers, in the just-concluded presidential polls of Maldives, should please Indias strategic community as much as it does his party men, other pro-democracy activists, and nations across the world.

President-elect Solihs plate is full with domestic political concerns of varying degrees. Starting with a smooth transition as in 2008 and 2013, he also needs to ensure that the coalition works smoothly. This can become possible only with the early and legitimised return of self-exiled leaders such as Mohamed Nasheed and Gasim Ibrahim, and the restoration of their civic rights, along with freedom for the likes of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and religion-centric Adhaalath Party (AP) leader, Sheikh Imran, the other forgotten link in the Opposition quartet.

Solihs presidency may end up taking the international concerns represented by nations like India, the US and the European (EU), on the security and China fronts, only in stages. His familiarly with international interlocutors and leaders has also been minimal, if at all.

China always ranks first in the Maldives-centred contemporary thinking of the Indian strategic community. However, India and Maldives should be concerned even more about the administrative flux that the transition entails for the latter, and the temptation for Maldivian IS (Islamic State) returnees from Syria. Close to two dozen Maldivian nationals are believed to have died in Syria, fighting for the Islamic State, while another two dozen were expected to be there. As is known, IS has been losing ground faster in Syria and elsewhere, and the temptation for its cadres to return home may be high.

Solih, the president-elect of the Maldives interacts with his supporters during a gathering in Male. (AP)

On China, and also Saudi Arabia, both of which were funding and backing Yameens development plans almost to the hilt, governments friendly to Maldives would have to find alternate sources to help the nation repay those massive loans, if only for Maldives to avoid the debt trap of the neighbouring Sri Lankan kind.

At the same time, the experience of India and that of the West to the post-Rajapaksa regime developments on the China front in Sri Lanka, should be an eye-opener. During the early days of his campaign, Solih clarified that his presidency would continue ties with both China and Saudi Arabia. Then, and also in his acceptance speech in the wee hours of Tuesday, he reiterated this point.

On issues of religious fundamentalism, independent of what the MDP leadership may have projected about itself and the opponent of the day to the international community, things remain the same on the ground. Both during his campaign, and in his acceptance speech, Solih reassured Maldivians that the nation would remain Islamic, over which critics have often been targeting the Maldivian Democratic Party in general and Nasheed in particular, through the past decade, if not more.

India and the West can expect a Solih presidency to address their geostrategic security concerns in the shared Indian Ocean over China. A Solih presidency can be expected to be more transparent on this score than that of his predecessor, who continued to swear by India but without convincing anyone. More importantly, Indian concerns about Yameens call for the withdrawal of two military helicopters may become a thing of the past.

However, India expanding military ties with a new Maldives under a new leadership may need to be taken up with greater care and caution than in the past. If nothing else, the voting pattern of the 2018 elections needs to be closely studied for New Delhi to understand the composition of Yameens substantially high 42% vote share, if only to understand and accommodate their Islamic andnationalist sentiments, if any.

(The writer is Director, Chennai Chapter of the Observer Research Foundation, the multi-disciplinary Indian public-policy think-tank, headquartered in New Delhi.)Nine persons accused of abducting Kannada actor Rajkumar along with notorious dacoit Veerappan in 2000 were acquitted by a local court in Tamil Nadu for want of evidence.

K Mani, additional district judge of the court in Gobichettipalayam of Erode, said there was no evidence to prove that the accused were connected with Veerappan and his close aide Sethukkuzhi Govindan. Therefore, I acquit all the nine men from the case.

Maran, Iniyan, Andril, Sathya, Nagaraj, Puttusamy, Rama, Basavanna and Govindaraj were set free after 18 years.

Rajkumar, a Kannada matinee idol, was abducted when he was staying at his farmhouse in Thalavadi near Ganjanur of Erode district by bandit Veerappan and his gang on July 30, 2000.

Along with Rajkumar, an assistant director Nagappa, Rajkumars son-in-law S A Govindaraju and one of his close aides were also kidnapped.

They were set free after several rounds of talks with mediators RR Gopal, editor of Nakkheeran Tamil weekly magazine and Tamil nationalist Pazha Nedumaran after 108 days of abduction on November 15, 2000, as the sandalwood smugglers demands, which were publicly not disclosed, were met.

Karunakaran, an aide of Veerappan had revealed that both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka police had paid Rs 40 crores as ransom to rescue Rajkumar, during a narco test conducted in Bengaluru in 2006, a charge denied by both the states.

The CBCID had named 12 people, including Veerappan, and his close aide Sethukuzhi Govindan, and charged them with kidnapping, ransom and other sections of the IPC and the Arms Act.

Veerappan and his aide Sethukkuzhi Govindan were shot dead by a special force in 2004. The actor died of a cardiac arrest in April 2006.

Rangasamy, another accused, died before the framing of charges in 2011 after extensive investigations.

The abduction triggered tensions between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu as violence against erupted against Tamilians in Bengaluru.

Though S M Krishna and M Karunanidhi, the then chief ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu respectively, made efforts to rescue Rajkumar from Veerappan, they found it difficult to communicate with him.

Karunanidhi then sent R R Gopal and Pazha Nedumaran for mediation.Undeterred by the unseemly controversy over the statements of former French president Francois Hollande on offsets related to Rafale fighter deal between India and France, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to travel to France next month for the first annual defence ministers dialogue with her counterpart Florence Parly as the two countries seek to expand their strategic ties beyond bilateral joint exercises, with a focus on West Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Sitharaman will be in Paris on October 12 and 13 and will also meet President Emmanuel Macron during her visit. She will attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM plus) in Singapore the following week.

Sitharamans visit is for the annual defence minister dialogue decided during French President Emmanuel Macrons visit to India in March, and it is also in reciprocation to Parlys visit to India in October 2017.

Former president Hollandes statement was aimed at defending himself against allegations surrounding his partner. India and France are strategic partners and will continue to be so, said a senior defence ministry official seeking anonymity.

While France is keen to sell more Rafale fighters to India beyond the contracted 36 fully loaded platforms, India is looking at the country as a close strategic partner with whom it has convergence -- from the Reunion Islands in far Pacific to the Persian Gulf in West Asia.

India and France are partnering with UAE in the Persian Gulf and Australia in the Indo-Pacific for a political alliance to ensure that sea lanes of communication are free from dominance of any aspiring global power.

Maritime security in the Indian Ocean has become a prime area of Indo-French strategic cooperation. The western Indian Ocean is outside the jurisdiction of the US Indo-Pacific Command which is responsible for implementing the Indo-US joint strategic vision for the Indo-Pacific region. This strategic gap is being filled in by Indo-French joint strategic vision for the Indian Ocean region and the logistics agreement signed between the two countries on the pattern of LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement) with the US. France is an Indian Ocean power with permanent naval presence in the western Indian Ocean and keeps an eye on maritime security in the Madagascar channel. Chinas inroads into Africa is a subject of concern to both countries. France is therefore a credible partner. Very specific and detailed understandings have been reached between the two countries on what the responsibilities of each of them will be in the area of maritime security, said Kanwal Sibal, former foreign secretary and former Ambassador to France.

India and France have traditionally been close defence allies with Indian military training on high tech drones with their French counterparts in Africa as well as navies of the two countries exercising in anti-submarine warfare in Reunion Islands between May 1-7 in 2017 as part of the second leg of the Varuna bilateral naval exercise. While India signed the logistics agreement with France during President Macron visit, ratification from Paris is still awaited to operationalize the agreement.

Defence minister Sitharaman will also discuss military collaboration with Indian Defence PSUs with her counterpart as France is at the core of Make in India initiative. For instance, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is working with Dassault Aviation for upgrades of Mirage-2000 fighters for the Indian Air Force (IAF), MDL is working with DCNS for Scorpene independent air propulsion submarines for the Indian Navy and Turbomeca engines are at the heart of indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALF) project India is looking towards acquiring Fench Safran jet engines for its Light Combat Aircraft project but the deal is still work under progress and the two defence ministers will be discussing the way forward.

Over the years France has emerged a key defence supplier to India. From 2013- 2017, 8.5 per cent of total French defence exports were for India with an annual ballpark figure of more than 600 million Euros before the Rafale contract payouts.Andhra Pradesh home minister N Chinarajappa on Tuesday refuted the allegations of police failure in the killing of ruling Telugu Desam Party MLA Kadari Sarveswara Rao and party leader Siveri Soma in the Visakhapatnam district, crediting the police for the outlawed Maoists losing their base in the state and fleeing to neighbouring Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

The state witnessed a long spell of lull in the militant operations of the left wing extremists only which showed the strong resolve of the states security forces and our governments commitment to ensure peace. Barring minor and sporadic incidents, the state is almost free from Maoist violence in the last four and a half years of our rule, he told Hindustan Times in an interaction.

One cannot become judgmental just going by a surprise attack since it will demoralise the security forces, he added, appealing to the opposition not to politicise a sensitive issue like extremism.

Referring to the subsequent attacks on the police stations by the infuriated tribals in Araku and Dumbriguda mandal following the killings of the lawmakers as instances of police failure, Chinnarajappa said it all happened on the spur of the moment.

Police had also widely circulated on WhatsApp groups a notice to the two leaders two days before their killing, requesting them not to visit forest areas without prior notice to the police concerned.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party state unit president Kanna Lakshminarayana blamed chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the Maoists letting loose a reign of terror even as the police allegedly lacked professional spirit during the TDP regime. He also alleged that Naidu has been using the police forces for spying the activities of opposition leaders and for his own political gains.

The states former director general of police N Sambhasiva Rao in an interaction with media expressed serious concern over the failure of the police to track the movements of Maoists from Odisha even after they walked close to Dumbriguda mandal headquarters.On Facebook and WhatsApp, Jammu and Kashmirs special police officers announce resignations

For the past two days social media groups associated with the militants have posted pictures of more than three dozen SPOs and police officials the militant group wants to resign.

Rafiqa Akthar worked as a Jammu and Kashmir special police officer (SPO) for 15 years, but in a video posted on Facebook on Monday she announced she had quit. Akthar, a resident of Bongam village in Kulgam district, said that she has left her job without any pressure or fear.

Militants killed three policemen, two of them SPOs, they had abducted on September 21 in south Kashmirs Shopian, the hotbed of militancy in the state. Since then dozens of videos have emerged on Facebook and WhatsApp in which SPOs and policemen say they have resigned.

SPOs draw a monthly salary of Rs 5,000 and are not permanent employees of the police, but they wear uniforms and are sometimes used for anti-militancy operations.

Shabir Ahmad Thokar, a resident of Samnoo in south Kashmir, said on camera he had decided to disassociate himself from the police after eight years as an SPO. In another video, Irshad Ahmad Baba of Daigam in Shopian said that he was a police constable. From today, I am not associated with police as I have resigned from my job, he said.

No SPO has resigned. The poor SPO who used to stand at the gate of our court (in Shopian) has willingly absented himself from duty and is lying on social media about his resignation. Can see many policemen in Court Complex taking affidavits regarding their resignation, said Habeel Iqbal, a lawyer at district and sessions court, on Twitter to reject government claims that police officials have resigned after threats.

Riyaz Naikoo, operational commander of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, last week in an audio message released on social media asked policemen and SPOs to resign. The three policemen were killed in Kaparan and Batagund villages days after Naikoos threat.

Dilbagh Singh, Director General of Police, had termed the resignation of SPOs and policemen as rumours circulated by militant sympathisers after the policemens murders.

However, for the past two days social media groups associated with the militants have posted pictures of more than three dozen SPOs and police officials the militant group wants to resign. Family members of the police officials, most of whom are posted in south Kashmir, are in panic. Policemen have been communicated not to visit their families or villages in South Kashmir by concerned police stations as a security measure.

State chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam on Tuesday confirmed some SPOs had resigned. Yes, there were couple of resignations but they are insignificant. The government will revise their (SPOs) salary, he said.

However, after the first few resignations posted online on September 21, the Union home ministry rebutted the claims. Jammu and Kashmir Police have confirmed that these reports are untrue and motivated. These reports are based on false propaganda by mischievous elements, it said in a tweet.

There are over 30000 SPOs and their services are reviewed from time to time. Some mischievous elements are trying to project that those SPOs whose services are not renewed due to administrative reasons, have resigned, it said in another tweet.Prime minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah will address a mega congregation of party workers billed as the worlds largest congregation of political workers in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.

The BJPs Karyakarta Mahakumbh (grand assembly of party workers) is being held in Bhopal on the occasion of birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the co-founder of BJPs fore-runner, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh.

The event will be the worlds largest congregation of political workers, state BJP spokesman Sarvesh Tiwari said. BJP sources said the party expected to see a gathering of 10 lakh party workers drawn from across the state at Jamboree Maidan which has been renamed Atal Mahakumbh Parisar for the occasion.

Modi will arrive at the Bhopal airport around noon and will reach the venue in a helicopter along with other BJP leaders including chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, party leaders said. He will be in the state capital for nearly three hours, they said.

BJP workers from 65,000 polling booths spread across the states 230 assembly seats will attend the programme, said Rajnish Agrawal, another state BJP spokesman, adding the party has booked nine special trains from different parts of the state to ferry party workers for the event.

Modi and Shah are visiting Bhopal just a week after Gandhi visited the state capital on September 17, holding a roadshow and later addressing Congress workers and office-bearers.

Meanwhile, the Congress chief, making his second visit to the state within a fortnight, will be on a two-day tour from Chitrakoot to Rewa via Satna on September 27 and 28. The Congress which has been out of power in the state

His visit to Chitrakoot, where Hindu mythology holds was one of the places where Lord Ram stayed during his 14-year long exile from Ayodhya, where he will visit a temple too as per the partys official programme, Satna and Rewa cities and also rural areas of the two districts assumes significance given the fact the state Congress leaders recently announced to take care of Ram Van Gaman Path (Lord Rams forest exile route) once the party comes to power.

Chief minister Chouhan had announced construction of the route about a decade back but the work could not take off.

(With PTI inputs)The news presenter seemed unaware of that he was already on-air and broke into a little dance, waving his middle finger live on the camera.

Mumbai: A news presenter of a Pakistani news channel was caught making an obscene gesture just at the start of a news bulletin on the Asia Cup 2018 Super Four clash between Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday.

The news presenter seemed unaware of that he was already on-air and broke into a little dance, waving his middle finger live on the camera.

Pakistan eventually defeated Afghanistan by three wickets. The video is doing the rounds on social media platforms.

Watch the video here:

When panel producer is in so much hurry to switch!!! RIP Journalism  pic.twitter.com/6NeYRwxNvB  Syed Raza Mehdi (@SyedRezaMehdi) September 22, 2018

Registering a win against Afghanistan, Pakistan suffered a nine-wicket loss against India in the ongoing tournament.

With a win against its arch-rival Pakistan, India have booked a spot in the final.

Pakistan will be playing against Bangladesh in a do-or-die clash on Wednesday. The team that will win will face India in the finals on Friday.All classified records pertaining to former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastris death should be placed before the prime minister and home minister to take a call on their declassification, the Central Information Commission has ruled.

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 died on January 11, 1966 in Tashkent in the erstwhile Soviet Union. 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.

Shastri had died in Tashkent hours after signing a ceasefire declaration with Pakistan President Muhammad Ayub Khan during the 1965 Indo-Pak war, with talks between the two moderated by Alexei Kosygin, the then Soviet prime minister.

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 Committees probe, and various significant points raised by journalists... Shastris 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.

(With agency inputs)Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Nepal for the fifth time in December to inaugurate the first cross-border rail link between the two countries and to participate in a major Hindu festival at a temple dedicated to goddess Sita.

The broad gauge railway line between Jainagar in Bihar and Janakpur in Nepal, currently in the final stages of completion, is part of Indias efforts to counter Chinas plans to forge rail links connecting the Himalayan country with Tibet.

Apart from inaugurating the rail link, Modi is expected to lead a high-level delegation to Janakpur to attend the Ram-Janaki Bibhawa Panchami on December 12, which commemorates the wedding of lord Ram and goddess Sita.

Modi will lead a symbolic baraat or wedding procession from India to Janakpur, where Janaki Mandir is considered the home of goddess Sita. He is likely to be accompanied by top Indian officials and leaders of the BJP. The move is being seen as a strategic gesture ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, particularly for the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar that border Nepal.

The Jainagar-Janakpur railway line was built during the British Raj to transport logs from forests in Nepals Mahottari district to India. At the time, the line terminated at Jainagar and was 52 km long. About 15 years ago, floods swept away Bighi bridge, disrupting services on a 29-km stretch from Janakpur to Jainagar.

The line is expected to be completed by mid-October though Nepal and India are yet to finalise the modalities for movement of trains. Nepals railway department has announced a train wet leased from India will begin services in December and has sought related documentation from India before the signing of an agreement.

Nepal is wet leasing the train because it lacks skilled and experienced railway staff. A feasibility study and test run for the route have been completed. A railway department official said it will recruit and train Nepalese staff and gradually phase out the Indian crew.

However, top diplomatic sources in Kathmandu said the dates of November 28 and 29 are also being considered for Modis visit. Nepals foreign ministry and the Indian embassy in Kathmandu said it was too early to comment on the dates of the visit as the modalities for starting cross-border railway services are yet to be finalised.

Officials said details about the visit were discussed during the recent Bimstec Summit in Kathmandu by Indias foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale and Nepalese officials.

Modi made a bilateral visit to Nepal in 2014  one of his first foreign trips after assuming office and the first by an Indian prime minister in 17 years  and he visited again the same year to participate in 18th Saarc Summit. He made another bilateral visit in May, when he visited Muktinath and Jankapur, and travelled to Kathmandu in August for the Bimstec Summit.The values of forgiveness, compassion and inclusivity embraced by late South African President Nelson Mandela are even more relevant today in the world which is beset with conflicts, terror and hateful ideologies, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said at the United Nations.

Recalling Indias strong bond with Madiba, as Mandela was fondly addressed by people across the world, Swaraj said Indians consider him to be one of their own.

We are proud to call him a Bharat Ratna, jewel of India, she said.

Nelson Mandelas life is an inspiration for all. He showed fearlessness and courage in the face of discrimination and adversity, Swaraj said at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit held Monday, a day before the start of the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly.

Swaraj underscored that the values of forgiveness, compassion and inclusiveness of society, espoused by Mandela, are needed now more than ever in the current turbulent times around the world.

The focus of the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit is on Global Peace in honour of Mandelas birth centenary.

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Swaraj said the world today is beset with conflicts, terror and hateful ideologies that are transcending borders and impacting our lives. She emphasised that no one should be allowed to support terror or its perpetration.

Our collective survival as a global familty requires that the wisdom of pioneering leaders such as Mandela should remain as our moral compass, she said.

Mandela was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, Indias highest civilian award in 1990. He is among only two non-Indians to be conferred with the honour. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1987.

India cherishes its special relationship and longstanding partnership with Africa and its people. Our close bonds are reflected in the philosophy of Mandela and Gandhi, both of whom led their peoples to freedom though mass peaceful struggles, she said adding that the two leaders made all efforts to overcome divisive and narrow identity politics to turn societys diversity into its strength instead of a weakness.

At the Summit, the United Nations General Assembly honoured Mandela with a pledge to build a just, peaceful and prosperous world and to revive the values for which the former South African President and anti-apartheid campaigner stood. UN Member States adopted the first resolution of the General Assemblys 73rd session, committing to demonstrate mutual respect, tolerance, understanding and reconciliation in [their] relations.

We resolve to move beyond words in the promotion of peaceful, just, inclusive and non-discriminatory societies, stressing the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women and the meaningful participation of youth in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, the resolution said.

Member States, many represented by their heads of State and government, also reiterated the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and said that they remain committed to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions  economic, social and environmental  in a balanced and integrated manner.

Addressing the Summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke of the growing pressure against human rights around the world, and urged everyone to draw inspiration from Mandelas wisdom, courage and fortitude, to face the challenges.

[That] is the only way to build the just, peaceful and prosperous world envisioned in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Guterres said.

Madiba was a global citizen whose legacy must continue to guide us, he added.

Earlier in the day, a statue of Mandela was unveiled at the UN Headquarters by Guterres alongside President of South Africa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa and President of the current session of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa. Gifted by South Africa to the UN, the life-size statue shows Madiba with his arms outstretched and bears his warm and broad smile.

Speaking at the unveiling, Guterres highlighted Mandelas humility as a hallmark of his greatness.

When he achieved the pinnacle of power as president of his beloved country, Madiba set an example that still resounds throughout Africa and the world  he stepped down after one term, confident in the durability of South Africas newfound democracy  He did not pursue power for its own sake, but simply as a means of service, the UN chief said.

Espinosa recalled Mandelas first landmark speech at the UN, in 1994, in which he spoke of the interdependence of all nations and asked what can and must leaders do to ensure that democracy, peace and prosperity prevail everywhere.A day after he was rescued from the Indian Ocean off Australia, Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy, who suffered a grievous back injury while participating in the Golden Globe race, has been admitted to a hospital in a remote island, a Defence spokesman said in Kochi Tuesday.

He said the French fisheries vessel Osiris, which rescued Commander Abhilash Tomy, reached off Amsterdam isle by 9:30 AM and the sailor was subsequently transferred to the hospital there for further medical evaluation and treatment.

The French fisheries patrol boat rescued injured Abhilash Tomy, 39, and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, late Monday after their boats lost masts in a storm Friday while competing in the around-the-world Golden Globe Race.

Tomy and Gregor have been transferred ashore at Amsterdam isle by a medical team and have been taken to hospital for X-Ray and medical checkup, the spokesman said.

He said Osiris will remain in the area till HMAS Ballarat (Australian warship) and INS Satpura reach the island.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which coordinated the rescues in the Australian search and rescue zone 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) southwest of the Australian city of Perth and 3,000 kilometers (1,875 miles) southeast of the French island of Reunion, said the sailors arrived at a French research station on remote Amsterdam Island on Tuesday.

They will be assessed by a medical team before any decisions are made, the authority said in a statement.

The station has a doctor and a small hospital where the conditions of both sailors will be assessed, said the authoritys response center manager, Alan Lloyd. Tomy had reported a back injury during the storm that had left him bedridden.

Both sailors have been reported as well, Lloyd told reporters. Tomy was able to assist himself by transferring off the vessel onto the Osiris.

Indian defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted on Monday that it was a sense of relief to know that naval officer Tomy was rescued by the French fishing vessel. Hes conscious and doing okay.

She said an Indian navy frigate would take Tomy from Amsterdam Island to Mauritius for medical attention.

Lloyd said an Australian navy frigate would reach Amsterdam Island on Friday with plans to take the two sailors to the Australian port of Fremantle.

Whether Tomy goes to Mauritius or Fremantle will depend on his medical assessment at Amsterdam Island, Lloyd said.

At this stage, we would suggest his condition is stable, but obviously we await the final medical advice, he said.

An Indian Armed Forces P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft flying from Mauritius helped authorities assess the conditions of the sailboats.

McGuckin lost both masts, but constructed a temporary jury-rig to get his sailboat to within a few kilometers (miles) of Tomys boat in a bid to offer help. McGuckin was rescued more than four hours after Tomy, an authority statement said.

Indian navy spokesman Capt. DK Sharma said Monday that Tomy was in third place in the race that began in France on July 1 when he lost his mast.

Im sure he would have brought laurels to the country. Unfortunately, this feat could not be completed, Sharma said. But we are very happy that hes safe and sound and well soon have him back.An Indian and an Irish sailor rescued from damaged sailboats in the remote southern Indian Ocean will be delivered to land on Tuesday when they reach an island and undergo medical assessments, an official said.

The French fisheries patrol boat Osiris rescued injured Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, 39, and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, late Monday after their boats lost masts in a storm Friday while competing in the around-the-world Golden Globe Race.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which coordinated the rescues in the Australian search and rescue zone 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) southwest of the Australian city of Perth and 3,000 kilometers (1,875 miles) southeast of the French island of Reunion, said the sailors would land at a French research station on remote Amsterdam Island later Tuesday.

The station has a doctor and a small hospital where the conditions of both sailors would be assessed, the authoritys response centre manager Alan Lloyd said. Tomy had reported a back injury during the storm that had left him bedridden.

Both sailors have been reported as well, Lloyd told reporters. Tomy was able to assist himself by transferring off the vessel on to the Osiris.

Defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, tweeted on Monday that it was a sense of relief to know that naval officer Tomy was rescued by the French fishing vessel. Hes conscious and doing okay.

She said an Indian Navy frigate would take Tomy from Amsterdam Island to Mauritius for medical attention.

This handout photo shows French shipping vessel, Osiris, which rescued Commander Abhilash Tomy of the Indian Navy, stranded in the south Indian Ocean. (PTI Photo)

Lloyd said an Australian navy frigate would reach Amsterdam Island on Friday with plans to take the two sailors to the Australian port of Fremantle.

Whether Tomy went to Mauritius or Fremantle would depend on his medical assessment at Amsterdam Island, Lloyd said.

At this stage, we would suggest his condition is stable, but obviously we await the final medical advice, Lloyd said.

An Indian Armed Forces P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft flying from Mauritius had helped authorities assess the conditions of the sailboats.

McGuckin had lost both masts, but had constructed a temporary jury-rig to get his sailboat to within a few kilometers (miles) of Tomys boat. McGuckin was rescued a few hours after Tomy, Lloyd said.

Abhilash Tomy on his boat "Thuriya" in Les Sables d'Olonne Harbour. (AFP File Photo)

Indian Navy spokesman Capt. DK Sharma said Monday that Tomy was in third place in the race that began in France on July 1 when he lost his mast.

Im sure he would have brought laurels to the country. Unfortunately, this feat could not be completed, Sharma said. But we are very happy that hes safe and sound and well soon have him back.Lawmakers can continue practising as lawyers in courts after the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea arguing for a ban.

The Bar Council of Indias rules dont prohibit lawmakers from practising as lawyers, said the court after hearing a petition filed by Ashwini Upadhyay, a BJP leader and lawyer. Upadhyays peition had sought a ban on MPs, MLAs, MLCs from practising as lawyers in courts during their tenure in legislature.

The central government had earlier told the court Upadhyays peition had no merit because an MP or an MLA is an elected representative and not a full-time government employee. Senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, who argued for Upadhyay, then told the court that a lawmaker gets 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.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud then said that employment postulates a master-servant relationship, but the government of India is not the master of a Member of Parliament, reported news agency PTI.

Upadhyays petition said a public servant cannot work as an advocate, but letting lawmakers to do so violated Constitutions Article 14 that grants equality before law. It also said that MPs have the power of voting on the impeachment of judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts, but also may work as lawyers.Activists and former election commissioners expressed disappointment at the Supreme Court for not passing an order barring politicians facing criminal charges from contesting polls or not ordering political parties themselves to do so, detailing just who should be barred.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court said it was up to Parliament to pass a law to ensure those facing criminal charges do not enter politics. The court did ask for adequate disclosure of these charges, but the activists and former election officials would have liked more.

The poll panel had earlier written to the law ministry that those facing criminal charges, framed by a competent magistrate at least six months before the scheduled date of an election (and which, if proven, entail a minimum punishment of five years) should be disqualified from contesting elections.

There are currently no such restrictions on contesting polls. Only those convicted cannot, for a period of six years.

Former chief election commissioner TS Krishnamurthy said the court should have given a direction to political parties to frame the law, specifying who should be barred (from electoral politics).

I am not sure whether the parties will carry out this direction [to frame laws] without diluting it. If the parties are required only to furnish information about criminal cases, that is not enough, he said.

Another former CEC SY Qureshi also said the Supreme Court should not have left it to the politicians to draft the law. This (order) is disappointing but not surprising. We have been trying to get the government to pass the law for decades, but have failed. The SC was our only hope, as it has been the guarding angel of democracy and elections, he said.

On the issue of SC asking candidates to make public the criminal cases pending against them, Qureshi said that information has been furnished since 2002 in the affidavits that candidates file before the election commission.

Former CEC HS Brahma however said it was acceptable to let Parliament initiate necessary amendment in the Representation of Peoples Act. so that ECI could initiate necessary action to check the entry of criminals into politics, he said.

A study by the election watchdog, Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) released in July showed 21% or 1,024 lawmakers in the country have declared that they are facing serious criminal charges.

Jagdeep Chhokar of ADR said the judgment is disappointing because it overlooked the spirit of law.

There is a provision that if there is a gap in legislation and the legislature has been unable to fill it, the judiciary is duty-bound to fill it. In the past 16-17 years the legislature has not felt it appropriate to pass the law and the judiciary has been over cautious and unduly politically correct, he added.A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will decide on Wednesday the constitutionality of Aadhaar, the controversial biometric identity card project that the government claims plugged leaks in welfare schemes but which critics dub as intrusive and violating privacy.

The Constitution Bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, reserved its verdict on May 10 after hearing the petitions for over 38 days starting January 17 this year. More than 30 petitions have challenged the Aadhaar act and government orders that made it compulsory for linking of bank accounts, mobile phone numbers, permanent account numbers and filing of income taxes to the unique identification number.

The court will also decide whether the government was right in passing the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial & Other Subsidies, Benefits & Services) Bill in March, 2016, as a money bill, which meant that only the Lok Sabha (where the government has a comfortable majority) had voting rights, without the assent of the Rajya Sabha (where the government is in minority). The petitioners argued the Aadhaar act should not have been passed as a money bill and even if the act is upheld, the unique ID cannot be used for purposes other than distribution of subsidies.

The petitioners argued that Aadhaar encroached on the right to privacy of citizens, which the court confirmed as a fundamental right in a nine-judge bench verdict in August 2017. Senior advocate Shyam Diwan, appearing for petitioner Kalyani Menon Sen, termed Aadhaar an electronic leash and argued the government could completely destroy an individual by switching off the 12-digit number.

Attorney general KK Venugopal made the case that the Aadhaar law complied with the tests laid down in the right to privacy judgment. Its fair, just and a reasonable law with adequate safeguards, is in pursuance of a larger public interest, including preventing dissipation of social welfare benefits, and for prevention of black money and money laundering, he explained.

He stressed the need to balance two competing rights: the right to live a life of dignity, which includes the right to food, employment and medical care and the right to privacy.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chief executive officer (CEO) Ajay Bhushan Pandey made a PowerPoint presentation to the bench, claiming data collected under Aadhaar was encrypted and even the faster computer on earth will take more than the age of the universe to break the encryption key.

The government also argued that the demographic information required under Aadhaar was already being taken under section 139A of the Income Tax Act for obtaining PAN along with the left hand thumb impression of individuals who cannot sign. Aadhaar will ensure one person has only one PAN and by interconnecting the PAN-Aadhaar database, make tax evasion, black money and setting up of shell companies difficult.

At the end of the hearings on May 10, Venugopal remarked it was the longest case in the SCs history, behind only the Kesavanand Bharti case dating back to the 1970s, which was heard by a bench of 13 judges and dealt with powers of the executive to amend the Constitution.

After the unanimous verdict upholding that right to privacy as a fundamental right, it will be interesting to see if the Supreme Court, in a sense, waters it down by giving the state the right to impose reasonable restrictions on the right to privacy, said Lomesh Kiran Nidumuri, partner, IndusLaw.

Aadhaar began as a unique ID project in 2009, when the UIDAI was set up under its first chairman Nandan Nilekani. The first Aadhaar number was issued the next year to a woman in rural Maharashtra. In June, UIDAI chairman J Satyanarayana claimed India has so far saved over Rs 90,000 crore with the use of Aadhaar.

The governments tall claims about Aadhaar combating corruption and resulting in savings have been exposed as bogus. Hope the judgment recognises that making Aadhaar mandatory has resulted in widespread exclusion of the poorest from social security programmes without any corresponding benefits to the people of the country, said Anjali Bhardwaj, Right to Information activist.

(With inputs from Nakul Sridhar and Samarth Bansal)The Supreme Court has declined to ban politicians with criminal cases from contesting elections but underlined that it is time Parliament enacts laws to ensure that people with criminal cases do not enter politics.

Society has a right to be governed by better people, the judges said while observing that politicians with criminal cases must be kept at bay.

Such a law should be enacted as soon as possible, it said.

The sooner the better, before it becomes fatal to democracy, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra said.

Nearly 1,700 MPs and MLAs, a little over a third of all elected representatives in India, face criminal charges.

Under the existing law, politicians are banned from contesting elections for six years only if they are convicted for the crime. Also, there is nothing to stop convicted politicians from heading political parties.

A bunch of petitions filed before the Supreme Court had argued that this should change.

The judges ruled that the court was not in a position to add a disqualification to bar people with criminal cases from entering politics or contesting elections. So it cannot declare that legislators who have been charged of serious offences should be disqualified.

But the court lamented the state of affairs.

Our Indian democracy has seen a steady increase in the level of criminalization creeping into Indian polity. This tends to disrupt constitutional ethos, strikes at the root of democratic form of government and makes citizens suffer, the judges said.

During arguments in the case, the centres top law officer KK Venugopal had opposed suggestions that the top court could assume the power to make laws that was the prerogative of the legislature.

The bench had then countered him, saying it understood the concept of separation of powers and could not direct Parliament to make a law, but the question is what can we do to contain the rot.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told the Congress to keep development at the centre of the political discourse ahead of elections, not mud-slinging. The more muck you throw at me, the more the lotus will blossom, he said at a mega meeting of party workers in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.

I tell my opponents. Straighten up... there is not an abuse in the dictionary that has not been used for me (since 2001)... but your attempts to make the abuses stick have not succeeded as people did not believe them, Modi said.

The prime ministers advice to the Congress-led opposition comes against the backdrop of a high-pitch campaign by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi against PM Modi over the Rafale fighter jet deal. Gandhi has alleged corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi also accused the Congress of looking at alliances outside the country.

The Congress is failing at alliances within the country.... and is looking for alliances outside India. Will the world decide who will be the PM of India? the prime minister said, days after the BJP highlighted how former Pakistan minister Rehman Malik had described Gandhi as Indias next Prime Minister.

The Rafale controversy took a turn last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defences 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 April 10, 2015, in Paris.

PM Modi has not spoken on the row over the purchase of the fighter jets but the government has vociferously rejected the Congress charge.

Modis reference to his political opponents throwing muck at him at Tuesdays meeting of party workers comes just a day after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described the Rafale row as a perception battle that the BJP would fight out.

PM Modi also attacked the Congress for its vote bank politics that the BJP leader said, had eaten into the country like termites.Capt. Sharma said that Osiris proceeded to rescue a second sailor whose boat was also damaged in the storm.

w Commander Abhilash Tomy, rescued by French fishing vessel Osiris, is conscious and doing okay, said defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi: Indian Naval officer Commander Abhilash Tomy was rescued from the Indian Ocean near Australia in a multi-nation operation on 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.Cdr. Tomy, 39, a Kirti Chakra awardee, was sailing as part of the Golden Globe Race (GGR)  a solo sailboat race around the world  when he drifted in the sea for three days before being rescued by French fishing vessel Osiris, officials said.

Cdr. Tomy was in the third position in the race and had sailed over 10,500 nautical miles in the last 84 days, since July 1 when the competition began, when his boat, Thuriya, was hit by a deadly storm about 1,900 nautical miles from Perth on Friday. The main mast of his boat was ripped off by around 15-metre-high waves, they said.

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.

According to rescue officer Phil Gaden in Australia, Cdr. Tomy had a severely injured back. We believe that hes very severely restricted in his ability to manoeuvre, his mobility is affected, Mr Gaden said.

Navy spokesperson Capt D.K. Sharma said that French fishing vessel Osiris, assisted by Indian Navys P8I surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, reached close to

Thuriya around 11.30 am and carried out a successful rescue operation using a small boat.Cdr. Tomy was rescued by a boat and team from Osiris. The rescue team shifted him in a stretcher from Thuriya to Osiris. He has been reported to be conscious and has been provided with initial medical care, he said.

Capt. Sharma said that Osiris proceeded to rescue a second sailor whose boat was also damaged in the storm. Thereafter, the French vessel moved 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 Cdr. Tomy 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.

Back home in Kerala, Cdr. Tomys family heaved a sigh of relief. Praise the Lord. I am so happy, V.C. Tomy, his father and a retired Naval personnel himself, told mediapersons at his home in Udayamperoor in Thrippunithura near Kochi.

Mr Tomy said that he is confident of his son making 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.Ordinary Kashmiris should not be subjected to a daily test of patriotism as there are millions of silent supporters in the Valley who would proudly carry the Indian flag if given a chance, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Ram Madhav said on Tuesday.

Delivering the Deen Dayal Upadhyay memorial lecture in Jaipur, titled Akhand Bharat ki Avdharna Evam Kashmir (The concept of united India and Kashmir), Madhav, who is the partys Jammu and Kashmir in-charge, said one should not make the mistake of thinking that everyone in Kashmir is pro-Pakistan or anti-India.

There are some who are pro-Pakistan due to allurements. We will deal with them firmly. But the ordinary Kashmiri is like any other Indian citizen. There are lakhs of silent supporters who will proudly stand with the Indian flag. So dont subject them to patriotism tests to prove that they are Indians, he said.

Madhav said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir need to be given rights, development and good governance, and the BJP government is committed to providing that. To that end, panchayat elections are being held in the state and each panchayat would be given Rs 20 lakh for development work, he said.

He said the government is taking a multi-pronged approach on Kashmir  efforts are underway to resettle Kashmiri Pandits in the state, temples are being restored, and strong measures are being adopted against terrorism. We will not cede an inch of land from Kashmir. We will fight terrorism for 50 years, if we have to, he said.

All our schemes in the last four years are such that let people live with self-respect. They are not divisive schemes, he said.After the first case of zika virus infection was confirmed in Jaipur and a spurt in seasonal diseases, health minister Kali Charan Saraf called a meeting to review the status of seasonal diseases on Monday.

He directed the department officials to keep a watch on seasonal diseases and cancelled leaves of all medical personnel across the state. The meeting was held at the State Institute of Health and Family Welfare, which was attended by the officials of the health department, medical education department, Jaipur Municipal Corporation and animal husbandry department.

There have been 1,539 cases of swine flu and 152 deaths between January 1 and September 23. Also, 2406 cases of dengue cases, 3056 cases of malaria, 147 cases of chikungunya and 832 cases of scrub typhus have been confirmed.

A resident of Shastri Nagar in Jaipur was tested positive for mosquito-borne Zika virus infection after being admitted to hospital on September 11.

Saraf said that a strict watch has to be kept on all seasonal diseases, including malaria, dengue, chikungunya, swine flu, scrub typhus and zika virus and action should be taken immediately after getting information of any disease.

He also cancelled leaves of medical personnel across the state and said that leave can be approved under special circumstances only with the prior permission of chief medical and health officer (CMHO).

Saraf also directed to conduct a door-to-door survey of 500 houses daily in Jaipur city and the survey should be cross verified. He also directed health department and Jaipur Municipal Corporation officers to organise anti-larvae activities to stop the breeding of mosquitoes. Saraf stressed on regular cleaning.

Health department additional chief secretary Veenu Gupta said that he has directed health officials to test patient suffering from fever by taking blood slides and to screen houses near the affected patients. She directed CHMO to pay special attention to the quality of screening and also directed joint director for cross verification of screening works.

Gupta directed animal husbandry department officials to be vigilant in order to prevent the spread of scrub typhus.

Director public health Dr VK Mathur, additional director (rural health) Dr Ravi Prakash Mathur, Sawai Man Singh Hospital superintendent Dr DS Meena, Sawai Man Singh Medical College additional principal Dr Deepak Mathur, joint director Dr KK Sharma, CMHO Jaipur (I) Dr Narottam Sharma and CMHO Jaipur (II) Dr Praveen Aswal and other officers were present.A local court in Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh has ordered issuance of a notice against chief minister Yogi Aditynath in a 19-year-old murder case of a gunner of a former SP leader, Talat Aziz.

Adityanath is one of the accused in the case, which pertains to the killing of Azizz gunner Satya Prakash Yadav during a communal clash in Bhitauli village of the district on February 10, 1999.

Aziz had accused him of leading a group which shot dead Yadav. However, Adityanath, too, had lodged a counter case against Aziz.

The then-Kalyan Singh-led BJP government handed over the probe to the CB-CID which submitted its report in 2001.

Azizs counsel Abdul Hameed Khan said the sessions court had on March 13 dismissed the cases against both Adityanath and Aziz, following which both the groups filed revision petitions.

Aziz filed the revision petition in the Allahabad high court which asked her to file it with the Maharajganj court, which she did on August 20.

On August 24, the court sought a reply from the other party (Adityanath). Later, the court fixed the hearing on October 27 when he (Adityanath) has been asked to put his stand (before the court). He may or may not appear and his counsel (may do so), Khan said.

The court also ordered issuance of notice to Aziz and fixed the hearing against her on October 5, he said.

A land dispute had led to the tension in Maharajganj at the time, with Muslims claiming the land as their graveyard while the Hindus said it was a dry pond used for puja purposes.The police on Sunday arrested a 49-year-old businessman who, allegedly in an inebriated condition, rammed his BMW into a motorbike and another car on Saturday night.

The pillion rider on the motorbike fractured his leg in the accident.

The accused has been identified as Chintan Shah, who owns a multimedia company. According to the Malad police, the incident took place around 9.40pm, at a traffic signal near the Inorbit Mall on Link Road.

Goregaon resident Cherith Joshi, 21, an architect by profession, was driving the motorbike, while his friend, Rakesh Mishra, 35, a businessman, was seated behind him. As Joshi stopped at a red signal, Shahs car came speeding from behind and hit his bike, throwing him and his friend off the two-wheeler. The car also rammed into another car ahead of the bike.

While Joshi suffered minor injuries, Mishra suffered a fracture to his lower leg. On Monday, he went through an operation at a city hospital.

Joshi told HT, After the accident, the driver of the car came out of the vehicle. He looked drunk. I picked up my friend and rushed him to a hospital with the help of a few passers-by. We have lodged a first information report.

A police officer from Malad police station said Shah was in an inebriated state. He has been subjected to a medical test. Its not clear if he was drunk or had consumed drugs, the officer said.

Shah lives in an apartment in Goregaon.

Another police officer said, The accused was granted bail by a magistrate court.In a major milestone in the construction of the citys first underground Metro corridor, the first tunnel of the 33.5-km Colaba-Bandra-Seepz (Metro-3 line) was completed on Monday.

Chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis termed the breakthrough as a historic and momentous occasion.

The 1.26-km tunnel between Pali ground in Marol, Andheri (East) and the International airport terminal T2 was completed in 259 days.

According to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC), the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) started working on the tunnel from January 8 from Marol. It was completed with an average speed of 4.6m/day.

The CM said, The underground Metros integration with other elevated Metro lines will provide convenience to commuters. It is our plan to provide easy connectivity so commuters can travel across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) within an hour.

Development, which is a key focus area for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government was highlighted by Fadnavis. Hitting out at the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government which had planned to transform Mumbai into Shanghai, Fadnavis, who was visibly in a poll mood, said, The projects that are planned are not merely on paper...We want to make Mumbai a world-class city, not Shanghai, like the previous government. We want people from Shanghai to come visit Mumbai. With projects like Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, coastal road, Versova Bandra sea link, the Metro network, the face of Mumbai will change in the next three to four years.

The 4.15-km package section between Terminal T2 to Aarey, of which the 1.26-km tunnel is a part, is being constructed by engineering giants Larsen & Toubro and Shanghai-based STEC.

The tunnelling done by TBM Wainganga - 1 broke through rocky strata made of basalt, breccia and tuff near Terminal T2, where an underground station is proposed.

It charted its course below an important infrastructure like Metro-1 and Sahar Elevated Road. The 92-m Wainganga shaped the tunnel with 901 RCC cement rings, a MMRC statement said.The Noida authority is expected to unveil the 29.707km Noida-Greater Noida Metro link and open the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) underpass for public use by November-end. Preparations are underway to inaugurate three projects  an international airport at Jewar along the Yamuna Expressway, a 2.5km elevated road above Dadri Road and a 5.5km elevated road above the Shahdara drain  in November.

We are trying to finish all remaining work at the NTPC underpass before November. And the 29.707km Noida-Greater Noida Metro link will also be ready for the public. Two elevated road projects will be the other mega projects on which we will start work this year, Alok Tandon, chief executive officer of the Noida authority, said.

We are hoping that the Prime Minister inaugurates the elevated roads and the Jewar airport, and opens the Noida-Greater Noida Metro link together at one event. We are working out the schedule to fix the date. Metro work is almost ready and formalities for Jewar airport are also almost finished, Dr Mahesh Sharma, MP, Gautam Budh Nagar, said.

Noida-Greater Noida Metro link

The Aqua Line to connect Noida and Greater Noida through a 29.707km Metro link is expected to be opened to the public in November. The commissioner of Metro rail safety is conducting inspections to give safety clearances to make way for operations on this link.

NTPC underpass

The underpass at the busy traffic intersection near the NTPC in Sector 24-32 , which has been delayed by nearly two years, will be inaugurated in November. The authority had started work on June 30, 2015.

The underpass has been built at a cost of 55.55 crore. It is 640-metre-long and is at the intersection of sectors 24, 25A, 32 and 33A.

International airport, Jewar

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath assured farmers in a meeting held in Lucknow on September 19 that the work on this project will begin in November. Since more than 70% of 5,926 farmers have agreed to give their land for the airport project, the state government will issue a notification to make way for land acquisition by next week, Thakur Dhirendra Singh, MLA, Jewar, said.

The estimated budget for the project is 15,000- 20,000 crore and the airport is expected to be operational by 2022-23.

Elevated road above Shahdara drain

The Uttar Pradesh governments Rajkiya Nirman Nigam is set to begin work on the 5.5km elevated road above the Shahdara drain. The objective behind this elevated road (that has an estimated budget of 550 crore) is to provide seamless connectivity to motorists who travel from east Delhi to the Noida Expressway.

Elevated road above DSC Road

Construction on the 2.5km elevated road above the snarl-ridden Dadri-Surajpur-Chhalera (DSC) Road will begin with an aim to provide seamless connectivity to thousands of motorists. The stretch passes through Barola and Bhangel villages. In August 2012, the authority had conceived the idea of constructing an elevated road for the first time.A major security flaw at the Lohegaon international airport came to the light when a foreign national managed to enter the airport by showing a fake boarding pass at the entry gate of the airport.

Miguel Becerra, a citizen of Venezuela who resides in Hadapsar, on Thursday evening had gone to the airport to drop his friend who was travelling to Delhi, when he forged a fake boarding pass at the entry gate and went inside the terminal building.

However, while coming back he was caught by the central industrial security force (CISF) personnels who later informed the Pune police at the airport.

Vaibhav Poman, security manager with Indigo airlines, registered an FIR against Becerra on September 21, based on which the accused was arrested and is under police custody till Monday.

Senior police inspector Dilip Shinde, incharge of vimantal police station, said, We have arrested the accused for offences under Sections 465 (punishment for forgery) and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) of the Indian penal code (IPC). We have kept the accused in custody till Monday.

A senior CISF officer requesting anonymity, said, Miguel Becerra forged a fake boarding pass and entered the premises of the terminal. However, he was not aware of the fact that once you enter the departure terminal, you cannot leave the building unless the airline issues an official letter stating that the passenger has not boarded the aircraft for a particular reason.

While, Becerra was trying to leave the terminal, we immediately realised that there was a breach and detained him, said the official.Flood threat is looming large over the areas situated in catchment area of Ghaggar river due to incessant showers in past three days.

The monsoon rivulets are flowing in full spate, putting the district and villager administrations on tenterhooks.

Even as the administration has issued a red alert, the officials have urged the villagers to not panic as the situation is under control.

The water-level near Sarhala head of the Ghaggar river, crossing through Patiala district, has been measured at 9-ft, and the danger level is marked at 16-ft. The water levels in Ghaggar have risen to 15-ft near Dharamheri village.

No reason to panic

Deputy commissioner (DC) Kumar Amit said that the water levels rose after the Chandigarh administration opened the floodgates of the Sukhna lake. The situation is under control. The water levels are below the danger levels, he said.

We are keeping a close tab on the weather conditions so that immediate preventive measures can be taken, the DC said.

He appealed to the district populace to remain vigilant and not to believe in any rumours that are making rounds in the social media.

The DC, along with a battery of senior officials of the drainage department, toured the areas near Ghaggar, Jacob drain, Chambo Chao, and Patiala drain (Vaddi Nadi) to take stock of the situation.

Ghaggar passes through Samana, Devigarh, Sanaur and Ghanaur of Patiala district. And these were the worst hit areas, witnessing loss of property and life, due to floods in the river in 1988, 1993 and 2010.

Officials said that water levels at Samana and Patran are low but are expected to rise by Tuesday morning. Kishangarh, Kharabgarh, Bhunerheri, Ghanaur, Dharmheri, Lachu Kalan, Lachu Khurd, Mehmoodpur, Saran Kalan, Dakala Gherora and other villages situated next to Ghaggar are risk prone.

The Patiala drain is flowing below 9-ft below the danger mark. The water flow in Jacob drain, which flows through the main city, is 2-ft below danger-level.

Rapid response teams formed

The district administration has set up 24-hour flood control units at the district headquarter, and flood control rooms have been constituted in all sub-divisions.

The health department has identified 178 flood-prone villages and at least 10 rapid response teams have been established at six block primary health centres at the civil hospitals in Nabha, Samana and Rajpura.

Civil surgeon Dr Manjit Singh said 69 medical teams are prepared to operate medical camps in case of flood. He said that 10 rapid response teams have been provided with ambulance and they will provide round-the-clock services.

Medicines, fluids, anti-venom injections, ORS, chlorine tablets, insecticides and larvicides are being stocked up at all health institutions, he added. He said that district epidemiologist Dr Gurmeet Singh has been appointed as the nodal officer of the district control room.

Farmers worried

The incessant showers in the past three days pose threat of excessive damage to the paddy crop, which is largely in the last stage of maturation.

Many reports of crop being submerged in knee-deep water and flattening of fields are pouring in from across district.

Chief agriculture officer (CAO) Arvinder Singh said that heavy rain at this stage will have an adverse effect on crop health.

Farmers are hoping for no more rain. They should not panic and make immediate arrangements to drain out accumulated water from their fields, the CAO said.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda) activist Darshan Singh said the farmers are facing huge financial losses and the state government should ordered girdawaris to assess the loss. State should initiate steps to compensate the farmers, immediately, he said.

Waterlogging, traffic chaos

Heavy rain since over 72 hours has left almost all roads in the Royal City inundated, causing a flood-like situation on Monday. Traffic on the Sangrur-Chandigarh bypass remained affected after a portion of the flyover, near Dakala, caved in. Traffic was diverted for safety of the commuters.

Sensing gravity of the situation, the district administration has issued orders to shut all schools till September 25.

The meteorological (MeT) department recorded at least 245mm rainfall in the past three days, including 86mm on Monday. The department has predicted more showers in the coming days.

The municipal corporation (MC), Patiala, seemed helpless in controlling waterlogging. Markets, residential areas and city roads were flooded with around 3-ft water. Water entered not just in the low-lying areas but also in residential colonies situated outside the walled city.

School children and office-goers were the worst affected as they had to wade through knee-deep water to reach their respective destinations. The commercial areas wore a deserted look and many shopkeepers chose to keep their shops shut.

Patiala Mayor Sanjeev Sharma Bittu said that teams of the drainage department are using pumping machines to drain out the waterlogged streets. We managed to act swiftly and have deployed our teams, to keep a tab on the situation, he said.

Rain throws life out of gear in Nabha

Heavy rain in the past three days and poor drainage system caused trouble for the Nabha residents. Traders could not open their shops due to waterlogging across city. Similar was the condition of residential areas.

Even the high-lying roads, including College Ground road, Cinema road and others, remained flooded. These areas do not usually get waterlogged.

Students, whose semester examinations are on, complained that the order to shut schools on Monday came in quite late. The school officials said that they faced a lot of difficulties in ensuring safe return the students, after the DC suddenly ordered to shut schools due to adverse weather predictions.

Dilapidated roads added to the woes and many accidents were reported. People were seen struggling to make way through Kotwali Road, Cinema road, Cantt road, PPS road, etc. Most schools are located in these areas. Even in the past, many children have been injured while travelling through these roads, said Akash Singla, a local.

It seems that the city has been abandoned by the government, despite being a constituency of cabinet minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, said Vishal Sharma, member of Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha. Even the garbage has not been cleared in the past three days. It is floating in the rain water and is entering houses, exposing people to diseases, he added.

Advocate Yogesh Khatri, former lawyer on panel of municipality, said there are over 900 cases of encroachments whose orders of eviction have been done by the court of deputy director (local bodies).

Most encroachments are on 10-15 feet drains, that are meant for discharge of rainwater, causing waterlogging. But the municipality continues to be in a slumber as many Congress leaders are occupying these drains, he added. A municipality official, pleading anonymity, said that there was a big drain  from Model Colony to Ghulad mandi colony responsible for disposing off half of the citys rainwater. But over 70% of it is encroached due to which, it is impossible to clean it.

Similar is the situation of a nullah passing through Hathi Khana Colony and Dulladdi Gate. Waterlogging issue can be solved after at least 50% of the drain is evacuated, he added.

Municipal council president Rajnish Mittal said that their employees are constantly on toes to serve the residents, despite non-stop rain. First phase of an evacuation drive will start soon. Sensitive areas have been identified and will be evacuated on priority-basis, he said.

(With inputs from Mohit Singla)The National Conference, meanwhile, accepted Mattu's resignation from the basic membership of the party.

Mattu said he would contest the municipal polls from Srinagar to serve the people. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu resigned from the party on Tuesday over its decision to boycott the upcoming local body and panchayat polls.

Mattu said he would contest the municipal polls from Srinagar to serve the people.

"Based on my humble disagreement with the party's decision to boycott the upcoming ULB and Panchayat Polls, I have just sent my resignation from the party to the JKNC General Secretary," Mattu posted on Twitter.

He alleged that leaving the grassroots democratic institutions "open to misrepresentation" would inflict serious harm on the state, and wreak havoc with the social fabric and cultural legacy.

"I will announce my candidature for the ULB elections from Srinagar tomorrow insha Allah and I remain committed to serving my people and helping the city I grew up in, meet the challenges it's faced with. I won't be addressing the media or taking any questions today," he added.

Mattu started his political career with the Peoples Conference, led by Sajad Lone, when the latter abandoned separatist politics to join mainstream in 2009.

Mattu parted ways with Lone's party in 2013 to join the National Conference.

The NC, meanwhile, accepted Mattu's resignation from the basic membership of the party.US President Donald Trump on Tuesday lauded Indias efforts to lift millions of its citizens out of poverty as he addressed world leaders at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

There is India, a free society (of) over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class, Trump said in his second address to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly that opened here Tuesday.

In his about 35-minute address, he said over the years, history has transpired in the halls of the UN General Assembly. We think of the many before us who have come here to address the challenges of their nations and of their times and our thoughts turn to the same question that ran through all their speeches, resolutions and through every word and every hope.

It is the question of what kind of world will we leave for our children and what kind of nations they will inherit, Trump said.

He said the dreams that fill the UNGA hall today are as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium and as varied as the countries represented in the United Nations. It really is something. It really is great great history.

Trump also cited Saudi Arabias bold new reforms and Israel proudly celebrating its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land.Pope Francis acknowledged Tuesday that the sex abuse scandals rocking the Catholic Church have outraged the faithful and are driving them away, and said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations.

Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-up in Germany.

Francis told a gathering of young people in Estonia, considered one of the least religious countries in the world, that he knew many young people felt the church had nothing to offer them and simply doesnt understand their problems today.

They are outraged by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them, he told a gathering of Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox young people in the Kaarli Lutheran Church in the capital Tallinn.

He said the Catholic Church wants to respond to those complaints transparently and honestly.

We ourselves need to be converted, he said. We have to realize that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off.

It was a very public admission of the churchs failures in confronting sex abuse scandals, which have roared back to the headlines recently with revelations of abuse and cover-up in the US, Chilean and now German church. The German bishops conference on Tuesday was releasing a report that found that some 3,677 people  more than half of them 13 or younger and nearly a third of them altar boys  were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

The report, compiled by university researchers, found evidence that some files were manipulated or destroyed, many cases were not brought to justice, and that sometimes abusers were simply moved to other dioceses without the congregations being informed about their past, according to the results that leaked earlier in the German press.

The abuse scandal, which erupted in Ireland in the 1990s and subsequently Australia and the US, now threatens Francis own papacy since a former Vatican ambassador accused him of rehabilitating an American cardinal who slept with seminarians. In addition, Francis badly botched a case of cover-up in Chile for which he has tried to make amends.

Francis has declined to respond to the accusations he himself covered for the US cardinal, but the Vatican is expected to soon.

Francis visit to Tallinn marked the last stop in a four-day pilgrimage that also took him to Lithuania and Latvia. He aimed to encourage the Christian faith in the Baltics, which saw five decades of Soviet-imposed religious repression and state-sponsored atheism, as well as the World War II-era occupation by Nazi Germany.

Upon arrival Tuesday, Francis praised Estonias social and economic transformation in the quarter century since the Soviet collapse. But he warned that a certain existential ennui can set in when societies lose their cultural roots and put their faith in technological progress alone.

One of the evident effects of technocratic societies is a loss of meaning in life and the joy of living, he said. Interpersonal and intergenerational bonds can be lost, depriving young generations of foundations to build a common future, he said.

Estonia is considered both one of the most tech-advanced countries in Europe and one of the least religious societies in the world. More than half of Estonias 1.3 million people profess no religious affiliation. The Lutheran and Russian Orthodox churches count the most followers of those who do, while 6,000 people are Catholics.

In her welcoming speech, President Kersti Kaljulaid acknowledged that rapid changes taking place amid robust economic growth  something particularly visible in the Baltic nations  shouldnt mean the vulnerable among us are neglected.

She presented Francis with a special digital ID card giving foreigners access to dozens of digital services in the Baltic country ranging from medical services to signing legal contracts and filing taxes.

The government says over 37,000 people from dozens of countries have currently been registered as e-residents in Estonia.US president Donald Trump evoked laughter at the UN general assembly as he boasted about his administrations accomplishments in his speech.

Today, I stand before the United Nations general assembly to share the extraordinary progress we have made. In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. So true, Trump said at the top of his speech.

His remarks elicited laughter from the world leaders gathered in the UN general assembly hall for the general debate.

Didnt expect that reaction but thats okay, Trump responded, as the delegates in the UNGA hall laughed and clapped.

Trump said Americas economy is booming like never before and since his election, the US has added USD 10 trillion in wealth.

The stock market is at an all-time high in history  African-American, Hispanic-American, and Asian-American unemployment have all achieved their lowest levels ever recorded, he said.

Trump said his administration has added four million new jobs including half a million manufacturing jobs and has passed the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history.

We have started the construction of a major border wall and we have greatly strengthened border security. We have secured record funding for our military, USD 700 billion this year and USD 716 billion next year. Our military will soon be more powerful than it has ever been before.

In other words, the United States is stronger, safer, and a richer country than it was when I assumed office two years ago. We are standing up for America and the American people, and we are also standing up for the world, he said.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)The bodies of a wealthy British retiree and his Thai wife were found buried on their own property on Tuesday a week after an alleged contract killing that implicated the womans brother, police said.

Alan Hogg was shot while his wife Nhot Suddaen was bludgeoned to death with a hammer at their villa in the northern province of Phrae by men paid 50,000 baht ($1,540).

Their bodies were discovered on Tuesday morning in graves two metres (around six feet) deep on their own land, Colonel Manas Kerdsukho, police commander in Phrae, told AFP.

Three suspects have been arrested, including Nhots elder brother Varut Rattanasajjakit, the alleged mastermind accused of paying the killers. The motive for the killings was a long-running internal family conflict, feuds and property, Manas said.

He added that prime suspect Varut was arrested later Tuesday and one of the alleged accomplices told authorities he helped carry out the murder. Varut denies all allegations.

British media reports described Hogg, 64, as a millionaire from Edinburgh who built a lavish home with a swimming pool in the province not far from the Laos border.

A Thai television station showed footage of an excavator digging up mounds of dirt in a search for the bodies.

A spokesperson for Britains foreign office said staff was providing support for the family of the victims and are in contact with local authorities.Gary Naman was born in Long Beach, Calif., and lived in the Los Angeles area until he graduaIndian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, 39, had reported a back injury during the Golden Globe Race that had left him bedridden.

Indian Navy spokesman Capt. DK Sharma said Monday that Tomy was in third place in the race that began in France on July 1 when he lost his mast. (Photo: File/AFP)

Canberra/Mumbai: An Indian and an Irish sailor rescued from damaged sailboats in the remote southern Indian Ocean will be delivered to land on Tuesday when they reach an island and undergo medical assessments, an official said.

The French fisheries patrol boat Osiris rescued injured Indian Navy Commander Abhilash Tomy, 39, and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, late Monday after their boats lost masts in a storm Friday while competing in the around-the-world Golden Globe Race.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which coordinated the rescues in the Australian search and rescue zone 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) southwest of the Australian city of Perth and 3,000 kilometers (1,875 miles) southeast of the French island of Reunion, said the sailors would land at a French research station on remote Amsterdam Island later Tuesday.

The station has a doctor and a small hospital where the conditions of both sailors would be assessed, the authoritys response centre manager Alan Lloyd said. Tomy had reported a back injury during the storm that had left him bedridden.

Both sailors have been reported as well, Lloyd told reporters. Tomy was able to assist himself by transferring off the vessel on to the Osiris.

Defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, tweeted on Monday that it was a sense of relief to know that naval officer Tomy was rescued by the French fishing vessel. Hes conscious and doing okay.

She said an Indian Navy frigate would take Tomy from Amsterdam Island to Mauritius for medical attention.

Lloyd said an Australian navy frigate would reach Amsterdam Island on Friday with plans to take the two sailors to the Australian port of Fremantle.

Whether Tomy went to Mauritius or Fremantle would depend on his medical assessment at Amsterdam Island, Lloyd said.

At this stage, we would suggest his condition is stable, but obviously we await the final medical advice, Lloyd said.

An Indian Armed Forces P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft flying from Mauritius had helped authorities assess the conditions of the sailboats.

McGuckin had lost both masts, but had constructed a temporary jury-rig to get his sailboat to within a few kilometers (miles) of Tomys boat. McGuckin was rescued a few hours after Tomy, Lloyd said.

Indian Navy spokesman Capt. DK Sharma said Monday that Tomy was in third place in the race that began in France on July 1 when he lost his mast.

Im sure he would have brought laurels to the country. Unfortunately, this feat could not be completed, Sharma said. But we are very happy that hes safe and sound and well soon have him back.Pipeline

25 September 2018

SAii Lagoon Maldives will open as part of Curio Collection by Hilton, one of Hilton's 14 market-leading brands in 2019. Curio Collection by Hilton, a global portfolio of more than 55 hotels and resorts around the world, offers travelers unexpected and authentic experiences at more than 55 one-of-a-kind hotels and resorts around the world. SAii Lagoon Maldives will be managed by S Hotels & Resorts under a franchise agreement between Hilton and Singha Estate Public Company Limited.

Set to open in 2019, the 198-room resort will be located in Emboodhoo Lagoon - an enchanting natural wonder surrounded by white sands and cerulean seas. The resort will be 15 minutes by boat from Velena International Airport and offer easy access to CROSSROADS, the first and largest integrated tourist destination in the Maldives. SAii Lagoon Maldives offers modern travelers a private sanctuary enhanced by creative art and design, artisanal cuisine, a soundtrack of curated music and heart-made hospitality.

The modern resort will feature spacious deluxe rooms, beach villas and overwater villas with inspired tropical designs created by acclaimed architect Bill Bensley, who has conceptualized some of the world's most iconic hotels, resorts and spas.

All accommodations feature custom-made furnishings, outdoor decks and a host of playful inclusions, such as handcrafted puzzles and 'creature comfort' pillows, complemented by comfortable social spaces, quality restaurants and access to the globally-renowned beach club brand, Cafe del Mar.

Additional hotel features and amenities include:

Hub

The Hub is a unique gathering and social space that offers countless opportunities for guests to kick back and get creative. Guests can pick out their own treats from the Snack Box, which offers a complimentary collection of healthy, family-friendly refreshments, while an inspiring Aroma Lab will allow guests to create their very own bathroom amenities - selecting a base product, such as shampoo, shower gel or body lotion, and pairing it with one of the Lab's many scents.

Treat

The spread of creative in-house dining options at SAii Lagoon Maldives extends from an eclectic daily breakfast at Cafe del Mar, to gourmet coffees, specialty teas and meals on-the-go at the casual resort cafe, bean/Co. For a more substantial meal, guests have a choice of stylish and uniquely distinctive themed eateries serving a combination of healthy fare, Mediterranean classics, fresh seafood and Thai-inspired creations.

The [email protected] Crossroads Maldives

The first and largest integrated tourist destination in the Maldives is an easy stroll across a footbridge from SAii Lagoon Maldives and will offer an extensive array of attractions for visitors, including a 30-berth marina, retail and dining outlets, Maldives Discovery Centre, a marine life protection centre, an event hall and a junior beach club.Pipeline

25 September 2018

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has signed a management agreement with Siam Sindhorn to debut the leading boutique hotel brand, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, in Bangkok  the first Kimpton hotel in Thailand, and second across the South East Asia and Korea region.

Opening in 2020, the new-built Kimpton Bangkok will feature 349 curated and artfully designed guest rooms, including 124 serviced residences, under an hour's drive fromSuvarnabhumi Airport. Located in the heart of the Langsuan area and nestled right beside Lumpini Park, one of the largest public parks in the city, it will offer the best of both worlds  convenient access to the city's prime districts including Sukhumvit, Silom, Siam and Chidlom, combined with the tranquillity and unobstructed greenery views of Lumpini Park.

Kimpton Bangkok will be part of Sindhorn Village, a 22-acre mega mixed-use development, with a rich selection of bespoke dining and retail options available at guests' doorstep. To explore other offerings and attractions around the city, guests can take the metro from the Chidlom BTS station conveniently located a short walk away.

Within the hotel, guests will be able to enjoy culinary delights at two dining establishments and unwind at the hotel swimming pool, gym and spa. Occupants of the serviced residences will have access to the Executive Club, and to meet guests' event needs, Kimpton Bangkok will be equipped with seven meeting rooms, with capacity to host functions close to 200 guests.

Acquired by IHG in January 2015, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is famed for its innovative and playful design and personal approach to guest service, featuring thoughtful perks and amenities, bound together with a sense of delight and discovery. The brand is also recognised for its award-winning portfolio of unique restaurants and bars led by talented chefs and bartenders. Common cornerstones include chef-crafted, seasonal menus that celebrate local farms and purveyors, heartfelt care, and vibrant interiors.He said that a pilot project of this system had already been started and will also be used in Assam.

Lucknow: Union home minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that the country needed reservation to continue.

Reservation was brought in because we needed to empower the weaker sections of society and ensure their upliftment . When reservation was implemented, it was needed and even today, there are pockets in the rural interiors where people need to be brought into the social mainstream. For such people, the reservation provides a strong support system, he said.

Mr Rajnath Singh was speaking at a Youth Parliament organized by a management school. Replying to questions posed by students, the union home minister said that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and would remain so. We want to maintain good relations with our neighbours but without compromising on our dignity and integrity, he said.

Mr Singh explained that border security would now be managed through the Comp-rehensive Integrated Border Management System in which radars and sensors would be used to detect any movement.

He said that a pilot project of this system had already been started and will also be used in Assam. Asked to comment on Congress president Rahul Gandhis recent pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarover and his efforts for a grand alliance, Mr Singh said, We are not personally opposed to anyone including Mr Gandhi. I believe that politics should not be done on religion or caste. What Mr Rahul Gandhi is doing is something that everyone knows, he stated.

Mr Singh added that the government was working on a policy that would eradicate the difference in standards of education between private and government schools. He said that the day was not far when India would be an intellectual leaders in the world.Supplier News

25 September 2018

STOWE, VT  September 25, 2018  Springer-Miller Systems (SMS), a leading provider of guest-centric hospitality and spa management systems, announces the promotion of Chris Donahue to General Manager of SMS Property Management System Solutions.

Strong growth at SMS over the last 24 months has compelled the company to separate the company across business lines by property management, spa, and point-of-sale systems. Chris Donahue will lead all efforts around the continued evolution of SMS property management system solutions. Rob Selwah, SMS President commented, "The restructuring of our business by product lines enables our business to operate with more flexibility. Chris has a deep understanding of what is required to successfully design, build and launch complex technology solutions. His knowledge and expertise around product security and integrations have allowed SMS to remain leaders in the hospitality industry. We are committed to continuing our heritage of providing robust functionality and integrations to SMS|Host while simultaneously bringing new products to market. Chris's expertise and understanding make him the ideal choice as General Manager."

As a life-long Vermont resident, Chris celebrated his 20th year anniversary with SMS in May of this year. Throughout his career at SMS, Chris has held multiple roles, starting as a property management systems installer and most recently was Director of Product Management. Chris will provide dedicated leadership over development, product management, marketing, professional services, and support.

Chris will lead SMS efforts to leverage Jonas Software's strengths with continued development and integration on the Jonas ARC Platform. The ARC Platform simplifies integration with an open API approach enabling seamless connectivity through a wide array of protocols and broad support for industry standard messaging. Chris and the SMS team are tapping into the ARC as they focus on adding new enhancements, integrations, and products to SMS Property Management System Solution offerings.

Donahue shared his thoughts on his recent promotion as follows: "I am thrilled to be moving into the General Manager role and am fortunate to work with some of the most dedicated, hard-working and talented people in the business. I look forward to guiding this team as we continue to innovate and build world-class hospitality solutions for such an amazing client base."

About Springer-Miller Systems

Springer-Miller Systems provides premier software solutions for the finest hotels, resorts and spas worldwide. Springer-Miller Systems offers the SMS|Host Hospitality Management System, the truly guest-centric and fully-integrated property management system, and SpaSoft, a dynamic activities management and scheduling software solution for luxury spas. SMS's newest product, Teres POS elevates your guest experience by delivering a premium, guest-centric point-of-sale for food and beverage and retail operations at your luxury hotel, resort or casino.

Visit www.springermiller.com for more information.Press Release

25 September 2018

For growing numbers of today's high-end travelers, holidays are less about sipping cocktails on sandy beaches and more about opting for new experiences they can't get at home.

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Africa has long been a favorite destination for safaris and hot air balloon flights over migrating herds but now the hospitality and tourism industries are exploring new locations to cater for luxury traveler's increasing appetite for adventure.

"African tourism has evolved significantly in the last decade with a new wave of young, affluent travelers, as well as the so-called baby-boom generation, fueling demand for high-end experiential travel," explains Xander Nijnens, head of Sub-Saharan Africa Hotels and Hospitality at JLL.

People want authenticity but they also want novelty. And when it comes to luxury travel, there's also the exclusivity factor.

"People are willing to travel deeper and further beyond more frequented destinations such as the Maasai Mara," Nijnens says. "That has in turn meant that areas that have been less developed are now coming into focus. Hotel operators are changing their game."

While established hotels with sweeping views of the surrounding landscape and watering holes continue to attract steady flows of guests, more nomadic options such as luxury camping and integrated lodges are becoming increasingly popular.

"There's certainly been a move away from traditional bricks," says Nijnens. "Guests still want many creature comforts like comfortable bedding, fine dining and hot showers but they want them in a different type of setting that makes for a unique and memorable trip."

And of course, the natural wilderness and eye-catching designs of many new developments lend themselves well to social media.

"Sharing experiences online has brought a new element to African travel," Nijnens says. "And that's helping to promote the continent's lesser-known locations meaning large tourism marketing budgets are not needed."

Making the most of nature

Countries across Africa are playing to their strengths in what they offer luxury travelers. In Rwanda, that is gorillas, and with the price of a trekking permit to visit them in their natural habitat doubling to US$1,500, the country is targeting lower numbers of high-spending guests - an approach also taken by established luxury destination Botswana.

"Unlike South Africa or Kenya which have several big tourism draws dotted around the country, Rwanda needs to make the most of its main attraction," says Nijnens.

And where high-spending tourists in search of the natural touch go, luxury hotels are not far behind. In Botswana, camping tents with luxury bathrooms in a "semi desert" setting have been created by the owners of Jack's Camp. In Rwanda, for example, Bisate Lodge in Rwanda, which opened in 2017 and is built into a volcano with exterior walls made from woven natural materials.

The use of raw materials such as wood and clay is not just aesthetic, with environmental impact also a factor. Some countries are moving towards hotel concepts which minimize the effect on the very landscape many tourists are there to visit. In the Seychelles, which was visited by almost 350,000 people in 2017, a 15 percent rise on 2016, a major tree-planting effort is underway and a moratorium was last year put on construction of new hotels across the archipelago.

South Africa's non-profit Grootbos Foundation,which runs a range of luxury accommodation , has worked with - rather than against - the environment by planting trees, while also educating locals through its college and tuition schemes.

"Proximity to nature is one thing, but tourists also want to feel they are getting close to the people of the country they visit," says Nijnens. "Getting closer to nature also means getting closer to the way people live."

Room for more high-end hotels

That does not mean more classic hotel concepts are completely left behind, however. In gateway cities, hotel chains and independent operators are also benefiting from travelers looking for high-quality accommodation.

In Kigali, Radisson Blu launched a new 292-room luxury complex in 2016, with the Marriott group also opening in the Rwandan capital in 2017, its first in sub-Saharan Africa. Demand for city stays is being met by major global operators, as well as smaller boutique concepts, such as the Silo Hotel in Cape Town, Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, and Hemingways in Nairobi.

"People will always need somewhere to stay when they arrive or before they fly out of one of the big cities," says Nijnens. "The global chains are strong in gateway cities due to the business nature of the market, yet they also cater to leisure visitors to African capitals. What's really changed is the more diverse type of vacation being taken in-between that first and last night."

And with the global luxury travel industry set to generate more than $1.1 trillion by 2022 according to Allied Market Research, competition for high-spending guests is only going to increase. For all those involved in the luxury tourism industry in Africa, the pressure is on to offer new and exclusive experiences while having a positive impact on both nature and their surrounding communities.

"It's an exciting time for experiential travel in Africa," concludes Nijnens. "Done well, it offers lifelong memories for guests and long-term, sustainable benefits for local economies across the region."Choice Hotels International, Inc.'s (NYSE :CHH ) has entered into a letter of intent (LOI) with an affiliate of Oz Real Estate, the real estate platform of Oz Management (NYSE :OZM ), that sets forth a framework for a co-investment platform to accelerate the development of Cambria Hotels throughout the United States.

Choice Hotels International, Inc.'s (NYSE :CHH ) has entered into a letter of intent (LOI) with an affiliate of Oz Real Estate, the real estate platform of Oz Management (NYSE :OZM ), that sets forth a framework for a co-investment platform to accelerate the development of Cambria Hotels throughout the United States.

"The Cambria Hotels brand continues to drive success for Choice Hotels and, as evidenced by signing this LOI, we are attracting some of the largest institutional real estate investment groups in the world. The LOI with Oz Real Estate signals our companies' commitment to the brand through a contemplated 50-50 joint-venture agreement that could result in building as many as 50 Cambria Hotels in strong corporate travel markets," said David Pepper, chief development officer, Choice Hotels. "We believe this will propel the Cambria brand to the next level and rapidly deliver Choice's sought-after upscale brand."

To help support this planned joint venture and other growth opportunities for Cambria Hotels, the Choice Hotels Board of Directors has authorized an additional $250 million in capital investment.

Oz Real Estate invests in both opportunistic real estate private equity and real estate credit in the U.S and Europe. Founded in 2003, Oz Real Estate has raised approximately $3.8 billion of dedicated real estate capital and completed more than 108 transactions across 19 diverse real estate asset classes as of June 30, 2018.

"The hotel industry is growing rapidly and travel in the U.S. continues to break records. Choice Hotels is a major participant in that growth, and the Cambria Hotels brand has been a proven performer  that's why we entered into this LOI. We look forward to working with Choice for years to come and advancing the Cambria brand," said Steven Orbuch, President of Oz Real Estate.

Choice Hotels is in the process of identifying sites in key locations, as well as developers and management companies to build and operate these hotels, in anticipation of entering into a definitive agreement.

Cambria Hotels has nearly 120 properties open or in the pipeline, and the brand is expecting to set a record for openings for the second-straight year. Hotels have opened in several major markets this year, including Charleston, S.C., Nashville, Tenn., Phoenix, and Philadelphia. Future openings are planned in Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Boston; Houston; Miami; Milwaukee; Minneapolis; Orlando, Fla.; Napa, Calif.; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C.

Cambria Hotels is franchised by Choice Hotels.

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceHotels in the Middle East and Africa Report Growth for August 2018

Hotels in both the Middle East and Africa posted growth across the three key performance metrics in August 2018, according to data from STR.

U.S. dollar constant currency, August 2018 vs. August 2017

Middle East

Occupancy: +2.0% to 63.4%

Average daily rate (ADR): +12.2% to US$169.63

Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +14.5% to US$107.50

Africa

Occupancy: +2.2% to 63.1%

Average daily rate (ADR): +10.8% to US$115.36

Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +13.2% to US$72.77

Local currency, August 2018 vs. August 2017

Nairobi, Kenya

Occupancy: +59.2% to 56.5%

ADR: -4.9% to KES11,559.25

RevPAR: +51.4% to KES6,529.02

Demand (room nights sold) jumped 83.1% in the marketmarking the eighth consecutive month with a year-over-year increase in the metric. According to STR analysts, Nairobi is recovering from the effects of the 2017 presidential elections and associated incidents of violence which likely discouraged visitors. According to The World Travel & Tourism Council, the number of international visitors to Kenya is expected to reach 1.4 million for total-year 2018.

Manama, Bahrain

Occupancy: +17.2% to 60.4%

ADR: +7.5% to BHD63.50

RevPAR: +26.0% to BHD38.33

Demand growth (+26.9%) was in the double digits for the third consecutive month, and absolute occupancy reached its highest level for an August in the market since 2008. STR analysts note that year-over-year performance comparisons were enhanced by the calendar shift to an earlier Eid al-Adha than 2017.

Download the Global Performance Review

STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com.

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceOpening in 2020, the new-built Kimpton Bangkok will feature 349 curated and artfully designed guest rooms, including 124 serviced residences, under an hour's drive from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed a management agreement with Siam Sindhorn to debut the boutique hotel brand, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, in Bangkok - the first Kimpton hotel in Thailand, and second across the South East Asia and Korea region.

Opening in 2020, the new-built Kimpton Bangkok will feature 349 curated and artfully designed guest rooms, including 124 serviced residences, under an hour's drive from Suvarnabhumi Airport. Located in the heart of the Langsuan area and nestled right beside Lumpini Park, one of the largest public parks in the city, it will offer the best of both worlds  convenient access to the city's prime districts including Sukhumvit, Silom, Siam and Chidlom, combined with the tranquillity and unobstructed greenery views of Lumpini Park.

Commenting on this landmark signing, Clarence Tan, Managing Director South East Asia and Korea (SEAK), IHG said: "In line with our plans to bring our Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants brand to highly sought-after destinations across the globe, we want to address the rising needs of travellers in the region for a sophisticated yet personalised lifestyle travel experience. The brand is iconic for its heartfelt and unconventional approach to boutique hospitality, and we're confident that Kimpton Bangkok will be no exception  delighting guests with an unscripted ridiculously personalised experience, right in the heart of one of Bangkok's most desirable locations."

Kimpton Bangkok will be part of Sindhorn Village, a 22-acre mega mixed-use development, with a rich selection of bespoke dining and retail options available at guests' doorstep. To explore other offerings and attractions around the city, guests can take the metro from the Chidlom BTS station conveniently located a short walk away.

Within the hotel, guests will be able to enjoy culinary delights at two dining establishments and unwind at the hotel swimming pool, gym and spa. Occupants of the serviced residences will have access to the Executive Club, and to meet guests' event needs, Kimpton Bangkok will be equipped with seven meeting rooms, with capacity to host functions close to 200 guests.

Chalaluck Bunnag, Managing Director of Siam Sindhorn said: "IHG is world-renowned for delivering true hospitality and the Kimpton brand is no exception  promising an unforgettable stay centered around its inspiring and vibrant design, distinct restaurant concepts, unique culinary know-how and sincere guest service. We are delighted to partner with IHG to bring this new and exciting boutique hotel concept to Thailand, and look forward to welcoming guests when we open our doors in 2020."

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceHEBS Digitals innovative smartCMS website technology platform was named the best travel merchandising solution provider in North America at the 2018 World Travel Awards Caribbean & North America Gala ceremony.

HEBS Digital, a leader in hotel digital marketing and technology, was named the leading travel merchandising solution provider in North America by the World Travel Awards. HEBS Digital received this award in recognition of their innovative smartCMS website technology platform and will be honored at the 2018 World Travel Awards Caribbean & North America Gala ceremony. The award is one of the regions most prestigious travel and tourism technology awards honoring excellence in the hospitality industry.

Founded in 1993, the World Travel Awards is an established organization created to acknowledge, reward, and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

At HEBS Digital, we constantly innovate and strive to provide a best-in-class CMS solution for the industry. Our team is focused on delivering new features and functionalities that help power our client's easy-to-use, fast, and revenue generating websites, said Eric Ruvio, Chief Software Engineer at HEBS Digital. It is humbling when respected organizations like World Travel Awards recognize us for our hard work and dedication.

The smartCMS is the core of HEBS Digitals guest acquisition suite and powers some of the most cutting-edge and revenue-driving hospitality websites in the industry today. HEBS Digitals award-winning team of innovative programmers, developers, and designers work together to power the smartCMS and keep it at the forefront of the industry.

At HEBS Digital, the team constantly makes edits and updates to improve the smartCMS website technology platform. The team completes updates in 6-week sprints with the goal of improving the technology to better serve its users: the hotelier. Some key features and benefits include:

A Software as a Service (SaaS) Cloud-First Technology, with 50+ modules

Fully responsive multi-property, multi-brand, and single property hotel website designs

Optimizations for mobile with innovations like Google AMP Enablement

Ability to serve personalized website messaging

A Merchandising Platform, allowing the hotelier to sell on value vs. sell on rate

A suite of Reservation Recovery tools to recover abandoned reservations

Numerous modules that can be implemented to increase conversion rate of hotel bookings and upsell potential

Full compliance with SEO best practices with innovations such as automated schema coding

Clients of HEBS Digital who utilize the smartCMS Website Technology Platform see unparalleled results including an average low cost of sale of 4.5% and an average ROI of 2,200%  22 times the investment in working with HEBS Digital.

About HEBS Digital

Founded in 2001, the firm is headquartered in New York City and has global offices in Las Vegas, Tallinn, Munich, and Asia-Pacific. Through its Smart Guest Acquisition Suite, including the smartCMS, Smart Personalization Engine, Smart Data Marketing, and full-service digital consulting and marketing solutions, HEBS Digital helps hoteliers drastically boost direct bookings, lower distribution costs, and increase the lifetime value of guests. Its diverse client portfolio consists of top-tier luxury and boutique hotel chains, independent hotels, resorts and casinos, franchised properties and hotel management companies, convention centers, spas, restaurants, DMO and tourist offices.

Part of NextGuest Technologies, HEBS Digital and Serenata CRM, the most comprehensive Hotel CRM Suite today, are the creators of the hospitality industrys first Fully-Integrated Guest Engagement & Acquisition Platform.

Contact HEBS Digitals consultants at 1 (800) 649-5076 (North America), +64 (0) 9 889 8489 (Asia Pacific) or success@hebsdigital.com.

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceYear after year, this event brings together a strong showing of hotel owners, operators, developers, investors, managers, and employees, as well as experts in government affairs and others interested in the lodging industry.

This years Legislative Action Summit (LAS), held every year by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), took place September 1213 in Washington, D.C. Year after year, this event brings together a strong showing of hotel owners, operators, developers, investors, managers, and employees, as well as experts in government affairs and others interested in the lodging industry. Hurricane Florence did not deter the many industry professionals from traveling to D.C. to meet with their congressional representatives on The Hill. The event included remarks from the respective organizations Presidents and CEOs, as well as briefings from political influencers and members of congress. A very approachable event, as the agenda is set to inform, educate, and guide all attendees, new and tenured, on how to effectively lobby Congress to discuss issues affecting the industry.

2018 Legislative Issues Affecting the Hotel and Lodging Industry

The lodging industry is facing issues across a wide scale; however, the LAS event strategically focused on a few call to action pieces. With mid-term elections looming, the call to push bill signing and co-sponsorship was not as strong this year at LAS; instead, attendees were reminded how important the relationships with our representatives and congressmen and women are to the industry and that these connections and the event overall is a building block for future support. Issues that are important for industry professionals to be aware of and well versed in include immigration, illegal hotels, human trafficking, wages and benefits, per-diem rates, resort fees, OTAs, tax reform, Americans with disabilities, and joint employer models. The following sections briefly describe only some of the main points and issues addressed at LAS this year.

Online Booking Scams

It is understood that fraudulent websites and call centers posing as the hotel or event, without the consumer knowing, have led to guests not being assigned the room type they were expecting, their private information being stolen, a lost or canceled reservation, the loss of a down payment, extra or hidden fees charged to their account, or forfeiting their reward loyalty points. The bipartisan Stop Online Booking Scams Act would help protect these consumers from scams by prohibiting websites from misleading consumers and pretending to be a certain hotel property or event's representative. With this bill, these websites would need to prominently display that they are not affiliated with the hotel in question and are in fact a third party. This would help to increase consumer confidence in the hotel industrys legitimate booking channels. Per data reported during the LAS, it is estimated that roughly 55 million online hotel bookings were made through misleading or fraudulent sites in 2017, which in turn affected $5.2 billion in hotel booking transactions. Similar to the 2017 Legislative Action Summit, protection of consumers against online booking scams is still an important issue.

Tax Reform

AHLA and AAHOA representatives urged participants to speak to their local representatives and officials about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that was reported to have been very positive for the lodging industry, allowing for increases in employee wages, enhanced benefits, new jobs, development, and capital improvements. U.S. Travel Association trends reported that, as of July 2018, domestic travel has expanded for 103 straight months, as the travel industry moves through its ninth consecutive year of expansion. Many of the provisions that are helping small businesses are set to expire in 2025, and it is AHLAs and AAHOAs stance that these deductions for small businesses and the lower rates for individuals must be made permanent to capitalize on the momentum of the industry.

International Travel & Brand USA

The lodging industry plays a vital role in supporting the micro and macro economies. AHLA and AAHOA reported that travel and tourism generate roughly $2.3 trillion in economic output, as well as supporting one in nine American jobs. While global travel and tourism has increased in recent years, and is projected to continue growing, the market share of international travel to the United States has diminished. Established as part of the 2009 Travel Promotion Act, Brand USA is our nation's first public-private partnership to coordinate marketing efforts to promote destinations across the United States and to communicate U.S. visa and entry policies. Brand USA is up for reauthorization in 2020; given its success (at no expense to American taxpayers), AHLA and AAHOA strongly encourage that our elected officials support this organization. Another important piece of the USAs global presence and competitiveness centers on the sponsorship of the Jobs Originating through Launching Travel (JOLT) Act. This piece of legislature would reportedly modernize the Visa Waiver Program, as well as renaming it to the Secure Travel Partnership Program, to help streamline safe travel into the U.S. from member countries.

Career Opportunities in Hospitality

As mentioned previously, the growth of the industry has allowed for many companies and hoteliers to expand and reinvest. It was reported that the number one concern in the industry has been access to a viable workforce. Furthermore, the LAS audience participants were asked to raise their hands if there was an opening within their company or at their hotel, and more than half of the room raised their hands. The lack of a qualified workforce is forecast to hinder the growth potential of our industry. In 2017, the President signed an Executive Order that was designed to reduce the regulatory burden on apprenticeship programs in non-traditional industries, such as hospitality. Even more, in July 2018, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education Act for the 21st Century, a revision of a bill from 2006, became law; it was established to provide funding, encouragement, and establish benchmarks. The lodging industry does and should continue to support proposals that allow for technical education, apprenticeship, financial assistance, and training to address the workforce shortage.

In Closing

Regardless of ones role in the hospitality industry, or ones political affiliation, it is important to be knowledgeable of the issues affecting the industry. The potential effect of legislation and regulation on the lodging industry is important when considering return on investment and value. The Legislative Action Summit is an organized and rewarding way to become educated; to be provided the unique opportunity to meet congressional representatives, elected officials, and their staffs; and to be a part of the shaping of our industrys future.

About Chelsey Leffet

Chelsey Leffet is a Director and head of the Washington, D.C. HVS Consulting & Valuation office. Chelsey has consulted on hundreds of hotels throughout the Mid-Atlantic, including major Beltway markets. Prior to joining HVS, Chelsey worked in guest services, operations, and restaurant roles at ARAMARK Higher Education; Lighthouse Resort Services in Corolla, North Carolina; the Columbus Inn in Wilmington, Delaware; and the Bellmoor Inn and Spa in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Chelsey earned her BS in Hospitality Management and her MBA from East Carolina University. Chelsey resides in Washington, D.C and is a certified general appraiser. Contact Chelsey at (202) 434-8793, or cleffet@hvs.com.

www.hvs.com

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceThe first hotel for the brand in Spain, Kimpton Barcelona will be centrally located in the heart of Barcelona's old town near the famous 'La Rambla' street and will feature 156 rooms, a lobby lounge, an all-day dining restaurant and 250 square metres of event space.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) will soon be launching its Kimpton brand in Spain, with the opening of Kimpton Barcelona in the second half of 2019.

The first hotel for the brand in Spain, Kimpton Barcelona will be centrally located in the heart of Barcelona's old town near the famous 'La Rambla' street and will feature 156 rooms, a lobby lounge, an all-day dining restaurant and 250 square metres of event space. The hotel will offer guests and locals a stunning rooftop and a swimming pool with unparalleled views of Barcelona's city centre and the Cathedral. The neighbourhood surrounding the hotel boasts an eclectic mix of boutiques from local and international designers, and is within easy walking distance to the city's must-visit attractions.

For this new opening in Barcelona, IHG is partnering with Casacuberta, a private company with more than 30 years specialising in the acquisition and transformation of properties in prime-locations across key European cities. The company has hotels in Madrid, Barcelona and Geneva, as part of a diverse portfolio including assets in the residential, commercial, office and industrial / logistics sectors.

Kenneth Macpherson, CEO of Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa (EMEAA) at IHG commented: "Barcelona is one of the most popular city break destinations in Europe, attracting over 30 million tourists each year. We've seen in Amsterdam how well our boutique luxury offering has been received in Europe and this new signing provides more momentum for Kimpton's global growth, following other recent signings in Frankfurt and Tokyo. We're confident Kimpton's heartfelt, personalised service and bold design will resonate well with this vibrant and buzzing city and expect more signings as we continue to take this brand to new markets around the globe."

Gonzalo Casacuberta, Vice President of Casacuberta commented: "We are delighted to redevelop this outstanding property into a Kimpton hotel, a luxury brand with a unique offering which is a perfect fit in the heart of Barcelona's old town. We are convinced this will contribute to improving the offer and landscape of our beloved Ciutat Vella even more."

Founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants pioneered the concept of unique, distinctive, design-forward hotels in the United States. The boutique luxury brand was acquired by IHG in 2015 and currently operates 67 hotels and 82 restaurants, bars and lounges in the U.S., Caribbean and Europe (figures as of 30 June, 2018).

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceSlated to open as a 198-room hotel by January 2020, Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown University Area is located in the heart of Tempe across the street from Arizona State University (ASU), one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the United States.

Driftwood Acquisitions & Development (DAD) celebrated the groundbreaking of the Canopy by Hilton, Hiltons (NYSE: HLT) yesterday in Tempe, Arizona. Slated to open as a 198-room hotel by January 2020, Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown University Area is located in the heart of Tempe across the street from Arizona State University (ASU), one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the United States. Driftwood Hospitality Management (DHM), DADs affiliate, will manage the hotel. DAD is an innovative hospitality industry leader with decades of experience and a strategic focus on hotel and resort acquisitions.

Tempe is a flourishing and energetic community, said Carlos J. Rodriguez Sr., CEO of Driftwood Acquisitions & Development. We have an outstanding and ongoing relationship with Canopy by Hilton, and we are excited to work with the brand again to bring this project to the downtown area.

Upon its opening, Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown will span 14 floors and feature a lobby-level cafe, a gym, more than 3,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and a rooftop pool with a terrace bar, cabanas and a fire pit.

Canopy Tempe Downtown is an ideal extension of this dynamic and growing neighborhood, said Gary Steffen, global head, Canopy by Hilton. As the brands first location in the Southwest, we are looking forward to introducing guests to Canopys fresh take on lifestyle hospitality and the live-work-play neighborhood concept.

Allen + Philp is the architect and designer of record, Sundt Construction, Inc. is the general contractor, and EoA, Inc. is the interior design firm for the development.

Canopy by Hilton is a lifestyle brand that embraces its locale, providing guests with authentic and unique local experiences. Each Canopy property is designed as a natural extension of its neighborhood with connections to local art, food, drink and culture. Guests will have access to mobile check-in, complimentary Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast, and evening tastings of local wines, beers and spirits during their stay. Upon check-in, guests will receive a welcome gift inspired by the destination.

Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown will participate in the award-winning Hilton Honors guest-loyalty program for Hiltons 14 distinct brands, which offers a variety of unique benefits, including a flexible payment slider, to members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels.

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 2021 Hotel News ResourceThe news today has been full of various stories about Bill Cosby. The disgraced comedian was sentenced to serve 3 to 10 years in a state prison earlier in the day and many are praising the judge's decision. Cosby has been at the center of the #MeToo movement as dozens of women have come forward to accuse him of sexual assault. The sentence he was delivered today stems from a decade-old police report filed in relation to the drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand. As he gets settled into his new home for the next few years, Cosby's mugshot has been released to the public.

The photo is being shared all over social media and on newscasts worldwide as the once extremely influential actor cannot stand to even look at the camera. The 81-year-old looks down in pure defeat, looking just about as miserable as we've ever seen him.

Cosby requested to be freed on bail pending appeal but he was shut down quickly as he was remanded into custody according to The Blast. He will need to undergo lifelong counseling and he is also being forced to register on a sex offender's list. He will be classified as a "sexually violent predator" for the remainder of his life.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1044697781238210560

Which part of 8(1)(a) of RTI Act is invoked to deny and what is the justification for such invocation, he asked.

New Delhi: The Central In formation 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.

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 Committees probe, and various significant points raised by journalists... Shastris 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.

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.

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 Shastris 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.Hip-hop artists have worked for a long time to be accepted in the fashion world. Kanye West was at the forefront of the operation, attempting for years to get his clothing brand to the top of the industry. It may have taken him years but Yeezy is a respected label now and rappers are often seen attending high-profile events in Paris and Milan. What was once a snooty industry is becoming more inclusive. Some thought that when Cardi B threw a shoe at Nicki Minaj during a New York Fashion Week event that members of the hip-hop community would lose their invites to similar happenings but in fact, Cardi B has seen an increase in demand.

Perhaps Fashion Week organizers want Bardi to throw more shoes to get them extra press? Regardless, Mrs. B has been experiencing equal or added traction for her Fashion Week appearances in Milan and Paris. The star has reportedly had none of her appearances cancelled during Milan Fashion Week, sitting front-row during this weekend's Dolce & Gabbana show.

TMZ is reporting that Cardi is on her way to Paris now with plans to attend three major shows. Over the weekend, she and Nicki were both in Milan and there were no issues between the two. Some expected a repeat of what happened in New York but both were on their best behaviors.French Montana may not need a stylist, he's not above accepting suggestions from those in the know. Case in point, Cam'Ron came through to bequeath French Montana with the pelt of a slain Booster from Jingle All The Way. While amusing on a surface level, the move evokes memories of a truly legendary era, in which Cam'Ron and the Diplomats had the streets on lock. You may recall the pink fur coat being an integral component to Cam's signature attire, and it's touching to see him pass the proverbial torch, as it were.

"N O S T Y L I S T!!! I HAD MY BROTHER @mr_camron BRING OUT THAT VINTAGE PINK MINK!!! REAL FASHION THAT CHANGED CULTURE," writes French, as he accepts the gift. While some may believe his words to be tinged with hyperbole, Montana is not entirely wrong. Some may even argue that Cam's acceptance of a traditionally "feminine" color was unprecedented in hip-hop. Now, it's difficult to imagine such a time, yet Cam'Ron rocked the pink with pride. Salute to the Dipset icon.The anticipation around Meek Mill's forthcoming project is real right now. Over the past few weeks, he's been teasing this "surprise album" as he calls it and he's been teasing some of the possible collaborators on the project. Last week, he shared a photo of himself in the studio with Russ, Fabolous, and James Harden as he geared up to join the "hottest albums of the year" conversation. Now, it appears as if he's locking in studio time with a U.K. songwriter who could very well be the next member of Dreamchasers.

Meek Mill took to Instagram to share a photo of himself with Ed Sheeran in what appeared to be a studio. The rapper is seen putting his iced out Dreamchasers necklace on Ed Sheeran's neck.

"Turning @teddysphotos to a DREAMCHASER  a chain for CHAMPION$," he captioned the photo.

Ed Sheeran clearly has a strong relationship with the rappers. Meek definitely wouldn't be the first rapper he's gotten in the studio with. Most recently, worked with Eminem on the Revival cut, "River."

Aside from his possible collaboration with Ed Sheeran, Meek Mill was also recently spotted in the studio with Kodak Black following the Florida rappers release from prison in August. It's unsure whether its a song for Meek's project or Kodak's but we hope the collab is released soon.On Monday morning, Tomi Lauren made headlines after she criticized Michelle Obama for standing up for her husband and his success as a President. Michelle said Barack was a great President, But Tomi wasn't buying it and voiced her opinion on Twitter, telling Michelle to sit down. Michelle Obama said we had a great president. By what measure? Not in economic growth. Not in border enforcement. Not in strength on the world stage. Sit down, Michelle, Tomi wrote.

While fans from both political parties can argue all they want about how good of a President Obama was, the thing that is angering people on twitter is Tomis tone and telling Michelle to sit down part. MMG rapper Wale happens to be one of those people who couldn't let it slide and had to check Tomi Monday evening, asking her why shes always so mad?

Tammy when we stand ..u mad.. when we kneel u mad... why u so mad Tammy? Wale wrote as he shared The Hills article on Tomis comments.

If you forgot, Wale & Tomi had a previous exchange on Twitter earlier this year, when Tomi wasn't pleased with being mentioned in a song by Wale. She didn't appreciate Wale calling her "Tammy" in the song, and when she tried to make fun of him back, calling him "Whale," it completely backfired and she ended up more embarrassed for her failed joke. Hence, that's why Wale's referring her to as "Tammy" in this post, and not Tomi.

Check out Wale's latest response to "Tammy" (below).

https://twitter.com/_/status/1044230564839075840

https://twitter.com/_/status/1044363727183781888

As the health care ground continues to shift, sometimes surprising alliances emerge.

In Houston, one such pairing has formed with the announcement Tuesday of a collaboration between the planned University of Houstons College of Medicine and insurance giant Humana, which has pledged a $15 million gift over 10 years to help defray startup and operational costs. It is the first major gift by a large corporation to the future medical school, said Dr. Steve Spann, founding dean of the UH College of Medicine.

Part of that money will go to the creation of the Humana Integrated Health System Science Institute, which will unite the proposed medical school with UHs colleges of nursing, pharmacy, social work and optometry, Spann said.

'GENEROUS GIFT': Anonymous $3 million gift to fund tuition for UH med schools first class

He acknowledged that a medical school-insurance company partnership is not common, since insurers and health care providers are often at odds. But in the long, Spann said, the partnership makes sense.

Theres just a great alignment between their goals and ours, he said.

Those shared priorities include an emphasis in population health, which studies outcomes of specific demographics, the training of primary care physicians, and a focus on expanding value-based care, which translates into better medical care at lower costs.

Humanas gift will also fund endowed chairs in each of the health care disciplines at the university, said Spann.

Dr. Roy Beveridge, Humana chief medical officer, called the gift an investment aimed at developing clinicians who recognize the need to emphasize value over the volume of health care.

The new medical school would become the fourth in the Houston region. While still awaiting final approval, the goal is to enroll an inaugural class of 30 students in the fall of 2020. UH is expected to submit its application for accreditation Dec. 1, kicking off a process that can take up to two years, Spann said.

RELATED: UH medical school gets initial OK from regents

The UH College of Medicine will be the first new medical school in Houston in nearly a half century. And while the other marquee schools in the area typically graduate medical specialists, the UH medical school will emphasize primary care medicine and serving lower-income populations.

RELATED: UH School of Medicine could limit primary care physician shortage in the area

A study by the Association of American Medical Colleges found that Texas is ranked 47th out of 50 states for having an adequate number of primary care physicians for its population.

jenny.deam@chron.com

twitter.com/jenny_deamWhat the crown prince wants, the crown prince gets.

International crude oil prices broke above $80 a barrel this week on news that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting States, Russia and their allies are not in a big hurry to meet President Donald Trumps demand for cheaper fuel. This should come as no surprise.

OPEC is led by Saudi Arabia, and the kingdoms Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in April that $70 oil was not going to cut it. Saudi officials hinted to Bloomberg News at the time that $80 a barrel will allow the nation to pay for reform plans and not slow the global economy.

"We believe oil prices will get higher in this year and also get higher in 2019, Salman told Time magazine in early April. When you lead the organization responsible for a third of the worlds oil production, its easy to make your predictions come true.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Power grab in Saudi Arabia threatens oil market stability

Oil is a globally traded commodity, so Brent crude, the international benchmark, drives local gasoline and diesel prices. Politicians know that little spreads unhappiness quicker than higher fuel prices.

In April, I wrote that Texas oil and gas explorers should send the crown prince a thank you note for setting prices at a comfortable level for all. After all, American shale drillers were responsible for flooding the world with crude and triggering the price collapse in 2014.

Texas oilers should also thank Salman for the tough-love life lessons. OPEC initially allowed the oil price to float freely, which led to 18 months of prices below the cost of production. Salman had hoped those low prices would break the Permian Basin, but instead, operators learned how to drill more cheaply.

Low prices, though, also hurt OPEC nations and Russia, which is why they formed an unprecedented coalition to cut production in late 2016. Prices have trended upward ever since. This coalition, which pundits call OPEC+, met last weekend to discuss next steps.

No one was more disappointed than Trump. He wants to take nearly 2 percent of the global oil supply off the market through sanctions on Iran, but he doesnt want to pay higher oil prices. Sensing the danger in higher pump prices ahead of the midterm elections, he employed his style of diplomacy.

"OPEC and OPEC nations are as usual ripping off the rest of the world, and I don't like it. Nobody should like it," he told the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday. "We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices  we are not going to put up with it, these horrible prices, much longer."

Comments like this do not help matters. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said OPEC+ would maintain the current quantity of oil on the market. The coalition will make up for any shortfalls from Venezuelas economic collapse or U.S. sanctions, but the alliance will not expand production.

Oil-producing nations need prices at $80 to begin recovering from years of economic hardship caused by low prices, said Jim Krane, an expert on energy geopolitics at Rice Universitys Baker Institute.

This is a sweet spot for them; its as high as you can get without destroying demand, he said. The prudent ones know they need to retool their economies, and they need to do that on the back of high oil prices while they can get it.

Salmans Vision 2030 plan to overhaul the Saudi economy relies on generating as much cash from oil as possible before demand drops. The advent of electric cars and stricter emission regulations have created real doubts about how long demand for oil will grow.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Tesla and oil companies lose market share

Public opinion is also important, even to authoritarian monarchies. Trump is unpopular in the Middle East for his policies toward the Muslim world. No leader wants to kowtow to him.

These ministers do not want to be Trumps errand boys, and so thats going to make it tougher on them to raise production. If they do, theyll be seen as caving into Trumps demands, Krane explained.

When given a choice between bolstering domestic finances and popularity or pleasing Trump, the choice for Middle Eastern leaders is easy. They know the U.S. can no less afford to lose regional allies. No one here has the upper hand.

And after all, Trumps trade war may solve the problem of higher oil prices by slowing down global demand for fuel. IHS Markit, an economic advisory firm, reduced forecasts for economic growth this week due to the tit-for-tat tariffs with China.

Lowering oil prices that way, though, has serious side effects. Not the least for Texas oil companies.

Chris Tomlinson writes commentary about business and economics.

chris.tomlinson@chron.com

twitter.com/cltomlinsonRichard Engel, NBC News London-based chief foreign correspondent, has found himself in a lot of difficult situations over the years. Wars and conflicts in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan dot his resume like land mines. He and his crew were even kidnapped in Syria in 2012, a situation that led to a subsequent media storm over which warring faction captured him and why, and charges that the network was engaged in a cover-up.

But his toughest assignment is one he didnt sign up for, and its one of the reasons he and his family will be in Houston for a week starting Friday. His son Henry, who turns 3 on Saturday, was born with Rett syndrome, a rare neurological disorder with no cure that leaves those afflicted mentally and physically impaired. But Engel and his wife, Mary, are hopeful that research being done with Henry at Texas Childrens Hospital by Dr. Huda Zoghbi, considered to be the best-known expert in the world on the disease, might lead to a breakthrough.

I didnt know much about the (Texas) Medical Center until I saw it, and I was just blown away, Engel, 45, says by phone from New York. Everyone was telling us, around the country, that we had to go to Houston to find out more about what they were doing, that it really was a cutting-edge place for research.

The Engels invited viewers of NBCs Today into their lives with a segment earlier this year dealing with the diagnosis, and now the public will be able to share in any progress that has been made with another installment on the morning show set to air Wednesday.

On Assignment with Richard Engel When: 9 p.m. Sunday Network: MSNBC Richard Engel's 'Today' segment When: 7 a.m., Oct. 3 Network: NBC See More Collapse

RELATED: Read more about Dr. Huda Zoghbi's work.

Engel is keeping his fingers crossed as the family is coming here this week to find out the results of experiments done a year ago with genes taken from Henry in order to uncover the genetic mutation that leads to Rett syndrome. Henrys case is especially unique  his genetic mutation has never been before, Engel says  because the affliction most often affects girls.

The whole point of us going to this visit is to get an update on how the progress is coming along, what theyre hoping to do and what theyve achieved so far, he says. I dont expect that theyre going to tell me that everything is fixed, that Hey, by the way, heres this magic pill.

Until that day of a cure comes  when Engel jokes he will paint himself in the colors of the Houston flag  he and Mary maintain a busy caretaker schedule.

The best we can do is to make his mind as active, nimble, energized and exercised as possible, and make his body as strong as possible, so that when  we hope, when  in Houston, theyre able to fix or significantly repair the genetic disorder, the body and mind will be well prepped, he says. We do some kind of therapy every day. Our house is full of equipment. We take him to hydrotherapy. We take him to occupational therapy.  We are seeing progress on that. He is getting a little stronger.  (But) until they can actually find a cure on a genetic level, the abilities are going to remain what they are. He still cant walk. He still cant talk. He still cant feed himself. He cant behave like most 3-year-olds.

When Richard and Mary visit Houston, they have a couple of ways of keeping Henry stimulated and entertained. We go to the Childrens Museum.  We go to Hermann Park. We love that little train, he says. Those are the two must-dos when we go there. And the food. We love all the Mexican food. So, every night, its tacos.

From the Middle East to Russia

But neither Henry nor tacos are the only reasons Engel is coming to Texas. On Friday morning, he will be on a panel regarding national security at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, where he will be sharing the stage with former CIA director John Brennan, former commander of U.S. Special Operations William McRaven and former director of the National Counterterrorism Center Nicholas Rasmussen.

Then, on Sunday, Engel will be hosting his occasional MSNBC series, On Assignment With Richard Engel, from Houston. The main story will focus on a Russian-born, Houston-based oil executive who is somehow embroiled in the controversy over Russian meddling in elections in the U.S.

RELATED: CBS newsman Major Garrett is in Houston talking about 'Mr. Trump's Wild Ride.'

The Russian angle is a relatively new one for Engel. Though he now focuses on Russia, he made his reputation, starting in the late 90s after graduating from Stanford with an international relations degree, covering the Middle East as a freelancer for BBC World Service/Public Radio Internationals The World. He also did reports for USA Today, Janes Defence Weekly, Reuters and ABC before landing at NBC as an Iraq War correspondent.

He has written three books about his experiences in the region  A Fist in the Hornets Nest (2004), War Journal: My Five Years in Iraq (2008), And Then All Hell Broke Loose (2016)  and co-authored another, Defeating ISIS: Who They Are, How They Fight, What They Believe (2016), with terrorism expert and media commentator Malcolm Nance.

Though hes fluent in Arabic and doesnt speak Russian, Engels philosophical about making the pivot from a region he knows well to one with which he is less familiar. He says he works with NBC to decide the focus of his assignments.

Its a bit of an organic thing, he says. It was pretty clear that Russia would become a major factor in our politics.

He just sees this as the next phase in his professional life.

If I look back at my career and my life in periods, each one was very distinct, he says. After 9/11, there was the war in Afghanistan, and then the war in Iraq. I spent a lot of those years running around war zones with U.S. troops or talking with civilians who were interacting or impacted by U.S. troops. So I look at those as my flak-jacket years.

Then there were the Arab Spring years, and it was running around with rebels and tear gas. Now, for the last couple of years, Ive been spending a lot of time in Russia. Russia has become a major story now.  Theres been a flow, since 9/11, of going to war zones to chaotic Arab streets to, now, spy stories from Russia.

Dangerous work

Russia and the Middle East do have one thing in common for him: the potential for physical danger, a fear that was realized when he was kidnapped, and its a concern that has increased now that he has a family.

And the fact that my family life is more complicated than I expected it to be. Its not just that I had a child, I had a child with profound special needs whos going to need lifelong care, unless we get some amazing news out of Houston, he says. It weighs on me. But I still believe that you need to go where the stories are. There are risks that come with being a foreign correspondent.

If you do this job, it comes with certain risks. You try and be smart about things. But if I didnt want to take any risks, I would have to find another kind of job.

cary.darling@chron.comHoustonians don't walk, and only the brave few bike for recreation. That's the refrain we hear, though it couldn't be further from the truth.

One way we know? Crash data. Over the last five years, vehicles crashed into more than 8,700 people walking and biking across Houston, based on LINK Houston's analysis of Texas Department of Transportation data. In other words, there are thousands of people walking and biking on Houston's streets.

Recently, our team at LINK Houston spent the morning at Bellaire and Gessner in Southwest Houston. The intersection is one of the 10 most dangerous intersections we identified and recommended that the City of Houston prioritize for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements so that people can safely access work, school, grocery stores, medical appointments and their homes.

That morning, we saw dozens of people crossing the street to catch one of the three bus lines running through the area while others meandered to nearby shops. A middle-aged man on crutches holding grocery bags and a woman hauling a suitcase sped up to cross the nine-lane road before the pedestrian signal turned red. All the while, cars rushed to make wide turns between people cautiously making their way to the other side of the street.

Almost daily, Houstonians hear reports of drivers hitting someone on foot or bike. Over the summer, the driver of an SUV struck and killed a woman in front of two of her children as they walked across Westheimer to the grocery store. The family had the right of way. The driver ran a red light.

In April of this year, drivers in vehicles struck and killed four people riding their bikes. These tragic deaths occur across Houston's communities, spanning racial backgrounds and ages. The incidents also happen repeatedly at or near the same intersections, affecting the same community, as was the case of the 2017 and 2018 bicycle crashes at Sunset and Main that killed two members of the Rice University community.

Earlier this year, a driver hit and killed a woman as she crossed Fondren in southwest Houston. Her father was killed in a hit-and-run three years ago in the same community.

OUT OF CONTROL: Houston's roads, drivers are country's most deadly

Increasingly aware of the problem, the City of Houston has attempted policy measures to address public safety on the city's streets. Mayor Sylvester Turner has taken the issue seriously, describing his vision for a city with multiple transportation options that result in "enhancing connectivity and getting people to their destination as quickly and safely as possible" in his annual State of Mobility address.

More recently, the mayor launched a citywide Safer Streets initiative to identify and fix locations of concern for pedestrians and bicyclists. Houston also has a Bike Plan under implementation, a Complete Streets Executive Order, a "Safe Passing" ordinance to protect vulnerable road users, the mayor's Complete Communities program and a Walkable Places initiative to promote walkability near commercial and multifamily developments in pilot districts.

But we need results now. Our existing policies aren't measuring up. While other cities set goals for zero fatalities of people walking and biking, we are comfortable with our current accounting for 2016 and 2017: 160 people walking and 14 people biking killed in crashes.

The carnage on our streets is outrageous. It's time for change.

Mayor Turner approved seven of the 10 intersections we prioritized for further investigation in line with his Safer Streets initiative. We asked the city to first investigate these priority intersections through a multidisciplinary, interdepartmental task force, drawing on law enforcement, design, engineering, public education and community to fully understand each site and then determine intersection-specific solutions.

As a next step, the city is partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation for a road safety audit to review crash reports and conduct site visits at six of the prioritized intersections. The study will result in short- and long-term recommendations for safety improvements specific to the challenges at each intersection.

MAJOR TRANSITION: Want safer streets? Stop looking for a single answer.

These improvements may include targeted enforcement of speeding, red light violations and the Safe Passing ordinance. Design and engineering solutions such as lengthening the pedestrian signal, improving street lighting, widening the curb to make pedestrians more visible and slowing down right-turning vehicles are also possible improvements. Small fixes, such as painting crosswalks or changing signal timing, could happen by the end of the year. Modifications requiring significant design and engineering changes, such as realigning streets or creating a bikeway, would be considered capital improvement projects for which there are currently no funds or timelines. Additionally, the city could adopt public education programs through the federal transportation department to promote safer and more accessible communities.

Intersection improvements are a step in the right direction.To start, we need a survey of the quantity and quality of our sidewalks, as we already have with our roads and bikeways, to hold local officials accountable for the promises they make. To achieve culture and policy changes, the city, the county and the state must address corridors and neighborhoods across the region. And they must work together with community leaders and advocates to increase education and awareness of the legal rights of all road users  those who are walking, biking, wheeling or driving.

They must also equally and regularly enforce those laws to demonstrate the seriousness of offenses. Additionally, our elected officials should prioritize funding for design and engineering improvements that will save people's lives.

Meanwhile, we as individuals can begin to contribute to the necessary culture shift by acknowledging that we are, indeed, walking, biking and rolling in Houston, and we should be able to do so safely and easily.

Oni Blair is the executive director of LINK Houston, which advocates for equity in transportation. LINK Houston and the Kinder Institute will co-host the Street Safety Summit Thursday to share ideas and best practices on supporting a walking- and biking-friendly culture from local and national experts to collectively solve this problem; Ines Sigel is the director of communications and outreach for LINK Houston. This article originally appeared on The Urban Edge, a publication of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.

Get the Gray Matters newsletter. It speeds up to cross the nine-lane road before the pedestrian signal turns red.Earlier, Mr Gandhi was also presented an image of Lord Shiv and his forehead was smeared with sandalwood paste.

Lucknow: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence on the questions he had asked in the Rafael deal was intriguing.

He said that the Prime Minister gives speeches, but does not give answers.Mr Gandhi, while addressing a meeting in Amethi, reiterated his Rafael charges. He also took a jibe at Mr Modis chowkidar statement and said, Chowkidar so gaya. He questioned why Mr Anil Ambanis 10-day old company was given the contract to make the airrafts.

He said that the Prime Minister had failed to give jobs to two crore youths every day. Mr Gandhi promised that as soon as the Congress returned to power, he would ensure employment opportunities for the youth and development of the constituency.

For Mr Gandhi, it was a welcome with a difference when he reached his parliamentary constituency Amethi on Monday on a two-day visit.

Mr Gandhi was given a rousing reception on his arrival. He garlanded a portrait of Lord Shiva and hundreds of kanwariyas welcomed him by showering petals and shouting Bam Bam Bhole and Har Har Mahadev  an obvious result of his recent pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarover.

Earlier, Mr Gandhi was also presented an image of Lord Shiv and his forehead was smeared with sandalwood paste.

A bhandara (community feast) which is organised after one completes a pilgrimage, was also held in Musafirkhana on Monday.

This was Mr Gandhis first visit to Amethi after the Kailash Mansarovar trip and hundreds of hoarding, hailing the Congress president as a Shiv Bhakt had been put up across the constituency.

We are all Hindus and Shiv- bhakts but we do not flaunt our religious leanings like the BJP does and neither do we use it for political gains. It is a tradition to welcome people after a pilgrimage and that is what Amethi is doing. The Congress president is religious and respects people from all sections of the society. He is the most popular leader and his affection for his constituency is known to everyone, said Congress MLC Deepak Singh.

Mr Gandhi arrived in Lucknow on Monday morning where he was received by UPCC president Raj Babbar and other senior leaders. He then drove to Amethi where he met members of the Rajiv Gandhi Gram project.

He held a meeting with gram pradhans and social media volunteers. On Tuesday, the Congress president will hold meeting with district vigilance monitoring committee to review development work done in Amethi. He will later head to villages in his constituency to interact with people before returning to Delhi.Professing his innocence till the end, an East Texas man convicted of drowning his former housemate and stuffing her body into a barrel of lime was put to death in the first of two consecutive executions scheduled in the Lone Star State.

Now, if Thursday's punishment goes through as planned, it'll be the first time in six years that Texas has put to death two prisoners in two nights, a grim milestone that comes amid a slight uptick in executions here this year.

Now Playing: Here are 5 facts to know about the Texas death penalty. Video: Houston Chronicle

"I'm not the one that killed Christina, so whatever makes y'all happy," Troy Clark said in his last words. "I love ya'll. I'll see you on the other side. Y'all be good. OK Warden I'm ready. "

He chuckled before giving his final statement.

The lethal dose began at 6:15 p.m., according to a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman.

"I feel it," he said as the drugs began to flow.

He was pronounced dead at 6:36 p.m.

The Tyler man was sentenced to die in 2000 for killing Christina Muse out of fear the young mother would snitch on him for his drug use, according to court records. He was convicted in part due to the testimony of his then-girlfriend Tory Bush, who admitted to the crime then fingered Clark - even though there was no physical evidence connecting him to the murder.

The May 1998 slaying came just after Muse moved out of the Smith County home where Clark and Bush lived and sold meth.

One day when Muse stopped back at the home to visit, she and Clark started talking and at some point in the conversation, according to court records, he used a stun gun to take her down, then duct-taped her arms and legs and left her in a closet for hours. Then, he moved her into the bathtub and ordered Bush to get a board so he could beat the bound woman.

After drowning Muse, according to court records, Clark ordered his girlfriend to go get lime. When she got back, he dumped the slain woman's body in a blue barrel filled with lime, cement mix and water.

Later, according to the state's theory, Clark and some friends loaded the barrel into a truck and ditched it in a remote spot on his landlord's property.

When authorities found the gruesome remains, they also discovered the body of Tracy Mize - another possible victim - decaying in a septic tank on the same property.

Clark has consistently denied any involvement in Muse's death, saying he wasn't at home at the time of the slaying, and that he was out delivering drugs. No physical evidence linked him to the crime, defense lawyers pointed out.

In the years since he was sent to death row, Clark has argued that he suffered bad lawyering, didn't get to show evidence rebutting claims he would be a future danger to society, and that his girlfriend's testimony was self-serving and unreliable - especially considering she once confessed to the crime herself.

"Clark's death sentence is the product of the largely uncorroborated testimony of an incentivized co-defendant and a trial attorney whose performance was abysmal," attorneys David Dow and Jeff Newberry wrote in a clemency petition, alleging the trial team failed to present evidence of Clark's traumatic childhood and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder.

In the days leading up to Clark's execution, the case attracted attention from actress Susan Sarandon, author Mary Buser and renowned death penalty abolitionist Sister Helen Prejean.

"Texas plans to execute Troy Clark on Wednesday but there are some serious problems with his case," Prejean tweeted. "Troy has always maintained his innocence. Someone else made a detailed confession and then completely changed her story in exchange for a reduced sentence."

A day after Clark's scheduled date with death, Daniel Acker is slated for execution. The Sulphur Springs man was sent to death row in 2001 after he was convicted of strangling his girlfriend and pushing her from a moving car - though the state abandoned the strangulation theory after trial.

Like Clark, he's consistently maintained his innocence, and defense lawyers have argued Marquetta George jumped from the car on her own, making the death possibly manslaughter but not capital murder.

The last time two convicted killers were executed in two days was in 2012, when the state put to death Ramon Hernandez of Bexar County and Preston Hughes, from Harris County. Hughes, who also professed his innocence with his final words, was convicted in the stabbing deaths of two children.

This time around neither of the executions is out of Harris County, the erstwhile "capital of capital punishment."

Last year, the Lone Star State executed seven men, nearly one-third of the nation's 23 total. This year, the death house in Huntsville has now seen nine executions, and another seven are scheduled in the remainder of the year. Two more - including a cop-killer from Harris County - are on the calendar in early 2019.

Despite the slight uptick in Texas this year, national numbers are likely to hold fairly steady by year-end, according to Robert Dunham of the Death Penalty Information Center. And even that uptick in the nation's busiest death chamber, he added, isn't necessarily indicative of any change in the long-term waning of capital punishment.

"Executions look as though they will remain near generational lows this year and to the extent that there is any difference," he said, "that difference will be Texas."Tatiana Mala-Nina says good entertainers knows their audience. So when the 31-year-old drag queen reads to children at the Montrose library, she brings all the shiny glitz and glamour to satisfy their curiosity.

Im a fantasy character for these kids, and I love it, she said.

But, in reality, the Drag Queen Story Hour that Mala-Nina performs with is a lightning rod. The program, which is growing nationally, aims to provide children positive and unabashedly queer role models. Critics, especially in Southern cities, are turning out to protest the events.

Houston City Councilman Michael Kubosh said at a council meeting in mid-July, I just dont want that projected into our children if its not necessary. Protesters attended an August event at the Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library with signs that said This library perverts children and Drags need prayers, not public platforms.

Mala-Nina, 31, said she is surprised by the backlash. When she started performing, Mala-Nina, a transgender woman, was in the beginning of her transition. There were no protesters, and the kids were excited to see her as a larger-than-life character.

It helps me get in touch with my inner child and just have fun with what I do, she said. Were big ol Barbie dolls.

Protesters are again expected at the local chapters first-anniversary event Saturday at the Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library.

The one-year anniversary will feature five drag queens, a musical number, a photo booth and other activities for families, organizers said.

Mala-Nina plans to wear a large yellow gown and channel Glenda the Good Witch to perform Popular from the musical Wicked.

Shes not sure how she will ignore protesters, if they attend.

I really hope the people that hate what we do and hate that were trying to do something nice for our community dont win, she said. Were not getting paid for it. Were waking up early, slapping on a whole lot of makeup and performing for kids.

The protests have sparked support for story time in some communities, said Trent Lira, organizer of the event. LGBTQ groups such as PFLAG have offered help, and Lira is working with the Houston Public Library system to start events at other libraries in the greater Houston next year.

Were slowly making a difference, he said.

For more information about Drag Queen Storytime, visit the Houston Public Librarys website, houstonlibrary.org.A former Houston-based businessman has been indicted for funneling money from the government of Azerbaijan to pay for a foreign trip taken by members of Congress and their staff.

Kemal Oksuz, 48, allegedly lied on disclosure forms filed with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics both before and after he helped use foreign money to illegally fund a congressional trip to Azerbaijan, according to the indictment unsealed Monday.

Oksuz falsely claimed that a nonprofit he ran out of a Galleria office tower, the Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians, had not accepted funding from any outside source to pay for congressional travel to an energy conference held in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2013, according to the indictment and related government ethics probes.

That 2013 trip was the subject of a formal investigation by the House Ethics Committee after the Houston Chronicle reported there were questions about whether the Azeri national oil company had illegally paid for lawmaker travel to Baku.

The conference, organized in part by Oksuz, was attended by 10 members of Congress  including four from Texas  and 35 congressional staffers. They received all-expense-paid trips from various nonprofits, including the Turquoise Council, the Chronicle reported in 2014.

Oksuz knowingly orchestrated a scheme to illegally funnel money to congressional travel from the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic, or SOCAR, according to a five-count indictment unsealed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

Oksuz is charged with devising a scheme to falsify, conceal and cover up facts from the House Ethics Committee, which investigated the foreign trip. Hes also charged with four counts of making false statements to Congress, according to the federal indictment and a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Several members of Congress returned gifts or money they received for the Baku trip after the House Ethics Committees probe determined that funding for their hotel, airfare and gifts likely came from a foreign government in violation of house rules. The Texas members of Congress who attended the Baku conference have said they had believed their trips were legally funded by the Turquoise Council.

Oksuz is being held in Armenia, where he was arrested several weeks ago on a U.S. warrant. Justice Department officials are seeking his extradition.

lise.olsen@chron.com

twitter.com/chrondiggerA Houston man pleaded guilty to gunning down a teenager after an impromptu car show turned violent in north Houston.

Gabriel Cantu, 21, pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge Tuesday in exchange for a 35-year prison sentence for shooting and killing 15-year-old Victoria Cantu on Jan. 4, 2016, court records show.

Cantu and the victim are not related, authorities said.

The altercation started in a parking lot in the 10800 block of the North Freeway late Jan. 4 when Victoria Cantu and several others participated in an unofficial car showcase.

The teenager was a passenger in a red Acura that was weaving from side to side and going in circles throughout the parking lot.

LYNCHING CASE: Texas AG fights man's death row appeal

At some point during the joyride, the car veered close to bystanders on a nearby sidewalk  one of whom was Gabriel Cantu, who was 18 at the time.

When Victoria Cantu and the others inside the Acura left the parking lot, Gabriel Cantu followed the car, pulled out an AK-47 rifle and opened fire  fatally striking Victoria Cantu in back.

Victoria Cantu's friends did not immediately realize she was shot and kept driving. It wasn't until the group pulled into a local fast food restaurant parking lot they discovered she had been shot.

Paramedics rushed to the scene but pronounced her dead almost immediately.

Gabriel Cantu was arrested about two weeks after opening fire.

He was set for a jury trial Monday, but pleaded guilty Tuesday, court records show.

He will not be eligible for parole until at least 2036.

Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.comBert Hardy / Getty Images

By now, most people have heard that Helen Keller and Hillary Clinton are on the chopping block for Texas' history curriculum.

They are joined by more than 80 historical figures who were voted unessential by the Texas Board of Education earlier this month.WASHINGTON - A Houston race seen as one of the pivotal battlegrounds for control of Congress has escalated into a flurry of increasingly personal attacks over accusations of false or misleading ads about health care, a potentially decisive issue.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties also have joined in, stirring up a tight contest going into its final phase before voters start casting ballots next month. The clash also underscores how the 7th Congressional District - stretching west from some of the citys most affluent neighborhoods into the Harris County suburbs - has become critical turf in the November midterm elections.

One of the most hotly disputed attacks came in a new digital ad for GOP incumbent John Culberson claiming that Democratic challenger Lizzie Pannill Fletcher supports single-payer or government-run health care.

Fletcher, a Houston lawyer, has campaigned on shoring up the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, which relies on private insurance companies. She has explicitly argued against calls for a single-payer system, an idea thats widely associated with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and activists the partys left flank, many of whom rallied around Laura Moser, Fletchers main adversary in the Democratic primary.

Its another lie, Fletcher said in an interview. Im disappointed that John Culberson is falling in line with a Republican attack and peddling these lies.  The ad is utterly untrue. We as his constituents and voters deserve better than a representative who lies to us about important issues in our community.

Culberson, in turn, has accused Fletcher of misleading voters in an ad saying he voted to allow insurance companies to discriminate against people with pre-existing medical conditions. Protecting those consumers against denials of coverage and inflated premiums was one of the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which Culberson has long opposed.

Fletchers ad, called Wrecking Ball, is based on Culbersons many votes in favor of repealing Obamacare, including GOP replacement legislation that Democrats said would weaken the laws protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The repeal bill passed the House last year but failed in the Senate.

Culberson argues that the GOP replacement bill, known as the American Health Care Act, contained safeguards preventing price discrimination based on pre-existing conditions while offering more options to patients and state governments.

Under the failed GOP bill, people who maintained continuous coverage - that is, with no insurance gaps for more than 63 days - could not be charged more for a pre-existing condition. Those with gaps could not be denied coverage, either, but could face premium hikes of 30 percent for one year.

There is a hot debate between health care experts over how the GOP legislation, which included an option for states to waive the continuous coverage provision, would have changed the marketplace.

But forced to play defense on health care, an issue that helped them win control of Congress nearly a decade ago, Republicans say their replacement law found other ways to provide access to coverage through high-risk pools organized by the states.

Lizzie Fletcher is attempting to fool voters because Obamacare has failed, premiums have doubled, and millions of Americans have been forced to change doctors as plan options diminish, Culberson spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said in a statement. While Fletcher peddles a claim that national fact checkers have already debunked, the real truth is Congressman Culberson has repeatedly supported protections for Houstonians with pre-existing conditions.

Fletcher has stood by her charge, noting that Culberson voted 62 times to repeal all or part of the Affordable Care Act, a major GOP target throughout the Obama administration. The effect, she argues, is that Houstonians with pre-existing conditions like asthma, diabetes and cancer could have risked being left without coverage or facing steeply higher premiums.

Pre-existing conditions coverage is a direct result of the Affordable Care Act, Fletcher said.

Fletcher also noted that Culberson has remained silent on a Texas-led lawsuit that would invalidate protections for pre-existing conditions in the wake of the recent GOP tax cut legislation that gutted the Affordable Care Acts individual mandate to buy insurance.

Asked about the lawsuit, Kelly said Culberson believes the current protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions should be preserved. The campaign did not clarify which current protections Culberson supports. Currently, only the protections of the Affordable Care Act remain in place.

Culbersons switch on Medicare Part D

The exchange of ads has helped make health care issues central to the contest, shifting the focus from the strengthening economy, which many Republican strategists consider stronger GOP turf in the November midterm elections.

The ad battle has also opened up deeper divisions in the health care debate.

Fletcher sees Culbersons posture on the Affordable Care Act as part of a conservative antipathy toward a federal role in health care, a position he expressed early in his congressional career when he voted against then-President George W. Bushs Medicare Part D prescription drug legislation.

Culberson, who casts himself on Twitter as a Jeffersonian Republican, cited deficit concerns in voting against the historic 2003 legislation. But last week, his congressional office released a letter he signed in June urging GOP leaders to protect Medicare Part D benefits for seniors.

Congress should act quickly so that Medicare Part D stays on a more responsible path and seniors have long term predictability, said the letter, which blamed Obamacare for looming cost increases for Medicare Part D. A separate Democratic attack ad blames Culberson for voting with most Republicans against allowing the government to negotiate with drug companies to lower the prices of drugs covered by the program.

To Culbersons critics, his effort to bolster the Medicare Part D program represents a dramatic turnaround over nine terms in office.

Theres a real effort to re-write history, Fletcher said, to gaslight everyone who for 18 years has been hearing him say that he doesnt believe in the federal government, that he thinks his job is to eliminate as much of the federal government as possible.

Culberson, for his part, has sought to portray his challenger as a big government liberal.

As backup for his attack ad, the Culberson campaign cited Fletchers statement during the primary election that we need universal health care. Not just health care coverage, not just health insurance, but that we all need access to health care.

Culbersons camp also cited Fletchers statement that we should put the public option back on the table.

But the general view among health care analysts is that neither the goal of universal health care nor the introduction of a Medicare-style public option alongside private insurance is the same thing as advocating for an all-government, single-payer system.

The attack, however, seems designed to deny Fletcher her perch as a moderate Democrat in a historically Republican but rapidly changing district. Its a space Fletcher has worked diligently to carve out in light of Hillary Clintons narrow victory in District Seven in the 2016 presidential election.

Dragging Pelosi and Trump into the race

While the national Democratic strategy has been to tie Culberson to Trump, who has shown signs of weakness in suburban districts like the Seventh, Republicans have branded Fletcher as an acolyte of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a frequent GOP target.

For now, Fletcher is staying out of the internal debate on Pelosi as the Democratic House leader. But the National Republican Congressional Committee has used the San Francisco Democrat in a new attack ad highlighting Fletchers past legal work on behalf of Plains All American Pipeline, a Houston energy company that was involved in a 2015 California oil spill.

Lizzie Fletcher is in it for herself, said NRCC spokesman Matt Gorman. Getting rich defending repeat offenders who spilled oil along our coast, and putting Nancy Pelosis agenda ahead of the needs of Texans.

While the GOP ad doesnt make clear how the 2015 Refugio oil spill ties into Pelosis agenda, it appears designed to weaken Fletchers appeal to environmentalists, a significant part of the Democratic coalition.

It is also intended to call into question Fletchers frequent assertions about having spent a career helping people and standing up for people who need a voice.

Fletcher, a partner in the high-powered AZA law firm, has represented an array of litigants, from ordinary workers and business owners to large corporate clients like Plains All American, which was found criminally liable earlier this month in the California oil spill. In the primaries, Fletcher was hammered by the Texas Gulf Coast AFL-CIO for her firms work on behalf of a company that won a multi-million judgment against the Service Employees International Union, a big union representing immigrant janitors in Houston.

Fletcher said she wasnt involved in the janitors case. But she makes no bones about representing a Houston energy company in some of the civil suits that have been filed by affected fishermen, oil workers and property owners in California.

Im a lawyer and I work and I earn a living as a lawyer, thats true, she said. Ive represented a lot of clients. Theres no secret about that. Ill tell you what is not true: Theres no lie about that. You can go to my law firms web site and see the cases Ive worked on  Whats wrong with their ad is the suggestion that Im lying, the suggestion that Im in it for myself, which frankly makes no sense to anyone who knows me, and the suggestion that theres something wrong with representing Houstonians, because that is the job.

Some Texas environmentalist have come to her defense, noting that Houston is an oil and gas hub and that many Seventh District residents work in the industry.

This is Houston, lots of folks work in the oil industry, said Luke Metzger, Executive Director of Environment Texas.

Fletcher, for her part, has sought to turn the attack back on the GOP.

Attacking the oil and gas industry, to me, seems like a very strange approach for the Republicans, Fletcher said.Pool, Pool / 2018 Getty Images

Texans can be as loud as anyone else when it comes to shouting out complaints about the government, but too frequently they get as quiet as mice when its time to let their votes do the talking at the polls. That wont do for the midterm elections in November, which could change the control of Washington that Republicans have held since winning both houses of Congress in 2014 and the presidency two years later.

Criminal charges stemming from the Mueller investigation of Russian election tampering and increasing displeasure with President Donald Trumps immigration and trade policies have Democrats thinking they can retake both the House and Senate. Looming large in their calculation is who will win Republican Sen. Ted Cruzs re-election battle against Democratic U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke.Pardon the word choice, but there is no magic bullet for ending Americas gun violence epidemic. No single approach or group has the power, by itself, to achieve meaningful reductions in gun-related deaths. Multiple approaches are needed, with leadership from every sector.

But there is one group without whom progress is very difficult: the companies that make and sell firearms in the U.S. market. Without a greater commitment to safety by the gun industry, the rest of us will continue to fight an uphill battle.

Today, we are asking a top gun company, American Outdoor Brands Corp., to develop and carry out a comprehensive safety plan. Were asking CEO P. James Debney to work with us to develop this plan and lead the industry in efforts to reduce the deadly impacts of its products.

Debneys company makes Smith & Wesson guns, a distinguished American brand with a long history of sales to police, military and civilians alike. Were asking other companies to lead as well. But American Outdoor, from all of the data weve collected, is the largest supplier of guns used in crimes in major U.S. cities. More than any other company, AOBCs products are involved in the everyday gun violence that plagues our cities and that disproportionately burdens communities of color. This distinction carries an obligation: Debney should do everything in his power to make AOBC No. 1 in safety.

What would that mean? What key elements would be included in a comprehensive safety plan?

First, AOBC should lead in the area of gun safety technologies. It should fast-track the development of guns equipped with user-authenticating technology (a.k.a. smart guns). By blocking unauthorized users from firing a gun, these technologies can deter gun theft and reduce gun-related suicides, homicides, and accidental deaths. AOBC should bring an array of technologies to market  state-of-the-art locks, safes, tracking devices, chamber load indicators and others  to make it harder to steal, lose or accidentally fire a gun.

Second, AOBC should strengthen its distribution system to limit the diversion of guns away from lawful owners. As in other industries, it should set and enforce standards for its sales outlets. No dealer with a record of straw purchases, break-ins or ATF violations should remain in the companys network. Best practices should be taught and rewarded across the network. The company should institute a re-purchase or trade-in program for used firearms to discourage re-sales on the secondary market.

Over time, measures like these, in conjunction with good work by law enforcement and other sectors, would create new market dynamics: fewer cheap guns available on the streets, fewer go-to dealers for buyers trying to avoid background checks, fewer stolen guns in circulation. These dynamics, in turn, will translate into fewer tragic shootings in our communities.

Not one of these measures would in any way threaten or diminish the rights of law-abiding Americans to own or use firearms. None of these ideas are even particularly controversial among gun owners. In fact, a growing number of gun company shareholders see this kind of commitment to safety as the path to profitability for an industry with a shrinking demographic base. They, too, are asking AOBC to lead in this area.

Today the company will hold its annual shareholders meeting. A modest resolution will be up for consideration, introduced by members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, requiring AOBC to issue a report on gun safety. An identical resolution received 69 percent of shareholder votes at the May meeting of AOBCs competitor, Sturm, Ruger & Co., despite managements objections.

We urge Debney to help his industry meet the demands made of all companies in modern capitalism: to relate productively with other segments of society, and to minimize the harmful downstream impacts of their products. A growing swath of America  police chiefs, prosecutors, mayors, clergy, doctors, teachers, institutional investors  is seeking his leadership.

Debney, forge a path forward by reviving and modernizing an old Smith & Wesson tradition: gun safety.Soundarajan has nominated PM Modi for launching 'Ayushman Bharat' and appealed people to join her in nominating the PM.

Tamil Nadu BJP President Dr. Tamilisai Soundarajan also appealed to all healthcare providers in India and abroad to join her in nominating Prime Minister Modi for Nobel Peace Prize 2019. (Photo: File)

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize 2019 by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu president Dr. Tamilisai Soundarajan.

Soundarajan has nominated Prime Minister Modi for launching the world's largest healthcare scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana - 'Ayushman Bharat' and also appealed to people to join her in nominating the Prime Minister.

The BJP Tamil Nadu president's husband, Professor Dr. P Soundarajan, Head of Department and Senior Consultant in Nephrology at a private university in the state, has also nominated the Prime Minister for the honour.

Soundarajan said in a release, "This path-breaking initiative of visionary Prime Minister Modi will transform the lives of millions of people especially the underprivileged and vulnerable."

She added that the leading cause of poverty in India is healthcare expenditure for tertiary and secondary care.

Soundarajan further urged the healthcare institutions and medical practitioners to fully utilise the scheme, which will eventually revolutionise the health care delivery system in India.

Soundarajan also appealed to all healthcare providers in India and abroad to join her in nominating Prime Minister Modi for Nobel Peace Prize 2019.

"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 Modi," release from the state BJP chief's office said.

On September 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) -Ayushman Bharat, and had termed it a "game-changer initiative to serve the poor".The package had arrived at school the previous Friday, so I knew what the first order of business would be on Monday. As my first period American Government class got settled at the Houston high school where I teach on the eastside, I unwrapped the bundle of 25 cards in my hand.

How many of you know what it takes to be eligible to vote?

The boy right in front of me blurted out Youve got to be 18!

So far, so good.

The girl in the corner chimed in with You have to be a U.S. citizen.

Right on target.

You cant have a felony was the answer from another student.

Well, sort of right, since Texas allows those with felony convictions to vote after they complete their sentences.

Whats the point of this discussion? One of my girls figured it out: You have to register to vote.

Then I got to do one of the things that has excited me most the past eight years as an American Government teacher: I offered to register eligible students to vote. Five seniors that period registered, as did nine of their classmates during the other five sections that day, perhaps indicative of a higher interest in this years election than in past years. They joined 250 students that our schools voter registration team helped sign up last year. We hope to register many more before the upcoming registration deadline, with the assistance of a community organization and the full support of our schools administration. It is our hope that they all become active participants in our democratic process this falland for years to come.

I was raised with the understanding that voting is important, so I registered not long after my hero, Ronald Reagan, took the presidential oath. I voted in local elections six weeks later. I was hooked. But we have a problem in Houston, in Texas and across the country. Too many eligible voters do not bother to register. Too many registered voters dont bother to vote. Too many Americans choose to opt out of participating in the process by which We the People have the opportunity and the privilege of selecting our leaders.

My students seemed unsurprised that nearly one-third of eligible Texans are not registered to vote. One boy even repeated the old line about not wanting to get called for jury duty and was surprised to find out that his recently acquired drivers license had already put him on that list.

Actual voter turnout isnt any better. Only about a third of registered voters in Texans cast a ballot during midterm elections and slightly more than half in presidential years. My students were quick to identify the reasons given by many non-voters: not knowing much about candidates, not liking their choices, not having the right sort of identification, not being able to fit it into a work schedule. Each period I heard the question: Does my vote really make a difference?

Those issues and concerns didnt come from their own experience, since none of these 12th graders had ever voted before. They came from parents and other relatives who use them as excuses for not voting themselves.

What does this mean for Texas? Less than 30 percent of Texans under age 25 turn out to vote while a solid majority age 45 and older cast a ballot. Non-Hispanic whites vote at a higher rate than any other group. This favors the candidates and issues supported by an older, whiter electorate of which I am a member  not the younger, browner population I teach.

Some might expect me to cheer that trend, considering I used to serve as Republican precinct chair in a cherry red area and operated one of Harris Countys major conservative political blogs. Even now, as Ive taken a step back from my partisan role in response to the populism that grips my party, I remain an ardent conservative. I know that some of the young people Im registering may hold sharply divergent views from my own. If Texas voters looked more like Texas, we would likely see a whirlwind of change sweep through Texas government. Increasing minority voting strength may eventually undercut mine.

Thats an acceptable, and even joyful, risk. Why? Because the alternative  not helping young people participate in our constitutional democracy, or even trying to block them from doing so  would be devastating. It deprives us of necessary checks and balances at the ballot box. It silences the moderating forces intended to keep any one faction from succumbing to extremism. In the end, helping my students register to vote not only protects their interests but the interests of society overall.

If the welfare of the people is the highest law, it cant be enforced without the input of the people  all of the people.

So please register to vote. You have until Oct. 9. And please vote. Election Day is Nov. 6. Early voting starts on Oct. 22.

Its important - whether you think things need to change or whether you want them to stay the same.

Aydt is an American government teacher at Cesar E. Chavez High School in Houston.Once hired, vote workers will have to undergo a training session in November that could take one to three hours long, depending on the positions they applied for. Their work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and estimated pay for each position is about $210 to $450. Interested Calgarians can apply online through the citys website.

Calgary is one of the frontrunners to host the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games, along with Stockholm and Turkeys Erzurum. Japans Sapporo, Switzerlands Sion and Austrias Graz were also in the running to land the prestigious sporting event but had to withdraw.

Earlier this week, the Italian government announced it would also withdraw its bid to host the 2026 Olympics after the mayors of Milan, Turin, and Cortina failed to agree to jointly back the project.

HR leaders interested in learning more about Calgarys talent supply, as well as other HR topics, can head over to the HR Leaders Summit Calgary in December. Register now.Exponential growth

This year, as more industries ride on the crest of AI innovation, the figure is expected to grow to $19.1bn before doubling again to about $46bn by 2020, according to research firm International Data Corporation (IDC).

The exponential growth means companies are now realizing how AI  and its more specific areas of deep learning, machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics  are set to give their business a competitive boost.

By 2030, global GDP is expected to rise by 14%, equivalent to an additional $15.7tn, said PwC. This is likely the effect of businesses automating processes and augmenting their existing labor force, and a result of increasing consumer demand for better products and services.

Which regions will gain from AI investments, and by how much?Swaraj held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of UN General Assembly and discussed issues such as trade, investment and capacity building.

Swaraj attended the high-level event on counter-narcotics hosted by US President Donald Trump and addressed the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit. (Photo: Twitter | @MEAIndia)

United Nations: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held bilateral meetings on Monday with her key foreign counterparts on the sidelines of the high-level session of the General Assembly here and discussed several issues including trade, investment and capacity building.

Swaraj met Moroccan 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, Foreign Minister of Ecuador Jose Valencia, Foreign Minister of Australia Marise Payne and Foreign Minister of Mongolia Damdin Tsogtbaatar.

In a series of tweets, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, spoke about the meetings held.

"Strategic partnership gaining momentum! Continuing our frequent engagement at the highest level, EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Foreign Minister of Australia @MarisePayne," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Strategic partnership gaining momentum!

Continuing our frequent engagement at the highest level, EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Foreign Minister of Australia @MarisePayne. #UNGA pic.twitter.com/ArS4Kigm3j  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

In another tweet following Swaraj's meeting with the Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Jose Valencia Amores, he said that the two leaders had engaged in a good discussion on ways to further consolidate bilateral relationship in the areas of trade, agriculture, pharma, IT and capacity building."

EAM @SushmaSwaraj met with Foreign Minister of #Ecuador Jose Valencia Amores. Good discussion on ways to further consolidate bilateral relationship in the areas of trade, agriculture, pharma, IT and capacity building. #UNGA pic.twitter.com/V36ick1g9W  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

Swaraj also met with the Foreign Minister of Colombia, Carlos Holmes Trujillo to discuss "cooperation on trade and investment, pharma, mining, petroleum and capacity building".

Relations characterized 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. pic.twitter.com/tp64tdWWkB  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

Writing on the meeting between Sushma Swaraj and Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell Fontelles, the MEA spokesperson said tht the two leaders "explored ways to intensify ties in investment, renewable energy, water treatment, tourism and their contribution to our flagship initiatives".

EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Spanish Foreign Minister @JosepBorrellF met on the sidelines of UNGA and explored ways to intensify ties in investment, renewable energy, water treatment, tourism and their contribution to our flagship initiatives. pic.twitter.com/4OpIM3iUf8  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

Referring to Nepal as a "close neighbour and a friend", Kumar said that Swaraj had met with Foreign Minister, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, to take "stock of our bilateral relationship".

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. pic.twitter.com/KJ5YDR9JUy  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

Marking 25 years of India's diplomatic relations with Liechtenstein, Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Minister of Liechtenstein, Aurelia Frick, also interacted on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Kumar said the two ministers "exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations in trade and investment, particularly through participation at Indian trade fairs and tourism."

Celebrating 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations! EAM @SushmaSwaraj & Foreign Minister of #Liechtenstein, Aurelia Frick exchanged views on enhancing bilateral relations in trade & investment, particularly through participation at Indian trade fairs, & tourism.#UNGA2018 pic.twitter.com/SPqgUcPNqR  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

External Affairs Minister, Swaraj also met with the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini on Monday. The two leaders engaged in discussion on issues related to trade and investment and exchanged views on the regional and global issues.

Raveesh Kumar on Twitter termed it a "strategic partnership based on common values of democracy, freedom and rule of law".

Strategic partnership based on common values of democracy, freedom and rule of law! EAM @SushmaSwaraj and EU High Representative @FedericaMog met on sidelines of #UNGA. Discussed issues related to trade & investment and exchanged views on the regional and global issues. pic.twitter.com/psjog0BK9A  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

Swaraj, in a meeting with Morocco Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, discussed strengthening cooperation in areas of commerce, pharma, cyber security, defence and culture, Kumar said. He added that the two nations shared a "historical relationship since Ibn Batuta days".

First of the many bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the #UNGA



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. pic.twitter.com/lR61ow6s6g  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

As the General Debate begins Tuesday, Swaraj has bilateral meetings planned with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Eshaiqer Al-Jafari, Moldova's Foreign Minister Tudor Ulianovschi, Cyprus Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides, Fijian Foreign Minister J V Bainimarama and Estonia's Foreign Minister Sven Kikser.

She will also participate in the G4 meeting with her counterparts from Brazil, Germany and Japan.

Swaraj attended the high-level event on counter-narcotics hosted by US President Donald Trump and addressed the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit.

Nelson Mandelas life is an inspiration for all. He showed fearlessness and courage in the face of discrimination and adversity: EAM @SushmaSwaraj while delivering her statement at the National Mandela Peace Summit. Full statement at https://t.co/tGpSpAzZjb pic.twitter.com/Kw0Kmk0KgT  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 24, 2018

During the day, she also briefly met Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Gambian President Adama Barrow and Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

Friends meet on every occasion.



India's External Affairs Minister @SushmaSwaraj meets & greets Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina @UN pic.twitter.com/8nu7Bqv3Kp  Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) September 24, 2018

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale participated in a special meeting on Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

(With PTI inputs)CPC Asian Bureau director-general said that the political parties must put peoples interests ahead of their own political interests.

Beijing: Focus on economics, not politics, seems to be the veiled message of the powerful Communist Party of China (CPC) to India which has opted to stay away from Beijings ambitious global infrastructure Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Interacting with a group of visiting journalists from both south Asian and south-east Asian countries, a key official of the international department of the CPC said political parties in all countries must put the interests of the people of their countries on top and not their own political interests while taking important decisions.

Without naming any country specifically, Director-General of the Asian Bureau of the CPC Central Committees International Department Ms Sun Haiyan said, Political parties in all countries must put the interests of the people ahead of their own political interests. Speaking about the huge economic benefits that await countries that join the project in terms of employment and investment, Ms Sun further said, Smart businessmen know that BRI is good for their countries.

When asked by this newspaper about the Chinese reaction to India not joining the project, Ms Sun said, Some countries are just waiting and seeing. If the project is good, more countries will join. The Indian government and people are smart enough to decide (on whether to join).

Despite being disappointed over Indias refusal to sign up for the BRI project, China appears not to have given up hope. Beijing is hoping that with the promise of the project generating lakhs of jobs world-wide, the economic benefits could prompt New Delhi to reconsider its stand. Officials of the CPC have repeatedly assured that the BRI is not a strategic plan with political objectives and the  BRIs goal is to connect markets.

With many countries already on board the project, China is pressing ahead but is nevertheless concerned about global media reports about mounting debts of some of these countries which have taken huge loans from China. Scholars belonging to Chinese think-tanks say such concerns expressed by any country is a problem that China wants to resolve. Beijing is keen to convey that the benefits from the project would benefit not just China but all other countries too.

India has stayed away from BRI, the pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the US$ 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is part of the initiative, passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir region.Without naming Rahul, Rafale, PM says mud-slinging wont work.

Bhopal: Challenging the Congress to a debate on development issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched the BJPs poll campaign in Madhya Pradesh by attacking the Opposition party for its baseless mud-slinging and its inability to stitch together alliances in the country where, he said with pride, the BJP is in power in 19 states.

In an apparent reference to Congress, allegations on the Rafale fighter jet deal, Mr Modi said that the Opposition party, instead of indulging in mud-slinging, should engage in a debate on issues like development, but they do not dare to.

Flanked by BJP chief Amit Shah and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at a rally in Bhopal, Mr Modi said, They (Congress) are indulging in mud-slinging because they find it easier... They have indulged in mud-slinging earlier too. But I want to tell them, the more you throw mud at us, the more the lotus (BJPs symbol) will bloom.

The BJP government is seeking a re-election for a fourth term in Madhya Pradesh in the year-end Assembly polls.

Mr Modi hit out at the Congress for attempts to tarnish his image. There is no abuse in dictionary that has not been used for me (by the Congress). All your efforts to make the mud thrown at me to stick will never succeed since people will never believe you, he said.

The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of looking for support outside the country, in a veiled reference to Pakistan whose former minister recently tweeted in favour of Rahul Gandhi.

Without naming Pakistan, Mr Modi hinted that the Congress has failed to forge an alliance in the country and is, therefore, forming alliances with other countries.

How pitiable the condition the Congress is now! The 125-year-old party is now seen begging with small parties for alliance, the Prime Minister said.

He said that the Congress has been reduced from 440 seats in the Lok Sabha to 44 seats due its arrogance but it is still not ready to introspect or correct itself.

The Congress found a scapegoat in EVMs after the party faced debacle in 2014 parliamentary polls. But, the BJP did lot of introspection after it lost in 1984 leading to its revival, he added.

He also came down heavily on the vote bank politics being pursued by the Congress and warned that such politics was eating out the country like termites.

These are the people who used a section of society to win elections, never caring to work for the welfare of others but only trying to save their chair. This sin of dividing the country is a major reason of its destruction, Mr Modi said, in a veiled attack on the Congress.

Looking to strike a cord with middleclass and poor voters, Mr Modi reminded them of his humble background and said that the Congress is unable to accept that a chai wala (tea vendor) or the son of a poor mother like (MP chief minister) Shivraj Singh Chouhan and (Uttar Pradesh chief minister) Yogi (Adityanath) could attain the chair of power.

Mr Shah joined Mr Modi in slamming the Congress, saying that Rahul Gandhi is daydreaming about winning the election in state.

He attacked the Opposition over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue and said that they are raising insignificant issues to deflect attention from crucial subjects, and that there is no competition to the BJP in respect of development, security and nationalism.

Mr Shah asserted that the process of evicting illegal infiltrators from the country will not stop. Notably, the draft NRC recently published in Assam had identified nearly 40 lakh illegal immigrants.Imperial Valley News Center

President Donald J. Trump is Fulfilling His Promise on the United States Korea Free Trade Agreement and on National Security

Washington, DC - We want to make a deal thats fair for the United States and fair for South Korea.

President Donald J. Trump

IMPROVING BAD TRADE DEALS: President Donald J. Trump has fulfilled his promise to fight for American workers and businesses in an amended trade deal with South Korea.

In July 2017, at the direction of the President, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer initiated discussions to amend the United StatesKorea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), setting off multiple rounds of negotiations.

Since KORUS went into effect in 2012, USTR calculated that the overall trade deficit between the United States and Korea has increased from $6.3 billion to $9.8 billion in 2017, a jump of more than 50 percent.

LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD: The Trump Administration has secured key improvements to KORUS that will protect jobs in Americas auto industry and increase United States exports.

As a result of negotiations, South Korea will double the annual number of American automobiles  from 25,000 to 50,000 per manufacturer per year  that can enter its market using United States safety standards without further modifications.

South Korea is simplifying the sales environment for United States cars and parts by taking into account United States environmental and emissions standards.

American vehicles will be able to meet South Korean gasoline emissions standards based on compliance with United States emissions regulations, avoiding additional or duplicative testing.

South Korea will recognize United States standards for auto parts necessary to service United States vehicles, and will reduce labeling burdens for auto parts.

South Korea will expand the number of eco-credits available for United States automakers to meet South Korean emissions standards.

When setting fuel economy standards in the future, South Korea will take United States corporate average fuel economy regulations into account and will continue to include more lenient standards for smaller volume exporters.

The phase out of the 25 percent United States tariff on trucks will be extended until 2041, well beyond the current phase out date of 2021.

CUTTING THE RED TAPE ON UNITED STATES EXPORTS AND HOLDING TRADE PARTNERS ACCOUNTABLE: The Trump Administrations negotiations will eliminate burdensome regulations that have impeded United States exports and ensure that trade partners follow through on implementation.

South Korea has agreed to address issues with onerous and costly customs procedures that have hindered United States exports.

South Korea has agreed to change its pharmaceutical reimbursement policy for innovative drugs to give fair treatment to United States exports by the end of this year, consistent with its KORUS obligations.

DEFENDING AMERICAN STEEL: Outside the context of KORUS, the Trump Administration has reached a deal with South Korea to protect American steel manufacturers and national security.

On March 8, 2018, after receiving a report and recommendations from Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, President Trump announced tariffs on imported steel under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, in order to defend Americas national security.

The Trump Administration has reached satisfactory alternative means with South Korea to address United States national-security concerns.

Steel imports from South Korea into the United States will be limited to a product-specific quota equal to 70 percent of that countrys average annual import volume from 2015 through 2017.

ADDRESSING UNFAIR CURRENCY PRACTICES: The Trump Administration is working to ensure that American goods are treated fairly and that our trading partners avoid unfair currency practices.Imperial Valley News Center

Solar Power International

Anaheim, California - If you are heading to Solar Power International (SPI) in Anaheim this year, youll have a number of ways to connect with the folks from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). While SETO will not have a central booth location this year, staff members will be participating in various SPI events and representing the solar offices work in full force.

Peruse the list below for some of the SETO highlights, and visit our website to see the full schedule of events.

Tuesday, September 25

What is the Future of Concentrating Solar Power?

11:00AM  12:00PM | Location: 202AB

American-Made Solar Prize Networking Event

5:00PM  6:00PM | Location: Energy Storage International Exhibit Area

Wednesday, September 26

Growing the U.S. Solar Manufacturing Base

11:00AM  12:00PM | Location: Industry Trends Theater on the Exhibit Floor, Booth 189

Replicating PV + Storage Solutions: Scalable Applications for Utilities

1:00PM  2:00PM | Location: 204B

Plug & Play Distributed Energy Resources Challenge - Visionary Interoperability

3:20PM  4:50PM | Location: 203AB

Movers and Makers: Spurring Solar Innovation through Prize Competitions

3:30PM  4:30PM | Location: Installer Training Theater on the Exhibit Floor, Booth 1486

Thursday, September 27

The Road to Solar Innovation

9:30AM  10:50AM | Location: 202AB

These are just some of the chances youll have to connect with SETO at SPI. Check out our full schedule of events and well see you there!Green Corridor from Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh to Kolkata helps swift transport of live heart to save 51-year-old from Salt Lake.

The donor heart was made available after the patient succumbed to injuries suffered during a road accident and the family consenting to donate his organs. (L-R: Samir Singh, Yashesh Paliwal, Dr. Tapas Raychaudhury, Dr. K. M. Mandana, Dr. Ashima Bhelotkar, Dr. Arafat Faisal)

Kolkata: A team of doctors at Fortis Hospital, Anandapur successfully performed citys second heart transplant early morning today. The donor heart was transplanted onto a 51-year-old man from Salt Lake in Kolkata, giving him a new lease of life. The heart transplant was the only way to save the life of the person as he was suffering from Dilated Cardiomyopathy. The donor heart was made available after the patient succumbed to injuries suffered during a road accident and the family consenting to donate his organs.

The team of doctors who performed this surgery included Dr Tapas Raychaudhury, Director, Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery and Dr K M Mandana, Director, Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery along with Dr Saikat Bandopadhyay, Senior Consultant, Cardiac Anesthesiologist and Intensivist from Fortis Hospital, Anandapur. The heart transplant was conducted under the expert supervision of Dr K R Balakrishnan, Director, Cardiac Sciences and Dr Suresh Rao, Chief Cardiac Anesthetist from Fortis Malar Hospital in Chennai who to their credit run one of the largest Heart Transplant Programmes in Asia.

The donor heart was made available after a 24-year-old man was declared brain dead at a hospital in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. After a session of the counselling, the family of the patient decided to donate his organs to the needful recipients.

Once the recipient was identified in Kolkata, a team of doctors led by Dr Senthil Kumar from Fortis Hospital, Malar in Chennai rushed to the hospital to retrieve the live heart at 07:57 pm last evening which was later taken to the Rajmundry through a green corridor. The chartered flight with the live heart left Rajmundry at 09:27 PM and landed in Kolkata at 11:53 pm.

With coordination and cooperation from multiple key stakeholders, the live heart was transported from Kolkata airport to Fortis Hospital, Anandapur in 16 minutes covering a distance of 26 Kms. The green corridor was created by Bidhan Nagar and Kolkata police and the state administration along with Swastha Bhawan, which helped in every step.

Speaking about it, Dr Tapas Raychaudhury said, The team at Fortis Hospital, Anandapur is extremely happy that we have successfully conducted citys second heart transplant. This is yet another step towards a robust Heart Transplant Programme in Kolkata. This is going to go a long way for treatment of patients requiring heart transplants in the region. We benefitted from the expertise in heart transplant acquired by Fortis group over the past decade.

Speaking about the condition of the patient, Dr K M Mandana said, The patient is under constant observation for next 24 to 48 hours. His condition is stable.

Talking about the surgery, Samir Singh, Zonal Director, Fortis Hospital, Anandapur said, This is truly a heartwarming and proud moment for all of us at Fortis Anandapur. Fortis Hospital Anandapur is performing the 2nd Heart Transplant in Eastern India after 1st successful heart transplant on Mr Dilchand Singh in May 2018. We extend our humble appreciation to all the stakeholders who tireless made efforts to save this precious life.ICE HSI Ho Chi Minh City participates in destruction of 13 tons of seized counterfeit items

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - On Monday, September 3, 2018, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, joined with Vietnam Customs Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department (ASID) and multiple brand representatives to witness the destruction of 13.2 tons of counterfeit items which had previously been seized by Vietnamese authorities at ports of entry. The items included counterfeit footwear, garments, handbags and mobile phone accessories.

The destruction  which marked the first time Vietnam has invited U.S. government representatives in Ho Chi Minh City to attend such an event  came on the heels of a visit to Vietnam by White House Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Vishal Amin and HSI Global Trade Investigations Assistant Director Alex Khu. During their time in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, IPEC Amin and Assistant Director Khu emphasized to senior Vietnamese officials the critical importance of collaboration between the two nations in enforcing intellectual property laws.

Vigorous enforcement of intellectual property rights contributes to the economic growth of Vietnam and the United States, said HSI Vietnams Country Attache. Our shared commitment to bilateral law enforcement cooperation against counterfeit and infringing products supports a business and investment climate in which innovation and entrepreneurship can thrive.Governor Brown Opens Climate Week NYC with Heads of State, UNFCCC Executive Secretary

New York - On the heels of the Global Climate Action Summit, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today called for accelerated climate action at all levels and sectors of society in remarks at the opening of Climate Week NYC, where he was joined by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa and heads of state including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, Peru President Martin Vizcarra and Republic of Haiti President Jovenel Moise.

Ten days ago we closed the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco with strong new commitments and this week we carry that momentum across the country to Climate Week NYC, said Governor Brown. The path away from fossil fuels is daunting but California and like-minded partners will press on.

Governor Brown opens Climate Week NYC.

Climate Week NYC, hosted by The Climate Group, builds on the wave of new climate action  including hundreds of new commitments  from grassroots activists, mayors, governors, heads of industry and nonprofits and other climate leaders from around the world at the Global Climate Action Summit.

Ahead of the Summit, Governor Brown signed legislation setting a 100 percent clean electricity goal for the state, and issued an executive order establishing a new target to achieve carbon neutrality  both by 2045. The Governor also signed legislation to block new federal offshore oil drilling along Californias coast and announced the states opposition to the federal governments plan to expand oil drilling on public lands in California.

Governor Brown served as co-chair of the Summit, during which he announced that the state is teaming up with Planet Labs to develop a satellite that will track climate change-causing pollutants with unprecedented precision and enable more targeted mitigation measures worldwide. Governor Brown also signed a raft of measures to promote zero-emission vehicles and reduce carbon emissions; released a new report quantifying non-federal climate action in the U.S.; joined fellow U.S. Climate Alliance governors to announce a range of new commitments; met with Canadas Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna, Mexicos Deputy Minister for International Affairs Enrique Lendo Fuentes and others to advance a framework for ambitious climate action across North America; and participated in a ministerial dialogue with heads of state and international climate leaders, including European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Canete. Governor Brown and Commissioner Canete also reiterated their commitment to greater alignment of California and EU carbon markets.

In addition, Governor Brown signed an agreement to enhance climate and clean energy cooperation with China, met with the Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province and joined leaders, including former Vice President Al Gore and Chinas Special Representative for Climate Change Minister Xie Zhenhua, for a U.S.-China subnational climate dialogue. The Governor held discussions with Governors Climate and Forests Task Force members and indigenous community leaders; joined a signing ceremony for 16 new Under2 Coalition members; participated in an event to support the Talanoa Dialogue; and highlighted the importance of Californias landmark cap-and-trade program at an event co-hosted by the by the European Commission, Canada and California, during which he blasted the Trump Administrations proposal to roll back methane regulation.FTC Staff Report Examines Ways to Improve Occupational License Portability Across State Lines

Washington, DC - The Federal Trade Commission today released a staff report examining ways to reduce the burden on licensed workers moving to new states or wishing to market services across state lines.

The Report, entitled, Options to Enhance Occupational License Portability, is part of the FTCs Economic Liberty Task Force initiative. This initiative, begun last year, aims to reduce hurdles to job growth and labor mobility by encouraging states to reduce unnecessary and overbroad occupational licensing regulation. Occupational licensing, when not necessary to further legitimate public health and safety concerns, can impose real and lasting costs on both American workers and American consumers. These burdens often fall disproportionately on lower income Americans trying to break into the workforce and on military families who must move frequently. In recent decades, the number of occupations subject to state licensing requirements has increased dramatically, increasing the burdens on workers.

The Report released today builds on a roundtable held by the Task Force last year that examined ways to mitigate the negative effects of state-based occupational licensing requirements. The Report looks at interstate compacts and model laws that states can use to improve the portability of occupational licenses. It examines procedures that might be adopted to facilitate multistate practice by those who already hold a valid license in one state. It also considers specific initiatives to reduce the burden of state relicensing on military spouses.

Commissioner Maureen K. Ohlhausen has long championed reform in this area. She stated, Most occupations are licensed state-by-state, meaning that a valid license in one state often will not easily transfer to a new state. This can create real hardships for those who cannot easily bear the costs of being relicensed, and can also reduce public access to trained professionals in rural areas who might otherwise be served by telehealth services or multistate practitioners. Todays FTC staff report provides important, useful guidance to help state policymakers find ways of reducing these burdens.Boston, one of America's oldest cities, has a well-earned reputation for higher education, culture, and history-making tea parties. What's not as widely known, though, is that the city also is a hotbed of fast-growing businesses. This year, 33 Olde Towne companies made the Inc. 5000 list. Here are the top 10--six of which are holdovers from last year's list--ranked by their revenue growth over the past three years.

10. Apptopia

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 1320 Three-year growth 363% 2017 revenue $2.8M

Apptopia provides such customers as Uber, Facebook, and Google with useful metrics and insights about their mobile apps. The company's investors include billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, as well as Expansion Venture Capital and 500 Startups.

9. The CERES Group

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 1140 Three-year growth 431% 2017 revenue $4.5M

With an emphasis on long-term placement, The CERES Group is an IT staffing firm that's making its second appearance in a row on the Inc. 5000 list. The business, which has maintained its rapid growth despite a staff of just six people, also trains U.S. military veterans to become talent recruiters through an initiative called The McNeil Project.

8. Bay State Search

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 1098 Three-year growth 449% 2017 revenue $13M

Two-time Inc.5000 honoree Bay State Search is a staffing firm that specializes in accounting and finance, IT, customer service, legal services, and administration. In addition to being among the top Boston businesses on the Inc. 5000, it is also one of the 20 fastest-growing human resources companies.

7. Pixability

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 934 Three-year growth 530% 2017 revenue $27.9M

Pixability provides a platform for purchasing ads on video streaming sites. The company maintains a presence far beyond Boston with offices in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and London, and this year is making its third appearance on the Inc. 5000 list.

6. WordStream

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 924 Three-year growth 535% 2017 revenue $47.3M

Making its sixth consecutive appearance on the Inc. 5000 list, WordStream, a marketing software company that helps clients optimize online advertising, has come far from its roots. The founders came up with the idea in a Panera Bread restaurant, and the company now has more than 220 employees and offices in Boston's tony Back Bay neighborhood.

5. Biena Snacks

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 615 Three-year growth 815% 2017 revenue $4.8M

Biena Snacks got its start when its founder, Poorvi Patodia, started making chickpea snacks as a healthy between-meals food option during her pregnancy. Now, the snacks are sold in Whole Foods stores and feature flavors ranging from barbeque to Girls Scouts' Thin Mints.

4. Audley Travel US

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 513 Three-year growth 980% 2017 revenue $62.4M

Located in Boston's historic North End, Audley Travel US offers customized vacation and travel plans to a variety of locations around the world. The company got its start in 1991, when co-founder Craig Burkinshaw led small group tours around Vietnam after graduating from college. Today, Audley Travel US offers trips on every continent.

3. Forward Financing

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 404 Three-year growth 1,238% 2017 revenue $42.1M

Two-time Inc. 5000 honoree Forward Financing provides working capital and financial services to small and midsize businesses. Since it opened its doors in 2012, the company has funded more than $300 million for over 9,000 customers.

2. Social Fulcrum

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 384 Three-year growth 1,276% 2017 revenue $8.7M

Social Fulcrum is an advertising agency that focuses on Facebook and Instagram campaigns. Co-founder and CEO Andrew Krebs-Smith started three other companies prior to Social Fulcrum, which is on the Inc. 5000 list for the second year in a row.

1. 2020 On-site

2018 Inc. 5000 rank No. 211 Three-year growth 2,175% 2017 revenue $2.6M

The fastest-growing private company in Boston this year, 2020 On-site drives RVs-turned-eye-clinics right to companies' doors for fast eye doctor appointments. The business has seen more than 30,000 patients since its 2013 founding, and it's an official partner with Boston Public Schools.

EXPLORE MORE Inc. 5000 COMPANIESDebbie Goodman-Bhyat is an Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) member in Cape Town, South Africa, and founder and CEO of Jack Hammer, one of Africa's top executive search firms. Debbie recently wrote a book about the transformative impact mindfulness has had on her, both personally and professionally. She shared her journey from feeling overwhelmed to living mindfully and accomplishing more with an audience of global women entrepreneurs at the 2018 MyEO Women of EO Summit in Napa, California. The following is modified from Debbie's speech transcript with permission.

Life Was But a Dream

In 2012, to the outside world, my life probably looked like a dream: I was running a growing company, had a wonderful family, beautiful home, great holidays, and was happy, healthy and fit. The perfect life, right?

However, on the inside, I was struggling. I felt exhausted, anxious, stressed and overwhelmed with an endless to-do list--trying to be a good mom, a good wife, a good entrepreneur, a good boss.

Yes, I was achieving lots of things, but I was missing out--on my life. Something had to change. I wanted to be more present for the people and events that were meaningful, to enjoy the amazing moments of my life.

With help from my husband in the form of a book he gave me, I found the answer: Mindfulness. As defined by the movement's pioneer, Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is "The awareness which arises when you pay attention, on purpose, non-judgmentally, to the experience of the present moment."

In other words, it's a form of training to become aware, to get off autopilot, to start noticing, to become present--both "formally" through mindfulness meditation practice, and informally by paying deliberate attention to the "here and now" of daily life.

Evidence of Change

So, I learned to be more mindful. And everything changed. In the following year, I went on a life-changing trip to Nepal, surfed in the Maldives, danced professionally for the first time in 15 years, and achieved 20 percent growth in my company, which we've repeated year on year ever since.

The most amazing part? None of it felt like extra effort.

But--how could that be? Before I started practicing mindfulness, adding one more thing to my over-scheduled life would have caused a tidal wave of stress. What changed?

First, I started a 10- to 20-minute daily meditation practice. As that formal mindfulness practice started showing results, I wanted more. So, I designed my own informal mindfulness-based ritual.

IntheFlow

My mindfulness-based system consists of prompts to help me notice the small, ordinary, meaningful moments that occur every day.

I call it IntheFlow (ITF). I've been practicing it for nearly six years and have introduced it to companies in Southeast Asia, China, Kenya, Europe and the US.

Here are three of the prompts we use:

1. Yesterday's Best Thing (YBT). By identifying the best moments of yesterday, I have the opportunity to recall and connect with the ordinary--yet meaningful--moments that might otherwise pass by unnoticed. With practice, I've started to notice special moments as they happen. It's no longer reflective; I acknowledge them in the moment.

2. Grateful For. There is plentiful data on the correlation between feelings of gratitude and appreciation and the positive impact on emotional and physical health. For ITF, we focus on small, ordinary specifics that don't often get a lot of airtime.

3. Compliment Sincerely. Years ago, while traveling during an unexpected cold snap, I went to buy a jacket. As I tried one on, a woman tapped me on the shoulder, saying, "That jacket looks great on you." I felt flattered, but my instinct was: She must be a salesperson. But as I was paying, I realized that she was another customer offering a sincere compliment. I wondered, "How often do I think a complimentary thought without expressing it?" Such thoughts pass by because I'm distracted or unwilling to engage. This prompt has helped change that habit.

Using IntheFlow at Work

When I started ITF, I used handwritten prompts on a laminated card, stuck to my computer monitor. It worked so well that I introduced it to my team in 2013.

We've practiced ITF daily ever since, which means that the team finds real value in it. Otherwise, it would have petered out.

I started noticing significant changes--a fundamental transformation of team culture. Individually, people became more self-aware and self-reflective. They started showing greater empathy, respect, understanding and trust, which impacted engagement and productivity. I documented these changes and ultimately wrote a book about it.

Here's what ITF at work looks like:

Our office administrator emails a daily reminder. We each reply, noting our "Yesterday's Best Thing" plus one other element chosen as our weekly focus.

The replies are compiled into a report and sent out by mid-morning. In this way, the entire team knows what's going on in one another's lives. We only share a couple of lines, but they're authentic and filled with meaning. Over time, this has cultivated understanding, compassion, trust and love.

Imagine an environment, where your entire team does this, every day. Sharing small, bite-sized stories can shift and transform a team culture, sustainably.

Imagine the impact it could have on a team that works remotely and never occupies the same physical work environment. They would have a way to connect, build meaningful relationships, cultivate compassion and build trust.

Is ITF mindfulness?

I wondered whether ITF is still mindfulness or something else altogether? Here's how I got my answer.

A new colleague who was a very private person shared a YBT story after a terrible day: challenges at work, monster traffic, a fight with her mother--we all have them, right? When prompted to share Yesterday's Best Thing, she almost wrote, "Going to bed early after a horrible day." Then she remembered something wonderful that had happened: Her daughter, age 3, had rushed to her as she got home, and for the first time ever had said, "Mommy, I love you."

What was so incredible is that this moment had almost gone unnoticed. But thanks to mindfulness and ITF, it didn't.The United States is arguably the most entrepreneurial country in the world. According to a report by KPMG, it's home to $28 billion of the total $49 billion invested globally in the first quarter of 2018.

While it's easy to see such evidence and assume our style of doing business doesn't need much improvement, there are always ways to grow and learn from other cultures or countries.

This is especially true as information about international business practices has become more accessible via the internet. Certain cultural norms succeed in business for good reasons, and are often not popular in the U.S. more because of historical tendencies than because of innate effectiveness.

Here are four top business practices from other cultures that you can incorporate to help boost your business:

Take longer lunch breaks, like in Spain or Brazil.

In Spain and Brazil, lunch breaks are very common -- even mandatory -- and are often longer than an hour, according to colleagues and friends from those countries.

Promoting a socializing lunch break in your office will allow employees to connect with their coworkers and relax a moment from the craziness of work. While you don't need a full two hour siesta (like is common in Spain) to head home and relax -- you can encourage everyone to go out to eat together.

Creating a better work-life balance during office hours has been shown to make employees more productive, increase social synergies -- and forge a more appealing environment for new talent as well as free-up the mind for the creatives.

It'll also allow you to get to know your employees better. Even an hour twice a week for lunch gives you quality time with your team. This demonstrates that you care about them, and it teaches you more about them -- which you can use to be a better manager.

Plato said "You learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a lifetime of conversation." Your lunch breaks may let you know if this adage still holds true today.

Promote more women -- like our Russian business friends do.

2017 statistics show that 47 percent of senior management executives in Russia are female -- compared to just 23 percent in North America.

Although the gender gap has been shrinking in the US in recent years, the 23 percent figure is a strong indicator of the lack of female voices at many companies.

Making it a priority to hire more qualified women will add diversity of thought to your business, and may make you more appealing to socially conscious job-lookers.

Incorporate child care and paid leave -- like Estonia.

According data compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. ranks last when it comes to paid parental leave policies.

Estonia, on the other hand, gives parents up to 87 weeks of paid leave after they have a child, along with many other positive policies.

Just because the U.S. government doesn't require paid leave -- yet -- it doesn't mean you have to follow suit. Offering this benefit can improve employee retention -- especially among women. Research by the Institute for Women's Policy Research shows women are more likely to return to their job the longer their paid maternity leave lasts. Plus, thoughtful parental leave policies can set you apart from your competitors.

In a broader view, offering paid leave increases long-term human capital development. The early stages of children's lives are critical for success later in life. Ensuring that kids are properly cared for during this time is key for a lifetime of well-being. Investing in children is a net positive for society -- and may even feed back into your own talent pool someday.

Support healthy employees -- like the UK.

In the UK, everyone is a part of the national health system, eliminating many issues around well-being. According to an 8-year study in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, British national healthcare brought "larger absolute improvements" in both the "least-deprived" and "most-deprived" neighborhoods in the country.

Although you may not always think about it, supporting your workers with their health displays a deep level of care for them. Help employees sign up for insurance. Cover it if you can. Offer gym credits. Keep healthy office food available.

Implementing these cultural business practices ultimately does a few things. Number one - it sets you apart from competitors. Number two - it makes everyone much more healthy.In June, 2015, before Juul became the most popular e-cigarette on the market, loved by users and vilified by government regulators, founders James Monsees and Adam Bowen visited Inc. to demonstrate their creation. Monsees popped a thumbnail-size cartridge filled with flavored nicotine juice into the electronic nicotine vaporizer and handed it to me. The device delivered the familiar rush you'd get from a traditional cigarette, but without the smoke, tar, and ash.

Within three years, Juul would be worth $15 billion and become the best-selling e-cigarette on the market. It has also become a cultural phenomenon that is too cool for school. Even though Monsees and Bowen created Juul to help adults switch from smoking traditional cigarettes to the less dangerous alternative of vaping nicotine-infused liquid, the product has reportedly become hugely popular with teenagers. So popular that FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb recently warned that teen vaping has reached "an epidemic proportion" and gave Juul Labs and four other makers of popular e-cigs 60 days to prove they can keep the product away from teenagers. If the companies are not successful, Gottlieb threatened to ban flavored products from the market.

At our demo, Monsees, who has a certain nonchalant yet precise way of speaking, explained that Juul's disposable cartridges are filled with a patented nicotine salt liquid that mimics the throat hit and buzz of a traditional cigarette. The secret is its uniquely potent formula--a single pod contains roughly as much nicotine as a pack of smokes. Juul's minimalist industrial design also gave the device a halo of cool that far surpassed the big, clunky vaporizers that were popular at the time, let alone legacy nicotine products like the NicoDerm patch.

"Our belief is this: If you really want to satisfy smokers, if you really want to make an alternative and make cigarettes obsolete, you need to provide something that is an overall better experience--something that is better in every way," said Monsees, who founded Juul Labs with Bowen in 2015, spinning it out of their first vaporizer company, Pax Labs. "We set out to make a vastly superior product until there is no point in smoking cigarettes anymore," he said.

As the New Yorker explored earlier this year, Juul is in a unique conundrum: Vaping technology promises to effectively reduce the number of adult smokers, but Juul--with its sexy design and sweet flavors like mint, mango, creme brulee, and "cool cucumber"--has been co-opted by the wrong demographic.

"You saw the spike in teens vaping and it was real. All of a sudden, the cartridges were everywhere around the school. Congregations of kids formed in the bathrooms. You looked out the windows and you saw kids blowing clouds of vapor," says Tom Gorman, the principal at Ridgewood High School in New Jersey. "Vaping has been hard to fight. The Juul is cool; it has flavors, it lights up, it has no social stigma like cigarettes." (This year, Juul dropped "cool" from "cool cucumber" and "creme brulee" is now "creme.")

The company made an early misstep with its first marketing campaign "Get Vaporized," which featured young, attractive models shot by Steven Baillie, a creative who has done campaigns with Bonobos, Ferrari, and Levi Strauss. While all the models were older than 21, one image that was seen as specifically problematic depicts a lithe 20-something with a ponytail wearing a varsity jacket and holding the vaporizer.

In an interview with CNBC, Monsees described the campaign as "flawed." Bowen tells Inc. that the campaign did not appeal to kids, but the company pulled it because the messaging didn't speak to its intended demographic--adult smokers. This year, the Juul changed its marketing strategy to a more somber and muted campaign that features testimonials from smokers discussing how Juul replaced traditional cigarettes.

According a report by National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which was commissioned by the FDA, conclusive evidence suggests that e-cigs are less harmful than traditional cigarettes. The long-term health effects of vaping are still unknown, but harm-reduction and public-health advocates say it's in the interest of public health to encourage tobacco smokers to switch to vaping.

"We now have a safer technology--an e-cigarette is like an electric car that can replace gas-powered cars," says David Abrams, an NYU social and behavior sciences professor who studies public health and new nicotine delivery methods. "But society is mislabeling nicotine addiction because we could never before remove it from the toxicity from smoke. We should not throw the baby out with the bathwater."

Despite the company's intent and success, regulators are coming down hard. In April 2018, the Food and Drug Administration demanded that Juul Labs hand over internal documents regarding its marketing to determine whether Juul is intentionally appealing to minors.

At least three lawsuits have been levied against Juul; one of which was filed on behalf of a 15-year-old boy who says he is addicted to nicotine because of Juul.

In response to the pressure, Juul has launched a $30 million initiative to combat underage use. The company says it's improving ID verification technology on its e-commerce site and working with secret shoppers to uncover retailers selling to minors. The company is also working with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who led the multi-state settlement against tobacco companies in the 1990s, to help prevent the unintended consequence of teen Juul and e-cig use. Bowen says a new Juul vaporizer, which is expected to debut next year, will be connected to an app and include tech to prevent underage use.

A current employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, says the pressure from the FDA announcement is palpable, but the consensus among employees is that the company did not market to minors and it'll find a way to stem underage use. Juul is also in hyper growth mode, or as she described it, is going through an "an explosive shit storm" of expansion. Juul had fewer than 200 employees a year ago; it now employs more than 800.

Morale is high, especially after the company opened a new funding round this summer. "If you started at least a year ago, you're wearing golden handcuffs--your equity is now worth a fortune," she says. "People are willing to ride out the FDA regulatory issues--we're making money hand over fist."

Juul's investors no doubt hope that's the case. The company has skyrocketed to Silicon Valley unicorn status this year after raising $650 million in July as part of a funding round that values the company at $15 billion. Juul Labs boasts investors such as Fidelity Investments and Tiger Global Management. The product has captured 70 percent of the e-cigarette market, and Juul is expected to bring in more than $1 billion in revenue, up from $454 million in 2017, according to a Wells Fargo analysis of Nielsen data.

Jay Ritter, a professor of corporate finance at the University of Florida, says most companies with a $15 billion valuation are public. A company like Juul that is dealing with intense public scrutiny could benefit from an IPO. "As a publicly traded company, you have more shareholders who will be advocates for the company to the degree that they'll be upset about regulations that could hurt company profits," says Ritter. Bowen deflected a question about an IPO, saying placeholderJuul is "primarily focused on growth" and will evaluate the options along the way.

The U.S. market, which has 38 million smokers, is just the beginning for Juul. The company has expanded to Canada, and launched a less potent formulation in the United Kingdom and Israel. (Both countries, and the European Union, have laws regulating nicotine levels in vaporizers, forcing Juul to reduce its formulation from 5 percent nicotine content to 1.7 percent.)"I don't know what space exploration will uncover, but I don't think it'll be exploration just for the sake of exploration," Ryan Gosling's Neil Armstrong explains in an exclusive clip from Damien Chazelle's First Man.

"I think it'll be more the fact that it allows us to see things that maybe we should have seen a long time ago, but just haven't been able to until now."

Chazelle, behind last year's Oscar-nominated (and momentarily winning) film La La Land, returns with the story of Armstrong's tumultuous journey into space on the Apollo 11 space flight.

Gosling's performance has already received mass critical acclaim, alongside praise for The Crown's Claire Foy, who stars as Armstrong's wife Janet Shearon.

The film has already earned rave reviews at both Venice and Toronto's film festivals, with The Independent's David Lister writing: "In a film that has the Moon landing and multiple rocket launches, he resists the obvious temptation to rely on technical wizardry. This is a human story, remarkably well told."

The best films of 2018 (so far) Show all 17 1 /17 The best films of 2018 (so far) The best films of 2018 (so far) The Guardians From its slow-burning beginning, The Guardians develops into an epic melodrama. Its a wartime story in which, for a change, the men are relegated to supporting roles. It follows in a tradition of French rural family sagas like Jean De Florette or Manon Des Sources. The landscapes and the changing seasons play as much of a part in the story as the main characters. The best films of 2018 (so far) Dark River Dark River offers little such consolation. It has some lyrical and delicate moments but the mood is generally overwhelmingly bleak and lugubrious. Incest and abuse dont leave much space for any comic interludes. This is a powerful film with a grinding intensity about it. Light relief it isnt but Dark River still has quite an impact. Alamy The best films of 2018 (so far) Zama Late on in Argentinean director Lucrecia Martels startling, highly original new feature, Zama, a character who has just had both his arms cut off, is advised to shove your stumps in the sand  if you dont bleed out, youll survive. Its a grisly, darkly humorous moment in a film that continually surprises us with both its brutality and its lyricism. The Match Factory The best films of 2018 (so far) The Breadwinner The most dispiriting aspect of this otherwise enrapturing Oscar-nominated animated feature is that its storyline still seems so current. The film depicts an Afghan society in which women dont have a face. It is set during the Taliban rule, which lasted from the mid-1990s until late 2001, but this doesnt feel like a period piece. Seventeen years after the Taliban were ousted from power in Afghanistan following the US invasion, the plight of women in the country appears hardly to have improved. GKIDS The best films of 2018 (so far) BlacKkKlansman Spike Lees work sometimes risks sensory overload. He fires off so many different ideas and storytelling styles that audiences can become bamboozled by his scattergun approach. BlacKkKlansman is one of his very best films because the digressions are as entertaining as ever but dont get in the way of the main story. AP The best films of 2018 (so far) Early Man Much of the pleasure in Aardman films has always lain in their gently ironic, Alan Bennett-like humour. They take very exotic characters and subject matter but then deal with them in a matter-of-fact fashion. They make a virtue out of their own relative modesty. Early Man isnt the flashiest animated feature that youll see this year but it is certainly the most likeable. The best films of 2018 (so far) Isle of Dogs Like all of Wes Andersons work, Isle Of Dogs is very stylised, very offbeat and characterised by its extremely dry and often ironic humour. This Japanese-set stop-motion fable is also gorgeous to look at  packed full of intricate visual detail. It deals with some weighty themes (ethnic cleansing, fascism and corruption) but does so in an idiosyncratic fashion. The best films of 2018 (so far) Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri Writer-director Martin McDonagh has a host of award-winning plays behind him but his movies havent always lived up to his stage work. This one certainly does. It shares some of the dark and nihilistic humour found in McDonaghs previous film, Seven Psychopaths. The best films of 2018 (so far) A Quiet Place In an era of wearisome poltergeist movies, haunted house stories and torture porn, A Quiet Place is a refreshingly pared-down and very original affair. Director John Krasinski relies on editing, sound effects and off-screen action to crank up the tension. We do see the creatures from time to time, sometimes even in extreme closeup. They are very grotesque, bigger versions of the polyp-like succubus which exploded out of John Hurts stomach in Alien. However, the most terrifying moments here come when the humans are waiting for them to appear, desperately hoping that they wont. Paramount Pictures The best films of 2018 (so far) Lady Bird Lady Bird is one of the best American coming-of-age films since Barry Levinsons Diner. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, it offers an utterly winning mix of humour, poignancy and sharp-eyed social observation. Gerwig approaches her subject matter with the same tenderness and affectionate irony with which the adolescent Lady Bird regards Sacramento. Gerwig also shows Lady Birds heroism as the young heroine strives against the odds to become the very best version of herself she can be. A24 The best films of 2018 (so far) Phantom Thread If Phantom Thread is indeed Daniel Day-Lewiss final film as an actor, he is going out on a wondrously bizarre note. This must be the oddest film in his career, one in which he gives a typically commanding but very idiosyncratic performance. Almost everything here is jarring  but generally in a very positive way. The best films of 2018 (so far) First Reformed It is not so long ago that Paul Schrader seemed to be giving up on cinema. The American writer-director (whose credits include Taxi Driver, American Gigolo and Affliction) had taken to making movies like the sour Hollywood satire The Canyons with Lindsay Lohan and the cartoonishly violent Dog Eat Dog, shot cheaply, aimed at a VOD audience. The former had a montage of closed-down movie theatres. In interviews, Schrader struck a gloomy note about the future of the industry. This is why First Reformed is so refreshing. This is not just Schraders best film in a very long while. It is also a re-affirmation of the directors belief in the medium. Rex The best films of 2018 (so far) The Happy Prince Oscar Wilde goes to ruin in Rupert Everetts debut feature as director. Everett also wrote and stars in the film, giving a grandstanding performance as the Irish writer at the end of his life, after his release from prison, where he has been doing hard labour for gross indecency. This is a moving and surprising biopic that squeezes out every last drop of pathos from its subject matter. BBC Films The best films of 2018 (so far) Black Panther Black Panther is not only one of the most entertaining recent superhero films but has an intelligence and a political dimension that such inchoate offerings as Suicide Squad and Justice League completely lacked. It is an action movie which touches on Pan-Africanism and which owes as much to Malcolm X as it does to Batman or Captain America. Marvel Studios/Disney The best films of 2018 (so far) Sicilian Ghost Story Sicilian Ghost Story is a genre-bending affair that combines elements of teen romance, gothic psycho-drama and political thriller. It is loosely based on a true story of a boy called Giuseppe Di Matteo whose father, an ex-member of the Sicilian Mafia, turned grass against his erstwhile associates. The Mafia responded by kidnapping Giuseppe and keeping him in captivity for nearly 800 days. Altitude The best films of 2018 (so far) First Man First Man is all about understated heroism. Its affecting precisely because Armstrong (played with quiet intensity by Ryan Gosling) doesnt feel the continual need to boast about his mission. The film is a tearjerker but a very subtle one. AP The best films of 2018 (so far) Dogman Dogman is one of the best Italian films of recent times, a modern day neo realist fable that bears comparison with the great work of Fellini, Rossellini, De Sica et al. Its main character, the dog groomer Marcello (Marcello Fonte), is a wonderful creation: loveable, vulnerable, seedy and comic all at the same time. Curzon Artificial Eye



First Man also stars Corey Stoll, Kyle Chandler and Pablo Schreiber and will be released in the UK on 12 October.

Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more.Mel Gibson is set to direct a new version of Sam Peckinpah's 1969 western The Wild Bunch, Deadline reports.

Peckinpah's film, set in 1913 on the Mexico-United States border, follows a gang of aging outlaws struggling to adapt to the oncoming of the industrial age. The film starred Wiliam Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond OBrien, Warren Oates, Jaime Sanchez and Ben Johnson.

Although its violence was controversial at the time, The Wild Bunch is now appreciated as a milestone in the Western genre, thanks to Peckinpah's revolutionary approach to editing, cutting together footage from cameras with different frames per second.

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Warner Bros has attempted several remakes of the film in the past, though this is the closest the studio has gotten so far, with filming expected to begin in Australia next spring. Gibson is writing the script with Bryan Bagby, with Gibson acting as executive producer.

Gibson is also set to direct Destroyer, starring Mark Wahlberg, which centres on the Battle of Okinawa in April, 1945.

Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and moreThe true story behind the capture of Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust, comes to screen in a new Netflix film.

Despite reports Eichmann died soon after the collapse of Nazi Germany, intelligence agencies discovered that he had fled to Buenos Aires, and was living a secret life in one of the city's suburbs.

Israel's intelligence agency Mossad and security agency Shin Bet brought together an eight-man team, dispatched to capture Eichmann and smuggle him out of Argentina, so that he would be able to stand trial in Israel.

Operation Finale, directed by About a Boy's Chris Weitz, tells the story of this incredible chapter in history. Ben Kingsley stars as Eichmann, with Oscar Isaac as Peter Malkin, who was part of the team responsible for the capture. Lior Raz, Melanie Laurent, Nick Kroll, and Haley Lu Richardson also star.

Although the film draws from various source materials, it partially adapts Eichmann in My Hands, a memoir written by Malkin himself.

Operation Finale will premiere on Netflix in the UK on 3 October.

Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and moreConsidering the students, the ground and building land is still with the institute.

Mumbai: The Supreme Court and high court had earlier cancelled the allotment of land to Bollywood director Subhash Ghai by former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh by passing serious strictures. Despite this, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis chose to allot the land to Mr Ghai instead of taking it back. Now, the government will give the land to Mr Ghai after seeking the high courts approval, as senior IAS officers and former Advocate General Rohit Deo had cautioned the government about the move.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Girish Godbole on February 9, 2012 directed Mr Ghai to hand over the land allotted for his institute to the state government while holding Deshmukh responsible for misusing his official position as chief minister to hand over 20 acres of land to Ghai for a film institute at reduced prices and terming the transaction illegal, arbitrary and without authority of law. The court held the joint venture agreement dated May 30, 2000, signed between Mr Ghais Mukta Arts and Maharashtra Film, Stage and Cultural Development Corporation (MFSCDC) as illegal, arbitrary and without authority of law. Here is a case where all norms of transparency and reasonableness have been given a complete go-by. The present case is a classic example of arbitrary, unreasonable and illegal decision of permitting the use of available land owned by the government without any authority of law, the court had said.

The bench, however, had added there was no material to indicate that these undue favours were granted by Deshmukh as quid pro quo to get his son (Riteish Deshmukh) established in the film industry. Hence, there is no need to send the case to the CBI for an investigation, the high court said. The high court order was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012 by a bench headed by Justice K.L. Dattu, and the state had taken possession of 14.5 acres of land. Considering the students, the ground and building land is still with the institute.Moose Blood have announced that theyre going to step away from music, following a traumatic year off the back of serious false allegations.

The band removed drummer Glenn Harvey in March 2017 following sexual harassment allegations against him that surfaced online.

This was followed almost a year later by allegations against frontman Eddy Brewerton, when he was accused of stealing nude photos from a womans phone and sharing them with other band members. Brewerton denies the accusation.

Shortly after, the post-hardcore band Movements dropped out of a support slot on Moose Bloods Australian tour, citing a commitment to fans who were critical of their association with Moose Blood.

Earlier this week it was announced that Moose Blood had been dropped as the support act from Good Charlotte's UK tour after a fan backlash.

"GC fans in EU&UK, weve decided to remove Moose Blood from our recently announced tour, scheduled for this Feb," Good Charlotte said in a statement. "We apologise for any inconvenience, but we feel we have a commitment to keep to ourselves, our fans & our community. Stay tuned for further support announcements soon."

In response, Moose Blood have announced their hiatus with their own statement posted on Facebook.

"It breaks our hearts to have to write this but its something we need to talk about," they wrote. "We feel as though we cant stay quiet about this any longer.

"We have been condemned in the absence of fact off the back of serious false allegations, and a situation concerning our former drummer. We are genuine, decent human beings who work hard at something we love. We take slight comfort in knowing that the people who do actually know us, knows this to be true.

"Rumours have escalated beyond belief and it makes us sick to our stomachs that we have been very wrongly labelled with these horrendous, incorrect terms. If certain people actually did their research and knew one ounce of truth about the situation then we would not be in this position. You cant wrongly label innocent people. Your words have very real effects and consequences. You are part of the problem and the reason why social media can be such a toxic place."

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They added: "It has been a traumatic past year or so that has left us feeling like we need to step away. We need to concentrate on all the good we have in our lives without constant concern of what may happen next. We need to be around the people we love, and the people that love us, and focus on our health and happiness. To everybody that has supported us, stood by us, and spoken out on our behalf, we thank you and appreciate you more than youll ever know."Duckie Thot - a champion of inclusivity and diversity - has been revealed as the new face of L'Oreal Paris.

Thot is a key member of the Fenty Beauty squad, made her runway debut at Yeezy spring/summer 2017, and is set to walk in the Victorias Secret Fashion Show later this year.

But, her accomplishments dont stop there. Now, the 22-year-old has signed a mega deal to be L'Oreal Paris' newest global ambassador.

Posting the news on Instagram, Thot wrote: Beyond blessed to be the new global spokeswoman for @lorealmakeup, alongside a photo from her first campaign as spokeswoman.

In a statement to WWD, she added: Im honoured to represent LOreal Paris, a brand that celebrates infinite ways to be beautiful and makes products for all women.

Im looking forward to helping more girls love the beauty of their dark skin. In my mind, Im going back in time and telling the young girl I was: Dream big, work hard and trust in yourself girl, because one day youre going to say yes to the number one beauty brand.

The rising star will make her first appearance for the brand on September 30 on the runway of its fashion and beauty show on the River Seine during Paris Fashion Week.

Her debut campaigns for LOreal Paris are to be for Volume Million Lashes, Colorista, Infallible Foundation and Rouge Signature.

While emerging in a new generation of models, Duckie Thot knows how to use her voice to match the strength of her images, said LOreal Paris global president Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou.

Her energy and message of inclusivity make her a perfect recruit for the LOreal Paris family: original and confident in her self-worth. Were delighted to welcome Duckie and for her to continue motivating women to believe in their own beauty around the globe.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, to parents who had escaped Sudans civil war, the young models full name is Nyadak Thot. However, she started going by Duckie when teachers and classmates couldnt pronounce her name.

One of six siblings, it was Thots sister, Nikki Perkins  a popular YouTuber alongside her husband Jamie Perkins  who introduced her to the world of modelling by taking her along to photoshoots when she was 15.

In 2013, she appeared on the eighth season of Australias Next Top Model and finished third before making the decision to move to Brooklyn, New York, and jump-start her career.

The aspiring model quickly captured the imagination of the fashion industry, making her runway debut at Yeezy spring/summer 2017 and featuring in campaigns for Moschino, Oscar de la Renta, and the Pirelli calendar.

Most recently, she walked in New York Fashion Week for Savage x Fenty and regularly appears in Fenty Beauty campaigns - her shade is #490.

One of LOreal Paris' reasons for signing Thot as a global ambassador is the message of inclusivity that she so fiercely champions.

No stranger to the ongoing discussion surrounding the lack of diversity in fashion and beauty, Thot has spoken out about the topic a number of times.

Earlier this year, she revealed that she still has to bring her own foundation to shoots because makeup artists often dont carry shades dark enough to match her skin.

Previously, she also wrote a candid Instagram post about her struggle to not only embrace her natural hair on set, but also how difficult it is to find stylists who know how to deal with her hair texture and type.Fashion fans are voicing their concerns about the future of Versace after rumours that the brand is on the cusp of announcing a deal with Michael Kors.

On Monday, it was reported that US fashion group Michael Kors has agreed to buy the fashion house Versace for roughly $2 billion.

Currently, the Versace family owns 80 per cent of the Italian luxury group, which was founded by Gianni Versace 40 years ago.

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The other 20 per cent is owned by private equity group Blackstone, which bought its stake in the firm in 2014, and planned to list it on the stock market.

However, Blackstone is reported to have found the investment disappointing, and has since abandoned its plans for a float.

Although the sale is yet to be confirmed, fans are already rebelling against the rumoured deal on social media, many of whom are concerned that Kors may cheapen the Versace brand.

Dont let MKors buy any % of Versace. He will ruin it. He will kill it, one person writes.

Another comment reads: Michael Kors buying Versace could possibly be one of the worst things to happen to high fashion.

A third person adds: Worst-case scenario about this: Versace is being sold at Marshalls for discount prices just like Michael Kors pieces.

Others on social media argue that the deal will disrespect the brands founder, who died in 1997.

You sell off your heritage and Giannis memory for decadent money. I really hope you dont, but if its so, I will never buy from you anymore, one person writes.

Once I heard that I was like this is like losing Gianni Versace all over again #versaceisdeadagain, reads another comment.

According to reports, an official announcement regarding the sale is expected this week.

This isnt the first time that Michael Kors has bought out another fashion brand.

Last year, the company acquired shoe designer Jimmy Choo in a 900m takeover. Ahead of the deal, Michael Kors had been struggling with declining sales.

Michael Kors, honorary chairman and chief creative officer, said when the bid was announced: Jimmy Choo is an iconic premier luxury brand that offers distinctive footwear, handbags and other accessories.

We admire the glamorous style and trend-setting nature of Jimmy Choo designs."As Christmas nears (yes, it is getting close), anyone whos hosting family and friends during the festive period will have to ensure that their home is sufficiently stocked with food and drink galore.

For those who enjoy an occasional tipple, running out of alcohol during Christmas is quite possibly a worst-case scenario.

However, Aldi has come up with a possible solution with the release of a gigantic prosecco bottle thats capable of filling 64 glasses.

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The enormous methuselah bottle of Giotti Spumante Prosecco contains six litres of bubbly, which equates to eight regular-sized prosecco bottles.

According to Aldi, the prosecco will be particularly appetising to those who have a sweet tooth, combining an assortment of complementary flavours including lemon zest, tangerine and pear.

The methuselah bottle will have the same design as the supermarkets jeroboam bottle, which contains four and a half litres of prosecco or six regular-sized bottles.

Its due to be released at Aldi for the very first time on November 14, where itll be sold exclusively online for 79.99.

Aldi's Prosecco Jeroboam (Aldi)

While many may feel excited over the prospect of buying a gargantuan bottle of prosecco that can serve the entire Christmas party, Aldi recently had to respond to a barrage of criticism concerning a different bottle of prosecco on sale at the supermarket.

Earlier this month, Aldi tweeted a promotion for a range of organic wines, including a bottle of organic prosecco, claiming that they were hangover-proof.

Alcohol Concern, a UK charity that aims to reduce harm caused by alcohol, responded to the claim, stating that it is unfounded.

I dont think it will come as too much of a surprise to hear that theres no such thing as a hangover-free alcohol drink, said Andrew Misell, director at Alcohol Concern/Alcohol Research UK, according to i News.

If you want to relieve the effects of a hangover, the only reliable way is to reduce the amount of alcohol youre consuming by drinking less or opting for products with a lower ABV (alcohol by volume) percentage.

Alcohol is potentially harmful and irrespective of whether its organic or not, if we drink lots of it we tend to become unwell.

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Aldi has since deleted the tweeted, stating that it was posted in error.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that the UK may have reached peak prosecco as sales of the sparkling wine are reportedly still increasing, but at a slower rate than in previous years.

Researchers from accountancy group UHY Hacker Young believe this may be due to overexposure of prosecco at supermarkets.The Cochrane Collaboration, a highly respected international medical research organisation that conducts systematic reviews and guides clinical practice, has been rocked by a scandal. Professor Peter Gotzsche, a founding member, was recently expelled from its board, following a narrow vote. Gotzsche was accused of bringing the organisation into disrepute, but four other experts on the board walked out in protest at the decision.

Gotzsche, a Danish clinician, is a big name in medical research. Among other things, he is the coauthor of several guidelines on the conduct and reporting of research, including CONSORT, PRISMA, STROBE and SPIRIT. And, until last week, Gotzsche led the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen.

Some people regard him as a maverick  he isnt shy of speaking out. Others see him as a principled man whose commitment to the doctrine of evidence-based practice is displayed in his criticisms of flawed research, particularly when this is due to vested interests. Integrity is the bottom line for Gotzsche.

Commenting on the BMJ website, Trisha Greenhalgh, while not privy to the full details of the case, implied that Gotzsche could be seen by some as a technical purist whose rigidity could rile more pragmatic members.

Greenhalgh, a leading research methodologist, has criticised the Cochrane hierarchy of evidence, which places experimental trials above any other study design, and affords limited value to qualitative research. She urges a more inclusive approach to evidence-based practice: Facts are not self-interpreting; they are theory and value-laden.

Indeed. But if evidence is presented from a randomised controlled trial, it should be the result of a scientifically robust investigation. This is the best method for assessing effectiveness because it minimises bias through random sampling and blinded assignment to treatment or placebo. A clear logical process should be followed by the investigators. Yet sometimes, as Gotzsche has documented, research is not done well. And if done properly, research is not always reported  arguably, because the result was undesirable.

High profile

In recent years, Gotzsche has had a high public profile. His enquiring and sceptical mind led to his discovery that the placebo effect in research is negligible and that meta-analyses, a method of review that reanalyses original study data, was rife with data extraction errors.

He has taken a strong ethical stance against ghostwriting in medical research. Perhaps most controversially, he has argued that screening for breast cancer does more harm than good and that psychiatric drugs are damaging.

One in six adults in the UK takes antidepressant tablets daily, yet the effectiveness is doubtful for most patients. Indeed, instead of relieving depression, these drugs are taken for years, causing chemical dependence. An unholy alliance of biomedically orientated psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry has created a vast and lucrative market. The evidence has been distorted by selective reporting.

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

Gotzsches article in The Daily Mail on the harms of psychiatric drugs (handed out like Smarties) attributed the shortened lives of people with severe mental illness to their prescribed treatments. This drew angry responses from psychiatrists, who are mostly in favour of pharmacological treatments (which they control) and less than enthusiastic towards the value of psychotherapies (which they dont control).

David Nutt, best known for demanding that the government decriminalises illicit drugs, despite the obvious harm that they cause, accused critics such as Gotzsche of inciting headlines on antidepressants that plumb a new nadir in irrational polemic. In response, Gotzsche repeated his list of charges against pharmaceutical companies and their supporters, arguing that the explosion in antidepressant dependence is a waste of money, while remarking on the sweeteners given to some of his critics by drug companies: There has been heavy marketing and widespread crime committed by drug companies, including fraud, illegal promotion, and corruption of psychiatrists.

Booted out

Gotzsche was upsetting the apple cart. After negative publicity and complaints, the Cochrane Collaboration issued a statement. As a research organisation, Cochranes ability to take part in debate is damaged if we are falsely perceived to have taken a partisan position that we do not hold.

But Gotzsche caused further consternation with his allegations of bias in a Cochrane review of the human papillomavirus vaccine, which apparently understated the side effects of this jab. Gotzsche and fellow authors were accused of risking the lives of millions of women by affecting vaccine uptake rates.

This was the last straw. The dissident was booted out.

In a letter giving his side of the story, Gotzsche argued that the Cochrane Collaboration is pursuing a business model to the detriment of scientific independence. Evidence-based medicine is at enormous risk of manipulation by commercial parties, unwittingly aided by practitioners, professional bodies and patient groups, although I suspect that some beneficiaries know what theyre doing.

Gotzsche ended his letter thus: This is not a personal question. It is a highly political, scientific and moral issue about the future of Cochrane.

His persistent criticisms of the drug industry have resulted in a campaign to silence him, but patients might suffer if this hegemony is immune to challenge. Scientific integrity or commercial compromise  that is the choice faced by a hallowed institution.

Niall McCrae is a lecturer in mental health at Kings College London. This article first appeared on The ConversationGwyneth Paltrow's wellness and lifestyle brand Goop launched its first international pop-up store in Notting Hill on Tuesday, selling an array of health, beauty and lifestyle products.

The company was founded online 10 years ago, with a permanent store opening in Los Angeles last year and a second store scheduled to open in New York in the near future.

While the headquarters for Goop are located in Paltrow's hometown of Los Angeles, the brand actually began as a weekly newsletter in 2008, which the actor began in her apartment in Notting Hill.

Gwyneth Paltrow wrote the first Goop newsletter from her apartment in Notting Hill, where the new pop-up store is located

A decade later, Paltrow has come full-circle by opening a temporary store in the same district where she launched the company.

The Independent visited the store on the day of its opening at 188 Westbourne Grove, where it's already been picking up interest among west London shoppers.

A Goop representative revealed that Paltrow will be making an appearance at the store next week to mark its official launch, with the store then scheduled to remain open until January 27 next year.

The Goop pop-up store in Notting Hill has already picked up interest among west London shoppers

All of the products being sold at the store have been signed off personally by the brand's founder, who ensures that they're both "clean" and "high performance".

The store is split into four sections: casual wear and jewellery; beauty, wellness and sexual health; homeware; and sportswear.

Every week, Goop will be hosting events that it describes as "activations" at the store where customers can learn about beauty and wellness, with guidance provided by the trained salespeople working at the store.

 Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop London pop-up shop opens

"One of our first activations is going to be facials and we're going to have loads during the pop-up's lifespan," a Goop representative says.

All of the products on the shelves in store are also available to purchase online, with the exception of a few pieces of jewellery and some items of homeware.

The clothes displayed on the rails as you walk into the store are from a number of different brands, including Goops own label and other companies such as Coast and Stella McCartney.

If someone whos not very familiar with Goop decides to venture to the temporary store, they may find some of the products on display slightly unconventional for their taste.

In addition to a selection of eye serums, happiness-inducing body washes and face oils in the wellness section, one can also find an assortment of spiritual crystals and uniquely named vibrators.

One of the vibrators being sold at the store, the Vesper Vibrator Necklace, has been designed to be worn as a discreet piece of jewellery and retails at 145.

In the beauty and wellness section of the store, customers can find spiritual crystals and sexual health products

Goop places a lot of emphasis on its dedication to sourcing organic and cruelty-free products, the majority of which are also vegan, with the exception of some products sourced from third-party supplies that contain beeswax.

However, the brand has also been criticised on multiple occasions for promoting the supposed health benefits of various products without scientific proof to back the claims being made in the product descriptions.

Earlier this month, Goop agreed to pay a settlement of $145,000 (110,000) after making unscientific claims about the health benefits of vaginal eggs.

In 2015, Goop launched a book imprint called Goop Press, which has since published several books on topics including sex, food and beauty

On the Goop website, it stated that using jade vaginal eggs on a daily basis could help women achieve a "spiritual detox" by removing negative energy from the body.

There arent currently plans for a Goop store to open permanently in London following the launch of the pop-up store.

However, this could change in future depending on the popularity of Paltrows lifestyle brand in the capital.Goop, the wellness brand founded by Gwyneth Paltrow, opened its first London pop-up store in September last year, and is now set to become a permanent shop.

The store, which was originally only meant to remain open until 27 January, is located on Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill and sells a variety of the items similar to those on offer on the Goop website.

It is divided into sections, stocking a mix of fashion, home, beauty and wellness products that have been chosen specifically to suit the tastes of UK customers.

The company opened its first permanent store in Los Angeles in September 2017, and has since opened several pop-ups in other cities.

The launch of the pop-up in London coincided with the 10th anniversary of the brand, which was founded by Paltrow in September 2008.

Goop has been condemned on several occasions for making unscientific claims about health products being sold on the site.

Shortly before the London pop-up opened, it was announced that the company had agreed to pay a settlement of $145,000 (110,000) following the controversy surrounding the purported health benefits of using vaginal eggs.

In April 2017, Goop revealed that it would be launching a magazine, with its first print edition released the following September.

The magazine is now sold on a quarterly basis and costs $30 (22.80) a year for subscribers.Taxpayers are set to pay 65m to former Carillion workers made redundant since the construction and outsourcing firm collapsed in January, despite government claims that the liquidation would not draw on public funds.

The Redundancy Payments Office (RPO) has so far paid a total of 50m to former Carillion staff and said it expects the total to rise by a further 15m based on the claims it has received.

The figure, obtained through a freedom of information request, does not include workers who lost their jobs at companies in Carillions supply chain.

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Thousands of smaller firms were adversely affected when Carillion went into liquidation, owing hundreds of millions of pounds to suppliers and subcontractors.

The Unite union, which obtained the new figures, said taxpayers would also have to pay for work to complete several of Carillions projects including the Royal Liverpool Hospital and the Midlands Metropolitan Hospital. The cost of concluding these projects is expected to be in excess of 100m, Unite said.

On top of this, public funds may be needed to cover much of the 50m in fees estimated to have been charged to Carillion by PwC, which is handling the liquidation.

Unite said the latest revelations demonstrate that initial government indications that Carillions collapse would not impact the taxpayer were "decidedly wide of the mark".

Unite assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail described Carillions collapse as the greatest corporate failure in UK history and called for a full public inquiry into who was responsible as well as the total cost to the taxpayer.

These latest figures demonstrate that the taxpayers have had to pick up the tab for the greed and recklessness which led to Carillions collapse, Ms Cartmail said.

While the directors and senior executives of Carillion have largely slithered off into lucrative new roles, it is the taxpayers who have been left to pick up the pieces from their mess.

The police should immediately open a criminal inquiry into those responsible, she added. If no laws were broken then we need better, stronger laws to prosecute the guilty.

Most of the Carillions 19,000 staff had to be made redundant and were then entitled to make a claim for redundancy from the RPO.

This included staff who were transferred to a new employer, however because of Carillions compulsory liquidation the Transfer of Undertaking Protection of Employment (TUPE) regulations which protect a workers pay, terms and conditions did not apply, nor did rules governing continuation of service.

Workers are therefore considered new starters and have also lost many of their employment rights for a two year period.Pharma giant Novartis is cutting thousands of jobs worldwide, including hundreds of roles in the UK, the company announced on Tuesday.

The drug maker currently employs around 1,500 people in the UK at operations in Grimsby, Camberley and Sittingbourne, and will cut 400 roles at the Grimsby plant.

Meanwhile, more than 2,000 jobs are being shed in Switzerland, where the company is based.

The pharmaceuticals company said the decision was not connected with Brexit.

Haseeb Ahmad, Novartis UK country president, said: Novartis has been a part of the Grimsby community for many years so this has been a very difficult decision.

The Grimsby site is an effective, well-running operation that is testament to the hard-working and dedicated employees. We will treat every employee with the utmost respect, sensitivity and fairness during this difficult time.

Mr Ahmad said: This decision has been made alongside broader changes to our business globally, and as a result of the changes in our product portfolio which now focuses on more specialised medicines, reflective of todays changing healthcare needs.

Novartis remains committed to the UK and believes that the UK is a world leader in life sciences. Todays announcement is part of a global review of our manufacturing operations and is not linked to the decision of the UK to leave the European Union.

The job cuts will be phased over the next year and a half, until the end of 2020, Novartis said.

Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby, said the announcement was "bad news" for the local area.

"For 50 years these good quality, well paid jobs were accessible roles for local people to aspire to and launch a career in the sciences," she said.

"I will do all I can to keep these quality jobs in Grimsby, and I have written to the Government to ask they will do the same by stepping up action to find a new company to take over the site."Alien life might have been able to flourish under the surface of Mars, according to a major new study.

The red planet once had the right conditions to allow microbes to thrive there, the new research claims. Those microorganisms could have been able to survive for hundreds of millions of years on the ancient planet.

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 the 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.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

On Earth, organisms known as subsurface lithotrophic microbial ecosystems or SliMEs are able to live in similar conditions. They cannot get energy from sunlight, so instead peel electrons off molecules in the environments that surround them.

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Around four billion years ago, Mars would have had the same conditions that sustain huge numbers of microbes down on Earth today.

The researchers are clear that the findings don't definitively mean that alien life existed on Mars. But they are important evidence that if life did get started there it would have been able to sustain itself.

By combining a range of different data about the red planet, scientists found that it probably had a habitable zone that stretched for kilometres deep and all around the world. It would have existed for hundreds of millions of years.

Scientists now hope the findings can be used to inform future trips to Mars that will attempt to find evidence of alien life.

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.After the committee cleared the proposal, it came directly to the cabinet for approval.

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his cabinet on Tuesday approved the controversial proposal of allotting the 5.5 acres of prime land at Goregaon to Bollywood film director Subhash Ghais film school, Whistling Woods International Ltd. The land, which is situated at Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari (Film City), will be given on a 30-year lease, charging only ready reckoner rate, which is way below the market price.

The proposal had twice received negative remarks from the revenue department as any government land vested to one department cannot be allotted at nominal rates to a private institution for profit-making without inviting applications from others as per the high courts directions.

However, to circumvent this, Mr Fadnavis referred the issue to a high-power committee headed by the chief secretary. After the committee cleared the proposal, it came directly to the cabinet for approval.

Ghai established the Whistling Woods International Ltd in 2000 for imparting film education. It was former chief minister, the late Vilasrao Deshmukh during the Congress regime, who allotted 20 acre of prime land to the institution through a joint venture agreement. The CAG (Controller and Auditor General) had raised an objection and a PIL too was filed in the Bombay high court.

The high court had cancelled the land allotment in 2012 and directed that it be returned to the state government. This HC order was confirmed by the Supreme Court in 2012. The state government has taken the possession of 14.5 acre of land which was unutilised, and the building which is on 5.5 acre land, remains with the institute, which conducts cources on various aspects of film education for a hefty fee.

In 2016, Ghai had made an application to the CM and requested that the entire land be allotted to the institute. Mr Fadnavis had initially referred the matter to the cultural department as the land belongs to them, which sent it for legal opinion and the approval of the revenue department. However, the revenue department refused to give its nod to the allotment considering court orders. It held that, any government department cannot give the land on lease legally to a private institute or person. If the cultural department did not want the land for its use, it should be surrendered to the revenue department, which holds all government lands. It would then be allotted to anyone as per rules.Barriers were not installed along Westminster Bridge before last years terror attack because it was not seen as a location that needed them, a senior police officer has revealed.

Chief Superintendent Nick Aldworth told inquests into the five victims deaths that there had been no specific threat against the bridge after Isis-inspired lorry attacks in Nice and Berlin.

The Metropolitan Police officer, who leads national strategies to protect the UK from atrocities, said there was no cause to mitigate against that threat before Khalid Masood launched his attack in March 2017.

Dominic Adamson, a lawyer representing two of the five victims relatives, questioned why the decision had not been made to introduce barriers on the bridge following Isis vehicle attacks in Europe.

It was not seen as a location where we needed to have barriers, Chief Supt Aldworth replied, saying that they could have been put in place if police received information that it was a potential target.

The bridge, which links the Houses of Parliament to the London Eye and Waterloo  the UKs busiest railway station  has since been fitted with metal barriers.

They have also been placed on London Bridge, which was targeted in another terror attack in June 2017.

Mark Lucraft QC, chief coroner of England and Wales, said the Westminster Bridge Inquests would hear evidence on issues which may be relevant to the deaths of Masoods victims, including physical security measures on Westminster Bridge.

Armed officers on patrol (PA)

The inquests are probing the impact of security arrangements around the Houses of Parliament and body armour worn by PC Keith Palmer when he was stabbed to death.

The Old Bailey in London previously heard that armed officers patrolling the area had not visited Carriage Gates, where the victim was posted, for almost an hour before Masood struck despite official guidelines saying they should have been in close proximity.

Isis first issued instructions on using vehicles for massacres in an issue of its English-language propaganda magazine that was published online in November 2016.

The terrorist group said the deadly and destructive capability of cars and lorries could be harnessed because they were legal and extremely easy to acquire.

The article gave followers detailed advice on what kind of vehicles to use for maximum damage and urged them to carry a secondary weapon to inflict more damage after crashing  a Masood appears to have followed.

The inquests previously heard that the terrorist conducted internet searches on Isis and ranted about the group to his wife, telling her they were not the enemy.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

The Old Bailey also heard that Masood was a controlling and arrogant person who believed he was a genius with a special relationship with God.

A psychological profile suggested he had a track record of being unable to form long-term relationships, partly due to his inability to empathise with others and understand the nuances of the human condition.

Dr Brock Chisholm said there was no evidence Masood was suffering from a psychotic illness when he launched the attack, but that his conversion to Islam was seen to be containing the chaos within him.

Masood believed he was more intelligent than other people, he added. He enjoyed dominating people and viewed himself as special in the eyes of God ... indeed, like a genius.

Told that Masoods CV was found in the car used to carry out the attack, Dr Chisholm said he may have been seeking recognition or in two minds over whether or not to go through with the rampage.

Recommended British public to be given first aid training for terror attacks

A previous review of intelligence gathered before the terror attacks that struck London and Manchester last year found that Masood was not under surveillance and neither MI5 or the police had any reason to anticipate the attack despite his extremist links.

The 52-year-old, who converted to Islam in prison, sent his own jihad manifesto to contacts, including his wife from behind the wheel of his hired car before ploughing it into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.

He fatally struck pensioner Leslie Rhodes, 75, mother-of-two Aysha Frade, 44, American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, and Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea, 31, before crashing the vehicle and stabbing PC Palmer to death outside the Houses of Parliament.

A separate inquest into the death of Masood, who was shot dead by armed protection officers during the attack, will take place at a later date.

Additional reporting by PAAfter European Union (EU) leaders made it clear to Theresa May they could not accept her Chequers proposal without a clearer plan for the Irish border, attention remains on the invisible 310 mile frontier across the emerald isle.

One of the crucial Brexit issues yet to be decided, neither the UK or the EU both want a "hard border" involving physical checks or infrastructure between Northern Ireland and Ireland.

But cannot agree on how to resolve the issue. Ms May has previously rejected the EU's "backstop" plan - which involves keeping Northern Ireland aligned with its trading rules - saying it would divide up the UK.

Keen to add their voices heard in the debate, over 100 people flocked to the London Irish Centre in Camden.

Derry Girls Against Borders, is a campaign group dreamt up in Northern Irelands second city by 29-year-old Tanya McCamphill, who, like many people, is used to freely travelling across the UK and Ireland for work and leisure.

This summer, after crossing from Derry into Donegal to go for a walk on Culdaff beach, it dawned on her that the ease with which she made this journey may soon be disrupted.

Will she have to show a passport to drive to the local beach, or even to walk five minutes down the road? No one can say for sure.

I sent out a tweet about this and pretty quickly it started getting a lot of attention, with a lot of people clearly sharing the same concerns as me," she said. "What surprised me was the number of people from different backgrounds who were engaging, and in particular, the amount of young women who were engaging.

She then set up a WhatsApp group among a few of her friends who she thought might like to get involved to campaign against new borders after Brexit.

Several of the 100 people gathered rose to speak about their concerns around the Irish border (Grant Costello)

A lot of them were people who wouldnt usually be interested in politics," she said. "But this is not political. We dont have a position. This group wants the voices of ordinary people to be heard, and for the status quo to be maintained.

Since then, it has arranged for ordinary people to be given a platform at meetings the group have held thus far in Derry, Newry, Belfast, Dublin and now London.

The panel leading the discussion - like the assembled audience - are not political talking heads, but everyday people who have reached out to get involved, share their expertise and perform what they see as a civic duty.

Across the hour-long meeting, several Irish people living in London rose to share their concerns. Most appeared to be in their twenties or thirties, but a man in his early 50s, who has lived in London for over 30 years, spoke of his experience working near the highly militarised border in Derry during his youth. He was joined by one of his four children, with whom he now enjoy regular visits back to the motherland.

Tanya said that the group is open to anyone who wants to be part of this push to keep borders open across the two islands.

Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures An abandoned shop is seen in Mullan, Co Monaghan. The building was home to four families who left during the Troubles. The town was largely abandoned after the hard border was put in place during the conflict. Mullan has seen some regeneration in recent years, but faces an uncertain future with Brexit on the horizon Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures A defaced Welcome to Northern Ireland sign stands on the border in Middletown, Co Armagh Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Mervyn Johnson owns a garage in the border town of Pettigo, which straddles the counties of Donegal and Fermanagh. Ive been here since 1956, it was a bit of a problem for a few years. My premises has been blown up about six or seven times, we just kept building and starting again, Johnson said laughing. We just got used to it [the hard border] really but now that its gone, we wouldn't like it back again Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Farmer Gordon Crocketts Coshquin farm straddles both Derry/Londonderry in the North and Donegal in the Republic. At the minute there is no real problem, you can cross the border as free as you want. We could cross it six or eight times a day, said Crockett. If there was any sort of obstruction it would slow down our work every day Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures John Murphy flies the European flag outside his home near the border village of Forkhill, Co Armagh Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Potter Brenda McGinn stands outside her Mullan, Co Monaghan, studio  the former Jas Boylan shoe factory which was the main employer in the area until it shut down due to the Troubles. When I came back, this would have been somewhere you would have driven through and have been quite sad. It was a decrepit looking village, said McGinn, whose Busy Bee Ceramics is one of a handful of enterprises restoring life to the community. Now this is a revitalised, old hidden village Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Union Flag colours painted on kerbstones and bus-stops along the border village of Newbuildings, Co Derry/Londonderry Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Grass reflected in Lattone Lough, which is split by the border between Cavan and Fermanagh, seen from near Ballinacor, Northern Ireland Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Donegalman David McClintock sits in the Border Cafe in the village of Muff, which straddles Donegal and Derry/Londonderry Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures An old Irish phone box stands alongside a bus stop in the border town of Glaslough, Co Monaghan Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Billboards are viewed from inside a disused customs hut in Carrickcarnon, Co Down, on the border with Co Louth in the Republic Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Seamus McQuaid takes packages that locals on the Irish side of the border have delivered to his business, McQuaid Auto-Parts, to save money on postal fees, near the Co Fermanagh village of Newtownbutler. I live in the south but the business is in the North, said McQaid. "I wholesale into the Republic of Ireland so if theres duty, Ill have to set up a company 200 yards up the road to sell to my customers. Ill have to bring the same product in through Dublin instead of Belfast Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures A disused Great Northern Railway line and station that was for customs and excise on the border town of Glenfarne, Co Leitrim Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures Alice Mullen, from Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland, does her shopping at a former customs post on the border in Middletown, Co Armagh. Id be very worried if it was a hard border, I remember when people were divided. I would be very afraid of the threat to the peace process, it was a dreadful time to live through. Even to go to mass on a Sunday, youd have to go through checkpoints. It is terribly stressful, said Mullen. All those barricades and boundaries were pulled down. I see it as a huge big exercise of trust and I do believe everyone breathed a sigh of relief Reuters Brexit threatens life on the Irish border: in pictures A bus stop and red post box stand in the border town of Jonesborough, Co Armagh Reuters

Anything short of this would bring major disruption to the lives of many people gathered in the room, she added.

Were tired of waiting for these discussions to happen," she said. "We cant just put our lives on hold while we wait for a decision to be made.

Gerald Angley, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Ireland in London, attended the event with a number of colleagues.

The Embassy really welcomes this non-political groups initiative to highlight just how concerned people are about any hardening of the border, he said. This is all the more important because here in Britain, there has been too much focus on the economic aspects of the border issue - whereas the real issue is the profound wish by border communities not to have new barriers being erected when the whole purpose of the peace process has been to remove such barriers.

A petition set up by the group is gathering thousands of signatures and next month, they will travel to Brussels, where they hope to arrange meetings with key political figures.

Recommended Ireland is closer than ever to unification because of Brexit

One member said that both the Irish Taoiseach and his deputy, the Tanaiste, have now followed the group on Twitter.

Perhaps the can-do attitude of the event was best summed up by 33-year-old barrister Grainne Mellon, who told the audience.

Well do what Derry girls are best at. Keep talking until everyone realises we were right all along. Jeremy Corbyn will vow to tear up decades of economic thinking in a major speech today, denouncing greed is good capitalism while pledging to pump billions of pounds of public money into green industries.

The leader will also attack politicians who strained every sinew to bail out the banks, words that risk being seen as criticism of the former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown.

Mr Corbyn will pledge to rebuild a new kind of economy based on green energy  with an unprecedented expansion in wind power, solar panels on every roof and a drive to insulate all homes.

He will argue that the push, funded in part by the taxpayer, will deliver a green jobs revolution with 400,000 new posts  although an identically named policy promising the same number of positions was also pledged by Mr Brown in 2009.

Mr Corbyn will deliver his speech to hundreds of delegates in Liverpool on the final day of a Labour conference which comes as the party prepares for an opportunity to snatch power if Theresa Mays administration collapses under the pressure of Brexit.

Promising to radically overhaul the economy, Mr Corbyn will say: Ten years ago this month, the whole edifice of greed-is-good, deregulated financial capitalism, lauded for a generation as the only way to run a modern economy, came crashing to earth, with devastating consequences.

But instead of making essential changes to a broken economic system, the political and corporate establishment strained every sinew to bail out and prop up the system that led to the crash in the first place.

 Jeremy Corbyn lays a wreath for Hillsborough victims

People in this country know  they showed that in June last year  that the old way of running things isnt working any more.

Former Labour leader Mr Brown played a pivotal role in bailing out the banks in 2008 and delivering policy to prop up the financial system until he left power after the 2010 election.

More recently he has made critical comments about his successor, saying, Jeremy Corbyn has got to change and calling on him to remove the stain of antisemitism to the party.

But Mr Corbyns officials insisted on Tuesday night that the leader was not directly attacking Mr Brown in his speech or the notion that an urgent bailout of banks had been needed in 2008.

Instead they said he was targeting the broader efforts to maintain the same financial system, with vast sums of money pumped in through quantitative easing, leading to asset bubbles that did not benefit lower income households.

Mr Corbyn will set out how his new economy will be underpinned by a mushrooming green-energy sector  he will pledge to deliver with a plan to reduce net carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2030.

 Jeremy Corbyn says he will die fighting racism

To achieve this he will pledge a doubling in onshore wind capacity from some 7,000 turbines currently to 14,000 turbines, a sevenfold increase in offshore turbines from around 1,900 to 13,300 and a trebling of solar panels  with one placed on all viable UK roofs  increasing the share of electricity coming from low carbon or renewable sources from 50 per cent to 85 per cent.

Labour has set aside 12.8bn in its National Transformation Fund to cover the insulation programme in its first term.

Instead of making essential changes to a broken economic system, the political and corporate establishment strained every sinew to bail out and prop up the system that led to the crash in the first place Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

Other costs will be covered by the private sector, according to Labour, with changes to planning guidance for onshore wind to encourage investment.

Party researchers estimate these actions would create a green jobs revolution with an additional 410,000 positions spread across the UK.

Mr Corbyn will say: It means working with industry to change the way we build, and to train the workforce to retrofit homes and work in the industries we will build.

It needs a government committed to investing in renewables, in jobs and in training.

I can announce today that Labour will kickstart a green jobs revolution.

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

In March 2009 Mr Brown also promised a green jobs revolution that would deliver 400,000 new jobs, but a year later  before his government left office  a report from the same consultancy that came up with the jobs figure said it would be too difficult to achieve.

David Cameron also promised a green revolution, although he ended up cutting subsidies for relevant industries and by 2013 reportedly said that green crap needed to be scrapped from his agenda.

But Mr Corbyns officials argued that his programme would be different because it will involve substantial amounts of investment and a government committed to regulating for the changes.

His spokesman told The Independent: Sadly Labour lost the election in 2010, and as weve seen the government has retreated from green energy commitments in both practical ways and in terms of cash.

Obviously since the Gordon Brown government there have been changes in policy across the range  we are talking about a significantly more interventionist programme.Labour is set to vote against any Brexit deal Theresa May agrees with Brussels, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Ahead of his speech at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool, the shadow Brexit secretary predicted the government would try to force "a very bad deal" through Parliament.

He said Labour would not vote for an agreement that was not "in the national interest", despite the growing risk of a no-deal Brexit.

Sir Keir will use his speech to say it is "increasingly likely" his party will reject the government's deal.

The move significantly increases the prospects of Ms May failing to get a Brexit agreement through Parliament, with Labour likely to join with Eurosceptic Tories to vote it down.

Labour has set six tests any deal must meet in order to secure its support, including one that says the agreement must secure the exact same benefits as EU membership.

But with Ms May admitting talks with Brussels are at an "impasse" after her Chequers plan was rejected by EU leaders and he own MPs, Sir Keir said Parliament should tell the prime minister her proposed deal was "not good enough".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think it's going to be a very bad deal, I don't think it's going to meet our tests, and we shouldn't be voting for a deal that we don't think is in the national interest.

"We cannot carry on with this idea that the prime minister can bring back any deal she cobbles together and we must all vote for it, however bad it, because something even worse will happen if we don't That's not a 'meaningful vote'.

"There has to be a point where Parliament says it is not good enough."

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

Speaking from the conference podium today, Sir Keir is expected to say that Labour will not support a "blind Brexit" in which a vague deal is agreed but key details left for further negotiations.

He will say: Some have said Labour could vote for any deal the Tories reach. Some have said we may abstain. Some have said we may support a vague deal  a blind Brexit  that gives no detail about the terms of our future relationship.

So, let me be very clear - right here, right now: if Theresa May brings back a deal that fails our tests  and that looks increasingly likely - Labour will vote against it. No ifs, no buts.

And if the Prime Minister thinks well wave through a vague deal asking us to jump blindfolded into the unknown she can think again. You cant meet Labours tests by failing to provide answers. We will vote down a blind Brexit.

"This isnt about frustrating the process. Its about stopping a destructive Tory Brexit. Its about fighting for our values, and about fighting for our country.

 John McDonnell u-turns saying Labour could include an option to remain in EU in future Brexit referendum

His speech comes after a day of confusion about Labour's position on another Brexit referendum, with senior shadow cabinet ministers appearing to contradict each other.

John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, had said any public vote should not include the option of staying in the EU but was later contradicted by Sir Keir, who insisted: "Nobody is ruling out 'Remain'."

Another senior shadow minister, Barry Gardiner, also broke ranks to claim the party's policy of attempting to secure a general election was "Looney Tunes territoriy".

Asked about the apparent split, the shadow Brexit secretary said a meeting of 300 delegates to decide the Brexit motion the conference will vote on had been clear that the option of letting the public choose to stay in the EU must be kept on the table.

He told Today: "The clear position is that if there's no general election then an option must be a public vote.

"The room said we don't want ot narrow the question down, we don't want to rule out Remain, but we don't know the situation."Labour must kick out supporters with a despicable hatred of Jewish people just as it beat the Blackshirts, Emily Thornberry told the partys conference in Liverpool today.

The shadow foreign secretary reminded delegates of past victories over racism and fascism, as she said the most urgent battle was rooting it out of our own party.

Tackling Labours antisemitism crisis head-on, Ms Thornberry likened the need to act to when, in 1937, the fascist leader Oswald Mosley tried to speak in this great city and was forced out without saying a word.

We must all acknowledge that there are sickening individuals on the fringes of our movement, who use our legitimate support for Palestine as a cloak and a cover for their despicable hatred of Jewish people, and their desire to see Israel destroyed, she said.

Those people stand for everything that we have always stood against and they must be kicked out of our party the same way Oswald Mosley was kicked out of Liverpool.

The speech came two days after one Labour MP warned the fallout from the continuing antisemitism row could cost Jeremy Corbyn the next general election.

Delivering her keynote conference speech  soon after scores of Palestinian flags were waved during a debate on the Gaza Strip  Ms Thornberry said: We all support the Palestinian cause.

I stand here with no hesitation when I condemn the Netanyahu government for its racist policies and its criminal actions against the Palestinian people, she added.

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

But she also warned: Let me speak to you from the depths of my heart and my soul and say something I never thought Id have to say in my lifetime as a Labour member and activist.

It is simply this: that if we want to root out fascism and racism and hatred from our world, and from our country, then we must start, we must start, with rooting it out of our own party.

In a powerful speech, seen by some as a marker for a future leadership bid, Ms Thornberry also called for an end to online abuse scarring political debate.

We must start with uniting our own party, and ending the pointless conflicts which divide our movement, which poison our online debate, and which distract us from fighting the Tories, she said.

And she argued Mr Corbyn could provide the global leadership currently missing as our world leaders shrug their shoulders.

That is why governments like ours continue to sell arms to Saudi Arabia even when it is proven that those weapons are being used to murder innocent children in Yemen.

That is why the war in Syria too remains so intractable and destructive, with the dozen major countries involved not striving to stop it, but playing their own lethal power games with other peoples lives, she said.

That is why North Korea can happily continue developing their bomb, Iran can keep Nazanin jailed for a third year, Myanmar and Cameroon can slaughter their own citizens at will, Russia can act with impunity not just in Syria but in Salisbury, and Donald Trump can tear up treaties it took other leaders years to agree.

Ms Thornberry warned of a global free-for-all, adding: The leadership to fix it is simply not there. But conference, its here in this hall, its here on this stage, its here in Jeremy Corbyn.Labours Brexit divisions opened up at Labour conference after Sir Keir Starmer told delegates nobody is ruling out Remain.

The line was not signed off by Jeremy Corbyns office and comes after Sir Keir found himself at loggerheads with one of the leaders closest allies over the issue.

The shadow Brexit secretary was given a standing ovation by Labour delegates in the conference hall as he made clear that any future referendum backed by the party could have an option to stay in the EU.

But he was immediately contradicted from the stage by a senior figure in the Corbyn-backing union Unite, while Labour Leave, which campaigned to quit the EU, branded it a betrayal.

Labour conference will on Tuesday vote to back a motion painstakingly negotiated by the shadow Brexit secretary, which says that if Theresa Mays plans are voted down in the Commons and no general election is called, Labour must campaign for a new referendum.

The Independent has launched its Final Say campaign to push for a Peoples Vote referendum, with more than 820,000 people signing the petition so far.

Speaking to conference, Sir Keir said that if Labour could not secure a general election, we must have other options.

 Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer says there should be a general election if Theresa May's deal is voted down

He went on: That must include campaigning for a public vote.

It is right that parliament has the first say, but if we need to break the impasse, our options must include campaigning for a public vote and nobody is ruling out Remain as an option.

The final words of the sentence were not included in the copy of the speech pre-briefed to journalists, while insiders said that it had been ad-libbed by the frontbencher from the stage.

With all speeches having to be cleared with Mr Corbyns office first, it will mean that the words were not approved by the leaders aides.

 John McDonnell: Labour's new Brexit referendum would not offer option to remain in EU

A source in his office did not steer The Independent away from the suggestion that the leader had no prior knowledge of the comments, but did confirm the substance of them, saying that it was a statement of fact.

Labours Alison McGovern MP, leading supporter of the Peoples Vote, said: Keir Starmers speech shows that the Labour leadership listens to Labour voters and Labour members. Labour voters, supporters and members all reject Theresa Mays Brexit, Jacob Rees-Moggs Brexit and any idea of a blindfold Brexit.

But it comes after two of Mr Corbyns closest allies  shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Unite boss Len McCluskey  did try to rule out having a Remain option in any future referendum.

 Len McCluskey says second EU referendum should not inclide remain option

Mr McDonnell had said that Labour would go for a peoples vote on leaving the EU, but any referendum would not include an option to stay in the bloc  but he was then forced to correct himself after he was contradicted by Sir Keir in an interview.

Mr McCluskey had said that it would be wrong to have a Remain option in a future referendum, and was on Tuesday backed by his unions assistant general secretary.

Steve Turner took to the conference stage soon after Sir Keirs speech to say: Despite what Keir said earlier, its a public vote on the terms of our departure.

Sir Keir also confirmed in his speech that the party is likely to vote down the deal that Theresa May brings back from Brussels, if she does secure one, because it does not meet Labours six tests.

Brendan Chilton, general secretary of Labour Leave, said of the speech: This is a betrayal of the very highest order. It is a betrayal not only of the millions of Labour voters, but of our 2017 manifesto.

It is a betrayal that voters will remember for a very long time, and we will lose MPs as a result. There is no doubt. It was a P45 to our MPs in the Midlands and Wales.Labours radical plan for a woman to be elected to a second deputy leaders post has collapsed, triggering accusations of dirty tricks by Jeremy Corbyns team.

The motion was suddenly withdrawn by the local branch that had proposed it, amid angry claims that the leaders office feared the rise of a potential rival.

Angela Rayner, the independent-minded shadow education secretary, was seen as the frontrunner for the new role  which would have put her in pole position to take the Labour crown.

One leading female Labour MP, Jess Phillips, tweeted her anger, saying: Its not a factional game for gods sake.

The Labour Womens Network said Labour must stop playing politics with this and guarantee womens representation in the leadership team.

And Harriet Harman, Labours former temporary leader, told The Independent: You never get anywhere on womens rights if you see it through the prism of the other political contests within the party.

Its not pro or anti-Corbyn  its pro-women. You just have to say is it wrong to have men only leadership?.

Luke Akehurst, a leading Labour Corbyn-opponent, tweeted: Disgusting that Wirral West remitting has killed the chance of a woman second deputy leader  because the hard left were scared a moderate would win, scared of party democracy.

Another female Labour MP said: They clearly got frightened that they couldnt control it and so pulled their support. Its outrageous.

Labours ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) voted on Saturday to support the rule change to establish a second deputy, to serve alongside Tom Watson.

With a growing clamour for the next leader to be a woman, whoever grabbed the new position would have been certain to be catapulted into the position of favourite to succeed Mr Corbyn.

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

Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary, and Dawn Butler, the shadow equalities minister  all Corbyn allies  were all strong candidates.

But the popular Ms Rayner was more hotly-tipped. Although on the left of the party, she has challenged the leadership on occasions  including over higher spending for the youngest children, ahead of axing tuition fees.

Labour has been asked to respond to the accusations that the leaders office was behind the sudden withdrawal of the motion, shelving the female deputy leader plan.

Just two days ago, the Wirral West constituency Labour party (CLP) tweeted its delight that the NEC has adopted our proposal and will be recommending it to Labour Party Conference.

Urging other branches to get behind it, the CLP said: This seeks to abolish the current role of deputy leader and replace it with two deputies, at least one of whom must be a woman.

Today, defending the decision to withdraw the motion, Angela Marincowitz-Skillen, a Wirral West delegate, cited disturbing reports that those who want to divide our party want to use this as a way to do it, making an election for a new deputy leader, about Brexit, about a new centre party or whatever project they think up to sow disunity.

I want to say to those people, members are sick of this sectarian game, she told the conference.

Mr Watson had said he was strongly in favour of the idea, telling the BBC: Its really important that we continue the battle for gender parity in our party. Thats Jeremys aim as well.

A Labour source said: The CLP that proposed it decided to withdraw it. The leadership supported the NEC endorsing the proposal and shadow cabinet members on the NEC voted for it.Labour is promising free wifi for all in town centres in a bid to boost ailing high streets and stop their "slow and agonising death".

The party also wants to scrap ATM charges, halt bank and post office closures, and has reaffirmed its commitment to make bus travel free for under 25s.

Highlighting well-known brands either falling into administration or announcing store closures, such as House of Fraser and Marks and Spencer, Labour claims that 100,000 jobs in the retail sector have been lost in the last three years.

It is hoped that providing free wifi for high street shoppers will encourage people to spend more of their leisure time in town centres.

Outlining a five point plan in a keynote speech to the Labour conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary, will claim: "Boarded up shops and deserted high streets are a result of years of neglect and austerity."

She will add: "Our high streets need saving from a slow and agonising death.

"As part of our plan to rebuild Britain and breath life back into our communities, Labour will scrap ATM charges, deliver free wifi to town centres, introduce a register of empty properties, provide free bus travel for under 25s and overhaul the broken business rates system which is hammering retail.

"Our country needs to radically change course so our towns can thrive again."

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

Ms Long-Bailey, who is also said to be looking at free parking, will also use the conference speech to tell the party faithful that her party is committed to reducing green house gas emission by the middle of the century, according to the Guardian.

"The potential benefits of transitioning to a sustainable economy are enormous and we want to make sure these are shared by everyone," she said. "The Tories are not up to the job of dealing with the existential threat posed by climate change."Undercover police operations could not be launched without a judge's approval under a Labour government, the party has announced amid an inquiry into spying.

Diane Abbott unveiled the policy during her speech to Labours annual conference in Liverpool.

We know that in this country you generally need a warrant to enter someones home or intercept their telephone calls, the shadow home secretary was to say.

We will insist on time-limited, judicial warrants for any undercover policing.

Telephone interceptions are currently subject to warrants from the home or foreign secretaries, and magistrates give permission for property searches in most cases.

But police forces themselves govern the placement of undercover officers and there are mounting calls for more transparent oversight.

A Labour spokesperson said its proposal was a response to gross violations of privacy and human rights in undercover operations, including police officers having sexual relationships and children with the activists they targeted.

The Metropolitan Police issued an apology to women tricked into relationships in 2015 and has paid some victims compensation for the abuse of police power by officers who infiltrated protest groups.

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

The scandal erupted after Mark Kennedy, an undercover spy who infiltrated environmental groups for years, was unmasked by activists in 2010 and Theresa May ordered a judge-led public inquiry as home secretary.

Led by Sir John Mitting, it is probing investigations by police forces in England and Wales since 1968 and will look at officers actions, their training and supervision, and make any recommendations about changes to the law or practice in future.

Last week, legal papers served in a separate case revealed that Kennedys managers knew he had deceived an environmental campaigner into a relationship and let it continue.

Kate Wilson, who launched a claim in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, said senior officers had sanctioned the systematic violation of human rights because of political beliefs, and we still dont have the whole truth.

She is one of eight women who brought a case against the police over undercover relationships,m while the Undercover Policing Inquiry is also investigating the use of dead childrens identities by officers.

On Thursday, a former police spy known as HN16 was revealed to sometimes have used the name Kevin Crossland when deployed into the Animal Liberation Front and the Brixton and Croydon Hunt Saboteurs between 1997 and 2002.

Kevin Crossland was the identity of a deceased child who died in a plane crash in 1966 and the inquiry is calling for evidence on why and how the name came to be used, without being sanctioned by the Special Demonstration Squad.

Kevins family said the five-year-old was very happy and full of life when he died while journeying to from Luton Airport to Ljubljana.

Their plane crashed shortly before coming into land, with Kevin, his sister and mother killed while the boys father survived with multiple injuries, burns and enormous guilt that he was not able to save his family.

The ongoing inquiry will look at the work of the Special Demonstration Squad, the National Public Order Intelligence Unit and all police forces in England and Wales, examining whether people may have been wrongly convicted in cases involving undercover officers.

It will address claims Scotland Yard spied on campaigners fighting for justice for murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, and the infiltration of unions and other organisations.Security forces from Burkina Faso and France are attempting to take control of a luxury hotel in the centre of country's capital Ouagadougou, which was stormed by Islamist gunmen, who took hostages and killed at least 20 people, according to eyewitnesses and officials at the scene.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has said it was responsible the attack, in tandem with another extremist group, SITE Intelligence Group reported.

Around thirty hostages, including a government minister, have been freed, the country's Communications Minister said.

At least 10 bodies were found inside a cafe next to the Splendid Hotel, the Internal Affairs Minister said. It is unclear how many people are still inside.

The director of the university hospital, who spoke to patients wounded in the attack at Hotel Splendide in downtown Ouagadougou late on Friday, said around 20 people have been killed. The hotel was also reportedly on fire.

"We have received around 15 wounded people. There are people with bullet wounds and people who are injured because of falls," said Robert Sangare, director of Ouagadougou's university hospital centre.

Two unidentified armed men approach a vehicle, near to a hotel, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso AP (AP Television)

Mr Sangare said one European woman being treated at the hospital told him the attackers appeared to target white people, according to Reuters.

The attempt to retake the hotel was reported on Twitter by Gilles Thibault, the French ambassador to Burkina Faso.

Local media reported that the commandos were made up of Burkinabe security forces with support from French special forces and US intelligence.

The country's foreign minister, Alpha Barry, earlier told Reuters that special forces had secured a perimeter around the hotel.

Reports over Twitter suggest a cafe-restaurant opposite the hotel, which is popular with westerners, has also been targeted.

The gunmen were said to have fired in the air as they stormed the four-storey hotel before security forces arrived.

An intense exchange of gunfire between the gunmen and Burkinabe forces followed, according to a Reuters witness.

A journalist at the scene said US troops were also conducting a rescue mission at the hotel, CNN reports. The US Embassy in Ouagadougou tweeted: "We are closely following the situation downtown".

Several cars were ablaze outside the hotel, an Associated Press reporter near the scene on Friday said.

A video, purportedly of the Hotel Splendide on fire, appears to show the flaming cars in the streets.

The French embassy in Burkina Faso have called the incident a "terrorist attack" and have urged people in the area to "go home".

The Ambassador repeated the assertion on Twitter and extended a curfew in the city from 11pm to 6am.

Mr Thibault also added that an Air France flight from Paris to Ouagadougou was diverted on Friday night to Niamey, Niger.

The hotel is sometimes used by French troops with Operation Barkhane, a force based in Chad and set up to combat Islamist militants across Africa's vast, arid Sahel region. It is also reportedly popular with other foreigners and UN employees.

A senior member of the group called in December for Muslims in several countries, including Burkina Faso, to wage jihad.

AQIM, along with two other groups, also claimed responsibility for an attack on the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali, which killed 20 people in November.

Two militants killed 20 people from nations including Russia, China and the United States at the luxury hotel in Mali's capital on 20 November, before being killed by the security forces.

Burkina Faso has endured bouts of political turmoil since 2014 when veteran President Blaise Compaore was overthrown in a popular protest.

Additional reporting by various agenciesThe actress, who has acted in Telugu films before, will now star in a remake of one in Hindi this time.

Kiara Advani has replaced Tara Sutaria, who had to quit when Student of the Year 2 got pushed ahead, in the Shahid Kapoor-starrer.

Mumbai: Actor Kiara Advani has been paired opposite Shahid Kapoor in the Hindi remake of Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy.

Kiara, who was most recently seen in Netflix's Lust Stories, will essay the role of Shahid's love interest.

"'Arjun Reddy' has always been one of my favourite films. There are so many shades to the heroine's character; I'm very excited about it," Kiara said in a statement here.

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who also helmed the original critically-acclaimed Telugu-language blockbuster, the remake will go on floors next month.

"Kiara epitomises the female character in the film to the T. She has the perfect combination of innocence (in terms of looks) and maturity (in terms of performance) that's so important for the character," Vanga said.

The original film, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Shalini Pandey in the lead, revolved around a medical student who falls in love with his junior and how their relationship evolves.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.

Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures The 2017 New Yorker Festival - Anthony Bourdain Talks With Patrick Radden Keefe Getty Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures Anthony Bourdain with Nigella Lawson and Ludo Lefebvre in Channel 4's 'The Taste' Channel 4 Television Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures Anthony Bourdain winning Outstanding Informational Series Or Special at the 2016 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Getty Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures Bourdain's no-holds-barred account of life in American kitchens is both a memoir and an insider's guide to the tricks of the trade. Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures Chefs Anthony Bourdain (L) and Mario Batali take a selfie Chefs Anthony Bourdain (L) and Mario Batali take a selfie Getty Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures Bourdain and Danny Bowien at 'The Mind Of A Chef' Premiere Launch Party Getty Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures Anthony Bourdain atThe 53rd annual Clio Awards Anthony Bourdain ( Honorary Clio Award) The 53rd annual Clio Awards Alamy Anthony Bourdain: Celebrity chef in pictures Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose return for the follow up to their bestseller Get Jiro! Anthony Bourdain, and Joel Rose (Kill The Poor) return for the follow-up to their #1 New York Times bestseller Get Jiro! Alamy

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.Comedian and actor Bill Cosby will not have his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame removed despite being sentenced to between three and 10 years in prison over sexual assault charges.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce called Cosby's sentence "regrettable" but confirmed the star will stay.

"Once installed, the stars become part of the historic fabric of the Walk of Fame, a 'designated historic cultural landmark,' and are intended to be permanent," the chamber said in a statement.

Recommended Bill Cosby sentenced to at least three years in prison

"It is regrettable when the personal lives of inductees do not measure up to public standards and expectations; however, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce does not remove stars from the Walk of Fame."

After accusations against The Cosby Show star began to come to wider public attention 2014, there have been several petitions to have the star removed, but all to no avail.

The star has been vandalised several times, for example "serial rapist" being scrawled across it in black marker pen. Cosby has repeatedly denied all allegations against him some of which date back to the 1960s.

Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street in London. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Berlin Women's March in Berlin. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris Women hold a banner reading "still feminist" with the Eiffel tower in background on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Protesters hold up placards at the Women's March in central London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris A demonstator hold signs on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris during a women's march organised as part of global protests. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Chanting Times Up in the cold rain - On the anniversary of the Women's March on London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands of people gather holding protest signs on Central Park West. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Demonstrators take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago A woman holds a sign during the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington Supporters gather during the Women's March in Washington AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York The crowd lines up near Central Park Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago Demostrators attend the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands hold signs and rally while attending the Womens March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People hold signs up during the women's march Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Oscar Janicki, 6, participates in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Crowds gather to participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Women pose as they attend the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather prior to the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather the second annual National Womens March AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "Womwn united will never be defeated" during Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome Italian actress Asia Argento (3rdL) attends the Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown Rome. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome The Women's March Rome, designed to show solidarity for the protection of civil and social rights, women's rights and the environment included Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse US film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Zurich A US citizen holds a poster on the anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump apologising to the world on behalf of her country, in Zurich, Switzerland. A year after millions of people took to the streets across the US and countries around the world, women's marches are being held in lots of cities this weekend. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "The rising of the women means rising of us all" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Images Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman lifts her fist while holding a banner reading "Hear our voice" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty

Cosby, 81, was found guilty in April this year of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for the drugging and assault of Andrea Constand, a former Temple University administrator, at his Philadelphia mansion in 2004.

Today at Montgomery County Court in Pennsylvania Bill Cosby was sentenced by Judge Steven O'Neill to three to 10 years in prison.

Cosby was also deemed a "sexually violent predator" under state law, meaning he will have to register as a sex offender with police for the rest of his life and attend monthly counselling sessions. Local schools and neighbours will be notified of his address and crimes.A US judge has reinstated protection for grizzly bears in and around the Yellowstone National Park, ending plans for the first licensed trophy hunts in the region for decades.

District judge Dana Christensen ruled Donald Trumps administration failed to properly consider the long-term survival of the species when it stripped the bears of their endangered status.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) lifted federal protections for the roughly 700 grizzlies in the Rocky Mountains in 2017, paving the way for hunting to resume in Idaho and Wyoming.

Legal challenges from conversation groups and Native American tribes delayed what would have been the first hunts in either state for 44 years and the first outside Alaska since 1991.

Mr Christensen said the case was not about the ethics of hunting but whether federal officials had adequately considered threats to the long-term recovery of the grizzly population.

He noted that an estimated 50,000 bears once roamed the US and said it would be simplistic at best and disingenuous at worst not to consider the depleted status of the species outside the Yellowstone region, one of the few areas in their historical range where they have bounced back.

The Montana district judge found the government had failed to apply the best available science, as required by law, in evaluating continued threats to grizzly populations.

In a 47-page ruling, Mr Christensen called the FWSs reasoning in lifting protections illogical. He pointed to two studies cited by the agency that actually contradicted its own conclusions that the species could remain self-sufficient.

The decision, which caps one of the most high-profile legal battles over the Endangered Species Act in many years, was celebrated by environmentalists but greeted with dismay by farmers and state officials.

The grizzly is a big part of why the Yellowstone region remains among our nations last great wild places, said Tim Preso, a lawyer for environmental legal organisation EarthJustice, which represented four groups that challenged the lifting of the hunting ban.

This is a victory for the bears and for people from all walks of life who come to this region to see the grizzly in its natural place in the world.

Andrea Santarsiere, a senior lawyer at the Centre for Biological Diversity, said: Facing ongoing threats and occupying a fraction of their historic range, grizzly bears are nowhere near recovery. These beautiful and beleaguered animals certainly shouldnt be shot for cheap thrills or a bearskin rug.

Native American tribes, which revere the grizzly as sacred, had joined environmental groups in opposing the hunts. They said reinstatement of the threatened status was essential to protect their religious practices.

Agricultural groups, hunters and the National Rifle Association had all lobbied against the bears being relisted as an endangered species.

Cody Wisniewski, spokesman for the the Wyoming Farm Bureau, said restoring protections would allow the grizzly population to grow unchecked, endangering the lives and livelihoods of westerners who settled the region long ago.

Wyoming governor Matt Mead, a staunch critic of the Endangered Species Act, said he was disappointed by the judges ruling. He said the state had spent $50m (38m) on the management of grizzly bears over the past 15 years.

The FWS said it was reviewing Monday's ruling and "considering next steps". Spokeswoman Jennifer Strickland added the agency stood by its decision to lift protections on the Yellowstone grizzlies, which government biologists contend are thriving.

The region's bears were first classified as a threatened species in 1975 after widespread shooting, poisoning and trapping caused their numbers to dwindle to just 136.

The Trump administration's decision in June last year to "de-list" the grizzly, a move first proposed in 2016 under Barack Obama's presidency, was based on the FWS's verdict that their numbers had rebounded enough that federal protection was no longer necessary.

Endangered and threatened species of Britain Show all 10 1 /10 Endangered and threatened species of Britain Endangered and threatened species of Britain Hedgehog In 1950 there were an estimated 36 million hedgehogs in the UK, there are now only one million Getty/iStock Endangered and threatened species of Britain Hazel dormouse The population of the hazel dormouse is thought to have declined by over one third since 2000. It is threatened by loss of habitat Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Red squirrel Famously ravaged by the North American grey squirrel, the red squirrel is nowadays very rare with a population of around 140,000 Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Mountain hare The population in Scotland stands at 1% of its 1950 level and only one colony remains in England in the Peak District Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Natterjack toad Threatened by the disappearance of their coastal habitats, the natterjack toad is now only found at a handful of site across the UK Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Water vole Once found across Britain, the water vole is no longer anywhere to be seen in 90% of waterways Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Turtle dove On the Red List of conservation concern, the turtle dove population has declined by 97% since 1970 Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Small tortoiseshell butterfly Amid a general decline in butterfly population since records began in the 1970s, the small tortoiseshell saw a 38% drop in population in 2018 Getty Endangered and threatened species of Britain Noble chafer beetle Classed as vulnerable, the noble chafer beetle became increasingly rare throughout the 20th century due to habitat loss. Members of the public are encouraged to report any sightings to the People's Trust for Endangered Species gbhone Endangered and threatened species of Britain Stag beetle Their population is not known but due to habitat loss and other threats they are a protected species. Members of the public are encouraged to report any sightings to the People's Trust for Endangered Species Getty

Environmentalists warned that while grizzlies had made a comeback, their recovery could falter without continued safeguards. They pointed to changes in the bears' food supply due to climate change and human threats posed by poachers and road traffic.

Management of the bears falls on the states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

Montana decided against allowing a trophy hunt this year, citing concerns about long-term recovery of a bear population.

The other two states issued licences that would have allowed up to 23 bears to be killed. Thousands of people applied for licences.

The hunting season had been due to begin in both Idaho and Wyoming on 1 September but was halted while Mr Christensen considered whether to reinstate protections. His ruling on Monday makes permanently blocks the hunts from going ahead.

The decision comes as the Trump administration seeks to rewrite the Endangered Species Act, a move scientists warn would erode wildlife protection for the benefit of commercial interests.

Under the proposed changes, species listed as threatened would no longer receive the same protections of those listed as endangered".Donald Trump has lashed out against one of several women accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, saying she admits that she was drunk when the alleged incident took place.

The comments arrived during a bilateral meeting with the president of Colombia on Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly. Mr Trump described Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee as con artists who were unnecessarily urging a delay in his Supreme Court picks nomination process.

The second accuser has nothing, he said of Deborah Ramirez, who has alleged Mr Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a dormitory party in college and forced her to touch his penis without her consent. She admits that she was drunk. She admits time lapses.

Recommended Five major contradictions Brett Kavanaugh made in Fox News intervew

Theyre really con artists, the president continued, referring to the Democratic Party. They dont believe it themselves. Theyre playing a con game, and they play it very well.

Ms Ramirez was the second woman to come forward with accusations of misconduct against Mr Kavanaugh, who is expected to receive a vote in the coming days that will determine whether or not her receives a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

Mr Kavanaugh was previously accused by Christine Blasey Ford last week of making unwanted sexual advances towards her in high school. Shortly after, Ms Ramirez provided her account to the New Yorker about the alleged incident from Mr Kavanaughs college years  an account numerous Yale alumni have supported, including the judges former roommate, James Roche, who told the outlet, Is it believable that she was alone with a wolf group of guys who thought it was funny to sexually torment a girl like Debbie? Yeah, definitely. Is it believable that Kavanaugh was one of them? Yes.

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

The president has repeatedly appeared unconvinced of any wrongdoing on the part of Mr Kavanaugh, who defended himself against the accusations in an unprecedented Fox News interview.

Now a new charge comes up and she says it may not be him and there are gaps. And she was totally inebriated and all messed up, and she doesnt know, Mr Trump said. It might have been him, or it might have been him.

 Donald Trump says allegations about Brett Kavanaugh are 'totally political' after second accuser comes forward

Gee, lets not make him a Supreme Court judge, the president continued. This is a con game being played by the Democrats.

Dr Ford and Mr Kavanaugh are expected to provide public testimony about the alleged high school incident on Thursday. Several Republican officials have expressed a willingness towards Ms Ramirez also speaking during those testimonies, though it remains unclear whether she will be provided that opportunity. Close UN General Assembly laughs as Donald Trump touts his achievements

Donald Trump has asserted American sovereignty - rejecting global governance, control and domination - in an address to the UN General Assembly.

Mr Trump said the United States will never tell other nations how to live, work or worship. But the president added the United States expects other nations to honour America's sovereignty in return.

The president arrived late, forcing a last-minute scheduling switch, then received polite applause but also blank stares as he took his blustery brand of America First policies to the annual General Assembly.

 Donald Trump says US wants UN to respect its sovereignty

Speaking in triumphal terms, Mr Trump approached the address as an annual report to the world on his country's progress since his inauguration. He crowed that in less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.

Rather than applaud or indicate they were impressed, the audience began to chuckle and some broke into outright laughter. Mr Trump appeared briefly flustered before joking that it was not the reaction he expected but that's all right.

The moment only reinforced Mr Trump's isolation among allies and foes alike, as his nationalistic policies have created rifts with erstwhile partners and cast doubt in some circles about the reliability of American commitments around the world.

Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load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."

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.

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

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The judge presiding over Stormy Daniels' defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump has said the president was engaging in free speech when he posted a controversial tweet about the adult film actor.

US District Judge James S Otero has not yet made a decision in the case, but appeared to support Mr Trumps attorneys during a hearing, saying the message appears to be rhetorical hyperbole by a public official involving a public figure.

The tweet in question arrived after Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and her attorney released a composite sketch of the man they said approached her in a parking lot after she agreed to publish an interview about her alleged affair with Mr Trump.

The president called the story "a total con job" on social media, describing the person Ms Daniels alleged was threatening to her as a "nonexistent man."

Charles Harder, a lawyer for Mr Trump, claimed the president was simply calling the claims "hogwash," rather than stating a fact about the alleged incident. Mr Harder also said the president was "calling BS" in the tweet posted to his personal Twitter account 18 April.

"A sketch years later about a nonexistent man," he wrote, sharing an image of the sketch. "A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!"

Meanwhile, the same judge is presiding over a separate lawsuit involving an alleged $130,000 "hush money" payment the presidents former lawyer sent Ms Daniels during the 2016 election to remain silent about her supposed affair with Mr Trump.

He announced a hearing would be held in December to determine the validity of the payment deal, which Ms Daniels lawyer, Michael Avenatti, has called erroneous.

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

Mr Trumps attorneys previously threatened Ms Daniels with legal action if she continued to speak out about the payment, claiming she was breaking the agreement they had agreed during the campaign.

Mr Avenatti, who has expressed interest in running in the 2020 presidential elections, has said his goal in the lawsuit is to depose the president and his former attorney, Michael Cohen, forcing their sworn testimony to discuss what they knew about the payment, which is a potential violation of campaign finance laws.President Donald Trump has been criticised as insensitive and disrespectful after saying he does not support the idea of recognising Puerto Rico as a US state because the mayor of San Juan is incompetent.

The president made the comments on Monday, suggesting he would not support the idea of Puerto Rican statehood as long as Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of its capital and largest city, remained in office.

With the mayor of San Juan as bad as she is and as incompetent as she is, Puerto Rico shouldnt be talking about statehood until they get some people that really know what theyre doing, Mr Trump said in an interview with Geraldo Rivera.

The comment is the latest in a long feud between Mr Trump and Ms Yulin Cruz in which the two have criticised one another over issues such as the federal response in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

In response, Ms Yulin Cruz wrote the following on Twitter: Trump once again accuses me of telling the truth. Now he says statehood won't arrive because of me."

Mr Trumps opinion also drew criticism from Puerto Ricos governor, Ricardo Rossello , who defended Ms Yulin Cruz.

Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Show all 20 1 /20 Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Kenney shelters under the blade of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit preparing to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, Puerto Rico, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit takes off behind Crew Chief Alexander Blake and his fellow soldiers during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Morovis, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew member Bynum stands in tropical rain as a HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit prepares to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot Chris Greenway receives a hug from a woman thanking him for water as he works with the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Verde de Comerio, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A man carries a case of water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Alexander Blake from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit loads water into a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo Reuters Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field to avoid lightning during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Manati, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents hold their hands aloft to signal that they need water as UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade fly past during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Tropical rain splashes on a runway as HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit wait for weather to clear during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Pilot Eldwin Bocanegra Torres speaks with residents isolated by landslides in the mountains after unloading water and food from a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents stand in front of wind-damaged trees as they wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico The contents of a home are seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Thomas looks out of the window of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit, loaded with relief supplies, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A message written on the rooftop is seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Humacao, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in San Sebastian, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado, who is from Puerto Rico, looks for a landing spot for a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Boys carry water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, who is from Puerto Rico, speaks with residents as he helps during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents peek through a fence at helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit that had parked in a locked field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Lares, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson

The president said he is not in favour of statehood for the people of Puerto Rico based on a personal feud with a local mayor. This is an insensitive, disrespectful comment to over 3m Americans who live in the US territory of Puerto Rico, Mr Rossello said in a statement.

Mr Rosello, who had previously avoided publicly butting heads with Mr Trump, continued on to criticise the US and Mr Trump over the lack of statehood for Puerto Rico, especially in light of Mr Trumps trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

How can the United States make the case for democracy at the United Nations this week, when they have under their flag the most populous colony in the world? I urge all political leaders in the nation to define their views towards our quest for equal treatment for the US citizens in Puerto Rico, he continued.

Mr Rosello and Mr Trump publicly disagreed just last week about the impact of Hurricane Maria, after the president suggested that the death toll was much lower than estimates have suggested. Mr Rosello pointed to a study conducted by George Washington University, which determined that 2,975 people died as a result of that storm.Donald Trump has suggested he turned down requests to meet Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, but that he may agree to talks "someday in the future".

The US president said that "despite requests" from unnamed individuals or groups, he had "no plans" to meet his Iranian counterpart.

"I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man," Mr Trump added in a tweet on Tuesday morning.

Recommended Iranian president Rouhani blames US ally for terror attack

The comments come amid a diplomatic standoff between Washington and Tehran after Mr Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal with America's historic foe in May.

He has since begun to reinstate economic sanctions and has pressed other countries to stop buying Iranian oil, prompting criticism in Iran that the US was waging "economic war".

Mr Rouhani has also ruled out a meeting, telling NBC News on Monday that conditions had not been met for talks to take place.

"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," he told the US broadcaster.

Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Show all 10 1 /10 Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iranian MPs burnt a US flag in parliament after Donald Trump announced America's withdrawal from the nuclear deal. AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal US President Donald Trump displays a presidential memorandum after announcing his intent to withdraw from the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement in the Diplomatic Room at the White House. Reuters Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Some Iranian MPs reacted after Trumps decision by shouting 'death to America'. AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iranian lawmakers prepare to burn two pieces of papers representing the US flag and the nuclear deal. AP Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iran said it will hold talks with signatories to the nuclear deal after Trump's decision to withdraw from the accord, which it branded "psychological warfare". AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Several Iranian MPs stood chanting in the Tehran parliament. AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iranian MPs burning a US flag AFP/Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal President Hassan Rouhani addressed the nation in a televised speech in Tehran. He said he'd send his foreign minister to negotiate with countries remaining in the nuclear deal after Trump's decision to pull America from the deal, warning he otherwise would restart enriching uranium "in the next weeks." Iranian Presidency Office via AP Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Iran's press condemned Trump's withdrawal from a multi-party nuclear deal but was divided over whether Tehran should react with patience or withdraw itself. AFP Iran parliament reacts after Trump's withdrawal from nuclear deal Trump announced the US withdrawal from what he called the "defective" multinational nuclear deal with Iran, and said Washington would reinstate sanctions against the Islamic republic. AFP/Getty

Mr Trump's tweet also comes as world leaders gather at the UN in New York, where he will address the general assembly later on Tuesday.

The US president is expected to be unapologetic about his decision to engage with North Korea and to remove the US from the Iran nuclear accord.

Ahead of his UN address, Iran's Revolutionary Guards called Mr Trump "evil and adventurous" and said his "economic war and cruel sanctions" were an attack on their country.

Relations between the two countries have been further strained by an attack on a military parade at the weekend that left 25 dead and which Tehran blamed on US allies in the region.

 TV feed shows moment of Iran military parade attack

The deputy head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards accused the US and Israel of involvement in the attack and said they should expect a devastating response.President Donald Trump has attacked the leadership of Iran during a speech to the United Nations General Assembly in which he claimed the regime was sowing chaos, death, and destruction.

The accusation came during an address in which the American leader once again rebuked international norms and order, and defended his decision to pull the US from the Iran nuclear agreement, which had been pushed for and signed by former President Barack Obama.

We cannot allow the worlds leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planets most dangerous weapons, Mr Trump said of his decision to pull out of the deal and reimpose sanctions.

He continued: We cannot allow a regime that chants death to America and that threatens Israel with annihilation, to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on earth. We just cant do it."

In his own speech, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, criticised Washington's hostile policy towards his country, and said the efforts tp undermine it were doomed.

"The economic war that the United States has initiated under the rubric of new sanctions, not only targets the Iranian people, but also entails harmful repercussions for the people of other countries, and that war has caused a disruption in the state of global trade", Mr Rouhani said.

President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time Show all 12 1 /12 President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time President Hassan Rouhani speaks at the Iranian Parliament in the capital Tehran AFP/Getty President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time It was the first time Rouhani had been summoned by parliament in his five years in power EPA President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time Getty President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time MPs demanded answers on unemployment, rising prices and the collapsing value of the rial, which has lost more than half its value since April AFP/Getty President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time AFP/Getty President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time AFP/Getty President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time AFP/Getty President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time AFP/Getty Images President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time AFP/Getty President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time AFP/Getty President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time AFP/Getty Images President Rouhani summoned to Iran parliament for first time EPA

An expert with the National Iranian American Council expressed a similar sentiment following Mr Trump's speech.

"If President Trump were truly interested in shifting from the warpath to negotiations, he would halt his pressure campaign unjustly targeting 80m Iranians, fire the war hawks in his cabinet and return the United States to compliance with the Iran nuclear accord, Jamal Abdi, the president of that group, said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. The National Iranian American Council is a non-profit and non-partisan interest group that claims to advocate for greater understanding between the American and Iranian people.

The comments on Irans involvement in terror plots in the Middle East come just days after a terror attack on a military parade in southern Iran that left at last 25 people dead.

In that attack, militants dressed as soldiers opened fire on Irans Revolutionary Guard as members of that elite group marched through the city off Ahvaz on Saturday.

That attack on Iran has been claimed by Arab separatists and Isis, and Iranian officials themselves have blamed the US and Gulf countries for the attack. The Iranians promised, in response, to deliver a devastating response to the US and its allies involved.

None of those who have sought to cast blame or take responsibility provided much evidence for their claims.

Mr Trump decided to pull the US from the Iran deal, and defended that decision on Tuesday during his speech to the UN.

He said the deal was a windfall for Irans leaders, and said that the deal allowed Iran to increase its defence budget by 40 per cent.

But, Mr Trump noted, the United States has recently begun to reimpose sanctions on the country and regime, and said another round of sanctions will go into effect on November 5. He pledged that the US is working with allies to diminish the amount of crude oil that is bought from Iran, and said that his administration is prepared to work to undermine Iran and to support Irans people as they struggle to reclaim their religious and righteous destiny.In short, Sister Lucy had scored a goal. Bishop Mulakkal had lost. But the match is no longer religious. It is secular. Women 1, Men 0.

While there are no definitive statistics on the number of Christian priests in India accused of sexual misconduct, and often even rape, the Church, whether it is the popular Roman Catholic or Malankara Syrian Orthodox (founded on the evangelical legacy of St. Thomas, who believers would like to think arrived in Kerala to spread the gospel in AD 52), has been inclined to leave the resolution of the matter, of the personal conduct of priests, generally to God. Men, in short. In shorts, too.

But not when it comes to rogue nuns. Sister Lucy Kalappura, who has been protesting in public against the inaction of the Church  in relation to Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkals victimisation of a nun  had been asked to stop prayer activities in her parish in Vayanadu, northern Kerala. On Monday, her parishioners broke into the church office and forced the Mother Superior and the bishop of the diocese to retract the oral orders prohibiting Sister Lucy from catechism and other activities, Kerala owes a lot to Christian missionaries who came in numbers since the fourth century AD. They set up schools, took pains to learn the local dialects, and through catechism classes contributed to the culture and sustenance of the natives. The collateral damage was conversion. Though many considered this an incursion, there was no religious persecution on that count.

One of the more popular churches, then as now, is the Roman Catholic Church, to which Father Mulakkal belongs. By the 17th century it had become a well-run institution. It would not be entirely off the mark to see the Roman Catholic Church as the first multinational corporation that Kerala, and perhaps India, has seen. Portuguese, Italian and Irish Jesuits preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. Keralas progressive life indices, like literacy and health, trace their provenance and tradition to a foreign god and capital. Evangelical Protestantism was later spread to India by the efforts of British, American, German and Scottish missionaries. The Protestant missions were also responsible for introducing English education in India in an organised manner. The very many translated versions of the Bible meant Jesus could speak in Malayalam; the accessibility of God in the local language meant intimacy with the Church and the cross. Heaven and hell suddenly had Malayalam signposts. The Church grew.

That growth and its influence in public and private lives are in question now, specifically with the emergence of three disturbing cases of sexual assault charges against Christian priests.

A married woman and the mother of two children had filed a complaint with the police in Kayamkulam, in central Kerala, alleging that a priest belonging to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church had raped her in the church office after calling her to discuss a family dispute. Second, a married schoolteacher had accused four priests belonging to different dioceses of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of blackmailing her over a confession she had made in church a decade ago and sexually assaulting her over the years on the basis of that confession, which in any Christian school of divinity is sacrosanct.

And, only weeks ago, a nun belonging to the Catholic congregation of Missionaries of Jesus in Jalandhar had filed a police complaint against Jalandhar Bishop Franco Mulakkal alleging he raped her and subjected her to perform the sexual act 13 times since 2014 at a convent in Kerala.

The last had especially caught the imagination of the public, because it focused on the precise repeatability of the incident which lent muscle to the sexist position that if the act was repeated, say 12, times over a period of years, how could it be termed as forced the 13th time? In fact, at least one prominent politician scoffed at the Mulakkal episode, saying the nun in question was making a big thing of the 13th act of rape as a reaction to her not being a promotion after the 12 incidents. Perhaps there is an element of truth in what he said. But what he failed to note was that the woman in question had every right to say no to Mulakkal at any time, and that 12 times do not justify the 13th. The prolonged nature of the duress and the establishments lack of rigour in pursuing the case also enraged the public.

To this writer, its not the sexual misconduct of Christian priests and the disrepute that brings to their institution that is so interesting as the fact that nuns are coming out of their convents and taking to the streets in solidarity with the victim. Among the supporters of the Mulakkal victim was Sister Lucy, who is by all accounts extremely popular in her parish of some 400 people.

She had emphatically supported the five nuns who had been for a while fasting in protest outside the Kerala high court in Kochi. That action had eventually led to the arrest of Father Mulakkal late last week. The nuns assertion of their rights is clearly a threat against the male bastions of Christianity. The Pope, after all, is a male, and so is Jesus. Both of course are set to change gender in the not too far future.

When Sister Lucy of St. Marys Church was issued strictures, the eruption came not from her, but from her parishioners. On Monday, they broke into the church office and questioned the functionaries of the godly wisdom of their actions. The interrogation procedures were not subtle. The results were gratifying and immediate: Sister Lucys right to spread the good word was restored.

For her part, the good sister, without batting an eyelid, said to TV cameras recording the proceedings that this was a God-sent opportunity to hold fast to the truth, and that her Mother Superior, who orally issued the strictures, and others higher up should not for a moment look back on any of the activities on the ground as a source of offence.

In short, Sister Lucy had scored a goal. Bishop Mulakkal had lost. But the match is no longer religious. It is secular. Women 1, Men 0.The bodies of a British millionaire and his wife have been discovered in northern Thailand, days after the couple were first reported missing.

Alan Hogg, a retired businessman and his wife, Nod Suddaen, were reported missing from their home in the province of Phrae last week.

Police have arrested three men in connection with the killings.

"The three men conspired in the murder of the couple and our investigation is ongoing to determine exactly who did what," Colonel Kissana Phatanacharoen, of the Phrae police said.

Alan Hogg and his wife Nod have been killed (Nick Razzell)

The men claimed that the businessman's brother-in-law, paid 50,000 Thai baht (1,175) for the attacks.

They also told police where to find the victims' bodies, according to the Bangkok Post.

Recommended Thai police academy bans women and refuses to explain why

Mr Hogg and Ms Suddaen were initially reported missing last Thursday when their friends tried and failed to contact them.

Robyn Hogg, the couple's daughter, flew to Thailand from the UK after learning about her parents' disappearance.

A spokesman for the British embassy in Bangkok said they were in contact with Thai authorities and "providing support to the family of a British couple who have died in Thailand".

Agencies contributed to this reportIndias ruling party is fighting back amid a scandal over a $9bn (6.8bn) arms deal that saw the prime minister facing calls to resign. Now, Narendra Modis BJP party says the allegations are part of an international conspiracy to bring him down.

The claims relate to a deal struck by Mr Modis government to buy 36 fighter jets from Frances Dassault Aviation, a manufacturer whose Rafale aircraft rival the likes of Lockheed Martin's F-16 and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Under Indian regulations, foreign arms companies must invest at least 30 per cent of any given contract with an Indian partner to produce some of the goods locally, thereby boosting Indias manufacturing sector and gradually weaning it off imported hardware.

Recommended France sells 24 Rafale warplanes to Qatar

The issue, Indias opposition Congress party alleges, is that Dassault chose for its local partner a company owned by the billionaire industrialist  and friend of Mr Modi  Anil Ambani, instead of a more established manufacturer.

Some allegations of crony capitalism followed, but the scandal erupted on Friday when Francois Hollande, the French president at the time the deal was struck, said the proposal of Ambanis company came not from Dassault itself but from the Indian government. We did not have a choice, we took the partner who was given to us, Mr Hollande told Frances Mediapart.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi jumped on the report, tweeting that the PM has betrayed India and further alleging that Mr Modi personally negotiated and changed the Rafale deal behind closed doors.

But in a series of press conferences, ministers for Mr Modis BJP have hit back, accusing Congress of working with foreign influences to destabilise India.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman pointed to the fact that three weeks before Mr Hollandes media interview, Mr Gandhi had tweeted that he expected more revelations to come out relating to the Rafale deal, describing them as big bunker buster bombs.

The timing could not possibly be coincidence, Ms Sitharaman told reporters. There is a certain desperation to make the government blemished on the issue of corruption, she said.

Congress designs to run a smear campaign against us. Now you see an international dimension also to it.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Ms Sitharaman described the row as a perception war, and said that BJP leaders would give speeches and news conferences across the country to place facts on record. We will fight this battle, she said.

Smaller parties have also joined the attack on Mr Modi, who is under pressure to shore up his political base ahead of a series of important state elections this year and a national election in spring next year.

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi chief minister and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, accused Mr Modi of hiding crucial facts around the deal and asked if the government was endangering national security.

Nonetheless, the BJPs fightback focussed on the main opposition leader. Agriculture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in his own news conference, said Mr Gandhi was involved in an international conspiracy designed to demoralise the Indian Air Force and weaken the countrys defences.

Dassault, for its part, has issued a statement saying the deal was in line with Indias procurement guidelines and that Ambanis Reliance company represented Dassault Aviations choice. The French foreign ministry, while not directly contradicting Mr Hollandes interview, said French industrialists were free to choose the partners they considered the most relevant.

Congress' national spokesman Sanjay Jha said they would call for a joint parliamentary committee to investigate the deal, and organise public protests.

"We will take it to the people's court through protests and demonstrations as what is involved in this massive fraud is the taxpayers money," he said.A passenger flying for the first time sparked panic on a flight in India when he tried to open the rear exit of the plane, mistaking it for the door to the toilet.

A police spokesman said the man in his late twenties was seen by fellow passengers, and when challenged he told them he needed to use the washroom urgently and kept tugging at the exit door.

Cabin crew on the GoAir flight from Delhi to Patna, northeast India were forced to wrestle the man away from the door, according to Indian media reports, and he was persuaded to take a seat for the remainder of the flight before being handed over to airport security upon arrival.

A spokesperson for GoAir told The Independent the incident took place on the 1hr 45mins flight G8 149 to Patna on Saturday evening. The plane landed safely.

A passenger was trying to open the rear door of the aircraft while in the air, the spokesperson said. A co-passenger raised the alarm and he was intercepted by the crew. Post arrival, the passenger was handed over to CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) for further investigation.

CISF, a branch of the Indian military that has been in charge of airport security since 2001, told the Times of India the man had successfully unlocked the rear door but was unable to open it due to cabin pressure. That claim was contradicted by an airline source, who said the doors cannot be unlocked when there is a big difference in pressure between the cabin and outside the plane.

CISF escorted the man off the plane upon arrival at Patna and handed him over to local police, who questioned him about his motives.

Sanowar Khan, the officer in charge of the local police, said there was pandemonium on the plane when the young man, a banker and first-time flier, started trying to open the door.

Khan told The Telegraph newspaper: People asked him why he was doing so (trying to open the exit gate). He told them that he needed to use the washroom urgently and kept tugging at the exit door. Pandemonium prevailed amid all this and he was restrained and finally handed over to us. He said that the confusion happened because he had boarded a flight for the first time in his life.

Police checked the mans records to confirm he had never flown before, and released him later that evening.Pope Francis admitted on Tuesday that sex abuse scandals surrounding the Catholic Church have driven younger people away.

"We know - and you have told us - that many young people do not turn to us for anything because they don't feel we have anything meaningful to say to them," he told a group of Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox young people in Estonia.

"They are upset by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them."

Surveys commissioned by the Vatican, ahead of a bishops meeting next week to discuss how to better minister to young Catholics, have been filled with similar complaints.

Francis said that the church wanted to respond to the criticism in an honest and transparent way.

Recommended Pope Francis summons Catholic bishops to discuss sex abuse scandals

"We ourselves need to be converted," he said.

"We have to realise that in order to stand by your side we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off."

The Pope was speaking during the fourth and final day of his tour of the Baltics.

The public admission coincided with a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-ups in Germany.

The document, produced by the German bishops' conference, found that around 3,677 people were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

Over half of those abused were 13 or younger. Nearly a third were altar boys.

University researchers compiled the report and found evidence that some files on the abuse were destroyed, many cases were not brought to justice and some bishops were simply moved to other dioceses when complaints were made, without congregations being informed about the accusations.

The sex abuse scandal began in Ireland in the 1990s but has returned to the headlines recently after a former Vatican ambassador accused the Pope of knowing about abuse allegations against Theodore McCarrick, an American cardinal.

Francis is accused of rehabilitating Mr McCarrick despite the allegations.

Recommended Pope honours victims of Soviet and Nazi occupation in Lithuania

The former cardinal later resigned from his position, after a US church investigation found an allegation that he had sexually abused a minor to be credible

Pope Francis has declined to comment on the accusations, but the Vatican is expected to respond soon.

The Pope is visiting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to mark the 100th anniversaries of their independence and to encourage the faith in the countries which saw five decades of Soviet-imposed religious repression.

Associated Press contributed to this reportEmmanuel Macron has announced France will no longer accept commercial agreements with countries that do not respect the Paris Climate Accord during a fiery speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

The French president called for the upholding of trade rules that guarantee fair competition on equal footing during his Tuesday speech, following a Monday afternoon meeting with Donald Trump and the US presidents speech on Monday morning. Mr Macron appeared defiant towards Mr Trump, suggesting hed no longer negotiate trade deals with the US after its withdrawal from the climate agreement last year.

We will no longer sign commercial agreements with powers that do not respect the Paris accord, Mr Macron said without directly referencing Mr Trump or the US.

The high-profile speech arrived a day after Mr Macron met with Mr Trump for a discussion involving trade. Officials from both sides described the meeting as constructive.

The US is now reportedly the only nation in the world which remains opposed to the Paris Agreement, after Mr Trump decided to pull out of the accord in 2017.

Mr Macron also appeared to reject the US presidents America First policies, arguing that international superpowers should seek peaceful resolutions for global issues, from the Syrian Conflict to Irans nuclear programs.

As I was saying a year ago, today we should not aggravate regional tensions but rather through dialogue and multilateralism pursue a broader agenda that allows us to address all the concerns caused by Iranian policies, he said Monday, adding nuclear, ballistic, regional."

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

He also criticised the presidents decision to pull out of the Iran Nuclear deal, touting its success in preventing the countrys "nuclear military path.

What will bring a real solution to the situation in Iran and what has already stabilised it? The law of the strongest? Pressure from only one side? No! he said. We know that Iran was on a nuclear military path but what stopped it? The 2015 Vienna accord.

The speech deeply contrasted that of Mr Trump, who spoke on Monday about Americas policy of principled realism, while criticising components of the United Nations.

 Donald Trump says US will only going to give foreign aid to their friends

We will not return to the Human Rights Council until real reform is enacted. We will also not provide any support to the International Criminal Court, he said, adding that the ICC has no authority. It violates all principles of justice and due process.

We will never surrender Americas sovereignty, Mr Trump continued. We reject the ideology of globalism. America is governed by Americans.

The president also announced the US would reduce its funding towards the UN peacekeeping budget to under 25 per cent.Gazas economy is in free fall and half the population is living under the poverty line, the World Bank has warned, citing a decade-long blockade by Israel and crippling cuts to funding and aid.

The devastating report, released on Tuesday, said the finances of the 25-mile long besieged strip were collapsing, liquidity had dried up, and plunging aid flows were no longer able to stimulate growth.

The Palestinian territorys economy has consequently shrunk by 6 per cent in the first quarter of the year "with indications of further deterioration since then", it said.

Every second person in Gazas 1.8 million-strong population is now living in poverty. Youth unemployment, meanwhile, had soared to over 70 per cent.

Marina Wes, World Bank director for Gaza and the West Bank, called for urgent, real and sustainable solutions to the crisis warning it was impacting the security situation in the region.

The economic and social situation in Gaza has been declining for over a decade but has deteriorated exponentially in recent months and has reached a critical point, Ms Wes said.

Increased frustration is feeding into the increased tensions which have already started spilling over into unrest and setting back the human development of the regions large youth population."

The report is due to be presented to the international donor group for Palestinians, known as the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, at its meeting in New York on Thursday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

The World Bank said the core of the problem was Israels decade-long blockade on the strip. It urged Israel to lift restrictions on trade, allow the movement of goods and people, and to extend highly restricted fishing zones to 20-miles - as agreed in the 1990s.

But the report said the situation was recently compounded by a controversial decision by the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority to slash $30m a month of funding to Gaza.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has reduced or cancelled salaries to its employees in the Strip over the last year in a bid to pressure the Hamas militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007 to relinquish power.

The United States announced that it was winding down $60m per year of aid and cancelling all funding to the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency has further exacerbated Gazas woes.

Recent months have seen an intense bout of cross-border fire (AP)

In total, the World Bank projected the financing gap to be as large as $600m a year, which can not be plugged by the PA, which was facing its own economic troubles.

United Nations officials have already warned that Gaza can explode any minute."

In recent months, mass protests along Gaza's border with Israel have triggered repeated deadly clashes with the Israeli army, which has seen intense bouts of cross-border fire and prompted fears there could be another war.

At least 187 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since 30 March, when the border fence protests first erupted. A 21-year-old was shot dead on Monday night. One Israeli soldier has been killed in that time.

Israel has defended its actions, saying the protesters were attacking the border and launching incendiary balloons and kites into Israeli lands.

Egypt attempted to broker a long-term truce after multiple ceasefires were violated. On Tuesday, a senior Hamas official denied the talks had collapsed but admitted progress was slow.

"We in Hamas are responsive to these ongoing efforts, Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for the group said.Israel has warned Russia it will endanger the Middle East region by sending a powerful air defence system to Syria, as Russian media revealed Moscow could deliver up to eight batteries within the next few weeks.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Vladimir Putin that Moscow was handing the advanced system to irresistible players. On Tuesday the Israeli premier held a security council meeting to discuss the development, before flying to New York where he is expected to raise the issue with Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly.

Israel and its key ally the US have long lobbied the Russian leader not to provide the S-300 missile system to the Assad regime, which Russia has backed since intervening in the civil war in 2015.

Both countries fear it could hinder Israels aerial capability to strike buildups of Iranian forces and Hezbollah, who are also fighting in Syria on President Assads behalf.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday that Moscow had in the past obliged Israel but that changed when Russia blamed Israel for indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military jet in Syria last week, which killed 15 Russian service members.

Transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region, Mr Netanyahu told President Putin during a Monday phone call.

Israel will continue to defend its security and its interests, he added.

Mr Netanyahu reiterated that the responsibility for the air crash lay with the Syrian military, which brought down the plane, and Iran, whose aggression is undermining stability.

US national security adviser John Bolton, meanwhile, called the missile transfer a major mistake and a significant escalation of Syrias seven-year war.

Russian newspaper Kommersant, quoting unnamed military sources, revealed on Tuesday that Russia would deliver, at first, two to four S-300 missile systems to cover the coastline of Syria, as well as the borders with Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. However, that could be increased to up to eight units, the daily added.

Russian media also reported on Tuesday that electronic equipment designed to interrupt radar and navigation equipment for warplanes had already been deployed to Syria.

Russia claimed Syrian anti-aircraft batteries shot down its IL-20 surveillance plane by mistake over western Syria, shortly after Israeli jets hit a nearby target. Moscow accused Israel of failing to give adequate notice of the attack, putting the Russian aircraft in the path of Syrian air defence systems, creating dangerous conditions that caused the crash.

Defence minister Shoigu said the incident forced Moscow to take adequate retaliatory measures to keep its troops safe.

Israel, which has carried out multiple airstrikes in Syria largely against Iranian targets, fiercely denied the accusation but said it would work to improve deconfliction of its missions with Russian forces. Mr Netanyahu has vowed to continue the sorties that he sees as vital to stopping Irans plan to build permanent military infrastructure just across the border in Syria.

A Russian anti-aircraft missile system S-300 takes off at the International Army Games 2017 (EPA)

In May Iranian forces fired at least 20 Grad missiles from Syrian bases it controls into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Although the barrage of rockets did little damage, Israel hit back with dozens of airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure in Syria fearing further attacks.

Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, tweeted that Russias claim Israel was to blame for last weeks crash 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, Mr Yadlin added. Israel has been preparing for this threat for 20 years and will know how to handle it.

The S-300 is not Russias most advanced air defence system but it has been compared to the US Patriot Air and Missile Defence System and could be a game changer for the Syrian regime.

Analysts writing in Israeli media warned that while it would not stop Israel from striking Iranian targets in Syria it would significantly curb the countrys freedom of action.Amid Beijing's push to turn the country into an artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse and embed the technology in all facets of life, some Chinese entrepreneurs are taking the expertise to a new frontier: sex dolls.

WMDOLL, one of China's biggest sex doll makers, which is based in the southeastern province of Guangdong, launched what it calls AI-powered dolls at end of 2016 that offer features ranging from simple conversation to moving eyes, arms and torsos. Customers can personalise their dolls by choosing various appearance options including height, hairstyle and eye colour.

AI features on the dolls are still very basic: they can answer questions but cannot hold longer conversations. The doll uses vocabulary by connecting to a database supported by Chinese tech giant Baidu.

Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Show all 20 1 /20 Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Workers assemble sex dolls at the WMDOLL factory in China Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Various doll heads covered with dust bags on shelves at the WMDOLL factory Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory A worker stands in an elevator with sex dolls Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Sex dolls hang from racks in the warehouse Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Parts of sex dolls on operating platforms waiting to be checked Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory A worker holds a doll's head to cool it down in front of a fan Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Employees work at the WMDOLL factory in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, China Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Workers check the circuits of a sex doll called Lucy Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory A worker attaches a nail to a sex doll's finger Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Workers hang a sex doll in the warehouse Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory A worker assembles a sex doll Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Different moulds for making dolls in a workshop Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory A worker takes a photo of a sex doll Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory A male sex doll hangs in the warehouse Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Three sex dolls, all called Lucy, have their moving parts controlled by remote control Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory A worker prepares a sex doll for a photo shoot Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Metal skeletons for sex dolls Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Sex doll heads Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory Sex dolls with different shapes and skin colours hang in a warehouse Reuters Inside a Chinese AI sex doll factory A worker assembles a sex doll Reuters

The firm admits improving the features has been difficult partly because experts aren't interested in putting much effort into developing AI technology for adult products.

Of course we're not expecting to make our AI dolls that human-like, after all we're just making adult products, said Liu Ding, WMDOLL product manager. But we will surely add more advanced technologies... for example making the limbs move more naturally.

WMDOLL says it has sold more than 20 of the AI dolls, which are priced between 10,000 yuan and 50,000 yuan ($1,470 to $7,350), compared with their annual sales of 20,000 dolls.

The company hopes the AI dolls will eventually take off with overseas customers, including those in the United States - exports account for 80 percent of their sales, and half of their overseas shipments go to the United States.

Reporting by Thomas Suen, Min Zhang and Se Young LeeThe UK Government released more contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit on 24 September, many of which cover flights and aviation safety and security.

The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) has praised the plans, saying they bring some much-needed clarity, while acknowledging there would be a huge amount of extra work in a no-deal scenario.

The other side to all this is the sheer scale of the administrative burden required to keep planes flying if there is no deal on anything with the EU, said Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton.

On pilot licences alone, if some UK licence holders have to switch to an EU licence this can take each one several months and so an efficient, fast track approach is needed for all these processes and the authorities need to be properly resourced to carry them out.

Although detailed, the papers are still unclear on various issues that could affect holidaymakers. Heres everything we know so far.

Flights to and from the EU

If the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no deal, UK and EU licensed airlines lose the automatic right to operate air services between the UK and the EU without seeking advance permission  airlines operating between the UK and the EU would need to seek individual permissions to operate.

The government says it would envisage granting permission to EU airlines to continue to operate and that it would expect EU countries to reciprocate, but the EU hasnt confirmed this. If permissions arent granted, there could be disruption to flights.

 People's Vote: 'The Brexit Special' starring Richard Wilson

UK-licensed airlines would need two permissions in order to keep flying to and from the EU: one from the national authorities of each individual state, each of which has its own processes, and one from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the European Union Agency responsible for civil aviation safety, giving them safety authorisation. The UK would expect the recognition of equivalent safety standards to be on a reciprocal basis  but again, the EU hasnt confirmed that this would happen.

EU-licensed airlines would lose the ability to operate wholly within the UK (eg from Heathrow to Edinburgh), and UK-licensed airlines would lose the ability to operate intra-EU air services (eg from Milan to Paris).

Airport security

In the event of no deal the existing airport security regulations and procedures will be retained in domestic law under the EU Withdrawal Act.

However, although the plans say there is no reason for the UKs aviation security regime not to be recognised by the EU as equivalent, which would mean no additional security restrictions would need to be imposed by either the EU or the UK, the EU is saying something rather different. In the preparedness notices issued by the European Commission, theyve indicated that they will not recognise the UK aviation security system.

This could have significant operational and cost implications for those EU airports, and passengers may have to factor increased time for rescreening into their travel schedule, says the government.

Practically speaking, it means UK passengers would have to be rescreened when flying between two EU countries.

Aviation safety

The technical rules and standards of EU aviation safety legislation would be retained and applied by the UK as domestic law, through the provisions of the European Union Withdrawal Act 2018.

If theres no deal, the automatic mutual recognition of aviation safety certificates, provided for under the EASA system, would cease to apply to the UK.

Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines The Sun, March 9 2016 This wholly false headline merited the first ruling by IPSO (the press regulator) under clause 1 of the revised Editor's Code of Practice. Clause 1 makes specific reference to newspapers printing "headlines not supported by the text" Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines Daily Mail, November 4 2016 In perhaps the most notorious front page of the past few years, the Mail derides the High Court judges who ruled that parliament must have a vote on whether to trigger article 50 and start the Brexit process Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines Daily Express, November 4 2016 In the Express' take on the same story, they manage to incorporate the Union Jack, allude to First World War propaganda, invoke memories of Churchill and, of course, state "Brexit means Brexit" Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines The Sun, March 29 2017 The Sun marked the day on which Mrs May triggered article 50 by projecting a huge and terrible pun on to the Cliffs of Dover Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines The Sun, April 4 2017 Referencing their notorious eurosceptic headline from 1990 (See: Up Yours Delors), the Sun stokes the flames of the brief Gibraltar dispute, a dispute in which Spain, the supposed aggressors, only joined to note that there was "no need for it" Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines Daily Mail, April 19 2017 This headline followed Mrs May's snap election announcement, which gave the Mail hope that dissenting opinions on Brexit would disappear Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines Daily Mail, December 14 2017 In recent months, the Mail has often forgone catchy headlines in favour of rambling rants, this is an early example aimed at Tory Brexit rebels Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines Daily Mail, January 31 2018 This headline (?) takes aim at the Lords over their repeated amendments to the EU Withdrawal Bill Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines The Sun, June 12 2018 On the day that the EU Withdrawal Bill is to be debated in the Commons, the Sun offers two choices to MPs, desperately including all conceivable imagery that might make Brits feel patriotic, which apparently includes the Loch Ness Monster Brexit: 10 of the most ridiculous headlines Daily Express, June 12 2018 On the same day, the Express lets MPs know what the consequences of the vote may be

The government has said all aircraft certificates and other documents that are valid and issued by organisations approved in accordance with EASA requirements prior to exit day would remain valid after Brexit.

However, the EU has indicated that it would take a different approach to the UK, rather than offering a reciprocal deal. The information notices issued by the European Commission say that certificates previously issued by the CAA before exit day would no longer be automatically accepted in the EASA system after 29 March 2019.

Passenger rights

The good news is that passengers will have the same rights after the UK leaves the EU, retained in domestic law by the Withdrawal Act. These include: passengers subject to denied boarding, delay or cancellation would be entitled to assistance and compensation on the same basis as today; passengers with reduced mobility would still be entitled to the same assistance from airports and airlines; and UK consumer protection in the event of insolvency of a travel provider would continue to apply.

Travelling with pets

Pets would continue to be able to travel from the UK to the EU, but the requirements for documents and health checks would differ depending on what category of third country the UK becomes on the day we leave the EU. Within the Pet Travel Scheme, there are three categorisations of third country, linked to a countrys animal health status: listed: Part 1, listed: Part 2, or unlisted.

A small number of countries and territories are Part 1 listed, which means they operate under the same EU Pet Travel Scheme rules as EU member states. The majority of countries are Part 2 listed, which means additional conditions, such as the use of temporary health certificates.

If a country has not applied or been accepted as a Part 1 or Part 2 listed country, it is an unlisted third country, and owners must take some specific actions several months before they wish to travel.

Is there anything people can do now to prepare?

Not really  its all so up in the air (pun intended) that theres no point trying to second guess what will happen. It will be in all countries and airlines best interests to sort it out, but there are still a lot of unknowns.

Dont put off travelling to the EU  but perhaps dont book travel on or just after the no deal date, 29 March 2019, if youre worried about things being slightly more chaotic than normal.

It might be wise to consider booking an Atol-protected holiday if travelling after 29 March  if the very worst did happen and your holiday was cancelled, at least youd be refunded.The Maldives is known for its outlandish attractions: turbo-luxe overwater villas, a restaurant sunk five metres underwater, an ice rinkand until recently, an underwater art installation.

But last week, a sculpture museum at a luxury island resort was destroyed after the government deemed it anti-Islamic.

The Coralarium, created by artist and environmentalist Jason deCaires Taylor, was a steel cube with 30 life-size sculptures within it. Some stood at tidal level, while others were beneath the ocean.

The police deemed the artwork human form sculptures, the depiction of which is discouraged under Islamic law.

The sculptures were commissioned by the luxury Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort, owned by the Accor hotel group, and were unveiled in July this year. They formed part of the underwater art gallery, which was open to resort guests for tours.

According to the hotel, the Coralarium illustrates the connectivity of man with nature, a hybrid organic form in harmony with its surroundings, a seamless link between the land and the ocean, combining two disparate wonders, one created by man and one designed by nature.

It was demolished last week using axes and an angle grinder, according to a Twitter post shared by the Maldives Police.

I was extremely shocked and heartbroken to learn that my sculptures have been destroyed by the Maldivian Authorities at the Coralarium, despite continued consultations and dialogue, Jason deCaires Taylor said in a statement last week. The Coralarium was conceived to connect humans to the environment and a nurturing space for marine life to thrive. Nothing else!

The Maldives is still beautiful, with a warm and friendly population, but it was a sad day for art and sad day for the environment.

A statement from Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi said that while the hotel was surprised by the sudden removal of the artwork, it respects the the people, traditions and customs of the Maldives.

The resort adds: The Coralarium gallery structure and the tree-lined underwater coral boulevard remains intact, ensuring the coral restoration program remains alive and well. We have initiated immediate plans for the next exhibit, creating a new attraction within the Coralarium gallery.

The removal of the artwork comes as the Maldivian president Yameen Abdul Gayoom conceded defeat in a general election, handing power to opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

The Maldives is in the midst of a tourism boom. This year, up to 10 new properties will open on the almost 1,200 islands, while in the first six months of 2018, The Maldives welcomed 726,515 travellers  a 10.5 per cent jump year-on-year.Sebi too kept its eyes shut all these years despite losses mounting alarmingly.

When you hear the sound of hooves, you normally think of horses, not zebras. The architecture of the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) Group is very much like a zebra, part of the African equids or horse family, but each distinctive with their black and white striped coats. Over its 30-odd-year history, ruled by a closed user group of individuals IL&FS, which is the holding company, has created a maze of companies and while all are mentioned in the annual report, the construct is like a secret society  over a dozen companies, 23 direct subsidiaries, 141 indirect subsidiaries, six joint ventures and four associate companies. On a consolidated basis, the company closed the financial year 2017-18 with a revenue of Rs 18,798.78 crores and a loss of Rs 1,886.85 crores. The groups consolidated debt increased by Rs 11,211 crores in financial year 2017-18 to Rs 91,091.30 crores as of March 2018, according to its filings with the Registrar of Companies. Nearly 82 per cent, or Rs 74,591 crores of it, is contributed by its subsidiaries.

IL&FS downgrade to junk has put Rs 10,000 crores worth of investments by insurers and pension funds at risk, shaking the foundations of Indias financial sector. Of the companys standalone outstanding borrowing of more than Rs 16,500 crores as of May 2018, about 60 per cent is through non-convertible debentures, according to filings with the Registrar of Companies. Nearly all these instruments, documents show, are subscribed by insurance companies, and provident and pension funds, including Life Insurance Corporation of India, General Insurance Corporation Ltd and the National Pension System Trust. Practically, every corner of Indias financial spectrum is touched by this malfeasance. Three of the principal shareholders  LIC 25.34 per cent, Central Bank of India 7.67 per cent and State Bank of India 6.42 per cent  are government-owned institutions, totalling almost 40 per cent of the companys shareholding, and still the government and its regulating agencies did not see how deep the rot had set in due to continuing financial jugglery.

Of the 141 indirect subsidiaries, there are as many as 50 which are designated foreign companies  from Spain (11) to Singapore (11) to the UAE (6) to Mexico (3) to Brazil (2) to Colombia (2) to Albania (1) to Portugal (2) to Mauritius (3) to the United States (1) to Hong Kong, Indonesia (2), the UK, the Philippines (2), Nigeria, and even Seychelles, subsidiaries sprouted up all over the world, making it a true blue transnational company. The trail that starts from Marina Bay Financial Centre and leads to San Pablo, Mexico, and leads all the way to Cyber City, Mauritius, and winds its way to San Severo Madrid, criss-crosses the globe but is nothing but a labyrinth of losses.

From highways to clean energy, from maritime complexes to heritage restoration, the IL&FS Groups infrastructure verticals implemented a wide range of projects through public-private partnerships. It had a finger in every pie, it was said with losses to commensurate its diversified approach. IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL), IL&FS Energy Development Company Ltd (IEDCL), IL&FS Townships & Urban Assets Ltd (ITUAL), IL&FS Maritime Infrastructure Company Ltd (IMICL), Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company (TWIC) and then the financial services arms which convolute the entire spectrum of activities  allegedly complementing the groups infrastructure initiatives by offering investment banking, private equity and capital market services through subsidiaries which include IL&FS Financial Services Ltd (IFIN), which offers investment banking services and specialises in infrastructure financing transactions. It has an international presence in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and London  IL&FS Investment Managers Ltd (IIML): Its expertise covered the entire private equity life cycle, right from raising funds, making and planning investments, to restructuring and exit IL&FS Capital Advisers Ltd: It offers a comprehensive suite of capital advisery services customised to assist clients succeed in ever-changing financing environments. IL&FS Securities Services Ltd (ISSL): It holds leadership positions in F&O Clearing and new products such as broking back office, brokers broker and ESOP funding. It is these foreign subsidiaries, which for most part operated as a brotherhood, which brought despair and financial ruin to the group.

Global credit rating agency Moodys has pointed out that the troubles faced by the IL&FS Group would also impact banks. Banks exposure to IL&FS weak road projects may not have been recognised as non-performing loans so far on account of an expectation of parental support, the rating agency said. It added that the groups complex corporate structure could result in a high variation of ultimate losses across banks depending on where the banks specific exposures lie. IL&FS has a complicated structure, with the holding company at the top owning stakes in its financial services arm as well as in multiple subsidiary companies that operate its infrastructure assets. Concerned, the RBI has also started a special audit on the infrastructure financer after it defaulted on about Rs 250 crores worth of inter-corporate deposits to Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). The company further defaulted on inter-corporate deposits worth Rs 150 crores to SIDBI, therefore taking its total default on inter-corporate deposits stands at Rs 450 crores, setting off reverberations across financial markets. HDFC, which has a 9.02 per cent stake in the drowning entity, tanked on Monday, down Rs 120 to close at Rs 1,718.

Ravi Parthasarathy, an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and co-founder of finance firm 20th Century Finance, joined IL&FS in 1987 as president and chief executive officer and was appointed as managing director in 1989. For 30 years, he operated as the uncrowned king of this corporate, the design of which is an enigma. Known in the corporate world for his deal-making skills, he was later designated executive chairman of the company. The dominoes started falling when the 66-year-old credited for having built the group resigned as its chairman after spending nearly half of his life with IL&FS. While health issues reportedly made him hang up his boots, a professional in infrastructure financing said it was too long and too opaque a tenure. Opacity became the norm at this monolith.

Remarkably, how Indian regulators failed to change the well-entrenched incumbent management at IL&FS for years remains a modern conundrum. Finally, once talk of LIC trying to bail out the embattled IL&FS emerged in the media, action has been taken and people have been removed, not just at Yes Bank, Axis Bank and ICICI, but the IL&FS groupies were finally sent packing. Sebi too kept its eyes shut all these years despite losses mounting alarmingly. More importantly, the same management for years managed to blindside the regulators who in any case were deep in the arms of Morpheus.German pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has announced it will join Ryanair cabin crew and pilots from five different countries in striking for 24 hours on Friday 28 September.

No improved offer has been made to VC since the last industrial action on 12 September 2018, VC said in a statement. In addition, no conciliation agreement has been reached between Ryanair and VC so far.

Recommended Latest updates from Ryanair strike as 250 flights cancelled

They will join some pilots and crew from Spain, The Netherlands, Italy, Portugal and Belgium, who confirmed the 24-hour stoppage would go ahead earlier this month after a long battle with the low-cost airline over the application of various national labour laws instead of Irish legislation.

We all want Ryanairs success, but not at any cost, and certainly not at the expense of the most basic workers rights, the unions said.

Heres everything you need to know about Fridays walkout.

When is the strike?

On Friday 28 September at 12am (GMT) for a full 24 hours. German pilots will be on strike from 3.01am on Friday until 2.59am on Saturday.

Who is striking?

Nine unions in six countries have advised their members who work for Ryanair to strike: Germanys VC, Italys Uiltrasporti and FILT-CGIL, Portugals SNPVAC, Belgiums CNE/LBC, Spains SITCPLA and USO, and VNV and FVN in the Netherlands. Members of these unions who are Ryanair pilots in Germany, pilots and crew in Italy and the Netherlands, and cabin crew in Belgium, Spain and Portugal will join the walkout.

How will I know if my flight is affected?

Customers should have received an email and text if their flight is cancelled, with the option to book onto an alternative Ryanair flight, request a refund or, if no appropriate alternative is given, request to be flown with another airline.

(REUTERS)

All Ryanair customers flying on Friday 28 who have not yet received an email or text SMS notice can expect their flight to operate as scheduled.

We sincerely apologise to those customers affected by these unnecessary strikes on Friday, which we have done our utmost to avoid, given that we have already offered these unions recognition agreements, Collective Labour Agreements, and a move to local contracts/law in 2019, said Ryanairs Kenny Jacobs.

These repeated unnecessary strikes are damaging Ryanairs business and our customer confidence at a time when oil prices are rising strongly, and if they continue, it is inevitable that we will have to look again at our capacity growth this winter and in summer 2019. We hope these unions will see common sense and work with us to finalise agreements for the benefit of our pilots and cabin crew over the coming weeks without further disrupting our customers or our flights.

How many flights will be cancelled?

Ryanair has so far cancelled at least 250 flights, with around 40,000 passengers likely to be affected.

However, an extra 7,000 passenger were contacted by the airline with the option of rebooking onto another flight in case of disruption. If they take no action, the airline says: If you decide to remain on your scheduled flight Ryanair intends to operate as normal on Friday September 28.

It adds: Should this change Ryanair will notify you of any cancellation or delay via email and SMS.

Passengers rights will be unaffected if they take no action. Airlines that cancel flights are obliged to provide replacement flights, accommodation and meals.

Stansted, the airlines biggest base in Europe, is the worst-affected airport. Twenty flights, mainly to and from Germany, have been cancelled.

Why are they striking?

Although pay is a factor, the majority of unions seem to be lobbying most strongly for a transition from workers being employed on Irish contracts and subject to Irish legislation to their own countries labour laws.

Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Show all 20 1 /20 Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair airline workers shout slogans during a small protest during the first of two days of a cabin crew strike at Adolfo Suarez-Barajas international airport in Madrid in July AP Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Empty Ryanair check-in counter at El Prat airport in Barcelona AFP/Getty Images Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair employees hold up signs in English and Spanish on the first day of a cabin crew strike in Palma de Mallorca REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair airplanes stand idle on the tarmac EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Irish Ryanair pilots outside the company headquarters at Swords in Dublin, as they stage their fourth one-day strike with their union, Forsa PA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos A woman sits at a Ryanair airline check-in desk after her flight to Pisa, Italy, was cancelled AP Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair employees protest at the entrance of the airport in Malaga REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Stranded Ryanair passengers line up for information at the airport in Valencia REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Employees of Ryanair's customer service department wear T-shirts with a slogan 'Ryanair Must Change' during the first day of strike of the company's cabin crew members at Brussels South airport in Charleroi, Belgium, in 25 EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Cabin crew workers for low-cost airline Ryanair went on strike in four European countries over working conditions in July, forcing thousands of passengers to make last-minute travel adjustments at the peak of the summer holiday season REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary addresses a news conference in Schwechat, Austria Reuters Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair employees hold up signs at the airport in Palma de Mallorca REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos People queue at the Ryanair airline customer service desk during the first of two days cabin crew strike AP Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair personnel stand at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, during a strike of cabin personnel AFP/Getty Images Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair's customer service department gather behind a banner reading: 'Ryanair On Strike - Respect Us! Ryanair must change' at Brussels South airport, in Charleroi, Belgium EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Passengers wait in line in front of Ryanair's desks EPA Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos Ryanair planes at Valencia airport, during a protest on the first day of a cabin crew strike held in several European countries REUTERS Ryanair: strikes and cancellations cause travel chaos A passenger tries to get informations on Ryanair flights EPA

Ryanair announced on 25 September that it had signed a Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) with Italys three main cabin crew unions  FIT CISL, ANPAC, and ANPAV  that reflects this.

The CLA means that from 1 October Italian crew will be governed by Italian law and the Italian Courts and can be transitioned to local contracts over an agreed period with immediate access to Italian benefits such as maternity and paternity leave. It also includes a new pay structure that will see crews benefit from increased tax free allowances, and the introduction of an Italian Pension Scheme.

Ryanair has also agreed to move to local contracts, local law and local taxation as quickly as possible in 2019, subject to reaching CLA agreements with national unions in each country its currently in negotiations with.

Europes biggest airline has accused rival airlines of stirring discontent among its employees. In a statement, the low-cost airline said: In Spain, a Norwegian cabin crew member in Alicante is driving the strike, in Portugal a TAP cabin crew is calling for strikes without the support of our Portuguese cabin crew, and in Italy where Ryanair yesterday signed a CLA agreement with the three main cabin crew unions, this threatened strike has been called by a tiny union which has no recognition or support among our Italian cabin crew.As we hurtle towards the Brexit precipice, our politicians should reflect upon some illuminating yet unsettling history. For the tragic truth is that historically, Britains political class has disturbing form when it comes to betraying the geopolitical interests of our country and our continent.

For anyone who cares to look, there are horrific parallels between Tory and Labour foreign policy in the 1930s and now. Both then and now, both party leaderships, in their own different ways, turned their backs on Europe.

Now, of course, both party leaderships support (albeit to different degrees) a course of action, initially promulgated predominantly by the right, that will inevitably result in us reducing the scale of our political engagement with our continent. They must surely realise that their actions could well ultimately contribute to a serious destabilisation of Europe which can only please our major geopolitical adversary, Vladimir Putin, and drive us into the arms of Trumps America. Similarly, back in the 1930s, Britains political parties refused to help strengthen stability and democracy in Europe and instead contributed to their horrific demise.

And as in the 1930s, an unholy mixture of political opportunism and misguided ideology by both major political party leaderships has been driving our country and our continent towards another geopolitical precipice. In the case of the Tories, there is even a degree of personal continuity from the pro-appeasement wing of that party in the 1930s to the Eurosceptic wing of the party in more modern times. In that sense, the geopolitical thinking behind appeasement fed into the roots of the modern Leave movement which won the 2016 Brexit referendum. Indeed, significant pre-war pro-appeasement Tory politicians such as Derek Walker Smith (MP for East Hertfordshire until 1983), Robert Turton (MP for Thirsk and Malton until 1974) and Somerset de Chair (who first entered parliament in 1935, and whose son-in-law is the arch Leave advocate Jacob Rees-Mogg) became notable post-war proto-Eurosceptics.

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

British Tory betrayal of Europe in the 1930s was nothing short of spectacular. For the Tories, the great and overwhelming priority was the promotion and defence of the empire. They were, on the whole, comparatively uninterested in safeguarding democracy and stability in continental Europe. Indeed, many of them were quite prepared to see Germany rule supreme on the continent, as long as the British Empire could rule supreme in much of the rest of the world.

This unholy yet unwritten policy was in fact what led the Tory-dominated British government to acquiesce (indeed in some ways, encourage) the fascist-backed overthrow (achieved with Italian and German help) of the democratically elected Spanish government, and to acquiesce in the German takeover of Austria and the Czechoslovak Sudetenland. It is also in part what led it to expand the British army (the only potential way of helping to deter Hitler in Europe) at less than 10 per cent a year (after a huge reduction in the 1920s) at a time when Hitler was expanding his army at many times that rate. Between 1935 and 1939, Germany increased its total military spending more than tenfold  while Britains Tory-dominated government expanded total UK militarily spending at only around a third of that rate. Whats more, during the Spanish Civil War, Britain maintained an officially neutral position, but in reality secretly connived at helping General Francos Nazi-backed rightist rebels as part of its appeasement policy.

The existence of the empire acted as an economic and ideological magnet which enabled and encouraged the government to imagine that Britain had no major strategic need to more substantially involve itself in Europe. The result of this blinkered view was of course catastrophic and led to the deaths of millions.

Likewise, today, the current Tory government seems to think that we have no strategic need to fully participate politically in continental Europe. It fondly imagines that, conceptually, the empire is still there (disguised as the Commonwealth), just waiting to sustain and help rescue us. Again, in continental Europe, Tory policies will lead (in the absence of the UK) to a consequent massive increase in German power in Europe, an increase which is likely ultimately to lead to problems in the EU as a whole. And just as in the 1930s, the UKs departure from Europe (due to appeasement and the Second World War) made us utterly dependent on the USA, so our 2019 departure from Europe (due to Brexit) will also massively increase American influence over our economic and geopolitical existence.

So much for the parallels in Tory policy, but what of the Labour Party leaderships? They too were, and, to an extent, are equally guilty.

Recommended Accepting Brexit is like happily paying for a meal you never received

Just eight months after Hitler came to power in late January 1933, the Labour leader George Lansbury delivered a speech which would have been music to the Fuhrers ears if he ever heard about it  and which represented an abandonment by Labour of the possibility of supporting any real physical backing for European stability: I would close every recruiting station, disband the army, dismantle the navy, and dismiss the air force. I would abolish the whole dreadful equipment of war and say to the world, Do your worst! I believe it would do its best. Two years later, as Hitler was beginning to massively expand the aggressive capacity of the Luftwaffe, the Labour leadership actually blocked an internal party policy proposal to support British air parity with Germany.

Then, in August 1936, the party leadership (now under Clement Attlee) opted to support the Tory policy of virtual neutrality in the Spanish Civil War. This meant starving the democratically elected Spanish government of the weapons it desperately needed to defend itself against the Nazi and fascist-backed extreme-right military rebels led by General Franco.

The attitude of the British government and Labour opposition tragically eroded European democrats and progressives confidence that Britain would help bolster stability and democracy in Europe.

Although in June 1937, the Labour leadership technically changed its view on Spain-related neutrality, it was a largely ineffective policy change because the party leadership (though not all the partys members) still opposed allowing arms to be sent to help save democracy. Instead, it developed a respectable-sounding compromise: the sending of milk and other foodstuffs to victims of the conflict rather than pressing the UK government to allow arms shipments to protect Spanish democracy. Indeed, for almost two years, as fascism was taking over Spain, Labours National Executive Committee (NEC) refused to meet with the Labour grassroots-backed popular campaign. Even just four months before the Second World War finally broke out, the Labour Party conference, on the urging of the party leadership, rejected a motion critical of the NECs complete failure to campaign effectively against Nazi-backed aggression in Spain. That was despite the fact that the leadership had, in 1938, spoken strongly against Chamberlains notorious Munich agreement with Hitler.

Neither did the Liberals consistently cover themselves in glory. They too, for most of the period, failed in any concrete way to help the Spanish republic defeat the fascist and Nazi-backed forces ranged against it. However, the Liberal leadership was critical of appeasement (and voted against the Munich Agreement), despite the fact that three years after Hitler had come to power (and well after his totalitarian and antisemitic attitudes had become blatantly obvious), the father of the House of Commons, David Lloyd George (who had been Liberal Party leader till 1931) had gone to Berlin to meet the Fuhrer and had publicly declared that his host was none other than the George Washington of Germany and one of the greatest [men] I have ever met.

That whole sorry story of much of the British political establishments ill-conceived slow-motion abandonment of our continent took place eight decades ago. But tragically, here we are again, with a Tory government and the Labour leadership both betraying our continent through their support for Brexit, albeit substantially different potential versions of it.

Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Show all 14 1 /14 Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Internal divisions in the Conservative Party have exploded into a bitter public row over Boris Johnsons disgusting criticism of Theresa May. Some senior Tories furiously denounced the former foreign secretary after he accused the prime minister of having wrapped a suicide vest around Britain Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Sajid Javid, Home secretary Sajid Javid, the home secretary, rebuked his former cabinet colleague and said: I think there are much better ways to articulate your differences. He told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show that the public wanted politicians to use measured language BBC/PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide But other MPs leapt to Mr Johnsons defence, as dividing lines ahead of a possible leadership contest begin to take shape. The Uxbridge MP has repeatedly criticised Ms Mays Chequers plan and used a newspaper article on Sunday to suggest it amounted to wrapping a suicide vest around the British constitution. His latest salvo at the prime minister prompted immediate condemnation, with one minister publicly vowing to end Mr Johnsons career over the matter PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Alan Duncan, Foreign minister Alan Duncan, a foreign minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team for two years, wrote on Twitter: For Boris to say the PMs view is like that of a suicide bomber is too much. This marks one of the most disgusting moments in modern British politics. Im sorry, but this is the political end of Boris Johnson. If it isnt now, I will make sure it is later. Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide James Brokenshire, Housing secretary Housing secretary James Brokenshire added his voice to the criticism, calling Mr Johnsons comments wrong He said: I think he is wrong on this...I think the tone that he has used isnt right and I think that we just need to be very focused on actually moving forward with the Chequers plan. AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Zac Goldsmith But as Tory hostilities spilled over into open public warfare, Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith, an ally of Mr Johnson, hit back at Mr Duncan. He wrote: There are a number of possible motives behind this tweet, but given its author, we can be certain principles arent one of them. Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Jacob Rees-Mogg Senior Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Independent he thought Mr Johnsons suicide belt accusation was little more than a characteristically colourful catchphrase. He added: I agree with the sentiment. The criticism of Boriss wording merely serves to highlight his point. It means more people hear of Boriss criticism of Chequers and many will agree with him. Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Nadine Dorries Nadine Dorries, another Brexit supporter, said Mr Johnsons opponents were terrified of his popular appeal, adding: Dont underestimate the vitriol thatll be directed towards Boris today. He delivered the Leave vote, Remainers and wannabe future PMs hate him. If Mr Johnson became leader and prime minister he would deliver a clean and prosperous Brexit, she said Rex Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Andrew Bridgen Andrew Bridgen said Ms May was to blame for her leadership problems. Asked if Mr Johnson had put a bomb under her leadership, Mr Bridgen said: I think that Theresa May did that herself when she put forward the Chequers proposals without consulting widely prior to that. Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Steve Baker, former Brexit minister Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, warned Ms May the Conservatives faced a "catastrophic split" if she did not jettison her Chequers plan. Mr Baker, who quit the government in July over the scheme, said: When negotiating, the prime minister needs to demonstrate her intent and also her power to deliver. "If we come out of conference with her hoping to get Chequers through on the back of Labour votes, I think the EU negotiators would probably understand that if that were done, the Tory party would suffer the catastrophic split which thus far we have managed to avoid. But he insisted he did not want a change in the Conservative leadership, saying Brexiteers did not want to be in a position of conflict with our own prime minister Reuters Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Tom Tugendhat The deep divisions on the Tory benches were laid bare as Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee and is a possible leadership rival to Mr Johnson, also hit out at the former foreign secretary. Recalling how he encountered a suicide bomber in Afghanistan during his time in the army, Mr Tugendhat told Mr Johnson to grow up. He said: A suicide bomber murdered many in the courtyard of my office in Helmand. The carnage was disgusting, limbs and flesh hanging from trees and bushes. Brave men who stopped him killing me and others died in horrific pain. Some need to grow up. Comparing the PM to that isnt happy. PA Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Alistair Burt Alistair Burt, another Foreign Office minister who worked in Mr Johnsons team, said: Im stunned at the nature of this attack. There is no justification for such an outrageous, inappropriate and hurtful analogy. If we dont stop his extraordinary use of language over Brexit, our country might never heal. Again, I say, enough. AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide It comes amid that Ms Mays former aides drew up a dossier on Mr Johnsons sexual encounters with the aim of undermining his leadership prospects. The document was compiled in 2016, when the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was seen as the main rival to Ms May in her bid to enter No 10. Downing Street and Conservative Campaign Headquaters (CCHQ) both denied having leaked the 4,000 word memo after it was circulated around Westminster AFP/Getty Boris Johnson 'suicide vest' Brexit jibe causes Tory divide Mr Johnson confirmed that his 25-year marriage to wife Marina had ended AP

Pre-referendum, 74 per cent of MPs were anti-Brexit  but that did not stop the vast majority of them, for politically opportunistic reasons (sidelining Ukip) from voting to hold a referendum. Most of the anti-Brexit MPs (including most Labour, Tory, Liberal Democrat and Green ones) thought they could have their cake and eat it. They thought they could come up smelling of roses and still win the referendum. They were ever so wrong and, tragically, had absolutely no understanding of the forces they were unleashing.

Most of those 74 per cent of MPs still know that Brexit is likely to severely damage Britain and our continent, both economically and in terms of political stability and security. They still know that the key people who will rejoice over Brexit will be Putin and other ultra-nationalist, often Russia-aligned, extreme-right movements in Europe. They know that geopolitically European democracy will be weakened. They know that pro-Putin forces still occupy parts of Ukraine, and that some Russian politicians have threatened parts of the EU. They know that Brexit is likely to harm Nato. They know that far-right nationalists are on the rise in many parts of Europe and that both directly and indirectly, politically and economically, Brexit is likely to help their cause.

And yet, the leaderships of both major political parties persist in hurtling towards the Brexit precipice like lemmings bent on ignoring the lessons of the past, and weakening Europe and its long term stability.

Over a century ago, the Spanish-born Harvard philosopher Professor George Santayama warned humanity that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Since the end of the Second World War, most of Europe has enjoyed relative peace and prosperity, partly thanks to the existence of the European Union and its predecessor organisations.

The history of Europe over the past several hundred years has repeatedly demonstrated what an inherently unstable continent we live in. The EU has helped reduce national rivalries and held our continent together. If that geopolitical gravitational energy did not exist, then Europe would risk reverting to its past; nationalist and xenophobic centrifugal forces would erode its unity, be exploited by its enemies, and eventually tear it asunder.

Britain has one of the three biggest populations and economies in Europe, one of its the largest militaries, and has been traditionally a major link between the EU and the rest of the world. Britains role in Europe is therefore crucial for long term European stability and prosperity.

If  helped by Brexit  Europe splinters, declines and enters into an era of instability, it is the British people just as much as the French, the Germans, the Italians, the Poles, who will suffer. If only more of our politicians would listen to the good professor.Confronted on a warm, soft Jerusalem evening by one of Israels venerable Holocaust scholars  and a psychologist to boot  a visitor to Israel Charnys retirement home should perhaps keep a certain silence, especially if the new arrival is a journalist.

Charny, author of the monumental Encyclopedia of Genocide  and much hated by the Turks who are outraged by his conviction that the 1915 Armenian genocide was a reality  speaks with the low, rather pondering voice of a US east coast academic. Not unlike the great Noam Chomsky, I note injudiciously. The American linguist and philosopher is a hero of mine, but a rather less prestigious figure in Charnys eyes. God forbid! announces the 87-year-old head of Israels Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem. You dont know this  but I lived at the Chomsky house, as an undergraduate.

He flourishes his most recent book, The Genocide Contagion, which asked readers to reflect on their own reaction to a future genocide in their own lives. It makes uncomfortable reading.

In todays world, Charny says  slowly, carefully and with little forgiveness of us humanoids  he can see no concerted political or culture-wide consciousness to take care of people. On the contrary, what I see is another replay of a truth that we havent faced fully enough. And this is that the human species  with all of its beauty  is a horrible, uncaring, destructive species that has delighted and excelled in the taking of human life for centuries. And there is no real addressing of this issue in our evolution that I know of.

Is this an expression of the inevitable, I ask myself? And older man throwing in his hand after the iniquities perpetrated against his own Jewish people? I think not.

The problem, in my judgement, he says, begins with our failing to understand that in the creation of our species and in the very original equipment that we come from, there are two parallel instinctive streams that are operating simultaneously. One is all those beautiful, caring, creative [things]  the art and the music and the philosophical ingenuity and the brilliant creativity  but its an utter mistake for us to pretend that thats the end of the story, [that] thats what humans really are.

 Second-life for flowers laid at Armenian Genocide Memorial

Because theres another, no less powerful stream that includes killing off the next guy in self-defence  and self-defence means what you perceive to be self-defence, because thats a whole big quicksand in its own right. It includes killing off the next guy  your brother  like the Bible begins with Cain and Abel, and it continues with a whole bunch of brothers who can hardly say brother to one another, because they are really out in a deeply competitive readiness to overwhelm and even destroy the said brother. And it continues that way through all the identity systems that we have: religion, nationality, ethnic identification.

Talking to a Holocaust expert, there are two subjects, of course, that cannot be avoided: the destruction of the Jewish people, and death. Charny does not appear to have forgiven Chomskys spirited but injudicious defence of the right to free speech of a French Holocaust denier who reprinted an essay on freedom of expression by Chomsky (without the latters permission) back in the 1970s. Chomsky, five years Charnys senior, is no Holocaust denier. I prefer to avoid this elderly debate. Charny will later grumble about Chomsky over dinner.

But Charnys constant defence of the Armenian peoples right to refer to their own peoples slaughter by the Turks as a genocide  and his repeated condemnation of the Israeli government for failing to use the word about the Christian Armenians of 1915  is a mark of his uniqueness.

The work of Charnys organisation covers Rwanda, as well. And Bosnia. And, after years of reporting Armenian scholarship on the genocide and Turkish denial, I am a member of the Jerusalem institutes international committee. Talk to Charny about death, and his reply covers a host of armageddons. His long, perfectly formed response, deserves an equally long paragraph.

Charnys constant defence of the Armenian peoples right to refer to their own peoples slaughter by the Turks as a genocide is a mark of his uniqueness (YouTube/Scholarm Armenia)

If you look at the work of [Israeli-American psychologist] Daniel Kahneman and the works of some others, he says, you find endless evidence and analysis of how the human mind is capable of creating any piece of nonsense  imbuing it with authority, establishing it with factuality  when it is all, in the words of a great leader of the whole movement, to disestablish any hold that we might have had on [our] perception of reality and tests of reality, and the use of scientific method in thinking and in observation. For him, whatever his impulses call for, this is what reality becomes. And he then endows that reality with superlative adjectives  is the greatest ever, theres never been anything so great as...  whatever the heck it is.

We have moved, of course, into Trump-world. I remark that the US president (Charny agrees he should be in a lunatic asylum) had used the word beautiful about weapons he was selling to an Arab Gulf state, and that large numbers of government officials travel to arms fairs around the world. And sometimes, Charny says, you see their eyes looking at it as if it is an erotic object  such an attraction, such an excitement, such a wish to touch and use and express oneself through the Trumpian instrument.

He asks if I know of Israels arms sales. It sold to Rwanda during the genocide and it sold to Serbia during the genocide of the Bosnians. I have a very dear friend, [Israeli historian] Professor Yair Auron, who together with a wonderful attorney by the name of Etai Mack, have sued the Israeli government for information about both of those arms sales and they sued under a law that calls for release of information by the government when it is demanded.

The script, as Charny put it, was as follows: They get to court. The judge asks them to present what theyre after. The judge then calls on the representatives of the [Israeli] government. A government representative says: Your honour, this is a matter of high security  can we see you in chambers? The judge takes them into the nearby judges chamber. They emerge 20 minutes later, and the judge says: Case dismissed. This has happened to them [Auron and Mack] twice. Its clearly built into the whole system.

So what should people  us  be ready to do when witnessing the act of genocide? To do everything they possibly can to save human life  their own and others, says Charny. But he fears that the persecuted, while they may receive aid, will not receive military help. In the Holocaust, there was absolutely no help, and even in those cases where there was some degree of cooperation with partisan fighters, it was limited, it was ambivalent, it was short-shrifting, mainly [in] the Soviet Union. The RAF did not follow Churchills wish to attack the Nazi extermination camp rail yards.

The Americans werent much better  not at all. There is a guilty conscience in the [western] relationship to Israel. Ive never perceived it as being a conscience about what we did not do to help. Ive perceived it as a kind of western sympathy with the people who have been so bitterly oppressed and decimated. But lets test the question of conscience by looking at the world in its responses right now to places where mass murder is taking place  of the extent of intervention, the extent of caring  as reflected in the media. How would you rate it? Thats a rhetorical question.According to the BBCs own figures, around 50 per cent of the estimated 13 million people who will eventually watch the final episode of Bodyguard will do so via an online catchup service of some kind. Time-shifted TV viewing is the new normal.

So we must spare a thought then for the unfortunate millions who, not lucky enough to actually be here at Labour conference, or even to be able to spend all day in front of the BBC Parliament channel, will just wait until the end and binge watch the lot.

The ones who, finally home after a long days work, collapse onto the sofa, reach for the remote control and just devour it all in whatever order they fancy.

Oooh, whats this? Barry Gardiner fringe event? Dont mind if I do, theyll think.

And there will be Barry, calling the likelihood of Theresa May calling a general election absolute Looney Tunes territory.

Next they might fancy, I dont know, Jeremy Corbyns eve of conference rally, where in the fading twilight over the Mersey, the Labour leader will stride directly out into Looney Tunes territory and demand Theresa May settle the Brexit question by calling a general election.

After that, how about a bit of John McDonnells set piece speech which, turning the conference hall into a satellite state of Looney Tunes territory, told Theresa May to Bring. It. On.

Next up, there might be Sir Keir Starmers Brexit speech. There will be the audience, rising to their feet and whooping with joy as Sir Keir makes clear that, should there be a second referendum, No one is ruling out Remain as an option!

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

Given how well that suggestion went down, its possible theyll find it a bit odd if the next thing they choose to enjoy is John McDonnells Today programme interview, where the shadow chancellor explains how if there is another referendum, they will respect the result of the first one, and that remaining in the EU wont be on the ballot paper.

By this point, its fair to assume even the most diehard Labour conference fan may find themselves hopelessly confused, and take themselves off to something far simpler to understand, things that frankly make much more sense, like, I dunno, how did the kompromat end up buried in the graveyard, or why does David Budd drive a Nissan Qashqai, that kind of thing.

In the moments directly after Sir Keir Starmers speech, which, for the avoidance of doubt, was at Tuesday lunchtime, conversation turned quickly to the fact that the line about not ruling out Remain as an option was not in the version of the speech sent out in advance. These have to be signed off by the leaders office two days in advance. Would such a line not have been signed off?

Or would such a line not have been needed as, well, he wasnt to know that John McDonnell would come out in favour of what can only be described as an Out/Out referendum, in which the Labour Partys position would be to campaign for no deal so that everything went so badly wrong that they might be called upon to fix it?

As Starmer said his seismic line, its possible he emitted a faint pulse of anger, the kind of thing that, had he delivered the speech underwater, might have been detected by a passing whale. Its always hard to tell with Starmer, who is the type of man who has to tell you if hes angry. It has always felt rather safe to assume that, if Sir Keir was your dad, it would be mum that did the bollockings. Which is something of a curious characteristic in a man who used to be the nations most senior court room prosecutor.

It puts him and John McDonnell in an awkward position, the two of them now having made two very public pronouncements that directly contradict one another. What has now become custom on such occasions, would be for the two men to lock themselves in a room all night with various other party delegates, hammering out a compromise that can be published without any of them losing too much face.

So dont be surprised when, later on today, a statement is rushed out clarifying that in the event of a second referendum, Remain will be on the ballot paper (in the referendum that isnt going to happen anyway), but only if voters write it on themselves in crayon.

Still, only the leaders speech to go tomorrow and were done. As someone once said, th-th-th-th-thats all folks!We are barely out of the summer but already the first rumblings of Remembrance Sunday indignation have sprung forth. A photographed No10 memo from Theresa Mays top military adviser suggests that the Queen has invited the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to stand alongside her at the Cenotaph in November, so the two heads of state might come together to quietly reflect on a horrendous war which ended a century ago.

It is a welcome gesture, a significant and meaningful act of reconciliation and a moment to draw a line under a conflict that visited misery upon a generation.

The Queens own father served as a naval officer at the Battle of Jutland, so Her Majesty is well aware of the sacrifices that her parents generation made. The Queen herself grew up in the immediate aftermath of that war and witnessed the devastation of its sequel. It is entirely fitting that she should extend this invitation to Germanys head of state  particularly now that Germany is such a close friend and ally.

But what price dignity and sombre reflection when there is the potential for indignation from people who were not there?

According to the memo, some aides are concerned that there may be public outrage that a senior German politician has been invited to this event. Former soldier-turned-commentator Richard Kemp told The Sun that one offended veteran is one too many on this hallowed day.

 William meets RAF veterans at Battle of Britain Memorial Flight display

It is not clear as to which veterans Colonel Kemp is alluding to, for the old Tommys of the Great War are sadly gone  but we do know the feelings of the last surviving soldier of that conflict, Harry Patch, who died in 2009. When he was 106, Harry met one of the last living German combatants and the two men spent a quiet day together at Ypres. After the encounter, Harry said: I was a bit doubtful before meeting a German soldier. Herr Kuentz is a very nice gentleman however. He is all for a united Europe and peace  and so am I. Harry and Mr Kuentz had both seen the brutal extermination of their pals in the fog of war and, like many of that generation, neither wanted it to ever happen again.

The hope in the immediate aftermath of the First World War was that it had been the war to end all wars  but of course that was not to be the case. Another followed, and it was only after that, that the European combatants on all sides strove for reconciliation and a proper, lasting peace.

Over 70 years have passed since the end of the Second World War. And yet, on these shores at least, a seemingly never-ending enmity towards our former enemy continues in some quarters  and most of it from people who were not there.

Rarely a day goes by without some right-wing commentator, politician or Brexiteer invoking the sacrifice of one or other of the wars and treating our departure from the EU as but the latest round in an on-going skirmish. It is those rumblings no doubt that concern the government and put question marks around the invitation of the German president on Remembrance Day.

What is too often lost in the mists of outrage and appropriation of those ghostly rows of white graves, is that the price paid in both conflicts was for the long and unprecedented peace that followed.

I hope that Mr Steinmeier will be welcomed this November. I hope that we will all join him and our Queen in bowing our heads in the silent remembrance of what was lost on all sides  and after that, I hope very sincerely indeed that we can draw a dignified line and move on.Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy lays on the floor of an inflatable boat as rescuers transfer him from his damaged yacht (AMSA/AP)

An Indian and an Irish sailor rescued from damaged boats in the remote southern Indian Ocean have reached an island to undergo medical assessments, officials said.

The French fisheries patrol boat Osiris rescued injured Indian Abhilash Tomy, 39, and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, late on Monday after their boats lost masts in a storm on Friday while competing in the around-the-world Golden Globe Race.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which co-ordinated the rescues in the Australian search and rescue zone 2,200 miles south-west of the Australian city of Perth and 1,875 miles south-east of the French island of Reunion, said the sailors arrived at a French research station on remote Amsterdam Island on Tuesday.

REPORT JUST IN from JRCC they have him BRAVO!! OSIRIS AND ALL INVOLVED! They have Tomy Onboard and he is conscious and talking...FANTASTIC NEWS..WELL DONE ALL INVOLVED INCREDIBLE NEWS!!!!https://t.co/w0ykzwrfX3  Golden Globe Race 2018 & 2022 (@ggr2018official) September 24, 2018

They will be assessed by a medical team before any decisions are made, the authority said in a statement.

The station has a doctor and a small hospital where the conditions of both sailors will be assessed, said the authoritys response center manager, Alan Lloyd.

Mr Tomy had reported a back injury during the storm that had left him bedridden.

Both sailors have been reported as well, Mr Lloyd told reporters.

Tomy was able to assist himself by transferring off the vessel onto the Osiris.

Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted on Monday that it was a sense of relief to know that naval officer Tomy was rescued by the French fishing vessel. Hes conscious and doing okay.

She said an Indian navy frigate would take Mr Tomy from Amsterdam Island to Mauritius for medical attention.

AMSA has confirmed that FPV Osiris has successfully located and rescued Abhliash Tomy who is reported to be in a stable condition. The vessel will now transport Tomy to Ile Amsterdam for further medical treatment. AMSA would like to thank all those involved in the search. pic.twitter.com/ALxsrEBQmT  AMSA News (@AMSA_News) September 24, 2018

Mr Lloyd said an Australian navy frigate would reach Amsterdam Island on Friday with plans to take the two sailors to the Australian port of Fremantle.

Whether Mr Tomy goes to Mauritius or Fremantle will depend on his medical assessment at Amsterdam Island, Mr Lloyd said.

At this stage, we would suggest his condition is stable, but obviously we await the final medical advice, Mr Lloyd said.

An Indian Armed Forces P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft flying from Mauritius helped authorities assess the conditions of the sailboats.

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Mr McGuckin lost both masts, but constructed a temporary jury-rig to get his sailboat to within a few miles of Mr Tomys boat. He was rescued a few hours after Mr Tomy, Mr Lloyd said.

Indian navy spokesman Captain DK Sharma said on Monday that Mr Tomy was in third place in the race that began in France on July 1 when he lost his mast.

Im sure he would have brought laurels to the country. Unfortunately, this feat could not be completed, Capt Sharma said.

But we are very happy that hes safe and sound and well soon have him back.Businessman and Irish presidential candidate Sean Gallagher has criticised the state broadcaster after it scheduled the first presidential debate at a time that clashes with Michael D Higginss engagements.

The presidential hopeful said the clash could easily have been avoided if RTE had contacted the presidents office to confirm Mr Higginss prior commitments.

A debate will take place later this week on RTE Radios News At One programme.

It had been arranged for Wednesday but was then moved to Thursday, however Mr Higgins said he could not attend as he was involved in other engagements.

Mr Gallagher is not expected to take part in any debates which Mr Higgins is not participating in.

The former Dragons Den star made the comments as he lodged his nomination papers at Custom House in Dublin on Tuesday.

Joined by his wife Trish and their children Bobby and Lucy, Mr Gallagher called for RTE to contact the presidents office ahead of national debates.

This situation could easily have been avoided had RTE contacted the office of the president to find out if indeed the president was available on these scheduled datesSean Gallagher

Theres also been much talk in recent days about the schedule of debates so let me say this, this is not about Sean Gallagher and its not about Michael D Higgins, he said.

It is about three things. Its about respect for the office of the president, its about respect for the incumbent of that office and, importantly, it is about respect for the electorate.

This situation could easily have been avoided had RTE contacted the office of the president to find out if indeed the president was available on these scheduled dates.

Even on the public website which is available online, it was clear that the president had pre-scheduled commitments.

I think now I would encourage RTE to contact the office to find out what dates the president will be available and then schedule the debates accordingly.

His comments come as two other presidential candidates lodged their nomination papers on Tuesday.

Peter Casey and Joan Freeman appeared separately to lodge their papers with the election returning officer at Custom House.

Mr Gallagher went on to say that it was important for all media organisations to contact the office of the president to confirm President Higginss available dates.

Whats important here is the principle of fairness and equality, he added.

If we want the office of president to promote inclusiveness and fairness, then the very process by which that election takes place must be based on those very same values.

Inclusiveness and fairness are at the heart of the election process. Its what democracy demands. And it is what the electorate deserves.

Before lodging his presidential nomination papers, he described it as a very important day for his family.

He continued: Its also a very important day for our family and I hope that in 20 years time when Bobby and Lucy look back on today, that it will be an encouragement for them and that if they have a dream, that they also have the courage to step forward in pursuit of that dream.

Speaking after lodging his nomination papers, Mr Casey, a Londonderry businessman, said he was a man of action.

He said: Engaging properly with Irish communities and galvanising the 75 million people worldwide who identify themselves as Irish would be my immediate priority.

I am a man of action. I understand how to get things done and, now more than ever, Ireland needs people who get things done, rather than talk endlessly.Extra European Parliament seats would be allocated to Dublin and Ireland South post-Brexit under proposals to be considered by the Oireachtas. Photo: REUTERS

Extra European Parliament seats would be allocated to Dublin and Ireland South post-Brexit under proposals to be considered by the Oireachtas.

A review of the current constituencies has been carried out in the wake of a European Council decision to increase Ireland's number of MEPs from 11 to 13 following the UK's departure from the EU.

The European Parliament Constituency Committee (EPCC) 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, which would include 12 counties if the recommendation is implemented.

Chaired by Mr Justice Robert Haughton, EPCC members included Clerk of the Dail Peter Finnegan and Ombudsman Peter Tyndall. The committee held a consultation period and it received 20 submissions.

Sinn Fein made a submission proposing that the two extra seats should be allocated to a dedicated constituency in the North so people there could still have European Parliament representation after Brexit, but the proposal was not adopted.

Minister Eoghan Murphy will consider the EPCC report as he prepares legislation to bring to the Oireachtas for approval.

Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly welcomed the report. He said it's "unfortunate, to say the least" the UK is leaving the EU but it is "beneficial for Ireland to gain another two voices in the European Parliament".Warning: Travel by air and sea, and trade could all face disruption. Photo: REUTERS

Flights between the UK and the rest of the EU could cease if there is a no-deal Brexit.

Severe disruption for airport passengers, ports and trade of agricultural goods are on the cards if the UK crashes out of the EU.

In the third batch of 'no-deal notices' for businesses and consumers in the UK, the British government also warned that aviation licenses and safety recognition - normally underwritten by the EU - won't be valid for UK airlines.

Under no deal, livestock being exported would also be subjected to sanitary checks, and animal hauliers would need certificates for transport authorisation, adding new levels of red tape for farmers.

Pet owners hoping to travel from the UK to Europe with their pets may also face months of preparation before their trip.

The papers also state that British mineral waters would not be accepted for sale in the EU.

UK producers may have to apply for recognition of their water through an EU member state unless a special agreement is reached.

This latest tranche of warnings will be of huge concern to Irish exporters, travellers and airlines, as flights could be grounded on the very next day after the UK leaves the EU, unless the embittered impasse on talks is ended.

In its latest raft of no-deal technical notices, the Government said it was seeking discussions with the European Commission to allow the UK to become a "listed" third country.

The head of the UK food and drink federation said latest forecasts in the event of no deal are so dire that businesses and shoppers will likely consider "stockpiling, buying ahead, hedging currency risk, procuring additional warehousing, relocating production to the EU" - anything to "secure supply".

In a statement, Ted Woodward said such actions will increase prices and "distort markets immediately".

Unless an agreement is in place, airlines will have to negotiate a bilateral deal with every EU member state separately in order to fly from the UK to their airports, and through their skies.

The same applies for the US, Canada and Israel as well as 14 other states because the air services agreements are provided to the UK "by virtue of our EU membership", the advisory states.

The withdrawal agreement contains the terms and conditions in which the UK can leave the EU, and also provides for a 20-month transition period where British businesses can access the EU single market as before.

It essentially provides cover while both sides negotiate the final terms of a future trade relationship.

The major obstacle remains the Irish Border, and the British failure to issue a legally-binding commitment to ensure the status quo - meaning no border infrastructure is ever erected on the island of Ireland.Hard Border or soft Border, principal Nuala Mhic Gabhann is worried about the Brexit fallout for her 300-pupil school in Co Monaghan.

Three teachers and a small number of pupils cross back and forth daily from Northern Ireland to Urbleshanny NS in Scotstown. The school is in the upper reaches of the county, where it shares boundaries with Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armagh. Among its 17 teachers, there is one each from those three northern counties: Ita Little, Karen McClave and Aoife McNulty, members of staff with at least 15 years' experience each.

The school community is anxious about what the future holds - everything from customs checkpoints and currency fluctuations to the prospect of living and working in different time zones.

"You would hate to think that their job becomes untenable and that we would lose a teacher with at least 15 years' experience," said Ms Mhic Gabhann.

She remembers the Troubles and "while I would like to think we will never return to that, if there is a hard Border and there are customs checks, it will lead to uncertainty about being on time".

"Schools run like clockwork. You can't have a member of staff who cannot guarantee that they will get there on time because of the risk they are going to be held up, or have to go around a different road because a road is closed," she said.

Even without a hard Border, there are concerns at the potential for currency upsets to eat into pay packets. Also weighing on their minds is the EU proposal to end the practice of adjusting clocks by an hour in spring and autumn.

"That would be a disaster because a teacher living in Northern Ireland and working in the south would be on a different clock than their school, with all that that would mean for arrangements such as child minding," said Ms Mhic Gabhann.Paytm is testing the Face Login feature on its Android beta app to help serve better.

Paytm says that they have witnessed that users accidentally share their account details with others and are mostly not comfortable with resetting their password. (Representational image)

With the aim of enhancing account security for its users, Paytm  one of the largest digital payments company, is testing the Face Login feature on its Android beta app.

The new feature will enable users to log in to their app by simply looking at their smartphone. This will be an important security update for Paytm users that is designed to prevent phishing attacks by providing an additional security layer of biometric security. Additionally, it would also remove the complexity of resetting passwords to log in to accounts.

The company says that they have witnessed that users accidentally share their account details with others and are mostly not comfortable with resetting their password. Therefore, this Face Login feature will provide answers to all those problems and provide a secure yet simple method for them to access their account by just looking at their smartphone.

Paytm says that they have tested this feature extensively with over 10,000 distinct faces and witnessed nearly 100 per cent accuracy. To achieve this, the app maps over 200 distinct parameters on the human face for high accuracy.

Deepak Abbot, Senior Vice President of Paytm said, "We consider the security of our user's accounts to be of paramount importance. As a large number of users are linking their bank accounts on the app for instant money transfers and UPI, we feel that our users would appreciate the additional layer of security and ease that Face Login offers. Our tech team is currently working on enhancing our proprietary algorithms to make it more intuitive for users. This will make accessing Paytm account even simpler and faster; prevent phishing attacks and offer instant access on the go."The Labour Party's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell waves after speaking at the party's conference in Liverpool. Photo: Reuters

The UK's Labour Party has unveiled a plan to hand as much as 10pc of every medium- and large-sized private company over to workers in a move a leading business group has warned could "crack the foundations" of the country's prosperity.

It's unclear yet if the move would hit Irish companies with significant operations in the UK, such as sandwich maker Greencore or builder's merchant group Grafton and Ryanair.

If the plan did apply to overseas firms it would likely trigger an exodus of corporate headquarters

"With Labour's current proposals, the fallout for the UK, its workers and customers would be a drop in living standards," warned the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in response to a speech made by Labour's shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell.

He outlined the proposal during a speech at the party's annual conference in Liverpool yesterday.

Mr McDonnell also pledged to renationalise the Royal Mail, energy and water utilities, as well as train services.

He insisted such a move would not be a "return to the past". Britain's march to privatisation was begun by then Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.

Mr McDonnell said that the Labour Party will legislate for companies with 250 employees or more to transfer shares into a so-called Inclusive Ownership Fund, with shares being held and managed collectively by workers.

"The shareholding will give workers the same rights as other shareholders to have a say over the direction of their company," he said. Dividend payments of up to 500 (557) a year would then be paid to staff.

He said the move would give 11 million workers in Britain "a greater say, a greater stake, in the rewards of their labour".

The CBI business group railed against the plans. "From renationalisation to dilution of shares, Labour seems determined to impose rules that display a wilful misunderstanding of business," it said.

"Their policies would immediately reduce the value of shares owned by ordinary people by over 10pc and hobble UK ambitions to compete on a global stage.

"That's a double whammy for people's pensions and savings."

It added: "At a time of great uncertainty, this is no way to build the foundations of competitiveness and productivity that will improve people's lives."

Mr McDonnell doesn't expect companies to move their listings or headquarters out of the UK in response to the move. Labour argued that one in eight companies have diluted their shares in any case, by using scrip dividends in the past four years.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he thinks a Brexit deal can be done by November.

The Irish border is the most vexed issue still facing UK and EU negotiators.

Mr Varadkar warned the damage caused by talks failure to Britain and Ireland would be "immense".

A special meeting of European leaders in Brussels has been mooted for November if the two sides are close to reaching agreement.

Mr Varadkar said: "I do think we'll get there.

"I think we'll get there in November because nobody wants us to end up with a no-deal scenario because the damage for the UK would be immense.

"The damage for Ireland would also be immense and it would have a serious impact on other countries like Belgium, Holland, and France and Denmark.

"So I believe we will get there in November but we are in unchartered territory."

The EU has interpreted a backstop, agreed in principle between the UK and Europe in December, to mean that, in the absence of a trade deal, Northern Ireland would continue to follow EU rules relating to commerce and thus prevent the imposition of a hard Irish land border.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said any move that would see Northern Ireland's regulations differ from the rest of the UK's, likened to putting a border in the Irish Sea, would be a bad outcome.

Her parliamentary allies, Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionists, are strongly opposed to such a scenario.

The Prime Minister's Chequers plan has been assailed by critics and Brexiteers have reiterated their support for finding a technological solution to the border.

Mr Varadkar said he had sought a lot of counsel in recent months from "wise old heads" who know Europe and know British politics and know Northern Ireland.

He added: "I came away from those meetings with the advice that it's unchartered territory and unpredictable and do your best and I think that was probably the best advice I could have got."

Mr Varadkar said Mrs May had reinstated her commitment to having a legally operative backstop as part of the withdrawal agreement while at an informal summit of European leaders in Salzburg recently.

He said: "And the EU 27 again in Salzburg gave their full solidarity behind Ireland and restated our position that there won't be a withdrawal agreement at all, no transition period for the UK if there isn't an Irish protocol, a legally operative backstop as part of that."

Meanwhile, during debate in the Dail, the Taoiseach touched on efforts to restore Northern Ireland's stalled powersharing administration at Stormont.

He said: "I think clarity around Brexit could help.

"Perhaps if by the October summit, or the November summit if there is one, we're in a position to have a roadmap as to how Brexit going to work, what the new relationships are going to look like, we might be in a better position then to bring the parties together again.

"Certainly the Government stands ready to do that."Beef factories and the IFA are on a collision course after processors have again moved to cut prices ahead of what they predict will be a very difficult autumn and winter for the sector.

Efforts by the factories to cut beef prices by a further 5c/kg this week to 370c/kg for steers and 380c/kg for heifers have prompted a furious reaction from the IFA.

"It is a scandal the way the meat factories have systematically cut cattle prices here, forcing prices down well below the cost of production and inflicting severe losses on farmer suppliers," claimed IFA livestock chairman Angus Woods.

Industry sources said the factory cuts were not being pushed in a stringent manner, and most cattle were still being bought at last week's quotes of 375c/kg and 385c/kg for steers and heifers respectively.

But with last week's kill holding at over 38,000hd, finishers predict that the total kill could breach the 40,000hd threshold over the coming weeks which would ease the way for further price cuts. Since mid-August the factories have pulled quotes by 20c/kg or the equivalent of 70-80/hd.

Mr Woods pointed out that during the same period British steer prices have risen to the equivalent of 4.47/kg (3.80/kg) which equates to a differential of 250/hd between Irish and British steer prices.

"Livestock farmers feel they are being shafted and are not prepared to take it any longer," Mr Woods said.

However, Kepak CEO Sean Coffey told a Dairygold meeting in Cork that Europe was awash with beef because of the fodder crisis and weather conditions.

These factors are driving a lot of extra product onto the market, he said. The Kepak boss forecast a very difficult back end to the year for the beef industry, with prices remaining under serious pressure.

"There are lots of cattle there to be processed and that can only have one effect," Mr Coffey said.

However, he insisted that Kepak would pay a premium to farmers if they delivered the "right cattle, on spec, on time".

Mr Coffey stopped short of giving a guarantee on price, but said Kepak would have a "guaranteed structure" for any premium paid.

Shortage

When asked by farmers if the current beef price was sustainable from a farmer perspective, Mr Coffey conceded that it was not.

On a positive note, Mr Coffey predicted that cattle supplies would tighten again in the spring.

"We see a shortage [of cattle] next spring and there is only one way to get farmers to have cattle for spring and that's to pay them the right price," he said.

Mr Coffey refused to divulge Kepak's margins following a call from the floor for greater transparency in returns in the beef industry.

Meanwhile, speaking on the Farming Independent stand at last week's Ploughing Championships, IFA president Joe Healy contrasted the actions of the dairy and beef processors during the recent drought and fodder troubles this spring and summer.

At a time when the dairy processors had sourced fodder, as well as introducing schemes to assist farmers with bill payments, the beef factories' idea of help had been to drop payments for cattle by 70-80/hd, Mr Healy said.A series of nationwide events have been announced to promote the Department of Agriculture's NeighbourWood Scheme, which has grants of up to 8,800/ha available to develop woodland amenities.

The NeighbourWood Scheme provides funding towards the creation of new neighbourwoods on open greenfield sites; the silvicultural enhancement and improvement of existing woodlands and funding towards the installation and/or upgrade of recreational facilities within woodland areas submitted under NBR Establishment or NBR Enhancement.

The scheme is subject to a limit of 12ha and offers funding of up to 85pc of eligible costs (exclusive of VAT).

The maximum available grant for NBR Establishment and NBR enhancment is 5,000 / ha (plus an additional fencing allowance, as under the Afforestation Scheme). Furthermore, a maximum grant of 3,800/ha is available for NBR Facilities.

Andrew Doyle Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM), has announced that three NeighbourWood Scheme information events are being held on:

 September 27, 2018 in Balla, Co. Mayo,

 October 16, in Dunmore East, Co Waterford,

 Thursday November 15, in Ballyseedy Woods near Tralee, Co. Kerry.

The 1.75m Scheme forms part of DAFMs Forestry Programme 2014-2020 and provides funding for local communities, local authorities and others to develop these woodland amenities. The aim of establishing up to 20 neighbourwood projects by the end of 2020.

The neighbourwood projects which we have established already have proved to be hugely successful and I would like to see more of these being developed across the country for local communities to enjoy, Minister Doyle said.

The health benefits of spending time outdoors and connecting with nature and the changing seasons cannot be overstated, he explained.

The NeighbourWood Scheme is available to local authorities and private landowners working in partnership with local communities.

The Minister concluded I would encourage all those who see potential for developing an amenity woodland in their area to come to one of these information events. Farmers in Northern Ireland must remain vigilant for signs of the Bluetongue virus after it was detected in two cattle imported from France into Britain.

Calling for increased vigilance here, Northern Irelands Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Robert Huey is reminding all herd and flock keepers to source animals responsibly and to be aware of the risks associated with sourcing animals from Continental Europe.

Bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health or food safety, but can have a severe impact on affected farms and to international trade.

While the UKs robust disease surveillance procedures have worked, the latest identification of the virus reminds farmers for the need to remain vigilant and highlights the risks of importing animals from disease-affected areas into their herds.

The main risk to Northern Ireland remains the import of infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova). Farmers should consider the potentially severe consequences of importing animals from, or transiting through, Bluetongue affected countries or zones. The risk is not only to themselves but to our whole industry as trade can be badly affected as a result. It is vital that all of us continue to work hard to keep Bluetongue out.

Dr. Huey added: Anyone who imports from Bluetongue affected countries or zones faces the possibility that if the imported animals are subsequently found to be infected with bluetongue, then they will be slaughtered and no compensation will be paid.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in GB successfully picked up the infected animals through the robust post-import testing regime. APHA is working closely with the livestock keeper affected to ensure that swift action is taken to prevent spread of the disease with movement restrictions at the affected premises, targeted surveillance and the humane culling of animals where necessary.

The UK remains officially bluetongue-free and exports are not affected.Danske admitted its Estonian unit may have been used to launder a "large" part of about $234bn (199bn) between 2007 and 2015.

The snowballing money- laundering scandal at Danske Bank has led European Union authorities to investigate whether the lender's supervisors did enough to prevent it.

The European Commission called on the bloc's banking regulator to determine if Danske's supervisors in Denmark and Estonia followed the rules in handling the case.

Danske may face a fine as high as $1.7bn (1.44bn), according to analysts at Svenska Handelsbanken, after it admitted its Estonian unit may have been used to launder a "large" part of about $234bn (199bn) between 2007 and 2015.

In Ireland, where Danske at one stage operated a retail bank, its remaining businesses are now all operated on a branch basis. They are authorised elsewhere, including Denmark, the UK, Finland or Luxemburg, and passported into Ireland, but they do still fall under the Central Bank of Ireland's remit for anti-money laundering supervision.

In a September 21 letter seen by Bloomberg, the commission asked the European Banking Authority (EBA) to treat the investigation "with the necessary degree of urgency". Criminal investigations are already under way in Denmark and Estonia, and US and UK authorities are looking into the case. CEO Thomas Borgen will step down and chairman Ole Andersen says several employees have been reported to the police.

Under EU law, anti-money-laundering supervision is done by national authorities. While Estonian supervisors carried out several inspections of Danske's Estonian branch, questions remain "on the extent and depth of such inspections and whether sanctions were applied in an appropriate way", the commission said.

It also said the actions of the Danish supervisor "remain unclear" and raise questions as to whether it "carried out effective supervision of the Danske Bank group".

The EBA has limited power to enforce compliance with EU rules. Following an investigation, the EBA can issue recommendations to the supervisors, after which the commission can take steps to make sure they are followed. As a last resort, the EBA can give direct instructions to banks to make sure they follow EU law.

The EBA has started similar investigations into Latvian and Maltese authorities' handling of money-laundering incidents, says the commission.

The commission proposed this month to hand the EBA some additional powers, but stopped short of putting a single agency in charge of the bloc's response to illicit financial flows. The proposal followed several high-profile money-laundering scandals and a report about the shortcomings of the EU's current framework.

Vera Jourova, the EU's Justice Commissioner, has said that the scope of the Danske scandal is "shocking".

The 'Financial Times' first reported on the commission's request for an EBA investigation and the commission confirmed the letter had been sent. A spokeswoman for the EBA didn't immediately reply to requests for comment.

Bloomberg/Irish IndependentIn the spotlight: Troy Studios CEO Siun Ni Raghallaigh and chairman Joe Devine are aiming for major expansion Photo: Sean Curtin/True Media

TROY Studios in Limerick has announced plans to secure further major television or film productions from several of the world's major content streaming companies, according to company CEO Siun Ni Raghallaigh.

Management is now tendering to expand the facility's sound stage space from 70,000 sq ft to 100,000 sq ft, which will position Troy as "the largest international-standard film and TV studio in Ireland" and among the biggest in Europe.

Big budget US Syfy hit television series 'Nightflyers', produced by NBC Universal and aired on Netflix, recently completed nine months of filming at Troy, resulting in 320 direct jobs and a 53m boost to the local economy.

Ms Ni Raghallaigh confirmed Troy's representatives are "regularly meeting with all the major studios streamers such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV" to generate further productions in Limerick.

Troy has a 350,000 sq ft creative hub in Castletroy close to the University of Limerick. It has received 6.5m in private investment to deliver on its first major contract with NBC Universal.

The investment for the proposed expansion is "commercially sensitive", Ms Ni Raghallaigh said.

"It it is a considerable investment, and what we're going to get from that is doubling the potential for inward investment in productions, and a doubling of jobs potential," she said.

According to Ms Ni Raghallaigh, the expansion of its sound stage facilities will allow Troy to sit down with the biggest players in the industry.

"Having a 100,000 sq ft stage screen space is a very significant place to be in this market. We would be in a position to have two 'Nightflyers' type projects running on at the same time, or a larger project running," she said.

Troy, added Ms Ni Raghallaigh, has "representation in Los Angeles, and in London, and we are always tracking all the projects that are happening globally, and we would regularly meet with all the major studios and streamers such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV".

The "big business is in TV" including new productions for subscription-based platforms, she said.A race by tech companies to build a new generation of superior quantum computers could get a $1.3 billion boost.

This photo shows a seven cubit quantum device is seen at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Describing the inner workings of a quantum computer isnt easy, even for top scholars. Thats because the machines process information at the scale of elementary particles such as electrons and photons, where different laws of physics apply. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A race by US 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 US 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.

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 quantum computer?

Describing the inner workings of a quantum computer isnt easy, even for top scholars. Thats because the machines process information at the scale of elementary particles such as electrons and photons, where different laws of physics apply.

Its 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 whats 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 computers ability to find patterns in large troves of images and other data.

What worries intelligence agencies most about the technologys 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 todays best cryptography.

Todays early quantum computers, however, fall well short on that front.

Where can you find one?

While quantum computers dont 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 IBMs 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, IBMs 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 dont look at it, said Chris Monroe, a University of Maryland physicist. Its 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 defence 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 US doesnt adopt a unified strategy, it could one day be overtaken by other countries.

China has publicly stated a national goal of surpassing the US 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 Americas dominance in the scientific world." Smith said he expects the Senate will pass a companion bill before the end of the year.Computer says no: Sunway Travel managing director Tanya Airey said issues with a new computer system hampered bookings

Ireland's summer's heatwave has made it a gloomy year for one of the country's best-known travel firms, Sunway Travel.

The MD of Sunway Travel, Tanya Airey, confirmed yesterday the company is on course to record losses in excess of the 458,976 pre-tax loss that was sustained last year.

Ms Airey blamed the heatwave here this summer, along with "huge teething problems" in the introduction of a new computer system, for the company for the losses.

Ms Airey said that the 'double whammy' of the heatwave and the computer system glitches has made it the worst performing year for the company since it was established.

"The sun came out here and came out early and didn't go back in again. The hot summer was not good for us," she said. "A lot of people just skipped going on sun holidays this summer".

She added the poor demand for sun breaks resulted in the company selling 30pc to 40pc of such holidays on flights booked late at a loss.

Ms Airey said the company was already trying to play catch-up as glitches in a newly-introduced computer system hampered bookings in traditionally the busiest month of the year, January.

Ms Airey blamed the impact of terrorism on the firm's 458,976 pre-tax losses last year.

The Turkish holiday market accounted for 30pc of the company's business before the terror attacks there in 2016 and 2017.

In response to the downturn, pay for the four directors at the firm was last year slashed by 70.5pc from 784,300 to 231,955.

Numbers employed at the company last year increased from 60 to 63 with staff costs, including directors' salaries, declining from 2.68m to 2.2m.

At the end of October last, the company had shareholder funds of 2.5m. The company's cash totalled 7.3m.Aer Lingus has claimed new hand-held devices designed to streamline its operations at Dublin Airport have been interfered with. Photo: Bloomberg

Having just announced two new transatlantic routes for 2019, Aer Lingus is set to reveal a brand refresh next January.

Speaking at the Apex Expo airline industry event in Boston, Aer Lingus CEO Stephen Kavanagh said the refreshed brand would reflect the airline's ambition to be the leading value carrier across the North Atlantic.

Aer Lingus will operate 15 transatlantic routes next year. The airline, owned by IAG, is also to offer a complimentary glass of wine or beer with meal service to transatlantic economy guests.The Central Bank has been producing data that "grossly" overstates mortgage arrears, calling into question a raft of home repossessions.

Statisticians in the bank have admitted there is a problem, and are set to change how they calculate missed payments.

They have been accused of producing "grossly exaggerated" mortgage arrears figures.

It means that the official figures overstate the amounts of money people actually owe.

The issue stems from the way vulture funds treat arrears data.

Experts say the revelation could have huge implications for people facing repossession of their homes.

Expand Close Exaggerated: Brendan Burgess of askaboutmoney.com / Facebook

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Whatsapp Exaggerated: Brendan Burgess of askaboutmoney.com

People may lose their homes if a judge is told their arrears are higher than they actually are, experts warned.

Inflating of the figures does not appear to have an impact on the numbers of homeowners behind on payments, but does exaggerate the amount they owe.

Founder of the Askaboutmoney.com website Brendan Burgess discovered the problem, which he said throws the entire system for measuring arrears into doubt.

Earlier this month, the Central Bank produced figures showing almost 5,000 residential mortgages owed to vultures were in arrears for more than two years. The arrears owed total some 834m.

But the Central Bank has now admitted that its quarterly publications on arrears are "not providing the full picture of the underlying arrears on the loan".

"They are admitting their figures are overstated. In fact, they are grossly exaggerated," Mr Burgess said.

The problem stems from the fact the Central Bank is following controversial calculations of arrears used by vulture funds.

This involves counting an entire loan as being in arrears if it is called in by the lender.

Mr Burgess gave an example of someone who has a mortgage of 100,000, but they are 10,000 in arrears.

If the vulture fund decides to call in the loan, it treats the entire loan as being arrears.

This means the amount of arrears effectively balloons overnight from 10,000 to 110,000.

"This is not what the ordinary woman in the street understands by arrears," he said.

Mr Burgess added: "The Central Bank figures show that the total arrears for customers over two years in arrears amounted to 1.9bn. It's hard to know the correct figure, but I would say it's overstated by about 500m - a huge amount."

The revelations come after Start Mortgages and vulture fund Tanager were recently forced to admit they were making mistakes in how they calculate arrears owed by mortgage holders.

The Central Bank admitted there is a problem.

It said it would be changing its calculation methods used for arrears of unregulated loan owners, or vulture funds.

It now believes "that recording loans fully in arrears due to full loan demand is not providing a full picture of the underlying arrears on the loan".

"The consistent treatment recording of arrears across all loan owners is a priority and we will be clarifying the treatment and requesting revision where appropriate," a spokeswoman said.Heating up: A man poses in front of a giant Chinese flag decorated with red chili peppers in Henan province ahead of the Chinese National Day (October 1). Photo: Reuters

A senior Chinese official said on Tuesday it is difficult to proceed with trade talks with the United States while Washington is putting "a knife to China's neck", a day after both sides heaped fresh tariffs on each other's goods.

When the talks can restart would depend on the "will" of the United States, Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen said at a news conference in Beijing.

US tariffs on $200bn worth of Chinese goods and retaliatory taxes by Beijing on $60bn worth of US products including liquefied natural gas (LNG) kicked in on Monday, unnerving global financial markets.

"Now that the United States has adopted such a huge trade restriction measure ... how can the negotiations proceed? It's not an equal negotiation," Wang said, stressing the United States has abandoned its mutual understanding with China.

China's top diplomat also told business people at a meeting in New York that talks could not take place against the backdrop of "threats and pressure", the Foreign Ministry said.

Certain forces in the United States have been making groundless criticisms against China about trade and security issues, which has poisoned the atmosphere for Sino-US ties and is highly irresponsible, State Councillor Wang Yi was quoted as saying, without naming anyone.

"If this continues, it will destroy in an instant the gains of the last four decades of China-US relations," Wang told members of the US-China Business Council and National Committee on United States-China Relations.

US representatives there included Blackstone Group LP co-founder and Chief Executive Stephen Schwarzman and Mastercard Chief Executive Ajay Banga, the National Committee on United States-China Relations said on its website.

China also accused the United States of engaging in "trade bullyism", and said Washington was intimidating other countries to submit to its will, according to a white paper on the dispute published by China's State Council, or cabinet, on Monday.

Several rounds of Sino-US talks in recent months have appeared to produce no breakthroughs, and fresh mid-level negotiations which had been expected in coming weeks have been shelved after Beijing reportedly decided late last week not to send a delegation to Washington.

While Vice Commerce Minister Wang said he still hopes "there is a way out" if both sides treat each other with sincerity, analysts say neither side looks to be in the mood to compromise in the increasingly bitter dispute, raising the risk of a lengthy battle that could chill the global economy by discouraging business investment and disrupting trade.

"The sharp criticism (from Beijing on Monday) suggests that China might prefer to wait out the current US administration, rather than embarking on potentially futile negotiations," Mizuho Bank said in a note to clients.

"Given these developments, it is increasingly likely that both sides will not resume negotiations for some time, at least until there is a noticeable shift in the political mood on either side."

US exporters including LNG suppliers would "certainly" be hurt, but Beijing's retaliation would provide opportunities to other LNG-exporting countries, Vice Commerce Minister Wang said, adding that Australia is an important source of the fuel for China.

"China is a big and powerful nation, so whether it is a confrontation with China economically or militarily, it would come at a huge price," the state-backed Global Times said in an editorial on Tuesday.

"As such, it is an attractive prospect for other countries including the United States to coexist with China peacefully," said the newspaper, which is published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily.

China does not know why the United States changed its mind after reaching an agreement with China on trade earlier, Wang said. He was apparently referring to talks in May, when it appeared that the two sides had sorted out a framework before the White House backed away.

Luo Wen, a vice minister at the Ministry of Industry and Information, told a news conference that the government is aware that some foreign companies are considering relocating out of China as the trade row threatens to heighten their risks and costs.

But he said the government is working to accommodate their needs and reduce their tax burdens.

However, the trade war risks disrupting global supply chains and throwing them into chaos, Luo said.

Senior officials also once again rejected Washington's accusations that China forces foreign companies to share their technology with Chinese joint-venture partners, adding that Beijing has passed a rule forbidding government entities from such illegal behaviour.

"The government has not forced this, and a lot of JVs are actually performing very well in China," Wang said, giving an example of American car giant Ford.

"Ford produces more cars and makes more profits in China through its JV than it does in the United States," he said.Michael Kors agreed to buy luxury designer Versace for 1.83bn including debt on Tuesday, as the U.S. fashion group positions itself to take on larger European rivals.

Michael Kors, whose namesake label is best known for its leather handbags, has made no secret of its ambition to widen its customer base and its portfolio of high-end brands after buying British stiletto-heel maker Jimmy Choo for $1.2bn last year.

The bet on Versace comes as the U.S. group looks to refresh the more downmarket image of the Michael Kors brand and recover some of its pricing power. The move is also aimed at reviving Versace, which returned to a net profit last year.

It is the latest in a string of foreign takeovers of Italian luxury brands in recent years.

Milan-based Versace, known for its bold designs and its Medusa head logo, was one of a clutch of family-owned Italian brands cited as attractive targets at a time when the luxury industry is riding high on strong demand from China.

"With the acquisition of Versace we have created one of the world's leading fashion and luxury groups," said John Idol, chairman and CEO of Michael Kors Holdings.

Michael Kors has agreed to buy all of Versace's outstanding shares for a total enterprise value of 1.83bn to be funded in cash, debt and shares in Michael Kors Holding Ltd, which will be renamed Capri Holdings Ltd.

Idol later ruled out any further acquisitions by Capri, which will focus on developing the three brands.

Talks started before the summer, when Versace was on the radar of several investors, as Blackstone intended to exit the group, a source close to the deal said.

The U.S. private equity firm, which bought 20pc of Versace for 210m in 2014, will make a 156m capital gain by exiting its investment, Reuters calculations show.

The Versace family, which owns 80pc of the Milan-based fashion house, will receive 150m of the purchase price in Capri shares.

"We believe that being part of this group is essential to Versace's long-term success. My passion has never been stronger," said Donatella Versace, the sister of its late founder who is its artistic director and vice-president.

Versace CEO Jonathan Akeroyd will remain at the helm of the company, while Donatella Versace will "continue to lead the company's creative vision", Idol added.

The deal is expected to close in the fourth fiscal quarter, subject to regulatory approvals. JPMorgan and Barclays were among the advisers.

BIG FASHION

Budding conglomerates like Michael Kors have been trying to make inroads into an industry dominated by European players such as Louis Vuitton-owner LVMH and Kering.

"The Versace brand has strong global growth potential which is untapped across all regions, particularly Asia and North America," Cowen analysts said in a note.

Idol said his group plans to grow Versace's global sales to $2bn globally, reach profit margins in the "high teens range" and open about 100 new stores as well as bolstering online sales. It also plans to raise the share of higher-margin accessories and footwear to 60pc of sales from 35pc.

"Versace is terribly under-developed. That is going to change with the resources of Capri behind them," Idol added, in a call with analysts, explaining that the group's runway line would remain the main "focus".

He admitted that the brand's reach was bigger than its customer base and that "we need to convert those metrics".

Versace does not disclose financial details, but filed documents showing 2017 sales were 668m and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) 45m.

"(In luxury) Americans are the opposite of Italians: Though not excellent in products, they are (excellent) in their approach to the market. The only risk is that they don't give the product their due value," said Giuliano Noci, professor at Milan's Politecnico School of Management.

Michael Kors shares were trading 1.4pc higher at 1655 GMT, after falling more than 8pc on Monday when news of the deal emerged.

Versace is the latest Made-in-Italy name to be snapped up by a foreign company. Rome-based Fendi, celebrity jeweller Bulgari and cashmere maker Loro Piana were all bought by LVMH. Gucci is the biggest brand in Kering, which also Bottega Veneta and menswear brand Brioni.

Fans fretted on social media about the red carpet favourite losing its appeal, while Italian politicians mourned the loss of another of the country's cherished brands.

"I am a liberal but I'm tired of seeing the best Italian brands in fashion, food and technology being bought by foreigners," Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said.Volvo was working with Saipa Diesel, part of Iran's second-largest carmaker Saipa, which was assembling the Swedish firm's heavy-duty trucks from kits shipped to Iran. Photo: Reuters

Swedish truckmaker Volvo has stopped assembling trucks in Iran because US sanctions against the country are preventing it from being paid, a spokesman for the company said yesterday.

The sanctions against Iran - reimposed on August 6 by US President Donald Trump after his controversial 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.

It's 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," said Mr Ivarsson.

"We can't get paid... So for now we don't have any business (in Iran)."

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 off from the US financial system any that facilitate such transactions.

Volvo was working with Saipa Diesel, part of Iran's second-largest carmaker Saipa, which was assembling the Swedish firm's heavy-duty trucks from kits shipped to Iran. Mr Ivarsson said Volvo had no active orders in Iran as of yesterday.

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, a manager told Reuters.

ReutersA visitor looks at two examples of Akua Hulu Manu, feathered god images, during a press view for Oceania at the Royal Academy (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Sacred objects are going on display at the Royal Academys Oceania exhibition having been privately blessed by indigenous communities.

The new exhibition coincides with the 250th anniversary of Captain James Cooks first voyage on HMS Endeavour.

Celebrating the art of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, and encompassing the Pacific region from New Guinea to Easter Island, Hawaii to New Zealand, the show is the UKs first major survey of Oceanic art.

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The exhibition, in London, will open its doors after indigenous communities privately blessed the sacred objects in the exhibition.

The show marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy, founded in 1768, the same year Captain Cook set sail on his first expedition to the Pacific on the Endeavour.

Some objects featured in the exhibition were stolen from island tribes during the colonial period, while others were gifted.

Highlights of the show will include an 18th Century feather god image, canoe paddles collected during the first voyage of Captain Cook and a giant ceremonial food bowl which experts believe may have been used for cannibalistic purposes.

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Later, the Duchess of Sussex will carry out her first solo royal engagement when she visits the exhibition

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Meghan and Harry are due to tour Australia, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand in October and the duchess will be shown art from the four countries during her viewing.

Oceania, at the Royal Academy Of Arts in London, runs from September 29 to December 10.Nadia Essex has suffered from "suicidal thoughts" since she departed Celebs Go Dating, and says she is "at rock bottom".

The 36-year-old relationship expert resigned from the E4 show earlier this month, just days after it was revealed she had been suspended for using fake online accounts to troll people.

She has since been targeted by trolls and branded the "most hated woman in Britain".

She told The Sun Online: "I have had suicidal thoughts from the mountain of abuse I have received. I've been told to kill myself.

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"Looking back on it now, I didn't deal with it in the right way, I know that. I've been called a fat ugly b***h on a daily basis. I've been told to kill myself. Ive been told I am the most hated woman in Britain."

Nadia says she only made up the fake profiles because she had been told not to speak publicly over allegations her fellow Celebs Go Dating co-star Eden Blackman had been cheating on his girlfriend.

She said: "After it came out about Edens cheating I needed to vent. I wasnt allowed to speak out as myself because I was warned to keep quiet.

"I felt like I wasnt allowed my freedom of speech and was told not to put out a public statement. I was in completely the wrong head space. I was a mess. I couldn't leave the house because I was terrified people would hurl abuse at me in the street.

"People were so angry I wasnt condemning Edens cheating that I was getting abused online constantly.

"I felt like I couldnt speak up. It was humiliating. I was devastated and petrified and I didn't know what to do. I was depressed and I felt desperate. I am at rock bottom."

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Nadia also claims that she and Eden clashed on set. "I feel like he hated me and he made sure I knew that," she said.

Earlier this month, Nadia wrote on Twitter: "Today I have officially resigned From Celebs Go Dating."

Her tweet came just days after a 'Celebs Go Dating' spokeswoman claimed she had been suspended from the programme.

She said: "Nadia has been suspended following improper use of social media."

Filming for the new series - which features Oliva Attwood, Eyal Booker, 'Made in Chelsea' star Alik Alfus and TOWIE's Chloe Sims - kicked off a few weeks ago, and bosses are on the hunt to find a replacement dating expert.A launch date for the highly-anticipated second series of Making a Murder has just been announced by Netflix.

Making a Murderer Part 2 will land on the streaming service globally on October 19 and will pick up where the first part of phenomenally successful true-crime series left off.

The series charted the journey of Steven Avery from being exonerated of one murder by DNA evidence, to being convicted of another, the murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. His nephew Brendan Dassey was also convicted of murder.

The second part will see Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos return to the Midwest to speak to Steven Avery and his co-defendant Brendan Dassey, their families, and their legal teams.

Expand Close Teresa Halbach was murdered in 2005, with Brendan Dassey sentenced to life in prison in 2007 after he told detectives he helped his uncle, Steven Avery, rape and kill her. (Tom Pearce via AP) / Facebook

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There are ten new episodes which will give an in-depth insight into the postconviction process, exploring the emotional toll on all those involved.

Steven and Brendan, their families and their legal and investigative teams have once again graciously granted us access, giving us a window into the complex web of American criminal justice, said executive producers, writers and directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos.

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Building on Part 1, which documented the experience of the accused, in Part 2, we have chronicled the experience of the convicted and imprisoned, two men each serving life sentences for crimes they maintain they did not commit."

Part 2 introduces viewers to Avery's postconviction lawyer Kathleen Zellner, as she tirelessly works the case and uncovers unexpected evidence about what may have happened to Teresa Halbach and about how and why the jury convicted Steven of her murder.

Zellner specialises in righting wrongful convictions and has been more successful in that regard than any other private attorney in the US.

Ricciardi and Demos also follow Dasseys postconviction lawyers, Laura Nirider and Steven Drizin with Northwestern Universitys Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth, as they fight in federal court to prove their clients confession was involuntary, a fight that could take Brendans case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Video of the DayA man accused of revealing the name of the woman who alleged she had been raped by two former Ireland and Ulster rugby stars is due in court today.

Sean McFarland, from west Belfast, is charged with breaching the woman's right to lifetime anonymity while the trial of Paddy Jackson (26) and Stuart Olding (25) was ongoing in February this year.

The 35-year-old faces a single charge under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 and, if convicted, he could face a fine of up to 5,000 (5,500).

Mr Jackson and Mr Olding were unanimously acquitted of raping the then 19-year-old woman at a party in Mr Jackson's house after a night out in Belfast in June 2016.

Blane McIlroy (26) was unanimously cleared of a charge of exposure while Rory Harrison (25) was unanimously found not guilty of perverting the course of justice and withholding information following a nine-week trial at Belfast Crown Court.

Mr McFarland's case is listed at Belfast Magistrates Court today but he does not have to attend in person as he can be represented by a solicitor in his absence.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) confirmed a man had been charged with breaching the woman's anonymity last month.

In a statement, the PPS said a second person suspected of committing the same offence was not to be prosecuted due to insufficient evidence.

The trial, which ran for 42 days, generated an unprecedented level of public attention and prompted calls from Mr Jackson's defence solicitor for a crackdown on social media comment during criminal proceedings.

Meanwhile, online comments posted by a juror in relation to the trial are still being investigated by Northern Ireland's attorney general, a spokesman has confirmed.

The remarks, published below a story on the website Broadsheet.ie, are understood to have been made by a jury member following the unanimous not guilty verdicts against the men.Court documents filed in federal court said victims described Perrault showering them with gifts and meals before abusing them.

Arthur Perrault is expected to appear in US District Court in Albuquerque for a detention hearing as prosecutors seek to hold the 80-year-old priest until his trial for aggravated sexual abuse. (Photo: AP)

Albuquerque: A former New Mexico priest, who fled the US decades ago amid allegations of child sex abuse and once blamed his behaviour on a cancer diagnosis which prosecutors say he didn't have, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Arthur Perrault is expected to appear in US District Court in Albuquerque for a detention hearing as prosecutors seek to hold the 80-year-old priest until his trial for aggravated sexual abuse.

Court documents filed in federal court said victims described Perrault showering them with gifts and meals before abusing them. Victims also collaboratively described Perrault as someone who smoked pipes and wore silk underwear.

Documents also said the Connecticut-born Perrault wrote an apology letter to the parents of one victim in 1971 and blamed his actions on cancer, which prosecutors said he was never diagnosed with.

Perrault was extradited to New Mexico last week from Morocco in connection with sexual abuse cases that are alleged to have taken place between 1991 and 1992 at Kirtland Air Force Base and Santa Fe National Cemetery.

The former Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and a former Air Force chaplain has been charged in a federal indictment with seven counts of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.

Perrault pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Friday. He also told a US magistrate judge he'd had a stroke three years ago, was deaf in one ear, and had trouble walking.

Perrault, a one-time pastor at St. Bernadette parish in Albuquerque, is one of many priests sent to New Mexico in the 1960s from around the country for treatment involving paedophilia.

Victims, lawyers and church documents show the priests were later assigned to parishes and schools across New Mexico  especially in small Native American and Hispanic communities.

Perrault vanished in 1992, just days before an attorney filed two lawsuits against the archdiocese alleging Perrault had sexually assaulted seven children at his parish.

The FBI said Perrault first fled to Canada and then to Tangier, Morocco, where he worked until last year at an English-language school for children.

Perrault denied abusing children in a handwritten letter to a judge related to sexual abuse lawsuits in Albuquerque. Perrault said his assets included money from military retirement and Social Security.

Church records released last year by a New Mexico judge show Perrault is also accused in state lawsuits of sexually abusing at least 38 boys in other cases.

Records also show Perrault was sent in 1965 to Servants of the Paraclete  a religious order that ran a treatment centre for paedophile priests in Jemez Springs, New Mexico  after he was accused of molesting young men while serving in Connecticut.Two men have been charged with money laundering offences after detectives investigating the activities of organised crime gangs seized 2m in cash.

Glenn Power (29) was allegedly found with 505,000 in a car in Wexford town and a further 500,000 was seized after his home was searched.

His co-accused, Bernard Joyce (44), was charged after gardai raided a house in Wexford and found 20 bundles, each with about 50,000 in cash, totalling 1m.

Mr Joyce did not apply for bail.

In relation to Mr Power, Judge Gerard Haughton refused bail and remanded him in custody to Cloverhill District Court this Friday.

Mr Power, of Colepark Road in Ballyfermot, Dublin, appeared before Wexford District Court charged with two counts of possessing property which were the proceeds of crime.

Mr Joyce, of Newtown, Beauparc, Slane, Co Meath, is facing one count of the same charge at a house at Arnestown, Foulksmills, Co Wexford. Defence solicitor Tim Cummings said Mr Joyce was not applying for bail. He was remanded in custody to Wexford court next Monday.

Detective Garda Fiona Connaughton, from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, objected to bail in Mr Power's case.

She alleged gardai received confidential information that there was to be a handover of money in relation to an organised crime gang involved in the illegal distribution of drugs into the State at a location in Wexford.

Gda Connaughton alleged that on September 22, 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.

Gda Connaughton alleged 500,000 was found in the attic of Mr Power's home during a follow-up search.

The detective claimed Mr Power was caught "red-handed" and represented a flight risk.

Defence solicitor Tracey Horan said Mr Power "did not know the sum of money in the car at the time".

The garda responded, saying the "bag was very heavy".

Ms Horan said the accused was on illness benefit.

Judge Haughton refused bail, saying the allegation involved a "very substantial sum of money".AN elderly lady died after suffering second and third degree burns and contracting the super-bug C Diff during her treatment.

Daphne Anderson (91) , from Offington Lawn, Sutton, passed away in St Jamess Hospital on December 18, 2015, after being admitted to hospital for on December 3 for burns.

Dublin Coroners Court heard yesterday Ms Anderson had told doctors in the hospital she was scalded in the shower, however her daughter Audrey Anderson had thought she was scalded by tea.

Simon Mills, counsel for Ms Anderson, suggested to the corner, Dr Myra Cullinane, that she should return a verdict in the case of death by medical misadventure, or hospital contracted infection.

Ms Anderson had been administered antibiotics while in the hospital, which the court was told put her at greater risk of contracting C Diff.

But Dr Cullinane recorded a narrative verdict with two elements.

She found that Ms Anderson died of a bowel perforation due to C Diff infection. She said as a consequence of the burns antibiotics were required by Ms Anderson and C Diff was contracted.

Ms Andersons counsel told the court his client has been left deeply distressed by the death of her mother and believed she had been given antibiotics when she didnt need them.

She believed the treatment persisted until C Diff was contacted and that but for the infection her mother would still be alive.

Explaining her verdict Dr Cullinane said it wasnt for her to apportion blame

I cant adjudicate on whether something was the right thing to do or not, she told Ms Anderson.

She explained she considers the facts and then returns the cause for death.

The coroner also said the verdict of medical misadventure was one that was sometimes misunderstood.

A narrative verdict is neither better nor worse than the one that has been proffered, she said.

Nothing turns on a Coroners Court verdict for any other legal action that might arise, she said.

Dr Maureen McMenamin gave evidence in the case that it was one of complexity.

But described multiple risk factors for Ms Anderson, including her age and a weakened immune system.

However she said there were some main factors in the death.

If she hadnt received the burns it was probable she would not have died at this time, she said.

Rebecca Graydon, counsel for St Jamess, told the hearing there was no evidence to suggested the case involved hospital-acquired infection.

She pointed out up to 3pc of the population can carry C Diff without displaying any symptoms.

Ms Graydon expressed condolences to Ms Anderson on the death of her mother on behalf of St Jamess HospitalTerror: Police and members of the emergency services attend to a victim injured in the deadly attack on London Bridge on June 3, 2017. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

One of the men behind the London Bridge terror atrocity posed as a happily married man looking for a Dublin home shortly before he joined Isil terrorists in Britain.

Rachid Redouane and his former wife distributed a leaflet around the capital's northside looking for a studio apartment to rent. The leaflet, seen by the Irish Independent, portrays a happy young couple starting a new life in Ireland.

Little did anyone think that the smiling husband in the picture was being secretly radicalised at the time and would go on to commit mass murder.

The leaflet reads: "We are Charisse Anne O'Leary Redouane and Rachid Redouane, we are two years married and excited about starting our new life together in Ireland. Myself from London and my husband Rachid from Morocco, we plan to settle in Dublin and we are first time renters. I (Charisse) am 36 and my husband Rachid is 28.

"We both are seeking employment and I have some contacts to get in touch with.

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"We have savings and we are looking for affordable accommodation, ideally a studio flat."

Ms O'Leary had no idea at the time that she was being used by Redouane, a Moroccan pastry chef, to gain residency status in the EU.

A new documentary, 'Ireland's Jihadis', which airs on Virgin Media One tomorrow night, investigates how the Islamist extremist was able to live under the radar in Ireland despite having a criminal conviction in the UK and being refused asylum on several occasions.

He had been arrested in 2009 boarding a ferry to Belfast using a false passport and using the alias Rachid Elkhdar. When UK immigration laws changed in 2012, Redouane moved to Ireland with Ms O'Leary and they were married in the Registry Office on Grand Canal Street on November 7, 2012.

Redouane remained under the radar of the Department of Justice until 2015 when he applied for and was granted residency status for five years. This entitled him to move unchecked anywhere within the EU.

As soon as they received notice of Redouane's residency here, they left for London. Ms O'Leary was by now pregnant and in October that year she gave birth to a baby girl. The three shared an apartment in East London, not far from the home in Barking of fellow attacker Khuram Butt.

At various stages, the two men had come under surveillance by the British security services.

Ms O'Leary later separated from Redouane, claiming that he was abusive. She was completely unaware of the London Bridge attacks or that her husband was involved in any extremist activity.

Leading international security and intelligence academic Dr Ed Burke revealed that the Irish authorities did not have access to databases which would have alerted them to monitor Redouane.

He said: "In the case of Redouane, the fact that he had been prevented from travelling to Northern Ireland I think twice, the suspicion within the UK was that this individual was trying to not go to Northern Ireland but was trying to go to Ireland because Ireland wasn't signed up to the Schengen Information System II, for example.

"Redouane was on certain databases that we didn't have access to. Now we will have access to them but we should have had ability to tap into databases to see was he there and if he is there has he been in other European countries."

The senior garda in charge of the State's Security and Intelligence Section, Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan, said that since 2016 Ireland has had access to more extensive international databases.

He said: "We have brought in improvements. We introduced the Interpol Find System here to all airports and ports in November of 2016, which is a database based in Lyon that is searched at points of entry for over four million fraudulent travel documents including passports.

"Next year, we will be signed up and part of the Schengen Information System. That information system has over four billion checks carried out annually that will include persons wanted in other jurisdictions, persons of interest to law enforcement in our security services in other jurisdictions.

"They're massive improvements."William Mawhinney, who drowned Lorraine Mills, the mother of his two children, in a bathtub in their Ballymena home in 1995.

A charity has branded a decision by prison chiefs to allow five murderers out to stroll around a seaside town as insulting to victims.

The Prison Service provoked a public backlash after it let the killers out of Maghaberry last Thursday to enjoy a hike in the Mourne Mountains before going for a walk along Newcastle Promenade.

They were accompanied on the daytrip by two warders in civilian garb.

The National Victims' Association said that while it appreciated the vital role of rehabilitation, the wellbeing of victims must also be taken seriously.

"This is insulting to the victims of the offender but also to their families; they are the ones serving the life sentence," it said.

"The victims will never come back, yet the offender has been given the right to live and go on with their everyday life.

"Life continues for offenders; our lives are brought to a standstill and we are just left with the trauma all the while the offender is being looked after by the state."

The killers were:

Former policeman Kenneth McConnell, who suffocated pensioner Annabella Symington in her south Belfast home in 1989.

Academic Gerard O'Kane, who stabbed his estranged wife Ann Marie O'Kane in her north Belfast apartment in 2011.

Triad hitman Siu Ching Wong, who strangled pregnant waitress Candy Ho in a twisted honour killing in 1998.

William Mawhinney, who drowned Lorraine Mills, the mother of his two children, in a bathtub in their Ballymena home in 1995.

UDA terrorist Billy Moore, who shot Bangor man Richard Hamill in the head in 2003.

Victim Support NI said that while it also appreciated the importance of rehabilitation schemes, this incident had the potential to cause fresh trauma to the families of those who were murdered.

"Victims have told us that they do worry about potentially encountering the offender in their community and this could therefore trigger such anxieties," it added.

"In this case, the prisoners concerned were on an accompanied group activity and therefore victims would not have been informed."

The charity encouraged victims who wish to be notified about inmate releases to register for the Prisoner Release Victim Information Scheme (PRVIS) or similar schemes via Victim Support NI's website.

Mournes councillor Jill Macauley slammed the Prison Service's decision to allow "violent criminals to walk freely alongside unsuspecting members of the public and children".

"As a mother myself who enjoys regular strolls along the promenade with my young family, it worries me that these heinous criminals could be walking alongside you, being treated to the luxuries that they didn't afford their own innocent murder victims," she said.

The Ulster Unionist added that she had not been reassured by the Prison Service's insistence that a risk assessment was carried out.

"This follows child killer John Clifford absconding while on day release from prison in Belfast just weeks ago," she pointed out.

Ms Macauley said she and her UUP colleagues on Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has written to Prison Service head Ronnie Armour in a bid to get details on the risk assessment process.

Councillor Alan Lewis also demanded an explanation as to why the convicts were transported on a daytrip to the popular beauty spot.

He said it had shaken public confidence.

"I'm furious," he added.

"I think the public are owed an explanation as to the rationale behind this.

"Any right-thinking person expects criminals to be in jail, not wandering along Newcastle Promenade.

"This will raise serious questions among the local community."

Victims or witnesses of crime experiencing anxiety as a result of this story can contact Victim Support NI through its Belfast or Foyle offices.At least three female students reported rape during the first two weeks of college, the head of Cork's Sexual Violence Centre said.

Mary Crilly shared the figures at the Cork Joint Policing Committee (JPC) yesterday - and said while the statistics are "awful", it is something the centre sees every year.

She told of how "predators watch out for young girls" each September.

Speaking on RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland, Ms Crilly said this is "the other side of freshers' week".

"It is (awful) but I dont think its unusual," Ms Crilly said on air.

"This is the other side of freshers, we see it nearly every year. Unfortunately, it can happen in the accommodation theyre staying in, very few of them are on the street.

"It could be somewhere where they feel very safe."

Ms Crilly added that female students often feel they are to blame.

"Theyre predators that watch out for these young girls, and these girls sometimes feel responsible because they drank or maybe they feel they were giving the wrong messages," she continued.

"Theyre either saying nothing and theyve dropped out, or well come across more in the next few months that say this has happened to them.

"Predators are out there looking for them, its horrible. Its a horrible way to think about life.

"These young people are going in, thinking about the future, the course theyre doing, the excitement of being out of home and feeling really grown up."

Ms Crilly said that three students presented themselves to the Cork SVC in the last few weeks but that the incidents were not reported to the gardai.

Speaking at yesterdays JPC meeting, Ms Crilly called for more staff and resources for the citys Protective Services Unit, the Irish Examiner reported this morning.

"For a city the size of Cork, to have six people in its unit is ridiculous, it needs more resources," she said.

"It should have at least 20 gardai involved given that it has to deal with domestic violence and human trafficking as well."

Ms Crilly was responding to figures shared at the JPC that showed a 52pc increase in the number of reported incidents of rape of a male or female in the Cork City garda division between January and August this year compared to the same period last year.

If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the Dublin Rape Crisis Centres National 24-hour Helpline on 1800 77 8888, or see their website on http://www.drcc.ie/Russia said it would supply the Syrian army with an S-300 air defence system and would jam radars of hostile warplanes.

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. (Representational Image)

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.

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.Parents have launched a petition against a decision to allow children to make their holy communion "on any Mass day in May or June", rather than holding it on a specific date.

The community of Askea in Co Carlow created the petition in hopes of "saving the tradition of a childs first communion.

Parents of children making their communion this year say that they were told at a meeting last week that children at Askea National School, Tinryland National School and the local Gaelscoil could make their communion on any day when Mass is being held in May or June.

But parents are arguing that they dont want the tradition of the day to die down and vowed to protest outside Mass on Sunday October 7 if they dont hear a response from the parish officials.

One local parent, Naomi Cahill, said that many children were upset by the decision as they were looking forward to the day.

"We went to the meeting and asked for the communion date, and the priest said your child can make communion any day in May or June. Everyone was devastated, Naomi told Independent.ie.

Naomi said that while the families behind the petition understand the increasing costs behind communion days, they dont want to take the day away from their children.

They cant get rid of our tradition. They said because of the tradition of people going out in big dresses, they dont want others to feel bad who cant afford it, which we totally understand, but its only as costly as you make it.

Children want to make their communion with their classmates and have the excitement of practicing together. Our children want to take the creed for themselves with their head held high and with their friends, offering gifts and singing with the choir.

No-one is saying you have to wear a dress, but theyre going to a Catholic school. My mother was reared that way, my granny was reared that way.

She added that other parents didnt want it to set precedent for other traditions in the future.

"Were afraid of what it holds for Irish traditions in the future, we dont want it to become extinct.

We always bring all different cultures into the school, but we have to stand and do something so this one doesnt die out.

Other local residents praised the decision to remove the set date for communion, saying that it would remove the pressures of spending money on communion days and focus on the sacrament instead.

Great idea, less expenses for family. Religion and state schools should be separated and if families want to celebrate they can do so in their own time- well done, one listener told KCLR96 FM.

I think its a great idea, well done to those schools. They shouldnt be preparing in school either, religion is a personal thing. I dont think the idea came from schools but rather from the parish, another parent said.

The local parish priest was unable to speak to KCLR96 FM this morning but said he would speak with the parents first.

Independent.ie has contacted the parish priest for comment.The government has defeated the motion of no confidence by 59 votes to 49.

A total of 29 TDs abstained.

Sinn Fein sought a walkthrough vote; the numbers remained the same after the walkthrough vote.

Earlier this evening, Junior Minister Catherine Byrne confirmed that she would support her Fine Gael colleague when the Sinn Fein motion came to a vote.

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She said in a statement: "Today I had positive and constructive discussions with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister Eoghan Murphy.

I believe that for any new housing development to be successful, investment in proper planning and community facilities is essential. We all want to live in a sustainable and safe community.

I will be supporting my Government colleague this evening. Over the days and weeks ahead I will continue to work constructively with all of my colleagues on the issues I have raised relating to housing and community development.

I am confident that working together we will agree a plan to identify the socio-economic needs of the Inchicore/Kilmainham area and create a stable and vibrant community for generations to come.

Her statement came after Ms Byrne told colleagues in recent days that she was considering supporting Sinn Feins no-confidence motion or abstaining in protest over the development of almost 500 homes in her constituency.

Ms Byrne had been at odds with Mr Murphy over the St Michael's project in Inchicore, Dublin.

The project would consist of 470 homes with 30pc reserved for social housing, 60pc rented to low and middle-income earners and the remaining 10pc assigned for affordable housing.

Fianna Fail abstained on the no confidence motion vote.

Its housing spokesman Darragh O'Brien said everyone can agree there's a housing crisis with homelessness "scarring our streets" and young couples seeing the "dream of home ownership slip further away".

He said Fianna Fail appreciates the scale of the crisis but the question facing the Dail was effectively whether or not to bring down the government.

Mr O'Brien said: "Ultimately my party feel this would be a deeply irresponsible action collapsing the government weeks before the Budget in the midst of delicate Brexit negotiations".

He also said: "not a single further house would be built while polical parties play political games".

Introducing the Sinn Fein motion the party's housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin claimed that almost 10,000 people in emergency accommodation have been failed by Mr Murphy and his housing plan.

He argued that there has been under-investment in social and affordable housing and said the government is relying on the private sector to deliver homes.

Mr O Broin said Mr Murphy is the minister and the "buck stops with him".

He claimed Mr Murphy's plan is failing and said he "must take responsibility for that".

Mr O Broin also criticised Fianna Fail for not backing Sinn Fein's motion.

He claimed the rival party's leader Micheal Martin is so scared of an election he is willing to allow a failing minister to remain in place.

Mr O Broin argued that the government's Rebuilding Ireland and Mr Murphy's plan have failed and "it is time for both to go".

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald denied the motion was a stunt and called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to "relieve minister Murphy of his duties".

Housing minister Mr Murphy was flanked by several senior Fine Gael ministers including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Simon Coveney, health minister Simon Harris and employment affairs minister Regina Doherty.

He began his speech saying he had the privilege met a young homeless mother recently who told him her story "through tears" because she felt ashamed about her situation.

Mr Murphy said he apologised to the woman because she had to spend three weeks in a hotel.

He said he was speaking to her in a family hub and was able to tell her she would soon have a home as every family who in that hub had been rehoused and none had come back.

According to Mr Murphy in the past 14 months, 5000 households left homelessness.

Mr Murphy said thousands of homes are being built and supply is going up.

He said he won't be distracted by "populist nonsense" that will contribute nothing to the challenges faced in housing.

Mr Murphy said the government did not cause the housing crisis but added "we will fix it".

He said that anyone who wants the public to believe the housing crisis can be solved overnight are "dishonest and wrong".

Finance minister Paschal Donohoe and Health Minister Simon Harris spoke in support of Mr Murphy.

Mr Harris said Mr Murphy: "did not cause the housing crisis despite personalised nasty attacks from some on the opposition benches".

Related video:Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said he hopes TD Catherine Byrne "is not pulled into the Sinn Fein stunt" of a motion of no confidence in himself.

The motion in Mr Murphy, tabled by Sinn Fein and due to be held tonight, aims to "put enormous pressure on the Government".

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Mr Murphy were under pressure yesterday after it was reported Dublin South Central TD Catherine Byrne was set to either support or abstain in the vote.

The Taoiseach said last night he would be forced to sack Ms Byrne if she did not support her colleague.

Speaking on RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland, the Housing Minister described the Sinn Fein motion of no confidence as "disingenuous" and "a stunt".

"The responsibility of the opposition is not to be angry but to come forward with their own proposals.

"Sinn Fein had the opportunity to bring forward a proposal. Nowhere in their motion did they mention something they would do differently. "This motion will do nothing [for those without a home].

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"It is incredibly irresponsible," he continued.

"The remarks are incredibly disingenuous.

"They're saying the crisis is caused by me in under 16 months on my watch, that's nonsense.

"They are saying a fundamental break in the housing system could be corrected in 16 months.

"Anyone who understands what we need to do to protect future generations knows that's not true."

Mr Murphy said he hopes to meet with Catherine Byrne today to talk about her own concerns in her constituency.

"Catherine has concerns about potential new development in her own constituency that is separate to this motion," he said.

"I don't know what her position is [for the vote]. I've engaged with her on a number of occasions and I hope to meet her today to talk about the genuine concerns of her constituents.

"I hope she's not pulled into this Sinn Fein stunt."

Earlier this morning, a Sinn Fein TD said the motion of no confidence in Mr Murphy aims to "put enormous pressure on the Government",

Sinn Fein's Housing Spokesperson Eoin O'Broin said both the Rebuilding Ireland scheme and "the minister in charge of it" are failing.

He said "the buck stops with the minister".

"What [this motion] will achieve is it will put enormous pressure on the government," Mr O'Broin said.

"Homelessness is up 80pc for pensioners, it's up 77pc for children and 60pc for adults.

"Much of that increase is under Eoghan Murphy's watch.

"There are less social houses approved this year than last. Not a single affordable home built.

"House completions are up but it's unaffordable, high-priced student accommodation and homes."Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe along with Minister for Education, Richard Bruton and Minister of State for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath, hold a press conference on the new pay agreement on the new entrants' salary-scale issues. Photo: Garrett White / Collins Photo Agency

Pay rises worth 3,300 are on the way for more than 60,000 public sector workers - but it may not be enough to avoid strikes.

The increases kick in from next March for workers who were employed on lower pay rates over the last seven years under austerity-era cost-cutting measures.

But the 190m deal to end the two-tier pay system has not settled all grievances on the pay inequality front and teachers, doctors and nurses are unhappy.

The deal means those who have been on lower pay rates since 2011 will gradually catch up with their longer-serving colleagues - although it will take up to 2026 for some.

They will do this by leap-frogging up two or three increments on their pay scales to make up for starting their careers on lower pay rates than longer-serving staff.

But some unions are angry that the deal does not include any back payment to make up for the thousands of euro they lost since they were hired on pay rates that were 10pc lower than their colleagues'.

The three teacher unions previously have warned of the possibility of strike action if their demands are not met in full.

Outstanding issues for the teachers relate to a qualification allowance, generally known as the HDip allowance, worth 1,236 a year, and the fact that teachers no longer start at the third point of their payscale.

ASTI president Breda Lynch said members of the union would discuss industrial action shortly.

"We have to consider it," she said. "Our members are a very democratic organisation. We'll talk to our members and see where we go from here."

Teachers' Union of Ireland general secretary John MacGabhann said while the deal "represents further movement, it won't of itself deliver pay equality".

But the Irish National Teachers Organisation decided last night to ballot members on the package without any recommendation, and acknowledged they had made "significant progress".

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has warned its members will consider industrial action if they do not get a substantial pay offer from the Government by a deadline this week.

They want their pay to be on a par with professional staff including physiotherapists.

Nurses in specialist roles are already in line for a 20m deal, which was recommended by the Government's pay advisory body.

However, the two deals may not be enough to bring their members on board.

The Irish Medical Organisation warned it is consulting members on the potential for industrial action if the Government does not hold talks on a pay gap that will still exist between recruits and their colleagues, despite the deal.

It said recruits since 2012 will still be on pay rates that lag 30pc behind longer-serving staff. This is because consultants, unlike any other public servants, suffered a 30pc cut on top of the 10pc cut for new entrants.

It said pay rates for new entrants would be up to 50,000 a year lower for colleagues doing the same job.

However, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe indicated the purse strings were closed and he would not be giving out further sweeteners.

"I've no plans to make any changes beyond what I'm announcing today," he said.

Mr Donohoe denied he was throwing money at public servants to win votes and said the deal was affordable and stretches to 2026.

He would not say if he believed it was in breach of the current pay deal which rules out implications for the "fiscal envelope" of the agreement.

The minister said he was adding 27m to next year's budget but had faced demands for the 190m to be paid in one year, and the restoration of allowances.

Mr Donohoe said the agreement followed complex and difficult discussions.

The 60,000 new entrant recruits to the public service since January 2011 includes over 16,000 teachers, nearly 5,000 Special Needs Assistants and almost 10,000 nurses.Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the health minister cannot continue if she votes against housing minister Eoghan Murphy in Tuesdays no confidence motion. Brian Lawless/PA.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has accused Sinn Fein of attempting to score political points ahead of the partys motion of no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.

The Fine Gael leader issued a strident defence of the Governments performance in housing - citing 14,000 new homes built last year and a projected 20,000 this year but said he is not pretending for a second that we have gotten on top of this issue.

The motion is expected to fail tonight with Fianna Fail planning to abstain as per the terms of the Confidence and Supply Agreement.

However, speculation has emerged that junior minister Catherine Byrne may not support the Government tonight.

Mr Varadkar is expected to meet with her later to discuss the matter and speaking in New York made it clear that she would lose her ministerial post if she does not fall in line.

A dispute between the two ministers emerged earlier this year over a planned development at St Michaels Estate in Inchicore.

Speaking in response to a Sinn Fein question on housing in the Dail chamber today Mr Varadkar said the motion showed Sinn Feins politics as tactical, cynical, personalised and ineffective and that, if passed, will not house a single person.

In response Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald claimed the Taoiseach is "delusional.

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I can only surmise that youre actually delusional - you seem to believe that everything is OK, that you are on track, all of this despite the facts that homelessness has risen, house prices rise, rents are out of control and beyond the reach of even people at work, she said.

The motion is expected to come before the Dail at 8pm tonight.Sean doesnt want to do the debate  it didnt work out too well for him last time

Presidential hopeful Peter Casey has taken a swipe at fellow 'Dragon' Sean Gallagher for his threat not to take part in the first debate unless incumbent Michael D Higgins is also present.

Businessman Mr Casey claimed: "I can understand why Sean doesn't want to do the debate because it didn't work out too well for him the last time."

Former 'Dragons' Den' star Mr Casey was referring to Mr Gallagher's appearance on the infamous RTE 'Frontline' debate before the 2011 election. On that occasion Mr Gallagher floundered in response to a fake tweet read out during the show and his campaign never recovered.

He later received substantial damages following his action taken against RTE.

Mr Casey said he was "serious" about his presidential bid and said he will attend all of the debates as candidates have a responsibility to share their vision for the presidency.

Mr Gallagher did not respond directly to Mr Casey's remarks. Instead a spokesman said it was "crucial" that all candidates were treated equally. He reiterated that Mr Gallagher had committed to participating in all debates which include every candidate.

The RTE Radio 'News at One' debate was originally planned for tomorrow but was moved to Thursday.

Mr Higgins will not be taking part in Thursday's debate.

A campaign spokesman said RTE had been told that Mr Higgins was "constrained" this week because of pre-existing presidential diary commitments. Mr Higgins is scheduled to open a student centre in DCU on Thursday morning and is to welcome Britain's Prince Edward to Ireland in the afternoon.

Other candidates Liadh Ni Riada of Sinn Fein, Independent Senator Joan Freeman, and businessman Gavin Duffy have confirmed they will take part.

Meanwhile, journalist Gemma O'Doherty failed in her bid to get enough council nominations to contest the election. She could still get on the ballot paper by winning the backing of 20 Oireachtas members, but is running out of time with the close of nominations tomorrow.It's not often that you hear the expression 'think outside the box' these days.

The corporate cliche has at last reached its sell-by date, even if innovative, creative thinking is as important as ever.

Sure, 'think outside the box' can sound a little trite - especially in a boardroom context - but we should be careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater on this one.

After all, thinking outside the box is just another way of describing lateral or non-linear thinking, which is a vital tool in the creativity process.

Here are some pointers for triggering lateral thinking and generating ideas.

* Practice makes perfect

Some think of lateral thinking as an innate talent but, like everything else in life, it's actually a skill that can be sharpened with regular practice. If you want to learn how to think creatively, you need to practice it with daily challenges. Look at a household object and imagine 10 alternative uses for it. Think of a local issue (traffic, dumping, etc) and come up with five ways to solve it.

Challenges like these only take a few minutes a day, but they will train your brain to look at situations from unexpected angles.

* Gather 'raw material'

A Technique for Producing Ideas by the late James Webb Young is only 38 pages long in total and yet it is still widely considered to be one of the best guides on creative thinking.

Young, a former advertising industry heavyweight, gives readers a step-by-step guide to idea generation in this best-seller, but the point he presses throughout is the need to "gather raw material". In other words, if you want to have fresh new ideas, you have to expose yourself to new information and experiences.

"Every really creative person has two noticeable characteristics," wrote Webb. "First, there is no subject under the sun in which he could not easily get interested -from say Egyptian burial customs to Modern Art. Second, he is an extensive browser in all sorts of fields of information."

* Brainstorm with forced connections

Being slightly obsessed with food - and slightly sad - my significant other and I have devised a way to encourage creativity in the kitchen. We have a bowl filled with colour-coded cards categorised by cuisine (Italian, Thai, Vietnamese etc); base ingredient (chicken, beef, quinoa etc) and wild card ingredient (turmeric, rose petals, whiskey, etc).

Every so often we reach into the bowl, choose a card of each colour, and then challenge ourselves to cook a meal around whatever three ingredients come out.

Creativity gurus call this technique 'forced connection'. When we impose constraints on ourselves we are forced to make connections that we otherwise wouldn't have explored - and the results are often surprising.

* Think of the reverse

When you find yourself in a creative cul-de-sac, it sometimes helps to flip the script and consider the complete opposite. This is Rule 9 of Pixar's '22 Rules of Storytelling': "When you're stuck, make a list of what WOULDN'T happen next," they suggest. "Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up."

This technique is also a key component of the SCAMPER brainstorming method. The 'R' of the mnemonic stands for 'reverse', and it suggests that we turn ideas inside-out and upside-down to find a new and novel approach.

* Step away from the desk

If you find yourself staring at a blinking cursor, a change of location may help spark creativity, explains Maria Konnikova in Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes.

"It forces us to reconsider the world, to look at things from a different angle," she writes. "And sometimes that change in perspective can be the spark that makes a difficult decision manageable, or that engenders creativity where none existed before."

* Take a break

Ever wondered why you tend to have your best ideas in the shower? Various studies have found that we are more likely to have flashes of insight when we take a break and allow the mind to 'wander freely'.

This is also the cornerstone of Young's A Technique for Producing Ideas. He suggests that those trying to generate ideas "drop the whole subject" and "let the subconscious do its thing". He also suggests that readers review all of their 'raw material' just before bed while keeping a notebook on hand for the 'Aha!' moment that often comes the following morning.The petition had sought disqualification of the Premier as he did not fulfill Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

Islamabad: Pakistans Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Imran Khan. During the hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar declared Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Barrister Danial Chaudhrys plea as ineffective for the case and dismissed it.

The claimants counsel argued that an issue mentioned in the petition was still effective. However, I will not insist on this plea anymore, he added.

The petition had sought disqualification of the Premier as he did not fulfill Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

Danial Chaudhry had alleged that the Premier had not disclosed details of his daughter Tyrian White in his 2013 nomination papers. Filed in 2017, the petition was fixed for hearing on September 24.

The petition stated that the premier does not fulfil Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution, and hence should be disqualified for not being Sadiq (truthful) and Ameen (trustworthy).

Earlier, announcing the verdict on PML-N leader Hanif Abbasis petitions, the SC had disposed of plea to disqualify PTI chief Imran Khan. Bani Gala is Mr Khans property and he bought the land for his family, the CJP announced.

Mr Abbasi had filed a petition, accusing the PTI leaders Imran Khan and Jahangir Tarin of not declaring their assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Danial Chaudhry had alleged that the Premier had not disclosed details of his daughter Tyrian White in his 2013 nomination papers. Filed in 2017, the petition was fixed for hearing on September 24.

The petition stated that the premier does not fulfil Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution, and hence should be disqualified for not being Sadiq (truthful) and Ameen (trustworthy).

On December 15, 2017, the apex court found Imran Khan to be honest but disqualified PTIs then general secretary Jahangir Tarin.Georgina Campbell with 2019 award winners, by the Canal in Dublin.

Composite: Georgina Campbell with one of her awards (Dublin in background).

Adare Manor has been named Ireland's Hotel of the Year for 2019 at the 2019 Georgina Campbell Awards.

The recently refurbished five-star (read our Adare Manor review here) was described as "a stunning destination" that, for all its finery, "retains its original familial warmth".

The Co Limerick resort was acquired by JP McManus and family for a reported 30m in 2014, re-opening last November after a multi-million euro restoration Campbell described as "a love letter to architecture and virtuosity".

"Just as every capital city needs its great restaurants, every country needs its grand hotels," she said, hailing the family's purchase as "a good day for Ireland".

The 2019 awards, held today at Bord Bia in Dublin, also saw The Strawberry Tree at Brooklodge and Macreddin Village named Restaurant of the Year, while James Coffey of the Park Hotel Kenmare was revealed as Ireland's Chef of the Year.

Full list of 2019 award winners:

Hotel of the Year: Adare Manor, Adare, Co. Limerick

Adare Manor, Adare, Co. Limerick Restaurant of the Year: The Strawberry Tree, BrookLodge & Macreddin Village, Co Wicklow

The Strawberry Tree, BrookLodge & Macreddin Village, Co Wicklow Chef of the Year: James Coffey, Park Hotel Kenmare, Co Kerry

James Coffey, Park Hotel Kenmare, Co Kerry Outstanding Guest Experience: Tig Congaile, Inis Meain, Co Galway

Tig Congaile, Inis Meain, Co Galway Host of the Year: John Edward Joyce, The Mustard Seed, Ballingarry, Co Limerick

John Edward Joyce, The Mustard Seed, Ballingarry, Co Limerick Business Hotel of the Year: The Marker, Dublin

The Marker, Dublin Newcomer of the Year: The Foyle Hotel, Moville, Co Donegal

The Foyle Hotel, Moville, Co Donegal Country House of the Year: Clonganny House, Ballygarrett, Co Wexford

Clonganny House, Ballygarrett, Co Wexford Guesthouse of the Year: Blackwell House, Scarva, Co Armagh

Blackwell House, Scarva, Co Armagh B&B of the Year: The Castle, Castletownshend, Co Cork

The Castle, Castletownshend, Co Cork Hospitality Heroes: Ronan & Jennie Sweeney, Balloo Inns, Killinchy, Co Down

Ronan & Jennie Sweeney, Balloo Inns, Killinchy, Co Down Bord Bia 'Just Ask' Restaurant of the Year: Hooked, Sligo, Co Sligo

Hooked, Sligo, Co Sligo Taste of the Waterways Award: Barrows Keep, Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny

Barrows Keep, Graiguenamanagh, Co Kilkenny Seafood Restaurant of the Year: The Seafood Cafe, Temple Bar, Dublin

The Seafood Cafe, Temple Bar, Dublin Wine Award of the Year: Whelehans Wines, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin

Whelehans Wines, Loughlinstown, Co Dublin Pub and Atmospheric Venue: Pot Duggans, Ennistymon, Co Clare

Pot Duggans, Ennistymon, Co Clare Family Friendly Restauratn: Michaels, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin

Michaels, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin Pet-friendly Hotel of the Year: 360 Cookhouse, Dungarvan, Co Waterford

360 Cookhouse, Dungarvan, Co Waterford Hideaway of the Year: Dunnanelly Country House, Crossgar, Co Down

Dunnanelly Country House, Crossgar, Co Down Atmospheric Restaurant of the Year: Walled City Brewery, Derry

Walled City Brewery, Derry Ethnic Restaurant of the Year: Ichigo Ichie, Cork

Ichigo Ichie, Cork Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: Nash 19, Cork

Nash 19, Cork Cafe of the Year: Jack Fenns Courtyard Cafe, Belleek Castle, Ballina, Co Mayo

Jack Fenns Courtyard Cafe, Belleek Castle, Ballina, Co Mayo Natural Food Award: Drumanilra Farm Kitchen, Boyle, Co Roscommon

Drumanilra Farm Kitchen, Boyle, Co Roscommon Street Food Award: Misunderstood Heron, Killary Harbour, Co Galway

A special 'Hospitality Hero' award was given to Ronan & Jennie Sweeney of Balloo Inns in Killinchy, Co Down, while a new, Spirit of the European Region of Gastronomy Award saw The Twelve Hotel in Barna, Beechlawn Organic Farm in Ballinasloe and Gannet Fishmongers in Galway City given nods (Galway, West of Ireland is the European Region of Gastronomy 2018).

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Georgina Campbell with 2019 award winners, by the Canal in Dublin. The Dunraven Stateroom at Adare Manor Balloo Inn, Killinchy, Co Down - Owners Ronan & Jennie Sweeney Georgina Campbell with Martin O Donnell, Elaine Donohue, Fergus O Halloran, - Twelve Hotel, Galway Park Hotel Kenmare - Francis Brennan MD, Head Chef James Coffey Georgina Campbell with Park Hotel Kenmare - Francis Brennan MD, Head Chef James Coffey Adare Manor, Adare, Co Limerick - Paul Heery, General Manager & Brendan OConnor, Resident Manager The Castle Hotel, West Cork - Sharon Poulter, Anne Salter Townshend Park Hotel Kenmare - Francis Brennan MD, Head Chef James Coffey SPIRIT OF THE EUROPEAN REGION OF GASTRONOMY AWARD supported by Galway County Council - Elaine Donohue, Fergus O Halloran, Martin O Donnell - Twelve Hotel Composite: Georgina Campbell with one of her awards (Dublin in background). Great Hall, Adare Manor. Photo: Pol O Conghaile Adare Manor / Facebook

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Whatsapp Georgina Campbell with 2019 award winners, by the Canal in Dublin.

In another awards coup, Adare Manor was named 'Supreme Winner 2018' at the Hotel & Catering Review's Gold Medal Awards, held on the same day.

Now in their 20th year as independently-branded (and assessed) awards, Campbell's annual selection is considered a marker of Irish hospitality trends, and a deep dive into the state of the industry.

Announcing the winners, she noted the pace of change in Irish food, drink and hospitality, a crowded marketplace and "competition from new kids on the block that often motivates established businesses to up their game".

Although casual dining continues to grow in popularity, "there is no sign of fine dining disappearing," Campbell said. Seafood, ethnic dining and vegetarian and vegan offerings are all on the up in Ireland, she added.

As is her custom, Campbell also offered constructive criticism, noting "far too many disappointments in all areas and all kinds of establishment, including restaurants where (oddly) badly-judged seasoning has spoilt many a good dish this year."

"Our least satisfactory experiences have again tended to be in four and five-star hotels (some of which would be better in lower categories), and problems are often down to simple things that could easily be fixed, plus a lack of hospitality (which often means lack of a host) and poor staff training."

Rising hotel prices are worrying, especially in Dublin," she added.

Read more:New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has made history by becoming the first female world leader to bring her baby to the United Nations general assembly.

Neve Te Aroha sat on father Clarke Gayfords lap while her mother spoke at the summit, and even received her own mock ID card.

Gayford is the babys full-time caregiver and he shared a photo of the card to Twitter, along with a rather entertaining nappy change story.

Because everyone on twitter's been asking to see Neve's UN id, staff here whipped one up.

I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change.

Great yarn for her 21st. pic.twitter.com/838BI96VYX  Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) September 24, 2018

I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change, wrote Gayford. Great yarn for her 21st.

The ID card even included the title first baby.

But it doesn't say Prime Miniature.  2covet (@2covet) September 24, 2018

On June 21, Ardern, 38, became only the second world leader ever to give birth in office, after Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan in 1990, and is the first to take maternity leave.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said of Neves attendance: Prime Minister Ardern is showing that no one is better qualified to represent her country than a working mother.

Just 5% of the worlds leaders are women, so we need to make them as welcome here as possible.Sky is set to be taken over by Comcast (PA)

Comcast has snapped up 29% of Sky shares on the open market after emerging victorious in a bidding war with Fox for the British broadcaster.

The US firm said on Tuesday that it has purchased 499.6 million shares at 17.28 each, which is the same price as its winning final bid in a dramatic weekend auction run by the Takeover Panel.

Comcast added that it is seeking to make more market purchases of Sky shares at the same price.

21st Century Fox still holds a 39% stake in Sky and has said it is considering its options.

Comcast boss Brian Roberts has gone on record saying he is prepared to jointly own Sky.

Comcast requires the backing of more than 50% of Skys shareholders to gain approval for its near 30 billion offer.

The deadline for Sky shareholders to accept the offer is October 11.

On Saturday evening, Comcast won the long-running battle for control of Sky, beating Foxs 15.67 per share offer, after the auction went to the maximum three rounds.

Skys independent directors have recommended Comcasts bid to shareholders, urging them to accept the offer immediately.

Comcasts victory effectively means Rupert Murdoch, who controls Fox, has failed for a second time to gain full control of the pay-TV giant.

Comcast owns NBC Universal and is the largest cable operator in the US.

With the Sky takeover, Comcast will become the biggest pay-TV provider in the world, with around 52 million customers after adding Skys 23 million subscribers.

Winning Sky will also aid Comcast in its fight against the rise of Netflix and Amazon.Lives at risk: The NGOs operating the Aquarius will now no longer be able to rescue migrants like this child from boats north of the Libyan coast. Photo: Getty

Italy's populist coalition passed a bill yesterday that will make it harder for migrants to claim humanitarian protection and easier to expel failed asylum seekers.

The decree is part of the coalition's concerted efforts to reduce the number of migrants arriving by boat from North Africa and to repatriate those who are denied asylum.

Migrants or refugees who request asylum will have their applications denied if they are considered "socially dangerous" or convicted of crimes, Matteo Salvini, the interior minister, said.

Those crimes could include dealing drugs and bag-snatching, said Mr Salvini, who is head of the anti-immigration League party and has spear-headed the crackdown on migrants since the coalition came to power in May.

"This is a step forward in making Italy safer - fighting traffickers, reducing the cost of an overblown immigration system and expelling more rapidly delinquents and fake refugees," he said, adding that the bill brought Italy into line with other EU nations.

Italy's parliament now has 60 days in which to debate the decree and vote it into law.

But Maurizio Martina, the head of the opposition, centre-left Democratic Party, said the decree would lead to an increase in "clandestine" immigration as migrants tried to bypass the new laws.

Meanwhile, the last migrant rescue ship operating in the Mediterranean had its registration revoked by Panama, with humanitarian organisations accusing the Italian government of being behind the move.

The Aquarius, operated by the NGOs Medecins Sans Frontieres and SOS Mediterranee, will no longer be able to search for migrant boats.

Thousands of lives would now be put at risk, the NGOs said. Mr Salvini denied Rome had exerted any pressure on Panama, but at the same time welcomed the move.A general view of the confidence vote in Swedish parliament Riksdagen, where Lofven was ousted in no-confidence vote, in Stockholm, Sweden September 25, 2018. TT News Agency/Anders Wiklund via REUTERS

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven speaks to the press, after he was ousted in no-confidence vote, in Stockholm, Sweden September 25, 2018. TT News Agency/Anders Wiklund via REUTERS

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lovin are seen in Swedish parliament Riksdagen, where Lofven was ousted in no-confidence vote, in Stockholm, Sweden September 25, 2018. TT News Agency/Anders Wiklund via REUTERS

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven lost a no-confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday and will step down after four years in power, but with neither major political bloc holding a majority it remained unclear who will form the next government.

Voters delivered a hung parliament in the Sept. 9 election with Lofven's centre-left bloc garnering 144 seats, one more than the centre-right opposition Alliance.

The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, with 62 seats and shunned by all parties since entering parliament in 2010, backed the Alliance in the vote - an obligatory test of the prime minister's parliamentary support after an election.

Analysts expect the speaker to pick Ulf Kristersson, leader of the biggest Alliance party, the Moderates, to try to form a new administration.

But lacking a majority, he needs support either from the Sweden Democrats, with roots in the white supremacist fringe, or the centre left.

"If the Alliance parties choose to try to govern as the smallest bloc, then they make themselves totally dependent on the Sweden Democrats," Lofven said.

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Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson repeated on Tuesday his party wanted a say in policy as the price of supporting a new government.

"We will do everything in our power to stop any attempt to form a government, do everything to bring down every government, which does not give us a reasonable influence in proportion to our electoral support," Akesson said.

The Alliance of the Moderates, Centre, Liberal and Christian Democrats has said it will not negotiate with the Sweden Democrats, who want to freeze immigration and have called for a new vote on membership of the European Union.

Lofven ruled out backing an Alliance government, leaving politics deadlocked.

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"I want to continue to lead the country as prime minister," he said.

"I want to lead a government that has broader support in the country's parliament and that allows us to leave stalemate of bloc politics."

The speaker has four goes at finding a new government and if the stalemate continues, Sweden will hold another election within three months.

With a new vote unlikely to change the situation much, some kind of compromise is likely to be thrashed out.

A number of party combinations have been suggested, but all would have a heavy political cost and a deal is could take weeks.

Lofven will lead a transition government until a new administration is installed.Hotel Chocolat opened 15 new stores in the UK against a turbulent retail backdrop (PA)

Hotel Chocolat has announced plans to launch in the US and Japan as the retailer booked a healthy rise in annual profits.

The chocolatier notched up a 13% rise in pre-tax profits to 12.7 million for the year to July 1 and beat market expectations as annual underlying earnings jumped 16% to 18.9 million.

It saw revenues grow 11% to 116 million across its 113 stores and online operations.

We are increasingly confident that international expansion presents a growth opportunityAngus Thirlwell, Hotel Chocolat co-founder

The UK-based company now has its sights set on global expansion, announcing three new international ventures since the period end in Scandinavia, Japan and the US.

Co-founder and chief executive Angus Thirlwell said: We are increasingly confident that international expansion presents a growth opportunity, and will be adopting a cautious test, learn, grow approach to our new partnership in Scandinavia and our new ventures in the US and Japan, where we intend to open our first stores this winter.

The companys non-executive director Greg Hodder will be heavily involved with the US strategy, having previously overseen the growth of British brands such as Charles Tyrwhitt in America.

In the Japanese business, former QVC Japan boss Chris Horobin will lead a joint venture in which Hotel Chocolat will initially hold 20% and local management the remaining 80%.

Shares lifted 2% as analysts welcomed the revved up expansion plans for new markets.

Hotel Chocolats affordable luxury, more cocoa, less sugar offer and broad, unique ranges position it well to disrupt the incumbents in new markets, said Wayne Brown at Liberum.

Domestically, the company bucked high street gloom by opening 15 new stores in the UK and Ireland, and expanded the number of combined shop and cafe sites to 30.

And on the wholesale side, the company struck deals with Amazon, Ocado and QVC.

This came after consumers cited lack of access as a barrier to purchasing more from the retailer.

It is also set to trial wholesale deals with two new partners in time for the busy Christmas period.

Emma-Lou Montgomery, associate director from Fidelity Personal Investings share dealing service, said the results showed a glimmer of hope for some of Britains retailers.

She said: Opening 15 new stores in such a tricky trading period was no mean feat.

And down-playing its original subscription-based customer model and driving sales into stores shows how niche, high-end retailers remain a crucial part of the UK retail sector.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accused the US of trying to overthrow his government, rejecting bilateral talks after President Donald Trump predicted stepped-up sanctions would get Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear programme.

Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly, Rouhani accused the Trump administration of violating state obligations from the Obama administration by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the US and five other major powers.

On what basis and criteria can we enter into an agreement with an administration misbehaving such as this? Rouhani asked.

It is ironic that the US government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks.

Rouhani invited the US to return to negotiations within the UN Security Council, which endorsed the nuclear deal.

There, he said, both sides could listen to each other.

Beginning the dialogue starts with ending threats and unjust sanctions that negate the principles of ethics and international law, he said.

In remarks released while Rouhani was still talking, US National Security Adviser John Bolton reinforced the decision to withdraw from the deal, echoing his presidents strong language and using blunt language to dismiss any entreaties from Tehran.

He called the scrapped Iran deal the worst diplomatic debacle in American history.

Rouhani, in his General Assembly speech, targeted Trump in language if not directly in name.

This US govt withdrawing from a multilateral agreement adopted by the Security Council invites us to bilateral talks. Dismissing the basic principle of state continuity it violates state obligations affirmed by its predecessor. #UNGA  Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) September 25, 2018

He condemned recklessness and disregard of some states for international values and institutions.

Rouhani laid into leaders who believe they can ride public sentiments and gain popular support through the fomenting of extremist nationalism and racism and through what he called xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition.

Trump, in his own speech, said Americans reject the ideology of globalism in favour of what he called the doctrine of patriotism. He also blasted what he called Irans corrupt dictatorship.

Rouhani also said US sanctions against his country amount to an economic war which is disrupting trade and will harm people beyond Iran.Russia announced yesterday it will supply an S-300 surface-to-air 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 US National Security Adviser John Bolton called a "significant escalation" of the seven-year war.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow had in the past obliged Israel by refraining to supply Syria with the system. 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".

President Vladimir Putin discussed the decision by phone yesterday with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Kremlin 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. Moscow blamed Israel for creating dangerous conditions that caused the crash.

Israel, which has struck Syria scores of 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. It 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 officials could not immediately be reached to respond to Russia's announcement yesterday, a Jewish holiday, but Israel has repeatedly rejected suggestions it was to blame for the plane crash.

Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence who now directs Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, called the accusation that Israel played a role in the crash "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. Israel has been preparing for this threat for 20 years and will know how to handle it," he tweeted.

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".Alan Hogg was shot while his wife Nhot Suddaen was bludgeoned to death with a hammer at their villa in Phrae by hired killers.

Their bodies were discovered Tuesday morning in graves two metres deep (around six feet) on their own land, Colonel Manas Kerdsukho, police commander in Phrae, told AFP. (Representational Image)

Bangkok: The bodies of a wealthy British retiree and his Thai wife were found buried on their own property Tuesday a week after an alleged contract killing that implicated the woman's brother, police said.

Alan Hogg was shot while his wife Nhot Suddaen was bludgeoned to death with a hammer at their villa in the northern province of Phrae by men paid 50,000 baht (USD 1,540).

Their bodies were discovered Tuesday morning in graves two metres deep (around six feet) on their own land, Colonel Manas Kerdsukho, police commander in Phrae, told AFP.

Three suspects have been arrested, including Nhot's elder brother Varut Rattanasajjakit, the alleged mastermind accused of paying the killers.

"The motive for the killings was a long-running internal family conflict, feuds and property," Manas said.

He added that prime suspect Varut was arrested later Tuesday and one of the alleged accomplices told authorities he helped carry out the murder.

Varut denies all allegations.

British media reports described Hogg, 64, as a millionaire from Edinburgh who built a lavish home with a swimming pool in the province not far from the Laos border.

A Thai television station showed footage of an excavator digging up mounds of dirt in a search for the bodies.

A spokesperson for Britain's foreign office said staff was "providing support" for the family of the victims and are in contact with local authorities.British American Tobacco has appointed Jack Bowles as its new chief executive.

Mr Bowles will replace Nicandro Durante, who is retiring after nearly 37 years with the company and eight years at the helm.

He will become chief executive designate on November 1 and will join the board on January 1.

The Board of #BritishAmericanTobacco p.l.c. has announced today that Jack Bowles, currently Chief Operating Officer, will succeed Nicandro Durante as CEO of BAT following Nicandros retirement on 1 April 2019. Read more here: https://t.co/Ml3hk1HWIA pic.twitter.com/EoqjJbV4aH  BAT (@BATplc) September 25, 2018

Mr Bowles joined BAT in 2004 as head of its France division before becoming managing director of the groups listed subsidiary in Malaysia.

He was appointed to the BAT management board in 2009 as regional director for Western Europe and has also held roles in the America and Asia-Pacific Region before assuming his current role as chief operating officer in 2017.

Chairman Richard Burrows said: Jacks track record of innovating, and his experience across so many different geographies and areas of our business, position him extremely well to build on Nicandros achievements and write the next chapter in BATs history.

Change at the top comes as the groups shares have slumped over the last 12 months amid the decline in demand for traditional tobacco products, with investors unsure over its plans for next-generation products, such as e-cigarettes.

The group has sought to reassure investors over its plans  with a target for next-generation sales to double in 2018 to 1 billion, before rising to 5 billion in 2022.President Donald Trump defended his US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh yesterday after a second woman came forward with an allegation of sexual misconduct against the judge that has further complicated his confirmation prospects in the senate.

"Judge Kavanaugh is an outstanding person. I am with him all the way," Mr Trump said after arriving in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, calling the allegations against his nominee for a lifetime post on the top US court politically motivated.

On Sunday night, the 'New Yorker' magazine published an article in which a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, described an instance of alleged sexual misconduct by Mr Kavanaugh that dates to the 1983-84 academic year when both attended Yale University.

Ms Ramirez is cited by the 'New Yorker' as saying Mr Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drunken dormitory party.

Mr Trump stood by Mr Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge, as the new allegations threatened to upend a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Thursday to hear testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, a university professor in California who has accused Mr Kavanaugh of sexual assault in 1982. Mr Kavanaugh, also due to testify at the Judiciary Committee hearing, has denied the accusations by Ms Ford and Ms Ramirez.

After the new allegations surfaced, Democrats called for a delay in Thursday's hearing.

Mr Trump made clear he considered the allegations politically motivated. "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," Mr Trump said. "In my opinion, it's totally political. It's totally political."

The controversy over Mr Kavanaugh is unfolding just weeks before November 6 congressional elections in which Democrats are trying to take control of Congress from Mr Trump's Republicans.

Ms Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, has said Mr 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.

In a TV interview yesterday, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said the White House took the allegations seriously and that Ramirez should contact the committee if she also wants to testify.The founder of a company that sells blueprints for making untraceable 3D printed guns has resigned from the firm after being arrested on charges of having sex with an underage girl, the company has announced.

Cody Wilson tendered his resignation to his own company on Friday to tend to personal matters, said Paloma Heindorff, director of development for Texas-based Defense Distributed.

The company is at the centre of a lawsuit filed by several states trying to shut down the firm.

Heindorff said she would be taking over Wilsons duties as director of the company and was a strong believer in the Second Amendment.

She said she would not comment on the criminal charges against 30-year-old Wilson.

Im a different person, she said during a news conference. Im not trying to replace him as a character.

She said his leaving was his own decision and we support it, adding: Going forward, as it stands, he has no role in the company.

Investigators allege Wilson met the 16-year-old girl through the website SugarDaddyMeet.com.

According to an affidavit, the girl said they met in the car park of an Austin coffee shop in August and then drove to a hotel. The girl told investigators that Wilson paid her 500 dollars (380) after they had sex and then dropped her off at a Whataburger restaurant.

He was arrested in Taiwan and taken back to the US over the weekend. He has since been freed on bail.

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia had sued the Trump administration to dissolve a settlement it reached with Defense Distributed over allowing it to disseminate its designs for making a 3D-printable gun.

The lawsuit was backed mostly by Democratic state attorneys general who argued that such weapons could be used by criminals or terrorists.

Last month, a federal court in Seattle barred Wilson from posting the designs online for free.

He then began selling them for any amount of money to US customers through his website. Heindorff said there were no plans to stop doing that.

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 because there is 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.Pope Francis is wrapping up his pilgrimage to the Baltics with a stop in Estonia, often considered one of the least religious countries in the world.

Francis met President Kersti Kaljulaid upon arriving in the capital Tallinn.

Later, he will preside over a youth gathering before celebrating Mass in Tallinns Freedom Square for a Catholic community that numbers only 6,000 people.

His Holiness the Pope Francis @Pontifex just became an e-resident of #Estonia. Welcome to our #digital society! Now we have e-residents from 157 countries around the world #eResidency #PopeInEstonia #PopeFrancis pic.twitter.com/2KcvUbnqqE  Kersti Kaljulaid (@KerstiKaljulaid) September 25, 2018

Between a half and two-thirds of Estonias 1.3 million people profess no religious affiliation, with the Lutheran and Russian Orthodox churches counting the most followers of those who do.

Estonia is the last stop in Franciss four-day visit that took him to Lithuania and Latvia.

He is aiming to encourage the Christian faith in the Baltics, which saw five decades of Soviet-imposed religious repression and state-sponsored atheism.

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In a speech to Ms Kaljulaid in the Rose Garden of the presidential palace, Francis praised Estonias social and economic transformation in the quarter century since the Soviet Unions five-decade occupation ended.

But he warned that a certain existential ennui can set in when societies lose their cultural roots and put their faith in technological progress alone.

One of the evident effects of technocratic societies is a loss of meaning in life and the joy of living, he said. Interpersonal and intergenerational bonds can be lost, depriving young generations of foundations to build a common future, he said.

Consequently, one of the most important obligations incumbent on all of us who have social, political, educational and religious responsibilities has to do precisely with how we can keep building bonds, he said, adding that while small, the Catholic Church can make its contribution.

In her welcoming speech, Ms Kaljulaid acknowledged that rapid changes taking place amid robust economic growth  something particularly visible in the Baltic nations  should not mean the vulnerable among us are neglected.

We must remember that economic success obliges us to take notice of others and reach out to them, Estonias head of state said, referring to the poor, the disabled, the very young and the very old.An Indian and an Irish sailor rescued from damaged sailboats in the remote southern Indian Ocean will reach an island on Tuesday and undergo medical assessments, an official said.

The French fisheries patrol boat Osiris rescued injured Indian Abhilash Tomy, 39, and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, late on Monday after their boats lost masts in a storm on Friday while competing in the around-the-world Golden Globe Race.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which coordinated the rescues in the Australian search and rescue zone 2,200 miles south-west of the Australian city of Perth and 1,875 miles south-east of the French island of Reunion, said the sailors would land at a French research station on remote Amsterdam Island later on Tuesday.

The station has a doctor and a small hospital where the conditions of both sailors would be assessed, the authoritys response centre manager Alan Lloyd said.

Mr Tomy had reported a back injury during the storm that had left him bedridden.

AMSA has confirmed that FPV Osiris has successfully located and rescued Abhliash Tomy who is reported to be in a stable condition. The vessel will now transport Tomy to Ile Amsterdam for further medical treatment. AMSA would like to thank all those involved in the search. pic.twitter.com/ALxsrEBQmT  AMSA News (@AMSA_News) September 24, 2018

Both sailors have been reported as well, Mr Lloyd told reporters. Tomy was able to assist himself by transferring off the vessel on to the Osiris.

Indias defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, tweeted on Monday that it was a sense of relief to know that naval officer Mr Tomy was rescued by the French fishing vessel. He is conscious and doing okay.

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

She said an Indian navy frigate would take Tomy from Amsterdam Island to Mauritius for medical attention.

Mr Lloyd said an Australian navy frigate would reach Amsterdam Island on Friday with plans to take the two sailors to the Australian port of Fremantle.

Whether Mr Tomy went to Mauritius or Fremantle would depend on his medical assessment at Amsterdam Island, Mr Lloyd said.

At this stage, we would suggest his condition is stable, but obviously we await the final medical advice, Mr Lloyd said.

An Indian Armed Forces P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft flying from Mauritius had helped authorities assess the conditions of the sailboats.

Mr McGuckin had lost both masts, but had constructed a temporary jury-rig to get his sailboat to within a miles of Mr Tomys boat. Mr McGuckin was rescued a few hours after Mr Tomy, Mr Lloyd said.

Indian navy spokesman Captain DK Sharma said on Monday that Mr Tomy was in third place in the race that began in France on July 1 when he lost his mast.

Im sure he would have brought laurels to the country. Unfortunately, this feat could not be completed, Capt Sharma said. But we are very happy that hes safe and sound and well soon have him back.Budget airline Ryanair has cancelled 190 flights scheduled for Friday because of strikes by cabin crew in Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy and Germany.

The flights represent 8% of the 2,400 originally scheduled.

The airline said in a statement that all affected customers have received emails or text messages informing them of the cancellation.

Ryanair Pre-Cancels Under 190 Of 2,400 (8%) Scheduled Flights On Fri 28th Sept: https://t.co/yErvVaCLgm  Ryanair (@Ryanair) September 25, 2018

About 30,000 customers are likely to be affected out of 450,000 set to travel.

Ryanairs Kenny Jacobs apologised to customers affected by strikes, which we have done our utmost to avoid.

Ryanair cancelled hundreds of flights last year due to problems with pilot scheduling, and strikes have led to more cancellations this summer.

The budget airline and pilots have wrangled over working conditions, base transfers and annual leave.Donald Trump has delivered a sharp rebuke of multinational authority at the United Nations, drawing headshakes and even laughter from fellow world leaders as he boasted of Americas economic and military might.

The US president arrived late, forcing a last-minute scheduling switch, then received polite applause but also blank stares as he took his blustery brand of America First policies to the annual General Assembly.

Speaking in triumphant terms, he approached the address as an annual report to the world on his countrys progress since his inauguration.

He crowed that in less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.

Rather than applaud or indicate they were impressed, the audience began to chuckle and some broke into outright laughter.

Mr Trump appeared briefly flustered before joking that it was not the reaction he expected but thats all right.

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The moment reinforced Mr Trumps isolation among allies and foes alike, as his nationalistic policies have created rifts with former partners and cast doubt in some circles about the reliability of American commitments around the world.

Mr Trump seized his opportunity to assert American independence from the international body.

He was unapologetic about his decisions to engage with the one-time pariah North Korea, remove the US from the international Iran nuclear accord and object to UN programmes he believes are contrary to American interests.

We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism, he said.

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He referenced a long list of UN initiatives, from the International Criminal Court to the Human Rights Council, that his administration is working to undermine.

As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy and no authority, he said.

The US is boycotting the Human Rights Council, arguing it overlooks abuses by some and serves as a venue for anti-American and anti-Israeli action.

His denunciation of globalism drew murmurs from a room that stands as the embodiment of the notion.

Other tense moments included his criticism of Germanys pursuit of a direct energy pipeline from Russia, which drew a dismissive headshake from a member of the US allys delegation.

His mention of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, all in one breath, was received by stone-faced Saudi officials. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been boycotting Doha since last year as part of a political dispute tearing apart the Gulf Arab nations.For Doob: No Bed Of Roses, this year has been an exciting one. The film has become Bangladeshs Oscar entry in the best foreign language film category. Talking about the film, movies director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki said that it would not have been possible without Indian actor Irrfan Khan, says the movies 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 actors spokesperson said in a statement on Irrfans 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.

Talking about the film, 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."

Talking about his equation with Irrfan, he added,

I share a wonderful relation with him, on and off the set. I call him poet and he jokingly corrects me saying Im 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 daughters childhood friend, causing a national scandal. The film ran into troubled waters 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 Captain of INS Satpura, Alok Ananda, headed to the distress location in the South Indian Ocean where Commander Abhilash Tomy was stranded after being dismantled by harsh weather, despite losing his father the same day. Read More.

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Surgical Strike Hero Lance Naik Sandeep Singh Martyred After Killing Three Terrorists In J&K

Lance Naik Sandeep Singh, who was among the braves of surgical strikes, lost his life in Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday, while fighting terrorists. He was hit by multiple bullets during the operation on Monday. He will be laid to rest in Gurdaspur today afternoon. Read More.

Rains Wreak Havoc In Himachal, Over 150 Stranded In Lahaul-Spiti; Connectivity Off-Track

Rains are wreaking havoc in Himachal Pradesh since Saturday, dismantling life and connectivity in the region. There are reports of people and vehicles being swept away in Beas river, which is swelling beyond the danger mark. Read More.

New Zealand PMs Three-Month Old Daughter Becomes The 'First Baby' To Attend UN Assembly In New York

New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern who assumed office on October 26, 2017, made her debut speech at UN Assembly in New York and made history simultaneously by bringing her baby, Neve Te Aroha along. Read More.

Abandoned By Husband For Being Overweight, This Tamil Nadu Woman Shaped Her Future

For a woman who was once abandoned by her husband because of her physical appearance, Ruby Beauty is an inspiration for many. Body shamed every now and then, Ruby has put those days behind and has come out as fitness champion who wins medals for her country. Read More.Ministers gathering on Monday 'unanimously supported a system based on skills rather than nationality', an unnamed source told the BBC.

May is now expected to make an announcement on future immigration rules at her Conservative party's conference next week, before likely introducing proposals later this year. (Photo: File)

London: Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet has agreed that EU citizens should not have preferential access to work in Britain compared to people from elsewhere after Brexit, media reports said Tuesday.

Ministers gathering on Monday "unanimously supported a system based on skills rather than nationality", an unnamed source told the BBC, with similar reports in The Times and The Guardian.

Citizens from the other 27 European Union member states are currently free to live and work in Britain under the bloc's freedom of movement rules, but this will end after Brexit.

A government-commissioned report last week recommended that in future, EU and non-EU citizens follow the same immigration rules, with preference given to high-skilled workers.

The report's author, Alan Manning of the Migration Advisory Committee, briefed the cabinet meeting on Monday on his plan.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The cabinet agreed that, once free movement is brought to an end, the government will be able to introduce a new system which works in the best interests of the UK, including by helping to boost productivity."

May is now expected to make an announcement on future immigration rules at her Conservative party's conference next week, before likely introducing proposals later this year.

However, any post-Brexit immigration policy could be affected by Britain's future trade deals.

The EU may well seek to negotiate continued preferential treatment in return for access to its single market, while other countries could also seek visa waivers in return for trade deals.

May promised last week that even if Brexit negotiations with the EU break down, the rights of Europeans currently living in Britain "will be protected".

Her spokesman said there would be formal proposals published "shortly".The Captain of INS Satpura, Alok Ananda, headed to the distress location in the South Indian Ocean where Commander Abhilash Tomy was stranded after being dismantled by harsh weather, despite losing his father the same day.

The INS Satpura Captain was also a part of the Golden Globe Race 2018, and put duty above everything despite going through a period of personal tragedy.

Photo Credit: AFP

The father of Captain passed away at his hometown in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. He had been suffering from health issues for quite some time.

Abhilash Tomy, an Indian Navy Commander, who was stranded in the Indian Ocean since Friday, was rescued safely on Monday by French fishing vessel Osiris. Commander Tomy is now safe, conscious and is talking. He has been taken to a nearby island of Ile Amsterdam, from where he will be picked up by Indian Navy's stealth frigate INS Satpura that will take him to Mauritius.Lance Naik Sandeep Singh, who was among the braves of surgical strikes, lost his life in Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday, while fighting terrorists. He was hit by multiple bullets during the operation on Monday. He will be laid to rest in Gurdaspur today afternoon.

Singh was the part of the elite special forces which conducted the 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan. He is survived by his wife and a five-year-old son.

Three terrorists were also killed in the anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar in J&K on Monday. On Sunday, two terrorists were killed in the gun battle. According to Mumbai Mirror, Singh was leading the search party of 4 Para commandos in the Tanghdar sector. Noticing suspicious activities, he deployed his squad and moved further to ascertain their presence.

Lance Naik Sandeep Singh who lost his life in action during anti-infiltration Op. in Tangdhar sector y'day, was a part of team that carried out surgical strike in'16.He is survived by his wife&5-yr-old son. Earlier, a wrong photograph of him was tweeted by Army's Northern Command pic.twitter.com/6SNkmMTS3a  ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2018

He neutralised three terrorists and sustained a gunshot to his head. He succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated.One of the Four Noble Truths of the centuries-old Buddhist philosophy is to end the pain and suffering in our life.

It may not be easy for everyone, but Phurba Thinley does this in a remarkable way. He found a way to fight pain when he was a young boy preparing to become a monk in a Buddhist monastery in Bhutan.

For him, cessation of pain comes through the process of making people smile, and at times, laugh out loud.

google

Over the years Buddhist monks, in different sects, have been following the teachings of learned elders to free themselves from all worldly pains. They tell others as well how to remain content by ignoring the temptations in this consumerist world.

This kind of wisdom can surely be associated with someone who has spent quality time learning the way from revered masters. Thinley did it for years, but then he became what life chose for him instead. A monk who is now a comedian.

From the most disciplined institutions of the planet which seeks renunciation and an ascetic life to being in the spotlight where he is cheered by people from all age groups, his current fame as a comedian couldn't be more contrasting with his training as a monk early on.

google

But Thinley is a star, he is cheerfulness personified. He is perhaps one of the most recognisable Bhutanese celebrities. He travels with a simple message of spreading happiness.

I have travelled to many European countries and the Middle East (he names several). People recognise me, they follow my work. Its all because of the Royal Family, they gave me a chance to represent my country and I tried to do my best wherever I have gone. Its quite wonderful to receive the love that I get, not everyone is so lucky, says Thinley.

After performing at the recently held Mountain Echos Festival in Thimphu, the Bhutanese superstar spoke to Indiatimes about his life journey in the serene mountains of the picturesque country. When asked about his passion for comedy and when he realized to pursue it, he replied, As a kid, I used to make fun of things around me, even at the monastery. I was talkative, and my teachers always asked me to remain quiet. Learning theology was important for me, but I just couldnt do it seriously.

Coming to terms with his passion

It took Thnley some years to decide what he actually wanted to do. But after spending initial years in the monastery and travelling as a monk, even to India, Thinley finally joined Bhutans prestigious Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA) in 1996 at the age of 30.

It took me time to decide what I wanted to do. I even tried to stop joking and lead a serious life like other monks, but I could not do it. Comedy comes naturally to me, he says.

Thinley remembers his teachers, who did not discourage him but was not happy with his decision to leave the monastery. They thought I could at least become a teacher, if not a successful monk. They didnt want me to be a performer like this. But I just couldnt fulfil their wish, he recalls.

youtube

I began by making small announcements at assemblies, during which I used to crack jokes. People somehow started liking it and it gave me a lot of confidence and then I went further ahead with my passion. Today whatever I am is because of the hard work over the years, he adds.

Bollywood influences

When Thinley began his formal training and performances in the 1990s, Kader Khan, Govinda and Johnny Lever were ruling the comic scenes in Hindi films. And the three became a sort of holy trinity for Thinley as he got inspired by their performances. I just cant say enough about how these three have inspired me. I have never met them, but have definitely learnt a lot from them. I wish to meet them in Mumbai one day, he hopes.

Being a performer, Thinley understands the responsibility of extending the legacy that he has built over the years. He is working hard to document and teach the skills to young performers who want to take comedy seriously.

Me and my brother are writing books on the subject. We want more young people to come forward and spread the joy. Bhutan is a country of happiness. There cant be anything better than spreading it further, he says.

There is a saying in Bhutanese, making people happy is the most profitable job. I am just doing that.On some days, the internet turns into a wonderful place where people come together to root for something that is exceptionally heartwarming. Today, trending on the internet is a special speech which was delivered by South Korean group BTS.

The music group attended a meeting focused on youth issues at the United Nations in New York City. The team was gathered at the podium to deliver a speech about their Love Myself campaign, in partnership with UNICEF, which launched last year and is aimed at ending violence against children and teenagers.

Agencies

Though it was mainly Kim Namjoon, better known as RM, who delivered the speech on behalf of the group, his fellow six band membersV, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, Jimin, J-Hope were seen joining him, adding their words about self-love that fit in perfectly as fillers in his speech.

Agencies

People are in love with their speech and why not? How often have you seen a youth icon talking so fearlessly about self-love and accepting your own self for who you really are? In the six-minute speech, Namjoon brought a special focus on the topic of his upbringing in Ilsan, South Korea and how it was a struggle for him to find his true passion and identity while growing up. He says,

Agencies

I would look up at the night sky and wonder . . . I used to imagine I was a superhero who could save the world, he said. In the intro to one of our old songs, theres a line that says my heart stopped when I was maybe 9 or 10. Looking back, that is when I began to worry about what other people thought of me and started seeing myself through their eyes. I stopped looking up at the night sky, the stars. I stopped daydreaming. Instead, I tried to jam myself into the other molds that other people made. Soon, I began to shut out my own voice and listen to the voice of others. No one called out my name and neither did I. My heart stopped and my eyes closed shut. Like this, Iweall lost our names. We became like ghosts. But I had one sanctuary, and that was music.

Just to jog your memory a little, the band has also released several Love Yourself albums, all promoting the same idea. In case you are wondering why the internet is in love with this special speech, here is a sound-byte.

Agencies

Even after the decision of joining BTS, there were a lot of hurdles . . . Most people thought we were hopeless, and sometimes I just wanted to quit. Anything that Ive achieved, it was only possible that I had my other BTS members right by my side, and because of the love and support that our Army fans all over the world made for us.

Yesterdays me is still me. Today, I am who I am with all of my faults and my mistakes.

I have come to love myself for who I am, for who I was, and for who I hope to become.

Id like to ask all of you: What is your name? What excites you and makes your heart beat? Tell me your story. I want to hear your voice and I want to hear your conviction. No matter who you are, where youre from, your skin color, your gender identityjust speak yourself.

Watch this speech right here.

"I want to hear your voice... No matter who you are, where youre from, your skin colour, gender identity: speak yourself.

We  @BTS_twt's inspiring message to young people around the world at the UN General Assembly. #GenUnlimited #UNGA #ENDviolence #Youth2030 pic.twitter.com/kWOoSfLkiq  UNICEF (@UNICEF) September 24, 2018

Here is how people reacting to their emotional yet powerful speech.

Im in tear right now, namjoon your speech was beautiful it was so meaningful. I LOVE YOU AND THE OTHER BOYS SO MUCH AND ILL MAKE SURE TO KEEP LOVING BTS. YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPY AND MADE ME LEARN HOW TO LOVE MYSELF MORE BECAUSE OF YOUR SONGS. I LOVE YOU ALL  jann is inactive (@chimmypjm_) September 24, 2018

Years ago and look where they are now. And what they can make to each and everyone of us, to speak for your name. To know what you can give to others. Your purpose. #Namjoon delivers and convey something beyond to us. Let's all unite. #BTSxUnitedNations pic.twitter.com/BEcVGSDeYg  Im a BTS Lover (@Lene24121) September 24, 2018

-5 years ago, society was putting @BTS_twt in a box trying to define who they should be

-5 years later, they become Global Ambassadors of Youth, giving a powerful speech to advocate for young people around the world at the UNGA in front of the First Lady

#BTSxUnitedNations pic.twitter.com/9ZBHhciH5E  Sci's Magic Shop (@bts_sci) September 24, 2018

Namjoons hands were shaking when he started giving the speech. An ordinary 24 year old boy, just as nervous as anyone would be at his age, using his story to tell you not to give up. #BTSxUnitedNations @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/OggTdM2gaH  Don't be a jerk  (@maxduckbutt) September 24, 2018

It was his 2nd language,bt still he delivered the best speech of this world

Namjoon,Jin,Yoongi,Hoseok,Jimin,Taehyung,Jungkook,

Seven of you,you are the leaders of youth

Thank you 

Seven of you did amazing today@BTS_twt #BTSxUnitednations

pic.twitter.com/LJkBstlCf2  LoveBTS (@zerinbtsarmy) September 24, 2018

Someone help. I was explaining to my mom what namjoon said in the speech and I broke down in the first couple of words. His words are so powerful I love them so much. Theyre my everything. Even more then my family sometimes  @BTS_twt Thank you for everything. #BTSxUNICEF pic.twitter.com/7Y5PdnCg2K  namjoon the president (@dumndadumdada) September 25, 2018

"Yesterday's me is still me...today I am who I am with all my faults and mistakes." -@BTS_twt live NOW at the @UN General Assembly. What a powerful speech.#BTSonGMA #BTS https://t.co/PXMBTmdKGE pic.twitter.com/TP2xQ7ccJL  Tony Morrison (@THETonyMorrison) September 24, 2018

"What is your name? Speak yourself." Can't really describe how moved I was by Namjoon's speech at the UN - what a great speaker, and what a great message for young people around the world. pic.twitter.com/P279Rq0eYw  Joshua Calixto (@HiThereJosh) September 24, 2018

Its so unbelievable that bts are actually going to give a speech at the UN. I dont think some people understand how groundbreaking and incredible that is, especially for an international group like BTS. The milestones they keep surpassing just keep growing #BTSxUnitedNations pic.twitter.com/xkv08rICHT  diana  | aus  (@_jeonlicious_) September 24, 2018

so today we found out :

- dna hit half a billion views

- bts is performing on good morning america in times square

- bts is also performing and having an interview with jimmy fallon on SNL

- bts is giving a speech at the UN headquarters

and the day isnt even over!  nia . (@honeysuckletae) September 19, 2018

My favorite part from Namjoon's speech at the UN General Assembly. pic.twitter.com/OcmdxJ9t0w   (@sinarisme) September 25, 2018

I'm telling you he will become the President one day. He will.

Can you believe Kim Namjoon was only 24 when he addressed the UN speech

My man@BTS_twt #BTS pic.twitter.com/06PXmpGINl  Aafi (@aafia_s) September 25, 2018

Among South Korea's best known and most lucrative musical exports, BTS made music history this year by becoming the first K-Pop group to top the Billboard 200 music charts. "BTS has become artists performing in huge stadiums and selling millions of records right now, but I am still an ordinary 24-year-old guy," said Kim Nam-jun.As teenagers, most of us feel lost, with no idea of what we really want to do or be in life. It's ok to be impressionable but things sometimes can go out of hand, like in this Nagpur boy's case.

The boy was allegedly so mesmerized by his aunt's lavish bar dancer lifestyle, that he actually stole some gold from her to get a sex change operation and work in one of the bars!

According to a Times Of India report, the class VIII student is being raised by his maternal uncle after his mother left him for another man.

The incident occurred on the 7th of August after the boy's aunt came to visit them in Nagpur from Mumbai with the gold to keep it in a bank locker. The teenager came in contact with a glitzy life of a bar dancer when he visited his maternal aunts house, cops said.

After running away from home, the boy contacted Rehana Dhanawat, who is also a bar dancer by profession. She assured him that she would help him with his surgery and asked him to wait near the Quetta Colony.

Reuters

The report states that Rehana kept the boy at Pardi for a few days and later took him to Mumbai. Rehana told the boy that they were in the process to finalize the doctor and an appropriate place to get it done in Mumbai.

The teenager has been shifted to a government shelter home. His intention to have sex change surfaced during investigations when his close friend confided in the cops about his aspirations for an affluent lifestyle. Police have arrested the four involved in the incident for instigating the boy to commit a crime.

However, despite efforts to counsel the teenager, he is adamant that he wants to stay with Rehana and undergo the surgery to turn into a woman.Popular television actress Radhika Madan in her debut Hindi film Patakha that releases on Sept. 28. The Vishal Bhardwaj film also features Sanya Malhotra of Dangal fame, and tells the story of two sisters played by Madan and Malhotra. (photo provided)Padma Lakshmi seen attending the TIME 100 Gala celebrating its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People In The World at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2018 in New York City. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images)by Joseph Manh Hung

The 59-year-old jurist with a master's degree in politics has been vice president since January 2016, when the Communist Party Congress reshuffled the country's leadership with the presidency going to Tran ai Quang, a top conservative leader in the Politburo. The mystery surrounding his death is fuelling the rumour mill.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - For the first time in history, a woman is president of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Appointed after the death of his predecessor Tran ai Quang, ang Thi Ngoc Thinh (pictured) will be the acting head of state until the National Assembly elects a new leader.

Ms Thinh, a 59-year-old jurist with a master's degree in politics, was first elected vice president in January 2016, when the Communist Party held a congress to renew the country's leadership.

That same month, Tran ai Quang, a key member of the powerful Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam since 1977, became president. Between 2011 and 2016, he had served as Minister of Public Security.

Their appointment signalled the rise of members of the security apparatus inside the Central Committee and the Politburo of the Communist Party, said at the time Prof Carlyle Thayer, a well-known Australian expert on Vietnamese affairs.

In Quangs case, it was the first time that a police general became president of Vietnam, a sign that conservatives had the upper hand in a divided party.

According to Thayer, Tran ai Quangs appointment has led to greater efforts to fight corruption and pro-democracy activists.

During his term in office, he was harshly criticised internationally for cracking down on dissidents, bloggers and journalists.

Nonetheless, Quang had worked successfully at improving relations with the United States, especially in relation to Chinese claims in the South China Sea.

Daniel Kritenbrink, US ambassador to Vietnam, described the late president as "a friend" of the United States in his message of condolences.

The diplomat noted how Donald Trump's visit to Hanoi in November 2017 contributed to "mutual understanding, shared interests, and a common desire to promote peace, co-operation, prosperity and security in the Indo-pacific region.

President Quang had been seriously ill for months, but continued to perform his official duties even though he was visibly tired and had lost weight.

Following his death, Vietnamese authorities did not reveal the exact nature of his illness, except to mention "a rare virus".

The lack of information about the presidents death after only 28 months into a five-year term has fed the rumour mill.

A journalist, who prefers to remain anonymous, said I was really surprised. Whilst many of the regimes leaders are healthy or cared for, others like Tran ai Quang, Nguyen Ba Thanh or Pham Quy Ngo suddenly die of strange illnesses. They are all victims ... ".Jackson County, Illinois special prosecutor David Robinson has filed a motion to revoke bail for Gaege Bethune, who was earlier this year convicted for the 2014 murder of Indian American Pravin Varughese. Judge Mark Clarke threw out the jurys verdict Sept. 17 and ordered a new trial. Lovely Varughese, the mother of the victim, shared a poignant post on Facebook: I thought my sleepless nights were over, but no. I never felt this betrayed in my life like how I felt Monday, Sept. 17. (Facebook photo)The 2019 Indian diaspora conclave promises to be a bigger affair than the norm. The conclave is scheduled to be held in Varanasi Jan. 21 to Jan. 23. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak on Jan. 22. (IANS photo)U.S. President Donald Trump Sept. 25 used India as an example to the world of a country that has lifted millions out of poverty. He was addressing the United Nations General Assembly. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images photo)Halliburtons new 40m lb frac sand terminal at Windsor, Colorado, nearing completion in early March 2013.

O ilfield services giant Halliburton has responded to the challenging logistical demands of frac sand supply by bringing on stream the worlds largest dedicated frac sand transfer terminal.

Halliburton recently opened its 40m lb new sand storage and distribution plant located at Windsor, Colorado, north of Denver. IM visited the site just prior to its opening.

The logistics market for frac sand has been turned on its head since 2010.

In fact, the US frac sand industry is a logistics game. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sand are having to be shifted from mines located primarily in north-central US (Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, and Texas), to fracking operations in the shale gas and shale oil plays of the Bakken formation (Montana, North Dakota), the Permian (west Texas), the Marcellus (Pennsylvania, New York), and the Utica (Ohio).

The Niobrara shale formation located in northeastern Colorado, with parts trending into Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas, has emerged as a major target for shale oil development, although shale gas has also been recovered.

Considered a major tight resource play, 46-451 metres thick with organic content ranging from 1-5%, the Niobrara is in early stages of development. Niobraras brittle, calcareous chalk benches make the formation highly suitable for fracturing.

Establishing adequate and strategic logistics infrastructure, plus alliances with logistics providers such as railroad companies, has become the market mantra and will dictate the survival of the fittest in this increasingly competitive market.

For major oilfield service providers, such as Halliburton, which handle large tonnages of oilfield minerals, it is essential to own and operate storage and distribution facilities to ensure consistent supply to their customers.

Halliburton recognised the increased demand for fracking in the Niobrara formation in north-east Colorado (see map), particularly in the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin, and realised that the anticipated volumes of incoming frac sand would require a much more enhanced transfer facility than its existing infrastructure.

Windsor frac sand terminal

Halliburton started building the new storage terminal for frac sand in Windsor, Colorado, during the first quarter of 2012. The terminal was built on 54 acres (220,000m2) of the Great Western Industrial Park, formerly on the site of Eastman Kodak Co.

Key to the location of the plant is its spur railroad link to two of the largest US railroad companies: Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific.

The plant utilises a state-of-the-art system to discharge sand swiftly from 90-110 railcar unit trains to 10 storage silos each holding 4m lbs sand, which in turn load sand trucks to deliver the proppant to the drill pads in the Niobrara.

The plant enables two rail cars to be discharged at the same time using two independent systems each incorporating an underground pit beneath the rail track, a wide hopper (40 s.tons) and bucket elevator to feed a set of five 4m lbs silos at a rate of 650 tph sand (most other railcar discharge facilities are 350 tph).

Sampling and analysis is conducted pre-discharge which takes about 15 minutes. Railcar discharge takes about six minutes, and about eight minutes to load a sand truck.

The plant officially opened on 18 March 2013 and has been ramping up ever since. Joseph Powell, Logistics Supervisor, Halliburton  Brighton Field Camp Logistics, told IM : The Halliburton Windsor Sand Plant go-live went very well.

The most popular sand grade at present for the Niobrara is 20/40, with some 30/50, and 40/70, with little resin coated sand used.

IM roundtable

Halliburton is presenting at the IM Roundtable Oilfield Minerals Outlook 2013, 19-21 June, Houston: Brian OConnell, Senior Category Manager is talking about barite supply and demand trends while Steve Gray, Mineral Resource Development, will be looking at the technological evolution of bentonite.

Oilfield Minerals Outlook 2013 focuses on the supply, demand, processing, and logistics for industrial minerals used in the oilfield sector. Last years inaugural event brought together 250 senior decision makers from leading players across the oilfield mineral supply chain.

Keynote presentations include the Energy Information Administration on world shale gas outlook, IHS Chemical on the growth of hydraulic fracturing, Accenture on supply chain logistics, and Baker Hughes on industry changes which are impacting mineral consumption in drilling.

Dont miss out on learning about the latest trends and developments in the oilfield sector and how this will affect future mineral demand.

Register online now!In SF, Demonstrators "Stand with Christine" Against Kavanaugh by Text: Robertson Photos: Lynn LaRocca

Monday Sep 24th, 2018 9:52 PM

On September 23, about 250 people rallied in support of Christine Ford in San Francisco. Please credit photographer Lynn LaRocca.

About 250 people rallied in support of Christine Ford in San Francisco. Earlier this month, Dr. Ford bravely shared her story of sexual violence at the hands of Kavanaugh. Not unexpectedly, GOP leaders are calling her a liar and are painting her as a manipulator whose intention is to destroy Kavanaugh's chances at becoming a Supreme Court Justice.



Speakers said Kavanaughs behavior disqualifies him from an appointment to Supreme Court. They called for the elimination of rape culture and said that we must, instead, build a culture that protects and respects all people.



In support of Ford, people in the San Francisco Bay Area are uniting to demand that all sexual assault survivors be treated with dignity and respect. More events are scheduled in the coming days, especially during the period when Ford testifies.by John Ai

The Patriotic Association enhances the "independence" of the Church; then Liu Bainian expresses appreciation for the Sino-Vatican agreement. The faithful wonder if the Vatican's availability will reduce violence: crosses and churches destroyed; campaigns to get rid of poor Christians, students and teachers; homes for the elderly requisitioned and destroyed to make way for new urban projects.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - The agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government on the appointment of bishops continues to provoke discussion among Chinese Catholics and Protestants, while signs of persecution are growing. The "provisional" fruit of this secret dialogue that was conducted for years was announced on the eve of the Mid-Autumn festival and seems to setoff unexpected shockwaves among Catholics and observers.

The shock was also shared by the Patriotic Association and the Council of Chinese bishops who immediately posted a statement on their site stating that they will always adhere to the principles of "independence", "sincization" and submission to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party " .

The principal of "independence" is a controversial one because it presupposes autonomy from the Pope and the universal Church. Reaffirming independence means in some way rendering useless the agreement that instead provides for the participation of the Holy See in the appointment of bishops.

Later, in an interview with Voice of America, Liu Bainian, honorary president of the Patriotic Association and for so long dubbed "the Pope of China", stated that he fully supports the agreement, which "is beneficial for pastoral work and the spread of the Gospel in China ".

Unofficial Catholics have mixed feelings. For Li, Li from underground community in Beijing said that he supports the agreement if it is good for Catholics in China, however, the Holy See should take the loyalty of the underground church into consideration. " At least we have to believe the Holy See is smarter than us, said another Catholic.

Several comments posted on social media, critical of the agreement, have been removed by censors. Hong Kong Apple Daily reports he was not allowed to reach underground Catholics because he was stopped at the airport and sent back.

Another priest said that the agreement is the result of bargaining and therefore there are losses and gains on both sides. He thinks that the agreement will at least prevent illegitimate ordinations, or celebrations in the presence of excommunicated bishops. He also hopes that the bishops readmitted to communion, with the lifting of the excommunications, are worthy of the Popes forgiveness.

An underground Catholic from Hebei has criticized the erection of the new diocese of Chengde. It seems to him that the Holy See has surrendered the power to establish dioceses to China. He fears that the Holy See will have less and less influence in China because "the real power will be in the hands of the Party".

Many wonder if the Vatican's agreement and availability will bring more freedom to Chinese Catholics and to Christians in general.

For some time the authorities have intensified their repression against Catholics and Protestants, including official communities. The campaign to destroy crosses and churches, which began in 2014 in Zhejiang, has now spread to many parts of the country.

Protestant churches in Beijing, Zhengzhou, Guiyang, Chengdu and other cities have been closed or repressed for their refusal to enter the official Church (the Three Self movement) or to demonstrate submission to the Party. Destruction and vandalism are also recorded among Henan's Catholic communities.

Thanks to the development of information technology, in China it is now possible to monitor every citizen. The churches are obliged to install video cameras to monitor the activities of the faithful.

In Henan, Anhui, Jiangxi, the cadres of the Party visit the homes of Christians asking them to abjure the faith, with the threat of cancelling their pensions, medical care or aid for the poor.

In Wenzhou (Zhejiang), in schools, teachers and students are asked not to believe in any religion (https://twitter.com/xu_xia/status/1043272923816120321 ).

Jin Guoping, head of the Wenzhou Office for Ethnic and Religious Affairs, in an article on China Religion, states that "a mechanism has been established that tracks some important groups that believe in religions, which include teachers and students ... having spoken with 117,300 people who are in religious groups ". The authorities did not respond to the request for comments on this fact.

So far we do not understand any reason for this type of campaign, whether they have an ideological or economic character. Last August in Handan (Hebei), a home for the elderly belonging to the local official Church was demolished to make way for a new residential center. A local newspaper wrote that it had the support of government authorities and immediately the article was removed.This was further compounded by ASICs Tuesday release of a report noting serious, unacceptable delays in the time taken to identify, report and correct significant breaches of the law among Australias most important financial institutions.

ASIC itself has come under fire during proceedings, with Peter Kell stepping down just months into his extended term as deputy chairman.

Yet perhaps most concerning was the fact that the Insurance Council of Australia had recorded 31,000 breaches of the industry code since 2014, while sanctioning precisely none of the companies involved.

With the arrival of the interim report for the Royal Commission now only days away, the calls for reform within the insurance industry  and the financial services sector at large  demand to be taken seriously. General insurance is not currently classed as a financial service in Australia and is exempt from unfair contract laws  though given that the Labor and Liberal parties are pushing for reform, this may change in the near future.

Yet from a PR and financial perspective, the Royal Commission has already proven to be a disaster for the big financial players. Last Sunday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that more $12 billion has been wiped from the value of major listed financial companies this year, linking the Royal Commission to the overall downturn in a market that had already experienced weak trading conditions.

The Australian reports that the interim report will arrive on Friday, September 28. The full report will likely arrive in January, 2019.Ive got young children myself, said Helen Florentzou, Gallaghers Melbourne manager of corporate. And each of these charities is reaching out to help the younger generation in Australia and their families.

Gallagher was a gold sponsor of the inaugural 2018 Victorian charity dinner held at the Shepparton Woolshed, attended by local supporters as well as a team of Gallagher supporters, including Anton Cronje, Jason Dutfield, Daryle Everitt, Jackie Everitt, Helen Florentzou, Maree Mills, and Vicki Vathis.

The gala dinner was the culmination of the KFC Rally 4 Youth, a three-day event for about 30 participants from Shepparton to Echuca, along the Murray River through Yarrawonga and Albury to Beechworth, taking in the King Valley wine district during the round trip.

The rally and dinner raised a total of $250,000 to assist the nominated organisations.GB CEO John McNamara will open the event as part of a plenary panel discussing The Future is Now: An Industry Wide Perspective, along with WorkSafe Victoria CEO Clare Amies, ReturnToWork SA CEO Rob Cordiner, SIRA CEO Carmel Donnelly, and PwC partner Lisa Simpson.

Darrin Wright, GBs executive director of personal injury, will be speaking about new models for managing mental injury in the emergency-services sector, drawing from the collaborative efforts of more than 130 emergency services, health, and safety experts who joined GB as part of the firms Emergency Services Gathering hackathon.

Ben Sheat, GBs general manager of self-insurance, will tackle Self-Insurance  planning for success on day two of the conference, to provide valuable advice on how businesses can plan for success in their self-insurance transformation.

The conference will also feature keynote presentations from Michael Crossland, a cancer survivor, inspirational speaker, and international best-selling author, as well as Holly Ransom, CEO of Emergent, global strategist and influencer.Take a deeper dive into this issue at Cannabis Cover Masterclass Toronto.

Although stigmatized by decades of political instability and drug conflicts  which continue to this day  cannabis producers see a lot of potential in Colombia, and they hope to transform the country into a hub for cultivating medical marijuana.

We understand the pain of the war on drugs. That war was here, Spectrum Cannabis Colombia managing director Bibiana Rojas told CBC News.

Rojas added that she believes cannabis is a piece of hope, as Colombia moves towards transforming something that caused so much pain in the past into a crop that can bring health and wellness to Colombians.

Spectrum Cannabis Colombia is a subsidiary of Canopy Growth, one of Canadas major marijuana firms. Canopy Growth has plans over the next few years to invest $60 million in greenhouses, production facilities and research in Columbia, Rojas said.

Columbias weather is also conducive for cannabis cultivation, as Khiron Life Sciences president Chris Naprawa points out.

Theres a reason why we dont grow coconuts and bananas in warehouses in Mississauga, said Naprawa, whose company also has operations in Columbia.

Khiron is looking to produce over eight tonnes of cannabis annually from its Bogota facility.

As promising as investing in Columbias cannabis industry is, two major risks threaten the business.

Some analysts remain sceptical about investing in Columbias cannabis market, especially with the countrys shaky political landscape.

I would be very cautious, said Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management portfolio manager Robert Tetrault. As a shareholder, do you want to find out your facility in Pablo Escobars home turf just got seized or there are now tariffs, added costs or corruption?

Canadian cannabis companies are also currently not receiving any assistance from the government, thus lacking any sort of financial protection.

Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC)  two federal agencies that provide credit, insurance and other services to Canadian firms operating in risky markets  have told CBC News that they have not yet provided assistance for cannabis firms in Colombia.

Related stories:

SSQ Insurance to reimburse medical cannabis expenses

Brokers need to keep up with evolving regulations around cannabis industryIf the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no deal in place regarding the implementation period and future arrangements, access to the Green Card-free circulation area would cease, stated the DfT in one of its technical notices published yesterday. This would mean that UK motorists would need to carry a Green Card as proof of third party motor insurance cover when driving in the EU, EEA, Andorra, Serbia, and Switzerland.

This is inconsistent with an earlier pronouncement on the issue of post-Brexit driving in the EU.

UK drivers and hauliers should not have to apply or pay for Green Card documentation from insurers when they travel in an EU member state after Brexit, the Department for Transport has confirmed in a letter to the ABI, noted the Association of British Insurers (ABI) back in May.

This is a significant development and once the Commission have agreed it, means that drivers, haulage operators, and insurers will not face the considerable administrative disruption associated with issuing Green Cards or having to face border checks.

Now the government is saying it expects the need for Green Cards if the UK does not have access to the free circulation zone on March 29. The DfT said in the latest guidance: You can request a Green Card from your insurance provider free of charge, but insurers may decide to reflect production and handling costs in a small increase to their administration fees.

As for commercial operators with fleet insurance, Green Cards will have to be provided for each vehicle. In addition, a separate Green Card may also be needed for a trailer in certain countries that require separate trailer insurance to that of the towing vehicle.

Reacting to the technical guidance for vehicle insurance, ABI director of regulation Hugh Savill commented: The government and motor insurance bodies across Europe have already agreed a plan to keep the UK in the EUs car insurance zone  the timeframes simply need rubber-stamping by the European Commission.

We hope the Commission gets on with this as soon as possible to protect motorists and haulage operators, here and in Europe, from the unnecessary hassle and cost of having to return to a Green Card system.According to the SCCA, Allen, the former owner of Kalaheo Dental Group, fraudulently billed the HMSA and Hawaii Dental Service (HDS). Allens co-conspirator, Diane Maldonado, was convicted earlier this year for her participation in the fraud.

In one of the scams, Maldonado used her nieces dental plan to pay for services rendered to the nieces boyfriend. In another, Allen  a non-participating HMSA physician, used the names and numbers of his dental associates, who were HMSA-participating physicians, to charge the HMSA for work performed. According to the HCCA, this resulted in him receiving higher payments than he would have received as a non-participating member. In another scam, which involved patients who had dual coverage, Allen billed both insurers as the primary insurer, causing an overpayment.

Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime and offenders come from all walks of life, the HCCA said in a statement. Insurance companies suffer the loss but ultimately the consumers are affected with the rise of premiums.Zurich Insurance group CEO Mario Greco told Italian newspaper La Repubblica that the company is well on its way to hitting its targets.

We are on track [on] all the goals and we expect to meet them or even exceed all of them by the end of 2019, Greco said.

The current business plan finishes at end-2019, but the strategy will remain the same and we will continue to develop it at an increasing speed.

Greco additionally shared with the Italian news outlet that Zurich could partner with companies outside of the insurance space  in industries like telecommunications, cybersecurity and energy  to provide clients with broader insurance services.

Reuters reported that Zurich is also looking to attain a return on equity of more than 12% of its operating profit after tax. The insurer also hopes to maintain a dividend of at least 18 Swiss francs per share.

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Insurance companies face $20 billion exposure from Hurricane Florence

New head for Zurich NAs diversified programsIn the food and beverage industry, the most common trigger for a product recall claim is accidental contamination, Mangan told Insurance Business. That contamination might be due to a pathogen that was somehow introduced to the product during the production or distribution phase, or it could be a chemical or debris contamination that occurred during the manufacturing and processing of the product. Another common trigger in North America is the mislabeling of a product, most specifically when companies inadvertently miss an allergen as an ingredient in the product.

In the first week of September, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) listed seven product recalls for Canada. Of those seven recall events, three were due to an undeclared allergens and mislabeling of the product. Its one of the most common triggers, Mangan explained, but its an exposure that can be covered by product recall insurance.

I once had a small client in the Great Lakes region, who produced a locally popular baked good which was recalled. This was their first ever product recall and their major concern was the coverage it would get in the local newspaper, he added. In this case, the insured called our consultant, who then walked them through the process and advised them how to word their responses to the local media. Even though it was a relatively small recall event, the security the insured felt by going through their very first product recall incident with a consultant was something they told us they very much valued.

One point Mangan is keen to stress is that product recall insurance is only part of the solution to a recall event. Its incumbent upon everyone in the supply chain, from the growers to the distributors and through the transportation process to the retail markets, to carry out appropriate risk management and due diligence, he said. This is something with which insurance brokers can help.

Insurance brokers have done a good job in recent years in placing greater emphasis on the benefits of product recall insurance coverage, Mangan added. As the costs associated with recall events continue to rise, theres a great need for more and more businesses to consider purchasing this insurance.Speaking in Oxford, the Malaysian leader suggests that in some Muslim countries, people cannot wait for the term to end to change immediately after the election. Instead, more time must be spend trying to understand the workings of democracy. In some cases, there will be fighting so that countries can be almost destroyed, he said.

London (AsiaNews/Agencies)  For some Islamic nations, the transition to democracy can be disastrous, said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (pictured) at a conference on "The challenge of Good Governance in the Muslim world", held yesterday in London at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

For the Malaysian leader, Muslim countries adopting the democratic system needed to spend more time trying to understand the workings of democracy.

Far too often, when they try a democratic system, there will be fighting among themselves and the countries can be almost destroyed.

For Mahathir, speaking at Oxford was a return. Twenty-two years ago, he delivered a memorable lecture on Islam, the Misunderstood Religion at the prestigious British university.

On this occasion, he stressed that If you don't understand that in a democracy the vote is powerful, then you cannot have a democratic system. Conversely, Muslim countries, he suggests, were much more comfortable with a monarchy.

In a democratic system, people choose the government and support the government for a period of time. However, in some Muslim countries, people cannot wait for the term to end and want to change immediately after the election, he said.

(Its) time for them to respect the vote and set up a government that uses power for the betterment of the country and people, he said.

Mahathir said the democratic system worked somehow in Malaysia because whilst people were loyal to their royal rulers, they also wanted a democratic system.

We (in Malaysia) don't like violence. We don't overthrow a government. The government changes by itself, he said.As three Massachusetts towns continue to face the after effects of a series of natural gas explosions, finding some normalcy may seem nearly impossible. However, this is something MAPFRE Insurance was seeking to offer as it reached out to the impacted communities.

One of the things we did that was kind of unique is that MAPFRE and our independent agencies provided a couple of televisions so people who were displaced could watch childrens television in the morning, and in the afternoon, they watched the Patriots game, Patrick McDonald, CEO of MAPFRE Northeast, told Insurance Journal.

The blasts, which took place September 13 in Andover, North Andover and Lawrence  three communities northwest of Boston  killed one and injured 25. As a result of the explosions, nearly 8,000 residents were evacuated and as many as 80 houses were destroyed in the largest natural gas pipeline accident in the United States since 2010, Reuters reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been investigating the incident, which Columbia Gas has said affected 8,600 of its customers. Columbia Gas is part of utility operator NiSource, which, according to its website, serves 3.5 million natural gas and 500,000 electric customers nationwide.

It's definitely not something that you expect, but everyone's come together to help out.

In the midst of the chaos, however, MAPREs field team was able to spring into quick action, entering the affected area beginning September 14 after the blasts, McDonald said. The company set up tents in designated disaster relief sites and sent its claims field team to work closely with independent agents, The Red Cross, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), The Masssachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), local authorities and school districts in helping the community and reaching out to insureds, he said. It wasnt alone in this approach, either.

[The insurance industry] has stepped up in a big way, starting with the minute it happened, said Cindy Traverso, managing member at North Andover, Mass.-based MTM Insurance Associates. The minute [my partner carriers] heard what happened, they were reaching out to meits very heartwarming. Its been continual communication and asking, What can I do to help your customers, and what can I do to help you?'

Traverso said that while many of MTM Insurance Associates customers werent directly impacted by the large explosions, the agency has seen some claims for basement fires and several of its customers had to evacuate their homes.

The issues were two-fold  first, that they had to evacuate their homes, as did I  but secondly, that although they were allowed back in on Sunday (September 16), many of them still dont have gas, so theyre still suffering, she said.

McDonald said MAPFRE has seen a number of claims to date as well, and its teams have been visiting the sites that they can enter and paying as many claims as they can.

Carla Degnan, president of Lawrence, Mass.-based Degnan Insurance, said the agency has already seen nearly 40 claims so far and the numbers are continuing to rise. Degnan added that in addition to residents, many small businesses in the area were hit hard by the tragedy.

A business claim is a lot different than a homeowner or a property claim, and you have all of these businesses that cant operate. Theyre just losing hundreds of thousands of dollars, she said. We have a lot of small businesses here  a lot of restaurants and small mom-and-pop service businesses  that if they cant operate, how are they going to pay their bills? A lot of people live in the area and have their business in the area. How are they going to survive?

Continued Uncertainty

Degnan added that perhaps one of the most difficult parts has been an ongoing sense of uncertainty.

That uncertainty that we all have as to when people are going to be able to get service again, she said, that uncertainty is really scary.

For Degnan Insurance, this uncertainty began the minute the explosions occurred, she explained. As the agencys office is located in one of the affected areas, employees had to immediately leave the building on September 13 in the afternoon.

When we left the office building, there were fire alarms going off, you smelled smoke and you knew there were fires, but you didnt really know what was going on, she said.

Traverso, who also had to evacuate because she lives in an impacted area, echoed feelings of confusion and uncertainty.

I was so sad. I was worried. I live in North Andover, have grown up here and been here all my life, she said. Initially, we didnt know what happened, and we didnt have a lot of communication. We left our home and went to another town and just kept the news on all night. It was so sad. You feel a lack of control. Very few instances in my life have alarmed me to that level where you felt a lack of control and you didnt know what was going to happen.

McDonald said that his employees were affected as well seeing the towns after the explosions happened and the destruction that occurred, particularly to some of the homes.

Its a tragic experience for those involved, he said.

That said, he also believes it points to the importance of the value independent agencies and insurance companies can bring to the table.

Theyre there in the community, and theyre helping out immediately, he said. Both us as the insurance company and the insurance agencies that represent us reacted very quickly and understood the challenges faced by those people that were impacted.

Degnan agreed, adding that her agencys carriers contacted the agency immediately asking how to help and offering lists of risks the agency may face.

It has been deemed a catastrophic loss, so they are aware of the severity, and its not easy for some of the national carriers with these business claims, for example, because a lot of them are dealing with the hurricanes too at the same time, she said. Its definitely not something that you expect, but everyones come together to help out.

That said, uncertainty still looms as to the lasting impact, particularly how long residents and businesses could be without gas and hot water, she stated.

In the long term, theyll fix it and thats fine, she said. But in the short term, how are they going to resolve it? How long is it going to last? Nobody knows.

Related:

Topics Carriers Agencies Claims MassachusettsA Massachusetts medical transportation business and its managers has been cited $460,945 in restitution and penalties for violating workers rights and state wage laws.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healeys office began investigating Watertown, Mass.-based Quantum Transportation LLC and its managers, Andrey Borzy and Aliaksei Rudy, after receiving complaints from workers who alleged they were misclassified and were not paid the appropriate overtime rate. Quantum Transportation, which closed in 2016, operated throughout the state providing medical transportation services.

When employers misclassify their workers as independent contractors, they cheat their employees of their wages and other important job protections, Healey said in a press release issued by her office. My office is committed to taking action when companies dont play by the rules.

Independent contractors are not entitled to many legal rights that protect employees, such as workers compensation, unemployment insurance and overtime, the release stated. The AGs investigation revealed that while Quantum was primarily funded under a MassHealth contract to provide medical transportation services for MassHealth clients, workers were misclassified as independent contractors. The investigation also revealed that the company failed to pay these employees overtime.

The citations against Quantum and its managers require payment of restitution to 141 former employees and penalties to the Commonwealth.

As part of its continued efforts to protect workers and their families in Massachusetts, the AGs Office issued its third annual Labor Day Report on the offices efforts to address wage theft and other forms of worker exploitation earlier this month. The report shows that in fiscal year 2018, the office opened 729 cases and assessed more than $9.6 million in restitution and penalties against employers on behalf of working people in Massachusetts.

Source: Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General

Topics MassachusettsThe U.K. opposition Labour Party plans to vote down Theresa Mays divorce agreement with the European Union, and sees a second referendum as a way of avoiding a chaotic no-deal Brexit.

Labours Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer set out what he called a sequenced, structured, strategy for the next few months in Parliament, when May is expected to put the Brexit deal she negotiates with Brussels to lawmakers for approval. Labour will vote against the deal, and if it manages to defeat the government, the party will push for a general election.

If thats not possible, then an option must be a public vote as a way of avoiding a no-deal exit, Starmer said. We shouldnt go to no deal because that would be catastrophic.

Starmer, who has slowly shifted the Labour Partys Brexit policy over the last year, said he doesnt know what the question should be in any second referendum. But an option to reverse Brexit should remain on the table, he told Bloomberg TV in an interview. Were ruling nothing out, and therefore not ruling out remain.

Personally, he would vote to stay in if there was a second vote, he told BBC radio.

Starmers comments add to pressure building on May ahead of a showdown at her Conservative Partys annual conference in Birmingham next week. Not only has the EU rejected key parts of her Brexit proposal, shes also struggling to win over Tory lawmakers pushing for a cleaner break from the bloc. She doesnt have a majority in Parliament so risks defeat if just a handful of Conservative lawmakers reject the deal she eventually signs.

Very Wrong

In a speech Tuesday at Labours annual conference, Starmer got a standing ovation from some delegates when he reiterated that nobody is ruling out remain as an option. The line wasnt in the official script of his speech handed out to delegates.

The government has no credible plan for Brexit and May isnt on course to meet tests set by the Labour Party as a way of measuring whether it should back her deal, Starmer said.

A Tory civil war that has gone on for years now threatens our future prosperity, he said. Ive got a message for the prime minister. If your party wants to tear itself apart, thats fine, but youre not taking our country with you.'

While the Conservative Party accused Labour of playing political games, its possible May could be helped by Starmers announcement.

Party fixers trying to bring rebellious Tory lawmakers into line will be able to warn them that voting alongside Labour lawmakers could threaten Mays government and increase the risk of opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn taking over talks with Brussels.

Labour delegates in Liverpool will debate a motion on Tuesday that would keep open the option of pushing for a second Brexit referendum if May refuses to start the process that would lead to a general election.

All Options

If we cannot get a general election, Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote, the motion says. If the government is confident in negotiating a deal that working people, our economy and communities will benefit from, they shouldnt be afraid to put that deal to the public.

John McDonnell, Labours economy spokesman, insisted on Monday that any referendum would be on the terms of the deal and would not offer voters the option to stay in the bloc, setting up an argument with delegates on Tuesday.

Weve said well respect the referendum result, McDonnell told Bloomberg TV. Well campaign for a peoples vote and in that peoples vote theyll be able to make a decision on the deal that the government has brought back.

Starmer told the BBC that McDonnell had later clarified his position and that there is no difference of opinion between them.

Labour Rebels

There is no guarantee that all Labour lawmakers will back the party line and vote against Mays deal. While some, like Kate Hoey, are committed to Britain leaving the EU, others, like Lisa Nandy, say their constituents are desperate for certainty.

There are thousands of people around the country whose jobs depend on having clarity, Nandy told Sky News.

The party fought last years general election straddling the divide on Brexit and is acutely aware that it cant risk alienating either side if it wants to win next time. Corbyn said on Sunday that 60 percent of Labour voters backed remain while 40 percent voted leave  and he will need them all.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Legislation Europe Uk BrexitA group of the worlds top oil and gas companies pledged on Monday to slash emissions of a potent greenhouse gas by a fifth by 2025 in an effort to battle climate change.

The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), which U.S. giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron joined recently, committed to cutting methane emissions to an intensity of 0.25 percent of the groups total fossil fuel production, it said in a statement.

Such a reduction would equate to 350,000 tonnes of methane annually. It compares with a baseline intensity of 0.32 percent in 2017, excluding new members.

The pledge, which could be lowered further to 0.20 percent intensity, echoes targets set individually by members BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon to reduce methane emissions.

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 (Climate) Agreement, the heads of the OGCI members said in a statement, referring to an international agreement aimed at limiting global warming.

The OGCI today represents nearly a third of global oil and gas production. It also includes BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Frances Total as well as national oil companies of China, Mexico, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

The U.S.-based Environment Defense Fund (EDF), a non-governmental organization, said OGCI needs to adopt more, and transparent, ways of measuring methane emissions to meet the target.

It will be critical now for companies to follow through on their commitment, reporting on progress with actual measured emissions, fully and publicly disclosed, EDF President Fred Krupp said in a statement.

A second challenge for OGCI is the risk that laggards in the industry hide behind their efforts, falsely claiming that the actions of an important few represent what all in the industry are doing.

In a separate announcement, timed to coincide with the start of Climate Week in New York, OGCI announced the creation of a $100 million China-focused climate investment fund with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

The group is investing in new technologies, including satellite imagery, to help measure and detect methane leaks from pipelines, wells and other infrastructure, said Pratima Rangarajan, head of OGCI Climate Investments.

Today there is no global measurement, so what you dont measure you dont fix or operate as well as you should, she told Reuters in an interview.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso and Susanna Twidale; editing by Mark Potter and Kirsten Donovan)

Topics Climate Change Energy China Oil GasThe Iowa Insurance Division has ordered Covals Douze, of Coconut Creek, Florida, to pay administrative fines and fees totaling $43,895 and revoked his non-resident insurance producer license in a bait and switch scheme.

The division has also prohibited Douze from reapplying for licensure as an insurance producer in Iowa for 15 years.

Its easy for consumers to purchase insurance coverage online or over the phone. While that convenience can be good for consumers, its also easier for scammers to do harm, Iowa Insurance Division spokesman Chance McElhaney said. In this case, consumers were told they were purchasing a health insurance policy, but received a life insurance policy. Its important for Iowa consumers to reach out to our office if something seems off, especially when dealing with out-of-state insurance sales operations.

According to the insurance division, Douzes violations of insurance laws included:

Submitting an application for a policy that a consumer did not ask to be submitted and one of which they had no knowledge;

Signing a consumers signature on an application for insurance and signing a consumers signature without the consumers knowledge or consent;

Leading a consumer to believe that an application for health insurance was being completed when in fact he completed and submitted a life insurance application for the consumer;

Providing a false email address for the consumer precluding the consumer from having the opportunity to view the application for correctness and to identify that contrary to her wishes and beliefs, he had completed an application for a life insurance policy, not an application for a health insurance policy;

Refusing to cooperate with an investigation by the Division;

Failing to provide the Division with his updated residence address;

Failing to provide the Division with his updated business address; and

Failing to provide the Division with his mailing address.

Source: Iowa Insurance Division

Topics Florida IowaStormy Danielss libel lawsuit over a tweet by Donald Trump looks to be doomed after a judge said the president was engaging in free speech.

The adult film star, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims she was threatened by an unknown man in a Las Vegas parking lot in 2011 for agreeing to cooperate with a magazine article about a tryst she says she had with Trump in 2006. After her lawyer released a composite sketch of the man, Trump accused Clifford in an April tweet of a total con job concerning a nonexistent man.

U.S. District Judge S. James Otero said at a hearing Monday that considering such statements as defamation would have a chilling effect on candidates running for office and hamper political discourse.

This appears to be rhetorical hyperbole by a public official involving a public figure, Otero said. He didnt issue an immediate ruling.

Calling BS

Trumps lawyer, Charles Harder, argued the tweet wasnt a statement of fact  it was the presidents way of calling BS on Cliffords claim, or calling it hogwash. Trump has argued in court papers that Clifford, instead of being harmed, has benefited financially from her public dispute with him.

Otero said he would hold a hearing in December over whether to dismiss a separate case in which Clifford challenged the validity of a $130,000 hush payment deal she struck with Trumps longtime fixer Michael Cohen before the 2016 presidential election.

Trump and Cohen say the suit should be dismissed because each declared this month that he wont fight to enforce the agreement. Cliffords lawyer, Michael Avenatti, contends its in the public interest to keep the case going so the truth about the agreement can be made public. He wants to force Trump and Cohen to give sworn testimony in depositions.

In the months leading up to Cohens guilty last plea in August to campaign finance violations, Cliffords case made a TV personality of Avenatti, who has expressed interest in running for president in 2020.

The cases are Clifford v. Trump, 18-cv-02217 and 18-cv-06893, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles).

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics LegislationMore than two dozen homes in north and central Texas have blown up since 2006 along a network of pipelines operated by one of the largest natural gas companies in the U.S, leading to nine deaths and badly injuring at least 22 other people, a newspaper reported.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Atmos Energy Corp. has some of the nations oldest pipes in the country and that the companys largest division, Atmos Mid-Tex, has received five times as many state safety violations as Houstons CenterPoint, the other large gas distribution company in Texas.

Atmos Energy has reported $3.3 billion in profits since 2005. The newspaper reported that the company would not discuss individual accidents but said it was not at fault.

Atmos Energy said safety violations are only alleged and that any problems cited by state regulators are fixed. It also noted that the number of citations peaked in 2013 and has markedly declined since then, which the company says reflects its emphasis on safety.

Since 2005, we have been pouring profits back into the system, says Elizabeth Beauchamp, an Atmos spokeswoman.

In a statement, Atmos Energy said its employees wake up every day resolutely dedicated to our mission to keep people safe.

A pipeline safety expert said Atmos Energys track record should worry Texas residents.

The many accidents and state safety citations over the years suggest Atmos really needs to up its game in terms of creating a safety culture, said Rebecca Craven, program director for the Pipeline Safety Trust, a national nonprofit group.

Records show Atmos Energy seldom accepts responsibility for explosions, the newspaper reported. The company blamed lightning strikes and other bad weather, poor soil conditions in North Texas, mysterious sources of underground gas or careless digging by construction crews.

Atmos Energy told regulators last year that 500 miles of cast iron pipes remain in its network and that it will it need at least three more years to remove them. Federal officials have urged the removal of cast iron pipes since the 1980s. In Houston, CenterPoint removed virtually all of its cast iron gas pipes more than two decades ago.

More than a third of Atmos Energys pipes were installed before 1940, the company reported to federal regulators last year. Among the countrys big operators, only one, in Philadelphia, had such a significant share of old pipes.

Atmos Energy officials say that older pipes arent necessarily more problematic, and that only one of the accidents highlighted by newspaper involved pre-1940 pipes.

Although wed like to replace all older pipelines immediately, just like with replacing older roads and bridges, replacing pipe takes time and resources, the company said in a statement.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Trends TexasThousands of people in and around the city of Georgetown, South Carolina, were urged to evacuate on Monday as two rivers gorged with rain from long-departed Hurricane Florence will flood the area this week.

More than 10 days after the storm made landfall and killed 46 people mostly in North Carolina, several rivers throughout the state continued to rise. Georgetown is expecting floodwaters of 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) as the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers overrun their banks in coming days.

Emergency management officials began sending recorded telephone messages to residents in harms way and will go door-to-door in the next few days, Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said.

The Georgetown County administrator, Sel Hemingway, told a news conference the area was expected to see peak water levels from Wednesday evening, with the deluge threatening to cut off highways and isolate communities.

There will not be an official evacuation order, he said, but said people in the flood zone need to get out before the waters come.

The potential flood zone encompasses some 3,500 homes in Georgetown, 37 miles (60 km) south of Myrtle Beach, and the coastal resort community of Pawleys Island where as many as 8,000 people live, Broach-Akers said.

The county opened two emergency shelters on Monday, and hotels outside the flood zone in nearby Myrtle Beach were offering discounts for evacuees. Public schools will be closed until further notice, Broach-Akers said.

First responders from around the state were assisting in relief efforts. State transportation crews were working to erect temporary dams on either side of U.S. Highway 17, the main coastal route through the area, and National Guard engineers were installing a floating bridge at Georgetown in case the highway is washed out at the river.

Stranded Dead Fish

The National Weather Service said flooding from Florence would likely persist in coastal parts of the Carolinas for days as the high-water crest of numerous rivers keeps moving downstream toward the ocean.

In North Carolina, where 35 people died due to the storm, Governor Roy Cooper said on Monday that seven rivers in the southeast part of the state were at major flood stages and three others at moderate flood stages.

Florence is gone but the storms devastation is still with us, Cooper said in a statement.

The storm dumped 30 to 40 inches (75 to 100 cm) of rain on Wilmington, North Carolina, alone after making landfall nearby on Sept. 14. Heavy flooding left a commercial section of downtown Wilmington under at least a foot of water on Sunday.

Insured losses from Hurricane Florence will range from $2.8 billion to $5 billion, RMS, a risk modeling and analytics firm, said on Monday.

Flooding in Wilmington was expected to peak on Monday along the citys Water Street riverfront, where many businesses had stacked sandbags in advance, city spokesman Dylan Lee said.

Receding flood waters left hundreds of dead fish stranded on a highway near Wallace, about 35 miles from the nearest beach, according to the Penderlea Fire Department, which posted video of firefighters hosing the fish off Interstate 40.

About 5,000 people across North Carolina were rescued by boat or helicopter after the storm made landfall, twice as many as in Hurricane Matthew two years ago, according to state officials.

(Reporting by Harriet McLeod in Charleston, S.Carolina and Gene Cherry in Raleigh, N.Carolina; additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta, Steve Gorman in Los Angeles, Gina Cherelus in New York, Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago and Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lisa Shumaker)

Topics Flood North Carolina South CarolinaJohnson & Johnsons latest trial over claims that its baby powder causes cancer ended in a stalemate when jurors couldnt agree on a verdict.

A state judge in Pasadena, California, declared a mistrial Monday after jurors deadlocked on Carolyn Weiricks request for at least $25 million in damages over her mesothelioma, a cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Weirick said she developed the disease from asbestos-laced baby powder.

In the last case to go to trial, a jury in Missouri awarded $4.69 billion in July to more than 20 women who blamed baby powder for their cancers. J&J is appealing.

After five or six days of deliberations following weeks of hearing evidence, the jury still found that the plaintiffs couldnt carry their burden of proof on the very fundamental question of whether Johnson & Johnson had acted negligently, which I think fits with the fact that people have been using Johnson & Johnson baby powder for over a century with no problem, Christopher Vejnoska, one of the companys lawyers, said Monday. I think that the jurys result we got is consistent with that fact.

A lawyer for the plaintiff declined to comment on the mistrial. The worlds largest health-care products maker faces more than 10,000 other suits claiming its baby powder caused cancer.

Weirick, 59, is a school counselor who said shes been using J&Js talc products, such as baby powder and the companys former Shower-to-Shower line, for more than 40 years. She was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2017 and said her only exposure to asbestos came from use of talc products.

During the trial, Weiricks lawyers told jurors that when they tested baby powder found in her home, they found 11 asbestos fibers in it, enough to have caused her cancer.

J&J hasnt taken responsibility for the asbestos found in its product and has broken trust with consumers, Jay Stuemke, one of her lawyers, said in closing arguments. We cant trust that these companies have done the testing they should have done or even the testing theyve claimed to have done, Stuemke said.

Science, Not Speculation

J&Js lawyers deny the companys products have ever contained asbestos and said its difficult to pinpoint the causes of cancer. The case should be about science, not speculation, Vejnoska said in closing arguments.

Lawyers for J&J and Weirick agreed the counselor has suffered about $1.2 million in actual damages over her cancer claims. Stuemke asked jurors in closing arguments for more than $25 million in compensation for past and future pain and suffering.

J&Js talc supplier, a unit of Paris-based Imerys SA, settled Weiricks claims as the trial came to a close. The amount of the settlement hasnt been made public. Imerys also settled the St. Louis case that generated the $4.69 billion verdict, paying at least $5 million to resolve the claims against it, according to people familiar with the matter.

The case is Weirick v. Brenntag North America, BC656425, California Superior Court for Los Angeles County (Pasadena).

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics California LegislationPaladin Cyber, a cyber protection and remediation firm, has developed a cyber insurance product tailored for small and mid-sized businesses. Along with its existing software products and services, the new product will enable Paladin to offer a comprehensive cyber-risk assessment, mitigation, transfer, and response platform.

Underwritten by National Specialty Insurance Co. with Boost Insurance serving as program administrator, the new product will have limits ranging from $50,000 to $1 million. The product offers first- and third-party coverage for a range of costs associated with hacking attacks, breaches and other cyber-related incidents, including:

Forensic expenses to determine causality, quantify loss and remediation costs

Privacy notifications, call centers, employee overtime, credit monitoring and other expenses related to handling a breach

Expenses associated with addressing extortion threats

Data replacement or restoration

Business income and extra expense associated with downtime arising from cyber incidents

Limited public relations expenses

Computer fraud, including loss of funds resulting from a network breach

Payment card industry fines and penalties

Cyber/privacy defense and liability costs

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Topics Cyber Commercial Lines Business Insurance New Markets ArizonaThe case concerns Mgr Franco Mulakkal, the former bishop of Jalandhar now in jail on rape charges. For the bishops, "the faithful should discern those people who, under the cover of this case, try to destabilize the Catholic Church and malign the Bishops."

Kochi (AsiaNews)  The Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) released a statement following the arrest of Mgr Franco Mulakkal, former bishop of Jalandhar, in connection with the rape of a nun from the Missionaries of Jesus.

In their statement, the prelates of the Indian state note that if a bishop is accused of rape, it is wrong to blame the whole Church. They ask for an impartial investigation without prejudice or preferences, noting that no one should take a stand for or against the parties until the truth comes out.

The bishops also express their disappointment at what is happening in terms of media coverage, slamming the trial by media that has been unleashed in the country.

According to the statement, after "an accusation of sexual molestation is raised against a bishop of the Catholic Church some with vested interests and some sections of the media have taken it as an occasion to implicate the Church and the bishops as a whole, without even having the investigation completed."

In fact, for several says, the story of the bishop accused of raping a nun between 2014 to 2016 has been front-page news.

Meanwhile, Mgr Mulakkal was remanded into custody yesterday for another 14 days. In order to defend himself from the accusation of sexual abuse, the prelate took a leave of absence from his post as bishop, which Pope Francis accepted.

According to the bishops of Kerala, all this attention has a single purpose: undermine the Church. The faithful should discern those people who, under the cover of this case, try to destabilize the Catholic Church and malign the Bishops. They are people who oppose the Church or are jealous about the Church, media persons with hidden agenda and with vested interests and some with grievances within the Church.

In light of this, We should be vigilant about those who try to put down the Church on account of an accusation against a single individual, the statement reads.

At the same time, the Council points to what the newspapers do not report, namely that the Church has been very much active in the public sphere by way of educational, medical and social services, not to mention the Churchs unrelenting involvement in the latest flood relief and in the continued rehabilitation programmes, catering to all without looking into caste and creed.

Hence, "It is unjust to take the Church as a laughingstock on the basis of an unproved accusation against one of its bishops, while so many of its bishops, priests and nuns are living saintly lives.

The Council also let it [be] known that it had requested the Church authorities to act at the earliest possible upon the complaint registered by the nun. Yet as the complaint of the nun was under the consideration of the police and the court, it was not right on the part of the Church authorities to hastily act upon the same matter.

Instead, without waiting for the conclusion of the police enquiry the Church authority has acted by withholding Bishop Franco Mulakkal from the administration of the diocese of Jalandhar. [. . .] Therefore, the argument that the nun did not get justice from Church does not stand.

Finally, the bishops want "the truth come to light in the court", that the accused be given sufficient time to defend himself and that, if he is found guilty, he be punished.

Sadly, the fact that some priests and nuns [are] agitating in the streets, [thus] giving occasion to the enemies of the Church to attack the Church and the Church authorities and to [show] disdain even to the sacraments, has caused much pain to all [those] who love the Church.

"We hope that the members of the Church and the public will recognize that their action was not in keeping with Christian values, rightful interests of the Catholic Church and even of the statutes of their Religious Congregation."

(Nirmala Carvalho contributed to this article)Uber Technologies Inc. drivers suffered a major defeat in one of the gig economys most closely watched labor fights with a ruling barring hundreds of thousands of drivers from suing as a group for better pay and benefits.

Tuesdays decision by a federal appeals court in San Francisco wasnt unexpected after the U.S Supreme Court in May bolstered the power of employers to force workers to use individual arbitration instead of class-action lawsuits.

A lawyer for the drivers vowed to keep fighting Ubers business model  common in the sharing economy  that classifies drivers as contractors instead of employees.

Thousands of drivers have already signed up for individual arbitration, Shannon Liss-Riordan said in an emailed statement. If Uber wants to resolve these disputes one by one, we are ready to do that  one by one.

Uber spokesman Matt Kallman said the company is pleased with the courts decision.

Liss-Riordan sued Uber in 2013 and the case grew to represent as many as 385,000 current and former drivers in California and Massachusetts when a San Francisco judge granted class-action status.

But in 2016, just weeks after the judge rejected a $100 million settlement of the suit, the San Francisco appeals court ruled in a different case that Ubers arbitration agreements with drivers are largely valid and enforceable. The same panel decided Tuesdays appeal, also in Ubers favor.

Along the way, the Uber drivers lost the federal government as an ally when the Trump administration withdrew support filed on their behalf by the National Labor Relations Board during the Obama administration. The Trump administration said the boards previous position was no longer sustainable under the May Supreme Court ruling.

The dispute about the status of Uber drivers is far from over, said Charlotte Garden, a law professor at Seattle University.

The legal landscape for California drivers has improved, because the California Supreme Court recently adopted a relatively employee-friendly test to separate employees from independent contractors in at least some types of workplace claims, she said in an email.

Classifying drivers as contractors saddles them with expenses, such as car mileage and maintenance while the company saves money by avoiding the cost of benefits including sick leave and health insurance.

The appeals court case is OConnor v. Uber Technologies Inc., 15-17420, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (San Francisco). The lower-court case is OConnor v. Uber Technologies Inc., 13-cv-03826, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).

Related:

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits California Personal Auto Sharing Economy RidesharingTORONTO - September 25, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (the "Company" or "TGOD") (TSX:TGOD) (US:TGODF) is pleased to provide an update on the previously announced spin-off transaction (the "Spin-off") involving the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, TGOD Acquisition Corporation ("SpinCo"), and to announce that, in connection with the Spin-Off, SpinCo intends to complete a non-brokered private placement offering (the "SpinCo Offering" or the "Offering") of up to 20,000,000 subscription receipts (the "Subscription Receipts") at a price of $0.50 per Subscription Receipt for gross proceeds of up to $10,000,000.

Updated Distribution Record Date

Subject to execution of an arrangement agreement to be entered into by the Company and SpinCo (the "Arrangement Agreement") and receipt of requisite corporate, regulatory and court approvals, the Distribution Record Date (as defined below) is now expected to be on or about November 16, 2018. The Company will provide further updates on the Distribution in due course.

Spin-Off Transaction

As previously announced, the Spin-Off is expected to be effected through the distribution (the "Distribution") of unit purchase warrants of SpinCo (the "SpinCo Unit Warrants") to TGOD shareholders by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement (the "Arrangement") under the terms and conditions of the Arrangement Agreement. Pursuant to the Arrangement, TGOD shareholders of record as of the distribution date for the Distribution (the "Distribution Record Date") will receive 0.15 of one SpinCo Unit Warrant for each TGOD share held. Each SpinCo Unit Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one unit of SpinCo (a "SpinCo Unit") at a price of $0.50 per SpinCo Unit for a period of 30 days from completion of the Distribution. Each SpinCo Unit will consist of one common share of SpinCo ("SpinCo Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant of SpinCo (a "SpinCo Warrant"). Each SpinCo Warrant is exercisable into one SpinCo Share (a "SpinCo Warrant Share") at the exercise price of $1.25 per SpinCo Warrant Share and has an expiry date that is 24 months from the date the SpinCo Shares commence trading on a recognized stock exchange (the "Listing Date"). The SpinCo Shares comprising part of the SpinCo Units will be subject to a six month contractual escrow period from the Listing Date. The SpinCo Shares issuable upon the exercise of the SpinCo Warrants will be subject to a twelve month contractual escrow period from the Listing Date. Management of the Company will have the opportunity to participate by purchasing SpinCo Units to the extent that SpinCo Unit Warrants are not exercised by TGOD shareholders.

The aggregate SpinCo Unit Warrants to be distributed to TGOD shareholders will be issued by SpinCo to TGOD pursuant to a transaction expense agreement to be entered into between the parties concurrently with the Arrangement Agreement, pursuant to which TGOD will fund SpinCo's transaction costs in connection with the Arrangement in the amount of $200,000. A repayable loan from TGOD to SpinCo is no longer contemplated by the parties. Similarly, the previously disclosed 25 year warrants to be issued to TGOD are also no longer being contemplated. TGOD will have no ownership rights in SpinCo after the Spin-off.

The Arrangement remains subject to the approval of at least two-thirds of the votes cast by TGOD shareholders at the TGOD Meeting (as defined below). Terms of the Arrangement are subject to finalization based on ongoing tax and legal structuring advice. Completion of the Arrangement is also subject to other closing conditions customary for a transaction of this nature, including requisite corporate, regulatory and court approvals.

As the Company is due to hold an annual general meeting of its shareholders by the end of 2018 and in order to avoid an additional shareholders meeting, the resolutions to approve the Arrangement and the SpinCo Offering will be presented to TGOD shareholders together with annual meeting matters at an annual general and special meeting of TGOD shareholders expected to be held on or about November 7, 2018 (the "TGOD Meeting"). Further details of the Arrangement, the SpinCo Offering and annual meeting matters will be included in a management information circular of TGOD (the "Circular") to be prepared in respect of the TGOD Meeting. TGOD intends to mail the Circular in October, a copy of which will be concurrently filed under TGOD's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

SpinCo Offering

SpinCo intends to complete the SpinCo Offering of up to 20,000,000 Subscription Receipts at a price of $0.50 per Subscription Receipt for gross proceeds of up to $10,000,000. Each Subscription Receipt will automatically entitle the holder to receive, without payment of additional consideration, one SpinCo Unit upon receipt of the necessary shareholder and TSX approvals of the SpinCo Offering (the "Escrow Release Conditions"). The SpinCo Units underlying the Subscription Receipts have the same terms (including contractual escrow periods) as the SpinCo Units underlying the SpinCo Unit Warrants to be distributed to TGOD shareholders under the Distribution, which are comprised of one SpinCo Share and one SpinCo Warrant.

SpinCo intends to use the net proceeds of the SpinCo Offering to execute on SpinCo's investment strategy and for general working capital purposes. SpinCo has not engaged any agents in connection with the SpinCo Offering.

The Offering is subject to TGOD shareholder, regulatory and court approvals. A resolution to approve the Offering will be presented to TGOD shareholders at the TGOD Meeting. TGOD shares held by all insiders of TGOD intending to participate in the Offering will be excluded from such vote.

There can be no assurance as to whether or when the Offering will be completed or whether the Escrow Release Conditions will ever be met and the SpinCo Units underlying the Subscription Receipts released to the subscribers. If the Escrow Release Conditions are not satisfied in accordance with the terms of the Offering on or before November 16, 2018 (or such other date as the Company may determine), holders of the Subscription Receipts will be entitled to the return of their subscription amount without interest.

U.S. Securities and Tax Matters

The Offering will be made on a private placement basis, exempt from the prospectus and registration requirements of applicable securities laws. The Subscription Receipts, SpinCo Units, SpinCo Shares, SpinCo Warrants and SpinCo Warrant 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, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with an exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's or SpinCo's securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

The SpinCo Unit Warrants to be distributed pursuant to the Distribution will not be registered under the laws of any foreign jurisdiction, including the U.S. Securities Act. Consequently, no SpinCo Unit Warrants will be delivered to any registered or beneficial holder of TGOD shares who is, or who appears to TGOD or Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as custodian (the "Custodian") to be, a non-resident of Canada ("Non-Residents") within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act"). Such SpinCo Unit Warrants will be delivered by TGOD to the Custodian for sale by the Custodian on behalf of all Non-Residents. Such SpinCo Unit Warrants will be sold by the Custodian through a registered securities broker or dealer (the "Selling Agent") retained for the purpose of effecting a sale of such SpinCo Unit Warrants on behalf of Non-Residents. Such Non-Residents will receive from the Custodian their pro rata share of the cash proceeds from the sales of such Warrants, less any commissions, expenses and any applicable withholding taxes.

The SpinCo Unit Warrants, the SpinCo Units underlying the SpinCo Unit Warrants, and the Subscription Receipts are not expected to be qualified investments under the Tax Act for RRSPs, TFSAs or other registered plans as at the time of issuance and could therefore subject the plan or its annuitant or holder to adverse tax results. While TGOD expects to reference additional detail in the Circular once the exact mechanics under the Arrangement have been determined, affected TGOD shareholders, and potential subscribers of Subscription Receipts, are strongly encouraged to consult their tax advisors to determine the implications specific to their situation.

Further Information

To learn more about the foregoing including SpinCo Offering and the Distribution, please contact the investor relations team at: invest@tgod.ca or (416) 900-7621.

ABOUT TGOD ACQUISITION CORPORATION

SpinCo is an investment company guided by an investment policy primarily focused on investments in the cannabis industry in Canada and internationally. SpinCo's investments may include the acquisition of equity, debt or other securities of publicly traded or private companies or other entities, financing in exchange for pre-determined royalties or distributions and the acquisition of all or part of one or more businesses, portfolios or other assets, in each case as SpinCo believes will enhance value for the shareholders of SpinCo in the long term. SpinCo's board of directors and management team have considerable financial, mergers and acquisitions and cannabis industry experience and will consist of David Doherty, Chief Executive Officer and Director who has transitioned from TGOD, Nick Demare, Chief Financial Officer, and Jeff Scott, Director.

ABOUT THE GREEN ORGANIC DUTCHMAN HOLDINGS LTD

The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. is a research & development company licensed under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations ("ACMPR") to cultivate medical cannabis. The Company carries out its principal activities producing cannabis from its facilities in Ancaster, Ont., pursuant to the provisions of the ACMPR and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) and its regulations.

The Company grows high quality, organic cannabis with sustainable, all-natural principles. TGOD's products are laboratory tested to ensure patients have access to a standardized, safe and consistent product. TGOD has a funded capacity of 170,000 kg and is building 1,382,000 sq. ft. of cultivation facilities in Ontario, Quebec and Jamaica.

The Company has developed a strategic partnership with Aurora Cannabis Inc. (ACB.TO) whereby Aurora has invested approximately C$78.1 million for a 20% off-take agreement on Canadian production. The Company has raised approximately C$350 million dollars and has over 20,000 shareholders.

TGOD's Common Shares and warrants issued under the indenture dated November 1, 2017 trade on the TSX under the symbol "TGOD" and "TGOD.WT", respectively.

Forward-Looking Information Cautionary Statement

This news release includes statements containing certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law ("forward-looking statements"). Forward looking statements in this release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the execution of the Arrangement Agreement, statements regarding the timing, closing and approval of the Arrangement, the Distribution and the SpinCo Offering, about the future legalization of recreational cannabis and cannabis-infused products in Canada, statements about future research, development and innovation by the Company, statements about the offering of any particular products by the Company in any particular territory and statements regarding the future performance of the Company. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward- looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

Neither TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of Toronto Stock Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd.

For further information:

Investor Relations Email: invest@tgod.ca, Phone: 1 (416) 900-7621, www.tgod.ca

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TORONTO - September 25, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) 48North Cannabis Corp. ("48North" or the "Company") (TSXV:NRTH), a leading licensed cannabis producer focused on the women's health and wellness market, today announced a licensing agreement with Mother & Clone, Inc. ("Mother & Clone"), a Colorado-based company producing proprietary cannabis sublingual nanosprays (a form of measured microdosing). This agreement follows the Company's announcement that it received a supplemental license from Health Canada for the extraction and production of cannabis oil. Canadian production and sale of Mother & Clone products are expected to commence after the Company receives its Health Canada license amendment permitting the sale of cannabis oil.

"It is fitting that our first official partnership and portfolio addition is with Mother & Clone, a woman-led and focused cannabis company with a unique product offering," said Alison Gordon, Chief Executive Officer at 48North. "This deal includes product distribution, brand familiarity and intellectual property ownership over all Mother & Clone products and will give us a competitive lead in bringing next generation wellness products to the Canadian and international markets."

"Partnering with 48North aligns with Mother & Clone's brand positioning, corporate values and shared focus on women's lifestyle and wellness through cannabis in the adult recreational space," said Leslie Siu, Chief Executive Office of Mother & Clone. "We are a company with a long-view, global strategy and together with the 48North team we will be creating an indelible stamp on the Canadian cannabis industry."

Under the terms of the licensing agreement signed September 4, 2018, 48North will license Mother & Clone's intellectual property and manufacturing techniques for domestic consumption in Canada, and for global export from Canada. 48North will be the exclusive Canadian licensed producer of all present and future Mother & Clone products. Mother & Clone will earn a licensing fee of ten per cent gross profit on all Canadian and international sales. This agreement will combine existing research and development of this proprietary, strain-specific nano-particle delivery system, and will be produced from the unique cultivars being grown at 48North's DelShen facility.

These products will be produced and marketed in accordance with applicable Canadian laws and regulations for the adult recreational cannabis market.

About 48North

48North Cannabis Corp. ("48North") is a TSX Venture Exchange listed company whose wholly-owned subsidiary DelShen Therapeutics Corp. ("DelShen"), is a licensed producer of medical cannabis in Canada. 48North grows unique genetics sourced from MariPharm B.V., a Netherlands-based phytopharmaceutical company with over 25 years of experience in the research and cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes. Its genetics are grown to exacting standards, ensuring patients can count on receiving the highest-quality cannabis products.

DelShen is regulated by the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations and the facility is located on 800-acres of owned land near Kirkland Lake, Ontario. DelShen's license to produce cannabis was granted on February 28, 2017, its cannabis sales license was granted on June 25, 2018, and its extraction license to produce cannabis oils was granted on September 13, 2018, and pertain to the facility, a state-of-the-art, closed-box, 40,000-square-foot building.

About Mother & Clone

Mother & Clone's strain-specific sublingual products are uniquely formulated for rapid absorption under the tongue, with effects that are felt within minutes. Sublinguals are an alternative ingestible form of cannabis, delivering a full dose of cannabis directly to the bloodstream, providing a more predictable, controllable and repeatable experience. Mother & Clone is based out of Colorado with plans for out of state expansion.

DISCLAIMER & READER ADVISORY

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the parties' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. The business of the Company is subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties. Please refer to the Filing Statement and other SEDAR filings for further details. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the parties. The material factors and assumptions include the Company being able to obtain the necessary corporate, regulatory and other third parties approvals, and licensing and other risks associated with regulated ACMPR entities. The forward looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the parties are not obligated to update or revise any forward looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

SOURCE: 48North Cannabis Corp.

For further information:

Heidi Christensen Brown, 48North Investor Relations, (416) 848-1389, hchristensenbrown@national.ca;

David Hackett, Chief Financial Officer, 48North, (416) 639-5891 ext 304, david@48nrth.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By Geoff Percival

The number of domestic-focused companies seeing higher levels of business activity has risen above that of export-orientated companies for the first time since 2012, as Brexit uncertainty tightens.

A survey of 400 Irish firms, conducted by accounting and tax giant BDO, shows that while businesses here are more optimistic than they have been for seven years, as many as 88% believe the UK and the EU will not reach a Brexit deal by next months deadline.

Brexit is having a real impact on Irish business, said BDO Customs and International Trade Services partner Carol Lynch.

The majority of Irish businesses do not believe the EU will reach a Brexit deal on time, this is understandable given the amount of work that is still to be done.

Its also prescient taking into account Donald Tusks comments from Salzburg requiring clear progress on the backstop in order to continue talks, mean we are left with a short window of less than 20 days to secure results.

We are now close to the wire with a high risk of a no-deal Brexit happening by default. Therefore its become vital that businesses continue to prepare for Brexit or immediately start if they have not done so, she said.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes has welcomed ECB president Mario Draghis claim at a European Parliament committee that Ireland will not be left alone to cope with the consequences of a hard Brexit.

President Draghi gave a very clear view that he doesnt believe that Ireland would be left alone to cope with the negative consequences of a hard Brexit. He said that one of the fundamental values of the EU is solidarity and, therefore, it seems unlikely that Ireland would have to suffer the fallout of a hard Brexit alone, said Mr Hayes.

Various studies have shown that Ireland will be the member state most affected by a hard Brexit and that our GDP could be hit by up to 3%.

Having EU solidarity is an extra buffer that could help Ireland cope with any financial shock of Brexit. However, we still dont know the extent of the financial shock a hard Brexit may trigger. That is why Ireland needs to be ready to avail of every type of support mechanism to ensure that the growth we have achieved following the financial crisis is not destroyed in one fell swoop, he said.

In any case, the government should be absolutely focused on one thing and that is getting progress towards a deal between the EU and the UK. It is in our national interest that a deal is reached but as part of that we need a legally operable backstop, Mr Hayes said.Ryanair have today announced new routes from Cork to Naples and dublin to Cagliari.

Both services will be a twice-weekly service for the peak summer 2019 schedule, July-August.A 30m affordable housing project on public land on Corks northside has been granted planning permission.

The scheme in Blackpool, which will deliver 112 apartments, was one of several housing projects signed off by Cork City Council last night.

Combined, the projects have the potential to deliver up to 200 units over the next 12 to 18 months.

It is hoped that building work on the largest, the affordable and sheltered housing scheme on Thomas Davis St in Blackpool, will start within months.

The proposed development is on a 1.32-hectare plot of public land on the site of the former Blackpool flats complex, which was demolished several years ago. The land has lain vacant since.

The scheme was advertised in July and councillors were told in a report last night that no objections or submissions were received.

The scheme, to be delivered by Cluid Housing in partnership with Cork City Council, will be built in five separate buildings, ranging in height from three to five storeys.

The scheme will deliver 112 apartments in total across the five blocks  one of which has been designed to provide a 36-unit sheltered housing project for older people.

It includes 30 single-bed units and six two-bed units, and will feature a communal area, a community room, and laundry facilities.

The other four blocks will feature a mix of 11 one-bed units, 61 two-bed units, and four three-bed units. A childrens play area will also be built.

New access to the complex will be provided onto Thomas Davis St and will be shared with the existing and adjoining Glen View apartments complex.

Several loans to approved housing bodies were also approved last night that will deliver dozens of other units, including 50 units of accommodation at Milestream, Shanakiel, by Co-Operative Housing Ireland Society Ltd.

The citys head of housing, Brian Geaney, also confirmed that the council will advertise a Part 8 planning application later this week for enabling infrastructure works to facilitate a massive social housing project of at least 600 units on a site off the Old Whitechurch Road on the northside of the city.

The enabling works will include the construction of an access road and the under-grounding of several overhead cables.

Residents have been briefed on the latest plans.

A review of the citys derelict sites register is underway and consideration may be given to targeting some of those sites for housing development, said Mr Geaney.TDs from across the political divide are seeking to remove a requirement under planned legislation to have cancer warnings on alcohol products.

The 12 is made up of four TDs from Fine Gael, four from Fianna Fail, and four Independents. They want to delete the cancer warning from the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, a move that has been welcomed by the drinks industry.

The amendments are being sought by Peter Burke, Tony McLoughlin, Pat Deering, and Peter Fitzpatrick of Fine Gael, Bobby Aylward, Kevin OKeeffe, Eamon Scanlon, and Declan Breathnach of Fianna Fail, and Independents Noel Grealish, Michael Fitzmaurice, Carol Nolan, and Michael Collins.

The bill proposes to include three separate warnings: The danger of alcohol consumption; the danger of drinking while pregnant, and the direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers.

The director of the Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland, Patricia Callan, said a general health warning against excessive alcohol consumption made more sense.

Ms Callan described the relationship between alcohol and health as complex.

Focusing on one health issue alone (cancer) does not give a full or accurate picture to help consumers make an informed choice about their drinking, she told RTE.

However, the Irish Cancer Society has urged Health Minister Simon Harris not to give in to the alcohol industrys vested interests.

Mr Harris yesterday tweeted that a clear link existed between cancer and alcohol.

Only question is best way to highlight this  regulations or primary legislation. Looking forward to teasing this through, he wrote.

Independent Senator Frances Black said cancer warnings on alcoholic drinks were absolutely vital.

There is no doubt in my mind that people in Ireland needed to know that alcohol causes cancer. It is as simple as that, she said.

She said she was shocked at the amount of lobbying that was going on to block the proposed cancer warning.

The bill was approved by the Government in December 2015 but has been dogged by intense lobbying and rows over its provision.

Ms Black, together with Labour senator Ged Nash, succeeded in getting the provision to have cancer warnings on alcohol products accepted in a Seanad vote.

One of the countrys top liver specialists, Frank Murray, said there were 900 cancers directly attributable to alcohol in Ireland.

His concern was that most people who drank alcohol were unaware of the cancer link.

Prof Murray, a consultant in hepatology and gastroenterology, is also chairman of Alcohol Health Alliance Ireland.

There is a compelling argument for having warning labels in relation to cancer on alcohol-containing products, he said.

He rejected the argument from the drinks industry that warnings would damage their business.

This is complete nonsense because we are talking about labelling products in Ireland  not labelling Irish products around the world, said Prof Murray.The National Substance Misuse Strategy Steering Group reported in February 2012 after three years of study.

The recommendations (most, but not all) of the expert group, set up by the Department of Health, formed the basis of the much-troubled Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015, which is due back before the Oireachtas tomorrow.

This is how the report compares with the bill on key areas.

Sports sponsorship

Report: Drinks industry sponsorship of sport and other large public events should be phased out by 2016 (subsequently pushed out to 2020). The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport as well as the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht dissented.

Bill: Absent. This provision caused considerable opposition among a number of ministers, the industry, and sporting bodies. It was kicked to touch (via a working group) in Cabinet proposals in October 2013 and abandoned in January 2015 on the basis there was no alternative funding available.

Structural separation

Report: The steering group (albeit a majority of its members) recommended that an existing provision in a 2009 act be commenced, requiring mixed-trade retail stores to introduce strict structural (physical and advertising) separation of the sale of alcohol from other goods.

Bill: The bill is close to the recommendation, but it is being done through a statutory code of conduct. The bill gives a retailer three options regarding enforcement, which some say is a slight dilution in terms of cordoning and blocking off alcohol.

Social responsibility levy

Report: Introduce a social responsibility levy on the drinks industry to contribute to the cost of social marketing and awareness campaigns on social and health harms of alcohol (The Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland, which was on the group, disagreed).

Bill: Absent. This proposal seemed to be simply jettisoned without notice and by October 2013 the Irish Examiner reported that the Government had not agreed to it.

Alcohol Action Ireland has called in the last two budgets for a social responsibility levy for the growing off-licence trade, estimating that a 1% levy would yield 37.4m annually for the State.

Advertising

Report: At a minimum, a 9pm watershed for alcohol advertising on television and radio. Prohibition of all outdoor advertising of alcohol and stringent codes for the print media.

Bill: The 9pm watershed is in the bill, but a complete ban on outdoor advertising is not. In the case of the latter, the bill outlines a range of places where there would be a ban  on public transport, near schools and creches  and there are restrictions on publications.

A statutory regime will replace the current voluntary scheme for copy clearance of alcohol-related ads.

Minimum pricing

Report: Introduce a legislative basis for minimum pricing per gram of alcohol, to curb low-cost selling.

Bill: The provision is in the bill, though enactment is less clear as the Government has been hoping to introduce it alongside similar measures in the North, the latter delayed by the collapse of the Executive. The EU legal barrier was cleared last May when the EU Court of Justice ruled in favour of it after a lengthy legal challenge by Scotch Whisky Association.by Nirmala Carvalho

The initiative took place at the church of St Alphonsa. For parish priest, " This means going beyond the celebration of the sacraments and responding to the needs of poor parishioners". Treatments included blood tests, blood pressure measurement and the provision of eyeglasses.

Mumbai (AsiaNews)  A parish in New Delhi offered free medical treatment to parishioners and others, including migrant workers, poor, domestic and tribal people. The initiative took place on 9 September at St Alphonsa Church.

"We learnt from Pope Francis that service to the poor, not just charitable love, is an expression of faith, Fr Frederick D'Souza, the parish priest and former executive director of Caritas India, told AsiaNews.

This means going beyond the celebration of the sacraments and responding to the needs of poor parishioners and others."

At least 285 people benefited from free check-ups and medicines with 75 referred for additional treatment.

Fr D'Souza said that "the parish has about 400 families. The majority are tribal people who recently migrated from Kerala and Mangalore."

For him, the fact his parishioners actively participated in the "medical camp was a source of joy as it provided a great experience of missionary mercy. Many people have the means to help, whilst others are poor but are generous in their own way. All this involvement is very encouraging."

The initiative had been advertising over the previous days with big posters.

"We decided to offer this service because most of the residents, even if they work hard, do not have the means to pay for medical exams. I invited the parishioners to be 'close' to their neighbours and they responded unconditionally."

The check-up included blood tests, blood pressure measurements, eye and dental exams and electrocardiograms.

Simple medications were dispensed and glasses were provided to some people. One parishioner provided water and food.The Bishop of Cork and Ross was lucky to escape injury after his car was among several vehicles which were pelted with stones as they drove along a busy road on the southside of Cork City.

The rear window of his car was smashed during the attack on Clashduv Rd in Togher on Sunday evening.

Despite the damage caused to his vehicle, and the shock of the incident, Bishop John Buckley, 78, managed to bring his car safely to a stop a short distance away before alerting gardai.

Gardai confirmed that they are investigating an incident, which occurred on the Clashduv Rd at around 8.30pm on Sunday.

A spokesman said it is understood that a number of youths may have been throwing stones at passing cars for some time before this incident, and that several cars and buses may have been struck by the missiles fired by the gang.

However, it is understood that Bishop Buckleys car suffered the most extensive damage.

A spokesman for the diocesan office confirmed yesterday that Bishop Buckley was involved in the incident. However, he stressed that the bishop was not physically injured.

He said the bishop did not want to comment publicly on the incident, or to give the impression that his vehicle was targeted or singled out, pointing out that several cars had been struck by stones in the moments before.

It is understood that the incident has not disrupted the bishops itinerary and that he was able to fulfil all of his diary duties yesterday.

A Garda spokesman appealed to anyone who has any information in relation to the incident, and to anyone with dashcam footage who may have driven along Clashduv Rd between 7.30pm and 9pm on Sunday, to contact Togher Garda Station on 021 4947120.

Superintendent Charlie Barry said gardai believe that a gang of up to 10 youths, aged from 14 to 18, and who are living in the locality, are involved in this activity. He said it has been reported on several occasions, particularly on weekend nights, in recent weeks and that gardai had responded quickly but the youths had fled.

The superintendent said parents in the area have a responsibility to know where their children are during the evenings and with whom they are associating.

He also encouraged anyone with information about Sundays incidents to come forward.

A spate of stone attacks on passing motorists flared along a section of the citys North Ring Rd last year.

The incidents occurred sporadically on various points between Ballyvolane Shopping Centre and Tinkers Cross in Mayfield.

In one incident, a motorist had a lucky escape when a stone smashed through her front window as she drove along the road.

Gardai deployed extra resources to police the area and the problem was eliminated.By Gordon Deegan

Boots Retail (Ireland) has been ordered to pay 700 compensation to an Algerian Muslim man living here after it queried why he was purchasing a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

In high concentrations, hydrogen peroxide can be used as an ingredient in explosives and Riadh Mahmoudi has successfully claimed at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) that he was discriminated against when questioned about the purchase of the product with a low concentration at an un-named Boots store here.

Mr Mahmoudi said that he was seen as a suspicious customer by Boots Ireland because of the colour of his skin and his beard - a claim denied by Boots Ireland.

Boots Ireland stated that it was bound by law and its own procedures to question Mr Mahmoudi as hydrogen peroxide is listed by the EU as an explosive precursor.

In her ruling, WRC Adjudication Officer, Marian Duffy found that Mr Mahmoudi was discriminated against on the grounds of race as the EU regulations apply to hydrogen peroxide with concentrations levels of 12% or more and the hydrogen peroxide Mr Mahmoudi was seeking to purchase had concentration levels of 6%.

Ms Duffy said that a guidance document from the Governments Inspector of Explosives does state that EU regulations apply to all explosive precursors not matter the volume but the document is not law.

She said: Therefore, it was not necessary to ask the questions as, it could not have been a suspicious transaction as defined in the regulations.

In the case, Mr Mahmoudi said that his wife wished to switch to natural cleaning products and asked him to purchase two bottles of vinegar, a bottle of distilled witch hazel, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and bicarbonate of soda.

He said that when seeking out the items at his local Boots store, a staff member asked him why he was purchasing hydrogen peroxide - a substance that is present in a lot of products such as nail varnish.

Mr Mahmoudi said that he felt he was put on the spot and he said he was using it for first aid and he was using it for other things such as cleaning.

The assistant then went to speak to another member of staff and Mr Mahmoudi said that he felt uncomfortable and embarrassed about being questioned about an over the counter product that he used in his house.

On the day, Mr Mahmoudi said that he was then told that he required a prescription for the purchase - a claim denied by Boots.

The sales assistant told Mr Mahmoudi that they were out of stock but that she could order it for him. Mr Mahmoudi said that he went to another pharmacy and purchased the hydrogen peroxide without any questions.

He also stated that he asked an Irish friend to go to the same Boots to purchase the hydrogen peroxide the same day and he said that his Irish friend was not asked why he required the product.

In its defence, Boots Ireland stated that it was bound by EU regulations concerning the marketing and use of explosive precursors.

Boots stated that hydrogen peroxide is one of the products listed in the regulations which is the reason why Mr Mahmoudi was questioned about the planned purchase.

Boots claimed that the combination of products that Mr Mahmoudi was seeking to purchase was unusual, including the hydrogen peroxide.

Boots stated that when questioned as to the purpose Mr Mahmoudi wished to purchase a product containing hydrogen peroxide he appeared unclear, initially stating it was for first aid and then saying it was for household cleaning.

Boots claimed that Mr Mahmoudi appeared unfamiliar with the regular use of hydrogen peroxide and he appeared nervous and uneasy by the routine questioning put to him by the Boots employee in accordance with robust training.

Boots stated that for these reasons, the pharmacy assistant considered the transaction suspicious and refused the sale, referring the matter to the pharmacist.

The pharmacy assistant told the WRC that the products that Mr Mahmoudi was seeking to purchase seemed to her to be a suspicious transaction and she asked him what he was using it for.

She said that Mr Mahmoudi told her he required the products to make cat repellent.

The pharmacy worker said that Mr Mahmoudis race or religion had nothing to do with her decision to query him.

The Boots worker that she had to comply with the regulations otherwise she could be disciplined.

She said after questioning Mr Mahmoudi, the pharmacist decided it was not a suspicious transaction and she agreed to order it in as it is not a stock item any longer.By Ed Power

The worst-kept secret in Irish music has been confirmed with the announcement that Metallica are to headline Slane Castle on June 8 next year.

But are a longish-in-the-tooth thrash metal band with a combined age of 217 what Slane requires to restore its pre-eminence as centrepiece of Irish rock?

Its a question to which there is no straightforward answer. Metallica remain a huge live draw and, given that its 10 years since they last played Ireland, their many fans will regard this as a must-attend event.

Yet, for all their popularity, nobody  the group themselves least of all  would describe Metallica as mainstream.

Unlike Guns n Roses, who headlined in 2016, theyve never had a real crossover hit  when last did you hear them on the radio? Come to that, how many of their songs can you name off the bat? Enter Sandman and?

So while they have pulling power, it is with a deep but narrow demographic of heavy metal aficionados  meaning that, for the first time, Slane has essentially become a niche event.

This isnt the fault of the organisers. We are living through the twilight of the rock star so that the number of artists with the heft to fill the 80,000-capacity venue in Meath, overlooking the Boyne, is diminishing rapidly.

The problem is pop has not proved itself capable of stepping into the breach. Recall all the jokes pinging around social media about unsold Taylor Swift tickets when she was booked into Croke Park for two nights over the summer? And that was Taylor Swift  one of the brightest stars of her generation.

Metallica have always been a jaw-dropping live proposition and can be relied upon to deliver a blockbuster performance at Slane (apparently they couldnt fit their new production into the 3Arena because of the ambitious pyrotechnics).

Metallica playing at Glastonbury in 2014

Yet the punter in the street may wonder if the minimum ticket price of 89.50 is money wisely spent. They certainly wont be smitten by the support bill of Ghost and Bokassa  obscure acts surely only of interest to metal fans. A home-grown opener is also promised  this being Ireland, dont be shocked if its inescapable human man-bun Hozier.

There is an outside chance Metallica will sell out Slane. But even if they do, its clear the event is no longer the glistening jewel in the crown of live music. Now it is just one concert among many.

Whatever the future holds, the days when it was the only show in town are long over.

Boyne to the Wild: The best and worst Slane Concerts

Best:

Bruce Springsteen, 1985: Slane was the largest audience Springsteen had yet performed to and he was reportedly taken aback at the size of the crowd. The first date of the European leg of his Born in the USA tour would live long in the memories of audience and performer alike.

Bruce Springsteen performs at Slane in 1985.

Queen, 1986: One of the classic Slanes  and a performance by a group at the height of their powers. Strutting back and forth, Freddie Mercury was at his imperious peak.

David Bowie, 1987 Pilloried at the time, with hindsight the Glass Spider tour was an ambitious attempt by Bowie to reclaim his avant garde credentials. It was also the first occasion hed played Ireland since becoming a truly global star. There was comedy value, too, in seeing the Thin White Duke arrive suspended precariously from a wire  like his own David Brent-style tribute act.

Worst:

Oasis, 2009: Liam and Noel would have a nasty falling out later on the same tour. At Slane, they were a group clearly on the brink  and the bad blood soured what was in many ways a spirited performance.

Noel Gallagher of Oasis

Madonna, 2004 Apparently Madonna did little to endear herself to Slane when she made one of her rare Irish appearances. That was a testy time, the castles owner, Henry Mountcharles, would reflect. Lets just say that if you were to ask us if we would have her back we would give you a one-word answer. No.

Stereophonics, 2002 Nothing against Stereophonics (Have A Nice Day and Handbags and Gladrags, in case anyones forgotten)  but even the Britrock hod-carriers, at the height of their popularity, looked a little astonished to be playing to 80,000 people.By Christy Parker

A Waterford councillor has called for a staffing dispute within the county fire service to be resolved after a local unit was unable to respond to a car accident.

Two units had to travel some 33km and 25km from Dungarvan and Portlaw respectively, to attend the scene, at about 1am, while the station in question, Kilmacthomas, just 200m away, remained closed.

Fine Gael councillor Liam Brazil told Septembers meeting that the passenger of the vehicle was left sitting in her car for nearly half an hour after it had hit a ditch.

He also said people had been banging on his house door, seeking help.

Mr Brazil said the station has effectively been out of service since June, with the issue dating back to last years change in rosters, which upped the standard registration of teams available for service from four to five.

Last summer, Kilmacthomas was reduced to four available volunteers and, since then, the station has been off the run. The councillor said the incident was the latest of several since June, in which fire brigades from outside the area have had to attend Kilmacthomas.

Had that car caught fire or the accident been of a different sort, we could have been dealing with a fatality, said Mr Brazil. Yet there was a fire station two minutes away. Serious questions need to be asked, before someone dies.

Five weeks ago, the council said: Fire-service management are continuously monitoring brigade availability throughout the county and putting measures in place to ensure adequate fire cover is provided at all times.

Director of services Ivan Grimes told the meeting that issues surrounding the availability of individual fire stations, and specifically Kilmacthomas, have been referred to the workplace relations commission for conciliation. Mr Grimes said he would prefer not to comment further until that process had concluded.Update - 1.59pm: The head of Corks Sexual Violence Centre, Mary Crilly, has said that three allegations of sexual assault or rape during Freshers Week in the city would be the norm, writes Roisin Burke of the Evening Echo.

It follows a report that three first-year college students have told the centre they were raped in Cork city since the start of September.

Its understood that at least one of the sexual assaults took place in student accommodation.

Two of the new students have since dropped out of college and left Cork and Ms Crilly is now working with the third student to see if she will stay in college.

Ms Crilly said: There is probably more that we dont know about because a lot of people wont come to us or wont go anywhere.

She raised the issue while discussing the need for further resources for the new garda Protective Services Unit (PSU) which deals with all sexual assault issues.

Its very busy, Ms Crilly said.

You are dealing with child sexual abuse, youve got domestic violence, trafficking, a whole range of things.

The unit is supposed to have one Inspector, two sergeants and 10 gardai, but recently lost its inspector to promotion.

Ms Crilly said for a city the size of Cork there should be 20 gardai in the unit.

In a city this size to have only a few people dealing with this type of thing is outrageous, she said.

Earlier: Three college students raped in Cork, say Sexual Violence Centre

Three teenage female college students have been raped in Cork since the start of the university term.

Mary Crilly, the head of the citys Sexual Violence Centre (SVC), revealed the shocking details of the assaults as she warned about male predators who are targeting women as they leave pubs and nightclubs.

She said the centre had seven requests for initial appointments last Monday linked to separate incidents in the previous few days.

And she also called for more resources and gardai for the citys Garda Protective Services Unit  the specialist unit set up to investigate a range of serious crimes, including rape and sexual assault.

She was speaking at a meeting of the Cork City Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

Mary Crilly

Ms Crilly said the centre has been made aware of the three rapes of first-year college students in recent weeks  none of which has been reported to gardai.

She said the victims were all young women, aged 18 or 19, who were just embarking on what should have been an exciting time in third-level education.

She said none of the women has reported the assaults to gardai because they feel the attacks may have been their own fault, and that one of the young women felt she could not even tell her own parents because alcohol was involved and she felt she should not have been drinking.

The sexual assaults have had a devastating impact on the young women and forced two of them to drop out of college, she said.

SVC staff are working with one of the women to encourage her to remain in college.

They were attending first night parties and were caught on the hop, said Ms Crilly.

In some of the cases, the attack happened in their own student accommodation where they felt they were quite safe, where they felt they were not going out on the road, not getting a taxi, not walking home.

She cited a US study which found September to November is the most dangerous time for college fresher students, given the number of parties they attend and the availability of alcohol at these parties.

However, Ms Crilly said alcohol is not always involved, and warned that sometimes rape victims can be seduced.

She said the citys Protective Services Unit needs more staff and resources.

For a city the size of Cork, to have six people in its unit is ridiculous, she said. It needs more resources.

It should have at least 20 gardai involved given that it has to deal with domestic violence and human trafficking as well.

The Garda National Protective Services Bureau deals with a range of the most serious crimes, including online child exploitation and child protection, the investigation of organised prostitution, and the management of sex offenders.

The bureau leads the investigation in more complex cases.

The JPC was presented with figures yesterday which show there has been a 52% increase in the number of reported incidents of rape of a male or female in the Cork City garda division, between January and August this year compared to the same period last year  up from 23 to 35.

However, Chief Superintendent Barry McPolin said many of these relate to historic cases and reflect the confidence the public has in reporting such cases to gardai.

This story first appeared in the Irish Examiner.Plans for 135 housing units in one of Corks fastest-growing suburbs were sanctioned last night after councillors voted to allow the project go ahead on land zoned for business and technology use.

Councillors voted 24-4 in favour of the material contravention to the city development plan, granting planning for the housing scheme on a site on the Bessboro Rd in Mahon, following assurances that the site has no connection whatsoever to the former Bessborough mother and baby home nearby.

Bessboro Warehouse Holdings Ltd now have permission to build 135 residential units on the site in the Mahon Industrial Estate to include 24 houses, 64 duplex apartments, a three-storey apartment block comprising 20 apartments, and a four- storey apartment block comprising 27 apartments, as well as a creche.

The site known locally as the former Ridge Tools site is adjoined by the RCI/Abtran premises to the north, known as the former Motorola site, and to the east by a vacant site in use in recent years as a sport pitch.

The former Bessborough farm and convent is located across a road to the south.

There are 38 conditions attached to the grant of planning. The project will deliver 13 social housing units.

Several mother and baby home campaigners were in the public gallery in City Hall last night for the debate as Solidarity councillor Fiona Ryan and Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan raised concerns about the project.

Ms Ryan called for the vote to be put back to facilitate engagement with the victims of deep institutional abuse who she said feel they have been ignored by the State.

Mr Tynan said that while he does not like the idea of opposing a housing project, he had to oppose this scheme and called for the site to be treated as a crime scene given its proximity to the former mother and baby home.

However, Fianna Fail councillor Terry Shannon, who voted against the housing project on planning grounds, rounded on councillors who tried to link it to the Bessborough mother and baby home issue, accusing them of spoofing.

I am a Bessborough baby, said Mr Shannon. I have a personal affiliation to the site and I find it unreasonable and unacceptable that people should bring that debate into what is a housing debate and planning issue. It has nothing to do with victims and graves  nothing.

Sinn Fein councillor Chris OLeary also pointed out that there has been industry on the proposed development site since the 1960s.

And his party colleague Shane OShea accused some councillors of opposing the scheme for electoral benefit.

My email inbox is full, my phone is hopping every day, and its all housing, housing, housing, said Mr OShea. We are in the midst of one of the worst housing crisis in the history of the State and this is a solution to it.The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) has 30 targets in its sights in Cork but has asked the public for more tip-offs about people who may be living suspiciously lavish lifestyles.

A total of 16 CAB investigations are under way in the Cork City Garda Division, with 10 in Cork West and four in Cork North, said CABs chief bureau officer, Patrick Clavin, yesterday.

He said CAB has some 900 live investigations nationally, with almost half of those focusing on targets living in the greater Dublin area.

There are almost 70 targets of CAB in the Limerick city and county area, with just over 40 in the Louth area.

While Mr Clavin said the Cork figures are relatively low from a national perspective, the bureau would like to hear from people in the region with any concerns about how someone has accrued their wealth.

Do you suspect someones lifestyle is funded by crime? If you do, contact us. Contact CAB today so we can make them pay and take it away, he said.

He made his appeal during a briefing to the Cork City Joint Policing Committee (JPC)  the latest in a series of CAB briefings to JPCs nationwide designed to encourage communities to better engage with CAB.

Mr Clavin said there was a perception that CAB was secret and does not get out and engage with communities.

He said it has often been said that the dogs in the streets know who the criminals are but he said it was sometimes unclear to people about how to engage with, or alert or tip off CAB.

He added: There was also a perception that CAB was only targeting the godfathers of crime. But if somebody contacts us with a tip, we will never require them to give evidence in court. We can assure absolute protection.

All we need is a clue. We will conduct our own inquiries into their wealth or their criminal activity.

Mr Clavin said CAB targets criminals with the sole purpose of seizing assets using proceeds of crime legislation.

However, he said the agency can also tax the proceeds of crime and recover the over-payments of social welfare.

He said its profilers and investigators have access to a range of databases and work extensively to prepare lists of potential targets for investigation.

Mr Clavin said those initial investigations take place discreetly and often reveal a completely legitimate source of wealth such as inheritance or investment.

However, he said in cases where criminality is discovered, and assets identified which are the proceeds of crime, a full investigation is launched.

He also outlined the range of legal powers CAB has at its disposal to seize assets.

Those powers were firmed up in 2016 following amendments to legislation which included the reduction of the threshold value of an asset which can be seized  from 13,000 to 5,000.

That allows a bureau officer to, in certain circumstances, seize without court order an asset worth from 5,000, for an initial period of 24-hours.

The period can be extended by the chief bureau officer to 21 days.

Mr Clavin said that power has been invoked 10 times since the legislation was amended, and was usually related to the seizure of vehicles.

He also confirmed the bureau has seized bitcoin, the virtual currency.

Sinn Fein councillor Stephen Cunningham sought assurances from CAB about the protections in place for people who are the targets of initial CAB inquiries.

Mr Clavin said they are very mindful that people may maliciously report neighbours.

- CAB can be contacted on 01-666 3266 or info@cab.ie. It can also be contacted via Crimestoppers on 1800 250025.By Michael McHugh

A former smuggling route on both sides of the Irish border has been a meeting place for centuries, a cultural heritage expert has said.

Brexit negotiators are duelling over the future of areas such as Tyrone and Fermanagh in the North and Donegal in the Republic which meet in a remote western peat bogland. It has no roads.

The area featured in Italian poet Dantes Inferno, about the circles of hell, and, in more recent years  during the 30-year Troubles  was preserved untouched by human hand because it was not safe, said heritage scholar Liam Campbell. Its archaeological secrets were built up over 4,500 years in the marshy turf, with only stone circles remaining, and conifer trees planted on a bare landscape denuded of people.

Dr Campbell added: It was regarded by the British as somewhere the native Irish went to. They were demonised. It was where civilisation ended.

He said it was known by the settlers as the end of the world.

This part of Ireland was famous throughout Europe in the Middle Ages and influenced Dantes Inferno, after the famous writer read a description of it.

Following the plantation of Ulster, in the 17th century, it was known as bandit country, regarded as dreary by some English planters in Derry.

It is the meeting place of three counties, three religious dioceses, three Irish clans, the ONeills, ODonnells and Maguires, and a water catchment for the River Foyle.

Dr Campbell said: This is a real meeting place. The whole idea of a meeting place was to provide sanctuary.Homelessness champion Alice Leahy said a cheque for 33,000 raised by gardai through the sale of a commemorative book will be of enormous benefit to her organisation.

She said all the money would go straight into the services provided at the Alice Leahy Trust, which include medical assistance, washing facilities, and clothing for homeless people, most of them rough sleepers.

The money has been raised through the sale of Pearse Street 100, a 180-page coffee-table book chronicling the centenary of Pearse Street Garda Station, Dublin.

The idea was the brainchild of Superintendent Joe Gannon, district commander of Pearse Street station, and the book was researched and edited by Garda Stephen Moore.

We are a small organisation, we dont ask for money, and get no State funding, said Ms Leahy, who has worked with the homeless for 40 years. 33,000 is an enormous amount for us and will go directly towards our services, and particularly that its coming from the Gardai, and Supt Gannon came up with the idea, makes it extra special.

She called for a previous student garda placement scheme, which she ran in the trust before the embargo on recruitment, to be resurrected.

Ms Leahy said such schemes enable gardai to meet people on the street, understand what their lives are like and the hugely complex needs that they have.

I am very anxious that that would happen again, said Ms Leahy, who recently won a human rights award at UCC.

Deputy Commissioner John Twomey, who attended the handover of the cheque, said the book was a great initiative by gardai in the Dublin South Central division.

It demonstrates once again the concern Garda members have in protecting and supporting vulnerable people, he said.

Chief Superintendent Lorraine Wheatley said: For four decades Alice Leahy has provided invaluable assistance, care, and kindness to some of the most vulnerable people in our community in Dublin city. Gardai in Dublin South Central are proud of our long association with the trust.Dawn raids and doggedness lifted Listowel to the top of this years Tidy Towns competition after 25 years of trying.

The Kerry community of just under 5,000 took the title of tidiest small town before going on to clinch the overall award, and none were more surprised than the tidiers themselves.

Weve had the gas works in and pipes being laid so the whole town was disrupted and you wouldnt have places looking as good as they normally would, said a stunned Julie Gleeson, chairperson of the local committee.

Clearly shes her own harshest critic because the adjudicators struggled to find fault with the town, at one point in their highly complimentary report even describing the total lack of litter on the approach roads as uncanny.

Thatll be down to the early morning crew. Were known as the dawn raiders, explained Breda McGrath, who co-ordinates the early birds who are up at 6.30am to have the town gleaming before the majority awake.

We do a litter pick, watering the baskets, painting  anything we see that needs to be done, she said, ascribing their motivation to simple pride in our place.

Determination keeps them going too. You keep plugging away, said Julie. Weve been trying for this for 25 years and every year you get a bit closer.

Even now, therell be no resting on their laurels, for while the Listowel Races and Writers Week bring seasonal surges in visitors, much of the footfall is fleeting.

Were trying to bring employment. Listowel is off the beaten track and off the Wild Atlantic Way so hopefully this will boost us, said Julie. There are plans for a new greenway too along by the old railway so hopefully that will bring in visitors. Itll bring challenges too for keeping the town looking good but were up for that.

Listowel has been named Irelands Tidiest Town for 2018.

Theyll need to stay on their toes. This years tidiest village, Glaslough, Co Monaghan, and tidiest large urban Centre, Ballincollig, Co Cork, were both just one point off Listowels total.

Tom Butler, chairperson of the Ballincollig committee, was gracious in this narrowest of defeats.

We have a fine trophy to take home and were not in this for anything other than being happy the place is looking well, he said.

Keeping Ballincollig looking its best takes the combined efforts of around 65 core volunteers and other smaller groups active in their own estates and neighbourhoods.It also means never taking a break.

Were out 52 weeks a year, Sundays, bank holidays  we even have people wholl go out on Christmas Day. On St Patricks Day, an hour after the parade goes by, you wont know there was a parade in town.

But its not all hard slog. On a Sunday we meet from 11-12 and have a cup of tea afterwards and thats probably one of the most important parts of Tidy Towns  getting to know each other, making friendships. Its a joy.

And its spreading. The competition marked its 60th anniversary this year with its highest ever entry of 883, including 12 first-time entrants.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, paid tribute to all the volunteers, saying they were proof of great positivity throughout the country.

The voluntary work that people put into their communities brings great pride, a great sense of achievement and great camaraderie to those communities, he said.

Martin Kelleher, managing director of SuperValu, sponsors of the competition for 27 years, noted how it had evolved from focusing on litter to include ambitious projects protecting the environment, enhancing natural amenities, and bringing heritage to life.

Such an initiative is only successful because of the time and commitment that people put into it, he said.

Listowels efforts were rewarded with the 10,000 top prize plus the 5,000 small town category award but in all some 200 prizes were given out to gold, silver and bronze medal winners in eight population categories, as well as special environmental prizes and community hero awards, with the total prize fund hitting 250,000.Thanks to a law dating to British era, the executive of the former colony was able to ban the small group (HKNP) from political activity. United States, Great Britain and the EU express "concern", but Beijing replies in a peremptory way: "Do not intervene in our internal affairs under the guise of so-called freedom of speech and association".

Hong Kong (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Hong Kong government has banned the local Nationalist Party (HKNP), which aspires to the independence of the former British colony. According to the authorities, the ban on political activities is justified by an old law dating to the British colonial times: this prohibits "activities also policies that endanger national security". Beijing, which has observed the unfolding of events in the background, warns "States or foreign organizations" that foment pro- independence sentiments in the Territory.

This is the first time ever for the Hong Kong executive to explicitly prohibit a party from operating. According to many analysts, it is the "final proof" of China's interference in local affairs. Returning to the motherland in 1997, Hong Kong enjoys a certain degree of freedom guaranteed by the formula "One country, two systems". In practice, Beijing has promised to keep Basic Law, a small democratic constitution inherited from the British, in force for 50 years from its return.

However, the record shows that this freedom is being eroded step by step. The most striking case in recent years has been that of publishers critical of the Chinese Communist Party, who were in fact abducted by the communist authorities and released after time.

The Hong Kong justice secretary denies Chinese pressure on the Nationalist party's situation: "The group has spread hatred and discrimination against the Chinese of the motherland". And this is part of the violations of British law, which allows the government the political gag in cases "related to national security, public order, protection of rights and the freedom of others".

Representatives from the United States, Great Britain and the European Union expressed "concern" over this decision. But the Chinese Foreign Affairs Commissioner with responsibility for Hong Kong responded with a harsh statement, which peremptorily imposes "governments and groups of various kinds" to "respect the decision of the former colonial government". "We urge organisations of countries concerned in Hong Kong  to stop intervening in Hong Kong and Chinas internal affairs under the guise of so-called freedom of speech and association, and to stop issuing wrong signals to Hong Kong independence forces, the statement said.Update - 10.37pm: The Dail debate on a motion of no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has come to an end.

The Minister for Housing survived the Sinn Fein motion of no confidence by 59 votes to 49 after Fianna Fail abstained from the vote.

All Fine Gael TDS supported the Minister, as did independent alliance and independent ministers.

Earlier: 'I will be supporting my Government colleague' - Catherine Byrne to back Housing Minister in motion of no confidence

Junior Minister Catherine Byrne has confirmed that she will support her Fine Gael colleague when the Dail debate on a motion of no confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy comes to a vote this evening.

Watch live here:

In a statement, she said: "Today I had positive and constructive discussions with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister Eoghan Murphy.

I believe that for any new housing development to be successful, investment in proper planning and community facilities is essential. We all want to live in a sustainable and safe community.

I will be supporting my Government colleague this evening. Over the days and weeks ahead I will continue to work constructively with all of my colleagues on the issues I have raised relating to housing and community development.

I am confident that working together we will agree a plan to identify the socio-economic needs of the Inchicore/Kilmainham area and create a stable and vibrant community for generations to come.

Her statement comes after Ms Byrne previously told colleagues that she was considering supporting Sinn Feins no-confidence motion or abstaining from the vote.

Introducing the Sinn Fein motion in the Dail this evening, the party's housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin attacked Fianna Fail for supporting the government as the party moved a motion of no confidence against Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.

Earlier: Sinn Fein accuse Fianna Fail of being too 'weak' to stand up to Leo Varadkar

Sinn Fein have attacked Fianna Fail for supporting the government as the party moved a motion of no confidence against Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy.

TD Eoin O'Broin said Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was scared of a snap general election. His party was "so weak" that he wouldn't stand up to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mr O'Broin told the Dail tonight.

Mr Murphy's housing policies and the government's own plans had "failed", it was added. The Sinn Fein TD said homelessness in the last two years had increased by 60%, child homelessness by 77% while the number of pensioners without a home was up by 80%.

The TD also noted how the Taoiseach's own proposals for a vacant property tax had been quietly dropped.

Minister Murphy knows Rebuilding Ireland is fundamentally flawed, said the Dublin TD.

Sinn Fein's Eoin O'Broin.

The government will defend the housing minister this evening during the Dail debate while Fianna Fail is expected to abstain in the chamber vote afterwards, as is required under the Confidence and Supply Agreement.

Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald said the motion was not about playing the man but about highlighting the government's failure over housing.

She said the party was proposing double investment in affordable and social housing, tax relief for renters and a three-year rent freeze as well as legislation to stop buy to let landlords evicting those renting.

Additional reporting by Digital DeskTaoiseach Leo Varadkar will sack junior health minister Catherine Byrne if she abstains in a vote of no-confidence in Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy today.

Ms Byrne is threatening to ignore an order by Mr Varadkar for Fine Gael TDs to rally around Mr Murphy during a Sinn Fein motion of no confidence tonight. She is considering abstaining or even voting against Mr Murphy in the motion of no confidence.

Speaking at a UN summit in New York, Mr Varadkar said: Its of course the case if a minister cant express confidence in their own colleagues then they cant continue as a minister. We are a government, we make collective decisions together, and if a minister doesnt have confidence in another minister and votes that way, then obviously they couldnt continue. But, like I say, she hasnt had this conversation with me yet.

The row centres on Ms Byrnes concerns that the redevelopment of the St Michaels site in Inchicore is too rent-focused and will ignore local families needs for permanent housing.

Mr Varadkar said he will meet with Ms Byrne today when he returns from the US, but said she had not raised the no-confidence vote with him as of yet.

He said he can absolutely understand the objections that Ms Byrne has to the building of houses in her constituency.

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 house, said Mr Varadkar.

Ministers said the Government is willing to call Ms Byrnes bluff over her local concerns, calling it out as complete nimbyism.

Fine Gael is prepared to line up Ms Byrnes replacement, with sources last night pointing to city councillors who could run in Dublin South Central in the event of an election.

Ms Byrne refused to respond to media queries yesterday, but in a tweet last night, she maintained the proposed development is not right for the site.President Michael D Higgins and his main rival for the Aras, Sean Gallagher, are set to miss the opening debate in the race for the presidency.

While Mr Higgins will launch his campaign tomorrow, he will not participate in an RTE debate for diary reasons. Mr Gallagher has since withdrawn from the debate as all candidates are not involved.

The developments come as the nominating period for presidential hopefuls closes at 3pm tomorrow.

Mr Higgins campaign team issued a statement yesterday signalling that he would take part in debates and discussions ahead of the October 26 vote. The statement says the incumbent has a long record of participating in debates, and is looking forward to engaging with the other candidates, and answering journalists questions, over the next five weeks.

Mr Higginss campaign team initially said he would not participate in the planned RTE News at One radio debate with contenders tomorrow as it was before close of nominations.

The debate was then moved to Thursday, but the Presidents team says he has diary commitments then. Mr Higgins is due to open a student centre in Dublin City University at 11am and will receive the British Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, at 2.30pm.

We have told RTE that he is constrained this week because of pre-existing presidential diary commitments on Thursday and Friday, read the statement.

Mr Gallagher has said he will not engage in debates without all candidates involved. Election debates are an important part of the democratic process and they need to be centred on the principle of inclusivity and fairness for all candidates. It is therefore crucial that all candidates are treated equally and that debates should include all candidates, his team said in a statement.

Sean Gallagher has publicly committed to participating in all debates which include all candidates.

The developments mean there will likely only be the remaining four candidates involved in the debate: Pieta House founder Joan Freeman, businessmen Gavin Duffy and Peter Casey, and Sinn Fein MEP Liadh Ni Riada.

RTE said the News at One programme reaches 346,000 listeners across its full duration. In the event that a candidate is not available, the programme will broadcast, on air, their reason for not participating.

Mr Gallagher will lodge his nomination papers today while those for Mr Higgins were delivered to the Customs House yesterday. Mr Higgins also asked voters to give him a second-seven year term.

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, he said.

Trade union leader Bernard Harbour and public affairs consultant Paul Daly, both former Labour government advisers, will help oversee media management for Mr Higginss reelection campaign.

Meanwhile, journalist Gemma Doherty was making last-minute efforts to secure more council votes for her nomination after councillors in Laois backed her.

However, the prospective independent candidate faces a challenge trying to secure other councils, after Cork and Kildare Counties both declined to endorse Ms Doherty yesterday.By Liam Heylin

A security man at the Voodoo Rooms in Cork had his nose broken by a customer.

Shane Dwan of Ceol Na Mara, Knockmahon, Bunmahon, Waterford, pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting security staff member Ian Kennedy there on the night of October 19/20, 2017.

Inspector Daniel Coholan said: The injured party was punched in the mouth by the defendant after he identified himself as a security man at the premises.

He said Dwan had a conviction for assault causing harm in Waterford in 2014 where he was given a community service order. Referring to the assault before Cork District Court, Judge Olann Kelleher said: And here we are again.

Shane Collins-Daly, defending, said: He accepts this was a serious incident.

He said Dwan fell back into the security man and there was some pushing.

Alcohol would have been a problem at the time, he said.

Judge Kelleher asked: Has there been any effort to pay compensation? It was a year ago. He broke this mans nose.

The solicitor replied: If you gave him one or two months.

The judge said: I am amazed he has not done it already.

He put sentencing back to November 5.A leading expert on tuberculosis (TB) has said the Government should fortify public health efforts to deal with TB, especially those responsible for the identification of cases, expert referral and dealing with those affected after an outbreak.

Joseph Keane, consultant respiratory physician in St Jamess Hospital, and professor in Trinity College Dublin, said the subject should not be ignored even though there are low rates of TB among the general Irish population.

Prof Keane referred to the publication earlier this year in the international Journal of Infection, which looked at drug-resistant TB in Ireland between 2001 and 2014.

The study, which was led by Dr Emma Roycroft, a specialist scientist in St Jamess Hospital, said the prevalence of MDR/XDR-TB in Ireland, while low, still poses a threat to public health and that cross-border European Union strains have been found in Ireland and putative transmission between an Irish-born patient and a non-Irish born patient was discovered.

There were 42 MDR-TB cases diagnosed in Ireland between 2001 and 2014.

According to the study, over 75% of MDR-TB cases were confirmed in non-Irish born individuals and seven MIRU-VNTR genotypes were identical to clusters in other European countries indicating cross-border spread of MDR-TB to Ireland.

It is understood there have been three cases of extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) in Ireland over the past 40 years, with six-figure treatment costs per patient.

The report concluded: Our molecular epidemiological analyses identified the spread of MDR-TB to Ireland from other jurisdictions and its potential to evolve to XDR-TB.

Prof Keane stressed that the issue was not the entry of people from other countries into Ireland, but rather whether our health system was taking sufficient steps to avoid MDR-TB from developing in individuals, thereby limiting its potential spread.

If they are ignored and not managed they have within themselves and without knowing it, the capability of spreading this disease, he said.

Prof Keane said public health doctors had a key role i and their efforts should not be diverted elsewhere, while he also stressed the need for a dedicated MDR centre.By Lynne Kelleher

The brother of a republican prisoner who died on hunger strike has opened up about the bizarre events surrounding the commandeering of his brothers body by the government en route to his funeral.

Frank Stagg, the brother of former Labour TD Emmet Stagg, was 35 when he died in 1976, having refused food for 62 days at Wakefield prison in Yorkshire while serving a 10-year sentence for conspiring to commit arson.

The TG4 documentary series Finne details how he made a will five days before he passed away requesting to be buried with full military honours alongside former cellmate and fellow Mayo hunger striker Michael Gaughan in Ballina, who had died two year earlier.

In an extraordinary move, the State ordered that the aircraft carrying Frank Staggs body from London to Dublin be diverted to Shannon to avoid a similar military-style funeral to Gaughan, which had drawn thousands of republican mourners.

The States handling of Frank Staggs funeral caused controversy as his coffin was forcefully taken away from distraught family members in Shannon Airport before being helicoptered to his hometown for burial in a plot in Ballina, which was later covered in feet of concrete so it couldnt be reburied.

Frank Stagg was 35 when he died in 1976, having refused food for 62 days at Wakefield prison while serving a 10-year sentence

Looking back on the turmoil of the funeral in the documentary, George Stagg says the States actions after his older brothers death were outside the bounds of decency.

When someone dies everything else should be forgotten and their funeral and their final wishes should be taken care of. To take a control of a persons funeral is really going outside the bounds of decency.

In the TG4 documentary, George Stagg, details how he eventually found a way to grant his brothers last wishes by digging up his body under the dead of night from underneath a wall of concrete.

George Stagg, who had accompanied his brothers coffin on the cargo plane, tells how he was arrested by two plain-clothes officers as soon as they landed and brought to Ennis Garda Station.

The coffin was brought into a waiting helicopter and the funeral took place with a wall of gardai and army personnel surrounding the graveyard but with most of his grieving family missing.

The State had possession of Franks coffin and body. It was a horrific feeling to think his body was being moved around the country under armed guard of soldiers and police and being buried without us being present.

George Stagg said his mother  who stayed away from the funeral because she believed it was against his wishes  had her first visit to his grave photographed by special branch detectives.

They took photographs of her as she knelt. I thought it was the most heartless thing Id ever seen, he says.

Republicans held their own ceremony at Leigue Cemetery the following Sunday, with an oration from Joe Cahill and a pledge that the body would be moved to lie beside Gaughan, in accordance with Staggs wishes, which resulted in chaotic scenes.

George Stagg: Horrific feeling to think Franks body was being moved around the country under armed guard of soldiers and police.

Gardai kept a nighttime guard over the grave for over a year and poured concrete over the grave to ensure the body couldnt be reinterred but they omitted to buy the plot where they buried Frank Stagg.

Cemetery caretaker Gerry Ginty, who spotted that the State had never bought the plot where the prisoner had been buried, urged George Stagg to buy the plot along with the adjoining plot.

In the TG4 documentary, George Stagg details how he tunnelled to the concrete-covered coffin with the help of four others using their bare hands on a black, stormy night on November 5, 1977  22 months after his brothers death.

We dug around in over the coffin and under it and passed ropes through and were able to inch it out, he says.

When we got the coffin out I put my hands on it and just said, Its for you Frank were doing this.

- The documentary Finne is shown TG4 at 9.30pm on Wednesday.By David Raleigh

Troy Studios in Limerick has announced plans to bag further television or film productions from several of the worlds major content streaming companies, according to its CEO, Siun Ni Raghallaigh.

It is seeking tenders to expand its soundstage space from 70,000sq ft to 100,000sq ft, which will position Troy as the largest international standard film and TV studio in Ireland and one of the biggest in Europe.

The big-budget US sci-fi hit television series Nightflyers, produced by NBC Universal and aired on Netflix, recently completed a nine-month stay at Troy, resulting in 320 direct jobs and a 53m boost to the local economy.

Ms Ni Raghallaigh confirmed that Troys representatives are regularly meeting with all the major studio streamers such as Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV to generate further productions in Limerick. Already, Troy, which has a 350,000sq ft creative hub in Castletroy, has received 6.5m in private investment to deliver on its first major contract with NBC Universal.

The investment for the proposed expansion is commercially sensitive, said Ms Ni Raghallaigh, but described it as a considerable investment, and what were going to get from that is doubling the potential for inward investment in productions, and a doubling of jobs potential.

According to Ms Ni Raghallaigh, the expansion of its soundstage facilities will allow Troy to sit down with the biggest of big guns in the industry.

Having a 100,000sq ft stage screen space is a very significant place to be in this market. We would be in a position to have two Nightflyers-type projects running on at the same time, or a larger project running, she said.

Now that we have more space coming on stream, the conversation has got more interesting.

Ms Ni Raghallaigh said TV productions are at the heart of this expansion.

There is a demand for that type of immediate satisfaction (from the audience) to see the whole series in one go. The days of (TV) scheduling are gone, and broadcasters are scrambling to compete with us as well now.

Ms Ni Raghallaigh said having another major production like Nightflyers, in a newly expanded Troy, would likely generate a 100m boost to the local economy, and a further 640 direct jobs.

The investment that came in from Nightflyers was in the region of 50m for the area, and again, you can do the maths, if you double the production base, you are going to double that annually, that incoming foreign direct investment.The INMO says full-scale industrial action by nurses will be considered if the HSE does not address issues over pay and staff levels.

The nursing union said it will meet on Wednesday to consider all options.The pontiff celebrated Mass in Tallinn. The country is home to more than five thousand Catholics. "Jesus called the disciples, and today too he calls each of us, dear brothers and sisters, to continue sowing seeds of his Kingdom, he said. You did not gain your freedom in order to end up as slaves of consumerism, individualism or the thirst for power or domination.

Tallinn (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis ended his apostolic visit (22-25 September) to the Baltic states with an evening Mass celebrated in Freedom Square in the Estonian capital of Tallinn before flying home to Rome.

In his address, the pontiff said that Estonians, who know about fighting for freedom, can identify with the Jews who came out of Egypt and can understand what God said to Moses so as "to discern what he is saying to us as a people.

A few thousand people gathered in the square. Catholics in Estonia number just over 5,000. Among them some certainly came to see  and perhaps understand  the Catholic faith, so much so that a loudspeaker had to inform those present that only Catholics could take the communion. The celebration thus had a missionary aspect t, like helping those in need.

Before the Mass, Francis referred to this when he visited the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul to meet people helped by the Church's charitable works. About a hundred people were there, including some nuns.

A faith, he said, that is missionary goes, like these sisters, through the streets of our cities, our neighbourhoods and our communities, telling people with very concrete actions: You are part of our family, of Gods big family in which all of us have a place. Dont stay outside.

So I would invite you to continue creating bonds. To continue going out into the neighbourhoods and saying to all sorts of people: You, and you and you, are part of our family! Jesus called the disciples, and today too he calls each of us, dear brothers and sisters, to continue sowing seeds of his Kingdom, passing it on. He's counting on your histories, your lives and your hands, to go through the city and to share the same experience you have had.

Some people think they are free when they live without God or keep him at arms length. They do not realize that, in doing so, they pass through this life as orphans, without a home to return to. They cease being pilgrims and become drifters, flitting around themselves and never getting anywhere (Evangelii Gaudium, 170).

Like the people who came forth from Egypt, we have to listen and seek. These days, we may think that the strength of a people is measured by other means. Some people speak in a loud voice, full of self-assurance  with no doubts or hesitation. Others shout and hurl threats about using weapons, deploying troops and implementing strategies... That way they appear to be stronger. But this is not about seeking the will of God, but about gaining power so as to prevail over others. Underlying this attitude is a rejection of ethics and, as such, a rejection of God. For ethics leads us to a God who calls for a free and committed response to others and to the world around us, a response outside the categories of the marketplace (cf. ibid., 57). You did not gain your freedom in order to end up as slaves of consumerism, individualism or the thirst for power or domination.

In the desert, the people of Israel were tempted to seek other gods, to worship the golden calf, to trust in their own strength. But God always called them back to him, and they remembered what they heard and saw on the mountain. Like that people, we know we are a chosen people, a priestly people, a holy people (cf. Ex 19:6; 1 Pet 2:9). It is the Spirit who reminds us of all these things (cf. Jn 14:26).

Being chosen does not mean being exclusive or sectarian. We are the small portion of yeast that must make the dough rise; we do not hide or withdraw, or consider ourselves better or purer.' God wants his people to go forth. [. . .] We have to leave our fears behind and go forth from our safe places, because today most Estonians do not identify themselves as believers.

So go out as priests, for that is what we are by baptism. Go out to build relationships with God, to facilitate them, to encourage a loving encounter with the one who cries out: Come to me! (Mt 11:28). We need to be seen as close to others, capable of contemplation, compassion and willingness to spend time with others, as often as necessary. This is the art of accompaniment. It is carried out with the healing rhythm of closeness, with a respectful and compassionate gaze capable of healing, liberating and encouraging growth in the Christian life (Evangelii Gaudium, 169).

Bear witness as a holy people. We may be tempted to think that holiness is only for a few. However, we are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves (Gaudete et Exsultate, 14).

Today we choose to be saints by shoring up the outskirts and fringes of our society, wherever our brothers and sisters lie prostrate and experience rejection. We cant think somebody else will be the one to stop and help, nor that these are problems to be resolved by institutions. It is up to us to fix our gaze on those brother and sister and to offer a helping hand, because they bear the image of God, they are our brothers and sisters, redeemed by Jesus Christ. This is what it is to be a Christian; this is holiness lived on a day-to-day basis (cf. ibid., 98).

In your history you have shown your pride in being Estonians. You sing it saying: I am Estonian, I will always be Estonian, it is good to be Estonian, we are Estonians. How good it is to feel part of a people; how good it is to be independent and free. May we go to the holy mountain, to the mountain of Moses, to the mountain of Jesus. May we ask him - as the motto of this Visit says - to awaken our hearts and to grant us the gift of the Spirit. In this way, at every moment of history, may we discern how to be free, how to embrace goodness and feel chosen, and how to let God increase, here in Estonia and in the whole world, his holy nation, his priestly people.Arthur Riordan found uncanny parallels with his own life in Fermoy while adapting Joyces first novel for the theatre, writes Marjorie Brennan

James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is full of memorable scenes, but one in particular encapsulates the preoccupations and class snobbery of Simon Dedalus, father of the central character, Stephen.

When Mr Dedalus realises he may no longer be able to afford the fees for the esteemed Clongowes, he fulminates against the idea that his son attend a Christian Brothers school:

Christian brothers be damned! said Mr Dedalus. Is it with Paddy Stink and Mickey Mud? No, let him stick to the jesuits in Gods name since he began with them. Theyll be of service to him in after years. Those are the fellows who can get you a position.

For actor and writer Arthur Riordan, who has adapted Joyces first novel for the stage, the scene had a significant biographical resonance. Riordan grew up in the North Cork town of Fermoy, where his family lived above his fathers electrical shop on Patricks St, and he attended St Colmans CBS, where Joyces father went to school.

Arthur Riordan was on of the founders of Rough Magic theatre company in 1984

One of the characters that helped me find a way in to Portrait was Simon Dedalus, In ways, he is like a character from another book altogether. He talks a lot and has a very colourful turn of phrase, he is like a character from Dickens or a 19th century novel. I found his voice quite easy to get and any extra dialogue or exposition that was needed, I tried as far as possible to put in his mouth, which is funnily significant because Joyces father went to school in Fermoy, so Ive always thought that when Stephens father talks about sending him to the Christian Brothers with Paddy Stink and Mickey Mud thats my school he is talking about.

Riordans interest in the theatre was awakened when he went to Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied English and history, and joined the student drama society, known as the Players.

My initial ambition had been to be a journalist but I got waylaid by Players in Trinity. The 70s was a very exciting time, you could still feel the literary Dublin of the 50s, when you went into the pubs or coffee shops, he says.

Riordan has been steeped in the theatre since, co-founding the pioneering theatre company Rough Magic in 1984, and combining acting with writing. He has previously adapted the work of Ibsen and Flann OBrien but bringing his version of Portrait to the stage for this Rough Magic production was quite a different prospect, he says.

Transferring something from the page to the stage it becomes a different work. Therefore, you have to find ways to remain faithful to the original but also ways for it to make sense in a new medium. With Joyce, that responsibility feels a little bit heavier. When I was adapting Flann OBrien, it was an unfinished novel that had never been published [Slatterys Sago Saga], which gives you quite a lot of freedom. Whereas, with Joyce, he wrote every word for a purpose, so what ones do you take out?

Riordan was also able to draw on Stephen Hero, Joyces uncompleted precursor to Portrait. This was helpful in Riordans attempts to flesh out some of the female characters in the adaptation.

Stephen Hero had a good deal more dialogue for the women characters, which was very handy. It is very interesting, for whatever reason, that the women characters have far less to say in Portrait than in Stephen Hero. I think that was to in some way show the young Stephens distance from women  and Joyce was critical of that. There are beefier parts for the women characters [in the adaptation]. In any case, there are eight actors in the play, four male, four female, so there is a lot of switching of gender roles in any case. There wont be a Joyce mother standing silently in the corner or anything like that, he laughs.

While Riordan says his first duty as a writer is to the story, he also wants the play to be fresh and relevant to a modern audience.

I feel very strongly that Joyce didnt write this as a period piece. He wrote it as an experimental piece of modernist fiction. Id like it not to have a nostalgic feel about it  I want it to feel as edgy, new and entertaining to a modern audience as Portrait did to its original readers.

Acting and writing have proved to be well-suited companions for Riordan. Id certainly like to think they feed into each other. As an actor, I think writing helps me to take a broader view, have a better notion of the characters whole story rather than focusing on how you should say an individual line. Because that way you dont see the wood for the trees. Acting certainly feeds into writing, and gives me a good sense of dialogue and what works on stage, and that covers so much. There are many writers who write for the stage without ever having been involved in the theatre, but it must be so much harder. Having been involved in theatre certainly gives you a head start.

It seems like Riordan has achieved the perfect balance in his career. Is he glad he didnt become a journalist? It wouldnt have suited me. Im no good at deadlines, as any director will tell you, he laughs.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man premieres at the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, this Friday as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival. A subsequent tour includes Theatre Royal, Waterford, Oct 19-20; Everyman, Cork, Oct 22-24; Glor, Ennis, Oct 27; Siamsa Tire, Tralee, Nov 2-3

Selected highlights of Dublin Theatre Festival

Ruth Negga in Hamlet at the Gate.

Hamlet Gate, Sept 27-Oct 13

The gender of the lead character may still be male, but he is being played by Ruth Negga in a production directed by South African director Yael Faber.

The Lost OCasey Sept 26-Oct13

ANU have long been one of the most innovative theatre companies in the country, and their latest production spins a lost OCasey play through the context of modern Dublin.

Druid Shakespeare: Richard III Abbey Theatre Oct 3-13

The Galway-based company continues its exploration of Shakespeares kings.

Bluebeards Castle Gaiety Theatre, Oct 12-14

After The Last Hotel and The Second Violinist, his operatic collaborations with Donncha Dennehy, Enda Walsh embarks on another musical adventure with a new production of Bela Bartoks reimagining of the exploits of the dastardly Bluebeard. Its a fairytale, but with a suitably Walshian dose of darkness and terror. Sung in Hungarian, with English surtitles.

Nassim, Project Arts Theatre, Oct 2-5

Nassim Soleimanpours acclaimed show White Rabbit Red Rabbit has been performed more than 1,000 times, starring famous names including Stephen Fry, Ken Loach and Whoopi Goldberg. In this intriguing production, an award-winner at last years Edinburgh Fringe, the Iranian playwright brings a different performer on stage each night, with the script an unknown entity, contained in a sealed box. dublintheatrefestival.comConsumer advice with Grainne McGuinness

It is more than 200 years since Benjamin Franklin first suggested that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. But while we understand the truth of his comment, it appears many seem not to fully appreciate how often death leads to taxes.

Recent research conducted on behalf of Irish Life found that many people in Ireland intend to leave significant sums as inheritance but often have little understanding of potential tax implications. 20% of over 55-year-olds expect to leave over 500,000 in inheritance and a quarter of over 65s expect to leave the same amount to their families. Almost half (47%) of people plan to leave over 100,000 in inheritance.

These are significant sums of money that could mean hefty tax bills for the beneficiaries. But 84% of people asked did not know what the current inheritance tax rate is (it is 33%), and two thirds of people do not know what the thresholds are. The current tax-free allowance for children is 310,000, dropping considerably to 32,500 for other relationships, including siblings, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.

Irish Life gave as an example a grandparent who wishes to leave a house in Cork City worth 273,894 to a grandchild. With the inheritance tax threshold for grandchildren at 32,500 and an inheritance tax rate of 33% tax on the remaining 241,394 house value, this could result in an inheritance tax bill of 79,660.

The research also found that half of people think that their family home is totally exempt from inheritance tax. But this is not necessarily the case, generally only gifts or inheritance from a spouse or civil partner are exempt from capital acquisitions tax (CAT).

There is a dwelling house exemption but it is strictly limited and will not apply in most cases. One important point that many are unaware of is that in Ireland, cohabiting couples have no automatic right of inheritance on the death of either partner. With property values rising nationwide, thousands of people risk leaving big tax bills behind for their family to face in the future.

Its concerning to see that so many people think their family home is automatically exempt from inheritance tax when passing it on to children or grand-children, said Kate Connor, protection manager, Irish Life. Although many people intend to leave significant amounts to their children and grand-children when they die, most of them are unaware that those family members could be liable for a very substantial tax bill.

In many cases, the lack of planning extends further, with less than half of Irish people saying they have a will in place. A quarter of over 55s have no plan for transferring their assets in the future. The research also found that only half of people have discussed their inheritance plans with a solicitor, while another third havent yet discussed their financial plans with anyone.

Irish Life recommends as a first step to visit www.revenue.ie for details on the inheritance tax thresholds and rates. You can then establish if your death will lead to a bill for your family. If your bequests will have tax implications, you should get professional financial advice to ensure your estate is taken care of in a tax-efficient manner.

There are ways to help your beneficiaries with the tax bill, in particular a Section 72 Life Insurance plan, which is specifically designed to pay the inheritance tax on your estate when you die. This is a revenue approved life insurance policy and the proceeds are tax-free if used to settle an inheritance tax bill.

Even if you dont think there will be tax implications, it is advisable to write a will. If you die intestate (without a will) everything that you own is distributed in strict accordance with the law, with no reference to preferences or plans. It is possible write a will without legal advice, you can get information on what it needs to be valid at www.citizensinformation.ie. But legal fees for getting a will drawn up are, on average, between 50 and 150  money well spent for peace of mind.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

The sandals and shorts have gone into hibernation; with October on the horizon it is nearly time for boots and winter woollies.

If you have growing children, much of last years wardrobe is probably too small. With this in mind, on Thursday Aldi are launching a full range of childrens winter clothes and boots.

Prices start from 7.99, a welcome relief for parents still recovering from back-to-school costs.

For that price you can get a 100% cotton cord dress, with a front patch pocket and two side pockets, or cord trousers.

There are cosy cable knit cardigans, rugby tops or chunky knit crew neck jumpers on sale for 8.99 and three-packs of winter tights for 5.99.

The range also includes girls leather boots for 19.99, leather Hi-Tops 12.99 and wellies for 7.99.

All on sale on Thursday in Aldi stores nationwide while stocks last.

If there are any consumer issues that youd like Grainne to address or if you have problems that Grainne could help with, she can be contacted at makingcents@examiner.ieKarl Pilkington once knocked the world of TV on the head, and Sky have persuaded back to the small screen for his first TV drama, writes Georgia Humphreys

Karl Pilkington is an over-thinker. Anyone whos watched him on TV before, or listened to him on The Ricky Gervais Show podcast, will know that.

But nothing has sent him into a tizz quite like writing and starring in new Sky One comedy Sick Of It.

Theres no clocking in, clocking out, recalls the Mancunian, who turns 46 later this month.

You want to make something as good as you can make it. And for someone who didnt do well in school and didnt aim to get in this line of work, I think its not bad, considering.

But that anxiousness of I want to do better wears you down. It was more knackering than anything else Ive done.

TV presenter, author, radio producer, actor: Pilkingtons done it all.

Hes arguably best known for An Idiot Abroad, which documented his journeys (as someone who hates travelling) to see the Seven Wonders of the World, with comedians Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant encouraging him to broaden his mind.

After that ended in 2012, hed knocked the world of TV on the head, as he puts it, in his amusingly blunt tone.

However, when Richard Yee  the director of An Idiot Abroad  suggested Pilkington make something new for Sky, boredom made him say yes.

The result? Sick Of It, which sees him play not only a version of himself, but also the voice inside his head - the Inner Self.

At first though, the star, who lives with his long-term partner Suzanne Whiston, was insistent he wouldnt appear in the series as well as penning the script.

I thought, Im not an actor. If someone else did it, theyre going to do a better job.

It just worried me. But, Im a worrier  thats what I do.

Even now, hes not sure he was right to take the lead role (a middle-aged taxi driver, whos ended up living with his aunt following a break-up, muddling through a rather mundane existence).

Its just the sort of thing where [I think], I wonder what it would have been like with someone else, he confides.

I dont know how youre meant to feel, when youve made something youve been that involved in from the start, to being in it, to the editing, to picking the music, watching it again and again and again... I dont see how anyone can distance themselves from it, and watch it as a viewer.

The inner self idea was partly inspired by the fact that Pilkington talks to himself a lot.

But also the notion that lifes complicated.

Whats the right thing to do  do you do what you believe in, or do you do stuff to please others? he suggests. You can watch Sick Of It and just go... (at this point, his face remains typically serious, but he mimics someone slightly chuckling).

Or you can watch it and really think about it. In some of the episodes, theres big life problems that I think other people will relate to.

One such storyline, explored in episode two, sees childless Karl being responsible for a lifelike baby doll.

At the start, hes adamant that he doesnt want a baby. Its split him and his girlfriend up.

By the end, hes found it interesting to have this thing hes had to take care of and hes like, Maybe I could do it, maybe I do want one.

Pilkington has said in the past he definitely doesnt want to be a dad.

Does he still feel the same way?

I think unless youre absolutely 100%, then dont do it. If Suzanne was like, I really want one... You need someone to lead it.

We talk about it now and again and go, I wonder if when were older we go oh we regret not having kids. But honestly, Im like that with everything. Buying something on Amazon - I dont just go I need a so and so, how much are they? Buy, order. I go, Well, which one? Do I need one? How much do I need it?

Its easy to realise, from chatting to him, why Pilkington has such a legion of fans.

He brings up issues that are relatable  not wanting to go to parties, that he annoys Suzanne by doing DIY jobs around the house that dont really need doing, and how hes desperate for some biscuits to perk his energy levels up.

He may have had huge success thanks to his work with Gervais and Merchant, but he seems so... normal (if, yes, a little moany).

But then, the endearing TV personality never set out to be a celebrity.

Before I started work on this, I was tinkering with the idea of helping a window cleaner, just for something to do three days a week, he quips.

On the topic of his career, people have speculated whether there was a falling out between him, Gervais and Merchant, seeing as its been a few years now since the hilarious trio worked together.

Pilkington insists thats not the case, confessing hed never say never to them reuniting  if it was the right project.

Theres nothing planned but then again, this wasnt planned until about three months before we started.

Its about doing something different. If you keep doing the same thing, all that happens is people drop off.

The hope with Sick Of It is that it will bring him new fans.

People who went, I didnt like An Idiot Abroad, I hated him in that, hes ignorant, hes lucky to travel, I hope that they see this and go, Oh, all right, its something different, he says.

However, hes waiting to see how this series goes down before making any plans for another instalment.

It would be a nightmare if youve got to do it [a second series], and yet everyones slagged it off.

I still have sleepless nights, he continues. You cant just go, I cant be bothered, that will do, lets knock it out, because Id be depressed. Youve still got to do your best, whatever you do.

If I was cleaning windows with my mate, Id be making sure I do a good job of them windows.

Sick Of It starts on Sky One and Now TV on Thursday, September 27The Cry begins on BBC One on Sunday night, writes Gemma Dunn

Having withdrawal symptoms from the end of Bodyguard? Fear not, for the BBCs next heart-stopping drama is within touching distance.

The Cry, an intense, four-part psychological thriller, follows Joanna (Jenna Coleman) and Alistair (Ewen Leslie), who are faced with the unthinkable when their newborn baby is abducted from a small coastal town in Australia.

Dealing with the white light of public scrutiny, the young couple, who had travelled Down Under from Scotland due to a separate custody battle, suddenly find their lives and relationship changed forever.

Gripped? Heres what else you need to know...

ITS AN ADAPTATION

The Cry, based on Helen FitzGeralds acclaimed novel of the same name, was adapted for the small screen by Jacquelin Perske, and called on the talents of director Glendyn Ivin and executive producer Claire Mundell.

It was all-encompassing narrative that drew them to a reworking, Mundell says: The story of a couple and in particular, a young woman like Joanna, caught in a situation such as she finds herself.

Ive never seen a lead protagonist in a domestic-set thriller that was so accessible and captured so many things at once.

Issues about what its like to be a young mother and all the stuff people dont speak about, she adds.

But that this was all wrapped up in the most incredible page turner of a thriller.

These are very relatable people who find themselves in a circumstance that could happen to anybody, really. Its not a world of other or external crime. This is just ordinary life. Domestic life.

IT TACKLES THE JUDGEMENT OF NEW MOTHERS

As well as turning the protagonists world upside down, the harrowing turn of events proves a catalyst for a journey into the disintegrating psychology of a young woman, exposing the myths and truths of motherhood.

Joanna, as we meet her, is a new mum and has a baby, Noah, of about three months, Coleman states.

We find her struggling with the change. Struggling, I suppose, with new motherhood. She feels exhausted. She feels like shes lost her identity and shes struggling to connect with Noah.

Its post-natal depression but I dont think she knows that yet. Thats where we begin.

When it comes to the judgement of women in situations like this, we felt it was important to convey what that would feel like for a young woman, like Joanna, to be instantly judged because she cries or doesnt cry or the way she behaves, says Mundell, who had Coleman in mind for the complex role from the off.

LEFT HOLDING THE BABY

A mothers life disintegrates while the world looks on.@Jenna_Coleman_ is Joanna in #TheCry. Starts Sunday at 9pm BBC One. pic.twitter.com/x84VU1QkC1  BBC One (@BBCOne) September 25, 2018

Casting such young babies was no easy feat  but the tiny stars left a lasting impression on set.

Its tricky working with actors, as well as newborns, Ivin confesses.

The real babies, twins Noah and Oliver, were six weeks old and its pretty real. You put them down, they cry, everyone gets very alert and you film. Then you take them off and theyre not crying anymore.

But weve been unbelievably lucky, Coleman adds. The babies were like these magic, genius actor babies who seemed to know what the word action means and what the scene required. Theyve made my job very easy!

It hasnt put her off motherhood, then?

No it hasnt, but its opened my eyes up to the realities of motherhood, and to a lot of what my friends are experiencing, perhaps, confides the actress, who is in a long-term relationship with her Victoria co-star Tom Hughes.

Adding that she has also realised people dont really talk about it that much, she says: But its not put me off forever or scarred me forever.

The Cry starts on BBC One on SundayJP McManus 100,000 donation to each county board has been described as the greatest ever gesture to the clubs of Ireland.

It was yesterday afternoon when county board secretaries around the country began opening a letter from the Limerick-born businessman, unaware of the incredible gift inside.

Enclosed in each envelope was a cheque for 100,000, the accompanying note outlining how the money is for the development of GAA across the country and to be divided equally among clubs.

The 3.2m gesture has been made by McManus off the back of Limericks All-Ireland hurling final win last month, the countys first Liam MacCarthy triumph since 1973.

In Leitrim, the 24 clubs will each pocket 4,166 .

Cork, with 160 clubs, will obviously receive less but chairperson Tracey Kennedy said: It is a really wonderful and incredible gesture.

Each club will be hugely appreciative of this very generous gift.

A spokesperson for the Leitrim County Board said the 4,000 each club is set to receive will wipe out the contribution they make to the GAAs injury benefit fund.

At the beginning of each year, a club must pay into the GAAs injury fund. It normally comes to 4,000, so to put this donation into context, the money from JP will cover that.

Thats how significant this gift is. Irrespective of how many clubs are in Leitrim, for him to think of us and every other county outside of his own native Limerick is a testament to the man himself. Every club is going to appreciate and benefit from his act of generosity.

Up until recent years, clubs in Waterford were being levied to assist in the clearing of the countys debt.

Waterford chairman Paddy Joe Ryan said, this is the greatest thing to do for the club and greatest ever gesture to the clubs of Ireland.

The approximately 49 clubs in Waterford can look forward to roughly 2,040 landing into their respective bank accounts.

This is unbelievable, Ryan continued. Clubs are often forgotten about so this is just fantastic to see. JP could have just looked after Limerick. Instead, he has looked after every club in the country. His passion for the GAA and his goodwill is remarkable.

This gift is going to sow the seeds for future development in so many clubs.

Roscommon GAA secretary Brian Carroll said each of their 33 clubs can expect to pocket 3,000 as a result of McManus donation.

We cant thank him enough, Carroll remarked. At a time when we are fundraising hard for the development of Dr Hyde Park, and all clubs are playing their part with regard to our win a house fundraising effort, this is great news for each club. It is an incredible gift, an unbelievable gesture.

A spokesperson for the GAA has described the 3.2m donation as unprecedented and an incredible gesture.

McManus has been a main sponsor of Limerick GAA for several years and is heavily involved in sport, including horse racing and the upcoming JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor in 2020.On September 29, 1938, Czechoslovakia was sacrificed to Nazi Germany by the UK and France, in their catastrophic hurry to appease Hitler. That lesson is still relevant today, writes Yuriy Filatov

We are entering a new period of historical anniversaries associated with the Second World War.

One of the most notable is the 80th anniversary of the Munich conference of September 29, 1938, which was attended by the heads of governments of the UK, German Reich, Italy, and France.

The result of the conference, which is better known as the Munich collusion, was catastrophic  by signing the Munich Agreement, the British prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, and the French prime minister, Edouard Daladier, gave Hitler a green light to invade Czechoslovakia and essentially opened the road to the war.

During these 80 years, historians have studied the Munich conference in detail. Nevertheless, there are still one-sided assessments of the conference, and erroneous interpretation of its meaning.

Among the most frequent biases is an attempt to judge the conference through the prism of the effectiveness of the appeasement policy pursued by Chamberlain.

Some justify Chamberlains policy, crediting him with a desire to avoid a big war in Europe and prevent the aggression of Nazi Germany against the UK. Others point out that despite his efforts, the Second World War began just after a year of the Munich Agreement.

It was exactly the behaviour of the UK and France that led the world to war. The British and French governments cherished an illusory hope of avoiding the war at any cost, even at the expense of the existence of another state, Czechoslovakia, which was peacefully surrendered to the growing aggression of Hitler.

Even before Munich, there was a chain of other concessions to the Nazi regime  the connivance to the remilitarisation of Rhine Province in 1936, non-interference in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939, amid flagrant Italian-German support of Francos insurgence, and the silent acceptance of the Anschluss of Austria, in March 1938.

To this shameful pattern, one should add the fact that the rise in persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany was largely ignored by European capitals (as a reminder: this year, we mark another sad milestone  the 80th anniversary of the Crystal Night (November 9-10, 1938), which became a prologue to the Holocaust).

At the same time, London and Paris were obviously interested in redirecting the Nazis aggressive plans to the east to thus solve two tasks  to avoid war with German Reich, and to destroy the threat of Bolshevism.

Neither of them was achieved, but the world went through the cruellest and bloodiest war ever.

According to the documents from the State Archives of the Russian Foreign Policy, there was a chance to avoid, or at least postpone for much longer, the beginning of WWII, if the UK and France had agreed with the USSR on the collective security system in Europe and stated firmly that they would provide military support to Czechoslovakia, together with the USSR.

Nevertheless, they preferred to appease Hitler by letting him occupy the Sudeten and permitting Poland and Hungary to bite off their portions of Czechoslovakia  Zaolzie and Southern Carpathian Ruthenia.

Diplomatic correspondence of 1938 provides some stark details of the egoism, naivete, and unscrupulousness of leading European political figures.

According to the documents, Chamberlain met privately with Hitler twice right before the conference  in Berchtesgaden, on September 15-16, and in Bad Godesberg, on September 22-23  to put together an ultimatum to the Czechoslovakian president, Edvard Benes, that Germany would immediately occupy the lands of that country inhabited by ethnic Germans.

The then Soviet ambassador in Prague, Sergei Alexandrovskyi, reported that the new map of Czechoslovakia that was attached to the German memorandum received by Benes on September 25, absolutely, undoubtedly meant simply the liquidation of Czechoslovakia, because the rest of the country left after the cut would not be viable in any way, even as a dependent state.

The Munich collusion was a decisive argument for Hitler to unleash a large-scale aggression in Europe. His assurances to Chamberlain and Daladier, that the Sudeten would be the last stop of the German expansion, did not cost a penny.

Kamil Krofta, foreign minister of Czechoslovakia until October 4, 1938, said that the Munich Agreement had turned his country into a state without any meaning and its own line of conduct, and shortly Czechoslovakia would become a limp appendage of Germany.

And so it happened. The British and French guarantees of the new frontiers of Czechoslovakia proved to be a fiction.

In March 1939, this country became a part of the German Reich, in the form of a puppet Slovak state and a protectorate of the Czech Republic and Moravia.

After Munich, Great Britain and France signed bilateral declarations of non-aggression with Germany, which paved the way for Hitlers Drang nach Osten.

The USSR was left in international isolation.

London and Paris did not support the protest against the occupation of Czechoslovakia, which was transmitted by Moscow to the German government on March 18, 1939, nor the Russian proposal to discuss this issue in the League of Nations.

History tries to teach us a lesson that we too often forget: appeasement of an aggressor, and silence, make a perilous strategy. Remembering the Munich conference suggests parallels with our days  for example, supporting international terrorists in Syria, with the purpose of destroying the unpleasant Assad regime, has been a mistaken and dangerous adventure.

It is obvious that real security can only be equal and indivisible and should be based on the fundamental principles of international relations stipulated in the UN Charter: respect for the sovereignty of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, and peaceful settlement of disputes.

It is imperative for all responsible countries to contribute in every possible way to the strengthening of global and regional stability, and to working out common responses to the numerous challenges and threats of the present.

Yuriy Filatov, ambassador of Russia to IrelandAsia Vietnam Has First Female President, but Activists Are Unimpressed

Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (right) was named Vietnams acting president on Sunday following the death of Tran Dai Quang, a former chief of internal security appointed to the presidency in 2016.

Vietnams appointment of its first female president belies a deep gender imbalance in the communist countrys politics and society and will do little to improve womens rights, advocates said on Monday.

Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh was named acting president on Sunday following the death of Tran Dai Quang, a former chief of internal security appointed to the presidency in 2016.

I think while Ngoc Thinhs appointment is symbolically important, its wider significance is limited to some women who are Communist Party members, said activist and dissident Do Nguyen Mai Khoi in an email.

We should however remember that, as an unelected leader who is not accountable to the public, this appointment is not likely to improve conditions for most women in Vietnam.

Vietnam ranked 61 out 193 countries in a survey last year of womens participation in parliament conducted by the Genveva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union. The Southeast Asian nation was ranked 166 for women in ministerial positions.

Vietnams National Assembly elected Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh as vice president in 2016. She was born in 1959 and holds a bachelor of law and a masters degree in party building, according to state media reports.

The appointment of a woman as Vietnams president may be historic, but it has more to do with internal party politics than gender, said Andrea Giorgetta, Asia director for the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.

The reality is that the number of women in decision-making positions at all political levels in Vietnam remains low and reflects firmly-rooted gender stereotypes about the role women in the countrys society, Giorgetta told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is officially led by four pillars  its president, prime minister, the chief of its Communist Party and the national assembly chair.

The president sits on the powerful decision-making politburo, but is considered to have a more ceremonial role.Burma 11 Years On, Monk Protesters Still Await an Apology for Brutal Public Beatings

Buddhist monks and laypersons of Mandalay who participated in the uprising of September 2007, commemorate the 11-year anniversary of the event at Pali Nuepadaetha Kyaung of Masoeyein Monastery in Mandalay. / Zarni Mann / The Irrawaddy

MANDALAY  On Tuesday, Buddhist monks of Mandalay and their supporters who participated in the Saffron Revolution in September 2007, commemorated the 11-year anniversary of the event.

Though 11 years have passed, Buddhist monks and laypersons who participated in the uprising say they still feel there is a lack of peace, rule of law and democracy in the country.

Although there have been many changes and developments in the political situation over 11 years, we still feel there is a lack of peace, rule of law and democracy, because the 2008 Constitution does not give full power to the [civilian] government, said U Seindita, a monk from Pakokku who participated in the protests in 2007.

If we cannot amend the Constitution, there will be no peace or development in politics and this could affect the development of the country, he added.

In August 2007, under the military regime, a sudden increase in the price of commodities brought about by a hike in fuel prices which sparked a series of protests resulting in the arrest and imprisonment of about a dozen activists.

Prominent activists U Min Ko Naing, U Min Zeya, U Ko Ko Gyi, U Arnt Bwe Kyaw, U Mya Aye, Daw Nilar Thein, Daw Mee Mee and U Htin Kyaw were among those placed under arrest and later accused by the military government of being the leaders who fanned the unrest.

On Sept. 5 that year, in Pakokku Township, Magwe Division, Buddhists monks marched along the main streets of the city of Pakokku, chanting prayers and urging the military government to release the detained activists and to handle the spike in commodity prices.

A brutal crackdown followed in which three Buddhist monks participating in the march were tied to lamp-posts and beaten by soldiers, causing rage among Buddhist monks across the country.

The following day, when local government officials came to a monastery to urge the monks to end the protest, they were taken hostage and their vehicle burnt down.

As the situation between the monks and government officials became more hostile, the monks demanded an apology for the beating of their three counterparts, naming Sept. 17 as the deadline.

On Sept. 22, as an apology had still not been issued, hundreds of monks in Yangon took to the streets in a peaceful march. They were joined by those from Mandalay and other cities as well Buddhist nuns and laypeople.

After four days of peaceful protests, on Sept. 26 the military government launched a brutal crackdown on those gathered in Yangon with riot police and soldiers opening fire on the crowds, shooting tear gas and beating up protesters.

The crackdown continued the next day with raids of monasteries across Yangon during which dozens of Buddhist monks were reportedly arrested, de-robed and detained.

More than 200 Buddhist monks and 500 activists and protestors across the country were arrested and put behind bars in the following days.

Although all of the detained were released following the swearing in of Gen. U Thein Sein as president in 2011, most of the Buddhists monks were not allowed to return their monasteries.

There are many monks who still cannot return to their original monasteries and are being rejected for being activists. Some have to stay at their friends monasteries and this limits their abilities to study the Buddhist scriptures, said U Arsariya, another Buddhist monk who participated the protest.

Meanwhile, the monks who participated in the uprising 11 years ago are still waiting for the military to apologize for what was done to their fellow monks.

We are still disappointed with the military government of that time who acted inhumanly and still fail to make an apology. We are still boycotting them by not accepting donations or offerings from them, said U Arsariya.by Vladimir Rozanskij

It is the first time in the history of the Armenian Church. Apparent pressures from new leadership which emerged from the "velvet revolution". Karekin is deemed too friendly to former President Serz Sargsyan. Some monks accuse him of having manipulated the relic of Longinus' spear, the one that pierced Christ's heart on the Cross.

Yerevan (AsiaNews) - An agreement has been reached between the Katolikos (Patriarch) of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II, and the new leaders of the country, in power after the "velvet revolution" of last May, under which Karekin II will resign. The Armenian newspaper Zhokhovurd announced this on September 20, suggesting that the Katolikos would leave officially for health reasons.

Commenting on the news, the priest Vagram Melikyan, director of the communications sector of the Armenian Church at the Echmjadzin office, said that "we believe it is necessary to note that during the 27 years of history of the 3rd Armenian republic, all governments without exception have expressed due respect to the National Apostolic Church and its Katolikos, appreciating its work in favor of all the Armenians and the development of our State, preserving unity and national solidarity ". The statement suggests the disappointment of the ecclesiastical hierarchy for the protests and criticisms of recent months.

Last July 6, in fact, the residence of Karekin was besieged by a protest demonstration, organized by the movement gathered under the slogan "A new Armenia, a new patriarch", led by the leader Karen Petrosyan. This is a group linked to the new prime minister Nicol Pashinian, who last spring managed to involve the population in overthrowing the old ruling class. The Katolikos was in turn accused of connivance with "discarded" politicians.

Born in 1951, named Nersisyan Grigorevich Kritch, the Katolikos was ordained to the priesthood in 1972, in the middle of the Soviet era. After a period of study and service in Germany, Karekin returned to the great monastery of Echmjadzin, the Armenian "Vatican" on the threshold of the capital of Yerevan, before completing his studies at the Orthodox Theological Academy in Moscow. The Armenian Church is not in communion with the Orthodox, due to the ancient theological divisions of the Council of Chalcedon, but the relations were based on common loyalty to the Soviet regime.

Until 1999 he remained the vicar of his predecessor, the Katolikos Karekin I, to become the 132rd patriarch of the Armenians at his death (the Armenian Church is one of the oldest in the world). In the turbulent events of the Armenian politics of the post-Soviet years, the new Katolikos tried several times to propose itself with initiatives of national pacification.

The accusations against him mainly concern speculation that several treasures of the Armenian Church were expatriated. Such accusations would have been raised by some priests of the Church itself, like the hieromonk Koriun Arakelyan, one of the inspirers of the protests. The most infamous accusations is that a part of Longinus's spear was taken to give to a Russian mayor, a friend of Karekin. According to tradition, the lance of the centurion who penetrated the side of Christ on the Cross was brought by the Apostle Thaddeus as a gift to the Christians of Armenia.

Legend has it that those who own the Longinus's spear, called Geghard as the monastery in which it was kept, are destined to rule the world. The lance is exhibited today in the Museum of Echmjadzin, but protesters want it examined to verify its integrity. Former President and Prime minister Serz Sargsyan, to whom the Katolikos was very close, was charged with suffering from the delirium of omnipotence. In the first case in the history of the Armenian Church, to pacify the ecclesiastical world and the same society, Patriarch Karekin, would have accepted to resign despite his not very advanced age.Burma Caves Are More than Sites for Buddhist Shrines: Expert

Ko Nyi Nyi Aung at the entrance of the Elephant Whirlpool River Cave in Kyauk Nget village, Ywangan, southern Shan State. / Nyi Nyi Aung / Supplied

YANGONWhile caves themselves have not generally been the subject of environmental conservation efforts in Myanmar, the widespread custom among the countrys Buddhist majority of placing Buddha images or building stupas and shrines on mountains and hills, as well as inside caves, has helped to protect them from total destruction.

Buddhist religious sites are considered places of worship for adult pilgrims and a wonderland in which to play for children. One of the few people who turned this childhood wonder into an adult effort to preserve such sites is climber and cave researcher Ko Nyi Nyi Aung. He has been a mountaineer for 14 years and participated in the Myanmar Everest Expedition in 2016, in which two of his colleagues became the first climbers from Myanmar to reach the summit of the worlds highest peak.

I became interest in hiking and mountain climbing when I was about 7, while accompanying my father on visits to pagodaslike the mountaintop Kyaiktiyo in Mon State and other famous pagodas in nearby Karen State and around the countryto meditate, Ko Nyi Nyi Aung said.

At university, he joined the Invitation of Nature climbing club in order to achieve his dream of climbing a snow-capped mountain.

Two years ago, Ko Nyi Nyi Aung built on his climbing skills and began learning speleologythe study and exploration of caves. He is also a main coordinator of the Myanmar Cave Documentation Project (MCDP), a group of experienced speleologists founded by Joerg Dreybrodt and a few other international experts in September 2008. They provided cave documentation training to local spelunkers in collaboration with Fauna and Flora International (FFI) in June 2017.

Nineteen Myanmar cave documenters participated in a joint expedition team with international speleologists early this year in February and March. Prior to that, cave expeditions in Myanmar were mostly limited to international speleologists, as few Myanmar people have been involved in cave surveying.

Some of the caves we found are not even easily noticeable as caves, as [their entrances] are located near villages, or in the middle of plantation fields, Ko Nyi Nyi Aung said. When they proceed inside such sites, away from the entrance, they realize they have found an unexplored cave. MCDP has surveyed and mapped more than 600 caves.

The longest caves in Myanmar are located in Shan States Ywangan and Pinlaung townships and Kayah States Loikaw, Hpruso and Bawlakhe townships. Surveying of these caves began in 2012 and is ongoing. Additionally, since 2009, international speleologist expeditions have conducted yearly surveys of caves in Karen, Kayah and Shan states, as well as in Mandalay and on the Myeik archipelago in Tannitharyi Region.

Among tourists, the most popular caves in Myanmar are connected to religious sites, such as the Pindaya and Htam Sam caves in Shan state; Peik Chin Myaung in Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay Region; Saddan, Kawgun and Yathay Pyan caves in Karen State; and U Min Thonze cave and Pho Win Daung cave Sagaing Region.

Preservation is the responsibility of the pagodas trustees or local communities; such efforts currently lack wider support from the governments Archeological Department. The government only takes an active part in preserving a few caves considered historic landmarks such Padah-Lin cave in Ywangan, an archeological site founded in 1960.

Some caves close to mining areas are in particular danger of being destroyed, Ko Nyi Nyi Aung said. Some limestone caves are near quarry sites; the presence of armed guards at these locations hinders access to the caves by study teams.

In Myanmar, cement companies tend to have a lot of information about limestone caves, as they conduct surveys to extract limestone in specific areas.

Ko Nyi Nyi Aung said, Many of our caves are spared from complete destruction as they are protected by Buddhist monks. We are familiar with the caves as pilgrims sites, and have had some exposure to them, but we lack deeper knowledge about these caves for various reasons.

It is true that the ecosystems of these caves are sometimes destroyed when structures are built in them, sometimes using cement; but [at least] they are preserved as caves. So there are both advantages and drawbacks [to their religious use], he added.

Having existed for millions of years, caves are natural museums allowing scientists to study various species of animals and other natural phenomena, Ko Nyi Nyi Aung said. Awareness of the need for preservation is growing among local residents, he said, thanks to FFIs workshops to educate villagers.

He said that from his experience, locals are often already aware that guano (droppings) deposited by bats inside caves makes good natural fertilizer for agricultural use, adding that many villagers are now also aware that bats play a role in pollination, and that every species is vital to the survival of its particular ecosystem.

Locals realize that the stalactites and stalagmites in the caves take millions of years to form. If they preserve the caves, they will attract tourists and thus could increase their income. Now they have become aware of that, he said.

Acknowledging the need for further awareness raising, Ko Nyi Nyi Aung said he understands that local villagers sometimes cause unintentional damage to the natural environment in their efforts to make a living from the land.

If they were aware, they would surely preserve these natural resources, but it will take time, said Ko Nyi Nyi Aung, adding that there is already a strong network of speleologists, local teachers and residents working to preserve the caves.

FFIs preservation workshops have also encouraged locals to develop more ideas for ecotourism businesses, as well as to become more aware of good safety habits. At the Elephant Whirlpool River cave in Ywangans Kyauk Nget village, he said, the local tea shop outside the cave reminds the tourists to use helmets for their safety, and also makes money by selling batteries and other necessities to those entering the caves.

Also, at that cave, the locals awareness is strong. Though they are Buddhists, they have refrained from putting up any Buddha images or stupas inside the cave, Ko Nyi Nyi Aung said. The stairs are made from bamboo, not concrete. Sandbags are used for steps and these are regularly changed and not allowed to decay. And we dont see any writing in correction markers on the walls of the caves. They do a really good job of preserving their caves and this is an example for all of us to follow, he said.Burma Eight Arakanese Re-Arrested after Completing Sentence for Mrauk-U Protest

A teenaged Arakanese protester is led away in handcuffs by police after being convicted by a Sittwe court on Monday. / Min Aung Khaing / The Irrawaddy

YANGONEight Arakanese freed by a Sittwe court on Monday after spending months in detention for participating in a protest in Mrauk-U in were abruptly re-arrested on the orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs on the same day on a separate charge and sent to the No. 1 Sittwe Police Station.

The eight were freed after the Sittwe court ruled their detention period counted toward their initial sentence. Family members had gathered to await their release, but their joy turned to sadness within an hour when they learned of the ministrys order.

The suspects spent about eight months in prison after the state police sued them for involvement in an unauthorized protest in Mrauk-U, the ancient Arakanese capital, earlier this year. The spontaneous rally began when Arakanese took to the streets to protest authorities banning of an event to mark the 233rd anniversary of the fall of the Arakan Kingdom to the Burmese Kong Baung dynasty in the 18th century.

When hundreds of protesters rallied in front of the government offices in Mrauk-U, police fired into the crowd, killing seven civilians and severely wounding nearly a dozen. No officials faced any kind of disciplinary action over the killing of the protesters. The eight detained Arakanesewho were charged under Article 6 (1) for destroying public assetswere among the wounded.

Defense lawyer Daw Aye Nu Sein, who also serves as a vice chairwoman of the Arakan National Party (ANP), told The Irrawaddy over the phone on Tuesday that the judge sentenced the convicts to eight-month jail terms at about 1 p.m. on Monday. Taking their detention periods into account, the judge ordered their release. However, instead of freeing them, the police took the detainees to a jail in Sittwe, citing the need for more paperwork to be done.

In the evening, Police Captain Thein Naing, who was also a plaintiff in the previous case against the eight, asked the judge to remand them in custody as he planned to charge the detainees under Article 16 of the Union Flag Law. He transported the detainees to No. 1 Sittwe police station about 8 p.m. Sittwe residents who witnessed the events unfolding live-streamed scenes of the family members crying outside the court and following the eight to the police station.

The chief officer at the police station said the arrests were made by made by Mrauk-U police and declined to answer further questions on Tuesday.

A regional lawmaker representing the ANP in the Rakhine Parliament, U Tun Thar Sein, who witnessed the gathering at Sittwe Police Station, said the surprise move by police drew public intention and several hundred Sittwe locals gathered right in front of the police station at 9 p.m. Top leaders from the ANP urged the public not to react aggressively to the police. The lawmaker said the situation between the police and the public was quite intense and had the potential to turn into a riot.

I really doubt the case as it appears to be a deliberate attempt to create a [conflict] situation in the state, said MP U Tun Thar Sein.

An Arakanese commentator, Ko Tun Tun Naing, who contributes articles to local publications, said releasing someone in the morning and re-arresting them in the afternoon was an inappropriate act by police. He said the surprise arrest indicated that civilians are badly suffering from a lack of legal protections, and sent a direct message that anyone can be unconditionally arrested.

As a consequence we civilians feel unsafe and there will be more distrust in the government, said Tun Tun Naing.

The ANPs vice chairwoman Daw Aye Nu Sein elaborated that the prosecutor should have filed all the charges against the protestors as part of the same case. She said a law enacted in 1973, the Interpretation of Expressions Law, stipulates that a case against a suspect shall not be opened in separate stages. Its unclear whether the judge granted the polices remand request in line with the law or not.

Lawmaker U Tun Thar Sein said opening a new case after a conviction without filing the case during the detention period raised serious questions about the judicial system in the country.

It seems they want to keep them [the accused] behind bars forever, Daw Aye Nu Sein said.Burma Ethnic Armed Group Claims Govt Offered Timber Deal to Sign NCA

Gen. Bee Htoo of the KNPPs Peace Negotiation Committee (left) and former Lt-Gen. Khin Zaw Oo, secretary of the government's Peace Commission, exchange the signed minutes of their formal talks on April 27 in Loikaw, Karenni State. / State Counselors Office / Facebook

Mon State  A leader of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) says the government will let it transport 5,000 tons of logged timber currently stuck in the jungle on one condition  that the ethnic armed group sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).

But Khu Daniel, a member of the KNPPs central committee, said the group has rejected the offer.

The KNPP asked the governments National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) to transport the logs last year.

We sent a letter asking them for permission. They replied that they could not allow it, Khu Daniel said. But some members of the NRPC, included senior member U Aung Soe, kept trying to convince us to sign the NCA first and then they would allow it.

They even told us whenever we met that after signing the NCA it would not be difficult to get permission, he added.

According to Khu Daniel, the KNPP told the government it did not want to mix business with politics.

The KNPP received permission to harvest the logs in 2013 and 2014, after signing a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the quasi-civilian government of the time under U Thein Sein. But it claims that the current government has not allowed the group to move them.

U Aung Soe denied that he or the rest of the NRPC offered the KNPP a guaranteed quid pro quo. However, he said that when the NRPC met with the group in May it did say that if it signed the NCA it could enter separate negotiations with the government for a deal to move the logs, and that permission was possible.

When we have peace negotiations, we have to deal with what we can give, said U Aung Soe.

The government has struck logging deals with armed groups it has signed peace deals with in the past, a practice some rights groups blame for much of Myanmars deforestation.

The government recently gave the Karenni National Peoples Liberation Front (KNPLF) permission to log 5,000 tons of timber in Karenni State.

The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency criticized the deal, calling it a shadow agreement. it said the deal undermined the governments policy of improving forest governance in a country already suffering one of the highest rates of forest loss in the world.

At a press conference on Friday in Naypyitaw, Presidents Office spokesman U Zaw Htay said the governments agreement with the KNPLF would be its last logging deal with an armed group.Burma High Court Takes Up Corruption Case Against Yangon Attorney General, Others

Yangon Region Attorney General U Han Htoo leaves the Yangon Region High Court on Tuesday. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  The Yangon Region High Court on Tuesday agreed to investigate the regions attorney general and five other officials arrested earlier this month on suspicion of taking bribes to drop a murder case against the alleged killers of Facebook comedian Aung Yell Htwe.

On Sept. 13 the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed cases under two articles of the Anti-Corruption Law against Yangon Region Attorney General U Han Htoo, Yangon Eastern District Court Judge U Aung Kyi, Yangon Region law officer U Thein Zaw, Yangon Eastern District law officer U Ko Ko Lay, Yangon Eastern District deputy law officer Daw Thit Thit Khin, and police Lieutenant Chit Ko Ko.

They were all detained the same day and sent to Insein Prison on Tuesday. U Han Htoo was expelled from his post soon after the arrests.

The commission said it had found sufficient evidence that the six were involved in accepting more than 70 million kyats (about $46,300) from the father of one of the murder suspects to drop the case.

High Court Deputy Director and spokeswoman Daw Nwe Nwe Oo said on Tuesday that the court accepted the graft case against U Han Htoo under Article 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law and against the five others under Article 56.

If found guilty, they face maximum sentences of between 10 and 15 years in prison.

The court will begin questioning the suspects on Oct. 4.

The ACC claims that the accused received a total 72 million kyats in cash and other gifts, including bottles of Blue and Gold Label Scotch Whisky, as bribes. Judge U Aung Kyi allegedly received the largest sum  33 million kyats  while the attorney general allegedly received 15 million kyats.

On Monday, the High Court annulled a lower courts decision to drop the case into Aung Yell Htwes fatal beating and release the three suspects. The High Court also ruled that the murder case proceed to trial.

U Kyee Myint, a veteran lawyer and co-founder of the Myanmar Lawyers Network, told The Irrawaddy last month that it would be difficult to uncover the truth about the murder if the case resumed from where it left off.

He suggested the case be re-investigated and said it would also be necessary to call additional eyewitnesses who were with Aung Yell Htwe when he was attacked.Burma Union Parliament Rejects Yangon Govt Request for VIP Vehicles

Regional Planning and Finance Minister U Myint Thaung appears at the Yangon Regional Parliament on Sept. 24. / Thazin Hlaing / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  The Union Parliament has rejected the Yangon regional governments proposed budget for the purchase of a fleet of Ford cars for use by government ministers.

The funds will be used to fulfill the needs of various townships in the city instead, regional Planning and Finance Minister U Myint Thaung told the regional Parliament on Monday as he presented the citys proposed budget for fiscal 2018-19.

During a debate in June on the regional governments proposed spending for fiscal 2018-19, regional lawmakers voiced fierce opposition to the Yangon governments plan to purchase 10 Ford vehicles at a cost of 1 billion kyats (US$700,000).

At the time, U Myint Thaung insisted the purchase would go ahead, adding that the vehicles were needed to ensure the safe transportation of regional ministers and important guests, including state and international leaders invited to attend Yangon government functions.

But after lawmakers insisted that priority be given to the needs of the general public over the purchase of official vehicles, the proposal was forwarded to the Union Parliament for a final decision.

The budget of 1.089 billion kyats earmarked for 76 vehicles including the 10 Fords will instead be used to build an overpass for the dockyard in Dawbon Township as well as pay compensation for [confiscated] lands, U Myint Thaung said.

In place of the Fords, the regional government will request vehicles from the Central Equipment Statistics and Inspection Department under the Ministry of Planning and Finance. The department keeps a pool of vehicles that have been confiscated for various reasons.

In June, the Yangon Parliaments Finance, Planning and Economic Committee also asked that a proposed 6.8-billion kyat ($5.05-million) investment in the Yangon City Bank by Yangon municipality be scrapped.

The Union Parliament, however, did not scrap the proposed budget, and the Yangon regional Parliament will debate it again.

The Union Parliament has cut the budget for [Ford] cars, but the Union [government] will provide [the regional government with cars]. The proposed investment in Yangon City Bank was not cut [by the Union Parliament] despite our opposition. We have to debate it again, regional lawmaker for Dagon Township U Kyaw Zeya told The Irrawaddy.

The regional government has received a budget of 650.194 billion kyats for fiscal 2018-19. It spent over 336 billion kyats in fiscal 2016-17, and its proposed budget for 2017-18 fiscal was 400 billion kyats.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.Burma US Accuses Myanmar Military of Planned and Coordinated Rohingya Atrocities

Rohingya refugees hold placards prior to the arrival of UN secretary general Antonio Guterres and World Bank president Jim Yong Kim at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, July 2, 2018. / Reuters

WASHINGTON  A US government investigation has found that Myanmars military waged a well-planned and coordinated campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Southeast Asian nations Rohingya Muslim minority.

The US State Department report, which was released on Monday, could be used to justify further US sanctions or other punitive measures against Myanmar authorities, US officials told Reuters.

But it stopped short of describing the crackdown as genocide or crimes against humanity, an issue that other US officials said was the subject of fierce internal debate that delayed the reports rollout for nearly a month.

The report, which was first reported by Reuters, resulted from more than a thousand interviews of Rohingya men and women in refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh, where almost 700,000 Rohingya have fled after a military campaign last year in Myanmars Rakhine State.

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, according to the 20-page report. The scope and scale of the militarys operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated.

Survivors described in harrowing detail what they had witnessed, including soldiers killing infants and small children, the shooting of unarmed men, and victims buried alive or thrown into pits of mass graves. They told of widespread sexual assault by Myanmars military of Rohingya women, often carried out in public.

One witness described four Rohingya girls who were abducted, tied up with ropes and raped for three days. They were left half dead, he said, according to the report.

Human rights groups and Rohingya activists have put the death toll in the thousands from the crackdown, which followed attacks by Rohingya insurgents on security forces in Rakhine State in August 2017.

UN Report Found Genocidal Intent

The results of the US investigation were released in low-key fashion  posted on the State Departments website  nearly a month after UN investigators issued their own report accusing Myanmars military of acting with genocidal intent and calling for the countrys commander-in-chief and five generals to be prosecuted under international law.

The military in Myanmar, previously known as Burma, where Buddhism is the main religion, has denied accusations of ethnic cleansing and says its actions were part of a fight against terrorism.

US Senior State Department officials said the objective of the investigation was not to determine genocide but to document the facts on the atrocities to guide US policy aimed at holding the perpetrators accountable. The report, however, proposes no new steps.

One of the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would be up to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo whether to make such a legal designation in the future and did not rule out the possibility.

A declaration of genocide by the US government, which has only gone as far as labeling the crackdown ethnic cleansing, could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of issuing such an assessment.

The International Criminal Court last week said it had begun an examination of whether the alleged forced deportations of Rohingya could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Asked whether the new US findings could be used to bolster such international prosecution, the State Department official said no decision had been made on seeking judicial accountability over the Rohingya crisis.

The Trump administration, which has been criticized by human rights groups and some US lawmakers for a cautious response to Myanmar, could now face added pressure to take a tougher stand.

Sarah Margon, director of the Washington office of Human Right Watch, said: Whats missing now is a clear indication of whether the US government intends to pursue meaningful accountability and help ensure justice for so many victims.

The United States on Monday announced it was almost doubling its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar, with an extra $185 million.

The stories from some refugees show a pattern of planning and pre-meditation, the report said, citing the militarys confiscation in advance of knives and other tools that could be used as weapons.

About 80 percent of refugees surveyed said they witnessed a killing, most often by military or police, according to the report.

Reports of mutilation included the cutting and spreading of entrails, severed limbs or hands/feet, pulling out nails or burning beards and genitals to force a confession, or being burned alive, the report said.

Later on Monday, the Public International Law and Policy Group, a Washington-based human rights law firm contracted by the State Department to conduct the refugee interviews, issued a companion report saying it provided 15,000 pages of documentation of atrocity crimes.

The State Departments investigation was modeled on a US forensic examination of mass atrocities in Sudans Darfur region in 2004, which led to a US declaration of genocide that culminated in sanctions against the Sudanese government.

Any stiffer measures against Myanmar authorities could be tempered, though, by US concerns about complicating relations between civilian leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and the powerful military which might push Myanmar closer to China.

The US government on Aug. 17 imposed sanctions on four military and police commanders and two army units but Myanmars military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, was spared. Further targeted sanctions have been under consideration, officials said earlier.

The Rohingya, who regard themselves as native to Rakhine State, are widely considered as interlopers by Myanmars Buddhist majority and are denied citizenship.Politics Objections Against Use of Presidents and State Counselors Images in By-Election Campaign

Images of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint. / Myanmar State Counselors Office, Myanmar Presidents Office / Facebook

NAYPYITAW  The National League for Democracy (NLD) said that it would continue to use the images of President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in campaigns for the November by-election, said spokesperson of the ruling party U Myo Nyunt.

We are sure that it is not against the law, so we will continue using [their images] boldly, the spokesperson told the media in Naypyitaw on Sunday.

The party consulted with legal experts several times before making the decision to use their pictures in by-election campaigns. The then-ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) also used images of President U Thein Sein wearing presidential regalia during the 2015 general elections, he said.

Because of this previous example, we have asked [candidates] to do it boldly. We are, however, taking extra caution and have instructed [candidates] not to use the picture of President U Win Myint in a golden sash, which is the symbol of the executive branch, he said.

USDP candidate U Myo Win Kyaw of Tamwe Township, Yangon has filed a complaint with the township election commission against his NLD rival U Toe Win who used pictures of U Win Myint and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on his campaign trail.

The Constitution bars the president and Union ministers from engaging in their parties activities so we have lodged a complaint. If they continue using their pictures, we will file a complaint after the by-election results are out on the grounds of unfairness, the USDP spokesperson told The Irrawaddy.

The Union Election Commission (UEC) is responsible for holding a free and fair election, and the USDP will wait and see what the commission will do in response, he said.

If pictures of the president, who is ranked at the top in the government protocol, can be used, pictures of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who ranks second, can also be used, said U Myo Nyunt.

[The USDP] is bitterly opposing it because Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has substantial influence over the public. It is not because it is against the law. They are giving excuses to avoid Daw Aung San Suu Kyis pictures being used [in the election campaign]. She wont personally engage in [the election campaign], so dont worry too much, said U Myo Nyunt.

The USDP has not filed a complaint with the UEC, said commission member U Myint Naing. Using pictures only doesnt violate the laws, he told The Irrawaddy.

When the USDP used a photo of former president U Thein Sein in the 2015 general election campaign, the Presidents Office minister explained in Parliament that it is not against the law.

The USDP has previously said that it has no trust in the UEC, claiming that it is biased toward the NLD.

Election campaigns kicked off on Sept. 3 for the November election. Four seats in the Lower House, one seat in the Upper House, eight seats in the regional parliaments, totaling 13 seats will be up for grabs in the Nov. 3 election, according to the election commission.

The NLD will contest for all 13 vacant seats, and the USDP will contest in the constituencies outside ethnic regions.

The four seats vacant in the Lower House are Chin States Kanpetlet Township, Shan States Laihka Township, Mandalays Myingyan Township and Yangons Tamwe Township. The vacant seat in the Upper House is Kachin State Constituency 2. Vacant seats in the regional parliaments are Chin States Matupi Township, Sagaings Tamu Township, Bagos Oktwin Township, Rakhine States Rathedaung Township, Magwes Minbu Township, Yangons Seikkan Township and the ethnic Shan constituency for Mandalays Regional Parliament.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.News US Almost Doubles Aid For Rohingya in Bangladesh, Myanmar

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks during a news conference at UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 20. / Reuters

NEW YORK  The United States almost doubled its aid for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh and Myanmar, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced on Monday as Britain hosted a ministerial meeting on the crisis.

A Myanmar military crackdown unleashed 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.

UN-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.

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, Haley said in a statement.

She said the United States would give an extra $185 million, of which $156 million would go to refugees and host communities in Bangladesh, taking its total humanitarian aid for the crisis to nearly $389 million in the past year.

The aid pledge comes as Haley said US President Donald Trump would lay down a marker on US foreign aid during his speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

While the US is generous, were going to be generous to those that share our values, generous to those that want to work with us and not those that try and stop the US or say they hate America and are counterproductive, she told reporters on Thursday.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt hosted a closed-door ministerial meeting on the crisis, which diplomats said would focus on accountability, on the sidelines of the annual UN gathering of world leaders in New York on Monday.

Hunt visited Myanmar last week and said the government must ensure there is no hiding place for those responsible for crimes. Myanmars army chief on Monday warned against foreign interference.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has begun examining the alleged forced deportation of Rohingya to Bangladesh. Myanmar has said it wants to repatriate Rohingya who fled.Tuesday, September 25th, 2018 (12:19 pm) - Score 5,375

Good news. A newly negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and wayleave (access) agreement between key UK landowners and Openreach (BT) has today been announced, which means that the telecoms giant should find it easier to extend their superfast broadband ISP network(s) into rural areas.

The new agreement, which has been signed with both the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and National Farmers Union (NFU), aims to make it easier for Openreach to reach agreement with landowners over both locations and payment rates for cables and other electronic communications apparatus.

Exact details of the arrangement havent been made clear, although it will formally come into operation from 1st October 2018.

Mark Bridgeman, CLA Deputy President, said: Landowners are a committed and crucial part of the solution to alleviate the rural-urban digital divide. It has taken almost 18 months of hard negotiation but we have secured an agreement that satisfies the Government, the infrastructure providers and our members. We have shown, through constructive dialogue across the industry, that rollout is not driven by price alone. A proportionate increase in the annual wayleave payment, coupled with clear documentation and an effective Memorandum of Understanding, will hasten the rollout of fixed line broadband beyond what is achievable by the revised Electronic Communications Code alone. A robust and effective national framework has been created which brings much needed clarity and stability to the market while at the same time injecting more money into the rural economy through accelerated deployment.

Stuart Roberts, NFU Vice President, said: The NFU and CLA have worked closely together to provide the means to enable landowners to easily reach an agreement with Openreach, bringing much-needed, effective broadband to rural areas. Statistics from the NFU show that a considerable amount of farmers do not have access to superfast broadband and in an increasingly digital world, it is crucial that our digital communications are fit for purpose. This initiative marks another step forward to ensuring our members have all they need to establish and maintain productive, profitable and progressive farming businesses.

Kim Mears, Openreachs MD of Strategic Infrastructure, said: We know that people in rural areas want fast, reliable broadband. They also want a fair deal when companies need to access their land or install equipment on it. Thats why our new framework is great news for the countryside. It gives landowners certainty and clarity on our pricing and is endorsed by the CLA and NFU. The agreement will also help us speed up our rural build programme and drive the UKs digital growth. As Britains leading digital infrastructure provider, weve invested more than 11 billion over the last decade to build a better, broader and faster network  and few countries in the world have such widespread superfast broadband coverage as we do here. But we know that some people are still waiting for decent broadband, and were keen to help the Government and Ofcom finish the job. This is a great step towards achieving that.

Disputes over complex wayleave agreements can sometimes make it far too difficult or expensive for network builders to expand their coverage into digitally disadvantaged communities. Nevertheless the first hints that a change was coming occurred last month, when the government, telecoms operators and landowners jointly agreed to support the reformed Electronic Communications Code (here).

All of this will be necessary in order to help support the Governments wider aspiration, which seeks to achieve 95% geographic UK coverage of mobile networks by 2022 and to cover the entire country in full fibre (FTTP) infrastructure by 2033 (here). On top of that it may also help to support the forthcoming 10Mbps+ Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband, which will focus on some of the most digitally isolated areas.

UPDATE 1st October 2018

Weve got a bit more detail on this. Apparently the CLA/NFU deal involves securing a 5% increase in the wayleave payments from Openreach and a 4% increase from altnet ISPs, such as Gigaclear and Virgin Media. For example, Openreach now makes a one-off payment for a telegraph pole of 157.50 (up from 150), with the annual wayleave payment rising to 10.50.

Meanwhile alternative network providers will now be making one-off payments of 3.90 per metre for the installation of underground cabling and ducting, with an annual payment of 0.26p/metre. However landowners that wish to charge more than has been agreed may now find it a lot harder.September 24, 2018

Lee Ann Hancock, DHS Marketing Director

POCATELLO  Idaho State Universitys Department of Counseling received the very first Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC) 2018 Conference Award. The newly created ALGBTIC award is presented biennially to a counseling program that has demonstrated a commitment to the promotion of LGBTQQIA+ awareness and affirmation.

ALGBTIC introduced five new awards at this year's conference. In a letter recognizing the ISU Counseling Department as the first recipient of the new Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling award, ALGBTIC President Jared Rose said, We are very pleased to also share that these new awards, while created initially for our 2018 Conference, have also recently been approved by the ALGBTIC Board of Directors as ongoing, biennial awards. As such, while this will be the inaugural year for the awards, they will be continued as part of ALGBTIC's ongoing mission and conference efforts.

ISU faculty members Kristen Lister, Randy Astramovich and Christian Chan accepted the award at the organizations 2018 conference, held in Portland, Oregon in early September.Master student Dianne Piggott also attended the conference. The annual conference focuses on counseling professionals social justice and advocacy efforts for LGBTQQIA+. This years conference theme was Actions are louder than Words.

For more information on the award or on ISUs counseling center, contact Lori Medellin at medelori@isu.edu.Telecommunications and data centre provider Macquarie Telecom has signed a three-year, $1 million-plus deal to deploy its business class NBN service to Regional Australia Bank.

A customer-owned bank, Regional Australia Bank selected NBN service primarily to establish a network infrastructure that would future-proof its branches, facilitate high-speed network connectivity in small and rural towns, and improve communication between branches and customers.

Under the deal signed with NBN Co, fibre connections would be built into all 32 of the banks locations, which include Armidale, Newcastle, and Dubbo, and smaller rural centres such as Bingara, Narromine and Merriwa.

The bank says for these regional areas in particular, the deployment will vastly improve network speeds, enabling enhanced customer services such as video conferencing, and provide better network access for regional businesses.

This solution combines great technology with our great people and, through facilitation of high-speed connectivity in smaller towns and for small businesses, provides further evidence of our commitment to championing regional prosperity, said Rob Hale, chief information officer, Regional Australia Bank.

Hale said the service is expected to increase network speeds by anywhere between four and ten times across branches, meaning simple staff back-office activities such as remotely accessing machines and downloading documents will no longer be constrained by the network.

The deployment will see staff and customers able to more readily communicate via video, further reducing unnecessary travel and opening communication between all customers and field-specific experts, who are dispersed across the banks various locations.

Regional Australia Bank is investing in smarter technology and putting a backbone into regional economies throughout Australia, said Luke Clifton, group executive, Macquarie Telecom.

The benefits from this deal will be felt beyond the four walls of any of the Banks branches, as people and regional businesses will be able to avail of better services and networks.

We look forward to helping Macquarie Telecom deliver services over the NBN access network to the Regional Australia Bank and its local branch offices, said Paul Tyler, NBN Cos chief customer officer for Business.

Access to fast broadband over the NBN network is enabling local businesses such as the Regional Australia Bank to help support their internal workforce and drive efficiency by using cloud services and applications.

Building a nationwide wholesale access network gives us the ability to provide business grade services, which retailers can tailor to the needs of the user.

Clifton says Macquarie believes the deal signals an end to price gouging tactics from big telcos, a common issue that is often amplified in regional areas.

Historically, this is the kind of deal the Bank would have been priced out of because there were no other options in the market, he added. Now we can help Regional Australia Bank and other businesses fix the disparity between what they and their customers need and what their incumbent telcos are giving.

Under the deal, Regional Australia Bank will also benefit from Macquaries first-of-its-kind SD-WAN technology launched last year  improving visibility over specific applications used within branches, increase resilience through multiple line access, enable more efficient, unmetered access to cloud services such as Microsoft 365.

And Macquarie says the products end-to-end encryption will add a new layer of security for each branch.Mutual financial company Australian Military Bank has gone live with the Infosys Finacle banking solution to drive its digital transformation program.

The comprehensive, Australia-ready digital banking solution stack, has been implemented in a fully SaaS model, hosted out of Infosys data centres in Australia.

Infosys says the deployment of Finacle has enabled AMB  which provides banking services to the Australian Defence Force  with significant operational benefits and cost efficiencies, along with enhanced security and scalability, and AMB is now able to provide both its staff and members, a world class banking experience, equal or better than leading global banks.

The Finacle solution  a digital banking suite from EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly owned product subsidiary of Infosys  replaced AMBs legacy systems to enable the bank to keep pace with new technology developments and allow a speedy response to market demands and enables open application programming interfaces that overcome limitations for the banks ability to work effectively with ecosystem partners.

Infosys says the entire implementation of the Finacle solution stack, including core banking, origination, payments and channels, was completed in just 10 months, providing feature rich, truly digital retail banking functionalities for AMB.

And since going live, Infosys says the bank has been processing on average of 40,000 mixed transactions per day, along with 22,000 card transactions and close to 7000 composite payments transactions on average per day  and helping the bank make the origination process simpler and drive the creation of a pipeline of over $61 million worth of loans during just the first month post go live.

At AMB, we aspire to be a great niche bank by transforming into a modern, nimble, new age digital bank, said chief executive John Ford.

We chose Infosys Finacle so we could easily adapt to the dynamic and complex banking landscape, while serving our members financial needs in a secure manner. The openness of Infosys Finacle means we can readily meet emergent regulatory and customer demands. The Infosys team displayed exemplary commitment to help us not only go live in a very short time but also support ongoing service enhancements. It has been a true partnership to get to this point and positions us well for the future.

Sanat Rao, chief business officer, Infosys Finacle, said, Australian banks have been quick to realise that banking tomorrow will look fundamentally different from today.

As one of the early adopters in the Australian Mutuals segment to make a truly digital transformation, AMB is clearly pioneering a path and we are proud to be the banks partner of choice in their change journey. This successful implementation underlines Finacles readiness to enable Australian Mutuals with a proven, fast and low-risk truly digital transformation, easily on cloud.Ben Gomes, Google's vice-president of "Search, News, and Assistant" has issued a blog post not only celebrating the last 20 years of Google's search success, but looking ahead to see how search will evolve and improve over the next 20.

Can you believe it has been 20 years of Google search? There are hundreds of millions if not billions of people alive on the planet who've never known it without Google, and despite the privacy issues that worry us about the world's most successful search engine, Google is growing as never before.

In an official blog post that you can see here (and which is reprinted below), Gomes shared his views on how search would be improved over the next 20 years:

"Growing up in India, there was one good library in my town that I had access to  run by the British Council. It was modest by western standards, and I had to take two buses just to get there. But I was lucky, because for every child like me, there were many more who didnt have access to the same information that I did. Access to information changed my life, bringing me to the U.S. to study computer science and opening up huge possibilities for me that would not have been available without the education I had.

Here is a photo of the British Council Library that Ben went to in his hometown.

"When Google started 20 years ago, our mission was to organise the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful. That seemed like an incredibly ambitious mission at the timeeven considering that in 1998 the web consisted of just 25 million pages (roughly the equivalent of books in a small library).

"Fast forward to today, and now we index hundreds of billions of pages in our indexmore information than all the libraries in the world could hold. Weve grown to serve people all over the world, offering Search in more than 150 languages and over 190 countries.

"Through all of this, weve remained grounded in our mission. In fact, providing greater access to information is as core to our work today as it was when we first started. And while almost everything has changed about technology and the information available to us, the core principles of Search have stayed the same."

Gomes continued:

"First and foremost, we focus on the user . Whether youre looking for recipes, studying for an exam, or finding information on where to vote, were focused on serving your information needs.

. Whether youre looking for recipes, studying for an exam, or finding information on where to vote, were focused on serving your information needs. "We strive to give you the most relevant, highest quality information as quickly as possible. This was true when Google started with the PageRank algorithmthe foundational technology to Search. And its just as true today.

as quickly as possible. This was true when Google started with the PageRank algorithmthe foundational technology to Search. And its just as true today. "We see billions of queries every day, and 15% of queries are ones weve never seen before. Given this scale, the only way to provide Search effectively is through an algorithmic approach . This helps us not just solve all the queries weve seen yesterday, but also all the ones we cant anticipate for tomorrow.

. This helps us not just solve all the queries weve seen yesterday, but also all the ones we cant anticipate for tomorrow. "Finally, we rigorously test every change we make. A key part of this testing is the rater guidelines which define our goals in search, and which are publicly available for anyone to see. Every change to Search is evaluated by experimentation and by raters using these guidelines. Last year alone, we ran more than 200,000 experiments that resulted in 2,400+ changes to search. Search will serve you better today than it did yesterday, and even better tomorrow.

"Google celebrates 20 years of search, looks to improve the next 20 years we make. A key part of this testing is the rater guidelines which define our goals in search, and which are publicly available for anyone to see. Every change to Search is evaluated by experimentation and by raters using these guidelines. Last year alone, we ran more than 200,000 experiments that resulted in 2,400+ changes to search. Search will serve you better today than it did yesterday, and even better tomorrow.

"As Google marks our 20th anniversary, I wanted to share a first look at the next chapter of Search, and how were working to make information more accessible and useful for people everywhere. This next chapter is driven by three fundamental shifts in how we think about Search:

"The shift from answers to journeys: To help you resume tasks where you left off and explore new interests and hobbies, were bringing new features to Search that help you with ongoing information needs.

"The shift from queries to providing a queryless way to get to information: We can surface relevant information related to your interests so you can stay informed and inspired, even when you dont have a specific query in mind.

"And the shift from text to a more visual way of finding information: Were bringing more visual content to Search and completely redesigning Google Images to help you find information more easily.

"Underpinning each of these are our advancements in AI, improving our ability to understand language in ways that werent possible when Google first started. This is incredibly exciting, because over 20 years ago when I studied neural nets at school, they didnt actually work very well...at all!

"But weve now reached the point where neural networks can help us take a major leap forward from understanding words to understanding concepts. Neural embeddings, an approach developed in the field of neural networks, allow us to transform words to fuzzier representations of the underlying concepts, and then match the concepts in the query with the concepts in the document.

"In Search, we call this technique neural matching. This can enable us to address queries like: why does my TV look strange? to surface the most relevant results for that question, even if the exact words arent contained in the page. (By the way, it turns out the reason is called the soap opera effect).

"Finding the right information about my TV is helpful in the moment. But AI can have much more profound effects. Whether its predicting areas that might be affected in a flood, or helping you identify the best job opportunities for you, AI can dramatically improve our ability to make information more accessible and useful."

Gomes concluded by stating: "Ive worked on Search at Google since the early days of its existence. One of the things that keeps me so inspired about Search all these years is our mission and how timeless it is. Providing greater access to information is fundamental to what we do, and there are always more ways we can help people access the information they need. Thats what pushes us forward to continue to make Search better for our users. And thats why our work here is never done."Needing a safety button to call 000 in your app is a sad reflection upon the bad elements within society and their inhumanity, but even so, it's a good move from Uber to introduce it.

Uber has announced at its blog, that it is "launching an emergency assistance button in Australia", written by "Uber Australia" and thus the media equivalent of "staff writers".

The company says it is "committed to helping improve safety and developing innovative products that aim to increase transparency and accountability for both riders and driver-partners on the app".

In addition, it notes it is "proud to announce we are rolling out new safety features, including an in-app emergency assistance button in Australia, to help you stay protected and connected throughout your journey."

Here is a snapshot of the new rider and driver-partner Safety Toolkit features Uber says it excited to announce:

000 Assistance button for both riders and driver-partners

"Get emergency assistance by calling 000 directly from the app. Weve updated both our rider and driver-partner apps with safety in mind, locating all things safety in one central place and making it accessible directly from the rider home screen or driver-partner map during each trip.

"Over the coming weeks, riders will begin to see a shield icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the map screen during a trip, which simply needs to be tapped to access the Safety Centre. Driver-partners will be able to access the emergency assistance button on the left side of the driver app.

"Youll be shown your current location in the app  both on a map and as an address, so you can let the emergency operator know where you are.

"Our technology connects millions of people in cars in cities around the world. Helping keep people safe is a huge responsibility, and one we do not take lightly. Thats why we are putting safety at the core of everything we do and going a step further."

Trusted contacts and share trip

"Its now even easier for riders and driver-partners to keep their loved ones in the loop.

"Riders can select up to five friends and family members as Trusted Contacts and choose when to be prompted to share their trips with each one.

"With the tap of a button, driver-partners can now share their whereabouts and trip status all right from the shield icon on the map with Share Trip."

Safety centre

"From the Safety Toolkit, riders can learn more about safety at Uber in one central location in the app - from driver background checks, insurance protections, to details on how to contact our 24/7 support.

"When it comes to safety, our work is never done. Uber has a responsibility to help keep people safe, and its one we take seriously. We want you to have peace of mind when you use Uber, and hope these new features make it clear that weve got your back wherever possible."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Claims that the publisher of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, sought Russia's help to escape from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been taking refuge since 2012, have been spread because "Russian conspiracies are flavour of the month among some journalists", the well-known Australian lawyer Greg Barns says.

Barns was responding to queries from iTWire about recent stories in The Guardian and the Associated Press; the former claimed people close to Assange had held talks in London last year with Russian diplomats to evaluate if they could help him escape, while the latter said Assange had written to the Russian Consulate seeking a visa to Moscow as far back as 2010.

Barns said he was responding to the queries in his personal capacity; in the past, he has spoken to iTWire in his capacity as a member of Assange's legal team and an adviser to WikiLeaks.

"... the real issue is that Julian's health remains in jeopardy, because he has been unlawfully detained for six years because of the abject failure of the UK to deal humanely and lawfully with [him] by providing an undertaking that he will not be extradited to the US," Barns said.

But he saw some light shining through the dark clouds. "Fortunately some politicians are putting pressure on the UK with the pleasing news that a petition will be tabled in New Zealand's Parliament, signed by over 2000 citizens, seeking NZ Government support to assist Julian." iTWire has reported the New Zealand effort earlier this month,

Craig Murray, a former British envoy to Uzbekistan, and a well-known Assange supporter, said the Russian claims were bogus.

In a blog post, Murray said: "I was closely involved with Julian and with Fidel Narvaez of the Ecuadorian embassy at the end of last year in discussing possible future destinations for Julian.

"It is not only the case that Russia did not figure in those plans, it is a fact that Julian directly ruled out the possibility of going to Russia as undesirable. Fidel Narvaez told The Guardian that there was no truth in their story, but The Guardian has instead chosen to run with 'four anonymous sources  about which sources it tells you no more than that."

Assange, who holds both Australian and Ecuadorian citizenship, has been taking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 2012.

Reports in July said that Ecuador President Lenin Moreno had either finalised, or was about to finalise, an agreement with the UK to end asylum protection for Assange. But nothing has eventuated since then.

Ecuador has blocked Assange from using the Internet since the end of March, after he criticised alleged human rights abuses by Spain at the time when Catalonia launched protests for independence.International Students Find Their Home at IWU

Sept. 25, 2018

Domestic and international students mingle at a Munch and Meet event.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  As Illinois Wesleyan University welcomes 20 incoming international students to campus this fall, several initiatives have helped this group of new Titans find a home at IWU, even when thousands of miles away from familiar friends and family.

Before their arrival, incoming international students had the opportunity to make connections with current Illinois Wesleyan students through Titan Talk, a program which allows international students the chance to ask questions and take a glimpse into life at IWU through Skype, email or social media.

After being picked up at the airport or train station by faculty and staff members, digital impressions merged with the reality of setting foot on Illinois Wesleyans campus. Upon arriving at their residence hall, incoming international students were greeted with welcome baskets filled with snacks, juice, fresh fruit, noodles to provide an energy boost after long hours of traveling, as well as a supportive card from sponsors in the department or office that assembled the basket.

Food plays an important role in welcoming students. This years new Munch and Meet event provided international students and their mentors with the opportunity to dine with faculty and staff members before the start of Pre-Orientation, as a way of meeting new faces on campus. President Eric Jensen and Elizabeth Jensen also hosted a dinner at the Presidents House for the incoming international students.

Sunday Night Dinner at Home offered a similar experience in a less formal setting, where students were invited to a home-cooked meal or a local restaurant with faculty, staff or alumni. There, incoming international students met with members of the IWU community and learned about the supportive roles that faculty, staff and alumni play during their transition.

It made me feel good and helped me build a life here by talking about details of University life that we hadn't already known, said Xiaohan (Erin) Yuan 22, who visited with an alum for dinner.

Students in search of close, supportive relationships may choose to participate in the International Friendship Family Program, in which students are paired with native families to meet multiple times during each semester. Families participate in various activities, attend local events and share cultural traditions together.

In its two years of existence, the program has been met with success in providing meaningful support and a home away from home, according to International Student and Scholar Advisor Robyn Walter.

Reflecting upon the outpouring of support she received from the entire Illinois Wesleyan community, Bo Yuan (Betty) Shen 22 summarized her experience: I felt like I was welcome.

By Rachel McCarthy 21Integrators are moving up the chain  they used to focus on last mile, but more and more are focusing on long-haul legs. Customers [such as Amazon and Alibaba] are becoming competitors, Ulrik Sanders, senior partner and managing director of Boston Consulting Group, told attendees at JOCs Container Trade Europe conference in Hamburg last week.Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed appreciation Monday for Serbia's support and participation in China's Belt and Road initiative.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly high-level week on Monday, September 24, 2018. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

Meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly high-level week, Wang said the two countries' joint efforts in Belt and Road Initiative will lead to broader prospects and strong support for their bilateral cooperation.

"China is a trustworthy friend for Serbia in the international arena and we wish to continue communicating and coordinating with Serbia on multilateral matters," said Wang, noting these matters include pushing forward the "16+1" cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern Europe countries.

Dacic, for his part, said Serbia attaches great importance to the friendship between the two countries and the two peoples.

He thanked China for its long-time support and help to Serbia and said that Serbia wishes to continue to be China's best friend and important partner in Europe.

"The Serbia-China comprehensive strategic partnership has been making steady progress," he said, adding Serbia wishes to enhance pragmatic cooperation, strengthen communication and coordination on multilateral matters, and build closer bilateral ties with China.Reddit Email 116 Shares

By Antoinette Chalaby-Moualla | 

Paris (AFP)  From a honeymoon in the years after Israels 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 Unions 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 Israels 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.

In April 2005, Putin makes an historic visit to Israel, against the background of a disagreement over Moscows sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.

In October 2006, the nuclear programme of Israels 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, Russias 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.

Featured Photo: POOL/AFP/File / Yuri KADOBNOV. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow in July 2018.Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 25, 2018) - Royal Road Minerals Limited (TSXV: RYR) ("Royal Road" or the "Company") is pleased to announce initial surface channel rock-chip sample results from its newly identified Luna Roja Gold Skarn project in the Golden Triangle region of northeastern Nicaragua.

The Luna Roja prospect forms a part of the Company's 50-50 Strategic-Alliance agreement (see press release; September 6, 2017) with HEMCO Nicaragua (a subsidiary of Colombia's Grupo Mineros S.A. MINEROS:CB) and is located in the highly prospective Golden Triangle of northeastern Nicaragua (Figure 1), a region characterized by epithermal style gold veins, skarn and porphyry-style mines that have combined to produce in excess of an estimated 8 million ounces of gold since the early 1900's. HEMCO Nicaragua own and operate the Bonanza gold mine in the Golden Triangle and manage an innovative toll-treatment program which processes mineralized material from artisanal operations throughout the region. Royal Road Minerals is operator of the Strategic Alliance.

The Luna Roja project is a newly identified gold-skarn mineralized system represented by a metasomatized sequence of felsic intrusive and carbonate rocks, overprinted by a low-sulfide, skarn-type alteration characterized by: 1) a strongly oxidized and well-exposed exo-skarn, developed in marble; and 2) a partially-exposed massive endo-skarn developed in intrusive rocks. Gold skarn generally occurs as massive bodies with individual outcrops ranging from 2 to 25 meters in width and 2 to 50 meters in strike length. Skarn bodies are subvertical or dip steeply towards the southwest and where exposed, the skarn system extends over a known strike distance of 1100 meters and over a width of 380 meters (the system remains open under recent cover rocks: Figure 1).



Figure 1: Geologic map and rock-chip channel localities. Luna Roja Project, Nicaragua

So far the company has collected 318 continuous rock-chip channels from 50 localities over an area of 550 x 250m across the project with results presented in Table 1. Where continuous outcrop was present, channels were cut in a northeasterly direction across the strike of mineralized skarn bodies.

Best results are as follows:

Locality 2 40.65 meters at 2.5 grams per tonne gold

Locality 5 23.5 meters at 5.1 grams per tonne gold

Locality 1 21.85 meters at 1.1 grams per tonne gold

Locality 1 13.4 meters at 0.9 grams per tonne gold

Locality 33 12.0 meters at 7.1 grams per tonne gold

Locality 16 8.4 meters at 7.2 grams per tonne gold

Locality 10 8.3 meters at 3.2 grams per tonne gold

Locality 1 7.25 meters at 2.0 grams per tonne gold

Locality 12 5.05 meters at 2,3 grams per tonne gold

Locality 11 6.5 meters at 4.0 grams per tonne gold

Locality 2 6.15 meters at 8.1 grams per tonne gold

Locality 31 6.0 meters at 6.4 grams per tonne gold

Locality 2 5.5 meters at 12.2 grams per tonne gold

Locality 35 5.2 meters at 7.0 grams per tonne gold

Locality 16 4.8 meters at 9.1 grams per tonne gold

The Company plans to complete further geologic mapping, channel sampling and ground geophysics at Luna Roja before advancing the project to drilling stage.

"We believe that the Luna Roja project is further testament to the remarkable and undiscovered potential of Nicaragua's Golden Triangle area" said Tim Coughlin, Royal Road Minerals President and CEO "Together with the nearby Caribe Project, we now have two promising systems which management believes have the potential to host multi-million ounce gold projects"



Table 1: Luna Roja Project, Rock-Chip Channel Results

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.

The information in this news release was compiled, reviewed and verified by Dr. Tim Coughlin, BSc (Geology), MSc (Exploration and Mining), PhD (Structural Geology), FAusIMM, President and CEO of Royal Road Minerals Ltd and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Royal Road Minerals employees are instructed to follow standard operating and quality assurance procedures intended to ensure that all sampling techniques and sample results meet international reporting standards. More information can be found on Royal Road Minerals web site at www.royalroadminerals.com

Quality Assurance and Quality Control:

Rock-chip channel samples are collected continuously over 1-2 meter horizontal intervals (unless otherwise indicated) using either a rock-saw or rock hammer and chisel. Samples are prepared and assayed by independent and ISO accredited laboratories of Bureau Veritas Minerals (BVM) and their local subsidiaries. Bagged samples are collected from site and delivered to BVM sample preparation laboratories in Managua. Samples are prepared using the BVM codes PRP70-250 plus PUL85, where samples are crushed to 70% less than two millimeters, a riffle split of 250 grams is collected and then pulverized to better than 85 per cent passing 75 microns. Prepared sample pulps are then sent for analysis to BVM labs in Vancouver Canada. Gold is analyzed by fire assay with an atomic absorption finish and a measurement range of 0.005 to 10 ppm. Samples over 10-ppm gold are re-analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Multielement concentrations are analyzed by four-acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Samples over 10,000 ppm Cu, Zn, Pb or Mn and 200 ppm W, are re-analyzed with four acid digestion and Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer (ICP-ES). Commercially prepared standards (gold-copper pulps), blanks (pulps and coarse chips) and field duplicates are inserted into the sample stream by Royal Road Minerals for a total of 15% QA/QC to ensure sample precision. In the case of duplicate analyses of a sample, the average of both analyses is used as the final reported value. Unless otherwise stated, gold grades are not capped for calculation of length-weighted averages.

Cautionary statement:

This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") including e statements relating to the Alliance and those describing the Company's future plans and the expectations of its management that a stated result or condition will occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or developments in the Company's business or in the mineral resources industry, or with respect to the Alliance, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based on assumptions about, among other things, future economic conditions and courses of action, and assumptions related to government approvals, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The words "plans", "prospective", "expect", "intend", "intends to" and similar expressions identify forward looking statements, which may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. Forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to, those related to the Alliance, Hemco, and the Company's plans exploration plans.

The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. There is no guarantee that the anticipated benefits of the Alliance and the Company's business plans or operations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: economic market conditions, anticipated costs and expenditures, government approvals, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian provincial securities regulators or other applicable regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements included herein are based on the current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions of the Company management and, in part, on information provided to the Company by Mineros Nicaragua, and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change.

For further information please contact:

Dr. Timothy Coughlin

President and Chief Executive Officer

USA-Canada toll free 1800 6389205

+44 (0)1534 887166

+44 (0)7797 742800

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.WINNEMUCCA, Nevada, Sept. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. (NYSE American:PZG) ("Paramount) announced today that its Executive Chairman, John Seaberg will be presenting at the Denver Gold Forum on Tuesday September 25, 2018 at 11:30 AM Local Time in Hall F of the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The presentation will be made available on Paramounts website at www.paramountnevada.com. The Denver Gold Forum is an invitation only investment conference. The presentation will be webcast and available on Thursday, September 26, 2018 on the Denver Gold website.

About Paramount Gold Nevada Corp.

Paramount Gold Nevada is a U.S. based precious metals exploration and development company. Paramounts strategy is to create shareholder value through exploring and developing its mineral properties and to realize this value for its shareholders in three ways: by selling its assets to established producers; entering into joint ventures with producers for construction and operation; or constructing and operating mines for its own account.

Paramount owns 100% of the Grassy Mountain Gold Project which consists of approximately 9,300 acres located on private and BLM land in Malheur County, Oregon. The Grassy Mountain project contains a gold-silver deposit (100% located on private land) for which results of a positive PFS have been released and key permitting milestones accomplished (see press release dated May 24, 2018). Additionally, Paramount owns a 100% interest in the Sleeper Gold Project located in Northern Nevada. The Sleeper Gold Project, which includes the former producing Sleeper mine, totals 2,322 unpatented mining claims (approximately 60 square miles or 15,500 hectares).

Paramount Gold Nevada Corp.

Christos Theodossiou, Director of Corporate Communications

866-481-2233

Twitter: @ParamountNVTORONTO, Sept. 25, 2018 /CNW/ - Sable Resources (TSX.V: SAE) (the "Company" or "Sable") is pleased to announce the signing of a Binding Letter of Intent (the "Agreement") with Alpha Mining (the "Vendor") to acquire 100% of the 400 hectare Scorpius High-Sulphidation Epithermal Gold Project (the "Project"), located in the prolific Miocene Gold Belt of Central Peru.

Historic non-43-101 compliant 1m channel samples at the Scorpius Project returned values between 0.1 and 7.7g/t Au and define a 1km by 0.5km anomalous area coincident with silica ledges, quartz-alunite alteration and high-sulphidation pathfinders similar to Sables' Don Julio project located in San Juan Province, Argentina. The Scorpius Project has not previously been drilled.

"The Scorpuis deal is directly inline with our ongoing Upper Level Epithermal Strategy successfully implemented in Mexico and Argentina," commented Terry Harbort, Vice President of Corporate Development for Sable. "We see Peru as one of Latin Americas most stable and prospective mining jurisdictions. Coupled with our extensive operational experience and geological knowledge in the country and the field indications evident at Scorpius, we are pleased to have the right to acquire this high quality gold project. We will be implementing an aggressive exploration campaign to quickly define and test drill targets"

Under the terms of the Agreement, which is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), and in order to obtain a 100% interest the Property, Sable will make the following payments:

Event Payment On the signing of the Agreement US$10,000 cash On the date all necessary permitting to conduct drilling on the property is received (the "Permit Date") US$40,000 cash or equal amount in Common Stock of Sable On or prior to the date which is one (1) year following the Permit Date US$200,000 cash or equal amount in Common Stock of Sable On or Prior to the date which is two (2) years following the Permit Date US$250,000 cash or equal amount in Common Stock of Sable On or Prior to the date which is three (3) years following the Permit Date US$500,000 cash or equal amount in Common Stock of Sable

Amounting to a total aggregate payment of US$1,000,000 in cash or equal amount in Common Stock of the Sable.

The issuing of Common Stock instead of cash will only occur on the mutual agreement of the parties. In the event the parties agree to issue Common Stock, the amount of Common Stock will be determined based on the last closing price of the Common Stock of the Sable on the TSX Venture Exchange prior to the first public announcement of the Option, and an exchange rate of CDN$1.30 for US$1.00.

Royalty

On the 100% Acquisition Date, the Alpha Mining will transfer 100% of the right, title and interest in and to the Property to the Sable and Alpha Mining will be entitled to an aggregate net smelter royalty ("NSR") of 1% of the commercial production generated on the Property. Sable may purchase 100% of the NSR from the Alpha Mining by making an aggregate cash payment to the Vendor in the amount of US$1,500,000 at any time following the date which is 12 months after commercial production commences on any portion of the Property.

ABOUT SABLE RESOURCES

Sable is a well-funded junior grassroots explorer focused on the discovery of new precious metal projects through systematic exploration in endowed terranes located in favorable, established mining jurisdictions. Sables' main focus is developing their large portfolio of new greenfield projects to resource stage utilizing their Upper Level Epithermal Strategy. Sable is actively exploring the San Juan Regional Program (48,000ha) incorporating the Don Julio Project in San Juan Province, Argentina, the Mexico Regional Program (1.5Mha), incorporating the Margarita, Vinata and El Escarpe drill ready projects and the BC Intrusion Related Program, Canada (13,600ha) incorporating the drill ready Tulox Project.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Luis Arteaga M.Sc. P.Geo. Exploration Manager for Sable Resources and the Company's Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

We seek safe harbor

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Pivit Exploration Inc. (CSE: PIVT) (the "Company" or "Pivit") announces it has completed an initial ground program at its newly acquired Moosehead East Property (the Property). The exploration program focussed on the Jumpers Brook area where historical sampling reported values of up to 2.3 grams per tonne (g/t) Au.

The program led to the discovery of quartz veins with arsenopyrite present as well as zones of alteration and silicification. A total of 19 samples have been sent to Eastern Analytical lab in Springdale Newfoundland. Assays are pending.

The program was designed to confirm, expand and re-interpret the known mineralization on Pivits newly acquired property in light of, and in relation to, the recent discovery at the adjoining Moosehead Gold Project immediately to the south-west owned by Sokoman Iron Corp.s (TSX: SIC.V). Sokoman recently reported a drill core intersection of 44.96 g/t Au over 11.9 metres that included 5.65 metres at 93.56 g/t Au (see Sokoman news release dated July 24th, 2018).

Pivit President Mike England states, "We are pleased with the outcome of our first pass visit to our Moosehead East Project located on what has been interpreted as the potential gold-bearing structural trend extending from Sokomans Moosehead gold discovery. Numerous samples are in the lab and we expect to report results imminently.

The technical contents of this news release were approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by the National Instrument 43-101. The properties have not been the subject of a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report.

About Pivit

Pivit is engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral properties for the benefit of its stakeholders.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Michael England

Chief Executive Officer, President and 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.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).Five Latin American countries are expected to follow through today with their plans to refer Venezuela to the International Criminal Court (ICC). According to diplomatic sources, they will ask prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to open an investigation  a move to put pressure on both Venezuela and the court. It would be the first time ICC state parties refer another member state to the court.

The foreign ministers of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru will sign a letter on Tuesday evening in which they ask ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to open an investigation into the situation in Venezuela. In the communication, they invoke Article 14 of the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the court, which enables states parties to refer a situation in another country to the ICC. Diplomatic sources from two Latin American countries confirmed the meeting to JusticeInfo.net, which will take place in the margins of the UN General Assembly at 6pm in New York.

The Peruvian deputy foreign minister Hugo De Zela said the five countries coordinated the move and explained that Canada was considering joining the group, the South American newspaper Publimetro reported.

The Latin American governments support their referral with a report of the Organization of American States (OAS), a diplomat, who wished to stay anonymous, explained. In May, a panel of independent international experts concluded that since 2014 crimes against humanity have been committed in Venezuela. In the report, the OAS panel lists crimes such as murder, extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detention and a systematic pattern of abuse of parts of the civilian population.

The experts recommended OAS member states should request the ICC prosecutor to open an investigation. The referral by Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru puts pressure on the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) so that it speeds up the process. In February 2018, Prosecutor Bensouda announced the opening of a preliminary examination in Venezuela. In order to proceed with a full investigation, she would need the approval of the judges. The referral of the states, however, waives this condition and makes an investigation in Venezuela now highly likely.

The decision of the five Latin American states to move forward is an unusual case in which governments use the ICC as a diplomatic tool and refer the crisis in another country to the court.

In 2013, the Comoros requested the opening of an investigation into crimes allegedly committed by Israel during the raid of a vessel bound for Gaza Strip. However, Israel is not a member of the ICC. In November 2017, the Prosecutor closed the file, deciding that the information available was not sufficient for an investigation.

The situation in Venezuela is of different scale and nature. The ICC referral by Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru would represent the first time ever a state member, or a group of them, refers another state member for investigation.

Reports by human rights organisations, experts of the OAS and by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have revealed widespread crimes and abuse in the last years. The international community has imposed sanctions and threatened with military intervention. The move will isolate Venezuela even further. It may also have an impact on its position towards the court itself. In 2016, Burundi, also an outcast of the international community and threatened with an ICC investigation, decided to withdraw from the Rome Statute. Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, who appears to have been undeterred by the actions of the international community so far, might well consider a similar step, even if it will not be enough to prevent the ICC from opening the investigation.Germanys Catholic Church on Tuesday apologised to the thousands of victims of sexual assault by clergy, with the institutions top cardinal saying perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx said he was ashamed over the decades of abuse that have shattered trust, the crimes carried out by Church officials, as well as how so many have looked away for so long.

The dismay expressed by the head of the German Bishops Conference came as the institution published a damning report showing that in Germany, almost 3,700 minors  mostly boys  were assaulted between 1946 and 2014.

The reports authors said however that the figure was the tip of the iceberg.

Sexual abuse is a persistent problem and not a historical problem in the Catholic Church, said Harald Dressing, a professor at the Mannheim Institute of Psychology, who coordinated the research commissioned by the Bishops Conference.

I have to say very clearly that sexual abuse is a crime. Those who are guilty must be punished, said Cardinal Marx.

For all the failures and for all the pain, as chairman of Germanys Bishops Conference, I apologise. I also apologise personally.

We are not done with confronting the incidents and consequences, it begins now, he stressed at a press conference.

 Abuse, transfers, cover-ups 

Victims have criticised the report for falling short of what is needed to flush out perpetrators.

They urged the Church to bring in independent experts for a thorough audit and called for victim compensation.

The system of abuse, transfers (of offending priests) and cover-ups cannot be mapped out by a study that had access only to available personnel documents, said the victims association Eckiger Tisch.

There are no names given of the responsible bishops who have perfected the system of covering up sexual attacks over decades.

Justice Minister Katarina Barley also urged the Church to work with state prosecutors to bring every known case to justice.

Cardinal Marx acknowledged that a thorough reckoning of the problem was absolutely necessary but underlined that the process was colossal and would require time.

We cant just publish names. A complete rehabilitation also includes dialogue. Maybe a truth commission, he said, promising action.

 Predator priests 

According to the study, 1,670 clergymen in Germany committed some form of sexual attack against 3,677 minors, mostly boys, between 1946 and 2014, intimidating their victims into keeping quiet.

More than half of the victims were 13 years old or younger, the study concluded, after examining 38,000 documents from the 27 German dioceses.

The surveys researchers warned that the true scale of the abuse was far greater, as many documents had been destroyed or manipulated.

Predator priests were often transferred to another parish, which was not warned about their criminal history.

Only about one in three were subject to disciplinary hearings by the Church, and most got away with minimal punishment. Only 38 percent were prosecuted by civil courts.

 Systemic abuse 

The research is the latest in a series of reports on sexual crimes and cover-ups worldwide spanning decades that has shaken the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis has himself been accused of ignoring abuse allegations against prominent US cardinal Theodore McCarrick for five years. The pontiff has so far refused to respond to the claims.

He has however announced a Vatican meeting of national Church leaders on the protection of minors, for February 2019.

Joerg Schuh of the Berlin-based Tauwetter centre for victims of sexual abuse told AFP TV that the Catholic Church has a global problem and called on the pope to make it his number one topic.

Major abuse cases in Germany have included a Berlin elite Jesuit school and the world-famous Catholic choir school the Regensburger Domspatzen where more than 500 boys suffered sexual or physical abuse.6K Shares Share

In July, 2009, the family of Massachusetts teenager Yarushka Rivera went to their local Walgreens to pick up Topomax, an anti-seizure drug that had been keeping her epilepsy in check for years. Rivera had insurance coverage through MassHealth, the states Medicaid insurance program for low-income children, and never ran into obstacles obtaining this life-saving medication.

But in July of 2009, she turned 19, and when, shortly after her birthday, her family went to pick up the medicine the pharmacist told them theyd either have to shell out $399.99 to purchase Topomax out-of-pocket or obtain a so-called prior authorization in order to have the prescription filled.

Prior authorizations, or PAs as they are often referred to, are bureaucratic hoops that insurance companies require doctors to jump through before pharmacists can fulfill prescriptions for certain drugs. Basically, they boil down to yet another risky cost-cutting measure created by insurance companies, in keeping with their tried-and-true penny-pinching logic: The more hurdles the insurance companies places between patients and their care, the more people who will give up along the way, and the better the insurers bottom line.

PAs have been a fixture of our health care system for a while, but the number of drugs that require one seems to be escalating exponentially. Insurance companies claim that PAs are fast and easy. They say pharmacists can electronically forward physicians the necessary paperwork with the click of a mouse, and that doctors shouldnt need more than 10 minutes to complete the approval process.

But in my experience, thats rarely the case. In order to get my patients the drugs they need, I regularly spend more than half an hour on the phone with ill-trained customer service reps who dont know the first thing about pharmaceuticals and whose job description consists of being as obstructionist as possible.

And Im not alone. A video by an independent physician with a sense of humor documented his Kafka-esque bid to obtain a PA for a patient. The video lasts 21 agonizing minutes. And studies have shown that PAs gobble up at least 20 hours per week in the average physicians office. Even in an age when many aspects of practicing medicine in the United States have become nightmarish, PAs hold a place of particular sinister distinction.

Now, back to the Rivera case in Massachusetts. After Walgreens declined to fill Yarushkas Topomax prescription, her family returned to the pharmacy four more times  each time without success. (Its unclear whether or not Walgreens ever actually sent an authorization request to the physicians office.)

Without the drug shed relied on for years, Yarushka had three seizures. The last one proved fatal.

Her grief-stricken family subsequently filed a wrongful death suit  not, as might be expected, against the insurance company that required the PA in the first place  but rather against Walgreens, Yarushkas physician and his practice.

To my mind, this case gets it all wrong, and in so doing, potentially dangles Damocles sword over the heads of each and every physician and pharmacist practicing in the United States today. The fact is that both Yarushkas doctor and the Walgreens pharmacist did their jobs: Her physician issued a prescription for the life-saving anti-seizure drug, and the pharmacist tried to dispense the medication. It was Yarushkas insurance company  not the physician or the pharmacist  that was the monkey wrench, arbitrarily denying coverage for her medication without any reasonable justification.

Medical malpractice is defined as negligence by act or omission in cases where the prescribed treatment fell below the accepted standard of practice and caused injury or death. In the Rivera case, MassHealth alone created the barrier between Ms. Yarushka and her life-sustaining medication. The insurance company was, effectively, practicing medicine without a license. And it alone should be held accountable for the tragically predictable outcome after overriding the sound judgment of her physician and pharmacist.

But because of a legal doctrine called sovereign immunity, which shields states from civil or criminal prosecution, its highly unlikely that MassHealth, a state-run insurer, will ever face legal consequences from the Yarushkas  or any other, for that matter. How many more patients have to die before we force insurers to prioritize patients over profit?

The Rivera case is still winding its way through the court system in Massachusetts, but a verdict against Walgreens will open a Pandoras box for medical professionals across the country, effectively holding them legally liable for the decisions and practices of an all-powerful third party thats under no obligation to follow their medical recommendations. If MassHealth is not held accountable for causing the wrongful death of Yarushka Rivera, then more insurers will be emboldened to practice medicine without a license, which will surely lead to the deaths of countless other patients nationwide.

Niran S. Al-Agba is a pediatrician who blogs at MommyDoc.

Image credit: Shutterstock.comU.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that his second summit with the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, will be announced "pretty soon." The summit is likely to take place in a different place.

President Donald Trump attends a meeting on the global drug problem at the United Nations (UN) a day ahead of the official opening of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2018 in New York City, NY, USA, on September 24, 2018. [Photo: IC]

Speaking to the media before the bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that "we'll be having a second summit with Chairman Kim in the not too distant future."

"Our Secretary of State will be dealing with that subject. Mike Pompeo has been in touch with them, and we've been in touch with them," he said. "And I think within a fairly -- pretty short period of time, that will be announced and it will be location to be determined."

"We're both very much looking forward to having it. It will be between North Korea and the United States," he said. "It will be similar to the format we had before, most likely a different location. Again, it will be announced pretty soon."

"I think a lot of progress is being made. I see tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of Chairman Kim for making a deal," he said. "We are in no rush. There's no hurry. We got back three months ago or so. I think we' ve made more progress than anybody has made in -- ever, frankly, with regard to North Korea."

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.

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.

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.MEPs will gather in Brussels this week to discuss ways of improving the issue of late payments for firms.



Ireland South MEP, Deirdre Clune said: Managing late payments is a huge issue for many firms and many go out of businesses because of cash flow problems. It is crippling many businesses. Late payments are continuing to plague small businesses across the EU.



The Internal Market and Consumer Affairs of the European Parliament is currently preparing a report on the implementation of the late payments directive.



According to the European Payment Report 2018 Ireland reports one of the highest level of bad debt loss in Europe. Irish companies reported that they had to write off more than 3% of annual revenues due to late payments, which is almost twice as high as the European average. The report also said that none of the surveyed companies in Ireland said that they currently accept cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, as payment. However, 8% of Irish companies polled do state that they plan to accept cryptocurrencies as payment from clients or customers within the next two years, which can be compared with Europe as a whole where 4% of the businesses polled state that they anticipate doing so.

Of all of the companies polled in Ireland, 19% state that the introduction of GDPR will have an impact on their payment routines, which is a slightly higher level than that observed in Europe as a whole, where 14% say the same.



MEP Clune said: At European level we are doing all we can to help business in Ireland and ensure that they are offered the support they need. Two thirds of Irish firms experience payment delays that can stretch beyond two months according to the Irish Small Firms Association and this is having a really negative effective on many businesses.



One example of support that is there is The Enterprise Europe Network which is a one stop shop for businesses in the EU and helps small companies make the most out of business opportunities. It provides support on access to market information, overcoming legal obstacles, and identifying potential business partners across Europe.

The network offers a wide range of services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For more details see: https://europa.eu/youreurope/ business/

I would also encourage SMEs to apply for funding from the Horizon 2020 SME fund. Small and medium-sized enterprises represent over 99% of businesses in the EU so it is crucial to support their growth and innovation.

Ireland has the highest success rate in Europe for the Horizon 2020 SME fund with a 16% success rate compared to a European average of 6%. The funding is running until 2020 with a total budget of 75 billion, Ireland has set a national target of securing 1.25 billion in EU Horizon 2020 funding. To date, Ireland has secured funding of 424 million, representing 1.66% of the total EU budget committed.A new quality mark, aimed at assuring customers and suppliers that Irish businesses meet the highest standards of service and trust on an ongoing basis, has been launched at Croke Park.

The All-Ireland Business All-Star accreditation is an independently verified standard mark for indigenous businesses based on rigorous selection criteria.

The accreditation has been launched following the success of the All-Ireland Business All-Star Awards, which this year attracted 800 entries from businesses nationwide.

The All-Ireland Business Foundation will be responsible for identifying and accrediting best-in-class Irish businesses, overseeing both the awards and ongoing accreditation and promoting peer dialogue.

It will also create an active community of progressive businesses and ambitious business leaders who work together and openly share knowledge.

Those companies that come through a rigorous process to attain the Business All-Star standard become part of The Register of Irish Business Excellence (Tribe).

Ongoing Tribe gatherings via the CEO Forum, All-Ireland Business Awards and Accreditation and the Foundations annual flagship event the All-Ireland Business Summit will allow members to share experiences, explore opportunities and grow business both locally and internationally.

The Foundations adjudication panel is chaired by Dr Briga Hynes of the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick and Kieran Ring, CEO of the Global Institute of Logistics, with an advisory board made up of a panel of volunteer judges, mentors and business experts.

The Foundation exists to identify and support best-in-class indigenous businesses over a long-term basis, said Mr Ring.

It allows them to attain and, most importantly, maintain the highest verified standards for the benefit of both businesses and consumers.

It is about giving piece of mind to the people who mean it when they say that they run customer-centric businesses.

A business owner is normally three steps away from a customers first contact, and they need to be sure their company operates to the highest standards.

Once a company applies for Business All-Star accreditation they go through a six-step process.

We evaluate a companys background, trustworthiness and performance, and we speak to customers, employees and vendors. We also anonymously approach the company as a customer and report back on the experience, said Mr Ring.

The business goes through at least two interviews and is scored on every part of the process against set metrics.

Our aim is to develop customer-centric companies, and to give honest independent feedback to businesses to help them maintain that level.

Business All-Star accreditation is independent verification that all of your people-facing parts are working well.

The Foundation will promote its accredited businesses to Irish consumers, giving them confidence and reassurance when making their purchasing decisions.

We believe that the Business All-Star accreditation is going to be a true quality mark for indigenous Irish businesses, said David Briody of Briody Beds, who unveiled a range of All-Star branded mattresses at the launch.

A chance conversation through the All-Stars network between Briody Beds and fellow award winner homecare provider Comfort Keepers has led to plans to develop a range of dual-use beds that preserve all the comforts of home with all the features and functions of a hospital bed.

As a business, we are very concerned with setting standards, but those standards need to be constantly measured, said David Briody.

We have been looking for something like this  an accreditation process which is tough, externally verified and allows us to constantly measure our performance.

Many businesses are already using the All-Ireland Business All-Star brand as a badge of quality, according to Elaine Carroll of the Foundation.

Our accreditation is not easy to obtain, and, because we approach companies as customers, many businesses use it as an external health check, said Ms Carroll.

When we provide a detailed level of feedback to companies they find that it is the small things that have the biggest impacts on vendors, suppliers and customers.

The accreditation process takes a minimum of six weeks from start to finish and applicant companies must be trading for a minimum of three years.

Further details available at businessallstars.ieDrought water restrictions for Kilkenny have finally been lifted and households have been congratulated for complying but Irish Water want the public to continue conserve water.

Irish Water can confirm that as of today, September 25, the remaining Water Conservation Orders affecting Kilkenny, Laois, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Carlow, Offaly, Wicklow, Meath, Westmeath, Louth and Dublin have now been lifted.

Many of these counties had been placed under what is known as a hosepipe ban in July.

The Irish Water Board met and reviewed the data that indicates that the reduction in demand, the availability of water resources and the prevailing weather conditions mean that the justification for the Water Conservation Order no longer applies, however with some schemes in Kilkenny and Carlow still at risk, customers are being asked to continue to conserve water where possible.

Kilkenny/Carlow

In Kilkenny and Carlow, customers are asked to continue to conserve water where possible as some schemes in Bennettsbridge, Clogh and Castlecomer remain on night time restrictions.

The Bennettsbridge Water Supply Scheme is currently on restriction due to demand for water exceeding the available raw water in the existing sources. We are working in conjunction with Kilkenny County Council to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of these restrictions on customers by managing restrictions to match the availability of water. As part of this work, we have recently signed contracts to bring a new borehole into supply at Bennettsbridge.

The borehole will require construction work, pump installation, commissioning and testing, and a period of consultation with the HSE and EPA before being signed off and approved by Irish Water and Kilkenny County Council.

The supply has suffered in the recent drought conditions and it is anticipated that the additional source will augment the current supply. It is hoped the work will be completed by early November 2018.

In August, significant rain fell in the North and Western Regions, replenishing water sources in those areas to the extent that the specific usage prohibitions were lifted. However, at this time supplies in the Southern, Eastern and Midlands regions had not recovered and a new Water Conservation Order to cover the public water supplies in counties Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow, Meath, Westmeath, Louth and Dublin, was issued. The order took effect on the 1st September 2018 and was due to conclude at midnight on the 30th of September 2018.

Commenting on the lifting of the Water Conservation Orders, Irish Waters Engineering expert Kate Gannon said,

The Water Conservation Orders were vital for reducing significant peaks in demand that Irish Water witnessed in early June 2018. The Orders, combined with the excellent conservation efforts made by homes and businesses across the country prevented major outages to water supplies in many communities. As rainfall is returning to more average rates, our water sources which were very dry during the summer can recharge more quickly.

In the Greater Dublin Area, where we were very concerned about the levels in the Poulaphuca reservoir, the rate of decline has decreased significantly and the probability of an outage is now very low. Levels at the Inniscarra dam in Cork, Lough Guitane in Kerry and Lough Owel in Mullingar have all stablised and are recovering.

While this is very welcome news, it is essential that people continue to conserve water. We are really grateful for all the efforts people made over the past few months in their homes and businesses. It was really encouraging to see. Conserving water will make our water sources more resilient and help to safeguard our water for the future benefiting communities all across the country.





The

(EDAWN) has announced that

(ND), an international medical device technology manufacturer, is establishing its U.S. facility in the Spanish Springs Business Center, off the Pyramid Highway near Calle de la Plata. The company is breaking ground on a 200,000-square-foot facility for research/development and manufacturing. The facility will also include a medical device incubation center for local medical device start-ups. New Deantronics says it estimates it will invest more than $40 million for construction and equipment and will generate more than 200 new jobs.

New Deantronics was founded in 1985 in San Francisco, and is focused on "medical/surgical technology to advance healthcare and quality of life for patients," according to a release."New Deantronics has established its position by investing in innovation, quality, and its employees. Its medical device products are widely used in general surgery, neurosurgery, cardiology, orthopedics, and aesthetics. Having received numerous awards in Taiwan, where it is headquartered, New Deantronics is most proud of being a 'National Quality Award' recipient. The philosophy and operating principle embodied in everything New Deantronics stands for is reflected in their motto, 'A Caring Company.'"

The company currently operates an engineering and manufacturing facility in New Taipei City, Taiwan and will open a second manufacturing facility in Chiayi County, Taiwan in 2019, in addition to the Nevada 14-acre technology campus in 2020. The Nevada campus will provide R&D, manufacturing, R4R (return for repair), capital equipment exchanges, and a medical device incubation center. The company says it will hire to fill positions in design, electrical, and mechanical engineering, as well as technicians, facilities, maintenance, quality assurance, warehouse, and manufacturing assembly.

"The decision to establish an R&D and manufacturing center in the Reno-Sparks area is the result of a multi-year location search and supports our "Go Global" vision," says Jane Liu, CEO. "The support and assistance received from so many people and organizations here convinced us to select Reno-Sparks to be our new home in the U.S. We hope to be an integral part of establishing a long-term medical device industry infrastructure, bringing together industry, academia, healthcare providers and others benefiting Reno-Sparks and the global medical device community."

"We absolutely believe the addition of New Deantronics to Washoe County is a strategic choice not only for their business, but for the quality of life it offers their entire team," says John Slaughter, Washoe County Manager. "Our region continues to attract some of most innovative companies from around the world due to our vibrant landscape and thriving communities. New Deantronics is another great example of our tech industry booming, and we welcome them to Washoe County."

"We are thrilled that New Deantronics will soon be breaking ground on their technology campus in the Spanish Springs Business Center," says Sparks Mayor Geno Martini. "Having this award-winning medical device technology manufacturer is a win for our region both in expertise and job creation."

"With a focus on engineering and innovation, New Deantronics is an example of a high-tech, knowledge-based operation that will contribute quality jobs and global connections to our region. We are very pleased to join in welcoming them to Nevada", says Mridul Gautam, Vice-President Research and Innovation at the University of Nevada, Reno.

"We are excited that New Deantronics has selected the Spanish Springs Business Center for their new U.S. operations site," says Mike Kazmierski, President and CEO of EDAWN. "The company's reputation as a world leader and innovator in surgical and medical device technology is a great fit for our region with the recent growth of advanced manufacturing and tech-related businesses."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)A Facebook campaign to stop an Anchorage Superior Court Judge from retaining his seat continues to grow, now up to almost 3,000 people.

This past Wednesday, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Michael Corey sentenced 34-year-old former air-traffic controller Justin Scott Schneider to no immediate time behind bars after approving a plea deal that dismissed a kidnapping charge and involved a conviction only on second-degree assault.

Schneider was charged with offering a woman a ride and then tackling her, choking her until she became unconscious, then masturbating on her. Previous reports say the women felt like she was going to die.

This past June the Alaska Judicial Council recommended that Judge Corey retain his position and Corey said the job has been the most challenging and most rewarding of his career.

In his letter to the council the judge wrote: "For more than three years I have dedicated myself to becoming the best judicial officer possible. Every day, I strive to perpetuate the integrity and credibility of our judiciary. I am grateful that my placement in this position has been well received by most of who I come into contact. My goal is to be the type of judge before whom I once preferred to appear. I recognize that I will never reach perfection. However, such is my goal."

Before a recommendation, the Alaska Judicial Council asks numerous people, including lawyers, law enforcement, clerks and juries, about their experiences with the judge who's up for retention.

The judge's recommendation is based on the judge's legal ability, temperament, integrity, diligence and fairness.

"If the council decides, based on all the information, that the judge has met that, then the council makes a 'yes' recommendation," Susanne DiPietro, the executive director for the Alaska Judicial Council said, "and that is what the council did."

Judges are based on a scale of 1 to 5 with five being an excellent rating. Most of Judge Corey's numbers are 4s or 5s.

Still, the Department of Law heard from a number of people that the sentence imposed was too lenient. Criminal Division Director John Skidmore independently reviewed the case and concluded the sentence was consistent with, and reasonable, under current sentencing laws in Alaska.

"Though it is understandable that some feel his sentence was not sufficiently harsh," Skidmore said in a news release, "all prosecutors are ethically required to follow the law, no matter how disturbing the facts may be."

Skidmore's office wrote in that same news release that "contact with bodily fluid such as semen is not categorized as a sex crime under Alaska law."

This week during an update to the Public Safety Action Plan, Gov. Bill Walker says he will release legislation that makes causing unwanted contact with semen a sex offense. The penalty for a first-time offense carries jail time of 2 to 12 years and requires registration as a sex offender.

Channel 2 requested to speak with Judge Corey Monday morning but was told that because of the rules of judicial ethics, the judge is not giving interviews about his recent decision and he is also not speaking about his retention election at this time.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).

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks at the High-level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at United Nations headquarters in New York, New York, USA, 24 September 2018. The General Debate of the 73rd session begins on 25 September 2018. [Photo: IC]

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.Hyderabad, Sept 24 (PTI) 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 is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)Jaipur, Sep 25 (PTI) BJP leader Ram Madhav Tuesday said the opposition's only agenda behind forming an alliance was to oust the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power.

"The opposition is forming an alliance, but there is neither a flag nor any agenda. They want to oust the BJP and Narendra Modi from power," Madhav said at an event on the concept of 'Akhand Bharat' and Kashmir here.

"We are in favour of clean and brave politics. The BJP formed an alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir considering people's welfare. The BJP bravely withdrew its support from the government as it was an ideological fight," he said.

The BJP's national general secretary said he belonged to the ideology that has the concept of 'Akhand Bharat' in its DNA.

"Anyone can try as much as they want but we will not give even an inch of Kashmir. We are ready to fight against terrorism for 50 years. Do not worry about the country, Kashmir is in safe hands," he said.

The BJP leader criticised the Congress for not standing in support of the prime minister.

"The Congress clapped when Imran Khan criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But, when Nawaz Sharif called Manmohan Singh a 'dehati aurat' (rustic woman), we, including Modi ji, stood in support of the then prime minister," he said.

He said the government was ready to talk on every issue with Pakistan, but there cannot be any compromise on Kashmir issue.

Strict action would be taken against those perpetrating terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Madhav said.

"The government is committed for providing good administration in the valley and wants local bodies polls to be held. There would be a situation when there will be no difference in Kashmir and rest of the states of the country," he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)United Nations, Sep 25 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday held bilateral talks with leaders from Fiji, Estonia and Suriname, discussing diverse issues including defense cooperation, trade and capacity building.

Swaraj met Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Foreign Minister of Estonia Sven Mikser and Foreign Minister of Suriname Deborah Pollack-Beighle on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly here.

"Building upon a historical relationship with an important Pacific partner of India. EAM @SushmaSwaraj and @FijiPM, Frank Bainimarama discussed development assistance, capacity building and defence cooperation on the sidelines of the #UNGA, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Highlighting the "strong cultural connect", Swaraj met Mikser and had a good exchange of views on intensifying cooperation in IT, trade & investment, culture, education, tourism and multilateral fora, Kumar said.

Noting that India and Suriname share close, warm and friendly relations, Kumar tweeted that the two leaders discussed cooperation in capacity building, traditional medicine, pharma and followed up on President Ram Nath Kovind's visit to the South American country in June this year.

Later in the day, Swaraj will also participate in the G4 meeting with her counterparts from Brazil, Germany and Japan.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)Chandigarh, Sept 24: For the first time in a decade, the floodgates of Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh was opened up by the authorities as the water level crossed the danger mark of 1,163 feet.

The Union territory administration said two of the six floodgates of the lake were opened up to allow the water to flow into the Sukhna Choe river. If the incessant rainfall continues, the authorities will be forced to open up the remaining floodgates as well. Rains Wreak Havoc in North India; IMD Predicts More Heavy Rainfall in Several Districts of Himachal Pradesh.

An alert has been issued to neighbouring Punjab and Haryana governments, as the Sukhna Choe river passes through both the states. With the lake floodgates being opened up, the water level is expected to rise in the river.

Punjab, along with other parts of North India, has witnessed heavy to heavy rainfall over the past week. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert in the state, warning incessant rainfall for the next four days. Schools and colleges have been ordered to remain closed tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the overflowing of Sukhna Lake has hurt the prospects of the eateries and shikara owners as the water body is a major tourist attraction. A daily income of Rs 1 lakh is generated through boating. The revenue shoots to Rs 2 lakh per day during weekends.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2018 07:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).United Nations, Sep 25: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met nine leaders from across the globe in a whirlwind of bilateral interactions and spoke at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit. She began her day on Monday by attending the high-level event on counter-narcotics convened by US President Donald Trump, where she was seated at the front row.

India is one of 129 countries that have signed the pledge drafted by Trump on commitment towards the international fight against drugs. 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 met the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Spain, Ecuador, Colombia, Mongolia, Nepal, Morocco, Lichtenstein and Federica Mogherini, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

India-Pakistan Should Resolve Their Issues on Bilateral Basis, Says ICC President David Richardson

The topics discussed during the meetings with the foreign ministers depended on the relations with those countries and ranged from strategic cooperation to trade and investment.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale participated in the Special Meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) -- a 26-member forum for cooperation in promoting peace, security, and stability in Asia.

Ruchi Ghanashyam, the Secretary (West), spoke at the Africa Adaptation Initiative High-Level Roundtable. The organisation aims at facilitating finance and cooperation for the continent's development.

After Sushma Swaraj's meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted: "Strategic partnership gaining momentum!"

The two countries have been building up their strategic relations reinforced by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue that includes the US and Japan.

Closer to home was the meeting with Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, which "took stock of our bilateral relationship", Kumar tweeted.

At the meeting with Ecuador Foreign Minister Jose Valencia Amores, there were "good discussion on ways to further consolidate bilateral relationship in the areas of trade, agriculture, pharma, IT and capacity building", according to Kumar.

Also from Latin America, Colombia's Foreign Minister, the discussions centered on cooperation on trade investment, pharma, mining, petroleum, and capacity building, he tweeted.

With Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, Sushma Swaraj "explored ways to intensify ties in investment, renewable energy, water treatment, tourism and their contribution to our flagship initiatives", according to Kumar.

Mogherini and Sushma Swaraj "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 the 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, cybersecurity, defence, and culture".

She also met with Mongolian Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar. The High-Level General Assembly session begins on Tuesday. On the sidelines, she was to meet Fiji Prime Minister J.V. Bainimarama and the Foreign Ministers of Iraq, Cyprus, Moldova, and Estonia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2018 11:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).New York, September 25: The United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday, while addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) appreciated Indias effort to reduce poverty. Speaking at the UNGA, Trump said, There is India, a free society of over a billion people, lifting people out of poverty into the middle class. He also appreciated Saudi Arabia for going ahead with social reforms. Trump hailed Israel and Poland for economic growth.

The United States President also criticised the leadership in Iran. Trump also accused the Iranian government of spreading chaos in its own country as well as in the world. He termed Iran as the world's largest sponsor of terrorism and added that his government would allow it to possess nuclear weapons.

Donald Trump appreciating India at UNGA:

#WATCH: There is India, a free society of over a billion people, lifting people out of poverty into the middle class, says US President Donald Trump at the UN pic.twitter.com/TXFQKqsbNM  ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2018

During his address, Trump also lashed out at the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), accusing it of arbitrarily raising the crude oil rates to affect the economy of oil importing nations adversely. He said, The OPEC is responsible for the unreasonable hike in fuel prices. They are the same nations who rely on us for protecting them. And then, they want to exploit the situation. I want to make this clear -- we will not accept the horrible oil prices.

The United States President also hit out at World Trade Organisation and accused it of favouring China. He said, Our trade deficit has ballooned due to the unfair practices of China, and our workers are being traumatised, yet the WTO threatens us with action. He further added that the US would not surrender its sovereignty to global unelected bureaucracy.

It was the second address in the UNGA after becoming the president. Yesterday, while interacting with reporters at the UN, Trump hinted that he would be meeting North Koreas Kim Jong Un quite soon. Trumps remarks came one year after he threatened to destroy the communist state and also called Kim as "rocket man".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2018 09:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).Nepal has reinstated a deal with a Chinese state-owned company to build a USD 2.5 billion hydroelectric plant scrapped by the previous government. 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.

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.

The news was confirmed by Nepali officials on Monday, as the new KP Oli government seeks massive infrastructure investment. "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. Nepal is a landlocked country and buys electricity from neighbouring India. Nepal's theoretical hydropower potential has been estimated to be around 84,000 MW, of which 43,000 MW has been identified as economically viable. Currently, Nepal's installed hydropower capacity is 753 MW. Beijing has been lobbying the new Communist government in Kathmandu to restore the contract since it took office in February, Baskota said.

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, India and China, but construction has been slow. Construction finally began on the USD 1.4 billion India-backed Arun Three hydropower plant earlier this year, 26 years after it was first proposed.

Nepal wants the reinstated project to be part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China's massive infrastructure drive at the centre of the Asian giant's push to expand its global footprint. Nepal signed up to the OBOR in May 2017.

But, 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.

Latest move on Budhigandaki hydro reflects quality of govt decision making.Awarding multi billion dollar project to a company on EPCF model in non- transparent manner without competition disregarding better options,bound to push project cost leading to heavy national debt burden.  Ram Sharan Mahat (@ramsmahat) September 24, 2018

The Chinese company 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. (With Agency inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2018 08:24 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).No one was hurt but a home was heavily damaged Monday afternoon in a fire in Lower Saucon Township, an official says.

A man, his wife and a dog got themselves out of the home at 4267 Roberts Ave., but someone else threw a boulder through a garage window to get access to a car inside, Steel City Volunteer Fire Department Chief Chris Snyder said. Once that window was smashed, more oxygen entered the home and the fire took off, Snyder said.

There was an "altercation" with the rock thrower and that person was told to leave the property, Snyder said.

There was extensive fire damage to the first floor, especially to the rear, and significant heat and smoke damage throughout the two-story home, Snyder said.

The ignition point appears to be in the rear of the first floor, Snyder said. The township fire marshal will join Snyder in searching for the cause of the blaze, the chief added. The fire is not suspicious, he said.

Flames were coming from the windows when the first firefighter arrived within three to four minutes of the 12:47 p.m. call, Snyder said. The first firetruck was on scene within 11 or 12 minutes, he said, adding it was a good response time.

Considering the conditions, firefighters did an excellent job, Snyder said. The home had multiple renovations and additions, making the fire tougher to chase, he said.

The home can't be lived in and the couple was assisted by the American Red Cross, Snyder said. As to whether the home can be repaired, Snyder said that would be up to the insurance company.

The home is owned by Michael Markaravitz, Northampton County property records show.

Nancy Run, Bethlehem Township, Hellertown and Freemansburg firefighters and Palmer Township's Rapid Intervention Team assisted at the scene, Snyder said. Dewey provided EMS services.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Her salary has run out, but a Phillipsburg employee caught in a political controversy will continue her work in the mayor's office in a volunteer role.

Mayor Stephen Ellis made the announcement that Sherry Corcoran would remain as his confidential aide in a memo provided to lehighvalleylive.com and addressed to the town council and department heads on Tuesday, the day after funds for Corcoran's paycheck -- along with the mayor and council's -- were expected to be exhausted.

Council removed Corcoran's salary from the 2018 budget, but she continued working for the mayor and collecting full pay.

Council members earn $3,000 a year, with the council president earning an additional $500. The mayor makes $65,000, and his aide was supposed to make $45,000 before council defunded and eliminated the position.

Corcoran's decision to remain as a volunteer means no changes in office operations or the aide's duties, Mayor Ellis said in the memo. He informed staff to include both Corcoran and human resources clerk Sam Cappello, who will fill in when Corcoran is out, on all correspondence to his office.

Corcoran referred questions to her attorney, John McDonald, who was not immediately able to comment on her volunteer status.

Both Corcoran and Cappello have found themselves embroiled in controversy over the last year, including a public council investigation into the mayor's hiring practices that alleged they were hired because they supported Ellis's 2015 campaign. The mayor has repeatedly denied the claim. That investigation was forwarded to law enforcement for review in June.

Cappello is one of two employees suing the town, saying the council retaliated against him for supporting the mayor. Corcoran's attorney also represents Cappello and a second, former employee suing the town for similar reasons.

Corcoran has not yet filed suit, her attorney said, but the others are "proceeding."

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.The price of the average three-bed semi in County Leitrim rose by 7.5% to 114,000 between June and September, the biggest quarterly increase nationwide, according to a national survey carried out by Real Estate Alliance.

County Leitrim prices have risen by 16.9% in the last 12 months, the survey found.

There has been a distinct increase in activity since the end of August, with a significant rise in enquires, viewings, offers and sales, said Joe Brady of REA Brady in Carrick-on-Shannon, where the average price of a three-bed semi is now 148,000, up 4.2% this quarter.

The mix of buyers is now much broader. In order of volume, recent sales have been to local owner occupiers, buyers relocating within Ireland, UK purchasers and buyers from the rest of the world.

Supply is very limited and a high demand has seen an increase in prices, said James Spring of REA Peter Donohoe, Carrigallen.

There has been an increase in mortgaged buyers. Stock remains an issue and I would anticipate prices continuing to rise.

He reports an increase locally of 14.3% in the price of a three-bed semi to 80,000.

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.

Read Also:

97,000 winning Lotto ticket sold in Leitrim Village

Pedestrian struck by car outside Leitrim VillageGARDAI have issued an appeal for information about a break-in at an off-licence in the city centre earlier this year.

CCTV footage of the incident which happened in March was broadcast during Mondays Crimecall programme on RTE One television.

In it, the culprit, who was wearing a bright-coloured puffy jacket and light-coloured pants, can be seen entering the premises at Church Street carrying what appears to be a weapon.

We can see a man entering the off licence where he immediately goes to the till, said Garda Greg Freegrove.

Hes carrying a long blade  possibly a sword  and as he reaches into the till he removes a sum of cash, he added.

The culprit, who was in the store for less than a minute, can be seen leaning over the counter and removing money from the cash register before putting it in his pocket and leaving the premises.

While the mans face is covered throughout, investigating gardai are hopeful his distinctive jacket may result in him being identified.

No member of staff can be seen in the footage and its not known if the intruder interacted with workers when in the off-licence.

During Mondays programme, CCTV footage from a camera located outside the premises show the man after he has left the off-licence.

Up the street, he can be seen throwing the weapon away and running from the scene, said Garda Freegrove.

Gardai at Henry Street are investigating the burglary and can be contacted at (061) 212400.A YOUNG man who attempted to assault his mother during an incident at her home last Christmas has been placed on probation for twelve months.

The 21-year-old defendant admitted breaching the terms of a Safety Order during an incident which happened on December 10, 2017.

Limerick District Court was told gardai went to the womans home in the Rhebogue area after another individual called to Henry Street garda station and played a video recording of the incident.

Garda Brian Grogan said the woman had a number of scratches and was visibly shaken when they spoke with her at her home a short time later.

The woman informed gardai there was a safety order in existence and she complained her son had threatened her and attempted to assault her.

The defendant, who has a number of minor previous convictions, was arrested in the area a short time later.

He was detained and subsequently charged and brought before the district court.

Solicitor Tom Kiely said there have been no difficulties since the incident and that his client is back living with his mother at her request.

The injured party, he added, was present in court and was willing to follow through on her civic duty.

Judge Marian OLeary was told the defendant suffers from addiction problems and that he has attended rehab on a number of occasions in recent years.

He has had a difficult past with tablets and cannabis, said solicitor Tom Kiely who added that what happened was a wake up call for his client.

The defendant, he added, has also attended counselling, a detox programme and is actively seeking employment.

Imposing sentence, the judge noted the defendants guilty plea, his cooperation with gardai and the attitude of his mother.

Judge OLeary also noted there have been no further incidents and that the 21-year-old has moved back-in with his mother.

Imposing a 12-month Probation Order, the judge said: Hes getting his chance now.A PRISONER who is serving a lengthy sentence for firearms offences has been fined for having a mobile phone in his cell at Limerick Prison.

Cian Walsh, aged 31, who has an address at Mercier Park, Turners Cross in Cork appeared before Limerick District Court after he was charged in relation to an offence almost 18 months ago.

Sergeant John Moloney said the device was seized when his cell was searched by prison officers at around 7.30pm on May 19, 2017.

When questioned about the phone by gardai, Mr Walsh made admissions saying he had it to keep in touch with relatives.

Judge Marian OLeary was told gardai accepted this and that they are satisifed there was no criminal intent on the part of the defendant.

Solicitor John Herbert said is client, who has more than 20 previous convictions, is facing a another couple of years in custody as the Court of Appeal sentenced him to five years imprisonment in June.

Mr Herbert said Mr Walshs partner had given birth since he first entered custody and that he had the phone to keep in contact with her and other family members.

He said it was difficult for members of Mr Walshs family to visit him from Cork while he was being detained at Limerick Prison.

Noting the defendants circumstances and his guilty plea, Judge OLeary imposed a 100 fine with a default penalty of five dayss imprisonment  meaning he will not serve any additional time in prison.

Walsh is serving a sentence in relation to an incident during which a shotgun he had accidentally discharged when he tripped over the family dog of a woman he was threatening.

He had pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm and three counts of threatening to kill at two locations in Cork on September 25, 2016.

He received a six year sentence, with two suspended, at Cork Circuit Court but following an appeal by the DPP, this was increased to five years.THE METROPOLITAN Mayor of Limerick will convene a unique support group for isolated and vulnerable family carers at City Hall this week.

Mayor Daniel Butler said the purpose of the event is to reach out to and connect parent carers in Limerick at the event, which will take place at Merchants Quay at 10.30am this Thursday.

I made contact with Family Carers Ireland and I said that I would like to do something for parents who are also carers because they might not view themselves as carers; they might just view themselves as parents. They said they actually looking at it themselves at the same time. It was perfectly timed. And it turns out that there is serious interest out there amongst the parents, he told the Leader.

Family Carers Ireland is a voluntary organisation for family carers in the home nationwide.

He said that parents who are carers are very isolated and are often caring for children on their own.

And bringing them into the council chamber is also bringing them into the centre of Limerick democracy and to the centre of where everything happens for the city, he said.

He said it may be the first support group meeting of its kind in the country. At least 30 people will be in attendance.

My focus this year is to create things and make things happen. Not just to open things or speak at events. I want to walk from the year with a bit of a legacy, and hopefully this will be one of them.

Family Carers Ireland provide a range of supports and services to carers, including peer led support groups.

There are approximately 355,000 unpaid carers in Ireland and they save the State 10 billion each year.

All family carers are invited to attend the event this Thursday.Sep 25, 2018, 4 AM

Explorer and motivational speaker Johan Ernst Nilson painted flags on his version of the Knotted Gun sculpture, shown on the 0.90 stamp.

A 1 definitive for use from the post office at U.N. headquarters in New York Citys features Martin Morcks illustration of the original Non-Violence sculpture by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward.

The United Nations Postal Administration is issuing three definitive stamps Oct. 2 showing versions of the sculpture Non-Violence, nicknamed the Knotted Gun. The 2.30 stamp shows Ringo Starrs interpretation of the sculpture created for a charity art project.

By Denise McCarty

New stamps from the United Nations Postal Administration have a connection to two of the four members of the Beatles: John Lennon and Ringo Starr.

The United States Postal Service recently honored Lennon on forever stamps issued Sept. 7 in its Music Icons series.

The UNPA is issuing three definitive stamps Oct. 2 featuring versions of a bronze sculpture created as a tribute to Lennon, who was shot and killed Dec. 8, 1980.

Called Non-Violence, this bronze sculpture of a 45-caliber revolver with its barrel tied in a knot is nicknamed the Knotted Gun, and the UNPA is calling the definitive stamp issue Knotted Gun.

It was sculpted by Carl Fredrik Reutersward, a Swedish artist and friend of Lennon and Yoko Ono. The government of Luxembourg donated it to the United Nations in 1988, and it was placed outside the entrance of the U.N. headquarters in New York City.

More than 30 other Non-Violence sculptures by Reutersward have been placed in strategic locations worldwide, according to the UNPA.

Over the years, the sculpture has become a symbol of the peace and nonviolence movement.

Two of the three U.N. definitive stamps show different interpretations of this sculpture that were created as part of the Non-Violence Art Project of the Non-Violence Project Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes peace and social change through education.

The Knotted Gun interpretation Ringo Starr created for this project is depicted on the 2.30 stamp for use from the U.N. post office at the Vienna International Center in Vienna, Austria. This stamp also includes his name at bottom right.

Starr unveiled his sculpture Dec. 8, 2011 (the 31st anniversary of Lennons death), at the Gibson Guitar studio in London. The colorful sculpture includes the word Imagine above the trigger, a reference to the 1971 song by Lennon.

In a report about the unveiling for the British newspaper The Independent, Adam Sherwin quoted Starr: I just did my artwork on my iPad, put it on my computer and transferred it on to paper with the outline of the gun.

In the article, Starr congratulated Charlie Anderson, the artist who did the actual paintwork for the sculpture.

Among the other celebrities who participated in this project with their own interpretations of the Knotted Gun were Ono, Paul McCartney and Muhammad Ali.

In addition, Swedish explorer and motivational speaker Johan Ernst Nilson created the sculpture illustrated on the 0.90 definitive.

According to the UNPA, he said: I have explored our blue planet for 25 years now, Ive been to 170 countries and Ive seen the most amazing places. But Ive also seen a lot of wars and conflicts.

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This is something that has been bothering me over the years. We are all humans. We have the same basic needs, values and dreams. Why cant we live in peace as one?

So when Non-Violence Project asked me to become ambassador and to design my own version of the sculpture, then it was clear to me: My sculpture must be painted with all U.N. flags as a message of peace and a reminder that we are all on this planet together. One world  

Like the 2.30 denomination, this stamp also is for use from the Vienna International Center.

The third definitive is a 1 stamp for use on mail sent from the post office at U.N. headquarters in New York City. The UNPA reports that the design shows an illustration of Reuterswards Non-Violence sculpture by Martin Morck, a Swedish-born stamp engraver and designer.

The 1 stamp is smaller than the other two. It measures 30 millimeters by 26mm, perforated gauge 13 by 13, while the two U.N./Geneva stamps are each 50mm by 30mm, perforated gauge 14 by 14.

Joh. Enschede of the Netherlands printed the stamps, with the 1 stamp in sheets of 50, and the other two in separate sheets of 20. The initial print quantities are 600,000 1 stamps; 300,000 0.90 stamps; and 260,000 2.30 stamps. As definitive stamps, they can go back to press for future printings.

The printed process is described as offset lithography plus hexachome.

The UNPA isnt the only postal administration to feature Reuterswards sculpture on stamps. His native Sweden depicted it on a commemorative stamp issued in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the United Nations (Scott 2132).

For more information about the U.N. Knotted Gun stamps, visit http://unstamps.un.org; email unpanyinquiries@un.org; telephone 800-234-8672; fax 212-963-9854; or write to UNPA, Box 5900, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163-5900.Sep 25, 2018, 4 AM

The island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is commemorating all 45 United States Presidents on new postage stamps. The first pane of 12 includes 1 through 11 stamps showing the first 11 presidents and a $5 stamp with the presidential seal.

By Denise McCarty

All 45 United States presidents are being honored on stamps from the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda. According to an announcement from the new-issue agency Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corp., the postal authority of Antigua and Barbuda will release the stamps sometime later this year in four panes of 12 stamps each.

The face value of each stamp will correspond to the order of presidency. For example, George Washington is honored on a 1 stamp and Donald Trump on a 45 stamp.

The presidents also are presented in order on the stamp panes: Washington through James K. Polk on the first pane, which also includes a $5 stamp featuring the presidential seal; Zachary Taylor through Grover Cleveland and a $4 stamp showing the White House on the second pane; Benjamin Harrison through Harry Truman and a $3 stamp depicting the exterior of the U.S. Capitol dome on the third pane; and Dwight Eisenhower through Trump on the fourth pane.

In addition to including a portrait of the president, each stamp depicts a small image of the flag as it appeared during his administration in the lower left corner.

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The IGPC Art Department designed the stamps. They were printed by offset lithography.

In announcing the stamps, IGPC said that U.S. presidents have been honored on postage stamps by international postal administrations for decades. Their illustrious titles and power comes with great awe and admiration as well as the ambition to promote world peace for all of mankind.

The press release compared the Antigua and Barbuda issue to Grenadas U.S. Presidents set released July 16, 2007, in three panes of 15 (Scott 3651-3653). Antigua and Barbuda, like Grenada, has held friendly relations with the United States since their independence from the UK in the mid 1900s, IGPC said.

Founded in 1957, IGPC represents more than 70 governmental postal authorities. Ordering information is available from its website www.igpc.com or by writing to IGPC, 172 Empire Blvd., Third Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11225.iStock/Thinkstock(BOSTON) -- Authorities in Massachusetts have charged an undocumented immigrant with murder after he allegedly stabbed three fellow crew members, one fatally, on a fishing boat 55 miles off the coast.



The U.S. Attorneys Office in Massachusetts announced the charges on Monday, one day after they say Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez got into a fight on the ship he was working on, the Captain Billy Haver, and three people were injured. One of those members of the crew died.



The 27-year-old Vazquez, a native of Mexico, was in the country illegally, according to the Department of Justice.



Since the crime took place within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States it is considered a federal case. Vazquez was charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder.



The fishing boat, which has its home port in Virginia, was near Nantucket when one of seven crew members said he was assaulted by Vazquez with a hammer and a knife, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The crew member said he saw a fellow shipmate was already lying on the deck badly bleeding. Vazquez then allegedly attacked a third crew member.



Vazquez climbed the ship's mast before other crew members finally captured him, the attorney's office said.



The captain issued a distress call, answered by the German cruise ship, Mein Schiff 6, authorities said.



The first two crew members were treated by the cruise ship's doctor, with one being pronounced dead.



Lindsay McDannold, who is married to Vazquez's father but in the process of divorce, criticized the suspect in an interview with Boston ABC affiliate WCVB.



Vazquez was charged with abduction by force, intimidation, or deception after being arrested in Newport News, Virginia, on March 9 for what McDannold says was an attack on her daughter. He was released on bond, according to federal authorities.



"In March, he assaulted her and strangled her and held her against her will," McDannold said. "I think it's a travesty. I think the court system failed. I think they should do a better job in terms of policing these people when they come in."



Vazquez faces life in prison if convicted of murder.



He will then be subject to deportation after serving any potential sentence.





Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.SCOTUS Plaintiff, Rebecca Friedrichs to Publish Compelling Expose on Teachers' Unions with Post Hill Press; Set for Release November 2018



BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Sept. 25, 2018 /



Standing Up to Goliath reveals harrowing stories that expose state and national teachers' unions as the money and muscle behind the degradation of America's schools and culture. In a book that is both accessible and enlightening, Friedrichs recounts her nearly thirty-year odyssey as an elementary school teacher, who comes face-to-face with the forces dividing and corrupting our schools  state and national teachers' unions. Told through dozens of powerful and personal accounts, this book is Friedrichs's expose of bully unions.



After Justice Scalia's death led to a deadlocked decision in her U.S. Supreme Court case Friedrichs v California State Teachers' Association, Rebecca stood with Mark Janus as his case picked up the SCOTUS fight, and she set to work writing Standing Up to Goliath and founding the organization For Kids and Country. Her goal? To support great teachers and launch a national movement of teachers, parents, students and faith leaders who will stand together to regain authority in America's schools and restore dignity to the teaching profession.



Standing Up to Goliath releases from Post Hill Press on November 20th, 2018 and is available now for pre-sale on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.



About the Author

Rebecca Friedrichs, a twenty-eight-year public school teacher, was forced to fund state and national teachers' unions who bullied and isolated her when she asked for accountability and whose politics and divisive tactics degraded her profession, our schools, and our national character.



Her lawsuit, Friedrichs v California Teachers' Association, which sought to free teachers and all government employees from forced unionism, was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in January 2016. Poised to rule 5-4 in Rebecca's favor, the Court deadlocked after the death of Justice Scalia, but Rebecca's arguments were so strong, she opened the door for the recent Janus decision (which was decided on her birthday) and made the entire country Right to Work in the public sector. She says Janus is a monumental win, but if we're going to stop state and national unions from destroying our schools and American values, we're going to have to keep on fighting.



Rebecca is a Prager University host, and founder of For Kids and Country, a national movement of parents, teachers, students, faith leaders, and citizens uniting to restore our schools and culture.



About Post Hill Press

Founded in 2013 by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs and book industry professionals, Post Hill Press has successfully published a wide spectrum of books, with a focus on the categories of pop culture, business, self-help, health & wellness, current events, Christian, and conservative political books. Our entrepreneurial spirit makes Post Hill Press a nimble publisher, willing and able to move quickly and take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace.



Our books and authors have appeared on The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. A number of our authors have appeared on national media such as CNN, Fox News, The Doctors, and many others, as well as national radio and print outlets.



Share Tweet Contact: Devon Brown, 615-261-4646BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Sept. 25, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- Rebecca Friedrichs, Prager University Host, lead plaintiff in U.S. Supreme Court case Friedrichs v California Teachers' Association (which paved the way for the recent Janus win), and founder of For Kids and Country, is set to release a new expose this fall. Using real-life stories of over 40 teachers abused, used, and harassed by their unions, Rebecca's book, titled Standing Up to Goliath: Battling State and National Teachers' Unions for the Heart and Soul of our Kids and Country marks Friedrichs's first collaboration with publisher Post Hill Press, and will be distributed by Simon & Schuster.Standing Up to Goliath reveals harrowing stories that expose state and national teachers' unions as the money and muscle behind the degradation of America's schools and culture. In a book that is both accessible and enlightening, Friedrichs recounts her nearly thirty-year odyssey as an elementary school teacher, who comes face-to-face with the forces dividing and corrupting our schools  state and national teachers' unions. Told through dozens of powerful and personal accounts, this book is Friedrichs's expose of bully unions.After Justice Scalia's death led to a deadlocked decision in her U.S. Supreme Court case Friedrichs v California State Teachers' Association, Rebecca stood with Mark Janus as his case picked up the SCOTUS fight, and she set to work writing Standing Up to Goliath and founding the organization For Kids and Country. Her goal? To support great teachers and launch a national movement of teachers, parents, students and faith leaders who will stand together to regain authority in America's schools and restore dignity to the teaching profession.Standing Up to Goliath releases from Post Hill Press on November 20th, 2018 and is available now for pre-sale on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.About the AuthorRebecca Friedrichs, a twenty-eight-year public school teacher, was forced to fund state and national teachers' unions who bullied and isolated her when she asked for accountability and whose politics and divisive tactics degraded her profession, our schools, and our national character.Her lawsuit, Friedrichs v California Teachers' Association, which sought to free teachers and all government employees from forced unionism, was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in January 2016. Poised to rule 5-4 in Rebecca's favor, the Court deadlocked after the death of Justice Scalia, but Rebecca's arguments were so strong, she opened the door for the recent Janus decision (which was decided on her birthday) and made the entire country Right to Work in the public sector. She says Janus is a monumental win, but if we're going to stop state and national unions from destroying our schools and American values, we're going to have to keep on fighting.Rebecca is a Prager University host, and founder of For Kids and Country, a national movement of parents, teachers, students, faith leaders, and citizens uniting to restore our schools and culture.About Post Hill PressFounded in 2013 by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs and book industry professionals, Post Hill Press has successfully published a wide spectrum of books, with a focus on the categories of pop culture, business, self-help, health & wellness, current events, Christian, and conservative political books. Our entrepreneurial spirit makes Post Hill Press a nimble publisher, willing and able to move quickly and take advantage of opportunities in the marketplace.Our books and authors have appeared on The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. A number of our authors have appeared on national media such as CNN, Fox News, The Doctors, and many others, as well as national radio and print outlets.A story of apparent tragedy and luck is making its way around the Internet, describing how a fig seed in a murdered man's stomach grew into a tree, which later helped authorities find his corpse almost 40 years later in a Cypriot cave.

But, like many fantastical tales, key elements of this story appear to be false  at least according to several news outlets. But it still raises the question: Can a seed in a dead person's stomach really grow into a fruit-bearing tree?

The answer is yes, according to Jay Noller, a professor of soil science at Oregon State University, who has spent time in Cyprus but is not involved with the fig tree incident. [Nature's Giants: Photos of the Tallest Trees on Earth]

Fruit-bearing plants often rely on fruit-munching animals  from birds and bats to bears and monkeys  to eat their fruits. Once these animals poop out the indigestible seeds, the plants have a chance to grow roots wherever the animal lays down a turd.

"Seeds can emerge from animals, so I can well imagine they could emerge out of a human," Noller told Live Science. However, a seed doesn't have to come from a dead person's stomach; it could also grow out of any part of a dead person's digestive tract, such as the small or large intestine, he said.

Even a seed in a dead person's pocket or a seed in the general burial area could gather nutrients from a decaying body, he said. (Specifically, microscopic fungal networks in the soil break down fats and proteins in decaying organisms. Then, in a symbiotic relationship, the fungus gives these nutrients to plants in exchange for simple sugars, Live Science previously reported.)

The fact that seeds can flourish alongside decomposing bodies isn't a new idea, either. For instance, the Wampanoag Native Americans taught the Pilgrims how to fertilize corn seeds with fish meal, according to Plymouth Plantation.

In addition, researchers found the remains of a medieval skeleton tangled up in the roots of an old beech tree that had toppled over in Ireland in 2015, Live Science previously reported.

In the case of the Cyprus murder, several news sources reported that Ahmet Hergune was killed in 1974, during the conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Hergune and two other people were taken to a cave, where they were killed in a dynamite blast, the story goes. Then, according to the news sources, the dynamite blew a hole in the cave, allowing light to enter and the fig seed in Hergune's stomach to take root and grow.

Later, a researcher reportedly found the fig tree in the cave, and, when he investigated the curious placement of the tree, found the decayed remains of the victims.

But large chunks of this story appear to be false. In reality, the Committee on Missing Persons, which reunites families with the remains of individuals who went missing during the 1963-64 and 1974 conflicts on Cyprus, received a tip in 2006 that three deceased people were buried in a cave by the sea.

There was a fig tree growing in the cave, but it was not growing out of any of the human remains, according to the Cyprus Mail.

However, perhaps to help them deal with the death of their loved one, some members of Hergune's family began saying that the fig tree had grown out of his body, the Cyprus Mail reported.

"It helped them with finding closure," sources close to the Committee on Missing Persons told the Cyprus Mail.

Original article on Live Science.An unsolved 160-year-old math problem may finally have a solution  but critics are wary.

Michael Atiyah, a prominent mathematician emeritus at the University of Edinburgh, announced yesterday (Sept. 24) at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Germany that he had come up with a simple proof to solve the Riemann hypothesis.

The hypothesis was first put forth by German mathematician Bernhard Riemann in 1859. Prime numbers, or those whose only factors are 1 and itself  such as 2, 3, 5 and 7 don't seem to follow a regular pattern on the number line. In other words, you couldn't figure out when the next prime number occurs by knowing some pattern. [The 11 Most Beautiful Mathematical Equations]

However, Riemann saw that the frequency of prime numbers apparently closely follows one equation that became known as the Riemann Zeta function, according to the Clay Mathematics Institute. If the equation holds true, it would describe the distribution of prime numbers all the way to infinity.

But as of now, it has been checked for only the first 10,000,000,000,000 solutions, according to the institute, and the problem remains "unsolved." The person who solves the Riemann Zeta function, or one of the other six big mysteries in math that make up the "Millennium Prize Problems," will win an award of $1 million from the Institute.

Atiyah's proof is based on an unrelated physics number called the "fine structure constant," which describes the electromagnetic interactions between charged particles, according to Science. He describes this constant using another equation called the Todd Function, to prove the Riemann hypothesis by contradiction, according to Science. In math, contradiction is one type of proof in which you assume that the "thing" you want to prove is untrue and then show how the results of this assumption are just not possible.

Atiyah, 89, has made major contributions to math and physics, winning top mathematics awards  the Fields Medal in 1966 and the Abel Prize in 2004. But in recent years he has also put forth some mathematical proofs that didn't hold up  and now many of his colleagues are critical of his new claims and say they're unlikely to hold true, according to Science.

"The proof just stacks one impressive claim on top of another without any connecting argument or real substantiation," John Baez, a mathematical physicist at the University of California, Riverside, told Science.

In his talk, Atiyah described the many, many times people have claimed to have proved the hypothesis, only to be proven wrong. "Nobody believes any proof of the Riemann hypothesis because it's so difficult, nobody has proved it, and so why should anybody prove it now? Unless, of course, you have a totally new idea," he said.

Originally published on Live Science.In a new study, 16 volunteers went above and beyond in the name of a better diagnosis for inflammatory bowel disease: They drank their own blood.

The "vampire" study reveals the limitations of a common method for diagnosing disorders like Crohn's disease. That method involves looking for a protein linked to intestinal inflammation in a person's stool. But while the protein, called calprotectin, does show up in cases of intestinal inflammation, it can also be a sign of simple gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, and that distinction can be difficult to make, the researchers reported in the August issue of the United European Gastroenterology Journal.

The protein is still an excellent disease marker, said lead study author Dr. Stephan Vavricka, a gastroenterologist and leader at the Centre for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Zurich, meaning that calprotectin's presence can indeed signal disease. [Get Gutsy About Your Digestive Health]

However, doctors should be aware that high levels of calprotectin may, in special situations, be a sign of bleeding and not a sign of inflammation, Vavricka told Live Science.

The trouble with inflammation

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)  which includes conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis  is challenging to diagnose and treat, in part because the inflammation in the gut doesn't always track with a patient's symptoms. For example, a person can continue to have symptoms such as diarrhea after the inflammation in the gut mostly dies down, Vavricka and his colleagues wrote in their new paper, and symptom severity is naturally subjective.

Likewise, inflammation doesn't always track with symptoms. A patient can show heightened immune activity because of other conditions, like arthritis or a simple viral infection. That's why an endoscopy  an examination that involves inserting a long tube with a camera into a person's gut  is the best way to gauge someone's inflammatory bowel disease activity.

But endoscopy is an invasive and uncomfortable procedure, so doctors often turn to stool samples to assess a patient's disease. One of the main proteins doctors check for is calprotectin, which is present in immune cells called neutrophils. During bouts of inflammation, neutrophils flood the mucosal lining of the intestine.

The problem, Vavricka said, is that neutrophils are also present in the blood. So, if a patient has bleeding in their upper GI tract  a common symptom in IBD  neutrophils and thus calprotectin can show up in stool samples. This confuses the issue of whether the person is undergoing an inflammatory flare. (The upper GI tract refers to the esophagus, stomach and the upper part of the small intestine, according to the Mayo Clinic.)

"Before we did the study, we were not sure how much blood has to arrive into the intestine before you have a positive calprotectin level," Vavricka said.

Drinking blood for science

To find out, Vavricka and his colleagues asked 16 healthy volunteers, mostly medical students at Triemli Hospital in Zurich, to drink their own blood in either 3-ounce (100 milliliters) or 10-ounce (300 ml) doses. One month later, those who took the 3-ounce dose returned to gulp a 10-ounce dose, and vice versa. (For reference, U.S. airline travelers are allowed to carry 3.4 ounces of liquid in a single container onto a plane.) [7 Strange Ways Humans Act Like Vampires]

Most of the 12 women and four men who took part in the study simply drank the blood, though a few opted for a nasogastric tube to deliver the blood directly to their stomachs. About half of the participants complained of stomach-roiling symptoms such as nausea, and a third to a quarter said they had diarrhea or constipation after ingestion.

All participants noted that their poop was unusually dark after they drank blood, a well-known side effect of having blood in the digestive system. The participants gave stool samples two days before drinking blood, every day for seven days after that and once more at 14 days after drinking the blood.

The researchers found that calprotectin levels in the feces rose after blood ingestion. After the 3-ounce dose, 46 percent of fecal samples showed calprotectin above 50 micrograms per gram, meaning half of samples showed elevated calprotectin at some point. After the 10-ounce dose, 63 percent of samples were elevated at some point.

The researchers did not see levels as high as 200 micrograms per gram, an amount that can be present in an inflammatory bowel disease flare. This means that doctors need to consider calprotectin levels in context, Vavricka said. Extremely high levels likely indicate an IBD diagnosis.

At lower levels, other factors should be considered before making an IBD diagnosis. A patient with risk factors for upper GI bleeding, such as having high blood pressure or taking a lot of NSAID pain relievers such as aspirin, for example, is likely to be showing elevated levels because of bleeding, Vavricka said. On the other hand, a patient with lots of abdominal pain or a family history of IBD might indeed be having an inflammatory flare if calprotectin levels rise.

Originally published on Live Science.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If you live in Texas, you cannot vote in the upcoming November election unless you are registered. And if you can't remember if you are registered to vote or not, click here. Click the dropdown menu under the Login section. All you have to know is your own name, the name of the county in which you live, your zip code and birthday.

Once you plug in that info, one of two things will happen.

If you are registered to vote, your voter information will load. Here you can check your voter status and voting precinct. Make sure all the information looks correct, up to date and that your voter status says "active." If that's so, congratulations! You are ready to vote in this election.

If you are not registered to vote in your county, you will get this message: "Voter NOT found using the information provided. ..."

Also, you can always go downtown to the Elections Office and ask them to assist you there.

Now, if you are in fact not registered to vote where you live, there are multiple avenues toward a solution.

1. You can fill out an application online, print it out, sign it and mail it to the address provided.

2. You can go directly to the Webb County Elections Office: 1110 Washington St., Suite 103, Laredo, Texas. Here you can fill out an application and turn it in in person. Their phone number is 523-4050.

3. The Laredo Public Library branches have voter registration cards available for people to fill out. You will need to mail the application yourself, much like an online application.

If you want to vote on Election Day, the last day to register to vote in Texas is Oct. 9.To the casual observer, the pseudo-mysticism surrounding barbecue makes an easy target of ridicule. You know - the secretive, self-aggrandizing pitmaster who talks about the smoking process as if it were a holy communion between him and the elements rather than the seemingly mindless method that some outsiders consider it: Set fire. Throw meat on grill. Drink beer till meat is done. Brag about how much better your barbecue is than anyone else's.

Chris Fultz is not that kind of pitmaster. The co-owner of ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque in Richmond has a quiet, studious air. The Texas native's approach to smoked meats - part intuition, part science, all dedication - has led to that rare thing in the Mid-Atlantic region: a destination-worthy barbecue joint. ZZQ is the kind of place that entices Washingtonians to brave the mind-numbing traffic on Interstate 95 just for a taste - and not resent the drive.

Fultz, 52, is a former architect who started smoking meats out of a yearning for Central Texas barbecue, a style conspicuous by its absence in the pork-heavy environs of Central Virginia. More than a dozen years later, he's now a master of the Lone Star State's elemental meats: sausage, brisket and pork ribs, otherwise known as the Texas trinity. But he does more than that. He also serves up a pile of pulled pork, smoky and succulent, that would show well on any paper plate in the Carolinas.

Don't believe the hype? Well, consider what Daniel Vaughn, the respected barbecue editor for Texas Monthly, wrote in July about ZZQ:

"I travel Texas searching for the best barbecue it has to offer, and sometimes I venture beyond our border to find how pitmasters are interpreting our beloved style of barbecue across the country. I don't think anyone outside Texas does it any better than ZZQ in Richmond, Virginia."

- - -

The legend of ZZQ had been building long before Vaughn gave the place his blessing. For months, some Richmond locals encouraged me to make a trip to one of ZZQ's weekend pop-ups at Ardent Craft Ales. I never could make it happen. It was only after Fultz - along with self-described "pitmistress" Alex Graf, 50, his wife and business partner - opened their bricks-and-mortar smokehouse earlier this year next to Ardent that I finally pointed the car in the direction of ZZQ, named for that Little Ol' Band from Texas, ZZ Top.

I'm not sure what made me do this - probably some combination of immaturity, orneriness and journalistic curiosity - but for one of my first trips to ZZQ, I wore a Houston Astros T-shirt and trucker cap from Killen's Barbecue, a Texas smokehouse so good it's listed among the top 10 restaurants in the Houston area. I guess I wanted to see if my garb would generate any response - a backhanded Texas cultural-literacy test.

When I arrived at ZZQ that day, there was a line - the norm since Vaughn and others ranked the place among the best smokehouses in the country, only months after the restaurant opened in March. The line is not Franklin Barbecue-long, but it often winds from the meat counter, out the front door and down the sidewalk in front of the free-standing building.

Before a friend and I had even reached the front door, we ran into Graf, who greets customers on the sidewalk when not managing everything else in the spacious, barnyard-chic dining room, with its weather-beaten wood, rusted metal and nonstop Texas music soundtrack. She immediately asked me about the hat. Killen's, she said, is one of her and Fultz's favorite barbecue stops in Texas. They went there on their honeymoon in 2014. I knew right then I was among my people.

ZZQ relies on the Central Texas meat-market approach, which has been an education for some customers in Virginia. There are no combination platters or french fries. There are just meats by the pound, a few sandwich options, a handful of side dishes and a daily selection of desserts. It took a few weeks for some customers, conditioned over a lifetime to seek out pulled pork, to realize that brisket is king at ZZQ.

They slice your meats to order, each pulled from an Alto-Shaam warming unit, which holds the cuts at an ideal 150 degrees Fahrenheit (and even hotter for the sausages). While you wait, the meat cutters will usually offer you some burnt ends - melt-in-your-mouth nuggets of beef and seasonings cut from the fatty side of the brisket. I can pop those puppies like candy at the movies.

The obvious order here is the Texas trinity: thick slices of brisket, whether from the lean or fatty side; a half rack of glistening spareribs; and a link or two of ZZQ's custom-made sausages, including its take on coarsely ground beef hot guts, which are spicy enough to clear your sinuses. The only problem is that ZZQ is now without its sausagemaker, forcing Fultz and Graf to scramble for a backup. For now, they're making small batches in-house - which, I'm afraid, is not enough to last throughout the day.

The brisket is the thing of beauty. It shows more restraint than some versions back in Texas. Its bark is not a black-pepper bomb but features a more attenuated rub, moderated with small amounts of garlic and sweet paprika. The meaty spareribs are these lacquered bones whose sweetness resolves to this small punch of coarse black pepper, perfect in every way. The unmistakable aroma of wood smoke - white oak, to be exact - lightly perfumes every meat.

Though ZZQ is branded as a Texas smokehouse - an homage to all the briskets Fultz has loved before - it also prides itself on meats uncommon to the Lone Star State. Given their proximity to the Carolinas, where the pig rules, Fultz and ZZQ assistant pitmaster Brian Dolenti have devoted many hours to their pulled pork - ropy strands of shoulder meat studded with smoky sections of outside brown. Lightly sauced and a little spicy, their pulled pork ranks among the finest I've ever had. Their spatchcocked chicken, the skin smoky but counterbalanced with an herbal bouquet, is almost the pork's equal. The only thing I can't fully endorse is the smoked seitan, which I found crumbly and unremarkable.

- - -

This kind of barbecue does not happen by accident. It is the result of countless hours of tinkering with every facet of the process, from the construction of ZZQ's 1,000-gallon smokers to the way the meats are cooked, wrapped, rested and held. Not surprisingly, Fultz calls himself a perfectionist. He might even come across as professorial if he weren't always covered with an apron the color of butcher paper, his silver hair tucked behind his ears underneath a gimme cap from Louie Mueller Barbecue, the celebrated smokehouse in Taylor, Texas.

The guy really can't be mistaken for anything but a pitmaster.

Yet his notebooks are a testament to something else: They're filled with notes on the weather, the temperature ranges inside his smokers and the rotation times of his briskets. There are even rough sketches depicting which part of the brisket dried out during the cook.

Fultz's peculiar approach draws from his previous life as an architect. Like many of his smokehouse peers, Fultz has learned from the pitmasters who went before him, but he also relies on the tools of science - experimentation, observation, data, repetition - to help control the most elusive quality in all of barbecue: consistency.

"I was always the kind of designer who was influenced deeply by my gut and intuition, and that would be informed by research and mathematics," Fultz says. "I approach [barbecue] in very similar ways."

Though largely self-taught, Fultz has had mentors along his path from backyard smoker to professional bricks-and-mortar pitmaster. Not only has John Lewis, the owner and pitmaster behind Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina, shared some of his earned wisdom, but he and his father, John Lewis Sr., built ZZQ's three offset smokers, which puff away in a room off the patio. Fultz also credits financial analyst John Singh - brother of Amrit Singh, Fultz's partner in their architecture firm - for helping him and Graf navigate the byzantine world of business plans and investment fundraising.

- - -

But the person who has really given shape and form to Fultz's dream is Graf, another former architect who found an outlet in this project for her own considerable skills. Once a skater with the River City Rollergirls, Graf is, as her husband notes, the face of ZZQ. She greets diners. She checks on diners. She has even helped feed them: She has been part of the team - along with Fultz and culinary director Russell Cook - that has developed the exquisite side dishes, including a decadent mac and cheese spiked with jalapenos and a red-cabbage coleslaw sweetened with pineapple. Cook's banana pudding is the ideal ending to any meal here.

"It's new every day," Fultz says about his partner in life and business. "It's the bond that made all of this take off."

Their bond is made clear throughout ZZQ. You can see it in the wall of black-and-white photos depicting their barbecue adventures. You can see it in an unorthodox math equation in neon lights above the cash register: "Texas + Orange = Heart." It doesn't make any sense until you know the story of Chris Fultz and Alex Graf.

Fultz is the native son of the state. Graf skated roller derby under the name Orangyna. The heart, of course, symbolizes what brought them together - and what brought this barbecue destination into existence. It's all so easy to love.The U.S. approved the sale of military equipment to Taiwan on Monday, drawing China's ire as tensions escalate between the world's two largest economies.

Taiwan welcomed the package, estimated by the Pentagon to be worth $330 million, which was proposed by its government last year and includes spare parts for F-16, C-130 and indigenous defense fighter aircraft. It represents the smallest stand-alone offering to the self-ruled island since President George W. Bush approved a $125 million sale of anti-ship missiles in 2007, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service.

"This case-by-case approach in military sales could be more efficient than previous practices of big packages," Chen Chung-chi, spokesman for Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, said by phone on Tuesday. "We hope military purchases in the future can be discussed case by case in order to enhance efficiency."

The sale may further hurt U.S.-China relations, which have deteriorated as President Donald Trump's use of tariffs stokes fears of a long-term competition for global power between the nations. The Chinese government has already called off a planned round of bilateral trade talks with the U.S., according to people familiar with the matter, and the countries imposed a new round of tariffs on each other on Monday.

China's military "is strongly dissatisfied and strongly opposed to this," Defense Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said in a statement, adding that it has launched "stern representations" with the U.S.

"We are resolutely opposed to the U.S. sale of weapons to Taiwan," Ren said. China demanded that the U.S. cancel the sales as well as its military contacts with Taiwan "in order to avoid the next step in damaging China-U.S. military relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan strait."

Trump's relationship with Taiwan has been a hot issue for China since he accepted a congratulatory phone call from President Tsai Ing-wen after his election and questioned why the U.S. recognizes Beijing instead of Taipei, a policy that underpins China-U.S. relations.

Since then, the U.S. has approved $1.3 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, and Trump has signed legislation to encourage senior U.S. officials to visit the island, a move that would raise its diplomatic status. The U.S. has also agreed to provide technology for the island's submarine-building program.

In a March address to China's parliament, President Xi Jinping warned that efforts to widen divisions with Taiwan would be "punished by history." The government has ordered all airlines to stop referring to Taiwan and the former colonies of Hong Kong and Macau as countries, something the White House described as "Orwellian nonsense."

"Strong self defense will help Taiwanese people to be more confident when they face more severe security challenges," said Alex Huang, spokesman for the president. Enhanced capabilities for the island would help ensure "cross-strait and regional peace and stability," he added.Sept. 25, 1958: Farmers cast apprehensive eyes to the sky today as general rains continued to fall throughout the area.

--The Plainview Business and Professional Women's Club met in a business session Tuesday night at the Hilton Hotel with the parliamentary committee with charge.

--Hale county farmers have a chance this year to harvest a quality cotton crop, according to County Agent, Ollie Liner, if they follow certain good harvesting methods.

Sept. 25, 1968: Hale County Commissioners continued work Tuesday on the budget for 1969 at an extension of their regular session which began Monday.

--OLTON  The Sewing Club met Friday afternoon in the home of Mrs. O. T. Crosby.

--Several traffic accidents were reported to city police Tuesday.

Sept. 25, 1978: The authors of "You Can Be Happy Though Retired" recently added an unwritten chapter to their book with another adventure in living.

--United Way campaign workers will begin their annual fund raising activities Tuesday when the campaign is launched with the traditional kick-off breakfast at 6:45 a.m. at the Plainview Country Club.

--OLTON  Rich Van Hersh, administrator of Central Plains MH-MR Center in Plainview, will be guest speaker Tuesday noon at Olton Lions Club luncheon in the Agriculture Community Room.

Sept. 25, 1988: PETERSBURG  The Emergency Medical Service team here passed competency tests conducted by Dr. Jeff Young, EMS assistant medical director, during National EMS Week last week.

--Plainview place kicker Reg Martin fulfilled a life long dream while at the same time answered a whole team's prayers all in one play Friday night.

--Dr. Wallace L. Duvall, professor and chairman of the Division of Business at Wayland Baptist University, has earned Fellowship recertification in the American College of Healthcare Executives.School officials feared that thousands of students would flee Houston-area school districts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

With thousands of flooded homes, dozens of damaged campuses and thousands of water rescues, some education leaders reasoned in the days after the storm that students and their families would opt to relocate to areas untouched by Harvey's record rainfalls.

They were wrong.

Of 48 traditional school districts in the Texas Education Agency's Region 4, which encompasses most of greater Houston, 25 saw their student enrollments grow between 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.

CLEANED UP: HISD celebrates restoration of Harvey-damaged school on first day of classes

Across the entire region, student enrollments grew by 0.4 percent as local schools added about 4,600 students.

Even districts that were most affected by Hurricane Harvey's torrential rains grew last year. Sheldon ISD saw enrollments rise by 217 students, or 2.44 percent, even when an estimated 70 percent of its students were left homeless by the storm.

In both Katy and Humble ISDs, where entire neighborhoods and campuses were also swallowed by floodwaters, enrollments grew by more than 2.75 percent in 2017-2018.

At HoustonChronicle.com: Many students displaced by Harvey, but districts don't see big dip in attendance

Nowhere was the growth more dramatic than in Cleveland ISD, located about 50 miles northeast of Downtown Houston. Enrollments in the rural city grew by 17 percent between 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, and over the past five years, the district has nearly doubled in size from 3,846 in 2014-2015 to more than 6,500 this current school year.

Keeping up with the growth there has been difficult, said Superintendent Darrell Myers. The district has passed two bonds in two years, raising a total of $120 million mostly for growth-related construction projects.

It's still not enough.

NOW OPEN: HISD will open 13 new or renovated schools this coming school year

"We've already hit capacity for the schools we don't even have built yet," Myers said. "What we're having to do is get by with portables until we can get the schools built, but this growth is not going to stop."

Cleveland ISD could ask voters to approve a third bond in the coming months, Myers added.

Contact Education Reporter Shelby Webb at shelby.webb@chron.com, and follow her on Twitter at Twitter.com/shelbywebbSpanish-speaking voters in Bexar County may have been bewildered when they visited the county's website for information about last week's runoff election in Senate District 19.

The voting materials in Spanish, required by law, were created using Google Translate, resulting in a complaint from the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.

The issue we have with that is that it generates translations that are literal and not always meaningful for the reader, said ACLU legal consultant Matthew McCarthy.

RELATED: Lawsuit: La Cantera managers threatened to fire employees who spoke Spanish at work

In this case, that meant the words election runoff were translated into the Spanish equivalents of election water leak and election drainage, McCarthy said.

Bexar County wasnt the only one with Spanish snafus. The ACLU has sent notices to Bexar and 35 other counties that they could be violating the Voting Rights Act for insufficiently providing voting materials in Spanish. The letters are the result of a website audit the organization conducted earlier this year, McCarthy said.

Thats a failure rate of about 40 percent: 88 counties are required to post materials in Spanish, McCarthy said, and the issues ranged from inaccurate translations to no translations at all.

Jacque Callanen, the Bexar elections administrator, confirmed the department was using Google Translate. She said the department never received a complaint from voters about the quality of its translations.

RELATED: Spanish words and phrases every San Antonian should know

Our initial reaction was that we were grateful they brought it to our attention, said Callanen, who received the letter Monday.

Google Translate is the standard for the entire county website, Callanen said, and her department assumed it covered the translation requirements.

The ACLUs audit only examined online material. Callanen said bilingual ballots are provided by the secretary of states office.

The Bexar elections department is planning to consult with the countys information technology unit Thursday to find a way to fix the issue, Callanen said.

McCarthy said that has been the response from most counties that have replied so far. He doesnt think there was any malicious intent in the translations.

It might be a resource issue or it may be that they just dont have this requirement at the top of their minds, McCarthy said. I dont think theres any intention to withhold any information.

One possible solution is to take the material from the secretary of states website. While that site wasnt included in the ACLUs audit, McCarthy said its translations are generally very good.

Most of the material counties are required to post are available on the secretary of states page, he said.

The Bexar County site translated runoff into escurrimiento, which means drainage of water or nasal passages. A better translation would have been la segunda vuelta or el desempate.

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The gin is the first in a line of planned Lough Ree Distillery spirits that will include whiskey, vodka, liqueurs, poitin, and fruit spirits.

The investment in the new Lanesborough distillery will be in excess of 5 million.

Based on the banks of Lough Ree at Lanesboroughs historic crossing point on the River Shannon, the new distillery is set to increase local and international tourism to the area, resulting in upwards of 25,000 visitors by 2023. It is anticipated that growth in production and visitors will create in excess of 20 new jobs over the next three years.

The new Sling Shot gin is inspired by a mix of historical and modern elements of Lough Ree. This comes through in the brand name and gin flavours. Sling Shot marries classic, gin botanicals and a very unique local ingredient along with citrus and fresh Irish mint.

The official launch of Sling Shot gin will take place at the Taste of the Lakelands Festival on Friday, 5 October in Lanesborough, County Longford when the gin and its unique ingredients will be revealed.

Sling Shot gin is being distilled in a custom-built distillery while construction of the state-of-the-art Lough Ree Distillery and visitor centre commences in the coming weeks, ahead of its official opening in mid-2019. Dublin-based architects McElroy Associates and local firm Milltown Passive Builds are overseeing construction.

When in full production, Lough Ree Distillery will have production capacity for 50,000 cases of premium whiskey and 15,000 cases of gin and other white spirits per annum.

Lough Ree Distillery also has an Ambassador Programme that allows a set number of customers to buy exclusive access to the distillerys whiskey. The Ambassador Programme is invite-only and open to consumers, trade and corporate clients to apply.

Within the programme, consumers can choose a number of options ranging from a standard cask of whiskey to the top Ambassador package Ri, which allows consumers to work with the master distiller to create their own unique whiskey blend.

According to figures from the Irish Spirits Association, Irish gin sales rose by 44% in 2017 and gin exports trebled to 130,000 cases. The association forecasts that this will increase to 400,000 cases by 2022.

The future looks equally bright for Irish whiskey, Lough Ree Distillerys other main product, which is the fastest-growing spirits category in the world. Ireland exported 10 million cases of whiskey last year; the Irish Whiskey Association forecasts this to grow to 25 million by 2030.

Lough Ree Distillery owners are brothers Peter and Michael Clancy and sister Sheila Mullen. With Michael and Peters experience in process engineering and business, along with Sheilas experience working in hospitality and finance, the trio had the tools they needed to become Longfords first modern distillery. Their endless passion and drive for distilling spirits have allowed them to become a considerable player in a growing drinks market.

The Clancy family has also brought significant industry expertise across spirits retailing and distillery operations to the Lough Ree Distillery team, with Ally Alpine from the well-known Celtic Whiskey Shop and Alan Wolstenholme, Chairman at Scottish Craft Distillers Association joining as non-executive directors.

Commenting, Peter Clancy, CEO of Lough Ree Distillery, said:

Lough Ree Distillery is the first distillery to open in Longford in 200 years and the launch of Sling Shot gin is a landmark moment for us and the community of Lanesborough. It marks the first chapter of a new story in the Midlands.

Over the coming decades, our goal is to produce a range of gin, whiskey, vodka and liqueurs that marry the rich heritage of the local surroundings and local talent in the region with innovation, experimentation and ingenuity. We want to create spirits that are modern, innovative and confident, blending hints of the past with Irelands youthful, vibrant flavours.

When we open our visitor centre in 2019, guests will get a window into a state-of-the-art production process that embraces both modernity and tradition.

Lough Ree Distillery has entered the market at an opportune moment. The Irish spirits market is in robust health. Irish whiskey is the fastest-growing spirits category in the world. Irish gin sales rose by 44% in 2017 and gin exports trebled to 130,000 cases. We are excited and ambitious to spur on further growth in the Irish market in the years to come.Local News, Business & Finance, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: September 25 2018

Avvo Will Reform Its Attorney Rating System, Improve Consumer Disclosures, and Pay $50,000 to State.

New York, NY - Sept. 25, 2018 - Attorney General Barbara D. Underwood today announced an agreement with Avvo, an online legal directory, to reform its attorney rating system and improve its disclosures to consumers after an investigation by the Attorney Generals office revealed that the content and limits of Avvos rating system were not clearly disclosed. Avvo relied on attorneys to voluntarily provide additional information to their profiles to determine rankings  resulting in those that added information to their profiles generally having higher ratings than those who did not participate. In addition to changing its practices, Avvo will pay $50,000 to the State.

When seeking legal advice, consumers most often turn to the internet  and directories like this have an obligation to ensure consumers know what theyre getting, said Attorney General Underwood. My office will continue to protect New York consumers and ensure they get the transparency and accurate information they deserve.

Avvo, which was acquired by Internet Brands in January 2018, uses public records to create an attorney directory and then relies on the attorneys to add information to their profiles  such as their background and legal practice  in order to rank attorneys on a scale from 1 to 10. As a result, attorneys who shared their resumes with Avvo or added information about work experience tended to receive higher ratings than their peers who did not post to the website. In response to the Attorney Generals concerns about the neutrality and comprehensiveness of Avvos ratings, Avvo agreed to remove its rankings for attorneys who do not actively participate in Avvos directory and to disclose to consumers the content and limit of its ratings system.

On the webpages describing the Avvo rating, Avvo now tells users clearly and conspicuously that its ratings model relies on information attorneys add to their profiles, meaning that attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have higher ratings than those who do not. Avvo has also clearly and conspicuously informed users on the Avvo Rating page that the company does not independently collect all available information that could increase an attorneys rating. Avvo will no longer refer to its ratings as unbiased.

In addition, Avvo changed the process by which it posts legal forms to its website for consumer use. Avvo agreed to ensure any legal forms posted to the website for consumer use are first reviewed by a lawyer admitted to practice in New York with relevant experience. Avvo also agreed to better inform consumers that the attorney disciplinary information may not be comprehensive or frequently updated, and that users should independently check a lawyers disciplinary status with respective state bar associations before hiring them. Avvo has committed to helping lawyers contact Avvo Customer Care via online chat, email, or phone to request correction of inaccurate information on their profile  such as the attorneys main practice area  without being required to create an Avvo account or agree to the websites Terms of Use.

Avvo will also pay $50,000 to cover the costs of the Attorney Generals investigation.

The Attorney General's Consumer Protection Bureau encourages all websites to ensure that their ratings systems are transparent to consumers. The Attorney General urges consumers to review these disclosures carefully, and to demand any further information they need to evaluate the accuracy and meaning of online ratings and reviews.Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: September 25 2018

A man and woman convinced a woman to withdraw money from her bank account as part of a scam, cops say.

Northport, NY - Sept. 25, 2018 - Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are seeking the publics help to identify and locate the man woman who scammed a woman in Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are seeking the publics help to identify and locate the man woman who scammed a woman in Northport earlier this month.

A man and woman convinced a woman to withdraw money from her bank account as part of a lottery scam that occurred at Meat Farms, located at 395 Fort Salonga Rd. on August 16 at approximately 12 p.m. The woman was described as Hispanic, approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall, and approximately 165 pounds with blonde hair. The man was described as Hispanic of Brazilian decent, 5 feet 5 inches tall, medium build, black hair clean shaven with dark skin.Sports & Recreation, School & Education, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: September 25 2018

Last years first ever Color Run event was a tremendous success.

Shirley, NY - Sept. 25, 2018 - William Floyd Elementary School will be hosting their second annual Color Run event on Saturday, October 20, at 9 am, the event is rain or shine. WFEs newest tradition, dubbed Color Me WFE, is a five kilometer untimed run in which participants or Color Runners are doused from head-to-toe in different colors at each kilometer mark. Color runners are encouraged to run, jog or walk around William Floyd Elementary School at their own pace. The event is hosted by the fifth-grade class of 2018-19 and all proceeds will go toward fifth grade field trips and other educational experiences. All students and families from across the district are welcome to participate.

Last years first ever Color Run event was a tremendous success. Approximately $6,000 was raised and the majority of it went toward funding a Broadway trip for the fifth graders. Remaining funds were used to purchase class t-shirts at no cost to students and families as well as to lower the price of the fifth-grade yearbook.The Apple Watch Series 4 is easily the best smartwatch ever made. Its got GPS, LTE, a near edge-to-edge screen, an EKG sensor, and fall detectionall features no competitor can match. But all of that functionality comes at a cost, and Im not talking about the $500-plus price tag. The new Apple Watch still only gets around 18 hours of battery life, all but assuring that anyone who buys one will want to invest in a nightstand charger. Like the iPhone, Apple is seemingly content to get users through a busy day wearing its watch, and anything beyond that isnt a priority. Thats not the case with Fitbit. Over the past 12 months, Fitbit has introduced three new devicesthe Ionic, Versa, and upcoming Charge 3all of which measure battery life in days, not hours. That not only means Fitbits wearables last way longer than Apple Watches, it also means you dont have to take off your Ionic or Versa at the end of the day. And that lets Fitbit keep tracking your health after you fall asleep, which could be its most valuable advantage over the Apple Watch. Apple The Apple Watch Series 4 is beautiful, but youll still need to charge it every day. All day means all day Like Apple Watch, you wont find a Sleep app on the Versa or Ionic. They dont need it. Fitbit has built native sleep tracking into every one of its devices that works as seamlessly and automatically as step trackingyou dont need to set up or install anything. Just fall asleep and it automatically starts working. That ease of use makes it not just one of the most used features, but also the most engaged feature of Fitbits smartphone app, according to head of innovation and research Dr. Conor Heneghan. Our typical user is viewing sleep as being really important to their general wellness and mental health and how they handle stress and fatigue. Fitbit Fitbits Sleep Stages uses the heart-rate monitor to track every aspect of your nights rest. Fitbit sees sleep tracking as one of the three main tenets of a regimen, along with nutrition and exercise. Heneghan called it a key component to what Fitbit is about and sees the data Fitbit collects overnight as invaluable to its core mission of promoting and encouraging health and wellness. It impacts all aspects of its wearable platform, from the insights and alerts user get to things like the Fitbit Labs Think Fast app. A seemingly time-killing, task-switching game for Ionic and Versa, Fitbit uncovers a significant relationship between Think Fast performance and sleep among different age groups and gender, simply by studying the data it collected. In short, those who slept better got better scores.

Mentioned in this article Fitbit Ionic Read our review Best Prices Today:

Of course, Apple Watc is technically able to track sleep using its heart-rate monitor, but youll need to either buy a second watch or opt to charge it at some point during the day. And youll need to download a third-party app to visualize any data, a process most users are unlikely to do. That gives Fitbit a big advantage over Apple Watch and a huge lead in the next groundbreaking and life-saving feature for wearables. Were very interested in using the sleep tracking to then provide an additional service to alert people to a sleep apnea risk, Heneghan said. Thats where the battery life is important, because if youre charging your device, you cant be screening or detecting your sleep problems. Saving lives by tracking Zs Apple has made a big deal about the Apple Watchs life-saving abilities, and rightfully so. There have been numerous accounts of people who were alerted to heart rate issues by their Apple Watches and they were able to get the help they needed. And with the Series 4 models, monitoring is even stronger thanks to the worlds first ECG sensor thats built right into the Digital Crown. Just press your finger on it and your watch will measure the waveform of your hearts electrical activity to scan for warning signs of arrhythmia or heart disease. IDG Fitbits sleep data is presented in easy-to-read charts. But Fitbit sees sleep tracking as just as important of a life-saving feature, if not more of one. Sleep apnea might not be as a scary of a term as atrial fibrillation, but after it was listed as one of the main causes of Carrie Fishers death, more people are becoming aware of how deadly it can be. More than just a snoring problem, sleep apnea is a condition that blocks the upper airway and can prevent breathing for as long as 10 seconds during sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 18 million America adults suffer from sleep apnea, which can lead to hypertension, heart disease, and mood and memory problems. Fitbit The Charge 3 will display your sleep data right on the Today screen. Fitbit is already working with the FDA on getting a sleep apnea alert system approved, and it will roll out a beta version of its Sleep Score tracker later this year. Fitbits dashboard app already breaks down your sleep into stages (awake, REM, light, deep), but Sleep Score takes it to another level by utilizing the PurePulse heart monitor and relative SpO2 sensor in the Ionic, Versa, and Charge 3 to test for breathing disruptions and other factors that may be impacting your rest. Eventually, it will occupy the sleep section of the Fitbit app on your phone to bring breathing quality alerts and offer a deeper understanding of the quality, duration, and composition of your sleep. And Fitbit is also using its all-day data to study heart issues such as afib, an area that Apple is focusing on with its new Series 4 watch. Heneghan wouldnt say whether Fitbit is exploring the addition of an ECG sensor in future Fitbits, but he noted that Apple has made a different choice than we made. Weve really gone for optimizing battery life as being a key user feature. A treasure trove of data The most valuable part of Fitbits all-day tracking strategy isnt the week-long battery life or SpO2 sensor. Its the gobs of data it has to work with. Like Apple, the heart-rate, fitness, and sleep numbers Fitbit receives from its users is aggregated and anonymous, but the information is invaluable to pinpointing problems and delivering the appropriate insights and alerts to users. Apple The Digital Crown is also an ECG sensor on the Apple Watch Series 4 but Fitbits sleep tracking may be just as life-saving. And some of the most important data it collects is when its users arent active. Fitbit recently unveiled that it had collected some 6 billion nights of sleep data to chart the difference between men and women (women get about 25 minutes more per night), old and young (deep sleep degrades as we age), to bedtime variances (New York has the least consistent shuteye). Data like this isnt just interesting it can help track trends in diseases as well.

Mentioned in this article Fitbit Versa Read our review Best Prices Today:Photo Cutline: MDCR Division on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Director Annie Urasky announced the needs assessment survey at a news conference Sept. 6. She was joined by State Representatives Martin Howrylak (R-Troy) and Phil Phelps (D-Flushing) of the Michigan Legislative Caucus on Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. (photo taken from the MDCR DODDBHH Facebook page.)

LIVONIA, Mich.  Expressing the Madonna mission through service-oriented research, the Not Without Us research project is funded by the Division on Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing, which is part of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. The operating project partners are Public Sector Consultants (PSC, the fiduciary partner) and Sign Language Studies (MUSLS). More than a dozen meetings of the project steering committee have been hosted by MUSLS on campus. The steering committee is comprised of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind people. The committee developed a needs assessment survey, which will be distributed to people throughout the state. The survey will be hosted online, with versions in English and American Sign Language. The findings from the survey will be shared with legislators, nonprofit organizations, and community members, in order to improve decision-making with regard to programs and services for people who are Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing.

The last such survey was conducted in 1989 (the only copy of this report known to exist is in the in the Madonna University library).

The principal investigator for the project on behalf of Madonna is Dan McDougall, director of the University's Sign Language Studies (SLS) department. McDougall and his department have been responsible for ensuring the cultural and linguistic authenticity of the project, while PSC has managed the technical process of the research study. The SLS department has been responsible for ensuring the cultural and linguistic authenticity of the project, while PSC has managed the technical process of the research study. The SLS department also has helped to select the advisory board members. MUSLS managed the entire process of translating the 160-question survey into American Sign Language (ASL), and supervised the filming of the survey questions in sign language by a Deaf news anchor. Filming of the ASL version of the survey took place in August on campus, with a hybrid of Madonna University staff and Deaf talent from the local film-making community.

On Sept. 6, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights held a press conference and a legislative caucus centered around the Deaf community and the survey project. The survey will go live within the week. Watch the announcement here:

Project Announcement Video



The following Madonna family members were instrumental, over the past year, to the success of this partnership:

Bretagne Whitford, Debbie Mitre-Smith (who has left SLS but is now the chair of the project committee), Sarah Kosel, Marciano Gongora, Christopher Nickin, Sue Boyd, Dan Boyd, Erin Parrish, the CDRC, Kevin Eyster, Jim O'Neill and Michael Grandillo.

###A French man has become the first person to be fined under a new law after he slapped a young woman's bum on a crowded bus and made lewd remarks to her.

The court heard the 30-year-old pervert called the woman, 21, a 'whore' and commented on the size of her breasts.

It is the first conviction under the law that punishes sexual harassment in public spaces, judicial sources said.

Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa, who steered the law through parliament

The prosecutor's office in the south Paris suburb of Evry said the incident occurred last Wednesday after the visibly drunk man boarded the bus.

On Friday the court fined him 300 euros under the anti-harassment law passed last month. He was also sentenced to three months in jail for a separate physical abuse offence.

'The aggressor was fast tracked to court, and on Friday he was sentenced to three months in prison for physical abuse,' said an investigating source in Paris.

The woman managed to alert the driver who locked the bus doors until the police arrived and arrested the man.

Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa, who steered the law through parliament, hailed the decision and the driver's quick thinking.

'Together we will end sexist and sexual violence,' she posted on Twitter.

A Justice Ministry spokesman told the AFP news agency: 'This is the first conviction for sexual insults in this country'.

French women have increasingly been speaking up about sexual assault and harassment in the wake of the MeToo movement.

The new law also allows for on-the-spot fines behavior such as commenting on a woman's looks or clothing, catcalling and intrusive questions.

Fines can also be issued for unwanted following and 'upskirting' [taking pictures under a woman's dress without her knowing].

Reported cases of sexual harassment and violence have surged this year, with nearly 28,000 complaints registered by police in the first seven months of 2018, up 23 percent from the period a year earlier, according to the interior ministry.

In a shocking case, a woman posted a video in July showing her being punched in broad daylight by a man outside a cafe after she angrily responded to harassing comments.

The United Nations estimates that one in three women and girls experience physical or sexual violence at some stage of their lives.

In France, a survey published last month showed 53% of women said they had experienced sexual harassment or assault.On 20 September, an open letter from a representative of the Peking University (PKU) Marxist Society (MS) in Beijing, China began circulating on Chinese social media. The letter detailed the significant difficulty that the society faced this month in finding a faculty advisor required to re-register as a recognised student club on the campus.

The post was deleted shortly after, and, according to a second open letter from the MS, the club officers had received a reprimand on 21 September from the PKU Campus Young Communist League (YCL) for failing to register the student society. For this, they received a disciplinary citation.

The political significance of this development is underscored by the fact that the PKU Marxist Society is usually directly sponsored by the YCL, the official youth wing of the Chinese Communist Party, and therefore the Chinese state. The open letter itself stated, not only that their original faculty advisor (who was also the former secretary of the PKU Campus YCL), suddenly declined to be their advisor personally, but the entire campus has refused to sponsor the MS. The students then sought for a faculty advisor up and down the PKU School of Marxism, to no avail. When they did find a professor, who agreed to be their advisor, the professor went back on his words the next day. According to the MSs second open letter, the YCL even actively prevented MS students from asking professors outside of the School of Marxism to become their advisors.

We stand in absolute solidarity with the Marxist Society against state repression / Image: JASIC WORKER SOLIDARITY

While the YCL has yet to explain their sudden about-face to the MS publically, it is widely believed that this was the governments reaction to the MSs increasing role in participating in pro-worker solidarity actions, most recently the JASIC Workers Solidarity in Shenzhen, for which many PKU MS students were arrested and remain in detention. The MS itself is stated to be a club that upholds Marxist-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and other theories of scientific socialism as their guiding ideology. They have been active in raising awareness for injustices against workers and the oppressed inside and outside of the PKU campus. One of its most known members, Yue Xin, was a leading figure in a #MeToo-inspired movement calling for the university to investigate a professor who sexually assaulted a female student. In recent times the organisational capacity and level of publicity of MS interventions have increased markedly, culminating in a well-coordinated on-site picket to support the JASIC workers effort to unionise. The MS students coordinated across many campuses, and intervened with pre-made, slogan-embroidered t-shirts and banners; and participated in street demonstrations. They also filmed and distributed their radical speeches on a street corner during their solidarity campaign.

One cannot fail to conclude that the YCL, and by extension the CCPs decision to block the MS was out of apprehension about the radicalisation of the latter. As we have analysed in more detail elsewhere , the contradictions in Chinese capitalism coming to a head can only mean that the rise of class struggle is placed firmly on the agenda. With this near-term perspective, orthodox Maoist forces, which already constitute the vast majority of the left-wing activists inside China, can represent a threat to the CCP dictatorship if they manage to connect with the working-class masses. Therefore, for the CCP, even a handful of organised, radical university students could potentially grow into a significant problem, hence their hurried intimidation of the MS students.

This is also not the first time that genuine Maoist students in PKU have faced repression lately. In December 2017, graduate student Zhang Yunfan, also a student member of the MS at the time, was detained for holding reading groups that studied sensitive political material.

We firmly maintain our criticism of the Stalinist rule in China under Mao, and do not think that Maoism can yield the analyses, strategy, and tactics that can lead to a successful socialist revolution. However, we recognise the courage of these activists, who are willingly sacrificing themselves to tackle the capitalist system head-on in the fight for a better society, and for that we stand in absolute solidarity with them against state repression.

We demand the Peking University #ReinstatetheMarxistStudentSociety!

We demand the Chinese government #Release all detained JASIC workers, reinstate their jobs and recognise their right to unionise! #Release all detained student supporters of the JASIC Workers, and protect them from retaliation! #Release all detained labour rights group staff for JASIC solidarity action!

Join the IMT in signing this petition in solidarity with the detained JASIC workers and students, many of whom are members of the PKU Marxist Society.AMHERST -- Businessman Barry Roberts has purchased the former Knights of Columbus Amherst Council property at 37 North Pleasant St. and 37 Boltwood Walk for $1.29 million.

Roberts said the front of the property, the Pleasant Street side, is occupied by McMuphy's Uptown Tavern and the chock-full-of antiques Amherst Typewriter & Computer shop.

Upstairs office space on the Pleasant Street side, space once leased to the Boys & Girls Club, is available, Roberts said.

The Boys and Girls Club moved to 29 Cottage St. in June.

"We see the front as being redeveloped at some point," said Roberts, who closed on the sale Sept. 7.

Although he has no specific plans yet, Roberts thinks there is an opportunity to renovate the Pleasant Street side, possibly by building higher to allow for upper level apartments or condos.

Roberts said Monday that he's already talking with people interested in renting the Knights' banquet hall on the Boltwood Walk side of the property. Built in 2007, the banquet hall has a full commercial kitchen, handicapped restrooms and can accommodate 70 for dinner service or 90 people for a standup cocktail reception.

"It isn't a huge location, but it's all equipped. Its turnkey," Roberts said.

Roberts owns other downtown Amherst commercial property including 7 North Pleasant St. at the corner of Pleasant and Main facing, the Green.

The Amherst Knights of Columbus now meet at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 120 Russell St. This isn't the first chapter of the Catholic men's fraternal organization to close its banquet facility as membership declines.

In 2015, The West Springfield Knights of Columbus sold their building at 64 Park Ave. to Arrha Credit Union, the former Springfield Teacher's Credit Union, for $350,000. Arrha demolished the old mansion the Knights had been using and built an office with a drive-thru at the location.SPRINGFIELD -- Bill Cosby's legal team will be back in U.S. District Court in late October fighting the civil lawsuits brought by women who say he sexually abused him.

The civil suits -- and the fact-finding discovery process of collecting evidence and taking sworn depositions from witnesses, including Cosby -- were on hold while the disgraced comedian's criminal case was pending in Pennsylvania.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania judge Judge Steven O'Neill sentenced Cosby three to 10 years in state prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home in a Philadelphia suburb.

In September 2017, a lawyer representing seven of the more than 50 women who have accused Cosby of assault said it was impossible to prepare a case without deposing him under oath.

But under the Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination, Cosby couldn't be forced to answer questions at a deposition while his criminal case was pending.



As a result, U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni ruled that discovery in the federal civil case could be put on hold until after the criminal case, and its appeals, are over.

The Oct. 24 court date is a status conference -- a routine proceedings that typically lasts less an hour. Such hearings have happened every three or four months since the seven women sued Cosby in 2014.

In August, after Cosby was convicted but before Tuesday's sentencing, Cosby's lawyers told the federal court here that Cosby intends to file motions challenging the verdict.

Those motions must be filed within 10 days after sentencing, according to court papers. If Cosby's post-trial motions are not granted, Cosby intends to appeal the verdict to the Pennsylvania Superior Court, his lawyers wrote. The deadline to file that appeal is 30 days after denial of any post-trial motions.

The women -- Barbara Bowman, Tamara Green, Angela Leslie, Katherine Mae McKee, Luisa Moritz, Kristina Ruehli, Therese Serignese, Joan Tarshis and Linda Traitz -- sued Cosby for defamation, saying Cosby and his public relations and legal teams called them liars by denying their stories once they went public.

They were barred from suing for sexual harassment or abuse because the statutes of limitations on those claims had run out.

In June 2017, a federal appeals court ruled that insurer AIG must pay to defend Cosby from the lawsuit.

In an opinion from the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter said the women's suits were covered under the homeowners' policy and the excess liability or "umbrella policy" the comedian bought for his Shelburne Falls estate.SPRINGFIELD - Activist Catholic nuns from around the country succeeded Tuesday in getting shareholders of Smith & Wesson's parent company to pass a resolution asking management to give an accounting of how the company monitors gun violence and what it's doing to make safer products and keep firearms away from those who shouldn't own them.

The result, announced at a noontime virtual shareholders meeting held exclusively online, disappointed American Outdoor Brands CEO P. James Debney. Debney, who had urged shareholders to vote no, spoke just after the vote.

But Sister Judy Byron, member of the Adrian Dominican Sisters and director of the Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investments in Seattle, said the report she and her fellow women religious seek is in the best interests not only of shareholders but also of society.

She cited the use of Smith & Wesson firearms in by gunmen in mass shootings at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and a community center in San Bernardino, California.

"We are all seeking solutions to the epidemic of gun violence in our community," Byron said. "While shareholders all seek a good return, this cannot be our only objective. As investors we cannot sanction a backward-looking business model that looks to the next election to steer base sales."

Byron and her group want the report to include:

evidence of monitoring of violent events associated with products produced by the company,

details on efforts underway to research and produce safer guns and gun products, and

an assessment of the risks to corporate reputation and finances related to gun violence in the U.S.

And the sisters want that report by Feb. 8, 2019.

The vote is nonbinding, but it puts public pressure on American Outdoor Brands to comply.

Byron's group got shareholders of a competitor, Connecticut-based Sturm, Ruger & Co., to pass a similar resolution this summer. Ruger has said it will comply despite the resolution being nonbinding.

Debney, in his remarks Tuesday, didn't address what American Outdoor Brands will do.

Byron said she hopes he decided to prepare the report and to open a dialogue.

"Every investor has a voice and we used our voice," Byron said. "This is a critical issue in our society. And you have to be part of the solution."

Byron said Tuesday she only knows that the resolution passed. AOBC won't make vote totals public until it files paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission later.

The nuns only have 200 shares, the minimum number needed to get a shareholder resolution on the ballot. But Byron said that by getting the matter on the ballot Tuesday, she and her fellow nuns put the matter before the larger investors with more shares and forced them to consider the issue. It also gave them an easy way to make their feelings on gun safety known without taking the lead.

"It gave them a way to voice their concern with the company,"

Byron said she and her group meet next week in New York and then they'll decide on a strategy for the next round of investor proxy votes.

They might continue to put questions to American Outdoor Brands and Ruger or they might branch out.

She said she and her sisters need to be tenacious. They owe it to the student activists who emerged from Parkland, Florida, after the shooting there.

"We can't let the young people do the heavy lifting," Byron said.

The company's roots trace to 1852 when Horace Smith and Daniel Baird Wesson partnered to manufacture a firearm that used a self-contained cartridge.

American Outdoor Brands has 1,600 employees at its Springfield Smith & Wesson plant. It is advertising for production and professional workers in Springfield, at a plastics plant in Deep River, Connecticut, and at a new warehouse in Missouri.

The religious orders and health care organization that brought forth the gun safety report petition are:SPRINGFIELD -- The miracle of the self-driving car depends on two technologies: photonics and the science of light, and the so-called "internet of things" -- the burgeoning network of machines talking to machines to make our daily lives run.

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, was at Springfield Technical Community College to announce $1.15 million in National Science Foundation grants aimed at preparing students to work not just in the self-driving car industry, but in jobs involving many applications of these technologies.

The grants include $599,388 to develop Professor Gary J. Mullett's "Internet of Things Education" project and $551,202 to develop Professor Nicholas M. Massa's "Problem Based Learning in Advanced Photonics Manufacturing Education" project.

Both initiatives grow from longtime strengths at STCC and both are about growing, opportunity rich industries, Neal said.

"It's a reminder of how well the college is positioned," Neal said. "That's where the jobs are going to be."

Massa, the college's department chair for optics and photonics technology, said this region has the highest concentration of photonics employers in the country. Fiber optics were invented in Massachusetts, at the former American Optical in Southbridge.

The STCC photonics program graduates about 12 students a year, and could easily find jobs for three or four times that number.

"Good jobs," he said. "$40,000 to $60,000 to start out of a community college."

Neal, who has helped STCC develop ties with optical glass employers like defense contractor Schott North America in Southbridge, agreed.

"You leave here and you will find a job," Neal said. "STCC is the engine of the economy in the Pioneer Valley."

Massa said he's already working with scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on the next few generations of photonic technology, like incorporating tiny lasers into microchips to save power and speed processing.



But as that technology moves from the lab to factory scale production, the technology will have to be taught to technicians and engineers so they can put it into practice and install and repair the equipment.



That's what he wants to start doing with the grant.



He also wants to develop problem-based lessons so that technicians in this field learn structured problem solving.

"It's learning what to do when you don't know what to do," he said. "It goes beyond taking the test at the end of the book and onto real-life problems in the workplace."

He's also hoping to recruit more students into STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math -- fields.

That's also a goal on Mullett's project which focuses on the "internet of things."

The internet we know involves people interacting with each other or with websites. The internet of things involves machines connected to machines. It's your kitchen appliances sensing your car is close, and beginning to make your evening cup of tea when you're still two blocks away.

It's also about health care, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing.

All of these technologies, Mullett said, will need technicians -- and that means jobs in the future.The French are known for their excellent work in design, so the topics at next Nerd Nite at The Deuce in Northampton jell better than you might initially think.



The two Oct. 15 presentations will center on the history of the French in the United States and designing effective presentations that aren't boring.



In his talk, "Bullets are Bad for the Brain: Designing Effective Presentations,"

Fred Zinn will give a meta presentation about presentations to give the audience a few simple rules that will ensure that the next time they need to present on a topic, no one will die of ennui. Zinn is an associate director of program innovation at the UMass College of Education. Zinn definitely has expertise and a long history on this topic: The first time he gave a talk about it, the handout included instructions on how to print overheads from PowerPoint 1.0 (which was released in 1987).



In the other talk, "Franco-America in the Making. The Creole Nation Within,"

Jonathon Gosnell will examine the history of the French in America, and the role that France, Quebec and French-descended people have played in United States in the past couple of centuries. Gosnell will discuss the French of New England and south Louisiana, and how the French ethnic experience is still little known outside of direct family ties.



Gosnell has been working on this topic for more than 10 years and teaches French at Smith College.



There is a $5 entry fee and those under 21 years of age are welcome in the banquet room area, but are restricted from the front bar, so please have ID if you'd like to order alcoholic beverages. The Deuce is at 50 Conz St.



Scouting Report





Frank Rozelle & Friends will play The Rendezvous on Sept. 27. It's unclear who the "friends" will be, but here's hoping there's a chance they include Rozelle's sometimes bandmates guitarist Brook Batteau and drummer Kate Hennessey. Rozelle has shared the stage with that duo in several bands, Honky Thumbelina and the Skinnyman, The New Cosmology, and it's latest incarnation, People of the Forest. The Rendezvous is at 78 Third St. in the Turners Falls section of Montague.

MGM Springfield has followed a recent yoga trend and will present its next edition of "Stretches and Spirits" on The Plaza thereon Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. MGM Springfield is collaborating with Dharma Yoga Studio to combine two centuries-old traditions: beer and yoga. The session invites yogis and beer lovers to enjoy a little namaste and IPA at the same time. MGM Springfield's Plaza is between State and Main streets.



Do you have a cool event coming up at a local club? Send the information along to me at geolenker@yahoo.com at least two weeks in advance and I'll try to get in in this space.Firefighters responded to a cooking fire in Andover Monday night after a hot plate distributed as a "temporary relief measure" following the gas explosions in the Merrimack Valley caught fire, Fire Rescue Chief Michael Mansfield said.

Firefighters responded to the home on North Main Street at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Kathy Papadopoulos, who lives at the home, told WHDH she's been without gas since the Sept. 13 gas line-leak and ensuing explosions and fires.

"As soon as I put the oil on the egg, the pan started smoking, and then, right when I went to take it off, it caught fire, and I started running out the door with it on fire," she told the television station.

Papadopoulos says she put the fire out herself but that her house filled with smoke, scaring her and her 13-year-old son.

Papadopoulos met firefighters outside. The firefighters reported that oil left on a pan on the hot plate ignited causing a grease fire.



Mansfield said residents should not grab a pan on fire and move it outside. Instead, people should keep a pan lid nearby to use in case of fire. Depriving a gas fire of oxygen should extinguish it, Mansfield said in a news release.



"Electric cooking elements stay hotter for longer than gas cooking surfaces," Mansfield said. "Grease fires can occur if cooking oil is allowed to overheat. Pans should be removed from an electric cooking surface as soon as cooking is completed, even if the hot plate has been turned off."

On Friday Gov. Charlie Baker said that 7,000 hot plates would be distributed to residents in Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover "so they can have a hot meal at home."

Another 24,000 space heaters were also being brought into the area and passed out to residents of homes certified safe by officials, to allow for heat in homes before temperatures begin to dip into low temperatures.

Power is expected to be restored to all homes and workplaces in the three Massachusetts communities impacted by Nov. 19, NiSource President and CEO Joe Hamrock said in a statement released Friday.

NiSource is the parent company of Columbia Gas of Massachusetts.

Explosions in pipes serviced by Columbia Gas in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover caused upwards of 70 fires, injured more than two dozen people and resulted in the death of an 18-year-old from Lawrence, who died after a chimney fell on his vehicle. Homes in each community were evacuated on Sept. 13.Mohegan Sun, which has lobbied for Wynn Resorts to lose the eastern Massachusetts casino license, is now seeking to remove the state Gaming Commission chairman from the process to determine whether Wynn keeps the license, based on "shocking" comments he made to reporters.

Locked in ongoing litigation against the Gaming Commission and claiming it didn't get a fair shot at the casino license in 2014, Mohegan Sun has previously argued that the commission failed to fully investigate the sexual misconduct allegations against Steve Wynn.

A Wall Street Journal report detailing the allegations led to Steve Wynn stepping down from the company he founded while denying the allegations.

The Gaming Commission launched an investigation after the report, and its staffers are in the final stages, though they determined earlier this year a $7.5 million settlement was actively kept from them before the commission awarded the license to Wynn.

The investigation covers whether Wynn Resorts is suitable to continue holding the lone eastern Massachusetts license. The commission can suspend or revoke the license, or levy a fine.

On Tuesday, Kenneth Leonetti, an attorney for Mohegan Sun, sent a letter to David Mackey, attorney for the Gaming Commission, calling for Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby's "immediate disqualification" from the process, "in light of recent comments that evidence his irremediable bias."

A spokeswoman for the Gaming Commission declined to comment.

The letter is available below.

Leonetti was referring to comments Crosby made to reporters earlier this month.

Crosby was asked by a reporter to respond to comments made by a fellow commissioner, Gayle Cameron, when Wynn officials appeared before the commission in April. Responding to new Wynn Resorts CEO Matthew Maddox's talk of changes at the company since Steve Wynn stepped down, Cameron said the company, at least at the board level, "didn't value women until they got into trouble."

Crosby said that by "all accounts [there was] at least one terrible predator." But, he added, "this whole #MeToo thing and all the horrible transgressions that have come about by powerful men has changed everybody's sensibility. And I'm sure Wynn's sensibilities, Wynn Resorts' sensibilities, have changed, too."

In his letter, Leonetti said Crosby's "recent public endorsement of Wynn Resorts' culture and 'changed sensibility,' and his decision that Mr. Wynn's sexual harassment conduct had nothing to do with the climate at Wynn nor its lack of corporate controls, made before he has heard any evidence on these issues, cast greater doubt on the impartiality of the proceedings."

The Gaming Commission is set to meet Thursday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. in Boston.PITTSFIELD - A Vermont judge is delaying action on extradition proceedings to return accused arsonist Phillip J. Jordan to Massachusetts for trial until the court examines Jordan's mental competency, according to the Berkshire District Attorney's Office.

Jordan, 58, is accused of setting multiple houses on fire - including his own - on Pittsfield Saturday night. Before he could be apprehended, he fled town, leading authorities to issue a regional alert.

He was apprehended Sunday in Highgate Springs, Vermont, by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol as he tried to enter Canada. He is being held as a fugitive from justice in Vermont.

At his arraignment Monday in a Vermont court, Jordan denied the charges and bail was set at $25,000. The court ordered a hearing to determine his competency before any proceedings begin about returning him to Massachusetts.

Jordan is facing three counts of burning a dwelling as a result of fires at homes on Appleton Avenue, Ridge Avenue and Fort Hill Avenue. An investigation by the Pittsfield police and fire departments, and the state Fire Marshall is continuing and additional charges are possible.SPRINGFIELD -- Cultural Appreciation Day brought music, food, education and diverse speakers to the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse in Springfield Monday.

The celebration was one of seven in courts across the state as part of the Massachusetts Trial Court's second annual cultural appreciation event.

Lorna Spencer, Hampden Superior Court chief probation officer, said the goal is to be inclusive of everyone.

"We want to spread a diversity, equity among the courts and that's what we have been doing for the last few years. It was a new pilot that was suggested by the Trial Court and the Commissioner's Office of Probation and we have been going full speed ahead with bringing people together, talking about our differences and talking about things that are alike," Spencer said.

"We want to be reflective of the people we serve," she said.

The jury pool room on the fourth floor was the site of programs, but there were programs outside the courthouse too.

A DJ provided music and Roca program staff and participants were grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, free to anyone who wanted them.

At a pot-luck lunch, John Gibbons, U.S. marshal for the District of Massachusetts since 2010, gave the keynote address.

He joined the state police in 1979, rising through the ranks to detective lieutenant.

He said the state police in the late seventies was faced with the challenge of diversity and inclusion. Gibbons said his 1979 recruit training class included nine women, five African-American men, two Hispanic males and one Asian-American man.

"This started the beginning of diversity and inclusion on the state police," he said.

Gibbons said, "I had an outstanding career on the state police serving the citizens of the commonwealth and helping victims of crimes, making sure that fairness and justice did not elude them."

"We must continue to work together, to respect one another, to have dignity towards all in our search for equality in all facets of the criminal justice system," Gibbons said.

Other events included speeches, student presentations, a dance performance, a faith-based message, a poetry reading and a demonstration on how to make Irish soda bread.SPRINGFIELD -- Mickel Anthony Melendez of Springfield on Tuesday admitted he smashed a man's head into a traffic sign, causing a serious injury.

Assistant District Attorney Janine M. Simonian said Melendez, 24, also tried to "string him up" on the sign.

Melendez pleaded guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and assault and battery.

He was sentenced by Hampden Superior Court Judge John S. Ferrara to two and one half years in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow plus three years probation.

Simonian said police got a call on July 4, 2017, about 10:15 p.m. reporting an unconscious man at Jefferson Avenue and Chestnut Street.

A witness said the victim threw a beer bottle at Melendez's car. Melendez chased the man, punched him in the face and dragged him to a traffic sign on a traffic island, smashing his head on the sign.

The victim was left unconscious and had a severe laceration on his head, Simonian said. He was admitted to a hospital, where he was placed in surgical intensive care on a ventilator, she said. He was in the hospital for three weeks.

The plea was taken shortly before noon on Tuesday, but not before negotiations over the last day. Ferrara was presented Monday with a sentence recommendation by Simonian and defense lawyer Anthony C. Bonavita that involved a suspended jail sentence and probation.

Simonian told the judge the victim could not identify his assailant. The only person who originally identified Melendez as the assailant was a woman who cannot be found and did not want to cooperate from the beginning, Simonian said.

Ferrara said he wanted a day to think about what to do. On Tuesday he rejected the recommended sentence and told Melendez the sentence he would give.

Melendez, as allowed by law when the judge goes over the prosecutor's sentence recommendation, withdrew his guilty plea. But after thinking about it, Melendez decided to accept the sentence the judge said he would give and the plea was completed.MARSHFIELD - Police are asking law enforcement and residents to be on the lookout for a suspect wanted in connection with a homicide that happened Monday on Main Street.

Allen Warner, 47, is believed to be driving a gray 2013 Toyota Corolla with a Massachusetts license plate of 4FSZ80. Police referred to him as a "person of interest" in the homicide. The announcement asks law enforcement officers to "stop and hold" him because there is not an active warrant for his arrest.

He is from Rockland, is about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, is white and has blue eyes and red or blond hair, Massachusetts State Police said.

"He's considered armed and dangerous," Marshfield and State Police said on social media. "Do not approach him or the car."

Instead residents are asked to call 911 immediately to report his whereabouts.

Warner is wanted in connection with the 6 p.m. shooting on Main Street. The victim, who was reportedly a woman, was brought to South Shore Hospital by ambulance.

Police did not report she had died, but said the crime is now a homicide.

The victim had phoned police shortly before the shooting and said her estranged husband was following her, Plymouth District Timothy J. Cruz told WBZ4.

Marshfield and State Police released minimal information on Twitter about 20 minutes after the shooting, warning residents they were searching for an "active shooter" near 844 Main St.

"Please stay away from the area and stay inside and lock your doors," police said.

Police conducted a large-scale search which involved multiple departments. K-9 officers from Cohasset, Braintree, and Scituate Police Departments all assisted, Cohasset Police said.

At about 11 p.m. police announced on Facebook they believe the danger had passed.

"(Marshfield Police Department) would like to thank the residents of Marshfield for their patience and cooperation during the manhunt for a homicide suspect. We believe the suspect is no longer in the area," the announcement said.

The name of the victim and details of the homicide have not been released.MARSHFIELD - Police are reporting an active shooter on Main Street by ABC Equipment.

Police sent out minimal information on Twitter at about 6:30 p.m. to warn residents. The shooting is happening near 844 Main St., where a construction company is located.

"Please stay away from the area and stay inside and lock your doors," police said.

A woman was shot and taken to South Shore Hospital in the incident. Her condition is unknown, New England Cable News is reporting.

A man is believed to have shot the woman in a car. He then drove off into the woods, NBC10 Boston reported.

Police are continuing to search for her shooter.

Massachusetts State Police and a SWAT team are responding to the scene.

This is a breaking news story. Masslive will update as more information becomes available.Three former Massachusetts State Police lieutenants are due in court Oct. 12 on state charges in the overtime abuse scandal.

Attorney General Maura Healey said a grand jury indicted 57-year-old David Wilson of Charlton, 68-year-old John Giulino of Lanesborough and 52-year-old David Keefe of Norfolk.

Wilson is facing a separate embezzlement charge at the federal level. Federal prosecutors are conducting their own investigation.

The three former lieutenants, all supervisors, are charged with larceny over $250 by single scheme, procurement fraud and violation of public employee standards of conduct involving a false or fraudulent claim.

They are set to be arraigned on the charges in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, Oct. 12 at 9:30 a.m.

"Particularly, when you're a supervisor, you know full well the rules and the policies and your obligations, and the oath that you're sworn to uphold," Healey told reporters after the indictments were announced. "So it's very disappointing, certainly disappointing to see this kind of activity."

Eight troopers total face state and federal charges, and three have already pleaded to federal charges.

Dozens of other current and former troopers remain under investigation.

This post was updated to say the ex-lieutenants' court date is Oct. 12. A previous version of this story had the incorrect date.A Mexican national is accused of killing one of his crewmates and injuring two others while on board a fishing vessel off the coast of Massachusetts, Sunday afternoon.

Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 27, was charged in federal court in Boston with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, said Christina DiLorio-Sterling, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling.

Vazquez, who was in the country illegally after being deported about six months ago, is being charged with attacking three members of a fishing crew with a knife and a hammer while aboard the vessel Captain Billy Haver. One of the men later died of his injuries, she said.

The names of the victims have not been released, which is standard protocol in the early stages of an investigation for the U.S. District Attorney's office, she said.

Vazquez was part of a seven-member crew who were fishing about 55 miles off the coast of Massachusetts.

One of the crew members said he heard a commotion coming from the deck. When he ran around a corner to find out what was happening, he was struck three times in the back of the head with a hammer, United States Coast Guard Investigative Service Special Agent Brian Parkerson said in an application for a criminal complaint.

While lying on the deck, the witness saw another crew member bleeding from his mouth on the deck a few feet away. That man later died, Parkerson said.

Soon after a third crew member climbed from the ice hold. He was also struck with a hammer, Parkerson said.

"It is further alleged that Vazquez then climbed up the mast of the ship as the others onboard tried to capture him," DiLorio-Sterling said in writing.

After the attacks, the captain put out a distress call and a German cruise ship responded. Two of the people who were wounded were brought aboard the Mein Schiff 6 and tended to by the ship's doctor. One man, who had visible stab wounds to his torso and wounds to the head, was pronounced dead, she said.

Vazquez was taken into custody, she said.

He had been deported from the United States this spring after being arrested on March 9, in Newport News, Virginia and charged with abduction by force, intimidation or deception. In April he was placed in immigration proceedings and released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on April 23, Parkerson said in the affidavit.

Lelling; Richard D. Cox, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S Coast Guard Investigative Services Northeast Region; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement Monday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers is prosecuting the case.President Donald Trump has questioned why Christine Blasey Ford didn't immediately go to her parents or law enforcement with her allegation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.

But contacting police or telling family members right away is not the norm, according to those who work with victims of sexual assault and violence.

"It's more unusual to report a sexual assault when it occurs," than it is to wait, said Mary Kociela, director of domestic violence projects with the Northwestern district attorney's office.

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 very, very courageous for victims to come forward when they do, if you think about what happens once you do come forward," she said.

There's "the fear of retribution. It's not something you want to announce to the world. It's a very devastating frightening experience," Kociela said.

A second woman, Deborah Ramirez, accused Kavanaugh in a recent a New Yorker article of exposing himself to her at a party when they were both attending Yale University. Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have called Ford and Ramirez's accusations false and politically motivated.

Rebecca Lockwood, associate director of the Center for Women and the Community at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said: "We know the climate was really different at the time when both these women are talking about their experiences. Even in today's (climate) it's really difficult to come forward."

Kociela said it's even more difficult to report an assault because "oftentimes the victim knows the perpetrator."

Victims tend to question themselves. "As a society we tend to blame the victim," she said.

Lockwood said "survivors fear retaliation. They fear that people are not going to believe them."

And she said the doubt being cast now on Ford and Ramirez makes it hard for others to come forward. "It reinforces all the fears survivors have," Lockwood said.

"Nationally, sexual assault is the most underreported violent crime," she said.

Lockwood said about 63 percent of those sexually assaulted never report the attacks to police. And she said 20 percent of all girls are victims of sexual assault by the time they are 18, yet it is not treated as a public health crisis in the same way that health risks like the West Nile virus are.

Kociela said she hopes that those questioning Ford, who is slated to testify before the U.S. Senate Thursday, "ask these questions in a respectful way," no matter what people believe about her accusations.

She said the MeToo movement "provided incredible energy (for victims) to tell their story."

"Let's keep going forward," she said.

In terms of repercussions, Lockwood is thinking of those survivors "out there who haven't disclosed, watching what's happening in the media."

And she worries about women of color, or immigrants or gay men who already are reluctant to come forward because most of those telling their stories tend to be white women.

"All this (attention) can be really anxiety producing," she said. "I hope that people seek out support."

Rape Crisis Centers | Mass.gov by ledermand on ScribdSPRINGFIELD - A 34-year-old Connecticut man who crashed his vehicle into a utility pole at Spring and Frost streets Tuesday morning was taken to Baystate Medical Center, police said.

The crash occurred shortly before 10 a.m., Ryan Walsh, spokesman for Springfield police, said.

The motorist was cited for failure to stay in the right travel lane. The nature of his injuries was not available.Update: Police said Kelly Bruce has been found in Cumberland, Rhode Island an is with police now.

WEST NEWBURY - Police from six departments are actively searching for a 14-year-old girl around the Indian Hill Reservoir.

Kelly Bruce, of Main Street in the Byfield section of town, may be in danger. She is believed to have run away from her home shortly before 2 p.m., Monday, Police Chief Art Reed said.

She is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighs about 150 pounds and has light brown hair, Reed said.

Police from West Newbury, Newbury, Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury and the Massachusetts State Police are currently searching the area around the reservoir. K-9 officers are involved as well, he said.

Anyone who sees the teenager or has information about where she may be is asked to contact the Newbury Police Department at 978-462-4440.In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!SPRINGFIELD -- City and school officials toured a $21 million culinary and nutrition center in East Springfield Tuesday, saying they are excited it is on course to open in January.

The facility will provide about 60,000 meals to students each day.

"It's a tremendous facility," Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said. "This is really a first of its kind in the area. This unique collaborative approach not only enhances health food aspects for our children, but just as important, creates training and job opportunities, too."



The 62,000-square-foot center at 75 Cadwell Drive will serve as a one-site location for the daily preparation, cooking and baking of fresh foods for Springfield students. The School Department provides a free breakfast and lunch program for students, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.



The state-of-the-art facility, with assorted kitchens, giant refrigerators and freezers, preparation areas, dry storage areas and offices, replaces a much smaller site and multiple rented locations, officials said.

It will allow Springfield to launch an in-house bakery and in-house processing of vegetables. That work is currently done in Worcester and Rhode Island, officials said.



The city will continue to use a rented 18,000-square-foot facility, at a nearby building on Cadwell Drive, and other rented sites until the new facility opens.



The new nutrition center -- a joint venture of the Springfield School Department and its food service provider, Sodexo -- broke ground in December 2016.





"It's a really exciting concept, state of the art for the country," said Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick. "We're going to be taking our food, processing it locally, getting it right out to the schools and giving our kids fresh food, quality food."



Sodexo will have approximately 90 workers in the building, with about 90 percent being Springfield residents. The project will mean about 40 new jobs and will provide training for students.

The $21 million cost includes the city's purchase of the building for $2.35 million, along with the cost of design, renovations and equipment.



Fontaine Brothers of Springfield is the contractor.



The city provided $14 million in bond funds for the project. That cost will be paid back over the 20-year bond period by U.S. Department of Agriculture funds.



Sodexo District Manager Mark Jeffrey and Fontaine Brothers Project Manager Frank Payeur provided the tour of the building. Others on the tour included: Peter Garvey, the city's director of capital asset construction; Patrick Roach, the School Department's chief financial and operations officer; and Thomas Ashe, the mayor's new chief of staff, along with Sarno and Warwick.



PITTSFIELD - A New York man who was convicted last week in a 2014 kidnapping and rape of a woman in Berkshire County was sentenced on Tuesday to between 18 and 20 years in prison.

Shane E. Harding's sentence in Massachusetts will begin after he finishes a combined 30-year sentence for kidnapping that he is serving in the state of New York.

Harding was found guilty on Friday in Berkshire Superior Court to three counts of rape and a single count of kidnapping. A Berkshire County jury deliberated for two hours before delivering its verdict.

He was convicted of kidnapping a 28-year-old woman on Sept. 30, 2014, driving her to the town of Hancock and then raping her. Hours earlier on the same day in Troy, New York, Harding kidnapped and attempted to rape another woman but she fought him off and escaped.

Judge John Agostini ordered the 29-year-old Harding to serve three 18-to-20 year sentences for rape and 8 to 10 years for kidnapping. The sentences are concurrent, meaning they can be served at the same time.

In 2015, Harding was convicted in a New York court two counts of kidnapping. The judge in that case sentenced him to two 15-year terms that are to be conserved consecutively, or 30 years in all.

According to the New York Department of Corrections, his release date is between June 2040 and September 2044.

After completion of his sentence in the state of New York, he is to be brought to Massachusetts where he will begin serving his 18-20 year sentence at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Walpole.

Competing both sentences would mean Harding would not be released until he is in his late-60s or mid-70s.Marshfield and state police continue to search for the man they believe shot and killed his wife on Main Street Monday night.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz told WCVB that a woman called 911 at 5:53 p.m. Monday to say her "soon-to-be-ex-husband" was chasing her in his car.

Cruz identified that man as Allen Warner, 47, who is still at-large.

When police arrived at Main Street Monday they found the woman with injuries on her face. She was pronounced dead at South Shore Hospital, Cruz told the television station.

Police have issued a be on the lookout (BOLO) for Warner, who is believed to be armed and dangerous. Police believe Warner is driving a gray 2013 Toyota Corolla with Massachusetts license plate 4FSZ80.

He is believed to have left the town of Marshfield.

"If anyone comes in contact with him, please call 911 immediately," Cruz told WCVB.Update: The roadway is open and the helicopter is taking a victim to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

ANDOVER -- Massachusetts State Police are closing part of Interstate-495 and all nearby roadways and ramps due to a serious car crash.

The highway is being closed on the northbound side near the Route 93 interchange so a medical helicopter can land to transport at least one injured person to the hospital, police said.

The crash happened near Exit 44 A and B shortly before 8 p.m. Police have not released information about how many people were injured or how many cars were involved yet.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is showing some traffic backups on Interstate-495 and Route 93.

Motorists are recommended to avoid the highway for several hours.

This is a breaking story. Masslive will update as more information becomes available.Sen. Elizabeth Warren has endorsed a hotly debated Massachusetts ballot question that would enforce mandatory nurse-patient ratios in hospitals.

Warren's endorsement allies her with the Massachusetts Nurses Association and a host of other labor and progressive groups, who argue the proposed law will improve patient safety.

"Nurses work hard to take care of all of us when it matters the most, and we should do the same for them by establishing standards to ensure they have the help they need to do their job safely," Warren said. "I stand with our nurses and support a yes vote on Question 1 in November."

The proposal would set specific ratios for a range of clinical situations. Nurses caring for critical, non-stable patients in an emergency room would only be allowed one patient, while ER nurses caring for non-urgent patients could care for five patients. Nurses in maternity wards would be assigned one mother and her child immediately after birth, among other limits.

The law would take effect on Jan. 1, and regulations would be written by the state Health Policy Commission, who could refer violations to the state Attorney General. Hospitals in violation could be fined up to $25,000 per day.

Advocates have argued that Massachusetts hospitals could afford the extra staff without compromising patient care, estimating a cost of $35 million to $47 million to implement the law.

"The proposed law would require a covered facility to comply with the patient assignment limits without reducing its level of nursing, service, maintenance, clerical, professional, and other staff," the ballot question says.

But opponents, who include hospitals, chambers of commerce, medical professional groups and dissenting nurses' organizations like the American Nurse's Association of Massachusetts, say that rosy scenario is impossible.

A study commissioned by opponents of the measure say it would cost $1.3 billion in the first year and $900 million annually after that. Hospitals including Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton say they would have to cut patient services to pay for the additional staff.

Question 1 is the most competitive issue placed before Massachusetts voters this November, according to a new poll from WBUR. While large majorities supported questions opposing corporate political spending and supporting transgender rights, opinion on Question 1 was an even split, the poll found -- 44 percent in favor and 44 percent against.CHICOPEE - By his own description, Steven Morales is a nervous guy.

"I'm just really nervous, man. I'm very nervous," Morales told a state trooper early Saturday during a traffic stop in Chicopee, according to the arrest report.

When the trooper asked why, Morales failed to mention the .40-caliber pistol behind the passenger's seat, the open bottle of Hennessy cognac in the back seat, or the four bags of PCP tucked into the cigarette pack he was holding, the report said.

When a search turned up the gun, drugs and liquor, Morales, 30, of Springfield, was arrested on six charges, including carrying a firearm without a license (second offense), possession of a class B substance (second offense), speeding and operating without an inspection sticker.

Trooper Patrick Dolan allegedly spotted Morales' Infiniti travelling at nearly twice the 25 mph posted speed limit in downtown Chicopee before pulling the vehicle over around 2:30 a.m., the report said.

Held in custody over the weekend, Morales pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday in Chicopee District Court. During the bail argument, a prosecutor recommended $10,000 cash bail while a defense lawyer called for Morales to be released on his promise to appear in court.

Judge Robert Santaniello, citing the defendant's past firearm conviction, set bail at $2,500, and continued the case for a pretrial hearing on Oct. 24.

A New York City native, Morales is married with two children and works as a driver for a Springfield towing company.

In 2010, he was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and given a 24-month jail sentence. At the time, he was already serving a jail sentence for possession of a class B substance, court records show.NORTHBOROUGH - A 38-year-old driver who died after colliding with another car while suffering a medical problem has been identified.

Michael Sureau, of Stow, died Sunday night after a crash on Interstate-290. He was driving a 2016 Ford Ranger when he suffered a medical problem and collided with a 2000 Ford pickup at about 8:20 p.m., Massachusetts State Police said.

The driver of the pickup, a 30-year-old man from Johnston, Rhode Island, received minor injuries in the crash, police said.

"(The) preliminary investigation revealed that the man had a medical issue which caused the crash," police said. Officials did not disclose specifics of the medical problem.

One lane of the highway was closed for about an hour while police investigated the cause of the crash.

Northborough Emergency Medical services assisted at the scene and rushed the victim to the hospital, police said.SUFFIELD - After a man was killed after he fell off a cliff and tumbled down a slope covered with sharp, ridged rock Monday, police are warning people to stay off the trail.

"The property, which is privately owned, is a location that is familiar with Suffield emergency services as the site where numerous similar emergency rescues have been conducted in the past," Police Capt. Christopher McKee said.

A man, believed to be between 18 and 25, was killed after he plummeted down the steep slope. A witness, who phoned police, said he heard the man yell and then saw him falling off the rock formation, he said.

Police and emergency medical personnel from Suffield and the neighboring Granby, Connecticut, reached the victim on the bottom of the slope within minutes of arriving at the scene. Life Star helicopter from Hartford Hospital was initially asked to respond, but the call was canceled after medical personnel determined the man had died, McKee said.

The victim's body was removed using off-road vehicles and police and emergency medical personnel remained at the scene until after 10 p.m. investigating, he said.

As of late last night, police had not determined if his death was accidental, a result of foul play or something else.

The victim was brought to the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where officials were scheduled to conduct an autopsy and positively identify him on Tuesday, he said.

The top of the cliff is about a half-mile from the intersection of Quarry and Phelps roads and about a quarter-mile from the Southwick border. It is covered with trees and the cliff facing the intersection is covered with sharp rock left over from past quarrying, making it treacherous, he said.

This is the second time this year Suffield police and emergency medical responders have rescued someone who fell off the cliff. In February, a 27-year-old man from Massachusetts was injured rescued after he fell in the same spot. He recovered from his injuries.

In 2001 an 18-year-old man from Agawam died when he fell from the same spot, McKee said.

The area is posted with "No Trespassing" signs and owners of the property have authorized Suffield Police to arrest anyone found walking on the private land, he said.WEST SPRINGFIELD - Police warn of a recent spike in tire thefts from Hondas in the Riverdale Street area.

The thefts have occurred during the overnight hours and have occurred in residential and retail sales locations, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

Suspicious activity should be reported to police at 413-263-3210.Officials on Tuesday morning identified the woman who was allegedly shot to death by her estranged husband in Marshfield as 48-year-old Shana Warner.

The victim was found on Main Street in Marshfield on Monday evening with life-threatening injuries, authorities said. She had called 911 at 5:53 p.m. and was taken to South Shore Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A manhunt for her estranged husband, Allen Warner, began.

Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz and Marshfield Police Chief Phillip Tavares during a press conference live-streamed on television asked 47-year-old Warner, who is still on the run, to turn himself in.

"Turn yourself in so that no one else is hurt today," Cruz said.

Tavares called the incident a "cowardly" act of domestic violence and said it was time for Warner to turn himself in.

Authorities said Warner, of Rockland, should be considered armed and dangerous.

The cause and manner of Shana Warner's death is pending, Cruz said. She was shot and had other life-threatening injuries.

Officials believe Warner fled Marshfield in a gray 2013 Toyota Corolla with Massachusetts license plate 4FSZ80.

Tavares said Warner was known to local police but would not elaborate on why he was known.

The chief did say that someone called police in Marshfield four or five days ago to report a suspicious person. Police found Warner wearing camouflage and walking around in the rain. Warner was picking up cans and was not involved in any illegal activity, Tavares said.

Warner has had no other incidents with Marshfield police.

The investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone who sees Warner or the Toyota Corolla should call local or State Police immediately, officials said.When you don't have a destination, there's no way to know if you are on the right course.

President Donald Trump has been at work to secure new trade deals with South Korea and Japan, but at the same time he's been working overtime to antagonize China, the world's second-largest economy.

Explain how this makes good sense.

One cannot, of course.

On Monday, Trump signed a newly revised free-trade agreement with South Korea. He's hoping to open bilateral trade talks with Japan. Sounds good, right?

Well, maybe not. Because also on Monday, a new round of tariffs on $200 billion in imports from China took effect. And though China responded with $60 billion in retaliatory tariffs of its own, it also issued a position paper accusing the United States of needlessly abandoning decades of trade practices that have benefitted not only both nations, but also people across the globe.

"Rather," the paper said, "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."

Though our nation's businessman-president has imagined that his tough moves on trade will somehow benefit American workers, that's not at all what's been happening. Instead, some manufacturers have been moving final production out of China and into other low-wage nations such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Ethiopia.

Perhaps when Trump is considering his 2020 presidential campaign he can tout that in his first term he made Cambodia great again. No, that probably wouldn't resonate with disaffected midwestern voters.

Though there's so much to criticize about this administration's moves on trade that it can be difficult to know where to begin, one thing stands out above all else: The White House doesn't have any sort of an overarching plan. Instead, it's been operating without a script, making things up as it goes along. It makes a threat here, proposes a deal there, and then quickly changes course.

Businesses like predictability. A company planning to launch a new product needs to know that the supply chain it has secured won't suddenly be disrupted on a whim.

Since Trump somehow sees himself as both a master tactician and a dealmaker of unparalleled talents, he charges off willy-nilly, creating havoc as he goes and expecting that what emerges from the chaos will be just the ticket.

So far, though, what Trump has done mostly is sow the seeds of doubt and confusion. Making trade decisions on the fly is no trade policy at all.President Donald J. Trump said Democrats are playing a "con game" and trying to block Judge Brett Kavanaugh from the Supreme Court by investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against two women when he was a teenager.

"I think it's horrible what the Democrats have done. It's a con game," Trump told reporters, as quoted by New York Times, while in New York for the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. "They're playing a con game... they're playing actually much better than the Republicans."

Two women have come forward against Kavanaugh, who is in the midst of his confirmation hearings to sit on the Supreme Court. Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University said Kavanaugh attempted to rape her at a party in Maryland when they were both teenagers.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Ford said Kavanaugh climbed on top of her and tried to rip her clothes off. When she tried to scream, she says Kavanaugh put his hand over her mouth.

Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale University with Kavanaugh, told the New Yorker Kavanaugh exposed himself to her while she was intoxicated at a party.

The President has been uncharacteristically quiet on the allegations, tweeting just once that: "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!"

On Tuesday, Trump singled out Ramirez before a group of reporters at the UN, according to The New York Times.

"She was totally messed up," Trump said. "The second accuser has nothing... she admits she was drunk."

Trump then said sarcastically, according to the Times, "Oh gee, let's not make him a Supreme Court justice because of this."

Ford is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.BOSTON -- Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy announced (via Twitter) that he underwent his final session of radiation Tuesday and will visit the NESN booth for an inning during Wednesday night's game against the Orioles.

Final session of radiation today Will be on NESN tomorrow night to join the guys for a inning. Looking forward to visiting Fenway.  Jerry Remy (RemDawg) (@Jerry_Remy) September 25, 2018

NESN announced Aug. 7 that Remy was facing another battle with cancer. The color commentator has not returned to the booth since, but made an appearance in Worcester earlier this month when the Red Sox their intention to move their Triple-A club there.

Remy was first diagnosed with cancer in 2008 and has faced multiple recurrences in the decade since. He last dealt with it last season but was able to return for a few games in September.

Remy's former partner, Don Orsillo, will be making a comeback of his own to Fenway Park this weekend. Orsillo is slated to call the Sox' game against the Yankees on Saturday afternoon in his first return to Boston since leaving for San Diego for the 2016 season.BOSTON -- The 2018 Red Sox have won more games than any other team in this franchise's 118-year history.

Boston beat the Orioles 6-2 here at Fenway Park on Monday for win No. 106 of the 2018 season.

The 1912 team went 105-47. It played fewer games (152-game schedule) and so it still owns the best winning percentage (.691) of any team in Red Sox history.

The 2018 Red Sox (106-51 record, .675 winning percentage) have five games remaining. They're on pace for 109.3 wins.

Boston also clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason with Monday's victory.

Winningest Red Sox teams:

*2018 Red Sox 106-51 (.675 winning percentage)*

1912 Red Sox 105-47 (.691 winning percentage)

1946 Red Sox 104-50 (.675 winning percentage)

1915 Red Sox 101-50 (.669 winning percentage)

1978 Red Sox 99-64 (.607 winning percentage)

2004 Red Sox 98-64 (.605 winning percentage)

The Red Sox took a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Brock Holt stroked an RBI double. Christian Vazquez ripped an RBI single.

Mookie Betts then belted his 32nd homer. His two-run shot to left field went 99.4 mph and 351 feet.

Watch out, someone's heating up big time.  pic.twitter.com/ctPw6gklzX  Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) September 25, 2018

Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts stroked RBI singles in the fourth to put Boston ahead 6-0.

Eovaldi strikes out 10

Nathan Eovaldi allowed only one run, four hits and no walks in 5 innings. He struck out 10.

Eovaldi threw 34 four-seam fastballs, averaging 97.9 mph and topping out at 100.3 mph.BOSTON -- Eduardo Nunez (hamstring) hasn't played since Wednesday but he ran Sunday. And Red Sox manager Alex Cora expected him to run again Monday here at Fenway Park.

"We'll see what we have with tomorrow and then we'll shoot for Wednesday or Friday," Cora said. "He had a good day yesterday."

Nunez also has dealt with right knee soreness at times this year after returning from his posterior cruciate ligament injury that he suffered last September.

The third baseman is slashing .282/.298/.442/.739 during the second half compared to .255/.283/.361/.644 in the first half.

Cora is fine if Nunez doesn't appear in a game until the ALDS.

"As far as repetitions, it really doesn't matter for me but we'd like him to play this week," Cora said. "I saw what happened last year. It doesn't have to do with the knee. It's his left hammy. But at the same time, we've gotta see how he feels and how he plays out there.Brazil Medical Devices Market  Key Players

Some of the key players in this market are:

Johnson & Johnson

General Electric

Medtronic

Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV.

Baxter International

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co.

Cardinal Health

Boston Scientific Corporation

Jude Medical Inc.

Hitachi Medical Corporation

Siemens Ltd

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Brazil Medical Devices Market  Highlights

When devices like injections and stethoscope entered the world of medical sciences, their roles were limited. Science made progress, and today there are various kinds of machines that are integral to medical sciences. Today, people judge how good, or bad the medical facilities in a region or a particular hospital are, on the basis of what kind of advanced medical devices are available in that hospital. Some hospitals justify expensive medical treatments as they want money to maintain all the sophisticated devices and big machines that they use for medical diagnosis and treatment.

However, due to more advanced devices are coming up every day, costs of devices with obsolete technology goes down. Today, the market for medical devices is rising due to various factors including advancements in connectivity and processing power of devices, cloud integration, demand for early detection and noninvasive therapies (like those for cancer), development of stronger biocompatible materials growth of healthcare mobile applications, growing awareness and spread of information technology (IT). Due to the falling cost of production, some medical devices are available today at nominal prices. Their usage can also boost the Brazil medical devices market.

Brazil Medical Devices Market  Latest News

Thubrikar Aortic Valve, Inc., a privately held medical device company is developing a next-generation Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) system. Its licensee, Labcor Laboratorios of Brazil, is set to receive an additional investment of $460,000 cash and a $500,000 promissory note, to widen the reach of TAVI when it gets released. Labcor is a world-renowned company that specializes in the manufacturing of biological prostheses.

InspireMD, Inc., a leader in embolic prevention systems (EPS), neurovascular devices, and thrombus management technologies that announced that CGuard EPS was featured at the SBHCI Congress. Sponsored by the Brazilian Society of Hemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology, SBHCI Congress took place in Curitiba, Brazil from June 13-15, 2018. It hosted approximately 1,200 participants including doctors from across Brazil and Central and South America.

Brazil Medical Devices Market  Segments

Brazil medical devices market has been segmented on the basis of product type which comprises monitoring devices, diagnostic devices, diagnostic molecular devices, drug delivery devices, surgical devices, bio implants and stimulation devices, automation and robotics and others. On the basis of therapeutic application; market is segmented into general surgery, diagnostic imaging, respiratory, orthopedics, cardiovascular, dental, neurology, ophthalmology, ear-nose-throat (ENT), nephrology and urology, and others. On the basis of end users; market is segmented hospitals, ambulatory and home.

Brazil Medical Devices Market  Regional Analysis

The healthcare sector of Brazil is divided between private and state with the public healthcare accounting for approximately 45% of total health expenditure in 2014. Local manufacturing represents a poor outlook which is limited to consumables and ordinary articles and there are a handful of high tech devices manufacturers.

Another important factor to be considered is the extreme dependency of Brazil on imports which account for approximately 75% of total market for medical devices. U.S. medical device suppliers dominate the scenario with Europe in the second position.

China is expected to substitute the western nations especially in low end devices which will be the fastest segment. Among the regions of Brazil, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and Parana tops the healthcare expenditure list. The differential healthcare regional availability in Brazil with extreme social and economic differentiation of the Brazilian population are further threats to the market. Brazil also has poor healthcare in its vast rural areas with a few cities dominating the scenario such as Sao Paulo.

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Major TOC

1 Introduction

1.1 Definition

1.2 Scope of Study

1.3 Research Objective

1.4 Assumptions & Limitations

1.5 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 Challenges

3.5 Macroeconomic Indicators

4 Market Factor Analysis

Continued

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Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.comGlobal Cervical Dystonia Market  Overview

Cervical dystonia is a neurological movement disorder associated with involuntary movement of neck. It is also known as spasmodic torticollis. As per study it was estimated that women are more prone to get this disorder.

That being said, there are few hurdles in the growth of this market such as high cost involved in the research and development leading to the increased cost of the drug, less awareness about the severity of the condition in developing and under developed regions. These factors hinder the cervical dystonia market growth. Global cervical dystonia market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% during forecasted period 2017-2023.

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Global Cervical Dystonia Market  Market Scenario

Cervical dystonia is a rare disease also known as spasmodic torticollis. It is one of the painful chronic neurological movement disorder causing the neck to turn involuntary to any of the direction. It is a rare disease. The major driving factors for the market for cervical dystonia is increasing aging population across the globe. Females are more likely to be get affected by cervical dystonia. On other hand success rate of the treatment and increasing cost of the treatment is the major cause for restraining the growth of cervical Dystonia market.

Global Cervical Dystonia Market  Competitive Analysis

The global market consist of players such as ALLERGAN (Ireland), Solstice Neurosciences LLC (U.S.), Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (France), Merz Inc (U.S.), US WorldMeds, LLC (U.S.) Addex Therapeutics (Switzerland), Revance Therapeutics, Inc.(U.S.), and many other. These are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the global cervical dystonia market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis report.

The global cervical dystonia market is a dynamic market with number of drugs and therapies available in the market. There are few number of companies involved in the development of the drugs which are now widely used all across the world for the treatment of cervical dystonia. There are great developments happening in cervical dystonia therapeutics space.

Revance Therapeutics Inc. in 2016 initiated a Phase II study of RT002 for the treatment of cervical dystonia. The Company completed its Phase II program recently. In November 2017, the company announce the completion of its Phase II program with a positive results. The company now plans to carry out Phase 3 Program for RT002 Injectable to treat Cervical Dystonia.

ALLERGAN has introduced BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) for treatment of cervical dystonia. It is prescribed to 16 and older people suffering from cervical dystonia. It is an intramuscular drug.

Solstice Neurosciences LLC has introduced MYOBLOC (rimabotulinumtoxinB), which was the first FDA-approved treatment for cervical dystonia. It is used for the treatment of cervical dystonia in adults to reduce the severity of abnormal head position and neck pain associated with cervical dystonia.

Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc. a French company introduced Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of adults with cervical dystonia.

Global Cervical Dystonia Market  Regional Analysis

Americas has the largest cervical dystonia market. Increasing people suffering from cervical dystonia in America has help to increase the market in this region. Beside this, rise in neurotoxin market, increase in treatments for muscle movement disorders and increasing aging population in this region has fuelled the growth of this market in American region. Due to a huge aging population in Canada the market is developing at a significant rate in this region. As per study, women are more prone to cervical dystonia than men.

Europe has the second largest market which majorly contributed by UK, Germany and France. Well-developed healthcare sector, improved infrastructure and increase in healthcare spending have increased the market in this region.

Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region for the cervical dystonia market. Asia Pacific is the developing region and a huge population base in this region is the major factor for the growth of the market. Beside this continuous development in healthcare sector and increasing aging population in Asia Pacific has provided fuel for the growth of the market. India and China are the major market of the cervical dystonia. Due to less development in medical and healthcare sector, Middle East and Africa region contributes least in the cervical dystonia market at present.

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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.

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Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comThe Global Dental Materials market is valued at xx million US$ in 2017 and will reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% during 2018-2025.

Description:

This report studies the global market size of Dental Materials in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Dental Materials in these regions.

This research report categorizes the Global Dental Materials Market by top players/brands, region, type and end user. This report also studies the global Dental Materials market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels and distributors.

Dental materials are specially fabricated materials, designed for use in dentistry. There are many different types of dental material, and their characteristics vary according to their intended purpose. Examples include temporary dressings, dental restorations (fillings, crowns, bridges), endodontic materials (used in root canal therapy), impression materials, prosthetic materials (dentures), dental implants, and many others.

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The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Dental Materials market based on company, product type, end user and key regions.

The following manufacturers are covered in this report, with sales, revenue, market share for each company:

3M

BISCO

Danaher

Danville Materials

Dentatus

Dentsply Sirona

GC

Institut Straumann

Ivoclar Vivadent

Keystone Industries

Mitsui Chemicals

Ultradent Products

VOCO

Zimmer Biomet

Market size by Product

Indirect Restorative Materials

Direct Restorative Materials

Market size by End User

Dental Laboratories

Dental Clinics

Dental Hospitals

Academic Institutes

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The study objectives of this report are:

To study and analyze the global Dental Materials market size (value & volume) by company, key regions, products and end user, breakdown data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2025.

To understand the structure of Dental Materials market by identifying its various subsegments.

To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).

Focuses on the key global Dental Materials companies, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape and recent development.

To project the value and sales volume of Dental Materials submarkets, with respect to key regions.

To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches, and acquisitions in the market.

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Dental Materials are as follows:

History Year: 2013-2017

Base Year: 2017

Estimated Year: 2018

Forecast Year 2018 to 2025

This report includes the estimation of market size for value (million US$) and volume (K Units). Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been used to estimate and validate the market size of Dental Materials market, to estimate the size of various other dependent submarkets in the overall market. Key players in the market have been identified through secondary research, and their market shares have been determined through primary and secondary research. All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns have been determined using secondary sources and verified primary sources.

For the data information by region, company, type and application, 2017 is considered as the base year. Whenever data information was unavailable for the base year, the prior year has been considered.

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Email ID: sales@orbisresearch.comMedical Tourism Market  Summary

Traveling far for medical purposes is something not unheard of. But tourism out of it inevitably creates much interest. The healthcare infrastructure akin to home and a gamut of qualified doctors to assist in recovery can come at a cheaper cost than the usual. That is what some developing countries such as India are offering and the buzz generated has a lot of takers.

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Flying on the success of such initiatives, the global medical tourism market is now eyeing a quadruple growth during the forecast period (2017-2023); from a decent USD 70,836.9 million to a staggering USD 226,762.7 million.

Angioplasty in the U.S. costs around a whopping USD 57,000 whereas, in India, the charge is just USD 3,300. The difference is quite astonishing, that too, without compromising much on the healthcare infrastructure. This has led to an exodus of patients from North American countries and Western Europe to developing countries with an almost similar medical set-up.

Medical Tourism Market  Report Overview:

The report covers the latest trends affecting the market to provide the most accurate forecasts and predictions. By correlating the historical data with key market dynamics, our analysts can make highly astute projections. MRFRs report includes a thorough analysis of the global medical tourism market segmented by treatment type and region.

Trends and opportunities are highlighted coupled with the market share of companies as well as their valuation in the market. It analyzes new revenue sources for players and outlines the various strategies implemented by players.

Competitive Scenario:

According to the reports of the World Health Organization (WHO), Hungary is evolving as a medical tourism hub for the European nations by drawing in almost 1.8 million tourists annually. Most of these tourists travel for dental treatments or seek a wellness break.

Among many top medical service providers globally, major players are Asklepios Kliniken Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (Germany), Fortis Healthcare (India), Gleneagles Global Hospitals Group. (India), Prince Court Medical Centre (Malaysia), Samitivej PCL (Thailand), CHRISTUS MUGUERZA (Mexico), Anadolu Medical Center (Turkey), Bangkok Hospital (Bangkok), Bumrungrad International Hospital (Bangkok), Clemenceau Medical Center (Lebanon), Schoen-Kliniken (Germany), Shouldice Hospital (Canada), and others.

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Medical Tourism Market  Segment Overview

By treatment type, the medical tourism market is segmented into orthopedic/spine treatments, fertility/IVF treatments, dentistry treatments, oncology/cancer treatments, neurology/neurosurgery treatment, cardiovascular/cardiology treatments, and cosmetic treatments. All of these procedures are deemed to alleviate or offer relief to patients with minimal to extreme pain.

The segments covered in the report are analyzed with respect to four major regions  Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and the Middle East and Africa (MEA), with respective country-level market sizing. The definition and advantages of medical tourism is outlined in the report for a comprehensive understanding of the market. The report discusses the various players involved in the value chain and their contributions to evaluate future opportunities within the market.

Medical Tourism Market  Regional Outlook:

On the basis of region, the global medical tourism market is segmented into the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, and the Middle East and Africa.

Among all regions, Asia Pacific managed to capture the largest market share in 2016 of 43.7% and is projected to lead the global medical tourism market during the review period. This phenomenal market growth can be attributed to heavy investments in infrastructure development, growing economy, technology advancement, among other factors. Asia Pacific had stood at USD 25,498.0 million in 2016 and the market is set to reach USD 102,496.8 million by 2023.

The medical tourism market in the Americas is growing at a fast pace owing to well-developed healthcare infrastructure, increasing number of well-trained medical professionals coupled with a wide number of hospitals under insurance coverage. The fact that the region observes high economic growth with well-developed industries helps the case for development of medical tourism industry.

The medical tourism market in Europe (EU) has grown exponentially over the past years on account of the 2014 European Directive on Cross-Border healthcare that allows EU citizens free access to healthcare in all member states of the region. Further, countries in Eastern and Central Europe such as Poland, Turkey, Hungary, Latvia, and Romania have become ideal tourism destinations for Western Europeans. Moreover, some countries in the region collaborate to provide certain healthcare services to other countries under some conditions. For instance, Ardennes cross-border collaboration at the border of France and Belgium is the partnership between both countries that allows French women seek obstetric care in Belgium. This care includes prenatal care as well as delivery.

The Middle East and Africa region encompass an array of developing nations with evolving technology and innovation that fuels the medical tourism market in the region. Also, with rising healthcare costs in developing countries such as United States (U.S) and United Kingdom (U.K), people are finding themselves willing to travel to this part of the world for quality and affordable healthcare services. These factors are highly instrumental in the market growth of medical tourism in the region.

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Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comWorld Housing Solution, based in Florida, specializes in rapidly deployable buildings. Recently, they have focused on providing fully-equipped mobile clinics that can be fabricated and installed very quickly in disaster zones. The clinics are conceived as serving patients who cant reach a hospital or medical facility.

So far, the company has sent clinics to Houston when Hurricane Harvey struck and to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. As the clinics can be towed by a standard pickup truck, they can serve patients in difficult to access areas. The units are customizable, with specialized units including dental, pediatric, and OBGYN clinics. By daisy-chaining several units together, rescuers can create small but autonomous power, water, and communication grids.

The company also offers larger units that can be rapidly assembled onsite. A standard urgent care clinic contains four procedure rooms and an operating suite, and the units have the capacity for telemedicine, allowing clinicians onsite to access online resources.

The company has recently set up a new division called Mobile Response Units to focus on producing and delivering the clinics. These units could also be useful in providing routine healthcare for isolated and low-resource rural communities.

Medgadget had the opportunity to ask World Housing Solution CEO, Ron Ben-Zeev, some questions about the concept.

Conn Hastings, Medgadget: Please give us an overview of the types of structures World Housing Solution provides, and their applications.

Ron Ben-Zeev, World Housing Solution: We produce Rapidly Deployable Shelters (RDS). These prefabricated quick-deploy buildings use our proprietary panels and leveling foundation systems. We build buildings and when you think about it, every building can become homes, offices, clinics, schools, latrines, barracks, dorms and I could go on. However, our value is not in what our buildings become, but how we make our buildings. For eight years WHS has been designing and manufacturing structures that can be rapidly deployed and re-deployed as needed. Think of us as Ikea meets construction. Imagine the materials for a 5000 square foot building arriving on site and moving in the next day. In addition, our buildings have superior insulation over traditional construction and are far superior to container or tent solutions. Our shelters are resistant to mold, mildew, fire, pests, insects, and high winds. Then you cap that off with the fact that for every 25 watts of energy it takes to operate a one square foot of a tent you can operate an equivalent size WHS building for 5 watts per square foot. A 7 to 1 energy efficiency makes it easy to understand our value. Finally, our buildings can be taken down without leaving a foot print moved and set up somewhere else.

We also manufacture Mobile Response Unit (MRU). This brings a brand-new tool in the fight for quick disaster response or long-term prepositioning of assets that can be easily deployed. These are for the rapid response community. They provide almost 200 square feet of clean, air-conditioned space that can be towed with a pickup truck and brings their own utilities with them. They are the perfect solution for any austere environment like weve all seen left behind in the wake of a disaster. Water, power, communication, can all be part of our Elastic Grid allowing the Mobile Response Units to share resources. This means a response camp can easily increase or decrease capacity as you add or remove MRUs.

Medgadget: How did the idea for mobile clinics come about? Was there one incident that inspired the idea or highlighted the need for mobile healthcare?

Ron Ben-Zeev: Our buildings have always had the ability to become clinics and when the latest challenges in deploying sustainable, off the grid, ADA compliant clinics that can be moved simply came along, we worked with a subject matter expert. He spent over 30 years developing, amongst other things, hundreds of Ambulatory Surgery Centers and published articles on emergency response. In 2014, we worked together to develop an Ebola Response camp using our buildings and a solution he was developing for the medical surge community. In January of this year he came to WHS with a significant challenge. FEMA and the Puerto Rican Department of health responded to a white paper he wrote and was requesting a solution that given the current technology in mobile medical response was not possible. The design build team of WHS brainstormed with Tony Cowan and what we produced was Clinics on Wheels. We made Tony an offer to come on board with us and he is now our Director of Emergency Response Technology.

The lessons learned from Clinics on wheels gave us a set of skills that produced our new divisions called Mobile Response Units (MRUs) which can cover a wider array of services beyond medical. Now Clinics on Wheels is strictly for medical clinics and MRUs are mobile communications centers, command centers, housing, latrines, or any other non-medical resource a response camp could need.

Medgadget: Where have the clinics been deployed so far? How did the operations go?

Ron Ben-Zeev: WHS Clinics have deployed to Texas during Harvey, running off the grid on batteries and solar, then back to Florida for Maria and Irma and of course the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Most recently we are working with the resiliency efforts in the Carolinas supporting non-profit groups in delivering supplies. WHS maintains an inventory of available buildings and MRUs that can be requested by FEMA or municipalities as needed. For Puerto Rico, our fellow Americans on the Island of Vieques received three Clinics. One included an OB-GYN room with pediatric care. The second was a general exam room with mobile x-ray and telemedicine. The third was a dentist office with two dental surgery chairs. They all can run off their own solar and battery power and are ADA compliant. They were delivered over OFF ROAD conditions with a simple pickup truck. The level of gratitude the people showed was indescribable. We are currently working to find funding solutions for the mountainous regions of Puerto Rico as we have received many requests for more Clinics on Wheels. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the next set of clinics and already produced a version 1.5 of the clinical platform. That MRU will be going on tour stopping in Quantico and DC over the next month. Finally, we are developing version 2.0 that will be even lighter and stronger allowing us to put in more power, water and communications and get those resources to even harder to reach places.

Medgadget: What was the biggest challenge in designing the units? Was it difficult to balance their small size and need for rapid fabrication with the need to include a variety of bulky medical equipment and supplies?

Ron Ben-Zeev: Some of the hurdles we had to overcome were significant. The medical response industry is full of RVs, buses, re-built containers and tractor trailers. Not one of these options could have been deployed to the area of need in Puerto Rico in the time required. People think about mobile and do not realize most mobile response requires a significant amount of logistical support. That is a big deal when you think about the fact that in emergency response one of the first breakdowns is logistics. MRUs can go off road and be pulled by a pickup because they are rugged and light. We had to keep the weight under 10,000 pounds so pickups driven by a volunteer could deliver our assets. We were able to do that because our team has a dynamic set of skills; Paul Cairney our VP of Operations worked for one of the leading trailer manufacturers in the world and that insight was key to creating a light ADA compliant platform. The integration of equipment is really about utilities and weight management. Composite materials and smart space design are the secret sauce that make the MRU possible.

Medgadget: Please elaborate on the telemedicine aspect of the units. How does this expand the options available to clinicians?

Ron Ben-Zeev: There is no doubt that Mobile medicine is now a growing industry both in the US and abroad. It reduces the burden placed on our over taxed emergency rooms and provides care in underserved communities. Healthcare deserts exist in the US as well. With Telemedicine and our MRUs or Clinics on Wheels, you have the ability to bring specialists into our mobile response units as needed. With Telemedicine it really does not matter how far an individual needing care is from the hospital, they can look into the eyes of a doctor like they are in an emergency room, and that doctor can see the patient and share diagnostic information like they are there in the MRU. For instance, Florida Hospital through the Nicholson Center, was invaluable in providing the knowledge and expertise to make telemedicine possible for the clinics in Puerto Rico. They not only provided the equipment but are currently funding the satellite link that connects the CDT on the island of Vieques to the Centro Medico Hospital in the city of San Juan.

Medgadget: The units also have potential for routine healthcare in underserved and isolated communities. Are there any plans to apply the units in this context?

Ron Ben-Zeev: Ten years ago, the idea of a Doctor making a house call ever again was unimaginable, but telemedicine makes all the benefits of a house call possible virtually. The MRU is designed to make it easy for this technology to get out to the people who can benefit the most from it. As hospitals implement telemedicine overtime, there will be a dramatic increase in health care availability and decreases in cost. To help hospitals and the Health Department make this happen we have created a lease program for the MRU and Telemedicine. This will dramatically reduce the upfront cost to acquire this life changing technology, stretching the cost out over a longer period, allowing the MRU to generate the revenue to pay for itself.

Link: World Housing SolutionNutrigenomics Market  Scenario

The market for nutrigenomics is growing at a tremendous pace. The market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 16.8% during the forecast period and is estimated to reach USD 17,313.5 million by 2023. Neutrigenomics is the study of interaction of nutrient and genes. It studies the effect of food and their constituents on the genes.

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The major factors contributing for the growth of the market are rising diabetic and obese population, increasing applications in dermatology, and increasing demand for the advanced diagnostic methods.

According to the International Diabetes Federation (2016), 420 million adults were suffering from diabetes which is expected to reach 625 million by 2040. Further, as per the World Health Organization (2014), more than 600 million adults were obese and 1.9 billion adults, were overweight.

Moreover, increasing healthcare expenditure, and government support for research & development has fueled the market growth. However, high cost of treatment and need of well qualified physicians may restrain the growth of market.

Topmost Players:

WellGen

Metagenics

Genomix Nutrition

Nutrigenomix

And Others.

Nutrigenomics Market Segmentation

Global nutrigenomics market involves delving into the various market segments so as to accurately predict growth. This market has been segmented on the basis of products, techniques and application.

On the basis of products, the market has been segmented into reagents & kits and services.

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On the basis of techniques, the market has been segmented into saliva, buccal swab, blood and others.

On the basis of application the market has been segmented into obesity, diabetes, anti-aging and chronic diseases. Obesity is the largest market segment owing to sedimentary lifestyles, unhealthy food choices. Certain medical conditions that casue obesity may also be treated with nutrigenomics.

Nutrigenomics Market  Regional Analysis:

A regional assessment of the global market includes the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa.

The Americas currently have the largest regional market segment, largely owing to the regions inclusion of developed economies such as U.S. and Canada. These countries have swiftly adopted the latest technolgy and have a high occurence of patients suffering from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes. This region also has a high percentage of obesity. The market carries a wide scope in this region due to these factors and the region is expected to hold its lead during the forecast period.

Europe follows closely behind the Americas, due to a similar growth pattern. A strong adopton of technology, a well-developed healthcare & medical research sector and a prevelance of lifestyle diseases has made this the second largest regional market segment globally. Europe is expected to grow at 17% CAGR during the forecast period.

Asia Pacific is projected to grow rapidly during 2017  2023, this is owing to the increasing awareness of health and treatments, increased spending on healthcare and a demand for holistic treatments. APACs nutrigenomics market share is expected to grow at 17.1 CAGR during the forecast period.

Middle East and Africa are expected to witness restrained growth due to the presence of the African continent where malnutrition and poverty are commonplace. However, growth is expected for the Middle East due to the developed countried in this area such as Qatar and U.A.E experienceing a rise in obesity and lifestyle diseases.

Key Findings:

Obesity segment accounts for the largest market share in the global nutrigenomics market while diabetes segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.1% during the forecast period from 2017  2023.

Reagents and kits segment accounts for the largest market share in the global nutrigenomics market by products, this segment is expected to reach USD 10,138.7 in 2023

Americas market is expected to reach USD 6,316.4 by 2023

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Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comThe Analysis presents the study of Worldwide Wearable Heart Monitoring Devices facilitating the regional and country wise analysis covering the strategic analysis of each market player and the market share they hold

The Global Wearable Heart Monitoring Devices Market is expected to grow at an approximate CAGR of 9.86% during the forecast period.

Key players for global wearable heart monitoring devices market:

The key players for the global wearable heart monitoring devices market are Medtronic (U.S.), Kinetec Products UK Ltd. (South America), Beurer GmbH (Europe), Medisana AG (Europe), Briggs Healthcare (U.S.), Polar Electro (Europe), SUUNTO (Europe), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Europe), Garmin Ltd. (Europe), and others.

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Market Scenario:

Digital revolution and the rapid development of the information technology has transformed virtually every industry and healthcare industry is no exception. Recently, novel devices for wireless monitoring have emerged and begun to be integrated with cardiac patient care. This has led to the development of wearable heart monitoring devices market. By set-up, a majority of the wearable heart monitoring devices consists of wearable monitoring device and a portable data transmission device which transmits real time medical data for analysis. According to the National Health Service in 2015, an average American is constantly connected via high bandwidth to a vast network of data and sophisticated digital platforms with over 90% of American adults owning a cell phone and 55% having smart phones. Such exploitation of the technology has facilitated the development of mobile phones based wearable heart monitoring devices. Cardiac conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AFib) requires extensive and continuous monitoring.

Conventionally, Holter monitoring is exploited for the same. But since the technology is expensive and risks of missing arrhythmias are associated, a number of new and effective technologies for wireless monitoring are devised which has facilitated the market growth. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017, 2.7-6.1 million people in the United States have AFib. Moreover, it is reported that more than 750,000 hospitalizations occur each year in the U.S. because of AFib, accounting to the estimated medical cost for people who have AFib to be about USD 8,705 per person. Such trends in the prevalence of AFib along with high per capita healthcare expenditures in the developed countries and growing geriatric population is estimated to boost the market growth during the forecasted period. However, lack of awareness for the products, low healthcare expenditures in the developing countries and stringent FDA approvals will restrain the market growth during the forecasted period.

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Segmentation:

The global wearable heart monitoring devices is segmented on the basis of products, type, application, and end users.

On the basis of products, the market is segmented as electric pulse based, optical technology based, and others. The electric pulse based segment is sub-segmented into chest straps, chest patches and others. The optical technology based segment, by product, is further segmented into smart watches, earphones, and others. On the basis of type, the market is categorised into chargeable, non-chargeable, bluetooth enabled, and others. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into healthcare, consumer market, and others. On the basis of end users, the market is segmented into hospitals, retail pharmacies, academic institutes, and others.

Regional Analysis:

America dominates the global wearable heart monitoring devices market owing to a well-developed healthcare sector and a highly developed information technology sector. Moreover, high prevalence of AFib diseases, increasing healthcare expenditure have boosted the growth of the market in America. Moreover, the presence of developed economies like the U.S. and Canada and global players such as Medtronic, Briggs Healthcare within the regional boundaries fuels the market growth.

Europe is the second largest market for wearable heart monitoring devices, which is followed by Asia Pacific. Availability of funds for research, well developed healthcare infrastructure, huge patient population and government support for research & development will drive the market in the Europe.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for the market due to the presence of developing economies like India and China within the region which have increasing healthcare expenditures. This along with favourable government policies will boost the market growth in the presence of huge opportunity for the untapped market within the region.

The Middle East & Africa has the least share in the global wearable heart monitoring devices market due to presence of poor economies especially in the African region. Majority of the market of the Middle & Africa region is held by the Middle East due to a well-developed healthcare sector and huge healthcare expenditure by the presence of regional economies like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar within the region.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Chapter 1. Report Prologue

Chapter 2. Market Introduction

2.1 Definition

2.2 Scope of The Study

2.2.1 Research Objective

2.2.2 Assumptions

2.2.3 Limitations

Chapter 3. Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Primary Research

3.3 Secondary Research

3.4 Market Size Estimation

Chapter 4. Market Dynamics

4.1 Drivers

4.2 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by Larissa Faw , September 24, 2018

Omnicom's Bright Red is hiring Liz Paradise as the agency's first creative director to oversee the 16-person department for creative and content development.

"It is her job to continue to erase the lines between traditional, digital and social media content and get our clients and the agency the attention and results they deserve," says an agency spokesperson. The agency's roster includes Domino Sugar, Pilot Pen, Hunter Fan, Dollywood, Cooper Tires, TaxSlayer and Gold Toe Socks.

Paradise joins the Tallahassee, Florida-based shop after spending more than two decades at McKinney in Durham, N.C.

Most recently, she was the director, creative at Disneys Yellow Shoes in Orlando.Walmart Acquires Cornershop Grocery Delivery Service

Mexico City - In Mexico, traditional retailers are increasing investments in logistics, technology and product offerings to meet the growing demand for online shopping, including in the food and drink sector.

Earlier this month, Walmart announced a $225 million acquisition of Cornershop, a marketplace for online demand deliveries from grocery stores, pharmacies and specialty food retailers in Mexico and Chile. Walmart said the deal is a step forward in trying to accelerate the company's omnichannel capabilities while boosting growth in Latin America.

"We are focused on making life easier for customers and associates by building strong local businesses, powered by Walmart," said Judith McKenna, president and CEO of Walmart International. "Cornershop's digital expertise, technology and capabilities will strengthen our successful businesses in Mexico and Chile and provide learning for other markets in which we operate.

"This is an opportunity to leverage both of our brands, as well as Walmart's strong supply chain and store network. Combining Cornershop's innovative, crowdsourced delivery platform with Walmart's unique assets will allow us to accelerate growth for both companies, delighting our customers by saving them both time and money. We are excited to welcome Cornershop to the Walmart family."

Walmart said Cornershop is a leading online marketplace for crowdsourced, on-demand delivery in Mexico and Chile and is rapidly building scale, with the number of unique users doubling in the past 12 months. Cornershop's founders, CEO Oskar Hjertonsson, COO Daniel Undurraga and CTO Juan Pablo Cuevas, and their teams, will continue to lead the business.

McKenna said Cornershop will remain an open platform that will continue to deliver from a variety of retailers, extending the convenience and availability of food, health and wellness and packaged goods for customers in Mexico and Chile. The deal is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close by the end of the year.

In Mexico, Cornershop will operate under Walmart's subsidiary Walmex and offer users goods at the same prices as in the company's physical stores, initially in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.

Read the full article on talkbusiness.net.by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, September 24, 2018

The Interactive Advertising Bureau, which has long argued that the industry should be allowed to regulate itself on privacy, now says lawmakers should consider "sensible" legislation.

"A uniform federal privacy standard could provide clarity, market certainty, and add fuel to future innovation, while preserving the value and benefit that online advertising brings to the internet ecosystem," David Grimaldi, executive vice president for public policy, says in a letter sent Monday to leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee.

"The exponential growth and innovation in the digital advertising industry over the last decade has been revolutionary for consumers," the letter states. "However, additional work must be done to promote consumer trust and safety. We believe the time is now to consider sensible legislation to address these pressing challenges."

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The letter comes two days before representatives from Google, AT&T, Twitter and other tech companies are slated to testify at a Senate hearing about privacy. Federal lawmakers have previously examined online privacy without passing legislation. But recent events -- including the revelation that political consultancy Cambridge Analytica harvested data from up to 87 million Facebook users -- have sparked a new push for regulations.

Grimaldi says the IAB hopes to help shape any potential legislation.

"The backbone of the internet economy is at stake here, and we just have to think before we act," he tells MediaPost.

"When pen gets taken to paper," he adds, "we just want to make sure the collection and use of data isn't altered."

He elaborates that the industry is particularly eager to avoid federal legislation that could mimic Europe's General Data Protection Regulation -- which requires ad companies to obtain consumers' opt-in consent in many circumstances -- and California's recently enacted privacy law.

The ad industry's current self-regulatory program requires companies to notify consumers about online tracking -- or the collection of data across multiple sites and apps. The self-regulatory principles require companies to obtain consumers' explicit consent before serving them targeted ads based on financial information, data about medical conditions or other information that the industry considers "sensitive." The principles also require companies to allow consumers to opt out of receiving ads targeted based on "non-sensitive" data.

California's new law, slated to take effect in 2020, allows consumers to learn what personal information about them is held by businesses, and to opt out of the sale of that information. Soon after California passed the law, tech companies reportedly began pressing Congress to develop a federal privacy law that would trump individual state laws.

The IAB says in its letter that privacy regulations "should provide meaningful consumer controls that are technologically neutral, proportionate to consumer risk, and encourage industry best practices."

The organization adds it's concerned that the GDPR and the new law in California "will result in a patchwork of varying state laws and consumer confusion, and would negatively impact the online user experience."by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, September 24, 2018

Artificial intelligence is the foundation for all of Googles search strategies, and on Monday the company announced new features to celebrate its twentieth anniversary.

Ben Gomes, vice president of search, news and Google Assistant, explained in a post that the company has begun to move away from answers and toward journeys, from search queries and toward query-less discovery based on artificial intelligence, and from text to more visual ways of finding content.

As part of the three fundamental shifts Gomes describes, Google is launching major updates to its search experience, including a new name, a fresh look, and a brand new set of features.

Last year, Google introduced the feed to serve content even when the user is not searching. More than 800 million people use the feed monthly.

Now the feed has a new name: Discover. Topic headers will explain the process that leads someone to see a particular Card in Discover before diving deeper into the theme.

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Discover uses what Google calls a topic layer to serve related content. Other technology that uses this topic layer includes Activity Cards and Improved Collections. With these feathers, people searching will have the ability to save pages to their Collections section from Activity Cards.

Suggested or related topics will also appear. Tying in those related topics, Google said it will add a topic layer to its knowledge graph.

The Topic Layer is built by analyzing the content that exists on the web for a given topic to develop hundreds and thousands of subtopics, allowing Google to identify the most relevant articles and videos. The technology then looks for patterns to understand how these subtopics relate to each other, to more accurately serve the type of content the person searching might want to see.

Someone searching for information about a Pug dog will see different content than someone searching for information on a terrier, for example.

Since one of Googles strategies is to move the engine away from text and toward visual, the company plans to make content more useful by adding to search results a feature called AMP stores, a visual mobile format that includes video and allows publishers to build Snapchat-like flipbooks.

Google has also announced Google Lens, a visual search tool. Similar to the Google Lens app in Google Photos and the Google Search app for iOS, Lens in Google Images will analyze and detect objects such as landmarks and clothing based on a snapshot.Threatening the stability of Facebooks most prized property, Instagram cofounders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger announced their imminent departures on Monday.

Still involved in the social network they sold to Facebook in 2012, Systrom and Krieger have since served as CEO and chief technical officer of Instagram.

Were now ready for our next chapter, Systrom said in a blog post, speaking on behalf of Krieger and himself. Without revealing any specifics, Systrom said he and Krieger plan to build "things" at some point in the future.

Were planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again, Systrom said. Building new things requires that we step back, understand what inspires us and match that with what the world needs.

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Exactly when Systrom and Krieger plan to put in their last days at Instagram remains unclear, and Facebook has yet to name their replacements.

According to The New York Times -- which broke the news -- Facebook executives were only made aware of Systrom and Kriegers decision to depart on Monday.

Facebook has a history of clashing with the leaders of companies it acquires.

On the news that WhatsApp cofounder Jan Koum was leaving Facebook earlier this year, sources told The Washington Post that a power struggle was partially responsible for the departure.

Facebooks acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion remains one of the biggest steals in tech history. Indeed, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jitendra Waral recently estimated that Instagram is now worth over $100 billion.

With roughly 1 billion monthly active users and growing, Waral calculated that Instagram will take in more than $10 billion in revenue over the next 12 months.

The share of revenue that Instagram contributes to Facebook is set to rise from about 10% to 16%, year-over-year, according eMarketer.by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, September 25, 2018

On the eve of a Senate hearing addressing online privacy, the Commerce Department issued a call for comments about the topic.

"The time is ripe for this Administration to provide the leadership needed to ensure that the United States remains at the forefront of enabling innovation with strong privacy protections," the National Telecommunications and Information Administration writes.

The NTIA says the administration wants to move away from the current notice-and-choice framework -- which often involves presenting people with lengthy privacy policies and allowing them to opt out of certain uses of their data -- to a so-called "risk-based approach."

"The desired outcome is a reasonably informed user, empowered to meaningfully express privacy preferences, as well as products and services that are inherently designed with appropriate privacy protections, particularly in business contexts in which relying on user intervention may be insufficient to manage privacy risks," the NTIA writes. "Using a risk-based approach, the collection, use, storage, and sharing of personal data should be reasonable and appropriate to the context. Similarly, user transparency, control, and access should be reasonable and appropriate relative to context."

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The NTIA's proposal, like the upcoming Senate hearing, comes as recent controversies -- including Cambridge Analytica's harvesting of data from up to 87 million Facebook users -- are fueling momentum for new privacy laws.

The federal initiative is also driven by Europe's General Data Protection Regulation -- which requires ad companies to obtain consumers' opt-in consent in many circumstances -- and California's recently enacted privacy law.

California's law, slated to take effect in 2020, will allow consumers to learn what personal information about them is held by businesses, and to opt out of the sale of that information. Soon after California passed the law, tech companies reportedly began pressing Congress to develop a federal privacy law that would trump individual state laws.

The NTIA says it hopes a new federal framework will result in a less fragmented approach in the U.S.

"A growing number of foreign countries, and some U.S. states, have articulated distinct visions for how to address privacy concerns, leading to a nationally and globally fragmented regulatory landscape," the agency writes. "The Administration hopes to articulate a renewed vision, one that reduces fragmentation nationally and increases harmonization and interoperability nationally and globally."by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, September 25, 2018

Federal lawmakers should avoid passing a national privacy law that would trump powerful existing laws in states like California, Illinois and Vermont, the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation says.

"If Congress enacts data privacy legislation that is weaker than the existing state data privacy laws, and simultaneously preempts the stronger state data privacy laws, the result will be a massive step backwards for user privacy," the EFF says in a letter to leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee.

That committee is slated to question representatives from Google, Twitter, Amazon and other tech companies at a Wednesday hearing about online privacy. At least some of those companies are expected to urge Congress to pass a federal privacy law that effectively eliminates individual state laws.

Earlier this week, the ad group Interactive Advertising Bureau also said it now supports a national privacy law, arguing that different regulations in different locales "will result in a patchwork of varying state laws and consumer confusion, and would negatively impact the online user experience."

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But the EFF says that "weak federal legislation that preempts stronger state legislation would be far worse than doing nothing."

The group notes that three states -- California, Illinois and Vermont -- have already passed privacy laws.

California's new Consumer Privacy Act, slated to take effect in 2020, allows consumers to learn what personal information about them is held by businesses, and to opt out of the sale of that information. In May, Vermont passed a number of requirements on data brokers, including a requirement to disclose whether they allow consumers to opt out of having their information collected, stored or sold. And in Illinois, a biometric privacy law requires companies to obtain consumers' written consent before storing data like faceprints and retinal scans.

"The people of these and other states would suffer if Congress enacts a weak consumer privacy law that preempts these stronger consumer privacy laws," the EFF writes.Samsung has been slowly losing market share in India this year and even after launching a wide range of products, the company has been unable to recapture the lost share.

While the recently launched OnePlus 6, ASUS ZenFone 5Z, and Xiaomi's POCO F1 have been selling like hot cakes, the A7 (2018) is Samsung's answer to the midrange demand.

Launched today in India, the phone's unique selling point is its triple camera setup on the rear. We've seen a similar setup previously on the Huawei P20 Pro, but that is a top-tier flagship. While Vivo and OPPO are working around sliding camera mechanism and testing out various notch sizes, Samsung wants to amp up the photography department in midrange phones.

 MensXP

Starting off with the design, the A7 (2018) follows the same Samsung design language that feels premium, thanks to the glass backing. The first major change you'll notice is the absence of the fingerprint scanner from the back, it has been shifted to the side and integrated with the power button, something we've seen in Sony Xperia phones in the past.

The phone has a 6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display that has an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. The phone is powered by an octa-core processor that is clocked at 2.0Ghz along with 4 or 6GB of RAM, depending on variant. The internal storage has a 64GB and 128GB option that is expandable via a microSD card.

 Samsung

Coming to the cameras, the rear setup consists of a 24-megapixel autofocus f/1.7 sensor, a 5-megapixel f/2.2 depth sensor, and an 8-megapixel wide angle f/2.4 sensor. Samsung says the three in tandem produce some of the best pictures in the segment. The front of the phone has a 24-megapixel sensor for selfies along with a LED flash for low-light pictures.

Backing the phone is a 3300mAh battery that charges via a USB-C port. The onboard sensors include an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and an RGB light sensor.

The phone is available in Blue, Black, Gold, and Pink colour options and will be sold exclusively online via Flipkart. It is priced at Rs 23,990 for the 64GB variant and Rs 28,990 for the 128GB variant.I think that Nikos said it all. Let me just add that we have agreed, from the joint trip we took to the Middle East, to establish a secretariat for the trilateral cooperation schemes, based in Cyprus of course, which will strengthen the latter's geopolitical role. I am very pleased that so many major powers in the world now approach Cyprus not as a UN problem, but mainly as a country of great geostrategic and geopolitical importance, and you are well aware that my dream is for a free, unified Cyprus.I've been a journalist for more than 35 years.

It has been an amazing career that has boldly taken me were most average citizens rarely get to go. As a writer, the power of the pen has granted me access to some wonderful adventures.

I've gotten to tour and write about some fabulous historic homes in the Thumb, and have written about some awesome people who ended up becoming a friend.

A recent feature story I wrote brought back some childhood memories.

I was allowed a first look by Doug and Chris Deming who opened Cornerstone Venture LLC and its Sportsman's Haven Museum in downtown Sebewaing before they officially opened.

The business is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday from April through Christmas. It is located in the former Myers and Riedel building, which was built in 1863, located at 4. N. Center St.

Along with the many well-organized antiques and historic hunting and fishing display in the museum, the business features and ol' fashion penny candy counter. The candy is sold by the quarter-, half-, and pound.

The Demings asked me what candy I remembered best from my childhood. Back in those days, getting a "piece" of candy was a special treat and kind of a big deal. The first candy I remember buying was a chocolate covered cherry.

There used to be a store in Colling. For some reason, my father had business there that didn't involve driving a tractor to the elevator next-door to the store.

Whatever it was that he had to do, it took longer than he expected. I was sitting in a hot 1950 Chrysler where I was just tall enough to see outside of the side window. Because it was hot and taking my father longer than he anticipated, he took pity on me and gave me a nickel to get some candy. That was the first time, I tasted chocolate covered cherries. It was the best thing I had ever tasted.

I still remember going into the dimly lit Colling store with its squeaky wooden floors. I was so excited because it was such a rare treat to get candy, much less to be able to make the decision myself to choose what I wanted.

Although the Cornerstone Venture and its Sportsman's Haven Museum doesn't carry chocolate candy because the store doesn't have air conditioning, they have plenty of other candy.

They have peppermint candy like my grandfather used to carry in his pocket to give us grandkids, and root-beer candy shaped like barrels. I really liked those because my parents didn't waste money on items that were not necessities so root beer candy was the closest I got to having a "sarsaparilla soda."

I bought a bag of the store's candy. As I sampled the candies, I remembered my childhood of my grandfather's peppermints and sucking on root beer barrel candy on warm summer days.

Among the store's antiques, is the "Blue Line Dairy Bar," sign that used to hang over a malt shop on Union Street. It was a popular hangout in the 1950s and 60s, and the site of many first dates for teens throughout the Thumb area. I still remember my first, first date there and the malt we shared.

The Demings plan to offer ice cream, shakes, malts, and banana splits soon. When they do, I'll be in line for another memory.

Mary Drier, a veteran journalist, writes a bi-weekly column for the Huron Daily Tribune.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.MIDDLETOWN  The Middlesex County Historical Society will hold its 33rd Annual Car Show and Flea Market, Sunday, Oct. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This year, the show will feature a 1949 Ford Custom Convertible. This burgundy colored all- stock beauty has won many awards including the Dearborn Award and, most recently, the Grand National First from the American Automobile Classic Association. The show will be held at Palmer Field adjacent to Washington Street, Route 66, in Middletown. Car registration begins at 8:30 am and judging starts at 11:30 am. Trophies made by the committee will be awarded to the top 30 vehicles at 2:30 pm. General admission is $3 and children 12 and under are free. Car registration is $10. Although cars registered for judging must be dated 1993 or older, there is no cut-off date for cars being placed in the car corral.

In 1949, Ford Motors made more than one million cars of which more than 60,000 were convertibles. The 1949 Fords were the first all-new automobile design introduced by the Big Three after World War II, civilian production having been suspended during the war. Popularly called the Shoebox Ford for its slab-sided, ponton design, the 1949 Ford is credited both with saving Ford and ushering in modern streamlined car design with changes such as integrated fenders.

The featured cars owner is Burt Schwartz. His first car was a 1949 Ford, with a sleek line, white wall tires, chrome engine and a continental tire on the back. When he retired, he went on a quest to find his 49 Ford. He was finally successful in 2003 and restored it down to the proper screws and bolts. As a Ford collector, he thinks it is one of the finest combination Fords ever produced. In addition to its many awards, it has appeared in a full-length movie written by Wally Lamb and shown on the Hallmark Channel.

Flea market spaces are $15 and the market opens at 7 a.m. For more information, call the Society at 860-346-0746.

CMS offering music tech workshop

CENTERBROOK  Community Music School will be offering its Introduction to Music Technology Workshop this fall, to be held Oct. 13, 10 a.m. to 12:30 pm. It will provide an introduction and overview of the digital age that covers all that is needed to get started with music technology. The workshop is open to the public and costs just $40 for a 1.5 hour hands-on workshop. Ages 11 through adult, all skill levels, no experience necessary.

This one-day workshop will cover the basics of music software programs, songwriting, music production, midi files, and music on the Internet. The three main programs demoed include: Audacity (recording/sequencing) GarageBand (recording/production), Sibelius (recording/notation). The presentation will be on an Apple computer. Taught with an interactive focus, questions and answers, and fun musical examples. Music Technology assists the musician or composer to make or perform music; to compose, notate, play back or record songs or pieces; or to analyze or edit music digitally.

This program is led by CMS Faculty Member and Music Director Tom Briggs. he studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and received his BA in Music Education, Summa Cum Laude, at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Briggs retired in 2009 from the United States Coast Guard Band after 30 years of service. He was the principal percussionist, arranger/composer, and musical director of the Coast Guard Masters of Swing jazz septet. he is also an award-winning published composer. He has written and arranged many works for all types of musical ensembles, from symphonic winds to percussion, chamber groups and jazz ensembles. In the field of education, he has published a beginning-intermediate piano method book, two drum-set and two snare drum method books.

For information or to register, visit www.community-music-school.org or call 860-767-0026.

Hip Hop dance class

DEEP RIVER Elizabeth Florentine from the Dance Corner will be at the Deep River Public Library Wednesday Oct. 3, 4:30  5:15 p.m. to give a hip hop dance class suitable for grade school boys and girls. Registration is required for this event and islimited to 15 participants. Children must be between the ages of 6 - 10 years old. To register, go to http://deepriverlibrary.accountsupport.comand click on our monthly calendar, or call the library at 860-526-6039.

Alzheimers Support Group to begin

MIDDLETOWN  Waters Edge Center for Health & Rehabilitation, located at 111 Church Street, Middletown will host a monthly Alzheimers Support Group on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 6-7pm. For more information, contact Memory Care Program Director Gina Smith, LPN at 860.347.7286. The first meeting will be held Oct. 9.

Waters Edge is a National Health Care Associates facility. National has been privileged to serve thousands of Alzheimers/memory care patients and families for over 34 years, and is honored to partner with the Alzheimers Association, Connecticut Chapter in supporting residents dealing with the effects of Alzheimers disease or related dementia.

Recovery group Fridays in Portland

PORTLAND  New Life Journey is a faith based recovery support community comprised of people from all walks of life who recognize that although our experiences shape and mold us, we are not limited to or defined by our stories. Recovery is not a term exclusive to substance abuse  it is applicable to all humans.

The group meets Fridays at 7 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church 345 Main Street, Portland. For more information email: Admin@NewLifeJourneyCT.com.

Middletown recovery support group

MIDDLETOWN  New Life Journey is a faith based recovery support community, comprised of people from all walks of life who recognize that although experiences shape and mold them, they are not limited to or defined by their stories. The group meets on Fridays from 7-8:30 p.m. at First Church, 190 Court Street, Middletown. For information, email Admin@NewLifeJourneyCT.com.EAST HAMPTON  The Board of Education has rejected a compromise Superintendent of Schools Paul K. Smith had proposed in an effort to end the continuing budget impasse.

Smith, in conjunction with Town Manager Michael Maniscalco, had proposed reallocating some $240,000 budgeted in the capital account to purchase safety locks for the various schools, to purchase Chromebooks for sixth graders, and to fill two teaching position that had been eliminated.

The proposal was crafted by the two officials in wake of the third defeat of the general government budget last week.

However, all but one of the school board members were unmoved Monday by Smiths arguments in favor of the proposal  which were buttressed by Maniscalco. Instead, the board, with the exception of member Mark Lambert, who had previously served as finance board chairman; argued for a proposal that dates back to early summer.

That plan would allocate $250,000 to hire three teachers, with the funds coming from general taxation. Smith and board Chairman Christopher Goff are expected to present that proposal to the Board of Finance when it meets Wednesday night.

My hope is that reasonable heads will prevail, Maniscalco said Tuesday.

That hope may be dashed, however.

In yet another indication of how increasingly fraught the relationship between education supporters, the Town Council and finance board has become, a parent at Mondays meeting complained she and her fellow supporters were being bullied by the council and the board.

I think this proposal is a slap in our face, Jennifer Palma said. The actions of the council and the board are disgusting, she added.

The original school board budget was hijacked by the town council and the Board of Finance, Reena Johnson charged. Whats happening in this town is outrageous. I expect the Board of Education to put up a fight.

Board member Jeff Carlson took up that argument, saying, The town didnt get to vote on our original budget. It was hacked to pieces.

The initial proposed budget for education , which called for a 3.73 percent increase, was reduced by the finance board to a 1.5 percent increase. By state law, only the school board can decide which specific items in the school budget can be reduced.

Several parents continued to argue that the finance board and the council must reverse a policy of viewing rejection of a budget as a sign the budget must be cut. The parents said they voted no to demand more money be added into the education budget.

Johnson said residents were being gamed by the council and the finance boards continuing decision to reduce the budget.

Finance Board Chairman Dr. Richard A. Brown was not at the meeting. But he was nonetheless distressed by reports of what occurred  and what was said. I dont believe one town department should have a blank check. The town has other needs, he said Tuesday morning. Our job is to balance all the needs of all of the town and of all the town departments.

Unless this impasse can be resolved, The town will definitely suffer, and thats not in the interest of anyone, he said.

Maniscalco warned Monday night another defeat of the town budget would create serious problems for residents: The situation we face is going to spread all across the town.

In just one instance, the town would lack funds necessary for overtime that would allow highway crews to plow snow at night or on weekends, he warned. We could all do better. But were now faced with a fourth referendum. We cant go back and redo the past.

If the impasse were not resolved, the town could go for a year without a budget, with dire consequences across the board, he said.

In an appearance earlier Monday evening before a PTO, Maniscalco urged residents to be cautious about what they read on social media. We need to step back and think about where we are getting our information from.People need to get their information from facts, not from spin and hearsay.

Reporter Jeff Mill covers East Hampton, Cromwell and Portland for the Middletown Press. Contact him at jeff.mill@hearstmediact.com.Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday warned Iran against threatening the U.S. with retaliation for a terror attack over the weekend that killed at least 25.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have charged that the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Israel were behind the attack Saturday in the oil province of Khuzestan and vowed to "take revenge," but Mattis said it was "ludicrous to suggest we had anything to do with it."

He warned that the U.S. is prepared to respond against any Iranian attempt to move against its forces in the region.

"We've been clear; they shouldn't take us on like that," Mattis said at an informal session with defense reporters at the Pentagon.

Funerals were held Monday for victims of the attack in the southwestern city of Ahvaz by gunmen disguised as soldiers, who opened fire on a military parade and reportedly killed 25 and wounded 60. It is believed to be the deadliest act of terrorism in Iran in more than a decade.

Mourners chanted "Death to the U.S." and "Death to Israel," casting blame for the attack that came as Iran faces unrest over its faltering economy, withdrawal of the U.S. from the international agreement to limit Iran's nuclear programs, and the threat of additional U.S. sanctions in November.

Ahvaz is home to a large and restive Sunni Arab population whose activists have pressed for separation from overwhelmingly Shiite Iran, but Hassan Salami, acting commander of the Revolutionary Guards, said at a funeral for one of the victims that Iran would "take revenge" against the U.S. and its allies.

"You are responsible for these actions; you will face the repercussions," Salami said of the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported. "We warn all of those behind the story, we will take revenge."

In response, Mattis said, "It would be good if they knew what they were talking about," adding that he hoped "cooler and wiser heads would prevail."

At the funerals, Iranian Intelligence Minister Seyed Mahmoud Alavi said the gunmen who opened fire on the parade had been killed and a number of their accomplices had been arrested, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"A major part of them have been captured, and they will be identified to the last person," Alavi said.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.Navy corpsmen will no longer be exempt from Marine first sergeants' orders to police their mustaches.

Sailors wearing Marine Corps uniforms are now subject to that service's grooming standards, officials announced Friday in a slew of new standards announcements. That could mean corpsmen, chaplains and other Navy personnel sporting those Marine-pattern cammies might need to hit the barber shop for their first high-and-tight haircut.

Also on the way are new safety boots, slacks and skirts for officers and chief petty officers, and the go-ahead to wear the coyote-brown ball cap with certain uniforms.

Here's what sailors need to know about the new policies.

USMC regs for some

Any sailor sporting Marine-pattern cammies needs to be prepared to follow the leathernecks' grooming standards.

"Effective immediately, sailors assigned to U.S. Marine Corps units who wear the Marine Corps uniform will abide by Marine Corps grooming standards," Navy administrative message 233/18 states.

Navy officials did not immediately respond to questions about whether that was a request from Marine leaders.

Check your jewelry and nails

Eccentric rings and bracelets -- including thumb rings and brightly colored bracelets -- are a no-go in uniform. Rings and bracelets can only be gold, silver, copper, gray, tan, brown, black, white or light pink, according to the NAVADMIN.

They must be made of certain materials, like natural metals, wood, plastic or silicone. Rings are limited to one per hand, with the exception of wedding-engagement ring sets or double-stacked wedding rings with academy or educational sets.

Women must keep their nails trimmed to a quarter inch with round or oval shapes. Men's nails can't extend past their fingertips.

Women are allowed to wear conservative nail polishes. Anything considered decorative or loud, including glitter, stripes, purple, yellow or green nail polish, is off limits.

Improved safety boots

Sailors are just days away from being able to purchase an improved general-safety boot, or I Boot 4.

The new boot, which was developed with sailors' feedback in mind, will be available for purchase Oct. 1. It's meant to be more comfortable and durable than older models, and includes a padded foam collar, moisture-wicking liner and slip-resistant soles.

Sailors and officers can pick them up next week in Norfolk, Virginia; San Diego; Jacksonville, Florida; Yokosuka, Japan; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Newport, Rhode Island; and Great Lakes, Illinois.

New skirts and slacks

Wear tests for female officers and chief petty officers have wrapped up, resulting in "an improved design of the lower waist and reduced rise service uniform slacks and straight line service uniform skirt," the NAVADMIN states.

Women can expect to buy these new uniform items at designated uniform centers by the end of 2018. More details will be announced when they become available.

Ball caps and T-shirts

Effective immediately, commanding officers are authorized to allow the coyote-brown ball cap to be worn with coveralls and flight suits.

Command logos are also allowed -- per a CO's authorization -- on T-shirts worn with all working and utility uniforms.

"Command logos may be applied via heat transfer, silk screen or embroidery to 100 percent cotton T-shirts that are either navy blue, coyote brown or black in color (as authorized with each uniform)," the NAVADMIN states. "Logos may be worn on the front and back of T-shirts that are in good taste, enhance unit esprit de corps and reflect well upon the Navy and the unit they represent."

More details about the proper placement and styles of authorized logos can be found in the administrative message.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins.An F-35C Joint Strike Fighter from Strike Fighter Squadron 125 (VFA-125) out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, made an unexpected landing at Fresno Yosemite International Airport on Monday after an indicator signal went off in the aircraft's instruments.

The pilot made the judgment call to make the precautionary landing per Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization instructions, Cmdr. Ronald Flanders, spokesman for Commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, told Military.com on Tuesday.

"This was a precautionary landing per an indicator on the pilot's instruments," he said. "This was not a physiological episode. The pilot is fine. The aircraft is fine."

The incident occurred Monday afternoon. Flanders said the pilot executed the NATOPS procedure and deduced he was far enough away from Lemoore to call in a landing at Fresno.

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Flanders said the incident was possibly related to a mechanical issue in the aircraft but did not give any further details on what the issue might be. "Maintainers from VFA-125 are inspecting the aircraft to assess why he got that indicator," he said. "Once it is cleared for flight, it will return to Lemoore."

Fox26News was first to report the incident. The local media outlet said the aircraft was taken to the Fresno Air National Guard Base's 144th Fighter Wing for maintenance.

NAS Lemoore is home to Strike Fighter Squadron 125, a replacement squadron, as well as VFA 147.

VFA-147 is slated to become the Navy's first operational F-35C squadron. The service hopes to declare the F-35C initial operating capability ready in February, with VFA-147's first deployment scheduled aboard the USS Carl Vinson in 2021.

Last month, an F-35 from VFA-125 was damaged during an aerial refueling exercise with an F/A-18F Super Hornet. After the jet took off from the USS Abraham Lincoln on Aug. 22, it was damaged during a refueling exercise when debris was ingested through its engine intake.

That same day, two Air Force F-35As experienced mishaps at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

One F-35A stealth fighter from the base had a nose gear malfunction, while another experienced a bird strike, officials said at the time.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and White House National Security Adviser John Bolton appeared to set different conditions Monday for the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, although Mattis insisted there was "no daylight" between them.

Mattis has consistently stated that the 2,000 troops in Syria must remain until the last remnants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria are eliminated and security is assured in liberated areas, but Bolton has now suggested that U.S. troop withdrawals would be dependent on the withdrawal of Iranian troops from the region.

Bolton said U.S. troops would remain in Syria after the defeat of ISIS to counter Iran, which has sent small numbers of its troops to Syria and backed the Hezbollah militia fighting alongside the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We're not going to leave [Syria] as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders, and that includes Iranian proxies and militias," he told reporters in New York, where he joined President Donald Trump for United Nations General Assembly sessions.

At the Pentagon, Mattis said the U.S. commitment to Syria is not "open-ended" but gave no estimate on a timetable for withdrawal.

"We are in Syria right now to defeat ISIS and destroy the geographic caliphate and make sure it doesn't come back the moment we turn our backs," he said. "So there is going to be a little while that we've got to work with the locals," once ISIS is defeated.

Currently, U.S. troops and airpower are backing the mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in a sweep near the Syrian-Iraqi border focused on the town of Hajin, according to Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.

Mattis said the U.S. is also intent on resuming peace talks in Geneva led by United Nations special envoy Staffan de Mistura to end the five-year-old civil war and negotiate Assad's removal from power.

At the Pentagon, Mattis he and Bolton were aligned on Syria, adding, "I think we're on the same sheet of music," but he deferred questions on their possible policy differences to the White House.

The seeming rift with Bolton follows reports -- vehemently denied by Mattis -- that he is considering resigning after the November elections because of differences with the White House on the national security agenda.

On another Syria issue, Mattis and Bolton clearly are in agreement. They are against Russian sales of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.

"We think introducing the S-300s to the Syrian government would be a significant escalation by the Russians," Bolton said. The sale, he said, is "something that we hope, if these press reports are accurate, they would reconsider."

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putting phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to tell him that Syrian air defenses are being upgraded to "prevent any potential threat to the lives of Russian servicemen, who are on a mission to fight international terrorism."

Last week, a Russian reconnaissance IL-20 aircraft was shot down off the Syrian coast near the port of Latakia by an errant Syrian missile fired at attacking Israeli F-16s, killing all 15 aboard the Russian aircraft.

Bolton said that a political settlement is the only way out of Syria's civil war, but the Russian sale of the S-300s will make the process more difficult.

At the Pentagon, Mattis said the addition of S-300s will strengthen the regime and make Assad less likely to give up power.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. -- Some of the Marine Corps' top acquisition officers had strong words for defense contractors about the need to move gear into warfighters' hands far more quickly.

Col. Michael Manning, portfolio manager for ground combat element systems, said at the Modern Day Marine expo here Tuesday that his sole focus is getting next-generation weapons and systems out to the operating forces on the front lines.

"I've got to get the best product out to them as quickly as possible," he said. "And you telling me it's going to take three years to get something out there? You're dead to me."

Manning joined six other presenters who briefed industry leaders on what they see as their top needs in the years ahead. That includes everything from squads' next weapons systems to gunners' turrets, better radios, protections for Marines moving ashore, and strong cyber security tools.

Getting that into play not only requires innovation from industry leaders, but also a culture change, said Col. Benjamin Stinson, the portfolio manager for supporting establishment systems.

Cyber Marines, for example, are at war every day as adversaries try to breach the service's systems, he said. Those Marines can't accept two-year-old products that are outdated before they even hit the fleet.

"We need to go faster," Stinson said. "... What we're doing now doesn't work."

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis echoed the need for speed in the National Defense Strategy, released earlier this year. New equipment must be delivered to troops at the speed of relevance, he wrote.

"We must not accept cumbersome approval chains, wasteful applications of resources in uncompetitive space, or overly risk-averse thinking that impedes change," Mattis said.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ginaaharkins.As Ford continues to develop the historic Michigan Central Station as the centerpiece for its Detroit-based campus, it has been revealed the automaker paid $90 million for the once-doomed train station.

Crain's Detroit Business first reported the news, and this prince means it came out to $150 per square foot for the 600,000-square-foot train depot. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker purchased Michigan Central Station from the Moroun family, who had owned it since the early 1990s shortly after it closed.

Ford celebrated the new acquisition back in June of this year, and did not reveal the sale price up until now. Alongside the train station built in 1913, the automaker also purchased the adjacent Detroit Public Schools Book Depository building, a former brass factory, along with two acres of vacant land in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood.

The former brass factory will be demolished to make room for about 247,500 square feet of office space, and 42,500 square feet of commercial space.

Crain's reports that AJ Weiner, managing director for JLL real estate, said that the purchase price of $90 million shows how serious Ford is about using the property.

"That said, that's a staggering amount of money, and it's another validation of an ongoing recovery of a market that continues to amaze and impress," he told the outlet.

This is all part of Ford's grand plan to make Michigan Central Station and Detroit's Corktown neighborhood an "anchor" for the city's comeback. The automaker plans to spend about $740 million on renovations to buildings that will soon make up its Corktown campus, after purchasing the long-vacant Michigan Central Station for an undisclosed sale price.

--

The automaker plans to move about 2,500 employees into the once-doomed train station by 2022, and touts Michigan Central Station will serve as the future "centerpiece" for a new Detroit-based campus.

The process in turning the train station -- and neighborhood -- into a future centerpiece for the automaker won't happen overnight, as four years of stabilization, construction and modernization still has to occur.

Redevelopment will focus on making the space a "magnet for high-tech talent and a regional destination with modern workspaces, retail, restaurants, residential living and more."NORRISTOWN, PA -- Bill Cosby, the man once known as "America's Dad" was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison Tuesday for his conviction on charges that he drugged and sexually assaulted a woman.

Cosby, 81, did not testify during either of his two trials and elected not to give a statement prior to his sentencing. He will begin serving his time behind bars immediately.

Judge Steven O'Neill ruled that Cosby is a "sexually violent predator" and also ordered that Cosby must undergo lifetime counseling along with reporting quarterly to authorities. Cosby will appear on a sex-offender registry sent to neighbors, schools and victims.

Cosby was convicted of drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand at his estate near Philadelphia during a 2004 encounter. The original trial resulted in a hung jury, but during the second trial, the jury convicted Cosby.

"It is time for justice. Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you. The time has come," O'Neill said. He also quoted from the victim statement given by Constand, in which she said Cosby took her "beautiful, young spirit and crushed it."

Prosecutors in the case argued for a prison sentence between five and 10 years, while Cosby's defense team argued he is too old and frail to go to prison. Citing that Cosby is also legally blind, the defense requested he be sent home for house arrest.

They also asked that he be allowed to be free on bail while he appeals the decision, but that request was denied.

Constand reported the assault to police a year later, but a prosecutor declined to follow up on the case. More than 60 women have accused Cosby of some sort of sexual assault in the last few years, however none of those accusations have led to criminal charges.

Constand's case was reopened by another district attorney a decade later and resulted in the conviction that will now send Cosby to prison, possibly for the rest of his life.While Ford continues its serious developmental work on the Michigan Central Station, the automaker will take a break from all that when it transforms the once long-vacant train depot into a one-day haunted house.

Specific plans are still in development and have yet to be officially announced, but Shawn Wilson, manager of community management for Ford Fund, confirmed the plans to Crain's Detroit Business after a Neighborhood Advisory Council meeting.

Since the Dearborn-based automaker first publicly celebrated it had acquired the once-doomed train station in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood, any event open to the public has been met with tons of anticipation and impressive turnouts.

Wilson tells Crain's that a date has not been set, but the automaker's fund is looking at either the weekend before Halloween or on the actual holiday. He did confirm that the event would take place on the first floor of the building, and that it would be open to the public with an emphasis on Corktown residents.

Ford plans to spend about $740 million on renovations to buildings that will soon make up its Corktown campus, after purchasing the long-vacant Michigan Central Station for an undisclosed sale price. It was revealed earlier this week that the automaker spent $90 million on the train station that had sat vacant since 1988.

The automaker plans to move about 2,500 employees into the train station by 2022. Its process in turning the train station -- and neighborhood -- into a future centerpiece for the automaker won't happen overnight, as four years of stabilization, construction and modernization still has to occur.

--Want to try your BBQ in a whole new way? Head to Sparks BBQ in Traverse City and check out their famous BBQ sundae, a layered savory concoction that is unlike any ice cream parfait you've ever had.

Sparks originally opened as a food truck in 2015. After just one week, owner and pit master Dean Sparks created the BBQ sundae. It proved so popular that the truck sold almost 6,000 of them that first summer.

It is still one of the most popular items on the menu.

The sundae consists of layers of coleslaw, baked beans, your choice of protein, house made BBQ sauce and a finishing touch of homemade beef jerky. You can pick from pulled pork, smoked brisket or pulled chicken.

Dig in to this cup of crazy and experience a creamy coleslaw, dressed very lightly in mayo, for a crunchy fresh note. The "Grandma's Baked Beans" are made using a recipe that four generations have been enjoying. They are sweet and classic, and vegetarian.

We tried the sundae during our search for Michigan's Best BBQ, and had our version with pulled pork. Sparks pork gets smoked low and slow, and receives a nice dusting of spices sourced from locally owned Alden Mill House.

The cherry on top of all this is the beef jerky, which is chewy and salty, and kind of like a savory candy.

Together, this sundae is a unique way to eat BBQ.

Sparks moved to their current location in the summer of 2018. "It's the miracle block here in Traverse City for foot traffic," Sparks explained. They've expanded the menu, and not only offer all the BBQ classics, they also have a selection of salads and sandwiches, including several vegetarian options.

There is also a lively bar at Sparks, with many offerings that pair great with their BBQ.

Sparks welcomes you to stop by the next time you are in Traverse City. "Try us out, because it's all good," he said.

IF YOU GO:

201 E Front St

Traverse City, Michigan 49684

(231) 633-7800ANN ARBOR, MI - Ann Arbor officials are taking additional steps to ensure city residents are drinking safe water, spending another $850,000 to try to better filter out harmful PFAS chemicals.

PFAS, a family of per- and poly-fluorinated "forever chemicals" linked to cancer and other health conditions, is found in the Huron River water that Ann Arbor draws for drinking water.

To reduce the amount of PFAS ending up in the drinking water delivered to customers, the city's water treatment plant is purchasing new granular activated carbon to improve filtration.

The City Council voted last week to approve a $750,000 increase to a previous $161,727 contract with Calgon Carbon Corp., along with an extra $100,000 for the labor required for installation.

Granular activated carbon filtration, also known as GAC filtration, is the best available technology for removing PFAS from drinking water, according to Sarah Page, the city drinking water quality manager.

"The city has GAC filters, and the existing filters remove some of the PFAS," she wrote in a new memo to the City Council. "In addition, the city has been piloting a new type of carbon in its filters since November 2017, and this new carbon has demonstrated enhanced removal of PFAS. Because of this success, city staff propose to transition all of its filters to this new type of carbon in FY19."

Page said GAC removes the most PFAS when it is newest, and its capacity to do so decreases with the age of the carbon.

"The city currently replaces media in 20% of its filters every year. To further increase PFAS removal, the city is proposing to accelerate the media replacement schedule to approximately 50% yearly, after all of the media is replaced in FY19," Page wrote. "City staff believe that changing the media type and frequency of replacement will enable the city to reduce the amount of PFAS in the city's drinking water to below prospective advisory and/or regulatory levels."

Brian Steglitz, the city's water treatment plant manger, gave a presentation at the Sept. 17 council meeting, discussing water quality challenges facing the city and plans to address them.

"We know that there is PFAS in the Huron River. We know we have low levels detected in our drinking water currently," he said.

In addition to PFAS, Steglitz touched on cryptosporidium found in the Huron River and the city's need to add a new UV disinfection system to treat for it by 2020, as well as the impacts of new requirements under a revised Lead and Copper Rule, which may necessitate replacing galvanized water service lines on private properties if they were previously connected to lead components in the city's system.

The state of Michigan recently launched a program to test all community drinking water systems in the state for PFAS by the end of 2018, and results are now being released.

Ann Arbor has measurable levels of PFAS in both its source water coming from Barton Pond on the Huron River and its drinking water that's delivered to roughly 125,000 customers in the city and surrounding areas in Scio and Ann Arbor townships.

City leaders say the extensive media attention surrounding the issue has resulted in numerous inquiries from residents regarding measures the city is taking to address PFAS in the drinking water.

The city has detected two types of PFAS -- perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) -- in its water.

The maximum level of PFOA and PFOS detected in the city's drinking water in 2017 was 15 parts per trillion, which city officials note is below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's lifetime exposure health advisory level of 70 ppt set in 2016. But there are new recommended levels of 7 ppt for PFOS and 11 ppt for PFOA proposed by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Neither advisory level is an enforceable regulatory standard at this point, but based on the recently released ATSDR study, city officials believe stricter regulations may be coming.

PFAS was first detected in Ann Arbor's drinking water at 43 ppt in March 2014 after the EPA required larger systems to test for six types of the unregulated compounds. The chemicals -- used in both consumer products and industrial functions -- have links to cancer, liver damage, birth defects and autoimmune diseases.



After the initial testing in 2014, Ann Arbor did not conduct PFAS testing of its water supply again until March 2016. The city switched to monthly testing starting in October 2016.

Steglitz said the highest level of PFOS and PFOA detected in the city's drinking water to date is still the 43 ppt from 2014.

The average level of those two chemicals was 7.2 ppt in 2017, and 3.2 in 2018 from January through August.

"You can see our average PFOS plus PFOA levels have reduced to about half since we've been implementing the new GAC," Steglitz said, referring to the new carbon filtration being tested.

Under the pilot program launched last November, the city already is using the new GAC material in five of the 26 filters at the water treatment plant. With the City Council's approval, the plant will be doing GAC replacement in the remaining 21 filters, along with some repairs to each of the filters. The work is expected to occur over four two-week periods during the course of this fiscal year.

"In the future, we will continue to track what is happening related to regulations associated with these chemicals," Steglitz said. "We have volunteered to participate in several research initiatives that are going on to further study PFOS and PFOA and the family of chemicals and how we can remove them from our drinking water, so we intend to continue to stay engaged in this topic moving forward."

Ann Arbor's recent test results from the state's program were released on Aug. 29, showing the PFOS/PFOA levels in the city's drinking water at 4 ppt, while the total concentration from 24 chemicals tested by the state was 39 ppt. No health advisory levels have been determined for the other 22 chemicals tested by the state.

Steglitz said there are thousands of PFAS compounds that have been used in various products for decades.

"They're used in a lot of products that we use every day: non-stick cookware, stain-resistant coatings, fire-fighting foam and waterproofing," he said, adding they're very stable and do not degrade very rapidly in the environment.

Steglitz said analytical methods for detection are available for only 24 of the compounds right now.

As for how PFAS might impact people's health, Steglitz said the primary route of exposure is ingestion, and skin contact is not really a worry from health standpoint.

"Studies have shown that only a small amount of PFAS can get into your body through your skin," according to ASTDR.

"Therefore, showering and bathing in water containing PFAS should not increase exposure. Washing dishes in water containing PFAS should not increase exposure."

High levels of PFAS found in the Huron River and its chain of lakes have triggered recent health advisory warnings to not eat fish from the river or ingest any foam from the river.

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality officials on Sept. 20 confirmed that a single industrial wastewater customer in Wixom -- identified through documents obtained by MLive as Adept Plating and Plastics, now operating as Tribar Manufacturing Inc. -- is the only identified source of the enforceable PFOS contamination.

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."

Steglitz noted PFAS are bioaccumulative, which means as they accumulate and fish eat them, and then bigger fish eat the smaller fish, the compounds accumulate in species. The PFAS compounds end up being stored in the fat cells of fish, Steglitz said, adding that's why there are "do not eat" advisories.

He noted health impacts from PFAS exposure can include interference with hormone functions, increases in cholesterol, affects on the immune system and increased cancer risks.

Drawing a link between acute health issues and PFAS can be a challenge, though, as there are a lot of other factors that can contribute to the same issues, Steglitz said.

While PFAS currently are not regulated, Steglitz said there's proposed legislation in Michigan to set an enforcement level of 10 ppt for PFOS and PFOA. He said it's unclear if that's going to move forward.

"Again, the science is still really developing and we are still learning what the impacts of these chemicals are on humans," he said.

City officials are expecting the EPA to issue a determination in January regarding whether it will regulate PFAS.

If the EPA decides to regulate, they say, it could take three to five years before regulations are in place.

Steglitz said PFAS are also in the water that's leaving the city's wastewater treatment plant and being discharged to the Huron River downstream from where the city gets its drinking water.

He said the wastewater plant doesn't really have processes in place to address the chemicals right now.

Since firefighting foam is a source of the chemicals, the Ann Arbor Fire Department is now looking at alternatives to using it.

"They have historically used this foam for exercises, but they're no longer doing that, so it's only used in certain situations when it's the right material for the right fire, and they're making efforts right now to begin to try to phase that out," Steglitz said.

The Huron River Watershed Council is inviting residents to attend a community-focused discussion on the emerging threat of PFAS and the overall health of the Huron River next week.

The meeting takes place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Milford Civic Center, 1100 Atlantic St. in Milford, and is expected to feature a mix of local and state officials, as well as HRWC staff, with time for audience questions and answers. The meeting is being presented by the HRWC, the village of Milford, Milford Township and Wixom.BAY CITY, MI -- The former president of a Saginaw County charter school accused of using the dark web to traffic child pornography has accepted a plea deal.

Jesse V. Medina, 36, on Sept. 24 appeared before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris and pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. The charge carries with it a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence and is punishable by up to 20 years of incarceration.

To establish Medina's guilt, defense attorney Christopher J. McGrath asked him a series of questions. Through his answers, Medina admitted that between the summer of 2017 and April 23, he knowingly received at least 150 images of minors engaged in sexual conduct on his smartphone.

McGrath asked him if he knew whom he had received the images from.

"Not the person, but I believed they came from Illinois," Medina said. "The person said they were from the Chicago area."

He and the sender had communicated via email, Medina said.

McGrath then asked Medina if at least some of the images depicted prepubescents, toddlers, or infants. The defendant replied that is accurate.

In exchange for his plea, Assistant U.S. Attorney Janet L. Parker said she would dismiss a count of possessing child porn and would not file additional charges. She added Medina's sentencing guidelines are from 78 to 97 months and that she would recommend his sentence be in the middle of that range.

When Medina committed his crimes, he was serving as the president of the board of directors of North Saginaw Charter Academy, 2332 Trautner Drive in Kochville Township. The school has a charter through Central Michigan University.

Medina was appointed as a board member in May 2013 and was reappointed in May 2017. Board positions are voluntary and members do not receive compensation.

Medina was suspended from the position upon his arrest, according to Janelle Brzezinski, director of communications for the Center for Charter Schools at CMU. Medina later submitted a resignation letter, Brzezinski said.

U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington is to sentence Medina at 2 p.m. on Jan. 24.

Case background

Investigators on April 23 executed a search warrant on Medina's home and seized various devices capable of sending and receiving child pornography. During an interview with police conducted that day, Medina said he had repeatedly received child pornography on his computer and has used the dark web for this purpose.

"He explained that at least once a month, and sometimes more often, he receives child pornography by using an 'app' that he can access through his cellular telephone..." Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent David M. Alley wrote in an affidavit.

Medina went on to tell Alley he had shared images of what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl having sex with an adult man. He also said he had unsuccessfully tried gaining access to a 5-year-old for sexual purposes, Alley wrote.

In the April 26 hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie Dawkins Davis, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Abraham said Medina both orally and in writing admitted to crimes. Abraham argued Medina be held pending trial, claiming he's a danger to the community.

"The defendant planned and enlisted others to carry out a plan to sexually abuse children," Abraham said. "He admits, although after being caught claims it was a fantasy, but he admits that he was chatting with other individuals on Craigslist about the molestation of a 5-year-old."

As part of those plans, Medina discussed renting a vehicle and meeting up with others, Abraham said. She said the prosecution doesn't have physical evidence or witnesses to indicate Medina carried through with assaulting any children, but added he told others in the chats he had molested a girl over a two-year period beginning when she was 4.

"It's clear from the defendant's own statements that the urges he has to prey upon, to molest individuals, and use images of very young children, as young as infants, to satisfy his own sexual gratification, those urges cannot be controlled," Abraham said.

Medina told investigators he accessed and viewed child pornography and felt guilty. He would then delete the cellphone apps he had used to view the images, but his urges would overcome him, he'd download the apps again, and the cycle would continue, Abraham said.

"The defendant admits that he wanted to personally sexually exploit children," she continued. "He was not satisfied simply in getting his own personal gratification from watching those videos; he was taking it to the next level."

On his Twitter account, which was deleted June 13, Medina described himself as being "Passionate about quality education for children and an advocate of school choice."UPDATE:

Human remains found in wreckage of rural Michigan plane crash

WILBER TWP, MI -- A Florida pilot is missing after his plane crashed in rural Michigan.

About 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 25, the Federal Aviation Administration contacted Iosco County Central Dispatch to report a missing plane. The dual-propeller King Air, 10-passenger plane had been en route to Kalitta Air in Oscoda and had left the Ypsilanti Willow Run airport earlier in the morning.

The craft was last observed on radar southwest of the airport at a rapid descent. Michigan State Police troopers, Oscoda Township police and firefighters, and Iosco County Sheriff's deputies searched the area.

At 10:27 a.m., ground crews found the plane's wreckage in Iosco County's Wilber Township, though its pilot was not present. The pilot, believed to be the lone occupant, is a 33-year-old man from Orlando, Florida.

FAA personnel are currently on their way to the crash scene for further investigation.

Officers from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the United States Forest Service also assisted at the scene.Jaylon Kerley

A Comerica Park food worker in Detroit has been charged with a felony after video of the man spitting on a pizza crust and mixing his saliva with the tomato sauce spread throughout the internet.

Nell May posted the video to Instagram on Saturday, Sept. 22 and the incident occurred on Friday, Sept. 21, during the Detroit Tigers game against the Kansas City Royals, according to the Associated Press. The video has since been removed from Instagram.

Jaylon Kerley, 20, of Detroit, is charged with a felony food law violation, punishable by up to four years in prison, and another misdemeanor food law violation, punishable by up to 90 days in jail.

Kerley was arraigned on the charges Tuesday, Sept. 25. He was ordered to undergo hepatitis screening and post $100,000, or 10 percent, as part of his bond requirements.

Arraignment of worker accused of spitting on pizza at Comerica Park WATCH LIVE: Arraignment of former food services worker accused of spitting on pizza at Comerica Park. DETAILS: https://bit.ly/2MZJAUN Posted by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 on Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Detroit Sportservice, which provides food service at the ballpark, released a statement regarding the incident.

"As soon as we became aware through social media of potential food tampering Friday night, we immediately closed that food stand and disposed of all the product. Food safety is our top priority and we will take any appropriate action necessary to protect our guests."

Detroit police arrested Kerley on Saturday, Sept. 22, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.A jury ordered Beaumont Hospital of Michigan to pay a $130 million dollar medical malpractice verdict in the case of a 2-month-old who suffered brain damage and subsequently cerebral palsy.

"In 2006, when Vihn Tran was 2 months old, he suffered a breath-hold spell in connection with multiple attempts to start an IV," the plaintiffs' law firm, McKeen and Associates, said through its public relations firm, Marx Layne & Company, in a statement issued Tuesday, Sept. 25. "The technicians delayed calling a code blue and failed to give chest compressions as required by the standard of care.

"Consequently Tran suffered a severe and prolonged hypoxic ischemic insult resulting in massive brain damage."

The hospital maintains it treated the child appropriately, says the jury verdict is expected to be "substantially reduced" and is planning to appeal the verdict, according to spokesman Mark Geary.

The trial, which was conducted in Oakland County Circuit Court, took three weeks to complete.

"Nothing will ease the suffering of this child, but at least this settlement will alleviate some of the financial burden from his caretakers," said Brian McKeen, a managing partner of McKeen & Associates. "I'm grateful for the jurors service and gratified they agreed that this was a preventable tragedy."Democrat Jennifer Suidan, who is running for state representative in Michigan's 39th House District, is accused of misusing more than $100,000 from Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner's election campaign committee.

Meisner said in a Monday, Sept. 24 statement he reported the the "misappropriated money" to law enforcement, the Oakland County Clerk's Office and the Bureau of Elections.

MLive has left messages seeking comment from Suidan, who, if elected, would represent a portion of Oakland County including Commerce Township, West Bloomfield and Wixom.

She has not been charged with any crimes.

Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner

"Jennifer Suidan has been removed as the committee's designated record keeper," Meisner wrote. "She has betrayed my trust and the trust of all who expected her to perform her duties honestly and in compliance with the law.

"I publicly withdraw my endorsement of Ms. Suidan as the Democratic nominee in the 39th State House District."

Meisner said he is working with legal and finance professionals to document "exactly what has occurred."

Suidan previously worked for Goodman Acker, a political consulting and law firm. An amended statement of organization for Meisner's campaign was filed Sept. 17, showing Suidan was removed as campaign record keeper.

A campaign finance report filed in July shows Meisner's campaign raised $47,715 and spent $11,742 through July 20 this year.

Most of the expenditures were for consulting services paid to Goodman Acker.

Meisner in his statement thanked Goodman Acker for "standing with me and ensuring that all misappropriated funds are returned."

"Because of the ongoing law enforcement investigation, I can't comment any further, other than to say that a wrong has been done to the people of Oakland County who gave of their hearts and their pocketbooks so I could serve," Meisner said.

The state representative seat sought by Suidan is one of three that Democrats were targeting as part of a strategy to take a majority in the state House of Representatives.

She is up against Republican Ryan Berman of Commerce Township in November's general election.

According to Gongwer, a media service that reports on Lansing politics, Rep. Kristy Pagan, D-Canton, and Rep. Kevin Hertel, D-Saint Clair Shores, co-chairs for the Democratic campaign effort, have called for Suidan to immediately suspend her campaign.

Meisner was first elected as Oakland County treasurer in 2008 and was re-elected in 2012 and 2016.FLINT, MI - The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved a $7 million loan on Tuesday to support a $19.5 million project featuring housing and retail at the former downtown YWCA site.

The move paves the way for the construction of 92 residences and four retail spaces in the Flint Market Place Apartments project, according to a briefing memo to the strategic fund board.

The board voted to approve the loan on Sept. 25.

"This project has been designed specifically to fit into the health and wellness district, which is a community-driven plan developed to transform the west end of downtown Flint," the memo said. "The plan envisions housing, retail and healthcare amenities throughout this area to build density and create a walkable district with a mix of complementary uses."

The project will include a four-story building on the north end of 310 E. Third St., two-story townhomes on the southern end and parking in the middle of the block, the memo said.

"It's one of the last things we have to do," said Jacob Horner, vice president of development for PK Companies, the company contracted by Uptown Reinvestment Corporation to oversee the development. "We are still closing on our construction costs. We're hoping to get the foundations dug and in before the end of winter."

Horner said the project will start in the next month and be done by fall of 2019.

He said monthly rent in the affordable apartments will cost $550 for a one bedroom and $650 for a two-bedroom. The market-rate units, Horner estimated, will cost $800 per month for a one bedroom and $950 for a two bedroom.

"We're very excited to be in Flint. We've got nothing but great support from the city," Horner said. "There's a lot of things going for Flint. The idea is with these projects is building more affordable housing to try and get more people living in downtown Flint."

Apartments will include one and two-bedroom units with modern amenities and fixtures, while the townhomes will have individual entrances and have two and three bedrooms.

There also will be a fitness room, community lounge, playground, and plaza in the center, the memo to the MSF board said.

Horner said it has not been determined what retail tenants will be a part of the development.

There will be approximately 20 permanent full-time jobs that will pay an average of $20 per hour, according to the MSF.

The project previously received a low-income housing credit reservation letter from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority for more than $1 million annual tax credits for 10 years.

The city of Flint is providing a $250,000 loan and the site also was approved for a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) abatement.

The YWCA vacated its former home at 310 E. Third St. in 2016, moving to the nearby Phoenix Building on Saginaw Street, after maintenance became too time-consuming and costly, according to MLive-Flint Journal reports.FLINT, MI - A Davison Township woman is accused of bilking thousands of dollars from an elderly woman and using the money to pay for trips to Florida and Disney World.

Virginia Brown, 58, was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement of over $50,000 from a vulnerable adult and investigators believe she spent more than two years stealing the money from the victim, according to Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell.

A 69-year-old woman was allegedly befriended by Brown at church, according to Pickell.

Eventually, Brown was able to convince the woman to move in with her and then stole $50,780 from the victim between February 2016 to June 2018, Pickell said.

"From time to time, I warn seniors to be on the lookout - to watch out for other seniors and if they notice anything out of the ordinary to check in on them and give us a call," Pickell said. "I want to single out Jean Johnson, who is the director of the Burton Senior Center, for taking the time to care about someone and it just happens to be one of the members at her senior center."

Johnson saw that the victim was being very quiet, acting as if she was depressed and Johnson started asking her questions, Pickell said.

The victim divulged that she wasn't getting any money from Brown, according to Pickell, and Johnson then called Pickell's elder abuse hotline.

"Jean Johnson, I think, is the heroine in this case. She should be praised for looking out for her," Pickell said.

Investigators discovered that the Brown made several withdrawals from the victim's bank account and convinced the woman to take out $40,000 from her annuity fund, Pickell said.

The money was used on two trips to Florida - one that included a stop at Disney World - dinners and other items, Pickell said.

Brown was arraigned on the 15-year-felony on Thursday, Sept. 20, according to court records.

She was released from the Genesee County Jail in lieu of a $25,000 personal recognizance bond.

Brown's next court date is Oct. 4 before Genesee District Judge Christopher Odette.

MLive-The Flint Journal could not reach Brown's attorney, Frank J. Manley, for comment.UPDATE: Judge Benjamin Logan's funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at Messiah Missionary Baptist Church, located at 513 Henry St. SE.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Benjamin H. Logan, retired Grand Rapids District Court judge and long-time community leader, died Monday, Sept. 24, according friends of the family.

There has been an outpouring of support and sympathy for his wife and children on social media, as people remember his life and reflect on his legacy.

Logan's career on the court spanned nearly three decades. He retired from the bench in 2014, nearly a year after suffering a heart attack.

Logan, 75, had served as a district court judge since his election in 1988. He won the seat by write-in vote after the murder of Judge Carol Irons.

Grand Rapids District Court Judge Jeanine Nemesi LaVille said everyone at the 61st District Court is "very sad.'' She said they've all missed Logan since he retired.

"He was a very important part of this bench for many years and a larger than life figure in this community,'' said LaVille, who served with him for 19 years.

Friends and colleagues say Logan left a lasting imprint on the community.

"Judge Logan had a great impact on this city and will be missed,'' said Logan's friend, former Third Ward City Commissioner Elias Lumpkins.

"He was very active in this community, encouraging folk to run for public office, and speaking out on issues that were important to the black community and the community as a whole.''

Through his work with the NAACP, Elias said Logan got a lot people reactivated and reinvigorated the organization. He said he was also able to get many different lawyers to donate their services.

Lawyer Stephen Drew, a founding partner of Drew, Cooper, and Anding, said when he arrived in Grand Rapids 44 years ago, Logan welcomed him and took him under his wing.

"He was a great mentor and friend," said Drew, who said he mentored many young lawyers.

"I think his legacy is one of community commitment. He touched just about every aspect of this community, joining a lot of community organizations and participating fully in them all with an energy that was unparalleled.''

Drew said the 61st District Court is sort of the people's court, so it was significant to have an African-American judge on the court serving as a role model. He said Logan was still volunteering at the Grand Rapids Bar Association.

Kent County Circuit Court Judge Donald Johnston said Logan was a colleague and a friend.

Johnston said their relationship dates back more than a quarter of a century when the two were on opposite sides of the process - Logan as a defense attorney and Johnston as a prosecutor.

"He was a good, fair, tough-minded, no-nonsense judge, who got the job done,'' Johnston said. "He did what he thought had to be done and let the chips fall where they may.''

After retirement, Johnston said Logan wanted to stay active in the legal community. He said he knows his volunteer work at the Grand Rapids Bar Association was highly valued.

Logan is a graduate of Ohio Northern University Law School and was inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame in August 2013.

No information was available about funeral arrangements prior to publication.GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The Grand Rapids school board will vote Monday, Oct. 1, on whether to accept an offer from Cherry Street Capital to purchase the vacant West Leonard Elementary property for $525,000, according Chief Financial Officer Larry Oberst.

The deal includes the purchase of the land lease for the cell tower on the school site, located at 1351 Leonard St. NW.

Chad Barton, owner of Cherry Street Capital, said he'd like to create an event space at the school like their venue The Cheney Place.

The Cheney Place, located at 1600 Monroe Ave. NW, is an urban boutique event space that hosts things such as weddings and corporate events.

The school board's Finance Committee voted unanimously Monday, Sept. 24, to recommend the board accept the offer.

Kenneth Klomparens, executive director of facilities and operations for GRPS, said a meeting is scheduled for residents within 500 feet of the school for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26.

The meeting will be in the district administration building, 1331 Franklin St. SE. Klomparens said residents were mailed letters about the opportunity to hear from the developer, ask questions and make remarks.

School board member Jen Schottke, chair of the Finance Committee, said the community feedback will be shared with the board before the Oct. 1 meeting.

Klomparens said city would have to sign off on rezoning the property from residential to become an event center. He said a cemetery and car wash is also near the school.

The school building, vacant since it closed in 2013, was built in the 1920s. The more than 17,000-square-foot former elementary occupies 2.75 acres and was appraised in 2017 at $315,000.

Last summer, the school board considered a $250,000 proposal from Cherry Street Capital to redevelop the site for multi-family housing. However, several questions were raised by board members about the project and they never took action.

There were no concerns raised by the four-member Finance Committee about the use proposed.

Oberst said the proposed purchase agreement includes a provision for the district to have the first right of refusal if the buyer decides to sell the property or changes the use.GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A person of interest in two Grand Rapids bank robberies on Sept. 10 has been caught in California, police said.

Grand Rapids police said Kenneth Moore was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 25 and will be transported back to Michigan.

He was captured Tuesday, Sept. 25 and is in custody as a parole absconder.

Moore, 56, has been a parole absconder since April 2015.

Moore served time in prison for convictions of assault with intent to commit great bodily harm less than murder, felony firearms, and a prison weapons offense.

The two bank robberies happened Sept. 10 within hours of each other. Officers were dispatched to a failed robbery at Fifth Third Bank, 1319 Michigan St. NE, and a robbery at Fifth Third Bank, 700 Bridge St. NW.ST. IGNACE, MI - Chicago's 1933 World's Fair, St. Louis' Gateway Arch, Michigan's Mackinac Bridge.

All iconic pieces of Americana connected by one man who had to be first, no matter the cost. His name, kind of, was Al Carter, and for more than 50 years, he traveled from his home in Chicago to be the first.

The first at what, you might ask?

Well. Simply put. Everything.

Born in 1915, Carter eventually rose through the Chicago underbelly to become a well-known big-band drummer in the 1930s.

A Chicago Tribune article published on July 12, 1987 presented the details of Carter's life, including that his name wasn't Al Carter at all, but Albert Vaitis.

But we'll call him Carter.

According to the Tribune, he traveled the globe determined to be the first in line at world's fairs in Chicago, Seattle, New York, Montreal, San Antonio and Osaka, Japan, Spokane, Knoxville and New Orleans and the first to drive on the Tri-State, Kennedy, Eisenhower, Stevenson, and Dan Ryan expressways.

When the Sears Tower Skydeck opened on June 22, 1974, he was the first person to reach the top, and most notable to those in Michigan, he was the first paying customer to cross the Mackinac Bridge after its completion in 1957.

Carter accomplished the feat in a green,1951 six-cylinder Chevrolet Deluxe Station Wagon when he paid $3.25 to cross the Mighty Mac on November 1, 1957.

The car itself is now owned by the Grand Rapids Public Museum, but it is not presently on display. However, museum staff said there is a chance they will be bringing it back on display after the new year.

Carter died at Mercy Hospital in Chicago in July of 1987. He was 72.SOUTH BEND, IN -- A man already on probation in Cass County, Michigan was shot by police Monday after he pointed a gun at an officer, according to the Associated Press.

MLive.com file photo.

Kristopher Mingo Flores,allegedly pointed a gun at an officer before another officer shot Flores. The officers were in plain clothes according to Lt. Alex Arendt, assistant commander of the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit. They noticed Flores driving erratically and followed him into a parking lot.

When the officers approached him, Flores took out a gun and pointed it at the officers.

Flores was treated at a hospital before being jailed on preliminary charges of being a violent felon in possession of a firearm and pointing of a firearm.

The AP reports Flores is on probation in Michigan for a robbery in Cass County.Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates , a consulting firm headquartered in Media, Penn., has been hired to lead the search for Michigan State University's next president, MSU has announced.

A woman- and minority-owned firm, Storbeck/Pimental & Associates specializes in higher-education executive searches. The firm has conducted presidential searches for Florida State University, University of Oklahoma, University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wayne State University.

The Storbeck/Pimentel team working with MSU will be led by Shelly Weiss Storbeck, managing partner, as well as partners R. Thomas Fitch and Susan VanGilder, according to the press release.

The board is seeking for a replacement successor to Lou Anna K. Simon, who stepped down in January amid the Larry Nassar controversy. Former Gov. John Engler has been serving as interim president.

The board is currently conducting listening sessions with stakeholders to get input on what people seek in the next president.

Storbeck/Pimentel representatives will join the campus community input sessions on:

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 6-7:30 p.m., Kellogg Center, Big Ten Room A

Thursday, Oct. 11, 6-7:30 p.m., Kellogg Center, Lincoln Room.

The presidential search meeting is seeking feedback regarding characteristics, qualifications and criteria for the university's next president, as well as thoughts about the challenges and opportunities facing MSU. Comments may be made at the input sessions or submitted confidentially online.The results of a roadside drug testing pilot program won't be completed before Michigan voters head to the polls Nov. 6, where they'll be asked to decide whether to legalize marijuana for adult use.

Michigan State Police started roadside saliva tests of drivers they suspected to be impaired by drugs in five counties in November 2017. Among the drugs the roadside tests can detect is marijuana.

"I don't think that's going to sway the results of the election," said Josh Hovey, spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. "Science is going to continue to improve."

Hovey said he believes a market solution will be developed to the issue of roadside testing as more states adopt recreational marijuana programs.

The pilot project is the result of a law initiated by state Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, after couple was killed in a traffic crash by a driver who had THC -- the main component of marijuana -- in his system. Casperson said he wanted the state to come up with a reasonable standard for drug testing to determine at what level someone is impaired by drugs.

For marijuana, that will prove to be difficult. Even as more states continue to adopt medical and recreational marijuana laws, there is no scientific consensus on what amount of marijuana in saliva or blood constitutes impairment.

Police already have drug testing procedures in place -- but they aren't carried out road side at traffic stops in the way that preliminary breath tests are conducted for alcohol. In addition to visual sobriety tests, police can seek a warrant to force someone to take a blood test at a hospital.

Since November 2017, trained drug recognition experts at 12 police departments in five counties have been using Alere DDS2 oral fluid test instruments to conduct roadside drug tests when police suspect a driver is impaired.

The handheld devices test swabs of saliva on the spot for marijuana, amphetamine, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methamphetamine and opiates. The devices also only record active THC, so results would be negative for individuals who used marijuana in previous days.

The accuracy of the saliva tests has been called into question numerous times by marijuana advocates. Michael Komorn, president of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, questioned the possibility of a high error rate soon after the pilot program's launch last year.

Police departments across the country have been testing options for roadside enforcement.

In Sacramento, Calif., the police department tested an Alere product in 2013. The department reported the equipment was accurate -- but didn't eliminate the need for other evidence and tests to legally establish someone was under the influence, according to media reports.

"If we can't use the system functionally for legal reasons, we aren't going to spend money on it," said Officer Matthew McPhail to The Sacramento Bee.

The Sacramento Police Department decided that instead of purchasing the equipment -- at nearly $6,000 per device -- they would continue to use sobriety tests and blood samples.

"This is a huge issue from a public safety standpoint," said Scott Greenlee, president of Healthy and Productive Michigan, the group opposed to the recreational marijuana ballot proposal.

Unlike alcohol, marijuana stays in the body much longer -- so blood tests requested by law enforcement can't indicate when someone consumed the substance.

Several major law enforcement organizations in Michigan are against the proposal, including the Michigan Sheriffs Association, Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan and the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.

Police departments facing rising numbers of drug-involved traffic fatalities in the state. In 2016, there were 236 drug-involved traffic fatalities, an increase of 32 percent from 179 drug-involved traffic fatalities in 2015, MSP reports.

In Colorado, where recreational marijuana has been legal for four years, their state law sets the legal limit at five nanograms of active THC in blood. Anything over that amount puts a driver at risk for being prosecuted for driving under the influence -- a penalty that only increases if children are in the vehicle. In addition to drug recognition training, police use blood tests to determine impairment.

Greenlee said roadside tests for marijuana could give police a valuable tool to get impaired drivers off the road immediately without question.

Otherwise, police are left to use their best judgement in determining if someone is impaired or not, Greenlee said.

"If it's visual and you turn the person loose and three blocks down the road they have an accident, it's an awful situation to think about," Greenlee said.

-- Amy Biolchini is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact her with questions, tips or comments at abiolch1@mlive.com. Read more from MLive about the recreational marijuana ballot proposal.JACKSON, MI - A Jackson LGBTQ rights activist who lost his home and five pets in a fire more than a year ago is accused of intentionally starting the blaze.

Nikki Joly, 53, was arraigned on one felony count of first-degree arson before District Judge Daniel Goostrey Tuesday morning, Sept. 25.

Joly is accused of intentionally starting the Aug. 10, 2017, fire that destroyed his home in the 1800 block of Pringle Avenue and killed his two dogs - German Shepherds - and three cats.

One of the first responders at the fire also suffered injuries, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Steve Idema said.

After more than a year of investigating the fire, Jackson police detectives submitted their findings to the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, which issued the arson charge against Joly Monday, Sept. 24, Jackson Director of Police and Fire Services Elmer Hitt said.

Joly was arrested Monday afternoon and was lodged overnight in the Jackson County Jail.

Jackson police, with assistance from a Michigan State Police fire investigator, confirmed in November of 2017 traces of gasoline were found spread throughout the home, leading police to believe the fire was started intentionally, Hitt previously said.

The motive behind why the fire was started is unclear at this time, police said.

Joly has a probable cause conference scheduled for 1 p.m. on Oct. 5 and a probable cause hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 11.

Goostrey set a $25,000 cash surety bond for Joly.

The fire, which is believed to have started on the first floor, quickly worked its way up through the home and erupted through the roof, Deputy Director of Fire Services David Wooden previously said.

Friends and supporters of Joly and his partner, who shared the home with him, came to their aid after the fire, organizing a fundraiser which collected more than $40,000 for the couple who lost everything.

Joly has been a key leader for LGBTQ rights in Jackson, leading the push to establish the city's non-discrimination ordinance, which was approved in 2017. He was previously the director of the Jackson Pride Center, which opened in February 2017, and was an organizer of the Jackson Pride festival and parade in 2017 and 2018.

For his efforts, Joly was named The Jackson Citizen Patriot's 2018 Citizen of the Year.

Joly used to be employed as a nurse, but can no longer handle medication as he's losing his sight, Joly's attorney Daniel Barnett said. Joly currently volunteers as a nurse with the Red Cross and with the Disaster Action Team.

While Joly had an OWI about 30 years ago, Barnett said his record has been clean since.

First-degree arson is punishable by up to life in prison and/or a fine of not more than $20,000 or three times the value of the property destroyed, whichever is greater. If convicted of the charges, Idema said Joly is guaranteed a prison sentence.

MLive Reporter Taylor DesOrmeau contributed to this story.COLUMBIA TWP., MI - Officials are testing for E. coli after diluted raw sewage spilled into Lake Columbia due to a sewer leak over the weekend.

Village of Brooklyn drain officials responded to the reported leak about 10:40 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 at Hewitt Road and Bryce Drive, at the northeast corner of the lake.

Just more than an hour later, the leak was contained.

An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 gallons of diluted raw sewage moved through a county storm drain into Lake Columbia, said Director of Public Works Keith Kotsch.

No precautions are called for at this point, Kotsch said, because it was "a pretty small amount" that made it to the lake. It's considered diluted raw sewage because it includes more than just wastewater, he said.

"There's shower water, dishwasher and washer machine water and other things like that," Kotsch said. "It's not like raw sewage coming out of a Porta-John or something like that."

Additional sewage was sucked into tanks, allowing officials to repair the broken connection at the 16-inch main.

Columbia Township contracts with the village of Brooklyn on all sewage operations.

Samples have been taken at the point of discharge, as well as at spots a few hundred feet upstream and downstream, Kotsch said. Officials should know by Wednesday, Sept. 26 if the water tests positive for E. coli.

The Jackson County Health Department and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have been notified.KALAMAZOO, MI -- An interactive performance focused on prejudices of race, religion and gender is coming to Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

"The Defamation Experience," a "frank conversation" about prejudices such as race, gender, religion, class and more, is coming to the Dale B. Lake Auditorium at KVCC from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 5, according to a press release from the college.

The interactive performance puts the audience members in the action during a play about an African-American woman who sues a Jewish businessman after he accuses her of robbery, the release said.

The audience will be the jury, voting on the outcome of the case.

The show is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP online.

After the play is over, audience members will engage in a post-show discussion on why they voted the way they did, Managing Producer Kimm Beavers said in the release.

"We're creating a safe environment to talk about uncomfortable subjects and have organic conversations," Beavers said. "People can let their guard down and gain cultural understanding and awareness."

"The Defamation Experience" has traveled across the country performing nearly 400 shows and bringing the frank conversations to more than 75,000 people, the release said.BENTON HARBOR, MI -- Police arrested a 37-year-old man and a 17-year-old female, suspects in the armed robbery of a cell phone store.

Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety officers responded about 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 24, to a call of an armed robbery at a cell phone store at 957 Pipestone Street in the City of Benton Harbor, police said in a news release.

The incident was captured on security footage that police released to the media.

A male and female entered the store and approached the clerk and the male presented a weapon and demanded the money in the register, police said. The clerk complied with the demands.

"Hurry up," the man says on the video. He asks for cash.

The male and female then fled the store on foot with an undetermined amount of money, police said.

Officers, using surveillance footage in their investigation, identified the two suspects and had the 37-year-old male suspect and the 17-year-old female suspect in custody within a few hours, police said.

The weapon was not recovered.

The names of the two involved are being withheld pending arraignment and are lodged in the Berrien County Jail, police said.

The Michigan State Police Major Crimes Unit as well assisted the BHPD.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the tip line at 269-927-0293 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-342-7867(STOP).KALAMAZOO, MI -- If you like sour beers or you want to give some a try, One Well Brewing is the sweet spot this week.

The company, established in 2014, will celebrate all things sour with special releases of their sour beers beginning Tuesday, Sept. 25, culminating with the limited bottle release of Ruby Rouge Barrel Aged Sour on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 4213 Portage Street in Kalamazoo.

One Well Head Brewer Trevor Klimek likens the sour beer section in craft beer to "the last frontier" for brewers. But it's really the first style of beer, he said, because in the early days, beer makers would mix together ingredients like hops, and yeast would drift in from the surrounding air to ferment the beer.

"People in the beginning of beer making did not necessarily understand what happened how it became alcohol," One Well Owner Chris O'Neill said. "They knew if they created sugar water and balanced it with additives like hops...they kind of understood what kind of flavors would come. But they didn't understand why."

Today, the yeast makes it into the beer with a bit more planning.

About a decade ago, while living in the Paw Paw area near blueberries and raspberry farms, Klimek captured the fruit yeast from the air and propagated it for years. One Well's release this week marks the first time it will be available to customers.

Ruby Rouge Barrel Aged Sour is a Flanders Red Style, barrel aged on oak and soured with the locally cultivated microflora. It will be available in 500-milliliter bottles starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, until sold out. Ruby Rouge will also be available on tap through the week.

The batch has been aging for close to two years, giving the wild yeast time to eat through some of the sugars and create the acidity and the final flavor of the beer, O'Neill said.

Klimek said he is trying to be humble about the beer, but he's also extremely excited. With his birthday on Monday, Sept. 24, he is celebrating this week with the beer release.

One Well will be tapping these five sour beers:

It'S OUR Thing, raspberry sour

Bridging the Gap, blueberry sour

Only Gose to Show, lime gose

Barbados Slim, grapefruit sour

Ruby Rouge, flanders red

All selections will be available on tap and in a flight, beginning Tuesday Sept. 25.

The One Well kitchen will be preparing sour inspired weekly specials, including a cheese board to pair with a sour beer flight, gose pickled shrimp on avocado toast, General Tso's cauliflower wrap, Sauerbraten with braised cabbage and soft pretzel dumplings, and for dessert, a gingersnap encrusted cheesecake topped with a sour cherry compote, the company said.

Sour week is just a taste of what's going on with sour beer at One Well, O'Neill said, and they plan to roll out more in the future as part of their sour beer program.

Visit One Well Brewing on Facebook to stay up to date on the latest company updates.



Stay subscribed to facebook.com/onewellbrewing for up to the second updates.Stats SA's recession announcement in early September only served to confirm what we've all known for a long time: The South African economy is struggling. In those circumstances, companies are bound to start looking for places to tighten their belts.

The cost of traditional

The digital discount

The personal touch

Better marketing, lower costs

Marketing will, almost inevitably, be one of the first departments to feel the sting of these cost-cutting exercises. While the wisdom of doing so has been relentlessly debated, marketing heads can at least rest easy in the knowledge that it is possible to do more with less.With the right digital tools in place, companies can create relevant, people-based marketing that produces actual business results.In its traditional forms, advertising is pretty expensive. Lets say you want to put out a TV ad. If you want something even vaguely watchable, your ad agency is going to charge you a lot of money. After all, they need to pay the conceptual team, the writers, directors, film crew and everyone else involved in bringing the ad to life.That cost is nothing, however, compared with what youll be charged to ensure that the ad is seen by prime-time audiences.The same is true, albeit to lesser degrees, of radio and print ads.The result? Who knows? You might have a spike in sales immediately after the ad flights, but therell be very little to tell you that its as a direct result of the ad.The ad might be beautifully-crafted and generate a ton of publicity, but unless it results in a demonstrable increase in sales, youve poured money down the drain.For years, digital has solved at least one of these problems. For the cost of a TV ad, you can produce several YouTube ads (which can incidentally be reused on other platforms, including Facebook and Twitter).These ads can be more specifically tailored to the different groups of people who use your product or service, increasing your chances of getting direct sales.Additionally, you can measure when people go directly from the video to your website and buy something, or sign up for your service.Of course, this kind of measurability is only a part of the story when it comes to assessing how effective a piece of advertising might be.How, for instance, do you know if someone came to your site a day after seeing that YouTube video, or visited your physical store after seeing a promotional image on Facebook?As technology improves, thats increasingly possible, allowing you to more easily see what forms of advertising are working and worth spending money on.Used correctly, technology can also allow companies to combine the data they have on their customers with online data to ensure that people only see messaging thats relevant to them.Lets say, for instance, that youre looking online for a car. Ordinarily, youd have adverts following you around for the car youve just looked at from the site youve just visited.But wouldnt it make more sense to see adverts for your banks vehicle financing options? Or car insurance options?This kind of people-based advertising not only makes it more likely that youll achieve results, but it also means its much easier to know where to put your marketing spend.Its important to remember that this data-driven advertising doesnt mean sacrificing creativity, far from it. When youre appealing to individuals, theres actually more scope for creativity than when youre trying to appeal to everyone.In a recession, better campaigns are more important than ever. But that shouldnt mean companies having to blow out the bank.DOWAGIAC, MI -- A former employee for Southwestern Michigan College says the fundraising strategy for the college is "sexist."

Eileen Toney, the former executive director of the SMC Foundation, resigned from her position after the college president and board chairman made a "sexist" comment on the fundraising strategy.

According to Toney, both Board Chairman Tom Jerdon and President David Mathews said the college should try and get money from "single women without children," calling them "low-hanging fruit."

"Do I want to be classified as low-hanging fruit?" Toney said. "That didn't sit well with me. Women should not be classified like that.

"That's a sexist statement," she said. "I am a person with a strong moral compass, and I can no longer work for a place that tolerates discrimination."

Mathews said he does not remember the statement being said.

Toney filed a complaint with the Human Resources Department. She said her complaint was investigated and that it was true that the term was used, but the department decided against any further action.

Toney worked as the foundation's executive director for seven years and said a "diverse" strategy is important for college fundraising.

Money for the college can come from all groups of people and to target single women specifically is both sexist and poor strategy, Toney said.

"To have a strategy that you single out specific individuals is not a comfortable feeling," Toney said. "In today's environment, we need to be gender neutral."

Mathews sent a letter to faculty Friday, Sept. 21 after a Herald-Pallidium article was published about the accusations.

"Early this morning I was shocked to see a front-page article in the Herald-Palladium entitled: 'SMC president, board chair accused of sexist remarks,'" Mathews said in the letter he also gave MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette. "I thought you might be interested in the whole truth of the story, rather than what was written."

Mathews said "because we do not live in a wealthy area, 'planned giving' (i.e. donations that will come to the Foundation as part of an estate after someone dies) has been, and will continue to be, our primary strategy to significantly grow our Foundation assets."

He cited a 2017 article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy titled, "Big Planned Gifts in Offing as Childless Boomers Age," as reason behind the "promising strategy for non-profit fundraising."

He said that because women have a longer life expectancy than men, "it is reasonable to assume" that more gifts will come from women.

He also attached a copy of a 2016 Wall Street Journal article titled, "The Gender Gap in Charitable Giving," which said that women were more likely than men to give money to charity.

Mathews said the Foundation provided $328,000 in scholarships last year, and the college has a "track record of receiving generous gifts from the estates of individuals who had no children."

Mathews said in an interview with MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette that the strategy to pursue "planned giving" from people has been the priority of the Foundation since 2015.

He said the Foundation and the Board of Trustees decided to spend the "limited staff time" on planned giving, which is "typically much more substantial" than annual giving.

He said Toney was not in agreement with that strategy.

"We have very limited resources," Mathews said. "We would all like to do everything--have a robust alumni association and annual campaign."

Foundation President Virginia Crawford said she brought forward the idea to target childless people in 2015, and she "completely disagrees" that it is a sexist approach.

Crawford said she had no recollection of the term "low-hanging fruit" being used in reference to the targeted population.

Those with children will leave their wealth to the next generation, Mathews said. People without children are looking for a way to "leave a legacy that can make a difference."

The research showed that "you're missing the boat if you're not doing that," Mathews said about the strategy. "We don't want to miss the boat. We will continue pursuing planned giving."

The Foundation offers specific guidance on planned giving and estate planning through "Legacy Giving."

The community college has faced criticism for months from the group, "Citizens Concerned About Southwestern Michigan College," which Toney is not affiliated with, she said.

The Facebook group of over 500 people voiced concerns about various issues, including the president's salary and spending, a report from Office of the Auditor General claiming unpaid funds and conflicts between sitting Board of Trustees members and those vying for the seats.MUSKEGON, MI - A lawsuit related to a deadly 2013 shootout at the former Charity Lodge against the city of Muskegon and city officials has been dismissed by a federal judge.

Relatives of two of three victims sued the city, Police Chief Jeffrey Lewis and Clerk Ann Marie Meisch as well as several employees of the former Charity Lodge, 149 Ottawa St.

Ja'Colby Brown and Dupree Johnson were fatally shot and a woman, Jalisa Love, died after being run over by a vehicle during the melee in the lodge's parking lot on Sept. 22, 2013.

Doris Brown and Mary E. Barnes filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court accusing the city and its officials of gross negligence, wrongful death and violating the victims' civil and equal rights.

U.S. District Judge Janet Neff on Sept. 21 ruled in favor of the city's motion to dismiss the lawsuit, saying the plaintiffs failed to prove their allegations against the defendants.

She wrote that the 45-page lawsuit "is not a model of clarity with regard to the allegations against the particular defendants."

Neff earlier dismissed the families' complaints against the Lodge and three of its employees. Charity Lodge Exalted Leader Jethro Gay Jr. and convicted shooter, Jamel "Michigan Mel" Quinney, also were sued and they never responded to the complaint, prompting Neff on Sept. 21 to issue a default judgment against them.

The victims were shot in what authorities likened to a "Wild West" shootout that involved multiple shooters and four other victims. Quinney was convicted of two counts of manslaughter for the deaths of Brown and Johnson.

Though he didn't fire the fatal shots, it was determined that Quinney was the catalyst, having fired into the crowd outside the lodge after being punched in the face, witnesses testified. He was sentenced to 6 1/2 to 15 years in prison.

Lamarcus Calvin was convicted of leaving the scene of an accident and sentenced to six months in jail and probation. A jury concluded he was the one who ran over Love as he was fleeing the hail of bullets in the parking lot.

The dismissed lawsuit claimed that police had seen the crowd waiting to enter the lodge earlier that evening and ignored the likelihood that violence would occur there. It also claimed that city officials knew about ongoing violence at the lodge as well as underage drinking and that they should not have renewed the lodge's business registration and should have asked the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to revoke its liquor license.

The lawsuit had claimed the lodge employees were negligent for not calling police when violence escalated inside the lodge prior to the shootings. It also claimed that minors had been buying/drinking alcohol at the lodge. Those minors included Brown and Johnson, the lawsuit said.

All three victims were age 20 when they died.

The lodge's liquor license and business registration were revoked, and the lodge later closed.MUSKEGON, MI - A sculpture originally slated for installation at the Old Indian Cemetery downtown Muskegon will be displayed outside the Muskegon County Visitors Center.

Original plans to install the 16.5-foot, 12,000-pound Canadian black granite column sculpture at the cemetery were changed due to objections from members of the Grand Rapids-based Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians.

"Niikonii Kiinaa," pronounced Nee-co-nee Kee-naw, or "All My Relations," will be installed at the visitors' center, 610 W. Western Ave., prior to a dedication ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4, according to a news release from the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. The dedication will be followed by a reception and talk by the artist at the Muskegon Museum of Art, 296 W. Webster Ave.

The abstract sculpture was created by Anishinaabe artist Jason Quigno, of Grand Rapids. It was carved to convey the spirit, stories and values of the Anishinaabe, the native people of the Great Lakes region who migrated west to Michigan from the eastern shores of North America as early as the 1st century, according to the release.

The sculpture's design is inspired by the Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers: love, respect, honesty, bravery, truth, humility, and wisdom, according to the release. The teachings collectively represent the core values of what is needed for community in the Anishinaabe culture.

Quigno also carved four benches out of natural stone boulders from West Michigan to surround the sculpture.

Quigno, a nationally recognized artist, is a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and an Ottawa Indian by heritage, according to the release. He is a direct descendant of Chief Cobmoosa, also known as the Great Walker, one of the most recognized Grand River Ottawa leaders of the 19th Century. Through the Cobmoosa line, Quigno is also related to Martin Ryerson, Jr. who deeded the Old Indian Cemetery to the city of Muskegon in 1926.

The sculpture was planned for installation at the cemetery to pay tribute to the historic cemetery on Morris Avenue and its representation of the histories of indigenous people, fur traders and lumbermen of the 19th Century, according to the release.

Objections from Muskegon-area member of the Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians, Joe Genia, and Chief Ron Yob of the same tribe led to the decision to find a different home for the sculpture. During August, the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners agreed to install it at the visitors' center.

"That cemetery in downtown Muskegon, to the Ottawa people is a sacred place. They've always considered it sacred grounds," Genia told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle in August. "A cemetery is more than just a chunk of land that you bury your relatives. To the Ottawa people, that's where their relatives are. It's a unique piece of land because it's in the middle of Muskegon and it's an Ottawa cemetery and it's existed there since the beginning of time."

A concrete walkway and pedestal had already been installed at the cemetery when concerns were raised.

The cemetery had been used by the Ottawa Indians since at least the 1750s and was a burial ground for both Indians and settlers from 1806 to 1854. Some reports indicate there were as many as 200 burials on the site, and that some remains were later moved to Evergreen Cemetery, .

Acquisition and placement of the sculpture was a joint effort of community foundation, Muskegon Museum of Art, the Downtown Arts Committee and the city of Muskegon.While NASA continues to wait to hear back from its Opportunity Rover, the space agency was able to recently spot the long-absent spacecraft on the surface of Mars.

The U.S. space agency has not heard from the Mars Opportunity Rover since back June 10, which is when the Red Planet was overtaken by a global dust storm. Most of the dust has settled as of now, and that's how NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was able to make the image of Opportunity on the planet's surface using its high-resolution camera.

NASA's Opportunity rover appears as a blip in the center of this square. This image taken by HiRISE, a high-resolution camera onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows the dust storm over Perseverance Valley has substantially cleared.

--

"That object is Opportunity, which was descending into the Martian valley when a dust storm swept over the region a little more than 100 days ago," NASA reports on its website. "The storm was one of several that stirred up enough dust to enshroud most of the Red Planet and block sunlight from reaching the surface.

"The lack of sunlight caused the solar-powered Opportunity to go into hibernation. The rover's team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, hasn't heard from it since. On Sept. 11, JPL began increasing the frequency of commands it beams to the 14-year-old rover."

This news that NASA has amped up its frequency to reach the rover comes shortly on the heels of the space agency giving Opportunity an ultimatum to wake up before it scales back on communication attempts.

NASA previously said that it has a two-step plan "to provide the highest probability of successfully communicating with the rover and bringing it back online." In a more playful manner, the space agency has also been playing a wake-up-themed song each day in an attempt to "inspire" Opportunity into waking up.

Supporters of the long-tenured rover can even hop on NASA's website and send it a well-wishes postcard.

"If we do not hear back after 45 days, the team will be forced to conclude that the Sun-blocking dust and the Martian cold have conspired to cause some type of fault from which the rover will more than likely not recover," John Callas, Opportunity project manager, said in a previous news release.

"At that point our active phase of reaching out to Opportunity will be at an end. However, in the unlikely chance that there is a large amount of dust sitting on the solar arrays that is blocking the Sun's energy, we will continue passive listening efforts for several months."

The Opportunity rover has lasted nearly 15 years in action despite only being designed for a 90-day mission back in 2003. On top of that, the rover was designed to travel about 1,000 yards while it has logged more than 28 miles in reality.

--Following through on its mission to support and celebrate the success of the global creative community, The One Club has established The One Club for Creativity-Cairo as its first international chapter.

Enas Rashwan, The One Club-Cairo president.

Heading up the new chapter as president is Enas Rashwan, who also serves as president of Cairo Ad School and has been a creative director for more than a decade. The new authorised chapter will offer creatives in Egypt an unparalleled array of programming across creative disciplines, with all initiatives falling under four key pillars: Education, Inclusion & Diversity, Professional Development and Gender Equality.Putting Egypt on the global creative map has long been my aim, and the existence of The One Club in Egypt is a dream came true for me, said Rashwan. Our country has always been the hub of creativity in the Middle East, and we have many great creatives who are known across the region. With The One Club-Cairo, well now be able to connect our creatives to the global community.Said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of the organisation, headquartered in New York: No other organisation gives back to the advertising and design industries with the level of comprehensive educational and development programming on a global basis as The One Club for Creativity. Cairo has long been a creative leader in the region, and we are thrilled to work with Enas and her team as they have become our first International chapter.Rashwan has firsthand experience in all The One Club for Creativity has to offer from her time in the US, where her career path was guided by participation in The One Show and Young Guns awards shows and attendance at various educational and professional development events hosted by the club.The One Club for Creativity-Cairo is a great opportunity for local creatives, students, faculties and clients to shine, grow and become part of the global community, all of which will makes us stronger and better, she added. I am so proud to be part of this highly regarded organisation and ready to serve the chapter with heart and soul.Headquartered in New York, The One Club for Creativity is the worlds foremost non-profit organisation devoted to elevating and celebrating creative excellence in advertising and design on a global basis, through the prestigious One Show, ADC Annual Awards and Creative Week.Included in the clubs nearly two-dozen different initiatives are programs such as career and photography workshops for local high school students, Young Guns and Diageo-Young Guns Diversity and Inclusion Award honouring creatives age 30 and under; Young Ones honouring advertising students; The One Show and ADC Annual Awards, honouring creative excellence in advertising and design; Creative Boot Camps, where multicultural students from diverse backgrounds in locations around the world have the four-day opportunity to work with the best agencies and creatives and showcase their creative talents, Here Are All The Black People multicultural conference and creative career fair; Portfolio Night, an annual global program long recognized as the worlds largest advertising portfolio review program; Creative Leadership Retreats and Executive Creative Summits for mid- and senior-level creatives and more.Incubeta is an international team of experts in marketing, technology, data, and creative.Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has landed in trouble in the US over its hiring practices as 3 employees from two companies have initiated legal action alleging discrimination against US-born workers, according to a filing on PacerMonitor.

Darryl Stacy, Donald Stephen Bradley and Hesham Hafez have filed the complaint in the District Court of New Jersey seeking a jury trial along with exemplary and punitive damages from Indias largest IT outsourcing company.

Stacy and Bradley worked for Southern California Edison, the primary electricity supply company in California, while Hafez worked with Royal Bank of Scotland.

TCS has accused of bringing employees on visas despite availability of trained US citizens. The complaint said the company discriminates by showing preference to Indians or Asians while hiring locally.

TCS and competitors like HCL Technologies and Infosys have seen many similar lawsuits in the US. This comes at a time when US President Donald Trump, who is openly against immigration, is wary of issuing H-1B visas. His government will soon rollback the policy allowing spouses of H-1B visa workers to work in the US.

The complaint stated that Surya Kant, TCS President for North America, and Narasimhan Srinivasan, Head of Human Resources, devised a leadership directive to utilise its visa-ready South Asian employees to the maximum extent when filling US positions.

Kotchen & Low is representing the plaintiffs, along with some employees of Southern California Edison in similar discrimination cases against TCS.

A TCS spokesperson said allegations are baseless and will defend itself in the court.

The Federal Court in California previously rejected a class-action for hiring discrimination by the same law firm concerning TCS hiring practices, citing the same issue. TCS said it is an equal opportunity employer and bases its employment decisions including recruiting, hiring, promotions and retention on legitimate non-discriminatory business reasons.

Indian firms are facing pressure abroad for hiring locally. Poorvi Chothani, partner at an immigration law firm Law Quest International, told The Economic Times that with Indian companies these cases are tough.

If the case reaches a jury trial, the facts and evidence would be presented to a judge and jury. The latter would be members of the public, peers of the plaintiffs. In such cases, they are very sympathetic toward employees, often because their complaint resonates with them, she said, adding that companies have to eventually settle such cases with large sums of money.Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a $500 million loan to build climate resilient infrastructure in several cities of Tamil Nadu, the multilateral funding agency said.

The Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved financing of up to $500 million for a multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) that will develop climate-resilient water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in at least 10 cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, ADB said in a statement.

"With almost half of the state population living in cities, Tamil Nadu is the most urbanised of India's large states," said ADB Senior Urban Development Specialist Ron Slangen.

Managing this rapid urbanization is essential for sustaining its economic growth and alleviating poverty. The state suffers from recurring droughts and erratic monsoons linked to climate change resulting in severe water scarcity and urban flooding.

ADB's support will help address these complex urban challenges through innovative and climate-resilient investment and deeper institutional support, Slangen said.

The ADB programme will provide direct assistance in these areas as part of its support to the state's Vision Tamil Nadu 2023 to provide universal access to water and sanitation and to develop world-class cities in high-performing industrial corridors.

The Manila-headquartered ADB said this funding will be in three tranches between now and March 2022.

It will develop climate-resilient sewerage collection and treatment and drainage systems in 10 cities, and install the country's first solar-powered sewage treatment plant on a pilot basis, ADB said.

The programme will introduce smart water management systems to reduce non-revenue water and strengthen operational efficiency, it said.

ADB said around 4 million people will benefit from piped water and sewerage connections and improved drainage.

The first tranche of the programme amounting to $169 million will target the cities of Chennai, Coimbatore, Rajapalayam, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, and Vellore.

A $2 million grant from the Asian Clean Energy Fund, established by the Government of Japan, will fund the solar energy pilot project.

The Union Government, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and various urban local bodies will provide USD 766.4 million toward the total programme cost.

Also, an ADB technical assistance grant of $1 million will accompany the program to support capacity building.Since the lockdown rules have lifted significantly, Im sure a lot of you are itching to go out on a road trip. If youre in the market looking for something that will help ferry the entire family, heres a list we think could make that choice easier.

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Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), which is facing liquidity challenges for almost a month, may find some relief as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) may soon transfer Rs 700 crore to its subsidiary for a road project, The Financial Express reported.

IL&FS Transportation Networks (ITNL) has claimed Rs 700 crore for a road project in Maharashtra, the report said. The settlement amount awarded by NHAI's conciliation committee may be slightly lower than what contractors claim, a senior NHAI official told the paper, adding that the settlement talks are in advanced stages.

Under the reconciliation process, there is no scope for further appeals which can potentially delay the award of the settlement amount.

Read: SIDBI may file a case against IL&FS for defaulting on its term repayment: Report

On September 18, NHAI had paid Rs 425 crore to ITNL. The move may provide some relief to IL&FS as the firm has already defaulted on interest payments on commercial papers for the third time in a month.

Read: Lenders, shareholders may come to the rescue of debt-laden IL&FS

According to data from Value Research, IL&FS was due to pay Rs 197.29 crore to LIC Mutual Fund as well as make 5 more payments to Principal Mutual Fund totalling Rs 73.97 crore. Earlier this month, the group defaulted on a Rs 1,000 crore short term loan from Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), while a subsidiary also defaulted on dues worth Rs 500 crore.

As on March 31, IL&FS total outstanding debt stood at Rs 91,091.31 crore at the group level, with most operating assets with its subsidiaries. Around Rs 5,756 crore worth of debt is due for repayment in the next 1 year.

Also see: Opinion | IL&FS mess highlights the rot in infrastructure financing space

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reportedly summoned IL&FS shareholders for a meeting on September 28, a day before the firm's annual general meeting.

The government has asked the NHAI to clear IL&FS dues at the earliest, the report said. The NHAI official, however, told the paper that they are not waiting for any directive from the government.live bse live

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Tata Steel signed a definitive agreement on September 22 to buy Usha Martins steel unit for about Rs 4,600 crore.

When the market opened on the following Monday, Usha Martins shares rallied 15 percent even as the Sensex tanked 500 points. Tata Steel's shares ended a percent down.

Was Tata Steel overpaying for the unit?

The deal value may seem high if one considers that just two of the five bidders ended up bidding for the unit, which includes a steel plant with an annual capacity of a million tons. The five bidders were Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Vedanta, Kalyani Steels and Liberty House.

Of these, only Tata Steel and Liberty House put in a bid.

We did give an expression of interest, but didnt bid, said a senior executive from one of the companies that didnt submit an offer.

The plant was shut, is operational now but would still need a significant amount of investment, said an executive from another company. Tata Steel offered much higher because it doesnt want competition to enter its backyard, the executive added.

According to sources, the second bid was around Rs 3,500 crore.

Apart from the Jamshedpur-located steel plant, the unit also comes with a captive power plant, and iron ore and coal mines. The city is synonymous with Tata Steel's plant, which is over a century old.

Usha Martin's steel business managed to turn around in the first quarter of the current financial year, generating a profit of Rs 112 crore, against losses of Rs 30 crore a year earlier. Much of the turnaround though would be thanks to the present upswing in the domestic steel market.

Indian steel environment currently is strongest over the last few years, said a note from JP Morgan.

Small dent

The sectors optimistic outlook is one reason Tata Steel wouldnt mind the Rs 4,600-crore bill.

Also, the acquisition is a small one for the company, especially going by the previous Rs 32,000-crore deal to acquire Bhushan Steel. And it adds just 6 percent to its debt.

As a report pointed out, Tata Steels first quarter earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of Rs 5,072 crore is enough to service the debt from the Usha Martin deal.

The valuation of the acquisition too, added the JP Morgan report, is attractive.

And even though Usha Martins pellet plant is running at a capacity utilization of just 38 percent, Tata Steel will ramp up the production. Pellet prices have already risen ~70-75 percent over the past two months to INR9,000-9,500/t, a seven-year high level, observe Amit Dixit and Meera Midha of Edelweiss Securities in their note.

Integrating the Usha Martin unit will come easier for Tata Steel than for any other steel player. One its a familiar asset. Tata Motors was one of the clients the unit supplied its steel products to.

And the Usha Martin unit is just a few kilometers away from Tata Steels facility, making logistics the least of the challenges.

But the most important piece in the turnaround strategy for Tata Steel will be the steel prices, and the company needs rates to hold for at least a year or two to make the most out of the Usha Martin deal.Yes Bank

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Yes Bank promoter Madhu Kapur has written to the board asking that CEO Rana Kapoor be sent on leave for the rest of his term ending January 31, 2019, reported The Economic Times. She feels Kapoor may influence the selection of the new CEO if he continues in office.

On September 19, the Reserve Bank of India asked Kapoor to step down as CEO at the end of January 2019, in a move that was seen as a response to Yes Bank's handling of NPAs. The central bank had earlier forced Yes Bank to declare undisclosed NPAs.

In the letter, Kapur also asked for a forensic audit on loans sanctioned by him. There is information in public domain that influential defaulting customers accounts have been camouflaged to avoid disclosures to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Kapur said in her letter, asking for such disclosures to be made.

It is absolutely necessary at this juncture that the board gives a message not only to the RBI as the banking regulator but also to all the stakeholders that the board is serious in addressing the real issues that affect the bank and are taking decisions and actions accordingly, the letter read.

Yes Bank was started by Ashok Kapur and Rana Kapoor. After Kapur's death in the 26/11 attacks, his widow Madhu entered into a protracted legal battle with Rana Kapoor.

In 2015, the Bombay High Court granted Madhu Kapur and her children Shagun Gogia and Gaurav Kapur the right to nominate directors to the bank board.

Kapur wrote that RBI's refusal to extend Kapoor's tenure raised questions about the well-being of the bank. The media publicity has increased fear of all shareholders about the banks uncertain future and ability to remedy its wrongs that have occurred due to deliberate machinations rather than any other factors, she said.

She also called for Rana Kapoor to not be involved with the bank in any capacity going forward, "even as an expert advisor or consultant".Yes Bank

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Yes Bank will request the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to extend Rana Kapoors term as the CEO up to September 30, 2019, considering the challenges in finding a successor within a short period and to complete the annual general meeting (AGM) process in his presence.

At its board meeting on September 25, the bank also decided to request for a minimum extension for Kapoor up to April 30, 2019, for finalisation of audited financial statements.

The board decided that given the role of Rana Kapoor as MD and CEO in the bank since inception of the bank in 2004, and the time consuming challenges of finding a suitable successor, that the incumbent MD and CEO be given further time in his current position beyond January 31, 2019 the bank said in a filing to the stock exchanges.

"This period will also be crucial to identify and enable a new incumbent to get fully conversant with Yes Bank and its working," the bank said in the statement.

For now, the bank has formed a search and selection committee to identify a successor to Kapoor.

Appoint two Executive Directors

In addition, the bank also decided to appoint Rajat Monga (currently Senior Group President), and Pralay Mondal (currently Senior Group President) as executive directors in the bank to ensure a long term succession plan. Their appointment will also be subject to RBI approval.

Term cut short

Kapoors term as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO and MD) ends on January 31, 2019, after the banking regulator cut short his reappointment from three years to five months.

Although the RBI has refrained from giving any reasons, the action was likely due to under-reporting of non-performing assets (NPAs) by the bank for two consecutive years (FY16 and FY17).The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said it has stopped five initial coin offerings (ICOs) since April on suspicion it could be deceptive toward investors.

According to a report by CoinDesk, the ASIC indicated some of those token sales would instead be restructured to comply with applicable legal requirements. This means the countrys securities regulator is open to ICOs but only if they are within legal parameters.

Commissioner of the ACIS John Price said parties that solicit investors for token sales have certain obligations they need to fulfil before commencing ICOs. The protection for the investing public is mandatory and disclosure of the offer should be accurate and complete.

The CoinDesk report said other sections of the Australian government have also been foraying into the technology.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisations research wing has been working with IBM to develop a national blockchain which could allow businesses to interact and conduct transactions.Jet Airways owes banks nearly Rs 8,000 crore.

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Aviation regulator DGCA has begun inspection of the training programme of the beleaguered Jet Airways, a senior regulatory official has said.

As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) guidelines, all air operators are required to develop a training programme for their crew and dispatchers. It's also the responsibility of the operator to ensure that its training programme is complete, current, and in compliance with the DGCA guidelines.

"The DGCA has commenced a three-day inspection of Jet Airways' training programme. During the exercise, it will asses all aspects of its training programme and also find out whether the airline is in comliance to those norms which are part of the training manual," a DGCA official said.

The inspections began Monday and will continue till Thursday, the official added.

The Naresh Goyal-controlled private airline, which is facing cash drought and has defaulted on the salary payments to its staff also did not have training chief for more than a month, the official claimed.

When contacted, an airline spokesman said such an inpsection is a routine affair.

"Senior commander K Venkat Vinod currently heads our training establishement, having taken it over from Capt Veisheh Oberoi", the airline said in a text message.

The inspection, which comes on the back of a comprehensive financial audit of the cash-strapped Naresh Goyal-controlled carrier, assumes significance as off late its pilots have been involved in a spate of incidents, including the mid-air scare that took place last week at its Mumbai- Jaipur flight last week.

In a mid-air scare, a Jaipur-bound Jet Airways flight carrying 171 people had lost cabin pressure after the crew "forgot" to turn on a control switch leaving 30 passengers bleeding from ears and nose and forcing the aircraft to return to Mumbai.

It can be noted that on August 6, the DGCA had suspended the flying licence of two of its pilots for attempting to take off from a taxiway parallel to the runway at the Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia.

As many as 148 people on board the Mumbai-bound Jet flight had escaped unhurt after the aircraft went off the runway following an aborted takeoff from there on August 3, the airline had said.

The pilots aborted the takeoff after they were informed about a "barrier" on the runway at a time when the plane was taxing at 100 knots and veered off the runway due to sudden stopping.

The Saudi aviation authority is also conducting a safety probe into the incident along with India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

Again on August 25, a London-bound Jet Airways flight from Delhi carrying 337 passengers had almost taken off without the air traffic control clearance. The incident came to light only on September 5, though and the airline had de- rostered its crew members.

The New Delhi-London flight was asked to abort takeoff after it was detected that it had rolled down from the runway for takeoff without taking ATC permission. The incident took place on August 25 at the Indira Gandhi international airport.

The airline had confirmed the aborted takeoff and had taken its crew members off flying duty pending investigation.Finance Minister Arun Jaitley

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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will meet heads of public sectors banks (PSBs) on September 25 and discuss a number of issues, including the progress made in bringing down non-performing assets (NPAs) on their books.

The meeting, which is the second of its kind since April, is a part of the annual financial performance review exercise conducted for all public sector banks. The first meeting was held in June.

The Indian banking sector has been grappling with mounting non-performing assets and a host of scams and frauds for some time now.

Here's all you need to know about what could go down the meeting:

First meet after merger announcement

Jaitley's meeting with PSBs will be the first one after the Centre's announcement about plans to merge three state-owned lenders -- Bank of Baroda (BoB), Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank -- with a view to create a global-sized lender, which will be stronger and sustainable.

The meeting will happen against the backdrop of the 'Alternative Mechanism' (AM). Reports had earlier suggested that the government was planning to merge Punjab National Bank (PNB), Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and Andhra Bank. This merger could be announced before the end of this year.

Discussion on bad loans

The finance minister will also discuss credit growth and the issue of NPAs with the lenders. Discussion on recovery measures taken by banks and legislative steps taken by the government to expedite recovery are also part of the agenda.

Financial performance review

At the meeting, the FM will review review the annual financial performance of PSBs, credit offtake in the economy, priority-sector lending and progress made under various social sector schemes, including the Centre's Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).

The cumulative loss of state-owned lenders crossed Rs 87,357 crore in 2017-18, with fraud-hit Punjab National Bank (PNB) topping the chart with a loss of nearly Rs 12,283 crore for the fiscal. PNB was followed by IDBI Bank on the list.

Only two of the 21 PSBs -- Indian Bank and Vijaya Bank -- had reported a profit in 2017-18. Indian Bank posted a profit of Rs 1,258.99 crore for the fiscal while Vijaya Bank registered a profit of Rs 727.02 crore.

In June, Jaitley had held a similar meeting with heads of PSBs, and conducted a discussion on the issue of NPAs and a review of steps taken by state-owned lenders to expedite recovery of bad loans. In all, the Indian banking sector is dealing with bad loans of over Rs 6 lakh crore at the moment.

With PTI inputsNTPC | Company reported higher standalone profit at Rs 3,504.8 crore in Q2FY21 against Rs 3,262.4 crore, revenue rose to Rs 24,677.1 crore from Rs 22,764.6 crore YoY. Company to buy back its shares worth Rs 2,275.7 crore.

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The Centre plans to sell stake in hydropower producer SJVN and Power Finance Corporation to other public sector companies to net close to Rs 20,000 crore to help maintain its FY19 fiscal deficit target, sources told Bloomberg.

The government will sell its 63.8 percent stake in SJVN to NTPC, Indias largest thermal power producer, to garner close to Rs 8,000 crore, while Rural Electrification Corporation will acquire 65.6 percent stake in PFC.

These deals showcase the government's resolve to usher consolidation in the power space.

Amit Mantri, founder of 2Point2 Capital Advisors, told the wire that this a disinvestment proxy. By selling stake in one state-run company to another, the government can claim to have monetised its stake. But this is only an optical reduction in fiscal deficit, he added.

The Centre has raised Rs 9,200 crore from asset sales so far, which looks feeble against its FY19 target of Rs 80,000 crore.Recent corporate quarterly earnings have thrown up some interesting results from the chemicals sector. This is first edition of a series highlighting such names.

Andhra Petrochemicals is the sole producer of oxo alcohols in India, which in turn is used to predominantly manufacture PVC plasticisers. With a manufacturing capacity of about 73,000 tonne per annum (tpa), the company caters to about one-third of domestic industry needs, the rest being imported. It manufacturers commercially important oxo alcohols like Butanol, 2-ethylhexanol, Iso-Butanol, which find major application in the production of plasticizers, coatings, adhesives and lubricant additives.The company reported a 44 percent year-on year (YoY) and 45 percent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) increase in sales led by higher product prices and improved capacity utilisation. Favourable business dynamics have been aided by anti-dumping duty imposed in 2016, leading to moderation in imports. Operating performance has improved significantly with earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margin at 29.7 percent in Q1 FY19 compared to 15.8 percent in Q4 FY18 and 12.6 percent in Q1 FY18. Sequentially, increase in raw material cost (31 percent QoQ) lagged revenue growth. The company also benefitted from operating leverage.Domestic capacity and production trends of oxa alcohols suggest that the production cycle has revived on account of improved end market prospects, trade protection and steady supply of raw material. The last factor assumes importance as the financial performance of Andhra Petrochemicals weakened earlier due to an accident at an Hindustan Petroleum Corporation plant in FY15, leading to disruption in supply of key raw material propylene.

Andhra Petrochemicals benefitted from the Goods & Service Tax (GST) regime as it is able to claim input tax credits on key raw materials: naphtha and low sulphur heavy stock (LSHS). These benefits were earlier not available in the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime as majority of companys sales were inter-state sales.

Liquidity profile and credit rating have improved significantly due to cash accruals in recent quarters and deleveraging. Rating agency ICRA in its rating upgrade noted that net gearing has reduced to 0.5 times compared to 1 time in FY17.

The stock has rebounded strongly from the recent lows and is hovering near its 52 week high. However, it is trading at sub-10 times its trailing 12 month earnings. Its improved prospects deserve attention.

, a Mahape-based company with more than 40 years of experience, has a business interest in water treatment (37 percent of sales), industrial technologies (14 percent), construction chemicals (7 percent), animal nutrition (7 percent) and polyamides (1 percent).

Under water treatment, the company offers chemicals, equipment and microbial solutions for industrial water treatment. While margin in the chemical business was impacted last fiscal due to a sharp rise in input cost, recent takeaways from peers suggest the business is stabilising. Equipment business, however, recorded robust earnings growth.

Its industrial technologies division is witnessing strong demand for adhesives, coatings and sealants. The company also provides industrial wipes (used for painting automobiles), aerosols for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services. It also provides industrial hygiene solutions for the food processing industry thorough a joint venture with Germany-based Calvatis.

In the animal nutrition space, Chembond Chemicals caters to dairy and poultry end markets and has recently witnessed a business improvement backed by new products, better reach and enhancement of technical reach.

Additionally, the company is among the pioneers in the areas of polyamides (nylon) sourced from bio-renewable materials. Here it competes with multi-national companies such as Arkema, BASF India, Rohdia Speciality Chemicals India. In FY19, the management is hopeful of scaling up this segment, leading to change in revenue mix.

In Q1, sales jumped 25 percent YoY backed by better traction in product volumes. Operating margin improved 366 bps on account of lower raw material cost leading to an over 2 times increase in EBITDA. Profit before tax improved by a moderate 23 percent due to decline in other income, while in the base year it benefitted from investment gains.1) Strong credit rating (Crisil A-/Stable) backed by healthy balance sheet, collaboration with global majors and diverse product mix.2) Exposure to rising sectors of the economy backed by pertinent R&D investments (Rs 6 crore in the last 4 years) and product launches.3) About 29 percent of revenue till recently accrued from low margin contract manufacturing for Henkel Adhesive Technologies. This contract has recently ended and frees up capacity at its Tarapur plant for expansion in other segments.

4) Increased promoter confidence is seen in its buying out its MNC JV partner (eg: Chembond Solenis Water Technologies) and inorganic acquisitions (acquired Phiroze Sethna in November last year, which manufacturers sealants for the auto industry).

Risks to monitor: Intense competition in the relevant specialty chemical segments dominated global majors and high working capital requirements.

While the stock has recently corrected 17 percent from its 52-week high in a 1-year time frame, it has re-rated to 23 times 12-month trailing earnings. Potential growth in end markets of animal nutrition, polyamides, construction and water treatment chemicals makes it a stock to watch out for.

Follow @anubhavsaysInfosys | Company completed the acquisition of Blue Acorn iCi, an Adobe Platinum partner in the US. (Image: Reuters)

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.Aavas Financiers, the housing finance company, opened its Rs 1,734-crore initial public offering for subscription on Tuesday.

The public issue comprises a fresh issue of up to Rs 400 crore and an offer for sale of up to 1,62,49,359 equity shares by Lake District Holdings, Partners Group ESCL, Kedaara Capital Alternative Investment Fund  Kedaara Capital AIF 1, Partners Group Private Equity Master Fund LLC, Sushil Kumar Agarwal and Vivek Vig.

The price band for the issue is fixed at Rs 818-821 per share. The subscription will close on September 27.

The company raised Rs 520.22 crore from 34 anchor investors on Monday. Net proceeds of the fresh issue will be utilised towards increasing companys Tier I capital base to maintain the minimum capital adequacy ratio and to meet future capital requirements arising out of growth in business.

Aavas is a retail, affordable housing finance company, primarily serving low and middle income self-employed customers in semi-urban and rural areas in India.

Majority of brokerage houses advised subscribing the issue with long term perspective but not for listing gains as the issue is fairly priced and FY19 earnings multiple do not leave much upside in the near term.

Here are views from several brokerage houses:

ABM Equity Research

We believe the company is well-poised to deliver strong earnings growth in the forthcoming years considering the under-penetrated housing finance market, niche presence of Aavas, well-managed risk matrix and efficient usage of technology.

Expect the company to command rich valuations as competition intensity remains on lower side in the space Aavas operates; and the visibility of healthy 5 percent spread, stable asset quality and 2.5 percent return on assets (RoA) remains high.

The company is adequately capitalized for superlative growth with CAR at around 61.6 percent as on FY18. With further capital infusion from IPO, the case is well-set for a rating upgrade which will further improve business prospects.

At an upper price band of Rs 821, the stock is available at around 4.1x FY18 P/ABV and P/E ratio of 65.4x on post money basis. We recommend investors to Subscribe the issue and hold the stock from long term perspective. Listing gains may get limited considering the recent mayhem in NBFC space.

Asic C Mehta

Aavas Financiers is a retail housing finance company with operations across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP, UP, Haryana, Delhi and Chhattisgarh. Focused on rural and semi-urban areas, the company plans to expand its presence in the respective states with efficient operations.

At the upper price band, asking price is at a P/BV of 5.23X at FY18 book value of Rs 157, making the issue fairly priced. We recommend to Subscribe the issue from a long-term perspective.

Antique Stock Broking

While the progress in affordable housing in India has been rather slow, with total outstanding loans at mere Rs 27,000 crore (2 percent of mainstream housing), Aavas has crafted its own success story through a combination of identifying the right customer profile, the right collateral and heavy usage of analytics, systems and process.

However, valuations at 4.1x on post-money book and 43x on FY19e earnings do not leave much upside in the near term. Investors with long term outlook can look to subscribe.

Anand Rathi

With an estimated Rs 400 crore capital infusion through a fresh issue of share capital the stock would be trading at a P/ABV of 4.1x FY18 book value at the expected upper price band of Rs 821 which appears high. Yet, most financial inclusion plays (Bandhan Bank, Bharat Financial and Gruh) generally command richer valuations than mainstream peers.

Risk factors for the company include concentration (Rajasthan) risk, scalability concerns, regulatory (interest -cap) risk, threat of competition and asset-quality concerns (due to risky clientele and lack of seasoning). As per our overall assessment, we recommend Subscribe.

Choice Broking

On valuation front, Aavas is demanding a valuation of 5.9x to its FY18 adjusted book value, which is at a premium to its peer average of 4x. The issue seems to be fully priced, thereby leaving little scope for listing gains.

Additionally, considering the future business potential, profitability, stable asset quality and risk linked to the addressable target market, we are cautiously optimistic about the outlook of the company. Thus we assign a Subscribe with Caution rating for the issue.

Chola Securities

AFL has a healthy capital base, to fund growth objectives in the long term, (pre issue CRAR is at 61.55 percent). Tailwinds in affordable housing segment would augur well for the loan book growth going ahead. Its target customers being self-employed individuals, will aid in keeping the yields higher than peers and result in elevated NIMs. This coupled with stringent credit practices will keep the GNPAs lower and hence aid in scripting the earnings growth going ahead.

We believe the valuation is justified, given its loan growth potential, superior yields on assets and best in class asset quality. Hence we recommend a Subscribe to the issue.

Reliance Securities

Visible signs of pick-up in demand for mortgage loans led by improving affordability, attractive incentive from PMAY scheme and improving legal framework augur well for sustained growth in Aavas' loan book over next 5 years.

Looking ahead, we expect Aavas Financiers to deliver strong performance on the back of strong demand for mortgage loan in rural and urban India. The issue provides a healthy investment opportunity for the long-term investors. Thus, we recommend Subscribe to the issue.

Canara Bank Securities

Aavas Financers has shown good growth traction in past 3 years. The company has created a niche for itself in the rural and semi urban housing finance market.

We believe that the stock is aggressively priced, leaving very limited headroom for any potential upside on listing. One may subscribe to this IPO for long term gains.

Arihant Capital Markets

Compared to its peers, Aavas Financiers business is relatively fairly valued and the key positive areas of Aavas are sharp growth in its loan-book, superior assets quality, low risk on margin profile and strong capital adequacy ratio.

We have a '3 star' rating for the issue.

Prabhudas Lilladher

Aavas has strong business momentum (65 percent disbursements/78 percent loan growth in FY14-FY18) with greater thrust on operational efficiency, strong credit quality marked by in-house business sourcing, wider usage of analytics, risk management and collection framework with resultant GNPA at mere 0.5 percent (Q1FY19).

Such superior metrics have led to ratings upgrade from BBB+(FY14) to A+(FY18) resulting into cost of funds (CoF) decline from 12.3 percent (FY14) to 8.6 percent (Q1FY19). However, at trailing book and upper price band, valuations stand at a significant premium vis-a-vis peer set (quality HFCs trading at around 3x) pricing in all the positives.

Further, elevated CAR at 61 percent, challenging market conditions, coupled with higher valuations entail greater risk to sustenance of high growth and improved RoEs.

Although long term prospects look positive, valuations are stretched and leave scope for negative surprise. Avoid.

The views and investment tips expressed by brokerage houses 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.India is no longer a preferred economy to invest in, Ajay Srivastava, chief executive officer of Dimensions Corporate Finance told CNBC TV-18.

"Investors have already spoken with their cheque books, we have not seen major inflows. Internationally, India is not in the top five list of investing locations at this point of time, no mutual fund manager is overweight on India, this is not the flavour of the market, this is not what is going to work in the next 12 months," Srivastava said.

Srivastava, however, added, a silver lining is that the private equity sector is still interested in India.

Commenting on the non-banking financial companies, he said the top five to six companies will now trade at a premium when compared to the other 10 to 15 NBFCs in the sector.

Notwithstanding the panic in the market, Srivastava said he will buy Yes Bank since the Reserve Bank of India has not said anything yet on the company.

IT, pharma, and MNC stocks are the order of the day, Srivastava said.

"IT stocks are exposed to the US market. They will do tremendously well. I don't think you'll see a problem in the IT sector in the next one-two years. You'll see a lot of traction," he said.8 | Infosys | Market Cap for the week ended October 30: Rs 4,51,753.23 crore crore | Loss during the week: 26,152.79 crore.

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Share price of Infosys rose 1 percent on Tuesday after Infosys Public Services Inc (IPS) has been awarded a CAD USD 80.3 million contract by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to modernize and automate their procurement processes.

IPS is working with Ernst & Young LLP (EY) and SAP Canada Inc. (SAP) to digitize PSPC procurement system through the implementation and management of a cloud-based electronic procurement solution.

The new solution, which will be using SAP Ariba, SAP Fieldglass and ServiceNow, will provide an intuitive, web-based portal for PSPC and its suppliers to access procurement information and services in both English and French.

Eric Paternoster, Chief Executive Officer, Infosys Public Services said, We are honored and excited to have been selected by the Government of Canada to do just this  modernize procurement systems to make it easier for the government and the suppliers to interact, transact and better serve Canadians.

Infosys closed at Rs 726.50, up Rs 9.20, or 1.28 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh PatilYes Bank

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Share price of Yes Bank fell 3 percent on Tuesday ahead of board meeting to decide on the action plan after the RBI directive.

It has touched a 52-week low of Rs 198.65.

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.

In the statement, 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 clarified on news report that RBI slaps Yes Bank with Rs 38 crore over GST Violations, stating that the heading used by news agency is inappropriate and RBI has not imposed any fines/ penalties over GST violations on the bank. In addition, there has been no written communication in the form of a show-cause notice, or otherwise, provided to bank on the matter by the authorities.

Research house Axis Capital maintained buy on Yes Bank but cut the target to Rs 300 from Rs 430 per share.

It believes that ride will not be smooth as Kapoor was a key catalyst, while Kapoors absence may impact continuity of strategies and outlook.

Yes Bank closed down Rs 6.40, or 2.83 percent at Rs 219.85 on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh PatilRamesh Iyer, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services, spoke to CNBC-TV18 about the company's business plans and cost of fund.

"Rise in cost of funds not steep enough to pass on to the customers," said Iyer.

"The average cost of fund for us still remains at about 8.3-8.4 percent since we have well matched fund that we have taken and therefore any new borrowing comes with a new rate and that comes at about 8.7-8.8 percent but the average is still at about 8.3-8.4 percent," he added.

Iyer further said that they need to see customer willingness to pay if demand on asset side is natural.

"As a finance company we are at least very clear that we must have the margin orientation very high and do only as much business that we believe can be done through the cost risk that can be passed on to the consumer. As a finance company I do not think we are here to absorb all of that," Iyer added.

Watch the video for more...Novartis India Q1 | Profit at Rs 4.4 crore versus Rs 0.8 crore, revenue at Rs 92.5 crore versus Rs 109.3 crore YoY. (Image: Reuters)

Pharmaceutical giant Novartis said it will cut more than 2,000 jobs in Switzerland by 2022, while some 400 jobs could go in Britain as part of a global restructuring.

The Swiss group said in a statement there would be a net-loss of 1,000 jobs at different manufacturing facilities across the wealthy Alpine nation, in Basel, Schweizerhalle, Stein and Locarno.

But it stressed that this included the recently announced build up of a cell and gene therapy manufacturing unit in Stein that was expected to create up to 450 new jobs.

Another 700 jobs would be meanwhile be cut over the same period due to a shift in business functions from Switzerland to other Novartis sites around the world, according to the company, which currently employs some 12,800 people in Switzerland.

In a separate release, the company said it planned to exit its manufacturing site in Grimsby in Britain by the end of 2020.

"Three hundred and ninety-five Novartis employees at the Grimsby site are directly affected by the decision, and additional contactors employed through third parties may also be impacted," the statement said.

Novartis has already announced adjustments in its manufacturing units in Japan, the US, and other countries as part of a strategy announced in 2015 amid an increased emphasis on specialised and personalised medicines over high-volume products.

"We are continuing our efforts to globally transform Novartis into a more efficient, agile organisation that can sustainably innovate and deliver breakthrough medicines to patients," company chief executive Vas Narasimhan said in a statement.

"We will do everything possible to help our associates who might be impacted manage through this difficult transition," he said, stressing that Novartis remained "deeply committed" to its presence in Switzerland.

The company, he said, will continue to have its global headquarters, largest research and development centre, as well as a growing "advanced manufacturing footprint" in the country.

The Employe Suisse union meanwhile described Tuesday's announcement as "a bitter pill" and asked Novartis to reconsider moving so many jobs abroad, insisting there was no guarantee this would cut the company's costs.

As for the Grimsby site, Novartis stressed that it was "an effective, well-running operation," and said it was looking at a range of options for it, including divestment, "which could potentially allow the facility to stay open." "We will treat every employee with the utmost respect, sensitivity and fairness during this difficult time," Haseeb Ahmad, Novartis UK Country President, said in the statement.

Following the news, Novartis saw its share price rise 0.9 percent to 82.54 Swiss francs in early afternoon trading, outperforming the overall Swiss stock exchange's main index.live bse live

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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is investigating whether brokers and investors conspired during Friday's sharp sell-off and subsequent recovery in shares such as Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL), Yes Bank and other lenders, according to a report in Bloomberg.

According to the report, the market regulator is reportedly reviewing data from BSE Sensex and NSEs Nifty 50 to find which parties bought and sold shares as well as the sequence of the trades.

Also read  DHFL says it has not defaulted on any repayments

If SEBI finds any evidence of wrongdoings, it may launch a full investigation, the people told the news portal.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.

The Reserve Bank of India on September 23 said it was closely monitoring the financial market along with SEBI.

"The Reserve Bank of India and the Securities and Exchange Board of India are closely monitoring recent developments in financial markets and are ready to take appropriate actions, if necessary," the central bank said in a statement.

Also read  Fridays carnage in NBFCs, midcaps underscores vulnerability of F&O positions

The statement came after the Indian stocks turned volatile on September 21, primarily dragged by NBFCs and housing finance companies on reports the firms were facing a liquidity crunch.

The share price of DHFL plunged as much as 60 percent to hit a fresh 52-week low of Rs 246.25 amid high volumes before paring losses to end down 43 percent. Yes Bank slumped as much as 34 percent before recovering to close down 29 percent. Stocks of Indiabulls Housing Finance and LIC Housing Finance were also down by over 20 percent and 15 percent, respectively, at one point. Shares of Bajaj Finance and Bajaj Finserv too took a hit.

Also read  Explained: Why DHFL and other NBFC stocks took a beating on Friday?

The market regulator believes that low trading volumes in financial stocks did not warrant the size of the share price swings, the report said.

The market watchdog is said to be examining data to determine if trading took place based on the unpublished price-sensitive information. Some of the lenders have reportedly briefed the stock-exchange authorities on the September 21 crash.The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) may file a case against Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) for defaulting on its term repayments, The Economic Times reported.

IL&FS owes SIDBI Rs 1,000 crore, of which it has repaid just Rs 50 crore, sources told the paper, adding that Rs 500 crore is already in default, while some deposits are maturing next week.

Read  Cash-strapped IL&FS may receive Rs 700 crore from NHAI soon: Report

As per the report, SIDBI can file a case as soon as Wednesday to seek repayments of all its term deposits in IL&FS. The lender may have to file a case under the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act pertaining to non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) as the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code (IBC) does not provide for cases against financial companies.

Read: Lenders, shareholders may come to the rescue of debt-laden IL&FS

"We are using section 45Q(a) of the RBI Act which deals with repayment of deposits by NBFCs. In the next few days, a suitable legal measure for recovery of deposits will be worked out," a source told the paper.

Under this section, RBI can direct an NBFC to make payments. "Since the old companies law does not exist, there is no provision to file a winding-up petition against IL&FS, so we are using this route to help in recovery," a source told the paper.

Read  Opinion | IL&FS mess highlights the rot in infrastructure financing space

SIDBI, a government-owned development finance institution formed to support lending to micro and small enterprises, had invested its surplus funds in short term deposits of IL&FS.

The move may further deepen the IL&FS crisis as the firm has been facing liquidity challenges for almost a month. On September 24, IL&FS Financial Services defaulted on interest payments on commercial papers for the third time in a month.

Read: IL&FS crises deepens, financial services arm defaults on commercial papers

Earlier this month, the group defaulted on an Rs 1,000 crore short term loan from SIDBI, while a subsidiary also defaulted on dues worth Rs 500 crore.

As on March-end, IL&FS total outstanding debt stood at Rs 91,091.31 crore at the group level, with most operating assets with its subsidiaries. Around Rs 5,756 crore worth of debt is due for repayment in the next 1 year.Representative Image

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Delhi-based Filatex India, currently in the throes of a significant expansion, will look to strike foreign tie-ups for contract manufacturing of higher value chain products like polyester yarn and garments next year. The company is aiming to move towards making higher margin products and may consider establishing digital printing facility as well at some point, company Chairman and Managing Director Madhu Sudhan Bhageria told Moneycontrol.

We would like to tie-up with foreign companies. There is a lot of fabric that is not made in India. We would like to make them here. Manufacturing has become unaffordable in many countries. We would like to meet their demand by making here and supplying to them, the man at the helm of the family-run company said.

The company clocked a net profit of Rs 60 crore on net revenues of Rs 1,928 crore in 2017-18. Exports contributed around 20 percent to the revenues. In June quarter this year, net profit came at Rs 20.14 crore on revenues of Rs 704.43 crore. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization was Rs. 56.96 crore.

Bhageria expects to close the ongoing financial year with net profit Rs 90 crore, a jump of 50 percent from last year on a topline of Rs 3,000 crore . He expects the EBITDA to come at Rs 250 crore to Rs 260 crore. New capacities will pull up the profit, he said.

The companys product portfolio includes polyester chips, polypropylene multifilament crimp yarn, polyester partially oriented yarn, drawn textured yarn, fully drawn yarn and narrow woven fabric. These in turn are used to make products like shirts, trousers, lingerie, sarees, carpets, rugs, yoga wear and sportswear, bedsheets, towels and curtains.

The company commissioned new capacity just six months ago at Dahej in Gujarat at a cost of Rs 340 crore. It is currently implementing a brownfield expansion at the same spot in the port city. Overall, the company has two factories, the other one at Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

The company currently has an annual manufacturing capacity of 328,300 tonne. The brownfield expansion, currently underway in Dahej, will take the manufacturing capacity of the unit to 1,050 tonne per day. This expansion, likely to be completed by December next year, will cost Rs 275 crore and will be funded through a mix of debt and equity. Bhageria said the company had placed the order for the new machines which typically take two years to get delivered.

The company has the necessary approvals to raise Rs 150 crore in equity to fund its expansion and also keep aside a certain amount  Rs 50 crore to Rs 70 crore  for any inorganic opportunity that may come up. Bhageria said the preference would be to mop up this money via a qualified institutional placement. The QIP will see promoter holding come down to 52 percent from 58 percent, according to Bhageria.

Part of the QIP proceeds will also be used to erect a 25-30 MW power plant for captive use in Dahej, he said. We will apply for environment approval for the power plant. It will cut power cost by Rs 2.50 to Rs 3 per unit with a three-year payback period, Bhageria said.Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump blasted Iran and its "corrupt dictatorship", alleging that its leaders are sowing "chaos, death and destruction as he urged the international community to isolate the Iranian regime as long as its "aggression" continues.

"Every solution to the humanitarian crisis in Syria must also include a strategy to address the brutal regime that has fuelled and financed it - the corrupt dictatorship in Iran, Trump said in his second address to the UN General Assembly's annual General Debate.

He accused Iran's leaders of sowing chaos, death and destruction and said they do not respect their neighbours or borders, or the sovereign rights of nations.

Instead Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond," he said.

Trump said the US has launched a campaign of economic pressure to deny the Iranian regime the funds it needs to advance its bloody agenda and Washington is working with countries that import Iranian crude oil to cut their purchases substantially.

Additional sanctions will resume on November 5 and more will follow, he said, adding that the US cannot allow the "world's leading sponsor of terrorism" to posses the planet's most dangerous weapons.

We cannot allow a regime that chants 'Death to America' and that threatens Israel with annihilation to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on earth. Just can't do it, he said. "We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues."

He said the Iranian people are "rightly outraged" that their leaders have embezzled billions of dollars from Iran's treasures and looted the people's religious endowments - all to fill their own pockiest and send their proxies to wage war.

Not good. Iran's neighbors have paid a heavy toll to the regime's agenda of aggression and expansion, he said, adding that this was the reason countries in the Middle East strongly supported his decision to withdraw from the horrible 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimpose nuclear sanctions.

"The Iran deal was a windfall for Iran's leaders, he said.

Trump also said that he will continue to work with friends and allies to deny radical Islamic terrorists any funding, territory or support of any means of infiltrating the country's borders.

The US in May withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran and reimposed sanctions on the Iranian economy, with a US embargo due to hit Iran's oil industry in November.RBI

Mandar Kagade

An inter-ministerial committee looking into reforms of Indias payments systems has suggested setting up an independent regulator where the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will merely have representation. In effect, it has recommended that payments regulation may be de-coupled from the central bank and bank regulator.

Consistent with intuition, RBI has pushed back on the proposal. It has relied on certain international precedents to argue that only central banks can effectively regulate payment systems. The committee, on its part, has pointed out other international precedents with the decoupled model  Australia and the United Kingdom are prominent examples  and suggested that RBIs argument about central bank primacy appear to be without evidence.

As the Ratan P Watal Committee, an earlier panel set up the government to overhaul the digital payments infrastructure, pointed out, the primary motivation for an independent payments regulator is to promote access (including for non-banks), and competition in the payments industry.

Sectoral regulators, such as RBI here, face inherent statutory and institutional capacity constraints to execute policy in pursuit of these social goals. Statutorily, their mandate may be in conflict with the goals of promoting access and competition.

Take RBIs mandate of financial stability. The pursuit of financial stability goals may require the central bank to impose identity access barriers (for example, it allows only banks to participate as members in the real time gross settlement (RTGS) systems) or net worth requirements as a condition precedent for licensing (such as those exist for pre-paid instruments or cash management companies).

In other contexts, (derived) statutory goals like consumer protection become unintentional barriers against useful product innovations. We saw an example of these spill-over effects recently when RBI reportedly denied innovation around a recurring mandate feature to UPI that would have facilitated use of this payment infrastructure for a host of new use-cases (say, through enabling subscription payment models).

In another context, non-banks continue to be constrained from issuing open-loop instruments and the ability to receive direct deposits from consumers. (Open-loop instruments are instruments that facilitate both cash-in and cash-out. A general purpose debit card issued by the bank is open-loop). In fact, now that we have a full-KYC (know your customer) mandate, there is an even stronger case for levelling the playing field between banks and non-banks in issuance of open-loop instruments. To summarise, RBIs measures, while legitimately in the pursuit of its statutory objectives, may have spill-over effects on other social objectives including competition, innovation and financial inclusion.

An independent payments regulator will not be fettered by other objectives in conflict with the pursuit of competition and innovation in the payments sector. As such, it would be better suited to regulate the payments space with RBI as part of the new entitys board, but not in the capacity of exclusive regulator.

It is important to get the composition of the independent regulator to extract the full benefits of a de-coupled model. Both Australia and the UK offer useful templates in this regard.

Take the case of Australia. The Australian competition regulator, the central bank and the Payments System Board act in concert to frame policies on access and competition in the payments sector under the (Australian) Payment Systems (Regulation) Act. While the competition regulator is not formally represented on the Payments System Board, it has powers to influence decisions through consultation rights arising from a pact with the central bank.

These consultation rights trigger at the deliberation stage and encompass both private negotiation and the right to comment publicly on the draft determinations of the central bank/board.

The ministerial panels proposal for the Payments Regulatory Board envisages nominees of the government as it currently stands. The bill must be further modified to mandate an arrangement on the lines of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Payments Regulation Board and the Competition Commission as the antitrust regulator so that the board has the benefit of institutional expertise in competition from the deliberation stage. A similar MoU exists between the Financial Conduct Authority and the Competition Markets Authority in the UK as well.

An independent regulator and such a pact will go a long way in achieving the overarching policy goal of promoting competition and innovation in the payments space.

(Mandar Kagade is a payments/fintech policy consultant. Views expressed are personal)Months ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) has held its first meeting to discuss affirmative action in the private sector, according to a report by The Indian Express.

The report suggests that questions were raised during the meeting on September 22 over the private sectors commitment to provide jobs to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The robustness in industrys efforts is missing, the newspaper quoted an official as saying.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) made a presentation on the progress made by the industry in skill development, provision of scholarships and employment for SCs and STs.

A high-level coordination committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister to discuss the issue in October 2006, by the Manmohan Singh government.

However, the committee, previously called Coordination Committee on Affirmative Action for SCs/STs in the Private Sector, had held only seven meetings until now. Questions had been raised within the government over the delay, the report suggests. The committee includes heads of industry chambers.

Industry chambers Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) provide data on scholarships, training and jobs provided, to SCs and STs, every quarter to the DIPP.

They (the government officials) said the private sector can adopt villages and work towards extending skill training and then provide jobs to the SC/STs in these villages, an official who attended the meeting told the newspaper.

It was suggested that private sector companies can contribute by providing scholarships to tribal students, the official added.

The meeting also comes at a time when several groups, including Dalits, Jats, Marathas and upper-castes, have held protests in multiple states over issues ranging from quotas in jobs and promotions to alleged dilution of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

On September 6, 35 organisations representing upper-caste interests staged protests in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and ally Janata Dal (United)-ruled Bihar.

The protest were against amendments to the SC/ST Act that overruled the Supreme Courts order diluting it.

Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are expected to head for assembly polls later this year along with Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and possibly Telangana. The general election is scheduled to happen in April-May 2019.

In 2016, recommendations of a central panel for providing Other Backward Classes (OBCs) 27 percent reservation in private sector jobs had evoked favourable reactions from some political parties. However, the ruling BJP had noted that it could be done after creating a conducive atmosphere.Flyers may soon be allowed to carry liquids above the existing limit of 100ml in their hand baggage, with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MCA) planning to install liquid explosive detectors at all airports, reports Hindustan Times.

To bring the plan to fruition, the ministry has consulted with some European firms and reviewed their latest technologies. After considering all safety and security parameters of travellers, the ministry will shortlist a technology and its manufacturer.

After selecting the technology, the ministry plans to conduct a trial at a metro airport, suggests the report, citing an MCA official. On the success of trial, the Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) will issue a list of liquids allowed in hand baggage. However, liquor will not be allowed considering its potential threats, the official said.

"The passenger will have to put the container in the detector and, within five seconds, it will tell the percentage of explosive in it. It gives 4-5 level of threat scenario, and based on that items can be allowed, the official added.

The plan is only in its initial stages. Thus, nothing can be said on how long will it take to shape up and implement.

Currently, flyers are not allowed to carry in their hand baggage or on person  liquids, gels or aerosols, which include beverages, shampoos, sun tan lotions, creams, toothpaste, hair gels, hair sprays, perfume, liquid cosmetics or any other items of similar consistency, exceeding 100 ml.

However, medicines, inhalers accompanied by prescriptions and baby food are exceptions and permitted in hang baggage. These items will be carried in one clear transparent re-sealable, one litre size plastic bag and will be subjected to the prescribed screening and security checks.Representative image

India and Mauritius will hold the next round of negotiations from September 26 for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA), which is aimed at liberalising norms to boost two-way commerce and investments.

The three-day talks for the agreement, which is officially dubbed as the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA), will start from Wednesday, a government official said.

During the deliberations, both the sides would discuss issues related to trade in goods and services. In an FTA, two trading partners cut or eliminate duties on majority of goods besides liberalising norms to promote services trade and boost investments.

According to experts, India may not get a substantial benefit in the goods sector as Mauritius is a small market, but services sectors such as IT and tourism hold huge potential to enhance economic ties.

Interestingly, Mauritius is also holding negotiations for a similar pact with China, with which India has a huge trade deficit. The trade gap was $63 billion in 2017-18.

The island nation is the top source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into India. In 2017-18, India received $15.94 billion as compared to $15.73 billion in the previous financial year.

The bilateral trade between the countries increased to $1.1 billion in 2017-18 from $900 million in 2016-17. India exports petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, cereals, cotton and electrical machinery, among others, to Mauritius.

The island nation exports to New Delhi include iron and steel, pearls and precious/semi-precious stones.Aadhaar Card

The Supreme Court will deliver the verdict on the constitutional validity of Aadhaar on September 26. The top court had reserved its judgment on the same earlier this year.

Former High Court judge K Puttaswamy and others had filed a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar on the ground that it violated the citizens Right to Privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

The matter was being heard by a five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which had reserved its verdict in May 2018 after a 40-day hearing which had spanned across five months.

Although the plea challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar was filed in the apex court in 2012, it witnessed a major twist last year after a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously held that the Right to Privacy was a fundamental right and part of every citizens Right to Life.

The nine-judge bench, headed by the then Chief Justice JS Khehar, had then transferred the Aadhaar matter to a five-judge bench.

After Justice Khehars retirement, incumbent CJI Dipak Misra constituted the five-judge bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, AK Sikri, Ashok Bhushan, DY Chandrachud and himself. Justice Chandrachud is the only link between the five-judge bench and the nine-judge bench that announced its verdict on the Right to Privacy.

The bench took over the case in December 2017, even as India witnessed vehement protests against the Centre's order to compulsorily link their bank accounts and mobile phones with Aadhaar. On March 13, 2018, the bench had extended the deadline for the Centres order until the pronouncement of this judgment.Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

With Election Commissions model code of conduct expected to be imposed next month in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, the state cabinet led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken two major decisions, The Times of India has reported.

The first is to pay a monthly pension to unmarried women past the age of 50 years, while the second one is taking a loan of 500 million euros for the construction of metro rail in Bhopal and Indore.

Announcing the approval of Mukhya Mantri Abivahita Pension Yojana (Chief Ministers Unmarried Women Pension Scheme), Water Resources Minister Narottam Mishra told the media that this is the first time that the state has taken such a step for unmarried women, who are also a domicile of the state.

According to Mishra, who is also the spokesperson of the BJP government in the state, a pension of Rs 300 will be paid per month to unmarried women between the age of 50 and 79 years, while a pension of Rs 500 will be given to those who are 80 years of age and above.

Mishra also told the press that the state cabinet approved taking a loan of 500 million euros from the European Investment Bank to continue with the Bhopal and Indore Metro Rail Projects. The Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Company Limited (MPMRCL) will decide the filling of posts and the eligibility of criteria for the metro projects, which will be implemented under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Model.

The Madhya Pradesh government was also mulling starting metro projects in Gwalior and Jabalpur. However, Mishra told the publication that feasibility in the cities will be assessed before a decision is made.The Supreme Court (SC) has declined to disqualify lawmakers and candidates from contesting elections upon framing of criminal charges against them.

The court delivered the verdict in a batch of pleas raising a question whether Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) facing criminal trial can be disqualified from contesting elections at the stage of framing of charges against them.

A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra said Parliament must make a law to prevent people with serious criminal cases pending against them from entering legislature and participate in the law-making process.

While the top court said filing of a charge sheet cannot be grounds for disqualification of legislators, it expressed concern at the criminalisation of politics. The apex court issued a number of directions.

The court directed political parties to give wide publicity of the list of cases pending against a candidate. Such information must be put up on their websites and be widely shared in local media, both print and electronic, the court added.

On criminalisation of politics, the bench said "time has come for Parliament to keep criminals away".

In a separate verdict, the court ruled that it cannot restrict MPs and MLAs from practising as lawyers.

Presently, lawmakers are barred under the Representation of Peoples (RP) Act from contesting elections only after their conviction in a criminal case.

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.

Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, had earlier said that Parliament has made a distinction between an accused and a convict and there has been a provision for disqualification in the RP Act upon conviction of a lawmaker.

The Election Commission of India (EC) 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.

With PTI inputsThe Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict on September 25 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 on September 25.

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.Congress President Rahul Gandhi

Furious with Congress president Rahul Gandhi for using "foul language" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP workers staged a noisy protest here Tuesday to demand an apology and were dispersed by police.

As Congress and BJP workers faced off against each other on the second day of his visit to his parliamentary constituency, Gandhi went to the district magistrate's office here amid tight security, officials said.

"The situation is under control now. The BJP and the Congress came face to face and police had to intervene," said Additional Superintendent of Police B C Dubey.

Congress spokesperson Anil Singh said he and other party workers were chased away by a "helpless administration" when they were objecting to the BJP workers raising slogans against their leader.

"Congress workers opposing the mudslinging on our leader by BJP workers were 'lathi charged' and chased away by the helpless administration," Singh said.

According to BJP's district unit president Uma Shankar Pandey, people of Amethi and the party staged a strong protest against the Congress chief's "unfounded allegations" and his use of "foul language" against the prime minister yesterday.

"There is 'chori' (theft) in the works of Narendra Modi -- Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, notebandi (demonetisation), Gabbar Singh Tax (referring to GST). There is theft in all these. One by one, we will prove that Narendra Modi ji is not a 'chowkidaar'. Narendra Modi is a 'chor' (thief)," Gandhi had said.

The Congress MP bad mouthed the prime minister and used foul language, calling him a thief, Pandey said.

"We demand an apology from the local MP or else we will not allow him to enter in the constituency next time he comes here," Pandey said.

He said people in Amethi were ashamed they had elected an MP like Gandhi and alleged that the Congress president is himself embroiled in a land scam in the constituency and is involved in the National Herald case.

"Jo swayam chor hai, woh machata shor hai (a person who is himself a thief raises the maximum ruckus)," he said, adding that Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra faces serious charges in Haryana.

Gandhi's visit to Amethi is his first after his Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.

Firing a fresh salvo at the prime minister over the Rafale jet deal, the Congress president had Monday also said the country's "chowkidar" Modi snatched money from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

"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.

On Twitter, Gandhi posted a video relating to French publication Mediapart, which last week carried a story quoting former French president Francois 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.A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on September 24 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 on September 24 filed a charge sheet 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.

Chhattisgarh is expected to head for Assembly election later this year along with Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and possibly Telangana.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 virtually launched Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s assembly election campaign in Madhya Pradesh by addressing party workers in capital Bhopal.

Hitting out at the states main opposition party Congress, PM Modi said, Congress never ever thought about welfare of Madhya Pradesh. Only if they would have thought when they were in power for such a long time at the Centre, they would have added to the state's progress. Sadly, they only believe in vote-bank politics.

The prime minister said the vote bank, which he claimed had destroyed the country like termites, had been eliminated.

Saving the country from vote-bank politics and its collateral damage is the objective of BJP, the PM added, speaking at the karyakarta mahakumbh.

PM Modi said the situation had changed since the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014.

In collaboration with the central government, the state government is working hard for development. In the various development reports, Madhya Pradesh has topped, he said.

Hitting out at Congress, Mahagathbandhan

PM Modi accused the Congress of not assisting BJP-ruled states while the latter was in power.

When UPA (United Progressive Alliance) was in power, they used to act like an enemy of BJP-ruled states. I was a CM (Chief Minister) and if any Union Minister even did namaste to me and that photo was published in the newspaper the next day, the minister would tremble in fear that his career was now over, PM Modi said.

Taking a jibe at the Congress over its series of assembly election loses in the last four years, the prime minister said the Rahul Gandhi-led party had to seek certificates of much smaller parties.

Had they done some introspection in the last four years, such a situation would not have arisen. We lost in 1984. But we did not criticise EVMs (electronic voting machine). We looked inwards instead, he said.

What sort of gathbandhan is this? This is a gathbandhan born out of fear of losing. This is not good for India, PM Modi said, taking a shot at oppositions efforts to stitch together an alliance, or Mahagathbandhan, to take on the saffron party.

Evoking Vajpayee, Deendayal Upadhyaya

The prime minister evoked former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was born in Madhya Pradesh, and BJP ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya on his 102nd birth anniversary. He said party workers should continue to work towards the welfare of the nation.

"It is a debt we owe these great people. We will miss no opportunity to repay it," he said.

Mahatma Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia and Upadhyaya always guided the nation, PM Modi added.

Message to cadre

PM Modi said he felt fortunate to be working for the nation through the BJP. We are so fortunate. I wonder how many good deeds we have done in the past life that we have been fortunate to work for this nation through this party, PM Modi said.

It is a matter of pride to be in power in 19 states, but it is a matter of even greater pride to be the world's largest party, he added.

Earlier, BJP National President Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan had also addressed the mega rally.

Madhya Pradesh is expected to head for assembly polls later in the year along with Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and possibly Telangana.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who became the chief minister of the state in 2004, is battling anti-incumbency. Opinion polls have suggested a possibility of Chouhan facing a stiff fight from Congress.Piyush Goyal

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 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.Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said he understands the pain of jawans, Air Force officers, the families of martyred pilots as well as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited workers and will work to bring to justice all those who dishonoured and stole from them.

Gandhi addressed them all on Twitter in his apparent attack against the Narendra Modi government on the issue of the Rafale fighter jet deal.

"To every Air Force officer and Jawan who has served India. To the family of every martyred Indian fighter pilot. To every person who ever worked for HAL. We hear your pain. We understand how you feel. We will bring to justice all those who dishonoured and stole from you," he said on Twitter.

Gandhi has been attacking the government on the Rafale deal, accusing the Modi government and the prime minister of putting money into the pockets of his "crony" friends.

Yesterday, he said the country's "chowkidar" 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.

"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.

"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," he said.live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Mercedes-Benz has decided to move the production of US-specific models of its GLC sports utility vehicle (SUV) to its assembly lines at Chakan near Pune.

With this, the company has now become the first luxury car maker in India to export to the US.

Mercedes deciding to assemble the left-hand drive version of its best-selling, mid-range SUV only highlights India's growing popularity among global auto companies as a production hub.

Late last year, Ford started exporting made-in-Chennai EcoSport SUVs to the US, thereby making the country the second largest consumer of cars made in India.

Bajaj Auto-made KTM and Eicher Motors-made Royal Enfield bikes are the other made-in-India products that are exported to the US.

Daimler's plant in Bremen, Germany, is currently responsible for manufacturing the GLC for the US market. The first of the India-made GLCs will arrive in the US next month.

Daimler decided to choose India over its plant in Alabama, even when it was already making the C-Class there. Notably, the C-Class shares its platform with the GLC.

A mail sent to Mercedes-Benz India remained unanswered at the time of publishing this article.

Mercedes has invested Rs 2,200 crore in its Chakan plant since building it in 2009. The factory has the largest production capacity for any luxury car in India.

The facility assembles nine models from knocked-down kits imported from Germany, using engines assembled by Force Motors.

While Mercedes' compact range, including the A-Class and B-Class, are imported to India, other more expensive models, including Maybach S 560, S-Class and E-Class are made locally in India.

India is one of the only two countries in the world where the Maybach is made. The GLC was the last of the products to be chosen for assembly in India.

After a 2015 expansion, Mercedes doubled its Chakan plant's capacity to 20,000 units per year.

Last year, the company sold 16,236 cars and retained the crown of Indias largest luxury car maker. It was followed by BMW, Audi and Jaguar Land Rover.

In the January-June period Mercedes sold 8,061 units. Any import demand will substantially raise the production from the Chakan plant, which may invite further investment.

The doubling of capacity, three years ago, entailed an investment of Rs 150 crore.

Mercedes-Benz has also set up a research and development centre in Bengaluru, which is its biggest outside of Germany. The R&D facility is engaged in digitisation, simulations, data science, and autonomous cars.After Google Chromes latest update, if a user signs in to any Google service (like Gmail), the person is automatically signed in to Google Chrome which may lead to the user's browsing data being compromised.

Earlier, if a user signed in to Gmail or any other Google service, an option to log in to Chrome used to be presented. According to Chromes Privacy Policy, user data is sent to the Google account if a user signs in to Chrome.

"Google has transformed the question of consenting to data upload from something affirmative that I actually had to put effort into  entering my Google credentials and signing into Chrome  into something I can now do with a single accidental click," said Matthew Green, Johns Hopkins Information Security assistant professor, in a blog.

However, Google clarified that user data wont be sent as long as the user doesnt click on the 'sync' button. It means that sending your data to Google is one click away.

Chrome already uses cookies for advertising but with the update, you could let Google associate an account with your browser history. With the massive amount of data that Google already has due to usage of maps and other apps linked to your Google account on your phone, adding browser data may spell trouble.



To reiterate, signing in does NOT turn on Chrome Sync. The Chrome Help Center https://t.co/t2pPjiqkVe and Chrome White Paper https://t.co/RFlpiSSs2j have up-to-date details about this change. My colleagues are updating the Chrome privacy notice ASAP to make this more clear 6/6

 Adrienne Porter Felt (@__apf__) September 24, 2018

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. 2/ pic.twitter.com/h1ndpMPDlT September 24, 2018

Google Chrome Product Manager Adrienne Porter Felt said the changes were made as users on shared devices sometimes signout from a service and forget to logout from Chrome.General Motors has been in India since 1996 subsequently building two factories to manufacture, sell and export out of the country. Even after plans to invest $1 billion more, in 2017, GM closed its factory in Halol Gujarat. Now, according to Mint, JSW Energy is looking to buy GM's Pune facility marking the companys exit from India.

According to the report, the US-based carmaker is in advanced talks with JSW Energy to sell the Pune facility valued at around Rs 3,000-3,500 crore. This includes the land cost, an engine assembly line and a car assembly line.

Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Energy intends to enter the electric car market with an electric vehicle of their own code-named JSW car. According to the report the JSW wants to manufactured the car at the Pune plant and is plans to be sell the model Rs 10-15 lakh.

The Pune facility is currently in use by GM for the manufacture of some models of its Beat hatchback which is exported. The facility is spread over 300 acres of land capable of annual production capacity of 130,000 vehicles.

JSW's foray into electric vehicle manufacturing would be a major diversification for them, especially considering the company is mainly a power producing company. To head the electric car vertical, JSW Energy has also appointed former GM veteran Sergio Luiz Pegoraro Rocha as Chief Executive.

"If this thing (sale of the Pune plant to JSW Energy) materialises, sooner or later, it is clear indication that GM will wind up its operations for exports also," Anil Sharma of MarketsandMarkets, a Pune-based consulting firm told Mint.

Globally, GM is on a cost rationalization drive, but I must say that it is an indication of headwinds for other industry players, mostly global (original equipment makers), who have very high cost structure, he added.Amid a political slugfest over the Rafale fighter jet deal, Union minister Prakash Javadekar Tuesday hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his "chor" jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and wondered whether the Congress chief's "behaviour" could be called "shameless".

The minister was in the city to make a statement on the controversial deal.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government will go ahead with the purchase of fighter jets from France to strengthen the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The HRD minister claimed the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) dispensation had stopped the Rafale deal midway for a review in 2012 as it wanted to "bring in" Robert Vadra's close aide Sanjay Bhandari.

Vadra is the son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

"We also know cuss words, but we have no intention to use them for politics. Congress president Rahul Gandhi used very abusive words against the prime minister. What should we call his behaviour? A shameless one?" Javadekar said.

"The language used by Rahul Gandhi does not follow any norms of decency, hence, we condemn the use of such language. No matter how many times you spread a lie, it will never become the truth," he said.

Rahul had on Monday charged that the country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi had snatched away money from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

He also demanded answers from the prime minister on several issues relating to the Rafale deal and asked him to clarify as to why former French president Francois Hollande allegedly called him a "thief".

Addressing reporters here, Javadekar said the Rafale deal was being opposed only by Pakistan and the Congress.

"Pakistan feels India will become more powerful if we procure the fighter jets, whereas the Congress is afraid that the BJP's power will grow manifold and that is why it is criticising the deal," he said.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) minister alleged that the then Congress government stopped the Rafale deal "which was in advanced stage in their own interest".

"We have found out that in 2012, the Congress-led UPA government stopped midway and ordered a review (of the deal) because they wanted to bring in Sanjay Bhandari, who is very close to Robert Vadra. Bhandari is now abroad," he alleged.

The senior BJP leader said the current dispensation signed the deal at a cost which was 20 per cent lower than the one proposed by the previous Congress government.

"The deal between the two countries (India and France) was already at an advanced stage during the Congress government," Javadekar said.

"All scamsters felt protected under the Congress-led UPA government. (Nirav) Modi, (Vijay) Mallya left India now because they are afraid that the BJP government will take action against them," he said.

The Union minister accused the Congress of levelling "false allegations" even during the tenure of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

"There was no coffin scam," Javadekar said, referring to the allegations of corruption in the purchase of coffins by the then BJP-led government after the 1999 Kargil war between India and Pakistan.

"The deals during the erstwhile Congress rule were never completed without middlemen. But, there is no middleman in our tenure," he asserted.

On the demand of the Congress and some opposition parties for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale deal, Javadekar said the committee will be of no use in view of false allegations.

"The Congress has realised that it does not have any future in the forthcoming (general) elections and that is why it is trying to hatch some conspiracy to malign the image of the BJP," he said.

The Congress under Gandhi has launched an unrelenting tirade against the BJP government over the Rafale deal, alleging corruption and violation of rules by the prime minister.

It has also accused the prime minister, finance minister and the defence minister of "lying on the issue".

Modi had announced the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets after holding talks with then French president Francois Hollande on April 10, 2015 in Paris.

The controversy took a turn last week after a French media report quoted Hollande as purportedly saying that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rs 58,000 crore Rafale jet fighter deal and France did not have a choice.Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on the image that its chief minister in Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has built over the course of his three terms. However, the party faces an unforeseen conundrum in the run-up to assembly polls  the wrath of the upper castes, as well as that of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/STs) in the state.

In a ruling on March 20, the Supreme Court cited instances of abuse of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by vested interests for political or personal purposes, and laid down certain provisions to ensure that the Act is not misused. These provisions included anticipatory bail and a preliminary inquiry before registering a case under the Act. Moreover, the apex court also stated that a public servant would be arrested under the aegis of the Act only when the appointing authority grants permission for the same.

The ruling was criticised by SC/ST groups and the Opposition, which urged the Centre to intervene. Senior leaders within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) headed by the BJP expressed concern and wanted the government to ensure that the provisions introduced by the SC are not misused.

In April, Madhya Pradesh witnessed a spate of violent incidents after SC/ST groups called for a Bharat Bandh to protest against the ruling. Six people were killed and dozens injured during clashes, which occurred reportedly between SC/ST and upper caste groups. After this, the central government brought a legislation to overturn the Supreme Court order during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The legislation, passed in both houses, helped in restoring the older provisions of the SC/ST Act.

This, in turn, led to agitation by upper caste groups, which called for a statewide shutdown in September to protest against the governments move. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan came under physical attack when from upper caste groups pelted stones at his Jan Ashirwad Rath Yatra and hurled a shoe at him during his rally in Sidhi district.

The developments have put the state BJP unit a fix. Its a challenge, said Anil Saumitra, the party's media coordinator in the state. But it is all a part of political agenda. Why is only Madhya Pradesh witnessing these protests? Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have the most amount of caste consolidation as far as north India is concerned, but you didnt see the kind of protests in those states, Saumitra told Moneycontrol, adding that the long and short of all these protests is to create a divide between the two social groups and engineer a loss for the BJP.

According to the 2009 Census, out of the total population of the state, 15.2 percent is Scheduled Caste while 20.3 is Scheduled Tribe. The state has 35 seats reserved for SCs and 47 reserved for STs in the assembly. At 65 percent, the percentage of people voting according to caste is the highest in Madhya Pradesh, a recent CSDS survey has revealed.

The upper castes and the OBCs have been the BJPs traditional voter base, while the SC/STs have preferred to vote for the Congress. However, the pattern changed in 2013 when the BJP managed to secure 36 percent votes from the SCs, improving from 31 percent in 2009 assembly elections, according to a CSDS survey. The party managed to do even better during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, held five months after the assembly polls when it secured up to 43 percent Scheduled Caste vote. The saffron party had also managed to significantly increase its Scheduled Tribe voter base during the Lok Sabha polls, where it secured 54 percent of the ST vote, which traditionally went to Congress.

Observers say Chouhan risks angering both his traditional voter base in upper caste groups and the newly acquired base in the SC/ST group if he tilts either way. Our strategy is not to make any statement on such issues and carry on with our Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas programme, Saumitra said. However, Chouhan recently made a statement where he assured the protesting upper caste groups that his government will not allow the Act to be misused.

The SC/ST Act will not be misused in MP and arrests will not be made without investigation, Chouhan had said, adding that a directive will be issued to that effect. This caused the Opposition parties to question Chouhans comment. The chief minister is not above the law. I am asking him (Chouhan) if he had taken advice and permission from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath had retorted.

Responding to Naths statement, Saumitra said, Congress didnt say anything when the legislation was passed in Parliament. When you supported us in Parliament, where laws are made, why are you supporting people out on streets who want to cause only disruption?

The Samanya Pichhda Alpsankhayak Kalyan Samaj (SAPAKS), a party claiming to represent the interests of the upper caste, has now decided to contest on all 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile, SC/ST groups are up in arms against the state government. The Chouhan administration, according to experts, is thus caught between a rock and a hard place. Will this affect the BJP's voter base?

"Zero. It will have zero effect on our voter base," Saumitra asserts.There is no denying that films are a reflection of the society and Tabrez Nooranis Love Sonia brings the hard-hitting issue of human trafficking to the fore. The critically-acclaimed film, after winning hearts in London, Melbourne and India, is all set to go to the United Nations.



#NewsUpdate: #LoveSonia goes to United Nations... Special screening in New York on 11 Oct 2018, the International Day of the Girl Child... This will be the first official screening of the film on US soil.

 taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) September 21, 2018

Taking to Twitter, film trade analyst Taran Adarsh confirmed the news. "#LoveSonia goes to United Nations... Special screening in New York on 11 Oct 2018, the International Day of the Girl Child... This will be the first official screening of the film on US soil," he wrote.

The screening will be followed by a reception to honour the Love Sonia team.

The film revolves around a 17-year-old girl who travels across India, Hong Kong and Los Angeles to rescue her sister from the nexus that runs human trafficking across continents.

South Asia, with India at its centre, is one of the fastest-growing regions for human trafficking in the world.

According to a Reuters report, almost 20,000 women and children were victims of human trafficking in India in 2016, a rise of nearly 25 percent from 2015.

The movie has already been screened at various international film galas. Love Sonia was honoured with the Best Indie Film award at the Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).

International Day of the Girl Child

Since 2012, October 11 has been marked as the International Day of the Girl Child. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting empowerment and fulfillment of their human rights.

UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) is working alongside all girls to expand existing learning opportunities, chart new pathways and call on the global community to rethink how to prepare girls for a successful transition into the world of work.The world's "most expensive" pair of shoes worth $17 million will be launched in the UAE on September 26, a media report said Tuesday.

The luxury footwear, made from diamonds and real gold, was designed and created over a period of nine months, Khaleej Times reported.

The Passion Diamond Shoes, with a price tag of 62.4 million dirham ($17 million or Rs 1.23 billion), feature hundreds of diamonds, together with two imposing D-flawless diamonds of 15 carats each, the report said.

The pair, created by the UAE-based brand Jada Dubai in collaboration with Passion Jewellers, will be launched at the world's only 7-star hotel, Burj Al Arab, on Wednesday, it said.

The report claimed that the footwear is the world's "most expensive", as previously, Debbie Wingham high heels were considered the most expensive footwear costing $15.1 million (55.4 million dirham).

The shoes on display at the launch event is a prototype of 36 EU, but after the sale it will be made for the specific size of the customer that will own the Passion Diamond Shoes.

"Jada Dubai designs only shoes with diamonds. For the launch of our second collection, we wanted to create a piece that is truly unique in the world using very rare diamonds," Maria Majari, co-founder and creative director of Jada Dubai, who designed the shoes, was quoted as saying in the report.

She said that approximately 50 guests including VIPs, ultra-high-net-worth individuals and media are invited for the launch event.

Majari said the $17 million price for the Passion Diamond Shoes is fixed and there will be no sales at the event. There is only one pair of shoes that will be made in the specific size of the customer who will buy it.A surging tax-take has blessed Australia's centre-right government with the smallest budget deficit in a decade and the means to fund a host of voter friendly spending promises as it struggles in the polls.

The Liberal National Coalition led by Prime Minster Scott Morrison has to face the nation by May next year and trails badly after dumping former leader Malcolm Turnbull in a bout of internecine party warfare a month ago.

Swelling coffers offer the chance to throw money at some long-standing political problems, such as a A$4.6 billion ($3.33 billion) injection into Catholic and private schools announced just last week.

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said a combination of higher tax receipts and restrained welfare spending had shrunk the budget shortfall to A$10.1 billion in the year to end June.

That was down from a projection of A$18.1 billion made as recently as May and, at 0.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), the smallest since the global financial crisis.

The swing owed much to record-high company profits, which helped boost tax receipts by A$13.4 billion, while faster growth in the economy and jobs restrained welfare payments.

Despite the marked improvement the government stuck with its forecast that the budget would not return to surplus until 2019/20, with Frydenberg dodging question on why it would not happen sooner.

"We absolutely continue to have a very disciplined approach when it comes to our Budget management," he told reporters.

Economists had thought a surplus was attainable in the current fiscal year, but the government is still projecting a deficit of A$14.5 billion.

"This (deficit) should be lower based on the economic performance, but will be dependent on policy changes," said Belinda Allen, a senior economist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

"With a better budget bottom line, new spending measures are expected to be announced in the lead up to the Federal Election due around May," she said.

Morrison has already decided to scrap a rise in the retirement age to 70, from the current 67, and is widely expected to accelerate planned tax cuts for small business.

The progress on the deficit had been enough to earn a nod from S&P Global Ratings, which last week lifted the outlook on Australia's triple-A rating to stable and thus removed any risk of a politically damaging downgrade.

($1 = 1.3808 Australian dollars)US_China_Trade_Trade war_Tariff

Sino-US trade talks have been difficult to proceed, with the United States "putting a gun to China's head", Chinese vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said on Tuesday.

When the talks can restart completely would depend on the "will" of the United States, Wang said at a press conference.

One cannot say that all previous trade discussions have been useless, but the United States has abandoned its mutual understanding with China, Wang said.US_China_Trade_Trade war_Tariff

Sino-US trade talks have been difficult to proceed, with the United States putting a "knife to China's neck", Chinese vice commerce minister Wang Shouwen said on Tuesday.

When the talks can restart completely would depend on the "will" of the United States, Wang said at a press conference.

One cannot say that all previous trade discussions have been useless, but the United States has abandoned its mutual understanding with China, Wang said.Answer: Donald Trump.

US President Donald Trump on Monday inked his administration's first trade deal with South Korea, which he described as "a historic milestone" and a promise fulfilled to his countrymen.

"The new US-Korea agreement includes significant improvements to reduce our trade deficit and expand opportunities to export American products to South Korea," Trump told reporters at the signing ceremony in New York on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly.

Describing it as a "very big deal" and a great day for the two countries, Trump said these outcomes give the finest American-made automobiles, innovative medicines and agricultural crops a much better access to Korean markets.

"I think our farmers are going to be extremely happy. It was very limited as to what they could do and what they could send. And now, it is an open market and they are going to be sending a lot more farm products. That makes me feel very good," he said.

Trump said as a part of the agreement, the US has also secured an increased access to America's auto industry.

According to the US Trade Representatives, since the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) came into effect in 2012, the US trade deficit in goods with Korea increased by 75 percent from $13.2 billion to $23.1 billion (2017), while the overall deficit increased by 57 percent from $6.3 billion to $9.8 billion (2017).

"Through negotiations to improve KORUS, the United States has secured changes that will reduce the trade deficit and ensure that KORUS is a good deal for American workers, farmers and businesses," it said, adding that the US achieved important steps to improve the large trade deficit in industrial goods and address the KORUS implementation concerns that have hindered American export growth.

Trump said the agreement will reduce bureaucracy and increase prosperity in both the countries. Workers in the US and South Korea will find new customers and new opportunities to expand and grow.

"Our teams will be working hard to ensure that the terms of the deal are fully implemented," he said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In said the free trade agreement between the two countries is significant in the sense that it expands the alliance to the economic realm as well.

"Today we have made amendments and modifications to improve the existing agreement. With the swift conclusion of the negotiations for the revision, the uncertainty surrounding our FTA has been eliminated. And, as a result, companies from both countries will now be able to do business under more stable conditions," he said.

In addition, he hoped that this will provide them with a platform upon which the economic ties of the two countries will be elevated to a higher level in a freer, fairer, and more mutually beneficial direction.

During the meeting, Moon shared with Trump the outcomes of September's inter-Korean summit, which included Democratic People's Republic of Korea Chairman Kim Jong Un's reiteration of his commitment to complete denuclearisation.

Trump commended Moon on conducting a successful third inter-Korean summit with the North Korean leader, Chairman Kim, and noted that there remained much work to be done to accomplish their mutual goal of achieving the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea.

"The two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining vigorous enforcement of existing sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that denuclearisation is the only path to economic prosperity and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," the White House said in a readout of the meeting.Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks outside 10 Downing Street in London

Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet has agreed that EU citizens should not have preferential access to work in Britain compared to people from elsewhere after Brexit, media reports said Tuesday.

Ministers gathering on Monday "unanimously supported a system based on skills rather than nationality", an unnamed source told the BBC, with similar reports in The Times and The Guardian.

Citizens from the other 27 European Union member states are currently free to live and work in Britain under the bloc's freedom of movement rules, but this will end after Brexit.

A government-commissioned report last week recommended that in future, EU and non-EU citizens follow the same immigration rules, with preference given to high-skilled workers.

The report's author, Alan Manning of the Migration Advisory Committee, briefed the cabinet meeting on Monday on his plan.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The cabinet agreed that, once free movement is brought to an end, the government will be able to introduce a new system which works in the best interests of the UK, including by helping to boost productivity."

May is now expected to make an announcement on future immigration rules at her Conservative party's conference next week, before likely introducing proposals later this year.

However, any post-Brexit immigration policy could be affected by Britain's future trade deals.

The EU may well seek to negotiate continued preferential treatment in return for access to its single market, while other countries could also seek visa waivers in return for trade deals.

May promised last week that even if Brexit negotiations with the EU break down, the rights of Europeans currently living in Britain "will be protected".

Her spokesman said there would be formal proposals published "shortly".The central information commission (CIC) has recently recommended that all parliamentary parties and MPs (members of Parliament) should be answerable and accountable for funds of MPLADS (members of Parliament local area development scheme) and must make every aspect of this information public on their respective official websites. Prof Sridhar Acharyulu, the central information commissioner who gave an order on 15 September 2018, has said that every MP is a public authority as per an earlier CIC decision in 2009. He has challenged the political parties to contest if each of their MPs is not a public authority. He has stated the Commission recommends that all the parliamentary parties or any of their representatives submit, if they so desire, their written contentions, if they believe that their parliamentary board/party is not a public authority under the RTI Act, and justify the same before 9 October 2018.

CIC has also directed the National Informatics Centre to incorporate on the official website of each MP, a software provision to upload an application for recommendation of works under MPLADS, the progress of work and the detailed final report with all the beneficiaries and the assets created and, more importantly, make it accessible to the common-man.

This, the commissioner remarked, would enhance the dignity of an already transparent institute - the Parliament - and prevent corruption in MPLADS as apprehended by various committees, besides saving thousands of crores of rupees of public money every year. This citizen-empowering CIC order is a sequel to an RTI (Right to Information) application filed by one Ram Gopal Dixit on 26 September 2016 seeking information/ certified copies of relevant documents on works recommended by his Lok Sabha MP Rajesh Diwakar of Hathras Lok Sabha constituency.

Mr Dixit sought the following information from the ministries of railways (MoR) and of statistics & programme implementation (MOSPI):

Agencies through whom the works were executed and payments made;

Physical status/progress of works recommended in this constituency,

MPLADS fund utilisation and status of works recommended and executed in the North Eastern Railway region, such as roads/railway stations, etc;-

The CPIO (central public information officer) of MoSPI did not provide him with any information regarding the railways department; instead, he forwarded his application to the MPLADS division of the Lok Sabha secretariat. This was irrelevant as this division maintains records of the overall statistics and cannot give specific information that Mr Dixit asked for - namely, information about MP Rajesh Diwakars constituency. He was told that the vital information on the works that his MP had selected were held exclusively by the MP himself, and the MP alone would know why he left his quota unspent. The CPIO of MoSPI further informed Mr Dixit that it received data only of the overall distribution of MPLADS funds;, but category-wise utilisation into data of every welfare area was only maintained only by the district authority and not by their ministry.

Aggrieved by the information denied to him, Mr Dixit filed his second appeal with the CIC saying, the government of India has created a website for the Indian Parliament, allocating a page for each parliamentarian. There the Honourable Member of Parliament, Mr. Rajesh Kumar since 2014, has generously shared even his personal details like date of birth, names of family members, address and email id etc. The same page should have contained details of the MPLADS works in his constituency. 

Prof Sridhar Acharyulu, in his 15 September 2018, order explained why MPLAD funds should be made transparent by stating that: the MoSIP in its recent report (August 2018) revealed that Rs12,000 crore of MPLADs (funds) was unspent. In February 2018, funds allotted but unspent stood at Rs4,773.13 crore while 2,920 instalments of Rs2.5 crore were yet to be released, resulting in a total backlog of Rs12,073.13 crore. These problems can be fixed by making every process of the works transparent. It is reported that a year after they took office, 298 of 542 members of the 16th (present) Lok Sabha have not spent a single rupee from the Rs5 crore corpus. The commissioner further observed: A look at the latest statistics reveals the truth. The details of the works (names, location, beneficiaries, payments etc) in each constituency and as per the MP are not available. Out of the total fund entitlement of Rs2,725 crore (Lok Sabha) only Rs1,412.5 crore was released by the government and out of Rs1,225 crore (Rajya Sabha) only Rs594 crore was released. The commissioner also mentioned in his order that, the question of whether an MP is a public authority under the RTI Act, was deliberated upon by a bench of commissioner Wazahat Habibullah and IC (information commissioner) Shailesh Gandhi in Girish Chandra Mishra vs Smt Sonia Gandhi, on 10 December 2009. It was contended that with the specific authorities conferred by the Constitution, each individual MP should be regarded as public authority under the RTI Act.

Inadequate information on MP Rajesh Diwakars official website The data related to the cumulative expenditure of MPLADS funds for the period 2014-2019 for the constituency of Hathras during the tenure of Mr. Rajesh Kumar Diwakar as Member of Parliament available at https://www.mplads.gov.in/MPLADS/UploadedFiles/HTML/16ls/lsstat24.htm is: The figures speak for themselves, states the CIC: Out of the entitlement of Rs25 crore, MP Rajesh Kumar Diwaker (Hathras) has recommended works of Rs17.38 crore. This means, 80.5% of the released amount is spent and the balance unspent amount is Rs4.12 crore.

People of his constituency, including this appellant, have every right to know the progress of these works, payments made, reasons for not spending the amount, etc. The commission hopes that Mr Diwakar will understand his duty and honour the commitment made by his party BJP to transparency, and publish the MPLADS works details on his page , regularly update them and explain the figures given above, in discharge of his obligation towards the people of Hathras constituency. It is legitimately expected from the parliamentary board of the BJP to take steps to make all their MPs, especially the MP in this case, accountable and answerable to provide such information.

The following are the detailed directions/recommendations of CIC order of 15 September 2018.

 The Commission directs the CPIOs of the offices of secretary general Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to place this CIC order on MPLADS before the speaker of Lok Sabha and the chairman of Rajya Sabha, to facilitate appropriate action. The Commission recommends that these two personalities holding high positions in the most important constitutional estate: the central legislature (parliament) to consider:

a) To provide the necessary legal frame for the MPLADS, with specific duties and compulsory transparency obligations, definitions of breach of duties, prescribing rules and regulations, besides imposing liabilities for dereliction of those duties and breach of rules and regulations; which may include prohibition of certain acts such as:

i. assets claimed to have been created under MPLADS not traceable,

ii. spending MPLADS funds for private works of MP,

iii. recommending funds to ineligible agencies,

iv. diversion of funds to private trusts,

v. works recommended under MPLADS which benefit the MP or his relatives, and

vi. breach of any norms laid down for recommending works.

b) This legal frame may also ideally list out the obligations of MPs such as:

i. duty to inform every year, number of applications received, works recommended, works rejected with reasons, progress of works, details of beneficiaries, and a comprehensive report on MPLADS works after the completion of the MPs term , to the chairman of Rajya Sabha or the speaker of Lok Sabha, respectively, and to the office of the parliament;

ii. duty to inform the voters seeking such details through RTI Act and generally;

iii. duty of the parliamentary party to post the details on their pages in official websites and on the webpages of the MP such as https://www.india.gov.in/my-government/indian-parliament/ .

c) To ensure compliance of transparency obligations by the parliamentary parties of various original political parties, having presence of multiple members in the parliament, under section 2(h) of the RTI Act, and direct the office machinery of the parliament to provide the necessary secretarial assistance to fulfil their obligations under the RTI Act.

To direct the office machinery in coordination with National Informatics Centre to incorporate on each page of the MPs official d)To direct the office machinery in coordination with National Informatics Centre to incorporate on each page of the MPs official website a software provision to upload an application for the recommendation of works under MPLADS; which could be either recommended; or rejected with reasons in a time bound manner, online; and on recommendation of such work, its progress from time to time shall be reported on the same page; and detailed final report with all beneficiaries and assets created be filed on completion of the work; and more importantly; such a page shall be accessible to the common-man, officers concerned and the parliament. This will enhance the dignity of the already transparent institutionthe parliament, and prevent corruption in MPLADS as apprehended by various committees as mentioned above, besides saving thousands of crores of rupees of public money every year.

e) To take the necessary initiative to develop a code of conduct as has been rightly recommended by the chairman of Rajya Sabha and the vice president of India, in his wisdom to cover ethics in MPLADS.

The commission recommends that the ministry of parliamentary affairs render the necessary assistance to the chairman of Rajya Sabha and the speaker to develop a legal frame for MPLADS as mentioned above and to make all parliamentary parties and MPs answerable and accountable for MPLADS funds as public authorities under the RTI Act to prevent MPLADS irregularities.



The commission directs Rakesh Kumar, secretary (PG) and CPIO, railways department to collect information related to works recommended under MPLADS by Rajesh Kumar Diwakar MP for the season 2016-17, details of implementing agencies and MPLADS fund utilisation on point number 3 of the RTI application and provide the same to the appellant within 30 days from the receipt of this order

.

. The state governments and their nodal district authorities are under the jurisdiction of the state information commissions; hence, apparently the CIC has no authority to direct them on these issues. But the information sought by the appellant is related to MPLADS work for which the respondent MoSPI from Centre has released funds, and such information is supposed to be disclosed by the authorities on their own as per Section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act. Non-compliance of section 4 obligations will amount to a serious dereliction of the RTI Act.



The concerned officials of ministry of railways are liable for denying the information, for this kind of a reply without typing the name of the officer, for drafting in English in response to a Hindi application and using abbreviations without expansion, amount to deliberate denial of information. The commission records its admonition for such dereliction of duty.



The commission recommends all the parliamentary parties or any of their representatives to submit, if they desire, their written contentions, if they believe that their parliamentary board/party is not a public authority under the RTI Act, to justify the same before 9 October 2018.



The commission requires under section 19(8)(a)(iii) of the RTI Act, the public authority (the ministry of statistics and program implementation) to make the necessary changes to publish MP-wise, constituency wise and work-wise details, with names of beneficiaries, and reasons for delay, if any, after duly procuring from the concerned district administration and ensure its voluntary disclosure under section 4. The case is posted for compliance by MoR, MoSPI, on 9 October 2018 at 2.30pm.Click Here to Kill Everybody is the latest book by internationally renowned security technologist Bruce Schneier in which he warns about rapidly evolving one big connected system of devices. While expressing serious concern about these Internet+ system and devices, he says, unless governments across the world come out with smart regulations, data privacy and security of humankind will always susceptible to dangers, including physical harm.

Mr Schneier, who is called a security guru by The Economist, is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School; a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, AccessNow, and the Tor Project; an advisory board member of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and VerifiedVoting.org; and a special advisor to IBM Security and the chief technology officer at IBM Resilient. Mr Schneier, who is called a security guru by The Economist, is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School; a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, AccessNow, and the Tor Project; an advisory board member of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and VerifiedVoting.org; and a special advisor to IBM Security and the chief technology officer at IBM Resilient.

Mr Schneier gave an email interview to Moneylife. Here are excerpts from the interview

1. Normally, we use 'click' to connect. However, the title of your new book says, Click Here to Kill Everybody. Are you sharing a concern or warning people about the dangers of connected world?

Bruce Schneier (BS): I am trying to do both. The Internet is wonderful and powerful, but it is also dangerous. My book tries to lay out the dangers: where they come from, what the risks are, and how to secure ourselves. My goal is not to scare people; it is more of a road map of how to achieve all of that wonder and power without the danger. If the title is a slightly exaggerated wake-up call, the book is a more measured warning.

2. You have always raised concerns on rapidly growing IoT (Internet of Things) devices. However, this time, you are using a news phrase, Internet+. Is it just a new word or you are trying to convey something bigger than just IoT?

BS: I did not want to create a new term, but there was not anything available. The Internet of Things refers to the new breed of consumer devices that are being connected to the Internet, everything from cars to toys to appliances to disposable objects. I am talking about that, but I am also talking about our phones and computers, the networks themselves, the large tech companies and their databases of personal information, the cloud providers that store our data for us, the critical infrastructure systems like power plants, and the networks themselves. It's all one big connected system, and the vulnerabilities transcend the individual parts. Internet+ is the best way to convey that.

3. Can you elaborate on dangers that these Internet+ devices are posing to humankind? Where this will take us to? Can it harm people physically as well?

BS: One important difference between the Intenet we are used to and the Internet of the future is that computers can now directly affect the physical world. They help us drive our cars. They are embedded in our bodies in the form of heart monitors and defibrillators. They turn our heating and air-conditioning on. They fly drones and control power plants. Today, we can be physically harmed by computers in ways that just were not possible before. And that threat will increase as even more computers get physical capabilities.

4. India is a mobile phones addicted country and not many are using IoT devices. Apart from health issues, what are the risks and dangers, Indians would be facing from this 24x7 connectivity?

BS: IoT devices are coming to India, just as they are coming to the rest of the world. It is all about price, and the tiny computers in many IoT devices are becoming cheaper every year. India might be a few years behind other countries, but it is not immune. I worry less about 24x7 connectivitythat has been true for yearsand more about the changing nature of what computers can do.

5. Last year, while writing on the gadget addiction, I had suggested readers to 'switch off', at least for some time. Do you think this will help in Internet+ environment or will we really be able to switch off all gadgets?

BS: Switching off is a nice solution when the problem is constant attention, and works with email, texting, for Facebook. It works when computers have screens that we stare at and which distract us. These embedded computers of the future will not work that way. We cannot just switch off our refrigerators or thermostats for a block of time. We cannot shut down our power plants our airplanes. When computers do not have screens and are just there, switching them off will make less sense.

6. The world over records of various governments, especially when it comes to protecting data privacy and security of citizens, is not that good. Yet, in your book, you expect the same governments to come out with smart regulations. How it can be achieved, especially, where vested interests may be playing their part in helping governments prepare such regulations?

BS: This is a hard question, and one that I devote most of the book for answering. Suffice it to say that there is no single answer, and that governments have been struggling with this question in other areas of society for centuries. In my book, I talk about regulations and standards, about courts and liabilities, about international trade agreements and treaties, and about changing social norms. It is only when everything is working together will we get security.

7. Coming to Aadhaar, the ID system in India, earlier (22 June 2010) you told me that the authorities would not be able to address privacy and security concerns. Looking at the increasing number of data breaches in Aadhaar system, do you think India should still have such ID system that endangers lives of everyone? ( Mera Aadhaar Meri Pehchan: But Leaked All Over the Internet! & Aadhaar: Patch Selling for Rs2,500 Allows Record Manipulation and Generation of UID at Will, Says Report )

BS: I do not know if it endangers lives, but it certainly endangers privacy. This is a tough balance. Governments need to be able to identify their citizens, and a single identity system is the most cost-effective way to do that. But it is also the most risky, and it is unclear to me whether the Aadhaar designers have spent enough time thinking about, and mitigating, the risks.

8. The Indian government itself has been enforcing Aadhaar through coercive methods on citizens and asking them to link it with everything from bank accounts to mobile and even pension. In such a case, how citizens should protect their private data and privacy? Is there any way? (So far, we have resisted and have not obtained an Aadhaar ID. Also the Supreme Court is about to announce a decision on Aadhaar.)

BS: So much of our data is in other peoples' hands. It is not just government systems like Aadhaar; much of our data is being stored by companies like Google and Facebook. When we give our data to others, we have to trust that they will protect our privacy. So while there are some actions individuals can take to better protect their privacy, the best thing we can all do is agitate for better legal privacy protections.

9. A few days back, participating in a conference in India through video, Edward Snowden has called Aadhaar as mass surveillance tool created by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and supported by those in power for political benefits. He also suggested criminal penalty on those seeking Aadhaar number for providing any service. Do you think this will deter the government and other players with vested interest to let go such a massive database of Aadhaar holders? (Aadhaar Is a Mass Surveillance Tool and There Should Be Criminal Penalty for Its Misuse, Says Edward Snowden)

BS: I think systems like Aadhaar are here to stay. As much as I see risks, governments only see benefits. For a country with a massive population like India, there is no going back.In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that members of Parliament (MP) and members of legislative assemblies (MLAs) cannot be barred from practicing legal profession or representing a client as lawyers.

The apex court made it clear that Rule 49 of the Bar Council of India Rules is applicable only to full-time salaried employees, and does not cover legislators within its ambit.

The judgment was delivered by a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud in a petition filed by advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

Mr Upadhyay had filed the petition praying that legislators be debarred from practicing as advocates for the period during which they are MPs or MLAs in the spirit of Part-VI of the Bar Council of India Rules.

In the alternative, he had sought for a direction to quash Rule 49 of the Bar Council of India Rules as ultra vires the Constitution and its basic structure, and to permit all public servants to practice as advocates.

Following Mr Upadhyays submission that since legislators are being paid salary by the government, they cannot be allowed to practice, as per the Advocates Act and BCI Rules, the Bar Council had also issued notices to MPs, MLAs and MLCs who continue to practice law.

Interestingly, the Central government through Attorney General KK Venugopal had opposed the petition, contending that an MP is an elected representative, and is not a full-time employee of the Government, and hence cannot be stopped from practicing law.New Delhi, 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.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed political parties to post on their websites and publicise in the media full details of the criminal charges the candidates they are fielding in elections are facing.



Pronouncing the judgment, a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also urged Parliament to enact a law to address the malaise of criminals entering the legislature.



He also said this law should address fake cases being instituted against political opponents.



The court directed that:

Each contesting candidate must state in bold the criminal cases pending against him/her in the forms to be filed up at the time of filing nomination papers.

The candidate aspiring to contest an election would be required to inform the political party about the criminal cases pending against him.

Political parties to put-up on their website the criminal antecedents of the candidates being fielded by them in the elections.

Political parties and the candidate will give wide publicity of the criminal cases pending against the contesting candidate both in print and electronic media after filing their nomination papers.

The apex court said it could not add any further disqualification to the law, it was now up to Parliament to make a law to prevent person with serious criminal cases from entering the legislature.



The Chief Justice wished that such a law might come sooner than later before criminalisation of politics sounds its death knell for democracy, it was required to cure the cancer of criminalisation of politics.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.On October 18, 2018 Invesco announced that it would purchase OppenheimerFunds for $5.7 billion. Below is analyst Bridget Hughes' initial take on the combination after rumors of it emerged in September.

If Invesco buys OppenheimerFunds, or any other firm, investors can expect some change.

Ignites.com and other news outlets reported Friday that sources say Invesco was finalizing a deal to purchase OppenheimerFunds, which its longtime parent, insurer MassMutual, had been shopping since at least August 2018. The deal would be a big one, combining two of the U.S. mutual fund industry's top 20 firms in terms of assets under management, but it wouldn't be the first time in recent years that two major players joined forces. Faced with outflows from their actively managed funds and fee pressures, for example, Janus and Henderson merged in May 2017, then Standard Life bought Aberdeen in August 2017.

Although neither Invesco nor OppenheimerFunds has commented on the rumors, the suggestion is plausible. Both firms are suffering the same kinds of industry headwinds that most active managers face, and Invesco has a long track record of acquiring other investment firms, several of them considerable in size. Under Marty Flanagan's 13-year tenure as CEO, particularly notable purchases include PowerShares' exchange-traded fund lineup in 2006 and Morgan Stanley's Van Kampen suite of funds in June 2010. More recently, the firm added two other ETF outfits: Guggenheim's group and Source of the United Kingdom.

So far on the ETF side, Invesco hasn't made much change to its acquired funds, though it has become more disciplined about what PowerShares brings to market. It has also realized some efficiencies in the back office after integrating the Guggenheim lineup, but shareholders haven't likely noticed too much (except the name changes on the ETFs it now offers; all are Invesco-branded).

Invesco and Oppenheimer have a similar focus on strategic-beta, or "smart beta," ETFs, which may create some redundancies in the combined ETF lineup. For example, Oppenheimer offers a suite of revenue-weighted funds that are very similar to Invesco's fundamentally weighted products. While they are philosophically aligned, they also compete with one another. In any case, Oppenheimer's ETF business is a tiny part of its overall asset mix.

Interestingly, our open-end Morningstar Analyst Ratings suggest the firms are strong in similar areas and weak in similar areas. The only stark difference is in taxable bonds, where we give three Bronze ratings and two Neutral ratings to Invesco's taxable-bond funds and five Neutral ratings to Oppenheimer's.

The firms look strongest in foreign equities, where 75% of Invesco's rated funds are Morningstar Medalists and 66% of Oppenheimer's are medalists. In U.S. equities, Invesco scores 45% medalists to Oppenheimer's 43% medalists. In allocation, both fare poorly. We rate three of Invesco's allocation funds Neutral and one Bronze compared with two Neutral ratings for Oppenheimer.

More on This Topic What to Make of the Invesco-Oppenheimer Hookup Rumor

Neither firm looks strong in municipal bonds. Invesco gets one Neutral rating, and we don't rate any Oppenheimer funds. However, when we did last cover Oppenheimer's muni funds four years ago, we gave them two Negative and three Neutral ratings.

Based on Invesco's history, some change is likely if a merger ensues. When Invesco acquired the Van Kampen funds, it quickly merged some redundant offerings and put expense ratio caps and waivers in place after indicating cost savings would eventually come through economies of scale, and more gradually, eliminated the Van Kampen fund boards of directors. Moving to one board did save investors money, but meaningful expense ratio reductions didn't materialize after the caps and waivers expired and weren't renewed. After the fund mergers (as well as some rationalization of Invesco's own lineup), Invesco's open-end suite of offerings was, for the most part, distinctive. Immediately following the merger, Invesco retained most of the investment talent (though some have left and/or retired in the eight-plus years since then).

A combination of Invesco and OppenheimerFunds presents some redundancies. Both firms have considerable assets in high-yield munis, for example, and the merger would significantly increase Invesco's already heavy exposure to U.S. large-cap equities, which are represented in the Morningstar Categories that have experienced the heaviest outflows as investors have moved to cheaper, more-passive options.

An OppenheimerFunds purchase, though, would give a big boost to Invesco's taxable fixed-income assets; however, while Invesco has some pockets of strength, neither outfit boasts standout teams overall.

What's perhaps most interesting about this potential combination is what happens to the international funds, where the two firms are strongest. OppenheimerFunds has more assets there. Its AUM in diversified emerging markets outnumbers Invesco's $39 billion to $3 billion. Oppenheimer has $25 billion in foreign large-growth compared with Invesco's $7 billion, $11 billion in small-cap foreign funds compared with less than $1 billion, $12 billion in world large-cap stock to $2 billion, and $10 billion in world small-cap stock to $1 billion.

Whether or not an Invesco-OppenheimerFunds combination is truly complementary or merely an AUM grab is arguable. In the past, Invesco was fairly quick to make changes after a merger, and that would likely be the case here. Expense ratio reductions could be more meaningful than they ultimately were with the Van Kampen purchase, and certainly fee competition suggests that they should make the most of potential efficiencies.People who are bartenders, waiters or in some part of the service industry  theyre going to need a payment thats affordable, so the $150,000 minimum makes sense, Fisher said. Qualified applicants who can put down 25% are going to be able to get into a home.

Fisher said the performance of CSCs VOE and one-month bank statement loans merited the change to the minimum loan amount.

The performance on these loans has been fantastic, and we just wanted to be able to help a larger swath of borrowers attain the American Dream, he said.

The VOE and one-month bank statement programs are just two among a diverse array of products that helps CSC stand out from the pack, Fisher said.

Were seeing a lot more people come into the non-QM space  but were also seeing a lot of the same products in different forms, he said. Were not seeing a lot of innovation. Were happy that our products stand out.Financial services company USAA plans to eliminate about 265 roles across its banks real estate lending business and Real Estate Rewards Network operation as challenges to the mortgage market continue, according to a report by the San Antonio Express-News.

The cuts are planned for mid-November. About 110 of the affected roles are based in San Antonio, while the rest are in Tampa, Fla., and Phoenix. Employees in the rewards network business support USAA members in the homebuying and selling process.

This decision was difficult, as we value our employees and we appreciate that they go above and beyond for our members every day, USAA Bank President Chad Borton said. However, it was necessary as we focus on continuing to provide members competitive mortgage products today and in the future.When you first start out in this business everybody that you talk to and everybody you meet, youve got to put them in this database, and Youve got to touch them frequently, and youve got to be nice to them, and keep sending them good material to where they dont tune you out. Obviously it takes time to build a database, but thats the first thing I would say right away is to put everybody you know into it. And then just work it. Work that database because its your gold mine, Deery said.

A database can serve different purposes at different stages in an originators career. In the beginning, it serves as a centralized location to keep track of who youre meeting, who youre talking to, and sort clients into categories such as referral partners, industry peers, and so on. As the years go by, a database is still useful for that purpose, but can also be used to keep track of the last time a contact was touched or contacted.

These days, databases are often integrated with CRMs, or other software that utilize data from your database in order to effectively implement marketing strategies. But Risha Kilaru, vice president of lending at Guaranteed Rate in Fremont, CA, stresses that a good database should be maintained independently of a CRM. An originators database belongs to an originator, not a company, and will stay with the originator as they move from one employer to the next.

The database doesnt have to be complicated, she says, as long as it exists.

If youre working with a company that doesnt have good CRM tools or any marketing, always have a way to communicate with your realtors and your clients. Always, from day one. Whoever you talk to, get their contact [information] and assemble an Excel spreadsheet. Or anything, she said. A lot of people dont do that; [once] theyve figured it out, theyve lost a lot of contacts. No matter which company you go to, you have to have a way to communicate with your clients. They come to you for you, not for who you work for.Journal Register Co.

At approximately 9:26 p.m. Monday, Odessa police reported responding to the 400 block of East 47th Street in reference to an attempted abduction. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the 17-year-old complainant, who advised that she had heard a loud knock on the door while she was inside of her residence. The complainant, according to the report, said that when she answered the door, an unknown male subject grabbed her by the right arm and dragged her out of the residence.

The complainant, according to the OPD report, said that she heard another male subject yell Grab her, come on, we have to go! The complainant advised that after she began to punch the male subject, he let go of her and fled the scene with the second male subject in a newer model blue Ford truck with paper tags. The vehicle was last seen traveling westbound on 47th Street before turning southbound onto McKnight. The complainant sustained bodily injury on her right arm as a result of the incident.REVA, S.D.  Authorities have identified a Texas man who died in a semitrailer crash in northwestern South Dakota.

The Highway Patrol says 67-year-old Joe Vanhemert of Odessa died Friday morning when he lost control of his semi and it rolled in a ditch off state Highway 79 in Harding County.Is it all a big conspiracy, masterminded by the Democratic Party and abetted by the "liberal" news media?

Conservative supporters of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's embattled nominee for the Supreme Court, have seen it that way ever since the first sexual misconduct allegation was leveled against Kavanaugh by a long-ago acquaintance, Christine Blasey Ford, this month.

Accusations of collusion between the news media and Democrats opposed to Kavanaugh's confirmation were renewed on Sunday after the New Yorker published another accusation by a college classmate of Kavanaugh, Deborah Ramirez.

Kavanaugh himself has vaguely suggested that a conspiracy is afoot, although he hasn't specified who he thinks is behind it. In denying the latest accusation on Monday, he called it part of "a coordinated effort to destroy my good name."

But suggestions of a media-Democratic alliance have been advanced a number of times, including in commentaries in the Washington Examiner and the New York Post and by the likes of the conservative commentator Ann Coulter and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.

The conservative outlet Breitbart.com, which called the New Yorker a "left-wing magazine," picked up the theme, writing that White House "officials note that Sen. Mazie Hirono's, D-Hawaii, quote in the New Yorker story shows that Democratic senators are colluding with media outlets to create news stories against the judge instead of working with the Senate Judiciary Committee when they become aware of issues."

In remarks on Monday, Trump cast doubt, too, though he did not explicitly attack the news media. "These are highly unsubstantiated statements from people represented by lawyers," he said. "You should look into the lawyers doing the representations." He added: "In my opinion, it is totally political. It's totally political."

To be sure, Ramirez's allegations have some inherent weaknesses, most of which are acknowledged in the New Yorker article, by reporters Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer.

The story notes that Ramirez was at first "hesitant to speak publicly, partly because her memories [of an event that allegedly occurred 35 years ago] contained gaps because she had been drinking at the time." Farrow and Mayer also reported that Ramirez was "reluctant" at first to characterize Kavanaugh's role in the alleged incident "with certainty," but did so "after six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney."

The reporters also said they couldn't confirm with other witnesses that Kavanaugh was at the party at which Ramirez alleges his misconduct took place. The only indirect corroboration of Ramirez's account in the article came from an unidentified classmate who said he heard about the alleged incident from another student a day or two afterward.

Mayer on Monday rejected the suggestion that there was any partisan intent behind the story. She said in an interview that she and Farrow last teamed up in May to produce a story about sexual harassment allegations against Eric Schneiderman, the Democratic attorney general of New York and a political foe of Trump. Schneiderman resigned three hours after that story was published.

Farrow, meanwhile, won a Pulitzer Prize this year for his reporting on sexual harassment and assault allegations against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, a major Democratic fundraiser and ally of Hillary Clinton.

"We try to be fair, accurate and tough on all sides," Mayer said.

The notion of a "liberal" media conspiracy to sink a conservative nominee appears to be further belied by a contrary case: There were no accusations reported about Neil Gorsuch, a Trump nominee who was confirmed to the Supreme Court last year.

What's more, after weighing Ramirez's claims, other news outlets were hesitant to publish a story about them.

The New York Times said it declined to do so after failing to substantiate Ramirez's account. The newspaper said it had interviewed "several dozen people" over the past week 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."

Reporters at The Washington Post also sought corroboration but were unable to substantiate Ramirez's allegation. She declined to speak to a Post reporter who visited her Colorado home last Tuesday and turned down follow-up requests by text. The Post did not publish a story about Ramirez until after the New Yorker's article appeared Sunday night.

The Post also held off for more than a month in publishing what it knew about Kavanaugh's first accuser, Ford. Post reporter Emma Brown initially spoke with Ford in July, but those conversations were off the record, meaning they couldn't be published without Ford's permission. Brown's story identifying Ford was published on Sept. 16, after Ford put her name and accusations on the record following leaks of her identity.

"We aren't colluding with anyone about anything, including the Kavanaugh nomination," said Martin Baron, The Post's executive editor. "The conspiracy theories are pure nonsense and completely false."

Former New York Times editor Jill Abramson also said journalistic efforts to vet Kavanaugh are the product of hard work, not partisanship.

"The essence of good reporting is digging out the truth and being scrupulously factual in that endeavor," said Abramson, who wrote a book with Mayer, "Strange Justice," about the 1991 Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill confrontation.

Given Ford's allegations, she said, reporters naturally pursued a follow-up question: Are there other examples of Kavanaugh behaving as Ford says he did?

"The New Yorker and others have rightly pursued that question and found relevant information, another woman whose story adds credibility to Dr. Ford," she said. "That's important information to bring to the public. That's good journalism, not a smear."Memorial Health System and Jersey Community Hospital are among hospitals receiving Illinois Health and Hospital Association Quality Excellence Achievement Awards for 2018.

The awards will be presented today at a leadership summit.

The four awards include outstanding achievement, behavioral health, partnership and small/rural. There were 91 submissions this year consisting of 57 hospitals.

Memorial Health System won the outstanding achievement award for its work on dealing with patients with aggressive behavior. According to the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, security calls for disruptive behavior decreased from 7.4 to 2.5 per 1,000 emergency department patients after the hospital implemented a new strategic plan.

Jersey Community Hospital received the small/rural award for introduction of an improvement plan that dropped the readmission rates to 7 percent from 16 percent.

Others honored were Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital with Northwestern Medicine and Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital for the partnership award and AMITA Health for the behavioral health award.In a recent commentary in the Wall Street Journal, Tom Steyer argues that to save their party Republicans should impeach Trump. Steyer is the founder of Need to Impeach now claiming nearly 6 million adherents nationwide. Though Need to Impeach was launched just six months ago and now lists nine reasons Trump should be impeached, Steyer and the many other Democrats advocating impeachment have been at it from before Trump was sworn into office. And that is why their campaign should worry Republicans and Democrats alike.

Impeachment is a serious business. Removing a constitutionally elected president from office by impeachment is not just an alternative to defeating an incumbent president at the polls. Or at least it has not been over the first 230 years of our republic. Not that the idea hasnt been pursued as recently as the Clinton administration. But so far no president has been removed from office by impeachment, let alone over purely policy or partisan disagreements, or simple disgust.

The Constitution allows removal of the president by impeachment for the commission of treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. While books have been written on the meaning of the latter phrase, the impeachment process prescribed in the Constitution effectively leaves the definition of high crimes and misdemeanors to Congress. So a president can be impeached on any grounds a majority of the House and two-thirds of the Senate can agree to, with virtually no risk of judicial intervention.

But high crimes and misdemeanors did have reasonably precise meaning to the founding generation, and it did not include resentment over the winning of an election by a boorish, ill-mannered tweeter. Democrats in Congress or the Mueller investigation may yet come up with convincing evidence of truly impeachable offenses, but the fact that they have been searching since the beginning of Trumps presidency undercuts their claimed reliance on constitutional principle.

Partisan appeal to impeachment is not surprising in the angry partisanship of our national politics. But that no congressional Republican (not even Trump critic John McCain in his waning hours) has embraced Steyers argument that only impeachment will save the Republican Party, is testimony to the still partisan nature of the impeachment campaign.

As during the Nixon administration, Republicans in Congress will act if they see their personal political futures at risk, and even a few will act on principle. But so far the case for impeachment is just hopeful allegations founded in rank partisanship.

If there is a threat to our constitutional democracy, it is not the Trump administration. The Constitution provides ample constraints on the president, even if some of those restraints have been eroded over the past several decades. Rather a threat to our or any constitutional democracy is the use of extra-constitutional means to remove a constitutionally elected president.

It will be noted, no doubt, that this president lost the popular vote and is therefore not the peoples choice. But winning the popular vote is not the constitutionally prescribed method for the election of U.S. presidents.

Democrats and Steyer would better serve our constitutional republic by abandoning their partisan impeachment campaign and focusing their energies on the constitutionally prescribed method of electing a president and other public officials who will advance their agenda.

And while they are at it, they could set an example for Republicans by electing candidates who will place the good of the nation above partisan victory.

James Huffman is dean emeritus at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.We are still far from where ...Microphone and US Flag View Photos

During the Democratic Weekly Address, Representative Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) stated many of the lives lost in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria could have been saved if the Trump Administration had fully marshalled the resources of the federal government.

Velazquez was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are her words:

Hello. I am Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and I represent New Yorks 7th Congressional District.

As our fellow Americans in the Carolinas face the devastation of Hurricane Florence, we are reminded that this week marks one year since Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, and when Irma and Maria devastated the Virgin Islands.

In Puerto Rico, Maria came ashore in my hometown, Yabucoa, as a Category 4 storm. Sustained winds, exceeding 150 miles per hour, ravaged bridges, roads and destroyed more than 87,000 homes  with another 385,000 being seriously damaged. Physical damages are expected to exceed $90 billion.

The entire territory  all 3.4 million American citizens  lost power. Thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of residents would not regain electricity for nine months  marking the longest blackout in American history.

It will probably remain forever unknown the exact number of Puerto Ricans who lost their lives from Maria. Earlier this month the Government of Puerto Rico finally acknowledged that Maria killed nearly 3,000 Puerto Ricans  after months of insisting that the official death count was 64.

Sadly, many of these lives could have been saved if the Trump Administration had fully marshalled the resources of the federal government, but sadly, that never happened.

In fact, just last week, Donald Trump shamefully tweeted comments calling into question the death toll in Puerto Rico and belittling the suffering that occurred there.

That is unacceptable. When disaster strikes the President has a solemn responsibility to be the President for all Americans  whether they live in Texas, Florida, or the territories like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Puerto Ricans are American citizens. They serve in our military. They shed blood in our wars. They have died for our freedoms. And, yet, in Puerto Ricos darkest hour, this Administration failed them.

That is wrong and the Administration must be held accountable. So far, Congressional Republicans have failed to live up to their constitutional responsibility of exercising oversight regarding the failures of the disaster response. Instead they are bending over backwards to protect the White House.

We need answers. That is why I have authored legislation creating a 9/11 style Commission to investigate the response to Maria. I have also introduced The COUNT Act, which will establish federal procedures for death tolls after disasters strike.

A year after Maria, the American people deserve to know what happened to their fellow citizens in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. And, as the hard road of recovery begins for the communities devastated by Hurricane Florence, we can only pray this Administration has learned from their mistakes. We can never let what happened after Maria happen again.

Thank you for watching. To all those in Florences path  be safe. Please know we are praying for you and committed to helping you recover. God bless you.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.The generous spirit of Paul Garza's son will continue to bring comfort to many, especially at Covenant Health Plainview who recently received a special gift from his family.

"This is something Christian would have done," said Paul, who recently donated his late son's Slide Board to the hospital's emergency department.

"He was always a very giving person and cared more about other people then himself. He always wanted to be sure people were taken care of."

Garza, who is a paramedic for the emergency medical transport company, Aerocare in Plainview, said the equipment will be put to good use at Covenant Health Plainview.

Garza's son Christian, tragically died of a brain stem tumor at the age of 21, two years ago.

"It took us all by surprise," said Garza. "He was just a typical kid. He loved rock music, he was going to college. Loved hanging out with friends and was very family-oriented."

Garza said the family had accumulated a significant amount of medical equipment while they cared for Christian.

"After he passed, I told my wife (Mirta) we would get rid of some of the equipment whenever she was ready. It wasn't until yesterday that she was ready," said the 27-year EMT veteran.

The first item to be donated was the Slide Board.

"We are so happy he thought of us," said Melissa Rodriguez, manager of the Covenant Health Plainview's Emergency Room.

"A slide board helps us move patients more efficiently with less strain on the patient and the nurses," she said. "We truly appreciate the gift."A bankrupt Kerrville consulting firm that has accused its former president of embezzlement is now suing him over his company retirement savings account.

US Tax Recovery Partners filed suit Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to prevent former President Stephen A. Canty from collecting the roughly $200,000 in his 401(k) plan.

The monies were the fruits of crime, the company says in its lawsuit.

Raymond Battaglia, a lawyer for Canty, declined to comment on the lawsuit. Attorney James Wilkins, US Tax Recovery Partners bankruptcy lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US Tax Recovery Partners is asking the court to declare that all the money belongs to the company. It also wants the money put in a constructive trust for its benefit.

The lawsuit appears to be the first legal action the company has taken against Canty, who it accused of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty by manipulating the companys books.

Canty overstated the amount of money clients owed the company by $25 million, allowing it to a tap a $27 million line of credit, its bankruptcy lawyer said earlier this year.

Canty confessed to wrongdoing and criminal activity, the lawsuit states. FBI agents have been investigating, three people familiar with the probe told the San Antonio Express-News in April. FBI spokeswoman Michelle Lee did not have any immediate comment when reached Tuesday.

US Tax Recovery Partners and related companies HJH Consulting Group, doing business as The Salt Group, and B2B Prospecting filed for bankruptcy protection April 2. Manipulation of accounting records were cited as the reason for the bankruptcy filings.

HJH has provided cost and expense reduction advice to clients for 30 years. US Tax Recovery Partners, which has ceased doing business, offered to help clients achieve tax savings. B2B Prospecting helps drum up business for HJH.

Canty, 57, was terminated March 26 after a 19-year career at HJH. State corporate records listed him as HJHs president, but he also served in the same role at US Tax Recovery Partners.

According to US Tax Recovery Partners lawsuit, all the contributions to Cantys 401(k) were payroll deductions from his salary.

Canty wants $55,000 from the account paid to him, with the remaining $145,000 going to an individual retirement account.

Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPDOne of San Antonios largest luxury resorts prohibited its employees from speaking Spanish on the job and retaliated against those who pushed back against the policy, a federal civil rights lawsuit alleges.

We were being disciplined, it seemed like every other week, for speaking Spanish, said Sergio Vitela, a former employee named in the lawsuit.

Denver-based Destination Hotels and Resorts, which operates the La Cantera Resort & Spa on San Antonios North Side, implemented an unwritten policy forbidding the resorts banquet staff from speaking Spanish anywhere on the property after the company took over management of the resort in 2013, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court Monday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Destination managers retaliated when employees complained about the English-only policy, resorting to harassment, excessive scrutiny, difficult work assignments, discipline, demotion and termination, the lawsuit alleges.

Managers also created a hostile work environment for at least 25 Hispanic employees by using racist epithets, calling Spanish a foul language and mocking employees accents, according to the lawsuit.

John Spomer, vice president and managing director of La Cantera Resort & Spa, denied the allegations laid out in the EEOC lawsuit in an interview Tuesday. Spomer said that the resort has not fired employees for speaking a different language.

Employees are actively encouraged to converse with our guests and each other in a language or languages that are mutually understood, Spomer said. Associates have always been able to communicate in their primary language when and where its appropriate to do so.

A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Sergio Vitela.

To read the full story, see Wednesdays Business section or click here to visit our subscriber website, ExpressNews.com.

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Loretta Lynn Gonzales never waits for Halloween to express her love for all things horror.

Its why she runs her own little shop of horror collectibles called Creepy Classics at Wonderland of the Americas mall. And why she goes the extra macabre mile with Monster-Con, billed as the best lil horror convention in San Antonio.

Monster-Con takes over Wonderland mall Saturday and Sunday for the sixth consecutive year, once again hosting a colorful array of frightful yet delightful artists and vendors, celebrity guests and costumed horror fans of all ages. Highlights for the free, family-friendly event include a Scream Queen costume beauty pageant, free photos with iconic movie killers and an appearance by Felissa Rose from the 1983 slasher film Sleepaway Camp.

So why host a horror con a whole month before the biggest horror holiday of the year? The way Gonzales sees it, anytime is a good time to get your ghoul on.

Horror is not a season, Gonzales said. Its just the same as somebody (in love) with Star Wars and Star Trek. It just becomes a passion. Its in their life every single day.

RELATED: San Japan casts its magic on San Antonio

Gonzales own passion for horror goes back to when she was 5, hiding behind her mom during the sci-fi screamer The Crawling Eye. At age 8, the Louisiana native moved to San Antonio, where she fell in love with Project Terror, a late-night 70s show on KENS TV that showcased scary movies of the scientific and the terrifying.

Gonzales still remembers her mom grabbing a big box from behind a grocery store and sticking paper plates on it for wheels, just so they could have their own fright night drive-in experience in front of the television.

These days, Gonzales indulges her creative side with Carrie and Freddy Krueger table lamps, jewelry boxes featuring the Bride of Frankenstein and other demented home decor she makes for sale at Creepy Classics. Her shop also sells other monstrous merchandise, such as Evil Dead mugs, Godzilla figures and obscure horror flicks even the darkest Blockbuster aisles wouldnt carry.

Gonzales and a San Antonio fan group now called Nerds for a Cause came up with Monster-Con as a pre-Halloween celebration for families, especially those on a budget. According to Gonzales, Wonderland estimates the free weekend event draws between 4,000 and 6,000 attendees every year.

Honest to God, we had no idea it was going to blow up as big as it did, she said.

RELATED: Bloodlust takes over San Antonio club during uninhibited rave

Monster-Con tends to go big on ghoulish and geeky arts and crafts. Gonzales expects this years event will feature more than 100 vendors and artists, including the fantasy and horror work of San Antonio illustrator Alfredo Freddy Lopez Jr. and Austin sculptor Carla Yeatts.

In addition to Felissa Rose, Monster-Con special guests include model and Purr-fume creator Kitty Korvette and actor Osvaldo Fernandez, who appeared on ABCs American Crime and played a vampire on the TV series From Dusk Till Dawn.

Monster-Con attendees also can get into character for several costume contests, or just cosplay among the shoppers.

The aforementioned scream queen pageant will make noise Saturday at 5 p.m. with a female-only costume contest, which follows a Terror Tots kids costume contest at 3 p.m. Saturday sure to elicit its own share of shrieks. Then at 3 p.m. Sunday, everyone can cosplay for gory, er, glory at an open costume contest.

Other Monster-Con activities include monster bingo (Youd be surprised how many kids can name how many Chucky movies there are, Gonzales said) and free photo ops with cosplayers dressed as Michael Myers from Halloween and other famous baddies. There also will be a psychic faire, as well as an art walk in front of the Santikos Bijou Cinema Bistro.

RELATED: Horror movies and TV shows coming to Netflix in October, just in time for Halloween

Gonzales considers Monster-Con the little dog compared to San Antonios other homegrown geek-fest, Alamo City Comic Con. But she also said Monster-Con is technically the second-largest horror con in Texas, just after Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas.

Wherever Monster-Con ends up in its body count, Gonzales is just happy to see so many fresh and familiar faces, in or out of Pennywise makeup and Leatherface masks.

When it hits were overjoyed, she said. And then the day after, were all dead.

Of course, that love for horror never dies.

Rene A. Guzman is a features writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | rguzman@express-news.net | Twitter: @reneguzA social media threat prompted extra police patrols at Austin High School on Monday, according to officials.

The nature of the threat, and when it was found, was not immediately revealed when Houston Independent School District announced it was aware of an unspecified message.

"Our school day proceeded without incident," Houston ISD spokeswoman Sherry Williams said in a statement. "To make certain our students remained safe and secure, HISD Police provided extra patrols on and around the campus."

SNAPCHAT THREAT: Columbus ISD student in custody threat closes schools

Authorities are now investigating the threat, Williams said.

The threat comes nearly a week after the FBI field office in Houston announced its campaign to warn students from making hoax threats against schools, calling such acts a costly drain on "school and law enforcement resources."Albany

Want to hear a conspiracy theory?

Of course you do. Everybody loves conspiracy theories, though they rarely are true.

This one involves New York's now-completed Democratic primary for attorney general, and it focuses mostly on two of the four candidates in the race: Sean Patrick Maloney and Zephyr Teachout. Both lost to Tish James, the preferred candidate of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The theory, popular among some Teachout supporters and floated in published reports, posits that Maloney, 52, a Hudson Valley congressman, was not in the race to win and instead ran to keep Teachout from victory  as a stalking horse, essentially, who siphoned away upstate votes.

Maloney's camp scoffs at the notion.

"Sean ran for the AG because he thought he would be good at the job and that it presented the chance to do more for New York," spokesman Ian Eli Lee said. "We understand that folks are disappointed, but this blame-game conspiracy theory is both absurd on its face and demeaning to Tish."

More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

Certainly, there are reasons to think the conspiracy is nutty. Maloney spent more than $3 million on the race and, according to a Siena poll, was a late front-runner. That would be quite an effort for a candidate with no real interest in winning.

But there are also reasons why the theory had some juice.

For one, you can bet the Albany establishment was rooting against Teachout, who has made combating public corruption the focus of her career. Cuomo, in particular, might have preferred an extensive root canal to having Teachout as attorney general  which, as far as I'm concerned, was reason enough to hope for her victory.

Then, there was the unusual and problematic nature of Maloney's campaign. He was running for attorney general while also running to keep his seat in Congress. That understandably raised questions over whether his heart was truly in either job.

And those millions Maloney spent during the primary?

Some of the money was given to him for his congressional race by Democratic donors who presumably wanted to ensure that a district won by Donald Trump stayed blue. Instead, the money was spent to take on fellow Democrats. (Teachout's campaign insisted that transferring money from a federal to a state race was improper; Maloney's camp disagreed.)

Meanwhile, Maloney ran a race light on public appearances, choosing instead to let television advertising do his talking. Even in the final days of the race, when he presumably would have been energized by that Siena poll, Maloney hardly hit the campaign trail  a dubious strategy, for sure.

Last week, I talked to Teachout about the race and the results. I should stress that she did not float the conspiracy theory, nor did she give it much weight when I asked what she thought.

But Teachout, 46, a law professor at Fordham, did raise objections to Maloney's campaign, calling it both unethical and cynical.

"It was wrong to run for two offices at once, and it was disrespectful to voters not to campaign and to rely on television advertising," Teachout said. "If you want to run for AG, then run only for AG and talk to voters."

In the end, Maloney finished third with 25 percent of the vote. James, who will face Republican Keith Wofford in the general election, easily won the primary with nearly 41 percent to Teachout's 31 percent. Leecia Eve, a fourth candidate, received less than 4 percent.

James, the heavy favorite to win in November, dominated in New York City but did terribly upstate, where Maloney and Teachout largely split the vote. It probably isn't the case that Maloney's presence on the ballot cost Teachout a victory  she would have needed 70 percent of the votes he received to win  but it certainly complicated the race for her.

Teachout, who previously lost races for governor and Congress, told me she won't run for another office. Attorney general was the job she really wanted, she said. It was the position that suited her best.

For conservatives and liberals alike, there's reason to regret Teachout's defeat and that Wofford's chances are so slim.

As is obvious to anybody who is paying attention, Albany needs an independent attorney general willing to look into the dark corners of the Capitol and challenge the state's endemic culture of corruption. New York needs somebody to take on a status quo that benefits entrenched power at the expense of good government.

James, an establishment candidate who owes a debt to Cuomo, will not be that person. Teachout would have been. Preet Bharara would have been too, if only he had deigned to run.

Maloney, meanwhile, is now campaigning for Congress in his Hudson Valley district, where, all conspiracies aside, voters are unlikely to hold his run for attorney general against him.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchillOn a primitive piece of space rock more than 100 million miles from Earth, two tiny robotic explorers took their first cautious "hops" this weekend - the first movements made by any human-made spacecraft across the surface of an asteroid.

The twin rovers were deposited Friday atop the half-mile-wide asteroid Ryugu by their parent spacecraft, the Japanese Space Agency's Hayabusa 2. The following day, JAXA shared an impressionistic image of their landing site: the craggy dark stone of the carbon-rich Ryugu lit by a brilliant beam of light from the sun.

The rovers, dubbed MINERVA-II 1a and 1b, are each roughly the size and shape of a cookie tin. Solar-powered internal rotors loft them in the asteroid's low gravity, allowing them to propel themselves across its surface to snap photographs and take temperature data.

"I cannot find words to express how happy I am," project manager Yuichi Tsuda said in a statement after the rovers' safe arrival was confirmed.

In the coming months, the MINERVA-II rovers will be joined by two more landers. Hayabusa 2 will also smash the asteroid with explosives to blast away part of its surface, exposing underground material that the spacecraft will then collect and eventually send back to Earth. If all goes to plan, it will be the first mission to return a sample from a C-type asteroid, which are often compared to time capsules from the earliest days of the solar system, more than 4 billion years ago.

Ryugu is named for a magical palace at the bottom of the sea where a fisherman is given a mysterious box in a popular Japanese folk tale.

"The Hayabusa 2 will also bring back a capsule with samples," JAXA explained in a news release announcing the asteroid's name, "thus the theme of 'bringing back a treasure' is common." The space agency also noted that Ryugu is thought to contain water - making it an appropriate namesake of an underwater palace.

Hayabusa 2 will stay at Ryugu until late 2019, when it will depart with its collected samples and set course for Earth. JAXA hopes to receive the samples the following year.

In labs on Earth, scientists will assess the asteroid fragments to understand the processes that allowed planets to form from the swirl of gas and dust that surrounded the primitive sun. They will compare the rocks to meteorites and to samples collected by other missions, including NASA's OSIRIS-Rex, which is slated to arrive at the asteroid Bennu in 2020.

"By studying asteroids, we learn more about the early solar system and more about life itself," the "science guy" and Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye tweeted as the rovers made their descent Friday. "It is amazing to be a human living at this moment in the history of space exploration."U.S. presidents always grab headlines for their annual speeches at the United Nations General Assembly, and this year is no different. But President Donald Trump's main event may actually come Wednesday, when he chairs a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

Trump will have to contend with obvious rivals such as China and Russia, as well as disillusioned allies such as Britain and France. But there's also a wild card in the mix: Evo Morales, Bolivia's leftist president.

Bolivia joined the Security Council for a two-year term in 2017. Five seats on the Security Council, the most powerful U.N. organ, are permanent and given to major powers: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The remaining 10 seats are given to other U.N. members on a rotating basis.

Bolivia has been extremely critical of U.S. foreign policy since Morales took office in 2006. In 2008, it expelled the U.S. ambassador there and threw out American departments such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Drug Enforcement Administration. And few leaders have been as openly critical of Trump as Morales, who has said he thinks the U.S. president has "mental problems" and racist attitudes toward Latin Americans.

Over the past 21 months, Bolivia has used its Security Council seat to needle the United States. In March, Bolivia's ambassador to the United Nations, Sacha Llorenti, read the names of 61 Palestinians killed by Israeli troops during violence in the Gaza Strip at about the same time that the United States moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Llorenti said Bolivia wants to use its Security Council seat to protect the U.N. Charter from Trump's ramped-up attacks. "The United States uses multilateralism and the United Nations as someone would use a lemon: They squeeze it as much as they can, and when they don't use it, they throw it away," he said.

Wednesday will be the first time since 2014 that the Security Council meeting will be held at the level of head of state or government, meaning that Morales, not Llorenti, will represent his country. Some experts predict a showdown. "I suspect that Morales will definitely use the meeting as an opportunity to take on Trump," said Santiago Anria, a professor of Latin American politics at Dickinson College.

Anria said the Bolivian leader may bring up some of his major disagreements with Washington, including on U.S. unilateralism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and alleged American intervention in the affairs of nations such as Venezuela. Morales remains allies with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is a frequent target of the Trump administration's criticism.

However, Morales is not likely to try to out-Trump Trump. "He's not the fiery provocateur of Chavez in his prime," said Ivan Briscoe, Latin America program director for the International Crisis Group, referring to late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. "He's a very serious man. Very committed - and very ideological."

"He might make a few pointed comments," Briscoe added. "But I don't think they'll be throwing the cutlery at each other."

Bolivia, a "nonaligned" country, will probably be in step with the rest of the council against the United States on Wednesday. The meeting is widely expected to focus on Iran. European allies such as Britain and France have criticized Trump for pulling out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, while China and Russia also oppose the U.S. policy. All four countries are signatories to the agreement.

But some analysts wonder whether larger countries will lean on Morales to hold his fire. "Nobody wants to be the U.N. equivalent of the annoying teenager at Thanksgiving dinner who starts banging on about injustice," said Richard Gowan, a senior fellow at the United Nations University, a global-affairs think tank. "If I were working on this in Beijing and Moscow, I'd be urging Bolivia to keep calm and let the Americans, British and French argue over Iran in public."

Llorenti, the diplomat, said the Bolivian government had not discussed tactics with other countries and was instead focused on doing what was best for the United Nations.

"I cannot tell you exactly what our president will say," he said. "But for us it's very important to analyze the root causes of conflicts in the Middle East."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."BAD AXE  A Bad Axe man, in court this week, admitted to having methamphetamine mailed to him from the other side of the country and now faces up to 30 years in prison.

Kevin Michael Ranquist and his defense attorney, Andrew Lockard, were in Huron County Circuit Court on Monday for a re-arraignment. Ranquist, 44, initially pleaded not guilty to delivery of a controlled substance at his July arraignment.An organization of Mormon women formed in response to President Donald Trump's election is calling for the four Mormon members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to pause hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh until the claims of two women alleging sexual misconduct can be investigated.

Mormon Women for Ethical Government on Monday issued a statement to the committee and in particular, it said, "to the four members who share our faith as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" - GOP Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee of Utah, Jeff Flake of Arizona, and Mike Crapo of Idaho.

"Given the seriousness of the allegations levied against Judge Kavanaugh," the group's statement read, a "thorough independent investigation" must be conducted "to ensure that these charges be taken seriously and that every attempt be made to ascertain the truth of the situation. Our mutual faith teaches that any sexual abuse or assault in any context is contemptible and worthy of the most severe condemnation."

"If these accusations are proved false, an investigation will prevent harm to the court's legitimacy. If they are true, then Judge Kavanaugh must not be confirmed," it said.

Kavanaugh has denied the allegations of two women who have come forward in recent days. Christine Blasey Ford says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were high school students in Maryland. Deborah Ramirez told the New Yorker that he exposed himself to her when they were students at Yale University.

Republicans in Congress have resisted calls for an FBI investigation of the women's claims. The committee is scheduled to hear from Ford and Kavanaugh, separately, on Thursday.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday that Lee has said he wants to hear more from the accusers and from Kavanaugh. Crapo hasn't commented publicly, the paper said. Flake has expressed concern about the allegations and said early on that the committee should hear from Ford.

Hatch has 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.

The Mormon women's group, which has dozens of offices across the country, highlights on its website its advocacy on immigration, gun violence, voter access and civility.

Its Facebook post Monday, around the same time as the letter to the senators, was a spiritual meditation calling for people to guard against being defensive. Instead, it said, "we can call upon our divine nature to be gracious, forgiving, and loving - even to those who have not in that moment offered the same to us."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.NEW YORK - President Donald Trump revived one of his favorite talking points on Tuesday in an address at the United Nations General Assembly as he called for an end of foreign aid to countries that disrespect the United States.

"Moving forward, we are only going to give foreign aid for those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends," Trump told world leaders in New York. "Few give anything to us, that is why we are taking a hard look at U.S. foreign assistance."

The populist ultimatum has been a frequent applause line at Trump rallies and speeches since the early days of his presidential campaign. But turning it into an actual policy has proven much more difficult, U.S. officials familiar with internal debates said ahead of Trump's U.N. speech.

For several weeks, a senior official at the National Security Council, Kevin Harrington, has led a review of U.S. foreign aid policy aimed at putting into practice Trump's "America First" mantra and adjusting foreign aid priorities in the budget for fiscal year 2020.

In the process, he has faced stiff resistance from officials at the Pentagon, State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development who said his proposals were counterproductive, contradictory and could cede influence to China, according to senior U.S. administration officials familiar with the meetings.

Some of the proposals include revoking assistance to countries that do not vote with the United States at the United Nations and those that have developed strong financial ties to China, and providing loans to countries instead of grants, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The disagreements culminated in a "deputies committee" meeting earlier this month in which the No. 2 officials in U.S. agencies and departments failed to reach consensus, sending the foreign aid review back down to a lower policy coordinating committee.

"Everyone agrees that foreign aid should be reformed, but the tactics Kevin Harrington has laid out have very little support in the interagency," said a senior U.S. official familiar with the meetings.

The White House and State Department declined to comment. Harrington did not respond to requests for comment.

A key tension in the foreign aid review has been balancing two of its main priorities: Reserving U.S. financial assistance for America's "friends," while addressing China's growing clout in the developing world, where it has doled out hundreds of billions of dollars in loans for construction projects involving ports, roads, railways, bridges and power grids. Beijing's support for cash-strapped governments has been linked to favorable terms for natural resources extraction or votes against Western-backed resolutions that are critical of China's human rights practices, experts say.

Trump has proven particularly interested in offering loans instead of grants, a senior U.S. official said. The president frequently asks advisers what the United States is getting in return for aid and has become convinced that U.S. money is going to pay off debts that other countries owe to the Chinese, they said.

The challenge, some officials argued, is that the United States risks losing influence to China if it only works with outwardly pro-American countries.

"They seem to be implying that we're trying to counter China, and in the same breath, Kevin implies that we should just withdraw in all the places that don't vote with us all the time," the senior U.S. official said. "I don't know what it means to both counter China and cede territory to it."

On China, both Republican and Democratic administration have struggled to counter Beijing's "checkbook diplomacy," known for overlooking the human rights practices of other governments in pursuit of a transactional relationship. In July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a new $113 million program for investments in Asia focused on technology, energy and infrastructure. Though meant to serve as a counterweight to China's One Belt, One Road investment project, it represents only a tiny fraction of the money Beijing offers developing countries.

To make up for the imbalance, senior U.S. officials have tried to make the case that "predatory" Chinese lending practices leave developing countries worse off than U.S. development assistance.

"It offers easy money, it offers quick projects. It offers availability and responsiveness in the sense of being able to act quickly. But it also secures conditions and indebtedness that I would argue essentially mortgage a country's future," Mark Green the administrator of USAID, said in a June speech at the Brookings Institution.

The review is one of the most substantive efforts associated with Harrington, a Washington outsider and longtime associate of Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley billionaire who co-founded PayPal and donated heavily to Trump's presidential campaign.

As the review has gone on, Trump's aides have tried to influence the debate in different ways. White House officials supportive of extensive foreign aid have brought in business figures like Bill Gates to the Oval Office, who have tried to convince Trump that foreign aid is good for the country's foreign interests and business interests.

Trump has repeatedly argued that wealthy countries in the Middle East should be helping their neighbors instead of relying on the United States. The president is expected to bring up complaints about foreign aid with world leaders this week, a senior White House official said.

Historically, U.S. aid has never been totally divorced from political considerations, but tying it directly to loyalty remains controversial even among conservative scholars.

"Linking humanitarian and security aid to support of U.S. policy priorities would undermine the purposes and effectiveness of that aid," said Brett Schaefer, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

He doubted, however, that Trump's rhetoric will become the actual policy of the Trump administration, which Congress would also have to approve. In January, Trump called on lawmakers to pass legislation that ensures American foreign-assistance dollars "only go to America's friends." The call went nowhere, and senior Republican aides in Congress said they had not even heard of Harrington's review of foreign aid.

"Based on my understanding, discussions of this policy in the administration" might consider U.N. voting as an "important factor, but not the only factor, in aid allocation," Schaefer said.

For aid groups, the question of how to categorize which countries are loyal and which aren't remains mystifying. "In every African country there is some anti-American sentiment," said Paul O'Brien, the vice president for policy and advocacy at Oxfam America. "The question is: By doing the right things in the most effective way can we bring more people to understand what America stands for?"UNITED NATIONS -- Declaring the United States will "never apologize for protecting its citizens," President Donald Trump delivered a defiant defense Tuesday of a transactional world view that is increasingly at odds with consensus-driven international bodies such as the United Nations.

He used an address to the U.N. General Assembly to warn that his administration will reject attempts from other nations to impose constraints on the United States in areas including trade, immigration and security, while inviting other world leaders to do the same.

"America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination," Trump said in a 35-minute address delivered to a packed chamber. "I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return."

Trump never uttered his campaign slogan of "America First," preferring the loftier term "sovereignty" for the same nationalist and protectionist reordering of American engagement in world affairs.

He wasted little time in declaring he has made progress on this agenda, but Trump's approach to foreign affairs has led to tensions at the international body - a dynamic that was on display in the first moments of the speech as Trump ran through a highlight reel of U.S. economic markers that echoed lines from his campaign rallies.

He boasted that he had made more progress than "almost any other administration in the history of our country" - prompting audible laughs in the cavernous U.N. chamber. A startled-looking Trump appeared thrown off-balance for a moment.

"I didn't expect that reaction, but that's okay," he said, and went on.

The United States was instrumental in founding the United Nations more than 70 years ago, hosts the world body and remains its largest single donor. But Trump has been a persistent critic and his close advisers including national security adviser John Bolton view it with skepticism, warning that the United States need not pay as much nor bend to collective decision-making.

Trump used his speech to issue a sharp warning to the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela and China over what he described as their rogue behavior. He was especially pointed in criticizing Iran, a theme he continued in informal remarks to reporters later in the day.

"Not going to happen," Trump said of any Iranian ambitions for influence and military control across the Middle East.

He cited his withdrawal from the U.N.-backed international nuclear deal with Tehran as a prime example of the new U.S. approach under his presidency. He also ticked through other retractions from the consensus view of most of the other member nations, including declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital and refusing to sign an international compact on migration.

The United States plans to reimpose additional sanctions on Iran in November as the last step in pulling out of the nuclear deal, which Trump long complained treated the United States unfairly.

Trump used his maiden appearance at the U.N. last year to rail against North Korea, including insulting leader Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man." But he struck a far more optimistic tone this year, following a historic one-on-one meeting with Kim in June with a second summit tentatively planned for later this year.

Trump publicly thanked Kim for his "courage and the steps he has taken." He emphasized that Pyongyang has not tested a ballistic missile since the engagement process began early this year.

Asked later whether the same trajectory of tough talk and threats to warmer relations might be repeated with Iran, Trump said he was open to future talks on a different nuclear deal.

"I think that, at some point, they're going want to negotiate. I have said 'no,' so far," Trump said.

"It was me that said, 'no,' not them," he added, a reference to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's remark Monday that he would not meet with Trump in New York this week.

"I think that at some point we will have meaningful discussions and probably do a deal," Trump said. "I don't see how it works for them otherwise, because otherwise they're going to be in the worst economic trouble of any country anywhere in the world."

Trump had tweeted earlier Tuesday that he had no plans to see Rouhani now, adding he is "sure he is an absolutely lovely man"

When Rouhani took his own turn at the U.N. rostrum, he blasted expressions of "extreme nationalism and racism" that were clearly aimed at the U.S. president.

Trump was not in the chamber to hear Rouhani, instead helping to host an amiable lunch with other leaders where he observed that in his first appearance at the U.N. last year, "it was a little bit of a foreign territory to me, the United Nations. But now it's like home."

Referring to the bloody civil war in Syria during his address, Trump blamed the "corrupt dictatorship in Iran" for fueling the conflict through money and support for the Bashar al-Assad regime.

"They sow chaos, death and destruction," Trump said. "The United States is conducting a campaign of economic pressure to deny the regime the funds needed to advance their bloody agenda."

On Venezuela, Trump denounced the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro, whose oppressive leadership has resulted in a collapse of the nation's economy and a massive human rights crisis as hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have fled the country.

Trump announced new U.S. sanctions on Maduro and his inner circle.

"Virtually everywhere socialism and communism has been tried, it has led to corruption and decay," Trump said. He called on the world to "resist socialism and the misery it brings to everyone."

A Washington Post-ABC poll in July, just after Trump was widely criticized for his performance during a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, found that 47 percent of Americans thought Trump had weakened U.S. leadership in the world, and 30 percent thought he'd made it stronger.

Time and again, Trump returned to the theme of sovereignty during his speech. He cast his immigration and border policies as national security matters and said no one, the U.N. included, will dictate how the United States evaluates those decisions.

"We will not be governed by an international body that is unaccountable to our own citizens," Trump declared. He added that the only long-term solution to the migration crisis is to "help people build brighter futures in their own countries - make their countries great again."WASHINGTON - The Trump administration appears virtually certain to miss its self-imposedweekend deadline for reaching an agreement with Canada on a new North American trade deal, according to U.S. officials and people close to the talks.

A downbeat U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Tuesday that negotiators are "sort of running out of time" to include Canada in the trade deal with Mexico, which was finalized last month.

If the remaining gaps cannot be bridged in the next few days, the administration will request congressional approval of a Mexico-only deal, Lighthizer said in New York at the Concordia Summit, an annual policy conference.

That would open President Donald Trump to intense criticism from key Republican lawmakers, including Sen. John Cornyn, Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican, as well as leading business groups, which favor preserving a unified North American market.

"Everyone's desire is for this to be a three-country agreement," Rep. Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, told reporters at the Capitol. "That still is the top priority for everyone - Canada, the U.S., Mexico as well - and lawmakers."

The administration wants to make public details of a new North American accord by Sunday to meet a timetable permitting the current Mexican president, Enrique Pena Nieto, to sign it on his final day in office November 30.

Major disagreements remain over Canada's dairy management program, a dispute resolution process and the fate of U.S. tariffs on metals imports from Canada.

"There's still a fair amount of distance between us. There are very large issues," Lighthizer said, playing down chances of a deal.

At a separate event in New York, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showed no interest in accepting the U.S.-Mexico terms as written. That deal would raise to 75 percent from the current 62.5 percent the percentage of each vehicle that must be made in the United States or Mexico to qualify for duty-free treatment.

It would also require a significant portion of each vehicle to be produced by workers making at least $16 per hour, a challenge for Mexico's low-wage manufacturing centers.

"There's a possibility there to build on what they agreed, but we know that Canada's interests are what we have to stand up for and we will," Trudeau told the Council on Foreign Relations. "My focus on this throughout has been simply not escalating. Not opining. Not weighing in. My job is very simple. It's to defend Canada's interests, stand up for Canadians."

The chief U.S. trade negotiator is scheduled to meet with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. But there is little chance of a last-minute deal, according to a senior administration official, who asked for anonymity to discuss confidential talks.

The two officials have no additional negotiations scheduled between now and the deadline, according to a second official who asked not to be named.

Under the president's existing trade promotion authority (TPA), the administration must make public the text of any new treaty 60 days before it is signed.

Though officials want to wrap up a three-way deal by this weekend so Pena Nieto can do the honors, there is no legal reason that the talks can't continue, according to some trade experts.

"You should view TPA as a political guide more than a strict legal guide," said John Veroneau, a partner at Covington & Burling. "I don't think Sept. 30 is a deadline to end all deadlines."

Under any circumstances, Congress is unlikely to vote on any trade deal this year. Once the agreement is signed, the International Trade Commission has 105 days to prepare a required evaluation of the likely consequences.

Brady, whose panel has jurisdiction over trade, said it would be difficult for Congress to act even in a lame-duck session.

President Trump has long been a vocal critic of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, blaming it for the loss of millions of American manufacturing jobs and the closure of thousands of factories.

The president recently said Canada had "taken advantage" of the U.S. on trade and threatened to impose tariffs on autos and auto parts imported from Washington's northern neighbor.

Canada is expected to insist that Trump drop that threat before it agrees to a new trade deal. The Commerce Department is currently investigating whether auto imports threaten U.S. national security, a conclusion that is required before Trump can unilaterally impose import taxes.

Negotiations aimed at a new agreement have been underway for 13 months, but Canada and the U.S. remain at loggerheads. "There's a whole series of issues," said Eric Miller, president of Rideau Potomac Strategy, who has been briefed on the talks.

Lighthizer praised the trade deal with Mexico for containing state-of-the-art provisions governing digital trade and financial services as well as protections for worker rights. The accord also will narrow or "rebalance" the U.S. $71 billion trade deficit with Mexico, he said.

"It's very good for us and it's very good for Mexico," Lighthizer added.

Failure to meet this weekend's deadline would open the door to unpredictable consequences, including "a new negotiation" with the incoming Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, he said.

If Canada does not soon join the U.S.-Mexico pact, the U.S would reach "a separate deal as soon as we can," Lighthizer said.

The administration is likely to face stiff opposition from key lawmakers and the business community to the idea of proceeding with a new trade deal without Canada, which ranks behind only China as a U.S. trading partner. More than $582 billion in goods last year crossed the northern U.S. border.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable and National Association of Manufacturers released a joint letter saying "it would be unaccceptable to sideline Canada" in a new trade agreement.

"It's hard to imagine a scenario where we have a new arrangement with Mexico and regression with Canada. That just doesn't make a lot of sense," said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

Many U.S. labor unions, including the auto workers, have memberships that span the border and would also likely reject any proposal that excluded Canada, he said.

Lighthizer's public comments punctuated several days of escalating administration warnings that Canada's refusal to make concessions threatened prospects for a deal.

"We're getting very, very close to the deadline where we're going to have to move ahead with Mexico all by themselves," Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said Sept. 21st on Fox News.

Earlier in the week, House Republican Majority Whip Steve Scalise said there was "a growing frustration with many in Congress" over Canada's approach to the talks.

- - -

The Washington Post's Selena Ross in Montreal contributed to this report.WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump attacked one of the women who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in harsh and stark language Tuesday, as senators escalated their partisan warfare over his confirmation ahead of a highly anticipated hearing.

After his speech at the United Nations, Trump took aim at Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaugh's at Yale University and the second woman to accuse the nominee. She told the New Yorker magazine that he exposed himself to her at a party when they were both first-year students. Dismissing Ramirez's account because she was "totally inebriated and all messed up," Trump also accused Democrats of playing a "con game" in an attempt to derail his Supreme Court choice.

"The second accuser has nothing," Trump told reporters. "The second accuser thinks maybe it could have been him, maybe not. She admits she was drunk. She admits time lapses."

The president dismissed the notion that the allegation could be disqualifying, saying sarcastically: "Oh, gee, let's not make him a Supreme Court judge because of that."

Trump's charged rhetoric against his nominee's accusers came as Republicans quickly closed ranks around Kavanaugh, even as a handful of pivotal swing votes remained quiet on whether they would ultimately support his confirmation in the coming days.

The Supreme Court begins its new term Monday, and Republicans are under intense political pressure from conservatives to confirm Kavanaugh amid warnings that failure could cost the GOP in November's midterm elections.

Late Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent out a notice scheduling a 9:30 a.m. committee vote Friday in the case "that a majority of the members are prepared" to vote then. The full Senate could vote next Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was defiant, speaking confidently about Kavanaugh's prospects, assailing Democrats and casting the nominee as a victim of "the weaponization of unsubstantiated smears."

"We're going to be moving forward. I'm confident we're going to win," McConnell told reporters Tuesday afternoon. "He will be confirmed in the very near future."

And asked Tuesday whether he could envision any scenario in which the White House withdraws Kavanaugh's nomination, principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said on MSNBC: "Absolutely not."

Looking ahead to Thursday's hearing, Republicans hired a female lawyer from outside the committee to lead the questioning as the GOP faced the politically tough optics of the all-male Republican lineup questioning a Kavanaugh accuser.

"We have hired a female assistant to go on staff and to ask these questions in a respectful and professional way," said McConnell.

Grassley confirmed in a statement late Tuesday that the committee had hired Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell to do the questioning, shortly after The Post first reported the decision. A registered Republican, Mitchell is the sex crimes bureau chief for the Maricopa County attorney's office in Phoenix, where she has worked for 26 years.

"I'm very appreciative that Rachel Mitchell has stepped forward to serve in this important and serious role," Grassley said. "Ms. Mitchell has been recognized in the legal community for her experience and objectivity."

Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegation from Ramirez, as well as the accusation from Christine Blasey Ford, who told The Washington Post that he sexually assaulted her when they were high school students in Maryland. Top Judiciary Committee staffers held a call with Kavanaugh earlier Tuesday to interview him about the allegation outlined in the New Yorker. As he has done publicly, Kavanaugh again denied the allegation in the staff interview, a committee spokesman said.

Unlike a previous staff interview, Democratic aides listened in on the Tuesday afternoon call, another person briefed on the conversation said. But the Democrats - who have called for the FBI to reopen its background check investigation of Kavanaugh - made their objections to the process clear and subsequently refused to ask the judge questions, the person said.

One of the biggest points of contention remained the outside counsel who would question Ford and Kavanaugh. Republicans sought to avoid a repeat of 1991, when an all-male committee's questioning of Anita Hill about her allegations of sexual impropriety against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas angered female voters, who elected dozens of women in November 1992. Thomas was confirmed to the high court.

All 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are men (as are six of the 10 Democrats).

"We've done it because we want to depoliticize the whole process, like the Democrats politicized the Anita Hill thing," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who was on the panel in 1991. "The whole point is to create an environment where it's what Dr. Ford has asked for, to be professional and to not be a circus."

Senate Democrats plan to ask their own questions of Kavanaugh and Ford, and the Democratic members of the committee met midday Tuesday to strategize about the hearing.

"It's up to them," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., the top Democrat on the panel, said of Republicans' plan to use an outside lawyer. "It's certainly their right to do that, and we'll see how it goes. I've been on the committee for 24 years, and I've never seen it before. But we'll see."

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., pushed back at McConnell and Senate Republicans in unusually personal terms, criticizing McConnell for a promise last week to "plow right through" the proceedings despite the drama over Kavanaugh's accusers.

"Does that sound like someone who's treating these allegations with respect and fairness and evenhandedness?" Schumer asked. "Does that sound like someone who wants to get the real facts no matter where they fall? Certainly not to me. Not to the American people."

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 denied being at the party.

Meanwhile, the committee continued its outreach to Ramirez. Sen. John Neely Kennedy, R-La., said Republicans had been rebuffed after trying to contact her lawyer, and a committee spokesman said it has not received a statement or additional evidence from her legal team after requesting them.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday that while the White House is open to testimony from Ramirez, she stressed that the confirmation process needs to come to a close.

The New Yorker reported Sunday that in Ramirez's initial conversations with the publication, "she was reluctant to characterize Kavanaugh's role in the alleged incident with certainty."

But "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," the magazine said.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, remained quiet about her intentions but stressed that the Thursday hearing should continue - even while the senator called for Ramirez to speak to the Judiciary Committee under oath.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, another potential swing vote, said it was hard to assess Ramirez's credibility at this point.

"If there are allegations out there, then Ms. Ramirez needs to be willing to come forward with them, just as Dr. Ford has been willing to come forward, albeit reluctantly and understandably so," Murkowski said. "And so in order for us to take them under consideration, she needs to take the next steps."

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said Ramirez's accusations seem "pretty thinly sourced." As to whether they should be explored, he said he will leave that to the Judiciary Committee. "Whatever they decide is fine with me," Corker said.

By the time the committee holds its hearing Thursday, there could be a third Kavanaugh accuser.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti has said he is representing a woman who has accusations about Kavanaugh's behavior in high school. In a Tuesday morning tweet, Avenatti said the woman would come forward only when she is ready but said he expects that to be within 36 hours.

At their regular Tuesday party lunch, Republicans were told to be prepared to be in Washington this weekend to process Kavanaugh's nomination, senators said.

Meanwhile, another sexual misconduct allegation threatened to play out Thursday on the other side of Capitol Hill. The House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday invited a woman who has accused Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt, a former Democratic congressman, of sexual harassment and retaliation.

---

The Washington Post's Gabriel Pogrund, Josh Dawsey, Rosalind S. Helderman, Karoun Demirjian and Mike DeBonis contributed to this report.Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.The fate of Midlands spaceport is expected be a topic during todays Midland City Council meeting.

At-large City Councilman Spencer Robnett wrote in an op-ed published in Sundays Reporter-Telegram that he will vote against extending the spaceport license and any future spaceport agenda items. He also wrote that he would encourage his fellow councilmen and councilwoman to do the same.

On the agenda today is a contract between the city of Midland and Silverwing Enterprises that includes payment of a five-year renewal of the spaceports license at a cost of $100,000. The council would also agree to use the company out of New Mexico for engineering, project management and business development services. The cost of that part of the agreement is no more than $80,000.

The spaceport contract is scheduled to expire at the end of September 2019.

Robnett wrote in his op-ed the community had put enough resources into the spaceport with little to nothing to show for it. He also said having a spaceport only restricts development near the airport and keeps the city connected to a commercial aerospace industry locked in a never-ending battle of chasing public economic development dollars, government contracts, pre-paying space tourists and foreign investment. He said Midland just doesnt have the resources to compete in this arena.

Justine Ruff, director of Airports at the city of Midland, said the city spent around $871,000 to get the license and that a total of $2 million has been spent in spaceport-related expenditures at Midland International. Those funds, she said, came out of an airport operations fund paid for by parking revenues and minerals revenues.

She also told the Reporter-Telegram that the airport is self-sufficient and that it pays into the general fund. She also said there is currently $17 million in the Airport Operations Fund, some of which will be used for parking expansion near the terminal in the coming months.

There also have been $10.5 million spent by prior Midland Development Corp. boards and approved by previous councils, used as economic development incentives for development with XCOR Aerospace and Orbital Outfitters. XCOR filed for bankruptcy and Orbital went out of business.

Councilman Jeff Sparks said he likely will vote for a five-year extension because much of the $25.9 million invested in aerospace (through the city or MDC) remains in infrastructure, capital investments and leases to airport hangars and grounds. He said he would like to hang on to the license and see what happens in the industry, which he said still offers promise, including grand plans coming from the White House.

Ruff said Midland International is the only commercial service airport with a spaceport license.

If we give that up, it will be much harder to get it back, Ruff said.A motorcyclist was killed Monday night on Wurzbach Parkway in San Antonio after a suspected drunken driver in a BMW SUV ran through a red light and struck him, police said.

The driver was arrested and charged with drunken driving, according to San Antonio Police Sgt. William Armstrong. The man, who was not identified, will likely face higher charges after the investigation is complete.From time to time, the State of Texas updates things, nomas porque si.

Thats a good thing, because we all need to shake things up a bit from time to time. It keeps us fresh-faced. Thing is, sometimes Texas messes with things that are OK the way they are.

In July, for example, the state gave a mini-makeover to legislation over high school career and technical education programs. One of the changes specified that federal dollars need to go to programs that prepare students for high-demand, high-wage careers. The Texas Education Agency then set out to figure out what qualifies as high wage and, segun ellos, they came up with a target salary of $35,339.

In that light, high school cosmetology programs dont look so good because, according to reports the TEA considered, students who study those careers can expect to earn between $21,000 and $30,000 annually. As a result, the TEA is looking at re-shaping the career and technical programs curriculum, perhaps without cosmetology.

That could be a mistake. Not a huge one, but something like going blonde and forgetting to lighten the brows.

High school cosmetology courses give students a skill that can put them to work right away. It isnt just piling hair on big Styrofoam heads. The lab work required to test for certification often gives students real-world experience. Instructors dont just teach skills and technique, they teach communication, business management and science. How do you talk to clients? How do you know how much to charge? What do you do if you find a piojito? When you think about all of the details we dont want to worry about because someone else does when we sit in the barber chair or when we pay to get our nails done, its a lot.

Of course, its not the work but the paycheck that is putting the training into question, but thats not quite fair either. Hairdressers and barbers earn tips and, more important, can use their skills on the weekends to create a good side gig. If youve ever had your hair cut in a garage or a carport, you know que el que no le tiene miedo al trabajo can make a lot of money.

Change is good. Theres nothing wrong with wanting to change for the better and wanting to steer students toward a higher salary. And at this point, the TEA is just trying to figure out what to recommend next. But you dont take away something that works when its working as a lifeline for kids who might not be able to graduate, much less go on to pay tuition at places like Aveda Institute or the Ogle School of Hair, Skin and Nails.

Its just not flattering.

mariaanglinwrites@gmail.comFall classes began at Texas A&M University-San Antonio on Aug. 23, and we welcomed nearly 600 freshmen from all walks of life to campus. Before any of those students arrived, each had taken a unique path to become an A&M-S.A. Jaguar. Yet many of them faced the same major hurdle along the way  affordability.

For many families, the cost of college can be overwhelming, as it includes everything from tuition and fees to books, room and board, and transportation. High school students and their families, transfer students and even working professionals who are considering returning to college worry about covering the costs. Many do not know where to begin to address this issue.A San Antonio man was caught in a car with a 16-year-old girl outside a cabaret during an unrelated prostitution operation run by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

Eric Taylor, 24, was arrested Monday on suspicion of sexual assault of a child. Though he and the girl were discovered during the prostitution sting the arrest was not connected to the operation.

Deputies were running the sting Sept. 13 at the MGM Cabaret when they found Taylor in a car with the girl, according to the arrest affidavit.

RELATED: SAPD: Woman sexually assaulted by man who posed as maintenance worker

The child initially told deputies she was 17 and provided a fake name and date of birth, according to the affidavit. She said she and Taylor were "club hopping" before deputies found them outside the cabaret. She also said the two had sexual contact, the affidavit says.

Deputies took the child to an emergency shelter, where she was set to be released to her parents. Detectives later discovered the child was actually 16, according to the affidavit.

The girl left the shelter before her parents picked her up, leading the parents to report her as a runaway, according to the affidavit.

Deputies staked out Taylor's apartment, and eventually Taylor and the girl came outside, according to the affidavit. Both were taken to the sheriff's office to be interviewed.

During the interview, Taylor allegedly admitted to a sexual relationship with the girl and told deputies she stayed with him after she left the emergency shelter.

Taylor was arrested on a $50,000 bond for the child sex crime charge, jail records showed.The San Antonio woman police said was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide on Monday had filed for divorce just days prior to the shooting, court records show.

Patricia Harwood, 60, filed for a divorce from her suspected killer and husband of 41 years, 62-year-old Gary Harwood, on Sept. 13, citing "discord or conflict of personalities" that "destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation."A mother allowed her disabled adult son to die of malnutrition and dehydration, according to San Antonio police.

Alma Munoz, 47, was arrested Sunday and charged with causing serious bodily injury to a disabled person, jail records showed.

In May, Munoz called police because her 21-year-old son, Joshua Alonzo, died in their home.

When first responders arrived, they saw Alonzo's head was infested with lice and wrote in an affidavit he was "so thin most bones were visible through his skin."

RELATED: SAPD: Man threatened 13-year-old girl to keep quiet about more than 60 sexual assaults

Alonzo suffered from cerebral palsy and schizencephaly, a brain birth defect. He couldn't feed himself, use the toilet alone or use expressive speech, according to the affidavit.

During his autopsy, Alonzo weighed roughly 38 pounds. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death was caused by malnutrition and dehydration.

Detectives tracked down Alonzo's pediatrician, who stopped treating Alonzo when he turned 18, according to the affidavit. The last time the doctor saw Alonzo, in 2014, he weighed 51 pounds.

Munoz told police she was Alonzo's sole caretaker. She also admitted she saw lice in his hair three weeks prior to his death but did not treat it, according to the affidavit.

She said she hadn't taken her son to a doctor or any type of therapy after he turned 18, according to the affidavit. Police said they hadn't received any calls to the house in those three years.

Munoz, charged with a first-degree felony punishable by up to life in prison, was taken into custody on a $75,000, according to jail records.Authorities on Tuesday found a man who had been severely beaten with an object inside an abandoned warehouse downtown.

The victim, a man in his mid-20s, appears to have been sleeping inside the warehouse, located at North Medina and West Martin streets, when his attacker struck him three to four times in the head, according to San Antonio Police Sgt. Tim Esp.

Haven for Hope staff received reports of the injured man Tuesday morning and went to the warehouse to investigate. When they discovered the victim, they notified police and paramedics, who responded at about 8:30 a.m., authorities said.

RELATED: Motorcyclist killed by suspected drunken driver in SUV

Paramedics worked on stabilizing the victim at the scene for about half an hour before rushing him to University Hospital in serious condition.

Esp said the warehouse where the victim was found appears to have been used by several homeless people in recent weeks, possibly to seek shelter from the rain.

"It looks like there have been some renovation efforts, but the last time anyone worked on it was about three to four months ago," he said. "The folks that live on the periphery of the Haven have kind of taken over."

Police found a couple campsites and "a ton" of alcohol bottles inside the warehouse. The victim was found at one such campsite, where he had a small bed set up for himself.

Homicide detectives are investigating the assault. No suspect description was immediately provided.

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A San Antonio man sexually assaulted a girl more than 60 times over the course of three years before she reported it to her mother, according to police.

Omar Diaz, 32, was arrested Monday in connection to the sexual assaults, which spanned from 2014 until 2017, according to the arrest affidavit.

The 13-year-old told her mother about the abuse on April 13, 2017, authorities said.

RELATED: SAPD: Woman sexually assaulted by man who posed as maintenance worker

"The victim further stated (Diaz) has forced her to have sex with him for the past years more than 60 times," detectives wrote in the affidavit.

The girl was scared to report Diaz because he "told her she would never see her mother if she told anyone what he was doing to her," according to the affidavit.

The mother called police and was able to track Diaz with his cell phone, which showed he was at a Greyhound bus station, police said.

When officers got to the bus station, employees told them that Diaz was trying to buy a ticket to Mexico, but couldn't because he did not have his ID with him.

Diaz was arrested on a $75,000 bond, according to jail records. He's charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child.San Antonio police arrested a man Sunday accused of posing as a maintenance worker to sexually assault a woman inside her apartment.

David Baldomero Rodriguez, 28, was charged with aggravated sexual assault in connection to the July 6 case, according to his arrest affidavit.

San Antonio police said Rodriguez knocked on the woman's door, identified himself as a maintenance worker and said he needed to check her restroom for a possible leak.

RELATED: Kerrville mom who left babies in SUV, killing them, pleads guilty

The woman let him into her apartment. When she checked on him moments later, he masked himself with a stocking and forced her onto the bed, according to the affidavit.

Rodriguez told the woman "that it was his last time having fun," and threatened to kill her before he sexually assaulted her, police said.

Days after she reported the assault to police, the woman sent an email to detectives saying after she processed the trauma she was able to identify the suspect and named Rodriguez, authorities said. The affidavit didn't say how she knew him.

Officers got in touch with Rodriguez and asked to interview him. Rodriguez agreed to the interview, but never showed up for his appointment, according to the affidavit.

Police tried tracking him down at work, but learned he quit his job. His house also appeared to be vacant, according to the affidavit.

Police found Rodriguez Sunday and arrested him on a $100,000 bond, according to jail records.It's going to be a warm and wet fall in San Antonio, the National Weather Service said in its just-released climate outlook report.

Theres also a 65-70 percent chance for El Nino onset by winter, which typically translates to above normal precipitation, National Weather Service Meteorologist Brett Williams said in a presentation on the outlook. El Nino refers to a large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific, according to the National Ocean Service.Last week, I wrote a column taking the view that conservatives supporting Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court because they hope he will overturn Roe v. Wade should be willing to encourage his withdrawal if his accuser testifies credibly against him and the cloud over his nomination cant be expeditiously cleared up.

Even if Kavanaugh is innocent of the charge of a teenage sexual assault, I argued, to give such prominence and power to a man credibly accused would both leave an unnecessary taint on his future rulings (especially given his appointment by our Playboy president) and alienate social conservatives from the persuadable Americans, women especially, whose support any pro-life program ultimately requires. And this was before a second allegation surfaced.

This argument was not well-received among many of my conservative friends. So I spent the week having private arguments about whether it was really fair to ask a public servant to withdraw in a kind of tacit shame, for some greater ideological good, on the basis of a single unprovable allegation. How you could expect any decent person to put themselves forward for high office in the climate such a precedent would create.

The strongest point that Kavanaughs defenders made to me was that his withdrawal under the shadow of Christine Blasey Fords allegation would be regarded by much of the country as an admission of guilt  an admission he was once a would-be rapist and is a perjurer today. So to pull him back wouldnt just be like denying someone an important job after an unsuccessful interview; it would emblazon a scarlet R on a man who might well not deserve it. And that, my friends argued, would be a grave wrong no matter what it might gain politically and culturally for his conservatives further down the road.

These arguments would be convincing, I think, if Kavanaugh were up for a lower court appointment or running for a Senate seat. But the sheer abnormality of the Supreme Court  lifetime tenure, philosopher-king power  makes the prospect of a reputationally clouded justice more damaging, to the court itself and the country and the causes that the justice might advance, than would be the case with a lesser office. And so the potentially deep injustice to Kavanaugh still doesnt seem like enough of a reason to let him ascend if he cannot clear his name.

If you take that view, however, you need to acknowledge the burden that this will place on the nominee as Ford appears before the Senate. Ben Wittes put it well for The Atlantic: He needs to prove a negative about events long ago with sufficient persuasiveness that a reasonable person will regard his service as untainted by the allegations against him, and he needs to do so using only arguments that dont themselves taint him.

But what counts as a tainting argument? This question was sharpened last week when Ed Whelan, the president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a longtime player in conservative judicial politics, tweeted out the outline of a theory that Kavanaughs accuser might be misremembering the identity of her assailant  an outline that rashly and recklessly included the name of the Georgetown Prep classmate whom Whelan suggested might be the nominees doppelganger, a possibility that Ford immediately denied.

Whelan rightfully apologized for this, and was rightfully attacked for his potential libel. But some of his critics have used this foray to argue or imply that any attempt to raise questions about Fords memory, any attempt to put forward an alternative narrative that might point to a different situation or a different perpetrator, should be regarded as the lowest and wickedest and most embarrassing of plots.

But if Kavanaugh is actually innocent, there are really only two alternatives: Either Ford is a brazen liar, or some scenario of clouded or mistaken memory must be true. So to treat any version of the latter defense as simple confirmation of the nominees villainy is to close even the narrow door that Wittes (and I) would leave open for Kavanaughs potential exculpation. If you are being asked to prove a negative, you cannot be denied the opportunity to explain what you think that negative might look like.

That is the charity that Kavanaugh deserves, given the burden of proof being laid upon him. If his accuser testifies credibly and all he has to offer are vehement denials, followed by a rushed Republican attempt at confirmation, then he may be innocent, but his nomination will deserve to fail. But an obligation not to elevate a clouded nominee must coexist with an obligation to hear out any serious alternative explanation of the facts.Re: The accusations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh:

I am concerned that we are equating the judgment of two teenagers still immature at ages 17 and 15, and further limited by the influence of alcohol, with ones from more than 20 years of solid judicial experience and psychological professional experience.

If anyone is to blame, it is the parents at whose house this alleged incident occurred. We cannot apply 2018 standards to what those parents allowed in the early 1980s. Please remember that those parents were products of the rebellious 60s and were used to anything goes.

I am not going to be judgmental because I was not there, but I will ask all of us: How many thousands, perhaps millions, of worthy careers would have destroyed if teenagers were held to absolutely perfect behavior standards?

As our Lord stated, He who has no sin may cast the first stone.

John Menchaca

Vote your conscience

This is a message for all Texas women and men: If you or someone you love has been a victim of sexual abuse or harassment, or someone you love could, in the future, be such a victim, please take heed of this upcoming election. Regardless of which party you belong to, what your ethnicity or gender is, what religion you practice, or how rich or poor you are, you must carefully weigh what is at stake in the Senate election Nov. 6.

During this stressful time when a group of white, mostly elderly men are making fools of themselves during the inquiry into Judge Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court appointment, remember this: Both of our senators are on this panel! Most of that GOP group has publicly declared they believe she is bringing a false accusation and Kavanaugh is telling the truth.

Regardless of how this important Supreme Court appointment is decided, Texas women and men, it is up to you to help change that unfortunate image of masculine misogyny that has surfaced again. I remember the Anita Hill fiasco.

One remedy is to simply vote for Beto ORourke. No one will know how you voted unless you tell them. If every woman and man in Texas goes to the polls and votes their conscience and not necessarily their party, the future of all women in this nation will be better under similar circumstances.

Mynda Holman McGuire

Gag on Lady Liberty

During their debate, Sen. Ted Cruz told Rep. Beto ORourke that immigration is simple and comes down to two factors: Legal, good; illegal, bad.

It made me wonder: With all the drastic cuts to legal immigration and everything else the Trump administration has done, does this nation even have an immigration policy anymore besides rich or white equals legal, while brown, black or poor equals illegal?

How many times have we heard of ICE rounding up legal immigrants and deporting them over past crimes, such as a DWI? Or how many times ICE has rounded up American citizens and deported them, or were in the process of deporting of them but a lawyer stopped them? Or, now, refusing to issue passports because of questions of citizenship? Or the stolen generation of asylum-seekers?

What happened to Lady Libertys, the mother of exiles, proclamation: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Brandelyn Wiser, Port Lavaca

What about fair?

I think our Founding Fathers possessed the greatest intellect and foresight of any group of men since. However, they did make one mistake, by omission, when they called for a free press. Had they called for a free and fair press, todays media would have nothing to stand on to defend itself.

Fred Martin, Fair Oaks Ranch

Hes bad for religion

The religious right may want to rethink its attachment to Donald Trump in its effort to save religion from secularism. Trump is hardly the company the religious sector should want to keep: vulgar, dishonest, vindictive, bigoted, misogynistic, serially adulterous.

And if Trump is indicted for obstruction of justice, he could also prove to be a felon. Not a good partner for those who consider themselves at the right hand of God.

People who are seeking a spiritual path generally consider morality as a necessity. Trump shows little, and those who align with him may be assumed to have little as well. Secularism could win out in the end.

Gay Z. Wright

Bail stats misused

Re: Dont keep public from bail hearings, Editorial, Friday:

This editorial is an excellent example of the wrong way to use statistics. It states that more people who cant pay bail plead guilty. It says this violates the presumption of innocence, apparently because they are intimidated into pleading guilty because they want to be released from jail.

But there are other much more logical and likely reasons why this is so. Judges deny bail or assign high bail to people accused of very severe crimes, or when the evidence against them is so overwhelming that their danger of flight is high. Both types tend to plead guilty more often.

Statistics tell us the way things are but dont tell us why.

Alvin Ronnfeldt

Release was mistake

Wanda Barzee, one of the two adults who brutally and repeatedly abused Elizabeth Smart in 2002, has been released by the Utah Department of Corrections, earlier than expected because her sentence was miscalculated and didnt allow for time she was held for mental evaluation.

The laws that freed her were enacted to balance the criminal justice system. As I see it, this isnt a situation where a criminals rights need to be protected. Time served should not be the only factor in considering her release. Her participation in abusing a child was morally wrong, and whatever sentence her husband got, she should get. She equally participated.

Havent we released enough people with the potential to be repeat offenders? Theres more that could be said, pro and con, but the fact is, Barzee deserves punishment, not freedom.

Carol Van CleaveRain poured across the region Tuesday, causing flooding throughout the state.

With the flooding came water rescues and local law enforcement urging motorists to stay off the roads if possible.

Below are town-by-town updates from local agencies.

For updates on crashes or other traffic-related problems on highways, head over to: https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Rain-to-affect-morning-and-afternoon-commutes-13255707.php.

UPDATE: 7:15 AM

From Westport police:

As a result of yesterdays heavy rainfall there are still two roads within the town that remain partially closed due to flooding conditions. The following are the effected roadways: Compo Road South at the railroad underpass - this means that all vehicular traffic south of the underpass will have to utilize Hillspoint Road to access Greens Farms Road and the Post Road; Additionally, Roseville Road is closed between Salem Road and Whitney Street.

The town is working to reopen these roadways as quickly as possible.

Motorists are asked to be patient, and leave extra time to get to work and/or school.

UPDATE: 6:40 AM

Metro-North says substitute bus service will be provided for the 7:28 AM train from Danbury to South Norwalk due to equipment availability.

Waterbury Branch Customers: Substitute Bus Service will be provided beginning with the 6:38 AM train from Waterbury to Bridgeport and the 8:02 AM train from Bridgeport to Waterbury due to equipment availability

UPDATE: 6:20 AM

North Haven police say the roadway on Kings Highway at Mount Carmel Avenue has collapsed. Avoid the area.

UPDATE: 5:08 AM

Eversource reports 319 customers without power including 261 in Guilford, 31 in Haddam, , six in Monroe and five in Ridgefield.

UPDATE: 4:46 AM WEDNESDAY

The following schools have two-hour delays Wednesday: Bridgeport, Kolbe Cathedral, Trumbull, The Bridge Academy and Notre Dame in Fairfield.

St. Andrew Academy in Bridgeport is closed because of flooding.

UPDATE: 9:30 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

DANBURY BRANCH

Service resumed between South Norwalk and Danbury. Substitue bus service was provided for the 9:17 p.m. train from Danbury to South Norwalk.

UPDATE: 9 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

More for you Traffic problems throughout Conn. during rain, floods

DANBURY BRANCH

Service has resumed, three hours and 20 minutes after initially being suspended.

UPDATE: 8:45 P.M.

WESTPORT

Two adults and two children were rescued from two cars that were swept off the road by swift water caused by flooding.

Three occupants were removed from the roof of a car and one from inside the car. The fire department had to break a window and extricate that individual. No injuries reported.

UPDATE: 8:30 P.M. - POWER OUTAGES

United Illuminating is reporting 702 customers without power.

Fairfield: 623

Shelton: 22

Bridgeport: 18

Trumbull: 2

Shelton: 1

Eversource is reporting 983 customers without power.

Bethel: 406

Ridgefield: 177

Monroe: 52

Norwalk: 11

Wilton: 4

Weston: 3

Westport: 2

Oxford: 1

Greenwich: 1

It was unclear if all the outages were caused by Tuesdays storm.

UPDATE: 8:20 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

NEW HAVEN LINE

Westbound service has gone back to making stops at Fairfield Metro, Fairfield and Southport.

UPDATE: 7:45 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., emergency responders were dispatched to over 130 emergencies, ranging from cars in water to flooded roadways and basements, said a weather update from the citys Emergency Operations Center, provided by police spokesman Av Harris.

The water that flooded city roadways began to dissipate as of 7:45 p.m., the EOC weather update said.

We are continuing to assess the damages, the weather update said. At this time we have Geraldine Johnson (school) on standby for a shelter.

UPDATE: 7:40 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

DANBURY BRANCH

Service is still suspended.

NEW HAVEN LINE

Delays up to 20 minutes remain. Earlier delays were between 65 to 70 minutes.

UPDATE: 7:30 P.M.

MILFORD

Milford police spokesman, Officer Mike DeVito, said flooding isnt bad in the city, adding that low tide was at 6:18 p.m., which would have helped any flooded areas.

UPDATE: 6:35 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

The fire department has responded to at least 15 boat rescues  which includes people stuck in flooded homes and cars stuck in water  as of 6:35 p.m., city spokeswoman Rowena White said.

The number of boat rescues doesnt accurately represent the amount of people impacted though, just the number of incidents the firefighters responded to.

Most of the rescues are happening in the Lakeside Drive area of the city, White said.

There is no official evacuation plan set up right now, but White said that could change.

Stay home, stay off the roads, she said. All city officials ... are requesting that people stay off the roads. And if you absolutely have to be on the roads, dont drive through flooded areas.

UPDATE: 6:15 P.M.

DANBURY, BETHEL, RIDGEFIELD

A couple roads in Danbury are closed due to flooding. Main Street at Elmwood Park, as well as Old Lantern Road at Lamppost Drive, will be closed until they are safe to pass, a police dispatcher said.

Ridgefield and Bethel police dispatchers said all roads were open, but the Bethel dispatcher said a caller reported some water on Plumtrees Road earlier Tuesday evening.

UPDATE: 6 P.M.

METRO-NORTH

Westbound trains of the New Haven Line are currently unable to stop at Fairfield Metro, Fairfield and Southport because of weather-related track conditions.

Customers at these stations should travel east to Bridgeport for westbound service. Please listen for announcements at your stations, Metro-North said.

EASTON

Many roads in town are flooded and some are not passable, police said.

If you dont have to drive, stay where you are until the rain slows and the roads have some time to drain, police said, adding never to drive through water if you cant tell how deep it is. Never drive through rushing water.

UPDATE: 5:50 P.M.

WESTPORT

Sherwood Island State Park in Westport is closed due to flooding as of 4:30 p.m., the DEEP said.

UPDATE: 5:45 P.M.

FAIRFIELD

All units it town are currently out dealing with numerous flooding incidents, fire officials said.

Vehicles are stuck in water on Wilson Street near valley. Units are extricating the drivers, officials said.

UPDATE: 5:40 P.M.

METRO-NORTH

The Danbury Branch service of Metro-North is suspended because of weather-related high water issues.

Customers should seek alternate transportation options, the railroad service said.

UPDATE: 5:35 P.M.

WESTPORT

Due to the heavy rain we have experienced throughout the day, many Westport roadways are flooded, police said. We urge residents to stay off the roadways unless necessary ... Do not attempt to drive through flooded roadways and avoid low-lying areas prone to flooding.

Police are urging any residents needing to travel to give themselves extra time to get there.

UPDATE: 5:20 P.M.

GREENWICH

Its been busy weather- related, said Deputy Fire Chief Tom Nixon, We didnt have any rescues, but weve been busy with water issues at residences.

By late afternoon, Greenwich firefighters had been dispatched to 19 homes in town, to make sure everything is safe, Nixon said. Firefighters made sure electrical systems and other utilities deluged by water were turned off temporarily.

Multiple cars traveled through floodwaters on North Main Street in Port Chester, N.Y., as it crosses the state border into Greenwich. One car was damaged by the high water.

NORWALK

Police said Connecticut Avenue near Lowes, Shop Rite and Scribner Avenue flooded heavily. They advised people to stay off the roads because flooding was occurring pretty much everywhere.

Also, they advised people not to not attempt to drive through the puddles, tweeting turn around, dont drown, on Twitter.

West Avenue near the new mall flooded, causing trouble for vehicles getting off Route 7. Many smaller roads near the bottoms of hills  including East Rocks Road near St. Marys Lane and Bettwood Road  had large puddles.

Parts of Interstate 95 were closed, such as near Exit 16.

STAMFORD

Police and firefighters were dispatched to assist flooded motorists in several areas of the city Tuesday afternoon.

Flooded cars were reported on Broad Street near Mill River, under the railroad bridge on Elm Street and under the Myrtle Street railroad bridge. While most got out of their own cars without assistance, firefighters were called out to help a driver with water rising under the Elm Street bridge.

Flooded cars were also being reported on Palmer Avenue, Research Drive, Larkin and on West Main Street near Alvord Lane. Thirty one children and their bus driver were reported stranded on Dale Street and police called for a heavy wrecker to pull them out of the water.

Police are closing roads around Stamford that are determined to be too deep in water to travel. Reports were also coming in from police of manhole covers being blown off by water.

Flooding was also reported at the Domus Administrative Center on Lockwood Avenue where a voter registration drive had to be canceled on Tuesday afternoon.

UPDATE: 5 P.M. - METRO-NORTH

DANBURY BRANCH

Train #1838 (the 4:13 p.m. train from South Norwalk to Danbury) is delayed because of high water conditions.

UPDATE: 4:45 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

Harrel Street and Calhoun Avenue are completely impassable, a city police officer said. And Main Street between Capitol Avenue and Charles Street is closed because of flooding.

Bridgeport firefighters have responded to two water rescues as of 4:45 p.m.  one is at Park Avenue and Rooster River Boulevard, another was in the 300 block of Savoy Street and the third was at the intersection of Hancock and Maplewood avenues.

UPDATE: 4:20 P.M.

NORWALK

The road in front of the Shop Rite Plaza on Connecticut Avenue is flooded, with some cars stuck on the flooded roadway.

A passerby said the drivers of the cars were unharmed and that the street was completely flooded.

UPDATE: 4:15 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

Mayor Joe Ganim warned city residents after the National Weather Service issued the flash flood warning.

Please be careful in Bridgeport this afternoon, Ganim said.

UPDATE: 4 P.M.

STAMFORD

Please stay off the roads, fire officials urged. The Stamford Fire Department is actively making dozens of water rescues due to the heavy rain. Please do not drive through deep water.

NORWALK

City police are asking residents not to drive through flooded roadways, tossing in the classic phrase  turn around, dont drown, on Twitter.

UPDATE: 3:50 P.M.

DARIEN

Route 1 at Tokeneke Road is closed because of a flooded underpass. Police are blocking off the area.

Please seek alternate routes and do not attempt to drive through flooded roadways, police urged.

UPDATE: 3:40 P.M.

BRIDGEPORT

Heavy rainfall, with rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour, is expected in the city between 3:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

As with all storms, we will continue to keep a close eye on them and issue alerts as needed. Stay safe, said the Bridgeport EOC on social media.

UPDATE: 3:20 P.M.

BETHEL

More than 2 inches of rain has fallen in Bethel so far.

Expect small stream and poor drainage flooding this afternoon, a tweet from Bethel OEM/FM said. Turn around, dont drown. Avoid flooded streets.

UPDATE: 3:18 P.M.

The flash flood warning issued by the National Weather Service on Tuesday has been extended until 6:15 p.m.

The warning was initially planned to last through 4 p.m.

The NWS said Doppler radar picked up heavy rain across the area with flash flooding expected to pick up soon (as of 3:18 p.m.).

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other drainage areas and low-lying spots, the NWS said.

Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, Danbury, Milford, Shelton, New Canaan, Newtown, Fairfield, Greenwich, Stratford, Trumbull, Westport, Ridgefield and Darien are expected to see some flooding, the weather service warning said.

Turn around, dont drown when encountering flooded roads, NWS said. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

Original story:

With the National Weather Service predicting rain to continue to fall well into the evening, a flash flood warning was issued for southern Fairfield County until 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Weather radar indicated heavy rain across the area in the warning.

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage areas and low lying spots, the NWS said.

In its 1:09 p.m. weather discussion, the NWS said, A warm front will lift through the area this afternoon and evening. Thunder was pushed into the forecast with the passage of the warm front.

A widespread rainfall between 1 to 2 inches is possible, the weather service said.

In its hourly forecast, the NWS has moderate to heavy continuing to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The forecast

This Afternoon: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3 p.m. High near 70. Southeast wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tuesday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 9 p.m, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9 p.m. and midnight, then a chance of showers after midnight. Patchy fog after 9 p.m. Steady temperature around 70. South wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 6 to 10 mph.

Wednesday night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before midnight. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southwest wind around 9 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.PRE_GNANT women with small feet, putting on size four shoes and below and are less than 1,5 metres tall have high risks of complications during labour and should not deliver at a clinic, a health official has said.

This comes amid complaints from women that municipal and private clinics were turning them away from their facilities citing possible complications during childbirth. Although some of the women said this was not properly explained to them, Sunday News sought answers from experts.

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, founder and chief executive officer for the Royal Womens Clinic, a maternity clinic in Bulawayo Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said there was a correlation between these factors.

These women are not lying at all. There is a correlation actually between the height of the woman, her shoe size and pelvic area. If a woman is less that 1,5 metres tall and wears a shoe size from four going downwards there is a potential complication risk when she is giving birth. Such people have complications because the birth canal will be much smaller than a woman who is taller and has a bigger foot, he explained.

Dr Ngwenya explained that there was a tendency to have obstructed labour when a woman was faced with these three dilemmas.

Obstructed labour is when the uterus is contracting normally but the baby cannot exit because they are physically blocked, the head of the baby and the pelvic brim will be a mismatch and the baby cannot exit smoothly. Dr Ngwenya hints that in such cases the baby then gets stressed and may not have adequate oxygen leading to death. He said it was essential that such women register to give birth at a hospital rather than a clinic.

Why we say these women register at a hospital is that they need a place where an emergency Caesarian Section can be done by a specialist in the case of a problem. Our clinics do not have that capacity so it is safe for women with this challenge to just register at a place where the operation can be done, he added.

Dr Ngwenya said when clinics attempt to deliver some of these cases there were chances of the baby getting stressed as it tries to worm itself out of the small birth canal.

When some of these women deliver naturally at clinics there are sometimes complications and in some cases, end up giving birth to children with brain damage because the delivery was not correctly executed, he added.

He said it is essential for women to get vital information when they visit clinics in order to prepare adequately for childbirth at the correct health facility. He said doctors and midwives must explain to pre_gnant women who have this predicament that they should brace themselves for Caesarian Sections when there are complications in child birth.

Dr Ngwenya said some of the challenges that come with forcing a normal delivery for women in this category include infections and commonly obstetric fistula which is an abnormal opening between the genital tract and urinary or rectum tract.

The development of obstetric fistula is directly linked to the major causes of maternal mortality which is obstructed labour.

Women who develop obstetric fistula suffer from uncontrolled passing of urine which may lead to skin infections, kidney problems, social isolation and death if left untreated.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care designated Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital as the centre for the repairs of obstetric fistula in Zimbabwe as hundreds of women have been on a waiting list for the corrective surgery.

 SundayNews

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsCONTROVERSIAL cleric Pastor Patrick Mugadza is set to resume his church services, a year since abandoning the pulpit while claiming then President Robert Mugabe was using state agents to terrorise his church.

The Kariba Remnant Church founder in May this year also announced that he was joining mainstream politics as Vice President of the United Democratic Movement (UDM).

At the time, he defended his decision saying this was not a calling from God but was one meant to fulfil his interest in politics.

The cleric, who rose to prominence through his one man demonstrations against Mugabes brutal regime, July 30 ran for the Gutu South parliamentary seat and lost.

Last year, he made headlines when he prophesied that Mugabe was dying in October 2017.

However, this did not come to pass as the 94-year-old veteran politician lives up to this date.

In an interview with NewZimbabwe, Mugadza, who had just returned from South Africa where he had gone soon after elections, said he was now refreshed enough to plot his next move.

My going away was just to refresh after a hectic period of the stolen election. I am back to see what I can do next, he said.

I am yet to get what is exactly going on and make an appropriate move.

Commenting on whether he was still a member of UDM led by female politician Violet Mariyacha, Mugadza said there were issues within the small opposition party.

Yes, we have issues in the party (UDM) for now and so will give it time to know the way forward, seems I am caught in between, he said.

And I cant share those issues for now, not yet sir. I need to have my facts right.

He went on to say that he was going to resume church services because Mugabe was gone with hopes to do so freely.

I had to stop services so that the system would not interfere with it but will resume soon, Mugadza said.

But I did not stop church for politics as such. I stopped because the CIOs were so much interested in the church activities and it was to find a loophole and cause damage to my personality and the church at the same time, thereby chocking my activism efforts.

We still have a selfish system which is amazingly still so backward such that they dont know what democracy and servant-hood demands.

I think you are aware that I am an activist first before I am a politician. I love standing for Zimbabwe than standing for a ward or a constituency.

Mugadza became known among Zimbabweans first time December 2015 when he bravely staged a one-man protest against Mugabe during a Zanu-PF national conference in Victoria Falls.

He was to follow this with numerous protests against the Mugabe regime in Harare, sometimes adding drama by chaining himself to a street pole to symbolise lack of freedom.

When Mugabe was removed by the military led by then Commander Defence Forces Constantino Chiwenga November last year, Mugadza said he was going to name his son after the now Vice President as a unique honour for removing the former President.

 NewZimbabwe

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsSouth African police this morning arrested the driver of an Intercape bus which killed nine Zimbabweans, among them a toddler, in a road accident near Polokwane on Friday last week.

The bus was travelling from Harare to Johannesburg.

Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said the man disappeared from a hospital in Polokwane at the weekend and was intercepted at Beitbridge Border Post by alert police officers.

He said the driver has been charged with nine counts of culpable homicide and will appear before a Polokwane magistrate on Tuesday.

Col Ngoepe withheld the suspects name pending his court appearance. Police are also still working on identifying the nine victims.

The police in Westenburg outside Polokwane have arrested the driver of the bus involved in this horrific accident. He tried to cross the border to Zimbabwe after he was taken to hospital with other 51 injured passengers for medical treatment, he said.

As the process of intensive investigations by the police was unfolding, especially on the possible cause of that accident, he then disappeared following his discharge from hospital and fled towards the Beitbridge port of entry.

The police were then tipped-off, they swiftly responded and subsequently, the driver was caught hidden inside a goods trailer trying to illegally cross the border to Zimbabwe.

This arrested suspect will appear before the Polokwane Magistrate Court on Tuesday the 26 September 2018 on nine counts of culpable homicide and on the possible additional charges at a later stage.

His arrest follows a culpable homicide where nine passengers lost their lives during a bus crash which occurred along the N1 South road in the early hours of Friday last week.

Col Ngoepe said the bus was travelling from the direction of Polokwane towards Gauteng Province when the driver lost control and it overturned while carrying 61 people including the crew.

He said nine people were certified dead on the scene while 51 others were taken top various hospitals in Limpopo province.

Zimbabwes Consul General to South Africa Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro said they were working with authorities in the neighbouring country in identifying the deceased, pending repatriation of their remains back home for burial.

 Herald

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsCHINESE diamond miner Anjin Investment is set to resume mining operations in Chiadzwa after the government allegedly bowed to pressure from Beijing.

Anjin and other diamond companies were barred from mining in the once rich diamond fields by former President Robert Mugabes government in 2016 following allegations of looting.

Other companies were forced into a merger to create the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), but Anjin resisted the move.

According to government sources, Anjins licence was restored following intense pressure from Beijing, and operations at the miners Chiadzwa site will resume soon.

The revelations were first made at a human rights workshop organised by the Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNG) and Bocha Diamond Community Trust (BDCT) last week amid protests by locals.

Moses Makwanda, a BDCT official, told the workshop that he had received a call from an unnamed ZCDC official who disclosed the developments.

CNG director Farai Maguwu said he was aware of Anjins return, describing it as a sad development.

Yes, I am aware and they were seen loitering in Marange barely two weeks after (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa took over the reins of power (in November last year), he said.

It is sad that a company that was accused by former Finance minister Tendai Biti for not remitting anything to Treasury has been re-engaged to continue looting.

Maguwu said the Marange community was not happy about the return of Anjin.

Mnangagwa must tell us something good that Anjin did which we all dont know, he said.

Anjin is jointly owned by Chinese companies Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Company Limited and Matt Bronze an investment arm of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

Mines and Mining Development minister Winston Chitando last week demanded questions in writing but had not responded to them by the time of going to print.

Besides allegations of looting, the diamond companies were accused of polluting water sources and causing environmental degradation.

 NewsDay

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Related Zimbabwe Latest NewsNEW DELHI (PTI): 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.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is one of the governors nobody would have thought will have any problem getting the second term mandate. The All Progressives Congress (APC), Ambodes party, enjoys significant dominance in Lagos state.

More so, Governor Amode had the unflinching support of his political godfather, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Besides, save for some bad policies especially the one bordering on the refuse disposal in the state, his administration is also not doing badly, particularly in terms of infrastructural development.

Thus, it was like a joke stretched too far when news started filtering that the state governor is having problems concerning his re-election bid.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Buhari addresses UN, speaks about migration, security and climate change (video)

However, latest events unfolding in the states political space has confirmed that Governor Ambode, truly, may not get the second term bid.

Here are five main factors why the governor may end up setting a new record as the first one-term governor in the history of Lagos since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

1. Lack of support from his godfather

It is an undisputable fact that Governor Ambode got the gubernatorial seat in 2015 solely because of the support of his godfather, Tinubu. The former governor and national leader of the APC is a significant political force, not only in Lagos state but across the nation.

Since he left the governorship seat in 2008, he has become a major force in determining who becomes the next governor in the state. So, not supporting Ambode anymore is a monumental barrier to his second term ambition.

2. Lack of popularity among political stakeholders

Apart from falling out of favour with Tinubu, Governor Ambode does not enjoy the support of many political stakeholders in the state who could have either helped him to iron out the differences between him and his godfather or rallied around him to build a strong force against Tinubus influence.

As it currently stands, nearly all the local government chairmen in the state and other principal political office holders are not in support of Tinubus second term bid.

3. Lack of popularity among Lagosians

Perhaps if Governor Ambode is very popular among the residents of the state, his chances of getting the second term bid would have been brighter as his godfather may be forced to listen to the masses opinion.

PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News

Unfortunately, Governor Ambode seems unpopular among Lagosians owing largely to some of his unpopular policies like the increase in Land Use Charge and the alleged unprofessional manner the various ongoing road projects are being executed.

4. Ill-advised refuse disposal policy

If Governor Ambode eventually fails to get the second term bid, his handling of refuse disposal management in the state, apart from political factors, should be held responsible as one of the major causes.

Ambodes refuse management initiative, which was really not necessary as the previous one put in place by his predecessor was working, shattered whatever iota goodwill he enjoys from Lagosians.

5. The growing popularity of his major contender, Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Apart from the fact that Governor Ambodes major contender, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, allegedly has the backing of Tinubu, he also reportedly enjoys the support of all the local government chairmen in the state.

The current political calculation is that the more Sanwo-Olu gets more popularity among the APC political stakeholders, the lesser the chance of Ambode getting the second term ticket.

Can Ambode Defeat Tinubu for a second term? - Nigerian Opinion | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngBukola Saraki, a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed the confidence that he and other presidential aspirants will support whoever emerges as the party's contestant in the 2019 presidential election.

The Senate president made the statement on Monday, September 24, in a tweet shortly after been screened at the Legacy House in Abuja.

He tweeted: "Ahead of the Presidential Primaries of our great party @OfficialPDPNig, I have just concluded my screening at Legacy House, Abuja.

READ ALSO: APC queries chieftain for attending PDP rally

"The level of camaraderie between all the @OfficialPDPNig aspirants is reassuring. I have no doubt that we will work together to support whoever emerges as our partys candidate to #GrowNigeria."

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.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

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? | Legit.ng TV

Source: LegitThe supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who were hoping the party would replicate the Ekiti victory in the Osun state gubernatorial election on Saturday, September 22, were disappointed as the it failed to win the election in the first ballot.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 254,698 votes while the APC had 254,345, leaving a gap of 353 votes.

In the afternoon of Sunday, September 23, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the Osun gubernatorial election as inconclusive.

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 PDP, and Isiaka Oyetola, the candidate of the APC, was not significant enough to declare a winner.

The candidates of the APC, Gboyega Oyetola, casting his vote on Saturday, September 22.

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Analysis: Which party has better chance of winning Osun re-run election between APC and PDP?

Many people felt it was an unimpressive show for the APC which is the ruling party to fail to get a clear winning in the election. What could have been responsible for this unimpressive performance? Legit.ng highlights five probable reasons.

1. Non-payment of workers salary

Top on the list of the reasons that could have jeopardised the APCs chances was the non-payment of workers salary.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola started modulated salary payment (half salary payment) in June 2015 when the state faced an economic crisis.

This years June salary payment marked the third anniversary of half salary payments in the state.

Prior to this time, only workers below level 7 received full salary payment. Workers between level 8 and 12 had been receiving 75% of their salaries while the states staff on grade level 13 and above had been receiving 50% of their salaries in line with the structure.

2. Intra-party conflicts

Another major factor that is likely responsible for the poor performance was the crisis that rocked the party during the governorship primary. Sadly, the party failed to reconcile the crisis and many of the aggrieved party members left for another party.

3. The PDP candidate

The PDP probably chose Senator Ademola Adeleke as its candidate because of the wide popularity he enjoys among the residents of Osun and the political goodwill of the Adeleke family in the state. This, in the end, played out well for the opposition party.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

4. Lautech factor

No tactical politician will ever underrate the impact of the youths in an electoral process because they constitute a larger percentage of the electorate.

Governor Aregbesolas handling of the financial crisis rocking Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), a university jointly owned by Osun and Oyo states, angered many of the youths in the state.

The financial crisis has paralysed the universitys academic structure, leaving many students at home due to incessant strikes.

5. Divided votes

This factor is the consequence of the crisis that hit the ruling party during the primary election which eventually led to the defection of some party faithfuls.

For instance, one of the influential members of the party and former secretary to the state government, Moshood Adeoti, defected to the Action Democratic Party (ADP), alongside his supporters.

Adeoti who was an aspirant for the APC's primary ticket for the September 22 gubernatorial election withdrew from the primary election, alleging that the party was manipulating the process in favour of Gboyega Oyetola, who eventually won the primary.

Adeoti eventually emerged the gubernatorial candidates of the ADP, the party which came fourth in the gubernatorial election with 49,726 votes.

If Adeoti had stayed back in the APC and delivered the votes to the ruling party, obviously there will not be any need for a re-run.

I have evidence that they added to APCs votes|

Source: Legit.ng- Former president, Goodluck Jonathan, says it will take a man with strength of character and clear conscience like Mark to rebuild and foster unity in Nigeria in 2019

- He states that every right thinking Nigerian should crave for peace and unity in the country

- PDP screens Senator Bukola Saraki ahead of presidential primaries

Former president, Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, September 24, threw his weight behind the presidential ambition of Senator 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, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Jonathan said that it will 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, 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 organisation, Senator 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.

Meanwhile, Bukola Saraki, a presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed the confidence that he and other presidential aspirants will support whoever emerges as the party's contestant in the 2019 presidential election.

The Senate president made the statement on Monday, September 24, in a tweet shortly after been screened at the Legacy House in Abuja.

David Mark Is Running To Become Nigeria's President In 2019- Nigeria News Today | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- Following the delay in implementation of a new national minimum wage, the organised labour has began preparation for its nation-wide strike

- The organised labour, made up of the NLC, TUC and ULC had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to state an amount to enable the minimum wage committee conclude its sitting

- Labour had demanded for N65,000 per month as the new national minimum wage for all Nigerian workers

The organised labour has began preparation for its nation-wide strike over federal government delay in the implementation of a new national minimum wage, Joe Ajaero, president, United Labour Congress (ULC), said in a communique issued after its meeting on Monday, September 24, in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the organised labour, made up of the NLC, TUC and ULC had on September 12 issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to state an amount to enable the minimum wage committee conclude its sitting.

Labour had collectively demanded for N65,000 per month as the new national minimum wage for all Nigerian workers as harmonised by organised labour.

READ ALSO: Protest rocks INEC headquarters over inconclusive election

Ajaero said that if the government failed to meet their demand on the expiration of the ultimatum, it would collaborate with other labour centres and Civil Society Organisations to embark on a nation-wide strike.

We shall no longer be obliged by this time to give any further notice to the government before embarking on the action.

By this communique we order all our affiliates and state councils nation-wide to move to the final level of alert in their preparation for the proposed nationwide strike," he said.

The labour leader said that a new national minimum wage was desirable and possible, adding that lack of patriotism, greed and corruption was the bane of a reasonable wage.

Meanwhile, the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has empowered the National Administrative Council (NAC) and its leadership to carry out all necessary actions in conjunction with other stakeholders to ensure the achievement of the minimum wage.

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In a previous report by Legit.ng, Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, on Thursday, September 13, described the organised labours 14-day ultimatum as a subtle blackmail to stampede the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage. Ngige stated this at a news conference in Abuja, noting that the ultimatum was uncalled for.

The organised labour had accused the federal government of stalling the negotiation by failing to mention a figure as a new minimum wage for the Nigerian workers.

It also issued the federal government 14 days, insisting that the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage concluded its work within the stipulated time frame.

Nigeria News: Nigerians Buying form for Politicians; Loyalty or Political Propaganda? on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- A woman arrested for kidnapping the four-year-old son of Borno APC chairman has confessed

- The suspect confessed to kidnapping the boy and boasted that she'd do it again without remorse

- She claimed she kidnapped the boy because she needed money to have fun

A female kidnap suspect, Fatima Muhammed, while being paraded by the police on Monday, September 24, said she has no regret kidnapping the four-year-old son of Bukar Dalori, the Borno chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Fatima spoke on Monday when she was paraded shortly after her arrest in Maiduguri.

I committed the crime because I love money. I have no regrets for 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 needed money to enjoy myself somewhere. Why should I regret anything?" Fatima said.

Fatima Muhammed

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Osun election: Omisore finally gives condition for supporting either APC or PDP

Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police Damian Chukwu said Fatima was just delivered of a baby boy when she was arrested at Albarka Hotel in Maiduguri on September 21.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Fatima allegedly abducted the boy and two others from a school and demanded N20 million ransom.

Chukwu said the woman and the victim were in good condition at the time she was arrested by men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The victim and his mother after he was rescued from his abductors

Source: UGC

It is pertinent to mention that Fatima Mohammed was pregnant at the time she kidnapped the minor and gave birth to a baby boy while still keeping the victim on September 21," he said.

The commissioner said two other suspects, Muhammed Musa and Muktar Ali-Shaibu, both from the Bulumkutu area of Maiduguri, were arrested in Kano at the point of collecting the ransom. He noted that the suspects confessed to the crime.

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Chukwu added that the command was also investigating the involvement of an army major who reportedly paid for the accommodation of the suspect to keep the child at the hotel, adding that the manager of the hotel had been arrested.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Lagos state Police Command announced the arrest of a bunch of kidnappers who abduct unsuspecting victims and force huge ransoms out of their families in the metropolitan city.

The kidnappers consisted of a 60-year-old mother Aminat Karimu Ajibola and her two sons Akeem Bashir and Ojo Solomon, aged 32 and 26 years respectively.

The Rapid Response Squad unit of the Lagos police command said in a statement signed its spokesman CSP Chike Oti on Sunday, September 9, that the trio were arrested on Saturday, September 7, 2018 after a kidnap-for-ransom 'deal' went wrong.

Nigerians speak angrily about alleged kidnappers caught in Lagos - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- A Ponzi scheme, Micheno Multipurpose Cooperative Society, has reportedly failed to pay depositors returns on investments

- The scheme was said to have started as a Swiss marketing company on WhatsApp before it grew after testimonies of spread about benefits of joining the scheme

- CJN Onnoghen says some lawyers forge court judgments in bid to get SAN rank

Over 13,000 people have been reportedly defrauded of about N27b in Cross River state after a Ponzi scheme operating under the name, Micheno Multipurpose Cooperative Society (MMCS), shutdown without paying depositors.

Vanguard reported that the founder of the scheme, Michael Eke, has reportedly been in hiding since his office closed.

The newspaper states that MMCS which launched in Calabar in June 2018 and had been attracting patronage from residents of the city numbering about 13,000.

READ ALSO: APC, PDP members reportedly clash ahead of Osun rerun election

The scheme promised depositors of N100,000 and additional N50,000 at the end of 40 days, and those who deposit N150,000 would get N300,000 at the same period

It said a deposit of N1 million would earn a N500,000 profit at the end of the same period while deposits above N1 million would be calculated in N1 million units.

Convinced about the prospects of high returns on investments, some of the depositors were said to have invested their life savings while others reportedly deposited their gratuities, which run into millions with the hope of reaping bountifully.

But depositors were said to be shocked at the end of the 40 days when they got far less than they expected while over 13,000 others did not get anything and have since not heard from the operators of the scheme in the past one month while the office in Calabar has remained shut.

The scheme was said to have started as a Swiss marketing company on WhatsApp before it grew to after testimonies of spread about benefits of joining the scheme.

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I have N33 million stocks with the scheme. It may not be much compared to what others have but this has destabilised my life and turned me to mad woman with no bearing and I have lost interest in life and work, a depositor, Edna Nzegu, said.

Some of the depositors alleged that a Calabar-based comedian, MC Mbakara, had connived with the scheme to convince them in investing their money by promoting the it on his WhatsApp thread and website.

But Mbakara, speaking from an undisclosed location, said he was not part of the company even when he was appointed vice president of the scheme by Eke. He said he was a brand ambassador of the scheme.

Meanwhile, the Cross River police command has said some depositors of the scheme had reported the matter and investigation is ongoing.

In another report, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, has disclosed that some lawyers forged court judgments in a desperate bid to qualify for nomination as Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Onnoghen made the disclosure on Monday, September 24, when speaking at a special court session of the Supreme Court to mark the commencement of the 2018/2019 legal year and swearing in of newly conferred SAN, The Tribune reports.

The CJN said the lawyers were caught when they submitted the forged judgments as part of the requisite conditions submitted to the Legal Practitioners and Privileges Committee (LPPC) for scrutiny.

BUSTED: Professional Hacker Nabbed Over Fraudulent Purchase of N28million Porshe | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- Popular Nollywood actor Mike Ezuruonye was impersonated by a scammer

- The suspect named Ekoh Noel has been arrested and convicted in Edo state

- Mike has expressed his gratitude at this swift arrest

Mike Ezuruonye is a Nollywood actor who is popular among Nigerians, especially the women folk. Knowing this, a person impersonated him on Facebook in order to perpetrate a social media scam.

The suspect of this criminal act of impersonation was one Ekoh Noel. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who investigated the matter discovered that this individual was the face behind the mask that robbed many people through social media and gained N12.4 million through the scam.

Following the investigation and discovery, Ekoh Noel was tried by Justice P.I Ajoku of the Federal High Court in Benin, Edo state. He was found guilty of impersonation and sentenced to one year imprisonment.

READ ALSO: Mike Ezuruonye shares hilarious video to celebrate his 36th birthday

In order to alert the public of this development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission posted a tweet on their handle which read thus: Ekoh Noel, who impersonated ace Nollywood actor, Mike Ezuruonye on Facebook to fraudulently obtain N12.4million from his victim has been sentenced to one year in prison by Justice P.I. Ajoku of a Fed High Court, Benin, Edo State."

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Mike Ezurouonye, who had earlier taken to social media to lament the consequence the impersonation had had on him, was very grateful for the effort of the crimes commission in arresting the culprit.

In a recent interview he had, the popular actress talked about how he received several calls and negative feedback from people who threatened him and accosted him as they thought he was the one that scammed them. However, the EFCC district in Benin came to his rescue and for this, he was immensely grateful.

The successful actor said: It's so so sad, I have gotten death threats from people, I have gotten from husbands of these people, boyfriends of these people, maybe because of the way I deal with it you know, that's another thing.

The EFCC in Benin have been so helpful, I mean, it is really really bad. I have seen five people caught. There was a time it was so much the inspector general of police's office got my account investigated. I was invited to the IGP's office in Abuja, it was that bad.

PAY ATTENTION: Daily relationship gist and gossips on Africa Love Aid

To celebrate their effort, he wrote a comment commending their good work. His appreciative statement went on to be publicized on the Twitter handle of the commission.

Nollywood actor Mike Ezuruonye commends #TheEagle in Benin for helping to nab impersonators who used his name for romance scams, quoting Ezuruonye as stating that It's amazing that these women have come to believe that I am the one. They even use my picture, voice and old videos to defraud people."

The EFCC stage a walk against corruption | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria is committed to the promotion and protection of the rights of all women as well as providing an enabling environment for them to realise their full potential

- The Nigerian leader states that the world is facing diverse challenges such as conflict, climate change, terrorism, desertification, poverty, armed trafficking and violent extremism

- He stresses the need for the global community to live up to Mandelas indelible legacies

President Muhammadu Buhari has commended former South African president, Nelson Mandela, for his rare virtues, especially in the promotion of peace, unity and reconciliation.

Buhari spoke on Monday evening, September 24, at the declaration of Nelson Mandela decade of peace at the UN headquarters in New York in commemoration of the centenary celebration of the late anti-apartheid icon.

According to him, Nigeria is committed to the promotion and protection of the rights of all women as well as providing an enabling environment for them to realise their full potential, The news Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

We also recognise that inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all peoples in the world is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.

We declare that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance present the very opposite of the noble purposes of the United Nations.

READ ALSO: APC, PDP members reportedly clash ahead of Osun rerun election

We recognise that tolerance of cultural, ethnic, racial, and religious diversities are essential for lasting peace, understanding and friendship among peoples, nations, cultures and individuals.

As Mandela passes to history, we stand with him in his aspirations for a better world, the Nigerian leader said.

He said the world was facing diverse challenges such as conflict, climate change, terrorism, desertification, poverty, armed trafficking and violent extremism.

The Nigerian leader, however, stated that now was also a time of great hope and renaissance.

He stressed the need for the global community to live up to Mandelas indelible legacies by being accountable to the values and principles and hope for the declaration through striving for a just, peaceful, prosperous, democratic, fair and inclusive world.

According to him, there is need for concerted efforts to build a just, peaceful, prosperous, inclusive and fair world and revive the values which Mandela stood for.

Buhari also said: This centenary celebration provides an avenue to reflect on the legacies of Nelson Mandela and his unwavering advocacy for human rights, social justice and peace.

It also affords us the rare privilege to rededicate ourselves to the service of humanity by championing democracy, conflict resolution, disarmament, mutual respect, reconciliation, gender equality and the fight against poverty.

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As we herald the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace, Nigeria calls on all states to recognise that the United Nations is built on pillars of peace and security, development and human rights.

These are the foundations for our collective wellbeing and emphasise that there can be no peace without sustainable development and no sustainable development without peace and the full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all.

Buhari said by the declaration of the Mandelas Decade of Peace, Nigeria recognised the contributions of women to the advancement of societies and their contributions to the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

Member states at the summit adopted the first resolution of the General Assemblys 73rd session, committing to demonstrate mutual respect, tolerance, understanding and reconciliation in (their) relations.

We resolve to move beyond words in the promotion of peaceful, just, inclusive and non-discriminatory societies, stressing the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women and the meaningful participation of youth in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

READ ALSO: Osun election: Omisore finally gives condition for supporting either APC or PDP

Sustainable development cannot be realised without peace and security, and peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development.

 We reaffirm our pledge that no one will be left behind, the resolution read.

Addressing the summit, UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, spoke of the growing pressure against human rights around the world and urged everyone to draw inspiration from Nelson Mandelas wisdom, courage and fortitude, to face the challenges.

Meanwhile, 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 .

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.

EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- FSARS commanders in Nigeria have started undergoing a training on human rights

- The training is expected to last for two weeks and over 100 commanders will be participating

- The training became necessary after recent accusations of human rights abuse against the squad

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Monday, September 24, in Lagos commenced a two-week training on human rights for Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad (FSARS) commanders nationwide to reposition the outfit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 100 FSARS commanders drawn from the 36 states and Abuja were participating in the exercise.

Opening the training, deputy inspector-general of police in charge of training, Emmanuel Inyang, said that developing FSARS human capacity became necessary in view of different complaints against the outfit.

Inyang warned the operatives against violation of human rights, stressing that the training was compulsory for all FSARS commanders. He pointed out that the training was a holistic approach to enhance the performance of the commanders, team leaders and the foot soldiers of the FSARS in line with the recent presidential directive.

READ ALSO: Mobilise votes for Buhari - Governor Shettima orders APC stakeholders

FSARS was established to take charge of specific functions pertaining to crime prevention and control as well as to secure life and property.

But their direct contact with members of the public has brought conflicts, friction and perceived human rights abuses and inherent complaints arising from the performance of their duties.

There is no doubt that the training would provide the necessary platform for all participants, especially, the foot soldiers of FSARS to understand the necessity of imbibing human rights at their duty post and stations and identified areas of problem," he said.

Inyang noted that, participants were also expected to use the skills they will acquire from the two week training to uphold the highest level of discipline and professionalism in the discharged of their duties.

The commissioner of police in charge of FSARS, Haliru Gwandu, said the mandate of the operatives was limited to armed robbery and kidnapping, stressing that anything aside that would not be accepted.

The current seminar on human rights is one of the critical component that will assist the FSARS to do their job, as it is also going to enrich them in the area of fundamental human rights.

We expect them to demonstrate competence, courage and professionalism and avoid flagrant abuse of power.

You are also expected to demonstrate patience and maturity when dealing with members of the public. You must remain courteous and listen to all complaints and ensure fair hearing to parties in dispute.

Rights of suspects must also be guaranteed by allowing suspects, his or her lawyers or members of civil society organizations to known the nature of crime committed when the need arises, he said.

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Gwandu, however, said all FSARS operatives must provide habitable detention facilities with adequate basic utilities like toilet, water, electricity, bathroom and hygienic and well kept place.

When critical incident of armed robbery and kidnapping are subject of any investigation, such officers must speed up and ensure that they meet up within the timeframe as provided by the law, he said.

Legit.ng earlier reported that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) inaugurated a seven-man Special Investigative Panel to look into the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police and make recommendations for its reform.

A statement on Tuesday, September 4, by the commission in Abuja said the investigative panel was inaugurated in line with a presidential directive.

Nigeria Latest News: Osinbajo Orders Overhaul Of The Dreaded SARS | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngParkinson's disease researcher wins Gabbay Award

Lorenz Studer, a stem cell scientist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, will receive the prestigious prize on October 9.

Photo: Mario Morgado for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Lorenz Studer

Pioneering stem cell biologist Lorenz Studer has been awarded the 2018 Jacob Heskel Gabbay Award in Biotechnology and Medicine.

Studer, the director of the Center for Stem Cell Biology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, has harnessed the power of stem cells to advance our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, mental disorders and other illnesses.

His breakthrough research on Parkinson's disease has led to a new treatment expected to soon be tested in a human clinical trial.

The Gabbay Award was created in 1998 by the Jacob and Louise Gabbay Foundation to recognize scientists in academia, medicine or industry whose work has outstanding scientific content and significant practical consequences in the biomedical sciences.

Dr. Studers innovative and transformative contributions to the field of stem cell biology have been enormously influential and profound, perhaps most notably in enabling the development of a cell-based therapy for the treatment of Parkinsons disease, said Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center president Craig Thompson in his recommendation letter to the prize committee.



Studer, a recipient of a 2015 MacArthur "genius" grant, developed a groundbreaking method of transforming stem cells into dopamine-generating neurons. In Parkinson's disease, these neurons break down or die, decreasing the level of dopamine in the brain and leading to impaired motor activity.

As part of a proposed clinical trial, Studer plans to transplant the stem-cell-derived neurons into the brains of people with Parkinson's, functionally replacing the failing neurons. In animal models, the transplanted cells remained stable over the long term and corrected Parkinsons-related symptoms.

The Switzerland-born scientist has also used stem cells to create cellular models of Parkinsons disease, familial dysautonomia, Herpes simplex encephalitis and melanocyte-related disorders, including cancer.



Such an approach has produced new insights into the origin and development of these illnesses and suggested novel treatments.

The Gabbay comes with a $15,000 cash prize and medallion. Studer will deliver a keynote address on October 9 at 4 p.m at the Shapiro Campus Center.- Gov Nyesom Wike says PDP presidential aspirants opposed to holding the partys national convention in Port Harcourt dont have the interest of Rivers and Delta states at heart

- Wike insisted that all the aspirants will enjoy a level playing field; stressing that the choice of Port Harcourt is not meant to give any aspirant an edge over others

- He called on all PDP members to work together to wrest power from the APC

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants allegedly opposed to the holding of the partys October 5 and 6 national convention in Port Harcourt have been lambasted by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike.

Wike described the alleged opposition to the venue as strange; stating that there was no other way to explain such cold feeling towards holding the convention in Port Harcourt apart from the fact that the aspirants involved had no economic interest of Rivers and Niger Delta at heart, Vanguard reports.

Legit.ng gathers that the governor also said the aspirants in question are not living up to their campaign for the restructuring of the country.

READ ALSO: Lagos 2019: We stand with Ambode - Yoruba group declares

He said: Those who are against the PDP convention holding in Port Harcourt dont have the economic interest of Rivers and Niger Delta at heart.

If you are telling the people of the state and by extension Niger Delta that you dont want such event to hold in their domain as an aspirant, how will you act when you become a president? How do you expect the people you are telling that you dont like their state to vote for you during the election?

"Why are they not acting in tandem with their campaign for the restructuring of Nigeria? From their opposition to Port Harcourt, it means the restructuring campaign is a mere lip service.

Wike insisted that all the aspirants will enjoy a level playing field; stressing that the choice of Port Harcourt is not meant to give any aspirant an edge over others.

He said: Every aspirant will be given a level playing field. That it is holding in Port Harcourt does not mean anybody will have undue advantage. What it will do for the state is that it will boost its local economy because groundnut, sachet water sellers and food vendors will have more sales. Hoteliers will also record increased business.

That is the only thing Rivers state stands to gain from the holding of the convention in Port Harcourt; and anybody who is against Port Harcourt hosting the event does not like the state. He is against the economic interest of the state.

He called on all PDP members to work together to wrest power from the All Progressives Congress (APC), instead of bickering over the choice of convention venue.

He said: We need to work together; we dont need any division at this moment. Our goal must be to win in 2019."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a coalition of Northern youths within the PDP accused the leadership of the party of conniving with Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, to rig the presidential primaries of the party by moving the convention to Port Harcourt.

In a press statement signed by its convener, Honourable Awwal Dahiru, the group alleged that the plot by the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee is to move the convention to Port Harcourt to enable Governor Wike conveniently install his preferred aspirant as the presidential candidate of the party.

PDP's magnificent 7 for 2019 - on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng News- Banks that have financial dealings with Ebonyi state government have been directed to submit the account statements of the state

- The state government, which issued the directive, says the statements should be from 2007 to September 2018, and should cover its functional, dormant and closed accounts

- The government also says the statements should cover accounts of ministries, departments and agencies and local government areas

The Ebonyi government on Monday, September 24, directed banks that have financial dealings with it to immediately submit its accounts statements from 2007 to September, 2018.

Queen Agwu, the state accountant general, made the call in Abakaliki during a joint state Executive Council (EXCO) briefing, NAN reports.

Legit.ng gathers that the accountant general noted that the statements should cover functional, dormant and closed accounts of the government. Agwu further remarked that the statements should cover accounts of ministries, departments and agencies and local government areas.

She said: The fact that we did not start from 1999 does not mean that we are indicting the past administration but we are searching for our trapped funds to be used for developmental purposes.

READ ALSO: Why I am behind Ekere for Akwa Ibom governorship - Akpabio

We are starting from 2007 because it was the year the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed banks to stop charging Commission on Turnover (COT) on corporate organisations of which the government is among.

Several banks complied with the directive but some did not and in our case, some banks claimed that they had agreement with my predecessor to continue making the charges.

We are aware that the federal governments law overrides all laws in the country and for such to emanate through the apex financial regulator, the CBN, it is unacceptable for the banks to continue charging us at two per cent rate which culminates into huge amounts."

The accountant general noted that the government, therefore, directs the banks to make the statements cover its correspondences, agreements and transactions for the given period.

Agwu said: We are optimistic that the affected banks would comply with this directive and further make necessary repayments because the governor has said that Ebonyi should no longer be treated as it used to in the past.

It is sad that that while some of the banks have started refunding others smartly transferred their managers whom we reconciled the accounts with, to other places.

READ ALSO: Ex-minister, 4 others in court over alleged N229m money laundering

The new managers offer defensive tactics of consulting their headquarters before taking any action and this is not palatable to the government."

She expressed optimism that the banks would comply, noting that failure to do so means they were no longer interested in having transactions with the state government.

Agwu said: I recently received statement of accounts from different banks though on a different matter as no bank would deny its customers, their rights of accessing their statement of accounts."

Obinna Nwachukwu, the state commissioner for finance, said that the governor would on Tuesday, September 25, convene a critical meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on ways of utilising the last tranche of the Paris Club refund, accessed by the state.

He said: The meeting will also include affiliate unions such as the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and management of tertiary institutions in the state.

Contrary to insinuations that the meeting was convened due to the 2019 elections panic as it concerns workers, I state categorically that we do not owe workers.

The meeting is not to negotiate salaries with workers but evolve ways of judiciously utilising the funds to uplift workers welfare and ascertain their areas of need.

The governor would in the meeting, announce the amount received by the state in the latest tranche, the amount received so far in all the tranches and other relevant information the public would like to know."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Ebonyi state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused Governor David Umahi of victimising opposition in the state.

The leadership of the party in Ebonyi made the accusation on Tuesday, April 10, in Abuja when they visited the secretary to the government of the federation.

Ebonyi state, Nigeria and West Africa's food capital - on Legit.ng TV

Source: LegitBlack women are unarguably one of the most beautiful women in the world. It is amazing how a black woman still manages to look beautiful and young even as her clock keeps ticking.

Some women have become icons on social media for their good looks which never seem to fade.

Legit.ng has discovered one of such beautiful black women. The woman happens to be 50 years old but she looks way younger.

50-year-old woman who looks way younger serving body goals.

Source: UGC

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Social media users are quite stunned and impressed by her good looks.

50-year-old woman looking young and pretty in pink.

Source: UGC

From her appearance, it is obvious that she takes good care of herself and is also into body fitness.

50-year-old woman who looks way younger serving body goals.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Granddaughter celebrates grandmothers 95th birthday with a fun-themed photoshoot

Legit.ng earlier reported that stylish media personality, Ebuka, praised some Nigerian female celebrities who have redefined their looks even as they are in their 40s and 50s.

Popular Nigerian TV host, writer and lawyer Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, took to his Twitter handle to share pictures of the beautiful female entertainers who are in this category.

They include Nollywood actress Rita Dominic, Kate Henshaw, Iretiola Doyle, Mo Abudu, Veronica Odeka and Betty Irabor.

Nigeria Celebrities: How Much Do They Spend On Luxury Life? | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria- The expulsion of the deputy chief whip of the House of Representatives, Pally Iriase, has been described as a nullity

- The Edo state chapter of the APC says Iriase remains a bonafide member of APC

- Iriase was said to have been expelled over alleged anti-party activities

The Edo state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, September 25, in Benin described the purported expulsion of the deputy chief whip of the House of Representatives, Pally Iriase, as a nullity.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC ward nine (9) in Owan East local government area of Edo, had on Monday, September 24, issued a statement announcing the expulsion of Iriase from the party over alleged anti-party activities.

Legit.ng gathers that the expulsion, which was ratified by the Owan East local government chapter of the party, was announced via a letter signed by Zuberu Shabah and Theophilus Aigboje, its chairman and secretary, respectively and made available to newsmen in Benin on Monday, September 24.

READ ALSO: Why I am behind Ekere for Akwa Ibom governorship - Akpabio

Chief Sunny Okomayin, the vice chairman of the party in Edo North, however, debunked Iriases expulsion while fielding questions from newsmen in Benin on Tuesday, September 25.

Okomayin said Iriase, being a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and a respected leader of the party both at the state and national level, remained a bonafide member of the party.

He described the purported expulsion as the handiwork of mischief makers who probably had personal issues with the respected leader.

According to him, the local government party leaders failed to consult with the state party secretariat to ascertain, if at all, party rules have been breached by the lawmaker.

Okomayin said that neither the ward nor local government chapter of the party had a right to expel a member of the NEC of the party, adding that those responsible for the alleged expulsion would be sanctioned by the party.

He said: We are quite surprised by the action of the persons responsible for this alleged expulsion of not only respected leader of the party, but a principal officer of the House of Representatives.

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We have rules guiding every action of members. If at all, Iriase has breached any of the rules, it is only the national leadership of the party that can take disciplinary action against him and not these people.

If not for mischief making, why wasnt I, the Senatorial vice chairman of the party consulted on this? As I speak, an emergency leadership meeting of the state chapter of the party has been called for today (Tuesday) over this matter."

Legit.ng previously reported that 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 lawmaker, who represents Owan federal constituency, was expelled by his ward and ratified by the local government.

Nigeria Latest News: Buhari Reacts To APC Senators Betrayal | on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- The governor of Adamawa state, Mohammed Bindow, has spoken on what he plans to achieve if he is re-elected in the state

- Bindow on Tuesday, September 25, said that he intends to end the trend of godfatherism in the state

- He further said that if re-elected, he will continue to empower the people whom he alleged had been neglected by the political elite in the state

Governor Muhammadu Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa state on Tuesday, September 25, said his re-election for the second term in office would end the politics of godfatherism in the state.

Bindow made the assertion in his address to the All Progressives Congress APC) delegates and party executives from the state central senatorial district, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

READ ALSO: NIMASA begins rescue mission of hijacked vessel, 12 crew members

NAN reports that the district comprised seven local government areas: Hong, Gombi, Song, Girei, Yola North, Yola south, and Fofore.

The governor recalled that the same delegates he was addressing, voted for him during the 2014 primaries without the influence of money bags.

He said that he was optimistic that the delegates would repeat the same gesture in the forthcoming primary election in the state.

Bindow said that his administration would continue to empower the people whom he alleged, had been neglected by the political elite in the state.

The governor said: The masses made me governor and the same masses remain the people I can still rely on. To us, we do not have any godfather from anywhere and the era of godfatherism is gone in Adamawa state.

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Let the people decide who will govern them and not some few moneybags who should decide who governs the state."

Meanwhile, Legit.ng that Governor Bindow was reportedly getting set to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Legit.ng gathered that the governor has entered into talks with the PDP, despite previous denials that he was not considering quitting the APC.

Bindows alleged waning popularity in the state was what had informed his decision to defect to the PDP; as nearly all the political heavyweights in the state are said to had ditched him.

Another serious challenge facing the governor is the fact that former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, had also defected to the PDP.

INEC Officer who tore election results confesses, says his Electoral Officer sent him | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng News- The APC has began its house-to-house campaign in Niger state

- The party said the campaign is focused sensitising its members ahead of the 2019 election

- APC said the present administration had provided state-of-the-art facilities in all health institutions for effective health care delivery

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger has commenced house-to-house and town hall campaigns to promote the programmes of the party in the state.

Mohammed Imam, the chairman of the party in the state, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Tuesday, September 24.

He said that the campaign and sensitisation visits commenced from wards to districts, local governments, zonal areas and state levels.

We are using the opportunity to highlight our modest achievements recorded in the last three years of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Abubakar Bello, Imam said.

READ ALSO: APC, PDP members reportedly clash as party agents campaign for votes ahead of Osun rerun election

The APC chieftain said that the forum would give the party the opportunity to also inform its supporters on judicious utilisation of funds allocated to the state to provide dividends democracy to the governed.

Governor Abubakar has reformed our educational sector through the re-construction of classrooms, learning facilities and motivation of teachers," he said.

Imam explained that the only legacy any responsible government would leave behind for future generation was provision of qualitative and sound education, which the present administration was fully committed to.

He also said that the present administration had provided state-of-the-art facilities in all health institutions for effective health care delivery.

We have done very well in agriculture with the provision of tractors and farming implements for our farmers at subsidised rates, roads construction, youth empowerment, among others," the APC chieftain said.

READ ALSO: No regret kidnapping APC chairman's son, even if it's my child, I will kidnap him - Suspect

Imam urged the electorate in the state to vote for continuity in order to consolidate on the ongoing changes that would set the state on the path of progress.

Governor Abubakar has proved beyond reasonable doubt to be a committed, progressive leader in providing democracy dividends to our people irrespective of political, tribal and religious differences.

We are also mobilising our supporters to shun any form of political violence and thuggery as well money bags politicians during the forthcoming general elections.

As progressives, it is not in our character to engage in any act capable of bringing confusion but to work toward promoting our partys lofty ideals.

Anybody seeking elective positions and offer you money, collect it. It is your money that was supposed to be used in providing democracy dividend but was diverted because of corruption, he said.

Imam called on all eligible party supporters to safeguard their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) with the aim of electing credible leaders at the helm of affairs.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that there was a reported clash between supporters of the APC and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over an alleged move by a politician to buy Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of Thursday, September 27, Osun governorship election rerun in four council areas in the state.

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The said clash reportedly occurred on Monday, September 24, after a chieftain of the PDP, Fatai Oyedele, popularly known as Diekola, allegedly led some leaders of his party to ward 5, unit 17 in Alekuwodo to allegedly buy up voters cards.

The police are said to have arrested the PDP stalwart for the alleged conduct, but the party has insisted that he was canvassing for votes and not buying PVCs as being alleged.

Osun 2018: I have evidence that they added to APCs votes - PDP Chairman | Legit.ng TV

Source: LegitThe peace committee chaired by former head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar, reportedly met with the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, over the inconclusive election in Osun state.

Sahara Reporters said Abubakar went into the meeting with the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto diocese, Matthew Kukah.

READ ALSO: APC, PDP members reportedly clash ahead of Osun rerun election

According to the report, the meeting is being held ahead of the rerun election in Osun state scheduled for Thursday, September 27.

It was learnt that the meeting held behind closed doors at Enugu Hall, Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja with details still sketchy at the time of this report.

Legit.ng earlier reported that a socio-political group, Southern Nigeria Peoples Mandate (SNPM), has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police over peaceful conduct of Osun governorship election.

The president of SNPM, Augustine Chukwudum, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday, September 23.

Legit.ng also reported how hundreds of the supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party have stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to protest against rerun elections ordered by the electoral umpire on Sunday, September 13 in Osun.

The protesters were armed with placards carrying various inscriptions including: No To rerun; INEC, dont conspire with APC; The people spoke on Saturday, announce the results among others.

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court over the declaration of the Osun state gubernatorial election (INEC) as inconclusive.

Officer who tore election results confesses, says his Electoral Officer sent him | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- Army boss, Buratai, has said that the war against terrorism is everyone's responsibility, not just that of security agencies

- According to him, such development can create conducive environment for violent extremism to emerge and flourish as well as rebellion

- He said the Nigerian army overtime has achieved a lot in the fight against insurgency by adopting kinetic and non-kinetic powers

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt-Gen.Tukur Buratai has said that the war against terrorism required collective support of all Nigerians to consolidate on the victory recorded.

Buratai made the remark in a statement by the acting assistant director, Army Public Relations, Depot Nigerian Army, Lt. Adekunle Adeyemi-Akinleye in Zaria, Kaduna state on Tuesday, September 25.

Adeyemi-Akinleye said Buratai stated this while speaking as the special guest of honour at the 50th anniversary and international conference held at the main campus of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna state.

READ ALSO: I don't regret kidnapping APC chairman's son - Suspect

The conference with the theme: National Question, Security and Governance in Nigeria, was organised by the Department of Political Science, ABU, Zaria.

Buratai, represented by the commandant, Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria, Maj-Gen.Victor Okwudili-Ezugwu, said the fight against terrorism should not be the sole responsibility of the security agencies.

The war against terrorism is a collective responsibility, every individual or organisation must be supportive of government efforts and that of the security agencies to rid the country of criminality and security challenges," Buratai said.

Reflecting on the theme of the conference, Burai said: Good governance is all about effective and transparent leadership that produces result which transforms the socio-economic conditions of a nation.

Good governance and accountability will ensure that resources meant for development are used to address basic human security and development needs of the citizen, thus guaranteeing decent standard of living for all. Lack of good governance breeds corruption that further weakens the state capacity to deliver services to its citizens."

READ ALSO: APC, PDP members reportedly clash ahead of Osun rerun election

According to COAS, such development can create conducive environment for violent extremism to emerge and flourish as well as rebellion.

Commenting on the fight against insurgency in the northeast, Buratai said the Nigerian Army had achieved a lot by adopting kinetic and non-kinetic powers in executing the war on the Boko Haram insurgents.

The Army boss said the army also used non-kinetic power, which involved the use of non-military power, to win the hearts and minds of the local population through civil-military relations and other related activities.

In undertaking the task of combating the insurgency and terrorism, the Nigerian Army involves the application of kinetic and non-kinetic power.

The kinetic power involves engaging the group in military combat with the aim of decimating their military capabilities. The non-kinetic power involves the use of non-military power to win the hearts and minds of the local population through civil-military relations and other related activities."

He expressed satisfaction that a lot had been achieved in the fight against security challenges facing the country.

Buratai assured that the military was now consolidating on the gains achieved in the fight against insurgency in the North-East as part of the stabilising phase of its operations. The army chief said the measures put in place were equally yielding positive results.

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He further called on the participants at the conference to rethink and re-strategise ways to enhance governance that would ensure a better society for all Nigerians.

In a previous report by Legit.ng, troops of 26 Task Force Brigade deployed in Sector One of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, successfully neutralised seven Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) and rescued 73 persons in two separate clearance operations in Sirdawala and Valley of Gwoza local government area of Borno state.

This was contained in a statement issued by Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, the director of army public relations, adding that the rescued persons were being documented for handover to the appropriate agency.

Nigerian Air Force Operations Against Boko Haram | Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit- The son of late Ras Kimono's wife reveals his mother was rejected by three hospitals

- He revealed that his mother was taken to the hospital after she complained of chest pain

- Ras kimono's wife passed away three months after her husband died

Legit.ng had earlier reported that the late music legend, Ras Kimono's wife, Efe Okedi had passed away on Sunday, September 23. Her death came three months after her husband died in Lagos state.

In an interview with The NET, Onome Akpobome, the son of the late Efe Okedi, had revealed that his mother had died after three hospitals rejected her in Lagos state.

He also revealed that his mother had complained of chest pain and she was rejected at some of the hospitals she was taken to, adding that others neglected her.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Legendary Nigerian musician Ras Kimono is dead

Akpobome said: 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 restored power, 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.

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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 grieving man noted that he is in so much pain. He further revealed that her illness was not treated as an emergency, adding that the health sector in Nigeria needs to be worked on.

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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.

How can over three hospitals in Lagos not have the right facility to treat breathing problems? This says a lot about the situation of the Health Sector of Nigeria as a country.

The deceased woman had her son, Akpobome, before she got married to the music legend.

Alleged last moments of DJ Olu and Chime with cartons of money - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng- The organised labour has resolved to start with the commencement of a seven-day warning strike midnight on Thursday, September 27

- All the workers across the country have been directed to stay away from office from Thursday morning, September 27

- Recall that the labour leaders had on September 12 cautioned the federal government against foot-dragging on the new minimum wage

The Trade Union Congress on Tuesday insisted organised labour would commence strike from early hours of Thursday, September 27, following the federal governments failure to honour its ultimatum on the new minimum wage.

A statement signed by the secretary-general of the union, Musa-Lawal Ozigi, in Abuja stated that the decision to embark on strike was sequel to the resolve of the Central Working Committee of TUC on September 24.

Ozigi said that following the mandate of the CWC, TUC leadership would take all necessary action to effect the ultimatum on the new minimum wage in collaboration with other stakeholders.

READ ALSO: Abdulsalami Abubakars peace committee in close-door meeting with INEC

Strike is hereby declared to commence from early hours of Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018, the secretary-general said. He noted that as a result of the TUCs decision to embark on strike, mobilisation of members would commence immediately.

According to him, all workers, Civil Society Organisations and the masses are hereby put on notice to stockpile their houses for all necessary provisions and food items.

Ozigi, however, called on state councils to form joint state strike implementation committee that would comprise the TUC, NLC and other stakeholders in the state to ensure effectiveness.

He called on union members to be alert for further directive on or before Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the labour leaders had on September 12 cautioned the Federal Government against foot-dragging on the new minimum wage and allow the tripartite committee to conclude its job to avoid action.

The NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, had said that the committee was not pleased with the comments allegedly made by the Minister of Labour and Employment Dr Chris Ngige. The minister had earlier told the committee to adjourn indefinitely to give room for further consultations with the government on the new minimum wage.

The federal government had assured the organised labour that the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage would conclude its negotiation before the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum.

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Legit.ng previously reported that the organised labour began preparation for its nation-wide strike over federal government delay in the implementation of a new national minimum wage, Joe Ajaero, president, United Labour Congress (ULC), said in a communique issued after its meeting on Monday, September 24, in Lagos.

The organised labour, made up of the NLC, TUC and ULC had on September 12 issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to state an amount to enable the minimum wage committee conclude its sitting.

Labour had collectively demanded for N65,000 per month as the new national minimum wage for all Nigerian workers as harmonised by organised labour.

Nigeria News: President Buhari's Return Will Teach Nigerians Sense on Legit.ng TV

Source: LegitBurnham-On-Seas MP and Mayor were among those celebrating a Dementia-friendly groups first anniversary.

The Third Thursday group meets every third Thursday of the month at 2.30pm in Burnhams St Andrews Church where well-loved hymns are sung followed by prayers and a shared tea of sandwiches and cakes.

Launched last summer, the group has proved very popular with all who attend.

To help mark the milestone, the Mayor of Burnham and Highbridge, Cllr Bill Hancock, read a lesson at the celebration last week, and MP James Heappey led The Lords Prayer.

Mr Heappey said: Third Thursday is a wonderful group coming together to support people in our community living with dementia. I enjoyed a really uplifting service and wish them a very happy first birthday.

The Mayor added: What the Third Thursday team is doing is brilliant, seeing everyone so happy. I was surprised to see so many there. Long may it continue to grow, I congratulate the volunteers.

Royston, one of attendees, said: I like to come to the service and enjoy the cake. Another added: It is most enjoyable. We are really blessed by it, my husband looks forward to coming and loves all the hymns. There is a lot of input from the volunteers who all work very hard and it is appreciated.- Aisha Buhari has denied ordering the arrest of her ADC

- The First Lady clarified that police conducted an independent investigation

- It was alleged that the ADC was using his position to defraud unsuspecting associates

The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has denied ordering the arrest of her Aide de Camp, Sani Baban-Inna, over alleged fraud.

There has been earlier report that Aisha had ordered that her aide be arrested, but in a statement issued by her director of information, Suleiman Haruna, on Tuesday, September 25, the First Lady insisted that the police only did their job.

READ ALSO: Osun governorship rerun: PDP buying voters cards, cloning PVCs - APC

She said the aide has been working with her since 2016 but investigation showed he has been using his position to defraud unsuspecting associates. Aisha insisted she has no hand in the arrest.

Read the statement below:

"The attention of wife of the President, Dr. Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, has been drawn to some media publications and releases purporting illegal detention of her Aide De Camp (ADC) over allegations of fraud.

The story as it pertains to her ADC, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Sani Baban-Inna has it that he has been detained on the orders of Her Excellency for dropping her name and defrauding unsuspecting officials and associates. She wishes to use this opportunity to refute such allegation and to state that she has no hand in his arrest and detention.

CSP Sani Baban-Inna has been her ADC since 2016 and has been associated with her ever since. To the utter dismay of Her Excellency, he has used the opportunity to defraud unsuspecting associates and officials as initial investigations have shown.

The Nigeria Police Force, his employers arrested him to investigate the allegations leveled against him, this, being within their jurisdiction.

She therefore wishes to use this opportunity to inform the general public that she has never sent any of her staff to collect any favours on her behalf or on behalf of her children and will never do so. She is therefore imploring anyone that has been defrauded by Mr. Baban-Inna to get across to him to retrieve whatever he took from them. Mrs. Buhari wishes to reiterate that she will not condone fraudulent behavior by any of her staff.

She uses this opportunity to call on all those in positions of authority to rise above intimidation by their aides and deal with such attitudes as extortion by name-dropping, especially within the Presidency. As she always emphasizes, this government was voted into office based on the trust and confidence of the people."

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Meanwhile, 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.

President Buhari on 2019 Presidential Election: Will You Vote For Him? | on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ngPresident Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, September 25, in New York called for global action on corruption, security and UN reforms, in his address to world leaders at the ongoing 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

Buhari, who was the 14th speaker on the first day of the general debate, also unfolded Nigerias positions on international matters before the global audience.

Buhari in his Nigerias national statement, painted a distressing picture of the Lake Chad, saying the shrinking water body meant loss of livelihoods to the 45 million people in the area. They are now rendered poor and vulnerable to the activities of extremists and terrorist groups, he said.

Here is President's Buhari's full statement:

READ ALSO: Why my ADC was arrested - Aisha Buhari gives full detail

Buhari addresses world leaders at the ongoing 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. Credit: Muhammadu Buhari, Facebook

Source: Facebook

"On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, I congratulate you, madam president, on your well-deserved election as president of the 73rd General Assembly. As you embark on your assignment, I would like to assure you of Nigerias support in no less measure than that which we extended to your illustrious predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Miroslav Lajcak.

"We appreciate the effective leadership he gave the 72nd Assembly with such dedication, commitment, and fairness to all member states. I also salute our distinguished secretary-general, H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, who steered the affairs of the secretariat with focused commitment to the collective United Nations pursuit of global peace and security, equity and justice, inclusiveness, womens empowerment and human rights.

"It is appropriate at this point to remember with deep sadness our late 7th Secretary- General Mr. Kofi Annan who passed away on the eve of his 82nd birthday. Kofis significant contributions to the work of our organisation have been acknowledged in the well deserved tributes that poured in from around the world following his death.

President Buhari called for global action on corruption, security and UN reforms in his address. Credit: Muhammadu Buhari

Source: Facebook

"We in Africa, while mourning the loss of this great son of ours and citizen of the world, take pride in the way he served humanity in a truly exemplary manner. He demonstrated, in his calm but determined manner, the virtues of compassion, dedication to the cause of justice, fairness and human rights. He was a visionary leader who inspired hope even in the face of the most daunting challenges. He devoted his entire lifes career to the UN and the pursuit of its ideals and goals. The world is indeed a better place thanks to his exemplary service.

Madam President,

"During the past year, the world saw some positive results and encouraging signs from the bilateral and multilateral efforts of the international community to address conflicts, crises and threats to world peace. We particularly commend the efforts of the leaders of the United States, North Korea, and South Korea, to realise our shared goal of a nuclear free Korean peninsula.

"In this connection, we acknowledge the commitment to peace shown by President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-Un by initiating a historic Summit. We urge that they continue this positive engagement.

"Regrettably, many of the crises and threats to peace and security around the world which we debated last year as we did over several previous years remain unresolved. In some cases, matters got worse. The continuing plight of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, the protracted Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the wars in Yemen, and Syria, and the fight against international and local terrorism such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab come to mind.

"The terrorist insurgencies we face, particularly in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, are partly fuelled by local factors and dynamics, but now increasingly by the international Jihadi Movement, runaway fighters from Iraq and Syria and arms from the disintegration of Libya.

"In Myanmar, the carnage appears to have thankfully abated somewhat. We commend the United Nations for staying focussed on the situation of the Rohingya people, to bring their suffering to an end, and hold to account the perpetrators of the atrocious crimes committed against innocent and vulnerable members of this community, including women, children and the old.

The Nigerian president was accompanied to the 73rd session of UNGA by his wife, Aisha. Credit: Muhammadu Buhari.

Source: Facebook

"The international community should strengthen its resolve to combat ethnic and religious cleansing everywhere. We support the UNs efforts in ensuring that the Rohingya refugees are allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar with security, protection, and guarantee of citizenship. We note the indication by the Government of Myanmar of its willingness to address these issues and we encourage them to do so expeditiously.

"In this context, Nigeria commends the government and people of Bangladesh in particular and all other countries and organizations that have contributed to shouldering the burden of providing shelter and other vital assistance to the Rohingya Refugees.

"The carnage and the worsening humanitarian situations in Syria and Yemen continue unabated. But the international community cannot afford to give up on the Syrian and Yemeni people. We must pursue all efforts to find peaceful negotiated political solutions to these wars which cannot be won by force of arms alone. Regarding Syria, we hope that the UN sponsored Geneva process and the Sochi initiative, led by Russia, Iran, and Turkey advance this objective.

"The International community must keep up the pressure to encourage the parties to pursue the path of dialogue, negotiations and inclusiveness in resolving their sectarian divides and bringing to an end the immense human suffering in Syria as well as Yemen. We commend Turkey, Jordan, Greece, Germany, Italy and France for hosting the millions of the refugees fleeing these brutal conflicts.The situation in the Middle East, grave as it has always been, is now worsened by developments since our last meeting. Nigeria continues to call on the Israelis and the Palestinians to make the necessary compromises in the interest of justice, peace and security, in line with our numerous UN resolutions and applicable international laws.

"Unilateral, arbitrary and insensitive actions only prolong the conflict and undermine world peace and security. The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza is an appalling result ofunrestrained use of power. We urge both parties to re-engage in dialogue on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid Principles, the Quartet Roadmap and the Arab Peace Initiative, among others.

"Nigeria reaffirms its unwavering support for a just two-state solution, negotiated without intimidation and with Israel and Palestine existing side-by-side in peace and security.

"The crises in the Middle East have deep roots and have remained unresolved for too long. Yet, we should not fall into self-defeating despair and conclude that they are not amenable to solution.

"We should draw inspiration from the remarkable leadership that got Ethiopia and Eritrea to restore long-lost hope for peace between them, a remarkable show of statesmanship which has now galvanised neighbouring countries, including Djibouti and Somalia to push for peace in the sub-region. I believe that with hard work, commitment, and a disposition to compromise and necessary sacrifices, peace is achievable in the Middle East as well.

"Most crises usually have a variety of festering causes and effects. It is the failure to address them early and effectively that lead to out- of- control conflicts. Addressing them includes national and international collective actions which positively impact on peoples and communities. Hence, Making the United Nations relevant to all people: Global Leadership and Shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and sustainable Societies which is the theme for this years General Assembly, is very apt indeed.

Madam President,

"A topical consequence of the current conflicts around the world is the irregular migration of affected people from the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Africa to Europe. Irregular migration entails huge avoidable loss of human lives, puts strains on services in host countries and communities, and fuels anti- immigrant and racist sentiments in Europe. That is why we welcome the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the first-ever Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and we look forward to its adoption in Marrakech later this year. The aim is to protect the rights of migrants worldwide, while addressing the concerns of countries of origin, transit, or destination alike.

"Migration is a constant in human affairs. We in Africa are grateful to countries who treat migrants with compassion and humanity-notably Germany, Italy and France.

"Irregular migration is not a consequence of conflicts alone, but of the effects of climate change and lack of opportunities at home. Climate Change remains one of the greatest challenges of our time. Very close to us at home, it is our lot in Nigeria, together with our neighbours around the Chad Basin, to live with the Climate change consequences of a drastically shrunk Lake Chad and the parching up of otherwise fertile arable lands.

"The Lake was a major source of livelihood to more than 45 million inhabitants of the region. Its shrinking meant loss of livelihoods and they are now rendered poor and vulnerable to the activities of extremists and terrorist groups. The instability thus caused in the sub-region intensified internal displacements leading, among other consequences, to intense economic competition especially between farmers and herdsmen.

"This is why we continue to call for a rededicated international engagement to accelerate the recovery efforts in the Lake Chad Basin to address the root causes of the conflicts in the region. What is required is continuous and robust UN cooperation with national Governments and sub-regional and regional organisations such as the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, to enhance capacity in conflict prevention, conflict management and peace building.

"With regard to the Lake Chad Basin plight, I extend our heartfelt appreciation to the United Nations, the governments of Germany, Norway, the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France and a host of other development partners for their laudable support in assisting us to address both the humanitarian challenges and the on-going stabilisation drive in the region.

Madam President,

"Corruption within countries and illicit flow of funds across national boundaries have huge negative impact on the stability, peace, and economic prospects of millions in developing countries. Corruption significantly deprives national Governments of resources to provide meaningful livelihoods to their populations who are predominantly youths, thus giving rise to more irregular migration.

"The fight against corruption, therefore, involves us all. It is in our collective interest to cooperate in tracking illicit financial flows, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds to their countries of origin.

"Fighting corruption or resolving international conflicts, crises and wars; defeating terrorism and piracy; curbing arms trafficking and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which fuel these conflicts, particularly in Africa; stemming irregular migration by addressing its root causes; and the many other global challenges we are faced with today can only be effectively addressed through multilateral cooperation and concerted action.

"The only global institutional framework we have to address these challenges is the United Nations System. That is why we continue to call for the strengthening of the Organisation and making it more effective by speeding up the pace of progress towards its reform, including that of its principal organ, the Security Council. The reconstitution of the Council to make it more equitable and more representative of our global community is both a political and moral imperative.

"We believe that a reformed Security Council with expanded membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, is in accord with prevailing international consensus and it is in our collective interest to do so. It is high time we stopped skirting round the issue and establish achievable benchmarks and time frames for these reforms.

"I assure you all that in this advocacy, I am only reflecting Nigerias deep and abiding commitment to our Organisation and its founding principles and goals. From the date we joined in 1960, we have contributed our quota to the fulfilment of the mandate of the UN. We have been active participants in many Security Council and African Union authorised Peace Keeping operations around the world, beginning with the Democratic Republic of Congo operations in 1960.

"Furthermore, Nigeria has always mobilised the required human and material resources to achieve set United Nations goals, including the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are resolute in complementing the efforts and examples of the United Nations to promote gender equality and youth empowerment as necessary pillars for sustainable development.

"Without these, there can be neither enduring peace nor security. As we set and implement our national policies to achieve these goals, we, in the spirit of international solidarity, will readily cooperate with other nations seeking to achieve similar goals for their own populations to help ensure that no one is left behind.

"I thank you all for your attention.

PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news updates

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that President Muhammadu Buhari addressed the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

You can watch the video as the president delivered Nigeria's statement to the powerful gathering of world leaders.

President Buhari on 2019 Presidential Election: Will You Vote For Him? | Legit.ng TV

Source: LegitYves here. This IPCC whitewash stands in stark contrast to a report included in Links today, summarized in the Independent, US to be hit worse than almost any other country by climate change, report says. Note also that the first IPCC reports, in 2007, also suffered from pressure to water it down, but then it was China that was particularly aggressive in wanting the findings toned down, since the position of developing nations has been that since the West burned a lot of carbon in order to develop, they have the right to do so too to enable their citizens to achieve a comparable standard of living. The wee problem is that the world cant even begin to sustain its current population living at advanced economy levels. Gaius also discusses the advanced v. developing economy conflict.

By Gaius Publius, a professional writer living on the West Coast of the United States and frequent contributor to DownWithTyranny, digby, Truthout, and Naked Capitalism. Follow him on Twitter @Gaius_Publius, Tumblr and Facebook. Originally published at at Down With Tyranny. GP article archive here. Originally published at DownWithTyranny

Global warming projections taken from an earlier IPCC special report, Emissions Scenarios, published in 2000 (graph reproduced here). Were still on the red path.

From time to time, the IPCC (the UN Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change) issues special reports along with its more general, every-five-years-or-so Assessment Reports. (The latest assessment report is AR5 from November 2014. It can be accessed here.)

These special reports cover subjects ranging from Safeguarding the Ozone Layer and the Global Climate System, published in 2005, to Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation, published in 2012. (The full list is here.)

Theyre about to release a new special report, Global Warming of 1.5 C, that details the risks if global warming rises above 1.5C (but stays below the official target of 2C) in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty. This is in response to concern expressed at the Paris meeting by especially vulnerable nations that two degrees warming is still too much.

Note that many of the (initially) most vulnerable nations are also among the poorest  small island nations like Kiribatu, the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Bangladesh, to name just a few. Of course, every nation will ultimately be vulnerable. Florida, for example, is one Typhoon Haiyan away from a panicked collapse in all real estate prices and mass exodus.

Thus this conflict isnt just about how much fossil fuel its owners get to turn into wealth (a lower warming limit means significantly lower fossil fuel sales); its also about what wealthy nations must do to help the poorer ones, if anything. It is in this context that nations at the Paris climate conference discussed which global warming limit they should target. About that discussion, climate writer KC Golden said this:

Climate justice advocates, led by the worlds most vulnerable nations, are pushing in Paris to move the target to 1.5 degrees C. Science, sanity, and moral responsibility are with them, but rarely are those enough to win the day. Sober COP-watchers gave the drive for 1.5 little chance to prevail, as Big Fossil continues to box the negotiators.

(COP means conference of the parties, meetings at which representatives of nations that are part of the UNs climate mitigation efforts make decisions.)

So keep this in mind as you read on: there are two issues here, justice and money, not just the obvious one, money.

Controlling the Summary Means Controlling Global Response

A final note. Most of the IPCCs publications contain literally volumes of data, and each publication contains a Summary for Policymakers, a 20-or-so-page executive summary for politicians who will determine climate policy for their governments. The Summary for Policymakers is the heres what you need to know explanation for non-scientific decision-makers.

As a result, no one in power reads the reports themselves. Instead, people with actual policy control rely on the Summary only to tell them what to think. This makes control of the summary critical to controlling what actually gets done. If the underlying report contains data that screams, Warning; extreme danger! and the Summary says, There could be a problem sometime, but no one knows when or for sure, only the Summary will be acted on. The Summary could also simply exclude (be silent about) important findings in the scientific parts of the report.

Apply that idea  that manipulating these Summaries matters to people who want to manipulate the worlds response to climate change  to the especially sensitive special report thats coming and you will learn a lot about the critical issues emerging around global warming. Again, the issues are justice and money, not just money.

Wealthy Nations Are Manipulating the Latest IPCC Report Summary

Lets start with the money issue. This is from the Guardian, which has obtained comments about what appears to be manipulation of the Summary for Policymakers being added to the report on 1.5C global warming:

Climate study pulls punches to keep polluters on board

True risks of warming played down to placate fossil-fuel nations Warnings about the dangers of global warming are being watered down in the final version of a key climate report for a major international meeting next month, according to reviewers who have studied earlier versions of the report and its summary. They say scientists working on the final draft of the summary are censoring their own warnings and pulling their punches to make policy recommendations seem more palatable to countries  such as the US, Saudi Arabia and Australia  that are reluctant to cut fossil-fuel emissions, a key cause of global warming. Downplaying the worst impacts of climate change has led the scientific authors to omit crucial information from the summary for policymakers, said one reviewer, Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

The article identifies much of the missing information.

Cuts made to the final draft of the summary include:  Any mention that temperature rises of above 1.5C could lead to increased migrations and conflict;  All discussion of the danger of the Gulf Stream being disrupted by cold water flowing from the Arctic where more and more sea-ice is melting;  Warnings about the dangers that 1.52C temperature rises could trigger irreversible loss of the Greenland ice sheet and raise sea levels by 12 metres over the next two centuries. Other cuts from the summary include the sentence: Poverty and disadvantage have increased with recent warming (about 1C) and are expected to increase in many populations as average global temperatures increase from 1C to 1.5C and beyond. The original summary also stated at 2C warming, there is a potential for significant population displacement concentrated in the tropics. Again this is not mentioned in the report for policymakers.

The clear implication of the Guardian article is that fossil fuel countries and companies want to water down the Summary because of the financial benefit: they get to sell more coal, oil and methane (natural gas).

Economic Justice and Climate Reparations

The second reason wealthy nations are suppressing the worst information in the upcoming Summary relates to economic justice, climate reparations and the future economic development of poor and developing nations.

Global warming has economic impacts as well. Excised from the latest draft of the Summary is the observation that poverty and disadvantage have increased as global warming progresses. This increasing division pits wealthy nations against poor nations on a global scale, an idea also suggested by excised warnings about significant population displacement. In other words, explicit in the report, and implicit in whats being omitted from the Summary, is recognition that not just the acquisition of wealth divides rich nations from poor ones, but also vast difference in climate consequences, at least initially.

This is a justice issue, which almost exactly parallels the national divisions caused by increasing U.S. wealth inequality, one consequence of which was the 2016 voter rebellion that ultimately brought Donald Trump to the White House (and almost put Bernie Sanders there instead). Imagine that disruption on a global scale. As the rich get richer, the poor get angry.

About reparations for climate damage, I wrote at the time the Paris conference concluded: In a just world, who should pay when California loses its agriculture industry, when south Florida returns to the sea and real estate values collapse, when storms and floods make increasing millions homeless and vulnerable to disease, starvation and chaos? How is the answer not Exxon, the Kochs (Koch Industries is privately owned), Chevron, Total and Shell Oil, the sheikhs of Saudi Arabia, and all the rest?

Consider also future economic development from a climate justice perspective. Almost all of the wealth created by two centuries of fossil fuel exploitation was captured by nations that burned and benefited from it  primarily the U.S. and Western Europe. Earths atmosphere is now flooded with greenhouse gases, so much so that theres no room for even more emissions without dire consequences for us all.

Yet the rich nations, whove already pulled themselves into first world status thanks to previous and extensive fossil fuel burning, want to (a) deny the same path  fossil fuel use  to poor, non-industrialized and emerging nations for the good of the world; (b) deny that they should share some of the wealth acquired from fossil fuel use to aid in other nations development; and (c) deny any reparations at all to vulnerable nations when the crisis caused by first world fossil fuel use hits them early and hard. Poor nations see this stance quite clearly for what it is.

(For the U.S.s shameful attempt to blackmail poor and vulnerable nations at the Paris talks to give up their justice claims, read U.S. Offers Vulnerable Nations a Deal, But They Can Never Ask for Climate Money Again.)

This building conflict between rich and poor nations, which may never be resolved, is a prescription for global war. But it wont be one with armies fighting armies. This war will look like a global insurgency instead, not city-wide or nation-wide, but planet-wide, with armies of some countries fighting populations in others. In fact, it will look very much like whats happening between the Israeli army and the people of occupied Palestine, but with much more chaos because the battle space, instead of being greatly constrained, will encompass literally all the world.The new LaGuardia Airport will be one of the biggest American infrastructure projects of recent times. The catch? They must keep the existing airport 100% operational without descending into chaos and delays?

Thursdays from 8:30pm AEDT.An Irish woman has claimed that she and the leader of the terror attack on London Bridge last year visited other Islamic extremists in Clonmel, Limerick and Cavan between 2015 and 2016.

The woman makes her claim in the television documentary 'Ireland's Jihadis', which will be shown on Virgin Media One at 10pm tomorrow night, Wednesday.

The woman, whose identity hasn't been revealed, alleges that she was visited on several occasions by Khuram Butt, the leader of the terror attack on London Bridge on June 3, 2017, which claimed the lives of eight innocent people.

However, in the documentary, Garda sources state that they don't believe that Khuram Butt ever visited Ireland.

'Aaliyah' (not her real name) admits to having been radicalised after she converted to Islam when she moved to the UK.

She claims that she met Khuram Butt through her then boyfriend, a Pakistani-born British citizen who is suspected of operating a number of internet fraud rackets that targeted Irish companies to raise funds for Isil.

"I would have altogether met Khuram Butt about 30 or 40 times", she says.

"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.

"In Clonmel they would have had a close group of friends", she states in the documentary.

'Aaliyah' also claims that there are up to 150 Islamic extremists living in Ireland.

However Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan, the head of the Garda security and intelligence section, says 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.

Khuram Butt and his two fellow terrorists were in a van that was deliberately driven into pedestrians on London Bridge before crashing on the south bank of the River Thames.

They then ran to the nearby Borough Market area and began stabbing people in and around restaurants and pubs.

All three were later shot dead by police.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg joined world leaders in New York on Tuesday (25 September 2018) to attend the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

On Tuesday, the Secretary General met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Secretary General said after the meeting, "NATO and Russia have serious disagreements on a number of issues, which make our dialogue even more important. Today, we discussed military posture and exercises, including Russias recent exercise Vostok as well as NATOs upcoming exercise Trident Juncture. I also raised NATOs concerns about Russias ongoing aggressive actions in Ukraine, and expressed NATOs strong solidarity with the United Kingdom following the attack in Salisbury. Minister Lavrov and I agreed to continue our contacts."

Later on Tuesday, Mr. Stoltenberg met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The two leaders welcomed the ongoing cooperation between NATO and the UN. They also exchanged views on the Western Balkans and the security situation in Afghanistan.

NATO and the United Nations reinforce one another, as organisations committed to tackling security challenges and upholding the international rules-based order. Over the past decade, the two organisations have stepped up cooperation, working closely to support Afghanistan and Iraq. NATO has also pledged support for UN peacekeeping operations, including to counter improvised explosive devices.

The Secretary General also met the African Union (AU) Chairperson, President Paul Kagame. NATO has cooperated with the AU since 2005, including by providing air and sealift, as well as planning support for the AUs mission in Somalia. The two leaders agreed to look into deepening cooperation in the future.

On Wednesday, the Secretary General will deliver a speech on NATOs role in the fight against terrorism at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Following 9/11, NATO invoked its collective defence clause  Article 5 of the Washington Treaty  for the first time, in support of the United States. This led to the Alliance's operation in Afghanistan, its biggest ever. In 2015, NATO received a piece of twisted steel from the Twin Towers, which is displayed at the Alliances new headquarters in Brussels as the 9/11 and Article 5 Memorial.(Natural News) As new allegations of sexual assault against Judge Brett Kavanaugh surfaced on Monday, seasoned political analysts were predicting that this week would be one of the most chaotic and even troublesome the United States has experienced in decades.

Allegations that Kavanaugh, in a drunken state during his first year at Yale University, dangled his penis in the face of an equally drunken female student, Deborah Ramirez, were immediately and forcefully denied not only by the Supreme Court nominee himself but by the White House.

The allegations were contained in a piece by The New Yorker published on Sunday, which noted:

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. Ramirez is now calling for the F.B.I. to investigate Kavanaughs role in the incident. I would think an F.B.I. investigation would be warranted, she 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, Kavanaugh said in a statement.

The White House pushed back as well, dissecting the New Yorker piece paragraph by paragraph, pointing out inconsistencies as well as statements of fact that couldnt possibly ever be considered serious legal arguments in a court of law, let alone warrant an FBI investigation.

But then, Democrats who are assisting with this seemingly concocted story arent pushing for investigations (not really) or confirmations of allegations by Ramirez and, last week, Christine Blasey Ford.

They want disruption of the process. They arent interested in justice for these women, their sole interest is in keeping Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court or, at a bare minimum, tainting him with the same stench of false allegations as they did Justice Clarence Thomas in the early 1990s.

Democrats are blowing up American government

These facts were revealed in the New Yorker story, in fact. One of the storys authors, Ronan Farrow, admitted as much. During a Monday interview on ABCs Good Morning America program, Farrow said of Ramirez, She came forward because Senate Democrats came looking for this claim. She did not flag this. This came to the attention of people on the Hill independently, and it has cornered her into an awkward position. She said, point-blank, I dont want to ruin anyones life, but she feels this is a serious claim.

Right. So, in order not to ruin someones life, you go ahead and conspire with Democrats and their mainstream media allies to ruin someones life, or attempt to anyway.

This was all predictable and in fact, it was predicted.

On his nationally syndicated radio show last week, top talker Rush Limbaugh said:

Im telling you right now its already in the works with, and I know its in the works because I heard a Drive-By Media person talking about it. The Drive-By Media person was Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post who says she wouldnt be surprised if more women surface over the weekend alleging similar acts by Kavanaugh. Shes just telegraphed that theyre out there trying to find women that they can convince to come forward and say what they want them to say. You know theyre working on that.

And sure enough, just like magic, it happened.

Meanwhile, these allegations are also the Democrats and their propaganda medias way of changing the subject. As Washington Examiner contributor Dan Hannan pointed out in a column on Monday, the incessant noise over Kavanaughs confirmation is crowding out any Republican talk of a massively growing economy or Democrats attempts to talk about the ballooning budget deficit.

Democrats are blowing up the nomination process and the rule of law at the same time. They dont care what happens to the country.

Read more about the Trump administrations backing of Judge Kavanaugh at Trump.news.

Sources include:

TheNationalSentinel.com

NPR.org

RushLimbaugh.com(Natural News) A new study has revealed evidence of Alzheimers disease or dementia in wild animals after scientists detected unmistakable symptoms in the brains of dolphins, as reported in the Daily Mail.

Dolphins and humans have many similarities, such as their ability to form social relationships and to communicate using their own language (among other things), and now a new study has added dementia as one of the things we humans share in common with these marine mammals. (Related: New study examines complexity of dolphin culture; researchers determine that brain size correlates with human-like behaviors and societies.)

An international team of researchers examined the dead bodies of beached dolphins on the Spanish coast, which revealed to them the telltale signs of Alzheimers disease, particularly the beta-amyloid protein plaques and tangles of tau proteins. According to the team, this is likely associated with insulin function.

Insulin regulates sugar levels in the blood, and triggers whats known as insulin signaling. Changes in insulin signaling in humans and other mammals can cause diabetes.

Studies have found that changing insulin signaling in smaller animals such as mice and fruit flies by extreme calorie restriction could extend their lifespans, but the findings of this new study suggests that the same process could cause other animals to be more prone to dementia.

We think that in humans, the insulin signaling has evolved to work in a way similar to that artificially produced by giving a mouse very few calories, according to Professor Simon Lovestone, an old age psychiatrist from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. That has the effect of prolonging lifespan beyond the fertile years, but it also leaves us open to diabetes and Alzheimers disease.

This suggests that dolphins and killer whales (orcas), which have long post-fertility life spans similar to humans, have an insulin signaling system that makes them an interesting model of diabetes. Furthermore, the study reveals signs that dolphin brains exhibit symptoms of dementia identical to those seen in humans.

It is very rare to find signs of full-blown Alzheimers disease in non-human brains, according to Professor Lovestone. This is the first time anyone has found such clear evidence of the protein plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimers disease in the brain of a wild animal.

The researchers see this as a breakthrough for developing better approaches to treating the disease, paving the way for a new avenue for testing Alzheimers drugs. This is the first evidence of the disease being detected in a wild animal.

This poses some challenges in finding new targets for curing the disease, according to Professor Lovestone. However, he thinks that if altered insulin signaling can make an animal more susceptible to Alzheimers disease, this might present possibilities of being able produce mice that are a true model of the disease, which then can be tested to find new treatments.

Read more about the symptoms and causes of dementia at Alzheimers.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

ScienceDirect.com(Natural News) The mass hysteria of the deranged Left has reached a whole new level of disturbing disgust. Today, enraged anti-Kavanaugh Leftists screamed at U.S. Senator Ted Cruz as he and his wife were attempting to eat dinner in a restaurant in Washington D.C. The anti-Kavanaugh left-wing lunatic mob chanted We believe survivors!, somehow pretending that Christine Ford is a survivor of an event that never even took place.

You can watch the insane confrontation here, where Leftists are on camera, chanting like zombies while physically harassing and blocking Ted Cruz and his wife, who are simply trying to leave the restaurant:

BREAKING. Activists just chased @TedCruz out of a fancy Washington DC restaurant, chanting We Believe Survivors! Cruz has been friends with creep Kavanaugh for 20 years. Now Cruz is on judiciary committee hearing his testimony. Fascists not welcome! #CancelKavanugh pic.twitter.com/7mx6Tc32za  Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

The irrational Left now believes that no conservative can be allowed to eat in any public restaurant, engage in online commerce, or publish an online website or video channel without being harassed, smeared and shouted down by a relentless, fact-less mob.

What we are witnessing with this is the complete breakdown of reason and civility on the part of the deranged, lunatic Left. Their mass hysteria has now reached the point of a shared psychotic episode rooted in nothing but fiction and self-delusion.

Without a single shred of actual evidence, all these brainwashed zombies on the Left have somehow convinced themselves that Brett Kavanaugh, one of the most brilliant minds of our time (and an upstanding gentleman as well), is somehow a rapist. Theyre sure of it. Theyve all convicted him without any evidence, with no due process and without even hearing a single sentence of testimony from the accuser. But such standards of evidence are no longer required by any on the Left, who run their lives in a fact-free fantasy land of shared delusions and popular paranoia.

That establishment Democrats like Feinstein and Pelosi now wholly embrace this mass delusion of guilt by accusation is not merely disgusting and abhorrent to our republic; it readily demonstrates the extreme danger that Democrats now pose to civil society.

In effect, Democrats are now demonstrating why they disqualify themselves from participating in any civil society. Their behavior is an affront to human civilization and the very foundations of the western world. A powerful history lesson in mob rule is unfolding before our eyes, and it is a train wreck of unprecedented magnitude, revealing the soulless, unscrupulous brew of left-wing character assassinations and personal smears that now characterize nearly every significant political move by the desperate Left.

The only rational response to any of this is to reject Democrat control over anything for the rest of our lives. Reject their mob rule insanity and incivility by voting against Democrats in every election, at every opportunity, from this day forward. Denounce all Democrats and their destructive tactics, and demand the complete extrication of these demons from any position of authority or control across our society.

The term Democrat has become synonymous with derangement and desperation. Through the utter abandonment of anything resembling reason, evidence or public debate, Democrats have sunk to an animalistic cult of chanting, hate-filled zombies that are incapable of reason. They demonstrate this again and again, underscoring a dark, cancerous tumor that has infiltrated humanity, destroying any legitimate hope of justice or liberty for those who stand in the path of its accusatory swarm of relentless, mindless haters.

The time has come for all who love true justice, humanity and civilization to denounce all Democrats, reject the lunacy of mass hysteria and restore sanity to our world. No person is better qualified (and more desperately needed) to help restore that sanity than Brett Kavanaugh.

The behavior of those attempting to destroy Brett Kavanaugh demonstrates exactly why we must support him. If we allow the lunatic mob of Demoncrats to destroy this intellectual giant, we surrender the very future of this nation to a maniacal mob of destroyers who, quite frankly, dont even deserve the honor of being Americans in the first place.

Call your Senators and demand they confirm Brett Kavanaugh, despite the mindless rantings of the lunatic mob. (See phone numbers, below.)

Watch my breaking news video for a more detailed explanation of all this:

Brighteon.com/5839508206001

Here are the 10 Republican Senators who have not pledged their votes yet and their office phone numbers. Call them!



Maine Senator Susan Collins -office number 202-224-2523

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy  office number 202-224-5824

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker office number 202-224-3344

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake  office number 202-224-4521

Wyoming Senator Michael Enzi  office number 202-224-3424

Louisiana Senator John Kennedy  office number 202-224-4623

Oklahoma Senator James Lankford  office number 202-224-5754

Kansas Senator Jerry Moran  office number 202-224-6521

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski  office number 202-224-6665

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse office number 202-224-4224(Natural News) The next time you reach for that fresh-looking apple on the shelf of your grocer, you should reconsider taking a bite out of it lest you poison yourself. An article in Natural Health 365 warned that a nasty chemical covers four out of every five apples that were grown through conventional, non-organic means.

The chemical is called diphenylamine. It is an artificial preservative that makes the fruits look fresher than they really are. It is also toxic to human health.

The artificial means of their cultivation and harvest have all but assured that non-organic apples will contain dangerous levels of numerous synthetic chemicals. The environmental activist group Environmental Working Group reported that the typical conventionally-grown apple contains residues from 4.4 different pesticides.

Several of these leftover chemicals are highly concentrated in the fruit. Diphenylamine is one such long-lasting contaminant. The reason for its use is mainly cosmetic and supposedly preservative. (Related: Undeniable truth: Pesticide residues on non-organic produce much higher than previously thought.)

Apple growers apply pesticide to make their produce look fresh

Apples are easily bruised or damaged, especially when they are being stored and transported. Their skins develop ugly patches of black or brown called apple scald or storage scald.

Storage scald does not detract from the edibility of the fruit. But it does make them look bad, which turns off potential customers and leads to apples sitting on shelves.

In response, conventional farmers spray diphenylamine onto apples before they are packed. The chemical prevents storage scald from appearing on the skin of the valuable produce, thereby increasing the appealing look of the fruit.

Diphenylamine is the pesticide with the highest concentration level in apples because it is applied after the harvest. Lower levels and concentrations of it have also been detected in 36 percent of applesauce types.

A 2016 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that 80 percent of conventionally-grown apples contain diphenylamine. The average concentration per individual fruit is 0.28 parts per million (0.28 ppm).

Diphenylamine pesticide connected with cancer-causing nitrosamines

Apple farmers in the U.S. claim that the chemical is benign and safe for use on their produce. European authorities are of the opposite opinion; they believe diphenylamine is toxic to humans.

In 2014, the European Union imposed a restriction on apples and pears that were treated with the chemical preservative. The ban dealt a serious economic blow to American exporters.

The European officials are worried that diphenylamine is linked to the appearance of nitrosamines on treated fruits. Nitrosamines are chemical compounds that are formed when amines react with nitrogen-containing compounds like diphenylamine. These compounds become more concentrated as time passes by, such as when they are sitting on the shelves of stores.

Many nitrosamines display carcinogenic qualities. Studies show that these compounds can cause cancer in lab animals and humans alike. Eating nitrosamine-contaminated food increases the risk of stomach and esophageal cancer in humans.

The health risks of nitrosamines have been known to government agencies since the 1970s. There are regulations that control the amount of chemicals that could form nitrosamines.

The last time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reviewed diphenylamine was in 1998. During that time, the agency considered the pesticide as safe for human use and posing no threat to the environment.

The maximum allowed levels in each level are 10 ppm, while five ppm are allowed in pears. The EPA is slated to review the safety of diphenylamine within 2018. In the meantime, consumers who are worried about the potential harm of diphenylamine can avoid it by buying certified organically-grown fruits, vegetables, and products.

To stay alert about the dangers posed by diphenylamine and other chemical pesticides, visit Pesticides.news.

Sources include:

NaturalHealth365.com

PostHarvest.TFREC.WSU.edu(Natural News) Nitrogen fertilizers are a double-edged sword for soybean farmers. While theyre vital for large crops, theyre also expensive and potential pollutants. Thankfully, Brazilian researchers found a different way to boost yields by increasing the number of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the plants roots, according to a ScienceDaily report.

Nitrogen is essential to the production of protein. Soybeans normally get that nutrient thanks to beneficial bacteria found in the soil that transfer to the root nodules of the plant.

These microbes draw nitrogen from the air and turn it into a form that the plant can assimilate. The process is called nitrogen fixation. In exchange for the nitrogen, the plant provides the microbes with sustenance.

Sometimes, this natural process does not provide enough nitrogen for the needs of the plants. Soybean farmers supplement this lack with nitrogen fertilizers.

The Embrapa Soja research group offer a different way to boost crop yields. Their results show that increasing the number of root nodules of soybean plants encouraged the growth of the resident nitrogen-fixing bacteria population. The larger numbers of microbes lead to increased levels of nitrogen, which in turn improved crop yields.

That opens the possibility of achieving higher yields of soybean based exclusively on biological fixation, says Mariangela Hungria, the lead author of the study. (Related: Edamame farmers are using rye as a cover crop to reduce the use of herbicides.)

The more bacteria, the better the yield

In their experiment, Hungrias team followed the standard protocol of soybean farmers. They inoculated seeds by spraying nitrogen-fixing bacteria on them before planting.

But they didnt stop with that initial treatment. Researchers sprayed the plants with more bacteria during different stages of their growth.

According to their results, soybean plants that got extra inoculations grew more root nodules than counterparts that got just one dose. While the initial inoculation process increased yields by 30 percent over non-inoculated crops, spraying growing plants with additional doses led to even bigger gains.

The researchers did not expect the extra inoculations to work so well. Earlier research led them to believe that every nodule present increased the difficulty in forming a new one. However, their results showed that the plants didnt have problems in growing new nodules for their burgeoning bacterial population.

To discover that nodules arent regulated as strictly as previously thought is an important finding. The limitation happens particularly at the beginning of soybean growth when the first nodules appear, Hungria remarked.

Sustainable soybean growth

Biological nitrogen fixation possess several sustainable advantages over fertilizers. The first one is a much smaller carbon footprint. Fertilizer manufacture is usually powered by fossil fuels. Hungria estimated that producing one pound of nitrogen results in at least 10 pounds of carbon dioxide.

The next advantage is a reduction in nitrogen runoff. Unused fertilizers can find their way into local bodies of water. Once there, they can trigger massive algal blooms that consume all oxygen in those waters, killing off anything that lives there.

Finally, biological fixation incurs smaller costs, making them much more viable in poorer regions. Nitrogen fertilizers are expensive and must often be imported; Brazil, for instance, gets 70 percent of its fertilizers from foreign sources.

The strategy of multiple bacterial inoculations is already being practiced by a number of Brazilian farms. Hungria reports that the initial results match the expected yields.

While she believes these results can be replicated in other countries, Hungria is aware that the soybeans grown in every country comes from a unique genetic background. To this end, Embrapa Soja has struck up a partnership with Kansas State University to test the viability of biological nitrogen fixation in the U.S.

Visit Harvest.news for more articles on agricultural innovation.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

DL.ScienceSocieties.org(Natural News) If you ever wondered why POTUS Donald Trump and his brand of America First patriotism is so viciously attacked and opposed by official Washington, a glimpse beyond the headlines into the lives and former lives of the traitorous, treasonous cretins who make up much of the Deep State bureaucracy provides the answer.

In recent months several reports noted that former CIA Director John Brennan once voted for a Communist candidate for the U.S. presidency. As reported by none other than the Communist News Network, a nickname many give CNN, Brennan was so concerned about the vote that he said he froze during his first polygraph test to enter the CIA because he was afraid of answering one of the most basic questions: Have you ever worked with or supported a group dedicated to overthrowing the U.S. government?

Communists, of course, are dedicated to that very thing.

I froze, Brennan told an audience in 2016. This was back in 1980, and I thought back to a previous election where I voted, and I voted for the Communist Party candidate, he said.

How a man who once voted for a Communist ever obtained a security clearance, let alone rose to become head of the CIA, is beyond comprehension, but apparently, he wasnt the only high-ranking government official to achieve similar ranking status. (Related: Former U.S. Army general makes it plain: John Brennan wants to overthrow POTUS Trump.)

It turns out that fired FBI Director James Comey also owned up to supporting the Communist ideology, as noted in a 2003 New York Magazine article.

They voted for Communists when the Cold War was raging

At the time, Comey was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most powerful district courts outside of the Supreme Court and the D.C. District Court, and he was preparing to become then-Attorney General John Ashcrofts deputy AG after being nominated by President George W. Bush  because he was ostensibly a Republican.

But he wasnt always one if he ever really was one. He told New York Magazine, In college, I was left of center, and through a gradual process I found myself more comfortable with a lot of the ideas and approaches the Republicans were using. Though he voted for Carter in 1980, in 84, I voted for ReaganId moved from Communist to whatever I am now. Im not even sure how to characterize myself politically. Maybe at some point, Ill have to figure it out.

Even the most vociferous critics of former President Jimmy Carter would never have labeled him a Communist. He was certainly liberal-leaning and a Democrat, having grown up in a wealthy peanut-farming family in Georgia and having served in the U.S. Navy as a submariner in the 1940s and 1950s (so not a today Left-wing lunatic Democrat). But he was no Communist.

Whats the big deal you ask?

Mind you, at the time these future leaders of the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement communities were supporting Communists and Communism was a period in American history when the Cold War was raging, so to speak, and we were in direct great power competition for survival with a nuclear-armed, Communist-governed Soviet Union.

The USSRs sole objective was to remake the globe in Moscows authoritarian, authentically Communist vision. At times this Cold War turned hot  on the Korean peninsula (where a state of war still officially exists), in Vietnam, and in Afghanistan (after the Soviets invaded). The Cold War almost turned really hot in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

And here these men were supporting a form of government that sought to subvert our own.

Couple this with the fact that James OKeefes Project Veritas undercover journalists are outing self-avowed Democratic Socialists currently working for our government and working to thwart POTUS Trumps agenda, and you begin to understand why the opposition to our 45th president is so visceral and so manic.

Read more about the conniving, traitorous Deep State at DeepState.news.

Sources include:

NYMag.com

TheNationalSentinel.com

NewsTarget.com(Natural News) When it comes to social media, remember that youre not obligated to use the platforms run by left-wing fascists in San Francisco. There are alternatives such as Gab.ai that promise to uphold free speech, individual liberty, and the free flow of information online  which could eventually make the mainstream censorship platforms obsolete.

During a recent episode of The Alex Jones Show that aired at Brighteon.com, host Alex Jones got the chance to talk to Andrew Torba, the head of Gab.ai and a pioneer in online free speech. The two men discussed how the targeting of Jones and InfoWars by Apple, Google, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and even Pinterest is creating a liberal echo chamber in which no conservative voices are allowed.

Its psychological manipulation, Torba stated about how Big Tech is treating free speech these days. They are forming this false perception, this alternate reality of what news is, and what important information is, and these algorithms have bias. They are designed and written by human beings in San Francisco who have far-left leanings, its just a fact.

Jones agrees, his response designating San Francisco as a tiny clique trying to rule all of our minds.

The left hates conservatives, white people, Christians, Trump supporters, and free speech

When asked by Jones how the left got turned into such a monolithic group of anti-free speech monsters, Torba responded to explain that the left still does value free speech, but only the type that aligns with their own personal leftist narratives.

They used to be pro-free speech, and now all of a sudden we see these double standards and this hypocrisy, Torba stated about todays liberals. One of our users, MemeAmerica, spent all weekend surfacing anti-white hate speech on Twitter by verified accounts, including journalists from BuzzFeed and CNN and all of these other outlets that preach about hate speech.

This is the culture, Jones responded. Its not just [Sarah Jeong] at The New York Times saying that whites are subhuman, he added, referring to anti-white racist and recent Times hire Sarah Jeong, whose Twitter account is littered with hate towards white people.

Torba added that his team identified hundreds and hundreds of verified accounts on Twitter, just in one weekend, filled with vitriol and hatred towards white people, Christians, people who support Donald Trump, and conservatives. But these are the only groups, he said, that mainstream social media platforms allow users to attack without consequence.

This is totally allowed, as long as youre saying something about whites or about Christians or about Trump supporters or about conservatives or about Alex Jones, youre allowed to be hateful, youre allowed to call for death threats, youre allowed to say these things, says Torba. This is the culture theyve created, and its a double standard, and it must be exposed, and we must fight back.

Wikileaks declares San Francisco the land of imperial cultural elite who want to control all forms of speech and thought

Jones couldnt agree more, having declared Silicon Valley to be full of super-villain characters who want nothing more than to completely eliminate all forms of speech that they dont like or that offends them.

It really is their own weird psycho bubble, and they really think theyre going to dominate all of us, he stated, pointing to a Wikileaks entry that also declared San Francisco to be the land of the imperial cultural elite who think theyre better than everyone else.

Theyre morally superior, they think theyre intellectually superior, they think they know what is right for society and the direction that society should go in, Torba explained. They want to tell you how to think, they want to tell you how to vote, they want to tell you what you can and cannot talk about, what is real news and what isnt. They want total control  they are recreating the internet in their image.

The internet, by design, routes around censorship, and thats why were going to continue building, and hopefully others will rise up and continue to build alternatives so that we can escape the chains of Silicon Valley ideological echo chambers, he added.

Be sure to watch the full video Brighteon.com.

Sources for this article include:

Brighteon.com

NaturalNews.com(Natural News) Large dams are one of the pillars that support modern-day civilization. However, theyre also one of the biggest threats to freshwater ecosystems. In an article from Scientific American, researchers sought to calculate a balance that lessens the impact of dams while also ensuring enough water and power for human needs.

The University of Washington (UW) research team understood that dams were here to stay. So study author William Chen and his colleagues looked at ways to make their operations less disruptive.

For their study, which they published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers picked the Navajo Dam in northwestern New Mexico. This dam was built in the San Juan River, which is an important tributary of the Colorado River.

The Navajo Dam exemplified the conundrum faced by many nations today. Its immense reservoir is the source of irrigation water for farmlands in the region.

The dam also blocks the San Juan River, the natural habitat of many native fish that are endangered by invasive species that take advantage of the dam. (Related: Lawsuit from last years Oroville Dam debacle seeks up to $51 billion in penalties.)

Managing water release would benefit native fish, repel invasive species, keep everyone watered

The UW researchers looked for a way to provide enough water for croplands, protect endangered native species, and deal with invasive fish. They calculated that adjusting the Navajo Dams water release could accomplish all three goals.

They looked at records of the San Juan Rivers flow patterns and fish populations over the decades to find out how native and invasive species respond to increased river flow. These data were then compared with the predicted amount of water needed by people and agriculture.

The researchers used mathematical algorithms to calculate the amount of water that should be released from Navajo Dam that will slake the thirst of agricultural fields in the region. They also figured out the best times to unleash that water to aid native fish while also making life very difficult for non-native species.

Study author Chen said their design for water release took advantage of the different ways native and invasive fish populations reacted to higher river flow during different times of the year. They learned that releasing water in the late winter was good for native fish, while a late summer release would inflict significant harm on non-native species and also a little harm on native populations.

Using mathematical algorithms to save native species and rivers

The UW researchers are aware that their prescribed water release cannot restore the San Juan River to its original flows. That would require tearing down the Navajo Dam, which would deprive numerous people of electricity and water.

However, the flow of the river can be improved by adjusting the amount of water released by the dam. Chen said the river flow patterns that will result from his teams water release estimates are much better than the state of the San Juan River right now.

He also assured that modifying dam operations according to his calculations will provide enough water for humans, farmlands, and native fish even in times of water scarcity.

The mathematical algorithms used by Chen and his fellows are similar to those employed by Amazon Prime to ensure two-day deliveries. Airlines use the same tools to figure out the maximum number of seats in a plane that can be overbooked while making sure theres still room for other passengers.

Chen concluded that fine-tuning the river flow is one way of reducing the negative environmental effects of large dams like the Navajo Dam.

Read about more ways we can take better care of our rivers at Environ.news.

Sources include:

Blogs.ScientificAmerican.com

Nature.com(Natural News) After promising they would no longer spy on your emails for advertisement purposes, Google Inc. recently admitted to lawmakers that they continue to allow third party companies to scan and share data from private Gmail accounts. According to the Wall Street Journal, a top Google official wrote to the U.S. Senate, confessing that Google still allows app developers and data companies unprecedented access to Gmail accounts. Millions of Gmail users are being are having their privacy violated, as app developers scan their emails, view private details, and use the data for target marketing.

Every time an Android user uses an app on their phone, they are forced to give up the privacy of their own Gmail account. Google is allowing mobile phone apps to scan all your emails to pickup keywords, private messages, addresses, times stamps, and intimate details. All this private information can be compiled, analyzed, and used to build a psychological profile on users for advertising purposes.

Android apps enjoy unprecedented access to your intimate emails

Google manages to disregard user privacy and get away with it because they hide behind the apps coercive consent form, which asks Android users if they are willing to let the app breach their privacy. These coercive consent forms (that pop up before an app can be used) do not fully disclose whether a users private data can be analyzed by computers, humans, or both. These consent forms pop up and block access to the app unless the user agrees that the application can read, send, delete, and manage your email. The form also asks if you grant it permission to manage your contacts and calendars.

Google defends their privacy breach by adhering to a vetting process with app companies. Google vets the app companies by merely confirming their identity and checking to see if the company requests data that is in line with the companys goals. For example, email apps get exclusive access to users Gmail accounts because the apps focus is on email processing. Not every app gets approved to access users Gmail data, but Google wont disclose which companies get exclusive access. Peculiarly, apps such as Salesforce and Microsoft Office enjoy unprecedented access to users Gmail accounts.

Humans scan thousands of emails to feed algorithms

Google employees also enjoy access to users emails in very specific cases when users give consent or for security purposes. After speaking with some of the companies, The WSJ found that the companies use human engineers to view hundreds to thousands of emails so they can train machine algorithms to process the data. Return Path and Edison Software are two app developers that openly state they monitor emails for this purpose.

As experienced in the Cambridge Analytica data sharing fiasco, there are times when user data is used for nefarious purposes. This is why protecting privacy is important. When tech companies have the power to collect your most intimate messages and analyze the information using algorithms, they gain power over peoples lives and are able to exploit people through targeted advertisement for political and business gain. Even more nefarious, private data can be analyzed to frame people, scheme, and manipulate. Phishing attacks can use this same permission request system on Android to subvert Googles security clearances and steal data for nefarious purposes. This is already happening.

Not unrelated, Google is currently working with China to develop and Android app that censors out specific searches, news, and websites that the Chinese government has already banned through Chinas great firewall. As Google collects private details on Gmail users, how will that information be used to engineer more of the same thought control platforms to manipulate people around the globe and make populations compliant to authority?

Stay up-to-date on the implications of big techs privacy breaches at PrivacyWatch.News.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

Wired.co.uk

TheVerge.com

TheVerge.com

NaturalNews.comThe mysterious Dickinsonia has baffled scientists and evaded classification for many decades, but now scientists are certain that it's an animal.

In fact, it's the oldest known animal on Earth at 558 million years old, proving that animals existed for longer than previously believed.

The Case Of The Dickinsonia

In the early days of the animal kingdom, many of the organisms that existed were just strange blobs of life. One such organism is Dickinsonia, an oval-shaped creature that stretched up to 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) long and featured rib-like segments on its body.

Live Science reports that its unconventional body without discernable limbs, organs, or even a head made the Dickinsonia difficult to classify on the tree of life.

The Dickinsonia and other similarly odd creatures lived during the Ediacaran Biota around 635 million to 541 million years ago. This period was followed with the Cambrian explosion, which was when more modern animal life began to appear on the fossil record.

With the classification of Dickinsonia, scientists can now confirm that animals populated the planet in abundance 20 million years prior to the Cambrian explosion.

Solving The Mystery

In the new study published in the journal Science, researchers from the Australian National University are finally able to definitively identify the Dickinsonia as the oldest known animal on the planet.

To do this, the team analyzed an ancient fossil from a remote region near the White Sea in Russia. When Ilya Bobrovskiy, an ANU PhD scholar, unearthed the remnants of the long-extinct organism, it was so well-preserved that it still contained molecules of cholesterol fat, which is a hallmark of animal biology, according to ANU.

Dated 558 million years ago, the presence of the fat molecules confirmed to the scientists that they were looking at an animal that existed in abundance millions of years earlier than previously believed.

"Scientists have been fighting for more than 75 years over what Dickinsonia and other bizarre fossils of the Edicaran Biota were: giant single-celled amoeba, lichen, failed experiments of evolution or the earliest animals on Earth," Jochen Brocks, lead senior researcher and an associate professor from the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences, explains.

"The fossil fat now confirms Dickinsonia as the oldest known animal fossil, solving a decades-old mystery that has been the Holy Grail of palaeontology," he concludes.

One of the reasons that the mystery of the Dickinsonia took so long to solve is the challenge of finding quality fossils that still retained organic matter. To make the breakthrough, Bobrovskiy had to take a helicopter to a remote part of the White Sea in Russia, hang off the edges of cliffs, and dig out the ancient rocks to get to the fossil.

The effort pays off now with the definitive identification of the creature as the world's oldest known animal.| BY Ricki Green |

Brand experience and engagement marketing agency, Banter, has boosted its team with the arrival of Pippa Hancock to take on the role of client director.

Hancock has spent the last 18 months at Traffik working across experiential projects for PepsiCo, Dyson, Mazda and Meat & Livestock Australia. Prior to arriving in Australia, Hancock spent a number of years at leading UK experiential agencies, Avantgarde London and RPM.

At Banter, Hancock will lead a number of client partnerships across the streams of experiences & events, content & talent and sponsorships & partnerships.

The hire comes at a busy time for Banter as they ramp up for a big end to 2018. Major projects include working with Allbirds to build their presence down under with a number of experience-led campaigns and the return of TAL SpotChecker, a national roadshow for Australias leading life insurer TAL. Banter will also be at this years Gourmet Escape, headlined by Nigella Lawson, on behalf of Lilydale.

Says Mitchell Loadsman, partner and co-founder, Banter: We first met Pippa six months into starting Banter and instantly knew shed be a great fit for the team one day. Its now the perfect time and were thrilled that shes joining us. Pippa is a rising star with an enviable background and were thrilled to have her come and help shape our future.

Says Hancock: Im delighted to be joining Banter at such an incredibly exciting time for the agency. With some great recent wins, Im looking forward to working with the team to enhance their client service offering and support both new and existing clients to develop stronger, more effective campaigns.What to Know Halloween Horror Nights

Universal Studios Hollywood

Open through Nov. 3, on select nights

Casually tossing around the word "meta" these days?

It's so common that another word suggesting something that's super-meta probably needs to invented.

Someone best invent it right now, for a quartet of actors from "Stranger Things" just entered the "Stranger Things" universe, not via a television set created for the Netflix hit, but rather a Halloween Horror Nights maze at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Nab an Early Peek at Universal's 'Stranger Things' Maze

Call it a freaky mirror world of the one these actors know from their work, a spooky space where they don't know exactly where the scares will originate from, since there is no script to work with once you step inside a fright maze like the new "Stranger Things" experience.

So what stars showed to walk the red carpet and "surprise and and step into the Upside Down" inside the shadow-filled maze, a place packed with Demogorgon-inspired screams?

Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), and Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair) all gamely braved the settings that they know well from being on the series, but without a script or knowing where the jumps would come from, on the opening night of Hollywood Horror Nights.

The word from the actors on being inside a mirror world of a show they know inside out? The reviews included "freaking awesome and "so scary."

Meta-ness and monsters wove together on Sept. 14 as the four actors entered the maze.

Take a look now at video of the night, and ponder how strange it would be to step inside a space you think you know well, but can't be sure you know at all.

Halloween Horror Nights, and the "Stranger Things" maze within, is haunting Universal Studios Hollywood, on select nights, through Nov. 3, 2018.

Universal Studios and NBC-owned TV stations operate under the same parent company NBCUniversal.A 6-year-old boy abducted from his central California home by his father was found safe in the East Bay Tuesday, authorities said.

The boy, Jayce Cosso, was found safe at a motel in Dublin with his father and 17-year-old stepbrother, the Modesto Police Department said.

John Cosso, 41, and his teenage son were arrested by deputies with the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, and detectives are trying to identify additional suspects, police said.

The boy was unharmed and will be reunited with his mother, Kimberly Valente, officials said.

"I want him home. ... I'm here waiting," Kimberly Valente said outside her home after receiving news that her son had been found safe, the Modesto Bee reported .

Velente told reporters John Cosso showed up at her Modesto home with a group of people Monday and that one person pretended to be a utilities worker. When she refused to open the door, the group pepper sprayed their way into the house, she said.

She grabbed her son and ran to the garage where she locked herself in her car, but the abductors broke the window and took the boy, Valente said.

The Modesto Police Department on Monday night issued an Amber Alert for Jayce.

Officials had been watching the hotel throughout the night after Cosso's car was found there. They waited for him to leave the hotel to arrest him, Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said.

"All we wanted was peaceful resolution," Kelly said. "We wanted to do that in the most low key way possible. We didn't want to create any extra problems for the boy so we did it in an way that was the least traumatic."SEATTLE  The Oakland Athletics clinched their first playoff berth since 2014, then beat the Seattle Mariners 7-3 Monday night behind Khris Davis major league-leading 46th home run.

Jonathan Lucroy, Jed Lowrie and Matt Chapman also homered for the As, assured no worse than a wild-card berth.

Oakland was one out into the game when Tampa Bay was eliminated with a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees. The As went on to win after Chapman broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run drive in the seventh off Shawn Armstrong (0-1).

Coming off three straight last-place finishes in the AL West, the As (95-62) are 4 games behind AL West-leading Houston. They trail the Yankees by 1 games for home-field advantage should they meet in a wild-card matchup.

Robinson Cano and Dee Gordon homered for the Mariners.

Few predicted the As could make the playoffs this season, a young team with few proven stars and a team that was 75-87 a year ago. Oakland won only 68 games in 2015 and 69 in 2016. The As have the third-lowest payroll among the 30 major league clubs at $78 million for their 40-man roster, ahead of only the White Sox and Rays.

Oakland was 34-36 and 11 games behind Seattle in the wild-card on June 15. The As have gone 61-26 since.

Weve had some younger players mature and become, for me, stars, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said Monday before the game. I think the two guys on the corners (third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Matt Olson) should win Gold Gloves.

Our defense is night-and-day to what it was and its gotten better as the years gone along. Weve gone from last year being one of the worst defenses in the league to now one of the best. Our bullpen has been a strength for us all year. We dont just rely on one facet. We seem to be able to win in different ways.

One big contributor is Davis, the teams designated hitter, with 120 RBIs. Davis has hit at least 40 homers and driven in over 100 runs in each of this three seasons with the Athletics.

Blake Treinen, who pitched a perfect ninth inning , is 9-2 and one of the top closers in baseball this season with 37 saves and a 0.81 ERA, the lowest of all major-league relievers with at least 75 innings pitched. Opponents have a .091 batting average against Treinen this season with runners in scoring position.

Its amazing, Melvin said. Not only is he doing it closing games, hes doing in game when were tied and hes pitching two innings at times. The numbers are absolutely fantastic. I dont know that Ive seen numbers like that from any closer in quite some time. Hes meant a lot to this team.

The As are the only team in the majors with an undefeated record this season when leading after seven innings (68-0) and have the best record in one-run games at 31-13.

Oakland made key moves to bolster the pitching staff via trades over the summer by adding veteran relievers Juerys Familia and Fernando Rodney and starter Mike Fiers, who is 5-1 with a 2.90 ERA since joining the Athletics.

The As overcame losing key starters from their rotation down the stretch. That included left-hander Sean Manaea, who pitched a no-hitter on April 21 against Boston and is done for the year recover from arthroscopic shoulder surgery that took place this past week.

The Athletics will be making their fourth playoff appearance in the last seven seasons, all under Melvin, and their 27th overall. The As lost at Kansas City 9-8 in 12 innings in the 2014 wild-card game, the last time Oakland reached the postseason.

The last time the As reached the World Series was 1990, losing in four games to Cincinnati. Oakland won the 1989 World Series after the Bay Area earthquake, sweeping San Francisco.Frustration is mounting for residents of a San Jose neighborhood, where trash and used furniture has been illegally dumped on sidewalks and, in some cases, has been sitting there for a month.

Neighbors counted at least four piles of trash and junk and say they cant get anyone to pick it up. They've spent hours on the phone and even tried knocking on doors at City Hall. And theyre still waiting for answers.

Marques Bartice said his kids have to walk past the unsightly trash piles every morning on their way to school. Old mattresses, couches and lots of trash in the east foothills neighborhood where homes are valued at just under a $1 million.

"Our homes are not cheap in this area," Bartice said. "But this is discouraging for anybody trying to keep the value of their homes."

Bartice says hes been trying to get the city to clean up the mess, and hes not alone. Neighbor Eric Nordinger wants something done about a truck full of trash that has been parked on his street for about a month.

"I tried to report it," he said. "At least red tag it. I dont know if hes moved in there or not."

Neighbors discovered it is the responsibility of the citys Department of Environmental Services to remove the trash once they are notified. The department told NBC Bay Area residents can report illegal dumping either by phoning the department, emailing it or using its mobile app.

Neighbors said they have contacted the department. Bartice said he was told he had to find the right company to haul it away.

"Theyre the ones who gave me the information about me contacting the waste company," he said.

And his neighbor said he tried to file a complaint online.

"Im not a computer savvy person," the neighbor said. "I tried to put it in, and it wouldnt let me in."

Graffiti also has become a problem, and neighbors now fear the blight will attract criminals and crime.

"Im worried about the element of individuals who this area attracts when you leave it like this," Bartice said.

A representative for the Department of Environmental Services said she is working on finding out where the breakdown in communications happened.

To report illegal dumping to the Department of Environmental Services, San Jose residents can call 408-535-3500, email to reportdumpers@sanjoseca.gov or use the My San Jose mobile app.A former Orland Township employee is facing felony charges after she allegedly stole nearly $60,000 in funds from the south suburban government.

Michelle L. Patras, 48, of Tinley Park, was charged with single counts of continuing a financial crimes enterprise and theft of government property exceeding $10,000, according to Orland Park police.

Last May, officials told officers that an internal investigation conducted by the township identified Patras as a suspect in the ongoing theft of funds, police said.

During their investigation, officers learned that township employees discovered that a check from the townships general assistance fund was missing from internal logs, police said. The discovery prompted an internal investigation, which revealed that numerous unauthorized checks had been cashed along with unauthorized wire transfer payments affecting three township accounts  the general assistance, food pantry and general town funds.

Between September 2016 and the time she was fired, investigators found that Patras had conducted 66 fraudulent transactions that totaled $58,975.78, police said. She ultimately turned herself over to police on Monday.

Information about her bond and next scheduled court date wasnt immediately known.Six Flags in St. Louis, Missouri, is challenging six contestants to spend 30 hours inside a coffin for a chance to win $300 during the park's annual spooktacular Halloween event.

Participants of the ghoulish contest to celebrate the 30th year of Fright Fest will bide their time inside 2-by-7-foot coffins at the park from 1 p.m. Oct. 13 to 7 p.m. Oct. 14.

Coffin dwellers will be allowed to bring a friend during Fright Fest operating hours, "but they must brave the non-operating hours alone, according to the contest's rules. Contestants will also get brief hourly bathroom breaks and in-coffin meals.

Those who complete the macabre challenge will win two 2019 Gold Season Passes, a Fright Fest prize package including two VIP Haunted House passes, and a ticket for two to ride the Freak Train for Freaks Unleashed.

If more than one person makes it to 30 hours, a drawing will determine who gets the $300.

One more perk: Successful coffin dwellers get to keep their casket.

Six Flags will choose the six participants on Oct. 4 and nominees must accept by Oct. 6. If all coffins are not filled, alternates will be notified by Oct. 8.

Click here to register. The deadline to register is Oct. 3 at midnight.

Coffin Dweller Requirements:

-Must be 18 years or older and have a photo ID for verification

-Cannot have any medical condition(s) where participating could be a health risk

-Complete and sign a waiver at check-in

-Must be able to completely lay in a 2 x 7 coffin

-Provide own pillow and sleeping bag or blankets

-Check in at Six Flags St. Louis by 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13

Six Flags St. Louis will provide:

-Six, deluxe, 2 x 7, slightly used coffins

-Breakfast in bed (well all meals, snacks and drinks in bed actually)

-One, six-minute bathroom break every hour

-Random visits by 'Fright Fest Freaks'

-A Six Flags representative will be present at all times

-Phone charging stations

'Witchy' Fleetwood Mac Pop-Up Bar Returning to Chicago This Week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.)

In a scene that looked like it was taken from a video game, jurors in Jason Van Dyke's murder trial were shown Tuesday a recreation of the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, but this time from the officer's perspective.

The recreation was based on laser analysis of the scene and was played over police radio audio from the shooting itself.

According to defense attorneys, the video showed Laquan McDonald was closing the distance between himself and Van Dyke before the officer opened fire. Prosecutors have argued dashcam video shows McDonald appearing to walk away as Van Dyke shot the teen 16 times on Oct. 20. 2014.

This week marks the start of Van Dyke's defense in the highly-publicized trial of the Chicago police officer charged with murder in the shooting that shook the city and the nation.

Tuesday would have been McDonald's 21st birthday.

Van Dyke was charged with six counts of first-degree murder more than a year after he shot McDonald on the city's Southwest Side. He entered a plea of not guilty.

Special prosecutors rested their case against Van Dyke Thursday after calling 24 witnesses over three and a half days.

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.

So far in the trial, the jury saw dashcam video of the shooting, graphic autopsy images of the more than a dozen gunshot wounds on the body of 17-year-old McDonald, video recreating the shooting from Van Dyke's point of view and video showing 16 gunshots in under 14 seconds.

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.

1:22 p.m.: Testimony concluded for the day

12:11 p.m.: Defense video analysis shows Laquan McDonald was closing the distance between himself and Jason Van Dyke before the officer opened fire...not running away.

11:59 a.m.: In a scene that looked like it was taken from a video game, jurors see the Laquan McDonald shooting from the perspective of Officer Jason Van Dyke. The recreation is based on laser analysis of the scene. The soundtrack is the police radio audio.

11:50 a.m.: For the first time, jurors see recreated images of Jason Van Dykes perspective of the shooting of Laquan McDonald.

10:17 a.m.: Judge rules that allegedly stolen CTA card recovered from Laquan McDonalds body cannot be used as evidence because the chain of custody is unclear.

9:33 a.m.: Community organizer Will Calloway calls for a gang truce to honor Laquan McDonald. I want to ask all the gangs throughout Chicago...everybody put the guns downs and join our fight for social justice.China cannot hold talks with Washington on ending their escalating trade dispute while the United States "holds a knife" to Beijing's neck by imposing tariff hikes, a Chinese official said Tuesday.

The warning came after the Chinese government released a report that accused President Donald Trump of bullying other countries. It dampened hopes for progress toward a settlement of their war over Beijing's technology policy.

Trump went ahead Monday with a tax hike on $200 billion of Chinese imports. Beijing retaliated by imposing penalties on $60 billion of U.S. products.

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.

Beijing is open to negotiations but whether they proceed is up to Washington, said a deputy commerce minister, Wang Shouwen. Wang led the Chinese delegation to the last round of talks in Washington in August, which ended without progress.

"Now that the United States has adopted such large-scale restrictive measures and holds a knife to another's neck, how can negotiations proceed?" said Wang at a news conference. "It would not be negotiations of equality."

With no settlement in sight, forecasters say the conflict between the two biggest economies could trim global growth by 0.5 percentage points through 2020.

Business groups say American companies report Chinese regulators also are stepping up pressure on them by slowing down customs clearance and increasing environmental and other inspections.

In its report Tuesday, the Chinese government tried to reinforce its position that it is defending free trade, despite complaints by the United States, Europe and other trading partners about market barriers and industrial policy.

It said Beijing has tried to protect the multilateral global trading system and accused Trump of abandoning "mutual respect" required for international relations.

The report gave no indication of possible Chinese concessions or room for compromise. Businesspeople who have met Chinese economic planners say they appear unwilling even to discuss technology policy the ruling Communist Party sees as a route to prosperity and global influence.

"The sharp criticism suggests that China might prefer to wait out the current U.S. administration, rather than embarking on potentially futile negotiations," said Cheng Wei Liang of Mizuho Bank in a report.

"It is increasingly likely that both sides will not resume negotiations for some time, at least until there is a noticeable shift in the political mood on either side."Sections of Route 30 starting to reopen after downed wires caused road closures and impacted three schools in Vernon on Tuesday morning.

Police said Route 30 was closed from Meadowlark Road to Vernon Center Middle School due to live power lines on the ground.

Officers also said a transformer exploded on Route 30 at Tunnel Road and live power lines hit the ground there, as well.

The first section near Vernon Middle School has reopened in time for dismissal. A portion of Route 30 between Bolton Road and Tunnel Road remains closed.

Eversource said the cause for the wires coming down is not clear.

Power was out for as many as 4,400 Eversource customers at one point. The number of outages was 139 as of 3:30 p.m.

According to school officials, the transformer explosion impacted power at three schools in town. Vernon Center Middle School, Center Road School and Lake Street School lost power. The power has been restored at Lake Street School. Officials are waiting for the power to come back on at Vernon Center Middle School and Center Road School. The students and staff are safe and there are no issues at any of the schools.

Drivers are asked to avoid the areas.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.| BY Ricki Green |

The Clio Awards, the renowned international advertising, design and communications competition, has today announced that the 59th annual Clio Awards will take place on October 3rd at The Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City. Grand award winners for Clio and Clio Music will be announced live during the ceremony, which will bring together leading creatives, marketers and high-level executives across advertising, media and music to celebrate the years most creative work. The 2018 Gold, Silver, Bronze and Shortlist winners from the Clio Awards and Clio Music were announced on September 5; the full list of winners can be viewed online at Clios.com.

Comedian, author and activist Chelsea Handler (pictured) will host this years ceremony. Coming off two seasons of her groundbreaking Netflix series Chelsea, the first-ever talk show for the streaming platform, Handler is currently touring the U.S., leading humorous discussions about the current state of modern culture and politics.

Says Nicole Purcell, president, Clio: This was another year of outstanding work in the world of advertising, and we find it only fitting that someone who has innovated and reshaped cultural dialogue, like Chelsea Handler, should be hosting the ceremony.

Susan Hoffman, Wieden+Kennedys Chairman, is the recipient of the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award, and globally-celebrated architect Frank Gehry is the recipient of the 2018 Honorary Award. Gehry built an architectural career that has spanned over six decades, with his work earning him several of the most significant industry awards, including the Pritzker Prize. Industry veteran Lee Clow, chairman, TBWA\Media Arts Lab & Director of Media Arts, TBWA\Worldwide, will present the Honorary award to Gehry.

Says Purcell: We are honored to be recognizing the contributions of two creative leaders  Susan Hoffman and Frank Gehry. Their success is a model and inspiration for many, in this industry and beyond.

Clio Music, sponsored for the fourth year by Citi, will recognize Clio Music Grand Winners during the ceremony, as well as the 2018 Clio Music Impact award recipient Scooter Braun.

Braun is the founder of SB Projects, a diversified entertainment and media company with ventures at the intersection of music, film, television, technology, brands, culture and social good. Brauns artist roster includes Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Kanye West and Zac Brown Band among others. Braun remains committed to SB Projects founding philosophy of giving back by incorporating a philanthropic element for each new business initiative.

Braun currently acts as Chair of the Advisory Board of Pencils of Promise and sits on the board of Fuck Cancer, co-founded by his wife, Yael Braun. Together, Braun, his clients, and his companies have granted more wishes for Make-A-Wish than any other organization in the history of the foundation. In 2017, Braun proved to be the music industrys first-responder when he organized the One Love Manchester benefit concert and Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief telethon, within just months of one-another. The celebrity-studded telethon raised more than $64 million and garnered over 40 million viewers across the world.

Clio Music continues to partner with Billboard and Shazam to measure the power of commercial synchs on breakthrough, collaborative and classic songs. Topping the charts this year are:

 Sofi Tukkers Best Friend (featuring NERVO, The Knocks & Alisa Ueno) / Apple iPhone X Its Here for the Breakthrough chart (a commercial synch that helped an existing song reach new heights in popularity);

 Zedd, Maren Morris and Greys The Middle / Target The Middle for the Collaborative Debut chart (a commercial synch, utilizing a not-yet released song or a track commissioned specifically for that spot, whose premiere helped propel the track to prominence);

 And Neil Diamonds Sweet Caroline/ Hyundai Sonata Duet for the Classic chart (a commercial synch of an older song that re-engaged and connected with a former audience while exposing the track to a new audience.

Sofi Tukker is also set to perform at this years ceremony. The duo, comprised of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern, released their debut studio album Treehouse in April.

This year, Clio is partnering with Snapchat to present the Snapchat AR Specialty Award. The single winner, selected by the Clio Brand jury, will be revealed during the show by Clio Juror Will Scougal, Director, International Creative Strategy, Snapchat.The inside of a restaurant in Vernon is destroyed after an overnight fire on Tuesday.

According to fire officials, firefighters were called around midnight to a fire at the Oriental Cafe on Hartford Turnpike.

When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire through the roof of the center of the building. The fire didn't spread too far inside of the building, but the inside of the cafe is burned completely, fire officials said.

This is whats left of the Oriental Cafe on Hartford Turnpike in Vernon after a fire ripped through the building around midnight on Tuesday.

"We were able to get a quick knockdown. The firewall design of the building worked to our advantage and prevented the fire from spreading too far on us," Vernon Fire Chief Stephen Eppler said.

The businesses to the left and right of the cafe, Legacy Kitchen & Bath and Minuteman Press, have smoke and water damage. The rest of the plaza is intact, according to officials.

Ayman Harby, the owner of Legacy Kitchen & Bath, said his business has some drywall damage as well as smoke and water damage, but firefighters were able to save his business.

No injuries were reported.

The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was forced out of a Washington, D.C., restaurant Monday night by a group protesting embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Cruz and his wife, Heidi, were eating at Fiola, an upscale Italian restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue, when a group of protesters approached them.

In a video posted on Twitter by Smash Racism DC, the group can be heard chanting, "We believe survivors," as Cruz and his wife sit down at a table.

One protester told Cruz that she is a survivor of sexual assault and asked him how he will vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation.

"God bless you, ma'am," Cruz replied.

The group continued to chant until Cruz and his wife got up and left the restaurant.

"Ted Cruz and Brett Kavanaugh are best friends," one protester yelled, as the couple exited.

Beto O'Rourke, who is challenging Cruz for his Senate seat, called for Cruz to be treated with respect.

"Not right that Senator Cruz and his wife Heidi were surrounded and forced to leave a restaurant last night because of protesters. The Cruz family should be treated with respect," O'Rourke tweeted Tuesday morning.

Two women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

Christine Blasey Ford has accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers. But Kavanaugh denies he was "at any such party." In an interview with Fox News, he said he's "never sexually assaulted anyone."

The second woman, Deborah Ramirez, accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a Yale University dormitory party, putting his penis in her face and causing her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away. Kavanaugh also has denied that allegation.

President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell say they are determined to get Kavanaugh on the court, calling the allegations against him false and politically motivated. Kavanaugh has been defiant as well.

Ford and Kavanaugh are set to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process," Kavanaugh said.Its conceivable that neither Bob Stefanowski nor Ned Lamont will ever reveal to the people of Connecticut even snippets of their financial history.

Lamont, for his part, has a public record of sorts with the voters of Connecticut. When he ran for the United States Senate in 2006, he was required to provide a financial disclosure and that showed his net worth was perhaps in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

He said he would provide some kind of update, the moment his Republican opponent provides the same.

Ive been very clear, Lamont said. Im going to put those out at the exact same time Bob does. Bob, you pick a time and a place and Ill be there. I think the people have a right to know and weve done that before.

Lamont was asked why not put them out and set the tone, and he brushed away the challenge, saying, Id like to give Bob a little leverage to do it. Hes a little Trumpy, ya know? Hes like, Trump said hell do it, too and he never did it.

Stefanowski said last week following a debate with Lamont, "I'd be happy to issue a summary of where I am and show you the amount of taxes I've paid which is more than adequate.

A campaign spokesman for Stefanowski said the campaign team was reviewing when it would release tax information, but did say that the information can be expected.

One candidate for governor, petitioning candidate Oz Griebel, released some of his federal tax information, Tuesday. Griebel reported $1,194,115 in income for the tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017. He also reported $287,444 in federal income taxes paid.

Since Lamont laid down his challenge to Stefanowski, that leaves open the possibility that neither candidates tax records will be seen by voters by November 6. That means voters will hear a lot about the struggles of the middle class, without really knowing how wealthy or identifying either candidate really is with the struggles and issues of everyday residents.What to Know Trump approached the address as an annual report to the world on his country's progress since his inauguration

He asserted American independence from the U.N. and said the U.S. will only give foreign aid to countries that "respect us"

The laughter Trump earned echoed a 2014 tweet of his: "We need a President who isn't a laughing stock to the entire World"

President Donald Trump poured scorn on the "ideology of globalism" and heaped praise on his own administration's achievements Tuesday in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly that drew headshakes and even mocking laughter from his audience of fellow world leaders.

"The U.S. will not tell you how to live and work or worship," Trump said as he unapologetically promoted his "America First" agenda. "We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return."

Trump also said the U.S. will only give foreign aid to countries that "respect us." He ripped China for its trade practices and the OPEC nations for not lowering the price of oil.

Speaking in triumphal terms, Trump approached his address to the world body as something of an annual report to the world on his country's progress since his inauguration. He showcased strong economic numbers, declared that the U.S. military is "more powerful than it has ever been before" and crowed that in "less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country."

Just sentences into the president's remarks, the audience began to chuckle and some leaders broke into outright laughter, suggesting the one-time reality television star's puffery is as familiar abroad as it is at home. Trump appeared briefly flustered, then smiled and said it was not the reaction he expected "but that's all right."

The leaders' spontaneous response to Trump's address only reinforced the American president's isolation among allies and foes alike, as his nationalistic policies have created rifts with erstwhile partners and cast doubt in some circles about the reliability of American commitments around the world.

Barely an hour before he spoke, in fact, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared to the assembly that global cooperation is the world's best hope and "multilateralism is under fire precisely when we need it most."

Since taking office, Trump has removed the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, promoted protectionist tariffs and questioned the value of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other alliances in furtherance of what he termed on Tuesday a strategy of "principled realism."

To that end, Trump flaunted his embrace of negotiations with North Korea's Kim Jong Un just a year after he had warned of raining down "total destruction" on a leader he branded "Little Rocket Man." As Trump praised Kim's "courage" on Tuesday, he unloaded harsh rhetoric on nuclear-aspirant Iran as a persistent malign influence across the Middle East.

"We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues," said Trump. The president has removed the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, citing the country's destabilizing actions throughout the region and support for terrorist groups like Hezbollah, and he accused its leaders on Tuesday of sowing "chaos, death and destruction."

His national security adviser, John Bolton, was to go even further in a speech Tuesday, issuing a dire warning to Iran: "If you cross us, our allies or our partners; if you harm our citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat and deceive, yes, there will indeed be hell to pay," Bolton said, according to prepared remarks released by the White House.

In addition to his keynote speech, Trump is to chair a meeting of the U.N. Security Council about nuclear proliferation on Wednesday. His four days of choreographed foreign affairs were designed to stand in contrast to a presidency sometimes defined by disorder, but they were quickly overshadowed by domestic political crises.

The fate of his second Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, was in fresh doubt after a second allegation of sexual misconduct, which Kavanaugh denies. Kavanaugh and his first accuser testify to Congress on Thursday.

Drama also swirls around the job security of Trump's deputy attorney general. Rod Rosenstein was reported last week to have floated the idea of secretly recording the president last year and to have raised the idea of using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. He will meet with Trump at the White House, also on Thursday.

At the U.N., Trump seized his opportunity to assert American independence from the international body. He showcased his decisions to engage with the erstwhile pariah North Korea, remove the U.S. from the international Iran nuclear accord and object to U.N. programs he believes are contrary to American interests.

"We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism," Trump said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is in New York to attend U.N. meetings. U.S. officials said Trump is not seeking a meeting with him but is not opposed to talking if Iran requests a session.

Trump said Tuesday he has launched an "economic pressure" campaign to deny Iran the money it needs to advance a "bloody agenda" of havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen.

He referenced a list of U.N. bodies, from the International Criminal Court to the Human Rights Council, that his administration is working to undermine.

"America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination," Trump declared. His denunciations of globalism drew murmurs from other members of the organization that stands as the very embodiment of the notion.

Shortly before he spoke, in fact, U.N. Secretary-General Guterres had defended international cooperation as the only way to tackle the challenges and threats of increasingly chaotic times.

"Democratic principles are under siege," Guterres said. "The world is more connected, yet societies are becoming more fragmented. Challenges are growing outward, while many people are turning inward."

On other tense subjects, Trump's criticism of Germany's pursuit of a direct energy pipeline from Russia drew a dismissive headshake from a member of the U.S. ally's delegation, and his mention of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar all in one breath was received with stone-faced expressions by Saudi officials. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been boycotting Doha since last year as part of a dispute tearing apart the typically clubby Gulf Arab nations.

The laughter in the first moments of Trump's address evoked a campaign line Trump frequently deployed against his predecessor Barack Obama  who embraced international engagement  suggesting that due to weak American leadership, "the world is laughing at us."

In 2014, Trump tweeted "We need a President who isn't a laughingstock to the entire World. We need a truly great leader, a genius at strategy and winning. Respect!"

Appearances on the global stage tend to elevate the stature of presidents both abroad and at home. But even before his arrival for the annual gathering of world leaders and diplomats, the desired image was being eclipsed as Trump was forced to confront the salacious and embarrassing in the controversies over Rosenstein and Kavanaugh.

With cable news chyrons flashing breathless updates about both Beltway dramas, news of Trump's foreign policy moves from the U.N., led by a new trade deal with South Korea, struggled to break through.A booming demand for luxury cars in China, and tactics used in the United States to accommodate those demands, have forced car dealers to, at times, investigate their own customers, NBC 5 Investigates has learned.

Federal authorities have grappled with how to deal with the grey market export schemes, where high-dollar SUVs  primarily Mercedes Benz and Land Rover  are purchased in Texas and then taken to the West Coast to be shipped overseas.

At the Port of Los Angeles, agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency showed the expensive vehicles they had seized before they made it onto ships to China, where they could fetch far more than their U.S. sticker prices.

They double and triple their money easily, or quadruple it, said Lou Koven, an investigator with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an organization that works alongside U.S. Customs to prevent theft and fraud.

The reason for the huge markup?

Prestige  even more than what these types of vehicles convey in the car-loving United States.

This would be the pinnacle of a status symbol  all over the world, said U.S. Customs chief Victor Todorov, pointing to a Mercedes SUV limo.

Koven added: You have a lot of millionaires, or even billionaires, over there, and they want something high-end, and they want something nice to drive.

Criminals, using stolen identities, will buy these vehicles from U.S. dealerships.

They will have someone go in and fraudulently obtain a loan and then the vehicle disappears overseas, Todorov said.

In other cases, organized groups or companies recruit straw buyers to purchase the vehicles  a process that can be done lawfully, if the vehicle is paid in full, with no loan attached, when its shipped.

But if the straw buyer finances the vehicle, then it disappears to China without paying off the loan, then that amounts to theft from the bank or finance company.

If it leaves through this export warehouse, and gets on a ship and it goes, its gone, Todorov said.

Chris Lauritzen knows how straw purchases work from the inside, and its not a pleasant feeling.

At his home in Spring, near Houston, Lauritzen told NBC 5 Investigates he was attracted by a job posting saying he could make money helping an export company purchase luxury cars.

Went through maybe 30 minutes of training on the Internet and I was off buying cars, Lauritzen said.

He said he did business with Texas dealerships, buying Mercedes and Range Rovers, initially with the company paying for them up front, and then sending a truck to his house to pick them up.

Lauritzen was paid between $1,000 and $3,000 for each purchase  pretty good money, he said, especially since it didnt take long.

Later, the company told him he would make more money if he financed the vehicles in his own name, with the promise he would be reimbursed before each vehicle was shipped overseas.

But with the last Mercedes he financed, he said the company, apparently unable to find an overseas buyer, stopped making the car payments.

And April comes along (and) no payment. So Im starting to get worried. The bank is starting to call, Lauritzen said.

He finally located the vehicle, using a Mercedes tracking app, in the Los Angeles area, and is working with the bank and Homeland Security investigators to try and get it back.

Lauritzen said he is hoping he can sell the pricey SUV for the amount he owes on it.

If not, hes stuck with a vehicle he said he cant afford.

You know, its killed our credit, Lauritzen said, adding, Our credit scores before this were incredibly good.

For others who might be considering going into such a straw-buying business, he had a piece of advice: Dont do it.

Automakers are now trying to stop the practice by placing customers under greater scrutiny.

NBC 5 Investigates has learned Mercedes Benz now tell its dealers to run more extensive background checks, especially on customers interested in buying certain models, such as the GLS class of SUVs.

Those checks include looking to see if potential customers names show up on a known exporter list, and to look for indications that the customer does not have the financial wherewithal to purchase a luxury vehicle for cash.

One red flag, Mercedes dealers are told, is if the customers home value is equivalent to the purchase price of the vehicle.

In a statement, Mercedes told NBC 5 Investigates it is working hard to eliminate the exports, but that said, no policy is perfect  so some vehicles do slip through. This is something we are working with our dealers to address.If it feels like mosquitoes are everywhere right now, its not your imagination. But experts say the species thriving in recent rains arent known for carrying the West Nile virus.

Dr. Michael Merchant, an entomologist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, says the mosquitoes most people are seeing are floodwater mosquitoes.

Theyre very aggressive and they have a pretty painful bite as far as mosquitoes go, explained Merchant. Theyre the ones that come out after really heavy rains because they lay their eggs in low spots in the ground.

The mosquitoes can spread heartworm disease to dogs, but dont transmit the West Nile virus.

The aedes and culex types of mosquitoes that spread West Nile prefer stagnant water. Merchant says their breeding grounds are disrupted by fresh, heavy rains at a time when cooler temperatures signal a slowdown in activity.

The West Nile virus mosquitoes do not like this kind of weather. It washes out their dirty stinky breeding holes and causes them to go away a little while, said Merchant.

Even so, he says people shouldnt let their guard down.

Last week, Plano reported a second human case of West Nile virus and announced plans for targeted mosquito spraying Monday night.

Dallas Countys Health Department says the typical mosquito-borne season is from April through November. The health department expects to see additional West Nile virus activity this fall as recent rains will provide extra water sources for future breeding.

The department recommends people drain standing water in their yards and continue to take West Nile precautions. They include using repellent with DEET, wearing long sleeves and pants outside and avoiding the outdoors at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are more active.

Merchant points out the mosquitoes that carry Zika and Denge remain active. But, locally transmitted cases have not been reported.

Texas reports three Zika cases so far in 2018 and all were transmitted during travel outside the U.S.

Dallas Countys Health Department says the risk extends to travelers. The departments warns travelers who return from regions of the globe where Zika exists use an EPA approved mosquito repellent for 3 weeks after returning to the U.S. to avoid infecting local mosquitoes.

Methodist Health System Infectious Disease Physician Dr. Shantala Samart says West Nile is the primary concern. Although human cases havent reached high levels this year, she asks patients to take precautions no matter what the mosquito conditions.

This year so far weve been somewhat lucky compared to prior years and hopefully that trend continues, said Samart. With these new rains, well have to wait and see.

The majority of patients who are bitten by a mosquito thats carrying West Nile will have a mild viral illness, Samart added. Its the small proportion of patients, usually those who are older and who have underlying medical illnesses, who develop the more aggressive disease which is the West Nile neuroinvasive disease. Thats the one we worry about.From his home office in North Texas, Nick Steinsberger monitors his drilling operation.

He owns Valpoint Operating, an oil and gas company with a drilling rig in Oklahoma.

The area is so remote, you can't even see any houses.

"There's nobody to come and complain out here," he said. "The county seat is Arnett, which is about 20 miles away and the population is probably a thousand people."

It's not his top priority, but staying out of residential communities makes running his business easier.

Steinsberger and his team are fracking for oil, using the same techniques that Nick revolutionized, while pumping natural gas out of North Texas.

In the mid-90's, Steinsberger was a completion manager assigned to the Barnett Shale. And looking to cut costs, he tried something different.

"I greatly reduced the amount of gels and the chemicals that we were pumping," he said.

Instead, he used mostly water.

"I wasn't laughed at," he added with a smile.

But his colleagues didn't hold their breath.

"The analogy is, as a kid, you play with clay," he explained. "We put a lot of water in the clay and it turns into a mucky gush. How are you going to get oil and gas out of that mucky gush?"

His first attempts failed, but he kept trying.

"I pumped a lot more fluid and I started with a little bit of sand and kinda ramped it up from there," he remembered.

Eventually it worked.

"It was hugely successful and it was by far, not even close, to the best Barnett well we'd ever had at that time," Steinsberger said. "That technique, to some degree, is used in every shale play in the world today."

Fewer natural gas wells are being drilled in North Texas today, but it doesn't mean they're not coming back.

"It's in hibernation," Steinsberger added. "There's over 20,000 Barnett wells drilled in the last 20-something years, but if the gas prices went up significantly, those rigs would start coming back."

Today the price of natural gas is $2.83 per million BTU.

Back in 2005, the price was $13.42.

The returns just aren't worth the millions of dollars it takes to drill new wells.

But down the road, new technology could lead to even bigger gains.

"I think the Barnett could come back and I could conceivably see where another 21,000 wells are drilled at some point in the future," Steinsberger added. "I think re-fracks in America, there will be a lot of them over the next 10 to 20 years, going back and re-fracking Barnett."For many living near South Carolina's coast, Florence is the visitor they never wanted who now refuses to leave.

Eleven days after the once-fierce hurricane arrived on the coast, and more than a week after it blew north and dissipated, rivers swollen by its relentless rains are still flooding homes and businesses in their paths as they make their way to the sea.

Some residents have no idea when they will return home. One of them is Vivian Chestnut, who evacuated her home in inundated Conway, South Carolina, six days ago.

The Waccamaw River, which flows through the city of 23,000, had already reached more than 21 feet (6.4 meters)  far surpassing the previous record high of 17.9 feet (5.5 meters) set by Hurricane Matthew two years ago  and it was still rising Tuesday afternoon.

The waterway was expected to crest on Wednesday, but not to drop below 18 feet or so until sometime next week. The river floods at 11 feet (3.4 meters).

"You find yourself sitting around a lot and thinking, 'What if,' or, 'I wonder what things are like right now,'" said Chestnut, who is staying with family in the area. "And wondering what you are going to find when you finally get back."

It's a scene repeating itself across eastern South Carolina, where rivers are swollen from what one meteorologist calculated is the nation's second-rainiest storm in 70 years slowly make their way down the state's gentle sloping coastal plain.

If that weren't bad enough, more weather was forming off the coast in a hurricane season that still has two months to go. National Hurricane Center forecasters watching a low pressure area about 260 miles (420 kilometers) south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, said it could become a tropical depression as it approaches the coast before moving quickly to the north.

While it will likely dump some additional rain on the Florence-battered city of Wilmington, it wasn't expected to be significant enough to worsen the flooding.

"It shouldn't put much of a dent in the rivers," said Reid Hawkins, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Wilmington.

The storm was also having an enduring impact on the environment. A power outage at a wastewater station combined with heavy rain caused about 128,000 gallons (477,000 liters) of wastewater to spill into a river at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, the U.S. Marine Corps reported Tuesday. The military said the spill won't threaten residential water supplies, however.

Officials at South Carolina's state-owned utility were still warily monitoring two coal-ash ponds near Conway. Santee Cooper officials said floodwater from the Waccamaw River had already made it into one pond, but most of the ash had already been removed from it during an earlier cleanup project.

The river is likely to flood the second pond soon, but the utility promised it has taken steps to lessen the environmental impact, such as installing silt fencing and a floating environmental containment boom.

Not far from the ash ponds, engineers are keeping an eye on U.S. Highway 501, the main link to Myrtle Beach. Water is now touching a temporary barrier of sand and plastic that has been erected to keep water off the bridge. Called the Lifeline, the temporary wall will remain effective if the water doesn't rise more than an additional 5 feet (1.5 meters) from its current level, according to the state Department of Transportation.

A preliminary analysis of Hurricane Florence has determined that the slow-moving storm dumped more than 17.5 inches (44 centimeters) of water on a region stretching from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Florence, South Carolina. Hurricane Harvey delivered 25.6 inches (65 centimeters), said Ken Kunkel, a meteorologist at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and North Carolina State University.

In North Carolina, where Florence's floodwaters temporarily cut off the city of Wilmington and inundated several others, the rivers have stopped rising, but the recovery process is really just beginning. Gov. Roy Cooper has estimated billions of dollars in damages.

In rural Jones County, between Kinston and New Bern, two of the county's six schools will have to be demolished after floodwaters left mold and mildew in their wake, School Superintendent Michael Bracy said.

Housing also promised to be scarce for flood victims. In rural areas where so many single-family and one-story structures were susceptible to flooding, even those that were untouched will not provide nearly as many options for evacuees as an urban area with multiple-story apartment buildings would, noted Red Cross Vice President of Operations and Logistics Brad Kieserman.

That will present a challenge for flood victims who initially fled to relatives' homes but will likely need to find other shelters before their own homes are ready for their return.

"Staying with family is going to get a little old for everybody," he said.

Associated Press writers Gary D. Robertson, Alex Derosier, Meg Kinnard, Sarah Rankin and Sarah Brumfield contributed to this report.| BY Ricki Green |

AIRBAG has announced the addition of Ariel Martin to its film director roster.

Ariels work has a comedic sensibility, creating memorable films with particular focus on casting and world-building.

Says Alex Tizzard, executive producer, AIRBAG Sydney: Ariel has proven himself as an accomplished filmmaker not only in his commercial work, but longer form too. He has a great body of work, and very exciting career ahead. We are absolutely thrilled to have him on board.

Says Martin: Having followed AIRBAGs progress for a few years, theyve always appealed to me as a production company that has really interesting and diverse projects. Im looking forward to making great work with Alex, Martin, Adrian and the team.Students at Decatur High School will be back in class Monday, following an unintended week off due to school damage caused by floodwaters.

Drains on the top of the high school collapsed, sending water gushing into the building and flooding an area near the main entrance. Classrooms were not affected, but there were some offices and areas near the gym that were damaged by water.

To make up for the week of school that was missed, high school students will be dismissed 15 minutes later each day for the remainder of the school year. The new dismissal time will be 3:50 p.m.

None of the other campuses in Decatur ISD were damaged.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.Calls to the national sexual assault hotline were up 57 percent over the weekend compared to an average Friday to Sunday, according to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network press secretary Sara McGovern.

On Friday and Saturday, alone, the rate of calls increased 42 percent from a normal weekend, and the weekend numbers suggest that callers did not let up on Sunday.

Local counselors believe recent headlines are the reason for the notable increase.

With Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination under scrutiny due to accusations related to alleged incidents that took place decades ago, sexual misconduct and sexual assault are in the national spotlight.

To pour fuel on the fire, President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Friday and wrote, "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!"

The tweet led to a social media response with people using "#WhyIDidntReport" on Twitter to share personal stories of why they did not report sexual assault.

At the local Southern California hotline center, calls are up more than 20 percent with local counselors pointing to recent headlines as the cause for the uptick.

"This 'MeToo' and 'Time's Up' movement has elevated the platform to have these conversations, to expose it and say we cannot ignore women, men and children being sexually assaulted," says Yvette Lozano, Peace Over Violence CEO. "And we need to do something about it."

Peace Over Violence counselors, who answer the calls, are trained to provide support, including accompanying assault survivors to get medical attention--if necessary. The counselors will also go to police interviews if the callers decide to press charges.

If you've been the victim of sexual assault, even if it was years ago, and need someone to talk to, you can call the local hotline at 1-213-626-3393.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.What to Know The Quinnipiac University was conducted from

The midterm elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson has taken the lead in the Florida Senate electoral race ahead of Republican Gov. Rick Scott, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.

The poll shows that Nelson has 53 percent of support among likely Florida voters compared to Scott's 46 percent of support.

Nelson has 58 percent of support from women, compared to Scott's 41 percent, while 51 percent of men support Scott as opposed to Nelson's 47 percent, according to the poll.

Scott has 53 percent of support from white voters, compared to Nelson's 45 percent. Nelson has the support of 90 percent of black voters, while Scott has 10 percent of their support.

Among those polled, 94 percent who named a candidate said their mind is made up.

"Sen. Nelson is ahead 53 - 46 percent by doing a tad better than Gov. Scott with their respective bases and holding a 16-point lead among the key independent voting bloc," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, said in a statement. "Nelson also leads among women and is breaking even among men  the traditional path to a Democratic victory. "

Along party lines, Republicans support Scott 89 percent to Nelson's 10 percent, and Democrats support Nelson 94 percent to Scott's 5 percent. Independent voters support Nelson 56 percent to Scott's 40 percent.

Among Florida likely voters, 56 percent said they would like Congress to be "more of a check on President Trump," while 30 percent think, "Congress is doing enough to be a check on President Trump," according to Quinnipiac University.

"Health care is the most important issue to their vote for U.S. Senator, 26 percent of Florida likely voters say, as 19 percent cite the economy, followed by 18 percent for immigration, 15 percent for the Supreme Court and 12 percent who list gun policy," Quinnipiac University said.

The contentious U.S. Supreme Court confirmation process of judge Brett Kavanaugh shows wide gender and racial gaps for Florida likely voters. Overall, 48 percent said Kavanaugh should not be confirmed while 47 percent said he should be confirmed.

"Women say no to confirmation 54 - 41 percent, while men say yes 55 - 40 percent," Quinnipiac University said. "White voters say yes to confirmation 56 - 40 percent. Saying no are black voters 82 - 10 percent and Hispanic voters 55 - 42 percent."

The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, surveyed 888 Florida likely voters from Thursday to Monday.

Nelson was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000 and is Florida's only statewide elected Democrat. Scott was first elected amid the Tea Party movement in 2010 but has flipped on some of his hardline positions, including immigration.

Term limits prohibit Scott from seeking a third term as the governor of Florida.

Quinnipiac University's previous poll on the race released early September showed Nelson and Scott were locked at 49 percent of support among likely voters.A Massachusetts woman is recovering at a South Florida hospital after she suffered a shark bite in the Bahamas on Sunday, officials confirmed.

NBC Boston reported the 34-year-old woman, Maggie Ewing, 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.

Ewing was airlifted to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood by Trinity Air Ambulance. She spoke about her ordeal with reporters at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon.

She said she had speared a hogfish and was trying to get it out of a little cave when the shark came over her shoulder and latched onto her hand.

"I felt the pain instantly," Ewing said. "I think he let go pretty quickly, probably felt the spear."

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."

"I know sharks aren't really going for me, he was totally going for the fish," Ewing said. "It was my mistake, but nonetheless he got me."What to Know The first allegation against Brett Kavanaugh left Republicans rattled and nervous. The second left them angry and ready to fight back

Nearly three dozen human cases of West Nile virus, two of them fatal, have been reported in New Jersey so far this year, authorities say

Prosecutors asked a judge to sentence Bill Cosby to 5-10 years in prison, while the defense argued he's too old and helpless to do jail time

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

Faced With Another Accuser, Republicans Fight for Brett Kavanaugh

The first allegation against Brett Kavanaugh left Republicans rattled and nervous. The second left them angry and ready to fight back. The GOP punched back hard, seeming to cast aside  for now  worries that President Trump's Supreme Court nominee could turn off female voters and sink their hopes of holding complete control of Congress following the November midterms. Rather than peel away from Kavanaugh, many GOP senators seemed to stiffen their resolve. The decision was in part based on the details of a new allegation. Many Republicans dismissed a report published late Sunday in The New Yorker magazine as weak and unsubstantiated  allowing them to turn their aim on the media, a well-worn and effective tactic. And some Republicans worried that not doing enough to push Kavanaugh across the finish line would hurt their standing with the GOP base heading into the midterms. Kavanaugh has vehemently denied both allegations.

Messy Domestic Politics Overshadow Trump's Address to UN

President Donald Trump charged into office on the resonance of his aggressive "America First" agenda, but now, as he returns to the pinnacle of global diplomacy, he can't escape the growing shadows of domestic political troubles. Between promoting the wisdom of his rapprochement with North Korea's Kim Jong Un and railing against Iran's malign influence across the Middle East, Trump is finding himself forced to confront the salacious and embarrassing as he participates in the U.N. General Assembly. White House aides had cast Trump's visit to New York in triumphal terms: an opportunity to assert American sovereignty before the multinational body. He was set to be unapologetic about his decisions to engage with the erstwhile pariah North Korea, remove the U.S. from the Iran nuclear accord and object to U.N. aid programs he believes are contrary to American interests. Trump is to address the General Assembly on Tuesday morning and will chair a meeting Wednesday of the U.N. Security Council on the topic of counterproliferation. The four days of choreographed foreign affairs were to stand in contrast to a presidency largely defined by disorder.

Embattled Rod Rosenstein, Future in Doubt, to Meet With Trump Thurs.

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet on Thursday with President Trump, the White House said, 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 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, talked to Trump. The president is in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. 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.

2 Die as Human Cases of West Nile Virus Reach Record Highs in NJ

Nearly three dozen human cases of West Nile virus, two of them fatal, have been reported in New Jersey so far this year, authorities said. Both victims who died -- a 62-year-old man and an elderly woman -- were from Bergen County and died this month. New Jersey reported two West Nile-related deaths in 2017, two in 2016 and three in 2015. None of those were in Bergen County. In total, the state has seen 31 cases in 2018, up from just eight human cases in 2017 -- a spike health officials attribute at least in part to the hot and wet summer weather being prime conditions for mosquitoes. West Nile is most commonly spread to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes. The most common times for transmission to humans are the summer through fall, and there are no vaccines or medications to treat it when contracted by humans. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in five people who are infected develop a fever or mild symptoms like body aches and headache.

Bill Cosby Prosecutor Asks for 5 to 10 Years in Prison

Declaring Bill Cosby doesn't deserve a free pass because of his advanced age, prosecutors asked a judge to sentence the comedian to five to 10 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman, while the defense argued that he is too old and helpless to do time behind bars. "What does an 81-year-old man do in prison?" defense attorney Joseph Green asked on Day 1 of the sentencing hearing for Cosby, who is legally blind and dependent on others. "How does he fight off the people who are trying to extort him, or walk to the mess hall?" Green suggested that Cosby instead receive something akin to house arrest. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said that he has no doubt Cosby would commit another such offense if given the opportunity, warning that the TV star seemingly gets a sexual thrill out of slipping women drugs and assaulting them. Judge Steven O'Neill is expected to sentence Cosby on Tuesday.

Celine Dion's Las Vegas Residency Won't Go On After Next Year

Celine Dion is saying au revoir to her Las Vegas residency next year. The singer announced on social media she will leave Caesars Palace in June 2019. Dion wrote in a Facebook post that the decision brings mixed emotions as the Colosseum venue has been a big part of her life for the past 20 years. "Las Vegas has become my home and performing at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace has been a big part of my life for the past two decades," Dion wrote. "It's been an amazing experience and I'm so grateful to all the fans who have come to see us throughout the years." This will mark the end of her second long-running residency at Caesars Palace.National Lobster Day is on Sept. 25 this year and restaurants around New York City are offering discounted lobster rolls and other festive ways to partake in the celebrations -- so grab some friends and fellow lobster-lovers and get cracking.

For one week only, Lukes Lobster is offering $14 lobster rolls to celebrate the holiday and their ninth birthday. Stop by the DUMBO location (or the dozen other locations around the city) and enjoy rolls with a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline.

Red Hook Lobster Pound celebrates with "Lobster Week," where guests can enjoy their famous lobster dinner with a complimentary beer or wine pairing for $25. The Lobster dinner includes a one-and-a-half pound Maine lobster, potatoes, corn and slaw. Red Hook brings lobsters straight from the Maine coast, and features them in their massive salt water tanks around the restaurant.

New Yorks only floating lobster shack, North River Lobster Co., allows guests to enjoy fresh lobster on the Hudson River, with several departures from Pier 81 throughout the day. The lobster boat boasts full service bars on three decks of the boat, and an extensive menu with unique rolls, like the Lower East Side Roll with scallion cream cheese on an everything potato roll. The boat sails down the river from Wednesday to Sunday this week, and departs every hour and a half.What to Know A Nassau County man employed by the Village of Valley Stream was arrested Monday for allegedly neglecting his dog to the point of emaciation

James Rosenbaum, 30, was charged with overdriving, torturing and injuring animals as well as failure to provide sustenance, prosecutors say

The dog, renamed Cedar after street on which he was found, weighed 23 pounds, about 20 pounds underweight and suffered from other ailments

A Nassau County man employed by the Village of Valley Stream was arrested Monday for allegedly neglecting his dog to the point of emaciation, authorities say.

James Rosenbaum, 30, was charged with overdriving, torturing and injuring animals as well as failure to provide sustenance, according to Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas.

Rosenbaum, who is employed by the Village of Valley Stream in their maintenance department, is due back in court Wednesday.

Top Tri-State News Photos

If he is convicted, Rosenbaum faces a maximum of one year in prison.

Prosecutors say that on Aug. 12 a woman saw a dirty, emaciated dog unaccompanied in the middle of Cedar Street in Valley Stream.

The woman allegedly captured the dog and brought it to the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter where officials identified it as a one-year-old terrier mix.

The dog, since renamed "Cedar" after the street on which he was found, weighed 23 pounds, about 20 pounds underweight. The pooch also suffered from bald patches, overgrown nails and leg deformities.

Nassau County Prosecutor's Office

Following an investigation, NCDA investigators confirmed Rosenbaum was the dogs owner and he was arrested.

Studies have repeatedly shown that animal cruelty is a gateway crime to further violence, and we are committed to aggressively prosecuting these cases to better protect the animals and the people of Nassau County, Singas said in a statement.

Attorney information for Rosenbaum was not immediately available.

Cedar has since been adopted by a family, prosecutors say.What to Know A college student is asking for help finding a necklace that was stolen from her home in Buffalo

The necklace contained the ashes of her grandmother, who died last year; she says it feels like a piece of her is gone

She says she doesn't even care about punishing the thieves - she just wants the necklace returned

A college student is asking for help to find a necklace containing the ashes of her grandmother that was stolen from her home in Buffalo.

University of Buffalo student Haley Lang says her grandmother died last year, and her mother got her the necklace for Christmas. Now it feels like a piece of her is gone.

In a Facebook post, Lang wrote someone broke into her home last week and stole "purses, money, headphones" and more from her and her roommates -- "but out of everything taken the most important thing was this."

She says everything can be replaced except the necklace, and she has posted pictures online seeking its return.



"I feel distraught that this is now in someone else's possession and would do anything to get it back," she wrote, adding, "I am so sorry that this wasn't on me today, Grandma. I would do anything to start this day over."

Lang says she doesn't care about punishing the thieves; she just wants her necklace back.| BY Ricki Green |

DDB Australia has announced the appointment of former One Green Bean CEO Carl Ratcliff as chief strategy officer, DDB Sydney.

Ratcliff has more than 20 years experience in the world of building brands both in Australia and the UK, and has run agencies in Sydney and Melbourne.

Says Priya Patel, managing director, DDB Sydney: Were thrilled to have Carl join DDB. Not only is he a brilliant and creative thinker  a classic big brain  but he manages to couple this with humility, friendliness and charm.

Ratcliff is excited to be joining DDB and returning to his roots as a planner.

Says Ratcliff: I see my CV as a collection of experiences all of which have made me who I am now. I certainly dont regret being a CEO as it taught me a lot, including making me a lot more commercially-minded, however I want to affect the primary conversations that are happening around businesses and brands.

Whether on client side or agency side, Ive always been a strategist at heart. Having run a P&L for the last 6-7 years Ive experienced all the stresses that come with that, and realised that my true joy lies in strategy, brands and audiences, solving problems, and working with creative brains and minds.

Im delighted to be joining DDB Sydney for many reasons, but one is that to me DDB is the original home of great strategy. It feels like a gift being able to come back to strategy with such a renowned agency, and I cant wait to get stuck into making amazing work with the team.

Im keen to work with our clients and the team to offer brilliant creative solutions that are more than just advertising  it could be a piece of design or a wider business idea  that really grow brands and businesses.What to Know Police in Tenafly, New Jersey, are looking for the men who broke into a home Saturday morning while two young girls slept inside

They fled in a Dodge Magnum wagon with NY plates, according to police

No one was physically hurt, but the girls are traumatized, their mother says. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tenafly police

A New Jersey mother says her young daughters are traumatized after waking up to find burglars in their home Saturday morning, and is pleading for the public's help finding the men.

Jennifer Yanowitz said she stepped out briefly Saturday morning as her 11-year-old and 13-year-old daughters slept in on the quiet Tenafly block. Two burglars intruded, climbing up to a rear second-floor balcony and breaking through a locked door to get into the master bedroom, she said.

The older daughter walked into the room soon after and saw the suspects rifling through their parents' belongings.

"She saw the two of them standing with baseball bats and a crow bar," said Yanowitz. "She's 13 years old, and she just ran for her life."

The teenage girl grabbed her 11-year-old sister, and together hid in the closet, waiting for police.

"She was talking to police, telling them that somebody broke in," said Yanowitz. "I was crying and she was crying. It was really scary."

The thieves ultimately ran off in a black Dodge Magnum wagon with New York license plates, authorities said. The girls were not physically hurt.

"They also didn't know if they were going to be OK -- they were waiting to be OK," said Yanowitz. "They didn't know if they were going to be followed or attacked. They were fearing for their lives."

The fear, the experience and the suspects now haunt the family.

"I know that it can happen again, and we're doing more stuff to stop it, but it's just really scary," said Yanowitz. "I don't want my friends to go through this. I don't want my family to go through this."

The family believes the thieves first cased the house before breaking in by ringing the doorbell to see if anyone would open. Cops say they believe the intruders made off with a watch.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Tenafly police at 201-568-5100.What to Know A thief swiped bags from patrons at two popular New York City restaurants on the same day, the NYPD said

The female thief stole a woman's purse at Carmine's and a man's backpack at Junior's Cheesecake, according to police

The man's backpack contained his ID and bank cards, and the woman's purse contained bank cards and cell phones

A thief swiped bags from patrons at two popular New York City restaurants on the same day, the NYPD said.

The first victim, a 75-year-old man, was inside Juniors Cheesecake, on Broadway at West 45th Street, around 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 19 when the thief took his backpack off his chair and fled the restaurant with it, police said.

The mans ID and bank cards were in the backpack, but the woman didnt use any of the cards after she stole them, the NYPD said.

Less than an hour later, around 5:10 p.m., the thief took a 47-year-old womans purse off of the back of her chair as she was eating at Carmines on West 44th Street and fled the restaurant, police said.

The womans purse contained her bank cards and an unspecified number of cell phones worth around $1,500, the NYPD said.

The thief has blond hair and was last seen wearing black clothing, according to police.

Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.Julian Assange had just pulled off one of the biggest scoops in journalistic history, splaying the innards of American diplomacy across the web. But technology firms were cutting ties to his website, WikiLeaks, cable news pundits were calling for his head and a Swedish sex crime case was threatening to put him behind bars.

Caught in a vise, the silver-haired Australian wrote to the Russian Consulate in London.

"I, Julian Assange, hereby grant full authority to my friend, Israel Shamir, to both drop off and collect my passport, in order to get a visa," said the letter, which was obtained exclusively by The Associated Press.

The Nov. 30, 2010 missive is part of a much larger trove of WikiLeaks emails, chat logs, financial records, secretly recorded footage and other documents leaked to The Associated Press. The files provide both an intimate look at the radical transparency organization and an early hint of Assange's budding relationship with Moscow.

The ex-hacker's links to the Kremlin would become increasingly salient before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, when the FBI says Russia's military intelligence agency directly supplied WikiLeaks with stolen emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman and other Democratic figures.

In a statement posted to Twitter, WikiLeaks said Assange never applied for the visa or authored the letter, identifying a former associate of his as the source of the document. WikiLeaks did not return a follow-up email seeking clarification on whether Shamir applied on his behalf, or whether a lawyer or someone else at WikiLeaks might have drafted the letter. The Russian Embassy in London said it didn't discuss the personal details of visa applicants.

WikiLeaks has repeatedly been hit by unauthorized disclosures , but the tens of thousands of files obtained by the AP may be the biggest leak yet.

The AP has confirmed the authenticity of many of the documents by running them by five former WikiLeaks associates or by verifying non-public details such as bank accounts, telephone numbers or airline tickets.

One of the former associates, an ex-employee, identified two of the names that frequently appeared in the documents' metadata, "Jessica Longley" and "Jim Evans Mowing," as pseudonyms assigned to two WikiLeaks laptops.

All five former associates spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, in some cases because they didn't want their past association with WikiLeaks to become public, and in others because they feared legal retaliation or harassment from the group's supporters.

Among other things, the documents lay out Assange's campaign to avoid being arrested and extradited to Sweden over allegations that he sexually molested one woman and raped another during a trip to the Scandinavian country in August 2010.

Assange has always denied wrongdoing in the case, which he cast as a prelude to extradition to the U.S. The Swedish prosecution jeopardized what at the time was WikiLeaks' biggest-ever disclosure: the publication of around 250,000 U.S. State Department cables. Swedish authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on Nov. 18, just 10 days before the cables exploded across the web, with bombshell revelations about drone strikes in Yemen, American spying at the U.N. and corruption across the Arab world.

Italy's then-foreign minister, Franco Frattini, described the release as the "Sept. 11 of world diplomacy." Enraged American politicians demanded that Assange be treated like a terrorist.

Metadata suggests that it was on Nov. 29, the day after the release of the first batch of U.S. State Department files, that the letter to the Russian Consulate was drafted on the Jessica Longley computer.

The AP couldn't confirm whether or when the message was actually delivered, but the choice of Israel Shamir as a go-between was significant. Assange's involvement with Shamir, a fringe intellectual who once said it was the duty of every Christian and Muslim to deny the Holocaust, would draw indignation when it became public.

Shamir told the AP he was plagued by memory problems and couldn't remember delivering Assange's letter or say whether he eventually got the visa on Assange's behalf.

"I can't possibly exclude that it happened," Shamir said in a telephone interview. "I have a very vague memory of those things."

Shamir's memory appeared sharper during a January, 20, 2011 interview with Russian News Service radio  a Moscow-based station now known as Life Zvuk, or Life Sound. Shamir said he'd personally brokered a Russian visa for Assange, but that it had come too late to rescue him from the sex crimes investigation.

Russia "would be one of those places where he and his organization would be comfortable operating," Shamir explained. Asked if Assange had friends in the Kremlin, Shamir smiled and said: "Let's hope that's the case."

Shamir often makes eyebrow-raising claims (in the same interview he said that the U.S. offered Assange $100 million not to publish the cables), but it was true that any visa for Assange would have been moot.

On Nov. 30, 2010  the date on the letter  Interpol issued a Red Notice seeking Assange's arrest, making any relocation to Russia virtually impossible. With legal bills mounting, Assange turned himself in on Dec. 7 and his staff's focus turned to getting him out of jail. One WikiLeaks spreadsheet listed names of potential supporters arrayed by wealth and influence; a second one titled "Get Out of Jail Free" tracked proposed bail donations and pledges for surety.

As they gathered money, Assange's allies also plotted what to do once the WikiLeaks founder was released.

One document showed Guatemalan human rights lawyer Renata Avila floating the idea of jumping bail.

"I will advise him to seek asylum abroad: we already contacted the Ministry of Justice in Brazil, there is a possibility to run out of the country in a Brazilian ship," Avila told fellow WikiLeaks supporters in a memo. The document said Assange should "plan to escape and pay the bail money back to his supporters."

Avila didn't return repeated messages seeking comment. It's not clear whether her idea went anywhere; former Brazilian Justice Minister Eduardo Cardozo, who was serving on then-President-elect Dilma Rousseff's transition team at the time, told the AP that he'd never heard of an Assange asylum request.

Assange would eventually skip bail after exhausting his British legal campaign to block the Swedish extradition effort, darting into the Ecuadorean Embassy on June 19, 2012. The move frustrated the sex crimes prosecution, which was dropped last year, but it sparked a standoff that continues to this day, with Assange refusing to leave the embassy unless he is shielded from extradition to the U.S.

Assange's escape left many of his guarantors in the lurch. When a group of them went to court in late 2012 to reduce their bill, the escape plan went unmentioned.

A lawyer for four of Assange's supporters, Henry Blaxland, told the judge that Assange's Ecuadorean asylum stunt caught everyone off guard.

"Nobody could reasonably have foreseen that's what he would do," Blaxland said.

Varya Kudryavtseva and Mauricio Savarese contributed to this report.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."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.President Donald Trump and his top national security aides lashed out at Iran with unusual venom Tuesday, warning Tehran that it faced severe consequences if it defied the United States.

Speeches by the president before the U.N. General Assembly and by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton at a New York City hotel marked an escalation of rhetoric.

Trump blasted what he called Iran's "corrupt dictatorship" and accused its leaders of enriching themselves through embezzlement and raiding state coffers to spread "mayhem."

Bolton, speaking to an organization that opposed the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, from which the administration withdrew in May, warned that there would be "hell to pay" if Tehran crossed the U.S., its allies or their partners.

Trump also vowed to continue to isolate Iran through U.S. sanctions that are being re-instated following his withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal. The next round of sanctions will take effect in early November.

He later predicted that the pressure from renewed sanctions would force Iran back to the table to negotiate.

"Iran's leaders sow chaos, death and destruction," the president told the U.N. General Assembly in a 34-minute speech that was more critical of Iran than any other country. "They do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond."

In an even more fiery speech to a group opposed to the Iran deal, Bolton was to go further.

"If you cross us, our allies, or our partners; if you harm our citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat and deceive, yes, there will indeed be hell to pay," he was to say according to prepared remarks released by the White House.

"The murderous regime and its supporters will face significant consequences if they do not change their behavior. Let my message today be clear: We are watching, and we will come after you," Bolton was to say,

Pompeo also spoke at the event hosted by United Against a Nuclear Iran, being held to coincide with U.N. General Assembly.

In his speech, Pompeo unveiled a long list of Iranian misdeeds, from its support of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Houthi rebels in Yemen to sponsoring or plotting attempted terrorist attacks in Africa, Asia, Europe and beyond.

"It is truly an outlaw regime," he said. "There can be no question Iranian destructive activities are truly global in scope. It is therefore incumbent on every country to join our efforts to change the regime's lawless behavior. The ongoing, multi-national, multi-continental nature of Iranian malign activity leaves no room for inaction or indecision."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who also addressed the U.N., launched a scathing attack on Trump and his administration for abandoning international norms and imposing sanctions that amount to "economic terrorism." He accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to overthrow his government.

"The United States' understanding of international relations is authoritarian," Rouhani said. "In its estimation, might makes right. Its understanding of power, not of legal and legitimate authority, is reflected in bullying and imposition."

Trump and his aides, meanwhile, stepped up their attacks on the nuclear deal, which was a signature foreign policy achievement of the Obama administration. Trump called it "horrible" and maintained that many Middle Eastern countries had supported the decision to withdraw. In fact, only Israel and Gulf Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates enthusiastically backed the move.

The other parties to the deal, under which Iran agreed to curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, remain in the agreement and met Monday in New York to reaffirm their support for it. Aside from Iran, the other participants are Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the European Union.

After that meeting, the top diplomats from those countries and the EU agreed to establish a financial facility in the European Union to facilitate payments for Iranian imports and exports including oil, a key move sought by Tehran as it attempts to fight back against the re-imposed U.S. sanctions. They said in a joint statement that the so-called "Special Purpose Vehicle" will "assist and reassure economic operators pursuing legitimate business with Iran."

Pompeo harshly criticized those countries for attempting to subvert U.S. sanctions.

"This is one of the most counterproductive measures imaginable for regional and global peace and security," he said. "By sustaining revenues to the regime, you are solidifying Iran's ranking as the number one state sponsor of terror, enabling Iran's violent export of revolution and making the regime even richer while the Iranian people scrape by."

In his speech, Trump said the deal was a "windfall" for Iran's leaders, who used billions in sanctions relief to boost their military budget, increase repression, fund terrorism, havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen and enrich themselves.

His comments on embezzlement by Iranian authorities come after Rouhani's government publicized details of the country's budget for the first time. That budget revealed large increases in funding for religious foundations that are a key part of the clerical state-above-the-state, which receive hundreds of millions of dollars each year from the public coffers.

Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Jon Gambrell contributed to this report.Tuesday marks four decades since the deadliest aircraft disaster in Californias history: the PSA Flight 182 crash over San Diegos North Park community that killed 144 people.

To remember the lives tragically lost when PSA Flight 182 crashed midair with a single-engine Cessna over North Park on Sept. 25, 1978, city leaders, first responders and community members touched by the tragedy gather in North Park, as they do year after year.

[G] Victims of PSA Flight 182 Crash Remembered

The crash killed a total of 144 people, including all 135 people aboard PSA Flight 182, the two men aboard the Cessna and seven people on the ground. A total of 22 homes in the area were destroyed or damaged as the Boeing 727 hit the ground.

The wreckage came to rest near Boundary and Felton streets.

Sept. 25 marks 37 years since the PSA Flight 182 tragedy, when the passenger plane collided with another aircraft over San Diegos North Park community. City leaders and those impacted by the crash will remember the 144 lives lost. NBC 7s Candice Nguyen reports.

At the site on Tuesday, the name of each person who died in the crash and a personal message was inscribed on a sidewalk in chalk. A rose was placed next to each name as it is read aloud at the ceremony -- which started at 9:01 a.m., the exact time of the crash 40 years ago.

In 2014, residents involved in a PSA Flight 182 committee began a push for a permanent memorial to be erected at the site of the crash. Currently, the closest memorial is a plaque beneath a tree at the North Park library.

San Diegans are pushing for a new memorial in North Park to honor victims killed in the 1978 PSA Flight 182 disaster  the deadliest aircraft disaster to date in Californias history. NBC 7s Omari Fleming reports.A new report on sexual assaults in the military show that women and men are more likely to be assaulted on a U.S. Navy ship than any other type of military installation, and the ship most likely involved is an aircraft carrier.

The new report is based on 170,000 surveys of active-duty service members taken in 2014 collected by the RAND Corporation and commissioned by the Department of Defense.

Camille West wrote her master's thesis on military sexual assault after serving as a victim advocate in the Navy. She told NBC 7 that while there are tools for healing parts of the memories still remain.

"Its like the scar is always there," West said. "It's never going to be completely gone."

Now in the Navy Reserves, she says she is not surprised that carriers top the list for the highest risk. "Pretty much you are with the same people 24/7. For carriers especially they go out on longer under-ways, so I would say the temptation is there."

The report found that younger service members were more likely to be victims, and there are plenty of young sailors on ships. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton ranked on the lower end of assaults at Marine bases. MCAS Yuma in Arizona was on the higher end.

One concern is the under-reporting of sexual assaults due to a fear of retaliation, especially for men, said West.

"I would say its much more harder for them to admit that something happened to them just because of that stigma," West said.

In an official statement, the U.S. Navy told NBC 7, "We are aware of the 2016 RAND Military Workplace Study Survey and we value the approaches that RAND takes to cutting-edge research. The Navy has further engaged with RAND to help us take a closer look at the conclusions of this report by conducting follow-on projects to provide more actionable information about where sexual assault risk is highest and lowest in the Navy.

"This information will be vital to us in determining where and how to target training, prevention and response resources. We take sexual assault seriously and specifically want to understand the "why" presented by the data. Identifying protective and risk factors is essential to mitigating the risk of sexual assault for our Sailors."

They added there are concerns about whether the numbers accurately reflect the current status in the military because they were taken from years old data.

West said the reports, surveys, prevention programs and resources for help all aid to boost the morale in the Navy because people feel they can report sexual abuse without a fear of retaliation.

The DoD SAFE Help Line is 1-877-995-5247.A lawyer says mental illness caused the promoter of a failed music festival to rip off investors and commit other crimes.

Attorney Randall Jackson urged a Manhattan judge Friday to be lenient at Billy McFarland's October sentencing.

McFarland pleaded guilty earlier this year to defrauding investors in the 2017 Fyre Festival in the Bahamas and cheating customers in a ticket scam. Without leniency, he faces over a decade in prison.

Jackson cited a psychological report saying McFarland has Bipolar Related Disorder and may sometimes have "delusional beliefs of having special and unique talents that will lead to fame and fortune."

McFarland earned tabloid headlines after fraudulently enlisting 80 investors to pour $26 million into a festival promoted as an ultra-luxurious event on the Bahamian island of Exuma over two weekends in April and May 2017.

Customers hoping to see Blink-182 and the hip hop act Migos arrived to learn music acts were canceled. Their upscale accommodations and gourmet food consisted of white tents and cheese sandwiches.

McFarland admitted using fake documents to trick investors in the festival, which ultimately was canceled.A 17-year-old boy working alongside his dad for his family's business was killed in a hit-and-run in Northern Virginia on Saturday, and police are still looking for the driver.

Adrian Iraheta was finishing a job sealing an asphalt driveway in Gainesville early Saturday morning when a light-colored sedan sped right at him. The teenager was thrown into the air. The driver sped off, and Iraheta was pronounced dead at the scene.

Homeowner Byron Martinez spoke with Iraheta's father after the tragedy.

"I called his dad and he said, 'They killed my son. Somebody struck my son, and he's dead,'" Martinez recalled the father saying.

Iraheta went to church on Friday and then helped his father with the family's paving business. They often worked at night because cooler temperatures made for better conditions.

Iraheta and his father were finishing work on the driveway in the area of Sudley and Catharpin roads when the crash occurred about 2:30 a.m.

They were putting their tools away in a pickup that was facing the wrong way on Sudley Road. The headlights and flashers were on, but they saw a car coming toward them.

Fearing a collision, Iraheta and his father jumped out of the truck. The father jumped into the yard. Iraheta jumped into the street.

"I guess the driver kind of jerked his wheel right at the last second, and as the son was jumping into the street, he hit him," Martinez recalled the father saying.

Security camera footage shows a car briefly slowing down and then taking off.

Investigators are looking for a white Chrysler 300. It's a 2005 to 2010 model that likely will have damage to the front, on the driver's side.

The Iraheta family is raising money for funeral expenses.

Martinez asked for help.

"They're a hard-working family. He's a really good kid," he said.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call police at 703-792-6500.Tuesday marks National Voter Registration Day, and your vote counts.

Governor's races are on the ballot this November in 36 states, including Maryland, where Gov. Larry Hogan is being challenged by Ben Jealous, the former president of the NAACP.

If elected, Jealous would be the state's first black governor. If Hogan is re-elected, he will become the first GOP governor re-elected in Maryland since 1954.

In D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser is running for re-election and a number of city council seats are on the ballot.

In Virginia, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine will face Republican challenger Corey Stewart.

If you live in Virginia, Maryland or D.C., here is how to register:

Virginia: Virginians can register online, by mail or in-person. The deadline to register to vote online and by mail in Virginia is Oct. 15.

Maryland: Voters in Maryland can register online, by mail and in-person at your local board of elections. You can also process your voter registration at your local motor vehicle administration office when completing drivers license transactions. Marylands registration deadline is Oct. 16.

Washington, D.C.: Residents registering to vote online or by mail must send their information to the D.C. Board of Elections at least 21 days before Election Day. Same-day registration is also available on Election Day, according to the Board of Elections.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.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."Sen. Lindsey Graham went beyond what is publicly known about an accusation that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was involved in a sexual assault as a teenager, saying everybody named in regard to being there said it didnt happen.

Its true that all four of the people Christine Blasey Ford has identified as being in the house that night she says she was assaulted have said they dont recall the incident, or even being there. But not all of them said it didnt happen.

Kavanaugh says it didnt happen. And Mark Judge, who Ford says was in the room during the assault, says, I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the professor accusing President Trump's Supreme Court nominee of sexual assault, may end up testifying after all. Attorneys for Dr. Ford said she's too busy dealing with death threats to prepare for hearing on Monday. Written testimony by Friday morning's deadline won't happen. Everything else, they say, is negotiable.

The other two identified by Ford as being in the house that night, but who were not said to have witnessed the alleged assault, also said they had no recollection of being at such a gathering. But they didnt go so far as to say, It didnt happen. In fact, one of them, Leland Ingham Keyser, a close friend of Fords, told the Washington Post she believes Fords allegation.

Asked about Fords allegations on Fox News Sunday on Sept. 23, Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee said, I will do the following: listen to Dr. Ford, compare that to everything in the record and make a decision. This accusation is 36 years old. I dont know when it happened, I dont know where it happened and all the people who have been named say it didnt happen.

Fox News Chris Wallace later asked Graham if there was anything that Dr. Ford could say that would persuade you to vote against Kavanaughs nomination.

What am I supposed to do? Go ahead and ruin this guys life based on an accusation, 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.

Lets review what has been said by Ford and each of the people identified by Ford as being at the house in Maryland that night in the early 1980s.

First, here is Fords description of the incident, which she sent in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein on July 30.

Ford letter, July 30: Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during High School in the early 1980s. He conducted these acts with the assistance of his close friend, Mark G. Judge. Both were 1-2 years older than me and students at a local private school. The assault occurred in a suburban Maryland area home at a gathering that included me and 4 others. Kavanaugh physically pushed me into a bedroom as I was headed for a bathroom up a short stairwell from the living room. They locked the door and played loud music, precluding any successful attempts to yell for help. Kavanaugh was on top of me while laughing with Judge, who periodically jumped onto Kavanaugh. They both laughed as Kavanaugh tried to disrobe me in their highly inebriated state. With Kavanaughs hand over my mouth, I feared he may inadvertently kill me. From across the room, a very drunken Judge said mixed words to Kavanaugh, ranging from go for it to stop. At one point, when Judge jumped onto the bed, the weight on me was substantial. The pile toppled and the two scrapped with each other. After a few attempts to get away, I was able to take this opportune moment to get up and run across to a hallway bathroom. I locked the bathroom door behind me. Both loudly stumbled down the stairwell, at which point other persons at the house were talking with them. I exited the bathroom, ran outside of the house and went home.

For his part, Kavanaugh categorically and unequivocally denied the allegation immediately after it was made public. I did not do this back in high school or at any time, Kavanaugh said in a statement put out by the White House on Sept. 14.

Kavanaugh repeated that in an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News on Sept. 24.

Ive never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever, Kavanaugh said. Ive always treated women with dignity and respect.

MacCallum, Sept. 24: You dont remember ever being at parties with her ever? Kavanaugh: I do not. And this is an allegation about a party in the summer of 1982 at a house near Connecticut Avenue and East-West Highway with five people present. I was never at any such party. The other people who are alleged to be present have said they do not remember any such party. A woman who was present, another woman who was present, who is 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. All Im asking for is a fair process where I can be heard. MacCallum: And to this date, no one has corroborated the story that she has told. As you accurately point out, but is there  so theres no chance that there was something between the two of you that maybe she misunderstood the exchange that you had? Nothing ever physical, you never met her, never kissed her, never touched her, nothing that you remember? Kavanaugh: Correct. I  I never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr. Ford. Ive never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or otherwise.  MacCallum: So, when she says theres no doubt in her mind that it was you, because she was asked that  is it possible that you maybe confused him, maybe its a mistaken identity, maybe it was someone else. She said absolutely not. Kavanaugh: I have never sexually assaulted anyone. I was not at the party described. I was not anywhere at any place resembling that in the summer of 1982. The other people alleged to be there dont say anything like that. And the woman whos alleged to be there, whos her friend, says that she doesnt know me and doesnt recall ever being at a party with me in her life.

What about those other people identified by Ford as being at the house that night?

Lets start with Mark Judge, a conservative writer, who Ford says was in the room when the assault took place. Through his attorney, Judge sent the following statement in an email to the Senate Judiciary Committee:

Judge statement, Sept. 18: I did not ask to be involved in this matter nor did anyone ask me to be involved. The only reason I am involved is that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford remembers me as the other person in the room during the alleged assault. In fact, I have no memory of this alleged incident. Brett Kavanaugh and I were friends in high school but I do not recall the party described in Dr. Fords letter. More to the point, I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes. I have no more information to offer the Committee and I do not wish to speak publicly regarding the incidents described in Dr. Fords letter.

The Washington Post, which published an interview with Ford on Sept. 16, reported that Ford said there were four boys at the party but only two in the room.

In an update to the Senate judiciary investigation posted on Sept. 23  which Grahams press office pointed us toward to back up the senators comment  the committee states that it learned the identities of the four other individuals Dr. Ford claimed were at the party when the incident took place. They were not, however, all boys, as Dr. Ford apparently told her therapist and the Washington Post. The four individuals Dr. Ford claimed attended the party were Judge Kavanaugh, Mr. Judge, Mr. Patrick J. Smyth, and Ms. Leland Ingham Keyser.

A second woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct has come forward, in an interview with The New Yorker. Deborah Ramirez claimed that Kavanaugh pulled down his pants and exposed himself to her at a drinking party when they were both freshmen at Yale, an allegation Kavanaugh denies.

Keyser, a longtime friend of Fords, contacted the Senate Judiciary Committee via an email on Sept. 22 from her counsel, Howard J. Walsh III. 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, Walsh wrote to the committee.

The Washington Post reported on Sept. 23 that in a brief interview with Keyser at her home in Silver Spring, Maryland, Keyser said that she did not recall the party, but that she was close friends with Ford and that she believes Fords allegation.

Smyth also provided a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 19, through his counsel.

Smyth, Sept. 19: I understand that I have been identified by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford as the person she remembers as PJ who supposedly was present at the party she described in her statements to the Washington Post. 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. To safeguard my own privacy and anonymity, I respectfully request that the Committee accept this statement in response to any inquiry the Committee may have.A federal judge appeared poised Monday to toss out a defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump by porn actress Stormy Daniels.

Judge S. James Otero said in U.S. District Court that a tweet the president wrote in April appears to be "rhetorical hyperbole" and speech protected under the First Amendment.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, sued Trump in April after he said a composite sketch of a man she said threatened her in 2011 to keep quiet about an alleged affair with the real estate mogul was a "con job."

Trump tweeted that the man was "nonexistent" and that Daniels was playing the "fake news media for fools." He retweeted a side-by-side photo comparing the sketch with a photo of Daniels' husband.

Otero said he would rule later, but that Trump's statement seemed like an opinion and speech protected under the First Amendment.

"To allow the complaint to go forward and to have one consider this to be defamatory in the context it was made would have a chilling effect," Otero said.

Attorney Ken White who blogs about the case and talks about it on the podcast "All the President's Lawyers" said he thinks Otero wrote a tentative ruling that he would finalize and issue soon.

If Daniels' defamation case if thrown out it would be similar to a ruling by a New York state judge who dismissed a lawsuit by a political strategist who claimed her reputation was trashed when Trump falsely said she had "begged" for a campaign job and called her a "dummy" on Twitter, White said.

"The court basically said, 'It's Trump, it's Twitter, he known for throwing around insults and this can't be understood as anything other than exaggerated rhetoric,'" White said of the New York case.

Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said outside court that he would appeal if the defamation suit was dismissed. He said it was ironic that Trump was relied on the First Amendment to shield himself from legal trouble.

"I witnessed something here today that I never thought I'd witness," Avenatti said. "That is: Donald Trump having a lawyer stand up in a federal court and espouse on his behalf the virtues and how important the First Amendment is in America. This is the same Donald Trump that has crapped all over the First Amendment and the news media for years."

Otero scheduled a hearing Dec. 3 to discuss Trump's efforts to dismiss another lawsuit by Daniels over a hush-money agreement related to their alleged affair.

Daniels sued Trump and his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who negotiated the deal, so she could speak publicly about the sexual tryst without fear of reprisal. Cohen had threatened to sue her for $20 million.

Lawyers for Trump and Cohen now say the deal that paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet was invalid and they won't sue her for breaking it.

Daniels has said she had sex once with Trump in 2006 and carried on a friendship with him for about a year.

Daniels had said the agreement should be invalidated because Cohen signed it, but Trump didn't.

Trump's attorney said the president never considered himself as a party to the agreement and doesn't dispute Daniels' assertion that the contract isn't valid.

While Trump and Cohen want the court to toss out the litigation as moot, Daniels' lawyer wants to keep the case alive.

Avenatti, who has frequently and aggressively criticized Trump in the news and has said he's considering challenging him in the 2020 presidential race, wants to take testimony from Trump about whether the deal was inked to silence Daniels while he was running for president.

Cohen has pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations for arranging payments to both Daniels and a former Playboy model to influence the election.

Essential Consultants, the company Cohen set up to make the payment to Daniels, wants Daniels to return her $130,000 payment. Avenatti wants the defendants to pay his legal fees.

Trump's lawyer, Charles Harder, said he would ask Daniels to pay the president's legal bills if he succeeds in killing the defamation suit.What to Know Forty-seven-year-old Allen Warner was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in Whitman, Massachusetts.

Police had been searching for Warner after they say he allegedly shot and killed his wife Monday evening in Marshfield.

After victim Shana Warner reported her husband was chasing her with a car, police found her with injuries to her face. She later died.

A Massachusetts man suspected of killing his estranged wife in Marshfield Monday evening is in police custody following his capture in Whitman, authorities confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz says 47-year-old Allen Warner was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon following an incident at a Dunkin' Donuts. Cruz said police had responded to the Dunkin' Donuts for a hit-and-run and after reviewing surveillance video they saw the suspect vehicle was a flatbed tow truck belonging to T&K Asphalt Services in Whitman.

Authorities went to the company and found out that the truck had been stolen. At that exact moment, Warner drove by in the truck. Police were able to pull him over and take him into custody.

"He was driving by T&K and the officer was conducting an investigation to see who the operator of the vehicle was without the knowledge or the fact it was taken away from T&K when the vehicle stopped by and Officer Poirier stopped the vehicle," Cruz said.

Shortly after the arrest, police in Marshfield tweeted, "Thanks to everyone for your vigilance, patience and cooperation."

Cruz said Warner is being charged with murder. Authorities said they recovered the gray Corolla he had been driving but not the gun he allegedly used to shoot his wife, Shana Warner, to death.

Warner was considered armed and dangerous after he brutally attacked his estranged wife just before 6 p.m. Monday, police said.

Authorities had previously said the victim called 911 to report that her estranged husband was chasing her in a vehicle. Responding officers found Shana Warner with injuries to her face, according to Cruz.

She was rushed to South Shore Hospital, where she died. Cruz said it appeared Shana Warner was shot, but also "sustained other life-threatening injuries," and that they were waiting for the medical examiner's report.

He also said it was unclear if Shana Warner had called 911 to say Allen Warner was chasing her before or after she had been shot.

Tom DeFlippo, Shana's father, told NBC10 Boston he is devastated over the loss of his daughter.

"We are best friends... we argue sometimes, as usual, but we are always best friends," he said.

The two worked side-by-side in the family landscaping business for the past 15 years.

"The first time she said 'I want to be a landscaper' I thought she wouldn't last a week and she fooled me," DeFlippo said.

He said very little about his estranged son-in-law, except that he never had any reason to believe he was violent toward his daughter.

Warner's neighbor and property manager, Joe Burton, said he saw him Monday morning and was shocked to hear what happened.

"It's unlike him to do something like that. I would never think of him doing something like that," Burton said.

Marshfield Police Chief Phil Tavares called the incident "another despicable, cowardly act of domestic violence," adding that Allen Warner is "well-known" to authorities.

"Over a number of years, he's had numerous interactions with police," said Tavares.

Court documents show the Warners married in 2008, and that Shana Warner filed for divorce three times, with the first time being in June 2011 because her husband was "physically and verbally abusive due to his drug use behavior."

The last time she filed for divorce was in May of 2018, according to court documents.

Police in Marshfield said they got a call about Warner being in the area five days ago, saying he looked suspicious.

"We believe he came to Marshfield specifically for her. He'd been stalking around the area days before to locate her," said Tavares.

Warner is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Plymouth District Court. It's unclear what other charges besides murder he may be facing or if he has an attorney.Many people in northern New England have been buzzing that it seems the regions famous fall foliage is late to arrive this year.

There are colors out there, though, and the tourism-dependent state of Vermont is now asking people to share what they seein a new wayon social media.

I think crowdsourcing for foliage reports is a brilliant idea, Commissioner Wendy Knight of the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing said of a new push from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation.

Commissioner Mike Snyder of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, who was attending a conference out-of-state Tuesday and unavailable for an on-camera interview, is now asking people to share foliage observations and pictures using the social media hashtag #FindYourPeakVT.

In his announcement on Twitter, Snyder wrote of the observations, Peak color not required! Just give us a peek into your neck of the woods and share what piqued your interest this week.

He noted it is important for people to include the locations of their observations and pictures.

At Bragg Farm Sugarhouse & Gift Shop in nearby East Montpelier, Barb LeGrand-Bragg says it seems to her that the autumn colors have been slow to arrive in her region. Still, shes urging patience.

They will burst into brightness, LeGrand-Bragg said of the trees. It never fails!

Because tourist visits during foliage season are so critical to Vermont, bringing roughly $400-million in spending, LeGrand-Bragg said she is glad to point her customers to the best viewing spots.

This is a small state and we like to help each other out, the business owner said.

LeGrand-Bragg predicted the same spirit of helpfulness will likely have Vermonters taking Snyder up on his request for contributions of foliage reports.

Those citizen observations and photos will be used in Snyders official state foliage reports, aiming to reflect a range of communities and locationswhich may just encourage travelers to get off the beaten path.

I just get a thrill out of it, professional photographer Adam Silverman said of the delight he finds in locating the best shots of fall foliage, even if it means traveling dirt roads and hiking through the woods.

Silverman, whose primary job is as the public information officer for the Vermont State Police, shared several of his 2018 fall foliage photos with necn and NBC10 Boston for this story.

Silverman said he plans to share more shots on Instagram and Facebook this season, using the new #FindYourPeakVT hashtag, as the autumn colors continue emerging.

We are showcasing Vermont for the world through social media, Silverman said of himself and other Vermont photographers who enjoy sharing shots of their states natural wonders. We, as photographers, are able to capture such beauty because thats what we are fortunate enough to be surrounded by.

Tourism Commissioner Knight said she believes the first-person info shared with Commissioner Snyder will really connect with many visitors.

When [travel advice] comes from someone whos a real person, as opposed to someone like mewho gets paid to tell people how beautiful Vermont isthen its deemed more qualified or authentic, Knight told necn and NBC10 Boston.

As for when prime foliage viewing will arrivewell, we cant tell you. No one can. Thats all up to the trees, and they wont announce it on social media.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.Countries engaged in the UN General Assemblys High-Level Meeting on NCDs are urged to enact lifesaving policies

Alcohol is a leading contributor to death and disability worldwide, but governments havent responded to the issue with the attention, resources and action this urgent issue requires, says Trouble Brewing, a new report from global health and development organizations, Vital Strategies, the NCD Alliance, IOGT International and the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA). The report debunks misconceptions about alcohol use, exposes industry tactics to market to youth and women and derail regulation, and emphasizes the urgency of implementing proven, evidence-based policies.

An estimated 3 million people die every year as a result of alcohol consumption, according to the 2018 Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health released by the World Health Organization this month. Alcohol is a leading risk factor for premature death and disability among people between the ages of 15 and 49.

Governments have the opportunity to prevent millions of deaths from harmful alcohol use every year, said Dr. Adam Karpati, Senior Vice President, Public Health Programs at the global health organization, Vital Strategies.  Trouble Brewing highlights actionable steps that governments and the global health community can take to reduce alcohols social, health and economic harms. We hope this report empowers civil society from across health and development sectors to advocate to governments to adopt these proven measures.

The report lays out the burden of the harmful use of alcohol, identifies the most important interventions governments can take, and describes the influence and threats to alcohol policy that come from the alcohol industry.

Globally, the harmful use of alcohol is the fifth leading risk factor for premature death and disability and among the top risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Alcohol use also increases susceptibility to communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and contributes to suicide.

Alcohol doesnt only harm the person who consumes alcohol: it plays a significant role in violent incidents including homicide and sexual violence and studies show that drink driving increases the risk of a fatal road crash up to 17 times.

The report highlights the most cost-effective strategies for reducing alcohol-related harms, which are included in the WHO Best Buys recommendations for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: Increasing excise taxes on alcoholic beverages to reduce affordability Regulating the availability of alcohol  how, when, and to whom it is sold Restricting exposure to alcohol advertising.

A barrier to strong alcohol policies has been misperceptions around the health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. The most recent and rigorous analysis of the evidence showed that there is no net health benefit from any level of alcohol consumption.

Alcohol use is increasing most noticeably in countries where marketing and use of commercially produced alcohol is expanding, said Rebecca Perl, lead author of Trouble Brewing and Vice President of Partnerships and Initiatives at Vital Strategies. The industry is targeting young people and women to increase sales, and effectively avoiding regulation by adopting largely ineffective, voluntary guidelines. Their playbook takes a page from the tobacco industry and requires a comparable policy response to protect youth and help save lives.

Alcohol can be toxic, carcinogenic and addictive, said Katie Dain, Chief Executive Officer of the NCD Alliance. It causes and perpetuates harm to those who drink alcohol and those around them, particularly children impacted by the alcohol use of others. As long as governments are failing to act to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, their people, economy and public services will continue to suffer and bear the high cost unnecessarily. We encourage advocates to use Trouble Brewing to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to build support for policy action that will also help governments make progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

Alcohol causes seven types of cancer, but only very few people know about this. Alcohol is a major obstacle to sustainable development, adversely affecting 13 of 17 SDGs, said Kristina Sperkova, International President of IOGT International.  Trouble Brewing clearly shows the social justice dimension of alcohol-related harm and how we can build a better world for all by curbing Big Alcohol and implementing high-impact, cost-effective and evidence-based best buy alcohol policy solutions.

"We see that alcohol markets in the West are saturated and alcohol producers are looking for new markets in low- and middle-income countries, said ystein Bakke, Secretary of the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance. These markets, with a young population and growing economies, often lack the regulatory framework necessary to check a trajectory of increasing alcohol consumption. Trouble Brewing is making the case for effective alcohol control policies today to prevent the potential for rising alcohol use and its harmful effects in the future."

Trouble Brewing is being launched in advance of the third UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs. It has been written to provoke discussion and prompt action to reduce the societal harms of alcohol use and to serve as a resource for a wide range of advocates supporting WHOs work to reduce the global burden of preventable diseases.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 orthopedic 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."

Source: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/13170Emerging viruses such as Ebola, SARS and swine flu are familiar sounding, yet seemingly distant diseases to many Americans. But that's not the case with Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus that recently struck close to home and has proven deadly for the elderly.

In 2014, 12 cases of locally acquired Chikungunya were reported in Florida, and more than 4,000 were reported in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa. The virus is not often deadly, but of the cases that are, more than 90 percent occur in individuals 65 and older or in people with weakened immune systems.

"We dodged a bullet," said Janko Nikolich--ugich, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Immunobiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson.

The U.S. mosquito season waned just as those cases were reported, he explained.

"We were primed for an outbreak in 2015, but we didn't get it," said Dr. Nikolich--ugich, who is co-director of the UA Center on Aging and a member of the UA BIO5 Institute.

Now, using a $1.5 million federal grant from the National Institute on Aging, the internationally recognized immunologist will study how Chikungunya causes devastating effects in older adults to improve treatment options.

When an individual becomes infected, the virus causes arthritis-like symptoms, such as joint and muscle pain, swelling and rash. Symptoms can last months to years, and are particularly prolonged and severe in older adults. East Africans aptly named the virus "Chikungunya," meaning a crooked person unable to stand straight.

With no vaccine or treatment, individuals can recover only with bed rest, fluids and pain relievers, such as acetaminophen.

Chikungunya masquerades as arthritis, but can be far more destructive, said Dr. Nikolich--ugich, who is determined to help our nation be ready for the next U.S. outbreak.

"In the United States, more than 20 percent of the population is 65 or older," he said. "By 2050, one-third of the U.S. population will be over the age of 65, and, therefore, vulnerable."

Using his new grant, the immunologist will study an immune hormone called transforming growth factor beta (TGF?). His team has found that when older mice are infected with Chikungunya, their body secretes excessive amounts of the hormone. The hormone is effective at combatting certain infections, but is completely unequipped to fight off Chikungunya, Dr. Nikolich--ugich said.

"The virus is tricking the body to secrete TGF?, taking the immune system down the completely wrong rabbit hole," Dr. Janko Nikolich--ugich explained.

His UA lab has shown that blocking TGF? can reduce Chikungunya sickness in old mice. Now the lab will determine exactly how the hormone makes older individuals succumb to Chikungunya more easily - and how to block its effect on the elderly.

Chikungunya was discovered in the early 1950s in Africa and is endemic in areas throughout the Indian Ocean. In the last 20 years, it has migrated to the Middle East, Europe and the United States.

Between 2005 and 2006, 250,000 individuals were infected with Chikungunya on Reunion, an island off the southeastern coast of Africa. Of those, 213 died from the infection.

Dr. Nikolich--ugich cites Reunion as an example of what America's fate could be - but on a much smaller scale. He fears the United States will have a much higher mortality rate when Chikungunya strikes again because of its large elderly population. Only 6 percent of Reunion islanders were 65 or older.

The United States is home to two of the mosquitoes that carry the virus: aedes aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito, and aedes albopictus, also called the Asian tiger mosquito. U.S. locations at risk for the virus include Florida, Texas and areas where it is hot and humid during mosquito season, from May through July.

"Dr. Nikolich--ugich is doing groundbreaking work for Chikungunya and other diseases that presently have no vaccine and no cure," said UA President Robert C. Robbins, MD. "This work is important not only because it can show us how to combat certain infections, but also because Dr. Nikolich--ugich and his team are anticipating a potentially serious outbreak in the future and looking to mitigate its effects. I am thrilled by what this grant will enable, and I look forward to the results of this study."In July 2018, a research project with an entirely innovative approach to measuring magnetic fields in tissue started at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF: The scientists in Freiburg will produce and optimize NV centers in diamond in order to achieve highly sensitive magnet field detectors working at room temperature, and by those means develop the world's first laser threshold magnetometer. Smallest magnetic fields, like the ones produced in neuronal networks or through brainwaves, can be detected with this technology, which will advance medical diagnostics. The research project with the working title NV-doped CVD diamond for ultra-sensitive Laser Threshold Magnetometry, short DiLaMag, is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The measurement of magnetic fields has become a standard practice in medical diagnostics. Smallest electrical currents flow inside the nerve cells of brains and hearts and produce weak magnetic fields. Precise magnetic field sensors are able to measure the activity of brains (MEG) or hearts (MKG) and allow for imaging procedures such as magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) in order to detect diseases. The required precision for these measurements, however, is only achieved by a few highly sensitive magnetic field sensors usually working at extreme low-temperature cooling.

Highly Precise Magnetic Field Measurements at Room Temperature

Most magnetometers are not precise enough to measure the weak signals of the brain. Common highly sensitive magnetic field sensors, such as SQUID sensors, function only with extreme cooling, which makes their use extremely cost-intensive and technologically complex. Innovative sensor technologies such as nitrogen vacancy centers (NV centers) or vapor cell magnetometers could become an important alternative, explains Dr. Jan Jeske, researcher at Fraunhofer IAF and project manager of DiLaMag.

Innovative opportunities for highly sensitive sensor technologies arise from researching new quantum physical systems and from enhancing the materials basis of the sensors. In this regard, the research project DiLaMag wants to achieve ultra-sensitive laser threshold magnetometry with the help of atomic nitrogen vacancy centers. For this purpose, the scientists at Fraunhofer IAF work on the development of the world's first highly NV-doped diamond laser crystals. Highly sensitive magnetic field sensors, suited for biological applications, would for example allow for the measurement of brain and heart activities of unborn babies, and therefore help prenatal treatment of diseases. The German Ministry for Education and research (BMBF) supports the five-year project as part of their youth competition NanoMatFutur - a program to promote young and highly qualified scientists in the field of materials development (FKZ: 13XP5063).

Diamond as a Laser Medium

Laser threshold magnetometry (LSM) is an entirely new research approach. What's new about it: NV-doped diamond is used as a laser medium in order to develop highly precise laser threshold magnetometers. Jeske developed this concept during his time as a postdoctoral fellow at the RMIT University of Melbourne. The crucial idea of LSM is based on the concept of using a material as a laser medium that has an optically detectable magnetic resonance. Diamond with a high density of NV centers is especially well suited as laser medium due to its exceptional material characteristics, explains Jeske. The scientists expect stronger signals and higher contrasts with NV-doped diamond as laser medium, which will lead to significantly more precise measurement results. A crucial advantage is the usability of NV centers in diamonds at room temperature, as they maintain their quantum properties - in contrast to, for example, SQUID sensors, reasons the scientist.

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Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Diamond

Nitrogen vacancy center (NV centers) are atomic systems consisting of one nitrogen atom and a carbon vacancy inside a diamond. They absorb green light and emit red light. As the luminosity of these NV centers depends on the intensity of an exterior magnetic field and as the centers are only the size of an atom, they can be used to measure magnetic fields with both high spatial resolution and high sensitivity.

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The measuring principle is based on the competition between stimulated and spontaneous emission, which can be influenced by smallest magnetic fields, describes Jeske. The proof that the concept of LSM functions not only theoretically has been provided by first experiments: The experiments have clearly shown that NV diamond shows stimulated emission and is therefore principally suited as laser material. The next step is to improve the optical properties of diamond and to build the actual measuring system, says Jeske, who recently returned to the German research scene after his seven-year long stay in Australia.

Setup of a NV Diamond Laser Laboratory

By fusing three core competences of Fraunhofer IAF, namely diamond growth, laser technology and high frequency electronics, quantum magnetometry can quickly be transferred from basics to applied systems. The DiLaMag research team now stands at the initial phase of its work: The first step is growing diamonds via a plasma-based CVD procedure and treating them in a way as to minimize losses through absorption, scattering and double scattering. The challenge in this process is to enrich diamond with as many NV centers as possible without lowering the material quality. Subsequently, the project team plans on producing diamond layers with the optimal NV density inside the plasma CVD reactors of Fraunhofer IAF, and to characterize relevant physical and optical parameters of the material. The required infrastructure is currently being established at Fraunhofer IAF.

Project Aims and Cooperation

The aim of the first project stage is to improve the material characteristics of highly NV-doped diamond, as well as its analysis, in order to produce optimized laser crystals and to develop first demonstrators of the LSM. The second project stage focusses on the further improvement of the sensitivity and the measuring of magnetic field signals of biological cells. The project also draws on close cooperation with SIGMA Medizin-Technik GmbH (medical technology Ltd.), who will provide the technical equipment for first biological comparison measurement. The project receives support from the medical side as well, as experts in the field of biomagnetism from the university hospital of Freiburg and Heidelberg will accompany the first measurements.

Source: https://www.iaf.fraunhofer.de/en/media-library/press-releases/DiLaMag.html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.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.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.About one decade after its first benefit assessment of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) is reassessing this treatment method. However, then as now, its benefit and harm are unclear. Whereas only few studies with very limited informative value were available in 2006, over 100 clinical comparisons with several thousands of patients have been conducted since. But results have been published for only some of these studies, as not only the manufacturers of the medical devices used, but also researchers, are concealing data, thus violating ethical and scientific standards. Assessing the benefit and harm of the treatment solely on the basis of the published data could have entailed a seriously biased result. Hence, there is still no valid basis for the assessment of the benefit and harm of this treatment.

The current report deals with NPWT for wounds healing by secondary intention; wounds healing by primary intention are the subject of a second benefit assessment. In NPWT, negative pressure in the wound is used to promote wound healing, and to accelerate the healing of large wounds in particular.

Over 100 studies with several thousands of participants

The Institute has now found that a large number of further randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing NPWT with standard treatment have been completed since its last report. There are currently over 100 studies involving several thousands of patients, which is an unusually large number for a non-drug intervention. One would think that this would be a good starting point for a benefit assessment.

Publication bias: positive effect often overestimated

The inclusion of the results of all studies in the assessment is indispensable to be able to draw reliable conclusions. The use of only published data could lead to an overestimation of the positive effects of a medical intervention, because it is known from research that studies with "unfavorable" results are usually the ones that remain in the file drawer or are published only years later. This is referred to as "publication bias".

For this reason, IQWiG not only conducts searches in databases or registries, but also sends requests to manufacturers and authors who have reported studies in journals, trial registries or presentations, for example. "Detective work" is sometimes required to identify studies.

Agreement with sponsors to facilitate cooperation

To be able to also use the results from studies sponsored by manufacturers as completely as possible and to facilitate cooperation, the Institutes regularly offers a contract to such sponsors, which has advantages for both sides: Confidential information such as confidential business and commercial information remains protected in any case. In return, the manufacturer agrees to submit the complete data on all published and unpublished studies. IQWiG may use and publish the results and the underlying methods.

The Institute has concluded such a contract with several manufacturers of NPWT systems. This is a comprehensive agreement, i.e. irrespective of a division of the commission by type of wound (primary, secondary).

Data missing for a large proportion of relevant studies

Many of the newly searched RCTs recorded and reported usable data on so-called patient-relevant outcomes such as mortality, wound closure, pain, complications (of treatment), length of hospital stay, or need of long-term care, and were therefore relevant for the assessment. However, there were also a large number of studies for which the results were not available, although the Institute had repeatedly requested information from the respective study investigators.

KCI does not comply with the contract

Despite several requests, the US-based manufacturer KCI Medical Devices (Acelity) provided neither a complete overview nor complete clinical study reports on all the studies for which the company is responsible. As a result, data were incomplete for half of all participants (842 of 1681). The IQWiG researchers therefore could not consider these studies for their benefit assessment of NPWT.

Standards violated also by researchers

However, there are also gaps in the remaining studies, most of them so-called investigator-initiated trials (IITs), which were, for example, initiated by university-based researchers: Regarding secondary wound healing, usable study results were missing for at least 1703 of 4251 participants in total, corresponding to 40%. Since this magnitude impedes a meaningful interpretation of the results, here too, the Institute dispensed with an assessment of benefit and harm.

Nothing is known about the researchers' motives. Their own research interests or dependencies might play a role. It is obvious at least for some of the IITs that even though the manufacturers did not act as sponsors, they were involved indirectly, e.g. by granting scholarships or by supporting the analysis of the data and the production of manuscripts (medical writing).

Concealing data harms patients and physicians

Stefan Sauerland, Head of the Department of Non-Drug Interventions, notes with frustration: "The evidence base was meager when we conducted our first assessments. Now there are studies with several thousands of patients, but we still cannot say whether NPWT is better, equivalent, or possibly even worse than conventional wound treatment."

The reason is that both companies and researchers are concealing data. "This violates ethical and scientific standards", says Stefan Sauerland. "And they harm patients and physicians as well as the community of insured citizens, which to me, as a physician and researcher, is very disconcerting."

Registration and publication of the results must be mandatory

NPWT is an example showing that further legal regulations are required, also for studies on non-drug interventions and medical devices. Unlike in other countries such as the United States, medical devices in Europe are not subject to a central approval process. A certification by "designated bodies", which are private sector organizations, is sufficient to launch a medical device. In many cases, clinical studies have not been necessary for this, even though Europe's Medical Device Directive is a considerable improvement for the requirements of a clinical assessment. In addition, in Germany, almost all new non-drug interventions can be used in hospitals and be reimbursed by statutory health insurance funds without prior assessment of their benefit or harm. A positive benefit assessment is only required for the outpatient sector.

New legislation would have to stipulate the registration of studies on non-drug interventions or medical devices before their start and the timely publication of their results. "More progress has been made in drug studies", says Stefan Sauerland. An EU directive and the German Act on the Reform of the Market for Medicinal Products (AMNOG) have notably increased transparency regarding drugs. Stefan Sauerland is convinced: "Without similar regulations, reliable data on interventions such as NPWT will still not be available in 10 years' time."

Source: https://www.iqwig.de/en/press/press-releases/negative-pressure-wound-therapy-violation-of-ethical-and-scientific-standards.10021.htmlIn what Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers call an unusually comprehensive analysis of nationwide data, they conclude that the rate of lawnmower injuries persists at close to 6,400 a year, most of them requiring surgery and hospitalization, and costing an average of $37,000 per patient.

A report of the study, tracking eight years of data between 2006 and 2013, was published in the Sept. issue of Public Health Reports.

"Despite consumer education programs and warning labels, lawnmower injuries in the United States remain a serious public health concern," says Deborah Schwengel, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the study's senior author. She is also associated with Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

Overall the new analysis showed that the most frequent injuries were to men (43,567 of 51,151, or 85.2 percent), and that children up to age 4 were six times more likely to have a foot/toe or lower extremity injury and 1.7 times more likely to have an amputation than those age 15 and above. Conversely, older teens and adults age 15 and above were 8.3 times more likely to have an injury to the hand or upper extremity. This, the researchers say, suggests that young children are more likely to get injured by running into the yard while a family member operates the lawnmower or by getting their foot trapped in the machine while sitting in the operating member's lap, and that the majority of teens and adults sustain injuries from sticking their hands into the mower to clear debris.

The data were not able to inform the researchers about the type of mower that caused an individual injury; what mower designs were most likely associated with injuries; or whether those injured were bystanders or doing the mowing.

Previous studies, says Schwengel, have generally collected data only on certain types of injuries associated with consumer products without addressing issues of cost or national scope.

To better understand the extent of the problem, Schwengel and her team drew on information gathered for the United States Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), the largest emergency department database in the U.S. Overall, they focused on medical record reports of lawnmower-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations from Jan. 1, 2006, to Dec. 31, 2013. NEDS captures 25 million to 30 million emergency department visits, or 20 percent of all emergency department visits in the U.S., each year.

The researchers also collected age, geography, gender and other information about those injured, along with the day of week and month when each visit occurred.

For the analysis, the research team identified 14,878 lawnmower injuries over the eight-year period, which, when adapted to reflect national ER visit data, represented an estimated 51,151 injuries, and consisted of about 6,394 cases per year on average.

For the entire study population, most of the injuries were lacerations (23,907 of 51,151, or 46.7 percent), fractures (11,433 or 22.4 percent) and amputations (11,013 or 21.5 percent). The most common injury locations were wrist or hand (33,477, or 65.4 percent) and foot or toe (10,122 or 19.8 percent).

Of the 51,151 cases, 43,567 (85.2 percent) were in men; 19,162 (37.5 percent) happened in the South; 33,886 (66.3 percent) occurred on a weekday; and the majority, 36,686 (81.7 percent), occurred between April and September.

By looking at standardized injury codes, or E-codes, the researchers were able to look at national averages of treatment costs for the codes and determine that emergency room charges totaled an average of $2,482 per patient, and average inpatient charges totaled $36,987 per patient.

Schwengel and her colleagues caution that the study was limited to E-codes that are used by hospitals primarily for administrative purposes, and that the collection and reporting of these codes varies from state to state. However, they say the findings are comparable in outcome to previous studies, and that the NEDS data sample allowed for more in-depth analyses of charges, procedures performed and patient demographics for these types of injuries.

"Understanding what types of injuries occur in certain groups should help engineers design safer lawnmowers and policymakers create more appropriate prevention policies," says Schwengel. One example of a better lawnmower design that could prevent injury, the researchers say, would be one with stopping features that automatically activate when human flesh is detected near blades.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..

Smith-Guzman's previous discovery of the first case of bone cancer in Latin America is featured on this month's Smithsonian Sidedoor podcast.Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau (second left) meets economic and trade experts from the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Edward Yau began his visit to Washington, DC today to promote Hong Kong's strengths in doing business and introduce its latest economic developments.

He first met experts from the Peterson Institute for International Economics to exchange views on issues such as global economic and trade relations, and the current situation and future prospects of multilateral and regional trading systems.

Mr Yau then called on Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the US Li Kexin to understand the latest situation of China-US relations.

He also joined a dinner hosted by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, Washington, DC that was attended by senior US government officials, think tank members and leaders of commerce and business chambers.

Mr Yau said he looks forward to fostering closer bilateral ties through high-level government and business delegation exchanges.

In 2017, total trade in goods and services between the US and Hong Kong was close to US$70 billion. The US was Hong Kong's second-largest goods trading partner, while Hong Kong ranked ninth-largest among US goods exports destinations.Marvel comics missing in action: Four series that disappeared in 2020 that we're still waiting for

Four Marvel limited series are lost in the ether - but we haven't forgotten themGamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn moreNew Delhi : The CBI has written to the Interpol in Nigeria seeking the whereabouts of Chetan and Nitin Sandesara, directors of the Gujarat-based pharma company Sterling Biotech in connection with an over Rs 5,000-crore bank fraud case.

A senior official of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told IANS that it has written to the Interpol unit in Nigeria to share details on whereabouts of Nitin and Chetan Sandesara and his family members in that country.

According to the agency source, the CBI wrote to the Interpol in Nigeria late on Monday.

The CBI official made the revelation amid media reports that Nitin and Chetan Sandesara, along with his family members, had fled to the African nation.

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 during the years 2004 to 2012, 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.

Meanwhile, a source in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said the agency is set to file a chargesheet against the accused soon under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The source also said that the agency would also write to the Interpol seeking a red corner notice (RCN) against the accused.

The ED had initiated a money laundering probe into the case taking cognizance of the CBI FIR.

On January 13, the ED had arrested Garg. The agency also arrested a Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan in connection with the case in November last year. Besides, the Directorate also attached properties worth Rs 4,703 crore.

The ED had issued lookout circulars against the accused in August 2017.New Delhi : 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.Google new 'Activity Cards' will allow users to pick up searches where they left off (Representational Image)

New Delhi : Google, the tech giant has unfolded certain changes with the aim to make search engine more visual and intuitive. It seems that the search results can answer questions before being asked.

Google is all set to pursue its 20-year-old mission to organize the world's information and make it accessible to anyone. Accordingly, it is using Artificial intelligence and machine learning as core drivers to achieve its goal.

Its search engine is strongly focusing on mobile use and appears to be growing more like Facebook, encouraging users to explore topics of interests with increased emphasis on photos and videos. Also, the results will be strictly personalized.

"Search is not perfect, and we are under no illusions it is," Gomes said.

"But, you have our commitment that we will make it better every day."

It is likely that the latest changes will shift answers to journeys, offering ways to target queries without knowing what words to use and enhancing image-based searches.

Initially, Google images was redesigned to weave in "Lens" technology that enables queries based on what is pointed out in pictures. The images renovation includes carousels of online video clip highlights exhibited with mobile search query results.

Now, the new 'Activity Cards' will allow users to pick up searches where they left off, thereby, eliminating the need to retrace online steps. The search engine will also let users create Collections of online content, and suggest related material that might be of interest.

Report says that Google feed is used by more than 800 million people monthly. Now, it is getting a new name 'Discover' and will come up with increased ability to offer people relevant information they are likely to want but haven't thought to search yet.

The feature was described as "Google search helping you discover new things without a query."

Google said it is also testing out an improvement to its job-related search results that will figure out what skills are needed for such posts and information about how to acquire them.

"Information and language are core to what we are as human beings," Gomes said. "Our work here is never done."Sorry!

This content is not available in your regionMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25)  The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is supporting the passage of a bill that seeks to ban open-pit mining in the country.

DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones on Tuesday said legislating the ban on open-pit mining is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte's stand on the issue.

"We support that bill. In fact, no less than the President have already spoken that he's not supporting the open pit," Leones said.

"While he's very categorical that he's really not supporting the open-pit, he's giving the assignment of amending the mining law to Congress instead of issuing an executive order," he added.

A bill aiming to the mining practice is pending at the House of Representatives. House speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently said they would pass the measure following Duterte's order.

Arroyo said the proposal would "explicitly prohibit open-pit mining as defined and give a grace period to be determined by DENR."

The Speaker gave the Department of Finance (DOF) three days to submit its own proposal, noting that the bill should be a priority.

"Unless DOF communicates to us in three days' time, we will make our own," Arroyo said.

Open-pit mining is recognized by the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and is an internationally allowed method of extracting mineral ore.

Duterte in his third State of the Nation Address warned miners against environmental degradation. He said restrictive policies were on the way, and the ban on open-pit mining was just one.

He recently reiterated his plan to stop open-pit mining operations in the country, following the landslide at a former mining site in Itogon, Benguet, which killed at least 60 people.

CNN Philippines correspondents Xianne Arcangel and Joyce Ilas contributed to this report.New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday used the BJPs "international conspiracy" narrative to counter Congress president Rahul Gandhis attack over alleged irregularities in the Rafale aircraft deal.

Addressing BJP workers during the 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, the Prime Minister accused the Congress party of indulging in a campaign of slander and lies against him.

"The Congress has lost its mental balance after losing power. After not finding any in India, it's looking for alliance partners outside the country... Now will a foreign country decide who will be the country's Prime Minister?" Modi said keeping with the BJPs "international conspiracy" theme to counter Gandhis charges on Rafale deal.

Also Read | Surgical Strike hero Sandeep Singh killed in Kupwara anti-infiltration operation

Modi said that while the BJP was fighting elections on the issue of development, the Congress wanted to capture power through mischief.

We have decided to fight elections on the issue of development, but they want to fight the election by breaking the society. They want to capture power through mischief. They want to use a handful of people to spread falsehood and storm of lies to capture power," the PM said.

The political slugfest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition Congress over the controversial deal of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft intensified after former French president Francoise Hollandes startling revelation about the deal.

Hollande claimed that the Narendra Modi government had proposed the name of Indian partner for Dassault Aviation, the company responsible for making the Rafale fighter aircraft.

Also Read | Rafale Deal: Congress meets CVC for probe; BJP calls it international conspiracy

After this, the Congress president launched an all-out attack against Modi, accusing him of overlooking HAL and helping his businessman friend to get the Rafale deal contract. The Congress party even moved to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), demanding registration of a corruption case in the deal.

Countering the Congress allegations, the BJP said that the allegations of the Opposition party was part of an international conspiracy. Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters in Delhi on Monday, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat claimed that the allegations of Congress were part of an International conspiracy to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Following the recent incidents of killings of policemen and Hizbul Mujahideen's resign or die threat, at least 40 Jammu and Kashmir cops have resigned from their post since Friday. Days after Centres rejection, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday accepted that the cops were quitting their job due to the threat. The state government, however, played down the situation saying their number was negligible.

"The state has over 30,000 SPOs. If you compare the number of people who have resigned, it's negligible," NDTV quoted Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary BVR Subramanium as saying.

Also Read | India a free society, lifting millions out of poverty: Donald Trump at UNGA

Last week, Union home ministry had rejected the reports that Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu and Kashmir were resigning, terming them false propaganda by mischievous elements.

Reports have appeared in a section of media that some Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu and Kashmir have resigned. J&K Police have confirmed that these reports are untrue and motivated. These reports are based on false propaganda by mischievous elements," the Home Ministry had said in a statement.

The resignation videos started surfacing after the kidnapping and killing of three cops South Kashmirs Shopian. The three policemen were dragged out of their homes and killed by terrorists.

Also Read | First Sikh soldier tests positive for cocaine, could be expelled from UK Army

Following the incident, several policemen started posting resignation videos as asked by the Hizbul Mujahideen. The authorities blocked internet services in several districts of South Kashmir to prevent cops from uploading videos on social media.

According to reports, the government has already started shifting policemen and their families to safer places and advised cops not to visit their homes in militancy-hit areas.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia on Tuesday denied reports that slain soldier Lance Naik Sandeep Singh was part of the 4 Para (Special Forces) unit which conducted Surgical Strikes at the terror launch pads along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar in September 2016.

Sandeep Singh died in an anti-infiltration operation in Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara district. He had sustained bullet injuries in the operation in which five terrorists were also killed. Even though he was provided immediate first-aid and admitted to 92 Base Hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.

Before his death, he killed two infiltrators trying to cross the border at Tangdhar area of Kupwara.

Speaking to IANS, Rajesh Kalia said reports about Sandeep Singh being a member of the Armys Special Forces that took part in the September 2016 Surgical Strikes are unfounded.

Earlier on Tuesday, paying tributes to the braveheart, Army's Northern Command twitted: ArmyCdrNC and all ranks salute the supreme sacrifice of L/Nk Sandeep Singh & offer deepest condolences to the family.

Singh, who is survived by his wife and a five-year-old-son, hailed from Punjab's Gurdaspur. He joined the Indian Army in 2007 and was a part of the unit that conducted the surgical strike against Pakistan in 2016.

On Sunday, the security forces had launched the anti-infiltration operation after noticing suspicious movement along the border. In the operation, they killed five militants who were trying to sneak into the Indian side of the border.

The tension on the border has increased 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.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

It is poetic justice that the man who subverted democracy in Maldives and put the country at the virtual command of the Chinese Government while jettisoning India which had been the tiny Indian Ocean countrys trusted friend, is at the crossroads , all set to pay for betraying his countrymens trust.



Abdulla Yameen, President of Maldives, has well and truly been rejected by the people for the authoritarian way in which he ruled his country despite all the baits that he offered and the threats he held out to various institutions and individuals.

ALSO READ: Relevance of Indian financial institutions in new global scenario



That Yameen has so far kept mum and not accepted the verdict of the people is typical of him but this time around his game seems to be up. Even his main prop China would not like to be seen to be defying the peoples mandate. With the Election Commission due to officially declare the results of the presidential election in seven days, Yameen would predictably exhaust all manner of means in the interim to stay in power.



Results released by the Election Commission on morning showed presidential challenger Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had secured 58.3 per cent of the popular vote as opposed to the incumbent, President Yameen, who garnered 42 per cent of the vote.



s election, considered a referendum on democracy in the troubled island nation, saw the people pooh poohing Yameens pledge that he would boost Maldives economy after a first five-year term marred by allegations of rights abuses and corruption.

ALSO READ: Opposition unity on Modi, disunity on Rahul - trump card for BJP

With Yameen hoping to consolidate his hold on power with a second term, the Opposition had warned that the Maldives nascent democracy was at stake in the election. Accusations of fraud had plagued both sides.



Yameen had earlier promulgated a state of emergency, the second in five years, and got the security forces to arrest two out of the five top court judges on charges of plotting a coup. Yameens half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled the island nation for 30 years, had also been arrested besides a plethora of Opposition leaders whose dissent Yameen was inimical towards.

ALSO READ: Modi govt cannot escape pruning fuel prices for positive poll verdict



Also hounded was the first democratically-elected president of Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, who was forced to quit after street protests against him by his detractors who were inspired by Yameen. It was no secret that Nasheed was well disposed towards India and inimical towards China.



It would now be interesting to see how China acts to retain its hold over Maldives and to block Indian efforts to stage a comeback. The Chinese have already enveloped Maldives in what is seen as a virtual debt trap.



This is truly a test case of Chinese intentions to browbeat smaller countries who are steeped in heavy debts to the emerging Chinese super power. Pakistan too has been of late fearing the Chinese stranglehold over it and there are voices within that country opposing too strong a dependence on Beijing.



While the Europeans have fallen foul of Yameen over his authoritarian tendencies over the five years that he was president, the Americans have been relatively muted especially in recent times under President Trump.

ALSO READ: Who will have the last laugh over triple talaq

Now, however, the US too is flexing its muscles and threatening action to safeguard democracy if there is any attempt by Yameen to subvert the national vote to stick on to power.



All depends on how things pan out. If Yameen bows out gracefully, Maldives could get back to its democratic ethos. However, the catch lies in if he does not. The Chinese, having satisfied their naval goals are not about to give up.



Solih, if he does manage to come to power, will have the Chinese breathing down his neck. How he steers the countrys foreign policy would be a crucial challenge. Indian diplomacy will also be up against a formidable challenge. The future indeed holds diverse possibilities.New Delhi:

The 22-year-old Sikh soldier to create history by becoming the first to wear a turban during an annual parade - Trooping the Colour - to mark British Queen Elizabeth II's birthday ceremony, could be expelled after he was tested positive for cocaine, as per reports. Charanpreet Singh Lall hit the headlines after for donning the turban during the annual parade in June.

However, he was tested positive for cocaine following random drug tests at his barrack, a leading British Daily  The Sun  reported.

ALSO READ: Virat Kohli, Mirabai Chanu to receive Khel Ratna; Check complete list of Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awardees 2018

"Guardsman Lall has been discussing it openly in the barracks. The Guards carry out public duties at the Palace, it's disgraceful behaviour," a source was quoted as saying by the report.

"It is for his commanding officer to decide if he gets the boot but anyone caught taking Class A drugs can expect to be dismissed."

"Everyone's shocked. He was put in the limelight and now he's brought only embarrassment," the report said.

Lall is among the three soldiers to have failed the drug test at Windsors Victoria Barracks.

"I can confirm that a number of soldiers from the Coldstream Guards are under investigation for alleged drugs misuse," said Head of Army Personnel Services Group, Brigadier Christopher Coles.

ALSO READ: Complete list of Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awardees 2018

Lall moved to the UK with his family after taking birth in Punjab and joined the British Army in January 2016.

Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her birthday on April 21, however, the Trooping of the Colour ceremony takes place on any Saturday of June.

The ceremony has honoured the birthday of the sovereign since more than 250 years as the celebrations include display of music, army drills and horsemanship.

(With PTI Inputs)

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

A day after expressing his love for the country, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday showered praises on India for successfully lifting millions out of poverty. Addressing world leaders at the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, Trump said, There is India, a free society (of) over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class.

The remarks of the US president came days after the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2018 report. As per the GMPI data, India has taken a big leap in reducing multidimensional poverty by bringing down its poverty rate from 55 per cent to 28 per cent in the last decade.

Also Read | From United Nations, Donald Trump sends love to India, regards to friend Modi

According to the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative estimate in association with the UN Development Programme, India has lifted 271 million people from the clutches of poverty between 2005-06 and 2015-16.

On Monday, Trump had a brief interaction with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during a high-level event on counter-narcotics hosted by the US at the United Nations. During the small interaction with Swaraj, Trump expressed his love for India and sent warm regards to friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Also Read | Donald Trump says second summit with Kim Jon-Un 'quite soon'

When Swaraj told the US president that Modi has sent warm greetings for him, Trump responded: I love India, give my regards to my friend PM Modi, PTI quoted Indian diplomatic sources as saying.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.NEW MILFORD  The Town Council is considering a letter of intent from a company to turn the Lillis Building, which houses the school districts central offices, into affordable housing.

The letter of intent is for Dakota Partners to purchase 50 East St. for $1.6 million, which is what the property is appraised at. Jim Peys, director of acquisition for Dakota Partners, said the investment is a couple of million dollars more because of the asbestos and lead-base paint removal and the historic preservation.

Our intent was to create a revenue source for the town with taxes and the $1.6 million, but also affordable housing, he said.

He said the firm is not getting a tax abatement from the town and will pay taxes based on the rents it receives, not on market value. The apartments are considered affordable workforce housing.

Under the proposal, Dakota Partners would restore the historic facade of the old school and add 15 to 20 apartments, a gym and a leasing office. It would also build two apartment buildings in the back. There would be a total of 75 to 80 units.

The breakdown of the range and percentage of affordable housing will be determined by the state based on income, expenses and state funding.

We want people in the community to afford to live in the community they work in, Peys said.

This wouldnt be the companys first affordable housing project in New Milford. Dakota Partners also built the apartment complex next to CVS. Peys said theres a wait list of about 350 for the 38 units.

Before Dakota Partners builds anything, the town will need to sign the letter of intent and a purchase agreement, then the company will do an engineering and architectural report.

The Town Council, the school and finance boards, as well as residents, would also need to approve it.

Council members decided to wait to get more information.

They approved applying for a $20,000 grant with the state Historic Preservation Office that will cover a third party study into what the building can be reused for.

This study will include public meetings to find out what residents want. The final report will have these uses and estimated costs to make them reality, as well the historic value, proximity to downtown and demographics that might use it.

The grant application goes out the first week of October and will be reviewed the first week of November so the report can be compiled over the winter.

Tammy Reardon, the towns grant writer, said she believes the town has a very high chance of being selected.

Councilman Peter Mullen was skeptical the study would reveal something new.

The cost per square foot is more than any other building in town, he said. Its a money pit.

Others said the office has experience with salvaging old buildings and finding new uses for them. It also gives residents a chance to comment.

Peys said the market study, appraisal and a lot of the information Town Council wants is needed as part of the application for affordable housing and by signing the letter of intent, Dakota Partners would be responsible for the costs.

School officials have been considering the future of the building for months and whether it makes the most sense to renovate the building and make it more accessible or to move central offices to a different location.

In 2016, then-Mayor David Gronbach proposed the town relocate the district offices to the John Pettibone building once it became a community center, but that fell through because Gronbach changed the memorandum of understanding to have the school district front the money for the renovations.

Though the building under the schools ownership is grandfathered in and doesnt have to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act, school officials still want to make it more accessible. Total recommended costs to repair the building and make it more accessible exceed $5.17 million.

That becomes our problem, Peys said. When we made the offer, we did it with our eyes open.BRIDGEPORT  Tamron Hall still remembers the anguished tone in her mothers voice the day she called to tell her news that changed the TV personalitys life forever.

Call your father, her mom said on that day in 2004. Something happened to Renate. Renate is dead.

Renate was Halls older sister, who was found murdered, her body floating in her swimming pool.

Though no one was arrested for the crime, Renate had been in an abusive relationship at the time of her death, Hall said.

Hall  former co-host of the third hour of NBCs Today show  recounted the tragic story Tuesday afternoon in a room of more than 400 people at The Waterview in Monroe as part of the Center for Family Justices annual Speaking of Women fundraiser.

The event supports the Bridgeport-based center, which provides shelter and other services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and child abuse.

At a time when those living with abuse still struggle to be heard, the Center for Family Justice is a safe place, said Debra Greenwood, president and CEO of the center. We believe you, Greenwood said. We dont question you when you tell us your stories. We believe you.

Each year, the center provides help to thousands of people in Bridgeport and surrounding towns. That includes answering roughly 950 calls annually on its 24-hour hotline and sheltering more than 100 people fleeing domestic abuse.

Hall is the latest in a long line of famous speakers who have appeared at Speaking of Women to talk about their experiences with abuse. The 48-year-old Texas native now hosts Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall on Investigation Discovery and recently signed a deal with Disney/ABC to develop a daytime syndicated talk show slated to debut next year.

She has also become a passionate activist to fight domestic violence, largely because of Renate.

For years, Hall said, she stayed silent about the circumstances surrounding her sisters death. She had a lot of unresolved pain about what happened, she said, as she had once thrown Renate out of her home because of the same abusive partner.

They had come to visit her when she was living in Chicago, and Hall returned from work one day to find her home torn apart and her sister hurt and disoriented.

Hall said she threw the man out, and called her father. He told her to call the police, but Hall didnt. The next day, Renate let the man back in Halls home, and Hall told them both to get out. Hall said she and Renate re-connected before Renates death, but they never talked about what happened.

The shame and guilt (of ejecting her sister and her abuser) was overwhelming, Hall said.

After Renate died, Hall didnt speak about the murder publicly until years later, when she was pressed into service to host an event to benefit Day One, a New York-based group for victims of domestic violence.

While there, she heard several teenaged girls talk about their experiences with relationship violence. One girl had gotten beaten so badly, she had staples in her head, Hall recalled.

She was so moved by the experience, she felt compelled to talk about Renate. It was a turning point, she said, something that put her on a path to try and help other women.

Justice is something we all want, Hall said.

For help If you or someone you know is a victim of relationship violence, here are the Center for Family Justice's two 24-hour hotlines: Domestic violence - 203-384-9559 Sexual assault - 203-333-2233 See More Collapse

Tuesdays event also included the story of local domestic violence survivor Lori Bennett, who is a supporter of the Center for Family Justice. Bennett talked about the abusive marriage she was in more than 30 years ago, and how hard it was to find help once she decided to leave that relationship.

When Hall took the stage, she called Bennett back up, hugged her and commended her for her bravery.

For Lori to come up here and tell her deepest and most painful experience  we use the word courage, but that doesnt do it justice, Hall said.

Halls time at Today overlapped with that of former host Matt Lauer, who was fired last year amid allegations of sexual misconduct. She didnt address Lauer in her talk, but other speakers mentioned the #MeToo movement, which gained momentum last year following sexual assault and harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein, Lauer and other prominent men.

Calls to the Center for help increased in the wake of the #MeToo movement, as more people  mostly women  began sharing their stories about being assaulted or harassed, said Anthony Iannini, a board member from the center. It terrifies me to think these women might not have come forward without #MeToo, he said.

And it is a travesty to think about how many unreported cases there are in spite of it, Iannini said.A job done well is its own reward, but when one works in the chocolate industry it seems the reward is a bit more sweeter.

For the second year in a row, Noteworthy Chocolates of Bethel will provide the medallions that will be presented to this years Legends of Chocolate on Sept. 28 during the Big Chocolate Show in New York City. Crafted from fair trade chocolate from Guittard Chocolate Company, the treats will showcase the innovative custom chocolate engraving technique of this two-year-old company.

We had a great time last year and met so many interesting chocolatiers, says Jennifer Sauvageau, who runs Noteworthy Chocolates with her husband, Michael.

In addition to the medallions, the company also is engraving edible business cards that will be handed out at the press preview.

The duo have hit upon a groove, even though they are constantly refining and improving their product. It took about a year of trial and error to figure out how best to use a laser to make one-of-a-kind chocolate gifts.

We went through a lot of chocolate, she says, laughing, as she recalls the research and development phase of the project. The couple utilized the laser in the Danbury Hackerspace to determine the fonts and designs that would work, as well as the process that would keep the sweet treat from burning or becoming a big pool of melted chocolate. We had to figure out the settings for the design, and how to figure out how to design for chocolate. Its not the same as it is for paper.

A successful Kickstarter campaign later, and support among new customers, has led to success. We just keep trying to figure out ways to make it better.

Noteworthy Chocolates is not the only area business expected to make an appearance at the show, which was launched in 2016.

Shirley Delicious Confections of Stamford will be exhibiting on Saturday, during the show, which is being held at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel. It runs Friday, Sept. 28 to Sunday, Sept. 30. The company will join more than 200 chocolatiers, chefs, authors, purveyors and experts, according to organizers. Throughout the weekend there will be tastings and demonstrations.

Shirley Delicious is run by Shirley Viscarello and her two daughters. It launched late this spring during an event at Stamford Museum and Nature Center.

We are still building and figuring out our market, she says, noting that the show will help to see a larger-scale response to their goodies, which include English toffee and Cejos. The latter, which actually is an acronym (Cant Eat Just One), is made of organic pretzels, milk chocolate and candy-coated pieces.

By profession, Viscarello is a nurse practitioner, who works with her husband, maternal fetal care specialist Dr. Richard Viscarello, at Maternal Fetal Care, PC, the private practice he runs in Stamford that specializes in high-risk obstetrics.

I have helped to deliver babies for 25years, but I have also baked forever, says Viscarello, who initially thought about marketing and selling her chocolate chip cookies. The toffee and Cejos won out, however, and so far has been picked up by some brick-and-mortar stores, too, such as Upper Crust Bagel in Darien and New Canaan, Bedford Gourmet in Bedford, N.Y., LaRoccas County Market in North Stamford, Back 40 Mercantile in Greenwich and the Stamford Museum and Nature Center.

If Viscarello and her daughters find they have time to check a demonstration, they might be able to catch another local chocolatier, Francois Kwaku-Dongo, executive chef of the Roger Sherman Inn and culinary director of Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company. He will be talking about his work with chocolate, which utilizes single-origin chocolate produced in Africa. He is set to speak at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Im looking forward to the show, Viscarello says. I didnt start out in this field or have the expertise, so it will be good to see what is out there. I believe it will be a good mix of consumers, as well as wholesale buyers and other professionals.

chennessy@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @xtinahennessyCOLOGNE, Germany - Judging from some of the headlines the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has produced, one wouldn't assume that it's also seeking to be an alternative for Germany's Jewish voters.

For instance, party leader Alexander Gauland stated quite recently that "Hitler and the Nazis are just a speck of birds--- in over 1,000 years of successful German history." Last year, leading AfD figure Bjorn Hocke called Berlin's Holocaust memorial a "memorial of disgrace" and urged Germans to stop feeling guilty for Nazi crimes. Then there's AfD politician Martin Hohmann, who just celebrated his return to Parliament after more than a decade's absence following his expulsion from the mainstream conservative CDU party over anti-Semitic remarks.

Yet, on Oct. 7, the AfD is expected to launch its first Jewish association, in a move that has triggered a fierce backlash among other Jewish organizations. The announcement comes as the AfD's popularity across the country is growing, with polls showing it ahead of the center-left Social Democrats as the country's second-most-popular party.

The controversial launch of the AfD's Jewish association also comes after months of anti-Semitic incidents that have rattled German Jewish communities. Even though top AfD officials have publicly condemned the incidents, Jewish organizations have accused the far-right party of playing into the hands of anti-Semites.

"It is difficult to grasp why Jews would campaign actively for a right-wing party that refuses to take action against anti-Semitism and xenophobic hatred in its ranks," Deidre Berger, director of the American Jewish Committee in Berlin, told The Washington Post. "The party has yet to censure those in its ranks, including politicians, who have made anti-Semitic statements and who propagate Holocaust revisionist views." Other Jewish representatives have publicly wondered whether the AfD may be positioning itself as being in support of Jewish communities to justify its extreme positions against Muslim migrants.

The party does not release statistics on its members' religious beliefs, but far-right efforts to woo Jewish voters are neither unprecedented nor limited to Germany.

In France, the Netherlands and Hungary, far-right parties or politicians have similarly tried to capitalize on the influx of Muslim refugees to woo Jewish voters. Dutch right-wing populist Geert Wilders has accused the West of not doing enough to defend Israel against Hamas, and his French counterpart Marine Le Pen of the National Front (now known as National Rally) has similarly warned of a "threat for Jews in France" posed by "Islamist fundamentalism."

In fact, there are apparently a fair number of Jewish supporters of the AfD in Germany.

Many Jewish communities in postwar Germany were formed by Russian immigrants who stayed behind after the Soviet Union was dismantled. Today, Germans with Russian origins are some of the AfD's most loyal voters, said Jewish AfD MP Wolfgang Fuhl in an interview with public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk. His party has boasted that a significant number of its supporters are Jewish.

Even though such claims have not been backed up with data, Fuhl is far from being the only Jewish politician who has run for office with the support of the AfD. In the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, four of its 38 parliamentary candidates last year were Jewish, and the party hopes to grow its Jewish base further, despite a fierce backlash from some Jewish groups.

Ahead of the September 2017 general elections in which the AfD made significant gains, the Jewish World Congress lashed out at the AfD for being a "disgrace for Germany."

"The AfD stands for a nationalist vision with racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic sentiments, trivialization or even denial of the Holocaust and obvious links to the Nazi community," Knobloch said at the time.

But speaking to German daily Die Welt, then-AfD leader Frauke Petry claimed the party was "one of the few political guarantors of Jewish life, even in times of illegal anti-Semitic migration to Germany." Petry was referring to Muslim migrants - even though official statistics show that the vast majority of anti-Semitic attacks in Germany are in fact committed by right-wing extremists.

According to a report released by German authorities in August, numbers of anti-Semitic attacks surged by more than 10 percent year-on-year, with a fifth occurring in Berlin - a category that includes violent or verbal attacks. While some of the increases may be due to changed reporting mechanisms, authorities view the numbers as a cause for concern.

Jewish organizations in Germany broadly agree that the government should do more to protect Jewish communities against attacks from newcomers, but they have also consistently warned against persistent threats from the far right.

Critics fear the AfD has become more radical in recent months after its more moderate leader Petry was toppled by the party's right-wing base in April. Germany's domestic spy agency recently said extremism had become so widespread in two of the party's youth wings that it decided to monitor the groups.

Amid its surge in popularity, especially among younger voters, Jewish organizations warned about a novel target in its outreach campaigns: Jewish retirement homes.

"Don't be fooled by the AfD's anti-Muslim, inflammatory rhetoric," the committee subsequently warned in a letter to its members.BASRA, Iraq - American and Iranian officials have taken unusually visible roles in trying to influence the makeup of the new Iraqi government, but both sides have so far come up short, failing to place their allies in key positions.

Since Iraq held national elections in May, White House envoy Brett McGurk and Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds force, have competed with each other to assemble support behind their favorites for parliament speaker, president and prime minister. McGurk and Soleimani have both spent much of the past few months meeting with powerful Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish politicians in rival bids to build a parliamentary majority.

"That foreign influence has canceled itself out," said Abbas Kadhim, an Iraqi historian and political analyst. "At the end of the day, the U.S. and Iran work against each other, and they both made each other fail in getting what they want."

After previous Iraqi elections, the United States and Iran engaged in furious backroom dealmaking until both sides were satisfied with the selection of prime minister, Kadhim said. "All prime ministers were prime ministers agreed to by both the U.S. and Iran," he said.

But this year, American and Iranian officials have been unable to find their footing in shaping Iraq's incoming government. The Iraqi political scene has been roiled by a boiling over of public frustration with government incompetence and by the bellicose rhetoric between Washington and Tehran.

Soleimani has been spending his time urging Shiite parties to set aside their differences and merge to form a parliamentary majority, thus winning the right to nominate the next prime minister. Soleimani has long been involved in the country's Shiite politics and with armed groups backed by Iran. His prominent role in the military campaign to oust the Islamic State from Iraq further enhanced his standing.

But the normally sure-footed Soleimani has seen his political efforts rebuffed and his preferred candidate for prime minister drop out of contention.

McGurk, who is the U.S. envoy to the coalition battling the Islamic State, has not fared any better in Baghdad and, for some Iraqis, has become the face of waning U.S. clout in Iraq.

Despite Washington's traditional influence with many Sunni and Kurdish politicians, McGurk could not secure their support for incumbent Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. A pro-American Shiite, Abadi had led Iraq to battlefield victories over the Islamic State and steered the country through an economic crisis while emphasizing national unity over sectarianism, but his ticket fared poorly in the national election.

Earlier this month, the former governor of the Sunni province of Anbar, Mohamed al-Halbousi, was chosen as speaker of parliament at the expense of the U.S.-backed candidate, a former defense minister. Halbousi's selection was the product of internal Iraqi negotiations, though he has signaled a willingness to work with both the United States and Iran.

"There has been always competition between the U.S. and Iran, but not publicly like it is now," said Youssef al-Kilabi, a lawmaker aligned with Abadi. "Both of them are using their leverage to choose the prime minister . . . If this competition continues like this, I don't know who will win, but for sure I know who will lose, and it's the Iraqi people."

As months have passed without a new government, the aggressive lobbying seems to have spilled over into violence.

Protesters in the oil-export city of Basra torched the Iranian Consulate earlier this month, saying they had acted out of anger over Iran's role in Iraq's politics and Iranian support for Iraqi militias that hold sway in the city. Soleimani's Iraqi allies blamed the United States, accusing the U.S. Consulate in Basra of supporting the demonstrators and placing saboteurs among them. No evidence for the claims was given.

Around the same time, rockets were lobbed toward the U.S. Consulate in Basra and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. None of the projectiles hit the diplomatic missions.

A Western official said the rockets were fired by Shiite militias aligned with Iran and reflected Iran's frustration with its inability to impose its will on Iraq's political process. There was no evidence that the attacks were ordered by Soleimani or Tehran.

"Out of the friction of all that, the rockets came," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. "[Iran] did not succeed in building the largest bloc, and they were extremely frustrated because they thought that the United States had blocked them in doing that."

Iran's ambassador to Iraq did not respond to calls asking for comment on his country's role in forming Iraq's government.

In an emailed statement, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Douglas Silliman said, "The United States respects Iraq's democratic process and supports a strong, sovereign, and independent Iraq. The U.S. government looks forward to working with the new government to help it provide essential services to all of its citizens."

In the May election, a coalition backed by populist Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a critic of both American and Iranian involvement in Iraq, won the most seats in parliament, followed by a ticket composed of figures from pro-Iranian Shiite militias. Abadi's ticket, considered the most pro-American, came in third.

Those results left neither the United States nor Iran with a large-enough foundation on which to build a parliamentary majority.

"Both have reached to a dead end," said Qusai al-Sohail, a senior negotiator with the pro-Iranian bloc of Shiite militia leader Hadi al-Amiri and former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.

At the same time, the United States is offering lawmakers fewer incentives for their support. Washington has not provided funds to rebuild cities decimated by the fight against the Islamic State, instead urging other Arab nations and the European Union to pour billions into Iraq's infrastructure.

The main U.S. contribution is a large contingent of American troops to train and help maintain Iraq's security forces. Most Iraqi politicians see the troop presence as necessary, but it has rankled Iran's allies in the country.

Iran, for its part, has supported its allied Iraqi militias with money and arms. But those militias have become a liability with a public that sees the pro-Iranian groups profiting while the population suffers economic hardships.

Kilabi, the lawmaker allied with Abadi, says Iraqi politics are experiencing an "awakening" as the public puts aside religious and ethnic loyalties and instead demands tangible improvements in the quality of life.

That evolution has thrown traditional political dealmaking into disarray. For the first time since Iraq began holding democratic elections in 2005, Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds are each deeply divided over who to back for top positions that each group is guaranteed under Iraq's political quota system.

Sunnis were split over who to put forward as speaker of parliament. The dominant Kurdish parties have nominated rival candidates for president, a dramatic departure from their normally united front in Baghdad. And Shiites have been unable to unite behind a single candidate for prime minister.

The Western official said it is likely that Iraq's next prime minister will emerge from the political center, largely due to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The Shiite cleric, whose recommendations are highly influential among Iraq's politicians and public, has responded to the political gridlock by declaring that Iraq's next leader should be an independent who has not held any position of authority in the past.

"It's better for Iraq to be seen as having a measure of independence," said Kadhim, the political analyst. "It's better for both sides to see Iraq as an ally rather than a proxy or a toy to play with."

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The Washington Post's Mustafa Salim contributed to this report.

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Video: Under President Trump, United States-Iranian relations have taken a decisive turn for the worse. Here's a brief history of the tumultuous relationship.(Joyce Lee/The Washington Post)

Embed code:A fresh round of mailers sent by state Sen. Toni Bouchers re-election campaign touting her accomplishments includes one endorsement that stands out.

Boucher, R-Wilton, quoted beloved Westporter Bill Meyer on her mailer. To know Toni is to love her, the mailer reads.

But Meyer, whom Boucher credits as a former member of Friends of the Westport Senior Center, died in 2014  two election cycles ago. He was 84 and has fought a year-long battle with cancer.

He was a very, very dear friend of mine that passed away, Boucher said, choking up as she recalled memories from their friendship. He and his wife and I became very close friends over many years. He gave me that quote to use going forward because he believed in our mission. Bill actually was the reason that so many people got to know me ... We had over 20 people we could have used but there are some people that are very special people in your life.

Boucher said Meyer gave her the quote just before he died in 2014 to use in her campaigns going forward, but the mailer does not indicate that the quote is old or that Meyer approved its use beyond his death.

A story printed by The Norwalk Hour at the time of his death in 2014 lists Meyers extensive community involvement, including volunteering with some Republican political campaigns, and paints him as a beloved community member. Boucher said she met Bill in 2008 when she first rain for state Senate, and he helped with her campaigns all the way through 2014, including going door-to-door with her while he was ill.

He helped Democrats just as strongly as he helped the Republicans that he liked, Boucher said, adding that she is still heartbroken over his death

For all that he did, he never once said a negative word about anyone.

In other mailer faux pas, state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, who is running for re-election to the state Senate, sent out mailers that say, Heather Somers, Lt. Governor, over an image of Connecticut. Somers ran for lieutenant governor in 2014.

Whoops.

Staff writer Ken Dixon contributed to this report.

kkrasselt@scni.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasseltAlbany's Times Union Center has announced dates for two major acts in the first quarter of 2019.

The iconic country music band Alabama will bring its 50th anniversary tour to the arena on January 20th, promising decades of No. 1 hits for fans from "Angels Among Us" to "Mountain Road."

Then, on March 27, TobyMac's Hits Deep tour arrives at the arena with Mac's popular brand of Christian Hip Hop.

Tickets for Alabama range from $25 to $125 and go on sale Friday, Sept. 28 at 10 a.m.

Tickets for TobyMac range from $18 to $90 and also go on sale Friday, Sept. 28 at 10 a.m.

Thinking of checking out one of the shows? Here's a setlist from Alabama's show at Brandon Amphitheater in Mississippi on Sept. 8:

Can't Keep a Good Man Down If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band) Tennessee River Dixieland Delight / Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By) / Dixieland Delight High Cotton Born Country Down Home Feels So Right Lady Down on Love Love in the First Degree Song of the South The Closer You Get Dancin', Shaggin' on the Boulevard Old Flame Angels Among Us I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why) Mountain Music

And here's TobyMac's latest set list from the Uprise Festival in Shippensburg, PA on Sept. 14:

Me Without You Backseat Driver Lights Shine Bright Beyond MeMade to Love Speak Life Eye On It Steal My Show Fresher Than a Night at the W / Catchafire (Whoopsi-Daisy) City on Our Knees / Family Lose My SoulMove (Keep Walkin') DJ Maj Solo Love Broke Thru Everything Til The Day I Die I just need U. Feel It

Toby Mac is also heading to Rochester's Blue Cross Arena on March 30. Alabama does not currently have any other Upstate NY show's scheduled.All successful countries copy what works in the leading countries.

Dr. Michael Pillsbury pretends as if Chinas copying of US technology for forty years was some kind of deception or was in some way unique.

In 1812, American Francis Cabot Lowell was a leading Boston merchant who imported a great deal of British cloth and had solid relations with his British counterparts. He toured British cotton plants. Lowells bags were searched for stolen designs for power textile weaving machinery. This was a serious crime in England. Lowell memorized the designs. Americans were also desperate to replicate Britains famed Sheffield steel which was the best in the world. But the best Sheffield craftsmen the United States could buy failed to replicate it.

Capitalism in its modern form was first developed in the Netherlands and England in the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries.

The Japanese knew that they were behind the Western world when American Commodore Matthew C. Perry came to Japan in 1853 in large warships with armament and technology that far outclassed those of Japan with the intent to conclude a treaty that would open up Japanese ports to trade. Japan threw open its doors to foreign technology and copied other successful aspects of the western countries. After WW2, Japan resumed copying and gained success in electronics and cars.

China fell behind and stayed behind for 100 years because China closed itself to Western innovation and technology. Lack of copying doomed China to fall behind for decades. Parts of what was China that started copying first had more success. Hong Kong and Taiwan opened up and copied starting in 1950.

Taiwan and South Korea followed Japan by copying US technology. Taiwan and South Korea also had student study in the USA and Europe and many returned to their home countries and were critical in the success of building up the major technology companies.

Why would Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea be able to succeed and copy technology and build industries and China not be able to succeed and copy? Japan and many leading countries in Europe have 80% of the per capita GDP of the USA.

If China gets to 80% of the per capita GDP of the USA around 2060 then China would have three times the overall economy as the USA. The US was willing to tear down and change cities more than Europe. Europe preserved more of its older roads and construction. China is willing to build megacities and create high-speed connections to create larger efficiencies than the US is doing. The willingness to rebuild and change and reorganize for high-efficiency is a 10-20% per capita advantage for China.Refinement of the Mach Effect Propulsion using brass separation from the reaction mass has improved the thrust by about 65 times up to 60 millinewtons per kilowatt. This would be competitive with the best Hall ion thrusters if there is replication and proving the technology in space.

Heidi Fearn will be taking a working device to Dresden and will stay with them until they get it working. Dresden had problems with a previous device and published bad results.

In June, 2018, Tajmar and his team didnt use the mandatory stepup/isolation transformer: Therefore they operated the device at the wrong frequency, one that could never trigger any thrust signature.

As the Dresden team saw nothing conclusive, they increased the voltage for too long and the temperature in the PZT stacks, so they also managed to toast the initially good-working device before returning it to Woodward in California four months later.

Martin Tajmar previously had good results on an 18-year-old test device he had received from Woodward.

71 slide powerpoint lays out the tests that Woodwards team did to show that Martin Tajmar and his team made mistaken tests.

Previous Work from 2016, 2017 and early 2018

James Woodward and the Space Studies Institute has a Phase 2 NASA Innovative Advanced funded study. They are looking at the implementation of an innovative thrust producing technology for use in NASA missions involving in space main propulsion.

Mach Effect Gravity Assist (MEGA) drive propulsion is based on peer-reviewed, technically credible physics. Mach effects are transient variations in the rest masses of objects that simultaneously experience accelerations and internal energy changes. They are predicted by standard physics where Machs principle applies as discussed in peer-reviewed papers spanning 20 years and a recent book, Making Starships and Stargates: the Science of Interstellar Transport and Absurdly Benign Wormholes published in 2013 by Springer-Verlag.

Above  Graphic depiction of Mach Effect for in-space propulsion: Interstellar mission Credits: J. Woodward

In Phase I, James Woodward and the Space Studies Institute achieved the following:

* Implemented chirped pulses to reduce heating and provide a longer duration thrust capability.

* Designed and developed circuits to allow for 1f and 2f frequency impedance matched AC input to the device, to improve efficiency of the MEGA drive.

* Developed a better theoretical model for the device and conceptualized a probe for an interstellar mission to Proxima b. In Phase II, the next critical step in the development of these thrusters is to test new designs with higher frequency to increase the output thrust.

They have been using Steiner Martins SM-111 PZT for their devices.

They also expect to test new materials, for example APC-840 PZT, and PIN-PMN-PT, which they have procured but not had the opportunity to yet evaluate.

It would also be advantageous to operate multiple devices to determine the thrust scales in arrays of 2 or more devices. They view the independent verification of the MEGA Drive effects by experts in the vacuum testing of micropropulsion as a crucial step in Phase II. They envision a collaboration with several entities (from academia and industry) to enable the testing of new devices. Mach effects have the revolutionary capability to produce thrust without the ejection of propellant, eliminating the need to carry propellant as required with most other propulsion systems. Ultimately, once proven in flight, these thrusters could be used for primary mission propulsion, opening up the solar system and making interstellar missions a reality. This aerospace concept is an exciting TRL 1 technology, ready to take the next step to providing propellantless propulsion, first in incremental NASA smallsat missions, but later enabling revolutionary new deep space exploratory capabilities beyond anything achievable by conventional chemical, nuclear or electric propulsion systems.

2017 video of presentation to NASA  funded NASA NIAC study

At 23 minutes of this video. SSI SA Dr. Heidi Fearn explains how just scaling power and size causes problems. (heat, arcing and other problems).

For Mach effect propellentless propulsion it will be better to go to an array of smaller devices.

They expect 1-5 years to get to 1-5 millinewtons of thrust. (Using better materials and other near-term design improvement.)

Tajmar has replicated the 2 micronewton level and will scale to 12 micronewtons with a larger set of discs.

In 5-10 years, have array of several devices to get to 10-20 millinewtons.

10-20 years, increase thrust to 1 newton for each device.

Test arrays of 100  1 newton devices

MEGA space propulsion would be 1000+ 1 newtons devices.

MEGA would be powered by a 5 MW nuclear power source.

Mach Effect Propulsion Replications and modeling that matches experimentation

The Mach-Effect thruster is a propellantless propulsion concept that has been in development by J.F. Woodward for more than two decades. It consists of a piezo stack that produces mass fluctuations, which in turn can lead to net time-averaged thrusts. So far, thrusts predictions had to use an efficiency factor to explain some two orders of magnitude discrepancy between model and observations. Here (M Tajmar) presents a detailed 1D analytical model that takes piezo material parameters and geometry dimensions into account leading to correct thrust predictions in line with experimental measurements. Scaling laws can now be derived to improve thrust range and efficiency. An important difference in this study is that only the mechanical power developed by the piezo stack is considered to be responsible for the mass fluctuations, whereas prior works focused on the electrical energy into the system. This may explain why some previous designs did not work as expected. The good match between this new mathematical formulation and experiments should boost confidence in the Mach effect thruster concept to stimulate further developments.

Mach-Effect thruster model (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319974638_Mach-Effect_thruster_model [accessed Oct 17 2017].

Woodward devised a method to use these mass fluctuations for a novel propulsion scheme: Push the mass when it is heavy and pull it back when it is lighter. This cycle can create a time-averaged net linear impulse in one direction that satisfies the definition of a propellantless thruster. Apart from Woodwards own thrust measurements in 2016 Buldrini independently replicated this effect. Recently, it has been shown explicitly that such a scheme does not violate conservation of momentum.

Of course, energy must still be spent to vary the mass and accelerate it. The power-to-thrust ratio is an important figure of merit to compare it against photon (P/F=310^5 W/mN) and other electric thrusters (P/F=20-60 W/mN). At present, typical experimental values for the Mach-Effect thruster are an order of magnitude better than the photon rocket (P/F=310^4 W/mN). Woodward is using Piezo crystals both as capacitors and actuators to oscillate their energy and to push/pull them. Both processes must appear at a proper phase between them to produce thrust.

After significant improvements of the experimental techniques, the observed thrusts are in the sub-N  N range, which requires micro thrust balances with high resolution. Proper analysis and shielding is necessary to rule out possible artifacts such as thermal effects, outgassing or magnetic interactions as demonstrated by Woodward and coworker.

Tajmar has a fully analytical model of the Mach-Effect thruster is presented whose predictions match experimental data and allows the design of optimized thrusters based on mass fluctuations by taking both design and material properties into account. The model gives an important insight into how mass fluctuations appear and why the present design works but other designs failed.

The current embodiment of the Mach-Effect thruster consists of a stack of piezo discs that is similar in design to typical actuators using ferroelectric (PZT=Lead Zirconate Titanate) materials, which are sold by many suppliers e.g. for ultrasonic applications. In general, if an electric field is applied across such PZT discs, they expand and contract depending on the field strength and direction of the field. The piezo/PZT stack is made of several discs that are mechanically connected in series but electrically connected in parallel (i.e. all discs have the same electric potential applied between their electrodes). This is achieved by always switching the polarity from disc to disc such that every electrode faces another electrode with the same polarity to avoid electric short circuits. Woodward uses brass electrodes which are glued with epoxy between each disc. The whole assembly is clamped with stainless steel screws between two end caps, a larger one made from brass with threaded holes and a smaller one made from aluminum. The screws are tightened to ensure that the piezo stack is well compressed between the stiff end caps.

In contrast to prior Mach thruster analysis, the assertion in this analysis is that only the mechanical (inertial) energy contributions to the Mach fluctuations, whereas the prior interpretations focused on the electrical energy in the capacitors (or coils). This makes sense as Sciamas model describes inertial and hence only inertial (=mechanical) energy. In some previous experiments, mechanical oscillation was replaced by ion/lattice movements that were thought to be much more efficient because they can oscillate at much higher frequencies. However, although early papers reported thrusts up to the mN range, no net thrusts were seen when proper electrical shielding and setups were used in subsequent measurements. As a result, it was thought the bulk acceleration is necessary for the effect to occur, however as we will see, it is not only bulk acceleration but pure mechanical energy that is responsible for the correct thrust values observed.

Qm is the mechanical quality factor of the stack. Although Qm can be high for individual PZT discs, it is quite low for a stack with epoxy and electrode material in between. The values are determined by spectrum analysis and are typically around 60. Again, using our example, we get an effective power of 63 W and a power loss of 2.6 W and a total capacity of 14 nF.

Tajmar has developed a 1D analytical model that can accurately predict the thrust from Mach- Effect thrusters taking design and materials parameters into account. It compares well to experimental data and allows for further optimization to obtain higher thrusts and efficiencies. Apart from the well-known voltage and frequency scaling, it predicts higher thrusts e.g. for larger disc diameters and higher stiffness. For example, if the PZT discs are increased to a diameter of 25 mm, the 2nd resonance frequency should rise to 51 kHz. Both should lead to an increase in thrust to 12 N at an amplitude of 200 V. Of course, there are several shortcomings and simplifications that may be corrected in future iterations such as implementing resonances 22 into thrust model, use of electric field dependent piezo material parameters, include temperature degradation effects and adding the influence of clamping torque from screws.

The model is flexible enough to be modified for different geometries (e.g. piezo rings instead of discs with one single screw in the middle). One of the main conclusions of this analysis is that the thrust is only accurately calculated if only the mechanical power is used in the transient mass equation. This can explain why some previous designs (Mach-Lorentz thrusters) did not work as expected. It is hoped that the model and its fit to experimental results adds further confidence into Mach effect thrusters and stimulates further research in that area.

Tajmar is working on experimental tests.

Woodward in 2016 indicates that there were multiple experimentalists replicating the initial experiments.

Most of the videos are from the Sept 2016, Breakthrough Propulsion Workshop.

Woodward is convinced it is proven, replicated and will scale to fast interstellar travel. It will take some decades to achieve but the effects are there and replicated. Various scaling like higher frequency will improve it by somewhere between the square and cube of the frequency.

It is complicated so there is a lot of work and experimentation to do.

They need to get from 36 kilohertz to about 2 gigahertz for true interstellar vehicles.

Woodward also says George Martin has a Mach effect propulsion device working.

Breakthrough Propulsion Workshop 2016 in Estes Park, Colorado had many presentations of Mach Effect, EM Drive and related technologies.

Phased Array Mach effect is a route to engineering high thrust mach effect propulsion.

We may not just be able to make bigger engines because this is a wavefront.

Lance Williams goes over a summarized version of the theory and assumptions of Mach Effect.

There are multiple ways to get to scale free mach effect terms from general relativity.

He starts with Linear field equations.

James Woodward assumes what d rho and dt means in order to engineering it. This was the old way.

They now start from the mass equations. Using the full covariant form.

They have a roadmap to continue to advance the work as this proves out will be able to make a propellentless interstellar ship that they are designing to reach 40% of lightspeed.From Amazon.com to Google, the European Union's antitrust commissioner has landed a series of trademark punches on the world's biggest companies before she arrives in Washington this week.

It's Margrethe Vestager's way of announcing herself ahead of a trans-Atlantic trip.

"She does use the competition powers to the full extent, at times wearing her competition hero mantle, and not concerned at all with difficult or politically charged cases," said Ioannis Kokkoris, a law and economics professor at Queen Mary University of London.

Going public with high-profile developments before her U.S. trip avoids criticism "that she played a tactical hide-and-seek with potentially tough questions on the other side of the Atlantic," he said, referring to her announcement last week that she's started a preliminary investigation into Amazon's business practices.

The Danish politician has been tackling the widening gap between rich and poor, corporate tax strategies and the power of large internet firms. It's made her the star of the EU bureaucracy and seen her tipped to take one of Europe's top roles when she finishes her stint next year.

Her job sees her police big mergers and jump on corporate misdeeds -- often by U.S. technology giants. But what marks her out is her Nordic zeal for companies to play fairly if governments are to tackle wage inequality and people's sense that the system might be stacked against them.

As an example, her team is looking at how the rate of profit has risen by 50 percent over the last 20 years measured in terms of GDP. The data suggests that firms may be "creating value by locking in other businesses" and competition law can play a part in tackling any market concentration, she said at a Brussels conference last week.

That research might help policymakers "make sure that real wages also follow the creation of more value," she said. Regulators want to chart out what might be happening as they deal with "a big wave" of mergers, as filings in the region are on track to hit the highest level since 2007.

U.S. officials and politicians have been hearing the same debate as talk of fewer big firms and higher profit margins see some critics call for tougher enforcement of big companies. Makan Delrahim, the head of the Justice Department's antitrust division has been skeptical about the EU's stance towards innovative technology firms.

He'll get to thrash it out again with Vestager when they meet. She also plans to see Federal Trade Commission officials and lawmakers. She'll speak at a Georgetown Law conference in Washington and a Bloomberg event in New York, where she'll rub shoulders with British Prime Minister Theresa May, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde and International Business Machines Corp. Chief Executive Office Ginni Rometty.

For Vestager, getting companies to play fairly has also meant ensuring they don't benefit from what she sees as unfair tax deals. Some of her biggest targets have been multinational American firms, with a back-tax bill for Apple that soared to about 14 billion euros ($16.5 billion) and lesser repayment orders for Amazon.com and Starbucks. McDonald's scored a rare win when Vestager dropped the case, blaming loopholes in local and U.S. laws that allowed it to sidestep taxes.

The quest for fair treatment online has inevitably led her to scrutinize Amazon. At the end of a briefing last week about the McDonald's case, she let slip details of what could turn out to be her biggest probe to date.

Her team, she said, was was checking how the world's biggest online retailer uses data it collects from smaller sellers that use its platform. While she was at pains to say the probe is preliminary, a finding that Amazon unfairly uses that information to boost its own services could attract massive fines -- just like Alphabet Inc.'s Google, which has so far been ordered to pay 6.7 billion euros and forced to grant equal treatment to smaller search rivals.

Her last big antitrust case, a fine for Google in July triggered a Twitter response from U.S. President Donald Trump that Europe has "taken advantage of the U.S." Vestager swiftly responded that she didn't want to politicize antitrust enforcement and didn't believe EU officials had singled out American business for punishment.

Just days later, she fined Asian and European companies, following up this week with a "priority" cartel investigation into collusion between Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG and BMW AG over suspected efforts to hold back cleaner cars.

While that case isn't directly examining the Dieselgate scandal over the German car industry's efforts to cheat environmental tests, the message seemed to be clear. If there's corporate bad behavior, Vestager won't shy away from a fight.

- - -

Bloomberg's Stephanie Bodoni contributed.Patricia Hopp rose from her seat and took a deep breath. It was the first or second day of middle school, and Trece, as her family and friends call her, had something to say. She'd need her classmates' understanding, she nervously explained - and perhaps even their help.

Being near someone eating a peanut butter sandwich might pock her skin with hives, she told them. Catching a whiff of dust from nuts could make her breathing more labored. Accidentally touching a peanut could send her into anaphylactic shock. And if she inadvertently ate one, she could, she told them, die.

Thereafter, "I was the girl with the peanut allergy," set apart from everyone else, says Trece, who's now 17. "It's my identity. It's part of me." A part she has to not only remind people of, but repeatedly explain.

This summer, Trece was invited to participate in a leadership institute at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., far from her home in Minnesota. As her first out-of-town trip on her own neared, she dialed the university and peppered a campus nutritionist with questions. With her mother looking on, she booked her plane ticket to Washington online, requesting a nut-free flight. Then, to be certain that everything was set, she called the airline. A week before her trip, she called again.

These sorts of daily calculations, each shaded with the possibility of a frightening outcome - a hospital visit, or even death - are the norm for Trece and the estimated 15 million Americans stricken with severe food allergies. Just as normal is the need to convince others that soy or milk or oysters, harmless to most, could have lethal consequences for them. Because even as the rate of such allergies is rising, prompting sweeping changes in the way Americans eat, tell someone that you have a food allergy, and there's a good chance they'll roll their eyes in disbelief.

That's why Trece wears an epinephrine pen in a holster strapped to her ankle. It feels like armor, protection against all the possible outcomes - and also against the skeptics.

---

Food allergies are a mystery that science is only just beginning to unravel. Eight food categories, including fish, shellfish, eggs, milk and peanuts, are now widely recognized as major allergens. But doctors also acknowledge milder reactions, like itchy mouths and swollen lips, to a host of other seemingly innocuous foods: Kiwi fruit. Hazelnuts. Carrots. Bananas. Watermelon. Some people have reported reactions to ingredients that have never been on any widely recognized allergen lists, including meat or mustard seed.

But which food reactions are allergies, and which are just ... overreactions? We've all sat down to dinner with someone who will tick off a list of supposed allergies when prompted by a server: Chicken. Strawberries. Lemon. Chocolate. Or, more recently, you've probably dined with someone who won't touch gluten because they "feel better" when they don't.

Mushrooms - that's my issue. Even I can't say that it's an allergy for sure, but I've lost my dinner within minutes of eating a chewy sliver of shiitake. My eyes have swollen shut. I've suffered what I can only describe as a two-day mushroom hangover afterward. What's even stranger, I don't have this reaction to all mushrooms, just shiitakes and portobellos. Truffles, the kind shaved paper-thin over strands of pasta, agree with me splendidly.

So I sheepishly pepper restaurant servers with questions about what exactly lurks within the murky ramen broth or the veggie burger or the dumplings. "Are you allergic to mushrooms," a server will occasionally reply in a slightly patronizing tone, "or do you just not like mushrooms?"

I can't exactly blame him for asking. I don't carry an EpiPen like Trece. I don't fear for my life. But I do fear mushrooms. I wonder: Do I really have a food allergy - an allergist told me my mushroom reaction was probably connected to my severe mold allergy - or am I just contributing to the doubt around allergies?

People like me aren't the only cause of confusion. Food allergies are wildly unpredictable. Some sufferers will eat a handful of almonds or drink a glass of milk and get a few hives; others will suffer a fatal attack after eating something stirred with a spoon that had also come into contact with, say, a seafood soup. Reactions can worsen markedly if the sufferer drinks alcohol, exercises or is premenstrual when exposed. Same for those who are stressed or anxious.

Some food allergies just go away over time. Some, particularly peanut allergies, may never fade.

For a long time, especially in the early part of his career in the 1980s, Hugh Sampson counted himself among the food allergy skeptics. A pediatric allergist and immunologist at New York's Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, he is one of the leading researchers in the field. "A lot of people, including myself, didn't believe in food allergies," he says. There's a reason: They weren't nearly as prevalent in the past. "Everyone would do skin tests and tell people, 'You're allergic to this food.' But it was quite difficult to find people who had bona fide reactions."

Back then, "we really didn't see much in the way of peanut allergy," Sampson says. "I know because I tested everyone for it. It wasn't there."

Then, sometime in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Sampson and others in the medical field say, parents began flooding their offices with children like Trece. Nuts, grains, milk, eggs and a host of other foods were triggering the "bona fide reactions" that doctors hadn't witnessed before. The children were experiencing anaphylaxis - their bodies covered in hives, their throats closing, their blood pressure sinking, their bodies in shock.

Food allergy afflicts just 4 percent of Americans, according to findings published last year in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The vast majority of sufferers are under the age of 25, and many are very young: An estimated two children in every U.S. classroom now suffer from food allergies. It's as if severe food allergy appeared from the ether, and the young seem to be paying the highest price, which explains the swift and extreme official reaction.

In 2006, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act required food packaging to identify ingredients more clearly; manufacturers were prodded to call casein, for example, what it really is - roughly, milk. Every granola bar, bag of chips and frozen dinner now lists in plain language whether it contains allergens. In July, Southwest Airlines eliminated the packets of peanuts it had served aboard its flights for nearly 50 years. (Several other airlines, including JetBlue and United, had already eliminated peanuts, one of the most pervasive and dangerous food allergens.) Some schools have banned peanuts entirely.

But the bans, labeling rules and media attention have stirred a backlash. In Britain, top chefs revolted when the European Union ordered restaurants and caterers to list 14 allergens on their menus. The measure would hamper their creativity, several wrote in an open letter, and besides, the onus should be on sufferers to inform establishments of their allergies, not vice versa.

Some in the medical community and the media also contend that the fear around allergies is alarmist and can be driven by profit-seeking and other motives. (Sampson, one writer in Slate charged a decade ago, is not a disinterested researcher, since he has a child with a severe food allergy.) A 2015 article in Scientific American explored the financial and emotional cost of the high rate of food allergy misdiagnosis. (Skin tests are a frequently cited culprit, yielding positive results when patients may have no reaction to actually eating the food in question.) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading causes of death for those younger than 15 include accidents, homicide and self-harm. Allergic reactions are nowhere on the list.

Tania Elliott, an allergist-immunologist at NYU Langone Health, is something of a food-allergy pragmatist. In tandem with the rise in severe food allergy, she says, has come a spike in the number of patients who arrive in her office complaining of fatigue, headaches, bloating or stomach upset, and insisting they be tested for food allergies. She tells patients to reserve testing for when they have a real reaction - and no, fatigue doesn't count. More likely, what these patients have is an intolerance, she says. "We can't deny that allergies are on the rise over the past 20 years," Elliott says, but "I do think that the perception, or the extent of that increase, has been blown out of proportion."

But talk to affected families, and they'll tell you there's still too little awareness. This summer, a 15-year-old Floridian named Alexi Stafford died after unknowingly eating a cookie at a friend's house that had bits of peanut butter cups scattered among the chocolate chips. Her mother shared her despair on Facebook, blaming confusing packaging and recalling that the family's entire existence had been "dedicated to keeping our child safe from one ingredient, peanuts."

Her post has drawn more than 20,000 comments. Most are sympathetic - but several decidedly are not. "How about reading if you know you have such a bad allergy?....again PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY," was one typical comment. That kind of snide remark gets at the heart of much of the food-allergy backlash: the sense that all of society is being burdened with the responsibility of assuring the safety of a handful of individuals.

---

Though every death is shocking, tallying the fatalities "is not a way to look at how impactful this is," says Scott Sicherer, director of the Jaffe Institute. He's deeply interested in food-allergy sufferers' quality of life, and the psychic weight for families. "If you see a child who's in a wheelchair, you would say, 'Oh my gosh, this poor child is in a wheelchair.' " People with allergies don't look sick, but they can experience the same kind of anxieties and challenges, Sicherer tells me. "Someone who is living with a food allergy has a quality of life similar to the child who's in a wheelchair."

In 2006, Sicherer and the institute conducted a survey of a hundred New York restaurants, from fast-food stops and carryouts to Italian, Asian and continental restaurants, to gauge whether they knew how to handle food-allergic customers. On the upside, many knew that peanuts, milk and seafood were among the major allergens. But then, roughly a quarter reported believing that a small amount of an allergen wouldn't trigger a reaction; many thought it would be enough to just, say, pick nuts out of a salad. More than a third thought the heat of a fryer would destroy any allergens. (It doesn't.)

It's no wonder that many families report stress around the mere act of eating. Stacey Saiontz's life was altered by her son's diagnosis. From almost the moment Jared was born, Saiontz says, an angry rash pocked every inch of his tender skin. He seemed to throw up too often. Saiontz ferried him to doctor after doctor, but each sent her home with an unsatisfying diagnosis: reflux, or maybe baby acne. Then she took the 3-month-old to an allergist, who confirmed that Jared tested positive for food allergies. Plural. Dairy, eggs, tree nuts, barley, sesame, oat, sorghum, millet, quinoa, flax, soy - everything, it seemed, had the potential to trigger a riotous reaction in his immune system. He was too young to eat those foods, but Saiontz, 43, a former lawyer who lives in Chappaqua, New York, had been exposing him through her breast milk.

When she learned of Jared's condition, "I was hysterical. I remember it vividly," Saiontz recalls. "I was like, 'What is he going to eat?!' "

Terrified of exposing their children to allergens, some parents go to extremes. Sicherer recalls one family that chose to eat every meal in a separate room from their son. "It changes the day-to-day living circumstances," Sicherer says. "People are so worried about reactions, they're limiting their social activities. And that, I think, is news to the outside world that's not living with it."

---

One of the nation's earliest and most prolific food allergy research hubs, the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute was founded only two decades ago, in 1997. Sampson was the first director. The institute is named for Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe, founders of the retailer Dressbarn, whose family foundation funds the enterprise. Their connection to food allergy is personal: Their son, David, and his wife, Helen, have four grown children, all with several life-threatening food allergies.

The family became involved with food allergy activism, David Jaffe tells me, when the couple's eldest daughter reached preschool age. Helen took her to school, EpiPen in hand, and calmly explained to the staff what to do if the girl had a reaction. It was the early 1990s, and no one had ever asked the school to do such a thing, the Jaffes recall.

As parents wanting to know not only how to manage their children's health but how they had ended up with a life-threatening condition in the first place, they'd encountered plenty of dead ends. "There was shockingly little work being done in food allergy, shockingly few places you could go to, even medical centers," Jaffe recalls. "There was nothing, other than a doctor telling you to avoid the food."

"We kind of had a choice," he says. "You take it in stride and engage in daily activities, or you treat [your child] like a victim, and you make sure they only eat food you've prepared, and you only travel to places where you bring all the food with them. It's nuts, no pun intended." But until the rest of the world catches up, it's not surprising that so many parents and sufferers choose the latter course.

Trece Hopp just wants people to understand what it's like to live with an allergy. Like how, when she does find herself in a restaurant, she'll often nurse a glass of water rather than risk ordering anything to eat.

The Georgetown University dining hall, Trece learned through her dogged phone calls, is completely nut-free, except for a few packaged foods - a concession that didn't exist 25 years ago. This summer, she piled her plate with pasta, turkey and rice, just like other kids. "It was the first time I'd ever eaten in a cafeteria," she marvels. And she didn't have to explain herself to anyone.WEST HAVEN  Billboards decorate highways with advertisements for business and education, social change campaigns, and event announcements for concerts, fairs and more.

But as people sit in traffic on Interstate 95 near Exit 42, three billboards ask them to consider something different.

Illustrated in large red and blue letters against a white background, three consecutive billboards read Thank God ... And Vote for Science, Pray for All ... And Vote for Science, Hope for the Best ... And Vote for Science. The billboards, which have been up since early September, are visible on I-95 southbound and promote a social message to voters: Support science in addition to ones religious considerations.

They were designed by Class Action, a group of graphic designers formed in 1992 at the Yale School of Art who create visual messages to advocate social change. The project was supported by a grant from the Union of Concerned Scientists. The messages are situated on one of the busiest thoroughfares between New York and Boston.

It stands to remind people that its OK to have belief and understand the scientific method as part of human existence, said Richard Hanley, associate professor journalism at Quinnipiac Universitys School of Communications.

Its the operative word and that you can have these beliefs and hopes and prayers and appreciate the role of science in the context of politics, he said.

The billboards put science in the same space with religion as they ask people to consider both when casting a vote in the upcoming elections.

The members of Class Action come from various religious traditions, the group, who prefer to speak collectively, said in an email. They recognize that faith and science are not mutually exclusive, and wish to underscore this with their messaging. We were attracted to this spiritual world/physical world duality. Faith and science have coexisted in modern times until recently.

I appreciate the convergence of the religious and scientific considerations for voting, said the Rev. Adam Eckhart, of First United Church of Christ in Milford. I think the practice of science and religion are both important paths of human curiosity and helps to formulate truth. Sometimes those paths have been set up in conflict and zero-sum gain, but I usually see them as complementing each other  religion speaks to why the university is the way and science shows how it is that way.

The messages seek to confront the presidential administrations efforts to sideline science, the group said. These include President Donald Trump denying climate change and appointing people who oppose environmental regulation, such as Trumps pick for head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who has actively battled its mission, they said. In addition to proposing deep budget cuts to science funding in a number of health and environmental agencies Trump directed funding away from climate research on earth by NASA.

I think theres misunderstandings, because I think the current political climate is stuck in this notion that truth is this zero-sum gain, Eckhart said. They believe they have to believe in science or religion. In some cases, its become more problematic, but I think theres room for there to be truth on both. Versus one truth, there can be different dimensions.

The phrases invoked on the billboards are among those that however they originated, have become secularized so we are addressing a wider audience than only people of faith but we wanted to recognize spiritual world/physical world duality, they said. This is an age-old theme for example, Cleanliness is next to godliness, or God helps those who help themselves. One of the earliest examples of aphorisms we found encouraged putting ones trust in God, but at the same time accepting responsibility for our earthly acts. As for deciding the exact phrases each billboard would begin with, we sought generally accepted sayings that

transcend specific religions and that are familiar and inviting.

Eckhart said he doesnt think religion is being unfairly called out by the message, but rather they are calling attention to two diverging elements of society. I felt like it was a conciliatory move, Eckhart said. I can see some folks raising eyebrows, because in some religious traditions, there has been more of an either or perspective. ... But (the billboards) are not fully dismissive of the religious part. Its not saying only vote for science.

The messaging starts with the religious component, which helps balance it without being aggressive toward either side, Hanley said. The language isnt belligerent or demeaning and makes a point to be inclusive of both sides.

By using and the projection is that its OK to pray to that higher power and its OK to hope and its OK to vote for science and know theres a life system thats alongside these beliefs that should be considered when casting a ballot, Hanley said

To lift up the possibility that it can be and or both instead of or, its really important to lift that up so we can bring our spiritual and religious selves to the decision, he said. Examples of where people divide on science and religion are climate change and how the universe began. But as a religious leader Eckhart said he thinks of science as helping people understand creation.

The billboard platform makes the message more effective because its situated for people to take notice. In that section of I-95, traffic is often moving slowly and the messages have a captive audience, he said. Billboards need have to be designed in a way to provoke thought or impulse and this is seeking to promote thought, Hanley said.

There is a moment of contemplation on the highway for people to take notice, he said. Because it doesnt fall into the main category of billboards it also has a certain shock impact. It gets people to ask the eternal question of what does it mean?

The messaging tries to hit both aspects of the psychological mindset  the rational and the irrational, Hanley said. Where science is based on facts, religion is based on the intangible elements. By the size of the messaging its showing great respect for the beliefs of people as part of a plea to consider science along with those elements.

Billboards are also part of our cultural heritage, Hanley said, since they grew with the popularity of automobiles. For as long as people alive today would be able to remember there were billboards. The billboard and messaging instrument are deeply embedded in Americas society. Two series of billboards became cultural landmarks in their time  Burma-Shave billboards from the 1920s to 1960s and the South of the Border billboards that line the highways of I-95 leading to the restaurant roadside attraction in South Carolina.

Class Actions billboards have the potential to join the cultural heritage because of their simplicity of message and design, he said, adding it could go viral from passengers photographing the billboards and passing it along the information ecosystem.

It starts conversations and gets people to think and puts it in the conscience of the voter that science is part of our lives too, Hanley said.

The billboards will be up through Sept. 30 and others are being installed across the country individually rather than in a series.

mdignan@hearstmediact.comWEST HAVEN  Nine months into Mayor Nancy Rossis administration, the fiscally challenged city finally has a permanent finance director on board.

Director of Finance Ron Cicatelli, a former finance staff member for New York City, began working this month and said he will soon move with his wife and 15-month-old son to West Haven from the Bronx.

I think that Ron has an impressive resume. He has municipal experience and he has also served our country as a veteran who served in the U.S. Army Reserves for eight years, said Rossi.

So far its been very good, Rossi said. Hes a very hands-on and dedicated worker. ... I think hes done very well so far.

Cicatelli is being paid about $120,000 a year, slightly less than his predecessor, former Director of Finance Kevin McNabola, Rossi said.

He will lead the citys efforts to get the city back on firm financial footing  although he is working with at least two fiscal consultants, including Linda Savitsky, the former state Office of Policy & Management municipal finance staffer who had been West Havens interim finance director since April.

Cicatelli said he welcomes Savitskys expertise and the opportunity to learn under somebody like Linda whos got a wealth of knowledge.

The other consultant is Jack Reagan, a partner in UHY Advisors, a national public accounting firm that West Haven recently hired to help write the five-year recovery plan that the Municipal Accountability Review Board requires West Haven to prepare before it will approve $8 million in annual fiscal aid for last fiscal year and this fiscal year.

West Haven currently is under the advisement of the state MARB. City officials hope to avoid a full-blown state takeover. Some MARB members want to force the city into Tier IV, which would give the state a higher level of oversight.

For Cicatelli, who most recently was an administrative staff analyst for the New York City Department of Finance, and before that was assistant director of information technology procurement & oversight for the New York City Comptrollers Office, taking the job in West Haven is a challenge he welcomes.

Its fun! Its a lot of work, he said. Theres a lot of work thats got to be done. Just with the MARB stuff alone it would be a lot for one person.

He said he took the West Haven job after also interviewing for municipal finance jobs in New York State, Rhode Island and elsewhere in Connecticut.

As far as his goals in his new job, I would just like to fix the situation and try to help Mayor Rossis initiatives to help make the city better, he said.

Cicatelli said also he hopes to avoid a full state takeover, which he said would be shortchanging the city.

But at this point, two weeks in, all I can do is meet their request  and if I cant, explain why, Cicatelli said during a recent meeting in his City Hall office.

Were trying to find whatever idea we can to get West Haven back on solid fiscal ground, and all options are on the table, Cicatelli said.

While hes still getting to know it, I think that the city of West Haven is a great town, great city, and I think theres tremendous potential for growth, he said. We want people to live in, work and visit West Haven.NEW HAVEN  A man familiar working in City Hall took up a new position Monday after a few years away.

Mayor Toni N. Harp named Sean Matteson as the new acting chief administrative officer of the city Monday. Matteson worked for former Mayor John DeStefano Jr. as his chief of staff for seven years.

First day has been terribly busy already but Im excited to be back, Matteson said. I have quite a bit of catching up to do. There are some faces are very familiar and there are some that are brand new....I appreciate the opportunity the mayor has afforded me and Ill do everything in my ability not to let her or the city down.

The appointment comes with an annual salary of $125,000 and requires Matteson, who lives in Hamden, move to New Haven within six months.

His experience in Mayor DeStefanos administration is admirable, Harp said. The city residents, property owners, business owners and others are beneficiaries of Seans willingness to return to this role in my administration.

The chief administrators office oversees the police, fire, and emergency management departments, the New Haven Free Public Library system, as well as public works, parks and recreation, engineering, human resources and public safety communications.

There are no days off, Harp said describing the position. There is no downtime. There is no opportunity to be anything less than completely vigilant. The related sometimes daunting administrative challenges comprise only a portion of the work Sean will have to do and saw on his desk when he arrived this morning. Thankfully hes not daunted. His prior experience in this building gives me every confidence that hell get up to speed in no time.

Matteson began working for DeStefanos administration in 2006, becoming his longest-serving chief of staff. Before that Matteson was the political director for UNITE HERE and worked on DeStefanos gubernatorial campaign. Matteson replaced Housing Authority Executive Director Karen DuBois Walton when he was appointed chief of staff at the time. He left in 2013 when Harp was elected, and worked for education advocacy group ConnCAN as the director of government relations & community engagement.

He said he was interested in coming back to serve the city because hes fascinated by the process of ideas coming to fruition as they go through the legislative process

Im always fascinated how moving things through the beginnings of an idea, the legislative process, the socialization of an idea, how that works within a community and governmental bodies and watching that stuff be implemented, he said. Implementation is tough and I get to do a lot of that as CAO. Implementation is this really beautiful island where good ideas go to die so its really important once theyve gotten through the political process to help implement them.

Matteson said he wants to start off by building on the work former CAO Michael Carter started, including reducing firefighter overtime and growing the collaborative effort around the Clean and Safe walks.

The demand for the services are still there but the constraints are even more so financially, and thats because the state of Connecticut are just not giving us the help, Matteson said. And thats going to continue to be a challenge into the future.

mdignan@hearstmediact.comNEW HAVEN  A local man who assaulted another man with a hammer during an argument over a woman and also led police on a wild car chase has been sentenced to serve 5 1/2 years in prison.

Martezz Banks, 27, of Howard Avenue, avoided going to trial and risking a longer sentence by pleading guilty to reduced charges of first-degree assault, engaging police in a pursuit and risk of injury to a child.

East Haven police became aware of the assault on Dec. 31, 2016, at about 7:30 a.m. when they learned the victim had checked himself into the Yale New Haven Hospital Emergency Room.

An East Haven police officer who went to the hospital reported he saw cuts on the victims face and a bandage on the top right corner of his head, according to the arrest warrant. The officer also observed a large quantity of dry blood on top of (the victims) head and more blood on his clothing.

The victim told the officer he had been assaulted earlier that morning in East Haven, where he had met a woman in her home.

The man said he had linked up with her through Facebook and they had communicated on that site for months. He had wished to date (the woman) for a long time but she always had a boyfriend, the warrant stated.

But then they began conversing via cell phone texts and made plans for (the man) to sleep at her house that night, the warrant said.

The man said that after he arrived at the womans house, they drank Hennessy cognac, began kissing, then went into her bedroom. The man said they had sex approximately five times before they fell asleep.

However, at about 4:30 a.m., Banks arrived at the house, the man told police. He said Banks saw him and he went into the bedroom and pulled the covers off (the woman) and questioned her with: So this is how it is?

The man said Banks then went to the kitchen, took out a butcher-style knife and threatened him with it. The victim recalled saying: Whatre you gonna do? Kill me?

Banks then grabbed a carpenters style hammer and struck him in the head with it as the man tried to leave. The man said his eyesight went black and he fell to the floor. He felt blood running down his head. Banks got scared and tried to clean him off with some towels, the warrant stated. Then the man drove himself to the hospital.

East Haven police said they learned Banks has a violent past, included convictions for attempted first-degree assault, second-degree threatening and carrying a pistol without a permit. At that time he was being supervised by the states Parole Division.

According to the warrant, the assault victim sustained a frontal lobe fracture and underwent surgery.

When the woman at the house spoke with police, she confirmed most of the details of the victims account of the assault, according to the warrant.

The motor vehicle chase occurred March 9, 2017. According to a news release from East Haven police, officers from that town were engaged in surveillance of Banks in North Branford, knowing he was wanted on the assault charge. East Haven police called for backup from North Branford police to conduct a motor vehicle stop after Banks began driving south on Branford Road.

Banks accelerated as the North Branford officer approached his car, the release stated. While police chased him on that road and then west on Route 1, he struck several vehicles before continuing onto Interstate 95 southbound into East Haven.

Banks also hit the rear of a vehicle stopped at Exit 5, State Street, in New Haven before leaving his car and fleeing on foot. Two East Haven officers caught him on James Street under the highway overpass.

The release stated that Banks, his female passenger and an infant who had also been in the car were taken to the hospital as a precaution but there were no injuries. Banks was charged with risk of injury to a child because the chase had occurred with the infant in the vehicle.

The total sentence, imposed by Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Clifford, was 12 years, to be suspended after serving 5 1/2 years. Banks will then face four years of probation.

The conditions of the sentence include anger management counseling as deemed appropriate and not being allowed to operate a motor vehicle unless this right is legally reinstated.

Assistant Public Defender Jeffrey LaPierre, who represented Banks, could not be reached for comment, nor could the prosecutor, Senior Assistant States Attorney Michael Pepper.

randall.beach@hearstmediact.comNEW HAVEN  Newly released information shows Long Island Sounds water quality is getting better.

Environmentalists announced Monday the results of the Long Island Sound Report Card 2018, which tracks the conditions of the Sounds ecosystem. The report includes 10 years of data and an assessment of how water quality is trending in each region of the Sound. In most regions, the water quality improved.

The report grades the water areas based on oxygen levels, water clarity, the amount of phytoplankton in the water and levels of dissolved organic carbon. These water quality indicators were compared to scientific standards for marine health and the five geographic regions of the Sound were graded based on the scores in each category.

Two crucial measures of the Sounds health are nitrogen levels and dissolved oxygen. Excess nitrogen in the Sound causes hypoxia, the biological process of nitrogen stimulating excessive growth of aquatic plants, which die and get consumed by oxygen-using bacteria. In turn, the low levels of dissolved oxygen reduce growth and reproduction in marine life and at low enough levels cause death. The phytoplankton, which are micro-algae, use the nitrogen entering the Sound to grow, also affecting water clarity, a measure of how far light penetrates through water. In clear waters, fish easily find prey and underwater plants thrive.

Excess nitrogen is viewed by scientists all around the globe as being one of the seven deadly sins that humans create to the ecosystem, said Curt Johnson, president of Connecticut Fund for the Environment - Save the Sound. Its right behind global warming, air pollution, right there with many of the catastrophes that are facing us.

The excess nitrogen effectively sucks oxygen out of the water, harming marshes and turning the water green. Nitrogen carried through fertilizers and sewage pollutes aquatic ecosystems through storm water runoff. Phytoplankton thrive on that sewage but in turn consume too much oxygen for fish to survive. Efforts to reduce nitrogen producing materials have improved the overall health of the Sound.

Many of the urban estuaries around the Sound are crashing so todays reports is all about ecological health of Long Island Sound, Johnson said. Its not about bacteria and human health. Its about the health of the Sound. This is one of the very few estuaries in the country and perhaps the world thats making real progress.

The results speak to open water conditions only, not bays, harbors and watershed areas that flow into the Sound and behave differently by carrying other types of pollution from homes and developments along various watershed areas. A report on these waters will be release in 2022.

The Sounds overall condition improved dramatically since the late 1980s when a steady increase in population and poorly treated sewage led to harbors full of dying fish and shellfish, dirty beaches and waters almost devoid of oxygen. Johnson said In 1989, the water quality in the Sound from Bridgeport and westward was nearly catastrophic  belly up fish, garbage and wiped out shellfish beds.

I grew up in Connecticut and remember all the times the beaches were shut down because it was unsafe to swim, said Justin Elicker, New Haven Land Trust executive director. But now, even with all the challenges, you see how far weve come.

Since 1990, major agencies such as the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, have committed to cleaning up the Sound and restoring its ecosystem in collaboration with local municipalities and activists.

The work that theyre doing, particularly in New Haven, connecting people to the Sound is really important, Elicker said. The history of the Sound is a lot of residents feared water. They think that the water is dirty and therefore dont interact with the ocean. The report card shows weve come a long way since 30 years ago.

The Central and Eastern Basins, which stretch from the Housatonic River to the Atlantic Ocean, have been consistently supportive of marine life over the 10-year analysis. The Western Basin around Bridgeport, extending to Stamford show improvement, going from a B rating to an A- rating. This area has shown the most notable improvement in water quality over the last decade, the report said.

The Western Narrows, the region around New York City, has seen improvement, but with such a dense population and large development it still suffers from the worst water quality with an F rating. The Eastern Narrows, which extends from Pelham Bay Park in New York to Stamford, have come a long way in the last decade. The water quality in this area has risen from a D+ to a B- rating. The dissolved oxygen levels there have improved through concentrated efforts to reduce nitrogen flowing into the Sound from fertilizers and sewage of roughly 500,000 septic systems in coastal communities

We know from historical accounts that the waters of western Long Island Sound were once bountiful and nearly pristine and supported large eel grass meadows and fisheries, said Jason Krumholz, a science adviser for the report card. We know that if we commit the resources and effort to this task that we can once again again achieve healthy conditions throughout Long Island Sound.

Water quality can be influenced year to year by weather and other factors, so scientists cant establish accurate trends of water quality without looking at many years of data. With a 10-year retrospective analysis, scientists have evidence that dissolved oxygen levels have improved over the past 10 years because of coordinated conservation efforts.

mdignan@hearstmediact.comWEST HAVEN  Police arrested a New Haven man over the weekend on assault, drug and firearms charges following a domestic disturbance.

The victim said she knew Luis Manuel Rivera, 31, of 87 Welton St. in New Haven. She told police Friday that while in a parked vehicle, Rivera punched and choked her and pressed a gun against her face while threatening her, police said in a news release.

She also told police Rivera had taken her car without her permission.

A temporary arrest warrant was issued for Rivera as a result of the incident and associated felony charges, police said. On Saturday, police saw the vehicle in a parking lot at 323 Center St., the release said.

Police found Rivera in a nearby apartment house and detained him. After obtaining consent to search the apartment Rivera was located and police found numerous drug-related items as well as five handguns and ammunition, the release said.

Two of the guns were later confirmed to have been stolen  including one from the Hartford area and one from Pennsylvania. Police also seized drug-packaging supplies and equipment and 14.2 ounces of suspected marijuana with a street value of about $8,000, police said.

The apartment Rivera was in was within 1,500 feet of a childcare facility, the West Haven Community House, which is at 227 Elm St., police said.

Rivera, a convicted felon who is on probation, cooperated at the scene and was taken into custody on six counts of criminal possession of a firearm, ammunition or defense weapon; two counts of stealing a firearm; two counts of illegal sale or purchase of large-capacity magazines; three counts of possession of a controlled substance or less than a half ounce of marijuana; two counts of sale of narcotics; and one count each of operating a drug factory, use of drug paraphernalia and sale of a controlled substance.

He also is charged with third-degree assault, first-degree threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree strangulation.A firefighter and Rider University security officer has been charged with posing as a teenage girl online to get a teenage boy to send him naked photos and videos, authorities alleged Monday.

Alan J. Berman. (Police photo)

The arrest of Alan J. Berman, 58, of Bordentown City, came after the Burlington County Prosecutor's High-Tech Crimes Unit received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

A woman from Arkansas had reported to the center that her teenage son had been contacted by a man who was attempting to engage the teen in inappropriate conversations.

Investigators arrested Berman Friday.

He works as a campus security officer at Rider University in Lawrence and serves as captain of Bordentown City's volunteer fire department, the prosecutor's office said. (On his LinkedIn page, Berman identifies himself as a member of the department's fire police.)

A Rider University spokeswoman said he's been placed on administrative leave. "He was hired in August 2017. All public safety employees at Rider must complete a satisfactory background check as a contingency of their employment," the university said in a statement.

The prosecutor's office said that Berman was accused of "assuming the persona of a teenage girl in order to convince a teenage boy to send him nude photos and videos of himself through an online video streaming application."

He also engaged in sexually-explicit conversations with the boy and was found to be in possession of child pornography, the prosecutor's office said.

He was arrested Friday on charges of four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Police who search his home in the 100 block of Lucas Drive Friday seized his cell phone, tablet and other digital devices to analyze in their investigation, the office said.

The prosecutor's office said Assistant Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw will ask that Berman be detained pending trial. He is currently being held in the Burlington County Jail.

BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit Detective Kevin Sobotka led the investigation, and the office had assistance from the New Jersey State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit, United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Bordentown City Police Department.

The prosecutor's office said anyone who has information about any inappropriate behavior by Berman should call the High-Tech Crimes Unit at 609-265-5035.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsAn Israeli man found with a fake bomb in his carry-on luggage at Newark Liberty International Airport earlier this month won't face criminal prosecution, according to county law enforcement officials.

Alon Felman had been arrested by Port Authority police on Sept. 4 after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers discovered what they said was a replica of an improvised explosive device in his carry-on bag.

Felman, 50, faced charges of creating a false public alarm and interfering with transportation.

The Essex County Prosecutor's Office ultimately had the charges against him administratively dismissed after determining Felman, a defense contractor, had a legitimate purpose for possessing the simulated explosive device, spokesperson Katherine Carter said.

The TSA said Felman had been on his way to a training event in Florida at the time of his arrest. He had arrived in Newark from Tel Aviv on his way to the conference, a Port Authority police spokesperson said at the time.

"We determined the device was not something that could explode," Carter said.

Airport security officials said they had to shut down six checkpoint lanes until the Essex County bomb squad determined the device was inoperable.

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsA U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was indicted Monday on charges he accepted bribes for delivering packages containing marijuana to a drug dealer, according to U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

Fred Rivers, 46, of Newark, is charged with receiving bribes as a public official and conspiracy to defraud the United States by interfering with and obstructing the lawful function of the USPS, according to an indictment handed up in U.S. District Court in Newark.

Rivers was a mail carrier at the USPS Springfield station in Newark, authorities said. From October 2016 to September 2017, he accepted $100 in cash bribes to deliver packages containing marijuana to Glenn Blackstone, 48, of Newark.

The marijuana was mailed from California and Nevada to New Jersey where it was intercepted at the Springfield station and later distributed to drug dealers and sold, authorities said.

The package labels had false names and addresses on them and Rivers allegedly intercepted them and delivered them on several occasions to Blackstone in the Springfield station parking lot and other locations, according to the indictment.

Blackstone pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on April 17 and is awaiting sentencing, Carpentino said.

Rivers was allegedly asked to participate in the scheme by another USPS carrier, Leonard Gresham, 50, of Rahway, when Gresham was unavailable, Carpentino said.

In a text message from October 2016, Gresham asks Rivers, "You want to make some money tomorrow sir?"

Rivers replies, "HELL YEAH!" according to the indictment.

In a text exchange that followed, Gresham asks if everything went OK that morning, to which Rivers replies: "Yes sir. Thanks for that."

"That's what friends are for," Gresham texted back.

Gresham, who pocketed $14,900 from October 2014 through September 2017, pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme on Feb. 13 and awaits sentencing, Carpentino said.

If convicted, Rivers faces 15 years on the bribery charge and another five years on the conspiracy charge.

Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000, Carpentino said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.HOBOKEN -- Additional charges are expected to be filed by the city's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board against the Hub, the Hoboken bar that has drawn intense media spotlight after video footage emerged of lewd sexual acts being performed in the establishment.

The new charges, which Hoboken city attorney Brian Aloia said will be served no later than Oct. 20, would be in addition to 15 charges that have already been logged against the establishment.

This comes as the bar and other involved parties are being criminally investigated by the Hoboken Police Department, with assistance from the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

An attorney representing the bar owner did not immediately return a request for comment.

The charges and investigation stem from incidents on Sept. 8, including one in which a partially naked woman had sexual acts performed on her in front of a large crowd.

In that incident, the man seen on camera performing the lewd acts on the woman is believed to be a law enforcement officer in Pennsylvania, according to the bar's lawyer.

Graphic video of the incident, which Mayor Ravi Bhalla called an "affront to human decency," was widely circulated on social media.

The city's ABC Board immediately served the liquor license holder, Teak On The Hudson LLC, with 15 violations, including multiple counts of allowing assault and lewd activity within the establishment.

The Hub will remain closed until the outcome of its ABC hearing, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 20 but has been moved to Oct. 25.

The criminal investigation, meanwhile, is "still ongoing," according to Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante.

"There's a lot of finger-pointing among a lot of different people -- there's a lot of lawyers involved representing multiple people -- so we're still sorting it out," he said.

He did not comment on when charges will be filed and against whom. The department has up to a year to file criminal charges, but will likely bring charges well before then, Ferrante said.

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.If you're looking for your 15 minutes of fame, Grant Wilfley Casting, Inc. is looking for paid "extras" work when the new "Joker" films in Jersey City and Newark over the next few months.

Adults of all ages can apply for extra work by emailing romeo@gwcnyc.com. You must submit your full name, phone number, confirm you are 18 years old, your height, weight, clothing, shoe size, a list of dates you are available, and attach a current photo of yourself (selfies can be used). Write "NJ Local Flyer" on the subject line of the email.

Jersey City local Kato Lee Figueroa, who applied to be an extra in the upcoming "Joker" film.

The pay rate is $143 for 10 hours and you must have a valid ID to fill out a federal I9 form on set if you're selected. People can also visit gwcnyc.com

The movie is being directed by Todd Phillips and stars Joaquin Phoenix. The company is seeking extras for shoots in Jersey City on Sept. 30 and Nov. 9 and in Newark on Oct. 15 and 16.

Jersey City resident Kato Lee Figueroa, 58, sent in an email for being an extra after reading about the film in Saturday's Jersey Journal. Figueroa worked as an extra on several movies in the past, claiming the one that stuck out to him the most was the 1979 cult classic "The Warriors."

"I figured why not since they're filming it right in the neighborhood," said Figueroa. "After looking at the dates and the schedule for filming, I felt that I could give them some of my time."

Figueroa currently works as a security guard and devotes his time to volunteer work for United Rescue. He's currently waiting for a response from Grant Wilfley Casting.WEEHAWKEN -- Inspired by her own daughter, Jessi Rausch wants girls everywhere to know they can achieve anything.

Her first children's book, "She Shines Bright," shows women working as everything from a taxi driver to a scientist to a firefighter -- and, yes, to president as well.

Rausch came up with the idea for the book while taking care of her now-4-year-old daughter, Harper, whom she describes as the ultimate girly girl.

Harper loves unicorns and the colors pink and purple. She even dances ballet.

While Rausch acknowledges that Harper's interests reflect those of most girls her age, she wanted to teach her daughter that she can aspire to be something other than a Disney princess.

"The book was my little love letter to her to let her know she can be anything that she wants to be and no matter what, she is going to be loved and appreciated for who she is," Rausch said.

Rausch self-published the book with the help of independent publisher Mascot Books. Illustrated by Monica Nicolosi, Rausch's daughters Harper and Colbie, 2, inspired the drawings of girls on some of the pages, but Rausch made sure all races are represented.

She also notes that the book isn't intended just for little girls but for young boys as well.

"I think we're still so focused on gender-specific careers,'' the 34-year-old author, who's expecting her third child in November, said. "Our next generation needs to look at women differently, more as equals. I mean there is still a difference in what people make in pay, which shouldn't be at all an issue. And I think it's really important to teach boys that they need to look at women the same."

A native of Nebraska, Rausch majored in psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and went on to work as a financial advisor with her father at RBC Wealth Management in Omaha.

While working at the firm, she met her future husband. They moved to Weehawken in 2011 and she began working at Fidelity Investments in New York.

Around the time Harper was born, Rausch transitioned to part-time at Fidelity Investments and began working in the real estate industry in the Hudson County area as well.

She already has plans to write more children's books and looks to feature diverse characters to teach kids the importance of inclusion. She also has an idea for a book that will show moms through the eyes of their children.

"She Shines Bright" is available in hardcover ($14.95) at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books a Million, and Mascot Books.

Rausch will read from and sign copies of her book at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Clark Barnes and Noble, 1180 Raritan Road, and will be featured in an author meet and greet from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct. 7, at 3D Cafe, 6703 Park Ave., West New York.

For more information, go to Rausch's website, jessirausch.com.From North Bergen to Bayonne, the heavy rain is wreaking havoc on Hudson County Tuesday.

Parking lots and roadways are flooded, stranding motorists, bringing traffic to a standstill and stretching police and fire departments thin as perform dozens of rescues.

Jersey City is getting hit especially hard on its west side, with numerous disabled vehicles from Route 440 east to West Side Avenue. Police and fire are there trying to clear the roads.

North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue reported in radio transmissions at 12:55 p.m. that there were multiple manhole covers on Tonnelle Avenue, or Route 1&9, dislodged because of the heavy flooding.

The fire department also was responding to the Walmart, on Tonnelle uptown, on reports that there was severe flooding in the parking lot there. NHRFR has deployed the Zodiac, the small craft, to rescue two people stranded in their vehicles.

NHRFR also made two rescues at 39th Street and West Side Avenue.

This is a perfect example of what you should NOT do. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS! Obey warnings! This is Route 1&9 at 440 in NJ! Photo courtesy of NJ DOT pic.twitter.com/szmiFbO6gc  NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) September 25, 2018

In Secaucus, different areas of Meadowlands Parkway had flooded by 1 p.m. The town has issued an alert, asking residents to stay in their homes and businesses until the flood waters recede.

Clarendon School had to be evacuated after the building's basement started to flood, Secaucus police Capt. Dennis Miller said. The students were taken to another school between 12:30 and 1 p.m. and dismissed soon thereafter, Miller added.

Joe Amato, a Belleville resident, was buying coffee at the Meadowlands Parkway Krauszer's Tuesday afternoon when floodwaters closed nearby 10th Street.

"I work on train tracks and water always fills up in the industrial areas. I had water almost up to my knees working in this, but these things happen sometimes and it's not the worst thing in the world," he said. "Right now, I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to get home since all the roads are getting blocked off right now."

"At least there's a Krauszer's around the corner so I can get a cup of coffee," he added.

Meadowlands Parkway southbound was closed in front of the Hudson Regional Hospital. At 10th Street, a state Department of Transportation truck was seen pushing a vehicle through the flood waters across the Meadowlands Parkway.

The flooding forced the cancellation of Tuesday night's Secaucus Town Council meeting, Mayor Michael Gonnelli. The meeting has not been rescheduled yet.

Journal staff writer David Mosca contributed to this report.JERSEY CITY -- Jury selection began Tuesday for the trial of two men charged with murdering a man who was shot as many as 19 times in Jersey City in 2016.

Aaron Enix and Davon Cooper  both 23-year-old Jersey City residents  were initially charged with the attempted murder of Rashay Washington, 24, who was shot on Claremont Avenue on Nov. 27, 2016.

The charges against Enix and Cooper were upgraded to murder after Washington, also of Jersey City, died after two weeks of hospitalization.

Investigators said that after being shot, Washington identified Enix and Cooper to people who rushed to his side to help. Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez said Washington was shot between 16 and 19 times.

The 24-year-old was shot just before 9:30 p.m. near Clerk Street. Jersey City police quickly arrested Enix and Cooper nearby and recovered two guns not far from the scene, former Jersey City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said at the time.

The trial is before Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. Enix is represented by defense attorney Patrick Patel and Cooper by Mark Bailey.

The case is being prosecuted by Hudson County assistant prosecutor Adam Salzer and Ricky Ruddy. Opening statement may be heard as soon as tomorrow afternoon.JERSEY CITY -- A West New York man charged with attempted murder on police officers was drinking and looking for a fight on the night of a 12-hour standoff with law enforcement, according to a Hudson County assistant prosecutor.

The attempted murder trial of Emmanuel Hernandez, the 28-year-old Navy veteran accused of firing a gun at two officers on Jan. 5, 2017, began with opening statements Tuesday. Hernandez's attorney contended that his client was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and was not responsible for his actions.

"It is the single most debilitating mental disease that our boys and girls suffer from when they come back from war," defense attorney Peter Willis told the jury. He said Hernandez received an honorable discharge but was deemed 50 percent mentally disabled by the Navy, adding that Hernandez receives a monthly disability check.

Willis said Hernandez was a normal child and when he entered the Navy at the age of 18, he passed a battery of tests "with flying colors."

But Willis told jurors about two armed standoffs Hernandez was involved in Iraq, including one with an Iranian military ship armed with missiles. He said his client had a nervous breakdown and was diagnosed with PTSD by the Navy. He has been on numerous medications and under psychiatric care most of his adult life, Willis said.

Back in the states, Hernandez married, divorced and then remarried. While working as a security guard in Texas he was shot during a drive-by. He has trouble holding hold down a job because of uncontrollable bouts of crying and suffers from a myriad of symptoms of PTSD including flashbacks, night sweats and severe depression, anxiety and anger.

"I got to tell you this because it's crazy," Willis said. "When he was in Texas he legally bought the guns involved in this case. I just said that he is 50 percent mentally disabled... He purchased a handgun legally in Texas. What does that say about our society?"

Willis went through a list of medals and ribbons Hernandez received in the Navy and asked jurors to "please give him the respect that he deserves. He got those ribbon defending your rights -- now you defend his. Now it's your time."

Willis said his client was having a flashback and was in a dissociative state during the incident. However, the defense psychiatrist and the state psychiatrist disagree on Hernandez's culpability.

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Kevin Roe told jurors to keep an open mind, adding that "you will know what justice is and you are going to make the right decision."

The incident began with a 911 call from a woman who said a man who appeared to be agitated was in red Infinity with what turned out to be a handgun, Roe told jurors.

Hernandez had been drinking and was looking for a fight when he went to Quick Chek on Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen and started an argument with teenagers. Police spotted his car there and pulled it over but scuffled with Hernandez when they tried to detain him, Roe said.

Hernandez managed to get into his car as more officers arrived and began hitting the vehicle with batons to get him to stop. Hernandez slammed it into reverse, ran over a police officer's foot and nearly struck other officers. He sped back to his home on 57th Street running red lights, Roe said.

"Tires screech and the car stops and he runs behind a building," followed by police officers down a dark alley, Roe told jurors, adding that Hernandez was "lying in wait."

"They get to the backyard and as they do, Hernandez emerges form a hiding place, raising a handgun and starts firing at the officers. One officer returns fire," Roe said, adding that the officers backed off. "More police arrive. More shots are fired -- this time across the street, kicking up dirt, hitting cars, hitting houses."

Officers "very, very nearly lost their lives that night," Roe added. When the defendant finally surrenders, police searched his apartment and recovered the gun that "Hernandez tried to use to kill the police officers and a shotgun he intended to use if anyone came down there."

Testimony began after the lunch break with the North Bergen police officer whose foot was run over by Hernandez's vehicle.

The state expects to put its psychiatrist on the stand next week. Willis said Hernandez will testify in his own defense when the defense presents its case.

Hernandez is charged with aggravated assault on police officers, eluding, resisting arrest, gun charges and two counts of attempted murder. The trial is before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mark Nelson in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.JERSEY CITY -- The 33-year-old man who was gunned down Sunday morning in Jersey City had been on dialysis for seven years and was awaiting a kidney transplant when his life ended abruptly, his mother said.

Laquan Clark was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside a car on New Street at approximately 2:10 a.m. Sunday and taken to nearby hospital where he died, authorities announced Monday.

Stacy Clark said her son had lived with kidney failure for years and was set to receive a new organ on Saturday. However, the donation fell through when the person from whom he was receiving the kidney survived after being taken off life support, Clark's mother said.

Clark had been hanging out at Brenda's Place, a bar at the corner of Ocean Avenue and New Street, prior to the shooting, his mother said, adding that she doesn't know why her son was killed.

No arrests have been made in connection to the shooting, but the Hudson Count Prosecutor's Office and Jersey City Police Department are investigating.

"I, his mother, truly forgive them and pray for them. Just please turn yourself in," she said, addressing whoever shot her son, while standing with other family members in front of a makeshift memorial Monday afternoon.

"I don't understand how this could have happened to him. He was a good man."

A graduate of Snyder High School, Clark had just started working at a local AutoZone, his family said.

Clark is the third person fatally shot in the Greenville section of the city 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.

Clark's family said despite struggling with his illness, he never let those struggles show.

"I love him," a family friend said. "He was real. He was funny."

The Jersey Journal's Patrick Villanova contributed to this report.A passenger in a car on West Side Avenue in North Bergen that collided with a tractor trailer Thursday night has died from his injuries, authorities said Tuesday.

William David, 36, of North Bergen, was pronounced dead at approximately 10:50 a.m. on Sunday at Hackensack University Medical Center, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. The driver, Daniel Rodriguez, 18, of North Bergen, remains in critical condition at the Hackensack hospital.

The crash occurred at 9:40 p.m. Thursday in front of 4700 West Side Ave. when Rodriguez's 2013 Infiniti G37 collided with a tractor-trailer truck, HCPO spokesman Ray Worrall said.

The death the 15th traffic fatality in Hudson County in 2018.

The initial investigation by the Hudson County Regional Fatal Collision Unit and North Bergen police determined that the Infiniti was travelling north on West Side Avenue and struck the Freightliner tractor-trailer as it pulled out of the driveway of 4700 West Side.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was not injured and remained at the scene, Worrall said. The crash is still under investigation and no charges have been filed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Prosecutor's Office at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential.

West Side Avenue in North Bergen has seen its share of tragedy.

In 2005, 18-year-old Rebeka Verea was killed when she was a passenger in a car that rear-ended a tractor trailer at 74th Street and West Side Avenue in North Bergen.

In 2011, a 16-year-old Union City High School student was killed in a one-vehicle crash on West Side Avenue near 75th Street. A few months later a Fairview man died in a one-car chase in the area of West Side Avenue and 83rd Street.Family and friends paid their respects today to Jayden Fondeur, 17, the high school student who was shot and killed near his home in Jersey City on Sept. 19.

The wake was held tonight at Michalski Funeral Home, located at 463 Monmouth St. in Jersey City.

Fondeur, a junior at Ferris High School, was shot and killed at the corner of Old Bergen Road and Pamrapo Avenue in Jersey City at 6:25 p.m. The family called it a drive-by shooting, but they believe Jayden was not the intended target.

No arrests have been made so far.

Students at the wake wore T-shirts with Fondeur's photo on them, some saying "Long Live Jayden," and "Rest in Peace."

Fondeur's funeral is set for Tuesday at St. Anthony's Church, next to the funeral home, at 10:30 a.m. Jayden will be interred at Holy Name Cemetery.

A GoFundMe page has been created to help Jayden's family with funeral costs.After days of on-and-off negotiations, Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when both were teenagers, will get a public hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley 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."

Ford had wanted to call witnesses, especially a friend of Kavanaugh she claims was in the room when she was assaulted, but Grassley refused. She also wants to be questioned only by senators, not by attorneys, wanted to speak after Kavanaugh's testimony and wanted assurances for her safety.

The deal comes after days of intense negotiations in which Ford's attorneys sought to push back a hearing that Grassley initially tried to schedule for Monday while she and Democrats asked that the FBI launch an investigation into her claims.

Democrats demanded that the FBI investigate the matter and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said last week that if Democrats retake control in Congress, they will continue to investigate Ford's allegations.

Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Do you believe she will get a fair hearing?

Vote in our informal and unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments section.

Saturday's results:The Trenton police officer charged last week with repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor has been charged with a second, similar set of charges for another victim, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said.

William Sanchez-Monllor

William L. Sanchez-Monllor, 36, of Burlington Township, is charged with six counts of first-degree aggravated sexual Assault and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

As with the first set of allegations, the prosecutor's office did not indicate the age or gender of the minor victim, or the nature of any relationship the victim may have had with Sanchez-Monllor.

The details of the assaults were again sealed by a state Superior Court judge, the office said.

The office did say, as with the prior victim, the alleged abuse occurred on multiple occasions in Burlington County. Sanchez-Monllor lives on Neck Road in Burlington Township.

Last week, the office charged Sanchez-Monllor with two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault and an endangering charge.

With that victim, court documents showed that the abuse started as early as 2014.

Sanchez-Monllor has been a Trenton officer since 2010 and has worked as a detective. His base salary is currently about $102,000 annually, state records show.

He was taken into custody last Tuesday at the Burlington Township Police Department, and remained jailed Monday awaiting a detention hearing in Superior Court.

His exact status with the Trenton Police Department was unclear Monday.

Prosecutor's Det. Tony Luyber and Burlington Township Det. Ruben Ortiz-Cruz are the lead investigators.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.A colorful, playground oasis appeared in the Menlo Park Mall this weekend.

The Disney Junior Play Zone, only the fourth in the nation and the first outside of Texas, first opened to mall-goers in Edison on Saturday.

The centers are partnerships between Disney and Simon malls, and are described as "tactile play environments" that mix popular Disney characters with activities and open-concept floor plans. Its free and open to the public during the mall's operating hours.

Children play at the Disney Junior Play Zone on opening day, Saturday, September 22, 2018. (Photo provided)

The first of the centers opened earlier this year at the La Plaza Mall in McAllen, Texas.

"The Disney Junior Play Zone at Menlo Park Mall is evidence of our continued commitment to remaining a dynamic, family-friendly destination in the community," Maria Gregorius, director of Marketing and Business Development at Menlo Park Mall, said in a statement.

The activities are geared toward toddlers and up to children as old as 10. There, they can play digital and physical games centered about "Vampirina," "Muppet Babies," "Puppy Dog Pals," "Mickey and the Roadster Racers" and, "Fancy Nancy," according to the mall's website.

For parents, it also features mobile charging stations, lounge seating and a floor plan that accounts for strollers.

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsA Morris County farmer has been suspended from his job by his wife after he was charged criminally and accused of sexual contact with teenage female employees.

Phillip Green, who works at Sun High Orchards in Randolph, was suspended last week after the charges, Brenda Bostrom, his wife and owner of the pick-your-own farm, said in a statement.

"We are taking the charges against Phil Green very seriously," she said. "Phil has been suspended indefinitely from Sun High Orchards as we gather more information."

The 25-acre farm off of Canfield Road has been owned by the Bostroms for decades. Green, known as "Farmer Phil" on the website, is a longtime farmer.

A spokesman for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office could confirm only that Green, 59, was arrested and charged.

According to the Morristown Daily Record, two 17-year-old women reported Green to Randolph police last Monday. They allege that he groped them during their shifts at the farm.

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Three pro-hunting groups say they plan to challenge Gov. Phil Murphy's executive order barring the bear hunt from state land.

The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (NJOA), Safari Club International and Sportsmen's Alliance announced Tuesday that they are seeking hunters as plaintiffs in a lawsuit to be filed in state court.

NJOA trustee Cody McLaughlin said Murphy's Aug. 20 executive order "was just mind-boggling to New Jersey sportsmen for a variety of reasons."

"This is both a legal and scientifically sound hunt. Caving to public pressure was just the wrong move here," McLaughlin said.

This year's hunt begins Oct. 8.

Murphy, as a candidate in December 2016, had pledged to halt the bear hunt. While banning the hunt from state land, he is otherwise allowing it to proceed, and has stated he lacks the legal authority to stop it altogether.

Murphy's spokesperson referred a request for comment Tuesday to the state attorney general's office, which declined comment.

The impact of Murphy's executive order on the hunt is unclear. About 40 percent of the 3,429 bears killed in the eight hunts under former Gov. Chris Christie were located on state land.

However, the state Department of Environmental Protection is selling just as many bear hunt permits -- 11,000 -- as in 2017, and New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel has said hunting on private property is expected to increase.

Paul Babaz, president of Safari Club International, said Murphy's executive order "was pure politics and should be overturned in favor of sound wildlife management."

"Safari Club, along with the other Plaintiffs, look forward to proving in court that the Governor's decision was illegal," Babaz said.

Some bear hunt opponents also are unhappy with Murphy. Protesters gathered across the street on Saturday from the governor's official residence in Princeton, urging an end to the hunt.

Murphy, who lives in Middletown, was not around during the protest.

This year's bear hunt is scheduled to last for 12 days -- from Oct. 8 through Oct. 13, and from Dec. 3 through Dec. 8 -- in eight northern counties.

The three hunting groups did not say when the lawsuit will be filed.

Regarding the request for plaintiffs, McLaughlin said they are seeking hunters who had planned to hunt bears on state land.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.A planned flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Paris on Monday evening blew multiple tires in an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after the plane experienced hydraulic failure, officials said.

Delta Airlines flight 20 made a hard landing at JFK, the Port Authority Police union said on Twitter. Smoke was pouring from the 767 plane's brakes and several of its tires blew upon landing, the union said.

Mon., 9/24, JFK Airport; #PAPD ARFF with Delta Flt 20 that departed NWK & had hydraulic failure. Diverted to JFK, landed heavy on R/W 4L resulting in smoking, hot brakes causing two tires on each main gear to rupture. #PAPDPROTECTSNYNJ #jfkairport pic.twitter.com/uKmC9v8aHs  Port Authority PBA (@PAPD911) September 25, 2018

"The flight landed without incident and Delta dispatched an alternate aircraft to continue the flight to Paris-Charles de Gaulle," Delta Airlines said in emailed statement. "The safety of Delta's customers and crew is always our top priority."

The plane, which has 205 passengers aboard, departed Newark at 6:28 p.m. and landed at JFK at 8 p.m, according to Delta. The flight diverted specifically to Kennedy because it had an aircraft to swap if needed.

The delayed flight didn't take off from Kennedy for more than 7 hours - at 3:13 a.m. It's scheduled to touch down at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport Airport at 3:57 p.m. local time (9:57 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time).

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Two men who survived the Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida have sued a New Jersey law firm claiming they were sexually harassed by the firm's office manager and were used to recruit survivors of other mass shootings.

Javier Nava and Brian Nunez allege John Groff of the Conrad Benedetto firm in Voorhees Township contacted them immediately after the June 12, 2016 shooting that left 49 dead and 58 wounded.

Groff, who is the firm's office and marketing manager, told Nava and Nunez "they had viable legal causes of action based on their presence" at the club during the shooting, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Camden County.

Nava and Nunez claim Groff created the Facebook group "Survivors of Mass Shootings" that held itself out as a support group but was really used to find other shooting survivors as clients for the Benedetto law firm.

"Groff gained access for Benedetto (to) a database of vulnerable victims," the suit states.

Almost immediately after Nava and Nunez agreed to become clients, Groff began texting them for "personal relationships and to groom them" for sexual harassment, the suit states.

In two statements Monday, Groff and Benedetto denied allegations in suit.

The lawsuit claims when a gunman opened fire on concert-goers in Las Vegas, Groff asked Nava and Nunez to accompany him to Nevada and California to meet with other shooting survivors and convince them to retain the Benedetto law firm.

Groff said the firm would pay for all Nava and Nunez's expenses, according to the suit.

Nava and Nunez "believed the trips would be somewhat therapeutic, a way for shooting victims to connect and share their respective stories," the lawsuit says.

However, "Groff sought to use the trip as a way to sexually solicit shooting survivors, including but not limited to (Nava and Nunez)," the suit claims.

They claim when they rejected Groff's sexual advances - Nunez in Nevada and Nava in California - Groff "threatened to withhold money for lodging, transportation and food."

Throughout the trip, Groff sent the men "sexually explicit text messages and pornographic images in attempts to entice (the men) to enter into a sexual relationship with him," the lawsuit states.

The suit contains several screenshots of text message exchanges between Groff and the two men.

Text message contained in the suit.

In one, Groff says tells Nava wants to get his nails done "so when I am relaxing you and you go crazy you can't scratch me."

"OMG you crazy," Nava responds.

In another to Nava, he allegedly wrote, "Come on pa, just once, between us. Confidential just want to satisfy both of us."

"I'm not asking for a relationship at all, I would never!" he allegedly wrote in another text. "I'm just asking for a little fun."

Groff, reached by phone Monday, called the allegations in the suit "absurd" and sent NJ Advance Media a text message he said he received from Nunez.

"Hey John, again thank you for the great trip and opportunity to get away," reads the text from January. Nunez appears to ask about how to meet other survivors of mass shootings.

In a statement, Groff said:

"I worked with Javier Nava and Brian Nunez to give them an opportunity to find healing with other people who were the victims of mass shootings. At no point during our interactions -- which were always friendly and informal -- did Javier or Brian give me any sense that they had a problem. I believe this legal complaint is full of incorrect facts and serves as nothing more than an attempt to destroy my professional reputation. I look forward to the opportunity to correct the record and prove that this lawsuit has no merit."

Nava and Nunez claims include sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, fraud and negligent hiring, training and supervision of Groff.

Groff claims he received this text from Brian Nunez.

In addition to Groff, the lawsuit names Conrad J. Benedetto.

The Benedetto law firm released its own statement Monday, saying the lawsuit contains "factual inaccuracies" and "takes communications out of context."

Benedetto also claims that one of the lawyers who filed the suit represents a survivor from the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas.

Matthew Luber, one of the attorneys who filed the suit, did not return a message asking if his firm represents a Vegas shooting victim.

This isn't the first time Groff has been sued while working for Benedetto.

In December 2015, a lawsuit filed against the law firm alleged Groff used his position to keep a client out of jail in exchange for sex with the man and his girlfriend on multiple occasions.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Living and working in urban centers, many of us walk or drive past the least fortunate among us every day. Whether we see these men and women gathered together in places like Journal Square or alone on gurneys at the nearest emergency room, they are - or at least should be -- a visceral reminder that we must do better.

Sadly, many people become immune to the suffering of the homeless they pass day in and day out. After all, how much spare change can we dole out? And does it do any good?

The stubborn nature of chronic homelessness may well cause even the most kind-hearted among us to lose hope, which is why the recent joint initiatives by two Hudson County hospitals, the state, the City of Hoboken and other local entities deserve high praise.

The "Familiar Faces'' pilot program will give 25 chronically homeless community members who are frequent patients at Jersey City Medical Center and Hoboken University Medical Center -- mostly as a respite from the unforgiving streets -- a chance at starting over through intensive programming and $10,000 in temporary housing vouchers.

Hoboken's multi-pronged approach, meanwhile, includes plans for a new food pantry, office space for Easterseals and the deceptively simple idea of "donation meters'' to aid the shelter on Bloomfield Street.

"Ours is the wealthiest nation in human history and yet in Hoboken simply walking our streets we are reminded daily that not everyone enjoys the benefits from the success of our community,'' Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said in announcing his city's initiatives.

Robert Winston, associate vice president of behavioral health at Jersey City Medical Center, noted that the public-private partnerships are intended to "bridge the gap,'' enabling Familiar Faces' participants to pay rent while getting services they need to get back on their feet.

"We want to ensure they're going to live the successful life they want to live,'' he said.

This newspaper has long decried the tale of two cities that exists here as the tide of gentrification continues to make stark the distinction between the haves and have-nots. We are buoyed by these innovative plans.

Submit letters to the editor and guest columns at jjletters@jjournal.com.What's most striking, given all we've heard so far about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, is how little Republicans seem to care.



Senior GOP staffers knew last week about the second woman who accuses him of sexual misconduct, a classmate at Yale. Yet instead of slowing down the vote to confirm him, they tried to hustle it up.



They now know college classmates say Kavanaugh hung out with a wolfish crew, could be aggressive and belligerent when drunk, and joined a fraternity known for predatory behavior.

A 2nd woman has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault



They know that even though he told Fox News that the people he knew in college would consider it "inconceivable" that he'd exposed himself to Deborah Ramirez, his college roommate at the time has called her claim credible and consistent with Kavanaugh's behavior.



They know that the high school buddy who swore to his good character may have been an accomplice. Christine Blasey Ford says Mark Judge was in the room when Kavanaugh put his hand over her mouth and forcibly groped her, and literally piled on.



They know that while Judge denies all this, calls it"just absolutely nuts," and insists, "I never saw Brett act that way. ... I don't remember any of that stuff going on with girls," he doesn't want to testify to that under oath.



And they know this could be because of what a woman he dated for three years, Elizabeth Rasor, told The New Yorker. "I can't stand by and watch him lie," she said of his vow that "no horseplay" took place at his elite high school with women.

N.J. lawmakers take aim at Brett Kavanaugh and back victims of sexual assault



On the contrary, Judge told her that he and other boys had taken turns having sex with a drunk woman, she said, which he seemed to consider consensual.



Republicans know Judge could be asked about such stories if he testified. They know lawyer Michael Avenatti claims he has a client who will share more information about misconduct by Kavanaugh and Judge.



Yet instead of slowing down this process, they are still trying to rush it through. Senate Republicans are refusing to hear from Judge, the most important witness in this case, despite repeated calls to subpoena him.



President Trump's Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, will not authorize an investigation, even though the women are eager to cooperate. "We're going to plow right through it," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) assured conservative activists on Friday. "Don't get rattled by all of this."



Sen. Lindsey Graham, who sits on this judiciary committee, said nothing that Ford says will change his vote, and doubled down on Monday, after the second woman came forward.



If Republicans really wanted the truth, they would not be digging in like this. They would be preparing to fully air these claims, so their nominee can clear his name.



And if he can't, they would be asking themselves: Is this really the best that our country has to offer? Why Kavanaugh, when we could easily replace him with someone else who is just as conservative?



Yet like Trump, a man accused by at least 15 women of sexual misconduct, who says he will support his nominee "all the way," their actions show they do not really care about the truth.



They do not care about the truth, because they do not care about sexual assault.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.Let's see a show of hands: How many people believe that Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general overseeing the Russia investigation, will still have his job after he meets with President Trump on Thursday?

We face a defining moment for our democracy, one that will determine whether a president is subject to the rule of law. Because with Rosenstein gone, as now seems inevitable, Robert Mueller will lose the steadfast protection that Rosenstein has provided from the start.

That would allow Trump to fire Mueller and kill his investigation by appointing a replacement for Rosenstein who is gutless enough to do as he is told. A president who has shown nothing but disdain for the rule of law would finally move beyond its reach. The pieces are all in place now.

Congress has the power to step in and protect Mueller, and a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker would do just that. It would give Mueller the right to appeal any firing to a panel of three neutral judges, and require the Justice Department to show good cause before targeting Mueller in the first place.

Mark that bill as a litmus test for Republicans in the November election. If they are unwilling to stop Trump from killing the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, then they are unfit to serve. So, let's take a look at the Republicans in the most contested New Jersey races this year.

The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Bob Hugin, donated more than $200,000 to Trump, directly and indirectly, and served as a Trump delegate at the party convention. But he has supported this bill unequivocally from the start, an encouraging sign that his support for Trump has its limits.

In the 11th House district, where Democrat Mikie Sherrill has the lead, the Republican candidate is Assemblyman Jay Webber, a Trump loyalist. He's been silent on the bill, and his campaign office would not respond Monday when asked about its key provisions.

So, given that he's hiding under his desk, it's fair to assume that Webber would join the GOP's Craven Caucus and defend Trump at all costs.

In the 3rd district, Republican Rep. Tom MacArthur is unquestionably Trump's most loyal supporter in the New Jersey delegation. He's a former moderate who now reflexively votes with party leadership, supporting both the Obamacare repeal and the tax law that capped the deductibility of state and local taxes.

MacArthur, like Webber, has taken no position on the bill and his campaign office declined to answer questions Monday over its provisions. It's a safe bet that MacArthur will fall in line with Trump again.

In the 7th district, Rep. Leonard Lance is a Republican locked in a close race with Democrat Tom Malinowski, a former State Department official. Lance has voted with Trump more than 80 percent of the time, but he's revolted on key issues, including the repeal of Obamacare and the Trump tax cutsl. Lance supports Booker's approach, and has sponsored a companion bill in the House.

The political reality is that Booker's bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, has little chance of passage, at least for now. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is blocking a floor vote, and Trump would likely veto the bill if it reached his desk.

But that could change if the public revolts against an effort to kill Mueller's investigation. That happened to Richard Nixon after the Saturday night massacre in 1973, when he fired Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor in the Watergate scandal.

After that, for the first time, polls showed that Americans wanted Nixon impeached. It could happen again.

More: Tom Moran columns

Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.A Superior Court Judge has ordered Burlington County to release a partial police body camera video the county sought to keep private and exempt from public record.

Kevin Lewis, who had requested footage of his interactions with sheriff's officers who responded to a courthouse altercation in which he was involved, will receive most of one recording, and a second recording will be withheld out of privacy concerns, Judge Mary Jacobson said in an order she handed down Thursday.

The order provides a narrow window into a single incident, but it could have far-reaching implications.

Jacobson's ruling that body camera footage can be released under the state's Open Public Records Act comes on the heels of a state Supreme Court decision that found dashboard camera footage is not subject to disclosure under that same law.

Court: police can keep dashcam videos secret



The order, which will likely be appealed, could set up another high-stakes legal fight over how much access members of the public can have to body-worn cameras, which have been adopted by police departments across the state in recent years but come with a host of new privacy and transparency concerns.

Jacobson found earlier in this case that the records custodian could not simply deny a request to release body camera footage by declaring it a criminal investigatory record.

"It is hereby declared that the body worn camera audio and video recordings in this matter do not fall within OPRA's criminal investigatory exemption," she wrote in her Aug. 24 order.

Walter Luers, Lewis's attorney, said open records law defines a criminal investigatory record as any record that police are not required to make or maintain.

Luers said he furnished the court with guidelines issued by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office in 2015 on when the cameras must be on, when they can be shut off and who can view the film.

And he successfully argued the existence of this directive means body-worn camera footage falls outside the scope of the criminal investigatory record exception.

The court's decision does not mean that the public will always receive access to body cam footage. But it does mean that police can't fall back on this major exception, at least in cases that end up before Jacobson, Luers said.

Records custodians can claim other exceptions, if, for instance, the footage would violate personal privacy or reveal investigatory techniques of raise security concerns, he said.

Ultimately, a determination of whether footage should be release will require a more fact-sensitive analysis, Luers said.

Burlington County "has not made any decisions as to where to go from here," said attorney Evan Crook, declining further comment.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been corrected to clarify what the new regulations do.

Gov. Phil Murphy's administration is moving forward with a law to help New Jerseyans save at least part of a popular property tax break, even after the IRS largely rejected the effort.

The state government has adopted regulations allowing New Jersey's municipalities, counties, and school districts to accept some tax bills as charitable donations to help residents get around a $10,000 limit on state and local tax deductions under President Donald Trump's recent federal tax overhaul, the state Department of Community Affairs announced Tuesday.

"In light of Washington's recent efforts to punish net-donor states like New Jersey through the federal income tax code, our administration is making it easier for New Jersey's hard-working taxpayers and property owners to re-invest their tax dollars in their own communities," Murphy said.

"By adopting these new regulations, we are permitting our local governments to establish charitable funds that will help them spend local money where it is most needed, funding vital public services and investing in public infrastructure here in New Jersey," the governor added.

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Murphy, a Democrat, signed a law in May allowing the funds to fight back against the federal tax overhaul, which Republican-led Congress passed and Trump, a Republican, approved in December.

The law allows local government to create charitable funds that residents can pay into instead of paying their taxes. In exchange for their donations, New Jersey homeowners can receive a 90 percent tax credit they could use against their local real estate tax bill.

Local governments can use money donated to the funds to pay for public safety, capital improvements, social services, open space, recreation, libraries, and more.

But last month, the Internal Revenue Service under Trump proposed a rule that could invalidate efforts by Democrat-leaning states to establish such funds to circumvent the deduction cap.

The IRS rules do allow a 15 percent credit for donations. Thus, Murphy's administration say the new state regulations give residents a choice: take the 15 percent allowed by the IRS or take the full 90 percent allowed by the state if they're willing to risk defying the IRS.

"These regulations ensure transparency and fiscal accountability, safeguarding donated funds and assuring sufficient financial support for public purposes," Melanie Walter, the acting director of the New Jersey Division of Local Government Services, said in a statement.

It's unclear how the IRS would handle those who seek the 90 percent credit when they file their income tax returns -- or whether any local government in New Jersey will create the charitable funds in the first place.

None has done so yet. Local government lobbyists have said they were waiting for Murphy's administration to issue guidance on how to implement the funds.

The state even warns residents in the new regulations.

"The Division of Local Government Services makes no representations with respect to how the IRS will treat property tax creditable-contributions to a charitable fund," the state's notice reads.

A spokeswoman for the IRS referred to the agency's website, which includes information about the regulation related charitable funds. But she declined further comment.

The state and local tax deductions capped under Trump's overhaul are popular in high-tax states like New Jersey, which has the highest property taxes in the nation.

More than four in 10 taxpayers in the Garden State claimed the break and deducted an average deduction of $17,850 in 2015, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Only residents of New York, Connecticut, and California deduct more from federal taxes than New Jerseyans, according the progressive Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Most of the states hit hardest send billions of dollars more to Washington than they get back in services.

New Jersey taxpayers sent $31 billion more to D.C. in 2015 than they received in services -- more than any other state except New York, according to the State University of New York's Rockefeller Institute of Government.

Murphy has accused Trump's administration of capping the deductions to help pay for the tax overhaul, rewarding red states and punishing blue states.

Murphy's administration also filed a lawsuit with three other states against Trump's administration, alleging the tax overhaul infringes on the states' "sovereign authority to determine their own taxation and fiscal policies."

NJ Advance Media staff writers Samantha Marcus and Jonathan D. Salant contributed to this report.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.A Union County man was sentenced to 24 years in prison for killing his neighbor and former friend last December.

Shansey Abernathy, 24, of Linden was sentenced Friday by Union County Superior Court Judge Candido Rodriguez, Jr. after he was found guilty of first-degree aggravated manslaughter for shooting to death 27-year-old Alphonso Pearson, also of Linden.

Rodriguez said the lives of two families will never be the same.

Shansey Abernathy, 24.

"There is no sentence that will bring back Al," she said. "Nobody wins here. We all lose. Al's family loses. Shansey's family loses."

Abernathy briefly apologized to Pearson's family during the sentencing, saying Pearson was his brother, that he loved Pearson and that he wished the situation hadn't happened.

The feud between the neighbors started in the fall of 2017 when Abernathy suspected Pearson of having a sexual relationship with the mother of his child.

On Dec. 11, Abernathy saw text messages between the mother of his child and Pearson. On Dec. 20, he shot and killed Pearson.

"Nine days he had to think about this. Nine days he thought about how he was going to get revenge. How he was going to get a handgun, how he was going to get bullets, how he was going to load that handgun," said Union County Assistant Prosecutor Jeremiah Lenihan.

"He talks about how he's that God-fearing man, he played God that day he killed Al Pearson," Lenihan said.

According to trial testimony, Abernathy told a friend "We don't fight, when I see Al, I'm going to shoot him," Lenihan said.

As Abernathy set off to meet Pearson in front of their homes on Dec. 20, Abernathy's father tried to stop him twice.

"The defendant's dad told him, 'Leave it in God's hands,' and he did not listen to his dad,' the prosecutor said.

Abernathy also texted Pearson, saying he "had something for him." The "something" turned out to be a gun, Lenihan said.

During Friday's sentencing, Pearson's mother described the last memory of her son. She said she heard the gunshots, then saw her son standing in her doorway holding his chest.

"We were all neighbors. We waved at each other everyday. I know it's killing them like it's killing me," Pearson's mother said. "We all get upset. But we don't go out and kill... You don't do that. Think before you do that."

Scene of the murder on Dec. 20 in Linden

Initially, Abernathy ran after the shooting. But less than 24 hours later, he turned himself into police.

Abernathy's extensive juvenile history factored into his 24-year sentence, the judge said. Abernathy was previously charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated assault with conspiracy to commit robbery by force, and his recent violent municipal contacts.

He must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence before the possibility of parole under New Jersey's No Early Release Act.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.

Find NJ.com on Facebook.Photo: Contributed

Recently, I spoke with local COPA members at the Kelowna Flying Club.

COPA, the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, has more than 200 regional and local chapters and represents close to 16,000 members in every province and territory as the recognized voice of general aviation in Canada.

At the meeting we discussed a number of general aviation issues to include the status of pilot training in Canada. There was an overwhelming consensus that there is a need for better support for our flight training schools and student pilots to increase pilot production.

I indicated I had tabled private members motion M-177, which comes before the House of Commons in October, and asks the Standing Committee on Transport to review the growing problem of pilot shortage in the Canadian aviation industry.

As COPA members have indicated, half of Canadas flight operators state that finding qualified pilots is a significant challenge, an assertion confirmed by the findings of Suzanne Kearns, associate professor of Aviation at the University of Waterloo.

At current pilot production rates it is estimated that Canada will be short nearly 3,000 pilots by 2025 and about 6,000 by 2036.

Adding to the problem, the International Civil Aviation Organization estimates that on a global scale, 80 per cent of the 620,000 new pilots needed to sustain expected growth in passenger traffic by 2036 have yet to begin training.

If finding qualified pilots is a challenge, finding qualified instructors is equally challenging as more experienced pilots are being snapped up by commercial airlines.

For local operators the effect is immediate. As noted by the BC Aviation Council, one local company has had to hire and train the equivalent of 100 per cent of its pilot workforce in less than a year. Not only is this a costly endeavour, it creates the additional problem of a pool of less experienced pilots.

To try to fill the gap, operators are actively recruiting internationally, but are running headlong into immigration issues that make hiring outside Canada an economic impossibility.

As for those people who are interested in becoming pilots, traditional pathway in Canada involves earning licences and ratings that cost approximately $75,000 and twice that if combined with a degree or diploma from a post secondary institution. Its a financial burden many cannot afford.

These are only a few of the issues facing the aviation industry which need to be addressed and I am hopeful that the committee review will result in robust recommendations to the government of Canada.

Whether by land, sea, or air, the safe and efficient movement of goods and people is essential for the growth of the economy and we must support the general aviation industry in recognition of its importance to local and regional economies.

I want to thank local members of COPA for speaking with me and look forward to working with my caucus and opposition colleagues this fall to find ways to alleviate the challenges being faced in this vital sector.When Yankees general manager Brian Cashman traded for San Francisco Giants outfielder Andrew McCutchen on August 31st, the former National League MVP was seen as a short-term rental and a stopgap solution for an injury-riddled outfielder.

However with Aaron Judge back in the lineup, McCutchen is now relegated to platoon status, sharing playing time with Brett Gardner.

After this season, McCutchen will become a free agent.

The Yankees seem stacked in the outfield for 2019 with Aaron Hicks, Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Clint Frazier at the top of the list.

Gardner could return too. The Yankees can exercise his $12.5-million team option for 2019 or let him go via a $2 million buyout.

However the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo reports McCutchen is still in the mix for 2019:

If the Yankees can cut a reasonable deal, they'd like to have Andrew McCutchen, who will be a free agent, back next season. The Yankees like him on the field and in the clubhouse. The Yankees could part ways with left fielder Brett Gardner, who has been reduced to a bench role and whose $12.5 million club option will likely be bought out for $2 million. And yes, Jacoby Ellsbury could return in 2019.

Here are the details of the McCutchen trade with the Giants, per Yankees PR:

The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired OF Andrew McCutchen along with cash considerations from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for INF Abiatal Avelino and RHP Juan De Paula.

McCutchen, 31, hit .255/.357/.415 (123-for-482) with 65R, 28 doubles, 2 triples, 15HR, 55RBI, 73BB and 13SB in 130 games in his first season with the Giants. His 73 walks are tied for seventh-most in the National League. He played 128 games (127 starts) in right field, committing just 2E in 255TC (.992).

The Fort Meade, Fla., native played his first nine Major League seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2009-17), making five NL All-Star Teams (2011-15) and winning the 2013 National League Most Valuable Player Award and 2015 Roberto Clemente Award. He was traded by Pittsburgh with cash considerations to the Giants in exchange for RHP Kyle Crick, OF Bryan Reynolds and international bonus pool money on January 15, 2018. He is under contract through the 2018 season.

In 1,476 games over 10 Major League seasons (2009-18), the right-handed hitter is batting .288/.377/.481 (1,586-for-5,515) with 879R, 320 doubles, 46 triples, 218HR, 780RBI, 758BB and 184SB. Since 2009, he ranks second among Major League hitters in runs scored and times on base (2,412), and fifth in hits and walks.

McCutchen was originally selected by the Pirates in the first round (11th overall) in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.

Avelino, 23, combined with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Trenton to hit .287 (133-for-464) with 65R, 13 doubles, 8 triples, 15HR and 66RBI in 123 games this season. He was originally signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on December 26, 2011.

De Paula, 20, went 2-2 with a 1.71 ERA (47.1IP, 9ER) and 46K in 10 games (nine starts) with short-season Single-A Staten Island this season. He was acquired by the Yankees with RHP Jio Orozco from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for OF Ben Gamel on August 31, 2016.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25)  Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Tuesday vowed to strictly enforce environment laws in small-scale mining sites or "minahang bayan" nationwide to avoid the repeat of the deadly landslide in Itogon, Benguet.

Cimatu said all small-scale mining operations will be regulated.

"We will really strictly enforce our conditions for the establishment of the minahang bayan (small-scale mining sites).. Number one, they will abide and be regulated. Number two, they will really comply with the requirements given," he said.

The Secretary recently ordered the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to review all applications for small-scale mining operations to see if they conform to safety standards for miners. This came despite his order to stop all mining activities in the cordillera administrative region.

Cimatu hopes to find a suitable site for small-scale mining in Benguet as soon as possible to allow miners to resume working.

"We will be making sure that once the minahang bayan, we'll make sure that it will be free from disasters, it will be free... Outside of danger zones, and they will be properly regulated in their tailings," he said.

Quarrying

Meanwhile, Cimatu said quarrying operations around the country can resume after 15 days if the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) doesn't find violations by quarrying companies.

The Secretary said he has instructed DENR regional directors to lift the suspension order if they find the communities living near quarrying sites to be safe.

"In the event na makita nila na walang community, walang ma-danger zones doon na wala namang ma-affect sa community, they can lift the stoppage," he said.

(Translation: In the event that they don't see any community in danger zones, nothing will affect the community, they can lift the stoppage.)

Cimatu earlier ordered the suspension of quarrying operations nationwide, following the deadly landslide in Naga City, Cebu that killed at least 56 people.

The agency is looking into the incident, and Cimatu said Apo Land and Quarry Corporation is ready to answer for any liability it may have over the tragedy.

"Dito naman sa Apo (Here at Apo), they were very willing to be investigated naman (anyway). Sabi nga nila (They said), whatever culpability we have, we'll face it," he said.Photo: Contributed

Researchers looking for a possible great white shark mating site off Nova Scotia have tagged their first shark in Canadian waters.

The official Twitter account of the Ocearch research organization posted a photo on Monday afternoon of the male shark, named Nova, that was tagged off the south shore of Nova Scotia.

"I love cruising around the beautiful Nova Scotia waters looking for my next snack," read the inaugural tweet from the shark's Twitter account, @NovaTheShark.

Satellite tags attached to Ocearch sharks' fins collect data on the animals' movements, feeding behaviours, as well as water temperature and salinity levels.

One of Ocearch's other tagged sharks, an adult male named Hilton, has a made a splash in Nova Scotia for his wry Twitter feed that tweets out his movements to 46,000 followers.

Hilton introduced his followers to his new friend on Monday from the handle @HiltonTheShark: "Hes a bit smaller than me but from what I hear, hes a pretty cool dude."

Hilton has made return trips to Nova Scotia over the past year, suggesting he was here seeking a mate  a pattern that drew Ocearch's researchers to the area.

The team made up of U.S. and Canadian researchers started their work in Atlantic Canada last week, trying to shed more light on the migratory patterns of the mysterious creatures.

"We're up here trying to solve the puzzle of the North Atlantic white shark population," Dr. Bob Hueter said in Lunenberg, N.S., last Thursday, ahead of the expedition's launch.

Scientists say the discovery of a Canadian mating site could be key to protecting the ocean predators that are listed as endangered in Canada's Species At Risk Act.

Ocearch founder and the expedition leader Chris Fischer said in an interview with The Canadian Press last week that white sharks are known to mate around Nantucket, Mass., and give birth off the south shore of Long Island, N.Y.

But Hilton and a female tagged shark named Lydia didn't go to those areas, which Fischer said indicates they may be spending their time mating in other areas.

Earlier this month, federal scientists on a separate mission successfully tagged a great white shark in Atlantic Canadian waters for the first time.Like many educators, Michael Tillman, a history teacher at the International High School of New Orleans, was tired of competing with students' cellphones for their attention during class. However, school officials thought a blanket no-cellphone policy would be hard to enforce without constantly confronting students who would continue to text, answer calls or browse social media during the school day.

Tillman ultimately came across a solution that he says has "drastically" cut the amount of time school staff has spent dealing with student phone use. International High this year is using 400 new security-proof cellphone pouches created by the Yondr company.

International High students are now required to lock their cellphones inside a Yondr pouch at the start of the day, using one of three check-in/check-out stations at the school. The students keep their phones with them inside the pouch until it is unlocked at the end of the school day. It takes no more than 10 minutes to get all the students' phones locked or unlocked, according to a school news release.

Yondr pouches are currently used in more than 600 schools across the U.S. The technology has also been used worldwide at music concerts, courtrooms and during comedic performances.

International High Head of School Sean Wilson said they used funding received locally and from the states's per pupil funding Minimum Foundation Program to purchase 600 pouches for around $8,000 this year.

Teachers and parents have voiced growing concern that smartphone addiction is subverting efforts to educate young children. Apple shareholders in January pointed out that 67 percent of the more than 2,300 teachers surveyed by the Center on Media and Child Health and the University of Alberta observed that the number of students who are negatively distracted by digital technologies in the classroom is growing. Seventy-five percent of the respondents said students' ability to focus on educational tasks has decreased.

Wilson said his school last year tried to give students a chance to use their phones during lunch, but the school realized students were still using their phones outside of that designated period. Students were also addressing matters through social media "that were not necessarily healthy" for students, Wilson said.

Tillman said the pouches have also reduced distractions among students in the hallways and bathrooms. He said students in the classroom are becoming more involved in their schoolwork as well. His comments were echoed by International High junior Rishi Mistry in a released statement.

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"I do miss using my phone to translate words in Spanish class, [but] now we have to use the dictionary," Mistry said.

Students can still visit the school's main office to unlock their phone if they need to contact their parents, Tillman said. Instead of having students contact their parents during an emergency that could warrant a school lockdown, Tillman also stressed that it's important for students to listen to their teacher's instructions before they reach out to their families.

Tillman admitted to using the Yondr pouch himself to avoid reacting to the emails he receives during class. Although he says there are some ways cellphones can be used for academic purposes, he doesn't think the positives outweigh the "negatives and the challenges with personal technology." He also said some students agree with that mindset.

"Some of them will tell you it's kind of nice not to have to worry about it. Some of them are stressed about it and you do see that tech is an addiction for us right now," Tillman said.

International High is the first school in New Orleans to use Yondr pouches. Tillman said students who are at least 18 years old can also get work pouching cellphones at concerts that use the Yondr pouches.

. . . . . . .

Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles.Opinion by Oliver Houck

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry wrote an opinion column recently for the Daily Advertiser condemning lawsuits over climate change. Mr. Landry has joined a lawsuit to prevent government measures to reduce climate change, but these are different.

These lawsuits were brought against the oil industry by coastal municipalities from San Francisco to New York City seeking to keep themselves together in the face of rising temperatures and rising seas. There are two other sets of cases as well. This issue will not go away.

It would be easy to characterize Mr. Landry's comments as political; they were made in Lafayette, the epicenter of our own oil industry, and at the onset of what seems to be a gubernatorial campaign. But he is apparently sincere in his belief that climate change has nothing to do with land loss in Louisiana. Sincere, and quite wrong.

No credible scientist in the state would agree with him, nor would the state marine research station in Cocodrie, which is already awash at high tides and will in the coming years be accessible only by boat. Or, if you'd prefer, simply drive to Grand Isle and look down.

Mr. Landry's views are driven by a conviction that our dilemma is caused uniquely by Army Corps of Engineer levees and navigation canals, overlooking that it was the Louisiana congressional delegation that clamored incessantly for these very projects, including the disastrous Mississippi River Gulf Outlet. He also omits that industry canals, pipelines and subsurface extraction are yet more responsible for coastal losses than the levees themselves -- per a recent Department of Natural Resources report, up to 80 percent of all loss in Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. As Dr. Sherwood Gagliano, de-facto dean of the coastal science community, explains: "They sank."

Now come the climate change cases. Of course, those who do not believe in climate change can get off here, but you are going to get extremely wet, extremely soon. The lawsuits Mr. Landry refers to in California and New York have gone both ways and are on appeal both ways. They are based, as the New Orleans levee board case was, on state tort law, primarily nuisance. The two courts rejecting them have explained that, since we are all part of an oil and gas economy, it would be unfair to call the industry to account. Too big to pay, in effect. So, we can guess who will.

A second series of cases by the states of New York and Massachusetts are based on fraud, and a massive industry denial and misinformation campaign. For more on this you might also Google a recent tour-de-force by Nathaniel Rich entitled "Losing Earth." It has visuals, too, and evidence that industry leaders were, among themselves, acknowledging both the fact of climate change and their lead responsibility for it as early as 1968. The industry blowback to the lawsuits has been intense, suing the states for daring to sue it, refusing discovery, and running to more friendly states to enjoin them. So far to no avail.

A third case is driving both industry and the Trump Administration up the wall. In Juliana v United States, the plaintiffs are neither municipalities nor states; they are children whose futures are threatened by the effects of climate change, which has been held sufficient to support their standing to sue. As have been, for the moment, their claims in law under the Public Trust Doctrine and Due Process of Law. They do not ask for damages, or the imposition of penalties. They simply ask for the United States to act. The government has appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, twice, and lost. Trial goes forward in October. It is a bold case to be sure, but these are bold times.

Little of this would be necessary if government and industry stepped up to the table on climate change. One might hope that our attorney general would do the same. We have so much here to lose.

Oliver A. Houck is a professor of law at Tulane University.Almost a year after opposition research uncovered her questionable use of a city-issued credit card, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is declaring herself vindicated because, well, everyone else on the City Council was doing it.

In response to an audit released Monday (Sept. 24), Cantrell said she agreed with the examination by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor because it "determined that my City credit card usage was not unlike several other Councilmembers and their staff" and "supports my assertion from the beginning that my use of the card was consistent with the then established policies of the City Council."

Except that most of those "established policies" were quickly overhauled once word got out that the City Council had charged almost $379,000 to city credit cards in a little more than three years with very little oversight and a dearth of documentation.

And while the auditor's report did indeed find that Cantrell's card usage "was not unlike that of several of the other Councilmembers and their staff," she definitely was doing more of it than the others.

Review of credit card charges from June 4, 2014, to Sept. 25, 2017, found that Cantrell had charged $93,149 to her card, almost 25 percent of all the expenses for the seven-member council. Councilman Jason Williams was the next closest at $76,066. Former Councilwoman Susan Guidry had just $18,374 on her card.

The audit determined that council members were using their cards to pay for parties, gifts and meals in a process that allowed them to approve their own purchases.

And Cantrell had coincidentally decided to reimburse the city for $9,725 in charges just as she launched her campaign for mayor, expenses she presumably deemed dubious, even under the notably loose guidelines for the council cards.

The reimbursements became public last October when the campaign for Desiree Charbonnet, Cantrell's runoff opponent, released a packet of documents and accused Cantrell of improperly using taxpayer dollars to cover personal and campaign expenses.

Cantrell said all the spending was legit and that it was her habit to dip into her campaign and personal bank accounts to keep from busting the annual $30,000 limit on the council cards. She also rejected the notion that reconciling her accounts had anything to do with her bid for mayor and her intentions were "just to be real cautious" in "clearing up any gray areas, if any."

The real trick would have been finding anything but gray in the council's credit card policy, which banned cardholders from using it for "personal or unauthorized purposes" while never defining what those terms meant. The policy also required cards be used for "legitimate city business purposes." Again, no definition was provided.

The auditors determined, in fact, that "due to the council's lack of policies, procedures and records, it was not possible for us to determine if these expenditures were improper."

The only use specifically forbidden was for the purchase of alcohol, which city records show Cantrell did on at least four occasions while staying at the Limelight Hotel in Aspen, Colo., in July 2016. She said she was attending a leadership training session and the hotel could not separate the cost of food from the drinks, which included four glasses of wine and a margarita. Two months later, Cantrell's campaign cut a check to the city to cover the full costs of the meals, records show.

Cantrell went on to easily defeat Charbonnet in the runoff despite the allegations, but her spending documents were handed over in an anonymous complaint to Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro, who recused himself as a Charbonnet supporter and forwarded them to Attorney General Jeff Landry, who said he would wait for the auditor's report before making a decision about further investigation.

The Legislative Auditor's report is not a clean bill of health, noting that the "City Councilmembers and/or their chiefs-of-staff may have violated the Louisiana Constitution and state law" by spending city funds on "celebratory functions" and gifts and "failing to submit receipts for all credit card purchases."

The state attorney general may decide that the old policies regarding the credit cards were just too vague to warrant criminal charges. But that doesn't mean that Cantrell was using her card appropriately. And her everybody-else-was-doing-it response is hardly the standard we should expect from an elected official.

As the mayor often says, "We can do better."

Tim Morris is a columnist on the Latitude team at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Latitude is a place to share opinions about the challenges facing Louisiana. Follow @LatitudeNOLA on Facebook and Twitter. Write to Tim at tmorris@nola.com.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Photo: Penticton Indian Band

The Penticton Indian Band is in the middle of cleaning up an illegal dump site that has required a staggering 30 trips to the landfill.

Its just one site in a never ending battle with the problem for the First Nations Natural Resources Department.

Local social media groups have been full of photos and complaints about illegal dump sites in the Penticton area recently, both on and off reserve.

I think there is an increase in social awareness of the dangers and of the general disregard for illegal dumping, said PIB spokesperson Dawn Russell. People are just getting tired of it.

Russell isnt sure if the issue is getting worse, or just more visible through social media, but says they are happy to have the help in tracking down the dump sites. Anyone that comes across a dump site on reserve is urged to contact PIB NR at 250-492-0411.

Illegal dumping is a perennial and country-wide issue, but the PIB may get more than its fair share compared to other First Nations due to its close proximity to the City of Penticton and Apex Mountain.

Both communities attract large populations of seasonal workers who may have misunderstandings about the cost of tipping fees.

There are people who are leaving before their rent is due, or they are being evicted for an Airbnb, or whatever the case that leaves them going through their things, and deciding to throw many of their belongings out, Russell suggested.

Its typically household garbage and furniture that gets dumped on PIB land, she said. Frustratingly, even if the dumper leaves identification with the trash, its not enough to prosecute somebody.

It's not just enforcement. If we had two bylaw enforcement officers travelling around our 46,000 acres they are still not going to prevent any dumping, Russell said.

She said the PIB is hoping to strike an agreement with the RDOS to cut the red tape around having the tipping fees waived for illegal dump sites. Right now, that process can take 2-3 weeks, during which time the site can grow or many more can pop up.

The issue has become a considerable expense for the PIBs natural resources department.

Residents can help combat illegal dumping by reporting sites to the appropriate local government immediately. The more reports made can lead to more resources to proactively combat the issue.Photo: Contributed

A $125,000 donation from the Kiwanis Club of Kelowna will support Okanagan College students going into work with children and youth.

The gift establishes the Kiwanis Kelowna 2018 Legacy Education Endowment, which will provide two annual $2,000 scholarships to students in the Early Childhood Education and Human Service Work programs.

We wanted to help ease some of the financial burden on these students so they can better focus on their studies, which ultimately benefits our communitys children and youth," said Bob Bissell, president of the Central Okanagan Kiwanis Community Service Society.

Students, college representatives and children from Little Scholars child care celebrated the announcement.

Were thankful to the Kiwanis Club of Kelowna, which has worked for more than 40 years to make a difference in the lives of children and seniors in our community, said college president Jim Hamilton.

With the establishment of this significant endowment, Kiwanis is helping students today and tomorrow. In turn, these students will enhance the quality of life for children and youth in our community for decades to come.

Funds for the endowment came from the sale of the Kiwanis Tower, an affordable housing highrise for low-income seniors, which was managed by the Kiwanis Clubs of Kelowna for 40-plus years. It was sold in 2016.

The donation will support the Colleges Caring Starts Here campaign, which aims to raise money for the $18.9-million Health Sciences Centre at the Kelowna campus, as well as scholarships and bursaries.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.

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."

Read moreRoseburg, OR (97470)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun this morning followed by increasing clouds with showers developing this afternoon. High 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

A steady rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. Low 54F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.

Viewed of

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Potential cannabis retaillers will have to pay some of the highest fees in the province to set up shop in Kelowna.

City council approved a new series of rezoning and application fees, which will cost prospective business owners more than $10,000. Yearly business license fees will be on top of that.

Planning manager Ryan Smith says anyone interested in opening a retail cannabis store in the city will have to make a rezoning application.

"The initial application review is $1,000, and that fee provides for a staff review to see if that rezoning application is one of the preferred applications that would move forward in the process," said Smith.

"If the application is chosen to move further in to the process, applicants would pay an extra $9,500, approximately."

The initial fee is non-refundable.

Smith says the cost of a rezoning application for something other than a cannabis retailer would range from $2,800 to $5,000, depending on the combination of applications required.

Comparing fees in other jurisdictions, Victoria is charging a $7,500 rezoning fee and Edmonton $5,600 as a development permit fee for existing space.

Regionally, West Kelowna is proposing a $5,000 rezoning fee while Penticton will charge a $2,500 application fee.

Smith says the higher fees are being charged as a way to recoup costs incurred thus far.

He estimates the city's costs to date to create the cannabis regulatory system is about $116,000.

That includes legal fees for shutting down dispensaries operating contrary to city bylaws, planners time, review time and council time.

Based on an estimate of 15 applications, with about 40 hours of processing time and a final evaluation, the overall cost per application is about $10,493.

New city manager Doug Gilchrest added without cost recovery, the taxpayers would have to make up the difference.

Council voted 8-1 in favour of the new fees with Coun. Charlie Hodge the lone dissenting vote.

Hodge believe the new fees were egregious.

Staff will begin accepting applications Oct. 1.Photo: The Canadian Press New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Voters in New Brunswick have turned their backs on the province's entrenched two-party system for the first time in a generation, electing enough third party candidates to leave the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives in a virtual dead heat in a minority legislature.

Four hours after the polls closed Monday, the Tories had won 22 seats, the incumbent Liberals had 21, the right-of-centre People's Alliance had three and the Greens three. The NDP was shut out of the race.

A total of 25 seats is needed for a majority in the 49-seat house, which means the third parties were poised to play a key role in deciding who governs the province: incumbent Liberal Brian Gallant, who is seeking a second term in office, or Progressive Conservative Blaine Higgs.

Even though Higgs won the most seats, parliamentary tradition suggests that the incumbent premier will be given the first opportunity to govern by the lieutenant-governor.

Higgs claimed victory Monday, saying his team had a mandate from the people.

"As in any race, the one who has the most numbers wins," he said as supporters roared their approval from a former warehouse in Quispamsis. "I've been speaking with some constitutional experts  so we're good."

As Higgs spoke, the final seat numbers appeared to change, leaving to two main parties temporarily in a tie at 21.

"It's going to be a long night," he said. "I guess probably Brian Gallant and I will both be lined up at the lieutenant-governor's office in the morning."

Gallant made it clear he plans to meet Tuesday with the lieutenant-governor to explain that he intends to continue governing the province by securing support in the legislature on a vote-by-vote basis.

"Clearly there's some uncertainty tonight," Gallant told supporters at an elementary school in Grande-Digue, which is along the province's east coast.

"There is, for the first time in this generation, a minority situation. We have heard New Brunswickers loud and clear ... New Brunswickers have sent third parties into the legislature in a way they haven't done before."

Pundits say the People's Alliance Party, led by Kris Austin, is more closely aligned with the Tories than any other party. And the Greens share more in common with the Liberals.

"This is what victory looks like folks," Austin said Monday night, adding that he's willing to work with any party "that has some of the ideas that we have been pushing."

The party's "common sense" platform took aim at official bilingualism, saying the dual systems in health care and school busing are costing the province too much money.

"Part of being a minority government is negotiation, it's compromise, it's working with all other parties," Austin told a cheering crowd.

The province has had virtually no experience with minority governments. The last time a third party held the balance of power in the legislature was October 1920 when two farmers' parties managed to win 11 seats between them.

When asked during the campaign what would happen if his government was reduced to a minority, Gallant said he wouldn't work with the Progressive Conservatives or the People's Alliance, saying those parties don't share Liberal values.

Both Green Leader David Coon and Higgs had declined to discuss their options in detail, but Higgs said he was willing to work with anybody.

Coon made history by winning the party's first-ever seat in 2014. The soft-spoken politician promised to promote a greener economy, a higher minimum wage and a basic income guarantee program.

"It looks like I'm going to be joined by other Green MLAs," he told his supporters Monday. "I know for sure we will be able to applaud each other's speeches."

It's not unusual for minority governments to survive by seeking compromises with the other parties.

However, the Tories and the third parties also have the option of combining forces, either through a coalition or some less formal arrangement, which would set in motion a high-stakes process that could see the Liberals returned to the opposition benches.

That's what happened in British Columbia in May 2017, when Liberal Premier Christy Clark squeaked out a razor-thin victory over the NDP, with the Green party holding the balance of power for the first time in Canadian history.

At the time, Clark had the option of dissolving the B.C. legislature and calling for another election, but she chose instead to ask the lieutenant-governor for the chance to govern. Seven weeks later, the Liberal government was defeated on a non-confidence vote in the legislature.

British Columbia's New Democrats then formed a minority government with the support of the Greens.Oldenburg King of Beasts may not be the easiest viewing experience, but its definitely worthwhile. Six years in the making, this documentary follows Aaron Neilson, a Colorado hunting consultant and big game trophy hunter, as he prepares for his 14th lion hunt. It premiered in the majestic Staatstheater (State Theater) at the 25th edition of The Oldenburg International Film Festival. Co-directors/co-writers Tomer Almagor and Nadav Harel finished shooting back in 2016 but struggled to raise funding to cover post-production costs.

Film journalist Lindsay Bellinger

Perhaps the the worldwide uproar surrounding the death of Cecil, the 13 year-old lion in Zimbabwe who was killed in 2015, caused some issues. It was fascinating to observe the world of trophy hunting through a fly-on-the-wall perspective, even more so knowing that the filmmakers are avid animal lovers. At times it almost felt more like a pure journalistic piece of filmmaking although the music was occasionally a bit too heavy-handed.

The filmmakers intention wasnt really clear until the end cards when they called out trophy hunting and instead shifted the focus to animal conservation. For some viewers that may have been too late. The nature lovers who are more familiar and comfortable with David Attenborough style documentaries might find King of Beasts to be an unsettling affair. This film is a far cry from the average (nature) documentary. Not everyone was on board for quietly sitting back and listening to Aaron and his chums discuss the conservation efforts and aid to local economies that they see as positives coming from their hunting adventures in Tanzania.

After the premiere, I definitely heard some grumbling from those who had hope for some sort of narration. The power of documentary filmmaking is in full force, even though the viewer is left to her or his own devices. Its a must-see film, regardless of ones feelings about trophy hunting. This highly-anticipated and controversial film took the unassuming quaint region in Northwest Germany by the guff. Some audience members were gasping, some walked out. Thats the power of cinema.

Read more: A chat with Film Festival director Torsten Neumann

Sitting down to talk to Tomer Almagor was quite an experience. His passion for filmmaking and for lions shined through. He was excited to go into more detail about how they observed not only the wildlife in Tanzania but the hunters and locals. Almagor, much like the film, is less judgmental but rather open, asking the viewer to see trophy hunting for what it is, what we see as we follow around Aaron and his buddies.

The film crew initially went into this project with the intention of exposing all of the awful, hidden things going on. Instead, they came out of it realizing that trophy hunting is not the biggest problem for lions and other wild animals throughout Africa. That makes this documentary all the more curious. It asks the viewer to take it upon her or himself to research and delve more into this topic.

Many of us live in a world that is far too comfortable, far too caught up in tweets. We instantly react and call out something that pops up on social media. The international debate on animal conservation is as contentious as ever and this film is a welcome addition to the discussion. Lets just hope that enough people are willing to give it a shot.

Read more on: FILMFESTIVAlS.COM

Lesen Sie auch: King of Beasts  Das Spiel der Growildjager

Attending your world premiere was quite a visceral experience, sitting there in the Oldenburger Staatstheater with hundreds of strangers, not really knowing what to expect. King of Beasts was observational, less preachy than other documentaries. It really brought us into the savannah with Aaron Neilson, your protagonist. Last night before the premiere you said that it was a six-year long project. Can you talk about the early stages of that development process?

Tomer Almagor: Well, as I mentioned the idea was brought to my attention by the producer. I didnt know it still existed. Im a bit naive sometimes and I didnt realize that hunting existed in such an industrialized way with many, many hunters from all over the world. Except 70% of trophy hunters who go after lions are from the US. They go out there and shoot their lion trophy every year. So I was blown away by that as someone who cares about the environment and animals. I also have to say as a cinephile and a filmmaker I grew up on Tarzan movies and Westerns, you know tough men with guns. That appealed to me and I love Africa so I knew right away that there is something that is very cinematic but its a tough subject. So now the situation was like, What kind of movie do we want to make? We were thinking about lions becoming extinct and so forth, so the first thing that came to mind was okay, were making a cause movie. If we have to make similarities we could say Blackfish or The Cove and stuff like that. So we were thinking of bringing both sides to the table, you know the animal rights people and hunters and see how that goes. I want to mention here that Gabrielle is not here (at the interview) but she was an instrumental part of getting this to happen. She actually brought the project to me. Shes carried this project through the years, when it was in remission through and through. Financing and all the other stuff. She is a major animal lover so for her it was very important that the film actually touches on the real problems and hopefully allows everyone to come to the table and create some kind of a solution. We always knew that there would be a lion hunter at the center of the film.

Yeah, you mean Aaron Neilson.

TA: Yeah, exactly. We didnt know it was going to be him. We knew it was going to be a lion hunter so we knew that would be the hardest thing to achieve. Because we come from...politically speaking Im a liberal so we didnt know how thats going to go. The first thing we had in mind was okay, were going to go to the conferences. They have these huge conferences. This head of the organization, they have SCI (Safari Club International). They hold these conferences, once or twice a year in Vegas and Reno (Nevada) and later I discovered theres a thing called Dallas Safari Club, DSC, which is separate from the Safari Club International. Its pretty big as well; Dallas can have ten thousand, twenty thousand hunters or hunting-lovers at one time. Safari Club International can have forty, fifty, sixty thousand. And they can have representation there from US Fish and Wildlife (Service) and scientists come. They also have auctions for hunting. Its all around hunting. But its also all around hunting as conservation. Its important to mention in North America, in The (United) States, we do have the North American hunting model, which essentially supports all of the fishing and wildlife activities in the national parks. We have amazing national parks in America.They are being supported by hunting so people pay for licenses for hunting for deer and stuff like that. The money goes back. And obviously this head organization comes across as the NRA and theyre evil. But they are trying to instate the North American hunting model in Africa. They also have a lot of other things that I personally dislike. You know, like they have to hunt the biggest, or they have these competitions where they compare sizes when it comes to lions, which means the head. When you hunt the biggest in the gene pool you are hurting the gene pool. But anyway going back to the subject, you know we started going to these hunting conventions, first of all, undercover kind of like The Cove. We thought, yeah, were gonna catch them. Then we realized that they are very open to speak to you if you come in a certain way. Specifically, for me and my co-director partner (Nadav Harel) weve been to the (Israeli) army and weve both shot guns. And they (the hunting convention attendees) all like Israel very much, maybe its like an evangelical thing. So it was easy for us to get close to them. And we found quite a few hunters over the years and quite a few of them also backed out.

What reasons did they give for backing out?

TA: For various reasons. I mean if I have to mention one person. He was really into it. But it was his first lion hunt and then he was like, Well, I want it to be very intimate. I want it to be mine. I dont want you guys tagging along. Plus, hunting is complicated and when you dont feel comfortable about your hunting skills a film crew gets in the way. Well, they always have their own film crew as you see in the movie. They always have that because they wanna immortalize their achievement. So, finally we got to Aaron and that was a fairly quick process even though to make sure he sent us to meet a scientist. Her name is Dr. Paula White. She is a woman that he really trusts. He actually developed The Code of Ethics of Hunting a Lion, which is mentioned in the movie. It has to be at least six years old. He developed that with her and some other scientists. There were a few people on the other side of the fence who were brought into the table like Dereck Joubert who is a major animal rights activist. So thats an interesting initiative. We spoke to Paula and that was a strange experience as well. As a scientist, she gets a lot of hate mail and threats.

Its so bizarre that some of these groups fighting against harming wild animals dont see the wrong in threatening the lives of humans. I really wonder how they can justify that.

TA: Absolutely. In her case we had to go to Northern California. She wouldnt give us the exact location. We met her somewhere in secret, in a national park, not in her home.

Wow, that sounds like a super top secret, undercover Deep Throat kind of rendezvous.

TA: Yeah, we came out of our car and she came out of her car. We spoke a little bit, and she realized very quickly that we had done our research. And we come from a scientific standpoint. I guess that its important to mention that one of the things that we started with was numbers. The first thing that we heard was that less than 20,000 lions are still in existence in comparison to 1970 when they had like 500,000. Then we started hearing, especially from the hunters, that its 40,000 but the discrepancy is huge, almost 100% or more, 40 to 20. But the bottom line is that its very low. So once we proved to her that we were prescribing to the idea that the numbers were not clear, we are not necessarily bashing hunters, were trying to understand and stuff like that, then she was open for an interview. And we got that and once that happened Aaron subscribed to making the movie and we got him.

How long was that entire process, before you got Aaron fully on board?

TA: I think about a few months, maybe almost a year because there was a moment when the movie was kind of dead. We had another hunter that was in 100% and he has hunted many, many lions. But he backed out. Im not sure why. With him it probably would have been a very extreme experience of a movie because he teases the animals to charge him and then he shoots them.

Dangerous.

TA: And unethical. He was actually kicked out of the organization and he was one of the founders.

It makes me wonder how he morphed into that extreme of a hunter.

TA: I suppose that he was always like that. Thats his personality. Aaron is in your face as you can tell, but hes also sort of well spoken and self-righteous and right in some things.

We are all right in some things, wrong in some things. Nobody is 100% correct.

TA: Exactly, there is no black or white. Its somewhere in between.

Lesen Sie auch: Bloggerin Lindsay blickt aufs Filmfest

Thats why I suppose trophy hunting is very controversial. Many people only see black or white. These people will likely go into this film, or avoid this film, expecting to hate it or love it. Itd be nice if audiences would go watch your film, open to taking in all that is up on the screen, judgments aside. It seems a difficult request though, especially after having see the worldwide outrage to Cecil the Lion. Can you talk a little more about Walter Palmer, the dentist who hunted Cecil the Lion? You said last night that the publics reaction to Cecil and Walter Palmer somehow stalled or affected your production.

TA: Well, not necessarily but it was a strange moment. So we went into the bush (in Tanzania) and we were filming Aaron when this was happening somewhere else in Zimbabwe. And when we came out we didnt have any reception to the media or anything. We came out, it happened. We landed in the US and all of a sudden it came very quickly to us. Back then we were working with high profile celebrities so thats how it kind of came to us. So we started getting requests from Good Morning America and all these crazy shows to comment but we didnt have a movie. We werent very clear what we just achieved in terms of footage. And we heard so much wrong information in the news, which was sensational.

The media is often completely one-sided on controversial topics such as this, painting someone as evil just for the sake of headlines.

TA: Yeah, completely misinformed and we heard experts. Oh, this lion expert that works at a zoo in Canada hes gonna come on CNN and speak. And then he talks and he has no idea what hes talking about. Plus, talking about Africa as a continent is wrong, especially in terms of lions. Because each country is very different. This film takes place in Tanzania. Tanzania has the largest population of lions. I believe its about 18,000. Again the numbers, there is no reason to quote them. The bottom line is 18,000 in comparison to say maybe 2,000 or less in Kenya or maybe 5,000 in Zimbabwe. So they have their own issues. On the other hand, they have huge national parks like the Selous and the Serengeti. So a huge portion of this population is protected, to a degree. So with Cecil they can lure the lions out of the park. But thats the thing when they say lure a lion I dont know exactly what happened there. This happened in Zimbabwe, with Cecil. It could be that the lion was very, very hungry. The put bait on the trees. I have to be honest, based on even what you saw in the movie, they do sort of lure the lion to them because lions are always hungry. And when there is free meat on a tree somewhere the lion will go there and will find it as we see in the first encounter in the movie. All of a sudden, when they see the lion, the lion was there because the lion smelled the meat. And they may do a little bit of a dog-and-pony show, for their camera and our camera. But I dont think that they were surprised that the lion showed up all of a sudden.

Even though Im not a fan of hunting, I somehow appreciated it more that Aaron was using a bow and arrow for the hunt, not a gun. It somehow felt more fair to me, going closer to the tradition of arrow and spear hunting. Does Aaron often choose to hunt lions with bow and arrow?

TA: I think that was his first time with bow and arrow. At that point of the film hes taken his 14th lion. I believe that he has the second largest collection as a lion trophy hunter in the world. There is another person named Steven Chancellor. He sits on Trumps Fish and Wildlife Committee right now, which is packed with trophy hunters. Which you know obviously in this case its leaning more towards...You have to create bonds. Its kind of like we mentioned at the end of the movie, everyone has to come to the table together. There are much bigger problems than trophy hunting. I dont support trophy hunting. Im totally against it, and I dont see the point in it. But its on a moral and ethical level, as far as I see it. There are huge problems such as commercial organized crime, poaching, human encroachment. The people just come in and in and in and they take away the habitats of the lions. You know, lions need areas to live and even food in those areas. So there is a clash. The lions will go to the peoples areas and eat their cows. If you ever met the Masai people and eat their cows they will retaliate. And the way they do it, theyll poison the source of water. So now you dont lose one lion, you lose a pride of lions and all the animals that touched these lions as well, birds and every animal that drinks from that source of water. So poisoning, human encroachment, poaching these are huge problems. Trophy hunting, if its done ethically under this code, it works. Again, on my end Im not sure whether its always done ethically. And I have no idea whether the lion we tracked with Aaron and they killed in the movie is six years or younger. I dont know. They show us the teeth on purpose. Oh, look. Which is supposed to tell the audience that this lion has been in the wild for seven, eight years because of the bones. They told us something interesting that I didnt know. That lions in the wild only live on average seven to eight years. So lions in captivity in the zoo can live up to twenty years old, but in the wild they have so much competition. Hyenas alone.Thats another thing we learned. Hyenas and lions are eternal enemies. Hyenas would come in packs, they will take the prey and fight the lion. They will chase a lion. A lion will essentially, instead of being the king of the jungle or king of the savannah, is now fighting for his place in the food chain. Becoming a scavenger in a way, especially a lonely lion like the one we saw in the film. When its not in a pride, no lioness is helping him getting food. Because the males are more lazy. They like to hang out for twenty hours.

Can you speak a little more about the lion that Aaron killed in the film? How did you track him?

TA: We were tracking three lions in three different areas and trees. And this by the way, I dont know if it shows in the movie, but its a huge area. You would drive from one bait to another and it would take a couple of hours. So you would spend 18 hours in the back of the truck. Aaron and the driver were the only ones comfortable in those conditions. You keep going to those different trees and keep seeing the photos. You see what lion is feeding there. And then they choose. So they made a choice and kind of let us in on that. They may have looked at the photos and said, this one looks younger. I think that they have. We havent seen it physically until they have made a decision. It did feel that this lion kind of gave up.

In some ways it feels hypocritical, unless all of these animal rights activists are vegetarians or vegans, that they categorize animals on a certain LEVEL. I mean why should one animals life be put above anothers just because its cute and has a name? It seems like some protesters really enjoy looking down at others, judging them so harshly when we, as a global society, do consume lots of meat, a lot of which is slaughtered in really unethical (somewhat secret) ways in our home countries.

TA: Its actually important to mention if you remember by the end of the film, there are strings of meat hanging. Thats lion meat.

Right, I assumed thats what it was.

TA: They say, like in the beginning, that they make beef jerky out of it. There was lion and leopard that they shot earlier. We just didnt want to put the leopard in the film because that scene was competing with the lion. And too much killing is just a turn-off. Nobody wants to, its just more important that the film shows and takes you on it.

Yeah, so the lion meat was actually being used as a source of food, what many outsiders might not even consider.

TA: Theres another important thing to mention, people just look at it as Africa and not specific countries. They look at it as the killing of lions, the hunting of lions, the murdering of lions as an umbrella term. You have camp hunting, which is a very unethical sport if you can call it that, which is basically when they breed lions to be shot, in close quarters you know 6000 sq meters or whatever. They release the lion maybe one or two days before the hunter shows up. The lion is half-drugged, very easy to kill. Its murder, its nothing else. And I guess its similar to the industrialization of meat in the West. That should be illegal. What we see in the movie is a wild animal hunt. This is a wild lion who lives in the wild. No one knew, either us or them, if there was going to be a lion in that area. They knew that there are wild lions in the area but they didnt know whether they will track one. Again, as an outsider and having spoken to some hunters that actually changed their mind. We had a strong South African consultant on who we started with us. Hes hunted and still hunts. He believes that the way to save a hunt, he was talking about a leopard hunt, for 3-4 weeks by foot, the old-fashioned way kind of like seeing at the beginning (of the film).

Yeah, that old footage was a bold start to the film.

TA: But even then we see the white mans camera. They (the native hunters) were still doing it for the camera although they were doing it their way, which was very interesting. Mourning the lion. They were actually respecting the beast, mourning the loss of the animal unlike he (the cameraman) was doing. So theres all these discrepancies in everyones theories.

The remorse aspect of hunting. Online I was watching some interviews with big-game hunters. Two of them mentioned the remorse, saying that as a hunter if one doesnt feel any ounce of remorse for taking an animals life then they should really reconsider hunting. I felt like Aaron also touched upon that in the film.

TA: Yeah, he did say that. Its hard for me to always tell whether he (Aaron) totally means things or not, him specifically. But he definitely had all the checks and balances on everything that many of them say. And he felt very sincere sometimes, for example in the gym when he has tears, we didnt stage any of that. We werent expecting it, we were a little bit kinda looking at each other thinking, Whats going on?

Yeah, you wouldnt expect someone to openly cry with all of his gym buddies around.

TA: So again this is specifically him, which is what makes him a unique individual and a character that is worth following and observing for a film. But I felt that he was sincere. Having tears in his eyes. I mean we all started as hunters and gatherers. Were all removed, I mean look at us in a trendy hotel, you know what I mean. These guys do it as well. I met him in Vegas. They all enjoy the leisures of the Western world. But I guess they want to taste some of the...but its also important to say that he does it (hunting) in the US throughout the year.

There are definitely some parts of the US where it is unusual if one is not a hunter.

TA: I mean to me, observing him we didnt show him in Vegas or in environments other than his home. But I didnt feel like he was comfortable necessarily in the Venetian in Vegas, but he felt very comfortable in the bush, with the indigenous people. And thats another thing, you know, it was very hard to say whether you are observing colonialism or racism. I believe that there is quite a bit of that. I heard it from other hunters, not from him (Aaron) ever. But at the same time you also watch them working together.

That scene with the natives carrying him on a makeshift throne comes to mind. They all seemed really proud of him.

TA: And he paid them a lot of money. Its a relationship that we see in the Western world, between white people. If Im your boss and Im paying you $20,000 (17,000) a week then youre gonna love me...unless Im really horrible.

It was interesting to see the scene when Aaron was video chatting with his girlfriend, and he talks about his dog Godzilla being the love of his life, which is juxtaposed in front of his three trophy lions. Did Aaron just say that out of the blue?

TA: Yeah, mostly yeah. He initiated most of the situations. To me, I wanted to show a little bit of his private, intimate life before we go to Africa. And it was important for me to make sure that he comes across as very human and normal and real. Whether you take the (video) conversation as being something demeaning for women or not thats your take. But you know going on a trip for a long time, hes speaking to his girlfriend and hes being loving in his own way. In terms of the setting, thats the guys natural habitat. Youve seen it here (points to his bicep where Aaron has a lion tattoo) and if you watch those few scenes its just lions all around. Its almost to the point of being a character.

And now you have on this lion hoodie.

TA: Yes, I am a lion. I came prepared.

I actually didnt find his comment demeaning to women because I have married female friends who they tell me that their dogs come before their husbands, so its just some dog-owner or pet-owner thing.

TA: I love your approach. I think that I believe Aaron, that he loves animals. In my life its a twisted way too. I dont want to kill anything for any reason. I dont want to be a hypocrite, if you attack me with a knife right now Im gonna defend myself.

And youre army trained so I better watch out.I feel like with this film, if animal rights activists and hunters go in with an open mind and give it a chance then they could get something out of it. Like you said, it could open up more dialogue about not just trophy hunting but animal conservation as a whole. Its too bad that some extremists, on both sides of the fence, might not even bother.

TA: I mean, there is a head organization for wildlife protection called CITES and they decide on species every year and stuff like that. Weve learned these people are always in conflict, inner conflicts. They all stab each other in the back because its very hard for them too....and a lot of these people are animal lovers. Im not going to assume that I know what is at the core of the people who are against trophy hunting. We did go to demonstrations. We wanted to show the other side. We filmed in London, Cape Town, in Tel Aviv, L.A. of course, New York, so we filmed quite an extensive amount of footage with animal rights and wildlife activists. A lot of what they say does make sense. Chris Mercer in South Africa, Tippi Hedren. I had an interview with her; shes very one-sided, hardcore. Trophy hunting is terrible, hunters should be shot. Shes very clear, I dont know if she consumes meat or not but shes very clear. She has a wildlife refuge. She saves animals that were brought into the US, like lions and leopards and now the owners dont want to deal with them. Thats a completely different thing. There is a brilliant movie about that The Elephant in the Living Room. I think, that again, numbers are a dangerous zone but theres probably ten to twenty percent on the left side that is extreme, that includes PETA and groups like this you know. PETA not necessary as its more domesticated animals but Im sure they have a strand in animal rights. And then you have these same people on the right side that call those people bunny-huggers and whatnot and will never speak. But as he (Aaron) says in the movie, the middle chunk of the population, he was saying we gotta sway their minds to our side. I dont think thats the case. The bottom line is, hunting exists. If we take out trophy hunting from Africa, if we take out that component Im sure that the void will be taken by extreme poaching. As you can see the locals in the movie, they dont like the animals.

Yeah, I was going to ask about that. I liked the little snippets that you included, interviewing one mother and then some of the young men who were helping Aaron. She was saying that she doesnt like the lions because they come and attack the cows and attack people. And the men were saying that they also dont like the lions, either hunting them or if theyre not prepared just running away from them.

TA: They like to hunt them for money, for food. You know, if money was out of the equation, food would be the main equation. They would become poachers themselves. If Aaron never came again they would become poachers and kills the animals. If there was no value then they would at least eat it. Then it becomes of value. So thats the most important thing to understand; Were outsiders, were foreigners, we live in Berlin or Los Angeles. We have food in the supermarket. If we make money to buy it or not, thats our problem. Thats our problem, our Western problem. We have our own problems. But over there its not about that. They have to eat and they cant sit in the corner and beg. So they cant even be homeless, so to speak.They have to live off the land, they have to do it. One of the ways is trophy hunting. Now again, going back to the intention of our movie and how we started it. Im not advocating that every hunter in the world go and help the poor. No, not at all. I think it should be done in a very balanced, moderate way. And an ethical way.

Along the lines of The Code of Ethics co-written by Aaron and Dr. Paula White?

TA: I think so, and I think in countries where lions are being hunted to extinction, they should stop. I dont have the perfect solution, but in Botswana for example, Gabrielle and I look up to Beverly and Derrick Joubert. They were able to ban all hunting and so the lion population is coming back. Lions can reproduce up to six times a year. The lioness can become pregnant every two months. Yeah, Ive learned all of these weird things I didnt know. So that means lions can come back pretty quickly. Then you have to have another balance. By the way, thats another important thing that people forget. There has always been some form of balance before colonialism or the White Man. Local people were doing their own balance. Hunting or running away from the animals. Once colonialism took over, they brought in more of a systematic way. You know, bush rangers have been in existence for a long time. They were calling themselves conservationists. People like Willie de Beer and Anne Claire from South Africa. These are the original conservationists. These are Africans that were also hunters. That were calling herds for example. You have a populated area with people and then you have these huge herds of elephants. Elephants take up so much space and they eat everything out of house and home in the area so you have to manage the animals. What do you do with that? I mean thats the thing. It kind of opened my mind. I didnt realize many of these things. When you have all of these animals and all these people in a limited amount of space you have to do some management. There are some ways to do it, like they did in Botswana where there is a smaller population of people. Theres land and they found ways to separate people and animals, with the tribes and their cows and the lions. They developed this system where theres a chip in the ear of the lion. I think its like a sonar system. Essentially whenever the lion gets too close to the cattle it gets rejected by this sound so moves away. So then they find their food elsewhere. Its important to mention that Africa is huge. Even though there is a population growth, like Tanzania had 15 million people in the 1950s and now they have like 55 million. Thats a huge population growth. It takes away the areas of the animals but there is still a lot of land. Africa is so much bigger than the US.

Right, in size the US is at least three times smaller than Africa.

TA: Before I came down to meet you I read an article about eco-systems and what amount of land that we need to preserve and not touch. And scientists talk about 50% of the world land, and I think that its still doable even with a billion people or the ten billion people that they project by 2050. They are saying by 2050 we need to protect 50% of our globe and keep it for animals and wildlife and whatnot. But I think that its still possible. We have to all come together. Again, obviously with lion trophy hunting there are things that shouldnt be done. They shouldnt take the biggest, they shouldnt completely drain the gene pool, they shouldnt hunt younger lions, the shouldnt eliminate prides, the females. So theres all of these things. A lonely lion, a lion no longer in a pride, no one else is hunting for that lion. And that lion is eighty years old in terms of lion lives so that lion is kind of thrown out. Its ethically fine to hunt that lion, I suppose. Thats what they were thinking about with Cecil by the way. Cecil was thirteen years old. But he was beautiful and a symbol. And the funny thing is that I read interviews, and Ive exchanged emails with the doctor and scientists from Oxford who were tracking Cecil. The admitted that it was, beyond the sensational uproar, it was okay for Cecil to be hunted. It was just a very sad moment because that Lion had a name, he was beautiful.

Yeah, when you humanize an animal people react differently.

TA: You know, there is a whole brand of people who are called lion huggers, people that hug lions. There is Kevin from South Africa, there are a few others. I dont know what I feel about it. I mean, its still wild animals. Its beautiful to watch the connection between the wild animal and a human but I think that it potentially sends the wrong message that we can all go out of our car and go hug a lion.

Many people think that we as humans have the right to experience everything for ourselves without really questioning whether or not it is safe or good for the wild animals.

TA: Exactly.

So how was the actual experience in Tanzania for you on a personal level, not as a filmmaker?

TA: It was a horrific experience for me. I did not like it one bit. I mean honestly Im proud of the film for what it is as a cinematic achievement. And I think that as something it will be eye-opening for both sides. Because not all hunters hunt ethically and whether this was an ethical hunt or not its up to...I dont know the age of the lion. Im just going by what I was told. At least you know all of the processes were explained whether via images or some words. So its kind of good for both sides and that was the main intention. Once we realized what kind of movie we were making, the main intention was we want to show the process and what it takes and have people who can experience the experience and be there. By the end of what they watch they can start a dialogue and be asking all these questions, both sides talking about it and seeing if there is a way to resolve.

There has been a lot of anticipation from this film. Six years is a relatively long time, and three years after shooting was finished. What can you tell me about the distribution of King of Beasts? When can audiences expect to see it released?

TA: The distribution rights were taken by Gravitas Entertainment, our distributor. And the film will come out in February 2019. We will go to theaters in the States in some kind of a limited release, depending on the acceptance. And then we will go worldwide on VOD platforms.

Thats not bad. Do you already have other festivals lined up?

TA: We just got a few requests right now, so we might do a festival tour. But we knew ahead of time, ahead of Oldenburg that we were going to get released. So the festivals are very important to us because thats when you actually get to meet other cinephiles, people who really love cinema. And have these intense conversations and whatnot. But we are trusting that the worldwide release will get the movie to a lot of people who dont go to film festivals such as hunters. That would be interesting to see.

Didnt you say after the premiere that Aaron has not yet seen the final cut?

TA: Aaron supports the message of conservancy and obviously he was with us and we watched some of the footage. He understands where we are going.

What can we expect for your next project? Is it a documentary?

TA: Im usually a fiction filmmaker. This is a deviation from what I normally do. As you said, it was very cinematic and so forth. I was enjoying making it because I felt like I was still making a fiction narrative film. But my next project is called Reciprocal Beat and its a crime thriller with a strong dramatic anchor. And its about a father-son relationship. Its a father who gets released from prison and wants to take his son on a fishing trip to reconnect, his estranged son. But it becomes this drug-infused odyssey with many, many bad people chasing them around. And Id like to work with my son on this one. The name of the character is Shane and my son is Shane, so I make sure that he feels very assimilated to the character.

In what stage of the production are you?

TA: We are pretty close. We have some of the cast members. Im not gonna mention names yet but we have some cast members are known talent. We have most of our finance in place. Obviously screenplay, breakdown, all that stuff. So we are almost there. I decided to come back to my other reality.

So are you based in LA full time?

TA: Yes, Gabrielle and I are based in LA. We have a production company. Its called Urban Tales, and we produce all kinds of movies, smaller and bigger. Gabrielle kind of spearheads the producing and packaging and a casting subdivision, so we cast in-house as well.

If you could sum up your overall experience with your film in three words, what would they be?

TA: Words are cheap...Eye-opening, transforming and educational.

This might be easier. What three words would you use to sum up your impression of Oldenburg?

TA: Generous. Loving, there is a lot of love. Especially the love from everyone who came to the festival. Putting the festival together for cinema lovers and filmmakers is amazing. I spent a moment with Deborah (Kara Unger) yesterday and I asked, How are you and Torsten able to not sleep for a month or more? And she said, We love you. And I believe her. I think that its true, I feel it. So yes, its generous, its loving and... Im trying to touch upon the word. Its kind of punk rock. Its anarchistic. Its like in your face. You see what Im saying? The choice of films. Ive been to quite a few festivals. I feel like the curation is very much geared towards lets kick you in the face and bash your head and see what you think about it once youre done watching the film. I didnt get to see enough movies. We look at Mandy on the one hand and even though its crazy and experimental its fairly commercial because its still Nicolas Cage, its an A24 production and its going into cinemas. Then we look at another film that I watched Is That You? (Eres tu, papa?), a Cuban film. I didnt know what to expect. And it blew my mind. Its very visceral and slow. But they are both in their way a punch to your face. You have to acknowledge these films and think about them and talk about them. So I think that Oldenburg curates films that demand your attention.

Lesen Sie auch: Unforgiven  An interview with the filmmakersEven the toughest Supreme Court confirmation battles never quite came to this: a grim-faced nominee, stoic wife at his side, going on national television and describing when, approximately, he lost his virginity.

Judge Brett M. Kavanaughs appearance on Fox News on Monday night, submitting to a tough round of questions from the anchor Martha MacCallum about allegations of sexual misconduct, was the first time in memory that a Supreme Court nominee submitted to a televised interview before the confirmation vote.

Justice Clarence Thomas, whose live testimony about Anita Hill was a major TV event, spoke publicly only during formal Senate hearings, and his famed People magazine cover story in 1991 was published a month after he was confirmed. Judge Merrick Garland, whose nomination was stymied by Republicans until President Barack Obama left office, never granted a TV interview. In 1937, Justice Hugo Black gave a radio address to denounce his past association with the Ku Klux Klan  after he was successfully appointed.

They avoid the media like the plague, Christopher W. Schmidt, a legal historian at Chicago-Kent College of Law, said of nominees to the court. This is generally the last thing they want to do. Which goes to emphasize just how utterly extraordinary what were seeing unfold right now actually is.When dozens of people across the country got sick from eating contaminated romaine lettuce this spring, Walmart did what many grocers would do: It cleared every shred off its shelves, just to be safe.

Walmart says it now has a better system for pinpointing which batches of leafy green vegetables might be contaminated. After a two-year pilot project, the retailer announced on Monday that it would be using a blockchain, the type of database technology behind Bitcoin, to keep track of every bag of spinach and head of lettuce.

By this time next year, more than 100 farms that supply Walmart with leafy green vegetables will be required to input detailed information about their food into a blockchain database developed by I.B.M. for Walmart and several other retailers exploring similar moves.

The burgeoning blockchain industry has generated a great deal of buzz, investment and experimentation. Central banks are exploring whether it would be good for tracking money flows. Eastman Kodak has explored a blockchain platform that could help photographers manage their collections and record ownership of their work, while a group of reporters and investors are using the technology to start a series of news publications.A puppet specialist with the Broadway musical The Lion King was arrested at the Minskoff Theater last week after he was found inside the prop room manufacturing a 3-D printed gun, according to court records.

The man, Ilya Vett, has been charged with attempted criminal possession of a firearm, a misdemeanor.

Mr. Vett, 47, was listed as puppet dayworker in the Playbill for The Lion King, the long-running Broadway show that features a spectacular array of costumes and puppets that help bring the animal kingdom alive.

The police said that company security officials found the gun  or a part of it  when they entered Mr. Vetts office on Friday. Disneys human resources department then informed the police that Mr. Vett might have been printing a firearm, the authorities said.There are also wide-ranging emotional or psychological reasons women may choose not to breast-feed. For Kelly Mullen-McWilliams, a writer based in Honolulu and mother of a 2-year-old, a history of traumatic sexual encounters, combined with her predisposition toward depression and anxiety, led her to make the decision not to breast-feed.

Like most women, I've had my share of negative sexual experiences, and some of that involved breasts in particular, she said. Viscerally speaking, the idea of breast-feeding just never made me feel safe. She added: After sharing my body with my daughter for nine months, I needed to reclaim it to feel safe again.

If youre not breast-feeding for whatever reason, and want to answer the question Why not? without getting defensive about it, here are a few things that could help.

Dont talk about it

With the possible exception of your childs pediatrician, no one is entitled to know how you are feeding your baby: period, end of story. And if you decided when you had your baby that breast-feeding just wasnt for you, that is absolutely fine, and you dont owe anyone any insight into the reasons behind your decision. So if someone asks you why you didnt want to breast-feed, just give them a Larry David-esque, Eh, not for me, and change the subject. You dont have to be judgmental (Ew! Breast-feeding! Gross!) or combative (I formula-fed. You got a problem with that?). If you adopt a light and flippant tone, youll make it clear to the person whos asking the question that its just not on the table for discussion.

For many mothers who wanted to breast-feed but found that it didnt work out for them, being asked whether or not youre breast-feeding can be re-traumatizing, even if the person who asks the question has only the best intentions at heart. When people say, What happened?, you can say, I dont want to talk about it, but thank you, advised Birdie Gunyon Meyer, a former lactation consultant and counselor at Postpartum Support International who treats women who struggle with postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety.

Ms. Meyer added that it is beyond common for women with postpartum depression to report struggles with breast-feeding. She teaches women who struggled with breast-feeding to say, I wanted to breast-feed, but it didnt work out for us.

Make it clear that you are not interested in receiving any advice

When you tell someone that breast-feeding didnt work out for you, sometimes their initial reaction is to go into recommendation mode: Have you tried this position, or that pump or that nipple shield? This can even happen long after your baby is post-nursing age.What is the point of faith in a world of misfortune?

Thats the question at the heart of I Was Most Alive With You, the chaotic yet profound new play by Craig Lucas that opened on Monday at Playwrights Horizons. And if you dont think chaos and profundity make sense together onstage, you probably wont be thrilled by Mr. Lucass worldview either, which is that of an incurable romantic flailing his way through a doomed crush on a bad date.

For that matter, you may not care for the rich too-muchness of his source and touchstone, the Book of Job, in which God allows the faith of his most blameless believer to be tested by a pileup of outrageous adversity. It is but one of Mr. Lucass sad, dead-on insights, in a play thats full of them, that no one is really blameless, and yet everyone is Job.

What are the adversities assailing the family at the center of I Was Most Alive With You? Not the obvious ones you might expect from the givens. Ash, a 60-ish screenwriter, is a recovering drug and alcohol addict whose marriage to the ironically named Pleasant has not recovered with him. Their son, Knox, can top that: He, too, is a recovering addict, but gay and also, as his father describes him, big-D Deaf.Survivors of sexual assault and their supporters stood shoulder to shoulder on the steps of New Yorks City Hall on Monday, holding signs that read I believe Christine, Misogyny bores me and Block InJustice Kavanaugh.

In Washington, over 100 protesters were arrested after gathering in front of the Supreme Court and inside Senate office buildings.

They were part of a series of protests across the country to show solidarity with Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, women who have publicly accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, President Trumps Supreme Court nominee, of sexual assault and misconduct.Photo: CTV

A Vancouver Island woman says her dog got into some discarded marijuana on a ferry from Vancouver to Victoria and went into seizures.

Alyx Speth says she was in the pet-designated area below deck with her French bulldog, Leon, earlier this month when the incident occurred.

The dog sniffed out some pot left on the deck and ate it before she could stop him.

"He started having seizures and tremors, and his eyes were rolling back in his head," Speth told CTV. "I was bawling my eyes out. I thought he was going to die."

When the ferry docked, she took her pet to a vet, and was left with an almost $1,000 bill. She's considering legal action to cover the cost.

THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, can be toxic to animals.

Speth is worried such incidents will become more common after recreational marijuana becomes legal in Canada on Oct. 17.

"I'm concerned that it's going to be everywhere and dogs are gonna ingest it, cats are gonna ingest it, and there's going to be fatalities," she said.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island***

MS. MacCALLUM: Let me ask Ashley, when this came out what did you say to your husband? Did you question him and have moments where you wondered if he was telling you the truth?

MS. KAVANAUGH: No. I know Brett. Ive know him for 17 years. And this is not at all character; its really hard to believe. Hes decent, hes kind, hes good. I know his heart. This is not consistent with  with Brett.

MS. MacCALLUM: And now over the weekend youve gotten new allegations. And obviously these other allegations, they say that they are standing up basically in support of Christine Ford, that they wouldnt have come forward otherwise, but they dont want her to be made to look like a liar. And Deborah Ramirez was a freshman at Yale. She says she was at a dorm party and this happened, quote: Brett was laughing, I can still see his face and his hips coming forward like when you pull up your pants. Im confident about the pants coming up, and Im confident about Brett being there.

She was initially uncertain it was you, they write in this piece, but after six days shes confident enough, she says. Should the American people view her as credible?

JUDGE KAVANAUGH: I never did any such thing  never did any such thing. The other people alleged to be there dont recall any such thing. If such as thing had a happened, it wouldve been the talk of campus. The women I knew in college and the men I knew in college said that its unconceivable that I couldve done such a thing.

***

JUDGE KAVANAUGH: And yes, there were parties. And the drinking age was 18, and yes, the seniors were legal and had beer there. And yes, people might have had too many beers on occasion and people generally in high school  I think all of us have probably done things we look back on in high school and regret or cringe a bit, but thats not what were talking about.

Were talking about an allegation of sexual assault. Ive never sexually assaulted anyone. I did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter. And the girls from the schools I went to and I were friends ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia  The Ethiopian government has arrested thousands of people around the capital, Addis Ababa, over the last week and sent many of them to military camps for rehabilitation, the authorities said on Monday, as the government sought to respond to mounting criticism from Ethiopians who say it has done little as ethnic violence has flared.

Ethiopia, to a degree unusual in Africa, has long exercised a degree of surveillance and control over its citizens. But earlier this year it embarked on a whirlwind series of reforms, mainly guided by the countrys new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, 42, a former army officer.

Ethiopia has sought peace with its longtime adversary, Eritrea; it has freed prisoners; opened access to websites and television channels that it had blocked for political reasons; and it invited banned political organizations and their leaders to return from exile.

This has brought more breathing room for Ethiopians and represents a dramatic change in direction for Africas second most populous nation  one that until recently had seemed to take China for its model. But amid these changes there have been growing episodes of ethnic violence around the country, and in the middle of this month that violence reached Addis Ababa and the surrounding area.President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, visiting the United States for the first time since President Trump exited the 2015 Iran nuclear accord, said Monday that the only way his country would consider new talks with Washington is for Mr. Trump to reverse himself and honor the agreement.

Speaking to a group of two dozen academics, former government officials and journalists, Mr. Rouhani argued that going back six months ago is much easier than going back six years, when the first efforts to negotiate an agreement were broached.

While he declared that Mr. Trumps strategy of trying to crush the Iranian economy with sanctions would fail, he expressed no anger and portrayed his government as the one that was abiding by international agreements that the United States had tossed aside.

But when pressed on how long Iran planned to play a military role in Syria, Mr. Rouhani was unrelenting. We will be in Syria until terrorism is completely eradicated, he said, and as long as Iran remained invited there by the Syrian government.One of my most vivid memories of Arthur Mitchell, who died last week, is of dancing with him in Moscow in 1962. George Balanchine, New York City Ballets founding choreographer, had left the Soviet Union in the 1920s. And now he was returning for the first time to present his company of American dancers.

Tensions were high between our countries. We were deep in the Cold War, just a week before the Cuban Missile Crisis. On opening night, the Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, was in the audience, and so were top party members.

Arthur and I were dancing in Balanchines Agon, with music by Igor Stravinsky, the last ballet on the program. Balanchine was nervous. The cast was nervous. But not Arthur. (Arthur was never nervous.) In the wings before our pas de deux, he could see I was jumping out of my skin. He said, This is just a small town, Allegra. What he said was so ludicrous that it calmed me down.

The reason for everybodys nerves? Agon, created in 1957, had changed the course of choreography. It has form, but not conventional form, and strange innovations that had come out of Balanchines different way of hearing music and creating movement. Stravinskys music is rhythmically complex and difficult even for the dancers to count. (A conductor was sent ahead to rehearse the orchestra.) And Agon is a non-narrative ballet, costumed only in leotards and tights  not classical tutus and princely tunics. It was unlike anything that the Russian audience, so passionate about ballet, had seen before.TOULOUSE, France  Just what was the appeal of tiny sculpted and carved skulls to an elegant French socialite married into the Rothschild banking dynasty? Almost a century after her death, the question of what drove Mathilde de Rothschilds passion for macabre artifacts remains an enigma.

Was it because she trained as a nurse and rubbed shoulders with death in a hospital during World War I? She had a passion for hunting  would that explain it? Or was she simply acutely aware that worldly pleasures were futile, and that death was always around the corner?

Born in the early 1870s, Mathilde married Baron Henri de Rothschild in 1895. When she died in 1926, the baroness bequeathed her grisly 180-piece collection without explanation to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. Its all very mysterious Sophie Motsch, a curator at the museum, said in an interview.

It is not the baronesss choice of macabre artifacts that is surprising, but the fact that it was a woman collecting them, Ms. Motsch said. I know of no other woman to have done so, she added, noting that although the actress Sarah Bernhardt slept in a coffin and made still-life paintings with skulls, she didnt collect.SAN FRANCISCO  When Max Hollein announced his idea two years ago for a sweeping exhibition of Muslim fashions at the de Young Museum here, where he was director, he received some very intense reactions, he recalled. And the criticisms came from surprisingly different factions.

I got a number of emails complaining, some in very harsh terms, that this is not the right time for America to celebrate Muslim culture, Mr. Hollein said. On the other hand, there were also people accusing us of celebrating the oppression of women. (Breitbart News Daily questioned whether it was a celebration of subjugation.)The museum also heard from people of Islamic faith who found the notion of fashion antithetical to the religions modest dress codes. For them, the very idea of the show seemed sacrilege.

We knew from the start we were entering new territory, said Mr. Hollein, now the director at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, taking a break last week from his new job to attend the opening of Contemporary Muslim Fashions, his first  and last  major show at the de Young. Mr. Hollein was wearing a dark blue Zegna suit that looked rather plain compared to a peacock-colored gown on display nearby.

The idea wasnt to provoke, he said. We wanted to share what weve been seeing in Muslim fashion with the larger world in a way that could create a deeper understanding. Museums are one of the few places where you can have a deep and non-polemic debate about the intersection of cultures. On other platforms, people either have superficial conversations  or just yell at each other.Welcome to your daily breakdown of the movie, TV and pop music news you should know about, curated from The New York Times and across the web. Let us know what you would like to see in these roundups by emailing us at popculture@nytimes.com. Tell us the good, the bad and the silly.

What were talking about today

 Bill Cosby is going to prison. The entertainer has been sentenced to three to 10 years for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004. And he will go straight into custody as the judge denied him a request to remain free on bail while he pursues an anticipated appeal. You can follow our updates here.

 Billy McFarland, the founder of the canceled Fyre Festival (sad sandwich meme forever), is claiming mental illness as the reason he defrauded investors and scammed customers. He could face more than 10 years in prison. [Billboard]Everything happens for a reason is godawful advice. Its false and unhelpful, and it lacks even the polite symmetry of the equally banal It is what it is. Its something people say when they dont know you or care about your problems. Given all of the mantras or koans or slogans or the signature taglines available on this planet, A Million Little Things still chose everything happens for a reason to be its central characters prized phrase. Its a bad sign.

A Million Little Things, which premieres Wednesday on ABC, is about a group of best bro buds, as were reminded of over and over. They are best buds! And bros! But their perfect bubble of brodom is shattered when Jon Dixon (Ron Livingston), the first among equals, kills himself in the shows opening moments. Jons the one who constantly said everything happened for a reason, and thus many of his loved ones  his wife, his teen daughter and tween son, his friends, the ladies who tolerate his friends, his assistant  are therefore looking for a reason.

This leads to one of many distressing and off-putting ways the show approaches suicide: that a death has one catalyzing cause, when suicide has many causes, including mental illness. The show also packages suicide as some beautiful mystery to be examined, one last puzzle to bring us all together  classic Jon, he always knew how to get us on the same page.This is Andrea Constand, the woman whose sexual assault complaint against Bill Cosby brought down the man once known as Americas dad. Finally, we can say: Women are believed. And not only on #MeToo, but in a court of law. Shes the only woman among more than 50 others whose case against Cosby has resulted in a conviction. I feel like my faith in humanity is restored. Constand and Cosbys story started more than 15 years ago in Philadelphia. She was 29 years old at the time, and worked for the womens basketball team at Temple University. Cosby was the universitys most famous alum and a trustee. They met at a basketball game in 2002. Constand grew up in Toronto, Canada. She was a star high school basketball player and had dreams of playing professionally. Over the next two years, the pair had a friendly relationship. In 2004, Constand says Cosby assaulted her at his Pennsylvania mansion after giving her three pills that left her frozen. He claims the sex was consensual. The pills, he later said, were Benadryl. Constand reported the attack to the police a year later, but prosecutors decided not to charge Cosby at the time. She later filed a civil suit and got a settlement of over $3 million. Cosbys defense team used that to paint her her as a scheming former lover. Andrea Constand made up these fantastical stories in order to get rich. A criminal investigation was reopened in 2015. Were here because we want to seek the truth. At this point, more than 50 women had come forward with similar accusations of sexual misconduct. Many of these cases happened outside the 12-year statute of limitations. So Constand became the lone accuser who brought criminal charges. The jury came to their decision in just two days. We dont think Mr. Cosby is guilty of anything. And the fight is not over.[Mr. Cosby was sentenced Tuesday and denied bail.]

Katherine Mae McKee, who accused Mr. Cosby of raping her in a Detroit hotel room in 1974, gave an emotional interview to CNN immediately after the verdict was announced, in which she said it had stirred up very difficult and deep emotions.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN: Let me bring in Kathy McKee, who has been waiting, who has accused Cosby of attacking her in a hotel room in 1974. She has filed a defamation lawsuit against Cosbys defense team that is now headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. So Kathy, thank you so much for being with me and how are you feeling right about now as hes being sentenced?

KATHERINE MAE MCKEE: Well, thank you. Im very happy to be able to be here today. Just listening to this is stirring up some very difficult and deep emotions for me. Because I was a part  I saw the violence in Bill Cosby when he attacked me and its hard. Its very difficult to try and make it go away. It surfaces. I was doing very well holding it together until I began to hear these last few words.

Being attacked in 1974 by Bill Cosby, who was, at the time my good friend, I thought, my buddy  someone I worked with, was a horrible thing to happen. Its caused me a lifetime of problems emotionally  work issues, being in the industry, the television business. Its been very difficult on me. And I feel a great deal of sorrow for all the women that this has happened to and not just with Bill Cosby, you know, but everywhere. Im just struggling to keep going every day. And Im happy that the judge sentenced Bill Cosby accordingly and Im grateful to Andrea [Constand, the victim in the case] for standing strong.Photo: Contributed

In a sign that the oilsands mining industry can't be counted out just yet, public hearings into the proposed $20.6-billion Frontier Oil Sands Mine project begin in Fort McMurray, Alta., today.

International oil companies are cutting their oilsands mine investments and many analysts say the long-life returns don't justify the high upfront costs, but Vancouver-based Teck Resources Ltd. says it is committed to its megaproject which could be producing oil by 2026.

"We believe the long-term outlook for the global oil market is favourable for projects like Frontier," said Doug Brown, Teck's director of public affairs, reached in Fort McMurray on Monday.

"Given the current project timing, and the future demand we see, we think it's a strong project to move ahead."

Teck's pursuit of regulatory approval of Frontier is a rare positive sign for oilsands mining, said Kevin Birn, vice-president of North American crude oil markets for IHS Markit.

"The regulatory process is not a cheap process so this is a good indicator for the sector," he said.

The oilsands industry slowdown of the past four or so years means that Teck should find construction and operating costs will be lower than during the boom years and they should be able to integrate the latest and most efficient technologies into Frontier, if it is approved and sanctioned, he said.

Still, the company's estimates suggest the strip mine project will cost about $80,000 per flowing barrel of oil, which is much higher than the $40,000 to $50,000 estimated to build a new steam-driven thermal oilsands project, Birn said.

Teck is scheduled to kick off the hearings today before a joint review panel of the Alberta Energy Regulator and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, with the rest of the week devoted to cross-examination by interveners.Each story is spikily distinct, but themes echo and chime. Many of the plots hinge on a death. Character types reappear. Beautiful, disappointed women cruelly visit their sorrows on their daughters; elderly women and recent college graduates strike up unlikely friendships.

Yes, I had nightmares  children do, the narrator in an old story, All Around Atlantis, recalls. After all, it takes some time to get used to being alive. And how else, except in the clarity of dreams, are you supposed to see the world all around you thats hidden by the light of day? The ambiguous gift of Eisenbergs characters is that they never become fully acclimated to our planet, to its beauty or horror. (Or mundanity, for that matter. Even the smallest activity remains monstrously difficult: I began to unpack, but there was the issue of putting things wherever.)

In the early work, her characters existed in a state of elegant alienation, a kind of anomie one review described uncharitably (but indelibly) as a 1980s cocaine-and-radicchio brand of trendiness. The later work is about emerging from isolation and complacency, about larger questions of what it means to live an ethical life  and, as Eisenberg has said, whether such a thing is even possible for an American. These stories emerge from the ashes of the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, out of despoliation and environmental plunder.

The title of the book comes from a Zen riddle. A Zen master, his disciple and a duck are trapped in a bottle. The masters lesson, as recounted a bit drunkenly by the host of a dinner party, is: Its not my duck, its not my bottle, its not my problem. Many of the characters exist on the precipice of this realization  they are queasy about their good fortune, heartsick at the way money moves across the globe at the speed of thought, at the speed of poison in water, but when will these people  refugees  be allowed outside the wire enclosures? Always they are unsure what to do: I was exhausted, though still wide awake, as I was so often  wide awake and thinking about things I couldnt do anything about. Couldnt do anything about. Couldnt do anything about.

On the face of it, Your Duck Is My Duck could be regarded as a politically mild book for Eisenberg. The world intrudes only at the margins  tumult is hinted at in unnamed countries, glimpses of unspecified migrants. But these are stories of painful awakenings and refusals of innocence. This book offers no palliatives to its characters or to its readers  no plan of action. But it is a compass.TRANSCRIPTION

By Kate Atkinson

343 pp. Little, Brown & Company. $28.

All novels are spy novels, Ian McEwan once observed, and its a reasonable claim: Fiction nearly always relies on a clever observer to pry inside the minds and lives of its characters, to lay bare for the reader their deep motivations and intimate secrets. No wonder spies, like detectives, seem inherently literary figures, whether theyre real, invented or  as with the spies in Kate Atkinsons intriguing new novel  a bit of both.

The spying in Transcription happens under the aegis of MI5, the British intelligence agency whose elite affiliations and Cold War defections are well known. Atkinson plumbs a more obscure realm of MI5s activity: its infiltration, during World War II, of the so-called fifth column, a network of British Nazi sympathizers who revered Hitler and eagerly awaited Germanys conquest of Europe. In an afterword, Atkinson explains that the sort of covert operation she has dramatized actually did take place. A British MI5 agent, posing as an agent of Nazi Germany, hosted regular meetings for fifth-column members in a London apartment wired with microphones. In an adjacent apartment, MI5 agents recorded their conversations.

Into these dramatic environs Atkinson injects one Juliet Armstrong, the girl (as in: I need a girl) selected by MI5 to transcribe the secretly recorded dialogues. Transcription visits Juliet at three periods of her life, which are nested like Russian dolls. At the outset, just 60 years old, she is struck by a car and knows she will die; two pages later, we meet her at 28, working for the BBC in 1950, a time when London (and virtually everyone in it) was still hobbled by the war. Fans of Life After Life, Atkinsons 2013 masterpiece, will recognize the artful pathos with which she renders the wars cratering effect on Londoners. But what interests Atkinson here is less the wars aftermath than its simmering persistence. On the street during her lunch break, Juliet spots a man, Godfrey Toby, with whom she worked very closely back in 1940. But when she rushes up to greet him, he denies his identity, insisting she has mistaken him for someone else and leaving her shaken.

Image

The novel then turns to 1940, when Juliet  18, orphaned, given to sassy parenthetical observations  first joins MI5. Here the narrative really takes off; watching through Juliets irreverent eyes as MI5 recruits upper-class girls for possible spy work is fascinating and deliciously comic. Pas a duke, one drawls when Juliet notices a gold crest on her cigarettes. The amusement continues when Juliet is chosen (plucked, as the dukes daughter puts it) to transcribe the fifth columnists recorded conversations from the apartment next door. Atkinson marvelously captures the sheltered, insouciant Juliets longing for experience: Her education sexuelle (it was easier to think of it as something French) was woefully riddled with lacunae. They had drawn diagrams to show the domestic plumbing system at school in Housecraft. It was a pointless subject  how to lay a tea tray, what to feed an invalid, what to look for when buying meat (beef should be marbled with fat). How much more useful if they had taught you about sex. Her wish for erotic transport settles on her boss, the enigmatic Peregrine Gibbons, who eventually invites her on a promising excursion to the country. The ensuing hilarity is best captured in the following couplet:

Otters, he whispered, spreading a tarpaulin sheet on the riverbank.

Sir? Had he said otters? Not seduction then.The story is not so much a story as a narrative filmstrip reeled around Sendaks art  10 drawings he created in 1990 as projections for a London Symphony Orchestra performance of a 1927 opera setting Czech nursery rhymes to music. Sendak resurfaced the art once more for a charity concert in 1997, then tucked it away for good. But Yorinks  a friend of Sendaks for more than four decades who had collaborated with him on two previous childrens books, The Miami Giant and Mommy  had fallen in love with the drawings and never forgot them. He brought them up over a work lunch with Sendak and suggested that they might be a book  a book in need of a story. That afternoon, the two friends arranged the pictures on Sendaks drawing table and, in a state of creative flow punctuated by wild bursts of laughter, began improvising the story. They refined the manuscript over the coming months and declared it a picture book. But then, as it happens in life, life happened. Presto and Zesto vanished in the shadow of other projects.

One day long after his friends death, Yorinks received a note from Sendaks longtime assistant and now literary executor, Lynn Caponera, alerting him that she had discovered among the authors papers a strange manuscript titled Presto and Zesto in Limboland. I imagine how difficult it must have been for Yorinks to revisit this story of two friends, named after the nicknames he and Sendak had for each other; how difficult and beautiful to see it morph into a private elegy  in the classic dual sense of lamentation and celebration  for a lost friendship.

And so, six years after Sendaks death, this unusual picture book is finally being born. It is both like and unlike classic Sendak. At times, there are leaps in the narrative that strain the effort to stitch the drawings into a cohesive story. As a young man, when asked to illustrate a book of Tolstoys short stories, Sendak had confided in his editor  the visionary Ursula Nordstrom  that he admired the cohesion and purpose of Tolstoys narrative but feared that his art would fail to match it. Nordstrom, ever the nurturer of unpolished genius, assured him otherwise. He did illustrate Tolstoy. This formative storytelling ideal of cohesion and purpose became an animating force of his work. Perhaps Sendak put Presto and Zesto in a drawer because he was unsure the book had achieved this.

But I am glad it lives. In a story propelled by surprise after surprise in deliberate defiance of the expectations of ordinary reality, where logical discontinuity is a vehicle of joy, these leaps furnish rather than obstruct the whimsical world-building. The dialogue between image and story becomes essentially an act of translation, calling to mind the Nobel-winning Polish poet Wisawa Szymborskas lovely notion of that rare miracle when a translation stops being a translation and becomes  a second original.(Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Heres what you need to know:

Court fight goes prime time

Judge Brett Kavanaugh, appearing on Fox News on Monday night, declared that he would not withdraw from consideration for the Supreme Court, vowing to fight what he called smears, after two women accused him of sexual impropriety.

Joined by his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, the judge addressed the accusation by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who says he assaulted her when they were teenagers: The truth is Ive never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise, he said.

He and Dr. Blasey are scheduled to testify on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

 The interview: It was the first time in memory that a Supreme Court nominee submitted to a TV interview before the confirmation vote. Read excerpts from a transcript.

 The politics: Democrats are hoping to defeat Judge Kavanaughs nomination and to win control of the Senate in November. Doing so would enable them to block President Trumps future Supreme Court nominations. The U.N. is bracing for President Trump.

Today, he addresses a General Assembly in which many nations fear his stark rhetoric and America First approach. The session comes against a backdrop of global calamities like climate change, wars in Syria and Yemen and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar. But in case after case, critics say, American leadership is lacking.

Above, Mr. Trump at a U.N. meeting on Monday about the global drug problem.

Also in New York for the General Assembly is President Hassan Rouhani of Iran, who said Monday that he would consider new talks with Washington only if Mr. Trump reversed himself and honored the 2015 nuclear accord.

Iran also threatened unspecified retaliation against the U.S. and regional foes  including Saudi Arabia and Israel  after a deadly attack on a military parade last week by militants who Iran said were backed by the countrys international enemies. A growing furor around Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

The charges of sexual misconduct against the Supreme Court nominee have fired up both sides of the political divide, as Judge Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, one of his accusers, prepare to testify before a Senate committee tomorrow. Above, Judge Kavanaugh defending himself on Fox News.

President Trump, who had been relatively restrained in his commentary, described the other women who accused the judge of misconduct as messed up and drunk at the time. He also said Democrats were using the accusations to delay and obstruct Mr. Kavanaughs confirmation.

Indeed, the stakes are high: If the Republicans fail to get the votes to confirm Judge Kavanaugh, and if Democrats take control of the Senate in November, the president could lose his chance to put two conservative judges on the Supreme Court.

In Opinion: Padma Lakshmi, the author, actress and model, writes that she was raped when she was 16  and she explains why she didnt speak out about it until now.

_____Will Danske Bank or any of its executives face serious consequences for allowing almost unprecedented money laundering? The short answer looks like no.

The bank could be barred from the American financial system if it is designated as a primary money laundering concern. Section 311 of the Patriot Act, adopted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, authorizes the Treasury Department to take special measures against foreign banks that do not adequately address money laundering and terrorist financing problems.

The special measures can involve requiring record-keeping for certain transactions, obtaining information about the beneficial owners of accounts and identifying customers who use a correspondent account with a financial institution in the United States. The biggest hammer in Section 311 authorizes the government to prohibit a foreign bank from having correspondent accounts with an American bank, effectively cutting it off from any dealings in this country. That would cripple any large bank, because banks need access to the financial system in the United States to serve customers dealing in dollars or having cross-border transactions.

The Treasury Department took that step in February when it issued a notice to bar ABLV Bank, in Riga, Latvia, from having any future dealings with the American financial system. According to the notice published in the case, the government found that ABLV executives, shareholders and employees have institutionalized money laundering as a pillar of the banks business practices.

The chance that Danske could face similar action appears to be small. The bank is the largest in Denmark, with 2.7 million customers and 20,000 employees, and has offered to cooperate with the investigations. Danske is likely too big to jail, meaning the potential job losses and customer disruptions would be so great that the United States would not take steps to put it out of business.

Whether we will see anyone at the bank charged with misconduct is another issue. Senior executives often are able to insulate themselves from day-to-day decisions, so finding their fingerprints on anything that might lead to criminal charges seems unlikely.

None of that means the bank will get a free pass. The National Crime Agency in Britain opened an investigation because at least some of the money laundering occurred through companies registered in Britain. The Justice Department, the Treasury Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are reported to be looking into the conduct, which is likely to result in some type of settlement.This pattern repeats itself throughout the book. Mr. Ovitz brags that the motto of C.A.A. was no conflict, no interest and then defends himself against charges of conflict of interest. He takes credit for bravely pushing through successful movie projects in which no one else believed but then justifies his involvement in a failure on the grounds that he did not have the confidence to fight choices he suspected would not work.

During the litigation that followed his dismissal from Disney, Mr. Eisners widely circulated emails described Mr. Ovitz as a psychopath and habitual liar. His defense to this charge in Who Is Michael Ovitz? is to change the traditional definition of lying: Lying to me is a point-blank misstatement with no purpose in mind. Given that Mr. Ovitzs alleged fabrications have generally been quite purposeful, this novel definition would seem an attempt to leave him in the clear. Besides, Mr. Ovitz protests, they were never lies to him; they were the tools he needed to get his job done.

In writing the autobiography, Mr. Ovitz faced the same challenge he overcame in getting Martin Scorseses The Color of Money, a sequel to the much earlier classic The Hustler, produced: No one under thirty-five remembered the original. When I polled a current M.B.A. class at Columbia University, only three of the 75 students had any idea who Michael Ovitz was. But this is unfair to the continuing relevance of Mr. Ovitzs most remarkable accomplishment: creating a firm that for a brief time dominated in an industry that should resist domination.

As a study in the unusual personality traits required to pull this off, Who Is Michael Ovitz? represents a master class of sorts. Watching Mr. Ovitz simultaneously manage his clients and his partners while the going was good is something to behold: the strange fascination with gifting and clothing; the obsession with establishing bona fides in art and architecture; even the dissembling. It is not a package that could or should be replicated. But it all improbably worked for a time and might have gone on for longer if Mr. Ovitz had not convinced himself that he was destined for greater things.

And this is where Mr. Ovitzs career, and to a lesser extent Who Is Michael Ovitz?, goes off the rails. All of us in service businesses  investment bankers, consultants, lawyers and the like  have a story about a colleague who decided he or she was wasted as a mere agent and should be a principal. These stories usually end in tears, for the colleague, for whoever they convinced to let them try their hand as a principal and most often, both. Successful service professionals must be good at one thing: sales. When they decide that sales are beneath them, bad things follow.Sometimes, Shang Feifei goes to a restaurant just for the manicures.

On a recent Wednesday night, Ms. Shang, 40, sat patiently at a downtown Beijing branch of Haidilao, a restaurant chain that defies Chinas well-earned reputation for lousy customer service. A Haidilao employee buffed and painted her nails, free. The aroma from bubbling broth-filled pots lingered in the air.

Ms. Shang wasnt planning to stay to eat after she got her pink, glittery nails done. For her, the food was secondary to the experience .

I find Haidilaos special services so entertaining, said Ms. Shang, who comes to Haidilao every week to get her manicures. Like the free pedicures, the photo printing machine, Chinese checkers and origami.Defense Distributed, the Texas company founded to distribute blueprints of guns that can be made by a 3-D printer, said Tuesday that it would continue without its founder, Cody Wilson, after he was charged with sexual assault.

Mr. Wilson, who is accused of paying a 16-year-old girl for sex in Austin, Tex., stepped down as Defense Distributeds director on Friday evening  the same day he was arrested during a trip to Taiwan.

Mr. Wilson, a self-described crypto-anarchist, attracted an ardent fan base of gun rights advocates and First Amendment supporters when he sued the federal government in 2015 after it told him to remove online blueprints of a 3-D printed gun.

The government settled with Mr. Wilson this summer and gave him permission to post the blueprints. He was sued soon after by a group of state attorneys general who oppose downloadable guns, which are difficult to trace, as a threat to public safety.Photo: Contributed

October 17, 2018, recreational cannabis will be legal in Canada but don't expect to just walk into a store in Vernon a buy cannabis.

Here is how it breaks down.

Retailers will only be able to sell cannabis that it purchased through the province.

Retailers can only purchase cannabis through the province if they have been issued a provincial license.

Retailers cannot get a provincial license without local government support of a specific application.

Local governments cannot give explicit support for an application until cannabis sales have been regulated through bylaws.

Apart from issuing temporary use permits, the City of Vernon has not yet set its bylaws around recreational cannabis dispensaries.

So, while, recreational cannabis dispensaries can technically stay open, they will not be allowed to sell a cannabis product.

That is why, come Oct. 17, 2018, you won't be able to walk into a recreational cannabis dispensary in Vernon and buy cannabis.

To date, the province has only issued one licence to sell recreational cannabis and that was awarded to a store in Kamloops.

"I think they are making it more difficult than it has to be. I understand that it is a controlled substance and they need to protect the community, but I have never seen an application be controlled the way it is."

According to the operator of one recreational cannabis dispensary in Vernon, who will remain anonymous, the process will leave gaps in service for those who rely on the product.

"People who are currently accessing in dispensaries will have no facilities to access from," says the dispensary operator. "It is even more poignant to point out that people accessing are by in large accessing for therapeutic purposes, and with no mention of medical licensing, a lot of the products and services that people are currently accessing through these facilities will no be able available. Period."

The operator has suggested to clients, "Better stock up now. We don't know when it will be for sale again in Vernon."

Adding, "there have been no reliable indications of timelines given for any kind of licensing application around cannabis whether it is retail or production."

According to the City of Vernon, only two recreational cannabis dispensaries have submitted their application to the province, neither of which is one of the 12 dispensaries currently operating in Vernon.

And while there will be some enforcement of the rules after the 17, what that looks like is still unclear.

"There's been a disproportionate hysteria surrounding the question of cannabis ...so I think the policy should reflect the real statistics behind what are the health a public safety risks."

To the operator, the process feels less like the legalization of cannabis and more like the corporatization of marijuana.All of which suggests that, like baked ziti and garlic bread, chicken francese is an Italian-American invention that was probably called French because of its luxurious, buttery sauce.

In the New York Public Librarys database of 45,000 restaurant menus dating back to the 1840s, the first reference to scaloppine alla francese is on an undated menu from Trattoria Gatti, a Midtown Manhattan restaurant that The New York Times reviewed affectionately in 1964. (The ambience featured strolling musicians and waiters in peasantstyle striped shirts and cummerbunds, and the pasta was housemade.)

Another thing no one knows for sure about francese is how to pronounce it. In New York and New Jersey, its fran-CHASE; if you were saying it in Italy, it would be fran-CHAY-zay; most of America says fran-CHAYZ.

No place has embraced chicken francese more warmly than Rochester, N.Y., a city with an illustrious history of great Italian-American cooking. According to The Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester, veal francese was first served there around 1967 , at a restaurant called the Brown Derby. It became the signature dish of the restaurant and of Chef Vincenzo (real name James Cianciola), and soon was on menus all over town.

Mr. Cianciola told The Democrat & Chronicle in 2005 that he had learned the dish from visiting New York City cooks , while working at a restaurant near the grand Eastman Theatre. (Liberace told me this was the best veal hed ever had, Mr. Cianciola said .) In the 1970s, the appearance of animal-rights protesters prompted many restaurants to switch from veal to chicken, but the dishs popularity did not falter.

At some point the dish underwent one other change. Continuing the regions tradition of giving its favorite foods less-than-appetizing names (see: garbage plate, chicken riggies, sponge candy), the dish was renamed chicken French, and so it remains.

It was called chicken French as far back as I can remember, said Kristen Hess, a food stylist in New York and Florida who grew up in Rochester. She said that chicken French was (and remains) a staple there  at white-tablecloth restaurants, diners and everything in between.After you graduate high school, do you see yourself going to college  or getting a job  near your parents? Do you like the idea of having your parents close by during your late teenage years and early 20s?

And, if you plan to go away to school, would you want your parents to follow you  either by actually moving to the city where youll attend college, or at the very least by spending a few weeks or months there while you get acclimated to being away from home?

In Welcome to College. Your Parents Are in the Tents Next Door, Javier C. Hernandez writes about parents of first-year college students in China who live in tents on campus to make goodbyes easier:

When Yang Zheyu arrived at Tianjin University this fall for the start of his first year, he had all the essentials. Winter coat. Dictionary. Four pairs of shoes. Toothpaste. And a few hundred yards from his dormitory, in a cobalt-blue tent set up on the floor of a gymnasium, he had his mother at his beck and call, ready to bring him bowls of instant noodles, buy him soap and scrub the floor of his new room. I feel safer when shes here, said Mr. Yang, 18, from a central Chinese town more than 700 miles away. Ive never been away from home before. Mr. Yangs mother, Ding Hongyan, a farmer, was one of more than 1,000 parents of the class of 2022 who camped out in tents this month to watch over their children as they settled into college. The parents came bearing bags of sunflower seeds, Hello Kitty backpacks stuffed with toilet paper and unsolicited advice on a variety of topics: the acceptable price of steamed dumplings ($1.50), the most lucrative college majors (engineering was a favorite) and the appropriateness of dating (best to be avoided while studying). Since 2012, Tianjin University, about two hours southeast of Beijing, has offered the tents of love free with the aim of making it easier for poor families to take part in the move-in tradition. But the phenomenon, which has spread to several universities across China, has prompted debate about whether parents are coddling the generation of only children born after Chinas one-child policy was adopted in 1979, and undermining their independence. The policy was abolished beginning in 2016.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

 Do you see the end of high school as an opportunity to move away from your parents? Or would you prefer to stay close to your parents while you make the transition to life after high school? Why?

 Do you think young adults can learn to become more self-sufficient while living at home  or while living in the same town as their parents? What strategies would you recommend for parents and young people?

 Whats your reaction to reading about parents in China who camp out at a university to watch as their children settle in? Do you think these parents are coddling their children? Or, do you think Tianjin Universitys tents of love are helpful for anxious families?Jazz, as Ralph Ellison wrote, is an art of individual assertion within and against the group. Each soloist breaks out against the ensemble, and each break enhances both the other players individual freedom and the cohesion of the group.

To jam, in other words, is to adhere  a paradox that plays out only in jazz, unless, as the philosopher Terry Eagleton suggests in The Meaning of Life, it is also true in love. So it is fitting that on Aug. 12, 1958, the photographer Art Kane called together as many jazz soloists as he could round up for a photograph celebrating the musics collective moment. In all, 58 musicians (55 cats and 3 chicks, as one jazz writer described them) heeded a highly un-jazzlike 10 a.m. call to a stoop at 17 East 126th Street in Harlem, and 57 found their way into Kanes immortal image. One, Whitney Balliett later wrote in The New Yorker, was astonished to discover that there were two 10 oclocks in each day. The great stride pianist Willie ( the Lion ) Smith, born in 1897, got tired and was sitting on the stoop next door when Kane took his shot.But as anyone who lurks on social media already knows, the publics shock and outrage do not always end the shocking practices; the Vietnam War did not halt because of any photo. According to the cultural critic John Berger, something strange happens when we consume shocking images: Often we turn inward, rather than outward. Continuing with our normal lives feels like a hopelessly inadequate response to what we have just seen, Berger wrote in the 1980 book About Looking  and so the viewer obsesses not over what is happening abroad but over his own reaction to it. And as soon as this happens even his sense of shock is dispersed: His own moral inadequacy may now shock him as much as the crimes being committed in the war. Either he shrugs off this sense of inadequacy as being only too familiar, or else he thinks of performing a kind of penance  of which the purest example would be to make a contribution to Oxfam or to Unicef. When we are faced with images of agony, Berger concluded, it is not possible for anyone to look pensively at such a moment and to emerge stronger.

Today the equivalent might be donating to a GoFundMe drive or admonishing your Facebook friends to call their senators. We pay our indulgences in remit for our sins, feel a brief respite from moral quandary, lean back and congratulate ourselves for doing our part. After all, we think, Im just one person. All we can change is ourselves.

For journalists, the wages of repeated shock are called burnout. A period of hyperintense coverage is followed by a hollowed-out numbness. Among some reporters, there is constant, shellshocked joking about how little time has passed and how much has happened. No story occupies peoples attention quite long enough for them to process it. Soon enough the blur of information distorts our sense of time, order and relative importance. What happened a month ago feels as if it were last year; what seemed like a major, all-consuming story is forgotten in weeks.

Being harried and dazzled like this  bombarded with information we lack the time or capacity to process  we can become pliable, susceptible to groupthink, open to Faustian bargains. Collective shock can be an effective tool not just for numbing the population but for swaying public opinion or introducing policies that would normally seem unacceptable. In her 2007 book The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein described how moments of great rupture generate vast, clean canvases  a shocked citizenry who may allow the rules of society to be rewritten. The stunned acquiescence of the American public after Sept. 11, for instance, allowed for overwhelming, bipartisan support of everything from the Patriot Act to two wars. Shock paves the way, as Berger once wrote, for impunity.Parallel Lives is a group biography of several notable Victorians and their marriages, including Charles Dickens, George Eliot, John Stuart Mill and various much-beloved or long-suffering or less-remembered spouses and paramours. It follows the ways in which people without easy access to divorce got very creative (which is to say very weird) in negotiating their breakups and makeups. Rose chose writers not because they are more inventive in living  far from it  but because they tend to be diligent reporters of their lives, leaving us more material to work with. Some of the famous figures have reputations that precede them, which Rose is careful to correct. Did the art critic John Ruskin turn celibate after seeing an actual adult woman naked for the first time? Well, not exactly, but his marriage did remain unconsummated. Did Dickens have an affair with his wifes sister? Well, not exactly, but he was definitely a jerk, issuing a news release denying whispered rumors about his domestic trouble even as he sent his wife away and began an affair with a young actress. (As far as the public was concerned, the statement was a confirmation beyond rumor of his infidelity.)

The thrill of Roses book is seeing how those scandalous details became the foundation of actual societal change. To Rose, marriage is the primary political experience of adulthood, as intimate a contract with society as it is with your partner. Every society arranges strictures around the family, and often its by looking at individual relationships that we see how and where those strictures failed and what might replace them. It would be flattering to believe such codes were an antiquated mania weve long been free of, but thats not quite true. It is, after all, still just five years since gay marriage became nationally available, eight since New York became the last state with no-fault divorce, 51 since the Supreme Court struck down bans on interracial marriage.

Comparing the stories of how people live is how we start cracking these codes  how we discover new ideas about what a good life can look like. The search for more complex plots is the search for more ways of being a person. Marriages fail and couples split for many reasons, but this narration is always there: As long as we have our story straight, the couple says, we have an us. A good gossip knows that to hear these tales is not, on its own, invasive  that the story is as much for the couple as their presumed audience. Bad gossips, on the other hand, are just like bad readers: inattentive and unimaginative. They believe that stories exist to be solved and that behavior should be rated bad or good. I cannot help such people and have learned the hard way not to try.

This is what Parallel Lives will teach you: Intimacy is easy. Honesty is much harder. Gossip  where we reveal what we think is true about love and lust, power and politics, beginnings and endings  is what happens in between. I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I had found the book earlier, but this is only a fantasy; reading it sooner would not have made me less stupid in marriage or less sad in divorce. It would have been nice, of course, to have more time with the permission Rose gave me to love gossip  more seasons to reread it and remember how the same stories change each time theyre told. But at least I have the rest of my life to tell people how much I hate Charles Dickens.Good-hearted people like you are trying to adjust our gender system to make it more comfortable for the full range of human responses to the sexual body. Thats an admirable thing. Along the way, were discovering how many of the things we do presuppose older, mistaken ideas about how sex and gender work. Gender-reveal parties may not be helping. But in the course of the historical reconfiguration of gender  which, in the past century, has already brought us widely accepted ideals of equality, if not yet their fulfillment  the color of cake frosting shouldnt be close to a focus of concern. So go to the party, and join the prospective parents in celebrating the main thing theyre excited about, which is that theyre going to have a child. The mother, after all, is a close member of your family. And youll be around to help the child grow up with the right attitudes toward gender, however he or she (or they, a gender-neutral pronoun) turns out to identify.

I am the owner of a small company and needed to replace my steel security doors  a surprisingly expensive job. The best bid was from Company P. Joe, a P employee, said he could do the job on his own time for 25 percent less. I agreed and we signed a bid sheet with the Company P letterhead. Joe failed to show, and when I called Company P, they said he no longer worked for them. But because they are a national chain with a reputation to uphold, they agreed to honor the bid.

It turned out that extensive reframing of my building was necessary to accommodate the new doors, but again Company P agreed to honor the existing contract.

Am I guilty of taking financial advantage of a bad employee, or is the company responsible for failing to train an honest broker? Because it is a national chain, no one person will suffer for the loss of income. And yet I cant seem to shake the idea that I am the one who is cheating.

Name Withheld

Im afraid your sense of guilt is appropriate. You were, in the first instance, abetting an employee in letting down his company. Thats unethical, and its no excuse to say that his employers had failed to train him to be honest. Even if he didnt understand that undercutting his employer was wrong, you did.

You were also assisting in a deception, because the quote he gave you on company letterhead was for work that he alone was going to be paid for. It speaks well of the folks at Company P that theyre honoring the agreement, but plainly they didnt realize that the document was deceptive, and you havent set them straight. The fact that its a big company and will be able to carry the expense no more excuses the fraud than the fact that Costco has an allowance for shrinkage excuses the shoplifter. //On April 22, a spring wildfire roared through Penn State Forest in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, sending 100-foot flames shooting from the crowns of the pitch pines. The fire consumed half a square mile in 40 minutes and could be seen from space. By the time the New Jersey Forest Fire Service got it under control, it had burned 843 acres, an area the size of Central Park.

A week later, even as ash still swirled through air heavy with the creosote scent of burned resin and a cedar log smoldered at the edge of a swamp, the forest was being reborn. Pine cones that open only under extreme heat had released their seeds. Though the trees themselves were charred, almost all survived the fire. Where chest-high blueberry and huckleberry had burned down to pointy stubs, tufts of grass were sprouting.

Destructive fires in the West dominated the news this summer, but for eons fire has been not just an inevitable feature of the landscape, but essential to the forests health and continuity. In the vast wilderness of the Pine Barrens, the forest regenerates so fast that scientists studying the physics of fire use it as a laboratory.

Eleven weeks after the fire in Penn State Forest, at the height of summers greening, new blueberry bushes were already shin high. A grass that flowers only after fire had put forth purple-brown seeds. And scattered all through the fire site, bursts of bright-green pitch-pine needles grew straight out of scorched trunks.Most of the worlds leaders are descending on New York City this week for the annual United Nations General Assembly, but only one of them has a residence atop Trump Tower.

President Trump returned Sunday to his hometown, a place that starting last year became roiled with protests that choked the streets outside his eponymous skyscraper whenever he arrived in Midtown Manhattan.

[Read our live updates on the United Nations General Assembly]

As the city was bracing for gridlock, the F.B.I., Secret Service and New York Police Department were preparing to safeguard visiting dignitaries and also Mr. Trump, who planned to stay in his penthouse.Freddie Oversteegen was only 14, petite with long braids, when she became an assassin and saboteur.

It was 1940, Germany had invaded the Netherlands, and she and her sister, Truus, who was two years older, had been recruited by the local Dutch resistance commander, in the city of Haarlem.

Only later did he tell us what wed actually have to do: Sabotage bridges and railway lines, Truus Menger-Oversteegen recalled in a 2014 book, Under Fire: Women and World War II. We told him wed like to do that.

Then the commander added,  And learn to shoot  to shoot Nazis,  she said.

I remember my sister saying, Well, thats something Ive never done before! 

The sisters, along with a lapsed law student, Hannie Schaft, became a singular female underground squad, part of a cell of seven, that killed collaborators and occupying troops.John Putnam, an expert on New York Citys maritime and commercial history whose impersonations of Herman Melville delighted visitors to the South Street Seaport Museum for decades, died on Sept. 9 in Staten Island. He was 82.

His daughter Sara Putnam said the cause was cardiac arrest.

Mr. Putnam  Jack, as he liked to be called  joined the museum in 1982 as an office manager and cook for the Pioneer, the museums schooner. He later worked as the retail manager of Bowne & Company Stationers, a small printing house owned by the museum, and then became the manager of the museums bookstore.

Mr. Putnam may have been one of the few modern New Yorkers who could say they lived aboard a square-rigged ship. For more than a decade he was the shipkeeper of the barque Peking, docked at Pier 16.

He was, as The New York Times put it in 2008, the official historian and unofficial conscience of the South Street Seaport Museum.Photo: Chelsea Powrie

Federal MP Richard Cannings, who represents the South Okanagan-West Kootenay riding, spoke at length in parliament Monday in support of a private member's bill aiming to create a statutory holiday nationwide for National Indigenous Peoples Day.

In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement announcing that June 21 would be known as National Indigenous Peoples Day. It was previously known as National Aboriginal Day, created in 1996, and was intended to celebrate the heritage of Indigenous Canadians.

However, it is not a statutory holiday, but Bill-C369, brought forward by NDP member of parliament Georgina Jolibois of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River in Saskatchewan, aims to change that.

During the bill's second reading Monday, Cannings spoke at length about why he has thrown his support behind the bill, referencing his upbringing on the boundary of the Penticton Indian Reserve and his continued residence on Okanagan Nation land.

"I like to tell my friends from the Penticton Indian Band that I grew up on the res. However, I did not grow up on it like those people," he said.

"As I grew up, I knew nothing of the struggles of the kids I went to school with from the reserve. We did not talk much. I knew nothing of the struggles of them and their families, of the residential schools situation. I did not really know anything about their culture, heritage or language. I did not even know there were still people speaking a traditional language there."

Cannings hopes the establishment of a national day celebrating Indigenous culture will help educate Canadians. He said he already attends National Indigenous Peoples Day events every year.

"In those events, we learn about Indigenous cultures, their heritage and their languages. However, it would mean so much more if it were a national holiday."

Yukon and the Northwest Territories have already established June 21 as a province-wide holiday. Cannings wants those territories to be an example to the rest of the nation, to encourage education and reconciliation.Joshua Roth, who founded the first fine arts division of a major talent agency, where he experimented with a largely untapped market and tried to help artists make deals worthy of Hollywood stars, died on Sept. 14 in Manhattan. He was 40.

The New York City medical examiners office confirmed the death but said the cause had not yet been determined. No other details were provided. Mr. Roth lived in Los Angeles and worked out of United Talents offices in Beverly Hills.

Visual artists are typically represented by art dealers, but a few who sometimes operate outside the traditional art world, like Julian Schnabel (painter and filmmaker) and Steve McQueen (video artist and filmmaker), have had talent agents.

Mr. Roth established United Talent Agencys fine arts division because, he said, he saw a growing number of artists working across multiple fields and presenting a potentially lucrative opportunity that had been mostly overlooked by talent agencies. He joined United Talent in 2015 to create the division.Mr. Buruma was my editor at The Review, so perhaps Im not objective enough. And I dont know what precise calculations informed the decisions concerning his departure. But I have sympathy for The Reviews owner-publishers, who perhaps feared possible economic repercussions (rumors circulated about advertisers threatening to flee). As someone who has occasionally taken controversial stances on sexual harassment policies, I myself fear the possible economic repercussions that being on the wrong side of this moment could entail: Will my own opportunities to write and publish, in The Review or elsewhere, be curtailed? Self-censorship is the pragmatic move right now.

It would also be craven. What I found, writing for The Review under Mr. Buruma, was a rare opportunity  or rare in a periodical with significant circulation  to take intellectual and stylistic risks, be offbeat in my opinions and get the last word in editorial scuffles. I also got the chance to enthuse about the impact and necessity of the #MeToo movement in an essay commissioned by Mr. Buruma last November, shortly after the first wave of accused men starting falling. I hear there are now a lot of victory dances about bringing down Mr. Buruma, too. Whats painful about the stance of many now claiming the #MeToo mantle is the apparent commitment to shutting down voices and discussions that might prove distasteful or unnerving. What use is such an intellectually stifled version of feminism to anyone?

I recall, as a teenager, reading the former Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleavers prison memoir Soul on Ice and being beside myself with fury at his description of raping white women as a political act (and black women for practice). It shook me up. It also demanded that I grapple with the experience of someone  a criminal, a rapist, an enraged black man  entirely unlike myself. Is this a book that could still be published at the moment?

What about Joan Didions famously tough-minded essay in The Review in 1991 on the Central Park jogger case, which raised doubts about the guilt of the five accused teenagers, all of whom were black or Hispanic, while parsing the sentimentalized stories told about white rape victims? Would the savvy editor of today publish such an article?Given the way things are cartwheeling around right now, I wouldnt put any bets on how this will end. What about you?

Bret: I think the Senate does need to hear from Blasey and Kavanaugh directly, either in public session or behind closed doors. Mark Judge, whom Blasey has identified as the other guy in the room, should testify as well, along with anyone else who was supposedly at the party or with Blasey or Kavanaugh at the time of the alleged assault. I also think the F.B.I. ought to conduct an expedited investigation, recognizing, first, that it cant drag on forever, and second, that there are limits to what it can be expected to find about a 36-year-old case that went unreported at the time. We are not going to get to a beyond a reasonable doubt standard of proof, but we might try to reach the clear and convincing evidence standard often used in civil or administrative cases. Id even settle for the somewhat lower preponderance of evidence standard.

Basically, I think Blasey has a right to be heard and have her claims impartially examined. And Kavanaugh is entitled to a presumption of innocence and an opportunity to clear his name.

Gail: As usual youre being extremely reasonable. And if I was running the committee I would totally follow your directives.

But deep down, this isnt really about whether Christine Blasey Ford is telling the truth. I suspect most people, including many of the Judiciary Republicans, privately thinks she is. The real issue is whether a respected judge can be held accountable for a drunken sexual assault he made as a teenager.

Or at least that was the issue until a woman from Kavanaughs college years spoke up. Bret, I have no idea how many issues  and charges  were going to have before this is over. What I do know is that were at a marker in the transformation of Western culture  hows that for a sweeping statement? Powerful men are going down because they failed to realize women were genuinely equal, not only when it comes to getting jobs and promotions, but also when it comes to how theyre treated at work, and even at a party of drunken teenagers.

Bret: Oh, good, we disagree (I think). There are all sorts of important conversations to be had about cultural transformation. And there is every reason to embrace a transformation that moves in the direction of full and meaningful equality for women, as well as vastly greater awareness of sexual harassment and assault, and far less tolerance of it.To the Editor:

I was distressed to read This I Believe About Blasey v. Kavanaugh (column, Sept. 22), in which Bret Stephens joins the chorus of men saying that without definitive proof, innocence must be presumed.

Presumption of innocence is essential in a criminal trial. However, the Kavanaugh hearings are not a criminal trial. They are a job interview. In a job interview, the onus is on the applicant to demonstrate suitability.

Odds are that the alleged attack happened too long ago to be corroborated. It may nonetheless be true. If an investigation leaves it in the plausible category, Brett Kavanaugh should not be confirmed. After all, he is applying for a job that will make him one of the most powerful people in the world. A credible accusation of assault might disqualify a man from a job as a fry cook. Why should a Supreme Court nominee be held to a lesser standard?

Meg Cameron

Rye, N.Y.

To the Editor:

Bret Stephens insists that people cannot possibly know what happened (if anything) in that room between Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford. And in the literal sense, hes right. But most of the time we arrive at conclusions not by knowing something beyond a shadow of a doubt, but by considering how likely something is and what evidence we have to support it.ISTANBUL  On Sept. 17, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey struck a deal with President Vladimir Putin of Russia to delay an all-out assault on Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria, where three million people live and which shares a long border with Turkey. Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Putin agreed to establish a demilitarized zone nine to 12 miles deep between the rebels and the forces of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.

By using his political capital to delay the attack on Idlib and a new wave of refugees, Mr. Erdogan has bought a window of reprieve for the residents of Idlib and staved off trouble on the Syrian refugee question in Turkey, where the initial hospitality toward the refugees has been replaced by weariness and resentment. Mr. Erdogan was aware that Turkey has reached the point of saturation on taking in more Syrian refugees.

Since 2011, Turkey took in around 3.5 million Syrian refugees and has spent $30 billion with minimal international burden sharing. Turkey has followed the principle of non-refoulement and not pushed refugees and asylum seekers back to their homeland. Mr. Erdogans government has also granted Turkish citizenship to more than 60,000 Syrians, mostly those with higher cultural and economic capital.

A traditional emigration country since the 1960s, Turkish authorities have finally accepted that the country has become a destination country for immigrants and refugees, with direct consequences on labor markets and other social institutions. In 2013, Turkey established the Directorate General for Migration Management to deal with migration flows, register asylum seekers for refugee status and supervise the humanitarian aspect of Syrian refugee settlement. It has granted Syrian refugees certain rights, including free public health care and education. Around 600,000 Syrian children attend public schools, and some 17,000 Syrian students are being educated at Turkish universities.Early in the movie Crazy Rich Asians a Chinese-Singaporean father admonishes his young kids to finish their dinner, saying, Think of all the starving children in America. Im sure that everyone of my generation in the theater laughed at that joke. After all, wed all been raised on the line: Finish your dinner. Think of all the starving children in China.

That little line contained within it many messages: The first, which any regular traveler to Chinas biggest urban areas can tell you, is that rich China today  its luxury homes, cars, restaurants and hotels  is really rich, rich like most Americans cant imagine.

The second is that this moment was destined to be a test of who will set the key rules of the global order in the 21st century: the worlds long-dominant economic and military superpower, America, or its rising rival, China. And this test is playing out with a blossoming full-scale trade war.

What does such a test of wills sound like? It sounds like a senior Chinese official telling me at a seminar at Tsinghua University in April that its just too late for America to tell China what to do anymore on issues like trade, because China is now too big and powerful. And it sounds like President Trump, in effect, telling China: Says who? Show me what you got, baby! Or as Trump actually tweeted last week: We are under no pressure to make a deal with China, they are under pressure to make a deal with us.  If we meet, we meet.RAMALLAH, West Bank  My family and I moved to Washington in April 2017, just a few months after President Trump took office. Id been sent as the head of the Palestine Liberation Organizations general delegation to the United States  effectively the Palestinian ambassador in Washington.

At the time, the new administration said it wanted to forge a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. This seemed like a long shot given Mr. Trumps positions and his close association with some of Israels most extreme American supporters. Still, we Palestinians wanted to give this effort a chance.

One of my first tasks was preparing for a visit in May by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. My team and I began to meet with officials at the White House, the State Department and Congress. We also held encouraging meetings with universities, churches, think tanks and the news media, in which I saw how American opinions are changing on the Palestinian struggle for freedom and independence.

At the same time, my family began to get used to our new home. My son, Saeed, then 6, and my 5-year-old daughter, Alma, began school. My wife, Suzan, who trained as a biomedical scientist, took time off as our children adjusted to their new life and I started my demanding job. In no time, we all made many wonderful American friends. It was a hopeful new beginning.We use it for surgical planning, said Dr. Frank Verstraete, a surgeon at the University of California, Davis, whose team has done dozens of lower-jaw reconstructions. It saves us time in the actual operating room.

3-D printing has also been used to make implants that replace damaged mandibles and leg bones, such as one placed in a young German shepherd with a limb deformity at Cornell in 2009.

But it has not entered mainstream use in surgery in small veterinary clinics. The costs associated with 3-D printed custom implants in surgery for disfigured or injured animals can be prohibitive. But some animals will not survive without such an implant.

That was the case with Patches, according to the team that worked on her.

Patches started to develop a small bump on her head several years ago, said Danielle Dymeck, a corrections officer in Pennsylvania who has raised the dog since she was 2 months old. The bump did not seem to bother Patches when she chased cows or frolicked with Ms. Dymecks grandchildren.

But it grew quickly, alarming the family. Their local veterinarian referred them to Cornell University, where Dr. Galina Hayes, an assistant professor, took on a leading role in the treatment in February.

Patchess tumor soon became so large it ran out of room on the top of her head, Ms. Dymeck said. It started to invade the eye cavity and press inward onto the brain, Dr. Oblak said.

It was like a big orange on her forehead, she said.

[Like the Science Times page on Facebook. | Sign up for the Science Times newsletter.]HELENA, Mont.  Yellowstone-area grizzly bears, scheduled to be hunted this month for the first time in decades, were granted a reprieve by a federal judge who ordered the animal restored to full protections under the Endangered Species Act.

United States District Judge Dana Christensen ruled in favor of the Crow Indian Tribe and other tribes and environmental groups who had argued that the Fish and Wildlife Service had erred in removing the bears threatened status in June 2017.

The agency, beginning with a proposal to take the bears off the list during the Obama administration, had failed to consider how the de-listing would affect other populations of protected grizzlies in the region, according to the judges decision. He also said the agencys analysis of threats to the animal was arbitrary and capricious, according to the judges decision.

The case, the judge wrote, is not about the ethics of hunting, and it is not about solving human- or livestock-grizzly conflicts as a practical or philosophical matter.It was during a WhatsApp call that Debra Reynolds, a marketing executive in Manhattan, started noticing her softening jawline. It was all I could see in the mirror, Ms. Reynolds said. In meetings I was aware of constantly pushing my chin out like a duck. It was then that Ms. Reynolds, 47, turned to Matthew White, a facial plastic surgeon, to remedy the problem.

The surgery, which Dr. White calls the Golden Angle Lift, creates the tighter, more defined jawline and lower face that to many signals youth and beauty. The day after surgery, when Dr. White removed the bandages, my jawline looked like Angelina freaking Jolie, said Ms. Reynolds of her surgery, which she said cost about $18,000.

Credit the rise of videoconferencing and social media for the new focus among women on their jawlines, long a key structural feature for men (as a sign of masculinity) and models (who rely on bone structure to be photogenic).

According to data collected by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, in 2017, 55 percent of facial plastic surgeons noted having seen patients expressing a desire to look better in selfies. Selfies also can distort peoples perceptions of their appearance.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25)  Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the President has certified as urgent a bill that would prohibit all kinds of labor-only contracting in the country.

"Itong bersiyon ng Senado ay nagbabawal sa lahat ng labor-only contracting at hindi po ineexempt na itong mga contractor na may malaki na capital or maraming investments," he told the media Tuesday.

[Translation: This version of the Senate prohibits all kinds of labor-only contracting and will not exempt contractors that have a lot of investments or capital.]

Senate Bill 1826 or "The Security of Tenure or End of Endo Act" if enacted into law would repeal the provision in the Labor Code that allows labor-only contracting if the company has enough capital and assets.

The bill defines labor-only contracting as a practice where a job contractor or a person supplying workers to employers, "merely recruits and supplies or places workers to a contractee."

This means employees would have to be directly hired by companies and not through labor-only contracting agencies once the law is implemented. Should employees remain under the supervision of these agencies, the company would have to absorb them or regularize them.

Roque said this measure is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign promise to end "endo" or the practice where workers are hired for not more than five months, so employers don't need to regularize them on the sixth month as mandated by the Labor Code.

Roque said the bill was filed on July 4, 2016. It was passed by the House on January 29 this year, pending approval from the Senate.

On May 2018, the President signed an Executive Order clamping down illegal contracting or ensuring workers' security of tenure. However, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said this did not cover all contracting practices, only those cited as unlawful. Duterte was later urged by lawmakers to ban all forms of labor contracting since it did not specifically address the problem of endo.

READ: Duterte orders clampdown on illegal contracting and subcontracting of workersPhoto: AP

Bill Cosby was to spend his first night behind bars at SCI Phoenix, a new 3,830-bed state prison in suburban Philadelphia.

He was headed there Tuesday night after being held temporarily at a county jail, where he was sent immediately after being sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman at his home in 2004.

Correction officials will assess his needs and safety issues to determine where it will be best for the 81-year-old Cosby, who is legally blind, to complete his sentence, prosecutors said.

District Attorney Kevin Steele said that could be SCI Laurel Highlands, a state prison housing lower-risk inmates on the other side of the state, about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

SCI Laurel Highlands is the state Correction Department's provider to inmates with special needs, including those requiring long-term care, though it also houses a general prison population, according to its website.

It has separate housing units for its geriatric inmates and also has programs for sex offenders, the website says. Cosby was declared a "sexually violent predator' just before his sentencing, requiring him to receive monthly counselling the rest of his life.

The prison at Laurel Highlands opened in 1996, at the site of a former state hospital. At last count it held nearly 1,600 inmates.I had seen the Zendaya is Meechee poster every morning and I thought that was really funny, Mr. Gundacker, 27, said. Two words that, to my father, would be equally unknown. But the poster is announcing them as something were supposed to understand.

The single poster might have been enough to merit a Vine of its own. When Mr. Gundacker came across others like it, though, he had enough content to make a song, which he planned to sing as if Zendaya is Meechee is almost a Christian worship phrase.

(His friend Mia Vicino alerted him that the name was pronounced Zen-DAE-a, not the common mispronunciation, Zen-DIE-a, which later earned him props from the actress. Another friend, Mike Aviles, shot the video.)

While Zendaya is Meechee brought him attention from comedians he has long admired, including Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman and The Lonely Island, his old Vines, on a month-to-month basis, can still bring in enough money to pay his rent in Los Angeles . (A company called Collab recovers revenue for him through their asset protection work whenever his intellectual property is posted online, by anyone.) He is also a writer for the Showtime program Our Cartoon President.

Mr. Gundacker and many of his friends who used to make Vines are profiting from nostalgia for the platforms most popular clips, many of which have been uploaded to YouTube. Some Viners, including Lele Pons and Jake and Logan Paul, brought their audiences over to YouTube as well and tailored their shticks for the new platform.The company relies on its two billion users to report inappropriate content. The moderators then employ the hundreds of rules Facebook has developed to determine if the content violates its policies.

We recognize that this work can often be difficult, Bertie Thomson, the director of corporate communications at Facebook, said in a statement. That is why we take the support of our content moderators incredibly seriously, starting with their training, the benefits they receive, and ensuring that every person reviewing Facebook content is offered psychological support and wellness resources.

Ms. Scola is urging Facebook to establish a fund to create a testing and treatment program through which current and former content moderators  including moderators employed by a third party  can receive medical testing and monitoring including psychiatric treatment. She is also asking that her legal fees be paid by Facebook.

Lawyers for Ms. Scola said their client was not currently giving interviews.

What can cause PTSD has been the subject of countless articles and speculation long before it was an official diagnosis, said Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, a psychiatrist and retired Army colonel who was formerly a senior Pentagon adviser on mental health issues. In the vast majority of people, just seeing violent images is not enough, but in some people it could be.

People who operate drones and watch it blow things up suffer from PTSD even though they are not in the same room, she added. Im not saying it could not happen, but we dont see it very much.SAN FRANCISCO  Qualcomm accused Apple of stealing proprietary software and sharing it with the rival chip maker Intel as part of a scheme to reduce Apples reliance on Qualcomm technology.

The claim, made in documents filed in California Superior Court in San Diego on Monday night, add to charges that Qualcomm leveled last year and escalates a broad legal battle that has been raging between the two technology giants since early 2017.

Qualcomm said Apple had engaged in a multiyear campaign of sloppy, inappropriate and deceitful conduct to steal Qualcomms information and trade secrets to help improve the performance of Intel chips so they could match Qualcomm products.

The material taken included computer source code, software development tools and log files providing data about the performance of Qualcomm products, according to the filing.I dont know anybody from so-called troll farms, he said.

A video interview posted to YouTube in June provided a glimpse of Mr. Malkevich in USAReallys office in Moscow, which featured a large portrait of President Trump and two flags on the wall  one American, one Confederate. Behind Mr. Malkevich was a Russian-language map of the United States, in which states were labeled with topics such as crime, poverty, and Second Amendment (mass-shooting).

Mr. Malkevich characterized the map as normal, and said it helped the sites editors focus their work on different states.

Spokeswomen from the Justice Department and F.B.I. declined to comment on USAReally.

Mr. Malkevich said he aimed to turn USAReally into a kind of digital-first version of RT or Sputnik  both Russian media organizations that broadcast pro-Kremlin views inside the United States  and a counterweight to organizations funded by the United States, like Radio Free Europe, that broadcast in Russia and other countries.

A 2017 American intelligence report concluded that both RT and Sputnik were part of Russias state-run propaganda machine. But they have been allowed to remain on Facebook and Twitter, because government-funded media is generally allowed on those platforms as long as it is created by authentic users and doesnt violate the sites content guidelines.

USAReally, by contrast, was quickly banned by both Facebook and Twitter, although it recently opened a second Facebook page. A Twitter spokesman said that USAReallys account was suspended for violating the sites rules against spam. A Facebook spokesman said the company had enough evidence that the first page was involved in coordinated inauthentic activity to take action against it. He said the groups second page was being investigated, and that the company had been aware of the account before being contacted by The New York Times.

Despite Mr. Malkevichs claims, there are hints that USAReally may be drawing from the Internet Research Agencys playbook, in addition to adopting the more open tactics of RT and Sputnik.The decline in Mr. Kavanaughs support is not so large that chance cant be ruled out as the reason. But the result holds up after taking into account a long list of demographic, political and geographic controls. Our best estimate, controlling for these factors, is that Mr. Kavanaughs support dropped by a net of three to four percentage points over the last week.

The data includes results from interviews with voters in competitive House districts in rural Iowa, the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, and the suburbs of Los Angeles, San Diego, Dallas, Kansas City, Mo., Seattle and New York. Over all, the districts are whiter, more affluent and more Republican than the country as a whole, but they supported Hillary Clinton by a narrow margin in 2016, as the country did in the popular vote. President Trumps 41 percent approval rating across the districts is also in line with recent national surveys.

National polls indicate that Mr. Kavanaugh was already the most unpopular nominee for the high court in decades, even before the recent allegations.

But in this challenging political environment for Republicans, the most unpopular nominee in decades may still be one of the partys better rallying cries this fall. Support for Mr. Kavanaughs nomination outpaces the presidents approval rating, the Republican standing on the generic ballot, and even the average favorability of the Republicans running for Congress in these districts.In the Crab Lab, the limits of feisty green crabs from Maine are put to the test.

Markus Frederich and his students at the University of New England in Maine placed about a dozen crabs in a bucket, pumped in nitrogen to deprive them of oxygen for 45 minutes and then put them on an underwater treadmill.

Some crabs ran for as long as five minutes and still survived.

That is pretty wild, Professor Frederich said. Students were in awe.

In the mid-1800s, European green crabs hitched a ride on boats and came to the United States. But over the past few years, a genetically different European green crab from Nova Scotia, Canada  one that is more combative and more destructive of ecosystems  has appeared off the coast of Maine.

To use nice words, I would simply describe them as highly aggressive, Professor Frederich said. In the lab, he and his students use more colorful language while working with the crabs, which come at them, pincers up.The overriding sentiment from the crowd in McIntosh, a mix of Baptists, Pentecostals and other Christian denominations, was that Judge Kavanaugh should be confirmed quickly. Even the latest allegation from a Yale classmate of his who said he exposed himself to her at a party  which had not surfaced by the time of the festival  would probably hold little sway given how skeptically they viewed the first accuser.

The willingness of many of the presidents defenders to reject almost any accusations leveled against him or his administration as embittered exaggerations by people who cant accept that he won has become commonplace each time a new controversy hits. But perhaps because of the high stakes of the Kavanaugh nomination and its importance to social conservatives  who among Mr. Trumps supporters believe they have the most to win, or lose, from his presidency  the backlash has been especially potent this time.

At the festival, people expressed different reactions to Christine Blasey Fords accusation that when they were in high school, a young Brett Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed at a party and tried to remove her clothes. Some said it never happened, dismissing it as the fabrications of an agent paid to lie by Democrats. Others excused it as ordinary, hormonal teenage misbehavior.

But like many prominent Republicans and conservatives who have rallied to the judges side, everyone interviewed by The New York Times said Dr. Blaseys accusation was another attempt by Democrats to interfere with Mr. Trumps presidency and stop him from honoring the promises they elected him to fulfill.

If they cant win, pull out a scandal, said Trish Bernard, 55, a retired school bus driver and milk carrier from Mt. Vernon, Ala.

Ms. Bernard said she could still not get past what she suspected were the Democrats motives. The direction Mr. Trump has taken the country may not be the way they wanted it, she said. And they havent been able to oust him.Tom Steyer, the billionaire investor and Democratic activist, has directed his political operation to spend more than $5 million aiding Andrew Gillums campaign for governor of Florida, an enormous investment that will test whether fired-up Democratic voters can flip control of a state long dominated by Republicans.

The campaign between Mr. Gillum, who is the progressive mayor of Tallahassee, and Representative Ron DeSantis, a conservative lawmaker who has aligned himself closely with the White House, has become one of the clearest contests of strength nationwide between the Democratic Partys rising liberal wing and the Republican Party as President Trump has reshaped it.

Mr. Steyer, who is based in California and has crusaded since last year for Mr. Trumps impeachment, said in an interview that he would spend more money in Florida this fall than any other state. He endorsed Mr. Gillum, 39, in the Democratic primary, and hailed him as a model for the national Democratic Party. In the interview, Mr. Steyer praised Mr. Gillum for having endorsed impeachment, though he said that had not been a litmus test for his support.

Hes a fierce gun control person, hes been a climate champion, Mr. Steyer said of Mr. Gillum, adding: Hes called for the impeachment of the president. Hes been willing to talk plainly to Florida voters, and theyve responded.They doubt his declaration that he was unaware that Democratic strategy documents he was given on judicial fights had been pilfered from Democratic computers by Republican staff between 2001 and 2003. Despite his repeated denials, they believe that he played a role in developing Bush administration policy on the treatment of terrorism detainees and that he prepared certain conservative judicial nominees for their hearings. They say new documents disclosed for his Supreme Court confirmation scrutiny show that he lied when questioned on those topics in confirmation hearings for his seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. That court, of course, is known as the steppingstone to the Supreme Court.

Judge Kavanaughs testimony had real issues of credibility, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said Monday on the Senate floor, asserting that the nominees issues extended far beyond the sexual assault allegations to his White House work. Is Judge Kavanaugh the kind of upright, straightforward individual we want on the bench?

Even Judge Kavanaughs once prestigious clerkship  the sort of appeals court posting avidly sought by all ambitious Ivy League law school graduates  has become problematic. Before a Supreme Court stint with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Judge Kavanaugh clerked for Alex Kozinski, a veteran federal appeals court judge in California who stepped down after charges of sexual misconduct and maltreatment of employees. Judge Kavanaugh faced questions about his awareness of his mentors objectionable behavior. He said he saw no such conduct.

Despite the presidents embrace of Judge Kavanaugh, he was not on Mr. Trumps initial list of Supreme Court prospects issued during the 2016 presidential campaign that he and his advisers compiled with conservative judicial allies from the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society. In keeping with Mr. Trumps outsider image, many of those judges were serving on appeals courts outside Washington and others were on state courts.

Judge Kavanaugh, known to be a favorite in Washington legal circles and someone highly regarded by Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel, was one of five candidates added to list in November 2017, making him eligible for a Supreme Court nomination since the president had promised to choose only from those on his list.WASHINGTON  Top Justice Department officials met with 14 state attorneys general on Tuesday to weigh whether they have the right tools to confront privacy and competition concerns surrounding Facebook, Google and other tech companies that have amassed extraordinary amounts of data about their consumers and advertising markets.

Americans increasingly recognize that tech companies wield tremendous power and deserve greater scrutiny, the law enforcement officials said, and they discussed whether traditional approaches to antitrust issues were still suitable for modern disputes over privacy and the tech business model.

Xavier Becerra, the attorney general of California, cautioned against comparisons to landmark antitrust cases. Most would agree, this is not Standard Oil, this is not even Microsoft, he said. But, he added, all of those situations inform you.

The Justice Department called the conversation productive, though no decisions were made or announced. The meeting, largely a forum for officials to share ideas, sharply contrasted with Mondays chaos at the Justice Department over the confusion of whether Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, would leave the job.Nepal's living goddess, Trishna Shakya, made her first public appearance after being anointed in September last year.

She made a public appearance on Monday on the occasion of Indrajatra - the traditional festival observed to worship Devraj Indra, the God of rains and good harvest.

Shakya was brought out of her residence, "Kumari Ghar", located in Basantapur Durbar Square area, a World UNESCO Heritage Site.

A large crowd had gathered from the early hours of Monday when she was brought out of the palace in a chariot and taken around the ancient city. Along with the living Goddess Kumari, Lord Ganesh and Bhairab were also taken around the city.

Various cultural shows, including the dance of Lakhe and other deities, were also staged in the premises of the ancient palace of Nepal. These cultural performances were led by scores of youths.

Oyasna Khadgi, a participant in Indrajatra, told ANI, "Our aunts have been following this tradition for long. We used to come donned in traditional attires, and being a member of the Kumari club here, we have been following the tradition since our childhood."

The eight-day long festival of Indrajatra is observed with great fervor in Kathmandu valley along with Dhulikhel and Dolakha.

The annual festival of Indrajatra begins from Bhadra Shukla Chaturdashi of the Nepali month of Bhadra.

The Indrajatra festival is considered to be a celebration after defeating enemies. It is believed that worship of Lord Indra gives strength.

Nepal has the tradition of worshipping a girl from the Newar Community - natives of the Kathmandu Valley- as a Kumari after she undergoes various religious tests.

The successor to a Kumari is chosen when she is about to attain puberty.

(ANI)WASHINGTON  As turmoil grows over sexual misconduct allegations against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, casting doubts over his confirmation to the Supreme Court, a group of Mormon women is calling on senators to suspend his confirmation proceedings until a thorough investigation is completed.

The Mormon Women for Ethical Government, an activist womens group formed in response to President Trumps election, issued a statement on Monday aimed at influencing the four Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee who are also members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are: Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee of Utah, Jeff Flake of Arizona, and Mike Crapo of Idaho.

Sexual assault must not be normalized or condoned in any way or by anyone, especially those charged with political leadership, the group said in the statement, which they sent to the four senators and to others on Monday. We boldly condemn any attempts to justify such inexcusable and reprehensible behavior and demand that our elected leaders set a morally sound example.

If these accusations are proved false, an investigation will prevent harm to the courts legitimacy, the statement said. If they are true, then Judge Kavanaugh must not be confirmed.Good Tuesday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today.

 Judge Brett Kavanaugh denied allegations of sexual misconduct and said he would not be intimidated into withdrawing as the Supreme Court nominee. [Read the story]

 In his high school yearbook, Judge Kavanaugh and several classmates described themselves as Renate alumni. The woman they were referring to is furious, calling the insinuation horrible, hurtful and simply untrue. [Read the story]

 Judge Kavanaugh took the remarkable step of submitting to a television interview before a confirmation vote, defending himself on Fox News. One historian called it utterly extraordinary. [Read the story and the transcript]

 President Trump on Judge Kavanaugh: Hopefully well have a second judge very shortly who is a fantastic, fantastic man, a fantastic talent and intellect. [Read the story]WASHINGTON  President Trump assailed the latest woman to accuse Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, saying on Tuesday that she has nothing because she was messed up at the time, even as a key Republican senator urged colleagues to take the accusations seriously.

With pressure rising in advance of a make-or-break hearing on Thursday, Mr. Trump lashed out in a more vociferous way than he has since his nominee came under fire for allegations of sexual assault, blaming Democrats for orchestrating a con game and targeting one of Judge Kavanaughs accusers in scathing, personal terms.

The second accuser has nothing, Mr. Trump said. She thinks maybe it could have been him, maybe not. She admits that she was drunk. She admits time lapses. There were time lapses. This is a person, and this is a series of statements, thats going to take one of the most talented and one of the greatest intellects from a judicial standpoint in our country, going to keep him off the United States Supreme Court?Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii has made national headlines in the last week with her blunt comments about the treatment of women and the sexual assault allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. At a recent news conference, for instance, she urged men to shut up and step up, and she told Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, to do the right thing as he passed her in a Capitol Hill hallway.

A first-term senator and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Ms. Hirono does not have national prominence. But she is known in Washington to be unabashedly fiery  she has called President Trump a misogynist and a liar  and her obvious contempt for how the Republicans have handled the accusations against Judge Kavanaugh has particularly delighted liberal Democrats and turned her into the latest face of the lefts resistance.

It has also drawn criticism, with some Republicans arguing she is more focused on attention than solutions.

Ms. Hirono, 70, is up for re-election in November in a race she is widely expected to win. In a brief interview, she spoke with The Times about why she is so vocal, what she plans to ask Judge Kavanaugh on Thursday, and why it would be hard for other women to come forward.BALTIMORE  As a Vietnamese immigrant with imperfect English, Nghia H. Pho felt he was falling behind his fellow National Security Agency software developers in promotions and pay. So in 2010, after four years on the job, he began taking highly classified documents to his Maryland home to get extra work done at night and on weekends in an effort to improve his performance evaluations.

But in the five years that Mr. Pho, 68, stored the material on his insecure home computer, officials believe it was stolen by Russian hackers using the antivirus software installed on the machine. Mr. Pho worked for the N.S.A.s hacking unit, then known as Tailored Access Operations, and his cache is believed to have included both hacking tools and documentation to go with it.

On Tuesday, as family members wept in the courtroom, Mr. Pho was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to a single count of willful retention of national defense information.

Mr. Pho, a slender man with a thatch of white hair, chose to address the court in English despite the presence of an interpreter. I did not betray the U.S.A., he said. I did not send the information to anyone. I did not make a profit.Protesters who oppose Judge Brett M. Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court confronted Senator Ted Cruz and his wife at dinner on Monday night, heckling them at their table at a Washington restaurant until they left.

As interest groups and advocates on opposite sides mount fierce efforts to either salvage or derail the nomination of the judge, who has been accused of sexual assault, a group of activists targeted Mr. Cruz and his wife, Heidi, in the latest public confrontation of a government official recorded on video.

I would love to talk to you about Brett Kavanaugh tonight, one of the protesters, who identified herself as a survivor of sexual abuse, told the couple as they sat down at Fiola, an upscale Italian restaurant near the Capitol.

While the group of activists chanted, We believe survivors, the woman repeatedly asked Mr. Cruz, Republican of Texas, whether he would vote in favor of Judge Kavanaugh. At the judges confirmation hearing this month, Mr. Cruz said that he and his wife have been good friends with Judge Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, for 20 years.Republicans said Democrats were trying to sabotage Judge Kavanaughs nomination, or at least delay it long enough in hopes of payback.

Clearly, the ultimate goal of Senate Democrats is to avenge their perceived injustice of Merrick Garland, said Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff to Mr. McConnell. The only way to accomplish that is to burn the clock on this nomination by any means necessary in hopes that they win the majority in the Senate and deny President Trump an appointment for the next two years.

Some Democrats have openly suggested that they would try to follow the precedent set by Mr. McConnell and leave the current vacancy unfilled if they take charge. A Democratic Senate leader and a Democratic Judiciary Committee chairman could presumably prevent a nominee from even coming to a vote, just as Mr. McConnell did.

I think weve had those kinds of vacancies before, and we certainly had over a one-year vacancy with Merrick Garland, Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Democrat of Hawaii and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Politico Magazines Off Message podcast last week. So the world does not come to an end because we dont fill all of the nominees.

Of course, just as Mr. McConnell would have to explain a change in position, Democrats would be pressed to justify a prolonged vacancy given their We Need Nine slogan, as they named an advocacy group that pushed for Judge Garlands confirmation two years ago.

But nothing in the Constitution requires that the Supreme Court have nine justices; the number of seats is set by law and fluctuated in the early decades of the republic. In what was seen as a bid to thwart President Andrew Johnson from making appointments in the mid-1860s, Congress reduced the number of justices to seven from 10 and then later increased it to nine in 1869 after Johnson left office, the last time it has changed.

A two-year vacancy without changing the law, however, would go further than any Congress has gone in decades to prevent a president from using his power to appoint justices. Some Democrats dismissed such talk as Republican spin to compel wavering members like Senator Susan Collins of Maine to stand by Judge Kavanaugh for fear of what would happen if they reject him.A new policy from Virginias Department of Corrections that would have required visitors to remove tampons and menstrual cups when visiting the states prison inmates was suspended on Tuesday after backlash emerged.

A number of concerns have been raised about the new procedure, Brian J. Moran, Virginias secretary of public safety and homeland security, said on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon. The policy would not have taken effect until Oct. 6, but even so, he said, I feel it appropriate to immediately suspend the newly developed policy until a more thorough review of its implementation and potential consequences are considered.

A spokeswoman for the corrections department, Lisa Kinney, said in an email that there have been many instances where visitors have attempted to smuggle drugs by concealing them in a body cavity, including the vagina.

Under the policy, prison facilities had planned to offer pads as an alternative to visitors who were wearing tampons, Ms. Kinney said. Visitors also would have been permitted to instead wear a pad brought from home, she added.JOHANNESBURG  In a continuing shake-up of Angolas old order, the once-untouchable son of the nations longtime dictator has been arrested on corruption charges, state news media announced on Tuesday.

The Angolan government said that Jose Filomeno dos Santos, the former head of the oil-rich African nations $5 billion sovereign wealth fund, had been detained. He had been charged earlier with the fraudulent transfer of $500 million from the fund to an account in Britain.

Mr. dos Santos is the highest-profile figure from the government of his father, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who led Angola for 38 years, to face prosecution. During his fathers long rule, which was marked by a nearly decade-long oil boom, the presidential family and close allies amassed great fortunes through their grip on oil, diamonds and other resources.

In the twilight of his presidency, Mr. dos Santos installed two of his children to key economic posts. In addition to his sons role at the sovereign wealth fund, his daughter, Isabel, already known as the richest woman in Africa, was named to lead Angolas state oil company, Sonangol.UNITED NATIONS  President Trump thrust his commitment to an America First foreign policy back onto the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. But in his second address on this diplomatic stage, he sounded as eager to claim credit for his achievements after 20 months in office, as he was to disrupt the world order.

If Mr. Trump had changed, so had his audience  no longer as daunted by the insurgent figure who left them slack-jawed last year when he vowed to crush loser terrorists, mocked North Koreas leader as Rocket Man and declared that parts of the world are going to hell.

This time, emissaries from around the world listened quietly as Mr. Trump fulminated at foes like Iran and failing states like Venezuela. They nodded as he singled out an enemy-turned-partner, Kim Jong-un of North Korea, expressing optimism for a diplomatic opening that would have seemed far-fetched even a year ago.

But when Mr. Trump declared, In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country, the crowd broke into murmurs and laughter.New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has created history by bringing her three-month-old daughter in the United Nations assembly hall.

Ardern, who also became one of the few world leaders to give birth while in office, brought her daughter Neve to the hall and was seen cuddling and kissing her, with her partner Clarke Gayford sitting beside her. The trio was present at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, CNN reported.

Interestingly, Gayford also posted an image on social media, flashing Ardern's dummy identity card with a picture of Neve, describing her as "New Zealand first baby."

"I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change. Great yarn for her 21st," Gayford, who is also a television fishing show host, wrote on his Twitter handle.

Describing the move to bring her baby into the premises of the world's top body as unique and beautiful, Ardern told New Zealand Herald, "Neve is actually nearby me most of the time in New Zealand, she's just not always caught. But here, when she's awake, we try and keep her with me. So that was the occasion."

The 38-year-old remarked that she and her partner were bearing the expenses of Neve's trip to the United States.

"There is no spousal program for this, so we just made a judgment call that we would cover his travel for this trip. He will be going to some things, but he's primarily travelling to care for Neve. It depends what the jet lag does to them both. She's a good sleeper and we don't know whether that will mean she ends up sleeping a lot in the day rather than the night," Ardern added.

Earlier, the couple said that Neve would accompany them to their trip. Gayford has been tasked to fulfill his parenting duties, as Ardern is breastfeeding.

Last month, Ardern returned to office following a six-week maternity leave after giving birth to Neve in June. In her absence, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters acted as the caretaker.

In August last year, Ardern became the youngest female leader to be appointed as New Zealand's Prime Minister, succeeding her predecessor Bill English. She is also the youngest leader of the Labour Party.

-ANIAfter fierce negotiations, 50 nations agreed to a Charter that begins, We the peoples of the United Nations.

That opening line is notable because today, the United Nations can, to some, seem to serve the national interests of its 193 members  especially the most powerful. Their priorities can stand in the way of fulfilling the Charters first two pledges: to end the scourge of war and to regain faith in fundamental human rights.

Human rights: Aspirations vs. reality

In 1948, the United Nations proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These include the right to not be enslaved, the right to free expression, and the right to seek from other countries asylum from persecution. According to the United Nations Foundation, it is the most translated document in the world.

However, many of the rights expressed  to education, to equal pay for equal work, to nationality  remain aspirational.MANILA  A Philippine senator who defied President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday, ending a dramatic, weekslong standoff with the authorities after the president revoked an amnesty the senator had received over his role in two military rebellions.

Antonio Trillanes, 47, has been one of the Senates most prominent critics of Mr. Dutertes antidrug crackdown, which has left thousands of dealers, users and, rights advocates say, innocent people dead. He is the second opposition senator to be jailed by the Duterte government.

He was arrested at his Senate office, where he had been holed up since Mr. Duterte announced the arrest order early this month. With him were several opposition senators who protested the police action as an abuse of presidential power.

Officially, this now shows that we no longer have democracy, Mr. Trillanes said. This case goes beyond me. I committed no crime. I was already given an amnesty seven years ago.FLORENCE, Italy  For nearly 600 years, Dominican friars in Florence, Italy, have inhabited the Convent of San Marco, one of the citys great spiritual and cultural hubs, renowned for its frescoes by Fra Angelico and once home to the fiery preacher Girolamo Savonarola.

But at the end of September, this storied occupation will end, a victim of the dwindling ranks of the Dominican order. The convents only remaining residents  four aging friars  have been told to pack their bags and move across town to the convent of Santa Maria Novella.

The community of San Marco is no more, it is finished, said the Rev. Fausto Sbaffoni, one of the four, who arrived here in 1979 and was present in June when the regional chief of the Dominicans arrived to read the order suppressing, or closing, the convent. No friar can remain in a suppressed convent, he noted.

The Roman Catholic Church is making similar hard choices around the world, though rarely in a place with such a historical and artistic legacy. The church is struggling with a worsening shortage of clergy  what the Vatican calls the crisis in vocations  especially in Europe and North America.Last Friday, following talks between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the European migration commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, the authorities moved 100 migrants from the camp to facilities in northern Greece. On Monday, 444 people more were moved, and an additional 1,000 will be relocated by the end of the week, Migration Minister Dimitris Vitsas told Greek radio on Tuesday. He also said that people would also be moved out of crowded centers on the islands of Samos and Chios.

The goal is to relocate 6,000 to 7,000 people to mainland Greece by November, he said. There needs to be redistribution across Europe, he added, but some countries have resisted a European Union plan to share the burden.

The International Rescue Committees Greece director, Jana Frey, said she welcomed the governments effort, but added, It comes far too late. The camps in northern Greece were already nearly full, she said.

In many European countries, anti-migrant sentiment rose even as the flow of people declined, contributing to gains by right-wing parties. In Italy, the League party, headed by Mr. Salvini, and the anti-establishment Five Star movement made gains in elections this year, formed a coalition, and entered government for the first time.

On Monday, the cabinet adopted an emergency decree, drafted by Mr. Salvini, that would eliminate some grounds for migrants to be permitted to remain in Italy, like fleeing anti-gay persecution, and would allow the authorities to detain migrants for up to 180 days, rather than 90. To take effect, the decree must be approved by Parliament  where the governing coalition has a large majority  and President Sergio Mattarella.

This is a step toward making Italy safer, Mr. Salvini said in a tweet.

Although the number of migrants attempting the hazardous sea journey from Libya to Southern Europe has decreased, the route has become even deadlier, and European countries continue to argue over who should be responsible for rescuing those who are shipwrecked.

After Italy refused permission for rescue ships to dock this summer, European countries bickered over the fate of one vessel, the Aquarius, which was carrying more than 600 people. The ship ultimately landed in Spain, and its passengers were taken in by multiple countries.KOM OMBO, Egypt  Since Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamens tomb in the Valley of the Kings nearly a century ago, pop culture and folklore have invoked the fabled curse of the mummy, said to plague those who unearth the hidden treasures of ancient Egypt with bad luck, disease or death.

But at the ancient temple of Kom Ombo, 400 miles south of Cairo, where archaeologists recently unearthed a stack of decaying mummies, peril takes a more prosaic form: waterlogged foundations.

Decades of flood irrigation in the surrounding fields, which were once desert, have soaked the soil beneath the temple. Water has penetrated the sandstone foundations, combining with salt and heat to scrub some hieroglyphs from the temple walls. The symbols and figures, effectively the lines of an ancient story, are fading to dust.

The solution, according to engineers on a $9 million American-financed project, is some modern drainage. Since October 2017, dozens of laborers have been digging a 30-foot-deep trench around the temple walls in an effort to drain the groundwater and divert it back into the Nile.Bethany Beach, Del.

From above, perhaps, we looked like summer-struck fools.

There we were at the shore, mustering the nerve to jump in. Beside a racetrack, watching the repetitious blur of wonderfully impractical cars. Along a state fairs midway, eating a corn dog  a glorious, delicious, so-good-because-its-so-bad-for-you corn dog.

It all seems like a dream, our Summer of 18.

Wasnt it only yesterday when schoolchildren were slipping the nylon straps of brick-heavy backpacks to float like giddy balloons in the new summers air? When we were unfolding our lawn chairs for that first Sousa concert in the park? Did we even sit down?

You might want to sit down now, because we are, officially, in autumn. Let that sink in. Your local Target may already be replacing its tacky Halloween display with its tacky Thanksgiving  make that Christmas  display.

True, all summers seem short once they end. But this summer seemed shorter than short, even truncated, as if we had somehow misplaced July. Maybe this is because the stifling Summer of 18 was relentless, unforgiving  never-ending, but in a bad way.

Those of us who were spared the harrowing travails of floods and wildfires  and millions of us have not been so fortunate  were left to spin in a tornado of news that whisked away much of summers joy.

Jarring and taunting tweets from the president of the United States to begin and close each day. A Hatfield-McCoy Congress. Plea deals and convictions, tariff wars and reports of catch-and-kill journalism. The ongoing investigation into Russian collusion. The White House tell-alls that leave one fearing for the republic. On and on and on.

So, then, looking at ourselves from above, perhaps we were simply seeking distraction from our countrys large worries by reveling in its small pleasures  if only for a stolen hour or two.

We sought sanctuary on a silly flotation device at a water park. We found refuge on a sailboat skimming calm waters. We cheered on racecars so loud that we could hardly think, dove underwater where cell service was absent, strolled a midway aloud with silly sounds and the shouts of barkers.

With corn dog in hand, we escaped, if only for one summers night.

Perhaps we arent fools after all.

 DAN BARRY

Ocean City

Watkins Glen, N.Y. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Ocean City

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Ocean CityThe first thing you expect to be able to do when buying a swimsuit is swim in it, but that doesnt apply to the Gucci Logo Swimsuit, a $380 designer swimsuit that the company specifically states should not come into contact with chlorine.

The high-end one-piece swimsuit features Guccis iconic logo across the bust, cross-over straps, and has a vintage air to it that would have surely made a splash at the pool. But since its made of 80 per cent nylon and 20 per cent elastane, two materials that just dont get along with chlorine, you dont want to be caught anywhere near a pool in this swimsuit. And Gucci is very upfront about the whole swimsuit you cant swim in thing, to the delight of social media:

Due to the nature of this particular fabric, this swimsuit should not come into contact with chlorine, Gucci writes in the product details listed on its website.

As Australian web magazine Whimn points out, this isnt really a swimsuit, but a swimsuit-inspired swimsuit, meaning that it has the aesthetic of a one-piece swimsuit, but none of its functionality. In fact, Selfridges, one of the online clothing stores selling this bizarre garment recommends wearing it with skirts, denim and anything high-rise.

As you can imagine, Twitter has been having a field day with Guccis swimsuit/not a swimsuit:

Oi I swear Gucci is baiting the world. 290 for a SWIMSUIT that literally says in the product details that you cant even wear it to swim in, one user wrote.

Gucci has a swimsuit that dont recommend you swim in and it was sold out when I looked on the website, another person twitter.

But the Italian luxury fashion brand had the last laugh, as its $380 Logo Swimsuit is currently sold out pretty much everywhere. I guess people do care more about making a statement than a garments functionality.

If youre looking for more bizarre clothing items, check out these $100 plastic see-through jeans, or these jeans covered in fake mud. Oh, and lets not forget about Balenciagas $2,300 car mat skirt.An Indian man was recently left unable to speak after his enraged eight-month pregnant wife bit off his tongue when he tried kissing her during an argument.

If you thought a French kiss was the best way appease a womans wrath during a fight, this story may make you think twice the next time you want to use to end an argument. A 22-year-old man from Delhi, India, had to be rushed to the hospital and treated for heavy bleeding after his wife bit off his tongue. The woman was subsequently arrested and she told police that she was unhappy with her married life as well as her husbands unattractive looks, so she couldnt control her rage anymore.

Photo: Free-Photos/Pixabay

They had been fighting for the past one year, the victims mother recently told reporters. She used to call him dog, slap him and hit him with shoes.

The bizarre incident took place on Saturday, at the couples home. The two had been married for two years, during which time they quarreled often, pretty much over everything, and on Saturday evening, after the man  identified as Karan  returned home they were at it again. After some time, the man got tired of fighting and tried to calm her down with a kiss. She appeared willing to make up, but then suddenly bit into his tongue, tearing part of it.



Its not clear who called the police, as the young man is still unable to speak due to his injury. In fact, he had to give the police a written statement. He remains under medical observation at Safdarjung Hospital and may undergo reconstructive surgery to be able to speak again.

As for the eight-month pregnant woman, she remains in police custody and stands accused of causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means.

Ed Whalen

CRC Public Relations involvement with the sexual misconduct charges facing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh reportedly includes drawing attention to unsubstantiated stories meant to exculpate Kavanaugh, efforts that have since been compromised in light of controversies surrounding a former CRC employee who previously worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Committee is now looking into those charges.

A Sept. 21 report from Politico said CRC worked with conservative legal strategist Ed Whalen to coordinate the rollout of a campaign meant to discredit Kavanaughs accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, and move the spotlight away from Kavanaugh. After Whalens allegations collapsedwhich were posted on Twitter before being swiftly removedCRC still helped organize a news conference wherein several women dismissed Fords claims.

In the wake of that snafu, Whalen has taken a leave of absence from conservative think tank the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

CRCs other connection to the story concerns Garrett Ventry, a Senate Judiciary Committee communications officer who handled GOP messaging strategies. Ventry had been on a leave of absence from CRC; a company spokesman told The Hill.

After reports that Ventry had been fired in 2017 as social media adviser for the office of North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell following sexual harassment charges, he resigned from his committee post. He also resigned from CRC.

A CRC spokesperson told CBS News that the agency was not aware of these allegations, which he denies.

CRC also worked for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth; an anti-John Kerry grouped formed during the 2004 presidential campaign,

Dr. Ford is slated to appear before the committee on Sept. 27.Tullamore Musical Society has paid a heartfelt tribute following the recent death of 'treasured' member Catherine Gunning.

Tullamore Musical Society extended their deepest sympathies to the Gunning Family on the passing of their treasured member Catherine Gunning (Nee Duffin).

For over forty years Catherine and Mick Gunning have been a fixture in Tullamore Musical Society. "A true stalwart of Tullamore Musical Society and lover of musicals, Catherine and her family have enriched TMS with their dedication and support since its early years," a statement read.

The Gunnings' involvement with Tullamore Musical Society extends back to the 70s where both Catherine and her husband Mick were involved in several productions including Hungarian Songs & Viennese Dances in 1978.

Although Catherine displayed a great talent on stage, members and friends of Tullamore Musical Society will remember her reoccurring role front of house.

"Catherine was a warm, welcoming, diligent, humorous and a friendly face who welcomed people to the show year after year. In 1989, as house manager, her dedication and charisma were acknowledged at a national level when she won an AIMS (Association of Irish Musical Societies) Award for Pinafore," Mairead Brennan, PRO of the Society said.

Following Catherines success her husband Mick won the same award in 2004 for Me and My Girl. Proving that they were a force to be reckoned with and one of Tullamore Musical Society's greatest commodities. The awards for the Gunning family did not stop there.

Their son Brian, who has been involved in roughly forty productions with Tullamore Musical Society is no stranger to AIMS success himself. Having received an abundance of nomination for Best Programme and as tradition would have it, winning best front of house for Man of La Mancha (2001).

However, not to be overlooked, Catherine was back in the spotlight again. After years of dedication and support to TMS, it was time that the favour was returned. In 2005, Tullamore Musical Society nominated Catherine for the Mary Kelly Unsung Hero Award for her unwavering support to TMS.

The award which recognises the involvement of our behind the scenes members, members who are a vital component in the success of a show but dont take a bow or get a standing ovation at the end.

"The support and dedication of the Gunning family is a true and rare gift and we are indebted to the years they have given us.

Catherine truly was one in a million, and now as the curtain falls, take your bow," Tullamore Musical Society concluded.Irish Water has lifted Water Conservation Orders affecting Offaly as well as other counties Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Laois, Wicklow, Meath, Westmeath, Louth and Dublin.

The Irish Water Board met and reviewed the data that indicates the reduction in demand, the availability of water resources and the prevailing weather conditions mean that the justification for the Water Conservation Order no longer applies.

Commenting on the lifting of the Water Conservation Order in Offaly, Irish Water Engineer John Gavin said, "Due to rainfall levels in August, recovery levels have been significant in most of Offaly however, some areas continue to be impacted by the Summer drought."

"Irish Water continues to tanker water into the Lisduff reservoir on the Dunkerrin Public Water Supply Scheme and customers are experiencing periods in the evenings and at night where there is no water supply. We are also tankering water into Busherstown Water Treatment Plant on the Moneygall Public Water Supply Scheme. Again customers are experiencing night-time restrictions," he continued.

"Irish Water is commencing a programme to find and fix leaks in these schemes, along with upgrade works on the Dunkerrin Water Treatment Plant which will positively impact on supply issues in these areas in the long-term."

In the rest of the country, In August, significant rain fell in the North and Western Regions, replenishing water sources in those areas to the extent that the specific usage prohibitions were lifted. However, at this time supplies in the Southern, Eastern and Midlands regions had not recovered and a new Water Conservation Order to cover the public water supplies in counties Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Laois, Offaly, Wicklow, Meath, Westmeath, Louth and Dublin, was issued. The order took effect on the 1st September 2018 and was due to conclude at midnight on the 30th of September 2018.

However, increased rainfall has meant that the Water Conservation Orders can be lifted now. Rainfall rates have returned or are returning to average rates for the time of year at all observational stations in the Southern, Eastern and Midlands regions.

"While this is very welcome news, it is essential that people continue to conserve water. We are really grateful for all the efforts people made over the past few months in their homes and businesses. It was really encouraging to see. Conserving water will make our water sources more resilient and help to safeguard our water for the future benefiting communities all across Offaly."

For tips on water conservation visit www.water.ie/conservationClinton, N.Y.  Teachers from the Clinton Central School were awarded a grant to help hone their skills.

The Kirkland Fellowship, established through the Hayes-Couper Fund at The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, provides learning opportunities for teachers in the Clinton Central School District.

The goal of the fellowship program is to help those teachers improve the effectiveness of their teaching to all students and to contribute to the advancement of teaching in our public schools.

Two teachers were selected for the fellowship program this year, collectively receiving more than $3,000 to broaden their teaching skills and perspectives.

Laura Pominville, a fifth-grade teacher, and Meredith Callaghan, a high school chemistry teacher, attended a two-day summer technical writing program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, where they learned how to help their students to effectively and confidently present technical information.

Through this workshop, the teachers practiced writing techniques and learn about different classroom activities that can be used to build their students technical communication skills.

The Common Core Literacy Standards stress the importance of promoting the literacy skills and concepts required for college and career readiness in multiple disciplines.

The selection committee felt that it was important to begin incorporating technical writing skills early in a childs education, such as with Pominvilles fifth-grade students, as it will better prepare them for higher education.

For Callaghan, this workshop will advance her understanding of the CCLS as well as the Next Generation Science Standards and what approaches can be used to meet these standards by incorporating technical writing into chemistry.

The fellowship program is an opportunity for teachers to increase their knowledge of certain subject matters and then share that knowledge with their students, said Jan Squadrito, senior community investment manager at The Community Foundation.

The Kirkland Fellowship was established by Gordon and Elizabeth Hayes and Richard, Patricia and Esther Couper who were natives of Clinton. The Hayes and Couper families desired to support the local community and Clinton Central School District by providing teachers with learning opportunities that help to improve student success.

To qualify for the fellowship program, teachers must have at least five years of teaching experience. Through the program, teachers can attend a school, institution or training program to increase their knowledge. They may also work on original research or independent studies that will be used for classroom purposes.

Fellows are selected by a five-member committee comprised of representatives of the school district, teachers union, Hamilton College and the Hayes or Couper families.7th Pay Commission: Here is why basic monthly pay of CG employees will not increase

7th Pay Commission: When will the new DA hike be effective from

7th Pay Commission latest news: Good news for these employees

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 25: There is some good news for employees relating to the 7th Pay Commission.

The Rajasthan government would implement the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for some of its employees soon.

Rajasthan Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari said Monday that 7th Pay Commission recommendations would be implemented for college teachers in a couple of days. She made the announcement while addressing a conclave.

7th Pay Commission: Diwali gift for CG employees, but is it enough

She said that popular Dishari App, that provides free study material to those preparing for competitive examinations, has been downloaded by two lakh students.

On this occasion, Maheshwari unveiled Vision Document- 2022, to boost the state's higher education sector.

She said that Centre has allocated Rs 353 crore under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan to develop college infrastructure NSE 3.09 %.

Development of 100 colleges in the state was done by providing them Rs 2 crore each under the initiative, she added.

7th Pay Commission: Rs 1,500 crore assistance sought even as govt mulls disciplinary action

The implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations comes as a relief for the college teachers, who have been for long seeking that their demands be fulfilled.

Haryana:

Haryana government Monday announced two per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for its employees on the revised pay scale effective retrospectively from July 1, 2018.

The state government thus raised the DA on the pattern of the Centre from the existing 7 per cent to 9 per cent after implementation of 7th Pay Commission. Haryana Finance Minister, Capt Abhimanyu Monday said that this enhancement would entail an additional financial burden of Rs 182.80 crore on the state exchequer from July 1, 2018 to February, 2019 in the financial year 2018-19.

In what could be called as good news for central government employees, the Modi government has extended benefits of LTC scheme. The Department of Personnel and Training had announced said that the scheme will now allow government staff to travel by air to the North East Region, Jammu and Kashmir and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It further said that the scheme has been extended for a further period of 2 years with effect from September 26, 2018 to September 25, 2020.

The employees get reimbursement of tickets for to and fro journey, besides paid leaves, when they avail LTC allowance. They are also allowed to travel in any private airline to these places, the order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

The Centre had in September 2014 relaxed the LTC rules to allow government staff to travel by air to Northeast region, Jammu and Kashmir and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The relaxation is being extended time to time. It was last extended for two years in 2016. The scheme allowing government servants to travel by air to Northeast region, J-K and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is extended for a further period of two years, till September 25, 2018, the ministry said.

7th Pay Commission latest news: CG employees could lose money, here is why

The facility of air journey to non-entitled government staff is also extended for the same period. There are about 48.41 lakh central government employees. The Personnel Ministry has also warned employees against misuse of LTC rules. "Efforts should be made by the government servants to book the air tickets at the cheapest fare possible. All the ministries or departments are advised to bring it to the notice of all their employees that any misuse of LTC will be viewed seriously and the employees will be liable for appropriate action under the rules," it said.

Stay tuned with us for all the latest news and updates relating to the 7th Pay Commission.Armed forces must remain 'uncontaminated' from sectarian appeal: Manmohan Singh

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Sep 25: The armed forces are a splendid embodiment of the country's "secular project" and it is vitally important that they remain "uncontaminated" from any sectarian appeal, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday.

Leave Teen Murti Bhawan "undisturbed": Manmohan Singh writes to PM Modi

The senior Congress leader also said the judiciary should not lose sight of its primary duty to protect the secular spirit of the Constitution as the task has become much more demanding with political disputes and electoral battles turning out to be increasingly over-laced with religious overtones and prejudices.

"The judiciary needs to arrive at its own enlightened view of its custodianship of the Constitution-irrespective of the irresponsible and selfish politicians who have no qualms in injecting communal virus in our body politic," he said while delivering the second A B Bardhan memorial lecture here.

Manmohan Singh slams Modi govt over demonetisation, GST and job creation

Talking about the importance of the Election Commission in India's democratic framework, Singh said it must ensure that religion, religious sentiments and prejudices do not get worked into election discourse. "As the custodian of the integrity of the electoral process, it is incumbent upon the Election Commission to see to it that religion and religious sentiments and prejudices do not get worked into the election discourse," he said.

"The Commission must be thinking of rolling back the easy acceptance of over-manipulation of religious imagery," the senior Congress leader said. Singh hailed the armed forces, saying that they were a splendid embodiment of India's secular project and have a glorious record of keeping away from the "politicians' manipulations and intrigues".

Armed forces not reeling under shortage of funds: Nirmala Sitharaman

"It is vitally important that the armed forces remain uncontaminated from any sectarian appeal," he said. Singh's remarks came amid the government's plans to celebrate on September 29 the second anniversary of the surgical strikes on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK). The Congress has been accusing the Modi government of politicising the armed forces for electoral gains. Terming the demolition of the Babri Masjid as a "traumatic event" that brought India's secular commitments into "disrepute", Singh noted that the entire political leadership came in for criticism for failing to protect a place of worship. "In particular, concerned citizens were deeply disappointed at the judiciary's stance in the events leading up to the demolition. December 6, 1992 was a sad day for our secular republic," the former prime minister said. He also forcefully stated that any attempt to weaken the secular fabric of India would be an attempt to dismantle the larger egalitarian project -- a secular, progressive and democratic polity. He said the onus of preserving the country's secular robustness of rests on all constitutional institutions. Singh said the media is an equal partner in upholding secularism. "Above all, it is the duty of the political parties to keep on educating, enlisting and mobilising our citizens in the cause of secular values and practices as the highest republic virtues, so centrally located in our Constitution," he said. In his address, Singh also recalled the famous Bomai case in which a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court found an opportunity to reaffirm that secularism was a basic feature of the Constitution. He said it came as a "consolation", but satisfaction derived from the verdict was short-lived as soon after that came Justice J S Verma's "famous and controversial" 'Hindutva a way of life' judgment. This verdict had a decisive impact on the debate among the political parties about the principles and practices of secularism in India, Singh opined.

"The judgment ended up making our political discourse somewhat lopsided; and, many believe that 'there can be no doubt that the decision requires to be revisited," he said. Singh asserted that no constitutional arrangement can be protected and preserved only by the judiciary, no matter how vigilant or enlightened the judges may be. "Ultimately, it comes down to the political leadership, civil society, religious leaders, and intelligentsia to defend the Constitution and its secular commitments," he said.

In his address, Singh also listed various articles of the Constitution that uphold its secular spirit. "Every civilized society is known and defined by the terms it offers to its minorities, especially its religious minorities. And that was one of the principal issues facing our national leaders when they got down to writing a Constitution for the newly-Independent India," Singh said. He also highlighted that there was a definite global and domestic context to the Constitution-writing exercise.

The global context was that the world was reeling from the brutalities of the Second World War, a war whose origin can primarily be traced to the ideology of fascism and its ugly demands, he said. "This ideology, of National Socialism in Germany, was a violent assertion of one race over another; in practice, it took pride in a naked use of aggression against minorities in Germany," he said. Singh also stressed on the role played by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders of the independence movement such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in upholding secular values.

PTIINC means I Need Commission: BJP hits out at Congress after Rafale report

BJP drags Robert Vadra-Sanjay Bhandari link into Rafale debate

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Sep 25: There seems to be no end to allegations and counter-allegations hurled by the Congress and the BJP over the Rafale deal which ahs sent the political temperature soaring.

While the Congress is going hammer and tongs over former French president Francois Hollande's claim that Indian government pressed for Anil Ambani's firm to be made as an offset partner in the deal, the BJP is trying introduce a 'Robert Vadra angle' into the contentious debate.

"Rafale documents were recovered from Robert Vadra's close friend Sanjay Bhandari during a raid in 2016 at his house, how did these confidential documents reach there? Bhandari's company 'offset India solutions' was red flagged in 2014 by Modi Govt," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said today (September 25).

"Two mails sent to Sanjay Bhandari with travel tickets worth of Rs. 8 lakh for Vadra for an Emirates Flight. First mail sent on Aug 7, 2012 has details of Vadra's travel plan for Aug 13 by flight no. EK71," he added.

['Rafale' vs 'Bofors': Can the two defence deals be compared?]

On Monday, the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of being involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" to sabotage the Rafale deal and benefit his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, even as the Congress chief called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "India's commander-in-thief" in a veiled attack.

[How does the BJP see international conspiracy in questioning Rafale deal: Kapil Sibal]

Claiming that Gandhi wanted the fighter jet deal scrapped to help a firm linked to Vadra, the BJP yerterday alleged that the Congress chief was involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" and former French president Francois Hollande was part of the "nexus" to sabotage the procurement.

Who is Sanjay Bhandari and what is his alleged link to Robert Vadra?

Defence dealer Sanjay Bhandari became a high-profile defence consultant, liaison services provider and executor of offsets obligations for foreign armament companies after setting up his flagship company Offset India Solutions (OIS) Group in 2008 with a paid-up capital of just Rs 1 lakh.

Following the rapid escalation of the group into a multi-crore venture, it caught the eye of the investigators. Sanjay Bhandari's business dealings were red-flagged in 2014 after the NDA came to power.

One of the companies, OIS-Advanced Technology Private Ltd, has ventured into manufacturing military radars. The group includes several companies in the field of defence, aerospace and homeland security. Under the radar of both the Income Tax authorities and the Enforcement Directorate are the businesses of the company which is worth around several hundred crores.

[Reliance role in Rafale restricted to offset obligation, not aircraft manufacture: Air Marshal Pande]

The CBI had probed Bhandari after the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence had said that he was a kingpin of a scandal where he was importing cars by avoiding custom duty.

What is the alleged Bhandari-Vadra link? It is alleged that a property worth Rs 19 crore purchased in London in 2009 was allegedly funded by Sanjay Bhandari.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 18:30 [IST]Rahul has lunch at roadside eatery in Goa, rides pillion on two-wheeler taxi for few kms

BJP fumes at Rahul's 'fun has just begun' remark; calls him a 'liar'

India

oi-Vikas SV

Amethi, Sep 25: Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is in Amethi, is firing salvo-after-salvo at the BJP-led Government at the Centre over a range issues including the contentious Rafale fighter jets deal. "This is just the beginning" said Rahul while referring to Anil Ambani's alleged link with the Rafale deal.

Citing Rafale deal, Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi fleeing the country, demonetisation and GST, Rahul said "there is foulplay in everything".

Rahul reiterates 'chor' jibe against Modi, says 'watchman' has resorted to thievery

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit back at the Congress president, saying what else to expect from a leader "whose entire family is buried in scams".

"It is matter of shame for Congress that a person like Rahul Gandhi,who is irresponsible and is a liar, is their president.We can not expect anything else from a leader whose entire family is buried in scams, be it Bofors or National Herald," Prasad told ANI.

Rahul Gandhi fires fresh salvo at Modi over Rafale deal

"In the history of independent India, no national party president has ever made such comments about a prime minister. We will expose the Congress party," he added.

Stepping up the attack on the PM Modi-led government over former French president Francois Hollande's claim that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence as partner for Rafale deal, Rahul Gandhi had on Monday (September 24) yet again said that "chowkidaar" (Watchman) has resorted to "Chori" (Theft). Rahul Gandhi had last week coined a slogan 'Gali gali me shor hai, Hindustan ka chowkidar chor hai' (There is noise in the streets, India's watchman is a thief) in which chowkidar referrs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP wants Congress to answer role of Offset India Solutions in Rafale deal

This is what Rahul Gandhi said in Amethi today (September 25):

"Ye jo bhrashtachaar ke khilaf ladne aaya tha, isi ne Anil Ambani ko 30,000 crore rupaye pakda diye. Abhi toh shuruwat hui hai, abhi dekhna, maza aayega, aane wale 2-3 mahine mein aisa maza dikhayenge hum aapko. Narendra Modi ke jo kaam hain- Rafale, Lalit Modi, Vijay Mallya, notebandhi, Gabar Singh Tax, in sab mein chori hai: Ek -ek kar hum dikha denge ki yeh jo Narendra Modi chowkidaar nahi hain, Narendra Modi ji chorr hain." (The man (Prime Minister Modi), who came to remove corruption, has himself given Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. The fun has just begun, things are set to turn more interesting. In the next 2-3 months you will have fun after we will show you Narendra Modi's work - Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Demonetisation, Gabbar Singh Tax. All of it is theft. One by one, we will show that Narendra Modi ji is not a gatekeeper, but a burglar)

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 14:10 [IST]Rafale vs Bofors: Can the two defence deals be compared?

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Sep 25: The Congress is striving hard to build a narrative around the Rafale deal that can have effect similar to what Bofors scandal had on 1989 Lok Sabha Elections. The Bofors case not only cost Rajiv Gandhi his Prime Ministership, but also severely dented Congress' reputation.

Before getting into the nitty gritties of comparing the two defence deals, what must be said is that the environment that the Congress is trying to create is similar to what it had faced in the late 1980s. The Rajiv Gandhi government under the growing pressure from public and opposition had to set up a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the Bofors allegations on August 6, 1987. And even now the demands for JPC probe are only gaining momentum.

It really is sad that every time a major defence deal is struck, fingers are pointed at it. What complicates matters further in case of defence deals is that because it concerns national security a lot of details must be kept under the shroud of secrecy which unfortunately leaves scope for foulplay.

Also Read | What is the Rafale deal? An explainer and the controversy around it

Coming to comparing Rafale with Bofors, yes both are defence deals but to draw parallels between the two would really be unfair because of fundamental differences in the manner in which these deals were executed.

Rafale vs Bofors: Fundamental differences

Bofors deal was about corruption and kickbacks while Rafale allegations are about favouring a particular private entity as an offset partner over the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. In other words, allegations over Rafale deal are related to change in certain clauses and terms which were agreed upon during the UPAs term.

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government had put out a tender for 126 fighter jets and had planned to buy 18 Rafale fighters in fly-away condition from Dassault, with the remaining to be built in India along with the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

Also Read | Govt seems cornered as demands for JPC probe into Rafale deal gains momentum

In 2015, however, on a visit to France, Modi announced a completely new deal, in which India would be getting 36 Rafale jets from France, all in fly-away condition. Under the terms of this Rs 59,000 crore deal, all the planes would be built in France, but Dassault would have to offset about 50% of that cost in India. In this case, Dassault has to ensure that 50% of the Rs 59,000 crore that India will be paying it for the Rafale aircraft ends up being invested in the Indian defence system.

The Rajiv Gandhi government decided to replace the old field guns and artillery with the induction of a bigger caliber 155 mm howitzers. A deal was signed in 1986 between the Indian government and Swedish Armament major AB Bofors for $285 million i.e. roughly about 1500 crores rupees.

About a year later, on 16 April 1987, Swedish Radio alleged that Bofors paid kickbacks to people from a number of countries including top Swedish and Indian politicians and key defence officials to seal the deal. The middleman associated with the scandal was Ottavio Quattrocchi, an Italian businessman who represented the petrochemicals firm Snamprogetti. Quattrocchi was reportedly close to the family of Rajiv Gandhi and emerged as a powerful broker in the 1980s between big businesses and the Indian government.

As of now, there are no allegations of corruption, kickbacks and a middleman facilitating the deal when it comes to Rafale issue. There is also no Quattrocchi-like element in the Rafale matter. But then again, former French president Francois Hollande's claim that Indian government pressed for Anil Ambani's firm to be made as an offset partner is bound to raise eyebrows.

Why are eyebrows being raised over involvement of Anil Ambani's firm?

Dassault is free to work with any Indian company to complete its offset obligations, subject of course to approval by the government. But soon after the agreement was completed, it became clear that the bulk of that Rs 30,000 crore that has to be invested in the Indian ecosystem will be channeled through Dassault Reliance Aerospace, a joint venture established between Anil Ambani's Reliance Aerostructure and Dassault.

Also Read | Had no role in selection of Reliance Defence for Rafale deal: Govt

What the opposition, especially the Congress, is now asking is why the HAL was sidelined. The question is pertinent in the sense that the original deal on Rafale was supposed to include the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

If the government is not able to answer all these questions being raised in a convincing manner then Rafale can indeed become a 'Bofors moment' of the Modi government, as said by BJP rebel Arun Shourie.

The Reliance, on its part, has insisted that the government has not shown it any favours, since the picking of the offset partner is left to Dassault.Chhattisgarh elections 2018: The interesting case of Kanker district

India

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Raipur, Sept 25: The central Indian state of Raipur will go to the Assembly elections later this state. The state, which was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000, has been under the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2003. Led by Chief Minister Raman Singh, the saffron party is trying hard to win its fourth consecutive term and the top leadership is also sparing no effort to make it happen.

An interesting story of Chhattisgarh elections is that of Kanker, the southern district which is located near the Bastar region. Rich in natural resources, Kanker district has three Assembly constituencies and all of them are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST). After delimitation, the number of Assembly seats in Kanker district increased from two to three with Antagarh becoming the third. Earlier, the BJP had the two seats under their belt but in 2013, the Congress won two of the three seats with only Antagarh going to the ruling party.

BJP to field 43 new faces in Chhattisgarh Assembly elections: Report

However, Kanker is often in the news for the 2014 by-election in Antagarh where the Congress candidate Manturam Pawar withdrew in the last minute to give the BJP victory. In 2014, the Antagarh Assembly seat fell vacant after BJP's Vikram Usendi won from Kanker Lok Sabha seat and there was a need for a by-election. The BJP fielded Bhojraj Nag and he won by a margin of over 53,000 votes. NOTA (None of The Above) finished second with 13,556 votes which was more than Ambedkarite Party of India's Roopdhar Pando (12,285).

Congress candidate in by-election withdrew in the last moment

The withdrawal of Pawar had stunned his own partymen and he was expelled from the party. The Congress had alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to make Pawar give up his candidature. There were also reports that spoke about telephonic conversations purportedly between several influential people and also Pawar and they led to continued blame games between the political opponents.

Chhattisgarh: A state where BJP turned the tables on Congress since mid-1990s

BJP & Congress seats and vote shares in Kanker district constituencies

While the BJP had both Assembly seats in Kanker before delimitation, it won all three seats in the 2008 elections after Antagarh came into existence. In these seats, the BJP won 47 per cent of the vote-share in the district in 2003; 43 per cent in 2008 and 41 per cent in the 2013 Assembly elections.

People of Chhattisgarh mature enough to elect stable govt: Modi

The Congress, on the other hand, could win 33 per cent of vote share in Kanker district in 2003 though it had no seats. In 2008, its vote share decreased to 31 per cent while it continued to be seat-less. In 2013, as the Congress got two seats in Kanker, its vote share jumped to 45 per cent which is even better than the BJP's show in 2008 when it won all three seats in the district.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 16:58 [IST]Congress is looking for support outside India, alleges PM Modi

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Bhopal, Sep 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Congress has lost its balance after losing power and has become a burden on the country. PM Modi was addressing party workers in 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' held in Bhopal.

On Pakistan minister's comment over supporting Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, " The Congress party has not succeeded in making a coalition in India, now is looking support outside India. The Congress party has also lost its balance after losing power. The Congress party has now become a burden above the country."

Karyakarta Mahakumbh: Amit Shah tears into Congress, says 'Rahul baba' day dreaming about winning

PM Modi poked fun at crisis Rahul Gandhi-led Congress party going through in the country. He said, " Such is the condition of the 100-year-old party that they are seeking the support of much smaller parties. Had they done some introspection in the last four years then such a situation would not have arisen. The Congress party is forging coalition due to the fears of defeat. The Congress that crushed small parties during its tenure now seeking the support of small parties. "

Modi recalled that when UPA was in power, they used to act as an enemy of BJP-ruled states. "When I was CM and if any Union Minister even did namaste to me and next day that photo was published in the newspaper, the minister used to tremble in fear that now his career is over," PM Modi said.

Tamil Nadu BJP chief 'nominates' PM Modi for Nobel Peace Prize

About party's victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said, "We do not fight the election with money power, we fight the elections with the support of masses. That's why our mantra is ' my booth, my strength'".

"The party which has an army of workers who always dream of their country will definitely emerge victoriously," he added.Chennai rains to continue until noon today: Water logging in many parts

Chennai Rains: Depression over north coastal region weakens, light rain very likely across TN

Court acquits 9 accused in Rajkumar abduction case

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Chennai, Sep 25: All nine accused in Sandalwood matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar's abduction case were acquitted by Tamil Nadu's Gobichettipalayam additional magistrate court on Tuesday.

Additional Magistrate Mani said that the prosecution has failed to prove its charges against the accused.

The prosecution has not gathered enough evidence against the accused. Not an iota of evidence was produced to show that the accused were accomplices of Veerappan. The judge also took note of the fact that Rajkumar's family did not come before the court and depose during the trial.

In all 14 people were charged, including forest brigand Veerappan, in the Rajkumar abduction case. Ramesh, one of the accused, is absconding

Also Read | Tamil Nadu: Mob lynches teen over suspicion of mobile phone theft

Talavadi police registered a case against 14 persons - Veerappan, Sethukuli Govindan, Chandre Gowda, Mallu, Maran, Govindaraj alias Iniyan, Andril alias Ezhumalai, Selvam alias Sathya, Amirthalingam, Pasuvanna, Nagaraj, Puttusamy, Kalmandirama and Ramesh.

Veerappan and Sethukuzhi Govindan were killed in Police encounter in 2000.

Dr. Rajkumar abduction case:

On 30 July 2000, Veerappan kidnapped actor Rajkumar and three others from Dodda Gajanur, a village in Erode district near the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border where the film star was attending his housewarming ceremony. Rajkumar was held for 108 days and finally released without harm in November 2000. A police official later suggested that 200 million rupees had been paid by Karnataka government for his release.

Also Read | Chennai: Actor-turned-politician Karunas arrested for 'abusing' TN CM Palaniswami

On 18 October 2004, Veerappan and two of his associates were killed by the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force headed by K Vijay Kumar and N. K. Senthamarai Kannan Yadava.Delhi: Man detained at Anand Vihar metro station with country made pistol

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Sep 25: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel on Tuesday apprehended a passenger at Anand Vihar metro station in Delhi for trying to sneak in a country made pistol.

The passenger has been identified as one Rohit, said reports.

Man trying to sneak in pistol inside Delhi Metro nabbed

On September 20, another man who was trying to sneak a pistol and a live round into the Delhi Metro system was nabbed. The CISF, which is responsible for providing security to the Delhi Metro, apprehended the man at Saket metro station after a pistol and a live round (8mm) were found in his bag during baggage screening

Carrying of arms and ammunition in the Delhi Metro is prohibited and prosecutable under law.

Delhi Metro: Train movement on Magenta Line affected due to a technical glitch

In 2015, A 25-year-old man was arrested for allegedly carrying a country-made pistol in the Delhi Metro.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 16:36 [IST]Those who leave BJP, will never live in peace: Sushil Modi

Don't indulge in crime during 'Pitru Paksha', says Sushil Modi; draws flak

India

oi-Vikas SV

Patna, Sep 25: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi drew flak from the opposition for requesting the criminals with "folded hands" to refrain from

Pitru Paksha is a 16-lunar day period in Hindu calendar when homage is paid to ancestors, especially through offerings. Pitru Paksha is considered to be inauspicious, given the death rite performed during the ceremony, known as Shraddha or Tarpan. This year, Pitru Paksha started on Monday (September 24) and will go on till October 8.

"With folded hands, I want to appeal to all the criminals to refrain from indulging in criminal activities during the time of 'Pitru Paksha'. During other days, you keep doing something or the other," Sushil Modi said while addressing an event on Sunday.

Also Read | Negative politics, Tejashwi Yadav says on Sushil Modi's demand to cancel Lalu's bail

Bihar Leader of Opposition and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader, Tejaswi Yadav, lashed out at Sushil Modi and asked whether criminals are free to go ahead with crime after Pitru Paksha.

Also Read | Will beat Sushil Modi at his son's wedding says Tej Pratap Yadav

"Bihar Dy CM Sushil Modi shamelessly with folded hands begging to Criminals, not to commit any crime in next 15 days as it dents his govt's image. Later in festive season u r free to do what u do like kidnap, loot & shoot. Shame on U Mr. Modi! The hypocrite reciter of Jungalraj," Yadav tweeted.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 16:12 [IST]Sunanda Pushkar's death: Cops say she was in mental agony because of Tharoor-Mehr affair

Final hearing in Sunanda Pushkar death case on Oct 9

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Sep 25: Delhi police on Tuesday filed a status report in Delhi High Court in the Sunanda Pushkar death case. The court has listed the matter for final hearing on October 9.

Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time.

Sunanda Pushkar death case: Delhi court allows Shashi Tharoor to travel abroad

The court had directed the Delhi Police to hand over various documents filed along with the charge sheet, including statements of witnesses, to Tharoor on a plea moved by him.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP was granted regular bail by court on July 7 after he appeared before court in pursuance to the summons issued against him.

'Politics' behind allegations against Shashi Tharoor, says AK Antony" title=" 'Politics' behind allegations against Shashi Tharoor, says AK Antony" /> 'Politics' behind allegations against Shashi Tharoor, says AK Antony

The court had on June 5 summoned Tharoor, observing there was sufficient ground to proceed against him.

Tharoor has been charged under sections 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but has not been arrested in the case.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 15:41 [IST]Gir Lion deaths: Is it time to find a second home for Asiatic lions?

India

oi-Deepika S

Ahmedabad, Sep 25: Gujarat's treasured wildlife reserve suffered a shocking jolt after carcasses of 11 lions, including cubs, were found between September 11 and 19. Nine of those were recovered from Dalkhaniya range and two from the Jashadhar range of Gir Forest.

The reasons reported are multi-faceted - infections, food poisoning and infighting. Briefly, these are the threats that face large cats in India.

There is no report of any disease or infection in animals in the said or nearby area so the vaccination drive run by forest department comes under question.

Infighting in the wild mostly occurs when natural resources are scarce and animals encroach upon each others' territory for basic necessities. Experts have for long been saying that Gir has become overcrowded with lions and there is need to spread them out to other locations to ensure their genetic stability and health.

11 lions found dead in Gir forest in 10 days, forest officials suspect infighting

However, the fatal death of 11 lions in such short span of time has once again raised concerns over non-execution of the Supreme Court order in 2013 on translocation of the wildcat to another place to protect them from possible extinction in case of spread of an epidemic.

2013 Supreme Court order on translocation

The Supreme Court in 2013 ruled in favour of translocation of the Asiatic lion to Kuno in the interest of the genetic stability of the species. In a report submitted in 2014, the expert committee largely found Kuno ready to receive the lions and had suggested that a single pride of five to 10 Asiatic lions with 60%-70% female population be moved to start with. Gujarat, however, steadfastly opposed translocation in subsequent meetings of the expert committee.

Gujarat not keen on translocation?

The plan for translocation of lions from Gir to Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh dates back to 1993-94. But things have not moved far in the last 25 years following reluctance of Gujarat government to share state's pride.

Adorable white lion cubs in a German zoo melt hearts" title=" Adorable white lion cubs in a German zoo melt hearts" /> Adorable white lion cubs in a German zoo melt hearts

In 2006, the matter reached the doorsteps of the Supreme Court following a lawsuit filed by wildlife ecologist Faiyaz Khusdar, questioning the delay in lion translocation. The Supreme Court in April 2013 ordered Gujarat to give lions to Madhya Pradesh within next six months to save them from extinction due to catastrophes like epidemic, large forest fire and increasing genetic pool.

Five years on, the Gujarat government claims that lions will be translocated, but under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines. These guidelines state that 33 studies need to be conducted before translocation is undertaken.

Conservation takes a back seat

Lions have been seen all over the Gir landscape as well as in towns. They have died being hit by trains and falling into wells. Videos of lions crossing highways and negotiating linear barriers like roads are becoming common.

In the name of regional pride around what the state calls 'Gujarati Asmita,' the state government has refused to part with any lions or partake in a much broader scientific strategy for lion conservation.

In 1913, the population of Asiatic lions had dipped as low as 20. The last census in 2015 pegged the lion population at 523, and the chief minister recently said the population has since increased to 600.

It's a remarkable conservation success story. But unless these lions are translocated and establish at least one additional population, all the success achieved over the last 100 years may come to naught.

Need for a second home for Asiatic lions

Success comes with its own problems. The Gir Forest is unable to sustain the steadily increasing numbers. The informal lion habitat area has doubled-from 10,000 sq km in 2010 to 20,000 sq km in 2015. During this period, some 1,500 villages in eight of the nine districts of Saurashtra region have become part of the lion habitat. If this growth in lion population sustains, then instances of man-animal conflicts will increase. The strategies that have been effective are unlikely to be successful as as more and more villages become part of the informal lion habitat.

What is their future?

Gir in the southern Saurashtra peninsula of Gujarat, which is the lone abode of the Asiatic lion in the wild some 523 Asiatic lions live there as per the 2015 census is otherwise a place where humans and lions live peacefully.

The government, which has always taken pride in showcasing Gujarat as the only habitat of Asiatic lions, refuses to translocate as per Supreme Court order. There is a need to make sincere efforts to provide adequate protection to the animals moving out to non-protected areas.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 12:14 [IST]How does the BJP see international conspiracy in questioning Rafale deal: Kapil Sibal

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Sep 25: Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale scam and said that the deal was made to favour Ambani.

"On March 28, 2015, Reliance Defence Limited was incorporated. On March 25, 2015, Eric Trappier stated that contract with HAL was finalised. On March 11, 2015, HAL and Dassault stated parts of Rafale manufactured by HAL and Dassault will be guaranteed by respective companies," Sibal said.

'Rafale' vs 'Bofors': Can the two defence deals be compared?

The Congress leader further alleged that only former French president Francois Hollande and PM Narendra Modi were aware of the Rafale deal. "On April 8, 2015, Foreign Secretary of India stated Rafale deal wasn't on the table during PM's visit to France on April 10, 2015. But PM announced about the 36 Rafale aircrafts deal, while none of them were aware," he said.

On April 24, Reliance Aerostructure Limited was formed days after Rafale deal was announced. Therefore, both Modi and Reliance knew what the other was up to. Only HAL didn't know, said Kapil Sibal.

Francois Hollande's statement, Rahul's tweet are 'orchestrated', says Arun Jaitley

Attacking the BJP on their "international conspiracy" remark, Sibal said, "We wanted Rafale deal to go through, which would generate thousands of jobs. I want to ask Nirmala Sitharaman where did she come across the international conspiracy."

126 Rafales must be bought for the country's security, but the govt can't afford to buy the rest because they already overspent on the initial lot. BJP compromised on national security, he added.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 17:32 [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: Two terrorists killed in Baramulla, gunbattle underway

India

oi-Vikas SV

Srinagar, Sep 25: The security forces on Tuesday (September 25) gunned down two terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla. The gunbattle is still underway in Baramulla's Tuzzar area, said reports.

On Monday, an infiltration bid was foiled in Jammu and Kashmir's Tangdhar sector and five terrorists were gunned down. While two terrorists were killed on Sunday evening, three were gunned down on Monday. One security personnel was also martyred in the entire operation.

J&K: 5 terrorists killed, 1 soldier martyred as infiltration bid foiled in Tangdhar

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had yesterday (September 24) Rawat said infiltration from across the border persists despite the call for a ceasefire by Pakistan, and stressed that this cannot be allowed to continue.

To deal double blow to Pak, not one but many surgical strikes on the anvil

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: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 14:47 [IST]File-Joe Raedle/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- One year after hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Senator Elizabeth Warren and seven other senators are renewing calls for Senate hearings over the dire states of health and education infrastructure on the islands.



"Hurricane Maria killed about 3,000 American citizens, had a crippling impact on health and education systems in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, had an impact all around the country -- and yet, there hasn't been a single hearing," Warren, D-Mass., said Tuesday, using her time at a committee hearing on a different education bill passed in 2015 to raise the issues.



"When disasters hit, they don't affect only the communities that are directly hit by the eye of the storm," Warren said citing the more than 3,200 displaced Puerto Rican students who are now enrolled in Massachusetts schools.



Warren and seven other senators also sent a letter exclusively obtained by ABC News to Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Tuesday to discuss the "critical challenges in their health and educational systems" that include hundreds of closed schools, hospital closures and a severe shortage of doctors - with further budget cuts expected.



"We have a responsibility to exercise our oversight responsibilities to ensure that our fellow U.S. citizens struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and Maria  the deadliest natural disaster in recent U.S. history -- receive the resources and assistance they need to recover from these disasters and to rebuild in a long-term, sustainable way," the letter stated.



Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Robert Casey of Pennsylvania, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Christopher Murphy of Connecticut, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Tina Smith of Minnesota joined Warren in sending Tuesdays letter.



ABC News reached out to Senator Alexanders office for comment.



Warren and eight senators previously requested a hearing in the HELP committee in December 2017, on the same matters, but no hearing was scheduled.



"Given the extent of the damage inflicted upon both territories, as well as the important roles of the departments under this committee's jurisdiction in ongoing hurricane relief efforts, we believe such hearings would be an important part of the Committee's oversight related to hurricane recovery," the senators wrote at the time.



Alexis Ramos, a spokesperson for the Puerto Rico Department of Education told ABC News that since Hurricanes Irma and Maria, 257 schools have closed after thousands of students left the island and its education system.



Five schools remain closed on the U.S. Virgin Islands, Keva Muller, a spokesperson for the Department of Education told ABC News. Those schools are expected to reopen in temporary structures on Thursday. She said the number of students enrolled is "growing, but its still not at pre-hurricane," levels.



"A lot of students are returning back to the territory," Muller said, but the department will not know the final enrollment number until all the schools open and have their first day back.



Tuesdays letter noted that the health care system in Puerto Rico "faces substantial challenges," citing "an exodus of doctors from the island and a "mental health crisis because so many residents were traumatized by the catastrophe."



"We must find out what went wrong in the preparation for and recovery from this disaster, and make sure that federal and state agencies are better prepared for the next natural disaster," the letter concluded.



During her speech in the Senate committee Tuesday, Warren said, "We hope you will consider this latest request and that we will have a hearing on the devastating impact on Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Island and the rest of the country because of this deadly hurricane."



After she spoke, Alexander said that he had received the letter sent by the group of senators, but did not say if the committee would hold a hearing on the issues.





Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25)  Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday condemned the military's attempt to tag her in the alleged plot to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Baseless allegations that link my involvement in legitimate opposition activities with illegal actions, particularly when they come from high-ranking military officials, undermine not just the opposition but also our democracy," she said in a statement.

Top officials from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the Communist Party of the Philippines is working with the opposition  particularly the political party Liberal Party, Robredo, Senator Antonio Trillanes, and groups Tindig Pilipinas and Movement Against Tyranny  to hatch Duterte's ouster dubbed "Red October."

Citing classified documents seized during anti-insurgency operations, military officials claim the CPP-NPA is pushing for a strategic alliance with government critics to oust Duterte.

Robredo said the baseless accusations is reminiscent of how critics were silenced during former President Ferdinand Marcos' martial law.

"We must recall that branding critics as criminals was the same draconian tactic employed by the martial law legime to strip the opposition of its voice. And that this silencing of the opposition was a prelude to establishing a regime of corruption, abuse, and dictatorship," she said.

She said the opposition plays a critical role in upholding democracy in the country. She added the AFP should defend the Constitution regardless of personal affiliations.

"Recent allegations by key leaders of the AFP regarding a supposed plot to oust the President would be laughable if they were not so dangerous. For while the claims themselves are absolutely ridiculous, the attempt to delegitimize various opposition groups and personalities by linking them to an alleged extra-constitutional 'plot' is alarming," she said.

Duterte on September 12 said there's an alleged plot to sabotage and assassinate him. He said he has audio evidence that Sison, the Magdalo group, and other critics are in constant communication to plot his ouster. He added he will ask the "foreign country sympathetic to us" that gave him the information to declassify the intel.

Duterte also talked about a supposed ouster plot after his arrival from his Middle East trip early this month. But Defense Chief Delfin Lorenzana said the ouster "rumors" are up for verification.

CPP leader Joma Sison has confirmed the communist group is determined to remove Duterte from power, but he denied conniving with Robredo, Trillanes, and groups from the opposition. He dared Duterte to release proof communist rebels are banding with the opposition to destabilize the government.Bhopal hospital fire: 4 infants killed even before parents could name them

What caused the fire in Bhopal hospital that killed 4 infants?

Karyakarta Mahakumbh: Amit Shah tears into Congress, says 'Rahul baba' day dreaming about winning

India

oi-Vikas SV

Bhopal, Sep 25: How can the Congress seek votes from the people of the country when the Manmohan Singh-led UPA goverment did not do anything worthwhile, asked BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday (September 25) in his address to over 10 lakh party workers at 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' in Bhopal.

Shah, in his address at the Jambooree Maidan in Bhopal, heaped praise at the inititives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and took a jibe at the Congress president, saying 'Rahul baba' is day dreaming about winning polls.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh elections 2018: These 25 seats are a serious headache for Congress

"There is no village in India that does not have electricity, this was made possible because of PM Modi's vision..BJP has taken forward the work started by Deen Dayal Upadhyay under the leadership of Modi ji," he said.

He urged the party workers to reach out to voters and ensure that the BJP wins 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"BJP workers need to work and take BJP to every booth and village of India, let's resolve that BJP wins state and Lok Sabha elections," Shah said.

He also lauded Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and said that the latter brought transparency in the state.

"The Congress party made Madhya Pradesh a 'bimaru state', on what basis will it ask for votes," he added.

Congress trying to turn tide of upper caste anger in its favour by more tickets to community in MP

Chouhan, who addressed the 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' earlier, exuded confidence that the BJP would win the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections to be held later this year.

"We are ready for the 2018 assembly elections, we want to achieve record win in these polls and win all parliamentary seats in Madhya Pradesh for BJP in 2019..MP is moving forward with the help of initiatives taken by PM Modi, we are going to make three expressways in the state," he said.

The 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' is being held on the occasion of birth anniversary of Hindutva icon and Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) co-founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 15:18 [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

NC spokesperson Junaid Mattu resigns over boycott of J&K civic polls

India

oi-Deepika S

Srinagar, Sep 25: National Conference spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu on Tuesday slammed the party's decision to boycott Jammu and Kashmir civic polls and tweeted his resignation.

Mattu said, "I strongly believe that leaving our grassroots democratic institutions open to misrepresentation would inflict serious harm on the State and also wreak havoc with our social fabric and cultural legacy."

J&K local body polls: Congress throws hat in the ring amid PDP, NC boycott

He alleged that leaving the grassroots democratic institutions "open to misrepresentation" would inflict serious harm on the state, and wreak havoc with the social fabric and cultural legacy.

"I will announce my candidature for the ULB elections from Srinagar tomorrow in sha Allah and I remain committed to serving my people and helping the city I grew up in, meet the challenges it's faced with. I won't be addressing the media or taking any questions today," he added.

Mattu started his political career with People's Conference, led by Sajad Gani Lone, when the latter abandoned separatist politics to join mainstream in 2009.

Row over Article 35A: Farooq Abdullah threatens to boycott Lok Sabha polls

Mattu parted ways with Lone's party in 2013 to join the National Conference.

National Conference and PDP, the two main regional political parties have announced boycott to the said polls.

The ULB polls will be held in four phases from 8 to 16 October. The panchayat elections will be held in nine phases on a non-party basis beginning 17 November. The notification for the first phase of panchayat elections will be issued on 23 October.No bar: MLAs/MPs can double up as lawyers says Supreme Court

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 25: The Supreme Court has said that there is no bar on lawmakers practising in courts during their tenure as legislators.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra said that there is no bar under the Bar Council of India rules to debar legislators from practising in court. The court also said that MPs and MLAs are not full time paid public servants and hence there can be no restriction from them practising.

SC won't disqualify lawmakers facing criminal trial, leaves it to Parliament

In April the Bar Council of India had said that lawmakers will be allowed to practise as advocates. The BCI however said that those who move an impeachment motion against any judge of the higher judiciary will not be allowed to appear before that particular court.

The lawyer-MPs or MLAs, if they start any motion of impeachment or a removal proceeding against any high court or Supreme Court judge, they will not be allowed to practise in that particular court, the BCI also said.

Female genital mutilation: SC refers matter to larger Bench

The Supreme Court had on March 12 sought the response of the BCI on a plea filed by Delhi BJP spokesperson Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, seeking a ban on lawmakers from practising as advocates.No clarity in number of shelter homes, activists demand answers from Karnataka govt

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar P

Bengaluru, Sep 25: In the wake of the recent cases of sexual abuse in shelter homes of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, a campaign led by National Coalition to Protect our Children has demanded answers from the Karnataka Government on the condition of shelter homes in the state.

Activists painted a grim picture of the reality of shelter homes in Karnataka in general and particularly in Bengaluru given the fact that there is no clarity in the number of shelter homes in the state. Even two months after Muzaffarpur and Deoria, there are no significant steps being taken up by the government with respect to the audit of shelter homes.

National Coalition to Protect our Children (NCPOC), a civil society group working towards eliminating Child Sexual Abuse, dismayed at the inadequate response of Government of Karnataka on the issue of child safety in the shelter homes of Bengaluru.

Bengaluru rains: Bellandur lake resembles a giant pool of foam yet again

Activist Brinda Nidige, "Very little information is in public domain regarding shelter homes in the state. Data is not available with us. Without the number how will we monitor the shelter homes, who is monitoring?"

No clarity in the number of shelter homes:

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar claimed that more than 500 shelter homes operating illegally in Bengaluru alone either unregistered or pending registration with the Women and Child Department in Karnataka. He claimed that about 10,000 to 50,000 children at the risk of abuse and exploitation. However, there is no response from the CMO.

"These shelter homes cannot function in a silo. They have to function within the community. There should be a framework for monitoring and accountability. Who are these children where did they come from, how are these homes are run. We need to keep track of children," Nidige said.

BWSSB tanker releases sewage directly into a stormwater drain

KSCPCR Chairman post lying vacant:

The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) has temporary members and no permanent role and moreover, Chairperson's post is lying vacant since June 30, ever since Kripa Alva's term ended. The State Government has not appointed a chairperson. However, Minister Jayamala has assured the new head will be appointed within a month.

Suresh NR, Convenor of United Bengaluru, said, " When somebody is running the shelter home and it is not known to the government. Let us know what's going on these shelter homes. There is scope for auditing. What happens if Bihar and Uttar Pradesh incidents are repeated, who will be responsible for this? If the government is not capable of auditing, they should authorize agencies to do the auditing.

He cited a media report which claimed that there are 1,100 shelter homes in Karnataka. He further said that the DWCD website shows there are 1145 childcare institutes already registered. "We want to know how many are registered, we will file an RTI to get more information on the state of shelter homes," Suresh added.Amit Shah kicks off poll campaign in Uttarakhand, accuses Congress of doing appeasement politics

Sardar Patel gave message to world that no one can destroy India's unity and integrity: Amit Shah

PM Modi, Shah meet Advani at his residence to wish him on birthday

Amit Shah to visit Varanasi twice this month: Poll strategy likely on anvil

PM Modi, Amit Shah set to address BJP's mega rally in Bhopal today

India

oi-Deepika S

Bhopal, Sep 25: Prime minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah will address a mega congregation of party workers billed as the 'largest congregation of political workers' in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.

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.

Madhya Pradesh elections 2018: These 25 seats are a serious headache for Congress

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.

Congress trying to turn tide of upper caste anger in its favour by more tickets to community in MP

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.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan's convoy pelted with stones again

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.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 10:29 [IST]Reliance role in Rafale restricted to offset obligation, not aircraft manufacture:Air Marshal Pandey

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 25: The statement by former French president, Francois Hollande that the Indian government had proposed Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rafale aircraft deal has kicked up a political storm.

The question being asked by the opposition is why Reliance Defence was chosen over HAL. Air Marshal B K Pandey (Retd) takes time off to discuss with OneIndia the controversy over this issue. He explains that the role of Reliance Defence in Rafale is restricted to the offset obligation and not the manufacture of the aircraft.

The first contract:

Air Marshal Pandey says that the manner in which this debate is going, it looks as though everyone is confused about the issue.

Also Read | Can 'Rafale' be compared with 'Bofors'?

A process began in 2001 and in 2007, a tender for 126 aircraft was floated. In the year 2012, a commercial bid was opened and later got stuck on the particular issue of HAL.

Dassault came up with an objection that they would not like to partner with HAL as they felt that the quality control and timeline was not up to the mark, says B K Pandey.

Then, A K Antony had said that the terms of contract against which the bid was made, HAL would be the lead integrator and no one could back out of it. As part of the contract, the first 18 aircraft would be supplied by France and the rest would be manufactured by Dassault and HAL in joint production.

Dassault wanted to set up a separate factory and manufacture aircraft, but needed a partner in India to do the ground work and not to manufacture the aircraft. They identified Reliance Defence as they had already partnered with them for the manufacture of components for the civil aircraft, Pandey adds.

In all this the contract and the tender got stuck and did not move until 2014. When the new government took over, there was very little that could have been done as the matter was already in a log jam. In the meantime, the IAF was desperate as they wanted a modern aircraft and the matter had been lingering on since 2001.

The IAF then proposed that 36 aircraft be purchased directly from France and this was conveyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Hollande. With this being done, it was decided to cancel the contract. To agree with Dassault and partner with Reliance would not have been correct as it was against the terms of reference and hence the contract stood cancelled.

Also Read | What is the Rafale deal? An explainer and the controversy around it

The offset obligation:

The second part of the contract relates to offset obligation. As part of this, 50 per cent of the value of the contract should be invested in India in the aerospace industry and not in the manufacturing of Rafale, Air Marshal Pandey says.

Dassault was already in contract with Reliance and hence they would invest there. I see nothing wrong in this. Dassault's liability is to spend Rs 29,000 crore in India. There is nothing incorrect in the entire procedure.

Also Read | Rahul releases video quoting French media house on Rafale deal, suggests it is "sad truth" about PM

The Defence Minister must make these things clear instead of indulging in a slugfest. She is not clarifying things properly and one must know that a political slugfest on this issue is not going to solve the problem.

As of now, India would buy 36 aircraft directly from France and another case for procuring 114 more aircraft has been initiated. Seven vendors have responded to this. Six of them had taken part in the first contract, while another is a Russian.

Also Read | Francois Hollande's statement, Rahul's tweet are 'orchestrated', says Arun Jaitley

I fear that the Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft 2.0 would go the same as the first one. The tender has not been finalised as yet and now only information has been given. This would finalise by next year. If HAL is in the picture, then it would go the same way. Air Marshal Pandey says, " I recall during the Defence Expo, the Defence Secretary had said that he would not let this go the first way.SC wont disqualify lawmakers facing criminal trial, leaves it to Parliament

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Sep 25: The Supreme Court has refused to disqualify lawmakers, who have pending criminal cases against them. The court has left it to the wisdom of the Parliament to come up with a law to deal with the issue.

The Supreme Court however asked candidates and political parties to give wide publicity to criminal cases pending against them in the print, electronic and local media.

Female genital mutilation: SC refers matter to larger Bench

The court said that such publicity must be given after the candidate files his or her nomination papers before contesting the elections.

The directive came after the SC heard a batch of petitions in which a directive was sought to disqualify lawmakers from contesting elections, if they were facing criminal trial.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra said that the Parliament must make laws to prevent persons with serious criminal charges pending against them from entering the legislature or be part of the law making process. The court observed that corruption and criminalisation of politics is hitting at the roots of democracy and hence the Parliament should take urgent steps to curb this menace.

Fresh challenge in SC to declare Article 370 as invalid

The court observed that it would not cross the Laxman Rekha and enter the legislative arena to provide for the disqualification of candidates who are facing serious criminal cases. However it asked candidates to put out in bold letters his or her criminal antecedents in the affidavit.

The court further said that each political party will put up on its website the criminal antecedents of each of its candidates so as to allow voters to make an informed choice.

Cannot allow default sentences to run concurrently: SC

Justice Misra observed that the country is tired of being ruled by money and muscle power. Criminalisation should be kept at bay and is not a malignancy that is incurable. The Parliament must swing into action, the CJI said while observing that criminals in politics is nothing but a liability.Security Indias main concern in Indian Ocean but for China success of OROB

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Sep 25: If India considers the Maldives as an old ally in its Indian Ocean courtyard than China looks at the island nation for its key location along the route of One Road One Belt (OROB) Corridor which intends to develop a network of trade linkages with Asia, Africa and even Europe. So this is where the interest of both the countries - India and China - lies in the Maldives.

The person with pro-India image Ibrahim Mohammad Solih has emerged victorious but what will be the policy of the new government is to be watched for. However, security experts feel that there have been changes in the government and policy review happens but scrapping projects does not take place be it the case of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and possibly in case of the Maldives also.

Also Read | Why the Chinese are not going away from Maldives anytime soon

A new hope for India!

India is hoping to better its relations so its investment in the island nation may resume. But everything depends on the Indian government's decision to reach out to the country and ease out burden of Chinese debt on Maldives. India must take a pro-active role in it. There may be some policy change but old agreements are difficult to scrap. The question is that will the new government give equal opportunity to India as far as economic investment is concern? As after the cancellation of GMR project contract, there was a kind of deadlock. However, OBOR will not be impacted completely but certainly change may have impact on some projects under OROB.

China Comes in the picture for OROB

A country with over 1,200 islands spreading in around 90,000 sq km with a population of around 4 lakh has been under the political influence of India for decades but China started engagement with the country recently after finding it as one of the important place to invest in for its OROB project.

Security concern of India

Chinese presence right from Strait of Malacca to Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka and in the Maldives raised the concern of India which started feeling that Chinese 'String Of Pearl' policy at work to build economic and military ties to contain India and take them out of Indian influence. India has more of a strategic concern but outgoing President Abdulla Yameen using Chinese money for infrastructure projects furthered India's concern which was amplified when three Chinese naval ships docked in Male in August 2017.

Indian's security concern of the region

Since the time of Maldives independence in 1966 and after Operation Cactus in 1988, relations between India and Maldives have been growing significantly with India providing not only extensive economic aid but also helping develop infrastructure, health, civil aviation, telecommunications and labour resources. India's exports to Maldives during 2006 were worth Rs 3.84 billion, imports were worth less than Rs 60 million. But the main concern of India has been security of the region so Indian Navy gifted a Trinkat Class Fast Attack Craft of 46 m length to Maldives in 2006 to National Defence Force's Coast Guard.

Maldives elections: Pro China Yameen ousted

It also started process of bringing the country into India's security grid on the country's request in 2009 and permanently based two helicopters to enhance surveillance capabilities and ability to respond swiftly to threats. But security was the main concern by providing radar facility. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) carry out regular Dornier sorties over the island nation to look out for suspicious movements or vessels. There were many military cooperation that how India manages security and surveillance of the critical island chain.

Strategic experts told One India that ties between the two countries strained after the cancellation of the GMR airport contract but the real reason for New Delhi's anguish is said to be the anti-India sentiments being aired by some political parties in President Mohamed Waheed's coalition. Still in the wake of a drinking water crisis in Male on December 4, 2014, India came to rescue by sending its heavy lift transporters like C-17 Globemaster III, Il-76 carrying bottled water and by many other ways.

China engaging with the Maldives!

China capitalized on the straining relations of Maldives with India. At the moment there is a huge Chinese investments in the Maldives in infrastructure projects including $830 million investment for up gradation of the Maldives airport and building a 2km long bridge to link the airport with Male - the capital of the country. China is also building a 25-storied apartment complex and hospital. Chinese tourists are visiting the Maldives with around 306,000 tourists last year which was 21 per cent of the total visitors to the country.

Bilateral issue between India and Maldives under Yameen?

There were many bilateral issues between India and the Maldives during Yameen's Presidency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi canceled his state visit to the island nation in 2015 the treatment of Mohamed Nasheed, the former pro-India Maldivian president who had been jailed. The Maldives also declined India's invitation to take part in its biennial eight-day naval exercise, Milan, this year.

Also Read | Yameen loses power in Maldives: India has a fresh opportunity in South Asia

But the Maldives is under heavy debt. The infrastructure development plans signed by China and the Maldives during Yameen's tenure has put the nation is $1.3 billion in debt to China which is more than a quarter of its gross domestic product (GDP).

Expert feel that after Yameen, who has drawn the Maldives closer to China, his successor Ibrahim Mohamed Solih could be about to tip the power balance between the two Asian giants. But the debt may see the country making major concessions as its neighbour Sri Lanka has which was forced to sign a 99-year lease with China for the port of Hambantota after it was unable to repay loans. But for China if it is business interest then for India it is both business and strategic concern.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 12:44 [IST]Suspected follower of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik arrested from Mumbai on rape charges

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Sep 25: Delhi Police has arrested a 32-year-old Kerala-based man suspected to be a follower of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik in connection with a rape case, the police said Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Amal alias Salsa, was arrested from Mumbai on Monday, they said. The victim who works as a nurse at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) had filed a complaint three months ago and subsequently, a case was registered.

MEA refuses to share details on extradition request of Zakir Naik to Malaysia

"The accused was arrested from Mumbai on Monday and has been taken into custody for four days," Vijay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south), said. In her complaint, the victim alleged she met the accused through a matrimonial site and became friends with him and were in a relationship for a year.

How Zakir Naik's IRF and Kerala youth furthered ISIS propaganda in India

The accused had apparently borrowed money from her and did not return. He had been missing since then, said police. She alleged the accused was a staunch follower of Zakir Naik and used to often speak about him, the officer said. However, during investigation, police have not found anything substantial to indicate his links with Naik, the officer added. Police have also scanned through his mobile phone and laptop.

The local police said they might carry out a joint interrogation of the accused with the special cell to ascertain the facts. Further investigation is underway.

PTIVHP starts expanding its base in villages to fight against Love Jihad

India

oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla

New Delhi, Sep 25: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is now getting ready to fight against smuggling of cow progeny, conversion and Love Jihad even in the villages as the organisation has decided to expand its base in 5000 villages. The VHP wants to expand its base as much as possible before Kumbh Mela starts in Allahabad.

They are reaching out to these villages where the VHP will have one of its worker to be named as dharmyadhya. This worker of the VHP will chalk out further strategy to expand the base of organisation in these villages by adding more number there. This campaign that has started on September 24 will go on till September 30, 2018.

Also Read | VHP set to re-start Ram Mandir movement

Activities of the RSS and VHP are focused in the Allahabad Kumbh and many decisions are taken there. The VHP sources said that preference of the organisation will be to select workers which are already trained by the VHP. Many villages have already selected such workers.

A senior office bearer of the VHP said that the main work of these workers would be service, security and building character. They will work to stop cow smuggling, work against forced conversion and keep a watch on love jihad. They say that security of the Hindu sisters and daughters, safety of temple and Matt and security of saints are paramount to them.

Also Read | Right wing groups embark on Love Jihad awareness programme in Coastal Karnataka

The VHP official said that they would also work to expose such people working against the national interest. The VHP also plans to strengthen Durga Vahini and try include more and more women in it. So they can become independent in the matter of their security and be ready for self protection.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 13:56 [IST]Wakeup call: Naxals aim to consolidate in south through killing of AP MLA

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Visakhapatnam, Sep 25: A group of naxalites comprising several women shot dead a legislator and a former lawmaker in the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

Photo Credit:

Telugu Desam Party MLA, Kidari Sarveswara Rao and his colleague, Siveri Soma were shot dead while they were on their way to take part in a village tour in the interior Dumbriguda Mandal, the police said. Both died on the spot, investigations have revealed.

AP: TDP leaders Kidari Sarveswara Rao, Siveri Soma shot dead by Naxals in Visakhapatnam

This incident is a wake up call for the security forces considering that they had managed to put the naxalites on the back-foot in Andhra Pradesh. The Greyhounds had in fact reigned in the naxalites, which had forced them to launch operations from neighbouring Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Sources say that the two leaders who were killed were on the hitlist of the naxalites and had received several death threats in the past. The naxals it appears had instigated some of the villagers, who in turn could have provided logistic support for the attack.

Sources also say that the naxalites numbering 60 may have also had some operatives from Malkangiri and Sukma.

The villagers had been protesting against a mining lease granted to Rao's brother in law.

They had even complained that the quarrying activities were damaging their homes.

1 jawan martyred, 3 others injured in IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Sukma

However for the naxalites, the issue is not related to the mining lease. It is part of a larger strategy in Andhra Pradesh, where they are trying to regain ground again. Their spread has been decreased to a large extent thanks to the action taken by the Greyhounds.

Officials say that the time now is crucial and any let up could witness the return of the naxalites.

Over the past couple of months, the naxalites have been re-grouping both in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, with the sole intention of building a strong southern corridor. They have been trying to gain entry into Kerala, re-open their base in Karnataka and also re-group in AP.

In recent time there has been plenty of activity in the southern corridor and as recently as four months back the spotting of naxalites in the Western Ghats had raised several eyebrows.

Evidences show clear link between arrested activists and Maoists: Maharashtra Police

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the killings in AP should act as a wakeup call. The naxalites have prepared a hotlist of politicians, who they will look to target in the days to come. This is part of a larger agenda and by undertaking such killings, they want create a fear in the minds of the villagers. This would in turn help the naxalites get back the support from the villagers, which they had lost in recent years.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 7:00 [IST]After years on the run, Hezbollah financier lands in Brazil police net

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Brasilia, Sept 25: The Brazilian police have revealed that they have caught hold of Assad Ahmad Barakat, a Lebanese national believed to be one of the frontline international financiers for the Hezbollah group, IntelNews.org reported.

During its civil war in the mid-1980s, Barakat fled Lebanon to Paraguay and started his business of export and import and eventually acquired the citizenship of the Latin American country. He soon grew a small business empire there but maintained strong links with Hezbollah back home, the report added.

In a decade's time, Barakat became an active representative of the Hezbollah, a paramilitary group popular among Lebanon's Shiite Muslims. The IntelNews report said that Barakat believed to use his Paraguayan passport to travel to Iran, a Shia-dominate country, and Lebanon at least once in a year to meet Hezbollah leaders.

Also Read | 'Terrorist' Hezbollah, allies make big gains in Lebanon polls; West-backed PM losing trust?

'One of the most prominent & influential Hezbollah members'

In 2001, under pressure of the United States, Barakat was charged with money-laundering by the Paraguayan authorities in absentia. He was nabbed in Brazil the next year and extradited to Paraguay where he faced the law and got six years of imprisonment. However, Barakat was back to the job of fundraising for Hezbollah after getting released in 2008. He used fake passports to travel frequently to countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile and other nations in Latin America and he did so despite being tagged by Washington as "one of the most prominent and influential members of the [Hezbollah] terrorist organization," the report said. He was wanted in Paraguay and Argentina for various offences.

Also Read | 'Iran protests will leave Trump disappointed', says Hezbollah chief

Finally, it was on September 21 when the Brazilian police announced that Barakat had been arrested in the city of Foz do Iguacu, which is in southern Brazil, near the Argentina and Paraguay borders. The place from where Barakat was arrested is known for money-laundering, drug trafficking and forged currency smuggling.

It is yet not known whether Barakat will face charges in Brazil or will be sent back to Paraguay or Argentina, the IntelNews report added.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 11:04 [IST]Where did the 'out of control' Chinese rocket debris land after re-entering Earth?

Planning a trip to Maldives: You can do so from July 15

As Yameens grip loosens, Maldives court frees leaders arrested during emergency

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Male, Sept 25: With the iron grip of Abdulla Yameen loosening, the political milieu in the island-nation of Maldives started regaining breath. On Monday (September 24) night, the country's criminal court released five prisoners who were arrested during the state of emergency which was imposed by the Yameen regime, Maldives Independent reported.

Earlier in the say, 59-year-old Yameen conceded defeat in the latest presidential election which was won by Opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The Election Commission said Solih, a senior leader from Maldivian Democratic Party, received 38,484 votes more than the departing president. It also said that the election saw no irregularities that could impact the overall outcome.

Why the Chinese are not going away from Maldives anytime soon

Among the five released prisoners are MPs Abdulla Sinan and Ilham Ahmed; former police chief Ahmed Areef; former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem and former police chief and deputy leader of opposition Abdulla Riyaz. All of them were arrested during February's state of emergency and were under trial, the Maldives Independent report added.

However, Gayoom, his son Faris Maumoon, former chief justice Abdulla Saeed and a few others were not released. Though the court negated previous orders to hold them in custody for terrorism trial but they were convicted on various other charges and were serving prison terms.

Maldives elections: Pro China Yameen ousted

Court hearings on appeals on their convictions are expected on Tuesday, September 25.

Modi invites Solih to India

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the new president-elect on Monday to congratulate him on his win and also invited him to New Delhi to hold a meeting as early as possible, Solih told Raajje TV. Modi expressed wish to repair the two countries' strained relationship.Before getting his cancer-hit stomach removed, man has a plate full of chicken biryani

International

oi-Shubham Ghosh

Dubai, Sept 24: Gourmets love their stomachs and even if it comes to removing that stomach(!) because of incurable cancer, they take one last aim to get a 'fulfilled' feeling. According to a report by Khaleej Times, an engineer was required to choose either between a life without a stomach or to die of stomach cancer as he was afflicted by cancer and he chose the first but only after having a plate full of chicken biryani.

"I asked the doctor if I could have chicken biryani as my last meal before the surgery. My wife prepared it and my brother carried it to the hospital. I sort of gorged on it," he was quoted as saying.

Family, neighbours hold early X-mas for 2-year-old who has incurable cancer

A father of two, Abbas was diagnosed with stage three cancer after he had sudden weight loss and frequent vomiting. Medical tests showed that Abbas grew a huge tumour in his stomach and there was no other way but to operate it out.

Abbas underwent total gastrectomy, a first-of-its-kind surgery in Dubai and after the operation proved to be successful, he is undergoing chemotherapy.

Life hasn't been kind to this man but that hasn't stopped him from boosting others

We all hope that he can still relish chicken biryani with the alternative biological arrangement that he has.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 6:44 [IST]PM Modi launches RBI Retail Direct, Integrated Ombudsman schemes: All you need to know

I love India, give my regards to my friend PM Narendra Modi: Donald Trump greets Sushma Swaraj

International

oi-PTI

New York, Sep 24: 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.

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Story first published: Monday, September 24, 2018, 22:17 [IST]UK's first Sikh guardsman tested positive for cocaine use

International

pti-PTI

London, Sep 25: A 22-year-old Sikh soldier, who created history by becoming the first to wear a turban during an annual parade to mark British Queen Elizabeth II's birthday ceremony, could be kicked out from his post after he was tested positive for cocaine, according to a media report.

Charanpreet Singh Lall made headlines across the world for wearing the turban during the Trooping the Colour in June. However, last week he failed a random drugs test at his barracks, with insiders claiming he registered "high levels" of cocaine.

"Guardsman Lall has been discussing it openly in the barracks. The Guards carry out public duties at the Palace, it's disgraceful behaviour. It is for his commanding officer to decide if he gets the boot - but anyone caught taking Class A drugs can expect to be dismissed," a London basd newspaper said. "Everyone's shocked. He was put in the limelight and now he's brought only embarrassment," the report said.

Lall is one of the three soldiers who failed the test at Windsor's Victoria Barracks. Brigadier Christopher Coles, Head of Army Personnel Services Group, said "I can confirm that a number of soldiers from the Coldstream Guards are under investigation for alleged drugs misuse."

Indo-US Military exercise 2018: Indian Army battle-ready with 'Yudh Abhyas'

Lall, who was born in Punjab moved to the UK with his family as a baby. He later joined the British Army in January 2016. He hit the headlines in June after he made history as part in the 1000-strong ceremony marking the Queen's 92nd birthday. While Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her actual birthday on April 21, the Trooping of the Colour ceremony takes place on any Saturday of June. The ceremony has commemorated the birthday of the sovereign for more than 250 years and also functions as a display of army drills, music and horsemanship.

PTIFreak accidents mark end of Ganesh Chaturthi; 30 deaths in Maharashtra

Mumbai

oi-Pushyarag Shetty

Mumbai, Sep 25: India's one of the biggest public festival, Ganesh Chaturthi has just come to an end after being celebrated for 11 days, starting from September 13. The festival saw millions of Ganesha idols being kept in 'sarvajanik mandals' and worshipped across the country. After 10 days, that is, on Anant Chaturdashi the Ganesha idols are taken on a procession and are immersed in water bodies marking the end of Ganesha festival.

The other important news that makes rounds during the end of the festival is the statistics of the deaths reported during the immersion of the Ganesha idols. Maharashtra ranks number one in the list as the highest number of deaths during Ganesh Chaturthi. This year, almost 30 deaths were reported in Maharashtra alone. Deaths are caused mostly due to drowning.

Mumbai Police comes up with a loveable message of peace and harmony

In Maharashtra, 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. Another 17 persons were injured when a large idol of Lord Ganesha tripped and fell on them during immersion ceremonies in Kandivali suburb, in northwest Mumbai.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2018: Devotees flock to Lalbaugcha Raja to get glimpse of an 85-year-old idol

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.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 12:37 [IST]Judge, IAS officer? Man arrested for faking it

New Delhi

oi-Pushyarag Shetty

Gurgaon, Sep 25: He was a senior civil judge from Telangana, an IAS officer posted at AllMS and sometimes he would offer government jobs. In what seems like a straight out of movie incident, a 29- year old engineer was arrested in Gurgaon after he duped atleast 40 people by faking his identity.

The accused, Kedarnath Sagar Sharma, hailing from Hyderabad would sometimes pose as a senior civil judge from Telangana and at other times he would be an IAS officer posted at AllMS in New Delhi. He promised school admissions, jobs and houses to desperate people and charged a few lakh rupees. Once the payment was done, he would be gone too.

Kedarnath Sagar Sharma used to allegedly take between Rs 3 and Rs 5 lakh for government flats, which he promised he could acquire using as his influence as a "judge on deputation in Gurugram from Telangana". The accused, posing as a judge, had also stayed at the PWD Rest House in the city once, police said.

Uttar Pradesh state examinations: Brief history of cheating

He'd offer government jobs at AIIMS by posing as an IAS officer posted at the hospital, and the going rate for admission in a Kendriya Vidyalaya was around Rs 40,000. He'd taken such payments from parents of over two dozen students in Delhi, police said, adding that a Delhi-based property dealer had been helping Sharma reach out to parents who were willing to pay to secure admissions for their wards in central government-run schools.

The police are on the lookout for this property dealer.

Sharma spent the money he got by duping people mostly on partying at different locations and on expensive liquor, a police officer privy to the case said, adding that he even bought a second-hand BMW 5 series car, with the registration plate of a senior judge.

As ABVP takes DUSU, NSUI alleges cheating

A police officer said that since March, Sharma had visited Mumbai and Goa with friends and spent about a month and a half there partying. Last month, he had gone to Thailand with his friends.

The end game for Sharma began after one of the men he took money from promising him a flat under Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category lodged a complaint. An FIR was filed under sector 420 (cheating), 170 ( personating a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, at Sector 14 Police Station against the accused for cheating a man of Rs 4 lakh.

The police also seized the BMW car, fake seals, fake appointment letters and a fake identity card of a senior civil judge he has been using. "He made the fake identity card himself and then took a printout," assistant commissioner of police Shamsher Singh said.

Later in the day, the accused was taken in for questioning, following which he was arrested and sent to police custody for seven days.

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Story first published: Tuesday, September 25, 2018, 17:15 [IST]A report by The Australian news paper said Papua New Guinea is working on plans with Australia to develop a joint naval base on Manus Island, to edge out China's interest in the strategically vital port with a new facility that would be capable of hosting Australian and US warships.The newspaper said it understands, former Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull and Peter ONeill discussed the proposed defence partnership at a July 11 meeting in Brisbane ahead of this years third State of Origin match.The Australian reports Mr ONeill as very interested in working with Australia to redevelop the Lombrum Naval Base as a joint facility, prompting a scoping mission by Australian defence officials.Mr O'Neill was was briefed on the results of the scoping study, and later wrote to Mr Turnbull to formally express his support for the project.The Turnbull government had hoped to finalize arrangements for the investment before the APEC meeting, which will be preceded by a special summit for Pacific leaders in Port Moresby hosted by Chinas President Xi Jinping.Australian officials have expressed concerns over Chinese interest in the redevelopment of four PNG ports, at Wewak, Kikori, Vanimo and Manus Island, fearing the Asian super power is working towards gaining a military foothold in the region.The deep-water port at Manus is considered the most strategic ally significant of the four because of its sweeping command of the Pacific Ocean and the maritime approaches from Asia.The newspaper said, Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Marise Payne, declined to comment on the proposed joint facility, but said Australia was in frequent contact with PNG officials regarding their development priorities.The Lombrum Naval Base has long been the site of close co- operation between Australia and the PNG Defence Force.Australia operated the base from 1950 until it was handed back to PNG at independence in 1975.NBC News- The AustralianPapua New Guinea's National flag-carrier, Air Niugini is set to launch its first direct flight to China next month.China's Xinhua News reports Air Niugini's Chief Executive Officer, Tahawar Durrani, saying tickets are already open for bookings from this week.The flight will depart Port Moresby for China's financial hub of Shanghai.Set to be a boom for the PNG economy, the news comes as the country prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.Minister Responsible for APEC, Justin Tkatchenko, recently said the government is looking to do all it can during this time to boost the tourism sector and showcase the county's immense natural beauty.Looking to attract vast numbers of Chinese travelers PNG's most recent move was to relax many visa restrictions for Chinese visitors.NBC News- PACNEWSManus Island

Police in Manus in Papua New Guinea have arrested a female expatriate of US national at a guesthouse in town for having in possession substantial amount of cocaine.She was in Papua New Guineas province of Manus on a tourist Visa for two weeks.Government officials include Police, PNG Customs and PNG Immigration acted upon receiving information of her illegal drug dealing with Refugees on the Island.42 year old Marie Kimberly Matousek is from Illinois, US but currently resides in Australia and entered the country on tourist visa.She was arrested by a joint operation by Police, PNG Customs and PNG Immigration on September 22, the night before her departure out of Manus.The lodge owner had complained to the police of frequent visit by male refugees to and from the suspects room during her stay in the province.Provincial Police Commander David Yapu said prompt actions taken by the joint operation team resulted in the confiscation of the drugs and arrest of suspect Marie Kimberly.She is currently lockup up at the Lorengau Police cells.NBC News/ ONE PNGMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 25)  Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday they expect nothing less from embattled Senator Antonio Trillanes IV than to abide by the rule of law.

Speaking to CNN Philippines Tuesday afternoon, Roque said, "The President was firm in Israel that he will allow the civilian court, the Regional Trial Court (RTC), to decide on the matter of issuing the warrant of arrest. And now that the RTC has issued it, we're now hoping that Senator Trillanes will likewise honor the order of the said court. We have to abide by the rule of law. We abided by it, we expect the Senator to do nothing less."

President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation Order No. 572 on August 31, which voided the amnesty given to the senator in 2011 by then-President Benigno Aquino III.

On September 4, the Department of Justice filed for a warrant of arrest against Trillanes.

Duterte later confirmed that Solicitor General Jose Calida was one of those behind the review that invalidated the amnesty.

On September 7, Roque said the Palace would wait for the Makati court to issue an alias arrest warrant and hold departure order against Trillanes before apprehending him.

An alias warrant was issued by Judge Elmo Alameda of Makati RTC Branch 150. Alameda was the same judge who dismissed the rebellion charges aganst the lawmaker in 2011.

However, Trillanes posted the P200,000 bail at the Makati RTC, prompting Alameda to cancel the warrant and have the police release Trillanes immediately.

In his interview with CNN Philippines, Roque said the President could have had Trillanes forcibly arrested because the senator still had unresolved cases in the military tribunal, but opted to follow the lawful procedure.

"Kailangan po, lahat ng mamamayan, lalong-lalo na yung mataas ang katungkulan ay sumunod po sa proseso ng batas at galangin ang mga order ng ating hukuman," he said.

[Translation: All citizens, especially those who hold office should follow the rule of law and respect the order of the court.]

Earlier, Duterte said while he insists Trillanes's amnesty remains void, he had no interest in having him arrested.

"Nobody is interested to arrest them. The military does not have interest. I do not have interest. He can stay there as a boarder," Duterte said, adding that he told the police not to arrest Trillanes until there is an arrest warrant from the court.

Show of support

Meanwhile, some lawmakers have shown their support of Trillanes, including Vice President Leni Robredo.

Robredo went to the Senate Tuesday, just before the senator headed to the Makati RTC. Photos shared by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) showed them having a conversation, though it was not immediately clear what they were taking about.

Trillanes had been staying at his office at the Senate for weeks.

The OVP said Robredo was at the Senate to personally defend the budget of the Office of the Vice President when the warrant was released.

Senator Grace Poe also spoke to CNN Philippines regarding the developments of Trillanes' arrest. She said, "All of us are sympathetic to our colleague. On the other hand, it's good that there's a chance for him to bail at this time."

Poe said despite not being a lawyer, she had questions about voidance of the amnesty.

"When you receive a document, particularly a government contract or a government amnesty, then you should have full confidence that since it has the backing of Congress, that it is a document that will be respected," she said.

Given the developments in the case of Trillanes, Poe said all previously given amnesties could be thrown into question.

Senators Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros also voiced their opposition of the warrant. Pangilinan said, "While we respect the Court order, we disagree with it. It is as clear as day that the revocation of grant of amnesty is illegal and an abuse of presidential powers and must be vigorously opposed."

Hontiveros said, "I condemn in the strongest possible terms the issuance of a warrant of arrest against Senator Antonio Trillanes. It is a black eye for democracy and rule of law as our courts caved in to the whims of President Rodrigo Duterte."

Pressure from government?

Meanwhile, Magdalo Partylist Representative Gary Alejano believes that someone gave in to pressure from the administration about the arrest order against Trillanes.

"May bumigay sa pressure ng administration na ito. Maliwanag na [Someone gave in to the pressure from the administration. It's clear] before you can even issue a warrant, you have to go three stages back. You have to first, revive the case before you can issue a warrant of arrest. And before you can revive the case the amnesty should have to be revoked," he said Tuesday.

Alejano, however, did not elaborate on who he was referring to.

For his part, National Security Adviser Germogenes Esperon said, "On his person it will be very inconvenient for Sen. Trillanes he has been through harder times. We wish he could overcome this but we simply have to enforce the rule of law."

CNN Philippines' Eimor Santos, Pia Garcia, Joyce Ilas, and Cecille Lardizabal contributed to this report.Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, praised passage of Peace Corps reform legislation he authored in the Senate, which will now be sent to the presidents desk to be signed into law.

The Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018 will improve access to medical care for volunteers, strengthen accountability and oversight, and enhance procedures to reduce the risk of crime in the countries in which volunteers serve.

The legislation is named in honor of former Peace Corps volunteers Sam Farr, a retired Democratic congressman, and Nick Castle, of Brentwood, Ca., who lost his life at age 23 due to inadequate health care while serving in China in 2013. It was later determined by the inspector general that flaws in medical care and the response to his illness contributed to his death. Cosponsors of the Senate version of the bill include Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Ca.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Chris Coons (D-De.), Marco Rubio (R-Fl.), Chris Murphy (D-Ct.), John Barrasso (R-Wy.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

Nick Castle was an inspirational person who dedicated himself to making a difference early in life, said Senator Corker. Peace Corps volunteers make an extraordinary commitment to serve their country and deserve the very best support we can provide. Our legislation will expand oversight and accountability at the Peace Corps while improving the care our volunteers receive overseas and for service-related injuries when they return home. I am encouraged that with these reforms now to become law, we will strengthen the Peace Corps in Nick Castles memory.



Very simple steps would have saved Nicks life," said Sue and David Castle, the parents of Nick Castle. As parents, we have worked for legislation to ensure this never happens to another family, and we believe this legislation will make the changes that are needed. Nick wanted to make a difference in this world, but he didn't have time to do that. We hope with the passing of this legislation that he can make a true lasting impact on the Peace Corps.

The Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018 contains the following key provisions.



Peace Corps Volunteer Support:



 Ensures the Peace Corps hires well-qualified personnel capable of administering effective health care services for volunteers



 Provides the director the authority necessary to appropriately review and evaluate the performance of all current medical staff

 Requires the director to implement recommendations made by the Peace Corps inspector general and requires subsequent reports to Congress

 Extends existing health care coverage for service-related injuries four months after volunteers return from service

Peace Corps Oversight and Accountability:



 Provides volunteers with direct access to the inspector general



 Requires the director to notify Congress of the opening or closure of offices and country programs

 Requires public disclosure of the results of volunteer surveys on satisfaction in each country in which volunteers serve, as well as the early termination rate

Crime Risk Reduction Enhancements:



 Requires the director to make evidence and information regarding a volunteers death available to the inspector general in order to facilitate an independent review of such incidents



 Maintains records verifying each individual has completed the training required by the Peace Corps Act

 Provides applicants with information regarding crimes and risks to volunteers in the country in which they are invited to serve

 Extends and enhances expiring programs, first authorized by the Kate Puzey Act, that provide services to volunteers who have been a victim of sexual assaultLaxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

A new report from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) urges regulators to keep a close eye on the emerging Cryptoassets industry while acknowledging that it's currently not a risk to the global financial system.

The report pointed out: "While cryptoassets do not, at this point, pose a global financial stability risk, it is important to remain vigilant, monitor developments and respond to potential threats."

The study around the movement of several cryptocurrencies' prices and co-related it with regulatory actions by respective central banks revealed that bitcoin markets are swayed by news events related to regulation.

"While cryptocurrencies are often thought to operate out of the reach of national regulation, in fact their valuations, transaction volumes and user bases react substantially to news about regulatory actions," said the report.

Cryptocurrencies are often touted for their decentralized nature which allows them to break free from the shackles of domestic and international regulations, however, these guidelines still have an effect on them.

While this industry is attempting to work outside of the realm of regulations, news regarding their national regulations is one of the main points to affect its price. Because of this, positive regulation news turn into market gains while the negative ones do not, it explained.

News that moves

BIS Bitcoin report found that cryptocurrency prices have s......................

To view our full article Click hereLaxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

BNY Mellon Investment Management, the Bank of New York Mellon Corp's asset manager, has announced its intention to close EACM Advisors, its multi-manager and fund of hedge funds investment manager based in Norwalk, Connecticut.

As a fund-management subsidiary that invested in various hedge funds, EACM managed $3.9bn in a combination of long-only and fund of hedge funds strategies.

EACM Advisors will no longer operate as a standalone business, with its long-only investments to be managed within BNY Mellon Investment Management.

According to the statement, a further $2.1bn in fund of hedge fund strategies will be closed to new investors and existing capital returned to investors. Liquidation is expected to occur on or about 30 November 2018.

As part of this change, management recommended and the Dreyfus Fund Board approved the liquidation of Dreyfus Select Managers Long/Short mutual fund, for which EACM is the portfolio allocation manager.

Dreyfus' two long-only mutual funds for which EACM serves as portfolio allocation manager - Dreyfus Select Managers Small Cap Value Fund and Dreyfus Select Managers Small Cap Growth Fund - with combined assets of $1.8bn, will continue to be managed within BNY Mellon Investment Management, the statement explained.

Des Mac Intyre, CEO of U.S. Asset Management at BNY Mellon Investment Management and a member of EACM's Board of Directors, will assume the role of EACM Board Cha......................

To view our full article Click hereMobile Health (mHealth) Market to Observe Strong Development of 25.0% CAGR by 2023 | Global Key Players  Medtronic, Philips Healthcare, Omron, Johnson & Johnson, Qualcomm Life, AT&T, Cisco, Bayer

Mobile Health (mHealth) Market

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Marketprognosis.com Publish a New Market Research Report On Global Mobile Health (mHealth) Market 2018 - 2023 which contains global key players survey information and forecast to 2023.Overview of the Global Mobile Health (mHealth) Market:The report spread across 112 pages is an overview of the Global Mobile Health (mHealth) Market. These report study based on the Mobile Health (mHealth) Market. It is a complete overview of the market, covering various aspects prevailing market landscape. It accumulates comprehensive information and research methodologies.The Global Mobile Health (mHealth) Market is expected to register a CAGR of over 25% during the forecast period, 2018 to 2023. The mhealth market is in the development stage and is projected to provide significant revenues in the future, with increasing awareness among people and favorable regulatory regulations specific to the quality and feasibility of the mobile-based medical devices.Get a Sample Copy of this Report @From tablets to wearables, the use of mobile devices has been increasing in the market, and healthcare providers are no exception. It has been observed that approximately 80% physicians use smartphones. The use of mobile devices by healthcare professionals has transformed many aspects of clinical practice. It has led to rapid growth in the development of medical software applications (apps) for these platforms. Mobile devices and apps provide many benefits for healthcare professionals, most-significantly, the increased access to point-of-care tools, shown to support better clinical decision-making and improved patient outcomes. In 2014, it was estimated that around 60% of smartphone owners had used their mobile phone to look up for information about a health condition. Approximately 40,000 mHealth apps are in use, globally, and in the coming years, many more health apps are expected to be introduced. Currently, mobile applications are being developed adhering to HIPAA-compliances. The apps developed adhering to HIPAA-compliances make private practices, hospitals, and other healthcare systems implement mobile devices without any major regulatory complications. Hence, the rise in mobile and tablet usage is driving the mobile health market.Rapid technological advancements in mHealth research generate both opportunities and challenges, including creating scalable systems capable of collecting unprecedented amounts of data and conducting interventions, while protecting the privacy and safety of research participants. Most top data breaches in 2015 involved cybersecurity threats from third parties. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) compliance is still a key issue when it comes to mobile device security. Until security and privacy are assured, the use of apps by physicians continues to be limited, thereby hindering the market growth. Additionally, the stringent regulatory policies for mhealth applications are expected to restrain the market growth.Purchase this report online with 112 Pages, Top Key Players Analysis and List of Tables & Figure @North America dominates the market of mobile health as monitoring services are largely adopted in the region. Europe and Asia-Pacific follow North America, in terms of market shares. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period; this is due to the increase in awareness of diseases among the people and high penetration of mobile platforms in the Asia-Pacific region.Major Key Players:1 Medtronic2 Philips Healthcare3 Omron Corporation4 Johnson & Johnson5 Qualcomm Life6 AT&T Inc.7 Cisco Systems, Inc.8 Bayer Healthcare9 Samsung Healthcare Solutions and MoreAny Query? Ask to our Expert @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What is driving this market?4 What are the challenges to market growth?5 Who are the key vendors in this market space?6 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?7 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?In the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of Mobile Health (mHealth) Market.Table of Contents:1 Introduction2 Research Methodology3 Executive Summary4 Key Inferences5 Market Overview6 Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and Challenges Analysis (Droc)7 Market Segmentation8 Competitive Landscape9 Key Players10 Future Outlook of the MarketAbout us:We at Market Prognosis believe in giving a crystal clear view of market dynamics for achieving success in todays complex and competitive marketplace through our quantitative & qualitative research methods.We help our clients identify the best market insights and analysis required for their business thus enabling them to take strategic and intelligent decision.We believe in delivering actionable insights for your business growth and success.Contact us:ProgMark Pvt. Ltd.Thane  421501India.sales@marketprognosis.com+1 973 241 5193Americans use over 500 million straws every single day with many of them finding their ways into rivers, lakes and oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which consists of mostly plastic, is now twice the size of the State of Texas and is growing each day. Aquatic animals like freshwater fish, sea turtles and birds eat the plastic, which can be fatal.

Dawn Hjelseth with green|spaces said, Even though we are a long way from the Pacific Ocean, our habits locally not only have an impact there but also on our local rivers and lakes. A straw may seem like a small item by itself but when you add up all of the straws we use each day, it equals filling over 46,000 large school buses. For the past 11 years, we have worked to promote sustainable living, working and building. We are excited to be partnering with Tennessee American Water to encourage 1000 residents to make simple changes to their daily habits like skipping the plastic straw.

Tennessee American Water external affairs manager Daphne Kirksey said, All of us can play a part in protecting one of our most important resources. We are happy to be working with green|spaces to promote awareness of how anyone can take action to reduce plastic use. If you take it step by step, I think youll find reducing plastic usage isnt as hard as you thought. Every action helps, like skipping the straw or using a reusable straw.

Starting Wednesday, residents of Chattanooga can take the Skip the Straw Pledge and receive a free reusable stainless steal straw from Tennessee American Water. The kickoff will be held at Green Drinks, an eco-networking event hosted by green|spaces. Through the months of October and November, residents can attend multiple events across the city or simply take the pledge online. The goal is to have at least 1000 people take the pledge by GivingTuesday on Nov. 27. Giving Tuesday is more than just about people giving money to non-profits. We want people to think of other ways they can give including taking the pledge to reduce waste, said Ms. Hjelseth.

People who take the pledge will not only receive the reusable straw but will also be provided monthly conservation tips along with Perk Days. Participants will be notified throughout the year of places they can show up with their straw to receive free items and be entered into giveaways.Lung Cancer Market 2018-2025: Leading Players are PFIZER INC., ELI Lilly and Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Sanofi, BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB, Novartis and Merck & Co. Inc.

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Industry OutlookLung Cancer is market is the cancer affecting the lungs, people having smoking habit are in great danger of getting affected, but also nonsmokers can also have a little risk of getting affected. Lung Cancer is the main cause for deaths in US, it is also responsible for claiming more lives that other cancers combined like prostate, ovarian, colon & breast cancer. Danger of getting affected by Lung Cancer depends on the number of cigarettes smoked & the length of smoking. Lung Cancer does not show any symptoms at initial stage, but as it advances it starts showing symptoms like; chest pain, shortness of breath, cough that is not treatable, headache, bone pain, weight loss, etc. Therefore, the Lung Cancer Market is anticipated to expand and has tremendous scope during the forecast period. The global Lung Cancer Market anticipated to flourish in the future by growing at a significantly higher CAGR.Competitive AnalysisThe leading players in the market are PFIZER INC., ELI Lilly and Company, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Sanofi, BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB, Novartis and Merck & Co. Inc. The major players in the market are profiled in detail in view of qualities, for example, company portfolio, business strategies, financial overview, recent developments, and market share of the overall industry.Get Sample Copy of This Report@Market SegmentationThe global Lung Cancer Market is based on segment,Lung Cancer Market, By TypeNSCLCSCLCLung Cancer Market, By TreatmentPhotodynamic therapy (PDT)Laser TherapyRadiotherapySurgeryChemotherapyLung Cancer Market, By End UserLaboratoriesHospitals & ClinicsCancer Research CentersBuy This Report@(Priced at USD 3800)Regional InsightsOn a global front, the Lung Cancer Market covers North America (United States, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Rest of South America) and Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of MEA).About Us:Qurate Business Intelligence delivers unique market research solutions to its customers and help them to get equipped with refined information and market insights derived from reports. We are committed to providing best business services and easy processes to get the same. Qurate Business Intelligence considers themselves as strategic partners of their customers and always shows the keen level of interest to deliver quality.Runwal Platinum,Ramnagar Colony, Bavdhan,Pune, Maharashtra, India-411021IN +919881074592info@qurateresearch.comTelehealth Market to Witness Huge Growth in 2025 | Key Investors: Cisco Systems, Inc., Aerotel Medical Systems Ltd., Honeywell Life Care Solutions, Medvivo Group Ltd

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Global Telehealth Market to 2025Telehealth is a technique of exchanging data from a patient at home to healthcare professional for getting assistance in monitoring and diagnosing. Telehealth allows the healthcare practitioner to easily offer their services on consultation, care management, diagnosis, and self-management services using information & communication technologies (ICT). These services are being offered through various mode of delivery such as on-premise, web-based, and cloud-based.Growing aging population, increase in number of chronic diseases, and increasing demand for home monitoring devices are the major drivers which are likely to aid the growth of telehealth market. Rising technological advancements and enhancing demand for home monitoring solutions are likely to add new opportunities for this market in the coming years.Get Sample Copy of this Report atIn our study, we have segmented the telehealth market by product, type, mode of delivery and end user. Based on product, global telehealth market is segmented as integrated and standalone. Based on type, the market is segmented into software, hardware and services. The mode of delivery segment is classified as on-premise, cloud-based and web-based. In the basis of end user the global market of telehealth is segmented into patients, prayers and healthcare providers. Geographically, the market for telehealth is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South and Central America (S&CAM).The telehealth market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.7% during the forecast period from 2018 to 2025. The market for telehealth is estimated to reach US$ 52,897.2 Mn in 2025. The market is witnessing a potential growth rate during the previous years and is expected to witness similar trend in the coming years. Additionally, major players in the market are engaged in research and development activities. These players have been upgrading their product portfolio by applying for approvals as well as launching new products. For instance, in November, 2017, Medtronic plc with the Medtronic Care Management Services (MCMS) business launched the advanced and latest telehealth solutions for supporting the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for Home Telehealth Devices and Services.The List of Companies included in this Report are-1. Medtronic2. Cerner Corporation3. Tunstall Healthcare4. AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc.5. Philips Healthcare6. Cisco Systems, Inc.7. Aerotel Medical Systems Ltd.8. Honeywell Life Care Solutions9. Medvivo Group Ltd.10. American WellThe market for telehealth is well established in North America region, especially in the US. The market is expected to witness growth at a rapid rate in Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period. China has a well-defined telehealth systems present in its healthcare systems also the EHR systems are adopted by various providers. The high growth of this region can be attributed to increasing geriatric population and growing technological advancements that enable mobile telehealth in rural and urban areas.The major players operating in the market of telehealth market include Medtronic, Cerner Corporation, Tunstall Healthcare, AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc., Philips Healthcare, Cisco Systems, Inc., Aerotel Medical Systems Ltd., Honeywell Life Care Solutions, Medvivo Group Ltd., American Well among others.Have more queries ask us atThe Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services.Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comBreast Implants Market 2018 Top Players  GC Aesthetics, Sientra, Allergan, Mentor, Arion Laboratoires, Ideal Implant, Groupe Sebbin, Cereplas, Establishment Labs and HansBiomed

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Breast Implants Market size is set to exceed USD 4 billion by 2024; according to a new research study published by Global Market Insights, Inc.Rising number of breast augmentation procedures coupled with increasing breast cancer incidence will drive breast implants market size over the forecast timeframe. Augmentation procedures enable women to increase their breast size and improves bust and hip contour balance. Reconstruction procedures help to restore one or both breasts to near normal size, shape and appearance.High cost of implantation procedure will impede industry expansion. Risk of complications in the case of both saline and silicone implants further limits procedure adoption. Complications associated with the procedure include infection, scarring, capsular formation and contraction, sensation changes to breast and nipple and chances of implant rupture. Additional surgeries may be required for treating the same.Request sample copy of this report @Silicone breast implants market accounted for the largest revenue share due to its resemblance to natural breast tissue. Other benefits such as reduced probability of rippling and wrinkling further boosts adoption. However, difficulty of detecting device rupture restrains segment expansion. The rupture can only be detected after conducting an MRI.Anatomical breast implants market is poised to grow at a lucrative pace owing to its sloped contour with more implant material located at the bottom that provides a more natural appearance. These inserts provide greater projection with same volume as compared to round shaped ones. However, risk of rotation and rippling coupled with higher costs restrains segment growth of breast implants market.Application of the inserts in breast reconstruction will grow at a rapid rate over the forecast time frame due to increasing incidence of breast cancer. Growing awareness regarding reconstruction surgery has resulted in increasing procedure adoption. Advantages of the reconstruction surgery such as short duration and less complex nature along with little scarring should further escalate demand. However, risks of complications such as infections, bleeding and delayed healing limits adoption rate to some extent.U.S. breast implants market held significant industry share. Increasing number of women opting for augmentation procedures will drive growth. Increasing per capita expenditure on cosmetic procedures will serve to be a high impact rendering factor.South Korea breast implants market is slated to witness robust growth over the forecast years. Increasing number of clinics and hospitals catering to plastic surgery coupled with increasing number of plastic surgeons is driving industry growth. Increasing desire to look attractive for excelling in professional life further fuels demand. Furthermore, growing influx of overseas patients especially from neighboring countries augments industry expansion.Make Inquiry about this report @Prominent industry players in breast implants market include GC Aesthetics, Sientra, Allergan, Mentor, Arion Laboratoires, Ideal Implant, Groupe Sebbin, Cereplas, Establishment Labs and HansBiomed. The industry players resort to strategic initiatives such as agreements, acquisition and strong emphasis on product development and innovation in order to broaden their product portfolio and strengthen industry presence. For instance, in June 2016, Establishment Labs entered into a ten-year distribution agreement with Human Wellness Corporation to market its Motiva Implants.Report ContentChapter 1. Methodology1.1. Methodology1.1.1. Initial data exploration1.1.2. Statistical model and forecast1.1.3. Industry insights and validation1.1.4. Market definition and forecast parameters1.2. Data sources1.2.1. Primary1.2.2. SecondaryChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. Breast implants industry 3600 synopsis, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)2.1.1. Business trends2.1.2. Product trends2.1.3. Shape trends2.1.4. Application trends2.1.5. End use trends2.1.6. Regional trendsChapter 3. Breast Implants Industry Insights3.1. Industry segmentation3.2. Industry landscape, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)3.3. Industry impact forces3.3.1. Growth drivers3.3.1.1. Increasing number of breast augmentation procedures3.3.1.2. Growing breast cancer incidence3.3.1.3. Technological advancements3.3.1.4. Increasing number of plastic surgeons3.3.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges3.3.2.1. High cost of implantation procedure3.3.2.2. Risk of complications3.3.2.3. Emergence of alternative techniques3.4. Growth potential analysis3.4.1. By product3.4.2. By shape3.4.3. By application3.5. Technology landscape3.6. Age distribution of breast augmentation and reconstruction procedures in U.S., 20163.7. Breast augmentation and reconstruction procedures by ethnic groups, U.S., 20163.8. Regulatory landscape3.8.1. U.S.3.8.2. Europe3.9. Porter's analysis3.10. Competitive landscape, 20163.10.1. Strategy Dashboard3.11. PESTEL analysisChapter 4. Breast Implants Market, By Product4.1. Breast implants market share by product, 2016 & 2024 (USD Million)4.2. Silicone Implant4.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, by region, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)4.3. Saline Implant4.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, by region, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)Chapter 5. Breast Implants Market, By Shape5.1. Breast implants market share by shape, 2016 & 2024 (USD Million)5.2. Round5.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, by region, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)5.3. Anatomical5.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, by region, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)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.Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comAPAC Linerless Labels Market Healthy Pace throughout the Forecast during 2018-2028

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Linerless labels are the new generation labels, witnessing growing preference over the conventional labels since the past few years. A new research report focuses on the study of global linerless labels market, which has been published by Future Market Insights and offers the market forecast for the upcoming decade.The comprehensive research report is titled Linerless Labels Market Global Industry Analysis 2013  2017 and Opportunity Assessment, 2018  2028 and it projects an anticipated CAGR of 4.9% for the market during the forecast period.Request to Sample of Report @According to the market analysis, the growth is driven by a gradual shift of manufacturers from conventional labels such as scale labels, inventory labels, butt cut labels, blank labels, and tire labels, to the new age linerless technology. The shift is attributed to benefits in cost saving, time, and the environmental edge that linerless labels have over conventional linered labels. The report indicates that the leading end-use industries in the market include retail and logistics.Global Linerless Labels Market: OverviewManufacturers are gradually shifting their preference to the variable imaged and thermal printed linerless labels. Certain trends are responsible for this shift of the market, including the innovative nature of this labeling type as an ideal marketing solution. Many companies print useful information on product labels so as to communicate with consumers, eventually boosting the sales of linerless labels. A large number of companies are experimenting with the use of linerless labels in an effort to achieve attractive product labeling. There are different types of printing technologies used such as digital printing, flexo printing, offset printing, screen printing, and more. Among these technologies, the research report suggests that flexo printing will lead the market with the highest value by the end of 2028. Whereas, offset printing is expected to witness the highest CAGR of over 5.4% during the forecast period.Request to Report Methodology @The regional forecast provides a clear picture of the markets presence in different regions. It predicts APAC to provide the most favorable conditions for the linerless labels market growth. The region is projected to hold a market value of over US$ 870 Mn by the end of 2028. APAC is also expected to witness a significant growth rate of over 6.5% during the forecast period. Emerging economies such as India and China have been witnessing meteoric growth in food retail industry, as well as in the adoption of the on-the-go food consumption trend. Key manufacturers of linerless labels are thus prioritizing expansion in untapped regional markets through joint ventures or by mergers/acquisitions.Global Linerless Labels Market: Competitive LandscapeLinerless labels are used in companies involved in manufacturing of products like beer bottles and soft drink bottles. Some of the leading companies operating in the linerless labels industry are Innovia Films, Coveris Holdings SA, Constantia Flexibles Group, CCL Industries, and RR Donnelley & Sons Company etc. These companies are anticipated to play a crucial role in pushing the entire market scenario up over the next 10 years.Get full report now @About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact UsU.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb:Mobile Power Market SWOT Analysis and Key Business Strategies by Leading Industry Players (Mophie, Samsung, Mipow, Sony, Maxell, Philips et al)

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Mobile Power Industry Market Global Research Report provides most up-to-date industry data on the actual market situation and future outlook for Mobile Power Market. The report contains a granular analysis of the present industry situations, market demands, size, Share, Growth factors, opportunities, future roadmap, competitive landscape and discusses major trends.Get Sample Copy of this Report -The Global Mobile Power market 2018 research provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Global Mobile Power market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.Global Mobile Power Industry 2018 Market Research Report is spread across 136 pages and provides exclusive vital statistics, data, information, trends and competitive landscape details in this niche sector.Inquire more or share questions if any before the purchase on this report @Analysis of E-Beam Wafer Inspection System Industry Key Manufacturers: Mophie, Samsung, Mipow, Sony, Maxell, Philips, RavPower, Powerbank Electronics, Samya et el.Key segments covered in this report:Geography segment, end use/application segment and competitor segment. The key countries in each region are taken into consideration as well, such as United States, China, Japan, India, Korea, ASEAN, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, CIS, and Brazil etc. For end use/application segment, this report focuses on the status and outlook for key applications. End users also can be listed.With tables and figures helping analyze worldwide Global Mobile Power market, this research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.For competitor segment, the report includes global key players of Mobile Power Market as well as some small players. The information for each competitor includes: Company Profile Main Business Information SWOT Analysis Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Market ShareMajor chapters covered in Mobile Power Market Research are:Chapter 1 Executive SummaryChapter 2 Abbreviation and AcronymsChapter 3 PrefaceChapter 4 Market LandscapeChapter 5 Market Trend AnalysisChapter 6 Industry Chain AnalysisChapter 7 Latest Market DynamicsChapter 8 Trading AnalysisChapter 9 Historical and Current Mobile Power Market in North America (2013-2018)Chapter 10 Historical and Current Mobile Power Market in South America (2013-2018)Chapter 11 Historical and Current Mobile Power Market in Asia & Pacific (2013-2018)Chapter 12 Historical and Current Mobile Power Market in Europe (2013-2018)Chapter 13 Historical and Current Mobile Power Market in MEA (2013-2018)Chapter 14 Summary for Global Mobile Power Market (2013-2018)Chapter 15 Global Mobile Power Market Forecast (2019-2023)Chapter 16 Company ProfileOrder a copy of Global Mobile Power Market Report 2018 @Few Points from List of Tables and Figures:Table Abbreviation and Acronyms ListTable Research Scope of Mobile Power reportTable Primary Sources of Mobile Power reportTable Secondary Sources of Mobile Power reportTable Major Assumptions of Mobile Power reportTable Mobile Power ClassificationTable Mobile Power Applications ListTable Drivers of Mobile Power MarketTable Restraints of Mobile Power MarketTable Opportunities of Mobile Power MarketTable Threats of Mobile Power MarketTable Key Raw Material of Mobile Power and Its SuppliersTable Key Technologies of Mobile PowerTable Cost Structure of Mobile PowerTable Market Channel of Mobile PowerTable Mobile Power Application and Key End Users ListTable Latest News of Mobile Power industryTable Recently Merger and Acquisition List of Mobile Power industryTable Recently Planned/Future Project List of Mobile Power industryContinuedAbout UsOrian Research is one of the most comprehensive collections of market intelligence reports on the World Wide Web. Our reports repository boasts of over 500000+ industry and country research reports from over 100 top publishers. We continuously update our repository so as to provide our clients easy access to the worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, and products. We also specialize in custom research in situations where our syndicate research offerings do not meet the specific requirements of our esteemed clients.Contact UsRuwin MendezVice President  Global Sales & Partner RelationsOrian Research ConsultantsUS: +1 (415) 830-3727 | UK: +44 020 8144-71-27Email: info@orianresearch.comWebsite:Follow Us on LinkedIn:Global Air & Gas Compressor Market 2018- Doosan, Hongwuhuan, Atlas Copco, Kaeser Compressors, Kobe Steel, Hanbell

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A detailed market study on "Global Air & Gas Compressor Market" Research report 2018-2025 examines the performance of the Air & Gas Compressor market. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Air & Gas Compressor market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Air & Gas Compressor market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Air & Gas Compressor Market 2018 report includes Air & Gas Compressor market Revenue, market Share, Air & Gas Compressor industry volume, market Trends, Air & Gas Compressor Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report. It shows manufacturing capacity, Air & Gas Compressor Price during the Forecast period from 2018 to 2025.Firstly, the report covers the top Air & Gas Compressor manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Request Sample Copy of Report:Top Manufacturers Companies Analysis are Atlas Copco, GE, Ingersoll Rand, Siemens, Accudyne Industries, BOGE, Doosan, Dresser-Rand, Ebara, ELGI Equipment Ltd, Fusheng, Gardner Denver, Hanbell, Hitachi, Hongwuhuan, Kaeser Compressors, Kaishan, Kirloskar, Kobe Steel, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shanghai Feihe Industrial Group, Shanghai Screw Compressor, Sulzer, Thomas Industries Inc, VMAC, Wuxi Compressor, Yujin Machinery.Air & Gas Compressor Market Analysis Based on Application - Petrochemical and Chemical, Machinery Manufacturing, Mining and Metallurgy, Other.Air & Gas Compressor Market Analysis Based on Type - Positive Displacement, Centrifugal Compressors.Further, the Air & Gas Compressor report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Air & Gas Compressor industry, Air & Gas Compressor industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Air & Gas Compressor Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Air & Gas Compressor research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Air & Gas Compressor market revenue worldwide.Finally, Air & Gas Compressor market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:QYMarketStudy.com is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We have a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of the technology industry.Contact Us:3626 North Hall Street (Two Oak Lawn),Suite 610,Dallas, TX 75219, USAContact No. +1-214-661-1669Web:Email: sales@qymarketstudy.comArtificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture Market to 2023 (21.8% CAGR Expected) Top Player Profiles  IBM, Intel, Microsoft, SAP, Agribotix, The Climate Corporation, Mavrx, and More

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This report studies the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture market status and outlook of Global and major regions, from angles of players, countries, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top players in global market, and splits the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture market is valued at 240 million USD in 2017 and is expected to reach 790 million USD by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of 21.8% between 2017 and 2023.United States is the largest consumption countries of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture in the world in the past few years and it will keep leader position in the next few years. United States market took up about 42.96% the global market in 2017, while Europe was about 22.67%.Request a Sample:USA is now the key developers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture; most companies are in USA. Others are in Europe, China and India.The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture.Europe also play important roles in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2017 and will be xx million USD in 2023, with a CAGR of xx%.Market Segment by Companies, this report covers IBM, Intel, Microsoft, SAP, Agribotix, The Climate Corporation, Mavrx, aWhere, Precision Hawk, Granular, Prospera Technologies, Spensa Technologies, Resson, Vision Robotics, Harvest Croo Robotics, CropX, John Deere, Gamaya and Cainthus.Get a Discount on this Report:Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture Market segment by type, covers Machine Learning, Computer Vision and Predictive Analytics. Also, the market segment by applications, can be divided into Precision Farming, Livestock Monitoring, Drone Analytics, Agriculture Robots and others.Related Report: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.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.Read more:About Us:Research Beam is a high end and wide online market for market research reports that contain detailed and rational market research. Research Beam is a one stop report destination that offers clients well drafted and accurately analyzed report with insightful data.We have a large database of quality and precise market research reports that will be very beneficial for your organization. Reports that we sell our authentic in nature and from reputed publishers, hence it can definitely help you with your growth opportunities. Research Beam will always make sure to bring most ethical and high quality reports. We value your relationship with us and look forward for a long term relation.Contact UsGlobal Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.comDiagnostic Exosome Biomarkers Market Estimated to Flourish at by 2027

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The fusion of plasma membrane with the internal vesicle fusion leads to the secretion of nanovescicles called exosomes into the extracellular environment. The exosomes are released in easily accessible body fluids such as urine and blood and hence acts as a precious source of biomedical tool. As cancer is a booming research area, exosomes may act as a very useful biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of malignant tumor. The application of exosome as a potential biomarker for the various neurodegenerative disorders is also under investigation. All this is expected to create a new market where the industry payers can focus on new product developments.Diagnostic Exosome Biomarkers Market: Drivers and RestraintsExosomes are the biomimetic nanovectors for a variety of nucleic acid, chemicals and proteins. Exosome-encapsulated curcumin, delivered by the intranasal route is efficient in preventing brain inflammation, and specific gene silencing miRNAs enclosed in targeted exosomes and delivered systemically have shown promising therapeutic effects. Exosomes biomarkers fix in the ideal theranostic approach as they can act as biomarkers or vectors of therapeutic molecules. The theranostic approach is very prominent in personalized medicine where the individual is monitored and diagnosed for a particular mode of treatment. The exosome biomarkers also help in providing targeted drug delivery system thereby providing a very potential market.Request For Report Sample@Diagnostic Exosome Biomarkers Market: SegmentationOn the basis of product type the diagnostic exosome biomarkers market can be segment as:ReagentsKitsSerum/Plasma KitsUrine KitsSoftwareOn the basis of application the diagnostic exosome biomarkers market can be segment as:Neurodegenerative disordersOncologyMetabolic disordersOthersOn the basis of end user the diagnostic exosome biomarkers market can be segment as:Cancer InstituteHospitalDiagnostic CenterOthersDiagnostic Exosome Biomarkers Market: OverviewThe extracellular vesicles called exosomes are sized around 100 nm in diameter, which are released from many different cell types. Exosomes are produced by different mechanism and hence differ from other class of extracellular vesicles and microvesicles that are different in size too. Exosomes contains a range of biomolecules including membrane-bound and soluble proteins, microRNA, lipids and noncoding RNA. Therefore exosomes are a good source of disease biomarkers for early diagnosis and/or prediction of disease progression.Diagnostic Exosome Biomarkers Market: Region-wise OutlookIn terms of geography, diagnostic exosome biomarkers market has been divided into seven regions including North- America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia- Pacific excluding Japan, Japan Middle-East & Africa and Latin America. North America is expected to remain the dominating region while Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as a fastest growing region. In 2016, the National Institutes of Health is seeking grant applications for projects investigating the potential of exosomes and extracellular vesicles (EVs), as well as their cargo, as biomarkers for cancer risk assessment, detection, diagnosis, and prognosis. Such research funding and government support is expected to accelerate the growth of the diagnostic exosome biomarkers market.Diagnostic Exosome Biomarkers Market: Key Market ParticipantsThe diagnostic exosome biomarker market players are expanding their laboratory capacities to fit in to the increasing demand. Exosome Diagnostics moved into its new ISO 13485certified facility, built for the companys patented liquid-biopsy sample processing and analysis technologies.Some of the diagnostic exosome biomarkers market participants are 101Bio, AMS Biotechnology Limited, BioRegenerative Sciences, Inc., Cell Guidance Systems LLC, Codiak BioSciences, Evomic Science LLC, ExoCyte Therapeutics Pte Ltd, Exosome Diagnostics, Inc, Exovita biosciences, Immune Therapy Holdings AB, Lonza Group, Norgen Biotek Corp., ReNeuron Group plc and Therapeutic Solutions International, Inc.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.U.S. Office616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWeb:Enterprise Data Loss Prevention Software (EDLPS) Market Global Key Players: Hewlett-Packard Company, Dell EMC, McAfee Inc, Symantec Corporation, Cisco Systems Inc

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Market Scenario:The enterprise data loss prevention software helps to monitor and protect valuable business information and assets. The next generation of data protection and storage is boosting the growth of data loss prevention software market. It provides data transmissions in real time. In 2015, Symantec Corp has entered into the cloud data loss prevention market, which provide services for cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) markets. Whereas, in 2017, Symantec Corp. has introduced new innovations of cloud security platform that is delivering the broadest and deepest set of security solutions either for the cloud or in the cloudThe global enterprise data loss prevention software market are bifurcated on the basis of components, deployment type, applications and region. The components are segmented into service, solution and others. The deployment type are segmented into on cloud, on premises and others. The applications are segmented BFSI, IT and telecom, healthcare, government, manufacturing and others. The region includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and rest of the world.The enterprise data loss prevention software market in Europe region is expected to witness rapid growth in the forthcoming period. Whereas, Asia-Pacific countries like China, Japan and India is an emerging market for enterprise data loss prevention software market and expected to be the highest CAGR in the coming years.The global Enterprise Data Loss Prevention Software Market is expected to grow at USD 2.1 Billion by 2023, at ~21% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023.Request a Sample Report @Major Key Players: Dell EMC (U.S.) Hewlett-Packard Company (U.S.) McAfee Inc. (U.S.) Symantec Corporation (U.S.) Cisco Systems Inc. (U.S.) Digital Guardian (U.S.) Somansa Technologies Inc. (U.S.) Fidelis Cybersecurity (U.S.) Forcepoint LLC (U.S.) GTB Technologies Inc. (U.S.)Regional Analysis:The regional analysis of enterprise data loss prevention software market is being studied for region such as Asia pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World.North America is one of the leading region across the world in terms of market share in enterprise data loss prevention software market as it has huge demand in many sectors including healthcare, banking and others sectors.Segments:The global enterprise data loss prevention software market has been segmented on the basis of components, deployment type, applications and region.Global Enterprise Data Loss Prevention Software Market by Component:Solution Endpoint DLP Storage/Data Center DLP Network DLPServices Consulting System Integration & Installation Managed Security ServicesOthersGlobal Enterprise Data Loss Prevention Software Market by Deployment Type: On Cloud On Premises OthersGlobal Enterprise Data Loss Prevention Software Market by Applications: BFSI IT And Telecom Healthcare Government Manufacturing OthersGlobal Enterprise Data Loss Prevention Software Market by Regions: North America Europe APAC Rest Of The WorldAccess Report Details @Intended Audience Enterprise data loss prevention software companies Cloud service providers Professional service providers Enterprise data loss prevention software providers Research and development companies Market research and consulting firms Solution providers Technology standards organizations Technology investors System IntegratorsTable of Contents1. Market Introduction1.1introduction1.2scope of Study1.2.1research Objective1.2.2assumptions1.2.3limitations1.3market StructureContinued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.comAvant and Amount will be separate businesses under the Avant holding company, Goldstein said. The two businesses will share Avants Loop headquarters. The company employs about 550 people, all but 100 of whom are in Chicago. It plans to bring on about 50 additional software engineers in the next year.Anemia Drugs Market Worldwide Overview 2018 to 2023 | Grow at CAGR of 8.4% to Reach USD 34.7 Billion with Top Venders  Avila Prime Report to MRFR

Anemia Drugs Market

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Global Anemia Drugs Market Information, by Anemia Type Iron Deficiency Anemia, Sickle Cell Anemia, Aplastic Anemia, Hemolytic Anemia, Pernicious Anemia and others, by Route of Administration, End User Hospitals and Self-Administered - Forecast to 2022Global Anemia Drugs Market - Market ScenarioAnemia is a set of conditions characterized by weakness, shortness of breath and a general tiredness due to a decrease in the total amount of red blood cells (RBCs) or hemoglobin in the blood. The lowered hemoglobin results in a lowered ability of the blood to carry oxygen.The market constraints are poor absorption of drugs especially intravenous iron and the side effects associated with the treatment. Better nutrition due to rising per capita income is also a market limiting factor for anemic drugs.Request Sample Report @The global market for Anemia Drugs is expected to be around US$21.4 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% to reach US$34.7 billion by the end of forecast period.Global Anemia Drugs Market - Key PlayersSome of the key players in this market are: Amgen Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, Bluebird bio, Biocon, GlycoMimetics Inc., Regen biopharma Inc., Bayer AG, Acceleron Pharma, Eli Lilly and company and others.Global Anemia Drugs Market - SegmentsGlobal anemia drugs market has been segmented on the basis of anemia type which comprises iron deficiency anemia, sickle cell anemia, aplastic anemia, hemolytic anemia pernicious anemia and others. On the basis of route of administration; market is segmented into oral and injectable. On the basis of gender; market is segmented into male and female. On the basis of product type; market is segmented into biologics and non-biologics. On the basis of end users; market is segmented into hospitals, self-administered and others.Global Anemia Drugs Market - Competitive AnalysisIn April-2017, Amgen Inc. expanded their commercial collaboration with Novartis for erenumab, which is being investigated for the prevention of migraine. This expanded commercial collaboration was built on a global neuroscience collaboration in Alzheimer's disease and migraine established in 2015 between Novartis and Amgen. This expanded collaboration leveraged Novartis' strong and established presence in neuroscience to more effectively reach people with migraine.More Details with Full TOC @In December-2015, GlaxoSmithKline plc. announced that its global HIV business, ViiV Healthcare, has reached two separate agreements with Bristol-Myers Squibb, to acquire its late-stage HIV R&D assets; and to acquire Bristol-Myers Squibbs portfolio of preclinical and discovery stage HIV research assets.In October-2016, Elanco U.S., Inc., a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company acquired Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc.'s (BIVI) U.S. feline, canine and rabies vaccines portfolio - as well as a fully integrated manufacturing and R&D site - for USD 885 million, including the estimated cost of acquired inventory.Global Anemia Drugs Market - Regional AnalysisOn the regional backgrounds the Americas leads the global market for anemia drugs owing to huge patient population, increasing healthcare expenditures and presence of the developed economies like U.S. and Canada within the region. Following, the same trends Europe is second in the market. The Asia Pacific region is the fastest growing region due to the developing economies like India and China. Middle East and Africa have the least market share, especially due to the presence of poor economies within the African region. Moreover, stringent government policies within the region are restraining the market growth within the region. On the hand, Middle East leads the regional market due to the presence of developed economies like Kuwait, Qatar, and others within the region and rising healthcare expenses.Table Of Contents1 Introduction2 Research Methodology3 Market Dynamics4 Market Factor Analysis5 Global Anemia Drugs Market, By Anemia Type6 Global Anemia Drugs Market, By Route Of Administration7 Global Anemia Drugs Market, By Product Type8 Global Anemia Drugs Market, By End User9 Global Anemia Drugs Market, By Regions10 Company Landscape11 Company Profile12 Others13 AppendixMajor TOC Continued!Get Exclusive 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Beacon Technology Market Growing at 79.43% CAGR to Hit $ 10474.30 Mn by 2023 | Gimbal Inc, Beaconinside, Sensorberg, Glimworm Beacons, Google, Onyx Beacon SRL, Estimote Inc

Beacon Technology Market 2018 - 2023

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A research study titled, Beacon Technology Market By Platform (ibeacon, Altbeacon, Eddystone), Deployment Model (cloud And On-premise), Application (retail, Tourism & Hospitality, Financial Institutions Real-estate Education, Travel, Healthcare) And Technology (wi-fi, Ble, Combined Technologies, Ultrasound) - Global Industry Analysis And Forecast To 2023 published by Crystal Market Research, states that the Beacon Technology Market was worth USD 54.34 million in 2014 and is expected to reach approximately USD 10474.30 million by 2023, while registering itself at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 79.43% during the forecast period.Top Key Vendors:The leading players in the market are Gimbal Inc, Beaconinside, Sensorberg, Glimworm Beacons, Google, Onyx Beacon SRL, Estimote Inc, Texas Instruments, Radius Networks, BlueCat, blueSense Networks and Apple. The major players in the market are profiled in detail in view of qualities, for example, company portfolio, business strategies, financial overview, recent developments, and share of the overall industry.For more information, click on the below link @The Beacon Technology Market is segmented as follows-By Platform:iBeaconAltBeaconEddystoneBy Deployment Model:CloudOn-premiseBy Application:RetailTourism & HospitalityFinancial Institutions Real-estate EducationTravelHealthcareBy Technology:Wi-FiBLECombined TechnologiesUltrasoundRegional Outlook:North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Rest of Europe)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Rest of Asia-Pacific)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Rest of South America)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Rest of MEA)Click to Request a Sample @Industry Overview:The beacon technology market is picking up traction because of reliably developing interest for proximity-based marketing solutions in the retail condition. As there is an expanding requirement for customized service experience by clients, retailers are exploring modern technological options for enhancing in-store advertising endeavours. With smartphones ready to develop as the pervasive technology of the 21st century, their fast adoption around the globe is boosting the development of the beacon technology market. In addition, government offices around the globe are concentrating on creating smart city projects to modernize the urban framework and make very associated urban areas by utilizing innovative technologies.Table of Contents:1.Introduction2.Executive Summary3.Market Overview4.Market Analysis by Regions5.Beacon Technology Market, By Deployment Model6.Beacon Technology Market, By Application7.Beacon Technology Market, By Technology8.Beacon Technology Market, By Region9.Company Profiles10.Global Beacon Technology Market Competition, by Manufacturer10.1. Global Beacon Technology Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer (2016-2017)10.2. Global Beacon Technology Price by Region (2016-2017)10.3. Top 5 Beacon Technology Manufacturer Market Share10.4. Market Competition Trend11.Beacon Technology Market Forecast (2018-2023)Ask Questions to Expertise at @Technology Trend Analysis:BLE commanded the beacon technology market in 2016 with a substantial market share of more than 85% because of its low power usage capacities contrasted with different advancements in the market, for example, Wi-Fi, Geofencing and GPS. As it is less expensive to fabricate BLE modules, the general cost of reference point equipment can be essentially decreased which makes the innovation the most favoured choice for working beacons.Challenging Factors of Market:The analysis of Beacon Technology Market, their Growth, Demand, position, size and share from different regions are mentioned in detailed.The new strategic plan and suggestions that will help old as well as new market players to maintain the competitiveness are also discussed.The Beacon Technology Market report provides some important points related to growth factors, challenges, opportunities, end-user analysis and achievement and so on.How technological advancement and research, as well as development activities, are impacting the Beacon Technology Market is explained in detail.The development plans and policies are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures too are discussed.Buy now Report @About Crystal Market Research:Crystal Market Research is a U.S. based market research and business intelligence company. Crystal offers one stop solution for market research, business intelligence, and consulting services to help clients make more informed decisions. It provides both syndicated as well as customized research studies for its customers spread across the globe. The company offers market intelligence reports across a broad range of industries including healthcare, chemicals & materials, technology, automotive, and energy.Contact Us:Judy304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107,United StatesToll Free: +1-888-213-4282Email: sales@crystalmarketresearch.comHealthcare IT Solutions market to Witness Steady Growth during the Forecast Period 2017-2025 by market Segment, Type and Application Analysis

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The healthcare IT industry is expected to progress significantly over the coming years owing to the rising needs to administer regulatory compliances through solutions of healthcare IT. The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of +13 % by 2023. The global market is driven by the rising healthcare costs and increasing adoption of information technology. However, factors that may hamper the growth of the industry is also discussed in this report for the readers understanding.The research report analyzes the worldwide Healthcare IT Solutions market in a detailed way by clarifying the key aspects of the marketplace which are predicted to have a quantifiable influence on its developmental prospects over the forecast period. The major growth drivers, challenges, and trends influencing the market are examined at length. An intensive qualitative and quantitative data pertaining to the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects are provided in the report.Get Sample Copy of this Report @Top Key Vendors in Market:McKesson Corporation, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, athenahealth, Epic Systems Corporation, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare, Cerner Corporation, Carestream HealthThe major strategies followed by the established players for a better penetration in the worldwide Healthcare IT Solutions market additionally forms a key segment of this study. These strategies can be employed by the upcoming vendors for a better penetration in the market. The global market on Incinerator has additionally been analyzed in terms of revenue. The market dynamics which includes market drivers, challenges, opportunities, and trends have been presented coupled with their respective impact analysis. The impact analysis helps in accumulating information on the future development of the market. Also market segmentation is explained in the report.The top segments within the market have been highlighted clearly in this record for the readers to recognize in a precised way. These segments were provided by giving information on their current and expected state through the end of the forecast period. The facts presented would assist the upcoming players to gauge the investment scope within the segments and sub-segments of the global Healthcare IT Solutions market.Reasons for Buying this Report:This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsFor more Information:Table of Content:Global Healthcare IT Solutions Market Research Report 2018-2025Chapter 1: Industry OverviewChapter 2: Healthcare IT Solutions International and China Market AnalysisChapter 3: Environment Analysis of Healthcare IT Solutions marketChapter 4: Analysis of Revenue by ClassificationsChapter 5: Analysis of Revenue by Regions and ApplicationsChapter 6: Analysis of Healthcare IT Solutions Revenue Market Status.Chapter 7: Analysis of Healthcare IT Solutions Industry Key ManufacturersChapter 8: Sales Price and Gross Margin AnalysisChapter 9: Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Healthcare IT Solutions marketChapter 10: Development Trend of Healthcare IT Solutions Industry 2016-2021Chapter 11: Industry Chain Suppliers of Healthcare IT Solutions with Contact InformationChapter 12: New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Healthcare IT Solutions marketChapter 13: Conclusion of the Global Healthcare IT Solutions Industry 2015 Market Research ReportAsk for discount@About Research N Reports:Research N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Where counting on a legitimate board company for your selections will become critical. Research N Reports specializes in enterprise evaluation, marketplace forecasts and as a result getting great reports overlaying all verticals, whether be it gaining angle on modern market situations or being in advance inside the cut throat Global opposition.Contact us:(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr, Houston, TX, Pin - 77064,Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.comNavigation Lighting Market Key Players are Glamox AS, Aveo Engineering Group, s.r.o., Hella Marine, Perko Inc., Vega Global, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc, Canepa & Campi, Den Haan Rotterdam, FAMOR S.A.

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The navigation light is a colored source of illumination fitted on aircraft, spacecraft, and waterborne vessel. These are also known as positional lights, as these provide relative position of the aircraft. The lights placement is mandated by civil authorities or international conventions. These are used in limited visibility such as rain, low light or fog and to notify the specified position on aircraft or vessels.Request a Sample of the Report:The increase in the aircraft fleet owing to the increase in air travel passengers drives the growth of the navigational lighting market. In addition, an introduction of energy-efficient lighting technologies also fuel the growth of the market. The growth in awareness of efficient and green technology forces manufacturers to focus on energy efficient light such as LEDs which in turn is favoring the market growth. However, the collapse of the shipbuilding industry in China restrains the market growth. Moreover, the decline in manufacturing cost of LEDs is opportunistic for the navigational lighting market.The navigation lighting market is segmented by end user and by type. Based on end user, the market is bifurcated into marine and aerospace. On the basis of type, it is classified into low light, medium light, and high light intensity. By geography, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.The navigation lighting market is dominated by key players that include Glamox AS, Aveo Engineering Group, s.r.o., Hella Marine, Perko Inc., Vega Global, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc, Canepa & Campi, Den Haan Rotterdam, FAMOR S.A., and TRANBERG.For more details, visit:Navigation Lighting Market Key Segments:By End User Marine AerospaceBy Type Low light intensity Medium-light intensity High light intensityBy Geography North America Europe Asia-Pacific LAMEAAbout Us:Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact:Shriram Dighe5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1?855?550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb:Car Sharing Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players - Car2Go, Autolib, Cambio CarSharing, Orix Corporation, Lyft, Inc., Zipcar, Inc & more

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MarketStudyReport.com offers 2018 report on global Car Sharing market that evaluates industry growth trends through historical data and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2018-2024.Car Sharing Market Research Report for the period of 2018-2024 that shows the growth of the market is rising at a 20% CAGR to 2024.Car Sharing Market is projected to surpass USD 11 billion by 2024. Increasing initiatives by the government to increase the usage of these services are expected to be one of the major factors driving the car sharing market growth. In July 2017, the ministry of transport of China drafted a policy to provide incentives to the users of these services, such as preferential parking slots & rates. Increasing government support is encouraging the implementation of these services with the traditional transportation modes. For instance, the local public transport operator in Brussels, STIB has partnered with Cambio Car Sharing to facilitate the integration of these services with public transportation, thus positively impacting the car sharing market in the country.Request a sample of this premium report at:Car sharing market is projected to witness growth due to the benefits experienced by the users such as reduction in costs incurred including the purchase of vehicles, parking, insurance, fuel, maintenance, etc. The users can avoid the fixed costs of ownership by accessing the vehicles on the pay-per-use basis. Furthermore, the environmental benefits due to traffic congestion are attracting customers to these services. In March 2014, Paris imposed a partial vehicle ban due to persistent air pollution above the stipulated European standards. During this time, the city has granted access to only car sharing and public transport vehicles.Increasing competition from other mobility services, such as ride-hailing, and car rental, are expected to challenge the car sharing market during the forecast timespan. The perceived benefits of these models such as more reduction in traffic and pollution are encouraging the consumers to use these services often. Furthermore, the vendors in the industry are increasingly providing low-cost ride-sharing services, threatening the car sharing market growth.Car sharing market in business applications is expected to witness growth, due to advantages such as flexibility for employees and reduction in fleet management costs. These services allow employees of the organization access to a large fleet of vehicles and flexibility of booking vehicles as & when needed. These services allow the fleet managers to streamline fleet operations and make an optimal use of vehicles. Furthermore, these services allow the organizations to save more by reducing total cost of mobility by about 30%.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Europe car sharing market is expected to witness a significant growth due to the increasing awareness regarding these services among people and increasing government support. Under Initiativa Car Sharing, the government of Italy provides an extensive support to the players in the industry including incentives for drivers such as free parking in city centers and access to low emission zones. London Municipality, in association with the Transport for London (TfL), has introduced Car Clubs Strategy to support local clubs to penetrate the industry. The local authorities actively promote the use of these services and their benefits to the consumers.Some of the key vendors in the car sharing market are Car2Go, Autolib, Cambio CarSharing, Orix Corporation, Lyft, Inc., and Zipcar, Inc. These companies are constantly devising strategies such as lowering fares and offering promotional discounts to remain competitive in the industry. Furthermore, the industry is characterized by strong competition among both global and regional players.Table of Content:Chapter 1 Methodology & ScopeChapter 2 Executive SummaryChapter 3 Car Sharing Industry InsightsChapter 4 Car Sharing Market, By Business ModelChapter 5 Car Sharing Market, By ModelChapter 6 Car Sharing Market, By ApplicationChapter 7 Car Sharing Market, By RegionChapter 8 Company ProfilesMore Details on this Report At:Related Report:Mobility on Demand Market Size by Service (Car Sharing [By Model {P2P, Station-Based, Free-Floating}, By Business Model {Round Trip, One Way}], Ride Hailing, Car Rental [By Vehicle Type {Luxury Car, Executive Car, Economy Car, SUV, MUV}], By Application (Business, Private), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018 - 2024Mobility on Demand Market is projected to surpass USD 200 billion by 2024. The development of travel & tourism industry is expected to be one of the major drivers of the industry. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, in 2016, the direct contribution of this sector to GDP was USD 2,306.0 billion, that is approximately 3.1% of the total GDP. Transport forms a vital component of the travel industry for the sustainable growth of the sector. Using mobile technologies, travelers are seeking more freedom of movement, demanding advanced mobility solutions such as car rental services and positively impacting the mobility on demand market.About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:Global Commercial Satellite Launch Service Market Analysis & Technological Innovation by Top Key Player Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Space Exploration Technology, Boeing, Axelspace Corporation, and Orbital ATK & More

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Commercial satellite launch service market is anticipated to witness significant growth in the ensuing years, attributed to the rapid penetration of internet worldwide, increasing use of navigation services for location tracking, and growing adoption of cab services. In a recent turn of events, Indias principal space organization ISROs commercial wing Antrix Corporation Limited, launched 2 commercial British satellites namely NovaSAR & S1-4. Incidentally, these satellites would be employed for flood & disaster monitoring, forest mapping, and other uses. An increasing number of orbital launch sites across the globe and a reduction in service expenses are poised to impel commercial satellite launch service industry growth.Market Study Report adds a new Commercial Satellite Launch Service Market Research Report for the period of 2018-2024 that shows the growth of the market is rising at a Steady CAGR to 2024.Proliferating use of GPS and communication-based facilities will require additional launches thereby boosting commercial satellite launch service Market from 2018 to 2024. Rising sales of passenger vehicles with built-in navigation facility has increased adoption of this facility in various sectors including information & technology, electronics, and automobile. Companies in oil and gas sector trace the fuel tankers and vehicles for monitor the on-shore facilities that requires well established communication network. Owing to diverse applications the service demand is predicted to expand thereby supporting industry growth rate.Request a sample of this premium Research Report at:Increasing public spending and availability of financial investment is spurring the use of smart appliances, such as smart televisions and web streaming which in turn will fuel commercial satellite launch service Market. Soaring smart phone sales along with internet usage among youngsters is enhancing web-based applications such as AccuWeather, Google search, Facebook, and Instagram. In addition, introduction of smart classes will further improve internet penetration. In 2017, the number of online users reached approximately to 25 million. This in turn will escalate the commercial satellite launch service Market in next seven years.Continuous R&D activities for cost reductions will aid developing countries such as India to strengthen its position., In 2018, ISRO launched 31 satellites and is planning for around 3000 in next ten years. Rising satellite manufacturing facilities will strengthen the commercial satellite launch service Market over the forecast period. For instance, in 2017, Airbus commissioned factory to manufacture One-Web SATs with annual investment of around USD 17 billion.Communication commercial satellite launch service Market will dominate industry volume share owing to increasing usage of wireless technology and rising connectivity among various countries. Reconnaissance segment is anticipated to hold over 35% of overall revenue share owing to utilization of imagery SATs for improving farming techniques. Online web sources and GIS tools for farmers will further spur segment revenue over the forecast period.North America is predicted to dominate commercial satellite launch service Market and will be worth over USD 2.5 billion by 2024. This dominance can be credited to availability of robust infrastructure in the region and presence of multiple space organizations including SpaceX and NASA. Expansion of navigation industry demand to locate destinations is contributing significantly in regional revenue generation. Asia Pacific is anticipated to register robust growth owing to low launching cost offered by organizations such as ISRO.Commercial satellite launch service market players are Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Space Exploration Technology, Boeing, Axelspace Corporation, and Orbital ATK. Industry players are adopting mergers and acquisition strategy to enhance their industry share. In January 2018, ULA acquired Atlas division of Lockheed to reduce cost and enhancing business efficiency.Outer Scope of this report Amid intensifying competition between global players, the European-made Ariane 5 can be considered one of the most sought-after companies in commercial satellite launch service market, hauling 205 satellites into the space orbits to date. Two U.S. based communication satellites are all set to ride the 100th trip of the Ariane 5 rocket into space from the French Guiana jungle, in late September. That said, other industry majors are also leveraging their expertise and are intent on capturing huge market shares through collaborations, R&D initiatives, product innovation, and facility expansions. Recently, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, successfully launched a commercial satellite for Telesat, marking the satellite launch giants 16th mission of 2018. The satellite dubbed the Telstar 18 Vantage satellite would expand the communications services in New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Mongolia. On this note, it is prudent to mention that through such growth tactics, commercial satellite launch service market players would certainly amass commendable gains in the future.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Table of Content:Chapter 1. Methodology and ScopeChapter 2. Executive SummaryChapter 3. Commercial Satellite Launch Service Industry InsightsChapter 4. Commercial satellite launch service Market, By OrbitChapter 5. Commercial satellite launch service Market, By SizeChapter 6. Commercial satellite launch service Market, By ApplicationChapter 7. Commercial satellite launch service Market, By RegionChapter 8. Company ProfilesFor More Details about this report:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWeb site:Blog:Home Health Hub Market with set to Grow according to Industry Expert including Top Leading Players like: Qualcomm, Honeywell, Vivify, Lamprey Networks and Forecast during 2018 to 2023

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Home Health Hub will be a growing part of the home health technology market. These devices and applications use wireless connectivity to aggregate information from disparate sources. There are two main groups of home health hubs: standalone devices and downloadable applications that reside on the mobile device (smartphone or tablet) or wearable device (such as a smart watch).According to this research study, Home Health Hub Market is expected to grow with a significant rate in the coming years, owing to factors such as increasing emphasis on patient engagement & care management and extensive use of software solutions by healthcare providers in developed as well as developing countries across the globe. This market study offer details about the current trends and analysis as well as scope for the near future. This research study covers information about the production, consumption and market share based on different active regions.Ask for Sample PDF Copy of Home Health Hub Market research report:Top Players involved in this market: AMC Health, iHealth Lab, IDEAL LIFE, Hicare, MedMHome Health Hub Market research report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. The report analyzes factors affecting market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. This report will facilitate strategic decision-making with reliable and authentic market data. The report provides decisive strategies with an objective to support the decision making regarding market entry and exit.In the end, Home Health Hub Market study utilizes a SWOT analysis as well as Porters Five Forces analysis to reveal the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Lastly, this report covers market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years along with the product life cycle, comparing it to the relevant products from across industries that had already been commercialized details the potential for various applications, discussing about recent product innovations and gives an overview on potential regional market.Enquiry before purchasing this report:Table of Content:Home Health Hub Market Research Report 2018-2023Chapter 1: Home Health Hub Market OverviewChapter 2: Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3: Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4: Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5: Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6: Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7: Home Health Hub Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8: Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9: Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10: Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersAbout Us:Global Market Forecasts is a global business intelligence and consulting firm aimed at assisting our clients to make critical business decisions and achieve exponential growth in their business. We focus on emerging markets and technologies, and insights on niche markets. Our reports include information on recent trends and innovations. Our pool of more than 300 off-shelf reports in each industry and customized reports based on the clients requirement aids our client in making faster business decisions.Contact Us:Office No. 102 - Kumar Primus,Hadapsar Industrial Area,Pune 411028.Mob: +44-33-0606-0991 / +1-201-564-4683Email: sales@globalmarketforecasts.comCosmeceuticals Market Analysis Report By Key Players - P&G, Shiseido, Unilever, Beiersdorf, L'Oreal - Global Forecast

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UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Cosmeceuticals Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 123 pages which highly exhibits on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Get Free Sample Report@The report begins with the overview of the Cosmeceuticals market and updates the users about the latest developments and future expectations. It presents a comparative detailed analysis of all the regional and major player segments, offering readers a better knowledge of areas in which they can place their existing resources and gauging the priority of a particular region in order to boost their standing in the global market.Cosmeceuticals market research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period. It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Cosmeceuticals global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2018 - 2025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.The generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Cosmeceuticals market industry analysis & forecast 2018-2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.The major manufacturers covered in this report P&G Shiseido Unilever Beiersdorf L'Oreal Johnson & Johnson Henkel Kao LVMH Revlon Amway AVON Beauty Products Chanel Clarins Coty Edgewell Personal Care O Boticario Tom's of Maine World Hair Cosmetics (Asia) Helen of Troy Mary Kay ConairGeographically, this report studies the top producers and consumers, focuses on product capacity, production, value, consumption, market share and growth opportunity in these key regions, covering North America Europe China Japan India Southeast Asia Other regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)We can also provide the customized separate regional or country-level reports, for the following regions: North America Asia-Pacific Europe Central & South America Middle East & AfricaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Skincare Cosmeceuticals Haircare Cosmeceuticals Oral Care Cosmeceuticals Make-Up CosmeceuticalsBy Application, the market can be split into: Specialty Stores Hypermarkets, Supermarkets, and Convenience Stores Drugstores OthersThe Report covers in-depth analysis as follows: Chapter 1 Industry Overview of Cosmeceuticals Chapter 2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Cosmeceuticals Chapter 3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Cosmeceuticals Chapter 4 Global Cosmeceuticals Overall Market Overview Chapter 5 Cosmeceuticals Regional Market Analysis Chapter 6 Global 2013-2018E Cosmeceuticals Segment Market Analysis (by Type) Chapter 7 Global 2013-2018E Cosmeceuticals Segment Market Analysis (by Application) Chapter 8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Cosmeceuticals Chapter 9 Development Trend of Analysis of Cosmeceuticals Market Chapter 10 Cosmeceuticals Marketing Type Analysis Chapter 11 Consumers Analysis of Cosmeceuticals Chapter 12 Conclusion of the Global Cosmeceuticals Market Professional Survey Report 2017Buy this report@Global Cosmeceuticals Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2025 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market-driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real-time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real-time scenario.Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Cosmeceuticals Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2025 and its commercial landscape Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations To understand the future outlook and prospects for Cosmeceuticals market industry analysis and forecast 2018-2025.For more information@Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United StatesIndustrial Wax Market 2017 - 2025 : Royal Dutch Shell Plc., Sinopec Corp., Sasol Limited., OJSC Lukoil, and ExxonMobil Corp

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Global Industrial Wax Market: SnapshotThe usage of paraffin wax has been quite common over the years after its discovery and the ability to be synthesized at large scales. Waxes have been used in the manufacture of candles, as coatings on structural surfaces, as additives in packaging materials, and even in the food and beverages industry. Paraffin wax can be derived from coal, shale, or petroleum and is an assortment of hydrocarbons. Wax is generally solid at room temperature and on average, starts to melt above 99 degrees Fahrenheit. The discovery of wax was advantageous to the manufacturers of candles, who previously used tallow which was less reliable as well as expensive.The industrial applications of wax are already diverse and increasing at a slow rate over time. The most common applications of wax are created through the alteration of the crystals of wax, usually through the addition of branches to their current chains. The use of additives such as specific types of polyethylene can improve the functional properties, viscosity, and even the crystalline structure of wax. In the food industry, food-grade wax can be used to produce shiny coatings on top of candies. Food-grade wax is non-digestible, but is classified as edible and harmless and cannot be broken down in the body. Wax is also used as a protective coating for several types of cheese, which helps maintain their qualities.From the manufacture of candles to its use in coatings, packaging, polishing, food, and a vast variety of application areas and industrial products, the wax industry plays a key role in the smooth functioning of many industries. In the past few years, the rising application of candles manufacturing along with the increased use of wax across the packaging and personal care industries have significantly driven the global industrial wax market.This report on the global industrial wax market presents a thorough overview of the present state of the markets growth dynamics and the future growth prospects over the period between 2017 and 2025.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Global Industrial Wax Market: Scope of the ReportThe report analyzes the key indicators expected to have a notable impact on the markets growth prospects, including growth restraints, challenges, growth opportunities, and trends. Forward-looking statements in the report have been backed with vast qualitative and quantitative details about the market and its key segments.To provide a comprehensive analysis of the market, the report examines notable players in the market with the help of SWOT analysis, value chain analysis, and Porters five forces analysis. Analysis of key market vendors with the help of value chain and Porters five forces model allows the reader to gauge the state of competitiveness in the global modified bitumen market.The study also includes a thorough section covering the market attractiveness analysis, wherein key regional markets, product varieties, applications, and end-use segments have been analyzed on the basis of attractiveness of each key region analyzed in the report. Details related to aspects such as the availability of raw materials, growth rate, profit margin, market size, technological advancements, and environmental and legal liabilities have been examined so as to derive the general attractiveness of the global industrial wax market.Global Industrial Wax Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe market for industrial waxes is largely dependent on the growth dynamics of the global oil and gas market as paraffin waxes, the most common variety of wax used across industrial applications, are derived from petroleum. Since the beginning of 2015, the global oil and gas industry has witnessed significant slowdown owing to overproduction, reduced global demand, and the consecutive reduction in prices. The resultant volatility in raw material prices, in addition to the stringent environment protection laws, has compelled companies to focus on sustainable raw materials such as polyethylene wax and beeswax.Request TOC of the Report @The trend is expected to have a moderate impact on the overall development of the industrial wax market in the next few years as the global oil and gas industry is expected to achieve stabilization in terms of prices in the near term. The application of candles is expected to remain the leading consumers of industrial wax over the reports forecast period as well. The packaging industry is also expected to be one of the leading consumers of industrial wax in the next few years.Global Industrial Wax Market: Geographical and Competitive LandscapeThe report provides a detailed overview of the industrial wax market across regions such as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East and Africa. Of these, the Asia Pacific market is presently the leading contributor of revenue to the global industrial wax market and is also the region with the most promising future growth prospects. China accounts for a significant share in the Asia Pacific industrial wax market owing to the presence of some of the leading companies in the global industrial wax market. India is also steadily becoming one of the leading markets for industrial wax. The country is expected to emerge as one of the prominent consumers of the industrial wax over the reports forecast period.Some of the leading companies operating in the global industrial wax market are Royal Dutch Shell Plc., Sinopec Corp., Sasol Limited., OJSC Lukoil, and ExxonMobil Corp.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.comProbiotics Market Analysis & Technological Innovation by Top Key Players Danone, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., Nestle S.A., Lifeway Foods, Inc., Ganeden, Inc., Probi AB, BioGaia AB, Danisco A/S, Nebraska Cultures, Lallemand Inc.

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The probiotics market is anticipated to reach over USD 77,240 million by 2026. In 2017, the functional food and beverage segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period.A significant increase in disposable income, changing lifestyles, and initiatives by market players to promote natural products drive the growth of this market. The health benefits offered by probiotics such as enhanced digestion, stronger immune system, healthier skin, decreased chances of cold and flu have increased its demand significantly over the years. Other factors supporting market growth include increasing awareness regarding use of probiotics in food products and beverages, and research and development for advancement. Increasing demand from developing nations is expected provide numerous growth opportunities to the market players during the forecast period.Request sample copy of this report @Top Key Player:-DanoneYakult Honsha Co., Ltd.Nestle S.A.Lifeway Foods, Inc.Ganeden, Inc.Probi ABBioGaia ABDanisco A/SNebraska CulturesLallemand Inc.General Mills, Inc.I-Health Inc.Improvement in lifestyle and increasing disposable income, especially in the developing countries of Asia-Pacific fuels the demand for probiotics market. Factors such as increase in per capita income and changes in consumer behavior are expected to accelerate the adoption of probiotics in the coming years. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware regarding their health and taking preventive health measures, thereby promoting the adoption of probiotics.Asia-Pacific generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The rising geriatric population in the region, and increasing disposable income drive the market growth. The increasing demand of health products in the region along with increasing awareness regarding benefits of probiotics further support market growth. The increasing demand of probiotics for animal feed and growing demand for healthy livestock is expected to accelerate the adoption of probiotics during the forecast period.Make Inquiry about this report @The different sources of probiotics include bacteria, and yeast. In 2017, the bacteria segment accounted for the highest market share. Use of healthy bacteria offers benefits such as enhanced immunity, prevention of diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome, reduced chances of cold and flu, and increased lactase production among others. Growing awareness and extensive research and development for further development are expected to support market growth during the forecast period.Table Of Content: -Probiotics Market InsightsProbiotics  Industry snapshotProbiotics - Ecosystem analysisProbiotics Market DynamicsProbiotics  Market ForcesProbiotics Market Driver AnalysisProbiotics Market Restraint/Challenges analysisProbiotics Market Opportunity AnalysisIndustry analysis - Porter's five forceBargaining power of supplierBargaining power of buyerThreat of substituteThreat of new entrantDegree of competitionProbiotics Market PEST Analysis, 2016Probiotics Market Value Chain AnalysisProbiotics Industry TrendsCompetitive Ranking Analysis.Complete Report is Available at @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.comWeb:Brett, who took the helm at J. Crew last year, said the relaunch is showing results. There's an increase in new shoppers and a return of customers who had left, as J. Crew emphasized inclusiveness through a wider range of sizes and more entry-level prices. The company is also making an effort to keep its Madewell and J. Crew brands unique.Third Party Logistics Market Analysis Focusing on Top Key Players  FedEx Corporation, Union Pacific Corporation, Kuehne+Nagel Inc., BNSF Railway Company, AmeriCold Logistics, LLC, Landstar System, Inc.

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The global third party logistics market generated $795 billion in 2017 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period.Third Party logistics or 3PL is expected to replace the traditional ways in which companies handle their supply chain and logistics operations. It is the process of outsourcing majority or almost all of the supply chain and logistics operations to an independent company. This enables the manufacturers and retailers to focus on their core business and its competencies by subcontracting the skills they lack. The services offered by 3PL include dedicated contract carriage, domestic transportation management, international transportation management, warehousing distribution and other services.Request sample copy of this report @Increased globalization has propelled a strong connectivity of manufacturing and retail activities, which has greatly influenced the third-party logistics market growth. The increase in manufacturing productivity has increased the demand for supply chain, supporting the growth of the third-party logistics market. The reliability and cost effectiveness of services offered by 3PL has encouraged businesses to invest in it to increase their overall productivity. However, since there is no control of logistics with the manufacturers and retailers, a risk of loss of reputation hinders the market growth to a certain extent. The implementation of multi-channel logistics network to reduce the total time and cost, along with integration of IT software and services is expected to offer growth opportunities during the forecast period.The report provides an extensive qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market trends and growth prospects of the Global third party logistics market, 2017-2026. This report comprises a detailed geographic distribution of the market across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and MEA. North America is further segmented into U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Europe is divided into Germany, UK, Italy, France, and Rest of Europe. Asia-Pacific is bifurcated into China, India, Japan, and Rest of Asia-Pacific.Asia-Pacific generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017 owing to increasing demand from automotive and manufacturing sectors. The emerging economies of China, Japan, India, and South Korea along with increasing trend of e-commerce impacts the market growth.Make Inquiry about this report @Competitive Landscape and Key VendorsThe global third party logistics market is characterized by the presence of well-diversified international and small and medium-sized vendors. These companies are consistently launching new products to enhance their offerings in the market. With the advancement of technologies, companies are innovating and introducing new customized products to cater the growing needs of the customers. Leading companies are also acquiring other companies, and enhancing their product offerings to improve their market reach. Acquisitions enable key players to increase their market potential in terms of geographic expansion and expansion of customer base.The key players operating the third party logistics market include FedEx Corporation, Union Pacific Corporation, Kuehne+Nagel Inc., BNSF Railway Company, AmeriCold Logistics, LLC, Landstar System, Inc., Ryder System, Inc., Burris Logistics, DB SCHENKER Logistics, and CEVA Logistics.Key SegmentsService Dedicated Contract Carriage Domestic Transportation Management International Transportation Management Warehousing and Distribution OthersMode of Transportation Roadways Railways Waterways AirwaysEnd-User Retail Manufacturing Healthcare OthersRegion North Americao U.S.o Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo UKo Franceo Italyo Rest of Europe Asia-Pacifico Chinao Indiao Japano Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin Americao Brazilo Rest of Latin AmericaMiddle East and Africa.Complete Report is Available at @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.comWeb: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.comWeb:Pet Oral Care Products: Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players  Goran Pharma, TropiClean, PetzLife, Greenies, Kane Biotech, Arm Hammer, Burt's Bees

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Worldwide Pet Oral Care Products Market Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the Pet Oral Care Products industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global Pet Oral Care Products market with detailed market segmentation by product/application and geography. The global Pet Oral Care Products market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Pet Oral Care Products players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.Pet Oral Care Products Market Players: Goran Pharma TropiClean PetzLife Greenies Kane Biotech Inc. Arm Hammer Burt's Bees ...Get Sample Copy of This Report Now @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, and market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Dental Foods Teeth Cleaning Aids Fresh Breath Aids OtherOn the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including Dogs Cats OthersMajor regions are as follows: North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaPURCHASE the Full Report please click on the Link @The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global Pet Oral Care Products market based on product and application. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall Pet Oral Care Products market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM), which is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend and provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions.Also, key Pet Oral Care Products market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Reason to Buy- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Pet Oral Care Products market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.Inquire for Discount @Contact Us:Call: +1-888-236-2744Email: sales@qyresearchgroups.comAbout Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Room B1510, Shiji Kemao Building,No.66 Zhongguancun East Road,Haidian District, Beijing,100190, China.New Study Report On Organic Beverages Market 2018 Global Analysis By Key Players- Hain Celestial Group, Amys Kitchen, Honest Tea, Bionade GmbH, Starbucks, Britvic France, The Kroger, Suja Life

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Organic Beverages Industry research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period.Get FREE Sample Report Before Buying @UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Organic Beverages Market Analysis and Forecast 2018-2023 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 107 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Organic Beverages Industry research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period. It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Organic Beverages Industry global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2018  2023.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.The generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Organic Beverages market analysis & forecast 2018-2023 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Region-wise Analysis Global Organic Beverages Market covers: North America Europe China Japan India Central & South America Middle East & AfricaThe Major players reported in the market include: Hain Celestial Group Amys Kitchen Honest Tea Bionade GmbH Starbucks Britvic France The Kroger Suja Life Oregon Chai Jacobs Douwe Egberts Odwalla Koninklijke Wessanen IMS Hollinger Naked Juice Supervalu Inc SunOpta Inc Nutrition &Sante Iberia The WhiteWave Foods Tesco Newmans Own Organic ValleyFor More Information, Please VisitGlobal Organic Beverages Market: Product Segment Analysis: Organic Coffee & Tea Organic Dairy Alternatives Organic Soft Drinks Organic Alcohol Beverages OtherGlobal Organic Beverages Market: Application Segment Analysis: Supermarket Convenience Store Online Store OtherThe Report covers in-depth analysis as follows: Chapter 1 Study Coverage Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers Chapter 4 Breakdown Data by Type Chapter 5 Breakdown Data by Application Chapter 6 North America Chapter 7 Europe Chapter 8 Asia Pacific Chapter 9 Central & South America Chapter 10 Middle East and Africa Chapter 11 Company Profile Chapter 12 Market Opportunities, Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis Chapter 13 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis Chapter 14 Research Findings and Conclusion Chapter 15 AppendixBuy Organic Beverages Market analysis & forecast 2018-2023 Report along with complete TOC @Organic Beverages Market Analysis and Forecast 2018-2023 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market-driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real-time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real-time scenario.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Organic Beverages are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2025Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Organic Beverages Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2023 and its commercial landscape. Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations. To understand the future outlook and prospects for Organic Beverages market analysis and forecast 2018-2023.Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:The UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500, East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United StatesBinocular Microscope Market to Reflect Impressive Expansion During 2018-2026

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A microscope is a device used to view a magnified image of an object not visible to the naked eye. Various types of microscopes such as electron microscope, optical microscope and binocular microscope are available in the market. A binocular microscope is a microscope with two eyepieces and a single objective, through which you can see the object. It permits both eyes to watch at a time through a single objective. A binocular microscope has two eyepiece lens, a tube, an arm, a base and an illuminator. The eyepiece lens comes with an adjustable magnification power.Microscopes play a vital part in observing and studying microorganisms and thus, in the diagnosis of various microbial infections. Various new and unrecognized microorganisms are adversely affecting the human body and projecting a major threat to human life. To develop treatment options for such microbial infections, the biology of the microorganism needs to be studied first where a microscope plays an important role. The magnified image of a microorganism helps scientists, students and research and development professionals understand the structure of the microorganism so treatment options can be developed accordingly. Binocular microscopes are designed on the principle of geometric beam splitting where the resolution of the rear exit pupil is split.A sample of this report is available upon request @The incidences of new infections are on the rise and each time, the structure of the microorganism is different. Thus, there is a need to study the cell structure of the microorganism, which is driving the binocular microscope market. Binocular microscopes offer a comfort during use as they are equipped with two eyepieces. In industrial research and diagnostic labs where microscopes are used around the clock, microscopes with single eyepieces can put additional strain on the eye and hamper observational and analytical capability. Hence, binocular microscopes are preferred among these institutes, which is driving the growth of the market. Features such as easy handling and adjusting for desired magnification, adjustable inclination and 360 degree rotation make binocular microscope the preferred choice in the market. The cost-efficient nature of binocular microscopes as compared to other microscopes makes them the go-to product for students and other research personnel.On the other hand, the adoption of advanced microscopes such as electron microscopes and optical microscopes hampers the growth of the binocular microscope market.Binocular Microscope Market: SegmentationBased on the end user, the binocular microscope market has been segmented as:Research LaboratoriesEducational institutesDiagnostic LaboratoriesOthersThe increasing prevalence of microbial infection, coupled with the complex nature of newly emerging microorganisms affecting human beings, fuel the growth of the global binocular microscope market. Among the end user segments, research laboratories is slated to be the dominant segment in the binocular microscope market due to the high number of research studies. Manufacturers of binocular microscopes are focusing on developing more efficient products by incorporating additional features. They are partnering with local players in their respective regions and performing various promotional activities to improve their market footprint. Additional features such as 360 degree rotation, anti-dust coating and long term durability with easy handling are the key focus areas for binocular microscope manufacturers.Binocular Microscope Market: Regional AnalysisTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @On the basis of geography, the global binocular microscope market has been segmented into five major regions, namely North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa. North America is pegged to be the most lucrative binocular microscope market due to the large-scale research and development activities in research laboratories and educational institutes in the region. Europe is slated to be the second most lucrative binocular microscope market due to the higher adoption of binocular microscopes in research. Asia-Pacific is an emerging binocular microscope market due to the increasing focus on R&D for cost effectiveness by large-scale industries in the region. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are pegged to be the least lucrative binocular microscope markets globally.Binocular Microscope Market: Market ParticipantsKey participants identified in the binocular microscope market include LabX, World Precision Instruments, Biotek Engineers, Suncore, Quasmo, Advanced Technocracy Inc., Zenith Labs, GT Vision Ltd and others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:Breast Prosthesis Market Clinical Area Growth Segmentation 2018 to 2025

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Marketinsightsreports adds Global Breast Prosthesis Market Insights, Forecast to 2025 new report to its research database that gives a top to bottom investigation of the market as far as income and developing business sector patterns. The abstract includes business overview, product offering, revenue share, strategies, and service offering of the dominant players.This report covers several key areas in the Breast Prosthesis market. Global market trends are analyzed with currently available data on the number of Breast Prosthesis companies and their sales revenues. The report discusses recent advancements in Breast Prosthesis market, ethical issues in Breast Prosthesis market, and the challenges and barriers that may restrict the market.The history and current state of Breast Prosthesis market is reviewed and discussed. An analysis of industry structure, including sales, market share and the major market drivers, is presented.Request sample of the report atGlobal Breast Prosthesis market by Top Manufacturers (2018-2025): Allergan Inc.Actavis, Arion Laboratories, CEREPLAS, Establishment Labs, GC Aesthetics, GROUPE SEBBIN, Guangzhou Wanhe Plastic Materials, Hans Biomed, Ideal Implant, Mentor Worldwide LLC (Johnson & Johnson), POLYTECH Health & Aesthetics, Sientra Inc, Silimed.In the Breast Prosthesis market research reports, following points are included along with in-depth study of each point: Production Analysis  Production of the Breast Prosthesis is analysed with respect to different regions, types and applications. Here, price analysis of various Breast Prosthesis market key players is also covered. Sales and Revenue Analysis  Both, sales and revenue are studied for the different regions of the Breast Prosthesis market. Another major aspect, price, which plays important part in the revenue generation, is also assessed in this section for the various regions. Supply and Consumption  In continuation with sales, this section studies supply and consumption for the Breast Prosthesis market. This part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Import and export figures are also given in this part. Competitors  In this section, various Breast Prosthesis industry leading players are studied with respect to their company profile, product portfolio, capacity, price, cost and revenue. Other analyses  Apart from the aforementioned information, trade and distribution analysis for the Breast Prosthesis market, contact information of major manufacturers, suppliers and key consumers is also given.Breast Prosthesis Market is segmented based on the Types such asSilicone GelSaline SolutionFurther, the Breast Prosthesis Market is segmented based on the applications such asHospitalBeauty ClinicOtherBrowse full report at:This independent report guarantees you will remain better informed than your competition. With tables and figures examining the Breast Prosthesis market, the report gives you a visual, one-stop breakdown of the leading products, submarkets and market leaders market revenue forecasts as well as analysis to 2025.Major Highlights of Breast Prosthesis Market report: Breast Prosthesis Market Overview Market Competition by Manufacturers Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders Market Effect Factors Analysis Global Breast Prosthesis Market Forecast (2018-2025)The Breast Prosthesis market reports includes New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis that will help to determine whether the project is technically feasible, is feasible within the estimated cost, and will be profitable or not.There are 15 chapters to deeply display the Global Breast Prosthesis market: Chapter 1, to describe Breast Prosthesis Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force. Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Breast Prosthesis, with sales, revenue, and price of Breast Prosthesis, in 2017 and 2018. Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2017 and 2018. Chapter 4, to show the Global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Breast Prosthesis, for each region, from 2014 to 2018. Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions. Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2014 to 2018. Chapter 12, Breast Prosthesis market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2018 to 2025. Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Breast Prosthesis sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.About Us:-MarketInsightsReports provides syndicated market research reports to industries, organizations or even individuals with an aim of helping them in their decision making process. These reports include in-depth market research studies i.e. market share analysis, industry analysis, information on products, countries, market size, trends, business research details and much more. MarketInsightsReports provides Global and regional market intelligence coverage, a 360-degree market view which includes statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact US:Irfan Tamboli (Head of Sales)Market Insights Reports4893, Pepper drive, Harrisburg ,NC 28075,United StatesPhone: + 1704 266 3234 | Mob: +91-750-707-8687sales@marketinsightsreports.com | irfan@marketinsightsreports.comConnect with us On:Solid State Battery Market Estimated with Key Players like Johnson Battery Technologies, Samsung, BMW, and Hyundai during the Forecast Period 2018-2025.

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UpMarketResearch offers a latest published report on Global Solid State Battery Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 100 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Solid State Battery global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2018 - 2025.Get FREE Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/8266Solid State Battery market research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period. It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.The generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Solid State Battery market industry analysis & forecast 2018-2025 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Region-wise Analysis Global Solid State Battery Market covers: North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaThe major manufacturers covered in this report Johnson Battery Technologies Samsung BMW Hyundai Dyson Apple CATL Bollore Toyota Panasonic Jiawei Bosch Quantum Scape Ilika Excellatron Solid State Cymbet Solid Power Mitsui Kinzoku ProLogiumSolid State Battery Breakdown Data by Product type By Material Lead Acid Battery Nickel-Metal Hybrid Battery Lithium-Ion Battery Lithium Metal Battery Other By Battery Capacity Less Than 20 mAh 20-500 mAh Above 500 mAhSolid State Battery Breakdown Data by Application Consumer Electronics Electric Vehicles Aerospaces OtherFor more information, Visit: https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/8266In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Solid State Battery are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2025The Report covers in-depth analysis as follows:1 Industry Overview of Solid State Battery2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Solid State Battery3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Solid State Battery4 Global Solid State Battery Overall Market Overview5 Solid State Battery Regional Market Analysis6 Global 2013-2018E Solid State Battery Segment Market Analysis (by Type)7 Global 2013-2018E Solid State Battery Segment Market Analysis (by Application)8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Solid State Battery9 Development Trend of Analysis of Solid State Battery Market10 Solid State Battery Marketing Type Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of Solid State BatteryBuy report @Global Solid State Battery Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2025 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market-driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real-time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real-time scenario.Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Solid State Battery Market Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2025 and its commercial landscape Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations To understand the future outlook and prospects for Solid State Battery market industry analysis and forecast 2018-2025.Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United StatesBionics Market is forecast to Rise at a CAGR of 9.5% during 2018 - 2023 | ABIOMED,ASAHI KASEI MEDICAL, BAXTER INTERNATIONAL, COCHLEAR LIMITED, CYBERONICS, EDWARD LIFESCIENCES, EKSO BIONICS, ROCHE HOLDING AG, AND MEDTRONIC

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Bionics are man-made devices that can be implanted or integrated into humans, to either replace a natural organ or provide support to restore specific function, or a group of related functions, helping the patient to return to his normal life. The global bionics market is expected to register a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period (2018 - 2023).Detailed Sample Copy of Updated Analysis @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.Scarcity of Donor OrgansThe lack of availability of potential organs to transplant has been a major issue. The demand for organ donors is ever increasing and is very high, when compared to the actual supply. It has been estimated that of all the patients who need organ transplantation, only 10% are able to undergo the process. This has been a major boost for bionics market, as the patients cannot afford to wait in the queue, since the stakes are very high. Bionics are able to cater to the needs of those in need of organ transplantations and replacements. Bionics can replicate the function of damaged organs. The replication is almost the same. This level of scarcity of organs has turned into a boon for artificial organs and bionics industry.Increased incidence of disabilities and organ failures, technological advancements and high incidence of road accidents leading to amputations, are some of the other factors contributing to the growth of the market.Key Developments in the MarketFebruary 2018: Abiomed received approval for an expanded FDA indication for the Impella 2.5u00ae and Impella CPu00ae heart pumps, during elective and urgent high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) proceduresMajor players:ABIOMED,ASAHI KASEI MEDICAL CO. LTD, BAXTER INTERNATIONAL INC., COCHLEAR LIMITED, CYBERONICS INC., EDWARD LIFESCIENCES, EKSO BIONICS, ROCHE HOLDING AG, AND MEDTRONIC, amongst othersRequest Discount on this report @Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.Expensive ProceduresThe cost of the procedure is a major constraint for the bionics market. The high cost of these organs is due to the production policies to address the patients, taxpayers, and medical technology corporations. For instance, organ transplant has many issues in the current market scenario, such as the policies for procurement, transplant tourism, organ trafficking, and others.Each year, there are about 32,500 people at the age of 55-70 years in the final stages of their heart diseases, and are in need of an artificial heart. However, the protocol requiring written consent of the patient, limits the number to 12,000. The estimates of the cost of the organ, surgical procedure, device, and continuing surveillance of the patients, are in the range of USD 100,000-USD 300,000.Additionally, fear of device malfunction and its consequences and limited specialists to carry out the procedure, are also restraining the growth of the bionics market.North America to Lead the MarketThe global bionics market is segmented by product and geography. By geography, it is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South America.North America the largest share in the bionic implant space. Also, the market is emerging due to the rise in the population, coupled with awareness among the players and the patients. Growing income levels, increasing healthcare expenditure, and less competition than mature countries, are the factors that are responsible for an increase in the interest of market players in emerging markets.Enquiry Before Buying@Note: If this link doesnt work in Internet Explorer, kindly try copy pasting it in other browsers.About Market PrognosisWe at Market Prognosis believe in giving a crystal clear view of market dynamics for achieving success in todays complex and competitive marketplace through our quantitative & qualitative research methods.We help our clients identify the best market insights and analysis required for their business thus enabling them to take strategic and intelligent decision.We believe in delivering actionable insights for your business growth and success.Contact us:ProgMarkPvt Ltd,Thane - 421501India.Contact No: +1 973 241 5193Email: sales@marketprognosis.comSynthetic Diamond Market Poised to Achieve CAGR of 4.6% by 2023  Report Studied Growing Factors by Focusing on Top Worldwide Companies ( Zhongnan Diamond, Zhengzhou Sino-Crystal Diamond, Element Six, Sandvik Hyperion AB )

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Global Synthetic Diamond Market report explores future trends for supply, demand and market growth rate, market size, prices, trading, competition and value chain as well as Key Players of the industrys information with forecast from 2018 to 2023.Global Synthetic Diamond Market Overview:According to Market Analyst, Global Synthetic Diamond Market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.6% by 2023.Request Report Sample@Synthetic diamonds are laboratory-developed or research center created diamond, its chemical and physical properties look like to those of actual diamonds. Synthetic diamond market is expected to witness healthy growth, due to its increasing demand in industries, such as electronics, construction, mining, and healthcare.Synthetic diamonds possess a unique combination thermal, optical, mechanical, electronic, electrochemical, and acoustic properties that provides several economic and performance advantages in industrial applications. Synthetic diamonds are widely used in several electronic devices such as high-power optical electronic devices, high-voltage power electronics, light-emitting diodes, laser diodes, and high-frequency high-power devices and are also used in diodes and high-power switches.As the name implies diamonds seem like diamonds, but do not possess the same properties as real diamonds. The capacity to find out the differences between a number of diamonds with the naked eye and the handling characteristics of diamonds, hardness, weight, and substance compusosition is hard.On the Basis of Product Type, Global Synthetic Diamond Market Splits into Polished synthetic diamond and Rough synthetic diamond. The rough synthetic diamond segment accounted for the major shares and dominated the synthetic diamond market. Their high-compressive strength makes them suitable for various industrial applications such as construction, cutting, mining, optics, and electronics, which will contribute to the growth of the synthetic diamond market share in the coming years.Regionally, Asia Pacific accounted for the highest share of the global synthetic diamond market. Development of the region is fundamentally attributed to the advancement of industrial and gem sector, particularly in Japan, China, and IndiaPurchase this premium research report with 141 Pages and No. of Table of contents, List of table atGlobal Synthetic Diamond market competition by Top Manufacturers1 Zhongnan Diamond Co. Ltd.2 Zhengzhou Sino-Crystal Diamond Co., Ltd.3 Element Six Inc.4 Sandvik Hyperion AB5 Iljin Diamond Co. Ltd.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions from 2018 to 2023:1 North America2 Europe3 Asia Pacific4 Middle East and Africa5 South AmericaGrab Your Report at an Impressive Discount @Key Questions Answered in this Report:1 What will the market size be in 2023?2 What are the key factors driving the Synthetic Diamond Market?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in the Synthetic Diamond Market?5 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?TABLE OF CONTENTS1 Summary2 Report Methodology3 Market Overview4 Industry Value Chain5 Competitive Landscape6 Segmentation by Type7 Segmentation by Application8 Regional Perspectives9 Company Profiles10 Market Forecast11 Market DriversAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940NFC POS Terminal Market 2016-2024: Leading Key Players Cybernet, Inc. Equinox Payments, First Data Corp., Heartland Payment Systems, Paz Technology Ltd., Ingenico SA, NEC Technology, SZZT Electronics Co., Ltd., VeriFone Systems

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A trend boosting the NFC POS terminal market is the adoption of contactless payment cards known as smart cards, which are embedded with chips and are encrypted with data. The data stored on these cards can be read by EMV-enabled POS terminals. In these devices, the transaction takes place with the help of NFC technology, which is also present in smartphones and smartwatches. The contactless cards when placed near the POS systems can accept payments within seconds thus making it easy for customers to make payments using NFC technology and thereby propelling the NFC POS terminal market.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @NFC POS Terminal Market size is anticipated to witness growth opportunities over the forecast timeframe. Growing usage of NFC-enabled smartphones and emergence of mobile wallet services would be major drivers for the industry growth. Technological substitutions for ticketing in transportation, such as NFC-based mobile ticketing and contactless smart cards, are further driving the growth of NFC POS terminal market.An increase in the penetration of NFC-based mobile handsets is one of the prime reasons contributing to the NFC POS terminal market growth. Growing usage of NFC-enabled smartphones is likely to boost the use of NFC POS terminals for payments and digital exchange in transportation, retail, and healthcare industries. Usage of NFC payment infrastructure and popularity of NFC as a preferred payment mode for customers globally are pushing the NFC POS terminal market.Value added services in POS terminals, such loyalty cards and coupons, will ensure customers a seamless experience thus driving the NFC POS terminal market. The availability of NFC technology and its incorporation into smartphones and POS terminals will help in achieving the benefit of access control and ticketing. Modernized POS terminals can calculate the best ticketing fare based on travel length, discounts, and prior journeys thus resulting in many benefits for customers as well as transport authorities.NFC POS terminal market is witnessing an increase in the penetration of NFC POS terminals in the transportation sector for ticketing transactions.The inclination of customers towards the use NFC-enabled smart cards in automated fare collections is likely to boost the NFC POS terminal market growth. The NFC technology helps in achieving the short-range communication between electronic devices thus having a high compatibility with fare collection platforms. In comparison to its alternatives, NFC technology provides a high degree of customer satisfaction and experience as it is fast and helps in fast-tracking connections thereby escalating the demand for NFC POS terminal market.North America and Europe NFC POS terminal markets were introduced with Apple Pay in 2015. It was launched by Apple to make it possible to pay for goods and services by tapping ones iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch to a card reader. This could be possible if the customer was banking with a bank, which supports Apple Pay thus escalating the NFC POS terminal market demands. Furthermore, Android Pay and Samsung Pay were introduced in these regions. In the UK, the Transport for London (TFL) introduced the pay for travel using contactless cards, driving the NFC POS terminal market. North America market is expected to dominate the market.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @In the U.S. NFC POS terminal market., some retailers had been cautious to adopt NFC POS payments in the beginning due to the lack of understanding of the added value, hardware, training expense, and security concerns. These issues were overcome as the merchants addressed and solved them thus opening doors to great benefits such as branding, loyalty, and data collection.Asia Pacific NFC POS terminal market is expected to witness a high growth during the forecast period.This can be due to the increasing adoption of smart devices across these regions. Apple Pay is supported in some countries such as Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand in the Asia Pacific region. China and India are expected to favorably impact the market owing to the large software base and its distribution in retail stores & automotive sector. High market growth in the region is due to the reduction in Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and increase in Small and Medium Business (SMBs).Browse Full Report @Key market players dominating the NFC POS terminal market include Cybernet, Inc. Equinox Payments, First Data Corp., Heartland Payment Systems, Paz Technology Ltd., Ingenico SA, NEC Technology, SZZT Electronics Co., Ltd., and VeriFone Systems.Market share calculation in this report is not done based on companies covered in it. The calculation of NFC POS Terminal Market share is done based on a regional approach and countries covered. On request, additional companies can be covered as well as regional data for particular country / countries can be provided.Browse Related Report:Traffic Sensor Market Size, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, Italy, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Poland, China, India, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE), Application Development Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018  2024About 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:Blog:Elevator Market Trend 2024 Global Players Schindler Group, KONE Corporation, thyssenkrupp, United Technologies, Hitachi, Otis Elevator Co.

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The Global Elevator Market can be segregated on the basis of product, end user, and region. Machine room and machine room-less traction, hydraulic & pneumatic, and others are the various product types available in the industry. Machine room traction acquires the major industry share and will gain by a significant rate from 2017 to 2025.This product is apt for tall buildings whereas hydraulic & pneumatic elevators are suitable for buildings with smaller heights. Machine room less traction helps in saving space and energy and are growing in popularity since the last two decades.Request for a Sample copy of this report @Asia Pacific holds a major share in the worldwide lift market owing to the fast growth in its construction industry. Rising demand from Asian countries like Japan, China and India is a major reason behind its key position in the worldwide elevator market. Economic development, regulatory changes, and expanding population are major reasons driving the growth of the industry.North America and Europe are other potential markets with rising demand for the product owing to rising urbanization.Elevator Market by Product Hydraulic & pneumatic Machine room (MR) traction Machine room-less (MRL) traction OthersElevator Market by End-user Building & construction Residential Institutional Commercial IndustrialMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @Elevator Market will likely surpass USD 130 billion by 2025. Elevators are one of the major transit mediums which facilitates urban flow by transporting goods and population vertically within a building. Lifts are used in all types of buildings like commercial, residential, retail outlets, etc. Hence, advancements in the construction industry would augment the growth in global lift market. Product maintenance and service activities will also be an important factor augmenting the elevator market in forecast years.Rising elevator service and maintenance activities in mature construction markets such North America and Europe will be a major contributor for the lift market development.North American and European region already have a mature construction industry which is employing many lifts. The repair, maintenance, and service of these existing products will positively influence the industry growth during the forecast timeframe. Rising construction activities in East and Central European countries such as Ukraine, Poland, Croatia, etc. will also favor advancements in the lift market in forecast years.Browse report summery @Toshiba, Otis, Hitachi Ltd, KONE, Mitsubishi Electric Company, Schindler, Thyssenkrupp, are some key companies in the worldwide elevator market. Research & development and introducing innovative products into the industry are important strategies adopted by players to strengthen their position in the industry.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:If approved by the council, the renovation of the five-story Mark Twain would begin in January, temporarily displacing its 100 remaining tenants for most of next year, but offering them a much improved home when they return. The buildings 152 units would be reduced to 148 as part of the renovation.Digital Defense, Inc. Named a 2019 TAG Cyber Distinguished Vendor

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San Antonio, TX  Sept. 25, 2018  Digital Defense, Inc. a leading cyber security technology and services provider, is proud to announce its designation as a Distinguished Vendor in this years 2019 TAG Cyber Security Annual.Digital Defense has once again joined the list of influential cyber security companies that have been chosen by industry veteran, Dr. Edward Amoroso, CEO of TAG Cyber, to assist with this years report. The report has been made available today for free download on the Digital Defense website.We are excited to work once again with the TAG Cyber team this upcoming year, said Larry Hurtado President and CEO of Digital Defense. Through their steady stream of content they continue to showcase our SaaS security solutions and the cloud-based platforms we have developed to deliver these solutions to organizations around the globe. We truly appreciate how they take the time to clearly understand a solution providers technical value propositions and then distill the information into mediums easily consumable by cybersecurity professionals.The 2019 TAG Cyber Security Annual is designed in this, TAG Cybers 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 streamline security workflow, and adopting cloud infrastructure for enterprise applications and systems.The Digital Defense SaaS platform supporting network vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and web application scanning from a common portal for comprehensive solution management shows how a successful cyber security company is able to help alleviate the burden of information security, said Amoroso. Their security risk assessment solutions are proven successes.Each year, TAG Cyber publishes it three-volume report to the community for download at no cost. In addition to the Digital Defense website, the report is also available at. Volume 2 of the report also includes an informative interview with Digital Defense CTO, Gordon MacKay.About Digital DefenseServing clients across numerous industries, Digital Defenses innovative and leading-edge technology helps organizations safeguard sensitive data and eases the burdens associated with information security. Frontline.Cloud, the original Vulnerability Management as a Service (VMaaS) platform, delivers consistently accurate vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, while SecurED, the companys security awareness training, promotes employees security-minded behavior. The Digital Defense Frontline suite of products, underpinned by patented technology and complemented with unparalleled service and support, are highly-regarded by industry experts, as illustrated by the companys designation as a TAG Cyber Distinguished Vendor, Best Vulnerability Management Scan Engine by Frost & Sullivan, #10 ranking in Black Book Market Research's list of Compliance & Risk Management Solutions, five-star review in SC Magazine, and inclusion in CRNs MSP 500.Contact Digital Defense at 888-273-1412; visit, our blog, LinkedIn, or follow @Digital_Defense on Twitter.MRB Public Relations2 East Main Street, 3rd floorFreehold, NJ 07728Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Market Top Industry Players Cisco Systems, Inc., General Electric, Intel Corporation, Rockwell Automation, Inc., ABB, Texas Instruments Inc., Dassault Systemes, Honeywell International Inc.

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)

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The industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a part of the large IoT network that is linked to intelligent devices, computers, and objects, which helps collect and share enormous amount of data. IIoT aids to greatly improve the efficiency, connectivity, scalability, cost, and time savings. Further, predictive maintenance, improved safety, and other operational efficiencies of IIoT has benefitted the industrial organizations. The IIoT network enables these organizations to connect to their workers, data, and processes from factories to the executive offices. This helps in better decision making for the organization as a whole.Get more information, Ask for Free Sample Copy of this Report@The IIoT is broadly considered as one of the primary trends that affects the industrial businesses. The industries are pushing to modernize the systems and equipment to meet the new regulations and for dealing with the disruptive technologies.The global IIoT market is segmented by component, application, and region. Based on components, the market is sub-divided into hardware, software, services, and connectivity. Further, manufacturing, energy & power, oil & gas, healthcare, transportation & logistics, and others are the applications of IIoT. Based on region, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.Some of the significant players that operate in the market and are profiled in the report include Cisco Systems, Inc., General Electric, Intel Corporation, Rockwell Automation, Inc., ABB, Texas Instruments Inc., Dassault Systemes, Honeywell International Inc., Huawei Technology Co., Ltd., and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERSThis study includes the analytical depiction of the IIoT market along with current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets.The report presents information regarding key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.The current market is quantitatively analyzed from 2016 to 2023 to highlight the financial competency of the industry.Porters Five Forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers in the IIoT industry.KEY MARKET SEGMENTSBY COMPONENTHardwareSoftwareServicesConnectivityBY APPLICATIONManufacturingEnergy & PowerOil & GasHealthcareTransportation & LogisticsOthersBY REGIONNorth AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificLAMEAGet Discount of this Report@Table of ContentsCHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1.1. REPORT DESCRIPTION1.2. KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS1.3. KEY MARKET SEGMENTS1.4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY1.4.1. Primary research1.4.2. Secondary research1.4.3. Analyst tools and modelsCHAPTER 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2.1. CXO PERSPECTIVECHAPTER 3: MARKET OVERVIEW3.1. MARKET DEFINITION AND SCOPE3.2. KEY FINDINGS3.2.1. Top impacting factors3.2.2. Top investment pockets3.2.3. Top winning strategies3.2.3.1. Competitive intelligence and strategies of companies3.3. PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS3.3.1. Moderate-to-high bargaining power of suppliers3.3.2. Moderate threat of new entrants3.3.3. Low-to-moderate threat of substitutes3.3.4. High intensity of rivalry3.3.5. Moderate bargaining power of buyers3.4. MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS (2016)3.5. MARKET DYNAMICS3.5.1. Drivers3.5.1.1. Advancement in technologies3.5.1.2. Low operational cost3.5.1.3. Rising adoption of IoT3.5.2. Restraint3.5.2.1. Inadequate IT infrastructure3.5.3. Opportunity3.5.3.1. Surge in predictive maintenance3.5.3.2. Growth in adoption of cloud-based deployment modelCHAPTER 4: IIOT MARKET, BY COMPONENT4.1. OVERVIEW4.2. HARDWARE4.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities4.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region4.2.3. Market analysis by country4.3. SOFTWARE4.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities4.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region4.3.3. Market analysis by country4.4. SERVICES4.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities4.4.2. Market size and forecast, by region4.4.3. Market analysis by country4.5. CONNECTIVITY4.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities4.5.2. Market size and forecast, by region4.5.3. Market analysis by countryCHAPTER 5: IIOT MARKET, BY APPLICATION5.1. OVERVIEW5.2. MANUFACTURING5.2.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities5.2.2. Market size and forecast, by region5.2.3. Market analysis by country5.3. ENERGY & POWER5.3.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities5.3.2. Market size and forecast, by region5.3.3. Market analysis by country5.4. OIL & GAS5.4.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities5.4.2. Market size and forecast, by region5.4.3. Market analysis by country5.5. HEALTHCARE5.5.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities5.5.2. Market size and forecast, by region5.5.3. Market analysis by country5.6. TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS5.6.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities5.6.2. Market size and forecast, by region5.6.3. Market analysis by country5.7. OTHERS5.7.1. Key market trends, growth factors, and opportunities5.7.2. Market size and forecast, by region5.7.3. Market analysis by countryInquire more or share questions if any on this report @About Us:Research Beam is a high end and wide online market for market research reports that contain detailed and rational market research. Research Beam is a one stop report destination that offers clients well drafted and accurately analyzed report with insightful data. We have a large database of quality and precise market research reports that will be very beneficial for your organization. Reports that we sell our authentic in nature and from reputed publishers, hence it can definitely help you with your growth opportunities. Research Beam will always make sure to bring most ethical and high quality reports. We value your relationship with us and look forward for a long term relation.Global Head Quarters5933 NE Win Sivers Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United States+1 (800) 910-6452help@researchbeam.comAnti-body Coupled T Receptor Therapy Market Revenue Opportunies By Key Vendors Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Unum Therapeutics

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Anti-body coupled T receptor (ACTR) therapy is kind of immunotherapy used to treat cancer in which bodys own immune response is utilized to act on cancerous cell. Anti-body coupled T receptor therapy utilizes T cells from body, engineered it to express specific T cell receptor, multiplying it in lab and then administering it along with targeting antibodies. The advantage in this approach is, that these T cells do not attack normal antigens from blood circulation but attack only antigens attached to the cancerous cells. This is possible as tumor specific monoclonal antibodies are given together with ACTR T cells. ACTR therapy is cost effective as it can be used in various cancer therapy. Also, greater therapeutic benefit with minimum side effects can be possible by adjusting the amount of targeting antibody which is essential for activation of the ACTR T cells.Download PDF Brochure of Research Report:Rising incidence of cancer and new products to be launched in future to drive the market for anti-body coupled T receptor therapy market.According to World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is one of the leading non-communicable disease and second leading cause of death globally. As reported by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2012, there were 14.1 million new cases, 8.8 million deaths and 32.6 million people living with cancer worldwide. As per 2017 report by Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, U.S. alone is expected to have prevalence of 8,16,834 and 80,500 annual new cases of lymphoma. Therefore, such high number of cancer patient would propel the anti-body coupled T receptor therapy market.ACTR therapy is better in its approach than other adoptive T cell transfer technologies such as CAR-T cell therapy. CAR-T therapy products such as Kymriah (Novartis AG) or Yescarta (Gilead Lifescience, Inc.) has side effects such as cytokine release syndrome, and neurological toxicity as discussed in their respective product literatures and other studies. ACTR therapy being specific in its action do not produce such side effects. This advantage would drive the anti-body coupled T receptor therapy market in future. Also CAR-T therapy has application in specific type of cancer such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma whereas ACTR therapy has potential use even in solid tumorous cancer such as breast cancer, and neuroblastoma.Strategic merger and acquisition amongst the companies to expand the market for anti-body coupled T receptor therapy.Request for Customization of Research Report:Unum Therapeutics is currently the only company that is working actively in anti-body coupled T receptor therapy. It has several product in its pipeline, and they vary based on the technology used for expression of receptor in patients T cell such as mRNA or viral vector. There is also combination of different monoclonal antibodies to be used for coupling such as rituximab, and trastuzumab. In phase one clinical trial, rituximab coupled t receptor therapy found to produce desired therapeutic effects. Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Unum Therapeutics, Inc. in 2015 entered into a strategic collaboration and license agreement to develop and commercialize novel antibody-coupled T-cell receptor (ACTR) therapies for cancer. This collaboration would enable study of different combination of the tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies with T receptor and cater to patient specific treatment needs.Strategic merger and acquisition amongst the companies to expand the market for anti-body coupled T receptor therapy.Unum Therapeutics is currently the only company that is working actively in anti-body coupled T receptor therapy. It has several product in its pipeline, and they vary based on the technology used for expression of receptor in patients T cell such as mRNA or viral vector. There is also combination of different monoclonal antibodies to be used for coupling such as rituximab, and trastuzumab. In phase one clinical trial, rituximab coupled t receptor therapy found to produce desired therapeutic effects. Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Unum Therapeutics, Inc. in 2015 entered into a strategic collaboration and license agreement to develop and commercialize novel antibody-coupled T-cell receptor (ACTR) therapies for cancer. This collaboration would enable study of different combination of the tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies with T receptor and cater to patient specific treatment needs.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comCombine Harvesters Market To Benefit from Increased Global Uptake of 2017-2022

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The global combine harvesters market is forecast to register a volume CAGR of 2.6% between the period 2017 and 2026, according to a recent research study of Fact.MR. The report estimates global sales of combine harvester to surpass US$ 18,500 Mn by 2026-end.Advent of Intelligent Combine Harvesters to Influence the Market ExpansionWith declining costs of agricultural produce becoming a prevailing trend, emphasis is being placed on improving land and labor productivity, in order to enhance profitability. Agricultural machinery manufacturers are therefore focusing on harvest volumes that have direct impact on the income of nations. These manufacturers are carrying of research and development activities associated with technologies that would provide real-time intelligence on harvest flow rates along with information about visualization losses during harvesting process.This has further given birth to intelligent combine harvesters, which can monitor yield loss and grain flow rate in real-time. Intelligent combine harvester enable farmers in root cause analysis and prevention of yield loss without affecting efficiency and productivity. On account of such benefits, intelligent combine harvesters might witness high demand among farmers in the near future, particularly in developed countries.Request Report Sample atIntegration of Telematics with Agriculture Mechanization  A Major TrendOne of the major trends gaining traction in the combine harvesters market worldwide is growing integration of telematics with agriculture mechanization. Adoption of telematics ensures tracking loopholes in the performance of combine harvesters, provided with an onboard GPS system that provides information about engine status, location and speed of the harvester. Additionally, telematics enables reviewing information on previous operational hours, and furnishing that specific information on the time and manner of the harvesters operation.Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) will continue to spearhead the global combine harvesters market, in terms of volume, mainly driven by robust foreign direct investments (FDI) into its developing nations such as China and India. FDI has further spurred the agricultural activities in these countries, thereby creating the need for efficient agricultural machinery such as combine harvesters. However, cost of new combine harvesters being substantial, farmers in APEJ are buying used machinery at relatively lower prices, impacting revenue generation of the market in the region.In terms of value, 300-450 HP combine harvesters are expected to remain dominant in the market, based on power type. Revenues from sales of this power type segment will exceed US$ 4,900 Mn by 2026-end. Revenues from below 150 HP and 150-300 HP combine harvesters are also expected to remain significant, collectively estimated to account for roughly half share of the market by 2026-end. Sales of above 550 HP combine harvester are forecast to record the fastest expansion through 2026. In addition, sales of 450-550 HP and 150-300 HP combine harvesters will register a parallel rise through 2026.Hydraulic Combine Harvesters to Remain Leading Mechanism Type SegmentIn terms of value, hydraulic combine harvesters will remain the leading mechanism type segment in the market, with sales projected to hold more than half revenue share of the market during the forecast period. However, sales of hybrid combine harvester are set to record a comparatively faster expansion than that of hydraulic combine harvesters through 2026.Based on grain tank size, more than 350 BU combine harvesters are projected to reflect the fastest value sales growth through 2026, trailed by less than 250 BU combine harvesters. However, revenues from 250-350 BU combine harvesters will continue to be relatively larger than all the other grain tank size segments in the market.Key market participants identified by Fact.MRs report include MASSEY FERGUSO, JCB, Yanmar America Corporation, KIOTI Tractor (subsidiary of Daedong Industrial Company, Ltd.), Case IH, Bobcat (a Doosan company), Escorts Limited, Mahindra and Mahindra, New Holland, Claas KGaA GmbH, AGCO Corporation, Kubota Corporation, Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, Deere & Company, and Caterpillar.Report Analysis atAbout FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Follow Us on Linkedin:Baby Diapers Market Research Report Analysis , Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Opportunities 2017-2022

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A recently compiled Fact.MR report foresees the global baby diapers market to record a stable 5.3% volume CAGR over the period of forecast, 2017 to 2026. Revenues from worldwide sales of baby diapers are estimated to exceed US$ 86,000 Mn by 2026-end. In terms of both value and volume, North America is envisaged to remain the largest market for baby diapers, with demand driven by a plethora of factors including robust working population and high literacy rate.Pre-fold diapers have substituted use of pin by Snappies, thereby offering higher convenience to users. Biodegradable diapers are witnessed increased penetration in the region, as they are produced by using natural, eco-friendly, and baby skin-friendly materials. Environmental challenges and relevant government regulations have further supported the use of eco-friendly products in North America, thereby influencing demand and sales of biodegradable baby diapers significantly.Request Report Sample atSmart Baby Diapers Development to Influence Demand & Drive SalesThe baby diapers market has perceived a spate of novel product launches over the past couple of years, such as baby diapers featuring wearable sensor technology. Such technologies have enabled caretakers to identify the need to change diaper of a baby beforehand, thereby preventing skin issues, and saving time & spending on clinics. Development of smart diapers is another major trend that is addressing issues related timing of changing diapers of babies.Jahangir Ahmed, B-Tech student at the University of Kashmir, has developed a smart diaper, tentatively called Baby Pee Sensor, which comprises four layers  inner fabric, absorbent material, cover layer, and outer layer that is embedded with devices and sensors. This diaper offers the convenience of washing by detaching the outer layer, and reusing, and is expected to be cost-effective. Such products, with proper marketing and advertisements, have high future market penetration potential, particular in developed and developing nations.Overcapacity in Developed Markets to Intensify Competition Between PlayersBusiness of baby diaper is rather capital intensive with long investment and payback cycle. Volume sales of baby diapers in developed markets are expected to decline on account of declining fertility rate. This declined fertility rate can be highly attributed to myriad commercially available birth control options coinciding with major societal shifts. Emancipation of women along with their increased participation in occupational fields, in combination with mounting costs of education and childcare, are further affecting birth rates in developed economies.With low volumes of baby diaper sales, their unit cost is gaining an uptick, thereby leading to deteriorating margin, and marginal cost pricing by manufacturers. These instances point at a rise in price war among players in the baby diaper market until challenges appertaining to overcapacity is addressed.Key Takeaways from Fact.MRs Report on Baby Diapers MarketDisposable underwear will continue to be the dominant product type in the market, in terms of value. Demand for disposable underwear is primarily driven by their convenience and ease of use.Based on diaper style, pull on baby diapers are estimated to account for the bulk revenue shares of the market during the forecast period. Pull on baby diapers are also expected to record the fastest volume sales through 2026.Sales of baby diapers will remain the highest for use in babies with less than 12 lbs weight. Babies with a weight of less than 12 lbs will account for approximately one-third market revenue share by 2026-end.Modern trade channel are anticipated to remain dominant distribution channels for baby diapers, and are estimated to latch onto nearly two-fifth market revenue share by 2026-end.Fujian Shuangheng Group Co., Ltd., Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA, Johnson & Johnson Private Ltd., and several other prominent market participants have been profiled and analyzed in detail in this report.Report Analysis atAbout FactMRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Follow Us on Linkedin:Yoga Mat market forecast examined in new market research report

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The Global Yoga Mat Market report exploring the full information of market Size, revenue, trend, overview, shares, and more with the help of 15 Chapters, 116 Pages, figures and table of contents to analyze the global Yoga Mat market forecasts from 2017-2022. Moreover, overall global market size, the market size by product segment, growth rates of the global market along with and different product segments of the market, and various product segments with their value and volumes evaluation are also included in this research report.This report studies the Yoga Mat market. Yoga mats are specially fabricated mats used as an aid during the practice of yoga to prevent hands and feet slipping during practice. They are mainly used both for home use and for yoga studios.Get The Sample Copy of This Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:LululemonManduka PROliteJade YogaHugger Mugger Para RubberPrAna RevolutionaryGaiam, EasyogaHATHAYOGAKharma KhareHosa Group and moreMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers: North America (USA, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, etc.), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa).Market Segment by Type, covers:PVC yoga matsRubber yoga matsTPE yoga matsOther yoga matsInquire for this Report @Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into:HouseholdYoga clubOthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the Global Yoga Mat market.Chapter 1: to describe Yoga Mat Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force, Chapter 2: to analyze the top manufacturers of Yoga Mat, with sales, revenue, and price of Yoga Mat, in 2016 and 2017Chapter 3: to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017, Chapter 4: to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Yoga Mat, for each region, from 2012 to 2017Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9: to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions; Chapter 10 and 11: to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017Chapter 12: Yoga Mat market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022, Chapter 13, 14 and 15: to describe Yoga Mat sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.List of Tables and Figures:Figure Yoga Mat PictureTable Product Specifications of Yoga MatFigure Global Sales Market Share of Yoga Mat by Types in 2016Table Yoga Mat Types for Major ManufacturersFigure PVC yoga mats PictureFigure Rubber yoga mats PictureFigure TPE yoga mats PictureFigure Other yoga mats PictureTable Yoga Mat Sales Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Household PictureFigure Yoga club PictureFigure Others PictureFigure USA Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Canada Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Mexico Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Germany Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure France Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure UK Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Russia Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Italy Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Korea Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Yoga Mat Revenue (Value) and Growth Rate (2012-2022) and moreEmail id - sales@reporthive.comContact No. - +1-312-604-7084PuneHistology and Cytology Market to Register Strong Growth at CAGR of 13.0% by 2023 | Global Key Players  Abbott, Danaher, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Hologic, Merck KGaA, PerkinElmer, Sysmex

Histology and Cytology Market

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Marketprognosis.com Publish a New Market Research Report On Global Histology and Cytology Market 2018 - 2023 which contains global key players survey information and forecast to 2023.Overview of the Global Histology and Cytology Market:The Global Histology and Cytology Market is expected to register a CAGR of nearly 13.0% during the forecast period of 2018 - 2023.Histology and cytology belong to the scientific medical specialty dealing with human tissues and cells diagnostics, and this market is driven by the rising prevalence of cancer and extensive research and development in the diagnostics domain. The well-established healthcare infrastructure with better coverage of diagnosis and treatment through a wide network of diagnostic clinics will help North America to dominate the market in the forecast period.Get a Sample Copy of this Report @The growing prevalence of cancer patients has a direct impact on increased demand for the histology and cytology market. According to the 2012 report of the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 14 million new cases of cancers, which were expected to rise by about 70% over the next two decades. In the US, as per the National Cancer Institute report of 2018, an estimated 1.73 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in the United States and nearly 0.61 million people died from the disease. The histological methods help in increasing the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of diagnostic methods. Similarly, the combined methods help in better diagnosis of diseases such breast cancer and lung cancer. Thus, the prevalence of cancer plays a vital role in increasing the demand of histology and cytology market.The safety issues and diagnostic accuracy is one of the primary factors hindering this market. The safety issues are mainly related to potentially hazardous chemicals, biohazardous materials, accidents linked to the equipment and instrumentation. According to the 2013 publication in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, even though the accuracy of frozen artifacts ranges between 89% u2014 98%, the frozen nature produces inferior slides for microscopic examination and sampling errors, which results from the heterogeneity of a tumor. Thus, this factor is one of the key aspects hindering the usage of histology and cytology in the research labs and diagnostic centers.Purchase this report online with 109 Pages, Top Key Players Analysis and List of Tables & Figure @Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate with the fastest growth rate in the forecast period. The healthy CAGR is expected due to the surge in the scientific researches in the South Asian countries. Novel opportunities are further enhanced by the rising number of long-term collaborations of multinational companies with domestic manufacturers and research laboratories in this region.Major Key Players:1 Abbott2 Becton Dickinson and Company3 Danaher4 F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd5 Hologic, Inc.6 Merck KGaA7 PerkinElmer, Inc.8 Sysmex Corporation9 Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.10 Trivitron HealthcareAny Query? Ask to our Expert @This study answers to the below key questions:1 What will the market size be in 2023 and what will the growth rate be?2 What are the key market trends?3 What are the challenges to market growth?4 Who are the key players in this market?5 What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key players?In the end, this report covers data and information on capacity and production overview, production, market share analysis, sales overview, supply, sales, and shortage, import, export and consumption as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin of Histology and Cytology Market.Table of Contents:1 Introduction2 Research Methodology3 Executive Summary4 Key Inferences5 Market Overview6 Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and Challenges Analysis (Droc)7 Market Segmentation8 Competitive Landscape9 Key Players10 Future Outlook of the MarketAbout us:We at Market Prognosis believe in giving a crystal clear view of market dynamics for achieving success in todays complex and competitive marketplace through our quantitative & qualitative research methods.We help our clients identify the best market insights and analysis required for their business thus enabling them to take strategic and intelligent decision.We believe in delivering actionable insights for your business growth and success.Contact us:ProgMark Pvt. Ltd.Thane  421501India.sales@marketprognosis.com+1 973 241 5193The SABTIA Africa Tech Conference, in partnership with the City of Eukurhuleni and Monash SA, has kicked off with Minister Lindiwe Zulu addressing key priorities for re-energising business incubation programmes in South Africa. [City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, September 25] International industry experts are in attendance at the First Africa Tech Conference, hosted by the Southern Africa Business and Technology Incubation Association (SABTIA) in partnership with the City of Ekurhuleni and Pavel Mikhay

UPDATED Wednesday, Sept. 26: Deputies arrest man suspected of assaulting stranger near Corbett

Deputies are still searching for an assault suspect in the Corbett area, prompting authorities to close local schools and part of the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The man has been identified as Pavel Mikhay, 26, and he is suspected in a stranger-on-stranger assault, said Sgt. Brandon White, a Multnomah County Sheriff's Office spokesman. The victim was taken to a hospital.

Roads in the area were closed through the afternoon, but have been reopened as of 3 p.m. White said Corbett schools are closed for the day.

Mikhay is described by the sheriff's office as 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds. He may have a cut on his face and may have a knife and gun. Anyone who sees him is asked to call 911 immediately. White said area residents should stay inside and lock their doors.

Deputies initially responded to a house on the 33400 block of the historic highway about 6:30 a.m. on a reported assault against a woman, White said. A family member had called the police. A responding deputy spotted the suspect's vehicle heading east, White said, and Mikhay stopped and fled.

The woman who was attacked had minor injuries and was sent to a local hospital. The injuries are not life threatening, said White.

Deputies had set up a perimeter by 9:15 a.m., and a police dog was searching for the suspect.

Between 30 and 35 officers, as well as two police dogs, from Gresham Police Department, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and Oregon State Police were searching the area.

As of 9:10 p.m., authorities were still searching for Mikhay. Corbett Hill Road is closed from Interstate 84 to the Historic Columbia River Highway.

-- Jim RyanBy Charles Hankla, Georgia State University

(THE CONVERSATION) President Donald Trump is making good on his pledge to escalate the trade war with China by imposing tariffs on US$200 billion of Chinese goods. The Chinese government, for its part, is already retaliating with new taxes on $60 billion of American imports.

If you're curious why China's sanctions don't match Trump's, there's an easy explanation. As a number of commentators have correctly pointed out, Beijing is running out of American products to target. Americans bought $375 billion more stuff from China than the Chinese bought from the U.S. last year, which means Trump has a lot more to punish.

While this may mean that China's leverage on trade is limited, it doesn't mean that Trump can easily win this confrontation.

That's because China has many other ways to retaliate, such as dumping its considerable holdings of U.S. debt or making it harder for Trump to get a nuclear deal with North Korea. In these and other areas, Beijing has enormous leverage. This has led some to suggest that the trade war may soon turn into a "new cold war."

Could the U.S. and China really be on the verge of the kind of geopolitical stalemate that dominated the second half of the 20th century?

Much will depend on how China responds to the latest tariffs. I believe that this response could take four forms.

Cooler heads

First, China could choose to de-escalate the confrontation. This could be done quickly by negotiating some resolution with the Trump administration - though thepresident's terms for ending the trade war remain unclear.

Alternatively, China could let the conflict simmer by keeping the fight in the trade arena, allowing it to continue to retaliate while appearing "reasonable." This approach would avoid any major embarrassment for China while kicking the dispute down the road in the hope that the November elections, or the 2020 presidential elections, will soften American policy. In fact, China has already said that it won't negotiate until after the midterms.

A conciliatory strategy might be attractive to moderates in Beijing who are keenly aware that China needs the U.S. as much as the U.S. needs China. It would also reassure China's other trading partners that it is serious about honoring its commitments.

Economic pain

Another option for China is to escalate the confrontation by using its substantial economic leverage outside of trade.

The most obvious way that China could retaliate would be by reducing its purchases of American Treasuries or by selling some of the $1.18 trillion in its possession. Overall, China owns almost a fifth of the U.S. national debt currently held by foreign countries.

Though it would probably be less apocalyptic than is sometimes assumed, a Chinese policy of reducing its holdings would substantially drive up the cost of many of the goods that Americans buy every day.

The problem with this approach for China is that it would also strengthen the yuan and make Chinese goods more expensive for foreigners. Such a form of financial retaliation may not be a credible option for Beijing.

A more feasible strategy would be to target U.S. companies operating in China with more regulations and interference. While such targeting would be contrary to international law, it would be fairly easy for Beijing to deny responsibility.

Indeed, there is reason to believe that China has used this approach before with South Korean corporations - and there are indications that it has already begun delaying license applications from American companies.

Geopolitical games

The U.S. relationship with China is multifaceted, a fact that could allow China to retaliate outside the economic arena altogether.

One way would be to use its influence with North Korea to undermine U.S. efforts to disarm Kim Jong Un, perhaps by not enforcing U.S. sanctions.

Or China could confront the U.S. in the South China Sea, probably the most dangerous strategic flashpoint in East Asia. As Beijing rushes to claim more islands and seaways south of its coast, a falling out with the United States over trade could encourage it to become even more belligerent.

Other options would be to ramp up its attempts to isolate Taiwan, deepen ties with Russia as a counterbalance to the U.S. or accelerate its military buildup.

Hegemony on steroids

Finally, China could take America's aggressive approach on trade as a reason to speed up its efforts to establish regional hegemony and greater economic independence.

The China 2025 program, a set of industrial policies aimed at moving the country closer to the technological frontier, could get a boost from the confrontation. China's famous "Belt and Road Initiative," an enormous economic corridor funded by Beijing, could be expanded, as could the country's efforts to grow its influence in Africa. China could also pump more cash into its alternative to the World Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank.

Of course, China has sought to grow its influence, using all of the mechanisms discussed above, for some time. A more aggressive United States, however, could add to China's sense of urgency.

What will China do?

The most likely Chinese response, in my judgment as a political economist, is some mixture of all four options.

Keeping the confrontation limited to trade - at least on the surface - is the safest bet for China's leaders. And so I expect that Beijing will reserve its overt retaliation for tariffs. At the same time, I anticipate that China will engage in other noticeable but more informal and deniable actions against U.S economic and security interests -- from causing headaches for American companies to building up its military.

In short, the Chinese government will seek to expand its powers so that it is able to deter future threats like these from the United States.

A different kind of cold war

In other words, President Trump is playing a risky game of whack-a-mole. In trying to tackle the trade deficit with a sledgehammer, he's creating a host of other serious challenges to U.S. interests that may persist for years to come.

The enormous and persistent U.S. trade deficit with China needs a solution, but tariffs aren't it. A wiser American approach would be to use the existing mechanisms of the international order to resolve its legitimate trade grievances with China.

And there are other ways to reduce the trade deficit and mitigate its ill effects, such as by encouraging higher savings rates, cutting the federal deficit (made worse by Trump's tax cuts) and promoting competitiveness through job retraining and investment.

But back to our original question, are we heading for a new cold war?

In short, no, at least not the kind fought between the U.S. and Soviet Union after World War II. The Cold War may have been frozen in Europe, but it led, directly or indirectly, to terrible conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and beyond. It also divided the world into two mutually antagonistic blocs constantly struggling for the upper hand.

Certainly, a growing conflict between the world's two largest powers could again encourage the formation of opposing spheres of influence. But the economic interdependence between the U.S. and China - as well as the existence of other major powers - would make such a "cold war" quite different, and probably milder, than the previous one.

Nevertheless, it is better for the U.S. to avoid a confrontational relationship with China altogether. It's natural to defend one's interests, but an escalating fight, leading who knows where, would benefit no one.

-- Charles Hankla, Georgia State University

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)Three men were stabbed in a minivan Monday afternoon on a road trip gone wrong on Oregon 140 in southern Oregon, troopers said.

According to Oregon State Police, troopers responded to reports of multiple stabbing victims a few miles west of Fish Lake on the Jackson County highway. They learned a Dodge Caravan with North Carolina license plates was headed west on the highway just after 1:27 p.m. when the stabbings occurred.

Kevin Juwan Reed

Police said Kevin Juwan Reed, 35, a North Carolina resident, stabbed three of the van's passengers and ran east on the mountain highway before officers arrived. Reed was found several miles away and arrested and booked into Jackson County Jail in Medford on several assault charges.

Officers found the vehicle 20 miles to the west, just east of White City.

One of the victims, Marcus Earl Taylor, suffered life-threatening injuries and was air-lifted to OHSU Hospital. Taylor, 34, is in critical condition.

The other two men, Antonie Eugene Kirby and Jemario Deronte Richardson, were treated and released, police said. All the men involved are from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Capt. Tim Fox, the agency's public information officer, said the van had 7 people on board and was believed to be friends on a road trip.

When asked if he could shed additional light on what led to the stabbings, Fox said in an email, "I wish I could. This is an unusual case for everyone involved."

Reed is being held on $400,000 bail and faces one count of first-degree assault and three counts of second-degree assault.

If anyone saw the minivan or Reed, who was wearing no shoes, a white T-shirt and blue jeans, along the highway, they should call 541 776-6111 refer to case number SP18-359029.

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen



Authorities are asking for help identifying a man found dead in the Columbia River last week.

The Clatsop County Sheriff's Office said he "was most likely last seen" on the Washington side of the river early this month. The agency doesn't have any missing person reports matching his description or any items that could help authorities identify the man, who was found dead Sept. 21.

The sheriff's office described the man as being about 60 years old, 5-foot-7 and 160 lbs. He has dark hair that's 5 inches long in the back. He may have frontal balding.

He has brown eyes, no upper teeth and a distinctive salt-and-pepper beard that's curly and 6 inches long.

The agency said his clothes are in good condition. He was wearing a dark blue or purple Patagonia fleece pullover, woman's petite blue fleece vest, orange t-shirt and tie-dye t-shirt, work jeans and size seven Denali brown hiking boots.

He was also wearing a brown and silver metal belt with an attached black lighter leash.

Deputies urge anyone who has information or knows who the person might be to call the sheriff's office at 503-325-8635.

 Jim RyanMultnomah County parole and probation officers visited a Northwest Portland apartment Monday to check on a person who missed an appointment and discovered a man dead in the unit.

Portland police have not yet said if the man found dead at the Sally McCracken Apartments on Northwest Everett Street is the person county authorities were looking for. The man's identity has not yet been released by police, pending notification to next of kin.

The parole and probation officers contacted police around 12:05 p.m. An investigation is ongoing to determine how the man died. Police said the circumstances appear to suggest foul play may have been involved in the man's death.

Portland police ask anyone with more information on the man's death to contact Detective Todd Gradwahl at 503-823-0991, todd.gradwahl@portlandoregon.gov or Detective Brad Clifton at 503-823-0696, brad.clifton@portlandoregon.gov.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBaileyAn Oregon man who represented himself as executor of a murdered California man's unclaimed estate pocketed $278,612 in life insurance payments meant for the victim's three children.

Ralph Dean Arnold got the money after he asked the insurance company to forward it to his post office box -- one of more than 440 fraudulent payments totaling $1.5 million that he pocketed after targeting unclaimed bank accounts, stocks, bonds, insurance benefits and uncashed checks posted on the California controller's website.

The lucrative fraud lasted from 2012 through fall 2017. Forty-nine of the payments were from the estates of deceased people, representing about $670,000.

Arnold, 61, of Gladstone, then blew nearly half of the $1.5 million on day trading, prosecutors said.

"You took from the poor and desperate people who needed the money and you paid it for you,'' U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones told Arnold at his sentencing Tuesday. "That's not right.''

The judge then sentenced Arnold to two years and nine months in prison for mail fraud and money laundering and ordered him to pay $1.5 million in restitution.

Two of murder victim Jose Zarate's daughters traveled from Wasco, California, to address the court.

Zarate's 21-year-old daughter said she had wanted to attend New York University but instead chose a local university because of limited finances. Her 16-year-old sister said each of her sisters suffers from a medical condition that requires expensive treatment: She's diabetic, the 21-year-old has scoliosis and their younger sister has a learning disability.

They went to live with their uncle in modest circumstances after their father was killed.

"If we had that money,'' the 16-year-old said, "we would have had something better.''

Arnold -- dressed in slacks, a white dress shirt and blue tie, with his wife and grown son looking on -- said he pursued the unclaimed property to help pay for living expenses as he stayed home to care for his wife, who had to undergo both kidney and liver transplants.

"At the time, I did not realize there were victims, and I feel great regret, especially for the orphans,'' he said, referring to the Zarate children. "I felt desperate at the time because my wife needed care, but I had no right to do that.''

Under California state law, banks, insurance companies and corporations must report and submit information to the controller on bank accounts, stocks, bonds, uncashed checks, life insurance benefits, wages and safe deposit boxes with no activity for at least three years. The controller's office publishes names of the owners, addresses and the value of the unclaimed property on its website.

Arnold picked out the higher valued unclaimed property. Then he contacted businesses, insurance companies and banks that held the property. He assumed the identities of the owners and made claims.

Arnold suggested in emails and faxes to the California office that the property went unclaimed because postal forwarding had expired.

He opened about 36 bank accounts in his name and in the names of estates or checks that went unclaimed, the prosecution said. He also leased numerous post office boxes.

He had money sent to his Gladstone home or to a post office box he controlled, deposited it into one of his bank accounts and then quickly withdrew the money, court records showed.

"This was an economic crime motivated by greed and involved a man who manipulated and lied to hundreds of unwitting participants,'' Assistant U.S. Attorney Clemon Ashley wrote in a sentencing memo.

During the course of the fraud, the California controller's office altered its website slightly, removing the exact values of each unclaimed property, Ashley said. Oregon maintains a similar website, with approximate values of unclaimed property listed by last name.

A nearly identical case was prosecuted in federal court in San Diego four years ago, after eight people were indicted, accused of stealing $1.5 million in unclaimed property from the California website.

Arnold must surrender to prison March 4. He now works for Grubhub, the online food ordering company, said his lawyer, Thomas Price. Twenty percent of Arnold's net income will go toward the restitution.

"I'll be paying that the rest of my physical life,'' Arnold said, noting that he has no assets beyond an $800 car.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonianA group calling on Portland State University to end its policy of arming campus police officers said Tuesday that it would continue an around-the-clock occupation outside the school's public safety building.

"This is the escalation we need," said Olivia Pace, an organizer with the PSU Student Union, during a news conference. "The administration is about to be at a tipping point where they have to crack under the pressure."

Pace said 20 people spent Monday night camped out in front of the school safety headquarters on Southwest Broadway and Montgomery Street.

Activists launched the occupation during the first day of classes and after around 200 people held a demonstration and candlelight vigil for Jason Washington, a husband and father of three who was fatally shot by campus police in June while witnesses say he tried to break up a fight.

Washington, 45, wound up holding a friend's handgun amid a drunken melee outside the Cheerful Tortoise when Officers James Dewey and Shawn McKenzie ordered him to drop the weapon, authorities said.

Within seconds of the command, the officers opened fire. Nine bullets struck Washington, according to police and the Multnomah County medical examiner's office.

The school released body cam video of both officers, which captured a chaotic scene before and after the shooting.

Records show Washington had a blood-alcohol content of 0.24 percent when he died, three times above the legal limit for driving in Oregon. A concealed handgun license carrier, he had confiscated the friend's gun after a night of drinking, according to police reports.

A grand jury this month decided not to indict the two officers, who have since returned to work. The Multnomah District Attorney's Office plans to release transcripts of the hearing.

Washington's death 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 many students.

The occupiers said they plan to remain camped out in front of the public safety building until the school permanently disarms its police force.

Activists are camped outside Portland State Universitys campus public safety building in protest of the fatal police shooting of Jason Washington. Background: https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2018/09/with_tears_jason_washingtons_f.html Posted by The Oregonian on Tuesday, September 25, 2018

They are also demanding that PSU fire Dewey and McKenzie, who remain at their jobs, and for the school to establish a permanent memorial for him on campus.

Pace said the student-led occupation would not attempt to shut down the public safety building but would serve as a reminder of Washington's death and the continued opposition to armed police officers at the school.

She also urged students and members of the public to attend the university's Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 4.

A PSU spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 || @shanedkavanaughThe first day of new semester at Portland State University ended with a candlelight vigil Monday outside the campus public safety office in honor of Jason Washington, a Navy veteran killed by school officers in June.

A crowd of about 50 people attended the vigil, about three blocks away from where Washington, 45, was fatally shot by two Portland State officers. The crowd, which included Washington's wife, brother and daughters, called on the school to no longer allow campus officers to carry guns. Members of the student union have erected tents near the campus safety office entrance in protest.

A march and rally for Washington was held earlier in the day. The events have been organized by the Portland State student union.

Signs have been propped up around the front of the campus safety building including "Disarm PSU," "Justice for Jason," and "No more killer cops." More signs were taped onto the windows of the student union across the street.

Before the vigil, boxes of donuts were lined up under the building's front sign and a nearby table held bottles of water, cookies, Pringles, Doritos and other food. Music played from a parked car nearby and some ate plates of spaghetti and red sauce.

Campus police officers James Dewey and Shawn McKenzie fatally shot Washington, a U.S. postal worker from Portland, while witnesses say he tried to break up a fight involving one of his friends outside the Cheerful Tortoise, a bar near campus, on June 29.

Washington fell at one point, got up and was holding the friend's handgun that had been holstered to Washington's hip before the fall and was shot after Officers James Dewey and Shawn McKenzie ordered him to drop it.

A Multnomah County grand jury determined the shooting of Washington was legally justified on Sept. 13. McKenzie and Dewey are on desk duty as the school awaits the results of an independent investigation of the shooting and an analysis of campus public safety.

A two-minute moment of silence was held when the vigil began. Dozens of small candles flickered on the stairs of the safety office. Two students held a banner for the duration of the vigil that read "Occupation for Jason," referring to the planned encampment.

Some spoke about the impact of Washington's death and their hope that his killing will force the school to reconsider arming its campus officers. Several people who spoke to the crowd offered their condolences to Washington's relatives who attended.

"It's a downtown campus, we already have a police department present," said Mike Federighi, 53, of Portland. "Your father would be here if they didn't let guns on campus." He said he believes the decision to arm campus officers should have been made by the community.

Michelle and Kayla Washington, Jason Washington's wife and eldest daughter thanked the crowd at the evening vigil for their support and rallying behind their family even though they didn't know him.

Kayla Washington, his daughter, spoke of the pain of not having her father there to celebrate her upcoming birthday this week and other milestones with loved ones. She said she hopes Portland State no longer allows officers to have guns.

"Dad loved every single one of you that are here," she said. "If you ever needed help, he was there. That's how he was with us. He would have appreciated everyone who was here."

Michelle Washington described her husband as "an amazing person" who died "doing what he thought was right" in trying to protect his friend by taking the friend's gun to keep him out of trouble.

"I want him to be known for what he is," Michelle Washington said of her husband. "He was a hero."

The Portland State University Student Union plans to hold a press conference with Washington's family at noon Tuesday and another vigil on Saturday, which will mark three months since Washington's death.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBaileyMichelle Washington on Monday stood in the spot where, months before, police bullets tore through her husband's body.

Flanked by their three daughters, she spoke of Jason Washington and his fatal shooting by two Portland State University officers.

"His motto was God, family, friends and country, and he lived that way until the end," Michelle Washington said. "He was our everything. He was needlessly and violently taken from us."

The emotional message came during a demonstration that drew a couple hundred people to campus on the first day of classes to decry Washington's death and demand an end to the school's policy of arming its public safety force.

From start to finish, his family stood alongside activists and students.

Two hours of tearful speeches, fiery chants and marching through the streets ended with more than a dozen demonstrators seated and arms linked in front of the school's public safety building.

The group vowed they would wage an occupation until PSU administrators met a trio of demands: Permanently disarm campus police; terminate the two officers who killed Washington, and; establish a permanent memorial for him on campus.

"All students should be aware of what happened," Andre Washington, Jason's older brother and a PSU graduate, told The Oregonian/OregonLive in an interview.

"I want people to know that whether or not you go to school here you're at risk of being killed by their officers."

Campus police fatally shot Washington, a U.S. postal worker and Navy veteran, while witnesses say he tried to break up a fight outside the Cheerful Tortoise, a bar near campus, on June 29.

Washington, 45, was holding a friend's handgun amid a drunken melee when Officers James Dewey and Shawn McKenzie ordered him to drop it.

Within seconds of the command, the officers then opened fire, striking Washington eight times. He was shot in his chest, back, abdomen and legs, the Multnomah County medical examiner's office found.

Another bullet grazed his head.

The school released body cam video of both officers, which captured a chaotic scene before and after the shooting. A grand jury this month decided not to indict the two officers, who have since returned to work.

Washington's death marked the first fatal shooting by the university's police force, and came during a brief but divisive history with arming campus officers.

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.

"There's no excuse. We told them this would happen," organizer Olivia Pace told a crowd of about 200 people assembled in the Park Blocks. "They didn't listen."

The PSU Student Union organized Monday's event. Representatives from the NAACP, Democratic Socialists of America and an array of student and social justice groups also spoke. Participants held signs that read "No More Killer Cops," "Disarm PSU" and "Justice For Jason Washington."

In a statement, a PSU spokesman reiterated the school's plan to hire an independent security consulting firm to review campus safety policies and procedures, including whether officers should be armed.

PSU also plans to hold a series of public forums in the weeks ahead, the spokesman said.

After the Park Blocks speeches ended, demonstrators marched to the site of Washington's death, where his wife shared her remarks.

They then continued through the urban campus along city streets to the Academic and Student Recreation Center, where the university's Board of Trustees meets, and eventually the Campus Public Safety Office at Southwest Broadway

and Montgomery Street.

As the demonstration neared its end and the occupation officially launched, Lexi Washington, 22, stood on the steps of the public safety building to reflect on what happened to her father.

"I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to police," she said, tears streaming down her face. "But I can't."

Lizzy Acker and Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/Oregonlive contributed to this report

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 || @shanedkavanaugh"Be aware if you are in a rental car and upload your contact information, it will stay there unless you delete it when you turn in your rental car," Francy said. "You might have sensitive information loaded as well. And if you sell your car? Have you deleted your data? I actually bought my new Lexus , well, a used Lexus, and I paired with my phone. When I selected the home destination, it took me to someone else's home. Be careful with your data. We all have to be vigilant."To the editor:

I want to set the record straight, Sarah Schulz did not lead the protest that interrupted the county courthouse dedication this summer. She wasnt even there. I know because I was the organizer and leader of that protest.

The reason for setting the record straight is because Amy Moolenaar, wife of Rep. John Moolenaar, sent a fund-raising letter for Annette Glenn to members of our community that states Sarah Schulz leads the group that was protesting, and that it was "her" protest that took place on that day.

We had over 300 local citizens involved that day on Main Street to shine the light on the terrible plight of the children who were removed from their parents care and put in cages on our borders. The Women of Michigan Action Network (WOMAN) was involved as were several churches with their priests and ministers. People of many religions and political parties were there.

While Sarah Schulz does lead the WOMAN group, she did not attend the protest that day.

It was not the plan to go down to the county courthouse. It certainly was not the plan to interrupt the ceremony. As the leader, I can attest to the fact that when the event was planned, the group did not know that the protest and ceremony would be happening at the same time. The fact that the group interrupted the ceremony was a complete and unfortunate happenstance. We were led in the moment down to the courthouse by a person who was not a part of WOMAN. It was not a preplanned part of the event. Regardless of all this, Sarah Schulz was not involved in any way.

I am an ordinary citizen, a retired teacher, a person who believes in dealing with facts. Surely, Amy Moolenaar, we can agree that caging children at the borders is wrong. Surely we can agree to be civil and stick to the facts.

CAROLYN MAHAFFEY

MidlandHe began compiling a list of places that he would share with other people who had the same concerns. Before long, he created Soundprint, an app billed as like Yelp, but for sound. Using ones iPhone (Android options are being explored), people can measure sound in a restaurant, bar or cafe with a decibel meter, and the crowdsourced measurements are shown on a map. Users can look at the app and immediately see where quiet and loud businesses are located by the crowdsourced score, allowing them to decide whether its an establishment theyd like to visit.Last Friday we reported on Telltale Games closure, the studio behind games such as The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands.On Tuesday, Polygon reported that Telltale is being sued as a result of its mass layoffs. This class action lawsuit was submitted Monday by former Telltale employee Vernie Roberts on behalf of himself and his coworkers.

According to Roberts suit, when Telltale laid off hundreds off its employees without notice, it violated the WARN act. This legislation mandates that companies must notify employees at least 60 days before any mass layoffs. The WARN act defines a mass layoff as losing either 500 employees within 30 days, or 50-499 employees if they make up at least 33% of the employers active workforce. Telltale exceeded that second number exponentially, laying off roughly 250 employees without proper notification last week, with a skeleton crew of 25 staying on for a few extra weeks.

Should Telltale be found guilty of this violation, theyll be forced to provide back pay to each employee for every day violated. Because the minimum notification period is 60 days, and Telltale gave none prior to the firings, that would mean 60 days worth of back pay for 275 employees, per Polygon.

It seems that the studio has other priorities at this point. Though Telltale has not responded to us or Polygon since the layoffs, beyond a statement confirming they happened, it has made statements to the fans. In a tweet from the studios official account on Monday, Telltale assured fans that episodes three and four of The Walking Dead would be completed and released in some form. With only 25 employees left across the board, supposedly focusing on a Minecraft game for Netflix, thats a hefty task.

Meanwhile, its ex-employees are inexplicably jobless with no severance pay and, per Kotaku, health benefits that are due to expire at the end of September.Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

Republicans might be trying to punch up tax cuts and a strong economy as a tentpole issue, but it's concern over access to healthcare that's driving voters in this critical midterm campaign season.

New polling data out of Pennsylvania's surprisingly competitive 16th Congressional District drives that reality home, with a bare majority of voters (51 percent) saying they support keeping, and improving, on the Affordable Care Act.

Despite that, the new survey by Public Policy Polling also shows voters in the race between GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and Democrat Ron DiNicola giving a (*updated)clear thumbs-up on President Donald Trump's job performance (52-44 percent, approve).

And a clear majority (57 percent) opposed the White House's support for a court case seeking to eliminate the healthcare law's protections for people with preexisting conditions.

Nearly six in 10 of the 659 voters who responded to the push-button poll (58 percent) listed healthcare as either a "very" important or the "most" important issue in this November's mid-term election. And a clear majority of respondents (54 percent) said they voted for Trump in 2016.

The new PPP survey, conducted in conjunction with the advocacy group, Protect Our Care PA, comes amid a surprisingly tight race between Kelly and DiNicola.

While both Real Clear Politics and Inside Elections have the seat listed as "likely Republican," polling earlier this summer showed Kelly, a reliable Trump supporter, under the 50 percent threshold for reelection.

While they've made it a marquee issue, Republicans have struggled to gain traction with last year's tax cut package, despite constant trumpting by both Trump and Congressional GOP leaders.

A June Quinnipiac University poll showed voters disapproving of the cuts 46-39 percent. A similar Monmouth University poll showed 41-34 percent disapproval of the cuts. Nationally, voters disapprove of the cuts by an average of 3.5 percentage points, according to RealClear Politics.

Meanwhile, public support for the Affordable Care Act, despite its challenges, remains strong, with voters favoring it by an average of 9.4 percent, according to the RealClear average.

Read the full polling memo below:

PA CD 16 Protect Our Care S... by on Scribd

The rest of the day's news starts now.

The Pa. House has advanced a bill allowing older victims of sexual abuse to sue, The Inquirer reports.

The House has also advanced a bill that sets the stage for killing Philly's paid sick leave, BillyPenn reports.

More debates aren't needed to show the "stark contrast" between Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican Scott Wagner, the Democratic incumbent argued Monday, PennLive's Jan Murphy reports.

The Wolf campaign tried to argue Monday, meanwhile, that Wagner has a "shocking new plan" to close Pa. schools. There's nothing new - or particularly shocking - about it at all.

The new head of the Pittsburgh Port Authority talks to The Post-Gazette about what mass transit in The Steel City will look like in 20 years.

The Incline explains why Pittsburgh's blast furnaces were named after local women.

Here's a super-powered #Harrsburg Instagram of the Day:

During a national walkout day, Philly's survivors of sexual abuse and assault gathered to show solidarity, WHYY-FM reports.

Today is Bill Cosby's day of reckoning, The Morning Call reports.

Courts are beginning to force states to provide costly Hep C treatment, Stateline.org reports.

President Trump's legal defense team should be 'very concerned,' former Whitewater special counsel Kenneth W. Starr tells Politico.

What Goes On.

As you might expect from a session day, the dancecard is a full one.

The House comes in at 9:30 a.m. The Senate gavels in at a leisurely 1 p.m.

9 a.m., Main Rotunda: Rally to end child marriage

10 a.m., Media Center: Allegheny County House and Senate Members on bills to improve relations between the public and police

10 a.m., Main Rotunda: Safe Harbor rally

11 a.m., Main Rotunda: Recovery Advocacy Day

11 a.m., Media Center: The PUC on promoting careers in utilities

12 p.m, Media Center: Rep. Madden and SEIU on workers rights

12 p.m., Main Rotunda: Rep. Rosita Youngblood on "Diaper Need Awareness Week."

2 p.m., Main Rotunda: Rep. Carolyn Comita on banning loaded guns in vehicles

WolfWatch.

Gov. Tom Wolf has no public schedule today.

What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition)

Hope your wallets are limber. Today's a beast.

7:30 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Cris Dush

7:30 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Tommy Sankey

7:30 a.m.: Breakfast for Sen. John DiSanto

8 a.m.: Breakfast for Sen. Vince Hughes

8 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Gerald Mullery

8 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Marcy Toepel

8 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Anita Astorino Kulik

8 a.m.: Breakfast for 9th CD candidate Dan Meuser

8 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Steve McCarter

11:30 a.m.: Luncheon for Sen. Michele Brooks

5 p.m: Reception for Rep. Brian Ellis

5 p.m.: Reception for Sen. Sharif Street

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Sue Helm

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Peter Schweyer

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Pa. state Senate candidate Marguerite Quinn

5:30 p.m.: Reception for the House Democratic Campaign Committee

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Kevin Boyle

6 p.m.: Reception for state Senate candidate Kristin Phillips-Hill

Heavy Rotation.

Here's one from

The Killers

on a rainy Tuesday morning.

And now you're up to date.A Pennsylvania woman caught on video taking punches from Wildwood N.J. police officers during her violent beach arrest in May has been indicted by a grand jury.

As Philly.com reports, Emily R. Weinman, 20, of Philadelphia was indicted on two counts of aggravated assault on police, and one count each of resisting arrest, throwing bodily fluids, and obstructing an investigation.

The charges stem from a May 26 incident that started when officers from the Wildwood Police Department questioned her about prohibited alcoholic beverages on the beach, Philly.com writes, adding:

Two police officers hired for the summer season say they approached Weinman after spotting an alcoholic beverage near where she sat on a beach blanket.

Weinman said she hadn't been drinking and passed a breath test.

She then cursed and insulted the officer and refused to give him her name.

One of the officers tackled and arrested her - an appeared to throw punches in a video of the arrest shot by another beach-goer.

The video received more than 7 million views and generated a public outcry against the department.

On Facebook, Weinman denied spitting on the officers, writing, "The cops smashed my head into the ground when he tackled me and I spit the sand out of my mouth. So no, it is not true."

But Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland declined to prosecute the officers, and instead impaneled the grand jury to consider charges against Weinman, with the indicted returned last week.

However, Philly.com reports the officers involved in Weinman's arrest -- identified as Class II Patrolmen Thomas Cannon, John Hillman, and Robert Jordan -- were the subject of an internal affairs investigation by the Wildwood Police Department.

The department did not comment further.This began, as stories sometimes do, with a reader request. A gentleman asked for recommendations for prime rib. Not steaks, not beef in general, but specifically prime rib. The only condition he imposed was that he didn't want to wait until the weekend to enjoy it. And that complicated things a little.

Prime rib, also known as a standing rib roast, generally is a very large roast (10 pounds or more) that's cooked for several hours. Putting prime rib on the menu requires a commitment on the part of the restaurant (which stands to lose money if there aren't enough orders on a given night), and some restaurants are only comfortable making that commitment on the weekend, when customer counts are highest.

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Plus, not everybody sees prime rib as the be-all and end-all of beefy goodness. For one thing, prime rib isn't necessarily made with prime-grade beef; the name prime rib is a historic term referring to the "primal" cut of beef it comes from. For another, prime rib is a very fatty cut of meat, and while fat conveys flavor, large hunks of fat are less than appealing. Indeed, by the time you've carved the fat from the part you actually want to eat, you might wonder why you bothered.

Steakhouses are good places to look for prime rib, naturally, but rather than visit every top-level steakhouse in town (pleasant as that prospect might be), I tried to go a bit further afield. Besides, as I soon learned, while all prime rib places serve steak (with one notable exception), not all steakhouses bother with prime rib.

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Some general observations: One, these places have got their cooking times down pat; I never got a single overcooked or undercooked slab of meat. Two, after eating seven orders of prime rib in the span of a month  in the process, my blood going from O-positive to 5W-30  this is one dish I won't be ordering again for a long time.

Speaking of long time, check out the ages on some of these places.

Tom's Steak House

Out to Melrose Park for my first prime rib  or, more accurately, my first attempt at prime rib. Because, after fighting commuter traffic for what seemed like an eternity (OK, an hour), I found myself at a nice, comfy table, glass of wine in hand, at Tom's, which has been dishing out steaks and prime rib since 1952. And a smiling waitress came up to me and spoke these dreaded words: "We have everything except prime rib." Yes, on weekdays at Tom's, the kitchen routinely runs out of prime rib before 7:30 p.m., because seemingly everybody orders the stuff. I scanned the dining room: Prime rib, prime rib, prime rib, two prime ribs. "I just sold the last two orders to that table," my waitress said, apologetically. I briefly considered offering to buy one of the orders from that table but decided that would be too weird. And that it probably wouldn't work.

My second visit, I arrived earlier, and as the waitress approached my table, I said, "We're here for the prime rib. Do you still have some?" And indeed she did.

The prime rib arrives to your table via cart, the meat still sizzling on a metal platter raised over a bed of coals. You choose (actually, by this point you've already chosen) the $26.95 queen cut or the $28.95 Tom's cut. The price includes soup or salad, and a large baked potato with cheese and chive sauce. The prime rib is tasty, no doubt. I'd suggest only that the servers be less generous when ladling on the jus. A little bit is fine, but presenting the meat in a virtual lake of pan drippings means you have to slice very carefully to avoid a subsequent visit to the dry cleaner. Which is one reason, I guess, that nobody wears a tie here. 1901 W. North Ave., Melrose Park, 708-345-2766.

Miller's Pub

Dating to 1950, Miller's is well-known as a reliable late-night dining option in the Loop. Its biggest claim to culinary fame is undoubtedly the barbecued ribs, though Miller's also boasts a good prime rib (not a surprise) and an astonishingly deep selection of imported and local craft beers (quite a surprise to me; I really need to get out more).

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Miller's Pub pulls in a lot of regulars, so much so that you draw funny looks if you linger too long over the menu. I knew what I wanted, of course, but my son, along for the ride, didn't, and it took three tries before his decision-making and the waitress' appearances coincided. That said, the prime rib ($29.95)  flavorful and relatively light on excess fat  is worth your attention. 134 S. Wabash Ave., 312-263-4988.

Lawry's the Prime Rib

No roundup can ignore the temple of prime rib inside the circa-1890s McCormick Mansion on Ontario Street. The place is a trip; the ornate (but scrupulously maintained) dining room is hung with Sir Francis Drake-look oversize oil portraits; waitresses are clad in vintage, starched cuff-and-collar uniforms; and carvers, who man the massive silver carts that wheel the beef to your table, have their chef jackets adorned with gold "Royal Order of Carvers" medallions.

The original Lawry's opened in Beverly Hills in 1938, though Chicago's outpost has been around "only" since 1974. And for much of the time since, the restaurant served prime rib and nothing but, though later the menu expanded to include lobster tails and salmon. But for the majority of diners, it's just a matter of deciding how big a cut you want and how rare you want it. Prices range from $37-$58, and that includes the spinning salad-bowl salad (a bit of table-side showmanship as the dressing is drizzled into a bowl spinning on a bed of ice), mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding (a savory skillet-baked batter cake) and whipped-cream-horseradish sauce. The beef is terrific, the wine list impressive (the $32 private-label Lawry's cab is a bargain), but the ceremony and history are what really sell the place. 100 E. Ontario St., 312-787-5000.

Rosewood Restaurant

The second-best prime rib I ate was at this Rosemont restaurant, in the shadows of O'Hare airport and the river. Rosewood faces formidable steakhouse competition in this area  Gibsons, Morton's and Harry Caray's have Rosemont outposts  but Rosewood has been holding its own since 1990. A big part of the reason is owner James Mandas, who's almost never absent from the host stand or dining room, where he meets and greets like the pro he is.

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The sprawling property includes a white-tablecloth dining room and adjacent banquet facility; a la carte dining and banquet capacity aren't usually the best of friends, but here they coexist nicely. The prime rib ($44.95) is double-cut thick, juicy and well-trimmed, a real beauty. Vegetable sides are a tad steep ($9.95), but I'd go back here in a second. 9421 W. Higgins Road, Rosemont, 847-696-9494.

Chicago Cut Steakhouse

The holy grail of prime rib lives here. No prime rib I've ever tasted could match the flavor, texture and beauty of the enormous, plate-size slab of bone-in perfection that I had at Chicago Cut. It's very expensive ($59), but the steakhouse uses USDA prime beef, hits it with just the right touch of salt and serves it with a little horseradish on the side.

No sides or salad are included, but there is a very good bread basket that arrives unbidden. Kick in another $7 for a vegetable if you like. Beautiful surroundings, terrific service and a deep wine list that's more than worthy of this fabulous beef are all bonuses. A relative pup among these veterans  the restaurant opened in 2010  Chicago Cut is a big dog where it counts. 300 N. LaSalle St., 312-329-1800.

Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse

Out to Lombard to sample the prime rib at Harry Caray's (there also is a Rosemont location, as well as the River North original). This outpost is popular enough that weekend reservations are tough to get, but here's a tip: Head for the very large lounge area, where it's first come, first served, and there are plenty of tables; as long as the multitude of TV screens don't bother you, you'll be happy and comfortable here.

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Harry's is known for its prime steaks, but this night, at this place, the prime rib ($32.95) was a disappointment  fattier than most and lower in flavor, and yes, I know that's contradictory. Not a bad cut by any means, but not as good as several others. 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, 630-953-3400.

Wildfire

Another local restaurant with multiple locations (besides the Oak Brook edition and the River North original, there are outposts in Lincolnshire, Glenview and Schaumburg), and another place for which one needs a crowbar to get into on weekends. The steaks are the big draw, but the six-hour roasted prime rib, rubbed with garlic and sea salt, is no slouch. Available in three cuts ranging from $25.95-$33.95, the prime rib (like all entrees here) includes one side. Definitely worth your attention. 232 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, 630-586-9000.

pvettel@tribune.com

Twitter @philvettelToday marks the 61st anniversary of the day nine black students started school at the formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., "testing a landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

The court had mandated that all public schools in the country be integrated 'with all deliberate speed' in its decision related to the groundbreaking case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

On September 4, 1957, the first day of classes at Central High, Governor Orval Faubus of Arkansas called in the state National Guard to bar the black students' entry into the school.

Later in the month, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the 'Little Rock Nine' into the school, and they started their first full day of classes on September 25," according to history.com.

Civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. attended graduation at Central High in May of 1958 to see Ernest Green, the only senior in the group of nine, graduate.WASHINGTON -- 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 leaped to his defense, the Senate's top Republican accused Democrats of a "smear campaign" and an emotional Kavanaugh declared, "I'm not going anywhere."

In the run-up to an appearance by Kavanaugh and his main accuser at a dramatic Senate hearing, the Republicans embraced their newly aggressive stance with his nomination dangling precariously. The similar tones and wording they used suggested a concerted effort to undermine the women's claims, portray an image of unity among GOP senators and press ahead to a confirmation vote.

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."

Unintimidated, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, retorted, "If you really believe they are a smear job, why don't you call for FBI investigation?" Schumer accused the Republicans of "a rush job to avoid the truth."

Trump has made clear he won't order an FBI investigation of the allegations. And McConnell said that Thursday's Judiciary Committee hearing would proceed and that full Senate consideration would follow "in the near future," though he mentioned no date.

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."

In an unusual strategy for a Supreme Court nominee, Kavanaugh, 53, now a judge on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, also sat for an interview along with his wife late Monday on the conservative-friendly Fox News Channel.

READ MORE: Kavanaugh accused of sexual misconduct by 2nd woman, New Yorker reports

Careful not to assail Ford but firm in his denial, he 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 I've never sexually assaulted anyone."

"I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process and we're looking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend my integrity, my lifelong record," he said in an excerpt released by Fox before the telecast. "My lifelong record of promoting dignity and equality for women starting with the women who knew me when I was 14 years old. I'm not going anywhere."

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.

Despite the forceful rhetoric by Kavanaugh and his GOP supporters, it remained unclear how three moderate Republicans -- Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, 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."

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 has not indicated that is under consideration. Delaying Kavanaugh's confirmation could give time for doubts about him to take root or for any fresh accusations to emerge.

Pushing forward with Kavanaugh has risks of its own, besides an embarrassing defeat for Trump and the GOP. His nomination and the claims of sexual misconduct dating from his teenage years 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.

READ MORE: Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford tentatively agrees to testify Thursday

Dozens of people protesting Kavanaugh were arrested Monday outside Collins' Capitol Hill office. Many wore black "Be A Hero" shirts and chanted slogans including, "We will not be silenced."

Protests on Capitol Hill were buttressed by walkouts away from Washington in support of Ford and Ramirez that were staged 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.

A week ago, Ford told the Washington Post that at a high school house party in the early 1980s, a drunk Kavanaugh forced her into a bedroom where he pinned her on a bed, tried removing her clothes and muffled her mouth to prevent screams before she escaped.

With increasing intensity, Republicans have attacked the credibility of both women's accounts. They note that neither the accusers nor news organizations have found people willing to provide corroboration, even though Ford and Ramirez have both named people who they said were present at the alleged incidents.

Ramirez, who told The New Yorker that she had 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 posted on her front door indicated she would have no comment.

White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway held a conference call with supporters Monday morning during which, according to a participant who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private call, she said there was a "vast left-wing conspiracy" to prevent Kavanaugh from winning confirmation.

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.

___

Alan Fram and Lisa Mascaro of the Associated Press wrote this story. AP reporters Mary Clare Jalonick, Catherine Lucey, Jonathan Lemire, Kevin Freking, Padmananda Rama and Matthew Daly contributed.One of two men convicted for the murder of a bar bouncer can't wriggle out of the life prison sentence he is serving, a state Superior Court panel has decided.

The court made that call in an opinion by Judge Victor P. Stabile denying the appeal of 28-year-old Jared Donovan Jones.

Jones and his co-defendant, Richard Kinnard II, were convicted of fatally shooting bouncer Corey Bryan after a dispute at Vinny's Good Time Night Club in Lebanon on Sept. 19, 2015.

A Lebanon County jury found both men guilty of first-degree murder following a trial last year. Kinnard also is serving a life term.

Jones failed to convince the jury that he was not involved in the killing, didn't know Kinnard had shot Bryan, and only drove the car in which he and Kinnard left the bar. Police located that car crashed about two miles from the shooting scene. Investigators said a pistol found wedged behind the right rear headrest in the vehicle was the gun used to kill the bouncer.

Jones was apprehended in Hershey four months after the slaying.

On appeal to the state court, Jones argued he shouldn't have been tried jointly with Kinnard. He insisted he should have been allowed to present a voluntary intoxication defense. The prosecution's evidence didn't support his murder conviction, either, Jones contended.

None of thse claims swayed Stabile. He found county Judge Bradford H. Charles was right to prevent Jones from raising a voluntary intoxication defense since Jones' argument was that he had nothing to do with Bryan's murder.

"The record...establishes much more than (Jones') mere presence at the scene of Bryan's murder," Stabile wrote. That evidence, he concluded, "is more than sufficient to establish (Jones') intent to be an accomplice to the shooting."WILLIAMSPORT - The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has accused the owner of a commercial truck washing facility in Milton of firing an African-American because of his race and for reporting racial harassment.

The EEOC is seeking for the fired employee back pay, unspecified punitive damages and compensation for past and future losses including for humiliation and emotional pain.

The defendant in the civil rights action filed Monday in U.S. Middle District Court is Eagle United Truck Wash based in Colorado.

According to its website the Milton facility is one of eight across the nation and the only one in Pennsylvania.

The EEOC brought the action on behalf of Peter D. Homes, who was hired Jan. 7, 2014, as a truck washer at Milton. The complaint does not list the date of his termination.

As the only black employee at the facility, Holmes was subjected to racial slurs from other employees on a nearly daily basis, the agency says.

The suit details the alleged verbal harassment and cites the altering of the employee rights poster in the breakroom on Dec. 30, 2015, to make it racially charged.

Eagle United is accused of not taking any preventive or corrective measures in response to Holmes' complaints.

In seeking punitive damages, the EEOC claims the racial activity was intentional and done with malice.

Besides damages, the EEOC is seeking a permanent injunction to prevent Eagle United from maintaining a racially hostile work environment.

The agency says it filed suit after its efforts to obtain a conciliation agreement failed.Lawmakers are opposed to shrinking the size of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives' may have found a way to kill that effort without actually having to vote against anything.

Democratic lawmakers sitting on the House Rules Committee, with a few key Republican friends, successfully passed a motion Tuesday that adds reducing the state Senate back into the bill, along with the House.

The measure passed the Rules Committee on an 18-14 vote, with all 15 Democrats and three Republicans voting yes, and 14 Republican members voting no.

That change leaves the bill looking like this:

The House would shrink from 203 seats to 151 after redistricting; and the state Senate would shrink from 50 seats to 38.

It's not immediately clear when, or if, the amended bill will come up for floor debate this fall. Efforts to push for a vote on cutting the size of the House alone died in June for lack of support.

But the latest change creates two bigger problems for supporters of a smaller legislature:

First, the state Senate is not interested in reducing its own size. As a sign of that, we refer you to a Senate State Government Committee vote of 11-1 this June that made it a House only bill once again.

That makes Tuesday morning's change something of a poison pill.

Secondly, even if the bill in its expanded form did pass the Senate, the language remains different than the House-only measure that passed the legislature in the 2015-16 legislative session.

So, as an amendment to the state constitution, it would have to be considered all over again in the 2019-20 session before the going to the state's voters in the form of a binding referendum.

And even then, a spokesman for House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody, R-Allegheny County, who moved for Tuesday's change, contends there are technical problems that bar a vote this year from even counting towards an amendment-qualifying measure.

That's because, Bill Patton said, the legislature has already blown past a deadline that some say requires public notice of all potential constitutional amendments by at least 90 days before that year's general election.

Dermody, truth be told, is really in favor of keeping the House and Senate at their current size. So his motion to revert to a prior version of the legislative size bill was not an accident.

He and his legislative allies believe cutting the size of the House will unnecessarily erode representation in the General Assembly, and, by extension, state government as a whole, Patton said.

It could also significantly shrink the voice of different groups like rural and minority voters as House districts move from the current 62,000 residents to more than 80,000.

Proponents of the cut, however, have said modern-day representatives can more easily serve larger numbers of people in an age of cellphones, emails and other instant communication.

Reducing the size of the legislature, they argue, would also send a signal to Pennsylvanians that lawmakers are serious about streamlining state government.

It's a complex issue because Pennsylvania, at present, has the second-largest state House in the nation.

When representation is broken down on a per capita basis, however, representatives in 32 state Houses currently serve smaller populations than Pennsylvania lawmakers.

But for now, it looks like the reduction movement in Pennsylvania is running into more roadblocks and running out of time.

Dermody's move continued the trend.

And unless the language is changed again by further parliamentary maneuvering in the waning days of this session, the bill could now die without ever getting a true up-or-down vote on the House floor.A Harrisburg man was charged with killing his 5-month-old son during a family vacation in the Outer Banks, NC.

The Daily Advance reported that Thomas William Imschweiler is accused of killing the boy, who was found not breathing on the Currituck County Outer Banks in July.

Imschweiler was indicted by a grand jury, according to the outlet, of murder and committing felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.

Franklin Imschweiler died of a brain injury. His father was charged in the baby's death.

The Daily Advance reported the investigation as follows:

Police and EMS were called to the 700 block of Lakeview Court on July 17 for a child who wasn't breathing. The infant was transported to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Virigina.

Imschweiler's son, Franklin, suffered bleeding on the outside of the brain and bleeding on the right eye, sometime between July 14 and July 17. The baby died on July 22.

The boy's family, including Thomas, started a GoFundMe on July 18 for medical expenses.

In the most recent post, Franklin's mother wrote of his death saying "I've never known heartbreak like this in my life. My baby is gone. My life is broken. I am broken. I don't even know how to live."

The GoFundMe campaign raised $5,372 for the family.A repeat sexual offender with a lengthy history of violent crime was sentenced to up to 70 years in prison for the attempted rape of a Franklin & Marshall College student.

Anthony L. Rutter, 48, pleaded guilty Monday in Lancaster County Court to charges of attempted rape and other charges stemming from the February incident.

The crime, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office, happened mere hours after Rutter was released from state prison.

Lancaster County President Judge Dennis Reinaker sentenced Rutter to 35 to 70 years in prison after accepting his guilty plea.

Rutter was released from SCI Graterford in Montgomery County at around 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 28, his first time out of prison since 1994.

He followed two female students to their dorm and attempted enter their building, but was unable to due to the building's security features. He was eventually able to follow the victim into the building as she used her access pass, and then attacked her, according to police.

The girl tried to push him off and told him to stop, to which he replied "there is no stopping," according to a news release.

Another student rushed to the victim's aid when she heard the screaming, and Rutter fled the scene. He was later taken into custody on the outskirts of campus.A state Superior Court panel has refused to resuscitate a long-running legal battle between an assistant superintendent of a central Pennsylvania school district and the superintendent she claims defamed her.

It remains to be seen if the court's ruling will finally put a lid on this pot boiler in Chambersburg Area School District.

At issue was the defamation lawsuit Assistant Superintendent Catherine M. Dusman lodged against Superintendent Joseph O. Padasak Jr.

Dusman claimed in her suit, filed in 2012, that Padasak slandered her in discussions with principals and with the president of the school board of another district where she was a candidate for superintendent.

The Superior Court took up the case when Dusman appealed Franklin County Judge Shawn D. Meyers' 2017 dismissal of her suit.

Judge Carolyn H. Nichols noted in the state court's opinion that Dusman claimed Padasak harmed her reputation during the 2012-13 school year by telling colleagues and the teachers association president that an audit had revealed Dusman did not have a current commission from the state Department of Education to serve as an assistant superintendent.

Dusman claimed Padasak also told the president of the Tuscarora School District School Board that she had lied about being in charge of a report card project. At the time, Dusman was interviewing for the superintendent job in the Tuscarora

district. She didn't get it.

In refusing to overturn Meyers' dismissal ruling, Nichols noted Padasak's statements about Dusman's lack of a state commission were true.

"The audience to whom (Padasak) published information about (Dusman) was a particular group of people, many of whom needed to know the information to perform their duties," Nichols wrote. "Thus, the statements were not capable of being defamatory."

Nor, she noted, did Dusman dispute the truthfulness of Padasak's supposed statement about the report card project.

Even if she had been slandered, Dusman failed to meet the legal requirement that she provide proof she suffered actual harm, Nichols found.Pennsylvania's two largest taxpayer-funded pension systems turned over an estimated $6 billion in fees and other payouts to private money managers in the last decade, according to a recent analysis of the state's pension crisis.

That's far greater than the $2.2 billion the systems previously disclosed and troubling to state officials grappling with the state's roughly $68 billion unfunded pension liability, although that figure is in constant flux.

Why should you care?

Barring an unlikely court ruling that would exempt states like Pennsylvania from honoring pension commitments, every resident will eventually be on the hook for that $68 billion. That works out to roughly $5,523 per person for current pension debt.

Private-equity managers offer struggling pension systems the opportunity to invest directly in private companies not traded on the public stock market. Theoretically, this could mean far greater return on investment. And the systems need larger returns so they can keep up with their pension obligations to retired firefighters, janitors, police officers, schoolteachers and, yes, bureaucrats and lawmakers.

But if private-equity firms like Apollo Global and BlackRock are taking larger shares of those returns than what's been disclosed, that could undercut the whole rationale for pursuing these higher-risk, higher-reward investments in the first place.

"If people base their investment decisions on false information and statistics, they're not going to obtain what they are hoping for out of private markets because they won't have the bargaining power," said Ludovic Phalippou, the Oxford University finance professor whose study of the state pension system uncovered the additional $3.8 billion in fees and profit sharing.

The systems' performance "has not been bad overall," Phalippou said, but there's nothing to say that will continue into the future. And Pennsylvania will still have to pay these fees and profit sharing -- terms that are used almost interchangeably -- even if private-equity returns decrease.

Part of the disparity has to do with so-called "carried interest" payments to private equity firms. In most contracts, investors agree to share a certain percentage of their profits with the money manager. Over time, this amount can grow quite large.

More troubling: The State Employees' Retirement System (SERS) and the Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS), which account for Pennsylvania's $68 billion unfunded pension liability, haven't tracked payments made via carried interest profit sharing.

SERS spokeswoman Pam Hile said the system's board earlier this year directed staff to adopt new fee disclosure policies that should eventually lead to greater transparency.

Evelyn Williams, a spokeswoman for PSERS, said there's no industry consensus on reporting profit-sharing payments as fees.

"Some call it profit sharing, some carried interest, etc.," Williams said, in a written statement. "It is something that is only earned if the investment is successful and they beat their benchmarks and exceed a certain investment hurdle. If they don't meet the hurdle it is not paid out."

But Phalippou said there's no question that so-called "carried interest" payments are fees. He equated the situation to Vanguard, an investment company that deals mostly with 401(k)s and publicly traded mutual funds, taking the dividend paid out to one of their customers by a company they owned stock in. Most investors, Phalippou said, would consider that a fee.

Exorbitant fees also exact an opportunity cost on the pension systems that's difficult to measure. If they transferred on passive (i.e. public) investments, those $6 billion in fees could have been reinvested rather than going to outside entities.

A number of large systems, including that of Montgomery County, have turned away from private equity. In 2014, the county shifted 90 percent of its assets to public index funds. So far, its returns lagged only slightly behind SERS and PSERS.

These new estimates of the fees that Pennsylvania pays to private equity came out as a result of Act 5, which was signed into law last year by Gov. Tom Wolf and created a commission to study reforms to the state's struggling pension systems.

Among other things, that commission was asked to come up with a plan to slash $3 billion in fees over the next 30 years. That benchmark, of course, was before Phalippou's analysis of what the systems paid in the last decade.

"Openness and transparency are the key ingredients to develop the best public policies to improve people's lives," said state Rep. Mike Tobash, the Schuylkill County Republican who chairs the commission. "Nothing else will be tolerated."

State Treasurer Joe Torsella, the commission's vice chair, called those fees "staggering" and vowed to work toward greater transparency.

But the systems themselves have reportedly been less than cooperative. Torsella spokesman Mike Connolly said the two pension systems haven't turned over requested paperwork.

"There's an enormous amount of documents that have not been provided by the pension funds to the commission," he said. "Information has not flowed that's supposed to."

Spokespeople for both systems, however, said they have or are currently cooperating with the commission's requests.

Williams, of PSERS, said the system turned over redacted versions of 17 of the 20 contracts the commission requested. Two other contracts "were so old that no documents were in PSERS' possession in accordance with PSERS' record retention schedule, and one investment never actually occurred."

It's possible, however, that the Auditor General's Office -- which has subpoena power -- might intervene to force the release of more documentation. In August, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale announced that his office would be reviewing previous audits of both pension systems.

The new revelations of the systems' fee payments already piqued DePasquale's interest.

"Every Pennsylvania taxpayer should be outraged that Wall Street money managers have been hiding billions of dollars -- billions -- in fees they've been charging us for a decade," he said, in a written statement.

Barry Ciccocioppo, a spokesman for DePasquale, said the office will be looking at the "shocking new information" of previously undisclosed fees and profit sharing.

"[DePasquale] wants to know every cent it costs to operate the funds," he said, noting that the profit sharing was not disclosed at the time of the original audits.

This article was updated to clarify the current amount of unfunded pension liability.

Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook.

Read the 'TAPPED OUT' special investigation of drinking water and share your comments on Facebook.This post was updated at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday with reaction from Rep. Mark Rozzi, and again at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday with reaction from the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania.

Top Senate Republican leaders didn't say yes.

But they also didn't say no Tuesday to a House-passed package of child sex abuse reforms that includes creation of a two-year window permitting those victims timed-out of the legal system a chance to file civil suits.

What they did do was issue a promise that the Senate will consider and work on the House bill with an eye toward getting a finished product to Gov. Tom Wolf's desk by the end of October.

"The House had this bill for 20 months.

"We will respond in days," Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre County, said.

"And we are committed to make sure we get a bill back to the House in time for them to concur that allows these victims to get accountability for what happened to them and compensation for what happened to them.

"I don't know exactly at this very moment what that will look like. But that is our goal."

Corman listed several "glaring" problems with the bill as it passed the House earlier Tuesday.

They include the fact that the House version raises the standard for civil liability for child sexual abuse occurring through public institutions to "gross negligence," creating a different standard in some senators' view for, say, victims at private and public schools.

"We don't think public employees should have a shield (in the form of a higher evidentiary standard) that the privates do not...

"If you're a victim you don't care if you're abuser is a priest or private doctor, or it's a teacher... You deserve a fair ability to seek compensation or justice through the system," Corman said.

He also noted that the House-passed bill doesn't address two of the four reforms proposed in the recent grand jury report on child sexual abuses within the Roman Catholic Church.

Corman, speaking at the end of a Tuesday afternoon caucus of the 34-member GOP majority, studiously avoided addressing the biggest sticking point on the issue - the retroactive civil windows - until reporters asked.

"We're going to work through that," Corman said then. "We haven't decided no or yes on that."

Corman explained he wants to be responsive to victims' need to expose their abusers, when they're ready to do so.

But the Senate Republican majority - which largely blocked consideration of a retroactive window in the 2015-16 legislative term - still seems to want to continue to explore whether there are other ways to get to that goal.

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, has to date been resistant to the retroactive provision on civil cases, arguing it stands in violation of the state constitution.

He has also raised, more recently, the idea of a church-funded but independently-administered victims' compensation fund for victims of the Catholic clergy.

"We're not ruling anything out, or in," Corman said Tuesday.

The lack of clarity in the Senate position drew anger from a leader of the victim's rights lobby, at least some of whom have no room for compromise on the civil justice issue.

Shaun Dougherty, who was himself a victim of childhood sexual abuse in his native Johnstown, said "the glaring problem in Pennsylvania that is very clear for the victims, the parishioners, the citizens and the world to see, is the Pennsylvania Senate leadership.

"The victims are completely on the side of Rep. Mark Rozzi and his bill," Dougherty continued, referring to the Legislature's top champion for the civil suit window.

"This Senate, in this session, is either going to pass this bill with the window as they got it, or the victim train will come through a town near them in this election season."

Rozzi himself was a little more diplomatic.

He noted he is more than willing to hear most of the Senate's concerns about the bill. But he is far less likely, he said, to budge on the retroactive window. On that, however, he's willing to give the Senate some time.

"At the end of the day, I know they want to help victims out, and I know they want to get something done," Rozzi said.

But the challenge before them is this, he added: "If you know you want to do the right thing, but you can't because of lawyers and lobbyists, then you don't belong in the Legislature."

Both chambers are in accord on other aspects of the bill, Senate Bill 261, including the elimination of any time bars on the criminal prosecution of a case of suspected child sex abuse.

It would also give future victims of child sex abuse the ability to bring civil cases against their accusers and those who were charged with their supervision any time before their 50th birthday.

The expansions are needed, supporters say, because it can take decades before child victims are ready to come to grips with happened to them.

But that's also why, they note, the retroactive, two-year window is needed for victims who have aged past the existing statutory deadline which, for many adults, was their 21st or 30th birthday.

Tuesday's 173-21 House vote came 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.

The two-year window for civil suits is 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.

A top insurance industry leader, meanwhile, praised the Senate leaders for taking their time on such a sensitive issue.

Insurers, generally, are opposed to the so-called case "reviver," because, a they contend, it exposes their businesses to risks and liabilities that they never had a chance to collect a premium for.

But Sam Marshall of the Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania said it's lazy thinking to equate opposing the retroactive window with a desire to protect abusers.

All sides, he said, want victims who have missed their window to sue to have a chance at "meaningful compensation," and to be able to expose their abusers.

"We understand the urgency," Marshall said. "But we also understand the need to do something that is going to withstand the test of time, and is also going to withstand legal challenges."MSG has long been the food world's bad boy. Also known as monosodium glutamate, it has been demonized for at least two generations by food purists convinced MSG dumbs down flavor and quality, and by habitues of Asian restaurants worried they'll fall victim to "Chinese restaurant syndrome," the onset of headaches, nausea or other symptoms often blamed on eating foods thought to be high in MSG. (That explains all those "No MSG" signs you see; whether that's always true is another story.)

But MSG is "generally recognized as safe" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it's still out there in the nation's foods, notably in processed products.

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Monosodium glutamate looms so large on the culinary landscape that when Michael Pollan speculated on an American "flavor principle" in his new book, "Cooked," he was left with two choices: Heinz ketchup  used "to domesticate every imaginable kind of food"  or the "familiar" taste of fast food, which he describes as "salt, soy oil and MSG."

MSG is a form of glutamic acid, which is one of the protein-building amino acids. It was born out of research conducted by a Japanese chemistry professor named Kikunae Ikeda. In 1908, he extracted glutamates from a seaweed stock and claimed it offered a unique "fifth taste," or "umami." Ikeda patented his discovery, and commercial production of MSG began the next year under the brand name Aji-no-moto, or "essence of taste" in English.

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Seaweed is not used to make MSG anymore. Today, MSG is made by fermenting "starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses," according to the FDA, in a process the agency says is similar to what is used in making yogurt, vinegar and wine.

MSG, a white powder, is sold at most supermarkets under various brand names. You can use it like a seasoning, sprinkling it into foods as you cook. Food manufacturers who use MSG in their products must list it on the label.

MSG has yet to recover from the onus of Chinese restaurant syndrome. Leslie Stein, science communications director for the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, an independent institute that studies taste and smell, is somewhat surprised at the lingering taint on MSG. "There really is no evidence it has a deleterious effect,'' she says, dismissing the "syndrome" as an "old wives' tale."

In his "A Short History of MSG: Good Science, Bad Science and Taste Cultures" published in the fall 2005 issue of "Gastronomica," Jordan Sand traced the century-old arc of MSG from a symbol of Japanese innovation  and imperialism  to a "vegetarian substitute for meat stock" in mainland Chinese kitchens to a substance linked to a "syndrome" that many Americans seek to avoid. Perhaps, he theorized, MSG might be poised for some sort of redemption, thanks to savvy marketing campaigns by manufacturers and scientific research into taste and umami.

"Only time will tell whether this latest turn in the story will lead consumers back to an open appreciation of the powdered additive, or perhaps some new form of it dressed in the garb of nature and accompanied by new promises," wrote Sand, who is associate professor of Japanese history and culture at Georgetown University in Washington.

 Bill Daley

wdaley@tribune.comBy Page Gardner

Will Congress reject Obamacare, leaving you unprotected against insurance companies denying you coverage or charging higher rates because you have a "pre-existing condition"?

Will more than 700,000 Pennsylvanians hold onto their health coverage through the commonwealth's Medicaid expansion two years ago?

And will the United States take all-out action against the opioid crisis which contributed to more than 5,400 drug-related overdose deaths in Pennsylvania last year?

This year, Pennsylvanians will elect a governor, as well as a U.S. Senator and members of the House of Representatives.

Since this isn't a presidential year, more than 1.1 million Pennsylvanians who voted in 2016 are expected to sit this election out - or to be discouraged by the after-effects of a voter suppression scheme that was struck down four years ago.

But, even though this is a midterm election, the stakes are sky-high. The next Congress will make crucial decisions about the future of the Trump Administration, healthcare for working families, tax windfalls for the wealthy and well-connected and educational opportunities for our young people.

Potential cuts in Social Security and Medicare would hit hard at Pennsylvania's senior population which is increasing 20 times faster than the state's population as a whole. In fact, by 2025, more than one in five Pennsylvanians will be 65 or older.

Instead of being a bystander for far-reaching decisions, you should use your right to vote. If you are registering by mail, your application must be received by October 9, which is also the deadline for registering online or in person.

Then, you need to vote on Election Day, Nov. 6, to have your say about the public officials and public policies that will shape your future - and to defend yourself and other Americans against disenfranchisement.

In 2012, Pennsylvania enacted a law requiring voters to bring a state-approved ID to the polls, making voting difficult for hundreds of thousands of citizens. Overturning the law in 2014, Judge Bernard McGinley of Commonwealth Court ruled that the requirement discriminated against low income people, seniors and those with disabilities.

Still, Pennsylvania remains one of only nine states that do not make it easier for citizens to cast their ballots through early voting, voting by mail, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, and same-day registration.

In yet another problem, some 26,000 Pennsylvanians - 17,000 in Philadelphia alone - may have been unable to vote in the 2016 presidential election through no fault of their own. The reason: Their voter registration applications were processed too late. This is inexcusable, and it must never happen again.

Still, the same restrictive rules are in effect or under consideration in other states. Their purpose is to prevent from voting members of marginalized groups, especially people of color, unmarried women and young people who, together, make up a majority of voting-age Americans - 62 percent nationally and 51.1 percent in Pennsylvania.

But this "Rising American Electorate" doesn't register and vote in proportion to their growing numbers. At the beginning of 2018, 26.1 percent of African Americans, 32.7 percent of unmarried women, 31.1 percent of Latinos, and 38.6 percent of millennials were not yet registered to vote.

And research projects that approximately 40 million members of these historically under-represented groups, including more than 1.1 million Pennsylvanians, will not vote this year.

Don't let anybody tell you your vote doesn't count. In 2016, the presidential election in Pennsylvania was resolved by fewer than 50,000 votes - less than one percent. And in the closely watched special Congressional election in Western Pennsylvania in March, Conor Lamb won by fewer than 1,000 votes - also a margin of less than one percent.

Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American democracy. Our system of self-government suffers when so many of our fellow citizens don't have a say in the nation's leadership and direction.

How can our elected officials decide who has healthcare coverage, who can afford to send their kids to college or who can retire without plunging into poverty unless they hear the voices and heed the votes of every segment of society?

This is not the year to stay home when crucial decisions are made. It's time to register and vote for the sake of your family, community and country.

Page Gardner is president and founder of the Voter Participation Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization which has helped nearly 4 million Americans - including more than 218,000 Pennsylvanians - register to vote since 2004.By Maxwell King and Matt Smith

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 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 from after-school programs and perform many other basic parental duties.

Hollis and Amachi have had remarkable success keeping families together and helping individuals return to productivity after completing a court sentence.

But the commonwealth's driver's-license-suspension policy is such a barrier to progress, she says, that she agreed to chair the Driven to Work Campaign, a statewide effort to eliminate automatic driver's-license suspensions as part of sentencing, where appropriate.

"It's cruel and unusual punishment for individuals trying to turn their lives around," she says, "and 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. Suspensions are 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're working to eliminate this barrier to employment for those who have paid their debts to society. That's why we, along with Ms. Hollis, are greatly encouraged by recent action in the Legislature.

A legislative package made up of a pending state House bill (HB163) sponsored by Rep. Rick Saccone, R-Allegheny, and a non-binding resolution (HR76), respectively sponsored by Allegheny County GOP Reps. Rick Saccone and Dan L. Miller, would address the issue.

The proposals would remove driver's-license suspension as a penalty for many nonviolent 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 anticipated passage by the committee on Monday

We're excited to see such strong bipartisan support, but we're all watching the clock: There are just a handful of 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 act quickly.

Last year alone, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation suspended about 40,000 licenses for nonviolent, nondriving offenses.

The new law would retain driving privileges for thousands annually. The benefits to the state would be substantial.

Wages for those affected increase sharply when they have a driver's license. In the construction trades, having a license is 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 this problem and have narrowed their driver's-license suspension programs.

Michigan's Republican-controlled legislature voted in 2014 to end suspensions for relatively minor offenses, calling the practice 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 legislation now before the Pennsylvania Legislature would improve life prospects for those most in need and 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 HB163 and HR 76.

Maxwell King is president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation. Matt Smith is president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce.'Up North in Michigan' reminds readers to get out and explore

lifestyle(CNN)  China's top naval officer canceled a visit to the U.S. to meet with his American counterpart less than 48 hours before the meeting was scheduled to occur, according to two U.S. defense officials.

"We were informed that Vice Adm. Shen Jinlong has been recalled to China and will not conduct a visit with Chief of National Operations Adm. John Richardson. We have no additional information at this time," Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn told CNN in a statement.

Richardson was scheduled to meet with Shen, the People's Liberation Army (Navy) commander, Saturday on the sidelines of the International Seapower Symposium at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

One official said the last-minute cancellation was believed to be the result of heightened tension between Beijing and Washington over trade disputes and other issues.

Last week the U.S. State Department announced that it was sanctioning China's Equipment Development Department and its director due to Beijing's purchase of Russian-made Su-35 jets and an S-400 surface-to-air missile system.

That action was protested by the Chinese government, which summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beijing to complain.

The latest round of U.S. and Chinese tariffs which were imposed last week were scheduled to take effect on Monday

Richardson and his Chinese counterpart are two of the senior-most U.S. and Chinese military officials to have regular contact with one another, a relationship that has been described by some U.S. officials as akin to that of Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford and Russia's top military officer, Gen. Valery Gerasimov.

Richardson and Shen last spoke on June 14 via video teleconference. Their first such teleconference took place in July 2017.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Chinese admiral cancels meeting with US counterpart amid tensions"The history-making Supreme Court decision that same-sex couples can marry in all 50 states came just in time for Chicago's 2015 annual Pride festival , culminating in Sunday's parade. We tapped six of our favorite food bloggers for rainbow recipes, from pancakes to layered shots, to make for the weekend's festivities.2.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, urged Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to remain in his job and instead force Donald Trump to fire him.

Under no circumstances should Rod Rosenstein play into those aspirations by resigning, Rep. Schiff said in an interview with MSNBCs Chris Hayes. If the president is going to obstruct justice, he needs to own it.

The Democratic congressman said that a Rosenstein resignation would give Trump some sense of cover in his ongoing crusade to end the Mueller investigation.

Firing Rosenstein, on the other hand, would be a blatant and undeniable form of obstruction.

Video:

Rod Rosenstein is likely the only thing standing between Trump and crisis

When it comes to protecting Robert Muellers special counsel investigation into the Trump campaigns ties to Russia, there is likely no person more important than Rod Rosenstein.

As the investigation continues to tighten around the president and he desperately looks for ways to bring it to a conclusion, Trump appears to be zeroing in on Rosenstein in recent days.

A resignation from the deputy attorney general would give Trump the opportunity to pick somebody that could do his bidding and derail the Mueller investigation.

Firing Rosenstein, on the other hand, would open up even more legal questions for the president and be yet another exhibit in Muellers obstruction case against him.

As Rep. Schiff said on Monday, Rosenstein should call the presidents bluff and stay where he is  dont give him the easy way out. If the president wants to fire him, then hell have to own those consequences.

In the meantime, members of Congress shouldnt wait to see what Trump will do on Thursday. They should immediately pass legislation to protect Robert Mueller and the ongoing special counsel investigation before its too late.

Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook.531 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

PINEDALE, Wyo. (Reuters)  A federal judge on Monday ordered Endangered Species Act protections restored to grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park, halting plans for the first licensed trophy hunts of the regions grizzlies in more than 40 years.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen in Missoula, Montana, sided with environmentalists and native American groups by overruling the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision to strip the grizzlies of their status as a threatened species, the court order said.

(Reporting by Laura Zuckerman; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Sandra Maler)1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Like many people, Michael Avenatti thinks that Brett Kavanaughs interview on Fox News was pathetic, and his claims of being a virgin in high school are pathetic. He also thinks that Kavanaugh is a liar.

Early this morning he tweeted:

Brett Kavanaugh is a liar. His I was just an innocent boy claims on Fox are laughable and an insult to any American with common sense. They are irreconcilable with the yearbook, many witnesses, & my clients.

His claims about the drinking age at the time also appear to be false.

Brett Kavanaugh is a liar. His I was just an innocent boy claims on Fox are laughable and an insult to any American with common sense. They are irreconcilable with the yearbook, many witnesses, & my clients.

His claims about the drinking age at the time also appear to be false.  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 25, 2018

The prominent attorney also said that his clients name will be disclosed only when she is ready to do so. She would be the third Kavanaugh accuser to go public with claims of sexual assault.

Let me be clear: We will disclose the clients name and accusations only when SHE is ready and we have adequate security measures in place. And not a moment before that. It is her choice and hers alone as to when to surface bc it is her life. We expect it within the next 36 hrs.

Let me be clear: We will disclose the clients name and accusations only when SHE is ready and we have adequate security measures in place. And not a moment before that. It is her choice and hers alone as to when to surface bc it is her life. We expect it within the next 36 hrs.  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 25, 2018

So actually the timetable is the same, in that 12 hours earlier Avenatti had said the name would be disclosed within 48 hours.

A tension is building in Washington as Avenatti and his unnamed client seem to be building to a climax.

They seem poised to go on national TV to testify in detail to the public about how Kavanaugh and his friends in high school got girls drunk (or drugged) and then raped them.

If that happens, the accusations so far against Trumps Supreme Court nominee will seem pale by comparison.

Its hard to imagine Senator Susan Collins or any other swing votes in the Senate voting to confirm someone with so many credible sexual assault claims against him. At the very least they will demand an FBI investigation to find out the truth.

Avenatti was also on CNN last night where he told Chris Cuomo that his client is both a witness and a victim of Kavanaughs who had a number of security clearances issued by the federal government over a number of years.

Then he went on to say:

So let this be a warning to Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh and other surrogates on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Be very, very careful if you launch some smear campaign against my client because you will ultimately be shown to be a fraud.

Michael Avenatti does not mess around. He doesnt back down. And he doesnt lose. He has issued a warning to Trump, Kavanaugh, and all the Republicans in the U.S. Senate. They better be ready for a fight, because he is coming after them.The attorney for Brett Kavanaugh accuser Dr. Christine Ford is concerned about Republicans hiring an experienced sex crimes prosecutor for Thursdays hearing where she will give her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Michael Bromwich sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley expressing his concerns.

Bromwich said in the letter:

This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate. Neither Dr. Blasey Ford nor Judge Kavanaugh is on trial. The goal should be to develop the relevant facts, not try a case.

The move by Republicans seems to make clear their intentions for Thursdays hearing: they want to impeach Ford as a witness and destroy her credibility. They are not seeking the truth; they are seeking to undermine Ford and confirm Kavanaugh regardless of what testimony is presented.

Bromwich also wrote that using outside counsel to perform questioning on the senators behalf would go against Fords repeated requests through counsel that senators conduct the questioning.

The central point is that there is no precedent for this Committee to bring in outside counsel for the sole purpose of shielding the members of the Committee from performing their responsibility to question witnesses, Bromwich said.

Bromwich added that Grassleys staff hasnt responded to a number of outstanding questions about the hearing, including what the role will be for the experienced sex crimes prosecutor during the hearing.

Please identify this person and ask your staff to send us her resume immediately. We respectfully request to meet with her tomorrow, he added.

This latest communication from Fords attorney seems to cast doubt on Thursdays hearing. There is a chance that Ford will still back out of the hearing, and refuse to give her testimony in a setting that is designed to be a circus and to undermine what she has to say.

Bromwich in the letter also took aim at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who accused during a Senate floor speech that Democrats are using Fords allegations against Kavanaugh as part of a smear campaign.

The Majority Leader dismissed Dr. Fords experience as a smear campaign, claiming mistakenly that the witnesses statements to the Committee constitute a complete lack of evidence, implying that there has been a thorough investigation, he said in the letter to Grassley.

Republicans are not playing fair because they think they hold all the cards. But they dont. Dr. Ford could skip Thursdays hearing and give her testimony directly to a national TV audience the same way that Kavanaugh did last night. By doing that she could avoid being dragged through the mud by the Republican sexual assault enablers who sit on the Judiciary Committee.

This latest information from Dr. Fords attorney makes clear that she is not willing to play their games anymore.218 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Weve always known that GOP Senator Susan Collins of Maine would be important to Brett Kavanaughs confirmation to the Supreme Court. But we didnt know exactly how important until yesterday.

According to The Hill, Collins is the one person who will make or break Kavanaughs opportunity to become a Supreme Court justice. It turns out that many senators of both parties are waiting to see what Collins decides to do on the Kavanaugh nomination before they announce their own decisions.

As Fox News reported yesterday, eight GOP senators have not announced where they stand on Kavanaugh, and four of them are definitely undecided: Collins, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee.

All Republican senators will be forced to make their decisions known if Mitch McConnell holds a floor vote on Kavanaugh.

And according to The Hill, Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) has asked centrist members of his caucus to keep their powder dry on Kavanaugh until they know where all Republicans stand.

Kavanaugh will have no chance to be confirmed if Collins says she believes Christine Blasey Fords allegation that he sexually assaulted her at a high school party in 1982. However, if Collins rejects Fords accusations and announces support for Kavanaugh, Democrats will have no chance to stop the nomination.

Yesterday Collins added a new wrinkle to this weeks drama when she said that she wanted the second Kavanaugh accuser to also testify before the Judiciary Committee.

According to The Hill, Collins said, I believe that the committee investigators should reach out to Deborah Ramirez to question her under oath about what she is alleging happened.

Although powerful senators on the Judiciary Committee  such as chairman Chuck Grassley  didnt want Ford to testify at first, and definitely dont want Ramirez to testify either, they dont seem to be calling the shots  Collins does. Increasingly it appears that the Maine senators is in charge of the process.

Senate Republican aides think that Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) will likely vote the same way as Collins, according to The Hill.

Were talking about a jury of one: Susan Collins, said an unnamed senior Republican. When you look at Murkowski and even Flake, no one lets Collins get to the left of them, so shes going to be the lodestar here.

There is a 51 percent chance of Collins voting for Kavanaugh, the source added. However, that percentage could change based on Thursdays testimony, or if new credible allegations surface in the next few days.

One thing is certain, though. No matter what Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell or Chuck Grassley think, it is Susan Collins opinion that matters most.4.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has been undecided on the fate of Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court. On Tuesday she called for an FBI investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. According to her, such an investigation would clear up all the questions surrounding Trumps Supreme Court nominee.

I just asked Sen. Lisa Murkowski, key GOP swing vote, if there should be a full FBI investigation into allegations from Kavanaughs past. It would sure clear up all the questions, wouldnt it? she said

I just asked Sen. Lisa Murkowski, key GOP swing vote, if there should be a full FBI investigation into allegations from Kavanaughs past. It would sure clear up all the questions, wouldnt it? she said  Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 25, 2018

Murkowski is one of a few Republican swing votes in Kavanaughs confirmation process, and she has come under pressure from within her home state to reject the nomination.

GOP Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Susan Collins of Maine are also potential swing voters who have not said they will vote for Kavanaugh.

All of the undecided senators have said they are waiting for Thursdays hearing with Dr. Christine Ford so they can hear her testimony and then make up their minds.

However, as new allegations have come out in recent days, it is clear that hearing only from Dr. Ford will not be sufficient for the senators. They will need more information to determine who is telling the truth, and what the facts are.

The best way to get more information is to have an FBI investigation, but the GOP Senate leaders  and President Donald Trump  have refused to allow the FBI to do that.

Democrats began calling for an FBI investigation immediately after Dr. Ford publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a high school party in the 1980s. Republicans have said that an FBI investigation is unnecessary and that it is up to the senators themselves to determine whether Ford is telling the truth or not.

Senate Democrats are also investigating a second allegation dating back to Kavanaughs freshman year at Yale University, The New Yorker reported on Sunday. Deborah Ramirez told the magazine that Kavanaugh thrust his penis in her face, causing her to touch it without her consent at a party in a dormitory.

Calling for an FBI investigation is a great way for Murkowski and other senators to avoid making a decision. However Mitch McConnell said yesterday that he will force the issue by calling for a Senate floor vote on Kavanaughs nomination next week.

The only thing certain about Brett Kavanaughs confirmation is that it is very uncertain. And Murkowski is right: more information is needed before anyone can decide what to do.By David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick

UNITED NATIONS/WASHINGTON (Reuters)  A year after Donald Trump threatened to totally destroy North Korea in his first speech at the United Nations, the U.S. president will return to the podium in New York this week to tout diplomatic efforts that have reduced the risk of war.

But even if Trumps rhetoric at the annual United Nations General Assembly is expected to differ sharply from his 2017 address in which he mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as Rocket Man on a suicide mission, some U.S. officials and analysts say Pyongyang has yet to take concrete measures to show it is prepared to give up a nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States.

The change of mood was sealed when Trump and Kim met for an unprecedented summit on June 12 in Singapore, and in the past week, the North Korean leader promised South Korean President Moon Jae-in to dismantle a missile site and also a nuclear complex  if the United States takes corresponding action.

While appearing to set a positive tone, the commitments fell far short of Washingtons demands for a complete inventory of North Koreas weapons programs and irreversible steps towards denuclearization.

Trump is to meet Moon on Monday to get a first-hand account of the Korean summit before delivering his U.N. address on Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, has proposed a meeting with his North Korean counterpart, Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, and plans to chair a Security Council meeting on the denuclearization effort on Thursday.

Some U.S. officials are concerned Trump is taking an overly rosy view of North Korea developments.

Trump called last weeks joint declaration by Moon and Kim very exciting and has previously said he is willing to meet Kim a second time, in spite of a lack of obvious progress from their first meeting in Singapore.

One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the worry was Trump might offer Kim too much too soon to score a win ahead of the Nov. 6 congressional elections, which will decide whether Trumps Republican Party maintains control of Congress.

POMPEO SAYS STILL WORK TO DO

While declaring the developments in the Koreas summit sufficient to allow a restart of high-level talks with North Korea, Pompeos tone has been more measured.

In television interviews on Friday, he said there was still work to do to make sure conditions are right for a second summit and reiterated that sanctions would have to remain on North Korea until it gives up its nuclear weapons.

Past U.S. insistence that North Korea act first before expecting any easing of sanctions or a formal end to the 1950-53 Korea War over have not gone down well with Pyongyang.

Pompeos proposed interlocutor in New York, Foreign Minister Ri, responded to Trumps U.N. remarks last year by calling them the sound of a dog barking and warning that North Korea could detonate a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific.

Soon after his summit with Kim, Trump declared the North Korean nuclear threat over, despite little more than a broad pledge by Kim to work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Trump will likely continue his practice of hailing even insignificant North Korean steps as major advances, said Evans Revere, a former U.S. negotiator with North Korea under the last Republican president, George W. Bush.

His approach, which I have dubbed strategic optimism, seems to regard the appearance of denuclearization as more important than the real thing, since the former is easier to achieve than the latter, he said.

Revere and other former officials and analysts said North Korea seemed to have done little more so far than repackage past promises broken in decades of failed talks.

However, Joseph Yun, who retired this year as U.S. envoy on North Korea, said relations with Pyongyang were at least materially better now the two sides were no longer trading threats and there was a chance to make progress.

Are they going to completely denuclearize by January 2021? Yun said, referring to the end of Trumps current term that Pompeo has set for this goal.

No. Its going to take longer than that.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick, additional reoporting by John Walcott; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Grant McCool)Update: U.S. Embassy in Georgia: "No clinical trials have ever been held at the Lugar Center"

The United States Embassy in Georgia provided Polygraph.info with the following comment.

"Lugar Centers mission is to contribute to the protection of citizens from biological threats, promote public and animal health through infectious disease detection, epidemiological surveillance and research for the benefit of Georgia, the Caucasus region and the global community. No clinical trials have ever been held at the Lugar Center. The medications used in Georgia to treat and cure hepatitis C have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, as well as the European Medicines Agency, for the treatment of hepatitis C infection in humans, and they do not need any additional testing. These certificates of approval are recognized by markets both in Georgia and around the world. The role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at the Lugar Center is to provide technical assistance in the areas of public health laboratory capacity building and quality assurance. The CDCs role within the Hepatitis C Elimination Program in Georgia is to provide technical support to the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs for data analysis to monitor progress towards HCV Elimination," Christopher A. Davenport, Press and Information Attache at the U.S. Embassy Tbilisi wrote to Polygraph.info via email.

Neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) nor the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) conduct any of the testing or analysis for the hepatitis C program. That work is conducted solely by the NCDC.

Over the last few years, Georgias Central Public Health Reference Laboratory -- the so-called Lugar Lab  has repeatedly been attacked by some Moscow insiders and politicians. The attacks usually begin a bombshell revelation that is instantly picked up by the Kremlin-controlled media, which report an outbreak of pandemic diseases or leakage of pathogens. Polygraph.info debunked such claims last October.

The latest such revelation came during a September 11 press briefing by former Georgian state security minister Igor Giorgadze, who claimed that the Lugar Lab performed secret experiments on humans.

A preliminary examination of only a portion of the documents  and there are  thousands of pages delivered to me from my friends in Georgia  shows that behinds the walls of the Lugar Laboratory, biologists of the U.S. military-medical group in Georgia and private contractors under federal contract with the  Defense Threat Reduction Agency indeed could have performed on secret experiments on residents of Georgia, Giorgadze told Russian media during the briefing in Moscow.

A top Georgian official told Polygraph.info that the information disseminated by the Russian media is a stupid rumor and that no experiments on humans are performed at the Lugar Lab. In his opinion, this is an attempt to discredit Georgias successful program to eradicate hepatitis C.

The documents revealed by Giorgadze and posted online under the heading Experiments on People, show medical logs of treatment of patients suffering from advance stages of the hepatitis C virus. According to the logs, 73 people died after receiving treatment over the course of nine months in 2015-2016.

According to the U.S. National Institute for Health, hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver characterized by jaundice, liver enlargement, abdominal and gastric discomfort, abnormal liver function, and other symptoms, leading to the liver failure.

NIH says hepatitis has numerous causes, including excessive alcohol consumption, infection by certain bacteria, and viruses contracted through drug abuse (needle sharing).

Since May 2015, an unprecedented program is being implemented in Georgia for the elimination of hepatitis C. It involves screening the adult population of the country and includes treating patients with an active infection with modern antiviral medicines such as Sofosbuvir, and a combination of Sofosbuvir and Ledipasvir, said Amiran Gamkrelidze, the director general of Georgias National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC).

He added that the project is a shining example of collaboration between the public, private and international sectors, and that Russia wants to discredit it due to the involvement of U.S. foundations and institutions.

The anti-hepatitis C program Georgia is a joint project of the Georgian government, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American pharmaceutical company Gilead. The implementation of the project is monitored by the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), consisting of leading international scientists and public health specialists, according to Gamkrelidze.

As part of an attempt to discredit the anti-hepatitis C effort, Moscow has charged that the Lugar Lab, one of many Georgian institutions involved in this program, is a secret U.S. military facility that is developing biological weapons FOR USE against the local population in Georgia and against Russias national interests.

In fact, this medical and research center is actually working to improve Georgian peoples health.

The Lugar Center is a high-level lab diagnostic facility for various infectious diseases, which also includes the hepatitis C diagnostics, and serves as an external control and referral lab for other labs throughout the country that are involved in eradicating the virus, Gamkrelidze said. Consequently, the Lugar Center has nothing to do with treating people, as was voiced in Giorgadzes briefing and in the presented documentation. There are currently 32 medical facilities throughout the country that provide treatment for hepatitis C.

In its section on alcohol and hepatitis C, NIH relates that while with many patients a diseased liver is able to regenerate its tissue and retain its function, severe hepatitis may progress to scarring of the liver tissue and to such conditions as fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver cancer and chronic liver dysfunction.

If treated late, such conditions are usually fatal.

Gamkrelidze confirmed that in the first stage of the program in Georgia (2015 first half of 2016), treatment was provided to patients with a high degree of liver damage. Regardless of decompensated cirrhosis, severe fibrosis, ascites and other complications, the patients were given the opportunity of treatment within the program to be able to defeat the virus. Since July 2016, all limitations on a patients condition have been canceled, due to which all patients have the opportunity to receive treatment.

NCDC found that while most of the treated patients were cured, a number of patients died during the implementation of the program. This was associated with various degrees of liver damage and various complications and concomitant diseases that are quite common in patients with severe hepatitis C. It is notable that from the very beginning of the program, the rate of patients who died due to various reasons has nothing to do with the medicines used, Gamkrelidze explained.

As Giorgadzes documentation shows, 73 people died while in the treatment program during nine months in 2015- 2016. It shows that the Lugar Center treated them with Sovaldi and Ribavarin, which are U.S. and EU approved oral medications used for treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

This is confirmed by the published materials. For example, all the cases under the column headed reason for taking (these medications) listed chronic hepatitis C.

In April 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved use of Sovaldi for pediatric patients, meaning children aged 12 to 17. The FDA previously approved this medication to treat hepatitis C in adults.

The FDAs medication guide also approves Ribavirin, which is sold under different brand names, including Copegus and Rebetol.

Ribavirin and Sovaldi are also approved by the European Medicines Agency.

Worldwide, around 400,000 persons die from liver diseases related to hepatitis C annually. Georgia, a country with a population of 3.7 million, has long been affected by hepatitis C and, thanks to the efforts made in the last ten years, the country is on the forefront of the fight against this disease.

The prevalence of hepatitis C is blamed for the collapse of the countrys health system in the 1990s.The low quality of health services, unsafe drug injection practices (including the widespread practice of needle sharing among people who inject drugs) and low infection control and blood safety in health facilities continued into 2000s.

All these factors contributed to the spread of hepatitis C in the general population.

In 2015, the World Health Organization admitted that significant challenges in the fight against hepatitis C remain, including the asymptomatic, chronic nature of the virus, which has resulted in delayed diagnosis and transmission among hard-to-reach regions. To address these challenges, the Georgian government adopted a long-term strategy for 20162020 aimed at the total elimination of the disease in the country.

According to the national population survey conducted by the NCDC and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during May-August, 2015, 5.4 percent of Georgias 3.7 million population -- 150,300 adults -- have been hepatitis C positive. The successful implementation of the program in Georgia resulted in 24,481 out of 36,012 patients getting rid of the infection in 2015-2017.

The so-called Lugar Lab, officially called the Center for Public Health Research, is located in Tbilisi and named after former U.S. Senator Richard Lugar. It became operational in 2013. The Center is part of Georgias National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) system, within the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs. The U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) funded the Center under the 1991 Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which was designed to dismantle Cold War-era weapons of mass destruction and convert such capabilities to exclusively peaceful scientific research.Well, for some members of the Baked Sunday Mornings community (bakedsundaymornings.blogspot.com), it will be their photographs in the next cookbook from Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, co-owners of Baked bakery and cafe in Brooklyn, N.Y. The group has been working its way through three earlier books from the bakers. So trusted have members become that Lewis and Poliafito asked a number of them to test recipes for the next book. Including their photos is meant to underscore their contributions, says Lewis, who describes many of the group's members as friends.Downtown motorists discover about 400 parking tickets on their windshields each day. And this time of year is when the parking crunch is felt anew, as grade schools and colleges start back up and locals return from vacation.With a new name and a new brand, the year-old alliance between Palmetto Health and Greenville Health System may turn its attention outside of South Carolina.

The company will be called Prisma, co-CEO Chuck Beaman said last week. It's a play on "prism," which was already taken. When the hospitals joined last year, they named the organization simply SC Health Co. And taking the reference to the state out of the company's title might be purposeful.

"While South Carolina is certainly our focus, we are not excluding ourselves to South Carolina," Beaman said.

He said the medical provider has no immediate plans to acquire hospital facilities, in its home state or elsewhere. Of note, Prisma is branded as a health, and not a hospital, system. Beaman said Prisma is more than its combined 14 hospitals, and provides more than just acute care.

Administrators noted GHS' and Palmetto Health's long histories in the state. The Greenville system opened its doors in 1912. The Palmetto Health Baptist hospital first opened in downtown Columbia in 1914. The names of the hospitals each system owns will remain the same, but "Palmetto Health" and "Greenville Health System" will be phased out in early 2019.

That wasn't always the plan, according to a statement from the new group. At first, they planned to keep their respective brands. Only over time did they realize a "unified brand" was needed, according to the statement.

The partnership marks a new chapter for the systems, but across the hospital industry, consolidations are happening everywhere.

The two companies have been loathe to use the term "merger."

Tammie Epps, spokeswoman for Prisma, said that is because the two systems "came together as equal partners" to create the Prisma Health parent organization. The co-CEOs, Beaman in Columbia and Michael Riordan in Greenville, run the pair affiliates, she said.

Epps said the partnership is not a merger because one entity is not absorbing another.

Beaman said part of the reason for the new name was because administrators thought it was important employees know who they work for.

"We realized that in order for us to accomplish our purpose that it as important for us to be united," he said. "Our team members could wake up each morning knowing they work for the same company and the same name."

They have been adamant that patients shouldn't notice major changes.

Asked how Prisma will reduce prices for patients, Beaman said he will focus on driving down the system's costs. A larger organization has bigger bargaining chips.

Matthew Lewis, an associate professor at Clemson University who has studied mergers' effects on pricing, said generally, mergers increase prices for patients.

Larger hospital systems hold more sway over insurance companies. There is always the looming, usually unspoken threat of pulling out of an insurance network when contracts are being renegotiated, Lewis explained. That can help the hospitals convince the insurer to approve higher prices.

"They become even more important to the insurance companies in terms of guaranteeing access for their enrollees," Lewis said.

Still, there is some evidence that some partnerships can reduce costs to patients. And Lewis said an alliance like the one between Palmetto Health and GHS could make the system more efficient overall. It might be easier to deliver telehealth, Lewis pointed out, a prospect South Carolina has leaned into.

There have been no employment changes up to this point, leadership said. They may soon look to grow the medical staff. Together, the two systems employ more than 1,600 physicians and affiliates with more than 2,100.

But Prisma Health still lacks a single electronic health record. Palmetto Health and Greenville Health System each have different ones, Epps said.

"In the future, information should be available to any provider across Prisma Health," she said.Get the SC business stories that matter.

Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free.Michael Majchrowicz is a reporter covering crime and public safety. He previously wrote about courts for the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Massachusetts. A Hoosier native, he graduated from Indiana University with a degree in journalism.Paul Bowers is an education reporter and father of three living in North Charleston. He previously worked at the Charleston City Paper, where he was twice named South Carolina Journalist of the Year in the weekly category.Andrew Knapp is editor of the Quick Response Team, which covers crime, courts and breaking news. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor at Florida Today, Newsday and Bangor (Maine) Daily News. He enjoys golf, weather and fatherhood.Its kind of twofold. No. 1: I had a lot of artist friends and I could see the challenges that they were up against  How do I meet galleries? How do I meet curators? How do I sell my work? TOAF was set up to create that platform for them, he said. The other part is the question of, Where do you go to buy art? Stanier said that pristine, precious environments of galleries can often be intimidating to first-time collectors.Water levels in Conway, Bucksport and in other areas of Horry County are slowly lowering as the crest of the flood wave unleashed by Hurricane Florence weeks ago slowly moves downstream.You are the owner of this article.Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.Members of the public march in support of the People's Vote campaign in Liverpool, during the Labour Party's annual conference at the Arena and Convention Centre (ACC). Sunday Sept. 23, 2018. Britain's Labour Party is facing a huge choice at its annual conference, whether to back a new Brexit referendum on the country's departure from the European Union. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.Political Editor

Schuyler Kropf is The Post and Courier political editor. He has covered every major political race in South Carolina dating to 1988, including for U.S. Senate, governorship, the Statehouse and Republican and Democratic presidential primaries.COLUMBIA, SC  Court officials have suspended the law license of the South Carolina prosecutor currently facing state and federal charges related to alleged misspending of public funds.

The state Supreme Court issued that order Monday for 5th Circuit Solicitor Dan Johnson.

Johnson was suspended from office last week following his indictment on more than two dozen federal charges including wire fraud and theft of government funds. Authorities have been investigating Johnson's spending habits and trips to locations including Amsterdam, Colombia and the Galapagos Islands.

Johnson recently lost a primary bid for a third term and hasn't responded to messages about charges against him.

Johnson has also been indicted on state charges of embezzlement and misconduct in office and is set to appear in court on those charges later this week.We are not, I should add, at Ipsento, which is one of Chicagos best coffee shops. Instead, we are sitting across from each other in one of those snug, well-cushioned booths at a diner (that will remain unnamed). You know, the kind of establishment that serves limitless coffee in thick, heavy mugs. On the side is an abundance of creamer cups, way more than any one person would ever need, along with a tall shaker of sugar.

Even though Im practiced in pour-over and own a digital scale solely for weighing beans (by the gram) for my morning pot of French press, when someone mentions coffee, diner coffee immediately pops up in my head. I know Im not the only one. Theres something so quintessentially American about sitting in a diner, coffee mug in hand. Cant you just picture the waitress gliding through the room with a fresh pot, ready to top you off?

Then I decided to actually visit some diners in Chicago. It did not go to plan.

Back at the undisclosed diner, Taylor scribbles down some equations on a piece of paper, trying to calculate the strength of the coffee. He estimates the size of each pot, and then asks the waitress how much ground coffee they use for each batch. After working the problem out, he stares at the paper. "Theres no way this is right," he says, scratching his head. "Its way too low."

He then breaks out a refractometer, a device that measures the total dissolved solids in water, a helpful tool for figuring out the strength of a cup of coffee. He picks up what looks like a medicine dropper, sucks up a small portion of coffee and then squeezes a drop onto the refractometers lens. Seconds later he has a reading. "Well," he pauses. "I was right."

Theres no doubt: This diner serves extremely weak coffee. The total dissolved solids for the cup is 0.78 percent, which is dramatically lower than any official coffee agency recommends, including the National Coffee Association (which recommends 1.30 to 1.55 percent) and the Specialty Coffee Association of America (1.15 to 1.35 percent). According to Taylor, Ipsento aims for about 1.37 percent, which is nearly twice as much. In fact, the diner coffees reading is so low, its off the brew chart that Taylor brought for reference.

Turns out, lots of diners serve weak coffee.

How else do you think they can afford to endlessly refill those mugs? But after a few weeks of diner hopping, I also came to the conclusion that most diner coffee isnt just weak, its bad. With a few notable exceptions, I could barely finish a cup. I encountered coffee that was achingly bitter, aggressively smoky and somehow still watery. Some sips stung with an astringency that left my tongue oddly dry.

This doesnt come as much of a surprise to Aaron Campos, the director of coffee and roasting operations at Dark Matter Coffee. "I think its interesting that you are worried about the strength," says Campos. "When youre looking at diner coffee, youre looking at very bad coffee (beans). It doesnt matter if you dose it correctly."

Campos notes that most diners buy the cheapest coffee possible from roasters who buy the lowest-quality coffee beans. To create a more consistent product, these roasters often over-roast the beans, which can introduce off flavors.

But even if a diner purchases high-quality coffee, so much can still go wrong, says Taylor: "Equipment also factors in. Are they changing the water filter in the appropriate amount of time? Do they clean the equipment? Some places never use soap and water to clean the (coffee) machine. Then rancid oil will build up from the coffee beans, and it will not improve the cup."

I know what youre going to say. Im a snob. Im picking on coffee for the working man and woman who cant afford to go to those expensive and pretentious hipster coffee shops.

But most diner coffee isnt even cheap. That cup at the undisclosed diner was $2.99, and you only get free refills if you purchase a meal, most of which are more than $10. If you want a cup to go, you pay $3.19 for 12 ounces. A standard drip at Ipsento 606 only costs $3.03. While only 8 ounces, its also not watered down.

Worried that I was being overly critical, I even swung by a Dunkin Donuts to see how the chains coffee stacked up. I took one sip, and after a morning drinking diner brew, it felt like an angel had descended from on high to personally kiss the foam cup.

It hurts to trash diner coffee, because Im a sucker for basically everything else about the concept. As I traveled around town, I feasted on piles of crispy golden hash browns and flaky biscuits covered with creamy sausage gravy. I dug into puffy pancakes the size of dinner plates and toast slathered with jam. I soaked in the kind of unpretentious and welcoming atmosphere that new restaurants would pay serious money to replicate. I was called honey and darling, and not in an ironic way. I just didnt like the coffee.

Obviously, exceptions exist. Little Goat Diner, Stephanie Izards playful homage to diner food, serves a fine cup of Dark Matter coffee. I was also pleasantly surprised by the brew at the Logan Square location of Cozy Corner.

But my favorite diner coffee is served at one of Chicagos oldest restaurants. The sign outside Lou Mitchells, opened in 1923, reads, "Serving the worlds finest coffee." I wouldnt go quite that far, but compared with most diners, Lou Mitchells is in another league. Each sip is smooth and well-rounded, without any underlying bitterness. Its exactly the kind of coffee you want with eggs and honey-cured ham.

Why is the coffee good? According to the shop, the coffee beans are ground every morning. Instead of using regular tap water, filtered water is used. The machines are cleaned regularly. These steps sound really boring, but when it comes to making a solid cup of coffee, its really as simple as that.

Which means there is hope. If a diner thats been open since Calvin Coolidge was president can serve good coffee, theres no reason to accept anything less from your local diner.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, stand-up 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."

With its elder perspective, "The Cool Kids" admittedly shares traits with the revered NBC comedy "The Golden Girls." But, sitting down at the Fox lot on a set decorated in what could be considered "senior living chic," Lawrence considers her show "much sassier" than its predecessor.

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 cell phones 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.

Lawrence:I think this is going to be a half-hour of "Just laugh because its silly."One does wonder what sparked West, who left Chicago in the 2000s to become a wunderkind producer at Jay-Zs Roc-A-Fella Records, to return to his hometown, which has become a national punching bag as an example of urban violence. While Chance and others have contributed time and money to assist schoolchildren, West has consumed himself with making new music and overseeing his own fashion line. Did raps misunderstood misfit see the heaping of praise that Chance and others received for their charitable works for local schoolkids and want some of that Chicago love for himself?As promised, the animation does show McDonald closing in on Van Dyke, who had stopped several feet ahead of him on Pulaski Road and took a step toward the teen as he approached. Though McDonald draws nearly even with the officer, he appears to be moving away from him to the southwest when the first bullet strikes.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.

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 not as a role model, or as a representative of his party, but 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 G. 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?

In a sense, the crux of the matter is not Kavanaughs character, or at least, not only Kavanaughs character. Its what Kavanaughs character might tell us about how candidly he has characterized his jurisprudence.

Senate Republicans have set an artificial deadline of Monday for Ford to testify. They have also refused to order an FBI investigation in the meantime, 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.

Catherine Rampells email address is crampell@washpost.com. Follow her on Twitter, @crampell.

(c) 2018, Washington Post Writers GroupThe Democrats sacrificed Al Franken in order to shore up their effort to win a Senate seat in Alabama. They knew that Minnesotas governor would appoint another Democrat to replace Franken, so they could net a Senate seat with an upset pickup in Alabama, which is exactly what happened. Many Minnesota Democrats are still unhappy that Franken was forced out of the Senate, not by Republicans but by his own Democratic colleagues.

Now it is starting to look as though the Democrats may be throwing Deputy DNC Chairman Keith Ellison overboard in a similar manner. We noted last week that a small Minnesota news outlet, Alpha News, had gone to court in an effort to unseal Ellisons divorce records, which might shed light on the multiple documented claims of domestic abuse against him. Today the Star Tribune, the states dominant newspaper, joined Alphas effort:

Star Tribune sues to unseal Keith Ellison's divorce records, saying it's a matter of concern to voters. https://t.co/FbpNovztaH  MaryJo Webster (@MaryJoWebster) September 25, 2018

Meanwhile, the appalling Senator Mazie Hirono, the Democrats chief hatchet woman on the Judiciary Committee, called on Sunday for an investigation of the claims against Ellison.

It isnt hard to see what could be going on here. The Democrats care much more about Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court than they do about who is Attorney General of Minnesota. If Ellison has become an embarrassment to their smear campaign against Kavanaugh, they will be perfectly willing to throw him under the bus, just as they sacrificed Franken to enhance their chances of defeating Roy Moore in Alabama. The signs are not yet definite, but it looks to me as though, when it comes to Keith Ellison, Democrats may be edging toward the exits.President Trump spoke to the United Nations General Assembly this morning. I have posted the video immediately below. Politico has posted a good transcript of the speech here.

I thought this was an excellent speech recapitulating the leading points of Trumps reorientation of American foreign policy in favor of Americas friends and adversely to Americas foes. This foreign policy resists the encroachment of multilateral institutions and global governance on American sovereignty. Accordingly, Trump continues the great undoing of Obamas foreign policy.

President Trump has assembled a national security dream team to pursue his foreign policy goals. He bragged in characteristic fashion about his accomplishments so far: In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. Americas  so true. [Laughter] Didnt expect that reaction, but thats okay. [Laughter and applause.]

They can laugh all they want. As far as I am concerned, these are the good old days.

Iran presents as a leading case of the reorientation of American foreign policy. Whereas Obama sought to align American foreign policy with Iran and even to fund Irans imperial ambitions, President Trump has reversed course:

Every solution to the humanitarian crisis in Syria must also include a strategy to address the brutal regime that has fueled and financed it: the corrupt dictatorship in Iran. Irans leaders sow chaos, death, and destruction. They do not respect their neighbors or borders, or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead, Irans leaders plunder the nations resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond. The Iranian people are rightly outraged that their leaders have embezzled billions of dollars from Irans treasury, seized valuable portions of the economy, and looted the peoples religious endowments, all to line their own pockets and send their proxies to wage war. Not good. Irans neighbors have paid a heavy toll for the regions [regimes] agenda of aggression and expansion. That is why so many countries in the Middle East strongly supported my decision to withdraw the United States from the horrible 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal and re-impose nuclear sanctions. The Iran deal was a windfall for Irans leaders. In the years since the deal was reached, Irans military budget grew nearly 40 percent. The dictatorship used the funds to build nuclear-capable missiles, increase internal repression, finance terrorism, and fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen. The United States has launched a campaign of economic pressure to deny the regime the funds it needs to advance its bloody agenda. Last month, we began re-imposing hard-hitting nuclear sanctions that had been lifted under the Iran deal. Additional sanctions will resume November 5th, and more will follow. And were working with countries that import Iranian crude oil to cut their purchases substantially. We cannot allow the worlds leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planets most dangerous weapons. We cannot allow a regime that chants Death to America, and that threatens Israel with annihilation, to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on Earth. Just cant do it.

Thank you, President Trump.

Toward the end of his speech I think President Trump indulged a relativism that retreats from proclaiming respect for the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as the standard of good government. It is the relativism incorporating a view of the world that Obama sought to inculcate in us. When President Trump bows in this direction (Inside everyone in this great chamber today, and everyone listening all around the globe, there is the heart of a patriot that feels the same powerful love for your nation, the same intense loyalty to your homeland), Trump meets Obama. This is a mistake.

The laughter that President Trump dealt with so gracefully at the top of his remarks reminded me of Ella Fitzgeralds beautiful rendition of the Gershwin brothers number They All Laughed. Quotable quote: Whos got the last laugh now?1. As promised at the outset of trial, the animation depicts McDonald closing the distance between himself and Van Dyke before he was shot, but it may not have been the knockout blow hoped for by the defense. The four-minute laser-based analysis, created by Jason Fries of 3D-Forensic in California, offered the jury a much different view of the same events caught in the now-infamous police dashboard camera video. An overhead perspective showed McDonald  in somewhat crude, herky-jerky movements  walking to a point that was almost parallel to the officer with his gun drawn. The animation then switches to an angle from behind Van Dykes shoulder, showing the officer open fire as McDonald closed to 13 feet with a small knife in his right hand and was about to pass him heading south. But the animation also gives new perspective to a fact the defense would rather not highlight  that McDonald never lunged at Van Dyke or made an aggressive move before the officer opened fire.PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-25 05:03:41

Newly appointed local market leader, Gabriel Chahine, joins from Strategy&, team to be expanded and new Riyadh office opening.

AlixPartners Announces Significant Expansion in Gulf Region

AlixPartners

Robin Knight

+44 7799 477733

rknight@alixpartners.com

AlixPartners, the global consulting firm, today announced significant plans to expand its presence in the Gulf with the appointment of Gabriel Chahine to the role of local market leader. Gabriel joins AlixPartners with a remit to build the firms business across the region with an enhanced focus on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) where AlixPartners will shortly be opening an office in Riyadh. In his new role Gabriel will be responsible for delivering AlixPartners expertise to assist both private sector and governmental entities as they contend with their most critical and complex challenges, including urgent performance improvement, accelerated transformation, complex restructuring and risk mitigation.

Gabriel Chahine brings over 25 years of consulting experience gained at Accenture and latterly Strategy& (formerly Booz & Company) where he has served in a number of leadership roles for the past 20 years. A specialist in helping businesses and their stakeholders manage high stakes complex transformations, Gabriel has experience across a wide range of consumer facing industries including telecoms, media, healthcare, consumer products and retail. In addition to his industry expertise he has also worked on numerous government sponsored projects including privatisations and creating corporate organisations from state run concerns. A fluent Arabic speaker he holds both a Batchelors and Masters degree in engineering from McGill University, Canada and an MBA from INSEAD, France.

Commenting on his appointment Gabriel Chahine said: I am excited to be joining AlixPartners at a key stage of the firms development in the Gulf region. Having worked in the market here for many years it is clear that in a crowded generalist consulting market, AlixPartners specialist focus on leading businesses through transformational situations is a real point of difference and something clients value highly. There is a significant opportunity to deploy these skills to assist both corporate and governmental entities accelerate their transformation processes as well as supporting new market entrants to make impact quickly. I am very much looking forward to working with Max Coqui as we deliver AlixPartners unique offering and recruit new senior talent into our existing Dubai and forthcoming Riyadh offices.

Michael Baur, Regional Business Unit Leader EMEA at AlixPartners added: We are delighted to welcome a leader of Gabriels calibre and in-market experience to AlixPartners. Our EMEA business continues to show excellent growth and we have ambitious plans for the Gulf region within it. The KSA in particular presents a significant opportunity and the opening of our office in Riyadh, which we anticipate concluding formally by the end of the month, greatly enhances our ability to assist our clients in that market. As local market leader Gabriel has a remit to grow our team and I look forward to welcoming more top talent for the benefit of our clients throughout the Gulf region over the coming months.

About AlixPartners

AlixPartners is a results-driven global consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses successfully address their most complex and critical challenges. Our clients include companies, corporate boards, law firms, investment banks, private equity firms, and others. Founded in 1981, AlixPartners is headquartered in New York, and has offices in more than 20 cities around the world. For more information, visit www.alixpartners.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924005Now available across the Middle East, the compact but powerful JOY S air purifier demonstrates that good things really do come in small packages

The new JOY S by Blueair

PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-25 20:31:59

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# 762 Words

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Dubai, September 25, 2018: In the wake of rising awareness of ambient air quality and its impact on health in the Middle East, Blueair, a world leader in air purification solutions, has launched JOY S  a powerful air purifier for compact living  across the region. With cutting-edge, portable design, JOY S is offered in five different colours to suit any interior.Backed by Swedish expertise, JOY S is uniquely equipped to deliver clean air thanks to its HEPASilent filtration technology, which uses a combination of electrostatic and mechanical processes to remove 99.97% of airborne pollutants, bacteria, viruses, allergens, microplastics, smoke, dust, pet dander and pollen as small as 0.1 micron in size.JOY S has a 200-cubic-metre-per-hour CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) and whisper-quiet performance. The new Blueair product assures clean air for an area of 16 square metres every 12 minutes, making it ideal for the small and medium rooms found in many Gulf homes. The unique product design and technology helps to deliver clean air with minimum energy consumption of 1.5 watts.According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the worlds single biggest environmental health threat. Exposure to indoor air pollution can lead to a wide range of diseases including acute and chronic respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia, lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, stroke and cataract. Polluted indoor air can also trigger asthma and allergies.Regional governments have recognized that clean air is essential for the well-being of their residents. They are exploring innovative ways to monitor and improve air quality. The launch of JOY S by Blueair follows moves by authorities in the Middle East to monitor and improve air quality. In August, the Environment Agency  Abu Dhabi introduced a new app to help residents learn more about the emirates air quality, while Dubai authorities announced at the start of the summer that drone inspections have cut industrial air pollution by 47 per cent.JOY S will also help residents concerned about declining air quality. A recent global study shows that air pollution shortens an average Saudis life by nearly 1.5 years, according to research from the University of Texas at Austin. In June, the Kingdoms General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection launched a test version of a Gulf standards index measuring air quality in various parts of the Kingdom.Last but not least, the new air purifier is quite literally a joy to behold. With five attractive, interchangeable colour options and an intuitive one-button control, JOY S easily fits into any interior scheme, doubling up as an art object to fit customers every mood.Commenting on the JOY S launch, TR Ganesh, General Manager, Blueair Middle East, said, The importance of clean air, with its tremendous positive health benefits, cannot be overstated. Residents are increasingly adopting air purification technology to improve their living environments. Consumers expect their air purifiers to extract all impurities from indoor air while delivering the best CAD rate with minimal capital outlay and energy consumption. JOY S meets these requirements in a single package. With the launch of JOY S, our smallest, slimmest and prettiest air purifier, we aim to continue our pursuit to expand our air purification expertise and best-in-class technology to a new segment. Consumers can now rest easy that their needs are being taken care of, he added.JOY S will be available at Souq.com and 16 Carrefour outlets across the region from September 24, 2018.Product Specifications: Best clean air with 360-degree air intake, based on HEPASilent technology which removes 99.97% of airborne pollutants, bacteria, virus, allergens, microplastics, smoke, dust, pet dander and pollen as small as 0.1 micron in size Energy efficient with just 1.5 watts of energy consumption on normal fan setting and a maximum of 10 watts on the third fan setting Whisper-quiet performance Best CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 200 cubic metres per hour 5ACH (Air Changes/Hour); Cleans air every 12 minutes in recommended room size of 16 square metres Convenient to use: One button control, automatic filter change alert and filter replacement with a simple twist Stylish: Change colour as per your mood with 5 attractive, pre- filter colour options, including Saffron Red, Diva Blue, Puff Yellow, Lunar Rock and Dark Shadow,About BlueairBlueair is a world leading producer of air purification solutions for home and professional use. Founded in Sweden, Blueair delivers innovative, best-in-class, energy efficient products and services sold in over 60 countries around the world. Blueair is part of the Unilever family of brands. http://www.blueair.com For more information, please contact:Nirmala DsouzaOAK Consultingnimi@ oakconsulting.biz +971507343840OrBlueair Middle Eastsalesme@ blueair.com +97148821244PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-25 02:29:16

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Front Range Resources Ltd.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Calgary, Alberta (FSCWire) - Front Range Resources Ltd. (TSX Venture:FRK). has issued a press release with the following headline:Front Range Resources Ltd. and ARROW Exploration Ltd. Announce Closing of Private Placement Financing and Provide UpdateTo 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 Front Range Resources Ltd., 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/Front Range Resources Ltd.Source: Front Range Resources Ltd. (TSX Venture: FRK, OTC Bulletin Board: CSTPF, FWB: C1JS)Date: September 24, 2018Time: 8:28 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Front Range Resources Ltd. 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.)Fact.MR

PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-25 14:22:39

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Prevailing demand for low range and medium range automobiles among consumers based in emerging economies has been a strong factor providing the impetus to the growth of automotive transmission system market over the past couple of decades. With fostering vehicle electrification and frequent launch of next-gen vehicles in the automotive space, it is most likely that the sales of fully or semi-automatic automotive transmission system will witness steady growth over the next few years.Moreover, governments across the globe are contributing a massive share in fueling expansion of automotive transmission system market. By setting stricter regulatory norms regarding vehicular emission control, governments are compelling a growing number of automakers and technology leaders to bring electrification and fuel efficiency to bear. According to a new study on the global market for automotive transmission system, Fact.MR reveals this as among the most impactful factors pushing the revenue sales of automotive transmission system.Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=11 While the development and implementation of regulatory frameworks revolves around optimum fuel efficiency and emission control, Fact.MR anticipates the global market for automotive transmission system to gather promising pace in the near future. A recent publication by Fact.MR forecasts 5% CAGR for the global automotive transmission system market over 2017-2022, driving the revenue in excess of US$ 40 Bn by 2022 end.Uncontested dominance of passenger vehicles over LCVs, HCVs, and other commercial vehicle types in terms of revenue is presumed to account for over 65% share of the total value represented by the global automotive transmission system market towards to end of forecast period.Research has confirmed time and again that the type of automotive transmission system implemented in a vehicle is imperative in shaping its fuel efficiency. Also, it has been proven that automated automotive transmission system and dual clutch automotive transmission system exhibit higher efficiency over the manual variant of automotive transmission system  in terms of gearshift comfort and reduced energy loss.Driven by incessantly worsening traffic congestion issue in urban areas, consistently boosting consumer preference for the more convenient and flexible automotive transmission systems such as automatic, automated, dual clutch, and continuously variable  is extending strong support to these research findings. The global market for automotive transmission system will thus witness steadily thriving demand for automatic automotive transmission system; however, the revenue generation through manual automotive transmission system sales will continue to represent the maximum share in the global market for automotive transmission system through 2022.To Get latest insights on Automotive Transmission System Market, Visit - https://www.factmr.com/report/11/autmotive-transmission-system-market Hyundai recently rolled out the redesign of its flagship model Santa Fe Sport that is anticipated to enter markets in 2019 that has been anticipated to add value to the sustainability quotient of the automotive transmission system market. The engine of this new model has been exclusively equipped with an eight-speed automatic automotive transmission system, placing this car straightaway with other top contenders in the industry. Also, Hyundai engineers, with this automotive transmission system innovation, claim to have slashed down the emission output by almost 40% of the earlier model.Although Hyundais technology innovation holds exclusivity with the engine of 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, the global landscape of automotive transmission system market is foreseen to witness a heap of innovations on the similar line through 2022. Hyundai Motor Company, being one of the leaders in automotive transmission system market, has been covered in the competitive landscape analysis of automotive transmission system market report by Fact.MR . Other players profiled in the report include Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd., Continental AG, Renault SA, Magna International Inc., and Eaton Corporation PLC.Further insights on the top performing vehicle type, fuel type, and transmission type in the automotive transmission system space, and the potential growth opportunities for the players partaking in the automotive transmission system market landscape, get in touch.To Buy Automotive Transmission System Market Report, Visit- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/11/S About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Fact.MR

PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-25 14:00:06

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The global baby cloth diaper market is envisaged bank on the affordability of consumers and cost-effective nature of products to attain growth in the coming years. Increasing disposable income and convenience could be key for the growth of the global baby cloth diaper market. Since baby cloth diaper is nature-friendly, its demand is expected to surge in the next few years. A typical trend associated with the global baby cloth diaper market could be the uncompromising attitude toward the purchase of quality goods. This is anticipated to compel players to launch new products that focus on quality. Fact.MR projects the global baby cloth diaper market to register a 2.1% CAGR during the forecast period 2017-2022. In the same report, the market research company expects hypermarket/supermarket to gain 31 BPS by the final forecast year.Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=78 According to the authors of the report, the global baby cloth diaper market can be classified into online, drug store, convenience store, and other sales channels, besides hypermarket/supermarket. Amongst these segments, hypermarket/supermarket is predicted to take the drivers seat of the global baby cloth diaper market in terms of revenue growth. However, its market could exhibit a moderate CAGR during the course of the said forecast period. On the other hand, the online baby cloth diaper market is foreseen to see expansion at a greater pace, maybe due to its relatively newer presence in the industry.The online market for baby cloth diaper is forecast to post a 2.5% CAGR and gain BPS until the end of 2022. An interesting projection made by Fact.MR is that the CAGR of the online baby cloth diaper market could be slightly larger than that of the hypermarket/supermarket baby cloth diaper market. However, the drug store baby cloth diaper market is foretold to show a lethargic rise in the near future. As per market observations, it could also lose some BPS in future. Although the convenience baby cloth diaper market is envisioned to gain BPS, it could only manage to secure a nominal share on the basis of value.By age group, the global baby cloth diaper market is segregated into three segments, viz. 18-48 months, 6-18 months, and 0-6 months. Amongst these, the 6-18 months market for baby cloth diaper is prognosticated to collect an unimpressive revenue share. Moreover, it could show sluggish growth in terms of value. However, by the concluding forecast year, it is predicted to lose some BPS.To Know more about Baby Cloth Diaper Market, Visit - https://www.factmr.com/report/78/baby-cloth-diaper-market Contrastingly, the 0-6 months baby cloth diaper market could receive a gain in BPS during the forecast tenure. In addition, it could display a higher pace of growth while posting a CAGR of 2.4%. Taking into account its commanding rise with respect to growth, the 0-6 months baby cloth diaper market is anticipated to gain a lions share in the coming years.The global baby cloth diaper market is also bifurcated according to product, where key segments are superabsorbent and ultra-absorbent. From a geographical perspective, the global baby cloth diaper market could testify the lead secured by APEJ as it projects itself as a worthwhile region for achieving growth. This region is prophesied to gather pace in the global baby cloth diaper market as it clocks a 2.2% CAGR. It could well be among the leading regions of the global baby cloth diaper market, considering its high market attractiveness and use of products. It is expected to witness higher adoption of baby cloth diaper because of improved disposable income and increasing population in most of its economies. Various benefits associated with the use of baby cloth diaper could be a defining factor for the growth of the regional market.To Buy Baby Cloth Diaper Market Report, Visit- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/78/S About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Fact.MR

PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-25 14:11:44

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# 680 Words

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In the overall infrastructure of an automobile, exhaust systems leap out to be a crucial component incorporated in almost all the modern vehicles. However, a course of remolding auto technologies in a bid to address carbon emission and environmental degradation issues is likely to have a profound influence on its applications in the automotive industry. Fact.MR published a new report on the exhaust systems market for the forecast period of 2017 to 2022. The report opines that the global exhaust systems market is likely to touch a valuation of U$ 57.5 Bn by 2022.The exhaust systems market is heavily influenced by a huge number of macroeconomic and microeconomic factors determining growth. Introduction of new regulatory guidelines pertaining to emission controls are foreseen to impact the landscape of the industry. Some of the ubiquitous trends influencing dynamics of exhaust systems market include advancements in material science technologies, rising fad for fuel efficient automobiles, and deliberate efforts toward research and development. Moreover, smart city initiatives are envisioned to drive new sustainable mobility requirements, primarily for precise real time emissions data. This trend is further likely to foster the demand for exhaust systems for furnishing the emerging requirements. Electrification of vehicles is also likely to have a deep-rooted influence on the proliferation of exhaust systems.Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=35 Manufacturers in the exhaust systems market are vying to seize new opportunities by providing additional services such as exclusive testing capabilities related to crucial parameters of leakage, performance, and many more. This move is believed to enable the market players gain long-term customer retention and seize untapped opportunities in the exhaust systems market. The exhaust systems market is witnessing a drastic drift toward selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology for revitalizing fuel efficiency. This drift can be traced by the manufacturers in the exhaust systems market to bank on the accompanying opportunities. Moreover, debut of next-generation automobile infrastructure which will make use of advanced and ecofriendly technologies is predicted to sway the global exhaust systems market in the foreseeable future.Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is foreseen to create remunerative aspects for exhaust systems market over the forecast timespan. Numerous automotive giants are vying to expand their operations across APEJ in the wake of escalating demand for passenger and commercial vehicles. Diesel is projected to touch a valuation of US$ 36 Bn by 2022-end and reign in terms of market value in the exhaust systems market, which can be attributed to growing preferences for vehicles running on diesel.To Know more about Exhaust System Market, Visit - https://www.factmr.com/report/35/exhaust-system-market A major chunk of revenue of the exhaust systems market is foreseen to be amassed from OEMs. With over 60% share of the market, the prosperity of OEMs in exhaust systems market is likely to persist and is not anticipated to deteriorate anytime soon. To carry forward this prosperity, OEMs will have to keep up with the rapid technological advancements.The on-going trend of acquisitions and strategic tie-ups is envisioned to pave gainful avenues for exhaust systems market during the forecast period. Key players in the exhaust systems market such as Faurecia and many others are forging ahead with notable acquisitions to amplify their market perch. Key companies operating in the exhaust systems market are looking forward to profitable expansions with establishment of manufacturing units across various regions. This, in turn, might help them magnify their production volumes and procure huge profits in the long run. Moreover, most of the players operating in exhaust systems market are actively emphasizing on manufacturing light weight and technologically abreast products, which can help restoring the overall functionality of a vehicle.To Buy Exhaust System Market Report, Visit- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/35/S About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.PR-Inside.com: 2018-09-25 14:27:01

LONDON, September 25, 2018 - Stolt-Nielsen Limited (Oslo Brs: SNI) will hold a presentation and conference call to discuss the Company's unaudited results for the third quarter of 2018 on Thursday, October 4, 2018at 13:00 CEST (07:00 EDT, 12:00 BST) in the auditorium at Swedbank, Filipstad Brygge 1, 0115 Oslo, Norway.



The presentation and call will be hosted by:

- Mr. Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen - Chief Executive Officer, Stolt-Nielsen Limited

- Mr. Jens F. Gruner-Hegge - Chief Financial Officer, Stolt-Nielsen Limited

Those who wish to participate may dial +44 (0)330 336 9411 (UK), +1 929 477 0402 (US & Canada) or +47 2350 0296 (Norway) and quote the code: 2196277. Phone lines will open 10 minutes before the call. A live audio webcast of the presentation may be accessed via the

Stolt-Nielsen website at: https://www.stolt-nielsen.com/en/investors/reports-presentations/

For additional information please contact:

Jens F. Gruner-Hegge

Chief Financial Officer

UK +44 (0) 20 7611 8985

j.gruner-hegge@stolt.com

Ellie Davison

Head of Corporate Communications

UK +44 (0) 20 7611 8926

e.davison@stolt.com

About Stolt-Nielsen Limited

Stolt-Nielsen Limited (SNL or the "Company") is a leading global provider of integrated transportation solutions for bulk liquid chemicals, edible oils, acids, and other specialty liquids through its three largest business divisions, Stolt Tankers, Stolthaven Terminals and Stolt Tank Containers. Stolt Sea Farm produces and markets high quality turbot, sole, sturgeon, and caviar. Stolt-Nielsen Gas develops opportunities in LPG and LNG shipping and distribution. Stolt-Nielsen Limited is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

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: Stolt-Nielsen Limited via Globenewswire

The Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) Base has accused its partner in the development of the Egina Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) project, Samsung Heavy Industries of Korea (SHI), of fraudulent practices and violation of Nigerian local content laws.

Speaking through its lawyer, Fidelis Oditah, LADOL and the LADOL Zone Management accused Samsung of taking LADOLs equity in SHI MCI FZE, a joint venture, and giving itself 70 percent ownership of a fabrication and integration facility which was approved by the Nigerian government and funded by Total as the poster child of Nigerias local content policy in respect of the Egina FPSO project.

This, the company said, is a massive fraud against LADOL and Nigeria because it deprived Nigerians of a capacity development project which it had planned to attract other investments and create at least 50,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The company also accused Samsung of misrepresentation in relation to a US$214 million provision in the Egina FPSO contract allocated to the construction of the new fabrication and integration facility at LADOL, alleging that it was deceived to surrender its 80 percent ownership of SHI MCI FZE, a fabrication and integration facility owning vehicle.

Both companies are partners in the development of the $3.3 billion Total project, the Egina FPSO, which sailed to the oilfield in August. The FPSO is reputed to be the first of its kind in Africa and is to be put to use on OML 130, which is projected to add about 200,000 b/d to Nigerias total oil production when finally in operation.

While LADOL is an indigenous Nigerian company, Samsung is an international contractor.

The genesis

The dispute between both companies began when LADOL and Samsung agreed between 2010 and 2013 to tender together (as local content partner and main contractor respectively) for the Egina FPSO contract which Total intended to award.

According to LADOL, they agreed that if the tender was successful, a joint venture company  SHI MCI FZE  would be formed to construct and own the upgraded fabrication and integration facilities at LADOL, on the basis of 80 percent ownership by LADOL and 20 percent ownership by Samsung.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that this ownership structure reflected the fact that the upgrade of the fabrication and integration facilities at LADOL was one of the local content facilities approved by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and committed to by Total for the Egina FPSO contract.

As a result, the Egina FPSO contract provided that Total would pay Samsung a capital sum to enable Samsung to build the facility as a contractor to Total and in fulfilment of Totals local content obligations and commitments to the Nigerian regulators, rather than as an investor.

Trouble however began when the joint bid by LADOL and Samsung was successful and it was awarded the Egina FPSO EPC contract ultimately in the sum of over US$3.1 billion. LADOL in its claim said, however, that unknown at that time to LADOL, the award included a sum of US$214 million for the construction of the upgrade of the fabrication and integration facilities at LADOL.

As soon as the Egina FPSO contract was awarded, Samsung took every step and opportunity to exclude LADOL from the local content elements of the contract so as to appropriate to itself the upgrade and ownership of the fabrication and integration facility at LADOL, the company claimed.

In particular, Samsung unilaterally fixed the EPC costs of upgrading the fabrication and integration facility at LADOL at US$300 million, refused to have the upgrade project financed as was typical of such facilities, insisted on providing corporate finance on its own terms and asked LADOL to provide US$240m as debt and equity to pay for its 80% ownership of SHI MCI FZE and the facility.

In December 2013, the company alleged, Samsung purported to terminate all its three agreements with LADOL for the upgrade of the facilities, namely the joint development agreement, the EPC Letter of Intent for the upgrade, and the shareholders agreement. It also issued three London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) arbitral proceedings in London, England seeking declarations that each of the three agreements with LADOL had been validly terminated and asking that LADOL should pay it $18 million for the design of the fabrication and integration facility.

In January 2014, LADOL said it issued proceedings at the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court seeking 19 declaratory and other reliefs against Samsung, Total, NCDMB and the Minister of Petroleum Resources. However, in the 2014 FHC Proceedings, both Total and Samsung denied that the Egina FPSO contract made any provision for the upgrade of the fabrication and integration facilities at LADOL or allocated US$214 million or any other sum to the upgrade of the fabrication and integration facilities, whether as local content capacity building projects or at all.

At the request of the Nigerian regulators the London arbitral and 2014 FHC Proceedings were compromised and settled pursuant to a settlement agreement between the parties to these proceedings dated 1 June 2014 (Settlement Agreement), LADOL claimed.

The said settlement was on the basis of Samsungs deliberate misrepresentation and fraud (upon which LADOL relied) that no money was provided in the Egina FPSO contract for the upgrade of the LADOL fabrication and integration facilities, whether as part of Totals local content commitments or at all.

As a result, LADOL surrendered its 80% equity interest in SHI MCI FZE, gave Samsung 50% and accepted a 30% equity interest, for which it paid Samsung and SHI MCI FZE US$40.5 million.

Senate Investigations

In the first quarter of 2018, the Nigerian Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Investigation of the Local Content Elements of the Egina Project commenced public hearings on the local content elements of the Egina project and invited Total and all its contractors and subcontractors to give evidence to the committee.

During the hearing, PREMIUM TIMES learnt, it emerged that contrary to the representations made by Total and Samsung before, during and after the settlement negotiations, the upgrade of the facilities at LADOL was indeed included in the Egina FPSO contract.

The company also said Total had paid Samsung at least US$214 million for the upgrade of the facilities and that Samsung was seeking to retain the US$214 million paid by Total and at the same time assert ownership of the upgraded facility which it was paid to build as a contractor to Total and its OML 130 partners rather than as an investor.

It is therefore shocking that Samsung is still claiming ownership of the facility in LADOL, which it had built as a Contractor to Total (and other OML 130 owners) rather than as an Investor in Nigeria, said Mr Oditah. Samsung not only hid these facts from LADOL, it sought to exclude LADOL from the project so as to own the facility. Consequently, Samsung procured the 1 June 2014 settlement agreement by fraud and misrepresentations.

The company explained further that while Total Chief Executive, Nicolas Terraz, reportedly admitted that a portion of the lump sum (released for the FPSO) was assigned for the development and upgrade of the yard facilities for in-country fabrication and integration and is split into work packages solely for progress weighting and effective project management purposes, Samsung has remained consistent in its assertion of ownership of the fabrication and integration facility on the basis that it had singlehandedly funded the construction of the facility, which it claims to be US$300 million.

LADOL, therefore, alleged that Samsung committed at least three frauds and misrepresentations in connection with the June 2014 Settlement Agreement in order to induce LADOL to surrender its 80 percent equity ownership of SHI MCI FZE and the fabrication and integration facility. The fraudulent actions, it said, is the fraud by which Samsung took LADOLs equity in SHI MCI FZE and gave itself 70 percent ownership of a fabrication and integration facility which was approved by the Nigerian government.

The second fraud was the alleged misrepresentation that there was no US$214 million provision in the Egina FPSO contract allocated to the construction of the new fabrication and integration facility at LADOL. which it said was false.

The third misrepresentation and fraud, according to LADOL, is the lie by Samsung that it made a foreign direct investment of US$300 million into Nigeria, whereas the truth is that Samsung was paid as a contractor to build the fabrication and integration facility.

Samsung is a Contractor, not an Investor in respect of the facility. It invested nothing, LADOL said.

Sublease and Operating Licence disagreements

Meanwhile, on September 5, the Global Resources Management Limited, GRML, a subsidiary of LADOL, terminated SHI MCI FZEs sublease. The development deepened the disagreement between the parties, raising concerns around breach of contracts.

But LADOL in its explanation said the action was taken because of unremedied and material breaches of sublease covenant and denial of its landlords title. It accused its partner of asking the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the head lessor, to carve out a portion of GRMLs leased land and grant a direct lease in favour of SHI MCI FZE, so that SHI MCI FZE could deal directly with all government regulators without needing to go through GRML or the Zone Management. Similarly, LADOL said it acted as a result of SHI MCI FZEs anticipatory breach of the sublease agreement.

Although its sublease provided for an upward only rent review, SHI MCI FZE wrote to GRML and numerous government agencies informing them that on the expiry of its current sublease in June 2019 it would unilaterally reduce its rent from US$70 per sq metre to US$5 per sq metre  a reduction of more than 90%! LADOL claimed. It added that GRML regarded the renunciation of the upward only rent review as an anticipatory breach of the sublease contract which it accepted and immediately terminated the sublease as it is entitled to do as a matter of law, it added.

Similarly, on July 29, LADOL argued that SHI MCI FZEs annual operating licence expired and terminated by effluxion of time. In order to renew its operating licence, it said, SHI MCI FZE was required to fulfil the requirements of Regulation 41 of the LADOL Free Zone Regulations 2016, which provides three cumulative conditions  payment of licence fee; provision of all information, documents and returns requested by Zone Management; payment of all outstanding amounts and fees due to Zone Management.

SHI MCI FZE did not satisfy the conditions of Regulation 41, LADOL claimed, adding that the company placed itself above Nigerian law and free zone regulations. SHI MCI FZE was law unto itself, acted with impunity and had been in persistent and deliberate violation of extant laws and regulations.

The Battle rages on

Meanwhile, the controversy between both parties remains unresolved as LADOL on 5 September issued proceedings at the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, seeking to set aside the 2014 settlement agreement it had entered into with Samsung for fraud and misrepresentations and to restore the parties to their pre-2014 settlement ownership of SHI MCI FZE. The arrangement would change the structure to 80 percent (LADOL) and 20 percent (Samsung).

LADOL, apart from seeking a rectification of the share register of SHI MCI FZE to reflect the 80:20 ownership structure, has also issued an interlocutory application for injunctions to restrain Samsung from parading itself as owner of 70 percent of SHI MCI FZE and from selling or otherwise dealing with or disposing of the shares in SHI MCI FZE pending the hearing and determination of the substantive proceedings.

Samsung declined to comment for this story. When our reporter called the official telephone line listed on the companys website, man who sounded Chinese/Korean answered.

But after our reporter introduced himself and explained that he was working on a story about Samsungs disagreement with LADOL, the man kept asking our reporter if he works for LADOL.

The line later got disconnected and subsequent calls rang out unanswered.The inaugural edition of the Minna Book and Art Festival (MinnaBAF) held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna between September 18 and 20.

The literary and cultural event themed, Northern Nigeria Creative Development: The Valley and the Boundary is the first of its kind in Minna and the North-central region of Nigeria. It served to create awareness, build capacities and promote all forms of arts.

A press release issued on Monday by Nana Sule, MinnaBAFs spokeseprson, said Zaynab Alkali, the first female novelist from Northern Nigeria to be published in English, headlined the festival.

The professors commitment and dedication to writing and literary activities served as inspiration to guests at the festival especially school children who were excited to interact with her.

In her festival conversation, moderated by Asabe Kabir, a professor at the Usman of Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, Mrs Alkali emphasised the importance of self-development through hard work and dedication to writing.

Panel discussions at the festival were on New Age Poetry: Issues and Challenges, Manifesto of a Political Writer, Writing, Culture and Interfaces. Also discussed were Fiction: Identity and Representation Across Generations, and Trends in African Literature.

Panelists that included E.E Sule, Wale Okediran, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, BM Dzukogi, Denja Abdullahi, and Balaraba Ramat Yakubu also discussed issues around topics as The Core in our Culture: Oral Literature and Beyond, The Role of Writers in Environmental Advocacy, Challenges of Arts Blogactivity and Changing Stereotypes through Writing.

The festival, which was attended by guests from across Nigeria, also celebrated the life and writings of late Abubakar Gimba, one of the greatest Nigerian novelists ever to emerge from Northern Nigeria with a panel discussion that included his daughter.

Discussants on the various sub-themes were drawn from the academia, publishers, political actors, arts managers, established and young writers and artists.

The three-day festival ended with a thrilling cultural night.A total of 18 leading international art galleries have been scheduled to feature at the 2018 ART X Lagos holding at the Civic Center, Lagos from November 2 to 4.

The founder and director, ART X Lagos, Tokini Peterside, disclosed this at a media briefing held at Wheatbaker Hotel, in Lagos, on Monday.

Ms Peterside said the event would include exhibiting galleries and artists, special- curated projects, a programme of talks, the ART X Prize, and a music show.

The show will also see performances by Teni the Entertainer, Ghanaian musician Amaarae, and BOJ, accompanied by some of Lagos finest emerging visual and graphic artists.

The 18 exhibiting galleries include Art House  The Space (Nigeria), Addis Fine Art (Ethiopia), Circle Art Agency (Kenya), Stevenson Gallery (South Africa), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), Tafeta (United Kingdom), Tiwani Contemporary (United Kingdom), Nike Art Gallery (Nigeria), and Out of Africa Gallery (Spain) amongst others.

A selection committee led by Advisory Board members, NGone Fall, the renowned Senegalese curator, and Femi Lijadu chose these galleries. The latter is one of Nigerias most respected art collectors and leading commercial lawyers.

Renowned East African artists namely Kenyas Paul Onditi and Cyrus Kabiru will also be exhibiting at the fair for the first time.

Ms Peterside, said, After the success of ART X Lagos 2017 we are delighted to return for a third edition. We are validated in our decision to develop this vital platform for the growth and increased visibility of African artists and galleries.

This would have been impossible without the phenomenal support of the galleries, sponsors and partners, who took a huge leap of faith and committed to support us from ground zero, for which we are most grateful. In six weeks, we will open the doors to ART X Lagos 2018. We look forward to welcoming a vast and varied, local and international audience as we seek to reinforce Lagos position as an emergent cultural capital on our continent.

Internationally renowned artist, Yinka Shonibare MBE, who was announced as the keynote artist, will be celebrated with a highly anticipated exhibition, exploring his career highlights at the fair.

ART X Talks, which holds on November 3, is curated by Missla Libsekal, will feature a series of exciting and engaging talks from key stakeholders in Africas art economy.

Interactive Projects, which is curated by A Whitespace Creative Agency, will feature experiential platforms that explore ideas influenced by the exhilarating essence of Lagos.

The 2018 ART X Prize with Access winner, Bolatito Aderemi-Ibitola, will have a solo presentation of her project, Scraps from Mamas Floor at this years fair.

The organisers added that the theme this year invites guests to indulge in an electric exploration of Africas rich musical history with a celebration of our heroes past  the icons, legends and sounds that have shaped the continents contemporary musical landscape.

ART X Lagos was founded by Tokini Peterside and is supported by an Advisory Board comprised of  Labi Ogunbiyi, Dudun Peterside, Evelyn Oputu, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, Femi Lijadu and Jess Castellote.

Others are Junaid Dikko, NGone Fall, Papa Omotayo and Reni Folawiyo.The 28-year-old victim was standing on the sidewalk when a passenger inside a dark-colored SUV got out of the vehicle and fired numerous shots at the man before fleeing north on Sangamon, according to police.Kashim Imam is running for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno State. He had contested for the same position twice as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2003 and 2007. The businessman-cum politician left the PDP in 2011 when he did not get the ticket for the third time and joined the now defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) which he helped to retain the governorship seat against his former party. After the 2011 election, Mr. Imam was quoted to have given up the quest of being the number one citizen of Borno State.

In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES Assistant Editor, Abdulkareem Haruna, Mr. Imam, who is currently the president of the Kings College Old Boys Association, explained why he is returning to contest the governorship. He also shared his dreams for the state, and even revealed how he was pressurised to step down his recent quest to become the National Scribe of the APC.

Excerpts:

PT: You were not at the Borno APC stakeholders meeting when the decision to adopt indirect primaries was taken. Are you in support of the decision?

IMAM: I have all my life been a party man, right from my time as the state chairman of SDP (Social Democratic Party), I have always remained with the party. I will abide by what the party decides; whether it is direct primaries or indirect primaries, it does not matter to me because I am a core party man. I also want it on record that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has, himself, in appreciating the merits of direct primaries, and in spite of the fact that he is unopposed, insisted that the party should conduct direct presidential primaries. He wanted to give the rank and file and every card carrying member of the APC the opportunity in his primary election. That is what informed his stance that the party should conduct direct primaries.

I have read all the arguments for and against the decision of Borno APC insisting on indirect primaries but I have refused to be dragged into the controversy. That was the reason I chose not to respond to journalists messages asking me to comment on the matter when the decision was made. But at the risk of being tagged rude, I decided not to respond so that I wont be quoted. On this matter, everybody has his personal preference and for me it is not about my personal preference but about what is most democratic.

And the most democratic form of primaries is direct primaries. Even in the United States of America, they conduct direct primaries; in Nigeria under the then SDP and the NRC (National Republican Convention) we conducted direct primaries; no true politician should be afraid of direct primaries. I welcome it and I want every card-carrying member of the APC in Borno State to be given the opportunity to participate in the election or nomination of the APC candidate that will be there representatives, whether in the House of Assembly, or to the House of Reps or to the Senate or the governorship or even the presidential primaries.

So, to that extent, my personal preference is to be given the opportunity to participate in direct primaries because it is the most democratic form of conducting primaries anywhere in the world. However, if it is in the wisdom of the party that we should go for indirect primaries, so be it; and I look forward to it, because the people that will participate in the indirect primaries will still be the same card-carrying members of the APC.

President Muhammadu Buhari

One final argument I want to make on this is if it suggested that we should not conduct direct primaries because of insecurity and we must conduct indirect primaries; does it now also mean that we are not going to conduct general elections? Party primaries is within only the card-carrying members of the APC, but the general election involves every citizen of this state that is 18 years and above, and has the right to participate in the conduct of the election. So, if we say we have insecurity and because of insecurity we cannot hold direct primaries, does it logically follow that because of the same insecurity we are not going to participate in the general elections? No! So if we are going to participate in the general elections through direct popular elections, we can as well also do direct primaries. If we are going to conduct direct primaries in the case of the presidential elections, that should trickle down to the Senate, the governorship, Reps and the House of Assembly.

PT: After the 2011 general elections, you were quoted to have said you have given up the quest to become governor of Borno State. What brings you back to the ring this time around?

IMAM: I personally thought that I was done with this. I have yielded to the voice of the people which they say is the voice of God Almighty. I have also allowed myself the luxury of listening to the arguments of people saying that you are studied, you are experienced, and it will be a waste if you dont put your service at the disposal of the people. I have listened to the whole of this in arriving at this very heavy decision. It is a huge and enormous sacrifice that I have made in the past 30 years being in politics and it is same sacrifice I am about to make. I think I can even explain with my experience. I returned to my compound one late evening during one of our governorship campaigns accompanied by a huge convoy of supporters and my children ran to me and greeted me. And when I went inside, they had gone to complain to their mother that they had greeted daddy but he didnt even recognise us. That is one of the enormous sacrifices being made and I have done it for 30 years. If I say that I have done enough, I have every justification. I have been an absentee husband for 30 years, I have been an absentee father for 30 years. Since 1987 I have not had the privilege of enjoying the ideal family lifeIt is over 30 years now; some (of my children) have done their masters, some have even married; it is a life time that have been lost and I dont think it can ever be regained.

So it is a matter of enormous sacrifice that we are still making now.

And in answering the second leg of your question, you wont appreciate why I am coming to the contest until I am sworn in as the next governor of Borno State. Nigeria will never be the same again from the day I am sworn in as governor of Borno State. It takes just one mad man to make just a fundamental difference. And believe me, we will make a difference, because it is for the reason of the difference that we are going to make that everybody is afraid of us. It is for the fear of the fundamental difference that people know we can make that I was not allowed to become the APC National Secretary. Yes.

I could remember, during the run up to the APC convention, my friend, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, called me on the phone and told me that he was in front of the Holy Kaaba in Makkah, Saudi Arabia and that he had asked for Gods forgiveness, and he went further to say that he knows God will not forgive him until he asked me to forgive him as well. He said I know all of us are guilty but he said he needed to call me and ask for forgiveness. He said he felt guilty because of the role he also played in the issue of selecting the APC national secretary. He said it was because of the fear that if Kashim Imam becomes the APC National Secretary they dont know what may happenwow!

Former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun [Photo credit: Vanguard]

PT: What exactly happened on the issue of the APC National Secretary?

IMAM: On the final day to the convention, I was in my house and was counting  and I counted 11 APC governors coming to my house and the last three that visited, came around midnight. And what was their message? Kashim we know you are the most competent of all the contestants, everybody will testify to that, but And I asked them, if I was so competent and the right man for the job, they said We came to appeal to you to withdraw. And it was like that. They said I was the most competent person and they came to appeal to me that I should withdraw. So all this while, it has been the fear of Kashim Imam becoming the governor, even my opponents will attest to that.

PT: If as you said you are pressured to come back to contest the governorship, how come your party has 20 contestants?

IMAM: Everyone knows that I attended Kings College Lagos, and presently I am president Kings College Old Boys Association. There is this misconception; people say we are very arrogant. But it is not arrogance. May be it is because of our accolade, which is There are two secondary schools in Nigeria; Kings College and the others. But on a more serious note, we have, supposedly 20 aspirants contesting the APC governorship ticket; but in reality it just boils down to two aspirants  which is Kashim Imam and the others. Yes, there are two of us in this contest and that is not lost on me. But I want to assure you that this time around, despite the numbers, we will do everything to get it right.

PT: There is this allegation that you are amongst those tagged Abuja politicians who dont come home to associate with the people except during elections. How do you react to that?

IMAM: The governor of Borno State was in my house about five days before today, and said to me that from the statement that he has been making  of which he has been at for quite some times  especially during the end of Ramadan celebration when the traditional rulers paid him a homage visit, he also alluded to that; during the last Sallah too, he alluded to that. But he said he did not include me amongst those he labelled Abuja politicians. But to me he had gone much further than that. He was talking about people who despite the challenges of insurgency, a lot of people being displaced, they have not come to bring just one bag of rice. Interestingly, I was at the palace of the Shehu of Borno when I came to submit my nomination form, and His Royal Highness made some remarkable speech which was on record, and can be translated to you and you can as well have the original recording transferred to you electronically. His Majesty said to me, no indigene of Borno, in our entire history, has done more for Borno, than I, Kashim Ibrahim Imam have done for Borno. And I was overwhelmed and honored by this. And he went on and on listing and citing my various contributions, including my contribution to the mosque of which he said I gave N200 million. He said only other individual donation to the completion of the mosque was the sum of N1 million by one Abdu Usman. The Shehu was making public pronouncement when he said it. And I was particularly honored because one of the aspirants in the APC governorship ticket race who is amongst those I referred to as the others, is the first cousin of the Shehu because they have the same grandparents. In spite of that he said, publicly that there is nobody more worthy, nobody more qualified for the job. Even the governor, His Excellency Kashim Shettima, has told me the same thing over and over  not once, and not twice. He said I am not the richest person from Borno, but he said nobody has my kind of heart and nobody has done so much for our people like I do. Apart from the general assistance we provide, I have an annual distribution list of 1000 names for bags of rice and other food items during Ramadan and other festivities. And if the governor is talking about people not coming home to assist, I have that list and have kept and sustained it for many years. This is something which I ordinarily dont even announce.

Former Governor Kashim Shettima Photo: VOA Hausa

When I was at the party secretariat to hand over my nomination form, the party secretariat and the women leader as well as many others spoke about how they said I have touched their lives in many way. So I am the number one indigenous politician and I dont fall under the list of those whom the governor may have referred to as Abuja politicians. What the governor was talking about was people who dont come home even once in five years, and so on; people who have not touched lives; I have given a good account of myself in this community and I challenge anybody who has done more to counter me. I am proud of my achievements and I am proud of my relationship with my people and I thank God Almighty who has used me to accomplish all this for the people of this state.

PT: In your speech at the party secretariat, you promised free education for all. To what level would education be free in Borno under your government?

IMAM: By the grace of God, under my watch, education will be free and compulsory in all primary schools. Education will be free in all secondary schools. This is what the state government can and has the authority to implement. Beyond that, we will support our students at the tertiary level by way of scholarships, particularly in the fields of the sciences. But for primary schools, secondary school, it is not going to be a matter of choice. If you like it, I will send your child to school; if you dont like it I will still send your child to school. The best thing that has happened to me was the privilege that I had of going to school. And I love the fact that I went to Kings College. And we are going to make our schools here in Borno as good as Kings College, Lagos, Insha Allah.

PT: One of the banes of development in Nigeria is the lack of autonomy for local government councils. Government are believed to by feeding fat on the allocations meant for development of local government areas by not conducting election and installation of caretaker committees as LG administrators. What will you do differently if elected as governor of Borno State?

IMAM: I had earlier said that it just takes one mad man to make a difference. I have also said that on the day I am sworn in as governor of Borno State, Nigeria will no longer be the same again. It is not just Borno. Some of the things that I will do include this question you just asked. I pray I will not be forced to divulge my post-election plans so that not only opponents will be fighting me but perhaps even some governors will contribute money to fight against me so that this man, Imam, does not have the chance to come near the government house.

On a more serious note, we will conduct free and fair elections for all local government areas of Borno State when we assume office in 2019. We will give the people the right to participate; we will scrap what is called the joint local government account. Under my watch we will restore the autonomy of all the local government councils, we will allow them to access all the money that are due to them, just as the federal government allows all the money due to the states come to the state. Yes, people feel some of my ideas as a politician are too radical, I am proud to admit that, because I come from a very radical home. And I attended the most radical faculty in Africa, and I have over the years imbibed ideas that are very radical. At the same time, I have tempered it also by being the Mutawali of Borno, a title I took to advance the traditional heritage of my people.

PT: You also talked about massive reconstruction of Borno State, when you addressed party members at the APC secretariat. In this times of economic crunch, coupled with the fact that Bornos internally generated revenue (IGR) is very low, where do you plan to get funds, outside the statutory allocation, to fund the projects?

IMAM: The first thing we will do as a government is to call a conference on Borno so that all prominent sons and daughters, including our elders, especially retired public servants  of course we have at least 10 retired ambassadors, several retired federal Perm Secs, retired bankers, retired DIGs and AIGs, technocrats etc, we will constitute committees, we will take stock of what we have lost in the insurgency, we must know the number of human lives lost, what is the cost for rebuilding our education, what is the cost on our health; by the time we do this we will then produce a blueprint on Borno. We will then convene a donor conference on rebuilding Borno. And as charity begins from home, I am going to take the lead and I will commit a minimum of N1 billion as my personal contribution to this effort. We will do a national fund raising for Borno and I will invite all of my friends to make donations. More importantly, we are going to do an international donor conference as well. If you recalled, there was an international donor conference on Syria and they raised $18 billion. What we dont know is that such money for countries with humanitarian crisis is just out there begging to be accessed. It is not a matter of us begging for money, but the money has been begging us. But we cannot access it if we dont have a blueprint on post-conflict rebuilding. You must clearly spell out what the money is going to be used for before you can access them. There is international commitment that all developed countries must contribute a minimum of 0.7 percent of their GDP to aid. That amounts of trillions of dollars just waiting to be accessed. What do they want in return? Simply to educate our people; create employment for our people so that there will be no exodus to their countries. So that people will not risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean just to get to Europe in search for greener pastures.

So in order to help us keep our people at home, the western powers are ready to assist with our reconstruction efforts provided we produced a salable blueprint that will attract donors for us. We will organise an international donor conference. But sadly when the western powers waited endlessly for us to do the needful, and we failed to act, Germany, three weeks ago took the initiative and hosted a donor conference to which our governor and the governor of Adamawa attended and our governor, His excellency Kashim Shettima, even delivered a paper there. And I got the information that the conference pledged more than $1 billion. So you can imagine if the initiative had come from us. We will put together the necessary blueprint and access the necessary fund to develop Borno state. Under my watch, we will transform Borno and make sure it is at per with some of the states down south. Thank you very much.U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as world leaders gathered in New York but signalled he was open to a future meeting.

Mr Trump made the statement in spite of simmering tensions over Tehrans nuclear deal.

Both countries presidents were due to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. Trump is scheduled to address the gathering later.

Foes for decades, Washington and Tehran have been increasingly at odds since May, when the Republican U.S. president pulled out of the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran and announced sanctions against the OPEC member.

The accord, negotiated under Democratic U.S. President Barack Obama, lifted most international sanctions against Tehran in exchange for Iran curbing its nuclear programme.

Over the summer, Mr Trump had said he would meet with Mr Rouhani without preconditions to negotiate a new deal, an offer reiterated on Sunday by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and extended to Irans Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

Mr Rouhani said on Monday Tehran would not talk to Trump until the U.S. returned to the 2015 deal.

The top adviser to Mr Khamenei, Ali Akbar Velayati, rejected the U.S. offer, saying Trumps and Pompeos dream would never come to reality.

Despite requests, I have no plans to meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man, Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

Alireza Miryousefi, Spokesman for Irans UN mission, told newsmen that Iran has not requested a meeting with Trump.

Some Iranian insiders have said any talk between Messrs Rouhani and Trump would effectively kill the existing nuclear accord.

Tensions have been rising after a deadly attack on a military parade in southwestern Iran in which 25 people were killed.

Mr Khamenei said on Monday the attackers had been paid by U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and that Iran would severely punish those behind the bloodshed.

(Reuters/NAN)Days after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Education Board officially ended the sale of student admission cards, employees of the board continued to secretly sell the cards at a premium rates to Nigerians, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

Education Resource Centre (ERC) is responsible for the sales of the scratch-cards for students seeking transfer across secondary schools in the FCT or from other states.

ERC coordinates the movement of students from junior to senior secondary schools based on results students obtained in the JSS exams conducted by the centre.

Because most public secondary schools in Abuja are distinct as either junior secondary or senior secondary schools, requests for transfer are commonplace.

Those seeking transfers are required to buy the security cards that contain secret passcodes they need to access the ERC site, download and print out a form and then submit it to the centre for processing.

On Tuesday, the agency announced the sales of the scratch-cards but also ended the sales on the same day, catching many interested parents unawares.

Keystone Bank in Wuse Zone 1, Abuja was the authorised point for purchasing the card, this newspaper learnt.

However, when PREMIUM TIMES visited the agency two days later on Thursday after the bank had stopped the sale, our reporter observed workers were making quick businesses selling the cards but only to those who can pay a higher fee for it.

The official price of N2500 is inscribed on the scratch card, but a staff helped our reporter obtain one for N4000 that day.

The staff who refused to give her name or contact, requested the money in cash. When our reporter pleaded to do electronic cash transfer, however, the worker accepted and the transfer was made to her bank account.

However, most parents who visited the selling point at the centre and the authorised bank were informed the cards had finished.

The closure of sale of the admission cards generated controversy as many parents travelled from other states to the FCT to get the scratch cards for their wards.

Difficult transfer

There are different processes for the transfer of students from private to public schools, and for students from public schools or from another state to a public school in the FCT. Overall, it is easier to transfer between public schools within FCT.

Most of the parents who could not purchase the admission cards were those seeking transfer of their wards from other states to start senior classes in government secondary schools in Abuja.

Students also faced high hurdles transferring from private schools to public schools in FCT.

An official of the ERC who asked not to be identified said limited number of spaces was the major factor responsible for the difficulty in processing transfers to schools in the FCT.

Parents making inquiry the Education Resource Centre, Zone 7

There are no spaces for children in the schools, my dear. We are working on it. Are you aware that some parents nearly mobbed the director on Tuesday? We are addressing that issue. The director has been attending a series of meetings to resolve the issue, the source said.

There are parents who processed the transfer of the wards smoothly.

Ebenezer Aluko, a parent who was at the centre to submit his wards completed form, said the officials asked him to submit it and his phone number and that they would contact him later.

The junior WAEC result came out last week and my son passed. He will be going to SS1 but I want to change the school, he said.

Mr Aluko said he was not charged anything extra apart from the fee paid for the scratch card.

Favour Orji-Kalu, who attended JSS Garki and wants to transfer to Senior Secondary School, Garki, from Model Secondary School, Maitama, where she has been posted, also said she was not asked to pay anything.

We paid for everything during the Junior WAEC examination. I went to my school to pick the scratch card last week, she said.

At the ERC office, the processes were largely hitch-free for students from public schools as they were completed within 15 minutes.

But for others, things did not go so well. A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who posed as a relative of an applicant, observed how staff offered to sell the cards for more money, and especially to those they believed they had ethnic connections with. Such beneficiaries were those able to speak some local languages.

In one case, a parent who introduced himself as Oga Daniel decided to wait after a student advised him to speak a local language with an official there.

Later, our reporter approached Oga Daniel for update.

Someone is already helping me to get the card o. I wished I knew her before now, I have given her the N4000 but she said she is coming, he said.

PremiumTimes obtained a scratch card

Mr Daniel offered to talk to the official after he got his card. The official said she was only helping and offered to also help the reporter. Meanwhile, other parents scurried about with their wards hoping to also find a way out of their dilemma.

Oya, bring your money, I dont want transfer but I will help you. I am not the one selling it but I will get it for you, the official told our reporter.

Angry parents

Parents who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said they preferred government schools in the FCT for their wards because the schools are of the same standards with federal government colleges across the country.

Some of the parents said they were transferring their wards from private schools in their states to government schools in FCT for quality education.

A parent who identified himself as Nzo said it was an act of wickedness for the agency to sell the transfer cards for just one day.

Most of us here dont know our fate. I came from a neighbouring state to purchase a transfer form for my daughter but they are saying till October ending. This means that she will be at home till then. How can they sell the form for a day? What are we going to do? This is how the masses suffer in Nigeria, he said.

Another parent, Gladys Aguru, also expressed anger.

My concern is for my child to get this transfer and resume early, I dont want her to miss much, she said.

We all know this a normal thing now, the government will frustrate those coming in from private schools now, but they are yet to do anything about the ones from public schools too. I will just advise the parents to be patient and talk to the officials to help them, another parent, Mrs Kalu, said.

Mrs Kalu said the centre was yet to process the admission of junior students from public schools to senior secondary schools.

The printout of the senior school posting form sighted by our reporter said students would forfeit their admission if they fail to resume SS1 before September 30.

Official reacts

The spokesperson of FCT Education Board, Tony Ogunleye, said only the bank was authorised to sell the student admission card.

According to him, the ERC sold the scratch cards to the bank.

Staff liaising with parents on how to get the scratch card

The scratch cards care not meant to be sold outside the banks and if that is done, it is illegal. We are very much interested to know who is doing it and sanction them, he said.

Civil societies reacts

This is barbaric and high level of corruption that we must not allow. Children cannot enjoy access timely and quality education because of some corrupt officials undermining the effort of this administration to ensure that children go to school timely, Hamza Lawal, the executive director of Connected Development said.

Mr Lawal said the perpetrators must be sanctioned and forms must be made available for the masses.

We must not allow this and we must prosecute them. In doing this, we must summon the system and the process The process must be made simple, transparent and easily accessible so that people will not pay above their means and government will not lose the money they are to generate, he said.

I believe that the Education Secretary should be held accountable for this. The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, and Minister of FCT, Muhammad Bello should live up to expectation and constitute a panel to investigate this matter and make life easy for citizens, he said.

Similarly, the Education Right Campaign (ERC) described the situation as another sad case of corruption and nepotism in the system which must be condemned by all right-thinking people.

An officer telling parents to write their names

The national coordinator of the group, Hassan Soweto, said admissions ought to be fair and merit-based if the goal of education is to be achieved.

Hoarding and other sharp practices which confer undue advantage on a few have grave implications for the overall goal of education and this is why this development must be treated with all seriousness by the appropriate authorities, the group said.A scandal is brewing within the household of President Muhammadu Buhari.

His wife, Aisha, has caused the arrest of her own Aide De Camp, after accusing him of defrauding her, those familiar with the matter have told PREMIUM TIMES.

The presidents wife is alleging that Sani Baba-Inna, a chief superintendent of police, received huge donations from politicians and business people on her behalf and then kept the cash to himself.

Mrs Buhari therefore requested the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to arrest and compel Mr. Baba-Inna to refund the money, put at over N2.5billion.

The police officer was arrested Friday and has remained in detention ever since, with relatives having no access to him, family members say.

It is unclear how the presidents wife came about the allegation, but one source said another aide working for Mrs Buhari originated the claim.

An associate of the embattled police officer said Mr. Baba-Inna strongly denied the allegation, saying he received no donation from anyone on behalf of his boss.

Outcome Of Police Investigation

Immediately the police received the petition from Mrs Buhari, the ADC was arrested on Friday last week and investigation launched.

The IG said the matter must be investigated immediately and the house of the ADC was raided, one of our sources said.

Shockingly, investigators only found N1,200 cash in the House. His bank account was also investigated and had only a balance of N30,000 while the transaction records showed that most credits to the account were his salaries and allowances.

The police, it was gathered, concluded that Mrs Buhari must have been wrongly informed as there was nothing to show or prove that such huge sums of money was in the custody of Mr Baba-Inna.

An associate of Mr. Baba-Inna said the police contacted those named as donors of the controversial funds but that they all denied making the donations attributed to them.

For instance, one of those named was the IG of Police himself, the source said. But the IG said he has never passed any money through Baba-Inna.

When Mrs Buhari was informed of the outcome of police investigation, the source said the first lady flared up and accused the police of colluding to protect one of their own.

She then reportedly asked the State Security Service (SSS) to take over the case and get her money back.

SSS Wades In?

On the orders of the wife of the president, SSS operatives reportedly took custody of Mr Baba Inna.

However, the spokesperson for the SSS, Peter Afunanya told PREMIUM TIMES he was not aware of Mr Baba-Innas arrest by his agency.

You are just telling me now, I am not aware, but if there is anything like that I will get back to you, he said.

In the same vein, the spokesperson of the police, Jimoh Moshood, said I am not aware.

But Hassana, the wife of Mr Baba-Inna confirmed her husbands arrest.

She also said she has not been able to speak with him since he was taken away.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the wife of the president, Suleiman Haruna, said although he heard about the matter, he was trying to get details from Mrs Buhari, who he said is currently travelling in New York.The State Security Service (SSS) has confirmed that it is in custody of the Aide De Camp (ADC) to the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari.

The secret police said Sani Baba-Inna, a chief superintendent of police, is undergoing interrogation.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported Monday how Mrs Buhari petitioned the police alleging her ADC defrauded her of N2.5 billion.

Following the petition, the Police, last Friday, arrested Mr Baba-Inna and raided his home in the Garki District of Abuja.

However, the outcome of the raid and checks on his bank account showed that money of such magnitude was not in those locations.

Not satisfied, Mrs Buhari asked the SSS to take over the investigation.

The spokesperson of the service, Peter Afunanya, had told PREMIUM TIMES that he was not aware of the arrest but would revert once he received information on the matter.

Mr Afunanya kept his words and called us this afternoon to confirm that Mr Baba-Inna was in custody at the headquarters of his agency in Abuja.

He was handed over by the Police and investigation is ongoing, he said.

A member of the Baba-Inna family also informed us that the SSS allowed Hassana, the wife of the ADC to meet him today.An Imo State High Court Tuesday held that the controversial removal of the state deputy governor, Eze Madumere, from office did not follow due process, therefore making it illegal.

Benjamin Iheka, the presiding judge, in his ruling nullified the removal.

Mr Madumere was on July 30 sacked by 19 of the 27 members of the Imo House of Assembly about same time a court in the state barred the lawmakers from removing the deputy governor from office.

The Assembly had earlier received a report by a seven-member panel set up by the state chief judge which allegedly indicted Mr Madumere of gross misconduct and abandoning his duty for three months. But the High Court Judge, Mr Iheka, had then issued an interim order restraining the panel from submitting its report, thus halting the removal proceedings.

The state assembly nonetheless went ahead to sack the deputy governor.

Mr Madumere was on July 30 sacked by 19 of the 27 members of the Imo House of Assembly about same time a court in the state barred the lawmakers from removing the deputy governor from office.

In his Tuesday ruling, Mr Iheka declared the lawmakers action invalid and of no legal effect. He further slammed Paschal Nnadi, chief judge of the state, and Militus Nlemadim, the commissioner for justice, for not adhering to the provisions of section 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

PREMIUM TIMES is yet to confirm if Tuesdays court judgement has been served on the lawmakers.

When contacted, Mr Okorochas spokesperson, Sam Onwuemeodo, said he was abreast of the ruling but cannot react until he sees the court judgement. I cannot react to what I have not seen, when I see it (the judgement) then I will make an official statement, he said.

A Battle for Supremacy

Mr Madumere had been embroiled in a supremacy battle with his boss, Governor Rochas Okorocha, who is backing his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as his successor, against his deputy, who is also in the race.

The running political battle which is at the centre of the current crisis within the Imo State All Progressives Congress (APC) fold saw the birth of parallel factions in the party.

While Mr Madumere teamed up with a former senator, Osita Izunaso, the erstwhile national organising secretary of the APC, and Ifeanyi Ararume, a former senator, to conduct ward, local government and state congresses of the party in May, the governor supported a separate faction which conducted parallel congresses.

Although the APC faction supported by Mr Madumere and Mr Izunaso, was initially recognised by the national leadership of the party, its election was upturned by the court in the lead up to the partys national convention.

The APCs plan to hold fresh congresses in Imo was also suspended by a federal court in Abuja.

Okorocha, Izunaso Battle Continues

Meanwhile, the APC battle for supremacy in Imo State shifted grounds as the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday ordered the APC to conduct fresh elections for the office of National Organising Secretary (NOS) within 30 days.

The order followed a suit filed by Mr Izunaso after he lost the position to Emma Ibediro of Mr Okorochas faction at the APC national convention in June.

According to Mr Izunaso, APC erred by going ahead to announce Mr Ibediro as winner of the election in spite of the violence, thuggery and irregularities recorded, a position the court agreed with citing exhibits presented before it.

Nnamdi Dimgba, the judge handling the case, held that the election did not follow the Electoral Act and the guidelines made by the party for the convention.

Responding to the judgment, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, said the party has challenged the ruling at the court of appeal.

The high court has ruled but there is a window for appeal which we have used and hoping it will up turn the ruling, Mr Nabena said.

Also speaking on the matter, the Imo State APC spokesperson, Jones Onwuasanya, said the party still recognises Mr Ibediro as its National Organising Secretary.

We still recognise Emma Ibediro as our National Organizing secretary because the high court that gave the order did not tell him to vacate the office. He is still in the seat for now because he has filed an appeal at the appeal court, Mr Onwuasanya told PREMIUM TIMES on phone Tuesday evening.

There is no way the election will be organised without looking into the appeal. He has the right to appeal even up to the Supreme Court so by the time the appeal court gives its judgment we take it up from there.

We will go to the Supreme Court if the appeal court judgement is not favorable even though we expect it to set aside the ruling of the high court because that judgement that will stand the test of time. Ibediro won the election free and fair, there were no irregularities as the court said.

He debunked the existence of a parallel faction in the state chapter of the party. There is only one recognised APC structure in Imo State and it is headed by Daniel Mmadueke Nwafor.

Mr Madumere had earlier this month submitted his nomination form to contest the governorship seat of Imo on the platform of the governing party, APC amidst the controversies trailing his ambition.The All Progressives Congress has released details of the types of primaries approved for its various state chapters.

The list shows the APC approved direct and indirect primaries for different states.

In many states where the state governors are in battle with rivals such as senators and other influential politicians, the ruling party appears to have favoured the stance of the governors. Such states include Adamawa, Kaduna and Imo.

In Adamawa, top politicians like the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and former anti-graft commission, EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, had requested directed primaries while the party leadership backed by incumbent governor Bindow Jibrilla called for indirect primaries. The APC national headquarters approved the indirect primaries.

In Kaduna, aspirants like a senator, Shehu Sani, insisted on direct primaries while the party leadership in the state backed by the incumbent governor, Nasir El-Rufai, called for indirect primaries. The APC headquarters approved indirect primaries.

Direct primaries involve all card carrying members of the party electing its candidates while indirect primaries involves use of delegates to elect party candidates.

See the statement by the APC headquarters listing the form of approved primaries for states below.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has approved the mode of primaries for Saturday, September 29th, 2018 governorship primary elections scheduled to hold across the thirty-six states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).The office of the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari has just sent the statement below to PREMIUM TIMES explaining the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of her Aide De Camp, Sani Baban-Inna.

Read full statement below.

Press Statement from the Wife of the President

The attention of wife of the President, Dr. Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has been drawn to some media publications and releases purporting illegal detention of her Aide De Camp (ADC) over allegations of fraud.

The story as it pertains to her ADC, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Sani Baban-Inna has it that he has been detained on the orders of Her Excellency for dropping her name and defrauding unsuspecting officials and associates. She wishes to use this opportunity to refute such allegation and to state that she has no hand in his arrest and detention.

CSP Sani Baban-Inna has been her ADC since 2016 and has been associated with her ever since. To the utter dismay of Her Excellency, he has used the opportunity to defraud unsuspecting associates and officials as initial investigations have shown.

The Nigeria Police Force, his employers arrested him to investigate the allegations leveled against him, this, being within their jurisdiction.

She therefore wishes to use this opportunity to inform the general public that she has never sent any of her staff to collect any favours on her behalf or on behalf of her children and will never do so. She is therefore imploring anyone that has been defrauded by Mr. Baban-Inna to get across to him to retrieve whatever he took from them. Mrs. Buhari wishes to reiterate that she will not condone fraudulent behavior by any of her staff.

She uses this opportunity to call on all those in positions of authority to rise above intimidation by their aides and deal with such attitudes as extortion by name-dropping, especially within the Presidency. As she always emphasizes, this government was voted into office based on the trust and confidence of the people.

Suleiman Haruna

Director of Information

to Wife of the President

State House

AbujaThe police on Monday in Lagos commenced a two-week training on human rights for Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad (FSARS) commanders nationwide to reposition the outfit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 100 FSARS commanders drawn from the 36 states and Abuja were participating in the exercise.

Opening the training, Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of training, Emmanuel Inyang, said developing FSARS human capacity became necessary in view of different complaints against the outfit.

Mr Inyang warned the operatives against violation of human rights, stressing that the training was compulsory for all FSARS commanders.

He pointed out that the training was a holistic approach to enhance the performance of the commanders, team leaders and the foot soldiers of the FSARS in line with the recent presidential directive.

FSARS was established to take charge of specific functions pertaining to crime prevention and control as well as to secure life and property.

But their direct contact with members of the public has brought conflicts, friction and perceived human rights abuses and inherent complaints arising from the performance of their duties.

There is no doubt that the training would provide the necessary platform for all participants, especially, the foot soldiers of FSARS to understand the necessity of imbibing human rights at their duty post and stations and identified areas of problem, he said.

Mr Inyang noted that participants were also expected to use the skills they will acquire from the two week training to uphold the highest level of discipline and professionalism in the discharged of their duties.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Haliru Gwandu, said the mandate of the operatives was limited to armed robbery and kidnapping, stressing that anything aside that would not be accepted.

The current seminar on human rights is one of the critical component that will assist the FSARS to do their job, as it is also going to enrich them in the area of fundamental human rights.

We expect them to demonstrate competence, courage and professionalism and avoid flagrant abuse of power.

You are also expected to demonstrate patience and maturity when dealing with members of the public. You must remain courteous and listen to all complaints and ensure fair hearing to parties in dispute.

Rights of suspects must also be guaranteed by allowing suspects, his or her lawyers or members of civil society organizations to known the nature of crime committed when the need arises, he said.

Mr Gwandu, however, said all FSARS operatives must provide habitable detention facilities with adequate basic utilities like toilet, water, electricity, bathroom and hygienic and well kept place.

When critical incident of armed robbery and kidnapping are subject of any investigation, such officers must speed up and ensure that they meet up within the timeframe as provided by the law, he said.

(NAN)The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC), said it has secured a conviction against another visa racketeer, Giwa Sulaimon, who was earlier arraigned for forgery and making false statements.

In a statement issued by the ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, on Monday, it said the commission filed a three-count charge before S. O. Solebo of an Ikeja High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State against the convict.

The allegations bordered on providing misleading information to the United States of America (USA) consulate in Lagos with the intent of procuring a visa which contravened Section 17(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, respectively.

The statement added that Mr Giwa was also arraigned on allegations of making false statements to officers of the commission averring that the documents submitted to the Consulate were genuine when they were not, which is contrary to Section 25 of the law establishing the ICPC.

Mrs Okoduwa, in the statement, said trouble started for Mr Giwa when ICPC received intelligence that he had submitted a visa application to the USA consulate with misleading and fraudulent documents.

Mrs Okoduwa added that on the set day for further interview on his application, he was arrested by operatives of ICPC and the following documents were retrieved from him: a United Bank for Africa (UBA) letter conveying approval for his annual leave; a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) statement of account.

Mrs Okoduwa said that further investigations revealed that the convict was not a staff of UBA as claimed and that the content of the statement of account he had was not a true representation of his account with GTB and therefore had been falsified.

She added that it was also discovered that the visas for United Kingdom, Republic of Benin, Republic of Togo and Ghana contained in his international passport were fake.

According to Mrs Okoduwa, the convict proposed a plea bargain upon which the prosecution filed a three-count amended charge indicating a plea bargain and sentence agreement which was executed by both parties.

Consequently, the convict pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

The statement added that the trial judge convicted Mr Giwa on his plea of guilty and sentenced him to pay a fine of N50,000 only on each count in lieu of custodial sentence.

The defendant was also made to undertake to be of good behavior for a period of one year and to execute a bond to this effect with the High Court Registry in the sum of Three Hundred Thousand Naira (300, 000.00) to be forfeited should he breach the terms of same. Failure upon which shall result in his imprisonment for a period of one year.In 2014, about 40 percent of eligible voters turned out for the mid-term elections compared to 60 percent of eligible voters who cast a ballot in the 2016 presidential race, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. A survey conducted by Pew months before the 2016 presidential election found that eligible voters didnt register for a variety of reasons, ranging from not wanting to vote to simply not getting around to sign up. Still others said they didnt feel inspired by a candidate or an issue to vote.Instagram said co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have resigned as chief executive officer and chief technical officer of the photo-sharing app owned by Facebook Inc, giving scant explanation for the move.

The departures at Facebooks fastest-growing revenue generator come just months after the exit of Jan Koum, co-founder of Facebook-owned messaging app, WhatsApp, media reports on Tuesday.

These exits leave the social network without the developers behind two of its biggest services.

They also come at a time when Facebooks core platform is under fire for how it safeguards customer data, as it defends against political efforts to spread false information.

Younger users increasingly are preferring alternative ways to stay in touch with family and friends. Concerns over Facebooks business sparked the biggest one-day wipeout in U.S. stock market history in July.

Mr Systrom wrote in a blog post on Monday that he and Krieger planned to take time off and explore our curiosity and creativity again.

Their announcement came after increasingly frequent clashes with Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg over the direction of Instagram, media reported.

In a statement, Mr Zuckerberg described the two as extraordinary product leaders.

Ive learned a lot working with them for the past six years and have really enjoyed it. I wish them all the best and Im looking forward to seeing what they build next, Mr Zuckerberg said.

Mr Koums departure in May followed the exit of his WhatsApp co-founder, Brian Acton.

That led to a reshuffling of Facebooks executive ranks, increasing Mr Zuckerbergs ability to influence day-to-day operations.

Mr Zuckerbergs ally, Chris Cox, who leads product development for Facebooks main app, gained oversight of WhatsApp and Instagram, which had been given independence when Facebook bought them.

Adam Mosseri, who had overseen Facebooks news feed and spent a decade working closely with Mr Zuckerberg, became Instagrams head of product.

Instagram and Facebook have operated independently and the two services barely mention each other.

Regulators have pushed Facebook to improve information safeguards for individual privacy, to combat addiction to social media, and to stop misinformation or fake news.

Mr Zuckerberg and other leaders have been under more pressure to monitor units beyond the core social network.

Messrs Systrom and Krieger notified the photo-sharing apps leadership team and Facebook on Monday about their decision to leave, Instagram said.

Their departure would be soon, it said. The media reported the move.

Messrs Systrom and Krieger met through Stanford University and worked separately in Silicon Valley before forming Instagram in 2010.

Facebook bought Instagram in 2012 for one billion dollars. The photo-sharing app has over one billion active monthly users and has grown by adding features such as messaging and short videos.

Mike Krieger

In 2016, it added the ability to post slideshows that disappear in 24 hours, mimicking the stories feature of Snap Incs Snapchat.

The photo apps global revenue this year is likely to exceed eight billion dollars, showed data from advertising consultancy EMarketer.

Increased advertising on Instagram has seen the average price-per-ad across Facebooks apps decline this year after a year of upswing. A new privacy law in Europe also has affected prices.

Instagram had been hailed in Silicon Valley as a flashy acquisition done right, with the team kept relatively small and Systrom having the freedom to add features such as peer-to-peer messaging, video uploads and advertising.

Video content has been a major emphasis for Facebook as it seeks to satisfy advertisers desire to stream more commercials online.

(Reuters/NAN)Workers of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in Abuja on Monday staged a protest against the non-payment of their allowances and alleged unfair welfare management in the ministry.

The protest was a peaceful one as the union workers closed offices in the ministry with locks. The workers said the minister, Okechukwu Enelamah, had been mismanaging the affairs of the ministry since he assumed office in 2015.

A staff, who declined disclosing his identity for fear of victimisation, told PREMIUM TIMES that workers at the ministry had not received their arrears since 2014.

We were employed 2014/2015. I worked for two years without salaries. We got our first salary in April 2017, he said.

Since we have been asking for our arrears to be paid, there have always been one excuse or another. In 2017, President Buhari made an order for all arrears of civil servants to be paid. We dont know what happened to the money because we were not paid anything.

But we heard in the news that billions have been released. Even the office of the accountant general confirmed but nothing yet. There are married men with families among us and they are owing us two years arrears, he said.

Another staff who also requested for anonymity said that the ministry had been giving false hope to the workers, with assurances that the matter has already been laid on the table of the former minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun.

All we hear is that our claims are on the tables of the former minister of finance. Nothing till now. Lots of people are frustrated.

The state of the offices are in a mess. No single renovation, no furniture available for staff, the renovation is always in the budget but nothing happens.

We are entitled to 28 days allowance to enable us settle (down) where they posted us. We havent seen any ministry always bring one excuse or the other why there is no money but the minister travels steadily with his aides while the staff are suffering, she added.

The chairman of the Senior Staff Association of the ministry in Abuja, Onwuyai Okonkwo, told PREMIUM TIMES that the minister was a bad welfare manager.

We are calling for President Buharis attention because the ministry has not done well since Okechukwu Enelamah became the minister, he said.

Since he emerged, he has come to establish a private enterprise, which is not among the civil service agenda. What we are trying to say in essence is that this is a minister that has come to interfere with the civil service structure with the ministry, he added.

He also explained that the minister warmed his way to establish an office called National office of Trade Negotiation (NOTN), in Maitama, Abuja, through the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) only to appoint his own personal aide to head the institution.

The spokesperson of the minister, Bisi Daniels, told PREMIUM TIMES that the ministry would consider dialogue with the union just to resolve the issues amicably.

Differences with unions in the ministry of industry, trade and investment on some issues, this morning, led to picketing at the ministry. Efforts are ongoing to resolve the issues amicably, Mr Daniels said.

Striking workers of of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment Striking workers of of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment Striking workers of of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment Striking workers of of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment Striking workers of of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment Striking workers of of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment

On the reported allegations against the minister, we consider dialogue with the unions as the best approach since it has to do with reforms in the ministry.

On staff entitlements and welfare, the minister never had any problems with that.

Nonetheless, these issues are being handled by (the) management even in the absence of the minister, who is currently in the United States as a member of President Buharis team to the United Nations General Assembly, he said.A pathologist, S.S. Soyele, told an Ikeja High Court on Tuesday that Ronke Shonde, the banker allegedly murdered by her dockworker husband, Lekan Shonde, had suffered severe brain injuries which led to her death.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Soyele is a medical pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

He revealed the results of a post-mortem examination, conducted on Ronke while being led in evidence by Y. G. Oshoala, the lead state prosecutor.

Mr Soyele revealed that it was discovered during the autopsy that the deceaseds brain was heavy, swollen and filled with water and it was highly unlikely that the deceased inflicted the injuries on herself because of the multiplicity of injuries.

The deceased died from respiratory failure, caused by cerebral edema (swollen brain), caused by a blunt force trauma to the brain, he said.

A bruise was found on her left jaw. During the autopsy, it was also discovered that the deceased had black eyes (pupils) a tell-tale sign of brain injury.

We opened up the body and brought out all the organs. We also opened up the skull to bring out the brain. Blood collection was discovered in the skull, just beneath the skin.

The deceaseds uterus was also brought out and there was no sign of conception. We took samples from the brain in order to determine the cause of death which primarily was respiratory failure caused by trauma to the brain.

Mr Soyele, who revealed that he and his team had conducted over 1,000 autopsies, said that Ronkes autopsy revealed that she had suffered past injuries to her brain.

We took samples from the brain and discovered old haemorrhage (bleeding) in the brain, which suggests past trauma, he added.

NAN reports that at the previous court proceedings on September 20, Ronkes sister, Bolatito Bewaji, revealed during her testimony that Ronke had approached a lawyer to file for divorce on the day she was allegedly murdered by Lekan.

She also revealed to the court a history of domestic violence Ronke had endured from Lekan.

Ms Bewaji, also a banker, said that Lekan was overly possessive of his wife, and would beat her frequently, leaving her with bruises.

My sister even told me that her husband would lift her up and slam her against the wall, whenever they had an argument, an emotional witness told the court.

Giving further insight into the couples troubled marriage, she revealed that she had advised her sister several times to leave the marriage.

I was not surprised when I got the call on that fateful day that her lifeless and bloodied body had been found because I knew with the way things were going, he would one day kill her, she said.

NAN recalls that Mr Shonde, who was arraigned on October 24, 2017 on a charge of murder, had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecution had alleged that Mr Shonde committed the offence at 8.30 p.m. on May 5, 2016 at his residence at No. 3, Tiemo Close, Egbeda, near Lagos.

According to court documents, Mr Shonde was involved in an altercation with his wife, which led to her death.

After Ronkes death, the dockworker allegedly locked up the home and fled, leaving his spouses corpse in the living room.

The alleged crime scene was discovered by neighbours, who heard the cries of their two young children, struggling to wake up the lifeless body of their mother.

Mr Shonde was said to have surrendered to the authorities five days later, after an extensive manhunt.

Judge Josephine Oyefeso adjourned the case until October 24 for continuation of trial.

(NAN)The Minister of State, Power, Works Housing, Mustapha Baba-Shehuri, on Tuesday joined the race for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Borno State.

Mr. Baba-Shehuri, who is among 20 politicians angling to succeed Governor Kashim Shettima, under the flag of APC, said the core of his development plan for the state will be giving power to local governments.

He blamed the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency and the the rising cases of kidnapping by youth on what he called seizure of local government funds by state governments across Nigeria.

Speaking at a press conference shortly after submitting his nomination form at the APC state secretariat in Maiduguri, the minister said he would bring to bear his experience as a grassroots politician as well as the good leadership qualities he has learned from working with President Buhari.

According to him, the Boko Haram insurgency has robbed the people of Borno of their humanity, dignity, self-worth and means of livelihood.

He said his administration will not only strive to develop the local government areas, but also ensure that local councils get and remain in full control of their resources.

The insurgency has destroyed virtually everything we had; our education system, health care facilities and sources of water have been destroyed and need to be urgently fixed, he said.

The major aim behind the creation of the third tier of government is for development to be taken down to the grassroots where majority of the people reside.

But the reckless and unilateral usurpation of local government grants by state governments across the country has not only completely denied the local government areas the use of their legitimate funds to entrench development, but has also succeeded in strengthening the spirit of acrimony discontent and threat to our security.

The usurpation of funds and general disempowerment are major cause of poverty, impoverishment and frustration

If there is any population that is worst hit by this disaster, it is the people of the local government areas. And that is the story in all the places affected by the so called insurgency and cattle rustlings whose aim is to get money as ransoms.

The minister said the above scenario has largely contributed to greater disenchantment of the rural people and most especially the youth whom he said are easily susceptible to criminal and extreme radical tendencies.

The much needed inclusivity, sense of belonging and development expected from the creation of local government, being the third tier of government has not trickled down, thereby making it easy for our youth to be influenced into becoming ready recruits for perpetrating criminalities such as Boko Haram and kidnapping, he said.

I believe it is high time local government areas are allowed the use of their legitimate resources and developmental kits to develop their people and give them the needed sense of belonging, as well as the leverage to pursue the happiness of their people for progress, prosperity and socio-economic development.

I call on the assemblage of lawmakers both at the state and federal level as well as the state government to draw lesson from this insurgency and allow the local government areas manage their resources.

This shall be my commitment to the people of Borno state, and I shall ensure power is given back to the real people at the grassroots, while we concentrate in ensuring our displaced people are returned to their reclaimed communities in dignity and safety,, he said.

Mr. Baba-Shehuri was once a ward councilor, then a local government council chairman, he later became a member of the Borno State House of Assembly, and afterwards elected member of the House of Representatives before Mr Buhari appointed him minister in 2015.The chairman of the Special National Convention Planning Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Okowa, has expressed confidence that the convention of the party which will lead to the emergence of its presidential candidate will cement the bond that exists in the party and position it for victory in the 2019 general elections.

Governor Okowa made the disclosure Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with members of the Convention Planning Committee at the PDP National Secretariat, Abuja.

We had a fruitful deliberations, our desire is to take steps to further unite our party, be fair to all in such a way that we will inspire the confidence of stakeholders and party faithful, the press unit of Delta Government House quoted the governor as saying.

We are aware of the fact that the task of rebuilding our party is an onerous one and the decisions and actions we take as a committee occupies a very central position in the desire of our party to demonstrate to Nigerians that we are repositioned to turn things around for the overall good of Nigerians

Last night, the leadership of the party and I met with a good number of the presidential aspirants with a view to listening to them and securing their buy-in on how best we can be on the same page in our desire to carry everybody along ahead of the Convention.

Mr. Okowa said the essence of the closed-door meeting with members of the planning committee was to secure the understanding of all on the need to organise a free, fair and very credible convention that will produce the Presidential party flag bearer.

As Chairman, I am convinced that members of our party understand that Nigerians are looking up to the PDP to get it right and reposition the countrys economy, he added.

While calling for the support of all party members, Governor Okowa said the credibility of members of the Convention Planning Committee will make the task a lot easier.The convener of the TakeItBack Movement and the party chairman of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has said if he has his way, he would sack all Nigerian army generals to ensure the security of the nation.

In a statement signed by Rachel Onamusi-Kpias, his director, PR & media, the presidential aspirant said the top echelons of the military have failed in their duties to secure the nation.

Mr Sowore also said the army generals continue to amass illegal wealth at the detriment of their junior officers and Nigerians.

Part of the statement issued by the Sahara Reporters publisher reads:

There is irrefutable proof that these generals do nothing to neither defend our nation nor equip the hardworking soldiers to do their jobs. Army promotions have become political. Leadership has been embroiled in corruption cases, with countless of these generals buying houses in Dubai and other exotic locations while a war rages and the victims are innocent Nigerians  civilians and soldiers alike.

Questions must be asked of these army generals when girls are being captured in their hundreds and the captors are allowed to march unharmed into town to release them after handsome ransoms have been paid. Questions must be asked when the ledger books show billions of naira being disbursed for national security and our valiant soldiers frequently have to beg villagers for food and shelter.

The brave men and women who took vows to serve our nation are being short-changed by these very generals. The rank and file have demonstrated courage in the face of poor welfare, old and non-functional weapons while their leaders travel in armoured vehicles, educate their children in the most expensive foreign schools and receive world class treatment at the hands of foreign physicians.

He also made some recommendations.

We propose a discharge of these old cabals and put in their stead a world class national security system that offers protection to Nigeria, her citizens and her soldiers. We propose a listening government that makes the welfare of the troops our topmost priority. World class weapons will be provided. We will leverage intelligence from neighbouring countries and global intelligence from anti-terror efforts.

We will finally tackle Boko Haram head on instead of working in partnership with terrorists, and finally, leadership within the military will not be based on nepotism but earned. Capable men and women will be promoted and empowered to lead our troops to victory!

The business of heading the Giant of Africa is not for the weak-hearted or the complacent. Our borders must stand impenetrable. Our people must feel safe within their own homes, towns and cities. Our children must go to school and return to us safely. Our great nation Nigeria must progress.Police are investigating some Nigerian lawyers after a committee that approves the countrys legal professions highest award found they forged court judgement to earn high marks, the chief justice of the federation, Walter Onnoghen, said Monday.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria rank is considered a mark of excellence and is awarded following recommendation by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC).

Honourees are 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 title is awarded after due observation of works done by prospective lawyers and judicial officers with whom the function was carried out.

Speaking during the conferment of the rank on 30 lawyers at an event to mark the beginning of the 2018/2019 legal year on Monday, Mr Onnoghen said the recent exercise which resulted in the emergence of the new batch of advocates witnessed many discrepancies, including cases of forged court judgement.

The cases have been reported to the police, he said.

I have to point out that in the just concluded exercise, some applicants were found to have engaged in dishonourable conduct such as forgery of judgment, resulting in their being reported to the police for investigation and possible prosecution, he said.

We have to know that if one is not for any reason qualified to wear silk as a judicial officer, he cannot wear it as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Mr Onnoghen thanked the LPPC for overseeing the affairs of the senior advocates since inception.

The CJN however made no mention of the lawyers involved in the alleged acts of forgery or how they would be prosecuted.President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in New York unfolded Nigerias positions on international matters before the global audience.

Presenting Nigerias National Statement during the opening day of the General Debate of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA73), the President first paid glowing tributes to the late seventh UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, for his invaluable contributions to global peace.

According to him, We in Africa, while mourning the loss of this great son of ours and citizen of the world, take pride in the way he served humanity in a truly exemplary manner.

He demonstrated, in his calm but determined manner, the virtues of compassion, dedication to the cause of justice, fairness and human rights. He was a visionary leader who inspired hope even in the face of the most daunting challenges. He devoted his entire lifes career to the UN and the pursuit of its ideals and goals. The world is indeed a better place thanks to his exemplary service.

President Buhari, while noting that in the past year, the world saw some positive results and encouraging signs from the bilateral and multilateral efforts of the international community to address conflicts, crises and threats to world peace, commended the efforts of the leaders of the United States, North Korea and South Korea, to realise our shared goal of a nuclear free Korean Peninsula.

He also acknowledged the commitment to peace shown by President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-Un by initiating a historic Summit, urging both leaders to continue this positive engagement.

Expressing regret about some lingering threats to peace and security around the world, the President noted that in some cases, matters got worse. The continuing plight of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, the protracted Israeli/Palestinian conflict, the wars in Yemen, and Syria, and the fight against international and local terrorism such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab come to mind, he said.

According to President Buhari, The terrorist insurgencies we face, particularly in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, are partly fuelled by local factors and dynamics, but now increasingly by the international Jihadi Movement, runaway fighters from Iraq and Syria and arms from the disintegration of Libya.

In Myanmar, the carnage appears to have thankfully abated somewhat. We commend the United Nations for staying focussed on the situation of the Rohingya people, to bring their suffering to an end, and hold to account the perpetrators of the atrocious crimes committed against innocent and vulnerable members of this community, including women, children and the old.

Calling on the international community to strengthen its resolve to combat ethnic and religious cleansing everywhere, the President expressed Nigerias support for the UNs efforts in ensuring that the Rohingya refugees are allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar with security, protection, and guarantee of citizenship. We note the indication by the Government of Myanmar of its willingness to address these issues and we encourage them to do so expeditiously.

He also commended the Government and people of Bangladesh in particular and all other countries and organizations that have contributed to shouldering the burden of providing shelter and other vital assistance to the Rohingya Refugees.

Drawing the attention of the international community to the carnage and the worsening humanitarian situations in Syria and Yemen, the Nigerian leader cautioned that the international community cannot afford to give up on the Syrian and Yemeni people. We must pursue all efforts to find peaceful negotiated political solutions to these wars which cannot be won by force of arms alone. Regarding Syria, we hope that the UN sponsored Geneva process and the Sochi initiative, led by Russia, Iran, and Turkey advance this objective.

He added that, The International community must keep up the pressure to encourage the parties to pursue the path of dialogue, negotiations and inclusiveness in resolving their sectarian divides and bringing to an end the immense human suffering in Syria as well as Yemen. We commend Turkey, Jordan, Greece, Germany, Italy and France for hosting the millions of the refugees fleeing these brutal conflicts.

On the worsening Middle East conflict, President Buhari called on the Israelis and the Palestinians to make the necessary compromises in the interest of justice, peace and security, in line with our numerous UN resolutions and applicable international laws.

Observing that, unilateral, arbitrary and insensitive actions only prolong the conflict and undermine world peace and security, he attributed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza to the appalling result of unrestrained use of power.

Nigeria, the president said, urge both parties to re-engage in dialogue on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid Principles, the Quartet Roadmap and the Arab Peace Initiative, among others.

He also reaffirmed Nigerias unwavering support for a just two-state solution, negotiated without intimidation and with Israel and Palestine existing side-by-side in peace and security.

Citing the current peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the commitment towards peace between Djibouti and Somalia, President Buhari declared:

I believe that with hard work, commitment, and a disposition to compromise and necessary sacrifices, peace is achievable in the Middle East as well.

On irregular migration which he admitted entails huge avoidable loss of human lives, puts strains on services in host countries and communities, and fuels anti-immigrant and racist sentiments in Europe, the Nigerian President welcomed the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the first-ever Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and looked forward to its adoption in Marrakech later this year.

He said the aim is to protect the rights of migrants worldwide, while addressing the concerns of countries of origin, transit, or destination alike.

Commending countries such as Germany, Italy and France for treating migrants with compassion and humanity, the President noted that, irregular migration is not a consequence of conflicts alone, but of the effects of climate change and lack of opportunities at home. Climate Change remains one of the greatest challenges of our time.

Very close to us at home, it is our lot in Nigeria, together with our neighbours around the Chad Basin, to live with the climate change consequences of a drastically shrunk Lake Chad and the parching up of otherwise fertile arable lands.

Painting a distressing picture of the lake, which was a major source of livelihood to more than 45 million inhabitants of the region, the president said the shrinking meant loss of livelihoods as they are now rendered poor and vulnerable to the activities of extremists and terrorist groups.

The instability thus caused in the sub-region intensified internal displacements leading, among other consequences, to intense economic competition especially between farmers and herdsmen, he added.

Reiterating Nigerias call for a rededicated international engagement to accelerate the recovery efforts in the Lake Chad Basin to address the root causes of the conflicts in the region, the Nigerian leader stressed that:

What is required is continuous and robust UN cooperation with national Governments and sub-regional and regional organisations such as the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, to enhance capacity in conflict prevention, conflict management and peace building.

He expressed heartfelt appreciation to the United Nations, the Governments of Germany, Norway, the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France and a host of other development partners for their laudable support in assisting us to address both the humanitarian challenges and the on-going stabilisation drive in the Lake Chad Basin region.

Addressing the issue of corruption within countries and illicit flow of funds across national boundaries which, he said, have huge negative impact on the stability, peace, and economic prospects of millions in developing countries, the President noted further that, Corruption significantly deprives national Governments of resources to provide meaningful livelihoods to their populations who are predominantly youths, thus giving rise to more irregular migration.

Noting that the fight against corruption is a collective assignment involving all stakeholders, he said, It is in our collective interest to cooperate in tracking illicit financial flows, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds to their countries of origin.

According to President Buhari, Fighting corruption or resolving international conflicts, crises and wars; defeating terrorism and piracy; curbing arms trafficking and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons which fuel these conflicts, particularly in Africa; stemming irregular migration by addressing its root causes; and the many other global challenges we are faced with today can only be effectively addressed through multilateral cooperation and concerted action.

The only global institutional framework we have to address these challenges is the United Nations System. That is why we continue to call for the strengthening of the Organisation and making it more effective by speeding up the pace of progress towards its reform, including that of its principal organ, the Security Council. The reconstitution of the Council to make it more equitable and more representative of our global community is both a political and moral imperative.

We believe that a reformed Security Council with expanded membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, is in accord with prevailing international consensus and it is in our collective interest to do so. It is high time we stopped skirting round the issue and establish achievable benchmarks and time frames for these reforms.

Giving a background to the call, he said, I assure you all that in this advocacy, I am only reflecting Nigerias deep and abiding commitment to our Organisation and its founding principles and goals. From the date we joined in 1960, we have contributed our quota to the fulfilment of the mandate of the UN. We have been active participants in many Security Council and African Union authorised Peace Keeping operations around the world, beginning with the Democratic Republic of Congo operations in 1960.

Furthermore, Nigeria has always mobilised the required human and material resources to achieve set United Nations goals, including the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are resolute in complementing the efforts and examples of the United Nations to promote gender equality and youth empowerment as necessary pillars for sustainable development.

He noted that, Without these, there can be neither enduring peace nor security. As we set and implement our national policies to achieve these goals, we, in the spirit of international solidarity, will readily cooperate with other nations seeking to achieve similar goals for their own populations to help ensure that no one is left behind.

FEMI ADESINA

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 25, 2018An Abuja-based Prison and Human Rights group, Uchefem Consult, on Monday commenced the training of 30 police, prisons and judicial officers on the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJA) to avoid human rights violation.

The consult Chief Executive Officer, Uche Owete, said at the opening of the five-day training at Keffi, Nasarawa State, that the training would increase the cross-sectorial coordination, competences and capacities of major criminal justice actors.

Mr Owete said the training organised for the officials in the FCT, was meant to effect serious and durable changes in the sector for the overall benefit of prison and justice systems.

It will ensure police observance of human rights standards during interrogation, detention and trial, and highlight the major innovations in criminal administration in Nigeria, among others objectives, he said.

He said the training was aimed at bringing together the police, the lower courts, particularly Magistrates Courts, the prisons where human rights violations were likely to occur.

They will share experiences and knowledge of human rights issues and devise strategies of improving criminal justice delivery devoid of human rights violations, he added.

Mr Owete said the training was organised with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland and German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

The chief executive officer commended the Swiss Government for its support and funding of the training.

He also thanked the Chief Judge of the FCT, Justice Ishaq Bello, Controller of Prisons and the Inspector-General of Police for the release of their officials to take part in the training.

He said a fair and consistent application of the law would put to an end the unacceptable and unjustifiable delays in the disposal of criminal matters.

Mr Bello, represented by the FCT Director of Magistrates, Josephine Obanor, said that the law also addressed the weak records system and judicial oversight over remands.

He said the law also addressed the practice of extracting confessional statements under torture and other oppressive methods of interrogation.

That the primary concern to the ACJA is the mindless hauling of crime suspects into court before investigations are completed and the excessive time taken to conduct and conclude investigations.

This consequentially leads to the remand of accused persons pending the conclusion of such investigation and trials, he said.

Mr Bello expressed hope that the workshop would bridge the wide gap between understanding ACJA and the effective implementation of the reforms contained therein.

Anne-Beatrice Buccinger, Deputy Head of Mission, Switzerland Embassy, said the Swiss government supported the development of training manuals and capacity building for the police and prisons on human rights and criminal administration of justice.

Ms Buccinger said the Swiss government had partnered with several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and civil society in Nigeria.

She said the partnership was in the provision of technical and financial support for projects in the field of human rights and capacity building in the criminal justice administration.

She urged the participant to take the training serious and make sure that the got the best for speedy administration of justice.

(NAN)As 2019 general election draws near, more groups and communities have continued to troop to the Government House Enugu to register their support for the re-election bid of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, who is standing as the sole aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in the state.

Prominent among those that visited him Tuesday were the people of Obukpa in the University town of Nsukka led by their traditional rulers, other elders and leaders of thoughts, as well as the PDP Ward chairmen from Enugu West senatorial district.

The people of Obukpa town comprising four autonomous communities said they were impressed with Governor Ugwuanyis numerous landmark achievements since he assumed office, stressing that his sterling performance across the three senatorial districts of the state was a rewarding experience in the social contract between him and the people.

The PDP ward chairmen appreciated Mr Ugwuanyi for entrenching participatory democracy in the state, saying his style of leadership has rejuvenated the partys organs at the grassroots, according to them their rightful place in the realm of things as proud ward leaders.

The ward party leaders noted with delight that the governors emergence as the sole aspirant for the governorship primaries was because of his good works and inclusive leadership style that have brought peace and unity in the state.

In an endorsement address signed by the first Deputy Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council and the Enugu North Zonal Chairman, Igwe Ezeh, other traditional rulers of the autonomous communities, the Chairman of Enugu State Town Unions and President-General of Ejuona Obukpa, Chief Paully Eze (Esq), three other Presidents-General, and the Commissioner for Education, Uche Eze, among others, the people of Obukpa town also commended the governor for prudently deploying the state resources for the transformation of Enugu State.

They told the governor that this gave rise to the wide range of endorsements you have received from people of this state and beyond including members of the opposition party.

Describing Governor Ugwuanyi as a pacesetter, the people applauded him for initiating the one community one project programme , which earmarked N10 million each for the 458 autonomous communities in the state to enable them execute priority projects of their choice as well as the first ever Enugu State Traders Empowerment Scheme that assists genuine traders, who win the monthly raffle draw of N50,000 each, to grow their various businesses, irrespective of state of origin, religion and ethnicity.

On the governors intervention in the education sector, the group stated that the state government has provided adequate infrastructural facilities and teaching aids in the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, disclosing that dilapidated structures in most primary and secondary schools in the state, Obukpa town inclusive have been renovated.

They said: With your prudent management of our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), you have taken our state into the league of viable and economically independent states in Nigeria with prompt payment of salaries and the 13th month salary bonus to our workers.

You broke a jinx recently when you paid the June and July 2018 salaries to our workers without the traditional allocation from the Federation account, showing that Enugu State has indeed arrived.

The Obukpa people equally praised the governor for the security of lives and property in the state, saying: your government has performed above average to the extent that we now go to our beds with two eyes closed and you have put smiles back to the faces of our women, youths and traders in the state with various empowerment packages from your government.

Consequent upon the foregoing sir, our people in the four autonomous communities have mandated us to endorse you for a second tenure in office as Executive Governor of Enugu State because we have the firm belief that the reward for every good work done is more work.

We promise firmly to mobilize support of everybody to ensure that we give you 100% of our votes during the 2019 general election. We are battle ready with our PVCs, waiting anxiously for the D-day.Approached by reporters after Wilson spoke, Preckwinkle spokesman Frank Shuftan said she has been working on criminal justice reform for eight years and helped reduce the Cook County Jail population by more than 30 percent. Preckwinkle supported her chief of staff, Kim Foxx, in her successful campaign to unseat Cook County States Attorney Anita Alvarez, who often was criticized for her stance on criminal justice issues, including her treatment of wrongful conviction cases.The All Progressive Congress and governor-elect of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, have also made attempts to woo the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Iyiola Omisore, ahead of the Osun State governorship supplementary poll scheduled for Thursday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) called for 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 votes were voided.

Ever since the declaration was made, politicians from the two major parties have made attempts to solicit the support of Mr Omisore, who has political capacity in some of the areas where the re-run elections will take place.

Mr Omisore, who hails from Ife central local government, polled 128,049 votes to occupy the third place behind the APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.

Mr Fayemi, in the company of APC delegates, visited the former deputy governor in his hometown in Ile-Ife on Tuesday.

According to Mr Omisores media aide, Seyi Gesinde, the APC official his team visited to canvas support for APC ahead of the Thursday poll.

It is the same call for him to support APC for the re-run, but he has not decided on who to yet. He is interested in who will adopt SDPs manifestos for good governance in Osun, he told PREMIUM TIMES

Senate President Bukola Saraki, on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party, announced on Monday via his Twitter handle that his party was in talks with Mr Omisore for support.

Meanwhile, the SDP candidate debunked the reports that he had agreed to work with the PDP with the view to ensuring its victory in the rerun poll.

He said the two parties had been talking to him, but he had given conditions for his support to any party.

I have given my programmes to both APC and PDP. My programme is like this: payment of salaries and pensions. Good governance is what is important to me, Mr Omisore told journalists on Monday evening.The Chicago Police Board voted unanimously in September 2008 to discharge Kozenko from the department after it found he had violated three department rules, according to police disciplinary records archived by The Chicago Justice Project, an independent nonprofit research group. In making its decision, the Police Board, a civilian panel appointed by the mayor to make final rulings in police disciplinary cases, noted Kozenko previously had been suspended for 30 days after he was arrested for domestic battery and later pleaded guilty to simple battery, records show. His firing predates McCarthys tenure as police superintendent, which ran from 2011 to 2015.(CNN)  U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held a signing ceremony for a new United States-Korea trade dealfollowing a bilateral meeting at the United Nations Monday afternoon.

"It's a very big deal," Trump said of the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement, thanking Vice President Mike Pence, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow for their "tremendous work" throughout negotiations, which began in July 2017.

Trump expressed gratitude to Moon for his "dedicated efforts" to reach what he called "a historic milestone in trade."

Trump said the deal was "fair and reciprocal," and will both reduce the trade deficit and expand opportunities to export American products to South Korea, including automobiles, medicine and agricultural products.

"I think our farmers are going to be extremely happy, it was very limited as to what they could do and what they could send and now it's a open market and they're going to be sending a lot more farm products. Makes me feel very good, I love our farmers," Trump said, adding that the deal would double the cars per manufacturer that can enter the South Korean market while meeting U.S. safety standards.

The deal, Trump said, will "reduce bureaucracy and increase prosperity" for both countries and is one deal in addition to many that are currently "in the works."

He touted his "great relationship" with Moon on both trade and in working with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, again saying the time and place for a second meeting would be announced "in the not too distant future."

After brief remarks by Moon, the two leaders moved to a table to sign the trade agreement.

"I've never seen my name in Korean. It looks nice," Trump said.

He presented his South Korean counterpart with the signing pen.

"Oh! Thank you," Moon said, visibly surprised and delighted.

Trump will continue meetings with world leaders throughout the week.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in sign trade deal"The fact that this has become a referendum on views like that tells you why were not focusing on the issues where the attorney general can have some sort of discretion and some sort of impact, said Harold, an Urbana attorney who used her winnings as the 2003 Miss America to pay her way through Harvard Law School.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.



WOOD DALE, Ill., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AAR CORP. (NYSE: AIR) today reported first quarter Fiscal Year 2019 consolidated sales of $466.3 million and income from continuing operations of $18.9 million, or $0.54 per diluted share. For the first quarter of the prior year, the Company reported sales of $397.9 million and income from continuing operations of $11.0 million, or $0.32 per diluted share. Our adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations were $0.54 in the current quarter compared to $0.33 in the first quarter of the prior year.

Consolidated sales increased $68.4 million or 17.2% over the prior year period due to continued strength in our trading, distribution and programs activities as well as the successful launch of the INL/A Worldwide Aviation Support Services (WASS) program, which achieved full run-rate in July. The WASS program contributed $43.2 million of sales in the quarter, which were partially offset by the wind-down of the KC-10 CLS program, which had $2.5 million in sales in the current quarter compared to $11.7 million in the prior year quarter. Excluding the impact from the KC-10 and WASS programs, our Aviation Services sales grew 9.2% year over year.

"Our year is off to a great start with double-digit sales growth driven by the continued strength in our commercial and government programs, as well as our parts supply businesses. We are successfully executing on our recent contract awards and remain focused on delivering world class solutions to both our commercial and government customers," said John M. Holmes, President and Chief Executive Officer of AAR CORP.

Sales to government and defense customers were 32.4% of consolidated sales compared to 23.3% in the prior year's quarter reflecting growth from the WASS program and other government sales. First quarter sales to commercial customers, which also increased during the period, represented 67.6% of consolidated sales compared to 76.7% of consolidated sales in the first quarter of last year.

Holmes continued, "We are pleased with the sales growth in our government activities. We are also excited about our continued success in the commercial markets as evidenced by our recent wins with Air New Zealand and Air Malta. These multi-year agreements include the newest generation aircraft demonstrating the breadth of our capabilities."

Gross profit margins decreased slightly to 15.3% in the current quarter from 15.5% in the prior year quarter due primarily to lower volumes in our airframe maintenance facilities. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales were 10.5% for the quarter, compared to 11.2% last year reflecting improved leverage of our cost structure to support our double-digit sales growth.

Net interest expense for the quarter was $1.6 million compared to $1.7 million last year. Also during the quarter, the Company paid cash dividends of $2.7 million, or $0.075 per share. Average diluted share count for the quarter was 35.1 million compared to 34.5 million in the first quarter last year. Cash flow used in operating activities from continuing operations was $32.9 million.

Holmes concluded, "During the quarter, we made investments to support the continued growth in our trading, distribution and programs activities. Overall, we are very pleased with our progress as we execute on our integrated aftermarket solutions strategy. We remain well-positioned to secure new business from the robust pipeline of opportunities we see in both the commercial and government markets."

Conference Call Information

AAR will hold its quarterly conference call at 3:45 p.m. CT on September 25, 2018. The conference call can be accessed by calling 866-802-4322 from inside the U.S. or 703-639-1319 from outside the U.S. A replay of the conference call will also be available by calling 855-859-2056 from inside the U.S. or 404-537-3406 from outside the U.S. (access code 8849269). The replay will be available from 7:15 p.m. CT on September 25, 2018 until 10:59 p.m. CT on October 2, 2018.

About AAR

AAR is a global aftermarket solutions company that employs more than 6,000 people in over 20 countries. Based in Wood Dale, Illinois, AAR supports commercial aviation and government customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Expeditionary Services. AAR's Aviation Services include parts supply; OEM parts distribution; supply chain programs; customer fleet management and operations; aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul; engineering services and component repair. AAR's Expeditionary Services include mobility systems; command and control centers in support of military and humanitarian missions; and composite manufacturing operations. Additional information can be found at www.aarcorp.com.

This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated, including those factors discussed under Item 1A, entitled "Risk Factors", included in the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2018. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond the Company's control. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. For additional information, see the comments included in AAR's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

AAR CORP. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Statements of Income (In millions except per share data - unaudited) Three Months Ended August 31,

2018

2017







Sales $466.3

$397.9 Cost and expenses:





Cost of sales 395.1

336.3 Selling, general and administrative 48.8

44.5 Operating income 22.4

17.1 Interest expense, net (1.6)

(1.7) Other income, net 0.4

- Income from continuing operations before income taxes 21.2

15.4 Income tax expense 2.3

4.4 Income from continuing operations 18.9

11.0 Loss from discontinued operations (3.8)

(0.4) Net income $15.1

$10.6







Earnings per share  Basic





Earnings from continuing operations $0.54

$0.32 Loss from discontinued operations (0.11)

(0.01) Earnings per share  Basic $0.43

$0.31







Earnings per share  Diluted





Earnings from continuing operations $0.54

$0.32 Loss from discontinued operations (0.11)

(0.01) Earnings per share  Diluted $0.43

$0.31







Share Data:





Weighted average shares outstanding  Basic 34.6

34.0 Weighted average shares outstanding  Diluted 35.1

34.5









AAR CORP. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Balance Sheet Highlights August 31,

May 31, (In millions except per share data) 2018

2018

(Unaudited)











Cash and cash equivalents $22.7

$31.1 Current assets 982.4

942.7 Current liabilities 315.1

333.3 Property, plant and equipment, net 132.5

133.2 Total assets 1,537.8

1,524.7 Total debt 210.7

178.9 Stockholders' equity 929.1

936.3 Book value per share $26.55

$26.98 Shares outstanding 35.0

34.7



Sales By Business Segment (1) (In millions - unaudited) Three Months Ended August 31,

2018

2017 Aviation Services $438.4

$371.3 Expeditionary Services 27.9

26.6

$466.3

$397.9

Gross Profit by Business Segment (1) (In millions- unaudited) Three Months Ended August 31,

2018

2017 Aviation Services $67.1

$57.8 Expeditionary Services 4.1

3.8

$71.2

$61.6





(1) In the first quarter of fiscal 2019, we re-aligned the composition of our operating segments to leverage the full breadth of our operational expertise in Aviation Services. Our government-owned, contractor-operated business, which includes the INL/A WASS program, was previously included in our Expeditionary Services segment and is now reported within our Aviation Services segment for all periods presented.

Adjusted income from continuing operations, adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations, adjusted selling, general, and administrative expenses, adjusted EBITDA, and net debt are "non-GAAP financial measures" as defined in Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are relevant and useful for investors as they provide a better understanding of our actual operating performance unaffected by the impact of severance charges and other items. When reviewed in conjunction with our GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliations, we believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide additional information that is useful to gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our business and provide a means by which to compare our operating performance against that of other companies in the industries we compete. Adjusted EBITDA is income from continuing operations before interest expense, interest income, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation and other items of an unusual nature including severance and gains on certain asset sales.

Pursuant to the requirements of Regulation G of the Exchange Act, we are providing the following tables that reconcile the above mentioned non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures:

Adjusted Income from Continuing Operations (In millions - unaudited) Three Months Ended August 31,

2018

2017 Income from continuing operations $18.9

$11.0 Severance and restructuring charges (reversals), net of tax (0.1)

0.4 Adjusted income from continuing operations $18.8

$11.4



Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share from Continuing Operations (In millions - unaudited) Three Months Ended August 31,

2018

2017 Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations $0.54

$0.32 Severance and restructuring charges, net of tax -

0.01 Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations $0.54

$0.33



Adjusted Selling, General and Administrative Expenses (In millions - unaudited) Three Months Ended August 31,

2018

2017 Selling, general and administrative expenses $48.8

$44.5 Severance and restructuring (charges) reversals 0.1

(0.4) Stock-based compensation (4.0)

(2.6) Adjusted selling, general and administrative expenses $44.9

$41.5



Adjusted EBITDA (In millions - unaudited) Three Months Ended August 31,

2018

2017 Net income $15.1

$10.6 Loss from discontinued operations 3.8

0.4 Income tax expense 2.3

4.4 Other income, net (0.4)

- Interest expense, net 1.6

1.7 Depreciation and intangible amortization 10.1

10.2 Severance and restructuring charges (reversals) (0.1)

0.6 Stock-based compensation 4.0

2.6 Adjusted EBITDA $36.4

$30.5



Net Debt (In millions- unaudited) August 31,

2018

August 31,

2017 Total debt $210.7

$190.1 Less: Cash and cash equivalents (22.7)

(15.1) Net debt $188.0

$175.0

SOURCE AAR CORP.

Related Links

http://www.aarcorp.com

HCP Advisors provided commercial real estate valuation and advisory services to some of the largest U.S. corporations and financial institutions. Its services included property valuation, due diligence, appraisal review, market research, site acquisitions, workouts, dispositions, and leasing and property tax consulting for multifamily, office, industrial, retail and other property types. The firm also assisted telecommunication companies on telecom infrastructure agreements with large commercial property owners.

BBG named HCP Advisors Principal Christopher Harman, MAI, CCIM as Senior Managing Director of the Austin office. His primary responsibilities will be overseeing the Austin CRE market, managing a national client base, and collaborating with BBG's executive and technology teams on various strategic initiatives.

Mr. Harman, who founded HCP Advisors in 2001, has had a lengthy and impressive career in the Texas commercial real estate sector. Prior to HCP Advisors, Mr. Harman held several senior roles including head of global real estate for a Fortune 10 energy company and business development for a European- based private equity firm focused on distressed data center assets. Earlier, he had worked at several Texas real estate companies, including Trammell Crow.

BBG CEO Chris Roach commented on the acquisition: "Austin is recognized as one of the most dynamic real estate markets in the country, driven by a booming local economy, a desirable business hub, and an exceptional quality-of-life environment. The city's remarkable growth makes it especially important to have a deep knowledge of this market to properly handle various zoning and land-use complexities. With this acquisition, we will create one of the city's largest valuation teams offering the expertise and experience required to address our clients' needs. We also see Austin as a strategic market that will contribute to BBG's future growth."

Mr. Harman added: "I and the other members of the HCP Advisors team are thrilled to join BBG. We will continue their mission to provide a unique and successful client-centric business model that offers a market-leading and conflict-free valuation platform. We are excited about the firm's commitment to invest heavily in technology to keep pace with new innovations in this industry. We look forward to playing an integral role in BBG's continued growth in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing commercial real estate market."

About BBG

BBG is a leading independent national commercial real-estate valuation, advisory and assessment firm headquartered in Dallas with 28 offices in key US markets.BBG has achieved a reputation for personal attention, on-time delivery and deep expertise in multi-family, office, retail and industrial sectors. For more information about BBG, please visit www.bbgres.com.

Media Contact

Marc Weinstein

Ascent Communications

(908) 967-9958

[email protected]

SOURCE BBG

Related Links

http://www.bbgres.com

BERGEN, Norway, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BerGenBio ASA (OSE: BGBIO) presented clinical data from its phase II programme with bemcentinib, a first-in-class highly selective oral AXL inhibitor, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the 19thWorld Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Toronto, Canada (23-26 September 2018).

Richard Godfrey, CEO of BerGenBio, commented: "We are extremely encouraged by the data presented at WCLC today. The expanded results from our study combining bemcentinib with the blockbuster immunotherapy KEYTRUDA were particularly promising. In this study, we saw increased response rates in tumours that were positive for AXL versus those that were not. Importantly, we also saw positive responses in tumours that had low or no PD-L1 expression, where we would expect to see little or no effect from KEYTRUDA therapy alone. We are now advancing this study into the second expansion stage."

"Lung cancer remains the largest cancer killer and, despite recent advances with immune-, targeted and combination therapies, many patients are still not benefitting from these treatments. By selectively inhibiting AXL activity with bemcentinib, we aim to block a fundamental survival mechanism that enables cancer cells to evade the immune system and become resistant to therapy. We believe that this approach has the potential to improve patient outcomes to treatment with established and emerging therapies. The encouraging clinical data presented at WCLC investigating bemcentinib with the three major treatment approaches in advanced lung cancer strengthens our belief in bemcentinib and we look forward to providing further updates at leading medical conferences."

The posters presented at WCLC are available on the BerGenBio website in the Investors / Presentations section and a summary of key findings is provided below.

Ph II Study of Oral Selective AXL Inhibitor Bemcentinib (BGB324) in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Patients with Advanced NSCLC(BerGenBio study reference: BGBC008), James Lorens et al

The BGBC008 study is investigating whether adding bemcentinib to KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in previously treated, PD-L1 unselected and immunotherapy naive patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung is well tolerated and improves patient outcomes. The study will also assess the combination in the subset of PD-L1 negative patients for whom KEYTRUDA is not indicated. A total of 48 patients across two stages will be enrolled.

The first stage is fully enrolled with 24 patients, of which 7 remain on treatment or in follow-up

The biomarker analysis revealed that:

10 of 21 evaluable patients were AXL positive (48%)

Of 20 patients evaluated for PD-L1 expression, 11 (55%) were PD-L1 negative, 7 (35%) were weakly positive and 2 (10%) were strongly positive

40% overall response rate (ORR) was reported in AXL-positive patients with a disease control rate (DCR) of 70%

7 of 10 patients with no PD-L1 expression showed clinical benefit, of which there were 3 PRs (ORR 30%) and 4 SD (DCR 70%). This compares with an ORR of 9% in the Keynote-001 study of KEYTRUDA monotherapy in PD-L1 negative patients



PR (n) SD (n) PD (n) ORR (%) DCR (%)





Intention-to-treat population (n=24) 5 8 10 21 54 AXL positive patients (n=10) 4 3 3 40 70 AXL negative patients (n=11) 1 4 5 9 45

PR: partial response, SD: stable disease, PD: progressive disease.

Ph I/II Study of Oral Selective AXL Inhibitor Bemcentinib (BGB324) in Combination with Erlotinib in Patients with EGFRm NSCLC (BerGenBio study reference: BGBC004), Lauren Byers et al

TARCEVA (erlotinib) is indicated for NSCLC that is driven by a mutation in the EGFR gene, the most common mutation in NSCLC. Although response rates to TARCEVA are high initially, nearly all patients develop resistance over time. The BGBC004 study is designed to test if adding bemcentinib to TARCEVA in first- or second-line EGFR mutation-driven NSCLC may prevent or reverse acquired resistance to TARCEVA, respectively.

Patient recruitment into BGBC004 is complete, with 39 patients enrolled across three arms

Arm A  a safety cohort  confirmed a bemcentinib phase II dose (200mg daily) that was well tolerated in combination with full dose TARCEVA over extended periods of time (over two years and ongoing)

Arm B is designed to test whether the addition of bemcentinib to TARCEVA in second line may reverse disease progression in patients whose cancer has become resistant to erlotinib treatment. Arm B met its first primary endpoint, with tumour shrinkage and objective response observed in patients who were negative for the T790M resistance mutation and thus not eligible for any approved targeted therapy (ORR of 20% and a DCR of 40% including 1 PR and 1 SD out of five T790M negative patients)

Arm C is designed to evaluate the ability of bemcentinib to prevent acquired resistance to TARCEVA and improve outcomes in patients who had been responding/stable to first-line TARCEVA therapy. Arm C reported tumour shrinkage in 6 of 9 patients (67%). Importantly, median Progression-Free Survival (PFS), while not mature, had already surpassed median PFS for TARCEVA monotherapy given as a first-line treatment of 10 months.

A Ph I/II Study of Oral Selective AXL Inhibitor Bemcentinib (BGB324) with Docetaxel in Patients with Previously Treated NSCLC (BerGenBio study reference: BGBIL005), David Gerber et al

Single agent chemotherapy is the last treatment option for NSCLC patients if they fail targeted, immune- and platinum-based chemotherapy regimes. Around 10% of patients show responses to docetaxel single agent chemotherapy with a median PFS of 3-4 months commonly reported. The investigator-sponsored study BGBIL005 is designed to evaluate if combining bemcentinib with docetaxel chemotherapy is safe and can improve outcomes in up to 30 NSCLC patients who have failed up to three lines of therapy.

Among 11 patients evaluated, the combination was generally well tolerated and 2 PRs (18%) and 6 SDs (55%) were reported

A Phase II Study of Oral Selective AXL Inhibitor Bemcentinib (BGB324) in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma (trial not active yet), Dean Fennell et al

The poster described a proposed design for an investigator-sponsored trial (MiST3) evaluating bemcentinib in combination with KEYTRUDA in patients with relapsed malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs and most commonly affects the lining of the lungs and chest wall.

About WCLC

The 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC 2018) is the leading meeting on Thoracic Oncology. It is organised by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and will gather more than 7,000 international delegates. WCLC 2018 will take place in Toronto Canada, 23  26 September 2018. https://wclc2018.iaslc.org/

About the BGBC008 trial

The BGBC008 trial is a phase II multi-centre open-label study of bemcentinib in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in previously treated, immunotherapy naive, patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung, the most common form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of the trial is to determine the anti-tumour activity of this novel drug combination and responses will be correlated with biomarker status (including AXL kinase and PD-L1 expression).

For more information please access trial NCT03184571 at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About the BGBC004 trial

The BGBC004 trial is a phase I/II multi-centre open-label study of bemcentinib in combination with TARCEVA (erlotinib) in patients with EGFR mutation driven (EGFRm) Stage IIIb or Stage IV NSCLC. The trial is designed to evaluate reversal of resistance to EGFR targeted therapy in later line patients who are negative for the T790M resistance mutation (arm B) as well as prevention of resistance to TARCEVA in patients receiving the EGFR inhibitor first line (arm C).

For more information please access trial NCT02424617 at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About the BGBIL005 trial

The BGBIL005 trial is an investigator-led phase I/II study of bemcentinib in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy in previously treated, relapsed / resistant NSCLC patients.

For more information please access trial NCT02922777 at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About the MiST3 trial

The MiST3 trial is an investigator-led phase II study of bemcentinib in combination with KEYTRUDA in patients with relapsed mesothelioma. The trial, which is not active as of September 2018, is sponsored by the University of Leicester (Leicester, UK), and funded by the British Lung Foundation with support from Merck Sharp and Dohme Limited and BerGenBio. Up to 25 patients are planned to be enrolled at 3 clinical research sites in the UK.

For more information please access trial NCT03654833 at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About BerGenBio ASA

BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative drugs targeting AXL as a potential cornerstone of therapy for advanced and aggressive cancers.

The company's proprietary lead candidate, bemcentinib, is a potentially first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in a broad phase II clinical development programme. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating bemcentinib in multiple solid and haematological tumours, in combination with current and emerging therapies (including immunotherapies, targeted therapies and chemotherapy), and as a single agent.

In parallel, BerGenBio is developing companion diagnostics test to identify patient populations most likely to benefit from bemcentinib; this is expected to facilitate more efficient registration trials and support a precision medicine-based commercialisation strategy.

BerGenBio is based in Bergen, Norway with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker: BGBIO). www.bergenbio.com

About AXL

AXL kinase is a cell membrane receptor and an essential mediator of the biological mechanisms that drive aggressive and life-threatening diseases. In cancer, AXL drives tumour survival, treatment resistance and spread, as well as suppressing the body's immune response to tumours. AXL expression has been established as a negative prognostic factor in many cancers. AXL inhibitors, therefore, have potential value at the centre of cancer combination therapy, addressing significant unmet medical needs and multiple high-value market opportunities.

Forward looking statements

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, which as such are not historical facts, but are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. These assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this announcement by such forward-looking statements.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Contacts

Richard Godfrey, CEO, BerGenBio ASA

+47-917-86-304

Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA

[email protected]

+47-917-86-513

Media Relations in Norway

Jan Petter Stiff, Crux Advisers

[email protected]

+47-995-13-891

International Media Relations

David Dible, Mark Swallow, Marine Perrier, Citigate Dewe Rogerson

[email protected]

+44-207-638-9571

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/bergenbio-asa/r/bergenbio--updated-phii-clinical-data-with-selective-axl-inhibitor-bemcentinib-strengthens-its-poten,c2626813

SOURCE BerGenBio ASA

Related Links

http://www.bergenbio.com

Whats up: You might be hearing a lot about the Chicago mayoral race right now, but none of those candidates are on the November ballot. The main event in Illinois this fall is Republican Gov. Bruce Rauners re-election bid against Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker. Congressional races are up, too, including a couple of hotly contested battles in the suburbs. Statewide seats like the battle between Democratic state Sen. Kwame Raoul and Republican Erika Harold for attorney general are on the ballot, as are contests for state legislature. Judges and county officials are up, too. The Illinois State Board of Elections also can be a resource.AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BorgWarner entered into a three-year strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese auto manufacturer, WM Motor. The two parties agreed to cooperate in the establishment of transportation models for tomorrow's smart city. BorgWarner plans to provide a full range of advanced electric propulsion technologies and efficient electrical application systems, including its high-performance electric drive modules (eDM).

BorgWarner reaches a three-year strategic cooperation agreement with Chinese auto manufacturer, WM Motor. Dr. Stefan Demmerle, President and General Manager, BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems (Left), Freeman Shen, Chairman and CEO of WM Motor (Right)

Freeman Shen, Chairman and CEO of WM Motor, and Dr. Stefan Demmerle, President and General Manager, BorgWarner PowerDrive Systems, signed the agreement. "We are pleased to initiate this cooperation agreement with WM Motor, a major emerging player in China's auto market, and are excited to partner with them to explore business opportunities in the promising electric vehicle industry," said Demmerle.

"This cooperation marks a major step for BorgWarner's expansion in China's new-energy vehicle market," said Tom Tan, President, BorgWarner China. "Together, we plan to fuel the development of the Chinese electric vehicle industry with our efficient electrical systems and high-performance electric power products."

The cooperation between BorgWarner and WM Motor started with WM Motor's first model EX5. Launched at Auto China 2018 in April, the EX5 is the industry's first pure-electric SUV offering a full-car interactive experience. From the interactive window projection to the face recognition-powered Weltmeister ID, the EX5 delivers a smart interactive experience enabled by its full-vehicle digitalized solutions.

BorgWarner agreed to provide its high-performance eDM for this smart electric vehicle model. Integrating its industry-leading eGearDrive transmission and high voltage hairpin (HVH) electric motor technology, BorgWarner's eDM powers pure electric or hybrid vehicles. The integrated design enables weight, cost and space savings in addition to easy installation, meeting energy efficiency and emission requirements. Its high-precision gear train can reduce system losses and increase power density, providing extended driving range, and a quiet and smooth driving experience for drivers and passengers.

About BorgWarner

BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA) is a global product leader in clean and efficient technology solutions for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. With manufacturing and technical facilities in 66 locations in 18 countries, the company employs approximately 29,000 worldwide. For more information, please visit borgwarner.com.

Statements in this press release may contain forward-looking statements as contemplated by the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act that are based on management's current outlook, expectations, estimates and projections. Words such as "anticipates," "believes," "continues," "could," "designed," "effect," "estimates," "evaluates," "expects," "forecasts," "goal," "initiative," "intends," "outlook," "plans," "potential," "project," "pursue," "seek," "should," "target," "when," "would," variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed, projected or implied in or by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include: fluctuations in domestic or foreign vehicle production, the continued use by original equipment manufacturers of outside suppliers, fluctuations in demand for vehicles containing our products, changes in general economic conditions, as well as other risks noted in reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Risk Factors identified in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K. We do not undertake any obligation to update or announce publicly any updates to or revision to any of the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE BorgWarner

Related Links

http://www.borgwarner.com

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceribell, Inc. announced today that the company has completed a $35 million Series B financing led by new investors Optimas Capital Partners Fund and The Rise Fund with participation by UCB and LivaNova.

"We are extremely pleased to have such a strong and diverse syndicate with leaders from pharma, medical device, and best-in-class healthcare investors," said Jane Chao, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Ceribell.

The financing provides Ceribell with capital to expand the commercialization of its innovative Rapid Response EEG system. The Ceribell technology platform is designed to address the need for faster diagnosis of patients with suspicion of seizure to enable clinicians to make appropriate treatment decisions. Due to limitations with current EEG systems which can take hours to days, clinicians are expected to treat patients with a lack of information which leads to both overtreatment and undertreatment. This is costly to the healthcare system and puts patients at risk for long-term brain damage or even death.

"Ceribell is transforming how we monitor and diagnose seizures in ICU and ED patients that are at highest risk for poor outcomes. Early and accurate treatment of seizure patients is critical for patients' outcomes, and Ceribell provides the tools to enable early and accurate diagnosis. We believe that Ceribell's groundbreaking innovations will not only save more lives, but also significantly improve the quality of life for patients," said Yongzhi Jiang, Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Optimas.

The Ceribell EEG System consists of a disposable headband and a mobile recorder that acquires and transmits data to a HIPAA compliant cloud portal for a specialist to review the patient's EEG from anywhere. The system can be set up in minutes by any healthcare provider and allows for bedside triage by the treating physician by using the proprietary Brain Stethoscope feature which converts EEG signals to sound.

"Ceribell's unique approach combining user-centric design, AI data analytics, and digital health has the potential to revolutionize how clinicians monitor for seizures and minimize the time from seizure onset to treatment. This platform can not only have a significant positive impact on the health and treatment of patients in the United States, but also more broadly across the world where EEG and trained neurologists are not available," added Heath Lukatch, Partner at TPG.

"We started our mission because we saw how seizure patients in the ICU and ED in even the best US hospitals suffered from delayed treatment due to lack of EEG. Some suffered major neurological deficits while others simply didn't make it. We are excited to see visionary pioneer health care practitioners already adopting our technology and transforming their EEG capability. We are excited to have the funds to reach more hospitals and help them significantly improve patient care," said Jane Chao.

About Ceribell

Ceribell, Inc. (www.ceribell.com), is headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Ceribell is focused on making EEG widely available, more efficient, and more cost-effective to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients at risk for seizures. The Ceribell EEG System received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2017 and is commercially available in the United States.

About Optimas Capital Partners Fund

With offices in Hong Kong, Optimas Capital is a growth-oriented, technology-focused global alternative investment platform. The Fund seeks to identify and invest in market-leading businesses located in North America and Europe, and utilizes its unique access to industry network, particularly in Asia, to create synergy and accelerate growth. Since its inception, Optimas Capital has already established an excellent track record investing in cutting-edge technology in areas including advanced manufacturing equipment, innovative medical device, internet of things, and artificial intelligence.

About The Rise Fund

The Rise Fund is the world's largest global fund committed to achieving measurable, positive social and environmental outcomes alongside competitive financial returns what we call "complete returns." The Rise Fund is managed by TPG Growth, the global growth equity and middle market buyout platform of alternative asset firm TPG. The Rise Fund is led by a group of influential thought leaders with a deep personal and professional commitment to driving social and environmental progress. The board includes: Bill McGlashan, TPG Growth Founder and Managing partner; Bono, Jeff Skoll, Mo Ibrahim, Laurene Powell Jobs, Anand Mahindra and Pierre Omidyar. The Rise Fund's objectives align with the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals. The Rise Fund invests in education, energy, food and agriculture, financial services, growth infrastructure, healthcare, and technology, media, and telecommunications companies that deliver complete returns. For more information, visit therisefund.com.

About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 7 500 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of  4.5 billion in 2017. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news

About LivaNova

LivaNova PLC is a global medical technology company built on nearly five decades of experience and a relentless commitment to improve the lives of patients around the world. LivaNova's advanced technologies and breakthrough treatments provide meaningful solutions for the benefit of patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare systems. Headquartered in London, LivaNova has a presence in more than 100 countries worldwide. The Company currently employs approximately 4,000 employees. LivaNova operates as two businesses: Cardiac Surgery and Neuromodulation, with operating headquarters in Mirandola (Italy) and Houston (U.S.), respectively.

For more information, please visit www.livanova.com.

SOURCE Ceribell, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.ceribell.com

Appointment Adds Fortune 500 Talent to Leadership Team

SHANGHAI, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- China Rapid Finance Limited ("XRF" or the "Company") (NYSE: XRF), a leading consumer finance marketplace and technology platform in China, today announced the expansion of its leadership team with the appointment of Russell Krauss, a former Hewlett-Packard executive, as Co-Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman. The appointment is intended to help accelerate its strategic corporate transformation as it launches new initiatives and business lines.

"Executing our strategic plan with Mr. Krauss' leadership is the best way to accelerate XRF's corporate transformation and build long-term shareholder value," said Zane Wang, Ph.D., the Company's founder, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer. We are delighted to expand Mr. Krauss' role at our Company. This important addition to our senior executive team affirms our commitment to build a world-class company. Russ is a highly regarded operational leader within the global technology industry, and brings extensive skills and experience to his role at XRF. We anticipate an outstanding contribution from him."

"During this period of market and regulatory change, we continue to emphasize attracting and retaining the industry's top talent," Dr. Wang continued. "We see a unique opportunity to strengthen our position as a leading technology-driven platform within our industry. Mr. Krauss will help us accelerate this corporate transformation as we launch a series of new initiatives."

Mr. Krauss brings with him more than two decades of proven P&L leadership experience and an impressive track record of implementing innovative initiatives at major technology ventures and Fortune 500 companies, including technology giant Hewlett-Packard. Prior to taking on the current Co-CEO role, Mr. Krauss has served on the XRF Board since 2016 as an independent non-executive director.

Mr. Krauss was Senior Vice President and Managing Director at Hewlett-Packard ("HP", then "Hewlett Packard Enterprise"), where he oversaw business operations for one of HP's largest businesses and drove significant value for both clients and shareholders through major transformation initiatives. He also served as Senior Vice President, overseeing Accounts and Business Operations for DXC Technology, where he led the enterprise-wide client operations, and oversaw top accounts for the $20 billion business. Previously, Mr. Krauss was the Chief Information Officer and Vice President for the New York Power Authority, the largest non-federal utility in the U.S., where he was a leader of one of the nation's "Top 10 Critical Infrastructure" entities and led the $1.4 billion divestiture of the Nuclear Generation businessthe largest transaction of its kind in U.S. history. Mr. Krauss also served as a CIO both at Westinghouse Electric Corporation and United Technologies Corporation divisions. He received his MBA from University of New Haven and his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the State University of New York (SUNY).

About China Rapid Finance

China Rapid Finance operates a leading online consumer finance marketplace in China, facilitating millions of loans annually. The Company deploys machine learning and proprietary decision technology to facilitate affordable digital credit for one of the world's largest untapped consumer credit markets: China's mobile-active consumers. China Rapid Finance utilizes its proprietary, mobile-first technology to efficiently select creditworthy consumers for its platform. The Company facilitates smaller, shorter-term initial loans to these qualified consumers and then enables larger, longer-term loans for returning borrowers who demonstrate positive credit behavior. This differentiated strategy positions the platform to attract and retain high quality consumers who generate significant customer lifetime value. China Rapid Finance was founded by Dr. Zane Wang, who has decades of consumer credit experience in the U.S. and China, and is governed by a global board of directors.

For more information:

http://ChinaRapidFinance.InvestorRoom.com

http://twitter.com/XRFChina

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to" and similar statements. Among other things, quotations from management in this announcement, China Rapid Finance's financial outlook as well as China Rapid Finance's strategic and operational plans contain forward-looking statements. China Rapid Finance may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about China Rapid Finance's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: unexpected difficulties in China Rapid Finance's pursuit of its goals and strategies; the unexpected developments, including slow growth, in the consumer lending market; reduced demand for, and market acceptance of, China Rapid Finance's products and services; difficulties keeping and strengthening relationships with borrowers or investors; difficulties of expanding data and channel partnerships, potentially costly servicing activities; competition in the consumer lending market; PRC governmental regulations and policies; and general economic and business conditions in the regions where China Rapid Finance provides products and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in China Rapid Finance's reports filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this announcement and in the attachments is as of the date of this announcement, and China Rapid Finance undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contacts:

In China:

China Rapid Finance

Marlene Pan

Tel: +86 (21) 6032-5999

Email: [email protected]



Or

The Blueshirt Group

Gary T. Dvorchak, CFA

Tel: +86 (138) 1079-1480

Email: [email protected]



In US:

The Blueshirt Group

Ralph Fong

Tel: +1 (415) 489-2195

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE China Rapid Finance

Related Links

http://ChinaRapidFinance.InvestorRoom.com

"Since 2009, Ohio's film industry has boosted an economic impact of $463 million in Northeast Ohio and created over 3300 direct jobs. With films such as Avengers, Draft Day, A Christmas Story and more being filmed in Northeast Ohio, it is a great time to raise awareness of this tourism opportunity for Lake County," said Scott H. Dockus, Executive Director Lake County Visitors Bureau. "In addition to a performance by David Keltz as Edgar Allen Poe, we have a Remarkable slate of speakers; Mr. Ivan Schwarz, CEO and President Greater Cleveland Film Commission, Ms. Kim Riffle, General Manager A Christmas Story House and Museum, and special guest emcee Mr. Dan O'Shannon, American television writer and executive producer for such shows as Newhart, Cheers, Frasier, and ABC's Modern Family," Dockus said.

Tickets for the 2018 Conference on Tourism are $50 and can be purchased at www.mylakeoh.com. For attendees to get that Hollywood feeling, Lake Health is sponsoring a Red Carpet photo opportunity. Veteran and law enforcement discount tickets can be purchased by calling the Lake County Visitors Bureau at 440.975.1234. Tables can be reserved by calling the same number.

Remarkable Lake County, OH is a brand of the Lake County Visitors Bureau, an organization dedicated to developing and promoting tourism experiences within Ohio's Lake County. 440.975.1234. www.mylakeoh.com

Contact: Scott H. Dockus; Executive Director, Lake County Visitors Bureau

One Victoria Place Suite 265A

Painesville, Ohio 44077

440-975-1234

[email protected]

SOURCE Lake County Visitors Bureau

Related Links

http://www.lakevisit.com

HOUSTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) announced today that it has been awarded contracts for a technology license, basic engineering design services and proprietary catalyst supply by Lihuayi Lijin Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd. ("Lihuayi"), for a new olefins production unit in Dongying, China. The unit will use KBR's proprietary Catalytic Olefins Technology (K-COT) and Selective Cracking Optimum Recovery (SCORE) Technology.

KBR K-COT is a commercially proven and flexible technology for converting low-value olefinic, paraffinic or mixed streams into high value propylene and ethylene. In combination with KBR's state-of-the-art SCORE technology, it helps users to maximize feed and product flexibility, and thus enables Lihuayi to increase overall profitability as they further integrate their refinery towards petrochemicals.

Lihuayi has previously successfully implemented KBR's phenol technology at its site in Dongying.

"Lihuayi always follows the direction of developing petrochemical business in a green and energy-efficient way," said Xu Yunting, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lihuayi Group. "KBR's innovative catalytic olefin technology fits our corporate development plan well and we believe it can help Lihuayi to further speed up the progress of industry upgrading and to be more competitive in the market."

"We are extremely pleased to support Lihuayi on this new project," said John Derbyshire, President, KBR Technology. "Lihuayi is a ground-breaking company with the strategic vision to develop a new approach to the downstream chemical business in China. KBR's innovative technologies make us the partner of choice to fully support Lihuayi in accomplishing their vision."

KBR has been a leader in olefin plant design, construction and technology development for more than 50 years.

About KBR, Inc.

KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program life cycle within the Government Services and Hydrocarbons sectors. KBR employs approximately 34,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 75 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses:

Government Services, serving government customers globally, including capabilities that cover the full life-cycle of defense, space, aviation and other government programs and missions from research and development, through systems engineering, test and evaluation, program management, to operations, maintenance, and field logistics

Technology, including proprietary technology focused on the monetization of hydrocarbons (especially natural gas and natural gas liquids) in ethylene and petrochemicals; ammonia, nitric acid and fertilizers; oil refining and gasification

Hydrocarbons Services, including onshore oil and gas; LNG (liquefaction and regasification)/GTL; oil refining; petrochemicals; chemicals; fertilizers; differentiated EPC; maintenance services (Brown & Root Industrial Services); offshore oil and gas (shallow-water, deep-water, subsea); floating solutions (FPU, FPSO, FLNG & FSRU); program management and consulting services

KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, integrated EPC delivery and long term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver.

Visit www.kbr.com

Forward Looking Statement

The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; the scope and enforceability of the company's indemnities from its former parent; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company.

KBR's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

SOURCE KBR, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.kbr.com

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Our Lady of Guadalupe is at work today in the Church in the United States through the faith and action of her numerous followers, Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson told the Fifth National Encuentro for Hispanic/Latino Ministry that concluded Sunday in Grapevine, Texas.

Anderson told the audience at the conference that "She is very relevant today and there is a Guadalupe miracle today in our country." He added, "That miracle is the appearance of millions of Guadalupanos and Guadalupanas in this country that can shape the future of our Church."

Anderson noted that the Encuentro gathering is an opportunity "to tell the other Catholics in our country that Hispanic Catholics have gifts to give you."

A key objective of the Encuentro, which followed smaller, regional meetings, is to challenge Latino Catholics to go further and "better respond as missionary disciples in service to the entire Church," according to organizers.

Hispanics comprise about 40 percent of Church membership in the United States, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Latino Church population is particularly large among youth and young adults. Fifty percent of American Catholics ages 14 to 29 are Hispanic, and 55 percent of Catholics under 14 are Hispanic.

The Knights of Columbus has long recognized the devotion of Hispanic Catholics and their important contributions to the Catholic Faith. K of C councils were instituted in Mexico as early as 1905 and first primarily Hispanic council in the U.S. was founded in Los Angeles in 1927.

Today, the Knights of Columbus has hundreds of Spanish-speaking councils, and thousands of Hispanic members, said Anderson, who recalled the advice of Pope Francis to Latino Catholics during his 2015 visit to the United States.

"[Pope Francis] said, first, you have many gifts to give to the nation," said Anderson. "And, second, do not be afraid, do not be ashamed of your traditions."

For Hispanic Catholicism, those traditions are closely associated with Mary and the impact on evangelization prompted by the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, said Anderson, Upon becoming supreme knight of the K of C in 2000, Anderson declared Our Lady of Guadalupe to be patroness of the Knights of Columbus, placing every Knights council everywhere in the world under her protection.

Anderson is also the co-author, along with Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, of "Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Civilization of Love," on how Our Lady of Guadalupe's message is both historically significant and speaks to contemporary issues confronting the people of the American continents.

"The future of America is the future of Guadalupanos and Guadalupanas," said Anderson of Our Lady of Guadalupe's ongoing impact that reaches far beyond the hilltop in Mexico City where she first appeared. "That's the miracle today."

Our Lady of Guadalupe's image appeared on the cloak of indigenous Mexican convert Juan Diego in 1531. The cloak revealed important elements of the Christian faith through native symbols easily recognized by the indigenous people, resulting in the conversion of millions to the Catholic faith.

About the Knights of Columbus

Founded in 1882, the Knights of Columbus is a 1.9 million-member fraternal organization and Fortune 1000 insurance company. The K of C is known for its contributions to communities and parishes, and its reach extends to the rest of the world, as well. Whether it's donating food and clothes, providing support for disaster relief, helping persecuted Christians in the Middle East, volunteering to help children with special needs with the Special Olympics or supporting mothers of unborn children, Knights demonstrate the power and impact of men turning their faith into action every day. 2017 was a record-setting year for Knights of Columbus charitable work with an unprecedented $185.6 million in donations and 75.6 million hours of volunteer service provided worldwide. For more information, visit www.kofc.org.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus

Related Links

http://www.kofc.org

DUBLIN, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Medical Aesthetics Market Product, End User - Global Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global medical aesthetics market is projected to reach USD 17.07 billion by 2023 from USD 10.30 billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 10.6% from 2018 to 2023.

Factors such as the growing adoption of minimally invasive and noninvasive aesthetic procedures, rising adoption among geriatric individuals, increasing public awareness about cosmetic procedures, the availability of technologically advanced & user-friendly products, and the increasing demand for aesthetic treatments among men are driving the growth of this market. However, factors such as the clinical risks and complications associated with medical aesthetic procedures and the increasing availability and adoption of alternative beauty and cosmetic products are restraining the growth of this market to a certain extent.

By product, the medical aesthetics market is segmented into facial aesthetic products (dermal fillers, botulinum toxin, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels); body contouring devices (nonsurgical fat reduction devices, cellulite reduction devices, and liposuction devices); cosmetic implants [breast implants (silicone implants and saline implants), facial implants, and other cosmetic implants]; hair removal devices (laser hair removal devices and IPL hair removal devices); skin aesthetic devices (laser resurfacing devices, nonsurgical skin tightening devices, micro-needling products, and light therapy devices); tattoo removal devices; thread lift products; physician-dispensed cosmeceuticals and skin lighteners; physician-dispensed eyelash products; and nail treatment laser devices.

The facial aesthetics products segment is expected to account for the largest market share in 2018, while the thread lift products segment is expected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The high growth of this segment is primarily attributed to the growing focus on aesthetics and increasing consumer willingness to pay for aesthetic treatments.



North America is expected to hold the largest share of the global medical aesthetics market in 2018, and this trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. The medical aesthetics market in the Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is projected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Factors such as rising consumer knowledge and interest in procedures, strong local economies, aggressive marketing by leading US and European companies in Asia, rising medical tourism, and an increase in awareness about aesthetics are supporting the growth of the medical aesthetics market in the Asia Pacific.



This report studies the medical aesthetics market based on product, end user, and region. The report also studies factors (such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) which affect market growth. It analyzes opportunities and challenges in the market for stakeholders and provides details of the competitive landscape for key players. The medical aesthetics market report profiles key players who are involved in the manufacturing and commercialization of medical aesthetic products/devices and analyzes their core competencies. The report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments in the market such as product launches, enhancements, and approvals; acquisitions; partnerships and collaborations; and expansions.



Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights



4.1 Medical Aesthetics Market Overview

4.2 Medical Aesthetics Market, By Product

4.3 Regional Analysis: Medical Aesthetics Market, By End Users

4.4 Geographic Snapshot of the Medical Aesthetics Market



5 Market Overview



5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Growing Adoption of Minimally Invasive and Noninvasive Aesthetic Procedures

5.2.1.2 Rising Adoption Among Geriatric Individuals

5.2.1.3 Increasing Public Awareness About Cosmetic Procedures

5.2.1.4 Availability of Technologically Advanced and User-Friendly Products

5.2.1.5 Increasing Demand for Aesthetic Treatments Among Men

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 Clinical Risks and Complications Associated With Medical Aesthetic Procedures

5.2.2.2 Increasing Availability and Adoption of Alternative Beauty and Cosmetic Products

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Emerging Markets

5.2.3.2 Development of Low-Cost Medical Aesthetic Devices

5.2.3.3 Growing Adoption of Home-Use Aesthetic Devices

5.2.3.4 Increasing Disposable Incomes and the Expanding Middle-Class Population

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 Social and Ethical Issues Associated With Cosmetic Treatments



6 Medical Aesthetics Market, By Product



6.1 Introduction

6.2 Facial Aesthetic Products

6.2.1 Dermal Fillers

6.2.2 Botulinum Toxin

6.2.3 Microdermabrasion Products

6.2.4 Chemical Peels

6.3 Body Contouring Devices

6.3.1 Nonsurgical Fat Reduction Devices

6.3.2 Cellulite Reduction Devices

6.3.3 Liposuction Devices

6.4 Cosmetic Implants

6.4.1 Breast Implants

6.4.1.1 Silicone Breast Implants

6.4.1.2 Saline Breast Implants

6.4.2 Facial Implants

6.4.3 Other Cosmetic Implants

6.5 Skin Aesthetic Devices

6.5.1 Laser Skin Resurfacing Devices

6.5.2 Nonsurgical Skin Tightening Devices

6.5.3 Micro-Needling Products

6.5.4 Light Therapy Devices

6.6 Physician-Dispensed Eyelash Products

6.7 Physician-Dispensed Cosmeceuticals and Skin Lighteners

6.8 Hair Removal Devices

6.8.1 Laser Hair Removal Devices

6.8.2 IPL Hair Removal Devices

6.9 Tattoo Removal Devices

6.10 Thread Lift Products

6.11 Nail Treatment Laser Devices



7 Medical Aesthetics Market, By End User



7.1 Introduction

7.2 Clinics, Hospitals, and Medical Spas

7.3 Beauty Centers

7.4 Home Care



8 Medical Aesthetics Market, By Region



8.1 Introduction

8.2 North America

8.2.1 Launch and Approvals for Aesthetic Devices

8.2.2 Rapidly Increasing Aging and Obese Population in the US and Canada

8.2.3 Rich Research Pipeline

8.2.4 Lack of Reimbursement and High Cost of Aesthetic Procedures

8.2.5 US

8.2.6 Canada

8.3 Europe

8.3.1 Launch of Novel Aesthetic Products

8.3.2 High Use of Dermal Fillers in Europe

8.3.3 Conferences and Training Programs

8.3.4 Growing Focus of Market Companies on the European Market

8.3.5 Dearth of Pertinent Regulatory Guidelines

8.3.6 Slow Market Growth Due to Reimbursement Issues

8.3.7 Germany

8.3.8 France

8.3.9 UK

8.3.10 Rest of Europe

8.4 Asia Pacific

8.4.1 Growing Middle-Class Population and Purchasing Power in the Region

8.4.2 Growing Preference for Aesthetic Surgery in South Korea

8.4.3 Growing Uses of Neurotoxins

8.4.4 Lack of Reimbursements

8.4.5 Japan

8.4.6 China

8.4.7 India

8.4.8 South Korea

8.4.9 Rest of APAC

8.5 Rest of the World

8.5.1 Rise in Medical Tourism

8.5.2 Increasing Number of Aesthetic Procedures in the Region

8.5.3 Weak Economy and Low Consumer Buying Power in Latam and African Countries

8.5.4 Shortage of Plastic Surgeons in the Middle East and Africa

8.5.5 Latin America

8.5.6 Middle East

8.5.7 Africa



9 Competitive Landscape



9.1 Introduction

9.2 Global Medical Aesthetics Market Share Analysis (2017)

9.2.1 Global Facial Aesthetics Market Share Analysis

9.2.2 Global Medical Aesthetics Market Share Analysis for Energy & Light Based Devices

9.2.3 Global Medical Aesthetics Market Share Analysis for Cosmetic Implants

9.3 Competitive Scenario

9.3.1 Key Product Launches and Approvals (2015-2018)

9.3.2 Agreements, Partnerships, and Collaborations (2015-2018)

9.3.3 Acquisitions (2015-2018)

9.3.4 Expansions (2015-2018)

9.3.5 Investments and Divestments (2015-2018)



10 Company Profiles



10.1 Allergan

10.2 Solta Medical (A Division of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.)

10.3 Cynosure (A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Hologic Inc.)

10.4 Johnson & Johnson

10.5 Merz Aesthetics, Inc. (A Division of Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA)

10.6 Galderma (A Subsidiary of Nestl)

10.7 Alma Lasers, Ltd. (A Division of Sisram Medical Ltd.)

10.8 Syneron Medical, Ltd. (A Part of APAX Partners)

10.9 El.En. S.P.A.

10.10 Sientra, Inc.

10.11 Anika Therapeutics, Inc.

10.12 Sinclair Pharma PLC

10.13 Medytox, Inc.

10.14 Cutera, Inc.

10.15 Fotona D.O.O.



For more information about this report visit

https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4kmkmv/medical?w=5

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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.

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"Inclusion into the network is very exciting," says Dr. Sullivan. "The grant money awarded to CHOP and Penn will allow us to investigate diseases that have not yet been discovered. We'll be able to take what we learn here and help patients who otherwise may have lived their entire lives with a mystery illness."

The UDN research study was developed to improve and accelerate the diagnosis of rare and undiagnosed conditions. The network will expand from seven to 12 clinical sites, increasing the number of people with access to a UDN clinical site.

"Once again, Penn and CHOP are partnering to bring together the best in clinical and research expertise from both institutions," says Dr. Pyeritz. "This new program will allow us to investigate as thoroughly as possible the cause of previously inscrutable diseases, in both children and adults. In addition to providing much needed clinical perspective, we anticipate deriving considerable research benefit through our activities."

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania join four other clinical sites that will make up Phase II of the UDN, including University of Washington, University of Miami, Washington University in St. Louis and University of Utah. Since Phase I was introduced in 2015, the network has already diagnosed more than 200 cases that had long been mysteries to the medical community.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 546-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu

Contact: Camillia Travia

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

(267) 426-6251 (office)

(425) 492-5007 (cell)

[email protected]

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Related Links

http://www.chop.edu

ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- More than three-quarters of voters across party lines want to see their electric utilities invest more in solar energy  the most favored form of electricity among those polled -- and they want more action by the government to encourage the use of both large and small-scale solar power, according to fresh polling on people's attitudes about energy.

The Global Strategy Group poll released today at Solar Power International, illustrates solar energy's widespread appeal among voters and national support for pro-solar policies, such as net metering and renewable portfolio standards.

"Democrats, Republicans and Independents all said, everything being equal, they would vote against a politician who opposed solar power," said Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) president and CEO, Abigail Ross Hopper. "Politicians can take this to the bank  Americans will not stand for government or company policies that prevent them from accessing clean, renewable, job-producing, affordable power."

According to the poll, more than 70 percent of registered voters support both net metering and renewable portfolio standards of at least 50 percent by 2030. Nine out of 10 respondents also said that their power company should not be able to stop them from using solar energy.

The polling revealed that the most convincing arguments for going solar are that it emits less pollution leading to lower health risks than other forms of energy, that it creates economic and job growth, and that solar prices are dropping substantially, making it affordable for all Americans.

Support for solar was particularly strong with younger voters, men, Hispanics and opinion leaders. The data shows that more education and awareness leads to more favorable opinions about solar across the board, emphasizing the need to increase education about solar energy.

"The polling showed that the industry does have an opportunity to move the needle in its favor," said Andrew Baumann, senior vice president of Global Strategies Group. "Whether it's support for pro-solar policies, a desire to invest in solar, or an interest taking actions to advancing solar deployment, people's pro-solar opinions became stronger with better information."

To read the Global Strategy Group poll findings, go to www.seia.org/thisiswhy.

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 250,000 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.

SOURCE Solar Energy Industries Association

Related Links

http://www.seia.org

The case has stirred outrage, with victims' advocates pointing to it as another example of a lenient sentence for a crime against women amid the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct. The judge said he thought the sentence was too light but deferred to prosecutors on what could be proven at trial.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

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As enterprise networks grow, so does the challenge of effectively managing them a new Oracle Communications survey found. In the "Enterprise Networks in Transition: Taming the Chaos" report, IT and telecom leaders noted that security, fraud, and increased complexity resulting from channel proliferation are amongst their top concerns. Companies are increasingly looking to emerging technologies, such as biometrics, artificial-intelligence, and blockchain as opportunities to improve security and control.

In June 2018, Oracle surveyed 277 IT, telecom and network decision makers globally regarding their perspectives on key business and network trends and the solutions that will help them compete and thrive in a digital world. Sixty-six percent of respondents represented companies with at least 11 locations and 62 percent managed operations in multiple countries.

Separately, software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) was also listed as a critical technology underpinning the evolution of enterprise networks. Yet, North America lags other regions in software-defined networking (SDN) deployment (50 percent versus 65-78 percent).

"In today's digital economy, enterprises face increasing operational complexities, heightened customer expectations and an unprecedented amount of chaos in the form of security breaches and communications overload that require a higher level of network sophistication than ever before," said Doug Suriano, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Communications.

Bigger Enterprise Networks, Bigger Problems

Security poses an ongoing challenge: 91 percent of respondents ranked security as a top three challenge, particularly in Asia and Latin America, where mobile usage is most popular. Additionally, more than one-third of respondents ranked security as their top challenge in relation to planning, deploying and managing their enterprise networks. As mobile devices continue to expand and redefine the network edge, security continues to be a top-of-mind issue.

Emerging tech seen as possible solution: Seventy-six percent of respondents agreed that they require new solutions to improve visibility and control over their entire network. Sixty-nine percent of respondents noted they will use biometrics in network security use cases and 57 percent artificial intelligence (AI). In tandem, AI and machine learning were also identified as key technologies in supporting quality of service and cost efficiencies (30 percent each), while blockchain was identified as a top technology to improve network control by 27 percent of respondents.

Channel proliferation drives greater complexity: 76 percent of survey respondents stated that the breadth and reach of their enterprise network is expanding. Network users increasingly have more channels available to them, which means that managing time and productivity is becoming increasingly difficult. While voice and e-mail are the predominant communications channels, video, chat, and other in-app communications are growing increasingly popular. This impacts how the network is deployed and managed and what defines the edge of the network.

Leaders are focused on fraud: At least 83 percent of respondents identified virtually all types of network and telecoms fraud as a serious issue, with more than half citing identity fraud as a primary concern in relation to real-time communications. Solutions must adapt and evolve in anticipation of current and constantly evolving threats, particularly as network complexity increases.

SD-WAN is critical for evolving enterprise networks: The majority (71 percent) of respondents agreed that SD-WAN is critical for their enterprise networks to evolve, and a greater share (88 percent) of respondents from global companies with 101 or more locations said the same. Amongst large, global companies considering SD-WAN, convenience and ease of deployment was the top driver for 48 percent, followed by reliability (36 percent) and traffic-related flexibility (34 percent).

Infographic

Access the Report

About Oracle Communications

Oracle Communications provides integrated communications and cloud solutions for Service Providers and Enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation journey in a communications-driven world from network evolution to digital business to customer experience. www.oracle.com/communications

To learn more about Oracle Communications industry solutions, visit: Oracle Communications LinkedIn, or join the conversation at Twitter @OracleComms.

About Oracle

The Oracle Cloud offers complete SaaS application suites for ERP, HCM and CX, plus best-in-class database Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) from data centers throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com.

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Oracle

Related Links

http://www.oracle.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- This year, for the second time since Charlie Bucket won the prize of a lifetime, Penguin Young Readers, along with some of Mr. Wonka's most trusted advisors, has chosen five children from across the United States to become the 5 NEW lucky golden ticket winners!

Since its inception last year, Roald Dahl's Imaginormous Challenge has received over 50,000 imaginative story ideas from kids aged 5-12 throughout the U.S.a record breaking entry level!

Through August and September, three of the winning children experienced once in a lifetime opportunities to work with incredible partners to transform their 100 word story ideas into something that would make Willy Wonka proud.

Each winner had the opportunity to work with industry leaders to help them realize their full creative potential. Madisyn Koza from Lowell, MA transformed her idea about a pet unicorn named Rainbow Sherbet who sneezes bugs into an out of this world unique candy dessert creation. In partnership with Minecraft: Education Edition, twelve year-old Madeline Wells worked with a team of Minecraft builders and YouTube creator Stacyplays to create a Minecraft experience about a submarine which crashes into a beautiful world of birds and strange people. Aria Thomas recently flew out to Hollywood to work with the creative team at Warner Bros. Consumer Products to inspire a new toy design.

The final two winners' experiences are currently in the works:

In October Tara Isabel Dee Lago will meet with the company from "Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" the new musical on tour, and lucky winner Micaela Arenas will fly to Los Angeles to work with New York Times bestselling authors Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver to turn her idea into her very own short published story e-book.

Imaginormous winner Micaela Arenas says of her upcoming trip to LA to meet with Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver: "I am ecstatic about the trip to LA. I have never been that far west before! When I found out that I had won a golden ticket I could hardly believe it. My ideas had always developed in my head and with my sketches, but it was when I actually wrote them down that I realized how much potential they had. I almost never thought about making my stories public until I got this opportunity, they were mostly just ideas for make-pretend games with myself. So when I found out that those hundred words, less than a fraction of the full manuscript (if I can call it that yet), had won me the chance of a lifetime, my brain failed me. I honestly could not process the news for the next three hours. After my 'period of realization' I could not stop smiling and drawing my characters. I often found myself staring off into space wondering if it was all a dream. In a nutshell, my feelings ranged from disbelief to uncontrollable joy."

The full line up of Golden Ticket winners and their Imaginormous experiences are:

1. Theatrical Creation Winner: Tara Isabel Dee Lago, Age 12, Hometown: Staten Island, NY

"Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" the new musical on tour, will turn Tara's winning story idea into a marvelous, theatrical creation with the help of the choreography team and a member of the cast this October!

2. Hollywood Dream Winner: Aria Thomas, Age 12, Hometown: Springfield, MO

Aria and her family recently flew to Hollywood to work with the creative team at Warner Bros. Consumer Products to inspire a new toy design!

3. Immersive Minecraft World Winner: Madeline Wells, Age 12, Hometown: Houston, TX

A team of Minecraft builders and YouTube creator "Stacyplays" transformed and reimagined Madeline's winning story idea into a playable Minecraft experience for Madeline and the world to download and enjoy. Madeline was also flown to the Minecraft studio in Washington to meet Stacy and the Minecraft Education team.

4. Become an Author Winner: Micaela Arenas, Age 11, Hometown: Manchester, CT

Micaela will fly to LA to work with actor, producer, director and author Henry Winkler and writing partner Lin Oliver (for the Here's Hank series) to turn her idea into her very own short published story e-book.

5. Candy Creation Winner: Madisyn Koza, Age 11, Hometown: Lowell, MA

Following in Willy Wonka's footsteps and with the help of Dylan's Candy Bar, Madisyn's idea was turned into an out of this world unique candy dessert creation!

Additionally, the teachers of the five winning children will also be gifted a Roald Dahl library of books valued at $500.00 from Penguin Young Readers, along with special Wonka-approved teaching resources aligned with the U.S. curriculum that will help spark creative ideas throughout the year in the classroom and which can be downloaded at http://www.imaginormouschallenge.com/teachers .

If you didn't win in 2018, do not despair! It has been confirmed that the Challenge will be coming back bigger and better then ever in 2019. Roald Dahl's Imaginormous Challenge is all about inspiring imaginative story ideas in children 5 to 12 years of age. Recurring annually, the challenge is now being rolled out to other countries including South Africa, which will be launching this fall; look for the Challenge to also debut in Australia, India and France in 2019!

Go to www.imaginormouschallenge.com TODAY to find out more about entering next year. Remember, all it takes is 100 words to enter  and the prizes are set to be just as spectacular in 2019. RDSC

*For more information about the Imaginormous Challenge or to reach out about interview opportunities, please contact:

SOURCE Roald Dahl Story CompanyBURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, announced today that its Commercial Lending Group in Vermont closed a $3.5 million credit line for NeighborWorks of Western Vermont. TD Bank's capital allows NeighborWorks to provide down payments or second mortgage loans to local home buyers. The line was closed by Chris Hackett, TD Bank senior relationship manager.

Through this funding, NeighborWorks anticipates helping 100 prospective homeowners in the area. The organization's assistance means residents who do not have large cash down payments available can still buy a home and avoid private market insurance costs. Since 1986, NeighborWorks of Western Vermont has worked to strengthen the development of the regional economy by promoting safe, efficient and stable housing, as well as support community projects through education, technical assistance and financial services.

"TD Bank's relationship with NeighborWorks of Western Vermont to provide affordable second mortgage loans has brought home buying within reach for many more families with a dream they thought would never come true," said Ludy Biddle, Executive Director of NeighborWorks.

Financing this credit line directly reinforces TD Bank's mission of supporting affordable housing and assisting those in its community to achieve their homeownership dreams.

"TD Bank is proud to work with NeighborWorks to help fund their initiative that makes buying homes in Vermont more affordable," said Phil Daniels, Market President for TD Bank. "Supporting this program allows us to help more local residents achieve their goals of homeownership."

For more information about NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, please visit www.nwwvt.org.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com.

SOURCE TD Bank

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NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Nashville Chapter presented the 2018 Music City Gold Pen Awards on Sept. 20. in Nashville. Pete Weber, the Voice of the Predators who is beginning his 21st season as part of the Nashville Predators broadcast crew, presented 28 awards in categories ranging from internal communications to social media programs. Photos from the event are posted on Nashville.IABC.com.

Award winners at this year's event, which was sponsored by Exhibits South, StagePost, Vincit Group, and Sollie Studios, represented a range of industries, including strategic communications, education and healthcare. The team at MP&F Strategic Communications took home numerous awards for their work in corporate social responsibility, nonprofit campaigns, social media programs, communication research and special events. This year's award winners are:

Angela Argiro, MP&F Strategic Communications

Michelle Fowler, MP&F Strategic Communications

Amanda Gambill, MP&F Strategic Communications

Laura Haynes, FirstBank

Genma Holmes, The Ohio State University

Mich Michaud, M*Modal

Mich Michaud, Metro Nashville Public Schools

Cole Miracle , MP&F Strategic Communications

Misty Moore & Mignonne Blair, HCA Physician Services Group Communications

Ameerah Palacios , APR, MBA, Metro Nashville Public Schools

Rosemary Plorin, Lovell Communications Inc.

Jan Read, Vanderbilt University

Rob Scobey, World Christian Broadcasting

Javier Solano, MP&F Strategic Communications

Millie Wert, MP&F Strategic Communications

"It's a great joy to recognize the most talented communicators in middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky with the Music City Gold Pen Awards," said IABC President Gene Boulware. "The annual awards ceremony not only recognizes great work, but also provides attendees with the opportunity to connect with top professionals who are raising the bar for excellence in communications."

Visit Nashville.IABC.com to learn more about the Music City Gold Pen Awards, IABC Nashville, and our professional development luncheons and networking mixers. Connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

ABOUT IABC NASHVILLE

IABC Nashville is one of more than 100 chapters in 70 countries providing learning opportunities for its members and professional development sessions that offer new insights into the latest communication trends, technology and issues facing the industry. The chapter is diverse, with members representing area agencies, broadcast stations, corporations, universities and nonprofit organizations. IABC Nashville also offers ties to job bank services and the annual Music City Gold Pen Awards program. IABC is the only place to connect with communicators globally. Connect here. Go anywhere!

SOURCE IABC Nashville

Related Links

http://nashville.iabc.com

MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting firm Protiviti has been named to the 2018 '100 Best Companies' list by Working Mother magazine. The list recognizes companies for the work they are doing on behalf of working parents and caregivers in the areas of female career advancement, childcare assistance, benefits and flextime, among others. The extensive application assesses benefits, advancement and mentoring programs, adoption assistance and diversity initiatives, and surveys the availability and usage of these programs as well as the accountability of those who oversee them.

Protiviti scored especially well in the areas of flexible work arrangements, access to women's advancement programs, and company culture and accountability. The firm also scored favorably for its family-friendly benefits, which include subsidized backup dependent care, a lactation support service and breastmilk shipment program for new mothers, and a high-touch Leave Concierge program for employees who take leaves of absence.

Additionally, as a result of its dedication to diversity and inclusion and based on information provided in its Working Mother application, Protiviti was also named recently to the 2018 Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index. To be listed on the index, organizations are scored on their diversity and inclusion practices in recruitment; retention and advancement; organizational culture; and demographic transparency.

"Protiviti's daily commitment to diversity and inclusion helps provide a rewarding career experience for our people and unique perspectives for our clients," said Susan Haseley, executive vice president, global diversity and inclusion, Protiviti. "From our recruiting programs, which are focused on diversity, to our employee network groups, which include groups for women and for parents, we strive to build and support a truly inclusive workforce for all. We're humbled and inspired to be recognized for our efforts by Working Mother."

"The programs and policies for working parents created by all of the 100 Best set a standard of excellence, and we applaud them for continuing to innovate and address the needs of this important talent sector," said Subha Barry, president of Working Mother Media.

Working Mother will celebrate the achievements of the 100 Best Companies at a gala dinner on October 9 in New York City. During the event, a working mother employee from each of the 100 companies will be honored as a Mother of the Year, including Protiviti's Ana Amato, a managing director in the firm's Atlanta office. Amato will be recognized for her exceptional mentoring of Protiviti new parents and her leadership by example. The full list of winners will also be published in the October/November edition of Working Mother.

About Protiviti

Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global consulting firm that delivers deep expertise, objective insights, a tailored approach and unparalleled collaboration to help leaders confidently face the future. Through its network of more than 75 offices in over 20 countries, Protiviti and its independently owned Member Firms provide clients with consulting solutions in finance, technology, operations, data, analytics, governance, risk and internal audit.

Named to the 2018 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, Protiviti has served more than 60 percent of Fortune 1000 and 35 percent of Fortune Global 500 companies. The firm also works with smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public, as well as with government agencies. Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half (NYSE: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half is a member of the S&P 500 index.

Protiviti is not licensed or registered as a public accounting firm and does not issue opinions on financial statements or offer attestation services.

Editor's note: Photos available upon request.

SOURCE Protiviti

Related Links

http://www.protiviti.com

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the American Federation of Government Employees announced its endorsement of Donna Shalala for election this November to the U.S. House representing Florida's 27th Congressional District.

"With the fight for the future of public service being waged in Washington, it's essential we find the right people to represent our members in Congress  and Donna Shalala is exactly the person Floridians need and deserve," said AFGE National-Secretary Treasurer and former District 5 National Vice President Everett Kelley.

The nation's largest federal employee union, the American Federation of Government Employees, has endorsed Donna Shalala for election this November to the U.S. House representing Floridas 27th Congressional District.

"As the former Health and Human Services Secretary, Donna knows what's needed to run the government right, and knows what federal workers need to succeed in their job," said Kelley. "We know Donna will push for fair wages, fully-funded agencies, and protect our rights at work. She is a fighter, and she is more than ready to stand up for workers in Washington."

More than 79,000 federal workers and retirees live in Florida  nearly 26,000 of whom live in the 27th district  supporting the military, caring for veterans, ensuring the safety of the flying public, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time.

AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. District 5 has more than 50,000 dues-paying members in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 700,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.

For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees

Related Links

http://www.afge.org

TOKYO, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AGC, a world-leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals and high-tech materials, will be establishing a cGMP (*1)-compatible mammalian cell culture facility at its Chiba Plant designed to take on contracts for antibody biopharmaceutical development and production. This is made possible through the technology of CMC Biologics acquired in 2017, and will be the first high-quality mammalian cell culture-based services with proven track record in the U.S. and Europe to be made available in Japan. As a large portion of antibody biopharmaceutical products currently depends on overseas production, the company looks forward to better serving its Japanese customers and neighboring regions through this new domestic capability. The facility is scheduled to begin operations in the third quarter of 2019.

AGC entered the bioscience business in 1985, and launched its biopharmaceutical CDMO (*2) business in 2000, with primary focus on the Japanese market using microorganisms. Biomeva was acquired in 2016 and CMC Biologics in 2017, allowing AGC to realize full-scale entry into the Western biopharmaceutical CDMO market, not only using microorganisms, but mammalian cells as well. As of January 2018, the biopharmaceutical CDMO businesses at the bases in Japan, the U.S. and Europe have been integrated under the umbrella of AGC Biologics for globally unified management.

Under the management policy "AGC plus," the AGC Group will continue to position life sciences as one of its strategic businesses. It will continue to actively invest so that it can provide globally unified high-quality services to customers of all regions in the synthetic drug and biopharmaceutical businesses, areas expected to see great growth in demand. In addition, by maximizing the synergies of each location, AGC will enhance its technical capabilities and contribute to pharmaceutical companies, patients and wider society.

Notes:

(*1) cGMP: Production and quality management standards for pharmaceuticals and quasi-drugs (current Good Manufacturing Practice)

(*2) CDMO: Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization

*The company changed its name from Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. to AGC Inc. on July 1, 2018.

*Handling of personal information is governed by the company's privacy policy.

For reference, please visit:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/201809218222-O1-SuM4s0n4.pdf

SOURCE AGC Inc.WHAT: The Boston Tea Party comes alive every December with one of the largest historical theatrical moving performances in the United States. Taking place at Boston's Old South Meeting House and the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, the 245 th Boston Tea Party Anniversary & Annual Reenactment is an opportunity for the public to experience one of America's most iconic public protests on Sun., December 16, 2018, the actual Boston Tea Party anniversary. In 2018: Invitation to general public to participate and send loose tea to be thrown into Boston Harbor as part of the 245 th Boston Tea Party Anniversary & Annual Reenactment .

More than 100 reenactors tell the story of the infamous Boston Tea Party and theatrically recreate the evening of December 16, 1773 which sparked the American Revolution. It all begins with a fiery tea tax debate at Old South Meeting House, the actual historic hall where the colonists gathered 245 years ago. Then, the public joins a procession to the waterfront and witnesses the Sons of Liberty destroy actual loose tea from the general public (#tossthattea)!

HOW TO SEND TEA: Send dried loose leaf tea (NO used tea bags) to: Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, 306 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210. Include name, address, e-mail & phone number.

An official certificate of participation will be sent to each partaker sending tea. Deadline to send tea: December 1, 2018.

EVENT INFO: SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2018 - Actual Boston Tea Party Anniversary!

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

EVENT TIME LINE: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

The Meeting of the Body of the People - TICKETED PORTION (Ticket also includes access to reserved seating to view the Destruction of the Tea)

Old South Meeting House - 310 Washington Street

Ticket holders join an authentic, spirited and theatrical colonial debate at Old South Meeting House to protest the tax on tea and demand liberty from the British crown, just as colonists gathered in this very building 245 years ago. Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere and other Patriot leaders join in a heated debate with crown-loving Loyalists in this final attempt to peaceably resolve the crisis before the midnight deadline. Visitors are encouraged to join the debate, letting their voices be heard in the very place where Boston's most famous act of rebellion began.

7:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Huzzah for Griffin's Wharf! - FREE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Procession from Old South Meeting House to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum - Milk St to Congress St to Pearl St

Led by booming fife and drums and accompanied by colonial reenactors, the public is invited to march from Old South Meeting House to Boston's historic waterfront where Griffin's Wharf once stood along the same route the Sons of Liberty took to Boston Harbor to destroy the tea in 1773!

8:00 - 8:30 p.m.

B oston Harbor, a Tea Pot Tonight! - FREE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Destruction of the Tea at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum - 306 Congress St on the Congress St Bridge

The public is invited, along with the re-enactors, to line the shores of Boston Harbor and watch as the Sons of Liberty storm aboard the Brig Beaver and destroy chest after chest of tea, just as colonists did 245 years before. In this fully narrated program, the Sons of Liberty board the ship, opening the hold and hoisting tea chests on deck. As they witness the dramatic conclusion of the single most important event leading up to the American Revolution, viewers are encouraged to cheer "Huzzah!" as tea chests are broken open and tea sent from the general public is spilled into Boston's historic waters.

TICKETS: GREAT DEALS ONLINE EARLY!

AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 - Discounted General Admission prices - $25 /per person

ON NOVEMBER 1, 2018 - General Admission pricing - $30 /per person

To purchase tickets go to: www.December16.org or visit Old South Meeting House at 310 Washington St, Boston, MA.

Tickets include admission to the Meeting of the Body of the People at Old South Meeting House and access to an exclusive reserved viewing area on Boston's Harborwalk for the Destruction of the Tea. All ticket proceeds support Old South Meeting House, a non-profit National Historic Landmark. This event takes place rain, sleet, snow or shine.

NOTES: Both Old South Meeting House and Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum will be free and open to the public on Sun., December 16, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

HOTEL INFO: Boston Harbor Hotel, a 230-room Forbes Five-Star luxury hotel situated on Boston Harbor, is offering a BOSTON TEA PARTY REENACTMENT PACKAGE starting from $495.00.

Deluxe accommodations overlooking Boston's historic waterfront

historic waterfront Celebratory Boston Tea Party welcome amenity

Afternoon tea at Rowes Wharf Sea Grille

Two tickets to the 245th Boston Tea Party Anniversary & Annual Reenactment

NOTES: Package is available from December 14 - 17, 2018 ONLY (must include the night of December 16), based on double occupancy. To book, call The Boston Harbor Hotel at 617-439-7000. The Boston Harbor Hotel is located at 70 Rowes Wharf.

The Colonnade Hotel, a 285-room modern luxury hotel located Boston's Back Bay, is offering a NO TAXATION MAKES FOR A GREAT VACATION PACKAGE , and sweetens the deal by deducting $17.73 off the room rate.

Overnight accommodations at the best available rate minus $17.73

Two adult (age 13+) tickets to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum plus a gift box of tea

Complimentary tea via room service

A Boston Tea Party Guide

Bottle of Boston Blend wine from Boston Winery

Limited edition Boston Tea Party Reenactment commemorative coin

Transportation to/from the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum via the hotel's Audi Q7

NOTES: Package is available on for the month of December 2018 ONLY (based on double occupancy). To book, call The Colonnade Hotel at 617-424-7000. The Colonnade Hotel is located at 120 Huntington Ave.

HYATT REGENCY BOSTON, a 502-room luxury hotel located in Downtown Boston, is offering a BOSTON TEA PARTY DISCOUNT .

Overnight accommodations at the best available rate + 15% discount with special offer code: NEI1 and includes:

Complimentary Tea Station - Throw/create one's own tea party with a tea station located in Avenue One restaurant - available all day

- Throw/create one's own tea party with a tea station located in Avenue One restaurant - available all day

Two tickets to the 245th Boston Tea Party Anniversary & Annual Reenactment (valid Sun., Dec. 16, 2018 ONLY)

NOTES: Package is from available December 14 - 17, 2018 ONLY (based on double occupancy). To book, call the Hyatt Regency Boston at 617-912-1234. The hotel is located at 1 Avenue de Lafayette.

INTERCONTINENTAL BOSTON, a 424-room luxury hotel located closest to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, is offering a REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY: BOSTON TEA PARTY starting from $299.00.

Deluxe accommodations overlooking Boston's historic waterfront and the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

historic waterfront and the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum Two adult (age 13+) combo tickets to both the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and Old South Meeting House

Two tea infused beverages - choice of RumBa's hard tea rum cocktails ( Life & LiberTea or The Tea Act ) or hot tea

or ) or hot tea Tea Amenity - Boston Tea Company Connoisseur's Mini Wooden Tea Chest - includes 20 tea bags in five gourmet blends

- includes 20 tea bags in five gourmet blends Two tickets to the 245th Boston Tea Party Anniversary & Annual Reenactment (valid Sun., Dec. 16, 2018 ONLY)

NOTES: Package is valid year-round (based on double occupancy, blackout dates apply). To book, call InterContinental Boston at 877-747-BOSTON. The hotel is located at 510 Atlantic Ave.

INN AT HASTINGS PARK, Boston area's only Relais & Chateaux hotel located steps from the site of the first battle of the American Revolution, is offering a BOSTON TEA PARTY CELEBRATION PACKAGE .

Superior accommodations (from $325.00 ) / Suite (from $425 )

) / Suite (from ) Two tea-infused welcome amenity cocktails

Breakfast for two in Artistry on the Green

Take home tea amenity

Two tickets to the 245th Boston Tea Party Anniversary & Annual Reenactment

NOTES: Package is available the night of December 16, 2018 ONLY (based on double occupancy). Transportation to the reenactment can be arranged (additional fee). To book, call Inn at Hastings Park at 781-301-6660. The inn is located at 2027 Massachusetts Ave. in Lexington, MA.

THE LANGHAM, a 318-room luxury hotel located in the Boston's former Federal Reserve Bank, is offering ONE IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY TEA PACKAGE starting from $239.00

Deluxe accommodations

In-room tea amenity, inspired by The Boston Tea Party, served in a traditional New England lantern, featuring fresh lemon, ginger, mint and locally-sourced honey

NOTES: Package is available for the month on December 2018 (based on double occupancy). To book, call the Langham Hotel at 617-451-1900. The hotel is located at 250 Franklin St.

THE LOEWS BOSTON, a 222-room hotel located in former building of the Boston Police Headquarters in Back Bay is offering THE PAR-TEA AND TAX FREE PACKAGE starting from $275.00.

Tax free hotel accommodations for two

Two adult (age 13+) tickets to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

Complimentary Tea Forte tea served in the Apothecary Lounge 24/7

NOTES: Package is available through December 31, 2018 (based on double occupancy). A 2-night minimum is required. To book, call the Loews Regency Boston at 617-266-7200. The hotel is located at 154 Berkeley St.

BOSTON RESTAURANT & BAR SPECIALS

OFFERED THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2018 -

BEST BURGER BAR (195 Washington, St., Brookline ) - TEA ROSE - England Vodka, rose-scented black tea (chilled), lemon juice, simple syrup, rosewater - $13





(195 Washington, St., ) - - England Vodka, rose-scented black tea (chilled), lemon juice, simple syrup, rosewater - B ON ME (313 Congress St) - DEVILED TEA EGG - eggs soaked in black tea topped with homemade spicy mayo, cayenne pepper, scallions - $2.50 each





(313 Congress St) - - eggs soaked in black tea topped with homemade spicy mayo, cayenne pepper, scallions - each BLUE STATE COFFEE (Available at all locations in MA, CT & RI) - REVOLUTIONARY TEA - English Breakfast Tea and Blueberry Rooibos blend - $2.75





(Available at all locations in MA, CT & RI) - - English Breakfast Tea and Blueberry Rooibos blend - CITY TAP HOUSE (10 Boston Wharf Rd) - #WHAT'STHET? - Triple8 vodka, iced tea, citrus - $10

(10 Boston Wharf Rd) - Triple8 vodka, iced tea, citrus - FLOUR BAKERY + CAFE (7 locations in Back Bay, Cambridge , Fort Point & South End) - MATCHA LATTE (with house-made raspberry syrup) $4.50 sm/ $5 lrg





(7 locations in Back Bay, , Fort Point & South End) - (with house-made raspberry syrup) sm/ lrg HA RPOON BR EWERY (306 Northern Ave) - A NEW version of the HARPOON BOSTON TEA PARTY craft beer made with Souchong tea, a classic black tea from the Wuyi Mountains of China will be launched on December 5, 2018 .. This tea, provided by the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, is known for its very distinctive smoky aroma and is one of the five teas thrown into Boston's historic waters during The Boston Tea Party.





(306 Northern Ave) - A NEW version of the craft beer made with Souchong tea, a classic black tea from the Wuyi Mountains of will be launched on .. This tea, provided by the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, is known for its very distinctive smoky aroma and is one of the five teas thrown into historic waters during The Boston Tea Party. THE MARLIAVE (10 Bosworth St) - THE BOSTON TEA PARTY - Lunazul Tequila, Earl Grey tea, ginger beer, lemon - $13





(10 Bosworth St) - - Lunazul Tequila, tea, ginger beer, lemon - THE RESERVE (located in The Langham Hotel - 25 Franklin St) - G&TEA - Two-level glass teapot with hotel's custom Reserve Gin, infused with The Langham's loose-leaf Palm Court Tea served with lemon, honey, soda water - $30 (serves 2)



(located in The Langham Hotel - 25 Franklin St) - - Two-level glass teapot with hotel's custom Reserve Gin, infused with The Langham's loose-leaf Palm Court Tea served with lemon, honey, soda water - (serves 2) OAK LONG BAR + KITCHEN (located in the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel - 138 St James Ave)

(located in the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel - 138 St James Ave) REVOLUTION - Classic Cognac milk punch made with tangerine vanilla rooibos tea - $15

- Classic Cognac milk punch made with tangerine vanilla rooibos tea -

SON OF LIBERTY - Cognac, orange sherbet tea syrup, Prosecco, lemon - $15 (available for brunch only - Saturdays & Sundays) - $1



- Cognac, orange sherbet tea syrup, Prosecco, lemon - (available for brunch only - Saturdays & Sundays) - $1 Parish Cafe (361 Boylston St) - FIG & TEA PARTY PB&J - Fig & chamomile tea chutney, pine nut butter, great hill blue cheese on a toasted baguette - $14.95



(361 Boylston St) - - Fig & chamomile tea chutney, pine nut butter, great hill blue cheese on a toasted baguette - R UM B A (InterContinental Boston - 510 Atlantic Ave):

(InterContinental Boston - 510 Atlantic Ave): LIFE & L IBER T EA - Rum steeped with Earl Grey tea, honey syrup, muddled lemons - $1

- Rum steeped with tea, honey syrup, muddled lemons -

TEA ACT - Rum, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur , Mathilde Peche , iced tea , muddled ginger, lemon - $14



- Rum, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur Mathilde Peche iced tea muddled ginger, lemon - SHOJO (9 Tyler St) - COLD TEA FOR TWO - Oolong tea-infused vodka, Peche de Vigne liqueur, oolong tea syrup, lemon - $20

OFFERED FROM DEC. 1 - DEC. 16, 2018:

DURGIN-PARK RESTAURANT (340 N Market St) - DURGIN-PARK HEARTY TEA PARTY - 1 cup of clam chowder, Boston cut of Prime Rib, Indian Pudding - $40

OFFERED FROM DEC. 14 - DEC. 16, 2018:

AVENUE ONE (Hyatt Regency Boston - 1 Avenue de Lafayette) - BRITISH BREAKFAST BUFFET - $27 /person (available 6:30 -10:30 a.m. Friday / 6:30 - 11:30 a.m. Saturday /Sunday)

OFFERED THE EVENING OF DEC. 16, 2018:

L'ESPALIER (774 Boylston St) - TEA DINNER - Exclusive 5-course dinner paired with a selection of teas thrown overboard during The Boston Tea Party. Includes a Historic Colonial Tea Punch - $95 /person

OFFERED THE EVENING OF DEC. 16, - DEC. 22, 2018:

ARTBAR (Royal Sonesta Hotel - 40 Edwin H Land Blvd, Cambridge ) - THE BOSTON TEA PARTY - Tea-infused gin, St. Germain, lemonade, iced tea - $13

ABOUT OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE:

Old South Meeting House is a non-profit museum and National Historic Landmark dedicated to continuing its proud tradition of free speech and assembly. Built in 1729 as a Puritan meetinghouse, this historic site is a living symbol of our country's quest for freedom and justice. It was here, in this famed National Historic Landmark that liberty found its allies and the American Revolution gained its voice. Within the walls of Old South Meeting House, meeting by meeting, vote by vote, a revolution began. Explore the rich history of the Meeting House through rare artifacts, such as a vial of tea from the Boston Tea Party and a 3-D historic model of Colonial Boston. Open seven days a week, the museum's hours are 9:30 am - 5 pm from April 1 - Oct. 31, and 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. from Nov. 1 - March 31. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. For more information, visit www.osmh.org or call 617-482-6439. Old South Meeting House is located at 310 Washington St., Boston, MA 02108.

ABOUT BOSTON TEA PARTY SHIPS & MUSEUM:

The Boston Tea Party, "the single most important event leading up to the American Revolution," occurred the night of Dec. 16, 1773. Opened in June 2012, The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, owned and operated by Historic Tours of America, is dedicated to accurately reliving and representing a key time in history (1773-1775). Through actors, tea throwing reenactments, high-tech interactive exhibits, authentic replica ships: the Beaver and the Eleanor, and an award-winning multisensory film, Let it Begin Here. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is open 7 days/week from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Summer/Spring) and from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Fall/Winter). Tours run every 30 minutes in fall/winter and every 15 minutes in spring/summer and last 1 hr. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum was voted 'Best Historical Experience' in Yankee '2017 Best of New England', #1 'Best Patriotic Attraction' in USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards 2016, 'Best New Museum' by Yankee in 2012 and 'Best of the New 2012' by Boston Globe Magazine. To learn more visit www.bostonteapartyship.com or call 1-855-(TEA)-1773. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is located on the Congress Street Bridge at 306 Congress St., Boston, MA.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stephanie Loeber

Loeber Communications

Ph: 617-510-0577

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE The Boston Tea Party Ships & MuseumHERNDON, Va., Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AtWork Systems prepares for its second launch that will demonstrate the adaptability of its innovative business platform at the upcoming DC Startup week in Greater Washington, DC. The event is the region's largest community-driven, entrepreneur-focused event. AtWork's August soft launch of a government compliance-based solution is being quickly followed with OneLynk Office, an offering that speaks to the growing trend of small- and mid-sized businesses that focus on flexibility, both in terms of workplace location and their workforce. The OneLynk platform is well-suited for businesses with dispersed employees and outsourced gig economy workers that include consultants and subcontracted service providers. This was the perfect match for Mindspace, a global coworking provider that recently entered the U.S. market in August with its D.C. space opening. Their coworking spaces will be the first early adopters to experience OneLynk Office as one of the many member benefits.

Ron Lewis, AtWork's founder and CEO will be presenting Tuesday, Sept. 25, on the topic: Meeting the Challenges of Hiring Service Providers and Gig Economy Professionals. In regards to the partnership, he stated:

"OneLynk allows organizations to leverage the growing trend of using outsourced service providers and gig economy workers to augment full-time staff. This is critical to early-stage organizations. Navigating through the variety of options for identifying and bringing onboard qualified and vetted professionals can be a challenge. OneLynk allows its users to seamlessly integrate with a business' operations to maximize their productivity, visibility and performance."

Mindspace's Washington DC Members will have access to OneLynk Office, an affordable subscription-based office suite that supports HR, accounting, time and expense and payroll in a single integrated package and, if needed, can easily add modules to include contract and project management, vendor management and procurement as their needs grow. AtWork's Herndon, Virginia headquarters will be a great benefit to Mindspace's members, encouraging face to face interaction with support and development staff eager to respond to their feedback.

AtWork will additionally be participating Wednesday, Sept. 26 as a 2018 WeDC Innovation Marketplace Exhibitor. This event is a joint collaboration with DC Startup week.

For more information, contact Victor Rhoder at [email protected].

Related Links

AtWork Systems Website

Mindspace Co-Working Space

SOURCE At Work Systems Inc.

Related Links

https://www.mindspace.me/

Authorities said Tuesday 27-year-old Ji Chaoqun has been charged with one count of knowingly acting in the U.S. as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification of the attorney general. They say he worked at the direction of high-ranking intelligence officials with the People's Republic of China and was tasked with providing information about eight people for possible recruitment.HAMILTON, Bermuda and DUBLIN, Ireland, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AXA XL today announced two senior promotions within its Excess Casualty Insurance business.

Effective immediately Vivienne Moniz and Elaine Scully have been appointed as Head of Excess Casualty, Bermuda and Head of Excess Casualty, Dublin, respectively.

Their responsibilities will include driving strategic growth and operational objectives within their regions and ensuring the highest degree of underwriting standards and profitability while maintaining superior broker and client satisfaction.

Ms Moniz, who will report to XL Bermuda Ltd Chief Executive Officer, Insurance Patrick Tannock, has more than 15 years of industry experience. She has held progressively senior roles within the company including most recently Head of Healthcare, Bermuda. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Business, specializing in International Business from the University of LaTrobe, Melbourne Australia and Associate in Claims and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters designations.

Ms Scully, who will report to AXA XL Insurance President, Global Excess Casualty Donnacha Smyth, has more than 11 years of industry experience. Prior to her new role she was Senior Underwriter, Vice President on the Excess Casualty team in Dublin. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors, specializing in International Insurance and European Studies from the University of Limerick in Ireland, the Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) certification from the International Risk Management Institute and the ACII designation from the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Commenting on the promotions, Mr. Smyth said: "The fact that Elaine and Vivienne are willing and able to step into these leadership positions underscores AXA XL's bench strength. Both are highly respected within the organization and their respective markets for their technical expertise, market knowledge and professional, collaborative and conscientious approach to business. I look forward to working more closely with them in their new roles."

Mr. Tannock added: "Given the exponential rate of change, the ever evolving complexity of risk and the constant challenges facing the insurance industry, it is imperative that every opportunity is made to identify, attract and retain the best talent. That's why we're proud and fortunate to have individuals of Vivienne and Elaine's calibre taking on increasing leadership roles. Considering their track record of success, we are confident that they will continue to lead by example in demonstrating the value of being user friendly, solution-oriented and friction free."

About AXA XL[1]

AXA XL1 provides insurance and risk management products and services for mid-sized companies through to large multinationals, and reinsurance solutions to insurance companies globally. We partner with those who move the world forward. To learn more, visit www.axaxl.com

About AXA XL1 Insurance

AXA XL1 Insurance offers property, casualty, professional, financial lines and specialty insurance solutions to mid-sized companies through to large multinationals globally. We partner with those who move the world forward. To learn more, visit www.axaxl.com

1 AXA XL is a division of AXA Group providing products and services through four business groups: AXA XL Insurance, AXA XL Reinsurance, AXA XL Art & Lifestyle and AXA XL Risk Consulting.

SOURCE AXA XLFORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Basic Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE: BAS) ("Basic" or the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously declined an unsolicited proposal from Key Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE: KEG) ("Key") to combine with Key in a stock-for-stock transaction.

After a careful review, conducted in consultation with its advisors, the Company's Board of Directors unanimously concluded that the proposal is not in the best interests of Basic and its stockholders.

Below is the text of a letter that was sent today by Tim Day, Chairman of the Board of Basic, to Robert J. Saltiel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Key.

September 24, 2018

Mr. Robert J. Saltiel

President and Chief Executive Officer

1301 McKinney

Suite 1800

Houston, Texas 77010

Dear Mr. Saltiel:

This letter is in response to your letters dated September 20, 2018 and September 23, 2018 indicating Key Energy Services' interest in combining with the company. I have shared the correspondence with the company's board, and the board has discussed it. The company will continue to pursue its independent strategy to maximize stockholder value and is not interested in pursuing the proposed transaction.

Sincerely,

Timothy Day

Chairman, Basic Energy Services, Inc.

About Basic Energy Services

Basic Energy Services provides well site services essential to maintaining production from the oil and gas wells within its operating area. The Company employs more than 4,100 employees in more than 100 service points throughout the major oil and gas producing regions in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kansas, and the Rocky Mountain and Appalachian regions. Additional information on Basic Energy Services is available on the Company's website at www.basicenergyservices.com .

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements made in this press release and in the presentation, may include forward-looking statements and projections made in reliance on the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Basic has made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information and assumptions on which these statements and projections are based are current, reasonable, and complete. However, a variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release and the presentation, including our ability to successfully execute, manage and integrate acquisitions, reductions in our customers' capital budgets, our own capital budget, limitations on the availability of capital or higher costs of capital, and lower commodity prices. While Basic makes these statements and projections in good faith, neither Basic nor its management can guarantee that the transactions will be consummated or that anticipated future results will be achieved. Basic assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by Basic, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contacts: Trey Stolz,

VP Investor Relations

Basic Energy Services, Inc.

817-334-4100





Jack Lascar/Kaitlin Ross

Dennard Lascar Investor Relations

713-529-6600

SOURCE Basic Energy Services, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.basicenergyservices.com

BENGALURU, India and BLUE BELL, Pa., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL)  operators of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru  to develop an Analytics Center of Excellence.

The Analytics Center of Excellence will support a business intelligence and advanced data analytics platform for BIAL to consolidate and rationalize the Airport's strategic, tactical and operational reporting  enabling Airport staff to make faster and better-informed business decisions, process air travelers more quickly and enhance the airport experience for the customer.

The platform will allow the Airport to provide real-time content information pertaining to Airport services and flight information. The services will also provide travelers access to improved airport navigation, communication of airport services and proactive and personalized retail offerings based on passenger preferences and past spending history. This not only offers passengers greater visibility into airport amenities and services, but it also establishes an avenue for BIAL to generate non-aeronautical revenues.

Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy and Development Officer, BIAL said, "BIAL is committed to being a data-driven organization that will create a smart, futuristic and intuitive airport journey for passengers. Unisys brings a strong combination of in-depth understanding of the aviation industry and proven experience in delivering digital transformation for organizations of all sizes. Unisys' solution will provide us with intelligent and intuitive data and analytics that will support the enhancement of the customer experience we provide."

As part of the new data-driven airport framework, the Unisys-developed platform will allow BIAL to generate more than 150 insightful, interactive business intelligence reports, utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning to forecast future travel patterns and traveler trends. This will enable the airport to shift its strategy from hindsight to foresight, predictive to prescriptive and improve future decision-making processes. Hosted on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, the solution employs Azure capabilities such as Azure HDInsight, SQL Data Warehouse, Azure Machine Learning and Azure Advanced Data Analytics services.

"BIAL is a perfect partner, committed to meeting the growing needs of today's connected traveler," said Tony Windever, Vice President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Unisys. "This strategic collaboration leverages Unisys' deep domain expertise and digital transformation capabilities, like the Analytics Center of Excellence, to create a more agile, predictive business model for travel and transportation customers. Supporting BIAL's innovative vision, this has the potential to become one of the most advanced deployments of data and analytics for any airport in India, and potentially in the world."

BIAL is a public-private consortium that owns and operates Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, the third busiest airport in India by passenger traffic. According to BIAL, the annual passenger traffic through the Airport is expected to grow from 26.91 million passengers in FY2018 to over 65 million passengers in the next decade. To meet growing passenger demand the airport will introduce a second runway by 2019 and open a second terminal by 2021.

Unisys has more than 55 years of experience providing innovative IT solutions to the travel and transportation industry. Nine of the top 10 airlines depend on Unisys solutions. For more information on Unisys travel and transportation offerings, go to http://www.unisys.com/industries/commercial/transportation.

About Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru

The Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) is the first Greenfield airport in India to be built as a public-private partnership. It is operated by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), where private promoters hold 74 percent (Fairfax: 54 percent and Siemens Projects Ventures: 20 percent) stake in BIAL, while the Government holds the remaining 26 percent (Karnataka State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited: 13 percent, Airports Authority of India: 13 percent).

The Airport began operations in May 2008 and has significantly enhanced the regional and worldwide air connectivity of Bengaluru and Karnataka. It is currently the busiest airport in South India and the third largest in the Country  having served 26.91 million passengers in FY2017-18. BLR Airport has been ranked the world's second fastest growing airport by RoutesOnline. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru has been adjudged the 'Best Regional Airport in India & Central Asia' by Skytrax in 2018. For more information log on to www.bengaluruairport.com.

About Unisys

Unisys is a global information technology company that builds high-performance, security-centric solutions for the most demanding businesses and governments on Earth. Unisys offerings include security software and services; digital transformation and workplace services; industry applications and services; and innovative software operating environments for high-intensity enterprise computing. For more information on how Unisys builds better outcomes securely for its clients across the Government, Financial Services and Commercial markets, visit www.unisys.com.

Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn.

RELEASE NO.: 0925/9616

Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder.

UIS-C

SOURCE Unisys Corporation

Related Links

http://www.unisys.com

CHICAGO, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the new market research report on the "Blow-fill-seal Technology Market by Material (Polypropylene & Polyethylene), Product (Bottles, Vials, Ampoules), End-use Industry (Pharmaceutical), and Region (North & South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa) - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size is projected to grow from USD 292.3 million in 2018 to reach USD 386.0 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 5.71%.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg )



For more Insights on this report, Speak to Our Analyst:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalyst.asp?id=151867774

Browse in-depth TOC on "Blow-fill-seal Technology Market"

160 - Tables

23 - Figures

139 - Pages



https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/blow-fill-seal-technology-market-151867774.html



The global Blow-fill-seal Technology Market is growing steadily owing to the rise in manufacturing activities and growth in demand for conveniently packaged products. The increase in demand from the pharmaceutical industry also provides an opportunity for market growth, especially in the emerging Asia Pacific and South American regions.

Polypropylene technology segment, by material, projected to lead during the forecast period

The polypropylene segment is projected to account for the largest share in 2018, mainly because of the growth in consumption of single unit dose drug products. Polypropylene is a versatile and cost-effective raw material; it is highly resistant to a wide variety of chemical solutions, such as acids and solvents with a temperature range of up to 10000C. Growth of the pharmaceutical industry also provides an opportunity for the growth of the Blow-fill-seal Technology Market due to the rise in consumption of polypropylene material for the manufacture of bottles, vials, and ampoules using the BFS technology, especially in the emerging markets of Asia Pacific and South America.

Request for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=151867774

Bottles segment, by product, to grow at the CAGR during the forecast period

Products such as vials, ampoules, bottles, and pre-filled syringes & injectables are manufactured using the blow-fill-seal technology. There is high demand from pharmaceutical manufacturers for the BFS technology which provides versatility in the quick changeover between many different packaging formats to accurately and aseptically pack single doses; this segment is thus projected to be the fastest-growing in the Blow-fill-seal Technology Market.

Pharmaceutical segment, by end-use industry, is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The demand for the BFS technology in the pharmaceutical sector is growing due to the increasing demand for advanced aseptic technology. The BFS technology is mainly used to fill parental preparations as this is done with minimum contamination, and therefore, the principal demand is from the pharmaceutical segment. The BFS technology has a high potential demand from the food & beverage sector, as a growing number of food & beverage manufacturers are using advanced aseptic processing technologies, such as the BFS technology to minimize the risk of contamination in filling and packaging products. The rising demand from these industries is expected to drive the BFS technology market during the forecast period.

Asia Pacific to lead the Blow-fill-seal Technology Market by 2023

On the basis of key regions, the Blow-fill-seal Technology Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa. The Asia Pacific region is estimated to account for the largest share among all the regions in 2018, and is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2023, in terms of value. This can be mainly attributed to the increase in demand for the blow-fill-seal technology in China and Japan coupled with the growth in the pharmaceutical industry in these countries. The urbanized population is shifting its preference to healthy and safe packaged products owing to the rise in disposable incomes.

The major players include Catalent (US), Recipharm (Sweden), Rommelag (Germany), Unither Pharmaceuticals (France), Pharmapack (Japan), Unipharma (US), Curida (Norway), Weiler Engineering (US), The Ritedose Corporation (US), and Unicep Packaging (US). These companies have adopted strategies, such as acquisitions, expansions, and agreements to meet the increase in demand in emerging markets.

Packaging Market Research Reports & Consulting

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Shelly Singh

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]



Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/blow-fill-seal-technology-market.asp

Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com

SOURCE MarketsandMarketsRYE BROOK, N.Y., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Light The Night fundraising campaign continues to beat growth records, leading national companies and brands are signing on to help light the path to cancer cures and give hope to cancer patients nationwide. Light The Night brings light to the darkness of cancer through 140 inspirational evening walks across the US and Canada each fall. Through Light The Night, thousands of national partners, sponsors and corporate teams, including Burlington Stores, Pharmacyclics, Janssen, Walgreens and Wawa, are helping LLS fund lifesaving research and support for patients battling cancer.

"Light The Night is a series of powerful and unique fundraising campaigns for LLS; they bring together families, co-workers and communities walking with illuminated lanterns to honor blood cancer survivors, as well as those lost to the disease and to shine a light on the importance of finding cures and providing access to treatments," said LLS president and chief executive officer, Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D. "The Light The Night campaign is the perfect platform for industry partners, as it allows them to bring their messages of support directly to blood cancer communities across the country."

For the 17th consecutive year, the national off-price retailer, Burlington Stores, will serve as the #1 National Corporate Partner and Honored Friend of the Light The Night campaign. Over the past 16 years, Burlington has raised more than $32 million to help fund innovative cancer research and patient services by engaging its generous customers to donate $1 or more at checkout. In addition, thousands of its associates have participated in Light The Night walks across the country. This year's campaign is hosted in Burlington's more than 645 store locations nationwide, and will run from September 9 through December 1. Consumers can visit Burlington Stores' website (www.Burlington.com) to find a store near them to shop and donate.

As LLS's National Presenting Sponsor of Survivorship and Hope, Pharmacyclics and Janssen are committed to working with LLS through its Light The Night fundraising campaign to shine a spotlight on what it means to be a cancer survivor.

LLS thanks all its 2018 National Corporate Partners, including #1 Corporate Partner and Honored Friend: Burlington Stores. National Presenting Sponsor of Survivorship and Hope: Pharmacyclics and Janssen. Leading Lights: Walgreens; and The Wawa Foundation. Luminaries: Amgen; Astra Zeneca; Barclays; Carter's; Celgene Corporation; Elbit Systems of America; FIS; Genentech/Biogen; Kite, a Gilead Company; Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery, MaggieMoo's Ice Cream & Treatery, Pretzelmaker, Hot Dog on a Stick, and Round Table Pizza; Pfizer Oncology; Stater Bros. Charities; Takeda Oncology; and The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), LLS's longest standing partner. The UFCW represents 1.3 million members and has been a powerful voice for LLS since the partnership began in 1982. The organization has raised $86 million for LLS's goal to find cures and ensure blood cancer patients have access to lifesaving treatments.

To become part of the Light The Night family, visit www.lightthenight.org.

About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health agency dedicated to fighting blood cancer. The LLS mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world, provides free information and support services, and is the voice for all blood cancer patients seeking access to quality, affordable, coordinated care.

Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Rye Brook, NY, LLS has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more, visit www.LLS.org. Patients should contact the Information Resource Center at (800) 955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

For additional information visit lls.org/lls-newsnetwork. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Kristin Hoose

914-821-8973

[email protected]

SOURCE The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Related Links

http://www.LLS.org

According to Nationwide's fourth annual Business Owner Survey, while the number of self-reported cyber-attacks against the U.S. small and mid-sized businesses surveyed declined four percentage points year-over-year 1 , the number of business owners who are unconcerned with cyber-attacks spiked, with an 18 percentage point year-over-year difference (22 percent unconcerned in 2017 vs. 40 percent unconcerned in 2018)  and those "very unconcerned" grew nearly 50 percent (9 percent in 2017 vs. 17 percent in 2018). Alongside this lack of concern, 65 percent of business owners do not have a dedicated employee or vendor in place to monitor for cyber-attacks  an 8-percentage point increase from 2017.

"Cyber-criminals are increasingly gaining access to businesses' systems through connected technology," said Karen Johnston, expert cyber consultant for Nationwide. "Many business owners don't realize that using drones or even smart devices makes their business more susceptible to cyber-attacks  especially if they don't take the proper precautions or put someone in charge of monitoring for attacks. The scary fact we're seeing is that business owners are becoming more apathetic towards their risk of cyber-attacks and therefore aren't protecting themselves as well, even though the concern of cyber-attacks against them is still very real."

Business owners lack clarity on what a cyber-attack really is  which can make an attack more difficult to protect against. According to Nationwide's study, which surveyed 1,000 business owners with between 1-499 employees, only 9 percent said their business had been a cyber-attack victim when asked directly. Yet when given a list, 50 percent said their business experienced at least one type of harmful cyber activity. This points to a 41-percentage point awareness gap of what a cyber-attack is. Computer viruses (27 percent) and phishing attacks (25 percent) were the most frequently reported type of attack.

Business owners also report more than a 20 percentage point gap across the board in the U.S. Small Business Administration's cybersecurity best practices that they say are important versus those that they implement. For example:

Make backup copies of important business data and information: 84 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 58 percent do it.

84 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 58 percent do it. Protect against viruses, spyware and other malicious code: 83 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 60 percent do it.

83 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 60 percent do it. Secure networks: 81 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 54 percent do it.

81 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 54 percent do it. Control physical access to computers and network components: 78 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 56 percent do it.

78 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 56 percent do it. Establish security practices and policies to protect sensitive information : 76 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 47 percent do it.

: 76 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 47 percent do it. Require employees to use strong passwords and to change them often: 76 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 49 percent do it.

76 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 49 percent do it. Educate employees about cyber threats and hold them accountable: 72 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 39 percent do it.

72 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 39 percent do it. Protect all pages on public-facing websites, not just the checkout and sign-up pages: 71 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 38 percent do it.

71 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 38 percent do it. Employ best practices on payment cards: 71 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 46 percent do it.

71 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 46 percent do it. Create a mobile device action plan: 59 percent of business owners acknowledge this is important but only 27 percent do it.

For more information, visit Nationwide's blog page and Business Solutions Center.

Methodology

Nationwide commissioned Edelman Intelligence to conduct a 20-minute, online survey between April 9-20, 2018, among a sample of 1,000 U.S. business owners. Business owners are defined as having between 1-499 employees, being 18 years or older and self-reporting as either a sole or partial owner of their business. The margin of error for this sample was +/-3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. As a member of CASRO in good standing, Edelman Intelligence conducts all research in accordance with Market Research Standards and Guidelines.

About Nationwide

Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, commercial, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; banking and mortgages; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.  2018 Nationwide

1 Note: year-over-year statistics only compare responses from business owners who have 1-299 employees to ensure a direct comparison with the survey's 2017 sample demographic.

Contact:

David Gilligan

(614) 677-7305

[email protected]

SOURCE Nationwide

Related Links

http://www.nationwide.com

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Charter School Capital, the first national financial services provider exclusively focused on charter schools and the students they serve, announced today that it has acquired the LISA Academy West Middle School property, located at 21 Corporate Hill Drive in Little Rock, Ark., for $3.4 million. Executed on September 5, 2018, this is the first transaction for Charter School Capital in Arkansas.

As part of the acquisition, Charter School Capital has assumed the existing lease on the 18,796 square foot property through 2027. The property was built in 1994.

LISA Academy West Middle School is part of a larger organization, Little Scholars of Arkansas, which operates a total of five schools in three buildings, serving approximately 2,100 students. The A-rated LISA Academy West Middle School teaches a STEM curriculum to 356 students in grades 7-8, and has a waiting list that exceeds 300 students. The school holds a 13-year charter which expires in 2030.

"We are delighted to assure LISA a long-term home in which to provide students with a rigorous college preparatory program," said Stuart Ellis, president and CEO of Charter School Capital. "We believe strongly in the mission of LISA, and as the facility owner we want to do all we can to support the school in preparing its students for future academic challenges and adventures."

"At LISA Academy, we strive to be a leader in the provision of STEM-focused K-12 education in Arkansas", said Dr. Fatih Bogrek, CEO/Superintendent. "Our new partnership with Charter School Capital fits nicely in our vision for Central Arkansas".

According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools access to adequate facilities is one of the biggest challenges charter schools face today. With many charter schools operating in suboptimal buildings, the lack of facilities is a serious obstacle to growth. Charter School Capital focuses solely on charter school needs, providing customizable facilities financing options to charter schools. Charter leaders retain control of their buildings and are afforded the flexibility to make the modifications necessary to expand their enrollment and academic programs.

About Charter School Capital:

Launched in 2006, Charter School Capital delivers access to growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide, opening the funding options charter schools historically have not had. Charter School Capital has provided $1.6 billion in funding to 600+ charter schools, providing high-quality education to more than 800,000 students across the United States. For more information, visit charterschoolcapital.org or email [email protected].

SOURCE Charter School Capital

Related Links

http://charterschoolcapital.org

OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) today announced that it has commenced an underwritten public offering, subject to market and other conditions, of $1,250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of senior notes, consisting of a series of senior notes due 2024 (the "2024 Notes") and a series of senior notes due 2026 (the "2026 Notes" and, together with the 2024 Notes, the "Notes"). Chesapeake intends to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with cash on hand and borrowings under its revolving credit facility (if necessary), to repay borrowings under its secured term loan due 2021 (the "Term Loan"). If the net proceeds from the offering exceed the amount due under the Term Loan, Chesapeake intends to use the remaining net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment, redemption or repurchase of outstanding indebtedness, including its second lien notes.

This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus. Chesapeake has an effective shelf registration statement, filed on August 3, 2017, on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and MUFG Securities Americas Inc. will act as joint book-running managers for the offering of the Notes. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone: (866) 471-2526, by facsimile: (212) 902-9316 or by e-mail: [email protected]; from J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY, 11717 or by telephone: (866) 803-9204; from Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Attn: WFS Customer Service, 608 2nd Ave S, Suite 1000, Minneapolis, MN 55402, by telephone: (800) 645-3751, Opt. 5 or by e-mail: [email protected]; or from MUFG Securities Americas Inc., by telephone: (877) 649-6848. An electronic copy of these documents will be available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful.

Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Corporation's (NYSE:CHK) operations are focused on discovering and developing its large and geographically diverse resource base of unconventional oil and natural gas assets onshore in the United States. Chesapeake also owns an oil and natural gas marketing business.

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" that give Chesapeake's current expectations or forecasts of future events, including the use of proceeds and other matters relating to the proposed notes offering. Although we believe the expectations and forecasts reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance they will prove to have been correct. They can be affected by inaccurate or changed assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties (including those stated in Chesapeake's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and its other filings with the SEC), that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectation expressed. We caution you not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release, and we undertake no obligation to update this information, except as required by applicable law.







INVESTOR CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT: CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION Brad Sylvester, CFA (405) 935-8870 [email protected] Gordon Pennoyer (405) 935-8878 [email protected] 6100 North Western Avenue P.O. Box 18496 Oklahoma City, OK 73154

SOURCE Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Related Links

http://www.chk.com

AUBURN, Ala., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today it's expanding in Mississippi with its first Biloxi area location in D'Iberville, which will be the brand's fifth restaurant in the state. The new restaurant will open on Tuesday, October 2nd and is located at 3821 Promenade Parkway.

During grand opening week, guests will experience the southern hospitality that Chicken Salad Chick is known for, with giveaways and specials that include:

Tuesday, October 2  Free Chicken Salad for a year The first guest will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year; the next 99 guests will receive a free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month.* Any guest not part of the first 100 in line can make a purchase and enter to win free chicken salad for a year. **

 Free Chicken Salad for a year The first guest will receive one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year; the next 99 guests will receive a free large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month.* Any guest not part of the first 100 in line can make a purchase and enter to win free chicken salad for a year. ** Wednesday, October 3  The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free 32oz. Chick tumbler.

 The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Trio will receive a free 32oz. Chick tumbler. Thursday, October 4  The first 100 guests to purchase The Chick will receive a free upgrade to a Chick Trio.

 The first 100 guests to purchase The Chick will receive a free upgrade to a Chick Trio. Friday, October 5  The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will be automatically enrolled in the Free Chicken Salad of the Month Club. Each guest will receive one free small Quick Chick per month for 12 months. ***

 The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will be automatically enrolled in the Free Chicken Salad of the Month Club. Each guest will receive one free small Quick Chick per month for 12 months. *** Saturday, October 6  The first 50 guests to purchase two large Quick Chicks will receive a free large Chick cooler.

The new D'Iberville restaurant is owned and operated by first-time Chicken Salad Chick franchisees Hudson Sandefur and Bruce Ratcliffe of S & R Poultry LLC. The partners have more than 14 years of experience in the foodservice industry, with Sandefur owning six Zaxby's restaurants across Alabama and Mississippi and Ratcliffe having helped manage several of the locations. When Sandefur learned that Ratcliffe wanted to open his own business, he decided to offer Ratcliffe an opportunity to partner with him in a concept that cultivated a wholesome atmosphere by maintaining its core values. Chicken Salad Chick was the perfect fit and the partners are excited to be opening their first restaurant in D'Iberville.

"Running a business can be challenging, so it's important to find a concept that makes you excited to come to work everyday," said Sandefur. "After talking with various owners and seeing how passionate they all are about the brand, I knew Chicken Salad Chick was the right opportunity for Bruce and me. We are thrilled to be opening in D'Iberville and plan to open an additional location in Gulfport over the next 18 months."

The Chicken Salad Chick concept, born in Auburn, was established in 2008 in the kitchen of founder, Stacy Brown. When Stacy discovered that the local county health department would not allow her to continue making and selling her delicious recipes out of her home kitchen, she overcame that obstacle by launching her first restaurant with the business expertise of her future husband and fellow founder, Kevin Brown. Together, they opened a small takeout restaurant, which quickly grew; the company now has 96 restaurants across the Southeast led by CEO, Scott Deviney and a growing team.

Chicken Salad Chick in D'Iberville will be open Monday  Saturday from 10:00 a.m.  8:00 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.chickensaladchick.com or call (228) 280-8081. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends.

*Eligible winners must be over 16 years of age, purchase The Chick and are required to download the Craving Credits app. Redemption will start 10/8.

** 10 winners will be drawn at closing on grand opening day and announced via Facebook live. Winners will receive 1 large Quick Chick per month for the next 12 months.

*** Must purchase a Chick Special, be 16 years of age or older and must download the Craving Credits app.

For more information on giveaways and specials, visit www.facebook.com/chickensaladchickdiberville/

About Chicken Salad Chick

Founded in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Today, the brand has 96 restaurants in 10 states and is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick was recently named as one of FastCasual.com's top Movers and Shakers and one of Nation's Restaurant News 2017 Next 20 brands. The brand also ranked #37 on the 2016 Inc. list of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information.

Contact:

Nikki Rode

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick

Related Links

http://www.chickensaladchick.com

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Organized by Reed Huabo, the 26th China (Shenzhen) International Gift and Home Product Fair is scheduled to be held from October 20 to 23, 2018, at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center. The fair will attract 2,500 exhibitors and helps buyers discover over 500,000 products. It will showcase the best of creative and innovative gifts, premiums and home products from around the world.

A must attend for the Gift and Home industry.

Shenzhen International Gift and Home Fair is a must attend to get ready for the 2018/2019 shopping holidays: New Year, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and more. Offering inspiration across 9 halls, visitors can find products and retail insights for trendy products throughout 2019.

More than 2,500 exhibitors plan to display their manufacturing capabilities, showcase new trends, innovation, and a wide range of products and gather further insights to improve their business.

Other highlights of the show are:

Hall 3 - displaying the most trendy m obile e lectronic s , which are the most popular gift ideas

obile lectronic , which are the most Maker Gallery - helping buyer s to spot unique, creative and innovative products that are high quality

to spot unique, creative and innovative products Toy Zone - dozens of toy manufacturers display the latest kids toy and IP licensed products

Supported by over 10 government delegations and industrial associations, ge t directl y connect ed with manufacturing bases

directl connect with manufacturing bases 70% of exhibitors are manufacturers, presenting quali ty products at competitive prices

Value-added services to foster trade between buyers and suppliers

Professional exporting agent helps to solve s ourcing problems for overseas buyers

ourcing problems for overseas buyers Free on-site translation for overseas buyers for 1 hour

translation for overseas buyers for 1 hour Match-making for pre-registered buyers

Please contact [email protected] to request these free services.

Opening hours for the show are:

Oct. 20-22 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Oct. 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

About Reed Huabo

Reed Huabo - the most influential exhibition company in China, is a member company of Reed Exhibitions - the world's leading event organizer, based in the UK. It is committed to leading industry development and continuously creating value for customers from all over the world.

For more info, please visit us at: www.chinagiftsfair.com

Media Contact:

Lisa Li

+86-755-3398-9311

[email protected]

SOURCE Reed Huabo Exhibitions"The so-called strategy of containing China does not represent the direction of the development of human society," he told reporters Tuesday. "If you look at history, war in all its forms - whether it be a trade war or a real war - comes with a huge price. It will be the people that will suffer in the end."Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF has $1.1B Invested in the Cannabis Sector

VANCOUVER, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Choom (CSE: CHOO) (OTCQB: CHOOF) (the "Company" or "Choom") an emerging, fully-integrated cannabis company, today announced that it has been added to the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF (HMMJ: TSX).

HMMJ is the world's first and largest Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) offering direct exposure to North American publicly listed life sciences companies with significant business activities in the marijuana industry.

The ETF's holdings can be viewed directly from its website at the link below:

https://www.horizonsetfs.com/horizons/media/ETFData/en-ca/HMMJ/HorizonsHMMJHoldings.xls

"Choom's addition to the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF is recognition of our efforts to building a dominant branded cannabis company. The Choom brand was created exclusively to service the retail recreational market, ensuring curious customers and cannabis connoisseurs alike can 'cultivate good times'," said Chris Bogart, President and CEO of Choom. "Our inclusion in Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF provides an excellent avenue for increased exposure to the investment community."

SAY HELLO TO CHOOMTM

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.CITGO Vice President and General Manager, Jerry Dunn said he is excited to witness the vast interest in the field of engineering by young people both local to Southwest Louisiana and international. "It is amazing to see so many students from various parts of the world visiting the CITGO Lake Charles Refinery to gain knowledge as they prepare for their future careers," said Dunn. "We truly have an amazing opportunity to cultivate the foundations of students' education right here at CITGO."

The students were able to tour the refinery and learn from subject matter experts - they were even able to see real samples of the products made at the Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex during a "bottle show" demonstration. The McNeese Engineering Academy's visit is part of a long list of collaborations between CITGO and the College of Engineering and Computer Science at McNeese State University.

About CITGO

CITGO, based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter, and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

For more information, visit www.CITGO.com

SOURCE CITGO

Related Links

http://www.CITGO.com

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to application development today, businesses are demanding faster times to market than ever before. The days of pushing out updates in 12 to 16 months are no more, having been replaced with expectations for full application releases in just weeks and updates in only a few days. This has put tremendous pressure on development teams  particularly those accustomed to a more manual development cycle. According to the experts at Coda Global, (www.coda.global), a cloud-native consultancy and application developer, making use of automation in the DevOps process is one way to significantly speed time to market, delivering well-built applications in the kinds of timeframes users now expect. David Angradi, Executive Vice President at Coda Global, was recently asked to explain the importance of automation in an educational video  "The Critical Role of Automation in AppDev"  for business and technology professionals produced by Cognistar as part of its extensive SmartPros WatchIT educational video library. To help businesses as they assess the role automation can play in their own development efforts, Coda Global has also put together a list of four steps to faster application releases.

"In our experience, automation is absolutely the key to successful application development," Angradi says. "The easier it is to take existing infrastructure and effectively serve it up as code that developers can grab and spin up and spin down and be able to run automated test cycles, the better  and faster  your AppDev process will be."

Coda Global experts say there are three major benefits to focusing on automation in the AppDev process: First, by tapping repeatable automated designs over and over again, developers will be able to construct applications faster. Second, by removing the manual nature of these repeatable tasks, there will be fewer errors from the start. And third, by automating an application's base-level components, developers and operations teams save time  and money  by simply re-using that already functioning and tested code.

Four Steps to Faster Application Releases

The challenge many organizations run into when trying to automate their AppDev processes is in selecting standardized toolsets and stringing together key automations in a logical fashion from development and production all the way through testing. To ensure things progress smoothly, Coda Global suggests development and operations teams kick off an AppDev project by sitting down together in a room to map out their shared goals and outcomes for the project, understand their current state, agree on standardized toolsets and create a roadmap. This may sound simplistic, but these are often-missed keys to success  and a critical starting point before automation can be successfully utilized in DevOps processes.

Define Goals and Outcomes: It should go without saying, but there are surprisingly large numbers of AppDev projects in which siloed development and operations teams jump straight to the implementation of tactics they have individually outlined without first sitting down together to define what the goals and outcome of the project should be. You can't map out the journey if you haven't agreed on where you're headed, so this is a crucial first step in any successful AppDev project  whether or not it involves automation. Understand Current State: Next, it's important to honestly assess the team's current state. Automating the underlying infrastructure and all of the components required for faster times to market and continuous delivery is not second nature to everyone involved. What do your current tools look like  on the development and operations sides? What do your processes look like? It's also important to assess the maturity of the skillsets you have on staff. Some people will easily adapt to this new DevOps style, while others may not. If you're going to use things like automation and orchestration to drive standardization, everyone has to be on board. Defining your team's capabilities will make it clear if you have the right people on staff for the project at hand or if it might be beneficial to bring in a consultant that does. Agree On Standardized Toolsets: In many organizations, the development and operations teams are two completely siloed departments. They don't have the same reporting structure, and traditionally, there has been very little collaboration between the two groups. As a result, there is also very little consistency in tooling and processes  something which makes it very difficult to build, test and release an application in a fast and efficient manner. Even when pockets of automation do exist, if the organization is using multiple tools across multiple groups, there will be challenges in pulling all of this together to release applications quickly which explains why it's so important to address this from the start. Create a Roadmap: Once you've tackled the first three milestones on this list, you're ready to create a shared roadmap that everyone on your team subscribes to. This will lay the foundation for the project  and it should take advantage of all of the automation building blocks that have already been built so that you can prioritize where you spend your time and talent in the development process.

Want to Learn More?

Hear Coda Global's David Angradi explain the importance of automation in an educational video  "The Critical Role of Automation in AppDev"  for business and technology professionals produced by Cognistar as part of its extensive SmartPros WatchIT educational video library.

explain the importance of automation in an educational video  "The Critical Role of Automation in AppDev"  for business and technology professionals produced by Cognistar as part of its extensive SmartPros WatchIT educational video library. Is automation the "secret sauce" in successful applications? Our expert blog post has the answer: http://ow.ly/5OhC30lQcfg.

Find out how Coda Global's RightStart strategy helps businesses launch their dream applications in just a few weeks: http://ow.ly/cpMi30lQcCf

About Coda Global

Coda Global is a cloud-native consultancy and application developer that helps companies accelerate their journey to the cloud. Using its unique DevOptimized approach, Coda works with customers worldwide during every stage of solution development and cloud transformation. From cloud native custom application development to modernizing existing applications or migrating legacy apps to the cloud, Coda Global turns each client's application dream into its dream application. Coda's ability to work at an accelerated pace allows it to deliver the right technology solutions to meet each customer's current business needs while future-proofing application projects to scale and innovate as the client's business grows, giving customers of all sizes  from startups and midmarket firms to enterprise-level Fortune 500 organizations  the RightStart they need to bring their best ideas to market. To learn more, visit Coda Global's website at www.coda.global.

Coda Global Media Contacts

Brittany Hedges

Coda Global, LLC

(512) 775-8210

[email protected]

Karen Franse

Communication Strategy Group for Coda Global

(631) 239-6335 x222

[email protected]

SOURCE Coda Global

Related Links

http://www.coda.global

Cole Haan continues to push boundaries with ZERGRAND with Stitchlite Wool, the next iteration of ZERGRAND footwear for men and women. Like a sweater for your feet, the ZERGRAND with Stitchlite Wool was designed to keep feet dry and warm throughout the colder months, making it the ultimate thermal, breathable and flexible shoe that will last all season long.

"We are absolutely thrilled to introduce the ZERGRAND with Stitchlite Wool," said David Maddocks, Chief Marketing Officer & General Manager of Business Development at Cole Haan. "To make an even bigger splash, we have chosen to collaborate on an animated video to bring the idea to life in a way that showcases our personality and sense of humor. This is one of those projects that makes you enjoy the work you do and the people with whom you work."

To add to the excitement surrounding the launch of ZERGRAND with Stitchlite Wool, Cole Haan teamed up with animation company HouseSpecial to collaborate on an extraordinary video that brings Stitchlite Wool to life. Well-known for creating some of the most-recognized animated content in the world, HouseSpecial's ability to design for motion and to develop iconic characters has attracted clients like Sony, Target, Apple, Honda and now Cole Haan.

"These are the types of collaborations we revel in  a creative, forward-thinking client with a sense of humor, a firm grasp on who they are and aren't afraid to have fun with their brand as they engage fans with the unexpected," said Lourri Hammack, founding partner and EP at HouseSpecial.

Co-directed by Kirk Kelley and Mark Gustafson, the directing duo collaborated closely with Cole Haan on the light-hearted, playful video that brings the ZERGRAND with Stitchlite Wool collection to life with an entertaining performance put on by sheep and alpacas in a pasture jamming out to Domingo "Sam The Sham" Samudio's 1965 hit "Wooly Bully." Cole Haan licensed the original recording for the video.

Kelley, HouseSpecial founding partner and ECD whose animation direction skills shine in M&M's 2018 Super Bowl spot with Danny DeVito explains, "The best part of the process is visualizing how the whole thing might work. Taking interesting bits and pieces...whether trees or rocks on a hillside or the way a sheep chews...and then digitally synthesizing the hundreds of elements into a beautiful visual story. Of course it doesn't hurt that the whole idea of sheep wearing shoes and forming a band is a bit absurd."

Gustafson, who was Animation Director on Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr Fox, had this to say about the collaboration, "A large part of the joy of making this film was collaborating with the folks at Cole Haan who trusted us and the story enough to let it sing for itself. My only regret is that I exhausted all my sheep puns in the first week of production. Baaaad news."

Featuring innovative fabrication, the ZERGRAND with Stitchlite Wool offers functional, thermal properties that provide natural insulation when the temperatures begin to drop. The dual-gender Oxford (and Chukka for men) integrates a premium wool blend that provides a combination of moisture wicking, odor control, breathability, and dynamic fit. These upgraded and innovative properties provide ongoing comfort for anyone who is working, moving, or exploring, and for everywhere in between.

The style's zonally-engineered upper moves with the natural motion of the foot, providing flexibility and fit. The one-piece knitted upper wicks away moisture while simultaneously allowing air in for all-day breathability and comfort.

All styles in the collection are equipped with Cole Haan's GRAND.S technology, which is crafted specifically for an on-the-go lifestyle, with emphasis on flexibility, cushioning, and anatomical fit.

The ZERGRAND with Stitchlite Wool collection is available on www.ColeHaan.com and in US and international Cole Haan Stores. The men's and women's ZERGRAND with Stitchlite Wool collection ranges from $150 - $250.

The video can be viewed at the following link: www.colehaan.com

About Cole Haan

Cole Haan LLC, with its Global Headquarters in Greenland, New Hampshire and Creative Center in New York City, is an iconic American lifestyle accessories brand and retailer of premium men's and women's footwear, handbags, leather accessories, outerwear and eyewear. Cole Haan stands for its commitment to craftsmanship, timeless style and design innovation. For more information, visit ColeHaan.com and follow @ColeHaan.

About HouseSpecial

HouseSpecial's Portland creative team is globally known for our ability to develop animated characters in narrative environments for iconic brands like M&M'S, Supercell's Boom Beach, Planters, Apple, ESPN, Target and Sony. We have collaborated with advertising agencies Barton F. Graf, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Wieden+Kennedy, TBWA\CHIAT\DAY, Leo Burnett and BBDO (and many others...) on hundreds of spots  many of which earned big awards and are part of advertising lore. For more information, visit HouseSpecial.com and follow @housespecialpdx.

For more information, contact:

Kimry Blackwelder, Cole Haan

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Cole Haan

Related Links

http://www.colehaan.com

MONTCLAIR, N.J., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Joan Jett and Kenny Laguna of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts have been named the official 2018 Ambassadors for College Radio Day, which is happening nationwide on Friday, October 5th, 2018.

Kenny Laguna and Joan Jett of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, official 2018 Ambassadors for College Radio Day

For Joan Jett, the impact that college radio has had on her career has been hugely important: "College radio, when we were struggling, was one of the elements that really kept us afloat  being able to play gigs and people had heard of us because they were playing us on college radio stations. College radio was a big deal for us," says Joan. This is echoed by Kenny Laguna, who says, "We're definitely a product of college radio, and through the years we've managed to remain on college radio with the records we put out. It means a lot to us."

After forming The Runaways, Jett has amassed an impressive string of gold and platinum albums while also breaking gender barriers in the music industry when people dismissed a girl with a guitar who was more Ramones than Joni Mitchell. Along with band member/producer/manager Kenny Laguna, they have soldiered on to great success in an ever-changing and unforgiving industry. For college radio, their toughness and journey are inspiring.

"Joan Jett and the Blackhearts have so much in common with college radio," says CRD Vice President Anabella Poland. "They are honest, raw, gritty, unwavering to mainstream, and they put on a daily fight. College radio was there to support them from the very beginning, and we are delighted that they will be our ambassadors this year." Jett and Laguna have recorded an exclusive interview to be played on participating stations nationwide during the day's celebrations.

Set for Friday, October 5th, the 8th annual College Radio Day will unite college stations from around the world to bring awareness to the work and value college stations bring to the broadcasting medium. Hundreds of stations worldwide have signed on to participate. This year the theme is When All Else Fails, College Radio Speaks, which highlights how students create unique programming and content on college radio that is important to them and not heard on any other medium.

About College Radio Day: The aim of College Radio Day is to harness the combined listenership of hundreds of thousands of college radio listeners throughout the world and celebrate the important contribution of college radio by uniting for one day. The event is organized by the College Radio Foundation, a non-profit based in New Jersey. For more information, please visit: www.collegeradio.org. For more information about Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, please visit https://joanjett.com.

Contact:

Anabella Poland

973-655-3135

[email protected]

SOURCE College Radio Foundation

Related Links

http://www.collegeradio.org

KELOWNA, British Columbia, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Canadian-based corporate wellness technology company CoreHealth Technologies is recognized for its continued revenue growth and commitment to employee satisfaction, ongoing innovation and providing exemplary service to global customers.

CoreHealth recognized by Canadian Business Excellence and Growth500.

On August 29, 2018, Excellence Canada announced the third annual Canadian Business Excellence Awards for Private Businesses. Thirty-seven Canadian organizations receive the Canadian Businesses Excellence Awards for clearly demonstrating a strategic approach to successfully improving business performance and achieving goals, with a focus on the following three key performance areas:

Delighted Customers

Engaged Employees

Innovation

Excellence Canada's mission is to help improve organizational performance and recognize excellence, with a vision to promote and enable excellence in every organization in Canada. Excellence Canada recognizes organizations that continually improve performance; are innovative, competitive, and customer focused; are healthy, inclusive, and sustainable; and that are economically, socially, and environmentally responsible.

"We are thrilled to be one of the 37 Canadian companies that are recipients for the 2018-19 Canadian Business Excellence Award. As a wellness technology company, we have spent the last 14 years listening carefully to what wellness providers need in wellness management software and continually strive to be innovative and customer-focused," says Anne Marie Kirby, Founder and CEO of CoreHealth Technologies.

This is the second consecutive year CoreHealth received this award by Canadian Business Excellence.

About Excellence Canada

The Canadian Business Excellence Awards for Private Businesses presented by Excellence Canada is a national award administered annually. This special designation recognizes businesses from all industries that demonstrate a strategic approach to successfully improving performance and achieving goals. The Canadian Business Excellence Awards is an annual awards program that recognizes outstanding achievements by organizations in the private sector, from coast-to-coast across Canada.

CoreHealth Ranks No. 448 on 2018 Growth 500

On September 9, 2018, Canadian Business and Maclean's ranked CoreHealth Technologies No. 448 on the 30th annual Growth 500, the definitive ranking of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies. Produced by Canada's premier business and current affairs media brands, the Growth 500 ranks Canadian businesses on five-year revenue growth. Growth 500 winners are profiled in a special print issue of Canadian Business published with Maclean's magazine and online at CanadianBusiness.com and Growth500.ca.

CoreHealth made the 2018 Growth 500 list with five-year revenue growth of 119%. This is the second consecutive year CoreHealth ranked on Growth 500 (formerly known as Profit 500).

"The companies on the 2018 Growth 500 are truly remarkable. Demonstrating foresight, innovation, and smart management, their stories serve as a primer for how to build a successful entrepreneurial business today," says Deborah Aarts, Growth 500 program manager. "As we celebrate 30 years of the Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies program, it's encouraging to see that entrepreneurship is healthier than ever in this country."

"CoreHealth is honored to be on the Growth 500 ranking," says CEO Anne Marie Kirby. "This achievement reflects the strength of our corporate wellness platform and the dedication of our team. Our platform gives our customers full control to innovate, create and integrate wellness programs faster than any of their competitors. It's fantastic to receive this award as recognition for our commitment to ongoing innovation in health and wellness technology."

About the Growth 500

For 30 years, the Growth 500 has been Canada's most respectable and influential ranking of entrepreneurial achievement. Ranking Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies by five-year revenue growth, the Growth 500 - formerly known as the PROFIT 500 - profiles the country's most successful growing businesses. The Growth 500 is produced by Canadian Business. Winners are profiled in a special Growth500 print issue of Canadian Business (packaged with the October issue of Maclean's magazine) and online at Growth500.ca and CanadianBusiness.com.

About CoreHealth Technologies

CoreHealth Technologies Inc. is the leading corporate wellness platform trusted by wellness providers for 2+ million employees worldwide. At CoreHealth, we believe that developing the best employee wellness programs is all about giving wellness companies the right code, design and access to the latest innovations. With the most customization, integrations and reliability of any software in its class, CoreHealth's powerful platform lets users focus on growing great companies.

For more information, visit the CoreHealth website or check out CoreHealth's Workplace Wellness Blog.

Media Contact:

CoreHealth Technologies

Anne Marie Kirby, CEO & Founder

[email protected]

1-866-396-2673, ext. 101

Related Files

CoreHealth Brochure_Corporate Wellness Platform.pdf

Related Images

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CoreHealth Technologies Two Time Award Winner

CoreHealth recognized by Canadian Business Excellence and Growth500.

corehealth-technologies-logo.png

CoreHealth Technologies Logo

anne-marie-kirby.jpg

Anne Marie Kirby

CEO and Founder of CoreHealth Technologies

Related Links

CoreHealth Workplace Wellness Blog

CoreHealth's Wellness Technology

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfzGPfHTl9w

SOURCE CoreHealth Technologies

Related Links

https://corehealth.global

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) announced today the awardees of a grant program aimed at preventing pool and spa drownings, as well as drain entrapments. CPSC selected five state and local governments to receive a total of about $1 million in Pool Safely Grant Program (PSGP) grant funds. This funding will provide grant recipients with assistance for enforcement, training and education of pool safety requirements that are intended to save lives and prevent serious injuries.

FY 2018 Pool Safely Grant Program Awardees

Jurisdictions State Award Amount City of Bridgeport CT $152,000 District of Columbia Department of Health DC $106,202 DuPage County Health Department IL $182,388 Florida Department of Health FL $249,958 Louisiana Department of Health and

Hospitals LA $250,000

"Drowning remains the #1 cause of unintentional death to children ages 1-4. We know drownings can be prevented. However, the problem cannot be solved alone," said Acting Chairman Buerkle. "That is why I am very pleased to announce the award of nearly $1 million in Pool Safely grants to communities. These grants will help save lives and prevent injuries associated with drownings and drain entrapments. These financial awards will be used in local communities to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. I want to thank Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her advocacy and assistance on this issue."

"Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among preschool-age children. These deaths are entirely preventable, and it is our responsibility to do all we can to help prevent them. These Pool Safely grants will build on the steps that have been taken through the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act, giving communities the tools they need to promote safety in and around the water," said Representative Wasserman Schultz. "I commend the recipients for their efforts to keep their swimmers safe, I thank the CPSC for implementing this critical program, and I look forward to continuing this essential work to save the lives of our children."

The grant program, authorized through the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, (VGB Act), which Rep. Wasserman Schultz authored and led, was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in December 2007. The PSGP seeks to provide state and local governments with assistance for education, training, and enforcement of pool safety requirements.

CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals  has contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

To learn more about the Pool Safely Grant Program and the VGB Act visit PoolSafely.gov . This site has a broad array of free, downloadable information for the general public, state and local officials, the swimming pool and spa community, and the media.

Media Contact

Please use the phone numbers below for all media requests.

Phone: 301-504-7908

Spanish: 301-504-7800

Release Number: 18-228

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionThe PFS considers the potential economic merit of co-developing the Phoenix and Gryphon deposits. The high-grade Phoenix deposit is designed as an ISR mining operation, with associated processing to a finished product occurring at a plant to be built on site at Wheeler River. The Gryphon deposit is designed as an underground mining operation, utilizing a conventional long hole mining approach with processing of mine production assumed at Denison's 22.5% owned McClean Lake mill. Taken together, the project is estimated to have mine production of 109.4 million pounds U 3 O 8 over a 14-year mine life, with a base case pre-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") of $1.31 billion (8% discount rate), Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") of 38.7%, and initial pre-production capital expenditures of $322.5 million.

The base-case economic analysis assumes uranium sales are made at UxC Consulting Company, LLC's ("UxC") annual estimated spot price for mine production from the Phoenix deposit (from ~US$29/lb U 3 O 8 to US$45/lb U 3 O 8 ), and a fixed price for mine production from the Gryphon deposit (US$50/lb U 3 O 8 ).

Using the same price assumed for the project's 2016 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("2016 PEA"), a fixed uranium price of US$44/lb U 3 O 8 ("PEA Reference Case"), the PFS produces a combined pre-tax project NPV of $1.41 billion  representing a roughly 275% increase from the $513 million pre-tax project NPV estimated in the 2016 PEA.

The PFS is prepared on a project (100% ownership) and pre-tax basis, as each of the partners to the Wheeler River Joint Venture ("WRJV") are subject to different tax and other obligations. After-tax results attributable to Denison's ownership interest are provided under the heading "Indicative Denison Post-Tax Results". All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

David Cates, President and CEO of Denison, commented "The selection of ISR mining for the high-grade Phoenix deposit is a defining moment for our Company and a potentially transformational development for the future of uranium mining in the Athabasca Basin  bringing the world's lowest cost uranium mining method to the jurisdiction hosting the world's highest-grade uranium deposits."

Mr. Cates further added, "Based on an estimated production cost of US$3.33/lb U 3 O 8 and relatively modest initial capital costs, the Phoenix operation is expected to have superior leverage to an anticipated recovery of the spot price of uranium  owing to the fact that the operation may not require a book of long-term contracts to support a development decision. The Gryphon deposit is a perfect complement to Phoenix, as it is expected to supply additional low-cost pounds, financed through cash flow from Phoenix, at a time when the uranium market is expected to be in a significant supply deficit."

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call and live webinar on Tuesday September 25, 2018 at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. During the call, management will provide an overview of the results of the PFS and will also accept questions from analysts and other participants. To join the call please dial (604) 638-5340 (Local/International) or 1-800-319-4610 (North America Toll Free).

To access the conference call and live webinar via the internet, please use the following link prior to the start of the call: http://services.choruscall.ca/links/denisonmines20180925.html

A recorded version of the conference call will be available on our website (www.denisonmines.com) shortly after the call, or by telephone via the following playback numbers (604) 674-8052 (Local/International) or 1-855-669-9658 (North America Toll Free) using the access code, 2611.

Pre-Feasibility Study Highlights

Phoenix delivers exceptional operating costs and manageable initial capex with ISR

Mine life 10 years (6.0 million lbs U 3 O 8 per year on average) Probable reserves(1) 59.7 million lbs U 3 O 8 (141,000 tonnes at 19.1% U 3 O 8 ) Average cash operating costs $4.33 (US$3.33) per lb U 3 O 8 Initial capital costs $322.5 million Base case pre-tax IRR(2) 43.3% Base case pre-tax NPV 8% (2) $930.4 million Base case price assumption UxC spot price(3) (from ~US$29 to US$45/lb U 3 O 8 ) Operating profit margin(4) 89.0% at US$29/lb U 3 O 8 All-in cost(5) $11.57 (US$8.90) per lb U 3 O 8

(1) See below for additional information regarding Probable reserves; (2) NPV and IRR are calculated to the start of pre-production activities for the Phoenix operation in 2021; (3) Spot price forecast is based on "Composite Midpoint" scenario from UxC's Q3'2018 Uranium Market Outlook ("UMO") and is stated in constant (not-inflated) dollars; (4) Operating profit margin is calculated as uranium revenue less operating costs, divided by uranium revenue. Operating costs exclude all royalties, surcharges and income taxes; (5) All-in cost is estimated on a pre-tax basis and includes all project operating costs and capital costs, divided by the estimated number of pounds U 3 O 8 to be produced.

Gryphon leverages existing infrastructure and provides additional low-cost production

Mine life 6.5 years (7.6 million lbs U 3 O 8 per year on average) Probable reserves(1) 49.7M lbs U 3 O 8 (1,257,000 tonnes at 1.8% U 3 O 8 ) Average cash operating costs $15.21 (US$11.70) per lb U 3 O 8 Initial capital costs $623.1 million Base case pre-tax IRR(2) 23.2% Base case pre-tax NPV 8% (2) $560.6 million Base case price assumption US$50 per pound U 3 O 8 Operating profit margin(3) 77.0% at US$50/lb U 3 O 8 All-in cost(4) $29.67 (US$22.82) per lb U 3 O 8

(1) See below for additional information regarding Probable reserves; (2) NPV and IRR are calculated to the start of pre-production activities for the Gryphon operation in 2026; (3) Operating profit margin is calculated as uranium revenue less operating costs, divided by uranium revenue. Operating costs exclude all royalties, surcharges and income taxes; (4) All-in cost is estimated on a pre-tax basis and includes all project operating costs and capital costs, divided by the estimated number of pounds U 3 O 8 to be produced.

Selection of ISR mining method for high-grade Phoenix deposit  Following the completion of the 2016 PEA, the Company evaluated 32 alternate mining methods to replace the high-cost Jet Bore Mining System ("JBS") assumed for the Phoenix deposit in the 2016 PEA. The suitability of ISR mining for Phoenix has been confirmed by significant work completed in the field and laboratory  including drill hole injection, permeability, metallurgical leach, agitation, and column tests. Results demonstrate high rates of recovery in both extraction (+90%) and processing (98.5%) following a simplified flow sheet that precipitates uranium directly from the uranium bearing solution ("UBS"), without the added costs associated with ion exchange or solvent extraction circuits.





 Following the completion of the 2016 PEA, the Company evaluated 32 alternate mining methods to replace the high-cost Jet Bore Mining System ("JBS") assumed for the deposit in the 2016 PEA. The suitability of ISR mining for has been confirmed by significant work completed in the field and laboratory  including drill hole injection, permeability, metallurgical leach, agitation, and column tests. Results demonstrate high rates of recovery in both extraction (+90%) and processing (98.5%) following a simplified flow sheet that precipitates uranium directly from the uranium bearing solution ("UBS"), without the added costs associated with ion exchange or solvent extraction circuits. Novel application of established mining technologies  Given the unique geological setting of the Phoenix deposit, straddling the sub- Athabasca unconformity in permeable ground, the project development team has combined the use of existing and proven technologies from ISR mining, ground freezing, and horizontal directional drilling to create an innovative model for in situ uranium extraction in the Athabasca Basin. While each of the technologies are well established, the combination of technologies results in a novel mining approach applicable only to deposits occurring in a similar geological setting to Phoenix  which now represents the first deposit identified for ISR mining in the Athabasca Basin.





 Given the unique geological setting of the deposit, straddling the sub- unconformity in permeable ground, the project development team has combined the use of existing and proven technologies from ISR mining, ground freezing, and horizontal directional drilling to create an innovative model for in situ uranium extraction in the Basin. While each of the technologies are well established, the combination of technologies results in a novel mining approach applicable only to deposits occurring in a similar geological setting to  which now represents the first deposit identified for ISR mining in the Basin. Environmental advantages of ISR mining at Phoenix  The Company's evaluation of the ISR mining method for Phoenix has also identified several significant environmental and permitting advantages, namely the absence of tailings generation, the potential for no water discharge to surface water bodies, and the potential to use the existing Provincial power grid to operate on a near zero carbon emissions basis. In addition, the use of a freeze wall, to encapsulate the ore zone and contain the mining solution used in an ISR operation, eliminates common environmental concerns associated with ISR mining and facilitates a controlled reclamation of the site. Taken together, the Phoenix operation has the potential to be one of the most environmentally friendly mining operations in the world. Owing largely to these benefits, consultation with regulatory agencies and stakeholder communities, to date, has been encouraging regarding the use of ISR mining.

Wheeler River Project

The Wheeler River project is the largest undeveloped uranium project in the eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The project is situated in close proximity to important regional infrastructure, including the Provincial electrical transmission grid and an all-season Provincial highway. Since Denison became the operator of the project in 2004, two high-grade uranium deposits have been discovered and now account for combined Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources as follows:

Probable Mineral Reserves of 109.4 million pounds U 3 O 8 ( Phoenix 59.7 million pounds U 3 O 8 from 141,000 tonnes at 19.1% U 3 O 8 ; Gryphon 49.7 million pounds U 3 O 8 from 1,257,000 tonnes at 1.8% U 3 O 8 );

( 59.7 million pounds U O from 141,000 tonnes at 19.1% U O ; Gryphon 49.7 million pounds U O from 1,257,000 tonnes at 1.8% U O ); Indicated Mineral Resources (inclusive of Reserves) of 132.1 million pounds U 3 O 8 (1,809,000 tonnes at an average grade of 3.3% U 3 O 8 ); plus

(1,809,000 tonnes at an average grade of 3.3% U O ); plus Inferred Mineral Resources of 3.0 million pounds U 3 O 8 (82,000 tonnes at an average grade of 1.7% U 3 O 8 ).

The PFS does not include any economic analysis based on estimated Inferred Mineral Resources.

The project is a joint venture between Denison (63.3% and operator), Cameco (26.7%), and JCU (Canada) Exploration Company Limited ("JCU") (10%). Denison is increasing its ownership in the project to up to 90% under two recently announced agreements with Cameco. See Denison press releases dated January 10, 2017 and September 4, 2018 for details.

Pre-Feasibility Study Summary

The objective of the PFS is to assess the technical and economic viability of achieving uranium production at Wheeler River. A team of technical experts, including Stantec Consulting Inc. (Gryphon shaft and mine design), Hatch Ltd. (McClean Lake mill modifications), Woodard and Curran Inc. (Phoenix ISR wellfield and mineral processing designs), Newmans Geotechnique Inc. (Phoenix ground freezing design), SRK Consulting (Environmental and social considerations, including water treatment plant design), RPA Inc. (Mineral Resource estimates), and ENGCOMP Engineering and Computing Professionals Inc. (Surface infrastructure design), have been retained by Denison to contribute to, and author, the PFS for the Wheeler River project. The conclusion of the PFS process follows months of engineering and trade-off studies carried out by the Company after the completion of the 2016 PEA. The results from the 2016 PEA informed the Company's focus during the PFS process and ultimately led to the determination that a new mining method was warranted for the development of the Phoenix deposit.

The Phoenix ISR operation and Gryphon underground operation are estimated to produce combined total mine production of 109.4 million pounds U 3 O 8 over a 14-year mine life. Pre-production activities are estimated to begin in 2021, assuming receipt of required regulatory approvals, with first production from the Phoenix deposit expected in 2024.

Table 1  Wheeler River PFS Financial Results (100% Basis) Base case pre-tax NPV 8% (1) $1.31 billion Base case pre-tax "IRR (1) 38.7% Base case pre-tax payback period(2) ~24 months Initial capital costs(3) $322.5 million Average annual mine production 7.8 million lbs U 3 O 8 Mine life 14 years Exchange rate(4) (US$:CDN$) 1:1.30 Discount rate 8.00%

(1) NPV and IRR are calculated to the start of pre-production activities for the Phoenix operation in 2021; (2) Payback period is stated as number of months to pay-back from the start of uranium production; (3) Initial capital costs for the Wheeler River project are the initial capital costs estimated for Phoenix; (4) Exchange rate applied on uranium sales.

Table 2  Wheeler River Reserve Statement (100% Basis) Deposit Classification Tonnes Grade Lbs U 3 O 8 Phoenix Probable 141,000 19.1% 59.7 million Gryphon Probable 1,257,000 1.8% 49.7 million Total Probable 1,398,000 3.5% 109.4 million



Notes: (1) Reserve statement is as of September 24, 2018; (2) CIM definitions (2014) were followed for classification of mineral reserves; (3) Mineral reserves for the Phoenix deposit are reported at the mineral resource cut-off grade of 0.8% U 3 O 8 . The mineral reserves are based on the block model generated for the May 28, 2014 mineral resource estimate. A mining recovery factor of 85% has been applied to the mineral resource above the cut-off grade; (4) Mineral reserves for the Gryphon deposit are estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.58% U 3 O 8 using a long-term uranium price of USD$40/lb, and a USD$/CAD$ exchange rate of 0.80. The mineral reserves are based on the block model generated for the January 30, 2018 mineral resource estimate. The cut-off grade is based on an operating cost of CAD$574/tonne, milling recovery of 97%, and 7.25% fee for Saskatchewan royalties; (5) Mineral reserves include diluting material and mining losses; (6) Mineral reserves are stated at a processing plant feed reference point; (7) Numbers may not add due to rounding.

The PFS has been completed in accordance with NI 43-101, Canadian Institute of Mining, Milling and Petroleum (CIM) standards and best practices, as well as other standards such as the AACE Cost Estimation Standards. The NI 43-101 technical report, supporting the PFS results included in this news release, is in the process of being finalized and will be provided to the WRJV partners for their review in connection with an upcoming management committee meeting and filed under Denison's profile on SEDAR within 45 days of this release. This press release expresses the views and opinions of Denison, as operator of the WRJV, and does not necessarily represent the views of the individual WRJV partners.

Price Assumptions & Sensitivities

The base-case economic analysis assumes uranium sales from Phoenix mine production will be made from time to time throughout production at UxC's forecasted annual "Composite Midpoint" spot price from the Q3'2018 Uranium Market Outlook ("UMO"), which is stated annually in constant (non-inflated) 2018 dollars and ranges from ~US$29/lb U 3 O 8 to US$45/lb U 3 O 8 during the 10 year estimated life of the Phoenix operation. For mine production from the Gryphon operation, a fixed price of US$50/lb U 3 O 8 has been assumed for uranium sales.

The base-case pricing scenario is intended to be representative of how Denison expects to evaluate the business case for advancing development of each of the proposed Phoenix and Gryphon operations. The Phoenix operation is not expected to require substantial contract base loading to justify development  given estimated operating costs of US$3.33/lb U 3 O 8 , resulting in highly attractive operating profit margins (+90%) with the ability to absorb the price variability associated with the uranium spot market. While the Gryphon operation is also expected to have low operating costs (US$11.70/lb U 3 O 8 ), its overall cost profile is considered to be more amenable to fixed (base escalated) price contracts with nuclear energy utilities, in order to reduce risk and justify a development decision.

Additional pricing scenarios are provided using a project wide fixed selling price of US$44/lb U 3 O 8 (the "PEA Reference Case"), to facilitate comparison to the 2016 PEA, and at US$65/lb U 3 O 8 (the "High Case"), to illustrate the potential for the project to benefit from rising uranium prices.

Table 3  Sensitivity of Wheeler River to Uranium Pricing Scenarios (100% Basis)

Base Case PEA Ref. Case High Case Uranium price As above US$44.00/lb U 3 O 8 US$65.00/lb U 3 O 8 Pre-tax NPV 8% (1) $1.31 billion $1.41 billion $2.59 billion Pre-tax IRR(1) 38.7% 47.4% 67.4% Pre-tax payback period(2) ~24 months ~ 15 months ~ 11 months





(1) NPV and IRR are calculated to the start of pre-production activities for the Phoenix operation in 2021; (2) Payback period is stated as number of months to pay-back from the start of uranium production.

The Phoenix Operation

Overview

Phoenix is a unique high-grade Athabasca Basin deposit amenable to ISR mining;

is a unique high-grade Basin deposit amenable to ISR mining; Test results indicate strong ISR well field (+90%) and processing (98.5%) recoveries with UBS concentrations in the 12 to 20 grams per litre (g/l) range  leading to simplified on-site processing plant design, without ion exchange or solvent extraction circuits;

Expected mine life of 10 years with total mine production of 59.7 million pounds U 3 O 8 and an annual average mine production rate of approximately 6.0 million pounds U 3 O 8 ;

O and an annual average mine production rate of approximately 6.0 million pounds U O ; Estimated to have exceptionally low operating costs ( US$3.33 /lb U 3 O 8 ), and comparatively low upfront capital costs for a large-scale uranium mining operation;

/lb U O ), and comparatively low upfront capital costs for a large-scale uranium mining operation; Opportunity to be one of the most environmentally friendly mining operations in the world, owing to minimal surface disturbance, no tailings generation, potential for no water discharge, a controlled restoration process, and access to the Provincial power grid  resulting in a potentially near zero carbon emission mine site during operations;

Elimination of key ISR concerns by using a freeze cap to contain mining solutions during operations and to facilitate the restoration process; and

Short timeline to production with the capability to scale production to meet market demands.

Table 4  Phoenix Operation Summary of Economic Results

Base Case High Case Uranium selling price UxC Spot Price(1) US$65/lb U 3 O 8 Operating profit margin(2) 91.4% 95.0% Pre-tax NPV 8% (3) (100%) $930.4 million $1.91 billion Pre-tax IRR(3) 43.3% 71.5% Pre-tax payback period(4) ~21 months ~ 11 months

(1) Spot Price is based on the "Composite Midpoint" spot price scenario from UxC's UMO; (2) Operating profit margin is calculated as aggregate uranium revenue less aggregate operating costs, divided by aggregate uranium revenue. Operating costs exclude all royalties, surcharges and income taxes; (3) NPV and IRR are calculated to the start of pre-production activities for the Phoenix operation in 2021; (4) Payback period is stated as number of months to pay-back from the start of uranium production.

Table 5  Phoenix Operating Cost per Pound U 3 O 8

CDN$ US$ Mining / Wellfield 0.75 0.58 Milling / Processing 1.97 1.51 Transport to converter 0.21 0.16 Site support and administration 1.40 1.08 Total Operating Costs per pound U 3 O 8 $4.33 $3.33

Table 6  Phoenix Capital Costs ($ millions)

Initial Sustaining Total Wellfield 63.7 35.4 99.1 ISR processing plant 50.9 4.6 55.5 Water treatment plant 1.3 18.7 20.0 Surface facilities 22.3 0.1 22.4 Utilities 6.5 0.8 7.3 Electrical 18.8 - 18.8 Civil & earthworks 44.3 1.3 45.6 Offsite infrastructure 8.0 - 8.0 Decommissioning - 27.5 27.5 Subtotal  Direct Costs 215.8 88.4 304.2 Indirect costs 28.3 5.7 34.0 Other (Owner's) costs 14.2 - 14.2 Contingency 64.2 9.4 73.6 Total Capital Costs (100%) 322.5 103.5 426.0

Deposit & Geology

The Phoenix deposit is the highest-grade undeveloped uranium deposit in the world, geologically situated at or immediately above the unconformity between the Athabasca Basin sandstone and older basement rocks, approximately 400 metres below surface. Mineralization has been defined over a strike length of approximately one kilometre and is coincident with a significant steeply dipping fault zone. A total of 196 drill holes have delineated two distinct zones (A and B) of high-grade uranium mineralization lying horizontally along the unconformity. At a cut-off grade of 0.8% U 3 O 8 the Phoenix deposit is estimated to contain Indicated Mineral Resources of 166,400 tonnes, at a grade of 19.14% U 3 O 8 for a total of 70.2 million pounds U 3 O 8 , plus Inferred Mineral Resources of 8,600 tonnes at a grade of 5.80% U 3 O 8 for a total of 1.1 million pounds U 3 O 8 . For further details, see the Company's report entitled "Technical Report with an Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Wheeler River Property, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada" dated March 15, 2018 (the "Resource Report"), as filed on SEDAR and available on the Company's website. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Selection of ISR Mining Method

After completion of the 2016 PEA, Denison initiated a detailed review of the development plan for the Phoenix deposit  which had been designed as an underground mine using JBS mining as the extraction technology. The 2016 PEA identified disadvantages associated with JBS mining, including technical risk, comparatively high operating and capital costs, as well as long pre-production construction timelines.

Accordingly, following completion of the 2016 PEA, Denison initiated an extensive review process, seeking suitable alternative mining methods for the Phoenix deposit. A total of 32 different mining methods were identified, reviewed, and subsequently shortlisted through an increasingly rigorous evaluation process. ISR mining was ultimately selected as the preferred mining method due to significant economic, environmental, and technical advantages.

ISR Mining Process

ISR mining has become the industry leading low-cost uranium production method globally  following on from initial use in the 1960s to extensive use at present in Kazakhstan (the world's largest and lowest cost producer of uranium), the United States, China, Russia, and Australia, amongst others. ISR mining is amenable to uranium deposits in certain sedimentary formations and is well known in the industry for comparatively minimal surface impact, high production flexibility, and low operating and capital costs. In 1998, ISR mining represented roughly 13% of global uranium production, increasing rapidly to the point where today it is estimated to account for over 50% of global uranium production. There has been continuous development and improvement of ISR mining techniques in past years, particularly in the two decades since the International Atomic Energy Agency ("IAEA") published the Manual of Acid In-Situ Leach Uranium Mining Technology (IAEA-TECDOC-1239).

ISR mining involves recovery of uranium by pumping a mining solution (also referred to as a "lixiviant") through an appropriately permeable orebody. The method eliminates the need to physically remove ore and waste from the ground  thus eliminating the related surface disturbance and tailings normally related to underground or open pit operations. The mining solution dissolves the uranium as it travels through the ore zone  effectively reversing the natural process that originally deposited the uranium. The mining solution is injected into the ore zone through a series of four-inch cased drill holes called injection wells and pumped back to surface via a similar series of recovery wells. Once on surface, the UBS is sent to a surface processing plant for the chemical separation of the uranium. Following the uranium removal, the mining solution is reconditioned (often referred to as the barren mining solution) and returned back to the well field for further production.

While ISR mining is not currently being used in Canada for uranium mining, the Phoenix deposit has all the attributes necessary to be a successful ISR operation, as outlined below:

Mineralization that is situated in permeable ground, allowing the mining solution to travel from the injection well through the orebody and ultimately back to surface via a recovery well; Mineralization that is readily dissolvable by the mining solution; and Mineralization that is within a setting which allows for containment of the mining solution  such that the mining solution can be recovered without contaminating the environment or being diluted by natural ground water.

Many of the large undeveloped uranium deposits discovered in the Athabasca Basin in recent years (namely Arrow, Triple R, Gryphon, Millennium, and Roughrider) are hosted within basement rocks, which are not amenable to ISR mining due to the low permeability of the host rock.

As ISR mining is a novel mining method for the Athabasca Basin, there is risk that the Company may not be able to complete ISR operations as outlined in the PFS and/or that the costs could be materially different than estimated.

Phoenix Freeze Cap

In conventional ISR operations, containment of the mining solution is typically achieved by naturally impermeable bounding layers in the geological strata and/or by creating a natural drawdown (via pumping) of the water table towards the ore zone. At Phoenix, there is a natural impermeable layer below the deposit, in the form of a competent package of basement rocks, but the deposit is otherwise hydraulically connected to the vast regional groundwater system in the overlying sandstone formation that defines the Athabasca Basin. To contain the mining solution within the ore zones, an artificial freeze cap is planned to encapsulate the deposit. While this is a novel concept, ground freezing technology is well established throughout the world and is already in use in the Athabasca Basin in different applications.

The freeze cap will be established by drilling parallel cased holes from surface, starting at either end of the deposit and travelling horizontally along the long axis of the deposit anchoring into the impermeable basement rock on the opposite end of the deposit. This is expected to be achievable using modern directional drilling techniques. Circulation of a low temperature brine solution through the cased drill holes will freeze the groundwater within the sandstone rock and ultimately create an impermeable freeze wall, expected to be roughly 10 metres thick, surrounding the deposit on all sides and above, without freezing the actual ore zone.

Due to the novel approach proposed for drilling of the freeze holes, there is risk that the Company may not be able to complete drilling as planned, which could materially increase cost estimates.

See Figure 1 for illustration of Phoenix freeze cap

Processing of UBS

In certain conventional low-grade ISR operations, the concentration of uranium within the UBS recovered from the well field can range from 30 to 50 milligrams per litre (mg/L), which requires the use of ion exchange or solvent extraction processing circuits to concentrate the uranium and remove impurities for efficient precipitation processes. The volumes of UBS subject to processing are also typically quite large, due to the low-grade nature of the orebodies and the low level of uranium contained in the UBS recovered from the well fields.

As part of the PFS process, Denison completed numerous metallurgical test programs to simulate the ISR mining process, in accordance with industry standards  including leach tests, agitation leach tests, column tests, and post mining column restoration tests. All testing has indicated that the Phoenix ore is readily leached with a low pH (acid) solution, producing insignificant levels of impurities (i.e. arsenic, selenium) and very high levels of uranium recovery (98.5%).

Due to the high-grade nature of the Phoenix deposit, leach tests and column tests have consistently returned uranium concentrations within the UBS recovered from Phoenix samples between 12 and 20 grams per litre (g/L)  which is significantly higher than the level of uranium contained in the UBS recovered from certain conventional low-grade ISR well fields. At this level of concentration, much smaller volumes of UBS require processing in surface facilities. As a result of the high uranium concentration and low levels of impurities expected in the UBS, direct precipitation of the uranium is viable  which eliminates the need for ion exchange or solvent extraction circuits, and translates into reduced capital costs, reagent consumption, and operating costs during operations.

The PFS calls for the construction of a processing plant on the Wheeler River site, which has been designed to receive UBS from the well field with a uranium concentration of 10 grams per litre and with total throughput of 500 litres per minute. Taken together, this would allow for up to 6 million pounds U 3 O 8 in annual production. The processing plant for Phoenix is designed as a closed loop system, meaning that once the uranium is precipitated from the UBS, the mining solution is reconditioned with reagents and returned to the wellfield for re-injection and further mining. The use of the freeze cap and simplified processing plant design eliminates the need for discharge of effluent during the process.

The simplified process flowsheet and processing plant design is based on the testing described above. There is risk that the Company may not be able to achieve estimated results or may require additional processing steps beyond those currently designed. This could have a material impact on project costs and economics.

See Figure 2 for Phoenix process plant flow sheet sketch

Well Field Design

Conventional ISR roll-front uranium deposits are typically spread out over several kilometers. The low-grade nature of these deposits combined with well spacing, reagent consumption, and surface piping and pumping distribution systems all contribute to create economic thresholds which impact the viability of some deposits. At Phoenix, the ore is confined to a relatively small area (~1 kilometre x 50 metres) and has proved readily leachable in laboratory testing. As a result, infrastructure costs (number of wells, extent of surface piping systems) and operating costs (reagent consumption) are expected to be significantly reduced when compared to conventional low-grade ISR operations  which are already generally regarded as the lowest cost uranium mining operations.

The well field design included in the PFS assumes the use of vertical recovery, injection, and monitoring wells, with a hexagonal pattern of injection wells surrounding each recovery well.

See Figure 3 for proposed Phoenix ISR well field configuration

Table 7  Summary Phoenix ISR Wells

Number of Wells Drill Metres Recovery Wells 94 40,420 Injection Wells 199 85,570 Monitoring Wells 17 7,310 Total 310 133,300

The Gryphon Operation

Overview

Conventional underground mine amenable to low cost longhole stoping;

Expected mine life of 6.5 years with annual average mine production of 7.6 million lbs U 3 O 8 ;

O ; Estimated to have low operating costs ( US$11.70 /lb U 3 O 8 )  generating a relatively high operating margin at current uranium prices;

/lb U O )  generating a relatively high operating margin at current uranium prices; Expectation to fund development by cash flow generated from the Phoenix operation, providing the Wheeler River project with further leverage to rising uranium prices

Table 8  Gryphon Operation Summary of Economic Results

Base Case High Case Uranium selling price US$50/lb U 3 O 8 US$65/lb U 3 O 8 Operating profit margin(1) 77.0% 82.3% Pre-tax NPV 8% (2) $560.6 million $998.8 million Pre-tax IRR(2) 23.2% 31.0% Pre-tax payback period(3) ~ 37 months ~ 31 months

(1) Operating profit margin is calculated as aggregate uranium revenue less aggregate operating costs, divided by aggregate uranium revenue. Operating costs exclude all royalties, surcharges and income taxes; (2) NPV and IRR are calculated to the start of pre-production activities for the Gryphon operation in 2026; (3) Payback period is stated as number of months to pay-back from the start of uranium production.

Table 9  Gryphon Operating Cost per Pound U 3 O 8

CDN$ US$ Mining 5.46 4.20 Milling 8.45 6.50 Transport to Converter 0.21 0.16 Site support and administration 1.09 0.84 Total Operating Costs per pound U 3 O 8 $15.21 $11.70

Table 10  Gryphon Capital Costs ($ millions)

Initial Sustaining Total Shafts 131.5 - 131.5 Surface facilities 46.9 6.1 53.0 Underground 49.7 68.7 118.4 Utilities 3.9 0.3 4.2 Electrical 3.6 - 3.6 Civil & earthworks 11.8 0.5 12.3 McClean Lake mill upgrades 49.9 - 49.9 Offsite infrastructure 32.4 - 32.4 Decommissioning - 1.6 1.6 Subtotal  Direct Costs 329.7 77.2 406.9 Indirect costs 142.0 5.1 147.1 Other (Owner's) costs 28.1 - 28.1 Contingency 123.3 0.4 123.7 Total Capital Costs (100%) 623.1 82.7 705.8

Deposit & Geology

The Gryphon uranium deposit is located approximately three kilometres to the northwest of the Phoenix deposit and occurs 520 to 850 metres below surface dominantly within competent basement rocks. The Gryphon deposit has an overall strike length of 610 metres, dip length of 390 metres and variable thickness from 2 to 70 metres depending on the number of mineralized lenses present. The A, B and C series of lenses comprise of stacked, parallel lenses, which plunge to the northeast along a fault zone ("G-Fault") that occurs between the hanging wall graphite-rich pelitic gneisses and a more competent pegmatite-dominated footwall. The D series of lenses occur within the pegmatite-dominated footwall along a secondary fault zone ("Basal Fault") or within extensional relay faults which link to the G-Fault. The E series of lenses occur along the G-Fault, up-dip and along strike to the northeast of the A and B series lenses, within the upper basement or at the sub-Athabasca unconformity. Taken together, the Gryphon deposit, at a cut-off grade of 0.2% U 3 O 8 , is estimated to contain Indicated Mineral Resources of 1,643,000 tonnes, at a grade of 1.7% U 3 O 8 for a total of 61.9 million pounds U 3 O 8 , plus Inferred Mineral Resources of 73,000 tonnes at a grade of 1.2% U 3 O 8 for a total of 1.9 million pounds U 3 O 8 . For further details, see the Company's Resource Report, as filed on SEDAR and available on the Company's website. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Underground Mining via Longhole Stoping

The more moderate grades and style of mineralization within the basement rocks of the Gryphon deposit have allowed for the application of conventional underground mining methods, namely longitudinal retreat longhole stoping. The Gryphon deposit is centered ~270 metres below the unconformity, and the top of the planned mining horizon is situated ~25 metres below the unconformity, which is below the paleo weathering profile and is expected to provide a permanent pillar to separate the underground openings from the sandstone formations above. Engineering assessments support a 15 metre sub-level interval with the use of conventional remote-control equipment. Production is generally constrained by mill capacity and as a result the mine design calls for an average of ~600 tonnes per day production rate after a 2.5 year ramp-up period. The mineralization of the Gryphon deposit's A, B and C series of lenses, which occur largely together along the G-Fault, have been grouped together into the "Upper Main", "Lower Main" and "Upper SW" zones for mine planning purposes.

See Figure 4 for isometric cross section of Gryphon mine

Processing at 22.5% Denison Owned McClean Lake Mill

Production from the Gryphon operation is assumed to be processed at the 22.5% Denison owned McClean Lake processing plant, located in the northeastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region. The results of the metallurgical test work program completed for the PFS indicate that the Gryphon deposit is amenable to recovery utilizing the existing McClean Lake Mill flowsheet under current operating conditions, with an estimated recovery rate of 98.2%.

Due to the volume throughput expected from the Gryphon operation, the McClean Lake Mill will require certain upgrades, including expansion of the leaching circuit, the addition of a filtration system to complement the existing Counter Current Decantation (CCD) circuit, the installation of an additional tailings thickener, and an expansion of the acid plant. Various other small miscellaneous upgrades will also be required throughout the mill to achieve production at the licensed capacity of the facility (24 million pounds U 3 O 8 per year). The McClean Lake Mill received a new 10 year operating license from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in 2017 and is currently processing 100% of the mine production from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement. The PFS assumes that Cigar Lake production will decline from 18 million pounds U 3 O 8 , at present, to approximately 15 million pounds U 3 O 8 (when mining Phase 2 of the estimated resources) at the time of co-processing with ore from the Gryphon operation. In order to assess compatibility with Gryphon mill feed and to approximate the split of estimated mill operating costs, various assumptions have been made in regards to the nature and quantity of the mill feed from the Cigar Lake mine. Denison's interest in the McClean Lake joint venture ("MLJV") does not entitle the Company or the WRJV to process its mine production at the facility in the absence of a toll milling agreement. Accordingly, certain assumptions have been made regarding the likelihood and terms of a toll milling agreement with the MLJV. The estimated cost of production for Gryphon could be materially different should processing not be available at an existing local facility.

To facilitate access to the McClean Lake Mill from the Wheeler River site, the PFS also carries certain costs of building an extension to Highway 914 to connect the McArthur River and Cigar Lake operations, and allow for a more direct transport of Gryphon mine production to the McClean Lake mill over an approximately 160 kilometre route. Consultations with the Province of Saskatchewan have been encouraging in terms of participation in the project, as previously outlined on page 35 of the 2012 Saskatchewan Government document "Saskatchewan Plan for Growth  Vision 2020 and Beyond". The transportation of mine production comes with certain environmental risks, but similar operations in the region have long standing successful records of operating safely and with positive environmental performance.

Site Infrastructure

The Wheeler River project is located near critical existing infrastructure in the eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin, including the Provincial power grid and Provincial Highway 914. Accordingly, the Wheeler River site is expected to be connected to both the Provincial power grid and road network with minimal effort. In the PFS, shared site infrastructure costs are generally included in the initial capital costs for the Phoenix operation, and include the following:

Five kilometre site road connecting the Phoenix camp to Highway 914;

camp to Highway 914; Five kilometre site power line and associated fixturing connected to the Provincial power grid;

Airstrip (1600 metres) to allow for transport of staff on a planned two week-in, two week-out basis;

150 person camp with kitchen and recreational facilities;

Site operations centre including maintenance shop, offices, change house, and laboratories;

Supplies warehousing and fuel storage facilities;

Emergency / back-up power generators;

Wash bay, scanning and weight scale facilities; and

Potable and waste water treatment and waste storage facilities.

See Figure 5 for Wheeler River site infrastructure layout

Indicative Denison Post-Tax Results

The PFS is prepared on a pre-tax basis, as each partner to the WRJV is subject to different tax and other obligations. Denison has completed an indicative post-tax assessment based on a variety of its possible ownership interests  including its current ownership interest (63.3%), its expected ownership interest by the end of 2018 under the January 2017 dilution agreement (66.16%), and its expected ownership interest upon completion of the September 2018 agreement to acquire 100% of Cameco's interest in the WRJV (90%). Denison's indicative post-tax results also incorporate the impact of expected toll mill fees recovered from its 22.5% interest in the MLJV and the benefit of existing tax shelter balances.

Net Saskatchewan sales royalties consist of the resource surcharge (3%), and the basic uranium royalty (5%), which are partially offset by the resource credit (0.75%). These amounts are included in the pre-tax NPV calculations throughout the PFS; however, they are excluded from the operating cost per pound U 3 O 8 metrics, as they vary with the value of assumed uranium sales. The profit from operations is subject to an additional Provincial uranium profit royalty, which is treated as an income tax, and allows for the use of certain tax shelter balances.

Certain scenarios representing Denison's post-tax indicative results for the Wheeler River project (including the Phoenix and Gryphon operations) are summarized below and are based on the prevailing Federal and Provincial taxation regulations in place at the time of the PFS.

Table 11  Denison Indicative Post-Tax Results (Wheeler River)

63.3% Denison 90.0% Denison





Initial capital costs $204.1 million $290.3 million





Base case post-tax IRR(1) 31.8% 32.7% Base case post-tax NPV 8% (1) $506.4 million $755.9 million Base case post-tax payback period(2) ~ 27 months ~ 26 months





High case post-tax IRR(1) 53.9% 55.7% High case post-tax NPV 8% (1) $1.01 billion $1.48 billion High case post-tax payback period(2) ~ 12 months ~ 12 months

(1) NPV and IRR are calculated to the start of pre-production activities for the Phoenix operation in 2021. (2) Payback period is stated as number of months to pay-back from the start of uranium production.

Development Outlook

The results of the PFS demonstrate robust project economics  notably based on a uranium spot price forecast for the Phoenix deposit. This represents a comparatively conservative base case price assumption and supports the near-term advancement of the project towards the initiation of the Environmental Assessment ("EA") and permitting process, as well as the completion of a Feasibility Study ("FS").

To date, Denison has completed several years of environmental baseline studies and community consultations, as well as initial assessments for the Wheeler River project and its associated environmental interactions. The next step in the process is the submission of a Project Description to initiate the formal regulatory process through both the Federal and Provincial regulatory agencies. It is estimated that the EA approval process will require 3 to 4 years to complete, based on the regulations and process currently applicable.

Activities associated with the FS are expected to involve the confirmatory field and metallurgical testing for ISR operations at Phoenix, followed by the initiation of feasibility level engineering design work. Following completion of a positive FS and a decision to advance the project to the construction phase, detailed engineering and procurement activities would commence in preparation for construction to begin following receipt of all required regulatory approvals.

The PFS assumes that initial construction activities will commence in 2021 and that first production will be achieved from the Phoenix operation by mid-2024. Initial construction is expected to commence at Gryphon by 2026 and first production from Gryphon is expected to be achieved in 2030.

Qualified Persons

The disclosure of the results of the PFS contained in this news release, including the mineral reserves, was reviewed and approved by Peter Longo, P. Eng, MBA, PMP, Denison's Vice-President, Project Development, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101.

The disclosure of a scientific or technical nature regarding the Phoenix and Gryphon deposits, including the mineral resources, contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Dale Verran, MSc, P.Geo., Pr.Sci.Nat., Denison's Vice President, Exploration, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101.

For a description of the data verification, assay procedures and the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied by Denison, please see Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 27, 2018 filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Denison

Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to its 63.3% owned Wheeler River project, which ranks as the largest undeveloped high-grade uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin region, Denison's Athabasca Basin exploration portfolio consists of numerous projects covering approximately 320,000 hectares. Denison's interests in the Athabasca Basin also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture ("MLJV"), which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest and Midwest A deposits, and a 65.45% interest in the J Zone deposit and Huskie discovery on the Waterbury Lake property. Each of Midwest, Midwest A, J Zone and Huskie are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.

Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Denison Environmental Services division and is the manager of Uranium Participation Corp., a publicly traded company which invests in uranium oxide and uranium hexafluoride.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison.

Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or the negatives and / or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the results of, and estimates, assumptions and projections provided in, the PFS, including future development methods and plans, market prices, costs and capital expenditures; the Company's current plans with respect to the commencement and completion of an EA and feasibility study on the project; assumptions regarding Denison's ability to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals to commence development; Denison's percentage interest in its projects and its agreements with its joint venture partners; and the availability of services to be provided by third parties. Statements relating to "mineral resources" are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions that the mineral resources described can be profitably produced in the future.

Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Denison faces certain risks, including the inability to permit or develop the project as currently planned, the unpredictability of market prices, the use of mining methods which are novel and untested in the Athabasca Basin, events that could materially increase costs, changes in the regulatory environment governing the project lands, and unanticipated claims against title and rights to the project. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the "Risk Factors" in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 27, 2018 available under its profile at www.sedar.com and its Form 40-F available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. These factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this press release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this press release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in its expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources: This press release may use the terms "measured", "indicated" and "inferred" mineral resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.

SOURCE Denison Mines Corp.

Related Links

www.denisonmines.com

ATLANTA, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DEVCON, a cybersecurity software company dedicated to defeating ad fraud and preserving independent journalism, today announced it has been chosen to showcase its anti-fraud technology Oct. 16-17 at Venture Atlanta, the Southeast's foremost technology innovation and investor conference.

"We are committed to tracking down the cyber thieves stealing billions from the publishing industry each year and returning that money to the pockets of hard-working journalists," said Maggie Louie, Co-founder and CEO of DEVCON. "We're living in a vital period in the history of journalism, and it's extremely gratifying that Venture Atlanta recognizes this and sees the value in our mission to defend publishers from widespread fraudulent advertising. It's an honor to be among the 33 companies selected to demonstrate their technology at Venture Atlanta, especially with its rich history supporting innovative companies like ours."

Founded in 2017, DEVCON is an Atlanta- and Memphis-based cyber security software company, comprised of white-hat hackers, information security experts and digital media executives who are resolutely focused on solving the publishing industry's most costly problem: an estimated $19 billion stolen each year by advertising cyber criminals. While software providers have sought to combat ad fraud for years, DEVCON is the first to reliably trace fraudulent activity back to its source. Following the money and treating ad fraud as criminal activity, DEVCON helped law enforcement facilitate the first-ever conviction for online ad theft and money laundering, resulting in a four-year prison sentence.

"After pouring over hundreds of applications from promising companies, this year's list of participating companies was the hardest yet to select," said Ned Hill, managing director, technology banking at Square 1 Bank and Venture Atlanta 2018 company selection chair. "From emerging technology startups to more established venture-stage companies, it is clear that tech innovation in our region is incredibly bright and strong."

DEVCON, in association with Adhack.org, is now providing thousands of publishers with free access to its premier platform. Through the FREEDOM for MEDIA program, small and mid-sized publishers will have real-time alerts on ad fraud breaches and attacks, as well as access to multiple blocking options, revenue impact reports, ad quality auditing and easy tag management for ads.txt and GDPR compliance.

About DEVCON

Founded in 2017 in Memphis, Tenn., DEVCON is a cybersecurity software company whose proprietary technology empowers publishers to maximize their advertising revenues by identifying and eliminating fraudulent ads within their networks. The product of some of the most influential newsrooms in America, the DEVCON team is a veteran mix of media executives, white hat hackers and IT pros firmly dedicated to the longevity and prosperity of journalism. DEVCON expanded its headquarters to Atlanta in 2018 after joining the 2018 Engage cohort and becoming an ATDC signature company. It is also a Techstars Barclay London 2018 alumni. DEVCON's FREEDOM for MEDIA program offers publishers a free tool to identify ad fraud as it happens in their networks, while the company's premium platform enables tracking and blocking of Bad Ads. Beyond digital revenue protection for publishers, DEVCON brings powerful anti-money laundering software to the FinTech sector, having aided law enforcement in facilitating the first-ever criminal conviction for online ad theft.

About Venture Atlanta

Venture Atlanta, Georgia's technology innovation event, is where the region's most promising tech companies meet the country's top-tier investors. As the South's largest investor showcase helping launch more than 400 companies and raise over $2.6 billion in funding to date, Venture Atlanta connects local entrepreneurs with local and national venture capitalists, bankers, angel investors and others in the technology ecosystem who can help them raise the capital they need to grow their businesses. The annual nonprofit event is a collaboration of three leading Georgia business organizations: Atlanta CEO Council, Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). For more information, visit www.ventureatlanta.org. For updates, follow us on Twitter, and visit our blog.

SOURCE DEVCONGAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sirnaomics, Inc., a leading biopharmaceutical company in discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, announced today that Dmitry Samarsky, Ph.D., will be joining the company's senior management team as Chief Technology Officer, taking effect on October 1st, 2018. Dr. Samarsky is one of the pioneers and an internationally recognized expert in the field of RNAi therapeutics. Dr. Samarsky will have two roles: (1) to lead Sirnaomics' RNAi technology development and secure its leadership position; and (2) to facilitate technology collaborations and therapeutic partnerships.

Dr. Samarsky has been at the inception of RNAi technology and drug development - starting in 2001 as Director of Technology Development at Sequitur (acquired by Invitrogen in 2003) and (in 2005) as Director of Technology Development at Dharmacon (now part of GE). He then served as VP of Technology Development at RXi Pharmaceuticals, USA (2007-2011), SVP of Technology and International Business Development at RiboBio, China (2011-2016) and, most recently, as Chief Scientific Officer at Silence Therapeutics, Germany (2016-2018). Dr. Samarsky has authored more than 40 scientific papers, articles, book chapters, patents and patent applications. He has been an invited speaker at more than 100 international conferences, and currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards for the OTS (Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society), CNAF (China Nucleic Acids Forum), TIDES (Oligonucleotide and Peptide Therapeutics) conference series and OPT (Oligonucleotide and Precision Therapeutics) Congress. Dr. Samarsky received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from University of Massachusetts, Amherst (1998), followed by a postdoctoral position as an H. Arthur Smith Fellow for Cancer Research at University of Massachusetts Medical School (1998-2001).

"We are very happy to have Dr. Dmitry Samarsky join Sirnaomics' senior management team as the Chief Technology Officer. Dmitry has extensive knowledge in the discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics and is one of the thought leaders for siRNA drug delivery," Dr. Patrick Lu, President and CEO of the company, commented. "His addition not only strengthens Sirnaomics technology leadership but will also provide an initial presence for the company in the vibrant biotherapeutics arena within the Cambridge/Boston area."

"I know well and have strong confidence in Sirnaomics' leadership and outstanding management team," said Dmitry. "I feel honored and excited to join the company in its quest to discover and develop therapeutics based on cutting edge RNAi technology to treat human diseases."



About Sirnaomics Clinical Programs

The leading compound of Sirnaomics STP705 is composed of two siRNA oligonucleotides, targeting TGF-1 and COX-2 mRNA respectively, and formulated in nanoparticles with Histidine-Lysine Co-Polymer (HKP) peptide. Each individual siRNA was demonstrated to inhibit the expression of their target mRNAs and combining the two siRNA's produces a synergistic effect that diminishes pro-fibrogenic and pro-inflammatory factors. Molecular analyses of the effects of administering the combination demonstrated that the inhibition of these targets had effects on downstream gene products associated with fibrosis including -SMA, Col1A1, and Col3A1. Additional data suggests that reductions in TGF-1 and COX-2 led to proapoptotic effects in fibroblasts. These observations suggest that STP705 has the potential for broad application in many inflammatory and fibrotic disease states. STP705 has already entered Phase II clinical study in the USA and received clinical study approval from the Chinese FDA for treatment of hypertrophic Scar. In addition, STP705 has received two orphan drug designations for treatments of Liver Fibrosis: Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and Liver Cancer: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) which has received IND green light recently. Other clinical indications for human fibrotic diseases and cancers using different RNAi therapeutic compounds are under development by Sirnaomics.



About Sirnaomics, Inc.

Sirnaomics, Inc., a leading privately held biopharmaceutical company for discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, with subsidiaries in Suzhou and Guangzhou, China. The company's mission is to alleviate human suffering and advance patient care in areas of high unmet medical need, with a guiding principle of "Innovation, Global Vision, and Patient-Centered". Members of the senior management team have extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical, financial, clinical and business management arenas in both the USA and China. The company is supported with funding from Institutional investors, corporate partnerships and government grants. Sirnaomics has developed a strong portfolio of intellectual property with an enriched product pipeline. The therapeutic areas of interest include fibrotic diseases and oncology.

Contact:

George Ji, MBA

Senior Vice President

Sirnaomics, Inc.

[email protected]

SOURCE Sirnaomics, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sirnaomics.com

The president was highlighting U.S. gains under his watch as he opened his address to the U.N. General Assembly. He said the American economy was "booming like never before" and that his administration has accomplished more in less than two years than almost any other administration.Each residence is comprised of approximately 13,000 square feet of living space, elegantly designed and focused on sustainability for both residents and the community as a whole. Each residence is equipped with solar installations and electricity storage, chef-quality kitchens using Wolf and Subzero appliances, elevators, a salt-water infinity-edge pool, and home automation with advanced technology. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, fabulous sunsets and ocean views complete the picture for each home.

The co-founders and managing executives of Oceanside Farms are also co-developers, Sean Kelly from Los Angeles, California and Wendy Chan from New York City. Chan's passion to promote healthy lifestyles was the genesis for the development's concept. With her husband David, Wendy Chan will be one of the first residents of Oceanside Farms. "We believe that eating fresh high-quality organic food, living in a healthy, stress-free and self-sustaining environment enriches human life. It provides the ultimate peace of mind. Oceanside Farms is committed to this outlook on wellness. We aim to cultivate a community where like-minded people can congregate to enjoy fulfillment in the arts, food, culture, education, physical health, and the exploration of nature" Chan proclaims, with a passion that is expressed in the planning of the development.

"Incorporating leading edge technology for energy conservation and sustainability, demand is expected to be very strong," explain principal agents Maddy Krasne and Adrian Bleackley of Engel & Voelkers. Each residence will have its own vanishing-edge pool with uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean and fabulous sunsets. Residences provide carefully designed interiors to support a variety of needs, including those of multi-generational families. Seventy percent or more of the home's energy needs will be generated by solar installations. The location has its own clean water supply and provides a perfect backdrop to a relaxed and healthy lifestyle for future residents. We are extremely excited to have this opportunity and Engel & Voelkers is the ideal company and network to showcase this magnificent development" Krasne/Bleackley have commented.

About Engel & Voelkers:

The Engel & Voelkers Group was established in 1977 in Hamburg, Germany as a purely residential real estate agency. Since then The Engel & Voelkers Group has achieved a leading position in the European and global luxury real estate market providing real estate brokerage services for both buyers and sellers.

Media Contact:

Maddy Krasne

Engel & Voelkers South Tampa

Direct : 813-785-4360

Office : 813-258-9000

E-mail: [email protected]a.com / [email protected]

SOURCE Engel & Voelkers South TampaNORTH CANTON, Ohio, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Collegiate Inventors Competition, an annual competition that rewards innovations, discoveries and research by college and university students and their faculty advisors, announced today its 2018 Finalists.

This year's Finalists and their inventions provide a glimpse into the future of American innovation and emerging technological trends  from a harp-inspired water harvester to a steerable microcatheter. Through their research, these college students have harnessed their "inner inventor" to make working prototypes that can positively change our world.

Each year, individuals representing a broad cross-section of technological fields serve as first-round judges, evaluating entries based on originality of the idea, process, level of student initiative, and potential value and usefulness to society. The Finalists will travel to Alexandria, Virginia, to present their inventions to an esteemed panel of final-round judges composed of the most influential inventors and invention experts in the nation  National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officials.

"The USPTO is proud to be the host and presenting sponsor for the 2018 Collegiate Inventors Competition  a program where the brightest college minds in our country will present the future of American innovation," said Andrei Iancu, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. "It is inspiring to participate in an event that showcases the strength of our nation's Innovation Ecosystem."

Competition Finalists will showcase their inventions and interact with thousands of USPTO patent and trademark examiners, sponsors, media and the public at the Collegiate Inventors Competition Expo. The Expo is free and open to all in the community, and it will be held on Friday, Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. in the USPTO Madison Building, Lower Atrium, with the Awards Ceremony immediately following at noon.

Established in 1990, the Collegiate Inventors Competition is a program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and is sponsored by the USPTO, Arrow Electronics and Invista.

Follow the National Inventors Hall of Fame on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for live updates, exclusive interviews with Finalists and Winners, and additional information.

UNDERGRADUATE FINALISTS

CropDoc, Brown University

Team Members: Jack Roswell, Abigail Kohler, Eli Silvert, Alex Zhuk; Advisor: Chandra Madramootoo

Sensing Sick Crops: Pests and crop diseases kill 20 percent of all crops before harvest, causing an annual $990 billion loss in farm income. No current technology can identify specific diseases on farms. Using advanced optics and novel processing techniques, CropDoc provides farmers with actionable insights regarding the location and projected progression of pests and specific crop diseases  weeks before visual symptoms manifest.

Neuraline, Georgia Institute of Technology

Team Members: Alexander Bills, Lucas Muller, Cassidy Wang, Dev Mandavia; Advisor: James Rains

Epidural Accuracy: Annually, about 3 million women in the United States receive anesthesia in the spine, known as an epidural, during labor. About one in eight cases results in complications because of incorrect injection placement. Neuraline identifies a promising injection site at the epidural needle's tip by measuring the electrical properties and composition of the body. A light notifies practitioners they are in the right spot. Accurately pinpointing the epidural space can help administer the epidural in about a quarter of the time.

Pascal Tags, University of Louisville

Team Member: Brandon Young; Advisor: Thad Druffel

Battery-Free Inventory Tracking: In 2017, about 1.7 billion people worldwide shopped online, a number that's expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2021. As demand grows, retailers must improve their supply chain to maintain quick shipping of products to waiting customers. Tracking inventory is a monumental and expensive task that costs companies more than $1 trillion each year. Pascal Tags offer a durable, battery-free, cost-effective inventory tag detection system with a nearly unlimited range, informing companies what is in their inventory and where it is located.

Radiex, Johns Hopkins University

Team Members: Linh Tran, Kevin Tu, Jody Mou; Advisor: Amir Manbachi

Extending Brain Surgery's Reach: During brain surgery, a retractor with metal blades holds brain tissue apart to maintain a working channel. Existing retractors hinder tumor removal and can cause further injury from pressure on brain tissue. Radiex's cylindrical, compact design allows surgeons to access the brain through the smallest point of entry. Once in place, Radiex has the flexibility to gradually expand, increasing the surgeon's area of visibility without added pressure to tissue.

Rhino, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Team Members: Elizabeth Bianchini, Ann McInroy, Kyler Kocher, Sam Resnick; Advisor: Warren Seering

Less Mortar Mess: Removing decaying, crumbling mortar from between bricks to subsequently replace it with new mortar is a messy, tedious and time-consuming job in the construction field. This process, joint raking, generates so much silica dust that workers must wear respirators and goggles for safety. Rhino is a masonry tool attachment that can be used with any traditional rotary hammer. It improves accuracy and safety of joint raking, allowing masons to cover 50 percent more area during a given time.

GRADUATE FINALISTS

Automatic Tracking of Surgical Instruments, University of California at Berkeley (Arrow Electronics Innovation Prize Winner)

Team Members: Federico Alvarez del Blanco, John J. Kim, Robert Kim, Hector D. Neira; Advisor: Verna Gibbs

Operating Efficiently: Surgical technicians manually count and log surgical instruments at multiple stages before, during and after a surgery. This can lead to the misplacement of tools, lengthy delays and surgical errors that annually cost the U.S. healthcare system around $2 billion. This invention uses computer vision and machine learning to identify, count and keep track of instruments for surgeries, automating and revolutionizing instrument management across hospitals.

The Automatic Tracking of Surgical Instruments team is the winner of the Arrow Electronics Innovation Prize, which is chosen by a panel of judges from Arrow Electronics. This exclusive prize advances the team to the final round of judging at the November competition, and it includes a private networking opportunity with Arrow Electronics  a Fortune 113 global technology-solutions provider.

Fog Harp, Virginia Tech

Team Member: Weiwei Shi; Advisor: Jonathan Boreyko

Fresh, Free  Fog: As much as two-thirds of the world's population could face a future water shortage. In response, fog harvesting provides an alternative, low-cost source of fresh water. Current fog harvesters catch fog droplets on a wire mesh, but either cannot capture fog droplets effectively or get clogged doing so. The Fog Harp uses vertical wires instead of a mesh, allowing for efficient droplet collection and drainage without clogging.

Neurotendo, University of California at San Diego

Team Member: Gopesh Tilvawala; Advisor: James Friend

A Brainier Approach: Unruptured aneurysms in the brain are found in one in 50 people in the United States. They potentially can be treated by minimally invasive surgery, but existing surgical methods are often ineffective. Neurotendo addresses the need for a controlled approach to navigation of brain arteries and treatment of cerebral aneurysms with a steerable microcatheter that translates a neurosurgeon's command into the motion of the catheter tip. This micro surgical medical device enables precise navigation, reduction of procedure times and a safer technique.

OSPRI, Case Western Reserve University

Team Members: David Pfau, Sanjit Datta, Eric Salomon, Charit Tippareddy; Advisor: Daniel Lacks

Color Your Water Clean: An inadequate supply of clean water accounts for 3.4 million deaths each year. Optimized Solar Purification with a Reusable Indicator, or OSPRI, was developed to address the need of low-cost clean water in the developing world. Used with solar disinfection techniques, OSPRI is a reusable UV-radiation-measuring sensor that changes color to notify a user that the treated water is safe to drink. OSPRI could increase access to clean drinking water worldwide, drastically reducing waterborne illnesses.

PionEar, Harvard University

Team Members: Nicole Black, Michael J. Kreder; Advisors: Joanna Aizenberg and Jennifer Lewis

Clearing Your Hearing: Ear infections are a leading cause of healthcare visits worldwide, affecting more than 700 million people annually. Ear tubes, used to treat chronic ear infections, have several limitations. As many as 40 percent fail due to issues including clogging, bacterial adhesion, premature extrusion and the inability to effectively transport fluids out of the middle ear space. PionEar uses a bioinspired combination of novel 3-D printed designs and a liquid-infused material to combat these issues with the goal of reducing unnecessary revision surgeries to replace failed ear tubes.

SUPRA, Boston University

Team Member: Jang Hwan Cho; Advisors: Wilson Wong, Jim Collins

CARs Driving Cancer Treatment: CAR T-cell immunotherapy is a rapidly emerging cancer treatment that utilizes the patient's immune system to recognize, target and eliminate tumor cells. This therapy involves removing T-cells from the patient, genetically engineering the T-cells with receptors that target specific proteins on tumor cells and reintroducing the T-cells into the body. SUPRA utilizes a modular design and improved receptor system allowing for multiple proteins to be targeted, increasing the efficacy and overall safety of cancer treatment.

About the Collegiate Inventors Competition

The Collegiate Inventors Competition encourages and drives innovation and entrepreneurship at the collegiate level. A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, this Competition recognizes and rewards the research, innovations and discoveries by college students and their advisors for projects leading to inventions that have the potential of receiving patent protection. Introduced in 1990, the Competition has awarded more than $1 million to students for their innovative work and scientific achievement through the help of its sponsors. For more information, visit invent.org/challenge.

CONTACT:

Ken Torisky

National Inventors Hall of Fame

[email protected]

234-901-6085

SOURCE Collegiate Inventors Competition

Related Links

http://www.invent.org

In his first official speech as China's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, H.E Jianmin Zhang spoke of the need for both countries to work together, especially with the rise of unilateralism and protectionism in some parts of the world. "The trade war has led to tensions in economic and trade relations among the big powers and the uncertainties have increased. China has always adhered to the principles of multilateral trading system and free trade We will open up even further to the outside world," he said. He noted that Sino-Czech relations have been "developing well" with data showing that two-way investment is growing rapidly. The next step, he said would be to accelerate collaboration between both sides.

The issue of collaboration between the two countries was also touched upon by Jan Kohout who is also former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Czech Republic. He spoke of the gains already made but also noted that there was "still a lot to be achieved" and suggested areas in which both sides can deepen their collaboration. A lot of Chinese investors, he said, were interested in infrastructural projects, acquiring IT and high-tech companies, as well as selling their goods in the wider CEE market. "We also have expectations for China to open up their markets more. Over the past few years we have had a mutual understanding. We should also be clear about our long-term strategy as well as the laws and regulations," he said. "We have been making progress. Today's forum will be a great platform where we can exchange ideas that might lead to inspiration for future collaboration. One possible outcome of this forum is future projects. We welcome Chinese investors to the Czech Republic, especially in the previously mentioned areas." He also spoke of his country as a source for high-quality labour, its interest in gaining access to the Chinese market and the potential for both countries to collaborate in R&D.

Governor of Czech National Bank (CNB), Jiri Rusnok also spoke of how both countries are working, and can continue to work, together in the field of finance. The working relationship which began in 2010 with an MOU between China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) and the CNB -- one of the first the CBRC signed with an EU supervisory authority -- deepened in 2016 when crisis management was added to its scope. In his speech, Mr. Rusnok outlined some of the policies needed to ensure, going forward, mutual financial stability under the China-led Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). He also spoke about how the financial markets of both countries can deepen their collaboration. "We need a solid banking system, we need to reduce the negative factors for the protection of consumers and we also need financial literacy," he said. He then gave examples of the benefits seen from the CNB's system of "integrated supervision" which allows for a focus on systemic risk, information-sharing synergies, strong technical and professional support, and autonomous decision-making. He also noted that there is a consolidation of financial market regulation, and supervision at the national level that creates conditions for the effective exchange and integration of relevant data, and potential consolidation of analytical work. "We are working with our Chinese counterparts on knowledge and experience sharing, for example on topics such as financial stability," he said. "I firmly believe we can work together to share more experience between us."

Areas of future potential cooperation between China and the Czech Republic, he noted, could include financial stability and stress-testing; supervision of the consumer credit markets and non-banking financial sector; as well as macro-prudential policy that could prevent bubbles in asset markets, build up sufficient capital buffers, and see a coordination with monetary policies. He also spoke of the challenges ahead that may constitute hurdles to his vision of cooperation, including what he described as a "substantial imbalance in mutual trade", less transparent governance and ownership structures of some Chinese entities, and unclear investment strategies of some Chinese investors. "Future Czech-Chinese relations should be mutually beneficial," he stressed. "We truly welcome the initiative taken by China to open up their market further to the outside world. We believe this could help us to promote our cooperation further."

The theme of a mutually beneficial relationship was continued by CEIBS Professor of Economics and Finance, Xu Bin who used economic data to provide lessons China and the Czech Republic can learn from each other and highlight how they can collaborate. He pointed to similarities between the two countries: services account for a large share of their GDPs and help both countries maintain low unemployment levels, both are very attractive to outside investors, both are still growing (relatively) very fast and economic growth in both is being driven by capital and technology. After providing a macro-economic comparison of both countries Prof. Xu then highlighted six things China can learn from the Czech Republic including how to urbanise but still preserve its cultural heritage; how to improve trade in services; how to provide healthcare to an aging population; how to find the right balance in taxes on income, profits and capital gains; how to tackle air pollution; and how to successfully manage exchange rate and other financial sector issues related to international trade and foreign direct investment.

The forum comes at a historic moment in time: the 40th year of China's reform and opening up, the 15th anniversary of the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and the 5th anniversary of the Belt & Road Initiative. China regards the CEE as a potential driver of European economic growth, as well as a significant partner and destination for investment and, as CEIBS President Professor Li Mingjun noted in his welcome speech, the Czech Republic is a major component of China's relationship with the CEE. "The political, economic, and cultural exchanges between both countries have continued to advance and bilateral trade has developed healthily. China is the Czech Republic's largest trading partner outside the EU and the second largest source of imported goods in the Czech Republic; meanwhile the Czech Republic is China's second largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe," he noted. "Under the vision of China's 'One Belt, One Road' initiative and '16+1 cooperation', building on the momentum of the 'Golden Age' of Sino-Czech relations, we are here today full of hope, to provide a platform for an exchange of views and cooperation between enterprises." He also spoke of the work CEIBS has already done in this regard, such as last year's collaboration with the SINO-CEE Fund to launch the ERICEE, an initiative that has led to CEIBS' academic collaboration with the 16 countries of the CEE, its national-level think tanks, and renowned business schools, and providing intellectual support to the relevant state departments for cooperation in the CEE. All these efforts are complemented by the Prague forum, which is a "bridge to work with European partners to promote business cooperation between China and Europe," said Prof. Li.

The event was rounded out with two panel discussions featuring leading Chinese and Czech executives. The first discussion covered practices and examples for investing in both countries. Panellists included CEO of SINO-CEEF Europe, Jin Chen; President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce, Vladimir Dlouhy; Executive Director of COSCO SHIPPING Lines (Central Europe) s.r.o., Zhongming Luo; President of Zhejiang Huajie Investment Development Co., Ltd. Fengde Zhang; and Chairman of Deloitte (Czech Republic) Josef Kotrba.

The day ended with a panel discussion on "New Space for China-Czech Cooperation" which saw input from Chairman of the Board and Managing Director at CEZ ESCO, Kamil Cermak; Chairman of the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of the Czech Republic, Karel Havlicek; Country Manager at Dahua Technology Czech s.r.o, Zhenyu Hu; Chairman of the Board at Czech General Aircraft, Petr Hyl; and Business Group Manager of Huawei Technologies (Czech), Peter Basek.

The forum is one of five being hosted by CEIBS, China's leading international business school, with partners across Europe. The events are part of the wider CEIBS Insights 2018 initiative, launched to mark the 15th anniversary of the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by observing the role that CEIBS has played and continues to play in fostering Sino-European ties. Prior to the Prague event, CEIBS hosted forums in Munich and London on July 17 and 19, respectively. The next events in the CEIBS Insights Europe Forum 2018 series will be held in Paris on October 19 and Zurich on October 24.

About CEIBS

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) is among the top international business schools in Asia, where it is the only one to have simultaneously made it to the Financial Times' top 30 list of MBA, EMBA, and Executive Education programmes.

CEIBS has more than 20,000 alumni from more than 80 countries worldwide, and has provided a broad range of management programmes for more than 150,000 executives both at home and abroad. CEIBS' faculty team is uniquely equipped to deliver a combination of China Depth and Global Breadth in both teaching and research.

CEIBS has campuses in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Zurich, and Accra.

SOURCE China Europe International Business SchoolMOUNT LAUREL, N.J., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Freedom Mortgage, one of the nation's top non-bank, full service mortgage lenders and a leader in government-insured lending, is proud to be named to the 2018 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. 2018 marks the sixth straight year that Freedom has been named to this exclusive list. Freedom Mortgage is the largest NJ company as measured by revenue to earn placement on the list for six consecutive years. With an impressive 154% revenue growth rate over 3 years, Freedom Mortgage is ranked 2,716th on the list of 5,000.

By making the list for the sixth straight year, Freedom Mortgage earned a spot in the Inc. 5000 Hall of Fame and is pleased to be one of only 15 financial services companies to earn this distinction. Freedom Mortgage has more than 2X the revenue of the next largest financial services company on the list.

Collectively, the companies on this year's Inc. 5000 list had $206.2 billion in revenue in 2017, up 158 percent from $79.8 billion in 2014. Companies were ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2014 to 2017. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generated revenue by March 31, 2014. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent -- not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies -- as of December 31, 2017.

"We are very proud of receiving this honor for the sixth straight year. It demonstrates what we achieved over a difficult period in the mortgage industry," said Stanley C. Middleman, chairman and CEO of Freedom Mortgage. "We made the decision to grow Freedom Mortgage in the downturn and this ranking demonstrates the hard work of our employees and the dedication to serving our customers and fostering home ownership. We could not have this type of growth and success without them."

About Freedom Mortgage

Freedom Mortgage is a non-bank, full-service mortgage company that provides mortgage loan servicing and originations through retail, wholesale, and correspondent channels. As the nation's fifth largest mortgage provider, licensed in all 50 states, Freedom Mortgage is renowned for providing, world-class service to its clients, borrowers and partners. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. For more information, please visit FreedomMortgage.com.

CORPORATE CONTACTS:

Audrey Shapiro

Freedom Mortgage Corporation

856-380-9073

[email protected]

Shari Senior

Freedom Mortgage Corporation

856-712-7034

[email protected]

Press Contact:

Ron Anderson

Strategic Vantage Marketing & Public Relations

770-715-0655

[email protected]

SOURCE Freedom Mortgage

Related Links

https://www.freedommortgage.com

Here are 12 places throughout Great Britain that boast picturesque scenery and spectacular landscapes, plus the inspiring tours that not only take travelers there, but showcase the stories behind-the-scenes and offer an "undiscovered" glimpse of life in England, Scotland and Wales.

Castle Combe (GLOBUS 6-day Hidden Treasures of Southern England)

Considered one of the "prettiest villages in all of England," Castle Combe is a picturesque medieval place that looks as if it's been hidden behind the curtains of time for 800 years. It served as the setting for the film, "The War Horse."

Isle of Wight (GLOBUS 6-day Hidden Treasures of Southern England)

A yachter's playground, the Isle of Wight's 25-mile shore line with beaches, dramatic white cliffs and tranquil sand dunes is full of cheeky seaside kitsch and beauty, in spades.

Widecombe-in-the-Moor (GLOBUS 12-day Britain Uncovered)

It's easy get to know the locals while enjoying a pint of Shandy or a "cuppa" tea in this unspoiled village. Bordering Darmoor's National Park in Devon, Widecombe-in-the-Moor is home to idyllic scenes with wild ponies, sheep and cattle that often meander onto the village green.

Shrewsbury (GLOBUS 12-day Britain Uncovered)

Winding medieval streets and timbered Tudor houses leaning at precarious angles welcoming visitors to this country town in Shropshire. Shrewsbury is the birthplace of Charles Darwin.

Pitlochry (GLOBUS 7-day Scottish Escape)

A former Victorian spa town, Pitlochry has welcomed travelers to take in its fresh Highlands air, beautiful scenery and Scottish Baronial architecture for 170 years.

The Lake District (COSMOS 6-day British Highlights)

Some of the world's most peaceful and serene beauty can be found in The Lake District. England's most treasured National Park, this picturesque place inspired poets Shelley, Keats and Wordsworth and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Llangollen (COSMOS 6-day British Highlights)

Surrounded by lush, sheep-dotted hills and the River Dee, Llangollen is a postcard-perfect village in Denbighshire in Wales

Glenfinnan (COSMOS 7-day Scottish Outlander Adventure)

The spectacular scenery of the Scottish Highland village of Glenfinnan dazzles with the mountain-lined shore of Loch Shiel: The famous viaduct that carried the Hogwarts Express in "Harry Potter" films.

Isle of Skye (COSMOS 7-day Scottish Outlander Adventure)

"Spectacular" does not adequately describe Scotland's Isle of Skye. Here, magnificent moors and mountains, woodlands and waterfalls, lochs and landscapes, cliffs and castles mesmerize travelers and locals, alike  for fifty miles.

Trossachs (COSMOS LITE 7-day Scotland Explorer)

Made popular by the romantic poets of the late 18th century, this National Park features wooded glens, sparkling lochs and craggy hills. Trossachs perfectly captures the beauty of the Scottish Highlands.

Loch Lomand (COSMOS LITE 7-day Scotland Explorer)

Offering some of the finest views in all of Scotland, it's little wonder the "bonnie banks of Loch Lomond" have been praised in a song of the same name. Here, travelers can stand amidst Scotland's most idyllic and unspoiled areas, beside the largest fresh water lake in all of Britain.

Tetbury (COSMOS LITE 7-day England Explorer)

A stroll through the quaint Cotswold village of Tetbury conjurs images of life as a wool-trader 300 years ago. Today, it's known as an "architectural gem" and frequented by locals for its antique shops and cafes.

DEAL ALERT: Book early & SAVE! Save 10% on a 2019 Globus Europe vacation when booking between now and November 27, 2018. For details, click here.

ABOUT GLOBUS FAMILY OF BRANDS

Littleton, Colorado-based Group Voyagers, Inc. is the privately held company that markets and sells the Globus family of brands within the United States. Globus, Cosmos, Cosmos Lite, Monograms and Avalon Waterways offer travelers unparalleled tour, independent travel package, river- and small-ship cruise options. Considered the world's largest tour operator, with 90 years of international travel experience, the Globus family of brands is dedicated to enriching the lives of travelers by turning foreign destinations into familiar harbors, where the expense of travel is forgotten and replaced by personal value. The Globus family of brands is a member of Sustainable Travel International (STI). Consumers can book a Globus family of brands vacation or request brochures by visiting a preferred travel agent or by calling the following toll free number: 1.866.313.2855. For more information, please visit www.globusfamily.com. Travel agents can request brochures by calling toll free 1.800.221.0090 or visiting www.globusfamilypartner.com.

SOURCE Globus family of brands

Related Links

http://www.globusandcosmos.com

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillstone Networks, a leading provider of network security solutions, was included again today in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Unified Threat Management (UTM) for five consecutive years. Hillstone UTM solutions deliver complete security and networking services, tailored to meet the performance and value requirements for small and medium businesses as well as distributed enterprises.

"We believe our continued progression and acknowledgment in the Gartner Magic Quadrants validate our vision to protect our customer's networks and critical assets," said Lingling Zhang, Senior Vice President of Product and Marketing from Hillstone Networks. "We are executing on this vision through internally pushing the envelope on security technology advancements, as well as working with our ecosystem technology partners for a layered, deep and broad solution set."

The Hillstone Networks security portfolio covers perimeter, internal networks, down to the virtual machine and end points, and to the cloud, delivering a multi-layered defense across the entire threat lifecycle. SMB customers benefit the most from this breadth of solutions, which are now offered as a service. This includes new service subscription models that integrate with and support Azure, AWS, and Alibaba, among other cloud providers.

To learn more about the latest in our solutions and technology, visit www.hillstonenet.com

The 2018 Magic Quadrant for UTM report is available to subscribers at www.gartner.com.

About the Magic Quadrant:

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Unified Threat Management (SMB Multifunction Firewalls), Rajpreet Kaur, Claudio Neiva, 20 September 2018

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Hillstone Networks, Inc.

Founded in 2006, Hillstone Networks delivers innovative, proven and effective network security solutions to 15,000+ customers worldwide. These include Fortune 500 enterprises, financial and educational institutions, government and service providers. Hillstone has been recognized by Gartner four years in a row in its Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Network Firewalls.

Contacts:

Zeyao Hu

Marketing Manager

[email protected]

SOURCE Hillstone Networks

Related Links

https://www.hillstonenet.com/

DUBLIN, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Global UHF RFID inlays Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2018 To 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global UHF RFID inlays market is set to expand with a CAGR of 14.8% throughout the forecast period to reach US$ 1,223.5 Mn by 2026.

The UHF RFID inlays market highly driven by increasing demand from various end-use verticals including retail, financial services, healthcare, industrial, government and transportation & logistics among others for longer detection range. UHF RFID tags hold largest share in security systems market owing to higher flexibility and affordability it offers. Significantly increasing retail industry reported as one of the most promising factors proliferating the market demand for UHF RFID inlays worldwide.

Rising GDP along with disposable income of burgeoning population contributed in driving global retail industry, thereby giving positive impact on UHF RFID inlays market. Increasing need for long distance identification creating high demand for UHF RFID tags, thus ensures UHF RFID inlays market growth. Low cost and longer life of UHF RFID inlays, used in passive tags, has emerged one of the highly demanded solutions for product security, especially in retail sector.

The UHF RFID inlays market is segmented based on type, into dry and wet inlays. According to our research, wet inlays accounted for the largest market share owing to lesser cost of these inlays along with supportive labels (papers, plastic sheets, etc.) Product enhancement such as metallic RFID wet inlays, web RFID wet inlays further helping wet inlays segment to grow over the review period. On account of increasing popularity of passive tags, they have captured more than 50% of the overall RFID tags market.

On the other hand, dry inlays segment finds its adoption in retail (for products which require comparatively larger tags e.g. garments) and security sectors owing to larger size of final product. Considering increasing demand for UHF RFID inlays from retail sectors, it is expected to hold largest market share during the forecast period. Global retail industry expected to reach US$ 27.7 Tn by 2020.

Technological advancements coupled with increasing adoption of UHF RFID inlays, in terms of passive RFID tags, allows North America to dominate the global market. North America expected to lead global UHF RFID inlays market during the forecast period from 2018 to 2026. Increasing demand from numerous asset management companies further increases the demand for passive UHF RFID inlays in North America. Asia Pacific projected to register fastest growth in overall UHF RFID inlays market during the forecast period. Increasing retail and e-commerce industry ensures significant growth of UHF RFID inlays market in this region.

Key Topics Covered:

Chapter 1 Preface

1.1 Report Description

1.2 Research Scope

1.3 Market Segmentation

1.4 Research Methodology

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

2.1 Market Snapshot: Global UHF RFID Inlays Market

2.2 Global UHF RFID Inlays Market, by Type, 2017 (US$ Mn)

2.3 Global UHF RFID Inlays Market, by End-use Verticals, 2017 (US$ Mn)

2.4 Global UHF RFID Inlays Market, by Geography, 2017 (US$ Mn)

Chapter 3 Market Dynamics

3.1 Introduction

3.1.1 Global UHF RFID Inlays Market Value, 2016 - 2026, (US$ Mn)

3.2 Market Drivers

3.3 Market Growth Inhibitors

3.3.1 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints

3.4 Key Market Trends and Future Outlook

3.5 Attractive Investment Proposition, by Geography, 2017

3.6 Competitive Analysis

3.6.1 Market Positioning of Key UHF RFID Inlays Companies, 2017

3.6.2 Key Strategies Adopted by the Leading Players

Chapter 4 Global UHF RFID Inlays Market Analysis, by Type, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Mn)

4.1 Overview

4.2 Wet UHF RFID Inlays

4.3 Dry UHF RFID Inlays

Chapter 5 Global UHF RFID Inlays Market Analysis, by End-use Verticals, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Mn)

5.1 Overview

5.2 Retail

5.3 Financial Services

5.4 Healthcare

5.5 Industrial

5.6 Government

5.7 Transports & Logistics

5.8 Others (Pharmaceuticals and Automotive etc.)

Chapter 6 North America UHF RFID Inlays Market Analysis, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Mn)

Chapter 7 Europe UHF RFID Inlays Market Analysis, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Mn)

Chapter 8 Asia Pacific UHF RFID Inlays Market Analysis, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Mn)

Chapter 9 Rest of the World (RoW) UHF RFID Inlays Market Analysis, 2016 - 2026 (US$ Mn)

Chapter 10 Company Profiles

10.1 SMARTRAC N.V.

10.2 Shang Yang RFID Technology Yangzhou Co.

10.3 Xindeco IOT Technology Co. Ltd.

10.4 Invengo Technology Pte. Ltd.

10.5 Avery Dennison Corporation

10.6 Shanghai Inlays Link Inc.

10.7 NXP Semiconductor Austria Styria

10.8 Alien Technology, LLC

10.9 Zhejiang Junmp Technology Inc. Ltd.

10.10 Identive Group, Inc.

For more information about this report visit

https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/rzplwx/global_uhf_rfid?w=5

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

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SIMSBURY, Conn., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Gluten-Free New England, LLC is delighted to present the region's premier resource for healthy gluten-free living. Their just-launched website offers a dining directory, events calendar, reviews, recipes, and articles contributed by local writers and experts. They also organize large-scale expos, festivals, and farm dinners, and provide outreach for teens and young families.

Gluten-Free New England Gluten-Free New England's brand new website

Connecticut resident Abby Helman Kelly, who has been gluten free for 8 years, started the business as "Gluten-Free Connecticut" in 2016. She quickly amassed thousands of followers on social media, local and national interest in her events and collaborations, and steady traffic to the website. Her expo this past April had 70 vendors and drew 2,500 people. "It just took off," she explains. "I've got family all over New England, some of whom have celiac disease. And, with the number of people avoiding gluten and other food allergens growing fast, expanding into the rest of the region was the natural next step. So here we are!"

Kelly, rebuilt the website and selected a domain that rings true to area residents. "Wickedglutenfree.com is regional, accurate, and kinda fun, which pretty much sums up the business," she laughs. Her mission is to be New England's one-stop-shop for healthy and safe gluten-free living. Holiday events, food truck fests, and expos are in the works, all run by Kelly and her family. She is also collaborating with Boston Children's Hospital to increase the number of local celiac outreach programs for families throughout the region.

Residents and businesses are encouraged to be active participants in the site by submitting events, personal stories and listings for the expanding dining directory. "This is a neighborhood resource made for New Englanders, by New Englanders," Kelly says. "My staff is constantly scouring the region for content and restaurants, but who better to recommend a dinner spot than someone who was just there last week? It's about harnessing the power of our celiac, gluten-sensitive, and food allergic communities and businesses to help each other, because we're all in this together."

Gluten-Free New England's next expos are on 4/28/19 at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, CT and 10/27/19 at the Boston Marriott in Burlington, MA. A family-friendly gluten-free holiday party is planned for 12/16/18 at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick, RI. For more information contact: Abby Helman Kelly (860)836-5041, [email protected]/

https://wickedglutenfree.com

https://www.facebook.com/glutenfreenewengland/

https://www.instagram.com/glutenfreenewengland/

CONTACT:

Abby Helman Kelly

Gluten-Free New England

(860) 836-5041

[email protected]

SOURCE Gluten-Free New England, LLC

Related Links

https://wickedglutenfree.com

ATLANTA, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, educators and individuals who represent programs and organizations that fuel the imagination, education and growth of students can apply for a Greater Atlanta McDonald's Golden Grant. This Atlanta-exclusive grant program is funded by local McDonald's Owner/Operators to help K-12 students reach their full potential.

Twelve Golden Grants will be awarded in the following quantities and amounts based on creativity, innovation, need and hands-on application of projects:

1 - $20,000

- 1 - $10,000

- 10 - $1,000

Activities that qualify for a Golden Grant include arts and crafts programs, education initiatives, mentorship and empowerment programs, after-school programs, community service outreach, sporting programs and activities, and more. Activities and programs must be executed by Dec. 31, 2019 in one of the 30 Greater Atlanta counties listed on GoldenGrantsATL.com.

"Golden Grants was created to be a resource for teachers and other individuals who are working hard to positively impact the lives and minds of our students," said Dave Hamilton, a local McDonald's Owner/Operator. "We're excited to fund this program as we recognize the importance of education and contributing to communities throughout Greater Atlanta."

Eligible Atlantans are invited to enter once at GoldenGrantsATL.com and can click the eligibility link for the official rules. The deadline to enter is Nov. 2 and grant recipients will be announced on Dec. 18, 2018.

"As the adage goes, 'It takes a village ', and because of that, local businesses like McDonald's that contribute to educating and inspiring our children are key partners in providing students with the educational opportunities they deserve," said Jason F. Esteves, Chair, Atlanta Board of Education. "Golden Grants will be a good resource for teachers and others who are looking for ways to fund classroom and community projects that fuel learning."

Golden Grants is one of many ways local McDonald's Owner/Operators are contributing to the Greater Atlanta community. Last year, with support from their customers, the Atlanta Operators contributed more than $1 million to the Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities to support the city's two Ronald McDonald Houses, Ronald McDonald Care Mobile and Ronald McDonald Family Room.

For more information about Golden Grants, visit GoldenGrantsATL.com.



About The Greater Atlanta McDonald's Operators Association

The Greater Atlanta McDonald's Operators Association includes more than 50 owner/operators and operations managers, representing 289 restaurants in the 45 county Greater Atlanta area. Recently, McDonald's announced that the company and its franchisees are investing approximately $170 million in Georgia throughout 2018 and 2019 on the construction and modernization of 340 McDonald's restaurants, transforming the customer experience inside and outside the restaurant. McDonald's is also transforming convenience and evolving its customer experience through mobile order and payment, curbside pick-up and McDelivery available at participating restaurants. Consumers can download the McDonald's App for promotions and deals from the restaurants in this area.

SOURCE The Greater Atlanta McDonald's Operators Association

Related Links

http://www.goldengrantsatl.com

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- HSA Bank, a division of Webster Bank, N.A., today announced it will donate $10,000 to Hurricane Florence relief efforts led by the American Red Cross of Wisconsin, including support for local volunteers deployed to the area and shelter supplies for affected residents. HSA Bank has a long history of supporting the communities we serve especially in times of disaster.

"Our thoughts are with those affected by this devastating event," said Chad Wilkins, president of HSA Bank. "We are honored to do our small part in giving back to the communities impacted by donating to the American Red Cross, which provides immediate services and a broad safety net to those affected."

In addition to the monetary donation made by HSA Bank, employees participated in a local Red Cross telethon to help raise additional funds to assist those in need.

About HSA Bank

HSA Bank is a trusted leader in consumer-directed healthcare (CDH), focusing on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for over two decades and serving as both the bank and administrator. Discover how we can support your benefits strategy with our comprehensive account-based health benefit solutions that include HSAs, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), and Commuter Benefits. With a reputation for outstanding service and thought leadership in the CDH space, we offer one platform and one portal for all of our members. HSA Bank inspires nearly 2.7 million members and more than 35,000 employer groups to own "your" health by making it easy to access, understand, and afford healthcare. As of June 30, 2018, HSA Bank has $7 billion in total footings comprising $5.5 billion in deposit balances and $1.5 billion in assets under administration through linked investment accounts, and is a division of Webster Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For ways you can support the American Red Cross of Wisconsin, please visit us online, on Twitter or on Facebook.

Media Contact:







Media Contact: Alice Ferreira







Jennifer Dean Webster Bank







HSA Bank (203) 578-2610







(920) 453-5286 [email protected]







[email protected]

SOURCE HSA BankOn Sept. 16, The Washington Post published an article in which Ford identified herself publicly for the first time and detailed her claim that, in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her at a high school party as Judge looked on. By her account, no one else was in the room.ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Envision and Ignite -- Icertis, the leading provider of enterprise contract management in the cloud, today launched the ICM Obligation Management application enabling companies to optimize business performance and protect organizations from reputational, commercial and financial risks. Built on the Icertis Contract Management (ICM) platform and infused with artificial intelligence (AI), the new app transforms how organizations identify, create, manage and fulfill obligations previously hidden in complex contract language.

A McKinsey study estimates leakage due to unfulfilled obligations at 2 percent in large enterprises. The new application automates obligation management in new and legacy contracts to accelerate the business and optimize commercial relationships, while avoiding the risk associated with missed obligations.

"As one of the world's leading professional services companies, it is critical we closely manage the obligations enshrined in our contracts," said Frank Marty, Global Head of CLRM at Cognizant. "Understanding and fulfilling our commitments to customers and realizing the full value of our entitlements is critical to successfully delivering shareholder value. The ICM Obligation Management app will positively impact our bottom line."

"The digitization of contracts is enabling companies to reimagine enterprise contract management," said Samir Bodas, CEO and Co-founder of Icertis. "For the first time in history, computer science is being applied to surface previously hidden and hard to manage contractual obligations, increasing compliance and maximizing revenue. It is exciting to see Icertis' data scientists once again utilize AI to unlock even more value for our customers."

The ICM Obligation Management app delivers the following powerful capabilities for all types of contracts including:

Automatically discover and extract obligations at scale, from any contract, through the power of artificial intelligence.

Surface obligations in the full context of the contract, making it easy to understand and focus on obligations that are most critical to the business.

Assign obligations to both internal and external users and automatically handle reassignments due to transfers, departures, etc. based on pre-defined rules.

Generate and manage fulfillment processes using ICM tasks for internal and third-party users via the ICM Collaboration Portal.

Quickly set up rules to cascade and enforce obligations across related agreements  e.g. from MSAs to SOWs.

Measure risk and compliance to deliver rolled-up insights across the enterprise and then develop, initiate and monitor action plans for continuous improvement, and more effective renewal negotiations.

Natively built on Microsoft Azure and tightly integrated with Microsoft productivity tools such as Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Teams, Icertis continues to use Azure Cognitive Search technology to infuse the power of AI across the ICM platform and apps.

"Our goal at Microsoft is to bring AI to everyone by giving our customers the AI tools they need to drive digital transformation in their organizations," said Joseph Sirosh, CVP & CTO of AI, World Wide Commercial Business group, Microsoft Corp. "By using our AI tools, Icertis is helping to evolve how contracts are managed, turning them from static documents to strategic assets using Icertis' AI-infused enterprise contract management solutions built on Microsoft Azure."

Icertis will be demoing the ICM Obligations Management app, as well as the ICM platform at booth 2 during Microsoft Envision held from Sept. 24-26 at the Orlando Hilton and booth 1825 during Microsoft Ignite held from Sept. 24-27 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit https://www.icertis.com/ignite-envision/.

For more information about Icertis, visit www.icertis.com.

About Icertis

Icertis, the leading provider of enterprise contract management in the cloud, solves the hardest contract management problems on the easiest to use platform. Icertis helps companies transform their commercial foundation ensuring compliance, improving governance, mitigating risk and enhancing user productivity, thereby improving the bottom line. The Icertis Contract Management (ICM) platform is used to manage 5+ million contracts by 2+ million subscribers at companies like 3M, Daimler, Microsoft, Roche and Wipro in 40+ languages across 90+ countries. The AI-powered platform allows customers to increase contract velocity and agility, proactively manage entitlements and obligations as well as surface commercial insights and intelligence.

Icertis Media Contact:

Rob McMurtrie

Director of Corporate Communications, Icertis

[email protected]

+1 (425) 869-7649

SOURCE Icertis

Related Links

https://www.icertis.com/

"Innovation is our 'day job'  it is core to who we are and everything we do," said Frank St. John, executive vice president at MFC. "This facility gives employees the means to bring ideas from our unlimited imaginations to life. The result of which will help us invent technologies to solve previously unsolvable problems."

Five specialized labs, a next-generation video conference capability and an interactive lobby serve more than 5,000 employees and counting amidst a hiring surge at the southwest Orlando facility. Virtual reality, robotics, computer-simulated environments, 3-D printing and more are available at workers' fingertips to encourage new ways of thinking and approaching business needs. The space will also host monthly hands-on demonstrations as well as live webcasts across the business.

This is the second of its kind at MFC. In less than a year's time, the Innovation Center in Dallas, Texas, has helped secure millions of dollars' worth of captured programs.

"The Innovation Center is a destination for our program teams to explore what's possible with the use of high technology," said Tom Mirek, vice president deputy of engineering and technology at MFC. "Like we already have in Dallas, we're going to recognize Orlando's Innovation Center for being a vital resource to the success of our company for years to come."

Orlando's Innovation Center is comprised of five unique labs:

The Application Research Experimentation & Simulation (ARES) facility allows teams to use their own computing environment and applications to conduct events on a rapidly reconfigurable 12-screen hyperwall.

allows teams to use their own computing environment and applications to conduct events on a rapidly reconfigurable 12-screen hyperwall. The Genesis Lab is where ideas are born, and one can incubate and develop concepts in a creative, resourceful environment  24 hours a day, seven days a week. Employees have access to augmented and virtual reality, small robotics, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, high-powered computing, and 3-D printers.

is where ideas are born, and one can incubate and develop concepts in a creative, resourceful environment  24 hours a day, seven days a week. Employees have access to augmented and virtual reality, small robotics, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, high-powered computing, and 3-D printers. The Iris Lab offers an indoor robotics test bay for safe and controlled training, experiments, and research.

offers an indoor robotics test bay for safe and controlled training, experiments, and research. The Engineering Visualization Environment Lab and its animators take complex ideas and bring them to life through feature-film quality renderings.

and its animators take complex ideas and bring them to life through feature-film quality renderings. The Polaris Lab employs sensor, optics and laser testing that provides rapid response for employees and program development. This is a fire-control-focused lab that can benchmark new technology. Opening early 2019.

Employees in Orlando lead the aerospace and defense industry in their experience with technologies related to electro-optics, millimeter wave radar, image and signal processing, advanced materials, electronic packaging, and large-system integration.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year the company received three Edison Awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

ZURICH, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The insurance industry plays a key role in de-risking infrastructure and mobilising long-term private capital to climate risk-resilient projects, agreed a group of decision makers and international experts summoned in Toronto by The Geneva Association, the leading think tank of the insurance industry.

The Geneva Association's 2018 Extreme Events and Climate Risk Forum, co-hosted by Intact Financial and Sun Life two of Canada's largest insurers gathered on 19 September top officials from the UN, OECD, World Bank, institutional investors and representatives of the insurance industry. Speakers included Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Joaquim Levy, CFO of the World Bank Group; Mami Mizutori, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR); Masamichi Kono, OECD Deputy Secretary General; senior executives of insurance companies and asset management firms; as well as the G7 environment ministers, who joined via videoconference from Halifax, Canada.

Anna Maria D'Hulster, Secretary General of The Geneva Association, said: "Investing in infrastructure could offer insurers a good match with long-term liabilities and enhanced portfolio diversification. However, at a global scale there is limited clarity regarding public policy, funding instruments and valuation methodologies, amongst other factors, that discourage institutional investors to commit to scaling-up their capital allocation to infrastructure projects."

Maryam Golnaraghi, Director Extreme Events and Climate Risk at The Geneva Association, commented: "In many countries almost no consideration has been given to assessing physical climate risk on critical infrastructure projects and incorporating this risk across the projects' life cycle. Institutional investors require a stable regulatory framework, a pipeline of investment-grade projects, and an efficient market. Life insurers, in their capacity as long-term asset managers, and non-life insurers, with their risk assessment, pricing, and risk transfer expertise, are well positioned to contribute to addressing these challenges."

Forum participants stressed the importance of public policy and regulation at all levels of the government to make climate resilience a pre-requisite for infrastructure projects' life cycle. Governments play a critical role in implementing risk reduction measures such as land-zoning to avoid building in high-risk zones, upgrading and enforcing building standards, and recovering and maintaining natural infrastructure such as wetlands. Emerging technologies are leading to 'smart green' infrastructure systems with changing risk profiles which must be assessed and allocated between governments and the private sector. In addition, institutional investors should engage with non-life insurers to reduce the risks associated with the projects, thus improving risk-adjusted returns and making infrastructure investments more attractive, forum participants concluded.

SOURCE The Geneva AssociationBOSTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the global leader in storage and information management services, today announced that its operations in Belgium, Ireland, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom have achieved the company's stated goal of utilizing 100 percent of their electricity consumption from renewable energy sources. This milestone represents a significant achievement for the company following its joining of the RE100 initiative earlier this year in which Iron Mountain committed to using renewable energy sources for 100 percent of its worldwide electricity. In doing so, the company pledged to follow a rigorous standard for green power purchasing and achieving aggressive interim milestones on the way to a complete conversion by 2050.

Like other global organizations, the primary source of electricity for Iron Mountain has been coal and natural gas, the biggest single factor driving the company's greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. In 2016, electricity use alone made up almost half of Iron Mountain's GHG emissions. Data centers  like the Slough (UK) and Amsterdam locations acquired earlier this year  drive much of that, as they require continuous power to maintain the operation of servers and other technology and support. The Slough location alone uses as much energy as all Iron Mountain's UK records management facilities combined, while the Amsterdam facility doubled the company's energy footprint in Europe. Removing that dependence on fossil fuel delivers both environmental benefits and better cost controls, as fossil fuel prices are often volatile, while the cost of using sustainable/renewable sources like wind and solar are predictable for organizations.

Employing a combination of green power contracts, Iron Mountain was able to negotiate cost effective wind and other renewable resources to supply all of the company's electricity usage in these countries, including the data center operations in Slough and Amsterdam. These contracts in the UK and Europe further the company's RE100 goals and build on last year's achievement when wind and solar power totaled 30 percent of the company's global electricity supply.

"With the growth in our footprint in the UK and Benelux, we knew there would be an increase in our electricity usage that would significantly affect our environmental impact," said Steve Kowalkoski, senior vice president & general manager, UK and Ireland, Iron Mountain. "At the same time, we are aware we have an obligation to operate responsibly in the environments where we live and work, despite growth in our business. Looking across our operations, including the recent data center acquisitions, they saw an opportunity and solved this environmental challenge in a way that's good for our business and our customers while also ensuring we are prepared for future business and footprint growth."

"As a global organization, we recognize that continued dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation and usage has a negative effect on our worldwide carbon footprint," said Kevin Hagen, vice president, Environmental Social and Governance Strategy, Iron Mountain. "We also recognize that by reducing or eliminating our dependence on that kind of energy we can run our business better, with more predictable costs for energy. Our global commitment to social and environmental responsibility encourages and enables us to look for ways to deliver positive impact for our communities, for the environment and for our bottom line. We look forward to expanding our RE100 commitment to other countries and regions, working with others to help create a greener, more equitable, cost effective grid for everyone."

About Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), founded in 1951, is the global leader for storage and information management services. Trusted by more than 225,000 organizations around the world, and with a real estate network of more than 85 million square feet across more than 1,400 facilities in over 50 countries, Iron Mountain stores and protects billions of valued assets, including critical business information, highly sensitive data, and cultural and historical artifacts. Providing solutions that include information management, digital transformation, secure storage, secure destruction, as well as data centers, cloud services and art storage and logistics, Iron Mountain helps customers lower cost and risk, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and enable a more digital way of working. Visit www.ironmountain.com for more information.

For More Information:

Christian T. Potts

Iron Mountain Incorporated

617-535-8721

[email protected]

SOURCE Iron Mountain Incorporated

Related Links

http://www.ironmountain.com

CLEARWATER, Fla., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- (ISC)  the world's largest nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals  today announced its participation in the inaugural WSJ Pro's Cybersecurity Small Business Academy, held at the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California, from October 15-16, 2018. (ISC)2 will provide training on the second day of the Academy, which aims to address a shortfall in practical information for small and medium-sized businesses on how to strengthen their cybersecurity programs.

The Academy's first day consists of discussions, interviews and "Pro Perspectives" that identify the main cybersecurity problems and solutions for small businesses. The second day of training from partner companies will equip attendees with the skills to tackle the problems identified on the first day.

The (ISC)2 track on October 16 will provide training on the following topics:

Staying informed about the current threats and business impact of cybersecurity risk to organizations

Building a risk management plan to address identified risks

Complying with industry standards, regulation and best practices

Incident detection, response and communications

Cybersecurity incident response plans

Implementation, including war stories, challenges and potential solutions

"One of the things large enterprises tell us all the time is that they depend on small to medium-sized businesses to also remain vigilant against cybersecurity threats. Attackers will often target businesses with less sophisticated defensive systems and processes in order to gain access to the data stores of much larger partner organizations," said Wesley Simpson, chief operating officer, (ISC)2. "While our membership consists of IT and cybersecurity professionals working within companies of all sizes, it's also important that senior managers and business owners understand their risk and what goes into a solid cybersecurity strategy. This is the kind of training we will provide in cooperation with the WSJ Pro team."

"For the first time, WSJ Pro will present small businesses with the opportunities for learning, insight and networking we have previously provided to executive of large companies," said Will Wilkinson, general manager of WSJ Pro. "This shows our commitment to playing a part in helping business owners address one of the major risks they face."

To register or for more information on schedule, speakers, partners and venue, please visit: https://cyber.wsj.com/sba

About (ISC)

(ISC) is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the acclaimed Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, (ISC) offers a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, pragmatic approach to security. Our membership, over 138,000 strong, is made up of certified cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals who are making a difference and helping to advance the industry. Our vision is supported by our commitment to educate and reach the general public through our charitable foundation  The Center for Cyber Safety and Education. For more information on (ISC), visit www.isc2.org, follow us on Twitter or connect with us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

 2018, (ISC) Inc., (ISC), CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CAP, CSSLP, HCISPP, CCFP, CISSP-ISSAP, CISSP-ISSEP, CISSP-ISSMP and CBK are registered marks, of (ISC), Inc.

Media Contact:

Jarred LeFebvre

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

(ISC)

[email protected]

(727) 316-8129

SOURCE (ISC)2

Related Links

http://www.isc2.org

LONDON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Itiviti, the leading global provider of multi-asset trading technology and financial infrastructure, today announced a strategic partnership with ULTUMUS, an industry leading ETF data solution provider. The partnership will provide Tbricks by Itiviti ETF clients with the ability to compare multiple sources of static data to ensure quality which is key for a competitive and profitable ETF business.

The rapidly evolving ETF trading space both in terms of new issuers coming to market and depth of data now being demanded by trading houses and regulators has led to a renewed focus in the best way to source, manage and support this data set. Addressing these demands, the solution combines the flexibility and performance of the Tbricks by Itiviti trading platform with the most comprehensive and best supported managed data service from ULTUMUS, covering all aspects of ETF pricing and reference data.

"We are very pleased to be partnering with Itiviti to provide an ETF data set that offers the greatest granularity of data and client support," said Bernie Thurston, CEO, ULTUMUS. "This partnership allows us to provide our service to a wider audience and provides a real choice to clients on who can service their ETF data needs."

"We are delighted to continue our commitment and strategic investment in the ETF space by offering the ULTUMUS data service in Tbricks," said Richard Bentley, Chief Product Officer, Itiviti. "The ability to compare and validate data in real time before sending quotes, either when directly pricing ETFs or via proxy pricing, sets a new standard for the market. In order to further automate processes and meet the growing demands around ETF trading, market making and RFQ responding, it is crucial to confidently and accurately price ETFs with the latest and most reliable data. Providing our Tier 1 ETF clients with access to multiple sources of ETF static data achieves that."

Tbricks by Itiviti is the first trading platform designed from the ground up for today's trading reality: built to be customized, scaled, co-located and blazingly fast. Its app-based architecture combines the tailored functionality of an in-house built system with the convenience of a third-party solution.

For further information, please contact:

Richard Bentley

Chief Product Officer, Itiviti

Tel: +44-20-7743-7223

Email: [email protected]

Lee Griggs

President EMEA, Itiviti

Tel: +44-20-794-209-58

Email: [email protected]

Amal Ahmed

Senior Marketing Manager EMEA, Itiviti

Tel: +44-20-794-209-56

Email: amal [email protected]

Giles Sarton

Head of Business Development, ULTUMUS

Tel: +44 (0) 203-950-2388

Email:[email protected]

About ULTUMUS

ULTUMUS offer a single source solution for the management, validation and enrichment of global multi asset class ETF, index, and customized data sources with the ability to simultaneously service front/middle/back office, risk, compliance, delta one and performance areas reducing cost and improving data quality.

Top-Tier tier trading firms, asset managers and exchanges rely on the ULTUMUS for the provision of market leading ETF and Index data, backed by industry leading support.

www.ultumus.com

About Itiviti

Itiviti is a market-leading global provider of multi-asset trading technology and financial infrastructure solutions for buy-side and sell-side market participants, including NYFIX, one of the industry's largest FIX-based trading communities.

Serving around 2,000 clients worldwide, we provide consistent, reliable access to the most up-to-date and innovative order routing, connectivity and trading solutions available. Top-tier trading firms, banks, brokers, exchanges and institutional investors rely on our technology, solutions and expertise to streamline their daily operations, connect to their desired markets, and trade when and where they want. All while being able to comply with global regulation.

With global offices in 18 locations covering all major financial centers the merger of Itiviti and ULLINK in March 2018 created a full-service technology and infrastructure provider, covering all asset classes, geographies and regulatory landscapes.

For more information, please visit www.itiviti.com or www.ullink.com .

Itiviti is owned by Nordic Capital.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/itiviti-group-ab/r/itiviti-integrates-etf-data-services-from-ultumus,c2626834

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Main/13830/2626834/915134.pdf Press release in PDF format

SOURCE Itiviti Group AB

Related Links

http://www.itiviti.com

Elstrott to lend experience as a Tulane University entrepreneurship educator and former Whole Foods Market board chair

DENVER, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- John B. Elstrott, Ph.D., has joined the board of directors of Concentric Ag Corporation, a developer and producer of proprietary biological and essential plant nutrient inputs for specialty and broadacre crops.

Elstrott is the founder and emeritus executive director of the Levy-Rosenblum Institute for Entrepreneurship Research at Tulane University's Freeman School of Business, where he taught courses and researched entrepreneurship, strategic planning, regional economic development, technology commercialization and environmental economics over a 30-year period.

Among his many business associations, Dr. Elstrott served as the chairman of the board and chair of the audit committee for Whole Foods Market Inc. from 1994 to 2017 prior to its sale to Amazon. Prior to joining the Tulane University faculty, he was chief financial officer of Celestial Seasonings, Inc. He is an active entrepreneur and investor in the venture capital, wetlands mitigation, banking, pharmaceutical, financial services, medical and functional food, technology, audio hardware and software, and authentic herbal remedy industries.

He holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Colorado Boulder, and master's and bachelor's degrees in economics from Louisiana State University.

Concentric recently opened its 30,000-square-foot U.S. headquarters and commercialization office in Centennial, Colo., near Denver. Its Montreal-based, R&D Technical Center of Excellence was recently expanded to 20,000 square feet. In April, Concentric acquired ATP Nutrition, a producer of science-based plant nutrients based in Oak Bluff, Manitoba, Canada.

The company employs about 65 people in the U.S. and Canada today, and anticipates adding another 25 to 30 high-level scientific and managerial professionals over the next year.

Photos and graphics to accompany this announcement can be downloaded at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qmfc1lo7wp1amn4/AACGWF2wtp2y0mRUgVcGUy9Wa?dl=0

About Concentric

Concentric (formerly Inocucor) is an agri-tech company that develops biological and essential plant nutrient inputs for specialty and broadacre crops. Its products target the entire phyto-microbiome: the seeds, plants, root systems and the soil surrounding them. Concentric is headquartered in Centennial, Colo. Its Canadian headquarters and Technical Center of Excellence is located in Montreal. Its commercial business unit, ATP Nutrition, is based in Manitoba, Canada. For more information, visit www.ConcentricAg.com and follow Concentric Ag on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

Contact: Michele Wells, Wells Communications, +1 303-417-0696

[email protected]

SOURCE Concentric Ag Corporation

Related Links

http://www.concentricag.com

GOP leaders were already grappling with an allegation from Christine Blasey Ford, who said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both teenagers. But McConnell and some others were especially incensed by a second allegation in which a student who attended Yale with Kavanaugh said 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.RED BANK, N.J., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jessica S. Allen, Counsel at Keefe Law Firm was appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Women in the Courts as the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association's representative for its 2018-2020 term. The purpose of the Committee is twofold:

1. Monitor the New Jersey Court system's systemic gender bias and,

Keefe Law Firm

2. Make recommendations to the Supreme Court on gender bias to help ensure fair treatment for women in the courts.

This is Ms. Allen's second NJ Supreme Court appointment. She also served on the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Complementary Dispute Resolution as the Division of Law Representative for the 2013-2015 term.

An active contributor to the NJ legal community, she is the Immediate Past President of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association and was the 2014 recipient of the Professional Lawyer of the Year Award from the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law. Ms. Allen also serves as a Committee Co-chair for the Executive Committee of the NJSBA Labor & Employment Law Section for the 2018-2019 term. Additionally, she is an Executive Board Member of the Historical Society of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Ms. Allen co-authored "A Preview of Proposed EEOC Enforcement Guidance and Effects of #MeToo," New Jersey Law Journal, March 2018.

A frequent CLE speaker, Ms. Allen will be presenting at Workplace Investigations in Light of the #MeToo Movement on Sept. 26 and 2018 Employment Law Roundtable: Janus Was Just the Tip of the Iceberg on Dec. 11 at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick, NJ.

About Keefe Law Firm

Founded in 2005, Keefe Law Firm is a full service law firm representing individuals and organizations. We are committed to providing experienced, aggressive representation and extremely responsive service for clients in New Jersey and nationwide. Our key practice areas include complex and commercial litigation, personal injury, mass tort, employment, workers compensation, alternative dispute resolution, real estate and land use, and trusts and estates.

John E. Keefe, Jr., the firm's founder and New Jersey Certified Civil Trial Attorney currently serves as the president of the New Jersey State Bar Association and has served as plaintiff's liaison in several NJ and national class action lawsuits.

The firm has offices in Red Bank, Newark, New Brunswick, and Point Pleasant, New Jersey. For more information, visit keefe-lawfirm.com.

Contact

Keefe Law Firm

Anne Journick

[email protected]

(732) 224-9400 x256

Related Images

jessica-s-allen-keefe-law-firm.jpg

Jessica S. Allen, Keefe Law Firm

keefe-law-firm.jpg

Keefe Law Firm

SOURCE Keefe Law Firm

Related Links

http://keefe-lawfirm.com

DULUTH, Ga., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy of Lake Norman has received a 5-star rating this year from the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education. This is the 4th time Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academy of Lake Norman has received this distinction. The Division gives out their ratings every 3 years after a series of reviews conducted at each school to rate the quality of care and education in each classroom. The Division arrives unannounced to the school to conduct assessments on 4 separate occasions at the school and classroom levels. In order to receive the rating, they are inspected on the academic qualities of the program, interactions amongst teachers, families and students, cleanliness and sanitation practices, quality of materials, nutrition, teacher and administrator education, and many more aspects of the school. Every classroom in the school that was graded on the assessments received the 5-star rating.

To celebrate the achievement, Kids 'R' Kids of Lake Norman hosted a luncheon in the school on August 24th, with catering by Moe's. Each teacher and administrator that was assessed was awarded with an $100 gift card. Director Amanda Fortier commended the staff, saying "We could not be prouder of the staff here at Kids 'R' Kids of Lake Norman for earning their 5-star accreditation again this summer. They work hard each and every day to provide top quality care for all of the little ones in our program. We are blessed beyond measure!"

About Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies

Headquartered in the North Atlanta suburb of Duluth, Georgia, Kids 'R' Kids Learning Academies provide a secure, nurturing, and educational environment for children (6 weeks - 12 years) to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society. With over 170 Academies in 17 states, Kids 'R' Kids International is a family-owned organization that ranks in the top three franchised early childhood education centers nationwide (www.kidsrkids.com). If you are interested in joining the Kids 'R' Kids Family by owning and operating your very own preschool, you can contact them through www.kidsrkidsfranchise.com.

SOURCE Kids 'R' Kids International, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.kidsrkids.com

NEW YORK and JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- KinerjaPay Corp. (OTCQB: KPAY) has announced that Stephen Kann has joined the company as Vice President of Corporate Development working out of the company's HQ in New York. Mr. Kann is a seasoned capital markets advisor, investor, dealmaker, microcap stock expert, and Amazon #1 bestselling author (Microcap Magic: Why The Biggest Returns Are In Stocks You've Never Heard Of).

The Company's Chairman & CEO, Mr. Edwin W. Ng, commented on the addition, saying, "We are very fortunate to have Steve as our new VP of Corporate Development. With his vast network and experience, he is going to contribute to building a more professional organization and provide access to many opportunities which we have not been able to reach before, while sharing our developing emerging markets story and successes with existing and new stakeholders."

Mr. Kann also commented, "I'm thrilled to be a part of the KinerjaPay team. Indonesia is one of the biggest and fastest growing markets in the world for financial and payments technologies  a particularly attractive macro play in my view  and KinerjaPay is one of the biggest and fastest growing companies in that market. A perfect combination."

About KinerjaPay

KinerjaPay enables consumers to "Pay, Play and Buy" through its secure web portal and mobile applications. Based in Indonesia, the Company provides easy and convenient payment solution while shopping online at its marketplace platform. With its current omni-channel platform, users can perform various payment services such as credit card bill payment, utility, phone bill, healthcare insurance and direct transfer to anyone at their convenience. KinerjaPay is also planning to launch other eCommerce verticals such as travel market, delivery services, and online gaming in the near future. The Company's services are available through its mobile applications and on its website at www.kinerjapay.com.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, about KPAY's expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding, among other things, its product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. In addition, from time to time, KPAY or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "may," "should" or "anticipate" or their negatives or other variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. These forward-looking statements may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made by KPAY with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of KPAY's authorized executive officers. Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause KPAY's actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause KPAY 's actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors summarized in KPAY 's filings with the SEC. In addition, KPAY operates in an industry sector where securities values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond its control. KPAY does not undertake any obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Please see the risk factors associated with an investment in our securities which are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2016.

For more information, please visit our website http://www.kinerjapay.co. There you will find access to all of our past press releases and SEC filings regarding the activities discussed in this letter.

Media Contact:

KinerjaPay Corp.

Email: [email protected]

+62-8229-777-0098

Investor Contact:

Steve Kann

Email: [email protected]

+001-703-509-3606

SOURCE KinerjaPay Corp.

Related Links

http://www.kinerjapay.co/

Anderson told the audience at the conference that "She is very relevant today and there is a Guadalupe miracle today in our country." He added, "That miracle is the appearance of millions of Guadalupanos and Guadalupanas in this country that can shape the future of our Church."

Anderson noted that the Encuentro gathering is an opportunity "to tell the other Catholics in our country that Hispanic Catholics have gifts to give you."

A key objective of the Encuentro, which followed smaller, regional meetings, is to challenge Latino Catholics to go further and "better respond as missionary disciples in service to the entire Church," according to organizers.

Hispanics comprise about 40 percent of Church membership in the United States, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Latino Church population is particularly large among youth and young adults. Fifty percent of American Catholics ages 14 to 29 are Hispanic, and 55 percent of Catholics under 14 are Hispanic.

The Knights of Columbus has long recognized the devotion of Hispanic Catholics and their important contributions to the Catholic Faith. K of C councils were instituted in Mexico as early as 1905 and first primarily Hispanic council in the U.S. was founded in Los Angeles in 1927.

Today, the Knights of Columbus has hundreds of Spanish-speaking councils, and thousands of Hispanic members, said Anderson, who recalled the advice of Pope Francis to Latino Catholics during his 2015 visit to the United States.

"[Pope Francis] said, first, you have many gifts to give to the nation," said Anderson. "And, second, do not be afraid, do not be ashamed of your traditions."

For Hispanic Catholicism, those traditions are closely associated with Mary and the impact on evangelization prompted by the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, said Anderson, Upon becoming supreme knight of the K of C in 2000, Anderson declared Our Lady of Guadalupe to be patroness of the Knights of Columbus, placing every Knights council everywhere in the world under her protection.

Anderson is also the co-author, along with Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, of "Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Civilization of Love," on how Our Lady of Guadalupe's message is both historically significant and speaks to contemporary issues confronting the people of the American continents.

"The future of America is the future of Guadalupanos and Guadalupanas," said Anderson of Our Lady of Guadalupe's ongoing impact that reaches far beyond the hilltop in Mexico City where she first appeared. "That's the miracle today."

Our Lady of Guadalupe's image appeared on the cloak of indigenous Mexican convert Juan Diego in 1531. The cloak revealed important elements of the Christian faith through native symbols easily recognized by the indigenous people, resulting in the conversion of millions to the Catholic faith.

About the Knights of Columbus

Founded in 1882, the Knights of Columbus is a 1.9 million-member fraternal organization and Fortune 1000 insurance company. The K of C is known for its contributions to communities and parishes, and its reach extends to the rest of the world, as well. Whether it's donating food and clothes, providing support for disaster relief, helping persecuted Christians in the Middle East, volunteering to help children with special needs with the Special Olympics or supporting mothers of unborn children, Knights demonstrate the power and impact of men turning their faith into action every day. 2017 was a record-setting year for Knights of Columbus charitable work with an unprecedented $185.6 million in donations and 75.6 million hours of volunteer service provided worldwide. For more information, visit www.kofc.org.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus

Related Links

http://www.kofc.org

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) welcomes Labeed Diab, RPh, President, Humana Pharmacy Solutions, as the newest member of the PCMA Board of Directors.

PCMA is the national association representing America's pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) which administer prescription drug plans for more than 266 million Americans with health coverage through Fortune 500 companies, health insurers, labor unions, Medicare, Medicaid and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, as well as the Exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act.

"We're proud and excited to welcome Labeed to PCMA's Board. We'll benefit greatly from his experience and expertise. We're also very grateful to his predecessor and our past Chair, William Fleming, PharmD, for all the leadership and drive he devoted to the association," said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt.

"We are looking forward to having Labeed join the PCMA Board so we can continue to: 1) advocate for how our work improves the lives of the people we serve and 2) influence the industry to work tirelessly to improve care for patients and the doctors who serve them," said William Fleming, PharmD, President, Healthcare Service at Humana.

Humana Pharmacy Solutions, a division of Humana Inc., manages traditional pharmacy benefits with member-focused strategies to yield savings in pharmacy and total health expense. Providing prescription coverage for both individuals and employer groups, Humana Pharmacy Solutions strives to give members access to the medicine they need while offering guidance on clinically proven, therapeutically equivalent drugs that bring better value to the member and the customer. For more information visit www.HumanaPharmacy.com.

PCMA is the national association representing America's pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PBMs administer prescription drug plans for more than 266 million Americans who have health insurance from a variety of sponsors including: commercial health plans, self-insured employer plans, union plans, Medicare Part D plans, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), state government employee plans, Medicaid plans, and others.

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Care Management Association

Related Links

http://www.pcmanet.org

The CyberKnife System delivers radiation with sub-millimeter precision, enhancing clinicians' ability to treat effectively while preserving healthy tissue. In addition to clinical benefits, SBRT is more convenient for patients and has been shown to be less costly than long courses of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Growing clinical evidence suggests that dose-escalation may translate to improved clinical outcomes for prostate cancer. Research suggests that, unlike most tumors, prostate cancer cells are highly sensitive to the amount of radiation dose delivered per fraction or treatment session. In recent years, this has led clinicians to consider hypo-fractionated schedulesthe delivery of a higher dose per fraction in fewer fractions than conventional scheduleswith promising results. SBRT, which combines a high degree of targeting accuracy with very high doses of extremely precise, externally-delivered radiation over four to five sessions, provides an option for accomplishing this goal.

Highlights of the Multi-Center Studies

Pinpoint precision results in exceptional survival rates

Prostate SBRT administered by the system resulted in the following disease-free survival rates:

97% - 100% for low-risk patients

Superior to the 92% - 94% from conventional radiation therapy historic data



Equivalent to low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy and high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy without the inconvenience and risk associated with invasive seed and catheter implants

88% - 97% for intermediate-risk patients

Equal to or higher than the 85% - 90% reported with conventional radiation therapy without the inconvenience of daily visits over several weeks

Minimal toxicity even with high radiation dose

Despite the high dose delivered to the prostate, side effects were uncommon (less than two percent grade 3 or higher toxicities) and were similar to other radiation therapy procedures without the need for invasive rectal balloons or spacers to spare the rectal wall.

"Our study treated over 300 prostate cancer patients across 21 centers throughout the United States. The CyberKnife's unique architecture tracks and automatically corrects for prostate motion, delivering radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy. This exceptional precision allowed us to give a more effective dose of radiotherapy, which translated into superior cancer control. Since we were able to avoid the healthy tissues which lie immediately adjacent to the prostate, side effects were uncommon," said Robert M. Meier, MD, medical director of the Swedish Radiosurgery Center in Seattle and lead investigator of the study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics.

Added Donald B. Fuller, MD, radiation oncologist at Genesis Healthcare Partners in San Diego and lead investigator of the European Urology Oncology study, "We evaluated an SBRT dosing regimen designed to emulate successful high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy plans and delivered in four visits. Study outcomes demonstrate that CyberKnife prostate SBRT is safe and effective for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients, producing a lower PSA nadir level than previously reported with other external radiotherapy techniques (< 0.1 ng/mL at 4 years and beyond), with minimal impact on quality of life during and after treatment. Of note, our treatment plans required steep dose fall-off from high-dose regions close to the bladder, urethra and rectum that would be difficult to deliver safely without the unique continual image-guidance and automatic correction of the beam aim made possible by the CyberKnife System."

"These multi-center studies reinforce the value the CyberKnife System can bring to a hospital's prostate cancer treatment program and its potential to change the way the disease is treated by many physicians," said Fabienne Hirigoyenberry-Lanson, PhD, Vice President Global Medical and Scientific Affairs, at Accuray. "The system enables clinical teams to achieve their treatment objectives, while providing a cost-effective, non-invasive option that is more convenient for patients. More than 20,000 prostate cancer patients have been treated with the CyberKnife System, clearly demonstrating the importance of these benefits to healthcare professionals and patients alike."

About Accuray

Accuray Incorporated (Nasdaq: ARAY) is a radiation oncology company that develops, manufactures and sells precise, innovative treatment solutions that set the standard of care with the aim of helping patients live longer, better lives. The company's leading-edge technologies deliver the full range of radiation therapy and radiosurgery treatments. For more information, please visit www.accuray.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements made in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate, but are not limited, to clinical applications, clinical results, patient experiences and outcomes, and Accuray's leadership position in radiation oncology innovation and technologies. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the company's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to achieve widespread market acceptance of its products, including new product offerings, the company's ability to develop new products or enhance existing products to meet customers' needs, delays in the development or release of new offerings and such other risks identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the company's annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on August 24, 2018 and as updated periodically with the company's other filings with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made and are based on information available to the company at the time those statements are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events. The company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual performance or results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. Accordingly, investors should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

Media Contacts :

Beth Kaplan Jayme Maniatis Public Relations Director, Accuray MSLGROUP +1 (408) 789-4426 +1 (781) 684-6662 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Accuray Incorporated

Related Links

http://www.accuray.com

Prior to joining [email protected] , Nahin served as the Senior Community College Sales Strategy Manager, Southern California, for the University of Phoenix College of Health Professions, where he grew revenue by $2.1 million in his first two years. Nahin also previously served in roles at Vetter Blair, LLC; Argosy University; Roth Staffing Companies, LP; Kforce Professional Staffing; and Spherion Technology.

"[email protected] is an ideal platform for professionals to learn skills that are immediately applicable in the workplace," said Malik. "David's exceptional background of creating strategic partnerships with organizations will make these courses more easily available to their employees, and in so doing, will help accelerate our own revenue growth."

Nahin holds a bachelor's degree in Management from California State University, Northridge, and an MBA from University of Phoenix.

About [email protected]

Launched by Bridgepoint Education and Forbes Media in 2018, [email protected] is a time-saving alternative to traditional online schools, offering top courses for today's demanding career fields and disciplines  Leadership, Entrepreneurship, IT & Software, Sales, and Business. For more information, visit Learn.Forbes.Com, www.facebook.com/LearnForbes, www.twitter.com/LearnForbes, https://www.linkedin.com/company/18426357/.

Contact: Lauren Coartney

877.576.3727 x11691  [email protected]

SOURCE [email protected]Xinhong Wu, the founder and CEO of Meitu, said in an internal letter, "This means that users are starting to change their perception of the Meitu app: they are increasingly coming to see it as not only a photo-editing tool, but also a social media platform. Users' reaction has strengthened our determination to go all in on social media."

From August 2018, the Meitu app began gradually releasing its newest version. The full launch marks the biggest revamp of the Meitu company's flagship product since its inception a decade ago. To accommodate the original user habits, Meitu app's photo-editing tool module remains prominently displayed on the top half of the homepage.

In the past decade, the Meitu app has grown into a super app. According to the statistics of JIGUANG Big Data, the number of installations of the Meitu app reached 214 million in China by the end of May 2018. What is commendable is that the 10-year-old app continues to grow steadily: in May of this year, an average of 1.167 million new users were added each day, and it is the only app in its category to gain a daily average of over one million new users.

The revamp of the Meitu app closes the loop from photo editing to photo sharing. Statistics show that Meitu users have strong social needs. A 2016 report by iResearch showed that more than 50% of photos on China's mainstream social networks had been processed by Meitu products. After 10 years of development, the Meitu app has established a great brand awareness and user base, making its evolution to a social media app a natural step in its development. In the meantime, beauty remains the central theme and source for inspiration as users advance from simply beautifying their pictures to discovering beautiful things or sharing their beauty tutorials.

The Meitu app continues to introduce engaging content to its social community. #ForcedComicFace, is the most recent community activity that seamlessly combines elements of both the photo editing tool and social media. With the comic face feature, users can easily create their own comic image and share it under the hashtag #ForcedComicFace. Another recent community activity, #InternetCelebrityPhotography, provides users with more than 3,000 internet celebrity photography tutorials. #TheBestPoseKing presents users with a variety of photo poses, resulting in nearly 3,500 new user poses shared under the hashtag in a single week.

Endless fun activities like these have not only engaged Meitu users, but also inspired a large amount of quality content for the Meitu app. In July 2018, the #CollageOfHearts activity was launched and the DAU of the app during the campaign increased by 29% and the first thing that 41% of new users did was to participate in the community topic activity. The Meitu app only created a simple tutorial, but the users invented a variety of highly intricate collages, demonstrating incredibly high user engagement and creativity.

In the future, the Meitu app will continue to evolve toward a new kind of decentralized social platform. "At present, many social media platforms encourage essentially a one-sided relationship between top users and ordinary users. Top users have become the center, and ordinary users have little sense of presence; however, our community content is closely designed around daily life, and it's more about the relationship between ordinary people," added Xinhong Wu.

About Meitu Inc.

Established in October 2008, Meitu (SEHK: 1357) is a world leading AI-driven photo/video processing and sharing company headquartered in China. With a mission "to inspire more people to express their beauty", the company has developed a rich portfolio of software and smart hardware products based on the concept of beauty, including but not limited to the Meitu app (social network), BeautyCam (photo editing & selfie camera app), Meipai (pan-knowledge short video platform), MeituBeauty (e-commerce platform) and Meitu Smartphones.

Today, Meitu's suite of apps are installed on over 1.5 billion unique mobile devices around the world and have amassed a massive user following worldwide, with over one third coming from outside China in countries that include the United States, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

With the largest database of human portraits on the planet, Meitu leverages AI in the pursuit of its mission. MTlab, Meitu's R&D hub, is dedicated to AI and imaging innovations like Computer Vision, Deep Learning, and Computer Graphics.

Meitu has repeatedly ranked as one of the top Android and iOS apps in the world. For more information, please visit at http://corp.meitu.com/en/.

SOURCE Meitu Inc.

Related Links

http://corp.meitu.com/en/

AMSTERDAM, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Open Networking Summit Europe -- LF Networking (LFN), which facilitates collaboration and operational excellence across open networking projects like ONAP and OPNFV, today announced continued ecosystem value chain disruption across its projects.

Collectively, LFN projects and communities are already easing deployment of open network technologies through strong collaboration between end users, developers, and vendors to deliver enhanced platform releases, forge new partnerships, and innovate on open networking technologies.



"We are delighted to celebrate the growth and momentum of LFN and its key projects," said Arpit Joshipura, General Manager of Networking at Linux Foundation. "The open networking stack is taking shape as LFN projects collaboratively enhance cross-community integration, ease deployments and bring cohesion to the ecosystem. As we look ahead to next-gen network requirements, continuing to harmonize remains a top priority to further enable businesses across industries to maximize their open source deployments."

Since its formation in January 2018, LFN has united vendors, operators, service providers, and users working towards the common goal of redefining how networks are created to deliver a new generation of services. LFN's 100+ member organizations, which now enable close to 70 percent of the world's mobile subscribers, represent all aspects of the networking industry working together across the entire network stack. The latest cross-project initiatives and milestones further enhance cross-stack integration to accelerate next-generation technologies.

Compliance and Verification Program Expansion

The growth and expansion of both breadth and depth of Compliance and Verification programs remains a key focus area. Launched earlier this year with a focus on infrastructure software at the NFVI/VIMlayer, the OPNFV Verified Program (OVP) issued its second test suite release that brings deeper and more extensive testing capabilities. The compliance program aimed at demonstrating readiness and availability of commercial NFV products has already verified products from Ericsson, Huawei, LG Uplus, Nokia, Wind River and ZTE. Since launch, OVP has doubled the number of mandatory tests from 215 to 443 and calls for verified products to complete additional functional, security, high-availability and VNF interoperability-focused tests.

OPNFV and ONAP are also collaborating to extend the scope of the program to include VNF verification. With an initial focus on VNF packaging requirements and a vision to improve VNF on-boarding, ongoing-management, and performance, the VNF compliance program is expected to launch in early 2019. The program is also in process of scaling testing support through work on building a third-party lab ecosystem.

OSN Days

In collaboration with the global networking community, LFN will host another iteration of its Open Source Networking Days (OSN) beginning October 12. Hosted by open source networking ecosystem partners, the one-day events occurring across APAC, China and North America bring together a diverse lineup of expert speakers to explore the state of the industry; the projects that make up the open source networking stack, and the use cases enabled by network transformation. Find an OSN Days event near you and reserve your spot, visit here .

Project Deployments & Milestones

LFN's projects continue their momentum with new platform releases and deployments:

FD.io: FD.io's latest release, 18.07, brings benefits of an "open" hardware lab supported by a Continuous System Integration and Testing (CSIT) infrastructure into full display with testing available across both multi-vendor hardware targets and multi-generational hardware from a common vendor.



The FD.io community will host a Mini Summit at KubeCon+CloudNativeCon North America in Seattle , Monday, December 10 . Community experts will share information about the projects, use cases, capabilities, how FD.io enables cloud native network functions, cross-community integration with Kubernetes and other open sources communities, tools and many more exciting topics. For more details or to submit a presentation, visit https://fd.io/event/fd-io-mini-summit-at-kubecon-cloudnativecon-seattle-wa/





FD.io's latest release, 18.07, brings benefits of an "open" hardware lab supported by a Continuous System Integration and Testing (CSIT) infrastructure into full display with testing available across both multi-vendor hardware targets and multi-generational hardware from a common vendor. The FD.io community will host a Mini Summit at KubeCon+CloudNativeCon North America in , . Community experts will share information about the projects, use cases, capabilities, how FD.io enables cloud native network functions, cross-community integration with Kubernetes and other open sources communities, tools and many more exciting topics. For more details or to submit a presentation, visit OpenDaylight : OpenDaylight recently issued its latest release, Fluorine . Fluorine adds critical features for operationally-driven networking use cases, including cloud and edge computing, service function chaining, WAN connectivity, and application-level traffic optimization. Fluorine makes it easier for solution providers to deploy new use cases.





: OpenDaylight recently issued its latest release, . Fluorine adds critical features for operationally-driven networking use cases, including cloud and edge computing, service function chaining, WAN connectivity, and application-level traffic optimization. Fluorine makes it easier for solution providers to deploy new use cases. ONAP : The ONAP community will demonstrate advanced ONAP orchestration capabilities for cross-operator multilayer services, showcasing the new Cross Domain and Cross Layer VPN (CCVPN) use case for ONAP Casablanca onstage at ONS Europe and in the LFN booth. Member organizations China Mobile, Vodafone and Huawei have collaborated to to demonstrate interoperability with third-party SDN controllers and interworking across service providers.



Development of ONAP's third release, ONAP Casablanca, is underway with expected availability later this year.





: The ONAP community will demonstrate advanced ONAP orchestration capabilities for cross-operator multilayer services, showcasing the new use case for ONAP Casablanca onstage at ONS Europe and in the LFN booth. Member organizations China Mobile, Vodafone and Huawei have collaborated to to demonstrate interoperability with third-party SDN controllers and interworking across service providers. Development of ONAP's third release, ONAP Casablanca, is underway with expected availability later this year. OPNFV: Further cementing integration between open source and open standards, OPNFV recently hosted its fifth OPNFV Plugfest alongside ETSI's third Plugtest at ETSI's headquarters in southern France . Bringing commercial vendors and open source community members together to perform end-to-end network service testing, integrating the OPNFV Fraser release, and fostering joint collaboration between the OPNFV and ETSI NFV industry specification group (ISG) communities was the goal. Key outcomes ranged from joint MANO API testing, Open Source MANO (OSM) project integration, service function chaining (SFC) testing, and additional spec tests and benchmarks. Read the full results from the report here .



Development of OPNFV's next release, OPNFV Gambia, is underway with expected availability later this year.





Further cementing integration between open source and open standards, OPNFV recently hosted its fifth OPNFV Plugfest alongside ETSI's third Plugtest at ETSI's headquarters in southern . Bringing commercial vendors and open source community members together to perform end-to-end network service testing, integrating the OPNFV Fraser release, and fostering joint collaboration between the OPNFV and ETSI NFV industry specification group (ISG) communities was the goal. Key outcomes ranged from joint testing, Open Source MANO (OSM) project integration, service function chaining (SFC) testing, and additional spec tests and benchmarks. Read the full results from the report . Development of OPNFV's next release, OPNFV Gambia, is underway with expected availability later this year. Tungsten Fabric: LFN's newest project, Tungsten Fabric, recently announced the launch of its new quick-start environmentCarbidehosted at Amazon Web Services (AWS). With Carbide, new users can now get started with a scalable, open source multi-cloud, multistack SDN networking platform in 15 minutes.

As LFN continues to expand, opportunities to engage with the global community are rapidly available. All interested in open source networking are invited to join the community at upcoming events, including OSN Days and KubeCon and CloudNativeCon , December 10-13, 2018 in Seattle. To learn more about LFN's event presence, please visit here .

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org .

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact

Jill Lovato

The Linux Foundation

[email protected]

SOURCE The Linux Foundation

Related Links

http://www.linuxfoundation.org

In August, the foundation released its first annual report, which offered a peek into how the organization is run and how it prioritizes its goals through spending. But the newly filed tax documents reveal more detailed information about how much the organization is paying its top brass, and how much it spends on programs and contracts."When we began analyzing the data specific to the performance of these disc replacements at L5/S1, it became obvious that there are reasons to avoid a fusion, if possible, at this level," said Scott Blumenthal, MD. "Patients who had six degrees of motion at L5/S1 five years postoperative experienced 100% success in their VAS pain score improvement and for every two degrees of motion were more likely to have Oswestry success. That says a lot about the correlation between motion, pain and function and why we do what we do."

The long-term data will also report on the long-term range of motion outcomes between first and current generation lumbar disc replacement designs and its impact on clinical outcomes and adjacent segment disease. On average, activL Artificial Disc patients maintain their preoperative range of motion (6.6 vs. 6.1, p=0.4) while ProDisc-L patients do not (6.2 vs. 4.2, p=0.02). This drop off in range of motion has been correlated to increased progression of adjacent segment disease (8.8% vs. 19%, p=0.05).

Details of the NASS oral presentations:

Impact of Range of Motion on Patient Outcomes Five Years Following Lumbar TDR at L5-S1

Session:

Abstract Presentations: Preserving Spinal Motion Date, Time:

Wednesday, September 26, 4:29  4:35 Location:

Room 403B Presenting Author:

Scott L. Blumenthal, MD, Richard D. Guyer, MD, Jack E. Zigler, MD and Donna D. Ohnmeiss, PhD. Institutions:

Texas Back Institute and Texas Back Institute Research Foundation,



Plano, Texas

Impact of Range of Motion on Progression of Adjacent Segment Disease: Disc versus Disc

Session:

Section on Motion Technology Abstract Presentations Date, Time:

Thursday, September 27, 4:44 - 4:50 Location:

Room 406AB Presenting Author:

Scott L. Blumenthal, MD, Richard D. Guyer, MD, Jack E. Zigler, MD and Donna D. Ohnmeiss, PhD. Institutions:

Texas Back Institute and Texas Back Institute Research Foundation,



Plano, Texas

To learn more about the activL Artificial Disc, please visit Aesculap Implant Systems at Booth #1101 in the NASS 2018 Exhibit Hall.

About Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC

Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC, a B. Braun company, is part of a 175-year-old global organization focused on meeting the needs of the changing healthcare environment. Through close collaboration with its customers, Aesculap Implant Systems develops advanced spine and orthopaedic implant technologies to treat complex disorders of the spine, hip and knee. Aesculap Implant Systems strives to deliver products and services that improve the quality of patients' lives. For more information, call 800-234-9179 or visit aesculapimplantsystems.com.

SOURCE Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC

Related Links

http://aesculapimplantsystems.com

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CAQH  announces Mark Pratt as the organization's Senior Vice President of Public Affairs. In this role, Pratt will lead CAQH state and federal government relations, regulatory affairs and public policy efforts to advance the organization's mission to transform business processes in healthcare.

"Mark has a deep understanding of how government policy and regulation have the potential to either increase healthcare administrative burdens or alleviate them," said Robin Thomashauer, President of CAQH. "His experience, expertise, and relationships will accelerate our efforts to improve data quality and reduce costs and inefficiencies across the healthcare system."

Pratt brings more than 20 years of experience in public policy and health insurance regulation to CAQH. Previously, Pratt held senior-level positions overseeing legislative and regulatory affairs at America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and the Virginia Association of Health Plans. As a former advisor to CAQH, Pratt was instrumental in establishing state relations for the organization.

CAQH is the leader in creating initiatives to streamline the business of healthcare. The organization's advanced technology solutions -- CAQH ProView , DirectAssure, VeriFide , SanctionsTrack , EnrollHub and COB Smart -- enable nearly 1,000 health plans and 1.4 million providers to share information needed for credentialing, provider directories, claims processing, quality assurance and member services accurately, efficiently and securely.

"To improve the healthcare experience for all stakeholders -- plans, providers and members -- the industry must identify new ways to reduce administrative burdens and improve data quality," Pratt said. "CAQH is in a unique position to help solve these challenges, and I couldn't be more excited to be joining the team."

About CAQH

CAQH is the leader in creating initiatives to streamline the business of healthcare. Through collaboration and innovation, CAQH accelerates the transformation of business processes, delivering value to providers, patients and health plans. Visit www.caqh.org and follow us on Twitter: @caqh.

SOURCE CAQH

Related Links

http://www.caqh.org

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Med-X, Inc.'s ("Med-X") green pesticide product division, Nature-Cide, announced today that it has signed a direct distribution deal with one of the nation's leading green-focused pest control service companies, Pestmaster Services. Pestmaster Services, innovators of "Pest Management with Environ-Mentality," has 36 franchises and operates in 15 states.

Pestmaster Services prides itself on using products with the most advanced science to effectively control target pests with either non-toxic or low-toxic EPA ratings. Its goal is to minimize the risk to humans, pets and the environment. The harmonious engagement gives the franchise owners access to support, co-branding opportunities on the trucks, and access to new products from the Nature-Cide catalog. The Nature-Cide brand will now extend its reach into more states in larger service venues like government contracts, municipalities, school districts, hospitals, and large-scale commercial facilities.

"This is a symbiotic partnership for both companies," said the COO of Med-X, Inc., Matthew Mills. "Not many companies take integrated pest management more seriously than Jeff Van Diepen and his team. Our shared obligation to serve our communities makes this a win-win. We know how our products perform and now some of the best in the business are starting to run with them."

Jeffrey Van Diepen founded Pestmaster Services in the small eastern Sierra town of Bishop, Calif., in 1979. The company was born from an earnest concern for the environment and safety, and the company has remained dedicated to providing pest management services with this idea front and center. PCT Magazine ranks Pestmaster as the no. 80 pest control company in the nation (21,000 firms).

"We have been focused on using safe practices since 1979," said Van Diepen. "Nature-Cide is exactly the kind of product line our customers demand that we use. We have tested these products for months and the results are there. We have a shared culture and mission to reduce risk in our communities. The pest control industry is changing and we have positioned Pestmaster Services to be way ahead of the curve when it comes to utilizing and promoting environmentally sound products. This is going to be a fruitful partnership."

The distribution partnership will allow Pestmaster Services to buy directly from Nature-Cide, as well as incentivize the sales channels among the 36 franchises to offer pre-mixed products directly to their customers while expanding both of the companies' footprints nationally. The partnership gives Pestmaster the ability to distribute Nature-Cide directly to its franchisees and other venues, including U.S. government contracts. Both Nature-Cide and Pestmaster Services will be attending PestWorld 2018 in Orlando, Florida., on Oct. 22nd to 26, 2018.

ABOUT NATURE-CIDE

At Nature-Cide, we strive to provide our customers with all-natural, green, environmentally friendly and effective products for the control of insects while repelling rodents, reptiles and various birds. The Nature-Cide product line was created by a California licensed IPM (integrated pest management) service company "Nature-Cide Service". We believe that the proper way to remove and control pests from your home or business is by the continual management of your property. By using an IPM strategy, not only do pests find the property unattractive, but the use of Nature-Cide products takes the strategy a step further by driving the pests away. It is not our intention to reinvent the pest control industry, but instead to offer the pest control community a green and effective product line, with proven efficacy to kill and repel insects, as well as repel rodents, reptiles and various birds, while leaving a pleasant aroma to satisfy even the toughest critics.

The Nature-Cide line of products has 10 years of research and development behind it. All Nature-Cide products have been proven effective in the field by licensed pest management professionals, as well as by third-party laboratory efficacy tests. For more information, please visit https://nature-cide.com or email [email protected] .

ABOUT MED-X

Med-X, Inc. is a Nevada corporation formed in February 2014 which, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Pacific Shore Holdings, Inc., produces various products, such as the all-natural Nature-Cide pest control products that have evolved from its Nature-Cide Pest Management Service division. Pacific Shore Holdings, Inc. is also known for its patented and clinically proven Thermal-Aid hot and cold pain management modality products, which also include the Thermal-Aid Zoo and the Thermal-Aid Headache Relief System. Med-X, Inc. also supports the fast-paced, emerging cannabis industry through the company's digital magazine, The Marijuana Times, which publishes high-quality media content for the business, medical and legislative cannabis communities to generate revenue from advertisers, as well as sell industry related merchandise to consumers. The company has been involved in product development for a number of years and once the federal government allows, is ready to bring various non-psychoactive cannabidiol products to the pain management markets, as well as supplying its products to agricultural and ancillary services industries through its Nature-Cide Integrated Pest Management service division. For more information regarding Med-X, Inc. and its divisions, please visit www.medx-rx.com , www.pac-sh.com , Nature-Cide, Thermal-Aid  therapy packs, Thermal-Aid Zoo, Thermal-Aid Headache Relief System, Nature-Cide Cannabis Division, The Marijuana Times; email [email protected] or call 818-349-2870.

No Offer or Solicitation Securities

This communication is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law.

Med-X, Inc. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

There may be statements in this communication that are, or could be, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and, therefore, subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Med-X, Inc. or the combined company's future financial position, sales, costs, earnings, cash flows, other measures of results of operations, capital expenditures or debt levels are forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "forecast," "project" or "plan" or terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Med-X, Inc. cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond Med-X, Inc.'s control, that could cause Med-X, Inc. or the combined company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. To learn more about the risk factors, please review Med-X, Inc.'s Regulation A+ offering circular . Contact Information: Med-X, Inc. 8236 Remmet Ave, Canoga Park, California 91304, (818) 349-2870.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Wendy Roberts, [email protected]

Martin Stein, [email protected]

Orca Communications

480-422-0034

SOURCE Med-X, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.medx-rx.com

EAST LANSING, Mich., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan State University's student entrepreneurs can expect a deeper, more meaningful experience in creating and launching their own startups through the merger of mid-Michigan's two pre-eminent business model competitions.

The Burgess New Venture Challenge combines the Broad Business Model competition, sponsored by the MSU Eli Broad College of Business/Burgess Institute, and the GreenLight Michigan Business Model Competition, managed by Spartan Innovations. The newly formed competition focuses on providing Michigan State University students the resources, support, and programming necessary to maximize their ideas and potential.

"By merging these two competitions, we're ensuring greater experiential learning outcomes," said Ken Szymusiak, managing director of the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the Broad College. "Going forward, every student who commits to the program will see curriculum and structural support intended to benefit the growth of their startups."

Traditionally, both competitions occurred during the same spring timeframe. "We've been discussing the combining of these two events for some time," said Paul Jaques, director of student and community engagement at Spartan Innovations. "GreenLight Michigan has been a part of mid-Michigan's entrepreneurial community for six years, now. It's time for it to evolve."

Hosting both events in the spring was creating "a bit of overlap. Teams that were doing well were entering both competitions," said Szymusiak. "Our goal is to encourage greater student involvement."

The new competition will be staged over several months of the school year. "That's how we'll ensure quality," Szymusiak said. "We're making it more of a program. Instead of knocking out a [business] plan in a weekend, students will get the chance to test and refine their ideas."

Students will be able to apply to enter the competition during the fall semester. During that time, they will be asked to attend five workshopseach of which will be offered several times during the fall semesteron topics related to creating a successful business model.

Then, at the start of the spring term, applicants will meet and be paired with mentors who will help them further develop their plans. There will be a plan completion deadline sometime in February, with judging taking place in March. Competition finals will take place in late April.

"It doesn't matter if you're a freshman or a PhD student. The plan and your ability to demonstrate a strong operational and sales strategy will rule the day," Szymusiak said.

Like the Broad Business Model contest, the Burgess New Venture Challenge will offer cash or scholarship prizes totaling $56,000.

The new competition, like the old Broad Business Model competition, is open to all MSU students. Non-students who have had interest in applying to 2019's GreenLight Michigan competition can still sign up for other statewide competitions, like Accelerate Michigan, which are open to all.

For more information about the Burgess New Venture Challenge, go to: eship.msu.edu/burgessnvc.

SOURCE Burgess New Venture ChallengeDALLAS, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mill Creek Residential, a leading multifamily investor, builder and operator specializing in premier apartment communities across the U.S., today announced it has promoted Steve Prochnow to senior vice president of property management.

Prochnow, who previously held the position of vice president of property management, started in his new role effective Sept. 10. The promotion provides an increased leadership role for Prochnow, who will continue to report to Chief Operations Officer Michael M. Hefley.

"Steve's leadership qualities and expertise in maximizing community value through efficient multifamily operations make him a natural fit for his new position," Hefley said. "We believe his expertise, vast industry knowledge, strong communication skills and track record of producing superior results will be an undeniable asset as Mill Creek continues to grow."

Prochnow's promotion underscores Mill Creek Residential's commitment to promoting high performing associates from within. As senior vice president of property operations, Prochnow will be responsible for the day-to-day operating performance of the company's communities, assisting with community transactions and pursuing operational goals designed to increase the value of the company's communities.

Also a member of Mill Creek's Audit and Administrative Committee, Prochnow initially joined the company in 2012 as a regional manager in Dallas. He was quickly promoted to vice president of property management for the Texas, Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to grow within one of the apartment industry's premier companies and look forward to helping Mill Creek continue to produce industry-leading results," Prochnow said. "Mill Creek truly values its associates and has built a team that is unmatched in its experience and talent. I'm excited for what the future holds at the company."

Prior to joining Mill Creek, Prochnow served as a regional director for Verde Realty, where he was responsible for managing the operational activities of a portfolio of assets in Texas. Previously, Prochnow worked as a regional director for PRG Real Estate, where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of a large, multi-state portfolio.

A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Prochnow holds a bachelor's degree in business administration in marketing. He later earned a Masters of Real Estate from the University of Texas  Arlington.

About Mill Creek Residential

Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC is a national multifamily company focused on the development, acquisition and operation of apartment communities in targeted markets nationwide. The company proactively pursues development, acquisition and construction opportunities through its seasoned team of real estate professionals in 14 offices across the United States. Mill Creek is building its portfolio in many of the nation's most desirable apartment markets in Seattle, Portland, the San Francisco Bay area, Southern California, Denver, Dallas, Austin, Houston, South Florida, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, New York, and Boston. As of June 30, 2018, the company's portfolio comprises of 74 communities representing over 20,250 apartment homes that are operating and/or under construction. For more information, please visit www.MillCreekPlaces.com.

Media Contact

Peter Jakel

LinnellTaylor Marketing

303-682-3944

[email protected]

SOURCE Mill Creek Residential

Related Links

http://www.millcreekplaces.com

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded a contract extension to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to continue operations and science support for the agency's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

The contract extends the agreement between NASA and SAO through Sept. 30, 2024, followed by two three-year options that would extend the contract through Sept. 30, 2030. The total potential value of the contract extension is $563.5 million.

This contract covers continued operation of the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC) in Cambridge, which conducts key aspects of Chandra's observation, operations and research program. Core functions of the CXC include system engineering, ground system development and maintenance, mission operations, science and operations planning, science research and dissemination, and outreach support.

Since its launch on July 23, 1999, Chandra has been NASA's flagship mission for X-ray astronomy and is among NASA's fleet of Great Observatories. The agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov

BALTIMORE, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annie E. Casey Foundation today reminded policymakers and child advocates of the barriers young families face  and potential solutions that can help them thrive  with the release of 'Opening Doors for Young Parents,' the latest KIDS COUNT policy report.

The fifty-state report spotlights a population of more than 6 million, including 2.9 million young adult parents, ages 18 to 24, and 3.4 million children nationwide living with young parents. With limited access to opportunities to advance their education and find a family-sustaining job, young parents face barriers to supporting their children and fulfilling their own potential.

(Editors: State data are available.)

"If we don't support young people when they become parents, we are cheating two generations out of having a positive future," warned Casey Foundation President and CEO Patrick McCarthy. "We can help young adult parents develop the skills they need to raise their children, contribute to their communities and drive our national economy forward."

Roughly 70 percent of children with young adult parents live in families with incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. More than half of young parents (55 percent) are people of color, facing challenges exacerbated by discrimination and systemic inequities.

Oklahoma has the largest percentage of young adult parents: 18 percent of Oklahomans ages 18 to 24 are parents, followed by Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico (each with 16 percent).

In Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi and Wisconsin, at least three quarters of the children of young adult parents live in families with incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

The report offers recommendations to equip young adult parents for success:

Help young parents pursue education and employment

Help young parents achieve financial stability, including by expanding access to federal and state Earned Income Tax Credit

Help young parents with child development and healthy parenting

Keep families together and promote success for young parents involved in public systems

'Opening Doors for Young Parents'  and state-by-state news releases  can be found at https://www.aecf.org/resources/opening-doors-for-young-parents.

Contact: Lucille Renwick, [email protected], 917-326-2643 or Beau Boughamer, [email protected], 410-458-5018

SOURCE The Annie E. Casey FoundationWASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Five new NASA Earth science campaigns will take to the field starting in 2020 to investigate a range of pressing research questions, from what drives intense East Coast snowfall events to the impact of small-scale ocean currents on global climate.

These studies will explore important, but not-well-understood, aspects of Earth system processes and were competitively selected as part of NASA's Earth Venture-class program. This is NASA's third series of Earth Venture suborbital investigations, which are regularly solicited, sustained observation projects first recommended by the National Research Council in 2007. The first set of five projects was selected in 2010, and the second in 2014.

"These innovative investigations tackle difficult scientific questions that require detailed, targeted field observations combined with data collected by our fleet of Earth-observing satellites," said Jack Kaye, associate director for research in NASA's Earth Science Division in Washington.

The five newly selected Earth Venture investigations are:

Intense snowfall events  Lynn McMurdie of the University of Washington will lead the Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms project to study the formation of snow bands in East Coast winter storms. Better understanding of the mechanisms of snow band formation and the factors that influence the location of the most intense snowfall will help improve forecasts of these extreme weather events. This study will involve flights of NASA's ER-2 and P-3B research aircraft over the northeastern United States .

Aerosols changing clouds  Armin Sorooshian of the University of Arizona will lead the Aerosol Cloud Meteorology Interactions over the Western Atlantic Experiment to identify how aerosol particles change cloud properties in ways that affect Earth's climate system. The investigation will focus on marine boundary layer clouds over the western North Atlantic Ocean that have a critical role in our planet's energy balance. Two NASA research aircraft, an HU-25 Falcon and a B-200 King Air, will fly from NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia , to gather measurements from above, below, and within.

River deltas and sea level rise  Marc Simard of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California , will lead the Delta-X investigation to better understand the natural processes that maintain and build land in major river deltas threatened by rising seas. The project will improve models that predict loss of coastal land from sea level rise by improving estimates of how deltas add landa process that involves trapping sediments and creating organic soils as plants grow. Delta-X will focus on the Mississippi River Delta using instruments on three NASA research aircraft.

Impact of strong storms on stratosphere  Kenneth Bowman of Texas A&M University will lead the Dynamics and Chemistry of the Summer Stratosphere project to investigate how strong summertime convective storms over North America can change the chemistry of the stratosphere. These storms regularly penetrate deep into the lower stratosphere, carrying pollutants that can change the chemical composition of this atmospheric layer, including ozone levels. Flights of NASA's ER-2 high-altitude aircraft will be based in Salina, Kansas .

Ocean heating of the atmosphere  Thomas Farrar of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute will lead the Submesoscale Ocean Dynamics and Vertical Transport investigation to explore the potentially large influence that small-scale ocean eddies have on the exchange of heat between the ocean and the atmosphere. The project will collect a benchmark data set of climate and biological variables in the upper ocean that influence this exchange. Measurements will be collected by research aircraft and shipborne instruments 200 miles off the coast of San Francisco .

A total of six NASA centers and 27 educational institutions are participating in these five Earth Venture projects. The five-year investigations were selected from 30 proposals. The Delta-X project is funded at a total cost of no more than $15 million; each of the other projects is funded at no more than $30 million.

Earth Venture investigations are part of NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder program, managed at Langley for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Competitively selected orbital missions and field campaigns in this program provide innovative approaches to address Earth science research with frequent windows of opportunity to accommodate new scientific priorities.

NASA uses the vantage point of space to understand and explore our home planet, improve lives and safeguard our future. The agency's observations of Earth's complex natural environment are critical to understanding how our planet's natural resources and climate are changing now and could change in the future.

For more on NASA's Earth science activities, visit:

https://nasa.gov/earth

SOURCE NASACHICAGO, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Funeralwise.com, an industry-leading funeral information resource, and the Final Expense Planning Specialist Association (FEPSA) have joined forces to offer consumers a new approach to final expense planning. FEPSA advisors now have exclusive access to an array of interactive planning tools and guides on Funeralwise.com. Through a secure Advisor Portal on Funeralwise.com, FEPSA advisors can collaborate with their clients to create a comprehensive end-of-life financial plan.

View a demo of the Advisor Portal on Funeralwise.com

The Advisor Portal features a professional version of the Funeralwise Wise Planning System. The system includes the Quick Plan, a simple planner for basic choices, the Advanced Plan, a full-featured planner that allows users to create a detailed funeral plan, real-time cost estimates based on industry averages, and a variety of other options. The Wise Planning System is free of charge to consumers. The professional version for FEPSA Advisors includes enhanced features and back office functions.

"We are excited to be able to offer our funeral planning platform to a wider audience," said Rick Paskin, Managing Partner of Funeralwise. "Until now, our Wise Planning System has only been available as a do-it-yourself system through our website. With the FEPSA partnership, our interactive planning tools can be used in a new way. FEPSA Advisors can guide families through the planning process. Their expertise and personal assistance helps families take full advantage of the system and is perfect for those who are not inclined to do it themselves."

According to Ralph Wileczek, who co-founded FEPSA with Natalie Hunt, "Our collaboration with Funeralwise is a perfect blending of expert advice and state-of-the-art technology. We looked at other online funeral planners, and we found the Funeralwise Wise Planning System to be the best by far. Having specialized access to a powerful tool like the Wise Planning System gives our advisors something that final expense insurance agents don't offer -- the ability to help their clients create the funeral or memorial service they want at a price they can afford."

Insurance professionals can learn more about the Funeralwise  FEPSA collaboration at https://www.funeralwise.com/final-expense-insurance-advisors/. Consumers can learn more about the Wise Planning System or find a local Final Expense Planner at https://www.funeralwise.com/plan/.

About Funeralwise

Funeralwise.com's mission is to help people capably navigate their funeral experiences. Its website is rich with content on a wide variety of topics including planning a funeral, offering condolences and supporting the bereaved. On the Funeralwise Forums, people can get expert advice in response to their funeral-related questions. The Funeralwise store features a unique collection of memorial jewelry, urns, keepsakes, and memorial items.

About The FEPSA

The FEPSA (formerly the Certified Final Expense Advisors Association) is a non-profit organization that sets standards for final expense planning and grants the certification of FEPS. The association benefits the public by establishing and enforcing education, examination, and ethics requirements for FEPS professionals. FEPSA offers its members valuable benefits to assist them professionally and offer their clients unparalleled tangible benefits.

Contact:

Rick Paskin

Funeralwise.com

866-386-9473 Toll-Free

[email protected]

SOURCE Funeralwise.com

Related Links

http://Funeralwise.com

BERGENFIELD, N.J., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As a former teacher, J. F. Pandolfi wanted to write a novel that delved into the human interest aspects of teaching. In his view, the personal connection between teacher and student is just as important as the information contained in their textbookssometimes more so. Watching teachers' frustration boil over into the national spotlight, he was certain his book was more timely and relevant than ever.

Mr. Pizza: Available on Amazon J. F. Pandolfi

"As I was writing this book, teachers in various states began banding together to rally for fairer wages and better working conditions," Pandolfi said. "My daughter is a teacher, and every year she pays a healthy sum for classroom supplies, out of her pocket. And when I saw news coverage of teachers who couldn't support their families on their salaries, it was heartbreaking. That gave me even greater incentive to tell this story."

To get his message across, he chose an unconventional story line, set in the early 1970s. Rather than the protagonist, Tony Piza, being a fresh-faced idealist, he's a recent college grad who wants a year off to contemplate life. He manipulates his way into a job at a Catholic elementary school, thinking it will be a paid vacation. On day one, reality smacks him in the head.

Eventually forced to mature, Piza puts his outgoing personality and sense of humor to work in the classroom. But his irreverent antics, and well-meaning attempts to help resolve some of his students' social issues outside of school, antagonize the powers-that-be, putting him and them on a collision course.

Pandolfi also noted that there are strong female characters in the book. And there are several scenes that take place outside the classroom setting, many involving the "chaos and love" of family and friendship.

The resulting novel is a funny and moving tale about the profound impact of a young teacher on his students' livesand theirs on his.

"Mr. Pizza" is currently available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FYVLL2R.

About the Author: J. F. Pandolfi went to Fordham University as an undergrad, then taught at a Catholic elementary school before attending Fordham Law School. Practicing law certainly had its moments, but to call it "utter euphoria" was a stretch. An award for a flash fiction piece he wrote convinced him to change direction, so he called upon his fond memories as a teacher, which served as a backdrop to "Mr. Pizza." He is also a staunch supporter of the fight to eradicate adult illiteracy, and was accorded a Special Recognition in Literacy Award for his efforts.

J. F. Pandolfi can be reached by email at [email protected], or through the contact page on his website: www.jfpandolfi.com.

Book cover: http://Jfpandolfi.com/mr-pizza

Author photo: http://Jfpandolfi.com/j-f-pandolfi

Contact: Joseph Pandolfi

Phone: 201-374-7834

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE J. F. Pandolfi

Related Links

https://www.jfpandolfi.com/

Even now, Democratic House candidates accepting help from Madigan and his political operation  its voter databases, staff, advice and money  have to give up control of their campaigns. His staffers can follow candidates through a phone app to make sure theyre going door-to-door. One House Democratic candidate told me Madigans aides wanted to observe her through a live feed while she was door-knocking, just to make sure she was on message. They also are not supposed to talk to the press or engage with the public, aside from porch steps."Omaha was the birthplace for our business 11 years ago, and we're very proud of our roots. We continue to invest in recruiting talent from Omaha because we've had great success here," said Brent Brummer, vice president of business strategy and operations, who has been at Sojern since its inception. "This city continues to produce seasoned, hard-working professionals with top-notch transferable skills as well as college grads ready to start their careers in tech. We offer on the job training and have a strong culture of promoting from within. It's a win-win for us and our employees."

Back in 2007, serial Omaha entrepreneur Gordon Whitten founded Sojern with the idea of placing targeted destination advertising on print-at-home airline boarding passes. Whitten quickly patented the concept and built a successful business, but the company really took off when major travel clients began asking for ways to help expand their campaigns into digital. When Sojern connected its targeted traveler audiences to the burgeoning universe of programmatic digital advertising, it set off on a new path to become the highly-successful company it is todayone that's been consecutively profitable since 2015.

Sojern now employs 500 travel tech experts spread across 13 locations around the world stretching from London to Dubai to Singapore and beyond. Sojern was recognized as a Deloitte Top 500 Fastest Growing Technology Company for the past 5 years in a row, and was named a 2018 Best Place to Work in a survey presented by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, in 2017 Sojern was recognized in as a "Best Place to Work" by AdAge and won a "Top Company Culture" award from Entrepreneur magazine.

"Greater Omaha is a No. 1 up-and-coming-tech hotspot, a region alive with innovation and expansionattributes to which Sojern is no stranger. We congratulate the entire Sojern team on their growth, not only in our region, but worldwide," said David G. Brown, President and CEO, Greater Omaha Chamber.

For more information about Sojern careers, please visit www.sojern.com/careers .

About Sojern:

Sojern ( www.sojern.com ) is a leading provider of digital advertising solutions and real-time audiences for the travel industry. Travel's Demand Engine, Sojern has specialized in traveler path-to-purchase data for more than a decade and counts 93 percent of the Fortune 500 travel companies as customers. The company delivered $13 billion in bookings for its clients to date by activating multi-channel branding and performance solutions on the Sojern Traveler Platform, driving travelers from dream to destination. Recognized as a Deloitte Technology Top 500 Fastest Growing Company for 5 years in a row, Sojern is headquartered in San Francisco with 13 global locations.

SOURCE Sojern

Related Links

http://www.sojern.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Hugh O'Reilly, President and CEO of OPTrust, one of Canada's largest defined benefit pension plans, delivered a call for action to investors in a keynote address during a Climate Week NYC seminar today. The seminar, Accelerating the Path to Climate Action, was organized by MSCI in partnership with the UN supported Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI).

"Whether we take action or not, climate change is already having profound impacts, and markets are responding accordingly," said O'Reilly. "Integrating climate risk is not only necessary, but it is in the best interests of all our Plan members, both today and over the long term."

During his address, O'Reilly detailed the steps OPTrust has taken on its journey to climate action, including the release of a Climate Change Action Plan in June. The plan contains eight areas for action, including building climate risk into OPTrust's investment approach and pushing for increased disclosure of climate change-related information from portfolio companies. In 2017, OPTrust also became one of the first pension plans to report in accordance with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

"Measurement matters," said O'Reilly. "Accurately pricing risk in a world without commitments to proper climate-related disclosure from corporations is almost an impossible task. We are focused on developing and using measures and tools that accurately support pricing climate change-related risk. This is a quick, reliable way to set the stage for action and start gathering the critical data that we need for proper benchmarking and targets."

OPTrust's Climate Change Action Plan, along with the 2017 Responsible Investing Report are available at optrust.com. The text of O'Reilly's speech can be found here (check against delivery).

About OPTrust

With net assets of over $20 billion, OPTrust invests and manages one of Canada's largest pension funds and administers the OPSEU Pension Plan, a defined benefit plan with over 92,000 members and retirees. OPTrust was established to give plan members and the Government of Ontario an equal voice in the administration of the Plan and the investment of its assets through joint trusteeship. OPTrust is governed by a 10-member Board of Trustees, five of whom are appointed by OPSEU and five by the Government of Ontario.

SOURCE OPSEU Pension Trust (OPTrust)

Related Links

http://www.optrust.com

SEATTLE, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Panopto, the leading video platform provider in higher education, today announced a new migration program for McGraw-Hill Tegrity customers. The program consists of a content conversion tool, professional migration services, complimentary closed captioning, and additional financial incentives for customers who commit by December 31, 2018.

Content Conversion Tool

Panopto has developed a content conversion tool that automates the migration of Tegrity videos and automatically uploads the converted content to a new Panopto video library. The conversion process maintains the fidelity of presenter video, additional video sources, slide presentations, captions, and edits, and automatically creates a table of contents and thumbnails for navigation. To date, the conversion tool has been used to migrate hundreds of thousands of hours of existing Tegrity content to Panopto.

Professional Migration Services

As part of the conversion process, Panopto offers professional services to assist customers with their transition. The services include conversion of existing Tegrity video files, integrity validation of the converted files, and provisioning of existing Tegrity users within Panopto.

Complimentary Captioning and Additional Financial Incentives

Panopto is also offering special financial incentives to Tegrity customers for a limited time.

First, any university that commits to migration before December 31, 2018 will receive $3,000 in complimentary closed captioning services as part of their Panopto subscription. With the increasing focus on accessibility in lecture capture, the offer underscores Panopto's commitment to Section-508 compliance.

Second, for any university currently engaged in a multi-year Tegrity contract, Panopto will provide customized financial aid through the remainder of the contract term.

For Tegrity customers interested in finding out more about the migration program and financial incentives, contact Panopto online at www.panopto.com/try or email [email protected] .

About Panopto

Panopto helps universities create searchable video libraries of their institutional knowledge. Since 2007, the company has been a pioneer in video content management systems, video capture software, and inside-video search technology. Today, Panopto's video platform is the largest repository of expert learning videos in the world. Headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Pittsburgh, Sydney, Hong Kong, and London, Panopto has received industry recognition for its innovation, rapid growth, and company culture. For more information, visit www.panopto.com .

SOURCE Panopto

Related Links

http://www.panopto.com

BALA CYNWYD, Pa., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Children battling diabetes need to manage it 24/7 and sometimes feel isolated from peers, who don't understand what it's like to deal with the disease. Employees at Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) are supporting the American Diabetes Association in helping children enjoy a traditional summer camp experience. Surrounded by peers who understand what they are experiencing, campers develop the critical skills needed to thrive while managing this disease. The company is donating $350,000 to American Diabetes Association Camps, which deliver education and camp fun to kids in a medically safe environment.

VIDEO: Recap of PHLY's ADA campaign

"Camp has really helped me be more confident with everything I go through, because I actually meet people who understand what I'm going through. A lot of my friends don't truly understand what it feels like to live every day scared," shared Madigan McGrath, an ADA Camper from the Philadelphia area. "Camp has made me feel more confident and learn new things that help me get through my everyday life."

PHLY employees voted last year to support ADA Camps and set a goal to raise $125,000 and volunteer 1,000 hours. They raised more than $175,000 through individual donations, office fundraisers, and support from business partners. More than 400 employees also volunteered 1,110 hours to promote diabetes awareness. The Company is matching every dollar to total $350,000 in donations to the ADA Camps program.

"I heard many stories from our employees who had a personal connection to this disease and were inspired to help," shared Bob O'Leary, president and chief executive officer of Philadelphia Insurance Companies. "We wanted to build on our company culture by uniting our employees in support of one of our national non-profit customers. Non-profit agencies and outdoor businesses like camps are a core part of our business, which I think also helped motivate us to surpass our goals for the ADA."

ADA CAMPS BY THE NUMBERS: 6,400+ Campers Nationwide 2,250+ Volunteers Nationwide $1,800 Approximate Cost of Camp per Child 79 Camp Sessions Nationwide $450,000+ Need-Based Financial Aid Awarded Annually As of September 2017

INFOGRAPHIC: ADA Camps Impact

Managing camps across the country requires a significant investment. In addition to all the trappings of a traditional summer camp, ADA also provides skilled medical staff 24/7, insulin, test strips, glucose tabs, syringes, monitoring supplies, and more. The $350,000 donated by PHLY contributes to the subsidies for camper registration costs, helping thousands of children attend camp.

"More than 6,000 children across the United States are served by American Diabetes Association Camps, and PHLY's volunteers helped make that possible this year," said Kelly Mueller, vice president of business integration for programs and products for the ADA. "PHLY is a valued sponsor of our Camps, and we are truly appreciative of their commitment to our mission."

Philadelphia Insurance Companies is a leading insurance carrier for non-profit and human service organizations, as well as a premier carrier for the outdoor recreation and camps industries. Since 1980, PHLY and its employees have donated nearly $35 million to charitable causes and organizations.

About Philadelphia Insurance

Philadelphia Insurance Companies designs, markets, and underwrites commercial property/casualty and professional liability insurance products incorporating value added coverages and services for select industries. The Company is rated "A++" (Superior) by A.M. Best Company and "A+" for counterparty credit and financial strength by Standard & Poor's. In business for over 50 years, PHLY is nationally recognized as a member of Ward's Top 50, one of the Best Places to Work in Insurance, and one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America. The organization has more than 50 offices strategically located across the United States to provide superior service. For more information, please visit www.PHLY.com.

About the American Diabetes Association

Nearly half of American adults have diabetes or prediabetes; more than 30 million adults and children have diabetes; and every 21 seconds, another individual is diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. The American Diabetes Association (Association) is the global authority on diabetes and since 1940 has been committed to its mission to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. To tackle this global public health crisis, the Association drives discovery in research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and provides support and advocacy for people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes and the health care professionals who serve them. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn)

SOURCE Philadelphia Insurance Companies

Related Links

http://www.phly.com

VALHALLA, N.Y., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Rectangle Health announced today that a strategic relationship has been solidified with Waterloo, Iowa-based VGM & Associates (VGM).

The new partnership will provide Rectangle Health's payment technology solutions to VGM's membership community of home medical equipment providers.

"We are excited about our partnership with Rectangle Health," said Scott Owen, senior vice president of Contracting for VGM & Associates. "Their platform and payment technology is one of the best we've seen for the durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) industry, and we're certain this partnership will enhance our members focus on what they do best - helping others."

Comprising more than 3,100 members nationwide, VGM connects providers with access to discount purchasing programs, education, professional business services, insurance and industry advocacy. With this new agreement, its members can receive discount pricing on Rectangle Health's customizable, comprehensive patient payment solutions  which are suited for the health care industry.

"This is an especially appropriate collaboration for Rectangle Health because of our mission-driven commitment to helping health care practitioners grow and succeed financially," says Scott Catherwood, senior vice president of Rectangle Health. "We look forward to working with the VGM team in a relationship that benefits both our companies and the professionals we mutually serve."

For more information about Rectangle Health visit www.rectanglehealth.com. More information about VGM is available at www.vgm.com.

About Rectangle Health

Rendering high administrative costs obsolete, Rectangle Health abolishes redundant processes and eliminates implementation and integration fees. By collaborating with our customers and utilizing strong health care industry knowledge, we can help them grow. Founded in 1992, the company is headquartered in Valhalla, N.Y., with more than 100 employees across the U.S. To learn more, visit www.rectanglehealth.com.

About VGM & Associates

Located in Waterloo, Iowa, VGM & Associates, a division of VGM Group, Inc., is a member service organization committed to providing business solutions to community-based durable medical equipment, prosthetic and orthotic supplies providers throughout the U.S. For more than 30 years, VGM has provided its members with access to products, services and support to enable them to do business better in an ever-changing business landscape. Learn more at www.vgm.com.

Media Contact

Contact: Kathy Tuite

Phone: 914-298-2072

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Rectangle Health

Related Links

http://www.rectanglehealth.com

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American workers are more secure in their retirement preparations now than before the Great Recession, but much more can and should be done, according to a comparative analysis of survey findings released today, A Retirement Security Retrospective: 2007 Versus 2017, by nonprofit Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS).

"American workers encountered a myriad of challenges over the past decade, including high rates of unemployment, dramatic shifts in home values and volatility in the financial markets. While many workers are still recovering from the Great Recession, the good news is that many have seen improvements in their future retirement security," said Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of Transamerica Institute and TCRS.

The new report illustrates the resilience of the U.S. retirement system, especially with regard to 401(k) or similar plans. The findings underscore that most Americans can still do more to adequately prepare themselves for retirement  even if they have recovered from the recession  and to do that successfully they need support from employers and policymakers.

Workers' Savings Have Increased yet Many Are Not Adequately Planning

Workers have made progress in achieving higher levels of retirement security according to several survey findings, yet they also have some specific areas requiring attention. Key findings include:

Household savings in all retirement accounts have dramatically increased since their pre-recession levels including among Millennials ( $9,000 in 2007 to $36,000 in 2017), Generation X ( $32,000 to $71,000 ), and Baby Boomers ( $75,000 to $157,000 ) (estimated medians).

including among Millennials ( in 2007 to in 2017), Generation X ( to ), and Baby Boomers ( to ) (estimated medians). 401(k) plan participation rates remain strong. Among workers who are offered a 401(k) or similar plan by their employers, approximately eight in 10 participate or have money invested in the plan. This finding remained relatively consistent between 2007 (77 percent) and 2017 (80 percent).

Among workers who are offered a 401(k) or similar plan by their employers, approximately eight in 10 participate or have money invested in the plan. This finding remained relatively consistent between 2007 (77 percent) and 2017 (80 percent). Most participants use professionally managed offerings such as a managed account service, strategic allocation funds, and/or target date funds (net: 58 percent). Comparative data for 2007 is not available.

such as a managed account service, strategic allocation funds, and/or target date funds (net: 58 percent). Comparative data for 2007 is not available. Retirement plan leakage is an issue. Loans and early withdrawals can severely inhibit the growth of participants' long-term retirement savings. By 2017, 30 percent of workers had taken some form of loan and/or early withdrawal from a 401(k) or similar plan, or an IRA.

Loans and early withdrawals can severely inhibit the growth of participants' long-term retirement savings. By 2017, 30 percent of workers had taken some form of loan and/or early withdrawal from a 401(k) or similar plan, or an IRA. Many are still "guessing" their retirement savings needs. In 2017, workers estimated they would need $500,000 (median) in retirement, less than the $650,000 (median) found in 2007. Almost half of workers (49 percent) who provided an estimate of their retirement savings needs in 2017 said that they "guessed" the amount needed, a finding that is only slightly lower than 2007 (51 percent).

"While the growth in workers' retirement accounts since pre-Great Recession levels is impressive, many workers may not be saving enough to meet their retirement income needs  and most could benefit from planning-related activities such as estimating savings goals and setting forth a financial plan," said Collinson.

Employers' Offering of 401(k) or Similar Plans Held Steady  And Some Have Enhanced Their Plans

It is well documented that employers' offering of retirement benefits is one of the most effective means of encouraging workers to save for retirement. While many employers faced difficult cost-cutting decisions during the Great Recession, 401(k) plan sponsorship rates remained strong, with some employers having enhanced their plans. Key findings include:

401(k) or similar plan sponsorship rates hold steady. Seventy-two percent of employers offer a 401(k) or similar plan, a survey finding that was unchanged from 2007.

Seventy-two percent of employers offer a 401(k) or similar plan, a survey finding that was unchanged from 2007. Offering of matching contributions has modestly increased. Among those that offer a 401(k) or similar plan, in 2017 the vast majority of employers (84 percent) offer a matching contribution to the plan, which represented a modest increase from 2007 when 80 percent indicated that they offered a match.

Among those that offer a 401(k) or similar plan, in 2017 the vast majority of employers (84 percent) offer a matching contribution to the plan, which represented a modest increase from 2007 when 80 percent indicated that they offered a match. Automatic enrollment is flat. Automatic enrollment is a feature that eliminates the decision-making and action steps normally necessary for employees to enroll and start contributing to the plan. Instead, it automatically enrolls employees into their plan with the ability for them to opt out and stop contributing. Approximately one in five 401(k) plan sponsors offer automatic enrollment, a finding that remained relatively flat between 2007 (23 percent) and 2017 (20 percent). Among employers that offer automatic enrollment, the default contribution rate has increased from 3 percent (median) in 2007 to 5 percent (median) in 2017.

Automatic enrollment is a feature that eliminates the decision-making and action steps normally necessary for employees to enroll and start contributing to the plan. Instead, it automatically enrolls employees into their plan with the ability for them to opt out and stop contributing. Approximately one in five 401(k) plan sponsors offer automatic enrollment, a finding that remained relatively flat between 2007 (23 percent) and 2017 (20 percent). Among employers that offer automatic enrollment, the default contribution rate has increased from 3 percent (median) in 2007 to 5 percent (median) in 2017. Increasing retirement plan access continues to be an opportunity. Among companies that do not offer a 401(k) or similar plan in 2017, only 27 percent said they are likely to begin sponsoring a plan in the next two years. There may be cause for optimism with regard to the future, however, 25 percent of those not likely to offer a plan said that they would consider joining a multiple employer plan (MEP) offered by a reputable vendor that handles many of the fiduciary and administrative duties at a reasonable cost.

How Workers, Employers, and Policymakers Can Improve Retirement Security

"Workers, employers, and policymakers collectively play a vital role in improving retirement security. By recognizing the opportunities, each stakeholder can take appropriate action and implement solutions," said Collinson.

Workers ultimately "own" their future retirement but many are not yet taking action steps to increase their likelihood of success. Specific action steps include: creating a budget and financial plan, building emergency savings, saving for retirement, learning more about retirement investing, and seeking professional advice, if needed.

Specific action steps include: creating a budget and financial plan, building emergency savings, saving for retirement, learning more about retirement investing, and seeking professional advice, if needed. By offering benefits, employers help employees save for retirement and protect their health and financial well-being. If they do not already, employers should consider offering these benefits. Among those that do offer benefits, employers should periodically review their benefit offerings to ensure they are up-to-date and meeting employees' needs.

If they do not already, employers should consider offering these benefits. Among those that do offer benefits, employers should periodically review their benefit offerings to ensure they are up-to-date and meeting employees' needs. Policymakers must pave the way for employers by making it easier for them to offer retirement benefits. Specific public policy recommendations include: expanding retirement plan coverage for all workers including part-time workers, encouraging employers to adopt "automatic" features to 401(k) or similar plans that make it more convenient for workers to save. An additional recommendation includes promoting more accurate goal-setting among retirement plan participants by requiring retirement plan account statements to provide an illustration of savings as future retirement income.

"People now have the potential of living longer than any other time in history  which means that workers want and need to extend their working lives to fund what promises to be very long retirements. Our retirement system, including Social Security, employer benefits, and employment practices, should be modernized to embrace this new reality so that all workers have the opportunity to retire and grow old with a financial peace of mind," said Collinson.

A full set of recommendations for workers, employers, and policymakers can be found here.

Please visit TCRS at www.transamericacenter.org to view the study along with other research reports and materials from the 18th Annual Retirement Survey. Follow TCRS on Twitter @TCRStudies.

About Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies

Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies (TCRS) is a division of Transamerica Institute, a nonprofit, private foundation. Transamerica Institute is funded by contributions from Transamerica Life Insurance Company and its affiliates and may receive funds from unaffiliated third parties. TCRS and its representatives cannot give ERISA, tax, investment or legal advice. This material is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as ERISA, tax, investment or legal advice. Interested parties must consult and rely solely upon their own independent advisors regarding their particular situation and the concepts presented here. For more information please visit www.transamericacenter.org and follow TCRS on Twitter at @TCRStudies.

About the Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey

The Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey of workers and employers is conducted in the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of TCRS. Samples are nationally representative and weighted as needed. Full methodologies can be found at www.transamericacenter.org.

Worker Survey

2007

A 16-minute online survey conducted between October 11 and November 21, 2007 among 3,012 workers, including 2,048 who were offered a 401(k) or similar plan. Potential respondents were targeted based on employment status, company type, and company size. Respondents met the following criteria: U.S. residents, age 18 or older, full- or part-time workers in for-profit or nonprofit companies with 10 or more employees. This report focuses on workers in for-profit companies.

2017

A 25-minute online survey conducted between August 9 and October 28, 2017 among 6,372 workers, including 5,619 who worked for employers with 10 or more employees, of whom, 3,820 were offered a 401(k) or similar plan. Potential respondents were targeted based on employment status and company size. Respondents met the following criteria: U.S. residents, age 18 or older, full- or part-time workers in for-profit companies with five or more employees. This report focuses on workers of companies with 10 or more employees.

Employer Survey

2007

An 18-minute telephone study conducted between October 11 and November 21, 2007 among 652 employers, including 567 that offered a 401(k) or similar plan. Potential respondents were targeted based on job title and met the following criteria: business executives at for-profit companies that employ 10 or more employees and who make decisions about employee benefits at their company.

2017

A 21-minute online survey was conducted between November 15 and December 15, 2017 among 1,825 employers, including 1,512 with 10 or more employees, of which, 1,254 offered a 401(k) or similar plan. Potential respondents were targeted based on job title and met the following criteria: business executives at for-profit companies that employ five or more employees across all locations and who make decisions about employee benefits at their company. This report focuses on employers with 10 or more employees.

TCRS 1370-0918

Contact: Madeleine Reul

[email protected]

952-346-6061

SOURCE Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies

Related Links

http://www.transamericacenter.org

CHICAGO, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- InfoReach, Inc. The addition of RetroScope to InfoReach TMS empowers its sell-side clients with more features in the fight for liquidity. The new tool works with historical and current order data, and helps brokers to detect new potential trading and crossing opportunities. It assists sales traders by identifying which clients to call when a trade may be of interest to them.

Request a demo

RetroScope key features include an ability to see historical liquidity providers as well as the respectively matching open orders. Flexible search criteria based on order value, size, time, etc., allows to cross-reference new orders with historical orders of other buy-side clients. Traders can also create specialized watch lists for desired clients and instruments. A variety of alerts and visualization features can bring user attention to a more sizable past order flow. RetroScope conveniently displays all live open orders that match the discovered historical liquidity for the same and/or opposite side. Traders can identify counterparts who have historically traded large sizes in certain products. With this information a sales trader can timely reach out to the clients to present the opportunities and source new liquidity. Alex Korsky, Global Head of Client Services at InfoReach, commented, "RetroScope is yet another great tool in TMS that helps sales traders to differentiate themselves and deliver exceptional value-added service to their buy-side clients."

About InfoReach

InfoReach is an independent provider of multi-asset broker-neutral software solutions for electronic trading, including OMS and EMS platforms for global equities, futures, options, forex, and fixed income. InfoReach team delivers high-performance technology with high-touch support. The buy-side and sell-side client systems are tailored to accommodate current and future needs. They are configurable to deliver unique adaptations without adding development time and costs.

For more than 20 years, InfoReach has helped clients to improve their trade execution process and performance with efficient design and support of consolidated trading tools and global connectivity network.

InfoReach is a privately-held company headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.inforeachinc.com. For announcements and more information follow us on Twitter @InfoReach and check our blog.

Media Contact: Nick Halvorsen, InfoReach, Inc.

312 332-7740 ext2018

[email protected]

SOURCE InfoReach, Inc.

Related Links

http://inforeachinc.com

BOSTON, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert Lawrence Beal is recognized by Continental Who's Who as Prominent Real Estate Professional for 2018 in the field of Real Estate in recognition of his role as Senior Officer of Related Beal, Inc.

A copious, integrated real estate firm, Related Beal, Inc is located in the heart of the Boston, Massachusetts area. The firm is adept in handling matters with regards to, "all assets, classes and storied local experience in life sciences, commercial and residential development, property management and real estate investments. " A leader in the real estate industry, Related Beal is equipped in handling matters focused on development, acquisitions, management, finance, marketing and sales. Dedicated to customer satisfaction, the company specializes in real estate development, affordable workforce housing, property management, brokerage services and advisory. With an astute team of professionals at the firm, the real estate office is dedicated to ensuring their clients receive hands on care in a timely and professional manner.



With over fifty years of experience in the field of real estate, Robert Lawrence Beal is renowned for his contributions to the industry. Former President and Senior Officer of Beal & Co., Inc., also known as Related Beal, throughout his career, Beal has attained expertise within the areas of both commercial and residential real estate and is now currently pursuing his philanthropic endeavors. An illustrious expert within the field, Beal is specialized in residential and commercial real estate.



Early in his career, Beal graduated Harvard College with honors in 1963. Later, he would continue onto attending Harvard Business School where he graduated in 1965.



A vibrant member within the community, Beal has charitably served many organizations with his time, talent, and resources, including the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (former overseer and trustee), the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Chairman, Council of Fellows), the Boston Zoological Society (former Chair), the Museum of Fine Arts (Board of Overseers), the Combined Jewish Arts and Culture and is on the Board of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Recently, Beal has been appointed as Director of the Old North Foundation and Trustee of Tufts Medical Center.



In an effort to further enhance his professional development, Beal is an esteemed member of several organizations locally and internationally. Past Director and Chairman of the Artery Business Committee, and a Past President of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, Beal is the former Chair of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, Chair of the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard as well as the Chair of the School of Social Science, Urban Affairs and Public Policy at Northeastern University.



In recognition of his professional achievements, Beal has been featured in numerous Who's Who Publications including Marquis, Who's Who of Emerging Leaders and Who's Who in Finance and Business.



Beal dedicates this recognition to his nephew, Bruce Beal, Jr., who is the President of the Related Company in New York. Both are looking forward to continued growth and success in the future in the family.



For more information, please visit: www.bealco.com or http://www.relatedbeal.com/OurCompany/.

Contact: Katherine Green , 516-825-5634 [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who

Related Links

http://www.continentalwhoswho.com

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP, a leading national public interest law firm, today filed a $30 million race and gender discrimination lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against multibillion-dollar commercial real estate behemoth Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.

The Complaint was filed on behalf of Cushman & Wakefield's former President of Valuation & Advisory for the Americas Nicole Urquhart-Bradley, who, until her abrupt termination by C&W CEO Shawn Mobley in January 2018, was one of only two remaining female service line leaders at Cushman & Wakefield.

The Complaint alleges that, while Cushman & Wakefield regularly deployed Ms. Urquhart-Bradley to play the role of ambassador for "diversity" at Cushman & Wakefield, the public image Cushman & Wakefield sought to market was deeply at odds with an entrenched culture of discrimination against women and people of color.

"The evidence we have points to an environment where white men are favored by their male colleagues in senior management, significantly limiting the advancement of women, and particularly women of color," said Deborah K. Marcuse, lead counsel for Ms. Urquhart-Bradley and Managing Partner of Sanford Heisler Sharp's Baltimore office. "The irony is that Cushman & Wakefield was holding out Ms. Urquhart-Bradley as evidence of its diversity right up until it wrongfully terminated her."

According to the Complaint, Ms. Urquhart-Bradley's career advancement repeatedly faced discriminatory roadblocks despite her objectively outstanding performance. While Ms. Urquhart-Bradley was tapped to succeed her white male predecessor, and assumed his job responsibilities in August 2016, she was not given his Global title; instead, Cushman & Wakefield gave her the lesser title of President of V&A Americas.

"Despite her decades of commitment and stellar performance, it's clear that Ms. Urquhart-Bradley was not valued by Cushman & Wakefield senior leadership for her demonstrated business acumen, but was instead cynically deployed to advertise Cushman & Wakefield's supposed commitment to diversity," said Melinda Koster, an Associate at Sanford Heisler Sharp.

Notably, one of Ms. Urquhart-Bradley's first orders of business in her new role was to defend against a poaching expedition by her predecessor, John Busi, now head of V&A for a competitor firm, Newmark Knight Frank. In the end, despite Mr. Busi's concerted efforts to raid Cushman & Wakefield V&A for talent after the expiration of his non-solicitation agreement in August 2017, Ms. Urquhart-Bradley successfully retained her entire leadership team. Under her stewardship, Cushman & Wakefield's V&A practice in 2017 achieved revenue exceeding both its plan for the year and its prior year's attainment. In recognition of her impressive performance, Ms. Urquhart-Bradley was honored in December 2017 as one of BisNow's "Women of Influence in Commercial Real Estate."

Just a month later, however, according to the Complaint, Cushman & Wakefield CEO Mobley abruptly terminated Ms. Urquhart-Bradley, furious that she had dared to request a small fraction of the non-monetary retention benefits her white male subordinates had received and enjoyed. A few months later, Cushman & Wakefield promoted one of those same white male subordinates to replace her, despite the fact that he was far less qualified for the position than Ms. Urquhart-Bradley.

"In the age of MeToo, Cushman & Wakefield is facing a new world, where the old boys' network behaviors will no longer be tolerated," said David Sanford, Chairman of Sanford Heisler Sharp. "The commercial real estate industry has a long-standing reputation for devaluing women; it's time they recognize that these behaviors cannot continue."

As alleged in the Complaint, even John Santora, Ms. Urquhart-Bradley's supervisor and C&W's President of the Tri-State Region (NY, NJ, CT), expressly acknowledged on a conference call shortly after CEO Mobley terminated Ms. Urquhart-Bradley that Plaintiff's performance was not the cause of her departure from Cushman & Wakefield. Since Plaintiff's termination, Cushman & Wakefield has falsely claimed that her separation from Cushman & Wakefield was "mutual," and has insisted on the enforcement of her twelve-month non-compete agreement, thereby hampering her ability to take another position in her industry and area of expertise.

Ms. Urquhart-Bradley asserts claims under Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the District of Columbia Human Rights Act. She seeks back pay, front pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages, as well as attorneys' fees, costs and expenses, pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, and a jury trial.

According to its website, Cushman & Wakefield operates 400 offices in approximately 70 countries worldwide, with 48,000 employees, 3.5 billion square feet under management, and $6.9 billion in revenue in 2017.

About Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP

Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP is a national public interest class-action litigation law firm, which has offices in Washington, D.C., New York, San Francisco, San Diego, Nashville, and Baltimore. Sanford Heisler Sharp is committed to protecting the rights of individuals and classes in employment discrimination, wage and hour, qui tam, and other civil rights matters. The firm has extensive experience in complex class action litigation, having successfully represented thousands of individuals in major class action cases in the United States. The firm also represents select individual clients such as executives, lawyers in employment disputes, and whistleblowers. The firm has recovered over $1 billion for its clients. For more information, visit www.sanfordheisler.com or contact Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP at (646) 402-5650.

Jamie Moss, newsPRos,



201 788.0142; [email protected]

SOURCE Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP

Related Links

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SAN DIEGO, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sempra Energy Foundation and company employees are pledging disaster-relief assistance funds, which could exceed $200,000, to help victims of Hurricane Florence in the Eastern U.S. and Typhoon Mangkhut in Southeast Asia.

The Sempra Energy Foundation will make an immediate contribution of $50,000 to Save the Children and an additional $50,000 donation to International Medical Corps in support of the relief efforts. The Sempra Energy Foundation also will match contributions made by employees of all Sempra Energy companies, up to a total of $25,000 to each charity. Together, the Sempra Energy Foundation and employee donations could exceed $200,000.

"With these donations, we are pleased to support recovery efforts for the families who have been displaced by these catastrophic storms," said Dennis V. Arriola, chairman of the Sempra Energy Foundation.

Save the Children supports children and families affected by the storms in both immediate emergency response, as well as long-term recovery needs. The International Medical Corps provides medical assistance via mobile medical units to those affected by the storms.

"The support of the Sempra Energy Foundation and employees of Sempra Energy is critical in providing the resources that our teams need to deliver urgently needed healthcare, as well as related services and supplies, to the families and communities affected by disaster in North Carolina and the Philippines," said Nancy Aossey, president and CEO of International Medical Corps. "I'd like to express our profound appreciation to everyone who has contributed."

Additionally, Dallas-based Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, of which Sempra Energy owns a majority stake, provided mutual assistance utility crews in areas affected by Hurricane Florence. Approximately 200 Oncor employees and contractors assisted with the power-restoration efforts, restoring power to thousands of storm victims in North Carolina.

The Sempra Energy Foundation is the 501(c)(3) private foundation of Sempra Energy, a San Diego-based energy services holding company with 2017 revenues of more than $11 billion. The Sempra Energy companies' approximately 20,000 employees serve more than 40 million consumers worldwide. For more information on the Sempra Energy Foundation, visit www.sempraenergyfoundation.org.

Sempra South American Utilities, Sempra North American Infrastructure, Sempra LNG & Midstream, Sempra Renewables, Sempra Mexico, Sempra Texas Utility, Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) and Infraestructura Energetica Nova, S.A.B. de C.V. (IEnova) are not the same companies as the California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) or Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), and Sempra South American Utilities, Sempra North American Infrastructure, Sempra LNG & Midstream, Sempra Renewables, Sempra Mexico, Sempra Texas Utility, Oncor and IEnova are not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

SOURCE Sempra Energy Foundation

Related Links

http://www.sempraenergyfoundation.org

What most affected me was not what the women told me as I worked to prepare them for their court appearances. What made me believe was what I saw. I didnt need her to say the words Im ashamed to know thats what she felt. I knew this when her eyes only looked at mine for a second before looking down, and when she needed both hands to steady a cup of water, and when I could see her struggling to hold back the tears, for fear that once she started she would not stop.To announce the new partnership, Sir Richard Branson and Ryan Reynolds sat down together to discuss what the collaboration means to both in a short video - https://youtu.be/651HH1OBHxI .

Speaking on the partnership, Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group Founder, said: "I'm delighted Virgin Atlantic is working with Ryan and his team on this partnership. Aviation Gin was born out of a spirit of innovation, so serving it on board Virgin Atlantic flights seemed like the perfect combination."

"I've been a huge fan of Sir Richard Branson and Virgin for years. For Aviation to be chosen as the gin of choice for such an iconic and quintessentially British brand is a complete honor. We look forward to serving Virgin Atlantic guests for years to come and, on a personal note, Sir Richard has promised to teach me the difference between revenue and profit, so I am beyond excited."

To celebrate the partnership, a selection of lucky passengers on board Virgin Atlantic flights on the 30th September will get a special mixology experience hosted by bartenders from some of the world's best bars, from The Dead Rabbit in New York to Smugglers Cove in San Francisco.

Virgin Atlantic and Aviation Gin will also be bringing their partnership to this year's London Cocktail Week. From October 3rd  7th, Virgin Atlantic will be trading its cockpits for cocktails with unique activations at the Old Truman Brewery. Guests can stop by for exclusive Aviation Gin cocktails from some of the world's best bars, including Employees Only's First Blush or Black Tail's Terminal A. For more information please visit www.virginatlantic.com

As part of the relationship, Sir Richard Branson and Ryan Reynolds will appear in co-branded digital content this Fall.

About Virgin Atlantic

Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson 34 years ago with innovation and customer service at its core. Today Virgin Atlantic carries 5.5 million customers annually, and was recently named the UK's favourite long haul carrier by Skytrax, Best Transatlantic Airline at the British Travel Awards 2017 and one of the Top 5 Airlines in the World by Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, Virgin Atlantic employs over 10,000 people worldwide and operates a fleet of 47 aircraft serving 25 destinations across four continents. Alongside joint venture partner Delta Air Lines they operate a leading transatlantic network - offering up to 38 flights per day between the UK and US with onward connections to over 200 US and international cities. In 2019 Virgin Atlantic will take delivery of their first Airbus A350-1000 aircraft - helping to transform the fleet into one of the quietest and most fuel efficient in the sky.

ABOUT AVIATION GIN

Aviation Gin, owned by actor and producer Ryan Reynolds, is the world's highest rated gin (97 points, Wine Enthusiast) and helped establish a new style of American gin - softer and smoother, with juniper in the background and citrus and floral notes in the front - resulting in more balanced cocktails. Created by a unique bartender / distiller partnership, Aviation is crafted in small batches in Portland, Oregon.

ABOUT DAVOS BRANDS

Davos Brands is a portfolio of award-winning craft spirits brands. With a focus on product innovation and integrity, the portfolio includes Aviation Gin, the world's highest rated gin; Astral Tequila, a Double Gold medal tequila made using heritage methods; Sombra Mezcal, a Double Gold medal Mezcal and a leader in sustainable production; and TYKU Sake, the #1 premium sake in the US.

For Media Inquiries Please Contact:

ALISON BROD MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS

[email protected]

212-230-1800

For Virgin Atlantic:

Anna Catchpole

+441293 747373

[email protected]

SOURCE Davos BrandsNASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Security National Automotive Acceptance Company (SNAAC), a non-prime auto finance company, and Primeritus Financial Services, Inc., the leading service provider of recovery management, skip tracing, and remarketing services to the auto finance industry, today, announced their collaborative partnership.

Primeritus will provide SNAAC their full-suite of remarketing services for SNAAC's automotive portfolio. "Primeritus has a solid reputation in the industry by helping auto finance companies improve their remarketing strategies and obtaining the highest returns in the auction lanes," says Chris Mitcham, Senior Vice President of Collections with SNAAC. "SNAAC is proud to partner with a company that will help us; improve our portfolio results, lower our overall days to sell, manage cost, experience premium lane placement, and participate in their vehicle certification process in order to obtain the highest vehicle retention value."

Keith Byrd, VP of Remarketing for Primeritus added, "The team at Primeritus is very excited and proud to partner with an established company like SNAAC. Primeritus has decades of combined experience in the remarketing industry which will also assist SNAAC in achieving their remarketing goals. We look forward to working together and providing an excellent remarketing experience."

"SNAAC and Primeritus share a common objective; to deliver best-in-class service and results for our clients," says Joe Mappes, Executive Vice President of Primeritus Financial Services. "By utilizing Primeritus' proprietary remarketing technology, SNAAC will have data and insights relating to key performance indicators in the remarketing cycle which will help drive educated remarketing decisions. We are humbled SNAAC has named Primeritus as their trusted business partner in this facet of their collections cycle."

About Primeritus Financial Services: Primeritus Financial Services is a national provider of repossession management, remarketing, titled services and skip tracing services to the auto finance industry in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Primeritus provides clients with value-added, outsourced repossession management, skip tracing and remarketing services, leveraging a national network of certified agents and unique investigative techniques to quickly and reliably secure customers' collateral. Through leadership, service and performance, Primeritus Financial Services offer the trifecta of repossession services: locate, recover and remarket. For more information, please visit www.primeritus.com.

About Security National Automotive Acceptance Company (SNAAC): SNAAC is a privately-held retail sales finance company that purchases and services retail sales contracts from auto dealers nationwide. Established in the industry for 30 years, SNAAC provides dealers with customized financing solutions for consumers through competitive programs and an unparalleled service experience. Based in Cincinnati, OH, SNAAC continues a long-standing commitment to support causes that enrich local communities, including United Way of Greater Cincinnati and USA Cares, and has been consecutively named as one of Greater Cincinnati's Top Workplaces. For more information, visit www.snaac.com.

SOURCE Primeritus Financial Services, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.primeritus.com

FELTON, California, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global Tempered Glass Market is estimated to develop at a substantial CAGR for the duration of the prediction. Growing demand for tempered glass in automotive manufacturing essentially for side and rear windows due to its excellent possessions for example tensile strength, confrontation to thermal shock, safety, dependability and toughness should motivate the development of the business.

Growth in expenditure on substructure in the nations like Philippines, Malaysia, Brazil, China, and India, together with growth in necessity for strong building constituents must motivate the market for tempered glass. Progress in the manufacturing of building and automobiles in the developing markets for example Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, UAE and Africa mainly motivates the market of tempered glass. Additionally, the augmented consumer expenses on internal planning of their houses increase the progress of the market.

On the source of the end users/applications, the statement concentrates on the position and viewpoint for foremost uses/end users. It takes into consideration the intake in terms of sales, market stake, and development percentage of Tempered Glass for respective use, including Automotive [Side Windows, Rear Windows], Construction [Industrialized, Domestic, Commercial], Gadgets [Computers/ Laptops, Tablets, and Smartphones], Home applications [Microwave ovens, Refrigerators, Washing Machines and Cookware] and Greenhouse.

The market scope for tempered glass, for the subdivision of construction applications, may perhaps record improvements by the completion of prediction period. It utilized for the construction of dividing wall, enclosures for bath, glassy entrances, frontages, coverings, and washbasins. Growing government expenditure and promising organizations in construction subdivision together with strict rules associated with the end user security have to boost the progress of the business.

Browse 120 page research report with TOC on "Global Tempered Glass Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/tempered-glass-market

The market scope of tempered glass from construction of commercial buildings is expected to expand exponentially by the completion of prediction period. It is extensively utilized in a number of commercial buildings. For example communal buildings and office multi-use building. Together with helpful code of practice about the product, practice will motivate business demand. Altering way of life patterns together with necessity for safety and call for superior substructure has headed to development of construction productivity in Brazil, India and China, thereby inspiring the demand in the market.

The market scope of tempered glass from the subdivision of gadgets expected to surpass US$x.x billion by the completion of prediction period. These extensively utilized in Personal Computers, Laptops, Tablets and Smart Phones by way of Screen Protector. Growth in the diffusion of the smartphone in the nations such as Australia, Brazil, South Korea, Taiwan and Poland has headed to acceptance of toughened glass.

The Tempered Glass market on the source of Area with respect to Trades in terms of intake, Profits, Market stake and Development percentage in these areas, for the duration of the prediction could span North America [U.S.A, Canada and Mexico], Europe [France, Spain, Germany, U.K., Italy, Rest of Europe], Asia Pacific [India, Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific], Latin America [Brazil], Middle East & Africa.

By the source of geography, Asia-Pacific was the prominent area in the international market of tempered glass during the past years. It was tracked by Europe. The statement revises Trades in terms of intake of Tempered Glass in the market; particularly in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. It concentrates on the topmost companies operating in these regions. Some of the important companies operating in the field on international basis are Fuyao Group, Shanghai North glass Technology & Industry Co., Ltd., Pilkington, PPG Industries, AFG Industries, Saint-Gobain SA, Tyneside Safety Glass, AYG Coating Glass Co., Ltd., Cardinal FG, NSG Group, Asahi Glass Company [AGC],and Guardian industries.

Browse reports of similar category available with Million Insights:

Global Tempered Glass Application Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022)

 Automotive

 Construction

 Others

Global Tempered Glass Regional Outlook (Volume, Million Square Meters; Revenue, USD Million, 2012 - 2022)

 North America

 U.S.

 Europe

 Germany

 UK

 Asia Pacific

 China

 Japan

 Latin America

 Brazil

 Middle East & Africa

 South Africa

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SOURCE Million InsightsATLANTA, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arbor Company, a premier operator of outstanding senior living communities, today announced it is publishing a comprehensive resource to assist families in considering, researching, choosing, and helping their loved ones move into a senior living community. The guide, The Journey to Senior Living: A Step-By-Step Guide for Families, is available as an online resource at https://www.arborcompany.com/the-journey-to-senior-living-a-step-by-step-guide-for-families, or can be obtained as a printed book at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692137939.

Families who come together to discuss senior living for a loved one face a long road. The decision itself can be difficult, and the process of finding a community, moving, and helping loved ones acclimate to their new home involves plenty of time, research, understanding, and emotion. The Arbor Company's new guide advises families through every step of this journey. Topics covered include:

Determining if senior living is the best option for a loved one

Researching and visiting senior living communities

Calculating the costs of senior living

Tips for downsizing and moving

Frequently asked questions

"The journey to senior living takes time, a fair amount of research, and plenty of patience," says Chris Harper, vice president of communication at The Arbor Company. "There may be tears and triumphs along the way, and hopefully the end result will be a community where a loved one finds happiness, friendship, and health. Our new resource provides a thorough process for families to plan a move to senior living, from first conversations all the way through to after move-in."

To learn more about The Arbor Company's senior living communities, visit www.arborcompany.com.

About The Arbor Company

The Arbor Company is an Atlanta-based operator of nearly 40 independent living, assisted living, and memory care communities, serving seniors in 10 states. With 30 years of dedication and experience, The Arbor Company strives to deliver the highest-quality care and service to residents and their families. The company's innovative Engaged Living program creates meaningful moments through structured activity programs and spontaneous interactions, filling each day with the right balance of purpose and fun. More information about The Arbor Company is available at www.arborcompany.com.

SOURCE The Arbor Company

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NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- High Volume Dispensing Systems Market Size, Share And Trends Analysis Report By Product (Systems/Cabinets, Software), By End Use (Retail Pharmacies, Hospital Pharmacies), And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05568389



The global high volume dispensing systems market size is expected to reach USD 3.07 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., progressing at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period. Increasing number of prescriptions, growing disease burden, and recent technological advancements are some of the key drivers for the market. Rising incidence of dispensing errors is boosting the need for high volume dispensing systems in order to enhance patient safety.



Increasing adoption of pharmacy automation systems in retail pharmacies for dispensing large volume medications is one of the key factors fueling the demand for high volume dispensing systems.Surging demand for faster prescription processing and increasing government funding for installation of these systems in hospitals are also stoking the growth of the market.



Moreover, soaring need for reduction in inventory discrepancies is further bolstering the demand for these systems.



Rising number of retail and mail order pharmacies is resulting in high volume of medication inventory.This, in turn, is creating an upswing in the adoption rate of high volume dispensing systems.



Growing concerns regarding patient safety and increasing investments in pharmacy automation systems are also propelling the market. In addition, increasing demand for reduction of pharmacist workload is further expected to augment the market over the forecast period.



Further key findings from the report suggest:

 High volume dispensing cabinets emerged as the largest segment in terms of revenue in 2017 owing to increasing demand for efficient pharmacy workflow and rapid technological advancements

 High volume dispensing systems in retail pharmacies commanded the largest revenue share in 2017 owing to rising number of prescriptions and increasing demand for reduction of pharmacy workload

 In terms of geography, North America represented the leading revenue share in 2017. On the other hand, Asia Pacific is estimated to register the highest CAGR over the forecast period

 Omnicell, Inc.; McKesson Corporation; Innovation Associates; TCGRx; and ScriptPro, LLC are the major players operating in the market.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05568389



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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LONDON, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The global medical aesthetics market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.6% in the next five years (20182023).

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4407700

The global medical aesthetics market is projected to reach USD 17.07 billion by 2023 from USD 10.30 billion in 2018, at a CAGR of 10.6% from 2018 to 2023. Factors such as the growing adoption of minimally invasive and noninvasive aesthetic procedures, rising adoption among geriatric individuals, increasing public awareness about cosmetic procedures, the availability of technologically advanced & user-friendly products, and the increasing demand for aesthetic treatments among men are driving the growth of this market. However, factors such as the clinical risks and complications associated with medical aesthetic procedures and the increasing availability and adoption of alternative beauty and cosmetic products are restraining the growth of this market to a certain extent.



The thread lift products segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

By product, the medical aesthetics market is segmented into facial aesthetic products (dermal fillers, botulinum toxin, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels); body contouring devices (nonsurgical fat reduction devices, cellulite reduction devices, and liposuction devices); cosmetic implants [breast implants (silicone implants and saline implants), facial implants, and other cosmetic implants]; hair removal devices (laser hair removal devices and IPL hair removal devices); skin aesthetic devices (laser resurfacing devices, nonsurgical skin tightening devices, micro-needling products, and light therapy devices); tattoo removal devices; thread lift products; physician-dispensed cosmeceuticals and skin lighteners; physician-dispensed eyelash products; and nail treatment laser devices.The facial aesthetics products segment is expected to account for the largest market share in 2018, while the thread lift products segment is expected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period.



The high growth of this segment is primarily attributed to the growing focus on aesthetics and increasing consumer willingness to pay for aesthetic treatments.



Asia Pacific to witness the highest growth during the forecast period (20182023).

North America is expected to hold the largest share of the global medical aesthetics market in 2018, and this trend is expected to continue during the forecast period.The medical aesthetics market in the Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is projected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period.



Factors such as rising consumer knowledge and interest in procedures, strong local economies, aggressive marketing by leading US and European companies in Asia, rising medical tourism, and an increase in awareness about aesthetics are supporting the growth of the medical aesthetics market in the Asia Pacific.



Break-up of primary participants is mentioned below:

 By Company Type: Tier 1 - 33%, Tier 2 - 46%, and Tier 3 - 21%

 By Designation: C-level - 26%, Director-level - 20%, and Others - 54%

 By Region: North America - 33%, Europe - 29%, Asia Pacific - 24%, and the RoW - 14%



Some of the prominent players in the medical aesthetics market are Allergan, plc (Ireland), Alma Lasers, Ltd. (Israel), Anika Therapeutics (US), Cutera, Inc. (US), Cynosure (US), El.En. S.p.A. (Italy), Fotona d.o.o. (Slovenia), Nestle S.A. (Switzerland), Johnson & Johnson (US), Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA (Germany), Medytox, Inc. (South Korea), Sientra, Inc. (US), Sinclair Pharma plc (UK), Syneron Medical, Ltd. (US), and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (US).



Research Coverage:

This report studies the medical aesthetics market based on product, end user, and region.The report also studies factors (such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) which affect market growth.



It analyzes opportunities and challenges in the market for stakeholders and provides details of the competitive landscape for key players.The medical aesthetics market report profiles key players who are involved in the manufacturing and commercialization of medical aesthetic products/devices and analyzes their core competencies.



The report also tracks and analyzes competitive developments in the market such as product launches, enhancements, and approvals; acquisitions; partnerships and collaborations; and expansions.



Reasons to Buy the Report:

The report will enrich both established firms as well as new entrants/smaller firms to gauge the pulse of the market, which in turn will help players capture larger market shares. Firms purchasing the report could use any one or a combination of the below-mentioned strategies to strengthen their position in the market.

 Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on the top 15 players in the medical aesthetics market. The report analyzes the medical aesthetics market, by product, end user, and region.

 Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on research and development activities and new product launches in the medical aesthetics market.

 Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging markets. The report analyzes the markets for various medical aesthetic products and devices across five geographies (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa).

 Competitive Assessment: Assessment of market shares, strategies, distribution networks, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players in the medical aesthetics market.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4407700



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NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05570349

The global micro-inverter market expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.3% from 2018 to 2023 to reach USD 5.88 billion by 2023 from USD 2.44 billion in 2018. Micro-inverter is gaining popularity particularly due to several advantages they offer over conventional inverters. The main advantage of micro-inverters is that its power output is unaffected despite shading of one or more solar panels, deposition of debris or snow on any solar module, or even at an event of complete module failure. Micro-inverter is able to harvest optimum power from each module by performing maximum power point tracking (MPPT). Micro-inverters are mainly used in applications such as residential, commercial, and PV power plant. Micro-inverters are highly in demand for residential applications. However, the major factor restraining the micro-inverter market growth is the high competition from conventional inverter technologies.

Micro-inverter market to be driven by residential application during forecast period

The residential application is expected to hold a significant share of the micro-inverter market during the forecast period.The rising energy cost, coupled with supportive government policies worldwide, has led to increasing adoption of energy conservation measures for controlling the increased energy expenditure in residential applications.



Countries such as the US, Australia, and the Netherlands, which are among the prominent markets for residential rooftop PV installations, have widely adopted micro-inverters over conventional inverters.

Micro-inverter market in APAC to grow at highest CAGR during forecast period

The market in APAC for micro-inverters is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2018 to 2023.APAC has several operational micro-inverter installations for residential, commercial, and PV power plant applications.



Japan and Australia have been the major adopters of micro-inverter technology. Also, the growth in residential rooftop solar PV installations in India and Japan encourages manufacturers to cater to the needs of potential customers in this region.

In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews have been conducted with key officials in the micro-inverter market. Following is the breakup of the primary participants for the report:

 By Company Type: Tier 1 = 50 %, Tier 2 = 30%, and Tier 3 = 20%

 By Designation: C-Level Executives = 60%, Directors = 25%, and Others = 15%

 By Region: North America = 35%, Europe = 30%, APAC = 25%, and RoW = 10%



Moreover, the report profiles the key players in the micro-inverter market and analyzes their market ranking. The prominent players profiled in this report are Enphase Energy (US), Altenergy Power System (US), Chilicon Power (US), SunPower (China), Siemens (Germany), Envertech (China) ReneSola (US), Darfon Electronics (China), and AEconversion (Germany).



Research Coverage:

This research report categorizes the micro-inverter market based on component, type, communication technology, sales channel, application, and region. Moreover, the report provides a description of the major drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities pertaining to this market as well as the value chain analysis and market ranking analysis.



Reasons to Buy the Report:



The report would help the leaders/new entrants in the micro-inverter market in the following ways:

1. The report segments the micro-inverter market comprehensively and provides the market size estimation for all subsegments across different regions.

2. The report helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with the information on key drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities for the micro-inverter market.

3. The report would help stakeholders understand their competitors better and gain insights to improve their position in the micro-inverter market. The competitive landscape section describes the competitor ecosystem.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05570349



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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AMSTERDAM, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Open Networking Summit Europe -- The Linux Foundation , the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced further collaboration between telecom and cloud industry leaders enabled by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) and LF Networking (LFN), fueling migrations of Virtual Network Function (VNFs) to Cloud-native Network Functions (CNFs).

As networks evolve to support next-generation services and applications, they will need to embrace characteristics inherent to cloud native architecture, such as scalability, automation, and resiliency. Compared to traditional VNFs (network functions encapsulated in a Virtual Machine (VM) running in a virtualized environment on OpenStack or VMware, for example), CNFs (network functions running on Kubernetes on public, private, or hybrid cloud environments) are lighter weight and faster to instantiate. Container-based processes are also easier to scale, chain, heal, move and back up.

Two of the fastest-growing Linux Foundation projects  ONAP (part of LF Networking) and Kubernetes (part of CNCF)  are coming together in next-generation telecom architecture as operators evolve their VNFs into CNFs running on Kubernetes.

"We have seen service providers embrace open source networking in large numbers. Benefits of virtualization and VNFs, coupled with automation platforms like ONAP, are now de-facto deployment models," said Arpit Joshipura, General Manager, networking, The Linux Foundation. "As edge, IoT, 5G and AI start using these highly-automated cloud platforms, we are excited to see the best of both worlds come together  the scale and portability of cloud coupled with the agility, reliability and automation of telecom."

"I'm thrilled to collaborate with our sister Linux Foundation organization, LF Networking, to demonstrate the capabilities of CNFs," said Dan Kohn, Executive Director of Cloud Native Computing Foundation. "These implementations will bring greater elasticity to the networking space through critical pieces of the cloud native stack  like container orchestration, service mesh architectures and microservices  and allow for a new level of self-management and scalability."

Early examples of both VNF and CNF enablement are seen within ONAP and via working projects from the CNCF and ONAP communities. ONAP's inaugural release, Amsterdam, represents the second stage (2.0) of network architecture evolution: it runs in a VM, in an OpenStack, VMware, Azure or Rackspace environment. ONAP's upcoming release, Casablanca, brings the next phase of network architecture evolution (3.0): it runs on Kubernetes, and works on any public, private, or hybrid cloud. ONAP currently supports VNFs on either VMs (running on OpenStack or VMware) or containers (running on Kubernetes via KubeVirt or Virtlet).

Specific projects addressing the migration roadmap to cloud native include:

LFN ONAP Multi-VIM : Aims to enable ONAP to deploy and run on multiple infrastructure environments, for example: OpenStack and its different distributions; public and private clouds; microservices containers, etc.

Aims to enable ONAP to deploy and run on multiple infrastructure environments, for example: OpenStack and its different distributions; public and private clouds; microservices containers, etc. LFN ONAP OOM: Enables ONAP modules to be run on Kubernetes, contributing to availability, resilience, scalability and more for ONAP deployments and sets the stage for full implementation of a microservices architecture, expected with the third release, Casablanca , due out later this year.

Enables ONAP modules to be run on Kubernetes, contributing to availability, resilience, scalability and more for ONAP deployments and sets the stage for full implementation of a microservices architecture, expected with the third release, , due out later this year. OPNFV : The latest OPNFV release, Fraser, expanded cloud native NFV capabilities in nine different projects, more than doubled the number of supported Kubernetes-based scenarios, deployed two containerized VNFs, and integrated additional cloud native technologies from CNCF relating to service mesh (Istio/Envoy), logging (Fluentd), tracing (OpenTracing with Jaeger), monitoring (Prometheus), and package management (gRPC). These updates move the cloud native capabilities from basic container orchestration to include operational needs for cloud native applications. Additionally, the FastDataStacks project takes advantage of FD.io work to incorporate the VPP dataplane into Kubernetes networking capabilities to enable cloud native network-centric services.

The latest OPNFV release, Fraser, expanded cloud native NFV capabilities in nine different projects, more than doubled the number of supported Kubernetes-based scenarios, deployed two containerized VNFs, and integrated additional cloud native technologies from CNCF relating to service mesh (Istio/Envoy), logging (Fluentd), tracing (OpenTracing with Jaeger), monitoring (Prometheus), and package management (gRPC). These updates move the cloud native capabilities from basic container orchestration to include operational needs for cloud native applications. Additionally, the FastDataStacks project takes advantage of work to incorporate the VPP dataplane into Kubernetes networking capabilities to enable cloud native network-centric services. CNCF Cross-cloud Continuous Integration (CI) : Ensures cross-project interoperability and cross-cloud deployments of all cloud native technologies; shows the daily status of builds and deployments on a status dashboard.

: Ensures cross-project interoperability and cross-cloud deployments of all cloud native technologies; shows the daily status of builds and deployments on a status dashboard. Istio: Allows users to connect, manage, and secure microservices for both containerized and non-containerized workloads.

Allows users to connect, manage, and secure microservices for both containerized and non-containerized workloads. Ligato : Provides a platform and code samples for development of cloud native VNFs. It includes a VNF agent for Vector Packet Processing ( FD.io ) and a Service Function Chain (SFC) controller for stitching virtual and physical networking.

Provides a platform and code samples for development of cloud native VNFs. It includes a VNF agent for Vector Packet Processing ( ) and a Service Function Chain (SFC) controller for stitching virtual and physical networking. (Network) Service Mesh : A novel approach solving complicated L2/L3 use cases in Kubernetes that are tricky to address with the existing Kubernetes Network Model. Inspired by Istio, Network Service Mesh maps the concept of a service mesh to L2/L3 payloads.

As telecom network transformation requires a hybrid approach, service providers will be better equipped to deliver next-gen services by realizing the full promise of containers, utilizing the best of both telecom and cloud. Combined with open source, ecosystem-wide benefits include portability, resiliency, reduced capex and opex, increased development velocity, automation, and scalability.

Supporting Quotes

"Containerization has been one of the cornerstones of our network transformation," said Catherine Lefevre, AVP of Research Technology Management, AT&T. "Cloud-native development represents the next level of efficiency as part of the ONAP target architecture and we're excited to be a part of this initiative. We expect significant benefits from the OOM Project, such as improved scalability and resiliency, as well as additional cost efficiencies."

"Cloud-native NFV delivers on the agility, velocity and cost savings promised so many years ago in the NFV manifesto. We are at the cusp of solving the two major blockers: VNF CNF transition, and a cloud-native way to wire the CNFs together in Kubernetes," said David Ward, CTO and chief architect of Engineering, Cisco. "VPP provides the feature rich high performance userspace dataplane needed for CNFs, Ligato provides the toolkit for building the CNF agents to manage the VPP dataplane, and Network Service Mesh provides a truly 'cloud-native' approach to how to stitch CNFs together. We look forward to seeing the good work in these areas at Kubecon in Seattle in December."

What's Next?

As migrations of VNFs to CNFs continue to evolve, the open source networking ecosystem enters the next phase of innovation, 'Harmonization 3.0.' The next phase (Harmonization 3.0) drives collaboration between edge and carrier cloud and enterprise. First introduced at Open Networking Summit North America , this joint effort will enhance the open networking ecosystem. Further advancements of these efforts will be on display at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America (December 10-13, 2018) in Seattle. To learn more and register for the event, visit here .

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org .

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage . Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Resources

Media Contact

Jill Lovato

The Linux Foundation

[email protected]

SOURCE The Linux Foundation

Related Links

http://www.linuxfoundation.org

The mass dismissals came just days after Chicagoans learned of the death of retired police Cmdr. Jon Burge, who gained infamy for overseeing and engaging in the torture of hundreds of suspects to extract confessions. He wasnt prosecuted for that conduct because the statute of limitations prevented it. But he spent more than four years in federal prison after being convicted of perjury. He cost the city more than $100 million in settlements and other legal costs, plus $5.5 million set aside for reparations.AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The world of podcasting has a colorful variety of shows and hosts focused on different subjects, interests, niches, and passion projects. The idea of a podcast dedicated to the real estate investing niche of distressed note investing probably isn't in your top 10 podcasts to listen to, but it probably should be.

Note Closers Show Podcast Scott Carson

Meet Scott Carson. Ten years ago, Scott left his job as a mortgage broker and started buying distressed mortgages direct from some of the banks and mortgage companies that he was originating for. "I'm not going to say that it was the easiest thing to do back then. It was the wild west with banks going out of business and most of the note buyers stopped buying. The few of us note investors who were buying debt really have scratched out a profitable place for ourselves in the secondary market of mortgage trading. While it's not as crazy as in 'The Big Short,' we've found a way to buy the distressed debt at substantial discounts from banks and work out win-win scenarios with the borrowers." Carson mentioned that they still end up foreclosing around half the time. "Not everyone wants to work with us. Some people just don't realize that we are here to help. It's a whole lot easier to work with us instead of our attorneys if they chose to be difficult. We've bought a couple thousand notes over the past 10 years and each deal has its own story."

While many investors understand the fix and flip or rental models, buying distressed debt isn't as well known among real estate investors. "Many investors like the tangible side of real estate and that they can touch their properties. If I have to pick out paint and carpet on a deal, I'm doing something wrong. Our whole model is to 'rehab the borrower' and work to get them back on the right track. We'll either hold the note for cash flow or look to sell it off as a performing note to investors looking for a decent ROI."

When asked about how he is spreading the word Carson answered: "I've been teaching other investors the nuts and bolts of note investing since 2010 through workshops and social media. I started podcasting when I realized that there was no one out there who was talking and sharing the ins and outs of note investing and the platform has become one of our most popular platforms to attract new clients and investors." The Note Closers Show Podcast kicked off in August of 2017 and celebrated its one-year anniversary. "We hit our goal of 150,000 downloads in, but by using Facebook, YouTube and other social media, we more than doubled our audience base across the United States and 62 other countries. Who would have thought that people from all across the globe are interested in what's going on in our housing market?"

Carson's podcast has a 50/50 format of interviews from investors and industry professionals along with teaching specific lessons. "You can't teach note investing in 30-60 minutes, but you can definitely share a lot when you've done a couple hundred episodes," he stated. "Our goal is to help make America great again, one distressed borrower at a time. It's just a matter of time before the market turns again. We'll keep recording episodes and sharing the good, bad, and ugly part of the business as long as people keep listening."

When asked where he sees his podcast and business going in the near future, Carson stated that he hopes to have over a million downloads by year three. "We've got a growing base of listeners who get pretty upset when we don't record on a regular basis. I never thought that a podcast would help us grow our note business like it has in the past year. It's interested to see where it will take us in the future as podcasting and video grows."

You can catch episodes of the Note Closers Show Podcast on all the major podcasting platforms or check out each episode's blogpost at www.WeCloseNotes.com along with watching live episodes on Scott Carson's Facebook page.

Media Contact:

Shannon Steidel

512-585-3810

[email protected]

SOURCE WeCloseNotes.com Inc

Related Links

http://www.WeCloseNotes.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The horticulture lighting market estimated to grow at a CAGR of 20.61% from 2018 to 2023



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05570067



The overall horticulture lighting market is estimated to grow from USD 2.43 billion in 2018 to USD 6.21 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 20.61% from 2018 to 2023. The rapid population growth, availability of limited agriculture land, steady supply of crops despite unfavorable weather conditions for farming across geographies, government initiatives to support adoption of energy-efficient LEDs in horticulture, increased year-round high-quality yield, and legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes are the major driving factors for the horticulture lighting market growth. Retrofitting traditional light sources with LED grow lights and increasing awareness about vertical and indoor farming are the major opportunities in the horticulture lighting market. On the other hand, the high cost of energy-efficient LED grow light technologies, and the feasibility of cultivating a limited number of crop species using horticulture lights are the major challenges for the market players.



Vertical farming application is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period

Demand for horticulture lighting systems for vertical farming applications is expected to increase during the forecast period. Vertical farming is changing the outlook of food production.

In vertical farming, plants are stacked in layers one above the other, utilizing the available space in the best possible way.Consumer demand for high-quality, locally developed food that is free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals is increasing.



With vertical farming, space is not a constraint, and cultivators can grow crops even in a square foot of area.Despite changing climatic conditions, vertical farming also allows cultivators to grow all types of crops throughout the year.



Increased use of LED horticulture lights is encouraging cultivators to adopt vertical farming on a large scale. Thus, due to the increasing awareness of vertical farming, this segment is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period.



Europe is expected to hold the largest size of the horticulture lighting market during the forecast period

Europe is among the important markets for horticulture lightings.The European Union's initiatives to boost the adoption of LED grow lights are expected to create more opportunities for the manufacturers of LED modules and lamps in Europe.



Gavita (Netherlands), Osram (Germany), and Signify (Philips Lighting) (Netherlands) are the most prominent Europe-based lighting companies.Major European economies, such as the UK, Germany, and France, are investing in indoor horticulture lighting for fresh farm produce.



This factor is expected to generate a huge demand for horticulture lighting systems in the future.Technological developments in artificial horticulture lighting have led to the use of efficient and eco-friendly technologies, such as LED grow lights, in Europe; moreover, governments in this region are implementing rigorous resolutions to ban the use of incandescent bulbs.



In fact, the European Commission has proposed to eliminate the use of halogen lamps completely by 2018.

In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews have been conducted with key industry people.



The breakup of the profile of primary participants has been given below:

 By Company Type: Tier 1  60%, Tier 2  20%, and Tier 3  20%

 By Designation:  C-Level Executives  55%, Directors  15%, and Others  30%

 By Region: North America  40%, Europe  20%, APAC  25%, and RoW  15%



Major companies covered in the horticulture lighting market report are Signify (Philips Lighting) (Netherlands), Gavita (Netherlands), GE Lighting (US), Osram (Germany), Agrolux (Netherlands), Heliospectra (Sweden), Hortilux Schreder (Netherlands), Lumileds (Netherlands), PARsource (US), Illumitex (US), Hubbell (US), Maxigrow (UK), Bridgelux (US), Eye Hortilux (US), and Lumigrow (US).



Research Coverage:

 Major applications for horticulture lighting systems are greenhouses, vertical farming, indoor farming, and others (research and tissue culture)

 By offering, the horticulture lighting market is segmented into hardware, and software and services

 By technology, the horticulture lighting market is segmented into fluorescent lamps, high-intensity discharge (HID) lights, LED lights, and other technologies (plasma and induction lamps)

 By lighting type, the horticulture lighting market is segmented into toplighting and interlighting

 By cultivation, the horticulture lighting market is segmented into fruits and vegetables, and floriculture

 The geographic analysis is done with regard to major 4 regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and Rest of the World (RoW)



Reasons to Buy This Report:

From an insight perspective, this research report has focused on various levels of analysisindustry analysis (industry trends), market ranking analysis of top players, value chain analysis; company profiles, which discuss the basic views on the competitive landscape, emerging and high-growth segments of the horticulture lighting market, and high-growth regions; and drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities pertaining to horticulture lighting market.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

 Market penetration: Comprehensive information on horticulture lighting offered by the top players in the overall horticulture lighting market

 Product development/innovation: Detailed insights regarding R&D activities, emerging technologies, and product launches in the horticulture lighting market

 Market development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging marketsthe report analyzes the markets for horticulture lighting across regions

 Market diversification: Exhaustive information about untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the overall horticulture lighting market

 Competitive assessment: In-depth assessment of market ranking analysis, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players in the horticulture lighting market



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05570067



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

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VANCOUVER, Wash., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Truck Parking company, "The Truck Depot LLC" is scheduled to attend and offer private equity opportunity to investors at The Money Show in Dallas, Texas October 3-5 2018.

CEO and President Mr. Davidyan said: "The show in Dallas is the perfect time and opportunity, that the company has been preparing for, to offer private equity investment in order to scale the company's growth faster over the next five years."

The Truck Depot LLC is a one of a kind membership based long and short term commercial truck parking facility that offers driver not just parking services but also warehousing services, truck repair services, and rest facilities in Oregon and Washington State. When asked about the offering Marketing VP Richard Greer stated:

"We have been working in a $700 billion dollar a year industry where the demand outstrips the supply nearly a hundred to one. We have created a product and service that supports owner operators of trucks that move every bit of product we use every day, the federal and state laws that regulate the time a truck must be still and not driving, reducing crime that is synonymous with traditional truck stops, and make the roads safe for everyone driving them. We are currently working with the Washington State DOT in partnership to scale to five strategic locations within the state alone. It is rare to have a service that is in such demand and need all the while having the full support and investment of both state and federal agencies. This is a booming industry and growth market, heck even the oracle of Omaha is buying into the industry when he purchased a large stake in truck stops last year, we all know that Mr. Buffet only invests in seeming sure markets."

About "The Truck Depot": The Truck Depot LLC has been operating a secured private commercial truck parking lot for nearly six years in Troutdale Oregon. CEO, Aurel Davidyan and the management team are focused on the growth and scaling of innovative business model across Washington State and the entire Western region of America

SOURCE The Truck Depot LLC

Related Links

www.truckdepotllc.com

Providing world-class insight and experience from global business leaders on how to turn sustainability, SDGsi and climate risks into opportunities

"I think we are now at a stage where most business leaders realize that how they do business can be good for business and society if you do it in the right way."

Jim Hagemann Snabe, Chair, A.P. Moller  Maersk; Chair, Siemens; Vice-Chair, Allianz

"A board member who can't articulate the most material environmental, social, and governance factors for their own company is in breach, frankly, of fiduciary duty.

Erika Karp, Founder and CEO, Cornerstone Capital Inc.

"There can be few areas more important than the risk associated with climate change. A climate competent board will be one that not only understands the challenges that climate change presents but also the opportunities to make a transition to a lower carbon economy."

Paul Polman, CEO Unilever; Chair, International Chamber of Commerce;

Chair, The B-Team; Vice Chair, United Nations Global Compact

View teaser video on CompetentBoards.com for views from other global leaders.

TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- This week New York is buzzing with commitments to the SDGs, climate resiliency and sustainability measures. It is the week where Heads of States, CEOs, Board Members, Institutional Investors, and many experts are meeting in New York for the yearly UN General Assembly (UNGA73).ATLANTA, Sept. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Three of the four Vogtle co-owners  representing 70 percent of the ownership  have voted in favor of moving forward with completion of the project. In contrast to the decision made by the other three co-owners, Oglethorpe Power has asked for an extension and demanded concessions to avoid obligations that it undertook when it became an owner of the project. All of the remaining co-owners have agreed to the extension in order to allow Oglethorpe Power more time to consider its vote.

Vogtle 3 & 4 is the largest jobs-producing construction project in Georgia, employing more than 7,000 workers, and will be a 60-80 year asset delivering affordable, carbon-free energy to the state, which Oglethorpe Power recognized in statements to the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) less than a year ago. The project will be canceled to the detriment of the citizens of Georgia if Oglethorpe Power does not vote to move forward under the current ownership structure.

"We hope Oglethorpe Power joins us in doing what is best for Georgia's citizens and votes tomorrow to fulfill its obligation to complete this project which is critical to Georgia's energy future," said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power.

"The MEAG Power Board voted unanimously to support completion of the project, taking into account the environmental and economic benefits of the project to the state," said Jim Fuller, MEAG Power President and CEO. "We are disappointed that Oglethorpe Power has not yet joined us in agreeing to complete the units for the future of Georgia."

"Dalton Utilities believes that continuation of the Vogtle Project is in the best interests of its customers," said Tom Bundros, CEO of Dalton Utilities. "We hope that OPC will realize the benefit of the Vogtle Project to its customers and join us as we move forward."

Last year, all four of the project co-owners presented a unified recommendation to the PSC to continue construction of Vogtle 3 & 4 following Westinghouse's bankruptcy in 2017. At that time, all four of the project co-owners considered their own costs and fully acknowledged and accepted possible risks associated with continuing construction. This understanding was reaffirmed again last year when all four co-owners voted to continue construction.

Despite this, in recent weeks Oglethorpe Power has continued to demand Southern Company shareholders and ultimately Georgia Power customers accept Oglethorpe's risk in the project even though all four co-owners fully understood and voluntarily accepted their own risks when they sought to become an owner at the project's inception. Even though Georgia Power is under no obligation to do so, the company provided several proposals to Oglethorpe Power to help give them additional financial support and certainty for their ratepayers.

Instead of taking a long-term view, Oglethorpe Power is using the vote to try to burden others with its obligations and extract unreasonable concessions.

While Oglethorpe Power implies it abdicated its responsibilities to its customers and relied solely on representatives from Southern Nuclear on the budget, Oglethorpe Power CEO Mike Smith said in 2017:

OPC has confidence in our revised capital budget for our 30 percent of the project and our financial strength to manage our portion. Principally Oglethorpe is choosing to focus on the long-term view. We recognize the benefits of fuel diversity and stable priced, emission-free power for the next 60 to 80 years. Mike Smith in front of the Georgia Public Service Commission in August 2017

Vogtle units 3 & 4, if continued, will be the first new nuclear units to be built in the United States in more than 30 years. The new units will generate enough emission-free electricity to power approximately 500,000 homes and businesses.

About Georgia Power

Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.5 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning the cancellation of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2018 and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: state and federal rate regulations and the impact of pending and future rate cases and negotiations; the impact of recent and future federal and state regulatory changes, as well as changes in application of existing laws and regulations; current and future litigation or regulatory investigations, proceedings, or inquiries; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to the cancellation of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, including Georgia PSC approvals and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission actions; changes in Georgia Power's credit ratings; and the effect of accounting pronouncements issued periodically by standard setting bodies. Georgia Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.

SOURCE Georgia Power

Related Links

http://www.georgiapower.com

"IMPO International celebrates LITTLE WOMEN and the journey of women everywhere," said Jim Maloney, IMPO's Vice President of Marketing, and Global Production. "It was clear to us that Pinnacle Peak's interpretation of LITTLE WOMEN represents the transcendence of today's young women in their coming of age experience. We saw a wholesome family movie that is both forward thinking, and caring about what matters most today to mothers and daughters. We felt a unique synergy with this film. IMPO seeks to offer something more than just trend leading fashion, we are driven to deliver improved fit and comfort with our shoes. We want women everywhere to feel as comfortable, confident and individual in their shoes as they feel in their own skin."

Maclain Nelson produced the film with Main Dog Productions (Kristi Shimek, Steve Shimek and David Wulf), in association with Marybeth Sprows, Chris Donahue and Paulist Productions.

Pinnacle Peak is also partnering with the Parents Television Council, who provided their seal of approval for the film, on special pre-release theater events for local premieres. Additionally, Pinnacle Peak created opportunities for school field trips, girls' night out events, and organizational events, in theaters the week of release. Their school program includes seven educational ideas that tie in both the film and also the classic novel, for a Dream Together campaign to support students in achieving their goals. Additionally, their organizational programs include great resources tied to the film, including an online portal for individuals to create vision boards, inspired by the sisters' castles in the air portrayed in the film.

Along with Thompson, LITTLE WOMEN stars Sarah Davenport as "Jo," Melanie Stone as "Meg," Taylor Murphy as "Amy," Allie Jennings as "Beth," Ian Bohen (Teen Wolf) as "Freddy," Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical, "Family Guy") as "Laurie," and Bart Johnson (High School Musical) as "Papa March."

Synopsis:

On the 150th anniversary of the beloved classic (published in 1868), a modern retelling of LITTLE WOMEN dares a new generation to dream with their mothers, sisters and friends. From girls playing in the attic to women living with purpose, the March sistersMeg, Jo, Beth and Amyare committed to always supporting each other. Yet growing up sometimes means growing apart.

An aspiring writer, Jo leaves for New York determined to publish a novel, but her editor challenges her to write about something more interestingher family. When tragedy brings the sisters back home, sticking together takes on new meaning. As Jo comforts her sick sister, Beth asks for one thing: a story.

Jo knows the perfect one  by heart.

Official website: www.littlewomenthemovie.com .

All-new trailer: https://www.facebook.com/littlewomenfilm/

Facebook/Instagram: @LittleWomenFilm

Twitter: @LittleWomenFilm

For movie tickets, please visit: www.littlewomenthemovie.com/tickets

About Pinnacle Peak:

Pinnacle Peak is an Arizona-based film company bringing inspirational movies to theaters across North America. The first film to be released by Pinnacle Peak is Little Women, a modern retelling of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel. Find out more at http://pinnaclepeakpictures.com .

Media Contact:

Jennifer Willingham

Icon Media Group

[email protected]

615-483-4729

SOURCE Pinnacle Peak

Related Links

http://pinnaclepeakpictures.com

ATLANTA, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- September is National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency, and it comes at a time when the incidence of extreme weather events seems to be growing. As a network television meteorologist, Bonnie Schneider has been predicting storms and following weather patterns for many years. Her knowledge of the weather and her concerns for safety inspired her to write the informative and fascinating book EXTREME WEATHER: A Guide to Surviving Flash Floods, Hurricanes, Heat Waves, Snowstorms, Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters. It is a book with timely information to share with audiences. Find out why this meteorologist has dedicated her career to preparing people to survive extreme weather.

Bonnie shares her essentials for surviving severe weather.

ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS TO DO TO BE PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES

During severe weather, power outages can be prevalent and many people will be using portable generators. The Portable Generator Manufacturers' Association has some timely tips to ensure safe, proper use of portable generators. First, to avoid the dangers of invisible, odorless carbon monoxide buildup, always "Take It Outside," which means never running generators indoors or in garages, basements, crawl spaces, breezeways, sheds or other partially enclosed spaces. Always take portable generators outside to keep the family safe from carbon monoxide and prepare for hurricane season with important safety information available at www.takeyourgeneratoroutside.com. New generator models that comply with the ANSI/PGMA G300 Standard provide enhanced safety through carbon monoxide sensors and shutdown features that help protect against carbon monoxide buildup.

SOMETHING TO DO TO BE READY FOR EXTREME WEATHER

One of the most important things to do to be prepared is to preserve important documents and those priceless pictures that cannot be replaced. One helpful device is the new Epson FastFoto FF-680W Wireless High-Speed Photo and Document Scanning System. It preserves priceless memories. This Second-Generation FastFoto is the world's fastest personal photo scanner and can preserve valuable photos and documents that could be destroyed in a storm. Using the intuitive software, users can easily store all their priceless pictures and important documents. In addition, easily edit documents and save time with automatic file naming, plus powerful productivity tools. With built-in Nuance OmniPage Optical Character Recognition (OCR), users can create searchable PDFs, plus editable Word and Excel files. For more information, visit www.epson.com.

ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES TO KEEP ON HAND IN PREPARATION FOR SEVERE WEATHER

One of the most important supplies to have on hand is household liquid bleach like Clorox Regular Bleach with CLOROMAX. Clorox is a vital tool to have in disaster preparedness kits because bleach has many uses in the aftermath of water-based natural disasters. Even the American Red Cross recommends bleach in their "Survival Kit Supplies." It can help treat drinking water that may be contaminated, kill bacteria such as E. Coli in places where floodwater was present, clean up mold and mildew inside and outside the home, and prevent mosquito breeding areas. From homes to community spaces, Clorox Regular Bleach with CLOROMAX safeguards health and is a great tool to protect families rebuilding after a disaster strikes. For more information, visit www.clorox.com.

FINAL EXTREME WEATHER SAFETY TIP

Extreme weather events also have a huge impact on small businesses. According to FEMA, nearly 40 percent of small businesses in disaster-affected areas never reopen. That is why Visa has launched The Visa Back to Business Project to help consumers connect with small businesses impacted by natural disasters by supporting them in getting back on their feet again. They are identified by Small Business Association guidelines. This campaign was inspired by the stories like that of the Three Brothers Bakery in Houston, Texas, which shut down when Hurricane Harvey struck due to devastating property losses. Despite reopening quickly following Harvey, the decline in revenue was felt among many small business owners in the impacted community. The Visa Back to Business Project uses Visa transaction data to help identify small businesses that have recently processed a Visa transaction following a natural disaster so that consumers can help support such small businesses. The goal is to drive commerce and ultimately helping to rebuild impacted communities. The Visa Back to Business Project was designed to help small businesses, like Three Brothers Bakery, and their communities that may find themselves similarly impacted in the future. To find small businesses impacted by a natural disaster, visit www.visa.com/backtobusiness to help support following local small business after a natural disaster.

tipsontv.com

Contact: [email protected]

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvC7xeVMYEk

SOURCE TipsOnTV

Related Links

http://tipsontv.com

CARMEL, Ind., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TradeRev, North America's leading dealer-to-dealer digital auction platform, announced its expansion into five new markets across the United States. TradeRev is a business unit of global remarketing and technology solutions provider KAR Auction Services, Inc. (NYSE: KAR). Dealers in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, and Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, Tennessee can now use the TradeRev mobile app and desktop solution to facilitate and participate in live bidding, one-hour wholesale vehicle auctions. Enrolled dealers will also have access to the company's H-powered AI technology and an active network of thousands of buying and selling dealerships.

"TradeRev and KAR continue to make meaningful investments to accelerate the digital revolution and meet increasing customer demand for our digital auction solution," said Becca Polak, president of TradeRev. "We're excited to help dealers in Kentucky and Tennessee expand their marketplace and sell and source inventory anytime, anywhere from coast-to-coast. And together with our sister companies at KAR, we're also able to deliver seamlessly integrated floorplan financing and logistics solutions that simplify and streamline the auction experience."

As part of this market expansion, TradeRev is adding in-market sales leadership and field personnel to keep up with high enrollment demand, provide personalized dealer training and assist dealers with loading and launching cars. The markets will also be supported by TradeRev's English, Spanish and French speaking customer service teams and a data-driven inside sales department that will ensure local dealers are rapidly integrated into TradeRev's broad North American marketplace.

"When we launch TradeRev into a market  we make a long-term commitment to our dealer partners," said Keith Crerar, executive vice president of U.S. sales and global operations for TradeRev. "We don't just airdrop a single salesperson  we deeply embed experienced, multi-functional teams that understand the auction business and the unique local needs of our dealers. Then we arm them with the industry's best technology, data and intelligence to help our dealers move metal faster, easier and smarter than ever before."

Interested dealers can visit www.TradeRev.com and click "Join Now" to enroll.

KAR Contacts





Media Inquiries: Analyst Inquiries: Gene Rodriguez Miller Mike Eliason (317) 343-5243 (317) 249-4559 [email protected] [email protected]

About KAR Auction Services

KAR Auction Services (NYSE: KAR) provides sellers and buyers across the global wholesale used vehicle industry with innovative, technology-driven remarketing solutions. KAR's unique end-to-end platform supports whole car, salvage, financing, logistics and other ancillary and related services, including the sale of more than 5.5 million units valued at over $40 billion through our auctions. Our integrated physical, online and mobile marketplaces reduce risk, improve transparency and streamline transactions for customers in 120 countries. Headquartered in Carmel, Ind., KAR has approximately 17,500 employees across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. For more information go to www.karauctionservices.com . For the latest KAR news follow us on Twitter @KARSpeaks .

SOURCE KAR Auction Services, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.karauctionservices.com

Funds to be used to develop novel, water-soluble cannabinoid products, and advance research on pesticide-free, ultrahigh-yield cannabis plants

TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Trait Biosciences Inc. ("Trait" or the "Company"), a bio-technology leader in the cannabis industry, today announced that it has closed an over-subscribed private placement seed financing (the "Financing") totalling CAD$12.3 million.

Trait is developing critical technologies that offer breakthroughs for consumers and producers in the cannabis industry, with an internationally recognized science team led by Dr. Richard Sayre. Dr. Sayre has been recognized by Nature as one of the "top five crop researchers who could change the world."

The funds will be invested in continuing research and patent creation, as well as the construction of a second research laboratory in Toronto, Canada.

Trait's Consumer Division is developing enhanced cannabinoids to have improved taste, scent, onset, bioavailability and stability. It also has a proprietary process for generating water-soluble cannabinoids that does not rely on nanotechnology, solving a major barrier for cannabis beverages and edibles.

Trait's Producer Division is working with ultrahigh yield "Super Producer" cannabis plants that can generate dramatically greater yields and RNAi plant protection technologies that reduce the accumulation of toxins in cannabis plants without the need for pesticides or fungicides.

Three Executive Hires

These transformative technologies will be harnessed and brought to market by Trait's newly appointed executive team, three proven leaders in the cannabis industry: Joseph del Moral, Hannan Fleiman and Ronan Levy. Mr. del Moral is taking over the role of CEO from Kimberly Harrison, one of Trait's co-founders, who is moving into the newly created role of Chief Development Officer. Mr. Fleiman is assuming the position of President and Mr. Levy as Chief Strategy Officer. Mr. del Moral and Mr. Levy have also joined Trait's board of directors.

Prior to Trait, the three new executives founded Canadian Cannabis Clinics and CanvasRx Inc. CanvasRx was acquired in 2016 by Aurora Cannabis Inc. Since then, Messrs. del Moral, Fleiman and Levy have been active investors and advisors in the industry, including Aurora.

"We are delighted that Joseph, Hannan, and Ronan have joined the Trait executive team," said Michael Harrison, Trait's Chairman. "It is a strong endorsement for what our scientific team has achieved since we launched a year ago. With the team's vision, experience, and determination  supported by the funds from our recently completed financing  we are confident that Trait will become a dominant player and creative force in the cannabis industry."

"It is exciting to be part of Trait," said Mr. del Moral. "The technologies Dr. Sayre's science team has developed are game-changing and immediately relevant. From the first efficient and scalable platform to produce water-soluble, full-profile cannabinoids, to the yield-enhancing "Super Producer" technology combined with its RNAi plant protection technology  all backed by a robust patent portfolio  Trait is going to play a significant role in the development of the cannabis industry."

"Over the last two years, we've had the opportunity to vet hundreds of cannabis companies and technologies," said Mr. Levy. "For us to be joining the executive team at Trait and also to be leading the current investment round, speaks volumes to the profound and immediate impact we expect Trait to have on the industry."

Trait Closes CAD$12.3 Million Seed Financing

Trait also announced today that it closed a CAD$12.3 million private placement seed financing.

In addition to the incoming executive team, which led the financing, investors in the round include Green Acre Capital, CannaIncome Fund, and senior executives from many of Canada's largest licensed producers. Proceeds from the financing will be used, amongst other things, to build a research facility in the Greater Toronto Area and grow Trait's science team in Canada.

About Trait

With a team of internationally recognized scientists who are applying best-in-class technology and agricultural science, Toronto-based Trait is an emerging biotechnology leader in the cannabis industry. Its Consumer Division is developing technologies to create enhanced cannabinoids that have improved taste, scent, onset, bioavailability and stability, including a process for generating water-soluble cannabinoids that does not rely on nanotechnology. Trait's Producer Division is developing technologies to increase yields and plant safety, including its ultrahigh yield "Super Producer" plants that can generate dramatically greater yields than other plants, and its RNAi crop protection platform, which reduces the accumulation of toxins in cannabis without the need for pesticides or fungicides, providing for more consistent and safer cannabis products.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

Certain information contained in this press release, including any information as to Trait Bioscience Inc.'s (the "Corporation") strategy, projects, plans or future financial or operating performance, constitutes "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words "will", "expect", "continue", "assess", "anticipate" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions; including material estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as at the date of this press release in light of each of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information.

Any forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although management of the Corporation believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Thomas Walek

Peaks Strategies

[email protected]

+917-353-7575

SOURCE Trait Biosciences Inc.

Related Links

https://traitbio.com

MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tris Pharma, Inc. (Tris), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative technology-based therapeutic products that address unmet patient needs, today announced the acquisition of NextWave Pharmaceuticals (NextWave), a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer), including two key Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) treatments. The acquisition further expands Tris' portfolio of products for the treatment of patients with ADHD. The agreement includes the acquisition of Quillivant XR, the first and only marketed extended-release oral liquid methylphenidate, and QuilliChew ER, the first and only extended-release methylphenidate chewable tablet, both of which are central nervous system (CNS) stimulants approved for the treatment of ADHD.

Please see important safety information for Quillivant XR and QuilliChew ER, including Boxed Warning about Abuse and Dependence, below.

Quillivant XR and QuilliChew ER were co-developed by NextWave and Tris, utilizing Tris' novel, proprietary LiquiXR  platform. In 2012, Pfizer acquired NextWave, and Tris continued to manufacture both products for Pfizer, prior to and after US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

"As co-developer of Quillivant XR and QuilliChew ER, we are excited to bring commercialization of these products in house and expand our ADHD portfolio," said Ketan Mehta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tris. "To further support our newest acquisition, Tris is expanding our commercial footprint and building a world class medical affairs group."

"Our newest acquisition brings us one step closer to realizing our corporate mission, to develop and expand offerings to meet unmet needs for all patients," said Barry K. Herman, M.D., M.M.M., Tris' Chief Medical Officer. "With three treatment options for patients with ADHD, Tris now offers a broad, established product portfolio with both stimulant classes in the ADHD space."

DYANAVEL XR is the first liquid amphetamine for children 6 years and older with ADHD, launched by Tris in 2016. Please see important safety information for DYANAVEL XR, including Boxed Warning about Abuse and Dependence, below.



Important Safety Information for Quillivant XR and QuilliChew ER

Quillivant XR and QuilliChew ER are federally controlled substances (CII) because they can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep Quillivant XR and QuilliChew ER in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER may harm others and is against the law. Tell your doctor if you or your child have (or have a family history of) ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines, or street drugs.

Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER should not be taken if you or your child are allergic to methylphenidate hydrochloride, or any of the ingredients in Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER, or are taking or have taken within the past 14 days an antidepression medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor or MAOI.

The following have been reported with the use of methylphenidate hydrochloride and other stimulant medicines:

Heart-related problems:

Sudden death in patients who have heart problems or heart defects



Stroke and heart attack in adults



Increased blood pressure and heart rate



Your healthcare provider should check you or your child's blood pressure and heart rate regularly during treatment with Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER

Mental (psychiatric) problems:

New or worse behavior and thought problems



New or worse bipolar illness



May cause new psychotic symptoms (such as hearing voices, believing things that are not true, are suspicious) or new manic symptoms

Circulation problems in fingers and toes (peripheral vasculopathy, including Raynaud's phenomenon):

Fingers or toes may feel numb, cool, painful, or may change color from pale, to blue, to red

Call your healthcare provider right away if you or your child have any:

Heart-related symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting

New or worsening mental (psychiatric) symptoms or new manic symptoms

Signs of unexplained wounds appearing on fingers or toes while taking Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER

Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER may not be right for you or your child. Tell your healthcare provider if:

You or your child have, or have a family history of, heart problems, heart defects, or high blood pressure

You or your child have mental problems, including psychosis (hearing voices, believing things that are not true, are suspicious), mania, bipolar illness, or depression, or a family history of suicide, bipolar illness, or depression

You or your child have circulation problems in fingers and toes

You or your child have phenylketonuria (PKU). QuilliChew ER contains phenylalanine as part of the artificial sweetener, aspartame. The artificial sweetener may be harmful to people with PKU or who are allergic to phenylalanine

You are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant

You are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER passes into your breast milk. You and your doctor should decide if you will take Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER or breastfeed

What should I avoid while taking Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER?

Quillivant XR and QuilliChew ER should not be taken with MAOI medicines or if you stopped taking an MAOI in the last 14 days. Do not drink alcohol while taking Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER. This may cause a faster release of your methylphenidate dose.

What are the possible side effects of Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER?

Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER may cause serious side effects, including:

See "What is the most important information I should know about Quillivant XR or QuilliChew ER?" for information on reported heart and mental problems.

Other serious side effects include:

Painful and prolonged erections (priapism) have occurred with methylphenidate. If you or your child develop priapism seek medical help right away. Because priapism can cause long-lasting damage, it should be checked by a healthcare provider right away

Slowing of growth (height and weight) in children

Common side effects include:

Decreased appetite

Trouble sleeping

Nausea

Vomiting

Indigestion

Stomach pain

Weight loss

Anxiety

Dizziness

Irritability

Mood swings

Fast heart beat

Increased blood pressure

These are not all the possible side effects of Quillivant XR and QuilliChew ER.

Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Full Prescribing Information for Quillivant XR and QuilliChew ER, including Medication Guides, at www.QuillivantXR.com and www.QuilliChewER.com, respectively.

Important Safety Information for DYANAVEL XR

DYANAVEL XR is a federally controlled substance (CII) because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep DYANAVEL XR in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or giving away DYANAVEL XR may harm others, and is against the law.

Tell your physician if you, your child, or any family members have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines, or street drugs.

DYANAVEL XR should not be taken if you or your child are allergic to amphetamine or any of the ingredients in DYANAVEL XR, or are taking or have taken within the past 14 days an anti-depression medicine called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor or MAOI.

DYANAVEL XR can cause serious side effects. Tell the doctor:

if you or your child have heart problems or heart defects, high blood pressure, or a family history of these problems. This is important because sudden death has occurred in children and adolescents with heart problems or defects, and sudden death, stroke, and heart attack have happened in adults. Your doctor should check you or your child carefully for heart problems before starting DYANAVEL XR. Since increases in blood pressure and heart rate may occur, the doctor should regularly check these during treatment. Call the doctor right away if you or your child have any signs of heart problems such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting while taking DYANAVEL XR .

. if you or your child have mental problems, or a family history of suicide, bipolar illness, or depression. This is important because new or worsening behavior and thought problems or bipolar illness may occur. New symptoms such as seeing or hearing things that are not real, believing things that are not true, being suspicious, or having new manic symptoms may occur. Call the doctor right away if there are any new or worsening mental symptoms during treatment.

if you or your child have circulation problems in fingers and toes (called peripheral vasculopathy, including Raynaud's phenomenon). Fingers or toes may feel numb, cool, painful, sensitive to temperature, and/or change color from pale, to blue, to red. Call the doctor right away if any signs of unexplained wounds appear on fingers or toes while taking DYANAVEL XR .

. if your child is having slowing of growth (height and weight); DYANAVEL XR may cause this serious side effect. Your child should have his or her height and weight checked often while taking DYANAVEL XR. The doctor may stop treatment if a problem is found during these check-ups.

if you or your child are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant or breastfeed.

Common side effects of amphetamine products include:

dry mouth

decreased appetite

weight loss

stomach pain

nausea

trouble sleeping

restlessness

extreme mood changes

dizziness

increased heart rate

Talk to your doctor if you or your child have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

Avoid drinking alcohol while taking DYANAVEL XR.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Full Prescribing Information for DYANAVEL XR, including Boxed Warning about Abuse and Dependence, and Medication Guide, at www.DyanavelXR.com.

About ADHD

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity. These behaviors can interfere with functioning or development. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2011 data, 11 percent of children aged four to 17 years in the U.S. have received an ADHD diagnosis at some point in their life.

About Tris Pharma

Tris Pharma is a fully integrated pharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative medicines that address unmet patient needs. Tris has pioneered the delivery of sustained release in the liquid, chewable, orally disintegrating tablet, and strip dosage forms that benefit a wide variety of patients and their unique needs. Tris' research, manufacturing and commercial facilities are located in Central New Jersey.

For more information, please visit www.trispharma.com

DYANAVEL is a registered trademark of Tris Pharma, Inc.

Quillivant and QuilliChew are registered trademarks of NextWave Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

 2018 Tris Pharma, Inc. All rights reserved.

QUI-0010 09/18

SOURCE Tris Pharma, Inc.

Related Links

http://trispharma.com/

Another example: Iran. In May, Trump abandoned the U.S.-led 2015 nuclear pact with Iran, provoking hand-wringing among Europeans who feared an imminent conflict with the Islamic Republic (and a massive loss of business opportunities). So far, however, the result is impressive. Most of the worlds major businesses have chosen a side  the largest, most reliable economy in the world, the U.S.  over the pipsqueak Iran. Irans economy is crumbling as its oil exports dive. Unemployment in Iran is staggeringly high. Citizens protest in the streets, a potentially lethal activity in the oppressive regime.AMSTERDAM, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Open Networking Summit Europe - The LF Networking (LFN) board has admitted the Tungsten Fabric project, completing a process that started when Tungsten Fabric (formerly OpenContrail) joined The Linux Foundation in December of last year.

The Tungsten Fabric community has also released version 5.0.1 of its open source software-defined networking (SDN) and security software platform.

Key features include:

Tungsten Fabric Microservices

Tungsten Fabric now comes in a fine-grained scale-out microservices architecture packaged as containers. Avoiding monolithic containers results in a more agile and performant system. The architecture delivers the ability to deploy patches without updating the entire deployment, offering better ways to manage its function lifecycles while improving provisioning and upgrading user experiences. Install-time provisioning is now possible with minimum information provided, and yet every feature is configurable if needed. Installation continues to be supported on various container orchestrators, but it has been optimized and validated for Kubernetes and OpenShift clusters. The Tungsten controller can run adjacent to the cluster, or the controller containers can run on the cluster under management, whereby a new Helm Chart can ease its lifecycle management.

Distributed Source Network Address Translation (SNAT)

The distributed SNAT feature allows traffic from container or virtual machine-based workloads in the Tungsten-managed overlay to directly exit the overlay routing on the node where the workload is running. This functionality is achieved through network- and port-address translation of workload traffic using the IP address of the compute node as the public address; thus, virtual networks with distributed SNAT enabled can communicate on the underlay IP fabric network and anything it is connected to without the need for dedicated routing gateways in and out of the overlay virtual networks. Distributed SNAT is supported for TCP and UDP, and users can configure discrete port ranges for both protocols.

Implementing Kubernetes Network Policy with Tungsten Fabric Firewall Policy

Tungsten Fabric now supports implementing Kubernetes network policy in Tungsten Fabric using the Tungsten Fabric firewall security policy framework. While Kubernetes network policy can be implemented using other security objects in Tungsten Fabric (like security groups and Tungsten Fabric network policies), support for tags by Tungsten Fabric firewall policy allows decoupling of routing from security policies and provides multidimensional segmentation and policy portability, while significantly enhancing user visibility and analytics.

The release includes the following updates in support of Kubernetes:

The IP fabric forwarding feature enables reachability to public cloud services for Kubernetes pods. The IP fabric forwarding feature enables the overlay network to be a part of the underlay network.

The ip-fabric-snat feature enables service or ingress reachability from external clusters in isolated namespaces.

Multiple Ingress Controllers can co-exist. Since Tungsten Fabric ensures the reachability between pods and services, any ingress controller can reach the endpoints or pods directly or through services.

More information on the latest version can be found in the version 5 release notes .

Join us at ONS Europe in Amsterdam

Join us for presentations, demos, workshops and an evening Meetup to learn more about Tungsten Fabric and get engaged with the community. https://tungsten.io/join-the-tungsten-fabric-community-at-ons-2018-in-amsterdam .

Get Going With Tungsten Fabric in 15 Minutes

Kubernetes operators and developers who need a full-featured, production-grade SDN and want to start using Tungsten Fabric can stand up an environment in 15 minutes (based on average deployment times) with their own AWS credentials, using Carbide Quick Start: https://tungsten.io/start/ .

About Tungsten Fabric

Tungsten Fabric is an open source, scalable, multicloud, multistack networking platform. It provides a single point of control, observability and analytics for networking and security. Tungsten Fabric is integrated with private cloud stacks including Kubernetes, VMware and OpenStack. It also supports hybrid deployments with public clouds including AWS and GCE. More at https://tungsten.io .

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org .

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact

Jill Lovato

The Linux Foundation

[email protected]

SOURCE The Linux Foundation

Related Links

http://www.linuxfoundation.org

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/561891/Ultimaker_Logo.jpg )



(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/748754/Ultimaker_Jos_Burger.jpg )



The report, IDC Innovators:Plastic -Based 3D Printing, 2018, profiles the top emerging vendors with plastic-based 3D printing solutions that offer an innovative new technology, a ground breaking approach to an existing issue, and an interesting new business model.

"These vendors are creating important breakthroughs that address and solve some of the challenges that end users in a number of industries have identified with and can relate to," said Tim Greene, research director with IDC's Hardcopy Solutions group. "If you are a user, and you think you are up-to-date on what 3D printing can offer or how your company can use it, follow innovative companies like these that are changing basic assumptions about the technology."

Ultimaker was highlighted for leveraging its position as an open systems supplier of 3D printers to work more closely with industrial plastics manufacturers to develop materials for use in specific industries.

Jos Burger, CEO at Ultimaker, comments, "To create high quality 3D prints, industry professionals need more industrial material profiles that are fully aligned with both the hardware and software. Addressing this important need is the exact purpose of our new, global material alliance and we are therefore extremely proud that IDC has acknowledged our initiatives in this field by announcing Ultimaker as one of IDC's leading innovators in 3D printing."

The strategic alliances formed with these global material companies opens up the use of the most sophisticated engineering plastics on Ultimaker printers, allowing the customers of the companies and Ultimaker to fully embed 3D printing in their existing workflows.

"We consider ourselves to have a duty to continuous innovation within the 3D printing industry and to be acknowledged by IDC in this way is testament to our strong commitment."

About Ultimaker

Ultimaker has been in operation since 2011, and over the years has grown to become a market leader; creating powerful, professional, and accessible desktop 3D printers with offices in the Netherlands, New York, Boston and Singapore, plus production facilities in Europe and the US. Ultimaker's team of over 350 employees continually strives to offer the highest-quality 3D printers, software, and materials on the market to accelerate the world's transition to local digital manufacturing.

http://www.ultimaker.com

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading media, data and marketing services company that activates and engages the most influential technology buyers.

Visit Ultimaker at the TCT Show, booth R18.

SOURCE UltimakerORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Unimax, a leading provider of Unified Communications (UC) Management Software, announced today at Microsoft Ignite in Orlando, Florida that it has added compatibility for Microsoft Teams to its UC Management Software Suite.

Microsoft Teams is the hub for teamwork in Office 365 that integrates all the people, content, and tools your team needs to be more engaged and effective.

Unimax's UC Management Software Suite provides organizations with tools for provisioning, employee self service moves, adds, changes, and deletes (MACDs), help desk agent MACDs, automation, phone number and DID management, system migrations, unified MACD administration, and more for single and multi-vendor environments that include systems from Microsoft, Cisco, Avaya/Nortel, etc.

"The Microsoft community has been waiting for a product to easily provision Teams, especially in large organizations with multiple UC vendors," said Phil Moen, Unimax President and CEO. "We are pleased to answer the call. Our customers can now provision Teams and their members while also managing Skype for Business, Exchange, Active Directory, and systems from Cisco and Avaya all in one, integrated interface. More specifically, this new compatibility adds functionality so that Teams, along with their defined channels, can be added, modified, and deleted, and users in an AD online system can be added and removed as team members or owners. We have worked with Microsoft to make our Teams compatibility possible, and we are happy to bring it to the Microsoft community."

Unimax's new compatibility with Microsoft Teams complements its already strong relationship with Microsoft and the Skype for Business and Teams product groups. In fact, Unimax is one of seven companies worldwide certified as a Microsoft IT Pro Tools Partner for UC. It also holds a Silver Communications Competency with the company.

About Unimax

Unimax believes that managing and administering UC, PBX, and voice messaging systems can be far less complex and costly, while delivering better internal service levels. Unimax provides a UC Management Software Suite with tools for provisioning, employee self service moves, adds, changes, and deletes (MACDs), help desk agent MACDs, automation (e.g. automated provisioning/de-provisioning), phone number and DID management, system migrations (between Cisco, Skype for Business, Avaya/Nortel, etc.), unified MACD administration, and more for single and multi-vendor communication environments.

The company has been a leading innovator of UC and voice system management tools for over 25 years. Its UC Management Software Suite is used by an extensive list of marquee enterprise, mid-market and SMB companies, educational institutions, governmental entities, and managed service providers around the globe.

Unimax is a privately held corporation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For more information, please call (800) 886-0390 or visit www.unimax.com.

Unimax, Unimax Systems Corporation, and the Unimax logo are trademarks of Unimax Systems Corporation. All other trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Unimax

Related Links

http://unimax.com

Esteemed members of the U.S. Money Reserve team attended the annual dinner, including Christol Farris, vice president of media; Jim Warren, vice president of marketing & communication; Jennifer Olivier, director of operations; and Hosea Perkins, senior director of sales.

"We truly value our relationship with the U.S. Navy Memorial," said Farris. "It's special to partner with an organization who allows us to share our immense appreciation for our country's servicemen and women."

U.S. Money Reserve's partnership with the U.S. Navy Memorial began with the launch of its exclusive 75th Anniversary Pearl Harbor coin series in 2016. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the U.S. Navy Memorial, which largely helped to fund a Lone Sailor statue that was dedicated last October at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center in Honolulu, HI.

"The Lone Sailor is the iconic image of the U.S. Navy, embodying honor, respect and devotion to duty," said Olivier. "I'm honored that together, with the U.S. Navy Memorial and our customers, we can continue to support the memory of those who sacrificed the most for our country."

"Our team feels privileged to have donated and supported the efforts of the U.S. Navy Memorial," said Warren. "In addition, we must acknowledge the dedication and patriotism of our loyal customers who help make our partnership possible."

One of Washington's most distinguished events, the U.S. Navy Memorial's Lone Sailor Awards Dinner is an annual event to honor, recognize and celebrate award recipients and the men and women of the Sea Services, past, present, and future. Each year, senior Navy leadership, the Navy Memorial Board of Directors, U.S. Navy Memorial esteemed corporate partners, Washington dignitaries and key influencers gather to honor the newest award recipients at the Lone Sailor Awards Dinner.

"To be able to attend the Lone Sailor Awards Dinner made us feel both proud and humbled," said Perkins, who is also a retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant (18th Airborne Corp., Desert Storm veteran). "As a fellow veteran myself, I am proud my company works with such a wonderful organization that honors all of our veterans."

For more information or to speak with U.S. Money Reserve leadership, please contact Christol Farris at 512-568-9991 or [email protected] or Lacy Jansson at [email protected] or visit www.usmoneyreserve.com.

About U.S. Money Reserve

U.S. Money Reserve is one of the nation's largest private distributors of U.S. governmentissued gold, silver, and platinum products.

Founded in 2001, U.S. Money Reserve has grown into one of the world's largest private distributors of U.S. and foreign governmentissued gold, silver and platinum legal-tender products. Hundreds of thousands of clients across the country rely on U.S. Money Reserve to diversify their assets with physical precious metals, primarily in the form of U.S. gold and silver coins.



U.S. Money Reserve's uniquely trained team includes coin research and numismatic professionals equipped with market knowledge to find products for precious metals buyers at every level. U.S. Money Reserve goes above the industry standard to provide superior customer service, with the goal of establishing a long-term relationship with each and every one of its customers. U.S. Money Reserve is based in Austin, Texas. Like them on Facebook, connect on LinkedIn, and follow on Twitter.

SOURCE U.S. Money Reserve

Related Links

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"Lobsters are an economic force in coastal Maine communities and have supported the livelihoods of generations  [and have] become a Maine icon, with an international reputation that plays an important role in attracting millions of visitors to our state each summer," Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement . "We're proud that the Senate unanimously passed this resolution honoring not only the lobster, but the thousands of Mainers who work day-in and day-out to harvest, cook, and ship our state's prized catch."

In 2017, the Maine Lobster industry celebrated another plentiful harvest, landing more than 110 million pounds with a value of $433.7 million. One of the largest industries in Maine, it contributes more than $1 billion to the state's economy each year. Lobster supports not only fishermen but many others within the communitydealers, processors, bait shop owners, ice truck drivers, lobster shack cooks and morewho contribute to the fishery and help bring the beloved product to diners everywhere.

Thanks to sustainability practices put in place by the lobstermen over 150 years ago, Maine's lobster landings remain strong. Conservation efforts, such as throwing back under-sized and over-sized lobsters, identifying and releasing egg-bearing females, limiting the number of traps and more, help to maintain the population so lobstermen can pass down the tradition from generation to generation.

"Lobster is important to Maine's identity and a major driver of our economy, and we've preserved the population through our sustainability measures so much that we're fishing more than enough to share nationwide," said Matt Jacobson, the Executive Director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC). "Even as the summer fades, we want people to know that our peak season is still going strong  early fall is the perfect time for restaurant diners and home cooks to enjoy fresh Maine Lobster."

Join the MLMC in celebrating the national holiday on September 25! Home cooks and chefs can find tips and recipe inspiration on our website at www.lobsterfrommaine.com/prep-eats. For those dining out, be sure to ask for Maine Lobster to make sure you're enjoying the sweetest, most sustainable lobster on earth.

About the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative

The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC), founded in 2013, is funded by Maine Lobster harvesters, dealers and processors to grow demand, both for whole live lobster and a variety of value-added products. The MLMC supports that objective by promoting the core values of the Maine Lobster industry, which are sustainability and traceability that's deeply rooted in tradition. Maine Lobster achieved the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification in 2013, allowing Maine Lobster to certify its long-standing sustainable practices. The industry has been self-regulating for more than 150 years.

SOURCE Maine Lobster Marketing CollaborativeENGLEWOOD, Colo., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Zynex, Inc. (OTCQB: ZYXI), an innovative medical technology company specializing in the manufacture and sale of non-invasive medical devices for pain management, stroke rehabilitation, and neurological diagnostics, today announced that Thomas Sandgaard, Chief Executive Officer of Zynex, will be presenting at the Ladenburg Thalmann 2018 Healthcare Conference, on Tuesday October 2, 2018 at 2:30 pm EDT. The conference will be held at the Sofitel Hotel in New York City.

Management will also be meeting with members of the investment community during one-on-one meetings.

Event: Ladenburg Thalmann 2018 Healthcare Conference

Date: Tuesday October 2, 2018

Time: 2:30 pm (Eastern Time)

Location: Sofitel Hotel, Track 6 - Madeline

A live audio webcast and copy of the presentation can be accessed through the following link http://wsw.com/webcast/ladenburg4/zyxi/ or through the "Investors" section of the Company's website at www.zynex.com. The webcast replay will remain available for 90 days following the live presentation.

About Zynex

Zynex, founded in 1996, markets and sells its own design of electrotherapy medical devices used for pain management and rehabilitation; and the company's proprietary NeuroMove device designed to help recovery of stroke and spinal cord injury patients. Zynex is also developing a new blood volume monitor for use in hospitals and surgery centers. For additional information, please visit: Zynex.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this release are "forward-looking" and as such are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary significantly from the results expressed or implied in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the need to obtain FDA clearance and CE marking of new products, the acceptance of new products as well as existing products by doctors and hospitals, larger competitors with greater financial resources, the need to keep pace with technological changes, our dependence on the reimbursement from insurance companies for products sold or rented to our customers, acceptance of our products by health insurance providers, our dependence on third party manufacturers to produce our goods on time and to our specifications, implementation of our sales strategy including a strong direct sales force our ability to up-list to a larger exchange and other risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 as well as Forms 10-Q, 8-K and 8-K/A, press releases and the Company's website.

Investor Relations contact:

Amato and Partners, LLC

100 Park Avenue, 16th Floor

New York, NY 10017

(212) 430-0360

[email protected]

SOURCE Zynex, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.zynex.com

London, Sep 25 : British Prime Minister Theresa May is to press ahead with her Chequers plan for a soft-Brexit, her advisors said after a meeting of her top ministers at Downing Street.

Ahead of the meeting on Monday, there had been media speculation of differing opinions among some of her top team, with claims that some ministers wanted her to abandon the plan agreed in July at a meeting at her country retreat Chequers, Xinhua reported.

An official spokesperson for May said later her cabinet remained fully behind May's Brexit policy, even though it has faced strong criticism from EU member leaders as well as European Council President Donald Tusk.

Across London, opponents of May's Chequers blueprint, including former Brexit secretary David Davis and the Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg were discussing a Brexit report compiled by the think tank, the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA).

Rees-Mogg described the IEA report as the most exciting contribution to the Brexit debate in months. It put forward a free trade deal, based on one Canada has brokered with the EU, as an alternative to May's plan. It was also hailed by former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

The report, called Plan A+: Creating a Prosperous Post-Brexit UK, outlined how it can deliver a Brexit prize, including introducing a new agreement between Britain and Ireland to preserve an open border after Brexit.

The next big test for both May and the group of Brexit supporting Conservative MPs led by Rees-Mogg, will come this weekend when the party starts its annual conference in Birmingham.

The Daily Telegraph in a commentary Monday night said a "Canada Plus" deal would be no magic bullet and would leave Britain in a state of flux for years.

Meanwhile at the other end of the M6 Motorway in Liverpool, delegates at the Labour Party conference will on Tuesday debate Brexit and whether the main opposition party at Westminster would support a new referendum to decide Britain's future in or out of the EU.

Labour party members are torn between wanting a so-called People's Vote on a final Brexit deal, and demands for a general election favoured by leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.

Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said Labour was deliberately not being prescriptive about a question that could be posed in a second EU referendum, adding it was not ruling out an option of staying in the EU.

There were accusations in some media reports Monday that the Labour leadership has been accused of "betrayal" over the wording of the motion to be debated Tuesday in Liverpool.

The final wording of the Brexit composite motion says: "If we cannot get a general election, Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote."

The wording was decided after a five-hour meeting of more than 100 Labour delegates on Sunday.

The Telegraph said while the majority of Labour members backed a people's vote, senior figures in the party figures have taken opposing views over what it should look like. It points to a tough debate on Tuesday in Liverpool.In a recent op-ed, Hussein Ibish writes that there can't be an exception to free speech for strong criticism and even boycotts of Israel. We too believe that even the harshest criticism of Israel should be permitted. As Jews, we recognize that the protection of free expression is sacrosanct and has allowed us and other minorities to flourish in America.Washington, Sep 25 : A woman was shot dead in the US city of Boston, leading to an extensive manhunt for her estranged husband who had allegedly chased her in a motor vehicle before the deadly attack.

Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz identified Allen Warner, 47, the woman's "soon to be ex-husband", as a person of interest in the shooting which took place on Monday evening on Main Street in Marshfield, reports The Boston Globe daily.

Warner is "considered armed and dangerous", Cruz told the media on Monday night.

Cruz asked for the public's help in finding Warner, who the police believe was driving a gray 2013 Toyota Corolla with a Massachusetts license plate.

The woman, believed to be in her late 30s, was taken to South Shore Hospital with a gunshot wound, where she was pronounced dead.

No weapons were recovered at the scene, authorities said.Canberra, Sep 25 : Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday proposed establishing a national day to celebrate the country's indigenous history.

Morrison raised the proposal amid renewed calls for the date of Australia Day to be changed out of respect for indigenous cultures, Xinhua news agency reported.

Currently celebrated annually on January 26, indigenous Australians refer to Australia Day as "Invasion Day", saying it commemorates the beginning of the death of their culture as a result of British settlement.

Morrison refused to engage in the debate around the date but did say it would be "good to have a chat" with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups about a new day of celebration.

"It should be a day for celebrating and acknowledging and respecting our Indigenous peoples ... and what they've been able to achieve over 60,000 years-plus," he told the media.Kathmandu, Sep 25 : The first Nepal-China joint steering committee (JSC) meeting to discuss development of hydropower projects will be held here later in September, a Nepali official has said.

"Our next agenda is to explore the possibility of power trade between the two countries along with cross border power grid interconnection," Dinesh Ghimire, joint secretary at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI) told Xinhua on Monday.

Ghimire said that as it was the first meeting, it would be an introductory one on how to move forward on a number of issues of energy cooperation.

"We will notify them about Nepal's hydropower projects, transmission system and investment prospects," said MoEWRI spokesperson.

Nepal and China would also discuss a number of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.New York, Sep 25 : US President Donald Trump signed a revised free trade agreement with South Korea, cementing the first bilateral trade deal of his administration.

"It's a great day for the US, and it's a great day for South Korea," Trump said during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in here on Monday night.

Trump had said last year that he was planning to withdraw from Washington's trade agreement with South Korea, but he said on Monday that his government is presently negotiating "many" other such deals that will be "fair and reciprocal" for the US.

The revised agreement includes steps to open up the South Korean market to increased American exports, most notably for automobile, and will allow the US to continue imposing a 25 per cent tariff on Korean trucks until 2041, reports The New York Times.

The US' trade deficit in goods and services with South Korea had already been falling before the agreement was signed, to just above $9 billion last year from just under $17 billion in 2016, as the country increased purchases of machinery, liquefied natural gas and other goods from Washington.

South Korea was also among the countries subjected to steel and aluminium tariffs, making those metals less lucrative to export to the US.

However, the revised trade deal will exclude South Korea from the steel tariffs, in exchange for that country capping its exports to the US at 70 per cent of the average of its export levels from 2015 through 2017.

South Korea will still face the aluminium tariffs.San Francisco, Sep 25 : Ahead of the US mid-term polls in November, Twitter has launched #BeAVoter campaign that will be featured in top US trends and in a prompt in users' timelines on its platform.

Through the campaign, Twitter would connect users to TurboVote -- a non-profit organisation that could help them register to vote, sign up for election reminders and apply for absentee ballots.

"The #BeAVoter effort will be featured in Twitter's top US trends and in a prompt in users' timelines," Bridget Coyn, Senior Public Policy Manager at Twitter, said in a blog post on Monday.

People on Twitter in the US will see a prompt in their home timeline with information on how to register to vote.

"#BeAVoter as the top US trend promoted by @TwitterGov will create even more access to voter registration information, including election reminders and an absentee ballot FAQ," added Coyn.

There is also a new emoji connected to #BeAVoter.

Facebook has also expanded its US election reminders to include local elections last year.

Instagram also launched its voter registration campaign in partnership with TurboVote earlier in September.United Nations, Sep 25 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met nine leaders from across the globe in a whirlwind of bilateral interactions and spoke at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summity.

She began her day on Monday by attending the high-level event on counter-narcotics convened by US President Donald Trump, where she was seated at the front row.

India is one of 129 countries that have signed the pledge drafted by Trump on commitment towards international fight against drugs.

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 met the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Spain, Ecuador, Colombia, Mongolia, Nepal, Morocco, Lichtenstein and Federica Mogherini, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

The topics discussed during the meetings with the foreign ministers depended on the relations with those countries and ranged from strategic cooperation to trade and investment.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale participated in the Special Meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) -- a 26-member forum for cooperation in promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.

Ruchi Ghanashyam, the Secretary (West), spoke at the Africa Adaptation Initiative High-Level Roundtable. The organisation aims at facilitating finance and cooperation for the continent's development.

After Sushma Swaraj's meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted: "Strategic partnership gaining momentum!"

The two countries have been building up their strategic relations reinforced by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue that includes the US and Japan.

Closer to home was the meeting with Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, which "took stock of our bilateral relationship", Kumar tweeted.

At the meeting with Ecuador Foreign Minister Jose Valencia Amores, there were "good discussion on ways to further consolidate bilateral relationship in the areas of trade, agriculture, pharma, IT and capacity building", according to Kumar.

Also from Latin America, Colombia's Foreign Minister, the discussions centred on cooperation on trade investment, pharma, mining, petroleum and capacity building, he tweeted.

With Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, Sushma Swaraj "explored ways to intensify ties in investment, renewable energy, water treatment, tourism and their contribution to our flagship initiatives", according to Kumar.

Mogherini and Sushma Swaraj "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 the 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".

She also met with Mongolian Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar.

The High-Level General Assembly session begins on Tuesday.

On the sidelines, she was to meet Fiji Prime Minister J.V. Bainimarama and the Foreign Ministers of Iraq, Cyprus, Moldova and Estonia.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis)Patna, Sep 25 : A strike called by junior doctors of a hospital here entered the second day on Tuesday even as 12 patients died in the last 24 hours, officials said.

The doctors from the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) began their strike on Monday after one of their colleagues was assaulted by family members of a patient.

"Doctors are not attending patients in wards as they continued to stay off duty. Patients are now being looked after by nurses and para-medical staff," an official said.

The protesting doctors have demanded a security cover during duty hours and action against misbehaving patients' families.

The doctors have said that they would not end their strike on mere assurances by the state government.

The strike has left hundreds of patients, many of them in a serious condition, in trouble.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a ban on members of Parliament and legislative assemblies from practising as advocates.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice A.M. Khanwilkar dismissed the plea saying there is no bar on lawyers, who are members of Parliament or an assembly, from practising in court during their tenure as lawmakers.

There is no rule of Bar Council of India (BCI) or law that bars them from practicing in court, the bench said.

The court's verdict came on a plea filed by advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contending that MPs/MLAs practising as advocates pose a conflict of interest under the provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961, and the Bar Council of India Rules.

The plea had sought a ban on legislators practising as advocates for the period that they occupy such positions, contending that the dual role would also amount to professional misconduct when MPs and MLAs, who get salary and other benefits from public funds appear against the government as lawyers.

Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, P. Chidambaram, K.T.S. Tulsi, Pinaki Misra, Meenakshi Lekhi, and K. Parasaran are among the parliamentarians who also practise as advocates.New Delhi, Sep 25 : Ahead of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls to held later this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday address party workers at the 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' rally in Bhopal.

"Looking forward to interacting with the hardworking karyakartas of BJP Madhya Pradesh at the Karyakarta Mahakumbh in Bhopal today," Modi said in reply to a tweet from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

According to party leaders beside the Prime Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah would also be present at the largest rally so far of party workers in the poll-bound state.

About 13 lakh people were expected to participate in the 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' rally as party workers from 230 assembly seats in the state would take part in the programme.Bengaluru, Sep 25 : In a bid to step up passenger safety, Indian cab-hailing major Ola has rolled out a real-time ride monitoring system, the company said on Tuesday.

"Ola Guardian, the real-time monitoring system to strengthen ride safety of customers, has been launched as a pilot in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune," the city-based cab-aggregator said in a statement.

The system, which is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools, will go live in Delhi and Kolkata by the end of October and in other Indian cities by the end of 2018.

As part of project Guardian, all on-going trips would be tracked through AI-driven systems, analysing ride indicators like route deviations, unexpected and mid-way stops among others.

Safety triggers, which will be created based on the time of travel and other ride indicators, will be monitored by Ola's safety response team.

"Post analysing the data, the safety response team will connect with customer to assess any potential unsafe ride and provide assistance as required," the statement added.

Instances of the drivers registered on ride-hailing platforms taking detours and allegedly molesting women in various Indian cities in the past have raised alarms about passenger safety.

Through the project, Ola will track all live trips across the cities and reach out to the passenger immediately if any route diversions or mid-way stops are tracked by the systems, the company said.

The company said it was also working with the state governments to map unsafe routes into the monitoring platform to enhance the system's performance.

"Through projects like the Guardian, we believe in leveraging technology to improve the overall safety of rides across the transportation industry," the company's Vice President for Business Excellence and Safety Ankur Agrawal said in the statement.

With the use of technology, the firm aims to make roads and rides safer for customers and drivers, Agrawal added.

Few months ago, Ola also rolled out its technology-powered selfie authentication, wherein drivers need to validate their identity by taking a selfie and sharing with the Ola team through the app, to avoid impersonators driving through the platform.

Founded in 2011, the Bengaluru-based Ola is competing against its American rival Uber in the ride-hailing market. It has forayed over the last few months into Australia, the UK and will soon launch its services in New Zealand.Americans on both the left and the right now view their political opponents not as fellow Americans with differing views, but as enemies to be vanquished, write Yale law professors Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld in the special October issue of The Atlantic on the subject of whether democracy is dying. And they have come to view the Constitution not as an aspirational statement of shared principles and a bulwark against tribalism, but as a cudgel with which to attack those enemies.Mumbai, Sep 25 : Actor Ajay Devgn has started shooting for Om Raut's film "Taanaji - The Unsung Warrior".

The 49-year-old actor on Tuesday took to Twitter to share the first picture from the muhurat shot as he kickstarted the shooting.

In the image, Ajay can be seen conducting a prayer with Raut.

The "Raid" actor will play the role of Subedar Taanaji Malusare, a military leader in the army of Shivaji and also the founder of the Maratha Empire in 17th century India in the film.

Produced by Bhushan Kumar of "T-Series", epic drama "Taanaji - The Unsung Warrior" is scheduled to release on November 29, 2019.Beijing, Sep 25 : A Chinese Minister said on Tuesday that it was difficult to negotiate with the US to resolve the trade war between them as Washington was figuratively putting a gun to their head.

Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen made the remarks to the media a day after Beijing and Washington imposed the largest ever tariffs on one another, further intensifying the trade war, reports Efe news.

Wang claimed that the US government had abandoned its understanding of China.

The Minister said that Chinese tariffs worth $60 billion was nothing but a countermeasure and that Beijing was left with no choice, which would be detrimental to some US sectors such as liquefied natural gas.

The US, for its part, imposed duties on Chinese imports worth $200 billion in the latest turn of events in the trade war that started in July.Mumbai, Sep 25 : Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Mere Pyare Prime Minister", which was earlier slated for an October 2 release, will now hit the screens on December 14.

"It's a better window for a theatrical," Mehra told IANS when asked about the reason for pushing the release ahead.

Mehra was earlier excited about the October 2 date as it was Gandhi Jayanti, observed in memory of Mahatma Gandhi who has inspired the movie.

The movie, which Mehra has shot in the Mumbai slums, is the story of a slum boy who wants to build a toilet for his mother. It brings to light sanitation issues through four children, real extras from slums and National Award-winning actress Anjali Patil.

Three years ago, Mehra, visited the Gandhi Ashram in Gandhinagar and after seeing model toilets there, started an initiative to build toilets in municipal schools with the help of an NGO.New Delhi : San Francisco, Sep (IANS) Adding more context and control over "Search" results, Google is rolling out a set of major updates to "Google Feed" including a fresh look, improved features and a new name -- "Discover" -- both for desktop and mobile browsers.

Introduced last year, "Google Feed" surfaces relevant content to users, even when they are not searching for it.

"With this new name comes a fresh design that makes exploring your interests easier than ever," Karen Corby, Group Product Manager, Search, Google wrote in a blog-post on Monday.

To customise what appears on "Discover" for users, the search engine giant would now provide more ideas, visual content and articles of their interests based on their search history.

With this redesign, Google has also added multi-lingual support to "Discover" to make the feature easier to understand and use for people of different dialects.

"We're starting with support for English and Spanish in the U.S. and will expand to more languages and countries soon," said Corby.

Google is bringing "Discover" to mobile browsers also "as your new mobile homepage where you can not only search, but also discover useful, relevant information and inspiration from across the web for the topics you care about most."

The updates would reach users over the next few weeks, Corby added.Tokyo, Sep 25 : A court in Japan on Tuesday accepted an appeal by an electricity company to reactivate a nuclear reactor whose suspension it had ordered on safety grounds in December.

The High Court of Hiroshima overturned its decision when it ordered the suspension of reactor 3 of the Ikata plant, belonging to Shikoku Electric, reports Efe news.

The decision, the first such ruling at this level after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, raised questions about the operator's risk assessment concerning the danger to the plant from earthquakes and nearby volcanic activity.

The decision was considered a victory for the anti-nuclear movement in Japan and dealt a blow to the central government's plan to restart nuclear reactors after their shutdown following the Fukushima disaster.

In the appeal, Shikoku Electric argued that there was low possibility of a large-scale volcanic eruption from Mount Aso, situated 130 km from the plant.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari to file an affidavit explaining why he broke the lock of a sealed property in Delhi's Gokulpur village.

Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Abdul S. Nazeer and Justice Deepak Gupta took strong exception to Tiwari's statement in which he said that the apex court appointed Monitoring Committee was not sealing thousands of unauthorised buildings.

Referring to a video footage showing him breaking the seal, the court told Tiwari, who was present in court,: "In your CD you say there are 1,000 places that deserve to be sealed... You give us a list of those places, we'll make you the sealing officer."

The apex court asked him to file an affidavit on the contempt plea filed against him and be present for the next hearing on October 3.

The bench said: "It is important that elected members should not defy the order of this court."

It termed the action of Tiwari "unfortunate" and said it showed a "disturbed affair where a member of Parliament was alleged to have broken the seal of some premises" despite sealing operation in line with orders passed by the apex court.

The contempt plea had sought stringent action against Tiwari.

The Monitoring Committee had contended that members of political parties and others were intentionally and deliberately violating the court's order of not to interfere in the sealing drive against illegal and unauthorized constructions in the city.

It said the court should act tough against such persons to ensure that its orders were not violated.

Tiwari on Tuesday again visited the village and protested against the sealing drive initiated by municipal authorities, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Monitoring Committee, told the bench.

The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Tiwari for illegally breaking the lock.

He has been booked under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 461 and 465 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act.

The top court has time and again warned political leaders not to politicise the issue of sealing and had earlier issued contempt notice to BJP MLA O.P. Sharma and Municipal Councillor Gunjan Gupta for preventing the committee for taking action against unauthorized constructions in Delhi. But the two were let off after they tendered an unconditional apology.

The sealing drive in Delhi is being carried out by a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee against business establishments using residential properties for commercial purposes. It is being implemented by three BJP-led Municipal Corporations of Delhi.Mumbai, Sep 25 : Giving women the choice to initiate conversations with their matches according to their own will and time, Match Group-owned dating app Tinder on Tuesday introduced a new opt-in setting -- "My Move" -- in India.

The new feature is first rolling out to the iOS users.

"By giving our female users the ability to exclusively send the first message if and when they want to, 'My Move' provides women the autonomy to choose how to engage with their matches and empowers them to control their experiences," Taru Kapoor, General Manager, Tinder India said in a statement.

Up until now, the dating platform allowed both, men and women to make the first move after a mutual match and India is one of the first markets where the company is bringing the "My Move" feature.

The setting was first announced earlier this year and has been in testing since.

A similar feature comes as a default setting in Tinder's rival app -- Bumble.

In September last year, Tinder claimed 7.5 million daily swipes in India with women being more active in using the app than men.New Delhi, Sep 25 : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the controversial Rafale deal in which the offset contract was not given to public sector HAL, saying that his party will bring to justice all those who "dishonoured and stole."

"To every Air Force officer and jawan who has served India. To the family of every martyred Indian fighter pilot. To every person who ever worked for HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited). We hear your pain. We understand how you feel. We will bring to justice all those who dishonoured and stole from you," Gandhi tweeted.

The Congress chief's remarks came amid the raging controversy over the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from the French firm Dassault Aviation after former French President Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government suggested a private firm for the offset contract.

Hollande has said that the 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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi of indulging in crony capitalism apart from violating procedures in the Rafale deal.

The Modi government has repeatedly said it was Dassault that chose its India partner for offsets and that the government had no say in the deal.Islamabad, Sep 25 : The Pakistan Supreme Court on Tuesday assured former President Pervez Musharraf of high-level security if he returns to the country to face pending cases against him.

The court was hearing the National Reconciliation Ordinance case against Musharraf which pertains to the recovery of a large amount of public money wasted allegedly by former presidents Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari and former attorney general Malik Qayyum in the wake of the NRO in 2007, reports Dawn news.

During Tuesday's hearing, Musharraf's lawyer presented details of his assets in Pakistan and abroad.

According to his lawyer, Musharraf owns nothing in the country, whereas he has a flat worth 5.4 million dirhams in Dubai.

"He left the country on the pretext of pain in his backbone but he can be seen dancing abroad," Chief Justice Saqib Nisar said in response.

Besides high-level security, the court said that Musharraf will also be offered the services of best available doctors in the country if he returns from Dubai where he has been living since March 2016 to "seek medical treatment".

Musharraf has failed to appear before the court despite repeated summons.Dubai, Sep 25 : A Dubai court has charged an Indian man with groping a woman while she was walking late at night.

Prosecutors on Monday accused the 30-year-old man, a driver, of taking the Filipina woman by surprise, inappropriately touching her and then fleeing the scene, reports the Khaleej Times.

The man denied the charge, claiming that he touched her by mistake.

The complainant, a 25-year-old waitress, told the prosecution that she did not know the suspect prior to the incident.

"It was at 1.20 a.m. on August 3. I was near a restaurant and was about to go to a supermarket. My friend was with me. There were five to six men coming in the opposite way. One of them groped me intentionally. I yelled at him but he then replied in a very abusive and vulgar manner."

He did not just ignore her screams for help but also laughed and continued his way.

"I followed them and kept screaming until an African man came and restrained the defendant," the complainant said.

A ruling will be pronounced on October 11.Practically speaking, though, the best explanation of why the defense wants to put McDonald on trial is not to persuade jurors to disbelieve the plain images on the videos. Its to plant in their minds the idea that Van Dyke should be hailed, not convicted, for ridding our city of a pest. Its to cause jurors to think that he may not have been a danger to police or bystanders that night but someday he was going to be, so whats the harm in a little pre-emptive vigilantism.Abu Dhabi, Sep 25 : A hospital funded by the United Arab Emirates has opened in the Red Sea coast of Yemen.

The opening of Ad Durayhimi Hospital, which will provide healthcare services to thousands of Yemeni families, is part of the development and service projects of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) to support the health sector in the newly liberated areas after the Shia Houthi militias destroyed hospitals and health centres and turned some into military hideouts.

The opening ceremony was attended by Saeed Al Kaabi, UAE Humanitarian Operations Director for Yemen, along with a number of Emirati and Yemeni officials.

Al Kaabi said that the UAE is supporting the health sector in Yemen in order to provide appropriate treatment services especially for children, women and the elderly.Kolkata, Sep 25 : One of India's largest interior infrastructure company Greenply Industries will invest four million euros to nearly triple the capacity of its Africa plant in Gabon by 2019, an official said on Tuesday.

The Gabon veneer manufacturing facility that was set up with an initial investment of 11 million euros will get the fresh infusion to scale up its processing capacity from 3,000 cubic metre (cbm) per month to 8,000 cbm by March, 2019.

The facility, located at the NKOK Special Economic Zone and spread over an area of 10 hectares, manufactures Okoume face veneers with thickness ranging from 0.2mm and upwards.

"We are constantly working on capacity building and securing resource availability. The company plans to scale up its processing capacity with an additional investment outlay in the tune of 4 million euros," Managing Director Rajesh Mittal said.

The company, commanding a 26 per cent market share in the organised plywood market of India, has targeted to hit a capacity utilisation of 55 per cent by the end of this financial year and full utilisation by the financial year 2020-21.

Okoume timber is considered to be a sustainable and economical solution to restore the ecological imbalance created by widespread deforestation of Gurjan trees, which form the primary source for face veneers of the Indian plywood industry, the company said.

The plywood firm is also involved in saw milling of Okoume and other hardwood species. Presently the species of hardwood being used are Padouk and Tali.

It also plans to start its own forestry operations in 2019 to augment its raw material supplies.New Delhi/Bengaluru, Sep 25 : Most business leaders in India regard data privacy and cybersecurity concerns as the biggest barrier to their digital transformation, a new report from Dell Technologies said on Tuesday.

According to the research, 93 per cent of Indian businesses are facing major impediments to digital transformation today.

Almost half of Indian business leaders believe they will struggle to meet changing customer demands within five years, according to the report tilted "Digital Transformation Index" (DT Index).

Offering insights into the areas where Indian businesses are considering investment to drive their digital transformation, the research showed that regulation or legislative changes and lack of the right in-house skill sets and expertise are the other top concerns for Indian businesses.

The research also indicates that businesses are taking steps to overcome their barriers, along with the threat of being outmanuevered from more nimble, innovative players.

Close to 75 per cent of Indian businesses -- 19 per cent more than in China -- intend to invest in cybersecurity in the next one to three years, according to the report.

Conducted in collaboration with Intel Corp, the research showed that 67 per cent of Indian businesses intend to invest in IoT (Internet of Things) technologies - 11 per cent more than that of Chinese companies.

While 62 per cent of Indian businesses intend to invest in multi-Cloud (7 per cent more than Chinese firms), 61 per cent of Indian businesses intend to invest in Artificial Intelligence (only one per cent more than companies in China), the findings showed.

For this study, independent research firm Vanson Bourne surveyed 200 business leaders in India from mid to large-size companies to gauge their organisations' place on the Dell Technologies Digital Transformation Index.

The global results of the report, based on 4,600 respondents from 42 countries, will be released in early 2019, Dell Technologies said.

The report said that 37 per cent of Indian businesses plan to invest in Blockchain, 31 per cent in quantum computing and 42 per cent in augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies in the next one to three years.

"The next digital era has arrived and it's reshaping the way we live, work and conduct business. Which means that time is of the essence. Genuine transformation needs to happen now, and it needs to be radical," Alok Ohrie, President and Managing Director - India Commercial, Dell EMC, said in a statement.

The findings showed that just 12 per cent of Indian businesses are "Digital Leaders" - companies that are digitally advanced - up from 8 per cent in 2016 when the previous edition of the report was published.

The share of "Digital Adopters" -- companies that have a mature digital plan, investments and innovations in place -- went up to 34 per cent this year, from 29 per cent in 2016.

The share of "Digital Evaluators", companies that are cautiously and gradually embracing digital transformation has grown to 40 per cent, from 37 per cent in 2016.

The percentage of "Digital Followers" (a digitally immature group) has also dropped, from 21 per cent in 2016, to 14 per cent in 2018, according to the survey.Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 25 : Popular musician and violinist Balabhaskar and his wife were seriously injured along with their car driver near here on Tuesday in a road accident that killed the couple's two-year-old child, police said.

The couple were driving from Thrissur after visiting temples. According to the police, the accident occurred at Pallipuram on the outskirts of the capital city as the driver could have dozed off, causing the car to crash against a wayside tree.

"When we reached the place, locals were trying to rescue the victims. We broke the windows and took out the child. We took everyone to the hospital where the child passed away," said Sub-Inspector of police Narayanan Nair.

According to sources close to the violinist, the child was born 16 years after the couple married.

Doctors said the violinist would undergo a surgery as he had injured his back. His wife Lakshmi and driver Arjun had suffered serious injuries.

The musician shot to fame when, as a 17-year-old, he composed music for a Malayalam film and and has scored music for several films.Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 25 : Popular cartoonist Pran Kumar Sharma's creation and hugely popular Indian comic book "Chacha Chaudhary" will be recreated as an animated series, Technopark-headquartered Toonz Media announced on Tuesday.

P. Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group, told the media here that Chacha Chaudhary, the Tintin of India is a name that is very popular and liked by both children and adults.

"The bestseller comic of Pran's features dates back to the 1960s and Toonz Media is ready to take it to the next level through an animated series," said Jayakumar.

The series in English would have 26 episodes of 22 minutes duration and would be broadcast on national and international platforms.

Partnering Toonz Media Group, which will also be the worldwide distribution company of "Chacha Choudhary" series, include Zamoza Brands who will handle the Licensing and Merchandizing rights.

The series is about a wise man who solves problems with his exceptional intellect along with his friend Sabu, an inhabitant of the planet Jupiter. The combination of intellect and strength makes everything possible for Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu just like it is said in the comic, "Chacha Chaudhary's brain works faster than a computer" and "when Sabu gets angry a volcano erupts somewhere'.

The other characters include Bini, Chacha Chaudhary's wife, Rocket, the dog and Dag, an old truck.

Nikhil Pran, CEO of Pran Features, said their readers who have loved reading Chacha Chaudhary comics since 1960 will now be able to enjoy the animation series.

Founded in 1999, Toonz Media Group over the years has partnered with companies including Walt Disney, Turner, Nickelodeon, Sony, Universal, BBC, and Paramount as well as the creation of India's first 2D animated TV series, first 2D feature film, and first 3D stereoscopic theatrical release.Bhubaneswar, Sep 25 : The Odisha Government on Tuesday said it would celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi for two years starting from October 2 this year.

This was decided at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the presence of former Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra and Culture Minister Ashok Panda, among others.

"Achieving independence was not the sole aim of Gandhiji. He had the prime objective to develop the fundamental value in Indian society. Gandhiji's two mantras -- truth and non-violence -- have relevance in the present-day society," said the Chief Minister.

Patnaik said he has proposed to include 'Ahimsa' in the preamble of the Constitution.

"A total of four sub-committees will be formed for the Gandhiji's birth anniversary celebrations. Padayatras (foot-marches) and memorial meetings will be held across the state," said the Culture Minister.

It was decided that the birth anniversary of Gandhiji will be celebrated in all schools, colleges and government offices on October 2.

Besides, it will be celebrated in all urban local bodies, blocks and panchayats. A new website will be opened to propagate the messages and life of Gandhiji.

"Kasturba Gandhi Ideal Schools will be identified in each block. Those with notable works in the field of cottage industry will be awarded. A special session of the Odisha Assembly will be convened in 2019," said Panda.

Commemorating the first visit of Mahatma Gandhi to Odisha, a function will be organized in Cuttack on March 23.

Besides, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi will be put up in all district headquarters as well as places where he had visited while one major road in the districts will be named as Mahatma Gandhi Marg.

IANS

cd/prsBhopal, Sep 25 : Amid a raging row over Rafale, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday accused the Congress of throwing muck and indulging in a campaign of slander and lies against him and of trying to form an "international alliance" to oust him.

He also slammed the main opposition party saying it has become so weak that it has to beg small parties to forge alliance in the coming elections.

"What has happened to the 125-year-old Congress? We have decided to fight elections on the issue of development, but they want to fight the election by breaking the society. They want to capture power through mischief. They want to use a handful of people to spread falsehood and storm of lies to capture power," he said, without referring directly to the Rafale jets deal on which the Congress has raised several questions.

"Best wishes for their new path. But we are following the path of strong organisation," Modi said, addressing the 'Karyakarta Mahakumbh' in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

The Prime Minister said the Congress was not succeeding in getting allies and even if they get one, "I don't see them succeeding".

"So they are trying to forge an alliance internationally. Now will a foreign country decide who will be the country's Prime Minister? After losing power, you have lost your balance," he said.

Modi said that there should have been something left in the grand old party "but nothing is left there. Now Congress has become a burden. And saving the country from the Congress is the democratic duty of the people."

He said it was time for the opposition to change itself.

"I came to politics in 2001. Before that I was a working for the Sangh (RSS). But since then you used all your power to abuse me. You left no stone unturned to defame me. But the more you threw muck on me, the lotus blossomed more and more. And the people have rejected your claims repeatedly.

"The more muck they (Congress) throw, more lotuses will bloom, in every booth, every block, every village, every city and every corner of the country."

The Prime Minister's stinging attack comes in the wake of Congress President Rahul Gandhi's sharp offensive against Modi, calling him a thief over the Rafale fighter deal after the former French President Francois Hollande's comment that the Indian government had pushed a private firm as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

Modi echoed his ministers and party leaders to allege that Rahul Gandhi was in conspiracy with Pakistan to topple him.

He alleged that the Congress had not done any introspection even after its shattering defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections because of the "arrogance" that the Prime Minister's post was reserved for the "family".

"This alliance is due to the fear of defeat. It is not for the betterment of the country.

"They have had so much arrogance that they would not have gone to smaller parties for alliances. But such is the condition that they have to beg for alliances now. If they would have done some introspection, then this condition of going and hugging, getting photographs clicked with leaders of parties, and begging for alliance would not have come.

"If destruction is written in their fate, then there is no need for us to cry."

He said the country was taking its place on global platforms. "The world is accepting India's iron will. I have come to tell you that elections are ahead and don't worry as our mantra of winning election is with us. We don't fight election with money and muscle power. But we win elections with people's power."

Accusing the Congress of doing vote-bank politics, Modi said they did not support the cause of triple talaq.

"Triple talaq is not accepted in many Islamic countries. But due to their vote bank politics here, even though their leader is a woman (Sonia Gandhi), they remained silent on the issue of supporting it."New Delhi, Sep 25 : Attacking the ruling-BJP over the controversial Rafale deal, the Congress on Tuesday said the saffron-party is dragging the Army into politics.

"We (the Congress) will never get involved in any controversy with the security forces which are supreme for us. However, the BJP is using the security forces for politics. It should not drag them into politics," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told media here.

"The duty of the defence forces is to protect the nation. The Congress did the deal on the basis of the requirements and the criteria put by the air force," he added.

He also challenged the BJP to bring the files in public domain if any of the claims by the Congress was wrong.

"If any of our claims is wrong, we challenge Modiji to bring the files in public domain. The tender was done on the basis of the demands and approvals from the Air Force," he said.

He also said the Congress did not put itself above the Air Force while doing the contract, unlike the BJP.

"We challenge the BJP to tell us the reason why they cancelled the contract of 126 jet aircraft and brought only 36," he said.

He claimed that the contract of 126 jet aircraft was done by the Congress after the same number was demanded by the Air Force.

He also asked the Prime Minister to answer why the jets ordered by the Congress in 2012 at a cost of Rs 526 crore were cancelled and the number of jets were reduced from 126 to 36.

Surjewala questioned the delivery date of the jets saying "the jets were for emergency purchase and even then the dates of delivery is set for 2022".

The Congress chief spokesperson asked why the offset contract was snatched from a government firm and given to a private company.

"The Congress has not given the contract to a private firm unlike you, but to a government company," he said.New Delhi, Sep 25 : Air Force Deputy Chief Air Marshal R. Nambiar on Tuesday asserted that the deal for 36 Rafale aircraft by the Modi government was "much better" than the one negotiated earlier for 126 planes, contending that "people are misinformed" about the issue.

The remarks came in the backdrop of a mounting multi-pronged attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government by the Congress, with the party on Monday moving the Central Vigilance Commissioner seeking an FIR and seizure of documents pertaining to the Rafale deal.

Asked about the row over the offset partners chosen by Dassault Aviation, he said: "I believe people are misinformed. There is nothing like Rs 30,000 crore to any one party. Dassault alone has offsets to the tune of over Rs 6,500 crore. Nothing more than that.

"We have evaluated all the aircraft available to us in the past," Nambiar, who recently flew the Rafale in France, told the media here.

"All and all it was a very good deal, much better than what was obtained in 2008," the Deputy Chief Air Marshal said.

"We have looked at six platforms and Rafale has met all our requirements. It has been found the most technically capable as well as commercially viable from our point of view. That is how it has been selected."

Image Source: IANS Rafale fighter get in action

Asked about a French media report that there was a push by the Indian government to include Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence in the deal, Nambiar said: "The commercial negotiations were headed by the Deputy Chief of Air Staff and he was responsible for completing the negotiations."

The official said the negotiations continued for "almost 14 months". "We believe we met all the directions of our leadership -- that was to get a better price, better maintenance terms, better delivery schedule and better performance logistic package."

Asked about his experience of flying the Rafale, he said: "It was an opportunity to... look at... the new capabilities on offer for the Indian Air Force. I think the aircraft is shaping up quite well... quite satisfied with the performance of all the systems on the aircraft."Amethi, Sep 25 : New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Continuing his attack on the Rafale deal, Congress President on Tuesday questioned the government's silence on the demand for disclosing the price of the fighter jets being bought from France.

"We have asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister what is the price of the aircraft. Defence Minister says that she will not let the youth of Hindustan know the price. Defence Minister told us that there is a secret pact between India and France (not to disclose the price)," he told reporters on the second day of the visit to his constituency.

He said he had raked up the issue with visiting French President Emmanuel Macron and asked him whether there was a secrecy pact between the two governments not to disclose the details.

"Again they (Indian government) tell us that we cannot reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft but Macron told me there is nothing as such. If the Indian government wants to reveal the price of the Rafale aircraft they can," the Congress chief said.

"First, the question is why did Defence Minister lie? Then suddenly you get the price of the aircraft Rs 526 crore versus Rs 1600 crore. Even other countries have also bought the Rafale aircraft but not for Rs 1600 crore," he said.

Referring to the offset agreement between French manufacturer Dassault and an Indian private firm, Gandhi said since 70 years HAL has been making aircrafts while the private firm had not made any aircraft.

Making a reference to the deal signed between the two governments headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former France President Hollande, he said (French) journalists had asked Hollande as to who gave the deal to the private firm-- whether it was Modi, the French government or Dassault.

"Hollande told them that, No. The decision was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the truth," Gandhi said.

He (Modi) always says that he wants to be the chowkidar (watchman) of the nation, not the prime minister. But he has given the money belonging to the people of the country to a private firm, he said.

Gandhi said when he raised questions on these issues in the Lok Sabha, there was no answer from Modi.

"This is truth and this continues and more will come out on Rafale," Gandhi said.

Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019Chennai, Sep 25 : Indians not only order food from food delivery companies but also tea and coffee, according to a study done by Uber Eats.

Uber Eats is the food delivery app of Uber the taxi cab aggregator.

In a statement issued here, it said that an analysis of its orders showed that Bengaluru, Pune and Delhi were the most tea loving cities while Indore in Madhya Pradesh was seen as the most coffee sipping market.

Similarly, people in Mumbai consumer two times more coffee than tea.

"We Indians love our caffeine-filled beverages all year round. Consumers today are opting to order in hot beverages such as tea and coffee," Deepak Reddy, Head of Central Operations - Uber Eats India, was quoted as saying in a statement.

According to it, ginger tea is the most favourite beverage among tea lovers, followed by Masala Tea. Cold coffee ranks at the top for coffee lovers followed by traditional filter coffee.

On an average, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore consume almost 48 percent more tea than coffee.Mumbai, Sep 25 : Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who feels "swept off" his feet by women, believes in gender equality. He says people must be given their due according to merit and not on the basis of their gender.

The third edition of the Lux Golden Rose Awards, to be held later this year, has extended its stage to the global movement for gender equality, UN's HeForShe. The gala will pledge solidarity of male members of the film fraternity with their female counterparts and celebrate their presence and immense contribution.

Shah Rukh, who features in a film wherein he walks down a glorious cinematic lane of iconic Lux divas -- from Sharmila Tagore to Kareena Kapoor Khan and Alia Bhatt -- has spoken about the pay gap.

"In the past too, I have made my stance on equality of genders clear. I strongly believe dues meted out should be according to merit and not gender. Both genders have their own plus and minus points, though I love the women who make work so beautiful.

"Women make you think, and make you want to be a better person and for ages, and even now sadly, they do not get the dues or credit they deserve. Often they are served the raw deal, which is unfair for the whole society," the 52-year-old star said in a statement.

The actor, who has featured in a string of romantic, action and emotional dramas on the big screen, enjoys a huge female fan following across the world.

To that, he says, "On celluloid I have swept many women off their feet, but in reality, women tend to sweep me off my feet."New Delhi, Sep 25 : Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that a plea for cancelling his anticipatory bail is not maintainable as the petitioner has no locus standi.

Tharoor's counsel and senior advocate Vikas Pahwa told Justice R.K. Gauba that the plea challenging the bail is not maintainable because law has granted right to the accused to move anticipatory bail apprehending arrest and that the sessions court has power to deal with it.

Pahwa said the apprehension of arrest "proved" right when the police opposed the anticipatory bail plea before the sessions court.

The court was hearing advocate Deepak Anand's plea for cancelling the anticipatory bail granted by a sessions court on July 5 to Tharoor, who is accused of abetting suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.

However, Delhi Police has supported the plea but questioned the petitioner's stand on filing the plea.

"I am supporting him provided he proves his locus," said Rahul Mehra, Delhi Police's standing counsel.

Mehra claimed Tharoor's application was filed to bypass the procedure laid down in the law. He said Tharoor should have first gone to the magisterial court that had summoned him as an accused to seek bail.

The court listed the matter for October 9.

The petitioner says the anticipatory bail application of the Congress leader was premature and not maintainable since it was not in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and also in violation of the law laid down by the Supreme Court.

Citing a top court judgment, Anand said that anticipatory bail plea can only be filed during investigation or prior to investigation but not after the issuance of summons.

On June 5, the trial court had taken cognisance of the police charge-sheet and issued summons to Tharoor.

On May 14, police charge-sheeted Tharoor under Sections 306 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to abetment to suicide and cruelty to wife, which entails jail for up to 10 years.

Pushkar, 51, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a hotel room in south Delhi on January 17, 2014, days after she alleged that Tharoor was having an affair with a Pakistani journalist.Ghaziabad, Sep 25 : A woman staged a protest outside the residence of her in-laws here on Tuesday after what she said was lingering torture by her moneyed husband and his family who wanted her to bear a male child.

Police found Monika Jain seated with some neighbours outside the Kavi Nagar house of her in-laws demanding justice.

The woman said she was married to Gaurav Jain, said to be a garment exporter, in October 2008 and a girl child was born to them.

After that, she said, she conceived several times but all the time her husband forced her to abort the child saying he only wanted a male child.

"He has been forcing me to produce a male child which is not in my hands," the distraught woman told the police.New Delhi, Sep 25 : Stepping up the attack on the Congress, BJP on Tuesday said that there was a nexus between Rahul Gandhi's brother in law Robert Vadra and arms dealer and middleman Sanjay Bhandari due to which the Rafale deal with French firm was cancelled in 2012.

"Bhandari, who has close links with Vadra, formed a company named Offset India Solutions (OIS) in 2008 and he formed a joint venture with Rafaut as he tried to enter into an offset clause in the Rafale fighter jets deal through the back door," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambit Patra told the media here.

He alleged that the then government mounted pressure on the French firm Dassault Aviation to give works to Bhandari's company.

"But when Dassault verified the infrastructure of OIS, it found that they did not have the required criteria. It also found Bhandari's links with Vadra. So Dassault became adamant and they made it clear that they do not want to enter into any kind of deal with the OIS," he said.

"And this was the reason why the Rafale deal was then scrapped after years of negotiations as Vadra was not getting the commission out of the deal," he accused.

Patra also said that the Congress played with national security and the strength of the Indian Air Force.

"When the BJP government came to power in 2014, investigations started against Bhandari. And during raids at 18 places in 2016 at the premises of Bhandari a lot of classified documents were recovered," he said.

He said that Bhandari's company was also blacklisted by the Indian government.

Alleging links between Vadra and Bhandari, the BJP leader said that during raids in 2016, the emails exchanged between Vadra, Bhandari, Vadra's close associate Manoj Arora and a relative of Bhandari named Sumit Chahdha, also came to the fore.

"In an email it was revealed that Bhandari's relative Chahdha paid Rs 19 crore for a flat in London for Vadra," Patra alleged.

He also alleged that Bhandari's firm also paid for the air travels of Vadra in 2012.

"The government has acted against Bhandari as per law. And today we are saying that Vadra also would not be spared," he said.

The BJP leader further alleged that the then Congress government also rejected Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)-developed Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 and went for the Swiss aircraft Pilatus in 2012.

"This deal was given to the Swiss company to bribe the Gandhi family and to pay commission on the deal to the Gandhi family," he added.Mumbai, Sep 25 : After shuttling between the red and the green through the day, the key Indian equity indices finally ended their five-day losing streak and closed nearly one per cent higher on Tuesday as investors took to bargain buying.

The S&P BSE Sensex ended nearly 350 points higher and the NSE Nifty50 was able to regain the 11,000-mark.

Although the session was largely volatile, buying picked up in the last hour of trade, which helped the indices close on a positive note.

The Nifty50 on the National Stock Exchange provisionally closed at 11,067.45 points, higher 100.05 points or 0.91 per cent from its previous close.

The BSE Sensex, which had opened at 36,350.25 points, closed at 36,652.06 points, up 347.04 points or 0.96 per cent from its previous close of 36,305.02 points.

It touched an intra-day high of 36,705.79 points and a low of 36,064.10 points.

"Benchmark indices opened the day lower and oscillated around the flat line through the day to finally close with gains of over one per cent," said Abhijeet Dey, Senior Fund Manager for Equities at BNP Paribas Mutual Fund.

"Global sentiment was muted as well as investors turned cautious, after the latest round of US-China tariffs revived fears that the trade dispute would negatively impact global growth, while crude oil (prices) rose to near four-year highs after Saudi Arabia and Russia ruled out immediate production increases," he said.

Brent crude oil is currently around $82 per barrel.

HSFC Securities' Head of Retail Research, Deepak Jasani, said Nifty had opened on a negative note, but buying soon resumed as bargain hunting emerged and pushed the index higher.

On the currency front, the Indian rupee closed at 72.69 per US dollar, weaker six paise from its previous close of 72.63 per greenback.

Investment-wise, provisional data with the exchanges showed that foreign institutional investors sold stocks worth Rs 1,231.70 crore and domestic institutional investors bought stocks worth Rs 2,284.26 crore.

The top Sensex gainers were: Axis Bank, up 2.96 per cent at Rs 615.25; HDFC, up 2.95 per cent at Rs 1,771.75; Kotak Mahindra Bank, up 2.88 per cent at Rs 1,182.50; Hindustan Unilever, up 2.72 per cent at Rs 1,634.30; and Maruti Suzuki, up 2.66 per cent at Rs 8,003.30 per share.

On the other hand, major Sensex losers were: Power Grid, down 3.07 per cent at Rs 192.35; Yes Bank, down 2.83 per cent at Rs 219.85; Coal India, down 2.22 per cent at Rs 275.20; Adani Ports, down 2.04 per cent at Rs 338.70 and Tata Steel, down 1.10 per cent at Rs 599.95 per share.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The Supreme Court will likely pronounce on Wednesday its verdict on the batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar on grounds of it being violative of the fundamental right to privacy.

Besides the validity of Aadhaar, the verdict on challenge to the tabling of Aadhaar as a money bill will also be important as it would have a bearing on the powers of the Lok Sabha Speaker.

The five-judge constitution bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.K. Sikri, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Ashok Bhushan had reserved the verdict after hearing the petitions for over 38 days starting January 17 this year.

Besides the constitutional validity of Aadhaar on the touchstone of right to privacy, the other issue, if Aadhaar is to stay, what would be the scope and width of its applicability.

As of now Centre has issued 139 notifications, practically touching every aspect of a citizen's day-to-day life, making Aadhaar linking mandatory.

An offshoot of challenge to Aadhaar scheme on the grounds of it being violative of right to privacy was that a nine-judge constitution bench examined the issue and in August 2017 had held that the right to privacy was a fundamentals right.

The August 2017 verdict holding privacy a fundamental right is likely to impact the Aadhaar verdict.

While holding that the right to privacy was a fundamental right, Justice Chandrachud in his August 2017 judgment had said, "Apart from national security, the state may have justifiable reasons for the collection and storage of data. In a social welfare state, the government embarks upon programmes which provide benefits to impoverished and marginalised sections of society."

He had said: "There is a vital state interest in ensuring that scarce public resources are not dissipated by the diversion of resources to persons who do not qualify as recipients."

However, Justice Chandrachud had qualified the collection of data with legitimate State interest saying, "But, the data which the state has collected has to be utilised for legitimate purposes of the state and ought not to be utilised unauthorizedly for extraneous purposes. This will ensure that the legitimate concerns of the state are duly safeguarded while, at the same time, protecting privacy concerns."

These were the grounds that were argued by the Centre in defence of Aadhaar before the constitution bench.

Speaking on data protection in August 2017 judgment Justice Chandrachud had said, "Informational privacy is a facet of the right to privacy. The dangers to privacy in an age of information can originate not only from the state but from non-state actors as well."

In the course of the Aadhaar hearing, the constitution bench had described data as a "goldmine of commercial information."

In the right to privacy judgment, the court had "commended" the Union Government the "need to examine and put into place a robust regime for data protection."

"The creation of such a regime requires a careful and sensitive balance between individual interests and legitimate concerns of the state", the court had said in 2017.

While holding the individual data is a goldmine of commercial information, the court had in the course of the Aadhaar hearing had said that Aadhaar was not a panacea for all ailments of governance and frauds.

The petition challenging the Aadhaar scheme -- when it had no statutory backing which eventually came by 2016 AadhaarAAct -- was first moved by the retired judge of Karnataka High Court Justice K.S. Puttaswamy.

The legal battle against Aadhaar from the day one was led by senior counsel Shyam Divan who appeared for Justice Puttaswamy and later represented other petitioners as well.

Divan had earned the ire of Attorney General K.K. Venugopal for describing Aadhaar an electronic leash and comparing the collection of Aadhaar data akin to "concentration camp" and "totalitarian regime."Cologne (Germany), Sep 25 : In a significant development in the world of camera, Panasonic, Leica and Sigma on Tuesday joined hands to create the "L-Mount Alliance" for full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras.

The alliance will support Leica's L-Mount system that was first launched in 2014.

Leica Camera's L-Mount makes it possible to use replacement lenses that meet the L-Mount of the partners.

"Expressiveness is further enhanced by increasing options for replacement lenses," Panasonic said during the "Photokina" exhibition here.

The L-Mount has a diameter of 51.6 mm, and is suitable for use with full-frame cameras as well as APS-C sensors when the flange distance is 20 mm.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The Delhi cabinet on Tuesday approved the 'Mukhyamantri Solar Power Scheme' to set up solar panels on rooftops of group housing societies in Delhi.

Under the Renewable Energy Service Co (RESCO) model, the domestic consumer will not have to spend any money for the installation of solar panels. It will be done by select service providers, Cabinet Minister Satyendar Jain told the media.

"There will be a tripartite agreement between the concerned group housing society, the service provider (company) and the Delhi government," he said.

The cost of electricity generated through the solar power for the group housing society will be Rs 1 per unit.

"The Delhi government will provide a subsidy of Rs 2 per unit to the society," he said.

The initial estimated cost of solar power was likely to be Rs 3 per unit, he said, adding that it will keep increasing year-wise.

"The cost of solar power will also depend on the space provided by the society for the installation of solar panels. In case the society provide more space for solar panels than its requirement, they will get the benefit in return in terms of further reduction in the price of solar power," Jain said.

The cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, also amended the scheme for grant of ex-gratia payment to security personnel of Delhi.

"The cabinet approved the proposal of the Revenue Department for amendment in the Scheme for grant of ex-gratia payment to war widows, war disabled, prisoners of war/missing person in war/operation/Delhi Police personnel/Home Guards and families of those who lose their lives in defined uniformed services during the course of duty," Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot told the media.

In July, the Cabinet had decided to give Rs 1 crore compensation to the kin of martyrs killed on duty.

Announcing the amendment, Gahlot said: "Families of the security personnel who are living in Delhi for the last five years will also be covered in the scheme, irrespective of the state of joining of the personnel.

"The final decision will be taken by the Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by the Deputy Chief Minister," he said.

The amendment, he said, was necessitated following the murder of Head Constable Narender Kumar of the Border Security Force (BSF) on the India-Pakistan border.

The family of Narender Kumar had been residing in Delhi for many years though his permanent address was of Haryana, Gahlot said.

The cabinet also gave its nod to a proposal of the Social Welfare Department to provide assistance to NGOs for celebrating birth and death anniversaries of eminent personalities.Shimla, Sep 25 : A group of 40-45 students of IIT-Roorkee, five residents of Kolkata and two German trekkers were among 249 persons rescued on Tuesday from the icy heights of Himachal Pradesh in a joint operation by the district administration and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), officials said.

Over 300 people are still stuck, sources said.

A majority of the rescued are stranded in Sissu in the Lahaul Valley as landslides triggered by heavy snow damaged the road links to Manali, official sources said.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will start airlifting the stranded people, comprising locals and tourists, believed to be around 300, on Wednesday morning. They will be brought to Manali and Kullu towns.

They have been stranded for the past two-three days at various locations in and around district headquarters Keylong after the onset of heavy snow that hampered road links. All are safe and have been provided accommodation and eatables, officials said.

"Nearly 45 students of IIT-Roorkee were taken to an Army base camp at Sissu from where they were brought to Manali via Rohtang tunnel," an official told IANS over phone from Manali.

He said most of the stranded people were brought to Keylong, some 121 km from Manali, and from there would be either airlifted by the IAF or brought to Manali by road on Wednesday.

"The priority in airlifting will be given to old, sick and women," he added.

A government spokesperson here advised tourists not to venture into remote areas of the state as chances of snow were still high.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur visited Kullu town to take stock of the rehabilitation and rescue operations being undertaken by the state government.

He also took an aerial survey of the Lahaul Valley up to Chandertal to access the damage caused by untimely snow.

Thakur said the state has suffered a loss of over Rs 1,230 crore in the last four days. He said the state has urged the Union government to provide liberal assistance to the state.

The Chief Minister said he spoke to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman regarding the natural calamity.

He said three IAF helicopters have been provided to evacuate the tourists.

Earlier, an official statement said 200 people have been stranded at Koksar and about 300 in Baralacha Pass.

Traffic to picturesque Himachal tourist resort Manali was restored partially on Tuesday, a day after all major road links snapped after landslides triggered by heavy rains, officials said.Araujo told the Tribune that he doubts he made any sexual advances toward the female prosecutor while they were in law school, adding that they had studied together and he knew her former boyfriend. The judge also said he does not believe I said those words about having sex or not having sex with her.Mumbai, Sep 25 : India added a whopping 601 new billionaires since 2014, with Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman Mukesh Ambani topping the 'Barclays Hurun India Rich List-2018' for the seventh consecutive year with an estimated wealth of Rs 371,000 crore.

As per the report, in 2014, there were 230 billionaires or multi-billionaires, which shot up to 831 in the 2018 in the BHI Rich List.

Earlier, in 2012, the figure was a modest 59 billionaires, which climbed to 141 in 2013. But after notching 230 billionaires in 2014, the list has grown phenomenally with 296 (2015), 339 (2016), 617 (2017) and now 831 billionaires in 2018.

Similarly, the number of USD billionaires in India in the past seven years at the prevailing exchange rates has shot up from 59 (2012) to 141 (2018) as the USD's value grew from INR 55.60 to INR 68.40 during the period.

Among women, there was only one self-made billionaire in 2013, which increased to 11 in 2018. Women multi-billionaires shot up from just five in 2013 to 136 this year.

The cumulative wealth of these 831 individuals featured in the latest list stands at USD 719 billion, or one-quarter of the Indian GDP of USD 2,848 billion as per the IMF's April 2018 estimates.

After Ambani, next comes S.P. Hinduja and family of Hinduja Group with estimated wealth of Rs 159,000 crore, Arcelor-Mittal's L.N. Mittal and family at Rs 114,500 crore in the top bracket.

Following them are: Wipro's Azim Premji at Rs 96,100 crore, Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd's Dilip Shanghvi at Rs 89,700 crore, Kotak Mahindra Bank's Uday Kotak at Rs 78,600 crore, Serum Institute of India's Cyrus Poonawalla at Rs 73,000 crore, Adani Group's Gautam Adani and family at Rs 71,200 crore, Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry's Cyrus P. Mistry at Rs 69,400 crore, Five of the Top 10 belong to Maharashtra, one each from Gujarat and Karnataka, two are London-based and one is in Monaco, as per the rich list.

As expected, the country's commercial capital Mumbai tops the billionaires' list with 233 names, followed by New Delhi at 163 and IT capital Bengaluru at 70, said Barclays Private Clients CEO S.N. Bansal.

The annual list is a compilation of the super-richest Indians having a net worth of Rs 1,000 crore or more. This number has increased by a staggering one-third - from 617 in 2017 to 831 in 2018, said Hurun Report India's Managing Director Rahman Junaid.

While 306 new entrants made it to the list this year, 75 of those featured in 2017 failed to find a place in the super exclusive club this year.

"The Indian edition of the list is the fastest growing rich list in the world, highlighting the optimism of a young, vibrant and ambitious country," Junaid pointed out.

As far as top wealthy business clans are concerned, more than 50 percent of the businesses listed in the 2018 rich list belong to just 10 Indian families - Ambani, Godrej, Hinduja, Mistry, Shanghvi, Nadar, Adani, Damani, Lohia and Burman.

Four of these family-run businesses are in the first-generation and second generation, one is in third generation and one in fifth generation of operations.

"Wealth creation in India is growing at an unprecedented pace, and the time it takes to accumulate wealth is shorter than before," said Bansal at the report launch.Mumbai, Sep 25 : Actor-producer Raghu Ram promises thrice the action, emotion and drama in the third season of sci-fi thriller franchise "A.I.SHA", which he has produced with his brother Rajiv Laxman for digital media platform Arre.

The franchise "A.I.SHA", which stands for Artificial Intelligence Simulated Humanoid Assistant, was launched in 2016. It is set at the intersection of the real and virtual worlds, and explores an unusual relationship between artificial intelligence and humanity. It's a boy meets girl tale, except the girl is an A.I. app.

While its first season told viewers the story of what happens when technology turns against humans, season 2 showcased the immense power of A.I. in terms of far-reaching global consequences. The third season will push the boundaries of imagination, as A.I.SHA transitions from intelligent technology to a sentient human being by acquiring human form and values.

Raghu, who plays a key role in the show, said in a statement: "Season 3 of 'A.I.SHA' is going to be thrice the action, emotion and drama as the plot unfolds to reveal many twists and new characters. I'm excited about our cast line up and there's going to be a lot to look forward to for our fans."

The six episodes of the new season, directed by Ajay Bhuyan, will continue the franchise with an ensemble cast including Aahana Kumra, Nasir Abdullah, Ruslaan Mumtaz, Auritra Ghosh, Rashi Mal, Adesh Sidhu and Flora Saini, apart from Raghu.

It will play on the Arre platforms and the soon to be launched streaming app MX Player.Bengaluru, Sep 25 : India's leading e-tailer Flipkart on Tuesday said it has acquired Israel-based Upstream Commerce startup for an unspecified amount to strengthen its selection and pricing capability.

"The acquisition enables us to help sellers boost sales and serve customers better with Upstream's advanced and data science-based intelligent solutions," said the city-based retail giant Walmart-owned company in a statement here.

A leader in real-time pricing and product assortment optimisation solutions, the eight-year-old Tel Aviv-headquartered startup builds cloud-based, automated competitive pricing and product analysis tools.

"The acquisition will also help us to have an overseas centre to support our business in India with its 20-member team based in Israel," a company spokesperson told IANS.

Post-acquisition, the startup will continue to work in Tel Aviv and become one of Flipkart's global centers for data science work.

"Upstream's solutions will enable us to give insights to our sellers, help them optimise product assortment, pricing strategy and find gaps in the market," noted the statement.

The buyout is in line with Flipkart's vision to solve e-commerce challenges through innovations and will help provide wider selection and better pricing for its customers.

"We have spurred e-commerce growth across the country and solved local problems through innovations. With Upstream, we will have tech and talent presence across Asia, Israel, the US and some global hubs for innovation," said company's Chief Executive Kalyan Krishnamurthy on the occasion.

Backed by YL Ventures as a leading investor since its inception in 2010, the startup will be one of Flipkart's excellence centres to do cutting-edge data science work.

Upstream Chief Executive Amos Peleg said Flipkart's choice to have presence in Israel through the acquisition was a vote of confidence in his team, technology and domain expertise.

"We share the same passion for technology and vision for the contribution of data science in future and success of online retail as Flipkart," said Peleg.

Though Flipkart has been developing machine learning algorithms to improve the selection and pricing parametres for sellers and helped thousands of small and medium businesses get online, it is betting on Upstream providing it with automated pricing and planning better selection.

"Upstream's expertise will be a huge addition for us and our in-house AI capabilities, which will share actionable insights with sellers to help them make informed decisions on products and their pricing," added Flipkart's Marketplace Head Anil Goteti.

The 11-year-old e-shopping portal claims to have over a lakh sellers and offers a whopping 80 million products across 80 categories, including smartphones, books, media, consumer electronics, furniture, fashion and lifestyle.New Delhi, Sep 25 : Faulting the "famous but controversial" 'Hindutva is a way of life' judgement of late Justice J.S. Verma of the Supreme Court in the 1990s, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said the judiciary as an institution should never lose sight of its primary duty to protect the secular spirit of the Constitution.

This task, he said, has become much more demanding than before because the political disputes and electoral battles were increasingly getting overlaced with religious overtones, symbols, myths and prejudices.

Singh was delivering the 2nd memorial lecture of the late Communist leader A.B. Bardhan on "Defence of Secularism and Constitution".

The former Prime Minister criticised Verma's judgment suggesting it virtually disturbed "a kind of constitutional sanity" that was restored in the country's political discourse through the Bommai judgment in which a nine-judge bench of Supreme Court found an opportunity to reaffirm that secularism was a basic structure of the Constitution.

He said Justice Verma's verdict had a "decisive impact" on the ongoing debate among political parties about the principles and practices of secularism in the Republic.

"The judgment ended up making our political discourse somewhat lopsided; and, many believe that 'there can be no doubt that the decision requires to be overruled'," Singh said.

He said no constitutional arrangement can be protected and preserved only by the judiciary, however, vigilant or enlightened the judges may be.

"Ultimately, it comes down to the political leadership, civil society, religious leaders and intelligentsia to defend the Constitution and its secular commitments. It is necessary to remind ourselves that the framers of the Constitution in their wisdom had conceived this secular order as part of a larger, greater egalitarian polity."

Describing the demolition of the Babri Masjid as a traumatic event bringing into disrepute India's secular commitments, Singh said the entire political leadership too came in for criticism for failing to protect a place of worship.

"In particular, concerned citizens were deeply disappointed at the judiciary's stance in the events leading upto the demolition," he said.

The former Prime Minister said the country should unambiguously clear that any attempt to weaken the secular fabric of the Republic would be an attempt to dismantle the larger egalitarian project -- a secular, progressive democratic polity.

The judiciary needs to arrive at its own enlightened view of its custodianship of the Constitution irrespective of the irresponsible and selfish politicians who have no qualms in injecting communal virus in the body politic, he said.

The same expectation must also be voiced in regard to the armed forces which are a splendid embodiment of the secular project.

"Our armed forces have a glorious record of keeping away from the politicians' manipulations and intrigues. It is vitally important that the armed forces remain uncontaminated from any sectarian appeal."

Stressing on the role of Election Commission in preserving the secular fabric, Singh said it was incumbent upon the poll panel to see that the religion and religious sentiments and prejudices do not get overworked into the election discourse.

He said the media as a democratic institution was an equal partner in upholding secularism both in letter and spirit.

CPI General Secretary S. Sudhakar Reddy said the very idea of a secular and pluralist India tolerant of all sex and religion was under severe threat under the Modi government.

He said there has been serious attacks targeted at turning the secular India into a Hindu Rashtra, tearing off the statutes of the Constitution that oppose the moves or changing the Constitution itself.Kolkata, Sep 25 : The BJP's students wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Tuesday torched an effigy of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and demanded resignation of state education minister in protest against the killing of two students in Islampur last week allegedly in police firing.

It also demanded a CBI probe into the killings.

ABVP activists assembled outside Swami Vivekananda's ancestral home in north Kolkata's Simla street and marched to the Dharamtolla crossing, where they were stopped by the police.

Some ABVP workers were allegedly injured when the police tried to disperse the agitators.

The police forcibly dispersed the crowd.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The government on Tuesday announced three initiatives to take banking to the last mile comprising a financial inclusion index, geographical mapping of banking services and hassle-free online loans for MSMEs valuing upto Rs 1 crore.

After an annual review meeting of the public sector banks, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched a common online platform for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) credit which will enable businesses to get loans upto Rs 1 crore approved through a completely automated process within just 59 minutes.

He said the MSMEs had been a matter of concern for the government being the sector that generates the largest number of employment opportunities.

Freeing credit to the sector from all forms of red-tapism would lead to quick disbursal of loans and help in the growth of MSMEs, the Minister said.

The government also announced a financial inclusion index, which would be released by the end of this year and would rate states on their performance on last-mile banking services availability.

Jaitley said the financial inclusion index would create an element of competition among states with each of them vying for last mile connectivity in banking.

Financial Services Secretary Rajeev Kumar said the index would be a measure of access to and usage of basic formal financial products and services including savings, remittances, credit, insurance and pension products.

The government also announced a banking services infrastructure locator app "Jan Dhan Darshak" which aims to to bring banking within reach of every citizens through over five lakh "banking touch points" comprising of bank branches, banking correspondents, ATMs, common service centres and post offices.

"The GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping of banking services will be a convenient method for any person to find the nearest banking touch point," Jaitley said adding this would complement the government's initiative of having banking services available within five kilometres of every household.Chandigarh, Sep 25 : SpiceJet on Tuesday announced it will launch two new daily flights from Amritsar to Bangkok and Goa.

The flights will commence from November 6, officials of the airlines said here after a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

The airline handed over the first ticket to Amarinder.

Amarinder Singh said that there was a huge potential of tourism in Punjab, especially the holy city of Amritsar, which is visited by a large number of devotees from around the world to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and Durgiana Mandir besides visiting the Jallianwala Bagh.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The CBI has written to the Interpol in Nigeria seeking the whereabouts of Chetan and Nitin Sandesara, directors of the Gujarat-based pharma company Sterling Biotech in connection with an over Rs 5,000-crore bank fraud case.

A senior official of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told IANS that it has written to the Interpol unit in Nigeria to share details on whereabouts of Nitin and Chetan Sandesara and his family members in that country.

According to the agency source, the CBI wrote to the Interpol in Nigeria late on Monday.

The CBI official made the revelation amid media reports that Nitin and Chetan Sandesara, along with his family members, had fled to the African nation.

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 during the years 2004 to 2012, 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.

Meanwhile, a source in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said the agency is set to file a chargesheet against the accused soon under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The source also said that the agency would also write to the Interpol seeking a red corner notice (RCN) against the accused.

The ED had initiated a money laundering probe into the case taking cognizance of the CBI FIR.

On January 13, the ED had arrested Garg. The agency also arrested a Delhi-based businessman Gagan Dhawan in connection with the case in November last year. Besides, the Directorate also attached properties worth Rs 4,703 crore.

The ED had issued lookout circulars against the accused in August 2017.United Nations, Sep 25 : US President Donald Trump on Tuesday held up India as an example to the world of a country that successfully lifted millions out of poverty while upholding democracy and freedom.

Addressing the General Assembly, he said India was part of a "beautiful constellation" of countries working for a common future.

In speech that emphasised his America First policy with a declaration that he rejected the "ideology of globalism" for a belief in patriotism, he reiterated his hardline against countries such as China, Iran and Venezuela.

He demanded that Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut their "horrible prices."

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in)Kolkata, Sep 25 : Tea Research Association (TRA) has been focusing its research on the application of internet-based technologies and has developed an equipment using Artificial Intelligence (AI), in association with Agnext Technologies, for determining fine leaf count, an official said on Tuesday.

"In the tea sector, applications of internet-based technologies have been very limited. The use of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics have changed the way certain businesses operate," said TRA's Chairman Prabhat K. Bezboruah at its 54th Annual General Meeting.

Since nearly 50 per cent of the tea industry is dominated by the small tea growers and bought leaf factories, quality plays a major role in determining prices.

With no technology to give fine leaf count immediately, green leaf is bought on assumption and the small holders get a lower price, said TRA's Secretary Joydeep Phukan.

"TRA has entered into an MoU with Agnext Technologies for introducing of the use of Artificial Intelligence in the tea industry. The initial trials have been very satisfactory," Phukan told IANS.

"The product will be released to the industry by December 2018 on hire mode," Phukan said.

Bezboruah, who also serves as the Chairman of Tea Board, said the use of data analytics at the auctions and other forms of tea disposal can throw up interesting facts which can be studied to reform the system.

He pointed out that the research body, funded by the Tea Board and the industry, underwent one of the most difficult phases in the last two years.

"With a lower allocation to Tea Board on R&D head by the Commerce Ministry , there was 60 per cent less disbursal of receivable funds from Tea Board for the year 2016 and 2017. This effectively reduced our expendable funds against our budget by 30 per cent and seriously hampered the functioning of the organisation,"he said.

The industry supports the research association to an extent of 65 per cent of the total budget of it, said Bezboruah, adding the government is expected to continue its support.5652 N. Virginia Ave., Chicago: $1,200,000 | Listed: Oct. 7, 2021



This five-bedroom home has three full bathrooms, one half-bath, a foyer with custom tile and two decks with pergolas. The living and dining room feature coved ceilings, dark oak trim and arched leaded windows. The kitchen is equipped with a quartz island, a prep sink, three skylights with automatic blinds, a walk-in pantry and a Bosch stove, refrigerator and microwave package. The primary bedroom has an en suite bathroom and a walk-in custom closet with built-ins. A second-floor bedroom leads to an outdoor deck that overlooks a lower deck. A second kitchen, two fireplaces, a wet bar in the family room and a two-car garage complete this home.



Agents: Joan Brennock and Jodie Brennock, Baird & Warner, 773-386-4364 and 630-901-5634



*Some listing photos are virtually staged, meaning they have been digitally altered to represent different furnishing or decorating options.



To feature your luxury listing of $800,000 or more in Chicago Tribunes Dream Homes, send listing information and high-res photos to ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com.



Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.New Delhi, Sep 25 : On an average, 18 children per day were reported missing in 2017, and their count per day is 19 so far this year, data collected by Delhi Police has revealed.

In 2017, 6,450 children were reported missing, among whom 2,535 were boys and 3,919 girls.

In 2016, the total number was 6,921 while it was 7,928 in 2015.

Addressing the need to focus on the issue of missing children at an event organised here on Tuesday, District Commissioner of Police Joy Tirkey said the improvement in the participation of civil society is a good sign.

"We have to work more in tandem with Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTU) as well as the communities and NGOs," he said.

He said a facial recognition system, which is being launched, will prove more helpful in tracing the children.

Representatives of several NGOs at the event called for active participation of the community to create a safety net.

"While the police role is paramount, the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) suggests community-level preventive mechanism," said Soha Moitra, Regional Director (North) of the NGO, Child Rights and You (CRY).

"...Taking cognizance of the enormity of the issue, ensuring inter and intra-state coordination in investigation, rescue and rehabilitative mechanism and investing in adequate resources and trained personnel at every level are the needs of the hour," Moitra added.

Alliance for People's Right (APR) convenor Reena Banerjee said by forming a strong security net around children, their safety can be ascertained to a large extent.

"There has been close to nil incident of a child reported missing over the past two years within those communities that have formed vigilance groups.

"In a couple of instances, where a child was found to be missing, the vigilance groups were able to take immediate action to notify the authorities which ensured early recovery of the child," she said.Chandigarh, Sep 25 : The Haryana government will develop five new cities over an area of 50,000 hectares on each side of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway.

The expressway, which will provide an alternative route to vehicles to go towards Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan without entering Delhi, is likely to be completed on October 31 this year.

The 135-km long Haryana cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here on Tuesday, accorded approval to the Panchgram Development Bill, 2018 for developing Panchgram Development Authority.

The authority will be constituted as the apex body for policy making, development and regulation for the development of Panchgram region, a state government spokesman said here.

"The Cabinet approved the concept of the Panchgram Region and developing five cities on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) expressway on 50,000 hectares each side of the expressway which would cover eight districts of the state -- Sonipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Rewari, Mewat, Faridabad and Palwal," the spokesman said.

"While the entire vacant area between the KMP expressway and Delhi has been included in the cities, the area on the outer side varies depending on the development potential," the spokesman said.

The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation(HSIIDC) has initiated the process for hiring a world-class consultancy firm through a global tender for undertaking the master plan.

The National Capital Region (NCR) area in Haryana has seen fast paced development in the past nearly three decades.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Tuesday became the first hospital in Delhi to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Health Agency in Ayushaman Bharat PM-JAY Scheme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Septemeber 23 launched the flagship scheme in Ranchi that provides an annual cover of Rs 5 lakh per poor and vulnerable family.

"A formal MoU has been signed between AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria and Deputy C.E.O. National Health Agency. With this, AIIMS has become the first hospital in Delhi to have signed for effective implementation of the scheme," AIIMS said in a statement.

AIIMS is now a participant in the scheme and ready to extend facilities to the entitled beneficiaries, it said.New Delhi, Sep 25 : A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed his government dedicated 35 airports in last four years, the Congress on Tuesday described it as "new rhetoric of fake credit seeking" and said that the government had inagurated only seven airports in the last four years.

"Modiji's 'new jumla' (new rhethoric) of 'fake credit seeking' - 35 Airports built in last four years. Total airports inaugurated in four years - seven, new airports - zero," said Randeep Surjewala.

"Sikkim Airport was approved by Congress in October 2008, 83 per cent work completed by May 2014. Took Modiji four-and-a-half years to complete 17 per cent," Surjewala said in a tweet.

Modi after dedicating Pakyong Airport in Sikkim on Monday attacked the previous Congress governments of neglecting the northeast and said that 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, the country has got its 100th airport," Modi had said after dedicating Pakyong Airport to the nation in Sikkim.

"After independence till 2014, we had only 65 airports. That means in 67 years they (Congress) developed only 65 airports, less than one airport in a year. But in last four years we dedicated over 35 airports. That means about nine airports every year," Modi said.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan wants to further elevate its ties with India from the Strategic Partnership the two countries share now and also take bilateral trade to $1 billion within two years, senior Uzbek officials said on Tuesday.

Briefing the media here ahead of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's arrival here early next week in what will be his first official visit to India, Uzbek Ambassador to India Farhod Arziev said India and Uzbekistan are politically very close at the highest level.

"We have a Strategic Partnership in place already," he said. "We want to elevate this to a new level."

India and Uzbekistan signed the agreement on Strategic Partnership during then Uzbek President Islam Karimov's visit to India in 2011.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mirziyoyev met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Qingdao, China, in June this year.

The two leaders had also met at last year's SCO Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, when India was made full member of the Eurasian inter-governmental organisation.

Arziev said that during the upcoming visit of Mirziyoyev, a meeting of the Uzbek-Indian Business Forum will also be held.

"We are having B2B interactions and we are trying to conclude a preferential trade regime," he said.

Ilhomjom Nematov, Ambassador of Special Assignments and Special Envoy of the President of Uzbekistan, who was also present, said that both countries are trying to take bilateral trade from the current level of around $350 million to $1 billion by 2020.

Pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT and tourism are among the major areas of bilateral trade between India and Uzbekistan.

Arziev said that the two countries are working on more transport corridors to boost trade after India joined the Ashgabat Agreement, which seeks to establish an international transport and transit corridor between Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, earlier this year.

Stating that Afghanistan is very important country for both Uzbekistan and India in terms of economy and security, Nematov said that one very important point is a joint effort to bring peace in the strife-torn South Asian nation.

With Uzbekistan having pledged to part-fund the construction of a 657-km railway from Mazar-i-Sharif to Herat in Afghanistan, Nematov said that Tashkent will be happy to have India as a partner in its construction.

India is a leading development aid partner of Afghanistan.

Reiterating a mutually beneficial relationship of bilateral cooperation, Nematov stated that India is one of Uzbekistan's key partners not only in Asia but globally as well.

Elaborating further on this, he highlighted the shared goal to fight terrorism and other regional challenges, in order to sustain regional stability in Central Asia.

Sharing a brief outlook of the upcoming visit of President Mirziyoyev, Ambassador Arziev stated that close to 30 official documents of bilateral agreements are expected to be signed during this visit.

These agreements will range from political and economic partnerships to educational and humanitarian exchanges.

Arziev also announced future partnerships between the cities of Delhi and Tashkent, Bukhara and Hyderabad, the Uzbek province of Andijan and India's Gujarat state as well as twinning of the historic cities of Samarkand and Agra.

"Through these partnerships, both nations hope to establish a multi-sectoral regional connection which will further enable trade and business ties," he said.Kolkata, Sep 25 : West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Tuesday urged all government as well as private schools to remain open, assuring them that the state government will counter the 12-hour shutdown called by the BJP on Wednesday across the state.

"I had requested the private schools to remain open. I will again tell them to function normally as there is no need to fear. If the authorities feel we can provide protection to the students in their bus services," Chatterjee said.

Talking about some private schools declaring holiday, Chatterjee said: "Why are they doing this even after my request? Why will the exams be deferred? I will take it very seriously as education minister as the state government is completely opposing the bandh."

He further said that in future the government will not take any responsibility if they do not abide by his request this time.

Chatterjee requested all teachers, students, employees and everyone to step out for work and keep Bengal moving.

The BJP has called a 12-hour shutdown in the state on Wednesday in protest against the deaths of two students allegedly in police firing in Islampur of North Dinjarpur district on September 20.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday set up a three-member committee, headed by its former judge Justice Amitava Roy, to suggest and look after jail reforms across the country.

A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice S. Adbul Nazeer and Justice Deepak Gupta said the committee will suggest measures for jail reforms in the country and will look into various issues, including over-crowding in prisons and the issues concerning women prisoners.

The committee will receive assistance from government officials and will be required to file its reports before the Supreme Court from time to time.

The court was hearing a plea relating to inhuman conditions in 1,382 prisons across the country.

In an earlier hearing, the apex court had said it will constitute a committee to deal with issues relating to jails and suggest reforms.

It had expressed concern on overcrowding of jails across India, observing that prisoners also have human rights and cannot be kept like animals.New Delhi, Sep 25 : To encourage practice of ayurveda, India has set up an Ayush Information Cell at its embassy premises in Romania to create awareness about the traditional Indian system of medicine, the government said on Tuesday.

The cell would organise lectures, consultations, conduct seminars and training courses among the public in Romania, an official statement said.

The cell was digitally inaugurated by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu during his visit to Romania earlier this month.New Delhi, Sep 25 : Delhi Police arrested a notorious thief who used Spider-man techniques to enter houses for committing burglaries in south Delhi, an officer said on Tuesday.

Police said the accused has been identified as Vagees,20, is a resident of Tughlakabad Extension. He used parked cars on streets as a tool to jump or climb on balconies of targeted flats and easily executed robberies.

"Vagees was involved in over a dozen cases of house thefts and was active in Govindpuri area. A team headed by Station House Officer Kuldeep Singh on Monday arrested him from his residence with the help of informers," Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal said.

"A resident of Tughlakabad, on Monday registered a complaint of theft of three mobile phones. She told a police team that a masked robber later identified as Vagees by police, had entered her flat through a balcony. When she raised alarm, the accused immediately jumped from first floor on the roof of a car and managed to escape," Biswal said.

"On scanning the CCTV footage of various crime spots, Vagees was caught entering different flats from balconies. During interrogation, Vagees admitted to his crimes. He was inspired by the techniques of Spiderman from a hollywood movie," the DCP added.New Delhi, Sep 25 : Stating that urban areas in India face multi-pronged challenges, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said it requires efficient project management to solve the problems.

Speaking at the inaugural session of "Project Managers Global Summit 2018" here, the Minister said: "In democracy you can't tell people where to live, nor can we stop migration.

"We have to tackle it by creating infrastructure and look at urbanisation as a great opportunity for economic growth."

Puri said an efficient project management means translating vision into reality -- by challenging the multi-pronged problems of ensuring housing for all in a complex ecosystem, technology-based solutions and smart governance.

According to government data, over 30 per cent of India's population lives in urban centres as compared to 17 per cent of the population living in urban areas at the time of India's Independence in 1947.

"100 cities are now implementing concepts such as smart roads, smart solid waste management, solar rooftops and smart schools," the Minister said.

Puri pointed out that every Smart City will have a Smart City Centre (SCC), or Integrated Command and Control Centre.

The SCC functions as a city's nervous system where digital technologies are integrated with social, physical and environmental aspects of the city, to enable centralised monitoring and decision making.

SCCs have already been set up in 11 cities, while 28 other cities have started work on setting up such centres, he added.It was one of those things where lots of times you look for educational campaigns you can do from year to year, said Czernecki, who works in the Arlington Heights Police Departments traffic bureau. One of the primary causes for a lot of crashes, both nationally and in town, is speeding-related crashes.New Delhi, Sep 25 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to disqualify candidates against whom cognisance of chargesheet have been taken by courts, saying no further disqualification under the law could be added but urged Parliament to enact a law to address the malaise of criminals entering legislatures.

At the same time, the apex Court directed political parties to post on their websites and widely publicise in the media, both print and electronic, full details of the criminal charges against the candidates they would be fielding in elections.

Pronouncing the judgment, a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also said that the law on criminals entering politics should also address fake cases being instituted against political opponents.

Speaking for the bench, Chief Justice Misra said: "An essential component of a constitutional democracy is its ability to give and secure for its citizenry a representative form of government, elected freely and fairly, and comprising a polity whose members are men and women of high integrity and morality. This could be said to be the hallmark of any free and fair democracy."

The court said that the time had come for Parliament to enact a law to "cleanse the polluted stream of politics" by prohibiting people with criminal antecedents in the political system. "The nation eagerly waits for such legislation ... and the sooner the better, before it becomes fatal to democracy," the court added.

Noting that the constitutional functionaries are expected to ensure that the existing political framework does not get tainted with the evil of corruption, the court said that despite the "heavy mandate of the Constitution, our democracy, has seen a steady increase in the level of criminalisation that has been creeping into the Indian polity".

The court directed that the candidate as well as the concerned political party "shall issue a declaration in the widely circulated newspapers in the locality about the antecedents of the candidate and also give wide publicity in the electronic media", said Chief Justice Misra, speaking for the five-judge Constitution Bench.

"When we say wide publicity, we mean that the same shall be done at least thrice after filing of the nomination papers," said the bench, also comprising Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra.

The complete information about the criminal antecedents of the candidates forms the bedrock of wise decision-making and informed choice by the citizenry, the court said while emphasising that "informed choice is the cornerstone to have a pure and strong democracy".

The Constitution Bench said the society had a "legitimate expectation to be governed by proper constitutional governance. The country feels agonized when money and muscle power become the supreme power", it said.

The apex court called for "substantial efforts" to prohibit people with criminal antecedents so that they do not even "conceive of the idea of entering into politics" and should be "kept at bay".

It said: "We are sure, the law making wing of the democracy of this country will take it upon itself to cure the malignancy. We say so as such a malignancy is not incurable. It only depends upon the time and stage when one starts treating it.

"It is one thing to take cover under the presumption of innocence of the accused but it is equally imperative that persons who enter public life and participate in law making should be above any kind of serious criminal allegation," the court urged Parliament Under the criminal law, an accused person is presumed to be innocent till convicted by the court.

Holding that "informed choice" is the cornerstone to have a "pure and strong democracy", the court said: "The complete information about the criminal antecedents of the candidates forms the bedrock of wise decision-making and informed choice by the citizens."

Issuing a slew of directions to the political parties and prospective candidates, the court directed that the candidate contesting elections "shall state, in bold letters", about the criminal cases pending against him/her in the form provided by the Election Commission at the time of filing nomination papers.

The court directed that a candidate contesting election on the ticket of a political party would inform the party about the criminal cases pending against him/her and that party "shall be obligated to put up on its website" information on criminal antecedents of the candidate fielded by it.

Saying that "we have issued the said directions with immense anguish," the court said: "These directions ought to be implemented in true spirit and right earnestness in a bid to strengthen the democratic set-up."

"There may be certain gaps or lacunae in a law or legislative enactment which can definitely be addressed by the legislature if it is backed by the proper intent, strong resolve and determined will of right-thinking minds to ameliorate the situation," the court said.

It further said that it "must also be borne in mind that the law cannot always be found fault with for the lack of its stringent implementation by the concerned authorities".

It is the "solemn responsibility" of all concerned to enforce the law as well as the directions laid down by this court from time to time in order to "infuse the culture of purity in politics and in democracy and foster and nurture an informed citizenry, for ultimately it is the citizenry which decides the fate and course of politics in a nation and thereby ensures that we shall be governed no better than we deserve".Kolkata, Sep 25 : The political temperature soared in West Bengal on the eve of the BJP-sponsored shutdown in West Bengal as the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP on Tuesday brought out rallies in the city and the districts opposing and backing the proposed disruption.

Bharatiya Janata Party state president Dilip Ghosh claimed people would spontaneously participate in the shutdown called against the killing of two youths in Islampur of North Dinajpur district.

"People have run out of their patience about this government's functioning. They will spontaneously take part in the shutdown we have called," he said, while warning the Trinamool of 'grave consequences' if the administration or the hooligans resort to violence to foil the shutdown.

On the other hand, the Trinamool accused the BJP of trying to fuel unrest in the state and threatened 'stern action' if attempts were made to disrupt normal life to enforce the strike.

"The BJP is trying to stall the massive development work taking place in the state. If they try to breach peace, the police will take stern action. The government has taken all measures to ensure normalcy. The full fleet of state run buses will be operated," he said.

He appealed to commercial and business houses to function normally. He also requested edcuaitonal institutions to remain open.

The CPI-M led Left Front opposed the BJP-sponsored shutdown, accusing the saffron outfit of efforts to brign about a communal and political polarisation in the state.

"We appeal to the people of the state to reject the shutdown call and ensure normalcy and peace," said CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra.

However, he also alleged a collusion between the Trinamool and the BJP, saying "it is a mock fight, as seen in films. They are actually hand-in-glove. We appeal to the people not to be provoked.".

Mishra also demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident.

The Congress has also opposed the shutdown.

A massive clash broke out between a mob and police outside the Darivit High School at Islampur on September 20 over the recruitment of two new teachers for 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 the police when they arrived on the spot.

Villagers claimed the two 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.United Nations, Sep 25 : US President Donald Trump on Tuesday held up India as an example to the world of a country that has successfully lifted millions out of poverty while upholding freedoms.

Addressing the General Assembly on Monday, he said India was part of a "beautiful constellation" of countries working for a common future. "There is India, a free society (of) over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into middle class."

"Many countries are pursuing their own unique visions, building their own hopeful futures and chasing their own dreams of destiny, of legacy and of a home," he said.

"The world is richer, humanity is better because of this beautiful constellation of nations."

In a break with tradition, Trump spoke third at the the high-level General Assembly session instead of the second as he arrived late.

The first head of state to speak is always from Brazil, followed by the US President.

However, President Lenin Moreno Garces of Ecuador, a critic of the US, took the second spot with a wide-ranging critique of Washington.

Trump, who took the third spot, emphasised his America First policy with a declaration that he rejected the "ideology of globalism" for a belief in patriotism and he reiterated his hardline against countries like China, Iran and Venezuela.

He criticised OPEC for "ripping off the rest of the world" and demanded that the OPEC nations cut their "horrible prices" because "we are not going to put up with it."

In contrast to his laudatory statement about India, he had harsh words for China, accusing it of currency manipulation and dumping and said that he will not allow it to exploit American workers or companies.

He defended his imposition of tariffs on $250 billion worth Chinese goods saying, "The United States lost over 3 million manufacturing jobs, nearly a quarter of all steel jobs, and 60,000 factories after China joined the WTO (World Trade Organisation) and we have racked up in $13 trillion in trade deficits over the last two decades."

He said, "Trade must be fair and reciprocal. The United States will not be taken advantage of any longer."

The US was renegotiating "bad and broken trade deals" with several countries and groups to get fairness for America, he asserted.

In what sounded like a reversal of Washington's policy of promoting democracy and exporting its values, he declared, "The United States will not tell you how to live, or work, or worship. We only ask that you honour our sovereignty in return."

He started his speech with the domestic audience and the mid-term election in mind and read out his economic scorecard, which was greeted by murmurs in the audience, which he laughed off.

He talked of the $700 million added allocation for the military this year and said the US military will be the most powerful.

He said he stood for America and the American people and was, thereby, also standing up for the world.

The speech was punctuated repeatedly by assertions of independence from global regimes and multilateralism. "America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination," he declared.

He spoke of his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a sign of progress in ending the specter of nuclear weapons, but he also said that he would not loosen the sanctions on Pyongyang till there was complete denuclearisation.

On Iran, which he criticised as force for destabilsation, he defended his decision to pull out of the nuclear deal.

In a demand that could affect India, he said, "We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues."

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis)Kolkata, Sep 26 : The BSF on Tuesday seized 7.5 Kg silver ornaments valued at Rs 3,01,500 from two persons at Khajibagan under Krishnangar Sector in Nadia district of West Bengal.

The alleged culprits, however, managed to flee, a Border Security Force (BSF) release said.

Acting on a specific information about smuggling of silver ornaments from near Khajibagan border outpost of 113 Battalion under Krishnanagar Sector, BSF personnel conducted a special operation and found two persons suspiciously approaching the Indo-Bangladesh Border Road from India.

When they were challenged by the BSF personnel, they threw away the bag they were carrying and ran towards the India side taking advantage of banana orchard and bamboo bushes.

"The operation party searched the area and recovered the bag containing 7.5 Kgs of silver ornaments having an approximate value of Rs 3,01,500 wrapped with a brown plastic tape.

The seized items have been handed over to Customs authorities in Banpur for further legal action.

This year, BSF South Bengal Frontier has seized 91.288 Kgs of silver worth Rs 34,24,149, approximately, besides apprehending three smugglers.Riyadh, Sep 26 : The Saudi king inaugurated a high-speed rail line connecting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina on Tuesday.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz declared, in a ceremony held in the Saudi city of Jeddah, that the service has formally begun and boarded one of the new trains for the inaugural trip between Jeddah and Medina, a spokesman for the construction consortium told Efe news agency.

"We thank Allah for the growth and prosperity in all fields in our country, and we thank Allah Almighty for His grace. Thank you," the king said, according to the Saudi official news agency SPA.

Initially, the routes of the line will be limited and eight daily trips will be offered between Mecca and Medina for four days a week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday).

The 450 km Haramain rail line connects Mecca, Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport, King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh and Medina.

A consortium including 12 Spanish firms along with two Saudi firms has been tasked with building the second phase of the project.

"This inauguration is a milestone for Spanish engineering, which has demonstrated the ability of our companies and engineers to build a high-speed train under extreme weather conditions," Iranzo said, according to a statement from the consortium.

The inauguration was attended by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and other Saudi officials, as well as by Spain's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alvaro Iranzo, and the president of the High Speed Spanish Consortium, Jorge Segrelles, among others.

Bashar Al Malik, executive director of the Saudi railway company, told EFE that the actual start of service will begin on October 4.

He pointed out that the commercial operation of the line will begin within nine days, but without giving more details.

Al Malik said he expects the high speed line to overcome the difficulties and obstacles that have caused its delay, mainly due to sandstorms.

The Spanish consortium said in a statement that tickets will be able to be reserved "in the coming weeks."

Regular trains will start operating on the line from next month between the stations of Makkah Al Mukarramah, Madinah, Sulaymaniyah in Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City, while trains to Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport will begin around mid-2019.

The line is aimed at doubling the number of visitors and pilgrims to the holy cities and is in line with Saudi Arabia's development plan, Vision 2030, which aims to expand the economy and reduce its dependence on oil.

With a fleet of 35 trains, carrying up to 417 people each, the service is expected to ferry around 60 million passengers yearly.

The trains will cover the distance between Mecca and Medina in under two hours, less than half the time that it takes to cover the same distance by road.AMP has announced it will discontinue self-managed super fund (SMSF) property lending.

It will continue to support existing SMSF home loan customers, however, from November they will not be permitted to switch to interest-only, internally refinance or extend their loan term.

The announcement follows similar moves from CBA and Westpac in recent weeks.

Westpac stopped SMSF home loans for new customers on 31 July, while CBA announced its ban would take effect from 12 October 2018.

Both Westpac and CBA will continue to support existing SMSF loan customers.

RateCity research director, Sally Tindall, said the writing could be on the wall for SMSF property lending.

Todays announcement from AMP comes as a shock to no-one, she said.

AMPs new chairman, David Murray, has been one of the most vocal critics of self-managed super fund property lending, she said.

In 2014, the Financial System Inquiry recommended that the government remove the exception to the general prohibition on direct borrowing for limited recourse borrowing arrangements by superannuation funds - although Scott Morrison, who was then treasurer, rejected the recommendation.

Banks are focused on reducing risk in their loan books. In a falling property market, its not surprising were seeing lenders retreat from this type of lending, Tindall said.

Macquarie Bank, Bendigo Bank and Bank of Queensland are now the biggest banks in a dwindling pool of providers offering SMSF property loans, she said.

List of lenders offering SMSF loans from next month:Air France Premium Smart Ads Work With Advrtas, innovative brands have a solution that is solely focused on developing unique, smart ad technology. This drives consumer ad engagement on mobile today, while also creating a pathway to scalable 1:1 marketing through the internet of things. - Robert Bruza, CEO, Advrtas

As media becomes more non-traditional, brands that intend to break through the noise must jump into the future of advertising today. Advrtas is enabling them to do just that with its unique, 100% proprietary and patent-pending ad product. By leveraging the power of Immersive Media, Device Motion, and Artificial Intelligence to drive ad engagement on mobile, Advrtas smart ads far surpass standard key metric numbers for any digital video and traditional display ads.

The immersive ad technology company is currently working with enterprise level organizations like IBM, Air France, Skoda, Sleep Number, and others. Like other brands who have taken a dive into the world of emerging tech, these companies know the importance of aligning with the speed of future advertising technology. Capturing the attention of their target audience on devices to drive brand affinity and to impact their bottom line is their ultimate goal. Advrtas Immersive technology helps brands to do just that.

The perfect example of this were two recent immersive ad campaigns that Advrtas executed for Air France targeting mobile users. Within days, the company used existing 2-D brand assets to create premium smart ad units targeting the US and France markets. With its exclusive ability to create immersive smart ads without using 360 video or virtual reality content, Advrtas eliminates a barrier for brands like Air France who want to start capitalizing now on better ad performance offered by immersive advertising.

And better ad performance is exactly what Air France experienced. Nearly half of all consumers who saw the ad units intentionally interacted with them. Immediate response to the movement of the consumers device was a key force in triggering such high engagement rates, while using AI for optimization played an essential role in driving engagement even higher! Advrtas was able to use their AI solution to optimize the ad creative in real-time, which nearly DOUBLED the engagement rate within 48 hours of the change and generated click through rates that were exponentially higher than traditional display and video ads on mobile.

We applaud the team at Air France and their desire to up their ad game. Were thrilled with results for both campaigns! They are excellent examples of how the trifecta of immersive media, device motion, and AI can drive active time spent with a brand. - Laura Barton, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, Advrtas

In addition to working with some of the worlds leading brands, Advrtas executives are busy spreading the word of their technology through industry engagements. Fresh off the heels of DMEXCO, the company's executives will head to Hotel Spa Tech Live, which takes place in the U.K., September 25th and 26th. CEO Robert Bruza will be taking the stage, presenting on Why Brands Cant Ignore A.I. Immersive Smart Advertising. The brand is also exhibiting and in the running for an Artificial Intelligence award for their technology.

Upcoming presentations include speaking at the I.D.E.A.S. (International Data Engineering and Science) Conference and at Digital Hollywood's Immersive Media conference in October in Los Angeles, California. Theyll also be at other industry based events throughout the remainder of the year.

To leverage the future of immersive smart ads on mobile, connect with Advrtas by following them @Advrtas on social or online at http://www.advrtas.comOur mission is to provide patients with the opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge, and behavioral changes necessary to avoid preventable complications & assume primary responsibility for his physical & emotional well-being post-injury says Dr. Petros, founder of Allied Pain & Spine Institute.

Dr. James Petros, Medical Director of Allied Pain & Spine Institute is pleased to announce a brand new Functional Restoration Program (FRP) at his Bay Area clinic. The FRP is designed to help injured workers regain employment through a variety of customized treatment modalities, including medical treatment, pain psychology and therapy services.

As a leading physician with widespread expertise in pain management, chronic pain relief and musculoskeletal rehabilitation, Dr. Petros provides a tailored functional restoration program using an interdisciplinary and multifaceted approach. FRP from Dr. Petros can include medication optimization, cognitive behavioral therapy group, physical conditioning, vocational counseling, participant team meetings and more.

Our mission is to provide an individual with the opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge, and behavioral changes necessary to avoid preventable complications and assume or re-assume primary responsibility for his or her physical and emotional well-being post-injury, says Dr. Petros, founder of Allied Pain & Spine Institute.

The brand new Functional Restoration Program will focus on increasing activities of daily living (ADL), as well as helping to shift the patients outlook from disability to ability. The individual thereby maximizes functional independence and the pursuit of vocational and avocational goals, as measured by functional improvement.

Participants of FRP at Allied Pain & Spine Institute can expect professionalism, confidentiality and encouragement from the staff in a safe environment. FRP is offered on-campus from 9 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday. Depending on the individuals needs, programs can last 4 to 6 weeks.

More About Dr. James Petros, Medical Director of Allied Pain & Spine Institute:

Dr. James Petros is the founder of Allied Pain & Spine Institute, subspecializing in pain management and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. With his diverse professional and personal backgrounds, Dr. Petros has transcended the science of pain medicine and captured the art of its practice. His integrated approach and balanced understanding of injury and illness are testaments to his unique style. Dr. Petros is an accomplished clinician, researcher, author, and regional speaker in the areas of injury and functional rehabilitation. He also works with Boston Scientific in the area of pain management.

Dr. Petros reached the culmination of his medical education and training at Stanford University Medical Center, has received numerous honors and awards along his extensive journey. In the course of his budding professional career, Dr. Petros has already gained notable recognition from Americas Top Physicians and the Whos Who registry for his work in pain care and rehabilitation.

To learn more about the FRP program or to schedule an appointment with Dr. James Petros, please visit http://www.myalliedpain.com or call one of his office locations in San Jose or Los Gatos, CA.This further displays our level of quality and commitment to our customers. - Greg Jamian, President of AmeriCare Medical Inc.

AmeriCare Medical Inc. has completed its emergency power plan by recently installing a cutting edge natural gas, whole building generator at its corporate headquarters in Troy Michigan. Although not required by law, the company saw the need to be completely operational during any conditions.

AmeriCare Medical Inc. President Greg Jamian said the company has always had portable generators on hand, but they didnt meet the need of an expanding business which relies so heavily on computers and integrated phone and communication systems to power the entire operation. With the purchase of the new alternative power system, Jamian continued, we can now sustain our operational functions indefinitely. Without that, we may risk the 24 hour-a-day service to our patients that we are known for.

AmeriCare Medical Inc. is one of the few medical Homecare companies that has installed such a system capable of powering all of the computers, phones, and heating and cooling needs in the most adverse conditions.

Southeastern Michigan suffers from several power outages each year, and with the heartbreaking stories in the press regarding power outages at nursing homes in Florida caused by Hurricane Irma, it only seemed responsible to re-evaluate our systems so that we can provide a dependable level of comfort and care to all our customers and patients. Jamian said.

Emergency backup generators are essential to maintaining a 24 hour a day business. They allow a company to keep the business running, which includes power to the internal servers which are critical for any business in 2018. With the company constantly operating, clients and customers are always taken care of, which is integral in the health care field.

Jamian continued, When our potential customers are considering doing business with us or one of our competitors, I think this will be a competitive advantage and a deciding factor when value shopping for the best high-end, reliable care.

AmeriCare Medical Inc. is one of Michigans largest Home Health Care companies providing Nursing services, Specialized Pharmacy and Medical Equipment and Supplies to over 10, 000 patients annually.

This further displays our level of quality and commitment to our customers. said Jamian.

About AmeriCare Medical, Inc.

For more than three decades AmeriCare Medical, Inc. has provided integrated healthcare services to hospitals, assisted care facilities, and private homes throughout Michigan. AmeriCare Medical, Inc. is accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program for high standards of excellence in medical staffing, private duty nursing, durable medical equipment and specialized pharmacy services.

AmeriCare Medical, Inc. is the parent company of AmeriStaff Nursing Services, Sun Medical Equipment, and RxIV Pharmacy, making it a one-stop resource for patients and their home care needs. AmeriStaff Nursing Services was named as a 2017 Top Workplace in Michigan from the Detroit Free Press, and is in the running for the honor again in 2018.

For more information visit AmeriCareMedical.com or call (248) 619-3681.Amish Bed and Breakfast Television: Third Session of Bed and Breakfast Fables: a collection of true stories celebrating the rich diversity of human experience and the joys of simpler times in America. Amish Bed and Breakfast Television: Third Session of Bed and Breakfast Fables is the creation of published author Joseph Chool Crawshaw, a retired educator who has operated a bed-and-breakfast in the middle of Old Order Amish country for the past twenty years with his wife, Gloria.

Crawshaw shares, This book originated from the many interactions we have had with the persons who have entered our doors. All the episodes in this book actually occurredsome serious, some sad, some funny, and some thought provoking. Combining these ingredients with a concern about the loss of middle-class values, this book bakes up a solution for television executives and others to consider. Place this bed and breakfast dish in an oven, set the heat up, and see what happens.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Joseph Chool Crawshaws new book is a compilation of entertaining short stories and anecdotes gleaned from interactions with a diverse array of neighbors, guests, and non-human friends in the Amish Country of Pennsylvania.

View a synopsis of Amish Bed and Breakfast Television: Third Session of Bed and Breakfast Fables on YouTube.

Readers can purchaseAmish Bed and Breakfast Television: Third Session of Bed and Breakfast Fables at traditional brick and mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Amish Bed and Breakfast Television: Third Session of Bed and Breakfast Fables, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.I have such fond memories of that piano when our family would be over at my aunts Chicago bungalow during the holidays, and she would prepare these wonderful five-course meals and bring out her china and silver, Srnak said, adding, This piano was like part of our family, but it was time to move on, and I think its wonderful that its now getting a new exciting chapter in downtown Arlington Heights.As healthcare costs continue to rise, integrating insurance and healthcare expenses into retirement is an area of significant concern for clients of financial advising and wealth management practices.

Healthcare advisory firm Bernard Health today announced a new partnership with Baird to provide healthcare planning and health insurance advice to clients of the national financial services firm.

As healthcare costs continue to rise, integrating insurance and healthcare expenses into retirement is an area of significant concern for clients of financial advising and wealth management practices. At the same time, there are few resources available to help individuals and families make the right decisions around health and drug coverage, Medicare, and planning for healthcare needs and costs in retirement.

Through the 12-month Healthcare Extension partnership, Bairds 900 advisors across the country will have access to Bernard Healths licensed, noncommissioned healthcare advisors. Bernard Health has more than a decade of experience helping individuals and families compare and enroll in medical coverage, drug coverage, Social Security, and dental and vision coverage, as well as providing advocacy and support in doctor and provider recommendations, medical bill auditing and opening Health Savings Accounts.

More and more financial advisors all over the country are recognizing that healthcare represents a notable gap in the financial planning process, said Ryan McCostlin, who leads the Healthcare Extension segment at Bernard Health. We are impressed by Bairds leadership and commitment to closing this gap for clients across the country.

Based on the strength of a local pilot in Nashville with The Liles Group, we have decided to offer this service to clients nationwide through our national network of advisors, said Brian Ellenbecker, senior vice president and senior financial planner at Baird. We are excited to provide expert advice to our clients in an area that is still outside the scope of most financial advising practices.

Bernard Health launched the Healthcare Extension model through financial advisors in 2017 and has since grown to partner with independent and regional retirement advisors in the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast. The companys agreement with Baird represents its first corporate-level partnership.

As a result of the growth of this business, Bernard Health is, and plans to continue, adding advisors to support its growing cohort of financial advising partners.

For more information, please visit http://www.bernardhealth.com.

About Bernard Health:

Bernard Health is a fast-growing benefits brokerage and HR software company based in Nashville, Tennessee. The company provides expert advice about health insurance to individuals and employers, and licenses its proprietary HR and benefits administration platform, BerniePortal, to brokers around the country. Bernard Health assists clients with their benefits and HR needs in Nashville, Indianapolis, Austin, and Atlanta, and has broker, provider, and financial advisor partners around the country. Bernard Healths mission is to be the worlds most trusted advisor when it comes to helping people plan for their healthcare.

About Baird:

Baird is an employee-owned, international wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. Established in 1919, Baird has approximately 3,500 associates serving the needs of individual, corporate, institutional and municipal clients. Baird has $211 billion in client assets as of June 30, 2018. Committed to being a great place to work, Baird ranked No. 12 on FORTUNEs 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2018  its 15th consecutive year on the list. Baird is the marketing name of Baird Financial Group. Bairds principal operating subsidiaries are Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated in the United States and Robert W. Baird Group Ltd. in Europe. Baird also has an operating subsidiary in Asia supporting Bairds investment banking and private equity operations. For more information, please visit Bairds website at http://www.rwbaird.com.Turnlock turnstiles offer improved rotation, easier installation and longer operation during power failures We are always taking steps to improve our products, even a workhorse like the Turnlock, demonstrating our objective of Basic Done Well.

Boon Edam Inc., a global leader in security entrances and architectural revolving doors, today announced the launch of an updated Turnlock full height turnstile that offers increased performance and an improved experience for users and installers alike. The update focuses on the design of the speed control mechanism and the overall construction of the turnstiles top channel, providing improved rotation action and a significant reduction in overall weight of the top channel. In addition, the optional, emergency backup battery lasts twice as long as before.

Controlling Access in Harsh, Outdoor Environments

Boon Edams Turnlock full height turnstiles are used around the world to allow only authorized personnel access into secure environments. Typically installed outdoors, their durable construction and efficient operation provide security access even in harsh weather conditions. They serve as visual deterrents against intrusion at perimeter fence lines of corporate headquarters, critical infrastructure locations, distribution centers, amusement parks and more.

Quiet Operation, Controlled Speed for Safe Passage

The speed control mechanism in a full height turnstile ensures a safe rotation speed during use by dampening or absorbing excessive force when the rotors are pushed. The new and improved mechanism fulfills this purpose by providing a smooth rotation experience while also minimizing the force needed for a user to push the rotor. The rotor also slows down gently as it completes rotation, stopping in place to await the next user. The operation is quiet, smooth and subtle, without vibration, creating an optimal user experience.

Leaner, Lighter ConstructionDoubled Battery Backup Time

The updated Turnlock now features a narrower top channel that weighs 70 lbs. lighter than the previous version, making installation much easier for contractors. The top channel is now only 8 inches wide, compared to the 18-inch diameter used previously.

Finally, the optional battery backup has been completely redesigned and updated using the latest technologies. The battery backup keeps a turnstile working in case the power goes out and the coverage period has now doubled from two hours to four hours of protection. The size and weight of the battery system has also been cut in half, contributing to ease of installation.

The updated features are available on all 3-rotor, single and tandem Turnlock 100, 150 and 200 models. Also, the redesigned top channel and speed control can be easily retrofitted into existing, installed Turnlock turnstiles.

We are always taking steps to improve our products, even a workhorse like the Turnlock, demonstrating our objective of Basic Done Well,  said Tom Schneider, Engineering Manager at Boon Edam Inc. The quiet action and smooth rotation work well indoors or outdoors and contractors will definitely notice a significantly lighter top channel that is much easier to lift and install in the field. We think our customers will appreciate these performance upgrades and well continue to listen to their feedback.

All Boon Edam full height turnstiles models have been tested and certified to conform to UL Standard 294, a prevalent industry standard for ensuring the safe operation of turnstile equipment in the United States.

For Further Information, Please Contact:

Tracie Thomas, Boon Edam

Vice President of Marketing

T 910 814 8239

E tracie.thomas(at)boonedam(dot)com

For Media Queries, Please Contact:

Sara Chaput, LRG Marketing

Public Relations

T 845 358 1801

E schaput(at)lrgmarketing(dot)com

About Royal Boon Edam

We are proud to be a third generation Dutch family business committed to making people feel welcome and secure through our quality engineered entry solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, with a footprint spanning the globe, Royal Boon Edam International is a premium manufacturer of revolving doors, high security doors, turnstiles and Speedlanes. A heritage that exceeds 140 years has resulted in wide expertise in managing the safe transit of people through office buildings, healthcare facilities as well as via public and private spaces. We are truly focused on adding genuine value to our customers entrances and to a long-term relationship after sales, service and maintenance. We partner, collaborate and become an extension to the customer team to ensure that the project, people and valuables are in safe hands with us. We are your entry experts. Discover more about our latest news at http://www.boonedam.us/news or follow Boon Edam Inc. on our blog, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.We are so thrilled to be recognized on this list among some of the most exciting companies in the DMV, LaJuanna Russell, CEO of BMA said. It is an honor to have our hard work recognized with this award. Way to go team!

The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC) announced that LaJuanna Russell, President and CEO of Business Management Associates, Inc (BMA) was named a 2018 Top 100 MBE winner. This prestigious award recognizes owners of minority business enterprises in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia who have demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial accomplishments, a high level of professionalism, and have made substantial contributions to their community.

Established in 2007, the Top 100 MBE Awards celebrates the creativity and innovation of regional MBEs who are role models and inspire the entire community.

Sharon R. Pinder, CRMSDCs president and CEO, says, Our board of directors and our corporate members congratulate the 2018 Top 100 MBEs on their stellar accomplishments. We are proud to add this years class of winners to our circle of leadership.

The Top 100 MBE Awards will be presented at the CRMSDCs 37th Annual Leaders and Legends Awards Ceremony, on Tuesday September 25, 2018 at the MGM National Harbor.

We are so thrilled to be recognized on this list among some of the most exciting companies in the DMV, LaJuanna Russell, CEO of BMA said. BMA is blessed with an amazing staff and partners and I am truly grateful for them. It is an honor to have our hard work recognized with this award. Way to go team!

Business Management Associates (BMA) manages the essential operational processes that keep your organization running. A 100% woman-owned business, BMA specializes in offering a full range of organizational support to government agencies, including federal and state agencies. BMA holds a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract under Schedule 738X (Contract No. GS-02F-156AA) with Special Item Number 595-21: Agency Human Capital Strategy, Policy, and Operational Planning. BMA has worked with agencies such as the OCC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDAs) Center for Devices and Radiological

Health (CDRH).

Our process is never templated. At the onset of each project, we embark on an ambitious discovery process that yields a deep understanding of a clients organizational structure and key challenges and goals. As a result of that understanding, we leverage our experience and proven capabilities to design solutions that are unique, efficient, effective, and sustainable. We named this approach Love Thy Customer  Love Thy Work  Love Thy System, and it is incorporated in everything we do.

Our focus on process improvement has catapulted us to become recognized as one of the Best-Run Companies in the Washington, D.C. region, as well as being named a four-time recipient of the Inc. 5000 list, ranked as the one of the fastest-growing company in the United States in 2018.The team at Caribou Memorial Living Center has worked hard to reach the Diamond level, and we are pleased to recognize their outstanding performance.

Caribou Memorial Living Center recently earned a Diamond, the top level of Qualis Healths Quality Gem program. They are the only long-term care facility in the state to have reached this level.

The award recognizes facilities that have:



Met all the goals of a statewide Collaborative focused on patient safety and the quality of care

Shared lessons learned with, and provided practical change ideas to, other nursing homes located in Idaho and Washington

Achieved high performance ratings on national quality metrics

The team at Caribou Memorial Living Center has worked hard to reach the Diamond level, and we are pleased to recognize their outstanding performance, Brent Schneider, LNHA, MHA, Quality Improvement Consultant at Qualis Health, said. Their persistent focus on quality improvement and whole hearted participation in the Collaborative makes a substantial difference to those they serve.

See http://www.Medicare.QualisHealth.org/QualityGems for a listing of all the long-term care facilities recognized by the Quality Gem program, as well the criteria required to earn each Gem.

About Qualis Health

Qualis Health is one of the nation's leading population healthcare consulting organizations. It serves as Medicares the Quality Innovation Network QIO (QIN - QIO) for Idaho and Washington. Qualis Health brings Medicare beneficiaries, providers, and communities together in data-driven initiatives that increase patient safety, make communities healthier, better coordinate post-hospital care, and improve clinical quality.

In April 2018, Qualis Health and HealthInsight announced a formal merger, combining the two organizations and operations across the U.S. Both Qualis Health and HealthInsight have been engaged in healthcare quality consulting and providing quality improvement services for more than 40 years.Our clients understand the increasing importance of NERC CIP compliance to harden assets and to protect the electric grid. Protecting Bulk Electric System (BES) Cyber Assets ultimately improves reliability and reduces risk. Bob Biggs, Certrecs Office of NERC Compliance Services Director.

Certrec, a leading regulatory compliance provider for NERC compliance, will participate as a sponsor in the 2018 GridSecCon (Grid Security Conference) in Las Vegas. NERCs Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center (E-ISAC) and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council are hosting the eighth annual GridSecCon, which will be held from October 15-19. The conference will include cybersecurity and physical security experts from the industry and the government to share emerging security trends, policy advancements, and lessons learned related to the electricity industry.

As entities continually work to reduce risk and improve grid reliability, their focus on cybersecurity and physical security increases. Certrecs Office of NERC Compliance supports entities in these efforts, ranging from program reviews to program development and implementation.

Our clients understand the increasing importance of NERC CIP compliance to harden assets and to protect the electric grid. Protecting Bulk Electric System (BES) Cyber Assets ultimately improves reliability and reduces risk. Bob Biggs, Certrecs Office of NERC Compliance Services Director.

Certrec Corporation has been dedicated exclusively to regulatory compliance since its inception in 1988. We believe our focused approach is the key to our successful client programs as well as our growing NERC practice.

CERTREC

Founded in 1988, Certrec is an engineering and technology-based organization providing regulatory support services in the electric power industry. With more than 1,000 cumulative staff years of direct industry experience (including nuclear, fossil, and renewables), Certrec has developed exceptional capabilities to support regulatory activities emanating from regulatory entities such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and Regional Entities (NERC), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other regulatory agencies. Certrec's Office of Licensing and Compliance (OLC), Office of Assessment and Recovery (OAR), Office of NERC Compliance (ONC), and Office of New Plant (ONP) services are used by utilities and entities across the United States to help manage the regulatory process to their advantage.

Certrec offers support from highly skilled and experienced industry professionals who possess degrees in a variety of engineering disciplines (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and Nuclear). Additionally, Certrec's staff has multiple degreed personnel in physics, communications, a variety of MBAs, and information technology. This highly skilled team of personnel has direct working experience in all regulatory areas of licensing, compliance, and engineering, including nuclear, fossil, and renewable generation and transmission.

For more than 30 years, Certrec has been applying its hundreds of years of industry experience to help clients develop and manage solutions to complex regulatory issues. Combining this direct industry experience with Certrec's Information Technology assets has led to development of technology-based solutions and tools directly targeted to the electric power industry and specifically focused on helping clients manage regulatory issues.Christina Jackson, an African American writer and author, a dedicated wife, mother, glam-ma, friend, and foster mother, has completed her new book Don't Look Like What I Been Through: a purposeful book containing the harrowing life of Christian and her resolve to turn her circumstances around and rise above her distressing past.

Author Jackson imparts powerful thoughts that will change misjudgment of character due to a lack of knowledge of a persons history: I wish I could tell you that we lived a happily ever after, but I would be lying to you; however, what I can say is that with the love of God and prayer, anything is possible to those who believe. I later applied to become a foster mother to children whose parents stories are just like mine or similar and feel like theyre all alone.

Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Christina Jacksons provoking read exudes with resilience and courage in facing lifes overwhelming ordeals and shattering biased opinions of what genuine identity truly means.

Readers who wish to experience this life-changing work can purchase Don't Look Like What I Been Through 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."With the NIH and Grand Challenges funding, we can provide intervention services as well. Intervention is a combination of Conscious Discipline and de-stigmatization around disabilities, said Dr. Landon, a neuropsychologist who has been implementing Conscious Discipline in Grenada since 2009.

Since its discovery in 1947, the Zika virus has emerged as a public health threat and outbreaks have occurred in tropical and semi-tropical countries across the world. To help address this threat, Conscious Discipline announces that a team at WINDREF (Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation), including Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor Dr. Barbara Landon, received a $275,000 grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH). The funding is to rescue neurodevelopment in babies infected with the Zika virus using a Conscious Discipline-based curriculum.

Dr. Landon, a neuropsychologist and professor of bioethics, has been implementing Conscious Discipline in Grenada since 2009. The nonprofit organization Grand Challenges Canada, which had previously funded WINDREFs innovation Saving Brains Grenada, matched the NIH grant with an additional $275,000. Dr. Landon and her team will provide intervention services that utilize Conscious Discipline to work on attachment, attunement, joint attention, language development and motor skills with the babies.

NIH funding comes from the Eunice Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health, under award number R21HD093551. The National Institute of Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nations medical research agency. The goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose and treat disease and disability. The agency is the worlds largest public funder of biomedical research and is devoted to driving discovery that helps people live longer, healthier lives.

Grand Challenges Canada is a nonprofit organization funded by the Canadian government and other partners. One of Canadas largest impact-first investors, the organization funds innovators in low-and middle-income countries and Canada. Grand Challenges Canada estimates that these bold ideas with big impact have the potential to save up to 1 million lives and improve up to 28 million lives by 2030.

Before this new funding, we were researching (and still are) the epidemiology of the Zika virus: how many babies, how many moms, head/body measurement, neurodevelopment (vision, hearing, language, cognition, motor and social-emotional skills), blood draws, and EEGs. With the NIH and Grand Challenges funding, we can provide intervention services as well. Intervention is a combination of Conscious Discipline and de-stigmatization around disabilities, says Dr. Landon.

This latest funding is just one of many Conscious Discipline successes in Grenada. 66 trained Conscious Discipline Paraprofessionals (CDPP) travel to homes weekly to work with parents of children under the age of two. A mobile resource unit called the Conscious Discipline Brain Bus also travels to communities monthly to provide further training and resources. Children from families who received Conscious Discipline training demonstrated improved cognition, and 100 percent of families who came to the bus said they benefitted and would recommend the program to others. Plans to implement Conscious Discipline in local schools and replicate this program in neighboring island nations are underway.

To learn more about Conscious Discipline, visit consciousdiscipline.com.

About Conscious Discipline

Conscious Discipline provides a comprehensive, trauma-informed social-emotional program that is based on current brain research, child development information and developmentally appropriate practices. All aspects of Conscious Discipline focus on creating a safe, connected environment for children to learn and practice the skills needed for healthy social, emotional and academic development. Conscious Discipline methodology is recognized by SAMHSAs National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), and it was named as a national model for character education by the Florida State Legislature. Research shows that Conscious Discipline decreases aggression, impulsivity and hyperactivity while creating a positive environment in the school or home. In schools, Conscious Discipline has been shown to decrease discipline referrals while increasing teaching time and academic achievement. Learn more at http://www.consciousdiscipline.com.Collectively, we are working to produce a construction event that separates itself from others and helps serves as a benchmark for which the industry can make real data decisions in an ever-changing transformative market.

Constructech today announced that Compass Datacenters Nancy Novak and Hexagon PPMs Sandra Benson have been appointed Conference Co-Chairs of the Constructech Technology Day Conference, taking place on August 21 - 22, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago  Arlington Heights, Ill. Next years conference will be a two-day event with concurrent sessions addressing issues in North America and abroad.

Working with Nancy and Sandra is exhilarating. Its thrilling to see they possess the vision and the have contacts needed to create another Technology Day event that will be more expansive, identifying and addressing the technology issues that hone in on global infrastructure and the labor shortage they care about, says Peggy Smedley, editorial director, Constructech magazine, and president of Specialty Publishing Media. Collectively, we are working to produce a construction event that separates itself from others and helps serves as a benchmark for which the industry can make real data decisions in an ever-changing transformative market.

The conference will present the opinions and lessons learned from dozens of practitioners who are using construction technology on a daily basis. The event will address the opportunities for addressing the infrastructure supply chain, ways to tackle the skilled labor shortage, and how emerging tech coupled with digital transformation will play a pivotal role in driving diversity and empowering the next generation workforce.

Both Nancy and Sandra understand the foundation that the construction industry is built onand have the vision and fortitude to understand where the construction industry needs to go in the future, says Laura Black, editor, Constructech magazine. Together we will help create an event that serves as a tool to help the industry build bigger and better structures.

For the past 25 years, Novak has worked passionately in the construction industry in various roles. Currently she serves as Senior Vice President of Construction. Prior to this, she was the national vice president of operations for Balfour Beatty Construction. She holds a degree in Construction Engineering and Management from San Diego State University. Novak was also named Constructech magazines Women in Construction in 2015.

Interested in participating, or learning more about the conference, contact Peggy Smedley, Nancy Novak, Sandra Benson, or Laura Black.

I have personally been involved in Technology Day for a number of years, says Novak. As a leader in our industry, I speak at numerous conferences across the nation and internationally. Im super excited to take on a more intimate role in next years Technology Day Conference because this venue goes beyond the rhetoric of stuff we already know and takes the conversation to an actionable level.

Benson has more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry. Currently she serves as the Global Business Development Director of Hexagon PPM (Intergraph). Prior to this she served as Vice President of Systems integration at SNC Lavalin and as CIO at Kentz prior to its acquisition by SNC. Benson has held a number of executive positions in the E&C software industry including being instrumental in Oracles acquisition of Primavera. Benson was also named Constructech magazines Women in Construction in 2015 and has been a featured speaker and author at many industry events.

I am honored to serve in this role as I have always believed in Constructech and its Technology Day, says Benson. This organization has always been ahead of its time by focusing on the use of technology in the construction industry, but never in the history of this industry has this focus been more important. Everyone is talking about digital transformation now, but what does it really mean to contractors? How can we help companies transform, especially in a time when we see impending labor shortages, increased global competition, and crumbling infrastructure in the U.S. The use of drones, autonomous vehicles, and other disrupting technology are exciting and are part of the answer, but their use must be combined with a well thought out strategy in order to address the productivity problem that has plagued construction for over 50 years. I am excited to be a part of this initiative as it has been what inspires my passion for this industry.

To submit to be a speaker or to learn more about Technology Day visit https://constructech.com/tech-day/

About Constructech Magazine

Constructech has connected hundreds of thousands of construction professionals for 20 years. Constructechs audience is comprised of construction professionals who specify products, systems, and tools in residential, commercial, and industrial building marketplaces. For more information about Constructech, visit constructech.com

About Constructech Technology Day

Constructech Technology Day is a two-day conference that dives into discussions on the use of technology in the construction industry. The conference is open to project managers, CEOs, students, CTOs, IT directors, professors, and more. Technology Day provides attendees with the opportunity to identify ways to effectively use technology to be most efficient in the office and at the jobsite. constructech.com/tech-day/Children Are a Blessing: a bighearted dedication to children everywhere. Children Are a Blessing is the creation of published author Cynthia Smith, a loving mother of four who grew up in Penns Grove, New Jersey, nurturing her writing amid family tumult and Catholic schools before she became a born-again Christian; she is now settled in Glendale, Arizona, with her husband and their two cats.

Smith writes in the piece entitled Whats in a Childs Name?:

Two are married, one will soon

The other isnt ready

In your lives you have made room

Youre moving through life steady

Im so proud of all of you

And you may never know

You have made my dreams come true

The dreams I never show

Each unique, yet still the same

Each one of you should trust

The special meaning in each name

I made sure I must

Kristin, your names Christian

Jason, your names Heal

Justin, your names Justice

Chris, Balance the Wheel

I love you all so very much

I hope you know by now

Youve each got a special touch

Our God will show you how.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Cynthia Smiths new book is a vibrant addition to the bookshelf of any Christian family aiming to raise children in Gods love.

Through the poems on dreams, love, and growing up, Smith encourages a healthy sense of self in young children who are still figuring things out about themselves, family, God, and life in general.

View a synopsis of Children Are a Blessing on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Children Are a Blessing at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Children Are a Blessing, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.Successfully wrapping up its 79th summer racing season, the iconic Del Mar racetrack is looking towards to its fall meet, known as the Del Mar Fall Racing Festival. The excitement kicks off on Friday, November 9 and will run through Sunday, December 2. Over the course of the 16-day meet, Del Mar will come alive with the nations top Thoroughbred racing, signature seasonal events and a pair of free concerts.

Del Mars Fall Racing Festival kicks off with an exciting, action-packed Opening Weekend beginning on Friday, November 9. The following day, Saturday, November 10, Del Mar will host its annual College Day presented by Red Bull. All college students can enjoy free track admission, live music from Red Bull DJs and food and drink specials with their student ID. The excitement doesnt stop there, though. Following the final race of the day, famed reggae rock band Pepper will take the stage for a free concert, presented by Coors Light. As part of its opening weekend, the track will conduct a special Veterans Day program on Monday, November 12.

The following weekend, November 17, Del Mar will host its first-ever Uncorked: Derby Days Wine Fest where racetrack guests can sip and savor while watching the days races. The wine festival will feature more than 100 wines and champagnes, gourmet food trucks, live music, fashion contest and special seating track-side. Purchase VIP and general admission experiences at UncorkedWineFestivals.com.

Del Mar has a winning Thanksgiving Day planned that starts with a special turkey trot around the track  Del Mars Family Fun Run  at 8 a.m. Fun for the entire family, the morning also includes free face painting and crafts, and a Helen Woodward puppy race follows the one-mile fun run. Del Mar will hold a special racing card on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22 with an early 11 a.m. post time. Race fans can enjoy an afternoon at the track while the turkey cooks  or they can leave the cooking up to Del Mar for a fun holiday tradition. Del Mars annual Thanksgiving Brunch includes racetrack admission, a Turf Club table and a delicious brunch menu or turkey dinner with all the traditional trimmings.

The following Saturday, November 24, Del Mars popular Country Day returns to the track for an afternoon full of country-themed festivities and a free concert by country star Easton Corbin following the final race of the day. Country Day and Easton Corbin concert are presented by Coors Banquet.

On tap the final weekend of the fall meet is Del Mars Craft Beer Festival on Saturday, December 1, which will offer more than 50 samples of local and international craft brews paying homage to San Diegos thriving craft beer scene.

Every Saturday throughout the fall season early morning risers can enjoy breakfast and take in amazing track views during Thoroughbreds morning workouts at Daybreak at Del Mar from 8  10 a.m. Racing analyst and horsewoman Michelle Yu will host an interactive Q&A session during the workouts to provide insight and fun facts about everything horseracing.

Sundays at the racetrack are sure to bring out San Diegos foodies. Every Sunday, Del Mar will host Free & Fun Sundays, offering free track admission and seating, along with $5 Cardiff Crack tri-tip sliders and $5 16 oz. Coors Lights. Brunch lovers can also celebrate with a decadent day at Taste of the Turf Club. Tickets include a creative menu from Herb & Wood Chef Brian Malarkey, a table in the Turf Club and bottomless mimosas, Chandon or Del Marys.

Del Mar will be celebrating the holiday season on Sunday, November 18 with the annual Del Mar Toys for Tots Toy Drive in conjunction with the U.S. Marine Corps, when guests can receive free admission by bringing an unwrapped toy to the track. In addition, on Closing Day, December 2, Del Mar will be celebrating Food Bank Day at the Races. Guests can bring in a food item for free admission.

Racing during the Fall Racing Festival will take place Thursday through Sunday with Veterans Day Monday, November 12. First post will be 12:30 p.m., with the exception of Thanksgiving Day when first post will be 11 a.m. Admission at all gates is $6. Both concerts are 18 and up and free with paid racetrack admission prior to the last race. Admission for concerts following the final race of the day is $30.

For more information, call 858-755-1141 or visit http://www.delmarracing.com. You can follow Del Mar on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat at @DelMarRacing or like us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DelMarRaces.Deloitte has established itself as a leader in blockchain and distributed ledger technology and has strong global relationships with both blockchain and insurance organizations, said Christopher G. McDaniel, president of The Institutes RiskBlock Alliance.

The Institutes RiskBlock Alliance, a blockchain consortium representing 31 risk management and insurance companies, announced today that it has selected global professional-services organization Deloitte to help advance its blockchain application and product-development efforts. Deloitte will leverage its industry-leading digital capabilities to help the RiskBlock Alliance implement and test multiple products that will be brought to market by the end of 2018.

Deloitte will also help the RiskBlock Alliance expand the consortium into Canada, the first piece of a planned international expansion. Over the next few months, and with Deloittes strategic support, the RiskBlock Alliance will establish a legal entity in Canada and begin working with Canadian-based property-casualty and life/annuity insurers. The expansion will help the RiskBlock Alliance deliver scalable blockchain solutions across the global insurance industry.

Under this engagement, Deloitte will be responsible for the methodology, prioritization and development of a number of blockchain applications for RiskBlock Alliance members. The applications will address different aspects of the insurance transaction life cycle, ranging from underwriting to claims processing. Each new app will be provided via Canopy, the industrys first end-to-end reusable blockchain framework, and will focus on enhancing efficiency and lowering transaction costs for the benefit of policyholders. Canopy is being built exclusively for the RiskBlock Alliance on R3s Corda platform.

Deloitte has established itself as a leader in blockchain and distributed ledger technology and has strong global relationships with both blockchain and insurance organizations, said Christopher G. McDaniel, president of The Institutes RiskBlock Alliance. Its for those reasons that Deloitte makes an ideal collaborator for us as we build blockchain applications for the insurance industry around the world. We are excited to see what we can accomplish together.

Deloitte has worked with the RiskBlock Alliance since its initial launch in July 2017, and todays announcement expands its scope significantly.

Our goal matches The Institutes own expectationsthe platform will serve as the home base for all things insurtech for the global insurance industry in the years ahead, said Linda Pawczuk, a principal and the financial services blockchain leader at Deloitte Consulting LLP. At Deloitte, we have 1,500 blockchain practitioners in 33 countries across 23 industries dedicated to discovering how distributed ledger technology can improve different areas of the economy. Were thrilled to have the opportunity to broaden our role globally and begin building concrete applications for the market.

Ted Epps, a principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP and insurance blockchain practice leader added: The strategic value of the RiskBlock Alliance is its ability to connect a diverse set of insurance industry stakeholders through a shared network. The expansion effort our team at Deloitte is spearheading will accelerate the consortiums global reach and take blockchain to the next level in the insurance industryand financial services more broadly.

In the past year, Deloitte has been profiled by industry analysts Constellation Research for having the most comprehensive blockchain effort of any professional services organization. It has also been recognized as a leader in providing clients with end-to-end blockchain services across innovation and ideation, strategy formulation, prototyping, and production build.

The RiskBlock Alliance is preparing to launch blockchain-based applications, including a proof of insurance application, a first notice of loss data-sharing process and a smart-contract-enabled subrogation tool. The subrogation tool will be built by Deloitte and use smart contracts to facilitate the netting of members payments and improve the efficiency of claims processing payment and accounting.

The RiskBlock Alliance isnt concerned with theoretical experiments. Were completely focused on rapidly delivering real production applications to the industry, continued McDaniel. With the help of Deloitte, were building out a virtual blockchain application factory that members can use immediately for real business needs.

More information is available at http://www.TheInstitutes.org/RiskBlock.

About The Institutes | Risk and Insurance Knowledge Group

The Institutes are committed to meeting the evolving professional development needs of the risk management and insurance industry. We prepare people to fulfill their professional and ethical responsibilities via innovative education, research, networking and career resources. We offer 28 professional and associate designations, including the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, along with introductory, foundational and leadership programs, online and continuing education courses, custom solutions, and assessment tools.

About The Institutes RiskBlock Alliance

The Institutes RiskBlock Alliance is the risk management and insurance industrys first enterprise-level blockchain consortium that brings together industry experts and developers to advance insurance-specific use cases via RiskBlock's interoperable blockchain architecture. RiskBlock is committed to equipping organizations to work together to inspire product innovation, enable efficiencies, and open new technological frontiers. Learn more at http://www.TheInstitutes.org/RiskBlock.

About Deloitte

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the worlds most admired brands, including more than 85 percent of the Fortune 500 and more than 6,000 private and middle market companies. Our people work across more than 20 industry sectors to make an impact that matters  delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthy society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (DTTL), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as Deloitte Global) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the Deloitte name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see http://www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

CPCU is a registered trademark of The Institutes. All rights reserved.The Digital Defense SaaS platform supporting network vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and web application scanning from a common portal for comprehensive solution management shows how a successful cyber security company is able to help alleviate the burden of information security

Digital Defense has once again joined the list of influential cyber security companies that have been chosen by industry veteran, Dr. Edward Amoroso, CEO of TAG Cyber, to assist with this years report. The report has been made available today for free download on the Digital Defense website.

We are excited to work once again with the TAG Cyber team this upcoming year, said Larry Hurtado President and CEO of Digital Defense. Through their steady stream of content they continue to showcase our SaaS security solutions and the cloud-based platforms we have developed to deliver these solutions to organizations around the globe. We truly appreciate how they take the time to clearly understand a solution providers technical value propositions and then distill the information into mediums easily consumable by cybersecurity professionals.

The 2019 TAG Cyber Security Annual is designed in this, TAG Cybers 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 streamline security workflow, and adopting cloud infrastructure for enterprise applications and systems.

The Digital Defense SaaS platform supporting network vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and web application scanning from a common portal for comprehensive solution management shows how a successful cyber security company is able to help alleviate the burden of information security, said Amoroso. Their security risk assessment solutions are proven successes.

Each year, TAG Cyber publishes it three-volume report to the community for download at no cost. In addition to the Digital Defense website, the report is also available at https://www.tag-cyber.com/. Volume 2 of the report also includes an informative interview with Digital Defense CTO, Gordon MacKay.

About Digital Defense

Serving clients across numerous industries, Digital Defenses innovative and leading-edge technology helps organizations safeguard sensitive data and eases the burdens associated with information security. Frontline.Cloud, the original Vulnerability Management as a Service (VMaaS) platform, delivers consistently accurate vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, while SecurED, the companys security awareness training, promotes employees security-minded behavior. The Digital Defense Frontline suite of products, underpinned by patented technology and complemented with unparalleled service and support, are highly-regarded by industry experts, as illustrated by the companys designation as a TAG Cyber Distinguished Vendor, Best Vulnerability Management Scan Engine by Frost & Sullivan, #10 ranking in Black Book Market Research's list of Compliance & Risk Management Solutions, five-star review in SC Magazine, and inclusion in CRNs MSP 500.

Contact Digital Defense at 888-273-1412; visit http://www.digitaldefense.com, our blog, LinkedIn, or follow @Digital_Defense on Twitter.Consumers living in already underserved neighborhoods face an additional burden

In cities like Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia that are characterized as having a higher than average density of low access communities, households living in poor access census tracts could face an average of 200 fewer nationally-branded fruit and vegetable items. With fewer options, it appears that families may not have an equal opportunity to purchase healthy options.

In the new article Documenting the Link between Poor Food Access and Less Healthy Product Assortment across the U.S. featured in the Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, Lauren Chenarides from Arizona State University and Edward (Ted) Jaenicke from Pennsylvania State University examine the relationship between census tracts with poor food access and healthy product assortments featuring fruits and vegetables.

The results suggest that consumers living in already underserved neighborhoods face an additional burden, namely the lack of availability of universally-accepted healthy food items, says Chenarides. She continued, We use six years of micro-level retailer scanner data from IRI, along with three other sources that describe the food retail environment and market characteristics, to examine both the extensive and intensive aspects of food access and food availability across the U.S. food retailing landscape.

If you are interested in setting up an interview with Lauren Chenarides, please contact Allison Scheetz in the AAEA Business Office.

ABOUT AAEA: Established in 1910, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is the leading professional association for agricultural and applied economists, with 2,500 members in more than 60 countries. Members of the AAEA work in academic or government institutions as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a variety of research, teaching, and outreach activities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, food, health, and international development. The AAEA publishes two journals, the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, as well as the online magazine Choices. To learn more, visit http://www.aaea.org.Domio New Orleans Exterior The world is increasingly moving toward asset-light models and the sharing of assets; Domio operates at the center of these two major trends. Group travel presents a multi-hundred billion dollar market, which is often underserved by traditional hotels.

Domio, a tech-enabled hospitality company that is re-inventing the apartment hotel, announced today that it has formed a $50 million joint venture with Upper90, a technology-focused private equity fund providing founder-friendly capital solutions to companies in emerging asset classes.

The joint venture will invest $50M into opening and operating multi-unit, apart-hotels that give group travelers a high-end, hotel-like experience with the cost benefits that the sharing economy provides. The first financed project will open in New Orleans later this year allowing vacation-goers to choose from two to four-bedroom units within the Domio branded property.

As weve hosted tens of thousands of guests at our properties in 2018, weve seen increasing demand from group travelers for more spacious accommodations that make travel both more economical and enjoyable, said Jay Roberts, CEO and Co-founder of Domio. Through this partnership with Upper90, were excited to bring those traveling with friends and families more consistent and affordable apart-hotel options that cost 25 percent less, on average, than similarly sized hotels.

The world is increasingly moving toward asset-light models and the sharing of assets; Domio operates at the center of these two major trends. Group travel presents a multi-hundred billion dollar market, which is often underserved by traditional hotels. Based on Upper90s experience building and operating branded consumer businesses leveraging marketplaces, we believe Domio can create a compelling hotel alternative for consumers. said Jason Finger, Co-founder and Chairman of Upper90.

Unlike, OTAs or vacation rental companies, whose listings are made up of properties from millions of different owners, Domio operates its apart-hotel accommodations from end-to-end. This control means all current and future Domio properties are branded and designed similarly to offer a higher standard stay across locations, and provide guests the comfort of home with the quality of a hotel at a lower price point because capital needs are substantially lower due to the Domio asset-light business model.

The New Orleans property will be the first multi-unit project for Domio. The company has hosted over 60,000 guests to date across its existing properties in Austin, Nashville, San Diego, Boston and Honolulu. Domio utilizes technology and automation to efficiently operate accommodations, which has enabled the company to grow 400% YoY with an occupancy rate of over 80%  close to 20% greater than the national hotel average.

We chose to partner with Upper90 because they bring value beyond capital alone. Their members are top entrepreneurs from consumer technology, real estate and finance companies who are both actively involved in their portfolio investments and extremely creative with structuring investments and loans that help entrepreneurs meet the nuanced needs of building a business, added Roberts.

About Domio

Domio, a leading tech-enabled hospitality company that is re-inventing the apartment hotel. Travelers staying at a Domio property can enjoy the comfort of a home and the confidence of a hotel. With one-click, travelers can now join more than 60,000 guests to date in booking a Domio property across Austin, Nashville, San Diego, Boston, Honolulu and New Orleans. For more information visit https://staydomio.com.

About Upper90

Upper90 is a private equity fund that invests in new economy asset classes being created by technology and data. The fund provides flexible capital solutions to help companies accelerate growth with less dilution. The funds limited partners are actively engaged in the portfolio and have built some of the worlds most successful companies across Consumer Technology, Real Estate and Finance. For more information visit https://upper90.io.Im proud to see Emmanuel College invest in the future of Bostons students and expand its on-campus residence capacity while having the best recruiting year in history this fall," said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh

This fall, Emmanuel College opened the largest ever college building on campus, a 692-bed, 18-story residence hall, just as it welcomed its largest first-year class in history. Responding to student demand for contemporary apartment-style living, as well as Boston Mayor Martin Walshs challenge to urban colleges to house more students on campus, Emmanuel began construction on this building in the summer of 2016. In addition to increasing the number of Emmanuel students living on campus, 250 students from neighboring MCPHS University are housed in the new residence hall.

In Boston, we know that creating student housing is crucial to the success of our academic institutions, to keeping housing affordable, and to preventing displacement, said Mayor Walsh. Im proud to see Emmanuel College invest in the future of Bostons students and expand its on-campus residence capacity while having the best recruiting year in history this fall.

The opening of this new residence hall comes at a time when more than 650 new students enrolled at Emmanuel for fall 2018; the Colleges total student body stands at 2,300. This opening is a prelude to the celebrations of Emmanuel Colleges Centennial in 2019, as well as the 40th anniversary of President Sr. Janet Eisner, SNDs inauguration. She is the longest currently serving woman college president in the country.

The opening of Emmanuels new residence hall marks a significant milestone in the Colleges history as we look to our second century, said Sr. Janet. Over the decades, Emmanuel College has adapted to the needs of each generation, and a spirit of innovation has persisted. Emmanuel College today, with this magnificent new building, is thriving and fulfilling the mission of our founders to provide the highest-quality educational experience.

Key Facts



In addition to studios and two-bedroom student apartments, this new 267,500 square-foot, 18-story building includes: the state-of-the-art Margaret L. McKenna 83 Media Center; a dance studio; a fitness center; meeting and event spaces; and Joe Dis Food Mart convenience store and Dunkin Donuts, both open to the public.

This new apartment-style residence hall directly addresses Mayor Walshs challenge to Boston colleges and universities to house more students on campus, alleviating the pressure college student rentals puts on communities. With the addition of this building, there has been a 20% increase in the number of Emmanuel students living on campus.

Emmanuel College is leasing floors of the residence hall to fellow Colleges of the Fenway (COF) member MCPHS University; in the current higher education environment, this consortium, established in 1996, has been lauded as a model for resource sharing and collaboration.

Emmanuel engaged with top-tier architecture and construction management firms to lead the project including Elkus Manfredi Architects and John Moriarty & Associates. These firms have previously completed projects for Harvard University, Duke University, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and Emerson College.

About Emmanuel College

Emmanuel College is a co-educational, residential institution with a 17-acre campus in the heart of Boston's educational, scientific, cultural and medical communities. Enrolling 2,300 undergraduate and graduate students, the College provides boundless opportunities for students to expand their worldview through rigorous coursework, significant internship and career opportunities throughout the Boston area and beyond, collaborations with distinguished and dedicated faculty, and participation in a dynamic campus community. Emmanuel's more than 60 programs in the sciences, liberal arts, business, nursing, and education foster spirited discourse and substantive learning experiences that honor the College's Catholic educational mission to educate the whole person and provide an ethical and relevant 21st-century education.At Greenberg Traurig, we are deeply committed to creating an environment where attorneys of all backgrounds are included, Greer said. To us, diversity is personal  it is who we are."

Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP co-sponsored the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Care and Feeding of In-House Counsel Dinner Discussion in Columbus, OH on Sept. 17 as part of the ACCs mission to improve diversity in the legal profession.

Sponsored by law firms and hosted by Abercrombie & Fitch Co., the dinner consisted of a small group of influential attorneys who engaged in an intimate roundtable discussion and shared candid perspectives on the state of the legal profession and furthering diversity and inclusion through the relationships between in-house and outside counsel.

Amongst the group of attorneys were Greenberg Traurigs Co-President Ernest L. Greer, and John R. Richards, a Shareholder in its Labor & Employment Practice. Both Greer and Richards are actively involved in diversity efforts at Greenberg Traurig.

At Greenberg Traurig, we are deeply committed to creating an environment where attorneys of all backgrounds are included, Greer said. To us, diversity is personal  it is who we are. We are proud to support the ACCs valuable discussions and continue conversations with our clients and peers.

Richards added, Greenberg Traurig has encouraged me and each of our lawyers to be his or her authentic self, because authenticity leads to productivity and strengthens the client relationship.

According to its website, the ACC is a global bar association that fosters the value of in-house and outside counsel through education, information, networking, and advocacy efforts. The Care and Feeding of In-House Counsel Dinner Discussion Series is a sequence of private dinners hosted in an environment that welcomes open discussion and networking among attorneys.

About Greenberg Traurigs Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. The firm's efforts have been recognized by local, national, and global publications and organizations including, Chambers and Partners.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.A leading custom fabricator of innovative pressure vessels and other manufacturing technologies, HOLLOWAY AMERICA will showcase its latest technological solutions at the ISPE Boston Area Chapter Product Show.

Springfield, Mo.-based pressure vessel fabrication company HOLLOWAY AMERICA recently announced it will attend and exhibit at the ISPE Boston Area Chapter Product Show at the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Ma. on September 26. A returning attendee of the annual event, HOLLOWAY will showcase the expos only working smart tank technology at booth E63, located in the East Hall of the stadium.

HOLLOWAY will showcase its intelliVessel, a smart tank with an integrated touchscreen panel addition that allows users to control a vessels process with virtually limitless parameters. Other features of the intelliVessel include badge screening for access, data collection and warnings, and the ability to coordinate recipes through the panel. HOLLOWAYs intelliVessel can be integrated into any size of vessel.

HOLLOWAY representatives look forward to discussing these features and information about its other pressure vessels with ISPE Product Show attendees as well as demonstrating them on the show floor.

We never miss an ISPE Boston show because it puts so much emphasis on innovation in technology, which is at the core of everything HOLLOWAY produces, said HOLLOWAY AMERICA Director of Marketing Randy Colwell. Were looking forward to sharing some of our own innovations on the ISPE floor, getting to know attendees, and learning more from them about how HOLLOWAY can help them find success.

More Information About The intelliVessel

Regarding pharmaceutical vessels and tanks, The intelliVessel is among the first smart tanks in the industry. A good fit for Boston-area pharmaceutical professionals, The intelliVessel is particularly beneficial for extremely meticulous recipes because of its ability to store and automate processes for easier execution. The screen, which spans 14, is accessible from mobile devices and allows engineers to remotely navigate the control panel. Among other things, the intelliVessel also features full emergency stop functionality and at-a-glance statuses for vessel fullness, weight and process completion.

About the ISPE Boston Area Chapter Product Show

ISPE Bostons annual product show is a one-day biopharmaceutical expo that seeks to connect attendees with the future of the life sciences industry. It is the flagship event of the ISPE Boston Area Chapter, which is recognized as one of the leading ISPE chapters in the world. This years event will feature several keynote speakers as well as educational breakout sessions, a career fair, and an after party.

About HOLLOWAY AMERICA

HOLLOWAY AMERICA provides pressure vessel fabrication services and custom stainless steel equipment for a multitude of applications and industries, from pharmaceutical to chemical to food and beverage. HOLLOWAY AMERICA partners with associations representing the steel fabrication and engineering industries, including ASME and ISPE.

For more information about HOLLOWAY AMERICAs stainless steel pressure vessels and tanks or to inquire about The intelliVessel, contact a representative at 417-863-0077 or by email at info(at)HollowayAmerica(dot)com.

For more information about the ISPE Boston Area Product Show, visit www(dot)productshow(dot)ispeboston(dot)org. For more information about PACK EXPO International in Chicago, visit www(dot)packexpointernational(dot)com.This new release of the SaaS Platform and Insights APIs puts a wealth of actionable intelligence at the finger tips of talent acquisition and workforce planning professionals.

ENGAGE Talent, earlier this month named the top artificial intelligence company for Sourcing Acceleration by HRExaminer, is showcasing the new release of its AI recruiting software--featuring Enhanced Market Intelligence and Smart Talent Discovery--Sept. 24-26 at SourceCon in Atlanta.

ENGAGE, which is exhibiting at booth No. 47, provides predictive insights that enable employers to strategically source, target and engage with passive candidates. Recruiters and employers can identify and target new talent that they were not finding via traditional methods and in traditional pools.

"Our science is the first to map the complex relationships between people, roles, companies, and dynamic markets using purely external data," ENGAGE Talent CEO Joseph Hanna said. "This new release of the SaaS Platform and Insights APIs puts a wealth of actionable intelligence at the finger tips of talent acquisition and workforce planning professionals."

Also at SourceCon, ENGAGE is launching a new podcast, "The Masters of Modern Recruiting," hosted by Derek Zeller, a recruiting and sourcing thought leader and speaker who is ENGAGE's director of recruiting solutions and channels.

Twice a month, Zeller will interview a different great mind in modern recruiting to help talent acquisition professionals keep up with the latest trends and practices. They will discuss the recruiting challenges they face today, new approaches, the interesting tools and technologies they are using, and their thoughts on leveraging AI and automation in their recruiting processes.

To listen, visit https://www.engagetalent.com/podcasts, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play.

"Our goal is to power a podcast that makes recruiters feel more like they are not alone in their journey to be successful recruiters," Zeller said. "We want the recruiting community to learn, ask probing questions and to be forthcoming and honest about their journey into the world of modern recruiting that is metrics and data driven."

About ENGAGE Talent

ENGAGE is the world's first AI-powered platform to combine Talent Mapping, Competitive Intelligence, Passive Candidate Sourcing, and Outbound Recruiting in one brilliant Talent Targeting and Engagement engine.

ENGAGE enables active recruiters to efficiently source from a live stream of over 100 million passive candidates or enrich their own CRM and ATS candidates with predictive, AI based insights. ENGAGE continuously monitors your candidates and alerts you with predictive availability signals when a candidate is likely ready for a new opportunity.

Recruiters who leverage ENGAGE's predictive analytics are able to more than double their candidate engagement rates.

For information about ENGAGE Talent, please visit http://www.engagetalent.com.

Media Contact:

Robby Gulri

1-855-435-6566

robby.gulri(at)engagetalent(dot)comArtificial intelligence offers incentive program owners the tools to put the right reward in the hands of the right person at the right time.

The widespread ability to use artificial intelligence to more quickly identify top performers and deliver personalized rewards appears to be on the verge of reality. The IRFs new study, The Impact and Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Incentives, Rewards and Recognition, examines the tools and techniques that professionals in the incentives, rewards and recognition industry are using and developing to incorporate artificial intelligence into their program design.

Artificial intelligence offers incentive program owners the tools to put the right reward in the hands of the right person at the right time, said Melissa Van Dyke, IRF President. As artificial intelligence becomes more accessible and pervasive, incentives professionals will need to interpret powerful analytics and turn them into insights that can strengthen the effectiveness of their programs.

The Impact and Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Incentives, Rewards and Recognition explores how businesses large and small can build artificial intelligence into their incentives, rewards and recognition programs. The report addresses the issues a program owner should consider when beginning to incorporate artificial intelligence capabilities, including data consistency, using third-party software, hiring external expertise, launching pilot programs and developing a culture that fully supports this next level of data-driven decisions.

Incentives professionals are using data and artificial intelligence to tailor experiences to each person and to know precisely which rewards will work best under what circumstances for each individual. Innovations and insights featured in The Impact and Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Incentives, Rewards and Recognition include:



Organizations perform predictive analyses to know what behaviors lead to the outcomes they want, and then experiment with a variety of incentives to know which do the best job of encouraging those behaviors.

When artificial intelligence was used to suggest a redemption category, credit card reward members who received targeted messages redeemed rewards in the recommended categories 70 percent of the time.

Where travel rewards are concerned, artificial intelligence helps hotels understand and manage guest preferences at scale, for example, personalizing each travelers experience right down to the flavors of coffee available and the way the furniture is organized in their room.

The Impact and Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Incentives, Rewards and Recognition was supported by IRF Research Advocacy Partner, Maritz.

To view or download a copy of The Impact and Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Incentives, Rewards and Recognition please visit http://theirf.org/research/the-impact-and-potential-of-artificial-intelligence-in-incentives-rewards-and-recognition/2558/Today, more than ever before, JMHS is achieving its mission of providing quality education at a great value.Principal Megan Bowen

James Madison High School is No. 1 of The 25 Best High Schools Online for 2018 according to school rankings website Best College Reviews.

To build the list, the Best College Reviews editors evaluated and ranked popular online high schools based on features like flexibility, range of course selection, testimonials, academic support, affordability, and more. Points were awarded for quality in each area. If the final tally resulted in a tie, the school with the lower tuition was awarded the higher ranking.

We were thrilled to have JMHS ranked at No. 11 on last years list. It is so exciting to be recognized as No. 1 this time, said Principal Megan Bowen. This has been a stellar year all around for us. In August, not only did we host our largest commencement ceremony ever where more than 200 JMHS graduates walked for their diplomas, but we also received an outstanding Index of Education Quality (IEQ) score  347.94 out of a possible 400  after an assessment by our accreditor AdvancED. Today, more than ever before, JMHS is achieving its mission of providing quality education at a great value.

Best College Reviews compiles their editorially-independent lists using information from the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, and other publicly-available data sources. To the see the 2018 rankings, please visit http://www.jmhs.com/news/no-1-best-high-school-online-is-james-madison-high-school/ and click through to the Best College Reviews site.

For information about enrollment, call an Admissions Advisor at 1-800-957-5412.

ABOUT JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL

James Madison High School is a regionally-accredited online institution that provides flexible and affordable high school education to students around the world. Areas of education include College Prep Diploma and General Diploma programs, NCAA-eligible courses, and single courses. Additionally, through a partnership with the Georgia Student Finance Commission, all JMHS students are eligible for Dual Enrollment, a fully-funded program of college-level courses through which they can earn high school and college credits simultaneously. For more information, visit http://www.jmhs.com.

JMHS is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) and by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency. The Distance Education Accrediting Commission is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).That discussion hit social media, and many people had been theorizing the board might make a change as early as this week. The rumors were fueled by a listing on the agenda that in closed session, the board could talk about property to be sold or leased.Karla Jo Helms, CEO for JoTo PR, discusses the strategy for employers to fund pension and retirement plans. Skilled management, proactive planning and a collective mindset make it possible to free an underfunded pension plan from insolvency and to compensate those whove been on the front lines for their employers, Helms added.

Recent findings by CNBC show most Americans close to retirement save only 12% of what they need.1 Those between ages of 55 and 64 with retirement savings only have a median of $120,000 socked away2 and 40% of middle-class Americans will fall into poverty or near poverty by the time they reach age 65 due to depressed earnings, asset values and increased healthcare costs.3 JoTo PR signed Cowden Associates, a nationally known expert in actuarial, compensation and employee benefits, addressing the precarious state of pension funding and retirement plans by advising long-term strategies for underfunding employers to meet their obligations.

Today, 66% of millennials (people currently aged 22-37) say they dont have anything saved for retirement resulting from either the absence of retirement offerings or to retirement plan eligibility requirements that exclude part-time workers and recent hires.4 Retirement and pension benefits of the last generation are becoming nonexistent for the majority of Americans, Karla Jo Helms, CEO, for JoTo PR, said. This is having a direct impact on millennials who cant get a head start in saving because of the scarcity of retirement options offered by employers.

Americans on the cusp of retirement are also noticing pension woes as underfunded multiemployer plans are gravitating towards failure within the next 20 years. 1.3 million union workers covered under multiemployer plans will receive a minimum from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) even if the plans fail. The caveat is that the insurance program is expected to run out of money by 2025.5 Public and private employers have been assigned blame in failing to handle individual workers money, but corporate management holds the responsibility and the capability for stopping the pension crisis.

Skilled management, proactive planning and a collective mindset make it possible to free an underfunded pension plan from insolvency and to compensate those whove been on the front lines for their employers, Helms added.

Cowden Associates, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, was created in 2001 by the merger of Halliwell and Associates and MMC&P Spectrum Benefits, which was founded by Jere Cowden in 1986. Currently led by President and CEO Elliot Dinkin, Cowden Associates specializes in helping corporate clients find the best solutionsboth for the enterprise and its employeeswith regard to compensation, healthcare benefits, retirement and pension issues, and Taft-Hartley fund consulting. Winning Workplaces and the Wall Street Journal have recognized Cowden Associates as a Top Small Workplace, a lifetime designation awarded to executives for their ability to build and lead savvy organizations.

JoTo PR has a history of innovative PR services that demonstrates their ability in gaining consistent news traction within the media for national and international organizationshelping provide front-line information to the media about industry disruptions and technological solutions aimed at making markets better for consumers. The firm is a trailblazer in the PR industry, blending traditional PR expertise with disruptive digital media to harness the advantages of the current media landscape. JoTo PR specializes in the healthcare, finance and technology sectors, but has worked for a variety of industries and non-profits, using a proprietary process to consistently identify, communicate and distribute to the press the newest news thats most valuable to its readers, viewers and listenership.

About JoTo PR:

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 measure 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. 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 media methods. This unique skill enables JoTo PR to continue to increase the market share and improve return on investment (ROI) for its clients, year after yearbeating usual industry standards. Based in Tampa Bay, Florida, JoTo PR is an established international public relations agency. Today, all of JoTo PRs processes are streamlined PR services that have become the hallmark of the JoTo PR name. For more information, visit JoTo PR online at http://www.jotopr.com.

About Karla Jo Helms:

Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR Strategist for JoTo PR.

Karla Jo 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.

Being an alumna of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators and the media to help restore companies of goodwill back into the good graces of public opinionKarla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances, and doing what it takes to excel.

Karla Jo has patterned her agency on the perfect balance of crisis management, entrepreneurial insight and proven public relations experience. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of PR to drive markets and impact market perception.

1. Martin, Emmie; Most Americans Close to Retirement Have Saved Only 12% of What They Need, CNBC, March 19, 2018.

2. Martin, Emmie; 65% of Americans Save Little or Nothingand Half Could end up Struggling in Retirement, CNBC, March 15, 2018.

3. Menard, Brown Martha Dr. Almost Half of Middle-Class Americans Face Downward Mobility in Retirement, BenefitsPRO, September 5, 2018.

4. Lobosco, Katie, 66% of Millennials have nothing saved for retirement, CNN, March 7, 2018.

5. Miller, Stephen, 114 Multiemployer Pension Plans Projected to Fail Within 20 Years, Society for Human Resource Management, August 29, 2017.A Heart in Pieces: A Return from Devastation: an unforgettable memoir. A Heart in Pieces is the creation of published author M. E. Masterson, a reborn woman living in Missouris Ozark Serenity Acres with her husband, Mountain Man Tom.

Masterson shares, I heard his keys rattle at the door of our apartment as he slowly opened it. Kennys head was hanging low, and his face as white as a sheet. I asked him, Why are you home early?

I jumped out of the lazy chair I was sitting in, watching the late-night news. I grabbed the remote and turned off the television. From the expression on his face, I could see that it was something terrible. Kenny said, I have some really horrible news about Rick and Tina.

I was instantly sick to my stomach when my intuition kicked in, the kind that only a mother can feel. I immediately went into hysterics screaming and crying back to him, Not my babies, please God, not my babies. He tried reaching for me, but I pushed him away. He caught me before I crumpled to the floor.

Collapsed in a heap on the floor where my knees had buckled under me, I felt my life energy draining out of me. My mind was racing trying to digest this news that he has yet to finish telling me. He was cradling me while on his knees and said, They were in a bad car accident, and nobody survived. 

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, M. E. Mastersons new book is a rending, raw, emotional chronicle that ultimately celebrates the resilience of a human spirit that has nothing but a thread of hope to go onsometimes it is more than enough.

At the end of this difficult road, the author comes away stronger and with a deeper understanding of life and, importantly, of love.

View a synopsis of A Heart in Pieces: A Return from Devastation on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase A Heart in Pieces: A Return from Devastation at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about A Heart in Pieces: A Return from Devastation, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.AmSpas state-by-state legal summaries are the industrys best resource for understanding the often confusing regulatory landscape of medical spas.

The American Med Spa Associations legal compliance resources are now available to medical spa professionals in all 50 states, with the recent additions of Alaska, Mississippi, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. AmSpas state-by-state legal summaries are the industrys best resource for understanding the often confusing regulatory landscape of medical spas. AmSpa members across the country will be able to find answers to questions regarding:



Who can inject Botox;

Who can perform laser treatments (including intense pulsed light, laser skin resurfacing, and laser hair removal);

Who can own a med spa;

The legality of Botox parties;

And more!

As a medical spa owner, having a resource like AmSpa on your side is so helpful, says Stephanie Gaberich, owner of About Face Anti-Aging Institute in Harker Heights, Texas. It is a great place to find solid and reputable information, contact info for great vendor partners, and just overall be a part of a community of like-minded people. It is a very quickly changing industry and you will need to stay on top of it with a good solid foundation of partners and guidance.

Additionally, AmSpa Plus members in 18 states will be able to find answers to more than 25 additional advanced questions such as:

Does a physician have to be physically present while a nurse practitioner or physician assistant is performing services in a medical spa?

Can an aesthetician, cosmetologist, electrologist, or vocational nurse use lasers or intense light devices?

Can a physician use a picture album containing patient photos?

May a physician leave a message on a patients answering machine or verify an appointment with a family member or spouse?

And more!

I joined AmSpa a few years ago because my wife is an attorney, however she doesnt specialize in what we do, says Chris Bailey, owner of Ovation Med Spa in Houston, Texas. Getting connected with AmSpa several years ago has been a great help in keeping track of what the rules are.

Find answers to questions about medical spa law across the country in AmSpas medical aesthetic legal summaries. The online resource is a must-have for medical spa owners, medical directors, practice managers, and practitioners. For more information visit http://www.americanmedspa.org/page/state_regulations.

AmSpas legal resources are powered by the business, healthcare, and aesthetic law firm of ByrdAdatto, a Texas-based firm that services medical aesthetic clients across the country including plastic surgeons Dr. Jay Burns and Dr. Grant Stevens.

About the American Med Spa Association: The American Med Spa Association (AmSpa) provides business and legal resources to medical spas and aesthetic practices across the country. AmSpas eventsincluding Medical Spa Boot Camps and The Medical Spa Showprovide business and legal best-practices to anyone entering the medical spa space or looking to improve their existing business. AmSpa membership base of more than 1600 medical spa professionals receive access to legal summaries of the laws governing medical spas in their state, access to legal and business-building webinars, and many other benefits.Mei Lis new SOMA collection officially launched the summer of 2018. Their new luxury bag collection was carefully crafted to create the most practical and beautiful handbags a woman can find by binding beauty, design, and craftsmanship. The SOMA collection includes three versatile and alluring styles inspired by the bold and innovative energy of San Francisco and the diverse female explorers in the city. Designed with the modern, fast-paced lifestyle in mind, Mei Lis new collection of luxury handbags provide the utmost practicality and are available in three modern versions of timeless colors  red, black, and blue.

Symbolizing practicality, beauty, and a touch of culture, the brands name Mei Li is derived from the Chinese word beautiful. Using premium nappa leather, each meticulously crafted bag in the collection captures the essence of beautiful from within the user  as, our classic designs were created for all women, no matter their style, according to the handbag company.

Mei Li was forged for the adventurous woman who is seeking a more versatile and high-quality handbag to navigate their lifestyle, through the highs and the lows, from the boardroom to brunch! It was time to take a step back and rethink what a bag should do and how it fits in the life of the chic woman who loves to explore her world.

THE AMELIA CROSSBODY

Designed for maximum mobility, while providing unmatched utility, the AMELIA crossbody was created to deliver the versatility a woman needs for their next adventure. Mei Li has re-imagined the classic crossbody concept to eliminate clutter for smarter access to ones daily essentials with an exterior wallet and organized interior compartments.

Even with its compact size, the AMELIA has a full-sized wallet that can be used as a small clutch. Detach the wallet when using a larger bag for a seamless transition. Connect the straps to the wallet for a slim, elegant evening accessory.

The AMELIA is sophisticated and stylish in a small package that allows women to discover their world with grace.

THE SOPHIA HANDBAG

The new SOPHIA handbag is elegant and refined at each moment from day to night.

Organized enough for the busiest of workdays, but stylish for your adventures outside the office, the SOPHIA handbag will help women engage their life with dignity and refinement. The SOPHIA even comes with a strap for moments when mobility is premium.

THE MICHELLE SHOULDER TOTE

Meet MICHELLE, Mei Lis do-it-all shoulder tote designed for the do-it-all lifestyle. The Michelle features easy to access compartments for laptops, water bottles, extra outfits, and other everyday essentials. The MICHELLE bag is like a trusted assistantholding everything a woman could need for an enriched lifestyle. No more switching bags or carrying around clutter, the MICHELLE tote is made to do it all.

MEI LI

Based in San Francisco, Mei Li is a fashion startup that reflects the bold, innovative, and fast-paced energy of the city, aimed at bringing stronger diversity to the fashion industry. Mei Li designs are inspired by rich, cultural influences and the modern woman that embodies independence and sophistication, requiring a bag thats as versatile as they are.

Learn more at https://www.mymeili.com/Michigan Music Educators Association received the 2018 Excellence in Advocacy Award at the 2018 NAfME Hill Day awards reception. Photo: Ashlee Wilcox Photography. Michigan Music Educators Association leadership and members have worked tirelessly to attend any and all arts and culture meetings in the state, recognizing that the arts and culture organizations are often the ones invited to K-12 arts education conversations.

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) has awarded the Michigan Music Educators Association (MMEA) the 2018 Excellence in Advocacy Award in recognition of their efforts advocating for music education. MMEA President Lisa Furman, along with MMEA Executive Director Cory Micheel-Mays and MMEA Immediate Past-President Karen Salvador, accepted the award on behalf of Michigan Music Educators Association during NAfMEs June Hill Day activities.

Michigan Music Educators Association has learned the importance of being in the room, said Lynn Tuttle, NAfME Director of Public Policy, Research, and Professional Development. Their leadership and members have worked tirelessly to attend any and all arts and culture meetings in the state, recognizing that the arts and culture organizations are often the ones invited to K-12 arts education conversations.

Michigan Music Educators Association has been a key player in several public policy discussions at the state level, including the writing and implementation of Michigans state ESSA plan. MMEAs efforts led to a state ESSA plan that includes music and arts in their state accountability reporting system, as well as identifying music and arts as potential uses for federal Title IV-A funds.

MMEA has also participated in an overhaul of Michigans teacher licensure program. In a span of sixteen months, MMEA was the only voice of fine arts education in the room. Their presence resulted in the preservation of the all-levels, all music teaching certificate and the removal of a clause allowing music to be taught by a non-music certified instructor. Additionally, MMEAs participation led to the addition of Pre-K to the previous K-12 certificate in acknowledgement of the realities of many music educators.

On March 20th of this year, MMEA hosted their fourth annual Music Education Advocacy Day at the Michigan State Capitol. Joined by student musicians, parents, representatives of school music organizations, and business leaders, MMEA carried out meetings regarding equitable access to music instruction for all students PK-12 in MI, specifically urging adoption of legislation mandating K-5 general music instruction for all Michigan students.

We are grateful for this recognition of our work on behalf of music students and music educators, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to ensure access to ongoing, sequential music instruction, provided by a certified music educator, for all students PK-12 in Michigan.

 MMEA Immediate Past-President, Karen Salvador

The Excellence in Advocacy award, presented annually at NAfMEs National Leadership Assembly, recognizes a state MEA for outstanding accomplishments in music education advocacy. State MEAs around the country are advocating by meeting with State Boards of Education, advocating to state legislatures, and engaging stakeholders. The 2017 Excellence in Advocacy Award recipient was North Carolina Music Educators Association.

National Association for Music Education, among the worlds largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The Association orchestrates success for millions of students nationwide and has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century. With more than 60,000 members, the organization is the voice of music education in the United States.

Follow NAfME on Twitter (twitter.com/nafme) and on Facebook (facebook.com/nafme).

For additional information, contact Ronny Lau at RonnyL@nafme.org or 703-860-4000, ext. 224.Everything we do at MIT Professional Education is toward helping people become better problem solvers. So, it's fitting that our first Microcourse, designed for busy working professionals, attacks that topic head on.

MIT Professional Education, a gateway to renowned MIT research, knowledge and expertise through advanced education programs, today announced the launch of its inaugural Digital Plus Programs MicroCourse titled, Effective Problem Solving for Teams.

This short-duration, online MicroCourse will run twice this Fall on October 22, 2018 and November 5, 2018. It is designed for professionals across any industry, especially those in the engineering and technology fields who are looking to grow their capacity for problem-solving in a way that promotes creativity and innovation.

Businesses today face more problems than they have time to solve. As a result, people admit how they tend jump too quickly to solutions, which is often ineffective, said instructor Dr. David Nino, Senior Lecturer at MIT. This MicroCourse helps people see problems more clearly, prioritize them, and define them in actionable ways. In addition, it helps leaders understand how problems present a unique opportunity for leading innovation.

Participants will learn MITs unique methodology for:



Identifying and defining problems

Framing and communicating a compelling vision

Creative brainstorming

Evaluating and choosing a game-changing solution

The MicroCourse is available online for one week per run and can be completed in approximately 4 hours. It is offered through a well-designed, intuitive virtual campus that offers leaders, managers and their teams the opportunity collaborate with peers from across the globe. Those who complete the MicroCourse earn a certificate as well as CEUs, which may be applied toward professional certification, licensing requirements, or required continuing education hours. In addition, the $195 fee for the MicroCourse will be credited toward enrollment in MIT Professional Education's January 7, 2019 session of the complementary course, Leadership & Innovation for Technology Professionals.

Everything we do at MIT Professional Education is toward helping people become better problem solvers. So, it's fitting that our first Microcourse, designed for busy working professionals, attacks that topic head on, said Bhaskar Pant, Executive Director at MIT Professional Education. Our goal is to make critical knowledge at MIT more accessible to professionals around the globe through online and blended learning modalities, complementing our on campus programs. Accordingly, with the addition of MicroCourses to our portfolio, we look forward to welcoming many new members to our global community of learners and problem solvers.

For more information or to register visit: Digital Plus Programs

ABOUT MIT PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

For more than 65 years, MIT Professional Education has been providing technical professionals worldwide a gateway to renowned MIT research, knowledge and expertise, through advanced education programs designed specifically for them. In addition to industry-focused, two-to-five-day courses on campus through Short Programs, MIT Professional Education offers professionals the opportunity to take blended learning courses through Digital Plus Programs, attend courses abroad through International Programs, enroll in regular MIT academic courses through the Advanced Study Program, or attend Custom Programs designed specifically for their companies. For more information, please visit: professional.mit.eduThere is no higher calling than being a teacher, and as the teacher workforce is under heavy demands, it is important to provide educators ongoing support that inspires them in their classrooms.

In recognition of teachers who inspire students to achieve their greatest potential, National University System has launched the Sanford Teacher Award, a half-million dollar award campaign to honor 50 of the nation's top inspiring PreK-12 teachers. The first-of-its-kind Sanford Teacher Award seeks to recognize the value of inspiring teachers nationwide by recognizing educators for their dedication to creating inspirational and harmonious classrooms that support student development and achievement. The Sanford Teacher Award will award the top inspirational teacher in each state with $10,000, with the exception of one top teacher who will be named a national winner and receive a grand award of $50,000.

To celebrate the Sanford Teacher Award launch, five remarkable educators who have been identified as representing the key characteristics of inspiring teaching are being recognized throughout the country as inaugural recipients of the Sanford Teacher Award. These five inaugural Award recipients will be announced in upcoming weeks as part of the campaigns ongoing teacher outreach activities through the Oct. 22 award submission deadline. The first Inaugural Sanford Teacher Award is being presented to Rafaela Campos, an early childhood educator with the Los Angeles Unified School District. Other recipients of this special Inaugural recognition will be named in upcoming weeks in San Diego, Dallas, Clark County (Nev.) and New York City.

The five will support efforts in raising awareness of the national Sanford Teacher Awards competition, leading up to the announcement of the 50 winners in November. The Sanford Teacher Award also celebrates the commitment of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, who is the visionary behind two research-based pre-college programs that are being expanded nationally through the leadership of the private, nonprofit National University System: Sanford Harmony is a PreK-6 social emotional learning program that helps children develop communication and collaboration skills, and the PreK-12 Sanford Inspire offers teachers research-based resources and lessons to create inspiring classroom experiences.

There is no higher calling than being a teacher, and as the teacher workforce is under heavy demands, it is important to provide educators ongoing support that inspires them in their classrooms, said Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, Chancellor of the National University System, a network of nonprofit education institutions that serve lifelong learners from PreK to graduate level. We are honored to collaborate with Denny Sanford on the national expansion of the Sanford Programs and we congratulate the inaugural five recipients for their commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences for their students.

The Sanford Teacher Awards are part of the national expansion efforts of the three Sanford Programs, which also includes a nationwide network of institutes anchored by the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy at National University that offers training programs for front-line nonprofit fundraisers. All three programs are based on the vision of Mr. Sanford, who has donated about $130 million toward their national expansion effort led by the San Diego-based National University System  an effort that involves the collaboration of universities around the country that share a similar focus and dedication to the professional support of educators and the nonprofit sector. To date, more than 3 million people have been impacted by the three programs.

As the nation faces an increasing teacher shortage exacerbated by teacher retention challenges, the PreK-12 Sanford Inspire offers a toolkit of research-based teaching methodologies, and on-demand, self-guided modules that are accessible online to help teachers create inspiring classroom environments. The Sanford College of Education at National University, which is part of the National University System, is also a leader among a growing number of universities that have integrated Inspire principles into their teacher education curriculum. Sanford Harmony is a PreK-6 research-based social-emotional learning program that cultivates strong classroom relationships between all students. Sanford Harmony has been recognized by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as a quality program, and is being used in the nations largest school districts by teachers who appreciate its easy-to-integrate lessons, activity cards and story books that encourage students to develop empathy, communication skills, and positive peer relationships by learning how to collaborate and look beyond perceived differences.

As a child, I was fortunate to have a few teachers who truly inspired me to learn and succeed. Educators have many similar opportunities to touch childrens lives and make meaningful impacts that can last a lifetime, said Mr. Sanford. As an entrepreneur and philanthropist, I can think of no better return on investment than inspiring students to embrace learning and find their path in life.

The criteria for selecting the 50 winners is based on the following characteristics of inspiring teaching: Enthusiasm for teaching; empathy and warmth towards all students; fosters positive relationships with all students; creates a positive learning environment; and recognizes student strengths. The finalists nominations form will be reviewed by a selection committee based at National University in La Jolla, California.

To learn more about learn more about the Sanford Teacher Award and nominate an inspirational teacher, visit the Sanford Teacher Award page.

About the National University System

The National University System is a network of accredited nonprofit education institutions serving higher education and K-12 students that includes National University, John F. Kennedy University, City University of Seattle, and the Division of Pre-College Programs. Established in 2001 to meet the emerging challenges and demands of education in the 21st Century, the network's complementary universities offer pathways for students to attain professional and terminal degrees through quality and innovative programs delivered in a format that is flexible to the needs of adult learners. The anchor institution, National University, was founded in in 1971 and is among the largest private, nonprofit institutions of higher education in California with more than 150,000 alumni. For more information on the National University System: https://www.nusystem.org.

About the Sanford Education Center and Sanford College of Education at National University

The Sanford Education Center at National University was established in 2014 through the generous support of philanthropist T. Denny Sanford to provide innovative programs in the nonprofit and PreK-12 sectors. The Center, in coordination with universities around the country, is leading the national expansion of three initiatives: Sanford Harmony, Sanford Inspire and the Sanford Institute of Philanthropy. The Center's initiatives are supported by the National University System, National University, and the Universitys Sanford College of Education, which is named after Mr. Sanford in recognition of his role in developing and supporting programs that promote prosocial behavior among children. The College is among the Top Ten largest schools of education in the country and prepares more teachers than any other university in the state of California. Learn more: sanfordprograms.orgAn Introductory Guide to E-Commerce Fraud Prevention "Merchants can now feel empowered to fight back against fraud and chargebacks effectively without having to worry about time, resources or expensive tools."

Chargeback Gurus, an industry leader in chargeback and fraud mitigation services, has released a new guide, An Introductory Guide to E-Commerce Fraud Prevention, to help e-commerce and other card-not-present merchants protect themselves from credit card fraud. Fraud is a significant and growing threat for e-commerce businessesespecially during peak holiday times, when merchants can face up to 2 to 3 times more fraud than usual. Online fraud jumped up 33% in 2016, with total fraud losses that year calculated at $6.7 billion. Some analysts expect that figure to rise to $7.2 billion by 2020.

The guide covers five main types of e-commerce fraudtrue fraud, friendly fraud, phishing (account takeover fraud), refund fraud and card testingand offers effective tools and strategies to combat each of them. Prevention is crucial, said Suresh Dakshina, President of Chargeback Gurus. Merchants today are stuck in a bind where they must make every effort to detect and avoid fraud and chargebacks, while being careful not to overzealously decline legitimate transactions or allow the costs of fraud prevention to harm their profitability.

Finding this delicate balance can be challenging for most businesses, who may feel worried or overwhelmed that prevention can be tedious and expensive, and may lower sales. These are all valid concerns, but according to Dakshina, merchants can now feel empowered to fight back against fraud and chargebacks effectively without having to worry about time, resources or expensive tools. This was our primary goal in creating this new guide.

Get the eGuide now.

About Chargeback Gurus:

Chargeback Gurus provides comprehensive management solutions to help businesses recover lost revenue from chargebacks and fraud. Their chargeback representment and prevention services take the pain out of chargeback management and deliver true ROI for clients.

Chargeback Gurus proprietary FPR-360 tool with Root Cause Analyzer looks at over 40 different data points to identify business vulnerabilities and prevent up to 50% of chargebacks. Their Smart Chargeback Representment Process combines automation, data analytics and expert analysts to help companies recover up to 70% of chargebacks.

Visit https://www.chargebackgurus.com to learn more.The National Theatre for Children Live theatre is a great way to educate. The show goes beyond reading or other more passive methods of engaging kids. These children are watching a story unfold right before their very eyes.

Piedmont Natural Gas and The National Theatre for Children (NTC) have partnered to educate and inspire North Carolina students and their families. From September 24 to November 9, professional actors from NTC will visit elementary schools with live performances of "Once Upon a Flame," sparking conversations on natural gas efficiency and safety in classrooms throughout the Piedmont Natural Gas service area.

The program will focus on:



How we use natural gas

The geology and history of natural gas

How to conserve natural gas

How to be safe around natural gas

The live program is set in a fairy-tale world and follows TinkerFred, who discovers that the Wicked Witch of the Upper Northwest has been wasting natural gas. With the help of student volunteers, as well as colorful characters like Little Blue Riding Hood and Scratching Beauty, TinkerFred sets out to learn about natural gas and stop the Wicked Witch.

Live theatre is a great way to educate, says NTC president and founder Ward Eames. The show goes beyond reading or other more passive methods of engaging kids. These children are watching a story unfold right before their very eyes, with the two actors playing all sorts of characters. We dont lose the kids attention for a minute, because they get to respond and interact with the show. It really sticks with them.

In addition to live performances, the program includes student playbooks (both print and online versions), teacher guides, infographic posters, and digital games and activities that align with the important concepts outlined in the live shows. Piedmont Natural Gas sponsors every aspect of the program, making the performances and materials a cost-free supplement to lessons in science, literacy and the arts.

Sponsoring this program is one of the ways Piedmont Natural Gas promotes our messages of energy conservation and safety, said Barbara Ashford, director of community relations for Piedmont Natural Gas. Its never too early to introduce these concepts, and were proud to help give students an engaging, enriching experience.

For a complete list of schools and locations on the tour, contact Matt Levine at mlevine(at)ntccorporate.com. For more information on The National Theatre for Children, visit: http://www.nationaltheatre.com.

About The National Theatre for Children

NTC is a premium provider of educational programming with operations in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. We work directly between schools and clients to promote beneficial behaviors and life skills to students in grades K-12 on a local, regional and national level.

Our award-winning educational programs are provided free for schools and are customizable to accommodate specific messages and goals for clients. Through formats including live performance, in-class discussion, graphic novels, print curriculum, and digital games and activities, we present topics such as energy conservation, safety, financial literacy, STEM, water and environmental stewardship, and health and social responsibility in ways that engage and empower students. In doing so, we are helping our clients to be forces of change for students, parents and communities.

Visit http://www.NTCcorporate.com.

Please direct inquiries to:

Matt Levine

Client Services Representative

mlevine(at)ntccorporate.comTaStation Technology: The First and Only Fully Automated System For Quantitative Measurement of Human Taste Opertech will be working with Tate & Lyle on a project focused on an industry wide objective of reducing the amount of sugar in food and beverage products without compromising taste

TERRA, the leading Food and Agriculture Accelerator, has selected Opertech Bio into its third cohort kicking off next week in San Francisco - near the tech campus of RocketSpace - one of the programs's founding partners. Opertech was selected as one of the 17 most innovative startups from across the globe to work alongside industry giants including founding partner Rabobank, as well as AgroFresh, Beta San Miguel, Graincorp, Griffith Foods, Grupo Azuca de Mexico, Nestle, OSI and Tate & Lyle.

As part of the TERRA program, Opertech will be working with Tate & Lyle on a project focused on an industry wide objective of reducing the amount of sugar in food and beverage products without compromising taste. Opertech will use its TaStation (Taste+Station) technology, the first automated high throughput system for rapid characterization of taste sensory properties.

Founded in 2016, TERRA is a global innovation accelerator fueling groundbreaking transformation in Food & Agriculture in order to advance the well-being of our people and our planet. The program brings together experts, decision-makers, and innovators across the entire value chain - fostering connections that catapult major breakthroughs into scalable solutions by pairing emerging growth companies with established multinationals, in a pilot-driven engagement that leads to tangible results.

TERRA provides us with access to a number of food industry giants in a vibrant environment working alongside fellow entrepreneurs on the cutting edge of science and technology, said Scott Horvitz, Opertechs President and Chief Executive Officer. Acceptance into the TERRA program is a further endorsement of Opertech Bios unique taste science platform, he added.

The TERRA team reviewed hundreds of applications from emerging growth companies around the world, shortlisting 160 applicants for only 17 spots. Startups selected represent eight countries. Unlike other accelerators, TERRA does not require equity from selected startups. They must have a product in market/ready to launch and have raised a minimum of seed-funding, better positioning them for productive pilot partnerships with corporate collaborators.

For more information on TERRA, please visit http://www.terraaccelerator.com.

About Opertech Bio, Inc.

Opertech Bio is a service-based business offering its customers a pioneering approach to measuring taste, a multi-billion dollar market covering the food and beverage, flavor ingredients, pet food, and pharmaceutical industries. Opertech Bios technology can be used to discover new flavor ingredients, measure palatability and optimize flavor formulations. For more information, please visit the Company's website at http://www.opertechbio.com.

About Tate & Lyle:

Tate & Lyle is a global provider of solutions and ingredients for food, beverage and industrial markets.

Tate & Lyle operates through two global divisions, Food & Beverage Solutions and Primary Products, supported by the Innovation and Commercial Development and Global Operations teams. Food & Beverage Solutions is focused on growth by building leading positions globally in the categories of beverages, dairy, and soups, sauces and dressings. Primary Products is focused on delivering steady earnings and generating cash.

Food & Beverage Solutions consists of: Texturants, including speciality starches; Sweeteners, including low- and no-calorie sweeteners; a Health and Wellness portfolio comprising mainly speciality fibres; and Stablisers and Functional Systems, which are bespoke ingredient blends that ensure foods retain their structure.

Primary Products consists of high-volume sweeteners, industrial starches and fermentation products (primarily acidulants). It also sells co-products from the corn milling process as animal nutrition.

Tate & Lyle is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol TATE.L. American Depositary Receipts trade under TATYY. In the year to 31 March 2018, Tate & Lyle sales totalled 2.7 billion. For more information, please visit http://www.tateandlyle.com

###My family used to live in Naperville and we now are in Oswego and used to be church members elsewhere and then life got busy and we fell away, Meyer said. After a while, we felt like we needed to be grounded and start connecting with people again. I listened to the worship message a few times online from St. Olaf and before you know it we were coming all the time. This anniversary is really a big deal.For over 25 years, WISH has been the leading intern housing and residential life services provider in Washington DC. Having a paid internship opens doors to students who do not have parents who can foot the bill. This new budget will go a long way in helping a Capitol Hill college intern afford a semester in Washington DC, one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Late last week, a $147 billion minibus bill was signed by President Donald Trump into law. His signature came quickly after the House of Representatives passed their appropriations package that included a provision for congressional intern pay. The House voted 377-20 for final passage of the $147 billion minibus bill, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act (H.R. 5895). The vote followed a day after the Senate passed a similar package, which includes a provision allowing $8.8 million for pay to House interns and $5 million for those in the Senate.

Before passage, internships on the Hill were over 90 percent unpaid, which has been unsustainable. Students are paying for classes, and living in DC, and working unpaid for over 32 hours a week. Additional expenses for food and living expenses in DC, as well as housing is all on the students and their families. These are the same students that often are working a part time job at home to help get through school and are on loans.

Washington Intern Student Housing (WISH) founder Jacqueline Lewis applauded President Trump and Congress for funding internships, Without a paid internship, students cannot make it to DC for a life changing internship: Housing, meals, and transportation are difficult to sustain when working as an unpaid Congressional intern, said Lewis. Now more students can afford coming to DC for more work experience on the front lines to develop their professional skills. Educators have advocated for paid congressional internships for a long time, and Im pleased to see the bill pass and signed into law. Interns truly keep our democracy working, Lewis remarked.

Once the law goes into effect, the Senate would average about $50,000 per office. In the House, lawmakers would see an additional $20,000 to pay their interns.

In a 2015 study with Hart Research Associates and the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that 60 percent of employers said they would be more likely to consider a candidate for a full-time job, if they had completed an internship.

Lewis concluded, Having a paid internship opens doors to students who do not have parents who can foot the bill. This new budget will go a long way in helping a Capitol Hill college intern afford a semester in Washington DC, one of the most expensive cities in the world.

ABOUT WISH:

For over 25 years, WISH has been the leading intern housing and residential life services provider in Washington DC. WISH works with Colleges and Universities around the world to provide thousands of DC interns student housing for the terms needed whether it be fall, spring, summer or all year. Faculty housing, classrooms, conference rooms, and reception room are all available for WISH residents needs. For more information go to http://www.internsdc.com.Were seeing trends signalling that employers are seeking paralegals with four-year degrees. Our ranking is designed to help prospective paralegals find programs that will increase their competitiveness in the job market, while recognizing programs that provide quality and value.

Paralegal411.org, a popular website dedicated to providing information about paralegal degrees, careers, certifications, and job opportunities, has released its ranking of the top online and hybrid-online bachelors degrees for paralegals.

You can view the full list, which includes data points for ranking factors and profiles of select schools, by clicking the link below:

https://www.paralegal411.org/degrees/bachelors/online/

Only schools with regional accreditation and not-for-profit status that have paralegal programs with at least part of the curriculum available online were considered eligible for the ranking. To find the top programs, Paralegal411.org researched schools offering online paralegal degrees through publicly available sources, including the National Center for Education Statistics, and compiled and modeled the data manually.

Paralegal programs were evaluated based on such factors as the ability of students to graduate in six years or less, the average cost per online credit hour for in-state and out-of-state students, and the percentage of the overall student body attending only online courses. Other factors include faculty tenure and rankings by US News and World Report in the regional, national, and online bachelors program categories.

According to Rob Voce, founder of Paralegal411.org, Industry projections indicate that demand for paralegals and legal assistants over the next eight years will increase faster than the average for all industries. At the same time, were seeing trends signalling that employers are seeking paralegals with four-year degrees. Our ranking is designed to help prospective paralegals find programs that will increase their competitiveness in the job market, while recognizing programs that provide quality and value.

Overall, 30 online paralegal degree programs satisfied the prerequisites and ranked on this years list. As well as providing data for the ranking factors of included programs, the 2018 Top Online Paralegal Bachelors Programs list includes detailed information on the included schools tuition and net price; admissions statistics and requirements; and data on faculty tenure. Users can also view:

-Comprehensive profiles of top-ranked online paralegal programs

-The support services available to online students

-Core courses and student debt statistics for select programs

The top schools on this years list are:

1. University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)

2 tie. Purdue University Global (West Lafayette, IN)

2 tie. Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA)

3. California University of Pennsylvania (California, PA)

4. SUNY College of Technology at Canton (Canton, NY)

5. Tulane University (New Orleans, LA)

6. Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, KY)

7. William Woods University (Fulton, MO)

8. Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI)

9. Northwestern State University of Louisiana (Natchitoches, LA)

10. Valdosta State University (Valdosta, GA)

11. Dominican University (River Forest, IL)

12 tie. Eastern Michigan University (Ypsilanti, MI)

12 tie. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Terre Haute, IN)

13. University of Memphis (Memphis, TN)

14. Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA)

15. Southern New Hampshire University (Hooksett, NH)

16. Grand View University (Des Moines, IA)

17. Stevenson University (Owings Mills, MD)

18. Hampton University (Hampton, VA)

19. Widener University (Chester, PA)

20. Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, TN)

21. Mississippi College (Clinton, MS)

22. Bellevue University (Bellevue, NE)

23. Brandman University (Irvine, CA)

24. University of Providence (Great Falls, MT)

25. Humphreys University (Stockton, CA)

26. Peirce College (Philadelphia, PA)

27. Mercy College (Dobbs Ferry, NY)

28. Hilbert College (Hamburg, NY)

*See the full rankings and program details here:

https://www.paralegal411.org/degrees/bachelors/online/

Media Contact:

Laura McPherson

Project 8 Labs Career Guides

info(at)paralegal411(dot)org

About Paralegal411.org: Paralegal411.org is a free online resource providing information for individuals interested in getting started or advancing their careers in the paralegal field. The site provides helpful information on paralegal school options, guides to earning a paralegal degree, top paralegal blogs, information on national and state-level certifications, and recommended sites for succeeding in a paralegal career. The information presented on Paralegal411.org is drawn from the latest available government-backed data and paralegal industry standards.Chicago-based RedMane Technology is using its mCase platform to help the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) Comprehensive Permanency Assessment and Safety System (COMPASS) program. Assisting organizations with problem-solving and helping people as a result is what RedMane is all about. In fact, other jurisdictions such as Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; the province of Alberta, Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands are using our mCase platform.

RedMane Technology, a Chicago-based software solutions and systems integration services company, was awarded a contract to provide and implement its mCase platform for the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) Comprehensive Permanency Assessment and Safety System (COMPASS) program.

RedManes work is in support of the Commonwealths Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) Enterprise Mobile Software Solution project. That project is the first component in the COMPASS program and follows Virginia Governor Ralph Northams executive order directing the use of cloud technologies in the Commonwealths information technology services.

The company won this contract by offering a modern CCWIS mobile solution and the deep expertise necessary to successfully implement it throughout Virginia.

RedManes highly flexible, powerful, and mobile cloud-based platform will enable child welfare caseworkers to access data when they need it - whether they are in the office or the field. With mCase, caseworkers can put more focus on the needs and positive outcomes of their clients.

Caseworkers will be able to meet with a family, assess the situation utilizing existing assessment tools, develop an appropriate plan, and have it agreed upon, printed, and signed in a single visit.

Virginia is committed to improving the lives of the families and children we serve through our child welfare programs, said Carl E. Ayers, director of the Division of Family Services at VDSS. Equipping our workforce with industry leading tools is a major step in fulfilling that mission. Through our partnership with RedMane, the Commonwealth will take advantage of technological improvements that ensure staff have the needed information at their fingertips when working with those in need.

Ayers added, Virginia's innovative partnership with RedMane will get the Commonwealth closer to accomplishing our mission of helping children and families triumph over poverty, abuse and neglect.

Tony Lakier, RedManes president, said that his company will use its mCase platform as the foundation of the solution.

We will implement mCase and be responsible for all the systems integration work associated with this critical project, Lakier said. Our professional services staff will work closely with VDSS to tailor the solution to Virginias needs, integrate it into the existing environment, and roll it out throughout the Commonwealth.

Lakier added that the companys mCase platform will help Virginia protect and serve its children and families.

Assisting organizations with problem-solving and helping people as a result is what RedMane is all about, he said. In fact, other jurisdictions such as Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; the province of Alberta, Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands are using our mCase platform in aiding and assisting their residents for everything from eligibility and benefits processing to child welfare and ongoing case management.

About Virginia Department of Social Services

VDSS partners with 120 local departments of social services, along with faith-based and non-profit organizations, to promote the well-being of children and families statewide. The agency serves alongside 1,650 state and 8,500 local human services professionals who ensure that thousands of Virginia's most vulnerable residents have access to the best services and benefits available.

About RedMane

RedMane provides software solutions and systems integration services that address complex, real-world challenges in human services, healthcare, and the commercial sector. RedMane is a problem-solving company. Technology is just one of its tools.

mCase is RedManes flexible and powerful platform that easily supports any case management program, including those involving intake, assessment, eligibility, service planning, financial processing, and/or ongoing service delivery. It works in the office and in the field, even without Internet or cellular connectivity. And with its embedded analytics, organizations have insight to improve outcomes. To learn more about mCase, the modern case management system, visit redmane.com.Dr. Amarik Singh Offers Minimally Invasive Gum Recession Treatment in Lombard, IL

Patients with elongated or sensitive teeth due to receding gums in Lombard, IL, are now invited to visit Dr. Amarik Singh to receive the Pinhole Surgical Technique, with or without a referral. Dr. Singh is a leading Chicago-area periodontist who specializes in periodontal treatments and is certified to offer the Pinhole technique.

Gum grafting is one of the most common treatments offered to patients with sensitive teeth from receding gums in Lombard, IL. During the commonplace procedure, soft tissue from the roof of the patients mouth is surgically removed, then attached to the receded gum tissue with sutures. The process is invasive, can include a long recovery and can be uncomfortable for the patient. Dr. Singh offers a minimally invasive alternative to traditional gum grafting. Instead of removing tissue from one area of the mouth and attaching it to another area with stitches, he uses the Pinhole Surgical Technique to correct gum recession without making a single scalpel incision.

During the Pinhole procedure, Dr. Singh gains access to the inner surface of the gum tissue through a small hole about the size of a pinprick that he creates in the gums at the receded site. He uses special tools to gently break the connection between the gum tissue and the teeth so he can easily glide the gums downward (or upward if hes working on the lower teeth). The gums stay in their new position and naturally reattach to the teeth over time. No sutures are required to hold them in place, so recovery time is minimal. Due to the speed with which the procedure can be performed, Dr. Singh can often treat multiple areas in the same office visit.

Dr. Singh encourages patients with sensitive teeth and embarrassment from receding gums in Lombard, IL, to schedule a consultation for the Pinhole Surgical Technique. Patients can easily make an appointment by calling Periodontal Implant Associates at 630-424-9404.

About the Periodontist

Periodontal Implant Associates is a periodontal practice offering personalized dental care for patients in Oak Brook, IL and the Chicago area. After graduating from Northwestern University Dental School, Dr. Amarik Singh went on to obtain his Specialty Certificate in Periodontics and earn his Masters from Northwestern University. Dr. Singh is deeply committed to continuing education and prides himself on remaining on the cutting-edge of the newest techniques and technology in dentistry. Dr. Singh has placed over 15,000 dental implants using minimally invasive techniques and is part of an elite group of dental professionals at the forefront of the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST), a revolutionary new approach to repairing gum recession. To learn more about the periodontal services available at Periodontal Implant Associates, please visit http://www.pidentists.com or call 630-424-9404.We would like to personally thank all of the researchers who have been on this journey with us for the last 20 years.

This month, Salimetrics celebrates its 20th anniversary. These past twenty years have witnessed exponential growth in knowledge facilitated by salivary bioscience research, and Salimetrics has been part of that journey every step of the way. Now, after many years of basic and descriptive study, salivary bioscience is ready to translate its findings in an even bigger way, says Douglas Granger, Ph.D., Salimetrics Founder and Chief Scientific and Strategy Advisor. Salimetrics has always focused on providing the knowledge and tools to enable an international research effort. The initial focus of salivary bioscience was largely centered on assessing hormones in saliva such as cortisol. We had a vision from the start that a wide range of measurements could be possible using saliva, and that Salimetrics would be the best partner to bring about those tools and methods, says Granger. Recent advancements now include salivary measures of environmental chemical exposure, infectious disease, metabolomics, oral microbiome, and inflammation. Salimetrics is committed to being the best partner for the next generation of salivary bioscience research.

Historically, Salimetrics has always been more than just a good assay manufacturer. More often considered a scientific collaborator, Salimetrics extensive customer support stands by investigators in support of their specific aims, and always goes above and beyond. Its team science, through and through, says Granger. From students to novice researchers to industry leading pharmaceuticals and contract research organizations, Salimetrics collaborates with investigators in both the academic and diagnostic fields across many scientific disciplines. "It gives me great pride when those we work with have tremendous success, are instrumental in revealing a new discovery, and through the incorporation of salivary measurements, become nextgen key opinion leaders in their respective fields. Now with a base community of over 20,000 researchers worldwide, Salimetrics is indeed at the epicenter of salivary bioscience and remains committed to building and maintaining long-lasting relationships and collaborations with investigators interested in pushing knowledge boundaries.

What many researchers may not know is that Salimetrics itself has also transformed over 20 years. In 2013, its Technology Center and Saliva Testing Laboratory relocated to Carlsbad, California. The academic arm of this endeavor has moved from a lab at Penn State, to a center at Johns Hopkins University, and more recently to an institute at the University of California, Irvine. Most importantly, Salimetrics has remained family owned and operated.

We value our relationships with researchers. At the heart of our efforts, we have always been and always will be a company focused on quality and driven by rigorous, uncompromising scientific values. Were not driven by a mediocre and extensive product line, but rather by developing the most accurate, reproducible, and precise tools and protocols that provide better results and drive research forward. Were a company built on attention to detail, constantly in pursuit of scientific knowledge and focused on always doing better for the field in which we serve, says Hans Schroeder, Salimetrics CEO.

We would like to personally thank all of the researchers who have been on this journey with us for the last 20 years, says Granger. We consider it a privilege to have the opportunity to work with you now and in the future. The next 20 years will be especially interesting as we sort out the details of the basic science and determine for whom and under what circumstances salivary bioscience can make a difference. No doubt we can accomplish more together than independently. Onward!

Our Story:

Salimetrics efforts started in a small, dark, underequipped basement lab at Penn State University in the 1990s. At first, salivary cortisol was attracting considerable empirical attention, and the research findings were high impact. However, we noticed the assays used in that research were largely developed in-house by academics. Comparing data between studies was a challenge because the methods were not standardized, and these methods were not optimized for use with saliva. At that time, the immunodiagnostic industry was unwilling to develop and commercialize assays designed specifically for saliva, says Granger. Our team recognized the importance to this emerging scientific endeavor of better assays. That led our group to take a leap of faith that would result in the much needed step up in assay quality, precision, accuracy, and standardization for salivary cortisol. So, we maxed out our credit cards and charged ahead. The release of the Salimetrics Salivary Cortisol Assay Kit in 1998 marked a new beginning for salivary bioscience research. Since then, Salimetrics assays have become the gold standard and the Salimetrics Salivary Cortisol Assay has become the most published salivary cortisol assay in the field.

In 2009, Hans Schroeder, my brother in-law, joined the company as a senior executive. Hans has transformed Salimetrics manufacturing and business operations and now serves as Chief Executive Officer says Granger. In 2013, Steve Granger, Ph.D., my brother, joined the company as Chief Scientific Officer and has modernized our scientific approach to assay development. Various Granger and Schroeder family, children, and friends have also worked at the company over the years. Beyond our families, the Salimetrics team includes caring people with different backgrounds, from PhDs and Biotech experts to MBAs and CPAs, from academics and industry, who individually and collectively work to make us a better partner for salivary bioscience. Today, Salimetrics provides more than 20 different high-quality salivary assay kits and also offers experienced saliva lab services for researchers without access to high-quality saliva testing.To facilitate same-day service for those in need of dental crowns, the dental team has invested in remarkable, award-winning CEREC equipment, software and protocols.

The dental team of Denville Dentists, Drs. Hal and Adam Kimowitz, are welcoming patients from across the northern New Jersey region in need of same-day dental crowns whether they have a referral or not. Instead of waiting days to weeks for a dental crown to be constructed, Drs. Kimowitz can create customized dental crowns in Morristown, NJ at their two modern facilities in as little as an hour. This allows patients to get high-quality, leading-edge treatment in just one office visit instead of two or more.

To facilitate same-day service for those in need of dental crowns in Morristown the dental team has invested in remarkable, award-winning CEREC equipment, software and protocols. Their onsite CEREC machine uses enhanced three-dimensional images taken from patients mouths to create personalized crowns to fit atop cracked, chipped and broken teeth. Because the process requires only minimal human intervention to craft precise crowns, patients can enjoy speedy recovery and results that last.

For most patients, dental crowns made with the help of CEREC technology are a permanent solution. However, in the case of those with teeth too far decayed or damaged to be capped with a tooth crown, Drs. Kimowitz can provide an alternative treatment solution in the form of dental implants. Dental implants replace the entire tooth, ideal for people who have already lost a tooth or are in need of an extraction. The practices CEREC technology is able to restore dental implants with lifelike dental crowns to give these patients a natural-looking smile, often in the same appointment that their implants are placed.

To learn more about CEREC same-day dental crowns in Morristown, NJ or to arrange for a consultation regarding dental implants, patients can call Denville Dentist, at 973-627-3363 or visit http://www.denvilledentist.com.

About the Practice

Denville Dentist is a general and cosmetic dental practice offering personalized dental care to patients in Denville, New Jersey. Denville Dentist upholds a philosophy of providing leading preventative care to ensure patients reach and maintain proper oral health. Dr. Hal H. Kimowitz is a Fellow and Diplomate in the International Congress of Oral Implantology, Diplomate in the American Society of Osseointegration, Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, graduate of the Misch Institute of Implant Dentistry and member of numerous professional organizations. Dr. Adam S. Kimowitz is a graduate, Alumni President-elect and lecturer at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and founder and president of the Grassroots Dental Study Club. He is also a credentialed Fellow of the International College of Oral Implantologists and a credentialed Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Drs. Kimowitz offer the latest techniques in a variety of services including implant, cosmetic, and laser dentistry. To learn more about Denville Dentist, Drs. Kimowitz or the services they offer, visit http://www.denvilledentist.com or call 973-627-3363 to schedule an appointment.San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges are partnering with local companies to prepare students for employment in the regions in-demand middle-skill job market. These jobs require more education than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree and are the fastest-growing job category in the region.

In 2017, 38 percent of job openings in San Diego County and 36 percent in Imperial County were middle-skill, and these percentages are expected to grow, according to a June report by the San Diego-Imperial Center of Excellence (COE) for Labor Market Research.

Life Sciences & Biotechnology and Advanced Transportation & Logistics are both among the top nine industry sectors in the region that are unable to find enough sufficiently trained workers for middle-skill jobs. To fill this gap, community colleges in both counties are working with local companies to align Career Education programs with these job openings, and to better educate students about the skill sets required for successful job placement. These college-employer partnerships also afford students the opportunity to learn directly from professionals in the field through internships and apprenticeships.

Opportunities in the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Industry

San Diego County is currently ranked third in the state for employment in life sciences and biotechnology, according to a 2018 report by the California Life Sciences Association. Depending on the Career Education program, students may learn the science behind combating diseases, creating safer medicines or reducing energy usage. Common job placements include working as laboratory, chemical or engineering technicians and first-line production supervisors. Workers in these positions can earn median salaries between $44,000 and $65,000 annually, well above the regional average.

Our talent is, without question, our most important asset, and we frequently rely on area community colleges to be a reliable source of skilled team members, said Abe Chohan, Vice President of Operations for Inova Diagnostics. At Inova, these positions are critical to our ability to manufacture and distribute the highest quality products for our customers around the world.

Opportunities in the Advanced Transportation and Logistics Industry

The shipping industry in the region is growing rapidly due to online shopping, with an increasing demand for transportation expertise. Career Education in this sector can include learning how to maintain fleets of electric vehicles and airplanes or learning about autonomous vehicle technology. Middle-skill jobs in this sector include automotive repair technicians, cargo and freight agents and aircraft mechanics. Workers in these positions can earn median salaries between $36,000 and $65,000 annually.

Nearly half of our technicians at Mossy Toyota alone are graduates or students of Career Education programs at area colleges, said Dale Snow, Director of After Sales at Mossy Auto Group. The automotive industry needs technicians badly, but we have never had an issue finding talent, thanks to our partnership with the regional community colleges. Working with them allows us to not only give back to the community, but to help mentor our future workforce, which we consider one of our greatest accomplishments.

These college-employer partnerships are paying off for students. According to LaunchBoard, a statewide data system for all California Community Colleges, 71 percent of students who complete a Career Education program in San Diego and Imperial Counties are employed one year after finishing.

While the community college mission has always included developing a trained workforce, the colleges are now at the center of a statewide effort to produce one million middle-skilled workers by 2026. Through the Strong Workforce program, the states goal is to lift low-wage workers into living-wage jobs and fuel regions with these middle-skill workers needed by employers.

About Career Education in San Diego and Imperial Counties

San Diego and Imperial Counties nine community colleges have united to fill the growing regional middle-skill labor gap by promoting Career Education programs to target these well-paying, in-demand jobs. Whether learning new skills, earning a certificate or an associate degree, Career Education students gain real-world experience that lead them to in-demand, well-paying jobs. With more than 200 programs to choose from, students learn by exploring, collaborating and doing, with hands-on training and taught by instructors and professionals in their field of study.

The nine San Diego and Imperial Counties Community Colleges offering students the opportunity to Learn More. Earn More. are: Cuyamaca College, Grossmont College, Imperial Valley College, MiraCosta College, Palomar College, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego Miramar College, and Southwestern College. To learn more, visit CareerEd.org.

# # #Etna Interactive (http://www.etnainteractive.com), a digital marketing company serving elective medical practices, recently was named by Google Partners as one of eight Premier Partner Awards finalists in the category of Growing Businesses Online. The competition included agencies from throughout the Americas.

"This achievement recognizes Etna's innovative, multi-dimensional approach to growing our clients' businesses online using advanced marketing tools," said Chief Operating Officer Sean Collier. "We've worked hard to create a nimble product that increases our clients' revenue using Google's pay-per-click advertising."

Etna Interactive is part of a select group of digital specialists that Google celebrates as Premier Partners. To qualify as a Premier Partner, digital marketing agencies and professionals must pass a series of exams and prove their expertise in using and applying Googles advertising products.

Founded in 2002 by company president Ryan Miller, Etna Interactive provides comprehensive web development and online marketing services to elective medical practices throughout the U.S. and Canada. As part of their submission for the Premier Partner Awards, the company described work they performed for Synergy Plastic Surgery in Austin, Texas, and the measurable results it produced.

Synergy, founded by board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Mahlon Kerr, is a long-time Etna client that had seen steady growth over the course of 8 years. This year, the practice set a goal of 20% growth in the number of leads and asked Etna to craft a plan to meet that ambitious target.

"The paid media campaign we created for Synergy showcased Etna's innovation and the breadth of talented employees across a range of specialties, including web designers, project managers, programmers, social media and marketing ops specialists, and copywriters," said Miller. "The results really speak for themselves."

Between January and May of 2018, Synergy saw a 414% increase in conversions for patients seeking breast lift surgery, a 59% increase in tummy tuck conversion rate, and an 800% increase in conversions for facelift patients.

The campaign featured customized landing pages for each of the target procedures that Etna monitored, evaluated in real time, and updated as needed to ensure the best possible results.

The Premier Partner Awards 2018 ceremony will be held October 25 in New York City at the W Hotel. Besides Growing Businesses Online, the awards honor innovation in digital marketing across Search, Mobile, Video, Display, and Shopping platforms.

###

Founded in 2002 and based in San Luis Obispo, California, Etna Interactive (http://www.etnainteractive.com) is a full-service healthcare marketing agency. The company offers medical website design, SEO, PPC & paid search, social media marketing, email marketing, strategic consulting, content strategy, and reputation management services to hundreds of the world's most prominent names in the aesthetic field. These include cosmetic and plastic surgeons, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, medical device manufacturers, facial plastic surgeons, and medical day spas.SciTechsperience Logo Having our SciTechsperience intern makes us more profitable," said Allan Loney, CEO of LCL Electronics in Baxter, Minnesota. "Im looking at new multimillion-dollar jobs that I would have had to pass on without him.

The SciTechsperience Internship Program is now accepting student and company applications for the 2018-2019 program year. SciTechsperience connects STEM college students to paid internships in small Minnesota companies. As a program of the Minnesota High Tech Association, and through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, SciTechsperience exists to build and retain Minnesotas STEM workforce.

The SciTechsperience Internship Program is critical for ensuring our state builds and retains its STEM workforce, said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, president & CEO of the Minnesota High Tech Association. SciTechsperience connects students with high-quality, high-impact experiences in their field while also giving companies access to top talent to build their talent pipeline.

Allan Loney, CEO of LCL Electronics in Baxter, Minnesota said, Having our SciTechsperience intern makes us more profitable. Im looking at new multimillion-dollar jobs that I would have had to pass on without him.

Students who secure an internship through the program will receive paid, hands-on experience at one of the hundreds of participating companies in industries across the state. Businesses that hire interns through SciTechsperience receive up to $2,500 per intern to help cover half their wages. To be eligible, businesses must have fewer than 250 employees worldwide. Students and employers can view requirements and apply to take part in the program at http://scitechmn.org/.

This internship was probably the biggest turn around in my life, and that all stems from SciTech, said Austin Wong-Parker, a computer science major at the University of Minnesota, interning at the Comtrol Corporation. I really appreciate this internship so much.

Becky Siekmeier, SciTechsperience program director, said, We are incredibly excited to launch the new program year. SciTech participants tell us that the program is a great resource. For companies, it means help finding great talent, boosting their productivity and positively impacting their bottom line. For students, it means having a one-stop shop for finding STEM internships right here in Minnesota. Its a win-win.

SciTechsperience was established in January, 2012 to offer college students pursuing STEM degrees the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in solving real-world challenges. The program is designed to expand a pool of talent to support Minnesota companies commercializing new technology, products and processes. Since its start, the SciTechsperience program has placed over 1,270 students in internships and nearly 1,700 students applied for internships in the last program year alone.

More information about SciTechsperience, including a promotional video, can be found at https://scitechmn.org/about/.Scooters Coffee, the Midwest-based coffee franchise that has experienced tremendous nationwide growth over the past year, announced that it has hired John Todd as Chief Development Officer. Todd is an exceptional and well-rounded leader, with more than 20 years of experience in the commercial development sector of prominent quick-service restaurant brands.

As Scooters Coffees CDO, Todd will guide Scooters Coffee toward its goal of surpassing 1,000 stores by the end of 2023. He will oversee franchise sales, construction, real estate and acquisitions.

Scooters Coffee is growing rapidly, and we need leaders who can take us to the next level, stated Todd Graeve, Chief Executive Officer. Throughout his considerable career, John guided several franchise-based restaurant brands toward success by securing significant market expansion while improving processes and optimizing profit. He holds to heart our core values, and he will make a great addition to our team.

Most recently, Todd served as Senior Vice President of Development with Cicis Pizza. Prior to that, he held the role of Chief Development Officer with Fiesta Restaurant Group and Arbys Restaurant Group.

In line with their successful and robust grand opening strategy, Scooters Coffee recently opened five locations throughout Kansas and Missouri, opened the first of many locations in Arkansas and is opening additional locations in markets such as Phoenix, Arizona; Rapid City, South Dakota; Dallas, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Americans love their coffee. The percentage of people in the U.S. who drink coffee daily is up to 62 percent in 2017. The National Coffee Association also recently discovered the percentage of Americans drinking coffee prepared outside of the home is at an all-time high of 46 percent in 2017. Scooters Coffee, with the Brand Promise of Amazing People, Amazing DrinksAmazingly Fast!  is helping meet that demand.

Scooters Coffee 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 16 states and has over 150 franchise commitments to build new stores. To find out why Scooters Coffee is among the best coffee franchises in the nation and to learn more about franchise opportunities, visit ownascooters.com.

About Scooters Coffee

Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooters Coffee roasts only the finest coffee beans in the world at its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. In more than two decades of business, Scooters Coffees success is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company core values. The Scooters Coffee Brand Promise, often recited to franchisees, customers and employees is: Amazing People, Amazing Drinks Amazingly Fast! It represents the companys business origins from 1998 and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal and new customers.

Scooters Coffee is at the dawn of a strategic growth phase in the Midwest and nationwide. The U.S. coffee market is an estimated $48 billion a year recession-resistant industry, and Scooters Coffee is striving to become the #1 drive-thru coffee franchise in the nation. Visit ownascooters.com to learn more about the benefits of owning a franchise of a well-established company.

For more information, visit scooterscoffee.com, facebook.com/scooterscoffee, ownascooters.com or call 877-494-7004.Its an art show with a very unique setting because the barns are more than 100 years old, and the groundspeople were phenomenal because they washed down the barns and painted the outsides, Vogel said.Pink dress made by Sierra College student Quirky Corky and Sierra Makerspaces Creative Consultant Heather Lincoln out of bubble wrap donated by tCheck in Rocklin CA. The Placer Arts Reinvent the Runway is the perfect vehicle to inspire Sierra College student makers to innovate with recycled materials.

Sierra College is supporting the arts by encouraging makers to create and submit fashions made of 80% recycled materials for the Arts Council of Placer County (ACPC) Reinvent the Runway by September 30. Artists are competing for cash prizes up to $500 as well as the opportunity to be displayed at ACPC events.

Reinvent the Runway applications are due September 30 and can be made through the Placer Arts website. Individuals and teams may enter; students, businesses, organizations and groups of friends are encouraged to demonstrate their creativity by molding recycled materials into fashions that can be modeled. As this is a reinvention of the runway concept, makers are encouraged to add lights, sound and other technology to the fashion designs.

The public is invited to watch the Reinvent the Runway fashion show on Friday, October 5 at 6:30 PM at Hacker Lab Powered by Sierra College, located at 4415 Granite Dr. #200, Rocklin. You do not need a ticket to attend; find more details on the ACPC Facebook page.

Selected recycled fashions will also be on display at the City of Rocklin Mini Maker Faire held at Sierra College, 5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin on Saturday October 6 from 9 am to 4 pm; admission and parking are free. The Arts Council of Placer County will incorporate ten fashions, by invitation only, into the pop up gallery at Hacker Lab powered by Sierra College, 4415 Granite Dr. #200, Rocklin through November 30 and as part of the free Placer Artists Studio Tour November 9-11 from 10 am to 5 pm.

Sierra College Makerspaces are building inclusive, collaborative makerspace communities at all three campuses and in partnership with community organizations, explained Carol Pepper-Kittredge, Associate Dean, Workforce Innovation, Sierra College. The Sierra Makerspaces team is excited to partner with the Arts Council of Placer County to inspire students, faculty, artists and community members to innovate with recycled materials, said Pepper-Kittredge.

Jim Crosthwaite, Executive Director, ACPC, indicated that the Reinvent the Runway taps into the trend to create art from recycled materials as well as attracts artists and students who see the social benefit of reusing and repurposing materials. As Makers continue to be widely accepted as producers of art, many types of materials and methods are utilized to create works of art, not the least of which is utilizing recycled materials and helping to educate the public on the importance of looking at these types of materials for a variety of uses, said Crosthwaite.

Reinvent the Runway also brings attention to the Maker movement, explained Crosthwaite. Our organization participates in the City of Rocklin Mini Maker Faire each year and we chose this as our project for 2018, adding in the off-site element, said Crosthwaite. We value the partnership with Sierra Makerspaces in such ventures; together we can educate the public on the contributions of Makers in our communities.

Sierra College students can join Hacker Lab powered by Sierra College in Rocklin at a discounted student rate. In makerspaces, student can explore new technology, discover personal interests and experiment with building creations that they dream up, said Pepper-Kittredge. The Placer Arts Reinvent the Runway is the perfect vehicle to inspire students and give them a reason to develop new maker skills using sewing machines, electronics, laser cutters and 3D printers to accessorize their fashions. Im participating too and created a gown made out of an old parachute and thrift store leather jacket to enter.

Go to tehe websites to learn more about Arts Council of Placer County and Sierra Makerspaces. Students can learn about membership at Hacker Lab powered by Sierra College. Sierra College is also leading the statewide CCC Maker initiative to build 24 community college makerspaces through a California Community College Chancellors Office Workforce Development Initiative under the Doing What MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy Framework.

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3200 square miles of Northern CA with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four year Universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region.Small Business Expo (SBE), the nations largest small business networking and educational event in the country, announced its multi-city business tour for 2019. This year, SBE will host its trade show in 17 cities, with Brooklyn, Charlotte and Orlando added to the tour schedule.

2019 will mark our 11th year in bringing together a forum of industry leaders to share their invaluable insights and expertise on how small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs can grow their business, said Zachary Lezberg, Owner, Small Business Expo. Weve seen continued demand from the nations growing small business market for the insight and learnings provided during these events, and were excited to bring the impact of our events to small business owners in new cities this year.

SBEs free, one-day event hosted in major US cities attracts over 75,000 passionate business owners looking to connect, network and learn from the most successful business professionals. At each event, business owners learn from a community of entrepreneurs and industry experts on how to best solve their most pressing business issues to make their businesses more efficient, flexible, and profitable.

"There are many new marketing technologies and strategies that can help fuel small business growth and we really enjoy sharing that information directly with small business owners at these Expos," said Dave Charest, Director of Content at Constant Contact and presenter at Small Business Expos across the country. "The sessions are marked by great energy and a passionate exchange of ideas and we're looking forward to participating in the expanded nationwide tour in 2019."

For this year, SBE has added Small Business Roundtables for business owners to discuss and learn new skills from experts and fellow business owners, a Presidents Club Lounge for members to network and make connections, and more main stage keynote presentations from top business leaders in the field.

The expansion of SBEs trade show into three additional cities follows the record growth the groups shows have seen in the first half of 2018. Top cities including New York City, Philadelphia and Dallas saw combined 64 percent year-over-year increases in both exhibitor and attendee registration. Furthermore, according to SBEs bi-annual trends report, 41 percent of business owners are feeling more optimistic about the U.S. economy and are seeking knowledge from business-minded professionals on ways to advance their business.

Business professionals across the nation can experience the Small Business Expo in one or more of the following cities in 2019:

February 6: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas

February 13: James L. Knight Center, Miami

March 28: Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte

April 12: Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Philadelphia

April 17: Orlando World Center Marriott, Orlando

May 1: Hyatt Regency Boston, Boston

May 9: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.

June 5: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City

June 20: UIC Forum, Chicago

August 22: San Francisco Marriott Marquis, San Francisco

September 19: California Market Center, Los Angeles

September 27: San Diego Convention Center, San Diego

October 24: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix

November 14: Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta

November 20: Brooklyn Expo Center, Brooklyn, New York

December 10: Hyatt Regency, Houston

December 17: Hyatt Regency, Austin

About Small Business Expo

Small Business Expo is the nations largest small business networking and educational event in the Country. From 2015-2018 it was ranked as an Inc. 5000 company as the fastest-growing privately held business. Every year, over 75,000 small business professionals and entrepreneurs across the Country register for Small Business Expo to take their business to the next level. The shows owner, Film, Stage & ShowBiz Expo LLC. was founded in 2008 by Zachary Lezberg. For more information, visit thesmallbusinessexpo.com.Cover of Compass of the Ephemeral: Aerial Photography of Black Rock City through the Lens of Will Roger. Roger is a cultural co-founder of Burning Man. The book will be published in 2019. Burning Man is a blank canvas for people to come and create on, said Will Roger, a Burning Man cultural co-founder who has photographed the evolution of festival site Black Rock City thats annually built and cleared. Burning Man creates a human empathy, then serendipity and creativity happens."

Smallworks Press, an independent publishing company specializing in limited edition, exquisitely-printed books focusing on contemporary art and culture, announced today that it has been selected to produce and distribute the highly-anticipated photography collection of Will Roger, a cultural co-founder of Burning Man. What started with a few people burning a human effigy on a San Francisco beach in 1986 has become a global phenomenon with an eight day event of more than 70,000 people and associated Burning Man regional events around the world. The temporary Black Rock City, located 100 miles northwest of Reno in Nevadas Black Rock Desert, is home to Burning Man, a festival dedicated to art, community, anti-consumerism and self-expression. The 2018 festival concluded on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3.

Compass of the Ephemeral: Aerial Photography of Black Rock City through the Lens of Will Roger is scheduled for release in April 2019. The work includes a substantial collection of Rogers aerial photos chronicling the ever-changing cityscape and transformation of the temporary Black Rock City  complete with typical city infrastructure  and the innovative Burning Man art installations both of which are created and taken down year after year. The collection also includes interpretive essays by William L. Fox, director of the Nevada Museum of Arts Center for Art + Environment; Alexei Vranich, American archeologist at the University of California, Berkley; Tony Coyote Perez-Banuet, city superintendent of Black Rock City; and an introduction by Harley K. DuBois exploring the cultural context and impact of the Burning Man festival.

Burning Man is a blank canvas for people to come and create on, said Roger. Burning Man creates a human empathy, then serendipity and creativity happens. Burning Man is the real world; everything else is the default world. People come away with changed lives and a changed culture because at Burning Man, everyone is human . . . there is no class, no color. You become family: human family, world family, global family.

We could not be more delighted that Will Roger chose Smallworks Press as his official publisher, said James Stanford, founder and editor. Since 2006, Smallworks Press has been producing exceptional visual and interpretive works that reflect the interconnectivity of art and community, a vision that Roger has made tangible each year for the past 14 years, by visually documenting the uniqueness of Burning Man and Black Rock City and by his involvement and contributions to the Burning Man culture and infrastructure.

Rogers autobiography, In Search of the Common Shaman, also will be released next year by Smallworks Press. The mystical memoir is not just the story of Rogers life, but it is also a reflection of the universal journey, the shared search for reconnection, and the moment of the, re-wild and re-energization of the divine power that dwells inside us, as Roger describes it.

His self-exploration is a powerful fusion of methods, ideas, and intentional mindsets seeking to revitalize the magic and mystical energy not only in his life, but within each person. Based upon the microcosm of personal experience, In Search of the Common Shaman explores more universal themes, combining enhanced connectedness, heightened experiences, and the intensified magical wonderment of life on earth.

Roger is a contributor to the current No Spectators: the Art of Burning Man exhibit at the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Among his pieces are aerial photographs of Black Rock City, including the cover photo of Compass of the Ephemeral: Aerial Photography of Black Rock City through the Lens of Will Roger. The exhibit features large-scale installations  the artistic hallmark of Burning Man  and other festival items and runs through Jan. 21, 2019. In conjunction with No Spectators: the Art of Burning Man, Roger was a featured speaker at the Sept. 14 symposium, Radical Inclusion and Tales from the Playa: Talks on Art, Inspiration, and the History of Burning Man. His presentation covered how Burning Man has become an iconic cultural phenomenon in such a short time and whats behind the development of Black Rock City.

About Will Roger

Will Roger discovered Burning Man in 1994, through his life partner Crimson Rose. Together and with several others, they are co-founders of Black Rock City, LLC, the company that has produced the Burning Man event for nearly 20 years. As a cultural co-founder of Burning Man, Roger also founded and managed the Black Rock City Department of Public Works  a team of several hundred people responsible for pre-event and post-event construction logistics and production. He is the co-founder of the Black Rock Art Foundation, a founding board member of Burning Man Project, and vice-president of Friends of the Black Rock/High Rock. Roger is heavily involved in conservation efforts for the Black Rock Desert, which is the United States largest National Conservation Area (NCA), and which is home to the Burning Man event. He served as Chairman of the Sierra Front  North Western Great Basin  Resource Advisory Council (RAC), and is currently a member of the RAC NCA Subgroup. Roger is also an accomplished photographer; and for nearly 20 years, he served at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., as a photo chemist, administrator, associate professor, and assistant director.

About Smallworks Press

Founded in 2006, Smallworks Press specializes in arts and culture publications and treats each book with a commitment to impeccable production, design and marketing. With more than 100 years of collective experiences, the Smallworks Press team has enjoyed collaborating with a wide-spectrum of artists, authors and talent to create works with beautiful chromatic illustrations and stimulating interpretation with the finest print quality. Smallworks Press has fulfillment thru Midpoint (North America), a subsidiary of Ingram Content Group, and CBL Distribution (United Kingdom). For information, visit http://www.smallworkspress.com, email info(at)smallworkspress(dot)com or call 702-577-6592.

For Images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aii3v0w3p8ns7gx/AADNhSCGaF7c-X09YjchHIJia?dl=0DB CyberTech has a unique ability to identify sensitive information without impacting the performance or the operations of our databases

DB CyberTech, a pioneer in machine learning based predictive data loss prevention, today announced that Smart & Final, the value-oriented food and everyday staples retailer for household and business customers, is deploying DB CyberTechs Data Discovery and Intelligent Data Classification products. This will enable Smart & Final to have real-time visibility into their data security and compliance.

Protection of sensitive information is of critical importance to Smart & Final, said Edward Wong, Chief Information Officer at Smart & Final. Sensitive information is typically stored on databases, and DB CyberTech has a unique ability to identify this data without impacting the performance or the operations of our databases.

Intelligent Data Classification is available with DB CyberTechs Predictive Data Loss Prevention Security and compliance solutions. The solution is based on natural language processing for automated and continuous identification of high-value sensitive data such as personal data, intellectual property, health records, and financial information.

DB CyberTechs Intelligent Data Classification is unique in that it operates by decoding and analyzing database conversations in real time," said Ali Hedayati, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Products of DB CyberTech. Our solution requires no scanning or database login credentials and importantly theres no impact on Smart & Final systems performance.

If you would like to learn more about identifying your high-value data, please join DB CyberTech on our next webinar - Privacy and Security: Next Generation Intelligent Approach to Structured Data Discovery and Classification - being held October 10th at 2:00PM Eastern. You can find details about this webinar and register at https://cc.readytalk.com/r/840nfmvmf4gm

About DB CyberTech

DB CyberTech innovates predictive data loss prevention for databases. Its customers include the world's largest financial institutions, healthcare providers, manufacturers, and governments. DB CyberTechs technology non-intrusively assesses database to client conversations through deep protocol extraction, machine learning, and behavioral analysis. Customers gain insights by discovering information assets including sensitive data, identifying tables being accessed, and mapping the specific applications accessing the databases. In addition, machine learning technology immediately pinpoints and alerts to insider threats and external database threats before data is stolen. DB CyberTech is a privately held company headquartered in San Diego, Calif. For more information, call (800) 598-0450 or visit the company's website at http://www.dbcybertech.com

About Smart & Final

Smart & Final Stores, Inc., is a value-oriented food and everyday staples retailer, headquartered in Commerce (near Los Angeles), California. The Company offers quality products in a variety of sizes, saving household, nonprofit and business customers time and money. As of June 17, 2018, the Company operated 322 grocery and foodservice stores under the "Smart & Final," "Smart & Final Extra!" and "Smart Foodservice Warehouse Stores" banners in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Montana and Utah, with an additional 15 stores in Northwestern Mexico operated through a joint venture. In business for over 146 years, the Company remains committed to giving back to local communities through employee volunteer opportunities and Company donations to local nonprofits.Paul Johansen Striblings well-regarded presence in Brooklyn and robust new development portfolio complement my business perfectly

Stribling & Associates, New York's premier residential brokerage, is pleased to announce that Brooklyn specialist Paul Johansen has joined the company.

Johansen, who started his real estate career at CORE just 6 years ago, fast-tracked his way to becoming part of the #1 townhouse team in all of Fort Greene/Cobble Hill, with more than $66 million in sales in 2015. He briefly stepped away from the industry to assist fast-growing real estate technology company Perchwell and is now happily returning to brokerage.

Striblings well-regarded presence in Brooklyn and robust new development portfolio complement my business perfectly, said Johansen of his decision to join the firm. I take pride that my clients feel each is my sole focus. Striblings similar attention to personalized service coupled with the most complete market data in the industry made my decision easy. I wasnt looking to become a cog in a big corporate wheel; Striblings agent support, marketing, technology and data is the combination my clients appreciate.

Prior to selling real estate, Johansen started his career as a mortgage bond trader before transitioning to the financial technology sector and eventually became the director of his own marketing consulting firm.

We are so pleased to welcome Paul to Stribling. He has a strong command of the current real estate market, and where the industry is heading in terms of marketing and technology. He will be a great asset for his colleagues and clients alike, said Gina Castellano, Striblings Brooklyn Sales Manager.

A current resident of Windsor Terrace, Paul primarily works in the Brooklyn market with a focus on townhouses. In his free time, he is a proud volunteer with SAY- an organization dedicated to working with children and adults in NYC who struggle with stuttering.

About Stribling & Associates

Stribling & Associates, Ltd. is a premier residential real estate firm with over 300 agents throughout four locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island City. As one of the most renowned brokerages in New York, Stribling uses its respected expertise in the current market to provide individualized services to both buyer and sellers. Stribling agents specialize in the sale of luxury townhouses and cooperative and condominium apartments. The company's philosophy is based on professional, personalized services coupled with exceptional knowledge of key residential market trends. Stribling Private Brokerage specializes in the discreet marketing of properties over $5 million and commands a prominent market share in that sector of Manhattan residential real estate. Through strategic partnerships with Miami's Cervera and international estate services firm Savills, Stribling's global reach extends to more than 700 offices worldwide.The National Theatre for Children Live theatre is a great way to educate. The show goes beyond reading or other more passive methods of engaging kids. These children are watching a story unfold right before their very eyes.

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and The National Theatre for Children (NTC) have collaborated to educate and inspire Florida students on the importance of energy conservation with the engaging Captain Wattage show. From Sept. 17 through Nov. 9, professional actors from NTC will visit elementary schools with live performances of Captain Wattage, sparking conversations on energy efficiency in classrooms throughout FPLs service area.

FPL has sponsored live theater performances like 'Captain Wattage' for the past 13 years in schools across Florida," said Pamela Rauch, vice president of external affairs and economic development for FPL. "The show reaches more than 50,000 students a year, creating awareness of the importance of energy efficiency at a young age. Supporting programs like this is part of our companys commitment to education and enriching Florida students experiences as they relate to being environmentally conscious and keeping our state beautiful.

The show focuses on what energy is, the ways it can be wasted and how to conserve it for future generations. The live program revolves around Captain Wattage, a superhero who learns that the notorious Vivica Voltage has been leaving lights on all over the city. With the help of student volunteers, as well as colorful characters like Iona Badge and Mrs. Ellie Mentry, Captain Wattage sets off to learn about energy conservation and stop Vivica.

Live theatre is a great way to educate, said NTC President and Founder Ward Eames. The show goes beyond reading or other more passive methods of engaging kids. These children are watching a story unfold right before their very eyes, with the two actors playing all sorts of characters. We dont lose the kids attention for a minute, because they get to respond and interact with the show. It really sticks with them.

In addition to live performances, the program includes online student playbooks and teacher guides as well as digital games and activities that align with the important concepts outlined in the show. FPL sponsors every aspect of the program, making the performances and materials a cost-free supplement to lessons in science, literacy and the arts.

For a complete list of schools and locations on the tour, contact Eddie Eames at eeames(at)ntccorporate.com or visit http://www.nationaltheatre.com.

About The National Theatre for Children

NTC is a premium provider of educational programming with operations in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. The organization works directly between schools and clients to promote beneficial behaviors and life skills to students in grades K-12 on a local, regional and national level. The award-winning educational programs are provided free for schools and are customizable to accommodate specific messages and goals for clients. Through formats including live performance, in-class discussion, graphic novels, print curriculum, and digital games and activities, NTC presents topics such as energy conservation, safety, financial literacy, STEM, water and environmental stewardship, and health and social responsibility in ways that engage and empower students. In doing so, NTC helps clients to be forces of change for students, parents and communities. Visit http://www.NTCcorporate.com.

About Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company is the third-largest electric company in the United States, serving nearly 5 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million+ people across nearly half of the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30 percent lower than the latest national average and among the lowest in the U.S. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all electric companies nationwide. The company was recognized in 2017 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International for the fourth consecutive year. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,700 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc., a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2018 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: http://www.NextEraEnergy.com, http://www.FPL.com, http://www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

Please direct inquiries to:

Eddie Eames

Marketing Director

The National Theatre for Children

eeames(at)ntccorporate.com

Maureen Wilt

Education Program Manager

Florida Power & Light Company

maureen.wilt(at)fpl.comBushwick-based Superlost Coffee announced today that its launching a weather balloon into space with coffee and will sell those beans via a new Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/superlost/space-java-sending-coffee-into-space. By utilizing crowdfunding, Superlost hopes to bring space coffee to the public.

In coffee, high altitude is synonymous with quality, said David Roa, Co-Founder and CEO of Superlost Coffee. Thats why were sending our freshly roasted, single-origin coffee into the furthest reaches of space. Well, not really the furthest reaches, maybe just 23-30 miles - Nonetheless! You, yes you, can become a backer who secures your very own taste of this otherworldly relic by donating to our mission now.

For $69 (the US went to the moon in 1969), each funder will receive 21 grams of Superlost Coffees single origin Ugandan Bugisu that has just been in space.

"The extreme cold temperature will flash-freeze the beans, allowing us to test out a method to extend the life of the green coffee, a common issue for roasters today, said Craig Deahl, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Superlost Coffee. We also expect an enormous improvement in cup quality  it's the ultimate experience for those who want to be a part of something exclusive and unique."

Superlost Coffee will stream the weather balloon experiment live on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD1nSAxH3FgBAP-0qZkA7dQ) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/superlostcoffee/) in early November. After the cargos retrieved, the Co-Founders will brew and drink a cup of coffee live on camera using the coffee beans that have traveled into space. Follow along with #superlostinspace.

About Superlost Coffee

Superlost Coffee is small batch coffee roaster based in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The beans are ethically sourced directly from farms visited by the founders, David Roa and Craig Deahl. Each roast's packaging is uniquely designed by an artist's interpretation of that batch. A percentage of the proceeds go back to the farm and artist responsible. Since its launch in August 2017, Superlost Coffee has sold over 10,000 bottles of its signature cold brew and its coffee is available in over 180 supermarket stores, restaurants and cafes across Manhattan and Brooklyn. For more information, follow Superlost on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/superlostcoffee or visit the website http://superlostcoffee.com.

Press Contact

Laura Brusca, Public Relations Director at Superlost Coffee, Superlostcoffee(at)gmail(dot)com.Deanne Mendoza, co-owner of Teacher Created Materials, reading to students on Read Across America day. We are proud to be honored among the top civic-minded companies for the second year in a row.

Teacher Created Materials, a leading educational publishing company, has been named by The Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ) as one of the top 50 most community-minded companies in Orange County for the second year in a row.

TCMs mission is to create a world in which children love to learn. Recognition by the OCBJ is proof that that mission is continuing to pay off.

We are proud to be honored among the top civic-minded companies for the second year in a row, says Deanne Mendoza, co-owner of Teacher Created Materials. It is important to us to give back in all of the communities where we do business, but it is especially meaningful to us in the community that we call home.

The Civic 50 Orange County, presented by OCBJ in partnership with OneOC, provides a local standard for superior corporate citizenship and showcases how companies can use their time, skills, and other resources to improve the quality of life in the community where they do business. Of the tens of thousands of companies headquartered in Orange County, being named in the top 50 for civic dedication is quite an honor for any company.

Companies were selected based upon four dimensions of their community engagement programs: investment, integration, institutionalization, and impact. Teacher Created Materials participates in a variety of community outreach events throughout each year, including cancer research, food drives, and employee-driven charities. Most notably, the company participates in Read Across America, where all 130+ Huntington Beach based employees engage in literacy-building activities and school beautification projects at a local Title I, low-income school. Each student at the selected school also receives a backpack full of books and learning materials.

The Civic 50 OC List and Special Report will be published October 15, 2018 in the OCBJ.

About Teacher Created Materials

Teacher Created Materials develops innovative and imaginative educational materials and services for students worldwide. Everything they do is created by teachers for teachers and students to make teaching more effective and learning more fun. For more information about Teacher Created Materials and their products, visit http://www.tcmpub.com.

About The Orange County Business Journal

The Orange County Business Journal is the weekly read that connects the Orange County business community. This is where the community doers in the most vibrant slice of the Southern California economy keep tabs on each other. With one of the highest circulations of all the Business Journals in the country, it continues to grow as a highly impactful and influential publication. More information on the Orange County Business Journal can be found at http://www.ocbj.com, or by calling 949-833-8373.

About Civic 50 Orange County

Since 2012, The Civic 50, an initiative of Points of Light, has recognized the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation each year as determined by an annual survey developed by True Impact.

About OneOC

OneOC is a 60-year old nonprofit 501c3 organization committed to accelerating nonprofit success through volunteer, training, consulting and business services. Serving Orange County, California, OneOC provides support and solutions to more than 750 nonprofit organizations and community initiatives each year. Since 2015, OneOC has also become a one-stop shop that provide smart, easy and impactful giving and volunteering services to companies. OneOC is affiliated with Points of Lights Institute, enabling participation in national community service initiatives and connection to a larger movement of change. For more information, visit http://www.OneOC.org.Dubai Blackout has grown into the exciting global get-together it is today because of the VIP treatment each guest receives - from luxurious brunches to day tours, desert safaris, yacht cruises, and more!

Travel agents around the world will now have the opportunity to resell tickets to Dubai Blackout on October 25th-30th 2018. This event draws hundreds of participants from all over the world each year and has never been open to travel agents as a resell opportunity.

Reselling tickets to this exciting event offers travel agents worldwide the opportunity to make great commissions and provide their clients with a 5-star experience for far less than it would cost as a standalone trip.

Its perfect for travelers looking to explore Dubais rich culture alongside a great group of avid travelers.

Dubai Blackout is a yearly trip we organize for over 500 people. Its a tradition thats been in existence for 5 years now, and were excited to open up to an even larger audience. Its one of the most luxurious destinations in the world, and at this price point its an experience no one should miss! says Travelers Q CEO Adrianne Phillips.

Dubai Blackout has grown into the exciting global get-together it is today because of the VIP treatment each guest receives - from luxurious brunches to day tours, desert safaris, yacht cruises, and more!

If youre interested in reselling tickets for Dubai Blackout this year, please visit http://www.travelersq.com/2018-dubai-blackout or contact us today at admin(at)travelersq(dot)com.

About Travelers Q

Travelers Q is a full service travel agency, dedicated to offering you expert support for meetings, events and other travel opportunities. We use our travel planning expertise and industry connections to help you get the most out of your events - without the stress.

Other services we offer include group travel bookings, registration management, and on-site support. Visit http://www.travelersq.com today for details or to contact us!WebRezPro Property Management System As a company, we have always believed in the power of web-based technology for hotels, even before everyone was talking about the cloud.

Web-based software solutions provider for the hospitality and tourism industries, World Web Technologies Inc. (WWT), celebrates the 15th year of its flagship product, WebRezPro cloud property management system for hotels, inns, vacation rentals, hostels and campgrounds.

WebRezPro was launched in 2003 to meet growing demand among independent hoteliers for an affordable property management solution with integrated back-office functionality that made day-to-day operations more efficient and profitable. A web-based system from the start, WebRezPros success grew as lodging providers realised the advantages cloud technology offered the hospitality industry.

As a company, we have always believed in the power of web-based technology for hotels, even before everyone was talking about the cloud, said Frank Verhagen, President of WWT. Cloud technology brings sophisticated solutions to independent properties at an affordable price. Hospitality is an exciting industry to be in; WebRezPro is constantly evolving and innovating to provide lodging operators with the latest, practical technological solutions that maximize efficiency and give our clients a competitive edge in an increasingly technological industry.

Built and continuously developed in close consultation with lodging operators, WebRezPro is a complete, automated PMS solution designed to simplify and optimize operations, enhance the guest experience and increase revenue. Over the past 15 years, WebRezPro has enjoyed exponential growth. Since celebrating its 10th year in 2013, the PMS has doubled its reach, now used at more than 1,200 properties in 40 countries.

Our team is proud to reach this milestone with such a strong outlook. We believe in this product and the value it offers our clients, and are proud to be a trusted technology partner for all types of properties, commented Verhagen.

About WebRezPro

WebRezPro is a powerful, easy-to-use cloud property management system for all accommodation types and sizes. The fully integrated and automated system saves lodging operators time and boosts revenue by streamlining and modernizing front desk and back office operations. Bringing the benefits of the cloud to 1,200+ properties in 40 countries, WebRezPro is a product of World Web Technologies Inc., an Internet marketing and software company for tourism and hospitality since 1994. For more information, visit http://www.webrezpro.com.

About World Web Technologies Inc.

Established in 1994, World Web Technologies Inc. (WWT) is a privately held company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. WWT is the company behind WebRezPro, a pioneering cloud property management system now used by more than 1,200 properties in 40 countries. In addition to its leading cloud software solutions for the hospitality and tourism industries, WWT specializes in web design, content creation and custom programming. Above all, WWT prides itself on delivering exceptional products and services backed by unparalleled customer support. Visit https://www.worldwebtechnologies.com to learn more.Rodriguez-Tapia is a native of Mexico and is not a United States citizen. According to federal court documents, she has resided in the U.S. for most of the past 14 years, but was accused of unlawfully re-entering the U.S. without inspection in 2012. Shes been in ICE custody since April 2017 and later that month was ordered for removal to Mexico, reinstating an order from 2012, the records indicate.More than two decades in the making, Jason Lutes Berlin, an epic historical graphic novel set during the rise of the Nazi party in 1920s Berlin, will be published in a complete edition this month by Drawn and Quarterly.

Over the course of more than 600 pages, Lutes renders a vivid and portentous fictional portrait of the culture, politics and day to day lives of the citizens of Berlin at one of the most tumultuous times in German history. In his drawings and prose, Lutes takes the reader into the salons of the rich, visits the vicious political street fights of the time, and reveals working class life and the sexual subcultures of 1920s Berlin.

Berlin consists of three volumes published separately beginning with City of Stones (2000), followed by City of Smoke (2008), and the final volume, City of Light, will be published this month. D&Q is also publishing a complete hardcover edition of Berlin that includes all three books in one volume, that will also be released this month. PW spoke with Lutes about the conception and execution of his masterwork.

Can you outline how you began this work and how you arrived at its scope?

In 1996, I was finishing my first graphic novel, Jar of Fools, which was my self-education in how to make a long-form comic book. I felt like I had come to an understanding of the medium and could tell any kind of story I wanted to. On somewhat of a whim, inspired by a random magazine advertisement for a book about Weimar Berlin, I decided my next book would be about Berlin between the wars, and that it would be 600 pages long.

Why did you choose to profile (or dissect) the Weimar Republic?

The decision was completely impulsive in the moment, but it's obvious to me now that I was trying to fill the void in my understanding of how the worst horrors of the 20th century came to pass, but at the time I was just following my instinct. That appears to be my creative modus operandi: trust my instinct and follow it to the bitter end.

Berlin seems like the equivalent of an architectural cutaway that reveals the citys social infrastructure including its many subcultures. What were you trying to show readers?

The story for me is an exploration of a specific time and place. I wanted to understand what life was like for people from different social strata as earth-shaking events unfolded around them, so my main task was to immerse myself in their world. From there, I followed the characters to see where they would take me, the hope being that my curiosity would carry over to the reader. At the same time I was intent on showing the density and richness of life in the city, so the following of characters moment-to-moment is interspersed with a kind of probing observer's perspective that sometimes recedes in an attempt to capture the bigger picture.

Can you describe the roles that such fictional characters as Marthe Muller and Kurt Severing play in the narrative?

My original plan was to establish a relationship between Marthe (an art student) and Kurt (a journalist) which would provide a central thread for the reader to follow through a web of intersecting lives. At the same time I had the high-minded notion that through these two characters I would explore the relationship between pictures and wordsi.e., the building blocks of comics itself. Thankfully, I became more interested in Marthe and Kurt as people, and the exploration of the medium by proxy fell by the wayside.

What about the roles of real-world characters such as Josephine Baker, Carl Ossietsky and Ernest Thalman?

As I set about imagining this time and place, with one goal being to depict the lives and experiences of people from different social strata, it quickly became apparent that some real and influential people would need to figure directly into the story. In my research I learned about Carl von Ossietzky [pacifist and editor], Ernst Thalmann [communist party leader in Weimar Germany], and many other interesting figures, some of whom found their way naturally into the story.

The inclusion of Josephine Baker came out of a desire to recognize the fantastic success a black woman could achieve in Europe in the 1920/30s, and to have a moment of friendly recognition between her and the Cocoa Kids, the fictional African-American jazz band whose story frames the middle third of the book.

Your drawing overall and your character designs are crisp and very consistent across 20 years of work. How were able to keep the book visually uniform?

I saw myself more as a recorder of relatively objective imagery, as opposed to an expressive artist, and that mindset helped me maintain consistency. Most people won't notice the difference, and cartoonists are their own worst critics, but it's a little painful for me to look at the earlier chapters of the book because they look very stilted and awkward. I'm certainly a better artist now than I was when I was 28, but if I've done my job well few readers will notice.

How has the books completion affected you and your career?

Its effect on my career is probably something I won't comprehend for some years yet, but the personal feeling is one of tremendous relief, a great weight lifted. I drew the last page a few days before my 50th birthday, a full ten years after the original deadline that I set for myself. I'm happy that I was able to follow through on this absurd endeavor, because I might not have been able to live with myself otherwise. Right now I feel more excited than ever about comics. I know that I can tell any kind of story I want to, and I have no shortage of ideas.

What can we expect to see you working on next?

Once touring and promotion settles down I will be able to focus on my next three books, each of which will be a 96-page exploration of a different genre. Among the many things I've learned through spending twenty years on a single project is how to make comics more efficiently; my hope is for the first of these booksa western set in Arizona in 1865to be completed some time in 2020.Finnish Parody Draws Interest

A parody book that takes on the recent trend in adult coloring books has sold in 12 international sales over the course of two weeks. The Little Book of Bad Moods by Lotta Sonninen has sold to Bruna (Netherlands), Livre de Poche (France), and Vigmostad & Bjrke (Norway), as well as to publishers in the U.S., U.K., and Germany, among other territories. Elina Ahlback Literary controls rights, and at press time the agency confirmed there was an auction underway in Sweden.

Venezuelan Novel Sells to HarperCollins and Others

The Spanish Woman's Daughter by Venezuelan-born Karina Sainz Borgo has sold to Judith Curr's new literary imprint at HarperCollins for world English rights, and to Patakis in Greece. Lumen/Penguin Random House (Spain), has also acquired, and will be making it a lead title for fall 2019. Set in Venezuela, the book is about a woman who must fight for her survival after the death of her mother, in a country where food, medicine, and basic necessities have becomes scarce. Casanovas & Lynch Literary is handling rights.

Norwegian Novel with Two Parallel Storylines Sells to Knopf

Keep Saying Their Names by Simon Stranger has been sold to Knopf in the U.S., as well as publishers in Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Oslo Literary Agency controls all rights to the book--Aschehoug Forlag in Norway is the originating publisher--which follows two parallel storylines, one about a Norwegian who became a Nazi double agent, and another about a Jewish family.

French Book on Birds Sells in Germany

A Short Philosophy of Birds by Philippe J. Dubois & Elise Rousseau, published by Editions de la Martiniere Litterature in France this month, has sold to Droemer in Germany. The 2 Seas Agency brokered the deal on behalf of the publisher. The book examines, through 22 short essays, what humans can learn from birds and nature.

Dutch Thriller Moves to Germany

Anita Terpstra's Spark has sold to Blanvalet in Germany. The book is about a powerhouse ballet couple and if one of them is responsible for a fire that breaks out in their home. While they recuperate in the hospital after the fire, they each tell their version of events in alternating chapters, and the police try to sort out what is true and what is false. The Dutch publisher Cargo controls world rights to the book, and they published in July. Terpstra is the author of Night Flight and Together.When the car crashed, it rolled and the money went flying all over the place. But we recovered money at least one city block east of the crash scene, Riverside police Chief Tom Weitzel said Tuesday morning. We were recovering cash in the grass and parkways a block away. They probably rolled down the windows, but were not sure if they threw it out or if the pressure from the open windows sucked the cash out of the car.Some couples try to avoid each other after their break up, separation or divorce while others keep in touch because of the beautiful memories they shared together. Some people have a good cordial relationship than romantic affairs.

We asked some Ghanaians if they would buy a gift for their exes on their birthdays and here are some responses.

READ ALSO: 5 signs he feels guilty for hurting you

Jhaynettejohnson - "Only if we are still friends... why not".

Richie.ix - "It depends".

Afriyiebrady - "Did it before, never again".

Beeekkaayyy - "not in this life or the next".

Mcdondra_x - "Yes of course"

Lesbians.hub - "Depends on why and how we broke up"/

Themangotwins - "Nope. Wouldn't be your duty anymore. You can't simply buy as friends because there is history there whether you choose to accept it or not".

Meite_tanakai - "Never".

Bella_kwartsy - "Hell no".

READ ALSO: 5 ways to make your girlfriend miss you like crazy

Iam_shakiff - "Like a fool papa my gf left because of iPhone that was after Jhs wen I completed but now I have iPhones like 80 with me. She couldn't wait and the guy she was following too neva bought her an iPhone though he was a scammer she recently told me they've broken up I'm also enjoying in my relationship. That's how God works".

Djredpenn - "dats when she asks 4 it".

Lartey.nathaniel - "My gf saf I no dey buy her any gift on her bday how much more my ex".

R.malz - "What kind of nkwasia qs is this pls?".

Coco_reedah - "S3 de3n nti anka makoa".

Parryking_ - "Such arrant nonsense".

Official_oliverdey - "God forbid".

Aba211 - "Fr what reason?".

freshdinashY- "ES, I will buy him pizza mixed with DDT. Fuck it".

Nahhmeann - "Yes, court documents asking for all the money I gave her while we were together".

Nana__cillagh - "For what reason? nka ob3 wu twea kai".

Cecilcadollar- "Hell No".

Romeo4419 -"Yes if i am in good spirits"

Abena_green - "Yes..i did receive a gift as well on my birthday. Just Cool friends".

Bridget.n.lopez - "Haven't done that before but will do that if the need arise".

READ ALSO:5 signs your partner has lost interest in you

Merillsams133- "Actually yh I will".

Joshuateye61- "Why I dey craze ???".

Barrister_cypher - "Nanka megyimi paaa".

Clickseezy_photography - "Would you still feed a dead dog?".

Albert_kingtito - "Yes, a fucking BOMB".

lBettythepersonalshopper -"Sure, if I can afford to".

Bra_kwaku__ - "Apuuu, that silly girl?".

Simply_afia -"He hit me when we broke up, never will I buy him a gift".

Mr_smiley15 - "Hell Nah, my ex-birthday past 2wks ago lmao ".

Christianapkuaa2016 - "Yes of course".A statement from the company said the stories of retrenchment are inaccurate. It added that they are rather in the process of recruiting more staff.

It has come to the notice of the management of Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL) that a series of inaccurate stories have been making waves on some media platforms over the past few days.

Management would therefore like to inform its distinguished customers, the media, and the general public that it has not laid off 200 employees as reported and has no plans to lay off its workers. Rather, the company is in the process of increasing our production activities from 2 shifts to 3 shifts, which will require us to employ more people in the near future, ATL said.

But the statement explained that the media appears to have taken their downtime as a dismissal exercise.

Read the full statement below

NO EMPLOYEE OF AKOSOMBO TEXTILES LIMITED (ATL) LAID OFF

It has come to the notice of the management of Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL) that a series of inaccurate stories have been making waves over the past few days.

Management would like to inform its distinguished customers, the media, and the general public that it has not laid off 200 employees as reported. ATL has no plans to lay off its workers.

It is also untrue that 600 workers of ATL have been sent home due to lack of raw materials. Our organization like any other that utilizes machinery, has scheduled times for production and maintenance. Our downtime ought not to be misreported as signs of layoff.

Therefore, the media report of 600 workers of ATL sent home due to lack of raw materials is misleading.

As stated by his Excellency the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia during his key note address at the opening ceremony of the Ghana Industrial Summit and Exhibition 2018 at AICC on Tuesday 18th September 2018, ATL will be producing the fabric for uniforms of the 100,000 graduates under the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), as part of Governments industrialization drive and to revive the textile industry. This in addition to other contracts will boost our business, increasing production activities from 2 shifts to 3 shifts, which will require further employment.

In addition, the Ministry of Trade and Industry in collaboration with the textile manufacturers and traders has planned a roadmap, aimed at reviving the local textile industry and promoting made-in-Ghana fabrics. This includes among other things the implementation of the Tax Stamp to curb smuggling and to protect intellectual property rights of manufacturers in Ghana.

It is worthy to note that as part of government policy to boost the textiles industry, ATL was a proud recipient of a government stimulus package in August 2018 to support the companys operations. The injection has assisted the organization to complete a number of exercises including clearing of salary arrears which is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.

Finally, we would like to assure our hardworking Employees, Clients, Customers, Suppliers and the General public that we are still in operation, therefore all such inaccurate stories should be disregarded. Our research and product development team are currently working on new brands and products intended to be launched in November for the Christmas Season. ATL - whatever the occasion - whenever people come together - you will find ATL bringing fabrics to life!

SIGNEDAccording to him, to continue developing and driving he economy, Ghana has no choice than to depend on foreign aid.

His comments come following criticisms from certain quarters over governments decision to sign eight new Co-operation Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with China.

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Some believe that the government is borrowing too much, which is contrary to its own much-touted Ghana Beyond Aid mantra.

However, Kufour believes Ghana is yet to reach the stage where the country can survive without support from international donors.

They have exploited us enough so we take to empower ourselves, to build ourselves through education and through attracting investment, creating employment, so it gets to a point where now when they come, they meet their equals. So we have to be careful to say that now where we are, we will not go and ask for aid. We will do it, but only as a stage to empower us, the former president said during the graduation of first batch of students of the Kufuor Scholars programme.

Kufour further touched on concerns that the government is not getting the best out of agreements with other foreign countries.

According to him, Ghana needs to build up its negotiating skills so that the country can begin to also benefit when it comes to international agreements.

He said leaders must learn how to negotiate for good deals for the country because the East and West have clearly shown that they would exploit any country that allows it.He said such guerrilla tactics by the police shouldn't be entertained in our democracy.

Collins Dauda's home was raided on Tuesday dawn by armed policemen in his constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region.

"We want the security agencies to be mindful, in fact, the police should not invade the premises of a member or appear to be doing so in a manner that will raise difficulties for us. Members of Parliament are not above the law but that the privileges given to us by the constitution that we have all agreed to be ruled by, should at all material times, be respected and protected, Ocquaye said.

He said, "The privileges of this honorable House have been clearly set out in the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. It applies to all members upon whatever side and at all times and all circumstances.

We will want to put on record that in the future, the leadership of the House, the Speaker of the House should be informed of all such needs so that it can be done with the appropriate decency. In fact, there have been occasions during my tenure that I have provided the police access to my conference room and even on some occasions in my presence and the presence of leadership as the security agencies ask whatever they want to ask so that we will not be seen to be shielding any wrongdoing and at the same time, keeping to the honour that must be given to the institution, he stated.

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Confirming the incident, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia said Dauda was ordered to report himself to the police when he gets to Accra.According to him, the police personnel were at Collins Dauda's home in the constituency claiming they had orders from above to arrest him.

About eight armed police officers raided the home of the NDC MP.

READ MORE: IGP orders arrest of NDC MP Collins Dauda

The officers stormed his home in the constituency at around 4 am on Tuesday, 25 September, 2018.

Muntaka said Collins Dauda was on his way to Accra following the recall of parliament when the incident happened.

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"Collins Dauda called me and told me that he has received news that some AK47-wielding police officers have stormed his home to arrest him and that he didnt know the reason behind the action.

"So, I told him that if that be the case, he should report himself to the IGP when he reaches Accra because the regional commander said it was an order from above," he stated.

He noted that the Minority will officially communicate their concerns to the IGP but will not allow their colleague to go the police station.They are looking forward to a 2020 presidential campaign to resign President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

"Throughout the party, it is agreed that the best thing to do is to present an incorruptible option to Ghanaians who feel disappointed with the daily emergence of corruption scandals.

"The obvious choice is therefore Mr Alban Bagbin," said Emmanuel Agbeshie, Mpohor Constituency communication officer and a member of the western regional communication team.

He made it known during a meeting with Alban Bagbin together with the constituency executives of the Western region.

According to him, throughout the party, Bagbin was deemed as the NDC's best bet mainly because of his reputation as an incorruptible politician.

Apart from that, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament was also liked for his policy to make the party the main vehicle of his administration if he becomes President.The order, according to reports was issued on Monday evening.

Confirming the incident, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia said Dauda was ordered to report himself to the police when he gets to Accra.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander has directed him to hand himself to the IGP when he arrives in Accra. The violence in the area is as a result of the NPP bussing non-indigenes to register in the area which has consistently been resisted by the NDC, Nketia said.

Nketia also said: "Armed policemen stormed there at 2 am dawn to arrest him. He called the Regional Police Commander who also informed him that the IGP gave the order but he also indicated that Speaker of Parliament has recalled the house and he was on his way to attend parliamentary proceedings.

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Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito, indicated that there was violence at the registration centre for which reason the Inspector General of Police directed that he should be arrested.Last week, there was a report that the Spare Parts Dealers Association of Ghana had expressed deep regret to former President John Mahama for labeling him incompetent and begged him for forgiveness.

According to reports, the spare parts dealers indicated that they would not hesitate at any point in time to go on their knees to render an unqualified apology to former President Mahama for leveling allegations against him.

The real spare parts dealers who exposed the NDCs rented spare parts dealers thanked the government for helping their businesses", he said.

However, Joseph Paddy, Spokesperson for Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers and the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), dismissed reports that members of his association have apologized to former President John Mahama.

Paddy said those flying stories were just propagandist with evil intent and will, therefore, like to categorically state that, they (spare parts dealers) have never apologized to the former president and see no reason why they owe him an apology.

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He also said that the government has abolished import duties on spare parts, a move that has been hailed by the dealers.According to him, as children of God, they will reap good fruits even in hardships.

Delivering the sermon at the 2018 Men's Ministry Day of his church at the Ringway Estates Assemblies of God Church on the topic 'Favour', he said ..."So even in the midst of hardship, like the economy is hard, a lot of people say 'enko yie', things are hard, if you seek the favour of God, you will reap 100 folds even in the midst of hardship."

However, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has described the economy as harsh and difficult.

He said the government has been able to arrest the fall of the cedi adding that the country is not in crisis.

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said the free fall of the cedi has been arrested, and the keys given to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for safekeeping.

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The local currency has neared the GH5: US$1 mark. The frequent increase in the price of fuel has worsened the situation.Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc. stated this in a statement posted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange on Monday, September 25, 2018.

The company said the CBN confirmed that its banking subsidiary will not be debited for the $2.63 billion, being the portion of the remittances the bank had made on the basis of the CCI.

Chidi Okezie, the Company Secretary, said, The Bank had communicated that it believed that it had acted properly in an agency capacity.

The CBN has confirmed that our banking subsidiary WILL NOT be debited for USD2.632 billion, being the portion of the remittances the Bank had made on the basis of the Certificates of Capital Importation, which the CBN had previously suggested that the Bank should also be prepared to refund.

The Bank will continue its engagements with the CBN and provide additional evidence in relation to the issues it has raised.

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CBN reviewing bank documents

Last week, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also confirmed it is currently engaging with Africa's mobile phone firm, MTN Ltd. and four banks over $8. 1 billion claims.

Isaac Okorafor, its director of communications, said the apex bank is currently reviewing documents submitted by banks with a view to arriving at an equitable resolution.

Last month, the monetary authority ordered Africa's telecoms giant, MTN and four other banks to refund a total of $8.134billion moved out of the country" for breaching the country's forex regulations.

It also slammed N5.8 billion fine on the banks for allegedly aiding MTN in the alleged illegal capital repatriation and deducted the amount from the bank's accounts.President Donald Trump's surprise concession to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has come back to bite the US military in the form of decreasing readiness of the 28,000 troops in South Korea.

Trump emerged from a day-long meeting with Kim Jong Un in Singapore in June on no sleep, and made the admitted that he had agreed to halt US-South Korean military exercises in a verbal deal with Kim. He got little back in terms of tangible results.

The message appeared to shock both South Korea and the Pentagon, who gave a scrambled response.

Immediately, experts warned that halting drills would degrade the US military's readiness to fight, while also undermining the logic for hosting troops there at all.Adekanmbi, who was a keynote speaker at the Lagos Startup Week 2018, dropped the insights to entrepreneurs and startups who attended the opening ceremony at the Landmark centre, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

He spoke on his perspective about Nigerian entrepreneurs and how an individual can scale through difficulties and have an emerging product in the society.

These are the 7 key tips for every startup to move from zero to millions, according to Adekanmbi.

1. Don't become extremely over possessed with an idea - negatively

Your idea must be realistic and solution driven. You should be thinking about users, recipient of your end- product. You must be able to accept ideas and your ideas must be flexible.

You must also be open to criticism. It makes you grow.

Businesses fail because products are not meeting needs that drives consumers' investment.

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2. Right motivation - what is your motivation?

Every startup and entrepreneur must have the right kind of motivation to succeed.

3. You must be realistic - Dream big but start small

Adekanmbi said every startup and entrepreneur must have an achievable dream and should start small so as to achieve the dream.

He gave instances of starting from home to co-working locations.

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4. Don't give up

Adekanmbi said one of the qualities of an entrepreneur is to work hard in the face of difficulties. He said if an idea is not working out as planned, an entrepreneur can amend and re-adjust it to fit into current realities.

Every startup must strive to meet up with global realities.

5. Offer quality products and services

The Data scientist said the quality of products will speak for an entrepreneur in any area. He advised startups to ensure that the quality of their products solves societal challenges.

For your product to be scalable in the market, it must have solutions to some pertinent problems.

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6. Don't be scared of failure

He advised startups not be scared of failures. He said it is part of the learning process and will make them grow.

The MTN Nigeria chief said entrepreneur should do away with flashy things. He cited an instance of a startup that got investors' fund and decided to buy a car first instead of investing in product and services.

He advised startups to learn from colleagues and other networks to be able to understand the terrain and their markets.

7. Take risks

The last point he mentioned was on how startups should manage risk. Adekanmbi said startups should not be afraid of taking risks and it helps them to understand their market and how to solve a certain issue.The President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta left Kenyans surprised by recently proposing an increase in Internet Tax through the alteration of the Finance Bill 2018. This Bill was earlier declared illegal by the High Court.

According to Wathagi Ndungu, Paradigm Initiatives Google Policy Fellow for Eastern and Southern Africa, this action comes after a public outcry for a reduction on the tax on petroleum products. The president intimated that revenue had to come from somewhere and the first to suffer are Internet data services.

The proposal to parliament by the president read, Telephone and internet data services shall be charged excise duty at a rate of 15% of their excisable value.

Due to this approval, excise duty will increase on telephone, Internet data and mobile phone services. Business will be greatly affected especially small businesses that rely heavily on mobile and Internet money transfer. Other businesses that will suffer by this tax introduction include online businesses such as Vlogging, online writing, e-commerce stores, telemarketing and blogging, Ndungu added.

What this means is that 100 Kenya shillings worth of airtime that currently attracts 10 Kenya shillings tax will now see the Treasury earn an extra 15 Kenya shillings. This tax is estimated to affect over 44.1 million subscribers, going by the figure on mobile subscribers contained in Communications Authority of Kenya third-quarter report of to March 2018.

The situation is disappointing since Kenyans are already among the most heavily taxed income earners in the world without any evidence as to how they benefit from these heavy taxes, Ndungu concluded.Following an emergency meeting of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, the staff of the polytechnic according to New Telegraph said they are going to resume the suspended industrial action.

While addressing a press conference in Abeokuta, the Coordinator of ASUP Zone C said the decision to go on strike by the Polytechnic lecturers was to press home the unions demands for the state government to fix deplorable state of the institution, New Telegraph reports.

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He added that the 38-year-old institution established and owned by Ogun State government was on the verge of collapse due to a series of challenges facing it.

According to him, MAPOLY is grappling with many issues some of which are non-payment of accrued allowances, seizure of union and cooperative deduction, infractions in the appointment of Rector and politicization of the polytechnic subsector.

ALSO READ:

He said, At this point, our union is therefore constrained to lament again that our subsector in Ogun State is on the verge of collapse and needs all the emergency attention it urgently deserves. Until now, it should be noted that the issues being raised have been rolling since mid-2017.

It is against this background that we wish to remind government at all levels as well as Nigerians that we cannot continue to be enslaved and tortured by the state government who is saddled with the responsibility to enhance our welfare, in the face of imminent and seemingly terrific annihilation of a subsector that feeds and caters for millions of Nigerian youths and families.

MAPOLY will stop to exist in 2021

Meanwhile, the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has announced that the state polytechnic will stop to exist in 2021.

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Amosun made the announcement in October 2017 while addressing students who stormed his office at Oke Mosan to complain about the state of education in the state.According to Punch, the Police Commision was quoted to have said, Ambrose Alli University, I must admit, is a den of cultists. The killing was as a result of a fight between rival cult groups. We are determined to get to the heart of the matter and check the rising wave of cultism at the school and other tertiary institutions in the state. We cannot tolerate the situation.

However, the University has reacted to the statement attributed to the CP describing it as an incautious remark over the gruesome killing of five students of the institution.

The university also described the statement as false and insubstantial while the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, according to Punch wondered why the police would link the attack to the university.

The VC reactions

The VC said, that (CPs remark) is an unguarded statement. What facts does he have on ground? For a very long time now, there have been no known cult activities in AAU. So, how did it become a den of cultists? Two people had a quarrel in town and, in the process, one of them shot some people in town, in a restaurant and during a party. How does that make it (university) a den of cultists?

Does that make sense? If an incident happened in Benin and a student was shot, would you say that the University of Benin is a den of cultists? The incident (killings) happened very far away from the campus and while it was happening, we had an international conference taking place in AAU. We never had any issue with anybody.

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities in AAU, Dr Monday Igbafen, also kicked against the remark saying it is an unguarded statement.

Igbafen said, this is still the unguarded statement some of us talk about. It is unguarded because we expect that if he (CP) knew that this place (AAU) is a den of cultists, what have they (police) been able to do? Do they want to wait until they kill all of us here? Theirs is to sit down in Benin and say it (AAU) is a den of cultists.

We do not think that is a fair statement to come from somebody who is occupying an office in one of the security agencies in this country. Nobody is saying there are no cultists but he should go an weight the description, den of cultists, very well.''

However, despite university management's reactions, the CP insisted and accused the VC of saying the truth. He added that there were statistics to prove the position of the police on the prevalence of cultism in the university.The University's Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Union (ASUU) and Head of Geography and Environmental Management Department, Dr Usman Adebimpe Raheem is reportedly battling with allegations bordering on academic theft.

According to the Nation, Dr Raheem's alleged plagiarism was found out when a graduate student of another Nigerian University used a few paragraphs from the lecturer's works in his own Masters degree thesis without acknowledgement.

When asked by his supervisor why he did not reference the paragraphs, the student said he got th paragraphs from earlier articles published by Dr Raheem himself which he (Dr Raheem) also used elaborately without any reference.

Sensing academic fraud, the supervisor dug deeper into Dr Raheem's works and found out that his ''publications are generally filled with massive word-for-word copying, duplication, data fraud and so on, the Nation reports.

Further checks on Dr Raheem's work since 2009, also shows that the lecturer who is now an Associate Professor at UNILORIN has been practising outright duplications and self-plagiarism for years.

The ASUU Chairman UNILORIN chapter also has some academic works he attributed to himself that were reportedly copied word-for-word from other peoples' works.

The Nation reports that an academic work published by Fatai Egberongbe (et al) in October 2006 is one of the works the UNILORIN lecturer stole.

According to the newspaper, ''One of the works that became a casualty in the itchy fingers of Dr Raheem is Oil Spill Disaster Monitoring along Nigerian Coastline, published by (et al) in October 2006 in Shaping the Change, Munich, Germany''.The veteran rapper who couldn't hide his joy took to his Instagram page on Monday, September 24, 2018, where he shared the photo of the adorable baby.

"My 1st granddaughter lovely day be blessed Y'all," he captioned the photo. So let the guessing games begin guys, what do you think she will be named Congratulations Snoop Dogg on the latest addition to your family.

Back home in Nigeria, another celebrity for the first time became a grandmother. Just so you know, we are talking about the gorgeous and talented actress, Ireti Doyle.

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Ireti Doyle welcomes 1st grandchild!

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About a week ago, the news of Ireti Doyle welcoming her very first grandchild broke. The award-winning actress announced the good news on her Instagram page on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, where she shared a photo of her daughter and was full of praises to God.

"E ba mi yin Oluwa looogoooo!!! For on this day a child, my 1st grandchild; to us is born," she captioned the photo. Don't we all love it when we get to hear good news like this every time?

Patience Ozokwo welcomes 16th grandchild

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Patience Ozokwo back in April 2018 welcomed her 16th grandchild. The very excited grandmother took to her Instagram page on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, where she posted a photo of the adorable newborn baby with a really cute caption.The first teaser garnered over 23 million views on social media, suggesting that this may become the biggest Nollywood title of the year. The movie will be in cinemas from December 14th, with the premiere scheduled for December 2nd at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria.

Chief Daddy chronicles the secrets, surprises, twists, and turns that follow the death of Chief Beecroft, played by Taiwo Obileye, a wealthy and benevolent industrialist with a large family, household staff and mistresses who are all dependent on him.

This 60-second teaser captures the moment when Chuchu and Jodi D, owners of a failing funeral business (played by Chioma Chigul Omeruah and Chinedu Nedu Ani) believe they have hit the jackpot when they are contracted to coordinate the funeral.

This second teaser is another great example of what this movie has to offer - comedy, suspense, and drama. With the wealth of talent featured in this movie, the audience will remain captivated until the very end, said Mo Abudu, executive producer.

Chigul and Nedu are just two of a star-studded cast, which includes (in alphabetical order) Bisola Aiyeola, Funke Akindele, Zainab Balogun, Shaffy Bello, Lepacious Bose, Ini Edo, Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Linda Ejiofor, Folarin Falz Falana, Mawuli Gavor, Kate Henshaw, Ayo Lijadu, Jude MI Abaga, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Beverly Naya, Uti Nwachukwu, Taiwo Obileye, Rachel Oniga, Beverly Osu, Nkem Owoh, Patience Ozokwor and Joke Silva. Chief Daddy was written by Bode Asinyanbi and directed by Niyi Akinmolayan.Air Peace and Boeing penned the deal for acquisition of 10 brand new 737 MAX 8 aircraft with Boeing at an event hosted by the US Consul General in Lagos last Thursday, making history as the first airline in West Africa to add the equipment to its fleet.

Air Peace already operates Boeing 737s and Embraer 145s on its domestic and regional routes.

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Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony at the residence of US Consul General in Lagos, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema said the airline was now more positioned to lift Nigeria's economy, create jobs and transform air travel.

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We are excited to add the 737 MAX to our fleet as we expand our network to offer more destinations and serve more passengers, said Onyema.

He added: The fuel efficiency and superior operating economics of the 737 MAX will ensure that the aircraft will play a major role in growing our business in the years to come.

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He commended Boeing, the governments of Nigeria and the United States as well as Fidelity Bank for their different roles in assisting the airline to achieve the feat.

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For his part, the Sales Director of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (West and Central Africa), Mr. Larry Tolliver praised Air Peace for the feat.

The new aircraft, he assured, would drastically cut the airline's cost of operations.

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Also speaking, the US Consul General in Lagos, Mr John Bray assured Air Peace of the support of his country's government. He commended Air Peace and its chairman for the feat.

The Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, for his part, praised Onyema for his integrity and hard work. He confirmed that Fidelity Bank decided to support Air Peace because of its financial discipline and sound business model

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The 737 MAX 8 is part of a family of airplanes that offer 130 to 230 seats and the ability to fly up to 3,850 nautical miles (7,130 kilometers).

With improvements such as the CFM International LEAP-1B engine and Advanced Technology winglets, the 737 MAX will help Air Peace save more than 20 percent on fuel costs compared to its current single-aisle airplanes.

The MAX 8, in particular, offers airlines 13 more seats than its closest competitor, seven percent lower costs for each of those seats, and 300 miles more range.

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Africa is a growing market for commercial airplanes and we are proud that airlines like Air Peace are selecting Boeing aircraft to be part of that growth, said Marty Bentrott, Boeing Sales vice president for Middle East, Turkey, Russia, Central Asia & Africa.

This order reflects the strong demand that we are seeing for the 737 MAX as airlines choose the airplanes superior performance and reliability.

The 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating more than 4,700 orders from 102 customers worldwide.

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The news of the acquisition has since dominated discussions in aviation circles in Nigeria and West Africa, where Air Peace has comfortable become the leader.

The failure of the Federal Governments plan to float a new national carrier yesterday has deepened the prominence of Air Peace in the aviation industry, with many commentators suggesting that the airline be supported to play the role of the nations official carrier given the capacity it has demonstrated.According to the BBC News, the Governor has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Otieno was reportedly abducted on Monday, September 3, 2018, alongside a local journalist Barack Odour. The latter jumped off a speeding car they were travelling in leaving 26-year-old Otieno with the kidnappers.

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The police found her corpse two days later in a thicket near the town of Oyugis says a BBC report.

ALSO READ: Police catch up with suspected murderer who reportedly murdered 4 sex workers

Barack Odour who was identified as a reporter with Kenyas Nation Media Group prompted an investigation following claims that Sharon Otieno reached out to him about an affair. But they were both taken by their captors on the day they had set for a meeting.

"Sharon and her unborn baby lost their lives in a gruesome and horrifying manner in the hands of her killers.

My office is therefore committed to ensuring that all the perpetrators of the heinous act are brought to book and subjected to the due process of the law," a prosecutor Noodin Haji is quoted in a statement captured by the BBC.

Already, investigations have confirmed that married Governor Okoth Obado had an intimate relationship with the deceased.

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Yet, he maintains his innocence.The world achieved the first Millennium Development Goal targetto cut the 1990 poverty rate in half by 2015five years ahead of schedule, in 2010. However, progress made in reducing poverty with respect to , the number of people living in extreme poverty globally remains slow, characterised by unacceptably high levels of extreme poverty concentrated in some parts of the world. Unfortunately, global growth forecasts also indicate that the target of ending extreme poverty by 2030 may not be achieved fast enough to make a huge difference.

Since the early 1990s, a direct relationship between poverty and good governance has been established. In fact, the notion of Good Governance has been considered necessary for sustainable development and poverty reduction. To attempt to capture the many dimensions of good governance, researchers at the World Bank Institute have ranked countries with respect to certain qualities: voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption.

Bringing it home to Africa, the Mo Ibrahim Index for African Governance (IIAG) has been internationally accepted as a measure of good governance. Established in 2007, the framework provides a quantifiable tool to measure and monitor governance performance in 54 African countries, to assess their progress over time and to support the development of effective and responsive policy solutions.

It assesses performance across four key components; Safety & Rule of Law, Participation & Human Rights, Sustainable Economic Opportunity and Human Development. Together, these components symbolise pillars upon which good governance stands, hence, epitomizing the performance of any government, at any level.

Good governance remains the foundation of the path from poverty to prosperity and it is imperative for social and economic progress. It leads to faster economic growth and development, but it involves justice, equity, protection of life and property, enhanced participation, preservation of the rule of law and improved living standard of the populace in the process.

It is in recognition of the above that concerted efforts were put in place to stem the tide of recession that the nation plunged into in 2016. Of particular importance are significant milestones achieved in 2017 including; the launch of an Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017-2020, a rise in external reserves, a relatively stable exchange rate, and an improvement in World Banks Ease of Doing Business ranking which saw Nigeria moving up 24 places from 169th the previous year to 145th.

Although the 2017 Index of African Governance noted these improvements by acknowledging improved governance in the last five years, it still scored Nigeria 48.1 out of a possible 100 marks. This score happens to be lower than the African average of 50.8 and the West African regional average of 53.8 percent. Nigeria achieved its highest score in Participation and Human Rights (52.5%), while it recorded the lowest in Sustainable Economic Opportunity (42.3%). In the sub-categories, Nigeria scored its best in Rule of Law (63.1%) and its lowest in Accountability (32.7%).

What this means is that governance did not make much impact on the lives of Nigerians. The poor rating also indicates that a lot more needs to be done, particularly in the areas that the country is deficient. As can be seen, the country is still threatened by vulnerabilities on multiple fronts  economic, social and political. Weak institutional framework, poverty, youth unemployment and a heightened crime rate remain dominant issues in the country.

There is therefore an urgent need for a paradigm shift in Nigeria, to step up through the present ranks and beyond our limitations in order to harness sustainable economic opportunities required to compete globally and move our people out of poverty.

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) has made a commitment to focus on good governance at its 24th Economic Summit in a bid to address binding constraints to the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented. This is to be done through its summit themed: Poverty to Prosperity: Making Governance and Institutions Work.

For over 2 decades, the Nigerian Economic Summit has been a major catalyst for conversations on rebuilding the Nigerian economy to improve the living conditions of all Nigerians through insightful yearly summits. NESG has tasked itself with the reformation and promotion of the Nigerian economy through research and advocacy.

The economic summits of the past years have successfully done well in instituting change through influence that mobilizes action. Last year, the summit focused on Opportunities, Productivity and Employment, which elicited and adopted solutions-based approach in addressing issues that create opportunities, tackle unemployment and improve productivity.

In the usual tradition, the 24th Nigerian Economic Summit will bring together stakeholders in government, business, politics, civil society, international organizations and academia to create and share a unifying narrative on the imperatives for good governance as prerequisites to sustain growth and development.

The summit will also feature Start-ups pitching events to connect new ventures seeking to raise funds with potential investors.

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization that serves as a platform for private and public sector dialogue, focused on Nigerias sustainable economic development.

The summit is set to take place from 22nd to the 23rd of October, 2018 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja.Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!Its 2004, before Facebook became a Nigerian phenomenon, Uncle Chidi was struggling with MySpace and Hi5.

It was so bad that pressure from home was forcing him into the arms of the Ogbanje that is Aunty Kemi, the banker who once broke a womans head because she thought Uncle Chidi even looked at her.

Uncle Chidi meanwhile met the ideal woman in University, but his demonic tendencies were in regular slack level familiarities with his village peoples emissaries.

He cracked Ujus heart like an egg. She was hurt and left. But since Kemi came into his life, hes had been rumbling with Hi5 to keep his mind of his terrorist girlfriend, while hoping to bump into Uju.

This was 2004 and he never did. Uju got married three months before to his need to find her. He found her in Facebook in 2007 after he had wasted time and energy through 2007. Omashe o

Fast forward 2009, hes still stalking Uju who posting mushy pictures often, to gush about her good man hubby or describe just how perfect her 2-year old daughters shoes look while posting the good life on holidays to TINAPA and things. Chidi, still not married neglected his equally good life and longed for another he deemed perfect.

He also failed to fight for his new girlfriend, Fatimah, who left him because she thought him emotionally unavailable and a distant lover, probably because his heart still longed for Uju.

In 2011, Chidi is married to Onyinye whom he managed to beg after it became clear she was a good woman he grew to love deeply. On one good July afternoon in Victoria Island, Lagos, Chidi bumped into Ujus university best friend, Jennifer who told him Uju had relocated to the London in 2010 to get away from her abusive husband.

An awestruck Chidi argued for a second that it couldnt have been possible. Alas, he agreed that social media isnt all it seems.

That was what Facebook  the inaugural social platform for Nigeria  brought to us; an avenue to find alternative fun, connect with people, swear wild oaths by meeting strange people of the opposite sex for wonderful Rendezvous and waste our money on subscription while it tensions us with the perfect lives of others.

ALSO READ: Lagos is messing with my mental health

Are we tensioning ourselves though? Does it mess with our mental well being?

Social media is social media and what you see is what people want you to see. Only those who believe they have better lives than most people, probably while living it up in America or England or Malaysia pain social media black and blue with their pictures.

Even those ones still keep some things off social media. Everyone wants to be their best selves for the camera. There is a need for perfection for the audience that is friends and followers and you have to feed their minds enough with whatever market you sell to keep them around and keep the validation through likes and comments.

The truth is, nobody has a perfect life on social media. Sometimes too, our insecurities and the construction of our minds lead us to paint that Yoruba Demon with 6,000 followers as a Lekki dweller, who works with Mobil and drives a convertible BMW when hes just another nigga who jumps danfo and hustles like the average guy.

Sometimes too, those people didn't create those stereotypes, you created an image of them in your head.

Last year, a 27-year old Lawyer-female friend to this scribbler messaged him about her decreasing quality of mental health. She was called to the Nigerian bar in 2015 and only slaves away at a demeaning job in Abuja that pays her a meager NGN45,000 monthly. On top of that, she struggles to keep a relationship despite her obvious beauty.

Men either cheat her or are unwilling to stay.

She felt checking Facebook to see pictures of her friends, out of the country or working with good companies or married, with kids sends her spiraling that she quit social media. I had to let her know that nothing is what it seems. She still stayed off social media for a long time, till she came back this year.

We never understand that everyone has what he or she deals with, even though they have things that make them happy. While staying off social media is reasonable, we all need to manage our expectations. Its why we keep getting surprised when we see people in real life and they are only human, not demi-gods with a halo, white wings and the full grace of a celestial being.

Stay woke, and limit your affinity to what social media paints you.

ALSO READ: Know the extent of Tramadol abuse in Borno State, Nigeria

But then, can we or is it about addiction?

In 2017, a writer likened social media to cocaine, or in the more Nigerian sense, skunk or Igbo. He claimed our mental health has been altered by the concept of likes and retweets so much that when we dont get them, we aim for them and get angry when we dont get them. Even worse, we compare ourselves to those who get them regularly and perceive them as ultra-special people, with the spirit of Moremi or Amadioha.

Bros, there is no way you can over-scrutinize at that level if you are not close to something to see how it works just like you cannot know a Yoruba demon if you are not close to one or you have not sold one a cone of ice-cream. *winks*

This level of addiction is unhealthy and has a long-lasting effect that causes a lack of focus, distracts and impairs concentration. Even when you have a 95 where you get hounded by your boss - who could be a sexual predator - you also have another job on social media where you feel appreciated and people of the opposite sex flock into your mentions in droves everytime you post a picture.

To highlight your dominance as the regal creature you are, you never respond directly to ones you dont know as we have to keep the bloodlines pure. Na dem dey rush you after all. That also includes the Thanks for ACCEPT my friends request clan on Facebook.

Incredibly, you also have to be mad enough to sustain this life. The distraction takes your time enough to help your village people split your time productive endeavours and pro bono slay duties of social media where you reign supreme over a herd of subjects when you really slave in real life. The only thing you ever get off social media is the odd dirty money to market fake campaigns by using iPhone Xs you dont have. Cc: #LagosIsClean

Your mental health is being trifled with, Ladies and gentlemen. Have you ever finished social media and gotten exhausted? Yes, it drains you while you calculate and measure the right content to garner more praise off. This is worse on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

With Facebook, you are more likely to be tensioned out of your head as people only tend to post good parts of their lives ad brag about their trips to London the first time they get a stamped passport. In that group chat, you wey never pass Lagos, and unable to engage in the conversation log out. Incredibly, you check out and move on. Ego shattered Episode 1,000,000.

There is no hiding place for you. Your village people are working overtime. So why dont you stop helping them and stay off their primary means of monitoring your life because make no mistake, alujonu, ogbanje and the internet are in cahoots these days. They probably use Skype in covens.1. Abuja: Arts and craft market

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The Abuja Art and Craft Village is one of the most intriguing tourist attractions to be found in the central capital of Nigeria. The Arts and crafts village is a market for all sorts of Arts and Crafts. There are different arts and crafts that are displayed and sold to willing tourists at affordable prices. You can find it opposite Sheraton in Central area, though a recent fire might have displaced many of the vendors.

2. Lagos: Lekki market

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There are lots of artifacts and trinkets that are sold in Lekki Arts and Crafts Market in Jakande. is as uncommon as the arts, crafts and other goods and services it has on offer. Its tucked away in one corner of the Lekki-Epe expressway and unless youre looking for it, you wont find it.

3. Benin: Igun Street

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ALSO READ:How to stay connected with you boo while planning your wedding

Love Story

We met at a Kokos cousin Daras wedding in June of 2012 in Chicago, the couple write on their wedding website.

We both happen to be at the bar where some small talk was initiated. After the conversation we exchanged numbers and decided to keep in touch.

We remained friends for a while. Though we lived in different states Texas and Colorado, we became really close. In 2013 we decided to officially start dating and in January 2014 Koko moved from Denver to Houston where our relationship grew even more.

In 2017 we got engaged at Hamilton Pool near Austin, Texas. The rest is history!So you slide into a lady's DM on Instagram and she's polite and has lit responses and not one-liners or anything of the sort.

Your convos extend beyond the first time and somehow, the chats become a ritual till you both decide to go on a date. I mean, you've got to see her at some point, right?

So you go on that date only to find out that she's actually rude and condescending. She treats the waitresses and other attendants with such disgust that takes you aback and makes you wonder if she's actually worth pursuing afterall.

That's the thing with relationship red flags. Everyone has something they can't stand in anyone that's going to end up being their girlfriend, boyfriend, husband or wife.

In Eniola Abumere's Youtube vlog [video below] published on Sept. 20, he says being self-absorbed is one habit that he can't deal with in a woman.

Alongside his guest, Nkem Edem, who writes lifestyle over at Bella Naija, habits such as being too quick to express love and carelessly throwing around words of endearment were listed as red flags.

Physical and emotional abuse are also listed as things partners should never overlook, especially if it manifests before things get serious, as in a marriage. And this is why it is absolutely important to never ignore the things you personally consider as red flags - you are securing your peace of mind and happiness.

Refusing to talk about the thing that irks you about him or her, refusing to call them out on those things and demand for a change is to give them a free pass to keep doing those things and continue robbing you of happiness and a healthy relationship.

You also deny yourself of a healthy atmosphere in the relationship when you let these red flags slide. Resentment always mounts when a partner does something you should speak about or do something about, but you choose to do so.

No matter what your reasons are, whether for an apparent keeping of peace or others, it does not make sense to continuously overlook things that you are not cool with. Your happiness, stability, mental health and even your life depends on the refusal to be lukewarm, or worse, to even accept these behaviours.

Once you spot that red flag, speak about it. While at it, bear in mind that there is a difference between criticising and actually critiquing a thing. But stay vigilant and observant. Time often reveals change that is true and one that is not.The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had announced in a brief statement last week that the Federal Executive Council decided to suspend the project which had been been scheduled to start operations in December 2018.

While Sirika failed to disclose why the project was suspended, Lai Mohammed has hinted that it might be due to the commitment of investors.

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While addressing the media during the official opening of an in-flight catering facility, the LSG Sky Chefs, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Monday, September 24, 2018, he said investors were not as forthcoming as earlier believed by the government.

He said, "If the understanding of government at the beginning was that the project might be self-financing or the project would be financed by investors and you think that such a project can no longer be sponsored by investors, either because they are not forthcoming or such venture can no longer be viable, the government is at the discretion to take a decision.

"The position of government in business is to provide the enabling environment and it is not to become the sole source of finance or funding and in addition, there is much more than funding in trying to get our national carrier. So, the Federal Government thinks this thing should be stepped down now until we get a better funding structure."

Nigeria Air was unveiled in July

When Sirika unveiled the name and logo of the national carrier at Farnborough International Public Airshow in London on July 18, 2018, he said it'll be private sector-led and driven, noting that the government will not own more than 5% of the new national carrier and will not be involved in running it.

He disclosed that 81 routes (domestic, regional and international) have been identified for the airline which is touted to promote Nigeria's cultures and traditions.Several states have been hit with flood incidents in the past few weeks as heavy seasonal rains have caused the Niger and Benue rivers to burst their banks and flood communities. NEMA recently declared a national disaster in Niger, Kogi, Anambra and Delta with eight other states kept on the agency's watchlist.

In a situation report released by NEMA's spokesperson, Sanni Datti, on Monday, September 24, 2018, he revealed that a total of 441,251 people were affected by flooding that has left 141,369 people internally displaced.

Datti also disclosed that the flood has destroyed about 13,031 houses, leaving 198 people injured, while 122,653 hectares of agricultural land have also been damaged.

Kogi has the highest number of people affected with 118,199 victims, followed by Kebbi (94,991), Anambra (64,331), Niger (51,719), Kwara (41,680), Delta (37,017), Edo (31,113), and Benue (2,201)

Datti disclosed that the number of people affected by the flood is expected to rise further as assessments are still ongoing in some states, including Rivers and Bayelsa, which are believed to be amongst the worst hit.

"As water levels have continued to rise in Rivers and Bayelsa states, some communities have been submerged under water. To avert the loss of lives and injuries, NEMA, in collaboration with the military, has started immediate evacuation of families that are still trapped in their homes.

"The affected families are being relocated to nearby camps and there is an urgent need for assistance in terms of food and non-food items," he said.

The report noted that a total sum of N12.13 billion is required to provide relief materials to all the victims of the flood, reporting that only N3 billion is currently available.Ortom had earlier confirmed the receipt of N14.9 billion, being the last tranche of the Paris Club Refunds from the Federal Government.

The Governors spokesman, Terver Akase, in a statement told newsmen that 80 per cent of the funds would be committed to payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities.

Ortom calls for calm

Governor Ortom, in his reaction, called on the people of Benue state to remain calm.

He also said that he hopes the government will reverse its decision because of the workers and retirees in the state, Daily Post reports.

Following the Governors directive to the state Ministry of Finance, payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities was set to commence today, only for the people to wake up with the demoralizing news of Federal Governments recall of the funds from the states accounts.

We hope this latest move is not part of the ongoing witch-hunt of the state. Benue people have already suffered enough impunity and attacks.

We also hope that the withdrawal order was made in error, because the said funds are not grants from the Federal Government.

This was a refund of funds the Federal Government has been owing Benue over the years, so they shouldnt make it look as though they had given the state a loan or a grant, he added.Osinbajo stated this at the opening ceremony of a per-independence day photo exhibition in Abuja, on Tuesday, September 25, 2018.

The Vice President said each phase of Nigerias history tested the peoples resolve to remain united and maintain the integrity of the country.

Each phase has tested the commitment of our leaders to the Nigerian project; it has tested their ingenuity and their wisdom in navigating the frequently tortuous and turbulent waters of our national story, Osinbajo said.

I am pleased to say on behalf of the Nigerian government and people that we have chosen to say that our history will not determine our future; our history is the least that we can ever be; our future is much greater; our history is only a precursor to a greater Nigeria; to a Nigeria that is prosperous, united and where all of us are treated fairly and justly. Our history is only the beginning of that great Nigerian story that all of these people who have won awards represent; that they are going to be better than those of us who sit here today, these young people represent that history and pride that our nation represent.

Earlier, the convener and Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said October 1 every year provides an opportunity to reflect on the nations unity, patriotism and commitment to nation-building.

''Over the years, the country has gone through trials and tribulations, but the 1st of October is always a day for celebration and thanksgiving, because it occupies a very important place of pride in the political history of our country. It also serves as a poignant reminder and appreciation of the 'Labours of our heroes past','' he said.

While declaring the exhibition open, Osinbajo said the occasion would help Nigerians to recognize the incredible leadership provided by all the nations political leaders, from the colonial days to the present day, who have shown greater wisdom, wits and courage at all times.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to three students -- John Chinyere of Federal Government Boys College, Gudu; Eunice Shagu, Stella Maris College, Garki; and Vincent Davies of the Model Secondary School, Maitama -- who came tops during the drawing completion as well as cultural dance performances.The official of the U.S. Department of State said it was imperative for young Nigerians to take advantage of the many educational development options that the institutions were currently offering.

Let me say that promoting international education is of great importance to the United States. Here we have so many excellent colleges and universities for young Nigerians to choose from.

EducationUSA is committed to supporting the increasing number of African students who are interested in studying in the United States.

So, we want young Nigerians to come to study in the 47, 000 US accredited educational Colleges and universities that are really waiting to admit them, he said.

According to Boll, the goal of the U.S. and the institution is to help Nigerian international students find the institutions that best suit each student.

He said his home government also strongly believe that when young Nigerians study in the US they would be exposed to the world.

Boll urged participants at the fair, especially secondary school students, to begin to look at the options of studying in internationally recognised institutions like those in the U.S.

We are equipping the next generation of world leaders with the tools they need to build stable economic, promote democracy and the rule of law, and create positive social change in their communities for a safely, more prosperous world.

We will continue to focus on individual successes. So, for young Nigerians, we hope that that you make the right choice from this fair, he said.

Mr Russell Brooks, the new Consul-General of the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, said the US Mission in Nigeria was committed to supporting the development of Nigeria and Nigerians.

Brooks said it was the U.S. governments top priority to support the overall development of Nigeria, adding that the nations educational development was one of the targeted areas.

According to him, EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 425 international students advising centres in more than 175 countries.He cautioned prophets to guard their grace with pride, so as to prevent any unusual disgrace. He made this submissions recently at the office, Warri, Delta state.

While reacting to the recent prophesies from several men of God to politicians and aspirants, Prophet Jeremiah stated that political prophesies must not be one-on-one consideration to attract goodwill from politicians.

He warned men of God to be careful and respect the faith, instead of putting their grace on the line, as well as subjecting the faith to shame.

Ahead of the 2019 general election, many prophetic pastors have been revealing what God told them about the election.

There were also such prophecies during the recently concluded July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.

It would be recalled also that before the 2015 general elections, there were series of prophecies and counter-prophecies on who would win or lose the presidential election.

According to prophet Jeremiah, prophecies are from God. So pastors and prophets who use their discretion under the umbrella of prophecy, encouraging aspirants that they will win, might be disappointed when God decides to chose another against their self determined prophecy.

However, the recent increase in prophesies from pastors and prophets to aspirants in elections exercises have raise series of reactions, as to if these prophesies are from God or man-made.

The principled and disciplined Prophet Jeremiah of Christ MercyLand Deliverance Ministry (CMDM), also stated that it is hard labour for men of God to manage and nurture political prophecies in Nigeria.Omisore hails from Ile-Ife.

Ife North and South are two of the local governments where a rerun of the vote will be conducted on Thursday to decide the winner of the governorship election. Others are Orolu and Osogbo.

Essentially, 3,498 votes were voided in seven polling units in Orolu, Ife North, Ife South and Osogbo.

The Osun governorship election was declared inconclusive because the number of cancelled votes was more than the margin of victory (353) between the PDP and APC.

The rerun will hold in 3 polling units in Orolu, 2 in Ife South, 1 in Ife North and 1 in Osogbo.

Beautiful bride

The rerun election will be between Gboyega Oyetola of the APC (who polled 254,345 votes) and Ademola Adeleke of the PDP (who polled 254,698).

Omisores SDP scored a vote total of 128,049, to come third behind APC and PDP.

Omisore who is loved in Ife and who polled a chunk of his votes in Ife, is understandably being courted by APC and PDP chieftains.

On Monday, September 24, Senate President Bukola Saraki flew to Ile-Ife for a meeting with Omisore.

ece-auto-gen

I thank Sen. Iyiola Omisore for the warm reception he and his people gave me and members of my entourage in Ile-Ife today. We have agreed to work together because our goals are the same. We all want good governance in Osun State. Over the next 24 hours, we will work out the details, Saraki said.

However, after the meeting with Saraki, Omisore hinted that he was open to working with any one of the PDP or APC as long as his demands are met.

Omisore's denial

SDP is now in a league of discussion with both APC and PDP, Omisore said.

Hours later, Omisore told SaharaReporters that contrary to the picture painted by Saraki, he hasnt agreed to work with the PDP.

The news going round that I have agreed to work with the PDP is falsehood, Omisore said.

We met and we discussed. SDP is a party, so also is the PDP.

APC too had reached out to us in SDP. Our concern is good governance of this state. We are here to ensure that whichever party takes over the government adopts SDPs programmes and policies as stated in our manifesto.

A member of Omisores media team told SaharaReporters that: To situate it well, Senator Iyiola Omisore has not agreed to work with PDP; he discussed with its leadership just as APC also reached out to him for discussion.Being hungry is a threat to a students ability to be successful in college, and inhibits employers ability to have access to the best trained workforce, Cady said. We need a skilled workforce. We need people to be able to provide for their families in ways that they wont need additional assistance, and getting a college degree is a key to that. It helps people rise out of poverty. It helps people stay economically stable, increases economic mobility and makes our workforce stronger. All these things are necessary for us as a country to be more successful. If we arent able to support people to be able to complete school, then we dont get the benefit of it. Prosecutors had asked that he be sentenced to the maximum: 10 years in prison.

 Before sentencing, Judge Steven T. ONeill upheld a state boards finding that Mr. Cosby is a sexually violent predator.

 The court released Ms. Constands full victim impact statement, in which she wrote: Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it.

 Mr. Cosby declined an opportunity to address the court before his sentence was handed down.

A precipitous fall for Americas Dad

Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home near here 14 years ago, completing the precipitous downfall to disgrace of a man from the heights of stardom and putting an exclamation mark on the first major conviction of the #MeToo era.

Mr. Cosby, 81, had been convicted in April of assaulting Andrea Constand, a Temple University employee at the time of the assault, who had looked upon him as a mentor but ended up being one of the dozens of women who have accused him of acts of predatory sexual abuse.

Nine of those women and Ms. Constand were in the Montgomery County Courthouse to witness the sentencing by Judge Steven T. ONeill. Ms. Cosbys wife, Camille, was not.

Mr. Cosbys journey to prison was a long one. After his arrest in December 2015, his first trial in 2017 ended with a hung jury after six days of deliberations.

But at the retrial here in April, in the same courthouse and before the same judge, a jury convicted Mr. Cosby on only the second day of deliberations on three counts of aggravated indecent assault. One key difference in the trials: During the retrial, Judge ONeill allowed five additional accusers to give their accounts of what they said was sexual abuse by Mr. Cosby. During the first trial, he had allowed only one additional accuser to join Ms. Constand in giving an account.

Mr. Cosbys trial and conviction has played out at a time when the country is coming to terms with a culture of predatory sexual abuse by powerful men.

A large number of the women who accused Mr. Cosby of abusing them had expected a long prison sentence, one that offered a measure of comfort since their own claims were barred by the statute of limitations when they came forward in the past few years.

The defense said Mr. Cosby is no predator, but the judge disagreed

Judge ONeill ruled earlier in the day that Mr. Cosby qualified as a sexually violent predator under Pennsylvania law.

His decision came after testimony by a psychologist for the defense, who said Mr. Cosby did not deserve that classification.

The expert, Timothy Foley, said Mr. Cosby was no longer a threat to anyone and he contradicted a psychologist representing Pennsylvanias Sexual Offenders Assessment Board who testified Monday, the first day of Mr. Cosbys sentencing hearing.

That psychologist had said Mr. Cosby had demonstrated a lifetime interest in sex with nonconsenting women, which indicated a mental abnormality.

The determination of whether a defendant is a sexually violent predator can be a factor in sentencing and in the conditions imposed both in prison and afterward.

I found him to be extraordinarily low risk, Dr. Foley said.

He came to his opinion, he said, after he met with Mr. Cosby for three hours on July 18 and also after reviewing some records. He said he had read none of the trial records or depositions in the case.

M. Stewart Ryan, a prosecutor, asked whether he was aware that Mr. Cosby had admitted to getting seven prescriptions of quaaludes to give to women for sex. Dr. Foley said he wasnt.

Dr. Foley also said he didnt know that five other women had testified at trial that they had been assaulted by Mr. Cosby.

Mr. Cosbys lawyer, Joseph P. Green, argued Monday that Mr. Cosbys age, 81, and the fact he is legally blind, meant he was no risk, especially since there have been no new allegations of sexual abuse leveled against him since 2004.

Hows he going to meet these people? Mr. Green said. There is no reasonable prospect that an 81-year-old blind man is likely to reoffend.

But the psychologist for the state panel, Kristen F. Dudley, said she did not believe the disorder had dissipated with age. It is possible that he has already met someone who could be a future victim, she said.

The final decision by Judge ONeill upheld the boards finding. He said the state had met a clear and convincing standard.

No final words from Mr. Cosby

Mr. Cosby was convicted in April of drugging and assaulting Ms. Constand, a former Temple University employee to whom he had been a mentor.

Ms. Constand spoke in court on Monday, along with her mother, father and sister. Ms. Constand told the judge: The jury heard me, Mr. Cosby heard me and now all I am asking for is justice as the court sees fit.

But Mr. Cosby told the judge Tuesday through his lawyer that he did not intend to speak before sentencing.

Mr. Cosby has denied all the accusations against him and most experts had said they did not anticipate he would express remorse because his team has already announced plans to appeal his conviction.

He did answer a few procedural questions, and asked a question as prosecutors led him through a list of his duties now that he will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. If I went from a city to another city do I have to, even if its just overnight, I have to get in touch with the state police? Mr. Cosby said. Mr. Ryan, the prosecutor, said he should consult his lawyer.

Nine women who have accused Mr. Cosby of similar acts of sexual abuse were in the courtroom Tuesday to watch the sentencing, including three who testified at the trial in April.

But Mrs. Cosby was not there.

Mr. Cosby had originally 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 into one, as is 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.

Judge ONeill had to consider state guidelines that recommend, but do not mandate, appropriate sentence ranges. Those guidelines, which take into account any previous criminal record (Mr. Cosby has none), the seriousness of the offense, and mitigating and aggravating factors, suggest a range of about 10 months to four years, but Judge ONeill had great leeway, and prosecutors on Monday asked him to sentence Mr. Cosby to a maximum five-to-10-year term.

Kevin R. Steele, the Montgomery County District Attorney, said Monday that the judge should use the sentencing to send a wider message.

The bottom line, your honor, is nobodys above the law, said Mr. Steele. Others in a similar situation need to understand that.

Mr. Cosbys lawyer, Mr. Green, argued Tuesday for house arrest, suggesting that prison would be too harsh a sentence for a blind octogenarian first offender.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.The pirates had boarded the ship and abducted the crew around 45 nautical miles south west of Bonny Island on Saturday, September 22, 2018.

According to an earlier company statement, the pirates boarded the Glarus by means of long ladders and cut the razor wire on deck to gain access to the vessel.

In a new statement issued by the company on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, the abducted crew members are believed to be well and unharmed. The company stressed that the safe return of its crew is its "first and absolute priority".They were not, so Hannah and her sister took a banner calling for their release to a rally for new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, sticking around even after a deadly grenade attack disrupted the gathering in the capital Addis Ababa.

"We aren't living, so why should we hide?" Hannah said of her decision to openly challenge the popular prime minister in public.

Still, she has received no word on their whereabouts.

He has released scores of jailed dissidents and publicly admitted that the security forces tortured detainees.

But he has yet to bring closure for Hannah and many other Ethiopians whose friends and family opposed the EPRDF and were never seen again.

"Our family has been torn apart," Hannah told AFP, tears in her eyes. "Why do we have to suffer like this?"

Enforced disappearances

AFP

The EPRDF took power in 1991 after defeating the Derg military junta, establishing itself as the sole ruler in Africa's second most-populous country.

Hannah's brother Menelik Tesemma, 19 at the time, was active in an opposition party, the All-Amhara People's Organisation.

Not long after giving a forceful speech at a party meeting in 1994, plainclothes security agents in an unmarked car intercepted Menelik and his cousin.

That evening Hannah's other brothers, twins aged 21, went out looking for the pair after neighbours told them about the arrests. Security agents seized them too.

None has been seen since: there were no court appearances, no police records.

Once, Hannah secured a meeting with a government official who listened to her story before dismissing it, saying, "Our government would not do such things."

But in the early 1990s, as the EPRDF consolidated power, the enforced disappearance of opponents was an explicit strategy, said Fisseha Tekle, a researcher with Amnesty International.

Having survived the Derg's bloody purges against his Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP), 47-year-old Berhanu Ejigu was arrested by plainclothes police in 1994.

It was months before his brother Gebeyehu Ejigu was told he could visit Berhanu in a jail cell.

But when he got there, the man they showed him was not his brother.

"There are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands, loved ones mysteriously disappeared. Every one of those needs closure," Gebeyehu said.

He believes his brother is one of tens of thousands of disappeared, but Fisseha says the exact number is hard to know.

"You can count the allegations, but you can't find out the number of people who have 'been disappeared' (under) this kind of government," he said.

The search for truth

A prime target for the government's tactic of enforced disappearance was the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).

"Some people who disappeared just left the office and never returned," said Leenco Lata, a top official in the OLF when it fell out with the EPRDF in the early 1990s.

Family members sometimes made desperate attempts to find their vanished loved ones.

After Lencho Bati's brother, an OLF official, was taken in 1992, their father travelled to the northern Tigray region where the disappeared were thought to have been put to work building roads.

He would watch work crews closely, hoping to catch sight of his missing son Yosef Bati. He never did.

"I do not expect my brother is alive," said Lencho, a former OLF spokesman, who still hopes one day to recover his brother's remains, so he can bury them.

Today, the EPRDF and its allies hold every seat in parliament and political opposition is weak.

Abiy has welcomed once-banned groups like the OLF back into the country and made forgiveness a theme in speeches, but has yet to resolve the issue of enforced disappearances.

"Right now, the government is talking about forgiveness, but the truth should be a priority," said Fisseha.

Recently billboards with the words "Where are they?" have appeared in Oromia, alongside images of the missing, such as Bekele Dawano Hebeno, an OLF member who disappeared in 1992.

His son, Edao, has made repeated trips from his home in the US, seeking information, but to no avail, leaving him and his family in a terrible limbo.

"Right now my family are standing in between death and life," he said during a recent trip to Addis Ababa.There are calls for Otago University proctor Dave Scott to step down after his alleged bong seize spree in Dunedin flats.



At least three flats have come forward alleging Dave Scott entered their homes without permission and confiscated bongs

An online petition demanding his resignation has been setup.

"I just felt so strongly about this. It's got to stop. If anything is worth a petition it's this," Whakamana Cannabis Museum curator Abe Gray says.

But Otago University is standing by Mr Scott's actions saying he thought the occupants would rather deal with him than the police.

It's not illegal to own a water pipe, also known as a bong, but it is illegal to smoke marijuana.

Tens of thousands of dollars has also been pledged to pay for private prosecution against the proctor.

Mr Gray says a private pledger known to him donated $25,000 to start legal action.

Mr Scott previously hit media headlines when it was revealed he had ordered campus workers to remove hundreds of copies of a student magazine that depicted a woman menstruating on the cover.

Listen to the full interviews with Abe Gray and OUSA President Caitlin Barlow-Groome in full above.

Drive with Ryan Bridge and Lisa Owen, 3pm - 6pm Weekdays and streaming live on 'rova' channel 9 - available on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE.Susan Lederer, professor of the history of medicine and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison talks about her work in medical history and bioethics and some of her topics of expertise, including human and animal experimentation, Frankenstein, organ transplantation, blood transfusion and the history of whole body donations in the United States.

Lederer is lecturing at Otago university on a range of topics including the Italian doctor who claims a human head transplant, inspired by Frankenstein, is possible.

She asks are we ready to embark on procedures such as head transplants?Night talk: Mitch Harris opening comments, Tuesday 25th September 2018.

Tonight: What was University of Otago proctor Dave Scott thinking?

University of Otago proctor Dave Scott has apologised for confiscating a bong from a student flat, but denies entering any others to take theirs.

At least three Dunedin flats have come forward alleging Dave Scott entered their homes without permission and confiscated bongs.

However Mr Scott says "as far as [he] can recall", those allegations are untrue.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Scott outright apologised for his actions entering one flat and removing the tenants bongs.

The only tenant home at the time in the Leith St North flat was upstairs asleep. Mr Scott was distributing pamphlets around the neighbourhood warning of the dangers of initiation ceremonies.

Night Talk with Mitch Harris, 8pm - 12am Monday to Thursday nights on RadioLIVE, and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone.

RadioLIVE.SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia became the latest country to launch high speed services on September 25, when the Haramain High Speed Rail line linking Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah was formally inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The ceremony in Jeddah was also attended by the three regional governors ...FRANCE: Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne has authorised a 30m injection of funding to revitalise the countrys two remaining overnight trains which link Paris with Briancon in the Hautes-Alpes region and Latour-de-Carol in Pyrenees-Orientales with a portion for Rodez.Prior to that election, the states attorney had threatened to go to court should Agpawa win the mayoral election and attempt to take the oath of office. The states attorney filed a complaint shortly after the election, and a circuit court judge last August ruled Agpawa couldnt hold the position of mayor because of the felony conviction. In late March of this year, a state appeals court upheld the lower court ruling.Washington is fiercely fighting for Germany's energy market, trying to sell more of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the country, and to wrestle one of the biggest energy consumers away from Russian energy giant Gazprom.

Germany currently gets around 60 of its natural gas imports from Russia. Berlin has been sharply criticized by US President Donald Trump for being a captive to Russia. In an attempt to push American LNG to German consumers, the White House threatened to sanction European companies for participating in the Gazprom-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.On Wednesday, Wyoming's Land Quality Advisory Board voted to limit so-called "self-bonding" in the state, a practice that allows coal and other mining companies to avoid putting up any collateral to reclaim land when the company is done with the mine. The new proposed rules will go through a public comment period and then need to be signed by the governor of the state to take effect, according to the Casper Star-Tribune.

The board's passage of the proposed rules is somewhat surprising in a coal-heavy state, because it could potentially raise the cost of coal mining in Wyoming for some companies. However, there is political support for more stringent environmental rules after a number of coal companies filed for bankruptcy in recent years. Although no companies ended up abandoning mine cleanup to the state, the specter of hundreds of millions of dollars of cleanup in the event of another coal downturn has left regulators eager to limit how much damage the state could be on the hook for. The five-person advisory board voted 4-1 in favor of limiting self-bonding. The board member who voted against limits to self-bonding works for Peabody Energy, a major coal producer in the state.President Donald Trump's tweeting habits are lifting oil prices, and the U.S. leader should stop posting on social media to alleviate the spike in prices, according to one Iranian official.

"The Trump administration is pushing politics into the OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), and is aiming at spreading the members and securing their own interests by getting lower prices and so forth," Hossein Kazempour, Iran's OPEC representative, told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick at the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) in Algiers on Sunday.

OPEC, along with a group of Russia-led producers, put a cap on output in January 2017 in response to a supply glut and a sustained rout in oil prices that bankrupted U.S. energy firms and escalated unrest in exporting countries.Rather than engaging Trump in a twitter battle, the Saudi oil minister, Khalid al-Falih, responded from Algeria on Sunday, after a meeting of the joint OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial monitoring committee. His response to President Trump's call to increase oil production was an emphatic not now.

Specifically, al-Falih and OPEC's message was that OPEC will listen to President Trump's calls for increased oil production if there is a need. However, oil market fundamentals do not indicate that this need is apparent. In fact, Saudi Arabia said it knew of no refiner that needed oil and was not able to procure it.In politics, as in economics, one of the real dangers of making radical changes is unintended consequences. Add in the complications of international relations, such as our dealings with economic rival China, and the unknowns, as former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld might have put it, become even more unknown.

Such is the case with President Trumps enthusiastic pursuit of tariffs. The U.S. has slapped a 25 percent tariff on steel, a 10 percent tariff on aluminum, and new tarriffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese products  on top of tariffs already imposed on $50 billion worth of products. China has responded with its own tariff list on $60 billion of U.S. goods. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, with these latest round of tariffs:

Trump will have imposed new trade restrictions on 12 percent of US imports during 2018 alone. The combined trading partner retaliation stemming from Trumps 2018 tariff collection will cover over $125 billion, or 8 percent, of US exports.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no end to the escalating trade war between U.S. and its partners.

If unknown consequences are a staple of President Trumps politics, so too is irony. Thats because one of Chinas new tariffs is on liquefied natural gas (LNG), a bustling export market for U.S. energy firms. The president himself singled out LNG during a June 2017 event heralding the advent of American energy dominance. As he should  U.S. did export more than 1.9 billion cubic feet per day of LNG in 2017, putting it on pace to become the third largest LNG exporter in the world by 2020, behind Australia and Qatar. We could even become the worlds largest LNG seller within five years.

China, in particular, is hungry for LNG imports and is expected to constitute the worlds biggest market for that product. Thats mostly due to a long-term energy plan that favors using more natural gas to lower an overreliance on coal. The problem, at least for the U.S., is that China has a number of choices about who supplies its LNG. Neighboring Russia has significant gas supplies, and so does global LNG leader Qatar.

That, in a nutshell, is the problem with tariffs. One nation fires a shot at its competitors in the name of protecting home-grown industries. Another nation fires back, usually hitting where it hurts most. In the end, some other sector usually pays the price. In this case, its the booming LNG market. The lasting effect of an escalating trade war with LNG caught in the crossfire could be very damaging as exports and long-term contracts are imperiled. U.S. LNG pioneer Cheniere Energy, in particular, has two long-term sales agreements with state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and is now slated to ship LNG from its new liquefaction facility in Corpus Christi by the end of the year.

The health of the LNG sector, however, isnt the only potential casualty of Trumps tariff approach. Imported steel and aluminum, two commodities that are front and center in the escalating trade war, play critical roles in supporting our nations energy sector.

Pipeline construction, for example, relies heavily on imported steel, especially for specialty products that are no longer produced in this country. We are already seeing the impacts of steel tariffs on pipeline construction costs, an important part of U.S. energy infrastructure, which is privately financed. Recently, the Commerce Department rejected a request from Plains All American Pipeline LP to be exempted from paying the new steel tariffs for its $1.1 billion project to build 550 miles pipelines. This could mean an increase of as much as $40 million in the cost of one project, which means less money available for future privately financed projects at a time when increased pipeline infrastructure is needed to prevent distribution bottlenecks in natural gas rich locations.

Tariffs could pose real danger to the American energy renaissance that the president has worked hard to help nurture. If we really want energy dominance and if we really want to build the kind of energy security that will make America great for generations, we cant afford setbacks to our energy future from a dangerous game of trade brinksmanship. Now is the time to reevaluate our approach to trade to ensure that retaliatory tariffs dont undermine much needed economic momentum.

Pinar Cebi Wilber, Ph.D., is chief economist for the American Council for Capital Formation, a free-market, pro-business think tank. She is an adjunct professor in the economics department at Georgetown University.He was in love with (the character), she said. He was very shy and he was very much like the Cowardly Lion without all the bravado. We didnt see that at home. We only saw his sweetness.By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 09/24/2018



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

's Tristan Thompson insisted in a recent episode he trusts Mia Bally completely despite previously catching her in multiple lies, so what do castmates Dave Flaherty and Danielle Bergman think about Tristan's newfound sense of security in his marriage?Given Mia lied to Tristan at the beginning of Season 7 about the circumstances surrounding her shocking airport arrest on allegations of stalking, viewers probably had a hard time believing Tristan when he said he had no desire to look through Mia's phone during a phone-swap exercise Dr. Pepper Schwartz had suggested."Knowing everything Tristan and Mia have gone through, are you shocked to hear Tristan say he trusts Mia fully? Do you believe him when he says that?" Jamie Otis asked the two cast members on Tuesday night's episode of : Unfiltered."No, I don't believe him," confessed Dave, who decided not to look through Amber's phone either on the recent episode."But I will say this: I think the whole lead-up to the experiment, the process, gets you to a place where you are focused on supporting the person you are with. You are ready to go through this, you are excited to go through it, and you're going to sort of make it through thick and thin. And I think that's what Tristan did.""I mean, he's stuck with [Mia] through some pretty traumatic stuff and a phone swap is pretty minimal on that list," Danielle pointed out.Danielle, in fact, chose to switch phones with her husband, Bobby Dodd , although both individuals had no reason to question each other's loyalty or faithfulness."I think I might have wanted to have seen [Mia's] phone at that point," Dave confessed with a laugh."I maybe would have wanted to see her phone [too]!" Danielle agreed. "I would have taken that opportunity!"But then again, Danielle reasoned, "But if things are going well, do you want to spoil it at that point? I don't know, it's tough.""Ignorance is bliss. I don't know if I could do it. But hey, Tristan, we're proud of you, man!" Jamie noted.Mia was detained in a Texas airport while she and Tristan were traveling to Cancun, Mexico for their honeymoon. Mia was pulled away for questioning and spent two days in custody due to a warrant that had been issued for her arrest back in February.Once Mia was released without bail and returned home to her husband in Dallas, Tristan asked whether the stalking claims he had read in the warrant were true and if she knew or had any type of relationship with the accuser.Mia denied knowing her accuser and insisted all claims against her, including unauthorized use of a man's credit card, were "100 percent false" and someone had stolen her identity.Although Mia's story didn't really make sense , Tristan had no good reason not to trust his new wife, so he hugged Mia and dropped the topic.However, Mia "came clean" to Tristan off-camera days later that she did, in fact, have a brief relationship with the man who had filed the arrest warrant. Mia said she lied because she felt overwhelmed by the situation and felt the need to protect herself from hurt.Tristan felt upset and betrayed by Mia's dishonesty, but he decided to stand by his wife when she needed him the most.The arrest warrant had been issued after Mia's alleged ex-boyfriend, Jared Evans, claimed she had stalked him on multiple occasions in the 13 months that followed their December 2016 breakup and also made an unauthorized purchase of an Apple iPhone on his credit card a year after their split.Tristan's trust in Mia was tested again when a friend warned him later on that Mia's profile had surfaced and still existed on a dating app -- another allegation Mia had denied.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group,



We're sorry, this article is not currently availablePorterville, CA (93257)

Today

Areas of dense morning fog. Mostly cloudy early, then sunshine for the afternoon. High 71F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low 48F. Winds light and variable.This quote was taken from UGA Main Library employee Kay Altschul's email, which was sent out on the library employees' listserv. The email was sent in June as a response another email sent from the American Library Association with the subject line, "American Library Association outraged by the refugee family separation policy."A person must climb up or down three steps to pass under the Arch. For those who struggle with steps, this isn't ideal. UGA must prioritize disabled students or alum who want to pass under the Arch easily."How can you hate maple syrup?" the hordes asked, as they banned me from Vermont and declared me persona non grata throughout Canada. Revolted by a New York Times article celebrating ranch dressing, I had tweeted: "Plays to everything that's wrong with the typical American palate. Even worse than maple syrup if that's possible."

How can I hate it? Let me count the ways. But first I'll allow that I respect the dedication of the craftsmen producing it, enabling devotees to pour it liberally over pancakes, waffles and every other edible in sight. (And though I appreciate the lore of "sugaring off" - the early spring ritual of gathering sap from maple trees - the phrase has always seemed like a euphemism for something more salacious.)

Basically, what I detest about maple syrup is everything, meaning both texture and flavor. As a rule, I do not like intense sweetness, nor do I like syrups unless they are diluted - as chocolate syrup in soda, for example, or honey in hot tea, or as the defining ingredient in honey cake.

"But what do you put on your pancakes?" some on Twitter asked, to which I replied: "I don't like pancakes either. Too soggy." What I do love are crisp-on-the outside-mellow-within waffles, lightly spread with unsalted butter, then topped with a light snowfall of confectioner's sugar. Never would I sog them down with syrup!

Most of all, it is maple's flavor that bothers me - even in its most artisanally correct form, as compared with the even more insipid Log Cabin. Truth is, as a child I was beguiled by the adorable cabin-shaped can that held that brand of syrup, so I happily poured it over - what else? - pancakes! As my palate matured, I found that maple flavor tastes cheap, like penny candy, and frankly it is a taste that I do not associate with food. (Mostly when I think "maple," it is as trees that are the source of the beautifully mellow wood that distinguishes some of the best Early American and Colonial furniture, as well as for birdseye maple, which makes twinkling golden veneers.)

Perhaps even worse than the syrup are those little maple-leaf-shaped sugar candies sold at tourist sites throughout maple syrup country. I am not alone in this, having heard agreements from a few fellow tweeters and - long ago, as I recall - from Craig Claiborne, the first New York Times food critic, on whose shoulders we all stand.

But as the exception that might prove the rule: I do recall one maple-informed dish that I enjoyed enough to have several times. It was a maple-glazed roasted chicken that was the specialty of Waldy Malouf when he was chef at the bygone Hudson River Club in downtown Manhattan. Perhaps the open roasting caused the sugar to caramelize, adding a slightly bitter burnish that mitigated the awful sweetness. It also tenderized the chicken and, mingling with melted butter, kept the meat moistly supple.

Right about here I should apologize to a couple of my cherished Canadian friends (who live in New York, of course) because I keep offending them by publicly disliking so much of their native fare. That would include the thin, sweet-instead-of-salty Montreal bagels with their glassy toppings of brittle seeds; the presumptuous smoked meat claimed to outclass New York deli pastrami; and Quebec-invented totally disgusting poutine, the stultifying mess of fried potatoes smothered in thick brown gravy and clumps of melting cheese curds.

But, making amends, I can say I do cherish Canada's great smoked salmon, its tangy cheddars and, midsummer, the tiny, pungent blueberries that ripen earlier than usual, thanks to global warming.

There probably is no one around in tweet country who respects the following old admonition, but as we used to say generously, "De gustibus non est disputandum," or, "In matters of taste, there can be no dispute."

Wanna bet?

- - -

Sheraton, former food critic at The New York Times, is the author of "1,000 Foods to Eat Before You Die."She had been fired by the township in March of last year after an internal investigation by the township into a suspected theft of funds, and that investigation was reported to Orland Park police in May of last year, according to the release.At the west end of the library are two collaboration rooms and behind them a classroom used for math. There is also a temporary divider to split the classroom into two smaller spaces. Chalfin said they can be reserved when class is not in session.The ruling Chinese Communist Party has hit out at international criticism of a ban on a tiny, pro-independence political party in Hong Kong, amid public protests and warnings from rights groups that the city's government has breached its own commitment to political and civil rights.



Hong Kong on Monday formally banned the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP), which boasted only around a dozen members, in a move strongly criticized by rights groups and pro-democracy politicians for curbing freedom of speech in the former British colony.



Using colonial-era legislation once used to target "triad" criminal gangs in the city, the government said the move was aimed at "safeguarding national security, public security, public order, and other people's rights and freedoms," Chinese state media reported.



Several groups led by the League of Social Democrats protested the ban outside police headquarters on Tuesday, including some holding pro-independence banners.



The HKNP ban came after Hong Kong police said the party 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 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.



The HKNP's official website was unavailable on Tuesday, with social media reports indicating it had been subject to a takedown order by Hong Kong police.



'Irresponsible remarks'



Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said certain countries and institutions have made "numerous and irresponsible remarks" about the ban.



"Certain countries and institutions have been making numerous and irresponsible remarks regarding [Hong Kong's] ban on the HKNP," Geng said. "We would like to express our strong dissatisfaction and opposition to this."



"We call on these institutions and countries to respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs and China's internal affairs under the pretext of freedom of speech and freedom of association," he said.



On Monday, the U.K.'s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) voiced concern over the banning of the HKNP.



"We are concerned by the decision of the Hong Kong SAR Government to prohibit the HKNP. This is the first time a party has been banned under the Societies Ordinance since the handover," the FCO said in a statement.



"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," the statement said.



Call to reverse ban



Meanwhile, the New York-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for an immediate reversal of the ban.



"Human rights in Hong Kong have been on the ropes in recent years, but this ban is a body blow to Hong Kong peoples ability to express their views, join with like-minded people, and run for office," HRW's China director Sophie Richardson said.



"Authorities in Hong Kong should immediately reverse this small-minded decision that has far-reaching implications," she said.



Hong Kong police acknowledged that the party had not committed any violent acts but considered a ban necessary as preventive measures because the possibility of HKNP using force to achieve its goal could not be ruled out, HRW said.



Under the United Nations-endorsed Johannesburg Principles governing national security and human rights law, restrictions to freedom of speech on the grounds of national security aren't legitimate if they seek to "entrench a particular ideology," rather than to stave off a violent threat of a military or internal nature.



In New York, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the government was "concerned" by the ban on the HKNP.



"The US supports the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association," Pompeo said in a statement. "These are core values we share with Hong Kong, and that must be vigorously protected," he said.



Violations of rights



According to HRW, the ruling Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong government have also violated their citizens' right to seek political office by insisting on vetting election candidates, and by disqualifying both sitting lawmakers and potential election candidates based on their peacefully expressed views.



"To ban a group of people exercising their basic rights sadly parallels what has long happened in the mainland," Richardson said. "Authorities have no business banning political parties simply because they disagree with their peaceful views."



Meanwhile, local media in Hong Kong noted the apparent emergence of a "Hong Kong Communist Party," citing a Facebook post that appeared a day after the ban on the HKNP.



"The owner wouldn't reveal how many people are involved, but said a drive was under way to recruit more members," government broadcaster RTHK reported on its website.



According to a Facebook post available via the "Hong Kong Communist Party" page on Tuesday, the "party" is inspired by the political thought of Chinese President Xi Jinping.



However, a section of the post likening President Xi to Jehovah suggested that the creation of the "party" might be a satirical reaction to the ban on the HKNP.



Reported by Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.A view of the entrance to the Biyun Temple in Taiwan's Changhua county in an undated photo.

A Chinese Communist Party supporter on the democratic island of Taiwan is in a dispute with local authorities after taking over a 100-year-old Buddhist temple to make a shrine to the ruling ideology of the People's Republic of China, just across the Taiwan Strait.

In a highly controversial development that many on Taiwan regard as an attempt at subversion and infiltration, the Biyun Temple in Taiwan's Changhua county has been reinvented as a "a base for the patriotic education and socialist identity of Taiwan," according to recent media reports.

Portraits of late supreme Chinese leader Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai have replaced Buddhist art on the walls, which now resonate to the sound of the communist national anthem, instead of Buddhist chanting for world salvation.

The communist "temple" plays the national anthem of the People's Republic of China and raises its five-starred flag in a daily ceremony, according to its founder, architect Wei Ming-jen.

According to a recent report in The New York Times, Wei is determined to speed up the "reunification" of Taiwan with the People's Republic of China, which has never ruled the island.

In response to local complaints about noise levels, and public concerns that Wei may be an agent of the Chinese state, officials from the county government, which is controlled by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), cut off the water and electricity supply to the communist temple, saying it is an "illegal structure."

Wei was briefly detained after scuffles with officials, and a court case relating to the allegations of illegal development is under way.

He denies, however, that the project has Beijing's official backing, claiming that it was his own idea, and privately funded.

But former monks and nuns at the temple have accused him of evicting them after he was hired to oversee its expansion 10 years ago.

"He basically took over Biyun Temple," a monk, who gave only his religious name Bi-Tse, told RFA. "We are living next door to the temple at the moment, and they are doing all kinds of strange stuff in the new building, like raising the national flag of mainland China, and singing their national anthem."

"This isn't good for Taiwan, so the county government is planning to demolish the whole thing," he said.

A nun who asked to remain anonymous made a similar allegation.

"We are Biyun Temple," she said. "We are the real owners of the temple, and he took over our buildings."

Tantamount to an invasion

Wang Yi-kai, a businessman who heads the Taiwan United Nations Alliance (TAIUNA), hit out at the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen for not doing enough to prevent Wei's project.

"[The Chinese Communist Party] are invading and engulfing our country, and there are people here who are doing their propaganda work for them," Wang told RFA in a recent interview. "It is tantamount to an invasion."

"This sort of invasion isn't just about free speech, because the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department likely has some part in it," he said. "The government must take steps to deal with this, or else people will think that they are leaving us open to such invasions."

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng said the island wouldn't tolerate "illegal or disruptive" situations.

"We respect people's ideological freedom, but we must not have any illegal or chaotic situations occurring," Chiu told RFA. "We are a country with freedom, democracy and the rule of law, and everything is handled according to law."

"The judicial authorities should investigate whether or not he had the help of the Chinese Communist Party," he said.

Former Changhua county official Chen Wen-pin told RFA that Biyun Temple's expansion, where the communist shrine is located, was an illegal development at a statutory monument.

"At Biyun Temple we have a Taiwan citizen who is using the ideology of the Communist Party of China to do illegal things in Taiwan," Chen said.

And Changhua county councilor Hsu Shu-wei said Beijing has more than 800 missiles currently targeting Taiwan, meaning that it is a hostile foreign power.

"Even if it is his personal property, it should not be tolerated as a base from which to subvert Taiwan," Hsu said. "I think this is a matter of national security, and ... must be handled according to national security law."

Wei declined to respond to requests for an interview, and one of his representatives declined to comment, saying that a court case related to the allegations of illegal construction was still in progress.

Pentagon report



China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is gradually preparing for a possible invasion of Taiwan, according to a military analysis published by the Pentagon in Washington earlier this year.

Armed forces under the ruling Chinese Communist Party "continued to develop and deploy increasingly advanced military capabilities intended to coerce Taiwan, signal Chinese resolve, and gradually improve capabilities for an invasion," the U.S. Department of Defense said in an annual report on China's military capabilities.

Taiwan was ruled as a Japanese colony in the 50 years prior to the end of World War II, but was handed back to the Republic of China under the nationalist Kuomintang government as part of Tokyo's post-war reparation deal.

When the regime fled to Taiwan in 1947 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communist troops, the Republic of China government ceased to control most of China, though it continues to be the official name of the Taiwan government.

Taiwan began a transition to democracy following the death of Chiang's son, President Chiang Ching-kuo, in January 1988, starting with direct elections to the legislature in the early 1990s and culminating in the first direct election of a president, Lee Teng-hui, in 1996.

Reported by Hsia Hsiao-hwa for RFA's Mandarin Service and by Pan Jiaqing for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.Myanmar's members of parliament attend a new lower house parliamentary session dominated by pro-democracy lawmakers from the National League for Democracy party in Naypyidaw, Feb. 1, 2016.

Two upper house lawmakers from Myanmars ruling National League for Democracy have resigned from the party, citing their objection to certain rules and requirements they believe are too strict and discriminatory.

The partys Central Executive Committee (CEC) accepted the resignations of legislators Pe Chit of Yangon's Constituency 9 and Tin Aung Tun of Magway's Constituency 5 on Sunday, said NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt.

They have submitted their resignations because they dont like partys strict rules and they also dont like the rule of contributing 25 percent of their monthly salaries  250,000 kyats (U.S. $153)  to the party, he said, as reported by the online journal The Irrawaddy.

Tin Aung Tun said that the civilian-led NLD, which has been in power since March 2016, has too many strict rules even for minor issues.

I dont like any discrimination against any person in the party, [but] the NLD has some policies that are based on top officials preferred people, he said. It also has some party members who want to be popular and are not doing anything for the country or for the people. Thats why I have resigned from the NLD.

Sein Win, a former NLD lawmaker in the lower house who in 2017 was the first legislator to resign from the party, said the pro-democracy party must operate according to democratic principles.

No party officials or members should form factions, and they should elect respected leaders, he said. If a group of people control a party, then that party will be destroyed.

Political analyst Yan Myo Thein suggested that the NLD review its policies for its members.

What I see is that very strict rules can reduce democracy in the party and can allow for stronger central control, he said. Thats why NLD leaders should view the current situations with a broader perspective.

But lower house lawmaker Kyi Pyar, an NLD member from Yangon, said strict rules and regulations are necessary.

Some people became party members only when we had parliamentary elections, while others became members once they were appointed ministers, she said. So, we have various party members from different backgrounds. To control the many different party members, we need strict rules.

Other lawmakers suspended

Earlier this month, the NLDs CEC suspended Yangon regional lawmaker Kyaw Zeya and upper house lawmaker Thet Thet Khine, both of whom represent represent Dagon township, after they criticized the government of State Counselor Aung San Su Kyi.

The two remain party members, however.

If we did make some mistakes, then the township and district level NLD officials must inform the CEC, and it has to decide, but our case was not handled like this, Kyaw Zeya said.

The CEC decided to dismiss us from party duties, and township and district level NLD officials didnt even know about it, he said. It wasnt bottom to top  it is a strong central control, and it's undemocratic.

During an interview with local media in August, Thet Thet Khine, a member of the lower houses Banks and Monetary Development Committee, was critical of the governments economic policy while speaking about the weakening kyat-dollar exchange rate and Myanmars declining exports, The Irrawaddy reported.

Myo Nyunt told the publication that party leaders had verbally warned her several times about criticizing government policies.

Reported by Kyaw Lwin Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.Ald. Scott Levin and Dannee Polomsky, who serve with Dunn on the Public Affairs committee, said theyd like to learn more about the communities which allow residential beekeeping. Committee members said they were open to reducing the sting of local regulations which keep Elmhurst residents from keeping bees.Rohingya refugees fleeing from Myanmar arrive at the Naf River in Whaikyang on the Bangladesh border. Oct. 10, 2017.

A report issued by the United States on Monday determined that violence committed by Myanmar security forces against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state last year was extreme, large-scale, and widespread, but failed to describe the atrocities as amounting to crimes against humanity or genocide.

The violence, which included murder, rape, and village burnings, forced more than 700,000 Rohingya across the border and into Bangladesh where they are living in sprawling displacement camps. The U.S., United Nations, and other countries have previously said that the crackdown amounted to ethnic cleansing.

The 20-page State Department report is based on a survey conducted earlier this year of more than 1,024 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who fled the crackdown, many of whom witnessed killings and sexual assaults carried out in most instances by the Myanmar military.

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, the report says.

The scope and scale of the military's operations indicate they were well-planned and coordinated, it says.

A comprehensive report issued last week by a United Nations-mandated fact-finding mission that investigated atrocities committed against the Rohingya provided chilling details of violence by security forces and called for the prosecution of defense force commanders for genocide, as well as the removal of the countrys military from politics.

That report was released the same day as the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court announced that she was opening a preliminary probe into whether Myanmars forced deportations of Rohingya to Bangladesh constituted war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Crimes against humanity and genocide are specific crimes under international law that carry serious legal consequences, whereas ethnic cleansing is not.

The Myanmar government has denied that its security forces were responsible for most of the atrocities during the crackdown and has defended the military campaign as a necessary operation against a Rohingya militant group that carried out deadly attacks on police outposts in August 2017.

The State Departments report, confirming the systematic brutality of the Burmese military operations, should jolt the U.S. into action, said Sarah Margon, Washington director of Human Rights Watch, in a statement issued Tuesday. Now, having thoroughly documented the grave abuses against the Rohingya, the U.S. should immediately move to build support for international measures to ensure justice and accountability.

Meanwhile, Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., on Monday announced U.S. $185 million in new humanitarian assistance for people in Myanmar and Bangladesh affected by the crisis in Rakhine state, most of which is earmarked for shelter, food, water, and health care for Rohingya refugees in displacement camps in Bangladesh.

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, Haley said in a statement.

It was like that

A Rohingya refugee living in the Kutupalong camp in southeastern Bangladesh on Tuesday corroborated the findings in the U.S.s report, telling RFAs Myanmar Service that he and others from Aung Sitpyan village in northern Rakhine state fled in August 2017 because Myanmar government soldiers set fire to their homes and killed people.

Yes, it was like that, Maung Maung Tin said. Soldiers raped a group of women and set them on fire in a house. We have one woman who escaped from these soldiers.

After soldiers burned his village  located about nine miles from a new processing center for returning Rohingya refugees in Taung Pyo Letwe village  residents fled to the border area where they stayed for three or four days, he said.

He denied that the Rohingya villagers themselves torched their own villages, as the Myanamar government and others in the region have claimed.

They [Myanmar soldiers] did it, he said. We saw them do it with our own eyes.

Maung Maung Tin also said that about 1,500 Rohingya women now living in the Kutupalong camp had been raped by Myanmar soldiers, and two of them had babies as a result of the attacks, while others terminated their pregnancies because of their religious beliefs.

Though Myanmar has said that it is ready to take back Rohingya refugees who can prove prior residency in Rakhine, Maung Maung Tin suggested that most refugees will not return because the governments efforts are not sincere.

We would return home if the Myanmar government asked us to return with goodwill, but it asks without goodwill, he said. It only asked us to return home to lessen the pressure its getting from the international community.

He added that if the refugees decided to return, they would want to live in their former places of residence and not be housed in camps in the state.

We lost our houses, land, and farms, he said. They have to compensate us for them. They now say they will place us in new houses, building in new places. We cant live in these houses because we might face a situation in which we have to flee to Bangladesh again if we accept living in these new houses.

Thats why we are not returning home, he said.

Kyaw Aye Thein, Rakhine states minister of finance, revenue, planning, and economy, speaks during a session of the Rakhine state parliament in Sittwe, western MYanmar's Rakhine state, Sept. 25, 2018. RFA Call for ID program suspension

Also on Tuesday, the Rakhine state parliament urged the Union government of Myanmar to suspend the National Registration Card (NRC) process for ethnic Kamans in the state, arguing that immigration officials have been falsely registering Rohingya Muslims as members of the ethnic Kaman group.

NRCs, also known as pink cards, grant full citizenship to those to whom they are issued in line with Myanmar's 1982 Citizenship Law.

The Rohingya are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and are not listed as one of Myanmars 135 official ethnic groups, whereas the predominantly Muslim Kamans are an official ethnic minority.

Than Maung, a lawmaker representing the Ramree constituency, submitted the proposal for consideration during the state parliaments daily session.

There are currently about 200 of a total 7,000 Muslims in Ramrees Kyauk Ni Maw village tract who are authentic Kaman, based on voter records from the 2015 general elections when 290 residents had ID cards identifying them as Kaman. But now more than 3,300 villagers have IDs listing them as Kaman.

Kyaw Aye Thein, Rakhine states minister of finance, revenue, planning, and economy, said during the session that the suspension of citizen analysis efforts had been followed by transferring registration forms to the appropriate Union-government ministry.

During the meeting, the state government urged the Union government to reevaluate those in Ramree city who have ID cards identifying them as members of the Kaman ethnic group and to revoke the cards of those who are incorrectly registered.

A majority of lawmakers voted in favor of the proposal.

Given the current situation, we are suspending the identification programs in Ramree, Kyaw Aye Thein said.

The Union minister of labor, immigration, and population will also be presenting the matter to the national parliament to reevaluate the situation and resume the identification program, he said.

The government needs to avoid issuing IDs identifying Rohingya Muslims as Kamans as a measure to decrease pressure from the international community, said Tun Aung Thein, a regional lawmaker from Buithidaung district.

It needs to work on the ID process with transparency and in accordance with the law, because nothing should be above the law, he said.

But lawmaker Min Aung, a member of the ruling National League for Democracy who represents Taungup township, opposed the proposal, saying that the state government has no authority to influence the Union government.

Reported by Tin Aung Khine and Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.The ethnic Uyghur former vice president of one of the top universities in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) was removed from his post and detained in a political re-education camp earlier this year for exhibiting two-faced tendencies, according to a colleague.



Last week, RFAs Uyghur Service learned that Azat Sultan and at least four other Uyghur professors from Xinjiang University in the XUAR capital Urumqi are being held in re-education camps, where authorities in the region began jailing and detaining Uyghurs accused of harboring strong religious views and politically incorrect ideas beginning in April 2017.



Qutluq Almas, a former lecturer at the school who is living in exile in the U.S., had recently confirmed that literature professors Azat Sultan, Abdukerim Rahman, Rahile Dawut, and Gheyretjan Osman were detained in January, while former language professor Arslan Abdulla was arrested later.



When asked why the professors were detained, a staffer at the universitys General Supervision Office, also known as the Headquarters, told RFA that the accusations against them are all the same, but I dont know the reasons for their arrests, and was able to provide few other details about their cases.



While investigating the arrest of Sultan, RFA learned that the former professor had last worked as president of the Xinjiang Association of Literature and Art, and contacted a staffer with the groups Political Department, who confirmed that he had been punished for being two-faceda term applied by the government to Uyghur cadres who pay lip service to Communist Party rule in the XUAR, but secretly chafe against state policies repressing members of their ethnic group.



The Political Department staffer, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity, said that he had been working in various other regional departments over the past two years, but had returned to the Xinjiang Association of Literature and Art last month, and recently learned of Sultans detention.



Since returning to this office, I have been attending various meetings, where I was told that he is two-faced, the staffer said.



His approach was against our partyhis thoughts showed a separatist tendency. He took advantage of his lecturing position in an uncontaminated place like the university to preach his separatist ideas, he said.



Our [Communist] party and government spent many years investing in him and trusting himplacing him in an important position where he could shape the minds of tens of thousands of studentsbut he took a path against the party's ideology.



While the staffers comments suggest that Sultan was targeted for two-faced tendencies he exhibited while at Xinjiang University, where he had risen through the ranks from dean of the Literature Department to vice president of the school, he declined to say whether the former professors punishment stemmed from misconduct there or at the association.



He loved his own people



Almas recently told RFA he believed his former colleague maintained the pure Uyghur spirit, despite being a senior official for the Chinese government, as he loved his own people, and paid the price for refusing to put the Communist party above all else.



Currently, when judging the ideology of cadres, the government looks at whether or not they are more loyal to their own ethnicity.



Almas said Sultan had visited the U.S. in 2000 and he spoke to him by telephone at the time, although the two did not meet in person.



At that time, he was newly appointed as vice president of the university, and I didn't want to cause him any problems, he said.



According to Almas, at least 56 Uyghur lecturers and researchers from Xinjiang University are currently held in re-education camps, and their detentionsas well as the confirmed detentions of other Uyghur academics and intellectuals throughout the XUAR in recent monthsare part of an ethnic cleansing policy Beijing has intensified in the region since 2017.



In order to achieve this, they must first start with the intellectuals, who play a leading role in ideology, he said.



All five of my [detained] former colleagues are professors in literature and history, and they are the leading figures in Uyghur ideology.



Azat Sultan in an undated photo. Credit: dehong.gov.cn Camp network



U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert recently said the US government was "deeply troubled" by the crackdown on Uyghurs in Xinjiang, adding that credible reports indicate that individuals sent by Chinese authorities to detention centers since April 2017 numbers at least in the hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions.



The official warned that indiscriminate and disproportionate controls on ethnic minorities expressions of their cultural and religious identities have the potential to incite radicalization and recruitment to violence.



A group of U.S. lawmakers, in a recent letter, asked President Donald Trumps administration to swiftly act to sanction Chinese government officials and entities complicit in or directing the ongoing human rights crisis in Xinjiang.



The position of China's central government authorities has evolved from denying that large numbers of Uyghurs have been incarcerated in camps to disputing that the facilities are political re-education camps. Beijing now describes the camps as educational centers.



Adrian Zenz, a lecturer in social research methods at the Germany-based European School of Culture and Theology, has said some 1.1 million people are or have been detained in the re-education camps, which equates to 10 to11 percent of the adult Muslim population of the region.



Uyghur educators



Uyghur educators are kept under strict monitoring in the XUAR and can face stiff punishment for not adhering to Beijings narrative about how Chinas central governments policies are benefitting the region and its ethnic minorities.



In September 2014, a court sentenced outspoken economics professor Ilham Tohti, who regularly highlighted the religious and cultural persecution of the mostly Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority in the XUAR, to a life term behind bars on charges of promoting separatism.



The court decision cited Tohtis criticism of Beijings ethnic policies, his interviews with overseas media outlets, and his work founding and running the Chinese-language website Uighurbiz.net, which was shut down by Chinese authorities in 2014.



But rights groups say that instead of urging the separation of the XUARthe Uyghur peoples historic homelandfrom China, Tohti had called only for China to implement its own regional autonomy laws and had consistently promoted peace and dialogue between the Han Chinese and Uyghur communities, and have demanded his release.



Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.Authorities in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have detained nearly every relative of a prominent Uyghur religious scholar who died earlier this year while incarcerated in one of the regions political re-education camps, according to a family friend.



Muhammad Salih Hajim, 82, died in January under mysterious circumstances at a camp in the XUAR capital Urumqione of a network of facilities where authorities in the region began detaining Uyghurs accused of harboring strong religious views and politically incorrect ideas beginning in April 2017.



Salih was arrested Dec. 25 last year along with his daughter, Nezire Muhammad Salih, and other relatives, but while the widely respected religious scholar was known to have been held in a re-education camp, it was unclear at the time how many of his family members may have been taken into custody and where they were confined.



RFAs Uyghur Service recently spoke with a former neighbor of Salihs daughter, a Uyghur exile in Turkey surnamed Beliqiz, who said she had learned that Nezire was accused by authorities of promoting terrorism and religious extremism by authorities in the XUAR, along with her husband, a well-known Uyghur poet named Adil Tuniyaz.



The couples 19-year-old son, Imran, was also arrested, Beliqiz said, while their three other younger childrenIhsan, Ihpal, and Ilyasare believed to have been placed in state-run orphanages for Uyghur youth whose guardians have been detained.



Nezire Salih is a scholar who followed in the footsteps of her father, Beliqiz said, noting that she had once studied abroad in Qatar.



Her eldest son Imran was studying in Beijing at a college where the teachings are conducted in Arabic and the authorities arrested him there, but there has been no other news about him. Also, there is no [confirmed] news regarding their other three children.



Beliqiz said that she had heard that police were escorting 16-year-old Ihsan to and from his high school each day as recently as March this year, but we have been unable to obtain any further news about him since then.



Chinese authorities are looking after Ilyas, who is around four years old, she said, but no one knows his whereabouts.



No one that RFA spoke with at various related government departments in Urumqi was able to provide information on the whereabouts of the children.



According to Beliqiz, a Chinese officer at a prison in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefectures Miquan county, where Salihs sister Aynise Salih is being held, informed family members about seven months ago that they shouldnt hold out any hope for Nezire and Adil because of the seriousness of the accusations against them.



Because they have translated religious materials and many Hadith [sayings of the Muslim prophet Muhammad], we have heard that they will be sentenced heavily or forced to disappear, she said.



Beliqiz said she is unsure of where Nezire is being held, but heard she had been taken straight to prison.



Other relatives



In addition to Nezire, Beliqiz said Salihs daughter Asiye Mehmeta Chinese language lecturer at Xinjiang University in Urumqiwas arrested around the same time, while his eldest sona farmer and father of four from Kizilsu Kirghiz (in Chinese, Kezileisu Keerkezi) Autonomous Prefectures Atush (Atushi) county named Nejip Muhemmet Salihwas also detained.



Salihs brother, 80-year-old Mehsud Abley, and Ableys wife, 75-year-old Ayshemqiz Hajim, were both detained in Urumqi and brought to Atush, where they were originally from, according to their hukou residency permits, she said.



Their son Nurmemet Hajim, who is in his 30s and had been working at an Arab consulate for the past seven or eight years in Beijing after obtaining a masters degree in Arabic literature while studying in Egypt, Yemen, and Malaysia, was arrested in the Chinese capital and there has been no news of him since, Beliqiz added.



Ableys elder son, who is living in exile in the U.S., confirmed to RFA that Nurmemet had been detained, but said he was unsure of what had happened to his parents.



I havent contacted them because I didnt want to cause them any trouble in their old age, he said.



It has been two and a half or three years since I stopped calling them.



Ableys elder son said he had learned of his brothers situation around six months ago.



He studied in Egypt before returning to his homeland, and because of the risk [of arrest] back home he was living in Beijing and working at an Arab consulate, he said.



He had been working there free from worry, but they arrested him anyway.



Camp network



U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert recently said the US government was "deeply troubled" by the crackdown on Uyghurs in Xinjiang, adding that credible reports indicate that individuals sent by Chinese authorities to detention centers since April 2017 numbers at least in the hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions.



The official warned that indiscriminate and disproportionate controls on ethnic minorities expressions of their cultural and religious identities have the potential to incite radicalization and recruitment to violence.



A group of U.S. lawmakers, in a recent letter, asked President Donald Trumps administration to swiftly act to sanction Chinese government officials and entities complicit in or directing the ongoing human rights crisis in Xinjiang.



The position of China's central government authorities has evolved from denying that large numbers of Uyghurs have been incarcerated in camps to disputing that the facilities are political re-education camps. Beijing now describes the camps as educational centers.



Adrian Zenz, a lecturer in social research methods at the Germany-based European School of Culture and Theology, has said some 1.1 million people are or have been detained in the re-education camps, which equates to 10 to11 percent of the adult Muslim population of the region.



Reported by Jilil Kashgary for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by RFAs Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.Five Vietnamese activists held without trial for almost two years will now go to court on Oct. 5 in Ho Chi Minh City, also called Saigon, a defense lawyer and family member said.



Luu Van Vinh, Nguyen Van Duc Do, Phan Trung, Tu Cong Nghia, and Nguyen Quoc Hoan were charged when arrested in 2016 with activities aimed at overthrowing the peoples administration under Article 79 of Vietnams Penal Code, attorney Dang Dinh Manh told RFAs Vietnamese Service.



Their offense is listed under Item 1 [of the article], which carries the harshest penalty, and authorities tend to hand down harsh sentences in cases concerning national security, Manh said.

An activist charged last year under the same article, Le Dinh Luong, was handed a 20-year prison term after a one-day trial in August, Manh said, adding, Therefore, [especially] in the case of Luu Van Vinh and Nguyen Van Duc Do, we are afraid that their punishment will be heavy, too.



Luu Van Vinh, 51, and his friend Nguyen Van Duc Do were arrested on Nov. 6, 2016 after police burst into Vinhs home in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh's wife Le Thi Thap told RFA in an earlier report.



After holding Vinh down and beating him, The police dragged him out without presenting any order, and they took away all the phones that were sitting on the table, she said. They took his friend too.

Vinh and other group members had been active in protesting the governments handling of a massive chemical spill in April that devastated the countrys central coast, killing an estimated 115 tons of fish and leaving fishermen and tourism workers jobless in four central provinces, sources said.



Police present at meetings



Manh said that though he has been allowed to meet with his clients, members of a civil society group called the Vietnam National Alliance of Self-Determination, those meetings have been limited to 60 minutes and are held in the presence of police.



We do not agree with this, since the police will probably report back to the procuracy, the investigating agency, and even the court, he said.



Conversations between lawyers and their clients should be completely confidential, for if the courts know what is said, this will make things very difficult for the defendants lawyers.



Also speaking to RFA, Le Thi Thap confirmed that her husband will go to trial on Oct. 5.



[The court] told Vinh and his lawyers, and his lawyers then told me, she said, adding that her husbands health and spirits are strong.



In the months following his arrest, though, her family has had to move from their home, and she has had trouble earning a living, she said.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by An Nguyen. Written in English by Richard Finney.Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian says that the nation should hold fresh parliamentary elections very soon in light of his blocs landslide victory in the mayoral race in Yerevan.

Pashinian's call for new nationwide elections on September 24 came one day after official results showed his My Step ruling alliance garnered 81 percent of the vote in Yerevan, in a lopsided victory that propelled its top candidate, popular actor and producer Hayk Marutian, into the mayor's office.

Pashinian said the results in Yerevan, where more than 40 percent of the country's population lives, give him the mandate to push for the dissolution of the current Armenian parliament and to conduct snap general elections.

The weekend vote demonstrated that the current National Assembly, which is still largely dominated by loyalists of longtime leader Serzh Sarkisian, does not reflect the popular mood in the country, he said in his latest video address to the nation on Facebook.

The political events showed that preterm 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 plans to address a session of the UN General Assembly this week.

Pashinian said that when he returns to Yerevan, he will meet with representatives of major political forces to discuss time frames for the snap elections he is seeking.

A government policy program approved by lawmakers in June requires new elections to be held by June 2019.

Pashinian told members of the Armenian community he met with in New York on September 23 that new elections should be held earlier than 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. Sarkisians Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) currently holds the largest number of seats in the legislature.

We see no grounds, no need for fresh parliamentary elections, the HHKs parliamentary leader, Vahram Baghdasarian, told RFE/RLs Armenian Service on September 24. He said that the parliament needs to amend the Electoral Code first.

But Baghdasarian added that he is open to any discussions with Pashinian.

The Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK), the second largest parliamentary faction, also expressed readiness to engage in negotiations with Pashinian. The BHK holds five ministerial posts in Pashinians government.

With reporting by AFPPakistani human rights groups and unions for media workers have denounced a court order for the arrest of a correspondent at Dawn English-language newspaper following an interview critical of the countrys powerful military.

#IStandWithCyril was trending on Twitter on September 25 with colleagues and politicians criticizing a decision by the Lahore High Court in Punjab Province the previous day to issue an arrest warrant for Cyril Almeida.

The court also ordered authorities to bring the journalist before judges on October 8 at the next hearing of a case seeking action against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sharif faces treason charges for allegedly trying to defame Pakistans state institutions in the interview published in May during which he alleged the army was backing militants who carried out the deadly attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said it was greatly perturbed by the issuance of the arrest warrants against Almeida, who it described as a widely read and highly respected journalist.

Almeida is being hounded for nothing more than doing his job -- speaking on the record to a political figure and reporting the facts," a statement said.

Placing the journalist on Pakistans list of individuals who cannot fly out of the country and issuing a nonbailable warrant is an excessive measure," it also said.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists called the court order another attack on freedom of media and vowed to protest against the move.

"This is unacceptable...How can reporting facts be a crime?" the unions head, Afzal Butt, said.

The distribution of Dawn, Pakistan's oldest newspaper, was disrupted across most of the country in May, days after Dawn published the interview with Sharif.

Almeida was barred from leaving the country in 2016 shortly after he wrote an article about a rift between the government and the military.

The government lifted the order weeks later.

In a new report published earlier this month, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the climate for press freedom in Pakistan was deteriorating as the country's army quietly, but effectively restricts reporting through "intimidation" and other means.

The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranked Pakistan 139th out of the 180 countries in its 2018 Press Freedom index.

With reporting by dpa and DawnAzerbaijan has called planned military exercises by Armenian-backed forces in its breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh this week a "provocation" aimed at increasing tensions.

The de facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh said their air force will conduct military exercises on September 25-28 with the aim of improving pilot skills.

The announcement sparked fury in Baku, where the Defense Ministry warned that "any enemy aircraft that would attempt to approach the foremost positions of the units of the Azerbaijan Army will be immediately neutralized."

"All responsibility for possible losses will entirely rest with the military and political leadership of Armenia," a statement said.

A spokesman for the separatists said they would retaliate "if we feel a threat or any aggressive behavior from Azerbaijan."

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh for years.

The region, populated mainly by ethnic Armenians, declared independence from Azerbaijan amid a 1988-94 war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Internationally mediated negotiations with the involvement of the OSCE's so-called Minsk Group have failed to result in a resolution. The Minsk Group is co-chaired by France, Russia, and the United States.

Azerbaijan has accused Armenia's leadership of stoking tensions ahead of a planned meeting between the two countries' foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 26.

"We cannot exclude that the latest steps of Armenia's new prime minister are aimed at turning the situation into a military confrontation," Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said on September 25.

Speaking at a meeting with ethnic Armenian businessmen in Moscow, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on September 9 that he saw Karabakh as "part of Armenia" in the future.

Baku later said that the statement could damage international efforts to resolve the decades-long dispute over the region.

With reporting by AFP and InterfaxBritish Prime Minister Theresa May will press for the release of a British-Iranian woman imprisoned in Tehran at a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rohani in New York on September 25, a senior government official said.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, an employee of the philanthropic Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested at Tehran airport on April 3, 2016.

She is serving a five-year jail sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow Iran's clerical establishment -- a charge which she denies. Zaghari-Ratcliffe claims that she visited Iran to spend time with her family.

"You can expect the prime minister to raise our ongoing consular cases, including that of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe" during a meeting with Rohani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the official told reporters on September 24.

"The prime minister will express serious concern about Nazanin's ongoing detention and call for her to be released upon humanitarian grounds."

The British government earlier this month advised British-Iranian dual nationals against all but essential travel to Iran and warned it has only limited powers to support them if they are detained.

The official said that May in a one-on-one meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on September 26 will discuss the poisoning of a Russian double agent and his daughter earlier this year in the English city of Salisbury -- an incident which London and Washington have blamed on Moscow.

Russia has denied the accusation.

The meeting with Trump will also focus on May's hopes of negotiating a bilateral trade deal with the United States after Britain leaves the European Union, the official said.

"They both have a strong commitment to securing a strong U.K.-U.S. free-trade agreement when we've left," the official said.

Based on reporting by AFP and ReutersThe European Union is vowing to keep trying to set up a new payment system that will allow its businesses to keep trading with Iran despite the U.S. move to reimpose sanctions on Tehran this year.

After high-level talks between EU and Iranian officials at the United Nations late on September 24, the two sides issued a statement saying that they remain determined "to protect the freedom of their economic operators to pursue legitimate business."

The United States in May announced it was withdrawing from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and would reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran. But the EU and the other world powers -- Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China -- all vowed to keep honoring the deal as long as Iran continues to adhere to its curbs on nuclear activities.

With the United States and the U.S. dollar still dominant in much of global trade, the EU statement said a new mechanism or "special purpose vehicle" is needed to "facilitate payments related to Iran's exports [including oil] and imports."

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, speaking at the UN alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said the countries were still working out the technical details.

"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," she told reporters.

Several European diplomats told Reuters that the idea is to create a barter system, similar to one used by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, to exchange Iranian oil for European goods without money changing hands.

Mogherini said the plan is "aimed at preserving the [nuclear deal], which is in the international interest."

She said that Iran has continued to comply with the nuclear accord despite the U.S. sanctions, some of which went into effect in August.

Despite months of effort, the EU has struggled to create a legal mechanism to shield its businesses from the U.S. sanctions. The EU has offered measures such as euro-denominated finance lines and a law making it an offense for EU citizens to comply with U.S. sanctions.

But EU diplomats have acknowledged that these measures have not sufficed to reassure companies that they would be protected from potentially large U.S. fines or bans on their businesses in the United States if they continue to do business with Iran.

The announcement of a renewed effort at the UN came on the same day that Reuters reported that the Swedish auto giant Volvo will stop manufacturing trucks in Iran and the French state-owned bank Bpifrance is abandoning its plans to set up a financial mechanism to aid French companies trading with Iran.

Earlier this year, in response to the threat of U.S. sanctions, other major European companies announced they were suspending operations in Iran, including energy giant Total, carmakers Peugeot, Renault, and Daimler, airline companies Airbus, Air France, and British Airways, and German corporate giants Siemens and Deutsche Telecom.

With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, and ReutersIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against delivering an advanced air-defense system to Syria, saying it will further destabilize the war-torn region.



After a call between the two leaders on September 24, Netanyahu's office said the prime minister told Putin that "transferring advanced weapons systems into irresponsible hands will increase the dangers in the region.

He also said that Israel "will continue to defend its security and its interests" by staging bombing raids on Iranian military targets in Syria."



Israel's statement came on the same day that U.S. national security adviser John Bolton warned that Russias decision to supply Syria with an S-300 surface-to-air missile system was a major mistake and a significant escalation in Syrias seven-year civil war.

Israeli planes have carried out a number of deadly air strikes on Iranian military targets in Syria this year, largely undeterred by the Russian military presence there, apparently owing to close consultations between the Israeli and Russian militaries that Netanyahu's office said were reaffirmed during the phone call.



But last week, Russia for the first time challenged an Israeli incursion into Syria, blaming it in part for the downing of a Russian military plane that killed all 15 people on board.



Syrian air defenses mistakenly shot down the Russian Il-20 surveillance plane on September 17 following an Israeli bombing raid. Moscow claims the Russian plane was hit because Israeli pilots were using it as "cover."



Putin has described the incident as a "chain of tragic accidental circumstances."



The incident led Russia this week to announce new security measures to protect its military in Syria, including supplying the Syrian Army with an S-300 system and jamming radars of nearby warplanes.



Russia at an earlier stage in the war had suspended sending an S-300 system to Syria amid Israeli concerns that the missiles could be used against it.



But Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that "the situation has changed, and it's not our fault."



Netanyahu in the phone call with Putin continued to blame what his office called the "unfortunate incident" on "the Syrian military, which brought down the plane, and Iran, whose aggression is undermining stability."



Despite differing views of what happened, Netanyahu's office said the Russian and Israeli leaders "agreed to continue dialogue between professional teams and intermilitary coordination via military channels."

With reporting by AFP and ReutersU.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has dismissed Iran's accusations that the United States was behind a deadly weekend attack on a military parade in southwestern Iran, calling the allegations "ludicrous."

Mattis pointed out to reporters at the Pentagon on September 24 that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the attack at a military parade in the city of Ahvaz on September 22, the day it occurred. At least 25 people were killed in the incident, including a 4-year-old child.

"It's ludicrous to allege that we might have had anything to do with it," he 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."

Two groups have claimed responsibility for the attack: the ethnic Arab antigovernment Ahvaz National Resistance and the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

Mattis said he wasn't concerned about Iranian vows to take revenge.

"We've been very clear that they shouldn't take us on like that, and I'm hopeful that cooler, wiser heads will prevail," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also denied that the United States played any role in the attack.

The UN Security Council late on September 24 issued a statement condemning the incident as "heinous and cowardly."

Pompeo called the loss of lives "tragic" in an interview with Fox News and said: "When you have a security incident at home, blaming others is an enormous mistake."

Iran's supreme leader and deputy head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps earlier in the day both repeated accusations that the United States and Israel were involved in the attack and promised a "devastating" response.

"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," Brigadier General Hossein Salami said in a speech broadcast on state television.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei alleged that the attackers were backed by the United States and paid by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He vowed that Iran would "severely punish" those behind the bloodshed.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Ahvaz on September 24 to mourn the victims of the assault, with some chanting "Death to Israel and America."

Members of the IRGC were among those killed as gunmen fired on a viewing stand in Ahvaz where officials had gathered to watch the annual parade marking the start of Iran's 1980-88 war with Iraq.

Meanwhile, Iran's Intelligence Ministry said 22 people were arrested in connection with the attack, which it blamed on a "five-member terrorist group affiliated to jihadist separatist groups."



Weapons, explosives material, and communication equipment were also seized, a ministry statement said.



In New York, the UN Security Council issued a statement on September 24 to condemn the assault in Ahvaz, calling it a "heinous and cowardly terrorist attack."

With reporting by AP and ReutersNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says he wants a more constructive relationship with Russia, even as the alliance is taking steps to respond to Moscow's increasing assertiveness.

Speaking after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on September 25 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Stoltenberg said, "NATO and Russia have serious disagreements on a number of issues, which make our dialogue even more important."

"Today, we discussed military posture and exercises, includingRussias recent exercise Vostok as well as NATO's upcoming exercise Trident Juncture," Stoltenberg said.

"I also raised NATO's concerns about Russia's ongoing aggressive actions in Ukraine, and expressed NATO's strong solidarity with the United Kingdom following the attack in Salisbury," Stoltenberg said, referring to the Novichok poisoning case in the English city of Salisbury that the West has blamed on Russia, and which Moscow has denied having anything to do with.

"Minister Lavrov and I agreed to continue our contacts," Stoltenberg concluded.

In a statement before the talks, Stoltenberg also cited Russia's support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, and the buildup of naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean as the main disagreements between the alliance and Moscow.

With reporting by APAs he wrapped up his trip to the Baltics, Pope Francis warned Estonians that a certain "existential ennui" can set in when societies lose their cultural roots and put their faith in technological progress alone.

In his September 25 speech in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, the pope also praised the countrys social and economic transformation since the five decades of Soviet occupation ended.

"One of the most important obligations incumbent on all of us who have social, political, educational, and religious responsibilities has to do precisely with how we can keep building bonds," he said.

On September 24 in neighboring Latvia, 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.

Earlier this week in Lithuania, he 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.

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were 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As exit polls from the Khaborovsk region's gubernatorial runoff pointed to a landslide victory for Sergei Furgal, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) candidate was asked what swayed the September 23 vote.

"People are tired," he replied to reporters. "They want change."

Furgal routed his rival, United Russia's Vyacheslav Shport, by taking nearly 70 percent of the vote. Coupled with another gubernatorial seat won by LDPR at the expense of United Russia the same day, the victory dealt a humiliating defeat to Kremlin-backed candidates and caused heads to turn in Moscow.

But analysts caution against seeing the LDPR -- or the Communists, who have also been making gains -- as any real threat to the political system established under President Vladimir Putin.

The nationalist LDPR and the Communist Party, which remains in the running in two pending gubernatorial runoffs, are widely seen as being among the handful of Kremlin-approved parties that together form Russia's "systemic opposition."

Furgal's victory in Khabarovsk, and the triumph in the Vladimir region of his party colleague Vladimir Sipyagin, may have inflicted damage to United Russia's image and weakened its hand in upcoming contests against the Communists in the process.

Few analysts see the two "opposition" parties' success as a sign of any serious shift on the political scene, however.

According to Andrei Kolesnikov of the Carnegie Moscow Center, those who cast votes on September 23 cared little what party Furgal and Sipyagin represent -- they cared only that they were not from United Russia. Writing in The New Times, an independent Russian weekly, on September 23, he said the elections should be seen as a public-opinion poll for the Kremlin, and proof that many Russians are thumbing their noses at Moscow.

Despite widespread cynicism and an overarching sense in Russia's regions that little will change, people are nonetheless motivated to head to the polls. In both the Khabarovsk and Vladimir regions, the September 23 runoff exceeded turnout in the first round.

Aleksei Makarkin of the Center for Political Technologies, a Moscow think tank, chalks this up partly to inertia and partly to anger over recent plans to hike the retirement age. A protest vote replaces a street protest, he says. "People are scared to go on the streets, and one way to express dissatisfaction with the government is to vote against United Russia," Makarkin tells RFERL.

Stanislav Belkovsky of the National Security Institute, a political consultancy based in Moscow, compared the current situation in Russia with the late 1980s in the Soviet Union, when people used the first partially free elections to elevate "freaks and outcasts" of all stripes just to spite the Communist Party.

"The authorities' contemptuous approach to the public has prompted it to vote for any opposition candidate whatsoever," Belkovsky told the Russian news portal Business Online. "But [Putin] is not reacting. He believes that the chosen governor will be on his side whatever happens, because he depends on federal financing in any case."

Precedent Set?

People have learned since 1996, when Yeltsin's reelection was engineered, that the authorities will not allow them to democratically change the government, local St. Petersburg lawmaker and veteran liberal politician Boris Vishnevsky wrote in Novaya Gazeta on September 24.

But this year's regional elections have set a precedent, he argued, by giving people a sense that power can be changed not only from above, but also from below. "It's not all the same who wins," he wrote. "Because the precedent of a change of government is more important than the 'veneer' of a new government."

Whatever the case, there are indications that the Kremlin has been rattled by its defeats in the regions.

Sources in the presidential administration told Vedomosti on September 25 that Furgal broke his promise to the Kremlin to refrain from campaigning and ultimately become his rival's deputy. The Kremlin is now seeking to punish the LDPR and the Communist Party by withdrawing assistance to their candidates in future regional elections and limiting cooperation with them, an unnamed source told the newspaper. "They crossed a red line," the source is quoted as saying. "They've turned into the nonsystemic opposition and may now share its fate."

If true, that may set the tone in two other regions preparing to head to the polls.

In the Primorye region, a rerun has been ordered after the election commission annulled the previous vote, citing fraud. In Khakasia, the United Russia candidate and incumbent Governor Viktor Zimin has pulled out, leaving his Communist rival as the favorite. The playing field seems wide open.

Might Not Matter

According to Makarkin, many Russian citizens have long bought into the idea that they are voting for real change -- just as many believed the claims made in a recent interview with state media by the men Britain accused of poisoning former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.

"The average voter believes that the Communists are a real opposition party," he said, "just like they believe Boshirov and Petrov are guys who went on holiday to the U.K."

But ultimately, Kolesnikov writes, "there's practically no difference between ruling party candidates and 'opposition' candidates."In Finland, as in many countries, investigations of financial crimes tend to be heavy on forensic accounting, bookkeeping evidence, and paper trails, and light on heavy paramilitary weaponry.

So when Finnish authorities over the weekend declared a no-fly zone over an archipelago of islands in the country's southwest, and sent in hundreds of law enforcement agents, including heavily armed officers via amphibious landing craft, it didn't go unnoticed.

The September 22 raids on sites on the Finnish mainland and on islands near the crucial port city of Turku surprised many Finns, who struggled to recall something like this ever happening in peacetime.

It also turned the spotlight on foreigners owning land in Finland -- Russians, broadly, but in this case, a company with Russian ties that has attracted attention for buying up decommissioned Finnish naval vessels at auction, and for spending millions on properties along key shipping routes in the Turku archipelago.

The country's main investigative agency, the National Bureau of Investigations (KRP), said in a September 24 press release that seven people had been questioned, and that three had been detained in the operation. Of the three detained, one was released and arrest warrants had been issued for the remaining two, both of whom were employees of the company under investigation of money laundering and tax evasion.

One of those facing charges was described as an Estonian, and the other a Russian. News reports said a Finnish court on September 25 ordered both held in police custody, pending further investigation.

It will take months to examine the wealth of documents seized in the raids on 17 separate properties, according to the KRP. "Probably at least until the end of next spring," lead investigator Tomi Taskili was quoted as saying.

The reports of shadowy foreign ownership prompted outcry, including questions of possible breaches of national security. In turn, a number of Finnish lawmakers called for backing new legislation, to be voted on this fall, that would put restrictions on foreigners owning Finnish land and property. According to data compiled by Finnish academics, Russians are the largest single group of foreign property holders in Finland.

"This is an important piece of legislation," Tom Packalen, a lawmaker in the Finnish parliament and former police officer in Helsinki, wrote in a blog post.

"The next war, if that ever comes, will not cross the border but [target] strategically important sites in the interior. The war will be started by small groups of people already smuggled in. That is why we have to take care of the law as well asnational defense," he wrote.

Massive Operation

The raid began on September 22 with the announcement of the no-fly zone by the national police agency. The KRP said that 100 of its personnel, as well as 300 from other government organizations -- reportedly including the tax police, border guards, and national defense units -- participated in the operation.

It caught at least one local man, on the island of Sakkiluoto, off-guard.

"My morning wakeup was interesting. I looked down at the shore to see how my boat had survived the storm overnight when I saw two big [inflatable] rubber boats on the beach, each with 20 men in camouflage, holding guns," Leo Gastgivar, who owns a vacation home on the island, was quoted by Finnish public broadcaster YLE as saying.

Finnish media said that the raid, which involved boats, aircraft, and other vehicles, targeted a Finnish-registered company called Airiston Helmi that has ties to Russia. The company, which describes itself as a tourism and accommodation company, had reportedly acquired a number of plots of land located on islands along important shipping lanes that lead into the port of Turku, Finland's sixth-largest city, located about 180 kilometers west of Helsinki.

It also attracted scrutiny for its purchase of decommissioned Finnish naval ships, which reportedly were not repainted, fueling speculation that they might have been intentionally left to resemble Finnish military vessels.

'Bad Business Or Money Laundering'

The KRP did not name the company that was targeted. A police investigator, Markku Ranta Aho, said in a statement only that "the shareholder's owners come from another EU country."

The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said Airiston Helmi was established in Finland in 2007. The paper said public records showed the company was small, and carried heavy amounts of debt, but had still been able to regularly buy and sell properties in southwestern Finland for millions of euros.

The paper said a national land database showed the company owned several islands and lots along main shipping route leading to Turku.

"There are no commercial grounds for acquiring land, but the roads are strategically important and their military significance is considerable," Packalen wrote in his blog post, published on September 24. "If Airiston Helmi is a truly commercial company, it's run by really bad business people or it's money laundering, which led police to lead a massive operation on the site."

Meanwhile, another newspaper, Ilta Sanomat, reported that Airiston's board was made up entirely of Russian citizens as of 2014. Two years later, an Italian and a Finnish citizen had joined the board, the paper reported.

"I suppose they could observe and evaluate the area traffic, but Finland has so little naval equipment that tracking it would be trivial," Arto Pulkki, a Finnish military expert, told the newspaper.

"They could just as easily do that from the deck of a yacht, without any spy equipment. Maritime intelligence would be useful preceding a military crisis, but once again, it would be more useful for them to have intelligence on islands that are not registered under a Russian name," he was quoted as saying.

Russian Angle

Russian media reported little about the raids. The state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti, citing the Russian Embassy in Helsinki, reported on September 24 that a Russian citizen had been detained as part of a money-laundering investigation, but gave no further details.

Robin Haggblom, a Finnish military observer who publishes a blog under the title Corporal Frisk, pointed out that Airiston Helmi had purchased two surplus Finnish naval vessels in 2010, though there was no indication the purchase was illegal.

In an e-mail to RFE/RL, Haggblom downplayed theories suggesting the Russia-linked company had been buying up real estate as part of a secret infiltration by the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU.

"Happy enthusiasts have already decided that Airiston Helmi is a GRU-run operation, complete with vessels for false-flag operations and barracks for spetsnaz units to stay in after infiltrating the country prior to war. It is a possibility, but I am unconvinced," he wrote.

However, he pointed to growing evidence from many experts that have documented Russian intelligence agencies working with shadowy private companies, and even criminal entities, to do operations outside of Russia.

The outcry over the raid was enough to prompt Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly, to weigh in, telling Finnish reporters that there had been concerns about the company in question for some time.

Another Finnish newspaper, Iltalehti, quoted two unnamed generals from the Finnish armed forces as saying it was no run-of-the-mill criminal investigation, that Finnish authorities were hiding the true motivation behind the raids, mainly in order to not provoke the Russians.

"A criminal investigation is less of a provocation than a military operation," one of the officers was quoted as saying. "I believe this is clear to everyone."BISHKEK -- Some 2,000 Russia and Kyrgyz troops are getting ready to launch joint counterterrorism exercises in eastern Kyrgyzstan.

The September 26 maneuvers at the Edelweiss training ground will involve nearly 400 pieces of military hardware, including 30 Russian aircraft and Iskander-M ballistic missile systems, Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The drills are part of the Commonwealth of Independent States' (CIS) Issyk-Kul Antiterror 2018 exercises, which started earlier this month.

On September 25, Kyrgyz special forces foiled a simulated terrorist attack on the Issyk-Kul international airport in the resort city of Cholpon-Ata, according to the Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security.

Addressing a meeting of counterterrorism officials from CIS member states in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Zhenish Razakov said that "the terrorist threat coming from Afghanistan is intensifying."

"What is especially worrisome is that terrorist and other extremist forces, acting in close interaction, are not giving up their attempts to cross into the territory of the Central Asian region from northern Afghanistan with the aim of destabilizing the situation," Razakov said.

Andrei Novikov, head of the CIS Antiterrorism Center, said the Issyk-Kul Antiterror 2018 drills were aimed at countering the threat of Islamic terrorists trying to gain a foothold in Central Asia.

"We see attempts by international terrorist organizations to set up a new foothold of the so-called 'caliphate' in the region and also form [new] 'sleeper' [cells] and invigorate existing ones," Novikov said.

Full members of the CIS include Russia and eight former Soviet republics -- Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

With reporting by InterfaxThe head of Russias Supreme Court says the judiciary should halt "pointless" criminal cases over online speech if investigators fail to demonstrate criminal intent by Internet users who post allegedly extremist content.

The remarks by Supreme Court Chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev at a September 25 legal forum in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok come amid a sharp rise in the number of criminal cases in Russia over memes, reposts, and other social-media content that authorities deem to be hate speech.

Rights watchdogs and opposition groups say authorities are targeting social-media users in these cases to stifle dissenting views and pad conviction rates.

Recent high-profile cases -- including that of a 19-year-old student facing potentially up to five years in prison for a meme likening the Jon Snow character from Game Of Thrones to Jesus Christ -- have triggered mounting calls for reforms to Russian anti-extremism statutes covering online speech.

Lebedev said a rise in the number of such cases prompted a recent Supreme Court directive advising courts to scrutinize the potential "public danger" presented by the online content in question and the motives of those who post it.

"The rising trend is evident over the past three years. It was more than 100 two years ago, and now there are already 500. This concerned us," Lebedev was quoted by the state-run TASS news agency as telling the forum in Vladivostok on September 25.

Several high-profile hate-speech cases in Russia in recent years have been opened over satirical social-media memes and other Internet posts mocking the Russian Orthodox Church, which President Vladimir Putin has publicly embraced as a pillar of Russian culture and tradition.

Russians convicted of hate speech or "public actions" aimed at "insulting believers' religious sensibilities" are typically handed a suspended prison sentence, a fine, or both.

In some cases, the accused have been placed on an antiterrorism blacklist pending an investigation, thus blocking their access to financial institutions.

Lebedev told the legal forum that courts should carefully examine the merits of investigators allegations early on in online-speech cases and halt prosecutions during the appeal process if no criminal intent is found.

He said this would prevent "a pointless investigation" and stop the case from going to trial.

The Kremlin's Council for Civil Society and Human Rights on August 22 recommended revisions to Russia's counterextremism laws, including decriminalizing a statute used to convict social-media users of hate speech.

The bulk of online hate-speech cases in Russia have been based on content published on the popular social network VKontakte, a Russian analog of Facebook that has faced withering criticism over its cooperation with authorities in such investigations.

VKontakte's owner, Mail.ru Group, called on authorities last month to change hate-speech legislation and grant amnesty to individuals "unjustly convicted" for Internet posts.

Aleskandr Verkhovsky, head of the Moscow-based SOVA-Center, which tracks the use and abuse of Russian anti-extremism legislation, said on Facebook that while the Supreme Court directive issued September 20 is not a "panacea," it is nonetheless "for the better."

With reporting by TASSKYIV -- Fifty-five years ago, on September 11, 1963, a plane took off from Kyiv for Vienna. On board was Julien Galeotti, a French citizen accused of espionage and expelled from the Soviet Union. Recently released documents from the KGB archive in Kyiv have revealed details of Galeotti's story and brought to light the remarkable photographs he took during his travels in the Soviet Union. For eight years, KGB agents followed the man they called "The Moustache." But was he a spy?

Galeotti made his first trip to the Soviet Union as a tourist in 1955, with stops in Moscow and Leningrad, which is now St. Petersburg. From the beginning, he attracted the attention of the KGB. According to reports filed on him, KGB agents believed the snap-happy Galeotti was trying to make secret "compromising photos" in the Soviet Union aimed at "discrediting and mocking intentionally created ugly images and insignificant aspects" of Soviet life. In one photograph taken in front of the newly constructed main building of Moscow State University, the KGB alleged Galeotti had set up "clearly posed French citizens depicting unemployed people."

The next year, Galeotti was back, this time taking a cruise from the southern French port of Nice on to the Black Sea, with stops in Odesa, Sevastopol, and Yalta in Ukraine, as well as Sochi in Russia and Batumi in Georgia. He made similar cruises in 1957, 1959, 1961, and 1963. Over the years, he took photographs of Soviet citizens standing in lines for basic goods. He photographed a beggar in an Odesa market and military vessels in port. "At 14:00, he went into the courtyard of Lenin Street, No. 59, and took a photograph of a trash container," a KGB report from August 12, 1957, said about Galeottis time in Odesa. "Then, walking along Provoznaya Street, he photographed poorly dressed citizens."

Soviet agents followed him the entire time, watching him both on board the cruise ship and ashore. According to their reports, Galeotti tried to become friendly with the crews of the ships, showed an interest in Soviet ports and whether military ships were present, and organized anti-Soviet shows and skits aboard the cruise ships. On his final trip to the Soviet Union in 1963, Galeotti was back in Sevastopol, the Crimean Peninsula port city that was home to the Black Sea Fleet. The KGB arranged to have civilian militia (druzhinniki) headed by KGB agents stationed at sensitive viewing points overlooking Soviet military vessels in anticipation that Galeotti would want to take photos there.

An operational group was set up with the intention of detaining him. The pretext for arresting him was based on the "statements of Soviet citizens," including a letter from the captain of the cruise ship. When agents arrested Galeotti in Sevastopol on August 22, 1963, they didn't find any film on him. He'd managed to pass his rolls to another French citizen who, according to the intelligence reports, hid them in the seat of his Soviet tourist agency bus. That French citizen spent the rest of the cruise aboard ship without disembarking in the Soviet Union again, and the KGB eventually recovered the rolls of film from the bus.

Galeotti spent nearly three weeks in custody, first in the Crimean capital, Simferopol, and then in Kyiv, where he was taken for further questioning. At first, Galeotti denied being a French agent. He said all of his photographs were taken out of personal interest. But eventually he confessed that he had worked with the French secret services, but only during his last trip to the Soviet Union when he'd been asked to photograph military objects in Sevastopol. Later in the interrogation, he admitted that he'd carried out such assignments from his first trip to the Soviet Union. He said that when he returned to France after each trip, he sent the film to the photo studio of his father, a former French intelligence agent.

Galeotti "repented of his actions, saying that he had made a terrible mistake that he would never repeat," the KGB reported following his interrogation. According to the file, Moscow decided merely to expel Galeotti because, at the time, two KGB operatives had gone missing in France. It was decided "to exploit the situation as part of a more comprehensive plan." KGB agents continued to follow and photograph The Moustache until the very moment that his plane left the ground. Upon returning to France, Galeotti told journalists: "I can't go back to the Soviet Union anymore. But then again, I don't want to."The URL has been copied to your clipboard

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U.S. President Donald Trump pledged further sanctions against Iran, accusing it of corruption, aggression, and expansionism, in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 25.U.S. President Donald Trump warned Germany not to become dependent on Russian energy. Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, Trump praised Poland for developing alternative sources. The Trump administration has said Russia's undersea pipeline project to Germany, known as Nordstream 2, would concentrate 75 percent of Russian gas exports to Europe in one pipeline.The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has voiced concern over the "rising" number of civilian casualties as a result of air strikes by the international coalition or the Afghan Air Force.

UNAMA said on September 25 it had received "multiple, credible allegations" that a strike hit the house of a teacher in the eastern province of Kapisa last week, killing nine members of the same family.

Those killed in the September 22 strike included three women and four children, a statement said. Six others were wounded.

Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish confirmed civilian casualties during a joint operation by Afghan and U.S. forces that involved air support.

He did not give details about the incident, but said an investigation was under way.

The U.S. Army in Kabul said it was reviewing information regarding the Kapisa incident, reiterating that it did all it could to avoid casualties among civilians.

"It isn't uncommon for insurgents to use these accusations to drive a wedge between the military and the population. We will provide updates as they become available," it also said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters news agency.

Afghan security forces have struggled to counter attacks from the Taliban and other militant groups since the withdrawal of most NATO combat troops in 2014.

In its statement, UNAMA urged all parties to the conflict to "uphold their obligations to protect civilians from harm."

It also reiterated its previous call for "government forces to uphold their commitment to regular review of targeting protocols and ensure mitigation measures and compensation for victims."

The number of civilians killed or wounded in air attacks has jumped by 52 percent in the first six months of this year, according to UN data.

The world body said 149 civilians were killed and 204 wounded in air strikes during the period, with women and children comprising more than half the casualties.

With reporting by ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump has called at the United Nations General Assembly for "all nations to isolate" the Iranian government for as long as its leadership continues policies of "aggression" in the Middle East and beyond.

But Iranian President Hassan Rohani responded to Trump's remarks by depicting the Trump administration as a violator of its international obligations and a bully that is pressuring other countries to follow Washington's lead and withdraw from Tehran's 2015 nuclear accord with world powers.

Trump on September 25 told the UN General Assembly: "Iran's leaders sell chaos, death, and destruction. They do not respect their neighbors or borders or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead, Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond."

Trump told the General Assembly: "We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons. We cannot allow a regime that chants 'death to America,' and that threatens Israel with annihilation, to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on earth. Just can't do it. We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues, and we ask all nations to support Iran's people as they struggle to reclaim their religious and righteous destiny."

Hours later, Rohani responded by telling the General Assembly that Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear accord and its "unlawful unilateral sanctions" constituted a form of "economic terrorism."

"It is unfortunate that we are witnessing rulers in the world who think they can secure their interests better, or at least in the short-term ride public sentiments and gain popular support, through the fomenting of extremists, nationalism, and racism and through xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition as well as through the trampling of global rules and undermining international institutions," Rohani said.

"Confronting multilateralism is not a sign of strength. Rather, it is a symptom of the weakness of intellect. It betrays an inability in understanding a complex and interconnected world," he said.

"The United Nations should not allow its decisions to fall victim to the domestic election and propaganda games of some of its members and should not allow any member states to dodge the execution of its international commitments."

Trump's criticism of Iran came in the midst of a speech that largely focused on his "America First" foreign policy, and Washington's refusal to "surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected and unaccountable global governance."

Shortly after Trump finished his speech, the presidents of two NATO countries -- Turkey and France -- implicitly criticized Trump's call to isolate Iran's government.

"None of us can remain silent to the arbitrary cancellation of commercial agreements, the spreading prevalence of protectionism, and the use of economic sanctions as weapons," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the General Assembly.

French President Emmanuel Macron told the General Assembly that "dialogue and multilateralism" was needed on Iran -- a thinly veiled response to Trump's push for tough, U.S.-led sanctions.

"What will bring a real solution to the situation in Iran and what has already stabilized it? The law of the strongest? Pressure from only one side? No!" Macron said.

"We know that Iran was on a nuclear military path but what stopped it? The 2015 Vienna accord," Macron said. "Today we should not aggravate regional tensions but rather through dialogue and multilateralism pursue a broader agenda that allows us to address all the concerns caused by Iranian policies -- nuclear, ballistic, regional."

Trump praised Poland for working to make itself independent from Russian energy supplies and said that "Germany will become totally dependent on Russian energy if it does not immediately change course" on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which aims to deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

WATCH: U.S. President Donald Trump warns Germany not to become dependent on Russian energy.

Trump also said the International Criminal Court (ICC) lacked any legitimacy and violated "all principles of justice."

"As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority," Trump said. "The ICC claims near-universal jurisdiction over the citizens of every country, violating all principles of justice, fairness, and due process. We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy."

On Syria's war, Trump warned that "the United States will respond if chemical weapons are deployed" by President Bashar al-Assad's forces. He said the world's "shared goals" on Syria must be de-escalation of the conflict along with a political solution that is "based on the will of the Syrian people."

He also accused the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) "and OPEC nations" of "ripping off" the world by raising prices and said member states that receive military support from the United States will have to start sharing the cost of that defense.

Trump said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was heading an initiative to reevaluate U.S. foreign assistance.

"We are only going to give foreign aid to those who respect us and, frankly, are our friends," Trump told the UN gathering.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley had said ahead of Trump's speech that he planned to address the fact that we had to take on the Russian incident in which former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok in the English city of Salisbury in March.

But Trump made no mention of the Novichok attack in his UN speech.

Trump praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for "encouraging measures" since the two met in Singapore in June for a summit, thanking Kim for "his courage and steps he has taken" toward reducing tensions on the Korean peninsula.

But he said "much work needs to be done" by North Korea and that U.S. sanctions "will remain in place until denuclearization occurs."

Guterres: 'Trust Deficit'

Trump's speech to the General Assembly came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the weeklong event on September 25 by warning that the world was "suffering from a bad case of trust-deficit disorder."

"People are feeling troubled and insecure and trust is at a breaking point -- trust in national institutions, trust among states, trust in the rules-based world order," Guterres told the General Assembly.

"Within countries, people are losing faith in political establishments," Guterres said. "Polarization is on the rise and populism is on the march. Among countries, cooperation is less certain and more difficult and divisions in our Security Council are stark."

Urging world leaders to counteract unilateralism and rejuvenate international cooperation, Guterres sounded an alarm on issues ranging from global climate change, a growing potential for nuclear conflict, the need for all people to benefit from new technologies, and the necessity to safeguard against dangers ranging from "malicious acts in cyberspace to the weaponization of artificial intelligence."

"Today, world order is increasingly chaotic," Guterres warned. "Power relations are less clear and universal values are being eroded. Democratic principles are under siege and the rule of law is being undermined."

Guterres's grim depiction of the state of the world was the first of many speeches scheduled during the General Assembly session, which runs through October 1.

Hours before the session was set to begin, Trump tweeted that he had no plans to meet with Rohani on the sidelines of the gathering "despite requests" to do so.

Rohani said earlier that as a precondition for any dialogue, Trump must repair the damage done when he unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

"That bridge must be rebuilt," Rohani told the U.S.-based NBC news ahead of his speech.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speech on September 25 is expected to focus mainly on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.

Erdogan also was expected to call on the international community to share responsibility for the refugee crisis and other challenges posed by conflicts in the region.

Also due to address the General Assembly on September 25 are Kyrgyz President Sooranbai Jeenbekov; Bakir Izetbegovic, the chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina's tripartite presidency; and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpaFour arrested in Yucatan for murder of Quintana Roo man

Chicxulub Puerto, Yucatan  Four people have been arrested for the murder of a man in Chicxulub Puerto, a town about 24 kms due west of Merida.

A search operation implemented by the Ministry of Public Security (SSP) resulted in the quick capture of four individuals involved in the firearm murder of a person in a restaurant in Chicxulub Puerto. Once the shooting was reported, police activated protocols in the center of the state and border areas.

In a press release, police say the four alleged criminals were arrested at a control stop along the Merida-Valladolid highway at the height of the Teya ranch hours after the murder.

The individuals were positively identified by people who witnessed the shooting. The subjects, three men and one woman, were traveling in a Nissan truck with license plates from Mexico City. Two firearms were found in the vehicle.

The wife of the deceased man said she and her husband, who were originally from Quintana Roo, had relocated to the state of Yucatan only five months before.

Police added that the alleged criminals originate from Veracruz and Quintana Roo.Two men arrested at Cancun airport after police find drugs tied to their torsos

Cancun, Q.R.  The Comision Nacional de Seguridad reports the arrest of two men at the Cancun International Airport after they were found carrying methamphetamine.

Federal police say that after noticing two men acting nervous, they were interviewed through the Regional Security Division at the Cancun Airport. Upon review of their person, federal police found they had strapped bags of methamphetamine to their torsos.

Photo: La Comision Nacional de Seguridad

In total, police seized 39 bags between the pair who were reportedly headed for Brussels.

Both men, along with their drugs, were made available to the Agent of the Public Ministry of the Federation, who will continue with the corresponding investigations.Chip is the first sailor who Hildy encounters. Im smitten with him right off the bat, Klein said. Five minutes into knowing him, Im trying to take him up to my place. I really like seeing a good-looking man in uniform all by himself on the streets of New York. The other women the sailors encounter are Claire (Brittny Goon) and Ivy (Ariana Cappuccitti).Sammy Woodhouse

CAMPAIGNER Sammy Woodhouse has welcomed Government recommendations to install audio recording and CCTV equipment in all taxis across the country.

Sammy said it was a good step forward and would keep passengers and drivers safer. MP Sarah Champion has also welcomed the proposal.

Sammy, who was groomed as a teenager by abuse gang ringleader Arshid Hussain, was part of the Rotherham Steering Group, which successfully fought for licensing policy changes at Rotherham Borough Council following the CSE scandal.

Prof Alexis Jay said in her report on child sex abuse in 2014 that taxi drivers had been involved in transporting and abusing young CSE victims.

Since the equipment was made mandatory in Rotherham two years ago, Sammy has been lobbying the transport minister to roll out the policy across the country.

One of their 34 recommendations in the report, published yesterday (Monday) by the Governments Task and Finish Group, read: In the interests of passenger safety, particularly in the light of events in towns and cities like Rochdale, Oxford, Newcastle and Rotherham, all licensed vehicles must be fitted with CCTV (visual and audio) subject to strict data protection measures.

Sammy said: Its good news  its a good step forward.

Not only will it keep passengers safe but it will keep drivers safe, too.

They get a lot of abuse from drunk people, or worry people are going to leave without paying  its a really tough job to be in.

You go on buses and trains and theres CCTV  taxis are the only place that dont have it.

I think it will prevent a lot of crimes.

Even when a crime does occur, theres evidence there to secure a conviction.

This is great news for me.

The report said a minority of drivers had abused their position of trust and CCTV can reaffirm or increase passenger confidence.

It added: CCTV would not just protect passengers.

In England and Wales, approximately 53 per cent of taxi and PHV drivers are non-white, a much higher than average percentage of the workforce.

The group heard from the United Private Hire Drivers that 50 per cent of drivers it surveyed had been threatened or assaulted and that 57 per cent had been racially abused while working.

Two of the groups ten members said they were against the recommendation. Anne Main, MP for St Albans, and Steve Wright, chairman of the Licensed Private Hire Car Association, said they were in favour of the spirit of the plans in terms of safety, but took issue with how it would be implemented.

MP Sarah Champion welcomed the move, she said: It is good to see Rotherham cited in the report as an example of good practice  but those lessons were hard-learned .

During the child abuse scandal in the town, it is well documented that private hire vehicles (PHVs) were used to groom and transport victims.

PHV drivers and operators managed to get around the councils attempts to introduce mandatory CCTV by obtaining a licence from another authority, and continuing to operate in Rotherham.

There are a number of recommendations from the report that will help prevent this from happening again.

This includes the introduction of national minimum standards for taxis/PHVs (including CCTV in all vehicles) and a rule that drivers can only operate in areas where they have a licence.

She added: Another important recommendation is that all drivers undertake safeguarding, child sexual abuse and disability awareness training.

Given the important role taxi/PHV drivers play in the towns community, this is a crucial step towards keeping vulnerable people safe.

It is now up to the Government to stop delaying and get on with bringing forward the recommended changes so that vulnerable people and legitimate taxi/PHV drivers are better protected.

To read the report visit, https://bit.ly/2Q37HnI.

It appeared to be directed for the group of 100 people and accelerated into. Children threw themselves out of the way of the car. He drove into two of the students. One was injured on the wrist and possibly the other student was also injured, police said. No other info was released about the injured. The group was made up of 100 children and 10 teachers from Mjallby secondary school, walking from Hinnedalsvagen to Grundsjon as part of a social event. The driver fled the scene and witnesses were unable to identify whether the driver was male of female.



The incident located on the map

A police manhunt is now underway. They are appealing for any information. It was not clear if the incided will be considered a terror attack. Similar incidents involving cars previously occurred in the country. Sweden is known as not tolerating such things and is expected a serious investigation in the case.

This story will be updated.Join us at 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Sidney Elks Lodge for a free will offering brisket and chicken dinner to raise money to help with medical costs for Carly Candee. There will also be a silent and live auction with a featured auction item of "African Safari Hunt for $!" valued at $18,000. This hunt will include, professional hunter; skinner/tracker; hunting vehicle; all meals (in camp) and accommodation during hunting Safari; water and soda and laundry service. For more information contact Duane Lundemo, 406-480-2290.

Carly Candee is an 18-year-old identical twin and Sidney and Fairview native. Carly is and always has been a cowgirl who has participated at 4-H, High School Rodeo and FFA. She developed a love of barrel racing at the age of 13. Carly became severely ill at 13 years of age and was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), which is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease causing inflammation of the large intestine, rectum and colon with the development of ulcers on the intestine's surface.

Consequently, Carly's active life abruptly changed and resulted in multiple trips to Billings for doctors' appointments to consult with specialists in this field. Many of these visits led to lengthy hospital stays. For the last couple of years Carly's treatments have consisted of medications and exploratory surgeries with minimal to short lived treatment successes. On May 12, 2018 Carly became severely ill, air lifted to Billings and was spent the next 19 days in the hospital suffering through the ups and downs resulting in all medication treatments failing. Consequently, Carly was faced with a very difficult adult decision at her early age, and the decision to have a Proctocolectomy was made. This entails the removal of the rectum and the entire colon. This procedure has made Carly disease free with no need for further medications, however the ending result is the need for a temporary ileostomy or exterior drainage bag. Carly will be recovering from the procedure for the next six months.

Carly's eventual goal is to have the reversal procedures done involving two additional reconstructive surgeries that will allow the eventual elimination of the drainage bag. Specialists in Billings recommended these procedures take place in a specialized hospital located in Scottsdale, Arizona at the Mayo Clinic. Doctors have counseled Carly and her family to prepare for the extensive traveling for the next 1  years. The cost has been, and will be immense, however the outcome of this lengthy and pain filled process will allow Carly to live the healthy life that she deserves.

We want to thank the community, friends and family of Sidney and Fairview for all the kindness and support expressed to Carly and our family during this entire process, it has meant absolutely everything to us all.McKenzie County Sheriff, Gary Schwartzenberger, has a new endorsement. Joe Arpaio, the prominent and controversial former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, has written a letter encouraging McKenzie County voters to reelect Schwartzenberger.

Arpaio, as a political figure, is a polemical lightning rod, having received accolades from some and condemnation from others during his 24-year tenure as sheriff in the Phoenix area. Nicknamed, "America's Toughest Sheriff," Arpaio first made headlines for mandating prisoners in his county jail live in tents and wear the color pink. Later, Arpaio gained media attention for investigating whether or not President Barack Obama's birth certificate was valid. Arpaio also drew ire for having a strong stance against illegal immigration, which ultimately led to several federal civil rights lawsuits against the sheriff. After being held in contempt of court in a federal ruling over the subject of his enforcement of immigration law, Arpaio was pardoned by President Donald Trump.

Other accusations against Arpaio have included abuse of power, wrongful arrest and entrapment, misconduct and mismanagement, misspending, election law violations and targeting of political opponents. Earlier this year, Arpaio announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate on the Republican ticket, but was defeated in the primary. He remains a very popular figure in conservative electoral politics and cultural commentary.

Schwartzenberger announced Arpaio's endorsement on Friday, September 21.

Arpaio wrote in a letter published on Schwartzenberger's Facebook page, "In my 60 years of law enforcement, I've faced many challenges. I've had to fight for the right to enforce the law and prevent political organizations from influencing the operation of my Sheriff's Office. Like myself, Sheriff Schwartzenberger has had to fight to preserve his office, taking his case all the way to the North Dakota Supreme Court, affirming the right of an elected sheriff to remain independent from other elected offices. The unanimous Supreme Court ruling has strengthened the sheriff's offices all across North Dakota."

Arpaio continued, "Sheriff Gary Schwartzenberger was elected four years ago to modernize, improve the function, and professionalize the McKenzie County Sheriff's Office. Sometimes, people don't like change, but when old standards no longer compliment the law or don't serve the people, new policies and practices must be adopted, implemented and enforced in order to better serve the citizens of McKenzie County."

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, eventually reinstated Schwartzenberger, who was suspended from his office for an accusation of the misapplication of entrusted property. Regarding the Supreme Court decision cited in Arpaio's letter of endorsement, Schwartzenberger vs. McKenzie County Commissioners found that county officials could not restrict an elected sheriff's authority to fire an employee hired by the sheriff or mandate discipline of an employee of the sheriff. The decision also iterated the limited capacity in which commissioners could interfere with the internal working of the sheriff's department.

Arpaio wrote to McKenzie County voters, "When Sheriff Schwartzenberger was elected, many people viewed him as a threat to the 'Good Old Boy' system and sought to obstruct him. Despite strong opposition, Sheriff Gary has put a stop to waste, abuse, and enforced the law."Movement of a Quarter of a Million People Joined by Local Participants in Eastern Montana

Sidney, MT  Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, yet suicide can be prevented. Volunteers from Eastern Montana are joining the quarter of a million people who are walking in towns across the United States to draw attention to the fight for suicide prevention. The annual Eastern Montana Out of the Darkness Community Walk, hosted by the AFSP Montana Chapter will be held from 9am-12pm, September 29th at Veterans Park. This walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Preventions education and support programs and its bold goal to reduce the annual U.S. rate of suicide 20 percent by the year 2025.

Suicide touches one in five American families. We hope that by walking we will draw attention to this issue and keep other families from experiencing a suicide loss. Our ultimate goal is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide, said Nick Kallem

The Eastern Montana Out of the Darkness Community Walk is one of more than 550 Out of the Darkness Overnight, Community and Campus Walks being held nationwide this year. The walks are expected to unite more than 300,000 walkers and raise millions for suicide prevention efforts. Last year, these walks raised over $21 million for suicide prevention. This is the First year for this walk and we have set a goal of $10,000, and 100 Participants.

Speakers at the Eastern Montana Out of the Darkness Community Walk will include; Cammy Heck, Miss Teen Montana, and Pastor Vicki Waddington.

These walks are about turning hope into action, said AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and if we keep up the fight, the science is only going to get better and our culture will get smarter about mental health. With the efforts of our courageous volunteers, and a real investment from our nations leaders, we hope to significantly reduce the suicide rate in the United States.

Local sponsors for the Eastern Montana Out of the Darkness Walk include, Sidney Health Center, Screen Play, Oneok, Tri-County Implement, LYREC, Blue Rock, Cherry Creek Media, Town Pump, and Sibanye Stillwater.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture thats 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.Congress president Rahul Gandhi

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 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.

Narendra Modi

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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. 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 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."

Anil Ambani

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"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.He has a lot of good advice for me, Trish Jansta said of her husband. The first thing hell tell me is relax and just listen to the story. Dont get too obsessed with every single word. It will come. He keeps me on track. Since we can rehearse at home, I can get a lot of rehearsal time in. That is very, very important with a show like this. You have to work on it a lot. Youll see me in the grocery store, talking to myself.Home Minister Rajnath Singh

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 (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," he said.

Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored

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The government 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 -- 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.

Government is ready to talk to everyone over the Kashmir issue

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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 chief Rahul Gandhi

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said he understands the pain of jawans, Air Force officers, the families of martyred pilots as well as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited workers and will work to bring to justice all those who dishonoured and stole from them. Gandhi addressed them all on Twitter in his apparent attack against the Narendra Modi government on the issue of the Rafale fighter jet deal. "To every Air Force officer and Jawan who has served India. To the family of every martyred Indian fighter pilot.

To every person who ever worked for HAL. We hear your pain: Rahul

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To every person who ever worked for HAL. We hear your pain. We understand how you feel. We will bring to justice all those who dishonoured and stole from you," he said on Twitter. Gandhi has been attacking the government on the Rafale deal, accusing the Modi government and the prime minister of putting money into the pockets of his "crony" friends. Yesterday, he said the country's "chowkidar" Modi snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

Modi snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani: Rahul

Gandhi also asked the prime minister for answers 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 the Jais area of his Lok Sabha constituency. "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," he said.Balbir Singh Sidhu

Milk producers must rise up to the occasion and start supplying milk directly to the consumers instead of middlemen. To encourage the milk producers for this cause the Punjab government is supply subsidy of Rs.4 lakh to the farmers to set up their own units to enable them to supply the milk directly to the consumers. It was disclosed by Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu, Animal Husbandry, Fishery and Dairy Development Minister in a press communique released here today.

Mr. Sidhu said that it is sorry state of affairs that in the present situation milk producers are struggling hard to fetch the justifiable price of their milk on the other hand consumers are also fighting to get pure and unadulterated milk. He said that milk producers should grab this opportunity and they must sell their milk directly to the consumers of their nearby cities. He said that by doing so milk producers could surly enhance their income by Rs. 10 to 12 per liter.

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Supply Milk Directly to Consumers Instead of Middlemen: Balbir Sidhu

He said that this practice is beneficial for the both the parties as on one hand milk producers would get more price of milk and on the other hand consumers would get pure and unadulterated milk. Mr. Inderjit Singh, Director, Dairy Development said that Punjab Government in order to encourage the farmers for direct marketing of milk is providing subsidy of Rs. 4 lakh to the milk producers to set up their unit.

Divulging the detail of the equipments required for this purpose, He said that at village level to set up a unit one would require a Bulk Milk Cooler of 500 liter capacity for cooling of milk, double jacketed Stainless steel tank of 500 liter capacity, automatic milk dispensing unit and a vehicle to carry milk tank. He said that the aggregated cost of all these equipment is Rs. 9 lakh approximately and the Punjab Government is providing subsidy of Rs. 4 lakh. He said that a beneficiary could be anyone a single milk producer, Milk Producer Company of self help group.SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.  A Saratoga Springs man faces up to two years in jail following his conviction on Tuesday of aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony, in Saratoga County Court.

Aaron Brinkley, 31, had been charged with beating his 29-pound Boston terrier Riko with a hammer, which led to his death.

The trial, which began last week, involved seven witnesses and more than 50 pieces of evidence. The jury deliberated part of Friday and Monday.

Brinkleys statements to police and evidence found at the scene weighed heavily in the cases outcome, Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen said.

Following the verdict, County Court Judge James Murphy III sent Brinkley to Saratoga County Jail.

Sentencing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 14.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.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.

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"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."

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.Termite colonies have been found to thrive and reproduce without males, new research from the University of Sydney reveals.

The findings provide new evidence that males aren't required to maintain some advanced animal populations. They add momentum to questions about the impact and function of males in animal societies.

It is well known that many hymenopteran insect species -- which include bees and ants -- are essentially all-female societies. But termites are from a different insect order and typically contain male and female reproductives and workers.

Population analysis by a team of researchers -- including Professor Nathan Lo and postdoctoral researcher Dr Toshihisa Yoshiro from the University's School of Life and Environmental Sciences -- has for the first time identified termite colonies that completely lack males.

Findings published in BMC Biology today showed six of 10 termite populations scrutinized by the researchers in Japan were entirely comprised of asexual females. Aside from a lack of males, the colonies' queens contained no sperm in their sperm storage organs and their eggs remained unfertilised. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the hatching rate of these unfertilised eggs and that of fertilised eggs among mixed-sex termite populations.

All the populations studied were of the Glyptotermes nakajimai species based in Japan. This species typically inhabits forest areas and is not considered a pest.

"These results demonstrate males are not essential for the maintenance of animal societies in which they previously played an active social role," said Professor Lo.

The occasional development of unfertilised eggs in mixed-sex colonies suggests asexual female populations may have evolved from their mixed-sex counterparts.

Professor Lo says asexual reproduction could allow termites to successfully adapt to a range of new environments.

"All else being equal, asexual populations grow at twice the rate of sexual populations because only females are required to reproduce. This increased growth rate of colonies makes it easier for populations to entrench themselves in new environments."

While it is possible some of the 276 termite species in Australia, among the most primitive and ecologically diverse in the world, reproduce asexually further research is required to determine this, Dr Yashiro said.

Loss of males from mixed-sex societies in termites was co-written by researchers from the Laboratory of Insect Ecology at Kyoto University.A new study, led by UNSW Sydney PhD student Rose O'Dea, has explored patterns in academic grades of 1.6 million students, showing that girls and boys perform very similarly in STEM -- including at the top of the class.

The analysis, published today in the journal Nature Communications, casts doubt on the view that there are fewer women in STEM-related jobs because they aren't as capable in those subjects as men -- a notion that has been supported by the concept that gender differences in variability lead to gender gaps in associated fields.

In their meta-analysis, the UNSW researchers compared gender differences in variation of academic grades from over 1.6 million students aged six through to university from all over the world, across 268 different schools and classrooms.

"We combined data from hundreds of studies, and used a method developed by my supervisor to comprehensively test for greater male variability in academic performance," lead author Rose O'Dea says.

A classroom with more variable grades indicates a bigger gap between high and low performing students, and greater male variability could result in boys outnumbering girls at the top and bottom of the class.

"Greater male variability is an old idea that people have used to claim that there will always be more male geniuses -- and fools -- in society," O'Dea says.

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The team found that on average, girls' grades were higher than boys', and girls' grades were less variable than boys'.

"We already knew that girls routinely outperform boys at school, and we also expected female grades to be less variable than those of males, so that wasn't surprising. In fact, our study suggests that these two factors haven't changed in 80 years," O'Dea says.

"However, what was most surprising was that both of these gender differences were far larger in non-STEM subjects, like English. In STEM subjects girls and boys received surprisingly similar grades, in both average and variability."

In other words, the researchers demonstrated that academic STEM achievements of boys and girls are very similar -- in fact, the analysis suggests that the top 10% of a class contained equal numbers of girls and boys.

O'Dea says that there are multiple reasons that these figures don't translate into equivalent participation in STEM jobs later in life.

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"Even if men and women have equal abilities, STEM isn't an equal playing field for women -- and so women often go down paths with less male competition. "For example, we found that the ability overlap between girls and boys is much greater in STEM, and smaller in non-STEM subjects, meaning that there are fewer boys competing with girls in non-STEM subjects.

"So say you're a girl in a class and you're a straight A student. In your math class, you're surrounded by top-achieving boys, and then in English there's fewer boys that you're competing with, so it can look like non-STEM is an easier option or a safer path."

Stereotypical societal beliefs about what fields girls are seen to be successful in also play a role. "Girls are susceptible to conforming to stereotypes in the traditionally male-dominated fields of STEM. Girls who try to succeed in these fields are often hindered by backlash effects," O'Dea says.

"For example, the stereotype that girls aren't good at maths actually makes it harder for girls to be good at maths, both because of the way we perceive ourselves and the way other people perceive us. We all have subconscious biases, and there's a strange phenomenon called stereotype threat, where being reminded of the stereotype connected to your identity can make it harder to defy that stereotype."

O'Dea says that there's no simple fix to work on the underrepresentation of women in STEM.

"Science and academia have a lot of structural issues that will take time to fix. However, there's a lot we can do to encourage girls to perform better at maths -- for example, girls tend to do better when they're taught by a woman with a strong maths background, so they can see they can do maths, too."

Professor Emma Johnston, Dean of Science at UNSW, says a lot needs to be done to encourage girls to choose a STEM path. "This powerful, evidence-based research has revealed that girls and boys are equally good at STEM subjects. Differential participation in STEM training and STEM careers must therefore be explained by other factors.

"Australia really needs more women to enter, stay, and succeed in STEM areas. We absolutely need to change the structural barriers to gender equality in science, but we must also change the strong negative stereotypes and unconscious biases as well. We must give our girls and women more successful science role models -- something grand to aspire to.

"We all need to actively work to close this gap -- for example, UNSW's Women in Maths and Science Champions Program is a unique opportunity to support women who are completing their PhD in UNSW Science. The program focuses on strengthening the cohort's communication and leadership skills to support their professional careers and their lifelong role of advocacy to inspire women to pursue a career in maths and science.

"The author of this landmark study is a great example -- Rose is an incredible role model and her leadership in traditionally male-dominated fields like science and the AFL is inspiring to many girls," Professor Johnston concludes."I don't like to change things unless it is necessary. What I would like to have happen is for schools to coordinate their Teacher Institute Days on election days when kids have the day off. We have to pay a police officer to be in schools on election days. It's an expense," he said.Demolishing the Macys building will allow for construction of a new high-end grocery store and open-air destination in the mall, according to the report. The area near the grocery store will also include a great lawn as an entry connection to the rest of the indoor mall, according to the report.The idea [of teens] getting ahold of an app that they are using to make their decisions for them really intrigued me, she added. [The play is] a great tool for the kids to really see the power of their decisions and the power that social media can have over them. Its right up their alley.She said she did not have any issues with Parquette initially but after a few weeks she noticed he became more open with her and started to do things to her, allegedly smacking her buttocks and rubbing her stomach, a report said.The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a former Dayton, Ohio registered representative with defrauding his retail brokerage customers out of over $1 million in a long-running scheme.

According to the SEC's complaint, John Greg Schmidt, who was associated with an SEC-registered broker dealer, sold securities of at least seven of his customers and secretly transferred over $1 million in proceeds to 10 other customers to cover shortfalls in their accounts. As alleged in the complaint, Schmidt accomplished his scheme by making unauthorized sales and withdrawals from variable annuities held by the customers, secretly transferring funds using fraudulent letters of authorization, and issuing fake account statements. Most of the injured customers were elderly with little to no financial expertise and were particularly vulnerable. Schmidt received over $230,000 in brokerage commissions from these customers.

The SEC's complaint, filed in federal district court in the Southern District of Ohio, charges Schmidt with violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The SEC is seeking a judgment ordering Schmidt to disgorge his ill-gotten gains with prejudgment interest, and to pay civil penalties.

The SEC's investigation, which is continuing, is being conducted by Peter Senechalle, Luz M. Aguilar and Anne C. McKinley of the Chicago Regional Office. The litigation will be led by Timothy S. Leiman. The case is being supervised by Kathryn A. Pyszka. The SEC appreciates the assistance of FINRA, the Ohio Department of Insurance, and the Ohio Department of Commerce's Securities Division.One place Kemp said he plans to take the legislators is to the Majestic Star Casino, because he said going to the top of the structure offers a vantage point where people can see just how close together all of these assets come together.The battles between far-right activists and their opponents that have roiled Berkeley in the past two years have been organized on social media. Theyve been debated on social media. And theyve often played out live on social media.

The question now is whether Berkeley police should be using social media to expose people they arrest in the sometimes violent clashes. The City Council will consider Tuesday whether to ban police from posting names, mug shots and hometowns of people taken into custody unless they pose an imminent threat to public safety.

The proposed policy stems from an Aug. 5 protest planned by two far-right-wing groups  one dubbed the Proud Boys, which didnt show up. Still, the day drew about 400 counterprotesters who called themselves anti-fascist, or antifa.

While the demonstration was largely peaceful, police arrested 21 people and posted their booking photos, names, cities of residence and other basic information on Twitter. All were anti-fascists, according to the National Lawyers Guild, and no one has yet been charged by the Alameda County district attorneys office.

The postings, the Lawyers Guild says, are a form of doxing, the practice of using social media to post personal information about a person to embarrass or discredit them. Berkeley police ended up removing the posts after complaints from city residents.

Those who back the ban on such posts include the mayor, two council members and the Lawyers Guild, which held a rally Monday challenging city leaders to step up protections for protesters who show up to fight against racism. They say the prohibition of such social media posts by police will protect such individuals from being threatened, harassed and intimidated from participating in actions protected by the First Amendment.

The council may apply the ban to protest-related offenses or extend it to all crimes. Regardless, critics of the ban worry that it would withhold public information and contribute to a less transparent Police Department.

Tweeting the mug shots and identifying information was an effort not only to satisfy media requests for public information, said Matthai Chakko, a city spokesman, but also to discourage violent conflicts in Berkeley that have been inflamed by social media.

Berkeley has been the focus of unprecedented social media narrative used to organize conflicts and justify the use of weapons and armor in Berkeley, Chakko said. We wanted to send a message over social media that we do enforce laws.

We released public records (mug shots and basic identifying information) over a media channel that people were using to foment violence.

But people whose names and photos were splashed across the internet say the police action exposed them to threats. Jason Wallach was one of the 21 people arrested, and he no longer closes his bike shop in East Oakland alone.

After he was taken into custody during the Aug. 5 protest on suspicion of possession of a banned or dangerous weapon, Wallachs booking photo, name and personal information were posted on Twitter. People flooded his business Yelp and Facebook pages with negative reviews, and he said he received threatening anonymous phone calls and texts. Now he makes sure to have someone else with him when its closing time.

Wallach told his story Monday at a news conference organized by the Lawyers Guild at Berkeleys Civic Center , which is near the site of the Aug. 5 protests and other violent clashes last year between right-wing and anti-fascist groups.

Its pretty spooky, Wallach said. You dont know the origins, you dont know how far theyre going to go, so you have to be vigilant.

Kate Brenner, 70, said she was arrested Aug. 5 for possession of a banned weapon, which was a banner with cardboard poles weighted with two rocks to keep it unfurled.

When I told the police the handcuffs were too tight on me and that I was 70 years old, they said, Maybe you shouldnt have gotten yourself arrested. None of the fascists were arrested, Brenner said. As a Jew, I cant stand on the sidelines. I wont let the state attempt to silence me or intimidate me.

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.

Chakko declined to discuss individual cases. He noted that the city made it clear anything that could be used as a weapon, such as a broom, would be banned from protest sites. A long list was posted around the city, as well as on social media and in the press.

Councilwomen Cheryl Davila and Kate Harrison proposed a resolution that would direct the police to refrain from publishing or releasing the addresses or photos of people arrested under the special circumstances of civil conflicts, particularly when one party is likely to do harm to another, specifically under threat of harm from people who spread hate.

Their proposal would also restrict police from providing identifying information requested through the California Public Records Act.

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin has suggested a revised policy that would restrict police from proactively publishing mug shots on social media or other identifying information of people arrested in events protected by the First Amendment. However, police could still release the information to the media and in response to Public Record Act requests, he said Monday afternoon.

We should not be impeding the First Amendment, Arreguin said. When the media wants information, they should have access, but we dont want our Police Department tweeting out information and mug shots and creating a chilling effect for participants in protests.

David Snyder, executive officer of the First Amendment Coalition, said its not clear whether media outlets have a legal right to booking photos, but names, cities of residence and other information on people who are arrested should always be disclosed.

These are protections for both the public and the person being arrested, Snyder said. We dont do secret arrests in this country.

Ashley McBride and Michael Cabanatuan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ashleynmcb, @ctuanU.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who has presided over the nationwide Volkswagen pollution-device settlement and a major San Francisco corruption case during 21 years on the bench, has been chosen to receive the annual Devitt Award, the nations highest honor for a federal judge.

Breyer, 77, younger brother of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, has been a federal court judge in San Francisco since President Bill Clinton appointed him in 1997.

He had started his law career in 1967 as an assistant district attorney in San Francisco, worked on the Watergate prosecution team in 1973-74, and then returned to San Francisco to practice law. He took semi-retired senior status at the end of 2011 but maintains a substantial caseload.

Now Playing: Former Volkswagen CEO Charged with Fraud On Thursday, the unsealed indictment revealed that former CEO Martin Winterkorn had been charged in the diesel emissions scandal. The U.S. government charged Winterkorn on March 14 with wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the automaker's American customers. Winterkorn, who is the ninth to be charged in the scandal, was also found to be in violation of the Clean Air Act, a federal law designed to control air pollution. In 2015, Volkswagen admitted to cheating on clear air rules by rigging their diesel cars to make emissions look cleaner than they were. The company agreed to a $14.7 million settlement with the U.S. Video: Wibbitz

In the Volkswagen case, Breyer presided over legal actions by consumers and regulatory agencies after the automaker admitted rigging software in its diesel vehicles to cheat on emissions tests. He approved a $14.7 billion settlement in October 2016 after Volkswagen agreed to compensate the owners of 475,000 vehicles.

In another wide-ranging case, Breyer volunteered to take more than 200 suits against asbestos makers that were assigned to the San Francisco-based Northern District in 2014. With the help of court magistrates, he resolved all of them by early 2016, court officials said.

Breyer also presided over one of San Franciscos biggest corruption cases, with charges against 29 defendants following a five-year federal undercover investigation. Former state Sen. Leland Yee and Keith Jackson, a former school board president, pleaded guilty to racketeering in 2015 and admitted accepting bribes from agents posing as campaign contributors. Raymond Shrimp Boy Chow was convicted of running a Chinatown community organization as a racketeering enterprise.

Breyer has served on national judicial bodies, including the U.S. Judicial Conference from 2005 to 2010. As a member of the conferences executive committee, he joined with colleagues to install software that examined a judges financial holdings and detected conflicts of interest that the judge may not have known about when accepting a case, court officials said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

In 2011, Chief Justice John Roberts named Breyer to the seven-member Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation, which reviews cases filed in different courts and decides whether they should be consolidated before a single judge, like the Volkswagen cases in Breyers court.

Northern District court officials said Breyer pitches in regularly when the courts need help. He has often volunteered to handle cases in courts in other districts or states that are overworked or short of judges. He installed attorney-client meeting rooms in courthouses in San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose and the press room in the San Francisco courthouse, and took the lead in replacing a condemned federal courthouse in Eureka.

Judge Breyers remarkable judicial achievements, combined with his tireless efforts on behalf of the United States courts and the Northern District, have earned the boundless admiration of the court and the community, said the districts chief judge, Phyllis Hamilton.

The Devitt Award is presented by the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation, with a selection committee chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Anthony Kennedy.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@BobEgelkoSan Francisco officials who took light rail Monday morning to kick off a citywide Transit Week event were held up when trains broke down on two Muni lines.

What was supposed to be a celebration of mass transit became an indictment of the citys unreliable light rail system.

This just shows how we need reinvestment in Muni  because we got to a point where it was the first day of Transit Week, and the L Taraval didnt work, said Janice Li, a candidate to represent San Francisco on BARTs Board of directors.

Li left her home in the Outer Sunset at 8 a.m. to take the L Taraval metro train from 42nd Avenue to the event organized by the San Francisco Transit Riders advocacy group. She intended to meet up with district Supervisor Katy Tang and others at 22nd Avenue to complete the trip to City Hall.

But 15 minutes after Li boarded her train, it still hadnt moved. A muffled voice came over the PA system, warning passengers that it was going to be a while, Li said. She got off the train and began walking, passing crowds of stranded commuters on the sidewalks.

Every time I passed a line of people, Id shout, The L is broken! said Li, who regularly takes the 7 Haight/Noriega bus, but seldom rides the metro rail.

I felt like the town crier, she said.

The L lurched back to life at about 8:30 a.m., and Li managed to board a packed train at 24th Avenue. She met Tang at West Portal station and they took the K metro line  a detour that Tang described an hour later, during a news conference on the steps of City Hall.

Now Playing: The five worst commutes in the Bay Area (in reverse order) as derived from Caltrans traffic data and estimates of the number of hours annually that drivers spend creeping along at speeds below 35 mph. Video: Martin do Nascimento

It was a typical Monday for Muni, and a vexing illustration of the systems many problems.

Across town in the Castro District, state Sen. Scott Wiener and several others met at the train stop near 20th and Church streets, only to find that the J metro train was delayed by nearly an hour.

The group marched eight blocks to the 16th and Mission BART station and caught an inbound train to Civic Center.

Fortunately, we were all able-bodied and had some time flexibility, so we were able to do it with smiles on our faces, Wiener said. But many people cant walk those eight blocks, or cant afford to be that late for work and appointments.

Having ridden Muni nearly every day for 21 years, hes well aware of its shortcomings. But that didnt stop him from lambasting the agency at the news conference and over social media.

I think this morning highlighted the reality that Muni has lost control of its light rail system, he said. Vehicles break down, and Muni isnt able to fix them in a timely manner.

Tom Temprano, a legislative aide to Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, rode along with Wiener. He said the delay made him empathize with constituents who call almost daily to complain about issues on the J line.

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency director Ed Reiskin attended the news conference but didnt speak. He offered a wan smile as other officials detailed the morning travails.

Rachel Hyden, head of San Francisco Transit Riders, assured that the criticisms come from a place of love.

Later, Reiskin told The Chronicle that although Muni is steadily adding new trains to its fleet, we still rely predominantly on older trains that are increasingly difficult to maintain. Breakdowns of older trains cause ripple effects throughout the system.

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He promised to be proactive about our service management and response, and to find innovative ways to improve reliability.

Agency spokesman Paul Rose said the J line backed up because a door broke on an inbound train at 8:12 a.m. Maintenance crews managed to clear the train six minutes later, but the delay was long enough to jam the whole route.

The L train broke down at 8:15 a.m. because of a mechanical failure in its propulsion system, Rose said. Mechanical glitches hamstring about 2 percent of the 30,000 one-way trips that Munis light-rail trains take each month.

The maintenance issues on Monday came as the Muni reels from a systemwide slowdown caused by this summers closure of the Twin Peaks Tunnel, which reopened last month. During the shutdown, Muni officials poached buses and drivers from popular lines and used them to drive shuttles around the tunnel  a patched-together service plan that caused delays for riders throughout the city and drew a scalding letter from Mayor London Breed.

In a statement released Monday morning, Breed hailed Transit Week as an opportunity to celebrate what is great about our transportation system, and focus on solving the challenges it faces.

Not every official had a dissatisfying Muni experience to start the annual weeklong festivities. Supervisor Aaron Peskin said he caught the 41 bus in North Beach at 8:35 a.m., seamlessly transferred to the 47 on Van Ness Avenue, and arrived at City Hall half an hour early.

Peskin said his experience shows that Muni has successfully improved bus service over the past decade  by upgrading its fleet and adding vehicles  even as its light-rail service disintegrates.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswanThe first day of Dreamforce, San Franciscos largest tech conference, was marked by enormous crowds and packed streets and restaurants  and a protest.

Around 30 protesters marched outside the conference venue at Moscone Center West with a 14-foot-tall, 800-pound wheeled cage. They called on conference organizer Salesforce to end its contract to provide technology to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency that enforces the countrys borders.

The cage was meant to evoke living conditions at immigration detention facilities in the U.S., where children separated from their parents have been locked in cages, sparking outrage earlier this year. The government has since ended the practice of separating immigrant families, but hundreds of children havent been reunited with their parents.

Companies benefiting from separation and detention of families is unethical, said protester Kevin Ortiz. Salesforce has a moral and ethical obligation to cancel this contract if theyre the philanthropists they claim to be.

Salesforce announced it was working with the border agency in March to provide analytics, recruiting and customer-service software. Dave Rey, a Salesforce executive in charge of government sales, said in a statement at the time that there was a huge opportunity for government agencies to modernize.

More than 600 Salesforce employees signed a petition in June urging the company to end the contract, but it has declined to do so.

A Salesforce spokeswoman referred The Chronicle to previous statements by co-CEO Marc Benioff, who said in July that the agencys use of Salesforce software doesnt violate the companys terms of service. He said Salesforce doesnt work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a sister agency within the Department of Homeland Security, or on projects that involve family separation. Benioff later created an Office for the Ethical and Humane Use of Technology within Salesforce to respond to employee concerns.

Jelani Drew, a campaigner at Fight for the Future, one of the protest organizers, said the moves were unsatisfactory and that Salesforce is aiding the federal governments inhumane immigration policy. Drew said the march was peaceful and no arrests were made. A San Francisco Police Department spokeswoman said she didnt have additional information about the protest.

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Salesforce has faced other backlash related to its federal contract. Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters was offered $40,000 to serve drinks at Dreamforce but declined because of Salesforces work with he border agency.

After circling the Moscone West building twice, the protesters dispersed, but not before dozens of Dreamforce attendees pulled out their phones to record and take pictures of the action as they walked past.

Within the conference, there were no signs of disruption, as 171,000 registered Dreamforce attendees listened to panels about tech and wandered the sprawling nature-themed installations, including an artificial waterfall, fake trees and a campground.

Roland Li and Ashley McBride are Chronicle staff writers. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com, ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf @ashleynmcbAt 12 years old, Ebony Frelix knew she wanted to be a boss.

After classes ended for the day at the Katherine Delmar Burke School in San Franciscos Sea Cliff neighborhood, she would take the 1-California bus to downtown, where her mom worked as an office manager for an accounting firm. Shed play with office supplies and pretend to be in charge.

I would go into Scotts office  Scott was my moms boss  and sit and swivel in his chair and be like, One day Im going to be the boss of something, Frelix said.

Today, Frelix, 41, works as executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of Salesforce.org, the foundation arm of the largest private employer in San Francisco. On Tuesday, she will kick off a news conference at Dreamforce, Salesforces huge yearly tech conference, announcing $18 million in grants to support education, homelessness organizations and cleanliness.

Frelix and her team oversee the companys charitable giving, volunteer work and partnerships with community organizations. In the office, Frelix has a reputation for being passionate and personable. During a recent meeting about Dreamforce, she asked questions without interrupting. She cared about details, like making sure that special guests at Dreamforce could get access badges smoothly, even though it wasnt the main focus of the meeting. Where some executive leaders would be consumed on their phones or other devices, Frelix was focused on her colleagues contributions.

That may have been a result of a conversation Frelix had with her mother, Deborah.

In her leadership position, you need people to feel that you care about them, Deborah said. One of the things we talked about most recently was the importance of listening to people and giving people your time.

Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle 2018

Frelix has taken much of her direction on how to lead from watching Deborah, who raised her as a single mom in San Franciscos Visitacion Valley neighborhood. Deborah said she most wanted to impart values of kindness and respect, and from a young age Frelix displayed a love of people. During her after-school trips to Deborahs job, Frelix would often stay in the staffs conference room while they were meeting so she could pretend to be part of the company.

I would have to remind her, Remember, youre at mommys job. You cant manage mommys staff, Deborah said. She was in a business environment at a young age, and she got to see how I interacted with them and she got to see them interact together as a team.

Jamie Olsen, who works on her team as director of engagement programs, started working with Frelix in 2014 when Frelix became vice president of philanthropy and engagement at Salesforce.org.

She led key initiatives in her day job and personal passions, so I was kind of intimidated to have that first conversation with her, Olsen said. Our first check-in, we went and sat on one of the couches in one of our lounges with our feet up on the couch and had such a casual conversation  with lots of laughter  getting to know each other as people but also getting to know the job.

Up to that point, Frelix had worked on the for-profit side of Salesforce  in business and technical operations  and had limited knowledge of managing philanthropic operations.

I was like, Im a young black girl with a computer science degree. Lets be real, Frelix said. I didnt really know what the nonprofit world was about.

She first displayed a love of computers as a kid, when her father bought her an Atari computer. At 13, Frelix asked her parents for an Apple computer.

The contributions Frelix values most are those that allow her to bring opportunities to kids in underserved communities  neighborhoods like the one she grew up in.

She knows what its like to be working class. Frelix didnt realize it as a child, but there were times when her mother didnt have enough money to heat their home.

I dont take my job, my influence, anything that I have now  I dont take it lightly, she said.

Bringing students into the city, to Dreamforce and Salesforce, Frelix said, can expose them to opportunities they couldnt fathom otherwise. Thats why part of the giving back aspects of Dreamforce will include a kids coding camp for San Francisco and Oakland public school students and young-adult networking sessions. As a kid, Frelix said, she knew most of her peers didnt get to go into downtown San Francisco, much less to connect with executives at some of the most influential businesses in the city.

One of the first partnerships she formed was with Year Up, a national organization that matches low-income young adults with training and corporate internships.

In January 2009  one month after Frelix joined Salesforce  Year Up Bay Area provided three interns to the company and Frelix managed them, which included sharing her desk with all three interns during the six months they were at Salesforce.

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Kirsten Wolberg, now the chief technology and operations officer at DocuSign, hired Frelix at Salesforce and gave her the Year Up partnership to shepherd. In 2008, Wolberg was chief information officer at Salesforce, and Frelix worked with her leading business operations. Impressed with Frelixs ability to research and prepare for any situation, Wolberg knew shed be a good fit for growing the program.

We were charting new ground, there wasnt any kind of blueprint because we were Year Ups first partnership in the city, Wolberg said. She took something and turned it into an incredibly successful program, and it had such a positive payback.

Frelix has expanded the program to 377 interns from Year Up, many of whom have been offered positions at Salesforce.

Even as a child spending summers at Pine Lake Day Camp on the west end of Stern Grove Park, Frelix stood out.

Sometimes you just get that impression when you see a certain kid, you know they have this hidden ability, Dave Dinslage, a retired director of the camp, said.

Dinslage met Frelix in the early 1990s when she first started attending Pine Lake. Impressed by her smarts, Dinslage enlisted her as a volunteer at the park when she was 12 and then hired her as a junior counselor when she was 15. Over the years, Frelix and Dinslage have kept in touch, and hell be attending her wedding in December.

She always confided in me, Dinslage said. I would tell her, never take no for an answer and follow your dreams.

Frelixs position combines her love of technology and her passion for mentorship, giving back and helping kids who were like her.

I just sort of landed in this perfect job, Frelix said. I think my 12-year-old self would be pretty proud.

Ashley McBride is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ashleynmcbSalesforce.org, the nonprofit arm of the San Francisco business-software company, will donate $18 million to education, cleanliness, homelessness and other Bay Area causes, the organization announced Tuesday.

The sum comprises $15.5 million for the San Francisco and Oakland Unified School Districts; $2 million for Hamilton Families, Larkin Street Youth Services and the San Francisco Food Bank; and $500,000 for the San Francisco Park Alliance.

As a Bay Area-based company, a San Francisco-based company, were very concerned about issues facing San Francisco, said Ebony Frelix, Salesforce.orgs executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer. We take our responsibility really seriously.

This years donations bring Salesforces giving to the San Francisco and Oakland school districts to more than $35 million and $14 million, respectively.

Besides money, Salesforce employees are given paid time to volunteer, and the company donates technology. Since February, Salesforce employees have spent 95,000 hours in volunteer service.

The foundations support is an ongoing and long-term relationship, according to Tomiquia Moss, CEO of Hamilton Families, which works to reduce homelessness among families in the Bay Area.

Hamilton Families relationship with Salesforce began in 2006, with a donation of computers. Since then, Salesforce employees have volunteered at the organization and the company has provided dozens of software licenses  with free technical support  to Hamilton staff to help the group use data to track support for families and identify best practices.

A major focus for the foundation has been supporting education and workforce development, according to Frelix, a San Francisco native. Thats hardly surprising, in a city bursting with fast-growing tech companies that cannot find enough workers. Salesforce.org has partnered with 42 schools in San Francisco and Oakland, and volunteers from the company have mentored and helped with IT for the districts. The companys donations have let all San Francisco middle schools offer computer science courses, and enrollment in the courses is increasing, according to the district.

One of the really unique things about the Salesforce giving is that they are really consistently working in partnership with the district to identify what outcomes are most needed to get to our goals to access and equity, said Gentle Blythe, a San Francisco school official.

Some of the new donation will support Black Star Rising, a summer program to help African American students who are high achievers prepare for high school. Salesforce.org also backs year-round programs for elementary and middle-school students at 20 schools.

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Public schools require everyones attention right now, Salesforce co-CEO Marc Benioff said, adding that improvements to public schools were critical to helping children get jobs in the new economy. Middle schools, he said, are especially important for student success, citing statistics that show interventions at that stage can lower drop-out rates later. Benioff personally has adopted Presidio Middle School and is paying to rebuild its playground.

Theres so much opportunity but only for people who have strong education, Benioff said. Thats why were focused on a $100 million goal specifically for the San Francisco and Oakland public schools.

Sophia Kunthara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.kunthara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaKuntharaUber won a victory Tuesday in a long-running legal battle with drivers over the nature of their relationship with the ride-hailing company that largely controls their working days.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco on Tuesday ruled that drivers pursuing a class-action lawsuit against Uber alleging the company incorrectly classified them as contractors instead of employees cannot proceed because such matters must be resolved through individual arbitration claims.

The drivers filed the lawsuit, OConnor vs. Uber, in 2013, accusing the company of misclassifying drivers to avoid reimbursing them for gas and vehicle maintenance. The suit sought class-action status on behalf of 160,000 Uber drivers in California. A federal judge in 2015 granted class-action status, and the following year, Uber and the drivers nearly reached a $100 million settlement. That settlement, however, was rejected by the judge overseeing the case.

Tuesdays ruling does not address whether the drivers claims about being misclassified have any merit; it merely says the claims cannot proceed as a class-action lawsuit because the drivers had signed arbitration agreements waiving their right to a class action.

Whether these workers are employees or independent contractors is still very much up in the air, said Dan Handman, an attorney at the law firm Hirschfeld Kraemer who represents companies in class-action lawsuits and is not involved in Uber cases.

Now, if the drivers wish to pursue these claims, they must file them individually against Uber, and the cases would proceed in arbitration rather than the court system.

An Uber spokesman said the company is pleased with the courts ruling.

Shannon Liss-Riordan, the attorney representing Uber drivers, said she is considering appealing the decision to the full Ninth Circuit, since Tuesdays ruling was decided by a three-judge panel.

We have, unfortunately, been long expecting this, Liss-Riordan said. If Uber wants to resolve these disputes one by one, we are ready to do that.

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The ruling also prevents three other cases against Uber from proceeding as class actions. Those cases involve drivers seeking to recover tips, wages and overtime pay they say are owed.

Uber drivers are probably unhappy with the decision, said Oakland attorney Steve Tindall, a partner at Girard Law Group who represents workers in employment class-action lawsuits and is not involved in the Uber cases.

Instead of sitting back and waiting to see if this case settles, now, in order to get a resolution for your claims, you might have to individually take action, he said. And that takes time. And it depends on the value of those claims and how motivated the individual employees are.

A recent case decided by the California Supreme Court could work in favor of Uber drivers, if they choose to pursue individual claims. In the case, Dynamex Operations West, Inc. vs. Superior Court of Los Angeles, the court in April ruled that if a company has hired workers to perform the core function of the companys services, those workers are likely employees, not independent contractors.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_HoThe defendant in the sensational Vallejo kidnap-for-ransom case  once dismissed as a hoax by police  agreed on Monday to be appointed a public defender a week after he was cleared to represent himself in the case.

The decision to accept counsel all but ends the possibility that 41-year-old Matthew Muller will cross-examine his victims on the witness stand.

Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, both 33, were subpoenaed last week by the Solano County district attorneys office to testify in a preliminary hearing scheduled for Tuesday, meaning Muller would have had an opportunity to cross-examine them.

The dramatic showdown was scheduled just days before the couples wedding Saturday.

But in a hearing Monday in Solano County Superior Court, Muller agreed to have a public defender appointed. The next hearing in the case is set for Oct. 22.

We ask the public and the media to be mindful that Mr. Muller is presumed innocent until, and only until, the prosecution has proved otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt, Solano County Public Defender Lesli Caldwell said Monday.

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She added that her office has spoken to Muller, and she expects to assign an attorney to the case within 24 hours.

Muller, a Harvard-educated but disbarred immigration attorney and one-time Marine, faces charges of kidnapping for ransom, two counts of rape, first degree-robbery, false imprisonment and burglary.

He pleaded guilty to kidnapping last year in federal court and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Muller has since sought to have the conviction vacated.

In the early morning hours of March, 23, 2015, a masked intruder wearing all black broke into Quinns Mare Island home, tied the couple up, drugged them and vanished with Huskins. Quinn called police when he awoke hours later.

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Investigators first focused on him as a suspect in his girlfriends disappearance. When Huskins showed up two days later  after she said she was raped and dropped off by her captor  police publicly called the incident a hoax.

Investigators apparently mishandled crucial evidence that included a picture of Muller captured on a security camera at a Pleasant Hill Target, along with GPS coordinates to a location where Huskins was being held. Police obtained the photos and coordinates from missed calls placed to Quinns phone from a prepaid cell phone purchased at the Target three weeks before the kidnapping.

Vallejo police have long declined to comment about the case. Last year, the city settled a $2.5 million defamation lawsuit with the couple.

Muller was eventually caught after leaving his cell phone behind during a home invasion in Dublin in June 2015.

Alameda County sheriffs deputies tracked the cell phone to a South Lake Tahoe home owned by Mullers parents, where investigators found a trove of evidence linking him to the Huskins abduction.In the blighted few blocks of the Tenderloin where La Cocinas ambitious food hall and culinary incubator is taking shape, there are about 11 places that sell cigarettes, cheap snacks and lottery tickets. There are zero formal grocery stores.

Karen Taylor, a Tenderloin resident with the Central City SRO Collaborative, relayed the fact to a crowd at the La Cocina marketplaces groundbreaking ceremony Monday at 101 Hyde St.

As much as the 7,000-square-foot food venture will elevate the culinary work of women  primarily people of color, many of whom are first-generation Americans  the project will also offer better, more affordable food to a swath of San Francisco in need of such options, she said.

There are families that live around here who need healthier options but those places also have to be affordable for them. Thats one of the first ways we can help the community here, said Binita Pradhan, a La Cocina veteran who runs the Nepalese momo empire Bini's Kitchen.

Mondays ceremony marks the latest step in a two-year effort by La Cocina, one that has had its fair share of financial hurdles. So far, the non-profit has raised 64 percent of its $5 million fundraising goal for construction on the facility, which will include a 1,000-square-foot kitchen. The City of San Francisco is contributing $1.5 million toward the venture.

Itd be great if we could get this place open within the next year, said La Cocina Executive Director Caleb Zigas.

The land that the 101 Hyde St. occupies is a cog in an ongoing effort by a developer with the city to construct an affordable housing complex. But since the venture could take anywhere from 5 to 10 years to coordinate and execute, the food hall will serve as an interim use for the property for at least seven years, according to the city.

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Were all going to hire from the neighborhood so this space will give people a chance to get into the industry and it could create a new generation of chefs in the city, said Yeheyis Bedada, who co-owns and operates the La Cocina-based Jamaican patty Peaches Patties with his wife Shani Jones.

For now, the address looks very much like a defunct post office. Ceiling tiles are missing, yet metal barriers to control long lines remain in place. Signs still hang on the walls for former post office customers, including one showing where they can find P.O. boxes.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Mayor London Breed, said the smells of the Nepalese and Jamaican foods served during the event by La Cocina participants reminded her of the kind of smells coming from her grandmothers house. She went on to say the smells were a reminder that the food hall, once its complete, will be like a home for the Tenderloin community, a place full of excitement, full of love, and yes, full of great food.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrphillipsThe session was one where former Gary residents -- many of whom live in surrounding Lake and Porter county municipalities and others who returned to Gary from their new homes in Atlanta, Houston or Miami  listened, with city officials hoping they will take an interest and invest their time and money in trying to revitalize the city.WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump thinks Judge Brett Kavanaugh has the perfect pedigree for a spot on the Supreme Court.

They were saying it 10 years ago about him: He was born for the Supreme Court, Trump exclaimed over the weekend at a rally in Missouri. He was born for it. And its going to happen.

At the moment of his nomination, Kavanaugh did truly seem like a test-tube version of a Republican Supreme Court nominee. The right schools. The right friends. The right clerkships. The right mentors. The right White House experience. The right appeals court slot. Republican senators said he might be the most qualified nominee ever. It was all set.

Right up until it wasnt. Now, with his confirmation in such jeopardy that he felt compelled to defend himself in a Fox News television interview on Monday, some of the glittery inside-the-Beltway aspects of his resume that made him so appealing to his enthusiastic supporters are putting his ascension to the countrys top court in doubt.

Start with Kavanaughs schooling, a period that has given rise to the most serious threat to his confirmation: accusations of sexual misconduct. He is the product of the elite Georgetown Preparatory School just outside Washington, as well as Yale University and Yale Law School, proven incubators of Supreme Court justices. Degrees from those institutions are treated as strong evidence of academic rigor and excellence.

But accusations from two women who say they were subjected to sexual assault by Kavanaugh during his years at the schools have exposed a dark side of such privileged education. While Kavanaugh has unequivocally denied doing what his accusers suggest or even attending the gatherings where the events are alleged to have occurred, the lurid descriptions have at minimum opened a window on an alcohol-soaked culture for some students that would seem to conflict with the sterling image to be cultivated by a future member of the Supreme Court.

If Kavanaughs nomination is defeated, it will undoubtedly be largely because of the cloud of the sexual misconduct accusations. But that is not the only reason he faces a severe challenge.

Even before the first sexual misconduct claim became public, he faced deep resistance from Democrats for actions related to his long record as a Republican operative in Washington  a record they see in a light much different from the impeccable credentials hailed by Trump when he selected Kavanaugh in July. The judges testimony about his years in the White House of George W. Bush has drawn scathing criticism from Democrats and contributed to their skepticism of Kavanaughs sexual misconduct denials.

He has a golden resume, but appears to be a deeply flawed nominee, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who sits on the Judiciary Committee.

Democrats believe that in his sworn testimony, Kavanaugh misled the Judiciary Committee on multiple occasions about his work in the Bush administration.

They doubt his declaration that he was unaware that Democratic strategy documents he was given on judicial fights had been pilfered from Democratic computers by Republican staff between 2001 and 2003. Despite his repeated denials, they believe that he played a role in developing Bush administration policy on the treatment of terrorism detainees and that he prepared certain conservative judicial nominees for their hearings. They say new documents disclosed for his Supreme Court confirmation scrutiny show that he lied when questioned on those topics in confirmation hearings for his seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. That court, of course, is known as the steppingstone to the Supreme Court.

Judge Kavanaughs testimony had real issues of credibility, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said Monday on the Senate floor, asserting that the nominees issues extended far beyond the sexual assault allegations to his White House work. Is Judge Kavanaugh the kind of upright, straightforward individual we want on the bench?

Even Kavanaughs once prestigious clerkship  the sort of appeals court posting avidly sought by all ambitious Ivy League law school graduates  has become problematic. Before a Supreme Court stint with Justice Anthony Kennedy, Kavanaugh clerked for Alex Kozinski, a veteran federal appeals court judge in California who stepped down after charges of sexual misconduct and maltreatment of employees. Kavanaugh faced questions about his awareness of his mentors objectionable behavior. He said he saw no such conduct.

Despite the presidents embrace of Kavanaugh, he was not on Trumps initial list of Supreme Court prospects issued during the 2016 presidential campaign that he and his advisers compiled with conservative judicial allies from the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society. In keeping with Trumps outsider image, many of those judges were serving on appeals courts outside Washington and others were on state courts.

Kavanaugh, known to be a favorite in Washington legal circles and someone highly regarded by Don McGahn, the White House counsel, was one of five candidates added to list in November 2017, making him eligible for a Supreme Court nomination since the president had promised to choose only from those on his list.

At Kavanaughs hearing, Blumenthal asked him how his addition to the Trump list had come about.

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A lot of judges and lawyers I know made clear to, I think, various people that they thought I should at least be considered based on my record for the last 12 years, Kavanaugh answered. And colleagues of mine thought I should be considered.

Trump was said to be not that enthralled with Kavanaugh when reviewing his choices, but he cannot seem to resist an Ivy League credential for the Supreme Court.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, offered a fierce defense of Kavanaugh on Monday against what he called smears orchestrated by Democrats.

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, he said.

Months ago, McConnell warned the White House that Kavanaughs long paper trail and history in Washington would make his confirmation difficult. He turned out to be right.

This article originally appeared in The New York TimesWASHINGTON - President Donald Trump attacked one of the women who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in harsh and stark language Tuesday, as senators escalated their partisan warfare over his confirmation ahead of a highly anticipated hearing.

After his speech at the United Nations, Trump took aim at Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaugh's at Yale University and the second woman to accuse the nominee. She told the New Yorker magazine that he exposed himself to her at a party when they were both first-year students. Dismissing Ramirez's account because she was "totally inebriated and all messed up," Trump also accused Democrats of playing a "con game" in an attempt to derail his Supreme Court choice.

"The second accuser has nothing," Trump told reporters. "The second accuser thinks maybe it could have been him, maybe not. She admits she was drunk. She admits time lapses."

The president dismissed the notion that the allegation could be disqualifying, saying sarcastically: "Oh, gee, let's not make him a Supreme Court judge because of that."

Trump's charged rhetoric against his nominee's accusers came as Republicans quickly closed ranks around Kavanaugh, even as a handful of pivotal swing votes remained quiet on whether they would ultimately support his confirmation in the coming days.

The Supreme Court begins its new term Monday, and Republicans are under intense political pressure from conservatives to confirm Kavanaugh amid warnings that failure could cost the GOP in November's midterm elections.

Late Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent out a notice scheduling a 9:30 a.m. committee vote Friday in the case "that a majority of the members are prepared" to vote then. The full Senate could vote next Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was defiant, speaking confidently about Kavanaugh's prospects, assailing Democrats and casting the nominee as a victim of "the weaponization of unsubstantiated smears."

"We're going to be moving forward. I'm confident we're going to win," McConnell told reporters Tuesday afternoon. "He will be confirmed in the very near future."

And asked Tuesday whether he could envision any scenario in which the White House withdraws Kavanaugh's nomination, principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said on MSNBC: "Absolutely not."

Looking ahead to Thursday's hearing, Republicans hired a female lawyer from outside the committee to lead the questioning as the GOP faced the politically tough optics of the all-male Republican lineup questioning a Kavanaugh accuser.

"We have hired a female assistant to go on staff and to ask these questions in a respectful and professional way," said McConnell.

Grassley confirmed in a statement late Tuesday that the committee had hired Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell to do the questioning, shortly after The Post first reported the decision. A registered Republican, Mitchell is the sex crimes bureau chief for the Maricopa County attorney's office in Phoenix, where she has worked for 26 years.

"I'm very appreciative that Rachel Mitchell has stepped forward to serve in this important and serious role," Grassley said. "Ms. Mitchell has been recognized in the legal community for her experience and objectivity."

Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegation from Ramirez, as well as the accusation from Christine Blasey Ford, who told The Washington Post that he sexually assaulted her when they were high school students in Maryland. Top Judiciary Committee staffers held a call with Kavanaugh earlier Tuesday to interview him about the allegation outlined in the New Yorker. As he has done publicly, Kavanaugh again denied the allegation in the staff interview, a committee spokesman said.

Unlike a previous staff interview, Democratic aides listened in on the Tuesday afternoon call, another person briefed on the conversation said. But the Democrats - who have called for the FBI to reopen its background check investigation of Kavanaugh - made their objections to the process clear and subsequently refused to ask the judge questions, the person said.

One of the biggest points of contention remained the outside counsel who would question Ford and Kavanaugh. Republicans sought to avoid a repeat of 1991, when an all-male committee's questioning of Anita Hill about her allegations of sexual impropriety against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas angered female voters, who elected dozens of women in November 1992. Thomas was confirmed to the high court.

All 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are men (as are six of the 10 Democrats).

"We've done it because we want to depoliticize the whole process, like the Democrats politicized the Anita Hill thing," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who was on the panel in 1991. "The whole point is to create an environment where it's what Dr. Ford has asked for, to be professional and to not be a circus."

Senate Democrats plan to ask their own questions of Kavanaugh and Ford, and the Democratic members of the committee met midday Tuesday to strategize about the hearing.

"It's up to them," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Calif., the top Democrat on the panel, said of Republicans' plan to use an outside lawyer. "It's certainly their right to do that, and we'll see how it goes. I've been on the committee for 24 years, and I've never seen it before. But we'll see."

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., pushed back at McConnell and Senate Republicans in unusually personal terms, criticizing McConnell for a promise last week to "plow right through" the proceedings despite the drama over Kavanaugh's accusers.

"Does that sound like someone who's treating these allegations with respect and fairness and evenhandedness?" Schumer asked. "Does that sound like someone who wants to get the real facts no matter where they fall? Certainly not to me. Not to the American people."

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 denied being at the party.

Meanwhile, the committee continued its outreach to Ramirez. Sen. John Neely Kennedy, R-La., said Republicans had been rebuffed after trying to contact her lawyer, and a committee spokesman said it has not received a statement or additional evidence from her legal team after requesting them.

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.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday that while the White House is open to testimony from Ramirez, she stressed that the confirmation process needs to come to a close.

The New Yorker reported Sunday that in Ramirez's initial conversations with the publication, "she was reluctant to characterize Kavanaugh's role in the alleged incident with certainty."

But "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," the magazine said.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, remained quiet about her intentions but stressed that the Thursday hearing should continue - even while the senator called for Ramirez to speak to the Judiciary Committee under oath.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, another potential swing vote, said it was hard to assess Ramirez's credibility at this point.

"If there are allegations out there, then Ms. Ramirez needs to be willing to come forward with them, just as Dr. Ford has been willing to come forward, albeit reluctantly and understandably so," Murkowski said. "And so in order for us to take them under consideration, she needs to take the next steps."

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said Ramirez's accusations seem "pretty thinly sourced." As to whether they should be explored, he said he will leave that to the Judiciary Committee. "Whatever they decide is fine with me," Corker said.

By the time the committee holds its hearing Thursday, there could be a third Kavanaugh accuser.

Lawyer Michael Avenatti has said he is representing a woman who has accusations about Kavanaugh's behavior in high school. In a Tuesday morning tweet, Avenatti said the woman would come forward only when she is ready but said he expects that to be within 36 hours.

At their regular Tuesday party lunch, Republicans were told to be prepared to be in Washington this weekend to process Kavanaugh's nomination, senators said.

Meanwhile, another sexual misconduct allegation threatened to play out Thursday on the other side of Capitol Hill. The House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday invited a woman who has accused Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt, a former Democratic congressman, of sexual harassment and retaliation.

---

The Washington Post's Gabriel Pogrund, Josh Dawsey, Rosalind S. Helderman, Karoun Demirjian and Mike DeBonis contributed to this report.Hammond City Judge Amy Jorgensen has presided over that court for nearly two years but has still resided in St. John, which the Indiana Secretary of States Office says is not permitted by constitutional guidelines for that position.Americans keep dividing into two hostile camps.

It seems the country is back to 1860 on the eve of the Civil War, rather than in 2018, during the greatest age of affluence, leisure and freedom in the history of civilization.

The ancient historian Thucydides called the civil discord that tore apart the fifth century B.C. Greek city-states stasis. He saw stasis as a bitter civil war between the revolutionary masses and the traditionalist middle and upper classes. Something like that ancient divide is now infecting every aspect of American life.

Americans increasingly are either proud of past U.S. traditions, ongoing reform and current American exceptionalism, or they insist that the country was hopelessly flawed at its birth and must be radically reinvented to rectify its original sins.

No sphere of life is immune from the subsequent politicization: not movies, television, professional sports, late-night comedy or colleges. Even hurricanes are typically leveraged to advance political agendas.

What is causing America to turn differences into these bitter hatreds  and why now?

The internet and social media often descend into an electronic lynch mob. In a nanosecond, an insignificant local news story goes viral. Immediately hundreds of millions of people use it to drum up the evils or virtues of either progressivism or conservatism.

Anonymity is a force multiplier of these tensions. Fake online identities provide cover for ever greater extremism  on the logic that no one is ever called to account for his or her words.

Speed is also the enemy of common sense and restraint. Millions of bloggers rush to be the first to post their take on a news event, without much worry about whether it soon becomes a fake news moment of unsubstantiated gossip and fiction.

Globalization has both enriched and impoverished  and also further divided  America. Those whose muscular labor could be outsourced abroad to less expensive, less regulated countries were liable to lose their jobs or find their wages slashed. They were written off as losers. Americans whose professional expertise profited from vast new world markets became even richer and preened as winners.

Geography  historys intensifier of civil strife  further fueled the growing economic and cultural divide. Americans are increasingly self-selecting as red and blue states.

Liberals gravitate to urban coastal-corridor communities of hip culture, progressive lifestyles and lots of government services.

Conservatives increasingly move to the lower-tax, smaller-government and more traditional heartland.

Lifestyles in San Francisco and Toledo, Ohio, are so different that its almost as if theyre two different planets.

Legal, diverse, meritocratic and measured immigration has always been Americas great strength. Assimilation, integration and intermarriage within the melting pot used to turn new arrivals into grateful Americans in a generation or two.

But when immigration is often illegal, not diverse and arriving in an enormous wave, then balkanization follows. Currently, the country hosts 60 million nonnatives  the largest number of immigrants in Americas history.

Yet unlike the past, America often does not ask new immigrants to learn English and assimilate as quickly as possible. Immigration is instead politicized. Newcomers are seen as potentially useful voting blocs.

Tribalism is the new American norm. Gender, sexual orientation, religion, race and ethnicity are now essential, not incidental, to who we are.

Americans scramble to divide into victimized blocs. Hyphenated and newly accented names serve as advertisements that particular groups have unique affiliations beyond their shared Americanism.

America is often the target of unrealistic criticism  as if it is suddenly toxic because it is not perfect. Few appreciate that the far worse alternatives abroad are rife with racism, sexism, civil strife, corruption and poverty unimaginable in the United States.

The last few elections added to the growing abyss.

The old Democratic Party of John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton is now trending into a radical democratic socialist party. Meanwhile, the old Republican Party is mostly gone, replaced by Tea Party movements and the new Donald Trump base.

Former President Barack Obama came into office from Congress with the most left-wing voting record in the Senate. Trump was elected as the first president without either prior military or political experience.

Obama issued dozens of controversial pen and phone executive orders, bypassing Congress. And Trump is systematically overturning them  doing so with similar executive orders.

Will America keep dividing and soon resort to open violence, as happened in 1861? Or will Americans reunite and bind up our wounds, as we did following the upheavals of the 1930s Great Depression or after the protests of the 1960s?

The answer lies within each of us.

Every day we will either treat each other as fellow Americans, with far more uniting than dividing us, or we will continue on the present path that eventually ends in something like a hate-filled Iraq, Rwanda or the Balkans.

 2018, Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the author of the soon-to-be released The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won, (Basic Books, October 2018). Email: authorvdh@gmail.com. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters.Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Images

The cost of a compliant Congress refusal to discourage President Trump from obstructing Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation became clearer Monday as the future of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the probe, dimmed. After a White House visit by the Justice Departments No. 2 official was widely and, it turns out, wrongly reported to be his exit interview, an ominous tete-a-tete between Trump and Rosenstein was planned for Thursday.

Disputed reports that Rosenstein weighed secretly recording Trump and seeking his removal on constitutional grounds provided the president with a pretext to rid himself of Rosenstein, one of several Justice Department officials he has chafed at. That would put the probe at the mercy of a subordinate official who could be more willing to foil or fire Mueller.On Sunday night, a second allegation of sexual misconduct surfaced against Brett Kavanaugh, President Trumps nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale University at the same time as Kavanaugh, said he exposed himself to her during a drunken party when both of them were first-year students. Ramirez has asked for the FBI to investigate Kavanaughs role in the incident.

Christine Blasey Ford, the Palo Alto University professor who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when both were teenagers, has also asked the FBI to investigate her allegations.

Its hard to argue that the two claims against Kavanaugh dont merit a thorough investigation.

The least that can be demanded from a Supreme Court justice is that he has the character to fairly rule on the subjects which affect each and every American.

Kavanaugh has strongly denied both accusations, calling them a smear job. As usual, President Trump is making matters worse. On Monday, Trump characterized the allegations as totally political.

But sexual assault is not a partisan issue. Investigating very serious claims against lifetime judicial nominees should not be a partisan issue either.

Unfortunately, several leading Republicans are still pushing for a confirmation vote on Kavanaugh as early as Thursday.

Ford is scheduled to offer testimony on Thursday. The unseemly rush to vote reduces the likelihood that shell be able to have a fair hearing. It also makes it nearly impossible to investigate Ramirezs allegation with the seriousness it deserves.

Alarmingly, theres also Beltway chatter about the possibility of more women coming forward with allegations against Kavanaugh.

In light of these allegations, there is absolutely no reasonable argument for rushing through Kavanaughs confirmation. The U.S. Senate must allow for a complete investigation of these allegations, including witness testimony. Anything less would be a failure of the Senates duty to fully and fairly vet nominees for the highest court in the land.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.From the Hollywood casting couch to the halls of our state Capitol, it has been a year of trauma and vindication for countless women who came forward to say, me too. We used our voices to heal, to help others, to seek justice and to demand change. Now, we will soon find out if it our governor will sign real remedies into law.

Senate Bill 1300, by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, sits on Jerry Browns desk awaiting his signature. The bill corrects subtle but significant flaws in our states sexual harassment laws. One aspect in particular targets the heart of what this movement has been about: breaking the silence.

SB1300 would ban the practice of requiring employees to sign non-disparagement agreements that would prevent them from exposing unlawful acts that take place at work, including sexual harassment. In many cases, these contracts threaten large monetary penalties for breaches. Often the employees most affected by these contracts are in low-paid jobs, are non-English speakers and have other barriers that already make it difficult for them to come forward.

As more companies worry about their reputations in a world of anonymous review sites and viral media, non-disparagement agreements have become more prevalent.

Not too long ago, one such contract that sought to shield the CEO of a major Los Angeles retailer was leaked to the press. Any employee who made disparaging statements about the CEO or the employer (even if they were truthful) would face a $1 million penalty. At the risk of being sued for large sums of money, most workers feared speaking out about misconduct.

In todays workplace, employees are routinely presented with confusing legal documents  upon hire, to receive a bonus, or just because the company is updating their employment policies  that create a legal gantlet for workers, and insulate companies from public scrutiny and legal liability. Some workers find that they have signed a release of claims agreement that effectively stripped them of any right to pursue sexual harassment claims. Faced with this reality, we ask: What purpose do our laws serve if they can simply be signed away?

SB1300 will fill legal gaps through which many vulnerable workers fall. It will ensure that employees are not required to sign away their ability to speak out or seek legal recourse. It will also provide guidance to courts on the legal standards for sexual harassment claims and ensure fairness and consistency in how these cases are decided. It will compel employers to protect workers from harassment by third parties such as clients and customers and will provide a level of financial protection to some victims whose claims may fail in court, unless the court finds the action was frivolous.

California should take the lead in the national charge to end sexual harassment in our workplaces. SB1300 would be a good place to start.

Adama Iwu is a co-founder of the We Said Enough movement that exposed pervasive sexual harassment in California government. Actor Rosanna Arquette was one of the first women in Hollywood to share her story and speak out against Harvey Weinsteins alleged sexual harassment and threats of retaliation.He told me that many of his clients also show a similar trust in him, and his work, often before he does anything at all in their home. Some of those customers even allow him to do work in their house when theyre not there, he said.Democrat Andrew Janz is confident hes well on the way to defeating eight-term Central Valley Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, a favorite of President Trump.

Now he has to convince Democratic Party leaders.

Janz, a Fresno County deputy district attorney, has had plenty of success raising money from Democrats across the country. But hes says hes been almost invisible to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which makes the decisions when it comes to doling out party money to House candidates.

Janz, who was in San Franciscos Dogpatch neighborhood the other day for a fundraiser, said he is more concerned than angry.

Im worried about their lack of interest in a most compelling contest against an opponent who is universally hated in Democratic circles, Janz said.

Eric Paul Zamora / Eric Paul Zamora

The 44-year-old Nunes, R-Tulare, has drawn the scorn of Democrats as chair of the House Intelligence Committee, a perch from which hes led the effort to quash special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

2 1 of 2 MARK RALSTON;Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press Show More Show Less



Party leaders decide which campaigns they believe are likely to succeed and make funding decisions accordingly. Janz fears that Democratic officials have put his race in the too-big-a-reach category.

Democrats are looking at a huge midterm battlefield of more than 100 competitive seats, and all their funding decisions are aimed at flipping the 23 GOP-held seats needed to retake control of the House. Theyre saying the right things about Janz and his campaign, but their actions havent always matched their words. To read the rest of the story, click here.

Sign up for Political Punch Like what you're reading? Sign up for the Political Punch newsletter on our sign-up page. It's sent twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and provides an expert political perspective with a Golden State spin. See More Collapse

Deep dives and late takes

Coming forward: Sexual assault survivors watching the Brett Kavanaugh controversy say they understand why a woman would wait more than 30 years to come forward with allegations of an attempted rape.

Roe vs. Wade: How would Brett Kavanaugh view a challenge to the landmark ruling legalizing abortion? He may have already sent a signal.

Crash the country club: Kevin de Leon is looking to shake up the U.S. Senate and take on President Trump. He doesnt think Dianne Feinstein is the one to do it.

Police and social media: When 21 antifa activists were arrested at an August protest in Berkeley, police posted their mugshots, names, hometowns and other basic information on Twitter. Now the city is considering a ban on what critics called police doxing.

Rent control flip-flops: San Francisco supervisor candidate Sonja Trauss took one position on a state ballot measure that would give cities more freedom to impose rent control. Then she took another. Now shes back to the first one.

Twitter misfire: East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell tweeted, Boo hoo hoo, at Sen. Susan Collins when she said her office was getting threats over the Brett Kavanaugh case. It went over badly.

Ride-hailing riches: San Francisco supervisor candidate Nick Josefowitz wouldnt be able to vote on most issues involving ride-hailing companies  his wife owns more than $1 million in Lyft stock.

Straw vote: California became the first state to limit dine-in restaurants from handing out plastic straws. Gov. Jerry Brown says that should be only the first step.

Booing Trump: The president had a message for newly naturalized U.S. citizens. But when his face came on the screen at Oaklands Paramount Theater, the reception was decidedly negative.

Teaming up: San Francisco Mayor London Breeds allies are taking a page out of the playbook her mayoral opponents used  running as a tag team to try to deny the seat to a third candidate.

Helping PG&E: Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill intended to save Pacific Gas and Electric Co. from possibly ruinous costs stemming from Northern California wildfires.

Political calendar: Its election season, so theres no shortage of candidate debates and forums happening in the Bay Area. Youll find them all, and more, in the Bay Area political calendar.

The Political Punch newsletter publishes Tuesdays and Thursdays between noon and 3 p.m. It is produced by the staff of The San Francisco Chronicle and edited by politics editor Trapper Byrne. Email: tbyrne@sfchronicle.comMushroom satchel: Emeryvilles Bolt Threads, best known for a 2017 Stella McCartney dress made from plant-based spider silk, has launched a Kickstarter (https://kck.st/2NZucsL) to produce a driver bag made out of Mylo, a leather created from mycelium  basically, the root system of mushrooms. Chester Wallace of Portland, Ore., designed the tote, which has an appealing burnished, creased look. The cost is $400 for delivery in December 2019, $500 for August 2019.

 Jonathan Kauffman

Smooth sailing: Clean beauty emporium Credo has joined forces with Mafia, a Bay Area company that makes bags out of repurposed sails, for the Clean Beauty on Board bag. Each limited-edition, unique bag includes $163 worth of Credos bestsellers: travel-size Ursa Major deodorant, Indie Lee toner, Evolve Daily Renew Facial Cream, and full-size RMS Luminizer and Olio E Osso Tinted Balm. $75, Credo, 2136 Fillmore St., and https://credobeauty.com.

 Laura Compton

Animaniacs: Fans of the 90s cult cartoon The Animaniacs love the series for its adult-friendly humor and the parody tunes that filled every episode. Feinsteins at the Nikko presents Animaniacs in Concert Sept. 28-29 for Millenials looking to relive their childhoods with original cast member Rob Paulsen (Yakko Warner, Pinky from Pinky and the Brain), accompanied by Emmy-winning show composer Randy Rogel, for a cabaret performance. Tickets start at $33. Feinsteins at the Nikko, 222 Mason St., S.F. https://www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Tony Bravo

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

What do you get the drag empress who has everything? If the empress in question is lady in red Donna Sachet, you get her roasted on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Castro Theatre by a group of fellow queens, including Heklina, Sister Roma, original Queer Eye Jai Rodriguez and LGBT leaders Mark Leno and Cleve Jones. Bruce Villanch serves as roastmaster. Presented by Peaches Christ with a portion of proceeds benefitting the LGBT Museum of San Francisco. Tickets start at $30. www.store.peacheschrist.com

Tony Bravo3 1 of 3 / Modesto Police Show More Show Less 2 of 3 / Modesto Police Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Authorities have issued an Amber Alert for a 6-year-old Modesto boy who police said was abducted by his father.

The suspect, John Cosso, 41, took the boy, Jayce Cosso, from his home Monday morning, police said. Modesto police said Cosso is driving a 2012 Black Ford Fusion with license plate 8BDY654.Travelers to China just got a new way to make inter-city trips between Hong Kong and the nation's major mainland cities following the opening this week of the futuristic West Kowloon Station, which links Hong Kong to China's large and growing high-speed rail network. The project cost is estimated to be about $11 billion.

The new station is located on the burgeoning west side of Kowloon, adjacent to the relatively new Ritz-Carlton and W hotels which anchor the big ICC complex. Via MTR subway, it's about 10 minutes from Central Hong Kong.

The new rail link is slashing rail travel times in major markets to a fraction of their former duration, giving travelers an option to air travel. Flight times still beat rail, but the train eliminates the trips to and from the airport, and flights within China are often plagued by lengthy delays.

Examples: The train trip from Hong Kong to nearby Shenzen used to take an hour, but with the high-speed link, it only takes 15 minutes. The Hong Kong-Guangzhou run, formerly two hours, was cut to 47 minutes. The long haul from Hong Kong to Beijing, which formerly took 24 hours, can now be accomplished in nine hours.

Trains on China's high-speed lines travel at 155 to 217 mph.

But the $11 billion infrastructure project has not been without controversy. For one thing, its cost is said to be 30 percent over budget. For another, Hong Kong's status as a semi-autonomous Special Administrative Region within China has been challenged by the nation's decision to put an immigration checkpoint for the mainland within the West Kowloon Station; once passengers go through that checkpoint, even when they're waiting on the platform, they are considered to be within mainland China and subject to its laws, a jurisdictional incursion that has upset some Hong Kong residents.

MRTC

China only started to develop high-speed rail in 2007, but today its high-speed network includes more than 17,000 miles of track  two thirds of the world's high-speed rail infrastructure  serving more than 1,000 train sets. It is expected to reach a total of 24,000 miles of track within seven years.

Take a virtual tour of the new station here.

Now if we could only get something like this going at San Francisco's new $2.16 billion Transbay Terminal which just opened this summer to...buses. Please leave your thoughts on the comments.

Read all recent TravelSkills posts here

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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.Here's a smart travel tip for you: If you want to get a good hotel deal during the fall months, it's best to book on weekends instead of weekdays. That's because fall is convention season, and big city hotels sell out fast at obscenely high rates paid by business travelers on expense accounts.

This week there are two really good examples of this: Dreamforce in San Francisco, and UN General Assembly week in New York City.

Salesforce's big Dreamforce conference kicks off today with a keynote speech by CEO Marc Benioff, followed by three days of schmoozing, concerts and cloud computing. The conference draws about 50,000-60,000 attendees to the city and hotels fill up fast at super-high rates. How high?

We clicked through the handy hotel deal finder Hotel Tonight in search of a room in downtown San Francisco for tonight and here's what we found:

Hotel Nikko near Union Square (rated "Luxe"): $964

Harbor Court on the Embarcadero ("Solid"): $782

Proper Hotel on Market Street (bunk bed room; "Hip"): $932

Vintage Court on Nob Hill ("Basic"): $602

Think you can save money by staying out by the airport? Fat chance. The Westin SFO is going for $837 tonight.

The same thing will happen when Oracle's OpenWorld takes over the city from October 21-25.

Have you ever been in NYC during the UN General Assembly? It happens every September, and the city's best hotels fill up fast with diplomats, heads of state and their retinues. The city is choked by traffic caused by motorcades, and is worst when the US president comes into town for a speech like President Trump did today. A fun and electric time to be in the big city for sure, but a hassle to get around and expensive to spend the night!

Checking Hotel Tonight for a room in Manhattan for tonight, we found the following "deals:"

Marriott Courtyard Midtown East ("Basic" according to Hotel tonight): $743

Kimpton Muse hotel in Midtown ("Hip"): $743

The Ace hotel near Empire State building ("Hip") $691

La Quinta Inn on Upper West side ("Basic"): $531

Holiday Inn Lower East Side ("Solid"): $554

Doubletree downtown near Battery Park ("Solid"): $563

Newer players such as Airbnb and Homeaway can help cut costs when hotels sell out, but a quick look at these sites find similarly inflated prices for midweek stays.

What's the most you've paid for a hotel? Was it worth it? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Read all recent TravelSkills posts here

Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here

Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.Undercover efforts to crack down on car break-ins paid off this month with three arrests within three days in San Francisco, police officials said.

The first incident occurred near Fishermans Wharf on Sept. 15 about 8:30 p.m. when plainclothes officers saw a black vehicle with a dealer plate leave a parking garage targeted by auto burglars.

The officers tailed the vehicle as it parked and then pulled away, leaving property on the ground, which they recovered before following the suspect to a gas station.

While detaining the driver, Daevon James, 25, they saw broken glass on the floor of the car and a silver laptop, which was later found to be stolen.

While investigating the incident, the officers returned to the parking garage and found two vehicles with shattered windows. The victims were able to identify the items discarded on the street.

James was arrested and booked on three counts each of burglary and possession of stolen property as well as possession of burglary tools.

In the second incident at about 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 16, a plainclothes team near Chestnut Street and Columbus Avenue saw suspect Shaheen Ali, 21, break the rear window of a parked car and reach inside, police said. After a brief chase, he was arrested and booked on charges of second-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of stolen property and resisting arrest.

On Sept. 17, at about 6 p.m., undercover officers responded to a report of suspects driving a Honda and casing vehicles in a parking garage on Francisco Street.

The officers followed the suspects and saw one break the window of a car, grab two bags and flee the scene, discarding items from the car.

Officers surrounded the garage and arrested the suspects, Raheem Lewis, 19, and a 17-year-old male. The two were cited on charges of second-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, conspiracy and driving without a license, police said.

While arrests were made, police said they are still investigating the incidents, and anyone with information is asked to call the San Francisco police tip line at 415-575-4444.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltuckerA West Palm Beach, Fla., teacher is out of a job after she refused to give students any credit for work they didn't complete.

The 8th-grade history teacher at West Gate School in Port Saint Lucie had assigned an explorer notebook project to her students last month  and gave them two weeks to complete it  but many did not turn in the homework, according to local media reports.

Before giving the students who blew off the assignment no credit, Diana Tirado checked the school's grading policy, which is spelled out in the school's student and parent handbook.

ALSO: 'Parenting at its absolute worst': Driver notices baby crawling across busy road

Instead of a zero, the policy dictates students must be given 50 percent credit. That didn't seem right to Tirado. So she checked with administrators.

"But what if they don't turn it in, and they say we'll give them a 50. Oh no we don't," said Tirado, according to WCMH ABC 8.

The school terminated her Sept. 14. On her final day, she wrote a note to her students on a classroom white board. The message, a photo of which was posted on her Facebook page, said the following:

"Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life! I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50% for not handing anything in."

Tirado had been in her probationary period, and the termination letter from the principal listed no reason for the action.

When asked about the no-zero policy, Kerry Padrick, the school district chief information officer, released this statement. It read in part:

"There is no District or individual school policy prohibiting teachers from recording a grade of zero for work not turned in. The District's Uniform Grading System utilizes letter grades A-F, numerical grades 100-0 and grade point averages from 4-0."

But what about the handbook's 50 percent rule? Padrick's response did little to clarify the issue. He told the Orlando Sentinel, "Some classroom teachers and school faculties have discussed the range of points for work submitted in each grading category."

If Tirado was fired for a reason other than handing out zeroes for work not completed, the district is not saying what it is.

---

Read Mike Moffitt's latest stories and send him news tips at mmoffitt@sfchronicle.com.

Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.NORRISTOWN, Pa.  Bill Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison Tuesday for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home near here 14 years ago, completing the precipitous downfall to disgrace of a man from the heights of stardom and putting an exclamation mark on the first major conviction of the #MeToo era.

Cosby, 81, had been convicted in April of assaulting Andrea Constand, a Temple University employee at the time of the assault, who had looked upon him as a mentor but ended up being one of the dozens of women who have accused him of acts of predatory sexual abuse.

Nine of those women and Constand were in the Montgomery County Courthouse to witness the sentencing by Judge Steven T. ONeill. Cosbys wife, Camille, was not.

It is time for justice, Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you, ONeill said. The day has come. The time has come.

Acknowledging the impact that the case has had on Cosbys legacy, ONeill added: Fallen angels suffer most.

Cosby is heading straight to prison as the judge denied him a request that he remain free on bail while he pursues an anticipated appeal.

Prosecutors had asked for a maximum term of five to 10 years.

When the sentence was announced, Cosby sat quietly. Constand stared straight ahead and the other women accusers, seated more toward the back, did not celebrate. But some later expressed their happiness.

This is fair and just, said Janice Dickinson, the former model who had testified at the trial that Cosby had assaulted her at a Lake Tahoe hotel room in 1982. I am victorious.

ONeill, who also fined Cosby $25,000, referenced Constands victim impact statement, where she described the emotional pain the assault had left her in. As she said, Mr. Cosby, the judge said, you took her beautiful healthy young spirit and you crushed it.

ONeill ruled earlier in the day that Cosby qualified as a sexually violent predator under Pennsylvania law.

Cosbys lawyer, Joseph Green, argued Monday that Cosbys age and the fact he is legally blind meant he was no risk, especially since there have been no new allegations of sexual abuse leveled against him since 2004.

Hows he going to meet these people? Green said. There is no reasonable prospect that an 81-year-old blind man is likely to reoffend.

But the psychologist for the state panel, Kristen Dudley, said she did not believe the disorder had dissipated with age. It is possible that he has already met someone who could be a future victim.

Graham Bowley and Jon Hurdle are New York Times writers.Pueblo West loses to Broomfield in first round of state volleyball

Making its first appearance at the 5A state volleyball tournament, Pueblo West falls in four sets to Broomfield at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado SpringsWASHINGTON President Trump denounced Democratic efforts to block Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court confirmation as a cynical con job on Tuesday and launched a dismissive attack on a second woman accusing the nominee of sexual misconduct in the 1980s, asserting she has nothing.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell predicted that Kavanaugh would win approval, despite the new allegations and uncertainty about how pivotal Republicans would vote in a roll call now expected early next week. Like much of America, lawmakers awaited a momentous Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in which Kavanaugh and chief accuser Christine Blasey Ford are to testify Thursday, though not together.

Hanging in the balance is Trumps chance to swing the high court more firmly to the right for a generation. Despite McConnells forecast that Republicans will win, Kavanaughs fate remains uncertain in a chamber where Republicans have a scant 51-49 majority.

I will be glued to the television, said Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, who has yet to declare her position on confirmation.

Hoping the hearing will yield no new surprises, the Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled its own vote on Kavanaugh for Friday, and Republican leaders laid plans that could keep the full Senate in session over the weekend and produce a final showdown roll call soon after  close to the Oct. 1 start of the high courts new term.

With the Judiciary Committees GOP members all male, McConnell said the panel was hiring a female assistant to handle the questioning for Republicans in a respectful and professional way. Neither he nor committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, identified the attorney.

My gut is theyre trying to avoid a panel of all white guys asking tone-deaf questions, said Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

Each senator on the 21-member panel will be allowed five minutes to ask questions, said committee spokesman Taylor Foy. Thats a tight rein for such a major hearing.

Meanwhile, the Republicans were still assessing what Kavanaughs Monday interview on the Fox News Channel  an unusual appearance for a Supreme Court nominee  indicates about how he would do in Thursdays hearing.

During the interview, Kavanaugh denied sexually assaulting anyone. He also denied the account of a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, who told The New Yorker magazine that Kavanaugh caused her to touch his penis at a party when both were Yale freshmen.

Some in the White House expressed relief that Kavanaugh, 53, presented a positive image to counter the allegations. Yet he appeared shaky at times. And there remained concern among aides and Trump himself about how Kavanaugh would hold up facing far fiercer questioning from Senate Democrats, according to a White House official not authorized to speak publicly.

The No. 2 Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, acknowledged that for the nominee its extremely awkward to be talking about such private matters on TV. But Cornyn said he thought Kavanaugh did well and did what he needed to do in the interview.

Yet Kavanaughs accounts of his behavior in high school and college have faced intense scrutiny, with some of his former classmates coming forward to challenge his claims. James Roche, a Yale graduate who says he was Kavanaughs roommate in 1983, issued a public statement saying he was close friends with Ramirez and cannot imagine her making up the story about Kavanaugh exposing himself.

While a few Republicans have strongly challenged the credibility of Kavanaughs accusers, Trumps words have been more biting. Last week, he lampooned Fords allegation that an inebriated Kavanaugh trapped her beneath him on a bed at a high school house party and tried to take her clothes off before she escaped. Surely she would have reported it to police if the encounter was as bad as she says, the president said.

Its a con game theyre playing, he said Tuesday. Theyre really con artists. They dont believe it themselves, OK?

Alan Fram and Lisa Mascaro are Associated Press writers.The California Department of Motor vehicles spent millions of dollars in overtime to keep up with regular transactions and lengthy encounters at offices statewide, a KCRA 3 investigation found.

The DMV said it was spending millions on overtime to deal with the long lines at field offices across the state.China will implement a new e-commerce law from January 1, 2019. The new law will extend legal protection for consumers and brand owners and will arm the fight against the countrys reputation as a source of fake goods.

The timing is important as e-commerce sales accounted for 23.8 percent of all retail sales in China in 2017, and is projected to reach 33.6 percent by 2019. As the countrys e-commerce market grows at a staggering rate, so does the need for stricter oversight and market regulation.

Responding to this, the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) passed a new law on August 31, to improve the regulation of Chinas booming e-commerce market. It was first reviewed in December 2016 and deliberated upon by the NPC in October 2017 and June 2018.

In this article, we highlight key changes introduced in the new e-commerce law.

Types of e-commerce operators recognized by new law

A major provision under the new law is the clarification of the types of businesses that will fall under its jurisdiction. The e-commerce law mainly applies to the following three types of operators:

Platform operators: Any legal persons or unincorporated organizations that provide a space for digital business, transaction matching, information release, and other services to facilitate parties in an e-commerce transaction. An example is the shopping site Taobao owned by Alibaba.

Operators on platforms: Third party merchants that sell goods or provides services on e-commerce platforms. An example is a vendor operating an online store on Taobao.

Online sellers: Other e-commerce players doing business through their own websites or through other online channels, such as social media applications.

A key element is the inclusion of non-traditional shopping channels (such as social media) as places of e-commerce, bringing popular apps like WeChat and Duoyin under the new legislation.

This inclusion is significant; in recent years, the number of micro-businesses online on these channels have increased manifold. A micro-business is a small store with no physical storefront, no business license or credit guarantee, and little assurances in terms of customer service.

By simply changing the account information or deleting a contact, these businesses can evade legal responsibility and disappear. Although the term micro-business is not a legal term, these types of businesses do exist and are one of the newer forms of e-commerce in todays mobile age.

IP protections strengthened for e-commerce

E-commerce platforms must establish rules to protect IP rights, and when notified of a violation, respond in a timely manner. Those who fail to do so will face penalties of up to US$293,130.

To further strengthen IP protection, retailers on e-commerce sites must also register with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to obtain a business license.

By requiring registration, the law aims to make it more difficult for those who infringe on IP to avoid detection and punishment.

Regulating unfair competition

Article 22 of the new legislation highlights fair competition obligations for all e-commerce operators, with special emphasis on those with dominant market positions.

Operators with advantages in the market through methods such as number of users and technological advantages, are prohibited from abusing their position to exclude or restrict competition.

Article 35 further underlines fair competition by prohibiting platform operators from imposing unreasonable restrictions, conditions, or fees on merchants.

Shared liability for platforms

E-commerce platforms will now be jointly responsible for the sale of fake goods on their site.

Previously, only individual merchants were responsible when caught selling counterfeits.

Under the new law, platform operators must respond in a timely manner to reports of violations or face penalties of up to US$30 million.

Consumer rights reinforced in e-commerce domain

Consumers will now have stronger legal protections under the new e-commerce law. Merchants must clearly disclose any clauses or bundles they have placed on sales and cannot assume consent from the consumer.

The new legislation will also protect consumers against fake reviews. The ban of fake reviews includes not only those reviews written by hired agents, but also positive reviews written by customers in exchange for monetary rewards.

Over the past few years, e-commerce in China has developed at a rapid pace, but with little oversight. The new e-commerce law comes at the right time as more consumers turn to online platforms to make their purchases as a first option.

Bolstering this e-commerce oversight will result in the effective regulation of online activities and should improve protections for consumers and brand owners. In addition, the law will tackle the sale of counterfeits, helping to clean up Chinas reputation as a source of fake goods.

While it is certainly a step in the right direction, there is scope for more improvements. Some aspects of the law still need clarification. Provisions, such as the standard of evidence required to initiate take-down procedures or the relevant legal responsibility of platform operators, are still unclear, leaving them open to abuse or misinterpretation.

Platform operators, merchants, and brand owners should be aware of the regulatory changes that will come into effect next year and prepare for compliance.

For platform operators, due diligence is necessary to ensure that goods sold by third party merchants on their platforms are in compliance with the updated legal norms. On their part, merchants and brand owners should have a good understanding of compliance norms and consumer and brand protections provided under the new law.AT&T Park may be a downtown ballpark but, according to at least one map, it is not in San Francisco's Downtown.

In fact, neighborhood designation in the San Francisco Association of Realtors' neighborhood map places the Downtown District a significant distance from the home of the Giants. According to this map, AT&T Park is in South Park whereas Downtown is a small oddly shaped neighborhood north and east of the Tenderloin that most notably encompasses the commercial area surrounding Union Square.

ALSO: The San Francisco neighborhoods with the most Millennials

Also, while many may consider the Financial District to be part of downtown SF, here it is a separate neighborhood. It begins at Stockton Street, extends up to Broadway and then down to San Francisco Bay with a southern border at Market Street. But nowadays, many may not even consider the Financial District the financial center of the city, considering the boom of construction and economic activity going on south of Market.

Many of the new buildings South of Market are in the Yerba Buena District where you can also enjoy the fine paintings at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which you may also think of as part of downtown, but, according to the realtors' map, is actually a couple of blocks from Downtown.

While the real estate designation for the Downtown District centers around Union Square and is fairly narrow, what many of us think of as downtown SF may correspond more to this drawing that someone posted in a discussion on downtown's boundaries posted on the Fodor's site.

ALSO: Why San Franciscans love to complain about the city

What's notable in this drawing is how it moves our idea of the city's downtown center across Market Street. This seems appropriate with so much of the city's development happening there as well as further south in Mission Bay and beyond. Including Moscone Center and the Transbay Terminal, it also extends the imagined boundary of downtown down to the Ferry Building. Perhaps this is closer to the downtown in many of our minds than the one on the SFAR map.

In the above gallery, we show many of the San Francisco sites in and around the Downtown of the SFAR map. Do you know what neighborhood they are in, if not Downtown?Russias Sputnik news has conducted a poll of how people in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, United States, and Russia view China.

4,533 respondents from these countries participated, answering two basic questions  do you consider China as a partner or a rival, and how positively do you rate China in the international arena?

The results can be seen below.

The UK, France, and the US all have low attitudes towards China, while Germanys are slightly more positive. The surprise is the attitude Russians have towards China, which can be seen as positive. Chris Devonshire-Ellis of Dezan Shira & Associates comments: The EU nations have not embraced Chinas Belt and Road Initiative and this distrust continues to manifest itself. The US is currently engaged in a trade war with China and regularly states that it views the nation as a rival. Russia, however, is engaging with China and the perception of Russians towards China has been positive.

It is clear that the Belt and Road Initiative has thrust China into direct conflict with Western Europe and to some extent the US. China has also taken up the burden of increasing its international responsibilities. For example, it now contributes to about 10.25 percent of the United Nations peacekeeping budget, though no Chinese national holds a senior post in any of the 15-plus UN peacekeeping missions. Clearly an imbalance is occurring globally in balancing Chinas wealth with its global influence. This is unwise; continuing along this path will threaten the credibility of global institutions  in place since the end of World War II  and breed resentment. The old-world order must adapt.

China, meanwhile, is re-examining its history and especially its role in World War II. Study groups have been established to research how Chinese soldiers kept Japanese at bay allowing the Russian army to defeat Nazi Germany, and by implication demonstrating China as victorious in that conflict. This has been manifesting itself, both, in historical research and cultural exchanges between China and Russia, in particular. The new Chinese classical opera The Dawns are Quiet Here, which premiered in Beijing in 2015 and was shown at the Mariinsky last week has Chinese stage actors dressed as Russians shooting German soldiers just outside Moscow. In reality, China was engaged in civil war at the time of the conflict, a messy situation which saw both the Communists and Kuomintang fighting each other as well as with allied soldiers against the invading Japanese.

The conundrum for the West then is to deal with the rise of China in such a manner that Beijing is treated with global respect and doesnt feel obliged to reinvent history to showcase its position. The EU, on the other hand, recently released its paper on Eurasian connectivity  only mentioning China once  and making no reference to the Belt and Road Initiative, a situation that was clearly meant to suggest that the lack of cooperation is intentional.

The strategy is clear; Brussels is looking at maintaining and expanding its own power base in Europe and beyond, (the Balkans and Caucasus regions are discussed in the paper) and has no interest in jointly working with China or the Belt and Road Initiative when it comes to Eurasian connectivity.

But with China able (with amendments to its existing FTA with the Eurasian Economic Union) to potentially land goods  duty free at the very borders of the EU  trade relations will only be one-way traffic. If that happens, and the EU continues to ignore Chinas own import needs from Europe, Brussels will largely be responsible. As Brexit nears, it will be very interesting to establish what China-UK trade agreement can be put in place without the EU, and how China-UK relations fare from their current perspective.You are here: Arts

A joint photo exhibition by a Chinese and a Japanese photographer was launched in Beijing Sunday, as the two artists called for more people-to-people exchanges.

The exhibition in Beijing Foreign Studies University was themed "lofty mountains and flowing water," literally depicting Fuji Mountain in Japan and the Yellow River in China, with over 40 pictures by Li Changsuo and Goto Yoki.

The theme also refers to an ancient Chinese anecdote pertaining to long-lasting friendship.

"This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship," said Li Changsuo, a member of China Photographers Association. "The purpose of the photo exhibition is to promote mutual understanding between the two peoples."

"My Japanese students are keen to learn about China," said Li, who teaches in Josai University in Sakado, Japan.

"I hope I can contribute to China-Japan communication in this way," said Goto Yoki, vice president of the Overseas Chinese Photographer Association in Japan.

Goto said cultural exchange between the two countries had touched upon many aspects, including photography, calligraphy, traditional clothing and tea rituals.SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



San Franciscans are being challenged to ride public transportation every day this week during the third annual Transit Week.



Today, several city and state officials kicked off the first day of the weeklong event by riding BART, Caltrain and the San Francisco Municipal Railway to a celebration outside of City Hall.



"Growing up in San Francisco, my mother did not drive and we only depended on public transportation. I realize today people have a choice, they can get in an Uber or Lyft or their own vehicles. I'm just going to urge everyone to use our public transit system," Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer said this morning, pointing out that many seniors depend on public transit. "By riding our public transportation system, you are helping them too to make the best transportation system we can have in San Francisco."



Transit Week is being put on by the group San Francisco Transit Riders, advocates for transit riders. According to the group's Executive Director Rachel Hyden, the event aims to celebrate transit riders and bus and train drivers for their efforts. However, another part of the discussion, Hyden said, includes ways to improve public transit, such as decreasing delays.



Supervisor Katy Tang said she tried to take the L-Taraval to City Hall this morning, but a delay forced her to instead take the K-Ingleside train.



"We do have a long way to go to make sure that things like what happened this morning with our ride from Sunset...doesn't happen to other people who are trying to get to work on time," she said. "I actually have heard in the last couple of months from a couple of residents who did lose their jobs, sadly because they were late so frequently due to Muni. So we, again, have so much improvement to go."



Hyden said, "There are tens of thousands of people who deal with this every day and who are late to work and lose their jobs because they can't count on Muni. As an organization, San Francisco Transit Riders, we are pushing to see transit that is worry-free and will get you where you need to go on time."



But Hyden said about Transit Week, "It's really about celebrating transit riders and the folks who drive the buses and the trains. It's a week that we really want to be positive. I know a lot of folks are critical of Muni, but ultimately, we love Muni."



San Francisco Transit Riders has planned several events this week as part of the celebration. On Friday, the group will hold the Rider-First Award Party, where the group is set to recognize people and jurisdictions in the Bay Area working to improve transit.



San Francisco Mayor London Breed has joined the weeklong transit challenge, pledging to take a bus from the Lower Haight to City Hall this week.



In a statement, Breed said, "Transit Week is an opportunity for the public to celebrate what is great about our transportation system and focus on solving the challenges it faces. Whether you ride Muni, BART or Caltrain, our riders deserve to know that their trains and buses will arrive on time and get them where they need to go."



Breed added, "As our city continues to grow, we need to modernize and expand our public transportation system, or we are going to force more and more people to rely on private automobiles, making the gridlock on our streets even worse."



More information about Transit Week and other events happening this week can be found at www.sftransitriders.org/transitweek.





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.DUBLIN (BCN)



A 6-year-old boy allegedly abducted from Modesto on Monday has been found safe in Dublin, Modesto police said this morning.



An Amber Alert was issued for Jayce Cosso, whose father John Cosso allegedly abducted him in Modesto on Monday morning.



Modesto police wrote on Facebook at 9:12 a.m. today that Jayce was located in Dublin and is safe.



"Thank you to everyone for their help. We will have more information available soon," police wrote in the Facebook post.





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.An Amber Alert has been issued this evening following the alleged abduction of a 6-year-old boy from Modesto and who might be in the San Francisco Bay Area or Central California or another location, police said.



Jayce Cosso was last seen this morning at his home in the 3700 block of Poinsettia Drive.



Police were called at about 7:30 a.m. after Jayce's father John Cosso allegedly abducted the boy from the home.



According to police, the pair may be in a black 2012 Ford Fusion with California license plate No. 8BDY654.



John is described as a 41-year-old white man, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 190 pounds with hazel eyes and a shaved head.



Police said John has tattoos on his face.



Jayce is 2 feet 6 inches tall, 35 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a black Transformers T-shirt and faded green camouflage boxer shorts.





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.A drunken man talking to a mouse about his childhood, parents, ex-wife and his life's struggles opens the five-hour play, entitled Mo Fei.



Directed by Polish theater director, Krystian Lupa, 74, the play premiered in Tianjin in June and will make its debut in Beijing on Oct. 17 at Tianqiao Performing Arts Center.

Based on a novella written by the late Chinese writer, Shi Tiesheng (1951-2010), titled A Stage Idea with Film as Backdrop, the play has Chinese actor Wang Xuebing in the lead role of Mo Fei.

"We had three months, on and off, working together in the rehearsal room in Tianjin, which was an exhausting and thrilling process," recalls Wang, 47, in Beijing.

It was the first collaboration between Lupa and Wang, which, as Wang describes, made him "feel like a new actor".

"None of us in the production team are alcoholics, so playing a drunkard is about imagination. Improvisation was a major part of the rehearsal. The director was very patient and he asked me to slow down, to truly represent a drunken man's behavior," adds Wang.

It was also the first time for Lupa, who is known for his productions based on Austrian writers Robert Musil and Thomas Bernhard, to adapt a Chinese writer's work into a Chinese play.

Before Mo Fei, Lupa's stage productions-Persona, Marilyn, Heroes' Square and Woodcutters-were staged in China.

According to Wang, the director works over 10 hours a day on conducting rehearsals and writing the script. To better understand Shi, Lupa read the writer's works, including one of his famous essays, I and the Temple of Earth, which was published in 1991 and is about the writer visiting the Temple of Earth in a wheelchair. The Polish director also visited the site, a park in downtown Beijing several times, which, as Lupa says, is "an important place for Shi". He rode bicycles there, walked around in the park and looked at the trees and flowers.

"By reading Shi's works, I recalled my own life, especially my relationship with my mother," Lupa said in a recent interview with China Daily, conducted while he was rehearsing the play in Tianjin. "Like Shi, I had my own Temple of Earth when I was young. It's a place where I could hide from the outside world."

The director also shot lots of videos in Beijing and Tianjin, which are broadcast on the stage's backdrop.

Shi was born and grew up in Beijing near the Temple of Earth. In 1969, he was sent to rural Shaanxi province during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). He was paralyzed because of an illness at age 21. Shi was then sent back to Beijing and worked in a factory. His kidneys failed in 1998, and he had to undergo dialysis three times a week. Shi began to publish his work in 1979 and won many literary prizes, including the Lu Xun Literature Prize, the Lao She Essay Prize and the National Excellent Short Story Prize. He is best known for his short stories, including My Faraway Clear Peace River and Strings of Life.

One of his novellas, Like a Banjo String, which was published in 1985, was adapted into the film Life on a String by Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige. The film was nominated for an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991.

The same year, a collection of Shi's short stories was translated into English and published as Strings of Life. Shi died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Beijing in 2010.

If you go

7:30 pm, Tianqiao Performing Arts Center. 9 Tianqiao Nandajie, Xicheng district, Beijing. 400-635-3355.BERKELEY (BCN)



The Berkeley City Council on Tuesday night is scheduled to vote on a proposal to order the city's Police Department not to post photos of people arrested at protests unless they pose an immediate threat to the public's safety.



Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin and Councilwomen Cheryl Davila and Kate Harrison proposed the new policy after the Police Department released mugshots of anti-fascist counter-protesters who were arrested at an anti-Marxism rally in Berkeley on Aug. 5.



Davila and Harrison wrote in a letter to the council that conservative news outlets publicized the names of the people who were arrested at that rally "to foment attacks against those who speak out against racism and fascism."



Davila and Harrison alleged that by issuing the mugshots and names and addresses of those who were arrested the Police Department "contributed to 'doxing' people -- publishing personal information to be used to harass and threaten people at their homes and places of work."



The two councilwomen said that even though the Police Department later removed the photos in response to what they described as "political pressure and international criticism," the damage was done and the names and photos remain available on the internet and the people who were arrested "are receiving threatening phone calls at work and home, postings and emails."



Davila and Harrison said Berkeley shouldn't curtail the free speech rights of anti-fascist protesters because the city "prides itself on its commitment to protecting and standing in solidarity with its residents targeted by racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, sexism and other biases and forms of hate violence."



The proposal by Arreguin, Davila and Harrison would direct City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley to draft an ordinance directing the Police Department not to publish the photos of people arrested at protests unless they pose an immediate threat to the public safety of the community, such as being wanted for serial rape, homicide or felony assault.



The City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Berkeley's Old City Hall at 2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.





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.Working with Modesto police and Dublin police, Alameda County sheriff's deputies were able to help rescue a 6-year-old boy who allegedly had been abducted from Modesto on Monday, a sheriff's spokesman said.



Investigators located the car of John Cosso, who allegedly had abducted his son Jayce Cosso, at the La Quinta Inn & Suites at 6275 Dublin Blvd. at about 8 a.m. today and set up surveillance on them, according to Alameda County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly.



When the father and son came out of the motel a short time later, officers detained the father and safely took the son into protective custody, Kelly said.



"There was good collaboration and cooperation" between the officers from different agencies who worked together, Kelly said.



Modesto police is the lead agency in investigating the alleged abduction, Kelly said.







A Santa Rosa man pleaded no contest last Thursday in Sonoma County Superior Court to the involuntary manslaughter of a man in a Sonoma State University dorm room in May.



Tyler Bratton, 20, also pleaded no contest to possession of a weapon on a school campus. As part of a plea agreement, he will be sentenced to the time he has served in Sonoma County Jail since the May 13 death and will be released, Chief Deputy District Attorney Spencer Brady said.



Bratton also will be sentenced Oct. 17 to three years of probation. If he violates his probation terms, he faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in custody, Brady said.



After a preliminary hearing in July, Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Robert LaForge ruled there was sufficient evidence to try Bratton for the voluntary manslaughter of Steven John Garcia, 26, of Santa Rosa.



Bratton's attorney Lynnette Brown claimed the slaying was in self-defense. She said Bratton used reasonable force to defend himself when Garcia and a woman, Rebecca Stjern, 21, used a key card to enter the dorm room of Bratton's 20-year-old girlfriend at the time, Riley O'Rourke.







Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara has reopened after a shooting prompted its closure early this morning, according to police.



Police shut down the expressway between Cabrillo Avenue and Monroe Street to investigate the shooting that occurred at about 12:30 a.m.



No injuries were reported in the shooting and no arrest has been made.



Police said all lanes of Lawrence Expressway reopened as of shortly after 7:50 a.m.







A man was taken into custody after allegedly assaulting a woman at the Bay Fair BART Station in San Leandro after he pulled her off a train early this morning, according to BART police.



BART police Lt. Jason Scott said the incident was first reported around 5 a.m. when the man allegedly pulled the woman off the train after he thought she was using drugs on board. Officers responded, but couldn't determine if she was using drugs, Scott said.



The woman declined to press charges on the man, who Scott said didn't know the woman.







Nine people were displaced following a one-alarm fire at a home in Antioch early this morning, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.



The blaze was first reported at 1:03 a.m. in the 2900 block of Elizabeth Lane, Battalion Chief Bob Atlas said. Fire crews arrived to see a truck on fire in a driveway.



Atlas said crews were able to contain the blaze by 1:20 a.m. but the exterior of the home sustained fire damage.



None of the occupants of the home were injured, but spent the night with family after the blaze knocked out an electrical meter and disabled power and gas to the home.



The cause of the fire is under investigation, Atlas said.







A Spare the Air alert has been issued for Wednesday in the Bay Area, the second straight day and 13th time in 2018 that local air quality officials have warned of smog pollution reaching unhealthy levels.



The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued the alert because of a forecast of hot inland temperatures and light winds that are expected to exacerbate the effects of pollution from vehicles in the region.



As with other Spare the Air alerts, the air district is encouraging residents to find alternatives to driving alone, wuch as taking public transit or carpooling.



Smog, or ozone, can cause throat irritation, chest congestion or pain, can trigger asthma or inflame the lining of lungs, and can worsen bronchitis and emphysema.



People can find out when a Spare the Air alert is in effect by registering for email alerts at www.sparetheair.org, calling (800) HELP-AIR, downloading the Spare the Air smartphone app or connecting with Spare the Air on social media.







As part of National Voter Registration Day, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced today that 209,577 16- and 17-year-olds have pre-registered to vote.



In 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that allowed voter pre-registration beginning at age 16 through VoteCal, California's statewide voter registration database.



VoteCal was certified in September 2016 and since then more than 104,000 of the 16- and 17-year olds that pre-registered have turned 18. They are eligible to vote in the upcoming November election.



"These young people represent the next generation of active, informed and engaged voters," Padilla said in a statement.



Of those who pre-registered since September 2016, 47.46 percent registered with No Party Preference, 34.44 percent registered as Democratic, and 9.59 percent registered as Republican.



In April 2017, Sec. Padilla launched online pre-registration through the state's voter registration portal at RegisterToVote.ca.gov.



He also started an online high school portal to connect California youth with civic engagement opportunities like pre-registration, organizing student mock elections and student poll worker information. That portal is at HighSchool.sos.ca.gov.





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.You are here: Arts

Longquan is said to be where China's first iron sword was crafted-and this historical designation sharpens its allure today.

The Yue Jue Shu, a chronicle of the Yangtze River Delta's ancient civilization, says the king of Chu summoned swordsmith Ou Yezi to make exceptional weapons some 2,600 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

The craftsman traveled the country, searching for a place with abundant iron ore, cold springs for quenching the forge and suitable stones for grinding blades.

His quest led him to the foot of Longquan's Qingxi Mountain. He spent three years there forging three legendarily sharp swords-Longyuan, Tai'e and Gongbu.

Longyuan is the ancient name of Longquan, which is now a county-level city in Zhejiang province's Lishui city. It's still the home of China's sword making.

"Sword making is far more difficult than it seems," says 50-year-old Zhang Yesheng, who owns the Longquan Sword Factory.

"The art requires a combination of strength and dexterity."

He recalls watching residents forging swords in workshops as a child, like most local kids.

Zhang became an apprentice at the Longquan Sword Factory at age 17.

He mastered the 72 steps of sword making and opened his own workshop in 1988. He innovated to improve the quality by using rust-resistant chromium steel a decade later.

Zhang purchased ownership of the State-owned Longquan Sword Factory for 2 million yuan ($292,000) and registered the trademark in 2003.

"Some low-quality swords previously used Longquan in their names, staining its reputation," he recalls.

He pored over texts and visited museums to study ancient designs.

A high-end handmade replica of an ancient sword can sell for as much as 100,000 yuan.

Zhang forged two special swords that appeared in martial-arts novelist Jin Yong's (Louis Cha) book as a birthday gift for the author when he visited Longquan for a forum in 2004.

Zhang also gave Jin Yong a tour of the factory.

"He said he was amazed by the craft of sword making," he recalls.

"He told me that it dawned on him that it's so much more work to make swords than to write about them."

Zhang also made three prop swords for the television series Bi Xue Jian, or Sword Stained with Royal Blood, which was adapted from Jin Yong's novel.

Zhejiang province nominated Zhang as a master of arts and crafts in 2006. And Longquan's sword making was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage that year.

Zhang's swords have been gifted to politicians, including former Kuomintang chairman Lien Chan and Macao's chief executive, Fernando Chui.

Longquan today hosts about 100 workshops and factories that produce tens of thousands of swords annually. They're sold throughout the country and the world.

The city will open a sword museum by the end of the year.

But Zhang still worries about the future of the craft.

"Fewer young people want to do the job now," Zhang says.

"It's a tough work with low pay."

The furnaces run at over 800 C. Workers must hammer each sword hundreds of times next to the forge.

Zhang's factory has trained 50 apprentices in recent years, but only one stayed.

"All of our 25 swordsmiths are growing old," Zhang says.

"It's a time-honored trade that needs new blood."China published a white paper on Monday to clarify the facts about China-U.S. economic and trade relations, demonstrate its stance on trade friction with the United States, and pursue reasonable solutions.

Excluding the foreword, the 36,000-Chinese-character white paper is comprised of six parts, which are mutually-beneficial and win-win China-U.S. cooperation in the trade and economic field, clarification of the facts about China-U.S. trade and economic relations, the trade protectionist practices of the U.S. administration, the trade bullyism practices of the U.S. administration, damage of the improper practices of the U.S. administration to global economy, and China's position.





China is the world's biggest developing country and the United States is the biggest developed country, said the white paper. "Trade and economic relations between China and the United States are of great significance for the two countries as well as for the stability and development of the world economy."





The white paper said the two countries are at different stages of development and have different economic systems, and therefore some level of trade friction is only natural. "The key, however, lies in how to enhance mutual trust, promote cooperation, and manage differences."





In the spirit of equality, rationality, and moving to meet each other halfway, the two countries have set up a number of communication and coordination mechanisms such as the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, and the Comprehensive Economic Dialogue, the white paper said.





Each has made tremendous efforts over the past 40 years to overcome all kinds of obstacles and move economic and trade relations forward, which has served as the ballast and propeller of the overall bilateral relationship, according to the white paper.





However, the new administration of the U.S. government has trumpeted "America First" since taking office in 2017, and has abandoned the fundamental norms of mutual respect and equal consultation that guide international relations, said the white paper.





"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," according to the white paper.





The white paper stressed China has responded from the perspective of the common interests of both parties as well as the world trade order, observing the principle of resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, and answering the U.S. concerns with the greatest level of patience and good faith.





The Chinese side has been dealing with these differences with an attitude of seeking common ground while shelving divergence, the white paper said. "It has overcome many difficulties and made enormous efforts to stabilize China-U.S. economic and trade relations by holding rounds of discussions with the U.S. side and proposing practical solutions."





However, the U.S. side has been contradicting itself and constantly challenging China, the white paper said.





"As a result, trade and economic friction between the two sides has escalated quickly over a short period of time, causing serious damage to the economic and trade relations which have developed over the years through the collective work of the two governments and the two peoples, and posing a grave threat to the multilateral trading system and the principle of free trade."





The Chinese government published the white paper to clarify the facts about China-U.S. economic and trade relations, demonstrate China's stance on trade friction with the United States, and pursue reasonable solutions.





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, the white paper said. "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."





Please see the attachment for the document.





Full Text: The Facts and China's Position on China-U.S. Trade FrictionPolicymakers are considering changing the syllabuses at Chinese elderly universities, education centers that target senior citizens, to include more practical courses, equipping retirees with a modern skill set in response to the nation's rapidly aging society and shrinking labor force.

The idea has been welcomed by retirees who want to re-enter the workforce, but a lack of legislation is impeding changes at the schools, experts say.

China's universities for seniors cater to people over 60 and usually provide courses on traditional arts and culture such as calligraphy, painting and Chinese chess. These are geared toward cultivating hobbies for retirees who may be vulnerable to loneliness or psychological problems.

However, central government authorities are looking into adding more knowledge- and skills-intensive classes to their curricula to improve seniors' employment opportunities, according to Diao Haifeng, head of publicity for the Office of the National Working Commission on Aging.

The commission wants to create courses to better tap the students' potential to supplement the dwindling workforce, said Diao, who is also vice-chairman of the China Association of Universities for the Aged. "Such courses include knitting, cooking and even psychological consultation."

Students' contribution to society will be incorporated into a university's assessment, a move that could be first implemented in 176 model elderly universities nationwide as soon as next year, he added.

China had more than 149 million people age 65 or older in 2016, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The elderly dependency ratio  the proportion of seniors supported by working-age people  was 15-to-100.

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, experts predict the number of people age 60 and over could reach 500 million by 2050.

By that time, the elderly dependency ratio will be 10-to-13, they say.

In China, the general mandatory retirement age for men is 60 and for women, 55. There are no laws or regulations to protect seniors' rights to be employed again. This means they can be turned down for a job simply due to age, and also can be treated unequally in terms of pay.

Lin Jianguo, 64, who retired from Nantong Port Group as a cargo ship captain in 2014, said the proposed changes would be welcome given that many skilled workers retire at the peak of their expertise. They crave updated knowledge to enable them to rejoin the workforce despite the difficulties, he said.

Lin, who is studying singing at Nantong Elderly University in Jiangsu province, suggested colleges should roll out more courses tailored to seniors' needs, such as training in finances and legal matters. "Many elderly have some savings but lack know-how to take good care of their money."

Lin voiced concern about seniors who want a job but could easily be replaced by younger people, given that there are no laws to prevent discrimination.

Ji Ying, 61, is also studying singing at a university for seniors in Hefei, Anhui province. She said changes in the syllabus are necessary because courses focusing on the needs of the elderly are in short supply.

"Grandparents in China have an important task for post-retirement life, which is to take care of their grandchildren," she said. "But most grandparents overindulge the kids for lack of home teaching methodology."

Dang Junwu, deputy director of the China Research Center on Aging, said elderly human resources, which are underdeveloped in China's urban areas partly due to the low retirement age, have advantages over the younger workforce by being inexpensive and stable. "But to exploit the elderly workforce, there should be more than just a change in curriculum," he said, referring to laws and policies that are lacking.

Yi Fangli, who works at Beijing Xicheng Elderly University, which provides courses that aim to cultivate hobbies such as piano and calligraphy, said, "I doubt such courses would boost employment among the group because most of them come here to kill time, not to pick up work skills."Two more universities in the United States have begun accepting scores from China's national college entrance exam, or gaokao, as entry criteria to attract more Chinese students.

Adelphi University, a private school in New York, and Louisiana State University said recently that they would use gaokao scores alone to admit Chinese students - meaning they no longer need to take the SAT or ACT tests or submit their score in the TOEFL, an internationally recognized English proficiency test.

Still, Chinese students must demonstrate English skills. While they can apply for Adelphi's international program and LSU's global program immediately, they must complete eight weeks of English-language courses, starting in October. After that, they can start their first year at one of the universities in January.

The two universities also offer scholarships to Chinese students, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on their gaokao score.

Since 2015, US universities have increasingly accepted gaokao scores as part of the application process for Chinese students, but they still require either a minimum English proficiency test score or, in the case of University of San Francisco, to pass an interview.

Shawn O'Riley, dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies at Adelphi, said accepting gaokao scores for admission is something the university worked hard to implement.

Removing even small barriers from the admissions process will help the university recruit top students from China and give those students access to a program designed specifically with them in mind, he said.

"Chinese students at the university have achieved better grades than their US counterparts, and that's why we prefer students from China," he said. "We have around 300 Chinese students and plan to significantly increase the number."

Todd Ellwein, managing director of LSU's global program, said students who achieve high scores in the gaokao are not only the best students in China but also the world.

The gaokao is a good way of selecting talent, and a high score in the exam is proof of good basic knowledge, perseverance, patience and a strong ability to deal with high pressure and compete with others, he said. "The Chinese students who come to LSU are extremely well prepared for university. They are very talented students."

Shi Yan of Chivast Education International, a consultancy in Beijing, said many universities in Hong Kong, Europe, Australia and Canada, including the prestigious University of Toronto, already recognize the gaokao as an admission criterion.

Accepting gaokao scores in the admissions process will help US universities tap into a group of students who did not score high enough to get into their first-choice college in China, Shi said.

Given the fierce competition for university slots in China, studying in the US can be a good alternative, and the study experience in the US can improve a student's resume, as it demonstrates that they have good intercultural understanding and a strong command of English, she said.China's Ministry of Emergency Management has vowed to take more measures to promote the development of civilian rescue teams to strengthen the country's emergency response system.

Insiders have welcomed the initiative, saying that laws, regulations and capacity building assistance are needed to support it and achieve orderly participation.

On a field research tour to Zhejiang province in August, Huang Ming, the ministry's Party secretary, reiterated the importance of civilian rescue teams and vowed to provide assistance in their development.

Civilians are an indispensable part of the country's emergency response system, he said, citing several of their advantages, including "flexible organization" and "high enthusiasm".

He said the ministry will build a more complete system of law and regulation, organize competitions and assessments, and offer training for volunteers.

Huang made the comments against a backdrop of robust development of civilian rescue teams. According to the ministry, the number of volunteer earthquake rescue teams alone had risen to about 11,000 as of March, comprising 694,000 people, almost triple the number involved in State-backed rescue teams.

While these people contribute a great deal to disaster relief, some of them can be more of a hindrance than a help because of disorganized participation, insiders said.

After the magnitude-6.5 earthquake in Ludian, Yunnan province, in 2014, for example, volunteer rescuers outnumbered victims as they packed a square of Ludian county, unsure of the role they were expected to play.

Zhang Yong, head of Blue Sky Rescue Team, the country's first registered nonprofit volunteer rescue group, said volunteers are a necessary part of the national emergency response system, but the current threshold for registration is low and training standards are lacking.

"The value of a rescue team lies in its professional rescue skills. There is no exception for official or civilian teams. Standards need to be high and the requirements need to be stringent for lifesaving teams," said Zhang.

He said there should be a group of verified volunteer rescue teams that can directly communicate with and accept tasks from official emergency response headquarters.

Xu Lijun, head of the Rescue Team of Ram Union in Zhejiang province, said there is still a long way to go to include civilian rescue forces in the national emergency response system, as civilians lag behind in their communication skills, coordination and code of conduct.

"Civilian teams need to organize training sessions under a national standard. They also need to set up efficient communication systems even at times when they are not carrying out tasks," he said.

It's good to see that the ministry plans to promote the development and capacity of civilian teams, which will boost the teams' enthusiasm for contributing, he added.

Liu Xingye, secretary-general of the China Association for Disaster Prevention, said representatives of civilian rescue teams agreed to a convention for regulating their organizations during a summit the association organized in 2016.

The convention includes clauses requiring that volunteer teams work under the command system already in place in disaster-stricken areas and that volunteer rescuers should have the necessary skills for rescue work. They should also engage in continuous study and training to enhance their capabilities, it said.

The association dispatched people to Sichuan province to help the local government coordinate civilian rescue teams after a magnitude-7 earthquake jolted Jiuzhaigou last year. That trial yielded good results, he said.

He said civilian rescue teams should be mobilized according to the severity of a disaster. In situations with little damage, volunteers should come from nearby areas.

It would be a waste of money for rescuers to travel hundreds of kilometers to help, he said.

The Ministry of Emergency Management, which began functioning in April, was set up to improve efficiency by integrating emergency response duties that had been scattered across 13 governmental bodies.A senior agricultural official said local authorities must respond swiftly and effectively when an outbreak of African swine fever occurs to stop the disease from spreading.

Yu Kangzhen, vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs, made the remark during a four-day inspection he led to sites crucial for control and prevention of the disease in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region between Sept 18 and 21.

The sites included pig farms, ports of entry on the China-Russia border and animal health inspection stations on highways, a statement released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Sunday night.

The supervision team included officials from the ministry, the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Public Security. Problems they found were reported to local governments.

Customs officials across China have intensified their efforts to control and prevent the disease. In Hefei, Anhui province, where eight African swine fever cases have been identified since August, customs officials have stopped importing products made of pork from countries and regions where the disease is prevalent, and inspections have been intensified for the carry-on items, parcels and luggage of inbound passengers.

Yu urged local officials to take prompt measures following an outbreak, including the quarantine and slaughter of pigs, so the disease can be contained and eliminated in the shortest possible time.

Local authorities and businesses will be held accountable for failing to take responsibility for disease control and prevention to ensure the safe production and supply of pork, he said.

China has reported 20 African swine fever outbreaks as of Monday, since the first case of the disease was discovered in Liaoning province on Aug 1.

The latest case killed two pigs in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, on Saturday. Quarantine measures were imposed in the area, the ministry said.

Zhu Zengyong, an agriculture analyst at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said China still faces risks of African swine fever being imported, as the disease has been in circulation in countries close to China - even in some Eastern European countries.

"How well the disease can be controlled is to a great extent decided by the implementation of disease control and prevention measures, such as quarantines and the slaughter of animals suspected of having it," he said.

There is currently no treatment or vaccine available to cure or prevent African swine fever, which is highly contagious and has a mortality rate of virtually 100 percent in pigs. It does not affect humans.

Since the outbreaks, agricultural authorities in China have taken many measures to control and prevent the disease, including conducting monitoring and inspections covering the raising, trade and slaughter of pigs to eliminate risks.

In Shandong province, the provincial animal husbandry and veterinary department has closed all live pig trade markets in the province, and suspended transport of live pigs out of or into the province.

In a circular released last week, the department also urged pig farmers in the province to seriously carry out disease control and prevention measures, including slaughtering infected animals, sterilizing the carcasses and avoiding feeding pigs kitchen leftovers.You are here: China

Shenzhen government denied online rumors on Tuesday that the city will be turned into a municipality.The mother of a student from Putian, Fujian province, found herself in the social media spotlight recently when a screenshot of her WeChat exchange with a teacher was exposed. It listed the social status of a number of relatives, which some said was an attempt to influence the teacher to favor the daughter.

In the chat history - normally available solely on the phone of the sender or recipient - the mother, Wang Chao, mentioned family members, including her husband, her father and her cousin's husband in asking the teacher, surnamed Liao, to pay "more attention" to her daughter.

The statement listed the employment positions various family members occupy in government organizations. All those listed were public servants.

According to the WeChat record, the woman's husband is a legal professional at the intermediate court of Putian; her father works for the city's disciplinary inspection commission; her cousin's husband heads the human resources department of the city's education bureau and she herself is a staff member of the city's tourism development board.

The teacher replied simply with "OK" and a smiling face emoji.

All students are treated equally and are not differentiated by family background, according to a statement released on Friday by Fengmei Primary School, which Wang's daughter attends.

On Friday, a person identified only as a staff member from the city's education bureau told thePaper that the content of the screenshot had been verified, but no further information was available.

The Putian Commission for Discipline Inspection told the Chongqing-based Shangyou News that it has launched an investigation.

Xiong Bingqi, deputy director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said the hyper-competitive environment of Chinese education has driven some parents to do whatever they think is necessary to secure the best treatment possible for their children.

"However, trying to intimidate teachers with family relations is not the way to ask for special care. It also sets a bad example for the students," Xiong said.

"Children should be taught to compete on the basis of their own ability, not who their parents are."More than 200,000 16 and 17-year-old residents of the state of California are now pre-registered to vote, according to a new report from Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

The effort to pre-register teenagers has been underway since September 2016. In April, Padilla's office announced that 100,000 teens had pre-registered. Less than six months later, that number has doubled.

More than 104,000 of those teens have since turned 18 and will be eligible to vote in midterm elections this November  a fact that Padilla says is "powerful."

"Studies show that if you can get a young voter registered to vote in their first couple elections they're much more likely to be voters for the rest of their life," Padilla told SFGATE. "It's a good time to encourage them to be active citizens. Overall, if you look at who's not registered to vote, it tends to be working class communities, people of color and young people. Young people could represent the largest voting bloc in America if they registered to vote in higher rates. But they don't."

To change that, Padilla and his staff have visited 60 California high schools since he took office in 2015 in an effort to reach teens where they are and to encourage them to get involved. He's also seen to it that in addition to in-person voter pre-registration opportunities, teens can register online.

More for you California teen pre-registration surges past 100,000 following Parkland shooting

"The more (registration is) done digitally, online, the more effective it's going to be," he adds, also noting that they keep active social media accounts on Snapchat and Instagram. "Since we launched online registration, that's when we saw a significant uptick in numbers."

In the Bay Area, the overwhelming majority of young voters registered with no party affiliation or as Democrats. In Alameda County, the county with the largest number of pre-registrations, more teenagers registered as Democrats (4,359) than with no party (4,318). Only 314 teenagers registered as Republicans for 3.3 percent of the total pre-registrations in the county.

In Santa Clara County, the Bay Area county with the second most pre-registrations, more teens registered without a party affiliation (4,827) than as Democrats (3,829). But again, only a small percentage  5.1 percent  registered as Republican.

Across the state, those statistics are only slightly more balanced. Almost half (47.46 percent) of teens statewide pre-registered with no party preference, but a substantial number of the others (34.44 percent) registered as Democrats. Less than one in ten (9.59 percent) registered Republican.

Padilla believes that the patterns of party affiliation reflect political trends going back at least a decade, but he also suspects that teens may be drawn to liberal politics as a result of the Trump Administration's anti-immigration policies.

"I'd be shocked if that wasn't the case," Padilla says. "Similar to California in the mid-1990s right after Prop 187. Pete Wilson influenced increased civic engagement."

Part of the surge in pre-registrations was also spurred by public response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla. in February 2018. Between March and April, over 11,000 pre-registrations  more than 10 percent of pre-registrations at the time  came in across the state of California.

As the state inches closer to midterm elections in November, though, it remains to be seen if nascent voters will actually turn out. But Padilla's not worried.

"If the energy and enthusiasm in every school I visited is any indicator," he says, "I am absolutely convinced we'll see them at polls in November."

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

NEW YORK  Brazilian President Michel Temer said Monday that corruption charges against him were the result of his administrations attempts to reform the countrys pension system, an explanation sure to raise eyebrows, if not hackles, in Latin Americas largest nation.

Last year, Temer, a career politician known for his ability to whip votes in an often chaotic, multiparty system, was twice charged by Attorney General Rodrigo Janot in corruption cases involving alleged bribes and obstruction of justice. While as a sitting president Temer has been able to avoid trial, many political and legal observers believe those cases will be taken up after his term ends at the end of this year.HONG KONG  The contestant approached the man she had been publicly courting on live television and confessed that the object of her affections had shifted.

Its someone else, she said, then walked off the set with a fellow female contestant.

That plot twist, revealed in a trailer for the Vietnamese-language adaptation of The Bachelor, has set the internet ablaze. No two contestants on the show, which debuted in the United States in 2002 and later expanded overseas, have ever walked out of its elimination ceremony together.

But in Vietnam, where the full episode was scheduled to air Tuesday night, the response has been muted and news media coverage focused primarily on how the episode has been covered abroad.

One apparent reason: Acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships has become so commonplace in the country that they are no longer all that surprising.

Ten years ago that wasnt normal, but now it is, at least in the cities, Xuan Hong, a homemaker in the capital, Hanoi, said by telephone. Perceptions change.

Vietnam is seen as a leader on gay rights in Southeast Asia, a region where social conservatism is common and some governments still enforce draconian laws that criminalize gay sex.

Its liberal reputation on the issue dates to about 2012, when the government first said it would consider allowing same-sex couples to marry or legally register. I think, as far as human rights are concerned, its time for us to look at the reality, the justice minister at the time, Ha Hung Cuong, was quoted as saying.

Two years later, the long-standing Law on Marriage and Family was revised to abolish a prohibition on same-sex marriages, although it did not fully legalize them either. And in 2015, the Civil Code was changed to allow people who have undergone gender reassignment to register under their new gender. A rule making that change a legal reality is now being drafted.

We think the support is there, said Luong Minh Ngoc, director of iSEE, a Vietnamese research outfit that advocates human rights, adding that gay rights issues are generally viewed in Vietnam within a moral context rather than a political one.

Mike Ives is a New York Times writer.JAKARTA, Indonesia  To the Indonesian government, the 39-year-old factory worker and globe-trotting Polish traveler is a danger to the state, a man who plotted with shadowy gunmen to foment revolt in isolated eastern jungles.

But to his supporters, Jakub Skrzypski is just an idealistic tourist with no money to his name, a man with an oddball combination of sympathies for right-wing and liberation causes. Even Indonesian police say its unlikely Skrzypski could have arranged the arms deal they say he promised to make with rebels.

But Skrzypski, who is charged with treason, still faces up to 20 years in prison if hes found guilty. His detention was extended by 40 days on Sept. 17 as police prepare their case against him.

He was arrested in Wamena in Papua province in late August along with four Papuans who police said had ammunition and described as linked to armed criminal groups  the authorities usual description of Papuan independence fighters.

The true jungle is in Papua, and Ive been there, among lizards, mosquitoes, leeches and other stuff, Skrzypski wrote on Facebook while on the second of back-to-back trips to the region in July and August.

The case highlights Indonesias extreme sensitivity about the low-level but long-running insurgency in the Papua region, which occupies the western half of the island of New Guinea. Though most nations recognize Indonesias sovereignty over the territory, the Papuan independence movement has vocal sympathizers in numerous Pacific island and Western countries.

Indonesia annexed the Dutch-controlled half of the island in 1963 when the Netherlands was preparing indigenous Papuans for self-rule. Decades later, though, large areas of the mountainous jungle territory still remain outside of Jakartas control. Police and military personnel are frequently attacked and killed by rebels, while Indonesian security forces have been accused of dozens of unlawful killings in the past decade, including targeted slayings of political activists.

Police say Skrzypski had been in contact for a long time with Papuan independence supporters and separatist fighters. They say he planned to publicize their cause on social media and promised to help supply them with weapons.

But evidence of an actual plot against the Indonesian state appears flimsy.

Photos police cited of Skrzypski with guns were taken at a recreational shooting range in Switzerland, where he has lived since 2008, said his Indonesian lawyer, Latifah Anum Siregar.

Stephen Wright is an Associated Press writer.TALLINN, Estonia  Pope Francis acknowledged Tuesday that priestly sex abuse scandals are outraging the Catholic faithful and driving them away, and said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations.

Francis referred directly to the crisis convulsing his papacy on the fourth and final day of his Baltic pilgrimage, which coincided with the release of a devastating new report into decades of sex abuse and cover-ups in Germany.

Francis told young people in Estonia, considered one of the least religious countries in the world, that he knew many young people felt the church had nothing to offer them and simply doesnt understand their problems today.

They are outraged by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young, and simply by the passive role we assign them, he told Catholic, Lutheran and Orthodox young people in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.

He said the Catholic Church wants to respond to those complaints transparently and honestly.

We ourselves need to be converted, he said. We have to realize that, in order to stand by your side, we need to change many situations that, in the end, put you off.

It was a very public admission of the churchs failures in confronting sex abuse scandals, which have roared back to the headlines recently with revelations of abuses and cover-ups in the U.S., Chilean and now German churches.

On Tuesday, the German bishops conference released a report which found that some 3,677 people  more than half of them 13 or younger and nearly a third of them altar boys  were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

Nicole Winfield and Jari Tanner are Associated Press writers.UNITED NATIONS  President Trump on Tuesday defiantly reaffirmed his commitment to an America First foreign policy, lashing out at foes like Iran and failing states like Venezuela. But he singled out an enemy-turned-partner, Kim Jong Un of North Korea, expressing optimism for a diplomatic opening that would have seemed far-fetched even a year ago.

Speaking for a second time to the U.N. General Assembly, Trump said, We will never surrender Americas sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy. We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism.

Trump lavished praise on his own efforts to shake up the global order in his first 20 months in office, pointing to his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, trade agreements and numerous international organizations, as well as his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

He also celebrated his record as a statesman, asserting that his summit last June in Singapore with Kim, whom he accused of mass murder last year, had reduced the nuclear threat from the North.

The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction, nuclear testing has stopped, some military facilities are already being dismantled, Trump said. I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken, though much work needs to be done.

Trump saved his most excoriating words for what he called the corrupt dictatorship in Iran. He accused the Iranian government of looting its own people and using the financial windfall from the nuclear deal to finance what he described as a terrorism campaign that is destabilizing the entire Middle East.

Irans leaders sow chaos, death and destruction, Trump declared. They do not respect their neighbor or borders, or the sovereign rights of nations.

Trumps 34-minute address drew a mostly stone-faced response from the audience in the General Assembly chamber, which included emissaries from several of the countries he targeted. But there was one moment of levity early on, albeit at the presidents expense.

When he declared that his administration had accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country, the audience broke out into murmurs and laughter.

I did not expect that reaction, Trump said, but thats OK, drawing his only applause of the day.

Mark Landler is a New York Times writer.WASHINGTON  The Trump administration on Tuesday slapped financial sanctions on four members of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros inner circle, including his wife and the nations vice president, on allegations of corruption.

As part of the actions, the U.S. barred Americans from doing business with and will seize any financial assets in the U.S. belonging to First Lady Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.Page Content

Many years ago, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance known as the "20-pecent rule" or "80/20 rule," which provides that when tipped employees spend in excess of 20 percent of their workweek on non-tip-earning tasks, no tip credit may be taken for the time spent in such duties.



The 20 percent rule has been the subject of much litigation in courts across the country. In September 2017, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the DOL's guidance, finding that it was not entitled to any deference. A year later, on Sept. 18, the full 9th Circuit reversed the earlier three-judge panel decision and held that the DOL guidance was entitled to deference, meaning that the 20 percent rule is alive and well (at least in the 9th Circuit).



The lead plaintiffwho was joined on appeal by employees of other food service companieswas a server at dining chain J. Alexander's. In addition to serving customers, he alleged that his duties included related but untipped tasks including cutting lemons and limes, cleaning soft drink dispensers, cleaning bathrooms, and taking out the trash.

The plaintiff argued that the employer abused the tip credit provision by paying staff a reduced tip credit wage and treating them as tipped employees when they were engaged in either (1) nontipped tasks unrelated to serving and bartending, such as cleaning toilets; or (2) nonincidental tasks related to serving or bartending, such as hours spent cleaning and maintaining soft drink dispensers in excess of 20 percent of the workweek.

The full 9th Circuit sided with the plaintiffs and explained that the "dual-jobs regulation establishes that an employee is entitled to full minimum wage for any time spent in a nontipped occupation," and that the "provision prevents employers from paying maintenance workers as little as $2.13 an hour simply because they also happen to work as servers."

The court held that the DOL foreclosed an employer's ability to engage in this practice by promulgating the "dual-jobs" regulation, 29 C.F.R.  531.56(e), and subsequently interpreting that regulation in its 1988 Field Operations Handbook, to what is now known as the 80/20 rule.

Ending a split with the 8th Circuit on this issue, the full court held that the DOL's interpretation in the guidance was entitled to Auer deferencewhich allows courts to defer to an agency's interpretation of its own regulation unless it is "plainly erroneous" or "inconsistent with the regulation"because the regulation was ambiguous and the guidance's interpretation "is both reasonable and consistent with the regulation."

The DOL acted within bounds when it issued the guidance and its accompanying regulation, according to the 9th Circuit, explaining further that, "[t]he dual-jobs regulation establishes that an employee is entitled to full minimum wage for any time spent in a nontipped occupation."

The 9th Circuit includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Of these states, only Arizona, Hawaii and Idaho permit employers to take a tip credit. In light of the Marsh ruling, employers in Arizona, Hawaii and Idaho that seek to take a tip credit should consider whether they should evaluate a tipped employee's duties on a minute-by-minute basis and whether tipped employees are primarily focusing their activities on customer service and activities that enhance customer service. Employers should not permit or require tipped employees to perform duties that are customarily performed by employees in nontipped positions.

Relatedly, a challenge to the DOL's 80-20 rule that was filed in July 2018 by the National and Texas Restaurant Associations is currently pending in the Western District of Texas, which may ultimately lead to consideration by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Carly Nese is an attorney with Littler in Los Angeles. David B. Jordan is an attorney with Littler in Houston. Daniel B. Boatright is an attorney with Littler in Kansas City, Mo.  2018 Littler. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.While India has become the nation of the most unemployed in the world, the countrys staffing industry is standing at a very critical juncture. The industry is exposed to numerous legal ambiguities, especially general labour market rigidity. The question arises, what is the roadway to ensure employment generation? With traditional staffing mired with all sorts of issues, its the flexi staffing that can pave the way for a win-win solution to all the stakeholders. With no surprise, flexi staffing is becoming a very nascent industry in India and is growing with changing business dynamics in the face of increased cyclical volatility and gradual structural shifts in the economy. A study by leading flexi staffing and recruitment firms, Kelly Services and SHRM, reveals that flexi staffing is growing at a fast clip in India debuting in traditional laggard sectors like manufacturing. In the report titled, Landscape of Temp & Contract Staffing in India, 42 percent of the organizations surveyed indicated that they are very likely to employ temporary and contract staff in the next three to six months. Interestingly, 68 percent of organisations reported that they hire temp staff for a period of six months.

It will not only address the unemployment but also countrys skill deficient. In the IT industry, for instance, the adoption of cloud computing and mobility services is fuelling the demand for niche skillset in AI, Machine Learning, Analytics, IoT & Cloud. But with the slow-down in long-tenure contracts, IT firms are left with the only choice - flexi hiring to procure the skilled people as well as meet the latter objective. According to ISF report on IT Staffing Industry Landscape, Karnataka, Maharashtra & NCR dominate the IT Flexi Staffing Industry in India with Karnataka standing at $1.05 billion followed by Maharashtra at $0.48 billion & NCR at $0.23 billion. Overall in India, its worth was $3.04 billion in 2016-17 and is expected to grow 14-16 percent annually to hit $5.3 billion by 2021.

Well, these statistics sound impeccable, but questions like how & whom will this innovative staffing strategy help, will be a constant. The answers lie below!

Win-Win Solution for Employee & Employer

The advantages that come tagged with flexi-staffing are ability to scale up quickly to meet volatile market demands, increased flexibility, ease of resource allocation, reduced costs of hiring, and access to a wider pool of skilled talent. Having a contract or temp hire reduces the hiring risk, cost, & headache that the organizations face in traditional staffing, asserts Simin Askari, VP  Corporate HR, DS Group. This really facilitates startups and new entrepreneurial ventures in the rapid growth of the potential workforce that includes flexible C-suite executives. As Simin, rightly points out, Organizations like us take people as flexible staff especially in areas wherein the attrition is high or where there is seasonal requirement of extra manpower to overcome higher production needs or even during the launch phase of a new product. We can then engage an organization which is into staffing.

Flexi staffing is a novel technique for an employer to sightsee how an employee fits the companys culture, and test his skills for suitability to use him/her for the future. On the flipside, it allows ambitious individuals to explore new employment prospects, and build an enduring resume by working on different projects across sundry industries. For an employer, its a great opportunity to see how they (temp) are performing. Coming to the employee, when we hire freshers, we invest them in the training. If they do well, we absorb them by extending the contract or convert them into a full-time employee. So flexi staffing benefits both the parties, states Arun Thuyamani, AVP  HR, Sodexo India.

It comes with enormous flexibility, allows an employee to spend more time with their families and engage in frequent non-work activities. Especially for women, who often end up on a mommy track, flexible working eludes many of the barriers that are preventing women from remaining in work after having children.

The Flipside

The school of thought that favours permanent employment often expresses trepidations like lack of job security, no health or retirement benefits, lack of social recognition, & inadequate redressal mechanism as premier reasons why contract jobs should be dodged. Unfortunately the industry sometimes sees temp staff as cheaper labour. The general percetion is that temp staff may not necessarily be paid benefits. As a result, the kind of ownership that comes in with a permanent employee might be little diluted with a temp employee, says Simin. As per reports, the average salary of a flexi worker is around 10,000 a month, which is too less to survive in the current expensive market.

The company needs to continuously find flexible staff that can do the work and train them. But with recruiting full-time employees, companies only have to train them once and they can grow with the company. The full-time employees also gain a vast trust of clients. For instance, an insurance agent may work for the same insurance company for years and gain loyal customer following that will benefit the company. But with a temp employee, that kind of trust is never built.

Hybrid Model

A blend of temporary and full-time offers a buffer for core employees during a layoff. For instance, a substitute employee may work for weeks while an employee takes an extended leave of absence like maternity or a sick leave. Hence, tapping the talents of temporary workers to assist with day-to-day team responsibilities allows core staff to pursue more complex challenges and occasionally take time off to rejuvenate. Especially in healthcare, flexible staffing policies can ensure that medical practitioners are deployed where demand is greatest, avoiding negative consequences for patients when staffing falls below the required level.

Next What?

But what after flexi-staffing? Its not that flexi-staffing will address all the challenges faced by the industry, it also comes with cons as discussed above. With the advent of emerging technology, definitely, we are going to see myriad innovative staffing stratagems that will generate employment, offer more flexibility to women, & more. As Simin concludes, Digitization is taking over almost everything and work will become more virtual as we go ahead.

Read more news:

Indian start-up SigTuple awarded at Google's Demo Day AsiaiStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- National protests against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh escalated on Monday with more than 120 people arrested on Capitol Hill, celebrities weighing in on social media, and nationwide walkouts.



Capitol Hill police said 128 people were arrested for "unlawfully demonstrating" outside of senators' offices and in the main rotunda of the Russell Senate Building. About half as many protesters were arrested for protesting Kavanaugh on Thursday.



The protests were organized by various groups, including the Women's March, Planned Parenthood, NARAL and others who strongly oppose Kavanaugh's nomination.



The surge in opposition to Trump's pick for the high court comes one day after a second woman came forward with a new sexual misconduct allegation.



Deborah Ramirez, 53, told The New Yorker Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dorm room party at Yale University when she was 18. Her story comes on the heels of allegations by Christine Blasey Ford, a Northern California professor, who plans to testify Thursday before Congress that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when she was 15 at a party in Maryland, where they grew up.



Around the same time as the majority of the arrests, walkouts were also taking place in workplaces and schools around the country  including at Yale  by women and men wearing black.



Their message? Believe the accounts of the two women who have shared stories of sexual misconduct with Kavanaugh and stop his nomination.



Kavanaugh, who has repeatedly denied the accusations, again called them "false" on Monday and said he would not withdraw from the process.



"Im not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process and were looking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend my integrity my lifelong record. My lifelong record of promoting dignity and equality for women starting with the women who knew me when I was 14 years old. Im not going anywhere," he said in an interview with FOX News.



Protesters largely targeted senators who are key to Kavanaugh's potential confirmation to the Supreme Court. Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who said Friday she remained undecided, had protesters outside her office Monday morning, as did another undecided Republican, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona.



Many protesters also crowded the office of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, the Republican senator from Iowa.



They shared their own stories of sexual assault and called on senators to stand with survivors.



One woman said she took a train from Boston on Sunday night to join protests on the Hill. Standing in a Senate building hallway surrounded by fellow protesters and Capitol Hill police, she told the crowd her own story as a rape survivor.



"He raped me as he choked me," she said in a video that later circulated Twitter with thousands of retweets. "And when I heard Professor Ford say that Kavanaugh had his hand over her mouth, I believed her. You do not forget someone choking you, you do not forget someone putting their hand over their mouth and you thinking they're going to die," she said, her voice quaking.



"For God sake, for all the boys and girls who have been assaulted over the years, for God sake, when will you stand up for the American people, for democracy?" the woman said, a plea to the senators on the Judiciary Committee, as a fellow protester put a hand on her shoulder.



High-profile celebrities also chimed in on social media, posting photos in all-black and cataloging walkouts on television sets.



Many referenced Time's Up, a group that formed after a New York Times story about Harvey Weinstein unveiled the culture of sexual assault in Hollywood.



Girls for Gender Equity, a non-profit based in Brooklyn, New York, that aims to create more opportunities for women and girls, arranged protests at the Supreme Court and a walkout at City Hall in New York City.



"We hear you, we see you, we believe you," protesters chanted at the walkout in New York.



It was meant to "create an environment where survivors are heard and listened to," Emily Carpenter, a long-time member of the organization and sexual assault survivor, told ABC News at the protest. "The expectation should be, 'when I come forward I will be supported. When I come forward people will say what do you need, how can I help you,' not have that person be attacked."



Carpenter had a message for Ramirez and Ford.



"I would say thank you, a million times thank you," Carpenter said. "We know its not easy and I wouldnt fault you for not coming forward because I know that its difficult, but the fact that you did encourages so many other people," she said.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Police detained a principal in charge of two kindergartens in Wuhu, Anhui province, over the weekend for her role in the use of expired rice vinegar and moldy rice for school meals.

Liang Ailian, the principal, heads the Tongxin Kindergarten and Dedebei Kindergarten, both of which were reported last week to have provided students with substandard food, Fang Zhong, head of Wuhu's Jiujiang district government, said at a news conference on Sunday.

About 300 children have been sent to hospitals in Anhui and neighboring Jiangsu province for physical examinations, and 600 more are expected to be tested, he said.

Nine children so far have been found with health problems, but they are now stable condition, Fang said. Experts have been invited to conduct further examinations.

Law enforcement officials have confiscated the spoiled food products, including two bottles of white vinegar that were past their expiration dates, seven bags of rice containing bugs and mold and six bags of packaged sausages. The food storage units at the kindergartens have been shut down.

Food residue and samples are now being examined. Results are expected, and a result is expected by Friday, Fang said.

Last week, parents of children at Tongxin Kindergarten in Jiujiang district reported that spoiled chicken legs and rice with mold and bugs were provided to their children on campus.

On Thursday, parents of the Dedebei Kindergarten flagged food safety concerns related to the cooking oil, pork and sausage used there.

Education and food safety authorities conducted on-site inspections.

Jiang Lan, head of the food and drug inspection bureau in Wuhu, said on Sunday that the government will launch food safety inspections at all schools and kindergartens, with the primary focus being private kindergartens and kindergartens that outsource catering services.We're highlighting some of the activities Staten Island students are engaged in -- both inside and outside the classroom.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Fifty years ago, Tottenville High School graduate Kevin O'Brien left for the Vietnam War and never returned.

On Jan. 9, 1969, his plane was shot down; he was never seen again. He is one of 16 Tottenville High School graduates who are designated "POW/MIA" (Prisoner of War/Missing in Action).

The high school observed National POW/MIA Day on Sept. 21 with a special announcement by Principal Joseph Scarmato and the installment of a POW/MIA "Missing Man Chair" in the school's lobby.

Scarmato began his announcement honoring the 91,000 American soldiers designated POW/MIA.

"When you see the black and white POW/MIA flag, take a moment to remember the 16 members of our Tottenville High School family who are Missing in Action or Prisoner of War, especially Maj. Kevin O'Brien," Scarmato said in his announcement. "Today, the Tottenville High School community sends the message to all POW/MIAs. You are not forgotten."

The project was spearheaded by junior Nicole Damiani of Great Kills.

"For the families, having your soldier or sailor be POW/MIA is very hard, because you never know what happened to them," said Damiani.

Damiani said it's important for the youth of America to understand the value of freedoms, and to thank our soldiers and veterans for those freedoms.

"It's a wound that will never be closed," Damiani said. "Even other people who have lost family in war cannot understand how much harder it is without that closure. I want to influence other kids my age to be proactive with these types of projects."

GRADUATE STUDENT WINS AWARD

A College of Staten Island (CSI) graduate student received a prestigious award that will allow him to teach in Italy.

Peter Scasny was awarded a Fullbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) award to Italy for the 2018-2019 academic year -- a highly competitive and coveted academic prize.

"Peter's award is terrifically exciting for everyone at the college and we warmly congratulate him," said CSI President William J. Fritz. "It not only reflects his talents and hard work, but also the college's commitment to student success. We're sure his success will inspire many others."

The Fullbright U.S. Student Program facilitates the international exchange of young scholars and professions in order to promote mutual cooperation and understanding. It is a program of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The department provides grants for individually designed study/research projects, as well as English teaching assistant positions. During their grant period, awardees work, live and share daily experiences with the host country's people, as well as learn from them.

"When I read the email notifying me that I had won the award, I almost had a heart attack," Scasny said. "It was such a wonderful surprise. I feel like the Fullbright grant is recognition of my hard work and perseverance."

The FullBright program awards approximately 8,000 grants annually, and currently operates in more than 160 countries. CUNY students have received 151 Fullbright awards over the past 10 years.

CITY OF SCIENCE

Kids play a game of tug of war during a City of Science event held at the College of Staten Island. (Photo courtesy of Joseph Lamport)

Hundreds of Staten Islanders attended the City of Science event held at the College of Staten Island's Willowbrook campus on Sept. 24.

The event included exhibits related to physics, chemistry, biology, robotics and electricity. City of Science is a part of the World Festival of Science.

Sisters Crysta and Skylar Salters explored exhibits and rode bikes that generated electricity.

"It's really fun and I like learning about it," Crysta Salters said. "Maybe when I'm older, I'll do science as a hobby."

Their father, Tiren Salters, said he was pleased the event offers activities for people of all ages.

"They're very interested in technology and hopefully they'll get into it more," he said. "It's a great program. I learned some stuff from the gravity exhibit that I hadn't learned before. That was great."

PRINCIPALS TAKE COMMUNITY WALK

School principals in Stapleton and St. George gathered together on the first week of school for a community walk.

The school principals who participated in the walk included: Principal Greg Jaenicke from Curtis High School, Principal Jermaine Cameron of Eagle Academy for Young Men, Interim Acting Principal Jodi Contento of PS 78, Stapleton, and Interim Acting Principal Louis Bruschi of Dreyfus Intermediate School (I.S. 49), Stapleton.

Minister Dale Smith of the Central Family Life Center and the principals toured the neighborhood together after finishing the first week back at school.

Bruschi called the walk an "opportunity for the leaders to connect with families outside their offices and a reminder that the relationships we nurture outside the school determine how strong the relationships are inside the school.

From left: Principal Jermaine Cameron from Eagle Academy for Young Men, Principal Greg Jaenicke of Curtis High School, Interim Acting Principal Jodi Contento from PS 78, Stapleton, Minister Dale Smith from the Central Family Life Center and Interim Acting Principal Louis Bruschi from Dreyfus Intermediate School toured the neighborhood together after finishing the first week back at school. (Photo courtesy of Louis Bruschi)

Do you have a story idea for the In Class education column? Email education reporter Annalise Knudson at aknudson@siadvance.com.

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An unknown male shot and injured a 28-year-old male after a dispute inside Richmond Deli Corp. in Mariners Harbor Monday night.

The unknown perpetrator, who is described as a black male in his 20s, allegedly shot the 28-year-old male inside of the store and then fled the scene, according to an NYPD spokeswoman.

Police responded to the scene, located at 3016 Richmond Terrace, at approximately 7:08 p.m., according to the NYPD spokeswoman.

The area surrounding the store to the corner of Harbor Ct. was cordoned off with crime scene tape as police investigated the area.

The injured male was transported to Richmond University Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the ankle, according to an NYPD spokeswoman.

No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.Undocumented immigrants are reportedly afraid to seek help amid Hurricane Florence, and now they're being punished for extraordinary good deeds. CNN reports that ICE is arresting and deporting individuals coming forward to sponsor one of the 12,800 children currently in Health and Human Services custody. Some argue individuals living in the country illegally should be deported. But other countries have demonstrate that service and contributions might warrant citizenship. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

Fear is no stranger to undocumented immigrants and refugees. So when Hurricane Florence prepared to slam the Carolina cost, it's not wonder that undocumented immigrants living in communities within the storm's trajectory hesitated to seek help. The New York Times' Caitlin Dickerson reports:

Similarly, as adults come forward to offer sponsorship for one of the 12,800 immigrant children in HHS custody, ICE may be having the same impact. CNN's Tal Kopan writes:

HHS is the body responsible for all undocumented immigrant children. With 12,800 children currently in custody, the organization's numbers are reaching record highs; meanwhile, HHS' release rates of those children are at record lows. CNN's Kopan has one theory as to why, saying HHS could be:

For many of the adults coming forward to claim relatives or simply coming forward to take care of the children as they pursue citizenship, the motivation to do so is waning. Koplan writes:

According to Koplan, the HHS-ICE agreement for fingerprinting and background checks will act as a strong deterrent for potential sponsors. Meanwhile, everyone involved in these situations loses. The children remain in HHS custody, presumably after fleeing their home countries under threatening conditions, and undocumented adults willing to help are instead hiding-prisoners themselves to the same system holding the 12,800 minors in custody.

Rather than scare adults, undocumented or otherwise, into inaction, HHS and ICE should advocate for policy that would encourage reuniting and creating families. Countries like Brazil require a service to the country before applicants can become full citizens, and France famously granted immediate citizenship to one individual for rescuing a child.

The idea of service to a new country in order to gain citizenship is not unprecedented, and it certainly would align with American values.

Nevertheless, the United States's pathway to citizenship is clear, and doing anything to change such a widely-accepted process would upend law and order as we know it-particularly at a time when immigrations and border control is so top-of-mind.

According to The White House, the Trump administration is acting in the interest of the American people. The administration's policy states:

CNN adds:

If a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants existed via extraordinary good deeds, such as bringing undocumented children into their homes, there would be no way to monitor motives. People could be coming forward without the children's best interest at heart, which would create more problems for HHS, rather than solve the ones the organization is currently dealing with.

Arguments in the defense of #illegalimmigration are so dumb to me. People say oh illegals came here because they had no other choice, they were in danger in their country have some empathy. Laws are not made of enforced based on feelings.  Alistair  (@alispickeral) September 13, 2018

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Local Media, LLC property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt, on Instagram @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The fatal shooting of 67-year-old Frances Williams after a gang-related melee near the Staten Island Courthouse in July has formally been classified a homicide, according to police.

No arrests have been made and the police investigation continues in the shooting of the beloved New Brighton resident on July 10 at about 12:28 p.m. on the 300 block of Jersey Street a couple of blocks from her home, according to an NYPD statement.

Williams died more than three weeks later, on Aug. 2, at Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, after suffering a gunshot wound to the face.

While the NYPD did not formally deem her death a homicide until Tuesday, she had been included in Advance statistics for 2018.

Known affectionately on Jersey Street as "Ms. Franny," the New Brighton resident was caught in the crossfire amid what law enforcement sources described as a gang-related feud that boiled over at multiple locations across the North Shore.

Shortly after the incident, a large crowd holding white balloons gathered by the bus stop where Williams was struck to honor her, according to a Facebook post.

"Frances was a great family woman and a loving sister," said the obituary. "Her family and friends will remember her as a loving and caring person."

The police investigation continues into the death of the native Staten Islander who lived on the 100 block of Jersey Street.

Williams worked as a home health aide at the Richmond Terrace Houses for more than 30 years, according to her obituary.

Police officers responded to a 911 call of an assault in progress at 331 Jersey St. Upon arrival, officers found Williams, who had been waiting for a bus, unconscious and unresponsive.

She was transported by EMS to the hospital in critical condition and a few days after the incident, she was put on life support, according to Advance records.STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Having spent many a Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve in Oakwood at Aunt Millie's and Aunt Frannie's, I thought I'd see what Oakwood was all about -- other than holiday dinners.

Here we go into the "Before & After" time machine.

When Francis Lovelace was made Governor of New York Province in 1668, he awarded Frenchman Jacques Guyon a large parcel of land on Staten Island. Guyon built his home, which stood until 1925, and constructed many houses on the property. He christened the neighborhood, "Oakwood" -- perhaps because of the many oak trees on the land.

As we know, today Guyon Avenue is the main North-South street in Oakwood.

There are two distinct parts to Oakwood: The Heights, which was made up of farmland. And The Beach, which was something of a resort area, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean.

The Oakwood Park Hotel was built in 1896 at the corner of Amboy Road and Clarke Avenue. In its heyday, many frequented the hotel for fun near the beach. By 1925, the Elks Club took over the large hotel which lasted until 1942, when the Elks moved to another place. The building was razed five years later, and a shopping center took its place.



Of interest in Oakwood may include Monsignor Farrell High School, many restaurants and a series of cemeteries on the neighborhood's southwest side, most notably Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, an African-American burial ground.

Frederick Douglass was a slave during the 19th century who successfully escaped from his owner in 1828. Douglass soon became widely known as the chief of an abolitionist movement.

Rodney Dade, a funeral director, firmly believed in Douglass' principles. In an era when African-Americans often were not allowed a burial, Dade thought there should be a place where they could rest in peace with dignity.

With that, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Park and burial ground was opened in 1935 at 3201 Amboy Road in Oakwood.

Amundsen Circle, officially known as Captain Roald Amundsen Plaza, is a traffic circle and park bordered by Amboy Road, Clarke Avenue and Savoy Street. The Circle and Amundsen Trail for joggers both memorialize explorer Roald Amundsen. The city acquired the park in 1928 and named it for him in 1929. A stone plaque was erected in 1933, when there was a large Norwegian population in Oakwood.

The housing in Oakwood is diverse, from summer home beach bungalows which eventually became year-round housing to new construction town homes and semi-attacheds throughout the mid-1990s right up until today. Builders came and purchased land bundles that allowed for maximizing the number of dwellings according to RealEstateSINY.com.



Surviving Sandy: Oakwood Beach sustained widespread damage during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. A year later, due to the significant loss of many homes, former residents of the town had a choice to make -- whether to sell their property to the state. If they accepted, no one would live there, and the land would be taken back and used as a natural buffer zone. Many did just that.

However, the few homeowners left in Oakwood Beach, like Chris Camuso of Fox Lane, love the return of nature: The deer, wildflowers and birds -- but wish the city would pave the street.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!China has announced plans to send medical teams to provide free surgery to 3,000 cataract patients in six countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative in the next three years.

Kazakhstan will be the first country to benefit from the program, with the other five still to be confirmed, the Chinese Foundation for Lifeline Express said.

Nellie Fong, head of the foundation, said the first medical team will head to Kazakhstan this month.

In addition to free surgery, she said, Chinese experts will also train two local doctors in each country to improve their treatment capabilities.

Under the program, China will help build Lifeline Express eye centers in the six countries.

"The medical aid is expected to bring a higher quality of life to more people in countries along the Belt and Road," said Li Mingzhu, an inspector with the National Health Commission's International Department.

According to Li, the other five countries will be jointly recommended by the foundation, the commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce. Countries involved in the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road will be given priority.

To support the three-year program, the foundation launched a nationwide donation plan, aiming to collect a total of 28 million yuan ($4.1 million).

Since 2016, the foundation has sent medical teams to Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan, treating a total of 1,502 cataract patients.

"The patients were from the poorest places in those countries. Power supplies were unstable. Once we completed a surgical procedure even though we lost electricity eight times," said Zhao Chan, a doctor who was part of a team sent to Sri Lanka in 2016.

"The number of surgeries we can perform in a year is limited, but we aim to train local doctors during our visits, which will benefit more patients," Zhao said.

The foundation, established in 1997, has helped more than 197,700 people in China's 28 provinces and autonomous regions, and has built 80 Lifeline Express eye centers nationwide, which also provide training for doctors from local hospitals in the treatment of common eye ailments.

In April, four rainbow-colored trains, retrofitted as mobile hospitals and carrying high-tech surgical equipment and experienced doctors, departed Beijing on an eight-month mission to help thousands of people around China regain their sight.

This year's plan covers nine cities, as well as the Yili Kazak autonomous prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Thanks to the medical help, friendships between China and countries associated with the BRI will be strengthened, according to Le Aimei, a poverty alleviation ambassador for the Foreign Ministry who works on public health issues.Retail Food Group's chairman has retired and two new directors have joined the board of the embattled franchisor, which is fighting to turn itself around after revelations that many of its franchisees were struggling to make ends meet.

Colin Archer resigned on Tuesday, effective immediately, following 10 years with RFG, including the past five as chairman. He had flagged his intention to leave at the company's 2017 annual meeting.

RFG chairman Colin Archer has resigned, effective immediately. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

RFG owns the brands Gloria Jeans, Donut King, Brumbies, Crust and Pizza Capers.

Stephen Lonie, who has been an independent non-executive director for the past five years, will take over as chairman. David Grant, a director at Murray Goulburn and former director at iiNet, and former Optus director Peter George, have been appointed directors.Sydney rag trader Michael Gazal could be heading for a $80 million payday after the company he runs confirmed it was in sale talks with the fashion giant behind Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.

But not everyone in the high-profile Gazal family will be cashing in if the sale of Gazal Corporation goes ahead, after Michael's brother David sold his 24 per cent stake in the company for $35 million late last year.

Sydney rag trader Michael Gazal, pictured with Krissy Marsh at a social event in 2010.

That shareholding on Tuesday, as takeover speculation drove a surge in the shareprice, would be worth $66.5 million.

Fairfax Media reported on Tuesday that Gazal Corporation was in talks with American clothing group PVH Corp to privatise the company.A string of imminent leasing deals in Melbournes outer-east office market will shake up supply, just as vacancy rates reach historic lows and rents hit new highs.

Home builder Metricon is understood to be on the cusp of signing a 10-year lease for a purpose-built 11,000 sq m office next to its current headquarters in the Monash Gateway Business Park.

The new three-level structure would sit beside Metricons current head office in the Fife Capital-owned business park if it goes ahead.

Fife Capital's business park in Mulgrave.

Neither Fife or Metricon would comment when contacted by Fairfax Media.Vicinity Centres is now entering the home straight in the sale of 14 shopping centre assets worth about $1 billion, with a range of buyers mooted including the US property investment giant PGIM.

Submissions closed last week and now the board and advisors to sale, JLL's head of retail investments, Australasia, Simon Rooney, will sift through the offers and make a decision as to whether they are sold in one line, individually or as state-by-state-based mandates.

An artist's impression of The Glen shopping centre in Melbourne's south east.

Vicinity will use the funds for its extensive development pipeline at malls including Chatswood Chase in Sydney and Melbourne's Chadstone, Box Hill Central and The Glen.

The sales come as more than $2 billion of retail malls are on the market, indicating that the larger landlords are looking to scale back their portfolios to the core malls to which they can add value through development and attracting quality tenants.Your pension pot may be about to take on a whole new meaning. Good - that's that out of the way. I promise there'll be no more puns about this week's topic - the unfolding cannabis investment boom.

And while I'm doing the housekeeping, let me just pre-empt the outrage. As far as I am concerned, recreational cannabis is no more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence that medicinal cannabis can help people living with a range of conditions from epilepsy to MS.

The money making potential of weed has caught the attention of investors. Credit:AP

Like alcohol and tobacco, cannabis looks poised to become a huge global market. Next month, recreational use will be legalised in Canada. It is already legal in 30 US states for medicinal purposes and in eight, including California, recreationally. Medicinal cannabis is legal in Germany. In the UK, Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, was advised in the summer by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs that medical cannabis has therapeutic effects.

Unsurprisingly, the money-making potential of weed has caught the attention of investors. If you haven't read about the cannabis boom yet, you certainly will in the next few weeks before the law changes in Canada on October 17. If you want to know what's going on, follow the money.Chinese scientists have used satellite imagery to investigate illegal sand dredging activities in Hongze Lake located in Jiangsu Province.

Hongze Lake is the fourth largest freshwater lake in China. As it has a bountiful supply of sand that can be used in construction, illegal sand mining activities are rampant. These mining activities destroyed the lake's original ecological environment and bottom structure.

Many sand dredging vessels hide during the day and work at night, making conventional monitoring measures ineffective. Scientists from Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology under Chinese Academy of Sciences used both daytime and nighttime satellite data to evaluate the dredging intensity and the associated aquatic environmental effects.

The research provides technological support for government monitoring and the control of illegal sand dredging activities.

This method is being promoted and applied in other lakes across the country. The research was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.Small businesses must report eligible data breaches to authorities. Credit:iStock

One of the most significant changes to the privacy and information security in Australian history is impacting small business owners across the country.

The Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme of the Privacy Act 1988 established tougher reporting requirements at the start of this year.

It mandates that small businesses must report eligible data breaches to authorities and also members of the public if it believes or is aware that data has been compromised.

And while the legislation has been in place since the start of the year, many small business owners are still coming to grips with the requirements.Australian prosperity may suffer if a slide in its world ranking for the skills and capabilities of its people  driven by falling school test scores  is not reversed, according to a global study.

Australia fell to 26th in a global ranking of 195 countries for expected human capital in 2016, down from 22nd place in 1990.

On the measure of learning, Australia slipped from a score of 88 out of a possible 100, to 87, due to declining results on international tests. Credit:Rob Young

The survey is the first to rank countries by their human capital  the human equivalent of physical capital assets like factories and equipment. The efficiency with which both types of capital are combined is a key driver of higher productivity and living standards.

The study, published in The Lancet this week, was requested by World Bank president Jim Yong Kim and conducted by the Seattle-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.Keith Urban will be swapping his guitar licks for an emcee's mic as the surprise host of this year's ARIA Awards - and he's bringing partner Nicole Kidman along for the event.

The country superstar will take the reins of the 32nd annual awards, being held in Sydney in November.

The hosting gig will mark Urban's first appearance at the ARIAs since 2007, the same year he took out the prize for Best Country Album for Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing."Its an incredibly distressing trend," Ms Barter said. One in three women also avoided seeking medical advice because a friend or family member told them they were overreacting about their medical concerns, according to the survey commissioned by Pink Hope. Loading Roughly 44 per cent of respondents did not switch GPs when they felt their medical concerns werent taken seriously. Kristy Newton's GP had to Google "BRCA mutation" when she asked for a referral to a genetic clinic.

Ms Newtons grandmother had died of ovarian cancer and she had a family history of prostate cancer. When her second cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer and her BRCA test was inconclusive a genetic counsellor advised her relatives to get tested for the mutations. In January 2017, Ms Newtown went to a local genetic clinic. "They came to the conclusion I wasnt high risk." She was told to start getting breast screens from the age of 40, the 36-year-old said. "I just had this gut feeling that this didnt feel right," the heavy machinery operator from the Upper Hunter Region said. "You get so used being told 'youre being silly' that I just didnt bother pushing it."

In June she noticed a lump in one of her breasts. "I thought, 'dont be stupid', I only need to have a mammogram when I turn 40." But a concerned friend booked her a doctor's appointment to get the lump checked. After finding a lump in her breast, Kristy Newton was put on an aggressive treatment regimen. Credit:Christopher Pearce Ms Newton had fast-growing triple negative breast cancer. Nine days later she discovered she had the BRCA1 mutation, putting her at high risk of ovarian cancer.

She was immediately put on an aggressive treatment regimen: chemotherapy, hormone therapy and later a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy. There was no time to think about IVF and harvesting her eggs before she developed chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure. "It just took those things away from me," Ms Newton said. "I wish they had just tested me. I could have prepared myself. I could have had a preventative mastectomy." She said women needed to "trust their gut", know their risk and push for answers.

The 2001 research paper The Girl Who Cried Pain found women reported more severe pain more frequently and for longer periods than men but their complaints were taken less seriously. Loading Women "were more likely to have their pain reports discounted as 'emotional', or 'psychogenic' and, therefore 'not real'," the paper concluded. Another study found men in pain were more readily treated with pain medication, while women in pain were more likely to be given sedatives. In July, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced a national action plan to address endometriosis and apologised to sufferers for decades of undertreatment, underdiagnosis and chronic pain dismissed as "womens troubles".

Ms Barter said women needed to "trust their intuition". The survey suggested a large proportion of women who sought a second opinion had their initial concerns vindicated. "Passivity when it comes to our health puts us at risk of developing further, more serious complications," she said. "Pursuing answers to concerns isnt being dramatic - its being smart. Dont be afraid to speak up; seek a second opinion and get the help you need." Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president-elect Dr Harry Nespolon said he found it quite sad so many women may feel reticent to talk to their GPs because they worried they would be judged.Estate planning is a sensitive and challenging issue, but what happens to your "digital assets"  your Facebook accounts and your photo shares on social media - when you die? And what about your pets?

It is these non-traditional assets that are the trickiest parts of many people's wills.

While there are plenty of stories of wealthy people leaving millions of dollars to their pets, like the 94-year-old Italian who died in 2011 and left her cat and animal charities her entire $15.6 million estate, that is not possible in Australia.

Catherine Chivers, the manager of strategic advice at Perpetual Private, says pets are not recognised under succession laws, which are under the control of the states and territories.

You cannot, for example, set up a trust for the pet, she says. The best approach for looking after your pet is to organise for a trusted friend or family member to care for your pets.The parents of a man who was killed in a violent car crash in Hughes earlier this year say the driver has never apologised to them over what happened.

Angela Lea Smith, 34, was arraigned in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday, when she pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing the death of Jozef Stefaniak, son of long-time Canberra politician Bill Stefaniak.

Police said at the time the Canberra woman had been speeding and had the drug ice in her system when she rolled the car on January 2, throwing Jozef, 24, from the vehicle.

Smith and her then boyfriend Kane Kell, a close mate and old school friend of Jozef, fled the scene.A police informant said he told cannabis growers who believed they were being protected by people in authority that the crops were Colin Winchester's project, the Eastman trial heard on Tuesday.

The informant was at the centre of a 1980s police operation in which he helped facilitate men with links to the Italian mafia grow cannabis on plantations near Bungendore, by holding out to them that they were under protection.

The operation was supervised by Mr Winchester. The men known as the Bungendore 11 were later arrested and charged over the Indian hemp plantations and due to face court for a committal hearing in February 1989.

David Eastman is on trial accused of the 1989 murder of police chief Colin Winchester. Credit:Photo: Sitthixay Ditthavong

After Mr Winchester's murder in January 1989, police approached the informant, who cannot legally be identified, and asked him where they needed to be looking.On Tuesday, September 25, 1973, prime minister Gough Whitlam declared Jackson Pollock's painting Blue Poles "a masterpiece!"

The prime minister was not merely engaging in a spot of art criticism. He was announcing the purchase of American artist Jackson Pollock's 1952 painting for the National Gallery of Australia.

Senior Curator of International Art Lucina Ward said, "September is an incredibly important mont for Blue Poles."

Senior Curator of International Art Lucina Ward in front of the Blue Poles. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

That month, 45 years ago, the gallery's then director, James Mollison accompanied by the director of the New York office of the Australian Treasury, Edward Crossing and senior assistant Crown solicitor Wilfred Frey, went to New York. It had emerged the previous year Blue Poles might be for sale and, with government approval, they were there to convince art collector and dealer Ben Heller to part with the painting he had owned since 1957, when he bought it for $32,000.I almost feel sorry for Michelle Guthrie. She walked into one of the most difficult and complex jobs in Australia staggeringly unqualified for the role. On top of that she came at one of the more difficult times in the ABCs recent history, under fierce attack from a hostile government and struggling to cope with massive changes to the way Australians experience media content.

Michelle Guthrie: Sacked from the ABC. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The outgoing managing director was neither a skilled political operative like her predecessor Mark Scott, nor a program maker or journalist. She couldnt defend the most important output of the corporation, its journalism, because she just didnt get it.

There are strong parallels with the appointment by the Howard government of Jonathan Shier. Arguably an even more left-field choice than Guthrie, Shier lasted less than two years. What they shared was an implicit brief to disrupt the ABC, dismantle internal fiefdoms and, importantly, bring the news and current affairs division under control.

Make no mistake, federal governments, regardless of political complexion, dont care about Peppa Pig. They care about political coverage by the ABCs journalists and broadcasters.People who don't exist were the beneficiaries of loans worth almost $2 million that a five-person fraud syndicate allegedly used to buy a hair straightener, dozens of designer watches, high-end make-up, luxury cars and a cross trainer.

Police say the alleged fraudsters  a 28-year-old woman from Bondi Beach and two couples from Wiley Park and Mascot  stole identity details from real people, then created over 300 bank accounts using a combination of the stolen details and fake ones.

These bank accounts, police say, were then used to apply for credit cards and loans to the combined value of over $2 million. The credit cards were also used to withdraw cash and make high-end purchases in a scam across the city that lasted over nine months.

Alleged fraudster Amy Holden outside her Bondi Beach apartment. Credit:Janie Barrett

"They were certainly living the life," a source close to the investigation said.Former Greens senator Lee Rhiannon has pleaded guilty to failing to obey a police direction eight months after a protest at Windsor in Sydney's north-west.

Ms Rhiannon, 67, was among a group of dozens of protestors who gathered at Windsor Bridge on January 8 this year to call for work on the bridge replacement project to halt until a government inquiry was complete.

Lee Rhiannon outside court on Tuesday. Credit:Georgina Mitchell

Two men were arrested during the demonstration, after a driveway into the work site was blocked, while others were issued infringement notices.

On Tuesday, Ms Rhiannon pleaded guilty at Parramatta Local Court to failing to obey a police direction, on what was set to be the first day of a two-day hearing. A second charge of pedestrian obstructing a path was dropped.Police are appealing for help to find two men who allegedly assaulted a man at his Queanbeyan home on Tuesday morning.

Detectives from the Monaro Police District are investigating the alleged attack, which happened in Stornaway Road about 4am.

Police said two men "barged into" a unit after one of the residents opened the door.

The resident, a 32-year-old man, was taken to Canberra Hospital in a stable condition as a result of the incident.

The alleged attackers fled the scene.Cascading water flowed from the mouths of stone lions, tumbled over a series of ledges fringed with bright tropical flowers and ferns, finally trickling gently into a huge pool. Because it was early evening a couple of hundred flickering candles had been lit, floating on huge lily leaves and lightly illuminating the techies as they laughed and talked around the fringes of the luxury Cambodian hotel. Passing waiters offered delicate morsels to the guests.

So this is what its like, I thought, to be a tech wiz.

Networking has overturned the paradigm. Credit:Daniel O'Brien

Techies? Perhaps. Computer wizards? Certainly. But the elite "security analysts" (you might call them hackers) at the Kasperskys cyber-weekend are as far from the traditional image of pimply-faced, overweight nerds as its possible to imagine. A journalist I was with looked around. Hey, she said, these guys are fit, culturally diverse, and clever. Where have the computer nerds gone?

The Kaspersky researchers were chatting casually, sipping champagne, discussing whatever it is that brilliant, successful people talk about when they relax. It might have been downtime but even now each analyst held back-packs containing their computers. Leaving these in a hotel room was too risky. A couple of months ago, in Europe, a highly-sophisticated attempt had been made to compromise Kasperskys systems.A new taskforce to catch Victoria's most dangerous would-be terrorists has deradicalised an 11-year-old as police prepare for a spike in threats during the state election.

Victoria Polices Fixated Threat Assessment Centre has in its first six months processed 90 people who showed early warning signs of violent, extremist tendencies.

Taskforce head Inspector Steven Cooper and the lead psychologist, who cannot be named, gave The Age an exclusive look inside the deradicalisation hub, revealing how they identify those at risk of lone-wolf attacks.

The unit follows the breadcrumb trail of threats left by potential attackers, explaining that deadly strikes dont just happen and that school teachers and imams are proving vital in helping police identify those most at risk.

The world's best-funded unit of its kind, it opened in February with a $31.6 million state government cash injection following the deadly Bourke Street attack in 2017.The man accused of mowing down pedestrians outside Flinders Street Station was found to have images of terrorist attacks in London and Barcelona where vehicles were used as weapons, a court has heard.

The day after Saeed Noori hit 16 pedestrians in his mothers Suzuki SUV at the intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets last year, police found stills on his computer that were taken from the fatal car or van attacks on Londons Westminster Bridge, in Barcelona and in Charlottesville in the US over previous months, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday.

The computer's hard drive was removed by a technician in the hours before the attack.

A four-year-old boy and international tourists were among those hit at one of Melbournes busiest intersections at 4.40pm on December 21, while other pedestrians were hit by flying bodies in a ricochet effect, prosecutor Mark Gibson, SC, told the court.More than 80 firefighters were called to battle a blaze at a nut processing factory in Campbellfield, which has sparked a warning to nearby residents to stay indoors to avoid the smoke and "strong odour".

Crews were called to the Barry Road factory blaze early on Tuesday afternoon and managed to bring it under control just before 7pm. Firefighters are expected to remain at the site overnight.

The building contains gas cylinders, which could exacerbate the fire, according to the MFB.

The factory fire in Campbellfield. Credit:Channel 7

Up to 10 people were inside the two-storey factory when the fire began before 2pm. They managed to escape unharmed.Canberra: An Indian and an Irish sailor rescued from damaged sailboats in the remote southern Indian Ocean will be delivered to land on Tuesday when they reach an island and undergo medical assessments, an Australian official said.

The French fisheries patrol boat Osiris rescued injured Indian Abhilash Tomy, 39, and Irishman Gregor McGuckin, 32, late on Monday after their boats lost masts in a storm on Friday while competing in the around-the-world Golden Globe Race.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which co-ordinated the rescues in the Australian search and rescue zone 3500 kilometres south-west of Perth and 3000 kilometres south-east of the French island of Reunion, said the sailors would land at a French research station on remote Amsterdam Island later on Tuesday.

The station has a doctor and a small hospital where the conditions of both sailors would be assessed, the authority's response centre manager Alan Lloyd said. Tomy had reported a back injury during the storm that had left him bedridden.West Coast intercepting defender Jeremy McGovern will have a light training week with a hip injury but has brushed aside notions he could miss the grand final showdown with Collingwood on Saturday.

Eagle Jeremy McGovern. Credit:AAP

The big marking triple All-Australian could even miss a closed training session in Perth on Wednesday before heading for Melbourne on Thursday in the lead-up to his crucial confrontation with Magpies big man Mason Cox.

But McGovern was adamant he will recover in time to lead the heralded Eagles defensive division.

No doubt, Ill be fine, he said.Camilla Franks' business partner, her father Bill, has placed a 25 per cent stake of his business on the market. Credit:Wolter Peeters And now, a message for our Bondi readers. You love them because they make you feel Bohemian, even with that glass of Bolly. And now, not only are the kaftans for sale, but so is the company! Style icon Camilla Franks only this month made her first public appearance since being diagnosed with breast cancer in May.

Now her father Bill Franks has brought in law firm Dentons to size up the sale of his 25 per cent stake in Camilla Australia. Theres no price on it yet, but we hear the business turns over around $200 million a year. The company has 19 stores around the country and stock deals with American department store majors Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. A Crown whodunnit Christopher Maxwell QC, the senior Crown prosecutor, is chasing down the mystery of the missing portrait of his predecessor. Credit:Kate Geraghty

At least the states legal heavyweights wont have to travel far to solve this one. The painting of a former senior crown prosecutor, Mark Tedeschi QC, has been stolen, or potentially misplaced, from Sydney HQ. Now Tedeschis successor, Christopher Maxwell QC, is demanding answers. I do not know how or by whom it was taken down, Maxwell wrote in an email to staff on Tuesday afternoon.

I do not suggest it was anyone of the Crowns on our floor, but if it was, I ask that it be returned. It is sufficient for my purposes for it to be left on Jaimes desk and that can be done anonymously. My point is simply that whether the painting should remain there is appropriately a decision to be taken by all of our floor members or at least by the Crown committee, not a decision to be taken by one person. Maxwell replaced Tedeschi, who was in the job for two decades, in March. Despite his departure in 2011, nobody has yet purloined the nearby portrait of former Director of Public Prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery. We wish Maxwell the best of luck in his portrait hunt. Commissioner hot seat

The former administrator of the Inner West Council, Richard Pearson, was the local council favourite to become the Eastern City district commissioner at the Greater Sydney Commission. Credit:Wolter Peeters Although no one can be certain what exactly the Greater Sydney Commission (chaired from New York) actually does, it sure does have a lot of commissioners. On the afternoon of August 2, representatives of seven of the nine local councils which constitute what is called the Eastern City by the Commission but by nobody else on the planet met at the Sydney Town Hall to interview four candidates to be district commissioner. The person they recommended was Richard Pearson, the former government-appointed administrator of the Inner West Council when Ashfield, Marrickville and Leichhardt merged. One month later, on September 13, they were told the job had been filled: by Deborah Dearing, who is already a commissioner for the Northern City (whatever that is).

Were told Dearing, who is presumably enormously competent, was inserted into the race late in the process, and was not the first choice among the local council general managers. Were also told its Department of Premier and Cabinet that has oversight of the appointments. No answer from Premier Gladys Berejiklians office as to why the switch. But its certainly got local council mandarins (kumquats) talking. On the papersI celebrated Malcolm Turnbulls ascension to Australias leadership by publishing a photo on Twitter of my mother and I toasting him with champagne. "Small l liberalism" - socially progressive, economically dry, environmentally green - was on the rise again in the Liberal Party.

Of course, the right wing clipped his wings. He held the line as best he could. But now, the right has become the hard right, moving inexorably towards a friendly merger with One Nation and threatening a Trumpified, racially charged Liberal Party destabilising our centrist politics.

Kerryn Phelps is a liberal in the mould of Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:AAP

And now its clear that the new Prime Minister is controlled by the hard right. Climate change policy - dead. Energy policy focused on renewables - dead. "Religious freedom" laws demanded by the hard right as compensation for losing the same sex marriage survey - pledged but not to be revealed until after the Wenthworth byelection. Unfree speech proposals to disallow campus protests unless protesters pay for security - floated. The ABC - at risk. A non-discriminatory immigration policy - shaky.

In retrospect the most important political experience in my time as a political journo was observing the power relationship between the right and moderate wings of the Liberal Party, beginning with the bitter debate over One Nation in the late 1990s. The John Howard-Tony Abbott strategy was to stay silent on her views and preference One Nation. Jeff Kennett and Peter Costello urged rebutting her views on the merits and preferencing her last.How easy is it for the rich and powerful to buy favourable treatment from our politicians? Honest answer: we just dont know. What we do know is that weve become increasing distrustful of our pollies and doubtful of their honesty.

Illustration: Simon Letch Credit:

Polling conducted this year by Griffith University and Transparency International Australia found that 85 per cent of respondents believe at least some federal Members of Parliament are corrupt. This is up 9 points just since 2016. It includes 18 per cent who believe most or all federal politicians are corrupt.

Loading

Fully 62 per cent of respondents believe officials or politicians use their positions to benefit themselves or their family, while 56 per cent believe officials or politicians favour businesses and individuals in return for political donations or support.In the eyes of North Sydney mayor Jilly Gibson, "NS" doesn't just stand for the name of her home, but also for "no smoking". By this time next year, she wants to see "NS. NS." stickers everywhere, on doors and letterboxes.

North Sydney Council this week unanimously passed Cr Gibson's recommendation to make its CBD one of the first smoke-free business districts in Australia.

Smokers will be forced off the streets of North Sydney. Credit:Louise Kennerley

"Cigarettes are not only bad for smokers; their cigarette butts litter our streets and the secondhand smoke is detrimental to everyones health," the mayor's minute says.

"It is important that we create a safe environment for our community where everyone can enjoy our outdoor open spaces."No one begrudges NSW Treasurer and Liberal Party deputy leader Dominic Perrottet's wanting to spend more time with his children but his mishandling of finding a seat closer to home raises lots of questions. Mr Perrottet threw the government into disarray for four days with his bid to move from his current seat of Hawkesbury in north west Sydney because he said it was too far from his home in Beecroft. With weekends attending to constituency events and his weekday commitments as treasurer he was missing out as his five children grew up. Mr Perrotet's solution was to bump Multicultural Minister Ray Williams from his seat of Castle Hill, which is much closer to the Perrottet family home. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet will move seats. Credit:James Brickwood Not surprisingly Mr Williams was outraged and threatened to call a spill for the deputy leadership in the party room. Premier Gladys Berejiklian had to get involved and was apparently so busy sorting it out on Monday that she missed a photo opportunity with Prime Minister Scott Morrison for the first sod turning of the new Western Sydney airport.

On Monday evening a deal was struck where Mr Williams will keep his seat and Mr Perrottet will switch to Epping, where he lives, and the current member for Epping, Damien Tudehope, will move to the upper house. This game of north shore musical chairs will strike many voters as a self-indulgent parlour game. The Liberal Party is now neck and neck with the ALP in the polls yet it seems focused on itself rather than voters. Mr Perrottet may well have wanted to see his children more. So do all the other struggling parents in NSW. Yet they do not white-ant a colleague and throw their workplace into disarray to solve their personal problem. Ordinary parents who do not have the benefit of Mr Perrottet's $318,000 salary have to choose all the time between career and family. Actually, and this is a really crazy idea, if Mr Perrottet could not stand the travel to meet his constituents in Hawkesbury he could have bought a house in the electorate. He promised to do so before the 2015 election. Surely, a good local member wants to live among their constituents. It is perhaps Mr Perrottet's voters of Hawkesbury, who face a commute just as annoying as Mr Perrottet without the benefit of a state-government car and driver, who will feel especially miffed. Mr Perrottet was elected to represent them less than four years ago but he has now dropped them like old goods.The gas is off throughout Victoria and it could be weeks, or even months, before normal service is restored after Friday's disastrous explosions and fires at the state's primary gas processing facility.

First published in The Age on September 27, 1998

The gas supply has reached a critically low level and is being shut down. The system operator, VENCorp, last night ordered all users to switch off their gasmeters immediately.

VENCorp said about 4000 State Emergency Service volunteers would today visit every household in Victoria to ensure meters are off.

"The gas supply situation has deteriorated ... this action is necessary to safeguard the gas system and to ensure emergency services continue to receive supply," a spokesman said.

Security camera footage of Longford explosion.

Customers are asked to turn all gas appliances to the OFF position before switching off the meter by rotating the handle 90 degrees so it is at right angles to the pipe.Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, the co-founders of the photo-sharing app Instagram, have resigned and plan to leave the company in the coming weeks, adding to the challenges facing Instagram's parent company, Facebook.

Systrom, Instagram's chief executive, and Krieger, the chief technical officer, notified Instagram's leadership team and Facebook on Monday of their decision to leave, said people with direct knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

Instagrams founders, Kevin Systrom, left, and Mike Krieger, said they planned to take time off after leaving the company. Credit:NYT

Systrom and Krieger did not give a reason for their stepping down, according to the people, but said they planned to take time off after leaving Instagram. Systrom, 34, and Krieger, 32, have known each other since 2010, when they met and transformed a software project built by Systrom into what eventually became Instagram, which now has more than 1 billion users.

In a statement late Monday, Systrom said he and Krieger were "ready for our next chapter" and hinted that they would create something new.Fargo: A second suspect in the killing of a North Dakota woman whose baby was cut from her womb has gone on trial, more than a year after her disappearance transfixed the state and shone a light on violence against Native American women.

Savanna Greywind was 22-years-old and eight months pregnant when she vanished in August 2017. Her disappearance sparked vigils and searches before her body was found eight days later, shrouded in plastic and dumped in the Red River.

Savanna Greywind.

A neighbour in her apartment building, Brooke Crews, admitted that she killed Greywind and cut her baby from her womb. And now Crews' boyfriend, William Hoehn, 33, has gone on trial on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder.

Hoehn admitted he helped cover up Greywind's murder, but said he didn't know Crews had planned to kill her.POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten representatives recently returned from attending Seatrade Cruise Med 2018, the worlds largest cruise industry event focused on the Mediterranean and adjoining seas.

The St. Maarten delegation included Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Stuart Johnson and representatives of his Cabinet, and the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau.

The event brought together over 2600 industry professionals; 160+ exhibiting companies; 60 countries represented; and 30+ cruise line brands.

Seatrade Cruise Med 2018 took place from September 19-20 at the FIL Lisbon Exhibition and Congress Centre in Lisbon, Portugal and was an integral element of Portugal Shipping Week.

The theme for the cruise conference and exhibition was, Sustaining the future of cruise across the Mediterranean and adjoining seas.

Seatrade Cruise Med 2018 brought together a mix of ports and destinations, tourism authorities, ground handlers, tour operators, port agents, cruise associations, technical equipment and hotel suppliers showcasing their services and products to the cruise industry and related sectors.

The Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) was also present representing the mutual interests of the cruise industry and destinations/stakeholders in the Caribbean and Latin America. The trade associations mission was to further connect the regions to Europe. Port St. Maarten was part of the FCCA Pavilion at the conference.

Attending this very important cruise conference was one of my first official visits to meet with cruise industry stakeholders, movers and shakers. I was honored to further promote destination St. Maarten and witness first-hand Port St. Maartens awareness and track record among the cruise executives.

I commend Port St. Maarten Management, staff and the Management and Staff at the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau for their hard work in promoting the destination and bringing us back to the forefront post hurricane Irma and Maria. Those entities along with local stakeholders and cruise partners have worked diligently over the past 12-months and much has been achieved. However, I will be diligently working to address some pending concerns and formulate a new approach in tourism.

I was very pleased to learn about industry trends and developments. I fully intend on making sure our country reaps any opportunity possible within the coming months. Its time to make sure our country even exceeds its old potential, Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Stuart Johnson said on Tuesday.

The conference and exhibition featured a full networking programme and it was a success for the port. It was essential for us as a gateway port and destination to be present and meet with European cruise line executives. Many of the European executives have shown interests in the destination.

There was a lot of attention for homeporting. Additional cruise lines have shown interests due to St. Maartens strategic location in the north eastern Caribbean, the established airlinks to North, Latin America, and Europe, the diversity experience offered to cruise passengers, such as shopping, cuisine, tours and much more, continues to catch the eye of the industry.

The port is diligently working with stakeholders to offer packages to passengers of homeporting lines. Between 20 and 30 per cent of homeporting passengers take a pre- or post-cruise vacation. Normally, passengers have two to three days before they board the vessel for a cruise, and upon their return they also have the same number of days before they depart the island to return to their country.

We would like to offer them a luxury vacation package. This will be very beneficial for the destination as it will further add to economic activity throughout the local economy, Port St. Maarten Management said on Tuesday.

Rainforest Adventures received an award for being the most innovative shore excursion, and Port St. Maarten would like to use this opportunity to congratulate them on this achievement especially seeing what the country went through after the September 2017 hurricanes, the local excursion was still able to capture this award which once again demonstrates the resilience of St. Maarten as a cruise destination.

There were a number of speakers from across the industry who provided a look at the State of the Industry. Speakers also addressed meeting future demand, best practices to mitigate cruisings carbon footprint and opportunities in new destinations.

We are able to get information about global cruise industry shipbuilding trends which continues to be impressive. Current construction of new vessels is valued at more than US$57 billion delivering 100 newbuilds between now and 2027.

Seatrade Cruise Med presented a platform to discuss various issues that impact the cruise sector, whether they are challenges or opportunities. The information gathered goes towards our strategic planning as a cruise port over the mid-to-long-term.

We were able to inform them about preparations for US-pre-clearance and the cruise industry executives that we spoke with found this to be a big plus for the destination. Interests was also shown in our Port Community System as well as Information Technology developments for vacation destinations, Port St. Maarten Management added.

Seatrade Cruise Med 2018 was hosted by the Port of Lisbon Authority and supported by MedCruise (The Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports).

Principal regional sponsors included: Republica Portuguesa-Mar; Lisboa Camara Municipal; Turismo de Portugal; Turismo de Lisboa; Lisbon Cruise Port. Sponsors included: Gibraltar Tourist Board and Intercruises Shoreside & Port Services. Supporters included: Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the FCCA.

Seatrade Cruise Med is held biennially. During the conference the General Assembly of MedCruise took place. MedCruise represents over 20 per cent of the global cruise traffic with more than 100 members in the Black Sea, Red Sea, Adriatic, West and East Med and Near Atlantic.

In 2017 MedCruise handled 25.9 million passenger movements with 28 million forecast for 2018.SIMPSON BAY:--- The security status of the Princess Juliana International Airport  SXM has been much more enhanced following its participation in the Operational Security Profiler (OSP) training. A total of ten (10) employees from the Security and the Quality Assurance departments attended the training and were later certified. Meanwhile, two of the employees previously completed the Qualified Predictive Profiling (QPP) course, which is a more in-depth training in basic Predictive Profiling.

Criminals and terrorists are constantly reinventing their approach and their methods of operating and breaching the security of airports. Since these acts are affecting airports worldwide, we can never remain complacent with regards to our proactive tactics, said Security Manager Jerry Sprott.

Profiling is the recording and analysis of a person's psychological and behavioral characteristics, to assess or predict their capabilities in a certain sphere. The training can serve to allow the candidates to identify how to have a proactive prevention mindset to lower risks.

The course also included training in Predictive Profiling. Predictive Profiling uses the Aggressors Method of Operation and its correlating suspicious indicators as the basis for threat assessment to predict the potential for criminal or terrorist suspicious conduct. This is based on people, situations or an object in relation with the Aggressors Method of Operation.

The certified Operational Security Profilers were also trained to conduct security questioning, which is a special interviewing technique to ascertain suspicious indicators. The skill will allow the employees to counteract the potential threat.

The certification ceremony was held at a lunch setting. The participants were joined by the Chief Operations Officer (COO), Michel Hyman and the Director of Operations, Lloyd Hinds.Sibanye-Stillwater presents at Denver Gold Forum and will host visitors at its Stillwater operations

Posted by Publisher Internet

Sibanye-Stillwater (JSE: SGL & NYSE: SBGL  http://www.commodity-tv.net/c/search_adv/?v=298572) wishes to advise that CEO, Neal Froneman delivered a presentation at the annual Denver Gold Forum in Colorado Springs on Monday, 24 September 2018.

Following the Denver conference, Sibanye-Stillwater will be hosting a site visit to the Stillwater operations based in Montana in the United States (US) from 26 to 28 September 2018. Various presentations on the US Platinum Group Metals (PGM) operations will be shared with investors and analysts during the visit.

All the above mentioned presentations will be available on the website at www.sibanyestillwater.com/investors/presentations/2018 on the days that they will shared.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including ?forward-looking statements? within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and the ?safe harbour? provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as ?target?, ?will?, ?would?, ?expect?, ?can?, ?unlikely?, ?could? and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements, including among others, those relating to our future business prospects, financial positions, debt position and our ability to reduce debt leverage, plans and objectives of management for future operations, plans to raise capital through streaming arrangements or pipeline financing, our ability to service our Bond Instruments (High Yield Bonds and Convertible Bonds), our ability to achieve steady state production at the Blitz project and the anticipated benefits and synergies of our acquisitions are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgement of our senior management and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sibanye-Stillwater, that could cause Sibanye-Stillwater?s actual results and outcomes to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. As a consequence, these forward-looking statements should be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in the Group?s Annual Integrated Report and Annual Financial Report, published on 2 April 2018, and the Group?s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed by Sibanye-Stillwater with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 2 April 2018 (SEC File no. 001-35785). These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Sibanye-Stillwater undertakes no obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this announcement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, save as required by applicable law. Flash





The Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) opened Sunday.





It now takes 14 to 19 minutes to travel between high-speed train stations of Shenzhen Futian and Hong Kong West Kowloon.





Bullet trains also departed Sunday from Beijing and Shanghai, to Hong Kong. The travel time is about 9 hours from Beijing to Hong Kong. It used to exceed 24 hours.





The length of China's high-speed rail network had totaled 25,000 kilometers by the end of 2017, the longest of its kind in the world.





"The XRL train has slashed my commuting time to one hour from three hours," said Alex Leung, a Hong Kong entrepreneur working in Shenzhen who is considering moving his office closer to Futian high-speed railway station.





Michael Chong is thinking the other way around.





"Quite a few Hong Kong people choose to work in Hong Kong and live in Shenzhen. There is no doubt that the XRL will bring more convenience," he said. "It might be possible for me to rent a spacious flat in Shenzhen again."





Chong, who works for a travel agency in Hong Kong, used to live in Shenzhen but the long commute forced him back to Hong Kong. "The XRL will cut travel time from Hong Kong to many inland tourist attractions, too," he said.





The high-speed trains depart every 10 minutes from stations on the XRL network. Most tickets for the Mid-Autumn Festival and the week-long National Day holiday have sold out since becoming available on Sept. 10.





Chong said that a number of Hong Kong residents had booked his travel agency's travel-inland packages by high-speed train in October.





The Chinese government resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1, 1997. A grand ceremony was held to mark the 20th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to the motherland on July 1, 2017.





Last year, 241 million travels passed the Shenzhen port, a daily average of more than 662,000, according to the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.





Most travelers went for business, study, shopping or tourism.



CITIC Telecom CPC X TutorABC Collaborating for New Milestone in Global Education Digitalization

TutorABC is recognized as Information Visionary in the IDC Digital Transformation Awards 2018, achieving a new milestone in online interactive learning market with ICT leader CITIC Telecom CPC

HONG KONG, Sept 24, 2018  (ACN Newswire)  CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (\CITIC Telecom CPC\), a wholly owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK:1883) together with leading online education provider TutorABC announce their continuous collaboration in reaching new heights for global Edtech development.

Combining AI technologies with big data analytics, TutorABC developed the \AI-enabled Dynamic Course Generation System (DCGS)\. The system transforms traditional education model to bring advanced online learning experience through generating personalized educational programs with appropriate consultant and material based on each student\-\-s interest and capabilities. It is also a result of collaborating with leading ICT service provider CITIC Telecom CPC to integrate interactive learning with cloud computing, big data analytics and network connectivity.

To celebrate the success of this collaboration, CITIC Telecom CPC nominated this project for the IDC\-\-s \Digital Transformation Awards 2018\. At the award ceremony held earlier, TutorABC\-\-s DCGS was recognized and awarded as the \Information Visionary\. The award is a recognition of TutorABC\-\-s innovation by introducing Edtech to the education industry and transforms itself to an online learning leader. The award also demonstrates the success of its collaboration with CITIC Telecom CPC, who supports the AI-enabled DCGS with extensive network and cloud infrastructure, enabling a speedy global implementation and digitalization of this education platform.

TutorABC brought a fresh breeze to the traditional English tutoring market in 2006 by introducing and patenting the DCGS. Through integrating this interactive learning platform with CITIC Telecom CPC\-\-s global ICT services, especially the networking and cloud computing technologies, the DCGS has created a breakthrough from the traditional restricted study venue and schedule to bring students a brand new online learning experience. TutorABC\-\-s DCGS was exclusively designed to integrate AI-enabled facial recognition technologies with online learning data to optimize and align each student\-\-s need with different consultant\-\-s style and learning material. This AI-enabled learning platform demands heavy computing power and its real-time interactive online platform also requires a stable connectivity and reliable cloud infrastructure.

\The exceptional industry knowledge from CITIC Telecom CPC together with its global real-time technical support team have been providing us all the necessary resources. Its networking capability, high computing power cloud infrastructure and data centers support every development milestones of our online education platform,\ said Arthur Shen, COO, TutorABC.

\Innovation Never Stops is our motto. To compete in a global market that is driven by digital transformation, excellent business model and the ability to quickly bring the innovative ideas into reality with concrete offerings in the global market are both keys to success. We are glad to collaborate with TutorABC to bring their innovative Edtech concept into reality. It is an honor for CITIC Telecom CPC to support TutorABC with our professional team and comprehensive ICT solutions, taking education digitalization to new heights and being accredited the \IDC Digital Transformation Awards 2018  Information Visionary ,\ added Stephen Ho, CEO, CITIC Telecom CPC.

Through its world-class cloud computing and private network solutions with global coverage, CITIC Telecom CPC brings TutorABC\-\-s interactive online learning platform to the international market, enabling borderless and high quality learning experience for students. With world-class Tier 3+ data centers hosting the DCGS, TutorABC can bring the concept of AI-enabled personalized learning experience into reality.

\We believe a reliable communication infrastructure is the foundation of successful digital transformation. As a global ICT services partner, we help our customers design their network infrastructure resources based on their business models and needs. In the past few years, we have been growing together with TutorABC, footprint not only spanning from Asia Pacific to Europe and America, but also extending to Russia and South Africa, marching into the new world of digitalization to transform the education industry,\ said Jason Chu, General Manager of Taiwan, CITIC Telecom CPC.

In a market with limited IT talent, budget and time, CITIC Telecom CPC believes enterprises should seek technology partners with ICT services capabilities for business expansion and transformation. A competent technology provider should possess ICT expertise serving multiple markets, vast experiences in project implementation and management, as well as the ability to provide 247 onsite professional supports. Only by having partner with these capabilities, enterprises can simplify IT management, realign resources towards the strategic development of their core businesses, and capture all the emerging business opportunities to accelerate growth. \The recognition of TutorABC at the IDC Digital Transformation Awards 2018 is also a reflection of CITIC Telecom CPC\-\-s core value-services bring the brightness out of a remarkable business,\ added Chu.

\TutorABC focuses on Edtech development. In 2010, we are the first to introduce a 247 online learning platform. It also marked the beginning of our partnership with CITIC Telecom CPC, who has since become our perfect partner to realize our vision in digitalizing online education. With the support of its advanced ICT services, we are able to achieve different milestones at a much faster pace-wherever our customers need us, CITIC Telecom CPC\-\-s service is there, allowing us to bring this exceptional learning experience around the world,\ said Shen.

DCGS is a patented AI-enabled learning platform developed by TutorABC. It integrates big data analytics, deep learning and AI technologies with online education to truly realize the vision of personalized learning experience. CITIC Telecom CPC\-\-s comprehensive ICT infrastructure and professional services, together with TutorABC\-\-s AI-enabled online learning platform, pose a great example to demonstrate the success of a shared economy. \Through this partnership with CITIC Telecom CPC, we are able to bring quality education to remote locations, allowing students to experience world-class education anytime anywhere. This education-for-all learning platform is also the foundation for TutorABC to establish its leadership in the online education market,\ concluded Shen.

CITIC Telecom CPC Enterprise Solutions:

 DataHOUSE(TM) Cloud Data Centers are built on a world-class technology platform and carrier-grade network infrastructure, connecting more than 30 data centers worldwide. Complementing CITIC Telecom CPC\-\-s SmartCLOUD(TM) service centers, this service provides customers with high quality global operations network. DataHOUSE(TM) supports fast deployment of AI-enabled DCGS, enabling the access of big data for accurate analytics to provide quality personalized learning experiences.

 SmartCLOUD(TM) is a global cloud computing platform and foundation for TutorABC to build its learning platform. This IaaS offering provides flexibility in the computing resources allocation, allowing TutorABC to make real-time adjustment, better control its financial resources, as well as adapt to its rapid global expansion. Meanwhile, enabling high security, privacy and availability of the service.

 TrustCSITM provides enterprise-grade information security and data protection. Data breach and various compliance requirements are forcing many enterprises to put information security as their top priority. CITIC Telecom CPC TrustCSITM is a managed security services proven to bring effective disaster recovery capabilities through multiple security operation centers (SOCs), supporting enterprises\-\- growing demand for information security.

 TrueCONNECTTM Premium is a managed Private Network service using MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching) technology to connect offices and sites from different locations. This service allows TutorABC to bring high quality network experiences in its online learning platform, enabling low-latency connectivity for reliable communications regardless it is via voice, video or text. It also provides Quality-of-Service (QoS), enable students a smooth online video learning experience across the world. CITIC Telecom CPC\-\-s global connectivity and ICT services span across all five continents with more than 140 Points of Presence in 130 countries. By 2018, it will be offering 18 cloud service platforms with more than 30 cloud data centers to support different multi-nationals corporations across the world.

About CITIC Telecom CPC

CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (\CITIC Telecom CPC\), a wholly owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883), serves multinational enterprises the world over by addressing their specific ICT requirements with highly scalable tailored solutions built upon the company\-\-s flagship technology suites, comprising TrueCONNECT(TM) private network solutions, TrustCSI(TM) information security solutions, DataHOUSE(TM) global unified cloud data center solutions, and SmartCLOUD(TM) cloud computing solutions.

As one of the first managed service providers in Hong Kong to achieve ISO 9001, 14001, 20000, 27001, and 27017 ICT-related certifications, CITIC Telecom CPC delivers on its superior quality commitment through a broad global footprint encompassing some of the highest growth markets in Asia, Europe and America, with over 140 points of presence, 18 Cloud service centers, 30+ data centers, and two dedicated 247 Security Operations Centers.

At CITIC Telecom CPC, \Innovation Never Stops.\

For more information please visit www.citictel-cpc.com

About iTutorGroup

Established in 2004, iTutorGroup is the largest online education group in the world, providing a diversified curriculum system, flexible session schedules and professionally-certified consultants via cloud computing integration services developed by a technology team in Silicon Valley, U.S. Our clients range from teenagers to business professionals. Through our patent Dynamic Course Generation System (DCGS), we connect learners with consultants worldwide, as well as customize sessions and materials to create a unique online interactive teaching environment. iTutorGroup has English teaching brands, TutorABC, tutorJr and vipjr, and a Chinese teaching brand, TutorMing. We have over 5,000 in-house employees and more than 30,000 consultants from 100 cities across more than 80 countries. Since its founding, iTutorGroup has provided more than 18 million online sessions to clients from 135 countries and territories around the world.

In October of 2015, iTutorGroup valuation came to more than US$1 billion, a new record in online education funding, after its series C funding of around USD$200 million from GIC, Russia-China Investment Fund, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Silverlink Capital, and Singapore\-\-s Temasek Holdings, Ltd. Notably, Temasek also participated in Series B funding, which was completed in 2014, and also included Alibaba and Qiming Weichuang Venture Capital Management Co. Ltd., totaling US$100 million, and introduced Japan\-\-s SBI Holdings, Inc. (formerly Softbank Investment) as a strategic investor.

Media Contact:

Rowena Leung

(+852) 2170 7536

Email: rowena.leung@citictel-cpc.com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.You are here: Travel

 Flash





Guyan Huaxiang's reputation as a picture-perfect destination has made it a hub for painters, who come from near and far to capture its beauty with brushstrokes, Xing Yi explores the town.





Li Dawei is putting the final touches on his 10-meter-long painting-an artistic representation of an old cobbled street in Guyan Huaxiang.





The artwork portrays the guesthouses and coffee shops that line the town's main street. It also depicts a cat perched on a large elm and fish swimming in a river.





"I love the big elm standing at the entrance to the street," Li says.





"It's like an old grandma watching the people and things happening in this lively township. This is my first visit here. It was love at first sight."





Guyan Huaxiang's name translates as "painting and dam town". And artists agree that the picturesque settlement in Zhejiang province's Lishui city lives up to its name.





Creative types like Li have been drawn to the scenery along the Oujiang River, the 800-year-old Song Dynasty (960-1279) Tongjiyan dam and the pristine peaks that fringe the town since the 1980s.





The town staged an arts festival between Aug 13 and 19 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of the local Barbizon Painting School.





The original Barbizon School was established by a group of French artists, including Theodore Rousseau and Jean-Francois Millet, who abandoned formalism. They drew inspiration directly from nature in the 19th century. Its leaders took the name from the village of Barbizon in France.





Fast forward to 1987. Chinese painters who had visited France brought the artistic approach to Guyan Huaxiang, which shares some similarities with Barbizon. They started to paint it in tribute to those French artists.





"Lishui's artists have inherited the Barbizon School's essence. So, they take their primary inspiration from nature," says Zhejiang Painting Academy's honorary dean, Pan Honghai.





"They're Guyan Huaxiang's artistic soul."





Guyan Huaxiang and Barbizon became sister cities in 2015.





Over 300 painters, including a growing number of art students, regularly visit the town to capture its beauty every year, Pan says.





Organizers of the recent festival invited a dozen emerging young artists with different specializations to host seminars and create new works.





International award-winning children's book illustrator Fu Wenzheng was among the group.





"I found the sky is bluer and the river is clearer here," she says.





"And time passes more slowly."



ASPCA disaster responders rescued this dog from a home in Robeson County North Carolina after Hurricane Florence flooded the area.The S.C. Department of Transportation and the National Guard have installed a flood barrier on Highway 17 between the Waccamaw and Great Pee Dee rivers, but officials said they still expect flooding to force the bridges to close at some point.This artist's illustration depicts NASA's Mars 2020 rover studying its surroundings. Mars 2020 is targeted for launch in July or August 2020 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

NASA's next Mars rover will be named by a schoolkid, just like the agency's previous wheeled Red Planet explorers.

The agency plans to run a naming competition for the vehicle, which is currently known as the Mars 2020 rover, during the 2019 school year, NASA officials announced today (Sept. 24). The contest will be open to U.S. students from kindergarten to 12th grade, who will be asked to write an essay explaining their choice.

But the agency won't be running this operation by itself. NASA is asking "corporations, nonprofits and educational organizations involved in science and space exploration" to sponsor the contest. (If you work for one such group, you can read the proposal announcement here.) [NASA's Mars Rover 2020 Mission in Pictures (Gallery)]

"We've been doing naming contests since the very first Mars rover back in 1997," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., said in a statement. "Thousands of kids participate, and their enthusiasm for the contest and Mars is infectious."

That first Mars rover, Sojourner, was named by Vallery Ambroise, a Connecticut 12-year-old who wanted to honor 19th-century abolitionist and activist Sojourner Truth. Arizona third-grader Sofi Collis won the contest to name the twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which landed on Mars three weeks apart in January 2004. And Kansas sixth-grader Clara Ma submitted the name "Curiosity" for the car-size rover that has been exploring Mars' huge Gale Crater since August 2012.

The Mars 2020 rover is based heavily on Curiosity, sharing the same chassis and the sky-crane landing system. Like Curiosity, Mars 2020 will assess ancient Mars' ability to host life. But the new robot will go a step further as well and hunt for signs of past life. Mars 2020 also carries some fancy new gadgets, including a technology demonstration that will generate oxygen from the Martian atmosphere and a mini-helicopter that will fly scouting sorties.

As its name suggests, Mars 2020 is scheduled to launch in 2020  specifically, in July or August of that year.

A European life-hunting rover will also launch toward the Red Planet in 2020, and that vehicle needs a name as well. The UK Space Agency is running a naming competition for the ExoMars rover; that contest, which runs through Oct. 10, is open to residents of European Space Agency (ESA) member states and "associate members."

The European rover is the second phase of the two-part ExoMars program, which is led by ESA in partnership with Russia. Phase one delivered the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and a landing demonstrator called Schiaparelli to the Red Planet in 2016. Schiaparelli crashed, but TGO made it safely and is now hunting for methane and other potentially biologically interesting gases from Mars orbit.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.Phobos is the larger of Mars' two small moons and bears the scars of millennia of small impacts.

Scientists have struggled for decades to explain how the two tiny moons of Mars came to be, but a new study relying on old data bolsters one of the two major hypotheses.

That idea argues that Phobos and Deimos formed in the aftermath of a giant impact with Mars itself, which makes an awful lot of sense given their orbital paths. But that explanation hasn't been a perfect fit: Both these tiny moons appear incredibly dark, like a certain class of carbon-rich asteroids, suggesting that they were born in the asteroid belt, flew too close to Mars and got trapped by the planet's gravity. Phobos is about 14 miles (22 kilometers) across, while Deimos is 8 miles (13 km) wide.

"The fun part for me has been taking a poke at some of the ideas out there using an old data set that's has been underutilized," lead author Tim Glotch, a geoscientist at Stony Brook University in New York, said in a statement released by the American Geophysical Union, which runs the journal that published the new research. [Moons of Mars: Amazing Photos of Phobos and Deimos]

That old data set was gathered in 1998 by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor, which measured the heat signature of Phobos, the larger of the two Martian moons. Glotch and his colleagues compared that data with data from a range of terrestrial rocks and a tiny piece of a meteorite gathered near Tagish Lake in western Canada. Scientists think this meteorite broke off from an asteroid of the same type suspected to have formed the moons.

But it turned out that the old Phobos data didn't match that Tagish meteorite very well. "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 in the statement.

"That leads us to believe that perhaps Phobos might be a remnant of an impact that occurred early on in Martian history," he said. That old Martian material would be mixed with other material from the impact.

If the research team is proven correct, the insight would resolve the perceived flaw in the giant-impact theory of Martian moon formation. And conveniently enough, scientists may not have to go fishing through more decades-old data to answer this question.

That's thanks to a planned Japanese mission called Martian Moons Exploration. The spacecraft, which the Japanese space agency hopes to launch in the early 2020s, is being designed to orbit both moons and bring home a sample from one of them. Scientists could then study that sample, as well as asteroid samples brought back by the Japanese mission Hayabusa2 and the U.S. mission OSIRIS-REx, to compare the composition of the three different solar system bodies  and, with some luck, solve the Martian moon mystery once and for all.

The new research is described in a paper published Sept. 24 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.Namira Salim (left), founder of Space Trust, which has organized "Space 2030: Space as a Driver for Peace," alongside Robert Skinner, the executive director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) and Simonetta Di Pippo, director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), stand together on a panel at the SDGMediaZone at the United Nations.

NEW YORK  Today (Sept. 25), leaders from around the world will gather at the United Nations Headquarters for Space2030: Space as a Driver for Peace, an event to support the peaceful activity of humans in space.

As a species, we continue to push farther out into space. As missions through space agencies like NASA explore far out into our solar system, both government agencies and private companies send experiments and satellites into low earth orbit.

At Space2030, leaders in space and politics will convene to create a vision of what peace in space will hopefully look like in the future. This will be the "first broad ranging vision dealing with space activities under the auspices of United Nations at a crucial time for the definition of the future of Space and Global Space Governance," representatives from the organization Space Trust said in an email to Space.com.

Space2030 is organized by Space Trust in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP). Space.com is a media partner of Space2030 and will be attending today's event.

With this event, attendees aim to strengthen and encourage international collaboration and address challenges with space activities regarding safety, sustainability and more. The event is also concerned with space accessibility: These efforts additionally will support all nations, including developing nations, having equal access to space, Simonetta Di Pippo, an astrophysicist and director of UNOOSA, toldto Space.com. This could mean anything from being able to send technology or experiments into orbit to having access to data from space-based technologies and efforts.

"The main goal [of Space2030] is to promote international cooperation for the peaceful uses [of space] and for sustainable development," Di Pippo said. She added that UNOOSA works to connect experts, the United Nations' member states, all of the space agencies, the private sector and NGOs to work toward these goals. "In a way, we connect the dots," she said. And Space2030: Space as a Driver for Peace aims to be a major stepping stone to connect these dots and work toward a peaceful future in space.

One dignitary attending Space2030 is Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus, who sees space exploration as the realm of all countries.

"For Cyprus it is a great honour to be part of this initiative. A noble initiative indeed, one that attempts to be a driver of peace," Anastasiades said. "Undeniably, the view of our planet Earth from space transcends national and political boundaries and I believe that cooperation in space technologies and exploration can be a uniting element for all humanity.'"

Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.Ever since astronomers spotted 'Oumuamua, the first-ever object from beyond our solar system, it has offered more questions than answers:  What is it? Where did it come from? Why is it so darn weird?

But a team of scientists has announced they may have made major progress on that second question, narrowing down the object's origins to just four stars.

The research is based on data gathered in June that suggested 'Oumuamua wasn't just hurtling through space willy-nilly. Instead, it seemed like when the object was near the sun, it picked up a bit of extra speed, as if, like a comet, it carried something like ice that could turn to water vapor and propel the object forward a little faster than usual.

Accounting for that fact nudged 'Oumuamua's entry trajectory into our solar system a bit. (Scientists only spotted the object on its way out of the solar system, then had to retrace its path to track its origin.)

Then, the scientists consulted a huge batch of data produced by the European Space Agency's Gaia mission to pinpoint the precise locations of stars. That atlas is important not just to allow scientists to identify potential source solar systems, but also to calculate how nearby stars and their gravity tugged the object off-course along its journey.

Combining those two pieces of information, the team identified four possible stars that could have birthed 'Oumuamua: red dwarf HIP 3757, sunlike star HD 292249, and two other stars without such manageable nicknames as of yet.

Astronomers believe that 'Oumuamua (the name means "messenger from afar arriving first" in Hawaiian) must have come from a solar system with at least one large gas giant planet in order for it to have been kicked out and set off across the universe. As of yet, all four candidate stars are planet-less  but that could always change.

The new research is described in a paper posted Sept. 24 to the preprint site arXiv.org and has been accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal.

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.



This episode of Mayans MC turned up the heat on some people that quite frankly made me nervous. Let's discuss!



Club Doings



If I have learned one thing fromit is that the politics of club business is always a little tricky to follow, so you must pay attention to the pieces set up throughout the episode to pull it all together. This episode was mostly focused on the club, which was interesting because we got to see how the move as one group. Here is the gist of what the club was doing, various business partners with Galindo were uneasy after the heist of the heroin in the first episode. The Mayans met with men that work in the prison and the Chinese to calm their fears about how the transport and shipping is going as they distribute the product. This meeting was done at a casino which is considered neutral ground. The club was able to soothe tensions and the meeting was deemed a success with all parties feeling better about where they stood. All in a day's work right? Wrong, this impromptu summit also involved finding a rat within the Chinese inner circle and turned up the heat to boiling on Angel and his crew that deal with Adelita's rebelsbehind the MC's back.At the beginning of the episode, Angel arrived at Adelita's basecamp and says he has a buyer for the stolen H, Adelita informs him that they only have 6 keys left as they had burned 3 in the video for Miguel. The heat is on and they need to move the drugs quickly for everyone's sake. This meeting ties directly back into the summit at the casino because that buyer that Angel spoke of is named Jimmy Yen and does a little business on the side without his Chinese crew's knowledge. Cut to what is mentioned above, and when the Chinese and Mayans start to enjoy some scotch after the successful gathering, Bishop shoots Jimmy in the head. All of this was done at the request of Galindo as a favor to the Chinese as they couldn't kill their own man. This was a warning shot figuratively and literally to whomever dares to deal behind their crew's back and that is exactly what Angel, Coco, Gilly and EZ are doing. I had earlier pondered what reaction Bishop would have should he find out what Angel is spearheading behind his back and this episode may have given the answer. The biggest thing that stuck with me after Jimmy was killed was that it was said he broke the cardinal rule of not cutting in the club to his side hustle. If the truth came out soon, could the club forgive Angel and his boys if they get cut in and all go against Galindo? Perhaps, but at the end of the episode El Padrino seemed to know their was a rat in this crew and it is a very uneasy feeling. Also worth mentioning that at the start of the episode we see that the orphans, kidnapped Cristobal and Adelita are running out of food and need funds. Adelita is a very interesting character, you can't help but root for her cause, but at the same time she is using the stolen drugs to fund her orphans and that seems counterproductive to the cause. They have to do what they need to survive, but it feeds the vicious cycle that has ruined their lives. We also get a scene with EZ and Cristobal and I half wondered if he would take off with him to reunite him with his mother, it brought up some emotions that EZ would rather continue to bury as well.One of the biggest mysteries since the series began is what happened to EZ that sent his life into chaos. We got some more breadcrumbs this week as to what lead him down this path. Every turn he took this episode seemed to dredge up painful memories. Whether it was holding Cristobal and feeling what could have been had he and Emily had their baby, or having a run-in with racist cops at the casino, we as the audience are starting to get the full picture. In one flashback to eight years prior, we see the act that landed him in prison, the shooting of the police officer. He was chasing someone and they exchanged gun fire back and forth. When someone was approaching him behind, he reacted and shot him without seeing who exactly that was. EZ probably did not know the cop he killed and it was a chain of events that spiraled out of his control. The biggest question that remains is why a young man attending Stanford would be bloodied and bruised while chasing someone with guns blazing. Could this interaction have something to do with Angel? Could it have to do with him needing money? Could it all have been something he couldn't get out of? That part is unclear, but what it is clear is that EZ's life took a sharp left turn before the death of the police officer and it has set his course from the happy man we saw in the first flashback in episode one.EZ is not the only one being affected by his past, his father Felipe is as well. When EZ's handler Jimenez shows up unannounced, Felipe gives him the business and tells him his son has done everything he wanted. Jimenez says he is just there to makes sure everything is on track and gives him a new number for EZ to contact with him. Felipe then notices that he is being followed and confronts the guy who is doing it. Edward James Olmos is such a pleasure to watch in any role he does, and I loved seeing him in protective dad mode once again. Felipe doesn't need a babysitter and the man doing the following learns that quickly, Jimenez put him there to make sure everything is fine because things are heating up around the border with Galindo. I have to wonder if this all stems from Cristobal's kidnapping and the fact that Miguel is out for blood and the DEA has gotten word. Either way, Felipe hates this deal his son is in and is fearful it will get him killed. At the end of the episode he rips up the new number and does not inform EZ of its existence. Seems like Jimenez will be dealing with the elder Reyes for now.Miguel is quietly spinning out of control and it doesn't help that his father's confidant Devante is in his ear now. We learn how the cartel recruits younger crew and it is a bit disturbing. Once a young boy is zeroed in on as a problem for the cartel, they are given a choice to join the family's blood oath. Miguel terrifies a kid that caused some grief and slices his palm once he 'agrees' to join. Miguel like EZ was never supposed to be here, his family wanted to ensure he had a life outside of the cartel and sent him to get his education. Like EZ, circumstances brought him back and now he is in a place that he wasn't destined for. This similarities and contrast between our protagonist and antagonist is quite striking and the fact that they love the same woman is even more intense. Miguel is ruthless now and it could cost him everything that he holds dear. He is keeping a distance from Emily because he knows she is aware he lied about retaliation. This deepens the chasm between them further and causes Emily to no longer fully trust her husband.Speaking of Emily, she is losing control as the trail to her son grows cold. She had the right instincts to go to the square where the ice cream man and his son was burned, but she really has no other moves to get him back. This is one character I can't quite get a grasp of. So far Emily has been here to establish EZ's past life and heartbreak and Miguel's personal life as a father and husband. The problem for me here is that she remains mostly isolated to those two. I am hoping that somehow she can be brought into the main story in some way. Yes, she is missing her son, and that drama plays on the periphery of the club as they search for him for Miguel, but I want to see her interact with more than just the Galindos. This could happen because Emily is not one to sit back and take Miguel's word for it as we've seen.* Who else loved the final scene with Felipe tucking in Angel and EZ? It shed some light on Angel and Felipe's dynamic finally and you could almost feel the relief from Felipe of having both his sons under one roof safely for at least a night.* SOA connection alert! According to the twittervese you could call that number Felipe was given and get a special message from Tellar-Morrow automotive!* Miguel now has a plant inas the young girl with the scar on her face brought back a boy with a slice on his palm. Emily may just get Cristobal back soon.* Angel and EZ may be in an MC but that doesn't mean Angel won't call a club brother out for trying to short his actual brother. I loved when he shut down Coco using his brother to count cards and made sure EZ got his cut. Being a protective big bro never changes.* EZ is stashing quite a lot of cash for what I can only guess is nest egg for a getaway.Vietnam has its first female president with the appointment of Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh after Tran Dai Quang died Friday from a serious illness.

Thinh will be the acting president until the National Assembly elects a new leader, according to a statement on the government website, which cited parliament chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Thinh has been vice president since April 2016.STAMFORD  The sprawling Harbor Point development responsible for a decade of building high-rise apartment towers in the South End has recently come under renewed scrutiny from inside and outside City Hall.

The project and developer Building and Land Technology, which has overseen the $3.5 billion overhaul of the South Ends western waterfront and east side, will be the subject of a Board of Representatives committee meeting Wednesday with members seeking more information about the developments taxing district. Meanwhile, a petition is circulating in the neighborhood that seeks to contain the developers advance into the historic South End.

Residents who have been in the South End for many years are becoming increasingly concerned about co-existing in an overcrowded community, the petition reads, in part. As a result, there are major concerns from a number of South End residents and others who live in the city of Stamford concerning the overwhelming development of high-rises in the South End and other small communities.

The petition goes on to list seven action items including a prohibition on more high-rise buildings, an end to street-widening and a push to preserve historic structures  many built in the industrial era  which have been bulldozed at an increasing rate.

At issue before the boards Land Use Committee Wednesday evening is the perceived lax reporting by the Harbor Point Infrastructure Improvement District, created for the development a decade ago. The corporate entity, a tax-increment-financing district (TIF), was established to fund the millions of dollars of infrastructure work needed to turn old brownfields and vacant factories into habitable land.

The citys oversight of the district and developer BLT is lacking , said city Rep. Megan Cottrell, D-4, who introduced a review of the districts reporting requirements.

Theyre not transparent at all, she said. I wanted to know more about the district ... I got a whole lot of nothing.

City Economic Development Director Thomas Madden, who has been on the districts board since 2016, said the perception that the setup is opaque stems from a common misunderstanding: The district, while enabled by state legislation, is not itself a municipal agency. It is not required to post minutes and agendas.

However, it does keep minutes as required by the enabling legislation, and those can be reviewed by the public.

Cottrell, who has spoken with Madden about the issue, said she called and asked around City Hall for quarterly or annual reports on the district and its financials but found little.

She cited the annual meeting minutes posted on the city website as highlighting the districts opacity.

Each year, a page or two is posted. It lists five directors  all but one from BLT  and goes on to say the original agreement has not been amended since 2007.

Madden said the lack of information is because there was no action taken. Meetings in recent years have lasted five minutes, he said. Minutes of earlier meetings, which are available to the public at BLT offices but not online, have more content.

Cottrell said she worries the city is asleep at the wheel, and must better grasp TIF districts and their governance.

It appears BLT is angling for another TIF district for more of the South End, including two blocks it has recently assembled. Enabling legislation was signed into law by Gov. Dannel Malloy earlier this year.

The Board of Representatives would get a vote on the districts creation. Cottrell said she wants the board to know what its voting on.

barry.lytton@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2263; @bglyttonSTAMFORD  Police and firefighters were dispatched to assist flooded motorists in several areas of the city Tuesday afternoon.

Flooded cars were reported on Broad Street near Mill River, under the railroad bridge on Elm Street and under the Myrtle Street railroad bridge. While many got out of their own cars without assistance, firefighters were called out to help a driver with water rising under the Elm Street bridge. Flash

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.

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.STAMFORD  Stamford Hospitals long-defunct nursing school may no longer be around, but a group of graduates is hoping to keep the memory of the educational institution alive.

Patricia Sileo Agostino and Brenda Peters Grant  nurses who graduated from the school that closed in 1976  have been working for months to memorialize the school they cherished.

On Tuesday, they unveiled the fruits of their labor: a bronze sculpture of two hands holding a replica of the Stamford Hospital School of Nursing cap.

Students at the school, which opened in 1901 and closed as nursing programs shifted to colleges and universities, were given the white caps when they began their studies. As they progressed, they earned light-colored bands for the caps, and eventually, a black band when they graduated.

Agostino, Class of 67, and Grant, class of 69, said the program model was labor-intensive and challenging. Agostino said the nurses at the school covered all shifts, year-round, with only three weeks off in August. The school wasnt merely an educational program, as the student nurses provided staff for the hospital.

Everybody thought it was an excellent school that produced very competent and caring nurses, Agostino said.

Rosina Zezima, who graduated in 1945, said the program was demanding, but produced great results.

You think back and figure that you had almost a better education because it was so intense, she said, comparing the program to modern-day medical schools.

She remembered a stretch where she worked every night shift without a night off for three months.

She finally got a night off, only to get a call that day before 2 p.m. asking her to come back.

You wouldnt dare say no, she said, laughing.

The school provided staffing for the hospital during times of need, such as the 1916 polio epidemic and the 1918 flu pandemic, which struck more than 1,800 residents, according to Christina Scott, a hospital spokesperson.

During World War II, over 50 graduates from the school joined the armed services. Nellie DeWitt, one of the graduates, served in both world wars and became the first director of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps.

Kathleen Silard, COO of Stamford Hospital, and a nurse herself, said the former nursing school had 953 graduates over its history. There are currently four nursing school graduates who work at the hospital.

It was considered one of the best schools in the country and was granted magnet status, given for nursing excellence, by the American Nursing Credentialing Center.

But as the years went by since the school closed, and its former home was torn down, people needed to be reminded about the highly regarded school, said Helen Keeley, acting president of the nursing schools alumni association.

What we found was that many younger people had no idea there was a school here. We just needed something to acknowledge the fact that we were here, Grant said.

The sculpture will be placed in a display case in the hallway that connects the old hospital with the new building.

Agostino said the hands in the sculpture symbolize any nurses hands.

I invite all nurses to view this sculpture as a tribute to the nursing profession and to nurses everywhere, she said.

ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.comSTAMFORD  Enter a high school cafeteria during lunchtime and youll see the usual shenanigans: selfies, Snapchat and students glued to their cellphones. And sometimes the phone activity continues into class  as approved by teachers and integrated into the lesson plan.

While Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk recently banned cellphones in classrooms, Stamford Public Schools does not have an overall policy and some see the devices as valuable learning tools.

At Stamford High School, Principal Ray Manka said teachers use various methods to control cellphone use in class. Some rooms have phone caddies where students store their devices for the duration of class. Others use whats known as the stoplight protocol  red, yellow or green signage at the door of the classroom indicates whether the phone should be off, on and ready to maybe be used, or is definitely part of the lesson that day.

Since cellphones have become a part of some teachers instruction, Manka said he hesitates to implement a blanket ban in the classroom.

Id be worried about creating some sort of digital divide, he said.

The district relies on its appropriate-use policy to control cellphone use. The policy states, each user is responsible for his/her personal device and should use it responsibly and appropriately.

Its useful, Westhill High School junior Micayla Roth said. I like that were allowed to use them. Sometimes people use them a little too much.

In his two decades in education, Manka said hes only seen cellphones become an issue in about the last five years. However, as cellphones have advanced, theyve also become a learning tool to teach students about having an online presence and using the devices in constructive ways.

What we really try to stress at Stamford High is being responsible and being able to make appropriate decisions, Manka said. Were trying to help our young people use these tools appropriately. We all make mistakes, we all fall down. Its our responsibility as educators to help our students learn these can be valuable tools when used appropriately.

Students have embraced the value of cellphones  some after-school clubs use an app called Remind to send members texts when they have meetings. Others use Google Drive for papers and note taking, while some teachers use apps as part of their lesson plan.

But for every positive use of a phone, students see misuse such as cheating and using the devices to avoid socializing during lunch.

Ive seen phones being used in an unproductive way much more often than Ive seen them used in a productive way, Stamford High senior Shayna Druckman said. Ive seen people use them to cheat or just be distracted on them. Its pretty easy to conceal your phone. I dont think thats helpful at all. If they were banned at least during class time, that would help that problem a little bit more.

erin.kayata@stamfordadvocate.com; (203) 964-2265; @erin_kayataOn a sticky summer weeknight, parents sat on lawn chairs in the grass. Children rode a zip-line and drew in chalk on the asphalt. A rock band played '90s hits from R.E.M. and Pearl Jam. A food truck sold mango lassi.

The November election was months away, but Rep. Barbara Comstock, R, was handing out balloons and meeting constituents. Democrats supporting her challenger, state Sen. Jennifer Wexton, set up a tent and chatted with voters.

Beneath the idyll of suburbs like Brambleton, a planned community less than 20 years old that lies about 30 miles west of Washington, D.C., a fierce battle for Virginia's 10th District and control of Congress is underway.

Brambleton sits in Loudoun County, Virginia, in the middle of the 10th District, which has been in Republican hands for more than three decades.

But as more Asians, Latinos and well-educated younger people have moved into the congressional district in the past decade, the Republican grip has slipped. In 2016, Hillary Clinton carried the district by about 10 points; in last year's gubernatorial contest, Democrat Ralph Northam beat Republican Ed Gillespie there by 12 points.

Now, Democrats say the demographic changes, combined with President Donald Trump's unpopularity - especially in voter-rich Loudoun County - have finally put the congressional seat within reach.

Much of the sprawling 10th District is decided territory - Comstock will win die-hard Republicans in the rural Shenandoah Valley, while Wexton has it made in liberal Fairfax and Prince William precincts.

But Brambleton is home to the type of diverse, well-educated voters, many of them new arrivals, who will decide the race.

Comstock and Wexton are in a struggle to win these voters, and their strategies reflect the challenge each party faces across the country in November.

Just like Democrats in battleground races throughout the country, Wexton is working hard to nationalize the race and capitalize on Trump's unpopularity to convince voters - particularly educated suburban women - they need to elect Democrats as a check on the president.

Comstock and other Republicans in swing districts have the opposite goal - make the race about local issues, emphasize an ability to deliver for constituents and aim to create some distance between themselves and Trump.

---

When Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, the Loudoun County Democratic Committee could count on only about three dozen people to turn up at meetings. But since Trump's election, three times as many routinely pack the get-togethers, said the party's county chairman, Alfonso Nevarez.

The party once struggled to field a congressional candidate. This year, more than a dozen expressed serious interest and six ultimately competed for the nomination.

The district's proximity to Washington - a slice of it lies inside the Beltway - means national politics are inescapable. And Trump's election inspired a degree of progressive fervor and engagement not seen there before.

"Trump was the tipping point for me," said Emily Ticknor, a 33-year-old stay-at-home mother. She and her husband, who works in cybersecurity, moved to Brambleton three years ago in search of a family-oriented community.

Though an active voter, she said she didn't grasp the consequences of Trump's election after giving birth to her second child. She said she went out in the rain with her 3-week-old son and toddler daughter to buy diapers and a car almost ran them over.

The driver rolled down her window and yelled, "Why don't you go back to where you came from?" she said. That's when it hit her: "This is really happening."

Ticknor, whose biological parents are Cuban, was born and raised in the United States and speaks only English. She and her four siblings were adopted by white Southern Baptists. Growing up in south Florida, she never encountered overt racism, she said.

"Trump brought out an underlying hatred in Americans, and he's emboldened them to say and do whatever they want," she said. "We've become a country of bullies."

She will not vote for Comstock, because the congresswoman is in lockstep with Trump's Republican Party, Ticknor said.

From January 2017 through the end of July 2018, Comstock voted with the president's agenda 98 percent of the time, according to the website FiveThirtyEight.

"My husband jokes, it could be a bologna sandwich - if it's a Democrat he's going to vote for it," she said.

For Ticknor's Brambleton neighbor Amanda Dowling, the 2017 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, changed everything.

"Voting was not a priority for me," said Dowling, who moved to Brambleton five years ago from Arlington. "It wasn't something that I took seriously until the past four years or so. While I did vote from time to time, I was not the most educated voter."

Dowling, who has three children under 5 years old, was struck by the similarities between Brambleton and Parkland - both safe, suburban communities with good schools. Since the shooting, she said, thinks about how she would feel if something as tragic happened in her town.

"I don't want to have any regrets," she said. "I want to do something now and hopefully make a difference."

She had never attended a rally on the Mall until the March for Our Lives in the spring to protest gun violence.

She joined the local chapter of Moms Demand Action and learned that as a state lawmaker in 2012, Comstock voted to repeal the state's one-per-month limit on handgun purchases.

"When I heard that, it just sort of left a bad taste in my mouth," Dowling said. "That's not the person I want to represent us."

---

Loudoun County is one of the wealthiest enclaves in the United States and the third-most-populated county in Virginia.

Route 15, a north-south highway, is an informal dividing line. To the west are farms and wineries, and residents who want to maintain their semirural way of life. They once considered seceding from Loudoun.

To the east, developers have built not just subdivisions but whole towns, such as Brambleton, to accommodate hundreds of thousands of newcomers who have moved in since the turn of the millennium. Today nearly 400,000 people live in Loudoun, up from about 170,000 in 2000.

But the changes in the county - to its character, culture and politics - have been about more than sheer density.

The newcomers differ from many longtime residents in key ways. Loudoun's population of foreign-born residents has more than doubled to 24 percent. More Asians and Hispanics have moved in. And more college-educated newcomers, many of them young and people of color, are calling Loudoun home.

Those demographic changes favor Democrats and, combined with the Trump factor, give Wexton an edge, analysts say.

"The 10th might be gone for Republicans at this point," said David Wasserman, who tracks House races for the Cook Political Report.

Avram Fechter, vice chairman of the Blue Ridge Democrats, put it this way: "Every new development that goes into Loudoun County turns the county bluer."

Still, when turnout is low, such as in local and midterm elections, Republicans tend to win. That's one reason the county board of supervisors remains under GOP control, despite the demographic shifts.

The challenge this year for Democrats is to turn out voters for a midterm as if the presidency were on the line.

---

To combat the onslaught of new and newly energized voters, Comstock says she is doing what she has always done. Republicans and many Democrats say she's an exceptionally hard worker. She maintains a relentless schedule of festivals, parades and picnics in hopes of convincing voters one at a time that she is her own woman.

That strategy paid off for Comstock in 2016. While Clinton carried the 10th District by 10 points, Comstock won reelection to her second term by six points.

If Comstock can persuade those voters to stick with her this year, she could mitigate the damage in Loudoun and win a third term.

Ram Venkatachalam, 37, is a consultant who helps businesses with technology management. He grew up in India, came to the United States to attend college and moved to Brambleton 10 years ago, part of the wave of Asian newcomers. He is running for school board and considers himself a fiscal conservative.

Venkatachalam did not vote in 2016, because he didn't like Clinton or Trump.

But he is voting in November for Comstock, and he walked her around at the Brambleton concert night, introducing her to his neighbors.

He said he was impressed by her attention to the opioid crisis and her support for Trump's tax cuts. He likes that she is a frequent visitor to local mosques such as the Adams Center in Sterling and that she opposed Trump's travel ban affecting visitors from several Muslim-majority countries.

It is her focus on local issues that makes John Bowman a Comstock voter as well. Bowman, 44, grew up a Democrat in Baltimore but became a Republican after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to support President George W. Bush. He has voted for Republicans since then, including Trump.

"I think he says some dumb stuff sometimes, but good Lord, everybody's got to chill out," he said. "If he's successful, we're all successful."

Bowman considers himself a "middle-of-the-road guy" and said he will vote for Comstock on the strength of her constituent services.

He said her Facebook messages, emails and newsletters show she is looking out for him when it comes to issues that affect his daily life, from transportation to schools.

"The number one thing I would tell you about Barbara Comstock, she does a very good job at communicating in the community," he said. "I've seen her perform in this community, and I support her."

She needs many more John Bowmans to withstand a potential blue wave.

The rub is that Comstock could do it all - epic fundraising, meticulous constituent services and an effective message - and still lose.

Former state Delegate Thomas "Tag" Greason, a Republican, found out the hard way that engaging the community may not be enough in the Trump era.

For eight years, he represented parts of Loudoun, including the northern end of Brambleton, and liked to think voters judged him as an individual.

"It was my proudest moment when someone would say, 'I'm a lifelong Democrat, but I vote for you because of what you do in the community,' " Greason said.

Then Clinton won his district by double digits in 2016 and by the time he faced reelection the following year, everything had changed. He lost by about 17 points.

"They came in droves, and they didn't care if I went to their school or their swim meet or knocked on their door," he said, referring to voters who cast ballots for his opponent, Democrat David Reid. "There's still this very, very visceral reaction two years later to the president."

Greason said there is no question that he will vote for Comstock, and he immediately launched into a vigorous defense of her campaign prowess.

But asked whether he thought she would win, he started to speak and then caught himself, considering his defeat last year, the fundamentals of this particular race and the current political climate. He said he couldn't offer a prediction. Flash

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that his second summit with the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, will be announced "pretty soon." The summit is likely to take place in a different place.





Speaking to the media before the bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that "we'll be having a second summit with Chairman Kim in the not too distant future."





"Our Secretary of State will be dealing with that subject. Mike Pompeo has been in touch with them, and we've been in touch with them," he said. "And I think within a fairly -- pretty short period of time, that will be announced and it will be location to be determined."





"We're both very much looking forward to having it. It will be between North Korea and the United States," he said. "It will be similar to the format we had before, most likely a different location. Again, it will be announced pretty soon."





"I think a lot of progress is being made. I see tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of Chairman Kim for making a deal," he said. "We are in no rush. There's no hurry. We got back three months ago or so. I think we' ve made more progress than anybody has made in -- ever, frankly, with regard to North Korea."





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.





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.





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.The New Democratic coalition and its chair, Jim Himes, exemplify the hypocrisy which exists in our political establishment.

Jim Himes says he is a centrist, but there is barely anything in his record to support that. He says he is pro-growth but facts point to his anti-business and growth-stalling agenda. He says he supports a dynamic competitive economy, but he clearly has supported government control of every facet of our economy and our life. He says he is bipartisan, but he has voted with Nancy Pelosi 95 percent of the time. His policies and votes have truly hurt our middle class. When it comes to term limits, campaign finance, womens rights, democratic values  his hypocrisy is appalling.

The anti-growth agenda of Himes has immensely harmed Fairfield County and our state. The draconian finance and insurance laws which he has championed has killed jobs in our district. Congress(wo)men from California bat for technology and those from Midwest bat for agriculture, but it is only Jim Himes from Connecticut who takes a bat and bludgeons industry in his own state. He voted against the earned child tax credit earlier this year. He voted against opportunity zones which would be of great help to cities such as Bridgeport and Norwalk. For all his anti-Trump rhetoric he failed to voice and negotiate any concession to the elimination of the SALT deduction.

Jim Himes has shown tendencies toward government control for a long time. His undergraduate thesis gave a thumbs up to communist committees in Nicaragua. His support of the ACA and now his reticence to stand up to his partys advocating for government control of the entire health care system shows how he stands against the dynamic private sector. He voted against corporate tax cuts and supported government threats and bullying to keep corporations in America.

Jim Himes refuses to recognize the havoc the ACA has created for the middle class in our country. He refuses to believe that the ACA has left the middle class with no health care choices. In his opinion, those who are self-employed and work for small business should be punished with penalties rather than provided with affordable choices. He has weakened the possibility of attaining middle class because being in middle class implies losing access to health care.

His hypocrisy on so many issues leaves me in disbelief. He was for term limits until he himself became a five-term incumbent  now he no longer believes in them. He claims to being all in about womens rights but refused to criticize his party-man Keith Ellison or his friend Elizabeth Esty for abusing or condoning abuse. He is all for campaign finance reform but raises millions of dollars from PACs and big business. He asked for 10 debates when he challenged an incumbent but now that he is the incumbent, it is no longer reasonable. He says he stands for immigrants and goes to Texas to advocate for them but when another immigrant American challenges, he shows vitriolic contempt by refusing to be seen next to him.

Jim Himes and the new Democratic coalition PAC are not independent  they are obliged to their donors from whom they have taken millions of dollars. I am fiercely independent and cant be bought. It is time for change.

Harry Arora is the Republican candidate for Connecticuts Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He lives in Greenwich.J et-maker Boeing was facing an escalating crisis today as the two airlines that own nearly half its new flagship Dreamliner planes grounded their entire fleets of 787s.

Now aviation experts are warning that the US Federal Aviation Administration could order all 50 of the Dreamliners in service to be grounded after the latest  and most serious  in a string of safety problems. An All Nippon Airways Dreamliner was forced to make an emergency landing in western Japan this morning after instruments on board indicated a battery error.

This comes after four separate malfunctions on board All Nippon and Japan Airlines 787s last week alone, involving brake failure, battery problems, fuel leaks and an on-board fire. Both airlines  the two biggest single operators of the aircraft  have grounded all of their 24 Dreamliner jets. Major safety fears now surround the worlds first mainly carbon-composite jet, which had inspired hopes it would revolutionise air travel, with its lighter weight promising to lower airlines fuel bills.

Boeing is counting heavily on the success of the Dreamliner, which was delivered to its first customer in September 2011  three years late, after production delays. Boeing has said it would at least break even on the cost of building the 1,100 new 787s it expects to deliver over the next decade.

But if investigations being carried out by the FAA and Japanese safety teams find faults, Boeing could also face extra repair costs. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have large Dreamliner orders. BA has 24 on order, with its first expected in May. A BA spokesman said: We remain committed to taking delivery of our first 787 this year.

Virgin Atlantic is to receive 16 Dreamliners from Boeing from summer next year. A spokesman said: We are working with Boeing to understand all of the technical issues. We have every confidence that Boeing and the relevant authorities will ensure sufficient oversight is maintained.

However, an aviation analyst warned: Some are very surprised the FAA hasnt already grounded the 787. Now heres another serious incident, it would be reasonable to expect the FAA to change its decision, because if it doesnt then other airlines will decide to do so independently.

Boeing will face a major battle to rebuild confidence in the airplane. It will take time.

787S nightmare month

Jan 7: Fire breaks out on Japan Airlines 787 Dreamliner in Boston

Jan 8: Fuel spill grounds Japan Airlines 787 flight from Boston to Tokyo

Jan 9: All Nippon Airways cancels flight following a brake issue

Jan 11: One ANA 787 suffers cracked windshield and another an oil leak  as US regulators launch probe

Jan 13: A Japan Airlines 787 suffers second fuel spill in a week

Jan 14: Japans transport ministry reveals it has begun probe into 787T he owner of PC World and Currys benefited from the demise of rival Comet today by reporting a bigger-than-expected surge in Christmas sales.

Dixons Retail said like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland were up 8% in the 12 weeks to January 5, despite administrators for the failed retailer holding a clearance sale for the vast bulk of the period.

The group said sales of tablet computers were "phenomenal", with more than a million sold in the UK and Ireland over the period, with five a second in the week before Christmas.

Apple iPads made up a third of tablet sales, but it also had strong demand for the Samsung Galaxy and Google Nexus models.

Chief executive Sebastian James believed the group gained many new customers from Comet, prompting it to take on 500 permanent staff from the failed chain.

More than 1,000 of its temporary Christmas staff came from Comet after it went into administration in November.

But the group warned that margins were down 0.5% in the period, with the mark-up on tablet computers lower than on laptops.T he chief executive of Home Retail, owner of Argos, has called on the Government to help the UKs battered High Street, in the wake of the devastating collapses of Jessops, HMV and Blockbuster in just over a week.

Terry Duddy singled out the punishing impact of business rate rises on retailers, as he unveiled an upgrade to profit expectations at the company, which also owns the Homebase chain.

Storming sales of tablet devices led to a healthy rise in festive sales at Argos, Home Retails cash cow and biggest business. The groups shares surged by 19.1p, or 16%, to 140.6p, which was their highest since August 2011.

Duddy said that unless the Government acted to curb the inexorable rise in business rates  which are now higher than rents in some areas  its tax coffers would suffer. He added: Business rates are clearly a problem. Retailers more than pay their way, and stores like HMV and Jessops would have been paying a substantial amount of tax in business rates and the Government will not be getting all of that in the future.

The British Retail Consortium has urged the Government to freeze the rise of 2.6% in business rates scheduled for April, which it calculates will add 175 million to retailers costs.

Argos delivered like-for-like sales up by 2.7% over the 18 weeks to January 5, boosted by a more than doubling in purchases made from mobile devices.

While sales at Homebase dipped by 3.9% because of continued weak demand on big-ticket items, Home Retail said the group enjoyed strong cash generation over Christmas.You are here: World

 Flash

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.U nilever's finance boss Graeme Pitkethly has star quality. Funny, outspoken and persuasive, hes destined for a CEOs job one day.

It says a lot, then, that even he cant convince UK investors hes right to move the Dove soaps giants HQ to Holland.

His claims today that more shareholders overall will benefit from a move to Rotterdam simply dont hold water.

Many British shareholders, who like the idea of investing in an overwhelmingly British business, will be unable to do so under this rotten plan. Unilever will fall out of the FTSE 100 and they wont be allowed to hold the stock. Surprise surprise, they arent happy.

Pitkethly today blames the FTSE organisers for refusing to bend the rules and allow it to remain even after it quits London. Unilever certainly pulled out the stops in its lobbying efforts. I hear that, when its executives met the secret committee that decides such things, they gave them all customised Marmite jars emblazoned with the word FTSE.

But to no avail.

There is a strong argument that FTSE should have agreed to keep Unilever in the index, what with Brexit already damaging Britains commercial standing in the world.

FTSE was never likely to be swayed, though. Particularly after its experience with British Airways. The whisper is that when BA merged with Spains Iberia to become IAG, it hinted to the FTSE that it would shrink its Madrid base, only to renege on that later. IAG retained its place in the index. Naughty, if true.

Anyway, Unilever knew from the start that it would almost certainly be kicked off, so for Pitkethly to complain now is a little rich.

Oh-so-ethical Unilever  always keen to parade its cuddly credentials  is shocked at the volume of opposition to its move.

Not only from a patriotic media, but from shareholders who really matter. Aviva, Threadneedle, Lindsell Train  all supportive, long-term investors  are howling.

Brand Unilever is being hurt by this ill-thought-through plan.

Its not too late to reconsider.

Fending off Kraft was the right move

Unilevers shareholders might feel less peeved had they not loyally supported its defence against last years takeover attack by Kraft.

Perhaps we backed the wrong horse, they might say. Absolutely not. Krafts philosophy of stripping out costs and buying growth through takeovers has unravelled dramatically.

Its shares have crashed 42% since those heady days, while Unilevers have jumped 36%, far outstripping the 18% premium Kraft was offering.

Other well-run consumer goods groups  P&G, Reckitt and the likes  are also up or broadly flat. Krafts shares reflect its poor trading; profits are rising as it squeezes costs, but sales have been falling.T om Watson isnt the man he used to be. Labours deputy leader has lost weight, got fit and brought his diabetes under control. But something else has changed about him, as he says in our interview with him today. Once he was seen as a bruiser, an ally of Gordon Brown, who encouraged division. Now hes bidding to hold things together between the hard Left  which has taken control of the party hes been in all his political life  and mainstream MPs whose tolerance is being tested to the limit. Centrism in Labour isnt dead, he promises  Labour needs both wings of the party and its Jeremy Corbyns job to make sure it happens. Plurality is the only solution. Its essential for everyones voice to be heard for us to be electorally successful.

Theres a lot coming out of Labours conference in Liverpool thats wrong. The partys all over the place on Brexit . Its plans for the economy wont work. It looks too much like a cult around Mr Corbyn and its leader doesnt have what it takes to be Prime Minister. His response to anti-Semitism in the party wont be forgiven or forgotten. The party is not even as popular in the polls as its supporters think. However, despite all that, Conservatives as well as Labour supporters should pay attention to what Mr Watson has to say to us today.

Yes, it might have been easier for him to have given up and written the party off as a lost cause  or sat back and kept his fears private. But instead he has hung in there and kept fighting (which is one reason the Left wants to change the rules to create a second deputy leaders post, to be held by a woman). Stay and fight. Fight your corner; build your case. Dont stop. Thats what Ive done in 36 years. You win some you lose some in politics, he says. Its never easy  and not always right  to be a figure in the middle calling for compromise. And if that simply ends up helping Mr Corbyn, without any give in return, then history wont judge it kindly. But theres a place, too, for people who try to make things work. At the very least, the state of the Conservative Party means that a Labour return to power one day cant be ruled out, and if that happens it will be people like Mr Watson who matter.

Nexts note on Brexit

From Debenhams to House of Fraser, big retailers are crashing. But not Next  today, its boss Simon Wolfson announced a rise in profit forecasts on the back of a successful summer. The company has been smart at preparing for tough times for big stores, which makes the warning note it issued today on the possible impact of Brexit worth reading .

Three things stand out. One, that the firm doesnt see a Brexit upside  even though Lord Wolfson has been a leading business voice calling for Britain to leave the EU. The talk is of battening down the hatches, not preparing for a retail boom. Two, that the no-deal exit the Prime Minister says is the only alternative to her broken Chequers plan would be a nightmare for the economy. Its not our ideal scenario Lord Wolfson tells this paper today, as his company warns of queues at ports, and sterling falling. So, the third thing that stands out is that if Chequers wont fly and no-deal wont work, we need another Brexit plan built on reality. Nexts note is a reminder that world trade depends on complex deals and rules. When it warns that a hard Brexit would hurt, and free trade isnt simple, politicians should listen.

Hope for Iran releaseGucci designer Alessandro Michele trades in theatrics. When he unveiled his Spring/Summer 2019 collection of Lady Di jackets, sequin palazzo pants and marabou trimmed evening gowns in Pariss Theatre Le Palace last night, there was a sense that he had a found his spiritual home.

At least, Italian fashion's front man had found his home from home with the French capital and not the houses Milan head office serving as the backdrop for his latest collection.

In what was the first fashion show to take place inside the theatre - and Guccis first mainline ready to wear collection ever to be unveiled outside of Italy - the great and good of the fashion industry were offered viewing binoculars before squeezing into red velvet seats.

Among them was Faye Dunaway, Amanda Lear and Jane Birkin who arose mid-performance to serenade the crowd.

Gucci's Spring/Summer 2019 collection was as opulent as ever / Getty Images for Gucci

The show served as the closing instalment in a three part trilogy in which Michele sought to celebrate France.

It follows an ad campaign, unveiled in January, which remembered the 1969 protests in Paris and a resort showcase which was staged in Arles in June.

If a love of France inspired the location for this fashion mise en scene, a passion for the radical was its beating heart with Michele looking to the Italian experimental theatre duo Leo de Berardinis and Perla Peragallo for inspiration.

His collection showcased both menswear and womenswear / Getty Images for Gucci

Citing the theatre of contradiction in his collection notes, Michele welcomed a cast of misfits to the stage. Sporting wearable contradictions and outfits which were a melting pot of uncountable ideas and fragmented references points, a cast of male and female models hosted everything from sailor dresses to sequin trousers to crumpled tweed body warmers. The boundaries between gender, time and creative influence remained blurred throughout with Gucci continuing in its mission to rewrite the fashion rule book.

Micheles Gucci aesthetic is fancy-dress-box fashion recast in luxury form and this collection showed a designer very much in his comfort zone with exquisite tailoring and a faultless attention to detail serving as moments of calm among the madness.

As always there were a few bizarre accessories / Getty Images for Gucci

Intentionally chaotic, there was plenty to raise smiles including a Gucci take on the mankini - showcased alongside tweed pair of shorts - and model who took to the catwalk with a live cockatoo resting peacefully on her shoulder.

This breed of Gucci is not for wallflowers and accordingly, there was little in the way of basics on offer. Instead, bountiful accessories will appeal to those who want to dip a toe into the signature aesthetic without wearing it from head to toe.

Gucci also created a new take on the mankini / Getty Images for Gucci

Chunky soled trainers and a revised version of its best selling court shoe are set to insight retail mania among luxury consumers who have ensured Guccis accessory offering a position as one of the most in demand around.

Felt hats and large sunglasses were also championed on the runway / Getty Images for GucciOn September 25, 2017 Prince Harry and his then rumoured girlfriend, Meghan Markle, made their first public appearance at the Invictus Games in Toronto.

Fast forward 12 months to the day and the now married Duchess of Sussex made a debut of her own: her first solo visit.

The former-actress showed her love of the arts as she arrived at the Royal Academy in London to open its Oceania exhibition, marking 250 years since Captain James Cook set sail to the Pacific, as well as the Royal Academy's 250th anniversary.

For the occasion, Meghan, once again, called upon Clare Waight Keller, Artistic Director of Givenchy, and the woman behind Meghan's historic royal wedding dress.

Duchess of Sussex opens 'Oceania' at Royal Academy of Arts / Getty Images

In contrast to her striking white wedding gown, Meghan's ensemble stuck to darker hues, the designer dress boasting a mixture of materials from mesh sleeves to velvet detail - a fitting sophisticated silhouette for the evening event.

As usual, Meghan accessorised with matching accessories, choosing an understated clutch bag, again by Givenchy.

Meghan kept her look simple, yet elegant / Getty Images

She did, however, take a note out of the Duchess of Cambridge's book, re-wearing a pair of Aquazzura heels, which she first wore to the Queens Young Leaders award ceremony in June.For most women over the age of 25, perusing the rails of Topshop is no longer an endorphin-fuelled shopping kick but a forensic, occasionally soul-destroying insight into how the younger half dress.

Or so it has seemed in recent years, with the high-street mecca that was once our creative life force casting us aside to make more room for crop tops. Threatened by the success of the likes of Missguided and Boohoo.com  a favourite with generation Z and the perkiest of Love Islanders  Arcadias fastest-moving trend factory seemed to have put all its eggs into a more youthful basket. The accumulation of this was a parting of ways with Vogue editor and super-stylist Kate Phelan, who had, since her appointment at the chain in 2011, been giving Topshop a reassuringly mature edge.

Were not the only ones feeling abandoned. In May this year the retailer, which includes Topshop and its male counterpart Topman, posted a loss of 10.9 million, compared with a 59.4m profit made the year before. Like every other store on the high street, Topshop is struggling to win sales in a difficult retail climate and tough economic conditions in which consumers are reigning in spending.

Now its fighting back. They say that in times of trouble it helps to go back to the people who made you who you are  and, in Topshops case, this means shining a spotlight on the women who were by its side in the glory years. Now well into their adult working lives, the Topshop girls of 2002 are women with gaping holes in their wardrobes  and money in their bank accounts.

Shearling jacket, 495, Boutique (topshop.com) / Topshop

Its from this viewpoint that global design director Anthony Cuthbertson is looking to expand and develop the chains successful Boutique line. While Cuthbertson is quick to admit that a good deal of what is on the shop floor in Topshop is designed with a girl in mind, he believes focusing on the premium Boutique line is about speaking to women.

Boutique, in a nutshell, is about creating the perfect wardrobe staples for the contemporary woman, he says. We focus on women who need clothing that suits their lifestyle, clothing that takes them from 9 to 9, clothing thats versatile. This is about elevated products.

The result is a collection that spans white shirts, slouchy boilersuits and trench coats. Undoubtedly Boutique is a point of difference. Designed and created in-house, with a methodology that is not dissimilar to those found within luxury brands, Boutique outsources a great deal of its production to small East End manufacturers and works to create a luxury product with an approachable price tag.

Gather Shirt Dress by Boutique, 165 / Topshop

We use fabrics made locally, which means we can develop products at great prices that have all the detail and value of a premium or designer piece, says Cuthbertson.

He is a former designer at Cavalli and Victoria Beckham, and for Topshop he heads an experienced team that includes former staffers from Chloe and Celine.

Their collective aim is to respond to a call from high-street shoppers for a slowed-down approach to trends and a key change on throwaway fashion. We want to give the customer investment pieces that are built to last, he says. We talk a lot about sustainability and about creating things that should be cherished.

A classic trench coat is included in the collection / Topshop

Undoubtedly, Topshop is not the first to notice the value of appealing to this informed demographic. She has also been the driving force for Swedish chain Arket  currently among the most exciting propositions on the high street  and also the motivation for John Lewis & Partners to unveil its new self-titled collection.T he Whitechapel Gallery has undergone many changes in its long history but none as surprising as this. The Evening Standard can now reveal that artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragsets much-anticipated autumn installation has transformed the gallery into a disused swimming pool on the brink of reinvention as a luxury spa.

When I meet the Scandinavian duo (Elmgreen, 57, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark; Dragset, 49, in Trondheim, Norway), the installation is in its early stages. But already the Whitechapels lower gallery is shape-shifting into a light-filled yet forlorn early Edwardian public pool. The pairs sculptures will be dotted here and throughout the galleries in a show titled This Is How We Bite Our Tongue. Upstairs is what they call The Chapel, a brooding, gloomy negative to the daylit pool below, sardonically reflecting on contemporary masculinity. Even incomplete, its a spectacular show.

The pair are encouraging the space to perform new roles, Elmgreen says. I feel the ground floor [the pool] is playing along, responds Dragset, with a laugh. Yes, it really wanted to become a public pool, Elmgreen adds. Dragset explains the way they work: You come in, you analyse the space, you get inspired by the architecture and interior, the surroundings, what this space means in the local environment, and then ideas come up.

The Whitechapel and its environs proved to be fertile ground for the artists to further develop long-explored political themes. Even since 2007 when I moved to London, Aldgate has been so changed, all these hideous glass towers have come up in that period, Elmgreen says. Dragset points out that the Whitechapel is from a time when it was a civic ideal to bring art and culture to poorer areas, in 1901  so it springs out of the same period when public pools also became popular.

The pool is a contemporary fable, its fictional history told on a wall plaque: philanthropic funding, Fifties refurbishment, inspiration for David Hockneys swimming pool paintings, peak years in the Seventies. And then losing its funding in the last year that Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, Elmgreen says, before being squatted, raided, abandoned and, finally, it was sold to be an art hotel and resort in 2016, during Boris Johnsons last year as Mayor.

Its a long history but Elmgreen and Dragset are addressing acute issues: the closure of civic spaces due to government cuts: not just public pools but most notably libraries  the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy said last year that 449 UK libraries had closed since 2012.

The duo see the exhibition as a follow-up to their 2006 Welfare Show at the Serpentine, partly a critique of the welfare state but also reflecting how important it was, in order to take care of people who were not that fortunate, or make a society that would be for everyone, Elmgreen says. Since then, its over.

Johnsons fictional sell-off of the Whitechapel Pool is particularly pointed. A lot of what we see around us, all the sell-offs to Qataris, were happening when he was Mayor, Elmgreen says. That was easy money in the pocket, for a very short time. Its like peeing in your pants when its cold: it warms nicely in the beginning and then it becomes really bad.

The duo clearly despise the former Foreign Secretary, who drew their ire when, in 2011, they won the commission for the Fourth Plinth for their work featuring a golden boy on a wooden rocking horse. Turning up late, Johnson made a characteristically glib speech about the work symbolising Britains quest for Olympic gold; Elmgreen publicly corrected him. It was so arrogant and so disrespectful, he says. Joanna Lumley unveiled the work in 2012, avoiding more of Johnsons inane bumblings.

London art exhibitions you have to see in autumn - In pictures 1 /17 London art exhibitions you have to see in autumn - In pictures Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy and the Avant-Garde October 10 - January 27 2019, Barbican; barbican.org.uk Courtesy Rodchenko and Stepanova Archives, Moscow Videogames September 8 - February 24 2019, Victoria & Albert Museum; vam.ac.uk 2015 Nintendo Klimt/Schiele November 4 - February 3 2019, Royal Academy; royalacademy.org.uk The Albertina Museum, Vienna Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London and the Albertina Museum, Vienna Yayoi Kusama October 3 - December 21, Victoria Miro; victoriamiro.com AFP/Getty Images Gainsborough's Family Album November 22 - February 3 2019, National Portrait Gallery; npg.org.uk Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery Space Shifters September 26 - January 6 2019, Hayward Gallery; southbankcentre.co.uk The Bunny Smash exhibition at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo/Eiji Ina Pierre Huyghe October 3 - February 10 2019, Serpentine Gallery; serpentinegalleries.org Courtesy of the artist, Hauser & Wirth and Serpentine Galleries;  Kamitani Lab / Kyoto University and ATR The Sun: Living With Our Star October 6 - May 6 2019, Science Museum; sciencemuseum.org.uk Image courtesy of NASASDO and the AIA, EVE and HMI science teams. Mantegna & Bellini October 1 - January 27 2019, National Gallery; vam.ac.uk Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid/Photographic Archive Museo Nacional del Prado 100 Figures: The Unseen Art of Quentin Blake October 5 - January 27 2019, House of Illustration; houseofillustration.org.uk Night and Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs October 12 - January 20 2019, Fashion & Textile Museum; ftmlondon.org Private collection Turner Prize 2018 September 26 - January 6, Tate Britain; tate.org.uk Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Andy Keate. Hyundai Commission: Tania Bruguera September 8 - February 24 2019, Tate Modern; vam.ac.uk Tate Photography Ribera: Art of Violence September 26 - January 27 2019, Dulwich Picture Gallery; dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao I Object: Ian Hislop's Search For Dissent September 6 - January 20, British Museum; britishmuseum.org J.Fernandes/D.Hubbard/Trustees of the British Museum Christian Marclay: The Clock September 14 - January 20 2019, Tate Modern; tate.org.uk The Artist. Photographer: White Cube (Ben Westoby) Courtauld Impressionists: From Manet to Cezanne September 17 - January 20 2019, National Gallery; nationalgallery.org.uk The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London

The pair are now based in Berlin. Inevitably, theyre appalled by the Brexit vote and the rise of populist politics. Were really sad to lose you, obviously, Dragset says. And we dont understand whats going on  in Europe, as well. Why did this happen? Both note a difference in London since the vote. Theres not the same optimism, says Elmgreen.

Swimming pools have long reflected a sense of hope in the duos work. Pools were a place where people dared to show their bodies in front of each other where people actually could socialise, different classes, to a certain degree at least, and interact in a freer way, So the empty Whitechapel pool prompts an elegiac mood. The work of Elmgreen and Dragset is often characterised as ironic and satirical but Elmgreen says thats not intended. From our conversation its clear that their work reflects sincere concerns and an underlying anger. Humour is a way of dealing with it, to make it bearable, not to cry or scream, Elmgreen says. He pauses for a moment. But f**k, we mean it!Review at a glance









I really liked this display. It is one of the most enjoyable Turner Prizes I think I have ever seen.

It might sound a challenge, since its all video art. But the four sets of work are balanced so well in their similarities and differences, that theres a feeling of coherence and intensity thats very unusual for this event. Form and atmosphere are made stronger and better by all the work being of a roughly similar kind, rather than it firing-off in different directions. Any of the artists could win. Theres no sense of filler.

None is well known. Charlotte Prodger, based in Glasgow, is an artist-diarist, and in her work, Bridgit, ruminates on what it is to have a personality. Are we always all there in the same way, or are we fluid and constantly putting ourselves together, aware we could do it differently very easily?

Luke Willis Thompson, based in London, creates an elegy to Philando Castile, a black man shot dead by a policeman in the US during a routine traffic stop. His film of Castiles grieving girlfriend is moving for its shocking beauty, with a surprising religious mood.

Forensic Architecture is a group based at Goldsmiths, University of London, and made up of at least 19 people including the founder, British-Israeli intellectual and architect Eyal Weizman. It investigates allegations of human rights atrocities, globally. The work is fascinating, at least in part because of the complexity of what it involves, and the multidimensional aims it has  part art, part legal document (the results really are presented as evidence in courts and parliamentary enquiries). Their work for the Turner Prize is about an Israeli police raid on a Bedouin village to make way for new dwellings for Israeli settlers.

Shocking beauty: Luke Willis Thompsons film features the girlfriend of a man shot dead by police in the US / Andy Keate

Naeem Mohaiemen, born in London but based mostly in New York, out Adam Curtises Adam Curtis with an epic, rambling documentary about political power-plays of the past 50 to 60 years in the global south. He is partly camp, in the Curtis mode, playing up the amusement of architectural design and clothing from the 1970s. But the film is also deeply serious. I defy anyone with an interest in the world not to be drawn into the narrative of these complicated recent-historic alliances and battles.

Everything on show this year has impact. You could get a lot from a minutes viewing, like scanning a painting. Or you could stay the whole length of a film and get into the narrative, if there is one. Durations range from a few minutes to an hour and a half. Thompsons film really is like a painting, you wouldnt even have to know about the event it references to be powerfully affected.

Mohaiemens long film entices with its narrative threads and plays with its cut-up techniques, so you never know whats going to happen.Nothing in the show has the feel of not being about anything much, which has sadly been the notorious jeopardy of the Turner Prize over the years, since the first instalment in 1984.

Its been a long time now since anyone nominated was likely to have been heard of beforehand by anyone not closely involved with the art world. And even longer since anything like paintings and sculptures made much of an appearance. On the other hand, the sheer elegance of the event is now at an all-time peak. Anyone possessing any level of knowledge about art  from the slightest to the greatest  would likely be impressed this year.

The bookies odds are close on all the different acts, but Forensic Architecture comes out a little ahead, and Prodger a little behind. I personally think Forensic Architecture will be the likely winner for its film analysing what really happened in the Israeli police attack on that village, which resulted in two deaths  one a local teacher and the other a policeman.

The groups whole notion of art is strikingly original. I think its work being not just evidence but also about a sexy gloss of technology isnt necessarily a minus. And not just affectation. It relates to traditional painting where the approach and subject are known as history painting. Say, Gericaults The Raft of the Medusa, 1819. The political events he was referring to were recent:an incompetent captain appointed only because of a corrupt government, resulting in shipwreck and death; instances of cannibalism and the murder of survivors from the wreck. Out of them, Gericault makes a metaphor of a lost ship and a society adrift. The story was known to many. But the painting introduced it to others. You wanted to find out more.

London art exhibitions you have to see in autumn - In pictures 1 /17 London art exhibitions you have to see in autumn - In pictures Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy and the Avant-Garde October 10 - January 27 2019, Barbican; barbican.org.uk Courtesy Rodchenko and Stepanova Archives, Moscow Videogames September 8 - February 24 2019, Victoria & Albert Museum; vam.ac.uk 2015 Nintendo Klimt/Schiele November 4 - February 3 2019, Royal Academy; royalacademy.org.uk The Albertina Museum, Vienna Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London and the Albertina Museum, Vienna Yayoi Kusama October 3 - December 21, Victoria Miro; victoriamiro.com AFP/Getty Images Gainsborough's Family Album November 22 - February 3 2019, National Portrait Gallery; npg.org.uk Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery Space Shifters September 26 - January 6 2019, Hayward Gallery; southbankcentre.co.uk The Bunny Smash exhibition at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo/Eiji Ina Pierre Huyghe October 3 - February 10 2019, Serpentine Gallery; serpentinegalleries.org Courtesy of the artist, Hauser & Wirth and Serpentine Galleries;  Kamitani Lab / Kyoto University and ATR The Sun: Living With Our Star October 6 - May 6 2019, Science Museum; sciencemuseum.org.uk Image courtesy of NASASDO and the AIA, EVE and HMI science teams. Mantegna & Bellini October 1 - January 27 2019, National Gallery; vam.ac.uk Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid/Photographic Archive Museo Nacional del Prado 100 Figures: The Unseen Art of Quentin Blake October 5 - January 27 2019, House of Illustration; houseofillustration.org.uk Night and Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs October 12 - January 20 2019, Fashion & Textile Museum; ftmlondon.org Private collection Turner Prize 2018 September 26 - January 6, Tate Britain; tate.org.uk Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Andy Keate. Hyundai Commission: Tania Bruguera September 8 - February 24 2019, Tate Modern; vam.ac.uk Tate Photography Ribera: Art of Violence September 26 - January 27 2019, Dulwich Picture Gallery; dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao I Object: Ian Hislop's Search For Dissent September 6 - January 20, British Museum; britishmuseum.org J.Fernandes/D.Hubbard/Trustees of the British Museum Christian Marclay: The Clock September 14 - January 20 2019, Tate Modern; tate.org.uk The Artist. Photographer: White Cube (Ben Westoby) Courtauld Impressionists: From Manet to Cezanne September 17 - January 20 2019, National Gallery; nationalgallery.org.uk The Samuel Courtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery, London

The painting still makes an impact because of the great, soaring, powerful composition and the grand handling of the medium. That approach to composition is the equivalent of the sexy gloss of Forensic Architectures films. The group is concerned with analysing evidence and exposing injustice, but also with a sort of filmic effect, where the viewer is overwhelmed by whizzing technology. And that whizzing is like Romantic painterly composition and the whipping up of the painterly surface. Its up to you to find out more.

Id be happy if Prodger won, if only because the tone of her film  all of it shot and recorded on a phone  is so disarming. Wherever the chat and imagery roams  her cat, her gayness, her inquiries via Julian Cope into Neolithic female deities  it always convincingly ties-in to the question of identity being fluid or static.

But if pushed, I would say Mohaiemens film Two Meetings and a Funeral is the most compelling. Its virtue is that he seems to be everywhere at once in relation to his subject. It is an immense history of presidents and prime ministers and he is both inside and outside, taking it apart, looking at its ruins and debris, in at the beginning and in at the end. We gradually get the message that, initially, separate oppressed nations attempted to unify around left-wing politics. Eventually unity was around religion instead, with fatal results. Hope for social justice gave way to disenchantment.

Archive footage of leaders giving speeches in outrageously extravagant stadiums, firing-up other leaders with idealism, gives way in the film to subtitles informing the viewer of so many of these leaders deaths by assassination, firing squad, hangings and poisonings. Mohaiemen is a little distanced and funny about it but, underneath it all, hes also heartbroken.O ne of the greatest movie villains of all time is to be back in cinemas very soon with Joker set to land in cinemas this weekend.

Joaquin Phoenix stars as the eponymous villain in the highly anticipated new film, which will explore the character's backstory in a live action movie for the first time.

Having brought vulnerable characters to life in The Master and Her, as well as providing a terrifying screen presence in Lynne Ramsays visceral You Were Never Really Here, Phoenix seems like an ideal talent to tell the origin story of Batmans greatest adversary.

His performance will inevitably be compared to that of the masterful Heath Ledger and the charismatic Jack Nicholson, but Phoenix is sure to bring something entirely his own to the role.

It looks to be a particularly bleak take on the character, judging by the gritty trailers, and it promises to be one of the most intriguing origin comic book stories of recent times.

Here's everything we know about Joker so far.

Joker (2019) starring Joaquin Phoenix - In pictures 1 /24 Joker (2019) starring Joaquin Phoenix - In pictures AP AP Courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Niko Tavernise AP Joaquin Phoenix in a scene from Joker, released in the UK on October 4 Niko Tavernise Niko Tavernise Niko Tavernise

Joker release date

The film is released in the UK on October 4 2019, with its premiere due to the take place at the Venice Film Festival on August 31.

The trailer

The final Joker trailer hints at the film's gritty tone, following Fleck's troubled day to day life. At one point we see the aspiring stand-up comedian being ridiculed by De Niro's chat show host Murray Franklin, which appears to be one of the events that sparks his descent into madness and criminality.

He then takes to the streets as his new alter-ego Joker, inspiring a revolt and causing hundreds to take to the street wearing clown masks. He becomes an infamous name, which leads to being invited to perform on TV by Franklin, who had initially mocked him.

The plot

SplashNews.com

The movie is officially described as [Director Todd] Phillips exploration of Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), a man disregarded by society, is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.

The movie is set in early 80s Gotham and follows Flecks journey from struggling stand-up comedian to notorious Gotham villain.

It was initially rumoured that the film will draw heavily on Alan Moore and Brian Bollands 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke. However, Phillips has since revealed that the story is original, and not based on any pre-existing subject material.

We didnt follow anything from the comic books, which people are gonna be mad about, Phillips told Empire. We just wrote our own version of where a guy like Joker might come from. Thats what was interesting to me. Were not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker. Its about this man.

The cast

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Along with Phoenix, Robert De Niro leads an impressive cast. In a role reminiscent of his unforgettable turn as Rupert Pupkin in the King of Comedy, the legendary actor will appear as talk show host Murray Franklin, who ends up being instrumental in Flecks eventual slide into criminality. Comedian Marc Maron is also set to appear as a booking agent on the talk show.

Six Feet Under actress Frances Conroy plays Flecks mother Penny, while Deadpool star Zazie Beetz and Black Mirrors Douglas Hodge will also appear alongside Bill Camp.

Meanwhile, Alec Baldwin was initially reported to be starring in the film as the father of Bruce Wayne and business magnate Thomas, before revealing hed pulled out of the project.

Instead, Ghost Riders Brett Cullen will play the role, which is rumoured to be a cheesy and tanned businessman  more in the mold of a 1980s Donald Trump.

Others in the cast include Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond, Frances Conroy as Penny Fleck with Shea Whigham and Bill Camp as detectives Burke and Garrity.

Phoenix's Joker

Joaquin Phoenix on set of The Joker - In pictures 1 /8 Joaquin Phoenix on set of The Joker - In pictures Joaquin Phoenix on the set of 'The Joker' in New York. SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix on the set of 'The Joker' in New York. SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix on the set of 'The Joker' in New York. SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix on the set of 'The Joker' in New York. SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix on the set of 'The Joker' in New York. SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix on the set of 'The Joker' in New York. SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix on the set of 'The Joker' in New York. SplashNews.com Joaquin Phoenix on the set of 'The Joker' in New York. SplashNews.com

Fans first got to see the latest incarnation of the villain when early test footage was revealed by director Phillips in 2018, showing Phoenix gradually morphing into the Joker. Fans can expect a less exaggerated incarnation of the character.

The production images and trailers show a more stripped-down Joker in traditional clown makeup  less like the manic look of Ledger and more like a toned-down Jack Nicholson.

The director

Getty Images

Todd Phillips is certainly an unconventional choice for the project, but an intriguing one nonetheless.

The director is principally known for comedy, having helmed all three Hangover movies, as well as OId School, Road Trip, and the (admittedly terrible) reboot of Starsky & Hutch.

He has experience in drama too though, having brought grit and high-action sequences to screen with his last film War Dogs.

Hes also proven hes not a one-dimensional talent, having worked as a producer on musical romantic drama A Star Is Born and brought chaos to the screen in Project X.D o dead lifts. Dont do dead lifts. Use your core. Never use your core. Run. Absolutely do not under any circumstances run! Confused?

Exercise during pregnancy is not so much about staying in shape. It's more about preparing your body to carry the additional weight, assisting with alignment, training for the stamina required to give birth and to ensuring you have the body strength to lug around buggies, car seats and your ever-growing child.

There are many different approaches to pre-natal exercise, each with its own set of rules and regulations. Many trainers are adamant that their way is the best. So, in order to hedge my bets, I set about sampling a little bit of everything throughout my pregnancy, finding benefits in lots of different methods.

Here are a few of my favourites...

Jelly Belly  Specialist Personal Training

Jelly Belly PT boasts a unique set of personal trainers who specialise in providing safe and effective exercise sessions for women who are either pregnant, have just had their baby or are experiencing post-natal issues further on down the line.

The trainers come to you, basing the session either in your London home or your local park in good weather. They are true experts and have a superb understanding of what is required to prepare your body for pregnancy and birthing, with much focus on posture exercises, glute strength, pelvic floor tightening and balance.

The one-to-one sessions allow you to go at your own pace, stop for waves of morning sickness and allow time to work on the areas of your body where you are feeling the strain most that day. I looked forward to my sessions with founder Kellie, who is as much trainer as she is advisor 0n all things babies.

Ten Health & Fitness  Reformer Pilates

Reformer Pilates is a great way to do controlled and safe exercise while pregnant, and Ten offer specialist classes, focusing on core stability, strength and overall fitness. These are designed to help your body cope with the constant physical changes you are experiencing, beginning with a one-to-one consultation, followed by a programme of regular pre-natal classes at convenient times all over London.

The sessions are varied and less intense that regular classes, to ensure they are completely safe for mother and baby, but they still make you feel you have worked hard. I really value these classes and have not missed a week yet.

The Movement Clinic

The Movement Clinic is an independent health and wellbeing company in North West London, with an ethos based on personal training focused on the whole body. Owner Lee ensures exercises are quite hardcore in comparison with some of the more gentle pregnancy options. Your workouts are based on your pre-pregnancy capabilities, with modifications made to protect your core and modified cardio so you are never gasping for breath. You feel it the next day!

Frame

Frame has designed a specialist concept MumHood, created by mums to help other mums stay motivated, healthy, confident and happy during pregnancy. They offer fitness classes for mums-to-be and new mums, which arm you with the knowledge of how to stay healthy and active.

The pre-natal programme concentrates on cardio-fitness, yoga-stretch and pilates-barre, all of which have videos available to guide you through step-by-step, in your own time. Frame has numerous studios throughout London, each with a slightly different style. I love the Fitzrovia Pre-natal Fitness sessions, with lively instructors working out to upbeat pop songs! Lots of fun.

The Life Centre

With studios in North and West London, The Life Centre has become well-known amongst mums-to-be. The Pregnancy classes work on building strength, both mentally and physically, using stamina-building exercises, breath and sound work, suited to those between 12 and 42 weeks of pregnancy.

Each class begins with an introduction so each attendee can talk through how their pregnancy is going. It is very comforting to hear that others have had the same sleep problems, aches, pains and anxieties as you.T he heir to an aviation fortune has been convicted of murdering his father six years after the death was ruled a suicide.

Dellen Millard, who is already serving two life sentences for murdering his ex-girlfriend and another man, wept in court as a judge in Toronto declared him guilty.

Toronto killer: Dellen Millard murdered Wayne Millard

The 33-year-old inherited the family fortune after his father Wayne was found shot in the head in 2012.

Ontario superior court justice Maureen Forestell said he killed his father by shooting him in the left eye as he slept. I can find no theory consistent with innocence.

Employees at MillardAir, the familys aviation company, said there had been tensions between Millard and his 71-year-old father before the murder. It was initially ruled a suicide, but police re-opened the case after Millard and his friend, Mark Smich, were arrested and charged with the 2013 murder of Tim Bosma, a 32-year-old man whose truck the pair took for a test drive.

Mr Bosma was never seen again, and his truck was found on a property owned by Millards mother. Police believe Mr Bosma was shot and his body was burned. The pair were found guilty of Mr Bosmas murder in 2016.

A year later, they were also convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Laura Babcock, a 24-year-old woman Millard had been dating in 2012 before his fathers death.

Her body was never found either, and shortly after her disappearance, Millard bought an incinerator. It will be 50 years before they are eligible for parole in these cases. Both have filed appeals.

After Mr Millard Srs death, on 29 November 2012, his son told police his father had been depressed and an alcoholic. He carried some great sadness with him throughout life that I never knew. He never wanted to share that with me, he said the following day.

Prosecutors alleged Millard, from Toronto, wanted to kill his father to protect his inheritance, which was being used to fund a new aviation business.

During the trial, the court heard Mr Millard Sr had recently had a 55,000-square-foot air hangar built at Region of Waterloo international airport, where he hoped to convert their aeroplane storage company into a maintenance, repair and overhaul business.

The court heard he saw it as a legacy for his son  but Millard was said to want no part in it and did not want his father pouring their money into a floundering business. Millard said he was at Smichs house the night of his fathers death, but phone records reveal he travelled back to his fathers house in the early hours of the morning.A teenager is injured in hospital after being stabbed in an attack in east London.

The 19-year-old suffered two stab wounds in the overnight attack in Barking in the early hours of Tuesday.

Police were called to the scene in Longbridge Road at around 2.25am, Scotland Yard said.

Two further victims were found nearby with minor injuries, which police believe to be assault related.

Scotland Yard said the first victim was taken to an east London hospital in a non-life threatening condition.

A spokesman for Barking and Dagenham police said: Male, aged 19, being treated in hospital following [a] stabbing in Longbridge Road, Barking, at approximately 2.30am. His condition is stable.

Two others found with minor injuries. No arrests and enquiries continue.

Longbridge Road remained closed throughout Tuesday morning as police investigated the stabbing.P olice seized more than 70kg of cocaine and 100,000 in cash stashed in shoeboxes in a raid in east London.

The drugs haul, with a street value of 3.5 million, was found when officers from the Mets Violent Crime Taskforce swooped on an address in Romford last night. Detectives also recovered a loaded handgun.

Three men aged 24, 27 and 53, and two women aged 25 and 53, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine, possession of criminal property and possession of a firearm and ammunition. Today all were being questioned at east London police stations.

Detective Superintendent Sean Yates said: This was a result of fast-time intelligence about the supply of drugs to east London gangs. A seizure on this scale will disrupt the flow of class-A drugs.

A potentially lethal firearm has been taken off the streets.

Cash seized by police in Romford / Met Police

The small handgun is thought to be a 4mm Flobert, a weapon popular with London gangs.

They are banned in Britain but freely available in east European countries such as the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Slovakia.

In recent months politicians and senior police officers have warned drugs are fuelling a surge in gang-related violence in London.

Loaded handgun seized in Romford raid / Met Police

A recent Home Office report cited a higher supply of cocaine from Colombia as a reason for a rise in violence. Mayor Sadiq Khan and Met Commissioner Cressida Dick have also raised concerns that middle-class use of drugs was also driving offending.A fourth person has been killed in London in four days, police say after a woman was found dead in a west London home.

A man has been arrested in hospital on suspicion of murder after the victim was found at a house in west London.

Scotland Yard said officers were called at 9.35am yesterday following concerns for the welfare of a missing woman.

The body of the woman in her early thirties was then found in a property in Hayes.

Later the same day a 26-year-old man, who is known to the victim, was arrested at a west London hospital. His condition is not life-threatening.

The property on Whittington Avenue was cordoned off today as detectives examined the scene and forensic experts investigated how long the body had been in the house.

Metropolitan Police were at the scene on Tuesday / PA Wire/PA Images

A post-mortem examination was due to be held today to establish how the woman died.

Police have said no-one else was being sought in connection with the killing.

One neighbour said: I didnt hear anything even though it is a quiet road. The family that live there just moved in. They havent been here long, so no one really knows them.

Another resident said the family who lived at the address were Polish.

The murder is the fourth killing in the capital in just four days.

On Friday a 75-year-old man was found dead with serious head injuries in East Ham.

Early this month the number of homicides in the capital passed the 100 mark, the earliest it has reached the figure in 10 years.A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a body was found inside a house in Hayes.

The 26-year-old male is believed to be known to the woman who was in her 30s, according to police.

Officers were called to a residential property in Whittington Avenue, Hayes just after 9.30am on September 24 following concerns for the welfare of a missing woman.

Officers found the woman's body inside the property.

The 26-year-old male was arrested at a west London hospital later on 24 September.

He currently remains in hospital and is not in a life-threatening condition.

The womans next of kin have been informed.A 43-year-old man has been charged with causing death by careless driving after a cyclist was killed by a lorry in Chelsea.

Charlotte Landi, a teacher, died nearly a year ago on September 27, 2017, after she was hit by a lorry on Grosvenor Road, at the junction with Chelsea Bridge, while on her way to work.

The 36-year-old had been described as an angel in disguise by colleagues and her death prompted a die in vigil in her memory, outside of Kensington and Chelsea town hall.

On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police announced that Jason Edmunds, of North Crockerford, Basildon, has been charged with causing death by careless driving.

Mr Edmunds, the alleged driver of the lorry, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on October 19.

Following Ms Landis death, she was described as incredibly warm and kind by colleagues at her school.

Speaking to the Standard at the time of her death, Irene Del Real said: I first met her in Chile when she was living there, but I got to know her more during a visit to England. She was incredibly warm and kind, and super easy to talk to.

During my visit we had some great conversations and I left England very happy to have met her. What happened to her is a real shock.A student was punched in the face and subjected to a tirade of abuse in an attack that police are treating as a homophobic hate crime.

Sam Duffy, 20, said he was left feeling incredibly vulnerable after he was assaulted in a pub by a man who called him a paedophile for wearing an LGBT wristband.

He said he was eating alone at The Beaten Docket near his home in Cricklewood when he overheard a man and woman making numerous racist and homophobic remarks at a nearby table.

When he complained to a member of staff at the Wetherpoon pub, Mr Duffy, pictured, claims he was subjected to a volley of abuse by the bald, middle-aged man who allegedly said all the gays are nonces [paedophiles].

Mr Duffy, who studies at the University of Westminster, said the man then sat at his table and stated give me one good reason why I shouldnt punch you before hitting him in the face.

The Beaten Docket pub, Cricklewood

He was left with a swollen eye and reported the attack to police. The history and politics student, who suffers from anorexia and depression, told the Standard: The whole incident has left me feeling incredibly vulnerable. I now fear to show any signs of my sexuality or take gay friends in or near the pub and surrounding area in fear of further homophobic attacks.

I have to go past the pub to go to work, and to be honest I get scared when I go past it. I shouldnt have to feel scared so close to my own home.

A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed detectives were treating the assault on August 18 as a hate crime.

A Met Police spokesman said: Detectives are investigating after a man was assaulted in a pub on Cricklewood Broadway. The 20-year-old victim was dining at approximately 11pm on August 18 when he overheard three people  a man and two women  making homophobic and racist comments. He informed staff of their behaviour.

A short time later, the male suspect approached the victim and punched him in the face before all three left. The victim did not require medical treatment. Detectives are treating the assault as a hate crime. There have been no arrests.A n architect has been told to demolish his multi-award-winning home because officials claim it does not match plans he originally submitted.

Amin Taha, 47, has been ordered to tear down 15 Clerkenwell Close, a six-storey property where he lives with his family. The 4.65 million building, unveiled in 2016, has won two awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and been hailed an architectural triumph.

But Islington council says the finished structure does not reflect what was proposed in the initial planning application in 2012.

Mr Taha, who is fighting the enforcement notice, said: Its our family home, its my office. My parents should be retiring and coming to live here and my sister too, but weve had to put it on hold because it could all be destroyed.

After the building was unveiled, some residents and councillors complained that it was ugly. The Clerkenwell Green Preservation Society called for it to be flattened and it was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup, the prize run by magazine Building Design for worst building of the year.

Architect ordered to tear down his award-winning 4.65m home in Clerkenwell

Then, in June last year, Islington council served Mr Taha with an enforcement notice, claiming the materials, design and height of the building were not in keeping with the plans.

Mr Taha said officials were concerned he had used stone rather than brick for the facade. He insists that element of the design was approved by planners, but that the paperwork was lost.

Dispute: the building in Clerkenwell / Nigel Howard

The council issued a second enforcement notice in February which says the buildings design and location is harming the character and appearance of the local area.

A council spokesman did not specify why the building has allegedly breached planning permission. Mr Taha said: It started to snowball, from an error and mistake, into a fiasco. Its surreal  absurd because it was approved.

The architect, who lives in the buildings penthouse with his wife Sarah and 15-month-old son Sacha, added: We are taking it to appeal but its hugely costly, a small fortune. I am financially bankrupt  We got the first enforcement notice when my son was just three weeks old. As if that wasnt stressful enough, we faced the prospect of heading to the streets. Mr Taha, whose firm Groupwork + Amin Taha has overseen projects shortlisted for the Stirling Prize, said he has been contacted by architects from China and Australia offering support for the block, which is on the site of an 11th-century nunnery. While the case has taken its toll, he said the support is very humbling and heartwarming.

An Islington spokesman said: After an investigation, the council has come to the view that the building at 15 Clerkenwell Close does not reflect the building that was granted planning permission and conservation area consent in 2013. In the councils view, the existing building does not benefit from planning permission, and the council issued an enforcement notice on 26 February 2018, to take effect on 9 April 2018.M arine wildlife rescuers have urged the public to keep a safe distance after a beluga whale was spotted in the River Thames.

The Natural History Museum and RSPCA are investigating the sighting.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue said it is "concerning as it is not a common species, however it is swimming strongly and feeding."

Beluga whales are most commonly seen in waters close to the coast in the Arctic.A top fire chief has said nobody should have ever lived in Grenfell Tower after he reflected on the horrendous spread of fire.

Deputy assistant commissioner Andrew O'Loughlin said crews could not have predicted the way flames engulfed the outside of the cladded block and tore through its internal compartments.

Mr OLoughlin, who led London Fire Brigades response to the incident in June last year, said this was why the standard stay-put advice to people wasnt adjusted until 2.47am, when they were told to escape if they could.

He told the Grenfell inquiry on Tuesday: You wouldn't expect fire to spread around the building like it did on the outside, and for it to fail so catastrophically. Similarly, we would not expect the internal protection to fail so badly as well.

Smoke billows from the fire that engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower / Rick Findler/PA

I mean, the building was so horrendous several hours later that I think no-one should have lived in the building.

So to say we should have changed the 'stay-put' advice, I don't think would have been reasonable based on something that happened several hours later that none of us could ever have expected."

Some 71 people died in the fire, with a 72nd person dying months later.

Another fire chief, assistant commissioner Andrew Roe, also gave evidence on Tuesday, saying he was shocked at the way the flames spread.

Smoke billows from the fire that as engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower / Rick Findler/PA

"The fact the facade had kind of acted as the petrol, as it were, to spread the fire all over the building was one thing that was obviously genuinely shocking.

But it was the complete failure of the building system that caught me by surprise."

Mr Roe likened the high-rise block in north Kensington to a cheese grater which allowed the flames to permeate.

He told the inquiry: To put it in layman's terms, you had an accelerant on the outside and it felt to me like the building was punched through of holes.

"It was like a cheese grater, in a sense that there must have been a route for that fire. Because it's the only way you can explain that in a concrete building.

The inquiry continues.E ighty firefighters with 12 fire engines are tackling a huge blaze at a leisure centre in north London.

Footage shows large plumes of smoke rising into the air from Highbury Leisure Centre, which could be seen from miles around.

Leisure centre users can also be seen standing outside in what appears to be swimming trunks after evacuating the building.

Around 80 firefighters remain in Highbury Crescent dealing with the fire, which broke out just after midday.

Fire at Highbury Leisure Centre / Becky Jones

Fire in Highbury Crescent / Michael Foulkes

One picture shows huge flames rising up from the roof in Highbury.

Speaking to the Standard, leisure centre user Becky Jones said everyone appeared to be evacuated, including a class of primary school children.

She said: "It was all very dramatic. I was a few minutes into a Pilates class when someone burst in and told us to evacuate. We came downstairs and through the back of the pool and could see the fire burning on the inside of the roof above the pool.

"Everyone seemed to be evacuated. There was a class of primary school children who were standing outside in their swimming gear and bare feet wrapped in foil blankets. [There were] lots of people in costumes.

"The fire was spreading through the roof panels very quickly and there was lots of smoke by time the fire brigade arrived."

Leisure centre users can be seen partly dressed outside after evacuating the building / Becky Jones

A spokesman for London Fire Brigade added: "Twelve fire engines and around 80 firefighters have been called to a fire at a leisure centre in Highbury Crescent in Highbury.

"Part of the roof of the single-storey building is alight. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage."

Fire crews from Islington, Holloway, Stoke Newington, Paddington and surrounding fire stations remain at the scene.

A witness at the scene said no one appeared to be badly hurt.L abour has opened the door to reversing Britain's decision to leave the European Union, by backing a potential second referendum.

The party's conference in Liverpool voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to keep the option of a fresh vote "on the table".

The motion put to delegates does not commit the party to a referendum, and makes clear that its preferred option would be an early general election.

Sir Keir won a standing ovation from a large majority of delegates when he spoke earlier in the day, though some remained firmly in their seats.

His declaration that "nobody is ruling out Remain as an option" was not included in printed copies of his speech distributed to the media, sparking speculation that he may have gone beyond the position agreed by Labour's high command.

But leader Jeremy Corbyn said that the contents of the speech had been cleared by his office in advance.

He said Labour would subject any deal reached by Theresa May with Brussels to the six tests set out by Sir Keir, including that it should deliver "the exact same benefits" as single market and customs union membership.

And he said Labour was prepared to vote the PM's deal down.

Both Sir Keir and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry told the conference that they would personally vote Remain in any re-run referendum.

But Mr Corbyn himself repeatedly declined to say which way he would vote, telling Five News: "It depends what the question is in the referendum... We will decide as a party when the referendum comes what our position will be.T he boss of Next and prominent Leave figure Lord Wolfson warned today of the risks of ports grinding to a halt if Britain crashes out of the EU with no deal.

With just six months to go before the UK quits the European Union, the Conservative peer urged the Government to give businesses more details about how border controls could be relaxed to avoid gridlock.

A Tory donor, he spoke out as Next issued an 11-page report on its Brexit preparations. The high street retailer warned there was no certainty of a trade deal and that if none was agreed, the pound could fall further.

Amid growing fears that the UK could be hurtling towards no deal after Theresa Mays disastrous Salzburg EU summit, Lord Wolfson told the Evening Standard: To our business the biggest single risk is that the ports stop working and theres a lot the Government can do to reduce the burden of work at ports.

Biggest risk: Next chief Lord Wolfson warned that ports could grind to a halt if Britain crashes out of the EU / PA

At the moment, we dont have a lot of visibility of how the Government might change the procedures in order to alleviate the way that ports work. In its no-deal paper Next is proposing that ministers order a series of changes to the border system to keep traffic flowing smoothly through Dover and other ports. They include:

Raising import thresholds for goods brought into the UK by small importers so they avoid customs procedures.

Self-assessment tax procedures for customs tariffs and duties mirroring other taxes such as VAT. Businesses are trusted to collect 125 billion of VAT through self-assessment, Next added, so it would seem reasonable for them to collect 3.5 billion of duty in the same way. The document claims: This would ... do much to alleviate pressure on UK ports.

Extend temporary trusted trader status to many more importers through a simplified and less burdensome application and certification process. This would allow certain checks on vehicles, drivers and customs classifications to take place inland or at a later date.

Next outlined a series of risks facing its business from a bungled Brexit and ranked queues and delays at UK and EU ports due to increased custom declarations for other companies as high.

A fall in the value of Sterling leading to a rise in cost of goods from overseas was seen as a medium risk, as was increase in tariffs and duty on goods imported into the UK from the EU and other countries.

Senior Tory MP Bob Neill said the Next report was a real wake-up call.

The Government has published dozens of technical papers detailing the possible impacts of no deal and the preparations that can be taken to mitigate against them. But many businesses feel that they are still unclear about what steps they should be taking.

Next emphasised: We do not expect the Government to publish potential tariff rates at this stage, but it would be very useful if the Government could clarify its intentions in respect of overall tariff rates in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

A container terminal is seen at the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands / Reuters

The report added: As long as ports and customs procedures are well prepared for the change, and tariff rates are adjusted to ensure no net increase in duty costs to consumers, we believe we can manage the business to ensure no material cost increases or serious operational impediment.

We do not believe that the direct risks of a no-deal Brexit pose a material threat to the ongoing operations and profitability of Nexts business here in the UK or to our 190 million turnover business in the EU.Well the answer is it depends, because we don't know when we're going to get a deal.

The October deadline might slip to November, November might slip to December. I don't know, I'm not conducting the negotiations so the timeline is not in our control.

I don't think at this stage anybody is talking about extending Article 50 but if it has to be extended quite frankly it will be because of the collapsing failure of the discussions and the negotiations.L abour created more confusion over its Brexit policy today after Sir Keir Starmer suggested the party might seek to delay leaving the EU beyond the deadline of March 29 next year.

The possibility of postponing Brexit emerged as Labour came under mounting pressure to say what it would do next if it succeeds in blocking the Governments own Brexit deal.

In his speech to the conference hall, the shadow Brexit secretary pledged Labour would op-pose any deal brought back from Brussels by Theresa May that fails the partys six tests  which critics say are impossible to meet in reality.

If Theresa May brings back a deal that fails our tests  and that looks increasingly likely  Labour will vote against it, said Sir Keir. No ifs  no buts.

The tests set conflicting goals, such as gaining the exact same benefits of the single market  which implies freedom of movement  while insisting the UK should manage migration fairly.

The conference was set to approve a motion that backs a referendum on the Prime Ministers deal, but leaves fudged what would happen if it was voted down weeks before Brexit was due to take place.

Keynote speech: Keir Starmer at the Labour conference / REUTERS

Younger delegates have called for a referendum with remaining in the EU as the default option, but the leadership is refusing to have its hands tied.

Pressed on whether he was keeping open the option of delaying Brexit to allow a fresh negotiation, Sir Keir told Talk Radio: I dont think at this stage anybody is talking about extending Article 50, but if it has to be extended, quite frankly it will be because of the collapsing failure of the discussions and the negotiations.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell caused confusion yesterday by refusing to say that remaining in the EU would be an option in a referendum. Later he clarified that it was one option.

Sir Keir implied his colleague had been overtired when he spoke, saying: We finished our meeting about one in the morning then John was up early doing the media round. Asked if Mr McDonnell had been struggling with not enough sleep, Sir Keir said: No, no, to be fair, John did a number of interviews yesterday and he did say later in the day that all options are on the table.

Labour is desperate to fudge its position on Brexit for fear of angering voters in traditional safe seats in the North and Midlands where Brexit was backed by margins of up to 70-30. In an interview with the Standard today, deputy leader Tom Watson made clear that remain would be an option if there were a second referendum. I think at this point we dont rule anything out, he said.

Parliament will have to decide [whats on the ballot]. That would require a debate, an amendment and talks with other parties. The delegates today are pretty clear that they dont want anything ruled out.

Brendan Chilton, head of Labour Leave, said the party was playing with fire by discussing a new referendum: The fact people like Keir Starmer are throwing around the possibility of a second referendum is devastating to the partys brand. It makes us look like the party of remain.U ndercover police should have to get a judge to sign off secret operations to prevent another spy cops scandal, Labour said today.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said a Labour government would require all undercover police to obtain a warrant before conducting operations, and to put a time limit on investigations.

The move comes after officers were found to have had sexual relationships with activists they were targeting.

The Undercover Policing Inquiry was set up following concerns about such operations by forces in England and Wales since 1968.

Among the most notorious of the spy cops cases involved Met officer Mark Kennedy, who posed as an activist called Mark Stone for seven years without disclosing his identity to his girlfriend.O ne of Labours rising stars today dramatically pushed open the door to reversing Brexit.

Sir Keir Starmer took the Labour conference by storm with an unscripted pledge that a public vote on whether to remain in the EU might be staged.

If we need to break the impasse, our options must include campaigning for a public vote  and nobody is ruling out Remain as an option, he declared. His surprise comment electrified the Liverpool gathering  where delegates responded by clapping and cheering for almost a minute to show their support.

The clear backing in the hall for a second referendum was a blow to Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, who have fudged Labours official policy to avoid upsetting Leave-voting areas.

Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer / Getty Images

The key line about a Remain vote was not included in the official version of the shadow Brexit secretarys speech, raising the question of whether he had deliberately orchestrated a show of people power.

Keynote speech: Keir Starmer at the Labour conference / REUTERS

Aides said he ad-libbed. He was meant to stop after saying that if Labour could not secure a general election we must have other options, and say: Labour campaigning for a public vote must be an option. But his ad-libbed version went further, adding: ... and nobody is ruling out Remain as an option. Two thirds of the hall joined in the prolonged ovation as he sat down.

It came a day after shadow chancellor Mr McDonnell dismayed Remain backers by giving three interviews which all hinted that staying in the EU would not be one of the options in a second referendum. After an uproar, Mr McDonnell was forced to clarify that Remain was indeed an option.

A question being asked on conference fringes was whether Sir Keir had deliberately orchestrated the support fro a so-called Peoples Vote.

The Tories were quick to seize on his words. Conservative chairman Brandon Lewis tweeted: Labour would take us back to square one on Brexit.

But Labour MP David Lammy, a Remain campaigner, tweeted: Brilliant to hear @Keir_Starmer confirm no one is ruling out remain in a #PeoplesVote. This is the most democratic way to move forward. Credit must go to activists for standing up for our partys international values. #Lab18

Brendan Chilton, the head of Labour Leave, said the party was playing with fire by discussing a second referendum. He said: The fact that people like Keir Starmer are throwing around the possibility of a second referendum is devastating to the partys brand. It makes us look like the party of Remain.

Earlier, Sir Keir had suggested Labour might seek to delay leaving the EU be-yond the deadline of March 29 next year if talks fail to produce an acceptable deal.

Pressed on whether he was keeping open the option of delaying Brexit to allow a new negotiation, he told Talk Radio: I dont think at this stage anybody is talking about extending Article 50, but if it has to be extended quite frankly it will be because of the collapsing failure of the discussions and the negotiations.

The conference was set to approve a motion that fudges Labours official position and rejects calls from younger members for an explicit vote on whether to accept a Brexit deal or remain in the EU. Sir Keir also implied Mr McDonnell had been overtired yesterday when he appeared to rule out a remain option, saying: We finished our meeting about one in the morning and then John was up early doing the media round.

Asked by Today if Mr McDonnell had been struggling with not enough sleep, Sir Keir said: No, no, to be fair, John did a number of interviews yesterday and he did say later in the day that all options are on the table.

In his speech, Sir Keir pledged Labour would oppose any deal brought back from Brussels by Theresa May that fails the partys six tests  which critics say are impossible to meet.

If Theresa May brings back a deal that fails our tests  and that looks increasingly likely  Labour will vote against it, he said. No ifs  no buts. The tests set conflicting goals, such as gaining the exact same benefits of the single market  which implies freedom of movement  while insisting Britain should manage migration fairly.M ore free childcare for hundreds of thousands of families will be at the heart of Jeremy Corbyns party conference speech tomorrow, the Standard has learned.

Labours leader will say a million children and their families will benefit from universal care under his plans.

Addressing the gathering at Liverpool, he will say current support is patchy and the effect is holding back too many parents and families.

Universal free high quality childcare will benefit parents, families and children across our country, he will say.

It is a vital and long overdue change that will transform peoples lives and meet the needs of a 21st century Britain for all.

TODO: define component type brightcove

Labours leader did a round of broadcast interviews this evening in which he ducked the question of how he would vote in another EU referendum.

"It's a hypothetical question on a hypothetical referendum, he told Five News.

Speaking to Channel 4 he confirmed he voted Remain in 2016. He appeared to hint he would do so again, saying: "I would do everything I can to protect those jobs."

Asked repeatedly if he thought Brexit would happen in schedule in March 2019, he told Sky: "At the moment it looks like it.

He went on: "We will vote against it if it doesn't meet our six tests. The Government will then have to go back to the European Union and continue negotiations, or they might choose to resign and have a general election so the people of this country can decide who they want to conduct these negotiations."

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 if Article 50 should be extended he said: "That is not in our hands. Article 50 can only be extended by the agreement of the entirety of the European Union."

He backed Sir Keir Starmer who drew cheers by saying Remain could be an option for any second EU referendum.

Mr Corbyn said: "Keir put that in because it's what's there in the motion. We will challenge this Government. If they don't meet our six tests, we will vote against it, and then we will take it from there.

"The priority, though, isn't the arcane wording of motions, it's about jobs and living standards."

Asked he he had opened up the chance of Brexit not happening, Mr Corbyn said: "Our party is determined to protect people's jobs and living standards and ensure that trade relationship with the EU. The Tory Party is trying to do some sweetheart deal with Trump which would be very damaging to our economy."

Under current Government rules for childcare, 15 hours a week are offered for all three and four year olds, regardless of income, while up to 30 hours are available to working couples earning less than 100,000.

Under Labours changes, 30 hours of free childcare will be available to all 2, 3 and 4 year olds, with no means testing. On top of these hours, Mr Corbyn will set out plans for extra subsided hours of childcare on top of the free 30 hour allowance. They will be free for those on the lowest incomes and cost no more than 4 an hour for families on the highest incomes.

In a move to lever up standards in nurseries, Labour will launch a seven-year programme of shifting to a graduate-led workforce. This will mean higher pay for childcare staff.

Opportunity matters most in the earliest years of life, Mr Corbyn will say. It is a crucial time to open up childrens life chances.

A national childcare access point will be launched, replacing what Labour calls a confusing hotchpotch of vouchers and credits.

Mr Corbyn will say Government promises on free childcare a have turned out to be free in name only. Some four in 10 two-year-olds qualify for free childcare at present.

He will attack the closure of SureStart centres, blaming Tory cuts.

Labour claimed its commitments would help 626,739 more three and four year olds on top of the 390,000 who qualify currently.

In addition the party plans to extend 15 free hours to all two year olds, helping 409,578.With just 15 weeks to go until the UK is due to leave the EU, the pressure is on for Theresa May to secure support for her Brexit deal.

Despite calls for a second referendum to be held by Remain campaigners, Theresa May has ruled out any chance of another vote, arguing it would break faith with the British people.

Tory Brexiteers are hoping to force a vote before Parliaments Christmas recess begins on Thursday, although its not yet sure how likely this is.

The Prime Minister is expected to warn MPs: Another vote, which would do irreparable damage to the integrity of our politics, because it would say to millions who trusted in democracy that our democracy does not deliver. Another vote which would likely leave us no further forward than the last.

Despite Theresa Mays firm stance on a second referendum, some, including former prime minister Tony Blair, have suggested another vote could be the only way out of the current mess.

"Parliament's gridlocked, Parliament can't decide and therefore we've got to go back to the British people to decide," he said.

Heres what you need to know about whether a second referendum might happen and how it would go ahead.

Why have people called for a second referendum?

Democracy in action: the Government is under pressure to call another referendum / EPA

Second vote campaigners say it is important to put the Governments Brexit deal before the country in a public vote so people can decide if the decision makes the country better or worse off.

You wouldnt sign a bill without checking it first, so why should the Brexit deal be any different?, says the Peoples Vote campaign.

The argument is that people deserve a final say on the Brexit deal, whichever way they voted in the 2016 referendum.

It is felt that a lot has changed since the first referendum, with misinformation and myths now exposed, according to the Independents Final Say campaign.

Leading politicians including David Lammy are also campaigning for Remain to be in option in any new referendum to ensure a democratic vote.

How likely is a second referendum?

A second referendum would need a significant amount of support from MPs, the majority of whom are currently at odds.

Many Remainer MPs want to try and secure the best deal whilst respecting the will of the people, but others say that while the public may have voted to leave the EU, the terms of which were not at any cost.

If Theresa Mays deal is rejected, Labour is hoping to push a general election. If that fails, the party has not ruled out supporting another referendum.

Tony Blair: Brexit is man-made and can be unmade by man

What are the odds of a second referendum happening?

William Hill was the first bookie to give a second referendum a greater than 50 per cent chance of going ahead.

The bookmakers are offering 8/11 on another EU vote with a 54 per cent chance of it being held in the next two years.

The referendum will need Conservative backing to get through Parliament.

What might a second vote look like?

MP Chuka Umunna (left) and MP Vince Cable (right) as MP Anna Soubry (centre) addresses Anti-Brexit campaigners at a rally after the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. / PA

A mostly Labour-led campaign, spearheaded by the likes of Chuka Umunna, have been calling for a Peoples Vote.

Labour MPs were initially conflicted over what this vote would look like, with shadow chancellor John McDonnell insisting it would only be on the terms of the Brexit deal  without an option to stay in the EU.

Its likely that another vote would ask the public if they want to accept or reject the final Brexit deal, in favour of either remaining or sticking with a no-deal scenario.

Is there enough time?

A referendum would require legislation that could take months to finalise and get through both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

It took seven months before Parliament signed off on the previous legislation which resulted in the 2016 referendum.

The process would be even more time consuming if MPs wanted multiple options on the ballot paper, as opposed to a choice between Leave and Remain.

However, a report into a second referendum by the Peoples Vote group argues it could be possible to condense elements of the process.

All in all, its expected to approve another vote would take at least 11 weeks.

Who would win?

There's been a small movement towards Remain since 2016 referendum, although there is no guarantee that Remain would win.L abour should seek to extend the Article 50 period to delay Brexit, Emily Thornberry said, as we cannot leave in the current circumstances.

Laying out the partys election strategy, the shadow foreign secretary said if Labour wins a general election the negotiation period should be extended.

Speaking at a fringe event during the party conference in Liverpool she said: "We should have a general election and our manifesto should say we will abide by the result of the referendum but we can't obviously leave in the current circumstances."

She stressed Labour needs to extend Article 50, and said the party would restart negotiations by going to Europe and saying the grown-ups have turned up now.

The Labour frontbencher added: "We need to extend Article 50 and essentially turn up in Europe and say 'the grown-ups have turned up now'."

Ms Thornberrys comments came just hours before the shadow Foreign Secretary delivered her keynote speech to the annual conference, which tore into anti-Semitism in the party.

She said fascism must be rooted out from Labour, admitting that there are "sickening individuals" exploiting legitimate support for Palestine.

Labour has always lead the fight against fascism  and we will continue to lead this fight, she said.

Ms Thornberry also condemned the Israeli government's "racist policies and criminal actions".

Earlier on Tuesday Sir Keir Starmer set out the party's plan for Brexit.T heresa May has ruled out the idea of a general election before Brexit day, saying it would not be in the national interest.

Upon arrival in New York for a meeting of the UN general assembly, the prime minister dismissed suggestions of an autumn vote despite reports Downing Street has been war-gaming a snap election.

Another election is not due until 2022 but the Labour Party is pushing for a vote if MPs reject any deal between the UK and the EU.

Speaking to reporters, Mrs May said: "What I'm doing is working to deliver a good deal with Europe in the national interest.

"It would not be in the national interest to have an election."

Brexit: What are the options?

The prime minister also declared on Tuesday that a Canada-style Brexit trade deal that broke up the UK would be worse than no-deal.

Brussels has shown desire for an agreement, she insisted, but said any move that would put a border in the Irish Sea would be a "bad" outcome.

It comes after senior Tory Leavers including David Davis and Jacob Rees-Mogg backed proposals calling on the Government to seek a "basic" free trade agreement for goods of the kind struck between the EU and Canada.

They pointed out such a move had already been offered by Brussels.

Downing Street later said the proposals would mean "Northern Ireland effectively remaining in parts of the single market and customs union".

Speaking to reporters on her flight to New York, Mrs May said: "First of all, I have always said no-deal is better than a bad deal.

"I think a bad deal would be, for example, a deal that broke up the United Kingdom. We want to maintain the unity of the United Kingdom.

"What we have put on the table is a good deal, it's a deal which retains the union of the United Kingdom, our constitutional integrity, it's a deal that provides for no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, protects jobs and enables us to have a good trading relationship with Europe and also the rest of the world.A beluga whale has been spotted in the River Thames, experts say.

One marine life expert believes recent storms could have driven the sea mammal up the estuary to find food.

The whale was spotted moving through the water in the Thames off Coalhouse Fort, in East Tilbury, Essex.

Footage was shared by ecologist and ornithologist Dave Andrews on Tuesday afternoon.

A beluga whale breeches near a buoy on the River Thames near Gravesend / Toby Melville/Reuters

He tweeted: Can't believe I'm writing this, no joke - BELUGA in the Thames off Coalhouse Fort.

Marine life rescuers have urged the public to keep their distance from the whale and experts from the Natural History Museum are also investigating.

The RSPCA said: "The RSPCA is aware of reports of a whale - possibly a beluga - in the Thames. We are working with other agencies to monitor the situation and ready to provide appropriate assistance if requested.

As well as this the British Divers Marine Life Rescue Service is sending a team member to monitor the situation.

A spokeswoman stated it was not a rescue at this point and said: "The whale seems to be swimming normally, probably feeding. It just needs to be left to do what it's doing.

"There isn't any other whale that looks like a Beluga - there's no doubt it's a Beluga."

Michael Hoit, 40, is a freelance ecologist who witnessed what he is certain was a Beluga whale.

Its quite a distinctive animal, said Mr Hoit, who has previously seen whales in the wild and helped with marine mammal surveys.

It has been around for most of the morning.

I was in a bit of a state of disbelief.

A beluga whale breeches near a buoy on the River Thames near Gravesend / Toby Melville/Reuters

He said it may be possible the animal came up the estuary to feed when there were recent storms, as it may have found shelter further from the sea.

It doesnt look in a bad way, he said.

Living Seas Co-ordinator from the Essex Wildlife Trust, Rachel Langley, said: "A Beluga whale has been spotted in the Thames today. The individual is being closely monitored and has been seen feeding.

"Please keep your distance and do not take to the water - let's give this amazing cetacean the best chance of making its way safely back out to sea."

The Natural History Museum said: "Marine mammal experts at the Museum have said that it not possible to tell if the animal is definitely a beluga whale without clearer images, but they will keep an eye on its progress in the river. It could also be an alternative cetacean species with albinism."A dangerous goat-antelope has escaped from a zoo in Devon sparking an urgent search.

Members of the public have been urged not to approach the antelope after it escaped from Paignton Zoo and into nearby woodland.

Devon and Cornwall Police issued the warning after the West Caucasian tur ran off on Monday morning.

The "horned beast", which is a type of mountain-dwelling goat-antelope, could be a danger to the public if startled, police said.

Paignton Zoo suggests the young female escaped after becoming spooked while keepers were moving the zoo's herd into their house.

It cleared a fence, left the quarry area and entered the dense woodland above Clennon Valley.

Phil Knowling, from Paignton Zoo, said: "Our main concern now is that the animal is safe and well, that we locate her and get her back into familiar territory with the rest of the herd.

"She is probably pretty stressed. We are hoping that a police drone with thermal imaging technology can help."

Speaking to the Standard on Tuesday, a spokesman for the zoo said the antelope had been sighted and "hasn't gone very far from the herd", although it has not yet returned to the enclosure.

London Zoo Weigh-In: August 2018 - In pictures 1 /12 London Zoo Weigh-In: August 2018 - In pictures Squirrel Monkeys investigate a set of scales during the annual weigh-in at ZSL London Zoo PA A Meerkat stands on a weighing scale during London Zoo's annual weigh i AP An Okapi stands on a set of scales during the annual weigh-in at ZSL London Zoo PA A penguin reacts with a zoo keeper as it stands on weighing scales for the Zoo's annual weigh in AP A Zoo Keeper prepares to weigh a Giant African Land Snail during the annual weigh-in at ZSL London Zoo PA A giant stick insect is measured during London Zoo's annual weigh in AP An African giant land snail is weighed during the annual weigh-in at the London Zoo EPA A zoo keeper weighs Humboldt Penguins during the annual weigh-in at ZSL London Zoo PA Humboldt Penguins during the annual weigh-in at ZSL London Zoo PA A Zoo Keeper measures a Giraffe next to a ruler during the annual weigh-in at ZSL London Zoo PA Zookeeper Nick feeds a Giraffe to measure its height during London Zoo's annual weigh in AP A Meerkat stands on a weighing scale during London Zoo's annual weigh in AP

A police spokesman added: "Police are assisting specialists from Paignton Zoo to help them locate an escaped West Caucasian tur which is a mountain-dwelling goat-antelope which is believed to be Clennon Woods.

"As you can see, it is a horned beast and could be a danger to the public if startled.

"If you see the tur, please make no efforts to corner it and call police immediately on 999."

The West Caucasian tur is a mountain-dwelling goat-antelope found in the Caucasus Mountains range between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.

It is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and its wild population is estimated to be between 5,000 and 6,000 individuals.T he Labour Party is preparing to vote down Theresa Mays EU withdrawal deal in Parliament, according to shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer.

During his upcoming speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Sir Keir Starmer will warn that Tory division, chaos and failure over Brexit is putting the countrys future prosperity at risk.

The move will leave the Prime Minister brutally exposed to a rebellion by Tory backbenchers with fewer than a dozen able to fracture her fragile control of the Commons in the upcoming vote.

He will say: The party that once promised to fix the roof while the sun was shining now seems intent on burning the whole house down.

British Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement on Brexit negotiations with the European Union, at 10 Downing Street in London on Friday / AP

His warning comes as Labour delegates prepare to vote on a compromise motion to keep the option of a second EU referendum "on the table".

Campaigners for a so-called People's Vote - who staged a march in Liverpool on the conference's opening day - have welcomed the motion, which states that if Labour cannot force an early general election it will "support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote".

But they voiced concern after shadow chancellor John McDonnell indicated that the leadership envisage any vote would be on the terms of a Brexit deal, with no option to remain in the EU.

With a Commons vote expected in the next few months, Sir Keir Starmer is set to say that Labour will oppose any deal which fails the party's six tests, including delivering the "exact same benefits" of single market and customs union membership.

Brexit negotiations: Prime Minister Theresa May with European Council Preisdent Donald Tusk / Getty Images

While stopping short of an absolute commitment to vote down Mrs May's plans, he will tell delegates that it is highly unlikely any deal based on her Chequers blueprint could meet Labour's tests.

And he will pledge not to back a "blind Brexit", under which MPs would be asked to approve the 40 billion withdrawal agreement without being given a clear outline of future relations with Europe.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to say: "Just when we need a strong government, what do we see from the Tories? Division, chaos and failure.

"No credible plan for Brexit. No solution to prevent a hard border in Ireland. And no majority in Parliament for the Chequers proposals.

"A Tory civil war that has gone on for years now threatens our future prosperity."

And he will issue a message to Mrs May: "If your party wants to tear itself apart, that's fine, but you're not taking our country with you."

Setting out Labour's approach to the upcoming Commons vote, Sir Keir Starmer said: "If Theresa May brings back a deal that fails our tests - and that looks increasingly likely - Labour will vote against it. No ifs, no buts.

"And if the Prime Minister thinks we'll wave through a vague deal asking us to jump blindfolded into the unknown she can think again.

"You can't meet Labour's tests by failing to provide answers. We will vote down a blind Brexit.

"Let me be clear: this isn't about frustrating the process. It's about stopping a destructive Tory Brexit. It's about fighting for our values. And about fighting for our country."

Sir Keir Starmer is set to make the remarks during a speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool / REUTERS

Sir Keir Starmer released an analysis of the Brexit blueprint agreed by the Cabinet at Mrs May's country residence, which he said showed it failed to pass Labour's six tests.

The tests demand: a "strong and collaborative" future relationship with the EU; the "exact same benefits" as single market and customs union membership; fair management of migration; defence of rights and protections; protection for national security; and delivering for all regions and nations of the UK.

Brexit minister Robin Walker said: "Labour seem determined to take us all back to square one by rejecting a deal out of hand then trying to delay Brexit and re-run the referendum.

"Labour promised to respect the referendum result, but are just playing political games and trying to frustrate it.

"This Conservative government is negotiating the right deal for the UK, one that promotes jobs and protects security and the precious Union between the four nations of the UK."M eghan Markle sparkled in a black Givenchy dress as she stepped out on Tuesday for her first solo royal engagement.

Just over four months after becoming the Duchess of Sussex, the former TV actress passed a royal milestone when she attended the opening of a major art exhibition.

She joined guests at the opening of a landmark exhibition of works from the Oceania region, at the Royal Academy of Arts in central London. It is the first time she has ventured out without the support of Prince Harry or other royals.

It comes as her estranged half-sister Samantha tweeted will be there soon following claims she is travelling to the UK to try to see the duchess. She says she wants to discuss the health of their 74-year-old father, Thomas Markle.

The occasion marks Meghan's first solo engagement as a member of the royal family / Getty Images

The exhibition celebrates the art of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, encompassing the vast Pacific region including New Guinea, Easter Island, Hawaii and New Zealand.

Meghan, now 37, is due to tour Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific nations of Fiji and Tonga next month with the Duke of Sussex and was shown art from all four countries.

She viewed many of the 200 artefacts on show and told New Zealand video artist Lisa Reihani: Its so special. Its spectacular.

The Duchess said it was a perfect introduction to the region before her visit. Its a great introduction to the sights and sounds of that part of the world, she said.

Meghan performed a hongi - a Maori nose rubbing greeting - with several of her hosts, including New Zealands high commissioner Sir Jerry Mateparae and his wife Janine.

The 37-year-old former actress was wearing a stunning Givenchy outfit / REUTERS

Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, carried out her first solo engagement - standing in for Prince Charles at a private fundraising dinner - in October 2011, almost 6 months after her wedding day.

Meghan Markle, who married on May 19, is a much more experienced performer on the world stage than Kate was at this point in her marriage.

The exhibition marks the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy, which was founded in 1768, the year Captain James Cook set out on his first Endeavour expedition.

During the hour-long visit, the Duchess was meeting the exhibition's curators, artists and descendants linked to the works on display, and viewing a short performance by Ngati Ranana, a Maori cultural group.M eghan Markles estranged half-sister Samantha tweeted will be there soon following claims she is travelling to the UK to try to see the duchess.

On Monday, her PR agent Rob Cooper said that she was coming to the UK after other attempts to arrange a meeting with the former actress had failed.

A day later, the 53-year-old, who has frequently been often outspoken in her opinions about her sister, tweeted "will be there soon".

She wants to discuss the health of the siblings' 74-year-old father Thomas Markle.

Meghan's estranged sister has previously stated that she feels the 37-year-old new royal, who will carry out her first solo engagement later today, could do more to help him.

Mr Markle did not go to the royal wedding earlier this year after suffering a heart attack.

Announcing the trip with a photo of Meghan's sister, Mr Cooper wrote on Twitter: 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.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend WellChild Awards 1 /14 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend WellChild Awards PA PA PA PA AP Getty Images EPA PA Getty Images PA PA PA AP AP

Over the weekend she had shared an image of herself in Italy, where she is understood to have been taking part in media interviews.

The mother-of-three, who lives in Miami with her partner and children, has repeatedly publicly criticised her sibling.

Earlier this month she labelled her 'duchASS' in a rant over her treatment of their father.

Prior to this she dubbed her narcissistic and selfish and claimed she always wanted to be a princess.A photo of a female clubber looking bored and unimpressed as a young man shouts in her ear has been hailed as the most relatable" meme on the internet.

The image of two revellers at the Milk student night at Bourbon club in Edinburgh has been shared tens of thousands of times on social media including as far away as Australia.

It shows a young woman looking disinterested as a man shouts down her earhole and has led to a flurry of internet jokes about what he might be saying, while others have turned it into a meme.

Facebook user Alex Hall wrote: "Congratulations to Milk in Edinburgh on taking what I suspect may be the most relatable nightclub photo in the history of art."

The pair have since revealed that they know each other and were out together at the club during Fresher's Week.

The young man, who identified himself as Patrick, told Capital Scotland it was "weird" seeing a photo of himself go viral across the world.

He said: "She's one of my pals from school so she's probably fed up. Patrick added: "He looks like the most bored woman in the world."

"I don't understand, it's just quite standard, what is the big deal?" he added.

Strathclyde University student Lucia Gorman, who also spoke to the radio station, said that whatever Patrick was saying, she clearly "wasn't into it".

"I wasn't having it," she added. "I don't remember (what he was saying). Patrick always talks rubbish so it could have been anything."

She added: "Someone sent me the tweet and it had 40 likes at the time and I was like 'this is funny', and at the end of the day it had 14,000."

Presenter Steven Mill said: "We've all been that guy and we've all been that girl."

One twitter users transformed the picture into a new Ask for Angela poster / Twitter/Gothicat/Milk TuesdaysP ret A Manger did not label "artisan" baguettes as containing sesame seeds, despite six allergic reaction cases in the year before a teenager's death, an inquest heard.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, suffered a fatal reaction to a sandwich from the outlet while on a flight from Heathrow Airport in July 2016. She had not realised it contained the seeds.

An inquest at West London Coroner's Court was told the packaging failed to mention sesame seeds were "hidden" in the dough.

On Tuesday, it emerged that a "specific warning" about the dangers of not signposting the allergen had been given to the food chain the previous year.

A complaint log for the company from between July 17, 2015 and June 29, 2016 showed six cases of allergic reactions involving artisan baguettes.

Family of teenager who died after eating Pret a Manger sandwich on flight demand answers

Jeremy Hyam QC told the hearing that a woman nearly died after suffering an anaphylactic reaction from sesame in the sandwich "nine months before Natasha's death".

Mr Hyam said this was a "specific warning", but Pret still failed to label sandwiches with allergy information.

Questioning Jonathan Perkins, the chain's director of risk and compliance, he said: "There was a clear concern being repeatedly raised that artisan baguettes were causing sesame seed allergy problems, which were not properly responded to by Pret."

Mr Perkins said: "We responded appropriately to each individual complaint at the time."

More than a year after the complaint, Pret changed the design of a label within its fridges that tells customers to ask staff for allergy information.

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse 15, from Fulham, west London, who died after she fell ill on a flight from London to Nice after eating a sandwich at an airport two years ago / PA

Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 outlet ordered dozens of stickers for the fridges and tills in 2016, the inquest heard on Monday, but questions were raised about whether they were used.

Mr Perkins was challenged repeatedly that, if accurate, the lack of stickers amounted to a "serious failing".

"I will accept that word 'serious'," he told the hearing.

Natasha, from Fulham, collapsed on a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Nice, on her way to a four-day break with her father and best friend.

The teenager suffered from numerous allergies and reacted badly to the sesame seeds, which caused her throat to tighten and vicious red hives to flare up across her midriff. It triggered cardiac arrest.

The inquest is due to last until Friday.A university has apologised after a bouncer stood outside a gender-neutral toilet and asked a student what sex they were.

The male student, named only as Dom, said he was banned from going into the gender-neutral toilet at the University of Sheffield after telling the bouncer he was a man.

He tweeted: Big fan of the equality that our uni offers but to ban people from going to a gender neutral toilet because they identify as male is pathetic.

For you to put a guy on the door saying what gender are you? before letting them use the toilet is labelling people, the third-year student added.

Speaking to The Times, a spokesman for the university said a new member of staff misunderstood their policy.

He added: "Our gender-neutral toilets are available for everyone to use. We apologise for any upset this mistake may have caused."

A Student Union spokesman said many trans and/or non-binary people face a lot of anxiety about using toilets and it can often be a very stressful experience.

Accommodation exclusively for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students may soon be offered at Sheffield University, the Student Union told The Times.D onald Trump was mocked as he fell into an auto-correct trap and accidentally tweeted that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was the victim of "false acquisitions".

The US President continued to show support for the "wonderful man" in his fight for a place on the Supreme Court, despite several allegations of sexual misconduct.

After a flood of responses Mr Trump quickly deleted the tweet and replaced it with a corrected version 10 minutes later.

Mr Kavanaugh, 53, has pushed on with his nomination amid what he called a "smear campaign", and said "I won't let false accusations drive me out of the process".

A third woman came forward on Monday alleging the judge "drunkenly sexually assaulted her while in high school", the Guardian reported.

Mr Trump maintained that the reports are "the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything," after a second accuser came forward.

But after making this latest affirmation of his support of the judge, Twitter users mercilessly jumped on the blunder.

Some reminded him of his own "false acquisitions", such as those against the "Central Park Five" - a group of young black men who he repeatedly accused of raping a woman in 1989. They had spent years in prison before a serial rapist confessed to the crime, and were all released.

Others called him out on the accusations raised against him over the years, and called the tweet a Freudian slip after his history of making controversial real estate deals.A 74-year-old pensioner has been found alive inside of a building that burned down five days earlier.

The elderly man was found by engineers who were inspecting the wreckage of the public housing complex after a fire.

Doug Buchanan, a spokesman for the Washington DC fire department said a team of engineers found the man sitting calmly in a chair after opening a jammed apartment door.

Mr Buchanan said it is unclear how the tenant was missed when firefighters and marines searched through the building.

He said: We were under the impression that we had either laid eyes on every apartment or banged on the doors of every apartment.

Clearly there will be an after-action meeting to assess things.

Last Wednesday, a huge cloud of smoke could be seen rising over Washington DC as firefighters tackled a blaze at a five storey apartment complex for senior citizens.

The inferno at Arthur Capper Senior Public Housing complex, in Capitol Hill, had been described as a heavy fire.

The fire had started near the top of the building at about 3pm (local time) and a large section of the roof collapsed about three hours later.

An operation to evacuate all tenants, some of whom were to weak to walk on their own, was launched by firefighters and a group of marines from nearby barracks.

No serious injuries were reported from the blaze, although a handful were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

A team examined the building on Monday to assess the damage when they heard a man shouting. After prying open his jammed door, they found him sitting in a chair.N ew Zealands Prime Minister has been praised for bringing her three-month old daughter to work with her as she spoke at the UN General Assembly.

Jacinda Ardern made her debut speech at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit where she paid tribute to Nelson Mandela.

The 38-year-old spoke about Nelson Mandela's impact on the people of New Zealand.

Her partner Clarke Gayford was sat next to her with their three-month-old daughter Neve Te Aroha.

According to the Guardian, Ms Ardern is the first female world leader to bring an infant to the meeting.

Baby Neve was even handed her own UN pass to wear throughout her time at the UN's headquarters.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN issued a statement on Neves attendance saying: Prime Minister Ardern is showing that no one is better qualified to represent her country than a working mother.

"Just 5 per cent of the world's leaders are women, so we need to make them as welcome here as possible.

Ms Ardern is the second elected leader to give birth while in office after Pakistans Benazir Bhutto in 1990.

Clarke Gayford looks after his daughter during a trip to the United Nations / AFP/Getty Images

She took six weeks maternity leave and returned to work at the beginning of August. While she was on maternity leave, the coalition government was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters.

The 38-year-olds pregnancy enthralled the New Zealand public and was seen by many as a symbol of progress for women in leadership roles.A British food store in New Zealand has been granted permission to stock Weetabix after the company behind rival cereal brand Weet-bix complained about its sale.

The producer of Weet-Bix, Sanitarium, had argued that customers at A Little Bit of Britain, a store in Christchurch, might be misled and mistake the British product with its own.

This dispute went to the High Court in New Zealand, with Sanitarium claiming that the sale of Weetabix breached the Fair Trading Act, RNZ reported.

In his decision, a Justice Gendall stated there was not a chance of customers being mistaken, due to the nature of the store being a British food shop, and it was found not to breach the Fair Trading Act.

However, it was found to breach the Trade Marks Act meaning the A Little Bit of Britain store would have to cover up the labels of any future packets of Weetabix it sells.

Sanitarium said the outcome was one which allowed it to protect its brand and was the result it had been looking for.

The argument had led to some Weetabix boxes being seized by customs, a total of 108, and these are to be destroyed.

There are going to be submissions from both parties in the case as to who is liable for costs.

In a later statement on Facebook, A Little Bit of Britain asked for suggestions of what it should name Weetabix when the label is covered.

This read: Woohoo! It's been such a long time coming but it's finally done. You can be assured we will be getting Weetabix in our next container.

As per the Judges [sic] ruling, we have to sticker over the Weetabix logo so please help us out and let us know below what you think we should call it.T he parent of a child rescued after it was spotted dangling from a balcony in Paris has been handed a three-month suspended sentence.

The 37-year-old father was charged with negligence on Tuesday by a court in the French capital and has also been ordered to attend parenting classes.

The four-year-old child was seen dangling from the fourth-floor of his apartment building in May.

He was rescued by Malian migrant Mamoudou Gassama who scaled the outside of the building to save him.

The childs father said he had to leave the apartment building on May 27 to go and buy groceries however he failed to lock the sliding glass door to the balcony.

According to Deutsche Welle, the man said he was away longer than planned as he became distracted playing Pokemon Go.

The boy told police that he went onto the balcony because he thought his father had been gone for so long and wanted to follow him.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) speaks with Mamoudou Gassama, 22, from Mali, at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris / AFP/Getty Images

Video footage of the incident went viral online with Mr Gassama dubbed Spider-Man.S upreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said he is "not going anywhere" as he denied allegations of sexual misconduct during a TV interview.

Speaking to Fox News on Monday and accompanied by his wife Ashley, he said he was "not going to let false accusations" drive him out of the nomination process.

He added that he was a virgin for "many years" after leaving high school.

Two women have accused him of sexual misconduct with reports early on Tuesday indicating that a third woman was going to come forward.

Christine Blasey Ford, who was the first to accused Mr Kavanaugh, claims he assaulted her at a party when they were teenagers however he denies being at any such party.

Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is facing allegations of sexual misconduct which he denies / AP

He said: "I'm not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr Ford at some point in her life was sexually assaulted by someone in some place, but what I know is I've never sexually assaulted anyone."

Mr Kavanaugh said it's possible he may have met Dr Ford at some time, but he said they were not friends and did not travel in the same social circles. He said he did not remember being at a party with her.

"I was not at the party described," Mr Kavanaugh said.

Mr Kavanaugh was asked if there was any chance Dr Ford misunderstood an exchange between them.

"I have never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr Ford," he said.

The second woman, Deborah Ramirez, has accused Mr Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a Yale dormitory party, putting his penis in her face and causing her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

Brett Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley during a TV interview with Fox News / AP

In response to the allegations, Mr Kavanaugh said: "I never did any such thing."

"If such a thing had happened, it would have been the talk of campus," Mr Kavanaugh said.

It is rare for nominees to the Supreme Court to give interviews. Russell Wheeler, an expert on the judicial selection process at the Brookings Institution, said he is unaware of a similar media interview by a Supreme Court nominee in the past 100 years.

But there's nothing ordinary about the stakes and circumstances of Mr Kavanaugh's nomination, with Republicans fighting to get him on the court by the end of September and cement a conservative-leaning court for years to come.

President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell say they are determined to get Mr Kavanaugh on the court, calling the allegations against him false and politically motivated.

Donald Trump is determined to get Mr Kavanaugh confirmed / AP

"I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process," Mr Kavanaugh said.

Brett Kavanaugh: "I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process." #TheStory https://t.co/HvY7xtcpV3 pic.twitter.com/S5YoK2jcwt  Fox News (@FoxNews) September 25, 2018

Democrats have accused Republicans of not conducting a thorough review in their rush to get Mr Kavanaugh confirmed. They want the FBI to reopen its background investigation of Mr Kavanaugh and look into the allegations against him.

Ford and Mr Kavanaugh are set to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In the Fox interview Mr Kavanaugh got a taste of the personal questions he'll face from senators. MacCallum asked him how long he was a virgin in college, after he volunteered that he never had sex in high school.

"Many years after. I'll leave it at that," he said.

Ashley Kavanaugh was asked whether she wondered if her husband was telling the truth about the allegations against him. "No, I know Brett. I've known him for 17 years," she said, adding: "I know his heart. This is not consistent with Brett."

Mr Kavanaugh appeared to get emotional at the end of the interview. He said Trump called him in the afternoon to show his support.

"I know he's going to stand by me," he said.A teenager who put a poster of himself and a friend on the wall of a McDonalds store after noticing a lack of diversity says he would love to see more representation on TV and in Hollywood.

Jevh Maravilla, 21, and his friend Christian put up their own piece of branded art inside the restaurant in Texas after noticing that there was a lack in diversity in the artwork on the walls.

The artwork stayed in the store for over 51 days and went viral on social media in September. The student's Youtube video amassing over one million views.

Mr Maravilla told the BBC: I feel Ive made my mark with McDonalds but Id love to see more representation on TV and in Hollywood.

Last week, the two teenagers were invited onto the Ellen DeGeneres show where they were told that McDonalds would be featuring them in their next advertising campaign as part of their commitment to diversity.

The pair were handed $25,000 (18,972.50) each for taking part in the campaign.

Mr Maravilla says he will donate some of the cash to a church in the Philippines.

When the video went viral he told local media at KPRC Click2Houston: Asian representation in media is not as prevalent as it should be.

What motivated me was Crazy Rich Asians, the movie that came out, that boosted my confidence into thinking maybe one day I could be just like that, and if I take a step and do something small like this, it could make a difference.

Their poster has now been taken down as the McDonalds restaurant undergoes refurbishment. It has been signed by the pair and will be auctioned off with all proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald foundation.T he bodies of a British man and his wife have been found in northern Thailand after a suspected contract killing.

The mans brother-in-law has been arrested on suspicion of ordering their murder, while two other suspects have also been held.

Thai officers stand by the area where the bodies of Alan Hogg and Nhot Suddaen were found / AP

The remains of 64-year-old Alan Hogg  understood to be a retired engineer from Edinburgh  and his 61-year-old Thai wife Nhot Suddaen were found at their home. It came after a major missing person search.

Authorities had to use diggers to retrieve the bodies. The pair, who had been together for 30 years, were said to have been dead for a week.

The couple's bodies were buried near a creek at their property in Thailand's north province of Phrae / Reuters

Manas Kerdsukho, the police commander for Thailands Phrae province, said Mr Hogg was shot with a shotgun and Ms Nhot died after being bludgeoned on the back of the head, shattering her skull.

They had travelled back and forth between the UK and Thailand for most of their marriage, before settling in Thailand in 2014. Mr Hogg and Ms Nhot had one daughter.

The bodies were discovered on Tuesday / AP

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: "Our staff are providing support to the family of a British couple who have died in Thailand and we are in contact with the local authorities."Mr Trump used the address to thank North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his "courage" in their diplomatic efforts towards de-nuclearisation, a year after he threatened to annihilate the country.

"Nuclear testing has stopped," he said. "Some military facilities are already being dismantled. Hostages have been exchanged.

"Missiles are no longer flying" between north and south Korea, he went on to add. "I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and the steps he has taken."

But after buttering up the Communist country he went on to take a shot at the few remaining socialist countries in the world, slamming Venezuela's Maduro regime for the "anguish" and "oppression" of millions.W orld leaders laughed at Donald Trump as he boasted about his administration being the most accomplished in American history.

The US president started his opening address to the United Nations general assembly by reporting to the world on his country's progress since his inauguration.

He crowed that in "less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country".

Rather than applaud or cheer, the audience in New York began to chuckle and some broke into laughter.

Donald Trump was met with laughter as he boasted about his administration's achievements / REUTERS

Mr Trump appeared briefly flustered before joking that it was not the reaction he expected but "that's all right".

After he arrived late and forced a last-minute scheduling switch, the president seized his opportunity to assert American independence from the international body.

He was unapologetic about his decisions to engage with North Korea, remove the US from the international Iran nuclear accord and object to UN programmes he believes are contrary to American interests.

"We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism," he said.

Mr Trump leaves after his address kicked off the UN summit in New York / EPA

He referenced a long list of UN initiatives, from the International Criminal Court to the Human Rights Council, that his administration is working to undermine.

"As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy and no authority," he said.

The US is boycotting the Human Rights Council, arguing it overlooks abuses by some and serves as a venue for anti-American and anti-Israeli action.

His denunciation of globalism drew murmurs from a room that stands as the embodiment of the notion.

Other tense moments included his criticism of Germany's pursuit of a direct energy pipeline from Russia, which drew a dismissive headshake from a member of the US ally's delegation.A woman made a huge claim that she found a sharp needle in her McDonalds meal  only for it to emerge she had placed it there herself.

The horrified customer had poured a packet of fries onto the table and found a needle amongst them.

Ash Te Weri posted her complaint on Facebook, in the hopes of alerting others to the potential hazard.

The McDonalds branch, in New Zealand, was alarmed by Ms Weris claim and, in turn, contacted Whanganui Police.

To help officers, the company provided CCTV footage as well, NZ Herald reported.

Police officers visited Ms Weris home and found a distinctive packet of 20 needles with one missing.

Detective Ross McKay said officers were confident the missing needle was the same one found within the food and the whole incident was an honest mistake.

He said: The woman did the right thing reporting this incident, as did the business. There was no malicious intent here.G lenn Close said she has played a number of roles described as just a bitch  as she hit out at misogyny in the film industry.

The Fatal Attraction star, pictured, said the problem was universal and that women are judged for how they speak, not what they say.

Close, best known for roles such as Alex Forrest in the 1987 thriller, and the Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liaisons, as well as Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians, said: Except for Cruella, I think its very boring and Im not interested in playing what people would say is the bad person.

Asked if she thought her characters might be seen in a more nuanced way if those films were released now, she said: No, I think its pretty universal.

Powerful roles: Glenn Close has played a number of high profile women / Dave Benett/Getty Images

"There was this study done at Harvard about which female leaders are most effective, and it came out, for both men and women, that a woman who applies her femininity was the most liked and most effective.

Look at what happened to Hillary [Clinton]  shrill, shrill, shrill. Women are judged for the tone of their voices, not for whats coming out of their heads. And I think thats pretty universal. I also think a lot of people are uncomfortable with powerful women.

The Wife - Trailer

In her new film, The Wife, Close plays the long-suffering and supportive spouse of a philandering author, who begins to question their relationship while attending his Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm.

She said: Initially I think we represented why #MeToo was necessary, because it took 14 years for a movie called The Wife to be made, written by two women, and produced by women.

But now it kind of represents what I hope will be many more projects in the future.

Whats really heartening to me is the level of awareness that the #MeToo movement is creating, about what is not acceptable any more. And of course there are going to be corrections.

It brings up a very, very complex set of questions about how you deal with behaviour, how do you compare someones behaviour with someone elses?

And what will become the norm? We dont know that yet, and if its the tipping point, I dont know. Weve had these points before where people hoped it was the tipping point. I think its an internal battle.M el B has admitted that she was left feeling panicked after former bandmate Geri Horner left the Spice Girls unannounced.

Former Scary Spice Melanie Brown told how she was initially angry and then really sad when Horner left the group in 1998.

Speaking to the Loose Women panel, she explained: We searched for her in the hotel and we couldnt find her. Shed got herself on the flight and headed back to England.

"She was in the crisis of a horrendous eating disorder and she just felt no way out apart from to remove herself.

Spice Girls: The group have sparked reunion speculation / PA

Even that in itself made me feel so of course I was a little bit angry because we had to re-do the whole show. She was nowhere to be found. [I thought shed been] kidnapped or something.

We were all kind of a bit frantic. Then we found out shed got on a flight and was heading back to England. Then we went into overdrive mode to re-do the show. I was trying to call her the entire time.

Spice Girls celebrated in new exhibition

Brown added that she was left feeling heartbroken that Horner was unable to speak to her about what she was going through.

The 43-year-old said: It was my birthday and I thought of all days shes leaving on my birthday.

PA

"What bothered me, not the fact that she left, of course that bothered, the fact she didnt come to me.

I consider her as my best friend. Well, all of them, weve got really solid friendships.

That bothered me more than anything, she didnt feel like she could talk to me and just tell me whats going on. She was just gone.P aul Hollywood was flying solo as he sent home Karen Wright and Terry Hartill from the Great British Bake Off tent on Tuesday.

The latest episode saw a double elimination after nobody went home last week due to Terry missing the round through illness.

This week, it was Prue Leith who was feeling under the weather as she skipped out on this weeks showstopper round, leaving Hollywood to judge alone and make the final decision.

After struggling with the challenges during the inaugural Spice Week, it was Karen and Terry who said their goodbyes to the competition, both becoming very emotional talking about their exit.

Out: Karen Wright was booted out after struggling during Spice Week / Channel 4

Welling up, Terry explained that baking had helped to fill the void left when he lost his wife.

He said: There wasnt anything that filled that void for a very long time so it did give me a focus. Its been a big help.

The retired air steward also spoke of his friendship with in-store assistant Karen, saying that he thinks they will be good friends for a long time.

Of her exit, Karen said: It really helped me to leave with Terry, it was bitter sweet of course, and I had no doubt that I was going, I knew I couldn't pull it back this time.

"But to go with a baker that I had grown a bond with was so much easier. We sat together holding hands when they said the verdict."

Lone ranger: Paul Hollywood was forced to eliminate two bakers without the help of Prue Leith / Channel 4

The 60-year-old vowed to stop baking for a bit, opting to spend some time away in her caravan while Terry,56, promised he wouldnt give up whipping up sweet treats.

Contestants were tasked with creating a ginger cake for their signature piece, the Middle Eastern pastry Ma'Amoul for the technical challenge, and a chandelier of spiced biscuits for the showstopper.

A soggy cake, oozing Ma'Amoul and a bland showstopper were enough to seal Terry's fate.

Channel 4

Store assistant Karen put "too much booze" in her cake, and made a major mix-up with her Ma'Amoul saw come last in the technical round.

Rahul continued to impress, and was again hailed a "genius" by Hollywood. Manon was also given the honour of a handshake from the judge.

But it was Kim-Joy who was named Star Baker, receiving a Hollywood handshake for her cake, and impressing with her Christmas-themed showstopper.

The Great British Bake Off continues Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4.T he mini-break is a rite of passage for any relationship.

Its a form of test, too  you can glean a lot about someone from how they behave away from home.

For seven series now, comedian Richard Ayoade has played on this with Travel Man (8.30pm, Channel 4), whisking celebrities away on short breaks out of their comfort zones so that we can see what they are really like.

Tonight, fellow comedian Eddie Izzard joins him and they take Ljubljana by storm.

Travel Man: Eddie Izzard appears in episode three / Channel 4

Within the first five minutes theres a gag about how to spell the name of the capital of Slovenia. To heighten your experience of this programme, try playing a game where you drink every time they mention the spelling or pronunciation of the place.

Ayoade is a pro traveller. In his trademark linen suit, he is ready with facts, puns and a wry take on the city  in Melania Trumps home country. Hes perky, if verging on gratingly twee, never using a simple word like walk when he can pootle or canter.

He and Izzard are friendly enough, laughing at each others jokes, more out of politeness than genuine mirth. But their conversation never goes deeper than evaluations of the merits of Ljubljanas indigenous baked goods.

Its a shame because Izzard is interesting. He is dressed in heels (inadvisable when youre staying in a hotel with no lift, as they are), lipstick and a racy leather jacket. But Ayoade doesnt broach cross-dressing, preferring to limit his fashion commentary to how his own yellow trousers match the toboggans they take down a mountain on the island of Bled. wwPolitics  Izzard ran for the Labour NEC  is off the menu too. However, Izzard does now know the answer to the traditional How much is a price of milk? question thats so often put to politicians thanks to a trip to one of Ljubljanas many milk-vending machines.

There are echoes of The Trip, with impressions of political leaders that mutate into Michael Caine send-ups. Generally, though, Ayoade seems too in awe of Izzard. Theres a particularly awkward moment when they shake hands, not knowing what else to do.

They cram a lot in, though  theres no down time in this mini-break  and Ljubljana looks delightful. Its all pastel- coloured old buildings, lakes and clean mountain air. Izzard says he would go back. But perhaps not with Ayoade.

If thats all a bit too relaxing and youre looking for a thriller to fill the gap after Bodyguard, tune in to Black Earth Rising (9pm, BBC2).

Scarred: Michaela Coel stars as Kate Ashby in Black Earth Rising / BBC

Episode three is on tonight and its not letting up. Kate (Michaela Coel) and Michael (John Goodman) have formed an unlikely double act and are determined to uncover the truth about who was driving the Rwandan genocide. Their mission is a useful distraction from grief  Kates adopted mother died in the previous episode after being shot in the head while prosecuting a leading Tutsi in the International Criminal Court. The plot requires full concentration to keep up.

This episode takes us to rural France, the preserve of dodgy Benedictine monks and reclusive priests. Kate makes a discovery about her mother and backchats intimidating officials. When the story becomes too brutal, it is told in a clever animation interlude, one of many original touches that makes this unpredictable tale so compelling.

Goodman provides comic relief, joking about how: this is better than a box set of Seinfeld. It couldnt be more different to the US sitcom. But its just as good, and ends on yet another cliffhanger. Brace yourself.

Pick of the day

Insecure - Sky Box Sets

Its not too late to catch up on the first two series of Issa Raes effervescent comedy. The show grew from her 2011 web series Awkward Black Girl, and was partly inspired by the debate sparked by Lena Dunhams series Girls, about the lack of representation for minority communities on premium television.

It centres on the experiences of Issa (a fictionalised Rae) and is true to the experience and vocabulary of the African-American community in South Los Angeles.

Comedy: Issa Rae is among the stars / HBO

Rae has noted that some of the white writers on the show needed help to understand the dialogue.

That said, the comedy is universal and music consultant Solange Knowles keeps things fresh. In its review of the first series, Variety noted the trend for comedies created around fictionalised versions of their stars (Donald Glovers Atlanta and Phoebe Waller-Bridges Fleabag were two). However, it suggested that Insecure had similarities with Bridget Joness Diary, introducing its viewers to the unacknowledged dysfunction and colourful vernacular of its lead character, while also delivering a slice of social commentary.

Screen time

Reported Missing - BBC1, 9pm

The heartbreaking series about missing persons follows the story of Michael, 40-year-old partner of Claire. She wakes on Easter Sunday in Northwich, Cheshire, to discover that Michael hasnt come home.

Their son Joe recalls that in the last conversation he had with his father, he believed that someone was out to get him.

Michael has been struggling with alcoholism since the death of his best friend when they were 18, but Claire says he is aware that having a drink could kill him. Cameras follow the police team as it tracks Michaels movements. His phone signal leads to the town centre, and there is CCTV of him in the post office. But the story takes a darker turn as Michaels secrets are revealed.

The New EastEnders - London Live, 10pm

By the end of the second part of this documentary, another 28 pop-ups serving chips on a trowel will have popped up (not that youll ever get a seat in one of them) in a part of town previously viewed as unfashionable. Around the start of the millennium it was Shoreditch that began a transition, and here the locals air their views on the change.

Mud Men - London Live, 8pm

This evening the chaps add a string to their bow by, I suppose, adding a string to a bow in an attempt to learn the skills of a Tudor longbowman.

With no Tudor longbowmen still plying their trade today, its left to actor and eminent medieval warfare expert Robert Hardy to school the pair in how to deal a nearly silent death to a foe  You have to be as silent as the grave into which you want to put him. As slogans go, thats surely one of the more chilling.

This medieval foray doesnt place Johnny Vaughan and Steve Brooker in harms way, however, as they also get to sample the life of a Tudor bishop at home in his palace  and its a life that isnt as simple or arduous as they would have their followers believe.

Bodyguard: Richard Madden as David Budd / BBC/World Productions/Sophie Mutevelian

Catch up

Bodyguard - BBC iPlayer

Viewers who have been in Siberia can catch up with the whole series of Jed Mercurios thriller starring Richard Madden, pictured, and Keeley Hawes. Those who saw it may wish to revisit the crucial scenes to check the plausibility of the final episode. It cant really be that neat can it?

Serial box

Bojack Horseman - NetflixH ow to get people excited about phone cases is the question London-based start-up Mous grapple with every day.

Cases are either really protective and bulky, or they are super stylish and flimsy [so] your phone would break if you dropped it, explains Mous' co-founder and head of brand and creative, Lucy Hutchinson.

When youre spending upwards of 1,000 on a brand new shiny smartphone you definitely want it to survive the odd knock or two.

This is a problem Mous set out to solve, creating a phone case that is both protective and - here's the buzzword - stylish; one which people actually like.

It's been two years since they embarked on their journey. Here's how it all began...

The Mous story: how the company started

Back in 2016, Hutchinson was working for the top branding agency Someone when her old university friend, James Griffith, approached her about a business idea. He and his business partner, Josh Shires, had created an ultra-slim but very protective phone case, and they wanted to launch a crowdfunding campaign.

That was the biggest challenge, how do we get people to pre-order and be excited about a phone case? she explains. From that moment, I was hooked.

Hutchinson with Mous co-founder, James Griffith / Mous

Acting as a consultant for the brand, Hutchinson watched as the Indiegogo campaign swooped up from 0 to nearly 2 million. With 50,000 backers, Mous became the most funded phone case ever released on a crowd-funding platform.

Hutchinson then came aboard full-time as head of creative, because young companies, she says, should be all about branding. We always wanted to be quite disruptive, to come into a market that people think is sleepy and turn it on its head. That's where branding really comes into play, she explains.

What makes Mous cases so good?

Whilst a start-up aiming to 'disrupt' might be nothing new, what Mous did was actually quite ground-breaking. The founders created their own patent-pending material, Airoshock - a high-impact material which lines all the cases to give them their impressive protective strength.

Its amazing that the team have been able to do that and its another bit to add to our brand and what we can be known for, says Hutchinson.

As might be expected, Mous loves a guerrilla marketing campaign. For the launch of the iPhone X, for instance, Griffith asked someone to throw his new - very expensive - Mous-cased iPhone on the floor just to prove it wouldnt break.

It didn't.

The team recently carried out another spectacular drop test for the launch of the iPhone XS - chucking the new phone 30 feet down the steps of the Sydney Opera House. Hutchinson says these stunts are scary but they are a lot of fun as well.

We believe in our product and test it extensively but you never know if it will work. It was nerve-wracking but brilliant to prove to people live in front of crowds that it does work.

Mous pulls of a spectacular iPhone XS drop test

Its crazy stunts like these which have not only made the headlines and but contributed hugely to Mous's sales. But of course, none of that would be possible, if the product itself wasn't really, really good.

Mous isnt just about problem-solving for phones. It's currently building an accessories range - a card wallet case, a wall mount - to solve other everyday problems as well.

We work at a WeWork space and we were losing our key cards all the time, and it was costing us loads of money. So we designed the magnetic card wallet, which fits the case, to solve that problem, explains Hutchinson.

Were inspired by real people and real problems, she adds.

Where is the company going next?

Now Mous has the new iPhone XS launch done and dusted, Hutchinson says the company is focusing on adding to the accessories range whilst getting more Mous products into retail stores.

It might seem strange that an online brand is partially moving its shopping experience offline, but its merely another way to reach customers.

Retail really excites me because its more space to play with, says Hutchinson.

You can find Mouss products in Selfridges Smartech store on Oxford Street, amongst the drones and Snapchat glasses. However, they have set their sights high, and one day, hope to make it into Apple...

But whilst Mous might be all about growth right now, it's about growth in the rightest of ways: good company culture, says Hutchinson, is paramount. Were all pretty weird and wonderful and it feels exciting to say we want to have this kind of culture here: about being flexible, open-minded and creative," she explains.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Bucharest's Prefect Speranta Cliseru called on the members of the Senate's Defense Commission on Tuesday to urgently update the Law on public assemblies because it no longer corresponds to the present situations.

"What I am asking you - and I will come up with a proposal - is to urgently amend the Law on public assemblies. I would ask you to update the Law on public assemblies, because it no longer corresponds to today's situations, and it should be clear because a mere notification to the mayor does not replace the authorization of a public demonstration. There must be people who will assume the organization of the rally, there must be ambulances, public toilets, order should prevail in this organization from beginning to end. We cannot continue with these gatherings announced by faxes, emails," Cliseru said.

The Prefect of the Capital was heard by the Senate's Defense Committee in connection with the August 10 events in Victoriei Square.Defense Minister Mihai Fifor, who is on a working visit to the United States, announced on Tuesday that he had the opportunity to talk with several US officials about cooperation in the relevant field.

"Last night, I was invited by the Commander of the US National Guard, General Joseph Lengyel, to a working meeting at his residence, and I was also able to meet other US officials such as Mrs. Major General Sheryl Gordon, Commander of the National Guard of the State of Alabama, Mr. Thomas Goffus, Secretary of Defense's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and NATO, James Mattis, representatives of the US Department of Defense and US Department of State and of US Congress. I had the excellent occasion to talk with US officials about the cooperation between Romania and the USA in the defense field, but above all with people for whom Romania is a landmark and a pillar of stability in the Black Sea region," Fifor wrote on Facebook.

Mihai Fifor is on an official visit to the United States, where he will meet with his US counterpart at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) announced in a press release sent to AGERPRES.According to the same source, the agenda of the Pentagon talks includes topics related to intensifying cooperation on the defense dimension, both in the bilateral context and within the North Atlantic Alliance.The program of the Romanian official includes the participation in the CEPA Forum "Winning the 21st Century - Allied Strength and Solidarity," as a special guest in the panel "Beyond 2 percent: Quantity and Quality in European Defense Investments"."The visit includes an official meeting with Governor of the State of Alabama, Kay Ivey, on 27 September, during which discussions will focus on the excellent cooperation between the Romanian Armed Forces and the National Guard in Alabama, and the Minister of Defense will also hold a series of meetings with representatives of the US Congress to tackle priority issues on the defense agenda, focusing on the concrete ways of cooperation between the two states," reads the MApN release.Minister Fifor is accompanied by the Secretary of State and Head of the Department of Armaments, Andrei Ignat, as well as the Chief of General Staff of Defense, General Nicolae Ciuca.Foreign Affairs Minister Teodor Melescanu is attending 25 September - 1 October, as member of Romania's delegation headed by President Klaus Iohannis, the general debates of the 73rd UN General Assembly due in New York, a Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) release informs.

The participation of the Romanian delegation in the current session of the UN GA confirms the support given by our country to the multilateral diplomacy within the UN and the wish to consolidate Romania's contribution to the organisation's activities, by boosting bilateral collaboration with other UN member states included. One of the delegation's priorities to the current UN GA session is to further steps to promoting candidacy for Romania's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council at the election due in June 2019, the MAE release adds.

The minister's timeline includes his participation in a series of multilateral meetings under UN aegis or other international cooperation formats, as well as bilateral meetings with counterparts from other UN member states.Minister Teodor Melescanu will attend the reunion of the Foreign Affairs ministers of the EU countries, the transatlantic dinner organized by the US Secretary of state, the ministerial reunion staged by the EU on the crisis in Syria, and the ministerial meeting of the Central-European Initiative.A distinct chapter of the Foreign Affairs minister's schedule is dedicated to the regional issues. In context, Teodor Melescanu is to attend the four-party breakfast, alongside his Bulgarian, Croatian and Greek counterparts, wherein aspects related to the Western Balkans' developments will be tackled. In the same framework will be the exchange of opinions among the states with the Central European Initiative, during the working lunch organized by Croatia, President in Exercise of this cooperation format, as well as the meeting with his Hungarian counterpart. Special attention will be given to the future cooperation projects among the participating states, the MAE release further says.The topic of Romania's cooperation development with the Gulf area's states will be approached during the meeting of minister Melescanu with the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and his counterparts of the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. The Romanian chief diplomat will plead for a broad capitalization of the economic cooperation opportunities between Romania and the said countries, starting from the Romanian economy's potential and the experience of the Gulf area's business milieus.The attention given by Romania to the Caspian Sea region is mirrored by the bilateral meetings of minister Melescanu with his counterparts of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Iran.The Foreign Affairs Minister will chair, according to the release, the meeting jointly staged with the Community of Democracies on "Youth and democratic resilience" in the perspective of taking over the presidency of this international cooperation format in September 2019.Within the Romanian diplomacy's Francophone dimension, minister Teodor Melescanu will be the host of a Francophone action on "The climate changes and security" with participation of his counterparts from the Francophone African countries and the working lunch offered to his homologues of the Asia-Pacific region. The Romanian chief diplomat will also attend the protocol action organized by the African Union's President for the promotion of the candidacy of Rwanda's Foreign Affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo to the OIF Secretary General.Considering that Romania holds in 2018 the chairmanship of the Committee for Peace Consolidation, the Foreign Affairs minister will chair the reunion of 1 October of this select UN body, with attributions in carrying out a durable peace in the post-conflict situations' countries."From the bilateral contacts' viewpoint, it is worth mentioning the attention given to the bilateral meeting with small island countries with which Romania has recently established diplomatic ties: Antigua and Barbuda, Vanuatu and Palau. In the same attention area stays the signing by Teodor Melescanu and his counterparts of certain collaboration protocols between the Romanian MAE and the MAE of Azerbaijan, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Tajikistan and Antigua and Barbuda," the MAE release mentions.One of the objectives of the participation of Melescanu in the UN GA is also to carry out a dialogue with states with which Romania traditionally used to have good relations: Sri Lanka, Colombia, Palestine, the Cape Verde Republic, Andorra and Lesotho."The presence in New York of minister Teodor Melescanu will allow the organization of meetings with representatives of the US-based Jewish organisations, traditional actions for the Romanian chief diplomat on the occasion of the UN GA. The Romanian dignitary will reassert on this occasion Romania's commitment to combating anti-Semitism, racism and extremism, as well as the promotion of the knowledge and the strengthening of the education in the Holocaust," the MAE release adds.Deputy Prime Minister for the Implementation of Romania's Strategic Partnerships Ana Birchall is also part of the Romanian delegation to the UN GA.The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Romania, Cord Meier-Klodt, said on Monday that it would be useful if the entire Government distanced themselves from the defamation of the German minority.

"The recent defamatory statements by some senior Romanian politicians about the German minority are totally unacceptable. I am very grateful that the minister of foreign affairs has firmly rejected these defamations (...) many other voices in the political sphere, in the civil society, but also many individual voices expressed their solidarity. This is the reason why I would like to thank you and this is the living expression of European solidarity. I do not want to hide the fact that it would be useful if the entire Romanian Government distanced themselves publicly and unconditionally from these defamations, because these defamations have importance for all, not just for the German minority, these affect us all," the German ambassador said at the debate "100 years - Modern Romania and the Role of Minorities. The German Minority as Incentive of Community Dialogue."

He said that modern Romania has successfully gone through a century full of "huge challenges and terrible catastrophes" as a unitary, pluri-ethnic, pluri-cultural, pluri-lingual and pluri-religious country, united in diversity, in fact as "a small early Europe". Meier-Klodt added that this aspect deserves to be mentioned more often, especially in the context of the Centennial.The German ambassador also said that minorities are building bridges between Romania and their countries of origin.Attending the same debate, organized on the initiative of the Romanian-German Bilateral Cooperation Forum, presidential adviser Sergiu Nistor said that the accusations concerning the German minority should be strongly condemned.Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs George Ciamba said that Romania is the country of diversity, being marked by various cultural influences. He mentioned that, alongside the Romanian majority population, 20 national minorities live on the territory of the country. Ciamba stated that the German minority was a catalyst for bilateral relations, it had and has an important role in the development of the civil society. He also mentioned that Germany is the third foreign investor in the Romanian economy.In his turn, philosopher Andrei Plesu, president of the Romanian-German Bilateral Cooperation Forum, said that it seemed "brutal" that some politicians are willing to stigmatize a colleague because they belong to the German minority.The President of the German Democratic Forum of Romania (FDGR), Paul Jurgen Porr, said that a denigration campaign against FDGR started in 2014. "The target was Iohannis, we were just casualties (...) this campaign has been exacerbated lately," the FDGR chairman said.Interior Minister Carmen Dan reiterated on Tuesday at the Senate's Defence Committee that Bucharest Prefect Speranta Cliseru expressed her consent regarding the gendarmes' intervention in the Victoriei Square during the protest of 10 August, around 20:00hrs, mentioning that Law No.60 doesn't stipulates whether or not the consent should be written or verbal.

"I think you should ask her to tell you more aspects because I haven't been neither at the Government command centre, nor in the square. I only said one thing when I evoked the moments of the intervention, namely I said that around 20:00hrs, the Capital Prefect expressed her consent. (...) Law No.60 talks about this, about expressing the consent. Law No.60 says that the Prefect grants the consent," Dan stated.

In respect to the moment when the gendarmes' forced intervention took place in the square, the Interior Minister stated that they acted having a double legal coverage."I repeat what I stated and what I can say, without interfering in any way with the criminal investigation - the Gendarmerie's intervention had double legal coverage. The intervention started when the commander of the action considered it is time to begin, taking into account all the circumstances at that moment. (...) Then we have subsequent administrative papers, minister orders regulating the way it's drafted the intervention order and, certainly, the provisions invoked also by the Prosecutor's Office, which derives from Law No.550 for the organization and functioning of the Gendarmerie. So from the intervention point of view, it was covered by the two paragraphs of article 19," the Minister said.Carmen Dan was heard again on Tuesday by the Senate's Defence Committee in relation to the events which occurred on 10 August in the Victoriei Square.The National Strategy for Romania's Durable Development will be completed by 1 October, state advisor Laszlo Borbely, coordinator of the Department for Durable Development within the Romanian Government's General Secretariat (SGG) told the conference "Romania's Development Strategy", organised by the Bursa newspaper in partnership with Romania's Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"We had an issue, we conceived many things between 1996 and 2000 but they stayed on paper most of the times because our priorities were not taken into account. They are all priorities, but if you follow all of them through without distinguishing which are more important and you do not have an important strategy, you cannot put them into practice. Well, now we have that chance through the Strategy because I would like to announce you that on 1 October we will complete with all the approvals the new Romania's Durable Development Strategy. It is on the website of the Durable Development Department which I have been honoured to lead since last year's May. Hence, it is a Department for Durable Development within the Romanian Government's General Secretariat (SGG), with nine, very eager and enthusiastic people who have helped me complete the revision of Romania's Development Strategy," Laszlo Borbely said.

According to him, Sweden is the first in a list of 157 countries and has 83 indicators. Romania mustn't have 200, 60-70 indicators are needed and we can follow them, the important thing, however, is how we do that.Laszlo Borbely specified that the indicators are highly important because in their absence durable development cannot be quantified. At the UN level there is a set of 241 indicators and a set proposed by Eurostat of around 100 indicators. Romania's National Institute of Statistics has 103 indicators of which 23-45 can be daily monitored.Non-government loans registered an increase of 6.6 percent (1.5 percent in real terms) on 31 August 2018, as opposed to 31 August 2017, on account of the 14.1 percent increase RON-denominated loans (8.6 percent in real terms) and a decrease of 5.1 percent in foreign currency-denominated loans expressed in RON (when expressed in Euro, the foreign currency-denominated loans decreased by 6.2 pct) according to data of the Romanian National Bank sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday.

RON-denominated loans to the population marked an advance of 20.2 percent, while foreign currency-denominated loans dropped by 10.3 percent in the mentioned period.

In August, as opposed to July, non-government loans increased by 0.7 percent (0.4 percent in real terms), to the level of 244.948 billion lei. RON-denominated loans rose by 0.7 percent (0.4 percent in real terms) and foreign currency-denominated loans went up by 0.6 percent (when expressed in euro, foreign currency-denominated loans increased by 0.3 percent). Loans granted to the population advanced by 1.5 percent in August, while foreign currency-denominated loans for households declined by 0.4 percent.Government credit rose in August 2018 by 1.2 percent, as opposed to July 2018, to 99.995 billion lei. End-July 2018, government loans increased by 3.4 percent (1.5 percent in real terms), versus the same year-ago period.Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, who is paying a visit to Brussels, met on Tuesday with head of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats of the European Parliament Udo Bullmann. The PM presented him "the real situation of Romania," while reconfirming the Gov't's commitment regarding "the European principles and values."

According to a release of the Gov't sent to AGERPRES, the meeting featured on the agenda of meetings which the head of the Romanian Executive carries out these days in Brussels with leaders of the political groups of the European Parliament according to Agerpres

"The talks, carried out in a cordial ambiance, reached a wide range of topics on Romania's domestic agenda, as well as on the European agenda. Thus, there have been tackled topics of interest in view of the debate regarding Romania, which will take place in the European Parliament, in the beginning of October," reads the release.According to the Government, PM Dancila presented the real situation of Romania, reconfirming the Gov't's commitment regarding the European principles and values.Moreover, also presented were the reforms initiated by Romania's Government in priority areas for our country, showing that "these are the results of a transparent interinstitutional cooperation and in their drawing up European partners have also been consulted," the release mentions.In respect to the European agenda, the discussions focused on the preparation of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. In this context, PM Dancila reconfirmed Romania's interest in ensuring a mandate that contributes to the cohesion of the European project, while bringing the Union closer to the citizens," the release mentions.According to the Executive release, alongside PM Dancila, the meeting was also attended by MEP Dan Nica.Prime Minister Viorica Dancila is paying a working visit, Tuesday to Wednesday, in Brussels, context in which she will have a series of meetings with representatives of political parties in the European Parliament.

According to a press release sent by the Government, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila will have meetings with the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Green Party / European Free Alliance and the European People's Party.

The talks that the Prime Minister will have in Brussels will tackle the main aspects on the European agenda, in view of Romania's holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union and reaffirming our country's availability to actively contribute to the reflection process on Europe's future, the quoted source specifies.Chairman of the Pro Romania Party Victor Ponta says that Romania will lose 10 billion US dollars in royalties and fees through the draft of the offshore law adopted in the Senate, and that the Social Democratic Party (PSD) deputies who will vote it are "accomplices" of Liviu Dragnea, who would stand guilty of "high treason."

"What Dragnea is doing is high treason, but he will have many accomplices in the Deputies' Chamber when voting, I am sure that those belonging to the UDMR [the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania] will vote for it. Those belonging to the PSD, who will vote for it are accomplices and now I know what it's all about," Ponta stated.

He said that, after the Senate amendments, carried out by the Social-Democrats, at "Liviu Dragnea's order," including the companies that have drilling platforms in the Black Sea, will currently pay less."Firstly, what was voted yesterday [on Monday] and will arrive to the Deputies' Chamber, compared to the calculations presented by Liviu Dragnea on television, the new draft, stipulates 10 billion US dollars less fees and royalties against what he presented. Secondly, for those exploitations, investments are to be made and probably, in 2023 at the latest, gas will be extracted and fees will be paid, fees that have been cut by 40 percent. In the Black Sea, there have been, for over 20 years, working platforms, Petrom platforms, the law is to be enforced and they, too will be exempted, all the investments will also be deducted for the current ones. Which means, exactly just like Yerevan radio - that they won't pay more, but less," Ponta stated.He believes that "the most serious thing is the rush to adopt this law.""The third most serious thing (...) in secrecy, a tender was put up for who has the gas transmission capacity and two companies of Hungary won, legitimately supported by Viktor Orban. The contract stipulates that if, until 31 December, the two companies of Hungary don't have gas acquisition contracts, they lose their right and a new tender is to be held. Dragnea rushes the law so that the two companies of Hungary lose that right, probably he made a promise to Viktor Orban," Pro Romania Chairman Ponta stated.He called for the PSD deputies "not to vote for the law in a hurry and wait for impact studies, debates and transmission negotiations, but also for some classified pieces of information which only the Gov't is entitled to."The draft law regarding some necessary measures for implementing the oil operations by the holders of the agreements regarding the offshore oil perimeters was adopted on Monday, by the Senate, as the first notified Chamber.The normative act had been sent for re-examination by President Klaus Iohannis.The founder of the Pro Romania Party, Victor Ponta, participated on Tuesday in Buzau in a regional meeting with several dozen members and followers from four countries.Romania's Attorney General Augustin Lazar on Tuesday welcomed a Serbian delegation led by Miljko Radisavljevic, Serbia's deputy attorney general.

According to a press statement from the Romanian Attorney General's Office, the fact-finding visit of the Serbian delegation was conducted under a project to fight organsied crime in the Western Balkans, organised by the The Hague-based Centre for International Legal Cooperation (CILC), according to Agerpres

The opening speech at the meeting was given by Lazar, who gave a general presentation of the Romanian legal system, as well as the organisation, activity and powers of the Public Prosecution Service.Other topics discussed were intellectual property rights and international legal co-operation.According to the cited source, the visit to the Attorney General's Office also had an important interactive component, as the Serbian prosecutors asked questions on the topics discussed.The Serbian delegation also visited the Directorate for Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism, after on Monday it met representatives of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA).One trait of imperial decadence is untrammeled hubris. Given the increasingly arrant arrogance on display by United States officials, public figures and news media we can safely conclude that this empire is accelerating into decadence.

A recent spectacular example comes with separate visits to Europe by US defense secretary James Mattis and Steve Bannon, the former aide to President Trump.

Bannon was addressing a rightwing forum in Italy at the weekend in which he declared that he would be devoting 80 per cent of his time to help anti-European Union parties win seats in the next European parliamentary elections due in May 2019.

Bannon said he was setting up a coordinating committee, called The Movement, in Brussels, from where his political project would direct war rooms across Europe to ensure that anti-EU and anti-immigrant parties would succeed in gaining up to a third of the total seats in the 27-nation member blocs parliamentary elections. In short, a declaration of political warfare. Unapologetic. Brazen. Arrogant.

The American ideologue and former Goldman Sachs banker, who is accused of inciting racism and neofascism in the US, has openly backed nationalist politicians in Europe, from the UKs Nigel Farage to Frances Marine Le Pen, Hungarys Victor Orban and Italys Matteo Salvini.

Bannon is threatening to explicitly unravel the European Union which he views with contempt for what he calls is its cultural Marxism.

Meanwhile, earlier last week, Pentagon chief James Mattis was in Macedonia where he gave his full-throated support for a Yes vote in the countrys referendum. The plebiscite to take place this weekend will decide if the small Balkan country can become a member of the NATO military alliance and the European Union. It is a crucial vote for the country.

The irony of this combined American hypocrisy is truly astounding. For the past two years, US politicians and news media have non-stop accused Russia of interfering in their countrys democracy. First, in the 2016 presidential election, and now in the run-up to the mid-term congressional polls in November.

No credible evidence is ever presented to substantiate these sensational American accusations against Russia, which some hawkish hot-heads like the late Senator John McCain have even gone as far as denouncing for committing an act of war.

The same allegations based on highly likely innuendo have been trotted out against Russia for meddling in European polls, such as the Brexit referendum in June 2016, the French presidential election in May 2017, and now the referendum in Macedonia.

While in the capital Skopje last week telling Macedonians to vote for joining NATO, Mattis had the brass neck to accuse Russia of interfering in the referendum. Typically, Mattis did not provide any evidence. He even admitted he didnt know how effective alleged Russian influence has been in swaying voting intentions  meaning the US has no idea if Russia is really trying to meddle or not.

But what we do know, as reported by US media, is that Washington has vociferously called for a Yes vote in the Macedonian referendum, including a personal call from President Donald Trump. Moreover, as US media also report, Washington has poured million of dollars into the Balkan country to counter social media campaigns calling for a No vote. The US says the flood of money is to counter alleged Russian influence, but a more straightforward explanation is Washington is actually the foreign power doing the influencing by railroading the Yes vote.

Moscow has vehemently denied any interference in the Macedonian vote, as well as all the other so-called influence campaigns, from the US to Brexit, among others.

Macedonias referendum is a tightly contested issue among its 2.1 million population. A US-run poll found in July that the Yes vote was backed by only 57 per cent of the electorate. Many Macedonians are opposed to the referendums proposal to change the name of the country to the Republic of North Macedonia, which would then pave the way to join NATO and the EU.

There is reportedly an ardent No vote campaign, with social media platforms being used to argue the case against the new name being adopted, and, secondly, of joining the US-led NATO alliance. For many citizens, the historic name Macedonia should stand alone, and not be amended with the qualifier North. They say such a move is an unacceptable deference to Greece, which also has a province bearing the same name.

In any case, it is a wild leap to attribute the No campaign in Macedonia on Russian interference. The pro-NATO prime minister Zoran Zaev has repeatedly accused Russia of meddling in the referendum. Macedonia has expelled two Russian diplomats over meddling claims.

The Greek government has also joined in the media allegations against Moscow.

There is a vested interest in pushing this anti-Russia narrative. If the referendum goes to the Yes camp, then Athens wins out in the long-running name dispute over Macedonia. And the pro-NATO politicians in Skopje will have won their desired objective to ingratiate themselves with Washington. By talking up allegations of Russian malign activities, it is calculated that Macedonians may be prompted to vote Yes out of patriotic duty.

Russia is of course opposed to Macedonia joining NATO, thereby becoming the alliances 30th member and signaling once again the relentless expansion of the multinational military force towards Russias Western borders. But to extrapolate from Moscows legitimate opposition to Macedonia joining NATO to claims of interfering in the referendum is unwarranted. There is no evidence, only the usual surfeit of innuendo and Russophobia.

From Steve Bannons open declaration of political warfare against the European Union and James Mattis dictate to Macedonians to vote for NATO membership, the level of outright American meddling in Europes politics is off-the-scale when compared with anything that Russia is accused of, even if the latter had some basis, which is doesnt.

For American interference in other democracies, there is nothing new either. Recall how one of the American CIAs first foreign projects was to buy the elections in postwar Italy to defeat the emerging Communists. Fast forward to how Washington actually reveled in its interference in Russias 1996 election for Boris Yeltsin.

America has relentlessly meddled in scores of countries to determine election outcomes. Bannon and Mattis are but the latest brazen expression of US malign activity.

Against the backdrop of baseless allegations against Russia, this in-your-face American hypocrisy and hubris is something to behold.Russia is mulling over the idea of leaving a moon exploration project it has been pursuing with the United States. One option on the table is to ditch the plans of building a joint moon-orbiting space station and instead go it alone or with other partners. Moscow possesses the technological and industrial capabilities to do so and is not dependent on America, which is offering Russia only a junior status in that project. Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, claims that Moscow might prefer to join efforts with its BRICS partners instead

The statement made by Mr. Rogozin came on the heels of the meeting of the International Space Station (ISS) Exploration Capabilities Study Team, which was held in the United States September 8-15. Moscow has not abandoned the plan as yet, but that possibility is under consideration. In August, Russia confirmed that it will stop flying US astronauts to the International Space Station in April of next year, once a contract promoting the bilateral partnership of that project comes to an end.

Last September, Roscosmos and NASA agreed to develop the Lunar Orbital Platform known as the Deep Space Gateway, which will function as a staging outpost for future missions. This was a rare moment of bilateral cooperation amidst an atmosphere of mounting tensions. The relay platform could then be expanded to act as a resupply station for manned missions to Mars or further exploration of the moon. The craft would be powered by NASAs Solar Electric Propulsion  technology that draws power from the sun. Construction is due to begin in 2022, with the first modules of the Gateway expected to be completed two years later.

NASA wants its Russian partner to build a docking compartment and an adjacent module, but with both components meeting US-defined technical requirements. An airlock module through which astronauts would be discharged onto the platform would ensure the use of solely US-made space suits, making this more of an American project with Russian input, rather than an equally shared joint program. Russia might make its own proposals as an alternative. The heads of the US and Russian space agencies are to meet at the Kazakhstan-based Baikonur cosmodrome during the preparations for the launch of a new crew up to the International Space Station (ISS), which is planned for October 11.

The US is an important partner but its not indispensable. After all, its NASA that depends on Russia for space travel (using the Soyuz spacecraft), not vice versa. The United Launch Alliance (ULA) cannot do without Russias RD-180 and RD-181 rocket engines that are needed to power the Atlas V rockets.

Roscosmos provides launch services using its own orbital-class rockets. Russia produces its own satellites and scientific payloads. It has achieved human spaceflight and interplanetary robotic science missions. It has the most space station experience. It is working to develop heavy-lift rockets that would allow it to build its own orbital platform near the moon. A private Russian company is working on a sea launch project. In July, the Russian Progress MS-09 cargo ship delivered a fresh load of supplies to the ISS in record time, docking at the station in automatic mode less than four hours after launch  the first time such a fast-track approach had been used.

The Russian Institute of Space Research (IKI) has five lunar missions planned between 2018 and 2025. The European Space Agency (ESA) will take part in three of them. Luna-27 will penetrate the moons surface a meter into the regoliththe surface layer of dust and rock debristo take samples. The Russian Foundation for Advanced Studies (FPI) is working in partnership with Roscosmos and the United Aircraft Corporation to create a reusable rocket.

Russia can easily find willing partners. The Russian-European ExoMars, the first mission to move across the surface and to study Mars in depth, is to be launched in 2020. A Russian Proton rocket is to land a European rover and a Russian surface platform on the surface of the planet. One of their tasks is to search for signs of life. In 2009, a Russian neutron detector hitched a ride with NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to spot pockets of subsurface water ice.

In February, Roscosmos instructed its strategists to evaluate the idea of cooperating with China by supplying Russian hardware for the Chinese space station. In March, the Russian and Chinese space agencies signed a memorandum of intentions on a possible joint effort in the exploration of the moon using robotic probes.

Russia and India boast 71 years of extensive experience in joint space research.

Russia and the US have been working closely together in space ever since the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. Both nations supported the ISS. The US space program has largely survived thanks to Russias rocket engines. Russias Soyuz capsules transport American cargo to the ISS. With the sanctions war raging, a lack of progress in arms control, and greatly differing approaches to all major international problems, space exploration remains the only area where the two powers continue to work together.

The future of this cooperation is uncertain. It could end soon. The parties might go their separate ways. Russia can afford to. It has cutting-edge technology and extensive experience to lean on. It also has a lot to offer to other space-faring nations. Together with its partners, it can steer an international effort. Losing Russia as a partner will hardly benefit the United States. Its defense spending dwarfs that of other nations but it is losing its edge in emerging technologies to Russia. It could fall behind in the same way when it comes to space research. The hope that space cooperation could become a building block to improve that relationship in general appears to be fading.Because of the US Governments repeated threats to start World War III against Russia on Syrian territory if Russia will assist Syrias Government to eliminate the jihadists who control Syrias Idlib province, Russias Government agreed, on September 17th, with Turkeys Government, that Turkeys Government will control Idlib, which is Syrias most jihadist-friendly province.

Consequently, the threatened US-and-allied bombing campaign to overthrow Syrias Government and replace it with one that would be controlled by the royal family of Saudi Arabia (the Sauds) has been placed on hold, because such a bombing campaign would now mean the US going to war against not only Syrias Government and Russias Government and Irans Government, but also against Turkeys Government, which is a NATO member and (because of its location) has been an essential part of the American Empire.

Turkey is thus now balanced on a knifes edge, between the US and its allies (representing the Saud family) on the one side, versus Russia and its allies (representing the anti-Saud alliance) on the other.

Historically, the Sauds have competed against the Turkish Government for leadership of the worlds Muslims. Gradually, the Sauds came to ally themselves first with the British Empire, and then with the rising American Empire, which two Empires merged into one right after World War II.

Turkey was the head of the Ottoman Empire  that was actually the Turkish empire  and Turkey became defeated in World War I by the British side, including the leader of the Saud family. As a result of the epoch-making September 17th agreement about Idlib, Turkey, which for nearly a hundred years was an important ally of America, no longer is a US ally, but is vacillating between alliance with Russia, versus alliance with the US

The Historical Background

Some historical background is helpful for understanding where were coming from, and where we are heading to, here:

In 1811, the fundamentalist-Sunni Wahhabis of Arabia, led by the Saud family, revolted against the non-fundamentalist Sunni Ottoman Turks, and were crushed by the Ottomans.

In 1830, The Great Game started, in which the British Empire unsuccessfully tried to colonize Afghanistan next door to the worlds most natural-resources-rich land, Russia, but Britain gave up in defeat in 1895, and therefore Afghanistan remained neutral.

As British historian Martin Ewans wrote in his 2002 Afghanistan: A Short History (p. 12), "Although never colonized, Afghanistan is part of the colonial history of Tzarist Russia and British India, with a strategic importance that in 1884 brought the two empires to the brink of war. Ewens indicated (p. 66) that Russias opposition to Britains colonizing Afghanistan was based upon Russians fear that Britain would use the fundamentalist-Sunni Afghans as proxy boots-on-the-ground to spread into and take over parts of Russia.

John David Bloms March 2009 "The Decline of Anglo-Saudi Relations noted (p. 7) that, The major areas of British imperialism in the Middle East during the nineteenth century were the Ottoman and Persian Empires, the Trucial states along the Persian Gulf, Aden, Oman, and Egypt. The Ottoman and Persian Empire provided a buffer against Russian expansion south. Furthermore, Blom observed (p. 11) that after the Saud family came to recognize that in order for them to dominate against the Ottoman Turks for control over the Islamic world, The Anglo-Saudi Treaty of 1915 recognized Ibn Sauds position as ruler of Najd, El Hassa, Qatif and Jubail. It guaranteed British protection of these regions in exchange for control of Ibn Sauds foreign policy. Of course, the defeat of Turkey was the real focus of that, otherwise called Treaty of Darin. But the decline of Anglo-Saudi relations was merely the opposite end of the rise of US-Saudi relations. After WW I, this British alliance with the Sauds was effectively taken over on 23 May 1933 by Standard Oil of California (a Rockefeller oil company, now called Chevron) when the existing oil-discoveries in Saudi Arabia failed to excite British and European investors sufficiently. Three years later, Texaco joined SoCal. Then, in 1938, these American drillers made the first big oil-strike in Saudi Arabia. In 1943, the company became renamed Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO), and the previous British Empire now effectively became the American Empire. The alliance between the Saud family and the US aristocracy has remained solid ever since.

Further contributing to the Sauds increasing reliance upon the US aristocracy instead of upon the British aristocracy, has been this: In The West at the end of the 1800s, the British Empire adopted the British mining-magnate Cecil Rhodess plan for their Empire to become joined with the soaring new American Empire, which combination during World War I won against the then-soaring German Empire (and against its allied Japanese and Italian Empires) and then won against Germany yet again in WW II, this time because Russia and its Soviet allies basically conquered the Germans in the east. The US, emerging then essentially unscarred from WW II which had devastated all of Americas allies in that war, became, more clearly than ever, the Saud familys winning horse, to carry them closer to final victory.

In the 1915 Treaty of Darin, between the United Kingdom and Abdul-Aziz al-Saud (sometimes called Ibn Saud, who then led only part of what subsequently became the larger Saudi Arabia) both parties agreed that Saud would join UKs war to conquer (Ottoman-led) Turkey; and that, in return, the British Empire (UK) would protect and defend the Saud familys imposed rule, anywhere that it might become challenged.

Turkeys Government was thus conquered, and then it ended its moderate-Islamist Ottoman Empire, after Turkeys participation on Germanys side in WW I produced General Ataturks creation of the secular Turkish state in 1923, and the end of the Turkish Caliphate the following year. Ataturk created a Turkey whose laws were almost completely independent of the Quran.

However, after the success of the US-Saudi war against Russia in 1979 by means of spreading Wahhabist and other fundamentalist-Sunni mosques and especially funding and creating mujahideen, Taliban, Al Qaeda, and ultimately ISIS fighters, all against Russia and against Russias ally Iran  that is, against the two countries which the Sauds and Americas aristocracy are the most determined to conquer  the Islamist Tayyip Erdogan in 2003 rose finally to power in Turkey, so as to support that US-Saudi cause, against Russia, and against Iran.

Turkey, of course, is on Syrias northern border. The accession to power of an Islamist leader of Turkey constituted a disastrous turn against the adjoining Syria, which country now was almost completely surrounded by hostile governments (controlled by fundamentalist Sunnis, except Israel, which is controlled by fundamentalist Jews). Erdogan was very much Americas leader of Turkey.

However, the US aristocracy wanted Fethullah Gulen, who was even more dependent upon the US, to take over Turkey. So, on 15 July 2016, a US-NATO-backed coup-attempt to replace Erdogan by Gulen occurred and failed. It failed because Russias Putin informed Erdogan in time to save Erdogan's life. This did not, however, turn Turkey immediately and 100% against Americas aristocracy, but it certainly did start that. This is the reason why Russias Astana Peace Process to settle and end the war in Syria includes Russia, Iran, and Turkey  and not US, Saudi Arabia, or any other outright enemies of Russia and of Iran.

Americas CIA has actually been trying ever since 1949 to place the Middle Easts only committedly anti-sectarian, pro-secular, nation, Syria, under the control of the fundamentalist-Sunni Saud family, who own Saudi Arabia and cooperate with US oil companies.



CIA admits orchestrating Syrian Coup of March 1949.

8,782 views Osman Saffah Published on Jan 26, 2014

CIA agent Miles Copeland Jr in an interview with the BBC in 1967 admits that the CIA orchestrated and staged the 1949 Syrian Coup against President Shukri al-Kuwatli.

[Copeland says that nations leaders who dont do what US corporations want them to do are corrupt]



The Recent Background of the September 17th Agreement on Idlib

That brings us to the U.S-Saudi-Israeli war against Syria, which is called by the aggressors the Syrian civil war in order to blame it against Assad instead of against themselves.

Early in this invasion of Syria, Turkey was a leading participant, and provided pathways both for international jihadists  all of them fundamentalist Sunnis  and for the weaponry for them, to enter into Syria.

Qatar, which is owned by its fundamentalist-Sunni royal family the Thanis, likewise was essential to the invasion and occupation of Syria, and funded the Muslim Brotherhood in order to assist the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad (as the Thanis did more successfully in Egypt with their installation of Mohammed Morsi). But then, on 5 June 2017, the Sauds decided that the Thanis arent sufficiently anti-Shia and anti Iranian; so, the Sauds tried to blockade Qatar and to crush the Thanis. Whereas Americas aristocracy turned against Erdogan, Saudi Arabias royal family turned against the Thanis. So: both Turkey and Qatar are now on the fence and no longer committed to the US-Saudi side against Syria.

Throughout the recent phase of the 7-year-long jihadists war to overthrow Syrias Government, almost all of the surviving jihadists who did not surrender to Syrias Government have been killed on the spot where they were, and all of the jihadists who did surrender were bussed by Syrias Government into Idlib, which consequently is now even more jihadist-friendly than it was at the wars start. Here is how this happened:

When Barack Obama came into the White House in January 2009 he was hoping to overthrow Syrias Government. Also in 2009, UKs Prime Minister David Camerons Government was actively planning to do it.

The pro-jihadist Thani family, as the main funders of the Muslim Brotherhood and owners of Qatar, have been almost as important cooperators with US oil and gas companies as are Saudi Arabias royal family. The Thanis Al Jazeera network reported, on 13 March 2012, that already Idlib was opposition-held and that The Free Syrian Army is based in Turkey and its border is the most likely location for getting arms into Syria. Thats how The West was transporting weapons to the jihadists. Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the Syrian Governments campaign to defeat its opponents there was Shooting fish in a barrel  these people cant escape, they cant help themselves, they have very little weaponry, what can they do but sit there and take it? The West was thoroughly sympathetic, and supplied weapons to the supposedly helpless jihadists.

On 29 July 2012, when the US Government still had not yet made clear that it was planning to hand Syria over to the Saud family, the New York Times headlined "As Syrian War Drags On, Jihadists Take Bigger Role and already noted that, Idlib Province, the northern Syrian region where resistance fighters control the most territory, is the prime example. Their report observed, without any indication of the significance of the fact, that, A central reason cited by the Obama administration for limiting support to the resistance to things like communications equipment is that it did not want arms flowing to Islamic radicals. But the flip side is that Salafist groups, or Muslim puritans, now receive most foreign financing. The significance was that Washington was taking its lead from the Sauds and the other fundamentalist-Sunni Arab oil monarchs. The article did, however, note that, Significantly, most of the money flowing to the Syrian opposition is coming from religious donors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf region whose generosity hinges on Salafi teaching. Salafi teaching is fundamentalist-Sunni teaching. It originated with Mohammed ibn al-Wahhab, the man who in 1744 authorized the Saud family to conquer the world for Allah. As the NYT reported there, Saudi fundamentalist-Sunni teaching was now taking over in the most-Sunni parts of Syria, because thats what was being funded by the wars financial backers:

The attitude prompts grumbling from fighters used to the gentler Islam long prevalent in Syria. Adel, a media activist from Idlib interviewed in Antakya, Turkey, in June, complained that the Islamic current has broken into the heart of this revolution. When a Muslim Brotherhood member joined his group in Idlib, he said, inside of a week the man demanded that the slogans that they shouted all included, There is no god but God. Now there are more religious chants than secular ones, Adel groused. 

Ahrar al-Sham in particular enjoys the support of Sheik Adnan al-Arour, a Sunni Muslim media star in exile, who blasts Shiites and Alawites on his television show and on what appears to be his authentic Twitter account. We buy weapons from the donations and savings of the Wahhabi children, said one recent Twitter posting, referring to the Islamic sect prominent in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. 

Abu Zein, a spokesman for Sukur al-Sham, said the organization included Syrians plus other Arabs, French and Belgians. The Qaeda ideology existed previously, but it was suppressed by the regime, he said in a Skype interview. But after the uprising they found very fertile ground, plus the funders to support their existence, he added. The ideology was present, but the personnel were absent. Now we have both.

Bill Roggio, of Long War Journal, reported on 4 August 2012 that "Al Nusrah Front conducts joint operation with Free Syrian Army. Nusrah was the name for Al Qaedas Syrian branch, and the FSA were controlled by Turkeys Government. These were Americas key allies on this matter.

On 15 November 2012, Roggio concluded that, "The al Qaeda-linked Al Nusrah Front has been the most active jihadist group in Syria. He also clarified, which the July NYT report had not, that, The Ahrar al Sham Brigades is a Salafist-jihadist group that operates in Idlib and the surrounding areas, and has numerous foreign fighters in its ranks. Sheik Adnan al Arour, a prominent Syrian cleric who has often appeared in the media, backs the Ahrar al Sham Brigades."

Roggio reported on 19 December 2012 that, The Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, an al Qaeda-linked jihadist group that is fighting Bashir al Assads regime in Syria, and allied jihadist groups took control of the last major Syrian Army base in western Aleppo after a two-month-long siege. The base is believed to be involved in Syrias chemical weapons program. So, that might have been one of the incidents when jihadists obtained chemical weapons to blame subsequently against Syrias Government.

On 25 February 2013, the New York Times bannered, Saudis Step Up Help for Rebels in Syria With Croatian Arms and reported, regarding those rebels (who were actually being led by Al Qaeda  but the NYT kept this fact a secret) that, Washingtons role in the shipments, if any, is not clear. Officials in Europe and the United States, including those at the Central Intelligence Agency, cited the sensitivity of the shipments and declined to comment publicly. (Already, any honest newspaper would have abandoned using Obamas rebels label for them and would honestly have instead said jihadists in order to refer to them, but the US major media clearly arent honest.)

On 8 March 2013, Britains Telegraph bannered "US and Europe in 'major airlift of arms to Syrian rebels through Zagreb: The United States has coordinated a massive airlift of arms to Syrian rebels from Croatia with the help of Britain and other European states, despite the continuing European Union arms embargo, it was claimed yesterday. This newspaper reported that, Western officials told the New York Times that the weapons had been bought from Croatia by Saudi Arabia, and that they had been funnelled to rebel groups seen by the west as more secular and nationalist. Since virtually all rebel groups in Syria actually worked under Al Qaedas leadership and training, calling them more secular and nationalist was simply to lie  someone had lied there, too.

Dr. Christof Lehman on 8 August 2013 presented considerable support for the view that Ultimately, the designated function of the Muslim Brotherhood (AKP) administration of Tayyip Erdogan is the dismantlement of the Turkish Republic and the subsequent establishment of smaller US/NATO client states along ethnic and sectarian lines.

On 22 June 2014, Dr. Lehmann reported that, The green light for the use of ISIS brigades to carve up Iraq, widen the Syria conflict into a greater Middle East war and to throw Iran off-balance was given behind closed doors at the Atlantic Council meeting in Turkey, in November 2013, told a source close to Saudi  Lebanese billionaire Saad Hariri, adding that the US Embassy in Ankara is the operations headquarter.  The summit was, among others, attended by Turkeys President Abdullah Gul, US Energy Secretary Ernst Monitz, Atlantic Council President Frederick Kempe, former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former US National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft.

On 12 June 2015 (less than four months before Russia, at Syrias request, was to enter the war on 30 September 2015, to prevent a Saud takeover of Syria), the Washington Post reported that, because of regime losses in Idlib and elsewhere,  many people are starting to openly talk about an endgame for Assad and Syria. Victory for the US-Saud-Turkey-Qatar-al-Qaeda side seemed now to be almost assured.

Then, Dr. Christina Lin wrote on 19 September 2015, that Turkey-backed Chinese Uyghur terrorists are gaining a stronghold in Syria from which to launch attacks on China and "3,500 Uyghurs are settling in a village near Jisr-al Shagour that was just taken from Assad, close to the stronghold of Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) that is in the Turkey-backed Army of Conquest. They are allegedly under the supervision of Turkish intelligence that has been accused of supplying fake passports to recruit Chinese Uyghurs to wage jihad in Syria. Turkey was recruiting Al Qaedas Uyghur Chinese Turkmen into Syria. America and its allies seemed confident that Assad would soon be overthrown.

The Debka File was the only honest English-language reporter on the top news-story of 30 September 2015 (if not of that entire year), the historic day when, as they headlined it with unique honesty, Russia enters Syrian war with air strikes, jolts the Mid East into new era  and the Washington Post headlined as the journalistic bad joke that that neoconservative-neoliberal propaganda-sheet is, "Did the Russians really strike the Islamic State?. And CNN bannered with the ambiguous, but less dishonest and far less ludicrous "Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria. However, CNNs heavily propaganda-laden news report even contained some lies, such as the sub-headed one, Russia: Coalition strikes on ISIS illegal, which falsely suggested that Russia was against bombing ISIS in Syria, when the reality was instead that the US was against bombing ISIS and had not done it until Russia did first, which was on that very day. The US regime was simply bewildered at what had just occurred, which is that the war in Syria was now a superpower war on both of its sides, and no longer only on one side, as it had been until that moment. Putin decided, at that time, that he had had enough of Western aggression, and that he wouldnt take it anymore: he would come to the defense of that ally. France24, being in line with the US regime, bannered "Russia hitting all of Assad's opponents: analysts and opened with the likewise falsifying Syrian rebels who oppose both the regime and the Islamic State group have been hit hardest by Russian air strikes, showing Moscows determination to defend President Bashar al-Assad against all enemies, as if the French Government, too, were not up to its neck in that war on the jihadists side, and as if Russias Government had not been consistently ferocious against the spread of jihadism.

The West was already deep in blood on this matter, on the devils side of it.

Americas PBS Public Broadcasting System TV headlined on 1 October 2015, "Mike Morell, former deputy director of the CIA, talks about why Russia deployed airstrikes in Syria and Morell told interviewer Charlie Rose about Vladimir Putin:

This guy is a thug. This guy is a bully. The second point I'd make is that he only understands relative power  who's got more power, who's got less power. That's how he thinks about relationships. Third, I will tell you that he tries to create the image that he is this great strategic thinker. He's not at all. He is a very good tactician, very good reacting to situations taking advantage of situations but he's not particularly good at thinking them through. You know, I think that he is actually the biggest loser over the long term in the Ukraine crisis and I think he's miscalculated what he's doing in Syria now.

What a perfect description he gave there of himself, and of his bosses.

On 25 October 2015, Dr. Christina Lin headlined "Qatars jihad and mideast failing states and reported: This week Qatars foreign minister Khadlid Al-Attiyah said Doha is mulling military intervention in Syria alongside Turkey and Saudi Arabia to fight Assad, rather than ISIS. The real story always had been that the US is on the side of jihadists, as cheap boots-on-the-ground to do the US aristocracys dirty-work abroad.

On 16 November 2015, Dr. Lin reported that, Chinese Turkistan Islamic Party, Uzbek Imam Bukhari Jamaat and Katibat Tawhid wal Jihad have planted themselves in Idlib. In Aleppo, a May 2015 USAID report on Central Asian fighters in Syria, referred to three Uzbek militant groups allied with Al Nusra as Aleppo Uzbeks: Imam al-Bukhoriy Brigade, Uzbek Brigade of Jabhat al Nusra, and Seyfullah Shishani Jamaat. Now, various intelligence sources estimate there are around 5,000 Uzbek, 2,000 Chechens and more than 1,000 Chinese militants in Syria.

On 24 November 2015, she bannered "NATO, Turkey, annexation of north Syria like north Cyprus?" and ripped into Erdogan as the snake that he is. And she noted: While Russian jetfighters are flying over Syrian territory at the invitation of the sovereign government of Syria, Turkish jetfighters are flying over Iraqi territory to bomb Kurdish rebels without the consent of the Iraqi government, prompting the Arab League to issue a statement on 4 August condemning Turkeys violation of Iraqi sovereignty. Hes like Americas current and recent Presidents. She pointed out that, as NATO member Turkey is transforming from a secular, democratic system to one of an increasingly Islamist and autocratic presidential system under Erdogan, it appears the alliance is also transforming from a value-based alliance of human right, democracy, and rule of law to one that is increasingly interest-based. Was she talking about Trump, Obama, and Bush? She closed: as Erdogan continues to goad NATO to stand in solidarity with Turkey and its territorial expansions in the Levant, it appears the world is now entering a dangerous new phase of an increasingly post-western and illiberal world order.

But now that Putin had saved Erdogan from being killed by Obama, Erdogan is no longer an American stooge. What he is, is whatever secret deals he has secretly committed himself to.

So: Trump threatened WW III in order to protect the people in the only province in Syria that even at the wars start were about 90% preferring Al Qaeda and/or ISIS over Assads secular Government (and which is even far more jihadist today). As a result, on 17 September 2018, Putin and Rouhani  at least for the time being  offered to hand control of Idlib over to Erdogan, because doing this would postpone if not end that US-and-allied threat, of destroying the world in order to conquer the US aristocracys main targets.Click the image above to watch the video In today's forecast we are expecting a few showers until evening, then becoming fine. Brisk westerlies, gusting 90 km per hour from the afternoon.

It's a three-clothing and one-windproof layer day today with a high of 14 and an overnight low of 9 degrees. Humidity is 67 per cent.

Low tide is at 12.50pm and high tide is at 7pm (Tay Street times). There's a sea swell of 0.4m with a sea temperature of 15 degrees. Sunset tonight is at 6.10pm.

If you're going fishing the next best fish bite time is between 11am and 1pm.

On this day in NZ history in 1819 New Zealand's first grapevines planted, when missionary Samuel Marsden planted a vineyard at the Church Missionary Society station at Kerikeri.

In 1951 the Maori Women's Welfare League was established. Eighty-seven delegates attended the first day of the inaugural conference of the Maori Womens Welfare League in Wellington. Dame Whina Cooper was appointed as president.

In world history on this day in 1918 Brazil declared war on Austria. In 1937 German Chancellor Adolf Hitler met with Italian Premier Benito Mussolini in Munich.

In 1974 scientists warned that continued use of aerosol sprays will cause ozone depletion, which will lead to an increased risk of skin cancer and global weather changes.

In 1992 NASA launched the Mars Observer probe; it failed 11 months later. In 1996 Irelands last Magdalene laundry closed; begun as asylums to rehabilitate fallen women, they increasingly took on prison-like qualities.

Today is the birthday of Will Smith, rapper, actor and producer. Born in 1968, he once said "Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like."Bay of Plenty

Our Client is looking for an Assembler for their finishing department. This role is based in Tauranga and will be an immediate...



View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nzProperty Councils first ever Property People Awards in the Bay of Plenty were announced at a vibrant event, held at Mills Reef Winery on Thursday September 20.

The Awards, which recognised seven category winners, celebrated the unique individuals who have shown excellence, leadership, and innovation in the Bay of Plenty property industry.

These awards have evoked an outpouring of interest throughout our region, says Property Council Bay of Plenty Branch President Brooke Courtney.

Tonights award winners have demonstrated excellence in shaping, supporting and invigorating growth and property development in the Bay of Plenty, we are very proud to honour them formally, she says.

The first award announced was the Harrison Grierson Young Achiever Award which celebrates an under 35-year-old who has, at an early stage of their career, achieved outstanding performance in property.

The winner was Kevin Weller, who was recognized not only for his commitment to his profession as a senior fire engineer but also to his local community as a volunteer firefighter.

The Property Council Bay of Plenty Bank of New Zealand Supreme Excellence Award went to Te Puia.

The judges saw Te Puia as an exemplary example of community and property coming together to create a shining beacon for the people of Rotorua.

The Judges Choice Award went to the Access to Water project saying it delivered significant value.

The Hawkins Long Service Award is a very special honour for someone who has been in the property industry for more than 20 years and has demonstrated exceptional skills dedication, commitment, and leadership, inspiring to those within the industry.

The winner of this honour went to Paul Adams who many years ago, founded one of The Bay of Plentys biggest players in the kiwifruit industry: Bay Horticultural Services. In 1990, Paul refocused on property, establishing Carrus Corporation, a company that is today the largest land developer in the Bay of Plenty. Carrus projects over the past 28 years have shaped Tauranga into the City it is today, setting the bar for others in the industry when it comes to enduring quality and long-term appeal. To quote Mark Cairns from the Port of Tauranga, Paul is an outstanding good bastard.

2018 Winners & Sponsors:

Harrison Grierson Young Achiever of the Year Award: Winner: Kevin Weller

Sharp Tudhope lawyers Urban Design and Architectural Merit Award: Winner: Te Puia

Greenstone Group Best Team Award: Winner: Tauranga Crossing Retail Development Team

Carrus Outstanding Leadership Award: Winner: Christine Ralph from Beca

Hawkins Long Service Award: Winner Paul Adams

Judges Choice Award Winner: the Access to Water project by Tauranga City Council, LandLab and HEB

Property Council Bay of Plenty, Bank of New Zealand Supreme Excellence Award: Te PuiaThe Court of Appeal has upheld a decision not to allow Stuff Ltd and NZME to merge.

The full judgment has not yet been publicly released, but the court said in a public "minute" that the companies' appeal against a Commerce Commission block on their merger had been dismissed.

NZME and Stuff Ltd have been ordered to pay the costs of the appeal.

NZME and Stuff Ltd originally proposed in 2016 that Stuff Ltd (then known as Fairfax Media) would be folded into NZX-listed NZME, with Stuff's Australian owner Fairfax Media in return receiving a 41 per cent stake in the combined business plus $55 million cash.

The media companies argued that the merger was vital for the ongoing viability of their news businesses, with Fairfax managing director Greg Hywood warning that a rejection of the plan could lead to deep cuts in journalism and the closure of some newspaper titles.

After public hearings the Commerce Commission ruled against the merger in May, 2017, arguing in its decision that "this merger would concentrate media ownership and influence to an unprecedented extent for a well-established modern liberal democracy".

The companies appealed that to the High Court at a hearing in October, 2017, and when that was unsuccessful took their case to the Court of Appeal, which considered the arguments in June.

In an email to staff, Stuff chief executive Sinead Boucher says the two companies sought the merger because they believed a combined business would ensure the delivery of "high quality independent journalism at scale for all New Zealanders.

"We believe the Commerce Commission's decision (which was upheld by the High Court) not to authorise the merger was wrong in fact and in law, which was why we appealed to the Court of Appeal.

"The decision is not the outcome we had hoped for, but, as everyone will be aware, we have not been sitting around idly waiting for it.

"The process has spanned more than two years, and in the meantime we have forged ahead with our own strategy of growing our Stuff and Neighbourly platforms, and new digital ventures, complemented by a strong portfolio of newspapers and magazines," says Sinead.

Earlier this year, Stuff moved to close or sell 28 community and rural titles as part of its plan to reposition the business in the face of far-reaching changes to the media market.

Meanwhile, a separate proposal is under way in Australia for broadcaster Nine to effectively take over Fairfax Media's operations. The intentions for Stuff if that plan proceeds are unclear.

The Commerce Commission welcomed the ruling.

Meanwhile Better Public Media Trust has welcomed the Courts decision saying it believes it is absolutely right.

It says allowing the merger to proceed would have seen the formation of a huge news media operation controlling 90 percent of the daily print news market, half the commercial radio sector and two of the nations largest news websites.

BPM Chair and Victoria University senior lecturer in media, Peter Thompson says it is a relief the Court of Appeal has upheld the Commission's earlier ruling.

Fairfax and NZME had put forward a quite cynical argument that non-quantifiable factors such as plurality and editorial independence could not be taken into consideration under the Commerce Act. The latest ruling underlines the fact that the Act is there to protect the interests of the New Zealand consumer, not the interests of corporate shareholders."

BPM nevertheless believes the Commerce Act needs to be reviewed in order to protect the public interest, especially in regard to an increasingly complex media ecology.

"This kind of merger proposal would have been unthinkable in most other countries. New Zealands weak legislation invites big media companies to hire teams of lawyers and economic experts to try to push through legal rulings that are against the public interest," says Peter.

However, BPM does recognise the problem that NZME and Stuff said was the primary reason for the merger - that the print news media are under threat because nothing has been done to redress the impact of online media like Google and Facebook on the news sector's business models.

"One of the main reasons NZME and Stuff wanted the merger was because their revenue streams have been eaten away by digital intermediaries, which co-opt online traffic and advertising dollars, but invest nothing back into content production. New Zealand needs a regulatory framework that can solve this problem while protecting the public's democratic and cultural interests."

BPM therefore calls on Kris Faafoi in his dual role as Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media as well as Consumer Affairs, to review New Zealand's competition law and to look at ways of ensuring that online intermediaries which exploit NZ media content contribute to the provision of that content.

One option which BPM has suggested previously, would be a marginal levy on online advertising which could then be redistributed to NZ content providers.

-Additional reporting Stuff.co.nzOranga Tamariki social workers have reached agreement on a pay equity settlement worth $114.6 million over five years.

Minister for Children Tracey Martin says cabinet had agreed to fund the settlement reached in principle between Oranga Tamariki and the PSA.

The settlement applies to more than 1300 Oranga Tamariki social workers and would see an average lift in their salaries of 30.6 percent over a two year period, she says.

The PSA said it was an historic milestone.

Cabinet's agreement to fund the settlement was a recognition that the role of statutory social workers had been subject to historical and ongoing gender-based undervaluation, national secretary Erin Polaczuk says.

"We do want to see flow on from our equal pay achievements. It's been far too long that women's work has been undervalued."

"We have no doubt that this settlement will have an influence for social workers in other sectors and in that sense it is a true trailblazer for the undervalued profession of social work," she says.

Tracey called the deal another demonstration of the government's commitment to pay equity for all women.

"This decision recognises a historic gender-based undervaluation of Oranga Tamariki social workers, who perform vital work in keeping children and families safe."

PSA members will now vote on whether to accept the settlement and the result should be known by the end of next month.

Last week the government announced it would be introducing legislation making it easier to put in pay equity claims and setting up a framework to address pay discrimination in female-dominated jobs.The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra will bring internationally acclaimed pianists Denis Kozhukhin and Steven Osborne to Tauranga as part of its 2019 Season.

The four Tauranga concerts include guest conductors Thomas Sndergard from Denmark, Carlos Kalmar from Uruguay and Jun Markl from Germany.

Kozhukhin, from Russia, will perform Schumanns Piano Concerto with Sndergard also conducting the NZSO in performances of Schumanns Manfred Overture, Beethovens  Coriolan Overture, and Mozarts Symphony No. 36.

Osborne, from Scotland, will play Beethovens Piano Concerto No. 4 with Kalmar also conducting Mendelssohns The Hebrides Overture, New Zealand composer Michael Norris Matauranga  Knowledge and Mozarts Symphony No. 38.

NZSO Section Principal Horn Samuel Jacobs will perform Richard Strauss Horn Concerto in a concert with Markl. It will also feature New Zealand composer Kenneth Youngs Te Mapouriki, Mozarts Symphony No. 31, Mendelssohns Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage and Schumanns Symphony No. 1.

The first concert for Tauranga in 2019 will be Classical Journey in February, led by NZSO Associate Conductor Hamish McKeich. It will present popular works by Rossini, Haydn, Prokofiev and Brahms.

NZSO Chief Executive Christopher Blake says the soloists, the conductors and the music that the Orchestra will tour around the country in 2019 are outstanding.

Whether you attend NZSO concerts often or are new to the Orchestra, it will be an experience you wont forget. The soloists and conductors who join us next year are some of the best in the world and we are delighted that several will perform with us for the first time, he says.

The Orchestras 2019 season includes a Beethoven Festival in Auckland and Wellington, conducted by NZSO Music Director Edo de Waart, where New Zealands national orchestra will perform the great composers nine symphonies.

The Beethoven Festival is one of our biggest undertakings, and a fantastic opportunity to enjoy some of the greatest music ever written for orchestra, says Blake. Maestro de Waart is a musical authority on Beethoven and to have him conduct this festival makes it even more special.

The NZSO National Youth Orchestra will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2019 with concerts conducted by NZSO Music Director Emeritus James Judd in Auckland and Wellington. For this special event the NYO collaborates with the New Zealand Youth Choir, which celebrates its own 40th anniversary in 2019.

Carlos Kalmar.WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) is encouraging Nebraska students with a strong record in community service to apply for the Prudential Spirit of Community 2019 Award.

This community service award is open for applicants in grades 5-12, and members of Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, American Red Cross chapters, YMCAs, and affiliates of Points of Lights HandsOn Network. The deadline to apply is November 6, 2018.

Two Nebraska students will be selected to join other honorees from across the country for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where...For 15 years Nebraska's Junk Jaunt has grown into a "treasure" hunter's paradise, featuring more than 300 miles of central Nebraska's beautiful scenery and more than 50 stops in 36 towns. The circular route follows the Loup River and Sandhills Journey Scenic Byways, taking participants from Grand Island to Halsey.

For those unfamiliar with the Junk Jaunt, it is, simply put, Nebraska's biggest garage sale. Last year, 20 Sidney garage sale aficionados, many of them

"newbies" to the Jaunt, traveled together to partake of the strange and wondrous treasure hunt. This year the Cheyenne County Community Center is again offering local residents the chance to travel in a group to the Junk Jaunt.

"We're going to have a lot of fun," said Brent Jeffers, senior activities coordinator with the Center. Jeffers will be driving the Center's bus to the Jaunt with 20 Cheyenne County residents interested in the experience. Coming back, hopefully they'll all fit back in.

"Last year they had a lawn mower stuffed in behind the seats," Jeffers said of shoppers' success. "Who knows what we'll bring back."

Those interested in making the trip should do so right away, as there are a limited number of seats available. They can register by contacting the Community Center and for a nominal fee to cover travel expenses (with lunch on their own), they can be part of the excursion. The bus will leave at 7 a.m. Saturday and, according to the flyer, "return when we're tired."

Jeffers said plans are to start in the Arnold-Merna-Broken Bow area. Depending on the participants, they might try to make part of the loop around. He said he hopes to be back in Sidney before it gets too late, "but who knows?"

For those who don't think a single day of garage sales is enough, they could take their own car and trailer, for the Junk Jaunt actually runs three days, beginning Friday and running through Sunday. Vendors are encouraged to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. While there is no set itinerary, those who are more adventurous can follow a map which lists Junk Jaunt towns and sale locations. For those on a multiple-day trip, there are three dozen lodging sponsors listed in Junk Jaunt information.

To join the Cheyenne County group or for more information, contact the Cheyenne County Community Center at 254-7000 or in person. General information about the Jaunt can be found in its Website, junkjaunt.com.After a two-year year break the Kimball Kamakazee Club once again going to have its Fun Fly.

Event Organizer Rick Kirby is proud to announce the return of Kimball Kamakazee Clubs Remote Control Airplane Fun Fly.

The event will be held at the Kimball County Airport R/C field In Kimball Nebraska Sunday, Sept. 30. The field is three miles south and a one half mile west of Kimballs only stoplight.

The event features planes and pilots from the tri-state area. Pilots from Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming will strut their stuff in the event.

All R/C pilots are invited to participate. No entry fees, no prizes, just a great day to fly. Pilots Check in at 8 a.m. and get a free lunch. Planes take to the sky at 10 a.m. Flights continue until late afternoon.

Planes will be in flight and on display.

Chef Ivory Food Innovation will be on site serving breakfast lunch and snacks, Music and fun for all to enjoy.

The event is open to the public free of charge. Everyone is welcome to attend. There is limited on site seating, so bring your lawn chair.

The Kimball Kamakazee Club invites everyone to come to the Kimball Airport R/C field and watch em fly!

Location: Kimball County Airport County Route 28 at Highway 71.SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse police arrested a 28-year-old woman they say pepper-sprayed and stabbed a 50-year-old woman this weekend.

Melissa Rodriguez, 28, of Syracuse, was charged with second-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of noxious materials.

Rodriguez was arrested after police were called to the 200 block of Shonnard St. at 9:54 p.m. Sunday for a reported stabbing.

When officers arrived, they met with a 50-year-old woman who was bleeding from the right arm, Syracuse police spokeswoman Sgt. Julie Shulsky said in a news release.

"The victim told police she had been attacked by Melissa Rodriguez, 28, of Syracuse," Shulsky said in the release. "The victim reported Rodriguez pepper-sprayed her and then stabbed her in the arm."

American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance took the victim to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Her injuries are not life threatening, police said.

"Rodriguez was still on scene when police arrived," the release said. "She was taken into custody without incident."

Rodriguez was sent to the Onondaga County Justice Center until she could be arraigned on the charges. Jail records show Rodriguez is no longer at the justice center Monday night.Cyrell Haygood

Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga Creek.

That's the dividing line between warring gang alliances on the city's South Side that have led to two decades' worth of homicides, a former police gang expert who works for the District Attorney's office testified today.

The total number dead: More than 50.

Those are the lives lost to one gang war with the "1500" and "110" gang alliance on the west side of the creek and the Furman Fast Cash and Bricktown alliance on the east side, Investigator Tim Galanaugh said in court today.

The war has included hundreds of reported shootings, he added.

Galanaugh testified today that the murder of George Booker Jr. was another shooting in a long line of gang attacks and retaliations that began in the 1990s, spiked after the death of a toddler in 2009, and continues today.

Galanaugh's testimony came during the murder case against Cyrell Haygood in the June 2017 shooting death of Booker Jr. Prosecutors want to portray the homicide as a continuation of the long-standing gang war. Defense lawyer Ed Klein argues they're fishing for a motive.

Calling someone a gang member to a jury is considered extremely prejudicial and can only be done after prosecutors convince a judge that it's true and important to the case. The hearing was held to determine if Haygood could be called a gang member during the trial.

Security was tight in the courtroom during testimony relating to gang intelligence, which included diagrams of gang territories. No photos were allowed, and the no-cell phones rule was strictly enforced by state Supreme Court Justice Gordon Cuffy. He ordered two people removed after spotting cell phones from the bench.

Galanaugh testified that Haygood is a member Furman Fast Cash, based on his acquaintances with reputed gang members. The murder victim, Booker, was a member of the "1500" gang, Galanaugh said, based on Booker's prior statements to police.

The murder happened on East Kennedy Street, in territory considered to be part of Bricktown, which is aligned with Furman Fast Cash.

Furman Fash Cash was bigger in the early 2000s, but dwindled when many of its members were arrested, Galanaugh said. Those who remained joined forces with other gangs, he added.

In court, Galanaugh was asked to flash a Furman Fast Cash hand signal. He made an "F" with his fingers.

Furman Fast Cash is located along Furman Street, extending toward Cortland Avenue and the east bank of the creek. Its ally, Bricktown, controls Pioneer Homes south of downtown, the railroad tracks and the housing around Burt Street, including the 13-story tower, Galanaugh said.

Part of Bricktown territory used to be Boot Camp, but the top members of that gang were imprisoned in a federal racketeering operation, he said. Younger members of Boot Camp, named LBC (Little Boot Camp) joined other gangs after their was dismantled, he said.

On the creek's other bank, "110" controls the northern half of South Avenue corridor down to Centennial Drive, Galanaugh said. "1500" takes over there, extending south to Ballantyne Road.

The feud across the creek has flared up since the 1990s, Galanaugh said, with ebbs and flows as gang members are imprisoned and others take their place.

Galanaugh, now an investigator for the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office, spent time in an interagency task force targeting gangs and with the county's crime analysis center.

He estimated there are a total of 20 gangs in the city, some big and others much smaller.

Violence often takes place in neutral territory, such as stabbings at Destiny USA or shootings on the interstates, Galanaugh said. And gang members often conduct business outside their territory. For example, LAMA (Lexington Avenue Midtown Assassins), on the city's East Side, kept a stash house in Cicero, he said.

Sometimes clashes are planned, with gang members scoping out a group of a rival gang and then coming to shoot up the gathering, Galanaugh said.

That's sometimes called "Power Knocking" or "going National Grid" on somebody, he testified. Often, gang members will get drunk and high to give them the courage to carry out a shooting, he said.

There's also a chance meeting between gang rivals, called slipping. That's what happens at the mall, for example. If a rival gang member catches someone "slipping," the gang expects them to react with violence to maintain their status in the gang, he said.

"If you catch someone slipping, and you don't react, you're considered lame," Galanaugh testified.

Gang members in good standing often get credit cards, cell phones and other perks for upholding their allegiance to the gang, he said.

The rivalry that splits the creek may be one of the deadliest wars in the city. It became entrenched a decade ago when -- among other things -- toddler Rashaad Walker Jr. was shot to death, he said.

Walker's father -- since convicted of murder -- was a member of 110 gang, Galanaugh said. The baby killer, Saquan Evans, was a member of Bricktown.

The baby was shot dead in an attempt to kill the baby's father, Rashaad Walker Sr. When the senior Walker was asked if he had anything to say to his son's killer, he famously said, "Missed me."

The baby's murder led to a flurry of violence between the two sides that continues today, Galanaugh testified.

Just last week, a mass shooting left five people injured -- including an 8-year-old girl -- at the Walker family's house on Midland Avenue. No arrests have been made, but DA William Fitzpatrick has asked any gang members with information to come forward.

Separately, murder suspect Haygood has had his house riddled with bullets on four separate occasions before the murder, the most number of times Galanaugh had ever seen someone's house targeted.

But Klein, the defense lawyer, noted that his client had brothers and that three of the four shootings happened while Haygood was either in the hospital or in jail. He also argued that his client was wrongly entered into a confidential gang database.

Prosecutors said Haygood's house was targeted more times after Booker's death.

Galanaugh pointed to a series of violent events leading up to Booker's murder in 2017. He also said that Haygood was found with gang members during prior police investigations.

Perhaps the most dramatic moment was when Galanaugh testified that a confidential informant had named Haygood as a gang member.

Klein asked the identity of that informant. Both prosecutors, Jordan McNamara and Joseph Coolican, jumped up from the table and shouted "Objection!" After a brief conference with he judge, Klein asked a different question.

State Supreme Court Justice Gordon Cuffy will decide whether Haygood can be called a gang member at trial. It appears the gang war is a major component of the prosecution's case at trial.

Haygood faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.FAIRMOUNT, N.Y. -- Onondaga County sheriff's deputies have identified the victim in Monday's fatal fire in Fairmount as a 42-year-old woman.

Firefighters found Judy Lyn McCue dead in an upstairs bedroom on the second floor of 13 Gordon Parkway, Apt. 13, at the Aaron Manor Townhouses in Fairmount, Onondaga County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jon Seeber said.

McCue lived in the apartment with Wendy Fitzgerald, 41, and Fitzgerald's 14-year-old son, Seeber said. Fitzgerald suffered minor smoke inhalation. She was taken to Upstate University Hospital's Community Campus for treatment. Fitzgerald's son was not injured, Seeber said.

The fire, reported at 4:07 a.m., started in apartment 13 -- where McCue, Fitzgerald and the boy lived, Seeber said.

"The apartment was equipped with a smoke detector," Seeber said in a news release.

Flames continued to spread and caused significant damage to their townhouse, as well as several neighbors' townhouses.

William Pringle, who lives in a townhouses across the courtyard, ran from townhouse to townhouse banging on neighbors' doors in the complex and screaming for people to wake up and get out, according to neighbor Janet Neil said. Neil said she heard Pringle scream for her to get out of her townhouse and she was able to escape before her townhouse filled with smoke.

Several neighbors stood outside Monday morning and watched as flames shot out the backdoor of their neighbor's home.

A portion of Milton Avenue was blocked while firefighters battled the blaze.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

"(Sheriff's) detectives, along with state and county fire investigators, remained on the scene throughout the day sifting through debris in an attempt to determine the cause and origin of the fire," Seeber said.

The American Red Cross provided 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.

-- Sarah Moses Buckshot contributed to this report.Manchester, NY -- A Rochester-area justice who pleaded guilty to grand larceny for stealing $8,339 in court fees will go to jail and be barred from judicial office again, authorities said.

Erika Martin, 45, began stealing money in January 2016, the month she was sworn in as Manchester town justice, authorities told local media. The thefts continued until December of that year. She was arrested early in 2017.

In May, Martin pleaded guilty to the felony theft charge, which immediately disqualified her from office. She was promised a year on probation to try to repay the money.

She'll face some jail sentence in 2019; the amount of time will be determined by how much money she can pay back.

Her plea led to a conclusion of her case by the state's Commission on Judicial Conduct. Today, the commission announced that Martin had agreed never to again seek judicial office.

As part of her plea, Martin also admitted to a scheme involving local banks and credit unions that led to a series of smaller thefts, authorities said.

Martin is not an attorney. Her term would have expired in 2019.The Syracuse University Art Galleries presents "Forbidden Fruit: Yasuo Kuniyoshi's America," now on view through Nov. 18. Curated by David Prince, associate director/ curator of collections, this exhibition features 18 original works of art including paintings, drawings, and prints.

The exhibition explores the life and career of renowned artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi (Japanese 1889-1953) through the lens of his late painting "Forbidden Fruit," 1950. This eerie and confounding work from Syracuse University's permanent collection ultimately reveals Kuniyoshi's tortured state of mind close to his untimely death in 1953. Loans from the Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Wadsworth Athenaeum, and the Hebert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, installed alongside works from the university's permanent art collection, develop an engrossing visual narrative explaining the life and style of this unique artist.

The exhibition will be on view through Nov. 18 in the Shaffer Art Building at Syracuse University. The Gallery is open Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Thursday nights, the gallery is open until 8pm. The gallery is closed Mondays and university holidays.

Yasuo Kuniyoshi spent over 40 years in America, studying art in New York and establishing a group of collectors who appreciated his blending of modernism, folk art, and Japanese sensibility into a singular style. Discriminated against upon arriving in 1906, Kuniyoshi persevered to become a popular teacher at the Art Students League in New York.

His success as a painter in the 1920s and 30s encouraged his thinking that he had become an American, a belief that was shattered with Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Kuniyoshi worked tirelessly for the American war effort, designing posters and writing two speeches that were broadcast over the radio to Japan in 1942. Unfortunately, after the conflict ended a decade long Cold War continued the discrimination against him and prohibited his gaining citizenship. This, coupled with the rising popularity of Abstract Expressionism, heightened his frustration about his circumstances.

He adapted to the changing aesthetics by significantly brightening his palette and including surrealistic elements referring to his Asian background. Ironically, by the time the government passed laws enabling Asian naturalization, Kuniyoshi had contracted stomach cancer and died before his application was approved.

David Prince, exhibition curator, comments on the formation of the exhibition, "I first saw Yasuo Kuniyoshi's "Forbidden Fruit" during my graduate residency at Syracuse University from 1981-83. I knew nothing about the artist but the painting's otherworldly composition and color indicated there was something more going on than a formal aesthetics study. Years of research uncovered that "Forbidden Fruit" encapsulated Kuniyoshi's personal and artistic history as only a picture can; its design and palette speak to the dramatic changes in post-War American art while the subject reveals the artist's ultimate despair in not achieving his life goal of becoming a naturalized citizen."

All SUArt Galleries exhibitions and programs are free and open to the public. Please visit suart.syr.edu for more information on parking and directions to the galleries.The Syracuse City Ballet is celebrating its first anniversary in their new, expanded space at 932 Spencer St. Syracuse, NY and they want to invite you to join the celebration! The ballet company has seen an exciting year with several successful shows, tremendous growth in outreach to the community, and the addition of talented new staff that are sure to help the company grow even further.

This Friday is their season debut performance of An Intimate Evening, on September 28th. This intimate performance will take place right in their studio space and offers an eclectic mix of new works, both classical and contemporary. It will showcase the multi-dimensional talents of the company dancers, resident dancers, and special guest artist: Callan Bergmann. Callan is a New York City based performer who is currently performing on Broadway in "Kinky Boots".

The following day, Saturday, September 29th, Callan will lead a Broadway Master Class for ages 7-11 and another for ages 12 and up. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to hold a master class taught by Callan;" said Syracuse City Ballet Artistic Director, Kathleen Rathbun. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for dancers in our community to learn from a professional, Broadway artist."

For more information on this anniversary performance, master class, or to see what's coming up for the rest of the Syracuse City Ballet season, please visit their website at: www.syracusecityballet.com.This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com and InterFaith Works of CNY. Follow this theme and author posted Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Garang Ajak

Someone recently asked me if I liked to be called a refugee or even a former refugee. I politely replied that nobody likes to be called a refugee. People don't understand the magnitude of being a refugee. Nobody chooses to be a refugee. Imagine being hastily forced to leave everything that is dear to your heart, things like your personal belongings, family, house, neighborhood and your country. Who in his or her rightful mind would want to leave all these behind and choose to live as a refugee?

Try to imagine life situations that corner you to a point of absolute desperation and a place where you don't see any chance of leading a decent life. Picture a life where you are constantly fighting to survive and your only final option is to seek refuge elsewhere, a place where you will be safe and secure both physically, mentally, financially and emotionally.

Throughout our various traditions, there are common threads that bind us together. Among them is welcoming the stranger, making no distinction between those born in our country or elsewhere. Let us keep weaving that thread.

Garang Ajak is a former refugee from South Sudan. He is now a South Sudanese community advocate and activist. He currently works as a case manager at the Center for Community Alternatives.Sen. Ted Cruz appeared to get run out of a restaurant in Washington, D.C. on Monday when a group of protestors confronted him over President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

"We believe survivors!" the activists chanted at the Texas senator as he tried to dine with his wife.

"I know that you're very close friends with Mr. Kavanaugh," one woman in the group can be heard saying in a video posted by "Smash Racism DC" on Twitter. "But do you believe survivors, sir? We believe survivors!"

"God bless you, ma'am," Cruz responded.

The New York Post reports the group appeared to surround Cruz at a table, demanding to know his take on multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against Judge Kavanaugh.

"Let's go ahead and go," Cruz says to his wife in one clip. They then left the restaurant as the crowd cheered loudly.

Fox News reports the group of "radical protesters" was then asked to leave by the restaurant.

Cruz did not say whether he would vote to confirm Kavanaugh, but he told The Texas Tribune that Christine Blasey Ford's allegations "deserve to be treated with respect." Ford accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers.

"Professor Ford should have a full opportunity to tell her story before the Judiciary Committee, and Judge Kavanaugh should have a full opportunity to defend himself. That hearing should be sooner, rather than later, so the committee can make the best assessment possible of the allegations," Cruz said in a statement.

Ford and Kavanaugh are both scheduled to testify on Thursday.

It's unclear if a second woman, Deborah Ramirez, will also testify. Ramirez came forward in recent days to accuse Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a Yale dormitory party, putting his penis in her face and causing her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

Kavanaugh has denied all wrongdoing. He told Fox News on Monday that he "never sexually assaulted anyone" and denied being at the party Ford described.

A vote to potentially confirm Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court has been postponed until Kavanaugh and Ford can testify in front of the Judiciary Committee, which includes Cruz.

The D.C. encounter follows other recent confrontations with politicians, including a group of hecklers shouting "shame!" at Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and White House press secretary Sarah Sanders being told to leave a Virginia restaurant. Rep. Maxine Waters later encouraged the public to let Trump officials "know what they're doing is wrong."

Cruz is currently in a heated race for reelection in Texas against Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in the November midterms.Republican Janet Burman says she has rejected advice from party leaders who want her to run a negative campaign against Democrat Rachel May in the election for New York's 53rd Senate District.

Republicans see a rare opening to recapture the seat for the first time in 14 years after May's upset of state Sen. Dave Valesky, D-Oneida, in the Sept. 13 Democratic primary election, Burman said.

But Burman said GOP leaders, including Onondaga County Republican Chairman Tom Dadey, have told her that path must include a negative campaign that aggressively attacks May.

"There are certain principles I am going to stick to, and one of those is that I'm not going to go negative," Burman said in an interview.

Burman, a Syracuse economist, said Dadey asked her to issue a public statement Thursday that called May a "radical extremist" after she was declared the winner over Valesky in the Democratic primary.

When Burman refused to put her name on the statement, Dadey issued it under his name, she said.

"Rachel May is a radical extremist whose positions are so far out of the mainstream that her election would do serious harm to our region and to our state," the statement said. "Anyone who truly cares about Central New York's future cannot allow that to happen."

Dadey's statement also claimed May "wants to divert taxpayer money now being invested in schools, roads and bridges, and programs to help keep local taxes down, and instead waste it on political campaigns, including the negative TV ads, glossy mailers and robocalls people have come to hate."

Burman said the statement contained the kind of political rhetoric that discourages civil discourse in today's campaigns.

"I want to stay focused on the positive message of my campaign -- that I will fight to reduce the size of government in New York state, and that it will reduce our taxes," Burman said.

She added, "I think it's important to be friendly with people you disagree with philosophically or politically."

Dadey's statement raised eyebrows when he wrote: "There is an alternative to Rachel May and the Democrat socialists who are attempting to take over our state government, and the voters of the 53rd Senate District would be wise to choose it."

Dadey never identified Burman as the alternative or mentioned the Republican Parry in the seven-paragraph statement.

Dadey, who ran on the Conservative Party line for the Senate seat in 2004, was widely seen as playing a spoiler role that helped propel Valesky to an upset over former Sen. Nancy Larraine Hoffmann. Hoffmann defeated Dadey in a GOP primary that year.

Since that election, Dadey and Valesky forged a friendship despite their different political philosophies.

Burman said she has no doubt that Dadey is supporting her campaign along with other local and state Republican leaders. She declined to say which leaders she has spoken with, other than Dadey.

Asked why her name was not included in Dadey's statement, Burman said, "There was a breakdown in communication. My name was not added at the end of the statement once it was decided that it would be from him instead of me."

Dadey did not respond to requests for comment.

Valesky, who has the Independence Party line on the November ballot, said last week he is considering whether to actively campaign to keep his seat. He lost to May by about 600 votes.

Before the Democratic primary election, Valesky told syracuse.com that he would have a better chance of defeating Burman in November because of his broad appeal in the past to Democrats, independent voters and Republicans.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751Joanie Mahoney's post with the State University of New York is a newly created position that comes without a formal job description, predetermined salary or requirement for approval by the SUNY Board of Trustees, SUNY officials said Monday.

Mahoney announced Monday that she will step down after 11 years as Onondaga County executive to become the chief operating officer of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.

She will also serve as a special adviser at SUNY Upstate Medical University and report to Robert Megna, COO of the statewide SUNY system.

Mahoney's job at SUNY-ESF is a new position that SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson first discussed in June, according to David Amberg, the college's interim president. Mahoney will report to Amberg.

"When Chancellor Johnson asked me in June to take on the role of ESF interim president, she made it clear that some highly qualified person would join the college as COO," Amberg wrote Monday in a note to faculty, students and alumni. "I'm delighted that that person will be Joanie."

Amberg said Mahoney's "experience as Onondaga County executive and her financial experience will be particularly helpful as we work through ESF's financial challenges."

Mahoney's job description and salary will be determined in the coming weeks before she starts the new job on Nov. 1, according to SUNY officials.

Holly Liapis, a spokeswoman at SUNY's central office in Albany, said Mahoney's hiring and salary do not require approval from the SUNY board.

Liapis did not respond when asked why Johnson decided to hire Mahoney, nor would she address whether Danielle Laraque-Arena will remain as president of SUNY Upstate Medical University.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office did not respond to requests for comment about Mahoney's hiring.

Mahoney said earlier Monday that she consulted with Cuomo, an ally, before taking the SUNY job. She said Cuomo did not have a role in her hiring, but she notified him of her interest when he visited the New York State Fair last month.

Johnson, the SUNY chancellor, was spotted in Albany having coffee with Mahoney in early July. A reporter noted the meeting on Twitter.

"It made me uncomfortable," Mahoney recalled Monday. "Because I was not anywhere near a job offer."

Mahoney said she started talking to SUNY officials after Quentin Wheeler, the controversial former president of SUNY-ESF, announced his resignation.

Mahoney said she first approached Megna, senior vice chancellor and COO of the SUNY system, who serves with Mahoney on the Thruway Authority board. Megna is Cuomo's former budget director.

After discussing her ideas with Megna, Mahoney met with Johnson and had several discussions with her in the ensuing months. Mahoney said she wanted to impress upon SUNY officials how important both ESF and Upstate Medical University are to the Central New York economy.

The discussions led to a unique job offer. Mahoney will nominally work as chief operating officer at ESF but will also advise SUNY officials on matters at Upstate, Syracuse's largest employer. Both colleges are in tumult.

"Right now is when the transition is going on at SUNY,'' Mahoney said. "And I want the opportunity to dive in up there.''

The two colleges are physically close but have little in common, other than controversies that have rocked their administrations. But Mahoney will have input at both institutions, she said.

"If they're both going through a transition, I think it makes sense to be involved with both,'' she said.

Staff Writer Tim Knauss contributed to this report.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751Update: Verizon Wireless says it has resolved an outage affecting portions of the U.S. Tuesday, and says the outage did not affect Upstate New York.

From earlier:

Verizon Wireless customers are reporting outages across much of the U.S., including Upstate New York.

An outage map shows Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany and New York City among the largest cities affected around noon Tuesday: https://outage.report/us/verizon-wireless/map. The website is not affiliated with Verizon or other wireless carriers.

Other areas affected include large portions of the Northeast, the Midwest and South. The outage map shows large red circles of outage reports in cities like Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit, Memphis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Boston and Washington, D.C.

DownDetector.com reports more than 3,000 complaints were filed within the last three hours.

According to KCBD, some Verizon cell phone customers said they were unable to make and receive calls and texts Tuesday. Some iPhone users said they were still able to send and receive iMessages, but texts to Android and other wireless devices were unable to connect.

It's unclear what is causing the outage.

"Verizon is currently experiencing a wireless network issue," the company said in an official statement on Twitter. "Our technicians are aware of this issue and are working to resolve it quickly."

VZW customers can report outages here.

Verizon has not said when it expects to fix the problem.Courtesy: Messe Frankfurt

Cinte Techtextil China presented quality buyers and opened new business opportunities for exhibitors - 480 from 22 countries and regions. There was an eight per cent rise in overseas participants in comparison to the event held in 2016. The show which was held during September 4-6 in Shanghai recorded 13,203 visitors from 55 countries and regions.This edition, Cinte Techtextil China has further solidified its position as Asias leading business platform for the technical textiles and nonwovens industry, Wendy Wen, senior general manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK), remarked at the conclusion of the fair. The fairs strong reputation in China ensures that the leading players in the industry return here to do business every two years, while it was pleasing to hear from many exhibitors that there was a steady flow of new, high-quality buyers visiting their booths with the intention to do business. Couple this with the synergy effect between exhibitors from having 12 product application areas under one roof, and you have the most effective business platform in the region.For Cinte Techtextil, we exhibit here specifically to find new clients for technical applications, and the fair is effective for this. For these applications, we need customers from the entire supply chain, and here the mix of buyers is good, so we can meet relevant potential partners for a range of applications. Sustainability is playing a more important role in China, and weve had more requests this edition for products with sustainable production. Chinese manufacturers are also looking for new possibilities, so there is strong potential here for us to grow, Dr. Marina Crnoja-Cosic, head of business management, Global Business Management Industrial Applications, Lenzing, Austria, said.China is one of the most important markets for technical fabrics and has been growing every year. The visitor flow has been strong, so weve met some new potential customers, while our existing buyers have also been to see us. The Chinese buyers here are very professional. When they come to our booth, they have specific questions and requirements for us. Being an overseas brand, we feel an advantage here as they are keen to source from European companies, Cristiano Capitanio, sales manager  Asia Pacific, Itema, Italy, highlighted.There is a lot of demand for our recycled fibres here in China. I am satisfied with the number of visitors to our booth, and we have collected many new contacts. This is our first participation here, so we have got to know what specific products the Chinese market is interested in. There is big potential from Chinese buyers for our products, Thomas Dumortier, CEO, Belrey Fibres, Belgium, said.Were targeting Asian customers here, and were satisfied with the number and quality of buyers weve met. 40 per cent have been new contacts, and theyve shown strong interest in our products. The Chinese market has been very good this year, and is still growing fast. Environmental protection has become an important issue, so more customers are showing interest in filtration products. I am very convinced that the market for our products will continue to grow in the next three-five years, Florian Kisling, managing director, Perlon, Germany, said.We are very satisfied as weve had many potential customers visit our booth. They are from around the world, including Sweden, France, Spain, Canada, India and Asia. About 95 per cent of them are new to us as well. The fair has been a good opportunity for us to introduce our company and products to more buyers, Jacob Kye, sales and marketing representative, Easychem, Korea, said.This edition we met many Chinese auto manufacturers with clear sourcing targets who wanted to learn about our new filtration products. This fair has a high reputation in China, so we can effectively promote our brand image here. Stricter environmental protection policies in China have led to a rise in the demand for filtration products, as well as advanced technology and solutions from overseas, Zhang Meng, technical support engineer, Johns Manville Shanghai Nonwovens, China, said.Buyers were also satisfied with the show.I came here to source nonwovens for various applications, and I have been able to find what I was looking for from both international and Chinese exhibitors. It is useful to have the big global brands here, as well as discover some medium-sized companies from China that I can source from, Ramia Bisset, Newway Fabrics Trading, France, said.Coming to this fair you can always find new products. Its a good opportunity to meet our existing suppliers, as well as discover new ones. Im looking for European suppliers as well as Chinese, and the local producers quality is impressive. As we are representing Indian fibre manufacturers in different sectors, its very useful at this fair to have such a wide range of suppliers in the one place, Viraj Roongta, director  Sales and Marketing, Stuti Exports, India, said.Cinte Techtextil is a comprehensive international trade fair, with many leading global brands present which I find beneficial. As there is a lot of development happening in the US and Europe, I can find many new products from the international exhibitors at this fair that meet my needs. The fair is also a good platform to discover new technologies and solutions, Tony Liu, director of Sales, Sinty Sci-Tech, China, said.The next Cinte Techtextil China will take place in autumn 2020. The next Messe Frankfurt fair in the technical textiles sector in China is the China International Nonwovens Expo & Forum (CINE, supported by Techtextil) to be held in June 2019, also in Shanghai. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  IndiaIn context: The concept of a business PC and the digital environment it enabled used to be pretty easy to understand. You bought a PC from a vendor like Dell, HP, or Lenovo, installed a copy of Windows and a copy of Microsoft Office on it, connected it to the network, and you were basically done. Today, however, there is an enormous array of different solutions to bring that same type of functionality to life for the modern business worker.

From different types of buying, leasing, and hardware as a service business models for physically acquiring the PC, to several means of delivering the Windows desktop to a given device, to multiple choices of productivity suites and means of interacting with documents created with those tools, the modern enterprise desktop has become a surprisingly complex topic.

At the recent Microsoft Ignite event in Orlando, FL, the company provided yet more ways to deliver a digital workspace experience to todays devices. First, Microsoft joined the growing movement of companies offering physical devices as a service with their Microsoft Managed Desktops solution. Like other device-as-a-service (DaaS) offerings from the big PC vendors, the Microsoft solution provides access to branded hardware products and cloud-based support and device management services for a monthly fee. Initially, the company is offering their own Surface Pros, but eventually they plan to make other PC brands available as well. In addition, Microsoft is providing some important (though likely expensive) differentiation by also bundling Microsoft 365, which includes Windows, Office 365, and integrated security features, as well as ongoing support for all that software, as part of the package.

For those who already have the PCs they need and prefer a virtual desktop offering, the company also launched Windows Virtual Desktop, which includes licenses for Windows 10 and Office 365 bundled together and hosted on the cloud by Microsofts Azure cloud computing platform. This is the companys first VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) initiative under their own brand, and it delivers a secure and managed Windows desktop to whatever PCs a company has connected. Unfortunately, the industry has fallen into the naming trap of also calling this DaaS, but in this context, it means Desktop-as-a-Service, which is entirely different (though conceptually related) to the other Device-as-a-Service. In both cases, companies are getting access to a Windows desktop for their employees, but through entirely different means. Needless to say, this naming issue is a serious challenge that can trip up IT professionals, vendors, and industry observers who often end up talking in circles before they recognize the confusion.

"In both Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) and Device-as-a-Service (DaaS), companies are getting access to a Windows desktop for their employees, but through entirely different means. Needless to say, this naming issue is a serious challenge..."

Despite the naming issues, however, the fact that Microsoft is now offering their own version of a managed Windows desktop via the cloud is actually a big step forward for the company and the whole concept of virtualized computing models. Many companies have large investments not only in lots of Microsoft software, but also service and support relationships, and this new offering will give companies who want to move for moving some of the tedium of desktop management, updating, etc., to a partner like Microsoft.

In the process of developing this solution, the company was careful not to cut out partners, such as Citrix, who have had desktop-as-a-service offerings for some time. In fact, Citrix just announced a new partnership with Microsoft that extends from being a Microsoft certified Cloud Services Provider through a variety of channel and service offerings. As part of it, they will offer a new version of Citrix Workspace offering that builds on Microsofts Windows Virtual Desktop offering. In addition, they will be developing a new DaaS solution that leverages Windows Virtual Desktop but also includes Citrix extended capabilities for multi-device support, app virtualization, app management, desktop management, and integration with other Citrix tools.

On the Office side of the desktop experience, Microsoft announced a number of important new initiatives that add more contextual intelligence and overall smarts to the applications. While its hard to imagine finding new capabilities that dont already exist in the feature-laden MS Office suite, the all-inclusive search capabilities delivered via Microsoft Search, as well as the AI-driven Ideas functions look to be attractive new add-ons for most users.

Integrating enterprise-wide search across Office 365 lets users get access not only to files, but even elements of files, such as charts and data, that can be incorporated into their own documents, which can be a huge help in many organizations. Ideas builds on the concepts found in the AI-powered Designer feature introduced in PowerPoint last year and helps make suggestions not just on elegant designs, but spelling, consistencies, and other details that just make using the applications feel smarter. Ive been an active user of Designer, and I look forward to how the Ideas instantiation of the concept extends the capabilities even further.

In addition, Microsoft has incorporated Ideas into Excel by adding what look to be some very clever new capabilities that can look for patterns and anomalies in data. For those of us who work with large sets of data, these capabilities can be both incredibly powerful and tremendous time savers.

Altogether, the combination of new ways to deliver Windows and Office experiences in easier (and smarter) ways adds up to a surprisingly useful set of additions to what many often perceive as a very slow-moving market. They also highlight how the combination of the cloud and AI are extending their influence well beyond more esoteric applications of the technology into our day-to-day computing experiences. From my perspective, thats definitely an important step forward for us all.

Bob ODonnell is the founder and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research, LLC a technology consulting and market research firm. You can follow him on Twitter @bobodtech. This article was originally published on Tech.pinions.

Image credit: Tadas Sar via UnsplashThe big picture: Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin have taken a beating in 2018 but now that regulation is catching up to the industry, some of the bigger names that previously distanced themselves are warming back up to the idea of digital currency.

Google is following an earlier move by Facebook to reverse its hardline stance on cryptocurrency ads.

The search giant in June implemented a ban on advertisements for cryptocurrencies and related content like initial coin offerings, cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets and trading advice. In a recent notice regarding its financial products and services policy, however, Google said that beginning next month, it will allow regulated cryptocurrency exchanges to advertise on its platform in the US and Japan.

Those wishing to run ads will need to be certified with Google to do so.

Scott Spencer, Googles director of sustainable ads, told CNBC when the ban was first announced that they didnt have a crystal ball to know where the future is going with cryptocurrencies but theyd seen enough consumer harm to know it was an area they wanted to approach with extreme caution.

According to CNBC, Googles parent company  Alphabet  generates around 86 percent of its total revenue from advertising. In the first half of 2018 alone, over $54 billion has poured in from ad revenue.

Now that regulation is starting to catch up to the cryptocurrency market, Google no longer wants to miss out on potential windfalls.

Facebook rolled back its ban on cryptocurrencies earlier this summer ahead of stablecoins from Gemini and Paxos gaining regulatory approval in New York.NASA launches a web tool for the average citizen to learn how the space agency is also making life on Earth easier and better.

Home & City, an interactive web app, showcases all the ways that space exploration affects everyone's lives. These "spin-offs," commercial products and services that came from technology, were developed by NASA or improved by partners of NASA.

"These technologies developed for the study of space and Earth  are responsible for billions of dollars in both revenue and saved costs, tens of thousands of jobs created, and improved quality of living across the United States and around the world," the website claims.

NASA Contributions To Home And The Community

The app has two parts: one explores the contribution of the agency in making homes a lot more comfortable and secure, while the other finds which technologies have benefited local communities.

To find home appliances that have been derived or improved using a technology initially created to be adopted for space exploration, the user has to click various points or locations on the animated map. At home, NASA lists skin cream, hairstyling tools, water purification, precision coffee maker, enriched baby food, wireless headphones, and even audio equipment.

Clicking on these items would pull up short articles explaining how NASA space research and technology contributed to the creation or improvement of the item. The guitar in the living room, for example, explains how aerospace technology enhanced the sound of acoustic guitars.

For the city, there are several categories, namely sports, air travel, manufacturing, automotive, medical, public safety, groceries, and coastal. Also, a special page for NASA promotes Innovation Now, a 90-second radio series and podcasts, and offer information about space exploration and research.

"Our space technology continues to improve life on Earth," stated Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, in a press release. "NASA Home & City is a place of discovery for people, and especially students, who have ever wondered why space exploration should matter to them."

The web app features 130 spin-off technologies. NASA has been collaborating with commercial companies for over 50 years to bring back space technology to Earth.

NASA In Everyday Lives

The web app coincides with the space agency's 60th founding anniversary. NASA officially began its operations in Oct. 1958.

For its 60th anniversary, NASA plans to host a celebration at the Great Lakes Science Center by the end of the month. The event, which will be open to the public, will feature appearances from astronauts. NASA will also be holding science activities and a special tour of Glenn's main campus on the same day.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.MitraClip, a small device inserted into the body, can work miracles to patients suffering from severe heart failures, a recent clinical trial has revealed.

Researchers said that patients who used the clip reported fewer symptoms and a significantly improved quality of life. The results were revealed during a medical meeting in San Diego.

The clinical trial was also documented in the New England Journal of Medicine.

MitraClip Saving Lives

The large clinical trial involved patients from 78 sites across the United States and Canada. Researchers divided volunteers into two groups: one group received transcatheter mitral-valve repair plus medical therapy (device group) while the other group assigned medical therapy alone (control group). All participants were diagnosed with moderate to severe heart failures and do not respond to regular treatment.

Researchers report that out of 614 patients, 151 patients from the control group were hospitalized for heart failure after two years. A total of 61 people died within the trial period. Meanwhile, only 92 people from the group assigned to use MitraClip were hospitalized while only 28 died.

"It's a huge advance," stated Dr. Howard Hermann, director of interventional cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania. "It shows we can treat and improve the outcomes of a disease in a way we never thought we could."

Severe heart failure is a complicated disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 5.7 million adults in the United States have heart failure. About half of those who were diagnosed die within five years.

For many, a diagnosis alone is a death sentence. While drugs help control symptoms, severe heart failure can prevent a patient from living a normal life. They experience breathlessness from walking up the stairs or even falling asleep while sitting because the heart has started to pump inefficiently.

How It Works

To install the device into the heart, a cardiologist threads the MitraClip through a blood vessel in the groin. As soon as it reaches the heart, the MitraClip is guided toward the mitral valve where it will be clipped.

The process is a lot less invasive and carries a lower risk. Not all doctors are also equipped to insert the clip.

The MitraClip has already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be used in patients who are too frail to undergo surgery but whose hearts are working well except for the mitral valve. Researchers, however, hope that the device will also be approved for patients who suffer from severe heart failures.

The MitraClip was developed by Abbott, the company that also funded the research.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.East Baton Rouge must pay back more than a quarter-million dollars of federal money, marking the second time in as many years regulators found the city-parish misspent funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The news comes as East Baton Rouge applies for additional HUD money to revitalize neighborhoods along Lobdell Boulevard. The city-parish is competing with communities around the country for a share of those funds. Though the city-parish has to pay back some HUD money now, it was actually misspent years ago under a previous administration, and local authorities hope they've demonstrated that they've turned over a new leaf in the meantime.

After Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, Louisiana received special HUD disaster recovery funds and East Baton Rouge allocated $1.5 million to improve Smiley Heights. Two projects would go toward educational institutions  $104,000 to buy land for the parish's Career Academy Charter School and $157,000 to build Baton Rouge Community College's Automotive Training Center.

However, the charter school property did not go through the proper vetting process, and the training center failed to attract enough low- to moderate-income students, so the city-parish has to pay back $261,000 out of the local general fund. The Metro Council is scheduled to officially vote to sign the check at their meeting Wednesday.

When the city-parish bought 13.5 acres for the Career Academy, the land was supposed to go through an environmental review, which looks at everything from soil composition to proximity to an airport, said city-parish assistant chief administrative officer Rowdy Gaudet. Construction began without review, making the project ineligible for federal funding.

The automotive training center was designed to draw low- to moderate-income participants, but in eight quarters between 2016 and 2018, the student body never rose higher than 44 percent low- to moderate-income, short of the 51 percent required for federal funding.

BRCC opens Automotive Collision Training Center Baton Rouge Community College's Automotive Collision Training Center is ready to prepare students for careers in auto body repair and vehicle 

"It was very close ... it just didn't pan out," Gaudet said.

The Smiley Heights money originates from HUD but is overseen by the state Office of Community Development. Executive Director Pat Forbes said that while East Baton Rouge is reimbursing money that didn't qualify for federal funding with local dollars, the grant money isn't going back to Washington D.C. Rather, it will go toward paying for programs that are qualified.

Baton Rouge also had to pay back $1.3 million last year after a HUD Office of the Inspector General audit that found numerous issues, including the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to serve low-income communities instead being used to build a bike path along the Mississippi River levee.

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East Baton Rouge must repay $1.3 million after audit flags levee bike path, other spending When East Baton Rouge received federal grant money to help poor people, the government instead spent hundreds of thousands of dollars building

The city-parish is currently applying for $30 million through another HUD program to help build the Ardendale concept between Smiley Heights and Melrose East. The entire revitalization project is budgeted to cost about $200 million to pay for mixed-use housing, crime-fighting measures and other amenities.

Baton Rouge is one of 32 cities making a pitch to HUD through the agency's Choice Neighborhoods Implementation program.

"It's a great grant, and it helps you get neighborhoods back into a better-functioning shape," Forbes said.

+10 Baton Rouge eyes gigantic federal grant to boost Ardendale with housing, retail The historically neglected Baton Rouge corridor west of Lobdell Boulevard that includes neighborhoods like Melrose East and Smiley Heights has

HUD describes Choice Neighborhoods as "the next generation of neighborhood revitalization ... a competitive grant program that provides flexible resources for local leaders to help transform high-poverty, distressed neighborhoods into mixed-income neighborhoods with the affordable housing, safe streets, and good schools every family needs."

Regional HUD spokesman Patricia Campbell declined to speculate how Baton Rouge's past misuse of agency funds could affect the city-parish's chance of winning Choice Neighborhoods money.

Gaudet emphasized that previous problems with HUD expenditures occurred under the administration of former Mayor-President Kip Holden, and that sitting Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and her staff are trying to be transparent and collaborative.

"We've demonstrated to HUD that we've changed the way we do business," Gaudet said.

William Daniel, who served as chief administrative officer under Holden, recalled that there were issues associated with land banking (purchasing property that is not immediately developed) that ran afoul of HUD regulations.

He referred more specific questions to former Redevelopment Authority Director Walter Monsour, who said his agency purchased land for the city-parish but that no construction had begun before he left the RDA in 2014.A Maurepas-area resident sits in his flooded home near La. 22 in Livingston Parish on Aug. 31, 2012. An $11 million FEMA grant being used to purchase flood-prone properties in Livingston Parish and either tear them down or raise them above flood levels has been applied to many properties along La. 22. Livingston Parish officials are again urging residents whose homes flooded in 2016 to apply for the newest round of funding for the program.A former LSU student accused of negligent homicide in the fatal 2017 alcohol-related hazing of Phi Delta Theta pledge Max Gruver was "vocal" about not wanting Gruver to be a member of the fraternity, new court documents reveal.

Matthew Alexander Naquin, 20, of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, is scheduled to stand trial July 8 in the death of Gruver, 18, of Roswell, Georgia.

Naquin's former roommate, Ryan Matthew Isto, pleaded guilty earlier this month to misdemeanor hazing and has told East Baton Rouge Parish prosecutors that Naquin reacted harshly to Gruver being given a "snap bid" by active Phi Delta Theta members prior to the formal "Bid Day."

"When the defendant, Matthew Naquin, realized that Mr. Gruver had been extended a 'snap bid' and signed it, the defendant 'tore up and threw out' Mr. Gruver's snap bid due to the defendant's desire for the victim to not be offered a bid or join Phi Delta Theta," prosecutor Morgan Johnson wrote in a recent court filing in the Naquin case, quoting what Isto told prosecutors.

Isto said Naquin was "vocal about (his desire) to cut Max" throughout the Phi Delta Theta pledge period and was "very pro cutting Max," according to the court filing.

Isto, 19, of Butte, Montana, also told prosecutors that Gruver was the only incoming member that Naquin wanted to cut from the fraternity. Naquin told Isto that, "Max is not a good fit," but gave no specific reason why he felt that way, the prosecutor added.

Johnson is seeking state District Judge Beau Higginbotham's permission to use Naquin's alleged statements to Isto at Naquin's trial.

Naquins attorney, John McLindon, was in a trial in Lafayette on Tuesday and said he had not seen Johnsons latest filing.

Authorities have alleged that Naquin and other senior Phi Delta Theta members targeted Gruver in a hazing ritual they called "Bible study," in which pledges were required to chug hard liquor when they gave incorrect answers to questions about the fraternity.

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Earlier this month, Higginbotham ruled that prosecutors can introduce at Naquins trial evidence of other alleged incidents involving Naquin and Phi Delta Theta pledges in the weeks and days preceding Gruvers death on Sept. 14, 2017.

Those incidents include:

An Aug. 30, 2017, hurricane party at which pledges were told they had to drink hard liquor, which caused one pledge to vomit and pass out.

A late-night Sept. 8, 2017, firewatch at which Naquin allegedly fired plastic pellets from an airsoft pistol at pledges guarding the fraternitys tailgating spot for an LSU football game.

Naquin telling a pledge sometime between Aug. 20 and Sept. 13 last year that he wished he could cut Gruver from the pledge roll;

A Sept. 11, 2017, warning from a local Phi Delta Theta official to Naquin that he tone down his interactions with pledges.

+3 Ex-LSU student shot frat pledges with airsoft gun before hazing death, prosecutors say A former LSU student accused in last September's alcohol-related death of Max Gruver was rebuked by fellow fraternity members for shooting ple

In addition to Isto, former LSU student Sean-Paul Gott, 22, of Lafayette, has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor hazing and pledged his cooperation with prosecutors and agreed to testify at Naquin's trial.

Another ex-LSU student, Patrick Andrew Forde, 21, of Westwood, Massachusetts, also is charged with hazing and has agreed to cooperate and testify truthfully at the trial. Prosecutors will decide down the road whether to prosecute Forde.

+6 Two former LSU students plead no contest in hazing death of Max Gruver Two former LSU students pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor hazing in the alcohol-related death of freshman fraternity pledge Max Gruve

LSU, Phi Delta Theta, Naquin, Isto, Gott and Forde are among the defendants that the Gruver family is suing in Baton Rouge federal court for $25 million in damages.

Phi Delta Theta has been banned from LSUs campus until at least 2033.Six months after his death rocked the LSU campus and spurred some state lawmakers to action, an East Baton Rouge Parish grand jury that investigated the alleged hazing of 18-year-old fraternity pledge Maxwell Gruver on Thursday indicted a former student with negligent homicide and three others with hazing.

Matthew Alexander Naquin, 20, is accused of negligent homicide, a felony that carries up to five years in prison, while Sean-Paul Gott, 21, Ryan Matthew Isto, 19, and Patrick Andrew Forde, 21, were charged on a misdemeanor hazing count, punishable by up to 30 days in jail.

Police had said Gruver, of Roswell, Georgia, was targeted by senior members of Phi Delta Theta in a hazing ritual they dubbed "Bible study" that required pledges to chug 190-proof liquor when they incorrectly answered questions about the fraternity.

Max Gruver's parents, Rae Ann and Stephen Gruver, traveled to Baton Rouge to attend the grand jury announcement  the first time they had been back since their son died Sept. 14.

"To me, the charges just don't fit the crime," Stephen Gruver said. "The punishment is practically nothing and our whole family has changed for the rest of our lives.  That's not a deterrent. The law needs to be substantive enough to make somebody think twice."

He said the family is advocating a change to state law that would make hazing a felony. They're also reaching out to other families affected by hazing and looking to spread the word about what happened to their son in hopes of "changing the culture" that led to his death.

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III, whose prosecutors presented the case to the grand jury, agreed with the family that the hazing law needs to be strengthened.

"Our hazing statute is inadequate to cover the death of their son," Moore said. "It's not an appropriate penalty."

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A lawyer representing Naquin, of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, said his client is innocent. Police reports said witnesses accused Naquin of being the most aggressive hazer during the party last September.

We are prepared to go to trial and show that Matthew did not commit negligent homicide, said John McLindon, his attorney.

The 11 grand jurors pretermitted  meaning they heard evidence but were unable to reach a consensus  on charges involving the three men charged with hazing, as well as others arrested in October by LSU Police in the incident.

The grand jury pretermitted on a negligent homicide charge against Isto and made the same decision on obstruction of justice and negligent homicide charges against Gott and Forde.

A lawyer representing Isto, of Canada, said he and his client were disappointed, but not surprised, by the hazing indictment.

The hazing statute is vague and confusing, and the grand jury, unfortunately, doesn't get to hear all the facts as would a jury or judge at trial, Michael Fiser wrote in an email. We never felt negligent homicide was remotely applicable to Isto under all the facts, and we look forward to moving ahead in this process to find closure for everyone involved in this tragic incident.

Kris Perret, who represents Patrick Forde, of Westwood, Massachusetts, said his client was not an LSU student and was no longer an active member of the fraternity at the time of Gruvers death.

Well discuss it with the District Attorneys Office at the appropriate time, he said of the hazing indictment against Forde.

Gott, of Lafayette, could not be reached for comment. Prosecutors said they have had no contact with an attorney for him.

The grand jury, which began its work in December, issued a no true bill for Nicholas Michael Taulli, 20, of Cypress, Texas, clearing him on a hazing charge. The grand jury did not consider charges against one man who was arrested last year: Sean Andrew Pennison, 21, of Mandeville. His attorney said prosecutors informed him Thursday that they would not seek to prosecute Pennison.

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The jurors also pretermitted after considering whether to render hazing charges against Hudson Brandt Kirkpatrick, 19, Zachary Tower Hall, 21, and Elliott Eaton, 20. They pretermitted as well on obstruction of justice and hazing charges considered against Zachary Antonio Castillo, 19.

Prosecutors also asked the grand jury to consider a misdemeanor charge of hazing against the LSU chapter of Phi Delta Theta, but the jurors pretermitted.

+13 Maxwell Gruver case: Gut-wrenching accounts of alleged hazing at Phi Delta Theta house One day in September, Maxwell Gruver received a phone message from a member of the fraternity he hoped to join.

An autopsy revealed Gruver's blood-alcohol content was 0.495 percent  more than six times the legal limit to drive. The parish coroner said his Sept. 14 death was an accident but could be attributed to alcohol poisoning and aspiration, meaning he suffocated on his own vomit.

Gruvers parents have said they don't believe their son would have voluntarily consumed that amount of alcohol.

LSU President F. King Alexander said in a written statement that the grand jurys decision furthers the fact that behaviors that threaten the safety of our students will not be tolerated.

Hazing is dangerous and unacceptable. We are taking necessary steps to change the culture on campus related to hazing and are currently in the implementation phase of our Task Force on Greek Lifes recommendations, he said.

In a recent policy change that Alexander said will be enforced with no exceptions, LSU students caught hazing will be expelled and the involved fraternities or other student organizations will be kicked off campus.

Aidan Reynolds, who represents Taulli, said the grand jury made the right call in clearing his client, who merely shuttled pledges to and from the fraternity house that night.

He is a great kid. I had no great concerns about him being formally charged with anything. He had no involvement whatsoever, Reynolds said.

Franz Borghardt, the attorney for Sean Pennison, said his client is relieved that prosecutors decided not to prosecute him. Ultimately we trusted the District Attorneys Office and the system and it worked, he said.

An attorney for Castillo, of Terrytown, said his client is thankful for the consideration and effort that the District Attorneys Office and grand jury put into the matter.

I agree with the grand jurors decision not to charge my client, Brian Capitelli said in an email. Zac and his family will continue to keep the Gruver family in their thoughts and prayers.

Rodney Messina, who represents Eaton, of New Orleans, said he was pleased with the grand jurys decision to pretermit on the hazing count they considered.

We dont know what the evidence is out there, he said. Unless theres some new evidence coming back, well just wait and see.

David Bourland, who represents Zachary Hall, of Charlotte, North Carolina, said he respects the grand jurys decision to pretermit on the hazing count against him.

Mr. Hall was always innocent. The indicting of (him)  would have made this more tragic, he said. Zachary was not involved and did not participate in any form or fashion. His heart goes out to Maxwell.

Mary Olive Pierson, one of the lawyers for Kirkpatrick, of Baton Rouge, said her client cooperated with authorities and was not involved in Gruvers death.

Were glad to get this behind him so he can continue with his studies, she said.

Naquin, Gott and Isto are no longer students at LSU.

Proposed bills calling for stiffer hazing penalties and protections for students who report dangerous behavior such as hazing are expected to be taken up during the three-month regular legislative session that began Monday.

After Gruver died, Phi Delta Theta's national headquarters pulled the fraternity from LSU's campus. Less than a year before his death, the fraternity had been temporarily suspended for complaints about hazing and drinking.Lonnie Payne returned home to East Feliciana Parish in chains Monday, 15 years after he escaped from the parish prison and fled south of the border.

He truly and honestly wanted to be home, Sheriff Jeff Travis said.

Payne was immediately booked Monday on the escape charge from that Saturday night in July 2003 when he scaled an 8-foot security fence and made his way to Mexico.

Waiting for him Monday in Clinton was his mother, who hadnt seen her son since before his escape. After a hearing before a judge, Payne was promptly transferred to Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel to be processed.

Theyll make decision about where he will be housed, Travis said.

Before his escape, Payne, formerly of Slaughter, was serving 12 years for a burglary in Jefferson Parish, under a sentence by the state Department of Corrections.

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+2 Man being returned to East Feliciana Parish jail after escape 15 years ago CLINTON - Fifteen years after he escaped from the East Feliciana Parish Prison, former inmate Lonnie Payne, who was serving time for a burglar

Payne, now 44, began his return home when he was placed in jail after crossing a checkpoint in Mexico on Aug. 29 after giving security officials there a fake identity.

Travis said it took just a few days in a Mexican jail before Payne decided to give up and tell the U.S. Consulate his real name, setting in motion his return to the states. The U.S. Marshals Service then brought him to the county jail in Conroe, Texas before bringing him to Louisiana.

Travis called it a a pretty magnificent feat to stay free as long as he did but one hard to sustain.

In this day and age, its hard to run and hide without being caught, and his luck ran out, Travis said.Despite rocky finances for most of the past decade enrollment at LSU and Southern University is up slightly, according to preliminary figures released Monday.

LSU has 30,987 students this fall compared to 30,863 at the same time last year, Ernie Ballard, a spokesman for the school, said.

Southern has 6,617 students, a rise of 7 percent among both undergraduates and first-time freshmen, said Janene Tate, a spokeswoman for Southern.

Enrollment at Southern University in New Orleans is down 12 percent  300 students.

The nine schools that make up the University of Louisiana System, including the University of New Orleans, mostly held steady.

UNO reported having 8,151 students, up from 7,969 last year.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette showed a drop of 174 students, to 17,123, according to figures from the UL System.

Southeastern Louisiana University, in Hammond, has 14,327 students, up 19 over last year.

At Nicholls State University, enrollment totals 6,488 students, up 122 over last year.

The enrollment snapshot takes place as Louisiana colleges and universities are pulling out of recurring financial problems that plagued the schools for nearly a decade.

Gov. John Bel Edwards says higher education a priority but stops short of vowing more dollars Gov. John Bel Edwards told the state Board of Regents on Wednesday that Louisiana's financial outlook is much improved but stopped short of pr

State aid for higher education during that period dropped from $1.5 billion to $832 million, and the backlog of capital needs continues to rise.

A funding system that used to rely on state aid first is now driven mostly by tuition dollars, a trend in other states too.

State aid for colleges has been static for the past two years, which was seen as something of a victory by higher education forces.

LSU showed a major increase in its freshmen ranks, to 5,812 this year compared to 4,917 in 2017.

LSU President F. King Alexander has repeatedly noted that 2018 marks the school's largest ever freshman class as well its most diverse.

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'We are not lowering standards': LSU president makes spirited case for new admission rules LSU President F. King Alexander on Friday disputed charges that that the school's new admission policy is watering down standards.

Both the average ACT score  which is supposed to measure college readiness  and the high school grade point average tied for the highest ever.

Those scores are 25.5 of a possible 36 on the ACT and an average high school GPA of 3.53.

"We are pleased to see our overall enrollment increase as we have modernized our entire approach to recruiting students, using a data-driven model that is the envy of our peers," Alexander said in a statement Monday.

"This led to our record-breaking freshman class being the most academically successful and diverse group of students we've ever brought in," he added.

Ray Belton, chancellor of the Southern University Baton Rouge campus and president of the system, said freshmen and overall gains represent exciting news.

"We have worked relentlessly to reverse several years of repetitive declines in student enrollment," Belton said in a statement.

"It further illustrates the hard work occurring within our university community and is indicative of the positive direction in which we are headed," he said.

A total of 91,483 students are enrolled in the nine schools that comprise the UL System, down 18 from last year.

UL System President Jim Henderson said in a statement that intuition tells him questions earlier this year on whether the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students would be fully funded "could have impacted growth, but we have no data to support that assumption."

Students urge lawmakers to maintain aid for TOPS at rally outside State Capitol Students held a rally outside the State Capitol on Wednesday evening to demand that legislators provide adequate state aid for colleges and un

The program, known as TOPS, pays for most tuition for students who quality.

State budget problems cast a cloud over funding for TOPS earlier this year before the Legislature agreed to fully fund it.

Henderson said changes in rules for dual enrollment  classes high school students take for both high school and college credit  likely had an impact on the number of students who entered his colleges.

"Going forward, our institutions will be focusing heavily on growth from non-traditional populations whose development will be essential for Louisiana to compete for the future of work," he said.

Enrollment for Baton Rouge Community College and other community and technical schools is reported at the end of the year, not at the 14-day mark. That policy stems in part from the fact those schools include mini-semesters  academic periods within but less than a traditional semester.The capital area takes its drinking water so much for granted that some residents would rather leave a running hose in a leaky pool than repair the crack, would prefer to turn their sprinklers on a brick house to cool the masonry instead of turning on the air conditioning, Joey Normand said.

The former mayor of Brusly appeared at Tuesday's meeting of the local groundwater commission to implore the agency to create conservation incentives to safeguard the aquifer serving the Baton Rouge region.

Commission members are trying to come up with solutions, but the process has stalled.

A geological fault runs beneath Interstate 10. South of the fault line, the groundwater is salty. The salt water creeps across the line when fresh water is pumped out for use in homes, businesses and industrial campuses.

+3 Groundwater commission hires Water Institute to brainstorm aquifer protection, mulls fee increases The regional groundwater commission is thinking about increasing the fee charged to pump water out of the aquifer beneath Baton Rouge to pay f

The groundwater authority plans to contract with Water Institute scientists to determine how to preserve the fresh water. The commission agreed in June to pay $237,000 for the first 14-month phase.

To expedite the process, the groundwater commission planned to broker the deal through the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, but so far the agencies haven't been able to sign a memorandum of understanding. Chairman Barry Hugghins blamed turnover in CPRA leadership.

Water Institute geologists have done some advance work but are still waiting on the state to sign the contract, vice president for science Alyssa Dausman said. Matt Reonas, who represents the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, said the state's Office of Conservation would lean on the CPRA to sign the documents.

Several ideas have been advanced to extend the life of the aquifer: further curbing industrial withdrawal, digging scavenger wells, limiting the sale of water outside the area.

+3 Why the sale of water from Baton Rouge aquifer outside parish boundaries is stirring debate In the first nine months of 2017, about two billion gallons of water pumped out of the aquifer that runs beneath East Baton Rouge Parish went 

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Normand advocated raising fees as a way to encouraging households to conserve water. He still wants the first 10,000 gallons per month or so to be affordable, but above that amount, higher prices could induce people not to waste water.

Russel Honore cheered Normand on. The retired army lieutenant general and Green Army leader also repeated his call to force industrial users to use Mississippi River water rather than rely on the aquifer.

"We ought to have an adult conversation.  It shouldn't be a taboo question," Honore said.

+2 Environmentalists claim commission isn't doing enough to protect Baton Rouge's drinking water When it comes to Baton Rouge drinking water, the foxes are guarding the hen house, according to environmental groups that want to shake up the

Commission members said they hoped the Water Institute would be able to provide clarity on the best way forward. Members like William Daniel also noted they will have to figure out how to handle the repercussions of any decision. If tap water gets more expensive, will that extra money go toward aquifer protection or just line the pockets of utility providers, he asked.

The commission hopes to learn more about the state of the aquifer by early next year, when they start getting data from a new test well near the I-10/I-110 split.

The commission agreed Tuesday to lease some land for the well for $11,000 for the first year, with an option to extend the arrangement for a few more months if necessary. The well is expected to cost $200,000 to $250,000 and will give the commission a chance to determine the extent of the saltwater intrusion.

In other business, the commission unanimously selected vice chairman Nelson Morvant, a senior environmental analyst for Entergy, to serve as chairman next year. Daniel, who represents East Baton Rouge and works for Ascension Parish government, will serve as vice chair.State Rep. Rob Shadoin, a Ruston Republican who has been an ally of Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, is leaving the state House to work for the Edwards administration.

USA Today Network reported Tuesday that Shadoin will resign his seat to become the deputy counsel for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

'Not putting the people first': Lawmakers, Gov. Edwards react to special session collapse Louisiana lawmakers failed to reach a tax deal by Monday's deadline, cratering their second special session this year without agreement and pa

Shadoin, who supported Edwards in the 2015 governor's race, often took to the House floor to decry partisan division and frequently split from the chamber's Republican majority.

He is the latest in a string of resignations from the Legislature, which has met in seven special sessions on top of its three regular sessions since January 2016, largely to address the state's repeated financial crises.

Wildlife Secretary Jack Montoucet, a Crowley Democrat who Shadoin will work under, resigned from the House last year to take up the administrative post, and former House Minority Leader Gene Reynolds, of Minden, stepped down earlier this year to run the state parks system.State Treasurer John Schroder and Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, squared off Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, at a State Bond Commission meeting over excluding two banks from work on loans to fund highway projects. Schroder, right, and Alario are shown in this file photograph from December 2017 Bond Commission meeting.Coordinator Cheyra Jenkins addresses students as senior voting for high school homecoming court goes high tech with electronic voting machines, and a real-life voter registration drive, at Warren Easton High School in New Orleans, La., Monday, Sept. 10, 2018. With mid-term elections coming up in November, counselors, social studies teachers and members of the Lower 9th Ward Voters Coalition utilize class elections to teach students how registration and voting works in the real world.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

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View ResultsNew Orleans commuters have waited three years for the arrival of two new ferries to carry them across the Mississippi River between Canal Street and Algiers Point. But a series of recently discovered design flaws in the new boats will have the riders waiting even longer.

Two modern vessels were expected to arrive in March and replace the current aging ferries. But problems found by federal inspectors, as well as other last-minute issues discovered by the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, have pushed back the new ferries' start date and kept them out of service.

Now, the RTA has declined to offer a firm date on when the new boats might begin service, adding another hiccup to the city's attempts to reinvigorate the ferry operation after plans for a new ferry terminal at the foot of Canal Street were scuttled amid some residents' opposition and a high price tag.

As with any design-build project of this size ... there is a list of items that need to be addressed before either of the boats is ready to be accepted for delivery, Taslin Alfonzo, a spokeswoman for Transdev, the private operator that runs the ferries for the RTA, said in a statement. However, she said, "we did not anticipate having to deal with many of these items at this late stage."

The RTA has been trying for years to replace its current ferries, which serve residents and visitors traveling between Canal Street and Algiers. Officials have said the old boats are costly to maintain and much less efficient than newer models.

In January 2017, the agency agreed to buy two new, catamaran-style ferries from boatbuilder Metal Shark, which has shipyards in Jeanerette and Franklin. The high-speed boats, which can carry 150 passengers along with bikes and scooters, were said to be safer, more powerful and more energy-efficient than the existing boats.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration had incorporated the new boats into a grander plan, complete with a new ferry terminal, that would help open up the section of the riverfront near Spanish Plaza to the public. The new ferries, which cost $5 million each, were supposed to be delivered by late May of this year.

Transdev later asked Metal Shark to deliver them by March. The expedited timeline would get the ferries on the river before Landrieu left office in May and in time for additional events related to New Orleans' tricentennial. The new deadline added $750,000 to the boats' $10 million cost and sparked protests from some RTA board members, though Transdev agreed to cover the cost overrun.

But neither deadline was met. Though the ferries were complete enough by May to warrant inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard, the inspectors said the ferries stairways were too steep and the access plates for their fuel tanks were on the wrong side of the tanks. Metal Shark had to remove the stairways and the fuel tanks and start over.

In July, one of the boats began test runs on the Mississippi, and Transdevs crews began to learn how to operate both vessels. But training stopped after only a week as the RTA and Transdev found still more problems.

The boats didn't drain correctly and there were issues with how some of the equipment was mounted. A door seal failed, and there weren't enough safety signs, according to the RTA.

The design issues encountered in New Orleans in recent months have echoed more serious problems discovered by New York City officials after receiving their own fleet of Metal Shark ferries.

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Last year, New York's private ferry operator had to pull several boats from service when they began leaking and corroding after only a few months in the water.

The boats were fixed at Metal Sharks expense and have since passed Coast Guard inspections, according to a spokeswoman for the New York City Economic Development Corp., which oversaw the ferry project. Metal Shark also changed its practices and New York tightened up its oversight of the companys work, she said.

None of the problems found by the RTA or the local Coast Guard appear to be as concerning as those encountered in New York. Metal Shark has taken precautions to minimize corrosion on the boats, and Transdev hired an outside firm to monitor potential corrosion at the landings, according to Transdev's Alfonzo.

Josh Stickles, a spokesman for Metal Shark, called the issues with the company's New York ferries "an isolated incident." He added that the Coast Guard didn't find any major issues with the boats built for use in New Orleans, and that at least one of the boats has been cleared for transit to New Orleans from Metal Shark's Franklin shipyard. The second boat will begin test runs soon, he said.

The modern boats will deliver vastly improved passenger comfort, convenience, operating economy and environmental friendliness, Stickles said. Were proud of our track record, and were excited to show off these new passenger ferries.

While the companys first boat received a temporary certificate from the Coast Guards Marine Safety Unit in Morgan City, records show, it will still need a separate inspection certificate from the Coast Guards New Orleans branch to operate locally.

The other, minor problems that have been identified will be Metal Shark's responsibility to fix. The RTA is also charging Metal Shark late fees for the delayed delivery, though the agency could not provide a total amount.

Be assured all of us on the Transdev/RTA team are working hard with Metal Shark to ensure that all open items are successfully addressed, Alfonzo said.

Still, the ferries' delays have added to the city's problems in making the riverfront more accessible to residents and tourists. The existing unsightly terminal at the foot of Canal Street was supposed to be razed and rebuilt by New Orleans' 300th birthday this year, but officials pushed its demolition to September and its rebuild to April 2019 after they had to change its design to suit riders' wishes.

The new terminal was then tabled entirely when construction firms asked the city for twice the $14 million it had expected to pay. A new, cheaper design isn't expected until the first quarter of next year, and the new structure likely won't be built until 2021.

The RTA couldn't say this month when the new ferries would start carrying passengers.

"Once training has been completed and the Coast Guard grants its approval, each vessel will be put into service," Alfonzo said. "The (RTA) is reluctant to give a firm date as we have no control over the Coast Guard or its process for granting approval."While New Orleans economy began to expand again this year, big wins in the technology and industrial construction sectors will help that growth more than double over the next two years.

A Louisiana Economic Outlook report predicts the New Orleans metropolitan area will add 6,500 jobs, or 1.1 percent, in 2019 and 9,100 jobs, or 1.6 percent, in 2020, ranking seventh out of Louisianas nine metro areas for percentage job growth.

In 2018, the region has added about 3,500 jobs, or 0.8 percent, which is below the forecast from last years report. From 2016 to 2017, the New Orleans area shed 1,400 jobs.

There are many reasons to be optimistic about the immediate future of the New Orleans MSA, economist Loren Scott said in the report.

Statewide, Louisiana has recovered from its 28-month recession and is expected to add 23,400 jobs, up 1.2 percent, in 2019 and 36,100 jobs, up 1.8 percent, in 2020. The state is now in relatively healthy growth mode, Scott said.

But those projections also depend on oil prices, now above $70 per barrel for U.S. benchmark crude, rising to at least $80 a barrel and a national economic expansion continuing. Low natural gas prices that have fueled industrial activity should continue to decline.

Threats like President Donald Trump's administrations ongoing trade war with China could be devastating to the economy if tariffs continue in the long term, Scott said.

It is very important for these trade issues to be resolved quickly and avoid a trade war, Scott said. New Orleans has a great deal at stake in this issue.

However, New Orleans also hit the jackpot with one of the largest economic deals in the southern U.S., Scott said: DXC Technology. The highly touted firm is expected to ramp up to 2,000 employees in New Orleans in the next five years. Tech firms Accruent and iMerit will add a combined 450 jobs as well for a nice infusion of jobs from the tech sector, he said.

Industrial megaprojects at the edges of the New Orleans area, including St. James, St. John the Baptist and Plaquemines parishes, will help drive economic growth in the next two years, Scott said. More than $30 billion of the $42 billion in industrial projects planned for the New Orleans area are still in the early design stages.

Formosa, Wanhua Chemicals, South Louisiana Methanol and Syngas Energy Holdings are among the companies with plans for major industrial projects. Venture Global also has plans for an $8.5 billion liquefied natural gas terminal at the Port of Plaquemines.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Hires at the Michoud Assembly Facility and in the health care sector also are a good sign for the region. The north shore area should see growth if Gulf of Mexico oil activity picks up. Some big commercial projects, like the $460 million renovation of the World Trade Center of New Orleans and the $106 million Odeon apartment tower project, will aid the construction sector.

As of July, Louisiana already was adding jobs at a rate of 26,000 a year, or 1.3 percent, which is about the national average. In 2020, several large industrial projects, including LNG export terminals, are expected to make final investment decisions. Rising oil prices, up to an expected $80 a barrel by 2020, should lift the states energy sector, Scott predicted.

Heres the outlook for the states other metro areas:

BATON ROUGE: A brief lull in industrial construction is over and the capital region will add 6,000 jobs, or 1.5 percent, in 2019 and 8,100 jobs, or 1.9 percent, in 2020. The region is expected to post the second-highest job growth in the state, aided by big petrochemical expansions and public construction projects. Clearly, the lull is over and a new burst of activity is at hand, Scott said.

LAFAYETTE: After three years of bleeding, rising oil prices are expected to revive the Lafayette region in the next two years. Scott predicts the area will add 1,400 jobs, 0.7 percent, in 2019 and 4,900 jobs, 2.4 percent, in 2020. The regions big five"  Stuller Inc., Acadian Ambulance, the Schumacher Group, CGI and LHC Group  will help lift employment as well. Much of the growth in Lafayette depends on a Gulf of Mexico oil exploration revival.

LAKE CHARLES: The Lake Charles area was the fastest-growing in the country over the past five years, Scott said, on the back of an unheard of $117 billion in projects announced since 2012. As of June, nearly a quarter of Lake Charles workforce were construction jobs. Three LNG export facilities are expected next year, and Lake Charles will continue to be the fastest-growing metro area in the state. Scott projects it will add 4,000 jobs, up 3.3 percent, in 2019 and 5,300 jobs, up 4.3 percent, in 2020.

HOUMA-THIBODAUX: After experiencing a severe oil-driven downturn in recent years, the corner appears to have turned in the Houma MSA, Scott said. Fabricators and shipbuilders are starting to find non-extraction clients, and an oil price of $80 a barrel should bring a serious revival in Gulf drilling by 2020. In 2019, Houma is expected to add 700 jobs, or 0.8 percent. In 2020, that growth will ramp up to 2,100 jobs, or 2.4 percent, Scott said.

HAMMOND: Avoiding major budget cuts to Southeastern Louisiana University spells a positive future for the Hammond area in the next two years. The region is expected to add 800 jobs, or 1.7 percent, in both 2019 and 2020.

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER: After falling well below its 2008 employment peak, the region will return to a positive though modest growth trend over the next two years, Scott said. Activity at the areas port and in technology will help add 600 jobs, or 0.3 percent, in both 2019 and 2020.

MONROE: Major area employers like IBM, Graphics Packaging and Vantage Health Plan will provide stability, but Scott remains concerned about the Monroe area. The future of CenturyLink after a merger is a source of concern, Scott said. The area is projected to add 400 jobs, 0.5 percent, in 2019 and 200 jobs, 0.3 percent in 2020.

ALEXANDRIA: The regions growth will be flat for the next two years, after a special two-year information technology project at Cleco ends and few announcements exist to take its place. Alexandria will remain flat in 2019 and add 500 jobs, 0.8 percent, in 2020, Scott predicts.Fairfax Medias plans to combine its New Zealand arm Stuff with rival business NZME has been rejected by the Court of Appeal, ending a two-year attempt by the companies to merge.

The New Zealand Commerce Commission (NZCC) in May 2017 rejected plans to merge the two companies, saying it would lessen competition in the country. Fairfax is the owner of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Fairfax chief executive Greg Hywood's plan to merge New Zealand arm Stuff with newspaper business NZME has been rejected. Credit:Ryan Stuart

The NZ High Court then upheld the NZCC decision in December, and an appeal by NZME and Fairfax was heard by the Court of Appeal in June.

When the merger of New Zealands two largest newspaper networks was first refused, NZCC chairman Mark Berry acknowledged challenges for media businesses in the current commercial environment and accepted there was a "real chance" a merger could deliver significant cost savings and extend the lifespan of some print publications.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.Melbourne Express, Wednesday, September 26, 2018

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DismissA 15-year-old boy has been charged over a fatal traffic crash in Stafford in Brisbane's north on Saturday.

Queensland police said at 2am on Saturday morning a car driving along Appleby Road left the road, crashed through a fence and hit the front of a house.

A male passenger in the car, also 15, died at the scene. Another teenager was taken to the Lady Cilento Hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

A Queensland Police spokesman said on Wednesday morning the boy was charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death, unlawful use of motor vehicle and driving without a licence.Jakarta: Supporters of democracy in Thailand should be very, very nervous.

Current prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha dropped a big hint on Monday that he plans to stick around and contest the much-delayed national election, which are pencilled in for February next year.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha arrives at Government House in Bangkok for a cabinet meeting. Credit:AP

Prayuth said he was interested in the success of policies "if they can be continued".

The comments were interpreted as a clear signal the military leader, who led the coup in May 2014 that removed Yingluck Shinawatra's democratically-elected government, isn't planning on going anywhere.In June of last year, actor Sam Neill tweeted his "Brexit simplified" picture to general hilarity. But with political and bureaucratic deadlines for agreement of Brexit's terms now looming large, perhaps a more appropriate image would be of those moments in the movie Speed when the protagonists reach the end of the available road or track.

The stand-off between Britain's government, led by Prime Minister Theresa May, and the European Union as represented by chief negotiator Michel Barnier is turning into a game of chicken, in which Mrs May insists there is no alternative to the fragile plan she brokered among the warring factions of her own Conservative Party at Chequers and the EU insists that a situation in which an ex-member of the union would enjoy all the perks of membership with none of the burdens is impossible.

However, as one Irish pundit pointed out, this particular game of chicken is taking place between two very different vehicles, one of which is six to seven times the size of the other. Moreover, both vehicles remain tied to each other by extensive bonds of trade.

It is the nature of these bonds that now preoccupies all sides. The enthusiasts of Brexit imagine a Britain reborn from the rendition of its greatest hits, without bonds (in the sense of "fetters") to its trading relations and its domestic and foreign policies, a Britain that relates to the EU in the same way that Canada does, under the auspices of world trade rules. But Canada didn't bitterly divorce the EU before asking to go out with it again.Norristown, Pennsylvania: Bill Cosby was sentenced to between three and 10 years in prison on Tuesday for sexually assaulting a woman, capping the once-beloved comedian's downfall from "America's Dad" to convicted felon.

Cosby, 81, was found guilty in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for the drugging and sexual assault of his one-time friend Andrea Constand, a former Temple University administrator, at his Philadelphia home in 2004.

"It is time for justice. Mr Cosby, this has all circled back to you. The time has come," Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill said. The judge quoted from victim Andrea Constand's own statement to the court, in which she said Cosby took her "beautiful, young spirit and crushed it."

Camille Cosby, Bill Cosby's wife of 54 years was not in court but later claimed a prosecutor used "falsified evidence" to win a conviction against him.His granddaughter later wrote that he was wearing new shoes that were tight, so he took them off while sitting. She and his interpreter said that when Khrushchev stood up, he pounded the table so hard with his fists that his watch fell off, and when he went to retrieve it, he saw the shoe and switched to banging that instead. The Berlin Wall went up the next year. A holster protrudes from under Yasser Arafat's jacket as he clasps his hands over his head during his appearance before the United Nations General Assembly in 1974. Credit:AP Arafat's olive branch and gun Yasser Arafat was the embodiment of the Palestinian quest for independence - a road littered with displacement and death. In 1974, he was invited to represent the Palestine Liberation Organisation and his people before the world body, where he made it clear he was ready to use any means for statehood.

He spoke of oppressed people and liberation the world over. Wearing his trademark Palestinian keffiyeh scarf, he concluded with an enduring quote: "Today I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter's gun. Do not let the olive branch from my hand." Castro's long speeches Cuban leader Fidel Castro gave many speeches at the UN, railing at those he characterised as his country's capitalist oppressors. The UN asks leaders to keep their speeches brief. But that was never for Castro: his General Assembly address in 1960 was timed at four-and-a-half-hours. Clad in his trademark green military fatigues, Castro said the revolution he led 20 months earlier had ended the country's status as "a colony of the United States," but the US still believed it had "the right to promote and encourage subversion in our country." Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro speaks to United Nations General Assembly in 1960. Credit:AP

In the rambling speech, Castro defended Cuba's links to the Soviet Union, expressed serious concern that America's "imperialist government" might attack Cuba, and called US President John F Kennedy "an illiterate and ignorant millionaire." Castro also complained of undergoing "degrading and humiliating treatment" in New York, including being evicted from his hotel. Gadhafi goes free form Libya's Moammar Gadhafi also had a predilection for long, rambling monologues in his speeches at the world body. His 2009 address, clocked in at 1:40. Dressed in flowing brown Bedouin robes and a black beret, he chastised the UN for failing to prevent dozens of wars, suggested that those who caused "mass murder" in Iraq be tried, and defended the Taliban's right to establish an Islamic emirate.

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi shows a torn copy of the UN Charter during his 2009 address to the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Credit:AP At one point, Gadhafi waved a copy of the UN Charter and appeared to tear it, saying he did not recognise the document's authority. Later that day, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the assembly: "I stand here to reaffirm the United Nations Charter, not to tear it up." Chavez and the devil The late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez drew gasps at the UN in 2006 when he said of US President George W Bush, "Yesterday, the devil came here," adding that the podium "still smells of sulfur." The US was at the time heavily embroiled in the Iraq War, which Chavez had vehemently opposed.

Ahmadinejad and 9/11 Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad prompted disgusted walkouts from the assembly in 2010 when he questioned whether the September 11 attacks were staged. A jet airliner seconds before it slams into one of the World Trade Centre towers in New York on September 11, 2001. Credit:AP He suggested an inside job, arguing that only an explosion, not planes, could have brought down the twin towers. His visits to New York prompted fury among locals, but delighted the hard-line wing in Iran. Bibi and the bombNew York: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to overthrow his government, rejecting bilateral talks after President Donald Trump predicted stepped-up US sanctions would get Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.

Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly, Rouhani accused the Trump administration of violating "state obligations" from the Obama administration by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the US and five other major powers.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has accused the Trump administration of violating "state obligations". Credit:AP

"On what basis and criteria can we enter into an agreement with an administration misbehaving such as this?" Rouhani asked. "It is ironic that the US government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks."

Rouhani invited the US to come back to negotiations within the UN Security Council, which endorsed the nuclear deal. There, he said, both sides can listen to each other.2019 Volkswagen Jetta Fast and Also Efficient - Review By Larry Nutson +VIDEO - It's E15 Approved

Google Web Search For Other 2019 Volkswagen Jetta Reviews

2019 Volkswagen Jetta

Fast and also Efficient

By Larry Nutson

Senior Editor and Bureau Chief

Chicago Bureau

The Auto Channel

What would you think if I told you that a 2019 Volkswagen Jetta set a new track record of 210.16 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats? Well it did.

Quite impressive, in my book. With this speed run the 2019 BonnevilleJetta broke the Southern California Timing Associations (SCTA) Blown Gas Coupe (G/BGC) class record of 208.472 mph.

Of course the Jetta was modified from its production-based EA888 engine and aerodynamically low 0.27 drag coefficient body shape. The 2.0-liter direct-injection and turbocharged engine in the Bonneville Jetta was modified for high output with new connecting rods, pistons, valves, camshafts, turbocharger, and exhaust system, but the basic block and crankshaft are stock. On the dyno, the engine achieved an output of 600 horsepower at 8500 rpm.

To run at high speed on the salt, the Bonneville Jetta had many other changes from stock. The suspension was lowered, special Salt Flat wheels and tires were fitted, and a limited-slip differential was added to aid traction. The interior has been stripped and outfitted with full track safety equipmentsuch as a roll cage, racing seat and harnessand a fire suppression system. To help slow the car down, the Bonneville Jetta was fitted with a pair of parachutes.

Back in the world of everyday car usage, I recently had my second opportunity behind the wheel of the new Jetta. The Habanero Orange 2019 Jetta R-Line turned heads just like the Bonneville Jetta did.

I couldnt read the lips of folks on the street or in other vehicles but the orange color of the Jetta certainly got attention. I dont know if comments were positive or negative, but of course color is very subjective, and they could have gone either way,

The sporty-styled R-Line trim has an MSRP of $22,995 and is one of five trims offered on the 2019 Jetta. It sits in the middle of the S and SE below it, and the SEL and SEL Premium above. Jetta prices start at $18,545 for the S trim.

On the outside the R-Line has 17-inch alloys fitted with 225/45 tires. A black grille and mirror caps, fog lights, a more aggressive rear bumper with dual exhausts, unique leather-wrapped steering wheel, black interior roof liner and two-tone seats with contrast stitching all help make the R-Line stand out. VW fits the R-LIne with its XDS electronic differential, an electronic version of the traditional mechanical limited-slip differential. XDS helps improve stability and handling.

Like all 2019 Jettas, the R-Line is powered by a 147-HP 1.4-L turbo that produces 187 lb-ft of torque. An 8-speed automatic drives the front wheels. EPA test-cycle fuel economy ratings for this powertrain are 34 mpg combined with 30 city mpg and 40 highway mpg.

As it turned out my wife and I needed to drive from our Chicago home to Southeast Michigan for a weekend family event. On the 260 mile interstate drive heading east across lower Michigan the Jetta achieved a very efficient 43 mpg. Now I dont hypermile. Time is money. I move quickly. My average speed was 74 mph while yet exceeding the EPA highway rating by almost 10-percent.

The R-Line I drove was equipped with forward collision warning with autonomous braking, blind spot monitor, and a rear view camera (standard on all Jettas). Adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and high beam light control is also offered in the Jetta line-up. My recommendation is to opt for all the driver safety tech you can get. Its worth it.

I had previously driven the all-new 2019 Jetta at VWs media intro program. You can read my write-up from that event here.

The new 2019 Jetta has been on sale since Spring this year. More information, specs and details on the entire model range can be found at www.vw.com.

Volkswagen has put a lot of good value in the new Jetta. With more content and new features its actually priced lower than the previous generation Jetta.

In todays world of SUVs, crossovers and pickups being very popular, there are still a lot of folk interested in sedans. Actually, data shows that Gen Z buyers lean towards sedans. Why? They grew up with SUVs and dont want to drive what their parents drove.

The Most Helpful Volkswagen Research Information; Anywhere!

 2018 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car GuyHailey Baldwin and Justin Bieber. Photo: XPOS/BACKGRID

This week, world leaders, diplomats, and boy bands from around the globe have gathered in New York City for the 73rd session of the U.N. General Assembly. Notably absent from this summit, New York City Parks Departments Make Out Ambassadors Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin, who are maybe married but also maybe not, who knows.

Bieber and Baldwin did not shirk their diplomatic responsibilities, however, and instead of kissing and crying in New York, they took their work abroad, Frenching (ooh la la) on a yacht in Italy (mamma mia!).

According to a story on Page Six masterfully titled Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin aboard S.S.PDA in Italy the two were getting naughty-cal on a yacht off of Italys Amalfi coast after attending Milans Fashion Week.

They certainly seem to be having a better time than their fellow Citi Bike enthusiast and Youth Ambassador Leonardo DiCaprio, who was recently spotted looking extremely ick-ed out on a yacht in the south of France.

Foreign affairs are fascinating.Photo: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images

I write this not knowing if by the time it is published, Brett Kavanaugh will still be the Supreme Court nominee, or whether more people will have come forward with more stories of assault or degradation, or whether Chuck Grassley or Donald Trump will have doubled down on their inhumanity, or whether there will be more evidence put forth discrediting the women coming forward with stories about Brett Kavanaugh or other men currently engaged in his defense.

There is so much I dont know about whats going to happen next, whether on the Supreme Court or in the midterm elections or when it comes to the fate of the Trump administration or the future of the Democratic Party.

But what I do know with absolute assurance is that we are living through a period in which women are enacting crucial, swift, large-scale social and political change.

That change is happening whether or not Republicans push Kavanaugh through, whether or not Democrats take the House or the Senate. The change is not simply (or perhaps, not yet) about outcomes, but rather about expectations and what its okay to talk about and when. Women  27 years after Anita Hill, 12 years after Tarana Burkes Me Too, and one year into #MeToo  are refusing to stop speaking about their experiences, their perspectives, their memories. By doing so, theyre expanding the boundaries of what kinds of stories must be taken seriously  and bringing a much fuller picture of female humanity into view.

I thought about this forced shift when I opened the New Yorker piece by Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow on Sunday night, and read about the kind of encounter most women I know have always assumed theyd never be able to recount in public  least of all in the midst of a highly scrutinized, high-stakes political battle  because it didnt meet the impossibly high standards the world has set for women whove been abused or assaulted and want to be believed. The story was told by Deborah Ramirez, who told Mayer and Farrow that she almost didnt come forward  even with a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court in the balance  because what she had to relate happened one night in college when shed been drinking. What she did remember was her Yale classmate Brett Kavanaugh pulling down his pants and thrusting his penis in her face against her will.

Ramirez openly admits that her memory is patchy, that only flashes are clear, that she was drunk to the point of slurring. Each of these things, she clearly understands, undermines her tale, leaves her open to a different kind of assault now, 35 years later. And yet she not only decided to tell her story; she, like Christine Blasey Ford, opened it up to investigation. The imperfection of her victimhood did not stop her from speaking, from insisting that her view of events should count just as much as the blithe, blanket denials being issued by a man we have no reason to believe remembers his drunken youth any more clearly than she remembers hers, yet whose word is reflexively granted more authority.

Ramirezs willingness to speak was particularly affecting in the same week as the publication of Washington Post writer Elizabeth Bruenigs remarkable reporting on the rape, in her Texas hometown, of 16-year-old Amber Wyatt, 12 years ago. At the time of her alleged assault, Wyatt did tell her story, to fellow students, to her mother, and to police. But her account of how, after getting drunk and high at a party, she was taken to a shed by two boys who penetrated her vaginally and anally, and demanded that she perform oral sex, wasnt viewed as authoritative. Neither was the investigation that followed it, which included the collection of evidence of her attack and a medical examination at a hospital. Instead, Wyatt was vilified for having caused trouble to her community; vile slurs about her penetrability were spray-painted around her town and at her school; she was sent to finish her education elsewhere, and eventually written off as having made a false accusation, the voice shed worked so hard to raise quelled, her story recalled as fallacious. Bruenig quotes a friend of Wyatts who remembers, Everyone started blaming [Wyatt] because she said something, and if she would have kept her mouth shut then nothing would have ever happened.

The message to women  especially those whose voices might disturb the peace  has always been that things will go better for them if they keep their mouths shut. In my forthcoming book about the political consequences of womens rage, I write about a 16th-century torture device called the brank, which was used to muzzle a defiant or cranky woman by keeping her head and jaw clamped in a metal cage. Some of the iron bridles included tongue depressors; some of those had spikes on the bottom to pierce the flesh. When I visited the Tower of London last year, during the week that followed the publication of stories about Harvey Weinsteins serial sexual predation  told at long last by women whose tongues had been loosed  I saw an internally spiked metal neck collar on display. It was labeled a collar for torture and described as something to be put around the necks of scolding or wayward wives.

The censure of women who open their mouths in dissent or dissatisfaction or anything less than grinning compliance with the power structures that subjugate them is so common as to be the stuff of everyday catcalling. And we dont just hear the reminders  Come on, baby, smile  you look so pretty when you smile  on the street. During the 2016 primaries, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough chided Hillary Clinton, after a set of primary victories, Smile. You just had a big night. And in 2018, commenting on Nancy Pelosis grim visage during Trumps first State of the Union, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on CNN, I think she should smile a lot more often. When women like Pelosi and Clinton do open their mouths, theyre quickly cast as shrill and monstrous harpies. Do a Google image search of any powerful women in politics or public life, and youll see that their ideological opponents love to show pictures of them with their mouths open, mid-yell, the very act of making a loud noise a sign of their unnatural tendencies; its no accident that when he was asking to have her removed from Kavanaughs confirmation hearings two weeks ago, Orrin Hatch referred to a protester yelling about health care as a loudmouth. The best way to discredit threatening women is to capture them giving loud voice to something that we might imagine is uncomfortable to hear.

And the best way to silence them  besides literally covering their mouths, as Kavanaugh is alleged to have done to Ford, as he was trying to rip her clothes off  is to ensure that their voices are considered illegitimate. There are a number of mechanisms with which to accomplish that. Bruenig writes of Wyatts economic precariousness, especially compared to the wealth and social stature of the young men who assaulted her. Wyatt, and Ramirez, considered themselves to be outsiders, who had to work to fit into comparatively more privileged circles. To be the popular girl, and one of the cool kids, Wyatt told Bruenig, she often drank and took drugs. Ramirez described feeling like a social outsider at the party of the wealthy, elite frat guys at Yale; she participated in a game in which she was directed to drink to the point of incapacitating drunkenness.

There are other qualities women are told to cultivate if they want to be liked and accepted: pliability, friendliness, flirtatiousness, sexual availability, forgiveness. Is it not devilishly grotesque that each and every one of these traits can be used to discredit their claims of having been preyed upon? Dont believe her  she was drunk, she was flirting with me, she slept with so many people, heres a photo of her smiling with me a year later, and now she says I raped her?

We cannot even begin to assess how many stories women dont tell because they were drunk, or young, or had been playing along right up until the moment of assault, or had acquiesced to an assault because they felt they had no choice. This last dynamic was key to the horrifying tale, also told this week, by Laura Knoblach, the daughter of a Minnesota legislator who she said molested her from childhood. Once, she told reporters, when she was 15, her father asked if she liked the way he touched her, and shed been too afraid to say anything but yes. Knoblach, like Wyatt, had told her story repeatedly throughout the years, but no one  until now  had listened.

The number of these stories  stories that have gone unheard, or unspoken, because they involve women whose experiences were complicated  is incalculable. Why didnt I report? Because I was drunk; because I dont remember perfectly; because I didnt yell long enough; because no one would believe me; because everyone would think it was my fault; because I thought it was my fault; because I had less power. This is what has foregrounded the fundamental inexpressibility of so much of the full human experience for so many women, even in this era in which we have so often been told that one years worth of stories about the ubiquity of assault and harassment amounts to an overcorrection.

No. Were nowhere near correct.

But whats happening is getting us closer: Were taking these stories seriously. Yes, in the case of Ramirez, because it may have an impact on a Supreme Court nomination. But it matters that it was reported in The New Yorker; it matters that the Washington Post created a special stand-alone section of its Sunday paper to feature Ambers story. It matters that, unless Kavanaughs nomination is withdrawn, Ford will testify in front of the nation.

There may not be a legal or political outcome that is satisfying: The perpetrators may not face real repercussions. But part of what #MeToo has always been about  despite the obsessive focus on the consequences faced by men  is what happened to the women (and to the men whove spoken out about their own abuse). Its been about the exposure of their realities.

The telling of the stories, the raising of the voices, does its own political work and reveals things that we may have known at some level but have never been able to see so plainly: the connection between policy  the desire to control womens bodies via restricting and policing their reproductive autonomy  and the personal treatment of individual women. The connection between a desire for legal or political domination  over workers ability to bargain, citizens ability to vote, black peoples ability to walk the streets without fear of being indiscriminately accosted by the police  and the drive toward personal, physical domination.

Bruenig writes, powerfully, of Wyatt, There will always be people nobody believes: people with lesser reputations, people who struggle with addiction, people without much capital, social or otherwise, to credit them. And there will always be cases of offenses that are real and true but hard to prosecute, which means that justice in the world  if its to exist at all  will have to  arise from some other reckoning than a proper settling of accounts. In this vein, Bruenig offered her reporting on Wyatt, with the stated hope that it would trouble readers, in the way that it still troubles her.

All of these stories are troubling not just those of us who read them, but our view of power, in part by exposing its complicated, pervasive abuses. As women insist on wresting the metaphorical hands from their mouths, and we commit to listening to and examining what they have to say, this broken world may not get fixed, but it will never be the same.Brett Kavanaugh. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

On Sunday, Deborah Ramirez came forward in The New Yorker to become the second woman publicly accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault. Ramirez alleges that Kavanaugh drunkenly exposed himself to her at a freshman-year dorm party at Yale University, where she says he thrust his penis in her face, and that she was made to touch it during her efforts to push him away.

Ramirez acknowledges that she, too, was drunk, and her memory from the 1983 incident is hazy; the report also did not confirm with every eyewitness that Kavanugh was at the alleged party. But a former classmate interviewed for the story said another student told him about the incident soon after, and that he is one-hundred-per-cent sure that Kavanaugh was the student to expose himself to Ramirez. Since the new allegation, two Yale alumni have also withdrawn from their letter of support for Kavanaugh. And now, his former roommate, James Roche, has spoken out in solidarity with Ramirez.

In a statement released to select reporters Monday night, Roche writes of his experience as Kavanaughs freshman-year roommate, concluding that although Brett was normally reserved, he was a notably heavy drinker, even by the standards of the time, and that he became belligerent and aggressive when he was very drunk. Though he says he does not remember the incident of alleged sexual assault, he does remember Kavanaugh frequently drinking excessively and becoming incoherently drunk.

The following is a statement from James Roche, Brett #Kavanaughs freshman roommate at Yale. pic.twitter.com/VfHUgPj3cV  Peter Kauffmann (@PeterKauffmann) September 25, 2018

Roche also describes his friendship with Deborah Ramirez, saying she stood out as being exceptionally honest, with a trusting manner. He says Ramirez, a Puerto Rican woman who felt out of place among the privileged students of Yale, was worried about fitting in and tried hard to make friends and get along.

Based on my time with Debbie, I believe her to be unusually honest and straightforward and I cannot imagine her making this up, Roche writes. Based on my time with Brett, I believe that he and his social circle were capable of the actions that Debbie described.

Roche says he has no political agenda. "This is not my story." Spoke to support #Kavanaugh accuser Debbie Ramirez, and that is all. #KavanaughConfirmation. Described Kavanaugh as a notably heavy and belligerent drinker, even for 1983. #abc7now Roommates & little more. #ABC7now pic.twitter.com/5GTYiiVXsX  Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) September 24, 2018

I do not consider myself a political person and I have no political agenda, Roche writes. I have shared this information with a small number of reporters who reached out to me directly because Debbie has a right to be heard and I believe her.Minister Nirua has urged all schools in Vanuatu to commemorate Literacy Day every year.200,000 16- and 17-year-olds have preregistered to vote. in California. (Sarah Morris/Getty Images)

200,000 16- and 17-Year-Olds Have Pre-Registered to Vote in California

As part of National Voter Registration Day, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced Sept. 25 that 209,577 16- and 17-year-olds have preregistered to vote.

In 2014, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that allowed voter preregistration beginning at age 16 through VoteCal, Californias statewide voter registration database.

VoteCal was certified in September 2016 and since then more than 104,000 of the 16- and 17-year olds that preregistered have turned 18. They are eligible to vote in the upcoming November election.

These young people represent the next generation of active, informed, and engaged voters, Padilla said in a statement.

Of those who preregistered since September 2016, 47.46 percent registered with No Party Preference, 34.44 percent registered as Democratic, and 9.59 percent registered as Republican.

In April 2017, Padilla launched online preregistration through the states voter registration portal at RegisterToVote.ca.gov.

He also started an online high school portal to connect California youth with civic engagement opportunities like preregistration, organizing student mock elections, and student poll worker information. That portal is at HighSchool.sos.ca.gov.

By Nuria MarquezAMBER Alert for 6-Year-Old Jayce Cosso in California

Police in Modesto, California, have issued an AMBER Alert for 6-year-old Jayce Cosso, who is believed to have been abducted by his father.

According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on Sept. 25, Jayce was abducted in Modesto, and officials have issued warnings in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and Alameda counties.

Jayce is a white male who is believed to be wearing a black Transformers T-shirt and faded green camouflage boxer shorts.

The suspect, 41-year-old John Christopher Cosso, is a white male standing at 5 feet 11 inches, weighing 190 pounds, who has brown hair and hazel eyes.

He has a shaved head and tattoos on his face, officials said.

Police in #Modesto are looking for John Cosso, 41, who is accused of abducting 6-year-old Jayce from his home this morning. They are believed to be in a mid-2000s black mid-sized vehicle. pic.twitter.com/H1pE6Ob2sr  Carlos Correa (@CarlosCorrea2) September 24, 2018

He was last seen driving a 2012 Black Ford Fusion with a California license plate 8BDY654.

If you have information about this case, call the Modesto Police Department at 209-552-2470.

ABC7 reported that a person of interest, Renee Quijada, has been identified in connection with the abduction.

Everybody who knows him knows hes an angel. Hes perfect. Hes sweet, hes kind, hes sensitive, hes smart, Jayces mother, Valente, told CBS San Francisco. We just want him to come home.

She alleged that John Cosso and a group of men used pepper spray to force their way into her home. She tried to drive away with her son, but they blocked her and took the boy, according to the CBS report.Beijing Uses Iowa Newspaper Supplement to Bring Trade-War Propaganda to US Heartland

A four-page insert in an Iowa newspaper about the escalating SinoU.S. trade war is the Chinese regimes latest attempt to influence U.S. public opinion.

Iowa is among the heartland states that are the United States main soybean producers: Soybean farmers stand to be the most impacted by Chinas retaliatory 25 percent tariffs on U.S. goods, as China is the worlds top soybean consumer.

In 2017, China consumed more than 110 million tons of soybeans, of which it imported 95.53 million tons, or 87 percent of total consumption. Prior to the trade dispute, the United States was among Chinas primary trade partners in soybeans.

China Daily, an English-language state-run newspaper, ran a four-page advertorial Sept. 23 in the Des Moines Registerone of Iowas top newspaperswith a front-page article about how the trade war has forced Chinese importers to turn to South America instead of the United States for soybeans.

The headlining story was accompanied by an article about a book that documents Chinese leader Xi Jinpings fun days in Iowa, when he visited the state in 1985 and 2012.

Another article is titled Dispute: Fruit of a Presidents Folly.

The China Daily insert is the latest attempt by Beijing to influence American public opinion and, possibly, the midterm elections in November, given that Iowa is a swing state, with multiple state and federal political offices up for election.

Soybeans have been the Chinese regimes main weapon in the trade dispute.

Earlier in July, the English-language branch of Chinas state broadcaster, China Global Television Network, created a two-minute animated video highlighting that, amid the tariff wars, China is moving away from the United States as a source for soybeansnoting the potential impact on U.S. soybean farmers.

The video points out that the U.S. states that are top soybean producers are among those who voted for Trump during the 2016 presidential election. But they will be hurt by this [trade] conflict, the video explains. So, when it comes time for the 2018 midterm elections, will voters there turn out to support Trump and the Republicans once they get hit in the pocketbooks? the video asks at the end.

Contrary to what the video claims, China actually faces a supply shortage: Domestic production has dropped significantly as Brazil, its other major soybean trader, sets to finish its harvest and sell out its crop.

Some analysts believe China will still need to import U.S. soybeansand pay those tariffsin order to fill its supply gap.

But recent Chinese media coverage proves the extent of Beijings efforts at disseminating anti-trade-war informationto a U.S. audience. In May 2017, Freedom House senior research analyst Sarah Cook explained at a congressional hearing that such newspaper inserts by China Daily are part of Beijings attempts to spread propaganda through mainstream media.

Chinese officials and state-media reports have referred to this strategy as borrowing the boat to reach the sea. This phrase refers to disseminating Chinese state-media content via the pages, frequencies, or screen-time of privately owned media outlets that have developed their own local audiences, Cook said.

The timing of the China Daily advertorial is potentially problematic for China. U.S. President Donal Trump signed an executive order earlier this month authorizing sanctions on foreigners who try to interfere with U.S. elections through the distribution of propaganda and disinformation, among other efforts. The sanctions would block all property of the affected parties within the United States.Bill Cosby Reportedly Laughed, Joked Before Going Into Custody

Bill Cosby reportedly burst into a fit of laughter on Sept. 25, just moments after he was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for a 2004 sex assault conviction.

Cosby, 81, was cracking jokes with his legal team in a Montgomery County court as sheriffs officers took him into state custody, the New York Post reported. The Associated Press also reported that he was laughing and cracking jokes after the sentencing was over.

The Post report said that Cosby, who is now a convicted sex offender, handed over his wallet, tie, and watch to authorities. According to AP, Cosby is legally blind and uses a cane.

My reasons for the sentence are the reasons Im relying on in denying this defendant bail. This is a serious crime hes been sentenced for, Judge Steven ONeill said in court.

For decades, the defendant has been able to hide his true self and hide his crimes using his fame and fortune. Hes hidden behind a character created, Dr. Cliff Huxtable, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said on Sept. 25, AP reported. Now, finally, Bill Cosby has been unmasked, and we have seen the real man as he is headed off to prison, he said.

Cosby had been free on $1 million bail since he was arrested in December 2015. In April 2018, he was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.

Cosbys defense team argued that the sentence of three to 10 years would cause excessive hardship to the elderly comedian. What does an 81-year-old man do in prison? attorney Joseph Green said, Fox News reported. How does he fight off the people who are trying to extort him, or walk to the mess hall?

Cosby didnt speak before the sentence was handed down to him. His wife, Camille, wasnt present with him in court, AP reported.

Under the guidelines, Cosby has to serve three years in prison before he can be eligible for parole. He also was fined $25,000 and was declared a sexually violent predator, the AP report said.

The New York Times reported that 10 women who had accused Cosby of sexual abuse were in the courtroom to witness the sentencing.

Bill Cosby took my beautiful, healthy young spirit and crushed it, said Constand, according to the publication.

Im grateful to Andrea for standing strong, said Kathrine McKee, who had sued Cosby for defamation, USA Today reported. I suffered for 40-plus years. Hes got three to 10 years. He shows no remorse whatsoever. Hes not sorry at all.  Im glad he was convicted. Im grateful that the judge has given him this time. I say a prayer for all of us women who have been affected by this through Bill Cosbys hands.

The harrowing memory of rape continues to this day, former supermodel Janice Dickinsons said in a statement, according to the USA Today report. At one point, I moved to Milan, Italy, to get away (but) the rape is etched into my soul.  I will never be the same.California to Audit DMV Due to Long Wait Times

After being long criticized for excessive wait times and outdated technology, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is now facing an audit from the Department of Finance, according to an order from Governor Jerry Brown on Sep. 21.

The audit will focus on the DMVs current operations, information technology system, as well as providing recommendations to improve DMVs practices and enhance its customer service, according to a letter from the Department of Finance to the DMV Director Jean Shiomoto.

Not an independent audit, but I welcome @JerryBrownGovs call. I hope Finance conducts a top-to-bottom audit. Lawmakers should invoke our oversight in next years budget process. Perhaps one recommendation from audit would be that DMV is not in the business of registering voters.  Senator Jim Nielsen (@CASenatorJim) September 21, 2018

Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer also told the Sacramento Bee that the DMV will provide the department up to $800,000 to carry out the audit. A team of about 10 people from the agency will come up with a final report by March 2019.

Long wait times at the Department of Motor Vehicles do not reflect the high standards of service that Californians expect from their state government, said Department of Finance director Keely Martin Bosler in the letter. While it mentioned several measures DMV took to reduce long wait times, recent developments have also underscored the need for further analysis.

State lawmakers previously proposed an independent audit by the state auditor to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. However, the DMV Director Jean Shiomoto opposed the proposal and claimed that an audit would divert resources and focus.

In early August, the eight-member committee failed to pass the audit request by one vote. In the meantime, the legislature approved nearly $17 million to the DMV in additional funding to hire another 230 staff to address these issues. However, some Republican lawmakers doubted the effectiveness of this strategy.

Weve spent more money and added more employees, but DMV wait times have gone through the roof.  Senator Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) wrote in an op-ed in late August. I believe my constituents deserve better, and I believe they deserve to know where their money has gone.

In addition, the DMV was recently found to have mishandled 23,000 voters registration information, including giving people the wrong political party preference and sending non-qualified peoples information to the secretary of state, who maintains the list of registered voters.

While I would have preferred that the audit be conducted by the independent & nonpartisan State Auditor, I applaud any effort to get to the bottom of the DMV's problems. https://t.co/MNcYb0aizu  Senator Pat Bates (@SenatorPatBates) September 22, 2018

The State of California must fix the problems that have led to the long wait times, mounting technology issues and disturbing reports of more than 23,000 erroneous voter registrations being transmitted to the Secretary of State, said Senator Pat Bates in a statement.

While the previously proposed audit by the independent State Auditor would have been preferable, we applaud any effort to get to the bottom of the problems at the DMV and welcome the audit by the Governors Department of Finance.

There is a pattern here. There have been 35 outages in the last 18 months  the longest one was NINE hours long. There will be future outages too. The DMV cannot be trusted to police itself. https://t.co/6fQcy8R8dI #AuditTheDMV  Jim Patterson (@JimPatterson559) September 21, 2018

Another issue the DMV has been struggling with are outages resulting from outdated technological infrastructure. Since 2017, there have been 35 outages across DMV field offices.

Ranging from minutes to hours, the outages fueled criticism toward the DMV. California governor candidate John Cox has repeatedly called for the departments director to resign.

Did you enjoy this article? Continue to read more stories here.Chinese University Student Expelled for Liberal and Anti-Communist Posts

Wang Dong, a freshman at Hunan City University in southern China, was expelled by the school because he posted liberal and anti-communist statements online. He had been at the university only 13 days.

Wang Dong was born on Aug. 13, 2000 in Qidong County of Hunan Province. He entered the Civil Engineering College at the Hunan City University on Sept. 9, 2018.

Thirteen days later, on Sept. 22, the university published a statement saying Wang had posted incorrect remarks and made posts insulting the country on social media under the handle Wang Yingjun, a provincial hick from Guizhou.

The school promised to follow the Chinese Communist Partys doctrines, saying that it would carry out in-depth education of all instructors and students in core socialist values, strengthen their faith in the CCP ideology, and teach them to love the Party, country, and the people.

The statement did not specify what Wang Dong had posted, but his online activity is preserved in screenshots made by other users.

In one post, Wang criticized the mandatory military training units that all 10th-grade high school students and freshmen college students have to complete. Whats the use of military training? he wrote. The government keeps brainwashing me even into university.

Wang also made comments attacking the CCPs concept of jingoistic nationalism, saying if [the founder of Daoist philosophy] Lao Zi were here today, he wouldnt be a patriot, and as modern university students, we shouldnt be saddled with this ugly patriotism and collectivism.

Archived versions of Wang Dongs posts on Weibo. (screenshot via Sina Weibo)

Wangs expulsion is the newest case of a Chinese being punished for their online activity. On Feb. 14, a young woman called Ding Wenting was detained for 10 days because she posted Wuhan mayor should resign on Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like social media service.

Ni Huaping, a netizen from Sanya in Hainan Province, was also detained for 10 days and served a 500 yuan ($73.0) fine after he mocked Chinese leader Xi Jinping in a WeChat social media post, saying How is Xi Pig Head doing? I havent watched CCTV news for several years.

Ren Quanniu, a Chinese human rights lawyer, told Radio Free Asia on Sept. 22: This is an action to suppress the freedom of speech, which is a serious issue. Whether its related to the government, the Party, or official organizations, the CCP doesnt allow people to say that its bad even when it makes countless errors. The CCP forces the people to sing its praises and demands their love. It is a serious crime.

Qin Song, an American scholar originally from Chongqing in southwest China, worried for the safety of Wangs family. He told Radio Free Asia: Party officials will question why a young man has these kind of opinions. It will investigate his background immediately.

Wang seemed aware of the danger. In one of his posts, he wrote: I have a premonition that the regime will force me to commit a crime.Delta Flight Blows Tires After Making Emergency Landing at JFK Airport

A Delta Flight that was going from New Jerseys Newark Liberty International Airport to Paris, France, on Sept. 24, was forced to make an emergency landing at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, shortly after takeoff.

The plane blew several tires during the landing, officials said.

Port Authority Police said Delta Flight 20 had hydraulic failure and when it was diverted to JFK airport in New York City, it landed heavy. That resulted in smoking, hot brakes causing two tires on each main gear to rupture, police said on Twitter.

Delta, meanwhile, confirmed the landing.

Delta flight 20 from Newark to Paris, France diverted to JFK due to a maintenance issue. The flight was subsequently towed to the gate and Delta dispatched an alternate aircraft to continue the flight to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. The safety of Deltas customers and crew is always our top priority, a spokesperson told Fox News.

Mon., 9/24, JFK Airport; #PAPD ARFF with Delta Flt 20 that departed NWK & had hydraulic failure. Diverted to JFK, landed heavy on R/W 4L resulting in smoking, hot brakes causing two tires on each main gear to rupture. #PAPDPROTECTSNYNJ #jfkairport pic.twitter.com/uKmC9v8aHs  Port Authority PBA (@PAPD911) September 25, 2018

News12 reported that more than 200 passengers were on board the Delta plane.

According to NJ.com, the delayed flight didnt take off for more than seven hours, and it finally departed at 3:13 a.m. on Sept. 25.

It comes about three weeks after an Emirates Airlines plane landed at JFK Airport with dozens of sick passengers on board. NBC New York at the time reported that 19 people were sick, but initial reports said that at least 100 out of 500 passengers got sick. A passenger on that plane, Erin Sykes, shared video footage (seen at the top part of the video) of how officials handled the incident.

New York City health department officials said that the sick passengers likely had influenza, the NBC affiliate report stated.Details Emerge on Night Chinese Billionaire Was Accused of Rape in Minnesota

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 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.

As the second-largest e-commerce website in the country after Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, JD.com has attracted investors such as Walmart Inc, Alphabet Incs Google and Chinas Tencent Holdings.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Liu and the woman then headed to a house in Minneapolis. 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.

They ended up back at her apartment, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. 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. Minneapolis police came to her apartment early that morning while Liu was there, but made no arrests, another source familiar with the situation said.

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.

Later than day, 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.

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. He was released about 17 hours later.

Within days, Liu was back in China, which has no extradition treaty with the United States.

By Koh Gui Qing and Lawrence DelevingneElderly Chinese Man Beaten Unconscious, and Injected With Unknown Drugs, Says Report

A man in his 70s was injected with unknown drugs after he was imprisoned by Chinese Communist Party officials for refusing to stop practicing a type of meditation.

The man, identified only as Mr. Wang, was also beaten by Chinese medical personnel until he passed out, according to Minghui.org, a website dedicated to sharing information about Falun Gong, a type of mind-body practice based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance.

Practitioners of Falun Gong have been severely persecuted by communist authorities since July 1999. They face torture, death, and even forced organ harvesting at the hands of CCP authorities.

Wang was arrested for distributing desk calendars that had information about Falun Gong, and he was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison, according to the report on Sept. 17.

Wang said that 20 days after he was admitted to the prison, the guards took him to the prison hospital in Chengdu for medical treatment in September 2017, the report stated.

Without discussing his condition with him, the doctor instructed the nurse to inject him with unknown drugs, according to Minghui, which added that they forcibly inserted an endoscopic clamp into his lung and injected him with a contrast dye for a CT scan.

After the forced medical procedures, Wang felt dizzy and short of breath due to excessive bleeding, the report said. However, a month later, a prison guard took him back to the prison and forced him to perform slave labor without pay, Minghui reported.

As a result, Wang began to cough out blood while doing forced labor and his situation worsened over time, the report said. When he was taken back to the hospital, medical personnel beat and kicked him until he lost consciousness.

Before the latest round of abuse, he was arrested nine times and sentenced to prison four times.

He was also subjected to many inhumane tortures for his belief in Falun Gong, Minghui noted.

Organ Harvesting

In a 2016 update, the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China said that CCP is performing a far greater amount of transplants than officially claimed.

The CCP is primarily targeting Falun Gong practitioners but Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Christians have also been targeted for organ harvesting.

If you do the arithmetic, that means that about 150 people daily in China are being killed for their organs. And there are no survivors in these operations, former Canadian MP and secretary of state for Asia-Pacific David Kilgour said in May 2018.

Cold Genocide

A new study published in Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal by University of Manitoba associate professor Dr. Maria Cheung notes that the genocide of Falun Gong stands out as anomalous because it is virtually ignored.

The study argues that the cold genocide of Falun Gong practitioners in China is insidious, potent, and deadly.

In an interview with The Epoch Times in August, Cheung said that cold genocide isnt only about the physical destruction of a group, but it is also about psychological, structural, and social destruction.

No one will pay attention to it because its too slow to notice that this is actually a systematic killing with a clear intention, Cheung said. I think what makes a genocide is the intention, not the scale, of the killing. Its an intention to eradicate a group.Judge Brett Kavanaugh sits next to his wife Ashley Kavanaugh, and daughter Liza, before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the U.S. Supreme Court at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 4, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

How Non-Political Is Debbie Ramirez?

Commentary

Amid The New Yorkers coaxed and uncorroborated smears of Judge Brett Kavanaugh by Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez, hidden clues to Ramirezs ideological identity appear.

The New Yorker writes: Ramirez is a registered Democrat, but said that her decision to speak out wasnt politically motivated and, regarding her views, that she `works toward human rights, social justice, and social change.  Ramirez said that she hoped her story would support that of Christine Blasey Ford.

First, it is a testament to the tragic state of a Yale education that a graduate would emit such cant to describe her views. However, it is also revelatory of an animus so all-consuming that it is almost possible Ramirez doesnt believe herself to be politically motivated in speaking out.

Ramirez is a highly educated (read: programmed) person; someone who studied (was indoctrinated in) sociology and psychology at Yale.

I went to Yale, too, but I mainly read wonderful books and poetry in the English Department, which was still a possibility in the early 1980s; from what I gather now, theres barely an English Departmenttoo English (white), and too male.

For Ramirez to be in sync with her education (programming) is automatically to hope her story would support Fords story. Thats not politically motivated, she might think: Its just breathing.

Such was my speculation, anyway, based on those two sentences above.

Who would imagine, though, that we would have access to granular details of Ramirezs continuing political programming? Not Iuntil I visited the website of the non-profit she works for in Boulder, Colorado: Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN).

At SPAN, Ramirez is co-vice chair of the board and a volunteer. Apparently, that means she must learn and abide by SPANs comprehensive code of ethics, which begins with a set of fundamental guidelines for board members, staff, interns, and volunteers called non-negotiables.

This code and its non-negotiable guidelines, as well as directions on ethical communication, arent taken lightly at SPAN. They are prerequisites to employment:

To ensure the thorough integration of these policies into the day-to-day operations at SPAN, all candidates for SPAN staff positions are provided the non-negotiables and ethical communication documentation prior to an interview, and questions about these documents are incorporated into the interview process. All SPAN volunteers receive the non-negotiables and ethical communication documentation during their interview with the volunteer coordinator. Expectations are clearly stated that all staff and volunteers must abide by the SPAN code of ethics.

Additionally, theres a required 33-hour training program designed to enhance participants awareness of social justice issues, the dynamics of abuse and to develop greater awareness of the various systems of oppression.

The non-negotiables open by asserting, mantra-like, that violence against women is systemic; that women are an oppressed group; that oppression in any formSPANs list includes racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, cissexism, ageism, ableism, etc.is an act of violence.

We mustnt kid ourselves. What SPAN radicals deem oppression and acts of violence are exemplified in almost every aspect of the Western tradition, from Sunday school, to husband and wife (also Astaire and Rogers), to Navy SEALs, to Sleeping Beautys castle, to all planks of the GOP platform, to all men (of course), and to election results they disagree with.

For example, Im certain SPAN would label President Donald Trumps immigration agenda racism and classism; label the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman sexism, heterosexism, cissexism (whatever that means); and the physical requirements of special forces ageism, ableism, and more.

To SPAN and other radicals, conservative politics and religious beliefs (not to mention logic, law, order, etc.), are all acts of violence.

Where does that leave us all in our national debate? Taking cover from the toxic waste bombs as the wild-eyed Left makes its desperate assault on representative government. SPAN radicals such Ramirez are well-prepared for this kind of war in which hysterics replace politics, and slander replaces debate.

Even in this one small nonprofit in Boulder, SPAN, we can see the predicate for the deep psychological disturbances that drive the vicious assault on Kavanaugh, who, unbeknownst to him on the cusp on national glory, became that human bullseye on top of the larger target: our constitutional form of government.

Non-negotiables? Like a good Yalie, Ramirez probably has them memorized.

Diana West is an award-winning journalist and the author of two books: American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nations Character and The Death of the Grown-Up: How Americas Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.I-95 Completely Reopens After Hurricane Florence Floods Recede

Parts of I-40 open to traffic

Interstate 95 completely reopened to traffic throughout North Carolina, according to Gov. Roy Coopers office.

I-95 is a major artery for North Carolina and the entire East Coast thats essential for commerce, Cooper said in a Sept. 23 statement. Our state DOT crews and engineers have worked around the clock to get this critical interstate open ahead of schedule and reduce traffic in areas still needed for critical lifesaving missions.

Interstate 40 was reopened on Monday, according to a statement by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The Department also noted that travel was not advised in portions of southeastern North Carolina.

I-40 has reopened from NC 41 (Exit 385) to Wilmington. There are currently 2 eastbound lanes open and one westbound lane open, the NCDOT said, but warned that closures elsewhere were still in effect.

Although water has receded on some roads, the roads and bridges may be damaged and the road closures are still in effect, NCDOT stated. Signage should be adhered to.

Coopers office said that floodwaters covering the interstate in the wake of Hurricane Florence receded quicker than expected, allowing the NCDOT to finish necessary inspections and repairs.

Engineers began inspecting the road as soon as the floodwaters from Hurricane Florence started to recede, Coopers office said, and noted that portions of I-95 have been closed since Sept. 15.

I want to thank our construction partners, the State Highway Patrol, the Division of Motor Vehicles License and Theft Bureau, and local officials, said NCDOT Secretary Jim Trogdon. They were integral to us successfully managing traffic during the closure and quickly reopening the highway.

Cooper cautioned that travel remains treacherous in portions of southeastern North Carolina.

Hundreds of roads across our state remain closed, and flooded and damaged roads remain a danger in many areas. Never drive on flooded roads or around road closure barricades, Cooper warned. The barricades are there for a reason. The roads may be unsafe, underwater or in some areas missing.

NCDOT said the US-70 is open between I-95 and the coast with one lane closed in each direction in Kinston.

US 74 is open from I-95 to Wilmington.

NCDOT warned motorists to avoid unnecessary travel in the following counties:

Bladen and Wayne due to the flooding and/or washout of multiple major travel routes.

Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland due to the flooding and/or washout of multiple North Carolina and secondary routes.

As of 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 23, 455 road closures remained statewide.In California Town, Residents Resist Marijuana Stores

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.After learning the city council will hold a public hearing Oct. 2 to decide the locations and total number of pot stores to be allowed in the city, local residents in Mountain View, California, held a press conference Sep. 21 to express their opposition to the marijuana shops.

Participants held signs that read No Pot Shop near School, Dont legalize Drugs, No Marijuana in Mountain View, Spare Our Children from Drugs, and so on.

The residents pointed to a planned pot store for Grant Park Plaza as an example of their concerns.

This shopping center is just a few blocks away from two elementary schools. The plazas parking lot has been used by school parents to park their cars since the schools are short on parking spaces.

One of the popular Asian food market chains, 99 Ranch, has a store located in this plaza, and the pot store is slated to open adjacent to the 99 Ranch market.

Tingting Zhang, a full-time stay-at-home mom with two children, ages 6 and 3, told The Epoch Times she was very worried thinking that her children would be growing up seeing adults go in and out of pot stores every day. Shes worried it may make her children think buying pot is no different than buying toys or fruits and vegetables, she said.

Zhang is also concerned about her childrens health in an environment exposed to secondhand pot smoking.

After the press conference, Zhang told The Epoch Times a Chinese proverb: Dont do a bad thing, even if it is a very small one. Over time, as all the small bad things are added up together, Californians may one day find that it is very hard to change things back, she said.

Ivy Xu, a mother and a property owner in the city, said the location chosen by the city is very close to the schools and residential areas.

Children come every day, she said. Pot stores do not only sell drugs, but also sell other products, such as marijuana-infused green tea and gummy bears, which will confuse children, she said.

Xu was against the idea of recreational marijuana because she did not want to see her child exposed to drugs so easily.

Tootoo Thomson, a mother of three, and an afterschool art teacher in the city, said that before we have concrete proof of the health benefits [of pot], we should protect our society from marijuana.

Frank Lee, the Bay Area director of the California Coalition Against Drugs, said, According to the FDA, marijuana is still a Schedule I prohibited drug, which has no medical value, is easily addictive, and will lead to heavier drugs.

Lee said that he learned the city is considering opening five pot stores, which he considered far too many.

Lee said San Jose, the 10th-largest city in the United States, with a population of over 1 million, has 16 pot stores, while Mountain View has a population of less than 82,000.

In November 2016, California passed Proposition 64, which legalized the sale of recreational marijuana. As a result, more and more pot stores have been opening for business in the state.

At a council meeting in September 2017, Mountain View approved pot stores opening for business; the proposed Oct. 2 meeting will put that decision into effect.

The speakers at the press conference urged local residents to go to the upcoming hearing and make their voices heard.Participants protest the presence of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the UN during an Iranian American Community of New York event in New York on Sept. 24, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Iranian-Americans Gather in New York to Protest Regime, Rouhani

NEW YORKA crowd largely comprised of Iranian-Americans gathered to protest the Iranian regime and President Hassan Rouhani outside the hotel in New York where Rouhani is staying during this weeks meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.

Rouhani arrived in New York on Sept. 23 to attend the annual General Assembly session, which starts on Sept. 25.

This Iranian regime has created a condition of terrorism in the region; they have created all these monstrous groups; they are all involved in them, said Kazem Kazerounian, a professor from Connecticut who took part in the protest. For 40 years, they have been threatening the world; they have been threatening their neighbors; they have been threatening the U.S.

This year marks the 73rd session of the General Assembly, where each countrys representative can address the group. Rouhani is expected to speak on the opening day.

Some rally-goers mentioned U.S. President Donald Trumps sanctions against Iran and his decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal as an effective means to end the Iranian regimes hostilities.

Sanctions against Iran is something that we have been asking for a long, long time. It is the only way that I can think of that would stop the Iranian Regime from doing what its doing, Kazerounian said.

The Iran nuclear deal reached in 2015 under former President Barack Obama provided the country with an estimated $150 billion in sanctions relief, including payments of $1.7 billion from the United States to settle a decades-old arbitration claim.

Trump, who was a critic of the deal since before his presidential campaign, reimposed tight sanctions on Iran.

While the regime has always claimed its nuclear program was for peaceful purposes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 30 presented documents that he said prove Iran had been developing nuclear weapons before the signed deal with the United States and other world leaders. Netanyahu said the documents were obtained by an Israeli intelligence operation.

Obama supported the [Iranian] government, But Trumps sanctions put pressure on the Iranian government, said Vahid Nasir, a contractor originally from Iran, who traveled from Los Angeles to take part in the protest.

State Sponsor of Terrorism

Nasir lamented loudly when touching upon recent reports that former Secretary of State John Kerry, an Obama appointee, had met with top Iranian officials in an attempt to salvage the now-abandoned nuclear deal.

I just want to say to Kerry, you got eight years to support the Iranian regime. They killed Iranian people, they tortured them and you didnt say anythingjust stop it. They [Obama administration] supported Hezbollah. Why are you doing that? Nasir said.

Nasir said Kerry is still trying to lobby the regime. He mentioned how Obama allegedly canceled an investigation into Hezbollah, an Islamist terrorist group, to secure the nuclear deal.

Politico reported that the Obama administration derailed a law-enforcement campaign that targeted drug trafficking by Hezbollah, even as the terrorist group was playing a key role to traffic cocaine into the United States.

The United States lists Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. According to the Department of States Country Reports on Terrorism 2017, Iran continued its terror-related activity last year, including its support for Hezbollah, Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza, and various groups in Syria, Iraq, and throughout the Middle East.

Before coming to New York, Rouhani said on Sept. 23 that he will make the U.S. regret exiting the nuclear agreement.

It is a threat, basically. Its a terrorist threat against the U.S. and the West, Kazerounian said.

Terrorism started with them [Iran], they have created this monster which could eat them as well.

Will They Survive

Trump will be addressing the General Assembly on the opening day on Sept. 25, the same day as Rouhani. He will also chair a special U.N. Security Council meeting on Sept. 26 about nuclear non-proliferation.

According to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump will have strong words about the Iranian regime.

Hell call on every country to join our pressure campaign in order to thwart Irans global torrent of destructive activity, Pompeo said.

Last year, Trump told the General Assembly that the Iranian regime uses its oil profits to fund Hezbollah and other terrorist groups.

We cannot let a murderous regime continue these destabilizing activities while building dangerous missiles, and we cannot abide by an agreement if it provides cover for the eventual construction of a nuclear program, Trump said.

The Iranian regime may now, in fact, collapse because of his administrations policies, Trump said in a recent interview with Bloomberg.

When I came into here, it was a question of when would [Iran] take over the Middle East, Trump told Bloomberg on Aug. 30.

Now, its a question of will they survive. Its a big difference in one and a half years.

Watch Next:

President Trump Says Change Must Come From Within For Peace In Middle EastJudge Brett M. Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during the third day of his confirmation hearing to serve as Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court at the Capitol in Washington, on Sept. 6, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Kavanaugh Vows to Fight Against False Accusations, Not Withdraw Nomination

Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee, said that he will not withdraw from the nomination process after two women accused him of sexual misconduct.

The unsubstantiated claims date from high school in Maryland in 1982, and Yale University in 1983.

Neither accuser has produced a witness or any evidence placing Kavanaugh at the scene of the alleged incidents. The first woman has been unable to provide a date, time, or place of the alleged assault while the other said the incident happened at a university dorm.

Asked whether he ever thought of withdrawing his nomination, Kavanaugh said in an interview with Fox News on Monday night, Sept. 24, that he wanted to clear his name.

Im not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process. And were looking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend themy integrity, my life-long recordmy life-long record of promoting dignity and equality for women, starting with the women who knew me when I was 14 years old. Im not going anywhere.

President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the United Nations in New York City, said earlier on Monday that he stands by Kavanaugh.

Fair Process

Referencing the constitutional right to face ones accuser, Kavanaugh said that he wants a fair process.

In America, we have fairness. We hear from both sides. Thats what judges believe thats what our system was built on, the rule of law, he said. Fair process means hearing from both sides, and I think the processI want to have an opportunity to defend my integrity and clear my name and have a fair process.

Kavanaugh said hes made mistakes, but vehemently denied anything taking place like that which hes been accused of, after he was asked whether he thought it was fair to be judged on something that allegedly happened when he was 17. Kavanaugh is now 53.

I think everyone is judged on their whole life, he said.

Im a good person. Ive led a good life. Ive tried to a lot of good for a lot of people. I am not perfect, I know that. None of us is perfect. Im not perfect, but Ive never, never done anything like this.

Death Threats

Ashley Kavanaugh, Kavanaughs wife, has received death threats amid the controversy. She said its been hard for her and her family.

This process is incredibly difficult, she said. Its harder than we imagined, and we imagined it might be hard. But at the end of the day, our faith is strong and we know that were on the right path.

She said shes had multiple discussions with her children after the accusations emerged.

Its very difficult these conversations with your children, which weve had to have some broader terms for our youngest. But they know Brett. And they know the truth, she said.

And we told them at the very beginning of this process this will be not fun sometimes. Youre going to hear things that, people feel strongly, and you need to know that. And just remember you know your dad.

From NTD.tv

Did you enjoy this article? Continue to read more stories here.Maldivians living in Sri Lanka stand in line to cast their vote during the Maldives presidential election day at the Maldives embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka Sept. 23, 2018. (Reuters/Dinuka Liyanawatte)

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.

Island Prison

Since coming to power in a contested election in 2013, Yameen has been criticized for jailing opponents and restricting election observers and the media, and there had been fears that Sundays election would an unfair contest.

Voter turnout was 89.2 percent, the Elections Commission said, adding the official results would be released by Sept. 30.

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 countrys first democratically elected leader and former president.

Yameen also jailed his half-brother and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who led the country for 30 years. He is being held in a prison on a remote island along with the former head of the top court and ex-ministers.

The opposition has said it would make the release of all political prisoners, including Gayoom, a priority.

By Mohamed JunaydPalestinians pass by the gate of an UNRWA-run school in Nablus in the occupied West Bank Aug. 13, 2018. (Abed Omar Qusini/Reuters)

Palestinian Schools, Health Centers at Risk if Funding Gap Not Plugged: UNRWA

NEW YORKA U.N. agency that supports Palestinian refugees said schools and health centers are at risk if it is unable to plug a $185 million funding gap needed to keep operating until the end of the year, the agencys head said on Sept. 24.

Currently we have money in the bank  will last I presume somewhere into  mid October, said Pierre Krahenbuhl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in New York, where world leaders are attending the annual U.N. General Assembly.

But its clear that we still need approximately $185 million to be able to ensure that all of our services, education system, health care, relief and social services and our emergency work in Syria and Gaza in particular can continue until the end of the year, Krahenbuhl said.

The United States last month announced a halt in its aid to UNRWA, calling it an irredeemably flawed operation, a decision that further heightened tensions between the Palestinian leadership and the Trump administration.

UNRWA provides services to about 5 million Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza. Most are descendants of some 700,000 Palestinians who were driven out of their homes or fled fighting in the 1948 war that led to Israels creation.

The growing refugee count was cited by Washington, UNRWAs biggest donor, in its decision to withhold funding.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, has been critical of the U.N.s count of Palestinian refugees. She has also questioned the right of return to Israel, claimed by the Palestinians as part of any eventual peace settlement.

When you dont tackle the underlying causes of conflict, thats when you get 70 years of UNRWA, its not UNRWA that perpetuates itself, its because the refugee community is still there waiting for a political solution to address its situation, Krahenbuhl said on Sept. 24.

Under Trump, Washington has taken a number of actions that have alienated the Palestinians, such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital, a reversal of longtime U.S. policy. It led to the Palestinian leadership boycotting Washingtons peace efforts being led by Jared Kushner, Trumps senior adviser and son-in-law.

Krahenbuhl compared the Palestinian refugee right of return issue with those of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar who have fled into Bangladesh and the return of Bosnian Muslim refugees to areas under Serb control in the 1990s.

So the only question one should ask is why should Palestine refugees be the one community where this question is not a justified question, Krahenbuhl said.

By Yara BayoumyRare Pink Diamond Worth as Much as $50 Million Hits Auction

The largest and finest pink diamond to have ever graced a Christies auction is going up for sale, and is expected to fetch as much as $50 million.

Christies International Jewelry Director David Warren told Reuters in London on Sept. 25 that the sale of this 18.96-carat diamond is an extraordinary event for the auction house.

In 40 years of working at Christies Ive never seen anything like this in my life, Warren said. It was a huge surprise when there it was, we saw it and couldnt quite believe that such a stone existed. It has wonderful purity and incredible brightness. It is beautifully cut, but it is the size and the color that just take your breath away.

Dubbed The Pink Legacy, the unique rectangular-cut gem will go under the hammer on Nov. 13 in Geneva, Switzerland, Christies said in a news release.

The estimate is $30 million-$50 million, which is the highest estimate we have placed on any piece of jewelry at any time, Warren added.

Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry at Christies, heaped praise on the exceptional jewel.

The saturation, the intensity of this stone is as good as it gets in a colored diamond, he said, according to the release.

To find a diamond of this size with this color is pretty much unreal. You may see this color in a pink diamond of less than one carat. But this is almost 19 carats and its as pink as can be. Its unbelievable.

Scientists classify diamonds into two main categoriesType I and Type II, with the latter type having a rare, almost homogeneous color.

Pink diamonds fall under the rare Type IIa category of diamonds, said Kadakia. These are stones that have little if any trace of nitrogen, and make up less than 2 percent of all gem diamonds. Type IIa stones are some of the most chemically pure diamonds often with exceptional transparency and brilliance.

Christies posted an alluring video featuring exquisite close-ups of the gem.

We are honored to be offering for sale The Pink Legacy, a magnificent vivid pink diamond, that once formed part of The Oppenheimer Collection, the post is captioned.

The Pink Legacy has been awarded the highest diamond color gradingFancy Vividby the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the release notes, an honor conferred on but one out of 100,000 diamonds.

Pink diamonds of any size and depth of color have always had a special allure. This 18.96-carat emerald cut pink diamond is amongst the rarest of all gemstones, said Tom Moses, executive vice president of GIA.

Fancy Vivid Pink is an even rarer category, as diamonds of this particular hue are seldom encountered. In Christies 250-year history, only four Fancy Vivid Pink stones over 10 carats have ever come up for auction.

The Pink Legacy, reportedly with no trace of a secondary color and with a balanced saturation, tone, and straight pink hue, make this nearly 19-carat behemoth a highly coveted one-of-a-kind.

Christies expects it will fetch between $30 million and $50 million.

The world auction price per carat for any pink diamond was achieved at a Christies auction in Hong Kong in November 2017, when The Pink Promise, an oval-shaped Fancy Vivid Pink diamond of just under 15 carats, was sold for $32.48an impressive $2.18 per carat.Victoria Uni Stands by Conflicting Statement on Event Booking for Controversial Film

Concerns of Chinese State interference

The content is not available due to expiration.Relative Hired Hit Men to Kill Brit Husband, Thai Wife

Thai police have arrested two men allegedly hired by a relative to kill a British businessman and his Thai wife. The relative is also in custody.

The two men admitted to killing the couple for about $1,550, money paid by the wifes brother after family arguments about money, the Daily Mail reported.

The bodies of retired British businessman Alan Hogg, 64, and his wife Nod Suddaen, 61, were found on the couples property in Phrae Province, Thailand, six days after the couple had been reported missing.

Police brought cadaver dogs to the property. The dogs located the couples bodies in a 6-foot-deep grave behind a duck pond on the couples property.

The Hoggs lived in a three-story house on a 32-acre estate that included a cattle farm, a summer house, a swimming pool, and a duck pond.

Police said Hogg was killed by a shotgun blast in the pool changing area, while his wife was beaten to death with a hammer or wrench in the garage.

Stolen Truck Leads to Arrests

The Hoggs were reported missing on Sept. 18 after a friend tried unsuccessfully to contact them via a messaging app after the couple failed to show up for a planned get-together in the nearby city of Chang Mai, the Guardian reported.

Investigating police officers found bloodstains in the pool changing rooms that looked to have been partially wiped away. They also found signs of digging.

Police also noticed that the Hoggs brand-new Ford Ranger pickup truck was missing.

Police got their first break in the case through a public plea for information about the pickup truck.

A man from Laos, who bought the truck, saw the police bulletin and told them he had bought it in a rural village.

Police followed up with the villagers and found the villagers bought the truck. Forensic examination of the truck led to the arrest of two individuals who eventually confessed to the crime.

Pia Khamsai, aka Sua Thong, 63, and Kittipong Khamwan, 24, both from Wang Chin District, were arrested on Sept. 20, according to the Bangkok Post.

Pia confessed he had used a shotgun to shoot Hogg in the chest while the victim was going to feed his ducks.

Kittipong claimed that he held Suddaen while her brother Warut allegedly hit her head with a wrench until she died.

Maj. Gen. Sanpat Praputsra, investigating the case, said, Three suspects were traced from forensic checks on the car. They have confessed to the murder of Mr. Alan and his wife Nod.

They used a shotgun to kill Alan and said they buried him near the ducks. The villains used a hammer to murder his wife in the garage, he added.

Hired by a Relative

The three killers told police that they had acted at the behest of Hoggs brother-in-law, 63-year old Warut.

Police said the men confessed to killing the couple after Warut paid them 50,000 baht ($1,543) to carry out the crime. According to the Guardian, Warut buried the bodies himself.

Warut had already been arrested and released in connection with the crime.

Surveillance camera footage showed Warut entering the Hogg home on the morning of Sept. 20 and later driving off in the truck.

Warut was arrested on Sept. 24 for stealing the truck and released on bail. He was rearrested after the two killers named him as the man behind the crime.

Apparently Warut had been feuding with his sister and her husband over money matters, and the argument escalated to murder-for-hire.

According to the Bangkok Post, Hogg and Suddaen had planned to retire to Spain, but chose Thailand at the insistence of Warut. The Hoggs and Warut often quarreled, the Post reported, and Warut was resentful because his sister sided with her husband.

According to the Daily Mail, neighbors called Suddaen the most beautiful woman in the town and described Hogg as very friendly and often helped them. They told local media that he was a millionaire.

From NTD.tvRip Tides Nearly Claim 70+ Lives Off Florida Coast

Going to the beach and playing in the surf may sound like the perfect way to spend a weekend, but for about 70 people along Floridas Atlantic Coast, it was almost fatal.

Volusia County Beach Safety Capt. Mike Berard told the Orlando Sentinel that Beach Safety crews had to rescue 72 people from dangerous rip tides on Sept. 23.

One 43-year-old Orlando man remains in critical condition after nearly drowning.

The man, whose name has not yet been released, was surfing off New Smyrna Beach when he got sucked under. An off-duty lifeguard who was surfing nearby happened to see the man go under, according to Berard. That surfer pulled the victim out of the water and attempted to resuscitate him.

EMTs arrived and transported the man to a nearby hospital where he was put into the intensive care unit.

Rip tidespowerful currents flowing away from beaches rather than towards themwere active all along what is called Floridas Treasure Coasta very popular stretch of beachfront from Sebastian Inlet to Palm Beach, comprising Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Palm Beach counties.

These rip tides are compounded by high surf driven by high winds. The big waves can drive a swimmer under and into a rip tide, leading to swimmers being swept out to sea.

Weather Service Warning

The National Weather Service has issued a warning for the entire Treasure Coast. Rip tides will be especially strong during the day as the tide runs out, and heavy surf is predicted all day.

TCPalm.com offers several tips about beach safety under these conditions.

First and foremost, swimmers are advised to enter the water only when there is a lifeguard nearby.

Swimmers are also advised never to run their backs to the seaa big wave can come along without warning and break on a swimmer, knocking the swimmer down and driving him or her under water. A big wave could even cause serious injury, rendering a person unable to swim.

If caught in a rip tide swimmers are advised to stay calm. Wasting energy fighting the current could lead to exhaustion. Swimmers are advised not to fight the currentdont swim directly against it. Instead, try to swim parallel to the shore.

Eventually a swimmer can escape from a rip tide by swimming across itbut if a swimmer feels that he or she is getting swept too far out and might lack the strength to swim back, then wave and shout for help.

Lifeguards are out there specifically to watch for distressed swimmers, and lifeguard can swim out with a float to keep a tired swimmer above water while towing the swimmer back to the beach.

From NTD.tv

Watch Next:

How a Traditional Spiritual Practice Changed the Lives of These People

The practice has attracted tens of millions across the world and at its core are just three simple principles: truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.Russian S-300 anti-missile rocket system move along a central street during a rehearsal for a military parade in Moscow May 4, 2009. (Reuters/Alexander Natruskin)

Russia to Give Syria S-300 Air Defense After Accusations Against Israel

MOSCOWRussia said on Sept. 24 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 Syrias 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 weeks 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 defense missile system will be transferred to the Syrian armed forces within two weeks, he said. The system will significantly increase the Syrian armys combat capabilities, he said.

President Vladimir Putin discussed the decision by phone on Sept. 24 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 Sept. 24 that supplying advanced weapon systems to irresponsible players would heighten dangers in the region, according to Netanyahus office.

Responsibility for the unfortunate incident lies with the Syrian army, which downed the plane, and Iran, whose aggression destabilizes (the region), Netanyahus 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 newsmeant 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 modernized 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 Israels 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 Moscows accusations that Israel was to blame for the planes 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-Assads office said: President Putin held Israel responsible for bringing down the plane and informed President Assad that Russia will develop Syrias air defense 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 Syrias war but that Russias 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.

By Polina Nikolskaya & Gabrielle Tetrault-FarberStudents Share How Dance Helps Them Reconnect With Their Cultural Heritage

The 8th International Classical Chinese Dance Competition, hosted by New Tang Dynasty (NTD), attracted over 190 dancers from more than ten different countries and regions to participate in this years competition. After going through screening in the North American Division and the Asia Pacific Division, approximately 60 dancers stood out and came to Manhattan, New York, for the finals.

Vina Lee, the judge of the competition, said that although these dancers are so young, they are pure and very rare to find.

For a teenager, or kids at a very young age, they are able to control their emotions, strive in their careers, and have self-discipline, while at the same time not be overly competitive, said Vina Lee. The whole team is very pure, very positive. So from this point its very outstanding.

Many dancers who grew up in the west felt that through classical Chinese dance, they learned about Chinese culture and got a deeper understanding of culture itself.

Kun Jing Wu, gold winner of the mens youth group from Australia, said: Back then my Chinese was bad and I didnt understand Chinese culture. But after I stepped into [classical Chinese dance], I felt really different. The content is very deep, and I wanted to know more and more. After seeing Chinese classical dance, It feels very masculine when the boys jump, when the girls jump its very beautiful and elegant, and that contrast is very big.

I have always been in a very western society, so learning classical Chinese dance helped me understand my heritage and my culture better, said Meilian Yang a Canadian from Fei Tian Art College.

According to the website of Shen Yun, classical Chinese dance has a long history of thousands of years and it has become a complete system of dance, embodying traditional aesthetic principles with its unique dance movements, rhythms, and inner meanings.

It has its own set of training methods for basic skills, physical expressions, and specific postures. It also involves learning a series of difficult techniques. The importance is in the storytelling, which shows the bearing of the dancers. Chinas deep cultural traditions are contained in classical Chinese dance, allowing its movements to be richly expressive, such that the personalities and feelings of characters can be portrayed clearly.

Bo Wei Chen, who won his first gold medal this year in the mens youth group competition, said: Before learning to dance, the teacher will say that if you want to learn to dance, you must learn to be a good person first. So moral quality and character are very important for dancing. If there is no morality, the performance is not good. So if you want to dance, you must first cultivate your heart and uplift your morality.

To be able to play the characters well, dancers must study and learn how they lived.

I read a lot of literature and watched a lot of videos about Yue Fei. I studied his normal life up until the emperor gave him a gold medal. He must have had a certain mood and emotion.

Hou Ren Chen, another gold medal winner from the mens youth group, said: My most difficult moment was right before coming on stage, I need to immerse myself in this character.

The contestants also said that participating in the Chinese Classical Dance Competition has a great significance and feels like a mission.

Its to let more people know what Chinese classical dance is. The real Chinese classical dance has not been recognized by many people, Bo Wei Chen said, I think the Chinese classical dance [competition] hosted by NTD will let more people understand what the essence of Chinese culture is.

The purpose of the NTD Dance Competition is to promote the innocence, purity, compassion, and beauty of Chinese classical dance and bring this excellent part of Chinese traditional culture to the world stage.

According to Vina Lee, the competition held by NTD is: Looking at the whole picture, the highest level of competition in its class.Sen. Cruz Driven Out of Washington Restaurant by Anti-Kavanaugh Protesters

Sen. Ted Cruz was heckled out of a restaurant in Washington by a crowd of far-left protesters on Sept. 24, in the latest effort by activists to disrupt the lives of Republican officials in public.

Cruz (R-Texas) and his wife, Heidi, were preparing to be seated in the restaurant when a group of protesters entered the establishment and began yelling at them. The protesters confronted Cruz about his position over the allegations against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, but he declined to answer and soon exited.

We believe survivors! the group chanted in one clip, shared by the far-left group Smash Racism DC. According to the groups Twitter page, it is affiliated with Antifa and also supports the movement to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Another video shows a woman pestering Cruz about whether hed vote to confirm Kavanaugh.

God bless you, maam, Cruz said amid the shouts, as he got up to leave with his wife. Excuse me, let my wife through, he said as protesters attempted to physically block him from leaving.

BREAKING. Activists just chased @TedCruz out of a fancy Washington DC restaurant, chanting We Believe Survivors! Cruz has been friends with creep Kavanaugh for 20 years. Now Cruz is on judiciary committee hearing his testimony. Fascists not welcome! #CancelKavanugh pic.twitter.com/7mx6Tc32za  Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

The harassment follows a June incident in which Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was confronted by a loud group of far-left protesters at another Washington restaurant. A few days after that, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders and her family were asked by management to leave a restaurant in Virginia. Also in June, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was driven out of a movie theater by a crowd of protesters.

The two women who have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct have been unable to provide any witnesses to the alleged incidents or any evidence placing him at the scene of the alleged incidents, but that hasnt stopped people from automatically believing them.

Christine Ford has claimed Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party in 1982 when both were in high school in Maryland. Four people alleged to have been at the party have all denied the claim. Out of dozens of people contacted by reporters regarding the other alleged incident, none said they could help prove that what was alleged had actually occurred.

Cruz has been among the many Republicans stating they want to hear Ford, the principal accuser, testify. The hearing has been postponed multiple times in an effort to have her appear and tell her story. She is the only one from the alleged party to not give testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

These allegations are serious and deserve to be treated with respect, Cruz said in a statement. Professor Ford should have a full opportunity to tell her story before the Judiciary Committee, and Judge Kavanaugh should have a full opportunity to defend himself. That hearing should be sooner, rather than later, so the committee can make the best assessment possible of the allegations.

Republican leaders have stood by Kavanaugh, with President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell both affirming their commitment to him earlier on Sept. 24.

From NTD.tvThe Kavanaugh Accusation: A Defining Moment for #MeToo

What is #MeToos mission? Is it to work for a reduction of abusive sexual behavior and to promote greater respect for each other, or is it to weaponize sex for partisan, ideological purposes? We may find out this week.

Just last week, I wrote in support of #MeToos efforts to curb predatory sexual behavior, saying that they could be more effective and helpful if they would dare to challenge the rich and socially accepted purveyors (Hollywood, Playboy, et al.) of socially corrosive sexual titillation.

Now, one week later, #MeToo is in a position to squander their long-term effectiveness in one huge misstep.

All they have to do to blow it is to hitch their reputation to the attempt to derail Judge Brett Kavanaughs nomination to the Supreme Court on the flimsy basis of unproven accusations of impropriety as a minor. If that happens, #MeToo will lose a ton of respect, credibility, good will, and moral authority.

If, going forward, #MeToo focuses its efforts on adults using positions of power to coerce or extort sexual favors from those beneath them in a hierarchical organization, they will enjoy mainstream support.

But, if #MeToo starts going after every man who crossed a line as a callow teenager, the result will be a circus. Heaven knows, we have enough problems to address in the present without reliving thousands of years- and decades-old cases of adolescent impropriety of various degrees of veracity.

Yes, lets do more to teach todays youth about proper conduct toward members of the opposite sex, but lets reserve the heavy artillery of branding someone for life for incorrigible adults who pose a present threat to decency and respect today.

Hopefully, there are enough sober thinkers in the #MeToo movement to see how much support they will lose if they call for the unjust ruination of a mans career on the basis of unproven allegations.

Sadly, two female U.S. senators are setting horrible examples. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) has stated that Kavanaugh should be disqualified given what we know. Sorry, senator, but we dont know what did or didnt happen 36 years ago.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) apparently blames all males for sexual misconduct, and has called on men to step up and do the right thing. Well, I stepped up last week in support of curbing sexual predations. Now I hope the senator will reciprocate and do the right thing by not lynching Judge Kavanaugh on the basis of an uncorroborated allegation dependent on fuzzily recalled events from 36 years ago.

Hypocrisy

What makes progressives attempt to torpedo the nomination of a brilliant and fair-minded jurist, who by all accounts has been a model of upright behavior throughout his professional career, is the rank hypocrisy of it all.

Liberals have long blamed the environment in which someone was raised for the occurrence of crime and poverty. While I dont think environment explains or exculpates everything, it can indeed be a potent factor. So it is with sexual misconduct. That is why, in my article last week, I urged #MeToo to criticize todays social environment in which recreational sex is glorified and chastity and monogamy are devalued.

Liberals also have customarily come down on the side of lenience for minors who have broken laws. Indeed, while we can disagree about how much leniency to show to adolescents, we need to make some allowances for juvenile misbehavior, for minors are not fully mature individuals either emotionally or psychologically. Many of us made mistakes as teenagers that we would never made as adults.

The eleventh-hour attack on Kavanaugh reminds me of how, six years ago, the left went after GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney for some high school mischief. I happened to live in the same dormitory as Mitt that year, and wrote about the incident for Forbes.com.

Even though I think Mitt did what he was accused of (something I wont believe about Kavanaugh without credible corroboration), I feel that he learned and grew from his overzealous behavior. Kids are kids, they make mistakes, and to say that a mistake in youth disqualifies a person from doing honorable work as an adult is wrong and cruel. (Its also impractical, because if only people who never stepped out of line as kids can be eligible for high office, those offices will have to remain vacant.)

Progressives say that standards of conduct must be stricter for someone to occupy a position as powerful as a seat on the Supreme Court. That is laughable coming from people who gave Bill Clinton a pass for his alleged serial sexual depredations, even though as president he had more power than a Justice Kavanaugh ever would.

Furthermore, Clintons known transgressions as an adult were far more outrageous than Kavanaughs unknowable, alleged transgressions as a youth. To have given Clinton a pass, but to condemn Kavanaugh is as dishonest a double standard as can be imagined. And to pretend that the Clinton episode is ancient history and that progressives standards have risen over the two decades since is bunk.

Just two years ago, those now arguing that an alleged sexual assault by an intoxicated teenager disqualifies an individual from high office for life wanted Hillary Clintona woman who had allegedly thrown dirt on the female accusers of her husbandto be president of the United States. How utterly cynical.

Yogi Berra famously quipped, When you come to the fork in the road, take it. #MeToo now finds itself at a fork in the road.

In this case, it is more than obvious which fork #MeToo should take. They should opt for the higher road of evenhandedly and consistently working to uproot sexual exploitation from the workplace, and shun the downward path toward becoming nothing but another demagogic tool of partisan politics.

Dr. Mark Hendrickson is Adjunct Professor of Economics at Grove City College. He is author of several books including The Big Picture: The Science, Politics, and Economics of Climate Change (CFACT.org  2018).

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.Blood is collected from a donor into a bag during a blood drive on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on June 20, 2017. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

UK Contaminated-Blood Survivors Demand Answers About Scandal That Killed Thousands

LONDONAfter four decades and 3,000 deaths, those who survived being infected with HIV and hepatitis C by blood transfusions from prostitutes, drug users, and even cadavers are hoping to finally find answers.

Many of the victims of Britains tainted blood scandal found out only after years that their revolutionary blood treatments, provided by the national health service, were a death sentence.

After decades of campaigning, hearings began Sept. 24 at the first official inquiry into infected blood products imported from the United States in the 1970s.

The inquiry will try to establish what happened, how it happened, and whether there was a coverup, as many of the victims claim. The inquiry could lead to prosecutions.

Officials and pharmaceutical companies were convicted in Japan and France many years ago, with a French health minister found guilty of manslaughter in 1999.

Most of those affected were being treated for hemophilia, a hereditary disease that means sufferers blood lacks a factor thats essential for clotting. Prior to the 1970s, treatment required plasma transfusions, meaning a trip to the hospital for even minor injuries.

Then, a new product, called factor concentrate, was developed that could be self-administered at home via injection. The factor concentrate was developed from donated blood.

The UK turned to the US, where prostitutes and prisoners were among those paid to give their blood, raising the risk of infection. The risk was further heightened because the blood from many donors was pooled to create the product.

These risks were ignored by leading clinicians and government, who then failed to take appropriate action to end their use and return to safer products, said a statement from the UK Haemophilia Society.

Pharmaceutical companies and leading clinicians did not appropriately share, or even hid, information about risks from patients and patient groups. Many people were infected with deadly viruses during this time.

Last year, Collins Solicitors, one of the law firms representing victims, said it had compelling new evidence that shed light on efforts made by the Department of Health to keep matters under wraps.

The statistics on the number of victims vary according to different sources and criteria, with the number of deaths between 2,000 and 3,000.

According to an investigation last year by a group of lawmakers, an estimated 32,718 people were infected with the hepatitis C virus between 1970 and 1991, but only 6,000 had been identified.

According to the Haemophilia Society: In the 1970s and 1980s, over 4,500 people with hemophilia and other bleeding disorders were multiply-infected with HIV, hepatitis B and C, and a range of other blood-borne viruses. Over 2,000 people have since died and of the 1,243 people known to be infected with HIV less than 250 are still alive.

An official public inquiry was ordered last year by Prime Minister Theresa May.

Formally opening the inquiry on Sept. 24, Sir Brian Langstaff said that there still could be many people who arent aware that they have been infected.

There may yet be many thousands more who do not feel well but have not yet been told that the reason for this is that their life is threatened by hepatitis C, he told the inquiry.

Many victims of the scandal testified via video recordings at preliminary hearings on Sept. 25. One woman described being left stunned after she became infected with HIV through her husband, who was a hemophiliac.

This was the mid-1980s and the climate of fear, discrimination, and stigma associated with HIV and AIDS was horrendous, she said. We coped the best we could. We were silenced, and we kept quiet.

Michelle Tolley, a core participant in the inquiry, described the scandal as the worst tragedy in the history of the NHS, adding, Every day, I wake up with a death sentence hanging over me.

Evidence will be heard starting in spring 2019, and the inquiry is expected to last 15 months.Democratic National Committee Deputy Chair Rep. Keith Ellison at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 8, 2018. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Top-Ranking Democrats Silent on Keith Ellison Abuse Claims

While high-ranking Democrats have spoken out over last-minute allegations against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, they have remained silent with regard to domestic-abuse claims against their colleague, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).

Ellison, who is running for attorney general of Minnesota and serves as the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), has been accused of physical and verbal abuse by ex-girlfriend Karen Monahan, an organizer for an environmental organization.

In August, Monahan told The Epoch Times that Ellison had morphed into a different person over the years they were together. On Sept. 23, she accused Ellison of trying to discredit and silence her after she spoke out. She said Democrats have ignored her claims.

Ive been smeared, threatened, isolated from my own party, she said.

Monahan has since provided medical records from 2017, when she told her therapist about the abuse on two separate visits.

My therapist released records stating I have been dealing [with] and healing from the abuse, she wrote.

The office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who has led the charge against Kavanaugh as the Judiciary Committee ranking member, didnt respond to a request for comment on the allegations against Ellison. Other top-ranking Democrats have continued to remain silent.

Ellison said on Sept. 21 that Monahan fabricated the story about him.

While running to become the states attorney general in the upcoming general election, Ellis has dismissed Monahans medical records, saying they were dated a year after he broke up with her. One of the records is dated June 17, 2017, and the other, Nov. 28, 2017. Monahan said they broke up in January 2017.

Ellison alleged that at the time that she was essentially putting together the allegation that was then released days before the Minnesota primary.

During a PBS-hosted debate with his Republican opponent Doug Wardlow, Ellison said he isnt sure if other people wouldnt cook up more allegations against him, given this political environment.

Monahan Presses On

Monahan responded sharply to Ellisons rebuttals, saying she had more evidence.

This isnt 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., she wrote on Twitter. You know I have the video and more. I am still trying to offer grace and a way out.

The video she was referring to was from an incident in 2016, when she recorded Ellison flying into a rage and dragging her off her bed after she had calmly confronted him over a lie. Her son, Austin, also confirmed witnessing the video in a lengthy Facebook post, detailing how he accidentally stumbled upon the video and how he confronted his mother about it.

My brother and I watched our mom come out of pure hell after getting out of her relationship with Keith Ellison, he wrote.

He wrote that Monahan didnt want to go public at the time because she still saw [Ellisons] humanity and offered restorative justice.

He wrote that the experience convinced him Democrats dont deliver on their promises of standing up against violence toward women and girls.

The same people who are posting about social justice are ready to smear my mom, protect a person who abused her and broke the law, he wrote.

Ellison denied the existence of the video.

Monahan also says she has text messages documenting Ellisons behavior after their breakup.

I broke up with Keith in Jan. 2017, he tried to get me back for a year, I refused. I have text to show this, she wrote in a Sept. 23 tweet. Watch how he and others are trying to spin this story. It is sad, disgusting and he will end up humiliating him and his family further.

Minnesota Public Radio News reviewed the messages and reported no evidence of the alleged physical abuse. But a screenshot of one December 2017 text message shared by Monahan on Twitter shows her confronting Ellison about the video.

We never discussed  the video I have of you trying to drag me off the bed, Monahan wrote in the text.US President Donald Trump looks at the crowd during a rally at JQH Arena in Springfield, Missouri on Sept. 21, 2018. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump Administration Issues New Cyber Strategy to Safeguard US Interests

The Trump administration is going on the offensive in cyberspace to deter adversaries from harming U.S. interests, according to a newly released cybersecurity strategy released by the White House.

China, in particular, was called out for engaging in cyber-enabled economic espionage and trillions of dollars of intellectual property theft.

Described as the first fully articulated White House policy in 15 years, the new National Cyber Strategy (PDF), signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Sept. 20, outlines four pillars: defending the American people, the homeland, and the American way of life; promoting U.S. prosperity; preserving peace through strength; and advancing U.S. influence.

The offensive will focus on directly counteringthrough cyber and non-cyber meansmalicious actors, including strategic adversaries, rogue states, territories, and criminal networks, to deter future cyber aggression. Examples include court prosecutions and economic sanctions.

The Trump administration also intends to empower federal departments and agencies with necessary legal authorities and resources to tackle transnational cyber-criminal activities, including identifying and dismantling botnets, dark markets, and other infrastructure used to enable cybercrime, and combating economic espionage.

A botnet is a system of hacked computers and internet-connected devices that can be controlled for illicit purposes, such as carrying out DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, which flood the target with overwhelming traffic in order to disable a computer network.

In the strategy, four countriesRussia, Iran, North Korea, and Chinaare identified as undermining the U.S. economy and democracy, stealing U.S. intellectual property, and sowing discord in the American democratic process.

According to data by the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property (also known as the IP Commission), theft of trade secrets costs the U.S. economy $180 billion to $540 billion annually.

Were going to do a lot of things offensively, and I think our adversaries need to know that, said national security adviser John Bolton in a briefing on Sept. 20.

Our hands are not tied, as they were in the Obama administration.

In August, the Trump administration rescinded an Obama-era directive, known as the Presidential Policy Directive 20 (PPD-20), which established an exhaustive approval process that the military must navigate in order to launch hacking operations, according to Reuters.

The new cyber strategy calls for specific measures to protect government networks and contractor systems. For example, contractors risk management systems will be subject to review by the federal government for the purpose of safeguarding sensitive government information hosted on contractors networks.

U.S. networks have been attacked before by Chinese entities. In June 2015, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was breached by a cyber attack that compromised the personal records of roughly 4.2 million current and former federal employees. According to NBC News, the leading suspect behind that attack is China.

In June 2018, a hacking campaign launched from computers in China breached satellite operators, defense contractors, and telecommunication companies in the United States and southeast Asia.

Another measure listed in the Cyber Strategy is securing the governments technology supply chain by creating a supply-chain risk assessment shared service, which will allow better information sharing among departments and agencies.

In April, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission found that the top seven U.S. IT equipment suppliers to the federal government get 51 percent of their tech parts from Chinawhich the commission said poses a great risk to U.S. national security.

The administration also will work with the private sector to protect seven key U.S. sectors: national security, energy and power, banking and finance, health and safety, communications, information technology, and transportation.

Lastly, the White House seeks to work with Congress to update cybercrime-related legislation, including to law enforcements capabilities to lawfully gather necessary evidence of criminal activity, disrupt criminal infrastructure through civil injunctions, and impose appropriate consequences upon malicious cyber actors.

Just two days prior to the White Houses release, the Pentagon released its own document calling for a proactive and all-out approach to counter cyber threats from Russia and China. The Defense Department said it would engage in day-to-day competition to preserve U.S. military advantages and to defend U.S. interests.

Watch Next:

Communist Chinas Secret Blueprint to Destroy America

Communist China is quietly waging a war against the United StatesTrump Scolds Democrats for Playing Con Game to Obstruct Kavanaugh Confirmation

President Donald Trump offered a scathing criticism of Democrats over their treatment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing unsubstantiated last-minute allegations from two accusers.

I think it is horrible what the Democrats have done. It is a con game, they are really con artists, Trump told reporters after his speech at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 25.

The president also cast doubt on Kavanaughs accusers, calling their claims totally unsubstantiated.

She was totally inebriated and all messed up, and she doesnt know. It might have been him, or it might have been him. Gee, lets not make him a Supreme Court judge, Trump said, referencing the second accuser, Deborah Ramirez. This is a con game being played by the Democrats.

The first accuser, Christine Ford, is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 27.

All of the alleged witnesses named by both accusers have denied any memory of the supposed events. In Fords case, three witnesses provided written denials of the allegations to the committee under penalty of felony. Kavanaugh denied the allegations in person before the committee a day after The Wshington Post published her account.

The presidents latest defense of his nominee to the nations highest court comes on the heels of a televised interview granted by Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley, to Fox News.

In the segment, Kavanaugh said that he never sexually assaulted anyone and denied all allegations against him. The couple also shared about their duress in the face of the media frenzy and death threats.

Its very difficult to have these conversations with your children, which weve had to have, Ashley Kavanaugh said.

Kavanaugh reaffirmed that the unsubstantiated allegations against him wont deter him from continuing in the confirmation process. He refrained from commenting on the Democrats effort to derail his nomination.

All Im asking for is fairness and that I be heard in this process, he added. I have faith in God and faith in the American people, Kavanaugh said.

Hours before Trumps comments on Sept. 25, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders ramped up criticism of the last-minute accusations.

I think the process that the Democrats have played has been absolutely appalling and disgusting, Sanders told Fox News, adding that Ford wanted to keep the matter private before the Democrats leaked her letter to the press.

Theyve waited until the last minute. Theyve made this a huge public circus and frankly hurt two different families lives that theyll never be able to be the same, because of the way that they have operated this process.

Trumps first Supreme Court nominee, now-Justice Neil Gorsuch, filled the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a solid conservative. Kavanaugh, on the other hand, would, if confirmed, replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was seen as a swing vote on the court after he sided with the liberal side of the bench on some key cases.

The chaos surrounding the confirmation battle unfolds with less than two months left before the midterm elections in November, where Republicans are looking to hold on to majorities in the House and Senate. Confirming Kavanaugh before the elections would be a boon for Republicans, while a delay in the process past the midterms could make the road tougher for the nominee if the Democrats retake control of the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) indicated on Sept. 24, that Kavanaughs confirmation vote is a hill he would be willing to die on, indicating that he will schedule a floor vote on the nomination after hearing from Kavanaugh and Ford on Sept. 27.

McConnell also excoriated the Democrats for a disturbing pattern of bringing forth accusations.

It goes like this: Number one, our Democratic colleagues on the Judiciary Committee get wind ofor maybe even go looking fora sensitive allegation. Second, they decline to share it with the majority, meaning the committee cannot promptly take appropriate action. And third, they allow the allegation to leak to the press at the last moment, McConnell said.

The American people know that sexual misconduct is gravely serious, McConnell added. But the American people also insist that vague, unsubstantiated, and uncorroborated allegations of 30-plus-year-old misconductwhere all the supposed witnesses either totally deny it or cant confirm itis nowhere near grounds to nullify someones career or destroy their good name. Justice matters. Evidence matters. The facts matter.

The Judiciary Committee has hired a female attorney to conduct the questioning of Kavanaugh and Ford.

McConnell told reporters on Sept. 25 that he believes Kavanaugh will be confirmed.

Were going to be moving forward. Im confident were going to win, confident that hell be confirmed in the very near future, McConnell, said. I believe hell be confirmed, yes.President Donald Trump speaks during the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 25, 2018. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump Talks Patriotism Over Globalism in UN Speech

NEW YORKBuilding on his inaugural United Nations speech last year, President Donald Trump expressed his desire for a world where nations protect their sovereignty, but show tolerance toward other countries.

Trumps address to the General Assembly session on Sept. 25 lasted about 30 minutes and touched on his domestic successes with the economy and jobs, before moving onto foreign affairs.

The United States is stronger, safer, and a richer country than it was when I assumed office less than two years ago, Trump said. We are standing up for America and for the American people. And we are also standing up for the world. This is great news for our citizens and for peace-loving people everywhere.

Trump took a strong stance against globalism, while denouncing socialism and communism.

Virtually everywhere socialism or communism has been tried, it has produced suffering, corruption, and decay, he said. America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination.

Over the past year, the United States has pulled out of the Paris climate accord, the U.N. Human Rights Council, and the Iran nuclear deal; has denounced the International Criminal Court; and has refused to participate in the new Global Compact on migration.

We will never surrender Americas sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy, Trump said.

About the Global Compact on migration, he said, Ultimately, the only long-term solution to the migration crisis is to help people build more hopeful futures in their home countries. Make their countries great again.

Only by upholding national borders, destroying criminal gangs, can we break this cycle and establish a real foundation for prosperity.

Trump said he is working with Latin American countries to confront threats to national sovereignty from uncontrolled migration.

Socialism and Communism

Trump blamed socialism for the chaos in Venezuela, where more than 2 million people have fled the Maduro regime.

Not long ago, Venezuela was one of the richest countries on Earth. Today, socialism has bankrupted the oil-rich nation and driven its people into abject poverty, he said. Socialisms thirst for power leads to expansion, incursion, and oppression. All nations of the world should resist socialism and the misery that it brings to everyone.

The president announced a new raft of sanctions to go into effect immediately against Maduros inner circle and close advisers.

Foreign Aid

Trump also said that the United States wont pay more than 25 percent toward the U.N.s peacekeeping budget, We need other countries to step up.

He has also directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to look at the foreign-aid packages the United States distributes.

We will only give foreign aid to those who respect us and who are our friends, he said. He said the U.N. has unlimited potential, but only when each of us does our part, can we realize the UNs highest aspirations.

Terrorism

The president mentioned progress with North Korea, the ISIS terrorist group, and the Middle East. He said the United States will respond if the Assad regime deploys chemical weapons, and slammed Iran for its backing of terrorism. Additional sanctions against the Iranian regime will go into effect on Nov. 5.

We cannot allow the worlds leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planets most dangerous weapons. We cannot allow a regime that chants Death to America, and that threatens Israel with annihilation, to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on Earth, he said.

We ask all nations to isolate Irans regime as long as its aggression continues. And we ask all nations to support Irans people as they struggle to reclaim their religious and righteous destiny.

Trump said it is ultimately up to the nations in the region to decide what kind of future they want.

Energy and Trade

Trump heralded the importance of being energy independent, while admonishing Germany for its plan to become dependent on Russia for the bulk of its energy via a new pipeline. He also called for OPEC to lower oil prices and contribute to military protection.

The president criticized unfair trade practices, saying the United States has been taken advantage of for decades and that he is currently reworking trade dealsstarting with Mexico and South Korea.

Many nations in this hall will agree that the world trading system is in dire need of change, he said.

Trump singled out China as a trade-abuser, saying that the United States lost 3 million factory jobs and 60,000 manufacturing jobs to China after the latter joined the WTO in 2001.

Those days are over. We will no longer tolerate so much abuse, Trump said. The United States has set tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese-made goods so far.

He wrapped up his speech by talking about sovereignty and independence.

America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism, he said. Responsible nations must defend against threats to sovereignty not just from global governance, but also from other, new forms of coercion and domination.

Together, let us choose a future of patriotism, prosperity, and pride.A military honor guard holds the Taiwanese national flag at a flag-raising ceremony at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei on March 16, 2018. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

US Approves $330 Million Sale of Military Equipment to Taiwan, Drawing Anger From Beijing

WASHINGTONThe U.S. State Department has approved the sale to Taiwan of spare parts for F-16 fighter planes and other military aircraft worth as much as $330 million, a deal that sparked admonishment from the Chinese regime on Sept. 25.



U.S. military sales to self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, is an irritant in the relations between the worlds two largest economies. Taiwan will still need to finalize details of the sale with U.S. companies.

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 Pentagons Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement on Sept. 24.

As with prior U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, China voiced strong opposition and has already lodged stern representations with the United States, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily news briefing in Beijing.

While the United States recognizes Beijing as the official government of China, it continually equips Taiwan with weaponry to assist the island in self-defense against Beijings continued military threats.

The Chinese Communist Party considers Taiwan a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland one dayusing military force, if necessary.

In a statement on Sept. 25, Taiwans Presidential Office thanked the United States for its support and said the island would continue to stay in close communication and cooperation with Washington for issues, including security.

Military experts say the balance of power between Taiwan and China has shifted in favor of China, which could probably overwhelm the island unless U.S. forces were to respond quickly in support.

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 program support, the Pentagon said, adding that it notified Congress of the possible sale. Lockheed Martin makes the F-16.

The Pentagon said the proposed sale is required to maintain Taiwans defensive and aerial fleet, and wont alter the military balance in the region.

By Mohammad Zargham, Yimou Lee & Ben BlanchardOz Griebel, the former Hartford business leader who is making a long-shot independent run for governor, paid nearly $300,000 in federal taxes over the last three years, according to summary sheets of his IRS returns for 2015, 2016 and 2017 released Tuesday by the candidate.

Griebels transparency, however, did little to nudge the two front runners  Democrat Ned Lamont and Republican Bob Stefanowski  to give reporters a peak at the two businessmens financial records.

In his last three returns, on income close to $400,000 a year, Griebel paid $94,925 in federal taxes in 2017, $93,026 in 2017 and $99.493 in 2015, the summaries, prepared by Hartford accounting firms indicate.

A spokesman for Stefanowski reiterated the candidates week-old comment supporting the eventual release of his recent tax records. Asked again on Tuesday, Stefanowskis campaign remained vague.

Yes, Bob plans to release his income tax summaries as well, said Kendall Marr, the spokesman, who did not respond to a request for further details.

Informed that Griebel had released his summary sheets, Lamont said he will not open up his records until Stefanowski does the same.

Ive been very clear, Lamont told reporters. Ill put those out at the exact same time that Bob does. Bob, you pick a time and a place and Ill be there. You give your 1040, give your Schedule A, they can see whether youve been paying your taxes. They can see whether youve been generous to the state, or generous to charities; what type of person you are. Thats something I think we should do.

Lamont said he wanted to prod Stefanowski.

 Id like to give Bob a little leverage to do it, Lamont said. Hes a little Trumpy, you know. Trump said hed do it too and he never did it. You choose the time and place. Im ready to release.

The three candidates will meet in a debate Wednesday night on the campus of the University of Connecticut.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter @KenDixonCTBETHANY BEACH, Del. -- Mark Judge has been conspicuously absent for more than a week: Named as the only witness to an alleged sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, he has not been seen and has said little beyond a statement released by a lawyer saying he recalled no such incident.

A high school friend of Kavanaugh's, Judge has been absent from his Maryland residence for days as Democratic lawmakers and accuser Christine Blasey Ford have demanded that Republicans summon him before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions under oath.

On Monday, a Washington Post reporter found Judge holed up in the house of a longtime friend in Bethany Beach, nearly three hours away. A car in the driveway contained piles of clothing, a collection of Superman comics and a package addressed to Judge at the Potomac, Maryland, home where he lived three years ago.

"How'd you find me?" he said.

The reporter gestured to the car packed with belongings. Judge declined to comment further.

Barbara "Biz" VanGelder, Judge's lawyer, said she instructed Judge to leave the Washington, D.C., area last week because of an onslaught of criticism and media questions. At the time, the conservative blogger's life and writings were beginning to come under scrutiny, leading to charges of misogyny and worse.

"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."

VanGelder said Judge waited to leave town until after the hearing date and witnesses were announced.

Judge, 54, has chronicled the debauchery of his 1980s high school years as a student at Georgetown Preparatory School, where he was the self-proclaimed treasurer of the "100 Kegs or Bust" club.

In his 1997 memoir, "Wasted: Tales of a Gen X Drunk," he wrote of high school "masturbation class," said he "lusted after girls" at Catholic schools and referenced a passed-out "Bart O'Kavanaugh," who drank too much and once threw up in a car.

On Sept. 16, The Washington Post published an article in which Ford identified herself publicly for the first time and detailed her claim that, in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her at a high school party as Judge looked on. By her account, no one else was in the room.

Kavanaugh has denied the allegation.

While negotiating her possible appearance before the Judiciary Committee, Ford's legal team has urged the panel to compel Judge to testify, while Republicans have insisted that the hearing be limited to Ford and Kavanaugh.

Ford's supporters noted that hearing from witnesses would more closely resemble how the committee handled Anita Hill's accusations against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991.

"The Republicans refuse to even put him on the witness list so we can ask any questions about what he remembers," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said on ABC's "This Week." ". . . I think the Republicans have shown their uneasiness with their own defense by refusing to allow Mark Judge to testify."

In a letter to the committee, Judge said that he did not wish to speak publicly and that he has "no memory of this alleged incident."

"Brett Kavanaugh and I were friends in high school but I do not recall the party described in Dr. Ford's letter," Judge wrote. "More to the point, I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes."

Republicans held to their position. "No reason to" call him, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "He's already said what he's going to say."

On Sunday, the Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote to Ford's lawyers that only the committee "determines which witnesses to call, how many witnesses to call, in what order to call them, and who will question them. These are non-negotiable."

Ford and Kavanaugh are now scheduled to testify Thursday - without Judge.NORWALK  During a panel discussion before a neighborhood group Monday evening, speakers blamed zoning regulations, parking policies and unkept promises for Wall Streets economic difficulties.

Half-finished projects, buildings that are going into disrepair, and its not because the property owners are bad people and they dont want to invest in their properties, said Jackie Lightfield, drawing applause. They just dont believe that anything is going to change, and thats because there is no transparency or trust with what the city says its going to do, with what the Redevelopment Agency says its going to do, or what the developers say theyre going to do.

Lightfield, co-founder of the community development organization Norwalk 2.0 and a past chairwoman of the citys zoning commission, was one of four panelists who assessed and laid out their visions for Norwalks downtown during the discussion hosted by the Norwalk Coalition of Neighborhood Associations at Wall Street Theater on Monday evening.

The three other panelists, Wall Street building owner and businessman Michael McGuire of Austin McGuire Real Estate, commercial real estate developer Jason Milligan and Norwalk Redevelopment Agency Director Timothy Sheehan, also sat on the panel.

Sheehan said more than 1,000 apartments and 78,000 square feet of commercial space have been added to the Wall Street-West Avenue corridor since 2006 through projects such as Waypointe, The Berkeley and Head of the Harbor.

At the same time, the redevelopment agency identified weaknesses in the area. They include ground-floor vacancies, a car-dominant atmosphere and limited access to the Norwalk River waterfront.

While the renovated Wall Street Theater is one of the areas bright spots, empty storefronts and the half-completed 102-unit apartment building behind the theater  the first phase of Wall Street Place  illustrate how much further the neighborhood must go. Citibank acquired the Wall Street Place parcels after developer POKO Partners stopped construction in 2016.

Milligan said the city hasnt put pressure on the bank to restart the project. Instead, he said, the city wont allow him to reuse properties he purchased or is contracted to purchase in the area. They include Fairfield County Bank at 69 Wall St., where hed like to create third-floor apartments.

Small scale, preserve the history, three stories, said Milligan, pointing at an image of his proposal cast across a screen at the back of the theater stage area. Can I build it? No, I cant build it. I literally cannot give the city what it wants. The rules are too convoluted. Theyre over the top.

Milligan said a dentist is ready to sign a lease for his property at 97 Wall St., but city zoning regulations wont allow such a use there.

McGuire, who renovated the historic building at 64 Wall St., said Wall Street Place wont work as planned. He said a train station and tech-savvy millennials are whats needed to reinvigorate Wall Street.

What do businesses need? McGuire said. They need tech-savvy millennial workers and with that tech-savvy millennials like urban areas. They prefer them to be a bit gritty. But definitely what they must have is access within walking distance of a train station.

About 80 people, including business owners, several Republican candidates and a former elected official attended the discussion.

Former Councilman Steve Serasis said he was shocked to learn that the Norwalk Parking Authority had begun cumulative enforcement in the Wall Street neighborhood. Drivers who park, leave and return are ticketed if their total time exceeds the 2-hour limit, he said.

Now were not even at the point where we have a beautiful downtown where people are coming down. We have the Wall Street Theater thats gorgeous, Serasis said. But what if youre coming from Hartford and you want to hang out here during the day? You might get a ticket before you even come to the show.

On parking, the panelists disagreed. McGuire faulted the city for removing parking meters, which he said are needed to drive turnover of spaces for visitors and businesses. He questioned the Parking Authority for its size and $6.8 million budget.

If you come here and get a ticket, are you coming back here? I dont think so, McGuire said. How many people here used to go to SoNo all the time but stopped because of parking issues? Raise your hands.

Hands went up among many in attendance.

Lightfield, however, disagreed with McGuires assessment.

Focusing on one thing instead of focusing on what would get businesses to thrive here is a philosophical difference, Lightfield said. What we should be doing is investing in the businesses that are here and that want to be here. And everyone in this room can play a part in that and that part that you can play is actually frequenting the businesses that are here.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 companys 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 gunmans motive remains a mystery.

Tong had lived in Wisconsin for a short time after moving there from South Dakota. Before that, he lived in Jacksonville until about 1999, graduating in 1993 from Jacksonville High School.

He did not have any court or police records on file. Several people who remembered Tong from his school days here posted similar messages, saying he was quiet and never seemed to smile.

Isaac Hall told the Wisconsin State Journal newspaper 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 often studied in the library and was interested in computers.

He was quieter than maybe some people are, but I dont know that he was any less sociable than I was, Schmidt said. He wasnt asocial. He did socialize with some people.

Court documents filed in South Dakota show a judge revoked Tongs 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 hospitals mental health unit on a 24-hour hold.

Police discovered a cache of gun parts and ammunition in Tongs Madison home following the shootings.An update to Illinois smoke detector law could force homeowners to make an upgrade.

The revised state law requires an alarm with a 10-year sealed battery be installed in all dwellings that dont already have hardwired smoke detectors. That means many homes will be replacing the basic 9-volt battery units that have been around for some time.

Phil Zaleski, executive director of the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, says safety concerns drove the change.

In residential fire deaths, approximately 67 percent of the homes where someone is found dead, there is a smoke alarm that is not working or where a battery has been removed from the smoke alarm, Zaleski said. This removes the opportunity to disable the smoke alarm.

Zaleski said that units near the kitchen sometimes are turned off for convenience. The new alarms instead come equipped with a hush button that allows residents to temporarily turn off the smoke detector for 15 minutes.

Zaleski says more than 15 states around the country have a similar law, along with some major cities that have adopted an ordinance covering their residents. There

are upfront costs, as the 10-year units generally cost about $15, about three times as much as the basic 9-volt alarms. But Zaleski said the switch should save money over time.

With the 10-year battery, you never have to have those battery replacement costs, Zaleski said. So youre going to save yourself $40 or $50 over the life of each smoke alarm in your home. If you have a multi-level home with multiple bedrooms, that can add up.

Enforcement will be left largely to local authorities.

Its done at a local level, Zaleski said. It will be the responsibility of the fire departments. Whether they are responding to an EMS call inside a home or something else, hopefully they are looking for this when they enter a home.

While fines are technically possible for violations, Zaleski said hes never heard of an incident where thats been the outcome. He says its far more likely authorities will simply work with residents to find a solution.

A lot of the fire departments across the state have installation programs in place in which theyll actually bring out free smoke alarms to the residents and install them, Zaleski said. Theyre not looking to fine the residents, theyre not looking to make money.

Any home with hard-wired smoke detectors is exempt from the law, meaning most homes built since 1988 shouldnt have to make a change. Homes with smoke detectors running on a low-powered radio frequency or wi-fi dont have to comply.

Also exempt are Chicago residents, who received a carve-out from the mandate.

There was a bit of resistance when working with them, and what we didnt want to have happen is to not make a change for the other nine million residents in the state, Zaleski said. Its for everybody outside of the Chicago borders.

The deadline to make the switch is the end of 2022.Faculty and students in Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles School of Pharmacy received multiple accolades from the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists (ICHP) during its annual meeting held Sept. 13-15 in Chicago.

Carrie Vogler, PharmD, clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, was honored with the ICHP Shining Star Award. The ICHP Board of Directors selects the nominee and presents the award in recognition of an increased level of participation and initiative as an ICHP champion, division or committee member.

ICHP is built on volunteer efforts to push the profession of pharmacy forward, and I enjoy working with other great volunteers in that endeavor, Vogler said. In my role as director of marketing affairs for ICHP, I have made efforts to increase involvement within our Champion Program by getting Champions more involved with recruitment, retention and volunteerism within the organization.

Vogler spearheaded the ICHP Why Pharmacy marketing initiative, where individuals were encouraged to share on social media why they chose the profession of pharmacy. This social effort increased awareness about the value of pharmacy and emphasized why it is a great profession.

ICHP has allowed me to connect with pharmacists, student pharmacists and technicians within Illinois, and has provided educational programming that enhances my work in internal medicine, Vogler said.

The ICHP presented its Student Chapter Award to the SIUE Student Society for Health-Systems Pharmacists (SSHP). Chapter president Kaylee Poole, a fourth-year student from Rochester, expressed her excitement for the chapters achievement and noted its success in the ICHP Why Pharmacy effort.

We worked incredibly hard this entire year to make our chapter a strong contender for this award, Poole explained. Our executive board members were key to keeping track of everything from submitting board reports, organizing community service events and continuously engaging our chapter members.

Our participation in the ICHP Why Pharmacy social media competition really made us stand out, she added. We shared the stories of why 22 students and faculty members chose to become pharmacists on our Facebook page. Those posts were viewed more than 25,000 times.

The SSHP supports students seeking postgraduate training. The chapters faculty advisors are Lisa Lubsch, PharmD, clinical professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice, and Jingyang Fan, PharmD, assistant dean of academic affairs and clinical associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice.

Helping students along this path toward postgraduate training is one of the most rewarding pieces of my job, Lubsch said. We consistently have a great group of students who do wonderful work serving the SSHP. Beyond the collaboration and service, students grow their professional network through their involvement. Everyone says pharmacy is a small world, so these connections truly impact a students career.

In addition to networking, professional organizations provide students ample opportunities for leadership development and involvement in health policy advocacy, Fan added. The recognition our SSHP chapter received is richly deserved. Our students put in a lot of work to make this a great organization not only for pharmacy students, but also community members through their outreach initiatives.

Todays pharmacists improve patients lives through the medication and education they provide. Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum is nationally recognized as a model that offers students a unique combination of classroom education, research, community service and patient care. The School of Pharmacys areas of excellence include a drug design and discovery core; pediatric practice; chronic pain research and practice; and diabetes research and practice. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is addressing the growing need for highly trained pharmacists in a rapidly growing field.Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has selected MaKesha Harris Lee, EdD, as its first assistant director for pre-collegiate programs. During the 2017-18 academic year, the veteran SIUE academic advisor co-created and led the implementation of a 12-month pilot pre-collegiate program with SIUEs East St. Louis Charter High School.

As assistant director for pre-collegiate programs, Harris Lee will deliver pre-collegiate student success support, guidance and advising to students at East St. Louis and eventually other area high schools for aid in their preparation for the collegiate experience. She will also oversee the implementation of a summer success program for incoming students to aid in their transition to SIUE.

In her work with the Charter High School, Dr. Harris Lee took an idea of supporting students before their transition to college, and turned it into a program that helped support all students from freshmen through seniors in their exposure to collegiate readiness and the experience high school students need to prepare for that next step, said Kevin Thomas, EdD, SIUE director of retention and student success. During her five years as an academic advisor, Dr. Harris Lee has worked diligently to support her SIUE students. We look forward to working with her as these efforts expand.

Harris Lee was honored to co-develop and pilot the Pre-Collegiate Program. The collaboration between our team and the SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School, created a pathway that provided engaging, hands-on opportunities for post-secondary preparation, she said. It was exciting to not only provide these experiences for students, but to also be intentional in sharing college preparatory information with parents/guardians, specifically as it related to SIUE.

Harris Lee noted the importance of the programming in relation to the rising number of high school students who are under-prepared for transitioning to college. My mission as the assistant director for pre-collegiate programs and the implementation of a summer success program is to provide support for access to post-secondary education, as well as promote the many resources we have at SIUE to help them thrive in their holistic development as future college students, she said.

Pamela Saffore, SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School guidance counselor, pointed to the Pre-Collegiate Partnership between SIUE and the Charter High School as a great opportunity for students to become aware of everything offered at the collegiate level. For instance, the exposure to learn about study abroad programs helped a students decision to participate in a program in Finland during this past summer, she said. Meanwhile, the students were exposed to life on a college campus and met with advisors who answered questions based upon student interest.

The students were also able to attend the career fair and see the connection between attending college and job placement in various fields. Having that type of exposure sets the students ahead, allows them to imagine the next step after college, and learn which companies seek college students for internships, co-ops and jobs after graduation.

A Centralia native, Harris Lee joined SIUE in January 2014 as an advisor in the Office of Academic Advising. In 2015, she became a co-facilitator of the Sister Circle mentoring program for first-year women of color, which received the 2017 Great Lakes Association of College & University Housing Officers (GLACUHO) Outstanding Project of the Year Award. In 2016, she became a member-at-large for the new SIUE Black Faculty and Staff Association.

Prior to arriving on the SIUE campus, Harris Lee served as the academic advisor for the TRIO Student Support Services program at Kaskaskia College, and a study skills and career development instructor at both Eastern Illinois University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Harris Lee earned a bachelors in education and a masters in college student affairs from Eastern Illinois University. In 2017, she earned a doctorate in higher education leadership at Maryville University in St. Louis.Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.Lop off! Patong Mayor tells rumour-mongers over beachfront trees felled

PHUKET: Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup has responded to rumours that trees along the Patong beachfront have been cut down because they obscured views of the bay from a nearby resort.

patongweatherenvironment

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 25 September 2018, 06:20PM

The trees were cut down for safety reasons, explained Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup. Photo: Supplied

Instead, Mayor Chalermluck has explained that the trees were cut down for safety after many of them suffered damage by the recent barrage of storm weather that has slammed the west coast.

The buzz began online yesterday morning (Sept 24) when social media posts started accusing Patong Municipality of cutting down the trees for the benefit of a resort near the beachfront.

Some people also questioned why the trees, all pines, were cut down considering that they still had many years to live.

It was necessary for Patong Municipality to cut down these trees because they were broken by the strong wind. It was for safety, Mayor Chalermluck told The Phuket News Thai-language sister newspaper Khao Phuket.

The contractor hired to carry out the beachfront lopping is to first remove any dangerous trees from the Loma Park area, then any other areas deemed necessary as Patong officials carry out their inspections, she explained.

We are mainly focussing on the pine trees, but other trees may have to be cut down as well, Mayor Chalermluck said.

I have ordered the team to look out for as many dangerous trees as they can, she added.

Photos of the trees that have already been cut down may cause many people to be confused because they were cut down so quickly and without notice, Mayor Chalermluck admitted.

The municipality will collect all the felled branches later, she said, adding that the cleaning up operation was expected to be completed today (Sept 25).Man arrested after couples disappearance

PHRAE: Police found a pickup truck owned by a missing British millionaire (previously reported as Australian) and his Thai wife yesterday (Sept 24), and arrested the womans brother in connection with the couples disappearance.

crimepolicetransport

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 25 September 2018, 08:41AM

The previously disappeared white pickup truck belonging to missing couple Alan Hogg of Britain and his Thai wife, Nod Suddaen (inset), is shown yesterday (Sept 24) at Phra That Chor Hae Police Station in Phrae. Photo: Taweesak Sukkasem

Retired British national Alan Hogg, 64, and his wife Nod Suddaen, 61, were reported missing last Thursday (Sept 20).

Warut Satchakit, Mr Hoggs brother-in-law, was arrested by the police after CCTV footage allegedly showed him entering the couples home and driving away with the truck on the morning of the couples disappearance.

He was released after his relatives posted B100,000 bail.

When investigators went to the couples home in Phraes Muang district, they noticed their white Ford pickup truck was also missing.

The couple is known to have lived in their large compound, comprising a two-storey house and a cattle yard, for years.

Police found bloodstains on the floor around a sink and in a washroom near the swimming pool. A charging mobile phone was also found at the scene.

Phrae police chief Maj Gen Sanpat Prabpudsa said sniffer dogs have been sent to the scene and police are checking contacts found listed in the phone, in the hope of shedding light on the mystery.

Items found at the house were collected by the police as evidence.

Maj Gen Sanpat said the truck was impounded in Ayutthaya on Sunday (Sept 23), and returned to Phra That Chor Hae Police Station yesterday for forensic work.

The vehicle is registered in the wifes name.

Investigators found that 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 he learnt from media reports that police were looking for the vehicle, Maj Gen Sanpat said.

The man turned the truck over to police in Ayutthaya on Sunday. He and the two sellers were then taken to Phra That Chor Hae Police Station to be interrogated.

Col Amorn Kwangpaen, an investigator at Phra That Chor Hae Police Station, said that last Thursday investigators found a backhoe near a hole that had been dug and then filled in.

The hole was excavated, but police did not find signs of any bodies buried there.

A person, whose name was not disclosed, reported the couple missing last Thursday, telling police the couple had not been answering messages or phone calls since last Tuesday (Sept 18), when they were supposed to meet in Chiang Mai.

Read original story here.Watertown resident explains how immigration affects all

For November, Teresa Ann Wolf, will be at the Mexico border helping to provide temporary shelter and feed refugees and immigrants.MONTREALTransat A.T. has taken its first concrete step toward getting shovels in the sand on its $750-million plan to develop a hotel chain in the Riviera Maya and the Caribbean, announcing a deal Tuesday to buy land on Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula.

The Montreal-based travel company said it aims to build a beach resort on a newly purchased lot in the village of Puerto Morelos  less than 40 kilometres from Cancun  and on an adjacent property, for which it has signed a promissory agreement.

The combined deal would cost between US$54 million and US$57 million, Transat said.

Chief executive Jean-Marc Eustache has said he plans to spend his final year or so with the company he co-founded in 1987 putting together a network of hotels he hopes will better position the holiday tour operator against heightened competition from Canadian rivals.

Our companys future growth will be built on hotel development and, obviously, the strength of our leisure travel business, Eustache said in a release.

The company, under the watch of his replacement and chief operating officer Annick Guerard, said it hopes to own or manage 5,000 rooms in Mexico and the Caribbean by 2024, in a bid to defend its turf against Air Canada Rouge, WestJet Vacations and Sunwing.

For sure we will make money with the hotels. Thats where the money is today, Eustache said on an earnings call with investors earlier this month.

Over the past few years, Transat has simplified its fleet to give it more flexibility, improved its digital footprint, beefed up the number of trips it sells directly and improved revenue management.

Last October, it sold its 35 per cent stake in its Ocean Hotels joint venture for $186 million. The next month, Transat signed a deal to sell its Jonview Canada subsidiary to a Japanese company for $44 million.

Headwinds hit the company in May and June, as a fuel spike sent the carrier on course to its least profitable third quarter in a decade.

Transat says the promissory land deal in the Yucatan is expected to close about Nov. 1.

Located on the Riviera Maya, the palm-lined port town of Puerto Morelos sits between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, and about a 20-minute drive from Cancun International Airport  an important lever to attract customers, said Benoit Poirier of Desjardins Capital Markets.

The area already hosts about 85 hotels, but only one five-star hotel, Poirier said, making the project an excellent opportunity for Transat to establish its presence and differentiate itself in the luxury-brand range.

After talking with management, Poirier forecast the beachside resort would, in five years, yield between US$30 million and US$34 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

He said the two properties could support up to 900 rooms, which he estimated would cost between $US200 million and US$225 million to build.

Construction, which Poirier expects would be paid for entirely with Transats excess cash on hand, is expected to start between seven and nine months from now, with an opening date of winter 2020-21, he said.

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Read more about:Canada has been trying to grow its innovation sector for decades and prove that it can compete on the worlds stage, but Shopifys founder believes the country shouldnt be too quick to celebrate when U.S. technology giants head north of the border.

Tobi Lutke outlined his frustration at how Canadian talent and intellectual property seeps out of the country in a Tuesday interview with The Canadian Press, where he touched on the dangers of U.S. technology brands starting up branch offices in Canada.

We want them, but it isnt as good as people think it is, he said, when asked about recent hype around announcements including Uber Technologies Inc.s plans to open a new engineering hub and expand its self-driving vehicle centre in Toronto and Amazon Inc.s efforts to expand its Vancouver technology hub.

When U.S. businesses open in Canada, Lutke said, many of them poach the countrys top talent, causing salaries to increase, but making it difficult for smaller Canadian companies to compete.

The businesses often end up acquiring the countrys intellectual property, which can be problematic too.

All of that value will accrue to the U.S. economy, he complained.

Lutke chairs the federal governments economy strategy table for digital industries. The industry-led group, which includes executives from Canadian companies Wattpad, Element AI and Sightline Innovation, is meant to help guide efforts to attract more high-tech jobs to the country.

In a report, the group recommended setting goals to triple the number of Canadian firms earning $100 million in annual revenue from 58 to 172, double the number of women enrolled in post-secondary information communication technology programs and increase graduation from computer and software disciplines by 300 per cent.

Canadian companies need to overcome being slow to adopt technology, having a severely limited pool of science technology engineering and math (STEM) talent and a national scarcity of executive talent with experience scaling up businesses, the report said.

A German immigrant whose business is based in Ottawa and has 3,000 employees in Canada, Lutke has long championed Canadian innovation.

Speaking at the Elevate technology festival in Toronto, Lutke said his dream is to build a technology sector in Canada that is so strong that when people arrive in the country they feel like they just stepped off a time machine because the country is so innovative.

Of the 40,000 Canadian technology companies, 98 per cent are considered to be micro, Lutke said, while emphasizing that helping micro companies grow is key.

And though theres plenty of work that he said the country has to do, he added, Canada is not in a bad spot globally.

I dont feel Canada is that far behind.Using Expedia, one of the worlds largest online travel agencies, is convenient. Your flights, hotels, rental cars and insurance plans are on the same page.

But you can also face challenges when dealing with such a large company.

Ive pulled together recent complaints and Expedias response, extrapolating lessons for other travellers.

Speak up if the price plunges after you book.

Patrick Xie is a loyal Expedia customer. He was upset to see he paid substantially more for a trip to Jamaica with his family, and wasnt told of a lower-priced option available at the site.

On Aug. 2, when he checked the Expedia.ca website, he found Sunwing Vacations had the best price for a one-week package at the Grand Palladium Resort in Montego Bay.

He called Expedia and booked for two adults and two children, paying $4,630.

Later, he noticed Air Canada Vacations had a package at the same dates and same resort for $4,039 (with one child staying free and the other at a discount).

I understand there are price fluctuations in the travel industry, but this is not a small price difference. Its 15 per cent more. I filed a complaint, but Expedia said nothing will be done for me.

The call centre agents provided the cheapest option available at the time of booking, but prices are subject to change at any time, said Expedia spokesperson Mary Zajac.

As a gesture of goodwill and due to Patricks continuing loyalty to Expedia, we have processed a refund of $508.60, which is equivalent to the difference in price. He is happy with the resolution.

Make sure you call Expedia.ca and not Expedia.com.

On May 9, Daryn Everett called Expedia to book flights and hotels with Air Transat to the Dominican Republic in late December.

He was making arrangements for his family of four and a related family of five.

He had no idea that he called the Expedia U.S. site, or more importantly, that there was a difference between sites, says Lindsay McKeown, whos with the other family.

When he provided Canadian addresses, the representative did not say he was booking the trip in U.S. dollars.

Confirmations were sent by email only to Daryn and did not mention U.S. dollars.

He did see a 31 per cent higher price than expected on his credit card statement, but by then hed passed Expedias time limit for free changes.

He bought travel insurance to cover cancellations, but their Air Transat package did not allow refunds for any reason.

Eventually, Daryns family got their money back under the travel insurance, since the Expedia call centre agent had mistakenly said the flights were refundable.

But Lindsays family was denied a refund, despite spending hours on the phone and social media arguing that both families should be treated the same way.

After I forwarded her complaint to Expedia, Lindsays family received a refund for the flights (almost $6,000 in Canadian dollars)  plus an apology for the currency mix-up and the sale of insurance that didnt cover nonrefundable flights.

We encourage travellers to double check the number they are calling to see whether this is from the Expedia.ca (Canadian) site or Expedia.com (U.S.) site to avoid any confusion or issues when it comes to the currency charge, Zajac said.

Check the spelling of all names on your booking.

Dany Friedman wasnt allowed to make an online booking for a trip to Jamaica, leaving the next day. So he called Expedia instead.

The agent had a problem since my wife has three middle names. He finally just used her initials for the three middle names, he said.

When he put both passports into an airport scanner, his Air Canada boarding pass was printed but his wifes didnt go through.

When he checked the booking, his wifes name was incorrectly shown as Judith AAF Friedman, instead of AAS Friedman.

Thats your agents fault, he told Expedia. On the phone, I repeated her names a few times to make sure he had them right.

He waited in line, then jumped the queue to reach an Air Canada booking agent. But with less than an hour before departure, the couple was denied boarding and had to buy tickets for a flight the next day.

The Air Canada agent advised him to leave his wifes middle names blank on the new booking. This worked fine when he left the next day, when he was asked simply to confirm his wifes three other names, as on the scanned passport.

After apologizing for the couples frustration, Expedia gave them a refund for the $150 in airline rebooking fees and a $200 voucher to compensate for the one day at the resort they didnt use.

If the names, flight times or anything else are incorrect, travellers should call customer service ASAP to take advantage of cancelling before midnight PST (Pacific Standard Time). This is the cancellation window Expedia offers, Zajac said.

My advice: Refunds may be hard to get, even with trip cancellation insurance.

Therefore, always scrutinize email confirmations when booking online or with a live agent. Contact Expedia immediately if you find mistakes since the time limit for corrections is very tight.

If you see a dollar amount, make sure to ask if it is in U.S. or Canadian dollars.

If you find a lower price for the same trip after you book, it doesnt hurt to ask for a fee-free rebooking. Cite your loyalty and ask for a goodwill gesture.My phone rarely rings, so when it does, I jump. But this call left me leaping outta my skin.

It was a robocall from the so-called Canada Revenue Agency, claiming to have a criminal case against me for tax fraud. The harsh, automated voice advised me to call back as soon as possible for this extremely serious and time sensitive matter or Id face legal consequences.

Id heard of the CRA phone scam, but I never expected to feel serious panic from it. The con is good: the scammers phone number was spoofed to display a CRA caller ID, and I felt serious stress to urgently call back.

In reality, my taxes are paid in full and I know the CRA doesnt collect taxes via robocalls or the other methods this scam operates under  SMS text messages seeking money, online forms offering tax refunds, emails requesting Interac e-transfers, and fraudulent Government of Canada letters delivered by post.

All of these scams are a form of phishing, a fraudulent attempt to get your personal or financial information by impersonating a known entity, such as a bank, business or government branch.

Using data collected from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), the Better Business Bureau (BBB) found that CRA income tax scams alone cost Canadians more than $5 million in 2017, and other variants of phishing and wire fraud topped their scam list with losses over $20 million.

Think you could identify a scammer masquerading as an organization or brand spoofing a company? Think again. A study by debit payment company Interac found a quarter of Canadians say they have clicked on a link that resulted in a phishing scam, while 64 per cent of respondents say they have felt tempted to click on a link they believed could be unsafe.

With scammers coming at you by email, over the phone, through social media channels, and even in SMS text messages, its important to be cautious. Heres how to identify financial fraud and steps to take if youve given personal information to a suspected fraudster.

Be suspicious. A reputable organization should never ask for your personal information through email or text. If you receive a letter, email, SMS or call requesting personal data or money, get in touch with the institution directly to confirm if theyve been contacting you. Never use the email links or callback numbers provided in the suspect message; only use contact information found directly on official websites.

Beware a sense of urgency. My CRA phishing call had many red flags, but the biggest was the threat of dire consequences if I didnt respond and send money right away. Financial scams often use urgent and threatening language to get you to respond immediately. Dont. The scammers goal is to catch you off guard and make you act based on fear instead of rational thought.

Red flags to watch for. Spelling mistakes, deals that seem too good to be true, wire transfer requests, and payment through Bitcoin or Apple iTunes cards are all red flags that should set off scam alarms. The same goes for generic messages starting with Dear Customer when the institution should clearly know who you are.

When you receive a phishing message, report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, and the institution being impersonated, to help organizations track fraudsters across the country. Always delete scam messages to avoid accidentally clicking a link or replying to an email.

If you suspect you may be the victim of fraud or have been tricked into giving personal or financial information, contact your financial institution to report the issue, change any compromised passwords, and contact the credit reporting bureaus Equifax and TransUnion to place fraud alerts on your accounts. The CAFC also advises you report any fraud to your local police.

Dont ever feel alone or embarrassed by being a victim of fraud. The BBB cites total losses for Canadians at $100 million to scammers  and that was just last year. With fewer than 5 per cent of victims reporting the crime, the number is likely much higher.

Stay safe.Ontario midwives won a historic victory in a groundbreaking pay equity case Monday, after a tribunal ruled the governments failure to proactively monitor midwives compensation and regularly negotiate with them over it constitutes discrimination.

The case filed at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario five years ago sought redress, including retroactive pay, for gender-based pay discrimination dating back to 1994, shortly after midwifery became a formally regulated part of Ontarios public health system.

Lawyers for the Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM) argued that the profession has been chronically undervalued due to a unique gendered trifecta in a field that is primarily staffed by women, is concerned with providing care to women, and deals with a health care issue associated with women.

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In Mondays ruling, tribunal chair Leslie Reaume called that description very apt, and ruled that there was sufficient evidence to prove gender-based discrimination between 2005 and 2013, but not earlier.

Although the AOMs application sought a remedy dating back to 1994, policy and communications director Juana Berinstein said the decision felt like a completely historic win.

It feels like a victory for midwives, for women, for equity-seeking groups. It feels like an incredible decision that really talks about systemic discrimination, she said.

The tribunal has not yet set out any remedies but has directed the parties to negotiate a resolution over remedial pay, damages, and how compensation will be set going forward.

In 1993, the Ontario government used a pay equity analysis to set midwives rate of pay at 65 per cent of a community health care physicians salary. The tribunal ruled that 2005 was the last time the government applied a gender equity lens to midwives pay increases.

In 2010, a report commissioned by the AOM and the Liberal government of the time found that midwives should get a 20 per cent compensation bump. The report also warned that intermittent or delayed negotiations with midwives were hurting their compensation.

The recommended pay increase was never implemented. Instead the government unilaterally determined that (community health care) physicians were not appropriate comparators for midwives, according to Mondays tribunal decision, thereby abandoning a long-established means of determining fair compensation for midwives.

This perpetuates the historic disadvantage midwives have experienced as sex-segregated workers. It also undermines the dignity of midwives who now find themselves having to explain why they should be compared to physicians for compensation purposes more than 20 years after this principle was established, the decision reads.

The implication is that government must regularly take proactive steps to monitor compensation for the impact of gender discrimination on the fairness of pay.

TOP STORIES. IN YOUR INBOX: For the days top news from the Stars award-winning journalists, sign up for our daily headlines newsletter.

In its application, the AOM said while male-dominated community health care physicians salaries had increased by 76 per cent since 1993, midwives pay increased by only 33 per cent.

My finding ... is that there is sufficient evidence to find that sex was, more likely than not, one of the factors that explains the difference in compensation levels between midwives and CHC physicians, Reaumes decision reads.

While its not just about pay, pay is a concrete example of how we are valued in the system, said AOM president Elizabeth Brandeis. So its hard not to internalize that in terms of midwives seeing their own worth in relation to their medical colleagues and vice versa.

In its response to the tribunal application, the Ministry of Health argued the case was about occupational status, not sex.

Its factum said the pay gap was based not on sex but on important differences between the work of community health care physicians and midwives, including the length and cost of physicians training and their broader scope of practice.

Reaumes decision notes that midwives practice in Ontario has been expanded to take advantage of their remarkable skill set and to respond to changing health care priorities, underserviced communities and vulnerable patient populations.

What makes the position of the (Ministry of Health) even more difficult to accept is that it promotes family physicians and midwives as comparable obstetrical providers, equally competent to care for women with normal pregnancies, the decision reads.

The AOM has about 1,000 members in the province. Midwifery is a four-year bachelor of health sciences degree and students are trained in reproductive science, physiology and womens health. Last year, Ontario midwives supported 24,066 births, or 16 per cent of all births in the province.

Katrina Kilroy, president of the Canadian Association of Midwives, said she simply wants the health care system to treat her profession with respect.

Nobody does the equivalent job of a midwife. Were on call 24-7. We sometimes work 24 hours straight. Were with someone on the most painful day of their lives, she said. Its a matter of life and death.OTTAWAWith an eye on future lunar exploration, Canadas space agency is calling on companies to present their ideas for everything from moon-rover power systems to innovative mineral prospecting techniques.

The Canadian Space Agency issued the tender this week for projects that will put Canada in position to contribute to future space missions involving human and robotic exploration of the moon.

The idea is to demonstrate technologies at agency headquarters in Saint-Hubert, Que., next year with possible follow-up testing in the Canary Islands in 2020.

Canada is already quietly working with space agencies in Europe, Japan and the United States on the next phases of exploring the final frontier.

As a step toward a mission to Mars, U.S. space agency NASA is spearheading the Lunar Gateway, an outpost that would orbit the moon. Through the Gateway, four astronauts would have access to the moons surface for weeks at a time to carry out experiments and exploration.

There is already talk of Canada contributing an advanced moon rover for future missions.

The next focus for exploration is to move deeper into space, to go to the moon and to Mars, said Mike Greenley, group president of MDA, a leading space technology firm.

And so the next series of projects, over the next five to seven years, will be to get back to the moon, and then over the next 12 to 15 years, to move beyond that to Mars.

Canada has a long history of space involvement dating from the 1962 launch of satellite Alouette I to study the ionosphere. Since 1984, eight Canadian astronauts have taken part in 16 missions, and the Canadarm established the country as a leader in space robotics.

The latest tender allows industry to propose projects including, but not limited to:

 Lunar rover power systems and wheels;

 Rover guidance, navigation and control;

 Communications systems for use on the moon;

 Lunar drilling and sample acquisition;

 Approaches to lunar prospecting.

The agencys effort to engage industry is an encouraging sign of Canadas interest in taking part in the next generation of lunar exploration, said Greenley.

As the Lunar Gateway project gets underway, Greenley expects international partners to call on Canada  given its expertise  to contribute artificial intelligence-based robotics to help build and operate the new orbiting station.

There will also be opportunities for Canada to take part in activities on the lunar surface  for instance by designing and building rovers and assisting with space mining, which will be key to extracting needed resources for a budding moon colony, he said.

A coalition of space-sector players including MDA recently launched a campaign  #DontLetGoCanada  to try to raise awareness of the countrys accomplishments in space and the benefits that flow from federal spending and support.

Greenley would like Canada to come up with a comprehensive space strategy to build on areas of traditional strength like robotics, rovers and space medicine.

These are investments that would be substantial in size, but over a 15-year period or more, he said.

Canadians are very proud of our participation in space historically. So the supports there for investment.A scathing report from Ontarios coroner presses the provincial government to reform a child protection system that repeatedly failed 12 youths who died while in care.

Change is necessary, and the need is urgent, said the report, written by a panel of experts appointed by chief coroner Dirk Huyer last November to examine the spike of deaths between January 2014 and July 2017.

The 86-page report found that the 12 youths  eight of whom were Indigenous  were all in the care of Ontarios child protection system and living in unsafe homes when they died.

The report describes a fragmented system with no means of monitoring quality of care, where ministry oversight is inadequate, caregivers lack training, and children are poorly supervised. Vulnerable children are being warehoused and forgotten.

Despite complex histories and the high-risk nature of these young peoples lives, intervention was minimal and sometimes non-existent, said the panel in a withering report released Tuesday.

On average, the youths were moved to 12 different foster homes and group homes in their short lives. Lack of resources in the North resulted in most being sent to residences 1,600 kilometres from their communities, cut off from their culture. All of them suffered from mental health challenges and eight of them died by suicide.

Read more:

They loved dancing, swimming, math and science: Portraits of young people who died in care

Youth will have say in coroners review of group and foster home safety

Kids are going through trauma. Staff are getting assaulted. We are all in the trenches together

In an interview, Huyer said the report describes a system that is basically non-existent because there is no co-ordination, (and) no integration of services.

At Queens Park Tuesday, Children, Community and Social Services minister Lisa MacLeod promised to move quickly.

From the CASs to group homes to my ministry, we all bear some responsibility, MacLeod said, referring to Ontarios 49 childrens aid societies. And I want to assure the house that, as the new minister, the buck stops with me and I will take action.

We need to do more to make sure that children are safe and cared for. If a child dies, someone is responsible, MacLeod added.

In an interview with the Stars Kristin Rushowy, MacLeod said shell insist on more accountability from societies and group homes, more ministry inspections and more co-ordination among ministries and service providers. The government has committed more funds for mental health services, and MacLeod said shes in talks with the health ministry to make sure the extra resources go where theyre needed.

If we are making the decision to take a child out of their home, the supports in those group homes or other residential settings must be better than what they left and Im setting that direction today, MacLeod said.

Ontarios child-protection system serves some 14,000 kids taken from abusive or neglectful parents, and helps many more in their own homes.

The panel recommended that children in struggling families should be helped at home and in their communities as much as possible. It called for a holistic, culturally sensitive approach to services focused on prevention and early intervention.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler spoke with MacLeod about the report Tuesday and is meeting with federal Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott on Oct. 2. He wants to strike a committee with Ottawa and Queens Park to ensure the panels recommendations are carried out.

The way to honour the 12 youth who were lost, and their families, is to ensure these recommendations are fully implemented in a timely manner, said Fiddler, adding hell also strike a forum to hear from the families who lost loved ones.

The health challenges faced by the Indigenous youth who died were compounded by the gross inequities their communities face, including inadequate shelter, water, food, education and health care, the panel found.

Some family members reached by the Star said they had not yet read the report. But Amy Owens father, Jeffrey, from Poplar Hill First Nation, north of Kenora, said he was disappointed a key point was omitted.

Amy was supposed to have 24/7 supervision and yet why was she left alone for that long to lose her life, he said, questioning why the report didnt address the reason his daughter was left by herself for almost half an hour. When staff returned, Amy, one of several youth in the area who had formed a suicide pact, was found hanging. She was 13.

The coroners panel, which included a team of 13 youths with experience in the system, noted the young people had little say in their care. Their attempts to communicate their needs were often overlooked, ignored and characterized as attention-seeking,  the panel found.

Ontarios child advocate, Irwin Elman, was outraged by the panels findings: Enough is enough. Enough loss of life. That young people should survive our provinces attempts to protect and support them is a low bar to set, but that is where we are.

Mary Ballantyne, head of the Ontario Association of Childrens Aid Societies, said its clear the system is currently failing many of these very high-needs children in particular, theres no question about that.

Its not that no one has been doing anything, but clearly were not doing enough and were not doing it in the co-ordinated way that we need to do it, she said.

The report comes on the heels of a Star investigation into a Lindsay-area group home fire, as well as Star stories about a rash of suicides and unexplained deaths of Indigenous youths in residential care.OTTAWAA former U.S. ambassador to Canada is taking the battle for this years mid-terms elections north of the border, calling on more than 600,000 Americans living in this country to register for a vote that is gearing up to be a referendum on Donald Trumps presidency.

Bruce Heyman and his wife, Vicki, are part of a new voting initiative headed by former first lady Michelle Obama that aims to get people registered to vote ahead of Novembers congressional elections.

Over the summer, Obama launched the non-profit group When We All Vote designed to boost voter participation and is running high-profile events all week.

Heyman said the non-partisan nature of the initiative has public backing from Democrat and Republican celebrities and is needed because there are some in the U.S. who would like to suppress votes.

Your vote is your power, Heyman said in an interview. Were saying youve got to do it, youve got to do it now.

Americans living in Canada should also tell others to register to make sure they have a voice on core issues including gun violence, the environment and U.S.-Canada relations, Heyman added.

You can sit down and get frustrated that youre not being represented well or whats happening in Washington, but if you dont vote, youre just a bystander in the process, he said.

Midterm elections have traditionally seen a lower voter turnout than presidential election years. The last round of midterm elections in 2014, halfway through Barack Obamas last term in office, saw turnout plummet to a seven-decade low.

Both parties are trying to energize their base ahead of Novembers vote and Trumps administration is pushing to quickly finalize a renewed North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico to give the ruling Republicans a political win.

Heyman said he believes Trump and the Trudeau Liberals will eventually reach a deal on a revamped NAFTA, which is tied to the economic fates of Canada, the United States and Mexico.

But he warned the relationship between Canada and the United States may take longer to heal after the talks than it takes for the ink to dry on a new trade deal.

So many states and so many companies and so many cities rely on the relationship with Canada for economic growth and opportunity and employment, Heyman said.

Thats why I know this too shall pass, but it may take a while to ... heal the wounds of the partnership and the friendship that may be damaged with the language and the approach thats being taken.FREDERICTONBrian Gallant says the lieutenant-governor has given him permission to continue on as New Brunswicks premier for the time being, signalling the provinces high-stakes political drama wont be over any time soon.

Gallant met Tuesday with Lt.-Gov. Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau to discuss Monday nights election, which left his Liberals in second place with 21 seats to the Tories 22 seats, and two smaller parties winning three seats each.

She gave him the go-ahead to stay on as premier and attempt to seek the confidence of the house, he said, and he is promising to convene the legislature before Christmas.

Indeed were still the government and Im still the premier until we lose the confidence of the house. She has granted us the opportunity to face the legislature to see if we can maintain the confidence of the house, Gallant said after meeting Roy-Vienneau for less than a hour.

Tory Leader Blaine Higgs, who will meet with Roy-Vienneau Thursday morning, said her office has given him a different impression.

That isnt the message that weve received from the lieutenant governors office, said Higgs.

Asked about what was said during Roy-Vienneaus meeting with Gallant, a spokesman for the lieutenant-governor said she inquired as to whether he believes he has the confidence of the House.

He indicated he thinks so, however more discussions are necessary. Her Honour awaits his final decision, said Tim Richardson, her principal secretary.

Gallant told reporters he will call the legislature back sooner than later.

I made this clear to the lieutenant-governor  if I face the legislature and I do not maintain the confidence of the house there will be a new government governing this province ... whether theres some type of other arrangement or whether it would mean that we would have to go into another general election, he said.

Gallant likened the situation to Stephen Harpers former federal government  the Conservatives managed to govern several years in a minority government without a formal coalition.

Gallant made it clear, though, he might seek some kind of arrangement with another party.

If theres a formal agreement between us and somebody else, and that demonstrates that we would be in a position to maintain the confidence of the house, we would still have to call the house at one point to ensure that confidence would be practically possible and we would be able to govern.

Both Higgs and Gallant said they had so far had only spoken with Green Party Leader David Coon

Robin Mockler a spokeswoman for the Peoples Alliance, said Tuesday morning there had been no talks to date between Higgs and Alliance Leader Kris Austin.

Gallant said he humbly accepts that the results suggest New Brunswickers want change, but said they are asking the parties to figure out how to govern together.

A number of ridings were decided by slim margins, and recounts are expected, but Gallant said he didnt expect the results would change. He said those recounts would have to be held, and MLAs sworn in, before he would be able to call the house into session.

Gallant said in order to work with other parties, he might not be able to act on some of the Liberal campaign promises.

New Brunswickers have not accepted in a majority fashion any of the platforms that were presented last night. New Brunswickers have made it clear that none of our platforms were what they wanted, he said.

Read more:

How the two potential New Brunswick kingmaker parties radically differ in policies, leader styles

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Higgs, who said he considers himself a premier-elect, said voters have given the Tories a mandate.

Id like to just get on with it. I think all this is doing is prolonging it, Higgs said.

Observers say backroom deals brokered over the coming hours and days could determine whether a tenable coalition is formed with one of the smaller parties  or whether New Brunswickers are soon back at the polls.

Donald Wright, a political science professor at the University of New Brunswick, says if Gallant cannot find the confidence of the house, Higgs will be given a chance  presumably through a deal with the right-of-centre Peoples Alliance.

Wright said if neither main party can gain confidence of the house, the legislature will be dissolved and another election will be held.

Political scientist Mario Levesque said one issue with such a close election is that the party or coalition in power will have to elect a Speaker.

The challenge here is even if they do form a pact  the Alliance goes with the Conservatives or the Greens with the Liberals  there is not enough there to elect the Speaker, said Levesque, a professor at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B.

If the Alliance goes with the Conservatives, thats 25, so a majority, he said. But then you have to take one away for the Speaker, and that gives them 24 which means theyre still vulnerable to a tie vote in the legislature.

Erin Crandall, a professor in the politics department at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., called the emergence of two third parties the big story for this election.

This is uncharted territory for New Brunswick, which is historically a two-party system, said Crandall, who is originally from Moncton. Its always been a question of whos going to be in a majority government: The PCs or Liberals.

She said a minority government will change the dynamics of governing in New Brunswick, making third parties the major influencer in the legislature.

Read more about:The two parties vying to be the power brokers in New Brunswicks minority parliament could scarcely be more different when it comes to policies and leadership styles.

The vote on Monday saw surprise gains for the Peoples Alliance Party, a party on the right of the spectrum that has questioned policies such as ensuring francophones have the right to separate school bus services.

Its leader, Kris Austin, has a populist style, and was in an exuberant mood on Monday evening.

This is what victory looks like folks, he told new constituents in Fredericton-Grand Lakes, with his party elected or leading in three seats of the 49-seat legislature, late on Monday night.

The Peoples Alliance tapped into that frustration with the governing elites. They call themselves the Peoples Alliance for a reason. Theyre the peoples party, said Don Wright, a political scientist at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.

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The party favours dropping the moratorium on fracking, bringing in electoral recall and dropping corporate subsidies.

Meanwhile, David Coon, the Green leader who was handily re-elected in Fredericton South, adopted his familiar low-key, critical stance as his party expanded to three seats in the legislature.

His acceptance speech seemed to cast his new rival in a harsh light, perhaps signalling the message hell be delivering about his new rival in the months to come.

The people of Fredericton South voted for hope, not fear. They voted for kindness. ... They voted for change, not the status quo. And you voted for goodwill and not for anger, he said, as the Greens had been declared elected in three ridings  two with large francophone populations.

In an interview late Monday night, he said Austins party is willing to strip away services to francophones in emergency medical services, and advance environmental policies that lead to carbon pollution.

It seems willing to take peoples rights away when it comes to the Acadians and francophones of this province. ... They also seem prepared to open up and support fracking to exploit shale gas in the face or risk to our water supply and climate change, he said.

Theyre pretty fundamental differences.

Austin said there are some differences between the two smaller parties, but noted that both have called for an end to the spraying of glyphosate on forests and more free votes of members of the legislature.

Theres some common ground there, but well see how it works going forward, he said.

Both leaders have had a long, hard grind to their electoral success.

Coon took over leadership of the party in 2012, and won the partys first seat in 2014, after a career as an environmentalist who critiqued large industrys close ties with government in exploiting the provinces natural resources.

Austin lost his bid for a seat by fewer than 30 votes during the 2014 election, and has spent four years gradually building the party around the province.

Neither of the two small parties won five seats, which is whats required for official party status.

However, Wright said both politicians are pondering what potential alliances they might form to advance their agendas.

Its going to make for interesting bedfellows in a minority government, Wright said.

The political scientist said its likely the Liberals would first approach the Green party for their support as they try to form a minority government, adding that Greens are more ideologically compatible with the Liberals than the Peoples Alliance.

He said the difference between the Greens and the Progressive Conservatives over a carbon tax and other environmental issues could be too large a gulf  pushing the Tories toward the Peoples Alliance.

Erin Crandall, a political scientist at Acadia University, said which ever party forms government will have to work with the two parties, and it will make for a different kind of governing from the norm in the province  which hasnt had a minority government in almost a century.

Its really interesting because you have the Peoples Alliance and the Greens, which are kind of parties that dont necessarily kind of side easily with the two parties that are governing, she said.

Nobody wants an election right away, and it might mean less legislation is being passed. ... But the legislation that is passed will have at least two parties support.

Read more about:Ontarios correctional services minister said he was shocked and disappointed that a woman convicted in the 2009 murder of an eight-year-old girl has reportedly been transferred from prison to a healing lodge in Saskatchewan.

Michael Tibollo told the legislature on Tuesday that he will be speaking with federal officials about the decision involving Terri-Lynne McClintic.

Decisions like this made by our federal government can seriously impact the publics confidence in our correctional systems, he said. My ministry will continue to monitor this matter as it unfolds to see what we can do in this unfortunate situation ... and try to correct what has been done.

McClintic was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Tori Stafford in 2010 and was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 25 years.

The London Free Press reported Staffords grandmother saying Correctional Service Canada notified her family of McClintics move to the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge.

The lodge in Maple Creek, Sask., is run by Correctional Service Canada and is for offenders that require a minimum to medium security level. Women at the facility learn how to live independently by cooking, doing laundry, cleaning and doing outdoor maintenance chores, according to Correctional Service Canadas website.

Read more:

Tori Stafford trial: How Terri-Lynne McClintic became a killer

Tori Stafford murder trial: Terri-Lynne McClintic describes killing little girl

Tori Stafford murder trial: Horrific details of slaying revealed as case opens

Toris father expressed his frustration at McClintics move in several Facebook posts.

She gets her life back in multiple ways and we will NEVER see our little Victoria again, Rodney Stafford wrote. Do we not get a notice or a say in ANYTHING?

A spokeswoman said in an email that the Correctional Service of Canada could not comment on the reported transfer due to the Privacy Act.

Correctional Service Canadas website says such lodges are correctional institutions where Aboriginal values, traditions and beliefs are used to design services and programs for offenders.

Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal offenders can live at the facilities but all must follow Indigenous programming and spiritually, the website said.

In all cases, we thoroughly assess an offenders risk to public safety before a decision is made to move him or her to a healing lodge, the website said.

McClintics co-accused Michael Rafferty was sentenced to life in prison in 2012 for kidnapping, sexual assault causing bodily harm and first-degree murder in Toris death.CALGARYNot everyone who goes to the University of Calgary smokes weed. But even some of those who dont are not sold on the schools new cannabis policy.

As of Oct. 17, the universitys new policy will ban the use of cannabis in any form  smoking, vaping, and edibles  on campus, including residences. Anyone carrying cannabis must have it stowed in sealed, scent-proof containers. Medicinal users will still be able to smoke or vape, assuming they have clearance from the university.

The new rules are, in part, to match Calgarys bylaws banning public cannabis consumption.

For us, at the University of Calgary, we do have to adhere to city bylaws, as well, and thats what the policy does, said Kevin Dang, vice-president of operations and finance at U of Cs Students Union.

He was part of the campus working group that devised the new cannabis policy, alongside representatives for U of Cs grad students, the Residence Students Association, and even campus security. And while hes been a part of the discussion around weed at U of C, hes still unsure how students will take it.

I guess its hard to say, Dang said. Im very curious to see how students will react to it, because it hasnt been implemented yet.

Read more:

University of Calgary bans cannabis use on campus ahead of legalization

University of Albertas cannabis plan pushes for no growing or smoking in residences

Canadian universities flying blind into cannabis legalization

But even U of C students who dont smoke weed said the policy isnt going to do much to stop those who already smoke joints or vape on campus.

Its going to tick a lot of people off, said Rania Chewdhury, a first-year accounting student.

She said she doesnt have a problem with cannabis, or people who use it, but supports U of Cs campus-wide ban. However, she said its already tough for university administration to clamp down on students smoking or vaping, even though the drug is still illegal.

People do it anyways. People vape on campus and smoke anyways. Its not going to stop them, Chewdhury said of the new policy.

Rob Ince, a mature open studies student, pointed out that U of C already has a smoking policy  which prohibits anyone lighting up indoors, within 7.5 metres of a doorway, or near sensitive areas such as ventilation shafts.

I dont see problems with the current smoking policy, Ince said as he smoked an e-cigarette outside of the McEwan Student Centre. I dont understand why theyre changing it.

And Mide Kadiri, a second-year film student, said other post-secondary institutions in Alberta  such as the University of Alberta  already have designated cannabis smoking zones in place. The University of Lethbridge are also following suit, in part because their local bylaws allow public weed consumption.

We should have that too, as an university, he said.

Not everyone agrees. Adriana Miller, a first-year business student, said she isnt a fan of cannabis legalization in October, and is fine with the campus-wide ban. Keeping smoke out of peoples faces will help students to better concentrate on their studies, she said.

I completely agree with that, as well, Miller said. I think itll be better for students in the long run.

And other students believe the ban wont really affect U of C students all that much, even if they abide by it on campus.

Bon Adriel, a computer science grad student, said plenty of his friends smoke weed, but they tend to do so at off-campus house parties where neither the schools policies  nor city bylaws  would constrain them.

They do it at their own places, Adriel said. I dont think they would find any advantages to being able to smoke in public.

The jurys out on exactly how many Canadians will start smoking weed for the first time when its legalized in just under four weeks. According to 2015s Canadian Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs Survey, conducted by Statistics Canada, roughly 45 per cent of all Canadians over the age of 15 had tried cannabis at least once in their lifetime.

But Dang said he expects to see a bit of a jump in the numbers.

I think well see a bit of spike in activity, he said. However, students who are currently not using cannabis  I dont expect them to be using long-term.

Read more about:VAUGHAN, ONT.Police say the photo was too cute not to share.

York regional police tweeted a photo Monday of an officer holding a young pig found wandering along a major highway north of Toronto late last Friday morning.

They say the little piggy was spotted hoofing it down Highway 400 in Vaughan, Ont.

Another photo shows the little pig peeking up from the floor in the back of a police cruiser.

Const. Laura Nicolle says its not known where the pig came from.

It is now in the care of an animal shelter.

Read more about:Warning: This story contains graphic details.

A man on trial for sexual assault testified Monday his accuser was the one who initiated their hookup and the sex that followed, after the two met at a downtown Toronto bar on May 12, 2016.

But under cross-examination, Patrick Walsh denied he was characterizing her as the aggressor, saying everything about their encounter was mutual.

Before Walsh took the stand Monday, Superior Court Justice Kelly Byrne told the jury she was dismissing a second count against him of publishing an intimate image without consent.

The charge related to the young womans evidence that Walsh streamed FaceTime video of her naked and vomiting in his bathroom after forcing her to have intercourse.

What that means for all of you is that you will not be asked to deliberate or reach a verdict on that count, Byrne told jurors. The evidence, however, about the FaceTiming calls still forms part of the evidence for your consideration on the remaining count (of sexual assault), to which Walsh has pleaded not guilty.

Crown attorney Brigid McCallum closed her case last week after the university student spent two days on the stand describing her recollection of what happened in Walshs mothers Richmond St. W. condo.

The accused, a 22-year-old native of Dundas, Ont., testified Monday he had just returned to Canada and was hanging out and drinking with his friends after finishing his first year at a Detroit university on a lacrosse scholarship.

They went to Grace OMalleys pub on Duncan St. when he ran into a then 19-year-old woman, who cannot be identified. They had met on one previous occasion.

Walsh testified that after they swapped cellphones to exchange social media accounts, she sent a text from his phone to her own that said: youre coming over tonight  a text he said he deleted later.

After they went outside, Walsh said he asked if she wanted to go back to his mothers nearby condo and have a drink.

Walsh testified he told her he was on a hiatus from his girlfriend  they were going through a rough patch  and asked if she had a boyfriend. She said no, then she said OK but, if youre down, Im down. At that point we just kind of embraced each other and were kissing.

Both buzzed from booze, they held hands as they walked to the condo, he said.

What did you understand the comment, if youre down, Im down, defence lawyer Zachary Kerbel asked his client.

I just thought that shed want to hook up, Walsh replied.

What do you mean by you thought youre going to hook up? his lawyer asked.

I didnt have any intentions. We had kissed so  if one thing led to another then, then that was OK.

Once at the condo, Walsh said the two started kissing again as they made their way into the bedroom, where she used one hand to push his six foot three-frame onto the bed, a move he described as movie like. The now 22-year-old woman is five foot three.

Things went quickly from there, he told the jury. The woman stripped off her clothes  he removed his shirt and pants and she helped with his underwear  and she straddled him, and gave him oral sex, he said. The woman testified he pushed her head down to his groin area, against her will but she said nothing at the time.

Did you push her head? asked Kerbel.

No, replied Walsh, poker-faced and monotone throughout his testimony.

After oral sex, Walsh said she wrapped her legs around him and he asked her if he should get a condom. She didnt respond, he said. Shortly after, she got up to use bathroom, where Walsh heard her throwing up.

The woman said that happened after he forced her to have intercourse, which she objected to several times. Walsh said no penetration happened.

Nor, Walsh said, did he livestream images of the young woman naked and throwing up on the iPhone FaceTime app to his laughing friends, as she alleges.

Rather, Walsh said he called two friends in the United States to ask them what to do about her puking in the washroom.

The trial continues Tuesday.A 15-year-old boy was shot dead in downtown Toronto late Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency services responded to a shooting in Regent Park, at 230 Sackville St., around 4:15 p.m., Toronto police said.

A witness who preferred to remain nameless said she saw some youths fighting just before the shooting took place.

One of the kids ran out of (the fight), into the building and went up to the eighth floor, she said. At least one of the others chased behind him and shot him just as he reached the apartment.

She said the victim turned 15 yesterday. Police confirmed his age.

I didnt know him but whatever the story is behind this, its just tragic, the witness said.

Other neighbours heard at least three shots fired, she added.

The address is a Toronto Community Housing building. Police did not confirm whether the shooting took place inside or outside the building.

Toronto Community Housing is helping with the investigation, but all information at this stage is being released by Toronto Police Services, spokesperson Daniele Gauvin said.

Paramedics pronounced the boy dead at the scene.

No information about potential suspects has been released by police. They said they were not releasing the victims name until they had notified his family.

The Toronto police homicide division is investigating. The shooting was Torontos 81st homicide of the year.Toronto police have identified Paul (Boulos) Rizk, 27, of Toronto as the victim of a shooting near an elementary school in North York Monday evening.

Emergency services responded to a call just after 8 p.m. of a shooting on Parkway Forest Dr., in the Sheppard Ave. and Don Mills Rd. area.

Police said a small group of people were outside a community centre when a dark-coloured four-door sedan approached and shots were fired at the group. The vehicle then fled the scene at high speed, police said in a release..

Paramedics found Rizk without vital signs on Forest Manor Rd., near Forest Manor Public School. Police said the man was suffering from gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination is scheduled for Tuesday.

Police said they believe there were many people in the area at the time of the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7474, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.222tips.com.One of the two men wanted in connection with a May 24 bank robbery in Scarborough is in police custody.

Nathan Hunter, 20, surrendered to Toronto Police on Monday evening. He faces 10 charges including robbery with a firearm, using a firearm to commit an indictable offence, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

He turned himself in after a joint Toronto Police and Canadian Bankers Association news conference offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the two men.

Jesse Jack Breese, 21, the second wanted man, is still on the run. Breese is also wanted for attempted murder for a shooting on June 3 in Barrie.

Police allege Breese, Hunter and two other men, who were arrested on June 7, robbed a TD Canada Trust bank on Warden Ave., south of St. Clair Ave E., on May 24.

Three of the four men, disguised in masks, sunglasses and hoodies entered the bank, ordered people to lie on the ground and used a handgun to fire into the floor. It is unknown how many shots were fired. The fourth man was the get away driver.

Police allege the group used a stolen 2017 Honda Accord to flee the scene.

Breese is described as 63, with a slim build and dark hair. He occasionally wears prescription glasses. He is known to frequent Barrie and Toronto. He is considered armed and dangerous.

The handgun alleged to have been used during the robbery has not yet been recovered.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7474, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.222tips.com.Premier Doug Ford pointedly refused to distance himself from white nationalist Faith Goldy for a second day Tuesday, despite again being pressed by the opposition to denounce her.

Anti-hate, Jewish and Muslim groups are also urging the premier to disassociate himself from the far-right Toronto mayoral candidate, who posted a photo on social media showing her and her supporters alongside Ford at his annual barbecue on the weekend.

Will the premier unequivocally denounce Faith Goldy and apologize for appearing in a photo that is now being used as a de facto endorsement of her campaign by the premier of our province? New Democrat John Vanthof (Timiskaming-Cochrane) asked in the legislature.

I totally denounce  I repeat denounce, denounce, denounce  anyone who wants to talk hate speech, Ford said, without specifically naming Goldy.

We have zero tolerance  zero tolerance  for any hate speech. We wont put up with it, and I denounce it ... I dont know how much clearer I can be about that, said the premier, who received a standing ovation from his MPPs, unlike the day prior.

When Vanthof pressed, saying, You need to say her name, premier, that you do not endorse her, Ford accused the NDP of playing politics.

NDP MPP Sara Singh (Brampton Centre) called Fords responses inadequate.

He is sort of circling around the issue by saying that hes going to denounce hate speech, Singh said.

What we asked him specifically to do was to denounce a person who has been in this province and across the world spewing hate and he failed to do that.

Read more:

Opinion | Martin Regg Cohn: Doug Ford and Faith Goldy  whats wrong with this picture?

Doug Ford refuses to distance himself from far-right mayoral candidate

Toronto police had no idea they were posing with far-right candidate Faith Goldy, spokesman says

Bernie Farber, chair of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, said Monday that Fords refusal to disassociate himself with those who enable white nationalism should frighten us all into action.

Much of my professional life has been dedicated to exposing and battling white supremacy and neo-Nazism, tweeted Farber, a former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress. Never in Canada has any mainstream politician given credence to those who associate with or enable white supremacy until today.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims has also called on Ford to categorically reject the hateful and divisive ideas of those, like Ms. Goldy.

On Monday, Ford told the legislature he had thousands of people seeking photos with him at Ford Fest.

Goldy was fired by Rebel Media last year after she went to Charlottesville, Virginia to cover the Unite The Right rally, then appeared on a podcast affiliated with The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi website.

With files from Robert Benzie

Read more about:As they vie for Torontonians votes, Mayor John Tory and election rival Jennifer Keesmaat are telling two very different stories about the state of what is arguably the citys most important transit project.

Tory says his administration has done everything it can to advance the relief line, the proposed $6.8-billion subway that would connect downtown to Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) east of the Don River. But Keesmaat accuses the mayor of allowing the project to fall behind schedule, and says she has a plan to speed it up.

The relief line is viewed by many experts as the only effective way to alleviate crowding on the TTCs overburdened subway system, and whoever is elected mayor on Oct. 22 could play a large role in how and when it gets built.

So which candidate is right? Is the project on track under Torys leadership, or has it been delayed? The Star fact-checked the pairs claims and found neither Torys nor Keesmaats assertions are completely backed up by the evidence.

Read more:

John Tory gets signals crossed on GO expansion timeline

Opinion | Edward Keenan: Mayoral candidates transit plans are similar in what they include  and what they dont

Opinion | Christopher Hume: GTA transit should be more than a political football

Is the relief line already being built?

At a campaign event on Sept. 17, Tory said the relief line is in the process of getting built and we are getting on with building the relief line now.

While early design and engineering work for the line is underway, construction has not yet begun.

In April the TTC board awarded $31 million worth of design contracts for stations and systems like track work, traction power, and signalling. Contractors are also conducting drilling and coring along the proposed route in order to gather geotechnical data.

This work will support construction of the line, but the subway is not yet being built.

Is the relief line delayed?

Keesmaats campaign has said that under Tory, the relief line has fallen 18 months behind schedule and preliminary design work ... is already two years delayed.

The basis for the claim is a report council approved in June 2014 that projected a joint city and TTC study of the relief line route and station locations, called a project assessment, would be complete by early 2016.

The campaign says that because the city didnt complete a key planning document called an environmental project report until August 2018, there has been a substantial delay.

However, the 2014 document didnt set a firm deadline for completing the environmental project report, and city staff did recommend a route and station locations for the relief line to council in July 2016, only slightly behind schedule. That appears to undermine Keesmaats claim Tory allowed the project to stagnate for years.

Approval of the relief line route was delayed, but not for the reason Keesmaats campaign cited. Although staff recommended council endorse a proposed route at its July 2016 meeting, amid local residents concerns about disrupting the residential neighbourhood along Pape Ave., councillors voted to study shifting the subway to run beneath Carlaw Ave. for part of the route instead.

In May 2017, almost a year after staff first recommended a route, council approved the new Carlaw alignment. Both Tory and Keesmaat, who was the citys chief planner at the time, endorsed the switch to Carlaw.

What do you think?

Is the relief line funded?

No.

Tory has said of the citys transit plan that different levels of government are proceeding with it and paying for it. However, while the federal and provincial governments pledged in March to spend $9 billion on Toronto transit, that money will be spread between several projects, and according to a city spokesperson, the city has not entered into a formal agreement with the province for the allocation of the funds.

As part of an agreement Tory has claimed credit for, in 2016 the province pledged $150 million for design and engineering of the relief line.

Is it possible to speed up construction of the relief line?

Keesmaat says she could accelerate the construction of the relief line by three years, which would require finishing the subway by 2028. To accomplish this she would start property acquisition required for the lines construction, commence utility relocation, and shortlist companies to build the project all while the current design work is still ongoing.

According to TTC spokesperson Brad Ross, initial outreach and public notifications for relief line property acquisitions have already begun, and the design work that is currently underway is required to identify where utility relocations may be required.

He suggested it wouldnt be possible to start shortlisting companies to build the line at this point because work to determine the design and engineering requirements for the project must be completed before any (such request) can be issued.

Did previous administrations do nothing to advance the relief line?

Tory said on Sept. 17 that previous mayors and councils have engaged in decades of talk about the relief line, but done nothing to advance the project.

Its true that little progress had been made on the relief line until this current term, but in June 2014, four months prior to Torys election, council approved spending $4 million on preliminary planning and the project assessment for the relief line. The vote paved the way for the current work on the project.

Read more about:BERLINA top German bishop has apologized for thousands of sexual abuse cases that took place inside the Catholic Church in Germany, according to a devastating report released Tuesday that concludes at least 3,677 people were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

Sexual abuse is a crime, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who is also the head of the German Bishops Conference, told reporters. Im ashamed for so many (of us) looking away, not wanting to recognize what happened and not helping the victims. That goes for me as well.

The apology came on the same day that Pope Francis acknowledged that the sex abuse scandal rocking the Catholic Church was driving people away. He said the church must change its ways if it wants to keep future generations.

The report on sex abuse inside the German Catholic Church found that more than half of the victims were 13 or younger and most were boys. Every sixth case involved rape and at least 1,670 clergy were involved. Some 969 abuse victims were altar boys.

On average, the abuses happened multiple times over a period of at least 15 months.

The German Bishops Conference released its report Tuesday, but it was already leaked earlier this month and was heavily criticized for the lack of transparency and the churchs refusal to let the researchers access the original documents.

Instead of looking at the original church files, they sent questionnaires to the dioceses, which then provided the information.

The report was commissioned by the German Bishops Conference and researched by experts from the Universities of Giessen, Heidelberg and Mannheim.

The researchers wrote that there was evidence that some files were manipulated or destroyed, and many cases were not brought to justice. Sometimes abuse suspects  primarily priests  were simply moved to other dioceses without the congregations being informed about their past.

The figures are only the tip of the iceberg, said Harald Dressing, a psychiatrist from Mannheim University who presented the report together with Marx and others in the central German city of Fulda during a convention of the German Bishops Conference.

Generally, the risk of sexual abuse of children inside the Catholic Church continues to exist, Dressing warned. He said celibacy, the clergys power and homosexuality inside the church were all issues that promote abuse.

German Justice Minister Katarina Barley said the dioceses and religious orders must finally take on responsibility for decades of suppression and denial ... the church must press criminal charges in every case.

The Catholic Church has been struggling with sex abuse by its clergy for a long time.

In 2010, the German church was roiled by a sex abuse scandal triggered by the head of a Jesuit school in Berlin who went public about decades-long sexual abuse of high school students by clergy. Following that, a whole wave of victims who were sexually abused by clergy spoke out across Germany.

The churchs failures in confronting sex abuse scandals have also roared back to the headlines recently with revelations of abuses and coverups in the United States and Chile.

Read more about:NEW YORKIranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to overthrow his government, rejecting bilateral talks after President Donald Trump predicted stepped-up U.S. sanctions would get Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.

Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly, Rouhani accused the Trump administration of violating state obligations from the Obama administration by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with the U.S. and five other major powers.

On what basis and criteria can we enter into an agreement with an administration misbehaving such as this? Rouhani asked. It is ironic that the U.S. government does not even conceal its plan for overthrowing the same government it invites to talks.

Rouhani invited the U.S. to come back to negotiations within the UN Security Council, which endorsed the nuclear deal. There, he said, both sides can listen to each other.

Beginning the dialogue starts with ending threats and unjust sanctions that negate the principles of ethics and international law, he said.

In remarks released while Rouhani was still talking, National Security Adviser John Bolton doubled down on the decision to withdraw from the deal, echoing his presidents strong language and using blunt language to dismiss any entreaties from Tehran. He called the scrapped Iran deal the worst diplomatic debacle in American history.

According to the mullahs in Tehran, we are the Great Satan, lord of the underworld, master of the raging inferno, Bolton said in remarks prepared for delivery at a New York meeting convened to oppose Irans nuclear ambitions.

So, I might imagine they would take me seriously when I assure them today: If you cross us, our allies, or our partners; if you harm our citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat and deceive, yes, there will indeed be HELL to PAY, Bolton said.

The capitalizations were included in the text of the quotes released to journalists.

Rouhani, in his General Assembly speech, targeted Trump in language if not directly in name. He condemned recklessness and disregard of some states for international values and institutions.

Rouhani laid into leaders who believe they can ride public sentiments and gain popular support through the fomenting of extremist nationalism and racism and through what he called xenophobic tendencies resembling a Nazi disposition.

Trump, in his own speech, said Americans reject the ideology of globalism in favour of what he called the doctrine of patriotism. He also blasted what he called Irans corrupt dictatorship.

Rouhani also said U.S. sanctions against his country amount to an economic war thats disrupting trade and will harm people beyond Iran.

Trumps administration has reinstated sanctions on Iran after pulling Washington out of the multinational 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran. Trump says the deal was a horrible agreement that didnt do enough to contain Iranian aggression.

In remarks earlier Tuesday, Trump predicted that the pressure from renewed sanctions would force Iran back to the table to negotiate.

But Rouhani noted that Iranians has endured sanctions before and can overcome this difficult phase as well.

Read more about:ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.A former New Mexico priest, who fled the U.S. decades ago amid allegations of child sex abuse and once blamed his behaviour on a cancer diagnosis which prosecutors say he didnt have, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Arthur Perrault is expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque for a detention hearing as prosecutors seek to hold the 80-year-old priest until his trial for aggravated sexual abuse.

Court documents filed in federal court said victims described Perrault showering them with gifts and meals before abusing them. Victims also collaboratively described Perrault as someone who smoked pipes and wore silk underwear.

Documents also said the Connecticut-born Perrault wrote an apology letter to the parents of one victim in 1971 and blamed his actions on cancer, which prosecutors said he was never diagnosed with.

Perrault was extradited to New Mexico last week from Morocco in connection with sexual abuse cases that are alleged to have taken place between 1991 and 1992 at Kirtland Air Force Base and Santa Fe National Cemetery.

The former Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and a former Air Force chaplain has been charged in a federal indictment with seven counts of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.

Read more:

Rape, then holy water: Report details how hundreds of priests abused children in Pennsylvania, and the church covered it up

Opinion | The Catholic church should confess all its sins on sexual abuse

U.S. report reveals several priests accused of sexual assaults in Canada

Perrault pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance Friday. He also told a U.S. magistrate judge hed had a stroke three years ago, was deaf in one ear, and had trouble walking.

Perrault, a one-time pastor at St. Bernadette parish in Albuquerque, is one of many priests sent to New Mexico in the 1960s from around the country for treatment involving pedophilia.

Victims, lawyers and church documents show the priests were later assigned to parishes and schools across New Mexico  especially in small Native American and Hispanic communities.

Perrault vanished in 1992, just days before an attorney filed two lawsuits against the archdiocese alleging Perrault had sexually assaulted seven children at his parish.

The FBI said Perrault first fled to Canada and then to Tangier, Morocco, where he worked until last year at an English-language school for children.

Perrault denied abusing children in a handwritten letter to a judge related to sexual abuse lawsuits in Albuquerque. Perrault said his assets included money from military retirement and Social Security.

Church records released last year by a New Mexico judge show Perrault is also accused in state lawsuits of sexually abusing at least 38 boys in other cases.

Records also show Perrault was sent in 1965 to Servants of the Paraclete  a religious order that ran a treatment centre for pedophile priests in Jemez Springs, New Mexico  after he was accused of molesting young men while serving in Connecticut.MANILAPhilippine President Rodrigo Dutertes fiercest critic in Congress was arrested Tuesday after the president revoked his 2011 amnesty for a failed coup attempt and revived rebellion charges against him in an unprecedented legal move the senator called a blow to democracy.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV walked out of the Senate, where he has sought refuge for weeks, and was taken by police to their headquarters in Makati city, where his fingerprints and mugshot were taken. After being booked by police, Trillanes was escorted to a nearby court and posted bail, trailed by many journalists.

Democracy lost today, Trillanes told reporters shortly before his arrest. Darkness and evil prevailed in our country. Whatever happens in the future will be in the hands of the Filipino people.

Known for outbursts against his critics, Duterte has long expressed anger against Trillanes, who has accused him of large-scale corruption, involvement in illegal drugs and extrajudicial killings in an anti-drug crackdown that has left thousands of suspects dead since he took office in 2016. Duterte has denied the allegations.

Trillanes, a former navy officer, was jailed for more than seven years for involvement in at least three army uprisings, including a 2003 mutiny against then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, when he and other young officers rigged part of a road in the Makati financial district with bombs and took over an upscale residential building.

After being amnestied under Dutertes predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, Trillanes successfully petitioned two Philippine courts to dismiss rebellion and coup cases, allowing him to later run for public office.

Duterte said he voided Trillanes amnesty last month because the senator had failed to file a formal amnesty request and acknowledge guilt. Trillanes has strongly denied the presidents claims, and has provided news reports and Defence Department documents to counter Dutertes claims.

The Department of Justice has asked two courts to issue warrants for Trillanes arrest and resume criminal proceedings against him. One of the courts issued the arrest warrant on Tuesday.

Aside from the rebellion and coup-related charges in the two courts, Duterte has also ordered the military to resume an inquiry into the senators role in the mutinies.

Legal experts and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the countrys largest lawyers group, have expressed alarm over the legal moves against Trillanes for offences that were cancelled by the 2011 amnesty.

The lawyers group said the move runs roughshod over the constitutional guarantee against double jeopardy, or holding a person to answer twice for the same offence.

Duterte has also accused Trillanes, without offering evidence, of plotting with other opposition politicians, including the Liberal Party and leftist groups, to oust him. Trillanes and opposition groups have dismissed the claim as a lie and asked Duterte to focus instead on addressing poverty, inflation, rice shortages, traffic jams and a decline in the value of the peso currency.

Human Rights Watch said Trillanes arrest is part of the persecution of critics of the Duterte administration, the latest in the relentless campaign to silence those who dared to challenge the presidents murderous drug war.

Under Duterte, another opposition senator has been jailed on illegal drug charges, a critical Supreme Court chief justice has been ousted by fellow judges, and foreign critics, including an Australian nun, have been barred from entering the Philippines or threatened with deportation.LONDONBritains main opposition Labour Party announced Tuesday it will reject Conservative Prime Minister Theresa Mays proposed divorce deal with the European Union when it comes to a vote in Parliament and might support a new Brexit referendum.

The partys chief Brexit spokesman accused Mays government of offering the country a choice between really bad and even worse.

If Britain and the EU agree on a deal, it must be approved by the British and European parliaments before Britain leaves. The math on the U.K. vote looks ominous for Mays government, however, because it lacks an overall majority.

Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer told Labours annual conference that the party would vote against a Brexit deal along the lines that May is proposing because it does not meet six tests it has set, including protecting workers rights and retaining access to European markets.

We do not accept that the choice is between whatever the prime minister manages to cobble together and no deal ... between really bad and even worse, Starmer said.

Starmer said that if Parliament rejected the deal, there should be a new election on Brexit.

Read more:

Tory rebels publish rival Brexit plan to challenge PM May

U.K.s Labour party ponders supporting new Brexit referendum

U.K. leader May hits back after EU trashes her Brexit plan

If that is not possible, we must have other options, he said. Our options must include campaigning for a public vote  and nobody is ruling out remain as an option.

Starmers suggestion that a new referendum could reverse Britains 2016 decision to leave the EU  which wasnt in the advanced printed text of his speech  drew a standing ovation from many delegates in the conference hall.

Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn has long opposed the idea of a new Brexit referendum, saying the party must respect voters decision to leave.

Most of the partys 500,000 members voted in 2016 to remain in the EU, but many of its 257 lawmakers represent areas that supported Brexit. Brendan Chilton of the pro-Brexit group Labour Leave argues that the party would hemorrhage votes if it tried to stop Britain from leaving the 28-nation bloc.

But with Britain due to leave the EU in six months, on March 29, and negotiations at an impasse, Corbyn is under intense pressure from party members to support a new public vote.

Conference delegates are expected later Tuesday to back a compromise motion leaving the option of a second Brexit referendum open but not calling for it directly.

EU leaders last week rejected the British governments blueprint for future trade ties at a fractious summit in the Austrian city of Salzburg.

Mays plan seeks to keep the U.K. in the EUs vast 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.

The Salzburg rebuff left May under siege from Brexit-supporting Conservatives, who want 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.

For now, May is sticking by her plan. After a meeting of her divided Cabinet on Monday, Mays Downing St. office said hers is the only plan on the table ... and she remains confident of securing a deal with the EU.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Tuesday that time is tight. An EU summit next month is seen as a make-or-break moment for a Brexit deal.

Speaking in Berlin, Merkel said there were six to eight weeks of very hard work in front of us in which we must take the political decisions.

Of course, to a significant extent, this also depends on what Britain really wants  the discussion isnt so clear here, she said.

Read more about:NORFOLK, VA.A judge wants a grand jury to consider the case of a man who told police he poured gasoline on his disabled wife and set her on fire.

Fifty-eight-year-old Delano Grangruth is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 61-year-old Kathleen White-Grangruth.

The Virginian-Pilot reported on Mondays hearing. Norfolk police Detective Bill Cogswell testified that Grangruth initially denied knowing about the April 17 fire. The detective said he confessed after hours of questioning that he had attacked her in a drunken rage after they argued for days about money.

The womans charred body was found in a chair over a candle. A caregiver said she suffered from dementia and schizophrenia and needed a wheelchair after hip surgery.

Grangruth told reporters in April that hes not a monster.City-builders understand how important it is for cities to bind land use planning to transit investment.

When politicians green-light multibillion-dollar transit projects through areas without enough density to justify the cost (for example, the Scarborough subway extension), white elephants result. And if developers have licence to over-build in districts without adequate transit, gridlock ensues.

This immutable law of planning is just one reason why Doug Fords pledge to upload Torontos subways will become the Brexit of Toronto politics.

A costly and counter-productive exercise, the upload will usher in an era of politicized transit planning, something Toronto commuters need like, well, a hole in the ground.

Have your say

Opposing view: Should the province take over the TTC? Yes

By scooping the subway assets, the province destroys the citys capacity to determine where new lines are built. In the past, Queens Park has pressured council to expand the subway system, but the final decision rested with Toronto council.

All that ends with the upload.

Now, there will be nothing to stop the province from directing billions to projects in Tory-friendly 905 constituencies rather than investing in the parts of the network where long-overdue projects like the relief line are desperately needed.

The fact that Ford only talks about uploading the assets is also troubling. Will he also take responsibility for the subways liabilities, such as the billions needed to keep the network in a state of good repair? Its not clear.

For years, Torontonians have endured the consequences of politicized transit investment, a reality that allowed the construction of expensive, under-performing lines to low-density destinations while ignoring the systems choke points.

The emergency measures meant to defuse a dangerous over-crowding incident at the Yonge/Bloor station this year attest to the fact that parts of the TTCs subway network are at or over capacity.

New signals will allow the subway system to carry more passengers. But those solutions only go so far. When the Eglinton Crosstown and the Scarborough extension come on line by the mid-2020s, the pressure on the Yonge/University loop will be enormous. If the province spends billions extending the subway to York Region, the southern portions will be overwhelmed.

Quite apart from the question of what gets built where, there will be indirect financial consequences that should trouble TTC users and Toronto taxpayers.

In recent years, the province has kicked in funds for new LRT lines. But if Queens Park uploads the subway with a promise to spend billions on subway expansion, its predictable that cost-sharing for other transit expansion projects, especially LRTs (which Ford loathes) will dry up.

Then theres the maintenance. Because the city has fiscal and political responsibility for the entire system, council has an incentive to invest in unglamorous outlays, such as accessibility, rolling stock and signalling upgrades. The transparency of the citys budget process also ensures the public knows how the money is spent, and on what.

THE BIG DEBATE: For more opposing view columns from Toronto Star contributors, click here.

The 1995 Russell Hill subway collision, which left three dead, vividly illustrated what happens when maintenance is ignored.

Though New York City has dodged that bullet, millions of frustrated straphangers in the Big Apple live with the consequences of what happens when transit authorities and their political masters fail to maintain the system. Given our debate, its worth stressing that NYCs hobbled subway belongs to the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which answers to Albany legislators, not New York officials.

As Ontario embarks on an era of fiscal frugality, it seems unlikely that Queens Park, as the subways new owners, will prioritize billions for unsexy capital outlays that dont attract votes.

Finally, by carving the subway out of a highly integrated transit operation, the upload poses tough questions about how the system will function going forward. While Ford says the TTC will continue to operate the subways, the bifurcated ownership points to future conflict over budgeting, repairs and the allocation of resources.

Indeed, if Ford views provincial ownership as a means of delivering rapid transit to distant suburbs, the operating cost of running the network will swell because new 905 lines will lose money, meaning 416 commuters will bear the cost.

As the old saying goes, you break it, you own it. But my guess is that the millions of Torontonians who rely on the TTC will pay the price.

John Lorinc is an urban affairs journalist and a senior editor of Spacing Magazine.

Read more about:Premier Doug Ford clearly believes hes the smartest, toughest politician at Queens Park.

You can sense that as you watch him slash the size of Toronto city council without any outside consultation, play nice with extremists and order up a select committee to dig up dirt on former premier Kathleen Wynne, one of his most hated political opponents.

But Ford may not be as smart as he thinks. Indeed, despite what he believes, he is playing a perilous game of get-tough politics that thrills his Ford Nation base, but could easily backfire on him.

Over the past few days, Ford has been involved in a series of events that raise serious questions about his leadership and political smarts.

The first occurred when he initially refused to distance himself from Faith Goldy, a fringe Toronto mayoral candidate who has appeared on white nationalist websites. Goldy had her photo taken with Ford over the weekend at Ford Fest, the premiers annual free party for his followers.

Asked Monday to renounce Goldy, Ford refused to answer directly. Instead, like Trump did when he wouldnt denounce the white supremacists who took part in a deadly confrontation last year in Virginia, he waffled. On Tuesday he made a stronger statement, saying he has zero tolerance for any hate speech. But he still didnt criticize Goldy.

The second event came during the same Ford Fest, when his fans started chanting lock her up in reference to Wynne. The chant takes its cue from the chant that Donald Trumps fans used against Hillary Clinton. Ford didnt start the chant at his family barbecue, but he sure didnt do anything to cut it off either.

On both occasions Ford essentially gave cover to the bigoted and misogynistic beliefs on display at his own barbecue. Its difficult to conceive of any other Ontario premier taking such a casual attitude. A true leader should have stood up against hatred and intolerance.

The third event was Fords decision to create a select committee dominated by Tory MPPs to look into how the provincial budget deficit grew under Wynne. The Tories claim the deficit is $8.3 billion higher than what the Liberals claimed. Ford said the Liberals lied about the size of the deficit, calling it quite possibly the worst political cover-up in Ontarios history.

Such bellicose rhetoric is typical of Ford, but he has hit a new low by launching this full-blown witch hunt into Wynnes handling of the budget. Thats especially true given that the commission set up by Ford over the summer to look into the Liberals handling of Ontarios finances found no scandals. Still, Ford wants the committee to call witnesses and gather evidence, much like U.S. congressional committees do in their televised hearings that often do little but embarrass their targets and destroy reputations.

What Ford doesnt understand is that he may rue the day that he let bigotry and intolerance take hold within the Progressive Conservative party.

By providing cover for bigots, by pursuing his own personal vendettas, Ford is setting the province up for four years of turmoil.

Its no wonder voters are fed up with politicians  and it will be no wonder if they are tired of Fords self-indulgent antics when the next election rolls around.

Read more about:VANCOUVERFor British Columbia food producers and processors to boost their sales, they need to export.

But accessing global markets is complex and time-consuming, since protocols differ between countries, said Linda Delli Santi, executive director of the BC Greenhouse Growers Association.

Thats why both the federal and provincial governments have joined forces to offer $5 million to help the sector find new customers in Canada and around the world.

We are competing with other products coming into Canada and other growing areas in Canada for market share, Delli Santi explained in a phone interview. Its easy to export to the U.S., but we are close to the ocean, so we can export by boat or air.

The BC Agrifood and Seafood Market Development Program allows companies to gain the knowledge, skills and plans to prepare for domestic and international markets, as well as helps experienced exporters reach new markets, according to a news release.

The funding will support research, marketing opportunities and attendance at international trade shows. This in turn will help fresh and expanding producers by increasing the use and demand of locally grown products, it added.

The province exported roughly $3.9 billion worth of agri-food and seafood products to 157 markets in 2017, an increase of $94 million from the previous year, the release said. B.C. greenhouse vegetables, cherries, blueberries and a variety of seafood are the most exported globally.

Read more:

What you need to know about organic food labelling in B.C.

Matchmaking program aims to help aspiring farmers priced out of B.C. farmland

These Vancouver millennials are getting their hands dirty and growing local food, one veggie at a time

In 2016, the provincial government embarked on an ambitious plan to increase overall agri-food and seafood sector revenues to $15 billion per year by 2020, according to a news release.

That same year, agri-food and seafood exports reached $62.6 billion.

Meanwhile, in 2017, the federal government set a target of $75 billion in agriculture, agri-food and seafood exports by 2025, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Last Friday, the department released an economic projection of domestic and international markets that shows continued growth, the spokesperson added.

Canadas farmers and processors have incredible potential to create good jobs and grow Canadas economy, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay said in the release. The move will contribute to the governments $75-billion goal, he added.

Delli Santi told StarMetro that it took 25 years to get greenhouse peppers into Japan. Thats because of the complicated procedures involved, such as getting both governments on board and bringing in Japanese inspectors.

The latter was possible because Delli Santi applied for funding in a similar federal-provincial program.

Now, both tomatoes and peppers are exported to Japan from Canada. And Delli Santi said theres a current application to export to China. Markets in India have also expressed interest.

We are able to grow our businesses, so we need to find homes for these products, Delli Santi said. When a program like this is announced, anything that may grow your export business will allow you to apply.

The program is open for applications and will run for the length of the five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which is a federal-provincial-territorial $3-billion investment. It includes $2 billion in cost-shared initiatives delivered by the provinces and territories until March 2023. The remaining $1 billion is distributed federally.

B.C. Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said in the release that supporting the efforts of local farmers and producers to expand into global markets increases demand for local goods, along with creating good jobs and prosperity for British Columbians.

Read more about:China Aviation Daily | Sep. 25, 2018

Boeing and Shanghai Airlines today celebrated the delivery of the carrier's first 787-9 Dreamliner. The airline says it plans to use the super-efficient and passenger-preferred Dreamliner to upgrade its regional and long-range service from its base in China's largest city.

The new airplane, with a special symbol of "100" on its fuselage, is the 100th airplane for Shanghai Airlines, a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines.

"We are so excited to take delivery of the very first Dreamliner for Shanghai Airlines, as well as China Eastern Group," said Li Yangmin, vice president of China Eastern Group. "With the introduction of these new airplanes, China Eastern Group will also officially launch the global leading new generation Passenger Service System. We are confident that all these efforts will help us significantly upgrade our services and we know our passengers will love it."

The 787-9 is the second member of the Dreamliner family, which offers 20 to 25 percent better fuel efficiency per seat and lower emissions than the airplanes they replace. As the longest-range member of the family, the 787-9 can fly 290 passengers, in a typical two-class configuration, up to 7,635 nautical miles (14,140 km).

Shanghai Airlines is set to receive additional 787-9s in the coming years. The airline plans to fly their initial 787s on popular domestic routes such as Shanghai to Chengdu and Beijing, as well as regional routes from Shanghai to Japan and Korea. As the carrier's 787 fleet grows, it plans to take advantage of the aircraft's long range and superior fuel efficiency to open new, international routes.

"We are thrilled to expand our long-standing partnership with Shanghai Airlines and the China Eastern Group. The 787 Dreamliner's unmatched performance, operating economics and comfort make it the perfect airplane for Shanghai Airlines to expand and enhance their international network," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company.

Since 2013, more than 60 Dreamliners have entered service across China, flying more than 22 million people on more than 75 unique routes while saving an estimated one million tons of fuel compared to other aircraft.

Boeing jets are the mainstay of China's air travel and cargo system, with more than 50 percent of all commercial jetliners operating in China being Boeing airplanes. In addition, China will soon become the first trillion dollar airplane market in the world, driven primarily by the growing middle class. By 2037, it is forecast that China will need 7,690 airplanes to meet the growing demand and that is expected to increase 6.2% annually.

Contributed by BoeingALTON  In a matter of mere weeks, Alton once again made a national rating, this time as a best place to retire, according to Forbes magazine.

We have a lot of positive things happening in Alton, a press release from Mayor Brant Walkers office says.

Alton City Treasurer Cameo Foster previously had made the announcement at the Sept. 12 City Council meeting.

The magazine described the city as:

Charming Mississippi River city of 27,000 near St. Louis. Median home price $60,000. Cost of living 22 percent below national average. PROS: High rank on Milken Institute list of best places for successful aging, physicians per capita mirrors national average. No state income tax on Social Security earnings, state income tax breaks on pension income. CONS: Poor air quality, serious crime rate above national average. Noted: Elevation 400 feet. Trivia: Named for son of towns founder.

Forbes rated Naperville, a Chicago suburb, as the runnerup best place to retire.

Last month, AARP named Alton as a Best Place to Live for Under $40,000 a Year by AARP the Magazine.

The city, which earlier this year became the fourth in Illinois to join AARPs Network of Age-Friendly Communities, stood out for its Main Street shopping district, growing tourism, bike trail and services for the 50-plus population.

We called Alton a funky small town with big-river life, and thats absolutely the case, said AARP Illinois Associate State Director Julie Vahling in an August press release. The city is committed to becoming even more age-friendly, the housing market remains affordable and St. Louis is a $3 train ride away. Were thrilled to have a place like Alton here in Illinois, and we hope other communities will strive for the same livability for people of all ages.

AARP the Magazine worked with demographic expert Bert Sperling, founder and CEO of BestPlaces, to select cities based on economic health, housing affordability, crime rates, recreation and leisure amenities, health resources and other qualitative factors.

The magazine highlighted Altons Senior Services Plus, which offers memberships to its wellness center for just $100 to residents 55 and older. The Sam Vadalabene Bike Trail offers riverside rides with scenic visits and birding opportunities, while the citys amphitheater provides 4,000 seats for marquee concerts and festivals. History buffs can find deep connections to the Underground Railroad and free audio walking tours to historic sites from the life of President Abraham Lincoln.

Alton is one of six Illinois cities to join AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. To learn more about AARPs livable communities work in communities across the country and the AARP Community Challenge please visit www.aarp.org/livable.EDWARDSVILLE - Beginning this week, voters in Madison County will have an opportunity to cast their votes early for this years General Election.

Early voting starts Thursday at the Madison County Clerks office and continues weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Oct. 19.

The general election is Nov. 6.

Other early voting sites, including the Madison County Clerks office and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, open on Oct. 22. Early voting at SIUE will be held at the Willow Room; the hours there are noon to 5 p.m. from Oct. 22 through 26, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 29 through 30 and Nov. 1 and 2.

Early voting hours at the Madison County Clerks office are:

Oct. 22 through 26  8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 27 (Saturday)  9 a.m. to noon

Oct. 30 and Nov. 4 (Sundays)  10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oct. 29 and Nov. 2 and 5  8:30 a.m. through 7 p.m.

Nov. 3 (Saturday)  9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Edwardsville voters can choose between Democrat Fred Faust and incumbent Republican Dalton Gray in Pin Oak Townships Madison County Board District 11.

Voters in Maryvilles County Board District 27 can choose between Clint Jones, the incumbent Republican, and former County Board member Joe Semanisin, who is running on the Democratic ticket.

Madison County Board District 16 is also up for grabs as a result of the Sept. 6 death of its long-time representative, Helen Hawkins. Democrat Chris Hankins is facing Susan Presswood, who is running as an Independent.

Several county-wide seats are up for grabs as well.

Former Madison County Board member Steve Adler, now the executive director of the Metro East Sanitary District, is challenging Madison County Clerk Debbie Ming-Mendoza. Adler is running as a Republican; Mendoza is a Democrat.

In the race for Madison County Treasurer, Democrat Chris Miller is challenging incumbent Chris Slusser.

The race for Madison County Superintendent of Schools pits incumbent Andrew Reinking, a Democrat, and Republican Robert Werden.

In the race for Third Circuit Judge, Sarah Smith, a Democrat, is running against Republican Mark Rabe. The seat opened last year after Circuit Judge Barb Crowder announced her retirement.

In another race for Circuit Judge, David Dugan, a Republican, is running against Democrat Marc Parker. That seat opened after John Barberis was elected to the Fifth District Appellate Court.

Several state races have a distinctly local flavor. Edwardsville Mayor Hal Patton and Rachelle Aud Crowe are battling for a state senate seat in District 56. Crowe is a Democrat and Patton is running as an Independent. The seat opened after incumbent Bill Haine announced last summer that he was battling a blood cancer known as multiple myeloma. Haine, a Democrat and former Madison County States Attorney, said he intended to stay in office until the Nov. 6 general election. The 56th District begins just north of Godfrey and runs south to include parts of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon and Maryville, and ends near OFallon.

In the neighboring 56th Senate District, Republican Jason Plummer is running against Democrat Brian Stout.

In the race for state representative in the 112th District, incumbent Democrat Katie Stuart is facing a challenge from Republican Dwight Kay. Stuart took office after narrowly defeating Kay in the 2016 election.

In the race for 113th Congressional District, Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan is challenging incumbent Rodney Davis.

Voters in Madison County will also be asked to vote on three propositions.

The first - the only one of the three that is binding - asks voters whether the office of Madison County Recorder shall be eliminated and all duties and responsibilities of the office be transferred to the County Clerks office on Dec. 7.

A second asks whether Madison County shall become a sanctuary city for law abiding gun owners to protect them from unconstitutional gun laws passed by the Illinois General Assembly.

A third proposition asks whether all units of governments within Madison County shall first seek approval from the voters by advisory referendum before incurring any bond debt?EDWARDSVILLE  A man who allegedly beat a woman on a public street, despite the victims failure to identify him, will spend 10 years in prison.

David A. Crowe, 35 of Collinsville, was convicted in July of domestic battery and aggravated battery after a jury deliberated just 30 minutes.

Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli sentenced Crowe Friday after he continued to insist after the conviction that he was not even at the scene of the beating. His only word on his behalf at sentencing was, sorry.

The victim testified at trial but did not identify Crowe as her attacker. She did testify that she was at the scene of the crime, and the evidence showed she was beaten by Crowe. She was not able to help herself, but the witnesses and police were, Assistant States Attorney Kerri Davis told the jury.

Davis explained during the trial that witnesses saw Crowe, beat a woman on a public street in Collinsville in broad daylight. She also pointed out that Crowe allegedly beat the same woman in Glen Carbon a few days after the Collinsville beating.

A Glen Carbon officer testified Wednesday he saw track marks, possibly indicating drug use, on the victims arm. No one should be pushed out of a car, beaten and left like trash in the middle of the street, Davis told the jury in her argument.

Witnesses of the Collinsville case dialed 9-1-1 to report the incident, and one woman apparently went to break up the beating and help the victim after she crawled to the curb and managed to get up. The witness said the victim appeared to avoid any assistance.

Crowe and the victim of the April 13, 2017, beating in Collinsville apparently maintained a relationship after the incident. Crowe was later arrested and charged in Glen Carbon after the alleged Collinsville beating incident.

Crowe has a record dating to 2002, when he was convicted of burglary. He also has convictions from criminal sexual abuse, two counts of violation of probation, failure to report a change of address as a sex offender, failure to report weekly, aggravated fleeing, an additional count of burglary, two counts of theft, arson, possession of a controlled substance and 14 misdemeanors, including domestic battery and unlawful possession of hypodermic needles.

Reach reporter Sanford Schmidt at 618-208-6449.Several firemen were sworn in, some promoted, and some acknowledged for their service to the Jacksonville Fire Department at the city council meeting on Monday.

Jacksonville Fire Chief Doug Sills recognized Capt. Beth Kershaw who started her career in firefighting in Sept. 1992 and retired in June of this year. Kershaw also worked for the Meredosia Rescue Squad, the Jacksonville Underwater Search and Rescue, and the Jacksonville/Morgan County Emergency Services Disaster Agency.

Also recognized was Joey Hosteny, who was promoted to driver/engineer effective Aug. 14, 2018; Mike Martin, who was promoted to captain effective Aug. 14, 2018; and Matt Summers, promoted to lieutenant effective Aug. 14, 2018.

Finally, Brett Brockhouse and Logan Griffin were sworn in as official Jacksonville firefighters.

In other business, the city council may soon be reviewing the city code pertaining to motor vehicle races after a particularly late race at the Jacksonville Speedway.

On Sept. 14, the races held at the racetrack went just past midnight, well past the city ordinances 11 p.m. limit for motor vehicle races. Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard said that he had a talk with the tracks management and, after hearing that some crashes had caused a delay and laps had been shortened in an attempt to end on time, issued the mandatory $200 fine.

Ezard said that he would like the council to review the ordinance as it would be unreasonable to expect them to shut the race down, especially when things happen that are out of the managements control.

Theyre very cognizant of what theyre trying to do and they dont want to go over, trust me, Ezard said. They bring a lot of people to this town. I was up that night and listening to them, the wind was blowing right, and it was an inconvenience for a lot of people. They know that and they dont like that A lot of times theyre done early, this was just a big night.

Alderman Don Cook suggested that perhaps the fine be implemented only when it is purposely drawn on past the deadline. Another suggestion by City Attorney Dan Beard was that the city treat such a violation as they would a liquor ordinance violation, with a warning given and the racetrack given an opportunity to explain why the violation occurred.

Ward 5 Alderman Steve Warmowski, who said he received many complaints about the overage, said he felt that some sort of fine be given out.

We want to change our code, not just ignore our code to let the races go, Warmowski said. Its kind of the cost of doing business. When a lot of people in town are being inconvenienced, where they cant sleep Im all for the raceway, Ive taken my son out there, but we have to have limits where it cant go on.

Warmowski suggested that a provision be made to allow one late weekday race during the school year, with a separate fine for breaking curfew. Additionally, he suggested that there could be a registration fee for racing promoters that would be refunded at the end of the year, minus any fines outstanding for any violations made throughout that year.

No action was taken at the meeting.

Jacksonville Police Chief Adam Mefford notified the city council that after some close calls with accidents at Washington School, the department will be closing down southbound traffic from Grove Street to Anna Street from 2:20 p.m. to 3 p.m. Northbound cars will be allowed to proceed.

Ideally, he said, this will alleviate the issue of kids darting out across traffic in front of southbound vehicles.

Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper.Kimberly Daniels wears many hats. Shes the founder of Kimberly Daniels Ministry International, Word Bible College and Spoken Word Ministry in addition to serving in the Florida House of Representatives.

During a sermon, Daniels told her congregation, If it wasnt for slavery, I might be somewhere in Africa worshiping a tree. Thats right. Daniels is black and shes grateful that her ancestors were shackled, crammed aboard a slave ship and auctioned off to the highest bidder because it gave them the opportunity to be introduced to the Christian religion.

Daniels ancestors were subject to whippings, brandings, mutilations, rapes and the separation of parents from their children on the auction block. They were denied any education, since literate slaves could read abolitionist literature that might fall into their hands. But it was all worth it since they had been transported to a nation where Christianity is the dominant religion.

Daniels argument isnt by any means new. Nineteenth-century apologists for slavery  who, unlike Daniels were white  made much the same case as they sought to convince their fellow Americans that the Peculiar Institution was actually a blessing for those heathen Africans. It should surprise no one that many of these apologists were Southern men of the cloth.

In his book The Great Stain, Noel Rae cites a Bishop Stephen Elliott of Georgia, who admonished critics of slavery because by their interference with this institution, they might be checking and impeding a work which is manifestly Providential. Elliott noted that For nearly a hundred years the English and American Churches have been striving to civilize and Christianize Western Africa with scant success. Just compare those few converts who lived in Africa with the thousands, nay, I may say millions, who have learned the way to Heaven and who have been made to know their Savior through the means of African slavery.

A Rev. Wilson, cited in Russell Pepper Dills paper A Rhetorical Analysis of Selected Pro-Slavery Sermons by Presbyterian Clergy in the Antebellum South, made his case for slavery along similar lines. Slavery, Wilson contended was one of the colored mans foremost sources of blessing since it was saving a lower race from the destruction of heathenism. In other words, a life of chains and shackles in a Christian land was much preferable than freedom in a pagan land. Slavery wasnt just a necessary evil, according to such clergymen. It was a positive good because slave owners enjoyed a greater success rate when it came to introducing Christianity to Africans than those hapless missionaries, who presumably relied solely on moral authority rather than whips.

Slaves in the United States were indeed introduced to the Christian religion, but it was a Christianity tailor-made to ensure that they remained docile and utterly obedient to all whites. Ministers repeated ad nauseam Biblical verses such as Ephesians 6:5-7, Titus 2:9-10 and I Peter 2:18, which exhort slaves to obey their masters. Slaves also endured hearing about Noahs cursing of Canaan, Hams son. Ham was supposedly the progenitor of the black race. Pro-slavery preachers argued this meant God intended blacks to be slaves.

Did Christianity make for kinder, gentler slave-masters? Not according to Frederick Douglass, whose owner became a Christian after attending a revival in 1832. If it had any effect on his character, it made him more cruel and hateful in all his ways; for I believe him to have been a much worse man after his conversion than before, Douglas wrote. Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after his conversion, he found religious sanction and support for his slave holding cruelty.

While I strongly disagree that slavery was any kind of blessing, Ill say this much for the slaves introduction to Christianity in the United States. They were certainly taught the meaning of hell.

John J. Dunphy is the author of Abolitionism and the Civil War in Southwestern Illinois and From Christmas to Twelfth Night in Southern Illinois. He owns The Second Reading Book Shop in Alton.Platinum Credit is aleading Regional Micro Finance Company providing emergency loans to employedindividuals in Eastern Africa. We have a wide spread branch network in Uganda,Kenya and Tanzania. Platinum Credit (U) Ltd has introduced a new productavailable to formally employed persons working in the Private Sector. PlatinumCredit (U) Ltd is a subsidiary of Platcorp Holdings Ltd.A court in Gobichettipalayam in Tamil Nadu's Erode district, acquitted all nine people accused in the abduction of Kannada actor Rajkumar and three others, by dacoit Veerappan.

Delivering the judgment, Additional District Judge Mani, on Tuesday, said that the prosecution did not gather enough evidence against the accused in the case and "not even an iota of evidence was produced to show the accused were accomplices of Veerappan".

The judge also said that Rajkumar's family did not turn up to depose in front of the court during the trial. The verdict comes 18 years after the abduction which took place on July 30, 2000. The actor was held captive for 108 days in the forest.

While Veerappan was killed in an encounter with the Special Task Force in 2004, Rajkumar passed away in 2006.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.

A file photo of Kidari Sarveswara Rao | PTI

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.The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite...The Indian Army on Tuesday denied reports that the soldier, who was killed on Monday during a counter-infiltration operation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, had taken part in the surgical strike in September 2016.

Lance Naik Sandeep Singh sustained bullet injuries during an operation in the Tangdhar sector in which five terrorists were killed. He was rushed to the 92 Base Hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

READ: Army Chief Rawat says there is need for another surgical strike

Singh, 30, belonged to Kotla Khurd village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab and is survived by his wife. The Army paid tributes to the Lance Naik on Tuesday. Singh would be laid to rest with full military honours at his native village.

Soon after the incident, reports emerged about Singh being a member of the Armys special forces that took part in the surgical strike across the LoC. Such reports are 'unfounded', said defence ministry spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia to news agency IANS.

The Army carried out the surgical strike on the night of September 28-29, 2016, a week after Pakistan-based militants attacked a military base at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir and killed 18 soldiers.Four police personnel were suspended in Uttar Pradesh after a video of them harassing and assaulting a woman over her alleged relationship with a Muslim man went viral. The incident reportedly took place in Meerut a few days ago.

The video, apparently shot by one of the cops, shows the woman sitting between a female and male constable in a police vehicle. Two other policemen were seen sitting in the front seat. The cops can be heard asking the woman why she is "dating a Muslim man when there are so many Hindu men around".

The woman constable is seen thrashing the woman and removing the scarf which she used to cover her face.

According to reports, the woman and her Muslim male friend are medical students and were studying together at his house when a group of Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists attacked them, alleging 'love jihad'. The attackers later handed over the duo to police.

Both of them were taken to police station in separate vehicles. The VHP members reportedly asked the girl's father to file a complaint, but he denied.

An NDTV report said the couple continued to be harassed by the right-wing men even after reaching the police station. The report quoted a senior police officer as saying that they had initiated a probe into the incident and further action would be taken based its findings.Three-month-old Neve Te Aroha from New Zealand is one lucky baby. Not only is her mom the prime minister of the country, but she also got to be the first baby to attend a United Nations General Assembly, in her mother's arms of course.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made history by taking her newborn baby to the UN assembly. Before delivering a speech at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit on Monday evening, the mom played with her cute three-month-old daughter. Ardern's partner Clarke Gayford held the baby on his lap as she addressed the assembly.

Neve was born on June 21, and within six weeks Ardern was back in office. Though she is not the first woman to have a baby while being a prime ministerformer Pakistan prime minister Benzir Bhutto was the firstArdern made history by becoming the first female world leader to attend the assembly with a baby in tow.

Neve will be travelling with her mom as she is still being breastfed. The trip to New York was her first international trip. While her mom is busy meeting world leaders giving speeches, Neve plans to cuddle close to her daddy, her primary caregiver and a fishing television presenter.

Though recent changes made in New Zealand's rules allow the prime minister to cover the travel with a nanny on overseas assignments with taxpayer's money, the tickets for Gayford were paid out of her own pocket, Ardern said.

Gayford, on Monday, posted a photo of Neves security pass on Twitter, which reads first baby.

He added: I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change. Great yarn for her 21st (birthday).

Because everyone on twitter's been asking to see Neve's UN id, staff here whipped one up.

I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change.

Great yarn for her 21st. pic.twitter.com/838BI96VYX  Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) September 24, 2018

This was Ardern's debut speech at UN where she highlighted the former South African leader's "profound impact" on her country. She vowed to end child poverty and make New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child.



Ardern has been a strong advocate of working mothers. I have the ability to take my child to work; theres not many places you can do that. I am not the gold standard for bringing up a child in this current environment because there are things about my circumstances that are not the same, Ardern said. She said she hopes that one day, things will become easier for all women who want to balance a career and parenting. If I can do one thing, and that is change the way we think about these things, then I will be pleased we have achieved something, she added.Chandigarh, Sep 25 (PTI) Northern states Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and UT Chandigarh Tuesday agreed to fix uniform tax rates on petroleum products, amid rising fuel prices.

Besides, the states also agreed to bring uniformity in taxes on liquor and registration of vehicles and transport permit, according to an official release.

The finance ministers of five states and officials of UT Chandigarh held a meeting here to deliberate on fixing uniform rate of taxes on petrol and diesel.

"It was agreed during the meeting to bring uniformity on the tax rates of petrol and diesel," said an official release.

The participating states also decided to constitute a sub-committee, which would give their recommendation with regard to uniformity in tax rates in next fifteen days, release said.

Haryana Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu said it was decided in the meeting that an effort should be made to bring uniformity in VAT rates on petrol and diesel in order to provide relief to consumers.

It was also discussed in the meeting that with uniformity in tax rates, the diversion of trade will be curbed.

Notably, Punjab has one of the highest rates of VAT on petrol in the country and it is second to Maharashtra.

The price of petrol in Punjab is over Rs 88 a litre, around Rs 8 per litre costlier than that in Chandigarh. The state levies about 36 per cent VAT and surcharges on petrol.

Participating in the discussion, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said northern states have shown consensus on having same tax rates on liquor also.

"It will lead to increase in the government revenue and at the same, curb black marketing," Sisodia said.

Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal during the meeting suggested that there should be a uniform policy for the state transport so that there should be no loss of revenue from registration and permit fees because of different tax rates.

He pointed out that it was seen that many trucks and vehicles of Punjab and Haryana get their registration done from other states.

A committee of officials has also been set up for excise and transport, which would send the report to their respective state governments on the uniformity of rates, release said. PTI CHS SUN VSD MKJNew Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) The government is "closely" monitoring the situation arising out of the defaults by IL&FS Group, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Tuesday, amid jitters in financial markets over liquidity concerns.

Banks have expressed confidence that they would continue to ensure adequate availability of liquidity in the various sectors of the economy, Jaitley said.

His remarks come against the backdrop of defaults by an IL&FS group company triggering concerns of liquidity crunch among the Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), which in turn has roiled financial markets.

"Banks are very confident that they will maintain liquidity, which is required, for various sectors of the economy," Jaitley said after meeting heads of public sector banks here.

On the IL&FS issue, he said the government is closely monitoring the situation.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and I have nothing further to add to what the LIC Chairman has said," Jaitley said.

LIC Chairman V K Sharma said that as a shareholder it would not allow debt-ridden IL&FS to collapse and would explore options to revive it.

"We will ensure IL&FS does not collapse. We will not allow contagion to spread from IL&FS... All options are open (including raising stake in the company)," Sharma said after meeting Jaitley earlier in the day.

IL&FS Financial Services, a group company of IL&FS defaulted on one of its commercial paper issuances due for repayment on Monday. This was the third default by the company.

State-owned LIC is the largest shareholder with a fourth of the firm's equity, while Japan's Orix Corporation owns 23.5 per cent.

Other stakeholders are Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (12.5 per cent), IL&FS Employees Welfare Trust (12 per cent), HDFC (9.02 per cent), Central Bank of India (7.67 per cent) and State Bank of India (6.42 per cent). These figures are till the end of March 2018.

The Finance Ministry has maintained that IL&FS Group is independent of the government and the company needs to resolve its issues.

IL&FS is sitting on a debt pile of around Rs 91,000 crore, out of which Rs 57,000 crore are bank loans alone. State-owned financial institutions banks have significant exposure to the company.

"IL&FS is independent of the 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," Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg had told PTI.

"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 had said. PTI DP RAM

RAMNew Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Asserting that legacy issues are getting over, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Tuesday bad loans in the banking system are on the decline and recoveries of NPAs have picked up.

Banks recovered Rs 36,551 crore in the first quarter of 2018-19 and are expected to retrieve Rs 1.8 lakh crore in the whole year through the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and other means, a top finance ministry official said. During 2017-18, banks recovered Rs 74,562 crore.

Speaking to reporters after the annual review meet with the chiefs of public sector banks, the finance minister noted that bad debts or NPAs in the banking system were on a decline.

Last several years had been challenging for public sector banks as a large amount of lending was held up in NPAs, he said.

But after the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) came into force, which calls for an auction of assets of loan defaulting entities, recoveries have picked up, he observed.

Recoveries are better, the lending ability of banks is much better and to top it all credit growth has significantly moved upwards, he said.

"Recoveries have picked up...it has not picked up not just because resolutions have taken place in the NCLT, they have also picked up because those debtors who fear that they are likely to cross the deadline are paying in anticipation of an IBC process being compelled on them.

"This has brought in some light at the end of the tunnel where recoveries are better, the lending ability of banks are much better...we have overcome what was traditionally described as the legacy issues and the faster we get out of them better it is for the Indian economy is concerned," he said.

Observing that Indian economy was passing through a phase of a good growth, he said banking activity was bound to pick up with encouraging consumption and growth figures.

"Obviously, the bankers also have a certain expectation, which I have told them we will certainly consider. Some of them did mention that the PCA (prompt corrective action) guidelines should be revisited because that is indirectly impacting their lending ability and that government should be more upfront in the capital requirement of some of these banks.

"I have assured them that we will immediately look at this subject because we are as keen as them, as every Indian is, that this opportunity is not missed because we want the cycle of high consumption, high growth, NPA recoveries, credit offtake really to be utilised to the fullest in order to help economy," he said.

Noting that banks' performance was on track during the first quarter, Jaitley said they have started making a net profit.

On the proposed three-way merger Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, Jaitley said this will help banking activity and create the country's third-largest lender.

He assured that there will not be any job loss and every job will be protected.

With stronger financials, the new entity would be better positioned to protect jobs of its employees, he stressed.

Meanwhile, Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar said banks in the meeting decided that they would mobilise over Rs 18,500 crore through monetisation of their non-core assets in the current financial year for strengthening their capital base

At the same time, they would complete rationalisation of foreign operations by March 2019, with closure/consolidation of 57 branches or offices.

Kumar said banks expect to recover Rs 1.8 lakh crore through IBC and other routes during the current fiscal.

Besides, PCA banks would pursue their Quarterly Performance Milestones, including improvement in their lending risk profiles through a 6 per cent reduction in Credit RWA to Advances Ratio and 8 per cent reduction in Cost to Income Ratio.

Banks would complete action by December 2018 on fraud detection and initiation of action in respect of NPAs with outstanding of above Rs 50 crore, Kumar added.

Besides, the Finance Minister also launched a web portal www.psbloansin59minutes.com, a transformative initiative in MSME credit space.

It will enable in principle approval for MSME loans up to Rs 1 crore within 59 minutes from SIDBI and five PSBs.

"It is a strategic initiative of SIBDI led PSB consortium incubated under the aegis of Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance. The Portal sets a new benchmark in loan processing and reduces the turnaround time from 20-25 days to 59 minutes. Subsequent to this in principle approval, the loan will be disbursed in 7-8 working days," Kumar said.

In addition, Finance Minister launched Financial Inclusion Index which will be a measure of access and usage of a basket of formal financial products and services that includes savings, remittances, credit, insurance and pension products.

The index will have three measurement dimensions access to financial services, usage of financial services and quality. PTI DP NKD CS MR

MR

He said the anti-narcotics agency has widened its probeChandigarh, Sep 25 (PTI) The Haryana government has decided to install CCTV cameras in distilleries, bottling plants and breweries for close monitoring of movement of liquor consignments.

The step has been taken to prevent any illegal movement of liquor, according to an official release.

The release said that a decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Haryana Cabinet here Tuesday.

The release said that the Cabinet approved the amendment in the Punjab Distillery Rules, 1932 as applicable to Haryana.

As per the amendment, distilleries, breweries and bottling plants will bear the expenses for making necessary arrangements for effective monitoring and control over the manufacturing and despatches, it said. PTI SUN SMNMumbai, Sep 25 (PTI) Amitabh Bachchan-Aamir Khan starrer "Thugs of Hindostan" will be dubbed in Tamil and Telugu to reach a wider audience upon its release.

Bachchan and Khan have also shot a video, announcing the film's release in the two languages.

Director Vijay Krishna Acharya said the coming together of two stars for the first time will be a treat for the audience.

"We are a nation of film lovers, and films have often been a cultural glue that binds us all in a way that transcends geography. We hope that in 'Thugs of Hindostan', the audience will find a story that's universal in appeal and unique in its presentation...

"If there's one thing we Indians know as a family is to share, and it is in this spirit that we'd like to share our film with our audiences across India. This Diwali let the Thugs entertain you all over Hindostan," Acharya said in a statement.

Rohan Malhotra, VP - Distribution, Yash Raj Films, said, "... 'Thugs of Hindostan' will be the biggest ever release a Bollywood title has ever had in the history of Indian cinema... We want to give the film a release scale that justifies its humongous hype."

Backed by Yash Raj Films, the mega action adventure, also featuring Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh, is scheduled to release on November 8. PTI JUR RB

RBMumbai, Sep 25 (PTI) Bollywood star Rani Mukerji's critically-acclaimed film "Hichki" is set to release in China on October 12.

Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, the film has been titled "Teacher with Hiccup" for the release in the neighbouring country.

The Yash Raj Films project, produced by Maneesh Sharma, is a story of an aspiring teacher played by Rani, who suffers from Tourette syndrome.

The actor is excited how social dramas from India are finding a connect with audiences in China.

"It's truly amazing when films can cross over to different cultures and languages because of its universal story. 'Hichki' is a reflection of society, a reflection of how we all have weaknesses and we need to overcome them to make the world a better place.

"Social dramas find a connect with audiences in China and I am hopeful that my film with resonate with everyone especially the teachers, students and parents," she said in a statement.

China has emerged as a huge market for Indian films after the spectacular success of "Dangal", "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", "Hindi Medium" and "Secret Superstar". PTI RDS

RDSMumbai, Sep 25 (PTI) Actor Sonu Sood has been honoured with the Doctorate Degree of Taekwondo.

The 45-year-old actor actor, who is known for leading a healthy lifestyle over the years, was felicitated with honour for his outstanding contribution and support towards taekwondo sport.

He was honoured in the presence of Prabhat Sharma, secretary general of Taekwondo Federation of India at the opening ceremony of 107 International Kyorugi Referee Seminar/121st International Kyorugi Referee Refresher Course and 40th International Poomse Referee Seminar.

"It feels good to see everybody so fit out here, all thanks to the event organisers who have managed to get the taekwondo experts all over the country on the same platform and created the Taekwondo Federation," Sonu said in a statement.

"It's great to know that people across all age groups are interested in taekwondo sport and they want to create awareness regarding the same and inspire others. Felicitating these experts would certainly inspire them and others to take up the sport as also a fitness initiative. I really hope such good fitness initiatives inspire the people and help us make a healthy India," he added.

On the work front, Sonu will be next seen in Rohit Shetty's "Simmba", alongside Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan. PTI RB RB(Eds: changes intro, updates with more details)

Washington, Sep 25 (PTI) US President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh has said that he "never sexually assaulted anyone" and always treated women with dignity and respect, as he sought a fair process to defend his "integrity" over the mounting sexual misconduct allegations that have put his confirmation into jeopardy.

Two women - Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez - have come out publicly in the last 10 days, alleging that they were sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh 36 and 25 years ago respectively.

"I have never sexually assaulted anyone, not in high school, not ever. I have always treated women with dignity and respect," Kavanaugh said on Monday as he broke his long silence on the issue.

"Listen to the people who have known me best through my whole life, the women who have known me since high school, the 65 who overnight signed a letter from high school, saying I always treated them with dignity and respect...," he told Fox News as he gave his first interview along with his wife.

"I am looking for a fair process, a process where I can defend my integrity and clear my name. And all I am asking for is fairness and that I'd be heard in this process," Kavanaugh, 53, said.

Kavanaugh and his first accuser 51-year-old Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

The Democrats are asking for an FBI investigation into the incident, which so far has been stonewalled by the Republicans and President Trump.

"This is an allegation about a party in the summer of 1982 at a house near Connecticut Avenue and East-West Highway with five people present. I was never at any such party," Kavanaugh said.

"The other people who were alleged to be present have said they do not remember any such party. A woman who was present, another woman who was present, who is Dr Ford's lifelong friend, has said she does not know me and never remembers being at a party with me at any time in her life. All I am asking for is a fair process where I can be heard," he added.

President Trump continues to support the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh. He has questioned the motives of the Democrats in raising this issue.

Trump has also questioned the credibility of Ford, contending that if the alleged attack was so bad then she would have reported it to the law enforcement when the incident happened 36 years ago.

"I never had any sexual or physical activity with Dr Ford," Kavanaugh said, adding, "What I know is the truth. And the truth is, I have never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or otherwise".

"I am not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr Ford, at some point in her life, was sexually assaulted by someone in some place. But what I know is, I have never sexually assaulted anyone in high school or at any time in my life," he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump hoped that his Supreme Court nominee would soon be confirmed.

"We hope he is going to be confirmed. He is a fine, fine man. A great scholar and great at everything he has ever done. And it would be sad, indeed, if something happened to reroute that. This is a fine man. And we certainly hope he is going to be confirmed, and quickly," Trump told reporters in New York.

"His family has suffered. What is going on is not something that should happen. Brett Kavanaugh is an absolute outstanding person. Hopefully, he will be confirmed quickly," the US president said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also came out in Kavanaugh's defence.

"Senate Democrats and their allies are trying to destroy a man's 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," he said on the Senate floor.

Justice Kavanaugh is the second judge to be 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. PTI LKJ MRJ

MRJIslamabad, Sep 25 (PTI) Pakistan's Supreme Court on Tuesday assured former dictator General Pervez Musharraf that high-level security will be provided to him if he returns to the country to face the trial in a high-profile treason case.

Musharraf, 75, has been living in Dubai since 2016. The former Army chief is facing a high-profile treason case and has been declared absconder due to his persistent failure to appear before the special trial court set up to try him in the case.

A three-member bench, presided by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar was hearing a petition on Tuesday pertaining to losses suffered by the country after the promulgation of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) case in 2007.

Nisar asked Musharraf's lawyer Athar Shah why did he not return to Pakistan, the Dawn newspaper reported.

"He left the country on the pretext of pain in his backbone but he can be seen dancing abroad," Nisar said.

The lawyer responded that the former military ruler respected the courts but could not return because of security issues.

The chief justice said that the head of the Rangers force in the relevant province will be responsible for Musharraf's security upon his return to the country, the report said.

Musharraf will also be offered the services of best available doctors in the country if he comes back, Nisar asserted.

The court also ordered to de-seal Musharraf's farmhouse to accommodate him upon his return.

The case pertains to the recovery of a large amount of public money wasted allegedly by former presidents Musharraf, Asif Zardari and former attorney general Malik Qayyum in the wake of the NRO in 2007.

During Tuesday's hearing, Musharraf's lawyer presented details of his assets in Pakistan and abroad.

According to Shah, Musharraf owns nothing in the country, whereas he has a flat in Dubai and a farmhouse in Chak Shahzad that has been leased in Musharraf's wife's name.

The former president was indicted in March 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges.

A conviction for high-profile treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, has been declared a fugitive in the Benazir Bhutto murder case and Red Mosque cleric killing case. PTI MRJ MRJ

MRJUnited Nations, Sep 25 (AFP) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged world governments at the United Nations to isolate Iran, charging that Tehran's leadership sows "chaos, death and destruction."

"We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues," Trump told the General Assembly. (AFP)

PMS

PMSNew Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday congratulated Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on his victory in the Maldives presidential elections 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 here 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.

The Maldives' opposition leader Sunday won the polls defeating incumbent Abdulla Yameen.

Solih had the backing of a united opposition trying to oust Yameen. PTI NAB NAB TIR

TIRPatna, Sep 25 (PTI) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil

Kumar Modi Tuesday took strong exception to the "political

comments" made on the official Twitter handle of RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is serving jail in a number of fodder scam cases.

Accusing Yadav of "doing politics from jail", Modi urged the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take note and apprise the court of his activities.

"Convicted in four fodder scam cases, Lalu Prasad can,

during his sentence period, neither contest elections nor issue political statements. The CBI should take note of his flagrant violation of jail rules by making political comments through tweets. The agency should bring it to the attention of the court. Lalu Prasad is doing politics from jail," the deputy CM tweeted.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader's outburst comes in the wake of tweets severely critical of the Narendra Modi government on the Rafale deal which appeared on Yadav's official Twitter handle recently.

Yadav's Twitter handle is said to be managed by people

close to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo, who is ailing and currently lodged in a Ranchi hospital.

Meanwhile, the Bihar deputy chief minister drew flak from Opposition leaders on his reported statement in Gaya on

Sunday, where he "with folded hands" urged criminals of the pilgrim town to refrain from anti-social activities during

the ongoing Pitri Paksh Mela.

A day after RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav mocked Modi's statement and said the latter could soon fall at the feet of criminals, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) general secretary Tariq Anwar termed (Modi's) statement as "shameful" and tantamount to "abdication of responsibility".

"It seems the Bihar government has completely lost its

grip on law and order. We wonder what has happened to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's proclaimed zero tolerance towards corruption and crime when his deputy is cutting such a sorry figure," Anwar told PTI.

"It seems rule of law has been replaced with rule of

'AK 47 rifles' in Bihar where the Deputy CM is begging before

criminals and illegal liquor trade is thriving amid pompous

claims of prohibition," former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha president Jitan Ram Manjhi told reporters in Sheikhpura district.

Manjhi asserted that the 'Mahagathbandhan' (alliance of Opposition parties) was united in its resolve to dislodge the BJP from power and that smaller National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies like Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) were "feeling uncomfortable" in the coalition.

PTI CORR NAC RG SRYNew Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) The BJP Tuesday gave details of alleged bribe, including a flat in London, given to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra by a defence dealer as it intensified its counter-attack on the opposition party over the Rafale deal.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Sambit Patra asked Gandhi to respond to allegations involving Vadra, and claimed that people will answer his charges against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"Vadra will certainly go to jail for allegedly helping a defence dealer in bagging contracts during the UPA's rule," Patra said, adding that the Modi government will act as per law and not with a "mindset of revenge".

At a press conference, the BJP leader gave the address of a London flat, details of the defence dealer's bank account through which money was allegedly paid to Vadra and his first class flight tickets bought by the dealer's travel firm.

Patra alleged that the flat belonged to Vadra and claimed that all transactions had happened when the Congress-led UPA was in power.

Vadra has been denying these allegations and has accused the Modi government of political vendetta.

Patra reiterated the BJP's charge that the UPA government had scrapped its deal with Dassault Aviation, which manufactured Rafale fighter aircraft, because the French firm declined to choose the dealer's firm backed by Vadra as its offset partner.

The Gandhi family and the UPA government "looted" the country's interests and harmed the Indian Air Force to protect Vadra's interests, he said.

The BJP has turned the heat on the Congress and raked up alleged corruption of Vadra after Rahul Gandhi has targeted Modi, including by taunting him as a "thief", over the alleged corruption in the Rafale deal, claiming that his government helped Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence to get a lucrative contract.

"Rahul Gandhi is exposed today. People who looted the country and sold out its interests are questioning our prime minister," Patra said, adding that the Congress president suffers from a sense of entitlement and cannot tolerate somebody like Modi as he comes from a poor background.

After Modi came to power in 2014, his government cracked down on the defence firm run by the dealer and it was blacklisted, Patra said, adding that the CBI has been investigating him, and he is out of country.

The UPA government had scrapped a contract given to the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and helped the dealer by awarding it to a foreign firm, Pilatus, he said. The CBI is probing the case, he added.

Asked what action the government had taken against Vadra, the BJP spokesperson said he was an "emperor" during the UPA whose fingers were in every deal. It is no longer so, he claimed.

"Vadra will definitely go to jail," he said, adding that it took over 20 years to convict fodder scam accused and former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad. PTI KR CKLucknow, Sep 25 (PTI) Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for using foul language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh Tuesday said the Congress president has graduated from being a shehzada (prince) to "an emperor of lies".

Alleging that the Congress chief was misleading people, which will be of no use, the senior UP minister said Gandhi needs to come out with details to substantiate his claims about the then UPA government's decisions on the Rafale deal.

"The shehzada has now graduated and become a shehenshah (emperor)... Rahul Gandhi has become an emperor of lies... I am saying this as he had in Amethi yesterday presented a story which is totally a lie," Singh said.

"He is trying to convert lies into truth by repeatedly hammering them (Sau jhooth bol kar sachh sabit karna chah rehe hain)," he said, asking Rahul to stick to the truth.

On a question if this will have an impact in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Singh said he does not agree "as elections are not fought on lies".

On the first day of his visit to Amethi, his Lok Sabha constituency, Rahul had said, "There is 'chori' (theft) in the works of Narendra Modi -- Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Notebandi (demonetisation), Gabbar Singh Tax (referring to

GST). There is theft in all these. One by one, we will prove that Narendra Modi ji is not a 'chowkidaar'. Narendra Modi is a 'chor' (thief)."

Firing a fresh salvo at the prime minister over the Rafale jet deal, the Congress president had Monday charged that the country's "chowkidar" Narendra Modi snatched money away from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

He had 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 Congress chief, in a veiled attack, also called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "India's commander-in-thief".

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. PTI SAB SMI DIP

DIPSrinagar, Sep 25 (PTI) Two unidentified militants were Tuesday killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, an Army official said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Bomai area of Sopore town this morning following information about presence of militants in the area, he said.

The official said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants opened fire on security forces.

"In retaliatory action, two militants have been killed so far," the official said, adding that search operation was underway.

The identity and group affiliation of the slain ultras is being ascertained, he said. PTI MIJ KJ

KJNew Delhi, Sept 25 (PTI) A five-member medical team has been sent to Jaipur to investigate and ascertain the ground situation there after an elderly woman from the Rajasthan capital tested positive for Zika virus infection, a Union Health Ministry official said.

The woman was admitted to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital on September 11 with joint pain, redness in eyes and weakness. She was tested negative for dengue and swine flu.

This raised suspicion, and samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, to test for Zika virus infection and the report was positive, Dr U S Agrawal, the principal of SMS Medical College, had said on Sunday.

This was the first such suspected case in the state.

The woman, a resident of Shastri Nagar area in Jaipur, was discharged a few days back after she was feeling better, Dr Agrawal said.

A Union Health Ministry official said, "We have dispatched a team to verify the facts and ascertain the ground situation. The team has already reached Jaipur."

The five-member team is being led by director of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

"The state health department has been carrying out surveys to screen any suspected patient in the radius of 4 km of the woman's house in Shastri Nagar area and have collected samples of eight people suffering from fever.

"Samples have been sent to SMS hospital for testing for zika virus. Measures were taken for larval control," Jaipur CMHO Narottam Sharma told PTI on Tuesday. PTI PLB SDA TDS NSDNew Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) The Delhi government Tuesday approved a proposal to amend a rule on giving ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to the kin of slain security personnel to include those who have settled in the national capital after joining service.

According to the government, the amendment was necessitated following the latest incident of brutal murder of Head Constable Narender Kumar of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Jammu and Kashmir.

It was noted that the family of Narender has been residing in Delhi since many years though he hailed from Haryana.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Later, Kejriwal said on Twitter that a family member of Narender will be given a job. Last week, he had visited his native village in Haryana's Sonipat.

"Families of such personnel would also be covered in this policy if his permanent address recorded at the time of joining the service is Delhi or is posted in Delhi at the time of action/incident or the family has been residing in Delhi for the last at least five years," it stated.

It stated that the issue of proof of residence in Delhi will be looked into by a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by the Deputy Chief Minister. PTI BUN SMNJaipur, Sep 25 (PTI) BJP president Amit Shah will address booth-level party workers at a meeting in Dhankya village of Jaipur district on Wednesday.

During his one day visit, Shah will inaugurate 'Deendayal Upadhyay memorial' at Dhankya and will address the booth workers meeting, Bharatiya Janata Party's state general secretary Bhajanlal said.

He informed that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Union minister Piyush Goyal and other leaders will also attend the programme. PTI SDA DIP

DIPNew Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) 'Dialogue of Cultures', a unique month-long exhibition of Eastern Uzbek manuscripts from the Middle Ages, was inaugurated at the National Museum on Tuesday to celebrate the shared legacy and culture of India and Uzbekistan, according to a statement from the Ministry of Culture.

Culture Ministry secretary Arun Goel inaugurated the exhibition and Uzbekistan Senate's first Deputy Chairman Sadyk Safaev and its Ambassador to India Farhod Arziev were present on the occasion.

The exhibition explores the shared link in the respective histories of Uzbekistan and India in which deep oral traditions coexisted with the written word, the statement said.

The exhibit will showcase ancient Uzbek manuscripts for onlookers to delve into the historical legacy of the two great nations. It includes iconic historical documents that were written in the early years of the Arabic alphabet, dating back to the last quarter of the eighth century.

The display will also include excerpts of 'Miradzh-Name', one of the most valuable manuscripts from the era of Temurids, created in 1436 by (Amir Temur's fourth son).

Made by skilled calligraphers and miniaturists, the original manuscript is currently on display in the National Library of France in Paris and is one of the rarest written monuments in its collection.

The exhibit will also include several masterpieces from Oriental literature.

"India and Uzbekistan share a close bond that has been enriched through intensive mutual efforts. With the launch of this rare collection of Uzbek manuscripts, we wanted to showcase the rich legacy and vivid history of Uzbekistan," said Arziev in a statement.

The exhibition is a part of several other cultural and academic activities planned by the Embassy of Uzbekistan, as part of the State visit of the Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The exhibition will be held till October 24. PTI ASG SMNNew Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) The South Delhi district administration Tuesday carried out demolition of illegal structures, freeing nearly 130 acres of government land that was encroached upon by farm houses.

In a statement, the administration said that the majority of farm houses were constructed in collusion with local land mafia occupying surrounding government land.

An official said that the notice was given on September 13 to all the encroachers on government land in Bhati village to remove their encroachment

Officials from the forest department, irrigation and flood control department and gram sabha were part of the operation. Heavy police deployment was provided by the Delhi Police, the statement said.

It also stated that similar action is planned in other villages of Sahoorpur, Deramandi and Asola.

About 400 acres of land was found encroached in these three villages. Public notices will be issued for these villages before taking action. By November 2018, these actions will be completed by District Task Force South, it added. PTI BUN RTChandigarh, Sep 25 (PTI) Punjab AAP MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who is leading a dissident group of legislators, on Tuesday said a five-member committee has been constituted to resolve differences within the state unit of the party.

The five-member panel will hold discussions with other members of the party to resolve the differences over autonomy for the AAP's state unit and other matters, he said in a statement here.

The five-members are Kanwar Sandhu, Nazar Singh Mansahia, Baldev Singh, Jagdev Singh (all MLAs) and Suresh Sharma.

"The basis of talks, if any, with our party colleagues will be the six resolutions passed at the AAP volunteers' convention at Bathinda on August 2," Khaira said.

Significantly, last month, AAP MLA Aman Arora had initiated talks with dissident group of legislators led by Khaira. However, the result of the talks was not known.

This month, the AAP, as part of its efforts to make peace with "rebels" and "former leaders", had reached out to the former Punjab convener of the AAP, Sucha Singh Chhotepur, who was sacked on charges of taking bribe for allotting party tickets.

The party had plunged into the deep crisis after Khaira was unceremoniously removed from the post of Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly.

Meanwhile, Khaira said the AAP will hold a 'Peoples' march' from Kotkapura to Behbal Kalan to Bargari on October 7 to press the state government to ensure justice on the basis of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report.

He said it was unfortunate that the ruling Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal were holding "competitive rallies" to "deny justice" on issues of religious sacrilege on October 7 in Lambi and Patiala respectively.

"We appeal to the people to give both, the Congress and the SAD, a befitting reply," MLA Kanwar Sandhu said. PTI CHS NSD

NSDMuzaffarnagar, Sep 25 (PTI) One person was killed and seven others were injured in a clash between two Dalit groups over some money dispute on Tuesday evening, police said.

The clash took place at Nagla Bajurg village which comes under the jurisdiction of Bhopa police station.

According to Circle Officer Ram Mohan Sharma, the clash broke out between the two groups following a heated argument between Lal Singh and Rishi Pal over some money dispute.

The injured persons were rushed to a nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened in the village, Sharma said. PTI CORR SNE

SNENew Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Students should debate on issues but not take sides, said spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), while noting that the country has become "ideologically divided" like the US in the past 10 years or so.

He also expressed concern over the cases of suicides among teenagers due to education-related issues and stressed there is a need to revisit education system.

The spiritual leader delivered the Nehru Memorial Lecture at the varsity and spoke about a variety of issues ranging from education, democracy, monogamy and artificial intelligence.

He also paid homage at the Wall Of Heroes at the varsity when he had come, JNU vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar said on Twitter.

In response to a query by a student on how one can remain neutral in JNU, which is a politically vibrant campus, he said, "This has become a phenomenon across the county. If you open your month to say something about the nation they will try to fix you something to some ideology. Inevitably someone is trying to pin you on some board. Unfortunately, this is how you are destroying a democracy."

"What is the point of secret ballot? What is the point of offering a citizen the choice of choosing?"

Citing the example of the US, he said citizens there are either Republican or Democrats.

"We are becoming like that. US was unfortunately divided like that for decades but that was not there in India. But in the past 10 years or so, everyone belongs to some party. This is destruction of democracy. Three months before elections, one should start evaluating whether they have done something. You must evaluate according to your intelligence. There is enough information available to help you do that," he told students.

He said that a country's citizens, specially students, should not be politically inclined.

"If you want a lively democracy, except for a few committed party workers, the rest of the country should not be committed to any political ideology. But unfortunately, it has become a worldwide phenomenon. I was proudly speaking in the US about Indian living democracy till sometime back. I have just kept quiet about Indian living democracy in the past five years. We have become the same thing," he said.

He urged the students to stay away from taking sides because by doing so, they are destroying democracy and creating a feudalistic society.

"You must debate on issues but do not take sides at this stage. You are just destroying democracy. It becomes a feudalistic society then. Otherwise we can function like China. But we have chosen a democratic process," he stressed.

The lecture was an interactive session where one of the students asked him about his view on the education system.

"Seven thousand children below 15 years of age are committing suicide. If 12, 13 year-olds start killing themselves, are we not doing something fundamentally wrong in our society. Children aged 12 or 13, who must be exuberant about life, are taking their lives. Unfortunately 90 per cent of suicides are education-related. Definitely we need to revisit education. We are trying to put everybody through the same process and nobody is equipped to go through the same process. It's most cruel way of handling a child, he opined.

He also said India is on the threshold of possibilities and can accomplish the task of moving five hundred million people from abject poverty to reasonable level of well-being.

"The only country which has done that is China but through the use of bullets. But they have done a great job. Keeping people in poverty through generations is worse than killing them. You can condemn them or admire them. It's a set of painful wisdom for me," he said. PTI SLB SMNNoida (UP), Sep 25 (PTI) Three people, allegedly involved in the sensational bank robbery bid in which two guards were killed on September 21, were arrested following an encounter with the police in Noida Tuesday night, officials said.

A gun-battle broke out between the accused and the police late in the night in the city's Sector 19 area in which two of them suffered injuries and were hospitalised, while the third was taken in custody, a senior official said.

"Two of their accomplices, including a minor, managed to give the police the slip in the darkness of the night," Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma said.

Two private security guards of Punjab National Bank (PNB) were bludgeoned to death by unidentified assailants in an attempted robbery at its circle office in Sector 1 here on September 21.

The two security personnel, Mudrika Prasad and Mukesh Yadav, were in the guard room of the bank when the accused attacked them on their head with a baton, leading to their deaths.

The Noida police chief Tuesday said that probe in the matter has revealed that five persons, all members of a gang, were involved in the case.

"The arrested accused have been identified as Aqil, Dinesh and Munshi. Aqil and Dinesh suffered injuries in the police firing and have been admitted in the district hospital," Sharma said.

Further probe was underway and a hunt launched to nab the remaining accused, he added.

According to the police, during the robbery bid, the men had tried to break into the strongroom of the bank, located in the basement of the building, but failed. PTI KIS SMNSwiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has announced it will close its pill making factory in Grimsby, Northern England, putting nearly 400 jobs at risk.

The drugmaker said the decision is part of a global programme initiated in 2016 to boost profits and focus on new medicines, and has nothing to do with Brexit.

Novartis, which employs around 124,000 people worldwide, including about 1,500 in the UK, said the closure of its Grimsby factory in 2020 will result in 395 job losses, with additional contactors employed through third parties also at risk.

Job cuts: Novartis said the decision has nothing to do with Brexit

The company said it is weighing options including selling the factory, which could potentially allow it to stay open.

The biggest job cuts, however, will be made in Switzerland, where about 2,150 jobs are expected to go at four factories and its Swiss-based business services unit.

Haseeb Ahmad, the managing director of Novartis UK said: Novartis has been a part of the Grimsby community for many years so this has been a very difficult decision.

The Grimsby site is an effective, well-running operation that is testament to the hard-working and dedicated employees. We will treat every employee with the utmost respect, sensitivity and fairness during this difficult time.

He said the decision was a result of the changes in the companys product portfolio, which now focuses more on specialised medicines, and is not linked to the decision of the UK to leave the European Union.

Narasimhan is seeking to transform Novartis from a traditional pills maker to a maker of cutting-edge therapies like its $475,000-per-patient (361,000) Kymriah childhood leukemia treatment.

He announced the sale of a US generic drugs business to Indian company Aurobindo and a consumer healthcare joint venture to Glaxosmithkline earlier this year.

Novartis net income rose 15 per cent to $7.7billion (5.85billion) last year. Shares in the Zurich-listed firm rose nearly 1 per cent.Milanese fashion house Versace has been bought out by US luxury fashion firm Michael Kors in a deal worth $2.1billion (1.53billion), it was confirmed today.

Versace was one of the few Italian fashion companies to remain independent, until now.

Shares in New York-listed Michael Kors, which last year acquired show brand Jimmy Choo for 896million, fell by more than 8 per cent on the rumours yesterday.

From left: Former top models Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen display iconic creations of late Italian designer Gianni Versace in 2017

The deal, first reported by Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera last week, sees the Versace family sell its 80 per cent stake and US private equity firm Blackstone the remaining 20 per cent which it acquired in 2014.

The US fashion company also said Versace will fall under its renamed 'Capri Holdings' banner upon the closing of the deal, alongside Michael Kors itself and and Jimmy Choo.

Donatella Versace, sister of late founder Gianni, became the fashion house artistic director and vice-president after Gianni was was murdered in Miami Beach in 1997.

She is set to continue to 'lead the company's creative vision', while Versace's chief executive Jonathan Akeroyd will remain at the helm of the company.

But news of the sale was not well received by fans of the Italian brand, who turned to Twitter and Instagram to complain, with one saying Michael Kors will 'kill' the brand.

The late Gianni Versace and his sister Donatella in New York in the 1990s

Michael Kors, which is famous for handbags, is not as luxury as Versace. Michal Kors handbags can be bought for just over 100, while most Versace handbags are priced between 500 and 1,000.

Michael Kors chief executive John Idol said: 'Donatellas iconic style is at the heart of the design aesthetic of Versace. She will continue to lead the companys creative vision. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Donatella on Versaces next chapter of growth.'

Donatella Versace holds a 20 per cent stake in the company, her daughter Allegra has a 50 per cent stake, while Santo, Donatellas brother, holds the remaining 30 per cent.

'Santo, Allegra and I will become shareholders in Capri Holdings Limited. This demonstrates our belief in the long-term success of Versace and commitment to this new global fashion luxury group,' said Donatella Versace.

The deal with Michael Kors comes after the rumoured retreat of Kering, the French fashion giant which owns luxury brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen.

Donatella Versace (pictured) is set to continue to 'lead the company's creative vision'

At the time of founder Gianni Versace's death, the company had been making plans for a listing on the New York Stock Exchange, but it has remained private ever since.

Rumours of an IPO have resurfaced since the company sold a 20 per cent stake to private equity giant Blackstone in 2014.

In 2016, Versace poached Alexander McQueens boss Jonathan Akeroyd to help it smarten up for a stock market listing, although that never materialised.

Versace was founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The 50-year-old was murdered on the steps of his Miami apartment in 1997.

Last year, Versace brought back former top models Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen to the fashion house's catwalk.

Coye Nokes, fashion entrepreneur and consultant with strategy management consulting firm OC&C, said the deal was important for Michael Kors for many reasons, including diversifying its investment in 'true luxury', continuing to pare back their brand availability and stop over-distribution.

They [Michael Kors] are putting themselves more in the luxury space, where there are areas of growth they can access. Some of Versace's growth channels are similar to Jimmy Choos. Some of those areas were international expansion where Kors can help them.Unit Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration, acquisition, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. It operates through three segments: Oil and Natural Gas, Contract Drilling, and Mid-Stream. The Oil and Natural Gas segment explores for, acquires, develops, and produces oil and natural gas properties. Its producing oil and natural gas properties, unproved properties, and related assets are primarily located in Oklahoma and Texas, as well as in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The Contract Drilling segment is involved in the contract drilling of onshore oil and natural gas wells for a range of other oil and natural gas companies primarily in Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, North Dakota, Colorado, and Utah. It has 55 drilling rigs in its fleet. The Mid-Stream segment buys, sells, gathers, processes, and treats natural gas for third parties. This segment operates 3 natural gas treatment plants, 14 processing plants, 22 gathering systems, and approximately 1,475 miles of pipeline in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Unit Corporation was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Read MoreBank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The Global Wealth and Investment Management provides client experience through a network of financial advisors focused on to meet their needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. The Global Banking segment deals with lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions to clients, and underwriting and advisory services. The Global Markets segment includes sales and trading services, as well as research, to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses. The All Other segment consists of asset and liability management activities, equity investments, non-core mortgage loans and servicing activities, the net impact of periodic revisions

Read MoreSwiss Re AG is a wholesale provider of reinsurance, insurance and other insurance-based forms of risk transfer. The Company operates in four segments: Property&Casualty Reinsurance, Life&Health Reinsurance, Corporate Solutions and Life Capital. Its Reinsurance Unit provides premiums and fee income through Property&Casualty and Life&Health segments. Its Corporate Solutions segment is engaged in serving mid-sized and large corporations, with product offerings ranging from traditional property and casualty insurance to customized solutions. Its Admin Re segment provides risk and capital management solutions by which the Company acquires closed books of in-force life and health insurance business, entire lines of business, or the entire capital stock of life insurance companies. Its open and closed life insurance books, including Admin Re, are managed under a unit called Life Capital.

Read MoreA Major Gathering in Jerusalem of Millennial Evangelicals *FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC *



A Holy Convocation in Jerusalem, launching at this year's Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem



Contact: Wendy Miller,

716-583-4033



JERUSALEM, Sept. 25, 2018 /



Keynote speaker - MK Michael Oren. Joining him will be Rabbi Marc Schneier, former head of the World Jewish Congress. A host of other luminaries and leaders from Israel and around the world are expected to attend.



Robert Stearns, the head organizer of the event, has long been a leading figure in the pro-Israel global community. He leads both Eagles Wings, a New York based organization, and a sister organization in Los Angeles, the Israel-Christian Nexus. "We are hearing a lot of reports about a decline of next generation evangelical support for Israel," Stearns said. "But gatherings like this one are a strong part of the remedy to that. Millennial evangelicals simply need a re-introduction to Israel, not only from a biblical basis, but also from a basis of things which speak to them, like human rights and social justice."



32 year old Adam Mesa, senior pastor of the 8000 member Abundant Life Worship Center outside Los Angeles, was profoundly impacted by a Stearns journey to Israel. "Israel was very important to my parent's generation because they witnessed the rebirth of the Jewish State and it fit in with their view of Bible prophecy. For me, I was not very interested in Israel, until I went with the Nexus trip. I was amazed when I went to Israel with Bishop Stearns to learn other facts, such as the reality that Israel is the only nation in the Middle East where the Christian population lives in real security and religious freedom. An awareness and support of Israel is now a part of my daily life and ministry. I feel like my life has been married to Israel."



Hundreds are expected to attend the event and are coming from approximately 20 different nations. In preparation, many have been on a 21 day fast, which began on Rosh ha Shana and is scheduled to end on the last day of Succoth.



The main "kick-off" event, The Global Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, will be held on Sunday, October 7th at the Tayelet Haas Promenade at 4pm.



This will be broadcast live globally by G-D TV and will take place in churches and congregations around the world that Sunday. G-D TV is one of the largest Christian television networks in the world with millions of viewers. Immediately following the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem will be the Awake Jerusalem opening session, also, televised on G-D TV, from 6pm-8pm. We will continue our non-stop worship and prayer watches at King of Kings beginning at 8pm and continuing through the night. Our Monday and Tuesday schedule includes ministering at different locations in and around Jerusalem (please see schedule below) as well as main sessions in the evenings and continuous overnight watches.



------------------------------------------



"I have seen Robert Stearns work for Israel up close. It is nothing short of transformational. If the Jewish community wants to know the future of Christian Zionism, look to Robert Stearns and Eagles Wings, and get behind him with all your heart and all your soul." -- RABBI PINI DUNNER



------------------------------------------



After the main event, the group will be doing "prayer vigils" at key sites throughout Jerusalem, such as Yad Vashem and the Southern Steps of Temple Mount. The group will also be holding an event in Bethlehem, in cooperation with the Palestinian Christian population. Palestinian Christian leader Maher Canawati said, "Robert Stearns and Eagles Wings are one of the primary Christian groups who always, faithfully remember the difficulties of the Palestinian Christians. Even in the most difficult of times, he has always brought his groups into Bethlehem and brought much assistance to the Christians living here. Robert is one who is building a trusted bridge between the sons of Isaac and the sons of Ishmael."



The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem event, Sunday, October 7, at 4 PM (seating by 3:45), is free and open to the public.



Media kits and interviews will be available on location. Press check-in is at 2:30pm.



Share Tweet Contact: Wendy Miller,716-583-4033JERUSALEM, Sept. 25, 2018 / Christian Newswire / -- The first Sunday of every October marks the annual Day of Prayer for the Peace Jerusalem. Launched in 2002, by Evangelical Christian Leaders, Dr. Jack W. Hayford and Bishop Robert Stearns, millions around the world now join in on this annual observance. This year, however, hundreds of millennial evangelicals are not just praying, but they are engaging in a 21 day fast, and then traveling to Jerusalem, many of them for the first time.Keynote speaker - MK Michael Oren. Joining him will be Rabbi Marc Schneier, former head of the World Jewish Congress. A host of other luminaries and leaders from Israel and around the world are expected to attend.Robert Stearns, the head organizer of the event, has long been a leading figure in the pro-Israel global community. He leads both Eagles Wings, a New York based organization, and a sister organization in Los Angeles, the Israel-Christian Nexus. "We are hearing a lot of reports about a decline of next generation evangelical support for Israel," Stearns said. "But gatherings like this one are a strong part of the remedy to that. Millennial evangelicals simply need a re-introduction to Israel, not only from a biblical basis, but also from a basis of things which speak to them, like human rights and social justice."32 year old Adam Mesa, senior pastor of the 8000 member Abundant Life Worship Center outside Los Angeles, was profoundly impacted by a Stearns journey to Israel. "Israel was very important to my parent's generation because they witnessed the rebirth of the Jewish State and it fit in with their view of Bible prophecy. For me, I was not very interested in Israel, until I went with the Nexus trip. I was amazed when I went to Israel with Bishop Stearns to learn other facts, such as the reality that Israel is the only nation in the Middle East where the Christian population lives in real security and religious freedom. An awareness and support of Israel is now a part of my daily life and ministry. I feel like my life has been married to Israel."Hundreds are expected to attend the event and are coming from approximately 20 different nations. In preparation, many have been on a 21 day fast, which began on Rosh ha Shana and is scheduled to end on the last day of Succoth.The main "kick-off" event, The Global Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, will be held on Sunday, October 7th at the Tayelet Haas Promenade at 4pm.This will be broadcast live globally by G-D TV and will take place in churches and congregations around the world that Sunday. G-D TV is one of the largest Christian television networks in the world with millions of viewers. Immediately following the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem will be the Awake Jerusalem opening session, also, televised on G-D TV, from 6pm-8pm. We will continue our non-stop worship and prayer watches at King of Kings beginning at 8pm and continuing through the night. Our Monday and Tuesday schedule includes ministering at different locations in and around Jerusalem (please see schedule below) as well as main sessions in the evenings and continuous overnight watches.------------------------------------------"I have seen Robert Stearns work for Israel up close. It is nothing short of transformational. If the Jewish community wants to know the future of Christian Zionism, look to Robert Stearns and Eagles Wings, and get behind him with all your heart and all your soul." -- RABBI PINI DUNNER------------------------------------------After the main event, the group will be doing "prayer vigils" at key sites throughout Jerusalem, such as Yad Vashem and the Southern Steps of Temple Mount. The group will also be holding an event in Bethlehem, in cooperation with the Palestinian Christian population. Palestinian Christian leader Maher Canawati said, "Robert Stearns and Eagles Wings are one of the primary Christian groups who always, faithfully remember the difficulties of the Palestinian Christians. Even in the most difficult of times, he has always brought his groups into Bethlehem and brought much assistance to the Christians living here. Robert is one who is building a trusted bridge between the sons of Isaac and the sons of Ishmael."The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem event, Sunday, October 7, at 4 PM (seating by 3:45), is free and open to the public.Media kits and interviews will be available on location. Press check-in is at 2:30pm.It may be a bit early for Old St. Nick, but come Oct. 1, the Glenside Chapter of Toys for Tots  which provides toys to more than 1,000 families annually in lower western Bucks and eastern Montgomery counties  will officially be in full swing.

Guy Vogel, assistant coordinator for the local Toys for Tots, which operates out of a warehouse on Gibraltar Road in Horsham Township, said he needs all the help he can get.

Our shelves arent even stocked yet, Vogel said. Ive had nobody coming in. Its been very slow going.

In addition to extra helping hands, Vogel is also in need of new, unwrapped toys to fill requests that will begin pouring in soon.

We want people to come to us because they cant afford Christmas, Vogel said. We dont discriminate. We dont ask you your income. I dont want you to go into debt over the holidays if you can come to us for help.

The organization will be the beneficiary of toys and possibly cash donations courtesy of a second annual motorcycle ride on Oct. 21. Organized by John Davis, of Horsham, the ride begins at 11 a.m. at Hannums Harley-Davidson in Sellersville and ends with lunch at Bikes Built Better, 133 Horsham Road in Horsham.

Theres no way of knowing how many will come out, Davis said, adding that hes hoping for good weather. I was surprised last year that we had something like 30 bikers show up and a couple of cars.

Riders can register beginning at 10 a.m. on Oct. 21. Cost to participate is either $10 or one unwrapped toy. Horsham Police will again escort ride participants to ensure that the entire group remains together for the ride.

Davis, a Navy veteran and Patriot Guard Rider, has been involved with Toys for Tots since 2006. Formerly of Delaware, Davis participated annually in a 30-mile motorcycle toy drive in Ocean City, Md. When he relocated to the greater Philadelphia area, Davis looked to get involved with a ride here, but discovered a similar ride did not exist. So, last year he started the ride, which he hopes will be even bigger for 2018.

Get involved

To learn more about the Oct. 21 motorcycle ride, call John Davis at 302-730-8899. Registration begins at 10 a.m. on Oct. 21 at Hannums Harley-Davidson, 3255 State St., in Sellersville. The ride begins at 11 a.m.

To volunteer with the Glenside Chapter of Toys for Tots, visit: https://glenside-pa.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/local-volunteer-form.aspx.

Donations?of new, unwrapped toys for kids up to age 13 can be dropped off at 103-109 Gibraltar Road, suite 109 in the Workspace Property business park. To learn more about the Glenside Toys for Tots chapter or its coverage area, visit?http://glenside-pa.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.aspx.Six weeks out, and this years vital midterm congressional elections finally are coming into focus.

Weve known for some time that these contests were important; at stake is not only control of the two chambers on Capitol Hill but also the character and trajectory of the final two years of Donald Trumps presidential term. But now we have some clarity about what this election is about, what the terms of engagement are and what the fulcrums of power are in the 470 separate races scattered about the country.

These elections increasingly are taking on a national profile, because the question of party control in the Senate and the House suddenly seems so important  and so much in doubt. Throw away all the predictions. The commentators cannot have any comprehensive vision of all the moving parts; if the conventional wisdom was so wrong in the one high-profile contest of 2016, dismissing Trump as a phenomenon but not a factor, then most assessments of these myriad races cannot be trusted.

But as they grow nearer, some factors stand out as critical:

 Impeachment. It remains very unlikely that Trump  assailed on the left, embraced on the right  will be removed from office before his term expires in January 2021. That doesnt matter. Impeachment is one of the principal themes of these midterm elections anyhow. Who said there was any logic to American politics?

First, lets dispel the end-of-days fantasy held by so many never-Trumpers. Absent some major developments or exceedingly damaging findings from the inquiry being conducted by Robert S. Mueller III, the removal of the president must be considered a dim possibility.

Take the three even ifs: Even if the Democrats take control of the House; and even if they initiate an impeachment process; and even if the House votes to impeach the president, the removal of the president requires a two-thirds margin in the Senate, and its never happened.

The only president who came close to being convicted in the Senate, Andrew Johnson, exactly 150 years ago, survived by a single vote.

But does that matter for this November? Not at all. Few Democrats will utter the word impeachment, though the Democratic base is thinking impeachment. Perhaps just as important: The more the Democratic narrative includes, even subliminally, impeachment, the more that threat will motivate the Republicans and the Trump base.

A good analogue of this dynamic might lie in 1940s France, where Charles de Gaulle, in exile and desperate to rally Frenchmen to resistance, was barely a factor in metropolitan France  until Vichy France condemned him to death. Then  voila!  he won immense favor and support. Threaten Trump with impeachment and his supporters will flock to the polls.

 The profile of the parties. Both of the major political parties are in transition. And how they appear on Nov. 6 will be a critical factor.

The Democrats are struggling to decide whether they ought to stride to the left (like congressional insurgents Ayanna Pressley, a Boston city councilwoman who defeated Rep. Michael Capuano, a 20-year veteran of the House, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a political newcomer, who upset Rep. Joseph Crowley of Queens and the Bronx) or hug the center (like Rep. Conor Lamb, who won a Pittsburgh-area congressional district that went for Trump less than two years earlier).

Meanwhile, the GOP is struggling to decide whether to stick with Trump, whose political style does not play well to suburban Republicans, or break with him, perhaps by criticizing his behavior but praising his policies, especially on the economy.

 The blue-collar vote. This was perhaps the most important, and least understood, swing vote in the presidential election that swept Trump into office and swept away many of the assumptions that animated American politics.

Trump appealed to  and largely continues to appeal to  blue-collar voters. Though labor families are a shrinking part of the American electorate, their voting behavior remains an intriguing phenomenon; Trumps performance among these voters, since the New Deal a reliable part of the Democratic coalition, matched that of Ronald Reagan in his 1984 re-election campaign. He also outperformed Reagan among white union members.

Related and just as important: Trump far outperformed former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, the 2012 Republican nominee, among white women without college degrees.

This falls congressional contests will test the fondest hope of those on the left  that Trumps blue-collar supporters will awake from their reverie and realize that the presidents policies, especially on trade and taxes, hurt the very blue-collar Americans who are his most ardent supporters  or that his comportment  all that talk about multiple extra-marital affairs followed by tawdry payoffs to former paramours  will alienate the religious conservatives who supported him in 2016.

Thats possible, but not likely. Many of these voters remain angry at the very elites who express these views (and these hopes). There are a lot of Trump people who have been peeling away, particularly suburban women, Christopher Beem, managing director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University, told me. But there is a core group of supporters who say Trump upsets the right people; he makes angry the people we want to make angry. Theres a group that just loves that he is rude and mean and combative and picks fights with the elites.

 The economy, stupid. Those three words got Bill Clinton elected in 1992 and have been the guiding philosophy of American elections for two generations. It is also the root hope of the Republicans and the White House. But what if it no longer applies?

While economic distress may harm the party in power, economic strength might not help it as much as in the past, Michael J. Boskin, who was chairman of George H.W. Bushs Council of Economic Advisers, has argued. As voters become wealthier, more have the luxury of focusing on other issues.

If that is so, the Republicans best card may not have much potency. The latest Gallup Poll shows that only 12 percent of those surveyed believe the economy is the biggest issue facing the country. That low number may be a matter of pride and satisfaction for Republicans, but if Boskin is right, it should be a matter of worry as well. If voters focus on other issues, they are turning their gaze from the GOPs greatest strength.

(David M. Shribman is executive editor of the Post-Gazette (dshribman@post-gazette.com, 412 263-1890). Follow him on Twitter at ShribmanPG.)Sign up for The Knick 

Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.Yauhannah, S.C.

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 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.

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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.ALBANY  Employees in a building at 40 North Pearl St. are asking the state's Office of General Services to more aggressively combat what they describe as chronic mouse and bedbug problems there.

Two bug sightings this month, one identified by exterminators as a bedbug on the 11th floor on Sept. 12, and another possible bedbug on the 15th floor on Sept. 20, have prompted OGS to treat the effected areas, according to notices shared with the Times Union.

The building's management has responded to individual bedbug and mouse complaints, laying out electronic mouse traps and following extermination protocol, which includes treatment of the effected area followed by inspections, according to the notices. But employees who spoke to the Times Union said they would like OGS take a more proactive approach.

"I've worked for New York state for the past 12 yrs and have never been subjected to working in these unsanitary conditions before. I have made a formal complaint to our union but no efforts have been made to exterminate entire building," said one employee, who asked not to be named for fear of losing her job.

The Board of Elections, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance as well as some Office of Technology Services workers are at the location, also known as the Ten Eyck Building. The building is shared with a diner and a convenience store, and is attached to the Hilton Albany.

State workers in the building say they are unsettled by the bedbug notices. One employee said that after work she removes her clothes in her garage and bags them in fear of bringing bedbugs into her home.

Some employees have brought their own traps from home to help combat the problem.

Insects and rodents have not been observed at eatery downstairs during routine inspections since 2015, according to the Albany Department of Health website.

A spokeswoman for OGS said that the agency has integrated pest control plans in all of its buildings, but acknowledged that mice and "a few adult bedbugs" have been found at the N. Pearl Street building.

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"As the weather turns colder, mice enter buildings to find warmth, including 40 North Pearl. We are currently in the process of aggressive mouse control, specifically at 40 N. Pearl," OGS spokeswoman Heather Groll said.

Regarding the bedbugs, Groll said they are "commonly brought from home to work on people's clothing. ... OGS always takes this issue extremely seriously and addresses it with professional pest control procedures and protocols. There is no issue at the present time."

The aging structure at 40 N. Pearl Street has had several issues in recent years. In 2016, more than 1,000 employees were sent home after four floors were flooded by a ruptured pipe. Last year, dozens of state workers were evacuated when the air conditioning system was turned off by OGS on a scorching hot day due to renovations on the building.ALBANY  A year ago, Selina Rebelling was facing possible jail time for a misdemeanor offense. Now, the local woman is working, raising a baby and studying to become a nurse, without a criminal record.

Rebelling and four other young misdemeanor defendants graduated from the state's first anti-crime mentoring program Tuesday afternoon at the Albany County Courthouse. They have all been released from probation without a criminal record, the state Office of Court Administration said in a news release.Pittsfield Police Department

PITTSFIELD - The arson suspect, who allegedly set fire to four residential buildings last week, was arrested at the Canadian border Sunday, police said.

Phillip Jordan, 58 of Pittsfield, was arrested by U.S Customs and Border Patrol Agents at Highgate Springs, Vermont, as he attempted to cross the border to Canada, according to a press release from Pittsfield police.Forest rangers made one rescue in the Capital Region this past week, and also saved an Albany native hiking in the Adirondacks, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Monday.

Rangers were called to Lake George's Shelving Rock Trail in Fort Ann, Washington County, at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, to rescue an injured fisherman.

The 53-year-old man fell, hit his head and suffered a gash. He was conscious but could not walk out of the woods without help, the DEC said.

Ranger Evan Donegan, Fort Ann rescuers and firefighters, and Washington County sheriff's deputies rushed to the man and found him near the Knapp Estate.

The group then helped him to the trailhead and an ambulance left for Glens Falls Hospital at 9:15 p.m.

An 37-year-old Albany man was also injured and rescued by forest rangers this past week. The hiker injured his lower leg on Saturday, Sept. 22, in the Boreas Tract in Newcomb, Essex County.

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The man was not able to move, so his friend hiked out five miles to the road and called for help just before 11 a.m. Forest Ranger Jamison Martin met the friend there at 11:21 a.m. and found the injured hiker by noon.

The ranger drove the injured man and his friend back to their car, and they two hikers left at 1:15 p.m. to seek medical attention on their own, the DEC said.In late December 1974, Joseph W. Bellacosa was a law professor at St. John's Law School when adjunct law professor Mario Cuomo walked into his office. The longtime friends had pending offers to move to Albany  Bellacosa to be chief clerk to the Court of Appeals, Cuomo to be Gov. Hugh Carey's secretary of state.

"Did it occur to you that we may both be making a mistake?" Cuomo wrote in a lighthearted letter to Bellacosa.

In 1987, when then-Gov. Mario Cuomo appointed Bellacosa to the Court of Appeals, Bellacosa answered, "Neither of us made a mistake!"

Thirty-one years later it is less clear that Bellacosa did not make a mistake on July 11  the day he wrote a letter to a federal judge on behalf of Joseph Percoco, who last week was sentenced to six years in prison.

Bellacosa, 81, attested to Percoco's "good character" and noted "media distortions"  all while admitting he knew little about the corruption case in which Percoco, the former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was convicted of taking more than $320,000 in bribes.

The current governor has referred to Percoco as "my father's third son and my brother."

Bellacosa, a native of Brooklyn who lived in Guilderland for several years, explained he knew Percoco to an extent, then became reacquainted with him at the funeral of Mario Cuomo. Bellacosa and Percoco became close friends through their church in Ridgefield, Conn., where the retired judge moved in 2009. Bellacosa informed U.S. District Court Judge Valerie Caproni he witnessed Percoco up close in the St. Mary Parish Men's Ministry, a group of 50 to 70 men who meet to discuss personal spiritual awareness and improvement in family and parental relationships.

"This dynamic of rotating table interactions brought his legal troubles to my attention in a spiritual dimension," Bellacosa wrote in the July 11 letter. "What has struck me poignantly is his basic decency, value system and family commitment."

Bellacosa wrote his "appreciation of this individual" was formed by consistent and direct observations.

"In my opinion, these are truer measures of the individual than the media distortions caricatured out of the anomalous circumstances that have brought him to the bar of justice," Bellacosa wrote.

"I should emphasize that I know little of the details of the case itself in any of its legal or evidentiary dimensions and ramifications," Bellacosa continued.

The retired judge said he avoided discussions with Percoco "so I can keep my preparation and content of this letter focused on the good character of the friend I have come to know with soul-bearing (sic) intimacy."

Bellacosa said he spoke with about a half-dozen parishioners in the men's group who urged him, out of concern for Percoco and his family, to add that they concur in their positive assessment of Percoco's character.

Barry Bohrer, the attorney for Percoco, referenced Bellacosa's letter of support for Percoco repeatedly during the sentencing. It was surely not because Percoco and Bellacosa go to the same church.

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On Monday, Law Beat asked Bellacosa: Why write the letter?

"Why do that? Because character counts and I know him in a character reference as a friend and a fellow parishioner in the church that we both worship in," Bellacosa said in a phone interview. "So it's perfectly appropriate for someone in that situation to write a letter describing to the judge the character of the person and letting that be a factor, as it should be anyway, in sentencing."

Bellacosa said in preparing for sentencing, Caproni was dealing with the proportionality, individuality and character of the defendant, which can affect the range of sentence.

"In that context, it's perfectly appropriate," he said.

Asked if the slew of corruption cases in Albany gave him pause to write such a letter, Bellacosa stood by his decision.

"I purposely indicated it was not with respect to the nature of the case, which I did not know and didn't want to know and made sure I didn't know, but it was in relation to the person and the individuality of the sentencing decision," he said. "Those are perfectly appropriate factors for any sentencing judge to take into consideration.

"How do you, this person from the past, know this person now in this context?" he asked, describing his outlook. "And I described that with very, very great care and very, very great attention to not using my 18-year-old relationship in the court. But this was based on actual development week-by-week of a spiritual encounter with him and other men in this parish in Ridgefield, Conn. That's a perfectly appropriate for a judge to take -- or not take. Obviously it was up to the sentencing judge to say, 'I don't care who he is and I don't care what he says. I'm not going to take it into consideration.' But from my standpoint, perfectly appropriate to put something like (that) in on someone who I've come to know as a friend and a fellow parishioner, not as a public servant and not in the context of whatever's gone on in Albany since I long ago left it."

Still, Bellacosa did not leave out his past career from the letter, wherein he mentioned that he and Percoco had a passing acquaintanceship "during my tenure on the New York State Court of Appeals from 1987 to 2000."Moscow

Russia announced Monday it will supply Syria's government with sophisticated S-300 air defense systems after last week's 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 were hiding behind the Russian plane, 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.

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Shoigu went on television to say that Russia is now going to go ahead with the shipment because "the situation has changed, and it's 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 the Kremlin.SCHENECTADY  The city reached a settlement to end a lawsuit filed by a woman who said two city police officers  including a onetime candidate to be police chief  slammed her head into a station-house bench, leaving her with injuries that required hospitalization.

The City Council is expected to take up the settlement of Nicola Cottone's case as soon as this week.

A document filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court by her attorney, Kevin Luibrand, said Cottone and the city reached an agreement and could formally vote on the settlement at the council's next full meeting Oct. 9.

So far, there is no word on how much the city will pay Cottone, but an official familiar with the negotiations described the amount as "significant."

Cottone's hands were cuffed behind her back when the incident took place Sept. 13, 2016, in a room that's normally used for roll call and not where people in custody are held.

Security cameras captured the incident that was witnessed by several officers in uniform and plainclothes detectives, according to video footage reviewed by the Times Union earlier this year.

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The woman's head was split open when she was picked up and slammed onto a station bench by two officers, and then charged with a crime that portrayed her as the aggressor. One of the officers, Andrew MacDonald, was identified in court filings in 2016.

But the identity of the second officer, Lt. Mark McCracken, who showed other officers a photo of her head injuries, was not confirmed until March when records from the internal affairs investigation were filed in U.S. District Court as part of Cottone's civil rights lawsuit.

McCracken was a finalist for police chief in 2016. Eric Clifford was later appointed to the post. McCracken was eventually suspended for his role in Cottone's case.Mary Altaffer

ALBANY  Disgraced former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will not have to report to federal prison on Oct. 5 after a circuit judge agreed to postpone his reporting date until an appeals court decides whether to allow him to remain free on bail.

Circuit Judge Peter Hall issued the stay on Tuesday after Silver's lawyers asked that the sentencing date be pushed back until it is determined if Silver will be given bail while his appeal unfolds.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.

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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."United Nations

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.

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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.

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.At a Brexit meeting organised by Fine Gael Candidate Garret Ahearn and Cllr Michael Murphy a packed room of 200 business people listened to Tanaiste Simon Coveney speak in advance of the British exit from the EU in March of next year.

Tanaiste Coveney spoke at length about the possibilities of what the likely outcome would be and what impact that might have on Clonmel and County Tipperary.

He attempted to play down concerns of the political parties in Northern Ireland, contrasting the relationship between the DUP and the UK with the Irish government's position that no one political party can hold a veto on proposals for Northern Ireland in regards to Brexit discussions.

There's a lot of tough talk that the UK can cope with a no deal, and that's really bad news for both Ireland and the UK," offered Coveney. "We dont have a confidence and supply agreement with any one party in Northern Ireland," said Coveney. "We listen to all of them, including the DUP and the UUP and the Alliance, and the SDLP and Sinn Fein.

Tanaiste Coveney continued to provide assurances that his government will not sign anything that does not guarantee British commitment to Northern Ireland. "There will be no withdrawal agreement if there is not a legal backstop," he said. The Taoiseach and I will never sign a treaty that doesnt ensure that the commitments that have been given to Ireland by the British government are not followed through on the Irish border."

The meeting first heard from Clodagh Cavanagh CEO of Abbey Machinery, one of Irelands most successful machinery manufacturing businesses, who spoke about what difficulties and challenges the company face with such uncertainty in the UK regarding Brexit.

Jonathan McMillan who heads the Brexit Unit at Enterprise Ireland addressed the audience on the supports available from their local enterprise offices. He also spoke about dedicated measures announced in Budget 2018. Over 450m has been allocated in business supports, including a 300m Brexit Loan Scheme for Business and 25m allocated for the agri-food sector. Sean Kelly MEP closed the meeting speaking about the long term effect Britain leaving has on Europe.

Cllr Michael Murphy, who is also head of the Irish Delegation on the EU Committee of the Regions, said "last nights seminar was about creating further awareness around the challenges, providing information on the supports available at local and national level and of course hearing from the Minister himself who is at the very heart of the negotiations."

Garret Ahearn concluded the extremely engaging meeting thanking the Tanaiste for coming to Clonmel. These negotiations were always going to be very challenging and the events of last week simply confirm that. Every business in Tipperary will be affected in some way after the 29th March 2019. I want to thank Clodagh, Jonathan, Sean and the Tanaiste for their contributions tonight.The latest figures from Failte Ireland informs us that tourism is worth 110 million to the economy in County Tipperary with over 440,000 domestic and international visitors coming to the premier county. In order to capitalise on the increase in visitor numbers and revenue Tipperary Tourism wants to help you promote your tourism business this autumn.

Tipperary Tourism will be hosting two workshops in October in Clonmel and Nenagh to assist you in understanding the Tipperary Tourism brand Tipperary, Time to take it all in. The workshops will focus on how you can link up with Tipperary Tourism to promote your business and youll hear from One Little Studio, a creative content and design studio, on how they have worked on behalf of Tipperary Tourism to promote the county nationally and internationally. It will also include expert tips on increasing awareness and boosting your online presence on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from marketing expert Triona OMahony. Ms. OMahony is the Destination and Marketing Manager with Munster Vales and is a member of the tourism team within Tipperary County Council. Shell be on hand to share her insights and experiences promoting the Munster Vales providing best practice examples from Tipperary that attendees will be able to adapt to suit their business.

The workshops will take place in Nenagh on the 9th of October from 12-2p.m in The Peppermill Restaurant and in Tipperary County Museum in Clonmel on the 10th of October from 12-2p.m. They are free of charge to attend and are open to businesses across Tipperary that have a tourism element. e.g. accommodation, activity, food, heritage, culture, tour guides, arts, attractions etc. They will present an excellent opportunity for tourism providers to network on the day.

Save the date now and book your place by emailing tourism@tipperarycoco.ie by the 1st of October.

Tipperary Tourism was set up with the objective to promote, market and develop County Tipperary as a key tourism destination in Ireland. The company works in collaboration with Tipperary County Council and recently launched a comprehensive three year marketing plan. Tipperary: Time to take it all in Marketing Strategy 2018 - 2020 builds on the Strategic Tourism Marketing, Experience & Destination Development Plan 2016-2021, by reviewing actions and results to date. Using best marketing practices based on the most current tourism data and research, the strategy aims to activate a tourism marketing plan that ensures the best use of resources to highlight the products and suppliers operating within the region.

Tipperary: Time to take it all in Marketing Strategy 2018 - 2020 will position Tipperary as a must-visit destination within Irelands Ancient East (IAE) and Irelands Hidden Heartlands which have recently been developed by Failte Ireland. It encompasses the rich heritage and cultural assets that the region has to offer.

For a copy of the strategy, please email tourism@tipperarycoco.ie[September 24, 2018] Worldwide IoT Battery Market Opportunities, Innovations, Demand and Segmentation (2018-2025) - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "Worldwide IoT Battery Market Opportunity, Innovation, Demand and Segmentation 2018 to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Internet of Things (IoT) market is expected to grow strongly in the coming years, as new services are deployed on top of old technologies, making the transition for consumers easier and cheaper. One example is devices for cars On Board Diagnostics (OBD) port which transforms old dumb cars into intelligent smart cars, a backward enablement for analog vehicles. Consumers are using their smartphone to make their car smarter and the driving experience better. 2018 is proving that intelligent homes and cities can be realised incrementally without a complete overhaul of network and technology. The combined growth of novel IoT products as well as innovative IoT solutions to make old products smart is likely to fuel the demand of IoT batteries. However, there remain challenges for IoT batteries being used in IoT devices. Battery-life, size, and charging option are major chalenges that are being discussed in this Report.



Research finds out that batteries are assuming new form factors, becoming ultra-thin, flexible, rollable, stretchable, etc. Batteries with novel form factors, such as thin, printed, and/or flexible batteries are in the focus thanks to the multifold rise of IoT in different ways from industries to consumers to civil applications. These applications require new features and battery designs that traditional battery technologies simply cannot provide. For example, a company is working on a charging technique that uses human sweat as a power source, potentially strong enough to drive an ultra-low-power radio.

This has opened the door to innovation and added a new dimension to the global competition among battery manufacturers. The report predicts that this market will grow to become a US$ 1.2 billion industry in 2025 from a small market base today. Key Topics Covered 1 Introduction 2 Executive Summary 3 IoT Battery Market Structure, Ecosystem, and Value Chain Analysis 4 IoT Battery Manufacturing: Key Requirements and Cost Analysis 5 IoT Battery Vendor Profiles 6 IoT Battery Market Forecast 2018-2025 7 Conclusions, Recommendations, and Strategic Analysis Companies Featured Blue Spark Technologies

BrightVolt

Cymbet (News - Alert) Corporation

Enfucell OY

Ilika plc

Imprint Energy

Jenax Inc.

LG Chem Ltd.

Paper Battery Company

STMicroelectronics (News - Alert) N.V. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/sv82zq/worldwide_iot?w=4 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924006072/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning Announces Scholarship Program to Support Women's Education in Asia

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning has donated US$50,000 to establish a scholarship program at the Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh. TOKYO, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Asian University for Women ("AUW") and Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning, Inc. announced today that Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning has donated US$50,000 to support full scholarships for students of Asian University for Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh. AUW is a leading international, independent university for women in South Asia that is committed to making world-class liberal arts and sciences education accessible to women who aim to become leaders in their communities. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning is a leading provider of air conditioning solutions headquartered in Japan. The Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning Scholarship will be granted to highly-motivated young Asian women who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership ability as they develop their skills, expertise, and professional networks to solve the most pressing issues of the day with innovative and bold solutions. The scholarships will cover their tuition, room and board, healthcare, textbooks, school supplies, and all other educational expenses. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning and its family of companies carry out a wide range of social responsibility activities, guided by our five values of Integrity First, Purpose Led, Customer Driven, Future Focused and One Team. We are committed to doing well by doing good and holding ourselves accountable to make the world a better place through the solutions we provide, our engagement in society, the way we do business, and our commitment to protect people and the environment. "Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning is vey excited to have the opportunity to support the Asian University for Women. We sympathize deeply with the school's philosophy, spirit and aspiration to promote women's empowerment and status improvement. Being 'future focused' is one of our core values, and we see this as a unique opportunity to support the next generation of female leaders and businesspeople in Asia," says Franz Cerwinka, Chief Executive Officer of Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning.



"Asian University for Women is delighted to have the commitment of Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning to increase access to higher education for highly talented young women in Asia. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning recognizes the untapped potential of women to become business leaders and social innovators who will engage all strata of society and promote the positive and sustainable development of the region. By investing in students of the Asian University for Women, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning has become a model of local capacity building and regional collaboration," says Professor Nirmala Rao, Vice Chancellor of AUW. About Asian University for Women

Founded in 2008 and located in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Asian University for Women is the first of its kind: a regional institution dedicated to women's education and leadership development - international in outlook, but rooted in the contexts and aspirations of the people of Asia. Students from 15 countries attend AUW. This University exists solely to support a rising network of women leaders, entrepreneurs and change makers from across the region. It seeks out women who have significant academic potential and demonstrate courage and a sense of outrage at injustice and are empathic to the woes of other people. A majority of AUW's students are first in their family to enter university; 98% of AUW's students are on full or near-full scholarship funded by private donors from around the world. A majority of AUW graduates find employment in the private sector in their home countries while about 25% go on to pursue graduate studies. AUW graduates or former students have been admitted to Stanford, Oxford, Columbia, Brandeis, Surrey and a host of other leading universities in the world. For more information, please visit www.asian-university.org. About Johnson Controls - Hitachi Air Conditioning, Inc Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning is a global air conditioning manufacturer, established in October 2015 as a joint venture of Johnson Controls Inc. and Hitachi Appliances, Inc. Our 16,000 employees create quality products, services and solutions for residential and commercial buildings throughout the world. We exceed customer expectations with the most diverse range of HVAC products in the world - from ductless solutions to chillers to HVAC room air conditioning systems, fueled by our industry-leading technology and innovation. Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning's wide range of social responsibility activities reflect the diversity of communities that we serve - ranging from building schools and toilet blocks in India and supporting orphanages in Thailand to providing disaster relief in our home country of Japan. For more information, visit www.jci-hitachi.com. SOURCE Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning, Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] CIAYO Comics Popularizes Local IP to Japan in Tokyo Game Show 2018

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to its unrelenting endeavor in national Intellectual Property (IP) developing, CIAYO Corp returned to participate in Tokyo Game Show 2018 held in Japan, 20 - 23 September 2018 following its candidacy granted by Indonesian Agency of Creative Economy (BEKRAF) to represent Indonesia in the same event. Through its participation, CIAYO Comics - under the umbrella of CIAYO Corp that focuses on Intellectual Property (IP) developing business - is set to introduce other products from CIAYO Corp, that includes digital comics, games, and merchandise based of IPs that are licensed under CIAYO Comics. "This is our second time participating in Tokyo Game Show. Before this, we also took part in other international competitions and events, such as ChinaJoy in Beijing, Popcon Asia and Indonesia Comic Con in Jakarta. We want to introduce and popularize our own Intellectual Property (IP) to reach and gain audience from all over the world, especially in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia," said Khrisnawan Adhie, Head of Business Development of CIAYO Corp. To exhibit the venture of international IP developing, CIYO Comics translates comics in Bahasa Indonesia into English to reach wider audiences; noticing the high number of the site's visitors from the States, which takes the third in rank after Indonesia and Malaysia.



Through CIAYO Comics' IPs such as Hana & Mr. Arrogant, Si Nopal, Si Juki dan Mang Awung that are now accessible for international readers, CIAYO Comics had successfully changed society's perception towards comic as a reliable career field, "Our expansion into the international sphere has opened a lot of job opportunities; and this has definitely contributed in improving the economy of Indonesia," he added. CIAYO Comics is the first locally established and developed digital comic platform in Indonesia since December 2016. Before its second year of operating, CIAYO Comics had over 800.000 downloads, and more than 80.000 active users per day. With such rapid growth, CIAYO Comics is confident with its target to reach 1 million downloads by the end of 2018. CIAYO Comics' plus point is the IPs owned by the company are fully created and developed by creators from all over Indonesia. To this day, CIAYO Comics has produced over 200 comic titles; and now it's targeting to reach 1000 titles in 2019.

To reach even more, recently CIAYO Comics signed for collaborations with media platform BBM and comic platform from Thailand, Ookbee. In the future, titles under CIAYO Comics can be read via the platforms mentioned. This collaboration ensures that Indonesia's local IPs will grow even more to reach wider audiences. Borton Liew, CEO of CIAYO Corp and one of the pioneers of Indonesia Comic Association (AKSI) expressed that he would always be eager to develop local IP. "We are open to collaboration in every aspect, with anyone; production houses, animation studios, even individuals," he stated. Up until September 2018, CIAYO Comics had held workshops in 10 cities in Indonesia, in collaboration with local comic and art communities. The series of workshop will come to a closure in Jakarta this November. Some CIAYO Comics' IP-based products such as clothing line, stationery, animated features, music, and film will start its production next year. ABOUT: CIAYO Corp started an intellectual property development business with digital comic application CIAYO Comics in 2016. CIAYO Comics became the first national digital comic platform in Indonesia. CIAYO Corp also runs a game development studio, CIAYO Games under its umbrella, and collaborating with prominent animation studio and game studio, respectively Kumata Studio and Agate Studio. CIAYO Games launched the mobile arcade game "CHIPS: Monster Tap!" which was nominated in Indonesia Game Contest by Google Play and The Best Mobile Game of The Year by Popcon Asia 2017. Operating as a media, CIAYO Corp runs CIAYO Blog to publish contemporary pop culture issues that reaches more than 100.000 readers every month. Contact Person: Michael Tan (Public Relations)

+6282273170103

Instagram.com/ciayocom

michael.tanajo@gmail.com

michael@dragoncapital.center Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180924/2246072-1 SOURCE CIAYO Corp

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 24, 2018] Yann Arthus-Bertrand Appointed DJI Master

The Legendary Artist Uses DJI Technology In His Film 'Woman' PARIS, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On 24th of September 2018, DJI, the world's leader in civilian drones and image stabilisation systems, has appointed French aerial photographer and film director Yann Arthus-Bertrand as DJI Master. For the first time ever, the legendary artist decided to deploy DJI drone and cinematic camera technology while shooting the film "Woman." The DJI Inspire 2 drone with a Zenmuse X7 camera was used extensively on location, supported by a DJI team. "When the pioneer of aerial photography, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, adopts DJI technology, magic happens," said Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director at DJI. "Our team helped Yann to capture beautiful shots that would not be possible without a helicopter. DJI is proud to assist this great artist in his long-term commitment to highlight the achievements and challenges of humankind and to draw attention to the need to preserve our planet and natural environment." Since July 2017, DJI has been working closely with Yann Arthus-Bertrand, co-director Anastasia Mikova and their production crew on several location shoots including Portugal, the Republic of the Congo and China to facilitate adoption and access to the early deployment of the Zenmuse X7 camera with its Super 35mm sensor, which was perfect for this large-scale film project. This efficient, high-quality cinematic solution in combination with the Inspire 2 drone was an ideal fit for the vision of an artist who had previously revealed the beauty of aerial photography, shot from a helicopter, in his UNESCO-sponsored picture tome "Earth from Above" that has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. "The sensation of flying a camera while staying on the ground is a totally new and amazing experience for me," said Yann Arthus-Bertrand. "We are able to shootaerial images from a completely new perspective, and I am convinced that I will continue using drone technology for my work in the future. I wanted to be as flexible as possible when filming the environment and the women who will be the true heroes of the movie. A drone is incredibly easy to use, which facilitated our work in this complex set-up significantly."



To mark the launch of the DJI Pro brand, DJI is launching the series "DJI Masters - The Power of Visual Storytelling," featuring three of the world's most accomplished imaging pioneers, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Claudio Miranda, and Rodney Charters. The first episode of the series features a documentary on Yann Arthus-Bertrand while shooting "Woman". Watch the first DJI Masters episode with Yann Arthus Bertrand here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqdsdJzoRyU

Download pictures of the making of Woman in the Democratic Republic of Congo: https://we.tl/t-seCBEJrUB9 Yann Arthus-Bertrand's movie "Woman" is due to be released in 2019. About DJI DJI, the world's leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, was founded and is run by people with a passion for remote-controlled helicopters and experts in flight-control technology and camera stabilization. The company is dedicated to making aerial photography and filmmaking equipment and platforms more accessible, reliable and easier to use for creators and innovators around the world. DJI's global operations currently span across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and its revolutionary products and solutions have been chosen by customers in over 100 countries for applications in filmmaking, construction, inspection, emergency response, agriculture, conservation and other industries. For more information, visit our:

Website: www.dji.com

Online Store: store.dji.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DJI

Instagram:www.instagram.com/DJIGlobal

Twitter:www.twitter.com/DJIGlobal

LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/company/dji

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/DJI SOURCE DJI

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Panasonic's Multi-hop HD-PLC Adopted as Smart Meter Communications System by Taiwan Power Company

Panasonic (News - Alert) Corporation has successfully proposed adoption to Taiwan Power Company of its HD-PLC (*1) high-speed power line communications technology as a communications system to utilize next-generation smart meters. Taiwan Power Company began accepting proposals for technology relating to communications systems in June 2017. Verification testing of the latest wireless technology and power line communications technology was held in Taipei City in September of that year. Smart meters will be introduced to approx. 260,000 households in main cities of Taiwan from December 2018. The HD-PLC technology meets the high performance criteria required, and smart meters incorporating this technology will be introduced in Taipei and other areas. Smart meters require stable communications performance to achieve detailed controls matching power demand with high-frequency data collection. The HD-PLC technology can meet these requirements and is expected to contribute to building IoT communications infrastructure for smart meters and smart city concepts to be adopted worldwide in the future. [Overview of the verification testing]

The verification testing at Taiwan Power Company conducted as follows: A data collection rate of 99% at 15 minute intervals was required to evaluate the communications performance between the smart meters and the power company data collection center.

Evaluation of smart meter installation conditions in various situations such as a case installed under the eaves of detached houses, and a case of each meter installed in a basement room for commercial buildings or condominiums. The HD-PLC technology conforms to the IEEE (News - Alert) 1901 (*2) international standard as well as to ITU-T G.9905 multi-hop technology for relay functions, allowing communication of several Mbps over long distances. The testing verified that power lines could transmit from middle and high voltage transformers placed on roads to meters below buldings. A data collection rate of 100% was achieved during the testing period to successfully pass the test.



Panasonic will continue to develop the HD-PLC technology while pursuing convenience for users in order to realize a smart IoT society in the future. Panasonic is also seeking to secure interconnectivity between products conforming to the IEEE 1901 through organizations such as the HD-PLC Alliance (*3), to provide globally HD-PLC-equipped products that users can utilize in safety. Notes

*1 HD-PLC stands for High Definition Power Line Communication, as advocated by Panasonic. This is a trademark or a registered trademark in Japan and other nations.

*2 A standardization committee for communications standards under the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). *3 Established on September 25, 2007 with the aim of securing the expansion and communications compatibility of HD-PLC.

Website: http://www.hd-plc.org/ Source (News - Alert) :

https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2018/09/en180925-2/en180925-2.html Related Links

HD-PLC Alliance

http://www.hd-plc.org/ [Press Release] Panasonic Next-Generation PLC Technology Approved as Baseline Specification by IEEE P1901.3 Working Group (Jun 29, 2018)

https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2018/06/en180629-2/en180629-2.html [Press Release] Panasonic starts to provide HD-PLC IP core license with "Multi-hop" extension (Jul 01, 2016)

https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2016/07/en160701-2/en160701-2.html View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180924006110/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Vodafone Selects Juniper Networks as an Enterprise Global SD-WAN Partner

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), an industry leader in automated, scalable and secure networks, today announced that Vodafone has selected the company as one of its Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) vendors for its enterprise-focused SDN portfolio, referred to as Ready Network. Vodafones portfolio will comprise flexible, cloud-based services that are designed to underpin digital business at scale, helping enterprises to compete effectively using agile, open and fast infrastructure with zero-touch deployment. Juniper provides a secure, virtualized and dynamic network platform for one of Vodafones SD-WAN offerings. The solution delivers better control and cost optimization by allowing enterprises to manage multiple sites using a combination of WAN connectivity types to ensure application-level quality of experience. Junipers solution is built upon universal customer premises equipment (uCPE) that allows multiple virtualized network functions to be delivered from a single device. Vodafones enterprise customers will now have a self-care portal providing real-time, end-to-end visibility and analysis of network performance, as well as centralized selection, provisioning and management of their required WAN services. For example, bandwidth-on-demand can be dialed up and down to suit traffic flows across the WAN in response to changing business requirements, and centralized security policies can be adjusted and enforced across the network. News Highlights A key element of the Juniper Networks Contrail SD-WAN solution provided to Vodafone is its Contrail Service Orchestration , delivering automation, simplicity and openness to the design. Operating within a multi-vendor, multi-tenant environment, it ensures secure implementation, analysis and management of each unique network. Contrail Service Orchestration is used by Vodafone to oversee parts of its SD-WAN services infrastructure for enterprises. It also provides Vodafone enterprise customers with a customized, easy-to-use self-serve portal.

SD-WAN solution provided to Vodafone is its , delivering automation, simplicity and openness to the design. Operating within a multi-vendor, multi-tenant environment, it ensures secure implementation, analysis and management of each unique network. Contrail Service Orchestration is used by Vodafone to oversee parts of its SD-WAN services infrastructure for enterprises. It also provides Vodafone enterprise customers with a customized, easy-to-use self-serve portal. Contrail Service Orchestration is designed to unite policies and security controls across hybrid WAN connections, including IPSec, MPLS, broadband Internet and 4G/LTE wireless.

The Juniper Networks NFX Series Network Services Platform is deployed at each customer location to enable dynamic, virtualized WAN service creation and to host the virtual next-generation firewall and advanced cloud-based threat protection capability in a single unit.

is deployed at each customer location to enable dynamic, virtualized WAN service creation and to host the virtual next-generation firewall and advanced cloud-based threat protection capability in a single unit. The software-driven NFX Series enables zero-touch, secure service creation, enabling new branches to be brought online easily and cost-effectively with a single keystroke.

The NFX Series integrates fully with Contrail, delivering the flexibility and openness required by Vodafones large enterprise customers.

By delivering comprehensive SD-WAN services, Vodafone is extending the competitive reach of its enterprise connectivity portfolio and focusing on future-looking innovations in line with overall digitization and underlying trends including 5G, industrial IoT, Big Data and cloudification.



Supporting Quotes

We see SD-WAN as an important capability for many of our enterprise customers and believe that Juniper offers a feature-rich, cloud-enabled secure networking uCPE portfolio that will help us to provide those customers with strong, flexible and agile solutions as they move through complex digital transformations.

Vodafone Enterprise Products and Solutions director Justin Shields

The advent of 5G, the transition of applications and resources to the cloud, and the prevalence of IoT in the workplace, make the prospect of digital transformation for many enterprises enticing and daunting in equal measure. Junipers focus on simplifying the network will enable Vodafones enterprise customers to more easily leverage the advantages of multicloud and a growing mobile workforce, without being burdened by the growing complexities of WAN connectivity. This will free their customers to focus on the most important aspects of their business. Were proud to be a valued technology partner of Vodafone, employing Junipers strong commitment to open, secure networking to bring Vodafones next-generation services to market.

Rami Rahim, Chief Executive Officer at Juniper Networks Enterprise customers are looking for simplicity, functionality and optimized TCO (total cost of ownership) as they come to grips with building flexible cloud capabilities into their infrastructure. Vodafones SD-WAN solution provided by Juniper delivers just that, with reduced hardware requirements, innovative use of the cloud and software-defined infrastructure.

Luca Claretti, Global Account Director for Vodafone Group at Juniper Networks Additional Resources Follow Juniper Networks online: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

| | Juniper Blogs and Community: J-Net

Juniper 1on1 app: Keep up with all things Juniper right from your smartphone. Download the app from iTunes and Google Play store today. About Juniper Networks Juniper Networks simplifies the complexities of networking with products, solutions and services in the cloud era to transform the way we connect, work and live. We remove the traditional constraints of networking to enable our customers and partners to deliver automated, scalable and secure networks that connect the world. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks ( www.juniper.net ) or connect with Juniper on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper and Junos are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Media Relations: Penny Still Juniper Networks +44 (0) 1372 385 692

pstill@juniper.net





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] WIPO and IFPMA Launch New Online Patent-Search Resource to Help Health Agencies Procure Medicines

WIPO and the research-based pharmaceutical industry today launched a new online tool designed to help procurement agencies better understand the global patent status of medicines. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005088/en/ The Patent Information Initiative for Medicines (Pat-INFORMED) is a unique resource where patent holders provide information about patents covering approved medicines through a free, open access database. This new public database became operational today, along with a platform where procurement agencies can make direct enquiries to companies. Pat-INFORMED is a partnership between WIPO and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations, IFPMA, the global trade association representing the research-based pharmaceutical industry. Pat-INFORMED originated in the industry's efforts to add clarity to patent information about medicines. WIPO's globally recognized expertise in the organization and public dissemination of patent data will make an important contribution to the accessibility of patent information. WIPO is hosting the database and providing the resources to ensure its continued development, while IFPMA is working closely with the 20 leading research-based biopharmaceutical companies that have backed this initiative to help ensure a consistent and coordinated approach. "WIPO is committed to increasing the transparency of the patent system and ensuring it works to benefit humankind. As a public-private partnership focusing on access to key patent information, Pat-INFORMED will facilitate the procurement of important medicines and thereby support better health outcomes for people across the globe. Such partnerships are critical to success in the field of public health," said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. "WIPO is pleased to be contributing its extensive expertise in making complex patent information simpler and more accessible and looks forward to further collaboration with the pharmacutical industry to ensure the success of this initiative."



While information about patent applications and grants reside in the public domain, resources that directly link patents to medicines already on the market are scarce and limited. Tools that directly link granted patents to medicines are only available publicly in certain countries (e.g. the USA's ' Orange (News - Alert) Book') or through private third-party databases. Pat-INFORMED aims to help close these gaps and make patent research easier, faster and more accessible to a wider array of health workers. Importantly, Pat-INFORMED also offers procurement agencies a direct communication channel for follow-on enquiries to participating companies. Each of the participating companies, currently 20, has agreed to engage in discussions with official procurement agencies that are seeking more detailed information about granted patents on specific products.

So far, Pat-INFORMED houses information on over 14,000 individual patents, for 600 patent families and 169 INNs, unique names that are globally recognized and used to identify pharmaceutical substances or active pharmaceutical ingredients within medicines that cover a wide range of conditions. "This initiative is a practical way of reducing the complexity around access to patent information, something health experts have long been calling for. By easing access to patent information for public health authorities, Pat-INFORMED can help them take more informed decisions about procurement options available to them, and will be an important contribution to global health," said Thomas Cueni, Director General IFPMA. "The task of retrieving and uploading over 14,000 individual national patents has been considerable; but now that the process and platform are in place, I'm confident that we can continue to increase the database's scope to more INNs than the current 160." "More-efficient procurement processes save lives by getting medicines to people more quickly," said Wesley Kreft, Director, Global Supply Chain, i+solutions, a Netherlands-based not-for-profit organization specializing in medical supply chain management for developing countries, including many recipients of Global Fund grants. Speaking of his work, Mr. Kreft said: "Pat-INFORMED has the potential to reduce by 30 percent the time required to procure medicines for low and middle income countries." Pat-INFORMED features patent information for small molecule drugs within oncology; hepatitis C, cardiovascular, HIV, diabetes, and respiratory therapy areas; and any products on the WHO Essential Medicines List that are not within these therapy areas. In a second phase, the initiative will extend to all therapeutic areas and explore the inclusion of complex therapeutics. The launch took place at an event on the sidelines of the 2018 Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO. About WIPO The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information and cooperation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO assists its 191 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society's evolving needs. It provides business services for obtaining IP rights in multiple countries and resolving disputes. It delivers capacity-building programs to help developing countries benefit from using IP. And it provides free access to unique knowledge banks of IP information. About IFPMA IFPMA represents research-based pharmaceutical companies and associations across the globe. The research-based pharmaceutical industry's two million employees discover, develop, and deliver medicines and vaccines that improve the lives of patients worldwide. Based in Geneva, IFPMA has official relations with the United Nations and contributes industry expertise to help the global health community find solutions that improve global health. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005088/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Mlegal Group Adds Leading Legal Recruiter Melinda Wallman in London

Mlegal Group, a premier legal search company, announced today that Melinda Wallman, one of London's top legal recruiters, has joined as a partner. She was previously a longtime partner at Major, Lindsey & Africa, where she founded its London and Hong Kong offices. She will be based in Mlegal's London office. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005210/en/ Melinda Wallman, Partner, Mlegal Group (Photo: Business Wire) Wallman will work closely with office Managing Partner Andy Russell to build Mlegal's local business, focusing on partner recruitment into top U.S. and international law firms in London and Western Europe. She will continue to assist corporations and investment funds with general counsel and other senior lawyer searches. Addressing the need for law firms to improve their recruitment and integration of partners across borders, Mlegal is building one close-knit team of highly experienced recruiters to serve transatlantic clients. Mlegal will be annoncing the arrival of additional experienced recruiters in the coming months.



"I've been impressed with Mlegal's momentum and success focusing on partner and team searches in the U.S. and Europe, and the way Mlegal recruiters work as one transatlantic team. That's what top-tier law firms are looking for, particularly in the alternative asset management space where cross-border alignment is crucial. It is just as important for business development and deal execution as it is for lateral partner hiring and integration," said Wallman. "I am grateful for the opportunities and friendships MLA has given me over the last 20 years, and am now ready to build something a bit different and be a part of the Mlegal team." "We are putting together a top team of recruiters as well as research and support staff here in London, and Melinda's arrival is hugely significant," said Russell. "I am really looking forward to working together to expand our London footprint and to strengthen further our international recruiting capability."

"Having had the pleasure of knowing Melinda for over 15 years, I am thrilled that she has chosen Mlegal for the next phase of her career, and we could not be more excited about the possibilities her arrival creates for the company, and our clients in the UK and globally," said CEO Joe Macrae. "Melinda immediately and substantially strengthens our legal recruiting footprint in London and EMEA." Wallman has placed partners and teams at numerous global firms, and has placed general counsel and other senior corporate counsel with Fortune and FTSE 100 companies, alternative asset management funds and other financial institutions. She has opened offices for law firms in London, Cologne, Hong Kong, Munich, Shanghai and Singapore. Wallman has been a strong advocate for gender diversity in the legal profession, and earlier this year she founded XX Advantage Ltd to advance female lawyers' careers. Her main project to date is a recently launched returnship programme, the Reignite Academy. She is also Co-Vice-Chair, International, for the Women in Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF), launching its London chapter in 2015. "It was important to me to join a firm where diversity is a core value and where every search is treated as a diversity search," Wallman stated. About Mlegal Group Founded in 2001, Mlegal has grown from its San Francisco Bay Area origins to become an internationally recognized elite legal search practice representing many of the most successful and innovative law firms in the United States and Europe. Mlegal also regularly conducts select general counsel and other executive-level in-house legal searches for major corporations. The company has offices in New York, London, Silicon Valley, San Francisco and Houston. To learn more about Mlegal, visit www.mlegalgroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005210/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] BigCommerce Announces New and Expanded Partnerships to Support European Business Growth

BigCommerce, the leading ecommerce platform for fast-growing and established brands, today announced that it has signed expanded partnerships with partners Born Group ("BORN") and dotmailer to support the needs of BigCommerce's growing base of European merchants. Additionally, BigCommerce announced new partnerships with several leading ecommerce agencies and technology providers, including full-service commerce agency GPMD, AI search tool Klevu, content management and boutique WordPress agency Pragmatic, and digital transformation expert SQLI. dotmailer, a leading marketing automation platform and BigCommerce's first European Elite Partner, will provide European retailers with the ability to create personalized marketing campaigns for their customers. Through dotmailer's Commerce Flow, merchants can synchronise customer contact data and purchase history from BigCommerce to deliver more relevant marketing communication to customers. "In today's retail environment, consumers expect merchants to personalise the sales experience to their individual needs, and working with BigCommerce helps ensure that their merchants can use store data to create marketing materials that actually serve the needs of their customers. It's yet another way that BigCommerce brings value to their customers globally," said Milan Patel, CEO at dotmailer. BORN, an award-winning digital and content production agency, will also partner with BigCommerce's European team as it expands to better serve its local market. "Our expertise lies in helping enterprise-level businesses develop integrated forward-thinking ecommerce experiences that drive their business forward," said Daren Fitzgerald, executive vice president of commercial at BORN. "BigCommerce stands out as a true platform leader in the mid-market. The combination of our offerings gives European merchants a toolkit to deploy industry-leading ecommerce sites that attract and convert customers at a fraction of the cost, which is why we consider it our SaaS (News - Alert) platform of choice."



Additionally, existing BigCommerce partners Americaneagle.com, Convert Digital and RANDEM are making additional investments in their own regional offices in order to streamline partnership opportunities and more easily enable UK merchant interactions. These new and expanded partnerships follow several recent announcements stemming from BigCommerce's first European office opening earlier this summer. In June, the company announced its first European office location in London, which is expected to grow to 20 employees within the next 12 months. In addition, tech veteran Mark Adams was appointed as vice president and general manager in Europe to further accelerate the company's growth in the region.

"Partnerships with leading technology and solutions providers represent an important component of BigCommerce's holistic ecosystem because they help ensure that BigCommerce merchants all over the world have access to the tools they need to maintain a powerful ecommerce presence," Adams said. "Each of these companies has a proven track record of delivering beautiful, engaging, high-performing websites, and we are confident that they provide the perfect complement to BigCommerce's existing offerings." BigCommerce will be hosting European partners at its first Partner Summit, which is taking place today in London. In addition, prospective brands, retailers and digital-transformation agencies can learn more about BigCommerce by visiting BigCommerce's booth (Booth #E652) on the first floor of the Ecommerce Expo on 26-27 September in London. To find out more about BigCommerce, visit https://www.bigcommerce.co.uk. About BigCommerce BigCommerce is the world's leading cloud ecommerce platform for established and rapidly-growing businesses. Combining enterprise functionality, an open architecture and app ecosystem, and market-leading performance, BigCommerce enables businesses to grow online sales with 80% less cost, time and complexity than on-premise software. BigCommerce powers B2B and B2C ecommerce for industry-leading brands, including Assurant, Ben & Jerry's, Paul Mitchell, Skullcandy and Toyota. For more information, visit www.bigcommerce.com. BigCommerce is a registered trademark of BigCommerce Pty. Ltd. Third-party trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005431/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Phrasee: AI-powered Copywriting for Facebook Has Arrived

Phrasee, the London-headquartered marketing technology company that uses AI to write optimised marketing copy, has launched the first product of its kind for Facebook (News - Alert) & Instagram campaigns. The new product, trialled by Wowcher and three other household brand names, allows customers to test AI-generated language at scale in social advertising. Early pilots at Wowcher have delivered an average reduction in cost per lead of 31% compared to the human written copy. Phrasee for Facebook & Instagram builds on the global success of Phrasee's award-winning email subject line product and applies it to social campaigns. Phrasee's AI writes and optimises language for Facebook and Instagram in a way that's unique to a brand's strategy, voice and guidelines, delivering more engagement, clicks and conversions, all at a lower CPM. "For too long, we've relied upon humans to write marketing copy for social ads," said Parry Malm, CEO and Co-founder of Phrasee. "Now there's a better way. We've invested heavily in our AI-powered copywriting technology and are super proud to have extended it from email marketing to Facebook & Instagram ads. The amazing feedback rom our customers and agency partners on the early results really shows that we're delivering huge bottom-line value to brands around the world."



The product is targeted at global brands and agencies running social campaigns on behalf of clients. Already, agencies such as Tomorrow TTH and Social Chain, winner of the UK Agency Awards 2018 Social Media Agency of The Year and Digiday's Best Live Moment Award 2018, are using the product as a catalyst for their campaigns. Social marketers can create AI-powered copy for campaigns in minutes and the product uses past campaign results to train its deep learning engine, ensuring continued and progressive performance. "I can honestly say when we embarked on this latest initiative with Phrasee, we didn't expect a cost per lead reduction of over 31%", said Alexis Harrison, Head of External Media at Wowcher. "We've always been impressed by the ability of Phrasee's AI tech to deliver human sounding, brand-compliant email subject lines that generate amazing business results. Its new Facebook and Instagram product takes things to a whole new level."

"Our commitment is to keep brands at the forefront of what's possible," said Alex James Ayin, Group Transformation Director at Social Chain Group. "That means we are constantly looking for breakthrough technology and ideas and exploring how we can bring them to bear on our campaigns. Phrasee is a brilliant example of this in practice, and we can't wait to see what's next." Malm added: "Too often, in Facebook & Instagram advertising, copywriting is left until the last minute, or decided upon by gut instinct. With this launch, we believe we are putting language back where it belongs: at the heart of social campaigns, to drive a better response." Phrasee was recognised by US-based CB Insights as 2017's Most Innovative AI Company and more recently launched its AI ethics policy, one of the world's first AI businesses to do so. As a leader in the AI space, Phrasee believes it is critical that its customers know how their technology and data will be used and is calling on the wider industry to follow its lead. // ENDS About Phrasee: Phrasee is world-leading AI that generates and optimises marketing copy at scale, delivering improved results for email subject lines, push notifications, and Facebook and Instagram ads. Founded in 2015, Phrasee is the go-to solution for ambitious, intelligent and analytical marketers. Today, its team of data scientists, computational linguists and developers drive big results for enterprise brands across the globe, including a 57% click uplift for Domino's, a 35% open uplift for Gumtree and millions of pounds in incremental revenue for Virgin Holidays. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005130/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] QMA expands global distribution, naming Liisa Juntunen to lead U.K. consultant relationships

QMA continues to expand its outreach to clients around the world, today naming Liisa Juntunen as head of U.K. consultant relations. QMA is the quantitative equity and global multi-asset solutions manager of PGIM, the $1 trillion global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU). QMA managed $127.6 billion as of June 30, 2018. Based in London, Juntunen will spearhead efforts to expand QMA's relationships with consultants throughout the U.K. She joins the firm as an employee of PGIM Limited who is wholly dedicated to QMA, reporting to John Gee-Grant, head of international distribution and global consultant relations. Her appointment is effective October 1. Juntunen is the newest member of a team being built by Adam Broder, head of global distribution for the company, and who hired Gee-Grant in January. Broder and Gee-Grant are designing the team to draw upon the depth of QMA's 40-plus years of quantitative equity and multi-asset expertise, while leveraging the full scale of PGIM, which is among the world's largest asset managers. Broder was brought onboard in October 2017 by chairman and CEO Andrew Dyson who joined QMA in April 2016 with a mandate for global expansion of the business. "As we continue to expand globally, QMA's relationships and partnerships with investment consultants bcome ever more important," said John Gee-Grant. "Liisa brings broad market and investment knowledge, along with deep experience in understanding consultant and institutional client needs, particularly in the U.K. I'm confident her leadership will help us strengthen relationships and reinforce our commitment to delivering appropriate equity and multi-asset solutions to our clients."



Juntunen brings nearly 20 years of global client relationship management and sales expertise to QMA. She was previously head of the strategic client team at Legal & General Investment Management, overseeing a team of 11 client relationship managers. Earlier, she led teams focused on client and consultant relationship management at companies including Rogge Global Partners and Ignis Asset Management in the U.K. She also spent 11 years in the London and New York offices of AllianceBernstein, ultimately responsible for building the global product management platform for both growth and value equities. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Durham. About QMA

QMA applies a disciplined, research-driven approach that seeks to identify and capture alpha opportunities and combines factor exposures to create diversified, risk-aware strategies designed for long-term performance. Founded in 1975, QMA manages portfolios for a worldwide institutional client base, including corporate and public pension plans, endowments and foundations, multi-employer pension plans, and sub-advisory accounts for other financial services companies. As of June 30, 2018, QMA had approximately $127.6 billion in assets under management. About PGIM and Prudential Financial, Inc. With 15 consecutive years of positive third-party institutional net flows, PGIM, the global asset management businesses of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), ranks among the top 10 largest asset managers in the world with more than $1 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2018. PGIM's businesses offer a range of investment solutions for retail and institutional investors around the world across a broad range of asset classes, including fundamental equity, quantitative equity, public fixed income, private fixed income, real estate and commercial mortgages. Its businesses have offices in 15 countries across four continents Prudential's additional businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities and retirement-related services. For more information please visit news.prudential.com. Prudential Financial, Inc., of the United States is not affiliated with Prudential Plc., a company headquartered in the United Kingdom. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005237/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Euromonitor International Hosted First Conference in Indonesia

Global market research company Euromonitor International shared insights on how companies can tap into the Indonesian market at its first conference for Indonesia at Pullman Jakarta Central on September 25th.

According to Euromonitor, Indonesia has the largest number of middle-class households amongst ASEAN countries, representing 30 percent of the households in 2018. Big cities in Sumatra will have the highest penetration of middle class households by 2030.

"This fact offers a sizeable market potential for companies to tap into Indonesia," says Adhitya Nugroho, research manager at Euromonitor. "Medan, Bandar Lampung and Padang will be the top three big cities in Indonesia, with almost 50 percent of its population enjoying annual incomes between USD10,000 to USD25,000," he added.

Travel is set to be one of the fastest growing category in the country, increasing by 49.2 percent by 2023. Led by the millennials that are more inclned to spend on travel than other demographics, the will of spending on convenience and experience is marking an unprecedented growth in travel in Indonesia. Furthermore, the smartphone penetration that reached 142 percent of households in 2017, is supporting the young generation to spend more on holidays planning.







Celebrating its 20 years in South East Asia, Euromonitor is looking forward to sharing market insights to maximise business opportunities in a trendsetting region and country.

To receive the presentations on Trends & Opportunities in Indonesia and the wider ASEAN region, please visit: https://bit.ly/2xk5HQU

ABOUT EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL

Euromonitor International is the world's leading provider for global business intelligence and strategic market analysis. We have more than 40 years of experience publishing international market reports, business reference books and online databases on consumer markets.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005007/en/[September 25, 2018] Autism Speaks Canada Launches Connect, Canada's First Virtual Platform to Engage and Inform the Autism Community

Bringing the Community Together TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2018 /CNW/ - Autism Speaks Canada today launched the country's first national, multi-faceted virtual platform that is intended to revolutionize the way people in the autism community interact with each other. Designed to bring the community together, Autism Speaks Canada Connect will foster collaboration, improve navigation, consolidate resources and provide mentorship opportunities like never before. "What began as a desire to consolidate information and resources has evolved into something bigger. Regardless of age, stage, need or geographic location, Connect's comprehensive offering has the potential to service every Canadian impacted by autism," said Jill Farber, executive director of Autism Speaks Canada. "I look forward to Connect being embraced by individuals, families, clinical professionals, service providers, researchers, service organizations and military families, from coast to coast to coast." Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects an estimated 1 in 66 Canadian children and youth, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. As the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder in Canada, it is imperative that the comprehensive needs of the community are addressed. Using innovative technology, Connect: Ensures access to reliable information and services throughout the life span

Is free to use and operates in both French and English

li>Addresses the needs of diverse and underserved communities (e.g. military families, rural communities) Provides a platform to discuss topics of interest and build community

Acts as a meeting place where individuals, families, researchers, service providers and educators can collaborate

Creates opportunities to find and become a mentor

Receives ongoing monitoring by the Autism Response Team (ART), which provides support, tools and resources for individuals and families



"Autism Speaks Canada Connect offers national reach, easy access, and relevant content for individuals and families, across the life span," said Dr. Jonathan Weiss, York Research Chair in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disability Mental Health. "Supporting their success will only happen when they are connected to others in meaningful ways, and the Connect platform has the potential to drive this process forward." Connect was made possible through the generosity of BMO, a Canadian leader and generous supporter of projects that facilitate collaboration across all sectors, disciplines and geographic boundaries, True Patriot Love, who has generously supported the development of Connect's military-specific content and the generous support of donors and corporate sponsors who believe in the vision of this exciting initiative.

Visit https://connect.autismspeaks.ca/home to start engaging with the autism community now. About Autism Speaks Canada Autism Speaks Canada is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families by supporting and working with community partners; enhancing resources and services; increasing understanding, acceptance and inclusion of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. Autism Speaks Canada has invested over $7.4 million into scientific research and funded $4.4 million in developing programs in communities across Canada. To find resources, join a fundraising walk or make a donation, go to www.autismspeaks.ca. About Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism spectrum disorder, or autism, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication. We now know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, and each person with autism can have unique strengths and challenges. Causes include a combination of genetic and environmental influences, and many are accompanied by medical issues such as GI disorders, seizures and sleep disturbances. An estimated 1 in 66 children and youth are on the autism spectrum in Canada. SOURCE Autism Speaks Canada

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Gunshot Detection System Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Product Type, Installation and Application - ResearchAndMarkets.com

The "Gunshot Detection System Market to 2025 - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Product Type, Installation and Application" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global gunshot detection system market accounted for US$ 850.2 Mn in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.6% over the forecast period 2018-2025, to account for US$ 4325.0 Mn in 2025. The demand for gunshot detection systems is largely influenced by a number of factors such as increasing firearm related crimes worldwide. Weapon related fierceness are devastating these days across the globe. Unfortunately, these incidents of violence are increasing rapidly and are unreported in many cases. Therefore, it has become essential for state and local law enforcement agencies to deploy solution which can take detect/prevent such cases in future. Also, during the past few years, several incidents of gunfire took place in public areas as well as commercial infrastructure. One such miserable instance took place in Las Vegas in 2017, in which 58 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured by a gunman. Further, in 2014, a terrorist attack in a School of Pakistan killed around 150 people. Increase in such incidences are fueling the gunshot detection ystem market growth for homeland security. As per SecurityInfowatch, around 300 mass shootings incidences occurred in the U.S. alone during 2015. Attributed to the above mentioned factor, the gunshot detection systems is extensively deployed in educational institutes, government buildings, museums, and hotels etc.



The gunshot detection system market is fragmented with the presence of several providers in the supply chain and the competitive dynamics in the market is expected to change during the upcoming years. The players in the value chain depend on different third-party solution providers, software providers, and hardware providers. This results in over-dependency of players on each other for efficient performance. ShotSpotter, Inc., U.S. is the leading gunshot detection system market globally. Other key players of the gunshot detection system market include Raytheon (News - Alert) Company, Shooter Detection System LLC, Thales Group, and Safety Dynamics, Inc. among others.

Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 2. Key Takeaways 3. Gunshot Detection System Market Landscape 4. Gunshot Detection System Market - Key Industry Dynamics 5. Gunshot Detection System Market - Global Market Analysis 6. Gunshot Detection System Market Revenue and Forecast To 2025 - Product Type 7. Gunshot Detection System Market Revenue and Forecast To 2025 - Installation 8. Gunshot Detection System Market Revenue and Forecast To 2025 - Application 9. Gunshot Detection System Market - Geographical Analysis 10. Industry Landscape 11. Competitive Landscape 12. Gunshot Detection System Market, Key Company Profiles Raytheon Company

ShotSpotter, Inc.

Shooter Detection Systems LLC

AmberBox Inc.

Louroe Electronics

Safety Dynamics Inc.

Microflown Avisa BV

Rheinmetall AG

QinetiQ (News - Alert) North America

Databuoy Corporation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cdz785/gunshot_detection?w=4 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005540/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] LabVantage Solutions Names John Heiser Chief Executive Officer

LabVantage Solutions, Inc., the leading provider of laboratory informatics software providing purpose-built LIMS solutions, today announced that John Heiser has been named Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Heiser replaces LabVantage President Ram Velidi, who is leaving the company to pursue a new entrepreneurial endeavor. "John Heiser brings us a wealth of strategic and operational experience in growing technology and life sciences businesses, and we are thrilled that he is joining LabVantage at this exciting time in the company's development," said Purnendu Chatterjee, Chairman of LabVantage Solutions. "With his diverse business background and strong leadership experience, broad educational foundation and passion for people and performance, John's combination of proven leadership ability and strategic vision will be invaluable as LabVantage embarks on its next phase of growth." Mr. Chatterjee added, "We also want to thank Ram Velidi for his many contributions to our current success. Ram helped create a culture that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. He brought us together as a global company and significantly expanded our customer base. We wish him well in his future endeavors." Most recently, Mr. Heiser was President and Chief Operating Officer of Magnetrol International, Inc., a global manufacturer of advanced process control solutions. Previously he was Vice President, Marketing at Bausch & Lomb Pharmaceuticals and he managed the Sales Information and DSS units at Merck & Co..Earlier in his career, Mr. Heiser was a Business Unit Director and Director, State Government Affairs/Associate General Counsel at DuPont Pharmaceuticals.



"The LabVantage team has done a phenomenal job of building world-leading laboratory informatics solutions," said Mr. Heiser. "LabVantage's commitment to innovation, strong customer focus, global reach and powerful service orientation have produced robust growth. The company's purpose-built solutions tailored to specific industry needs have fueled expansion into multiple industries and global markets. But I believe that this is only the beginning, as the growing importance of data management in rapidly evolving markets offers us many opportunities for exponential growth. I have been privileged to help build successful companies characterized by rapid change across industries and territories, and I welcome the chance to lead this vibrant organization at this key inflection point." Mr. Heiser received a B.A. degree from the University of Iowa, a Doctor of Law degree from Tulane Law School, an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a Ph.D. in Values Driven Leadership from Benedictine University. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Leadership Association and Aspire Chicago.

About LabVantage Solutions LabVantage is the recognized leader of enterprise laboratory software solutions with over 35 years of experience. We deliver an integrated laboratory informatics platform including laboratory information management systems (LIMS), electronic laboratory notebooks (ELN), and laboratory execution systems (LES). We support more than 1500 customer sites in the life science, pharmaceutical, medical device, biobank, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, oil and gas, genetics/diagnostics, and healthcare industries. Headquartered in Somerset, N.J., LabVantage offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services that enable companies to innovate faster in the R&D cycle, improve manufactured product quality, achieve accurate record-keeping, and comply with regulatory requirements. The LabVantage integrated LIMS/ELN/LES platform is highly configurable, purpose-built, and 100% web browser-based to support hundreds of concurrent users and seamlessly interface with instruments and other enterprise systems. For more information, visit www.labvantage.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005312/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Arun Rajkumar of Datamatics Digital Recognized as CIO100 Award Winner by IDG

MUMBAI, September 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Datamatics Global Services Ltd. (DGSL), a global IT & BPM company, today announced that it has been honoured with the CIO100 Award 2018 by IDG's CIO Magazine. Datamatics was felicitated with the Future Tech Leader Award for displaying exemplary vision for identifying and deploying relevant future technology skills and creating an environment to make the organization future-proof. Arun Rajkumar, Associate VP - Engineering Solutions, Datamatics Digital was honoured as the Future Tech Leader. Arun received this special award for his innovation in business and technology skill-set acquisition methodologies used in various projects. He is currently leading innovations at Datamatics Digital. The 13th Indian edition of CIO100 Symposium and Awards celebrated 100 outstanding Indian organizations and their digital architects. The annual award program recognizes and honors organizations and their CIOs for showcasing stellar leadership and outstanding IT implementations, aimed at furthering their business. Mr. Sanjeev Subhedar, Executive Vice President & Head - Engineering Solutions, Datamatics Global Services Ltd. said, "At Datamatics, our people are at the core of our business that delivers exceptional value to our customers. We all are proud that Arun is recognized by CIO100 as a Future Tech Leader." Commenting on the occasion, IDG India's President & CEO, Louis D'Mello said, "The CIO100 Award recognizes the best amongst the best and the work by the team at Datamatics makes them truly deserving of this honor." About CIO100 Awards IDG has a long and proud tradition of honoring leading companies for business and technology leadership and innovations through its premiere award program - CIO100. Over the last three deades CIO100 has become a proud tradition that extends from the USA to dozens of countries around the world. It is an acknowledged mark of enterprise IT excellence. It's a celebration of 100 organizations (and the people within them) that are using information technology in innovative ways to deliver business value, whether by creating competitive advantage, optimizing business processes, enabling growth or improving relationships with customers. Hosted in countries such as Canada, Sweden, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hungary and India, the CIO 100 Awards is a truly global recognition. It is an acknowledged mark of excellence in enterprise IT. According to a survey by PR Week magazine, CEOs named CIO 100 among the top 10 most influential corporate scorecards anywhere, compiled by any publication or organization.



About Datamatics Global Services Datamatics (BSE: 532528) (NSE: DATAMATICS) provides Intelligent Solutions for data driven businesses to increase productivity and enhance customer experience. The company's portfolio of service offerings spans across Information Technology Services, Business Process Management, Engineering Services and Big Data & Analytics all powered by Artificial Intelligence. It has established products in Robotics Process Automation, Advanced Analytics, Business Intelligence and Automated Fare Collection. Datamatics services over 450 customers globally across Banking & Financial Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Manufacturing, International Organizations and Media & Publishing. Headquartered in Mumbai, the Company has presence across 4 continents with major delivery centers in the USA, India and Philippines with an employee base of 10,000. To know more about Datamatics, visit http://www.datamatics.com

Safe Harbour Some of the statements in this update that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include our financial and growth projections as well as statements concerning our plans, strategies, intentions and beliefs concerning our business and the markets in which we operate. These statements are based on information currently available to us, and we assume no obligation to update these statements as circumstances change. There are risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, the level of market demand for our services, the highly-competitive market for the types of services that we offer, market conditions that could cause our customers to reduce their spending for our services, our ability to create, acquire and build new businesses and to grow our existing businesses, our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, currency fluctuations and market conditions in India and elsewhere around the world, and other risks not specifically mentioned herein but those that are common to industry. For media queries, please contact:

Sudeshna Mukherjee

Manager- Marketing & Corporate Communications

sudeshna.mukherjee@datamatics.com

+91-7738574137



Mehul Mehta

President - Dickenson Financial PR

Mehul.mehta@dickensonIR.com

+91-9820280325

President - Dickenson Financial PR

Dickenson Group





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018]

Digital Asset Monetary Network Repurchases Common Stock at $1.00 per Share

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digital Asset Monetary Network, Inc. or DigitalAMN ( OTCMKTS: DATI ), a specialized tech accelerator leveraging the Public Accelerator-Incubator (PAI) model, has repurchased the common stock of DATI which had been previously issued to Fundanna, Inc. (Fundanna) as payment for the acquisition of Fundannas equity, completing DATIs original investment into the cannabis focused, Reg. CF, equity crowdfunding portal.



We believe that our stock value is far greater than the $1.00 per share that we paid to execute this option, said Ajene Watson, CEO of Digital Asset Monetary Network, Inc. While we could have allowed the stock to be sold into the open market and saved the cash for operations, we committed to pay the option price. In my opinion, I believe this is a show of confidence and our dedication to protect shareholders' interests.

During the summer of 2017, DigitalAMN entered into an agreement to purchase a minority equity stake in Fundanna, the operator of Fundanna.com  owned by TruCrowd, Inc. Management leveraged this investment to participate in the cannabis industry and develop its relationship with TruCrowd, Inc., the owner and operator of Top 10 ranked portal, truCrowd.com . DigitalAMN purchased the equity stake in Fundanna, utilizing both cash and stock. However, the agreement included an option to repurchase the DATI common stock from Fundanna at $1.00 per share.

Mr. Watson concluded, While our equity ownership in Fundanna might be nominal, this option payment was important in achieving certain goals for DATI. First and foremost, we simply reduced the number of shares of common stock that could potentially dilute the market. It is important to me and our team, that when and wherever possible, we institute easures that could protect our cap table and long-term value, while continuing to strengthen market confidence.







Management has suggested that the Company will continue to explore options in repurchasing common shares, when such opportunities present themselves.

ABOUT Digital Asset Monetary Network, Inc.

Digital Asset Monetary Network, Inc. ( OTCMKTS: DATI ) is the first company to utilize the Public Accelerator-Incubator (PAI) model, with the intent to follow the global success of accelerators and incubators around the world, adding niche opportunities to both the microcap and startup communities. As a PAI, Digital Asset Monetary Network will develop and acquire innovations that solve problems through digital platforms and other electronic applications.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OTC_DATI

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digitalamn/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalamn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DigitalAssetMonetaryNetwork/

For investor and general information, please email info@DigitalAMN.com

ABOUT truCrowd, Inc. (owner and operator of truCrowd.com and CryptLaunch)

Located in the heart of the financial district of downtown Chicago, truCrowd is a FINRA member equity crowdfunding portal operating under Regulation Crowdfunding (Title III of JOBS ACT); connecting startups and emerging businesses with non-accredited and accredited investors. Built on the belief that not all businesses and investors are alike, we pride ourselves on delivering a personalized and professional funding experience through industry-leading technology.

Website: https://cryptolaun.ch/ https://us.trucrowd.com/ https://www.fundanna.com/

ABOUT Fundanna, Inc. & Fundanna.com

Fundanna, Inc., operator of Fundanna.com, is an S.E.C regulated FINRA member, crowdfunding portal (powered by truCrowd, Inc.) with a dedicated focus on the cannabis markets. Fundanna.com allows cannabis related companies to raise up to $1 mil per year from accredited and non-accredited investors, with low investment requirements.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause the Company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward-looking.

Contact:

Public Relations Answering Center

(718) 285-6378 EXT 401

info@DigitalAMN.com[September 25, 2018] Lumina Networks Demonstrates SD-Core Enhancements Using Newly Released SDN Controller Version 8

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Open Networking Summit -- Today Lumina Networks introduced version 8 of the companys SDN Controller, powered by OpenDaylight. Lumina will also be demonstrating advances in its SD-Core software at the Open Networking Summit in Amsterdam this week.

The Lumina SDN Controller, along with the Flow Manager software, seamlessly defines and implements a single end-to-end service over a multi-domain environment, mixing traditional routers with white box switches and virtual network functions. To illustrate maximized flexibility, the demo leverages Cisco XRv routers via segment routing (BGP-LS and PCEP), White box switches via OpenFlow, Pseudowires and a multi-protocol path computation engine using PCEP. Integrity of the service is maintained through network changes and failures as BGP-LS, PCEP, OpenFlow and NETCONF interfaces are all supported simultaneously. Luminas unique capabilities leverage OpenDaylights ability to support multiple control protocols at the same time. On the tail of the companys recently closed series A funding from AT&T, Verizon Ventures and Rahi Systems, Lumina Networks eighth platform release focuses on improved network scalability, stability, and tools. Included in the Oxygen-based release comes increased cross-project codequality, and updates to Karaf 4.1.3, to enable developers with improved agility and compliance of future upgrades.



As OpenDaylight continues to mature, our job at Lumina is to deliver a carrier-grade, fully tested implementation of each OpenDaylight release, says Andrew Coward, CEO of Lumina Networks. We combine these releases with use cases and additional functionality that enables our customers to bridge the gap and bring SDN to both existing and new network equipment. In production with numerous tier one communication service providers around the world, Lumina SDN Controller is leveraged in common use cases including container networking, service automation, SD-Core, intent-based networking, and 5G application placement. In addition to the SDN Controller, and NetDev Services, the company offers specific applications such as Fabric Manager for Kubernetes, Lumina Flow Manager, for path computation and management, and VNF Manager for configuration of virtualized network functions.

Lumina Networks offers free downloads and support for trial at www.luminanetworks.com . About Lumina Networks

Lumina Networks believes the future is open software networks where service providers are in control of their development. Lumina is the catalyst that brings open software networking out of the lab and into the live network. We develop open source platforms and provide NetDev Services to jointly deliver production systems and to transfer know-how in Agile Software Development methods. For more information, please visit www.luminanetworks.com . Lumina Networks Contact Kevin Woods (408) 708-3816 kevin@luminanetworks.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Esri Talks Blockchain Readiness at CSCMP EDGE 2018

Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, today announced that it will attend the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) annual global conference, EDGE, in Nashville, Tennessee. CSCMP is a professional not-for-profit organization that brings supply chain professionals together to identify and conduct research for the betterment of the industry and create understanding of the impact the supply chain has on business and the economy. Esri experts in location intelligence will be on-site to address the importance of creating a digital supply network (DSN). Ninety-eight percent of manufacturers state that a digital supply network is critical to maintaining a competitive advantage. Esri experts in location intelligence will discuss how global supply chain leaders are adopting advanced technologies, including location intelligence, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) to enable the DSN and better prepare for the future of blockchain.







WHO: Yasaman Kazemi, Global Industry Strategy, Supply Chain, Esri WHAT: CSCMP EDGE 2018 Panel Discussion on the Digital Supply Network and the Future of Blockchain WHERE: Bayou D Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center Nashville, Tennessee WHEN: Tuesday, October 2, 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m. LEARN MORE: go.esri.com/edge_pr

About Esri Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) and location intelligence software, offers the most powerful mapping and spatial analytics technology available. Since 1969, Esri has helped customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Today, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations including the world's largest cities, most national governments, 75 percent of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and location analytics to inform the most authoritative maps in the world. Visit us at esri.com. Copyright  2018 Esri. All rights reserved. Esri, the Esri globe logo, The Science of Where, esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of Esri in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products or services mentioned herein may be trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of their respective mark owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005409/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Sumo Logic Extends Multi-Cloud Support of its Machine Data Analytics Platform with New Microsoft Azure Apps and Native Integrations

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sumo Logic , the leading cloud-native, machine data analytics platform that delivers continuous intelligence , today announced the release of new Sumo Logic applications for Microsoft Azure services, as well as new native integrations with Azure Monitor and Blob Storage, at Microsoft Ignite 2018 to provide customers with deep visibility, improved troubleshooting and enhanced security and compliance across their modern applications and cloud infrastructure.

As enterprises continue to embrace IT modernization initiatives, they are increasingly considering multi-cloud deployments in Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Azure to provide them with scalable, flexible and customizable solutions that delivers a competitive edge in todays digital world. The continued adoption trend of multi-cloud platforms is validated by customer data from Sumo Logics third annual  State of Modern Applications and DevSecOps in the Cloud  report, which showed the usage of multi-cloud technologies (AWS and Azure) increased from 6 percent (2017) to 9 percent (2018). Speed of innovation and agility are critical for success in todays digital economy and leading enterprises are aggressively building customer-facing applications in the public cloud, said Bruno Kurtic, founding VP of product and strategy, Sumo Logic. Our goal is to provide our customers with the most flexible and scalable machine data analytics platform to fit the unique needs of their digital business, enabling them to build, run and secure applications across all major cloud providers. This latest release of native Azure integrations and applications is another step forward in our overall commitment to delivering a comprehensive platform built for modern applications and cloud infrastructures. Sumo Logic already provides a cloud-native suite of applications that integrates into Azure environments to simplify the management and monitoring of Azure services, including Azure Audit Log, Azure Network Watcher and Azure Web Apps. By leveraging the Sumo Logic platform, customers are able to migrate to Azure faster and with higher confidence, gain better real-time operational and security visibility into their cloud and hybrid workloads to identify issues and expedite root-cause analysis, and strengthen security and compliance by easily monitoring user access, platform confiurations and changes, and generate audit trails to demonstrate compliance for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and more.



"Our mission at Webjet is to connect people all around the world by providing them with an unrivaled choice in travel deals, said Troy Earle, infrastructure manager, Webjet . With that comes a major responsibility because millions of people a week rely on our software to give them the best travel deals that suit their needs and get them to their destination. Sumo Logic ensures we are always operating at peak performance. Their analytics platform allows us to capture application, events and metric data in order to report on every aspect of our infrastructure, identify and resolve issues in our complex multi-tier, multi-geo, multi-cloud Azure and AWS environments, and take advantage of network and PCI compliance capabilities that ultimately empower our teams to deliver the best customer experience possible. With this latest release, Sumo Logic now also supports Azure SQL Database, a managed relational cloud database service, and Azure Active Directory, a cloud-based directory and identity management service that provides directory services, application access management and identity protection, to provide an even deeper layer of operational, security and business insights.

The new Sumo Logic Apps for Azure are now available via the Sumo Logic App Catalog: Azure SQL Database : Monitor activity in Azure SQL Database with Sumo Logic and gain insights into resource utilization, blocking queries, database wait events, errors, runtime execution stats and other database analytics through pre-configured dashboards.

Monitor activity in Azure SQL Database with Sumo Logic and gain insights into resource utilization, blocking queries, database wait events, errors, runtime execution stats and other database analytics through pre-configured dashboards. Azure Active Directory : Monitor Azure Active Directory activity and leverage dashboards to provide insight into role, user and group management, successful and failed sign-in events, directory management and application management data to better understand users' experiences. Furthermore, with native integrations for Microsoft Azure Monitor and Blob Storage , Sumo Logic offers out-of-the-box solutions that completely eliminate the dependency on virtual machines (VMs) and require zero maintenance for customers. The Sumo Logic platform uses advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to read and analyze terabytes of audit log and active directory data, enabling customers to instantly turn their data into real-time operational insights, audit reports and powerful visualization tools. As we continue to meet and exceed the needs of our robust community, were excited to have Sumo Logics machine data analytics platform on Microsoft Azure to help customers secure and manage their applications across cloud environments, said Sajan Parihar, director, Microsoft Azure Platform at Microsoft Corp. Sumo Logic shares our same commitment to delivering the most flexible, scalable and secure solutions for new and emerging technologies across the full application stack. The Azure apps and integrations are available now to Sumo Logic customers. To learn more about how the Sumo Logic platform supports multiple enterprise-grade cloud vendors to offer the most flexible solutions to customers, stop by our booth (1444) at Microsoft Ignite this week in Orlando, Fla., from Sept. 24-28. Additional Resources Read the Azure monitoring blog

the Azure monitoring blog Visit the Sumo Logic Azure solutions page

the Sumo Logic Azure solutions page Sign up for Sumo Logic for free About Sumo Logic

Sumo Logic is a secure, cloud-native, machine data analytics service, delivering real-time, continuous intelligence from structured, semi-structured and unstructured data across the entire application lifecycle and stack. More than 1,600 customers around the globe rely on Sumo Logic for the analytics and insights to build, run and secure their modern applications and cloud infrastructures. With Sumo Logic, customers gain a multi-tenant, service-model advantage to accelerate their shift to continuous innovation, increasing competitive advantage, business value and growth. Founded in 2010, Sumo Logic is a privately held company based in Redwood City, Calif. and is backed by Accel Partners, DFJ, Greylock Partners, IVP, Sapphire Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Sutter Hill Ventures. For more information, visit www.sumologic.com . Media Contacts

Melissa Liton

Sumo Logic

mliton@sumologic.com

(650) 814-3882 Danielle Salvato-Earl

Offleash for Sumo Logic

sumo@offleashpr.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] SecurityMetrics QSA to Present Cyber Hacking Demo at 2018 PCI SSC North America Community Meeting

OREM, Utah, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- SecurityMetrics, an industry leader in PCI compliance and data security, will present a live hacking demonstration titled, "Think Passwords are Enough? Demo: Crack your password in less than 3 minutes," at the PCI SSC's North America Community Meeting, which will be held this week, September 25th-27th, at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. On Wednesday, September 26, at 3:30 PM, VP of Assessments at SecurityMetrics, Gary Glover (CISSP, CISA, QSA, PA-QSA), will demonstrate how easy it is to hack into a remote desktop, quickly decrypt passwords stored by browsers on the system and crack OS-stored password hashes for system user accounts. This presentation will clearly illustrate the weakness of normal password authentication schemes and highlight the need for multi-factor authentication when protecting sensitive systems dealing with payment card data or personal information. Glover says, "We hope attendees come away from the demonstration with a healthy fear of single-password authentication and a strong desire to implement MFA on critical sysems and in their personal lives, ASAP."



SecurityMetrics QSAs and Sales Representatives will be available throughout the show at booth #11 to answer questions about PCI Compliance, data security, and PCI compliance audits. A demo of the latest SecurityMetrics solutions to simplify PCI Compliance for both merchants and acquirers will also be provided. Additionally, SecurityMetrics CEO Brad Caldwell (CISSP, QSA, PFI) will attend a meeting of the Global Executive Assessor Roundtable , set to take place at this conference.

"With the the formation of the Global Executive Assessor Roundtable, the PCI Security Standards Council wants to use industry input to further improve the PCI assessor programs. We are excited to be a part of the process and we look forward to participating in GEAR," Caldwell says. Download the 2018 SecurityMetrics Guide to PCI DSS Compliance:

http://info.securitymetrics.com/pci-guide To learn more about SecurityMetrics or PCI DSS compliance, call 801.705.5665, email consulting@securitymetrics.com, or visit www.securitymetrics.com/pci . For press inquiries, call 801.995.6516 or email pr@securitymetrics.com About SecurityMetrics

We help customers close data security and compliance gaps to avoid data breaches. SecurityMetrics provides managed data security services and is certified to help customers achieve the highest data security and compliance standards. SecurityMetrics is a PCI certified Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV), Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), Certified Forensic Investigator (PFI), and Managed Security provider with 18 years of data security experience. From local shops to some of the world's largest brands, we help all businesses achieve data security through managed services and compliance mandates (PCI, HIPAA, GDPR). We have tested over 1 million systems for data security and compliance. We are privately held and are headquartered in Orem, Utah, where we maintain a Security Operations Center (SOC) and 24/7 multilingual technical support. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/securitymetrics-qsa-to-present-cyber-hacking-demo-at-2018-pci-ssc-north-america-community-meeting-300718204.html SOURCE SecurityMetrics

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Riverbed to Highlight Next-Gen Cloud Networking, Edge and Digital Experience Management Solutions at Microsoft Ignite 2018, Enabling Organizations to Maximize Digital Performance and Rethink Possible

Riverbed (News - Alert) , The Digital Performance Company, will showcase a set of digital experience management and next-generation infrastructure - cloud networking and edge - solutions at the Microsoft Ignite 2018 Conference in Orlando, Florida, on September 24-28 - at booth #500. For IT professionals leading Microsoft workloads, O365 ( SaaS (News - Alert) ), or Azure (IaaS) initiatives, Riverbed provides solutions that simplify and modernize networking and edge IT and help manage the digital experience, enabling organizations to maximize digital performance and fundamentally rethink possible. LinkedIn (News - Alert) : Riverbed to highlight next-gen cloud networking, edge and digital experience management solutions at Microsoft Ignite 2018, enabling organizations to maximize digital performance and rethink possible: https://rvbd.ly/2zqeYYY During Ignite, Riverbed will preview several new Microsoft product enhancements: Seamless integration between Riverbed's SteelConnect SD-WAN and Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN with local branch path steering for Microsoft Office 365: Through Riverbed's SD-WAN solution SteelConnect, customers will now be able to automate local branch path steering for Microsoft Office 365 via conventional Internet broadband. SteelConnect can also be used to connect to Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN, a global network backbone for managed site-to-site and branch-to-Azure connectivity.

Through Riverbed's SD-WAN solution SteelConnect, customers will now be able to automate local branch path steering for Microsoft Office 365 via conventional Internet broadband. SteelConnect can also be used to connect to Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN, a global network backbone for managed site-to-site and branch-to-Azure connectivity. Riverbed SteelFusion now Supports Hyper-V: Riverbed SteelFusion has extended its offering for Microsoft Hyper-V customers, further expanding on its ability to provide enterprises with flexible and secure architectures for the edge of the network. Organizations worldwide are seeking a competitive edge and are focusing on modernizing their business and delivering a superior digital experience and performance that sets them apart. According to IDC (News - Alert) , global capital expenditure for investment in digital services is expected to reach US $2.1 trillion by 2021.1 However, the majority of organizations remain in a digital deadlock - unable to turn their digital strategies into real digital success. According to a recent Riverbed survey, there is a major performance gap that exists due to poor visibility into the user's digital experience, budget pressures and legacy network infrastructure that were not designed to support modern technologies. In fact, in the survey, 80% of business decision makers say critical digital services are failing several times each month. To address these challenges, Riverbed is delivering digital experience management (to measure and manage the user's digital experience) and next-generation infrastructure solutions - from the edge, data center to cloud - to help organizations maximize digital performance to enable greater productivity, faster time-to-market, improved customer experiences, and better financial results. View Riverbed Digital Performance Survey 2018 - Learn How Maximizing Digital Performance and Managing Digital Experiences Translates to Business Success



When/Where: Orange (News - Alert) County Convention Center

9800 International Drive

Orlando, FL 32819

September 24 - 28, 2018

Riverbed Booth #500

What: During Microsoft Ignite 2018, Riverbed technologists will provide live demonstrations of the following solutions: Simplify Azure networking with SD-WAN so you can move with speed and agility: Redefine the network from cloud to edge with a solution that greatly simplifies connectivity and management. Riverbed's SD-WAN solution can help organizations increase operational agility to rapidly deliver new digital services or open new business locations in days versus weeks with features like one-click connectivity to Microsoft Azure.

Redefine the network from cloud to edge with a solution that greatly simplifies connectivity and management. Riverbed's SD-WAN solution can help organizations increase operational agility to rapidly deliver new digital services or open new business locations in days versus weeks with features like one-click connectivity to Microsoft Azure. Accelerate Office 365 and Azure-based applications for excellent user experiences: Riverbed helps organizations deliver the best digital experience to the end users of Office 365 and Azure-based applications by improving visibility and application performance. Riverbed enables businesses to get to the root of performance issues quickly, automatically steer the traffic of priority applications down the best paths, and improve performance when latency is high or bandwidth is constrained.

Riverbed helps organizations deliver the best digital experience to the end users of Office 365 and Azure-based applications by improving visibility and application performance. Riverbed enables businesses to get to the root of performance issues quickly, automatically steer the traffic of priority applications down the best paths, and improve performance when latency is high or bandwidth is constrained. Get a complete view of performance across clouds, networks, applications and users: An end-to-end view of the digital experience is essential to consistently deliver high-performing digital services. Riverbed provides a holistic approach to digital experience management with unified monitoring, giving businesses the ability to identify and resolve issues quickly-before end users and the business are impacted.

An end-to-end view of the digital experience is essential to consistently deliver high-performing digital services. Riverbed provides a holistic approach to digital experience management with unified monitoring, giving businesses the ability to identify and resolve issues quickly-before end users and the business are impacted. Modernize Edge IT for better performance and security: Digital transformation often begins at the edge-branch offices, remote sites, and retail stores. Riverbed improves performance and security with integrated cloud and edge networking, high-performance compute, and intelligent storage caching that safeguards edge data in Microsoft Azure. This solution dramatically reduces IT costs and complexity while delivering excellent performance to users at the edge. In addition to technology demos, Riverbed experts will give booth presentations throughout the day. Ignite attendees who view a demo or booth presentation will receive a free Riverbed t-shirt. Visitors to the booth will also have an opportunity to enter the #RethinkPossible social media contest to win a pair of custom Converse Chuck Taylor high top shoes. Expo Speaking Session: Title: Maximizing Digital Performance in a User Experience-Driven World

Date: Monday, September 24

Time: 3:25 pm

Location: OCCC South - Expo Theatre #2

Presenter: Steve Brar, Director, Solutions Marketing at Riverbed Today, companies are investing heavily in developing new digital services to gain a competitive edge. The success or failure of these companies is tied to how well IT can deliver these services with an exceptional user experience. IT leaders need to ask themselves, in an increasingly complex technology landscape with a greater need for agility, are they equipped to deliver digital services with the best possible user experience? In the session attendees will learn about solutions for Microsoft Azure and Office 365 that simplify networking, modernize edge IT, and help manage the digital experience. Attendees will also gain actionable insights into what it takes to manage user experience end-to-end and how deploy a next-gen IT infrastructure to ensure success. For more information on Riverbed's participation at Microsoft Ignite, visit https://www.riverbed.com/dm/events/ignite-microsoft.html. Connect with Riverbed Facebook

LinkedIn

Riverbed Blog

Riverbed Community

Twitter (@Riverbed)

YouTube

SlideShare

Google+ About Riverbed Riverbed, The Digital Performance Company, enables organizations to maximize digital performance across every aspect of their business, allowing customers to rethink possible. Riverbed's unified and integrated Digital Performance Platform brings together a powerful combination of Digital Experience, Cloud Networking and Cloud Edge solutions that provides a modern IT architecture for the digital enterprise, delivering new levels of operational agility and dramatically accelerating business performance and outcomes. At more than $1 billion in annual revenue, Riverbed's 30,000+ customers include 98% of the Fortune 100 and 100% of the Forbes Global 100. Learn more at riverbed.com. 1 IDC, Worldwide Semiannual Digital Transformation Spending Guide, December 2018 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005373/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Tyler Technologies to Provide Public Safety Solutions to Wyoming Highway Patrol

Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) announced today that it has signed an agreement with the Wyoming Highway Patrol for Tyler's New World and Brazos public safety solutions. Wyoming Highway Patrol, a division of the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), will use Tyler's New World computer-aided dispatch (CAD), New World Mobile, New World Records Management System (RMS), field reporting and Brazos eCitation solutions. These solutions will enable more than 300 Wyoming Highway Patrol mobile users to communicate and share critical real-time data across the agency. In addition to public safety software, Tyler will also provide integration with several third-party technology vendors in use by Wyoming Highway Patrol, including a leading-edge digital driver's license software provider. Wyoming Highway Patrol is an early adopter of digital driver's licenses, which will allow instant access to current driver data and history. Enabling a fully digital system for traffic stops allows officers to seamlessly populate electronic tickets and reports with relevant data, saving time and increasing efficiencies across the agency. Wyoming Highway Patrol will benefit from integrated, mobile-enabled public safey tools and functionality. For example, using New World CAD, the agency will be able to streamline calls for service in the field and improve the accuracy of its records. With the addition of Brazos to the agency's integrated mobile solution, information will flow throughout the application suite seamlessly, allowing officers to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time patrolling the roads. For example, troopers can view historical information such as past citations or incidents; populate electronic reports, arrests and citations in the field without having to rekey data; and submit forms electronically via mobile devices.



"By choosing Tyler's public safety products, Wyoming Highway Patrol has taken a forward-thinking approach toward expanding its mobile capabilities and creating a stronger safety net for residents of the entire state," said Greg Sebastian, president of Tyler's Public Safety Division. "Tyler's integrated solutions are the framework for building Connected Communities and enabling public safety agencies throughout Wyoming to support each other more effectively." The Wyoming Highway Patrol was created in 1933 to protect the lives, property, and constitutional rights of all residents of the state's 23 counties. It is also tasked with providing security and transportation for the governor of Wyoming. In addition to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Tyler serves numerous agencies across the state with its public safety solutions, including the Cheyenne Police Department and the Laramie County Sherriff's Office.

About Tyler Technologies (News - Alert) , Inc. Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) is a leading provider of end-to-end information management solutions and services for local governments. Tyler partners with clients to empower the public sector - cities, counties, schools and other government entities - to become more efficient, more accessible and more responsive to the needs of their constituents. Tyler's client base includes more than 15,000 local government offices in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. In 2017, Forbes ranked Tyler on its "Most Innovative Growth Companies" list, and Fortune included Tyler on its "100 Fastest-Growing Companies" list. More information about Tyler Technologies, headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at www.tylertech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005133/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Tarrant County Blue Seeks to Double Donations for Fallen Fort Worth Police Officer

Tarrant County Blue announced that it has raised $50,000 to support the family of fallen officer Garrett Hull, an undercover officer with the Fort Worth Police Department who was laid to rest Friday, September 21st. In hopes of doubling this amount, the organization calls to challenge corporations or individuals to match that donation. All monies raised through the organization will be donated to the Hull family, which includes Hull's wife and their two daughters. It is Tarrant County Blue's mission to give 100 percent of the money raised to the next of kin to fallen officers of Tarrant County. "With the help of others, we as a country have the ability to honor those who protect us," said Greg Morse, co-founder of Tarrant County Blue and CEO of Worthington National Bank. "We especially need to protect the families who have been left behind by the officers that are killed in the line of duty. They work tirelessly to protect us, so we must do the same for them." Donations may be made by check to Tarrant County Blue, P.O. Box (News - Alert) is 1659, Fort Worth, Texas 76101 or online at www.tarrantcountyblue.org.



For more information about Tarrant County Blue, to join, volunteer or make a donation, please visit the website at www.tarrantcountyblue.org or contact Sammie Slocum at sammieslocum@worthingtonbank.com. About Tarrant County Blue

Tarrant County Blue is a non-profit established to provide a tangible expression of appreciation and to repay the unselfish personal commitment of police officers within Tarrant County. The organization also provides financial aid to the families of fallen officers. The civic group, formed in 2004 by then 14-year-old co-founder Logan Morse and her father, Greg Morse, strives to build memberships to raise money for the families of fallen officers of Tarrant County. The organization was also a key player in the raising of the funds for the Fort Worth Police and Fire Fighters Memorial. With more than 45 Board Members including civic dignitaries, police officials, and city and state government representatives, Tarrant County Blue has more than 150 regular members and is growing steadily. Board members for the organization include State Representative Charlie Geren, Former Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, Tim Carter, John Boswell as well as other area leaders of business and industry. For more information about Tarrant County Blue, to join, volunteer or make a donation, please visit www.tarrantcountyblue.org or contact Sammie Slocum at sammieslocum@worthingtonbank.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005695/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Vermont Federal Credit Union Selects Gro Solutions to Bolster Digital Offerings and Enhance Member Experience

Gro Solutions, a leading provider of digital growth solutions for banks and credit unions, announced Burlington, VT-based Vermont Federal Credit Union (over $500 million in assets) has chosen Gro to enhance member experience by bolstering its digital offerings, streamlining and simplifying online deposit and loan account openings and expanding its digital banking reach. As part of a new overall digital strategy centered on the member experience, Vermont Federal Credit Union found Gro's digital platform offered the best mobile-optimized solution for the credit union to reach its members anywhere and on any device. Additionally, the new platform will give new and current members streamlined online account opening capabilities for both deposits and loans through a single application process, all with minimum data entry, saving them time and frustration. "Our goal is to create a world-class digital experience for our members with products and services that are fast, consistent, personalized and user-friendly," said Nicholas D. Gallerani, Director of Business Intelligence for Vermont Federal Credit Union. "Gro's platform really embodies these pilars and gives us the tools essential to create these great experiences in the digital realm for our members."



"More and more of today's members are going digital for their banking needs, and they want that experience to be quick and convenient, regardless of whether it's in-branch, at home or on their phones," said David Eads, CEO of Gro Solutions. "We look forward to working with Vermont Federal Credit Union to help meet those member needs and expand those relationships." Vermont Federal Credit Union plans to launch the new Gro services to its members in Q1 2019.

About Vermont Federal Credit Union Vermont Federal is a $500 million-plus financial institution, with six locations currently serving over 38,000 members. Members are part of a cooperative, meaning they share ownership in the Credit Union and elect a volunteer board of directors. Vermont Federal Credit Union provides membership to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Chittenden, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Franklin, Washington, or Addison Counties in Vermont. Vermont Federal Credit Union is committed to providing support to the communities it serves and to make a decided difference in the lives of its members and other Vermonters. For more information about Vermont Federal Credit Union, call (888) 252-0202, visit www.vermontfederal.org, or find us on Facebook. About Gro Solutions Founded in 2015, Gro Solutions provides a digital sales platform to drive acquisition growth for banks and credit unions, across all channels of their business. The Gro Digital Sales Platform features innovative and intuitive software solutions designed to optimize both the financial institution and end user experience for digital sales tasks, such as account opening and loan origination. For more information, visit www.grobanking.com, or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) , @GroBanking. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005212/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Brandywine Global Adds Two Senior Analysts to Fundamental Equity Team

Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC ("Brandywine Global") today announced that Celia Rodgers and Christy Brenza have joined the Fundamental Equity team. Both Brenza and Rodgers will serve as senior equity analysts, responsible for research across geographies, industries, and market capitalizations in support of the Firm's fundamental equity products. Rodgers, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, comes to Brandywine Global after six years at Aberdeen (News - Alert) Standard Investments, where she worked on a team managing $17 billion across small-, mid- and large-cap equities. Brenza, who holds an MBA from Duquesne University, brings to Brandywine Global over 18 years of investment research and related experience from institutional investment advisor C.S. McKee, L.P. Both women have earned Chartered Financial Analyst certification. "We are incredibly fortunate to have Celia and Christy joining our team, particularly in a year when we are experiencing net flows into our products," says Patrick Kaser, CFA, managing director and head of the Fundamental Equity team at Brandywine Global. "Even more important, they help advance a forward-looking expansion plan for the team. These two analysts are exceptional, both in experience and knowledge. I have no doubt they will fit in well at Brandywine Global, and their contributions to the research and investmet process will be significant."



Brandywine Global's Fundamental Equity team manages value-oriented strategies across the full range of market capitalizations, including the flagship Classic Large Cap Value strategy and the competitively differentiated Global Opportunistic Equity and Micro Cap Equity strategies. All of the team's investment strategies focus on bottom-up analysis to identify companies with overlooked or improving fundamental strength, as well as with industry-leading characteristics. About Brandywine Global

Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC ("Brandywine Global") believes in the power of value investing. Acting with conviction and discipline, Brandywine Global looks beyond short-term, conventional thinking to rigorously pursue long-term value. Since 1986, the Firm has provided a range of differentiated fixed income, equity and alternative solutions to both institutional and retail clients. An independent affiliate of Legg Mason, Brandywine Global manages $73 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2018, with headquarters in Philadelphia and offices in San Francisco, Montreal1, Toronto1, Singapore2 and London3. Visit www.brandywineglobal.com and the Firm's industry-leading Around the Curve blog. About Legg Mason Legg Mason, Inc. is a global asset management firm with assets under management of $745 billion as of June 30, 2018. The Company provides active asset management in many major investment centers throughout the world. Legg Mason is headquartered in Baltimore, MD, and its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: LM).  2018 Brandywine Global Investment Management, LLC 1 Brandywine Global Investment Management (Canada), ULC

2 Brandywine Global Investment Management (Asia) Pte. Ltd

3 Brandywine Global Investment Management (Europe) INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED | NO BANK GUARANTEE | MAY LOSE VALUE View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005281/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Cloudleaf and Tech Mahindra Announce Strategic Partnership, Showcase Joint Enterprise Digital Transformation Solutions At AT&T Business Summit

SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK and NEW DELHI, India, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Industry partners Cloudleaf, Inc. , an emerging leader in digital supply chain solutions, and Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions, are joining forces to bring the industrys most powerful Edge IoT solution to market. Both companies are showcasing their joint solutions at the AT&T Business Summit, which is being held from September 25th to September 28th, 2018 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

The AT&T Business Summit will feature the Cloudleaf-Tech Mahindra team demonstrating Digital Asset Management and Digital Workflow Management solutions powered by Cloudleafs patented technology. Cloudleafs Sensor Data Platform is comprised of Sensor Fabric and Cloud Applications , which combines the power of sensors, edge intelligence and predictive cloud applications to provide real-time insights into location, condition and other attributes of assets in enterprise supply chains. Tech Mahindra, having a proven track record in delivering IoT projects at a global scale, offers system integration & managed services for Cloudleafs technology, including deployment, application development and enterprise system integration, with quick time to value for Fortune 500 companies. Combined with Tech Mahindras digital transformation capabilities, the Cloudleaf solution set represents the most intelligent, robust and secure edge IoT solution for enterprises. The joint mission is to establish an industry standard in the area of supply chain management. Tech Mahindra will be taking this solution to many of its existing customers across manufacturing, healthcare and retail space. One of the marquee customers is the worlds largest appliance manufacturer, which is using the joint solution for digital audit records for tools used in manufacturing. Karthikeyan Natarajan, Global Head, Engineering, IoT &am; Enterprise Mobility, Tech Mahindra, said, The partnership of Cloudleaf and Tech Mahindra is designed to establish a global industry standard for asset tracking to enable real-time visibility of the supply chain and logistics. The two companies are uniquely positioned to provide the most impactful efficiencies in manufacturing, distribution and supply chain space. Our joint mission is to address the most acute pain points in the value chain management, and we are already receiving significant interest in our combined capabilities.



Cloudleaf is extremely energized by our joint initiative with Tech Mahindra, which serves more than 900 corporate clients, including members of the Fortune 500. said Cloudleaf Chief Executive Officer Mahesh Veerina. This partnership extends the global reach of our quick-to-value ability to enable a truly agile and responsive supply chain. About Cloudleaf, Inc.

Cloudleaf is an emerging leader in Edge IoT solutions enabling the digital enterprise. Positioned at the intersection of two major market trends  digitization of both the edge and commerce  Cloudleaf offers Industrial IoT-at-Scale to serve the rapidly increasing demand for visibility and responsiveness in global supply chains. The Companys solutions are comprised of a mesh of sensors, edge intelligence and predictive cloud applications that delivers a supply chain of unmatched agility, responsiveness and cost-effectiveness. Cloudleafs Sensor Fabric at the edge, along with its ML and AI cloud engines , grow continuously more intelligent over time: the longer theyre deployed, the smarter they get. With a growing customer base of Fortune 500 companies, Cloudleaf is becoming the IoT solution of choice with unsurpassed time-to-value and ROI.

Cloudleaf, Sensor Fabric, SDTN and other Cloudleaf products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cloudleaf, Inc. in United States and other countries. See https://www.cloudleaf.com/about for additional company information. About Tech Mahindra

Tech Mahindra represents the connected world, offering innovative and customer-centric information technology experiences, enabling Enterprises, Associates and the Society to Rise. We are a USD 4.9 billion company with 113,550+ professionals across 90 countries, helping over 926 global customers including Fortune 500 companies. Our convergent, digital, design experiences, innovation platforms and reusable assets connect across a number of technologies to deliver tangible business value and experiences to our stakeholders. Tech Mahindra is amongst the Fab 50 companies in Asia (Forbes 2018 list). We are part of the USD 21 billion Mahindra Group that employs more than 200,000 people in over 100 countries. The Group operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, after-market, information technology and vacation ownership. More information may be obtained at www.techmahindra.com . Media Contact

Nitesh Arora

Cloudleaf, Inc.

+1-415-315-9273

nitesh.arora@cloudleaf.io

Cloudleaf on Twitter

Cloudleaf on LinkedIn

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018]

Fairview Microwave Debuts New Line of Removable Vertical Launch Connectors with VSWR as Low as 1.3:1

LEWISVILLE, Texas, Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairview Microwave Inc., a leading provider of on-demand RF and microwave components, has released a new series of solderless vertical launch connectors that are ideal for high-speed computing, high-speed networking and telecommunications applications.

Fairview Microwave's new line of vertical launch connectors is made-up of 12 models that deliver maximum operating frequency of up to 50 GHz and VSWR as low as 1.3:1, depending on the model. They are offered in male and female versions, covering 2.4mm, 2.92mm and SMA interfaces. These removable vertical launches feature a reusable clamp attachment and can be used for microstrip or stripline, and all models provide solderless installation. They also feature a gold-plated beryllium copper center contact, a stainless steel outer conductor and Polyetherimide (PEI) insulators. They are ideal for a ariety of uses that include signal integrity measurements, multi-channel tests, semiconductor verification boards, high-speed backplanes and SERDES applications.







"When compared to end launches, the VSWR of these new vertical launch PCB connectors minimizes the performance tradeoff. In turn, this offers customers the advantages of additional PCB real estate and easier access for their test cables," said Dan Birch, Product Manager.

Fairview Microwave's new solderless vertical launch connectors are in stock and ready for immediate shipment with no minimum order quantity.

For detailed information on these products, please visit https://fairviewmicrowave.com/rf-products/vertical-launch-pcb-connectors.html.

For inquiries, Fairview Microwave can be contacted at +1-972-649-6678.

About Fairview Microwave:

A leading supplier of on-demand RF and microwave products since 1992, Fairview Microwave offers immediate delivery of RF components including attenuators, adapters, coaxial cable assemblies, connectors, terminations and much more. All products are shipped same-day from the company's ISO 9001:2008 certified production facilities in Lewisville, Texas. Fairview Microwave is an Infinite Electronics brand.

Press Contact:

Peter McNeil

Fairview Microwave

17792 Fitch

Irvine, CA 92614

(978) 682-6936 x1174

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fairview-microwave-debuts-new-line-of-removable-vertical-launch-connectors-with-vswr-as-low-as-1-31--300716940.html

SOURCE Fairview Microwave Inc.[September 25, 2018] Google AutoML's Inventor, Quoc Le, to Speak at AI Frontiers Conference

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the most exciting developments of AI in 2018 is AutoML (Automated Machine Learning). This technology automates machine learning process and will have profound impact for years to come. In January this year, Google released AutoML Vision, a computer program that built machine learning models automatically on image data. Then in July, Google launched AutoML for machine translation and natural language processing. These products have been adopted by Disney and Urban Outfitters in their practical applications. Behind AutoML is its engine called Neural Architecture Search, invented by Quoc Le, a pioneer in the AI Field . Quoc Le co-founded Google Brain in 2011, together with Andrew Ng and Jeff Dean. In 2012, Le published the famous "cat" paper that recognized cats based on 10 million images. This paper, along with the later AlexNet paper, started the deep learning revolution. In 2014, Le proposed Sequence to Sequence learnng with Ilya Sutskever, which revolutionized machine translation and has become a cornerstone for today's natural language processing systems. In 2015, Le made the MIT Technology Review's list of "Innovators Under 35".



Quoc Le is to speak at AI Frontiers Conference (aifrontiers.com) on November 9 in San Jose, California. This exclusive AI Conference brings together the most influential voices in AI to deliver the latest breakthroughs and trends in AI. Previous speakers include Head of Google AI Jeff Dean and Coursera Chairman Andrew Ng. Speakers this year include Ilya Sutskever, Co-founder and Director of OpenAI (funded by Elon Musk). Sutskever is the co-inventor of AlexNet, AlphaGo and Tensorflow. Other speakers are VP of Google AI Jay Yagnik, who leads Google's computer vision and quantum computing effort;

Facebook research manager Matt Feiszli , who leads Facebook's video research.

, who leads Facebook's video research. UC Berkeley Professor Pieter Abbeel, who started a robotics company covariant.ai

Stanford Professor Percy Liang , a leading researcher in natural language understanding.

, a leading researcher in natural language understanding. iRobot SVP Mario Munich, who leads the household robot company

Chief AI Officer of Citadel Li Deng,

Chief Data Officer of Intuit Ashok Srivastava,

Kai-Fu Lee , CEO of Sinnovation Ventures (former SVP of Microsoft) At the AI Frontiers Conference, Quoc Le will talk about the engine behind Google's AutoML and a new invention called AutoAugment (automatically augment data).

Sign up for the conference today http://bit.ly/airegister. For more information and media inquiry, contact info@aifrontiers.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/google-automls-inventor-quoc-le-to-speak-at-ai-frontiers-conference-300718133.html SOURCE AI Frontiers Conference

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Montreal's Gazelle.ai Data Platform Adopted by The University of Southern Mississippi College of Business and Economic Development

Montreal's Gazelle.ai announced today that its unique data analytics platform will be integrated into the curriculum of the University of Southern Mississippi's College of Business and Economic Development. The Hattiesburg-based university will be the first post-secondary institution to integrate the advanced AI-enabled economic data analytics platform into its economics and business programs. Both graduate and undergraduate students will have access to the platform that mines and curates data collected from millions of business establishments and uses trained algorithms to forecast growth. Gazelle.ai's president, Steven Jast has worked for more than 20 years in the field of investment attraction; brokering relationships between growing companies and the communities seeking to attract them. Jast and his team began work on the Gazelle.ai tool in late 2015 hoping to leverage the capabilities of Big Data and artificial intelligence to support investment prospecting. Together with a team of economists, mathematicians and developers, Jast created a tool that supports economic development professionals to interpret vast amounts of industry data and predict companies that are poised for growth. "The ability to harness and interpret the ever-increasing amount of data available to decision makers has become an increasingly important differentiator in the business world." said Jast. "We're thrilled that the University of Southern Mississppi will be using our tool to help equip students and prepare them for a rapidly evolving business environment."



Named for 'gazelles'; a term used to denote rapidly growing companies, the platform was originally created for economic development professionals whose role it is to identify and attract growing companies that bring jobs and investment to communities. Gazelle. ai will ultimately be integrated into courses focusing on Economic Development, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Marketing Research and Management. Dr. Chad Miller, Professor of Economic Development, added "In keeping with our mandate to innovate and encourage fresh thinking, we are looking forward to becoming the first College to use Gazelle.ai. I'm very confident that our students and faculty will come to find the platform to be an indispensable resource." "Our College of Business and Economic Development is committed to deploying tools and resources that will best prepare our students to become leaders in their chosen fields. Now, more than ever, Business and economic development leaders need to make decisions based on sound data and progressive analytics. We believe that Gazelle.ai will play a leading role in helping us prepare our students in this regard," said Dr. Faye Gilbert, Dean of the College of Business and Economic Development.

Gazelle.ai has been designed to help economic developers, international trade agencies, investors, and dealmakers generate investment leads, engage effectively with those leads, and ultimately attract investment. Find out more: www.gazelle.ai Founded in 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi is a comprehensive doctoral and research driven institution with a proud history and eye on the future. With a diverse student body of approximately 14,500 students representing 72 countries, all 50 states and every county in Mississippi, the university celebrates diversity in every sense of the word. Find out more: www.usm.edu View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005803/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018]

Video streaming services encouraged to review their terms and conditions

Competition Bureau internet sweep reveals areas of concern

OTTAWA, Sept. 25, 2018 /CNW/ - Today, the Competition Bureau issued letters to operators of online video streaming services in Canada, advising them to review their marketing practices and related terms and conditions to follow best practices and comply with the law.

The Bureau identified a number of areas for improvement when reviewing online video streaming services' marketing practices and related terms and conditions. Under the Competition Act, the terms and conditions cannot be used to hide the real meaning of a marketing message or to bury important information, such as the true cost of a service.

The Bureau calls on operators of online video streaming services to review their terms and conditions to ensure:

they are clear to consumers, and don't mislead or deceive them;

they are transparent and highlight the most important points;

the important information is not buried in long and complicated terms and conditions; and

they comply with the Competition Act and other relevant consumer protection and privacy laws.

The terms and conditions are an important part of a transaction between a customer and a business. When they are clear, complete and accurate, they can benefit both consumers and businesses.

Today's intervention is the result of the annual International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) internet sweep, spearheaded by the Bureau, in collaboration with international partners. This year's sweep focussed on terms and conditions in the digital economy.







Quick Facts

Online video streaming services offer audio and visual content like shows, movies and music that can be watched or listened without having to wait for the entire file to download first. The content can be accessed using a computer or phone device connected to the Internet, using an app or through a website.

Where possible, the Bureau seeks to promote voluntary compliance with the Act without resorting to lengthy and costly court proceedings.

Businesses are invited to consult the Bureau's Terms and conditions best practices for businesses and to review their practices as necessary.

Businesses are also reminded that the Act prohibits false or misleading representations. Adding information to the terms and conditions will not immunize them from the consequences of making deceptive marketing claims.

Consumer protection laws are administered at the provincial and territorial level and could have recourses for consumers dealing with contractual issues. Contact your local consumer protection agency for more information.

Quote

"At the Competition Bureau, we believe that it makes good business sense for companies to comply with the law. Compliance campaigns like this one are one way we can guide businesses in the right direction. We expect that the targeted online video streaming services will take this warning seriously."

Matthew Boswell,

Interim Commissioner of Competition

Related Information

Terms and conditions best practices for businesses

Associated Links

Annual Internet Sweep focusses on Terms and Conditions in the digital economy

Foul play: sports streaming packages' fine print can hide true terms and conditions

Big data and innovation: key themes for competition policy in Canada

International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN)

Enquiries/Complaints

Stay connected

The Competition Bureau, as an independent law enforcement agency, ensures that Canadian businesses and consumers prosper in a competitive and innovative marketplace.

SOURCE Competition Bureau[September 25, 2018] HackerOne Announces Annual Hacker-Powered Security Conference, Security@ San Francisco 2018

HackerOne, the leading hacker-powered security platform, today announced the second annual hacker-powered security conference, Security@ San Francisco, will take place on October 24, 2018, and registration is now open. The one day event will gather security industry influencers, public and private sector leaders from some of the most advanced security teams, and hackers from all over the world to discuss everything from the legal implications of safe harbor to compliance to best practices driving security maturity across industries. The 2018 agenda highlights include: Keynote from internationally recognized hacker and author Keren Elazari presenting the future of cyber security - from a friendly hacker's perspective.

presenting the future of cyber security - from a friendly hacker's perspective. Panel featuring Reina Staley from Defense Digital Service, Oath CISO Chris Nims, hacker Frans Rosen and moderated by Kate Conger from The New York Times about building relationships with hackers through live hacking experiences.

about building relationships with hackers through live hacking experiences. Fireside chat featuring Leonard Bailey from the Department of Justice and Amit Elazari discussing the difference between criminals and hackers, the legal implications of safe harbor, and getting the next generation of hackers on the right side of the law.

discussing the difference between criminals and hackers, the legal implications of safe harbor, and getting the next generation of hackers on the right side of the law. Panel of some of the world's leading hackers talking about what makes bug bounty and vulnerability disclosure programs successful, hacker motives, and the opportunities.

talking about what makes bug bounty and vulnerability disclosure programs successful, hacker motives, and the opportunities. Panel with Yelp (News - Alert) Director of Engineering Vivek Raman and Priceline Senior Security Engineer Christian Bobadilla covering the unique challenges around data security, safeguarding digital identities, working with hackers and protecting consumers against emerging cyber threats.

covering the unique challenges around data security, safeguarding digital identities, working with hackers and protecting consumers against emerging cyber threats. Sumo Logic CSO George Gerchow sharing his experience with blancing cloud, compliance, GDPR, and security in highly regulated environments.



https://securityat2018.splashthat.com/. Join the conversation on Twitter (News - Alert) via #securityat and follow @Hacker0x01 for updates. "Today, not having a vulnerability disclosure policy amounts to cybersecurity negligence," said Marten Mickos, CEO of HackerOne. "Every year at Security@ San Francisco, we bring together some of the most advanced security teams and hackers to share learnings and best practices. The more organizations are encouraged to share information, the faster the cybersecurity industry as a whole can evolve. HackerOne is proud to be spearheading openness in an industry hungry for innovation."

Last year HackerOne hosted over 250 security professionals from the public and private sector for a full day of sessions related to hacker-powered security. Previous speakers included security leaders from General Motors (News - Alert) , Google, Defense Digital Service, Coinbase, John Hancock, and others. Security@ San Francisco 2017 sessions can be viewed here. About HackerOne HackerOne is the #1 hacker-powered security platform, helping organizations find and fix critical vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. More Fortune 500 and Forbes Global 1000 companies trust HackerOne than any other hacker-powered security alternative. The U.S. Department of Defense, General Motors, Google, Twitter, GitHub, Nintendo, Lufthansa, Panasonic (News - Alert) Avionics, Qualcomm, Starbucks, Dropbox, Intel, the CERT Coordination Center and over 1,000 other organizations have partnered with HackerOne to resolve over 80,000 vulnerabilities and award over $35M in bug bounties. HackerOne is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in London, New York, the Netherlands, and Singapore. For a comprehensive look at the industry based on the largest repository of hacker reported vulnerability data, download the The Hacker-Powered Security Report 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005271/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Shootsta Launches US Operations

CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, subscription-based video production company, Shootsta , today announced the launch of the company's U.S. operations as part of a strategic focus on organically growing its global footprint. U.S. brands in the mobile communications, healthcare, software and digital marketing industries are already tapping Shootsta to help create quality video content for a variety of purposes and the company is on track to add 20 new clients in the region by year's end. Shootsta enables anyone within an organization to become a storyteller and create high-quality, on-demand video content that inspires and engages audiences, incredibly quickly, cost-effectively and at scale. The company teaches its clients how to shoot their own content, gives them a custom camera kit and all the training and support they need. The client is then free to shoot content, upload their files to the Shootsta platform  and its team of editors does all the post-production in 24 hours. "The U.S. boasts some of the world's most iconic, creative brands, brands that view disrupting industry standards as essential to growth and innovation," said Chad Lakin, vice president, North America at Shootsta. "These are exactly the types of companies we want to work with, making our expansion into North America a logica next step for us. Shootsta flips the traditional video production agency process on its head, democratizing access to high-quality video and empowering brands to publish video content much more efficiently and cost-effectively. We've seen an immediate demand for our services in this region and are poised for swift growth across multiple industries."



Lakin leads the strategic direction and U.S. operations for Shootsta. He is supported by an impressive team of business development and video production specialists. In the last year, the company brought on Collin Miller and Mark Kunzman, business development managers, to support the company's organic growth strategy in North America. In addition, Shootsta hired industry veteran Kelly Guenther, video specialist, to lead Shootsta's U.S.-based video production team. A deeply experienced digital marketer and storyteller, Guenther is also an Emmy-award-winning journalist and cinematographer. Shootsta's U.S. launch comes on the heels of the company's 2018 expansion into Hong Kong , its second office in the Asian region. The company launched in Singapore in 2017, following a $1M investment by Adcorp in 2016 and is due to launch in the U.K. soon. For more information on Shootsta, please visit http://shootsta.com/ .

About Shootsta

Shootsta has disrupted the video production industry with our global subscription method, educating and empowering brands everywhere to make high-quality videos cost-effectively at scale. And ready to share in 24 hours. Shootsta is the only always-on video production company in the world, with staff in our London, Sydney, San Diego, Singapore and Hong Kong offices providing 24-hour coverage and consistency. So you can shoot today and share tomorrow. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shootsta-launches-us-operations-300718338.html SOURCE Shootsta

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018]

Corsa Technology Named a 2019 TAG Cyber Distinguished Vendor

OTTAWA, Sept. 25, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corsa Technology, an industry leader in networking infrastructure, is proud to announce its designation as a Distinguished Vendor in this years 2019 TAG Cyber Security Annual.



Dr. Edward Amoroso has hand-selected Corsa Technology along with over 50 other exemplary cyber security companies, to assist with this years report, which was made available today for free download at https://www.corsa.com/.

It is an honor to be selected by Dr. Amoroso to take part in this program, said Bruce Gregory CEO of Corsa Technology. The TAG Cyber team works hard to provide expert analysis and content, not only for our team, but for everyone to use.

The 2019 TAG Cyber Security Annual is designed in this, TAG Cybers third year of publication, to provide direct advisory guidance - at no cost - to the enterprise cyber security professinal. 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 streamline security workflow, and adopting cloud infrastructure for enterprise applications and systems.







The Corsa Technology hardware successfully delivers a programmable datapath for software-defined networking, said Amoroso. Their Red Armor product works with your existing architecture to automate defenses and prevent the flow of unauthorized traffic.

Each year, TAG Cyber publishes its three-volume report to the community for download at no cost. In addition to the Corsa Technology website, the report is also available at https://www.tag-cyber.com/. Volume 2 of the report also includes an informative interview with Corsa Technology CEO, Bruce Gregory.

About Corsa

Corsa Technology develops performance infrastructure to monitor and protect high capacity networks simply and securely. With network security, switching, and routing equipment specifically designed for economic and reliable scale, Corsa enables secure, high throughput networking for customers worldwide. For more information, please visit www.corsa.com .

Contact

To learn more, please contact:

Corsa Technology

Carolyn Raab

(613) 858-5800

info@corsa.com[September 25, 2018] Citi Community Development and Grounded Solutions Network Announce Recipients of Accelerator Fund to Boost Lasting Affordability for Lower Income Homeowners

Citi Community Development and Grounded Solutions Network announced today the recipients of the Citi/Grounded Solutions Network Community Land Trust (CLT) Accelerator Fund, to expand technical assistance to CLTs and homeownership programs that provide lasting affordable housing options for first-time, lower income homebuyers across the United States. The fund, administered by Grounded Solutions Network with a $500,000 investment from Citi Community Development, provides capital grants to existing high-capacity CLTs and similar shared equity homeownership programs that quickly convert real estate opportunities into housing units. The fund recipients are: Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley; The Community Land Trust of Palm Beach County; and Homes 4 Families, which is based in Los Angeles County. "While housing prices have gone up across the county, median household income has remained stagnant, pushing too many families out of the neighborhoods and cities they have long called home," said Bob Annibale, Global Director of Citi Community Development and Inclusive Finance. "By collaborating with Grounded Solutions Network, we aim to catalyze and scale permanently affordable housing solutions so that residents, especially households of color, can access ownership opportunities and build wealth even in the most expensive cities in the country." This fund is part of Citi Community Development's $1 million investment in the Citi/Grounded Solutions Network Community Land Trust (CLT) Accelerator, launched in April 2018. The Accelerator supports Grounded Solutions Network in a major effort to scale-up the sector by providing technical assistance to existing CLTs and by creating regular e-learning events and a new digital platform with a suite of tools and resources designed to help local governments, community groups and residents establish and grow new CLTs and shared equity homeownership programs. At a time when housing availability and affordability is cited as one of the most pressing concerns for city leaders and reasons for people to move away from cities, these shared equity homeownership programs can play an integral role in wealth building for lower income communities. "Through the Accelerator Fund awards and our ongoing joint efforts, Grounded Solutions Network and Citi Community Development have deepened our commitment to expanding the impact of high-performing homeownership programs with lasting affordability," said Grounded Solutions Network CEO Tony Pickett. "We look forward to working with the awardees to demonstrate how CLTs and similar homeownership programs can effectively leveage local resources to stabilize communities and support more households in building wealth. Even as we recognize the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, access to homeownership remains a critical need today when nationally less than half of African American and Hispanic households are homeowners."



The Accelerator Fund will enable each recipient organization to focus on promoting affordability based on unique local projects. Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley (Habitat) creates opportunities for families to transform their lives through affordable homeownership in Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara counties, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With support from the Accelerator Fund, Habitat can now transition to Phase Two of construction on its shovel-ready 30-home condominium development in Fremont, California. This phase of the development will ensure lasting affordability and provide a "hand-up" to 19 limited-income families looking to build a long-term legacy in one of the world's toughest housing markets.

"The Accelerator Fund is not just a catalyst for our construction at Central Commons. It's the impetus for new opportunities, the chance for this neighborhood of thirty families to build a better future," said Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley's President and CEO, Janice Jensen. "These funds will make it possible for Habitat to continue our efforts toward the vision laid forth by the Fair Housing Act half a century ago." The Community Land Trust of Palm Beach County plans to build one duplex and six single family homes on scattered sites in Palm Springs, Florida. All homes will be sold under the Community Land Trust Model of homeownership and thereby will remain affordable in perpetuity even while located in a high cost housing market. According to the Assistant County Administrator of Palm Beach County Faye Johnson, "the Community Land Trust of Palm Beach County (CLT of PBC) has a solid track record assisting Palm Beach County in addressing the affordable housing crisis facing our community. The County is very excited that the CLT of PBC has been awarded this grant from Citi/Grounded Solutions Network. The funds will further leverage funding provided from the County to assist the CLT of PBC to carry out their much needed work of increasing affordable homeownership opportunities under the Community Land Trust model." Homes 4 Families is continuing to prevent veteran homelessness and transform the lives of low-income households with a resale-restricted, equity-building 56-home Veteran Enriched Neighborhood in Palmdale, Los Angeles County. Military families will receive this affordable homeownership opportunity along with self-sufficiency and resiliency-building services proven to move low-income families up the economic ladder. "It is our honor to join the Grounded Solutions Network. The ongoing innovation and efforts of both Citi Community Development and Grounded Solutions to preserve and protect those hard working, low income families trying to achieve the American Dream is inspiring; and our Veterans truly benefit!" said Donna Deutchman, President & CEO of Homes 4 Families. To learn more about the Citi/Grounded Solutions Network Accelerator, visit https://groundedsolutions.org/clt-accelerator-program/. About Grounded Solutions Network Grounded Solutions Network supports strong communities from the ground up. We connect national and local expertise; bringing together the networks, knowledge and support needed to build inclusive communities. We promote housing solutions that will stay affordable for generations so communities can stabilize and strengthen their foundation, for good. Backed by our members, Grounded Solutions Network champions evidence-based policies and strategies that work. We help our members, partners and elected officials use them to establish inclusive communities that have diverse housing options for a variety of incomes, offering choice and opportunity for all residents - both today and for future generations. Additional information may be found at www.groundedsolutions.org/clt-accelerator-program/ | Twitter (News - Alert) : @GroundedNetwork About Citi Community Development Citi Community Development leads Citi's commitment to financial inclusion and economic empowerment for underserved individuals, families and communities across the U.S. Through innovative collaborations with municipalities, community groups and leading nonprofit organizations, we harness the institution's expertise, products and services to help expand opportunity for all. Additional information may be found at http://citicommunitydevelopment.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube (News - Alert) : www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: https://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook (News - Alert) : www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn (News - Alert) : www.linkedin.com/company/citi View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005861/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Cabell Huntington Hospital Aims to Improve Patient Safety and Sepsis Detection with Wolters Kluwer's POC Advisor

Wolters Kluwer, Health, a leading global provider of trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions, today announced that Cabell Huntington Hospital (CHH) has selected POC Advisor as their enterprise surveillance solution to rapidly and accurately identify and treat sepsis patients. The not-for-profit, regional hospital in West Virginia chose POC Advisor for its evidence-based decision support capabilities, advanced predictive technology and proven effectiveness after testing other sepsis surveillance methods. "The complex nature of quickly and accurately identifying sepsis is important when selecting an electronic solution. We have to ensure that it does not generate too many false positives, which can lead to alert fatigue," said Dennis Lee, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Cabell Huntington Hospital. "We learned from previous experiences how critical it is to have the appropriate level of alert sensitivity and specificity, which is exactly why we selected POC Advisor. Wolters Kluwer's proven track record and commitment to providing the latest evidence and treatments directly aligns with our mission and values around excellence in patient care." Cabell Huntington Hospital is a 303-bed teaching hospital that is affiliated with Marshall University Schools of Medicine and Nursing. By integrating POC Advisor into the workflow at the point of care, CHH clinicians will receive patient-specific, evidence-based alerts and advice when they need it most. The platform draws upon real-time patient data from the electronic health record (EHR), including vital signs, medications, physicians' notes, comorbidities and lab results. POC Advisor has demonstrated a 95 percent sensitivity and 82 percent specificity of alerts, as documented in a peer-review study in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics (News - Alert) Association (JAMIA). The study found POC Advisor also helped clinicians reduce sepsis mortality by 50 percent and related 30-day readmissions by 30 percent.



"To accurately and efficiently identify sepsis, Cabell Huntington Hospital needed a solution that could bring surveillance and relevant clinical decision support into the clinician's workflow," said Karen Kobelski, General Manager of Safety and Surveillance at Wolters Kluwer, Health. "POC Advisor addresses this challenge head-on by providing clinicians with trusted medical evidence to empower confident decisions that will improve clinical outcomes while lowering costs." Nationally, an average 270,000 people in the United States die from sepsis each year and it remains the costliest condition to treat in the U.S., totaling about $27 billion. Worldwide, sepsis is the leading cause of preventable death, affecting 26 million people. However, with an enterprise surveillance and identification solution like POC Advisor, hospitals can lower their sepsis mortality rates and readmissions, along with the length of stay.

CHH will begin implementing the solution in the coming months. For more details on POC Advisor, please visit http://www.pocadvisor.com/. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL) is a global provider of professional information, software solutions, and services for physicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, tax specialists, and finance, audit, compliance, and regulatory sectors. The company provides expert solutions - a combination of deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services - that help professionals navigate change, solve complex problems, and deliver impact in their respective fields. Headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, Wolters Kluwer holds market-leading positions in 40 countries globally, represents customers across 180 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. In 2017, it reported annual revenues of 4.4 billion. Wolters Kluwer is a leading global provider of trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter (News - Alert) @WKHealth. For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005882/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] TriNetX Unveils Self-Service Precision Medicine Analytics for the Research Community

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TriNetX, the global health research network that optimizes clinical research and enables discoveries through the creation of real-world evidence, showcased today a series of new analytical tools that enable more people to conduct health research on their own. These new capabilities build upon TriNetX Research, a product line launched earlier this year. The company unveiled its latest R&D efforts at its annual users summit being held this week in Boston. "We are continually looking for ways to help our clients leverage real-world data from millions of patients that we are collecting and updating," said Steve Kundrot, Chief Technology Officer at TriNetX. "These analytical tools are part of our vision to build a health research network that enables more people to conduct meaningful research on a unique data set, at an unprecedented scale and among a community that has never been enabled to collaborate in this way before." The new capabilities that TriNetX demonstrated included Patient Journey Analytics, Bring Your Own Model, and Cohort Monitoring. Patient Journey Analytics help users understand what happens to a patient in the real world before and after they are diagnosed with a disease. Users will be able to track the treatments patients are receiving, discover when and why they switch to new treatments, understand what comorbidities they develop, and compare patients on different care journeys.





Bring Your Own Model allows users to apply their own statistical model to the TriNetX network to derive prdictions and characteristics for their specific needs. For example, a model might discover patients with rare and undiagnosed conditions, or score patients on the risk of a health-related event occurring. Bring Your Own Model moves the analytical models to the data, rather than centralizing data for analysis, so that users can run models across the secure TriNetX network without having direct access to patient clinical data. This ensures compliance with all privacy standards and regulations including HIPAA and GDPR.









Cohort Monitoring allows researchers to monitor cohorts prospectively by creating cohorts of patients and tracking their health going forward in an aggregated, de-identified manner. With these new observational capabilities, TriNetX can help biopharma execute non-interventional trials in a more seamless and efficient manner. "We developed these tools to put health research into the hands of more people," said Alex Eastman, Vice President, Product Management at TriNetX. "These new capabilities break down silos and enable users to access our unmatched, longitudinal data set and get answers in minutes - and they don't have to be data scientists to do it." TriNetX's cloud-based platform, TNX, provides on-demand access to longitudinal clinical data and a set of highly intuitive analytics capabilities, enabling researchers to explore and compare cohorts, including reviewing cohort characteristics prior to an event and comparing outcomes of interest after the event. TriNetX has partnered with over 80 healthcare organizations, spanning 16 countries, to deploy a continually updated global health research network representing over 135 million patients.

TriNetX implements and configures hardware and software into its healthcare organization members' IT infrastructure that often builds on existing data resources. Researchers then have access to the institution's de-identified patient data through a user-friendly interface and a growing number of visualization and analysis capabilities. The new analytical tools are slated to start rolling out later this year. About TriNetX

TriNetX is the global health research network that optimizes clinical research and enables discoveries through the creation of real-world evidence. TriNetX combines real time access to longitudinal clinical data with state-of-the-art analytics to answer complex research questions at the speed of thought. For more information, visit TriNetX at http://www.trinetx.com or follow @TriNetX on Twitter. Media Contact TriNetX

Cara DiFabio

Racepoint Global

(617) 624-3291

trinetx@racepointglobal.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trinetx-unveils-self-service-precision-medicine-analytics-for-the-research-community-300718110.html SOURCE TriNetX

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] CentralSquare Technologies to Showcase World's Most Interoperable Public Safety Suite at IACP 2018

CentralSquare Technologies, the #1 provider of public safety software, will be an "Industry Leader" sponsor at the International Association of Chiefs of Police IACP 2018 conference, October 6-9, 2018, in Orlando, FL. Created by the recent merger of four innovative software companies-Superion, TriTech along with Zuercher, and Aptean public sector-CentralSquare makes its debut under the company's new brand at this year's IACP. From booth 2312, CentralSquare will showcase its suite of public safety software solutions, including 911, computer-aided dispatch, records management, mobile, citations, evidence management, and corrections. Public safety agencies have more challenges than ever, including the mental health and opioid crises, along with an increase in armed aggressors and natural disasters. Staffing and budgets continue to pose troubling challenges, and public safety agencies need to get more out of their staff and systems. Adding more complexity, agencies are expected to be ready for rapidly evolving technology, such as the growing presence of body cams and NG911 data, with the process and resources in place to manage it all. CentralSquare's public safety solutions are built with a focus on multiplying the efforts of public safety agencies by incorporating recent advances in data science, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence. Bringing together its deep bench of talent focused solely on innovation for the public sector, CentralSquare delivers the smartest platform for enhancing public safety agencies' efforts in reducing the number of crime and disster victims. For example, CentralSquare has created the largest multi-agency data-sharing network, which enables law enforcement officers to search where crimes with similar patterns are taking place across North America. The breadth of this network together with CentralSquare's innovative algorithms enable law enforcement to rapidly track patterns in criminal activity and solve crimes faster, thereby limiting the number of victims and making communities safer.



"CentralSquare offers the richest, broadest, and most unified product suite for all public safety agencies," said CentralSquare CEO Simon Angove. "Our products serve agencies of all sizes, from one sworn officer to over 10,000. We proudly partner with over 7,500 of these agencies across North America, and to innovate on their behalf, we have built the largest bench of talent focused on developing the smartest technologies with the deepest functionality exclusively for the public sector." CentralSquare invites IACP participants to attend the company's workshop, "Employing Statistics to Prevent Statistics: Welcome to a New Era of Policing," Sunday, October 7, at 2 PM EDT; a networking event at the booth, Monday, October 8, 3:30-5:00 PM EDT; Chiefs Night where CentralSquare will sponsor a VIP room at Universal Orlando, Monday, October 8, starting at 7:30 PM EDT; and to visit booth 2312 for personal demonstrations and one-on-one discussions with company leadership and subject matter experts.

About CentralSquare Technologies Formed by the merger of Superion, TriTech along with Zuercher, and the public sector and healthcare business of Aptean, CentralSquare Technologies is an industry leader in public safety and public administration software, serving over 7,500 organizations from the largest metropolitan city to counties and towns of every size across North America. Its technology platform provides solutions for public safety, including 911, computer-aided dispatch, records management, mobile, citations, evidence management, and corrections. For public administration agencies, CentralSquare provides software for finance, human capital management, payroll, utility billing, citizen engagement, asset management, regulatory compliance, and community development. For hospitals and clinicians, it provides patient information, compliance, and analytics software. CentralSquare's broad, unified and agile software suite serves 3 in 4 citizens across North America. More information is available at www.CentralSqr.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005924/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] GeekTek Launches Canadian Subsidiary Responding to Demand for IT and Security Services in Cannabis Industry

GeekTek IT Services, Inc., a leading managed information technology and security firm based in Los Angeles, California, is pleased to announce its entry into Canada. GeekTek is an expert at expediting growth through the strategic application of technology, led by CEO Eric Schlissel. Schlissel recognized the previously unmet need for customized IT and security in the cannabis industry in the United States as it was becoming legal for adult use. Since then, Schlissel acquired cannabis industry expertise and weaved it into the company's technology and scaling capabilities to develop a solution tailored to progressive cannabis companies with multi-state rollout strategies. "Supporting and enabling Canadian cannabis companies is the logical next step for GeekTek," said Schlissel. "Cannabis-focused businesses in Canada expect massive growthin the coming years, and we are uniquely equipped to help them reach their full potential," says Schlissel. "When contemplating large-scale, staged rollouts across multiple provinces, it is critical for businesses to have a trusted technology partner to handle their information technology and data security."



GeekTek's proven business model is a welcome solution for new and growing businesses across Canada. The company established five practice areas in Western and Central Canada and launched managed private cloud facilities in Vancouver and Toronto. The company's launch into Canada is part of a larger expansion strategy Schlissel developed to meet the demand for businesses seeking premium technology expertise. "We look forward to being a part of this exciting time in Canada," said Schlissel. "There are high expectations of explosive growth in the cannabis industry in the coming years, and we are uniquely equipped to help businesses reach their full potential."

GeekTek's services are currently available in Western and Central Canada. Businesses interested in learning more about the company's offerings are encouraged to contact Mohirah Hall at 323-205-5060. ABOUT GEEKTEK GeekTek IT Services Corp. is the wholly owned subsidiary of GeekTek IT Services Inc., a US-based technology services firm with national reach, headquartered in Los Angeles, California with regional offices in Denver, Colorado, and Hyderabad, India. GeekTek is the leading provider of IT and technology services for the cannabis industry. GeekTek also services a variety of industries including manufacturing, professional services, construction and property management. The company offers a unique blend of data-related services, providing a fully managed ecosystem to its clients. GeekTek has been consistently ranked among the top managed service providers globally by MSPMentor, CRN and Channelnomics. GeekTek CEO Eric Schlissel is a subject matter expert in the international cannabis industry. Schlissel has written guest columns for major cannabis publications and has been quoted in national periodicals. He also speaks and moderates panels regularly on security, IT and business growth strategy at industry conferences. To learn more, please visit www.geektek.com. To schedule an interview with Eric Schlissel, please contact Kimmie Chann at 866-808-9901 or kimmie@geektek.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005420/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Doctor On Demand Joins the Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

Doctor On Demand, the nation's leading video medicine provider, announced its selection to The AMR Challenge. The AMR Challenge calls on governments, private industry, and civil society to commit to taking actionable steps that further progress in combating antibiotic resistance around the globe. Recognized for its clinical leadership and dedication to antibiotic resistance awareness, Doctor On Demand has made a year-long commitment to lowering antibiotic prescription rates by 20 percent for acute upper respiratory infections, including bronchitis, sinusitis and pharyngitis. Additionally, the practice will require two hours of continuing education training for all physicians as a part of their antibiotic stewardship program. "We're proud to join in the fight to save lives from one of the greatest threats to public health - antibiotic resistance," said Doctor On Demand Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ian Tong. "Overprescribing antibiotics increases overall healthcare expenditures and contributes to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance." Antibiotic resistance threatens the world's progress in healthcare, food production, and even life expectancy. Doctor On Demand joins The AMR Challenge, an initiative being led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to demonstrate leadership in the practice of socially responsible medicine. The practice uses a number of innovative prescribing interventions that encourage physicians to lower their rates of patients who receive antibiotics unnecessarily. Doctor On Demand will present this work at the upcoming Infectious Disease Society of America IDWeek Conference in October being held in San Francisco, California. "We aim to provide our patients with the highest level of care and reduce their risk of ever developing a resistance to antibiotics," said Dr. Tong. "Through our antibiotic stewardship program, we are taking the necessary steps to ensure our doctors are equipped to follow their prescribing trends and educate patients on how to use antibiotics most effectively."



Doctor On Demand offers immediate access to board-certified physicians, psychiatrists, and licensed psychologists via smartphones, tablets, or desktop computers. Members consistently rate Doctor On Demand 5-stars across the iTunes store and Google (News - Alert) Play. Last year, Doctor On Demand became the first telemedicine provider to offer fully integrated laboratory services, advancing the range of services treatable via telemedicine and expanding the ability to offer chronic care management. For more information about Doctor On Demand, visit www.doctorondemand.com.

To learn more about The AMR Challenge, visit the CDC's website. About Doctor On Demand Doctor On Demand is a nationwide healthcare service that provides video visits with board-certified physicians, psychiatrists and licensed psychologists via smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Patients download the Doctor On Demand app or visit www.doctorondemand.com, provide a list of their symptoms, and are connected for a video visit within minutes. Prescriptions, if needed, are sent directly to the pharmacy of choice. Doctor On Demand physicians can also order lab work, allowing for the treatment of a broader range of conditions and chronic care management. Through its 5-star rated mobile application and website, consumers can access board-certified physicians in all 50 states with an average wait time of 5 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Doctor On Demand delivers services through employers, health plans, and directly to consumers. While insurance isn't required, tens of millions of Americans enjoy covered medical and mental health visits. Doctor On Demand is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. To learn more, visit us at DoctorOnDemand.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005918/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Santa Clara University Announces Five Cristo Rey Scholarships

Santa Clara University announced that students attending any Cristo Rey Network school across the country are invited to apply for five Cristo Rey annual scholarships beginning with the 2019 freshman class. The scholarship will cover tuition, room and board, and course-related expenses such as books, supplies, and equipment. "Given the growth of the Cristo Rey Network, the stellar quality of their students, and alignment with Santa Clara's Jesuit, Catholic mission, we believe that this is a win-win situation," said Mike Sexton, vice president for enrollment management. Santa Clara University is part of a national network of Cristo Rey partners committed to recruiting, supporting, and graduating economically disadvantaged students, many of whom are first-generation college students and/or students of color. The Cristo Rey high schools provide a corporate work-study program with real world experience in addition to rigorous academic and spiritual preparation. "The Cristo Rey Annual Scholarships are comprehensive in nature-tuition and fees; room and board; as well as books and other customary expenses. This scholarship is coordinated with federal, state, local, and other SCU institutional aid and will provide up to $276,000 per student over their four years. We look to grow the program with each incoming class starting in Fall 2019," Sexton said. "The university has committed an estimated $1.4 million for the first five students and is commited to offering the same number of scholarships for the next 4 years."



To be considered for this need-based scholarship, applicants must apply for admission by Jan 7, 2019, which is Santa Clara University's regular decision deadline. Qualified applicants will begin attending SCU as first year, undergraduate students in Fall 2019. "Santa Clara offers great support for students who are the first in their family to pursue a college degree," said Eva Blanco Masias, dean of admissions at Santa Clara and president of the National Catholic College Admission Association. "We believe that these scholarships will increase access to Santa Clara for talented students across the country. Students will graduate debt free, allowing them to fully participate in all curricular and co-curricular opportunities of a highly ranked institution without any financial burden to their families."

Areli Hernandez, a senior at Santa Clara University, has some words of wisdom for first-generation students contemplating Santa Clara as their first choice. "I grew up in Napa Valley and was the first in my family to attend college. I missed my family but it has been so worth it," Hernandez said. "I had access to so many resources-from study abroad, to small class sizes, and professors who were vested in my success." Her advice to high school seniors on the cusp of submitting their college applications: "Look for opportunities that challenge you and a place that nurtures and pushes you into doing more than you ever thought possible." ----------------------------------------- Additional info Interested students are required to file the CSS (News - Alert) Profile and the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) by Feb 1, 2019. If the student is a resident of California, he or she is required to submit their Cal Grant GPA Verification Form to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) by March 2, 2019. Eligible students must demonstrate leadership, integrity, and/or perseverance as well as involvement in co-curricular and community service activities. The student should have a cumulative, unweighted high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher. The scholarship automatically renews for the following year if the scholarship recipient meets the university's satisfactory academic progress standards. About Santa Clara University Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in the heart of California's Silicon Valley, offers its more than 9,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering; master's degrees in business, education, counseling psychology, pastoral ministry, and theology; and law degrees and engineering doctoral degrees. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master's universities, California's oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005946/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] LegacyShield Solutions, Inc. Expands Operations

LegacyShield Solutions, Inc., a pioneer in providing a client-centric engagement solution to the insurance and financial services industry enabling companies and advisors to build and protect their clients' legacies through a digital growth platform, announces that Christopher L. Haley has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer. Chris is a seasoned advisor, operating executive, investor and board member of high-growth, founder-led entrepreneurial ventures. In his role as Chief Operating Officer, Chris is charged with managing the company's strategic initiatives, driving the execution of the company's strategic plan and managing all of LegacyShield's financial and operational matters. "We are thrilled to have Chris on the LegacyShield team," said Michael Babikian, Founder and CEO. "He brings a unique set of experiences as an operating executive, advisor, board member and investor of high-growth technology companies, which Dan and I as founders are eager to leverage. We feel that he perfectly complements our skills and that, together, we are poised to deliver on the promise of LegacyShield as a consumer-centric platform that empowers financial services companies and advisors to grow their businesses, engage with their consumers and protect their consumers' legacies." In addition to his role at LegacyShield, Chris currently serves on both entrepreneurial and philanthropic boards, including Forcura, Antisyn and SuperFi as well as the University of Tennessee College of Law Alumni Council and the University of Mississippi Patterson School of Accountancy's Alumni Board as Chair. He has also served on the board of Wealth Access, the advisory board of Michael C. Fina and the board of Lutheran Social Services. Chris was most recently a Partner at Harbor View Advisors, a boutique investment bank where he advised entrepreneurs of high-growth technology and business servics companies. During his tenure at Harbor View, Chris advised entrepreneurs through the sales of their businesses and provided strategic consulting to a number of others who were planning for liquidity events. Because of his background and experiences, he was able to guide founders through both the quantitative aspects of valuing, marketing and selling their businesses and the emotional aspects of selling their life's work.



Prior to joining Harbor View, Chris was the Chief Operating Officer of Knowledge Infusion, a leading provider of strategic and deployment consulting services for human capital management technology, and Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel of Black Diamond Performance Reporting, a leading independent provider of Web-based, outsourced portfolio management and reporting platforms to independent advisors. In both of these roles, Chris provided strategic advice and counsel to the companies' founders, executive teams and boards and was instrumental in managing them through their explosive growth. Before his entry into entrepreneurial ventures, Chris was an attorney in the Corporate & Securities and Tax Groups at Bass, Berry & Sims in Nashville, Tennessee ("Bass"). While at Bass, Chris served in a variety of capacities for his clients throughout their lifecycles from initial formation and capital raising to exits via public markets and private transactions. Chris received a Bachelor of Accountancy, magna cum laude, and Master of Taxation from the University of Mississippi; a juris doctorate degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law; and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law where he received the Harry J. Rudick award for distinction in the Graduate Tax Program.

"Having Chris join our team is a big win," said Dan Pierson, LegacyShield's Founder and CMO. "I met Chris a few weeks after moving into the Jacksonville area and have tremendous respect for his accomplishments and reputation within the Jacksonville community. Chris's SaaS (News - Alert) experience and operational acumen rounds out our executive team." "I am very excited to be joining LegacyShield as its Chief Operating Officer," said Mr. Haley. "From my experiences with Black Diamond and Wealth Access, I have witnessed the transformative power that technology can give to financial services companies and advisors in growing their businesses and engaging their clients. I am looking forward to complementing Michael's and Dan's knowledge of and relationships in the insurance industry with my experiences building high-growth technology companies to bring a higher level of engagement between life insurance companies and advisors and their consumers." About LegacyShield LegacyShield is a state-of-the-art, integrated, consumer-centric platform empowering financial service companies and advisors to grow their businesses, engage their consumers and protect legacies. LegacyShield is an experience that puts customers at the center by letting them choose how and when to connect with an aligned team of product manufacturers, distributors and agents. LegacyShield helps customers organize their financial lives and tap into a digital network of offerings that help them prepare for the future while protecting their data through military-grade security. For more information, visit legacyshield.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005943/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018: North America's Stage For Industry 4.0

HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018, the first staging of the iconic HANNOVER MESSE brand outside of Germany, presented game-changing Industry 4.0 solutions over six days during its co-location with IMTS 2018 at McCormick Place in Chicago from September 10-15. HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 covered more than 114,200 square feet of exhibit space and featured 510 exhibitors who showcased their innovations to a record breaking 129,415 registered visitors attending both shows. The event's exhibition and conference space grew 443 percent from the first trade show launched alongside IMTS 2012. HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 increased exhibition space 26 percent compared to the co-located shows at IMTS 2016. More than 80 percent of this year's exhibitors have offices outside of the U.S. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006014/en/ HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 presented game-changing Industry 4.0 solutions over six days during its co-location with IMTS 2018 at McCormick Place in Chicago from September 10-15. (Photo: Business Wire) "Technology providers of all sizes from around the world came to HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 to demonstrate the latest Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions for the connected factory of the future," said Larry Turner, president & CEO of Hannover Fairs USA, the organizer of HANNOVER MESSE USA. "By leveraging the HANNOVER MESSE brand outside of Germany this year, we accurately underscored that manufacturing in North America will remain highly competitive. Not only did the event showcase the progression of Industry 4.0 in the U.S. it also highlighted that the world's industrial technology providers are actively collaborating to bring the digital factory to life," added Turner. HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 featured four main trade shows: Integrated Automation, Motion & Drives USA (IAMD USA) for industrial automation, power transmission and fluid technology; ComVac USA for compressed air and vacuum technology; Industrial Supply USA for industrial subcontracting and supply-chain solutions; and Surface Technology USA for surface treatment and finishing technologies. With its prominent position in IAMD USA 2018, Beckhoff showcased its latest smart factory hardware, software, EtherCAT and TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) solutions. Beckhoff introduced several products to the North American market during the show this year, including its new EK1000 EtherCAT TSN Coupler that combines the advantages of the EtherCAT ecosystem with TSN networks to boost communication in industrial environments. The company also unveiled two new ultra-compact Industrial PCs that deliver maximum processing power for complex automation applications. "HANNOVER MESSE is a globally recognized brand and with its introduction in the U.S. it brings an intense focus on automation and control technologies to the North American manufacturing industry," said Shane Novacek, marketing communications manager at Beckhoff Automation. "Since the co-location of the show with IMTS 2012, Beckhoff has continually and enthusiastically supported the event both on the show floor and as a sponsor/presenter at the Global Automation and Manufacturing Summit held in conjunction with HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018," added Novacek. Beckhoff also noted that it increased overall new business lead count by more than 40 percent at HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 compared with its participation at the trade show co-located with IMTS 2016, which it still regards as a highly successful trade show. "Our participation at HANNOVER MESSE USA focused on bringing the Connected Enterprise to life to help foster strength in the future of manufacturing," said Reid Schook, global OEM segment business manager, Rockwell Automation (News - Alert) . "We utilized the introduction of the HANNOVER MESSE brand in the U.S. to highlight strategic partnerships with both Fanuc and PTC. Alongside our partners, we showcased how to dliver integrated solutions, tools and capabilities to make the digital factory a reality for our customers," added Schook.



During IAMD USA, Festo, a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation, introduced its new electric actuators, ELGC and EGSC, which are ideal for applications where compact dimensions are essential. These electric axes can be combined into space-saving handling applications that fit seamlessly into assembly, testing, inspection, small parts handling and desk top systems and feature a common system approach and platform architecture, as well as space saving adapter-free connectors. Festo also exhibited its new VTEM Motion Terminal, a modular Industry 4.0 device - a single unit capable of replacing 50 different components through the download of various combinations of cloud-based apps. "HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 allowed our existing customers and new customers to see firsthand our product portfolio for one-on-one demonstrations and top-line discussions," said Kristine Inserra, director of marketing communications North America at Festo. "We were thrilled by the number of exhibitors and visitors. The show exceeded all expectations for new business development," added Inserra.

Exhibiting in the Industrial Supply trade show, Thoni Alutec, the largest aluminum foundry in Europe with locations in Poland, Mexico and India, showcased its complete casting solutions utilized in a variety of engineering applications. Thoni Alutec manages a green production philosophy and serves many industrial markets, including aerospace, renewable and fossil energy, power generation, robotics & process machines, medical and automotive to name a few. "Thoni Alutec is a longtime exhibitor at HANNOVER MESSE in Germany. We decided to exhibit at the first HANNOVER MESSE USA to showcase how we can support the North and South American industrial markets casting needs," said Piotr Kasprzyk, technical sales manager of Thoni Alutec. "We were pleased with the new business opportunities we uncovered at the show and look forward to returning in 2020," added Kasprzyk. New to the show this year, the Digital Factory space exported from HANNOVER MESSE in Germany showcased how digitalized production technologies are transforming business models and changing market structures. Concepts like Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT) represent a paradigm shift in business and society, generated by a growing number of increasingly connected and automated devices, machines and products. SAP's (News - Alert) showcase in the Digital Factory demonstrated The Network of Digital Twins in action and turned the spotlight on SAP technologies that allow smart manufacturers to implement modular production, reduce equipment downtime and increase customer retention. "Following an outstanding experience exhibiting at HANNOVER MESSE in Germany this April, SAP brought its resources, references and pipeline of successful Industry 4.0 and intelligent product design solutions to HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 to address North American manufacturers' challenges," said Sayan Bose, global director of industrial machinery & components, Industry Business Unit of SAP. "Not only were we able to connect with North and South American manufacturers during the U.S. show, we also extended our reach to a host of global attendees in the industrial manufacturing machinery and components space. Overall, HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 proved to be an amazing platform to showcase SAP's innovations for the manufacturing industry powered by intelligent technologies, including Blockchain, IoT and machine learning," added Bose. Also, in the Digital Factory space, Dell launched a new IIoT solution developed in collaboration with Intel (News - Alert) and Tridium specifically built to increase plant floor efficiencies for low-volume, high-mix discrete manufacturers. This innovative IIoT solution leverages the scalability and power of Dell's (News - Alert) technology components, Intel's IoT technology for manufacturing and the energy industry and Tridium's enterprise software. "The Dell/Intel/Tridium platform brings together cutting-edge capabilities from all three companies to provide a complete digital transformation solution that captures, normalizes and analyzes data to produce insights for the diverse plant floor," said Kirsten Billhardt, marketing director - Internet of Things at Dell. "HANNOVER MESSE USA put our IIoT solution in front of the ideal audience of key decision makers in charge of their plant's digital transformation, and we look forward to demonstrating this innovative solution at HANNOVER MESSE in Germany next April," added Billhardt. Visitors to the joint booth of the Fraunhofer (News - Alert) -Gesellschaft, Fraunhofer USA and partners during this year's HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 could experience how a vibrant mix of new technology in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality as a service, cybersecurity and data sovereignty, sensor and actuator systems, digital engineering, human-machine interaction, 5G, smart materials and smart maintenance are reshaping the future. Fraunhofer successfully offered insight into the latest research results in the fields of production, digitalization, automation and networking, resulting in competitive advantage for businesses in this year's Digital Factory. "The future of digitalized manufacturing and Industry 4.0 rests entirely upon the ability to pool expertise and resources," said Professor Georg Rosenfeld, member of the executive board of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. "Our interdisciplinary expertise sparks new ideas that meet the challenges of a digitalized world and helps create customized solutions right along the value chain for companies of all sizes. Attending HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 co-located with IMTS 2018 in Chicago has created a sustainable opportunity to share our ideas with U.S. and international stakeholders," added Rosenfeld. In addition to a variety of demonstrations, Fraunhofer offered many in-depth lectures, talks and expert sessions by renowned German and U.S. scientific leaders during the event. "HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 has proven that the economic impact of digitalization is staggering. Industry 4.0 will give significant rise to productivity in all economically important industries," added Professor Fritz Klocke, director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. "But from the new opportunities that accompany digitalization, expectations grow. As well as being cost-efficient and sustainable, connected production and work processes must be secure, flexible and intuitive." The brand-new Solutions Theater on the floor of HANNOVER MESSE USA 2018 offered all visitors more than 60 educational sessions over five days delivered by top industry experts, educators and key influencers. Sessions covered topics from Industry 4.0 meets IIoT to case studies of Industry 4.0 in practice to an Intelligent Manufacturing Solutions Forum plus a live pitch showcase sponsored by GE Ventures and Sente for start-up companies focused on digital factory technologies. Two HANNOVER MESSE USA conferences, GAMS (Global Automation & Manufacturing Summit) and the Integrated Industries Conference covered new trends and best practices in robotics and AI, maintenance and IIoT, Cybersecurity, Motion, Drive & Automation, Surface Technology, IoT and Industry 4.0. The next HANNOVER MESSE USA will be co-located with IMTS 2020 and will take place from September 14-19, 2020 at McCormick Place in Chicago. About HANNOVER MESSE USA HANNOVER MESSE, the world's leading industrial technology show launched 70 years ago in Hannover, and HANNOVER MESSE USA are at the forefront of showcasing innovations in the factory of the future: cobots, industrial energy systems, IIoT, Industry 4.0 and related applications such as predictive maintenance, more efficient use of raw materials, faster time to market and other trends in industrial manufacturing. HANNOVER MESSE USA 2020 will be produced alongside IMTS 2020 from September 14-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago. About Hannover Fairs USA Hannover Fairs USA, Inc. (HFUSA) is the U.S. subsidiary of Hannover, Germany's Deutsche Messe - one of the world's largest and most active organizers of industrial technology events. Chicago, Illinois-based HFUSA helps U.S. companies expand domestically and internationally through exhibit and sponsorship opportunities at Deutsche Messe's worldwide portfolio of events. Participation in these events offers U.S. companies an unparalleled opportunity for business development through trade shows and conferences held in Hannover, Germany and North America, as well as in key markets such as China, India, Mexico and Turkey. HFUSA creates qualified new business leads, helps U.S. companies enter new markets and aids them in forming lasting partnerships. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006014/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Washington State Invests $125,000 To Assist AIM Aerospace Innovation And Expansion

SUMNER, Wash., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington State Department of Commerce today announced a $125,000 grant to the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County that will support capital investments by AIM Aerospace, a growing Washington-based advanced carbon fiber manufacturer. The grant from Governor Inslee's economic development strategic reserve account will assist expansion and job creation at AIM facilities in Pierce and King Counties. AIM Aerospace has already begun to move its Auburn operations to Sumner, and work is underway to turn its Sumner and Renton locations into world-class aerospace manufacturing facilities. The company will expand its carbon fiber advanced manufacturing technologies for military, commercial aerospace, engines, secondary/primary structures and unmanned aerial vehicles. AIM Aerospace CEO, Daniele Cagnatel, states, "We are excited to have the Governor's support as we are creating a better company that is more technologically advanced in the State of Washington, while adding more value to our customers, our employees, and our shareholders." "This is a fantastic opportunity to create good-paying manufacturing jobs, especially in our South Sound region. Our state is home to so many innovative world-class companies and t's exciting to be part of helping them expand and grow," said Gov. Jay Inslee.



City of Sumner Mayor Bill Pugh said, "We appreciate the State of Washington's investment in keeping good jobs available in communities like Sumner. We have over 14,000 people working in our Manufacturing Industrial Center, and whether they roast coffee or build airplanes, they are supporting their families and helping us invest in a strong future." An exciting new development for these projects comes with the collaborative robots that will aid AIM Aerospace employees. The new robots will assist their human counterparts for years to come, helping to create new jobs. In fact, AIM Aerospace expects to grow 10 percent year-over-year for the next four years, reaching an overall increase of 30 percent for its entire workforce by 2023.

"We believe that a good quality of life starts with a good job," said Bruce Kendall, president and CEO of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County. "AIM Aerospace's commitment to invest in Pierce County means more great jobs for the citizens of our county and the South Sound." About AIM Aerospace, Inc.

AIM Aerospace, is an advanced carbon fiber manufacturing company offering a full line of services from design, analysis, prototyping and intelligent automated production of advanced composite products. AIM Aerospace has been manufacturing and engineering products for the aerospace and defense markets for over 30 years. With 5 Center of Excellence locations, including a Research and Technology Center in California, AIM Aerospace provides manufacturing technologies that will define the way we fly. aim-aerospace.com About the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County

Founded in 1978 as a private nonprofit, the EDB focuses its work on recruiting new firms to Pierce County, retaining those that are here, and helping all of them expand. The EDB supports companies to create new jobs and to grow the economy of the South Sound and Washington State, USA. In the past two decades, the EDB has worked with companies that have made over $1.6 billion in capital investments and created over 25,000 jobs. edbTacomaPierce.org View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/washington-state-invests-125-000-to-assist-aim-aerospace-innovation-and-expansion-300718689.html SOURCE AIM Aerospace

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Chubb Survey Finds Individuals Are Unprepared for the Risk of a Cyber Breach

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study from Chubb finds that, despite the ever evolving and seemingly never ending frequency of cyber attacks, individuals are still largely unprepared and at risk should they or their family members be targeted. Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8402351-chubb-cyber-protection-cyber-threats-cyberbullies/ The 2018 Chubb Cyber Risk Survey found that while most respondents (86%) reported being concerned about cyber incidents, most are either underestimating or completely unaware of the common cyber threats that are targeting their personal information across social media sites and through internet connected devices ranging from laptops, smartphones and voice assistants to smart refrigerators and thermostats. For instance, just 12% said they were concerned about the risks associated with using public WiFi, despite being a common entry point for cyber criminals. Further, only 4% cited concern with smart home-connected devices, despite the fact that these devices can serve as gateways for criminals looking to access other personal information. "In this day and age, anyone is susceptible to falling victim of a cyber attack," said Fran O'Brien, Division President of Chubb North America Personal Risk Services. "While it is promising that so many people are generally aware of everyday cyber risks our study shows that their concern isn't translating into actionjust 40% of individuals use cybersecurity software and less than one in three regularly change online passwords. Given what's at stake, individuals should be taking every precaution they can to mitigate risk." While the risks exist  and are growing  for everyone, successful individuals and families should be particularly aware. As a group, successful individuals are more likely to be business owners or senior business executives with access to confidential client and employee information, proprietary intellectual property, and other sensitive information that could spell disaster if stolen or leaked. Understanding which risks are most prevalent and the ways in which cyber criminals target individuals and devices is a good place for anyone to start improving their cyber safety. Knowledge is Power Many people have a misplaced sense of which type of personal data is most harmful if stolen. Respondents were overly concerned about certain data being compromised and demonstrated a general lack of concern when it came to data that is actually more valuable if breached. For example, bank breaches and other financial accounts becoming compromised were the top concern (80%); however, most financial institutions will reimburse members for lost funds in the event of a breach. On the other hand, social security numbers (SSN) and medical records in the wrong hands are actually more valuable than bank information. Yet, just 60% of respondents said they were concerned about a family memer's SSN becoming compromised and only 30% reported being concerned about medical record breaches.



Further, many people aren't exactly sure what it is they're afraid of. For example, ransomware, the malware that restricts access to data until a ransom is paid, is one of the most prevalent threats in recent years. However, 50% of respondents could not define it, and nearly one-fifth (19%) had never heard of the term. Time to Act

There are measures individuals can take to reduce some cyber risks; however, there is a clear misalignment between the apparent sources of a cyber breach and the steps people actually take. Consider that while respondents cited a credit agency hack as the second-highest perceived threat after email exposures, half of respondents don't regularly check their credit. People could also be more proactive when it comes to staying cyber-safe, especially when it comes to password maintenance, one of the simplest deterrents available. Only 30% regularly change their passwords, and 67% say they "always" or "often" use the same password for multiple online sites. More than half (54%) have shared one or more account passwords with someone other than an account holder, and 41% of respondents do not password protect their home WiFi networks. Cyber Security at Work: Employers Should Lead by Example A similar misalignment between knowledge and action exists at work: three quarters (75%) of respondents say their company has implemented "excellent" or "good" cyber security practices. However, Chubb's claims data shows that there has been a 930% increase in the number of business-related cyber insurance claims for over the past 10 yearssuggesting that, even as companies establish better safeguards, there are still significant threat activities that continue to exploit the remaining vulnerabilities. Employees seem to understand the importance of strong cyber security in the workplace, with nearly all (93%) agreeing that they understand the intent of the cyber security measures their company has implemented. However, just 33% say their employers hold annual company-wide trainings or updateswhich are becoming increasingly necessary due to the ever-evolving nature of cyber risk. "The economy is on a trajectory towards automation," said Bill Stewart, Division President, Global Cyber Risk Practice for Chubb. "As that automation becomes part of businesses in every industry, the potential for more cyber incidents grows by the day. It is important for both individuals and businesses to approach cyber threats proactively. While there isn't an airtight, preventative way to safeguard against all risk, cyber insurance can indeed help fill the gaps and protect the remaining risk involved in cyber security." A Call to (Cyber) Arms While awareness of cyber risks is on the rise, society has not yet achieved a strong culture of cyber security. Many risks are overlooked, and there is a knowledge gap and lack of cyber-education. While proactive measures of cyber security are essential, in order to truly safeguard against cyber risk, a back-up plan is necessary. The best back-up plan is cyber insurancewith the best policies providing a mix of defensive protective measures along with fast response capabilities in a worst-case scenario. Visit chubb.com/expectmore for https://www.chubb.com/us-en/individuals-families/online-you-protected/ more information on how you and your family can stay cyber-safe. About the Survey: This is the second survey by Chubb measuring consumers' approaches and behaviors toward cyber risk. Conducted by Research Now SSI, a leading global provider of first-party consumer and professional data, the online survey was fielded between June 6-13, 2018. The results are based on 1,204 completed surveys. A breakdown of respondents is as follows: Gender: Male (42%), Female (58%)

Age: 18-34 (27%), 35-54 (40%), 55+ (33%)

Regions: Midwest (20%), Northeast (23%), West (25%), South (32%)

Socioeconomic Status: Middle Class (25%), Upper Middle Class (25%), Mass Affluent (25%), High-Net-Worth (25%) About Chubb: Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company, and the largest commercial insurer in the United States. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com. About Chubb Cyber Chubb is a leader in insuring cyber risk. Combining industry-leading underwriting and expert third-party incident response services, Chubb offers policies that are tailored to the specific needs and risks of its clients to ensure they are ready with the tools and expertise necessary should a cyber incident occur. Moving swiftly to minimize data loss and moving rapidly to connect clients with the proper parties is only part of what Chubb delivers. Keeping an eye on the ever-evolving cyber security landscape, Chubb looks for ways to do more for its clients by offering cutting-edge products and holistic services to each and every client. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chubb-survey-finds-individuals-are-unprepared-for-the-risk-of-a-cyber-breach-300718690.html SOURCE Chubb

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] UniCare Ranked Among Top Medicaid Plans in West Virginia by NCQA

UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia shared the top ranking in the state in the recently released National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2018-2019. The NCQA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality, publicly released its 2018-19 Health Insurance Plan Ratings at healthinsuranceratings.ncqa.org. The annual report rates more than 1,000 commercial, Medicaid and Medicare plans based on consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment. "UniCare is pleased to be recognized by the NCQA as one of the highest performing Medicaid health plans in the state," said Mitch Collins, plan president, UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia. "These rating 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 we do at UniCare, and we're committed to building on our accomplishments to provide a better healthcare experience for all consumers." In recognizin UniCare, the NCQA evaluated the plan's performance based on three areas -- consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment. UniCare received an overall score of 3.5 out of 5.



The consumer satisfaction scores come from what members say about their health plans in surveys, including feedback about claims processing, their doctors and getting needed care quickly. Prevention measures assess the proportion of eligible members who received preventive services, such as 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 UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc.

UniCare Health Plan of West Virginia, Inc. serves more than 130,000 Medicaid beneficiaries living in West Virginia. Every day, members of the UniCare team can be found in West Virginia communities listening to our members, interacting with our healthcare providers and partnering with community-based organizations. UniCare has served Medicaid beneficiaries in West Virginia since 2003. For more information about UniCare, visit http://mss.unicare.com/, and follow the company on Twitter (News - Alert) @UniCareWV. ABOUT NCQA National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of healthcare organizations and recognizes clinicians in key clinical areas. NCQA's HEDIS is the most widely used performance measurement tool in healthcare. NCQA's Web site (www.ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed healthcare choices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006046/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] 4th Annual CanBIM Innovation Spotlight Awards - Winners Announced

TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canada BIM Council (CanBIM) Announced the Winners for the 2018 Innovation Spotlight Awards as part of the CanBIM Toronto Regional Session: Technology Built Innovation: Smart Cities (Sept 19-20). CanBIM celebrated its 10th year in big fashion. The entire event was a resounding success with many new relationships forged, amazing networking opportunities, and some thought-provoking presentations with great insights into the future of the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Owner/Operator industry (AECOO), and last but certainly not least, to cap off the event, was the CanBIM Innovation Spotlight Awards Dinner and Presentation, where CanBIM recognized the many leaders in the AECOO industry. On September 20th, CanBIM closed the event with its 4th Annual, Innovation Spotlight Awards Dinner and Presentation. The 2018 Award was designed through Turner Fleischer Architects in-house "Design-Design" competition; the winning design was created by Calvin Fung, Intern Architect. Top honours went to Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS) for their innovative work on the Library of Parliament project. The Library of Parliament building information model captures one of Canada's most significant heritage monuments. Developed through a research partnership between Publi Services and Procurement Canada and the Carleton Immersive Media Studio, the Library BIM project is CIMS most complex BIM project to date. CIMS objective has been to create an accurate and detailed heritage record as well as capture the sense of awe that this building inspires.



Special mention goes to IBI Group for winning both the Owners and Facility Management Award and the Technology Award for their innovative InForm Office Asset Management Solution, which is a cloud-based platform designed to serve the needs of corporate facilities managers. A modular solution which allows organizations to plan and manage space, as well as track and monitor all interior assets. CanBIM recognizes industry leaders in eight (8) award categories: Technology, Academics, General Contractors, Trades, Design & Engineering, Owners & Facility Management, International, Trailblazer (Volunteer of the Year) and Professional Achievement. Top honours are presented to the Best In Innovation, candidates for this category were selected from the winners of each of the award categories.

Winners for the 4th Annual Innovation Spotlight Awards are as follows: Visit CanBIM Website for a full listing of Winners and Award Sponsors Best In Innovation- Sponsored by Aon Risk Solutions

Carleton Immersive Media Studio - Library of Parliament Trailblazer Award Winner  Sponsored by Canada BIM Council

Sergey Grushko  George Brown College International Award Winner  Sponsored by Bluebeam

EllisDon/ARPRO Joint Venture - ATRIO Academic Award Winner  Sponsored by Global eTraining

Carleton Immersive Media Studio - Library of Parliament Owners & Facility Management Award Winner  Sponsored by B+H Architects

IBI Group  Head Office Facility Management Design & Engineering Award Winner  Sponsored by SolidCAD

DIALOG  Calgary Cancer Center General Contractors Award Winner  Sponsored by Brownlee LLP

Pomerleau  Place Ville Marie  Repositioning Technology Award Winner  Sponsored by Glaholt LLP

IBI Group  InForm Professional Achievement Awards were presented to Daniel Forgues, Professeur Departement de genie de la construction, Ecole de technologie superieure

Clint Kissoon, Academic Chair, Centre for Construction Engineering Technology, George Brown College

Paul F. Loreto, Architect, L360 ARCHITECTURE, CanBIM Founding Member and Past President Website: www.canbim.com CanBIM Social Media: @CanBIM YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn. About CanBIM - http://www.canbim.com/about-canbim

Serving as the business voice of Canada's BIM community, CanBIM represents, supports and advocates on behalf of the entire AECOO and educational community to build a positive business environment for the effective deployment of BIM, not only for our member firms, but for all engaged in utilizing BIM in Canada. About CanBIM Awards - http://www.canbim.com/about-canbim-awards

CanBIM recognizes excellence in BIM/VDC through an Annual Awards presentation to those CanBIM Member companies and or individuals that demonstrate leadership and innovation through the implementation of technology, processes and methodologies. SOURCE CanBIM

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Robbins Arroyo LLP: Pitney Bowes Inc. (PBI) Noteholders File Class Action

Shareholder rights law firm Robbins Arroyo LLP announces that purchasers of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) 3.625% Notes Due 2020 and 4.700% Notes Due 2023, issued in connection the Pitney Bowes September 13, 2017 public offering of the Notes, have filed a class action complaint against the company's officers and directors for alleged violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1933. Pitney Bowes is a global provider of mail processing equipment and integrated mail solutions. View this information on the law firm's Shareholder Rights Blog: https://www.robbinsarroyo.com/pitney-bowes-inc/



Pitney Bowes Made Misleading Statements in its Prospectus Documents According to the complaint, Pitney Bowes filed its Prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which formed part of the Registration Statement, pursuant to which Pitney Bowes sold $300 million worth of 3.625% Notes Due 2020 and $400 million worth of 4.700% Notes Due 2023. What the company failed to disclose, however, was that decreases in equipment sales in the North America Mailing division in the third quarter 2017, which had already reduced sales revenues in the company's SMBS segment, coupled with decreased margins in the SMBS segment had reduced Pitney Bowes third quarter 2017 net income and EBIT.

Pitney Bowes Investors Have Legal Options If you would like more information about your rights and potential remedies, contact attorney Leonid Kandinov at (800) 350-6003, LKandinov@robbinsarroyo.com, or via the shareholder information form on the firm's website. Robbins Arroyo LLP is a nationally recognized leader in shareholder rights law. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits, and has helped its clients realize more than $1 billion of value for themselves and the companies in which they have invested. Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006070/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Alion to Provide Radio Frequency Monitoring and Telecommunications Analysis Support to the Army Corps of Engineers

Alion Science and Technology, headquartered in McLean, VA, has been awarded a $33M task order to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) under the Defense Systems Information (DS) Analysis Center (IAC) Multiple Award Contract (MAC). Alion will provide solutions and support to USACE in maintaining, modernizing, and protecting vital ground-based and satellite communications infrastructure assets which are crucial to the USACE during emergencies, such as those associated with hurricanes and flooding. USACE communications systems access to the radio frequency (RF) spectrum is challenged by competing commercial interests due to recent spectrum auctions. This may require USACE to move their RF operations to other parts of the spectrum, or develop the means to share the band they currently operate in with commercial entities. Alion's analysis, surveying and testing activities will result in the development of monitoring and protection solutions that will protect USACE systems from RF interference.



Brandi Greenberg, Alion Program Manager stated, "The company has provided engineering solutions that optimize systems performance within operational spectrum, and electromagnetic constraints for over 55 years, and aims to ensure that USACE has unfettered access to the RF spectrum it needs for the continued success of its mission." About Alion Science and Technology

At Alion, we combine large company resources with small business responsiveness to design and deliver engineering solutions across six core capability areas. Our engineers, technologists, and program managers bring together an agile engineering methodology and the best tools on the market to deliver mission success faster and at lower costs. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards; as such, Alion is ISO 9001:2008 certified and maintains CMMI Level 3-appraised development facilities. Based just outside of Washington, D.C., we help our clients achieve practical innovations by turning big ideas into real solutions. To learn more, visit www.alionscience.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006079/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Amerigroup Again Ranked Among Top Medicaid Plans for Consumers in New Jersey by NCQA

Amerigroup New Jersey shared the top ranking in the state in the recently released the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2018-2019. In addition, Amerigroup New Jersey was the only Medicaid plan in the state to receive a NCQA Commendable accreditation and Long Term Services and Supports Distinction, an honor that recognizes organizations for coordinating long-term services and supports (LTSS) that deliver efficient, effective person-centered care. These designations are separate from the Health Insurance Plan Ratings. The NCQA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality, publicly released its 2018-19 Health Insurance Plan Ratings at healthinsuranceratings.ncqa.org. The annual report rates more than 1,000 commercial, Medicaid and Medicare plans based on consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment. "Amerigroup is pleased to have received a 'Commendable' accreditation for the second consecutive year as well as being recognized by the NCQA as one of the highest performing Medicaid health plans in the state," said John Koehn, pln president, Amerigroup New Jersey. "These ratings demonstrate that our consumers have timely access to care, and they're receiving the right preventative care at the right time. Quality is foundational to everything we do at Amerigroup, and we're committed to building on our accomplishments to provide a better healthcare experience for all consumers."



In recognizing Amerigroup, the NCQA evaluated the plan's performance based on three areas -- consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment. Amerigroup received an overall score of 3.5 out of 5, with scores of 2.5 out of 5 for consumer satisfaction, 3 out of 5 for prevention, and 3 out of 5 for treatment. The consumer satisfaction scores come from what members say about their health plans in surveys, including feedback about claims processing, their doctors and getting needed care quickly. 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 Amerigroup New Jersey Amerigroup is part of the Anthem Government Business Division (GBD). Through the GBD, Anthem serves 7.4 million seniors, people with disabilities, low-income families and other state and federally sponsored beneficiaries, and National Government Services enrollees (including the Federal Employee Program) in 26 states, making us one of the nation's leading providers of health care solutions for public programs. 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/20180925005959/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Strayer University Opens Montgomery Campus

Strayer University hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to celebrate the opening of its third campus in Alabama, which sits in the heart of Montgomery. Classes will start on October 1. The campus, located at 79 Commerce Street, Suite C, will serve working adults and will utilize a new, leaner classroom model - providing students with more space to collaborate and meet with peers and faculty outside the classroom, while continuing to offer on-site support resources. Strayer University offers degrees ranging from associate's and bachelor's, to master's and MBAs. The school also boasts a range of subjects - from IT to business - as well as learning options, including both online and in-person instruction. "Whether someone is eager to finish their bachelor's degree or is hoping to get a master's degree to advance their career, Strayer has a program that can meet them where they are," said Brian Jones, president of Strayer University. "We're excited to add the Montgomery campus to the Strayer family and to offer the local community access to a quality, affordable education." Beginning January 2019, Montgomery students will be able to take Straye's path breaking Foundations of Success course on-campus, which will help empower students with the fundamental knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to successfully meet the challenges of college, life, and careers. By linking self-analysis, critical and creative thinking, and writing and discussion, students will develop unique perspectives on academic, professional, and life success. Also in 2019, students will be able to take advantage of an 11-week course featuring Queen Latifah that will focus on building two essential traits for success in any industry: confidence and perseverance.



Strayer University has two other campuses in Alabama, located in Huntsville and Birmingham, and more than 70 campuses nationwide. About Strayer University: Founded in 1892, Strayer University is an institution of higher learning for working adult students. It offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business administration, accounting, information technology, education, health services administration, public administration, and criminal justice. Strayer University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104 (267-284-5000, www.msche.org). The Commission is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. For more information, visit www.strayer.edu.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925005877/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] A.M. Best Withdraws Credit Ratings of National Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Inc.

A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of "bbb-" of National Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Inc. (NICW) (Brookfield, WI). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) remains stable. Concurrently, A.M. Best has withdrawn the ratings of NICW due to a lack of interaction with company management, as well as the limited liability structure of the organization. Consequently, the company no longer meets the minimum requirements needed to participate in A.M. Best's interactive rating process. The ratings reflect NICW's balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as very strong, as well as the company's marginal operating performance, limited business profile and marginal enterprise risk management. The stable outlooks consider NICW's very strong balance sheet strength assessment. Following the final rating review, A.M. Best has decided to withdraw the ratings, largely reflecting NICW's very limited remaining business operations. From a balance sheet perspective, loss reserves essentially were eliminated when the last of NICW's long-term disability and long-term care reserves were reinsured over the past several years, thereby significantly reducing the remaining liability structure of the organization. Ths press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on A.M. Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see A.M. Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and A.M. Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and A.M. Best Rating Action Press Releases.



A.M. Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information. Copyright  2018 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006178/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ][September 25, 2018] Health Management Associates Pays $260 Million To Settle Whistleblower Lawsuits

Health Management Associates, LLC (HMA), a subsidiary of Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CYH), today agreed to pay more than $260 million to settle whistleblower lawsuits alleging wide-ranging misconduct in emergency rooms, including $62.5 million to resolve allegations that HMA forced physicians to make unnecessary admissions to its hospitals. The United States Department of Justice joined the whistleblowers' lawsuits, filed in federal courts throughout the country, in 2013, before prosecuting the cases in federal court in Washington, D.C. and ultimately announcing the settlement earlier today. One of the lawsuits, filed by David Chizewer and Matthew Organ of Goldberg Kohn Ltd., alleged that HMA has, for years, intentionally and systematically admitted to its hospitals emergency room patients who did not need to be admitted, and then charged the government for those unnecessary admissions. According to that lawsuit, HMA established benchmarks for emergency room physicians regarding the percentage of patients that must be admitted to the hospital, and then enforced those benchmarks by incentivizing and pressuring physicians to meet them. The benchmarks were allegedly driven by HMA's profit projections, rather than by any health-related criteria. As a result of this scheme, according to the complaint, HMA knowingly and routinely caused patients to be admitted to its hospitals, even though an admission was not necessary. Government health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, overpaid HMA for these unnecessary admissions. Chizewer and Organ filed the lawsuit in Chicago, Ill. on behalf of a well-respected emergency room physician under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which encourage private citizens to report fraud against the government by allowing them to sue on behalf of the government and receive a share of any recovery. The False Claims Act also allows the government to join and prosecute such lawsuits, as the Department of Jusice did in this case, calling the False Claims Act "one of the most powerful tools" in the effort to combat healthcare fraud.



The United States joined the lawsuit, along with lawsuits filed by other whistleblowers, contending, among other things, that HMA pressured physicians to increase admissions without regard to medical necessity. "Corporate interference with physician decision-making for the purpose of bolstering profits jeopardizes patient health at the expense of American taxpayers," said Matthew Organ, a principal in Goldberg Kohn's Litigation practice. "Our client had the integrity to come forward and stop that interference, and we are proud to represent him. We are grateful that the Department of Justice took our client's allegations seriously, and diligently and skillfully prosecuted the case."

The government team was led by Department of Justice attorneys Marie Bonkowski and Laurie Oberembt. Community Health Systems acquired HMA in 2014, adding approximately 70 hospitals to its portfolio, making Community Health Systems one of the largest hospital chains in the country. The lawsuit is captioned United States of America ex rel. Plantz, M.D., et al. v. Health Management Associates Inc., et al., No. 13 CV 1212 (N.D. Ill.). In 2014, the case was transferred to federal district court in the District of Columbia, along with the other whistleblower suits, and was assigned case number 14 MC 00339. To view the press release issued by the Department of Justice, visit:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/hospital-chain-will-pay-over-260-million-resolve-false-billing-and-kickback-allegations-one About Goldberg Kohn's Whistleblower Practice Serving clients nationwide, Goldberg Kohn's whistleblower attorneys (www.whistleblowersattorneys.com) are committed to helping fight fraud against the government. They have recovered more than $500 million on behalf of the government, helping clients bring successful lawsuits against companies that commit fraud by utilizing a growing number of federal, state and local laws - including the False Claims Act - designed to encourage people with knowledge of fraud against the government to come forward. These whistleblower laws often provide a financial reward and a level of protection to those who do. Goldberg Kohn can help whistleblowers make use of these laws to stop fraud, maximize their rewards for coming forward, and protect them throughout the process. The firm has the experience, sophistication and resources required to take on even the largest corporate defendants and will fight for clients all the way to the finish line. Goldberg Kohn can be contacted at 312-863-7222 or whistle@goldbergkohn.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180925006251/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]Get the Note 9 if you want a big-screen phone with a pen and strong cameras. But you may want to splurge on the Note 10 for all the bells and whistles.

Get the Note 9 if you want a big-screen phone with a pen and strong cameras. But you may want to splurge on the Note 10 for all the bells and whistles.

The Galaxy Note 10 is here, but last year's Note 9 is worth a look if you're looking for a powerful Android phone, especially when that are plenty of good Note 9 deals.

We expect to see huge savings on the Note 9 over the holidays, so check out our Samsung Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to stay up-to-date on the latest prices.

The Galaxy Note 9 (starting at $899) has plenty of things going for it, including an S Pen that doubles as a remote control. After spending some time with Samsung's new flagship, most of the key highlights this time around feel more like refinements of a great phablet than bold steps forward, but this is still one of the best Android phones and best big-screen phones you can buy.

If you're not sure which Samsung phone to get, check out our Galaxy Note 9 vs. Galaxy Note 10 face-off and Galaxy Note 9 vs. Galaxy Note 20 comparison to see which of Samsung's most recent phablet generations is worth buying.



Cheat Sheet: What's new with the Note 9?

S Pen is a remote control: The stylus now has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can use it for taking selfies, giving presentations, skipping music tracks and more.

The stylus now has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can use it for taking selfies, giving presentations, skipping music tracks and more. Huge battery: The 4,000 mAh battery is the biggest ever in a Samsung handset, which is a big step up from the Note 8 and its 3,300 mAh power pack. However, our testing has produced only marginal improvements so far.

The 4,000 mAh battery is the biggest ever in a Samsung handset, which is a big step up from the Note 8 and its 3,300 mAh power pack. However, our testing has produced only marginal improvements so far. AI camera: The dual camera on the Note 9 can automatically recognize more than 20 different types of scenes (food, plants, etc.) and adjust the settings to get the best shot.

The dual camera on the Note 9 can automatically recognize more than 20 different types of scenes (food, plants, etc.) and adjust the settings to get the best shot. DeX without the dock. You only need an adapter and an HDMI cable to turn the Note 9 into a mini PC rather than a $69 accessory. The phone doubles as a touchpad.

You only need an adapter and an HDMI cable to turn the Note 9 into a mini PC rather than a $69 accessory. The phone doubles as a touchpad. Water cooled. The Note 9 uses a water carbon fiber cooling system to prevent overheating and deliver sustained high performance, though our testing didn't yield impressive results.

Pricing and availability

When it debuted in August 2018, the Note 9 cost $999 for the 6GB model with 128GB of storage. Several months after its initial release, though, it's not hard to find discounts on the Note 9. As of this writing, Samsung is offering $100 to $200 off the phone depending on which carrier you opt for; the unlocked version of the Note 9 is $100 off at Samsung, too.

The 512GB Galaxy Note 9 costs $1,249, with those same $100 to $200 discounts available at the moment.

AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless and Xfinity carry the Galaxy Note 9. You can also get it through Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Sams Club, Straight Talk Wireless, Target and Walmart, as well as Samsung.com.

MORE: Best Galaxy Note 9 Deals



Design: Mostly unchanged

The boldest thing about the Note 9's design is that it now comes in more vibrant hues. The deeper Lavender Purple model pops more than the Ocean Blue version. However, the Ocean Blue comes with a yellow S Pen, which writes in yellow on the display in Screen-Off memo mode, a nice, subtle touch.

Shortly after the phone's release last year, Samsung announced the availability of new Cloud Silver and Midnight Black versions of the Note 9. Cloud Silver is exclusively sold through Best Buy and Samsung's own website, while the Midnight Black variant will be carried at all retailers.

If you can tell the Note 8 and Note 9 apart at a glance, kudos to you: The differences between them are so slight as to be imperceptible.

The Note 9 and Note 8 have identical bodies  both are 6.4 inches long and 0.34 inches deep. The Note 9s display is a smidge larger at 6.4 inches to the Note 8s 6.3-inch panel, which makes it the largest screen Samsungs ever put in a Note device, but youd be forgiven for not noticing.

The new phone is a tiny bit heavier than the Note 8 (7.1 ounces versus 6.9 ounces), but I couldnt feel the difference when holding both devices.

The biggest change is the fingerprint sensor, which Samsung wisely moved from beside the dual-lens camera to beneath it. This makes it easier for those of us with small hands to easily unlock the phone without straining our stubby fingers. Just be aware that the back of the new phone smudges easily.

Galaxy Note 9 specs

Debut Price

$999 (128GB), $1,249 (512GB)

Display 6.4 inches Super AMOLED (2960 x 1440) OS

Android 8.1 Oreo CPU

Snapdragon 845 RAM

6GB, 8GB Storage

128GB, 512GB microSD

Up to 512GB Rear Camera

Dual 12 MP Cameras (f/1.5 and f/2.4) Front Camera

8 MP (f/1.7) Battery

4,000 mAH Battery Life (Hrs:Mins)

11:26

Size

6.3 x 3 x 0.34 inches Weight

7.1 ounces Colors

Lavender Purple, Ocean Blue, Cloud Silver, Midnight Black



Display: Another winner

If theres one thing Samsung excels at, its stunning smartphone screens. The same Super AMOLED panel with quad-HD resolution that you find in the Note 8 and Galaxy S9 is what you get with the Note 9, but then again, its pretty hard to improve upon perfection.

I havent had time to catch up on the second season of Jessica Jones, which I would prefer to watch on my 55-inch TV in the comfort of my living room. But the Note 9s screen is massive, and OLED lends itself to deep, rich colors (moreso than LED panels, which are brighter). Catching up on my favorite Marvel anti-hero series was fully immersive, though I still prefer a TV for my streaming needs.

MORE: Galaxy Note 9 Specs - What You Get

OLED panels are now rivaling LED screens when it comes to brightness, at least when in direct sunlight. Thats definitely true of the Note 9, which hit 604 nits on the light meter in our lab tests. That easily beats the Pixel 2 XLs 438 nits and the iPhone Xs 474 nits, though the S9+ edged out the Note 9 at 630 nits, and nothing really approaches the LG G7 ThinQ, which can clear 900 nits when you max out is brightness settings.

The Note 9 is also incredibly colorful: It reproduces 224 percent of the sRGB color gamut, which is better than the Note 8 (204.8 percent), the Galaxy S9 (220 percent), the Pixel 2 XL (120 percent) and the iPhone X (128.6 percent). But the S9+ proves it has the panel to beat, covering an eye-popping 231 percent of the color spectrum.

When it comes to the true-to-life nature of those hues, the Note 9 notched a 0.34 on the Delta-E rating (numbers closer to 0 are more accurate). The Note 8 scored a 0.5. The iPhone Xs OLED panel isnt quite as rich or colorful as the Note 9s, but its colors are more true to life with a Delta-E score of 0.27 (or 0.21 when the iPhones True Tone setting is toggled on).

Overall, the Note 9s display is one of the best around. At its size and price, it should be.



S Pen: More than a stylus

The Notes S Pen seems to get better with every new version of the Note, and the Note 9s iteration is the best yet. Samsung added Bluetooth connectivity so the new S Pen can be used as a remote control for your phone instead of just a simple stylus.

I was surprised at how much I liked using the S Pen remote button. The feature is endlessly customizable and should become even more so now that third-party app developers have access to an S Pen Remote SDK (though Samsung has done a lackluster job at promoting any third-party S Pen improvements that have come out since then). A long press of the stylus button can open any app you choose in the S Pen Remote settings, and then you can assign actions to a single click and double click of the button for any app thats compatible with the S Pen. There are few to start, but we expect a variety of apps to add support for S Pen actions in the future.

I found myself using the S Pen primarily as a camera remote, because pressing the shutter when taking a selfie is a constant struggle for me, especially on a phone as big as the Note 9. With the S Pen in hand, I could hold the Note at any angle and and capture a great photo without dropping the phone just by pressing the remote button.

I also never worried about the S Pens battery, because the pen is usually slotted into the bottom of the phone, which keeps it charged up. If it does die (which it didnt during my use), then sliding it back into the Note for 40 seconds juices it back up to 100 percent.

The Note 9s S Pen offers all the other great little features that the Note 8s version does, including the ability to write notes while the screen is off, translate languages by highlighting text and turn your notes into animated GIFs with the Live Message tool.

As soon as developers are on board with the S Pens remote feature, that might be the best reason to buy a Note 9.

Camera: AI makes photos pop

The Note 9s rear camera is essentially the same 12-megapixel dual-lens shooter Samsung put in the Galaxy S9+, which means you can capture portraits with blurred backgrounds. The camera also sports a dual aperture, which can automatically open at either f/1.5 to f/2.4 for brighter low-light images or crisper shots, depending on your shooting conditions.

But Samsung added artificial intelligence to the Note 9s camera software to set it apart from the other Galaxies. And it really makes a difference.

Samsung isnt the first company to make its camera smart  LG and Huawei flagships both have intelligence baked in for automatically configuring the camera settings depending on what youre shooting. The Note 9 recognizes 20 scenes, including snow, sunsets, beaches and backlit subjects, and adjusts the contrast, brightness, saturation, white balance and other settings youd normally have to manually configure in the cameras Pro mode. You can turn off Scene Optimizer if youd rather take photos without its intervention.

The good news: The Note 9s Scene Optimizer takes your photos to the next level compared to images shot without the feature turned on. In each photo we took, Scene Optimizer increased the contrast and saturation significantly, which made almost every photo look better.

For instance, a dimly lit shot of the gold clock in the center of Grand Central Station looked more vivid with the AI setting, which categorized the train station as nighttime. (An icon appears on-screen in the camera preview to tell you when the Note has recognized the scene type.) The gold clock gleamed in contrast to the window behind it, like a scene out of a Harry Potter film.

In a photo of foliage in Bryant Park, Scene Optimizer brought out the details in the leaves cascading over the planter. The pink petals were more sharply contrasted against the shrubbery in the AI-assisted image.

But sometimes the AI camera goes overboard, like in a photo of a cinnamon-filled pastry. The twisted dough appeared almost orange in the photo, which the camera recognized as food, and the image was overall flat. The pastrys sheen was more accurately captured in the non-optimized image, and you could see the rivers of cinnamon more clearly.

Now, the bad news: Even with AI, the Note 9s camera still falls short of not only Googles Pixel 3, but the previous-generation Pixel 2 as well. In a photo of backlit buildings in midtown Manhattan contrasted against a lawn filled with people relaxing after work, the Pixel 2 XL captured the shade variation in the sky and the light reflected in the building windows, and more accurately painted the deep green trees.

In a photo of me taken using Pixels Portrait mode and the Note 9s version of Portrait mode, called Live Focus, the Pixel picked up the freckles on my shoulders and the detail in my face moreso than the Note 9, which smoothed out my skin but made it look cooler than it is in real life.

The Note 9's camera shines when shooting at night, thanks to the Dual Aperture feature that automatically widens to allow more light in when shooting in dim settings. I took a photo of a rose in my garden at 8:30 p.m. using the Note 9, Pixel 2 XL and iPhone X, and the Note 9's result was the clear winner. The pink petals are saturated and bright, despite the lack of light, and contrast crisply against the green of the leaves. You can also see water droplets from the storm earlier that day. I took the same photo with the Note 9's Scene Optimizer turned on and off, and found the AI didn't improve the detail or saturation in the flower. This is noteworthy because the Galaxy S9+ has the same exact camera as the Note 9, but doesn't have the AI-assisted software in its camera. Turns out you don't need that to capture great nighttime shots.

Since the Note 9 released, Google has introduced a new flagship of its own, as well as a revolutionary new feature called Night Sight. This mode  which is reaching the Pixel 2 as well  improves low-light shooting to rival the Note 9s own capabilities in the dark, even with the AI Scene Optimizer switched on. In the Winter Village at New Yorks Bryant Park, Samsungs handset failed to properly illuminate the trees, the walkway and the side of the New York Public Library. The Pixel 3s Night Sight mode delivered a more impressive image overall, though it did blow out the lighting in some of the storefronts.



Here we see a comparison with Apples iPhone XS, where both devices employed 2x optical zoom to crop in on this picturesque winter scene on the banks of the Delaware River at New Jerseys Washington Crossing State Park. The Note 9s attempt is better exposed overall but cooler, while Apples handset opted for a warmer white balance and did a slightly better job with the highlights, as illustrated by the green traffic light. One notable difference is the way each handset dealt with the falling snow. The iPhone automatically adopted a faster shutter speed, suspending the snowflakes in midair. Meanwhile, the Note 9s slower-acting shutter blended everything together, making the precipitation more reminiscent of rain.



The Note 9 has one smart feature that other AI-assisted cams dont: Flaw Detection. This feature tells you as soon as you snap a pic if something is wrong with it. The camera recognizes if a subject is blinking, if theres too much blur, if your lens is smudged, or if the image is backlit, so you can quickly reshoot in the moment instead of cursing yourself afterward. This really worked  we were able to reshoot a blurry portrait that, at first glance, seemed perfectly fine.

Overall, the Note 9s camera is solid, but its not the best around, even with Scene Optimizer activated. However, being able to ditch AI and shoot in Pro mode when you want to is a nice touch for professional photogs who dont need a boost.

Performance: Fast, powerful, but not any cooler

Like all Android flagships these days, the Galaxy Note 9 packs a Snapdragon 845 processor, but Samsung ups the ante with 6GB of RAM on the standard configuration of the phone, which also offers 128GB of storage. If you want more memory and storage, you can order a Note 9 with 8GB of RAM and a whopping 512GB of storage. But that's not the most interesting part.

Samsung says it's employing a water/carbon fiber cooling so the Note 9 can deliver faster performance over extended periods without throttling, such as when you're playing games. There's a 3x bigger thermal spreader (or heat sink) than in the Note 8, which is designed for better cooling performance. We put that to the test  four tests, to be exact  to see how the addition of water/carbon fiber cooling performs in real life. The verdict: It doesn't. There was no noticeable temperature difference between the Note 9 and Note 8, which has a smaller thermal spreader and lacks water/carbon fiber cooling. We reached out to Samsung for comment on our results, and we'll update this review if they respond.



In terms of how that translates to performance, our test results prove the Note 9 is indeed a powerful phone, though not the fastest Android device around. We ran Geekbench 4, which measures a phone's general performance, on the 6GB version of the Galaxy Note 9 and came up with a multicore score of 8,876. That's a definite improvement over the Note 8 and its Snapdragon 835 processor, which produced a 6,564 score, and the Note 9 outperformed the Galaxy S9+ (8,295) as well.

But the Note 9 didn't match the OnePlus 6 model with 8GB of RAM remains the fastest Android device, with its 9,098 score. We haven't tested the 8GB model of the Note 9, which comes with 512GB of storage and costs $1,249, but it's possible the more expensive Note can rival the OnePlus 6.

As for the iPhone X, which runs on Apple's blazing-fast A11 Bionic CPU, it remains a no-contest. The iPhone X scores 10,357 on Geekbench 4. Its single-core result of 4,055 also tops the 2,452 single-core score turned in by the Note 9. Android phones continue to lag behind Apple's offerings in terms of performance, and the Note 9 doesn't change that.



When it comes to graphics performance, the Galaxy Note 9 pulled ahead of the Galaxy S9+ on 3DMark's Slingshot Extreme 3.1 benchmark with a score of 4,639 compared to 4,634. However, the Note 9 lagged behind the iPhone X (4,994) and the OnePlus 6 (5,124) with 8GB of RAM.



The Note 9 should offer some of the fastest LTE speeds around, as it sports a Cat 18 modem from Qualcomm. This is the same modem in the Galaxy S9 that ran circles around the iPhone X on downloads and uploads, but we'll put the Note 9 through its paces to see if it achieves the same speeds.





Battery: Good, but short of expectations

Samsung put a giant 4,000 mAh battery in the Galaxy Note 9, which means it should last much longer than the companys other phones.

But the Note 9 didnt turn in the best results on the Toms Guide Battery Test (continuous web-surfing over T-Mobiles LTE network until the phone dies) initially lasting 11 hours and 16 minutes. We turned off the phone's adaptive display feature, and retested: the Note 9 lasted an extra 10 minutes on the test.

Dont get me wrong, thats solid enough to land the device on our list of longest-lasting smartphones, where its best time of 11:26 lands it in the top 20. Its also 90 minutes better than the average smartphones battery life (9:48).

However, the Note 9 lasted just 15 minutes longer than the Note 8, which has a much smaller 3,300 mAh battery. The Pixel 2 XL lasted 12:09 on our test, more than a half-hour longer than the Note 9's best time (and Googles flagship has a better camera, to boot). The Galaxy S9+ hits 10:59.

Bixby: Can't rival Siri, let alone Alexa

Samsung is improving its Bixby voice assistant by integrating with more third-party apps and making it more aware of context.

But Bixby is still playing catch-up with rival assistants, such as Amazons Alexa, Google Assistant and even Apples Siri, which still balks at tasks like setting multiple timers. Bixbys new additions, which include the ability to make a restaurant reservation and call an Uber without installing those apps or pressing any buttons at all, are still buggy at this point.

Bixby couldnt understand my requests to book reservations at the popular new bistro Frenchette or an udon noodle shop in midtown. Specifically, Bixby didnt understand the name Frenchette, which it heard as French at or friendship, or the word udon, which it heard as wood-on  instead, it showed me nearby furniture stores. When I asked Bixby to make a reservation for lunch at 2 p.m. nearby, plenty of restaurants close to my office popped up, but most of them were fast-casual spots that dont take reservations.

I tried a different approach: Make a reservation tonight for French.

French restaurants in midtown Manhattan popped up. Bixby asked which one I wanted. At the top of the list was Per Se, so I said, Per Se. Bixby heard, Persei, and I still was no closer to making dinner plans.

Eventually, I mustve overwhelmed the assistant, because an error message popped up: Cant talk to Bixby right now.

Fine. I didnt want to talk to Bixby anyway.

MORE: Alexa vs. Google Assistant vs. Siri

Calling an Uber was much more seamless. After connecting my Uber account to Bixby, I had the assistant hail an UberX to JFK Airport with no issues, and I even knew how much it would cost in advance.

But there are still bugs to be worked out. Bixby doesnt respond quickly, and often mishears what you ask about (as in the restaurant kerfuffle above). If Bixby is going to be the foundation of Samsungs upcoming Galaxy Home speaker, its gonna need a whole lot of work to compete with Alexa.

Bottom line

Samsung has been an innovator with the Galaxy Note lineup, with past models setting the bar for productivity powerhouses with huge screens. But these days, nearly every flagship phone is now giant. Having a cutting-edge processor, pro-level camera and lengthy battery life is no longer special.

Where the Note 9 shines is as a high-performance phone. If your productivity depends on a device that has a giant display and the ability to get more work done with the powerful S Pen, Samsungs latest phone is the one for you. And its ability to connect to an external display with just a cable makes ideal for power users.

The Note 9 is an excellent phone, to be sure, but its not breaking any molds. The battery life is good, but not industry-leading. The camera is good, but Googles 10-month-old Pixel 2 XL is still better, and phones released after the Note 9 came out have raised the bar even higher. Bixby still needs serious work, though no one is buying a Samsung device for its assistant

So, unless you love the idea of using an S Pen, you may want to wait until this fall to compare all of the latest flagships before you buy-including the expected trio of new iPhones. But if you need a big-screen phone, the Note 9 should not disappoint.

Credit: Tom's Guide

The Pixel 3 is the ultimate expression of Android and proof that AI done right can make your life easier.

The Pixel 3 is the ultimate expression of Android and proof that AI done right can make your life easier.

For all the Pixel 3's implementations of AI  and there a lot of them  this isn't a phone that asks anything unwelcome of its users. There's no learning curve here, no alphabetized list of features buried in submenus to memorize and no sacrifice required to get the most from the hardware. In a way, the Pixel 3 is the anti-Android phone.

Here, Google has built a device that bends to you, not one that forces you to bend. And that makes the Pixel 3 one of the best smartphones available. It's delightfully intuitive and easy to live with, yet infinitely capable. In other words, it's the smartphone that will remind you of the very first time you used a smartphone and all the fascination and promise that came with it.

Now that the Pixel 4 is launched, stock of the Pixel 3 is dwindling. Google recently cut the phone's price to $499, though those supplies quickly depleted at the Google Store. That means you'll have to look elsewhere to nab last year's model at a good price.

Still, if you can track down a bargain, the Pixel 3 remains a compelling value. If you're looking for a great camera for less money  and you're willing to give up some performance  check out our reviews of the cheaper Pixel 3a ($399/399) and Pixel 3a XL ($479/469).

Update Nov. 25: Amazon has the 64GB versions of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL for $350 off their original prices, fully unlocked and in every color for Black Friday. It's the finest deal on a high-end smartphone we've seen yet this week, though that could change as we get closer to the weekend, so keep it locked on Tom's Guide's Black Friday deals hub for the latest.



Price and Availability

The Pixel 3 started at $799 when it released, though you should be able to find it for hundreds less now while retailers' and carriers' supplies last. The device comes with 64GB of storage, though users who require more storage must tack on another $100/100 for the 128GB configuration; neither Pixel 3 comes with a microSD slot for expandability. You have a choice of three colors: Just Black, Clearly White and Not Pink.

When the Pixel originally came out in the fall of 2018, you had limited options for where you could grab a Pixel 3. As with past Pixels, Verizon sold the phone as did Google's own Project Fi wireless service, which combines coverage from T-Mobile, Sprint and U.S. Cellular and follows a pay-what-you-use approach. You could buy the phone unlocked from Google as well.

Later, the Pixel 3 made it to more carriers. Sprint offers both the Pixel 3 and 3 XL (not the mention the cheaper 3a and 3a XL models). T-Mobile offers just the 3 XL alongside the two cheaper 3a models.

Specs



Google Pixel 3 Google Pixel 3 XL Price

$799/$899739/839 $899/$999

869/969

CPU

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

Screen

5.5-inch OLED (2160 x 1080)

6.3-inch OLED (2960 x 1440)

Rear Camera

Single: 12.2MP (f/1.8) with OIS and EIS

Single: 12.2MP (f/1.8) with OIS and EIS

Front Camera

Dual: 8MP wide-angle (f/2.2) and 8MP (f/1.8)

Dual: 8MP wide-angle (f/2.2) and 8MP (f/1.8)

Battery

2,915 mAh with 18-watt fast charging and Qi wireless chargingWireless charging, up to 10 watts 3430 mAh with 18-watt fast charging and Qi wireless chargingWireless charging, up to 10 watts Battery Life

8:27

9:30

Memory

4GB

4GB

Storage

64GB/128GB

64GB/128GB

Water resistance

IP68

IP68

Audio

Front-firing stereo speakers

Front-firing stereo speakers

Software

Android 9 Pie

Android 9 Pie

Special Features

Wireless charging, up to 10 watts

Wireless charging, up to 10 watts

Materials

Aluminum frame, hybrid glass coating

Aluminum frame, hybrid glass coating

Colors

Clearly White, Just Black, Not Pink

Clearly White, Just Black, Not Pink

Weight

5.2 ounces

6.5 ounces

Size

5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches

6.2 x 3.0 x 0.3 inches



Design: Charming and compact

At 5.5 inches, the compact flavor of Google's third-generation Pixel is objectively classified as a small handset by 2018 standards, or a normal-size one from a couple years ago. On the Pixel 3, I can effortlessly reach all corners of the screen without involving a second hand. That, in and of itself, is a distinctly antiquated feeling among smartphones today. But it also perfectly symbolizes why Google's relatively tiny flagship is so special.

You won't find any Galaxy S9-style sloping Infinity edges here. There's no plurality of rear lenses like on the LG V40; no shimmering, chameleon-like ombre backside that evokes the Huawei P20; and certainly no notch (at least on the smaller model; the 3 XL has caved to peer pressure). There's just an 18:9 display flanked by two reasonably sized bezels housing a pair of booming front-facing speakers. Personally, I'm not bothered by the forehead and chin, as they serve a purpose, though it would have been nice to see Google trim them down a bit more.

The design philosophy here is minimalist and unassuming, though I wouldn't necessarily call it boring. There's a charm to the way the Pixel 3 fits snugly in the palm of your hand and how little attention it draws to itself. I've been carrying the Clearly White model for about a week now, and I can't get enough of its mint power button. This adds just the right dash of personality to an otherwise-tastefully restrained handset. Simplicity is very much the operative word here.

Google's attention to detail extends to the Pixel 3's all-glass construction  a noteworthy departure from this phone's predecessors, which fused aluminum and glass. Now clad in Gorilla Glass 5 all around, the newest Pixels can finally charge wirelessly.

Wireless charging is all well and good, but Google's a bit late to the party. After all, my 5-year-old Nexus 4 drew power from induction pads, at the expense of a fragile, wafer-thin glass back that shattered at the faintest gust of wind. The Pixel 3, on the other hand, incorporates glass in a way it's never been used before in a phone.

There's a charm to the way the Pixel 3 fits snugly in the palm of your hand and how little attention it draws to itself.

One of Google's iconic design cues is the so-nicknamed "Pixel Window": that square of glass that made up the upper third of the Pixel 2's backside, while the rest of the chassis was crafted from metal. But because the Pixel 3 is shrouded in a single sheet of glass, Google had to develop a new etching process to deliver that signature glossy-meets-matte effect.

This matte surface blankets most of the Pixel 3. It certainly won't fool anyone into thinking they're touching metal, but it repels fingerprints admirably and presents a thoughtful approach of freshening up plain old glass  both in aesthetics and feel.

To keep things consistent, the phone's aluminum frame has been finished with the same shine as the glossy portions of the back. I'm not a fan of this decision  it feels a little chintzy and doesn't lend the same sense of quality as the Pixel 2's distinctive powder coating. But this is a nitpick, and you can rest assured that there's nothing chintzy about the phone's durability. The Pixel 3 is rated IP68 water resistant, meaning it should withstand up to 5 feet of water for a maximum of 30 minutes.

MORE: Pixel 3 vs. iPhone XR: Battle of the Affordable Flagships



Oh, and one more thing: The haptics are fantastic. They don't feel terribly different in the Pixel 3 compared to the Pixel 2, but typing in particular is rich and satisfying, where tapping keys produces precise pops rather than jarring buzzes. Other Android phone makers should take note.

Cameras: Better photos through AI

Say hello to the first Pixel with dual-lens imaging. No, not for the rear camera  that's still a 12.2-megapixel shooter. Rather, the Pixel 3 packs a pair of 8-MP front-facing cameras, one with a wide-angle perspective and another that's more conventional.

Of course, those selfie cameras are notable in their own right, but the Pixel 3's crown jewel is that lone rear lens. With it  and with Google's breakthrough HDR+ image processing and Pixel Visual Core chip  this phone turns out some of the best photography we've ever seen from a mobile device.

That said, the Pixel 3 does meet a formidable opponent in the iPhone XS. Both phones were used to capture this evening scene as the sun was going down just outside New York's Herald Square. Google's device notably blows out the light collected by the corner of the Macy's building. However, it paints the storefronts and street signs with increased sharpness and steers clear of the hazy warmth that pervades the iPhone's rendition.

Inside Grand Central Station, both the Pixel 3 and iPhone XS captured stunning shots of the ceiling of the Main Concourse. The iPhone looks to have the edge here, though, thanks to more-even overall exposure and better white balance, which cuts down on the slight reddish tint in the Pixel's shots. Also, the design on the ceiling is much more noticeable through the lens of Apple's handset.

We used Grand Central's iconic clock as an opportunity to test Super Res Zoom. One of the Pixel 3 camera's new features, it combines multiple frames to fill in detail when you're using digital zoom. In this particular example, it's astonishing to see Google's handset deliver an image through software that's every bit as sharp as what the iPhone XS was able to pull off with its 2x optical zoom.

However, Super Res Zoom favors certain scenarios more than others. Outside, on a breezy fall morning in Bryant Park, the Galaxy Note 9's optical zoom produced a sharper, punchier shot of some plants at the base of a statue. While the Pixel 3's attempt is by no means poor, beating better optics with software is a tall task. Additionally, the Note 9 benefited from its Scene Optimizer tech, which recognized that the phone was shooting greenery and so tuned the exposure appropriately.

When things get really dark, though, the Pixel 3 falters. The Note 9's superwide f/1.5 aperture makes it one of the best devices there is for low-light photography, as evidenced by this comparison. The Pixel 3's dingy, noisy exposure lacks all of the color and detail that Samsung's phablet provides.

However, our initial low-light tests were conducted before we were able to try Night Sight  a mode that recently launched on the Pixel 3 in November. Night Sight is a real game changer, turning out phenomenal results by blending a succession of frames together to emulate a long exposure time, and using AI to infer the colors and gaps in detail.



Because the Pixel 3 doesn't require a second lens to determine depth, it can perform Portrait Mode bokeh-style shots through its single rear-facing camera. Once again, the results are impressive; there's stronger color and contrast from Google's device, and the fabric in my colleague Caitlin's sweater is more in focus. However, the iPhone XS navigates the boundaries of the foreground better, which leads to less of the artifacting around Caitlin's hair that the Pixel 3 unfortunately left in.



How does the Pixel 3 hold up against a more recently released camera like the triple lens setup on the back of the new Galaxy S10 Plus? We still think the Pixel comes out on top, but Samsung's camera gives the Google phone a run for its money, particularly in outdoor shots like the one above featuring hats. Zoom in, and the S10 Plus does a better job with finer details, even if the Pixel's shot produces more vivid colors.

In other areas, though, the Pixel 3 maintains an edge despite the improvements Samsung made to the Galaxy S10's cameras. A portrait mode shot with bokeh effects displays more natural color on the Pixel 3, while Samsung's new phone blows out the subjects a little bit.



Turning back to our iPhone/Pixel comparisons, the Pixel 3 blows away the iPhone XS where selfies are concerned. Recently, the front-facing sensors in Apple's latest handsets have been criticized for aggressive smoothing. Judging from the result here, I'd say those claims aren't totally unfounded. In contrast, the Pixel 3 delivers a remarkably crisp portrait that perfectly captures my skin tone as well as all the finer details, like the fabric of my flannel shirt and beanie.

The next time you accidentally cut your friend out of a selfie, you're going to wish you had the Pixel 3's wide-angle, front-facing camera. Obviously, it draws in so much more of your surroundings than a conventional lens, like the one on the Note 9. But what I love most about it is the way it's implemented in the Pixel 3's camera software. All you have to do is press a minus button, as if you're zooming out.

Pixel 3 (left), iPhone XS (right)

It's almost just as easy to access Top Shot, the last of the Pixel 3's trio of camera-improving features, which captures a bunch of frames before and after you take every photo, no matter which lens you're using. If the Pixel 3 notices that something's off about the one you took, it'll suggest you save a different one as a copy instead. But even if it doesn't do this, you can swipe up on any photo taken and scrub frame by frame until you see something that strikes your fancy.

Pixel 3 (left), iPhone XS (right)

Whether you opt for the 5.5-inch Pixel 3 or the larger Pixel 3 XL, it's encouraging to know you're getting the same great camera. Google remains committed to continuing feature parity between the two models, and people who prefer small phones are better off for it. Outside of the obvious difference in display size and the larger battery in the XL, these are functionally the same devices.

MORE: OnePlus 7 Pro vs. Pixel 3: Which Phone Wins?

Android Pie: A smarter OS

The greatest thing about a Pixel is never strictly the hardware; rather, it's how that hardware is used. The Pixel 3 comes with Android 9 Pie fresh out of the box, though it'd be unfair to call this simply a stock installation. In actuality, Android on the Pixel is hardly more stock than Android on one of Samsung's products, considering all the exclusive features Google adds to its OS specifically for its phones.

As it turns out, Digital Wellbeing is, at least for now, less of an Android Pie thing and more of a Pixel thing. Same goes for the new gesture-based navigation system, which is the default way of getting around on Google's latest flagship but not necessarily all Pie-powered phones.

Both features have already made their way to Pixel 2 owners, though, personally, I've gotten tremendous utility out of Pie's new approach to managing notifications. Google Maps has pinged me on multiple occasions for traffic alerts and requests to rate places, and with each notification comes the ability to turn off that particular class of alert. The latest version of Android gives you more control than you've ever had over how and under what circumstances apps should jostle for your attention.

Once again, you can squeeze the Pixel 3 to summon your Google Assistant. But I reckon that the phone's biggest little special feature is Call Screen, a service that leverages Google Assistant to, well, screen calls for you.

Call Screen: Borderline revolutionary

Anytime you receive a ring from an unknown number, the Pixel 3 offers the option of screening rather than answering. When this happens, you'll see a live transcription of what the robot (or person) on the other end of the line is saying. If you're being solicited, your Assistant will reply with a request to remove you from any lists. But if the caller turns out to be someone you actually want to speak to, you can cut your Assistant off and jump on the line immediately.

MORE: Video: Pixel 3's Screen Call Is Simply Amazing



Call Screen is that rare feature that works so well and makes so much sense that you'll be amazed it hasn't been done before. In fact, it's already proved indispensable to me, after one incident in which I got rung up from a number I didn't recognize. Google Assistant asked for the caller's info, and when they responded, I found out it was actually my insurance company reaching out about an important claim. I was able to instantly jump in and take over the conversation from my Assistant. But if it weren't for Call Screen, I probably would have just declined the call.

Pixel Stand: Wireless charging meets Google Home

Google's Pixel Stand wireless charger, sold separately for $79, unlocks even more Assistant goodies, including shortcuts that appear on the Always On display when the device is charging. These shortcuts launch Routines  collections of actions tied to certain scenarios, like waking up in the morning or getting home from work  which you'd typically trigger with a voice command.

Other Pixel Stand features include Sunrise Alarm, which adds a subtle glow to the Pixel 3's display that increases in intensity right before you wake up. And owners of Nest's Hello video doorbell will be able to see the feed on their phones the moment somebody comes knocking. You don't need to say a word or open an app; so long as your Pixel 3 is charging on the stand, it'll show you who's at the door.

As with the Pixel 2, the Pixel 3 comes with three years of postlaunch Android version and security updates. The industry standard is typically two years of new software. Couple that with phone makers lagging behind Google on delivering updates, and this remains one of the finest reasons to consider a Pixel in lieu of other Android flagships.

Display: Finally, OLED the Pixel deserves

Google heard the complaints about the Pixel 2 XL's display and wanted to set them right. That much is certain from the moment you lay your eyes on the Pixel 3's 5.5-inch OLED screen.

The new, HDR-spec panel is better than anything Google's sold in a smartphone before  and by a considerable margin. The issues that riddled the Pixel 2 XL are thankfully nowhere to be found. There's no splotchiness with solid colors and no distracting tint at odd viewing angles. Google has engineered safeguards in the software to stamp out image retention, as well as a new Dynamic color profile that satisfies people searching for punchier hues beyond plain old sRGB.

Truthfully, though, you don't need to know any of that to appreciate the Pixel 3's screen. I fired up YouTube to watch the trailer for Sony's upcoming animated Spider-Man flick and sat mesmerized by the amber explosions and neon lights leaping off New York's night sky. The intensity of the colors and fluidity of motion gave the impression of a comic book brought to life.

Indeed, the Pixel 3's screen is striking, and it can finally stand tall among the industry's best. That said, a few small concerns keep this display just off the top of the podium.

For one thing, Google's full-HD flagship is outmatched by QHD devices like the Galaxy S9, which benefit from higher pixel density. This makes text on the Pixel 3 a bit more jagged than on certain other high-end handsets. Red, green and blue subpixels are also slightly easier to discern with the naked eye on the Pixels screen.

I can get past that, but the Pixel 3's brightness  or lack thereof  is a little more frustrating. On its highest setting, the Pixel 3 registered just 401 nits on our light meter. That's some 200 nits shy of the iPhone XS. In certain situations, such as under harsh sunlight, Google's device can get brighter. But most of the time, users will be quite limited by what the software will allow.

MORE: What a Diehard iPhone User Thinks of the Pixel 3



The Pixel 3 offers some of the most-robust color we've seen from a smartphone, topping 202 percent of the sRGB color space on the phone's default Dynamic setting. For reference, the iPhone XS reaches only 125 percent, However, this penchant for saturation comes somewhat at the expense of accuracy, as the Pixel 3 achieves a Delta-E score of 0.44 compared to the iPhone XS' 0.22. (Numbers closer to zero are better.) If it's realism you want, we recommend trying the optional Boosted and sRGB modes.



Performance: Beyond the sum of its parts

The Pixel 3 might be really, really smart, but the silicon that powers it is no different than what youd find in countless other Android phones.

That's not to say that the Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip and the 4GB of RAM in the Pixel 3 don't lend themselves to a fast and pleasant experience. But some of Google's Android partners  like OnePlus, Asus and even Razer  offer twice the amount of memory you get from both the Pixel 3 and 3 XL. And they have the benchmarking results to prove it.

Take Geekbench 4, for example, on which the Pixel 3 crossed the finish line with a modest multicore score of 7,316. That's only about 1,000 points more than what the Pixel 2 managed with an older, Snapdragon 835 chipset, but it's some 1,500 points behind the Snapdragon 845-powered Galaxy Note 9's showing. The OnePlus 6 well exceeds the 9,000-point threshold, and you can just forget about the Pixel 3 competing against the A12 Bionic-powered iPhone XS. Apple's handsets are in another league.

The Pixel 3 didn't take quite the same drubbing in 3DMark's Sling Shot Extreme OpenGL ES 3.1 test, on which its 4,400 points edged out the iPhone XS's score of 4,244. Here, the OnePlus 6 took the lead, with a score of 5,124, though I noticed no appreciable difference playing PUBG Mobile on Google's hardware.

In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the Pixel 3 felt every bit as fast as the OnePlus 6 in all of my daily tasks, which consisted mostly of a mix of Spotify listening, Maps navigation, web browsing, messaging and a little bit of YouTube watching. Recent apps stayed ready at my beck and call, without closing due to a lack of resources.

MORE: Pixel 3 XL Hands-On Review: The New Camera Phone King Has Arrived

Perhaps it's because of the way Google optimized things, but this is yet another case where numbers alone don't tell the whole story. Our real-world video-encoding test illustrated as much, with the Pixel 3 converting a short 4K clip to 1080p in 2 minutes and 53 seconds  nearly a whole minute faster than the OnePlus 6, yet an eternity compared to the iPhone XS' 39 seconds.

However, some owners of the Pixel 3 (and its XL sibling) have noticed that the phone occasionally shuts down background processes. Initially, many theorized this was indicative of the phones' shortage of RAM, but it may have even more to do with a glitch in the phones' memory management, as earlier Pixel devices with the same RAM allotment aren't as eager to curb tasks so swiftly.

To fix this, Google confirmed to 9to5Google that it will push out a software update "in the coming weeks" which will hopefully address the issue. For what its worth, our in-house units have sporadically closed background apps, like Spotify while its streaming music  though this has only happened two or three times after nearly a month with the devices.

Battery life: Fast charging, not longest lasting

The 2,920-mAh battery inside the Pixel 3 is about average in terms of capacity, but it supports every cutting-edge charging technology on the market today. That includes 18-watt fast charging with the stock adapter, good for achieving 50 percent in just 30 minutes. The phone can also recharge wirelessly at 10 watts through Google's Pixel Stand. (Though the Pixel 3 will accept only up to 5 watts from third-party Qi chargers.)

In our battery test, which consists of endless website streaming over T-Mobile LTE at 150 nits of brightness, the Pixel 3 ran out of juice after 8 hours and 27 minutes. In another run, on Verizon's network, the phone managed 8 hours and 12 minutes. Both times are well shy of our 9:48 smartphone average, not to mention the 12:09 that the Pixel 2 XL gave us.

However, in typical usage, our Pixel 3 never strained for a charge. One day, I unplugged the phone at 7:30 a.m., and after hours of phone calls, photo taking, video streaming and playing podcasts over those loud stereo speakers, the Pixel 3 lasted right up until midnight. If I had been more careful, I'd venture to say that a day and a half was well within the phone's capabilities.

MORE: 6 Reasons to Skip the Pixel 3 for the Pixel 2

Theoretically, the Pixel 3 will only last longer with age, too  well, at least until the battery degrades. This is thanks to yet another one of Android Pie's AI features, dubbed Adaptive Charging. After a certain length of time, Adaptive Charging notices your behaviors and intelligently prioritizes certain processes and shuts down others to preserve battery life.

Bottom Line

These days, practically every phone maker is desperately trying to do something extra, whether that means slapping five lenses on the back or developing a fancy new way for a camera to pop out of metal. Bucking that trend, Google made its phone more useful for the types of things you'd more likely demand from your phone.

Too many tech companies lean on AI as the solution to problems that haven't been identified yet. But the Pixel 3 makes AI tangible through features like Call Screen and Top Shot, using AI to address one of the greatest challenges of mobile photography with Super Res Zoom. It helps, too, that Google's nailed the basics of every great handset by stepping up its display game and refining its design.

In fact, my only gripe with the Pixel 3 involves its price. At $799/739, it's $150/110 more expensive at launch than the Pixel 2 was, even though the new phone packs the same 64GB of storage. And so much of what makes this device great pertains to software, not strictly hardware. Slight price hikes are expected, but you get the sneaking suspicion Google jacked up the cost just because Apple proved it could get away with upping prices first.

That said, there are a lot of pricey phones these days, and the Pixel 3 is far from the most expensive one out there. And the more I use it, the more I'm convinced it's the best Android phone you can buy.Source: Qualcomm

Apple relies on two companies, Intel and Qualcomm, for the components the iPhone lineup uses to manage wireless connectivity. But incorporating those parts in the world's most popular smartphone doesn't mean Apple's particularly friendly with either company.

But its relationship with Qualcomm is particularly strained. On a scale from "not talking at Thanksgiving dinner" to "filing multiple billion-dollar lawsuits against each other," it's the latter. That seems unlikely to change--CNBC reported that Qualcomm accused Apple of "stealing 'vast swaths' of confidential information and trade secrets for the purpose of improving the performance of chips provided by rival Intel" so it wouldn't have to rely as much on Qualcomm chips.

This is the latest escalation in the back-and-forth between Apple and Qualcomm that started in early 2017 after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused Qualcomm of abusing the popularity of its tech to have an effective monopoly in the smartphone market. Apple followed those allegations with $1 billion lawsuits, one in San Diego and one in Beijing, saying Qualcomm used its position to charge unfair royalties.

Things got worse from there. Qualcomm responded with its own lawsuits, alleged that Apple told manufacturers to break their contracts, and asked the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to halt the import of iOS devices using baseband processors that weren't made by Qualcomm. The company also said that Apple started withholding royalty payments in an effort to bring the conflict into the boardroom.

Apple isn't Qualcomm's only problem. The company has been accused of violating Fair, Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) patent terms to keep control of the wireless market. One of the companies making those accusations was Samsung, and the other was Intel, which also told the ITC that Qualcomm employs anti-competitive tactics. That was always ironic, but Qualcomm's latest claims make it even more so.

CNBC reported that Qualcomm discovered the alleged sharing of its trade secrets between Apple and Intel during the discovery phase of one of the ongoing lawsuits. In a complaint, Qualcomm said that "Apple engineers repeatedly provided source code and other confidential information to Intel engineers so they could improve the performance of Intel's chips," according to CNBC's report. (We don't have access to the documents.)

Qualcomm hasn't yet presented any evidence supporting its claims, but that will likely change when the case heads to court next April. In the meantime, we hear that Apple is struggling to find content for its own TV service, and we'd humbly suggest the company take inspiration from this conflict. This dispute between some of the industry's biggest companies is definitely shaping up to be popcorn-worthy.

Editor's Note: This article earlier stated that some Macs use AMD processors. As of now, they all use Intel CPUs, though some use AMD GPUs. This has been corrected.







Kansas City Car Crime Report

Man's car stolen two days after he bought it KANSAS CITY, Mo.-Mike Rietano hasn't caught a break in the four years he's lived in Kansas City. "Been struck by a couple of deer that was $15,000 of damage in two separate instances, unfortunately I had a head-on collision and a hit and run doing Uber," Rietano said. On Aug.

Weekend Newspaper Follow-Up

Arrested organizer of KC car show anti-violence event wants city support | The Kansas City Star Desmound Logan, one of the organizers of the Smoke Your Tires Not Your Homies event in Kansas City, seeks support from the city to help find a safe location and insurance coverage for an event that aims to unite the community.

Kansas City Run-Through

Car smashes into building in Kansas City at 129th, State Line Road KANSAS CITY, MO. (KCTV) -- Inspectors are checking out the damage at a Kansas City strip mall after a car smashed through the front of one store on Monday afternoon. The vehicle struck a business at 129th Street and State Line Road.

KCMO Police Chase Blues

Innocent bystanders often caught in the middle of metro police chases KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It was almost 5 p.m. Lisa Wendell was on her way home from work. She just pulled into a major intersection at Blue Parkway and Cleveland when the accident happened. "They hit me at such a high rate of speed that it spun my car all the way around," Wendell said.

Kansas City History Lost

Future unclear for historic Dickey Mansion Carriage House at UMKC KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- There's no sign of construction equipment to tear down the historic Dickey Mansion Carriage House at UMKC, even though demolition was scheduled for Monday. The house was built in 1913 as a multi-purpose building for the Dickey Mansion.

More Deets On Local Good Deeds

Despite flames and smoke, KC man rescues neighbor from burning apartment Breaking News A Kansas City man is being hailed as a hero for saving his neighbor from an apartment fire. The fire broke out Saturday in a two-story building near 36th and Walnut. "I could hear her in there screaming for help," said James Siebert, the good samaritan.

Kansas City Cold Shot

Get ready for a shot of the coolest air in Kansas City since late April KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Get ready for a shot of the coolest air in Kansas City since late April. A potent cold front will move through the region Tuesday. After a mild high in the mid 70s Tuesday afternoon, a cool north wind will bring overnight lows down into the 40s by Wednesday morning.

A quick look at another season of the ongoing American culture war . . .Closer to home, here are more than a few local news links worth a peek:And this is thefor tonight . . .Kansas City police officers awarded Medal of Valor Two Kansas City, Mo., police officers received the department's highest honor tonight.

Posted as public service and not for debate. An important example of workers so dedicated to Kansas City that they, quite literally, put their lives on the line. Important reference for all things regarding this blog.Read more of this EXCELLENT coverage highlight:Sharice Davids will spend her Tuesday night fund-raising at an iconic LGBTQ bar in Greenwich Village. The event for Davids, a Democrat and openly gay Native American, will be at The Stonewall Inn, with tickets starting at $100. Davids, an attorney, is running against Republican U.S. Rep.The Department of Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission, in partnership with Comoros Customs, organised the 10th AU Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs Meeting from 17-21 September 2018 in Moroni under the theme, Combatting Corruption in Customs to effectively implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The objective of the Meeting was to take stock of the work carried out by the various Customs Technical Working Groups (TWGs) since the 9th Ordinary Session of the AU Directors General of Customs was held in Yaounde, Cameroon in November 2017. The Directors General were also expected to consider the recommendations of the Experts and reflect further on the theme of the Meeting.

The Meeting was attended by Directors General of Customs from AU Member States, Customs Experts from the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Experts from the United Nations of Trade and Development (UNCTAD, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the WCO Regional Offices for Capacity Building for Eastern and Southern Africa and for West and Central Africa. The Closing Ceremony of the Meeting was graced by the presence of H.E. Mr. Azali Assoumani, President of the Republic of Comoros, who took off some time from his busy schedule to meet with the participants.

While welcoming participants, Mr. Bianrifi Tharmidhi, Minister of Economy and Investments of the Government of the Union of Comoros, indicated that his country was privileged to host the 10th Edition of the African Union Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs Meeting.

Mr. Tharmidhi expressed his gratitude to the African Union Commission for the choice of Comoros to host such an important high-level Meeting. He recalled the theme of the Meeting and commended Experts for their great work aiming to stamp out corruption in Customs administrations within the Continent.

The Honourable Minister indicated that his country fully supports the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and expressed the commitment of Comoros to ratify the Agreement by October this year. He urged Directors General of customs to find pathways to solutions that adequately will help combat Corruption in Customs and meet the needs of Integration of the people of Africa.

Addressing the Meeting, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), Dr. Kunio Mikuriya expressed his gratitude to the Comoros Authorities for their hospitality, the warm welcome and the political will symbolized by the presence of the President and two honourable Ministers at the Meeting, namely the Minister of Economy and Investments and the Minister of Finance and Budget.

He indicated that the WCO is fully supportive of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which he said, will boost the Intra-African Trade and promote trade through Trade Facilitation and the improvement of customs procedures. We are working with African Union Member States in order to develop a harmonized digital system that will create cooperation between Customs Administrations across the Continent, he underscored.

Dr. Mikuriya also pointed out that tackling illicit trade through risk management is key in Boosting Intra-African Trade and mainstream African economies into the global system. In this respect, he mentioned that the use of digitization to analyse data would support African Union Member States and the Regional Economic Communities to fight illicit trade. Before he concluded, the Secretary General of the WCO insisted on the fact that Trade Facilitation is critical to combat financial flows, terrorism and fraud.

In his opening remarks, the Commissioner for Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission, H.E. Amb. Albert M. Muchanga appreciated the warmth and the hospitality of the Government and the People of Comoros. He congratulated the incoming bureau of the AU Sub-Committee of the Directors General of Customs under the Leadership of Mr. Kamalidini Souef, Director General of Comoros Customs and expressed his gratitude to the out-going bureau for the work they did during their tenure of office.

Recalling the theme of the Meeting, Commissioner Muchanga indicated that it is both timely and relevant. It is timely because we have made significant strides in bringing into legal existence and operation, the African Continental Free Trade Area whose Agreement was signed on 21st March this year in Kigali, Rwanda. The theme is relevant because it resonates well with the African Unions theme for 2018, he explained.

The Commissioner for Trade and Industry pointed out that the adoption of the theme by the AU Assembly shows the strong commitment of the political leaders to bring to an end this scourge that undermines sovereignty, democracy, governance, progress and dignity.

In my view, it will be difficult for the AfCFTA to achieve its intended objectives if we do not change the way we are doing business in combatting corruption in our institutions, including African Customs administrations, he underlined.

According to the Commissioner, corruption violates human rights, undermines sustainable development and fuels social exclusion. In some countries, he said, there is also the danger of corrupt elements capturing State institutions and creating shadow and shadowy governments that serve their interests at the expense of the public good.

Ambassador Muchanga indicated that digitalization of payments systems of African Customs administrations would greatly help in this connection. He urged participants to be in the frontline of developing electronic payments systems in their respective Customs administrations.

Through the AfCFTA, we are creating a new and promising future for Africa. To succeed in this historic task, integrity; among other values and capabilities, matters, he concluded.

In his remarks, the President of the Republic of Comoros, H. E. Mr. Azali Assoumani, expressed his gratitude to the African Union Commission and its Chairperson, H.E. Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat for choosing Comoros to host the Meeting. He articulated his concern about Corruption which he said, is the scourge that strikes the world.

Corruption is a genuine gangrene for development, a brake to self-fulfilment, a real poison for the emancipation and well-being of our populations, especially when it is trivialized and unfortunately integrated into our way of life. Corruption scares away investment, tarnishes the confidence of development partners and has a lasting impact on the countrys image, he indicated.

The Head of State and Government added that he remains convinced that the task is immense and that the road will be long to eradicate this scourge that undermines Africa. He urged African leaders to take responsibility for its eradication.

Our continent is unfortunately indexed as one of the most corrupt regions in the world. It is then our responsibility, we as government authorities, to be vigilant and ruthless, rigorous and inflexible in the hunt for any form of corruption, he stressed. According to President Azali, African people would not appreciate if those who abuse their powers for personal gain, those who seek ease and comfort in corruption are left with impunity.

The meagre resources of our countries and our limited finances cannot benefit some and leave the sovereign people behind, he emphasized. The President also pointed out that customs are often singled out because they are the cornerstone of the stability of any country. I know that effective measures are being taken, including digitalization, the strengthening of moral and professional ethics to mitigate the impact of this scourge in customs, he concluded.

The 10th AU Sub-Committee of Directors General of Customs ended with a Moroni Declaration on Combating Corruption in Customs and the adoption of the AU Draft Trade Facilitation Strategy. Directors General of Customs undertook, among others, to support all initiatives aimed at eradicating corruption on the Continent. They also agreed to reinforce their internal mechanisms for combating corruption based on Zero Tolerance.Termen Extins: Terre des hommes Moldova este in cautarea unui /unei consultant/e sau a unei echipe de consultanti, care va elabora un program de instruire pentru adolescenti (14 - 18 ani) in domeniul dezvoltarii competentei digitaleThe Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, met on 23 September 2018 at United Nations Headquarters in New York in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly. They were accompanied by senior officials from the three organisations, including Vice President/High Representative Federica Mogherini, Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui, Commissioner for Political Affairs Minata Samate Cessouma and Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed. They discussed the ongoing cooperation between the three organisations and ways to better coordinate efforts in addressing global challenges. They concurred that peace, security and stability are paramount not only to ensure decent living conditions for all citizens, but also to attract investments necessary for sustainable and inclusive growth.



The leaders reaffirmed their joint commitment to promote an effective multilateral system and expressed their readiness to take further action towards reinforcing synergies and coordination in tackling global challenges through international cooperation. They underscored the positive developments noted in several areas, including the increasing economic integration in Africa and the solid steps taken by the African Union towards self-reliance. Building on this positive momentum of the innovative trilateral cooperation, the AU, EU and UN intend to increase their coordination and cooperation at political, economic and operational levels on a range of issues notably in the area of peace and security, including conflict prevention and mediation; implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Unions Agenda 2063; inclusive and sustainable growth, human rights and climate change, as well as support to the implementation of AU and UN reforms.

They welcomed the cooperation and the results achieved by the AU-EU-UN Taskforce to address the Migrant Situation in Libya, launched in Abidjan in November 2017. They particularly noted the progress made in the protection of migrants and refugees, the voluntary return of close to 30,000 migrants since then, and the reintegration process. They encouraged further efforts to dismantle trafficking and criminal networks.

They agreed that it is imperative to put youth at the heart of their joint action, in order to respond to the challenges of tomorrow and to address the needs and hopes of the younger generations. The AU, EU, and UN, in collaboration with Member States, intend to enhance their cooperation to foster the employability of young people by investing in quality education and training and in matching skills with labour market needs; promoting the creation of sustainable and decent jobs through strategically targeted investments by the public and the private sectors with a focus on those with the highest potential for job creation; strengthening equal access to economic opportunities; and the inclusion of young people into political and economic decision-making and democratic institutions. These efforts are in line with the aspirations of the three organisations, including as noted by the 5th AU-EU summit theme Investing in Youth for Accelerated Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development. Efforts made by the three organisations to reinforce the link between Peace and Education  as a key tool to prevent violent extremism, teach and nurture compassion, empathy for others, and learning to live together  were also highlighted.

They also stressed the importance of initiatives aiming at supporting womens meaningful participation and leadership in political and peace processes, as well as peacebuilding activities. They particularly noted the progress made by the FemWise-Africa Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation as well as the Africa Women Leaders Network in this regard.

The three organisations will continue to work closely together in support of the Sahel countries, in line with their respective strategies. Similarly, they intend to engage partners and mobilise resources in support of the long-term stabilization of the Sahel region. In this regard, they will pursue their joint efforts alongside the G5 Sahel, ECOWAS and other sub-regional entities. In addition, they will continue to work in accordance with relevant African Union Peace and Security Council decisions, European Union Council conclusions and United Nations Security Council resolutions towards the full operationalization of the G5 Sahel Joint Force.

Addressing specific country situations and building on their respective contributions and comparative advantages the three organisations intend to continue to actively engage in support of the stabilization of Mali, including through the full implementation of the Algiers agreement on peace and reconciliation. Furthermore, the three organisations will also strive to act in a concerted manner to help address complex political situations and support democratic processes. Given the importance of the stability of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the entire region the three organisations remain committed to supporting credible, peaceful, inclusive and transparent elections by the end of 2018. Already present side by side in various situations on the continent, they intend to enhance joint efforts to support the overall political process and implementation of the Transition Plan in Somalia, and build up frameworks for joint engagement in the Central African Republic. On Libya, they extensively discussed the worrying prevailing situation on the ground. They agreed to work in close cooperation with the Libyan actors on the principle of the organization of a peace and reconciliation conference as a prelude to the conduct of peaceful and transparent legislative and presidential elections.

The leaders acknowledged the important role played by peace operations mandated or authorised by the African Union and confirmed their resolve to enhance collaboration, coordination and planning between their respective missions and operations, while recognising the need for a clear delineation of roles and enhanced complementarity between their efforts. They underscored the importance of ensuring all peace missions and operations are compliant with the relevant international human rights standards and principles, and, where applicable, with international humanitarian law. They intend to join efforts to establish the relevant compliance frameworks.

They intend to pursue together the reflection on how to ensure the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing for African Union-led peace support operations authorized by the Security Council and under the Security Councils authority consistent with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.The next summit of the COMESA Heads of State and Governments is likely to take a firmer stand on countries that introduce non-tariff barriers without notice. But this will depend on whether the leaders will adopt a raft of recommendations made by the COMESA trade experts.

In a recent meeting of the COMESA Trade and Customs Committee, the experts noted that elimination of NTBs has been a moving target. Yet, Member States, upon signing the COMESA Treaty, committed themselves to the elimination of the NTBs.

Article 49 of the Treaty stipulates: except as may be provided for or permitted by the Treaty, each of the Member States undertakes to remove immediately upon the entry into force of this Treaty, all the then existing non-tariff barriers to the import into that Member State of goods originating in the other Member States and thereafter refrain from imposing any further restrictions or prohibitions.

In their final report, the TCM stated: COMESA needs to adopt a preventive approach in dealing with NTBs by imposing sanctions as may be appropriate against a Member State that do not provide notifications before introduction of NTBs.

The recommendation of the TCM will be presented for adoption to the Council of Ministers meeting scheduled in the next two months. If adopted, Member States will be required to adhere to the NTB resolution time frames set out in the COMESA Regulations on Elimination of NTBs. This will ensure timely resolution of NTBs and enhance intra-regional trade.

In the tripartite region that brings together COMESA, the East African Community and the Southern Africa Development Community, a total of 612 NTBs have been reported since 2008 out of which 532 has been resolved. Of the 80 NTBs still outstanding on 30 are among SADC Member States, 43 among EAC Partner States and seven among COMESA Member States.

Countries that are affected by unresolved NTBs include Egypt, Eswatini, DR Congo, Kenya, Mauritius, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. However, most of the these NTBs are being addressed bilaterally with technical assistance from the COMESA Secretariat.

On another note, the committee urged COMESA Member States to accept Certificates of Conformity issued by local authorities regarding quality standards for export products.

The issue of pre-shipment verification of conformity should be addressed as NTB within COMESA, the experts noted in their report.

Click here to download COMESA documents and trade-related resources.Profiled African trade and regional integration events now underway:

In Windhoek: preparatory meetings for the joint meeting of SADC Ministers responsible for ICT, Information, Transport and Meteorology

In Mauritius: 9th African Accreditation Cooperation General Assembly and Meetings

In Nairobi: Validation workshop for the draft EAC Regional Policy for Intellectual Property

In Lusaka: AU Trade and Industry workshop Strengthening regional trade policy dialogue platforms  exchanges of REC experiences. The keynote address was delivered by ATPCs David Luke.

SACU and the AU both hosted two important discussions last week:

Profiled commentary, by Olusegun Obasanjo: West Africas failed war on drugs. Earlier this month, the West Africa Commission on Drugs, which I chair, published the pdf Model Drug Law for West Africa (1.56 MB) , an online tool designed to help regional policymakers rewrite their drug-enforcement playbooks and deliver policies to protect the health and welfare of every citizen.

African Union: pdf Post-harvest loss management strategy, August 2018 (1.67 MB)

Through a regional workshop held in Nairobi, in July 2018, experiences and knowledge were shared in the sphere of post-harvest loss activities by Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is intended that the experiences of the country studies be scaled up, and that as more countries are studied, that additional knowledge and information will further bolster this strategy. Extract:

The document is structured into six parts. Part 1 has provided the background to the development of this strategy, and the concept of post-harvest loss management. Part 2 discusses the rationale for developing a continental level post-harvest strategy and its importance to the continent. Part 3 summarises the key strategic issues in post-harvest loss management at the national level in the five countries studied, namely, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Each of these country reports are presented in Annex 5 for detailed reading. Part 4 is the suggested post-harvest loss management strategic framework outlining the vision, goal and objectives of post-harvest loss management. Part 5 outlines indicative strategic interventions that the strategy proposes to implement. Part 6 outlines the strategy implementation framework. Part 7 outlines the monitoring and evaluation framework for the post-harvest loss management strategy.

Third AU-EU-UN Trilateral Meeting: joint communique

Extract: They agreed that it is imperative to put youth at the heart of their joint action, in order to respond to the challenges of tomorrow and to address the needs and hopes of the younger generations. The AU, EU, and UN, in collaboration with Member States, intend to enhance their cooperation to foster the employability of young people by investing in quality education and training and in matching skills with labour market needs; promoting the creation of sustainable and decent jobs through strategically targeted investments by the public and the private sectors with a focus on those with the highest potential for job creation; strengthening equal access to economic opportunities; and the inclusion of young people into political and economic decision-making and democratic institutions. [Related: Africas youth: access the presentations to the parallel session at the recent WIDER Development Conference; Akufo-Addo to EU: Lets talk trade, not migration]

Bitcoin breakthrough? Japanese giant opens corridor to Africa (Forbes)

The Japanese money transfer giant SBI Remit is now letting nearly half a million customers send money to Africa using the bitcoin blockchain. Designed to be a faster, more reliable way to send money to Africas often overlooked markets, the new treasury management services are being provided by venture-backed firm BitPesa, which has raised $10m from Greycroft Partners and others to turn the bitcoin blockchain into an enterprise payment rail. Specifically, the partnership follows a path laid out by BitPesa in targeting cosmetics companies, electronics companies, and the lucrative used-car market between Japan and Africa. Further, the partnership enables direct currency pairs between Japanese yen and the fiat currencies of Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

COMESA: Trade experts propose sanctions on member states introducing new NTBs

The next summit of the COMESA Heads of State and Governments is likely to take a firmer stand on countries that introduce non-tariff barriers without notice. But this will depend on whether the leaders will adopt a raft of recommendations made by COMESA trade experts. In a recent meeting of the COMESA Trade and Customs Committee, the experts noted that elimination of NTBs has been a moving target. Yet Member States, upon signing the COMESA Treaty, committed themselves to the elimination of the NTBs. In their final report, the TCM stated: COMESA needs to adopt a preventive approach in dealing with NTBs by imposing sanctions as may be appropriate against a Member State that do not provide notifications before introduction of NTBs. The recommendation of the TCM will be presented for adoption to the Council of Ministers meeting scheduled to take place in the next two months. If adopted, Member States will be required to adhere to the NTB resolution time frames set out in the COMESA Regulations on Elimination of NTBs. This will ensure timely resolution of NTBs and enhance intra-regional trade. [Note: TCM report available here].

Nigerian traders protest closure of Nigerians businesses in Ghana (ThisDay)

The National Association of Nigerian Traders yesterday petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, and ECOWAS, over the alleged closure of over 400 businesses owned by Nigerians in Ghana. It further gave a one-week ultimatum to the Commission to intervene in the matter, warning that the association would occupy the ECOWAS premises if the situation in Ghana was not addressed. President of NANT, Mr. Ken Ukaoha, said the development had reached a point where the Ghanaian parliament had passed legislation to make the business environment hostile to foreign investors. He argued that Ghana is currently a signatory to the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of goods and services, and needed to be called to order. He said ECOWAS President Jean-Claude Brou had also been petitioned over the development.

Ghana-Morocco Poultry Summit: Morocco to explore investment opportunities in Ghanas poultry sector (GhanaWeb)

Ghanas collapsing poultry industry is to see a revamp as the country welcomed some poultry operators and investors from Morocco. This assurance comes from the Agriculture Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, who witnessed the maiden Ghana-Morocco Poultry Summit in Accra. Currently, Ghana imports about 135 million tonnes of poultry on an annual basis. This trend could change as the Moroccan investors have been engaging with poultry operators in Ghana on best ways of injecting capital in the sector. The Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers says local poultry farmers still incur losses as consumers choose cheap frozen chicken dumped on the market over the broilers produced in Ghana. The Association has estimated that over 135,000 metric tonnes of frozen chicken were imported from the European Zone to Ghana in 2017, a figure that represented 76% increase over 2016 imports. The government will not disclose by how much the frozen chicken importation, which was announced in March has been reduced. However, Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Food and Agriculture, Dr Nurah Gyeile, recently disclosed on Accra-based 3FM that the importation has been reduced to the barest minimum.

Tanzania-Zambia currency agreement: BoT explains cross-border currency use reciprocity (IPPMedia)

The Bank of Tanzania and the Bank of Zambia have signed a contract to allow the use of their currencies in both countries specifically for towns around the border (Tunduma and Nakonde) to address challenges facing traders at the border points. BoT Governor Professor Florens Luoga said the agreement aims to remove currency challenges facing business people at the area. The procedure is not new to Tanzanians because it is also used in Namanga and in other border points, he pointed out, noting that the agreement was likely to help both countries obtain accurate financial data of economic significance. Songwe Regional Commissioner, Brig.Gen. Nicodemus Mwangela (rtd) said the two governments decision on reciprocal use of currencies will help to stimulate economic activities in the border zone.

Mozambique-China trade grew 45.13%, from January to July (Club of Mozambique)

Trade between China and Mozambique stood at $1.492bn (+45.13%) from January to July, with China selling goods worth $1.092bn (+51.93%) and buying goods worth $400m (+29.32%). Sino-Angolan trade amounted to $15.825bn (+18.28%), with Angola buying 0.6% less, or $1.241bn, and selling products worth $14.582bn (+20.23%).

Towards a leasing platform for African airlines: AfDB posts an EOI for preparation of a feasibility study

In 2018, the Bank adopted a framework and guidelines document for its support to the aviation sector in Africa. The African Development Bank is therefore seeking the services of a specialized firm with qualified professionals for the preparation of a feasibility study on the creation of a leasing platform for African airlines. The study will explore means and options for creating an efficient company that would strengthen and sustain the development of a viable airline industry in Africa. It should be detailed enough to address the feasibility and viability of such an initiative, the resulting benefits of an African aircraft leasing company for African carriers, the adequate legal and financial arrangements for such a company as well as the type of intervention/instrument that could be provided by the Bank in setting up this leasing company.To kick off the academic year, Brevard College's Art Department has asked Jim Jinkins, esteemed Disney and Nickelodeon animator and creator, to speak about his career.

Jinkins, creator of the popular '90s animated TV series, "Doug," "PB & J Otter," "Pinky Dinky Doo," and "Stanley," will give a presentation on his career in animation at Brevard College on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 4 p.m. Jinkins will take questions and sign autographs immediately following his presentation in Room 125 of the McClarty Goodson building at Brevard College.

In addition to creating many TV series, he establis...Part of teaching at a small liberal arts college like Brevard College is advising young people about their academic and career goals and about fulfilling their potential for living a good life. Though personalized and motivational, advising conversations are quickly rooted in the practical and concrete when we look at the course schedule and discuss their majors and their curriculum and how many semesters they should plan. It also involves conversations about financial decision-making for both duration of college as well as for after graduation.

Do I really need to read literature if...On Thursday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m., at the WNC Military History Museum bring your friends to see We Were Soldiers, a 2002 film that dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on Nov. 14, 1965.

The United States is fighting the Vietnam War. U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) is chosen to train and lead a battalion. After arriving in Vietnam, he learns that an American base has been attacked, and is ordered to take his 400 men after the enemy and eliminate the North Vietnamese attackers, despite the fact that intelligence has no idea of the number of enemy troops. After landing in the Valley of Death, the soldiers capture a North Vietnamese soldier and learn from him that the location they were sent to is actually the base camp for a veteran North Vietnamese army division of 4,000 men.

This is the story of the first large scale battle of the Vietnam War. The Battle of Ia Drang was the first to use helicopters to ferry infantry (in this case, air cavalry) deep into the Vietnam central highlands. The battle became a paradigm of the search and destroy missions that would characterize most of the conflict.

Free popcorn will be served at the museum at 21 E. Main St. in Brevard.

Call (828) 884-2141 for more information.STATE OF North CAROLINA

COUNTY OF TRANSYLVANIA

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

FILE NO. 18E301

EXECUTORS - ADMINISTRATORS NOTICE

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of James M. Fairo of Transylvania County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claim against the Estate of James M. Fairo to present them to the undersigned on or before December 27, 2018 or the claim will be forever barred thereafter.

All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment.

Dated: September 24, 2018.

Penny Fairo

PO Box 151326

Altamonte Springs, FL 32715

M/9/24/4TP-69725

_______________________________________________________________________

NOTICE OF NOVEMBER 6, 2018 GENERAL ELECTION

Transylvania COUNTY, North CAROLINA

Notice is hereby given pursuant to GS 163-33(8) that a General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 in Transylvania County, North Carolina for federal, state, and county offices. Polls will be open from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM. The polling places for each precinct will be located at:

 Boyd  North Transylvania Fire Department, 5299 Asheville Hwy., Pisgah Forest;

 Brevard #1  Election Center Conference Room, 150 S. Gaston St., Brevard;

 Brevard #2  Veterans of Foreign Wars, V.F.W. Building, 50 Veterans Cir., Brevard;

 Brevard #3  Transylvania County Rescue Squad-Brevard Unit, 233 Fisher Rd., Brevard;

 Brevard #4  Brevard College Porter Center Scott Commons Hall, 1 Brevard College Dr, Brevard;

 Catheys Creek  Catheys Creek Community Center, 131 Island Ford Rd., Brevard;

 Cedar Mountain  Cedar Mountain Community Center, 10635 Greenville Hwy., Cedar Mountain;

 Dunns Rock  Dunns Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd., Brevard;

 East Fork  Connestee Fire Rescue Substation, 2047 Walnut Hollow Rd., Brevard;

 Little River  Little River Community Center, 191 Little River Church Rd., Penrose;

 Pisgah Forest  Transylvania County Public Safety Facility, 153 Public Safety Way, Brevard;

 Rosman-Eastatoe  Rosman Town Hall, 6 Main St., Rosman;

 TC1  Balsam Grove Community Center, 8732 Parkway Rd., Balsam Grove;

 TC7  Lake Toxaway Community Center, 81 Slick Fisher Rd., Lake Toxaway;

 Williamson Creek  Williamson Creek Comm-unity Center, 122 Community Center Rd., Pisgah Forest.

Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the day of the election, Tuesday, November 6. One-stop early voting will be held at the Election Center conference room, 150 South Gaston Street, Brevard. One-stop early voting will be open from Wednesday, October 17 until 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 3. The site will be open weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and the last day, Saturday, November 3 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.. Canvass will be held in the Election Center at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 16.

Absentee voting by mail is available. Requests for an absentee ballot must be made on an absentee request form (available on the State Board of Elections website, on the Transylvania County Board of Elections website, at the Election Center office and where one-stop voting is offered), and must be received in the Election Center office or any one-stop early voting site by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30. Absentee voting requires the voter to complete an application on the return envelope that must be witnessed by two qualified persons or a notary public. Completed absentee ballots must be returned to the Election Center by 5:00 p.m. on Election Day (ballots received by mail after this time will be timely if received within three business days and postmarked by Election Day). Voters may receive assistance voting a mail-in absentee ballot from a qualified person of their choice. If the voter lives in a facility such as a nursing home, and the voters near relative or legal guardian is not available, the voter or the facility can arrange to have the county board of elections schedule a visit by a Multipartisan Assistance Team to provide assistance and serve as witnesses.

All residents of Transylvania County who have resided in the county for at least 30 days prior to Election Day and are registered to vote in Transylvania County may vote in this election. Persons who are not already registered to vote in the county must register by Friday, October 12 to be eligible to vote in this election. Voters who are not registered in the county by that deadline may register and vote during one-stop early voting only, and will be required to provide documentation of their identity and residence. Voters who wish to change party affiliation or who have changed name or address must do so by the registration deadline. Voters who fail to timely make a change in name or address in the county must update the information when presenting to vote, and may be required to vote a provisional ballot.

Voters voting in person are entitled to assistance by an election official, or, if assistance is needed due to disability or illiteracy, by a qualified person of their choice. Voting sites are accessible to all voters. Curbside voting is available for voters who are not able to enter voting sites.

Persons with questions about registration, polling places, early voting, absentee ballots, a Multipartisan Assistance Team visit to a facility, or other election matters may call the Transylvania County Board of Elections Office at 828-884-3114 or visit the website at http://www.transylvania elections.org.

David P. Morrow, Chairman

Transylvania County Board of Elections

M/9/24/3TC-69705

_______________________________________________________________________

Notice of Auction

Name and address of lien:

Brevard Self Storage

325 Rosman Highway

Brevard NC 28712

Several units for auctions. Items include furniture, appliances, toys, and other misc items.

Auction begins October 2 at 9:00 am

Auction ends October 4 at 4:00 pm

Online Auction at http://www.StorageAuctions.com

TM/9/20/2TC-69709

_______________________________________________________________________

Brevard Housing Authority

Notice of Public Hearing

The Brevard Housing Authority will hold a public hearing on its 2019 Annual PHA Plan and its Capital Fund Program Five-Year Action Plan at the regular Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, November 20, 2018 at 3:00 pm, located at the BHA Central Office, 133 W. Morgan Street, Brevard, NC 28712. The draft plans may be reviewed at the same location.

MT/9/24/2TC-69723

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF North CAROLINA

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

Transylvania COUNTY

18SP46

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY DEBORAH L. ISLEY DATED OCTOBER 12, 2007 AND RECORDED IN BOOK DOC 439 AT PAGE 402 IN THE Transylvania County PUBLIC REGISTRY, North CAROLINA

NOTICE OF SALE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in the payment of the secured indebtedness and failure to perform the stipulation and agreements therein contained and, pursuant to demand of the owner and holder of the secured debt, the undersigned substitute trustee will expose for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at the county courthouse of said county at 1:30PM on October 1, 2018 the following described real estate and any other improvements which may be situated thereon, in Transylvania County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

THE FOLLOWING REAL PROPERTY SITUATE IN THE COUNTY OF Transylvania, AND STATE OF North Carolina, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

ALL OF THAT CERTAIN LOT, PARCEL OR TRACT OF LAND SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN HOGBACK TOWNSHIP, Transylvania County NORTH Carolina, AND MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

BEING ALL OF THAT CERTAIN 0.49 ACRE TRACT OF LAND KNOWN AS LOT 806 OF FOX RIDGE SUBDIVISION, AS SHOWN ON PLAT THEREOF ENTITLED SURVEY FOR TOLLOCK POLLOCK AND MATHEW POLLOCK, DRAWN BY E. ROGER RAXTER, P.L.S., DRAWING NO. 07-034A, DATED JUNE 12, 2007, AND RECORDED IN PLAT FILE 12 AT SLIDE 262 OF THE Transylvania County REGISTRY TO WHICH REFERENCE IS HEREBY SPECIFICALLY MADE.

And Being more commonly known as: 275 Hickory Ln, Lake Toxaway, NC 28747

The record owner(s) of the property, as reflected on the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Deborah L. Isley.

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is made subject to all prior liens and encumbrances, and unpaid taxes and assessments including but not limited to any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. Following the expiration of the statutory upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing.

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS: If you are a tenant residing in the property, be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1, 2007, be advised that you may terminate the rental agreement upon written notice to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time notice of termination is provided. You may be liable for rent due under the agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

The date of this Notice is August 29, 2018.

Grady I. Ingle or

Elizabeth B. Ells

Substitute Trustee

10130 Perimeter Parkway, Suite 400

Charlotte, NC 28216

(704) 333-8107

http://shapiroattorneys.com/nc/

18-100516

Client Code: CWF

M/9/17/2TC-69588

_______________________________________________________________________

STATE OF North CAROLINA

COUNTY OF TRANSYLVANIA

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

FILE NO. 18E300

EXECUTORS - ADMINISTRATORS NOTICE

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Irene Farash of Transylvania County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claim against the Estate of Irene Farash to present them to the undersigned on or before December 27, 2018 or the claim will be forever barred thereafter.

All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment.

Dated: September 24, 2018.

Paul A. Onnink

359 Firefly Lane

Pisgah Forest, NC 28768

M/9/24/4TP-69724

_______________________________________________________________________

STATE OF North CAROLINA

COUNTY OF TRANSYLVANIA

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

FILE NO. 18E303

EXECUTORS - ADMINISTRATORS NOTICE

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Freddie McCoy Leggett of Transylvania County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claim against the Estate of Freddie McCoy Leggett to present them to the undersigned on or before December 24, 2018 or the claim will be forever barred thereafter.

All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment.

Dated: September 24, 2018.

Michael A. Leggett

1705 Billie Lynn Point

Sanford, FL 32773

M/9/24/4TP-69737

_______________________________________________________________________

STATE OF North CAROLINA

COUNTY OF TRANSYLVANIA

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

FILE NO. 18E290

EXECUTORS - ADMINISTRATORS NOTICE

Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Helen Chapman Smith of Transylvania County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claim against the Estate of Helen Chapman Smith to present them to the undersigned on or before December 17, 2018 or the claim will be forever barred thereafter.

All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment.

Dated: September 17, 2018.

Garry L. Smith

PO Box 42

Brevard, NC 28712

M/9/17/4TP-69684

_______________________________________________________________________

NOTICE: Western Carolina Community Action, Inc., a nonprofit serving Henderson, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania Counties, is now accepting applications for membership on the Board of Directors. The deadline for applications is October 4, 2018. If you are interested in representing your community, business, or community organization by serving on WCCAs board, please contact Kim Hall, at WCCA, 828-693-1711, extension 133 or email her at [email protected] for more information.

M/9/24/1TC-69712Christopher Dakota Cobler, 32, was arrested and charged on Sept. 15 for one felony count of fleeing to elude arrest, according to the Sheriffs Office.

Cobler also was arrested on eight misdemeanor charges of assault on a government official, reckless driving, stalking, failing to heed light and siren, driving with a revoked license, speeding, driving left of center, and failure to use headlights. He was placed in the detention center with a bond of $30,000.

...I am hopeful this short letter will inspire and motivate the Republican Congress to seek help for their dysfunctional pattern of co-dependent and enabling behavior with their pathologic partner, Donald J. Trump.

In this case, the Republican Party and Congress are being harmed by their unpredictable partner. Even so, their co-dependency should not be considered a valid excuse for not protecting America, democracy, our institutions or the rule of law, even though they have predictably fallen in love with a troubled and toxic pathological narcissist to whom they are now by choice intractably bonded.

Narcissists live in a fantasy world propped up by distortion, lies, self-deception and magical thinking. They spin self-glorifying fantasies of unlimited wealth, success, power, brilliance, attractiveness and love that make them feel empowered and in control.

If this sounds familiar, Congress must know that the solution to this problem is to simply stop protecting and enabling a president, who, by definition, cannot be reliable, stable, truthful or grounded  one who has no humanity, respect for democracy, ethics, or the rule of law.

Terry Brant

BrevardThe Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce deserves high praise for arranging for the 2018 Candidates Forum held on the evening of Sept. 20 in the librarys Rogow Room. Those who attended the event were able to see and hear 2018 candidates for high public office and, in so doing, became much better informed. With one exception, the event exemplified the best of times in small town USA, with ordinary citizens preparing themselves to responsibly cast their votes later this year.

The ...Worst of Times aspect of the event came when a subdued but perceptible groan of derision...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)Ive yet to visit Maine, the Mojave, or the Maldives, so no: Hard pass on the moon trip.

Sure, it would be cool to do a few spins around ol moonie, like Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will be doing in 2023 thanks to Elon Musk.

But for this desk jockey? Ill say no to being a space cowboy.

Dont get me wrong: It would be the coolest thing ever. Zooming away on a rocket ship to fly around the moon would be  out of this world. And the idea of ever landing on the moon, stepping foot on the moon  wow. It would obviously be incredible.

But I wouldnt do it. For real: NASA could come knocking, Elon could extend an invite, but its not happening. Im staying Earthbound.

Why? Simple. The risk/reward for me, right now, is not there.

I blame my wife and children. The reward for going to space isnt worth the risk. It just isnt. Too many spaceships have been blown up over the years for me to be able to make the giant leap for Edelsteinkind.

Of course, risks abound in everyday life. I drive a car: Risky. I drink booze: Risky. I often walk under pianos being lifted into apartment buildings by Acme Movers: Risky.

But I can mitigate all these Earthbound risks. Cant mitigate sitting in a tin can going a zillion miles an hour in space.

If I was younger? Childless? Hell yeah. Strap me in.

But today? Cant do it. Maybe give me a call in 20 years, Mr. Musk.editorial@tribune.com

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25

The Chandigarh airport is set to become an aviation hub for Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh from March 2019 with 24x7 operational capabilities along with CAT-II landing facility and an expanded airstrip for facilitating landing of wide-bodied aircraft, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said today.

Infrastructure for wide-bodied aircraft will help the airport in connecting northern states with major international destinations, including London, New York, Toronto, Sydney and Europe.

The airport handles nearly 32 commercial flights daily, including flights to Dubai and Sharjah. The airport is, however, non-reliable because it was often closed for various reasons this year.

The expanded runway will be 12,400 feet long with effective take-off length of 10,400 feet, experts said. The modernisation of airfield infrastructure project, which includes installation and integration of CAT-II instrument landing system, air field lighting system and other infrastructure, is also likely to be completed by March 31 next year. The CAT-II infrastructure will allow flights to continue uninterrupted operations during foggy weather conditions.

To improve international air connectivity, Sinha requested Punjab and Haryana governments to follow Assam and Andhra Pradesh model and offer viability-gap funding (VGF) to airlines to operate flights.

Any airline will commence operation if the particular route is viable. I, therefore, request the governments of Punjab and Haryana to offer some sort of subsidy to the operators to make routes commercially viable, said Sinha. He was in Chandigarh to attend a CII conference on Making India an Aviation Hub: Giving Wings to Aviation Sector in North.

The Assam government has evinced interest in flying passengers to ASEAN countries from Guwahati by offering financial support. Andhra Pradesh also wants to connect Vijayawada to cities like Singapore and Dubai. They proposed to offer monetary support for unsold seats to operators.

Sinha said the Centre has committed about Rs 1 lakh-crore investment in the development of new and existing airports. Greenfield airport projects such as Jewar in UP, Hisar in Haryana, Ludhiana, Pathankot and Adampur in Punjab are part of this plan.

On the development of aviation in Haryana, the states Additional Chief Secretary (Industries and Civil Aviation) Devender Singh said Hisar is being developed as an aviation hub in the state. The state government has proposed a tie-up for flights from Hisar-Chandigarh to Shimla, Kullu and Dharamshala, he said.

Principal Secretary to Punjab Chief Minister and Secretary, Civil Aviation Tejveer Singh said the state is developing fully functional airports at Ludhiana and Pathankot. Halwara is being developed as an upcoming airport, which is expected to be functional in about three years, he said.Brig Gurmeet Kanwal (retd)

Brig Gurmeet Kanwal (retd)

Former Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi

Twenty years ago, India conducted five nuclear tests over two days on May 11 and 13, 1998, and declared itself a state armed with nuclear weapons. With a pacifist strategic culture steeped in Gandhian non-violence, India is a reluctant nuclear power. India had sought but had been denied nuclear guarantees and had no option but to acquire nuclear weapons. India believes that nuclear weapons are political weapons, not weapons of war-fighting. Their sole purpose is to deter the use and threat of use of nuclear weapons.

Indias nuclear doctrine is built around the concept of credible minimum deterrence and a no first use (NFU) posture. As a corollary to its NFU posture, India has declared its intention of launching massive retaliation if there is a first strike on India. Consequently, India follows a policy of deterrence by punishment through a counter value targeting strategy aimed at inflicting unacceptable damage, as against a counter force strategy aimed at destroying the adversarys nuclear forces.

Indias nuclear force structure comprises a land, sea and air-based triad: Agni-I to IV IRBMs manned by the Missile Groups of the Indian Army; nuclear glide bombs under-slung on Mirage 2000 and SU-30 MKI fighter-bomber aircraft of the Indian Air Force; and, in due course, SLBMs on SSBNs with the Indian Navy. While INS Arihant, the first indigenously designed nuclear submarine, has been made fully operational, a second SSBN is reported to be under construction.

Not on the battlefield

India has willingly abjured the use of tactical or battlefield nuclear weapons as these are inherently destabilising. Tactical nuclear weapons are mainly employed against armed forces targets in the TBA (tactical battle area) and tend to lower the threshold of use due to the proclivity to use them or lose them. These also involve complicated command and control mechanisms, enhance the risk of unauthorised and accidental launches and are complex and costly to manufacture and maintain.

The total number of warheads that India needs for credible minimum deterrence in a NFU scenario, has not been articulated by the government. In the views of Indian analysts, the requirement varies from a few dozen warheads at the lower end of the scale to over 400 warheads at the upper end. In terms of yield these range from 10 to 12 kilotons to megaton monsters.

After the Pokhran nuclear tests of May 1998, in which warheads based on both fission and fusion designs were tested, India claimed that it had acquired the capability to manufacture nuclear warheads with yields varying from sub-kiloton to a maximum of 200 kilotons. Notably, Indias nuclear capabilities are completely indigenous despite the stringent technology denial regimes and sanctions that India has been subjected to since 1974 when a peaceful nuclear explosion (PNE) was conducted ostensibly for civilian purposes. While some of these sanctions have been lifted, many others still remain in place.

Unlike in China, which has an authoritarian regime, and in Pakistan, where the army calls the shots on key policy issues, Indias nuclear weapons are firmly under civilian control. But India does not yet have a Chief of Defence Staff to provide single-point military advice to the government. It is imperative that the appointment of CDS be approved as early as possible.

The Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command (SFC) advises the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) on all aspects of nuclear deterrence and exercises operational and technical control over the nuclear forces. The nuclear delivery assets (ballistic missiles groups, fighter-bomber squadrons and the SSBNs) are raised, manned, equipped and maintained by respective Services HQ.

A chain of succession has been formulated. India has established a National Command Post (NCP) that will also act as a tri-service operations centre during war. Rehearsals and joint exercises involving simulated retaliatory nuclear strikes are carried out periodically.

Adequate checks

Adequate checks and balances for the safety and security of nuclear warheads, the prevention of unauthorised use and the minimisation of the possibility of accidental detonation have been built into standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the custody, storage, handling and transportation of nuclear warheads during peace time. Nuclear warheads are kept unmated and are stored separately from the launchers. The nuclear cores are in the custody of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the high explosive triggers are in the custody of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Limited mating?

With the cannisterisation of some of the ballistic missiles carried on mobile launchers, it would be prudent to assume that limited mating of warheads would have taken place, but with permissive action links (PALs  electronic locks) having been installed to arm the missiles and the warheads. The launch platforms are manned by the armed forces and are not deployed till necessary. This reduces the risk of accidental and inadvertent launch and enhances peace time safety.

India has consistently been a strong advocate of total or universal nuclear disarmament. The Nehruvian policy did not change even after the Pokhran tests of May 1998 as nuclear disarmament is seen to be in Indias interest. Despite not having signed the NPT, the CTBT and the MTCR, India has complied with all the provisions of these treaties and supports the early conclusion of discussions on the FMCT.

India views these international treaties as important enablers of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament measures that are necessary for regional and international peace and stability. India has voluntarily renounced further nuclear testing and has an unblemished non-proliferation record among the nuclear weapons powers.

India is willing to discuss and institute nuclear CBMs and nuclear risk reduction measures (NRRMs) with both China and Pakistan, but its overtures have not been suitably reciprocated. China still does not recognise India as a nuclear power and refuses to discuss nuclear CBMs. The nuclear CBMs in place with Pakistan are cosmetic in nature and need to be upgraded to more substantive ones.vermaajay1968@gmail.com

Suddenly the picture in the neighbourhood is looking rosy for India. In Bhutan, the ruling party which had stayed away from joining the Sino-India fracas at Doklam has been knocked out of contention for the final round of elections. And now the biggest cheer for South Block comes from the Maldives that had knocked a hole in Indias claims to regional superiority by a series of pointed actions. They had culminated with the Maldives declining to join any India-led regional security initiative. The good part is the incumbent regime, despite its many heavy-handed ways and intolerance of dissent, has accepted the results. The jubilation on the streets instead of violence and animosity makes for a smooth handover of power.

That India was the first to welcome the election results should tell it own story. From rations to military helicopters, India embedded itself in the Maldives till two successive administrations in Male turfed it out. A change in government was the best South Block could hope for. Now that it has happened, India will face headwinds again if China suspects that New Delhi is embedded in the US security strategy of naval dominance over the Indian Ocean. It was Indias subscription to some aspects of a US-led regional military security order that encouraged China to become a camel in the tent by first setting up an embassy in 2012.

India has provided the appropriate signals immediately after the ice-breaking Modi-Xi meeting in Wuhan. It did not attend the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Washington in July to show that it did not subscribe to connecting intimately with the US maritime security strategy that has anti-China underpinnings. In mending fences with Maldives, India will not just have to demonstrate that its foreign and security policy is autonomous. It will also have to accept the reality that all administrations in Male will be tempted to play the field. The old days of complete dominance, as is the case in Nepal, are overrchopra@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 25

The heavy rain in the region on Monday also affected schoolchildren in the Morni area as they were seen crossing the swollen Ghaggar river on their way back from school with the help of a pipe.

Such scenes were witnessed at Koti village in the Morni area of Panchkula as the area lacks a bridge.

The children had gone to their school in the morning after crossing the river as there was very little water, but when they returned, the Ghaggar had swollen.

A video of this has gone viral on the social media. The video has been shot by a local teacher, who is aware of the difficulties children face in their day-to-day life. The teacher urges people to circulate the video widely so that the district administration takes action to make the lives of the locals a little less miserable.gspannu7@gmail.com

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, September 25

The station director at the Ambala Cantonment railway station on Tuesday received a threat letter purportedly from LeT area commander Molvi Abbu Bukhari Kishtwar Kashmir, Karachi, Pakistan, to blow up railway stations and religious places in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

The letter was found by Ambala Cantonment station director BS Gill on his table today.

However, there was no stamp of any post office on the letter cover and it appears that someone has put the letter on his table.

The letter reads to avenge the atrocities against the Muslims by the Hindus and Sikhs, very soon on October 20 the Jihadis will blow up several railway stations including Ambala Cantonment, Jagadhri, Saharanpur, Rewari, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Jakhal and Hisar.

Besides these, the military camps, railway bridges and petrol pumps would be blown up in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

There is a threat to even blow up temples too in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, and Saharanpur on November 10.

After seeing the letter, the director reported the matter to Government Railway Police officials.

DSP GRP Shital Singh said, Alert has been sounded. Among the routine letters, someone has put the threat letter on directors table. All the CCTV footage will be analysed. Security agents and all officials have been directed to gather all information. 

It is also being suspected that it could be a prank of a railway employee.

To a query, he said, It could be a prank too. Maybe some official had rebuked any railway employee and he may have sent the letter. The matter is being investigated. We will check all the angles and find out the truth. 

Sources said that it is being suspected that the letter may have originated from Ambala only.

The officials attempted to get some clue from the CCTV footage of the railway station but found nothing as while some cameras were not working and the remaining were not covering the room of the station director.

A case has been registered at the GRP station under Sections 124 a, 153 a, 295 a, 505 (1) (b) of IPC.

Divisional Railway Manager Dinesh Chand Sharma said, The matter has been brought into the knowledge of the GRP and the matter is being probed.

On October 12, 2011, around 5kg RDX was recovered from a car parked in the parking lot at the station.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Shimla, September 25

As many as 270 stranded tourists, including 55 students from IIT-Rorkee and five from Kolkata, were rescued from the snowbound Lahaul valley in Himachal Pradesh today.

However, over 900 persons, including foreigners, were feared to be stuck in Sarchu, Bharatpur, Jispa, Darcha, and Zing Zing Bar on the Manali-Leh highway and at Chandratal, Batal, Chatru, Kunzum Pass and Gramphu.

Services on 493 bus routes remained suspended for the third day with 619 roads across the state blocked by landslides. An IAF chopper airlifted five tourists stranded at Patseo to Bhuntar. In another operation, 249 tourists, including the 55 IIT-Roorki students lodged in a hotel at Sissu, were evacuated to safety, BRO commander AK Awasthi said.

CM Jai Ram Thakur undertook an aerial survey of rain-ravaged Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti. We have urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for Rs 200 crore as immediate aid for relief, restoration and rehabilitation, he said.  TNSshalender@tribune.com

Sanjay Katkar

In a country like India which is progressing fast towards becoming a truly digital-first economy by reaching $1 trillion within the next five years, the discourse around cyber security has acquired an increasing significance. The rapidly-evolving digital world is further driven by futuristic trends such as driverless cars, product deliveries by drones, augmented reality, and weapon systems driven by artificial intelligence.

In the past decade, data has gained significant importance for both government and corporates so much so that it has become the next oil. Data protection is important from the point of view of empowerment, progress and innovation. However, this has also lead to a rise in cyber security threats and cyber-crimes which include attacks ranging from stealing information, espionage, weaponising software by installing malicious scripts. This has necessitated government and businesses to employ cyber security experts for protecting themselves from such cyber threats.

But sadly, despite this increase in demand for cyber security experts across all verticals, the supply is nowhere near satisfactory. Cyber security is predicted to be a $35 billion market opportunity with over 1 million jobs according to NASSCOM; however, the year 2021 is said to exceed 3.5 million unfilled cyber security jobs around the world. The financial sector alone is expected to hire over 2 lakh people while other sectors like power, oil & gas, airlines, law and order, e-governance etc. will hire the rest. To cater to this ever growing demand, a plan to create a workforce of 5 lakh skilled cyber security professionals has also been outlined by Government of India through the National Cyber Security Policy 2013.

Educational qualifications

Moreover, IT security and cyber security have also been included into the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum in some of the institutions as per the UGC's recommendations. Enrolling in a suitable degree programme offers different levels of cyber security preparedness for life as an IT security professional.

In Pune, Savitribai Phule Pune University is offering an MTech degree in the domain of information security where classes are held over weekends. The programme also provides opportunities to the working professionals who wish to explore better opportunities in the area of cyber security. Also Dehradun's Quantum School of Technology is offering a BTech (Hons.) in Computer Science & Engineering with specialisation in cyber security.

The curriculum taught at some of the most prolific cyber security colleges in India covers a range of topics such as application security, network security, IT security, as well as disaster recovery. The practical hands-on training also fosters skill development and employability.

While a number of Indian institutions offer a course in cyber security, some of the most renowned ones include Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (Kerala), Amity University (Noida), Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, All India Institute of Management Studies (AIIMAS) (Chennai) and K.K. Modi International Institute (KKMII) /(Delhi).

Chitkara University in Chandigarh is offering a UG programme in computer science engineering with a specialisation in cyber security. This course promises application-oriented learning where students learn through trial and error and are trained in computer forensics for structured investigations and analysis of cyber-threats. CSE students with a cyber security specialization can find employment as a security architect, risk analyst, cyber threats analyst, etc. or even be prepared for managerial and administrative positions.

Work profile

The duties of a cyber-security professional are complex and multidimensional as they need to be a step ahead of cyber-criminals and hackers at all points in time. Some of these duties include building security mechanisms during the developmental stages of software systems, networks and data centres. Others comprise building firewalls into network infrastructure, running checks for attacks and intrusions, countering attempted breaches, and may even necessitate identifying the perpetrator and reporting to the police or designated authorities.

These specialists are not only needed by IT companies as even non-IT companies require them.

What the future holds

One can say that the future of a career in cyber security is more than just promising. In addition to rewarding remuneration, there are intangible perks of pursuing a career in this field as the job presents amazing learning opportunities due to the complex and constantly evolving nature of cyber threats. Additionally, Cyber Security Ventures predicted that the world is expected to bear an annual cost of $6 trillion by 2021 due to losses caused by cyber-crime. This can be further evidenced by businesses and individuals becoming conscious of cyber security challenges the world over, particularly after the cyber-attacks on large companies such as Equifax, Yahoo, Uber, Zomato, Hitachi payment services, cloudbleed, Interfax etc. As cyber-crime is increasing in sophistication and prevalence at an untraceable pace, employment as an IT security expert is one with tremendous promise of sustainability and growth.

The writet is Joint Managing Director and Chief Technology Officer, Quick Heal Technologies Ltd.shalender@tribune.com

Abhijeet Chirputkar

The telecom sector in India has seen rapid growth in the past decade. Today, India is the second largest telecommunications market in the world. The industry has the potential to generate about 4.1 million additional jobs by 2020 not just in telecom but in allied areas such as Cloud, fintech, IoT, analytics, consumer electronics, telecom software etc. Its no surprise then that this industry offers numerous opportunities and scope for every skilled professional.

What it involves

MBA in Telecom Management is an amalgamation of management theories and technological know-how. Various institutes across the country have started offering an MBA in Telecom Management. This programme is designed to give students an understanding of various telecom technologies with functional knowledge required for various roles in this industry, such as business, marketing, regulations, information systems and finance. As a niche degree, this course also touches upon concepts specific to the telecom industry.

This MBA, in its two-year tenure, will expose students to courses such as networking, telecom & wireless technologies, telecom network management, network and cyber security etc.

This course also imparts knowledge of the latest technology that is in use today. This interdisciplinary course prepares students to be industry-ready professionals, who can effectively manage the diverse and ever-changing requirements of the dynamic industry.

Career options

Due to the growth in both volume and diversity, the telecom industry is offering attractive career opportunities. Freshers and experienced professionals alike can succeed in this industry if they are motivated enough. Telecom management students can work in areas such as cellular industry, fibre optics communication systems, sales and distribution, product development and management, marketing and operations, network planning, telecom consulting, and telecom regulation among others.

There are other ICT domains where they can find job opportunities, for e.g. business analyst, data analytics, market research, supply chain/ logistics, network and information security management, etc.

There is a lot of demand for specific industry knowledge for consulting firms. All big consulting firms are also regular recruiters at business schools.

Graduates with a degree in telecom management are also making careers in the upcoming technological and communication sectors like the Internet of Things, digital marketing, and artificial intelligence.

Pay packages

The global nature of telecom technologies makes it common across different countries and the professionals can get an opportunity of international recruitment. For freshers, the pay package can reach up to Rs 9 lakh per annum. However, for those with previous work experience, the salary can also go up to Rs 10 lakh per annum. The highest package can go up to Rs 20 lakh per annum.

All in all, an MBA in Telecom Management is a good option for those who are interested in gaining advanced technical knowledge of applied telecommunications/ computer science/ information technology/ science that is integrated with business management knowledge.

With the boom in this ICT industry, there are multiple opportunities across various upcoming fields for graduates with a degree in telecom management.

Institute watch

Amity University, Noida, offering MBA in Telecom Management

Panjab University, Chandigarh, offering MBA in IT and Telecommunication Management

Department of Management Studies Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, offering MBA in Telecommunication Systems Management

Balaji Institute of Telecom and Management, Pune, offering PGDM in Telecom and Marketing

Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM), Pune offering MBA in Telecom Management.

Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Kolkata, offering Post Graduate Diploma in Telecom Management

Scope

Organisations are looking for professionals who can critically understand new innovations in technologies and its impact on various industries as well as sectors. The engineering degree provides all aspects from technology perspective, however, MBA in Telecom Management which promises techno-commercial aspect of business is crucial.

 The writer is director, Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM)shalender@tribune.com

Pervin Malhotra

email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com

Q.Ive taken voluntary retirement from the Army because of some health problem. I am fine now and wish to take up a private job. How should I go about finding a viable second career? Please advise.  Capt A N S

A. Armed Forces personnel are valued for their integrity, efficiency, sense of discipline, commitment and responsibility to their task in the private sector where they fare well across the board in jobs ranging from security, facility management, and administration to training, logistics and personnel management among others in large and medium-sized companies.

Their excellent leadership qualities and communication skills enable them to integrate well within any organisational structure. Besides being stable, honest, trustworthy and open, they also make excellent team players.

Good technical knowledge combined with the ability to work within tight deadlines comes in handy while executing demanding time-bound projects and customers.

Since you havent mentioned your specific rank, branch of service or other qualifications, I suggest you take stock of your skills, talent and interest and try matching your profile with the requirement of jobs in the public and private sector to find a second career thats just right for you. Besides the D/o Ex-servicemen Welfare (desw.gov.in/directorate) some other websites like www.naukri.com/army-retired-jobs, www.exarmynaukri.com/APA/WEB/common/index.jsp, etc. serve as a common platform for ex-servicemen and employers. There are separate sections for job hunters as well as potential employers. Registration is free of cost. And should you require it, some of them even help prepare your resume, get interview tips and negotiate salaries.

Should you wish to augment your managerial capability, theres an array of courses  short and long-term  offered by prestigious B-schools like the IIMs (Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Lucknow, Indore), XLRI, MDI, IIT-D, NMIMS, MDI and Symbiosis to name a few.

Besides helping officers handle the business operations of the armed forces (e.g. logistics, supply chain management and project management), these courses open up a host of career opportunities for defence personnel like you who wish to get into civvy-street by equipping you with additional managerial skills and business savvy to face the challenges of the corporate world after you retire. There are equally attractive courses on MOOCS platforms like Coursera, etc that will bring you up to speed with new developments and skills across sectors.

Reservation policy norms

Q.I am a reserved category student studying in a school in Mohali. As my parents are moving to West Bengal, will I be able to get admission benefits in colleges there?  Paromita

A. Clearing the air on the reservation policy to be followed by states and UTs, the Supreme Court has held that a person belonging to the SC/ST community in one state would not be entitled to benefits and concessions in other states where their castes or tribes are not notified.

The verdict came on a batch of petitions that raised the issue whether a SC/ST in one state can seek reservation in another state where his caste is not notified as SC/ST.

Try for financial aid

Q.I am a Buddhist boy in studying in Class X in a government school. As my father is no more, my mom is finding it difficult to pay for my further education. I am very keen to study medicine for which I need to take physics, chemistry and biology in Class XI. I would like to go to a better school but dont have the means. Please help me to fulfill my dream.  Siddharth Asangha

A. Lack of funds need not deter you from achieving anything in life  provided youre willing to work hard and consistently. Government of Indias Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) offers scholarships under these 3 schemes for six minority communities (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis.

Eligibility: School, College University students of Minority community who wish to pursue a course of minimum one year duration at any level (as long as the institution is registered on the National Scholarship portal). They should have scored min 50% in the last annual Board/class examination. You should apply under the Pre-Matric Scheme for Minorities, which covers students from class 1 to X whose family income does not exceed Rs 1 lakh/p.a., Tuition fee of Rs 350/p.m. Plus Maintenance allowance ranging from R 100  600 for 10 months in every academic year.

Hostellers and day scholars of Class VIX get an admission fee of Rs 500 p.a.

For further details, log onto: www.minorityaffairs.gov.in

You can also call their Samadhan Helpline: 1800-11-2001

Make sure you dont miss the Application Deadline: September 30, 2018

Apply online: www.scholarships.gov.in

Best of luck!

Admission criteria for reserved category students

Q.I scored 59 per cent marks in MA (History). Can I get admission to MPhil in a good university by rounding off the marks? I am a reserved category student who is very keen to pursue academics.  Pareena kashyap



A. The 2016 UGC regulation, which was implemented by all Central universities, including DU, made it mandatory for students to score at least 50 per cent marks in entrance exams to qualify for MPhil and PhD interviews.

However, concerned about the mounting vacancies in reserved seats following the introduction of the two-step admission process, the latest UGC notification, Minimum Standards & Procedure for Award of MPhil/PhD Degrees (1st Amendment) Regulations 2018 now permits a relaxation of 5 per cent of marks (from 50 to 45 per cent) for SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layers)/differently-abled category candidates in the exam conducted by Universities across the country including the Central Universities of Punjab and Haryana.

And, should any reserved category seats still remain vacant despite this relaxation, universities will launch a special admission drive for that category within a month of the closure of admission of general category students by setting their own criteria.ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Taking MasterChef Australias legacy forward in India, Star World celebrates #10YearsofGourmet with Chef Saransh Goila of Goila Butter Chicken hosting the event at Artusi, Gurugram. The host, who was the first-ever Indian to judge an elimination challenge on MasterChef Australia, articulated how people havent changed but the way we express ourselves through food has definitely changed! The glitzy affair saw the whos who of the food fraternity in attendance.

Season 10 of MasterChef Australia promises to provide its viewers gripping challenges, mouth-watering cuisines, the largest panel of global chefs and an emotional rollercoaster like never before!ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Mona

Jen, you are the sunshine in my life. And mom was right, dont ever let go of your sunshine... as 67-year-old director Glenn Weiss went down on his knee and proposed to Jen Svendsen, it brought happy tears to those present at the Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, and millions watching it live.

The proposal goes down in history as a lauded moment that celebrated true love! Roses, champagne, chocolates and a backdrop of Eiffel Tower  proposals have set many a hearts on fire. Here is a quick check.

Ring side

When Nick Jonas pulled off the Sweet Home Alabama moment, closing down the Tiffany, New York, to pick a ring for his famous lady love, he added many more to the Prick bandwagon. While Julia Roberts loyalists would put the conference climax of Notting Hill as a stiff competition to the Tiffanys act, people in real too walk that extra mile to woo their loved ones.

Rosy affair

When actor Aryeman Bhatia chose to propose Dr Simer Kaur, he made a man sit atop a tree in sector 33 with a basket of roses. Simer, currently enjoying a holiday in Red Beach, Santorini with her hubby dearest, recalls the day with much glee. My friend, Dr Aman, asked me to meet her at a designated spot. When I couldnt see her anywhere around, I called only to be told to go under the tree. As I stepped, there was a shower of rose petals and next I found Aryeman down on a knee with a ring in hand. I had to say yes, she laughs.

Fly along

For Sona, the planning was way more elaborate. She wanted to do something grand for her friend-turned-boyfriend before they took in the Mr and Mrs roles. Along with common friends, they whisked him to Dhanipur airstrip in Aligarh. As soon as two of them were airborne in a chartered plane, she gifted him four notes along with as many gifts; the last being a watch with a note that said  I want to spend all my time with you and want yours in return. Being dizzy and completely oblivious to the plan, it was only when we landed that he realised what it all meant, Sona recalls and how merrily he said his yes!

On the sets

If being private is one, Indian television has its own story. Ravi Dubey proposed to Chandigarh girl Sargun Mehta on the sets of Nach Baliye, live on national TV. Chandigarh boy Prince Narula chose a wedding ramp show to profess his love for Yuvika Chaudhary.

Grand locations

Talking of love, can fairy tales be behind? High School Musical star Corbin Bleu created a Cinderella moment for actor Sasha Clements during a trip to Walt Disney and proposed with a ring hidden in a glass slipper. Another proposal befitting a queen was when Prince William chose Kenya to be the perfect backdrop to propose Kate Middleton with his mothers 18-carat sapphire-and-diamond ring, catapulting William and Kate to Duke and Duchess of Cambridge title.

Private setting

Not all fancy proposals take a wild safari though. Recently declared the highest-paid actor and the one ruling womens hearts for last four decades, George Clooney, chose the warm setting of the home to propose to celebrated human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin. It did take a circuitous route for George to make Amal reach the ring that lay hidden in a matchbox. Closer home, Imran Khan stealthily entered his girlfriends house, decorating it with candles before going down on the knee to surprise Avantika.

Wrestler John Cena chose Wrestlemania ring to gift a ring to WWE star Nikki Bella on live television. However, a year later, the couple decided to choose friendship over a relationship.

Well, a grand proposal is no guarantee for a lifetime of happiness, but no harm in trying a different route!editorial@tribune.com

Irrfan Khan-starrer "Doob" ("No Bed of Roses") is Bangladesh's official entry for the Oscars next year. The film, directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, which 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 was 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.

Real take

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, 2019. - PTIgspannu7@gmail.com

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, September 25

Actor Dalip Tahil was arrested on Sunday night for driving under the influence of alcohol after the car he was driving bumped into an auto-rickshaw causing minor injuries to the two passengers inside, police said.

According to the Khar police, Tahil was driving when his car bumped into an auto-rickshaw in front of him.

Two passengers in the auto, Jenita Gandhi (21) and Gaurav Chugh (22), who were jolted by the impact, told the police that Tahil tried to drive away instead of trying to help them.

However, the road ahead was blocked by a procession taking idols of Lord Ganesha for immersion and Tahil was

forced to stop his car, the complaint said.

Police said Gandhi and Chugh asked Tahil to get out of the vehicle and there was an argument between the two parties.

Police personnel who were part of the procession took both parties to the police station.

Blood tests were conducted on all three of them and it was revealed that Tahil had consumed alcohol, the duty officer at the Khar police station said.

Later in the night, the actor was released on bail after a criminal complaint was filed against him, police said.

He will, however, have to appear before the traffic court when summoned, the officer added.

amansharma@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 25

Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane has been posted as the new Eastern Army commander. He will take over on October 1.

He is presently posted as the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) based in Shimla.

Lt Gen Naravane, who is from the Sikh Light Infantry, will be the senior most Army commander when the turn comes to select the next Army chief in December 2019.

If the principle of seniority is the benchmark he could be the next chief, unless the government of the day decides to overlook seniority.

He will replace Lt Gen Abhay Krishna who has been transferred to head the Armys Central command.

The post at Central command is falling vacant as Lt Gen BS Negi is superannating.editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24

Three persons, including two children, were drowned on Monday as heavy rain continued for the third day across Punjab, leaving cities and towns waterlogged and paddy fields flattened in many areas. The state government announced a red alert and ordered that all educational institutes will remain closed on Tuesday.

The Army has also been asked to remain on alert.

Even as people living close to the Sutlej and Ghaggar rivers were put on alert, there were no reports of serious flooding.

At the Sodal Mela in Jalandhar, an eight-month-old daughter of a Rajasthani stall owner drowned after she fell off a bench on which she was asleep in the night as the area was inundated. In Amritsar, a man and his 12-year-old son drowned after their car fell off a bridge into an overflowing drain near Khiyala village during heavy rain.

Villagers in the Bet area of the Sutlej in Ludhiana were tense as the level in the river was rising continuously. The Ghaggar was also rising rapidly in Patiala and Sangrur areas, though the level was well below the danger mark.

While the state on an average received 60.8 mm of rain between Sunday and Monday morning, 243 mm of rain was recorded at Pathankot IAF base, followed by Gurdaspur at 225 mm and Amritsar 203.1 mm.

The Meteorological Centre said the worst may be over, though the sky would remain generally cloudy. Meanwhile, the Punjab Government has ordered a special girdawari to assess crop damage.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 25

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to ban MPs/MLAs from practising as advocates in courts, saying it was not backed by provisions of the Advocates Act, 1961, and Bar Council of India Rules.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, which had on July 9 reserved its order on the issue, said lawmakers were not like full-time salaried employees which were covered under Rule 49 of the BCI Rules that debarred such employees from practising law.

Delhi BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay had filed a PIL seeking to debar MPs, MLAs and MLCs having licence to practise law from practising in courts during their tenure as lawmakers.

The Centre had submitted during the hearing that an MP or an MLA was an elected representative and not a full-time employee of the government and hence the PIL was not maintainable.

However, senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Upadhyay, had contended that a lawmaker drew his/her salary from the public exchequer and a salaried employee is debarred by the Bar Council of India from practising in the courts of law.

The bench had noted that employment postulated a master-servant relationship and the Government of India is not the master of a Member of Parliament.

The petitioner had said while a public servant could not practise as an advocate, legislators were practising in courts which was a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution (right to equality).

Terming it a matter of concern for both the judiciary and the legislature, the petitioner had said that most of the lawmaker-advocates were involved in active practice of law, despite receiving salaries and other perquisites drawn on the public exchequer.rchopra@tribunemail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 25

Displaying judicial restraint, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refrained from debarring politicians facing serious criminal charges from contesting polls and instead left it to Parliament to enact a law to rid Indian politics of criminals.

"In a multi-party democracy, where members are elected on party lines and are subject to party discipline, we recommend to Parliament to bring out a strong law whereby it is mandatory for the political parties to revoke membership of persons against whom charges are framed in heinous and grievous offences and not to set up such persons in elections, both for the Parliament and the State Assemblies," a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said dismissing a PIL that wanted the top court to debar politicians against charges had been framed in connection with a heinous crime.

"This, in our attentive and plausible view, would go a long way in achieving decriminalisation of politics and usher in an era of immaculate, spotless, unsullied and virtuous constitutional democracy," said the Bench, which also included Justice RF Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra.

"The nation eagerly waits for such legislation, for the society has a legitimate expectation to be governed by proper constitutional governance," it said.

"The judicial arm of the State being laden with the duty of being the final arbiter of the Constitution and protector of constitutional ethos cannot usurp the power which it does not have," it said.

Discussing the Vohra Committee report on criminalisation of politics, Law Commission's 244th report on Electoral Disqualifications and its own verdicts on electoral reforms, the Bench expressed serious concern over criminalisation of politics in India.

On the extent of criminalisation that has pervaded Indian politics, the top court cited a Law Commission report that said in the 10 years since 2004, 18% of the candidates contesting either National or State elections have criminal cases pending against them (11,063 out of 62,847).

"The country feels agonised when money and muscle power become the supreme power. Substantial efforts have to be undertaken to cleanse the polluted stream of politics by prohibiting people with criminal antecedents so that they do not even conceive of the idea of entering into politics. They should be kept at bay," the top court said.

However, the Bench directed a tainted candidate to fill up particulars about his/her criminal antecedents in bold letters while filing nomination paper and asked his/her political party to put out such information on its website and give to enable voters to take an informed decision.

"The candidate as well as the political party concerned shall issue a declaration in the widely circulated newspapers in the locality about the antecedents of the candidate and also give wide publicity in the electronic media. When we say wide publicity, we mean that the same shall be done at least thrice after filing of the nomination papers," the Bench ordered.

"These directions ought to be implemented in true spirit and right earnestness in a bid to strengthen the democratic set-up," the Bench said.

The verdict came 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.

"We are sure, the law making wing of the democracy of this country will take it upon itself to cure the malignancy. We say so as such a malignancy is not incurable. It only depends upon the time and stage when one starts treating it; the sooner the better, before it becomes fatal to democracy," it said.

"Though criminalisation in politics is a bitter manifest truth, which is a termite to the citadel of democracy, be that as it may, the Court cannot make the law," said the top court which has ushered in several electoral reforms in the past 15 years, including immediate disqualification of lawmakers on conviction and introduction of NOTA.

Calling for infusing a culture of purity in politics and nurturing an informed citizenry which decides the fate and course of politics, the Bench said complete information about criminal antecedents of candidates formed the bedrock of wise decision-making and informed choice by the citizenry. Informed choice was the cornerstone of a pure and strong democracy, it said.

During the hearing, Attorney General KK Venugopal had told the Bench not to cross the 'Lakshman Reka' and respect the constitutional scheme on separation of powers between the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. 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, Venugopal had said opposing the petitioners' contention that the top court was entitled to issue proper guidelines in view of Parliament's failure to enact a law to check criminalization of politics in India.

Noting that it has issued the directions with "immense anguish" as the Election Commission could not deny a candidate to contest on a party symbol, the Bench said: "A time has come that the Parliament must make law to ensure that persons facing serious criminal cases do not enter into the political stream.

"It is one thing to take cover under the presumption of innocence of the accused but it is equally imperative that persons who enter public life and participate in law making should be above any kind of serious criminal allegation. It is true that false cases are foisted on prospective candidates, but the same can be addressed by the Parliament through appropriate legislation," the top court said.editorial@tribune.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24

Should politicians facing criminal charges be debarred from contesting the polls? A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra is to deliver its verdict on a PIL seeking de-criminalisation of the Indian politics on Tuesday.

The Bench, which also includes Justice RF Nariman, Justice AM Khanwilkar, Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra, had on August 28 reserved the verdict on the plea filed by Public Interest Foundation in 2011.

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 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 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 a law on the issue and hence the SC should leave it to the wisdom of 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 EC had the same effect of disqualifying someone from contesting. Nobody is disqualifying anybody. What we may direct the EC 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 had clarified.

Taking a note of people with criminal antecedents becoming members of Parliament and 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.

Follow order to curb lynchings, states told

The SC on Monday asked states and union territories to implement its directions on curbing vigilantism and mob lynching, saying people should realise that such incidents would invite the "wrath of law". A three-judge Bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra took exception to eight states, including Mizoram, Telangana, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Delhi, for not filing compliance reports on its July 17 verdict containing guidelines to deal with mob violence and vigilantism It gave them last opportunity to file their compliance affidavits in three days. TNS

Guj Ex-cop not allowed to appeal; reply sought

The SC on Monday sought the Gujarat Governments 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 Shweta Bhatts allegation as very serious, it asked the Gujarat Government to respond. IANS

Genital mutilation plea moved to 5-Judge Bench

The top 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 a request to this effect. The SC also took into account the submissions of an association of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims which contended female circumcision had been practised by the community for centuries and its validity had to be tested by a Constitution Bench to see if it was a religious practice protected under Article 25. TNSgspannu7@gmail.com

Lucknow, September 25

Hitting back at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for using foul language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh minister Sidharth Nath Singh said Tuesday the Amethi MP had graduated from being a shehzada (prince) to an emperor of lies.

Alleging that the Congress chief was misleading people, Singh, who is also a spokesperson of the UP government, demanded Gandhi spell out details to substantiate his claims on the then UPA governments decisions on the Rafale deal.

The shehzada has graduated and become the shehenshah (emperor)...Rahul Gandhi has become an emperor of lies. I am saying this as yesterday in Amethi he presented a story that was a total lie, Singh said attacking Rahul Gandhi.

The UP minister alleged that Gandhi was trying to convert lies into truth by continually repeating them.

Rahul is saying his (UPA) government had inked a deal with Rafale for 126 fighter jets. He says the order was given to HAL. I want to know from Rahul Gandhi about the dates of these events. Please tell the country what the deal was (with Rafale) and what order was placed with HAL, Singh said.

Asked if the Rafale issue would impact the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Singh said he did not believe so as elections were not fought on lies.

The Congress chief had in Amethi on Monday demanded answers from Prime Minister Modi on several issues related to the Rafale deal.

Gandhi had charged that the countrys chowkidar Narendra Modi snatched money from the poor and handed it over to industrialist Anil Ambani.

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.  PTIgspannu7@gmail.com

Ashok Kaura

Tribune News Service

Phagwara, September 25

A 42-year-old worker of Bahujan Samaj Party, Saroop Lal, was allegedly murdered with sharp-edged weapons by some unidentified assailants in Judga chowk in Apra village near Goraya around 4 pm on Tuesday.

The deceased was working in his cycle repair shop when some unidentified assailants attacked him.

He tried to run away but the assailants repeatedly attacked him and escaped leaving him in a pool of blood, the police said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Phillaur, Amrik Singh Chahal rushed to the site.

The police have registered a case under Section 302/304 of the IPC and sent the body to Phillaur Civil Hospital for post-mortem examination.

The cause of the murder could not be established yet. Bahujan Samaj Party leader MP Singh Goraya has strongly condemned the murder and alleged that law and order in the state has collapsed badly.editorial@tribune.com

Vikramdeep Johal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 24

On December 31, 1915, Risaldar Major Amar Singh made an impassioned speech in Punjabi to his fellow Sikh cavalrymen in front of British officers. An experienced granthi (priest), he chose an auspicious occasion  Guru Gobind Singhs birth anniversary  to spur the soldiers to rout the tyrannical Germans in World War I. We have vowed before our Gurus that we shall never hesitate to sacrifice our lives in the holy war. This is the only way in which we can be called true Sikhs, he declared. The assembly, sanctified by the presence of Guru Granth Sahib under a silk canopy, was held in a town hall-turned-makeshift gurdwara in the French township of Doullens.

Amar Singhs address was translated and recorded in a scrapbook by Captain Tom Westmacott (1876-1951), who was born in Bihar and was familiar with Indian languages. The latters war diaries form the basis of the debut novel by his granddaughter, Vee Walker. Published by UK-based Kashi House, Major Toms War was launched in London on Thursday.

Walker tells The Tribune, Amar Singhs role as a leader of the Sikhs on the Western Front and a courageous and dignified Risaldar Major cannot be underestimated. He was respected by troops of all faiths. By December 1915, his Sikh brethren, horsemen fighting dismounted, had already had their baptism of fire. He would have understood the importance of boosting the morale of his men.

The novel also features other Sikhs who were part of Westmacotts regiment, the 38th King Georges Own Central India Horse. Risaldar Harnam Singh was the British officers self-appointed protector, while Dafadar Arjan Singh served as his groom during the war.

These men were my grandfathers comrades-in-arms and he greatly loved and respected them. Hundred years after the end of WWI, I wanted to tell their story, says Walker, a museum and heritage consultant who resides in Scotland.

Both Amar Singh and Arjan Singh survived the war. The former was granted the title of Bahadur, besides a pension and a chunk of land; the latter was awarded military honours too. The name of Harnam Singh, who succumbed to injuries in August 1916, is engraved on a panel at the Neuve-Chapelle Indian Memorial in France. Walker hopes that the novel will help her get in touch with relatives of the Sikh soldiers. I would love to meet the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of these brave men one day, she says.

Archival resources related to her book, which is expected to be available in India next month, can be accessed on majortomswar.com.

Poignant letter from France

On July 17, 1917, Risaldar Major Amar Singh wrote a letter from France to Dafadar Lal Singh, a relative/acquaintance based in Amritsar district. Written in Gurmukhi verse, it sums up the colossal tragedy of the Great War:

What news can I give you but the following:

Many bridegrooms whose thoughts were with their wives have passed away

Many other men have struggled with death like fluttering pigeons

Their widows are weeping, since nothing but sorrow remains for them on earth

Many who were met by the cannons blast have passed silently beyond, as one sails away in a ship.

These lines, written a year after Amar Singh lost his comrade Harnam Singh, figure in David Omissis book Indian Voices of the Great War: Soldiers Letters, 1914-18 (Palgrave Macmillan, 1999).

Keeper of the faith

They sat again and watched as Risaldar Major Amar Singh opened the beloved book (Guru Granth Sahib) and gently started to fan the chaur over its pages... 'Gentlemen,' he began, softly, but in a voice that penetrated to the back of the hall and deep into every heart, 'Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Sri Waheguru ji ki fateh. All of you know whose (Guru Gobind Singh) anniversary it is today, what the task is before us and what is the real function of holding such a gathering as this.'

From 'Major Tom's War' (Kashi House, 2018)amansharma@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 25

SpiceJet on Tuesday marked the launch of its two new daily flights from Amritsar to Bangkok and Goa, commencing on November 6, by handing over the first ticket to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

A three-member team from SpiceJet, led by Chief Customer Service Officer Kamal Hingorani, met Captain Amarinder here at his official residence to announce the launch of the new flights from Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport.

Lauding the initiative, Captain Amarinder Singh said there was a huge potential of tourism in Punjab, especially the holy city of Amritsar, which is visited by a large number of devotees thronging from around the world to pay obeisance at Sri Darbar Sahib and Durgiana Mandir, besides paying tributes to the great martyrs at Jallianwala Bagh.

The Chief Minister also asked the SpiceJet authorities to start more flights between Amritsar and other destinations in the country and abroad. He also emphasised the need to start a direct flight from Mohali International Airport to Singapore in view of the huge demand from the people in the region.

Hingorani apprised the Chief Minister that SpiceJet was the first and only carrier to offer daily direct connectivity on the routes of both Amritsar-Bangkok-Amritsar and Amritsar-Goa-Amritsar.

Bangkok is notably the second international destination after Dubai that SpiceJet will be connecting via a direct flight from Amritsar. Bangkok is one of the most preferred international destinations for Indian tourists. Goa is also one of India's favourite travel destinations.sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Beijing, September 25

China on Tuesday extended a guarded welcome to the election of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, widely viewed as an ally of India, as Maldives new President, a day after he defeated the pro-Beijing incumbent, Abdullah Yameen, and expressed hope that the new government would keep a conducive environment for Chinese investments.

China is willing to work with Maldives to consolidate our friendship and deepen the cooperation between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here.

The victory of Solih has a geopolitical significance in the South Asian region as the archipelago is strategically located in the Indian Ocean where China is flexing its muscles. Maldives under Yameen also became an important partner in Chinas 21st century maritime Silk Road, despite Indias serious reservations over its impact in the Indian Ocean.

In 2014, the island nation had signed a MoU with Beijing in support of Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a project which is opposed by India as it includes the China Pakistan-Economic Corridor which transverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

China had also opposed any external mediation, including by the UN, when the Yameen government early this year imprisoned Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, former president MA Gayoom and other opposition politicians, saying that the crisis in the nation is its internal affair and should be resolved through dialogue and consultations by all relevant parties.

China congratulates the Maldives on its successful presidential election as well as Solihs victory, Geng said in a guarded reaction.

The comments were Chinas first reaction to Solihs unexpected victory on Monday. India, US and several other countries had congratulated him on Monday itself.

China and Maldives enjoy traditional friendship. In recent years, the two countries maintained very sound development momentum and we have conducted mutually beneficial cooperation under framework of the BRI and achieved outstanding outcomes, Geng said.  PTI

Yameens defeat is a Setback for Beijing: analysts

Analysts say Yameens defeat is another setback for China after the ouster of former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Malaysian premier Najib Razak from power, which prompted China to reconfigure its investments

While Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang was guarded in his comments on Tuesday, Chinas senior strategic analyst Hu Shisheng said the China card is played in Maldives polls not only by the political parties but also by India

Lanka ready to welcome defeated prez Yameenamansharma@tribunemail.com

United Nations, September 25

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday lauded India's efforts to lift millions of its citizens out of poverty as he addressed world leaders at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

"There is India, a free society (of) over a billion people, successfully lifting countless millions out of poverty and into the middle class," Trump said in his second address to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly that opened here on Tuesday.

#WATCH: There is India, a free society of over a billion people, lifting people out of poverty into the middle class, says US President Donald Trump at the UN pic.twitter.com/TXFQKqsbNM  ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2018

In his about 35-minute address, he said over the years, history has transpired in the halls of the UN General Assembly. "We think of the many before us who have come here to address the challenges of their nations and of their times and our thoughts turn to the same question that ran through all their speeches, resolutions and through every word and every hope."

"It is the question of what kind of world will we leave for our children and what kind of nations they will inherit," Trump said.

He said the dreams that fill the UNGA hall today are as diverse as the people who have stood at this podium and as varied as the countries represented in the United Nations. "It really is something. It really is great great history."

Trump also cited Saudi Arabia's bold new reforms and Israel "proudly celebrating" its 70th anniversary as a thriving democracy in the Holy Land. - PTIeditorial@tribune.com

Lahore, September 24

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 Courts 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 Sharifs 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. PTIgspannu7@gmail.com

Pretoria, September 25

South Africa on Tuesday announced visa reforms aimed at luring investment and tourists to help lift the continents most advanced economy out of recession.

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba unveiled a raft of regulations allowing frequent visitors and foreign business travellers to have long-term multiple-entry visas of up to 10 years. The rules will take effect from next month.

Changes to our visa architecture have the potential to boost tourism and make business travel more conducive, Gigaba told reporters.

We are simplifying visa requirements for countries such as China and India.

Applicants from those two countries will be able to have a 10-year visa processed within five days.

This arrangement is meant to attract business people and prospective investors, he said.

Anti-trafficking rules requiring parents to travel with birth certificates of their children will be simplified, he added.

Tourism contributes 10 per cent of South Africas total Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Visa reforms are part of an economic stimulus plan announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday to boost investor confidence after South Africa entered a recession in the second quarter of this year.

The plan also includes large-scale infrastructural development.

Data showing that South Africa had slipped into recession dealt a blow to Ramaphosa who came to office in February ahead of elections next year.  AFPSponsored: Ministry of Planning

With heightened international awareness of the issues relating to hazardous chemicals and waste, ozone depletion and biodiversity conservation, there has been increased global action to address these issues. Trinidad and Tobago has been no different.

More hereIts not too early to assess the success or failure of COP26, the climate summit that began in Glasgow on October 31.

The first week, while the heads of state are there, is when all the big promises are announced; the second week is devoted to haggling over the details of the deals. So we already know that it hasnt been an absolute failure.In September, 2018 we took the Premier Train from J'burg to Cape Town. We had finished a two week safari in Botswana and flew to J'burg from Kasane, Botswana. One of the travelers in our group likes trains so our group of four took the Premier Train. We booked two person cabins on line without a problem. The train leaves J'burg at 10:30 AM from the Central Station. There is a dedicated waiting area serving coffee, tea and snacks. If you want other treats for the trip like Coke Zero you can walk into the main waiting area for Central Station which has a grocery store.

The train left on time at 10:30 AM. While I am not an expert on age of equipment, the cabins had a 1960's feel with some updates such as USB chargers. Our cabin had two fold down beds and a hand basin. Toilets were at each end of a car plus a shower room. The cabins were clean and well maintained. I have rode on Amtrak east and west of Chicago. The train felt like a single level sleeper between Chicago and Cleveland. In the middle of the night the heat came on in our car, and it took an hour to find a staff person who could turn off the heat.

The first week of September is still the end of winter in South Africa . The train was about  full, a mixture of Northern Hemisphere Tourists (with a few Aussies) and white South Africans. We had assigned seating for meals, and our group had a table for 4. We had two lunches, dinner and a breakfast. There was usually a choice of a meat and non-meat entree. We could purchase beer or wine with dinner, and there was a bar car. Service was slow, but who was in a hurry. The food was good, but not great. I am glad I brought a bottle of scotch to help with the sightseeing. There is a smoking car, but no smoking in the cabins or anywhere else on the train.

We made a slow exit from J'burg, and it reinforced my previous experience that one sees the least attractive part of a country exiting a major city on a train. Since we were traveling in winter the sunset (which was beautiful) was at about 6 PM. We were behind schedule combined with the early sunset meant that we missed the only scheduled stop in Matjiesfortien. We used T-Mobile and were able to had data and voice service on almost the entire route.

We arrived in Cape Town two and a half hours late. They provided us an extra lunch. I have rode the Empire Builder from St. Paul to Seattle, and train is usually 2 or 3 hours late. Sometimes they have run out of food in the dining room to and been able to provide an extra meal.

We had a chance to see the Great Karoo Desert, a part of South Africa we would not have been able to see.

We had to spend two extra days in South Africa to make this trip. We finished our safari in Botswana on a Wednesday and we could have been in Cape Town Wednesday evening. We arrive in Cape Town on Friday afternoon. I am glad I had the chance to ride the train, but I would not do it again.Looking for everyone's input please!

My family including my mom, my god mother, and I are heading to Australia and New Zealand for 2 weeks. I plan to spend 3 days in Sydney and then hoping to spend 4 days in The Great Barrier Reef. I am looking for suggestions on where to go to. I have read about Cairns, Port Douglas, Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands, Airlie Beach, Lady Elliot Island, and Heron Island, but have no idea what this all means in terms of which island being most suitable for my family and the time of the year. Although, at this moment, Whitsunday Islanads and Carins are highly appealing.

We are looking to head to the reef the second week of December. For my family, we are looking for a place where they are great places to stay. We would love to do some sailing out in the water, and some snorkeling. My mom and god mother are older; therefore not as interested in the adventure side. Something scenic, beautiful, and where the water is blue and crystal clear.

I understand that December - March is wet season, but what are my limitations? Will early December still be an okay time?

Please help :)I am planning to travel to Australia with my family (wife and 2 boys, 8 and 14 year old) for 8 days, starting from October 1st. I am thinking about spending 3 days in Sydney and 4 days in either Melbourne or Cairns. Cairns would offer the opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef. Melbourne, would offer the opportunity to visit the Great Ocean Road. I have the following queries:

1- Which is a more scenic place, and better option for this time of the year, Melbourne or Cairns?

2- Do I have to go as far as Cairns to visit the Great Barrier Reef?

3- Can I add Byron Bay to my time in Sydney? or it will lead to spending long time in travelling between places?

4-If I go to Melbourne, is it better to drive on the Great Ocean Road? or take the 12 hour guided tour? and if I drive a car along the route, is it better to complete the whole route till Adeleide, and fly back from there to Christchurch?

5- Is my schedule, too tight?I've never been to CR, but our first trip is booked for Jan 2019. I have an opinion on AA, though. Unfortunately, I've experienced problems with their on-time history. On all 4 direct flights with AA this year, I've experienced problems which resulted in being late on arrival. As this happened to me, I remember saying "I'd never book AA if it involved a connecting fligh!!."

That being said, our Jan2019 flight to Liberia, CR is on AA, and WE ARE connecting through DFW!! Ugh!! Anyhow, I paid extra for the seats toward the front of the plane, taking carryon bags only. The layover in D FW is just over 1 hour!! Fingers crossed...

I'd go by price point, if I were you. 4 hour layover is long. Good luckSounds like a fun month!

Transportation options to S. Caribbean- (arrive to SJO airport, preferably in the morning. If you land later in PM or in the eve., you would need to spend the 1st night closer to the airport).

You can do Tortuguero on the way to Cahuita or after Cahuita. Directions / map : . It is from the site of a hotel in Tortuguero village popular with independent travelers (many visitors to T. come on pkgs - with transportation included with their Lodge stays, outside the village). They have own canal tours, etc.

If you are doing Tortuguero first, then moving South, you will need to leave early in AM from your hotel near SJO, and eventually arrive to La Pavona docks, from there - boat to Tortuguero. After a couple of nights in T. (or 2-3), take a much longer boat transfer to Moin dock, then taxi to Limon, then bus Limon to Cahuita (see the local bus schedule in the 1st link above).

In Cahuita, you can stay within a walking distance from the national park, bank/ATM/bus terminal, places to buy groceries and eat along the main st. It is a small town. We stayed there a couple of times. We found it easy to use local buses between near by places there. You can also rent a bike.

We were travelling from Cahuita to Arenal and took a prepaid shared shuttle van from Interbus, which delivered us hotel to hotel. It was a long transfer day of over 6 hrs, with 2 stops (one long), for US$54. On longer transfers, during the stops by some soda (= roadside restaurant), there might be a change of shuttles, but since it is all one booking, the driver will move your luggage, you keep the valuables with you anyway, and he tells you which similar looking van near by will be continuing toward your next destination, very easy. See for rates and schedules. You can also do buses.The Strange world of Vietnamese visas. Two fingers to Keynes

The Strange world of Vietnamese visas. Two fingers to Keynes

Vietnamese answer to Keynesian economics .Two fingers to General Equilibrium Theory by Ho Chi Mihn

1) Visas

If you come to Vietnam for 15 days cost of visa $zero

If you come to Vietnam for 30 days cost of visa. $60

In other words we would like you to come to Vietnam and spend your money, but if you want to spend more money you will have to pay $4 each day extra as a fine/penalty

2) if you want to visit neighbouring Cambodia for a few days

You fly to Phnom Penh airport from Ho Chi Minh airport cost $200 return for one hour each way

($100 of which is Cambodian government tax)

You have to pay $30 for 4 day visa to Cambodia

On return to border with Vietnam your 30 day Vietnam visa is void. You have only been in Vietnam a couple of weeks.

Have to spend $100 for new short notice emergency 30 day visa to use for one day because flight back to uk from same airport is next day

Answer1 get the free 15 day visa for the one day you will be in Vietnam

No. Not allowed to have the free visa on next visit if you have already bought a 30 day one

Answer2 hang around the airport for 12 hours in no mans land before checking in.

No. You are only allowed in lounge for 6 hours when you will be arrested for illegal entry and carted off to jail.

The moral of the story is spend as little time in Vietnam as possible and don't visit anywhere else. You save a few $100 and the governments lose $1000's

Edited: 3 years agoNov. 7, 8: Matsumoto, Alpine Route to Toyama

I'm afraid that the Autumn Color in the Tateyama-Kurobe-Alpine Route, which starts in late September, as follows, is too late in early November.

Therefore, I alternativey recommend you to leave Tokyo and stay Matsumoto on Day 6, go from Matsumoto to Kamikochi and to Shin-hotaka Ropeway, where the Autumn Color is a little bit latter than the Alpine Route at their lower altitude areas, as follows.

Kamikochi is crowded in its Autumn Color season, so I think it would be better to stay at an Onsen Ryokan in Hirayu Onsen or Shin-hotaka Onsen on Day 7, where you can go to both Kamikochi and Shin-hotaka Ropeway by bus, as follows.

Then, you can go to Takayama in the next day(Day 8) by Nohi bus, as follows.

And then you can go to Shirakawago in the next day(Day 9) and explore the World Heritage Village for a few hours while you leave your luggages at the bus center there for a few hours. Then, take the next bus to Kanazawa and stay there for 1 night before you go to Kyoto on Day 10.

<<Is it possible to use the Shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo with a JR pass?>>

Yes, I think the 14 day JR Pass pays off for your itinerary.-:- Message from Tripadvisor staff -:-

Tripadvisor staff removed this post because it did not meet Tripadvisor's forum guideline limiting each user to a single forums screen name.

To review the Tripadvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html

We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.>> low range to the low side of a medium category

This means different things to different people. All the large clothing stores have websites with prices. Please refer to them.

>> I'm comparing between Taobao and apparently some users have shared that it works pretty well for them, anybody did the same?

Numerous people used this method and posted their opinions on Chinese and Hong Kong travel forums. Refer to those.Hi everyone,

I'm going crazy trying to process all the information I need on transportation in Japan and calculating what's worthwhile or not.... I'll try and illustrate our itinerary and I really hope someone who understand can clarify.

We (3 pax) are arriving at Kansai airport on the 1st, staying in Kyoto (3 days) until the 4th, heading over by train to Tokyo, in Tokyo by Ueno station (3 days) 4th-7th of October and then flying from Narita.

We will need to go by train from Kansai to Kyoto, we will then use some buses/subway within Kyoto (although this I've found to only be about 200-300 yen per fare), then the bullet train which I know is expensive to Tokyo from Kyoto, and then some traveling within Tokyo (again, not expensive), then the Narita express (or if theres a cheaper yet reasonable alternative).

My calculations are:

Kansai - Kyoto Haruka Express OR

ICOCA & HARUKA Kansai airport - Kyoto 3600 yen

Single fares in Kyoto 6 x 300

Bullet train 13800 yen

Single fares in Tokyo: 72-hour pass: 1500 yen OR single fares, not as important.

Narita Express 3020 yen

VS. the JR Pass: 29,110 yen

Could anyone be so kind as to clarify and simplify this for me please? I'm reading about all these passes and how some of them have deposits and what not and where to buy them but at the end of the day I am wondering whether that will all be too much a hassle, and we are short on time so I'd like ot avoid wasting time once over there.

Thank you very much for reading,

JolieThe increase in human population and industrialization have contributed to water pollution as increasing amounts of liquid and solid wastes are released into water sources. The solid and liquid wastes tend to affect the quality of the water; this is clear through the impaired ability of the water to support aquatic plants and animals among other impacts of water pollution in industrialized and developing states. The water also becomes unsuitable for use in agricultural activities. Both governments and non-governmental institutions have for many years created awareness on the importance of conserving water sources. Read this article to learn about the causes and effects of water pollution and possible mitigation measures, particularly in Kenya.

Water pollution, which is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, oceans, rivers, and groundwater among others, is increasingly becoming a major global issue affecting both plants and animals in every aspect. Every form of life depends on water to carry out essential biological functions. Developing countries tend to be the most affected with many cases of water-borne diseases such as Cholera. Due to the weak enforcement of laws and regulations on the protection and conservation of water bodies, industries in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa tend to release industrial effluents directly into water sources, resulting in unsafe water for human, animal and plant use. What are the effects of water pollution? This, as well as the causes of water pollution in Kenya, are discussed below.

READ ALSO: Causes of conflict in Africa

List of effects of water pollution

Water pollution affects the health of people and other living things, as well as the environment.

1. Effects of water pollution on humans

Polluted water increases the risk of contracting water-borne diseases such as bilharzia, cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoea which may be fatal when left untreated. Exposure to water contaminated with radioactive waste will lead to increased risk of cancer. The pesticides such as DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) accumulates in aquatic organisms, and after consuming them, people suffer from a damaged nervous system. Presence of heavy metals such as lead can cause brain damage. Arsenic present in water causes humans to suffer from liver damage and skin cancer.

2. Effects of water pollution on plants

Thermal pollution leads to the death of aquatic plants since the heavy metals accumulate in them, inhibiting their growth. Nutrient enrichment of water sources can cause low dissolved oxygen levels leading to the death of aquatic plants. Acid rain caused by sulphur dioxide gases, on the other hand, will lead to the destruction of aquatic plants because of the increased acidity of the polluted water bodies. Also, solid waste such as plastics in lakes and oceans form a barrier on the surface thus, preventing sunlight from reaching the plants for the process of photosynthesis to take place.

3. Water pollution effects on animals

Terrestrial and aquatic animals tend to choke to death when they consume plastics. Oil spills cause the death of seabirds because it clogs their feathers causing the birds to be unable to fly and look for food. Heavy metals in polluted water cause birds to produce eggs with weak shells thus causing a decline in the population of birds, and these heavy metals are also toxic to amphibians and fish because they cause hormonal imbalance which inhibits their reproduction process. Another impact of water pollution on animals is that an increase in the acidity of water bodies causes the death of amphibians such as frogs. Lastly, the contaminated water, when used to irrigate plants, will lead to the accumulation of poisonous metals thus affecting wild and domestic animals when they consume the plants, causing high risk to their nervous system.

Causes of water pollution

Now that you have a clue of how water pollution affects living things and the environment, it is important to know what causes the pollution. Understanding the causes of water pollution will aid us in making informed decisions to avoid contaminating water bodies and making them unsafe.

1. Agricultural pesticides

When applying fertilizers on crops, only the right amount should be applied since excess fertilizer is leached by the surface runoff-water before finding its way into water sources such as lakes. In the case of nitrogenous fertilizers, using excess leads to eutrophication which promotes the development of algae, which in the end contribute to the death of fish and other aquatic organisms in the water bodies.

For example, in Lake Victoria, nutrient enrichment from increased agricultural activities has been blamed for the development of water hyacinth in the upstream sections of the rivers that drain into the Lake.

2. Untreated sewage

Raw untreated sewage, when released into water sources such as rivers or lakes, cause the level of dissolved oxygen to decline, leading to the death of aquatic plants and animals. Also, pathogens accumulate in the water and make it unsafe for drinking or use by plants and animals.

3. Oil Spills

When an oil pipeline bursts, the oil flows into water sources such as rivers. The oil forms a layer on the surface of the water, thus, preventing oxygen from dissolving in the water, leading to the death of aquatic organisms such as fish in the water.

4. Radioactive materials

The radioactive materials such as uranium wastes from nuclear power stations can be extremely toxic when released into water bodies. A good example would be the nuclear accident of Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant in Japan back in March 2011 when radioactive wastes were released into the ocean leading to the death of the fish there.

5. Solid and liquid waste from industries and houses

Thermal pollution occurs when industries release into water bodies, hot liquids containing chemical residues. These liquid wastes lead to the death of aquatic life because the hot water has low dissolving power for oxygen. The chemicals affect and distort the metabolic functions of the aquatic organisms.

Water pollution prevention

To prevent the effects of water pollution, the following measures should be taken

1. Sewage from houses should be properly channeled to sewage treatment plants for treatment before being released.

2. Factories should avoid releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere.

3. The use of harmful pesticides such as DDT is illegal in most countries, so it should be discouraged even in Kenya.

4. Safety procedures should be implemented and observed at all times in nuclear power plants.

5. Solid waste management facilities should be established to cater for homes and industries.

6. Oil pipelines should be continuously monitored to prevent oil spills.

READ ALSO: Signs and symptoms of amoeba infection

Governments and non-governmental organizations have tried to come up with initiatives to mitigate water pollution, but more needs to be done. It is important to note that environmental conservation requires a combined effort from each one of us, and with the understanding of the effects of water pollution and its causes, everyone should be able to take preventive measures. The little effort you put will go a long way in conserving the environment and saving us all!

READ ALSO

Health benefits of watermelon seeds

Uses of vinegar and its health benefits

Urinary tract infection in men: symptoms and causes

Signs and symptoms of ovulation

Benefits of camel milk for health

Source: Tuko- Dominic Ongwen has been at the Hauge-based ICC detention centre since 2015

- He is facing trial for 70 counts of war crimes committed in northern Uganda in 2000s

- While in prison, he was allowed to have private meetings with his family

- It was during the family visits that a new child was conceived and eventually born

- Ongwen, the ex-commander of Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), sired over 20 children with different women during his reign of terror

- LRA, led by Joseph Konyi, murdered over 100,000 people and abducted 60,000 children according to UN

Former commander of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Dominic Ongwen, has fathered another child while in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Ongwen's wife gave birth to a bouncing baby following frequent family trips to the Hague during which the suspect was allowed to meet his wife and children.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens

READ ALSO: Sababu ya Gavana Obado kutaka Sharon Otieno auawe - DPP

Ex-commender of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Dominic Ongwen, has been in detention at the Hague since 2015 and is facing charges related to war crimes committed in 2000s. Photo: The Observer.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Kampala on lockdown as Bobi Wine's trial begins

TUKO.co.ke on Monday, September 24, gathered the former commander broke the good news to a delegation of Acholi leaders who traveled to the Hague to visit him on September 21.

According to Uganda's The Observer, the high level delegation, headed by the Chief of Acholi, David Onen Achana II, received the news during a visit to the ICC's detention centre where they held talks with the war crimes suspect for hours.

READ ALSO: Firebrand Uganda MP Bobi Wines ribs crushed, cannot stand on his own - Lawyer

Ongwen who has been in detention since 2015 is facing charges on 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Hague-based ICC, already had over 20 children sired by different women.

He reportedly invites the wives he loves the most to the Hague and it is understood the newborn, whose name remained top secret, was conceived during one of those private family visits.

READ ALSO: Ugandan army to continue holding celebrity MP Bobi Wine over possession of weapons

The ICC detainee served as the commander of the Sinia Brigade under the bloody reign of fugitive warlord, Joseph Kony.

During Ongwen's command, LRA murdered over 100,000 people and abducted 60,000 children according to the United Nations.

The war lord's lawyer, Krispus Odongo, argued his client was a victim and not a perpetrator of the war crimes he was accused of.

"Children abducted by the LRA, the accused included, are used in the war in northern Uganda, and grew up in one of the most brutal environments ever before known to humanity," Odongo told ICC.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Kenyans' Reactions to President Uhuru's VAT Bill - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News- Mutua expressed concern over the high cost of constructing roads in Kenya

- He said Kenya should adopt new technologies to minimise costs of road construction

- Mutua said Kenya was getting into more debts by taxing highly and losing money through corruption

- The county chief asked Uhuru to form a task force to audit hefty programs that are unaffordable

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has finally broken his silence on the tax debate asking President Uhuru Kenyatta to do away with unaffordable projects instead of raising taxes.

Mutua said taxing Kenyans more while losing money through corruption and misappropriation of funds was only going to land the country into more debts.

READ ALSO: Picha 12 za Monica Kimani aliyeuawa kinyama eneo la Kilimani, Nairobi

Governor Alfred Mutua expressed concern over the high cost of constructing roads in Kenya. Photo: UGC

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Kenyans give Uhuru their piece of mind after signing Finance Bill 2018 into law

Through his Twitter post seen by TUKO.co.ke on Monday, September 24, the county boss expressed concern over the high cost of constructing roads in Kenya saying the country was living beyond its means.

"It is shocking that we are building 1km of road at KSh 1 billion! Clearly, close to 600 million of this is being squandered and stolen! New innovative technology can help us reduce these exorbitant costs to up to 60%," said Mutua.

"I am urging President Uhuru Kenyatta to form a task force to audit these hefty programs that we cannot afford, provide a comparative analysis with other African and Europe countries and provide tangible solutions to this problem that is affecting an already overstretched mwananchi," he added.

READ ALSO: Opposition MPs threaten to call for mass protest as new taxes bite

Mutua's sentiments came shortly after Deputy President William Ruto defended the move by the government to levy 8% VAT on petroleum products following the recent enactment of the Finance Bill 2018.

Ruto said proceeds from tax would be geared towards expelling poverty from the country and termed critic messages as "noises".

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Latest Kenya News: Kenyans' Reactions to President Uhuru's VAT Bill | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News- Water at Edinburg School was disconnected by Muwasco for failing to pay a huge bill

- The school reconnected itself to water infrastructure and vandalised the water meter

- It was given seven days to pay bills totaling to KSh 473,640 or Muwasco goes to court

Water wars in Murang'a County have taken a new twist after a posh school associated with Governor Mwangi wa Iria was slapped with KSh 100,000 in fines for water theft.

TUKO.co.ke had on Thursday, September 20, reported that water supply to Edinburg School was disconnected owing to an unpaid bill of KSh 346,380.

Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens.

READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

The county chief, has been blamed by the water distributor for advising Murang'a resident not to pay their water bills. Photo: Governo Wa Iria

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Muranga governor demands KSh 2 billion from water flowing to Nairobi, dismisses water minister

In a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke, Murang'a Water and Sanitation Company (Muwasco) said Edinburg School had tampered with equipment and drawn water illegally.

"Following a patrol on Monday, September 24, we identified that you have tampered with our water network by removing our meter and illegally drawing water thereon," read Muwasco warning letter to the school.

READ ALSO: Muranga governor in hot water after leading raid on countys water company

This development emerged at a time governor Wa Iria is entangled in an ugly water war with an aim of taking over operations at Muwasco among other water companies in Murang'a.

The county chief has been blamed by the water distributor for advising Murang'a residents not to pay their water bills and also connect to water infrastructure illegally.

When Muwasco disconnected water supply to residents for not paying their bills, Wa Iria is said to have dispatched a team of plumbers who reinstated supply.

Water wrangles begun in August, shortly after Wa Iria sacked Muwasco Chairman Peter Munga and replaced him with Joseph Kimura. Photo: Governor Wa Iria

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Muranga county minister, MCAs face arrest following chaotic water protests

The water company said the action by the school's management to reconnect water was illegal and contravened Water Act 2016.

"Kindly note that this is a criminal offence punishable in law in accordance with section 145 of Water Act 2016 and section 85 of the Water Services Regulatory rules 2012 together with our approved tariffs," the warning letter said.

The company demanded that Edinburg pays KSh 473,640 within seven days, failure to which Muwasco would seek legal redress.

READ ALSO: Government sounds warning to Murang'a governor for grabbing water resources, harassing staff

Water wrangles begun in August 2018, shortly after Wa Iria sacked the water firm's Chairman Peter Munga and replaced him with Joseph Kimura, a development that sparked protests.

On Friday, September 21, the fiery governor claimed Munga had served at Muwasco for over 20 years and it was time for him to relinquish the position.

The county leader was also accused of marshaling an attack on Muwasco where he led in vandalising the premise and assaulting of workers by goons.

The governor is also accused of marshalling an attack on Muwasco where he led in vandalizing the premise.Photo: Governor Wa Iria

Source: Facebook

He has, however, vowed not to relent in what he termed as protecting water rights of Murang'a people.

The governor insists the county must benefit from 25% of water proceeds from the national government since water used in Nairobi flows from his county.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado | Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko Breaking News- The woman was allegedly kidnapped in Mombasa and discovered all the way in Nairobi

- She duped her family members she was eight months pregnant

- A gynecologist report indicated she had a uterus problem and she could not have conceived

- Police were putting evidence together to find her motive for duping her family

The story of a Mombasa woman who was allegedly abducted has taken a new twist with police reports indicating she was not pregnant.

A gynecologist report indicated Saida Abdulrahman had a uterus problem and she could not have conceived.

READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

Saida Abdulrahman and her husband husband Mohamed Abdulrahman walk out of police station in Mombasa. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Makueni police hunt for father who impregnated Class 8 daughter, forced her to abort

"The gynecologist's report indicates she never conceived. Neither did she have an abortion," said Mombasa Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Jacob Kanake.

The police boss said they were putting evidence together to find the motive behind Saida's lies.

"At this moment, we are yet to find the motive. Why would she make up such a story? Why would she make us use all those resources to look for her?" Kanake asked.

READ ALSO: 83-year-old Muranga man stranded after returning home 50 years later to find no family

Saida, 20, was allegedly abducted on Thursday, September 20, in Mombasa and found outside Pumwani Mosque in Nairobi on Sunday, September 23.

The woman had lied to her family that she was eight months pregnant and claimed she lost the pregnancy after her abductors injected her with a labour inducing chemical.

READ ALSO: Mystery as kidnapped Mombasa woman resurfaces without baby bump

She said she lost her consciousness and woke up only to find herself bleeding before she escaped from her abductors.

One relative divulged the victim described her kidnappers as being six women who had a coastal accent.

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Kenya News Today: Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.keTanzania socialite Hamissa Mobetto is on the spot for giving different sets of advice to her fans in Kenyan and Tanzania in separate interviews.

A quick look at Hamissas love life and one would be forgiven to believe she has seen it all  from heartbreaks to being openly referred to a superstars side chick despite having a baby with him.

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READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

READ ALSO: Life will go on with or without you  Hamissa Mobetto says a day after Diamond released two diss tracks on her

She has since tried as much as possible to move on, with some harsh lessons to take from all her drama.

Hamissa, since re-launching her musical career, has had several interviews where she has given her take on a number of issues including the contentious question of sponsors.

In her most recent interviews, she found herself unable to escape the question of relationships once again, and she gave two interesting sentiments on the same.

READ ALSO: It's not what you all think - Hamissa Mobetto finally speaks on rumors of her reunion with Diamond in Dubai

The first interview was with Times FM, a Tanzanian outlet, where she gave some scoop on the type of man she would prefer to date going forward.

Judging from her past experience with 28-year-old Diamond, Hamissa predictably declared she was ready to settle with any mature man, preferably one who has been married and divorced or widowed in the past.

Right now I have two children, therefore I want a white or old man who has been in a marriage and is from 45 years or older, she said in the interview between bouts of laughter.

READ ALSO: TV girl Yvonne Okwara takes on Kenyan who wondered why shes still childless

According to the lass, she can only vibe with a man who has been through his fair share of lifes experiences and would be well poised to take care of her and her children.

However, in another interview with comedian Chipukeezy in Kenya, the socialite was asked to offer advice to young girls looking up to her and she gave a completely different taste in her answer.

READ ALSO: TV girl Lilian Muli hits gym in search of dream body months after welcoming second baby

Having a sponsor is not a bad thing, but having your own money is the best thing. Sponsors will just use and dump you, she explained.

So on one hand, Hamissa does not condone having the so-called sponsors but on the other hand, she would rather date a man who fits that description.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news

Latest Kenya News: Kenyans' Reactions to President Uhuru's VAT Bill | Tuko TV:

Source: Tuko- West Pokot governor John Lonyangapuo announced his deputy, Atudonyang, will now be working without pay

- He also announced the deputy governor will no longer be the county's CEC for Health and Sanitation

- This came after the governor was grilled by EACC over his deputy's absence

- Atudonyang was earlier accused of working in the US as a full time neurosurgeon while still receiving salary as the deputy governor

West Pokot Deputy Governor, Nicholas Owon Atudonyang , has stepped down as the County Executive Committee (CEC) for Health and Sanitation.

His resignation was announced by the county governor John Lonyangapuo who said he received a letter from Atudonyang relinquishing his position in the Health docket.

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READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

Absent West Pokot deputy governor to work from US without salary

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria's posh school penalised KSh 100,000 for stealing water

Addressing a press conference in his office on Monday, September 24, Lonyangapuo also said Atudonyang would now only serve as the county deputy governor without salary.

Geoffrey Lipale was moved from the Agriculture, Livestock, and Pastoral docket to replace the absent deputy governor as CEC for Health and Sanitation.

The changes came after Lonyangapuo was grilled by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Atudonyang's long absence.

The deputy governor was accused of working full time in the United States yet continued to earn a salary from West Pokot coffers.

READ ALSO: Abducted Mombasa woman lied to family about miscarriage, police say shes barren

The EACC alleged that Atudonyang, who is neurosurgeon in the US, had remained salaried without rendering any services.

He (deputy governor) does not depend on the salary. Those who have been making noise about misuse of funds should stop it, said Lonyangapuo.

We need motivation and new momentum for results to be realised. My CECs and Chief Officers have been competent and I am proud about them," he added.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news

Kenya News Today: Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko- The electoral body dismissed claims it had fired CEO Ezra Chiloba on allegations of gross misconduct

- It, however, confirmed disciplinary action on the CEO was ongoing and it would settle on a decision soon

- Chiloba was summoned to appear before the commissions disciplinary committee on Monday, September 24, but failed

- He was sent on suspension in April 2018 after an audit report indicated millions of shillings had been lost in flawed procurement of goods for the 2017 election

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has dismissed claims it has fired its CEO Ezra Chiloba.

The commission, however, clarified the disciplinary process was ongoing for the top official who has been on suspension since April 2018.

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READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

IEBC denies sacking suspended CEO Ezra Chiloba

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Form 4 student found murdered, body dumped in fishpond in Kisii

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, September 25, to make the clarification, the commission also noted it would make an objective decision on the same at a later date.

It is not true that CEO Ezra Chiloba, who is on suspension, has been dismissed from employment, said IEBC.

What is true is that the disciplinary process is on-going and the Commission will make an objective decision on the matter, it added.

READ ALSO: I am still fighting for you - Raila assures supporters

The clarification followed a report by a section of the media claiming a decision had been reached to send Chiloba packing for gross misconduct after a meeting attended by chairman Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye.

The commission had invited Chiloba to appear before its disciplinary committee on Monday, September 24, morning but he failed to show up.

The embattled CEO was indicted by the commissions internal audit report which revealed taxpayers could have lost millions in flawed procurement of goods and services for the 2017 General Election.

READ ALSO: Absent West Pokot deputy governor to work from US without salary

The report, published on August 20, 2018, examined KSh 6.2 billion worth of 31 contracts the commission entered into during the 2017 poll and the repeat presidential election.

The auditors concluded after reviewing the tenders, there was no value for taxpayers money in 10 contracts worth KSh 4.6 billion.

Chiloba has been engaging the Wafula Chebukati-led commission in a protracted legal battle to keep his job.

READ ALSO: We were paid to protest outside Milimani courts  Obado supporter

This was after he was sent on compulsory leave to pave the way for an independent audit.

After the audit report indicted him, the commission wanted Chiloba to explain some of the decisions he made leading to possible loss of public funds.

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Kenyans' Reactions to President Uhuru's VAT Bill | Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko- Omtatah wants the court to suspend implementation of the controversial Finance Act 2018

- The activist argued the Act was null and void because it was signed after Parliament opposed it

- In his petition, Omtatah argued the Bill was not supported by the majority of the lawmakers

- He added Uhuru had no power to amend the Bill but only to send to Parliament his reservations

- The new taxes came to be after signing of the Finance Bill 2018 following a chaotic debate in Parliament

Activist Okiya Omtatah has renewed hope of millions of Kenyans after he moved back to court to challenge new taxes which came into effect after President Uhuru Kenyatta assented to the Finance Bill 2018.

Omtatah on Tuesday, September 25, filed a petition challenging the new levies on grounds that they were not enacted in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya.

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READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

Activist Okiyah Omtata on Tuesday, September 25, filed a petition challenging the Finance Act 2018 on grounds that it was not enacted in accordance with the Constitution. Photo: Citizen.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Treasury boss to table KSh 3 trillion budget and here is how it will affect your wallet

The activist, TUKO.co.ke confirmed, wanted the court to issue interim orders suspending implementation of the Finance Act 2018 which saw fuel prices and overall cost of living rise.

In his petition, Omtatah argued the Act signed by Uhuru on September 21, 2018, was null and void because majority of the Members of Parliament had opposed it.

READ ALSO: Kenyans transacted KSh 1.8 trillion through mobile in first 3 months of 2018

The activist argued the Finance Bill 2018 died when the lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected Uhuru's recommendations.

He accused the Speaker of the National Assembly, Justin Muturi, of taking a dead Bill to the president to sign.

Omtatah further argued the president did not have powers to amend a Bill and that he could only send the Bill back to Parliament if he had any reservations.

READ ALSO: DP William Ruto defends passage and signing of Finance Bill 2018

Enactment of the Finance Act 2018 was indeed characterised by drama with a section of leaders pushing for it to be rejected, arguing the new taxes were going to make life more difficult for the common citizens.

Kenyans decided to raise funds to support Omtatah's petition against the new taxes after MPs failed to stop the revised law.

Muturi insisted the MPs opposing the Bill did not have enough votes to reject the president's recommendations, which included an 8% VAT on petroleum products.

READ ALSO: Uhurus rejection of Financial Bill is win for those of us who remained sober - Moses Kuria

Uhuru had also suggested that mobile transaction excise duty be increased from 10% to 20%; excise duty on bank transactions be pushed up to 20% from 12% and internet data services be charged excise duty at a rate of 15% of the excisable value, among other proposals.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Kenyans' Reactions to President Uhuru's VAT Bill - On Tuko TV

Source: Kenyan Breaking News- The referendum will be conducted once the Task Force on Building Bridges Initiative completes collecting public views

- Raila said the exercise would offer Kenyans another opportunity to address some challenges

- He revealed the referendum was part of the unity pact between him and Uhuru

The Kenyans could soon be in another round of emotive round of political campaign two years after coming off one of the chaotic General Elections in Kenya in 2017.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga confirmed the country is staring at a possible referendum to fix the 2010 Constitution in terms of ending perennial electoral, judicial and governance crisis which are but a mirage.

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READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

President Uhuru and Raila outside Harambee House on Friday, March 9 at Harambee House after agreeing to work together in what has become to be known as handshake. Photo: Raila Odinga/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: William Ruto angered by calls for fresh referendum to create new positions in government

The referendum which is likely to cause political ripples in both the Opposition and the ruling party, will be held sometime in 2019 as part of Raila's unity pact with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

But the four time presidential loser was quick to add the exercise would only be possible once the Task Force on the Building Bridges completes collecting public views, adding the final say remains with the electorate.

We agreed with the President that as soon as the task force finishes collecting views across the country, the buck will stop with the people through another vote, revealed the ex-premier.

READ ALSO: The famous handshake between Uhuru, Raila has already collapsed - Aden Duale

The two agreed to join hands and work together as contained in the Building Bridges Initiatives blueprint aiming to unify the country and establish key areas requiring urgent attention.

The referendum will be the best thing for Kenyans as they will have the opportunity to address some of the long running problems that have been facing them, he added.

Raila was speaking when he opened the Unaitas Sacco Kisumu branch office on Monday, September 24.

Though the Head of State remains cagey on the matter, his deputy William Ruto has in a number of occasions made it clear he would not be party to those seeking to 'create more executive offices through the backdoor'.

READ ALSO: Kenyans pay huge power bills because of lazy Kenya Power staff - energy CS, Charles Keter

"Let us not pretend we are going to engage in another exercise of changing the Constitution so that we have political positions to allocate to politicians," Ruto said in April.

The proposal to change the Constitution was hatched by Tiati MP William Kassait Kamket who is a member of KANU in February 2018, though NASA leadership under tutelage of Raila has been considering it.

In his Constitution Amendment Bill, Kassait proposed for the return of position of the prime minister and scrapping of position of deputy president.

But it is not politicians alone treading on this path, trade unionist Francis Atwoli too has called for Constitutional amendment through referendum to hand Uhuru another presidential term to complete his anti-graft journey.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Top 5 Facts About Uhuru Kenyatta - Raila Odinga Pact - On Tuko TV

Source: Breaking NewsEmbattled Migori Governor Okoth Obado spent the night at Industrial Area prison block B4, a special wing for the rich, TUKO.co.ke has established.

He received the special treatment fit for a guest as he was allowed to sneak in his smart phone and food including his favourite coffee in a thermos flask.

At around 9pm on Monday, September 24, the governor was given a new set of bedding and he was later spotted taking selfies with his fellow inmates.

READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

The governor spent more than three hours playing his favourite draughts game with his fellow inmates.

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, he was sneaked out of the B4 block after taking a hot shower to an office within the prison premises.

READ ALSO: Activist Omtatah moves to court after Kenyans fund his petition against new taxes

TUKO.co.ke understands the governor held a closed door meeting with family members at the Milimani Law Courts cells at the basement of the building.

He was expected to be presented before the court at about 2pm for a ruling on his bond application.

Story by Dan Ole Muhuni, Correspondent.

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Kenya News Today: Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado | Tuko TV

Source: Kenya Breaking News Today- The millers said there was no need to increase price of unga as the taxes were zero rated on the commodity

- They said the prices can only be increased in case of a shortage of maize cross the country

- Cereal Millers Association will hold an international conference of millers in Kenya

Kenyans can now heave a sigh of relief after flour millers said they will not increase prices of the commodity despite the enactment of the new taxes imposed by the Finance Act 2018.

The Cereal Millers Association (CMA) said the price of flour would not be affected by the taxes and it could only increase if there was a shortage of maize in the country which is not likely to happen any time soon.

READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

Cereal Millers Association (CMA) has assured Kenyans the price of unga will not increase. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Confusion as cheap government maize flour set to last less than 48 hours

Speaking to the press at Hilton hotel in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 25, the millers' association chairman Mohamed Islam said flour is zero rated hence no need to hike price of the commodity.

"At this point in time there is no way the price of unga will go up because we are back to a zero rated Value Added Tax (VAT) and it can only increase when we have a shortage of maize and the price goes up in the country," said Mohamed.

The association said it would host an international conference to discuss food security and how to improve the milling industry in Kenya.

Kenyans can now be assured a steady supply of Unga for the favorite ugali. Photo: UGC

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Kenyans should be ready for a referendum before 2022 - Raila Odinga

"We shall have about 600 delegates representing 50 countries in the world in the sector of flour milling and we shall be having discussions of new technologies, quality of grain storage and the most importantly how to improve the quality of flour that we sell to our customers," said outgoing chairman Nick Hutchinson.

The millers also assured of a steady supply of the precious commodity at affordable rates.

Several private millers across the country had already increased the prices of flour after the fuel levy was implemented.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Kenya News Today: Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko- Midiwo claimed the Amani National Congress party boss meant well for Kenyans

- He said anyone who supported the Finance Bill 2018 was committing crime against the poor

- Raila was one of the leaders who rallied support behind Uhuru's 8% fuel tax

- Mudavadi on his part accused the MPs of being insincere regarding the new tax law

- The ANC leader also blamed cabinet secretaries for running down the country's economy

- Mudavadi asked Parliament to impeach the CSs for plunder of public resources

Former Gem MP, Jakoyo Midiwo, has declared Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader, Musalia Mudavadi, the new Opposition leader after his own party boss, Raila Odinga, opted to support a new tax law despite protest from Kenyans.

Midiwo posited Mudavadi was the only Opposition politician who still had the interests of poor Kenyans at heart after the rest decamped to the government's side in relation to the controversial Finance Bill 2018 which President Uhuru Kenyatta signed into law.

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READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

Former Gem MP, Jakoyo Midiwo, declared Amani National Congress party leader, Musalia Mudavadi, the new Opposition leader after Raila Odinga decided to support government on new tax law.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Raila, Mudavadi want cabinet secretaries sacked over alleged KSh 10 billion NYS theft

Appearing on NTV Kenya on Tuesday, September 25, Midiwo claimed the Opposition leaders who drummed up support for heavy taxation were doing that well aware that it would hurt Kenyans and that Mudavadi was the only leader who stood with the taxpayers.

"Musalia Mudavadi is the only person in Opposition who has spoken like he means well for Kenyans. These other people...what they are doing is committing a crime against Kenyans," the former lawmaker said.

READ ALSO: Uhurus rejection of Financial Bill is win for those of us who remained sober - Moses Kuria

Midiwo also took issue with the manner in which Speaker of the National Assembly, Justin Muturi, conducted the affairs of the House during the debate on the recommendations of the president on Finance Bill 2018.

"Please Mr Speaker, don't let the Kenyan Parliament be destroyed under your watch because it is a House of procedure and laws," he said.

READ ALSO: Good job: Raila praises ODM MPs who passed contentious Finance Bill 2018

The debate on the tax Bill degenerated into chaotic scenes characterised by vote manipulation accusations and counter-accusations.

The Bill was eventually passed despite the theatrics witnessed during the debate.

Mudavadi accused the lawmakers of playing deceptive politics with Kenyans on the issue of the tax law, leaving the poor taxpayers with no hope left.

The ANC party leader asked Parliament to go after cabinet secretaries who mismanaged their dockets, plundered public resources and plunged the country into a financial crisis, forcing the government to overburden Kenyans with taxes.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Kenyans' Reactions to President Uhuru's VAT Bill - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke- Joseph Kuria Irungu was arrested for probing over the murder of Monica Kimani

- The body of Kimani whose throat was cut was found in Luciane apartments, Kilimani on Friday, September 21

- On the same day, Irungu, the boyfriend of Citizen TV news anchor Jackie Maribe, reported he had been shot by unknown people

- He was reportedly admitted to Nairobi West Hospital with a wound on his left shoulder

- Police, however, said Irungu shot himself and took himself to hospital

Police have arrested a man suspected to be involved in the murder of 29-year-old Monica Kimani whose throat was cut and body found dumped in a bathtub on Friday, September 21, in Kilimani, Nairobi.

In a confusing twist of events and coincidences, the suspect, Joe Irungu, who is a fiancee to Citizen TV news anchor Jackie Maribe, alleged he was shot by unknown people when he dropped her at Royal Park Estate the same Friday morning the woman's body was found.

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READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

TV girl Jackie Maribes and lover Joseph irungu when he proposed to her. Irungu was arrested over murder of Monica Kimani in Kilimani on thursday, September 2. Photo: UGC

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Governor Obado wanted lover Sharon Otieno dead to hide relationship - DPP

Sources privy to the matter confided to TUKO.co.ke that Irungu also known as Jowe, was being grilled over the murder of Kimani who was allegedly murdered on the night of Thursday, September 20.

Records at Lang'ata Police Station showed Irungu made a report indicating he was shot on the left side of the chest by one of three people who had camped at the gate of his girlfriend when he dropped her from a joint in Kilimani.

On Tuesday, September 25, the Standard reported Maribe who is engaged to Irungu, drove him to Nairobi West Hospital where he was treated and discharged.

Monica Kimani's throat was cut and her body dumped in a bathtub in her residence at Luciane Apartments in Kilimani. Body was discovered on Friday, September 21. Photo; Monix Kimani/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Kenyans condemn nomadic Senators for wasteful outings amid financial crisis in the country

It was reported the bullet cut through the chest of the TV girl's fiance who is a licensed gun holder and dislodged from his back though detectives were waiting on a comprehensive medical report to help in the probe of the two incidents which had been linked.

The police on Tuesday, September 25, however said Irungu's bullet wound was self-inflicted.

"He got the wound after shooting himself in the shoulder. He later admitted himself in hospital after the incident," said a police officer.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news

Kenya News Today: Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko- Three ladies and 11 men were arrested while camping at a church waiting for end of the world

- The 14 had been deceived by their church leader who calls himself 'Yesu'

- 'Yesu' claimed he had died and went to heaven before he was sent back to earth by God

- They had sold their property and those going to school stopped as they waited for end of world

- The said 'Yesu' managed to escape leaving his disciples at the hands of the police

Police in Uganda raided a church in Akwo village and arrested 14 people who were camping eagerly waiting for the end of the world which they claimed would happen in October 2018.

The police also launched a manhunt for the church leader. Alex Okello who calls himself 'Yesu' (Jesus), after he managed to escape as his disciples were arrested.

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READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

The 14 were arrested while camping at a church waiting for the world to end as by their leader's prophesy. Photo: UGC

Source: Instagram

READ ALSO: South African prophet does the most BIZARRE thing to church goers to heal them

In a report by the Daily Monitor, the 14 were followers who had been advised by 'Yesu' to sell all their property in preparation for the end of the world.

The followers revealed that 'Yesu', 30, had told them he had died, went to heaven and God sent him back to announce the end of times.

The naive and poor disciples of the church leader were then informed that whoever believed in his prophesy about the end of the world could go to heaven.

READ ALSO: South African pastor raises eyebrows after using live snake to cast out demons from followers

Okello convinced his father, mother, wife, children and neighbours that they should remove the children from school, shun work, sell their valuables and prepare a meal together at his home as they wait to go to heaven, said Barr Police Station officer Tobby Agwech.

Police apprehended three women and 11 men of ages between 18 and 20, including two Class Six pupils who had stopped going to school.

The Uganda incident came hot on heels of another one in South Africa where a pastor gave Jik detergent to his followers to drink resulting to the death of some church members.

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Kenya News Today: Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko- Talk of a referendum has gained momentum with Raila hinting that it will take place in 2019

- Many key leaders appear to support the exercise that seeks to fix the bloated government structure

- Some are calling for the scraping of the Senate and Woman Rep positions to ease the burden on the taxpayer

The idea of Kenyans going to a referendum to radically reduce the number of elective positions in the country is fast shaping into reality as the high cost of implementing the 2010 Constitution continue to bite the taxpayer.

Calls for constitutional amendments in a bid to trim the public wage bill and save ordinary citizens from costly representation have gained momentum in the past week, with proposals to scrap the Senate topping the list.

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READ ALSO: Video ya maafisa wa polisi wakicheza 'Kwangwaru' ya Diamond yawaacha Wakenya vinywa wazi

Raila has said the country will go to referendum as part of handshake between him and Uhuru. Photo: Raila Odinga/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: We will have a referendum and give Uhuru another term as president - Francis Atwoli

It is President Uhuru Kenyatta who seems to have opened the eyes of the electorate when he described the cash-draining political structure brought about by the new Constitution in his address to the nation last week.

Since his speech, many leaders have made it clear having 67 Senators, 349 MPs, 47 Governors, 47 Deputy Governors, 47 County Assemblies, over 1,450 MCAs and 16 independent commissions, among others was no longer sustainable.

Senate Majority leader Kithure Kindiki who is among leaders spearheading the referendum push has now called for the drastic reduction of the number of elected MPs and nominated MCAs to make the government leaner.

READ ALSO: William Ruto angered by calls for fresh referendum to create new positions in government

Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood has fronted a more radical proposal, calling for the number of counties to be capped at 20 and that of constituencies at 210.

We should have a system that allows MPs to sit in the County Assembly since at the moment, there is disconnect between what happens at the county level and the National Assembly, he said.

In a move that illustrates the seriousness of the plebiscite push, Jubilee MP Caleb Kositany has already made official proposals to scrap the Senate as well as the positions of nominated MP and MCA, receiving wide support from diverse quarters.

READ ALSO: Kanu MP to table Bill proposing one 7 year presidential term, scrapping of DP position

Jubilee MP Kositany has already made official proposals to scrap the Senate, positions of Nominated MP and MCA. Photo: Caleb Kositany/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: More pain for Kenyans as Uhuru revises upwards internet, mobile money transaction charges

In a letter to the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi dated September 17, Kositany said the positions cost the public over KSh 3 billion annually which constitutes a heavy burden on the taxpayer.

He asked Muturi to direct the legal service directorate to assist him in formulating the bill.

Kositany wants the position of Woman Representative scraped and women encouraged to compete with men for elective office.

The other issue is nominated MCAs. They are so many. Like in my Uasin Gishu County, we have 30 elected and 17 nominated. The quorum for the county to sit is 15. This means that 15 unelected people can sit and pass something that would be binding to the electorate who did not vote for them, he stated.

Kenya has about 770 nominated MCAs and 1,450 elected ones across the country and each one has a personal assistant.

The ODM leader, Raila Odinga, on Monday, September 24, gave credence to the referendum talk by intimating the exercise would take place in 2019.

Speaking in Kisumu county, Raila said the referendum was part of the unity deal between him and Uhuru and would be conducted once the Building Bridges Initiative Taskforce has completed collecting public views and compiled a report.

We agreed with the president that as soon as the task force finishes collecting views across the country, the buck will stop with the people through another vote, he said.

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Breaking News Kenya: Angry Kenyan Sends Message to President Uhuru Kenyatta | Tuko TV:

Source: Tuko- Kenya Railways posted photos of SGR infrastructure with huge billboards made in Chinese

- A section of the public believe it was a manifestation of Kenya being colonised by the Asian country

- Online users asked the government to rein in on the situation and get rid of the Chinese billboards

- There are claims that user manuals on SGR trains are also in Chinese with just a few in English

Kenyans have for another time taken to social media platforms in protest after pictures of a section of SGR line heavily branded in Chinese language emerged.

This comes hardly five months after similar pictures of a billboard mounted along Mombasa road went viral and netizens could not stomach their sight.

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READ ALSO: Chinese billboard erected on Mombasa Road stirs heated online debate

Kenya Railways officials and Chinese guests pose for a photo at the Ngong SGR tunnel on Monday, September 24. Photo: Kenya Railways

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Governor Obado sent back to remand pending ruling on his bail application

The latest pictures are of Ngong Tunnel drilled through the hilly part of Kajiado County and were posted by Kenya Railways on their official Facebook page on Monday, September 24.

"Today, Kenya Railways marked an important milestone as we celebrated the holing through of the Ngong Tunnel. The tunnel, which is the first on Kenya's SGR network, is 4.5km long and is on Phase 2A of the SGR (Nairobi - Naivasha)," a brief statement accompanying the pictures read.

READ ALSO: Zaidi ya abiria 7,000 kusafiri kwenda marekani safari za moja kwa moja za KQ zikizinduliwa Oktoba

Those who shared their reactions expressed displeasure and wondered why local authorities allowed such public posters to exist in the country.

They claimed not even a single poster made in Swahili would gain authority to be mounted in China and thus found the spectacle infuriating.

Shabaya Deche through her Facebook page wondered whether Chinese language had gained new status and accredited to be a national language after Kiswahili and English.

"I thought we only had two national languages, English and Swahili, when was Mandarin accepted as one?" Deche posed.

A user named Kenya West charged that the sight could easy be mistaken for an indigenous Chinese town.

"Are you kidding me? People are ruining this country. SGR Ngong tunnel looking like a tunnel in Guangzhou. Im so disgusted. Theres no single trace of Kenya in this thing," he tweeted.

READ ALSO: Governor Obado wanted lover Sharon Otieno dead to hide relationship - DPP

The post emerged amid uproar that Chinese nationals were migrating to Kenya with force and were awarded jobs that Kenyans qualify for.

Some have exploited the good diplomatic relationship between the two countries and have been caught by law enforces engaging in unlawful activities.

Among those who commented claimed the presence of posters inscribed in Chinese language was a sign that the country was enslaved to China.

According to economists, at least 70% of Kenya's external debt which recently crossed the KSh 5 trillion mark, is owed to China.

Others asked the government to move with speed and rid the country off similar billboards describing them as a shame.

Here are other comments of those who reacted to the post.

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Migori Residents Demand The Release of Okoth Obado | Tuko TV.

Source: Tuko Breaking NewsTroubled Migori Governor Okoth Obado received an unlikely guest during the hearing of a case in which he is charged with aiding in the murder of his lover, Sharon Otieno, at the Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday, September 25.

The guest was none other than seasoned politician and former Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale who created time to show solidarity with the embattled governor.

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READ ALSO: Mama avua nguo nje ya ofisi ya Rais Uhuru kulalamika 8% VAT (picha)

READ ALSO: Migori governor Obado denies killing ex-lover, to spend another night in police custody

But it was this simple gesture and a photo with Obado right inside the courtroom which got him in trouble with Kenyans who seem not ready to take it kindly.

"This afternoon at the Milimani High Court I stood with my friend Governor Obado over the vexing question of the murder of Sharon Otieno. Let justice ring in all the villages of Migori and Homa Bay," Khalwale tweeted.

The tweet would fast generate into a theatre of absurd where name calling was evident as each of the politician's followers raided his timeline.

To some, by publicly declaring his position to stand with Obado at a time the whole country was staring at the wheels of justice to see whether Sharon's killers would be brought to book served to betray his standing in the society.

Majority likened him to the proverbial hyena looking for an opportunity to eat.

The court ruled the governor be held in remand until Thursday, September 27, when his bail application would be determined after both the prosecutor and the defendant's lawyers submitted their arguments.

Here are what Kenyans had to say of the Bull Fighter.

Source: Breaking NewsIn less than three weeks the State of Emergency will be over and citizens will be able to enjoy unrestricted movement across the country.

While the SoE may have helped the Port of Spain Division of the Police Service in reporting a year-to-date dip in crime, those at the helm are prepared for the curfew's expiration.Subdivisions of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine will receive the first four helicopters of the French company Airbus Helicopters by the end of the year.

"This year, the Interior Ministry's subdivisions will receive the first four French helicopters. The State Emergency Service will get three aircraft, equipped with the necessary devices for aeromedical evacuation, rescue and emergency and firefighting purposes. Another H-225 helicopter will be handed over to an air division of the National Guard of Ukraine," Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said during a working visit to Chernihiv on Tuesday, September 25, the press service of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine posted on Facebook.

According to him, the service center of the Interior Ministrys aviation security system will be located in the town of Nizhyn of Chernihiv region. "These helicopters will be handed over to emergency services, border guards, National Guard and police. They are equipped with all kinds of special devices, video surveillance systems, etc. This is a new level of professional quality of our work. We adopt latest technologies," Avakov noted.

As reported, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France signed in March the agreement on the supply of 55 Airbus Helicopters aircraft to Ukraine.

olIn accordance with the Ukrainian government strategy for the development of the road sector, the roads built in line with modern standards will connect all regional centers of Ukraine in five years.

Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said this during his visit to a section of the M-09 Ternopil-Lviv-Rava-Ruska road, part of the Go Highway corridor, which will connect the Black Sea ports with the western border with the European Union, according to the government portal.

"I promised that this road will be built and it has been built. I remember in what condition this road was. I drove on it 15-20 years ago. Residents of Ternopil drove to Lviv in 3.5 hours, and now it takes them at most 1.5 hours. We finally linked Lviv and Ternopil, and then we will link Lviv and Ternopil with the Black Sea, and the Black Sea with the western border and with the EU," Groysman said.

He stressed that the work would continue next year. "This is part of the implementation of our strategy - to connect all regional centers of Ukraine in five years. I emphasize that Ukrainians have the right to drive on good roads and they will drive on high-quality roads," the prime minister said.

Groysman was on a working trip to Ternopil region on September 24.

opThe growth of imports from the US to Ukraine is driven by the restoration of Ukrainian economy.

"The last year trend of increase in US-Ukraine bilateral trade turnover and Ukrainian exports to the United States will continue in 2018. In the first half of 2018, the total commodity turnover between Ukraine and the United States increased by 14% compared to the same period in 2017. The growth of U.S. imports to Ukraine is driven by the restoration of the economy of our state," Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan said at the meeting with Acting Special Representative of the U.S. Department of State for Commercial and Business Affairs Scott Ticknor as part of a working visit of the Ukrainian government official to the United States of America.

The Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine with the support of the EU developed the National Transport Strategy of Ukraine until 2030 - Drive Ukraine 2030 - to ensure the sustainable development of the transport sector, attract foreign investment in Ukraine and ensure compliance with the best European and international standards, the minister added.

The strategy provides for the implementation of large infrastructure projects. We want our partners to be confident it is safe to invest in Ukraine. The recent contract of the Ukrzaliznytsia Ukrainian Railways with the General Electric is another proof," Omelyan noted.

olExports of goods from Ukraine to Turkey grew by 9.6% in the first seven months of 2018 compared to the same period last year, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv has said on Facebook.

"The growth [of exports from Ukraine to Turkey] successfully continues in 2018. In the first seven months of the year the export of goods has already reached $1.6 billion, which is 9.6% more than last year's figure," Kubiv wrote.

He added that exports of goods and services from Ukraine to Turkey grew by 20.9% in 2017, to $2.7 billion.

Kubiv also said that he was traveling to Turkey, which is a strategic trade partner for Ukraine.

opUkrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan is interested in facilitating the implementation of an agreement on air communication between Ukraine and the United States.

The Ukrainian minister said this during a meeting with U.S. Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy Derek Kan, Director of the Office of International Aviation of the U.S. Department of Transportation Brian Hedberg and Deputy Director for the Office of International Affairs in the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration David Burkholder.

"We are ready to develop passenger air transportation with the countries all over the world and are interested in facilitating the implementation of the agreement on air communication between Ukraine and the United States. Of course, we will be happy to expand the presence of American airlines in Ukraine," Omelyan said.

According to the International Association of Airports, Ukrainian airports are among the fastest growing ones in the region, Minister Omelyan stated.

As reported, Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan is paying a visit to the USA from September 24 to October 1.

ishThe State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection and the delegation from Canada discussed the results of operation of the free trade area between the countries and prospects for further cooperation.

This was discussed today during the meeting of Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection Volodymyr Lapa with the Canadian delegation consisting of representatives of the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine and the agricultural associations of Canada, the Services press office reports.

"The parties touched upon the issues of current cooperation between Ukraine and Canada, in particular in the context of the first anniversary of operation of the free trade area between the countries. In addition, the prospects for further cooperation were discussed, including the imports of pedigree livestock and its genetic material into Ukraine as well as exports of bees and bee packages, poultry meat, egg products, apples from Ukraine to Canada," the statement reads.

During the meeting, Lapa praised fruitful and professional cooperation with Canada in the issues of compliance with international principles and standards. In turn, the trade representative of the Embassy thanked the Service for the recent signing of international veterinary certificates for pet food imports to Ukraine.

olForeign Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan discussed the issue of counteracting Russian aggression, the sanction regime against Russia and the Nord Stream 2 project.

The press service of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine reported this on the results of a meeting between Klimkin and Sullivan during the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

"During the meeting, the parties discussed a wide range of issues of Ukrainian-American relations, the continued provision of large-scale assistance by the US to Ukraine, including in the field of security and defense, the issue of counteracting Russian aggression, in particular, in the field of cyber security, the sanction regime against Russia, the problem of implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project," the report reads.

As reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko arrived in New York as the head of an official delegation to participate in the high-level general debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

ishThree Ukrainian citizens were on board the Swiss merchant vessel MV Glarus, which was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea on September 22, and one of them was captured, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said.

"On September 22, 2018, in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, pirates attacked the merchant vessel MV Glarus, with 19 crewmembers on board, including three Ukrainian citizens. Twelve crewmembers, including a Ukrainian citizen, were captured as a result of the attack," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the vessel currently stays in Port Harcourt with seven crewmembers, including two Ukrainians. Ukraine's Embassy in Nigeria was instructed to contact them in order to provide them with the necessary assistance.

The diplomatic mission was also instructed to contact the owner (operator) of the vessel and Nigerian law enforcement authorities in order to obtain information on the measures taken to free the captured Ukrainian sailor.

"The case is under special control of the Consular Service Department of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the Ukrainian Embassy in Nigeria," the ministry said.

As reported, on September 22, near the coast of Nigeria, pirates abducted 12 crewmembers of a Swiss ship heading from the city of Lagos to Port Harcourt. The sailors captured include seven citizens of the Philippines, a Slovenian, a Ukrainian, a Romanian, a Croat, and a Bosnian.

opPresident of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko will pay a visit to the United States of America on September 24-27 to attend the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly.

"On September 24-27, 2018, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko will pay a visit to the United States of America to participate in the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly," the press service of the Head of State reports.

As noted, the Head of State will deliver a speech at the general debate of the 73rd UN GA, take part in the peace summit and hold a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders.

Special attention will be paid to deepening of the US-Ukraine relations in trade, economic and investment spheres. To this end, the President will hold a meeting with representatives of American business circles.

In addition, Poroshenko will meet with leaders of the Ukrainian community and the Jewish organizations in the United States.

olUkrainian President Petro Poroshenko has arrived in New York at the head of an official delegation to participate in the high-level general debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

The head of state will stay in the United States for three days, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

The president is expected to take part in the opening of the general debate at the level of heads of state and government on Tuesday, September 25. In the afternoon on Wednesday (local time) Poroshenko is expected to deliver a speech in the session hall of the UN General Assembly. The head of state is expected to participate in the UN peacekeeping summit and other official events as part of the General Assembly. In this regard, the Ukrainian side is expected to again raise the issue of the need to deploy a UN peacekeeping force to Donbas.

The president is also due to have bilateral meetings with the leaders of the European Union and foreign countries. Special attention will be paid to the deepening of Ukrainian-American relations in trade, economic and investment spheres. To this end, Poroshenko will meet with representatives of the U.S. business community. In addition, he will meet with the leaders of the Ukrainian community in the United States and the leaders of Jewish organizations in the United States.

It is not ruled out that Poroshenko will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the General Assembly. In particular, the Ukrainian leader is expected to attend a reception on behalf of the U.S. president. In addition, he plans to attend a high-level working lunch on behalf of the UN Secretary-General.

Ukraine's president plans to end his visit to the United States on September 27.

opPresident of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and President of Poland Andrzej Duda, who arrived in New York to participate in the general debate of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, held a meeting.

"President Petro Poroshenko reported on the current domestic situation in Ukraine. He asked to support the reform process in Ukraine and also thanked the President [Andrzej Duda] for his statement on the Nord Stream 2 during the meeting with President Trump as well as on the need for peace in Ukraine and the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty within the internationally recognized borders," head of the Polish President's Office, Krzysztof Szczerski announced, RMF.FM reports.

In addition, Duda held meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and the presidents of the Three Seas Initiative countries.

Poroshenko and Duda will address the UN General Assembly session on Wednesday.

olA UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas could include soldiers from Sweden, Finland, Austria, Belarus, Serbia and Turkey.

U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker said this in an interview with the Echo of Moscow Russian radio station.

"A number of states has already stated that they will be ready to contribute to the mission, namely Sweden, Finland, Austria, Belarus, Serbia and Turkey," he said.

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).

According to Volker, the problem with the Minsk agreements is that they are not implemented. Thats why the United States, France and Germany proposed the deployment of peacekeeping forces under the UN mandate in order to ensure security in the conflict area independently.

ishUkraine's Ambassador to Switzerland Artem Rybchenko has called on Swiss parliamentarians to take a more active position regarding the release of Ukrainian political prisoners, the press service of the Ukrainian Embassy in Switzerland has said.

Rybchenko made the call at a meeting with the co-heads of the Swiss-Ukrainian Parliamentary Friendship Group, Christa Markwalder and Martin Baumle.

"The sides discussed the state of inter-parliamentary cooperation and stressed the need to intensify ties, in particular through the friendship groups existing in the parliaments of Ukraine and Switzerland [...] The ambassador of Ukraine expressed gratitude to the Swiss parliamentarians for the continuous and consistent support of Ukraine, drew their attention to the topics of Ukrainian political prisoners and called for a more active position on this issue," the statement reads.

According to the embassy, Rybchenko invited Markwalder and Baumle to visit Ukraine in the near future and emphasized the importance of bilateral contacts ahead of parliamentary elections in both countries.

The Swiss side reaffirmed its rejection of steps aimed at justifying Russia's actions towards Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko appointed Rybchenko Ukraine's ambassador to Switzerland on June 25.

opUkrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on the EU to intensify its pressure on Russia for the immediate release of all Ukrainian political prisoners of the Kremlin, including Roman Sushchenko, Oleg Sentsov and Volodymyr Balukh.

Poroshenko said this during talks with European Council President Donald Tusk in New York on Tuesday, presidential press secretary Svyatoslav Tsegolko wrote on his Facebook page.

The need for greater involvement of European countries in the release of Ukrainians was also discussed at a meeting of Poroshenko with the Slovak president and other leaders who came to attend the UN General Assembly, Tsegolko said.

In addition, according to him, another important subject for all negotiations is the intensification of efforts to deploy a peacekeeping force to Donbas, as well as increased counteraction to Russia's illegal actions in the Sea of Azov.

About 70 Ukrainian political prisoners, including Ukrinform journalist Roman Sushchenko, are currently held in Russia and in Russian-occupied Crimea. Sushchenko was sentenced in Russia to 12 years in a high-security penitentiary for alleged espionage.Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has met with Slovak President Andrej Kiska to discuss bilateral cooperation, the security situation in the region and the need to release Ukrainian hostages of the Kremlin.

The meeting between them was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

The leaders of both countries positively assessed current trends in trade between the two countries. The presidents also agreed on the need to hold a meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental commission on economic, industrial and scientific-technical cooperation in the near future.

Taking into account Slovakia's upcoming chairmanship of the OSCE, the heads of state agreed on the need to strengthen the role of this organization in monitoring the situation in Donbas, as well as the release of Ukrainian prisoners of the Kremlin.

In addition, they discussed cooperation between Ukraine and Slovakia in European integration, as well as interaction in international organizations.A number of protest actions demanding to stop Russias aggression in Ukraine and Syria and to immediately release Ukrainian political prisoners, in particular Oleg Sentsov and Volodymyr Balukh, took place in Chicago and Moscow on September 23.

Russian activist Vera Lavreshina told about this simultaneous protest action, the Crimea.Realities portal reports.

The activists note it is needed to unite efforts to stop the aggression of Russian "regime" and to prove the facts to submit them to the international courts.

"We believe we will succeed if we keep faith in ourselves, our strength and hope for the possibility of prompt changes, which now still seem to be illusory," Lavreshina said.

As 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.

olfacebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter

Published September 24, 2018

This summer, two University of Louisiana Monroes Medical Laboratory Science students attended the 86th meeting of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science in Chicago, from July 29  Aug. 2.

The 2018 Annual Meeting featured knowledge and learning experiences that encompassed all parts of the laboratory profession. This meeting is a premier event for all laboratory professionals and includes more than 15.5 hours of P.A.C.E.-approved education delivered by experts in the medical laboratory. In addition to the educational sessions, the Clinical Lab Expo provides the medical laboratory professional hands-on experience with the latest in laboratory science and technology. ASCLS holds all of the societys governance sessions during this meeting also.

Cheyenne Reyes and Natalie Foster, ULM MLS students, attended the meeting. ASCLS student members were provided an opportunity to apply for a grant to assist with travel expenses. Thanks to the generosity of the ASCLS Student Forum, $1,500 was available for two students. Reyes was one of the two recipients to receive the ASCLS Student Forum travel grant. She was elected as the Region VII Developing Professional Representative. ASCLS region VII encompasses Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Reyes said, The Annual Meeting is planned in conjunction with the American Association of Clinical Chemistry to provide a clinical lab expo, which was one of the most exciting parts about the meeting. Being able to see all the new technologies that are up and coming, as well as the incredible scientific advancements all in one place was astounding. The ASCLS Annual Meeting is incredibly intriguing and fun, but also it is imperative to get involved with ASCLS as a student so we are fully aware of the issues facing our profession and can continue to spread awareness among our classmates and friends.

Debbie Wisenor, MLS Program Director, stated, The MLS faculty are very proud of our students who continue to be leaders at the state, regional, and national levels. The ASCLS Annual Meeting provides the opportunity to expand knowledge through educational sessions and cutting-edge technology demonstrations, to network and exchange ideas with medical laboratory science professionals and students, and to serve the profession through involvement in governance.Two small armored artillery boats, the R177 Kremenchuk and the R178 Lubny, were accompanying them.

Two Ukrainian ships accompanied by two armored boats, which crossed the Russian-controlled Kerch Strait on September 23, have safely arrived in the Ukrainian strategic port city of Mariupol in Donetsk region.

"The Donbass search and rescue ship (A500) and the Korets tugboat (A830) arrived in Mariupol, being accompanied by two small armored artillery boats, the R177 Kremenchuk and the R178 Lubny," the Ukrainian military portal mil.in.ua said.

Read alsoUkraine creating naval base in Sea of Azov  Poroshenko

The Donbass and the Korets set off from the western naval base of the Ukrainian Navy in Odesa, a port city on the Black Sea, on September 20 and headed to the Sea of Azov where they will form a new naval base of the Ukrainian fleet. The two armored artillery boats, which departed from the port of Berdiansk, joined the two ships later.

UNIAN info. The Donbass was built in Poland in 1969 as a repair ship. It repeatedly participated in military campaigns of the 1970s. In 2001, it was converted into a command ship and renamed "Donbass." During its service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the ship has repeatedly participated in international exercises, Ukrainian Navy parades and other naval events. In 2004, it caught fire during repairs in Sevastopol. In 2007, it was hit by a cyclone but did not suffer. In 2013, the vessel became a search and rescue ship. After the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by Russia, it was dispatched by Russians to the Ukrainian port city of Odesa. Its tonnage is 5,520 tonnes, its length is 122 meters, beam is 17 meters. Its speed is up to 12 knots. Its crew includes 145 people. It is additionally equipped with 12.7mm DShKM machine guns.

The Korets was built in Russia in 1973. It became part of Ukraine's Navy in 1997. After the Russian annexation of Crimea, it was transferred to Odesa. Its tonnage is 1,451 tonnes, its length is 56.5 meters, beam is 12.64 meters. Its speed is up to 13 knots. Its crew is 35 people.

The R177 Kremenchuk and the R178 Lubny are the first armored boats recently built by Ukraine on the basis of the Gyurza-M class artillery boat and used for patrolling in the Sea of Azov.The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation was signed on May 31, 1997.

Russia's Foreign Ministry confirms it has received an official note from Kyiv about Ukraine's decision not to extend a friendship treaty between the two countries.

"The note was brought to us by a charge d'affaires on Monday," Director of the Second CIS Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Andrei Rudenko told reporters, the Russian news agency TASS said.

"This is formal notification that starting from April 1 this treaty will not be prolonged," he added.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on September 21 officially notified the Russian side of its decision not to extend the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, which is expiring on March 31, 2019.

Read alsoUkraine officially notifies Russia of non-extension of Treaty of Friendship

Poroshenko on September 17 signed a decree to enact a decision by the National Security and Defense Council not to prolong the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Under Article 24 of the Law on International Treaties of Ukraine, the president will also submit a relevant bill to parliament.

UNIAN memo. The Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation was signed by the then Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin on May 31, 1997. The document fixed the principle of strategic partnership, the recognition of the inviolability of existing borders, respect for territorial integrity and mutual commitment not to use its territory to harm the security of each other. It automatically renews on each 10th anniversary of its signing, unless one party advises the other of its intention to end the treaty. After Russia annexed Crimea and unleashed war in Donbas in 2014, there have been repeat appeals in Ukraine to sever the treaty.Belarus has very little experience in peacekeeping.

Belarus' officials say they will not send their peacekeepers to Donbas, eastern Ukraine, as part of a UN peacekeeping mission.

"There are more than 40 countries that have preliminarily agreed to take part in the peacekeeping mission. Therefore, as Kyiv sees it, neither Belarus nor Kazakhstan will participate in it," Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Temporary Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Yuriy Hrymchak told TV Channel 112 Ukraine.

In his words, Belarus has very little experience in peacekeeping, as only few Belarusian officers have taken part in peacekeeping missions abroad. "So, we've got no questions here," he said.

Read alsoVolker names countries ready to send peacekeepers to Donbas

Russia in turn demands that there should be no NATO members among the nations forming the UN peacekeeping mission that might be deployed to Donbas, he said.

The idea of sending peacekeeping to Ukraine's east is supported by the United States, Germany, and France. "The key countries that are engaged in the [peace] process are ready to support the proposals put forth by Ukraine," he added.Bartholomew said the Istanbul-based Patriarchate provides spiritual protection and love for these churches, adding they would not be "scared of threats."

Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Dimitri Bartholomew said on September 23 that he hoped for an independent Ukrainian Church soon "despite the current opposition."

"I hope that despite the current opposition, the Ukrainian Church gets its independence status, which is their right, soon," Bartholomew said in a speech he made following the Sunday church service held at the Saint Fokas Orthodox Church in Istanbul's Ortakoy neighborhood, Hurriyet Daily News wrote.

Bartholomew said that the Istanbul-based Patriarchate granted independence status initially to the Russian Church in the 16th century and then lastly to the Orthodox churches of the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1998, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Read alsoPoroshenko: Granting autocephaly to Ukrainian church on the homestretch

He said the Istanbul-based Patriarchate provides spiritual protection and love for these churches, adding they would not be "scared of threats."

The Ukrainian Church wants to have "ecclesiastic independence" from the Church of Moscow and all of Russia but needs the approval of Bartholomew, since he is recognized as ecumenical by all other Orthodox churches.

The Ukrainian Church is split between a branch whose clerics pledge loyalty to Moscow and one that is overseen by the unrecognized Kyiv-based Patriarch Filaret.

The fracture has deepened following a four-year conflict between Kyiv and Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine and the Russian annexation of Crimea.

Earlier this month, Bartholomew sent two representatives to Ukraine, leading an incensed Russian Orthodox Church to cut ties with the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians at an emergency meeting on September 14.

"The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has intruded on the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate by sending its exarchs to Kyiv," Metropolitan Hilarion, head of the Russian Church's foreign relations department, said at Moscow's Danilov Monastery.

He spoke after the ruling body of the Russian Orthodox Church, known as the Holy Synod, decided to cut what Metropolitan Hilarion described as "diplomatic ties" with the Istanbul-based rival.

According to the Holy Synod's decision, the Russian Orthodox Church will no longer conduct joint services with the Istanbul-based Patriarchate and Patriarch Kirill of the Orthodox Church of Moscow will stop mentioning Bartholomew in his prayers.The military buildups and growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine on the sea come amid a broader standoff between Moscow and the West over Ukraine.

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has so far been restricted to ground battles over control of eastern Ukraine. Recent developments, however, suggest that the war  now in its fifth year  could soon spread to the sea.

On September 16, the Ukrainian government announced plans to create a naval base in the Sea of Azov before the end of the year, four days before President Petro Poroshenko confirmed Kyiv's intentions in a speech to parliament. The statements come amid military buildups by both Ukraine and Russia in the Sea of Azov, which have been provoked in part by Moscow's construction of a bridge between Crimea and mainland Russia. The bridge has allowed the latter to harass Ukrainian vessels as part of larger restrictions on its shipping. As a result of the growing tensions, a flare-up is now entirely possible on the Sea of Azov, especially if the United States also brings its weight to bear in the conflict, the U.S.-based private intelligence firm Stratfor wrote.

Deploying the Navy

Ukraine announced the deployment of two armored artillery boats to the port city of Berdyansk on September 8, about a week after a Ukrainian naval commander said the country would send more vessels, marines and artillery to the sea. And to support the naval buildup, the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Col. Gen. Serhiy Popko, announced on September 12 that Ukraine would bolster its ground forces near the sea amid plans to establish permanent territorial defense structures and deploy missile and artillery forces, as well as the air force, to the region "to provide reliable coastal defense." For its part, Russia has reportedly redeployed at least 10 warships and up to 40 patrol boats from the Caspian Sea to the Sea of Azov in recent months.

Read alsoUkraine creating naval base in Sea of Azov  Poroshenko

In terms of overall naval deployments, Russia is in a much stronger position than Ukraine in the area around the Black Sea. The Ukrainian navy possesses 66 combat and auxiliary naval units, as well as about 11,000 service members. In contrast, Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which is headquartered in Sevastopol, boasts more than 2,800 vessels and 25,000 service members. And the disparity is not just in quantity but in quality as well: On average, Ukraine's vessels are much smaller and weaker than those of their Russian adversaries.

Forty Russian warships are currently on the Sea of Azov, although Moscow has not permanently stationed the vessels there. Instead, it can move its warships between the Azov and Black seas as necessary. At the same time, Russia has also stationed 40,000 troops in Crimea.

Kyiv suffers from the added disadvantage that it lost the port city of Sevastopol after Moscow annexed Crimea in the wake of the Euromaidan uprising in 2014, forcing Ukrainian authorities to shift their primary naval base to Odesa. At present, Ukraine does have a presence on the Sea of Azov, but the deployments are relatively small, featuring just two coast guard detachments in Berdyansk and Mariupol that use only small and outdated patrol boats.

The bridge putting up barriers

The Sea of Azov is of critical importance to Ukraine's economy  perhaps even more so since Kyiv lost Crimea  because 80 percent of the country's exports now pass through the body of water. After Moscow annexed Crimea, Berdyansk and Mariupol began to receive some of the cargo traffic that previously went to Ukrainian ports in the peninsula. But Moscow's construction of the new bridge across the Kerch Strait, the only passage between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, has cut cargo shipments to the Ukrainian ports  and triggered the military buildup by both countries.

Read alsoTwo Ukrainian ships safely arrive in Ukraine's Mariupol across Russian-controlled Kerch Strait

Technically, both Ukraine and Russia enjoy free use of the Sea of Azov under a 2003 agreement, but Moscow has subjected Ukrainian vessels to its own authorization procedures to traverse the strait since construction began on the bridge in April 2015. The Russian Transport Ministry has periodically closed access to all Ukrainian ships after a July 2017 order that enabled Russia to deny access to the Sea of Azov to any vessels except Russian warships during certain timespans. Russia duly shut off access during August 27-29 and October 11-13 last year. (Compounding Ukraine's problem is the design of the bridge, which is too low for Panamax vessels, which accounted for about 23 percent of all ship traffic in the area in 2016, to pass through.)

As a result, cargo flows from Mariupol have dropped 27 percent, from more than 8.9 million tons in 2015 to 6.5 million tons in 2017; from Berdyansk, they have fallen 47 percent, from 4.5 million tons in 2015 to just 2.4 million tons in 2017. Before the Ukraine conflict, freight traffic was much higher, with 15 million tons of cargo passing through Mariupol in 2013 alone.

In recent months, Russia has been interrupting even more freighter traffic from Ukraine, stopping as many as 148 ships sailing to Ukrainian ports between May and mid-July, according to Ukraine's infrastructure minister, Volodymyr Omelyan. In total, Russia's actions are costing Ukraine $20 million to 40 million every year, and although they have not yet led to supply shortages, the costs could pile up in the future. In response, Poroshenko has accused Russia of violating international law, prompting Ukraine to file a case against Moscow in international arbitration courts in addition to deploying more naval forces to the area.

The sea between East and West

The military buildups and growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine on the sea come amid a broader standoff between Moscow and the West over Ukraine. The United States and the European Union have extended and increased sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. At the same time, the various sides to the conflict have failed to make progress on negotiations over a U.N. peacekeeping force in Donbas due to differences between Russia and the West over its objectives and limits.

Read alsoEnvoy: U.S. willing to consider further lethal aid to Ukraine  media

In the meantime, fighting in eastern Ukraine has been increasing after the assassination of Donetsk leader Alexander Zakharchenko at the end of August  an incident that disrupted a cease-fire agreement to mark the start of the school year. As a result of Zakharchenko's murder, Russia has said it no longer has immediate plans to meet in the Normandy Four, a grouping that brings together Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France as part of a broader political component of the negotiations, although it confirmed that it would not entirely abandon the Minsk process  the tactical component of the negotiations featuring Russia, Ukraine and the West.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been revising or terminating many of its agreements with Russia as it pursues the longer-term aim of severing its links with Moscow. As part of a first step, Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said Kyiv plans to terminate the agreement on the use of the Sea of Azov.

Enter Washington?

As with the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the U.S. position in supporting Ukraine in its military buildup on the Sea of Azov will be critical in managing the growing tensions in the Ukraine conflict. Since the Euromaidan uprising, the United States has increased its security assistance to Ukraine, sending the country lethal weaponry  particularly the anti-tank Javelin missile systems  while also participating in joint military exercises with the Eastern European ally. On the Sea of Azov, the U.S. State Department has denounced Russia's alleged "harassment of international shipping," while the department's spokeswoman, Heather Nauert, accused Russia of attempting to destabilize Ukraine through its interference with ships. Amid such a backdrop, U.S. special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker visited Kyiv last week and said that Washington was considering sending more lethal weaponry, although it is not yet clear if such arms would have a direct connection to the Sea of Azov.

Ultimately, however, there is little the United States can realistically do with regard to the Ukrainian navy in the short term, because the force is simply too weak in comparison to its Russian counterpart. Washington, as well as Brussels, could potentially help Kyiv in others ways through the provision of financial assistance or port investment to compensate Ukraine for some of its losses. Alternatively, if the United States decides to demonstrate its support for Ukraine in a more physical manner  such as by sending naval vessels to visit the country's Azov ports, for instance  it could upend the nature of the conflict.

Just as the risk of an escalation in the ground conflict in eastern Ukraine is growing, the potential for maritime flare-ups between Kyiv and Moscow is rising as both deploy naval forces to the Sea of Azov. As Ukraine chafes at the restrictions Russia has imposed on its shipping, questions over the use of the sea will loom large in the broader standoff between the Kremlin and the West over Ukraine  particularly as Washington mulls whether to enter the conflict more forcefully on Kyiv's side.The United States maintains unwavering support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine and the Russian occupation of Crimea.

Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Heather Nauert has said the United States respects the ability of Ukraine's Orthodox religious leaders and followers to pursue autocephaly according to their beliefs.

"The United States strongly supports religious freedom, including the freedom of members of groups to govern their religion according to their beliefs and practice their faiths freely without government interference. The United States respects the ability of Ukraine's Orthodox religious leaders and followers to pursue autocephaly according to their beliefs. We respect the Ecumenical Patriarch as a voice of religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue," Nauert said in a press statement.

Read alsoBartholomew 'hopes' for independent Ukrainian Church  media

"The United States maintains unwavering support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine and the Russian occupation of Crimea. We also support Ukraine as it charts its own path and makes its own decisions and associations, free of external interference," she said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, President Poroshenko on April 17 convened leaders of parliamentary factions and stated that he would appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew with a request to proclaim the independence of the Ukrainian local church.

Hierarchs on September 2 held meetings (Synaxis) of the Hierarchy of the Ecumenical Throne Constantinople in Istanbul, Turkey, to consider the question whether the Church of Constantinople is authorized, without the consent of other churches, to grant autonomy, or autocephaly, to a church that has requested it.

Following the meetings, the answer was positive: "Yes, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is authorized to grant autocephaly without any consent [from other churches]," the Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske said.

Poroshenko on September 17 met with two envoys, Exarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Ukraine Bishop Ilarion of Edmonton and the Western Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) in Canada and Archbishop Daniel of Pamphylia and the Western Eparchy of the UOC in the United States of America dispatched to prepare for establishing a Ukrainian church that is ecclesiastically independent from the Russian Orthodox Church.The president of Ukraine once again called for the increased pressure on the Russian Federation aimed to immediately release all Ukrainian political prisoners.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and President of the European Council Donald Tusk have discussed the security situation in Donbas and the implementation of the Minsk agreements.

Read alsoGerashchenko: UN General Assembly session's agenda includes Crimea, Donbas issue

In the framework of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, the president of Ukraine and the president of the European Council also exchanged views on the ways to implement the agreements reached at the XX Ukraine-EU Summit, according to the president's press service.

Poroshenko thanked for the EU decision to extend economic sanctions against Russia by January 31, 2019. The parties also called it necessary to intensify international efforts to protect Ukraine's interests from the illegal actions of the Russian Federation in the Sea of Azov.

The president of Ukraine once again called for the increased pressure on the Russian Federation aimed to immediately release all Ukrainian political prisoners, including Oleh Sentsov, Roman Sushchenko and Volodymyr Balukh.Poroshenko and Volker also stressed the need for the immediate release of all Ukrainian hostages.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker have discussed the prospects for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas.

Read alsoPoroshenko, Tusk discuss security situation in Donbas, implementation of Minsk accords

In the framework of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, the parties discussed the latest developments in Donbas and the prospects for the deployment of a multinational peacekeeping mission under the aegis of the United Nations in its occupied part, according to the presidential press service.

Poroshenko and Volker also stressed the need for the immediate release of all Ukrainian hostages.

Particular attention was paid to cooperation in the field of security and defense between Ukraine and USA, as well as interaction on further implementation of reforms in Ukraine.

Volker also informed the Ukrainian president of increasing the sanctions pressure against the Russian Federation, in particular including another 12 Russian companies into the sanctions list.The previous large-scale incident involving Molot mortars was reported on July 6.

Three Ukrainian servicemen have been injured in a new Molot (Hammer) mortar rupture.

"We've got another three injured in a Molot mortar rupture," Ukrainian journalist, human rights activist, coordinator of NGO Media Initiative for Human Rights Olha Reshetylova wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, September 25.

The incident happened in a military unit deployed in the area of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO), the injured servicemen are from the 72nd brigade, the InfoResist media outlet said.

Member of the Ukrainian military Alena Shevtsova wrote that the mortar had been used in keeping with safety rules.

"About the Molot in brief: The mortar was being used correctly, the safety rules were observed. The [injured] people are alive," she wrote on Facebook, adding that she expected an objective investigation into the incident.

The previous large-scale incident involving Molot mortars was reported on July 6 when a Molot mortar blew up amid military drills at Ukraine's Rivne training ground, as a result of which three Ukrainian troops were killed and nine others received injuries of varying severity. A criminal case was opened on charges of the violation of the safety rules.

Read alsoMortar blast at training ground: Ukroboronprom says no alternative in Ukraine to Molot model

Reshetylova suggested that engineering flaws of the Molot mortar could be behind the recent incident. "We have repeatedly tried to draw attention to the fact that there is a problem with the Molot. Experts in metals say that the grade of steel of the barrel does not meet technical requirements  it is softer than it should be," she wrote on Facebook on July 6. According to her, additional tests are needed to examine the material used in the production of the mortar. "There have been exactly two years since the first rupture of the Molot mortar at the Shyroky Lan range, where two people died. Since then, at least 12 people have died in Molot blasts. [They were] from the Aidar [Battalion], the 72nd Brigade," she wrote.

President Petro Poroshenko, in turn, instructed Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak and Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko to ban the use of Molot mortars during military drills until the end of an investigation into the incident at the Rivne training ground.In June, UA:First had to suspend its analogue broadcasting in the cities of Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Odesa, Ternopil, Chernihiv, and others.

Broadcasts of the UA:Pershyi (UA:First) national television channel have been suspended over debts.

"The state-owned Broadcasting, Radiocommunications & Television Concern (BRT) switched off the broadcasting of UA:First in the morning today (over the state's debts owed to the state)," Head of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC) Zurab Alasania wrote on Facebook on September 25.

The channel's signal was cut off across the country. The situation in areas close to the frontline in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, is being checked.

Read alsoUkraine switching off analogue TV signal

In June, UA:First had to suspend its analogue broadcasting in the cities of Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Odesa, Ternopil, Chernihiv, and others.

Since April 2018, the state budget approved by Ukraine's parliament has no funds for payment of public TV broadcasts, the company said. Thus the company's debts to BRT have grown to UAH 75.12 million (about US$2.7 billion).

The 2018 national budget foresees only UAH 776,563 (about US$27,700) in financial support for the National Public Television and Radio Company, which is half the amount guaranteed by the Law on Public Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine.The donation, worth about US$3.5 million, was granted to Ukraine in accordance with an agreement between Chinese and the Ukrainian governments in 2016.

The Chinese government on Monday, September 24, donated 50 ambulances fitted with life-saving equipment to Ukraine.

A memorandum to hand over the vehicles was signed in Kyiv by Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Du Wei and acting Health Minister of Ukraine Ulana Suprun, China's Xinhua reported.

The donation, worth about US$3.5 million, was granted to Ukraine in accordance with an agreement between Chinese and the Ukrainian governments in 2016.

Read alsoKlitschko hands over brand new ambulance cars to Kyiv emergency response service

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.According to preliminary information, they are citizens of Georgia.

Three suspects in the attempt on a public activist, leader of the city organization of the Syla Lyudey (Power of People) party, Oleh Mykhailyk, who received a gunshot wound on September 22, have been detained in Odesa.

As a source in law enforcement agencies of the region told UNIAN, three young men were detained, who, according to preliminary information, are citizens of Georgia. One of them allegedly had a weapon, from which the activist was shot.

Read alsoAttack on activist Mykhailyk: People protesting in Odesa (Photo, video)

Currently, two suspects are in the Primorsky police department, while another one is in City Clinical Hospital No.1, where he was taken from the police due to the deterioration of the state of health.

According to the source, the suspects who deny their involvement in the assassination attempt were tracked down through mobile phones.

The consul of Georgia in Odesa is in the hospital now.

The Main Directorate of the National Policy in Odesa region has refused to comment on this information, referring to the prohibition of the leadership.

As UNIAN reported earlier, a perpetrator shot at Mykhailyk on Osipov Street in Odesa in the evening of September 22. He was rushed to hospital in grave condition.

The police chief said the investigators consider several possible versions of this crime, including those related to Mykhailyk's public and journalistic activities.No Ukrainian army casualties were reported during hostilities in the past day.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 27 attacks on the Ukrainian Joint Forces in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on Monday, September 24, using proscribed weapons in two instances.

"The enemy opened aimed fire, using 120mm and 82mm mortars, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, and small arms. The Russian occupation forces attacked the positions of the Joint Forces near the towns of Zolote, Svitlodarsk, Krasnohorivka, and Maryinka, as well as near the villages of Krymske, Zaitseve, Pivdenne, Pisky, Novotroyitske, Hnutove, Vodiane, Lebedynske, and Shyrokyne," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on September 25, 2018.

Read alsoUkraine's army retakes another village in Russian-occupied Luhansk region (Video)

Using 82mm mortars, the enemy troops shelled the Joint Forces' positions near the village of Hnutove in the Mariupol sector. They also resorted to 120mm mortars near the village of Pivdenne outside the town of Horlivka.

"Our troops' position near Krymske in the Luhansk sector came under fire opened from an anti-tank missile system. What is more, the Russian occupation forces resorted to cannons of infantry fighting vehicles to attack the defenders of Vodiane," the press center said.

No Ukrainian army casualties were reported during hostilities in the past day, it added.

According to Ukrainian intelligence reports, one enemy troop was killed and another four were wounded in Donbas in the past day.

Since Tuesday midnight, the Russian-led forces have already mounted two attacks on Ukrainian positions near the villages of Vodiane and Shyrokyne in the Mariupol sector. They used large-caliber machine guns and small arms.The condition of the injured servicemen is satisfactory.

The press service of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters has issued an update on casualties of a recent Molot mortar rupture, saying that two Ukrainian servicemen have been injured and there is no threat to their life.

"Two servicemen of the mortar crew  not three, as was incorrectly reported by some media  received light tangential wounds. A shell exploded in the barrel of an M120-15 Molot mortar amid a combat operation on September 23," it said.

Read alsoMortar blast at training ground: Ukroboronprom says no alternative in Ukraine to Molot model

A criminal proceeding was filed in the State Register of Pretrial Investigations under Part 2 of Article 414 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, namely the violation of the rules for handling weapons, as well as substances and objects posing an increased danger to others.

"According to preliminary findings of a primary examination on the site of the incident and during the interview of the injured servicemen, the following has been established: Probably, the cause of the shell rupture is incorrect preparations for shelling, including, the failure to comply with the rules of ammunition storage, "the JFO HQ said.

The condition of the injured servicemen is satisfactory, they are provided with medical assistance in a military hospital. There is no threat to their life.

Ukrainian journalist, human rights activist, coordinator of NGO Media Initiative for Human Rights Olha Reshetylova earlier reported about three injured servicemen. The incident happened in a military unit deployed in the JFO area near the Svitlodarska Bulge. The injured servicemen are from the 72nd brigade.

Reshetylova earlier suggested that engineering flaws of the Molot mortar could be behind recent incidents.

"We have repeatedly tried to draw attention to the fact that there is a problem with the Molot. Experts in metals say that the grade of steel of the barrel does not meet technical requirements  it is softer than it should be," she wrote on Facebook on July 6. According to her, additional tests are needed to examine the material used in the production of the mortar.The situation in the area of the Joint Forces Operation remains under control of Ukrainian troops.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted six attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas on September 25, with three Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA).

Read alsoJFO update: Two Ukrainian servicemen injured in Molot rupture, no threat to their life

"Three Ukrainians soldiers were wounded from 07:00 to 18:00 Kyiv time," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook.

Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to attack the defenders of the town of Zolote, and the villages of Krymske, Zaitseve, Pisky, Hnutove, and Lebedynske.

"The situation in the area of the Joint Forces Operation remains under control of Ukrainian troops," reads the report.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, as the new administration seeks massive infrastructure investment.

BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th 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, as the new 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, Chinese newspaper Global Times reported on Tuesday.

"The decision to scrap the agreement with the Chinese company by the previous government was taken without any grounds," Nepalese information minister Gokul Baskota said.

"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 landlocked country suffers chronic energy shortages and is forced to buy electricity from neighboring India.

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 neighbors 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 building three smaller hydropower plants in Nepal and has completed one.

Another Chinese firm, the China Three Gorges Corporation, recently pulled out of a 750 megawatt hydropower project, citing financial concerns.Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Information and Law, Barrister Murtaza Wahab has emphasized that the education in mother tongue is a key to success.

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Information and Law, Barrister Murtaza Wahab has emphasized that the education in mother tongue is a key to success. At least, elementary education should be given in urdu and Sindhi.

"English is not the benchmark of success but mother tongue is a key to success. Other languages must be learnt, but students must acquire education in their own language," he said while addressing faculty and staff members at Sindh Madrersat-ul- islam University here on Tuesday.

According to a SMIU statement, the CM's Advisor urged teachers to ensure imparting the quality education to their students to give the best generation to the country.

He also put stress on promoting culture of reading books and other latest material/information through different sources.

"I received a good training from my parents. As a result, I came close to books," he said.

Barrister Murtaza Wahab said SMUI's buildings are a beautiful combination of technology and history. And, he continued, the young generation must be given information about the SMIU and affiliated facilities, and about the famous personalities created by this historic institute.

Vice Chancellor of Sindh Madressatul Islam University, Dr. Muhammad Ali Shaikh said that being a part of recently constituted task force on education by the Federal government, he believed that Primary education must be imparted in mother tongue, and higher education should be given in English language, Whereas, Urdu was the national language that could be taught at all levels of education.Ahmed Shabib Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Federal National Council, FNC, has met with a delegation from the Civil Defence College of Sudan, led by Major General Ahmed Omar Shanan, Head of the College, at the headquarters of the FNC in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 25th Sep, 2018) Ahmed Shabib Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Federal National Council, FNC, has met with a delegation from the Civil Defence College of Sudan, led by Major General Ahmed Omar Shanan, Head of the College, at the headquarters of the FNC in Abu Dhabi.

Al Dhaheri briefed the delegation about the FNCs activities, legislative, monitoring and political roles in parliamentary diplomacy, and how it discusses draft federal law and public issues.

He also briefed the delegation about the UAEs parliamentary development since the establishment of the FNC on 12th February, 1972, and the countrys successful electoral experiences in 2006, 2011 and 2015.

The delegation praised the UAEs e-voting system and its international voting facilities in 94 electoral centres in its embassies and diplomatic missions in other countries during the last elections.

Al Dhaheri highlighted the keenness of the countrys leadership to support the FNC and its parliamentary work while adding that its political experience is special and has helped to establish an advanced parliamentary system. He also noted the FNCs empowerment policy, which aims to implement the political programme launched by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Al Dhaheri stressed that the FNC elections in December 2006 were the countrys first parliamentary event that involved popular participation while highlighting the support of the wise leadership for women and their empowerment, to make them effective partners in the community. These elections witnessed the success of the first female Emirati who won one of the 20 available seats, he added while pointing out that the wise leadership has appointed eight other women as members of the FNC, and women now occupy nine out of 40 seats or 22.3 percent.

The Sudanese delegation praised the relations between the two countries and the UAEs overall development, which has made it a leading country.

The delegation also stressed the importance of benefitting from the UAEs development experience, which is a unique model of a modern country based on strong and traditional values. It went on to praise the UAEs efforts to support Arab and Islamic issues in regional and international events, as well as its humanitarian role in supporting and helping needy people around the world.

At the end of the meeting, the delegation toured the FNCs headquarters, including Zayed Hall.(@FahadShabbir)

The UAE and Paraguay have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to exempt Emirati and Paraguayan nationals carrying diplomatic, private, mission and regular passports from obtaining pre-entry visas.

NEW YORK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Sep, 2018) The UAE and Paraguay have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to exempt Emirati and Paraguayan nationals carrying diplomatic, private, mission and regular passports from obtaining pre-entry visas.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the 73rd UN General Assembly in New York by Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Luis Alberto Castiglioni, Foreign Minister of Paraguay.

After the signing, Gargash and Castiglioni held talks on ways to boost bilateral cooperation between the two friendly countries. They also exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest and on the possibility of establishing a full partnership across various domains.

Gargash praised the strong relations between the UAE and Paraguay, which are founded on amity, respect and mutual desire to develop cooperation in a way that will meet the aspirations of the leadership in the two countries.

He stressed the importance of the MoU in bolstering ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and their peoples.

The Paraguayan Minister expressed his countrys keenness to enhance bilateral relations with the UAE and underlined the latter's distinguished position in international arenas.(@FahadShabbir)

Ambassador of Yemen to the UAE Fahad Saeed Al Menhali, visited on Monday the headquarters of the Emirates News Agency, WAM, in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th Sep, 2018) Ambassador of Yemen to the UAE Fahad Saeed Al Menhali, visited on Monday the headquarters of the Emirates news Agency, WAM, in Abu Dhabi.

Al Menhali was received by Mohammed Jalal Alrayssi, Executive Director of the Emirates News Agency, WAM.

They discussed ways to enhance joint cooperation between WAM and Yemen's official News Agency in the light of the distinguished fraternal relations between the UAE and Yemen in all avenues.

Alrayssi emphasised the keenness of WAM to develop media cooperation with the Yemeni official News Agency in line with the UAE's message and its supportive role to Yemen in the face of all the plots and challenges it faces.

Al Menhali praised the UAE's assistance that has had its positive impact on all walks of life in Yemen. He also hailed the UAE's honourable and fraternal stance in the face of Houthi militia, which will be remembered by the Yemenis.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni Ambassador toured WAM and was briefed about its multiple departments and its time-line development to continue its pioneering media role at the local media landscape as well as supporting the Arab issues at the regional and international avenues including the Yemeni question.(@FahadShabbir)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) ::The World Bank is finalizing a fresh initiative to resolve the dispute over the Indian construction of the Kishan Ganga and Ratle projects, saying the multilateral lender would soon contact Pakistan and India, the bank chief, Jim Young Kim, has said.

Kim said this during a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, after the Pakistani leader presented his government's position on these projects in "a forceful and emphatic manner", according to an official statement.

The focus of the meeting was the World Bank's role in implementation of the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan as its Administrator.

The Foreign Minister said Indian construction of the Kishan Ganga and Ratle projects represented a violation of the 1960 Treaty, which gave Pakistan exclusive rights to western rivers.

He emphasized that the procedural delay on Pakistan's request to the World Bank to empanel the Court of Arbitration had resulted in completion of the Kishan Ganga Projects while construction work on Ratle was in progress.

Qureshi said that the new government viewed this as a humanitarian issue with lives and livelihood of millions at stake, adding that It was not interested in politicizing the issue.

The President of the World bank said that while he understood Pakistan's position on the Treaty, he expressed the Bank's desire to play a constructive role in resolving this important matter at the earliest.

In this context, he remarked that, with the ongoing challenge of climate change, water issues were likely to be more prominent on the international agenda. "He indicated that the World Bank was in the process of finalizing a fresh initiative and would soon be approaching Pakistan and India with details." the statement added.

The meeting was conducted in a cordial and frank setting. Both sides resolved to maintain regular contacts at various levels to seek an early and amicable settlement to the issue.HAFIZABAD, Sep 23 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Sep, 2018 ) ::The district administration has made all possible precautionary arrangements to cope with likely flood in the river Chenab and nullahs.

An emergency meeting of the District Emergency board was held here under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Adnan Arshad Aulakh which was attended by District Police Officer (DPO) Saifullah Khan, ADC Revenue Amna Rafique, ADC Finance Afzaal Ahmad Warraich, Assistant Commissioners Faisal Abbas Mangat Hafizabad and Tanveer Yaseen Pindi Bhattian, Sibghatullah District Emergency Officer and others.

The departments concerned were directed to remain fully alert to evacuate people in case of flood in the river Chenab and make arrangements in this respect.

District Emergency Officer Sibghatullah told the meeting that Rsecue 1122 had 39 boats, 575 life jackets, 980 plastic seats, 874 tents and other life-saving articles at its disposal.

He assured that the Rescue-1122 would ensure safety of human and cattle lives in case of flood in the river.

He assured that the evacuated villagers would be provided shelter and food at relief centres to be set up in different places.(@FahadShabbir)

President of the Australian Senate Scott Ryan has lauded the constitution of Australia-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Senate of Pakistan and expressed the desire to further strengthen these relations.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :President of the Australian Senate Scott Ryan has lauded the constitution of Australia-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Senate of Pakistan and expressed the desire to further strengthen these relations.

He was talking to High Commissioner of Pakistan Babar Amin who called on him at Canberra, a press release Tuesday said.

The Senate president also called for a greater interaction between the two parliaments including at the multilateral parliamentary forums.

He informed that the invitation to attend the meeting of Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) in Pakistan was under consideration and would be responded in due course.

Scott Ryan appreciated the idea of assistance in legislative capacity building and assured to look into for possibilities.

Pakistan high commissioner discussed the parliamentary cooperation between the two countries and briefed the president of the Senate on the recently successful general elections in Pakistan.

He highlighted government of Pakistan's developmental and foreign policy priorities including strengthening of parliamentary cooperation with the friendly countries.

The high commissioner informed the president about the formulation of Pakistan-Australia Friendship Group in the Senate of Pakistan and recommended strengthening the mechanism for regular interaction between Senates of the two countries to enhance understanding and cooperation.

He also re-communicated the invitation by the Senate chairman of Pakistan, to the president of Australian Senate and Speaker of the House of representatives to participate in the APA's Standing Committee on Political Affairs in Gwadar on October 29-31.LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :Provincial Minister for Schools education Murad Raas Monday took notice of torture on Abdul Rehman, a 9th class student of Government Boys High school, Farooka, Sargodha.

He directed to suspend Muntazir Mehdi the teacher responsible for corporal punishment and also directed to initiate departmental action under PEEDA Act.

He called CEO Education Sargodha at his office along with the investigation report.

The MS DHQ hospital has also been directed to provide best medical facilities to the injuredstudent.(@mahnoorsheikh03)

The girls wedding was scheduled on September 30 and she had gone to the beauty parlour to get ready for her Mayyon.

Karachi (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News  25th September, 2018) An ex-fiance allegedly kidnapped a bride from outside a beauty salon in Karachi.

According to media reports, a bride went missing from outside a beauty parlour in Taimuria area of North Nazimabad in Karachi.

The parents of the bride alleged that her ex-fiance has kidnapped her.

They further said that their daughters wedding was scheduled on September 30 and she had gone to the beauty parlour in Taimuria to get ready for her Mayyon.

On the other hand, police said that the girl escaped with her ex-fiance with her own will. SHO Taimuria said that the girl was in contact with her ex-fiance before her abduction.

According to SHO Chaudhry Tufail, the police has interrogated the salons staff as well. The SHO assured that the girl will soon be recovered.(@mahnoorsheikh03)

He was of the concern that these heaps of garbage are a health hazard breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes.

Islamabad (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News  25th September, 2018) German Ambassador to Pakistan Martin Kobler has pointed towards the heaps of garbage in the Federal capital.

Sharing a selfie with a dumpsite in Islamabad on his Twitter account, Kobler said that while Islamabad has beautiful parts, there are some small dumpsites as well.

Pointing towards the dumpsite at F-7/4, the German envoy wondered that solid waste disposal does not work in many parts of the city.

Asking for suggestions, he raised the concern that these heaps of garbage are a health hazard breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes.

Just driving through #Islamabad. There are beautiful parts, but there are also small dumpsites everywhere like here in F 7/4 street 56. It seems solid waste disposal does not work in many parts. Its also a health hazard and breeding ground for dengue moskitos! What can be done? he wrote.

The German envoy keeps posting about his experiences in Pakistan, expressing admiration for the country while the people here love him too. This is, however, the first time that Kobler has expressed dislike for the country.The government on Tuesday granted permission to the Ministry of Railways to fill the 2031 vacant posts as a first installment.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :The government on Tuesday granted permission to the Ministry of Railways to fill the 2031 vacant posts as a first installment.

The Ministry will fill 2031 vacant technical posts of different categories on regular basis ranging from BPS 01 to BPS 11 in the entire system of Pakistan Railways in six months time, said a press release issued here.

The posts are vacant at different departments including Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering, Transportation, Commercial, Signal Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering and workshop division.

The recruitment process will be finalized within 90 days from the date of advertisement.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan Tuesday assured the Senate that the government would ensure implementation of the court orders regarding charging of fees by private schools in the federal capital during the summer vacation.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan Tuesday assured the Senate that the government would ensure implementation of the court orders regarding charging of fees by private schools in the Federal capital during the summer vacation.

Replying to a calling attention notice, the minister said the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) had been summoned by the apex court on October 4, whose order would be implemented in its true spirit.

He said earlier the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had restrained the private schools from collecting the fees for summer vacation in advance. Similar orders were also issued by the Lahore and Peshawar high courts, he added.

He said in compliance with the IHC order, PEIRA had directed the private educational institutions in the federal capital to stop demanding summer vacation fees in advance from the parents.

The Authority, in its first notice, asked the private institutions to follow the court order and warned them that their licences would be cancelled in case of violation. Similarly, another notice was also issued to the private schools by PIERA, he added.

He said on May 18, the order was challenged and set aside by the Supreme Court on technical grounds.

Earlier, in the calling attention notice, Senator Kalsoom Parveen said the state was responsible to ensure free education to the students. Private schools, she alleged, had been looting the public in the name of education.

She said the private schools had been become a mafia and PEIRA had no mechanism to regulate them. The PEIRA chairman had failed to address the issues related to the private schools.

She asked the government to take notice of charging of fees by the private schools in Islamabad during the summer vacation despite a restraining court order in that regard.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The Pakistan-Japan Friendship Forum (PJFF) was established on Tuesday to further promote the friendly ties between the two countries.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :The Pakistan-Japan Friendship Forum (PJFF) was established on Tuesday to further promote the friendly ties between the two countries.

The inauguration ceremony was held at the official residence of ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Takashi Kurai on Tuesday .

The PJFF aimed at promoting the cultural relations and to further strengthen people-to-people contacts between Japan and Pakistan.

The Forum was founded by its chairman Khalid Malik, a renowned businessman, with a vision to further strengthen the friendship relations.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by the representatives of Pakistani cultural organizations, members of business community, former Pakistani alumni of Japanese universities and other important socio-cultural personalities of the capital city.

Ambassador Kurai speaking at the ceremony congratulated Khalid Malik for making tremendous efforts to establish Pakistan- Japan Friendship Forum and hoped that this forum would help further strengthening the existing friendly relations between Japan and Pakistan.

He said people-to-people contacts were the very foundation for the whole relationship between two countries and expressed his optimism that the new forum of friendship would do its best for further deepening the bilateral relations.

Kurai also paid tributes to Ghulam Abbas, former minister, for his dedication for promoting Pakistan-Japan relations and thanked him for donating WADAIKO drums to Islamabad Japanese school which were made in Sialkot.

Chairman Pakistan-Japan Friendship Forum Khalid Malik said that both countries had potential to further promote their relationships in all fields including culture, business, education and sports.

He thanked the Japanese ambassador for his support in establishing PJFF.

The participants were also entertained with the skilful performance by the Japanese drum (WADAIKO) beaters.ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :The Ministry of Commerce and Textile on Monday clarified that the news items published in a section of the press regarding rice export consignment from Pakistan was totally baseless and against the reality.

The said news item created the impression that the additional inspection done by the Kenyan authorities was a discriminatory measure specific to Pakistan and it was related to the quality concerns on Pakistani rice, a statement issued by Ministry of Commerce and Textiles here said.

It clarified that the quality of Pakistani rice was world acclaimed and Pakistan supplied more than 4 million tonnes of rice to nearly 100 countries of the world. Pakistan had a state-of-the-art rice milling and processing industry which met the health and safety requirements of even the most stringent markets like Europe and USA.

It was true that the clearance of shipments of many food products e.

g. sugar, edible oil and rice, at the Kenyan ports had recently slowed down, after a few shipments of food items supplied from other countries did not meet the health and safety standards. Therefore, the clearance of shipments at Kenyan ports had been made stringent and additional sampling/testing was being done by the inspection bodies irrespective of the country of origin.

No shipment from Pakistan had been reported to be held at the port for failing to meet the food safety standards of Kenya. In the wake of news reports in a section of media, Pakistan's High Commission in Kenya had approached the relevant Kenyan authorities who clarified that no Pakistan-specific inspections were being conducted on rice shipments.

They have also assured that the situation was temporary and normalcy would resume after riskprofiling was completed in few weeks.(@rukhshanmir)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :Pakistan and India should uphold good relations to resolve all outstanding issues including lingering Kashmir dispute, said analyst Arif Nizami on Monday. "Pakistan wanted trade with India but not aid and India should commence trade with Pakistan which was beneficial for it," he said while talking to a private news channel.

Nizami said India wanted to improve political ties with Pakistan for personal goals as the general elections were so near there. He informed that India and United States (US) have made alliance in various sectors.

Arif Nizami said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using provocative and derogatory language against Pakistan to get sympathies and vote from people. He said Pakistan had reacted strongly over reckless remarks given by Indian Army Chief against Pakistan.

India was committing atrocities and barbarism on innocent Kashmiris in the Occupied valley, he said and added that Indian troops had killed and injured several people in fresh state of terrorism.

He said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif should refrain to give statement regarding Mumbai attack.

Analyst Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami said Pakistan wanted peace and stability in the whole region but was always ready and prepared to give befitting response to any misadventure. He said Inter Services Public Relation (ISPR) spokesman had given valiant reply over the statement of Indian Army Chief against Pakistan. Scandals had always been reported in Indian politics and Modi government was facing trouble due to deal of Rafale Jets with a private company, he added.After being exposed by the French government for influencing 36 Rafale fighter planes deal, Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi has charged his cannons to fire obsolete anti-Pakistan rhetoric to mock fanatic Indians.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :After being exposed by the French government for influencing 36 Rafale fighter planes deal, Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi has charged his cannons to fire obsolete anti-Pakistan rhetoric to mock fanatic Indians.

The Rafale scandal has been a burning question since the opposition blew whistle of hefty corruption when Modi announced to purchase the French fighter jets on his visit to Paris. The opposition party 'Congress' has accused the government for choosing Reliance Defence over state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to benefit the private firm though it did not has any experience in the aerospace sector.

The Congress also demanded the Modi government to elucidate the thrice increase in the prices of the jets which was a mere eyewash that erupted a huge corruption scandal narrating unprecedented plundering of public money.

Interestingly, prior to the Modi government, the deal to purchase the Rafale aircraft was also done during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government where its largest member party is the Indian National Congress.

According to the Congress, the cost of an aircraft at that time was Indian Rs 5900 million, while the deal was finalized by the Modi government three times the price.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi also boiled a hot war on the social media portal Twitter slamming PM Modi for betraying the country. Rahul said, "The Prime Minister spoke privately about Rafael Deal behind the closed door and made a change in it. He has betrayed the country and insulted our martyrs".

The former French President Francois Hollande according to a French media report clarified: "The Indian government proposed Reliance Defence as the partner for Dassault Aviation in the Rafale jet fighter deal and France did not have a choice".

According to reports in Indian media, the French government claimed to have no involvement in the choice of Indian industrial partners for the Rafale fighter jet deal, insisting that French companies have full freedom to select Indian firms for the contract.

Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, had chosen Reliance Defence as its partner to fulfill offset obligations of the deal. The government has been maintaining it did not have any role in selection of the offset partner by Dassault.

In a statement, Dassault Aviation said it decided to partner with Reliance Defence in accordance with the policy of 'Made in India'.

In the recent escalating crisis over the controversy, Congress President Rahul Gandhi has alleged that, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Anil Ambani jointly carried out a multi billions 'surgical strike' on the defence forces." The Indian Air Force (IAF) had termed that deal as oxygen for Indian Defence but allegations of corruption on PM Modi has raised many questions about transparency of the deal.

After plethora of allegations against Modi, the Indian Prime Minister opted for anti-Pakistan rhetoric to hoodwink his masses no matter that Indian opposition parties themselves exposed real face of Modi's BJP not before the Indian citizens but also the wolrd democracies.

The PM Modi's narrative against Pakistan was not well taken by Indians themselves as the mega corruption charges in an important defence project raises questions on his own commitment to safeguard his motherland and the opposition called him 'the plunderer instead of protector of national assets.'Modi has now entered into a blind alley and retaliates through outmanoeuvring repeated trivial narrative with greater lucidity to pacify the lurking public outrage. His people, the neighboring countries as well as world democracies have ample substance to understand as to why he denied dialogue with Pakistan.ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi Tuesday said national security remained at stake during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government as all the borders of the country were not secure.

The statements given by former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the parliament in that regard were part of the record, he said while talking to a private news channel.

He said the incumbent government was giving top priority to the national security and taking concrete measures for the purpose.

The minister said during the previous governments, state land was used by the elite as their personal property and on the other side the common man remained deprived of basic necessities of life, particularly clean drinking water.

Contracts of government projects, he said, were awarded to the blue-eyed as e-tendering was not in vogue during the past regimes. PEMRA ordinance and other laws were violated by the PML-N government, he added.

Shehryar Afridi alleged that PML-N's finance minister Miftah Ismail had presented wrong figures in the parliament regarding economy, and facts and figures in that regard would be presented before the nation.

Replying to a question, he said Saudi Arabia would become a big partner in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. It would invest almost $10 billion in the project and a high level Saudi delegation was due here in a couple of days. he added.

He said the opposition had the right to criticise government policies as it was the beauty of a democratic system, but it should not be for point scoring. The opposition was criticizing only those persons, who had always supported Prime Minister Imran Khan. Zulfi Bukhari, who was pride of the country, was one of them who was under criticism for standing with his leader, he added.

He said Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar hailed from the middle class and he would prove that he was capable of the office entrusted to him by Imran Khan through his performance and good governance in the province.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :After successful talks with Provincial Health Minister Dr.Yasmin Rashid, the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab on Monday called off strike at OPDs of all the public sector hospitals of the province.

Talking to APP the President of the YDA, Punjab Dr.

Maroof said that Health department agreed to form a committee to investigate and sort out all the matters concerned to doctors community.

Therefore, on the special assurance of Health Minister Dr.Yasmin Rashid, the YDA decided to call off their strike and the doctors would attend the OPDs of all the hospitals in Punjab fromSeptember 25 (Tuesday), the YDA President concluded.As many as six Iranian movies will be screened in the Finland Film Festival scheduled to be held here on October 3.

TEHRAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :As many as six Iranian movies will be screened in the Finland Film Festival scheduled to be held here on October 3.

"Finland Short Film Evening Festival will be held on October 3 in Cinema Museum of Iran," according to a press release issued by by Iranian Youth Cinema Society (IYCS).

.

The public event is being organized by IYCS and Finnish embassy in Tehran to show six moves.

The IYCS has already held such film evenings with Japan and Chile to strengthen the cultural relations with other countries in the recent months.(@rukhshanmir)

Tripoli, Sept 24 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :Half a million children are in "immediate danger" in Libya's capital Tripoli due to fighting, the United Nations children's fund UNICEF said on Monday.

Clashes that broke out between rival militias in late August had killed at least 115 people and wounded nearly 400 by Saturday night, according to Libya's health ministry.

UNICEF said more than 1,200 families were displaced in the past 48 hours as the clashes intensified in southern Tripoli before pausing on Monday.

That put the total number of people displaced by the recent fighting at over 25,000, half of whom were children, it said.

The UN agency's middle East and North Africa director, Geert Cappelaere, said children were paying a "heavy toll" and were increasingly being recruited by armed groups.

"We see children being prevented from going to school, we see children not having the vaccination that they urgently need," he said.

Those whose parents came to Libya with the hope of migrating to Europe by sea suffered doubly, said Cappelaere.

"They are already facing dire living conditions, many of them are held in detention," a situation made worse by "the violence that is happening today," he said.

UNICEF also said schools are increasingly being used to shelter displaced families, which is likely to delay the start of the academic year beyond October 3.

It said residents are facing food, power and water shortages, adding that the clashes had exacerbated the plight of migrants.

"Hundreds of detained refugees and migrants, including children, were forced to move because of violence. Others are stranded in centres in dire conditions", Cappelaere said.

Despite a UN-brokered ceasefire on September 4, fighting broke out again last week in southern districts of the capital.

The clashes have pitted armed groups from Tarhuna and Misrata against Tripoli militias nominally controlled by Libya's UN-backed unity government.(@rukhshanmir)

Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition (ADEX), one of the major military equipment and weapons expositions in the region, has started in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku and will last until Thursday.

BAKU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition (ADEX), one of the major military equipment and weapons expositions in the region, has started in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku and will last until Thursday.

A total of 224 companies from 29 countries, including 25 Russian companies, will take part in this year's edition of the biennial event, supported by the country's Defense Industry Ministry and Defense Ministry.

The exhibition will be held at three pavilions of Baku's Expo Center, as well as in its outdoor area.

ADEX's agenda will feature a number of presentations, related to innovations in the national defense and security area. Meetings between ministerial officials, military delegations and leading companies of the defense sector are expected to be held.WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Germany approved a weapons package to support the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen because the United States and the Israel lobby dictate middle East security policy to European states, analysts told Sputnik.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has overruled staff objections to continued US weapons sales for the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemeni rebels after being warned that an embargo could jeopardize $2 billion in arms sales to United States' Persian Gulf allies, according to published reports last week.

Pompeo certified, as required by US law, that the Saudi-led coalition was taking steps to minimize civilian deaths - a step that allowed the United States to continue providing military aid.

In Germany, Economics Minister Peter Altmeir has also approved arms sales to Saudi Arabia after the ruling coalition agreed to end deliveries to countries involved in the Yemen war, local media said.

ISRAEL BACKS SAUDI-LED COALITION IN YEMEN

Israel backs the Saudi coalition in the Yemen war and is determined that the United States goes on supplying those nations with the munitions to fight it in order to combat Iran, which strongly backs the Palestinians, University of Louvain political philosopher Professor Jean Bricmont said.

"At bottom, there is a geopolitical motivation [for arming Riyadh]: The Saudis are opposed to Iran because of the Sunni-Shi'ite conflict and Iran supports the Palestinian cause, which makes the Saudis de facto allies of Israel," he said.

The Saudis were able to count on their Israeli allies to help protect them in the United States from charges of killing so many civilians in Yemen air strikes, Bricmont explained.

"The influence of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States explains a great deal of the blindness of all US administrations toward the Saudis, that are in principle as far from proclaimed US ideals as one can be," he said.

Israel and Saudi Arabia shared implacable hostility to the governments of both Iran and Syria so both Israel and the US government turned a blind eye to Riyadh's appalling human rights record and continuing support of the most dangerous Islamist extremist groups, Bricmont observed.

"Supporting Iran and Syria, or worse, Hezbollah, is an Israel no-no and that is why the United States is in bed with this extraordinary feudal, anti-liberal, murderous and terrorist sponsoring regime of the Saudis, while complaining about human rights violations everywhere else," he said.

Although financial considerations and a craving for profits motivated many US arms sales policies, these motivations were over-ridden in key cases by other ideological considerations, Bricmont noted.

"In weapon sales, there is always one motivation: making money. Yet, countries don't sell weapons to everybody. Does the United States sell weapons to Venezuela, Cuba or Nicaragua? I don't think so. Would they sell weapons to the Hezbollah or to the Palestinians? Even less likely," Bricmont said.

Washington's willingness to put Saudi Arabia and Israel's interests before its own had led to growing contradictions and paradoxes in its unsuccessful Middle East policies, Bricmont pointed out.

"Theater of the absurd indeed," he concluded.

These disastrous policies were exacerbated by the continued conviction of US policymakers that they could order their allies around the world to bow to their will and do anything they wanted, University of Pittsburgh Professor of International Affairs Michael Brenner noted.

"On the arms sales to Saudi Arabia, it appears that the overriding factor is the willfulness of the Trump people who believe strongly in their privilege to dictate to allies," Brenner said.

This delusion was strengthened by the continued unnatural state of psychological dependence that all the major Western European nations still showed to Washington, Brenner observed.

"Psychological dependence on the United States is not limited to Germany... It pervades all Western Europe capitals. The dismaying truth is that 70 years after [World War II], and 27 years after the end of the Cold War, Europe's political elites are psychologically incapable of standing up to Washington," Brenner said.

This continuing state of affairs explained the lack of follow-up to pledges made in the Minsk II Accords, Brenner explained.

It also accounted for European lack of action on "Syria where the US has been in a de facto coalition with al-Qaeda [and on] Iran - where the EC [European Commission] vows to protect European businesses from being blackmailed by Trump, and now Saudi Arabia," Brenner said.

In the absence of any articulate opposition, European leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others could get away with such "craven behavior" without paying an electoral price, Brenner added.Bamako, Sept 25 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Sep, 2018 ) :At least 12 Touareg civilians died Tuesday in an attack by gunmen in eastern Mali, a region hit by chronic unrest between local tribes and jihadist militants, sources said.

About 200 people, many of them civilians from the Fulani and Tuareg tribes have been killed in the area this year as militants claiming allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) clash with local groups backing a French security force and the Malian army.

The attack took place 45 kilometres (28 miles) west of Menaka according to a local official, a security source, and a statement by ex-rebels in the Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA).

"Armed men on motorcycles killed at least 12 civilians," the official told AFP, citing a resident of the town who claimed to have seen the bodies.Austria's far-right interior minister, Herbert Kickl, was under fire Tuesday over newspaper reports that his ministry instructed police to limit their cooperation with media that were deemed too critical.

Vienna, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :Austria's far-right interior minister, Herbert Kickl, was under fire Tuesday over newspaper reports that his ministry instructed police to limit their cooperation with media that were deemed too critical.

According to an email published in the dailies Der Standard and Kurier, Kickl's ministry instructed the press departments of regional police forces to "limit communication with these media to the minimum legal requirement".

The email -- which the ministry itself has confirmed as authentic -- explicitly named Der Standard and Kurier.

It also named the Falter weekly, which has carried out several investigations about the inner workings of the interior ministry in recent months.

It also suggested that police highlight the nationality and immigration status of suspects in public statements about criminal cases.

The Kurier wrote in an editorial: "Our democracy should not die in darkness because a minister feels too weak to withstand criticism and is clearly unsuitable for this sensitive position.

" Opposition parties were also up in arms, with members of the Social Democrats (SPOe) calling for Kickl's resignation.

The interior ministry defended the contents of the leaked email, but insisted that it did not originate from Kickl himself, but from his press spokesman. It said the guidelines were suggestions and not firm orders.

Asked about the matter on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said: "Any limit on press freedom is unacceptable".

"Shutting out or boycotting specific media shouldn't happen in Austria," Austrian media reported Kurz as saying.

Kickl's far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) shares power with Kurz's centre-right People's Party (OeVP) in a coalition that has been in power since December.

Kickl has been dogged by a scandal over government raids on Austria's BVT domestic intelligence agency in February.The Belarusian national center for professional advancement of forestry specialists and the Cuban Agriculture Ministry will cooperate in staff retraining. A relevant protocol of intent was signed by director of the center Alexander Zhuravsky, Oscar Labrador Llanes, the director of the department on forestry, flora and forest fauna of the Cuban Agriculture Ministry, and Miguel Angel Arregi Martinez, the chairman of the agriculture and forestry farming entrepreneurship group of the Cuban Agriculture Ministry, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Forestry Ministry told BelTA.

MINSK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :The Belarusian national center for professional advancement of forestry specialists and the Cuban Agriculture Ministry will cooperate in staff retraining. A relevant protocol of intent was signed by director of the center Alexander Zhuravsky, Oscar Labrador Llanes, the director of the department on forestry, flora and forest fauna of the Cuban Agriculture Ministry, and Miguel Angel Arregi Martinez, the chairman of the agriculture and forestry farming entrepreneurship group of the Cuban Agriculture Ministry, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Forestry Ministry told BelTA.

The document envisages consistent development of cooperation in education and forest technologies and also training of teaching staff. These include exchange of knowledge, technologies and scientific information concerning training of management personnel and specialists of forestry and logging industries, assistance to professional training of teaching staff and highly skilled forestry workers, organization of internships for specialists from the two countries.

While visiting the Belarusian national center for professional advancement of forestry specialists, the Cuban guests noted the high quality if the programs in further training, training, and retraining of specialists.

The delegation of the entrepreneurial group on agro-forestry of the Cuban Agriculture Ministry is on a visit in Belarus from 18 till 24 September. The Cuban guests got familiar with the activities of the Minsk Oblast forestry institutions and also visited the organizations affiliated with the Belarusian national center for professional advancement of forestry specialists, the national breeding and seed production center, and Belgosles company.Officials from Canada and Saudi Arabia will meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week to discuss the diplomatic row between their two countries over allegations of human rights abuses in the kingdom, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday.

NEW YORK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Officials from Canada and Saudi Arabia will meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week to discuss the diplomatic row between their two countries over allegations of human rights abuses in the kingdom, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday.

"We are going to meet in New York, we are hoping to meet and I think that's a good thing," Freeland said during remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Freeland said she and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubair had been in close contact all summer after the diplomatic crisis erupted.

Freeland emphasized that while Canada has a long-standing relationship with Saudi Arabia, Ottawa will "always stand up for human rights."

Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic relations with Canada in August after Ottowa called for the release of women's rights activists who have been detained in the kingdom, including Samar Badawi, the sister of Saudi opposition activist Raif Badawi.Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed appreciation for Serbia's support and participation in China's Belt and Road initiative.

NEW YORK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed appreciation for Serbia's support and participation in China's Belt and Road initiative.

Meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly high-level week, Wang said the two countries' joint efforts in Belt and Road Initiative will lead to broader prospects and strong support for their bilateral cooperation.

"China is a trustworthy friend for Serbia in the international arena and we wish to continue communicating and coordinating with Serbia on multilateral matters," said Wang, noting these matters include pushing forward the "16+1" cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern Europe countries.

Dacic, for his part, said Serbia attaches great importance to the friendship between the two countries and the two peoples.

He thanked China for its long-time support and help to Serbia and said that Serbia wishes to continue to be China's best friend and important partner in Europe.

"The Serbia-China comprehensive strategic partnership has been making steady progress," he said, adding Serbia wishes to enhance pragmatic cooperation, strengthen communication and coordination on multilateral matters, and build closer bilateral ties with China.The Syrian government's forces will regain control over the whole of the country's territory, including the Idlib de-escalation zone, whether though peaceful means or war, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said on Tuesday.

DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) The Syrian government's forces will regain control over the whole of the country's territory, including the Idlib de-escalation zone, whether though peaceful means or war, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said on Tuesday.

"The same way we won back every piece of land in Syria we will secure victory in Idlib. Our message is clear to all concerned in the matter  we will go to Idlib whether with war or with peace. But, we prefer to go the Syrians in Idlib with peace. Those who count on Americans should understand very clearly that the Syrian army will go to all Syrian territories and will establish there control and authority of the Syrian state," Mekdad said, as quoted by al-Watan newspaper.

Earlier in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting in the Russian city of Sochi and agreed to set up a demilitarized zone in Idlib along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces by October 15.

Territories in the northeast of Syria are controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by the United States.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The Foreign Ministry of Ecuador decided to appoint WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange an adviser at the Embassy of Ecuador in Russia, back in 2017, but 10 days later this decision was annulled amid London's refusal to grant Assange diplomatic status, Ecuadorian lawmaker Paola Vintimilla told Sputnik.

QUITO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) The Foreign Ministry of Ecuador decided to appoint WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange an adviser at the Embassy of Ecuador in Russia, back in 2017, but 10 days later this decision was annulled amid London's refusal to grant Assange diplomatic status, Ecuadorian lawmaker Paola Vintimilla told Sputnik.

"There is a ministerial agreement [at the Foreign Ministry of Ecuador], according to which Julian Assange was appointed Ecuador's diplomatic representative in Moscow," Vintimilla said.

The document in question, obtained by Sputnik, is dated December 19, 2017, and signed by Byron Rolando Suarez Sanchez, who was the vice minister of foreign affairs at the time. Prior to this, the WikiLeaks founder received a "special appointment" from the government of Ecuador, which allowed him to work in the country's embassy in the United Kingdom.

According to the lawmaker, the Ecuadorian authorities "had first to wait for London to agree for Assange to be part of Ecuadorian diplomatic service in the city [London], but they had ready a ministerial agreement, which would have him move to Moscow as a representative of Ecuador.

"

"However, since he had no diplomatic immunity to leave the embassy, he could not go to Moscow," Vintimilla said.

After London refused to grant Assange diplomatic status, Suarez personally voided the agreement which would allow the WikiLeaks founder to work in Moscow. It happened on December 29, 2017.

Assange has been staying at the Embassy of Ecuador in London since 2012, unable to leave for fear of being detained by the UK authorities.

WikiLeaks has revealed a number of classified documents, including the sensitive information allegedly related to the US diplomats and intelligence community.Water ministers of Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan met on Tuesday in capital Addis Ababa to discuss a report on a multi-billion dollar dam project on the Nile river.

ADDIS ABABA (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) ,:Water ministers of Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan met on Tuesday in capital Addis Ababa to discuss a report on a multi-billion Dollar dam project on the Nile river.

In May, leaders of the three countries agreed to conduct an independent study with a team of experts to dispel worries on water flow of the $4.8 billion hydro-electric dam.

Seleshi Bekele, Ethiopia's Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, and his Sudanese and Egyptian counterparts Kedir Gasmedin and Mohammed Abdulati gathered to come up with a filling strategy that would be acceptable within the board.

This is the first time the three countries came together to discuss a filling strategy of the largest dam under construction in the entire African continent to date.

Abdulati said that there were differences in the process followed by the experts' team to study the filling, but they could be resolved through dialogue.

Bekele, for his part, hailed the team for the study which began three months ago - the details of which has yet to be made public.Ethiopia launched the 6,450 MW project, officially known as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), in 2011.

It was scheduled to be completed within five years, but more than seven years down the line it is nowhere near completion.(@FahadShabbir)

YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2018) European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said Tuesday during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York that the European Union was ready to support reforms in the country.

"Good meeting #UNGA2018 w @armenia PM #Pashinyan. Assured him of continued #EU support to his country and its reforms. Key to move ahead w implementation of our new bilat Agreement #CEPA. Will also look how our aid portfolio can be even more targeted on most pressing reforms," Khan wrote on Twitter.

In November, the European Union and Armenia signed a new Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which set out a framework for the two sides to cooperate "for the benefit of the citizens of Armenia.

" The agreement covers political dialogue, economic and security spheres.

In early June, the European Commission announced that the CEPA came into effect on a preliminary basis. The deal has already been ratified by Armenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, and the process of ratification by other EU member sates is ongoing. The accord will come into effect after it is ratified by all member states and several other EU procedures are completed.

Pashinyan became Armenian Prime Minister in early May following nationwide protests against his predecessor Serzh Sargsyan. During the protests, as well as after taking his post, Pashinyan has promised a range of political and economic changes in the country.Workers and ordinary residents of Deir al-Asafir, a suburb of Damascus, liberated a few years ago, are returning to a life of peace and restoring the infrastructure that was destroyed by the war.

DAMASK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Workers and ordinary residents of Deir al-Asafir, a suburb of Damascus, liberated a few years ago, are returning to a life of peace and restoring the infrastructure that was destroyed by the war.

Deir el-Asafir was recovered from militants in May 2016, after which mine clearance was carried out.

There were 10 people in the brigade of sapper Omar Asas who were installing new utility poles with a crane.

"We should provide water and install power lines in Deir al-Asafir to ensure that there is light, warmth and comfort in each house, that there are water and sewerage so that people who return to their homes feel comfortable. There is a great deal of work; we will work at least two or three months in Deir al-Asafir," Asas told reporters.

According to Asas, more than 1,000 families have already returned to the city.

"When we finish laying down water lines and setting up the electricity supply. We still expect the return of 11,000 families," he added.

Along with the restoration of infrastructure, people were returning to the city, opening shops and repairing houses. A windows salesman, Muhammad Attuk, told Sputnik about how his business was gradually developing.

"We have been working here for a short time, but now four or five people are coming in daily. When the electricity comes up and people start to increasingly return, our windows will be in a great demand.

You see, the militants left nothing. Not a single window frame, everything was burned down," he said.

Business owner Mahmud was baking pies with meat and cheese.

"We opened about a month ago. There were very few buyers at first, but today about 100 people come to us daily," he said.

Hadi Hamid, a local resident, was repairing his destroyed house.

"Now, we are fixing the kitchen. We brought a stove but have not installed it yet  we have to renovate first. There was a fire, all the interior walls were destroyed, and then they were built again. Now we do not have electricity or water. I plan to finish the repairs in a month and move in here with my family," he said.

According to the Russian Center for Refugee Reception, Distribution and Settlement, since July 18, 242 educational and 100 medical institutions have been restored; five automobile bridges and 548 kilometers (340.5 miles) of roads have been repaired; 479 kilometers of power lines have been set up; and 87 water supply facilities, 92 bakeries, 94 power stations, 23 industrial plants have been put into operation.

Currently, work to restore and repair 133 schools, 109 pre-schools, 105 bakeries, 125 water pump stations, 114 power substations, 100 medical institutions, 1,419 houses and 79 religious buildings is underway in 207 communities in provinces of Aleppo, Damascus, Deir ez-Zor, Latakia, Hama and Homs.France is pushing for the Aquarius rescue ship to dock in Malta and unload the 58 migrants on board, a source in the presidential office said on Tuesday.

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :France is pushing for the Aquarius rescue ship to dock in Malta and unload the 58 migrants on board, a source in the presidential office said on Tuesday.

"We are clear on the fact that it shouldn't spend four to five days at sea going towards France ou Spain or anywhere," the source said on condition of anonymity. "It needs to dock soon and it is close to Malta at the moment."(@ChaudhryMAli88)

France welcomes the agreement between Russia and Turkey on the Syrian province of Idlib and would like the agreement to be supported by the United Nations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday.

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) France welcomes the agreement between Russia and Turkey on the Syrian province of Idlib and would like the agreement to be supported by the United Nations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Monday.

Earlier in September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a meeting in the Russian resort city of Sochi, where they signed an agreement aimed at setting up a demilitarized zone in the Syrian province of Idlib along the contact line of the armed opposition and the government forces by October 15.

"This is an opportunity which must be seized," Le Drian said at a press conference, commenting on the arrangements between Moscow and Ankara.

He also said that he would like to discuss Syria on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

France supports the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution backing the agreement, but on the condition that this agreement will be used in the broad context of the political process, Le Drian noted.

"Diplomacy must overcome the logic of war ... This week, at my initiative, a ministerial meeting of the 'Small Group' of countries will take place, Syria will be at the center of the discussion," the minister said.

He warned that the middle East is under threat of a "constant war" without a political process.

Le Drian also listed drafting a constitution, conducting elections involving all Syrian citizens, including refugees, and creation of a "neutral" political atmosphere among prerequisites for the peace process.

The Syrian civil war has been raging for over seven years, with government forces fighting numerous terror groups and opposition factions. Russia and Turkey along with Iran are guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire agreement.Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohamed Halbusi said that the country's next presidential election will be held on October 2, Kurdish media reported on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohamed Halbusi said that the country's next presidential election will be held on October 2, Kurdish media reported on Tuesday.

The election was originally scheduled for September 25, but was postponed over disagreements between the two leading Kurdish parties on the presidential candidates.

October 2 was chosen as the new date for the voting session, the Rudaw English news media outlet said.

The top competitors for the post, which is traditionally occupied by a Kurd, are reportedly Fuad Hussein from the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Barham Salih from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

Earlier this year, Iraq held its first parliamentary election since the defeat of the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia), with the Sairun Alliance, backed by prominent Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr, coming first with 54 seats in the 239-seat parliament. The Sairun Alliance is followed by the Conquest Alliance led by Hadi Amiri, with 48 seats, while Prime Minister Haider Abadi's Victory Alliance closes the top three list with 42 seats. The Kurdistan Democratic Party has 25 seats, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has 18 mandates in the new parliament.The opposition United Macedonia party hopes Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov will keep his promise not to attend the upcoming referendum on the bilateral deal with Greece on the country's renaming, party president Janko Bachev told Sputnik on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) The opposition United Macedonia party hopes Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov will keep his promise not to attend the upcoming referendum on the bilateral deal with Greece on the country's renaming, party president Janko Bachev told Sputnik on Tuesday.

Ivanov announced last week that he would boycott the referendum scheduled to take place on September 30, calling on his compatriots to do the same.

"The statement given by President Ivanov that he will not vote in the referendum on September 30 is the only right answer, and it is in line with the highest Macedonian national and state interests," Bachev said.

Bachev expressed hope that the Macedonian president would "withstand the pressure" and would not change his mind before the referendum.

"Now we are left with a hope that Ivanov will not repeat what he did in May 2017, when he gave the mandate to [Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran] Zaev to form the puppet government," Bachev stressed, adding that his party has been campaigning against the referendum for the last 20 days.

On June 17, the Greek and Macedonian foreign ministers signed an agreement on the Republic of Macedonia's renaming to the Republic of North Macedonia following a decades-long dispute.

In early August, a group of about 30 civic associations, political parties and NGOs, led by the United Macedonia, launched a campaign for boycotting the name deal referendum. The so-called crisis headquarters is now made up of more than 70 organizations, political parties and patriotic movements, according to Bachev.

Asked about the possibility of holding demonstrations ahead of the referendum, Bachev said there was no need for any larger protests "unless something dramatic happens in the next five days."

"But we are planning a big celebration on September 30 ... We are fighting for the survival of our nation. Our fight is a sacred responsibility and that's why Macedonia will win," Bachev pointed out.

As for the statement of Ivanov, it contributes to United Macedonia's "efforts for the referendum to fail," Bachev stressed.

Ivanov has been consistently opposing the deal, saying that it not only changes the name of the country but also creates a "new semi-sovereign state ... with a new internal and international legal identity."WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) US Secretary of Defense James Mattis is set to visit France and Belgium next week for NATO's defense ministerial meetings, the Pentagon said in a press release.

"The secretary announced he will travel to France and Belgium to take part in NATO's Defense Ministerial Meeting," the release said on Monday.

North Atlantic Council (NAC) meetings, the release added, at the level of defense minister will take place at the new NATO headquarters on October 3-4.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier this month the participants of the meeting will focus on increasing efforts on defense spending. The statement echoed President Donald Trump's position who has repeatedly complained that the United States spends way too much on the alliance compared to other members.Moldovan Parliament Speaker Andrian Kandu will on Tuesday sign, instead of country's President Igor Dodon, decrees on the appointment of two ministers, the parliament's press service said in a statement.

CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Moldovan Parliament Speaker Andrian Kandu will on Tuesday sign, instead of country's President Igor Dodon, decrees on the appointment of two ministers, the parliament's press service said in a statement.

On Monday, the Moldovan Constitutional Court ruled that the speaker of the parliament could appoint two members of the government instead of Dodon, thus temporarily suspending the latter on this issue.

"The appointed ministers will take an oath today. The decrees will be signed by the parliament's speaker, Andrian Kandu, who temporarily acts as the president of the country," the statement said.

The signing ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (13:00 GMT).

Silvia Radu and Nicolae Ciubuc were proposed by Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip as candidates for ministers of health and agriculture respectively.

The candidacies were not supported by Dodon, who believes that Radu lacked relevant education and work experience as well as suspecting Ciubuc of being corrupt.

During his presidency, Dodon has been temporarily suspended three times, with two of the suspensions occurring because he refused to approve candidates for ministerial posts proposed by the government. In both cases, the ministers were appointed by Candu.

Since his election as Moldova's president in late 2016, Dodon has had sharp differences with the parliament, which is controlled by opposing political forces.Moldovan President Igor Dodon said Tuesday that he would pay an official visit to Russia in late October or early November.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2018) Moldovan President Igor Dodon said Tuesday that he would pay an official visit to Russia in late October or early November.

"The date of the visit of the Moldovan president to Russia is currently being discussed, most likely, it will be held in late October or early November, and another meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place on the sidelines of the CIS summit in Dushanbe," Dodon said.

According to the president, he has repeatedly discussed with Putin the possibility of the Russian leader's visit to Moldova.

"This can happen only after the parliamentary elections, because there should be political stability in the country. I hope that this visit will take place in 2019, or in 2020, at the latest. Before that, several meetings will be held, the bilateral ones and within the framework of various events," Dodon added.

Dodon said that he sent a request to Russia to abolish tariffs on imports of several categories of food products from Moldova, and expects the tariffs to be removed in the coming months.

"I will persuade our Russian partners to remove duties on several categories of goods - these are our fruit and vegetables, apples, our canned food and our wine. These are the main goods that we deliver to Russia, they are subject to duties that reduce the competitiveness of our goods," Dodon explained.

Dodon took office as president of Moldova on December 23, 2016. In his election program, he pledged to restore the strategic partnership with Russia, return Moldovan products to the Russian market and normalize cooperation in the energy sector. He repeatedly stated that "it is vital for Moldova to restore relations with Russia."(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Foreign ministers of Pakistan and Kuwait have expressed satisfaction over the growth of friendly relations between the two countries, and vowed to further strengthen their cooperation.

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :Foreign ministers of Pakistan and Kuwait have expressed satisfaction over the growth of friendly relations between the two countries, and vowed to further strengthen their cooperation.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah, who met on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, noted that the Kuwait-Pakistan ties were "exemplary", according to an official statement.

The Kuwaiti foreign minister stressed that existing structured cooperation mechanisms in the political and the economic domains have provided a firm institutional basis to maintain a positive trajectory in their relations. Expressing the desire to further deepen and broaden this relationship, he noted that there was immense untapped potential especially in the energy sector.

On his part, Foreign Minister Qureshi said that Pakistan placed high priority to its fraternal relations with Kuwait. This was a relationship marked by close convergence of views on issues on mutual concern, including a shared vision for regional peace and stability.

The Pakistani foreign minister emphasized the need to further enhance trade and investments in various sectors including agriculture, agro-industries, fisheries and oil exploration in Pakistan. He added that easing visa regimes will contribute to this end.

Qureshi accepted an invitation from Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah, to visit Kuwait at the earliest, according to the statement. The foreign ministers expressed the confidence that such high level visits will provide further impetus to the exemplary relations between the two countries, it said.(@FahadShabbir)

Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev will meet with his counterparts from Afghanistan, China, India, and Iran in Tehran on Wednesday to discuss security issues in Afghanistan and the region, a source in the Iranian Supreme National Security Council told Sputnik on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev will meet with his counterparts from Afghanistan, China, India, and Iran in Tehran on Wednesday to discuss security issues in Afghanistan and the region, a source in the Iranian Supreme National Security Council told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"The participating countries are Iran, Russia, India, China and Afghanistan at the invitation of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council," the source said.

Iran will be represented by the Security Council's secretary, Ali Shamkhani, while Afghanistan - by National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib, the source specified.

At the meeting, the security chiefs will discuss terrorism and radicalism in Afghanistan and neighboring states, hold bilateral negotiations and provide recommendations on coordinating mutual anti-terrorism efforts, the source added.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Security Council's press service confirmed Patrushev's participation in the multilateral consultations on Afghanistan.There are no more flight restrictions in the Berlin Schoenefeld airport after a man wearing suspicious looking vest has been detained, Brandenburg police said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) There are no more flight restrictions in the Berlin Schoenefeld airport after a man wearing suspicious looking vest has been detained, Brandenburg police said Tuesday.

"Currently there are no restrictions on flight operations.

#Flughafen #Schonefeld," police tweeted.

Earlier in the day, police said that a man wearing a vest with cables and wires sticking out has been detained. Following the detention, police have cordoned off a parking lot looking for explosives.

Police noted that the detained has not been identified yet.(@rukhshanmir)

Pope Francis said on Monday during his visit to Riga that Latvia was one of the main political and cultural centers in the Baltics.

RIGA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2018) Pope Francis said on Monday during his visit to Riga that Latvia was one of the main political and cultural centers in the Baltics.

The pontiff's visit to the Baltic region started on Saturday and will continue until Tuesday.

"I am happy to be here for the first time, both in Latvia and in this city, that, like the entire country, has known difficult social, political, economic and spiritual struggles, the fruit of past divisions and conflicts, yet today has become one of the principal cultural, political and shipping centres of the region," the pope said at his meeting with Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis, as cited by the press release.

The pope has already visited Lithuania earlier in his journey to meet with the Lithuanian authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps.Revision of the treaty on the status of the Sea of Azov by Kiev will have certain consequences for Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second CIS Department Director Andrey Rudenko said on Tuesday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Revision of the treaty on the status of the Sea of Azov by Kiev will have certain consequences for Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second CIS Department Director Andrey Rudenko said on Tuesday.

Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that Kiev was planning to terminate the bilateral treaty on the status of the Sea of Azov, but provided no specific timeline.

"Any treaty contains clauses that allow one of the contracting parties to withdraw from this treaty, so if they make such a decision, it is their business. But this, naturally, will entail certain consequences for Ukraine and Russia," Rudenko told reporters.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday thanked the European Union, Russia and China for remaining in the international nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday thanked the European Union, Russia and China for remaining in the international nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"We appreciate the efforts of the international community, the European Union, Russia and China in supporting the implementation of the JCPOA," Rouhani said during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

Rouhani said the United States pressures other countries to violate the nuclear accord and threatens all countries and international organizations if they comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA.

In May, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to leave the JCPOA 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.

The first set of US sanctions, concerning Iran's purchase of Dollars, trade in gold and precious metals, as well as sales of commercial passenger aircraft and auto parts and related services, came into effect on August 7.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Russia's decision to supply Syria with S-300 missile defense systems will keep President Bashar Assad's government in a position to threaten the region, US Defense Secretary James Mattis told reporters.

"Any additional weapons going in to support Assad... keeps him in a position of threat to the region," Mattis said when asked about the S-300s on Monday, as quoted by breaking Defense news.

Earlier in the day, the State Department told Sputnik that the action by Russia will only increase the risk of escalation and make it more dangerous for US-led coalition forces to operate in Syria.

The Kremlin announced it would send the anti-missile system to Syria after the Russian Il-20 military plane was accidentally shot down on September 17 while returning to the Hmeimim airbase some 22 miles off the Syrian coast.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Israeli F-16 jets flying in the vicinity used the Russian aircraft as a shield against Syrian air defenses. The incident claimed the lives of 15 Russian servicemen.Moscow, Sept 24 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2018 ) :Moscow on Monday summoned Norway's ambassador over the arrest in Oslo of a Russian national on suspicion of spying, and urged that country's government to release him.

Norway's PST intelligence service announced Sunday it had arrested a 51-year-old Russian suspected of "illegal intelligence activity".

The Russian foreign ministry said it had requested the Norwegian ambassador to provide an explanation over the "absurd charges".

The foreign ministry identified the detained citizen as M.A. Bochkaryov and said he worked as an aide at the Russian parliament's upper house.

Moscow accused Norway of "spy mania" and promised to retaliate.

"No doubt such steps will not remain without consequences," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The Russian rejected the spy claim and said it was all a "misunderstanding", his lawyer told AFP earlier Monday.

At the weekend, the man was ordered held in custody for two weeks.

"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 more than 30 countries to discuss digitalisation at the Storting, the Norwegian legislature.

The investigation is in "a preliminary phase", with suspicions based on "observations and his behaviour," PST spokesman Martin Bernsen told AFP.

In April, a Norwegian was arrested in Russia on suspicion 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.

Norwegian intelligence officials regularly accuse Russia of cyber attacks and espionage, but arrests are extremely rare.Russian delegation is expected to participate in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels, slated for October 18-19, Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told Sputnik.

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Russian delegation is expected to participate in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels, slated for October 18-19, Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told Sputnik.

"The main event of autumn is the ASEM forum, 51 delegations, the majority of them will be represented at the level of heads of state and government. These events are organized this year by the European Union. A large final document is being prepared for the summit. We also expect our delegation there, Russia is a full party to this dialogue," Chizhov said.(@FahadShabbir)

TEHRAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2018) Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to discuss security issues in Afghanistan and the region with his counterparts from Afghanistan, China, India, and Iran the next day.

At the one-day meeting called Regional Security Dialogue, the security chiefs will discuss terrorism and radicalism in Afghanistan and neighboring states, hold bilateral negotiations and provide recommendations on coordinating mutual anti-terrorism efforts.

According to a source in the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Iran will be represented by the Security Council's secretary, Ali Shamkhani, Afghanistan's representative is National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib.(@rukhshanmir)

It is not yet clear what the chances will be for the European Union to place sanctions on Hungary, but there are enough "safety nets" to prevent this from happening, Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told Sputnik on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) It is not yet clear what the chances will be for the European Union to place sanctions on Hungary, but there are enough "safety nets" to prevent this from happening, Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov told Sputnik on Tuesday.

Earlier in September, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for Article 7 of the EU treaty to be invoked in order to suspend Hungary's voting rights in the EU institutions over the country's alleged violation of the bloc's fundamental principles.

According to Chizhov, there are enough safeguards to prevent the bloc from triggering the article, and the EU members would have to reach a consensus on the issue.

"However, given the fact that similar claims have been made against Poland, it is not hard to suppose that the Poles and Hungarians will somehow manage to do something to mutually veto the most odious claims. We will see," the Russian diplomat said.

Hungary's voting rights could be suspended if the qualified majority of the Council of the EU votes in favor of triggering the article. Before this happens, however, all EU members have to first unanimously "determine the existence of a serious and persistent breach" by one of the member states.Sanctions are becoming less popular as a policy tool to deal with certain issues in the European Union, Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told Sputnik.

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) Sanctions are becoming less popular as a policy tool to deal with certain issues in the European Union, Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told Sputnik.

"I think that now they [sanctions] are becoming less popular as a method to deal with certain issues here in the European Union," Chizhov said.

The diplomat suggested that potential changes in the European Union's policy toward Russia depended to a certain extent on political will.

"I believe that the necessary political will should form gradually.

When it happens, one could expect the shift in the EU policy toward Russia," Chizhov stressed.

Relations between Moscow and the West deteriorated in 2014 after Crimea's reunification with Russia and amid the crisis in eastern Ukraine. The European Union and the United States imposed restrictive measures against Russian individuals, companies and economic sectors. Moscow has responded by imposing restrictions on food imports from the countries that supported the sanctions.Russian Foreign Minister Serey Lavrov on Tuesday talked about bilateral ties with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, raising the decades-old conflict over the island's partition, at a meeting in New York.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th September, 2018) Russian Foreign Minister Serey Lavrov on Tuesday talked about bilateral ties with Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades, raising the decades-old conflict over the island's partition, at a meeting in New York.

"During their talks, they looked at the current Russian-Cypriot relationship and outlook for its development in various spheres ... including at the UN," the Russian ministry said in a statement.

They also shared their take on pressing global and regional issues, including the 44-year row between Greek Cypriots and Turks over control of the Eastern Mediterranean island.

"The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry reaffirmed support for efforts to reunite the island and commitment to a comprehensive, lasting and fair solution," the statement continued.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops occupied its northern part and proclaimed the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus nearly a decade later. Only Turkey recognizes the republic. On-and-off peace talks mediated by the UN have not yielded any tangible result.A Croatian seaman and other members of the Swiss cargo ship crew, who had been kidnapped by pirates in Nigerian waters are well, the Croatian Seafarers' Union said on Tuesday, citing family members and the Swiss company Massoel Shipping which is working on securing the hostages' release.

ZAGREB, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :A Croatian seaman and other members of the Swiss cargo ship crew, who had been kidnapped by pirates in Nigerian waters are well, the Croatian Seafarers' Union said on Tuesday, citing family members and the Swiss company Massoel Shipping which is working on securing the hostages' release.

Nigerian pirates kidnapped 12 of the 19 crew members of the Swiss cargo ship MV Glarus on Saturday while it was carrying wheat from Lagos to Port Harcourt.

The pirates boarded the vessel using long ladders and cut the razor wire on deck, destroying much of the communications equipment.

Seven of the hostages are from the Philippines, with one national each from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia and Ukraine.

The trade union said on Monday evening they were in touch with their Swiss colleagues and that the Swiss company was trying to resolve the situation "quietly", as per the usual practice in such situations.(@rukhshanmir)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) The State Department has confirmed that a US foreign service officer was found dead in Madagascar and the United States is cooperating with local police on a probe, department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press release.

"We are deeply saddened to confirm that a US Foreign Service Officer was found dead in their residence in the overnight hours of Friday, September 21," Nauert said on Monday. "Diplomatic Security is collaborating with local... authorities on a joint investigation."

The cause of death and the name of the diplomat have not yet been released by the State Department, Nauert added.

Out of respect for the family of the deceased as well as the ongoing investigative process, the State Department did not have any additional comments at this time, she said.The Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) signed a cooperation protocol with Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (AMEA) in capital Baku on Tuesday to combine efforts in the fields of defense and aviation.

BAKU, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) :The Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) signed a cooperation protocol with Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (AMEA) in capital Baku on Tuesday to combine efforts in the fields of defense and aviation.

The protocol aims to establish a mutual sustainable cooperation in the defense and aviation area through the academic programs of AMEA, to accelerate the research and development activities by sharing the knowledge, as well as boosting the mutual exchange of ideas.

"The cooperation is not limited to an academic framework, but covers a wide range of science and technology ecosystem," Mustafa Akkurt, the TAI's Human Resources Vice President, told Anadolu Agency.

Akkurt said the TAI desired to adopt the Azerbaijan's knowledge, especially in fundamental sciences, which will contribute to the development of the aerospace industry, and to share its design, production, quality and certification capabilities with Azerbaijani academy.

He also added that the protocol with AMEA pawed the way for the cooperation with various universities in Azerbaijan.

The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the the 3rd Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition (ADEX) between Sept. 25-27, a three-day event to showcase the force and power of Azerbaijan's military and industrial complex, as well as modern weaponry and equipment.

The TAI exhibited product models for the aerospace industry in the ADEX, such as TF-X aircraft, HURKUS basic trainer, ANKA-S medium altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, T625 multi role helicopter, as well as the GOKTURK-1 and Turksat 6A satellites.

The Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation -- today known as Turkish Aerospace Industries -- was established in 1973 under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology in order to reduce the foreign dependency in defense industry of Turkey.(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Turkey's Maarif Foundation has officially begun its activities in Ethiopia, a foundation official said on Tuesday.

ADDIS ABABA (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Sep, 2018 ) ,:Turkey's Maarif Foundation has officially begun its activities in Ethiopia, a foundation official said on Tuesday.

Director of Maarif Foundation in Ethiopia Levent Sahen told Anadolu Agency that he has already been in contact with the relevant Ethiopian authorities to take over a number of schools linked to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Turkey established the Maarif Foundation (TMF) in 2016 after a coup attempt to take over the administration of overseas schools linked with the FETO. It also establishes schools and education centers abroad.

"According to our MoU signed with the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, we have a right to run schools here in Ethiopia and we have started our projects that will become operational in the near future in Addis Ababa, Harar and Mekele cities," Sahen said.

"Our second issue is [] we are trying to give the right information about the illegal ways that FETO had been using to operate here over the past years.

Our aim is to inform the Ethiopian people about the illegal steps that had been taken here," he said.

Sahen was referring to the schools FETO had been running in Ethiopia for years and which have now been "transferred illegally to Turkish individuals bearing Germany passports." According to him, the Ethiopian government had earlier promised that it would transfer the schools to Maarif Foundation, but the schools were transferred to other entities through shady deals.

He hoped that the Ethiopian government would revisit the transfer process and hand over the control of schools to the rightful owner, which is the government of Turkey.

Maarif Foundation in June this year received $75 million from the Turkish Ministry of Education for its international operations.(@FahadShabbir)

The United States looks forward to having a positive relationship with Iran and setting up a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, but it will not happen until Tehran changes its behavior, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) The United States looks forward to having a positive relationship with Iran and setting up a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, but it will not happen until Tehran changes its behavior, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.

"Iran has to change its tune before I meet with them. They want to meet. It will happen. We look forward to having a great relationship with Iran but it won't happen now," Trump told reporters at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.The United States will allocated over $48 million in additional humanitarian aid to Venezuela, Vice President Mike Pence announced on Tuesday, according to a State Department press release.

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) The United States will allocated over $48 million in additional humanitarian aid to Venezuela, Vice President Mike Pence announced on Tuesday, according to a State Department press release.

"Pence announced today at the 73rd regular session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, NY, more than $48 million in additional humanitarian US assistance for Venezuelans affected by the man-made crisis in Venezuela," the release said.The United States, in its work with biological materials in Georgia, used its partners in Georgia as guinea pigs, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control (DNAC) Vladimir Ermakov said at a press conference in the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2018) The United States, in its work with biological materials in Georgia, used its partners in Georgia as guinea pigs, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control (DNAC) Vladimir Ermakov said at a press conference in the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency.

"We immediately began to tell our American colleagues when we still had acceptable, mutually respectful relations ... that we will not allow your military biologists to do something vague on the Russian borders," Ermakov said.

"What is happening in Georgia, according to our assessment, is the work of the US military department on Georgian territory with biological material, the use of our neighbor, our Georgian colleagues, partners, as guinea pigs," he said.Paris, France (UroToday.com) Ureteroscopic and percutaneous stone surgeries are increasing worldwide, but no two patients are alike and some patients renal anatomies could differ drastically. Currently, there is no universal nomenclature for the classification of kidney anatomy with regard to the pelvicalyceal system. Due to this, the ability to describe detailed ureteroscopic findings and share common information about the position of a stone or the appropriate puncture site for a percutaneous approach is greatly reduced. Therefore, Dr. Ryoji Takazawa and his team of clinical urologists at the Tokyo Metropolitan Ohtsuka Hospital in Tokyo decided to take matters into their own hands and develop a universal classification system that can be used worldwide.The researchers attempted to complete this task by prospectively analyzing data of 270 patients (540 kidneys) who underwent CT-urography at their center. Using this data, 3D images of the renal pelvis were created and examined for their morphological characteristics. Due to severe hydronephrosis or large renal cysts, 48 kidneys were excluded from the study, which resulted in a total of 492 kidneys that were used for proper analysis.Through careful analysis of each kidney, it was determined that the majority of kidneys had a total number of 8 renal calyces (51%), while 30% had 7 calyces. As such, the researchers based their model on a kidney with 8 calyces and developed a naming system which can be found in Figure 1. The main aspect of this study, however, was the classification of the renal pelvis. As described by Dr. Takazawa, a Type I pelvis is one that forms a true pelvis that is not bifurcated, usually with a middle calyx existing in front of the axis of the renal pelvis. The Type I kidneys could be further specified due to the width of the pelvis: Type 1a is standard, Type Ib has a wide pelvis, and Type Ic has a narrow pelvis. In the study, 58% of patients were Type I, of which, 43% were Type Ia, 4% Type Ib, and 11% Type Ic. Type II describes a pelvis that is divided and bifurcated into the upper and lower branch which is always between the upper and middle calices. Of the patients collected in the study, 42% of patients were Type II. Graphics depicting the differences between Type I and Type II can be found in Figure 1.At the end of his presentation Dr. Takazawa explained the importance of the classification and described one practical difference between Type I and Type II patients. During percutaneous nephrolithotomy for the treatment of staghorn stones, a Type I patient would be able to have one access tract, but the complicated anatomy of a Type II patient would require two access tracts due to the difficulty getting access to the stone (Figure 2). In his closing remarks, Dr. Takazawa told his audience that this system enables endourologists to share common intrarenal information, thus leading to the development of concrete treatment strategies.Figure 1: Graphic depicting the differences between the Tokyo Metropolitan Ohtsuka Hospital anatomical classification of the pelvicalyceal system. Nomenclature: T = top; U = upper; M = middle; L = lower, B = bottom; A = anterior; P = posteriorFigure 2: Graphic describing the necessity of two percutaneous access tracts for Type II kidneys.Presented by: Ryoji Takazawa, MDAuthors: Ryoji Takazawa, Sachi Kitayama, Yusuke Uchida, Satoshi Yoshida, Yusuke Kohno, Toshihko TsujiiAffiliation: Department of Urology and Kidney Stone Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Ohtsuka Hospital, Tokyo, JapanWritten 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The Primate of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church speaks of his hopes for the legacy of Pope Francis' apostolic visit to his nation.

By Linda Bordoni

The Most Reverend Urmas Viilma is the Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, the largest Christian denomination in a country where Catholics comprise less than 1% of the population.

His signature, together with that of the Apostolic Adminstrator Philippe Jourdan, was on the invitation to Pope Francis to visit Estonia.



And given that the Catholic cathedral is too small to welcome the Pope, and given the crowd of young people who attended the event, the Charles Lutheran Church in Tallinn was chosen to host it.

In an interview with Devin Watkins, Archbishop Viilma speaks of his hopes for the legacy this journey will leave.



Listen to Archbishop Urmas Viilma

Archbishop Viilma explains that Estonian society is very distant from the Church and from Church-related themes. But he says that the fact that Church-related themes have been dominating media headlines in preparation for the Popes arrival, has awakened the curiosity and interest of many Estonians to spiritual and religious matters.

I hope that many people will start asking themselves questions about God and their personal faith he said.

Tiny Catholic community

He speaks of the need for vibrant collaboration and cooperation between the faith communities in the nation.



The Popes visit itself is a message to the Estonian people because it is very exceptional that the great leader of the Catholic Church is visiting a country where there are only 6,000 Catholics left; it means he is focusing on marginalized people because from a Christian point of view Estonia is marginalized.



He says most Estonians have Christian roots but there has been an interruption in that legacy and today an overwhelming majority does not feel in any way connected to the Church.

Ecumenical relations

Archbishop Viilma explains that there is no bilateral cooperation between the Lutherans and the Catholics, but a multi-lateral cooperation with all Christian Churches who belonged to the Estonian Council of Churches, founded in 1989, when we were still part of the Soviet Union.

He says the members engage in many activities together, including ecumenical services and prayer readings.

Scars left by the Soviet regime

He explains that one of the scars left by the Soviet regime is that religious education has completely vanished from academic curricula, and this has resulted in an agnostic population that does not identify itself as Christian or religious in any way.



He says Estonia is possibly the only country in the European Union where there are no religious studies in the schools, and 20 years from independence we have a second generation of Estonians who do not have even a basic knowledge of Christianity or of other religions.

He points out that many continue to observe Christian traditions and festivities such as Christmas and Easter, but if somebody asks them whether they are Catholic, Lutheran or Orthodox, they dont know because nobody helped them to identify themselves.

It is a country where the young generation is very well equipped in science and in other academic subjects, but not in Church or religion related themes, he says.

When we have catechesis groups or confirmation classes, Viilma explains, the average age of the people is about 30, and we start with Bible lessons because they dont know anything about the Bible or Church.

That, he concludes, is perhaps the biggest scar left by the regime, because people are not related to the Church and do not know how to relate to it.

But the funny thing is that only 10% of the population describes itself as atheist while 70% is agnostic so they believe in something although they dont know how to define it; the good thing is that they are open and positively neutral towards the Church and this helps to engage in dialogue.The last day of Pope Francis' Apostolic Visit to the Baltic Nations is being spent in the Estonian capital Tallinn.

Pope Francis departed from Vilnius this morning traveling to Estonia and its capital Talinn on the final leg of his Apostolic Journey to the Baltic nations.

The Pope returned to Lituania yesterday evening after spending the day in Latvia, which included a meeting with authorities and the celebration of Holy Mass in Aglona.

During his day long visit to Estonia Tuesday, the Pontiff will celebrate Mass, take part in an ecumenical youth meeting and meet with those who are assisted by the charitable works of the Church.



Pope Francis on Tuesday concluded his September 22 to 25 pastoral visit to the Baltic nations celebrating an evening Mass in Freedom Square in the Estonian capital Tallin.

By Robin Gomes

Recalling how God established His covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai after bringing them out of slavery from Egypt, Pope Francis, in his homily, urged Estonians not to give into new forms of slavery after emerging from decades-long repression under foreign domination.

He told them it is God who loved us first and who wants our free response. God fulfils mans aspirations and without Him we aren't pilgrims but orphans and drifters with no home to return to.

Listen to our report

Listening and seeking

Like the Israelites who came out of Egypt, the Pope said, we too have to listen and seek.

People think they can show their strength by speaking loud or threatening to use weapons, deploy troops and implementi strategies to prevail over others. The Pope said, this is not seeking Gods will but rejecting ethics and God.

Ethics leads to God who calls for free and committed response to others and to the world. The Pope told Estonian Catholics they did not gain their freedom in order to end up as slaves of consumerism, individualism or the thirst for power or domination.

Chosen people

The Pope recalled that in the desert, His chosen people were tempted seek other Gods, such as the golden calf and trusting in their own strength, but God always called them to Himself. The Pope reminded Estonian Catholics they are chosen by God to be a priestly and holy people.

Being chosen does not mean being exclusive or sectarian, hiding or withdrawing, thinking ourselves better or purer. Rather, the Pope said, God wants us to be like yeast, to leave our comfort zones and go forth and fly boldly, assured we are always protected by Him. Pope Francis said, We have to leave our fears behind and go forth from our safe places, because today most Estonians do not identify themselves as believers.

Priestly people

Estonian Catholics need to go out as priests, to help others establish a loving encounter and relationship with God who cries out: Come to me! They need to spend time and be close to others, accompanying them with compassion that heals, frees and encourages growth in the Christian life.

Holy people

Pope Francis said Estonian Catholics are all called to be holy by living their lives with love and by bearing witness in everything they do. Holiness is lived day-to-day and expands, overflows and makes fruitful all that it touches. Today, the Pope said, we choose to be saints by shoring up the outskirts and fringes of our society, wherever our brothers and sisters lie prostrate and experience rejection.

The Pope concluded urging that Estonian Catholics be able to discern how to be free, to embrace goodness and feel chosen, and how to let God increase, here in Estonia and in the whole world, his holy nation, his priestly people.As Pope Francis makes his one-day Apostolic Journey to Estonia on Tuesday, the countrys tiny Catholic community is recalling its history as Land of Mary and the visit of Pope St. John Paul II, 25 years ago.

By Devin Watkins  Tallinn, Estonia

Tears filled her eyes as she told the story.

The Vicar General of the Bridgettine Sisters recalled the many sacrifices and struggles her sisters had to endure to return to Estonia. Their convent near Tallinn, in Pirita, was founded before the Reformation in 1406. The nuns endured that tumultuous period and went on to thrive until the Soviet occupation in 1940. Then they were forced to close.

The Bridgettines returned some 23 years ago, after Pope St. John Paul II visited after the fall of communism. Now they host his successor, Pope Francis, for lunch on Tuesday, as he takes a moment from his busy schedule to rest in this place of peace.

Archbishop Edward Profittlich

On the wall where the Pope takes his lunch is a picture of a man whose story encapsulates the struggle of Catholics in Estonia: Servant of God Edward Profittlich.

He was the first bishop of Estonia, and was carted off by the Soviets to die in a forced-labor camp in Siberia. His cause of canonization will soon reach Rome.

His name is etched alongside more than 130,000 others at a state memorial to the many people who died during the Soviet occupation.

A memorial plaque also adorns the entrance to the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, where Pope Francis meets with the local people helped by the Churchs works of mercy. Edward Profittlich is a witness to the strength of faith in times of tribulation.

25 years of change

Pope St. John Paul II came here 25 years ago, not long after the fall of the Soviet Union. His visit helped the tiny Catholic community rebuild and rediscover its roots.

Now, with some 70% of the population claiming to be non-religious, this technologically and democratically advanced nation is looking for substance and something more to live for besides just another Euro in the pocket. Thus the motto for Pope Francis visit: Wake Up, My Heart.

Marian Lands

Long ago, Pope Innocent III proclaimed the Baltics, Terra Mariana, or the Land of Mary. Even the Lutheran Cathedral is dedicated to Mary, and has a picture of her on display, something unheard of elsewhere.

Now, Pope Francis is travelling through these Marian Lands, reminding people of their heritage.

Maybe his quick visit can awaken something in the hearts of Estonians. As the tearful Bridgettine sister said: Remember the past, be rooted, and hope in the future.Pope Francis meets with young people in an ecumenical gathering in the Lutheran Charles Church in Tallinn, Estonia on Tuesday, saying, Love is not deadit calls us and sends us forth.

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

During his Apostolic Visit to Estonia on Tuesday, Pope Francis met with young people in an ecumenical gathering in the Lutheran Charles Church. He drew inspiration for his remarks from a painting in the apse of the Church bearing the verse from Matthew, Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Mt 11:28).

Young people can identify with Jesus

Pope Francis began his remarks by thanking three of the young people, Lisbel, Tauri and Mirko, who gave their testimonies. He then told the young people gathered that they could identify with some of the things going on in the section of the Gospel depicted in the painting. At this point, Jesus feels misunderstood and Matthew notes that Jesus is saddened by this (cf 11:20-24).

Frequently you too, as young people, can feel that the adults around you do not appreciate your hopes and desires; sometimes, when they see you very happy, they get suspicious; and if they see you anxious about something, they downplay it, the Pope said.



Companions along the way

The Pope then referred to the pre-Synodal process in which many young people expressed the desire to have a companion along the way. He acknowledged that the institutional structures of the Christian churches

at times bring attitudes that make it easier for [adults] to talk, give advice, speak from our own experience, rather than listen, be challenged and learn from what you are experiencing.

Listen to our report

Adults need conversion

Pope Francis quite openly admitted that adults need to be converted. It is because adults are often unwilling to change certain situations that young people consider them irrelevant. In fact, he said,

some of them expressly ask us to leave them alone, because they feel the Churchs presence as bothersome or even irritating. They are upset by sexual and economic scandals that do not meet with clear condemnation, by our unpreparedness to really appreciate the lives and sensibilities of the young.



Pope praises young people

Jesus praised the Father because he was understood by the little ones, Pope Francis said.

Seeing all of you like this, gathered as one and singing together, I add my own voice to that of Jesus and I marvel that, for all our lack of witness, you continue to discover Jesus in our communities, Pope Francis said to the young people gathered.



Loves not dead

The Pope concluded referring to the words of a popular Estonian song, Love is Dead. This seems to be true when many young people see parents no longer loving each other, and feel that no one cares for them. Our common faith in Jesus, the Pope said, shows us that Jesus dwells and will be found on the fringes of society. Therefore,

Love is not dead. It calls us and sends us forth. Let us ask for the apostolic strength to bring the Gospel to others and to resist the tendency to see our Christian life as if it were a museum of memories.Mexican Authorities announce that a clandestine mass grave containing 174 victims of organized crime found in the South Eastern State of Vera Cruz, includes the remains of babies and children. James Blears reports about another grim twist, in the Country`s twelve years Drug War.

By James Blears

Tiny Pink sandals, a t shirt with the image of Tinkerbell, a child`s jumper depicting Pokemon, trousers which would only fit a toddler, all carefully removed from small bodies alongside adults. Mexico`s National Commission for Missing Persons is posting these heartbreaking photo on line in the hope that this and DNA matches might bring some closure to families of those who`ve vanished.

More than 30,000 Mexican people have been officially reported missing in Mexico`s ongoing Drug War. That`s not counting tens of thousands of Central American Migrants who were crossing Mexico, but never made it to the US Border. Victims of cartels who demand kidnap ransoms of those caught join their ranks. The alternative is death and an unmarked grave.

West Coast High 2019 brings hip-hop heavyweight Cypress Hill and rap rockers Hollywood Undead to House of Blues Las Vegas, on Sunday, March 24, 2019 (Pictured: Cypress Hill).

In 1988, B-Real, Sen Dog, and DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill certainly didnt look like any other hip-hop collective, or sound like anything on the radio. Instead, they rolled up intense rhymes, hard rock attitude, psychedelic production, and Latin swagger into a one-of-a-kind strain on the legendary double-platinum Cypress Hill in 1991. In 2000, they merged heavy metal and hip-hop like no other on the platinum Skull & Bones with iconic assists from the likes of Eminem, Deftones, and more.

Along the way, they sold over 20 million albums, packed venues around the globe, and made history as the first Latino American hip-hop recording group to go platinum. Muggs commenced collating possible ideas for a new record as early as 2013. After dreaming of an out-of-body experience as a man with an elephant head, the vision percolated for the producer. At the same time, he crafted beats around the world, recording in Egypt between spending time alone in King Solomons Tomb, making beats in Jordan after floating in the Dead Sea, and experiencing Joshua Tree. Bringing these ideas back home, B-Real and Sen Dog added their respective truths via one hard-hitting verse after another on tracks like the single Crazy, Band of Gypsies, Stairway to Heaven, and more. Longtime percussionist Eric Bobo Correa contributes drums to Locos and remains a key force in the touring lineup. The legendary Mix Master Mike will also join the group on tourboth he and Bobo notably logged separate stints with Beastie Boys and now will be with Cypress Hill.

Hollywood Undead  The number five holds a deep significance. We have five senses. Five points adorn a star. Five represents man in theology. For the five members of Hollywood UndeadJohnny 3 Tears, J-Dog, Charlie Scene, Funny Man, and Dannythe digit perfectly encapsulates their fifth full-length offeringFIVE (2017, Dove & Grenade Media/BMG). Were five brothers, and this is our fifth record, affirms Johnny 3 Tears. Nothing gets to the essence of the music like this number does. Numerology has a lot of power. When we said Five, it just made sense. The fact that we could all agree on one word codifies who we are. It also nods back to No. 5 from our first album, because it was our fifth song. Moreover, it hints at this secret society of fans supporting us for the past decade. The number is significant, and this is a significant moment for us.

Known for atomic live performances, and with a bona fide cult audience comprised of millions, the quintet toured alongside the likes of Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, and Stone Sour in addition to notching features from Billboard, Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Revolver, and more. 2016 saw Hollywood Undead unfurl the next chapter of this saga. For the first time, the band found itself free from the major label system. They launched their very own imprint Dove & Grenade Media and forged a strategic alliance with BMG. That independence became a cornerstone of the creative process behind Five.Hinrichs said there was no business case for exporting autos to China with tariffs now reaching 40 per cent. (Photo: AFP/Bill Pugliano)

Joseph Hinrichs, Ford's executive vice president for global operations, said he did not see any easy resolution to the trade dispute between the United States and China.

President Donald Trump on Monday imposed tariffs on an additional US$200 billion in Chinese goods, prompting swift retaliation from Beijing on US$60 billion in US products.

"I believe this US-China discussion will go on for a while," Hinrichs said.

With tariffs on vehicles exported to China now reaching 40 per cent, there is no business case for exporting vehicles from the United States, he said.

"China is a very important market for us," he said. "You're talking about two very powerful economies so we're going to have to plan accordingly."

Hinrichs also said he hoped a breakthrough on a revised North American Free Trade Agreement could be achieved this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to keep Canada in the continental trade pact.

"We need a three-way auto agreement," Hinrichs said, noting that the deal struck last month between the United States and Mexico could serve as a basis for a more complete agreement that includes Canada.

"I'm worried a little bit that time will catch up with us," he said at a luncheon, noting that he has spent more time in Washington DC working on trade issues than ever before.

US and Canadian negotiators have spent more than a month trying to resolve remaining differences after Washington sealed a tentative deal with Mexico City which they intend to sign by Dec 1, when a new government takes office.

The auto industry is key to NAFTA and the free trade deal is critical to the North American supply chain. Hinrichs said that while "the language of US-Mexico trade agreement should work for Canada" in the auto sector, the remaining sticking points center on other topics like lumber, dairy and cultural issues.United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres (R) greets Faustin Archange Touadera, President, Central African Republic at the United Nations in New York on Sep 23, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Don Emmert)

"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.Smart city development shapes up to be one of the most ambitious plans for the capital city, Photo: Le Toan

Nguyen Duc Chung, Chairman of the Hanoi Peoples Committee, said that the capital is poised to become a smart city based on key technologies of Industry 4.0. To this end, besides state funding, the city will have to raise resources from the business community.

We will reclassify public services towards opening more opportunities for private investors to join in those services they are capable of offering, thus mobilising financial sources to feed the plan, he said at last weeks Asia-Oceania Computing Industry Organisation (ASOCIO) Smart City Summit 2018 in Hanoi.

In addition, we plan to maximally outsource services related to software as well as infrastructure of technology businesses, from data centres and security services to channel and other services to raise resources and talents to serve our smart city development plan, he added.

The chairman elaborated that in order to realise the plan, Hanoi will soon submit to the government its master plan on smart city development and investing in technology infrastructure, and developing applications by 2020.

Accordingly, investment is expected to focus on transport infrastructure, security, healthcare, education, energy, housing development, and combating pollution, which are the sectors in which Hanoi is facing high pressure due to its rapid population growth and fast urbanisation.

The moves announced at the event attracting hundreds of representatives from 10 ASOCIO member countries, international experts, and hundreds of businesses, are considered a potent call on domestic and international investors with expertise in the fields to join in.

According to international experts, Hanoi is one of the three most attractive destinations in Vietnam for international technology groups, including companies from Japan, South Korea, the US, and EU countries. Siemens, GE, ABB, Volvo Buses, Roxtec, and Axis are just some of the prominent names.

The potential for foreign investors to join smart city projects in Hanoi is great because of a lot of solutions on offer there. International groups have great potential to work closely with local Vietnamese partners to implement the solutions, David Wong Nan Fay, chairman of the ASOCIO, told VIR.

Digital infrastructure, Internet of Things, cyber security, and education for talents are among the most attractive targets to foreign investors interested in smart city development. To attract investor interest, Hanoi should launch programmes, including business-to-business and mission trips, to promote these opportunities to international investors, he added.

The interest from investors intensified in August, when the prime minister approved the master plan for Vietnams smart and sustainable city development strategy in the 2018-2025 period, with a vision towards 2030. According to the plan, Hanoi is one of the three Vietnamese cities to get a master plan on smart city development approved by 2020. By 2030, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, and Can Tho are all set to become smart cities. Utilising the concrete strategies in the plan set forth by the government, investors are now confident in the development of future investment plans, with fewer fears of unpredictable changes, which have been an issue in the past.

To attract more financial resources for the smart city development plan, Hanoi has announced a list of potential foreign partners the city targets for investment. Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, the US, the UK, and other EU countries are among the names.

It is easy to understand why Hanoi targets these foreign investors. Currently, they are Vietnams biggest foreign investors and have the strong expertise Hanoi is looking for to realise its plan. Japan has expertise in IT solutions, environment solutions, high-tech agriculture, and energy efficiency, while South Korea has advantages in electronics, energy, and heavy industry.

Singapore has strengths in real estate, education, healthcare, environment, and trade services. And investors from the US, the EU, and the UK have expertise in high-end services, financial services, healthcare, education, energy, and environmental protection.

What is more, Hanoi has also completed the urban zoning plans for the Northern Red River Area and economic sectors, with a list of prioritised investment projects set to be named. That is good news for foreign investors, as planning is very important for smart city development.Police meet people who work for Phan Huu Phuong at a tent built in Yok Don National Park.-VNA/VNS Photo

Le Quang Thai, 49, has been charged with abuse of power after turning a blind eye to timber being transported by Long Vu Company in Cu Jut District. An investigation into the company started in April this year, resulting the arrest of owner Phan Huu Phuong, known as Moustache Phuong, a resident of EaTling Town, in May.

Phuong alledgedly bribed Thai to ignore the illegal timber trafficking.

Thai admitted to investigators that he received VND120 million (US$5,100) from an employee of Thao Truc Company.

On April 27, police and border guard officers in Dak Nong found 40.2 cu.m. of timber being carried away by two trucks from Yok Don National Park on the border of Dak Nong and Dak Lak.

The two truck drivers - Tran Luu Lan and Ho Trong Dung - failed to present legitimate documents specifying the origin of the timber. They told police that the timber was being taken to a workshop belonging to Long Vu Company in Cu Jut District.

Investigators searched five locations where the illicit ring stored their timber and confiscated nearly 210cu.m of wood as well as multiple trucks, cars, tractors and chainsaws.

On May 3, Dak Nong Police initiated legal proceedings against five members involved in the operation, including Phuong.

The suspects were charged with violating regulations on the exploitation, protection and management of forest products under Article 232 of the Penal Code.

Last month, the provincial Peoples Procuracy started legal proceedings against Bui Van Khang, head of the Forest Protection Division in Cu Mgar District as he was head of Buon Don Districts Forest Protection Division from 2008 to 2017.

Vice head of Buon Don Districts Forest Protection Division, Ha Thang Long, is also being investigated for abuse of power.A container of scrap at Hai Phong Port. - Photo baogiaothong.vn

According to the Vietnam Environment Administration under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), the individuals and organisations imported 4,514 containers of scrap, of which, 2,209 containers have been at Vietnams sea ports for less than 90 days and the other 2,305 containers have been at ports for over 90 days.

From September 6 to September 12, the Vietnam Environment Administration sent seven groups of inspectors to seven ports  Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Binh Dinh, Can Tho, Da Nang, Hai Phong and HCM City to examine scrap import activities.

The inspectors found 15,442 containers of scrap stored at the seven ports.

Of 274 organisations and individuals who claimed to be scrap importers, only 116 have certificates that prove they are qualified to import scrap while the other 158 individuals and organisations were unable to provide such certificates.

The Vietnam Environment Administration asked Vietnam Customs and customs offices to identify violating importers.

Moreover, the illegally-imported scrap would be re-exported. If the scrap is not re-exported, it would be handled or destroyed in accordance with regulations on waste treatment.

Last Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed a directive calling for urgent measures to improve the management of imports of waste as production material.

The PM directed the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to not issue new scrap import certifications or to extend the validation of existing certificates.

The ministry only considers granting the permit, which certifies firms fulfillment of environment protection conditions for the imports, when the direct importer can prove a demand for and ability to use the scrap in goods production.

The Ministry of Finance was tasked with directing customs agencies to hasten clearance for scrap containers of firms or individuals with valid certifications in terms of date and import quota.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is in charge of strengthening the inspection and monitoring of the scrap imports, trade and usage.

After China banned the import of 24 types of scrap, the amount imported to Vietnam in 2017 and the first five months of 2018 has increased. Local firms have imported scrap from many different countries for production, with some forging import permits.Bond issuance was expected to be an effective channel for property developers to raise capital. - Photo kinhtedothi.vn

Hoang Cong Tuan, head of the Macroeconomic Department at MB Securities, said that property developers were still mainly raising capital from banking loans and from customers, with payment following construction progress.

However, bond issuance is proving an effective channel and is forecast to become a major tool for raising capital as credit policies for the property sector are gradually tightened, Tuan said.

According to Nguyen Thi Huong Giang from Saigon Securities Inc, with the recovery of the real estate market during the past three years, many foreign investors were showing interest in investing in listed or public property companies.

Giang said that foreign investors now tended to seek to buy stakes or convertible bonds of real estate companies as a channel for investment.

Experts said that during the downturn of the property market in 2011-13, bond issuance to raise capitals from investors was difficult while direct investment was more effective.

However, bond issuance is more advantageous when the property market and the securities market are in recovery as they are today.

Recently, several property developers geared up for bond issuance.

For example, Novaland raised US$310 million through issuing bonds to buy land and develop projects.

Sacomreal also planned to issue 73 million bonds to raise capitals for M&A deals.

According to Tuan, banks have been more cautious about providing loans for property development since 2017.

The central bank regulated that the ratio of short-term funds used for medium and long-term loans would be reduced from 50 per cent in 2017 to 45 per cent in 2018 and 40 per cent from 2019. The property sector mainly needs medium and long-term loans.

The Government recently issued a resolution related to its August meeting which required tight control of credits for the property sector.

Statistics of the central bank showed that loans for the property sector increased by 2.19 per cent in the first half of this year, much lower than the overall credit growth of 6.16 per cent.

Outstanding loans in the real estate sector accounted for 7.5 per cent of the economys total outstanding loans compared to 15.8 per cent in 2017 or 17.1 per cent in 2016.

According to Duong Thuy Dung from real estate services firm CBRE Viet Nam, the credit policies for the property sector were tightened gradually according to a long-term roadmap. Thus, firms could have time to look for alternative sources of capital such as bond issuance, cooperation with foreign investors or finding partners for each project.Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday said his government would not allow violence to return to Cambodian politics, reminding Cambodians of an alleged attempt on his life in 1998.

According to Hun Sen, in September 1998 while traveling to Siem Reap his car was targeted by an attacker with a B40 rocket-propelled grenade. The rocket missed Hun Sens convoy and struck a nearby house, killing one civilian, he said.

Since his Cambodian Peoples Party won all 125 seats in parliament in a general election in July, Hun Sen has been keen to emphasize that he sees the CPP, and more importantly his rule at the head of the party, as the only force standing between Cambodians and a return to civil war and the political violence of decades past.

If I died back then, what would have happened? Would the war have ended because of my win-win policy like when I lived? This question needs to be answered, he wrote on his Facebook page.

I have already forgiven those who wanted to kill me in Siem Reap ... I will not let you kill me, lead a coup or revolution. No matter what, I have to protect peace and Cambodian citizens, he said.

Sok Eysan, a CPP spokesman, said the 1998 incident was carried out by a man named Sok Yeoung, who claimed to be an activist working for Sam Rainsy, the former head of Cambodias opposition who now lives in exile in France.

Eysan declined to comment on the specifics of the evidence in the case against Yeoung, who fled to Finland after the allegations were made.

Rainsy, however, has claimed that the 1998 incident was orchestrated by Hun Sen himself as a pretext to frame Yeoung and place the blame on Rainsys supporters.

He claimed that somebody attempted to murder him, but it was all staged to frame Sam Rainsys activists and the Khmer National Party that was also formed by me. So I was his main target. He went after my activists, arrested them and forced them to put the blame on me, Rainsy said.

Sok Yoeung was accepted to live in Finland as an asylum seeker. Finland was a democratic country in Europe, so they would not accept a criminal. They know who was being mistreated by the Hun Sen regime.

Rainsy had rejected the election results of 1998, which saw Hun Sens CPP win a majority.Tun Sovan greeted his friends and Buddhist followers with a smile.

The long-serving Washington Khmer community leader recently retired from his community leader role after some four decades of public service.

About forty Buddhist monks from across the United States joined more than 100 of the Buddhist teachers followers, former colleagues and friends this week to express their appreciation for Sovans dedication to the Khmer community in the Washington metropolitan area and to congratulate him on his appointment as president emeritus of the Cambodian Buddhist Society.

Well-wishers paid their respects, offered cards and gifts out of respect for his 40 years of service.

Venerable Ouk Chan Han, the head monk of Vatt Buddhikarama, a Maryland Buddhist monastery, said Sovan had helped the community tremendously.

He has dedicated his knowledge to build humanitarian and social work, and importantly, in Buddhist teachings. He has done so much from his heart, he said. Tun Sovan is one of the rare persons we all should respect and pay gratitude to.

While working for the federal and local government in the Greater Washington, DC area, Sovan volunteered his time, participating in civic groups promoting Buddhism, religious dialogue and immigrant rights.

He officially retired from the US Equal Opportunities Commission in August.

Under Sovans leadership, the Cambodian Buddhist community in the region has expanded its facilities, cultural activities, and finances. He was instrumental to the creation of Vatt Buddhikarama, the first Cambodian Buddhist temple in the United States.

Without your leadership, I dont ever think the stupa would have been completed, said Se Kim Tan, a member of the Cambodian temple council. You are a great person that Ive worked with, [youre] intelligent and kind. Its an honor to work with you.

Joined by his wife, children, and grandchildren, Sovan received blessings from the Maryland Governors Office, as well as non-profit organizations and other minority communities, including the Thai, Burmese and Nepalese communities.

Khin Swe Myint, a representative of the Burmese Buddhist community, said she respected Sovan for his dedication to Buddhism and civil society.

He means a lot to me, to us, and to Buddhists, she said. He has done so much for Buddha Sasana and hes done so much for the Cambodian monks, and in general for all Buddhist people. I am very, very proud of him.

A letter from 21 Buddhist temples in the Washington area highlighted Sovans pioneering efforts to ensure that Buddhism is represented in the inter-faith meetings and gathering across the DC area and the world.

Mindy C. Reiser, vice president of Global Peace Services (GPS) in Washington, DC said Sovan played a major role as a board member of GPS in promoting peace through Buddhist teachings.

He has, also together with the monks, played a very important role in sustaining global peace services. It has been in his Buddhist thinking and practice that he has given us enormous help. We are enormously grateful for everything that you have done. We couldnt really be an organization really, without you, she said.

Born in Battambang in 1940, before the civil wars, Sovan completed high school in Phnom Penh in the late 1950s. Later, he received a scholarship from the United Nations to pursue a masters degree in the in 1962. Before the Khmer Rouge took over the country in 1975, he was teaching at various public universities in Phnom Penh. He and his family escaped the Khmer Rouge genocide when he accepted an opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Tennessee.

Sovan said the praise he had received was beyond words.

Hearing the head monk describe me as one of the most respected individuals means so much to me, and that encourages me to stay involved with the community in promoting the Buddhist faith.

The 78-year-old community leader added that his retirement means a new generation of leaders can take on his passion and continue to build the community.

Im going to continue to support and nurture our new leader, who is one of the most respectful and capable leaders. We all should support and help him grow, Sovan said.

The newly elected president, Ngov Sopheak, also speaks highly of Sovan and his dedication. He is such a great person. He would come to work at the temple, regardless if its lunchtime. He has spent countless hours of his time in our society.U.S. President Donald Trump says he will hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un "quite soon." Earlier on Monday, at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dismissed a question from a reporter who suggested conditions were not yet right for such a high-level meeting, countering that such a meeting would in fact have enormous value. VOA's Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine has more from the US State Department in Washington.Activists are criticizing a long-awaited U.S. State Department investigation into the Myanmar military campaign against Rohingya Muslims, saying the United States should to take a firmer stance on what the activists see as genocide.

The State Department report, released late Monday, blames Myanmar's military for an "extreme, large-scale, widespread" campaign of violence against the Rohingya ethnic minority group over the past two years.

The report, based on interviews with more than 1,000 Rohingya refugees in neighboring Bangladesh, documented graphic descriptions of torture, rape and mass killing in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state.

In some cases, Myanmar soldiers threw infants and small children into open fires and burning huts, witnesses told State Department investigators. Others said they saw soldiers ripping fetuses out of the bellies of pregnant mothers.

The State Department concedes the campaign was "well-planned and coordinated." But, notably, the report makes no determination that any of the violence amounts to genocide or crimes against humanity, and it recommends no specific action.

"This is extremely disappointing for those of us who have no other country to look to but the United States to do something humane and compassionate and principled," said Maung Zarni, a British-Burmese academic and author of The Slow-Burning Genocide of Myanmar's Rohingya.

"This is not like Rwanda or other places where post facto people realized that genocide happened. This is still ongoing," Zarni said.

The press office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, weighed in as well:

Human Rights Watch (HRW) chided the State Department for being "silent on action" and said the U.S. government should follow up the report by imposing new sanctions against those responsible.

"The State Department's report, confirming the systematic brutality of the Burmese military operations, should jolt the U.S. into action," Sarah Margon, Washington director at HRW, said.

In August, the U.S. sanctioned four Myanmar military and police commanders for their involvement in what the State Department then referred to as "ethnic cleansing" in Rakhine state.

The latest report, however, did not use the phrase "ethnic cleansing." But the State Department, in an nonattributed statement, said the investigation's findings "fully support that conclusion" and insisted it would be used to inform future U.S. policy.

"U.S. efforts have been and remain focused on addressing the underlying conduct, encouraging steps that will improve the situation for all people in Burma and those displaced in Burma, and promoting accountability for those responsible for these crimes," the statement said.

Effect of terminology

The term ethnic cleansing carries less weight in international law than do the terms genocide or crimes against humanity. The Trump administration is reportedly divided about whether to apply those labels, in part because some fear it could compel the U.S. to intervene.

British author Zarni stressed that intervention does not have to take the form of bombs or even U.N. peacekeepers. It could instead mean the deployment of temporary human rights observers or civilian advisers to Myanmar's government, he added.

"No one is calling for military intervention. But people want some sort of international mechanism to provide safety for those inside the country and for those who may return," he said. "These are things that need to be discussed  not simply being scared of needing to bomb."

A U.N.-mandated fact-finding mission in August recommended that Myanmar generals be investigated for genocide and crimes against humanity. It said that estimates of 10,000 deaths were "conservative." More than 725,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh over the past year.

Myanmar's military-dominated government denies oppressing the Rohingya. It claims it is responding to a series of attacks by Rohingya militants on police stations.

The Rohingya have long complained of discrimination in Myanmar, including being refused citizenship.

VOA's Cindy Saine contributed to this report.A farmer from Burkina Faso who popularized an ancient farming technique to reverse desertification is among the winners of Sweden's "alternative Nobel prize," announced on Monday.

Yacouba Sawadogo shared this year's award with three Saudi human rights activists and an Australian agronomist. The 3 million Swedish crown ($341,800) prize honors people who find solutions to global problems.

Sawadogo is known for turning barren land into forest using "zai" - pits dug in hardened soil that concentrate water and nutrients, allowing crops to withstand drought.

The technique has been used to restore thousands of hectares of dry land and in doing so reduce hunger in Burkina Faso and Niger since he began to teach it in the 1980s, according to the Right Livelihood Award Foundation.

Sawadogo said he hoped he would be able to "use the award for the future."

"My wish is for people to take my knowledge and share it. This can benefit the youth of the country," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from his village in Burkina Faso.

The country dips into a semi-arid zone below the Sahara desert known as the Sahel, where climate change and land overuse are making it increasingly difficult to farm, experts say.

"Yacouba Sawadogo vowed to stop the desert -- and he made it," said Ole von Uexkull, executive director of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation.

"If local communities and international experts are ready to learn from his wisdom, it will be possible to regenerate large areas of degraded land, decrease forced migration and build peace in the Sahel."

Last year, erratic rains left nearly a million people in need of food aid across the country.

Sawadogo initially faced resistance for his unconventional technique, based on an ancient method that had fallen out of practice. Now "zai" have been adopted by aid agencies working to prevent hunger in the region.

Sawadogo told his story in a 2010 film called "The Man Who Stopped the Desert."

($1 = 8.7776 Swedish crowns)Nigerian refugee children have returned to schools on Cameroons northern border as the threat of attacks from Boko Haram Islamist militants has reduced. But some feel it is still not safe enough to return home.

On a bright Monday morning at the government primary school in the Minawao Refugee Camp, thousands of children gather for their morning assembly.

They pray and listen to news about their school, the camp, their host country Cameroon, and their country of origin  Nigeria.

They are among some 75,000 Nigerians, most of them women and children, who fled Boko Haram Islamists to live along Cameroons northern border.

Traumatized

But even inside the refugee camp, the fear of Boko Haram attacks kept school enrollment last year to around 10,000 children. Many students were too traumatized to study while security forces also worried the militants could infiltrate the schools.

In the last year, Boko Haram attacks have drastically reduced. And, since the school year began on September 3, the children at the camps schools has nearly doubled to 20,000.

Teacher Lawrence Nyamnjo says with only 190 teachers, they are now more concerned about resources than suicide bombers.

"Problem of teachers, infrastructure, even of school kits since the children dont buy, said Nyamnjo.

Nyanmjo says they are waiting for the United Nations Refugee Agency to help provide school supplies.

Positive change



The United Nations Children's Fund representative in Cameroon, Jacques Boyer, visited the refugee camp schools along with the Korean ambassador. He says they noticed a positive change in the children.

"Four months ago, I was in this same place, these children were sad, traumatized," he said. "What we have witnessed with her excellency the ambassador of Korea is smiles on their faces. Children, four months ago were drawing people with weapons and drones, now they are drawing flowers, houses, so for us it is important on the psychological aspect that this change occur."

The Boko Haram conflict has displaced about 200,000 people in northern Cameroon.

But while there has been no major Boko Harm attack in the past year, only about 8,000 Nigerian refugees have felt safe enough to return home.

Hope of return

Nigerian student Emma Hamadou, 11, fled from the Nigerian town of Banki three years ago after Boko Haram fighters torched the houses, markets and schools.

She says, when it is safe, she dreams of returning to her country to teach friends that Boko Harams opposition to western education is wrong.

"I am in group five. I come here for learning. When I finish my school, I will want to be a teacher," she said.

Cameroon on September third re-opened 40 schools on its northern border with Nigeria that were sealed for four years because of Boko Haram threats.

While the central African state says the Islamist threat has drastically reduced, it warns people should remain vigilant and report any suspects.China says it has filed an official protest over plans by the United States to sell military equipment to Taiwan.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Tuesday in Beijing that Washington's plan to sell Taipei $330 million of spare parts for the F-16 fighter jet, the C-130 cargo plane and other military aircraft violates international laws. Geng demanded the Trump administration cancel the deal, saying it will damage China-U.S bilateral ties, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and China's cooperation in other issues.

The deal was announced Monday by the U.S. State Department.

Taiwan's presidential office thanked the United States for the deal in a statement, vowing to "maintain close communication and cooperation" with Washington on security issues.

China and Taiwan split in 1949 after Chaing Kai-shek's Nationalist forces were driven off the mainland by Mao Zedong's Communists and sought refuge on the island of Taiwan. Although it has never ruled the island, the communist government in Beijing considers it a renegade province that should be reunified with the mainland  by force, if necessary.

China has ramped up efforts to cut Taiwan off from the rest of the world since Tsai Ing-we, the leader of the pro-democracy Democratic Progressive Party, took office in 2016 and refused to accept the long-standing one China" principle.With the summer season winding down on Croatia's Adriatic Sea beaches, environmentalists and diving clubs are turning to the task of clearing plastic waste left behind by locals and tourists and washed up from Albania, Greece or Montenegro.

Once a year, Croatia's "Blue Cleaning" takes part in many locations along the coast and involves around 10,000 people, according to the Zmergo environmentalist group.

A smaller cleanup being organized for next week in Kornati national park, which stretches down Croatia's west coast taking in an archipelago of 89 islands, is the third of its kind and targets six locations within the park, according to organizers.

"Along with local products, we also find a lot of plastic waste with labels in Albanian or Greek, for example, brought by the sea currents," Martina Markov, who works in the park, told Reuters.

In a similar cleanup this month in the Telascica nature park, just north of the Kornati park, plastic bottles of Coca Cola and local water brand Jamnica and two popular beer brands were among the most frequent products found in the sea.

"The solution lies in changing habits and tougher legislation. Cleaning is just a palliative measure which won't solve the problem," Markov said.

Plastic pollution affecting the wider Mediterranean Sea has prompted Greenpeace in Croatia, Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria to launch a campaign against single-use plastic items.Most of the attention on this years midterm elections is about which party will control Congress after the results are known on November 6. In addition to races for the Senate and House of Representatives, U.S. voters also will elect 36 state governors, and Democrats appear poised to make gains.

Republicans control 26 of the state governorships at stake in November, while Democrats currently hold nine seats, and there is one independent governor, Bill Walker in Alaska.

Democrats see opportunities for gains in some larger states like Florida, Michigan and Ohio, where Republican incumbents are term-limited and barred from running again. They also have targeted vulnerable Republican incumbents in Illinois and in Wisconsin, though, where Governor Scott Walker is making a bid for a third term.

In Florida, progressive Democrat Andrew Gillum is in a close race with Republican Ron DeSantis, an avid supporter of President Donald Trump.

Another close race is expected in Ohio where Republican Mike DeWine hopes to succeed Governor John Kasich, a once and possibly future presidential contender, but must fend off Democrat Richard Cordray.

Republicans believe their best chances to pick up seats previously held by Democrats are in Connecticut and Colorado. Republicans also are confident about holding governorships in two heavily Democratic states, Maryland and Massachusetts, where popular GOP incumbents have distanced themselves from President Trump.

The outcome of the 36 governors races have implications for the next presidential election in 2020 and beyond. Control of the governor's mansion in a given state can help the partys presidential contender in 2020. In addition, governors in most states play a crucial role in approving how congressional districts are redrawn every 10 years based on population shifts reflected in the national census.

Republicans were successful in redrawing House districts to their advantage after the 2010 census in large part because of the gains they made in governors' races and state legislatures, which also have a key role in the process.

The political process often leads to what is known as gerrymandering, when one party has an advantage in how congressional districts are redrawn that results in an electoral advantage that can last for years.

Both parties have done it throughout history, and now Democrats are counting on gains at the gubernatorial level to create a more level playing field after the 2020 census.The Senate's top Republican accused Democrats on Tuesday of railroading Brett Kavanaugh by using decades-old, "vague, unsubstantiated and uncorroborated" claims of sexual misconduct to try sinking his shaky Supreme Court nomination.

"Justice matters. Evidence matters. Facts matter," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as Republican leaders fought to shore up GOP senators' support for Kavanaugh, who has denied the allegations.



The leader of the chamber's Democrats fired back, demanding that McConnell apologize to Kavanaugh's chief accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, for his assertion that Democrats are using the allegations to wage a smear campaign against the nominee. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said McConnell's comment "demeans many, many women" who have gone public with sexual harassment accusations, saying, "They're doing a noble thing."



The intensifying combat over Kavanaugh came two days before the Senate Judiciary Committee plans a pivotal, election-season hearing at which both Kavanaugh and Ford are due to appear separately. That session, certain to be must-watch television for the nation, looms as a do-or-die wild card for Kavanaugh in which a split-second facial expression, a tear or a choice of words by either witness could prove decisive.



No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Richard Durbin of Illinois said by detailing the alleged 1980s incident when she and Kavanaugh were high schoolers, Ford exposed herself to ridicule and attack "even by the president of the United States in his tweets." President Donald Trump tweeted sarcastically last week that Ford would have reported the assault to authorities if the incident was "as bad as she says."



On the Senate floor, McConnell tried undermining Kavanaugh's two accusers' stories. But he also focused on the need to treat Kavanaugh fairly as Republicans continued their robust defense of the 53-year-old, now a judge on the District of Columbia circuit court of appeals.



"Vague, unsubstantiated, and uncorroborated allegations of 30-plus-year-old misconduct, where all the supposed witnesses either totally deny it or can't confirm it, is nowhere near grounds to nullify someone's career or destroy their good name," McConnell said.



Despite the forceful rhetoric and solid Kavanaugh support by most Republicans, his backing from several GOP senators was unclear, including Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Arizona's Jeff Flake and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski. 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."



Asked Tuesday if there should be a fresh FBI investigation of Kavanaugh, Murkowski said, "Well, it would sure clear up all the questions, wouldn't it?" Democrats have repeatedly demanded a renewed FBI probe, but that's been rejected by Trump and Republicans. Collins said she remained undecided about Kavanaugh.



One frequent Trump critic, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., was clearly leaning toward Kavanaugh.



"I go into the hearings with very positive feelings about him, and I hope Thursday goes well," Corker told reporters.



Besides the allegations themselves, both parties must assess how the nomination fight is playing six weeks before an Election Day when Democrats could capture control of Congress. With all 11 GOP Judiciary committee members male, Republicans have hired a female attorney who would question Ford for them, said a GOP aide who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.



On Monday, Ford advisers wrote to Judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., complaining that GOP staff had told them of the hiring of an unnamed ``experienced sex crimes prosecutor'' to interrogate Ford and requested a meeting with "her."



"This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate," wrote Ford adviser Michael Bromwich.



On Monday, Brett Kavanaugh said he wouldn't let "false accusations drive me out of this process" as he agreed to a television interview, an extraordinary step for a high court nominee.



Kavanaugh, 53, said on the conservative-friendly Fox News Channel that he wasn't questioning that his initial accuser, psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford, may have been sexually assaulted in her life. But he added, "What I know is I've never sexually assaulted anyone," a remarkable assertion for a nominee to the nation's highest court.



During the Fox interview, Kavanaugh said that 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 he'd never done anything like the episodes his accusers have described and said he didn't have sexual intercourse until "many years" after high school.



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.



White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday "we would be open" to having Ramirez testify before the same Judiciary Committee hearing at which Ford and Kavanaugh are scheduled to appear Thursday. There has been no indication that GOP Chairman Chuck Grassley is considering that.India welcomed the surprise victory of the opposition in the Maldives' recent presidential polls. Analysts say New Delhi now has an opportunity to regain the influence lost after the tiny strategic Indian Ocean archipelago leaned heavily toward China.



The elation was evident in India  the first country to "heartily" congratulate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, the opposition candidate who swept the polls.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him as soon as results were confirmed Monday. India's Foreign Ministry said the two agreed "to further strengthen the close, friendly, and good neighborly relations."



A prominent legislator of the Maldivian Democratic Party also said one of the new government's first priorities after taking power would be to reset ties with India.

"Our president-elect has been a strong advocate of the "India first" policy," Eva Abdulla told VOA from the capital, Male.



Analysts said the outcome of the presidential race brought relief to India, which had been sidelined by the outgoing administration of Abdulla Yameen.

Yameen had sealed major infrastructure projects with China, signed a free trade agreement with the economic powerhouse and joined its ambitious Belt and Road initiative  a major infrastructure development project throughout the region.



Relations between India and the Maldives reached their lowest point earlier this year when New Delhi opposed Yameen's crackdown on his political rivals. His administration later asked New Delhi to take back two military helicopters along with Indian personnel posted there, saying they were no longer needed.



Those helicopters and personnel are likely to stay, according to analysts.

"Such issues will now be quickly resolved," said Gulbin Sultana, a researcher on the Maldives at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses in New Delhi. "The Solih administration will show some kind of sensitivities to India's security concerns."



Providing helicopters, patrol boats, and satellite assistance to countries such as the Maldives has been part of India's naval diplomacy to retain influence in the Indian Ocean, through which major shipping routes lie.



Leaders of the Maldivian Democratic Party, who have been vocal about their concerns regarding deepening Chinese influence in the country, have said the new administration will renegotiate projects Yameen signed onto with China.



Some of these projects, such as an agreement for China to build an Ocean Observation station in the Maldives, raised concerns in India, which fears they could give China a vantage point of an important shipping route in the Indian Ocean.



"Our highest priority will be given to the geopolitical security of the Indian Ocean region and the countries around," said legislator Abdulla.

On Tuesday, China congratulated Solih on his election win. A Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying China is "willing to work with the Maldives to consolidate our traditional friendship and deepen our cooperation to benefit our two countries and peoples."



Analysts in New Delhi point out that even as the new administration seeks to balance ties with India and China, Beijing's growing footprint in the Maldives is there to stay.

The country already has borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars from Beijing, sparking some concerns about heavy debt. But the analysts say it is not feasible for the Maldives to back out of the projects.



Still, there is optimism in India that it has won back strategic space in the Maldives.

"Even if there is a level playing field, India has an advantage because of proximity and historic ties," said Manoj Joshi at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. "Between the Maldives and India is one of the most important shipping lanes of the world and stability out there affects everyone."



In recent years, India has struggled to retain its traditional influence in its immediate neighborhood as China spends billions of dollars building infrastructure and wooing small nations from Nepal in the Himalayas to the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.



In the Maldives meanwhile, opposition leaders said there is still a "sense of disbelief" at the electoral outcome. With Yameen's main political rivals either in prison or in exile, a victory for him was seen by most as a foregone conclusion.The five remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal have agreed to establish a special payment system to allow companies to continue doing business with the regime, bypassing new sanctions imposed by the United States.

Envoys from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran issued a statement late Monday from the United Nations announcing the creation of a "Special Purpose Vehicle" that will be established in the European Union. The parties said the new mechanism was created to facilitate payments related to Iranian exports, including oil.

Federica Mogherini, EU's foreign policy chief, told reporters after the deal was announced that the SPV gives EU member states "a legal entity to facilitate legitimate financial transactions with Iran...and allow European companies to continue to trade with Iran in accordance to European Union law and could be open to other partners in the world."

Mogherini said the financial agreement is also aimed at preserving the agreement reached in 2015 with Iran to scale back its nuclear program in exchange for relief from strict economic sanctions. The deal was reached under then-President Barack Obama, but Obama's successor, Donald Trump, pulled out of the accord in May of this year, saying it didn't address Tehran's ballistic missile program or its influence in the Middle East.The Islamic State (IS) terror group claimed responsibility for Saturdays attack on a military parade in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz, but Iranian officials continue to accuse Saudi Arabia and the U.S. for being behind the attack.

The group's media wing, Amaq, released a new video Monday in which the terror group shows three individuals driving in a vehicle and vowing to attack "infidels" in Iran.

The group claims that the three individuals shown in the video carried out Saturdays shooting in Ahvaz, killing at least 25 people and injuring more than 65 others.

In the video, two of the assailants speak in Arabic while the third speaks Farsi.

The attack targeted a military parade commemorating the anniversary of the 1980-1988 Iran- Iraq war.

VOA could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Iran has not immediately reacted to the IS statement about the video, but Iranian officials continued to accuse the U.S. and Saudi Arabia of fomenting unrest in the country.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday accused U.S.-backed regimes in the region to being behind the terror attack in Iran.

During a public event held Monday, Khamenei specifically accused Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying, "The attackers were paid by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates."

Before departing for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday accused the U.S. of providing support to the attackers.

"It is Americans who instigate them and provide them with the necessary means to commit these crimes," Rouhani said of the attackers. "All of those small mercenary countries that we see in this region are backed by America."

US reaction

U.S. officials condemned Saturdays terror attack in Iran, but rejected allegations the U.S. was behind it.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley condemned the attack but rejected Rouhanis comments.

"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 on Sunday. "He can blame us [the U.S.] all he wants. The thing he's got to do is look in the mirror."

U.S. Secretary of State Make Pompeo also pushed back against the Iranian accusations on Sunday during an interview with Fox News.

"When you have s security incident at home, blaming other[s] is an enormous mistake," Pompeo told Fox News Sunday in a response to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who in a tweet accused Gulf countries and the U.S of carrying out the attack.

Anwar Gargash, UAEs minister of state for foreign affairs, also rejected Irans claims as baseless.

"UAEs historical position against terrorism and violence is clear and Tehran's allegations are baseless," Gargash tweeted Sunday.

Backlash

While Iranian officials attempt to blame outsiders for the attack, some analysts believe the attack could be a backlash of Irans oppression against religious and ethnic minorities in the country.

"They [IS] have chosen Ahvaz because of its ethnic mix, wanted to fuel chaos and use the ethnic sectarianism in their favor," Soraya Lennie, an Australian-Iranian journalist and counterterrorism analyst, told VOA.

Sina Azodi, a researcher at the University of South Floridas Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies, echoed Lennies assessment that the attack was a signal and a backlash.

"I think by conducting the attack on a symbolic day of commemorating the Iran-Iraq war, and by choosing the specific city of Ahvaz because of the presence of a large Arab minority, they wanted to send a signal," Azodi said.

A Tehran-based analyst with knowledge of domestic developments in Iran, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears that authorities may target him, said the attack should not come as a surprise to anyone.

"IS have always conducted attacks inside countries using local proxies and malfunctioning communities. Increasing negligence [by the regime] of ethnic groups and their demands will serve as a Trojan Horse for terror groups to carry out attacks," the analyst said.

Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan province, where Saturdays attack occurred, was heavily damaged during the Iran-Iraq war in the '80s and the government has not done much to reconstruct it.

The province, home to large number of Arab minorities and Sunnis, has some of the highest crime and unemployment rates.

In recent months, people launched several protests in the province, some of which resulted in clashes with government forces over air pollution, dust storms, unemployment and water shortages in the province.



Retaliation



Iran has been fighting IS through its regional allies and proxies in the region and some analysts charge that the recent attack is a retaliation by IS.

"IS has always considered Iran as its No. 1 enemy due to its systematic oppression of Sunni Muslims and its role in counterweighting IS in Iraq and Syria," Karim Pourhamzavi, an analyst at Macquarie University in Sydney, told VOA.

"They [IS] would not hesitate to attack Iran whenever they have an opportunity," Pourhamzavi added.

Shabbir Hussain Turi, a Lahore-based analyst, agrees with Pourhamzavi's assessment and charges that the attack could be viewed as a retaliation by IS because Iran played a role in cracking down on the terror group in other parts of the region.

"Iran Shiite state played a major role in ousting IS in Syria and Iraq, and IS would take advantage of any chance to attack Iran as they did last year," Turi said.

Turi was referring to an incident last year when two IS cells simultaneously carried out a twin attack in Tehran against the Iranian parliament building and the Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. Seventeen civilians were killed in the attack, and 43 others wounded.

Iran has not yet offered any evidence to support its recent accusations, but the countrys minister of intelligence, Seyed Mahmoud Alavi, announced Monday that his agency has arrested at least 22 suspects in connection with Saturday's attack.

Some analysts charged that the regime would likely use torture against the detainees, forcing false confessions.

"Security forces will force some of the convicts into confessions to say things that they have been ordered, trained and sponsored by either Saudis, Emirates or even Israelis," Ramyar Hassani, a Norway-based Iranian exiled analyst, told VOA.Jordan's King Abdullah II is urging the United Nations to continue helping the Palestinians after the United States cut off aid to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.

"It would be a terrible mistake to abandon youth to the forces of radicalism and despair," Abdullah told the General Assembly on Tuesday.

"We need to support full funding of UNRWA [The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] and other vital efforts to protect families, keep communities stable, and prepare young people for productive lives," he said.

President Donald Trump cut off $350 million in U.S. funds for the agency, saying the Palestinians give the United States "no appreciation or respect."

The administration is also troubled that Hamas militants control Gaza.

The U.S. contributed the lion's share of the agency's budget, and cutting off funds has led to a crisis, especially in U.N.-run schools in Gaza.

Abdullah said he will set up a meeting in New York this week with the hopes of securing funds for the Palestinians.

More than 2 million Palestinian refugees live in Jordan.

Abdullah also called a proposal for a one-state solution for the Middle East  one in which the Palestinians would be absorbed into the State of Israel  an "ugly undemocratic reality."

"There is no such thing as a unilateral agreement. It takes at least two parties to make an agreement," he said.

The king said it is up to the rest of the world to work together to help the parties "build a new future."French President Emmanuel Macron declared Tuesday in a fiery speech at the United Nations General Assembly that France would no longer accept "commercial agreements" with countries that do not "respect" the Paris climate accord, a clear shot at the United States, the only country that has not agreed to the accord.

Macron clarified his comments to reporters after the speech, saying that while accords for specific industries might be allowed, large, sweeping trade deals would not.

"There could be accords for individual sectors, such as automobiles and pharmaceuticals, as long as they are neutral on climate," he said. "But major accords across all sectors that go against climate conventions, that's not OK."

France does not have trade agreements of its own because the European Union negotiates and signs such deals on behalf of its members. The U.S. and the EU opened talks of a trade agreement in 2016, but negotiations ended after President Donald Trump took office.The Marshall Islands, an atoll-nation vulnerable to sea level rise from climate change, announced steps Monday toward an ambitious plan to cut its greenhouse emissions to zero by 2050.

The Pacific country became the first small island nation to present such a strategy to the United Nations amid increasing interest from governments worldwide toward eliminating planet-warming emissions in a bid to curb man-made climate change.

"If we can do it so can you," Hilda Heine, Marshall Islands president, said at an event on the sidelines of the annual U.N. summit that featured a handful of heads of small island nations.

The announcement came as more than 150 heads of state and government gathered on Monday for the annual United Nations General Assembly.

Heine upped the pressure on world leaders to go beyond current pledges to reduce their heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions as agreed in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

"I challenge you all to develop your own vision to fully decarbonize by 2050," she told an audience of climate policymakers and advocates brought together by U.S. nonprofit The Climate Group.

Worldwide, nine other countries have so far unveiled long-term plans to completely eradicate carbon emissions at home, from Britain to France and the United States under the administration of former U.S. president Barack Obama.

Since then, the United States has become the only country to announce its intention to withdraw from the Paris pact, following a decision by President Donald Trump last year.

The Paris accord aims to limit the rise in global temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), and ideally to 1.5 degrees Celsius, with a sweeping goal of ending the fossil fuel era this century.

Aseem Prakash, founding director of the University of Washington's Center for Environmental Politics, said the Marshall Islands' move spoke to a growing trend around carbon neutrality by cities, companies, and now countries.

Cities, regions and companies, including Indian conglomerate Mahindra and the state of California, made similar carbon-zero commitments in the run-up and at a global climate summit held in San Francisco earlier this month.

The announcement was charged with symbolism, said Prakash, with the Marshall Islands contributing less than 0.00001 percent of the global total of emissions.

The Marshall Islands' net-zero strategy, in addition to seeking to slow climate change in the transport, electricity and waste sector, stresses the need to invest into adapting to freak weather events linked to global warming, from hurricanes to floods, said Heine.

At the event, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pledged $300 million over four years to help Pacific countries set up defenses to ward off the impact of climate change.

"The challenge of climate change requires us to look beyond our domestic borders," she said in a news release.Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is denying allegations of sexual misconduct and says he will not withdraw his name from consideration for the top court.

Appearing Monday on Fox News for his first television interview on the allegations, Kavanaugh said, "Ive never sexually assaulted anyone. Not in high school. Not ever."

He said he is not going to let false accusations drive him out of the nomination process. Im not going anywhere, he said.

An emotional Kavaunaugh called for a fair process, where I can defend my integrity and clear my name.

WATCH: TV interview

An emotional Kavanaugh called for a fair process, where I can defend my integrity and clear my name.

The Supreme Court nominee is expected to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Christine Blasey Ford, a woman who claims Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were both high school teenagers in 1982.



In a late night tweet, President Donald Trump accused Democrats of "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!"

Kavanaughs wife, Ashley, who sat alongside her husband during the Monday interview, said the nomination process has been "incredibly difficult" for her family. She said, "At the end of the day, our faith is strong. We know we are on the right path."

Kavanaugh's television appearance comes one day after new allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him.

The New Yorker magazine reported Sunday that 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. She admitted she had been drinking and has gaps in her memories. But after consulting a lawyer, Ramirez said she felt confident in her recollection.

Speaking in New York on Monday, President Trump labeled the new charges "totally political."

Nevertheless, Trump is receptive to Ramirez also testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, according to White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

"Certainly we would be open to that and that process could take place on Thursday. Again, the presidents been clear, let them speak but lets also let Brett Kavanaugh speak and lets let him tell his side of the story before we allow allegations to determine his entire future," Sanders said Tuesday on ABC's Good Morning America.

The new allegationshave 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 committee 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."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed Monday that the chamber will vote on Kavanaugh's nomination, promising the vote will come in the near future.

McConnell, who was visibly angry, accused Democrats of attempting to destroy an honorable jurist on the basis of decades-old allegations that are unsubstantiated and uncorroborated.



Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said if Republicans believe in Kavanaugh, then they, too, should want the accusations investigated by the FBI.



Leader McConnell is afraid of what might come out (about Kavanaugh), what the truth is, Schumer said.

Kavanaugh, a judicial conservative and Trumps second Supreme Court pick, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement.



His confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate had seemed all but assured until allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced last week.

Capitol Hill correspondent Michael Bowman contributed to this report.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, 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.

Intentions questioned

China is deeply suspicious of U.S. intentions toward 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 favor 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 program support," the Pentagon said, adding that it notified Congress of the possible sale.

'Defensive and aerial fleet'

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.Fernando Haddad, the presidential candidate for Brazil's leftist Workers Party (PT), is closing the gap with poll-leading far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro for an Oct. 7 first-round vote and would beat him in a runoff, a survey released Monday showed.

Bolsonaro held steady at 28 percent of voter approval in the first round as compared to the same Ibope poll released last week. Haddad gained three percentage points to hit 22 percent, according to the survey, released by the Estado de S.Paulo newspaper and the Globo TV network.

In the likely scenario of a runoff vote, required by law if no candidate wins a majority in the first ballot, Haddad has 43 percent compared to Bolsonaro's 37 percent. Last week, Ibope showed the pair were tied with 40 percent each.

Brazil's election is one of the most turbulent seen since the country's return to democracy three decades ago, coming after over four years of unprecedented graft investigations revealed stunning levels of political corruption. That has fanned voter disdain toward the political class, adding to the frustrations of an economy that continues to sputter.

Bolsonaro, 63, has campaigned as the man who will sweep away political corruption and stop the return of the PT, which many blame for Brazil's recent recession, its worst in decades.

Haddad, 55, a former Sao Paulo mayor, has presented himself as a moderate and is hoping to draw the votes of supporters of Lula, who is still Brazil's most popular politician despite being in jail for corruption and barred from running for office.

Bolsonaro has been hospitalized since he survived a Sept. 6 assassination attempt, when an assailant stabbed him during a street campaign rally. Bolsonaro has said he will not return to campaigning before the first-round vote.

The poll showed Bolsonaro had the highest rejection rate, at 46 percent, which could work against him in a runoff. Haddad had a 30 percent rejection rate, indicating his support had room to grow.

Center-left candidate Ciro Gomes was flat at 11 percent in the Ibope poll, and the favorite of investors, Geraldo Alckmin, was at 8 percent. Environmentalist Marina Silva has 5 percent.

The poll, which interviewed 2,506 people on Saturday and Sunday, had a margin of error of two percentage points.Saudi Arabia King Salman inaugurated a $6.7 billion high-speed railway Tuesday that will link the two holiest cities in Islam, as the country seeks to bolster its tourism industry in the face of declining oil revenues.

The 450-kilometer Haramain railway is one of the largest transportation projects in the Middle East, with a projected annual target of 60 million passengers. It will reduce the time required to travel between Mecca and Medina by half.

The railway will eventually link to a new terminal being built at the airport in the coastal city of Jeddah, streamlining travel for visiting pilgrims.

The project is part of Saudi Arabia's recent appeal to tourists. The government has poured billions into new hotels and a restoration of the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

The Grand Mosque is the ultimate destination of the Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca that all adult Muslims are required to make at least once in their lifetime, and the Umrah, a nonmandatory pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year.

Muslims visiting Mecca account for the majority of Saudi Arabia's 20 million annual foreign visitors.

Saudi officials hope their efforts will boost the number of Hajj visitors to 5 million annually by 2020, and Umrah visitors to 30 million annually by 2030.A South Sudanese surgeon has been named the winner of a prestigious U.N. award for assisting refugees.

Evan Atar Adaha received the UNHCR 2018 Nansen Refugee Award for his 20 years of providing medical services to people forced to flee conflict and persecution in Sudan and South Sudan.



Adaha, 52, is based in Bunj, Maban county, in north-eastern South Sudan, where he runs the only functional hospital, serving 144,000 refugees from Sudans Blue Nile State and 53,000 people comprising Maban county's population.

UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch told VOA that Adahas hospital is surrounded by an active conflict zone. He said the doctor works under very difficult and dangerous conditions providing medical services to a desperate population.

The only line of defense he has is his reputation and his humanitarian work. Luckily, so far, his work has been respected by all sides. His clinic is open for all sides, whoever needs his assistance, he said.



According to the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said Adaha and his medical team carry out an average of 58 operations per week in what U.N. with limited supplies and equipment.



There is no provision for general anesthesia, meaning doctors work with ketamine injections and spinal epidurals," UNHCR said.



The only X-ray machine is broken, the only surgical theater is lit by a single light, and electricity is provided by generators that often break down. The hospital is often crowded with patients and wards extend into the open air.

A shining example

South Sudan's civil war, now in its fifth year, has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than four million people.



Yet, even in the midst of tragedy, acts of heroism and service to others have emerged. Dr. Atars [Adahas] work through decades of civil war and conflict is a shining example of profound humanity and selflessness," said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in a statement.

Often risking his own safety, his dedication to serving victims of war and conflict has been extraordinary and deserves global attention and acknowledgement," he said.



Originally from Torit, in South Sudan, Adaha earned a scholarship to study medicine in Khartoum, Sudan, and afterwards practiced in Egypt.

He returned home in 1997 to establish his first hospital from scratch in Kurmuk town in Sudans Blue Nile state.



Increased fighting between Sudan government and the rebels of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army, Northern sector (SPLM North) forced Adaha to flee Kurmuk in 2011. He moved with his staff and equipment to Bunj in Upper Nile state where 300,000 Sudanese refugees have temporary homes.



UNHCRs Nansen Refugee Award honors extraordinary service to the forcibly displaced. Recent winners include Sister Angelique Namaika from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zannah Mustapha, a lawyer and mediator from Borno state in northeastern Nigeria, and the Hellenic Rescue service and Efi Lafsoudi from Pikpa village on the Greek island of Lesbos.



The actual 2018 award ceremony will be held October 1 in Geneva, Switzerland, featuring a keynote address delivered by UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and actor Cate Blanchett.

The Nansen award is named after Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Laureate Fridtjof Nansen. It consists of medal and a $150,000 prize.

Lisa Schlein contributed to this report from Geneva.The main jihadist group in northwest Syria will announce its position on a Turkish-Russian deal over Idlib in the next few days, it said on Monday, with its acceptance or rejection vital to the success of efforts to contain the war.

Tahrir al-Sham's stance will be critical to last week's deal which has, for now, averted a full-scale Syrian government offensive in Idlib, which along with adjacent areas of the northwest is the rebels' last major foothold.

The agreement requires "radical" insurgents including Tahrir al-Sham to withdraw from a demilitarized zone along the frontlines by Oct. 15.

"An official statement will be issued soon," after the group held internal consultation on the deal, said Emad al-Din, media officer for Tahrir al-Sham. He clarified that "soon" meant within a few days.

Tahrir al-Sham was formed in early 2017 as an alliance of jihadist factions including the former al Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front and it has a large armed presence throughout Idlib, including along the Turkish border.

A smaller, harder line jihadist faction in Idlib, Huras al-Din, has rejected the agreement and urged rebels to launch new military operations.

An alliance of Turkey-allied rebel groups, the National Front for Liberation, has declared its "complete cooperation" with the Turkish effort, but has also ruled out disarming or yielding territory.

The demilitarized zone agreed by Turkey and Russia will be 15 to 20 km (10 to 12 miles) deep and run along the contact line between rebel and government fighters. It will be patrolled by Turkish and Russian forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that all opposition heavy weapons, mortars, tanks and rocket systems are to be removed from the zone by Oct. 10.

Close to three million people live in Idlib, around half of them Syrians displaced by the war from other parts of Syria, and the United Nations has warned that an offensive would cause a humanitarian catastrophe.U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed a revised free trade agreement between the two countries Monday afternoon in New York, following their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

"I'm very excited about our new trade agreement," Trump said during a joint press conference with Moon. "This is a brand new agreement. This is not an old one rewritten. ... I'm very excited about that for the United States, and I really believe it's good for both countries."

Trump called the signing "a historic milestone in trade" and "something that most people thought was not going to be happening."

Speaking through an interpreter, Moon called the revision of the free trade agreement "significant, in the sense that it expands the ROK-U.S. alliance to the economic realm, as well."

"With the swift conclusion of the negotiations for the revision, uncertainty surrounding our FTA (Free Trade Agreement) have been eliminated," he said, adding that "as a result, companies from both countries will now be able to do business under more stable conditions."

The new deal contains amendments to the 2012 U.S.-South Korea free trade deal known as KORUS, which Washington and Seoul agreed to revise in March.

Trump had previously blamed KORUS, signed during the Obama administration, for increasing U.S. trade deficits with South Korea.

The amendments include provisions to ease customs barriers for U.S. agricultural goods and pharmaceutical exports. It will increase the number of cars the U.S. can export to South Korea, from 25,000 to 50,000, without being subject to the country's more stringent safety regulations.

Seoul also accepted a quota on its steel exports to the U.S. to avoid the tariffs Trump has imposed on other countries.

The new deal, however, does not include a currency agreement as members of the Trump administration had previously indicated.

NAFTA deal

Meanwhile, the U.S. and Canada are still trying to work out a deal on a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Montreal on Sunday that negotiators are "very likely" to hold informal talks on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Trump struck a side deal on the three-nation trade agreement with Mexico last month and has threatened to exclude Canada. His administration wants to reach an agreement by the end of September.

Canada says it does not feel bound by any deadlines. Trudeau reiterated his position that he would not sign a bad NAFTA deal.

In a blog for the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation, economist Tori Whiting wrote that under the new KORUS agreement, Washington "failed to fully achieve the goal of eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers." She added that protectionist tariffs "should remain dormant under a new NAFTA."

US-China tariffs

Also on Monday, a new round of U.S.-imposed duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, and a retaliatory set of tariffs imposed by Beijing on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods took effect.

The new U.S. duties cover thousands of Chinese-made products, including electronics, food, tools and housewares. The new tariffs begin at 10 percent, and will rise to 25 percent on Jan. 1, 2019.

In a policy statement, Beijing accused Washington of using tariffs as a means of intimidating other countries to submit to U.S. wishes on economic matters.

"We have now reached a stalemate," Eswar Prasad, senior fellow at Brookings Institution, said in his podcast, "where neither side can be seen as caving in to each other's demands, potentially signaling that we could be in for a long-standing trade war."

Prasad added that it seems clear Trump "wants nothing less than total capitulation by the Chinese side on all American demands."

This includes, he said, not just measures by China to reduce the trade deficit, but also other issues that the U.S. has long been concerned about, such as "better protection of intellectual property rights of American companies, better access to Chinese markets for American investors, as well as American manufacturers."

The U.S. has already imposed tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods, and China has retaliated on an equal amount on U.S. goods.

Earlier this month, Trump threatened more tariffs on Chinese goods  another $267 billion worth of duties that would cover virtually all the goods China imports to the United States.U.S. President Donald Trump has called on world leaders gathered at the U.N. General Assembly to "isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues," accusing Iranian leaders of sowing "chaos, death and destruction."

"They do not respect their neighbors or their borders or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead, Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond," Trump said a speech to the General Assembly Tuesday.

Trump maintained that the Obama-era 2015 nuclear deal to end Iran's nuclear weapons program, which he withdrew from, was a "windfall for Iran's leaders" and boosted its military budget by nearly 40-percent to "finance terrorism and fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen."

The president said his administration started last month "reimposing hard-hitting nuclear sanctions that have been lifted under the Iran deal" and that more sanctions would be imposed on November 5 and beyond.



"We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons. We cannot allow a regime that chants death to America and that threatens Israel with annihilation," Trump said.



Later, speaking to reporters while he sat alongside Colombian President Ivan Duque, Trump said: I hope we can have the same trajectory with Iran as the U.S. has had with North Korea.

"It was me who said no, not them, on meeting with Iranian officials during the U.N. meeting. Trump added said such talks cannot occur until Tehran changes its behavior.

"Otherwise theyre going to be in the worst trouble of any country anywhere in the world, said the U.S. president.

His national security advisor, John Bolton, issued an even tougher warning to Tehran in a New York speech Tuesday to U.S. advocacy group United Against a Nuclear Iran.

WATCH: Trump UNGA speech

If you cross us, our allies or our partners, if you harm our citizens, if you continue to lie, cheat and deceive  yes, there will indeed be hell to pay, he said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told the assembly that no country can be brought to the negotiating table by force. Rouhani also questioned how Iran can enter into an agreement with the U.S., which he said violates the policies of his predecessor, Barack Obama. In addition, Rouhani accused the Trump administration of trying to render all global institutions ineffectual.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump said on Twitter he rejected multiple requests to meet with Rouhani, an assertion Rouhani firmly denied.

"Not this year, nor last year," he said in a CNN interview. "We have never made such as request for a meeting with the President of the United States."

Earlier this year, Trump announced the U.S. was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. In November, companies doing business with Iran will have to stop or risk being shut out of the U.S. financial system. Washington wants to pressure Tehran back to the negotiating table for a new, broader deal.

Experts have warned Trump's approach toward Iran may find the U.S. somewhat isolated at the U.N. General Assembly.

The problem for the Trump administration is that many of the U.S.s allies, including the powers which are signatories to the Iran nuclear deal, they will not join such condemnation, noted the Middle East Institutes Ahmad Majidyar. While these countries share Washingtons concerns about Irans controversial ballistic missile program or support for some terrorist and militant groups in the region, they strongly support the nuclear deal and they do not back Washingtons unilateral exit.

North Korea

Trump also touted his relationship with North Korea, saying it has helped ease tensions on the Korean peninsula.

"The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction, nuclear testing has stopped, some military facilities are already being dismantled," Trump said.

Trump added that "much work remains to be done" with North Korea and said "The sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization occurs."

His comments about North Korea were in sharp contrast from those he delivered at the assembly last year, when he threatened to "totally destroy" the country and ridiculed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man" who was on a "suicide mission."

The two leaders met in Singapore in June and the White House is working on scheduling a second summit. Despite Trump's praise of Pyongyang, the Trump administration has said Pyongyang is stalling in meeting the goals set in Singapore.

South Koreas president personally relayed a message on Monday to 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.



In addition to criticizing Iran, Trump also denounced China for what he maintains are the country's unfair trade practices. The president did not mention Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election or its interference in Syria.

Multilateralism in peril?

In the year since he made his U.N. debut, Trump has cut funding to the world organization, withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement and the Iran nuclear deal, and quit U.N. bodies, including the Human Rights Council. He has also had difficult outings at gatherings of G-7 leaders and NATO.

I think that a lot of leaders are going to be pretty cautious with President Trump, said Richard Gowan, senior fellow at the U.N. University Center for Policy Research. The Europeans have been quite burned at a number of recent summits.

Without naming names, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently told reporters that multilateralism is under attack from many different directions precisely when we need it most. He said he would use his meetings to press for a renewed commitment to a rules-based global order and to the United Nations.

VOA U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer and Wayne Lee contributed to this report.The United Nations announced Tuesday its initial findings have indicated recent airstrikes by pro-government forces in Afghanistan killed at least 21 civilians, almost all of them women and children.

The latest Afghan civilian casualties occurred in Kapisa and Maidan Wardak provinces on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, where Afghan forces, together with coalition partners, were conducting counter-Taliban operations, local officials said.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), while sharing initial details of its ongoing investigations into both the incidents, noted its strong concern with the rising number of civilian deaths and injuries from airstrikes this year.

The "aerial ordnance" destroyed a house in Jaghato district, Madan Wardak, late Sunday and killed 12 civilians, UNAMA said.

"All of the victims were women and children from the same family.  Ten of those killed were children whose ages ranged from 6 to 15. Eight were girls," the mission noted.

Afghan officials said the raid targeted a Taliban-run prison and rescued eight people, mostly members of the Special Forces. They added the operation killed more than 40 insurgents.

In the second incident in Kapisa, air operations destroyed the home of a teacher in Tagab district and killed nine civilians, including four children and three women, UNAMA said, citing multiple "credible" reports.

"All the victims from the attack were from the same family, including grandparents and children aged between 2 and 12. Five of the six other family members who were injured when their home was destroyed were women and young children," the mission said, adding it is still in the process of establishing facts.

A statement by the U.S. military Monday confirmed an airstrike in Kapisa, which wounded six members of local pro-government militias. However, it denied the attack caused "casualties of noncombatants."

UNAMA noted that it continues to work to verify whether Afghan or international military forces were responsible for the civilian casualties from recent strikes.



The U.N. mission reminded all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations to protect civilians from harm, and called for ensuring independent and "effective" investigations into these incidents.



UNAMA has documented a 52 percent increase in civilian casualties from air operations by Afghan forces and their foreign partners in the first six months of 2018, with women and children accounting for more than half of the casualties.



The mission warned Tuesday that since the release of UNAMAs midyear report on civilian casualties, it has continued to record increasing numbers of civilian casualties caused by airstrikes.A U.N. agency that supports Palestinian refugees said schools and health centers are at risk if it is unable to plug a $185 million funding gap needed to keep operating until the end of the year, the agency's head said on Monday.

"Currently we have money in the bank ... will last I presume somewhere into ... mid October," said Pierre Krahenbuhl, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in New York, where world leaders are attending the annual U.N. General Assembly.

"But it's clear that we still need approximately $185 million to be able to ensure that all of our services, education system, health care, relief and social services and our emergency work in Syria and Gaza in particular can continue until the end of the year," Krahenbuhl said.

The United States last month announced a halt in its aid to UNRWA, calling it an "irredeemably flawed operation," a decision that further heightened tensions between the Palestinian leadership and the Trump administration.

UNRWA provides services to about 5 million Palestinian refugees across Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank and Gaza. Most are descendants of some 700,000 Palestinians who were driven out of their homes or fled fighting in the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation.

The growing refugee count was cited by Washington, UNRWA's biggest donor, in its decision to withhold funding.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, has been critical of the U.N.'s count of Palestinian refugees. She has also questioned the "right of return" to Israel, claimed by the Palestinians as part of any eventual peace settlement.

"When you don't tackle the underlying causes of conflict, that's when you get 70 years of UNRWA, it's not UNRWA that perpetuates itself, it's because the refugee community is still there waiting for a political solution to address its situation," Krahenbuhl said on Monday.

Under Trump, Washington has taken a number of actions that have alienated the Palestinians, such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a reversal of longtime U.S. policy. It led to the Palestinian leadership boycotting Washington's peace efforts being led by Jared Kushner, Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law.

Krahenbuhl compared the Palestinian refugee "right of return" issue with those of Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar who have fled into Bangladesh and the return of Bosnian Muslim refugees to areas under Serb control in the 1990s.

"So the only question one should ask is why should Palestine refugees be the one community where this question is not a justified question," Krahenbuhl said.The U.S. general nominated to be the next commander of American forces in South Korea said the suspension of a major joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea has caused "degradation" to military readiness on the peninsula.

After an unprecedented summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump announced Washington and Seoul would not conduct their annual Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercise, one of the largest military exercises in the world.

"Thats a key exercise to maintain continuity and to continue to practice our interoperability, and so there was a slight degradation," Army Gen. Robert Abrams said Tuesday at his Senate confirmation hearing.

The general added, however, that he felt the cancellation was a "prudent risk" for the effort to "change the relationship" with North Korea.

When asked by Democratic Senator Gary Peters how many large-scale exercises could be skipped before a "significant decline in readiness," Abrams said it was "hard to judge."

"If confirmed, this will be one of my top priorities when I get on the ground on the pen[insula] to do my own personal assessment," Abrams said.

In the meantime, he said he was confident with the current U.S. Forces Korea commander's mitigation plan to sustain readiness until major exercises resume, which included U.S. and Korean participation in exercises that are smaller in scale, scope and volume.

Abrams said the U.S. military was "proceeding with planning" a large-scale exercise scheduled about six months from now on the Korean peninsula, but he cautioned execution of the exercise would be a "decision by our alliance leaders."

The U.S. conducts two major joint exercises with South Korea each year.

The first large-scale exercise, Foal Eagle, was pushed back this year so it wouldnt clash with the Winter Olympics.

Ulchi-Freedom Guardian, which had been scheduled for August before it was canceled, typically includes almost two weeks of drills for about 17,500 U.S. troops and 50,000 South Korean troops.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said the decision to cancel some exercises with South Korea was made in order "to provide space for our diplomats to negotiate the verifiable, irreversible and complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Asked Monday whether North Korea disarmament was possible, Mattis told reporters, "It's going to be a long road, hard road, but I'm still thinking we're on the right track."Home  Arte  Musica  Varie Some Guides for 6% off 2007 runescape gp buying&OSRS Melee Leveling Guide Until Sep.26 25/set/2018 09:08:30 Nash Contatta l'autore

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Mattis traveled to China in June in an attempt to deepen military-to-military dialogue with Beijing, even as Sino-U.S. trade tensions climb and anxiety in Washington grows over China's modernization of its armed forces and its increasingly muscular military posture in the South China Sea.

"We believe that we do have to have a relationship with China and Secretary (of State Mike) Pompeo and I are of one mind on this," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. "And so we're sorting out the way ahead right now."

China's Defense Ministry has said it would recall 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.

It added that China's military reserved the right to take further countermeasures.

At the Pentagon, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn confirmed that the U.S. military had been informed that China's Navy chief would no longer meet America's top naval officer, Admiral John Richardson.

"We have no additional information at this time," he said.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on China's Equipment Development Department, the branch of the military responsible for weapons procurement, after it engaged in "significant transactions" with Rosoboronexport, Russia's main arms exporter.

The sanctions are related to China's purchase of 10 SU-35 combat aircraft in 2017 and S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment in 2018, the State Department said.

The sanctions are aimed at Russia. They fall under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA, which was signed into law in 2017 to punish Russia for meddling in U.S. elections, aggression in Ukraine and involvement in Syria's civil war.

The mobile S-400 batteries, which include radars, a control system, and missiles with a range of up to 250 miles (400 km), were first deployed in Russia in 2007 and are considered Moscow's most effective defense against aircraft, missiles and drones.The U.S. Senates partisan brawl over President Donald Trumps embattled Supreme Court nominee intensified Tuesday, fewer than 48 hours before Judge Brett Kavanaugh and one of his accusers were expected to give contradictory testimony on whether the nominee committed sexual assault as a teenager.



Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky accused Democrats of rushing to convict Kavanaugh and destroy his good name with unproven allegations, abandoning any presumption of innocence - a bedrock principle of American jurisprudence.



Justice matters. Evidence matters. Facts matter, McConnell said. This is America here  Everyone deserves better than this, not just Judge Kavanaugh.



Senate Democrats countered that, if Republicans wanted to learn the facts about the nominees past behavior, they would not have rejected calls for an FBI investigation of the allegations against him.



Democrats also accused Republicans of treating Christine Blasey Ford dismissively at a time when victims of sexual crimes are speaking out across the nation. Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a high school party in the 1980s, a charge the nominee has repeatedly denied.

Labeling this a partisan smear job demeans not only the senators in my caucus, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said. It demeans many, many women who have come forward  to share their stories.



Schumer added, Leader McConnell should rethink what he said in the heat of the moment and apologize to Dr. Ford.

Standing firm

The sharp exchanges on the Senate floor came one day after Kavanaugh appeared on U.S. cable television - an unprecedented move for a Supreme Court nominee - to refute all allegations of sexual misconduct.



"Ive never sexually assaulted anyone. Not in high school. Not ever," Kavanaugh told Fox News, adding that he has no intention of bowing out of the nomination.

Also Tuesday, Republicans on the committee announced they had hired an outside female counsel to question Ford. The lawyer was not identified.



In New York, President Trump accused Democrats of mounting a con game and heaped scorn on a second accusation leveled against Kavanaugh, that he exposed himself at a college party decades ago.

The new allegation, reported Sunday by The New Yorker magazine, prompted the Senate Judiciary Committees top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein of California, to call for a postponement of Thursdays highly anticipated hearing where Kavanaugh and Ford are to testify.

Republicans have rejected any further delays in the confirmation process, which includes a committee vote followed by consideration by the full Senate.



Kavanaugh, a judicial conservative and Trumps second Supreme Court pick, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement.



His confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate had seemed all but assured until allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced nearly two weeks ago.Vietnam's appointment of its first female president belies a deep gender imbalance in the communist country's politics and society and will do little to improve women's rights, advocates said Monday.

Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh was named acting president Sunday following the death of Tran Dai Quang, a former chief of internal security appointed to the presidency in 2016.

"I think while Ngoc Thinh's appointment is symbolically important, its wider significance is limited to some women who are Communist Party members," said activist and dissident Do Nguyen Mai Khoi in an email.

"We should however remember that, as an unelected leader who is not accountable to the public, this appointment is not likely to improve conditions for most women in Vietnam."

Vietnam ranked 61 out of 193 countries in a survey last year of women's participation in parliament conducted by the Genveva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union. The southeast Asian nation was ranked 166 for women in ministerial positions.

Vietnam's National Assembly elected Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh as vice president in 2016. She was born in 1959 and holds a bachelor of law and a master's degree in party building, according to state media reports.

"The appointment of a woman as Vietnam's president may be historic, but it has more to do with internal party politics than gender," said Andrea Giorgetta, Asia director for the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.

"The reality is that the number of women in decision-making positions at all political levels in Vietnam remains low and reflects firmly-rooted gender stereotypes about the role women in the country's society," Giorgetta told Reuters.

Vietnam has no paramount ruler and is officially led by four "pillars"  its president, prime minister, the chief of its Communist Party and the national assembly chair.

The president sits on the powerful decision-making politburo, but is considered to have a more ceremonial role.The Homeland Security Department's internal watchdog has found some physicians hired to examine immigrants have criminal convictions. One had a history of sexual misconduct and another was sanctioned for allowing her team to dilute vaccines.

The report published by the Office of the Inspector General found the civil surgeons appointed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are not properly vetted. The surgeons review medical records and examine immigrants seeking lawful permanent resident status.

The inspector general says it's possible USCIS is putting immigrants at risk of abuse and also potentially exposing U.S. citizens to contagious disease.

The watchdog made eight recommendations, including stricter eligibility requirements and better training for surgeons.

Officials with USCIS concurred and said they will work on adopting the suggestions.The World Health Organization warns the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading to new parts of conflict-ridden North Kivu province, including areas that border Uganda and Rwanda.

Attacks by armed opposition groups in North Kivu have increased in severity and frequency in recent weeks. The most recent attack on September 22 in the city of Beni reportedly killed at least 21 people, including 17 civilians.

WHO sees this attack as especially serious as Beni is the site for the entire anti-Ebola operation.

WHO health emergencies program chief Peter Salama said increasing insecurity and community mistrust are hurting efforts to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from spreading.

He feared the combination of these and other factors could create ideal conditions for an epidemic.

A perfect storm of active conflict limiting our ability to access civilians, distress by segments of the community already traumatized by decades of conflict and of murder, driven by a fear of a terrifying disease, but also exploited and manipulated by local politicians prior to election," said Salama.

North Kivu is an opposition stronghold. Salama said he is very concerned that politicians are using Ebola as a political tool before Congo's December 23 presidential elections. He said he sees armed opposition groups trying to blame the authorities for the outbreak.

WHO reports the number of confirmed and probable cases of Ebola in this outbreak stands at 150, including 100 deaths. Salama said progress that was made in protecting people against the virus through vaccinations and several experimental drugs is in jeopardy.

The Ebola outbreak in North Kivu is the 10th in the DRC since 1976. Salama said this outbreak is the most difficult.In early September, James Lukuku staged a one-person protest in Zambias capital, Lusaka, against his countrys relationship with China.

Lukuku brandished a homemade sign that read: "China EQUALS Hitler." Scrawled on his T-shirt was a plea to U.S. President Donald Trump for help.

I want every Zambian to rise and stop the influence of China, said Lukuku, who heads the opposition Republican Progressive Party. The ruling party, he added, was selling this nation to the Chinese.

Though it was a one-man protest, Lukuku is not the only person ringing alarm bells about Zambias relationship with China. Several opposition and civil society groups have warned that Zambias debt payments are unsustainable, and that China could take over businesses and public assets.

Yet despite strong rhetoric, its unclear exactly how indebted Zambia has become, or whether China has seized ownership of any Zambian interests.

And even as its relationship with China comes under increasing scrutiny, it is Zambias ties with other players that appear to be fraying.

Withholding assistance

The International Monetary Fund, a major creditor throughout Africa, has decided to withhold $1.3 billion in financing to Zambia, while it waits for assurances the country has a solid plan to deal with its debt.

There are currently no discussions on a possible fund-supported program given the authorities borrowing plans compromise the countrys debt sustainability and undermine its macroeconomic stability, Dhaneshwar Ghura, the IMFs chief of mission in Zambia, told VOA by phone.

When a country gets into a situation of debt distress, the role of the IMF is to help resolve the problem, Ghura said.

That includes facilitating dialogue with creditors, he added.

But Zambias officials must be willing to talk openly, and others have expressed concern with the countrys lack of transparency and apparent corruption.

Last week, the BBC reported that the U.K. had decided to suspend aid assistance to Zambia after the Zambian government said $4.3 million in British aid money had gone missing.

Growing loans, faltering economy

Other African countries have much deeper ties to China and have prompted similar concerns over opaque deals. But Zambias borrowing has coincided with a sharp decline in its economy, driven in large measure by falling prices for copper, the countrys main export.

From 2000 to 2016, Lusaka accumulated about $6.37 billion in Chinese loans, according to data compiled by the China-Africa Research Institute (CARI) at Johns Hopkins University. Most loans have gone to transport, power and government projects, CARI found, and Zambia accumulated almost all of its debt since 2010.

A nation with a thriving economy might be able to handle the debt. But after years of growth that led to a record-high GDP of $28 billion in 2013, Zambias economy contracted to $19.55 billion just three years later.

Amos Chanda, spokesperson for President Edgar Lungu, told VOA this month that Zambia has economic problems but is far from a debt crisis.

He also denied reports that Chinese companies were taking over public assets.

There is no single Chinese company taking over, he said.

Zambia secured a $30 million interest-free loan and a $30 million grant at the recent Forum for China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, Chanda added.

Elements of risk

Economic woes and frustration with a government that appears to be struggling to manage its debts may have soured public perceptions of Chinas role in Zambia.

But China itself has contributed to a problematic lack of transparency, Scott Morris, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development and the director of the U.S. Development Policy Initiative, told VOA.

There are still elements of risk that really go back to the failure of China to sign up to and be governed by a set of rules around sustainable financing, Morris said.

What do you do when a country is in debt stress? What rules do you follow?U.S. President Donald Trump has called on world leaders gathered at the U.N. General Assembly to "isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues," accusing Iranian leaders of sowing "chaos, death and destruction."

"They do not respect their neighbors or their borders or the sovereign rights of nations. Instead, Iran's leaders plunder the nation's resources to enrich themselves and to spread mayhem across the Middle East and far beyond," Trump said a speech to the General Assembly Tuesday.

Trump maintained that Obama-era 2015 nuclear deal to end Iran's nuclear weapons program, which he withdrew from, was a "windfall for Iran's leaders" and boosted its military budget by nearly 40-percent to "finance terrorism and fund havoc and slaughter in Syria and Yemen."

The president said his administration started last month "reimposing hard-hitting nuclear sanctions that have been lifted under the Iran deal" and that more sanctions would be imposed on November 5 and beyond.



"We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons. We cannot allow a regime that chants death to America and that threatens Israel with annihilation," Trump said.



Later, speaking to reporters while he sat alongside Colombian President Ivan Duque, Trump said: I hope we can have the same trajectory with Iran as the U.S. has had with North Korea.

"It was me who said no, not them, on meeting with Iranian officials during the U.N. meeting. Trump added said such talks cannot occur until Tehran changes its behavior.

"Otherwise theyre going to be in the worst trouble of any country anywhere in the world, said the U.S. president.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told the assembly that no country can be brought to the negotiating table by force. Rouhani also questioned how Iran can enter into an agreement with the U.S., which he said violates the policies of his predecessor, Barack Obama. In addition, Rouhani accused the Trump administration of trying to render all global institutions ineffectual.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump said on Twitter he rejected multiple requests to meet with Rouhani, an assertion Rouhani firmly denied.

"Not this year, nor last year," he said in a CNN interview. "We have never made such as request for a meeting with the President of the United States."

Earlier this year, Trump announced the U.S. was withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. In November, companies doing business with Iran will have to stop or risk being shut out of the U.S. financial system. Washington wants to pressure Tehran back to the negotiating table for a new, broader deal.

Experts have warned Trump's approach toward Iran may find the U.S. somewhat isolated at the U.N. General Assembly.

The problem for the Trump administration is that many of the U.S.s allies, including the powers which are signatories to the Iran nuclear deal, they will not join such condemnation, noted the Middle East Institutes Ahmad Majidyar. While these countries share Washingtons concerns about Irans controversial ballistic missile program or support for some terrorist and militant groups in the region, they strongly support the nuclear deal and they do not back Washingtons unilateral exit.

North Korea

Trump also touted his relationship with North Korea, saying it has helped ease tensions on the Korean peninsula.

"The missiles and rockets are no longer flying in every direction, nuclear testing has stopped, some military facilities are already being dismantled," Trump said.

Trump added that "much work remains to be done" with North Korea and said "The sanctions will stay in place until denuclearization occurs."

His comments about North Korea were in sharp contrast from those he delivered at the assembly last year, when he threatened to "totally destroy" the country and ridiculed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man" who was on a "suicide mission."

The two leaders met in Singapore in June and the White House is working on scheduling a second summit. Despite Trump's praise of Pyongyang, the Trump administration has said Pyongyang is stalling in meeting the goals set in Singapore.

South Koreas president personally relayed a message on Monday to 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.



In addition to criticizing Iran, Trump also denounced China for what he maintains are the country's unfair trade practices. The president did not mention Russia's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election or its interference in Syria.

Multilateralism in peril?

In the year since he made his U.N. debut, Trump has cut funding to the world organization, withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement and the Iran nuclear deal, and quit U.N. bodies, including the Human Rights Council. He has also had difficult outings at gatherings of G-7 leaders and NATO.

I think that a lot of leaders are going to be pretty cautious with President Trump, said Richard Gowan, senior fellow at the U.N. University Center for Policy Research. The Europeans have been quite burned at a number of recent summits.

Without naming names, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently told reporters that multilateralism is under attack from many different directions precisely when we need it most. He said he would use his meetings to press for a renewed commitment to a rules-based global order and to the United Nations.

VOA U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer and Wayne Lee contributed to this report.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.You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear neighbour, that your refusal of my Chequers plan is merely words of course. My reasons for believing it are briefly these:  It does not appear to me that my deal is unworthy your acceptance, or that the trade relationship I can offer would be any other than highly desirable. My situation in the world, my connections with the family of De Commonwealth, and my relationship to your own, are circumstances highly in its favour; and you should take it into further consideration that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of a trade deal may ever be made you. Your German car makers are unhappily so dependent on British customers that failing to agree to my proposal will in all likelihood undo the effects of their engineering prowess and manufacturing strength. As I must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of my deal, I shall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of European countries.

Just the place for a Snark! I have said it twice:

That alone should encourage the crew.

Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice:

What I tell you three times is true.

genuine Snark

We will scrap the Conservatives Brexit White Paper and replace it with fresh negotiating priorities that have a strong emphasis on retaining the benefits of the Single Market and the Customs Union  which are essential for maintaining industries, jobs and businesses in Britain.

Freedom of movement will end when we leave the European Union.

Working together we will institute a new system which is based on our economic needs, balancing controls and existing entitlements. This may include employer sponsorship, work permits, visa regulations or a tailored mix of all these which works for the many, not the few.

In the longer term, we propose a new model of alignment that we describe as a shared market between the UK and the EU. The shared market would aim for continued alignment between the UK and the EU across most of the single market, but would recognise the potential for regulatory divergence over time. This model would have the following features.

- The agreement would stipulate that continued regulatory alignment in all aspects of the single market, with the exception of the free movement of people, is required in order to access the full benefits of the single market. This would include regulatory alignment on competition-related measures such as state aid, intellectual property rights and public procurement, as well as horizontal and flanking policies, such as company law, consumer protection, employment rights, environmental protections, and gender equality and anti-discrimination legislation.

- With respect to the free movement of people, there would be an agreement on quasi-alignment  i.e. an agreement that upholds the key principle of free movement of people while allowing new controls on immigration. This could constitute a safeguard measure that allows the UK to impose temporary controls on EEA migration during periods of exceptionally high inflows, as have been experienced in recent years.

- Enforcement and dispute resolution would be carried out through a two pillar mechanism modelled on the EEA agreement. A new UK Surveillance Authority and UK Court of Justice, including representatives from the UK and the EU, would monitor and adjudicate over the agreement. To ensure homogeneity, the UK Court of Justice would follow the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)s interpretation of single market rules with respect to case law up to the signing of the agreement, and would then pay due account to subsequent CJEU case law. A joint UK-EU committee would be created to resolve disputes.

- The agreement would allow for the possibility of divergence between the UK and the EU, either with respect to existing or future single market legislation. If divergence occurred, a declaration of incompatibility would be issued, which would initially give either side an opportunity to realign, and, if they did not, would result in the suspension of areas of the agreement. Crucially, the extent of the suspension would be proportionate to the extent of the regulatory divergence in question. The UK-EU committee would then review the suspension after a predetermined time period (e.g. six months) to monitor if divergence remained and the suspension was still necessary.

- The UK and the EU would also agree a joint customs union to cover all goods. This would limit friction in trade in goods between the UK and the EU. In return, the UK would continue to align itself to the EUs trade policy.

- As part of the agreement, the UK would make a continued financial contribution to Europe and the EU, recognising the benefits that it would receive from these investments. This would include solidarity contributions (to help reduce regional economic and social disparities across Europe through a UK Grants programme), programme contributions (to pay for programmes and agencies in which the UK continues to participate), and security contributions (to support the EUs foreign and security policy, including both financial and in-kind contributions through equipment, personnel and operational support).

In the midst of the word he was trying to say,

In the midst of his laughter and glee,

He had softly and suddenly vanished away

For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.

Sometimes I despair at the naivety of politicians.Theresa May's humiliation in Salzburg was an inevitable consequence of her belief that the EU would be willing to compromise its "four freedoms" to keep her in power. To be fair, press reports since the Chequers plan have suggested that the last thing the EU wants is a change of leadership in the UK. But it was a mistake to interpret this as meaning the EU was willing to become Theresa's poodle. Nothing could be further from the truth.The EU has said many times that the four freedoms are not up for negotiation, and proposals that tried to keep some of them while rejecting others have all been flatly rejected. Theresa's prized Chequers deal was weighed in the balance and found wanting the moment it hit Michel Barnier's desk. All the European Council did was confirm what everyone already knew.Except our Theresa, that is, who apparently thought that "this is not going to work" meant that the EU would eventually agree to it. We could call this the Mr. Collins approach to Brexit negotiations:But as Jane Austen repeatedly reminds us in her novel, Mr Collins was not a sensible man. Dear Theresa, do think about how this makes you look.Mind you, Theresa is hardly the only person who is convinced that "no" is simply a negotiating ploy. If there is one thing that has characterised the Brexit negotiations from the start, it is the extraordinary confidence of Brexiters. They have told us again and again that the EU will eventually cave in to whatever the UK demands. This despite the fact that in eighteen months of negotiation the EU has not caved in on anything, and shows absolutely no signs of doing so. Why on earth Brexiters think that the bloc that took severe economic pain rather than making concessions to Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Cyprus, Spain and Italy, and has opted to fight U.S. trade sanctions at the WTO rather than give in to U.S. demands, would find British blandishments irresistible is a complete mystery. Even in the glory days of the British Empire, European countries didn't do what the UK wanted. Why on earth would they do so now?The fantasies of the hardline Brexit think-tank Economists for Free Trade are borderline hilarious, not least because their only response to criticism is to repeat themselves. Economists for Free Trade's most recent publication repeats without alteration or comment all the errors that I and many others have previously pointed out. They remind me of the Bellman in Lewis Carroll's poemIf you repeat yourself often enough, everyone will believe you, even if you are talking utter tosh.Other hardliners are no better. I await with boredom and ennui the forthcoming Brexit proposal from Shankar Singham and the Institute for Economic Affairs. I expect it to be yet more "look into my eyes while I count to 10" mumbo-jumbo. For sheer slipperiness, the snake Kaa in the Jungle Book has nothing on them. Nor does the elusive Snark, for that matter.Of course, the trouble with Snarks is that they can turn out to be Boojums. And it is not just hardline Brexiteers who may struggle to distinguish between the two.In an unconscious echo of Carroll, Labour's Keir Starmer has set up six tests to help Labour MPs identify adeal that they can vote for:1. Does it ensure a strong and collaborative future relationship with the EU?2. Does it deliver the exact same benefits as we currently have as members of the Single Market and Customs Union?3. Does it ensure the fair management of migration in the interests of the economy and communities?4. Does it defend rights and protections and prevent a race to the bottom?5. Does it protect national security and our capacity to tackle cross-border crime?6. Does it deliver for all regions and nations of the UK?Now, these strike me as having more than a little of the flavour of Will O' The Wisp about them. Numbers 2 and 3, for example, are mutually incompatible, as the EU has repeatedly explained. You don't get the benefits of the single market unless you are a member of it, and you can't be a member of the single market unless you agree to Freedom of Movement, which of course prevents you "managing" migration, even "fairly", for national economic, social and political purposes. So here, in Starmer's tests, we have cake and cherries. This is already looking more like a Boojum than a Snark.But the cherry cupcake in Starmer's tests is merely the starter. The main course is the Black Forest Gateau that is Labour's "Negotiating Brexit" manifesto. Here is Labour's idea about trade:So, they are proposing a Norway+ deal - membership of the Single Market and the Customs Union? Presumably, then, they are going to accept Freedom of Movement, since membership of the Single Market is not possible without it. But if so, why bother to leave the EU at all?No, that's not what they have in mind. Under "Immigration", the manifesto says this:And it continues:No freedom of movement, then. So how are they going to retain the benefits of the Single Market and the Customs Union, when the EU has completely ruled this out unless freedom of movement is also accepted?It's not at all clear from the manifesto. But I have been reliably informed that Labour's Brexit strategy is based upon the IPPR's "Progressive Brexit" papers, released last year. So, belatedly, I have now read the one on trade. This is the IPPR's proposal for UK-EU trade (emphasis mine):In effect the IPPR is proposing a bespoke Single Market in goods, services and capital, without the inconvenient Freedom of Movement rules in the existing single market, and with the possibility of regulatory divergence over time, which is not permitted in the existing single market. It is, in short, a cake and cherries proposal that is second to none. The "bold and ambitious" Free Trade Agreement laid out in Theresa May's Lancaster House speech is merely a plain Madeira cake by comparison. If this really is the basis for Labour's "Negotiating Brexit" manifesto, it is not going to get off the starting blocks.Though of course it would pass Keir Starmer's tests. So presumably Labour - and the IPPR - think it is a genuine Snark. How could the EU possibly turn it down?They can, and they will. Creating a bespoke single market for a third country, especially one which cherry-picks the EU's treaties, fundamentally undermines the EU's single market. In effect, it gives the UK a better deal by leaving the EU than it was able to have while a member. This would not be lost on the other EU countries, several of which are also chafing at the Freedom of Movement restrictions. Suppose that Italy, for example, said to the EU: "I want to leave the single market I'm in and join the single market you've just agreed with the UK". How could the EU possibly refuse?This is not a Snark, it is a Boojum. And we know what happened to the person who caught a Boojum, don't we?The EU knows perfectly well that if it agreed to any of these cake and cherries proposals, whether Theresa May's Chequers deal, the lunatic schemes of hardline Brexiters, or the gateau devised by Labour and the IPPR, it would softly and suddenly vanish away. Cake and cherries may be delicious for the British, but they are lethal for the EU. Even a no-deal Brexit, painful though it would be for EU member states, would be better than this.Unless British politicians, on both sides of the political divide, give up cake and cherries, the Snark they eventually catch will be a no-deal Brexit.On social media and in protests that swarmed the Capitol on Monday, liberal and conservative activists have used apocalyptic terms to describe the stakes and have rallied behind the two key figures, who have taken on larger-than-life roles: Kavanaugh, a federal judge, and Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor who has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers.Theres a possibility there to build on what they agreed, but we know that Canadas interests are what we have to stand up for, and we will, Trudeau told the Council on Foreign Relations. My focus on this throughout has been simply not escalating. Not opining. Not weighing in. My job is very simple. Its to defend Canadas interests, stand up for Canadians.Purge rates have not increased equally across the country. The Brennan Center found areas previously under federal oversight because of a history of discriminatory voting had higher levels of purges. In 2013 with the decision of Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court struck down a portion of the Voting Rights Act that required states and jurisdictions with a history of discriminatory voter practices to gain federal approval before implementing changes to voting laws and practices. If these jurisdictions  states including South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Arizona and Alaska, and parts of North Carolina, Florida, California, South Dakota, Michigan and New York City  had purge rates on par with the rest of the country, more than 2 million voters would have stayed on electoral rolls for the 2016 election.The Smithsonian Latino Center  created in 1997 to promote Latino contributions to arts, culture and science  has been praised for its exhibitions and research, as well as its mentoring programs. Earlier this year, the American Alliance of Museums honored it with a national award. But its success does not eclipse the Smithsonians overall failure to improve its Latino representation, according to a critical report from UCLAs Latino Policy & Politics Initiative. Released on Sept. 10, Invisible No More, found the Smithsonian has failed to act on most of the recommendations made in a 1994 report, including working with Congress to launch a new Latino museum.In the wake of the Post story, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said that he had asked for a review of staffing in the homicide division. In particular, he said he was interested increasing the number of detectives assigned to investigate killings that had been inactive for more than two years.On Sept. 16, The Post published an article in which Ford identified herself publicly for the first time and detailed her claim that, in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her at a high school party as Judge looked on. By her account, no one else was in the room.These efforts were all successful because in each case, students researched why their proposed symbol was important to their state, wrote proposals defending their choice, gathered support and made presentations to their state representatives. And they were patient, because getting a bill through the legislative process can take a year or longer. In Indiana, it took four years for Says firefly to become the state insect, after a second-grader proposed it in 2014.Its no wonder that many families report stress around the mere act of eating. Stacey Saiontzs life was altered by her sons diagnosis. From almost the moment Jared was born, Saiontz says, an angry rash pocked every inch of his tender skin. He seemed to throw up too often. Saiontz ferried him to doctor after doctor, but each sent her home with an unsatisfying diagnosis: reflux, or maybe baby acne. Then she took the 3-month-old to an allergist, who confirmed that Jared tested positive for food allergies. Plural. Dairy, eggs, tree nuts, barley, sesame, oat, sorghum, millet, quinoa, flax, soy  everything, it seemed, had the potential to trigger a riotous reaction in his immune system. He was too young to eat those foods, but Saiontz, 43, a former lawyer who lives in Chappaqua, N.Y., had been exposing him through her breast milk.It said the health department and staff at the retirement home were working with D.C. Water and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate how the infection occurred. D.C. Health said it had advised Ingleside to implement full water restrictions until filters are installed on sink faucets and showers as a precaution so that residents can continue to use the water safely.We had a very informative public hearing right before our summer recess to carefully consider what compounds to include and ensure it prioritizes law enforcements ability to go after distributors and not users, Allen said in a statement. This is a public health crisis for many DC residents and it should be treated as such.Kihn has written about his philosophies in education publications and blogs, arguing in a 2016 Education Week article that traditional public schools need to focus on specialties so that they can compete with charter schools. Each school, he wrote, cannot serve the needs of every student. He said in an interview that he is a proponent of the traditional school system but that in cities with robust charter systems, its important to examine how the role of neighborhood schools has changed.Jose Garcia Urrutia Luna of Fairfax County is facing counts of indecent liberties with a child, sodomy and aggravated battery after the assault that occurred in the day-care center in the 3000 block of Popkins Lane, police said. Officers were called to the home, which is also Urrutia Lunas home, after a mother learned her child was allegedly abused by the man, police said.With Maryland state employees soon able to take as much as 18 weeks off with pay, Marylands policy will be more generous than that in Virginia and Washington. In June, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed an executive order granting mothers and fathers eight weeks of full pay after the birth or adoption of a child. The District already offers workers eight paid weeks off. Delaware will also offer 12 weeks paid to state workers starting in April.A surge in deadly violence that marred the summer months  forcing the city to declare a crime emergency east of the Anacostia  reemerged this weekend. At least 21 people have been shot in the District since early Friday. In the latest confirmed incident, two men were wounded about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 2300 block of Benning Road NE, police said. Another shooting was reported about 11:45 p.m. in the 800 block of Kennedy Street NW. But it was not immediately clear whether that report was confirmed.This push for information is nationwide, says First Sergeant Michael B. Elliott with the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. With as much time that has passed, people have potentially moved to other parts of the country. If they have knowledge, I hope they will do the right thing and come forward.The problem I see is that it could give the FAA the ability to simply reiterate their current position, which is that seats are safe and [the FAA] has nothing to do with comfort, said Paul Hudson, president of Flyers Rights. I can see us going around the block on this for a year and then coming back to exactly where they are now.This is going to be the most challenging budget year yet in my tenure with the county, Schwartz, who has worked for Arlington for 13 years, said in a statement. I believe I said the same thing last year, so this year is going to require even more serious and potentially difficult conversations about how to balance our revenues and expenses.They came in droves, and they didnt care if I went to their school or their swim meet or knocked on their door, he said, referring to voters who cast ballots for his opponent, Democrat David Reid. Theres still this very, very visceral reaction two years later to the president.The poll finds that Spanberger, who has sought to appeal to swing voters and Republicans by playing up her background in national security, has more cross-party appeal than Brat. While 83 percent of self-identified Republicans said they will vote for Brat, 13 percent say they will support Spanberger. Ninety-one percent of Democrats said they will vote for Spanberger; none said they would support Brat.Protection of grizzlies restored: A U.S. judge ordered federal protections restored for grizzly bears in the Northern Rocky Mountains on Monday, a move that blocks the first grizzly hunts planned in the Lower 48 states in almost three decades. Wyoming and Idaho had been on the cusp of allowing hunters to kill up to 23 bears this fall. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen had twice delayed the hunts, and the latest order blocking them was due to expire later this week. Christensen wrote in his ruling that the case was "not about the ethics of hunting." Rather, he said, it was about whether federal officials adequately considered threats to the species' long-term recovery when they lifted protections for more than 700 bears living around Yellowstone National Park.5 nations agree on Iran financial matter: 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 "Special Purpose Vehicle" will "assist and reassure economic operators pursuing legitimate business with Iran."French ex-premier launches bid for Barcelona mayor: Former French prime minister Manuel Valls has launched a bid to become Barcelona's mayor in an election next year with the aim to "rescue" the Catalan capital from "deterioration." The 56-year-old, born in Barcelona but raised in France, said he would resign as a French lawmaker to focus on his bid in the neighboring country. His jump to Spanish politics raises the stakes for the May election as a battleground between those who want the wealthy Catalan region to break away and those who want it to remain part of Spain. After months of talks with the anti-secession Ciutadans (Citizens) party, Valls said he was choosing to lead an independent ticket.Deripaska returned to the United States a year later, in September 2016, again as part of Russias official U.N. delegation. He was at one of his Manhattan homes when several FBI agents knocked at his door and wanted his help on the investigation the bureau had opened in July into possible contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia. We think Russia is colluding with the Trump campaign, and we think Manafort is the key guy, one of the agents told Deripaska, according to the knowledgeable source. The oligarch responded, I hate Manafort, and Im suing him, according to this source.At the top of this animal kingdom is an extremely large species with yam-tinged fur. Under the scientific name Rattus potus, it is highly aggressive with other rats (except for immediate family members), often for no apparent reason and even when not in its self-interest. Such behavior was exhibited by Trump when he ignored advisers and suggested Kavanaughs alleged sexual assault of Christine Blasey Ford was not as bad as she says.Third, the system that has forged a new global oligarchy must be transformed. That begins with a new emphasis on protecting the rights of workers across the world. It reforms the global trading order that puts investors and corporations above workers and citizens. It cracks down on global tax evasion by multinationals and the rich. It creates an international economic framework in which states have the right to defend their own domestic programs for shared security and economic development. It aims for more but balanced trade with other nations. The foreign policy establishment will condemn this as protectionism, but it simply sets priorities right side up: The global economic order must be defined in a way that bolsters shared prosperity at home rather than sacrificing the latter to serve the former.We do not know whether, at a party in Maryland sometime in the early 1980s, a 17-year-old Kavanaughsexually assaulted 15-year-old Christine Blasey Ford. Nor can we know the truth behind similar allegations that may emerge, such as the accusation from Deborah Ramirez, a Yale University classmate who said Sunday that Kavanaugh exposed himself and caused her to touch his genitals without her consent during a drinking party in college. Kavanaugh denies both allegations. (Full disclosure: I worked for the Justice Department from 2001 to 2003 at the same time that Kavanaugh served in the White House counsels office.)Only one other person  Kavanaughs friend Mark Judge  was in the room, she has said. And while Judge has denied he ever saw Kavanaugh act as Ford described, he also has written that his own high school days included a series of drunken blackouts. Given all of this, the refusal of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) to require Judge to testify is bewildering.On different issues, this has been a revealing moment on the left as well. Asked this past weekend by CNNs Jake Tapper if Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh deserves a presumption of innocence, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) offered a curious response. She argued that Kavanaughs denial of sexual misconduct is less credible because he has an ideological agenda thats very outcome driven, and I can sit here and talk to you about some of the cases that exemplify his, in my view, inability to be fair in the cases that come before him. Hirono added: He very much is against womens reproductive choice. . . . So there are so many indications of his own lack of credibility.He stuck to his teleprompter, squinting and using a sing-song delivery to read the words adviser Stephen Miller had written for him, adding occasional banal grace notes: Far greater! Just cant do it! Not good! The foreign leaders in the room shook their heads, shrugged, smiled and whispered to each other. They applauded other leaders when introduced and during their addresses; Trump didnt get any (except at the moment when they were laughing at him) until the polite ovation when he finished.Trump warned the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that the United States may no longer help defend its member nations if they do not lower their oil prices. He said foreign aid should be based not on compassion or need but on what is offered in return. He boasted of his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, his tough immigration policies and his trade war with China.Short of a stunning mea culpa by Kavanaugh or an equally unlikely confession by Ford that she made up her story, Senate questioning of only these two will result in stalemate, leaving both advocates and opponents of Kavanaughs confirmation with their predetermined views. The same goes for the accusations made against Kavanaugh by his Yale University classmate Deborah Ramirez. At the very least, taking testimony from any eyewitnesses to these incidents  such as Kavanaughs high school friend Mark Judge, who Ford said was present in the room during her alleged attack, as well as others to whom Kavanaughs accusers may have confided  would give the Senate and the public more information with which to evaluate the credibility of both accuser and accused.America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control and domination, Trump said in a 35-minute address delivered to a packed chamber. I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.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.He has always been obsessed that people are laughing at the president. From the mid-80s, hes said: The world is laughing at us. They think were fools,  said Thomas Wright, a Europe analyst at the Brookings Institution. Its never been true, but hes said it about every president. Its the first time Im aware of that people actually laughed at a president. I think it is going to drive him absolutely crazy. It will play to every insecurity he has.